How do you decide who lives and who dies?
General George Hammond stared at the paper before him. He had to tell his people and he wished he could pass the onerous task onto someone else. As far as the SGC was concerned, however, the buck stopped at the general's desk. If George had had his way, he would have begun shuttling people through the Stargate weeks ago ... when the threat had first been identified.
Somehow, somehow no one had believed it couldn't be stopped, that the destruction of large portions of the Earth's surface was unavoidable. They'd even sent SG-1 to try and halt the inevitable. For probably the first time in their long and illustrious career, the premier team had failed. George checked his list again. He was due to give the briefing in ten minutes ... and it was the most difficult thing he would ever have to do.
Major Carter came to see him directly the briefing was over. Everyone else was still trying to absorb the news but she went directly to his office. It wasn't much of surprise. He knew why.
"What about Colonel O'Neill, sir?" she demanded the second the door was shut.
"I'm sorry, Major, it's out of my hands," Hammond replied.
"We need him out there. He's had more experience off world than any other officer here."
Hammond didn't really need to be told. He'd presented the same arguments to his superiors.
"Off the record, I agree with you," he told Sam.
"Sir?
"Jack was first in line for command of the Alpha Site, but the appointment was vetoed. I don't know why, no one will give me a reason worth a damn."
"So who has got command?"
Hammond told her, watching as her face fell.
"That's bad news, sir," Sam answered.
"I know, and if you can find a way I will push Colonel O'Neill through the Stargate myself," he finished.
"Find a way?"
He opened his hands, signalling the ball was now in her court. She nodded to him, then left without waiting to be dismissed. George knew she'd be going straight to the rule book.
The Alpha Site represented the future of the human race. It needed a man like Jack in command, not someone who had his own agenda. The general had heard rumours ... Hammond himself was staying with the SGC. A good captain should go down with his ship, he reminded himself. Besides, he was old, he had nothing to offer a new world.
*************************************************************************************
"I'm sorry, sir."
"Yeah ... Jack..."
"I also wish to express my regret ..."
"Will you people stop!!"
Jack's temper was starting to wear a little thin. It was bad enough he was being left behind, he didn't need people apologising for something which had been taken out of their hands. His own feelings on the matter were strangely calm. As far as he was concerned dying was no big deal. He'd expected to on numerous occasions, it was about time he succeeded. Without the SGC ... well his life didn't hold a whole damn lot. Once they'd gone, he guessed he wouldn't have a lot of time to miss them anyway. He was sure George would leave him a whole pile of pointless tasks to keep him occupied.
They were all looking at him as if he'd got a terminal disease or something. But it wasn't like that. He was going to die doing his duty, which as far as he was concerned was a pretty good way to go. It was just a pity the length of his remaining life could be measured so precisely. Hours, minutes, seconds ... you could see it flashed on compute screens all over the SGC. Which was one of the reasons Jack decided he had to get out for a while.
Hammond had been good enough to give them all time to say their goodbyes, put their affairs in order. Of course most of the populace had no idea what was happening. The powers that be had decided it was better that way. It was only a matter of time before panic gripped the population. Jack wanted to be locked deep within the mountain when that happened. He didn't want to see civilisation break down, people fighting in the streets. The thought sickened him.
"I'm outta here," he announced suddenly, pushing his chair back and standing up.
His team mates looked at each other. Jack turned away quickly, not wanting to see the pity in their eyes.
"I'll be back tomorrow morning," he told them.
Just one more night at home, drinking beer, watching the game ... a little touch of normality. He'd go up to the roof and look at the stars for a while. He'd try and forget.
"Do you want us to come over?" Daniel offered.
"Nah ... I'm good," Jack replied, lightly.
He waved and grinned, before heading topside and home.
It amazed him how peaceful the world looked. Night had fallen and the lights of Colorado Springs softly illuminated the darkness. His was a beautiful planet. During his life Jack had been witness to much human cruelty ... but he'd seen the beauty too. As he stepped out onto his deck, beer in hand, he realised he was ready for this.
What he wasn't prepared for was, barely half an hour later, the appearance of his team. He groaned inwardly, just knowing they had come to 'cheer him up'. The grins on their faces said as much.
"Sir ... we've got it!" Sam exclaimed.
"Got what?" he asked.
"No time," Daniel added.
"What?"
"We have a plane to catch."
"Have I entered some weird alternate reality, where we're not all gonna die and Hammond has just given us a month's leave?"
"We'll explain on the way, sir," Sam said.
The beer can was removed from his hand, and Jack was barely given enough time to put his coat on and lock up the house, before he was shoved into Carter's car. She was easily the best driver among them and she made it to the airport faster than Jack would have thought possible. Before he really knew what was happening they were on a flight from Colorado Springs to Las Vegas.
"Okay, Carter spill," he demanded, "what is this about?"
"You're getting married," she grinned at him.
"Okay... have you anyone in mind?"
"Well, given the choice of me, Teal'c or Daniel ..."
"Excuse me?"
He looked at Sam and she had the decency to blush.
"It was the only way. Hammond made allowances for spouses to accompany the selected personnel. If the human race is to continue ..."
"Look, as much as I appreciate all this ..."
"No one gets left behind, sir."
The fierceness of her tone surprised him. She bent forwards in her seat, keeping her voice low.
"That's what you've always told us. We're not going to leave you here."
"We don't have much time," he hissed back.
"The flight back is at midnight. That'll give us a couple of hours to get married."
She was determined, he'd give her that much. It wasn't that he didn't like her. They were friends, but he'd never given much thought to anything else ... okay ... maybe a few mild fantasies, but the regulations had always precluded any kind of relationship. He cast a look at her now, sideways so she wasn't aware of his scrutiny. She was attractive, he realised. At his age, he could certainly do worse, but she had never shown any interest in him. Sure, she laughed at his jokes and even responded to a little mild flirting, but nothing more.
"Hey, Jack have you got a ring or something?" Daniel asked from the seat in front.
Jack put his hand into his jeans pocket and produced the ring pull from his beer can. Sam rolled her eyes a little.
"We'll find something," she said. "Here's yours. Sorry, but it was an emergency."
She handed him a band of gold which was all too familiar. His wedding ring. He'd kept it on the base, in a cigar box at the back of his locker. How the hell had she known it was there? He took it from her, slipping it onto the ring finger of his left hand. It still fit him....wonder of wonders. Jack only let it rest there for a moment, before putting it in his pocket.
"We've got to make this look realistic," Sam went on.
His team were enjoying this in a weird sort of way. They really thought they'd found the perfect solution and Jack couldn't bring himself to burst the bubble. Which was why, a couple of hours later, he found himself in a wedding chapel uttering the words 'I do.' They'd found Sam a ring ... two in fact ... an engagement and a wedding ring. If the world hadn't have been about to end Jack would have balked at paying for them. Sam had also packed a dress to get married in. For some reason it was important to her and he had to admit she looked pretty nice. The dress was pale blue and she even held a small bouquet of artificial flowers.
Teal'c took a couple of informal polaroids. A kiss ... which was little more than an embarrassed brush of the lips. A nice photo of them hugging each other, which was a hell of a lot easier than actually kissing her. Then it was time to get back on the plane and go home. They were back at his place by 4 AM and he had just about enough time to pack a couple of bags before heading back to the base. As he locked his door for the last time, he had to wonder where this would all end. He had deep emotional ties to this world. This was where he had found love for the first time, where his child had been born and died ... it was going to be hard to leave. Part of him certainly rebelled against being one of the selected few ... the ones who had been chosen to live.
"Ready, sir?" Sam asked when they stood outside Hammond's office.
She took his hand, surprising him.
"We don't have to do this," he said.
"Sir, we started out as a team ... we're going to finish that way."
"Sam ... don't you think you should stop calling me, sir? I mean since we're married an' all."
"Right ... Jack."
For the first time she seemed more uncomfortable than he was and somehow it made him feel a little better. With a reassuring smile, Jack knocked on the General's door. He had been planning to let Sam do the talking, but now he was faced with reality, he took the initiative.
"Something I can do for you?" Hammond asked.
He looked harassed. Not surprising really. A look of resignation flashed across his face as he noted their joined hands.
"The truth," he said.
And Jack found he wasn't able to lie to his commanding officer. He counted this man as a friend, one who had been more accommodating than he'd had to.
"We went to Vegas," Jack admitted.
Sam lifted her left hand and wiggled her ring finger. Hammond leaned back in his chair, his shrewd eyes narrowed as he regarded his fellow officers. Jack felt like such a fraud. Maybe Hammond saw something else in the posture of their bodies and the strength in their twined hands.
"May I be the first to offer my congratulations."
He stood to shake their hands, summarily dismissing them.
Once outside the general's office they looked at each other, unsure what to do. Jack twisted the ring on his left hand, wondering how he had ever let himself get talked into this. He'd tied himself to a woman he didn't love. He guessed, wherever they ended up, getting a divorce was probably out of the question. They could be stuck with each other for a long, long time. He'd been married to Sara for over ten years ... but that had been so different. Jack was really starting to think he'd made a big mistake. Even so, two hours later, he found himself in the gate room waiting for the rest of his team. Sam offered him a shy smile and he tried to grin back ... but all he was really aware of, was General Hammond, walking down the line of officers, saying goodbye. Both Jack and Sam saluted when he drew level.
"It was an honour serving with you, sir," Jack said.
"You too," the general replied. "Good luck to both of you."
"Thank you, sir," Sam smiled.
Before Jack knew what was happening, he was walking up the ramp for the last time. He didn't look back as he stepped out of the SGC, and into the light of a new world.
*************************************************************************************
It was raining ... A steady drizzle which was set in for the night.
They were met at the Stargate by a very bedraggled looking Paul Davies. He ticked their names off on his clipboard and directed them down the well-trodden path towards the settlement.
Another officer met them there and directed them to their assigned quarters. Daniel and Teal'c went one way, Jack and Sam were sent another. The reason was clear, they had married quarters. The room wasn't big and a double bed dominated the space. There was a little storage, a very small bathroom ... in other words, they were going to get on each other's nerves really fast.
There wasn't even enough room for Jack to sleep on the floor.
"I want this side," he announced, bouncing on the mattress.
Sam didn't really care. She had been up all night, so where she slept and whom she slept with was not a matter for debate. She crawled onto the other side, kicking off her boots and slipping under the comforter. What a way to start married life...
She'd spoken to General Hammond, just before they'd been due to leave. He'd actually congratulated her on her ingenuity. One thing had been certain, she hadn't wanted Jack O'Neill to die. Sam wasn't sure why. All she knew was, SG-1 was more important to her than anything else. They were the family she had never really known. The thought of one of them being left behind had hurt more than anything ... and the fact it was the colonel ...
She lay there, listening to the rain pour down on the roof of their quarters, pondering the answer to that question.
The bed shifted as he lay down beside her. He certainly didn't seem to be having any trouble sleeping ... within five minutes he was snoring gently. She hadn't realised he snored. When they were on a mission, sleeping on the ground, he never did ... why then was he most definitely doing so now? What was different about sleeping in a bed?
Had this all been a terrible mistake? A marriage of convenience was one thing, but to be instantly shoved into close quarters like this ... it was a recipe for disaster. She turned over to look at the colonel. Again she was struck by the fact she hadn't wanted him to die. He was one of her best friends and that had to be a good basis for any relationship ... but he could also be one of the most annoying men in existence. Of course she could have persuaded him to marry someone else, but she didn't think that would have worked. Sam knew the colonel liked her. She remembered the night they had spent together in Antarctica ... and the 'side arm'.
Which was an important point. For this to work at all, they were going to have to draw some boundaries. Sam knew she had been living without sex for long enough, a couple more years wasn't going to hurt. After a decent period of time, they could probably go their separate ways, she realised and no one would be any the wiser. That settled, she allowed her mind to drift, heading towards sleep.
Sam awoke stiff and sore. She'd spent so much time trying not to touch her sleeping partner that she'd had minimal rest. As a consequence she was cranky ... very cranky. This bed wasn't large enough, she realised. The colonel was already up and out, which was another source of annoyance. She'd wanted to talk to him. Perhaps he'd known that, which was why he'd left so quietly.
She took a shower and changed her clothes before venturing outside. There hadn't been much chance to see the facility last night, what with the rain and all. Now, the sight dampened her spirits considerably. Everything was grey.
It had stopped raining, but the clouds were low and heavy, promising a further downpour before the day was out. This must once have been meadowland, but the grass had been torn up and replaced with concrete. All the buildings were little more than prefabricated shells ... easy to transport through the Stargate but not very pretty to look at. Sam turned around, acquainting herself with the layout of the base.
