Two weeks later, Sam and her squadron returned from their bombing run. When their planes landed and they all got off their jets, they were all talking when General Viking and Colonel Bauer walked over to them.
“Attention” the squadron colonel said. Every one turned and stood at attention.
“At ease” General Viking said.
“First of all, well done on your bombing run.”
He look at them all. “Second Lieutenant Carter, please step forward.” Sam stepped forward.
“By order of the Chief of Staff of the Air Force, Lieutenant Carter of the of the United States Air Force has distinguished herself by meritorious achievement and service. In recognition of your quick thinking in saving Captain Thomas' life and his aircraft, I'm pleased and honored to present to you the Air Force Commendation Medal” As he was saying it he passed Sam an open box which contained the medal.
“Thank you, General.”
“Lieutenant Carter while serving as a member of the United States Air Force has distinguished herself in actual combat in support of operations by heroism or extraordinary achievement while participating in an aerial flight. I'm honored to present to you the Distinguished Flying Cross.” Everyone was shocked, including Sam, with what General Viking said as he passed Sam the second box..
“From the Chief of Staff of the Air Force: In recognition of First Lieutenant Samantha Carter's outstanding work, I hereby authorize her immediate promotion to the rank of captain. The United States Air Force has recognized that you have fulfilled tasks and duties well beyond the responsibility of a first lieutenant. It is with great pleasure that I bestow upon you the responsibilities, the respect and the rank of captain.” He passed Sam a small box, then he stood back and stood at attention and saluted Sam which she happily returned.
“Congratulations, Captain Carter.”
“Thank you, Sir.”
“Company, dismissed.” Everyone step forward and congratulated Sam as well as wanting to see the two medals.
A week later, Jack returned from a five day black ops mission. When he walked in the door, he was greeted by the twins and his Mom.
“Daddy, you’re back!”
“Yes I'm back, hi, Mom.”
“You look tired.”
“I am. So how where the kids?”
“They were little angels.” Jack raise his eye brows in question and doubt.
“Angels?” She smiled at him then walked into the kitchen with Jack and twins following.
“There’s mail on the breakfast bar, including a package from Sam.”
Jack’s ears perked up and he walked straight to the breakfast bar. He quickly opened the package, while the twin managed to climb on to the seats so they could watch and see the contents. When Jack opened it he got the letter out and the three boxes. There was a note attached to the first box 'read letter first'. So he open it up and read it out loud.
“Hi Jack, Charlie, Grace I miss you all. Things have been busy for the first two weeks since I've been here. There are things I wish I could tell you in this letter but can’t. The weather is hot and I'm making new friends with the other pilots. I'm one of seven females out of the hundreds stationed here. We all get along well both on the ground and in the air. Jack you’re not going to believe who my CO and his second in command are...it's Bridger General Viking and Colonel Bauer.”
Jack raised his eye brows in shock remembering how he meet the two and how he didn't get on well with General Bauer.
“Jack I know you would be raising your eye brows like that.” The twins giggled.
“Sam knows you too well, Son.”
“Don't I know it, Mom.” Then he carried on reading the letter.
“Colonel Bauer is still the same and he’s not happy with what I received in the boxes. I have so far flown over twenty hours since I've been here and ‘yes’ I have been blowing things up just in case Grace asks.” Jack looked at his daughter who was grinning.
“Jack, I know you are wondering what is in the boxes, well, you can open them now. You and the kids are in for a surprise.” Jack put down the letter and opened the three boxes.
“What are they?” Charlie asked.
“These here are captain’s bars. Sam’s been promoted.”
“Mommy’s been promoted!”
“Yeah, and she received the Air Force Commendation Medal and the Distinguished Flying Cross.” Jack showed his mother.
“Oh, my! I wonder what she did to deserve them.”
“Who knows, Mom, who knows” He showed the twins the medals. Jack picked up the letter and read further.
“I knew you, Grace, and Charlie would like the surprise. When I return I'll tell you about it. In the meantime, how are things with everyone in Colorado Springs? Looking forward to Christmas? We don't know if we’re going to be flying that day or not. We just have to wait and see. I better get this printed and the boxes wrapped up before the mail bag gets taken away in fifteen minutes. The mail arrives and is taken away once a week. There some film for you to develop, Jack, and can you send me more film for my camera? I’ve got to go. I love and miss you all. Give the kids a big hug and kiss from me. All my love, Sam” He put the letter down.
“Are you alright Jack?”
“Yes Mom, I am. I'll be in the study.” He picked up the letter and boxes then walked down to the study.
“What’s wrong with Daddy?” Charlie asked.
“He misses your Mom.”
“I miss her, too” Grace said.
“I miss her, too” Charlie said.
The week before Christmas, Sam and the other pilots flew to Iraq for another bombing run. On the way back, MIGs showed up and started firing on them. They fought back as they try to fly back across the border. One of the pilots had no choice but to bail out since his jet was shot up and he had no power.
San noticed one of the MIGs was heading towards the pilot who parachuted. She flew towards the MIG then fired on it causing it to explode in midair.
The lieutenant watched what happened and was pleased that he wasn't killed, but knew he was still in trouble. He watched each of his friends take out the enemy and saw the last three bug out. Sam watched the lieutenant fall and land safely on the ground and reported his position to the general.
