[If this is him I swear, I'll ... I'll ... I'll kiss that man! ]
Sam's mind echoed with this thought as she ran through the SGC. Never had she been paged before. Not like this. Not in the middle of the night. Not ever for an unscheduled activation of the gate. Not just after the seeming end of an undeclared war. Not with Jack on world but so unavailable.
"Make a hole," she yelled in her distinct command voice. The personnel blocking the entry way to the stairs jumped quickly out of the speeding blond's path. Down four levels she hurled herself, taking steps three at a time, moving more quickly than the elevator ever could, even at this late/early hour.
[Ooh, if this is him I'll so kiss that man and figure out the consequences later.] Even in near flight her mind still raced considering the possibilities and probabilities.
[Okay, Weir was new but she didn't seem like the panicky type. She would not have had me paged like this unless it was something highly unusual. It had to be Jack. It must be Jack. It had to be him, oh, please let it be him ... Oh, gawd, I'm starting to sound like that lame song from the early sixties. The hell with it.] Sam's mind continued on, racing as fast but independently of her body's motion.
Bursting through the door on the Gate Room level, she raced down the hall, only to be stopped by the security door sealed tight. All the while red lights continued to spin and the too loud klaxxon reverberated off the cement.
"Damn security," she swore out loud. Slowing herself she rebounded off the wall with her booted foot and aimed herself at the door to access the Control Room. Up the one flight of the circular stairway Sam burst into the room only to skid to a stop and gaze upon a most peculiar sight.
Dr. Weir was standing at the window in what could only be described as a housecoat wearing pink, fuzzy slippers. [That's a bit different from Hammond in his blues], Sam thought. In her hand Weir clutched the microphone and kept shouting, "Lower your weapons, lower your weapons."
Below, just inside the gate with the event horizon not yet closed, stood four Tok'ra security guards with weapons at the ready. In their center stood Sam's father. He, too, had a weapon in one hand. In the other he had some sort of satchel or backpack. In response to Dr. Weir, he kept calling, "Identify yourself, identify yourself."
The on-call security troops were all SGC veterans. At the alarm, they had grabbed weapons, run to the Gate Room and taken up a defensive posture. On seeing Jacob Carter most had instinctively relaxed. Weapons were still at the ready, but all of them anticipated the stand down order they had heard so often from their former commanding general.
But this time was different. Weir had not given the order. Being professionals they remained prepared to defend the base at her command or any sign of provocation. Being SGC veterans they couldn't helped wondering when the new boss would get her act together and recognize a friend.
Meanwhile, with each shouted order from Weir to Carter to Weir to Carter, each man's head swiveled back and forth. They looked like they were watching a tennis match. Sam would have burst out laughing if the entire situation were not so bizarre.
Grabbing the mike from Weir, Sam called out, "This is Major Carter. Stand down. I repeat, stand down. Dad, it's good to see you. I'll be right down."
Turning to leave she stopped to address the astonished head of the facility. "Ma'am, I apologize for stepping in like that but that's my father, Major General Jacob Carter, USAF, on detached duty as liaison with the Tok'ra. We, the SGC, have been trying to contact them since we first heard Anubis was coming and again when Colonel O'Neill..."
Dr. Weir huffed off her surprise and replied, "Understood, Major. No harm, no foul. I'm not really dressed for company but let's go down and you can make introductions."
Descending the stairs with Weir, Sam struggled to hide her disappointment. Biting her lip, that teenage old habit she exhibited whenever she was the least bit pensive Sam reluctantly admitted to herself she would have to settle for giving her dad a kiss. Yes, she was glad to see him. Yes, she was jumping to conclusions that the gate activation could have been Jack but ... oh, she so wanted to kiss that man.
Entering through the now open security door, Sam and Weir stopped at the bottom of the ramp as the troops filed out. Jacob and company descended the ramp to where the two women were waiting. Sam stepped forward to greet her long absent father.
