********************
"Oh, Sam, are you sure this is the right decision?" Janet Fraiser asked her friend Samantha Carter. "Six months is a long time."
"I need to get away, Janet. The last few months have really been hard on me. When Dad and the Tok'ra offered me this chance, it was heaven sent." Sam continued folding clothing and putting it in duffle bag. "I need to get away from- well, I just need a change of perspective."
"You're running away from your feelings for Jack O'Neill." Janet felt that Sam should confront her feelings for the man, not run away from them and him.
"Janet, if I put some distance between us, I'll start to put everything into its proper perspective." Sam shoved the last of her underwear into the bag and zipped it. "He's my commanding officer. And as much as I want otherwise, that's all he's ever going to be. He doesn't feel that way about me, and he never will. I'm Carter the problem-solver, the geek scientist. He doesn't even see me as a woman. Oh, he knows I'm a woman, but he just doesn't see me that way."
Janet sighed. There was no way she was going to be able to talk Sam out of this move. She was bound and determined to get over the man. Maybe, just maybe, this Martouf that Sam had told her about could help.
Just a few months ago, Sam had been happy with her life as a part of SG-1. Then Colonel O'Neill had been trapped on another planet for three months when an asteroid barrage damaged the gate there. This had forced her to realize that she had deep feelings for him. He had become involved with a woman while there, and when they had come to rescue him, he really didn't want to come home. Then, soon after his return, he had gone undercover to trap a traitor at the SGC. Sam had felt he had betrayed the team by not telling them what he was doing, for making them believe he had gone bad. All of it had just been the last straw for a woman who was worn down to the bone by work and grief.
"What are you going to do about your apartment, Sam?" Janet was curious to know.
"I've sublet it for a year." Sam shouldered her duffle.
"A year? But you'll be back in six months." Janet was concerned now.
"I can stay on base for awhile after I get back. Hell, I stay there more than I do here anyway." She looked around the room to make sure she didn't forget anything. Janet was keeping everything that she wasn't taking with her, with the exception of furniture. That was staying with the apartment.
Sam loaded her belongings into her car and headed to the Cheyenne Mountain Complex. She was leaving her car in Daniel's care. It seemed that everything that needed to be taken care of was taken care. She was all prepared to go. Except for one thing. Saying goodbye.
******
Sam's father, Jacob Carter, had come to escort her to the Tok'ra's current base. He was both pleased that she was going to be with him for a while, and concerned for her reasons for accepting this invitation. Eventually, he would get her to tell him what had happened. And if she wouldn't tell him, he would sic Selmac on her. Selmac was very persuasive, as well as being wise.
So, as they stood in the gateroom preparing to depart through the Stargate, Jacob watched his daughter's actions and interactions with her co-workers and teammates. A hug for General Hammond, Dr. Fraiser, Teal'c, Daniel Jackson, a handshake for Jack O'Neill- whoa, wait a minute! She hugs everyone else right on down to the gate technician, and she offers her hand to O'Neill for a handshake?
'Jacob,' Selmac said to him inside his head, 'I think we have found Samantha's problem.'
'I think you're right, Selmac,' Jacob answered. 'She's leaving to get away from Jack.'
Still watching his daughter, Jacob also noticed that O'Neill ignored the handshake and hugged Sam. He also whispered something to her, at which she shook her head. Interesting.
What Jack had whispered to Sam was, "You can still change your mind and stay." She shook her head and backed away from him.
Stepping toward her father, Sam hefted her duffle and gave one last look around the gateroom at her friends. Then she turned to the Stargate and walked through the event horizon.
******
Six Months Later . . .
"Incoming traveler," the gate technician announced. "It's the Tok'ra signal."
"Open the iris," General Hammond ordered, then he headed down to the gateroom. The iris opened and Major Samantha Carter stepped through the event horizon.
"Welcome back, Major Carter, it's good to see you," General Hammond greeted her.
"Thank you, Sir." Sam handed her gear to the airmen who came forward to relieve her of it. At that moment Daniel burst through the door.
"Sam!" He ran forward and grabbed her up in his arms and swung her around. "Wow! We really missed you. I'm so glad you're back!"
Teal'c next entered the gateroom at a much more sedate pace than Daniel. "Major Carter, it is good to see you again." For Teal'c this was a positively effusive greeting.
"It's good to see you guys, too. I missed you." She looked behind Teal'c. Bringing up the rear was Colonel O'Neill.
"Major Carter, good to see you," O'Neill said. "Welcome back. I hope everything went well."
"Yes, Sir, it did." Sam and Jack just looked at each other for a moment.
"Major Carter, Dr. Fraiser is waiting for you in the infirmary for your post-mission physical," General Hammond said. "I'm sure she's anxious to see you."
