"Are you sure you can't go?" Samantha Carter asked with just a hint of pleading.
"I'm sorry, Sam," Daniel Jackson replied. "There's a Galaxy Quest convention in Los Angeles that same weekend. I'm supposed to meet a few internet friends there."
"Damn!"
"You have noone else you can ask?"
Sam hesitated. "Well..."
"Who?" Daniel curiously asked.
"I was hoping I wouldn't have to do this, but if you couldn't go. I was thinking of asking the Colonel."
"Jack? He doesn't strike me as the reunion type."
"Yeah...I know that, but I just can't go to a college reunion without a date. I've heard that a lot of my former classmates are married and have families now. They'll be asking me questions about what I've been doing. There is no way I would be able to avoid all the probing questions about what I've been doing."
Daniel nodded. "Yeah, I see what you mean. It would be difficult to just avoid talking about your life. At least having someone who worked with you could help deflect some of the inquiries."
Sam agreed. "That's what I thought, too."
"Hello, campers! How is everyone doing this morning?"
Daniel and Sam looked up from their table to view the person with the distinctive greeting.
"Hi Jack."
"Good morning, sir."
"Daniel, Carter," Jack O'Neill replied to his teammates. "It's nice to see some enthusiasm on this fine day."
Sam smiled in amusement while Daniel shook his head at Jack's cavalier attitude.
"So...did I disturb some kind of brainy science talk between you two?" Jack asked as he began eating his breakfast of toast, eggs and coffee.
"No. We were just talking about reunions."
"Reunions?"
Daniel noticed Sam giving him a stern look, but he nonetheless continued. "Yeah. Sam was asking if I would be able to be her date for her college reunion coming up."
"Really?" Jack mumbled as he bit into his buttered toast.
"But I can't, because I have plans for that same weekend."
"Convention with other boring types talking about dead civilizations?"
Daniel gave Jack an irritated look. "Very funny, Jack. Remember that it wasn't too long ago that you betrayed us. I wouldn't be making fun of one of your team if I were you."
"I was under orders for crying out loud!"
"Um, Daniel is meeting some friends and some celebrities in Los Angeles that same weekend," Sam helpfully interjected.
"Okay...that sounds...kinda...neat."
"I was wondering, sir..." Sam began.
"About?"
"Well...if you would like to go with me."
Jack choked on his coffee. "Me?" he was finally able to cough out a reply.
"Yes, sir. I would take care of the arrangements. We would be there for about three days, and you just need to bring a suit."
"Wait a minute, Carter. I haven't agreed to anything..." Jack saw the obvious disappointment in Sam's face. "....yet."
Sam's face brightened up. "So you'll be my date?"
Jack thought for a moment. I just had to open my big mouth...
"Do I have to wear a tie?"
******
The days leading up to the trip seemed longer than usual to Jack. He was noticably nervous anytime he was with Sam, which Daniel was keenly aware.
"Is there something bothering you, Jack?"
"Um...why do you ask, Daniel?"
"I've just noticed that you've been acting as though you're distracted by something."
"I am?"
"Yeah, especially when Sam is around."
Jack felt embarrassed. "It's that obvious?"
Daniel nodded. "Oh yeah..."
"I didn't realize..."
"Realize what?"
"Um...that I would be getting nervous about this coming weekend."
"You shouldn't be, Jack. It's two friends spending some time together. Nothing wrong with that. Besides, you're helping out Sam, too."
"Yeah, I guess so..."
"So when's the date?"
"Date? What date?"
"When you and Sam get hitched," Daniel answered barely in time before cracking up with laughter.
"Very funny, Daniel. That kind of remark only makes me more nervous."
"I'm just kidding, Jack. Lighten up!"
"Yeah, sure...I just wish this weekend would get here, so I can get it over with!"
"It's just a few more days. Do you think you can survive?"
"You're talking to someone who has faced death more times than I can count. This little reunion is a piece of cake."
"Then, why are your hands doing that?"
"Doing what?"
"Shaking."
******
"Samantha Carter and Jack O'Neill."
The hotel clerk punched up the information on the keyboard and frowned. "I'm afraid there is a problem with your reservation, Miss Carter."
Upon hearing the word, "problem," Jack interjected. "What do you mean *there's a problem*?"
"I don't understand," Sam added. "I made these reservations over two weeks ago."
"Yes, I can see that," the clerk replied, "but it seems that we don't have two rooms available as you requested. Our reservation agents overbooked, so we can only offer you one room with two double beds."
"Oh for crying out loud..." Jack commented.
"Couldn't you just send us to another hotel that handles your overflows?" Sam inquired.
"That is our normal procedure. However, our overflows have exceeded the capacity of those hotels as well."
Sam looked exasperated. "Well...aren't there other hotels available?"
The hotel clerk shook her head. "There are several conferences going on this weekend. All the major hotels near the convention center are totally booked. We don't have as many hotels here in town like San Francisco."
"I see..." Sam replied whlie looking over at Jack for some guidance.