Before she even got close, the other Carter cut loose with a bellow that gave evidence to his seldom used rank and long military service. "Dammit, Sammie."
Sam cringed inwardly as she realized, "This is not going to be pretty. Where are Daniel and Teal'c when I need backup? I could use Daniel's diplomacy and Teal'c I could hide behind."
As if summoned by her thoughts, both men under consideration appeared at the Gate Room doorway. Teal'c moved his silent bulk beside Sam, reassuring her by his mere presence. Daniel slid up on the other side, head cocked in protective curiosity.
Glancing from Weir to the elder Carter, he ventured saying, "Hello?" In typical Danielese that was meant not only as a greeting but also as an interrogatory warning.
All this occurred as General Carter took a breath to continue his tirade. "What the hell has been going on? Where the hell is George? Who the hell is this, this, this ... blond?"
Teal's left eyebrow flicked upwards briefly at the last comment. Having closely observed the seven year long pre-mating ritual of JackO'Neill and SamanthaCarter, as well as hours watching Taur'i movies and television, Teal'c was certain a verbal combat was about to ensue between JacobCarter and Dr. Weir. Daniel confined himself to a quietly mumbled, "Oh boy!"
All Sam could think of was, [You never can find a hole when you need one. I especially would like to be in the one a mile deep in Antarctica. If I can't find the technology I need maybe a kiss would wake him.] She allowed herself this moment of fantasy before steeling herself for what might come next.
"Dad, this is Dr. Weir. By order of the President she is the new civilian head of the SGC. General Hammond has been transferred to Space Command under NORAD. He's to oversee the incorporation of our new defense technology with existing forces. For now he's in command of the Prometheus and is coordinating the efforts at the Ancients base we discovered in Antarctica to locate the Lost City. He also is supervising the work to revive Jack who is in some sort of stasis after activating the weapon that defeated Anubis. SG-1 is scheduled to return there tomorrow. Dr. Weir - my father, General Carter and his Tok'ra symbiote, Selmak."
"Charmed," Weir stated in a flat tone. "Briefing Room, ten minutes. Bring your team, Samantha, along with your father and whatever, whoever. We'll sort this out and get everybody up to speed; and for crying out loud would somebody alert the commissary to send up breakfast and coffee. Lots of coffee." With that she turned to storm out of the Gate Room. That was most likely her intent but a very difficult maneuver to pull off when dressed in a house coat and pink, fuzzy slippers.
Finally, Sam could give her father a welcoming hug and kiss on the cheek. Acknowledging Daniel and Teal'c, Jacob dipped his head so Selmak could emerge. The symbiote dismissed the Tok'ra security team to wait in guest quarters. Together, the group headed for the Briefing Room.
"What's with the escort, Dad, and the drawn weapons?" Sam could barely contain her curiosity at her father's sudden arrival.
"We weren't sure what would be waiting for us when or if we came through your gate. We hoped you could at least hold off Anubis but we didn't know if the SGC had been compromised or not. We came through expecting the worse. When I saw that woman shouting orders instead of George Hammond I was afraid the Go'auld had taken the base."
While waiting for Weir to presumably change and return, SG-1 told Jacob/Selmak of their recent exploits: finding the duplicate Repository of the Ancients, Jack getting his "fron" stuffed with knowledge, Kinnsey's efforts to influence the new president, Hammond's transfer, Weir's arrival, Bra'tac's warning, the desperate flight to the nearly destroyed Ancient's outpost to retrieve the power source, Anubis and his fleet arriving in Earth orbit, the attack on the Nimitz battle group and communications, Kinnsey's failed takeover of the SGC and dismissal by the president, SG-1's return to Earth and entering the Ancient outpost at the South Pole, Hammond's defense of the planet and SG-1, fighting off the super-soldiers, Jack accessing the weapon system, the final destruction of the enemy, Jack entering the "somata" chamber.