“Copy that, Captain. There is nothing you can do. The rescue team is on the way.”
“What is their ETA, Sir?”
“One hour. The lieutenant has been trained in what to do, Captain.”
“I know that, Sir.... oh crap, General, it seems we are not the only ones who know where the lieutenant is, Sir. The MIGs are returning with back up, Sir, and they’ve got a helicopter with them.”
“Take them out if they fire on you, Captain.”
“Sir, I can land and get the lieutenant aboard my aircraft.”
“Negative, Captain.”
“Sir, I can do it. If we don't act now, the lieutenant is as good as dead, Sir.”
“What if you get caught, Captain?”
“Never going to happen. I'm going in.”
Sam flew down and landed the plane and stopped not far from the lieutenant. Sam quickly took her pocket knife out and threw it to the lieutenant.
“Cut the ropes on your chute.” While the lieutenant was doing that Sam got out of the cock pit. While looking at the lieutenant,
“That’s enough. Here give me your hand.” Sam helped him up on to her jet. She took the knife and rope, then folded them up and put them in her pocket.
“Now get in”
“But, Captain.”
“Do it, Lieutenant.” He got in the cock pit and put the straps on, and then Sam got in.
“I know it’s going to be a tight squeeze, just breathe slowly in and out.”
“Yes, Ma'am.” Sam closed the canopy then started up the engines. She took off, heading to midair.
“Lieutenant, wrap your arms around my waist and hang on to me tight, but not too tight, those damn MIGs are back” Sam said yelling. Then she helped in the dog fight taking out four MIGs before the others bugged out.
“General, the other MIGs are bugging out. We are returning to base.”
“Copy that, Colonel. Do you have any word on the lieutenant and Captain Carter?”
“We are here, Sir. It’s a little tight but I have the lieutenant with me.”
“Good work, Captain.”
“Thank you, Sir.” When they landed at the base, Sam got out first then helped the lieutenant out.
“Thanks for coming to get me, Captain.”
“That’s alright, Lieutenant. There’s a saying that goes: No one gets left behind.” He smiled and nodded.
“That’s so true.” They got down from the jet just as General Viking walked over to them.
“Lieutenant, how are you feeling?”
“I'm good, Sir. If it weren't for Captain Carter, I would either be dead or a prisoner, Sir.” General Viking nodded.
“Very well. Go and get cleaned up and your reports done in the next seventy two hours.” He turned to walk back to his office.
“We better do what he said, Lieutenant.” Sam said as she walked to the barracks.
Sam went and got her things then went to the showers. But the others beat her to it, so she returned to the barracks to put her things way, then walked down to the office is to type out her report.
When her report was typed and printed, she walked over to the office and left it on General Viking’s desk, and then she went into the mess hall for a drink. Sam waited for an hour before she could go and have her shower. She had noticed a Hercules plane land and a number of personnel disembarking when she was walking in to General Viking office.
Ten minutes later she walked into the showers. There was no one else there. Once she was in the shower stall she was enjoying the hot shower not knowing that someone else had entered the shower room. Sam had her head under the spray when the curtain was pulled back and a person stepped in.
“Missed you, Jack.” She turned around and wrapped her arms around his neck and they kissed.
“Missed you, too. How did you know it was me?” Then they kissed again.
“I saw Cromwell and that only means one thing: black ops teams are here for a mission.”
“Ah, well we’ve got fifteen minutes, so” Sam gave him a kiss as she wrapped her legs around his waist.
Twenty minutes later they walked out of the showers together. Jack followed Sam into the barracks, where she showed him her bunk bed as she took care of her things while talking.
“Sam, here.” He passed her a photo. It was of the twins, and there were letters, which she knew would be from them.
“They’re growing up so fast.”
“I know and you will be home soon.”
“I know.” Then they heard the helicopter starting up.
“I better go. I love you.”
“Love you, too, Jack.” They kissed, then he ran out of the barracks.
Sam followed, then stopped at the doorway watching Jack running over to the helicopter and getting on. The door shut just as the two helicopters flew off. Sam look down at the photo and smiled.
“Captain.” She turned to see General Viking walking over to her.
“Sir.” She stood at attention and saluted, which he returned.
“Who was that men that was with you in the showers and in the barracks?”
“My husband, Sir, Colonel O’Neill.”
“And the photo?” when he saw it in Sam’s hand. She showed it to him.
“Charlie and Grace, our twins, Sir. They are five and a half years old, Sir.” He passed the photo back to her.
“I see.”
“General, do you have a family, Sir?”
“Yes, I do.”
“So you know what it’s like, missing them.”
“Yes, I do. They are teenagers now.”
“I’ve hardly seen the twins grow up. They were born before I joined the Air Force. I'm lucky to have seen them nine months out of their whole lives.”
“Captain, it is hard being away from your loved ones.”
“Yes, Sir, it is, especially with Christmas next week. It would be my first Christmas way from my family and I know of others who feel the same.”
“It is hard for all the personnel.”
“Yes, Sir...Lieutenant Thomas told me just the other day, he just returned from his honeymoon when he got his orders, this is his first time being away from his wife.”
“I know what that’s like, Captain.”
“Yes, Sir.” Sam looked down at the photo just as the general turned and walked back to the office.
Author's Notes: Feed back, yes please
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 ]