Noticing her gaze, Jack decided to take over. "So tell me, Miss...?"
"Duncan," the clerk replied.
"Miss Duncan...I assume we are getting this room at a drastically reduced rate?"
She nodded. "Yes, my manager has approved a 20% discount over our normal weekend rate for guests who were overbooked."
Jack peered over at Sam with a very mischievous twinkle in his eye. "I'm afraid that's not good enough," he said to a very stunned clerk.
******
"Wow! Two nights free for the next time we're in town *and* 35% off the bill. When you set your mind to it, sir, you can literally move mountains."
"Well, Carter, moving mountains is a bit more difficult, but if I can get my buddies, the Asgard, to help...you never know."
Sam giggled.
"Okay, so tell me why we're in the hotel bar?" Jack asked as he took another sip from his beer.
"One of my best friends from college is going to meet us here. Also, I know that some of the other alumni are going to be hanging around here to re-acquaint with old classmates and friends."
"I see...so why is it that you didn't attend the Air Force Academy?"
"Well, I always wanted to get into NASA, and Dad would keep pushing the Air Force. He would be able to pull some strings to get me there and all that. I didn't want any rumors of nepotism and being a general's daughter to influence my career with NASA. Also, I thought Penn State had an extraordinary astrophysics department where I could find my own niche. Then, I went to UC-Berkeley for graduate work in Space Sciences before I received an appointment to Officer Candidate School."
"Then why are we in Fairfield rather than up the road in 'Frisco close to your alma mater?"
"I don't know. I guess they couldn't find a place closer to the city."
"So all your classmates are a bunch of brainiac types like you?"
"Not all of them were in astrophysics, but definitely similar scientific fields. My one friend that we're meeting tonight, Janice, studied particle astrophysics and is part of the think tank at JPL."
"Wow! Definitely a brain."
Sam nodded. "Yeah...there are others that I heard are working for MIT, Grumman, McDonnel Douglas, NASA...the list goes on."
"I bet any one of them would kill to be in your job."
Sam smiled. "Oh, I don't know about that. What they do is almost as exciting."
Jack shook his head. "I doubt it. How many of them get to travel to other worlds, wear cool military fatigues and fire a gun?"
Sam laughed. "I guess not too many, sir."
"Oh...um, Sam, I think it's okay to call me 'Jack' this weekend. 'Sir' sounds a bit too formal for your date."
"Okay." Sam smiled at him, which made Jack's palms instantly perspire.
"Samantha?"
Both Jack and Sam turned around to see a smiling and very pregnant woman behind them.
"Oh my God!" Sam shrieked. "Janice? You *never* told me you were pregnant!"
"I wanted to surprise you! So....are you surprised?"
"Of course! How far along are you?"
"Seven months."
"Wow! I had no idea."
Peering over at Jack, Janice raised an inquisitive eyebrow. "So, Sam told me that she was bringing someone. Could you be the lucky individual?"
Glancing over at Sam, Jack smiled at her friend and offered his hand. "I guess so. The name's Jack O'Neill."
Janice smiled with an approving eye while returning his handshake. "Nice to meet you, Jack. I'm Janice Merced."
"Jack and I work together," Sam added.
"Air Force man?"
Jack nodded.
"So, Janice, where's Tony?" Sam asked to cover up her obvious nervousness.
"He's taking a nap. Our flight from LAX was horrendous. We were delayed three times, because they had some trouble with their radar systems. Can you believe it? If that wasn't bad enough, one of our bags didn't make it. So we have to check back with the airport tomorrow morning."
"That's terrible! Our flight from Colorado was okay, but they didn't have two rooms available for us. Though with Jack's help, we were able to get a great deal on the room and a couple nights free the next time in town."
"Good for you! I'm glad someone was able to stick it to them. Our hotel clerk was rather rude to us."
Sam shook her head. "That's ridiculous!"
"Yeah, just let me know whom it was, and I'll be able to make you owner of the hotel," Jack said.
Both Sam and Janice laughed.
"You're such a riot!" Janice commented.
"I have my moments," Jack replied.
"So," Sam began,"have you seen any of our old classmates? We've been sitting here for almost an hour and have yet to see anyone."
"Oh yeah...Christa Parker."
"You're kidding!"
Jack gave the women a curious look.
"Christa was a British transfer student, who didn't get along with many of us," Sam explained.
"Yeah, we used to call her 'Mary Poppins' because she looked like a young Julie Andrews," Janice added.
"I'm certainly not looking forward to seeing her."
"She's not the only one I saw either."
Sam gave Janice a questioning look but before her friend could reply, another college friend came to visit. With all the gossiping brewing in front of him, Jack decided to take his leave.
"Um...I think I'll head back to the hotel room."
"Are you okay, Jack?" Sam curiously asked.
"Yeah...I just feel like laying down...maybe watch a hockey game on the tube."
Sam nodded while looking at her watch. "Okay...I'll be up a little bit later. I think we're all going to go out to dinner around seven."