For the longest time Jacob merely sat; his mouth open and his head slowly turning to look from Sam to Daniel to Teal'c and back to Sam. Finally his head stopped moving. So quietly did he speak that they almost missed it. "Holy Hannah! Anubis gone. George in combat, again. Jack a popsicle. Holy Hannah!"
As he let out a low whistling sigh, Dr. Weir entered the room. Breakfast had arrived and she indicated they were welcome to help themselves. Jacob was the last to sit. He stood before the decaffeinated and regular coffee pots for the longest time before finally picking up a glass of orange juice.
Taking her place at the head of the table, Dr. Weir began the briefing. "General Carter and .... okay, this is new to me. I know about you but I don't know you, either of you. So lets just cut to the chase. I'll tell you what I know. You tell why you're here and we'll take it from there."
"SG-1 has filled you in on recent events. There next job is a bit different from what they have been doing and will involve some reassignments."
At the phrase `reassignment' all three members of SG-1 stirred and began to exhibit overt hostile body language. [Good grief,] thought Weir. [Doesn't anything happen easily around here?]
She continued, "Effective immediately SG-1 is removed from the usual rotation for extended duty. Teal'c will continue as liaison to the rebel Jaffa' but his primary assignment is to provide technical assistance to Dr. Jackson and security assistance to Major Carter. Dr. Jackson will continue to work with other SGC archeologists on a consulting basis but his primary focus will be knowledge of the Ancient's, specifically figuring out the newly found outpost and continuing the search for the Lost City. You two will continue as SGC personnel. Major Carter, I suppose I should really call you Colonel now that your assignment has been decided, you will .... ."
Only Jacob/Selmak and Dr. Weir were quiet now. At the same moment both Sam and Daniel began to speak, the volume of their voices rising from emotion as much as trying to make themselves heard above the other.
"You can't do that. I was assured by the President the assignment was my choice."
"Dr. Weir, breaking up the team that has saved this planet - again - is asinine."
"Colonel O'Neill is not dead. You can't expect us to leave him like that."
Daniel was about to start again. He stopped only because he thought he heard Teal'c about to enter the debate. Then he realized that his friend was not forming words but staring intently at Dr. Weir and growling!?! At this Sam quieted also, wondering if perhaps finally they all had gone too far. O'Neill would have been proud of them. But she wondered if finally his Scandinavian/Irish luck/blessing had run out for him and the team.
Dr. Weir, although somewhat taken aback by the vehemence of their argument, was no little flower. Pink, fuzzy slippers notwithstanding, she was the veteran of many a congressional hearing and diplomatic consultations. With the combination of this experience and her naivete' in dealing with the unique nature of the SGC, she plowed on.
"People - by order of the President, at the special request of General Hammond, Samantha Carter will be transferred to his command, serving as his chief technical advisor and second in command. He will be your immediate superior officer although you will continue on extended duty status to serve as part of SG-1. As for O'Neill, once you get him thawed out, he gets bumped. Now before you start the riot again, hear me out. He gets bumped up to general. He stays on at the SGC as my assistant, overseeing training and development of the new Alpha site. He will also continue to participate with SG-1 on its select missions."
Sam's eyes began to mist slightly; her promotion, working with General Hammond, working with "General" O'Neill but (the key phrase seemed to light up in her mind like a neon sign) no longer under his direct command. The regs were gone! After the past seven years of unresolved sexual tension, the detail of Jack's frozen slumber now seemed almost trivial.
"In conclusion, SG-1's next assignment is to return to the South Pole, report to General Hammond and work with his command to review the battle site, explore the outpost, look for clues as to the whereabouts of the Lost City, and, most importantly, defrost our Jack-sicle."
With the last phrase Dr. Weir gave Sam a look that she had not seen since Janet Frazier and Sam had that talk about the men in their lives. Sam bowed her head to hide any blush that might be creeping up her cheeks. Coughing to cover her actions, she spoke at the same time as Daniel and Teal'c.