Living quarters surrounded three sides of the open area. Behind them she could see the bulk of the other buildings; labs, medical facilities, warehouses. Ever since the Stargate had been opened, and the need for an outpost had been identified, work had begun on building this place. Over the years it had slowly grown into a relatively impressive facility ... large enough for the two hundred men and women who now lived here.
Sam headed towards the commissary, wanting coffee and companionship. She still had to report in to the base commander ... but that could wait. Breakfast first. The colonel was sitting at a table with Daniel and Teal'c. He looked up as he saw her enter the commissary, a wary smile on his face. She picked up some breakfast and joined them. Although the room was crowded, the conversation was very subdued. Most people were trying to adjust to finding themselves living on this new world. The murmur of voices seemed to drop as Sam slid into the seat next to the colonel. No doubt the gossip had started ...
Even Daniel and Teal'c had expectant grins on their faces ... as much as Teal'c ever grinned. Sam realised she was going to have to give some kind of affectionate reply,
"Hey babe," the colonel grinned.
"We're going to have to talk," she hissed in his ear.
For a start, if he called her babe again she was going to hurt him. Yesterday, he'd seemed as unsure about this as she was, but this morning, he was taking it as one big joke.
"They don't have Froot Loops," he told her. "I mean what kind of idiot is running this place?"
"Sir, the world is about to end. I doubt anyone is going to be worrying about your choice in breakfast cereal."
The last of the supplies and personnel would be coming through in a couple of hours. And then ... Earth's fate was still in the balance. Predictions seemed to suggest that large parts of the surface would be destroyed along with a significant proportion of the population. Of course there was always a chance the prediction would be wrong. A chance ...
"Jack," he reminded her.
"Sam," she returned, "never babe."
"Got it."
"Good."
"Sammie?"
"No."
His face was inches away from hers ... and he punctuated the conversation by placing a delicate kiss on her lips. Sam jumped back at the contact, almost sending her coffee flying. She glanced around the room ... as she expected they were pretty much the centre of attention. Jack was sitting there grinning at her, no doubt pleased by her discomfort. And she just had to sit there and take it... so be it, but she'd get her revenge later. Someone would be sleeping outside tonight.
"We have to report in," she reminded him.
"Be there in a second ... honey."
Grinding her teeth, Sam led the way to the base commander's office.
"General Bauer ..." she said, poking her head around the door.
"For cryin' out loud... they picked you!" Jack exclaimed.
"Colonel O'Neill..." the general said as he shuffled his papers, "I understood you were to be responsible for closing down the SGC?"
"I was... but my wife had other ideas."
It was the first time Jack had referred to her as his wife ... and Sam did take a certain amount of satisfaction from it.
"Major Carter, they need help setting up the lab. Colonel O'Neill ... I'm sure we'll find something for you to do ... eventually."
*************************************************************************************
By the time the day had ended, Jack was in a foul mood. Everywhere he'd gone, everywhere he'd tried to help, Bauer had gotten there first and made sure he wasn't needed. So he had nothing to do... and was severely bored.
Jack could spend many pleasant hours doing nothing, when it suited him. But this was different. This time he knew he could make a contribution. Bauer was just being a jerk. Sure they'd had that run in before, but Jack knew setting up the base here should transcend and personal differences. The general clearly thought differently. If he'd been back at the SGC, he would have gone to see Sam, but he had the feeling he wouldn't be particularly welcome right now. So all he could do was sit in their quarters and wait for her to come home. It wasn't a position he relished.
At least they still had an active Stargate. There were places he could go. Unbidden, the memory of Edora sprung to his mind. Which gave him the first sparks of an idea. It was getting dark, so he couldn't do anything about it tonight ... but tomorrow, he decided, he was going to take a little walk and find out exactly what this planet had to offer.
Sam didn't get back until the early hours of the morning. Jack had been asleep, but he roused himself the second she walked in the door. Even in the dim light, he could tell she was pissed.
"What's up?" he asked, wondering if he should have said anything. He had no idea whether Sam would want to talk or not.
She sat down on the edge of the bed, running her hands through her hair. Jack moved behind her and started to rub her tired shoulders.
"Don't," she told him.
"Just trying to help," he replied.
"Well, don't."
He sat back on his heels, hoping she'd say something else.
"I'm sorry, sir, but half the lab equipment wasn't unpacked properly... most of it isn't working... there's glass all over the place because some idiot dropped one of the crates and didn't stay around long enough to clear up."
"Can we get any more?" he asked.
"Not enough time. The order came through thirty minutes ago... no more wormhole contact with Earth."
"Oh."
Jack flopped backwards, contemplating the ceiling. This was it, no more home to go to. Sam had drawn her knees up to her chest, her head buried in her folded arms. He felt he should comfort her in some way, but he just didn't know how.
It seemed like hours later when they both suddenly became alert. The sound of the Stargate activating was amplified by the stillness of the night. Years of training couldn't be denied and they both headed out of their quarters without a second thought.
There was a group of soldiers gathered around the DHD and Sam pushed past them, trying to catch a glimpse of the symbols.
"It's an outgoing wormhole," Sam said. "Who ordered this?"
"General Bauer," one of them answered.
"The stupid son of a ..."
"Carter?" Jack asked, not entirely sure what was happening.
"He's dialled Earth, sir. Look at the wormhole."
It was glowing brighter than normal. Without anything coming through it should have shut down.
"Crap," Jack swore.
"We have to clear the area."
"All right, you heard the major, everyone out of here," Jack ordered.
"But sir, the general..." one of the men protested.
"I said now!"
They didn't wait to be told again. The men scattered, running back towards the settlement. Meanwhile, Carter had started ripping into the DHD.
"Major?" Jack demanded.
"I have to shut it down."
"Bad?"
"Yes, sir."
"Here."
He handed her his Swiss army knife and she used it to lever off the control panel. As she did so Jack's attention returned to the Stargate. The wormhole was still open. Sam was on her hands and knees, ripping out control crystals as fast as she could.
"It won't shut down," she yelled.
But she refused to give up. In the end Jack had to force her to take her own advice. Picking her up bodily, he dragged her away from the DHD. She struggled briefly, but he was strong enough to persuade her running away was the best thing to do. He pulled her into a nearby ditch, covering her body with his own as the gate went critical. Time seemed to slow as debris rained down on them ... grass... lumps of rock... and mud... there was lots of mud. As the air finally stilled, Jack felt Sam stir beneath him. He moved off her as they crawled out of the ditch and surveyed the ruin which had once been the Stargate.
The DHD was no more, having been flattened by the 'gate ... which was now horizontal.
"At least it's still in one piece," Jack said.
But Sam looked as if she was about to cry. There were footsteps behind them. The base had been roused by the explosion, General Bauer at the fore.
"Major, Colonel... what the hell happened here?" he demanded.
Jack was suddenly struck by how beautiful Sam looked at that moment. Even thought she was covered head to foot in mud and slime. He also realised she was about to do something stupid, like hit a superior officer... As the situation was right now, Jack didn't have much to lose ... so he said what he was certain was going through her mind.
"You know damn well what happened!" he snapped. "It's what she told you would happen if the Stargate was active when the SGC got hit!"
Sam looked at him as if she thought he'd lost his mind. Maybe he had, but if anyone was going to get the Stargate working again, it was Sam. She couldn't do that if she was cleaning latrines with her toothbrush. He, on the other hand, was disposable.
"Colonel O'Neill, you are way out of line!" Bauer exclaimed.
The general had turned a strange shade of puce ... and Jack didn't care. Maybe if the guy had a heart attack they could get rid of the bumbling idiot.
"I'm not the one who destroyed our only way off this rock!" Jack spat back. "Were you born an idiot or have you practised?"
"You are confined to quarters until further notice," the general ordered. "Major Carter you will start working on restoring the Stargate at first light. Do I make myself understood?"
Sam looked as if she was about to protest, but Jack glared at her.
"Yes sir," she answered, for both of them.
"Very well, escort Colonel O'Neill back to his quarters."
Several of the SF's who had been gathered around the 'gate, came to Jack's side.
"I know the way," he told them.
Without waiting for his escort, he headed back towards the living quarters. Sam hurrying to catch up with him.
"What the hell was that about?" she hissed.
"Saving you from yourself," he returned.
"I don't need you to protect me!"
"Yes, you do."
Her mouth narrowed to a thin, hard line and Jack knew, from her point of view, he had screwed up. But he didn't really care. He had so wanted to break Bauer's nose! How that guy had made general was a mystery ... almost a big a one as how he had managed to get this command.
"I need a shower," Sam announced, when they got back to their quarters.
"I'll fight you for it," Jack returned.
They were both covered in slime from the ditch, which, quite frankly didn't smell too good.
"Or we could share?"
It wasn't really a serious suggestion, but Carter wasn't the one confined to quarters.
"You take the shower, I'll go across the road."
She picked up her kit and disappeared, leaving Jack alone.
*************************************************************************************
As the days went by, the weather changed noticeably. Rain and grey skies gave way to long, hot, summer days. But there was still no joy with regard to the Stargate. It remained stubbornly inoperable. Even without the DHD, they should have been able to dial the 'gate manually. They had a naquadah reactor to provide the power... it should have been easy. Should have been... but Sam had been working 24-7 for the past month and she hadn't gotten any further than setting the Stargate upright again.
Janet could tell her friend was frustrated... frustrated and overworked. Bauer was continually on her back, but he wasn't the real problem. Every member of this community was struggling with the knowledge they could be stuck on this world for the rest of their lives, and everyone was looking to Sam to provide an answer. She was the only one who could allow them to break free of this isolation. She was under a great deal of pressure, so it was no wonder she was getting headaches. They had to be pretty bad for Sam to come and see her doctor.
She checked her friend over, noticing the loss of weight, the dark circles under her eyes ... and she made the only recommendation she could.
"Take a break," she said.
"Janet ... I can't"
"Sam, you have to. Honey, you're exhausted. You are not going to get the Stargate working again if you're too tired to see straight. Take a couple of days off, I'll clear it with the general and ..."
"But what am I supposed to do?"
Janet looked at her in surprise. She understood that, previously, Sam didn't have much of a personal life, but her friend had only been married a month. Surely she'd relish the opportunity to spend time with her husband.
"You know, you and Colonel O'Neill never had a proper honeymoon ... I'm sure something could be arranged."
If anything Sam tensed even more.
"Everything is okay between you and the colonel?" she asked carefully. Janet didn't really want to sound as if she were intruding on their privacy, but if there was something wrong ... To her surprise Sam laughed.
"Can I tell you something?" she asked.
"Anything," Janet reassured her. "You know that."
"The whole things a sham. We got married so Jack wouldn't be left behind."
"Oh."
Janet felt nothing but pity for her friend. Trapped in a loveless marriage... she knew how Sam must feel. If her own experience was anything to go by... But Janet had loved her husband once. She'd always thought Sam had some kind of feelings for her commanding officer. They certainly flirted enough.
"Whose idea was it?" she asked.
"General Hammond's. He wanted Jack here ... And I think Bauer was the reason. He knew the guy was a jerk."
"Does Jack know?"
"No. He thinks it was all my idea ... Oh God Janet... I mean Jack's a good man, and he's really trying. I feel so bad about this."
"It's not your fault."
"I thought I could handle it."
"Sam ... whatever else he might be, the colonel is still your friend. Talk to him about this. Chances are he's as tense as you are."
"Maybe I should."
"And soon ... tell you what, we'll go over now."
"Now?"
"Yes, now."
Janet didn't give Sam time to argue. She led the way out of the infirmary and down towards the area of the base where the colonel had been assigned.
During the initial planning of the off-world facility, the possibility of Stargate malfunction had been debated. At the time, it had been thought unlikely. After all, experience had shown the Stargates were pretty indestructible. Even so, the contingency had been provided for. The men and women assigned to the base had to be self supporting. Native species were not suitable for domestication, so earth livestock had been imported along with specimens of edible plant life. Jack spent his days working in the fields, tending to the livestock. No doubt, General Bauer had seen the colonel's assignment as some kind of punishment, but Janet had never seen Jack so relaxed. He seemed to enjoy the manual work and he definitely had a rapport with the animals.
"Oh my ..." Janet breathed as the two women rounded a corner of the animal pens and came across Colonel O'Neill tossing hay over a fence. It was a warm day and he had stripped to the waist, wearing nothing but a pair of cut off fatigue pants and his boots. His body was tanned deep brown, and any surplus weight he might have been carried had long since burnt away as a result of his physical labours. And he was sweaty ... very sweaty.
"Janet!" Sam hissed back, a touch of jealousy in her tone.
"Sam ... if you don't want ..."
But Janet really didn't have any designs on Jack O'Neill's body. Nice to look at, but a pain in the ass as far as she was concerned.