Janice nodded in agreement. "That's right, Jack. My husband, Tony, would love to meet you as well."
Jack smiled. "Well, it's nice to know that there are other guys around to talk with. I'll catch you later then."
With that last comment, Jack turned to leave. Sam watched him go.
"Okay...so what's the deal with Jack?"
Sam turned back to Janice. "What are you talking about?"
"Come on, Sam! I haven't heard much from you in almost 4 years after you were transferred from the Pentagon, and then, you show up for this reunion with Mr. Air Force man."
"What is there to say? Jack and I work together on a top secret project."
"Deep space radar telemetry? What's so top secret about that?"
Sam smiled. "If I told you, Janice, then I would have to kill you."
Janice laughed. "Okay, okay. I get the hint. But that still doesn't explain you and Jack."
"What's to explain?"
"Well...I just get this gut feeling that there's more between the two of you than just work. I honestly don't think Jack was too unhappy to find out that he would be sharing a hotel room with you this weekend."
Sam blushed but tried to shrug off Janice's assumptions. "I really don't think that Jack feels that way. Besides, there was nothing we could do about it anyway. The hotel overbooked our reservation."
Her friend wasn't convinced. "Okay...if you say so."
"Um...you mentioned that you saw someone else here," Sam continued to try to change the uncomfortable topic of their conversation.
"Oh...yeah. I saw Neil Harris."
Sam's face betrayed her shock. "Neil Harris is here? I...I didn't think..."
"What did you expect, Sam? That he would just avoid coming to the reunion? He was our class president for Pete's sake."
Sam stayed quiet as a flood of emotions overcame her normally pleasant demeanor.
"Sam...that was a very long time ago. I'm sure he forgave you by now."
She looked up at Janice. "Maybe...but I never forgave myself."
******
Jack sat quietly at the table as he absent-mindedly played with his tie. The previous evening with the Merceds helped him relax for the reunion that Sam had shown surprising restraint for most of the day. Other than the Merceds, all the other people at the table were unfamiliar. Both Sam and Janice disappeared to mingle with the rest of the crowd leaving Jack and Tony at the table.
"Are you doing okay, Jack?"
He glanced over at Tony Merced. "Yeah. I'm doing just fine."
"I know these things are kind of boring, but it's not too often that Janice gets to see some of her old classmates. I'm sure that Sam probably feels the same way."
Jack nodded. "I wouldn't doubt it. She has been preoccupied with work for the past few years, so this is good that she has some downtime."
"Refresh my memory, Jack....you and Sam work together, right?"
"Yeah, that's right. Actually, I'm her commanding officer."
"Really? Wow! Doesn't that make a romance kind of difficult?"
Jack hesitated. "Um...we're not...I mean Sam and I are just..."
"Oh! I'm being nosy, ain't I? Sorry. I could have sworn Janice mentioned that you two were close."
"We are...I mean...we work very closely together and...well...Sam wanted a date for the reunion and all that...."
Tony raised his hands. "Say no more, Jack. It's really none of my business. I'm just glad that there was another guy I could talk to."
"Well, Berkeley isn't exactly an all-girl's school, Tony. I did see a few men in their class picture out in the reception area."
"Yeah, that's true. I think their class president was a guy."
Jack just smiled at the comment. I'll have to remember to thank Sam for leaving me in the lurch like this.
"From what Janice told me, this Neil Harris and Sam were an item back in their school days."
This bit of info caught Jack's interest. "Oh?"
"Yeah. I remember that when Janice saw the initial list of the people coming to the reunion, she commented about Neil and Sam probably feeling awkward around each other."
Jack's brow creased. "Why is that?"
"She didn't say. But somehow, I have a feeling that those two were really tight."
Jack had a sudden urge to get a drink. "Um...I'm heading to the bar. Did you want me to get you something?"
Tony raised his beer bottle. "Not right now. Still got this to finish, but maybe later."
"Okay. I'll be back in a little bit."
As Jack headed to the nearest bar, he quickly scanned the room but only saw Janice talking with a few women, none of whom were Sam.
"What can I get you, sir?"
Jack was surprised that the line had dissipated in front of him. "Yes...scotch and soda, please."
As the bartender mixed the drinks together, Jack did see Sam pass by one of the doors outside of the dining area. He also noticed that she wasn't alone.
******
The cool breeze felt good on Sam's shoulders. She had been hot inside from all the people at the reunion. There was also the person with her.
"It's nice to see you again, Neil. I had no idea that you were even coming."
He didn't say anything at first. His eyes betrayed the obvious infatuation for Sam that had been evident to her and most everyone else who knew their history together.
"There was no way I would miss this reunion for the world," he finally said.
Sam felt uncomfortable but kept up the courtesies. "I heard that you were working with a private firm that consults for NASA, JPL and the European Space Agency."
Neil noticed the formality and followed along. "Yeah. I didn't realize that I would be travelling as much as I have been though."