"Thank you."
"Good."
"Indeed."
"You've earned this and more," Dr. Weir replied. "General Carter and, er, Selmak, what do you have for us?"
"With all that's gone on here I think I had better let Selmak explain." Having said this he again dipped his head. His eyes flashed as Selmak emerged and began to speak. "We received your messages, both of the advance of Anubis as well as his defeat. I must admit, the Tok'ra have renewed respect for the Tauri'. The debate has renewed that we may have been hasty in the disruption of our alliance. As for O'Neill and the sacrifice he has made to access the technology of the Ancients, we ourselves have no aid to can offer."
Sam's heart went cold as she heard these words. Her mind's eye focused on the image of Jack as he lay limp in the Ancient's chair far beneath the ice. She was calling to him, calling him by name. She told him of their victory. She threatened him, warning him not to leave. Why hadn't she kissed that man when she had the chance? But no, she stepped aside to allow Teal'c to place him in the chamber. He bid them goodbye. Then he was coated in ice. Why hadn't she kissed that man? Her fists clenched in rage. Her eyes shut. She could feel the tears begin to form but she did not care. How could hope seem so close to fulfillment and yet so fleeting?
Then she felt a hand on hers. Opening her eyes she saw her father looking at her closely.
"Uh, Dad, Selmak?"
"It's me, Sammie. Selmak thought you might better hear this next part from me. We know how you and Jack feel about each other. Selmak may be a symbiote but he's no fool. We've had some pretty interesting discussions, the two of us. We wouldn't have come all this way without something. "
Sam couldn't help but look across at Daniel and Teal'c. Both were leaning forward, prepared to hang onto every word that came next. If there was the slightest chance O'Neill could be restored, they would do all within their power to make it so.
Jacob went on. "The Tok'ra have very little intel on Ancient technology. But, we do still have operatives located in areas where the Asgaard also have access. Thor sent you a present. He apologizes that he could not bring it himself. A few of the remaining system lords thought they could take advantage of Anubis' preoccupation with Earth and the Asgaard's presumed struggle with the Replicators. Several of the treaty planets have been attacked. These planets have much less in the way of defense than Earth. The Asgaard fleet has been dispatched to defend them. Thor regrets not being able to assist Earth directly but, in his words, `If Anubis thinks Earth is an easy target, he has seriously underestimated SG-1.'
"So General, " Weir interrupted. She seemed determined to stay polite but also to maintain a controlling presence in the conversation. "If they can't help directly, what's in the bag?"
Jacob smiled. "Your favorites, Sam. New doohickies. " He carefully placed two objects on the table before his daughter. The first seemed to resemble a cross between an over-sized thimble and one of Machello's page turning devices. Daniel had been reaching for it but at that thought, he snatched his hand back. The other was like nothing they had seen before. Part of it seemed solid, like a sort of interface port but the rest - Sam was tempted to say it looked like a breast implant but that wasn't right. Her eyes flew wide in recognition. It was similar to the control "blob" on the Ancients chair that Jack had manipulated to use their shields, weapon, and that stasis chamber. She shared her thoughts with the group.
"I always knew you were a bright kid, Sam." Jacob's proud father leaked out a little. "This is indeed Ancient technology. Asgaard scientists have surmised, from other findings, that what has happened to Jack is in a sense what was suppose to happen. The operator of the weapon would expend a great deal of personal energy - mental, physical, emotional, even spiritual. They would die if they did not enter the stasis chamber. In one sense, it is a healing device. But, once the device is entered, someone outside the device has to turn it off, to release who ever is inside. That's what this thing is for.
Daniel jumped in this time. "Well, then, isn't Jack still screwed? I don't mean to be crude or overly pessimistic but he's been the only one to work the Ancient's technology. If he's the one who is frozen, who is there to get him out?"