"Sir," she called out, alerting the man to their presence.
"Hey Doc," he grinned. "How's Cassie settling in?"
"Fine, thanks."
"Sam ..."
He came towards them, greeting his wife by draping his arm over her shoulders. Sam shrugged it off,
"It's okay, Jack," she told him, "Janet knows."
The disappointment in the colonel's eyes was clear to anyone who cared to look. But he did as Sam said and backed away.
"What's up?" he asked.
"I want you to take Sam away from all this," Janet told him.
"Working too hard again?"
"I think so."
"Do I get a say in this?" Sam demanded.
"No. I'm going to arrange for you to have some leave tomorrow."
"Tomorrow?"
Sam seemed to think it was too soon, but Janet knew the two of them had to work out their problems now rather than later.
"Cool," the colonel grinned, "you pack the picnic, Sam and I'll bring the transport."
"Enjoy," Janet said and left them with a wave of her hand.
She had intended to go straight to the general, but she decided to take a detour. Sam and Jack were going to need some help, she realised and there were a couple of people she needed to talk to. First and foremost, Daniel Jackson.
The archaeologist was cooling his heels. In the original plan, the exploration role of the SGC had been expected to continue ... in which case Dr. Jackson's input would have been invaluable. However, with the situation as it stood currently, there wasn't a great deal he could do. Still, he'd managed to bring enough books and manuscripts with him to keep himself occupied for a while. Janet wondered if he'd actually brought any clothes with him or whether he was washing his underwear every night.
"Hi, Janet," Daniel said to her, sounding slightly distracted.
Janet took the book out of his hands, forcing him to look at her.
"What?" he asked.
"Did you know about Sam and the colonel?"
"I was Jack's best man ... we tried to make Teal'c maid of honour but he wouldn't put on the taffeta."
"I'm being serious."
"What do you want me to say?"
"Do they ... I mean ... do they actually care about each other."
"They're friends."
"I know ... but is there more to it?"
Daniel sat back in his chair, taking his glasses off as he pondered Janet's question.
"Maybe," he said. "I've never seen Sam look at anyone the same way she looks at Jack."
There was a trace of resignation in Daniel's tone, which Janet chose to ignore.
"That's what I thought, I think they need some help."
"Help?"
Janet just smiled.
*************************************************************************************
It was the perfect day. Although there had been some rain during the night, Sam awoke to a cloudless sky... and an empty bed. This wasn't exactly unusual. Jack was usually up at sunrise and came back at dusk. She didn't know if this was in order to get as much work done as possible, or to avoid spending time with her. They seemed to have solved the sleeping problem anyway. By the time night fell, they were both too exhausted to care much about who they were sharing a bed with. The only proviso Sam had made was that Jack shower before he came to bed . Since he spent most of the day with animals, this was obligatory.
For some unaccountable reason, Sam was feeling nervous. Thanks to Janet's untimely intervention, she and Jack were going to be forced into each other's presence for a whole day. It was almost like a date. Which probably dictated Sam's choice of wardrobe. She pulled out some of the clothes she had brought from Earth. Jeans and a button down shirt. Nothing fancy, but at least it wasn't fatigues. Recalling Jack's instructions, she made her way over to the commissary to pick up some breakfast and lunch for both of them. Knowing Jack they would be gone all day.
If she were honest with herself, she did need to take a break. Her mind was tired. If there was a simple solution to the problem she probably wouldn't see it. Sometimes, annoying as it might seem, Janet was right.
Food and water duly collected, Sam headed around to the animal pens to find out exactly what Jack had meant by transport.
He was waiting for her, along with two of the horses which had been donated to the project by the Shavadi
"These are broken?" she asked.
"Yeah, and someone had the foresight to bring some tack ... so we're all set," he grinned.
For a second Sam thought about telling him she couldn't ride, but he'd know she'd be lying. Besides, they were beautiful horses. Jack swung himself easily into the saddle, perfectly at home.
"You coming?" he teased.
Knowing there was no way she was getting out of this, Sam followed suit. She soon found herself relaxing. She hadn't had much time to explore the area around the base and it was nice to just amble over the ground, gradually getting used to her horse's pace.
"Do they have names?" she asked him.
"Homer and Marge," he answered promptly. "You've got Marge."
She rolled her eyes.
"Do we have the entire cast of the Simpsons?"
"Pretty much... apart from Ned Flanders. Couldn't quite place him...maybe one of the chickens...?"
She laughed as she pushed Marge into a canter. Not one to be left behind, Jack followed. If nothing else, she realised, they were getting a good idea of the lay of the land around the base.
They stopped for lunch by a stream some miles from the base. Apart from the sound of the horse cropping grass, there was no other sign of life. If she didn't know better, Sam could have believed they were the only animal life on the entire planet. The fresh air and exercise were working wonders on her spirit. Even the commissary food tasted good out here. After eating she and Jack took their boots and socks off and went wading in the stream. It was probably a dumb thing to do, they had no idea what could be living in the water. They slipped and slid over the rocks, laughing at each other. Jack got more than a light soaking when he stepped into a pool which was a lot deeper than it looked. While he went looking for fish, Sam stretched out on the bank, enjoying the feeling of the sun on her face.
She didn't mean to sleep, but the hand shaking her shoulder and the position of the sun in the sky told her she'd been out for a couple of hours. Jack was grinning down at her.
"Hey sleepy," he said, "it's time to head back."
"What time is it?" she asked, rubbing the sleep from her eyes.
"A little after 1700, it's going to take us a couple of hours to get back."
"I'm sorry."
"What for?"
"Going to sleep."
"I had a little power nap myself. I guess we both needed it."
He was sitting beside her, his eyes hidden behind his sunglasses. She had the feeling he didn't want to go back, that he just wanted to keep on riding.
They caught the horses and slowly made their way back towards the base. Sam noticed Jack was taking a slightly different route than before. She didn't have any qualms about his sense of direction, but she did wonder why. When she asked him about it, he just shrugged and told her there was something he wanted her to see. He wouldn't say anymore.
"This way," he told her eventually, directing Homer through a stand of trees.
Curious, Sam followed. He drew to a halt by a small lake ... so clear and still she could see all the way to the bottom. By her estimation, they weren't that far from the base. Their living quarters were just over the hill. Still, she couldn't help feeling a sense of isolation.
"Beautiful, isn't it?" Jack said.
"Yes," Sam admitted.
It was that, but she couldn't shake the feeling Jack desperately wanted her to approve.
"I thought it would be a good place to build a house," he went on.
"A what?"
"A house ... nothing fancy ... but we should be able to build something with a couple of rooms, maybe some loft space. The ground's cleared already so we'd just have to bring in the lumber and ..."
This was all moving far too fast for Sam. A house? What did he want to build a house for? He'd obviously thought about this a lot. He was serious, which meant he wanted this sham of a marriage to continue.
"The land around here's not bad, and there's fish in the lake..."
"Stop!" she told him.
"What?"
"This is wrong ... we can't ... I mean I can't ..."
They would get off this world. She'd get the Stargate working again, whatever Jack might think.
"The Stargate will be operational soon," she told him.
"I'm sure if anyone can fix it, you can ... but we have to face the fact this may be our home for a while," he said in what was a reasonable tone of voice.
"I will not accept that."
Pulling her horse around, Sam headed back towards the base as fast as she could.
"Sam!"
The sound of galloping hooves told her that Jack was coming after her. But Sam had gotten a good head start and Marge lived up to the Shavadi boast of breeding the fastest horses. She didn't know what it was about Jack's words that had unsettled her so much. Maybe it was the finality. First a house, then what? Kids? If they made a life for themselves, it would be almost impossible to leave. Somehow Sam couldn't see herself spending the rest of her life here.
There seemed to be a great deal of activity around the base, but Sam didn't take any notice. She took Marge straight around to her paddock. Jack was right behind her and there was no way to avoid him as she rubbed down her horse and got her settled for the night.
"What's so bad about staying here?" he demanded.
"You want to give up, don't you?" she accused him
"Not like that."
"I'd be about right. It's what you did on Edora."
"Edora ...? That was three years ago!"
"While I was working my ass off, you just gave up and started playing happy families with Laira!"
"For cryin' out loud Carter, I slept with her one time ... and I was outta my skull. I wasn't even that good."
"And that makes all the difference?"
"What was I supposed to do? Laira wasn't the spawn of Satan, you know!"
It was a question Sam couldn't answer. If she took time to think about it, she would raise too many disturbing questions. So she decided to ignore him. Giving Marge a last pat on the nose, she started back towards the living quarters....almost running into Janet as she did.
"Have a good day?" Janet asked.
"Super," Sam replied.
She could hear Jack coming up the path behind her.
"Come on," Janet said.
"Why?" Jack snapped.
"They're waiting for you?"
For a second Sam felt her gaze meet Jack's. What the hell was Janet up to? They had no choice but to follow. The central square was seething with people. A large fire had been lit and several tables had been dragged out of the commissary and surrounded the edge of the square.
"What is all this for?" Sam asked, now totally confused.
"It's your wedding reception," the doctor explained. "Since you denied us all by sneaking off to Vegas...."
"Um...Janet this may not be such a good idea," Jack ventured.
"Sir, the people here need something to celebrate, and until something better comes along, you two are it. So sit back and enjoy.....doctors orders."
*************************************************************************************
Jack was a little drunk....a fact which he would be the first to admit. For the supposedly happily married couple, he and Sam had been avoiding each other all evening. He was sitting watching, as she moved effortlessly from group to group. Jack couldn't actually bring himself to move. He let people come to him.
Janet had been right about one thing. The morale of the group had definitely improved. Jack feared some kind of RSI in his wrist, so many people had shaken his hand.
He glanced around the crowd of people, seeking out his friends....Daniel was surrounded by pretty girls, as usual. At one time he might have been jealous, but as he'd gotten older he'd settled down to the idea of one guy, one girl. Speaking of guys and girls, Cassandra seemed to be very interested in a conversation she was having with Lieutenant Grogan. Seemed she had gotten over leaving Dominic behind. He was glad the kid was here. She'd been through a lot in her brief life. No doubt Janet had done some fast talking to get her daughter included in the list of personnel. Then again the General Hammond had been a soft touch....and Janet was vital to the success of the colony.
It had come as no surprise to find out that someone had brought beer....or had found time to brew some. It didn't taste that great, but Jack was beyond caring. He really hadn't expected Sam to react so badly to his suggestion.
"What's so wrong about wanting to build a house?" he demanded.
"Nothing O'Neill," came the calm response.
"Then why's Sam mad at me?"
Okay, maybe he was more than a little drunk. Jack realised he should probably shut up now and not pour out his problems to Teal'c but then again the big jaffa was the only person who was willing to listen. Everyone else was too busy having a good time.
"I mean, I'm really trying my best here, T. I thought if maybe we had more space...."
"Indeed the living quarters here are cramped."
"But nooooo....she thinks I'm giving up. Whatever that meant.....?"
"Perhaps she is annoyed for some other reason. Have you been leaving your garments on the floor of your domicile?"
"No."
"Emitting noxious gases in your bed?"
"No....well....not intentionally."
"Are you deficient sexually?"
"What? No...I mean....we're sleeping together...but we're not...sleeping together, if you know what I mean?"
"I do not."
"There's no horizontal action."
"Your meaning is unclear to me O'Neill."
Teal'c was a great friend, but sometimes he took things too damn literally. Jack took another swallow of his beer....only to realise that the glass was empty. He decided to get some more beer. However, before he could reach the much needed beverage, Jack's arm was grabbed by Janet who dragged him into the centre of the crowd. To his acute embarrassment, Sam had been similarly accosted by Daniel.
"Could I have some quiet here!" Janet yelled.
Man, but her voice could carry. Gradually, conversation came to a halt, and Jack found himself, and Sam, were the centre of attention.
"Ladies and gentlemen, I ask you to raise your glasses to the happy couple!" she went on.
All around the square, people were echoing the toast. Jack didn't know where to look, especially not at Sam.
"Speech," someone shouted. Jack suspected it was Daniel, but he couldn't be certain.
"Speech!" the chant was taken up by the rest of the crowd.
Janet elbowed him in the ribs and Jack realised he was going to have to say something. He had no idea what, but he opened his mouth and hoped words would come out.
"Thanks," he said.
Everyone laughed.
"Usually I'm a man of few words...."
Unfortunately, there was no flash of light and he didn't find himself standing on Thor's ship.
"I'd just like to say....I'm a lucky man to have someone as smart and beautiful as Sam in my life."
There was a cheer. He was about to say something else, but luckily Janet stepped in.
"Cassie, turn the music on.....Jack and Sam....you have the honour of the first dance."