"I noticed that you came alone. There's no 'Mrs. Harris'?"
"Um...no. But that title was reserved for someone else a long time ago."
Sam was visibly shaken by the reference. She decided not to reply to his prodding.
"I certainly noticed that you brought someone with you," Neil continued. "From what I gathered from some of our classmates, I know that he's not your husband."
"No, he's a friend. Not that it's any of your business, but I'm not married."
"Was that to make me jealous?"
Sam couldn't believe what she heard. "Neil, you can be a real son-of-a-bitch. You know that? What happened between us ended a long time ago. I moved on with my life. You should have done the same."
Neil's emotions got the better of him. "What happened between us may have been a long time ago, Sam, but I never really got over what you did. We made plans for the future. I was devastated when I found out why you left."
Sam was quiet again. She hadn't talked about that time in her life to anyone except Janice. It had been too traumatic and was not something that a general's daughter would dare reveal.
"You could have talked to me, Sam. We could have worked it out. Why did you have to leave?"
"I...I can't really explain it to you. It was a difficult...time for me. I wanted to...I don't know. I just had too many opportunities I wanted to explore. I just didn't feel that I could be happy settling down."
"So instead, you decided to leave me and disappear into the Air Force."
"I didn't disappear, Neil. You knew that I wanted to be in the Air Force from the first time you met me. Yet, you just brushed that aside, because it didn't fit into *your* agenda. I just couldn't pass up something that was important to me, Neil. I would have never been able to live with myself if I hadn't tried. I would only end up resenting you."
Neil's anger did not hide the hurt that was so apparent in his eyes. "I loved you, Sam."
She felt tears welling up. "I know that, Neil. I loved you, too. But it wouldn't have been enough. I couldn't keep up the facade that you wanted for everyone to see."
Neil hesitated. "Did your Dad ever know? About the baby?"
It was finally out in the open. The secret that Neil and Sam had avoided talking about all these years.
"No, he didn't. I...I never had the courage to tell him that he almost had a grandchild," she said as tears flowed freely from her eyes.
Neil took Sam into her arms and let her cry. Though they weren't the only people outside, one particular pair of eyes happened to see them from just inside the door.
******
"Penny for your thoughts, Jack?"
The music had been loud and steady, so Jack almost didn't hear someone talk to him. He looked up to see Janice giving him a curious look.
"What?"
"I just noticed that you were brooding over that drink," Janice replied as she took a seat beside him. "I just wanted to know if you've seen Tony."
"Um...he left about 10 minutes ago. Said something about the music and the beer gave him a headache. I think he went back to the room."
Janice nodded. "I thought so. Tony is not much of a drinker. I'll probably go check up on him later."
Jack just stared at his drink.
"What about you? Everything okay?"
He looked up. "Yeah. Sure. Everything's just great."
Janice definitely knew something was up. "Um...have you seen Sam?"
Jack shook his head. "Nope. She's been gone for almost an hour. Thought she went on the reunion round with you, but obviously, that isn't the case."
"Janice?"
They both looked up to see an attractive blonde smiling at them.
"Christa? Oh my..."
"I should say the same thing about you. My God! I never would have thought you to be so big!"
Jack noticed Janice clench her teeth. "It's nice to see you, too. I'm surprised it took me this long to miss that lovely British accent of yours. After all, it was always the loudest voice in the room."
Christa ignored the insult and concentrated on Jack. "Hello. I'm afraid I didn't catch your name."
Jack raised his eyebrows as he peered over at her. "Jack O'Neill. Pleased to meet you."
"Christa Parker. Likewise."
"Um...I think I need to check on Tony. Jack, I'll see you later. Christa...it's been swell," Janice said as she left.
Christa sat in the vacated seat. "So...Jack. You came with Samantha Carter, didn't you?"
Jack nodded. "Yes, but it seems that she seems to have disappeared on me."
"Oh, I think she's rehashing old times with an ex-flame."
"Excuse me?"
"I just saw her with Neil Harris not too long ago outside when I was going to have a fag."
"Excuse me?"
"A cigarette. Sorry. I forget about the slang sometimes when I'm in the States. Anyway, they looked rather chummy."
Jack wasn't sure if he wanted to order another drink, go back to the hotel room or check on Christa's accusations. He ended up staring at his drink instead.
"Hi Jack....Christa?"
They both looked up to see Sam. Jack also saw that Neil was behind her about 12 feet away and desperately trying not to be noticed.
"Samantha! It's so great to see you," Christa answered while nodding her acknowledgement at Neil.
"Um...is there a problem?" Jack inquired as he made sure Neil noticed *him* with his stare.
"No! No problem at all, Jack," Sam replied. "I'm just reacquainting myself with old classmates."
"I see..."
"I'm just going to get some fresh air. I'll be right back."
"Did you want me to wait for you or should I head back to the room?"
Sam hesitated. "Um...I'll come by later to check on you, but Jack, you don't have to wait for me. If you want to head back to the hotel room, I have a key to get in."