Jacob shook his head sadly. "I don't know, Daniel. But this second device, this is Asgaard technology. You are aware how advanced they are in cloning and genetics. They have determined that in order to make the Ancient technology work, what is required is not so much the knowledge - that can be acquired like Jack or learned the old fashioned way - but a certain genetic marker. They estimate this will be present in about one in every 16,000 human beings. Find someone with that marker, help them learn the technology, and you can get Jack back."
"You stick their finger is this device," Jacob demonstrated by placing his finger in the thimble-like object. "If they have the genetic marker, it lights up. If not, nothing happens."
"Major Carter, are there not nearly 5 billion people on your planet?" Teal'c questioned her. "The search may well resemble that of seeking a sewing implement in a pile of animal feed."
Without Jack to interpret it took a moment for Sam to get that point. "Yes, Teal'c it will. We will also need someone with a security clearance who is a quick study. I guess we'll start with SGC personnel and work out from there. What do you think Dr. Weir?"
"I think you have a plan, Samantha. Let me try that thing - nothing. Well, the ruby slippers didn't fit everyone either. You need to get that Tin Man of yours unstuck so he can come back here to Oz." With that she got up and left them to work out the details.
"I always thought of O'Neill as more of a Scarecrow than a Tin Man," rumbled Teal'c.
They all smiled. It was exactly the type of summation to a mission briefing Jack would have given.
Thinking of Jack and his refusal to allow Daniel to access the Repository, it was Daniel who next inserted his finger in the device but with no sign of success. It was the same for Teal'c.
Sam leaned over to scoop up the two objects. " I want to get a look at these in my lab before we head south. While we look for whomever maybe I can figure out this interface and control gel-sack." Standing to leave the objects slipped from her grasp. Grabbing at them, the Asgaard device landed on her left ring finger and began to glow.
Now it was Sam's turn to utter the favorite family phrase, "Holy Hannah!"
"Sam, what did you just do? How'd you make it do that? That's exactly what the Asgaard said we should look for, to indicate the presence of the correct genetic marker." Jacob was the first to verbalize his astonishment. He wasn't sure he liked where this seemed to be headed.
""I didn't do anything, dad. It just happened. The object landed on my finger and just glowed."
Teal'c seemed content to manipulate his eyebrows while Daniel offered his interpretation. "I don't even want to think about the odds on how two people with the same unique genetic marker could end up together in a...um, ah, oh...working relationship. Could this have been something Nehrti did when she had Sam in her machine? I mean, I know the locals said they had reversed the process so Sam wouldn't go through that rapid water weight loss thing. But the marker isn't damaging the way her other manipulations were. Could she have copied it into Sam from Jack hoping that somehow she might breed a hac'tar, and advanced human?"
At this point Sam did blush a deep pink, Jacob coughed and almost spit his orange juice across the table, Daniel did an uncanny imitation of O'Neill by saying, "What?"
For his part, Teal'c took the opportunity to slide his foot underneath the table until it was on top of Daniel's instep and pushed down, hard. The jaffa' spoke, "I see no reason to speculate about the potential of offspring from JackO'Neill and Samantha Carter. We are wasting time. Let us gather what supplies we need and return as soon as possible to the Ancients outpost."
Silently nodding assent, the group quickly moved from the briefing room. Daniel went to his study to gather his various translation documents and aids. Jacob and Sam went to her lab to collect whatever they thought would be helpful in connecting the control device to the stasis chamber. Teal'c visited the quartermaster and armory, bundling up all the various supplies and weapons they might possibly need. While most of North America was waking up and preparing breakfast, SG-1 and Jacob Carter had loaded onto an air force transport. By noon they had crossed the equator and were heading south as quickly as now outdated 20th century earthbound transportation could carry them.
_________________________________________________
Even though they had spent the previous month at the site and had been gone barely a week, they almost did not recognize the frozen plain beneath them. Ferried in from the US base at McMurdo Sound by helicopter, their birds eye view of the former battlefield revealed the devastation wrought by Anubis attack, Hammond's defense, and Jack's unleashing of the Ancient's weapon.