Crap! Jack thought. He snuck a look at Sam, who looked similarly unenthralled by the idea. Still it was just one dance. Maybe afterwards they could make their excuses and leave. No one would question them wanting to get an 'early night' so to speak. Sam must have had the same idea, because when he held out his arms, she didn't hesitate and stepped into his loose embrace.
The music was some ballad Jack couldn't place, he didn't particularly care. He just wanted it to be short.
"Sorry," he whispered in Sam's ear as they started to move.
"Not your fault," she told him.
"Aren't you going to kiss her, colonel?" A voice yelled. Siler ... who sounded like he'd had more beer than was good for him.
Jack looked at Sam, who shrugged. There was just enough alcohol in his system to make him do something a little more than a brief brush of the lips. Taking Sam more firmly in his arms, he dipped her, pressing his mouth against hers in a long lingering kiss. He could feel the tension in her body, and he knew she'd be mad at him, but he was past caring. The whoops and cheers from the crowd finally brought him back to his senses. Sam was trembling, probably with anger. Under any other circumstances she would have hit him....would definitely hit him, once they got away from this circus. He gently set her upright again, keeping hold of one of her hands.
"And on that note," he announced, "we wish you goodnight."
Still holding Sam's hand, he led her towards the living quarters.
He was lucky, she didn't explode until they had safely shut the door behind them.
"Ow!" he protested when she hit him. "I thought I did well under the circumstances."
"You took advantage of me! Do you know how embarrassing that was?"
"Well, it wasn't a lot of fun for me either."
"Right and you didn't enjoy that kiss at all."
"That wasn't a kiss.....this is a kiss...."
Jack took her face in his hands and, very gently, brushed his lips against hers with all the tenderness he could muster. He felt her body melt against his for a second before she tore herself away and disappeared into the bathroom.
He sat back on the bed, suddenly realising the irrevocable truth.
He was in love with Samantha Carter ... deeply and hopelessly in love with her.....
And she hated him.
*************************************************************************************
She hated Jack O'Neill.
Sam sat in the bathroom for well over an hour. Thinking about all the ways she hated Jack.....and waiting for him to go to bed. After the requisite amount of time had passed, she slipped silently back into the room. Sure enough Jack was asleep. He was on his side, curled up slightly, his head pillowed on his hands. Sam felt a trace of pity stir in her breast. She pulled the blanket a little tighter about his shoulders, tucking him in and smoothing the hair back from his forehead.
The party was still going on outside. Sam could hear music, laughter. No doubt many were speculating as to exactly what she and Jack would be doing right about now. How wrong they'd be. Sighing to herself, Sam crawled under the covers next to him. There was little else she could do. Sleeping on the floor had proved too uncomfortable. On the occasion she had tried it , Jack had trodden on her on his way to the bathroom ... and on the way back.
Jack never mentioned the house again. It had become another of those subjects they couldn't discuss. A list which was becoming far too long for Sam's liking. And Jack was spending even more time away from her ... as were Daniel and Teal'c. She hadn't thought her other friends would avoid her in this way ... but she guessed this was what happened when any kind of relationship ended. Sam was pretty certain it was at an end. Not just their sham of a marriage, but their friendship too. It didn't help that Jack had managed to alienate General Bauer again. Sam cringed at the memory.
It had been during one of the staff briefings. Sam accepted that, given their current situation, most of what the general had to say was fairly pointless. Jack usually sat at the back of the room, whispering comments to whoever would listen. He rarely spoke up. For some time, Sam had wondered why. She knew he wasn't usually one to stay so quiet. Eventually, she should have known, he would snap.
Bauer had seemed to accept that the Stargate wasn't going to be operational any time soon. But, in his infinite wisdom, the general had found another task for Sam and her team.
"Weapons! You want them to build weapons!"
Jack's voice had been heavy with derision. The room stilled, waiting with bated breath to hear what the colonel would say next.
"For cryin' out loud ... we could be stuck here for the rest of our lives. We should be building homes not guns! We have to clear more land, plant more crops ... unless we do that we are going to be royally screwed."
"Colonel O'Neill you will stand down!" Bauer snapped.
"Am I the only one who's noticed it's getting cold at night?" Jack ignored the general. "Am I? Think how much worse it's going to get. Sure we could maybe make it through one winter ... but what about next year or the year after that?"
"The colonel has a point!" Sam had heard herself say, in support of her husband. But her words were lost in the shouts of the crowd. She doubted that Jack had even heard her. Sam felt she should have said more, done more, but her path towards Jack was blocked by several SF's and she could do nothing but watch as Bauer summoned guards to drag Jack to the holding cells.
He'd been incarcerated for two days. Bauer would have court martialled him if it weren't for the fact that every man and woman on this base had a job to do. Even though he seemed to spend most of his days shovelling animal excrement, Jack was vital to the success of failure of the colony. After his release, Jack seemed to have withdrawn into himself ... taking Daniel and Teal'c with him.
At least Janet still gave her the time of day. Sam found herself spending a lot of time in the doctor's company, but in a strange kind of way she missed Jack ... more than she would have thought possible.
Jack's angry words were reinforced some days later when Sam went to meet Janet for breakfast. She noticed a definite chill in the air as she crossed from the living quarters to the infirmary. Jack hadn't come home that night and she'd definitely been cold in bed. However, her own depression was put on hold when Cassandra pushed past her, the girl's face streaked with tears.
"What's wrong with Cassie?" Sam asked sitting down to coffee and toast.
"I have no idea," the doctor admitted, "hormones probably ... either that or Grogan hasn't spoken to her today....or he has spoken to her today ... remember when you had nothing else to worry about apart from boys?"
"Isn't he a little old for her?" Sam wondered.
"Sam ... pot ... kettle ... black.."
"It's hardly the same."
For start, Sam wasn't sleeping with Jack ... had never slept with Jack ... and was probably never going to sleep with Jack.
"If she is sleeping with him, I'm pretty certain he's not the first," Janet sighed.
"Really?"
"I found condoms."
Janet rolled her eyes and Sam found herself laughing.
"Maybe I should go talk to her?" she suggested.
"Would you mind? She won't speak to me ... I'm just her mom after all."
"Sure."
After breakfast, Sam went to find Cassandra. She didn't actually have anything more pressing to take care of. The experiment she had been running wouldn't be finished for another couple of hours, so there was plenty of time to find out what was bothering the girl.
She found Cassandra sitting by herself in an out of the way part of the base. Sam realised how lonely the girl must be. There was no one here her own age. At best, she usually hung around with the recent academy graduates; Hailey, Grogan, to name just two. Even so ... she was just sixteen ... and had been ripped away from her home and friends for the second time in her life.
"Hey Cassie," Sam smiled ... sitting down next to her in the dust.
Cassandra didn't answer. Her face was dirty and Sam could see traces of tears on her cheeks.
"Mom send you?" Cassie said eventually.
"No, I sent myself," Sam replied.
"Right."
"What's up?"
"Nothing."
"Nothing? Whatever it is, your Mom's going to find out sometime. Wouldn't it be better to tell me first. I may be able to help."
"You can't fix this, Sam. No one can."
"What?"
The girl sighed, knowing she had to say something or be bugged for the rest of her life.
"I skipped a period," she admitted.
"Ah."
"I know. Oh God ... what am I going to do Sam?"
"Tell your Mom."
"No!"
"Cass ... in this case, she really is the only person who can help you."
"She'll be mad at me."
"Yeah ... but she'll get over it."
"Will you tell her?"
"No, but I'll come with you if you want."
"You think I'm stupid."
"Oh honey... "
Sam gathered the girl into her arms, not quite sure what to say. She couldn't find it in her heart to scold. If she was pregnant, Cass was going to get enough harsh judgement, what she really needed was support.
"Come on," she said eventually, "let's go an see your Mom ... she'll be able to tell you for sure. Then you can decide what you want to do."
The interview with Janet went better than expected. The doctor was very businesslike ... and Sam had the feeling Janet pretty much knew what was wrong with her daughter.
"She won't be the last," Janet admitted, when Cassie had settled a little.
"What do you mean?" Sam asked.
"I'm not exactly flush with contraceptives here, once I run out everybody's going to have to start using the rhythm method."
"Oh."
"So you and Jack had better be careful."
"I don't think that's going to be a problem."
"You two still aren't...?"
"No."
"I'm sorry."
"Why does everyone think I should be with Jack O'Neill!!"
"Because ..."
It was the only answer Janet would give her.
Her afternoon in the labs seemed to crawl past. Sam spent most of her time staring out of the window. Unless there was something she had missed, the Stargate would never work again. She didn't want to give up, but Sam wondered if she had any other choice.
Janet was right about one thing. Human nature being what it was, children were going to be an integral part of life here. For possibly the first time, Sam realised that this base would inevitably become a colony. Realistically, even if one of their allies came, the nearest ship could be years away. This planet had been chosen as an offworld base because it was so remote. It was light-years from anywhere, and the Goa'uld had no idea it existed.
Her work finished for the day, Sam decided to leave the base and go for a ride. She'd loved horseback riding when she had been a child, and she was surprised she still enjoyed the sport. There was something very liberating about riding across the hills of this new world. Marge was free, and Sam quickly saddled her favourite mount. Homer was missing, she noticed, which meant Jack was out somewhere. Sam set off in the direction he was likely to have taken.
She needed to talk to him, she realised. They couldn't carry on this way. They should end it, quickly and cleanly, so the didn't hurt each other any more. Maybe then, they could go back to the way they'd been before ... the best of friends.
Sam pushed her horse into a canter and then into a gallop. She needed to feel the wind in her hair. The ground was good ... even a little hard maybe. Despite the fact the weather was getting colder, it hadn't rained for weeks. As much as she hated to do so, Sam eventually had to check her mount. Marge protested a little but eventually dropped back to a walk. It took Sam some time to realise where they were. She hadn't ridden in this direction since that day with Jack, she was overlooking the small valley and the lake where he'd wanted to build his house.
A small smile touched her features. There, sure enough, was Jack along with Daniel and Teal'c ... they were working on a building set back from the edge of the water. It was, by no means finished, but Sam was amazed they had managed to do so much in a relatively short space of time. Four walls, the timbers of the roof, chimney ...
Marge saw Homer and whinnied a greeting, drawing the attention of the three men below. Daniel waved at her,
"Hey Sam!" he called, gesturing that she should join them.
Knowing what she had to do, Sam turned Marge and rode slowly towards them.
*************************************************************************************
Jack knew Sam had come to find him. There was something about the expression on her face which told him he wasn't going to like what she had to say.
"What do you think?" Daniel asked.
"I'm amazed," Sam replied. "You did all this?"
"Pretty much," Jack admitted. "Some of the other guys helped out."
"Wow."
"Want to look around?"
"Sure."
He led her into the shell of the house, expecting Teal'c and Daniel to follow. However, his friends held back.
"We've got some ... er ... stuff to do," Daniel said.
"No we have not," Teal'c added.
"Yes we do ... for Janet ... remember?"
"I do not."
"If you want to go, go!" Jack snapped, not having the patience for an elaborate charade.
"Right, we'll just ..."
Daniel made several pointing type gestures before he and Teal'c sidled away.
"Alone at last," Jack joked.
Sam looked less than amused. She wandered away from him, pretending to be interested in the stones which made up the fire place. He didn't know what to say to her, he knew she hated the idea of settling down here, but Jack had needed something to work towards ... something to make life more bearable. This kind of work wasn't completely alien to him. He'd learnt a lot during his time on Edora, and it was amazing how many people here had been willing to help him. Seemed he wasn't the only one who recognised the potential of this place. It was a just a pity he couldn't make Bauer see sense.
"It'll be a while before it's liveable," he admitted. "I'm hoping we'll get the roof on before winter, but it may be spring before we can live here."
Sam gestured to the sleeping bag in one corner,
"It looks like you've pretty much been doing that," she said.
Jack was silent. He knew he should have gone home last night but it had gotten too difficult to share the bed with Sam. He'd needed some time by himself to get his head round what was happening.
"Sorry, I left a message with Cassie," he explained.
"Cass has her own set of problems right now."
"What? Is she okay?"
"I hope so."
"Sam, you're not making much sense here."
"She's pregnant."
"What!"
He was going to kill Grogan ... hell he should have taken the opportunity to put a bullet in him during training.
"Calm down, Jack," Sam told him, "it's between them ... and Janet."
"I hope she shoves a needle in his butt and leaves it there!"
She offered him a weak smile, but there was something else on her mind.
"Why have you done this, Jack?" she asked.
He was confused. She knew why ... didn't she?
"For us?" she pushed.
"Kind of."
He stared at his boots, embarrassed.
"Jack, we have to face facts..."
"I like being married to you," he blurted out.