As she was ready to leave, Jack grabbed her arm. "Are you sure, Sam?" he asked as he peered over at Neil who returned his cold stare.
"I'm fine, Jack. I don't need a babysitter."
He hesitated for a moment and then eased his grip on her arm. Jack watched Sam leave...with Neil following and noticably closer than 12 feet.
"You and Sam aren't...?"
Jack turned his attention to Christa. Well, I could have been left with Tony, so I guess this isn't too bad.
"Sam and I aren't...?"
"You know...involved. At least, I certainly hope for your sake that you aren't."
"Now why would you worry about little ole me?"
"Well, I am certainly not one to pry into anyone's affairs, but I can tell you that Sam and Neil were engaged shortly before graduation."
Jack tried to stay neutral, but he can feel his insides churning up a storm. "Really? I never knew that."
"Yes, they were quite mad for each other."
"So why didn't they marry?"
"I don't know, really. There were lots of speculations about that. I thought Sam's actions were rather dodgy considering they seemed inseparable up to that point."
Jack nodded while taking in Christa's information.
"I would say that Sam was running away."
"Running away? From what?"
"Like I said, I don't know. But from the way they appear tonight, they seemed to have resolved whatever differences they had long ago."
Jack turned his attention towards the door that he saw Sam and Neil walk through. He had a sudden urge to do a bit of reconnaisance. As he was debating on what to do, the music turned from a loud dance tune to a hauntingly slow ballad.
"This is one of my favorite songs. Would you like to dance?"
Jack returned his gaze back to Christa. "I'm sorry, but I don't dance."
She raised her eyebrow in curiosity. "I'm rather surprised at that. You are in the military, aren't you?"
Jack nodded.
"I've never heard of a military man not knowing the social graces of dancing at a formal."
"I never said that I didn't know how to dance. I just prefer not to."
Christa's face showed disappointment. "Or is it that you prefer to dance with someone else instead?"
Jack literally felt as though someone punched him in the gut. Her words were innocent enough but hit him squarely on target. So he decided to get up and offer his hand to her, which she gladly took as they headed out to the dance floor.
The ballad was an old Chicago song, "Colour My World." The hauntingly familiar piano opening set the mood for the other couples on the dance floor as well. Christa laid her head on his shoulder as their two bodies slowly danced to the ballad. Jack felt uncomfortable at first. His mind was wandering towards another female, yet Christa's unfamiliar but sweet scent was a welcome and unexpected treat for him. He understood why the other women were jealous of her. She appeared cold and ingratiating to them but very friendly and warm to him, a total stranger. It belied her insecurities as well as her cockiness towards her peers. As his mind swirled with those thoughts, the lyrics became apparent to his ears:
As time goes on...I realize...just what you mean to me And now...now that you're near, promise your love that I've waited to share... and dream of our moments together...Colour my world with hope...of loving you...
As Jack listened to the lyrics, his eye caught another couple at the far corner of the room watching him.
******
There were 322 small ceiling tiles, and it was 5:15 in the morning. Those two facts were the only things Jack was fully aware. He had been laying on the couch in the large living room area of the hotel room. Sleeping was far from his mind as the minutes ticked by. Stop worrying! She's a big girl.
Yet, the thought that Sam was out there somewhere with a former love nagged at Jack's emotions more than he cared to admit. After all, he was doing Sam a favor by agreeing to attend her college reunion as her date. He felt that he had a right to some courtesy from Sam. It looks bad to bring a date and then ditch him for someone else in front of everyone. Isn't it?
The outside door was making jittering noises as a key was inserted into the lock. Jack closed his eyes pretending to be asleep as he heard the door open and footsteps enter the room. The door was closed and locked and footsteps trudged into the bedroom. He heard further noises as Sam was getting something from her luggage before going into the bathroom. Jack opened one eye to see that the bedroom door was closed and the light shone under the doorsill. After a few moments, the light went out, and he heard the covers to one of the beds being moved around. Silence came soon after.
Jack felt it was safe to open both eyes as he stared up at the ceiling again.
I think I missed a couple of tiles...
******
Jack sat at the table slowly drinking his coffee. Part of him wished that he hadn't drank so much the evening before. Since there was nothing else constructive that he could think of to do in the middle of a reunion that he had no business attending, it just felt right. Yet, his slight hangover was telling him different. It was almost 11:30, and Sam was still sleeping. He didn't feel as though he needed to get her up after the unceremonious way that he had been treated. She probably could use the sleep anyway.
"Penny for your thoughts, Jack?"
He turned slowly to look up at the person talking to him. It was Christa.
"Morning."
"Oh my...you look rather dreadful this morning. Didn't get much sleep?"
"Um...you could say that."
"Did Sam ever make it back to the room last night?"
Jack nodded, which he quickly realized was a mistake as his equilibrium started to falter again.
"I must say that it was difficult to sleep. My body clock is still running on London time, and right now, it's close to 7:30 in the evening. So I estimate that I'll be falling asleep in the next three hours."