Sam had a written report to review on the way in. All "organic remains" had been collected. Those of US forces were returned for military honors. Those marked "other" had been dispersed to various labs for study and removal. The landscape, such as it was, still bore the scars and burn marks of the battle. Here and there were piles of scrap that had once been X-302's along with pieces of the Death gliders and transports of Anubis' fleet. [I'm glad I don't have to write the environmental impact statement on this one] Sam thought to herself.
The four weeks following the battle, SG-1 had been spent almost exclusively underground in the outpost itself. It had been thoroughly searched for additional rooms, texts, inscriptions anything that could inform them as to how to revive Colonel O'Neill. Every square inch of the exposed machinery and what few panels they could open were studied, photographed, and restudied. It took a direct order from Hammond for them to leave the site, and only then because he escorted them personally back to the SGC. After reporting to the president, he had returned to the site within a few days. On the basis of his continued presence and solemn promise they could return speedily, the team agreed to a brief respite.
Now they returned determined not to leave until their team leader and friend was restored. Their aircraft landed them on a helipad marked out on top of the Prometheus. Hammond had retained command of the ship following the battle. As they were well out of sight and the media had only Defense Department video and stills to use in the public account, the Prometheus made the perfect headquarters for sifting through the wreckage as well as a housing the teams working on finding the Lost City and attempting to recover O'Neill.
After settling their gear into temporary quarters, the four made their way to see General Hammond. Sam smiled upon seeing him again. Somehow his being there along with her father, Teal'c and Daniel assured her they could work things out.
"Samantha Carter, attention on deck." In her seven years at the SGC Sam could never recall Hammond using his command voice specifically on her. None the less her training kicked in.
"Sir," she shouted, snapping to attention. Thumbs were aligned with the seams of her BDU trousers, fingers curled as if holding a roll of dimes, head level, eyes focused on an imaginary horizon, back straight, she assumed the position.
Hammond continued in the same, gruff tone, moving in front of Carter to literally get in her face. "I may have cut you some slack in the past because you were under the authority of Colonel O'Neill. But now you are my second in command and I will not have you carrying out your duties improperly uniformed. General Carter, your assistance, please."
Sam's face broke discipline for an instant. She had never seen General Hammond act so out of character. "Sir, dad, I...."
Reaching into his pocket Hammond pulled out a small package. Adopting a quieter tone, the explanation came forth. "Samantha Carter, by order of the President of the United States, in consultation with the Secretary of the Air Force, I hereby promote you to the rank of Colonel with all the rights and responsibilities attendant." Nodding to Jacob, George moved to one collar and Jacob the other. Removing the insignia for major, Hammond handed a silver eagle to his old friend and simultaneously they attached them to her uniform. "The new president is an interesting man, Sam. When you declined recognition for your efforts toward defeating Anubis, he decided promoting you to Lieutenant Colonel wasn't quite enough. So the National Command Authority sent down word to make you a full "bird" colonel. Your father couldn't find his eagles and mine were kind of beat up, so I went to Colonel O'Neill's house while I was in the states and borrowed his. When, not if, when we get Jack back he's going to have to get use to his new rank and won't need them anyhow. I can't think of anyone who he'd rather see wear them."
"Thank you, sir." A single tear slipped through her professional mask. Saluting Hammond, her father stepped up to give her a hug. Daniel smiled for the first time in weeks and Teal'c gave his typical reverent nod toward the recognition given his fellow warrior.
"Now, people, down to business." The impromptu ceremony was concluded and they went to work. While SG-1 had been busy down below that first month, Hammond had kept the troops topside busy as well. Repairs were almost completed on the Prometheus and those X-302's that could be recovered were returned to her launch bays. Collecting the debris from the battle zone, the tech crews had somehow managed to salvage a set of transport rings. After Bra'tac had left in his borrowed transport ship, these had been erected over the hole in the ice that led to the outpost. Conventional elevators would be extremely dangerous to use in the cold, making the cables brittle and likely to snap. With the rings, anything that could fit within their diameter was quickly sent up or down as needed.