"What?"
"Being married, I like it. I like having someone to come home to... someone there at night... and I like the fact it's you."
She stared at him, her blue eyes wide. This time it was Jack who pretended to be interested in something else.
"Are you coming home tonight?" she asked.
"I thought I'd stay here ... wanna join me?"
Sam nodded, almost shyly and Jack's heart leapt. He was pretty certain this wasn't what she had come here to do, but he didn't care.
As night fell, he lit a fire for them, to ward off the worst of the chill. Sam hadn't said much and Jack didn't know if it was a good idea to start a conversation. So they sat in silence, eating the meal he had brought with him.
"Clear skies," he said eventually.
"What?"
"No light pollution."
"Oh."
"Look at the stars."
This planet was situated in a more densely populated part of the galaxy than Earth and the stars were especially brilliant. Jack had never really studied the stars on another world. He'd never had the time, until now. And he wanted to share it with Sam. His wife. He lay a blanket on the ground, then opened up the sleeping bag so it would cover both of them . Without prompting Sam crawled into the makeshift bed. Jack settled beside her, both of them staring up at the night sky.
He was more aware of her than he ever had been. For the first time, he felt she was lying beside him of her own accord. Her body seemed to be radiating a subtle warmth but he didn't dare move closer. To do so would break the fragile bond between them . So they lay together, looking up at the stars through the roof of the half built house.
"We should name some stars," he suggested.
"Hmmmm?"
Sam's voice was sleepy.
"How about that bright one, directly above us?"
She moved her head closer to his, so she could see the star from his perspective.
"Charlie's star," she said.
Jack felt a lump form in his throat, but he nodded,
"Perfect."
Sam smiled at him, the first real smile he'd seen from her in what felt like forever. The biggest surprise, however, came when she snuggled up to him. Jack couldn't believe how good it felt to have her body pressed against his own. Even though she had been the one to move, he decided not to push the boundaries. He placed his arm about her, pulling her just that little bit closer.
It was the smell which woke him. At first his sleepy brain was confused. He'd fallen asleep surrounded by the scent which was uniquely Sam... however, last he knew, Sam didn't smell of gasoline. Ten seconds later, he was choking on the thick, black fumes.
"Sam!"
He shook his sleeping partner, who sat up, immediately alert.
The house was on fire.
They untangled themselves from the sleeping bag almost tripping over themselves in their efforts to escape the burning building. Eyes burning, lungs straining, they stumbled through the flames, holding each other upright. There was only one place to go... into the lake. Jack dragged Sam with him. Dousing their smouldering clothes in the cold water.
"Sir!" Sam shouted.
She pointed in the direction of the base. Jack immediately took her meaning. Due to the lack of rain, the fields were dry... extremely dry. The flames were already spreading away from the house. They had to get back and raise the alarm.
"The horses!" Jack yelled back.
Clothes weighing them down, they struggled out of the water, towards the place where the frightened horses were tethered. Homer bolted the second he was free, but Sam managed to keep a hold of Marge. She swung herself into the saddle, Jack getting up behind her. Marge was all to happy to escape from the fire and responded to Sam's commands. Even with the double load, she managed to keep ahead of the flames.
The base was in darkness, but the guards Bauer had posted responded to the sound of galloping hooves. Jack jumped off the horse's back the second Sam brought the beast to a halt.
"Fire!" he yelled.
He went one way, Sam went the other, both of the shouting loud enough to rouse the dead. Before long, the entire base was up and alert. To give them credit, no one questioned Jack's assessment of the situation. Teams of people moved out to stop the fire reaching the base.
The fire wasn't under control until the sun had risen. A vast tract of land had been devastated. Even so, Jack knew how lucky they'd been. When it was all over he was so tired, his brain refused to work anymore... he couldn't give any thought to how the fire had started, he just wanted to sleep.
He and Sam returned to their quarters, their clothes and hair stinking of smoke.
"Shower," he said, not caring if Sam objected to him going first.
Stripping off his clothes, he stepped under the stream of tepid water.
*************************************************************************************
Jack was upset about the house, even if he refused to show it. Daniel watched as his friend moped about in the ruins, kicking things. Eventually, Sam went over to him, taking him by the arm and speaking to him gently.
Daniel was suddenly aware of the change which had come over his friends. Overnight, it seemed, they were suddenly acting more like a married couple. He glanced over at Teal'c who raised an eyebrow in reply, also curious. The pair had clearly reached some kind of understanding. Deciding they deserved some privacy, Daniel walked away into the blackened trees.
He really couldn't understand what had happened. The rumour floating around was that Jack had accidentally started the fire, but somehow Daniel couldn't see that happening. Jack wasn't the type of person who would build a campfire in a dangerous location... or leave it unattended. Which only left one other option... but why would someone deliberately start a fire? Especially when it threatened the safety of everyone living here. The crops were ruined. He suspected ,who ever was responsible, hadn't meant for it to get quite so out of control.
"Hey, Spacemonkey!" Jack's voice called, "We're heading back!"
"Just a second!" Daniel called back.
Looking about himself once more, he headed back towards the others. He took a slightly different route back. If he hadn't, he probably would have missed the stack of gas cans which were partially hidden between the roots of a large tree.
"Jack!" he yelled, "you better get over here."
"What?" his friend snapped.
"You didn't start this, Jack. It looks pretty damn deliberate to me!"
Jack picked up one of the cans giving it a good sniff.
"This is what I smelt that night," he said. "I was starting to think I was going nuts."
"It doesn't make sense, why would someone want to burn Jack's house down?" Sam wanted to know.
"Perhaps O'Neill was the target," Teal'c suggested.
"Now there's an unpleasant thought," Daniel said.
"You're not exactly Bauer's favourite person," Sam admitted.
"Bauer may be an asshole, but I don't think he'd stoop to murder," Jack protested.
"Wouldn't he?" Sam said, quietly.
"You' re a threat to him, Jack," Daniel reminded him.
Jack's face creased into the characteristic self-mocking expression, sometimes the man had trouble believing in his own abilities.
"Everyone knows you were the first choice for this command," Sam said, quietly. "Bauer was a last minute replacement."
"What do you mean?" Jack demanded.
"Hammond recommended you for the post but he was vetoed. The order came from very high up... I don't know what Bauer's standing orders are, but General Hammond had his suspicions. Which was why he wanted you along."
Jack's face fell for a second... then he looked up, his eyes flat and unyielding. Daniel suddenly realised Sam had said the wrong thing.
"So saving my life had nothing to do with it," Jack snapped, his eyes meeting Sam's. "You just wanted me to save your butts."
"No, Jack!" Sam protested.
"Why didn't you tell me? Why go through the charade?"
"Yes, I should have told you ... but I was hoping I wouldn't have to."
Daniel found himself backing away, watching as his two friends settled into a blazing row. Their earlier accord was shattered. There was only one way it could end ... they stormed off in opposite directions. Daniel glanced at Teal'c,
"I think we have a problem."
"Indeed."
They were silent for a few minutes,
"You think we should go talk to Janet?" Daniel asked.
"I do."
They headed back to the base, not seeing any sign of either Jack or Sam on the way. When they found her, Janet looked decidedly harassed. She was up to her eyes in test results.
"Looks like Cassandra wasn't the only one to enjoy herself at Sam and Jack's party," she admitted when Daniel asked her what was wrong.
"Oh ," he said.
"We're not set up to be a nursery!"
"There's something else isn't there?"
"Yes ... yes there is. I made the mistake of telling the General."
"And?"
"He wants me to persuade all of these women to terminate."
Daniel felt slightly sick.
"I won't do it, Daniel ... I won't."
"What does Cassie want to do?" he asked.
"She wants to keep it. I don't know if it's the right decision, but I'm sure as hell not going to try to talk her out of it."
She sighed, bringing herself under control with effort.
"What did you want?"
"It's about Jack and Sam."
"Daniel... with due respect ... I can't deal with their problems right now. If they'd just stop bickering and realised they're crazy about each other... "
"Janet, Jack's house was burnt down deliberately."
"What?"
"I found the gas cans."
Before he could say more, there was a disturbance outside. Someone was yelling... and Daniel recognised the voice as Jack's. A crowd gathered rapidly, wondering what the colonel was going to do next. Daniel knew exactly what Jack had in mind. He was going to confront Bauer.
"Idiot," Daniel swore to himself. This was the wrong time. Once Jack was this angry it was doubtful anyone could stop him, although Teal'c looked as if he was going to have a damn good try. There was only one person who could calm Jack down... and she was nowhere to be seen.
"Bastard!" Jack yelled, launching himself at the general.
Before anyone could respond, Bauer found himself hitting the dirt, Jack's hands clamped around his neck. There were several guns pointed at his head, but he didn't seem to care.
"Jack, No!" Daniel shouted, trying to get through the crowd and drag his friend away.
He had no doubt that Jack was quite capable of killing this man and Bauer was turning purple. It took Teal'c's strength to finally pull Jack off the stricken man.
"Now is not the time," Daniel hissed.
His words seem to calm Jack down a little... to no avail.
"Take him to the holding cells!" Bauer ordered as soon as he could speak.
Jack was led away by a team of SFs.
************************************************************************************
Sam had little idea of where she was headed or even how long she had been wandering. A horse's whinny finally attracted her attention. At first she looked around for a rider, thinking maybe Jack had come after her. However, the source of the noise was a lone animal, his harness caught on a tree. Sam quickly realised it was Homer. He seemed very pleased to see her, especially when she set him free. The horse was the equine equivalent of Jack, she realised ... stubborn as a mule, but he grew on you. The last couple of days, before their argument, had been pretty sweet, despite the fire. Sam remembered cuddling up to him, their bodies still damp from the shower. She had been starting to think that maybe, just maybe they had a chance. A stupid dream really. Right now, she doubted he would ever speak to her again.
Whatever, she couldn't stay out here forever, she had to go back sometime. Taking Homer back seemed like a good enough excuse. She led him back, figuring he probably would be very amenable to being ridden right now. It took her longer than expected, she had walked quite a distance without realising.
To her surprise, Daniel was looking out for her, waiting for her to come back.
"Daniel, what is it?" she asked.
"Jack... he had another run in with General Bauer," Daniel explained.
"Damn," she swore, "what did he do this time?"
"He tried to kill him."
"Crap."
Sam dragged her hands through her hair. This was all her fault.
"So where is he?" she asked.
"Holding cells... and I think he'll be there for a while."
Violence seemed to be Jack's answer to everything. If the truth were known, sometimes he scared her. She didn't know what to do. It was doubtful Bauer would listen to any pleas on Jack's behalf. And although Sam was tempted to leave her husband exactly where he was, she realised she should go and see him.
To her surprise Sam had to talk her way past the guard... pulling rank in the end. If it hadn't been Jeff Grogan, she wasn't certain she would have got in at all. Apparently Bauer had left orders. When she finally saw her husband, Sam understood why. He was barely conscious, his face swollen and bruised.
"Who's there?" he demanded.
He could hardly open his eyes.
"It's me, Jack," Sam replied.
She reached through the bars, trying to comfort him, but Jack shrunk away.
"Who did this?" She asked.
"I don't know," Grogan replied.
The young lieutenant shifted uneasily. He knew, Sam realised, and he'd done nothing to stop it.
"He needs medical attention," she snapped.
"The General... "
"I don't want to hear it, Lieutenant. Help me with him."
"Yes, ma'am."
Fumbling with the keys, Grogan opened the cell door. Sam hurried to Jack's side, gently pulling him upright.
"Can you walk?" she asked.
"Sure," he replied, trying to stand and failing completely.
"Grogan go and get Dr. Fraiser!" Sam ordered.
The other man seemed only to happy to leave.
"It's going to be all right Jack," she whispered.
"Is it?" he asked.
"Yes."
She pulled him close, letting his head rest against her breasts, stroking his hair. Jack's breathing was unsteady. She could tell he was in pain, but Jack... being Jack, was trying not to show it. Sam could do little more than hold him as they waited for the medics to arrive.
Five, ten minutes went by... and still no sign of Janet.
In the end Sam had to move. She let go of Jack, somewhat pleased when he seemed to cling onto her a little longer than necessary.
"Grogan!" she yelled as she stepped outside.
"Major Carter... " the young man was out of breath, but Sam was more concerned by the fact General Bauer and half a dozen SFs accompanied him.
"I'm sorry," he finished, "I had orders."
"Right," Sam said, intensely disappointed with the young man.
"Major... if you would accompany me?" Bauer asked.
Sam realised she had very little choice in the matter, as she was led into the central square. The men who accompanied her were all built like the backside of a barn.
Jarheads, she realised. They had no place here.
"Wait," she was told.