"Sorry to hear that. When are you heading back?"
"Not until tomorrow morning. I thought it would be best to recover from whatever ailment I would suffer from the reunion and jet lag mixed together before I headed back home again. You?"
"Tomorrow morning, too. Sam thought it would be a good idea to stick around to sight-see or visit her old alma mater for the day. I thought it was a good idea at the time."
"I take it things didn't go well between you two after she got home?"
"Well...nothing really happened. She didn't get back to the hotel until after 5a.m. and went straight to bed. She's still sleeping."
"Oh my..."
Jack waved it off. "Nothing to really talk about. She spent some time with old friends. I can't be upset about that."
"Friends or one particular friend?"
Geez! She's really nosy! "To be honest, I don't know. I'm sure Sam will mention it to me when she gets up later."
"Jack! It's nice to see you this morning. Um..hi Christa."
The two looked up to see Janice and Tony standing there in very tourist-like outfits and beaming smiles. "Hi Janice, Tony," Jack replied. "I take it you two are heading out to the city to do some sight-seeing?"
Tony nodded. "Yeah, we could have started earlier, but it was so nice to sleep in for once. That mattress was like sleeping on fluffy pillows."
Jack stretched his neck after his night of being scrunched up on the lumpy couch. "Yeah...they sure were."
"Christa...I'm surprised that you're still here. Couldn't find an early flight?" Janice asked with just a hint of cynicism.
"Oh not at all, Janice. I thought I would stick around an extra day to see whom I could bother before I left," Christa replied with a feigning smile. "Guess what? You seem like a likely candidate!"
Janice ignored the remark. "So, Jack...where's Sam this morning?"
Jack could feel his neck muscles tightening up again. "Um...she's still asleep. I guess she was exhausted from last night's partying."
"Really? Hmmm...I was trying to find her after I checked on Tony last night, and I couldn't find her anywhere near the ballroom. I wonder where she went..."
Great! Like I really needed to hear that! "I honestly don't know, Janice. She came in really early this morning, and I hadn't had a chance to talk with her."
Janice noticed the strain on Jack's face. "Um...okay. Maybe I'll catch up with her later. Jack? Are you doing okay? You don't look so hot."
"Yeah, now that she mentions it, I thought you looked kind of ill this morning," Tony added.
Jack shook his head. "Just a slight hangover. Nothing to worry about."
"He'll be fine, Janice. I'll make sure to pay attention to him," Christa said with a slight mischievous smile. "After all, Sam obviously has other things on her mind."
He looked at her with a raised eyebrow.
"Um...okay," Janice replied. "We better get going. Tony?"
"Yeah, I'm right behind you. Jack, Christa...catch you later."
After they left, Jack turned his attention to Christa. "Why did you have to say that?"
She feigned shock. "Say what?"
"That comment about Sam having other things on her mind. It's really none of our business."
"Oh come on, Jack! Don't try to tell me that her behavior has *pleased* you. If I were in your shoes, I would be furious."
"Well...it's not really like that between Sam and me."
"Oh really? Then why are your hands doing that?"
"Doing what?"
"Shaking."
******
"I thought you said we should get going."
"Yeah, I know, but this thing with Sam is bugging me," Janice replied as her husband followed close behind.
They stopped in front of Room #628. There was a "DO NOT DISTURB" sign hanging on the doorknob.
"Do you think we should be doing this?" Tony asked.
"Look...I want to get the scoop on why Jack was left in the lurch last night and is now being fondled by Mary Poppins."
She knocked on the door. After a few moments of nothing, she knocked louder. There was a faint noise within the room, so Janice knocked again.
"Sam? It's Janice. Open the door."
Another few seconds passed before the door opened. Sam was obviously still sleeping from the look of her disheveled hair and her wrinkled nightgown.
"Janice? Tony? What's going on? Is there a fire or something?"
Janice turned to her husband. "Tony? I'm glad you're patient with me, dear, but can you go back to our room for now? I want to talk to Sam alone."
He gave her a quizzical look and nodded. Janice gave him a small kiss before he left. She went inside Sam's room.
"Okay, Sam...spill it."
"What?"
"I thought this thing between you and Neil was over. You told me that yourself, but next thing I know, you disappear from the reunion and noone, and I do mean noone, knew where you went."
"Oh...well, I just found myself going over old times with an old friend."
Janice gave her a glaring look. "Old times? What on earth would you two have to go over?"
"Janice, I don't really think that's any of your business."
"It isn't? Do I have to remind you who stood by you when you found out you were pregnant? Who was there to hold your hand? Who made sure to cover for you when your Dad called? I don't want you making the same mistakes."
"Mistakes? Neil and I didn't do anything, Janice. We were just...talking."
Janice wasn't convinced. "I see...so talking to Neil was more important than making sure Jack wasn't feeling ditched?"
"I didn't ditch Jack. He had met a few of our old friends...I knew that he didn't need me to watch over him like some babysitter."
