Samantha Carter’s memories of her illness were hazy, to say the least. She thought she remembered something …a sentence echoing through her head. She didn’t know if it was imaginary or real. She made a mental note to ask the Colonel about it next time she had the chance.
Many chances came and went over the next few years. SG-1 grew as a team, and shared a bond that few could claim. Sam never asked the Colonel about that illusory sentence. There was a special bond between the Colonel and his 2IC, a bond of friendship. It promised to grow into a deeper bond one day, if it was nurtured. Their closest friends commented on it often, but the two involved were seemingly oblivious.
Then the Colonel was taken from her, stranded on an alien planet. While she knew logically that he wasn’t gone forever, that sentence replayed itself over and over in her mind. As she worked on her particle beam throughout the night, and the next night, and the next, it echoed. She had never asked him.
Daniel was a constant source of comfort for her those days and nights she wouldn’t leave the lab. He gave in to her demands for coffee, although he wouldn’t stop with his assertions that she needed sleep. Life went on for Cheyenne Mountain, but Samantha Carter still worked. She would get the Colonel back to them, then she would finally ask him about the sentence, the statement that had been bothering her for so long.
Unfortunately, when the Colonel finally did return, he had another life. It was totally unexpected, and shocked Sam to the core. Standing in the sun on Edora she had to look away as the Colonel and his new woman said their halting goodbyes. It was the same look she had felt on her face when he had kissed her other self, with her watching through the Quantum Mirror.
An uncomfortable look.
Not a hurt look, she would never show her feelings to all that easily. As she watched her Colonel kiss his lover, that sentence replayed itself in her mind. She mouthed it to herself as she turned towards the Stargate.
Sam knew as well as he did that he couldn’t bring Lara through the Stargate with him, but it was enough for her that he had had another life. Another woman. Perhaps she was too late in asking after all.
Life slowly returned to normal in Cheyenne Mountain. SG-1 regained some of their closeness, but Sam never mentioned the sentence to the Colonel. She decided wondering was better than a harsh answer or, even worse, a flippant one.
Sam thought of Lara and the Colonel’s time on Edora quite often. Tossing and turning in her quarters one night she had left the lab too late to go home she thought about finally confronting the Colonel about it. He had been in a better mood these last few weeks. He had finally let go of Lara and whatever life he may have had on Edora.
She let it replay in her head again, as she had done a thousand times. She knew the tone of his voice, the inflection…it hadn’t been a dream; wishful thinking, had it? Or merely more of his teasing?
She remembered another comment he’d teased her with, it had kept her up for a few nights before she decided it was meant merely as a flippant comment, to make her laugh. "As much as I might otherwise think this is nice..." Had that been it?
Determined to confront the Colonel, Sam walked briskly through the corridors of the SGC, looking for the distinctive man. Finally, she cornered him in his office.
"Hi Sam." He said, offering her a smile. "What’s up?"
He frowned when he saw the look on her face.
Taking a deep breath, she opened her mouth. "’Not like this’ you said, 'Not like this’" she paused, running her fingers through her short blonde hair. "What did you mean, ‘not like this’?"
She watched as realisation dawned on his face.
He stepped closer to her, his hand caressed her face. "I thought you’d never ask…"
His lips descended on hers with such a gentle intimacy that she thought she might cry.
END
Story Notes: RATING: PG adult situations.
EMAIL: kestra@globalfreeway.com.au
SPOILERS: 100 Days, The Broca Divide, Solitudes and Point Of View
NOTE: Not sure on the whole Adora/Edora spelling, so I chose Edora. Adora reminds me to much of She-Ra. Feedback is appreciated…
EMAIL: kestra@globalfreeway.com.au
SPOILERS: 100 Days, The Broca Divide, Solitudes and Point Of View
NOTE: Not sure on the whole Adora/Edora spelling, so I chose Edora. Adora reminds me to much of She-Ra. Feedback is appreciated…
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 ]