After briefing those who would be working with them, SG-1 reentered the outpost. It looked different with work lights installed, heaters running and dehumidifiers trying to keep up with the moisture. After Jack had entered the stasis chamber, the outpost had apparently gone back to sleep even though the power source was still in place.
In his presence once again, Sam could not help but walk up to the layer of ice and look into his frozen brown eyes. Once again she placed her hand to its surface and whispered, "Jack." His lips looked blue, like he had been swimming in cold water. She couldn't be sure if it was the result of the stasis or just reflected light. She still wanted to kiss that man.
But first she had work to do. Jacob had remained on the surface to assist with the study of the various Go'auld craft. But Daniel and Teal'c were helping to locate what symbols there were that indicated purpose to the various devices. The tech crews tried to assist but it was mostly Sam with occasional translation help from Daniel.
It ended up taking five days before she felt ready to insert the device Jacob Carter had brought them from Thor. The first two days Sam didn't sleep, working around the clock. With what knowledge they had previously gained she was able to to interpret some of the chamber's inscriptions. It was the third day before Daniel coaxed her to return to Prometheus for some sleep, a shower, and to eat something that did not come in a foil pouch. The fourth day she realized she had enough information to attempt a rudimentary manipulation of the control gel-sac. Teal'c got her to leave the chamber on that fourth day only by urging her to not let her fatigue blunt her skills.
The fifth day she was up early. Doing a brief physical training routine to work out the kinks in her muscles, Sam showered and put on fresh BDUs. At breakfast she met up with Teal'c and Daniel.
In turn she looked them both in the eye and stated, "Guys, today is the day. We will make it work. I will not leave that outpost until I can come out with Jack."
"Sam," Daniel began but then stopped. He looked into her eyes and saw the intense determination reflected there. He knew she was a dedicated professional soldier and scientist. For perhaps the first time he also saw her as a woman of deep passion. He knew the look. He had seen it before in the eyes of Share'. "Yes, today is the day. We will make it work."
"Indeed, DanielJackson," Teal'c rumbled. "I shall not leave either until ColonelO'Neill is restored to us - and you, ColonelCarter."
Bonds such as these three had and shared with their absent fourth are not made easily. They are the result of blood and sweat, of sacrifice and denial, loss and pain. Having faced great danger, having risked death and, on occasion even experienced death, they again went forth together to face another great challenge. They would settle for nothing less than success.
Entering the chamber for what they hoped would be the last time, they carefully laid out their equipment and prepared to engage the Ancient's device. Sam had earlier in the week discovered a port on the side of Jack's stasis chamber, just at his left hip. Carefully she opened its covering and inserted the control gel-sac.
Like before the chamber came to life. Lights, heat, the soft thrum of the power source reactivated, awaiting instructions. Gently, slowly, Sam reached out her left hand to touch the gel-pac. With a look into Jack's eyes she began to manipulate its soft folds. The thrum increased its rhythm and volume.
Behind her, the rings activated. Sam was concentrating on her manipulations. Teal'c and Daniel turned, remembering the last time when the super-soldiers of Anubis appeared. Today, however, it was General Hammond, Jacob, and the tech crew. Seeing the power on the tech crew scurried about moving the now extraneous lights and heaters out of the way. Others set up new equipment to monitor both Colonel O'Neill as well as the Ancient's technology at work. The two generals stood off to one side to watch the proceedings.
Slowly the once clear ice covering O'Neill began to fog up. Tiny cracks appeared at the edges of the ice shield and began to crawl across its surface. Carefully Sam moved thumb, forefinger, ring, middle, then little finger, working through the carefully memorized ballet she knew her digits must perform.
Melting ice chips began to fall to the floor. What had once seemed a solid block was now becoming a pile around O'Neill's feet.