"That's not the point, Sam. You left him all alone. Poor Jack looked like someone who lost his best friend. I know that he was trying to put up a brave point, but it didn't fool me. Of course, it didn't help that he saw you with Neil."
"So? It's not like Jack and I are a couple or anything."
"Sam...what has gotten into you? That's not the point! You brought Jack along to this reunion. He was helping a good friend out. The least you could have done is shown him some courtesy by not abandoning him the night of the reunion!"
She was quiet. Janice's words were definitely causing her to think about the previous night's actions.
"Poor Jack is downstairs with a hangover pretending that he's doing okay. It doesn't take someone with PhD to know that he isn't okay. If that wasn't bad enough, Christa has her claws all over him."
"What?"
"You heard me, Sam. Our lovely Mary Poppins is sitting with Jack and giving him the attention that he's been sorely lacking from you."
Sam felt about two inches tall at that moment. "Um...I guess I'll need to talk to Jack."
Janice nodded. "If you ever want to keep your friendship with him not to mention a good working relationship, I would highly suggest it."
"Okay, okay...I get the hint."
"So...where's Neil on this lovely day?"
"He had a flight back early this morning. He was actually planning to leave right after the ball but changed his mind."
"Really? What a surprise..."
"Janice! I don't need to hear that now."
"Sorry...I just don't want to see you make another mistake, Sam."
"I understand...."
"I'm going to go now, so I can save *my* relationship and let you get back to sleep. Maybe we can all have dinner later?"
Sam nodded. "Yeah...maybe."
******
Sam was quietly searching the hallways of the hotel. Even though she went back to bed after Janice left, she couldn't get back to sleep. Two hours later, she decided to get up and look for Jack. Obviously, the innocent reunion weekend that she had planned didn't turn out the way that she would have wanted. Now, her behavior the previous evening towards Jack was something that made her feel extremely ashamed of herself. She had to find Jack and explain.
As Sam passed by the indoor pool, she thought she saw someone with Jack's graying hair standing near the edge of the pool. He went swimming? I know he didn't get back to the room this afternoon.
Upon closer inspection, the person in question was definitely Jack - fully clothed - but standing next to a scantily clad Christa in a two-piece bikini. Sam hesitated at first but decided "to plunge" into the situation.
"Jack?"
He turned around when he heard his name. Sam noticed that Christa's laughter instantly turned into a grimace upon seeing her.
"Sam? You up already? I thought you would be sleeping it off until well into the late afternoon."
"Um...yeah. Well, I really couldn't sleep, so I went looking for you."
"Any particular reason?"
Sam hesitated. "Um...Christa? Would you excuse us please?"
Christa shrugged but was clearly unhappy that her focus of attention was leaving her. Jack and Sam walked out of the pool area and headed towards one of the numerous hotel lounges scattered throughout the main floor.
"So...," Jack began. "You have something on your mind, Sam?"
She waited until they found a couch to sit. "Yeah, actually, I do."
There was a moment of awkward silence between them as Jack watched the people passing by while Sam kept looking at her shoes.
"For crying out loud, Sam...you've given debriefings that didn't take this long."
Sam took a deep breath and was clearly struggling with the intended topic of conversation. "Jack...I talked with Janice earlier today, and she hinted to me that my behavior last night might have been inappropriate."
"Yeah?"
"You have to understand, Jack, that I had no intention to just leave you like that last night. I thought you and Tony would be hanging out most of the night. I wanted to make sure I met as many of my old classmates and catch up."
"Uh huh."
"Then, I met someone whom I haven't seen in quite a long time. We had, um...something special...once."
"I see..."
"Never in my wildest dreams did I think that he would be able to rekindle feelings that haven't been there in so long. I almost felt 10 years younger."
Jack *really* felt uncomfortable listening to Sam. This person was someone he was not familar with. He was used to *his* Carter, a no-nonsense, military and scientific genius who could figure out wormhole physics and fire a zat gun in her sleep. This Carter showed emotions and feelings, not the kind of thing Jack ever felt comfortable with himself, much less hearing it from her.
"Do you understand, Jack?"
He was pulled out of his own thoughts. "Um...yeah. I understand."
Sam smirked. "Really? What did I just say?"
"Um...something with dreams and feelings and...other mushy...stuff."
Sam laughed. "Okay, I guess you were paying attention."
"Listen, Sam...you don't have to explain yourself. It's really none of my business. What you do with your friends, whether they're pregnant, or you were romantically linked to is no concern of mine."
"I know that, Jack. But you are a friend, and I do appreciate that you came all the way out here with me."
"I'm fine, Sam."
"Are you really?"
Jack nodded.
"Then why did Janice tell me you looked as though you lost your best friend last night? And why do you look like hell now?"
"So I drank a bit too much last night. No biggie! As for what Janice said, she was exaggerating. With the dim lights and my inebriation, I could have looked like I lost my puppy or something. It was nothing."
"And Christa?"
"She was being nice. What's wrong with that?"