Several posts had been set up in the centre of the square, for what purpose Sam couldn't fathom immediately. Not until they grabbed her hands and forced her wrists into cuffs. She fought against them, but she couldn't stop them chaining her to one of the posts, her face pushed hard into the rough wood. Sam was stunned for a moment, slumping downwards, the chains keeping her from falling.
How long she dangled there, she couldn't say, but eventually she heard voices... lots of voices. She twisted as much as she was able, watching as the base personnel flooded into the open area. There were some notable exceptions... Daniel, Teal'c, Janet All the people she counted as friends. All the people who might have defended her. Before long Jack was dragged out of his cell. At first she thought he was going to be chained up with her, but two SFs were enough to hold him. He was too weak to do anything.
Then Bauer appeared and the crowd fell silent. He didn't say anything. He didn't have to. Everyone knew what Jack was supposed to have done... and everyone knew Sam was his wife. He gave a signal and one of the SF's stepped forward and ripped away the back of Sam's shirt.
Despite his condition, Jack went ballistic. He pulled away from his guards, staggering a few steps towards Sam, before falling to his knees.
"Jack, No!" Sam yelled.
She didn't want him to be hurt any more than he had been, but Jack's first instinct was to protect and he got kicked in the head for his pains. Sam turned her head away, unable to watch. They were being used as a lesson she realised. No one would dare question Bauer's orders, knowing he would take retribution from their loved ones.
Sam tensed, waiting for breathless moments.
There was a crack... and a streak of pain flashed across her naked skin.
Again...
Again...
Twelve times the whip cracked, but Sam remained standing, tall, proud... she was dammed if she let this bastard know how much he was hurting her. At the end she was freed. Blood was running freely down her back, but she refused to acknowledge the fact. She walked towards her husband and helped him to his feet. In silence they walked away, seeking the refuge of their quarters. No one stopped them.
*************************************************************************************
Jack helped Sam onto the bed before collapsing himself. They just lay there, not speaking, both in too much pain to move.
"I should go get Janet," he muttered.
"No," Sam replied.
In his heart, he knew the doctor should be here already... would have been if she had witnessed Bauer's little power trip. Sam was bleeding and Jack realised he should do something about it. Ignoring his own discomfort, he rolled off of the bed and went to fetch some water.
Sam swore as he started to dab the blood away, but he ignored her, not stopping until every wound was clean.
"How does it look?" she asked.
"You'll live."
He eased himself down beside her once more.
"How about you?" she asked.
"I'll live too... but I may not enjoy it much."
"Why, Jack?"
Jack wished he could answer her question. Bauer was nuts. The power had gone to his head.
"We have to leave," Sam said. "Get out of here."
"We can't," Jack argued.
"Jack, he wants to kill you!"
If only it were that easy... but they had nowhere to go. Winter was fast approaching. They couldn't carry enough food to see them through. It was too late to plant crops, and the thought of a spending a winter foraging for supplies sent a new kind of chill through his body. No, for now, they needed this place. And she was going to hate him for saying it.
"If we keep our heads down, maybe Bauer will leave us alone," he said.
"What!"
"I'm serious, Sam. We can't survive out there, not yet."
"I don't understand."
"Spring... we'll wait until the spring. Then we'll go. It'll give us time to gather supplies, make plans. Maybe see if anyone else wants to come along."
"And what if he decides to kill you in the meantime?"
"He won't."
Jack could see Sam wasn't convinced. He wished he believed his own words.
"What about me?" she asked.
"You're too important to him. You're the only one who can get the Stargate working again. He's not going to hurt you."
"Hello?"
"Apart from the obvious... he can't risk losing you, Sam."
"He's nuts."
Bauer's behaviour was, of course, the unknown in the equation. To date, he hadn't behaved like a rational human being. There was little point in expecting him to start now. No, they had to be careful and play a waiting game. Ironic really, Jack had never thought he would be the one to advise caution.
He must have fallen into a restless doze, because the next thing he heard was a disturbance outside. Part of him realised Bauer must have stationed guards, and the rest of him realised they would be no match for Janet if she really wanted to get in. Besides Bauer would really be insane if he allowed his men to shoot one of the few doctors.
Beside him, Sam stirred, also disturbed by the noise outside. She managed to climb to her feet and let the doctor in.
"I just heard," Janet explained.
She dumped her bag on the floor and gestured for Sam to lie down again and started examining the lacerations on the woman's back.
"Teal'c, Daniel and I got called away to an 'emergency', which turned out to be a bruised thumb and a back strain."
"Explains why you weren't here to witness the main event," Jack muttered.
"If it's any consolation, Teal'c's just about ready to tear someone limb from limb."
"Don't stop him on my account," Sam said "Ow!"
"Okay, sir, strip."
"What!"
"Sam's not the only one who's hurt. By the way you're sitting I'd say you have a cracked rib or two."
Jack knew there was no point in arguing. He shrugged his shirt off, letting Janet see the full extent of the bruising. The doctor took a sharp breath, but that was the only sign she gave. She prodded and poked him for a while before giving him a handful of painkillers.
"Now I want you both to get some rest. We can sort out this mess in the morning," the doctor advised.
"Jack doesn't think we should do anything," Sam grumbled.
"He's probably right,"
"At least not until spring," Jack added.
"We'd all follow you, sir, you must realise that."
"Maybe... but Bauer controls the guys with the guns."
The stark truth and Jack wasn't about to get anyone killed. He could take a few bruises, he was used to it. Even Sam had had her share of injuries... but there were kids out here... and Jack wasn't about to take responsibility for their welfare. Some of them looked up to him, he knew that. He wasn't some kind of hero, he was just a guy having a really bad day. It couldn't get any worse... could it?
"Sleep," Janet ordered as she left them alone.
"Easier said than done," Sam said.
She shifted onto her stomach, trying to get comfortable.
"Come here," Jack replied, quietly.
"I thought it was difficult to sleep when you had someone lying on broken ribs?"
"I'll suffer."
Sam did as he asked, moving so her head was resting on his shoulder. It was enough. When she woke in the night, Jack felt her tears. He held her as close as he dared, offering what comfort he could.
"We should have stayed on Earth," she whispered.
"Don't say that Sam."
"Why not?"
Jack couldn't answer her. If they had stayed on Earth then, apart from the certain death factor, he would never have found himself with Sam Carter in his arms. He liked holding her, having the right to hold her, but he didn't really know how to put his feelings into words. So he remained silent, wishing he could think of something to say. She wanted him to act now, but he knew they were all dead if he did.
************************************************************************************
The first snows had fallen... earlier than anyone had expected.
The lines of the base were softened by the fall, it looked almost pretty. Cassandra could almost forget she was light years away from the planet she had learnt to call home. She placed a hand over her swollen stomach. Dumb... dumb... dumb... dumb....God knew she'd had enough lectures on safe sex.
There weren't many people around. Most of the personnel were choosing to stay out of the intense cold. Cassandra found it bracing. It reminded her of the winters back home, where the only source of heat was the fire. As she stood there watching, she saw Sam and Jack emerge into the morning brightness. The first thing Jack did was hurl a snowball in Sam's direction and she retaliated. Cassie laughed as she watched them. They looked so happy. Her mom had given her the impression that their relationship wasn't entirely what it should be, but Cass saw little sign of it today. Sam's squeals and Jack's laughter were carried to her on the wind. She watched as their snow fight ended with Jack tackling Sam and wrestling her to the ground. Not that Sam appeared to mind.
Cass wished she was actually in love with someone. She thought she had been, but as soon as Jeff had found out about the baby, he had turned decidedly cool. And then she'd seen him with one of her mom's nurses... But Cass felt fairly dispassionate about it. After all, this wasn't the worst thing that had happened in her life. You get kicked enough and nothing hurts anymore. At least that was what she believed right now.
Jack was kissing Sam and Cass was surprised they weren't melting the ice. She was pretty certain she was the only person who could see them. Eventually, they got tired of rolling in the snow and took it somewhere warmer. Cassandra knew she should be heading indoors too, but that would mean talking to her mom and she didn't want to. Janet would only start asking those awkward, clinical questions. Cassandra had been spending as much time alone as possible. Difficult as it was when you were living in a small community. She couldn't get way from the feeling that people were staring at her, judging her. In many ways she felt she was nothing but a burden... especially now. She knew the general didn't approve of her decision to keep the baby, but there wasn't a whole lot he could do about it. He made some remark about the community not being able to support a bunch of kids, but as far as Cass was concerned that was his fault. Jack had given him enough warnings.
Twenty minutes later Jack and Sam reappeared. Sam seeing Jack off to work with a slap on the butt. She then glanced up the hill, spotted Cassie and waved. Reluctantly, Cass headed towards her. Their relationship was a complicated one. Sam was part mom, part aunt, part big sister, part best friend.
"Hey," Sam grinned, "How are you this morning?"
"A little sick," Cassandra admitted, "but it's nothing to worry about."
"Feel up to some breakfast?"
"Sure."
The stopped off in the commissary to pick up toast and coffee, before retiring to Sam's lab.
"So, how's Jeff?" Sam asked archly.
"Sam, if you were pregnant, how would Jack react?" Cass asked, not answering the question.
"He'd probably be turning back flips, bad knees and all."
She laughed at the image. It was well known how much the colonel loved children.
"It's different though," Cassie went on. "Isn't it?"
"What?"
"You know... it."
"Ah."
"I mean when you love someone... "
Sam frowned a little.
"Yes it is," she admitted, slowly. "When you love someone."
"Sam, don't you love, Jack?"
"I didn't at first," Sam admitted, "and now I don't know exactly how I feel."
"You like him though? And he's... you know... hot... even for an old guy."
"Now on that we can agree."
She clicked her coffee mug against Cassie's grinning as she did so. Somehow it was reassuring to know that Sam was unsure of her feelings. It made Cass feel slightly better.
"Is Jack going to do anything? About Bauer I mean?" she asked. "He'd be much better."
"Don't say that!" Sam snapped.
"But it's true!"
Cassandra couldn't understand Sam's anger. What was wrong with saying so? It was the truth, wasn't it?
"Loads of people say so," Cass finished.
"You shouldn't listen to gossip."
"It's the only way I find out anything! Mom won't tell me anything! I'm not a kid anymore."
Sam took a deep breath, seemingly bringing her anger under control. She took Cassandra's hand,
"That right, you're not. It's dangerous, Cassie. Jack can't act without putting you, me, everyone he cares about in danger and he won't do that."
"But you don't agree with him?"
"Not entirely. We have to wait, however hard that might be."
"Until when?"
Again Sam seemed to hesitate. Her brow furrowed a little,
"If I tell you something, you have to promise me you'll keep quiet."
"I promise."
"We're having a meeting tonight. Maybe you should come along."
Cassandra nodded, thrilling to the idea. At last someone was treating her like a grown up.
"When?" she asked.
*************************************************************************************
If there was an upside of sleeping with Jack, it was the fact he was a great hot water bottle. His body seemed to hold heat like nothing Sam had ever encountered before. It certainly gave her a good reason to cuddle up to him on a cold night. After Cassandra had gone Sam found her thoughts turning to her husband. Her feelings towards him had certainly changed, but she wasn't prepared to define the new state of their relationship. It wasn't intimate. However it might appear to outsiders.
Sure they kissed a lot, but that was as far as Sam seemed to be able to go. Jack certainly wanted more and she had to wonder how long he'd wait. That morning was a prime example. They'd been playing in the snow like a couple of kids, but when they'd moved indoors all they'd done was make out for a while. Which was kind of nice, she had to admit. In fact, Jack did a lot of things which warranted that description. He held her hand as they walked across the compound, brought he drinks and snacks when she was working, massaged her stiff muscles when she'd been bent over a computer for hours on end. When she'd been recovering from her injuries, he had been the one to dress them every night and morning.
If anything, Bauer's attack on her had brought them closer together. Sam no longer wanted out of the relationship, but then again, she wasn't sure exactly what she wanted. Their position her was precarious at best. Jack had been right about one thing, Bauer needed her, and so the general had to put up with her husband. They had kept there heads down and no one had bothered them, but they were being watched very closely. That much she was certain of.
Even so, she and Jack had been making plans. When the spring came they would be gone, along with those colonists who wished to join them. It would be hard, she had no doubt of that. But it had to be better than staying here. She'd rather live free, whatever the danger.
As the day worn on, Sam found it harder and harder to concentrate. She knew what they were about to do was dangerous. If one person decided to go to Bauer, she had no doubt they would all be punished... what form that punishment would take would depend on the general's whim. He'd probably execute them. Which made her question the wisdom of inviting Cassie along. Janet would probably have a few words to say, but Cass was seventeen she had the right to decide for herself. Just as she'd done with regards to her unborn child. Sam would have expected the same.