"You've got it Sam. It's working." Daniel's exuberant exclamation belied the anxiety he felt of Sam having to work a machine about which even she knew little. Almost as if his best wishes were a curse, things began to go wrong in quick succession.
"Power fluctuation, vibrations beginning to permeate the structure," called one tech. His comments were punctuated by ice falling down the ring shaft.
"Vital signs fading," called another tech monitoring Colonel O'Neill. As soon as she turned off one alarm, others went off. "Blood pressure, respiration, pulse, all had been increasing - starting to fall off."
"Dammit," Sam shouted. "I've been through all the motions the instructions called for. Daniel, do I start over again? What do you think?"
"I don't know, Sam. I thought it would be done by now."
Sam looked back into Jack's eyes. His brown eyes still looked past her as they had since he first entered the chamber. His lips, those lips she had so wanted to kiss since that gate alarm had first sounded, still held the blue of cold.
"We're loosing him!" Even the techs couldn't hold back their emotion. All knew this was more than just a team rescuing one of its own. Each knew some of this team's story. All wanted to have a part in its success. None wanted to see its failure.
Sam's hand was cramping with her efforts to work the control gel-sac. She must have missed something, moved out of sequence. She just didn't know. As her intellect began to fail her, words from her Jack came to mind.
"Don't over think it, Carter. Just do it."
So she did. In that instant the past seven years between Jack O'Neill and Samantha Carter focused into one, desperate but passionate act. Sam leaned forward and kissed Jack.
Warm, moist lips meet cool, moist lips. Her left hand remained on the control gel-pac. Her right lifted to rest gently on Jack's cheek. Breathing out through her nose she could feel her breath reflecting from his skin. Tentatively her tongue brushed his lips, fearful she would never know more than this moment, damning herself waiting so long to kiss the blessed man.
Then she felt it. The lips she was kissing parted slightly. Reflect action? Gravity working on Jack's defrosted body? NO - breath touched Sam's face and it was not her own. A hand touched hers on the control gel-sac and began to move her fingers in the dance that would instruct the machinery. Fingers lightly touched her right cheek.
In surprise she made to move back slightly. Her blue eyes opened to find herself looking once again into those familiar brown eyes. No longer were they unfocused over her shoulder. Now they bore into her intensity. The hand on her cheek slipped down to her shoulder, slid along her arm and came to rest at her waist. It urged her forward until their lips were almost touching once again.
"Et amas." It was Jack's voice. Weak, low but it was Jack's voice. "Sam."
"He said, `I love you,' Sam." Daniel blushed slightly at having to translate such an intimate moment. Teal'c reached over to touch Daniel's shoulder. Turning their backs to the couple, they focused their attention elsewhere in the chamber.
Again Jack spoke, "Sam...Colonel?...sweet...I've been away...but I've never left you. I don't ever want to be away from you again." Their lips met and this time there was no holding back.
Sam leaned into his embrace and returned his kiss. Seven years of restraint and discipline dissolved in their first kiss. The second foretold the passion and desire which lay in their future.
Unheard by them, General Hammond once again exercised his command prerogative. "Team, about face!"
Jacob grinned at his old friend even as he followed the command. "Give a guy a third star and it goes to his head."
George smiled in response. He knew Jack wasn't completely out of the woods yet. But he also knew if Sam had gotten him this far, no power on earth or unearthly power in the heavens above would stop them now that they were together.
____________________________
the beginning
Story Notes: CLASSIFICATION: Romance and Adventure - epilogue to "Damn that Man" and "Bless this Man"
SPOILERS: End of seventh season
NOTE: Brackets [ ] denote thoughts. [How do you write thoughts, anyway?] Oops! Did I just say that out loud?
SPOILERS: End of seventh season
NOTE: Brackets [ ] denote thoughts. [How do you write thoughts, anyway?] Oops! Did I just say that out loud?
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 ]