"Nothing at all, Jack."
Jack thought for a moment. "I was more than happy to spend the weekend with you. It's been quite awhile since you and I have had any kind of quality time together outside of our missions, especially after that fiasco with the rogue Stargate group. I was just kind of...surprised...that you ended up with someone else."
"Then you were upset?"
"Not upset really...I guess I wasn't sure how I was supposed to feel. Don't get me wrong...I wanted you to have a good time and all that, but I thought I would be included in that fun. So when you took off with...um..."
"Neil."
"Yeah, him...I felt like I was left to fend for myself."
Sam felt ashamed of herself. "Oh, Jack...I'm sorry. I...I guess I wasn't thinking."
Jack raised his hand. "Listen...I shouldn't even feel this way. After all, we're just friends, right?"
Sam nodded. "Yes, we are, Jack, but we've been through a lot lately. It wasn't that long ago that you were stuck on Edora for over three months."
"Oh, yes...."
"Do you see what I mean?"
Jack had a confused look. "What?"
"That look you just had when you thought of Edora and...Lara."
"What about it?"
"You miss her, don't you?"
"A part of me does, I guess. Why?"
Sam didn't answer as she looked at something on the opposite side of the room.
"Earth to Sam? What's up?"
"The way you looked when you thought about Lara. It kind of reminded me of how I must have looked when I was with Neil. We were in our own little world."
"I was *literally* in my own little world with Lara."
Sam smiled. "Yeah...that's true."
"Listen, Sam...don't feel bad about last night. I understand. Seeing Neil, who was someone very close to you a long time ago, would definitely cause some old feelings to be stirred up."
"Yeah....I know."
"Of course, that doesn't mean that I was happy that you left me to fend for myself..."
Sam had a pained look. "I'm so sorry, Jack."
"I got over it...eventually."
"Forgive me?"
Jack paused for a moment. "Someone once told me that you never actually look for love. It finds you, and when it does, you should hang on tight, because it's not something that will come around often."
Sam wistfully nodded as she was lost in her own thoughts.
"So I guess seeing Neil was something that reminded you of a time when love found you."
"Yeah, I guess so."
"So where is he anyway?"
"He had to leave on an early morning flight to head back to Paris. It takes something like 12 hours."
"Wow! I'm glad we're only an hour difference then."
"For what it's worth, I'm glad that you're here, Jack."
He smiled. "Listen, kiddo. All this serious talk has made me kind of hungry. You feel like getting something to eat?"
"Sure. Why not?"
******
Two days later, SG-1 was waiting in the conference room for General Hammond to inform them of their next mission. Jack and Sam listened patiently as Daniel recounted his L.A. trip while Teal'c seemed to be meditating with his eyes open.
"...I was as close to Tim Allen and Sigourney Weaver as I am to you two. It was incredible!"
Jack smiled. "Well, it's nice to know that you can get excited about other things besides dead civilization."
Daniel smirked. "They're not ALL dead civilizations, Jack."
"Okay, I sit corrected then..."
"So how was the reunion, guys?"
"It was...fun," Sam commented.
"Fun?" Daniel repeated as he noticed his two team members looking a bit embarrassed. "Did something happen that you're not telling?"
Jack feigned shock. "Like what? That Sam met an old flame? That we had to endure a dinner of chicken stuffed with nasty mushrooms? That I had to fight off the charms of a beautiful woman?"
Daniel looked from Sam to Jack. Neither of them would show any signs of cracking under the pressure of interrogation.
"O...kay...so are you two going to be making this a habit?"
"What's that, Daniel?" Sam asked.
"Being each other's dates at reunions, weddings and such."
Sam and Jack looked at each other. Then, they both turned back to Daniel.
"How about never?" Jack finally replied. "Is never good for you?"
Sam giggled, while Teal'c showed his amusement by raising an eyebrow.
"I fell for that, didn't I?" Daniel finally said.
Sam and Jack couldn't hold their composure any longer and started laughing, while Teal'c raised *both* eyebrows in amusement.
"Did I miss something, SG-1?" Hammond said as he entered the room.
Sam, Jack and Daniel turned to the general, but before any of them could say anything, the three erupted in further laughter, while Teal'c showed irritation over their amusement.
"Oh, brother...I see that this is going to be a long debriefing," Hammond said shaking his head.
******
FIN
Story Notes: AUTHOR'S NOTES: Post-episode story. It would be helpful if you are familiar with the episodes through "Shades of Grey" but the angst is universal. I was taking some dramatic license with Sam's college days, so as to get them out of the state of Colorado. Though I can hardly imagine Sam doing to Jack what she does in this story, personal experience also tells me that love affects people in very strange ways. The famous song from Chicago is mentioned. No copyright infringement intended. Feedback is most welcome.
DISCLAIMER: All publicly recognisable characters, settings, etc, are the property of their respective owners. Any original characters and plots are the property of the author. No money is being made from this work. No copyright infringement is intended. ... [ read more ]