Despite being inside the heated lab., Sam still felt the temperature drop as night fell. She knew it was time to go. More snow had fallen and she realised this winter could prove harsher than anything she'd previously experienced. Despite the cold, she grinned to herself. Now it was time to see if Jack could live up to his boasts about his Minnesota background. As she hurried into one of the barns, she realised he probably could. The irritating man seemed quite comfortable in his sweater.
"Hey," he grinned.
She gave him a quick kiss.
"Nervous?" Jack asked.
"A little," she admitted.
Mutiny didn't sit well with her, but they didn't really have a choice. They'd only invited a handful of people, those they could trust implicitly. Apart from SG-1 and Janet, there was Siler, Ferretti and the members of his team, Jen Hailey. Sam had debated about asking Paul Davis, but decided he was a little too close to the centre of power. She didn't quite trust him. Cassandra, however, was missing.
"Jack, can you handle this?" she whispered in his ear.
"Sure, why?" he questioned.
"I asked Cassie to come, she's not here."
"She's probably making up with Grogan. Or should that be making out?"
"Maybe... I'm going to go look for her."
He shrugged and turned back to the meeting. Meanwhile Sam slipped out of the door, nodding briefly to Teal'c who was stationed outside. She hurried through the darkness, wondering where Cassandra could possibly be. Recalling Jack's suspicions, she checked the living quarters first, but there was no sign of either Grogan or Cassandra... neither were they in the Commissary. Sam knew Cassie liked to walk in the woods surrounding the base, so she headed up to the tree line.
The night was bitterly cold. Cassie either had to be nuts, or severely distressed to be outside. It turned out to be the latter. As soon as she heard the raised voices, Sam broke into a run. In the dim light she could just about make out Cassie's prone form,
"What the hell is going on here?" she demanded, hauling Grogan away from Cassandra.
"Sam... help me," Cass screamed.
"I don't know, we were just talking... " Grogan spluttered.
"Sure you were, "Sam snapped back, "Cassie, can you tell me what's wrong."
"Hurts," she gasped.
The girl was clutching her stomach, in a way that immediately rang alarm bells in Sam's head.
"Okay, honey, I'm going to get your mom."
"No... please. Don't leave me alone."
Sam had no choice, she had to send Grogan.
"I'm sorry," Cassie whispered.
"You have nothing to apologise for," Sam reassured her.
"Am I going to lose my baby?"
"I can't answer that."
"At least it'd make everyone happy."
"Don't say that Cassie."
"Where's my Mom?"
Standing up, Sam looked down the hill. She could just about make out flashlights approaching through the trees.
"She's coming," she told Cassie.
Janet wasn't the only one. Jack came too, accompanied by a very concerned looking Grogan. While Janet attended to Cassie, she drew Jack to one side.
"How much did he see?" she asked.
"Enough to wonder what we were doing there. Teal'c stopped him at the door."
"Sir, Lieutenant, give me a hand, I don't want to wait for a stretcher," Janet ordered.
"I'll talk to him," Jack said before going to do the doctor's bidding.
Sam followed behind, wondering how much good Jack would be able to do. True, many of the younger people did look at him with something akin to hero worship. She just wasn't sure that would be enough to stop Grogan going to Bauer and if he did...
As soon as Janet said she was able, Sam slipped in to see Cassie. The girl lay in the infirmary bed, small, lost, alone.
"Hey," Sam smiled, "how you feeling?"
Cassandra didn't speak, she rolled away from Sam to face the wall.
"I know it's hard, honey... "
The door swung open and Jack walked in. If anything he had a better idea of what Cassie was going through. He didn't bother with words. Moving to the other side of the bed, he gathered the girl in his arms, holding her tightly until she started to sob.
"What happened Cassie?" he asked. "Why were you out there?"
"Jeff followed me. He said he wanted to talk, I had to keep him away," she replied. "Did I do okay?"
"You did fine, Cass, just fine."
Sam felt redundant, she wasn't needed here. She gestured to Jack to tell him she was leaving, but he shook his head. He held out his hand, inviting her to join them. Feeling slightly awkward, she sat on the bed with them and started to stroke Cassie's hair.
"I'm going to go talk to Grogan," Jack said eventually.
"Okay... see you later."
He dropped a kiss on her cheek before leaving the room. Sam stayed with Cassie until Janet was free to be with her daughter.
Although she'd spent some time with Cassie, Jack wasn't in their quarters when she got back. It looked like his talk with Grogan was taking longer than he expected. Sam stripped off her clothes and climbed into the cold bed. She was buried underneath the quilt, trying to get warm, when Jack finally appeared.
"How did it go?" she asked, her voice muffled by the quilt.
"Okay, I think."
She felt the bed shift as Jack sat down to take off his boots. Sam stuck her head out to look at him. His shoulders were slumped, and he was making no move to join her in bed. It struck her how tired he looked, how lonely. Despite his irreverent attitude, Jack was military to the core and part of him still wanted to respect the chain of command. Leading, what was essentially, a mutiny was difficult for him. Yet he carried on because he wanted to protect the people he loved and she was one of them.
"Jack?" she questioned.
"I was just thinking about Cass. She was trying to protect us."
"I know."
"Why?"
"She loves you Jack. A lot of people do."
"How about you?"
Sam nodded. She did love him, she realised, even if it had taken her a while to accept the fact.
"Come to bed," she said.
"I'm going to take a shower."
Sam sat up, placing a hand on his shoulder.
"Come to bed," she repeated.
Taking his face in her hands, she kissed him tenderly. He responded, holding her so tightly she thought he was going to break something.
"You just want me to keep you warm," he teased.
"Among other things," she returned, pulling at his sweater.
Jack's face was a picture.
"Are you sure?" he asked.
Sam just smiled.
*************************************************************************************
Jack awoke with a grin on his face. Instead of the several sweaters Sam had taken to wearing to bed, all he could feel was smooth, soft skin. She loved him and, for some reason, he was absurdly happy about the fact.
"What time is it?" she mumbled.
"0530," he answered, "Are you okay?"
"Mmmmmm. Cassie was right."
"About what?"
"Being with someone you love."
He grinned at her,
"Go back to sleep."
"'kay."
Her breathing slowed again as she slipped back into dreams. Jack tucked the quilt more securely about her shoulders. Lying in the dark, he couldn't help wondering exactly what they had gotten themselves into. They hadn't used any protection. In truth, there was none available. If Sam was pregnant? Not that he didn't want children with Sam, but he had to wonder what kind of life he was offering them, or whether they'd ever make it into the world.
She shifted in her sleep, rolling away from him. Jack curled up behind her, spooning himself against her body. This warmth thing went both ways. He was drifting off to sleep himself when he heard a noise outside. Jack shook Sam's shoulder, waking her.
"What?" she demanded, irritably.
"Don't know," he whispered back.
He climbed out of bed and reached for his pants. Before he could pull them on, however the door to their quarters burst open and three armed men marched in. Sam gave a shriek and dived under the quilt, while Jack grabbed a pillow and held it in front of him.
"Knock, why don't you?" Jack snapped.
One of them hit him around the face with the butt of an MP5. Jack vaguely recognised the man as one of the former members of SG-3. What the hell was his name?
"Get dressed," the man sneered, "the general wants to see you."
"At this time?"
Jack darted backwards, before anyone could hit him again. It soon became clear that these men weren't going to give them any privacy. Jack dropped his pillow, refusing to be embarrassed, Sam was another matter. He certainly didn't want these guys leering at her. He scrabbled about on the floor and found her clothes, handing them to her so she could get dressed under the quilt. One of the men was stupid enough to take a step towards her, but the glare Jack shot in his direction was enough to stop him doing anything inappropriate.
Although they were allowed to get dressed they weren't given the benefit of their cold weather gear. They were dragged out into the central square and forced to their knees in the snow. Jack wasn't finding Bauer's little power trip at all amusing. The general didn't immediately appear. He left them out there for half an hour. Sam had turned an interesting shade of blue by the time they were granted an audience. Jack's heart sank when he saw the figure at Bauer's side. He glanced across at Sam, knowing this would hit her hard.
"Hey Hailey, how you doing?" Jack sneered.
The young lieutenant had the grace to turn her face away... And all this time they'd been worried about Grogan.
"Why?" Sam demanded.
"Because she's a loyal officer," Bauer replied. "And you two have been charged with mutiny."
"And you're a certified maniac!" Jack snapped back.
One of the guards raised his gun, but Bauer ordered him to stand down.
"You will be escorted to the edge of the base and then you will leave. If you come within sight of this place again you will be shot. Do I make myself understood."
"Oh yeah," Jack grimaced.
"What about supplies?" Sam asked.
"You can take what you can carry," Bauer conceded.
They were hauled to their feet and bundled back towards their quarters. Under the watchful eyes of the guards they stuffed their belongings into backpacks. Jack glanced over at Sam, he face was set, betraying no emotion. They'd have time for tears later, as soon as they got away from this place.
"We need food," Sam told them.
A bag of MRE's was deposited on the bad and Jack stuffed them into his pack.
"Ready?" he asked Sam.
"All set," she said.
He held out his hand and she took it. Guns at their backs, they walked away.
Almost unconsciously, he led them towards the lake where he'd started to build the house. It seemed as good a direction as any. The sun was just coming up, giving an illusion of peace and tranquillity. The snow had covered the blackened ground and softened the bare timbers. Jack couldn't help thinking how great it would have been to live here with Sam. He had no qualms regarding their chances of survival without the back up of the base. The sky was very, very blue, but there was a sharp wind blowing and Jack could feel his face freezing. He knew they'd need to find shelter before nightfall.
"This way," he said, pointing towards the mountains.
Maybe they could find a cave or something. Sam nodded and set off in the direction he indicated.
"You okay?" he asked her.
"I guess," she replied. "I never thought Hailey would be the one to betray us."
"We can't see into people's souls, Sam, as much as we might like to."
"Dammit Jack, we trusted her. Hell, if I hadn't stuck my neck out, she never would have been part of the program."
Jack wanted to comfort her, but part of him realised she needed him to be a colonel right now and not her husband.
"We don't know what happened, Major. She may have been under duress."
"I wish I could believe that but it's not going to change what she did."
"Then we'll just have to make sure we survive."
"I don't see how, sir."
"Maybe they can help us."
"What the...?"
Gathered in the valley below were people. Fifty, maybe more of the base personnel... their belongings, some of the horses.
"Colonel! Sam!" Janet yelled out, waving to them.
"What's all this?" Jack asked.
"We got the heads up," Daniel explained, "and we decided to join you."
"How?" Sam questioned.
A very embarrassed Jeff Grogan was pushed to the fore.
"Hailey came to speak to me before she went to the general," he explained, "I couldn't talk her out of it so I spoke to Janet... um... Dr. Fraiser..."
"Nice job," Jack congratulated.
He looked at the faces in front of him. Jack knew the life he was offering wouldn't be easy, but they all trusted him, which was something. He felt Sam's small hand in his, offering him her support and love.
"Okay, people, let's roll!"
*************************************************************************************
It had been a long time.
Two hard winters ... now the snow was once more lying on the ground and Jack O'Neill made his way back to the valley where the Stargate had once stood . There was more than simple curiosity involved. His conscience had been bugging him for a while. He had to see if the people who had remained behind were okay. For some reason, Jack felt he owed them.
It had taken him two days to get back, two days of slogging through the snow on his own. Of course he could have used one of the horses, no one would have begrudged him that...but he knew they were needed back at home. So he walked, retracing the path they had taken two years ago. Life hadn't been easy. They had lost people. Jack tried not to think about the small grave on the hillside, under the tree. He hadn't really had the time to grieve ... which was probably why he was out here on his own.
Sam had been amazing. He knew it was her ingenuity which had kept their little colony going. She had kept them all alive ... mostly. Jack would have been happy to take a back seat, but no one would let him. He was a reluctant leader, but he knew that someone had to take on the burden of command, which left Sam free to work her magic. He found it hard to believe they were still together. The loss of their first child had strained their relationship, but now Sam was pregnant again ... something which scared him more than he'd like to admit. She'd almost died the first time and Janet wasn't exactly in the position to carry out many emergency operations. Still, others had had more luck and their original settlement had expanded. Jack loved to watch the kids, it reminded him they were building something special.
Jack still recalled Bauer's last words and he found himself approaching the base with exaggerated care, hoping no one was going to shoot him. That would be really dumb.
The day was still, quiet ... no noise of any kind. It set Jack's teeth on edge. He knew that, this close to the base, he should be able to hear something. The hum of the generators, if nothing else. Jack found himself slowing down, taking more care, if that were possible. He managed to conceal himself in the stand of trees overlooking the base.
Nothing moved.
It was the middle of the day, there should have been someone down there.
The base was in a state of disrepair. There were broken windows, doors hanging off hinges ... there were no animals in the pens and the barns had been burnt to the ground. Feeling slightly sick, Jack forced himself to walk down the hill. He didn't have far to look before he found the first body ... or what was left of it. There had been a fight realised, a big one. With their food supplies gone, the end would have come pretty quickly.
Jack didn't stay long. He knew they'd have to send a team back to salvage what they could, but he couldn't stomach being alone here. The images haunted him as he made his way home. He wanted to be back among people again ... his people ... Sam.
He walked all day and all not, not stopping to rest, to eat. This was all his fault. All his fault. He should have stayed and forced Bauer to listen to reason. Jack conveniently forgot the fact that Bauer would have shot him first.
The cold was intense and Jack couldn't help thinking about the warmth of his cabin and the woman who would be waiting for him. They had settled in a U-shaped valley, a waterfall graced one end and the river wound it's way through the grasslands, disappearing in the surrounding hills. Sure it flooded in spring and iced over in winter, but the convenience of having a fresh water supply far outweighed those petty difficulties. The valley was ice bound right now, and the last thing Jack expected to seep was a trail of green leading straight towards the settlement. A ship ... it had to be. Jack broke into a run, fumbling for his weapon.
"Not the Goa'uld, please not the Goa'uld," he prayed as he ran.
He didn't want to see any more dead bodies, not now. There was a ship. A Cargo ship had set down by the river.
"Crap!" he muttered to himself.
Yet there were no bodies littering the ground, no blood staining the snow. In fact, he couldn't see anyone. Confused, Jack headed into the village. There were footprints in the snow, all leading towards the long low building which served as the community's meeting place. If there were Goa'uld inside, one gun wasn't going to be much use. Still, he needed to have some idea of what was actually happening before he went on a Die Hard type rampage.
There were voices ... laughing ... crying. What the hell was going on?
Jack peeked through the main entrance. All he could see were people's backs ... and they seemed to be having a party. Jack joined the crowd, straining to see what was happening. He caught sight of Sam's blonde hair and he headed towards her. She was talking to a man he definitely recognised, who turned just as Jack drew level,
"So Colonel O'Neill, what have you done to my daughter?"
"Jacob?"
For once in his life, Jack was lost for words. He looked at Sam. She smiled at him, placing a maternal hand on her swollen stomach.
"He turned up yesterday," Sam explained, happily.
"That's great," Jack replied.
She knew there was something wrong.
"What did you find?" she asked.
He drew a shaky breath,
"Not here," he told her. Jack didn't want to ruin the party. Sam's lips narrowed into a hard line and he realised he would have to tell her sooner rather than later.
"So Jacob, what brings you to our little corner of the universe?" Jack continued.
He slid behind Sam, sliding his arms possessively about her waist.
"We hadn't heard from you for a while," Jacob replied. "And you're a long way from home."
"That was the whole point."
"What happened?"
"We lost our Stargate," Sam explained. There was understandable bitterness in her voice, but Jack cut her off before she could voice her opinion.
"So you think you can help us with that?" he asked.
"Maybe," Jacob replied. "and we can help you relocate somewhere a little more advanced."
"Earth?" Sam asked.
Jacob shook his head, "I'm afraid not."
"Was it bad?"
"Yeah. It'll be a long time before the planet is fit for human habitation. We evacuated as many as we could."
Jack felt his arms tighten about Sam, even after all this time he hadn't quite believed that Earth's fate was sealed.
"So when do you want to leave?" Jacob asked.
"Leave?" Jack heard himself question.
"Jack, you don't want to stay here for the rest of your lives ... do you? There are several races who have agreed to give you sanctuary."
The question wasn't one Jack could answer immediately. He looked at Sam. Going back to Earth was one thing, but living on someone else's planet ... ? He'd thought about using the Stargate for trade maybe, but not to transplant everything they had built here.
"We'll let you know," he said.
"What?" Jacob exclaimed.
"This isn't something we can decide right now ... enjoy the party."
Jack led his wife away from her father. She didn't protest, but he could tell she wasn't happy with his actions. He led her outside, back towards their cabin.
"What is it?" she demanded, "What did you see?"
"No one, there's no one left alive."
"Oh God."
"Sam ... do you want to leave?"
She hesitated, her hand drifting to her stomach. Their first child had died because they didn't have the facilities to keep him alive. But if they had an operational Stargate then surely they could improve their standard of life. This planet had so much to offer. Jack was reluctant to leave, but that didn't mean others would follow his lead.
"We should take a vote," she said, avoiding the question. "Everyone has to decide."
"What about you?" Jack pushed.
"To be honest ... I don't know. Sometimes, when it's cold, or raining, when the fire won't start ... I'd give anything to be back on Earth. But then when I look around and see what we've built here, I know it's home. It's our world, Jack."
Jack pulled her close, dropping a kiss on her hair,
"I love you, you know that?" he told her.
Sam looked up at him, her face glowing. He could have held her all night, but she was understandably eager to get back to the party. Jack could hardly blame her, after all she hadn't seen her Dad for two years. Let everyone enjoy themselves tonight, then maybe tomorrow ...
*************************************************************************************
Sam felt the child within her move, waking her suddenly from a deep slumber. She gasped in the darkness, tensing herself and expecting the worst. But nothing happened. The man beside her stirred slightly, but did not waken. Sam considered getting out of bed, so she wouldn't disturb him, but it was too cold outside. She burrowed back into his warmth, telling herself she was just being paranoid. There were weeks before her due date and there was no reason why the child would be premature this time.
Her father was asleep in the next room, much to Jack's disappointment. Sam hadn't really believed they would ever meet again and now they had ... they all had a difficult decision to make. Jack had called a meeting that morning, he would try and persuade everyone to stay. And Sam would stand by him, despite her personal fears regarding the safety of their unborn child. She had meant what she had said the previous night. This place was home to them now, despite the discomfort. If they settled on some other world she couldn't help thinking they'd be betraying all they had left behind. This planet was theirs and no one else's. She only hoped everyone else felt the same way. If they didn't ... well, she wouldn't put it past Jack to stay here anyway.
Although it was still dark outside, she knew it would be time to get up soon. Despite the fact it was mid winter, there was still work to do ... assuming they were going to stay here.
"What time is it?" Jack's sleepy voice asked.
"0700."
He gave a groan and pulled her closer, his hands roaming.
"Jack, my dad's next door."
"So? How does he think you got like this ... or maybe you've just been gaining weight?"
"There's a difference between intellectual knowledge and being faced with the reality. You'd better get up and light the fire."
"Just a few more minutes."
A few more minutes turned into an hours serious cuddling ... until they heard Jacob moving around in the other room. By the time they dragged themselves out of bed, he had a good fire going. Jack disappeared out to milk the cows, while Sam started on breakfast. Her cooking skills had improved a great deal since she had been unable to rely on take out. Jack was better but at least she could produce something which was edible.
"You know you remind me of your mother," Jacob said, suddenly.
"Do I?" Sam asked.
"Yeah."
"She was beautiful."
"And so are you."
Sam found herself blushing. She rarely had time to think of her appearance anymore.
"You and Jack should be proud of yourselves," he went on.
"Everyone has helped," she said.
"Maybe, but it's the two of you who have held all this together. If you hadn't I don't think you'd be any better off than those poor fools at the original site ... so when's my grandchild due?"
"Another four months as near as we can tell."
"And you still want to be here when it happens?"
"If we can get the Stargate working it won't be a problem."
"Sam ..."
"Forget it, Dad. I won't talk Jack into leaving."
"I should have known. You never did listen to your old man's advice."
"Dad ..."
"No, it's okay."
But Sam knew it wasn't. She knew she'd opened yet another rift with her father. Still, a lot depended on how everyone else voted. Jack could be a very passionate public speaker when he wanted, but she had to wonder how many people would be persuaded by the idea of an easier life.
"Maud's laid again," Jack announced as he came back in through the door.
Sam took the egg from his hand, while he set down the pail of milk.
"Scrambled or fried?" she asked her father.
Breakfast was a companionable meal, but Sam was on edge. She was wondering what her father was going to say at the forthcoming meeting. If he undermined Jack's authority ... well, she wouldn't be responsible for her actions.
As it was, she needn't have worried. Jacob Carter was on his best behaviour.
They had the meeting in the main hall. Sam kept a close eye on the faces before her. Daniel, Teal'c, Janet, Cassandra ... she was pretty certain they'd all follow Jack's lead.
"I'm not going to make anyone stay," Jack finished, "if you want what these folks can offer then by all means go. But we've built something here, something we can all be proud of. It may not be Earth, but it's all ours ... and it's home."
Sam held out her hand, and he took it as he stepped down. She found she had tears in her eyes. How stupid was that? But in her eyes he'd never looked stronger ... or more handsome. Hand in hand, they left the hall, choosing to await the decision in their own home. Sam had the feeling the arguments would go on for hours.
"You remember when we first came here?" Jack asked.
"Yes," Sam smiled at the memory.
They had been cold, tired ... lost. Jack had been adamant this was the place they should settle. He'd just dumped his stuff on the ground and refused to go any further.
"I'd understand if you wanted to leave," he said.
"Jack, we've been through this! I am not leaving you," Sam snapped back.
When would he get that fact into his head?
"Sorry," he apologised, "just nervous, I guess."
"It's okay."
She took his hand. Holding it, had become second nature, but she suddenly became aware of the fragile nature of everything they had built here. Would Jack be the same if it was taken away from him?
"They'll be a couple of hours," she said.
"I know," Jack replied, absently.
"Come on."
"Where are we going?"
The man could be so dense sometimes. Sam stepped closer to him, wriggling her hands under his shirt, so she could warm them against his body.
"Your hands are cold!" he protested.
"Then lets go back inside and get warm," Sam smiled.
She knew Jack wasn't stupid, he was well aware of the fact she was trying to distract him ... but he wasn't dumb enough to turn her down.
"You know one of the reasons I don't want to go?" Sam said later, when they were lying in each others arms.
"What?" Jack asked.
"The grave. I don't want to leave him. Is that dumb?"
"No. I felt the same about Earth."
"We've bled for this land, Jack, given it what we loved the most."
"I know."
There was a knock on the door. Realising the time had come, Sam reluctantly joined her husband. The crowd in the hall fell silent as they walked in. Daniel handed them a piece of paper ... a page torn out of one of his precious notebooks.
"We got tired of arguing ," he told them, "and we took a vote."
Sam looked over Jack's shoulder as he opened the paper. Out of sixty people fifty-four had voted to stay.
"We stay!" Jack announced.
The crowd started cheering. Sam lost track of the next few minutes. People were hugging her ... she was kissed by at least three different men, none of them her husband. She was only vaguely aware of her father, but she noticed when he slipped out of the hall. After a few moments, Sam followed.
She found him outside, leaning against a wall.
"Hey, kiddo," he grinned when he saw her.
"Dad," Sam replied, "I'm sorry."
"I know. Jack said he wouldn't make any one stay here."
"No, he won't."
"So if you wanted to ..."
"Dad, drop it! I'm staying."
"I'm sorry, Sam, but I don't like the idea of you living out the rest of your life on this backwater planet."
"This is NASA all over again ... once the Stargate is working there will be plenty to keep me occupied ... not to mention I'll have a baby."
"I just never figured you for the picket fence type."
"Then I guess you've never really known me at all."
She felt tears in her eyes. After all this time, they still didn't understand each other. Sam knew their paths were about to diverge again, maybe permanently. Thanks to Selmac, Jacob would outlive his daughter by many years. They couldn't afford to waste any of the time they had together.
"When are you leaving?" she asked.
"As soon as the Stargate is functional. I still have a war to fight."
"So do we Dad, it's called the survival of the human race."
Her father's eyes drifted to her stomach,
"I don't think you and Jack will have any problem with that."
Sam bit her lip, he couldn't help it, he didn't know.
"Come back when it's born," she offered.
"Try keeping me away."
The hugged for a long moment, before heading back into the hall.
*************************************************************************************
Summer came.
Children were born.
Jack and Sam had a baby girl and they named her Charlotte.
Their world was beautiful. Not perfect, but true beauty never is. They loved and were loved and when the time came for them to lay aside their mortal bodies, their monument lay in the world they had built ... and in the people who would remember them.
Story Notes: NOTES: This story has been a long time in the writing. It started out as an answer to a fic challenge ... but don't ask me which one because I can't remember!!! This is an AU where Sam and Jack don't know how they feel about each other. The revelations in Divide and Conquer never happened. Many thanks to Jo R. and Tina who both looked over the story in it's various stages of writing!!
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 ]