Sam laughed. "Maybe I should go away more often if everyone is going to be so happy to see me come back."
Daniel got a horrified look on his face. "Please, no, Sam." He shot a look at Jack. "I don't think we could take it."
Teal'c also managed to look uneasy at the thought that Sam might leave on another extended assignment. "I agree with Daniel Jackson, we would not wish you to leave for another long period of time."
They headed off toward the infirmary, Daniel walking beside Sam with his arm thrown over her shoulder.
"So, Sam, was it a profitable trip?" Daniel asked. "I hope you picked up a lot of information."
"Oh, yes, I learned so much. I even learned some of the goa'uld language," she answered.
"Spoken or written?"
"Both. I was surprised at how easy it was. But then again, I had a really good teacher." Sam smiled at the memory of her lessons.
"Selmac teach you this goa'uld language?" Jack asked.
"Oh, no. Martouf did. He was really patient with me, so kind. I think having Jolinar's memories helped, too." Jack didn't look too pleased to hear this.
"So, old Marty is a good teacher, huh?" Jack said. "He teach you a lot?"
Sam smiled at the memory of her lessons with Martouf. "Oh, yes." Jack scowled at this information.
They had reached the infirmary by this time. Janet turned and saw Sam as she entered the examining room door.
"Sam!" Janet rushed forward and hugged Sam tightly. "Oh, it's so good to see you!"
"Janet, it's good to see you too. I missed you. How's Cassie?" Sam wanted to know everything that had happened since she had been gone and she knew Janet was probably itching to tell her.
"Oh, she's fine. Looking forward to seeing you." Janet stood back and took a good look at Sam. "Wow! You look really great." She really did. Sam had been so stressed out when she left, obviously being away had been good for her physically as well as mentally. Her hair was a little longer, her eyes were bright and clear, and her usually ready smile had returned. "Something really agreed with you while you were gone." Janet turned and looked at the three men who had followed Sam into the examination room. "Okay, you guys, out. I've got to give Sam her physical." With a few grumbles from Daniel, the three men left the room to wait in the hall.
"So, Sam," Janet said once the door had closed behind them. "Tell me what happened."
"What do you mean, 'what happened'?" Sam grinned at Janet.
"C'mon, give." Janet gave Sam a mock glare.
"I spent a lot of time with Martouf. He's a very calming, soothing person. But nothing happened. I really don't care to be a stand in." Sam shrugged her shoulders. "I did a lot of work there, but I felt like it was a vacation."
"Well, it certainly agreed with you." Janet rolled her eyes. "Things weren't exactly stress free around here."
"Oh," Sam queried. "What happened?"
"Oh, there were only four replacements for you on SG-1 in the first two months you were gone."
"Four! Why so many?" Sam was astonished. "Did something happen to them?"
"In a manner of speaking," Janet said wryly. "Colonel Jack O'Neill happened to them."
"Colonel O'Neill?" Now Sam was thoroughly confused. "What did he do to them?"
"He just made their lives such a living hell, that they all requested transfers. The one who lasted longest was your first replacement, Captain Chambers. He lasted a month."
"Chambers is a good officer. What about the other three?"
"Captain Parker was next. She lasted two weeks. Then there were Captain Martin and Major Jamison. They lasted a week apiece. After that, General Hammond decided that SG-1 would be a three person team until your return." Janet shook her head. "I guess Jack was determined that no one would take your place on the team."
"That doesn't make any sense. I was coming back, and those were only temporary replacements." Sam jumped down from examining table. "Besides, before I left we really weren't getting along all that well. I guess part of that was my fault. I was angry with him for not being happier that we were able to get him home, and then the traitor thing happened. It was just too much."
"Sam, I noticed the way he hugged you when you left. He wasn't happy you were going, and he wasn't happy while you were gone." Janet felt Sam needed to know this.
"Well, his welcome home was very underwhelming. 'Major Carter, how you doing?'" Sam was skeptical.
"Believe me, Daniel and Teal'c put up with a lot of crap from him for the last six months." At that, Daniel's head popped into the room.
"Are you guys just about finished? General Hammond sent word that he wants SG-1 in the briefing room for Sam's report."
"She's clean," Janet said.
"Coming, Daniel," Sam grinned at Janet. "We'll finish this conversation later."
"Okay. Welcome back, Sam." Janet hugged her friend one more time before she left.
******
After Sam's report about the Tok'ra and their current knowledge of Goa'uld activities, she went around to her lab. She had so many things to do, that she was almost overwhelmed. Where to start?
As she was pondering which project to take up first, there was a knock on the door. Turning she saw Jack O'Neill standing in the doorway.
"Carter, can I come in for a minute?" He asked.
"Sure, sir. What can I do for you?" She smiled sweetly at him.
Whoa! It had been so long since she had smiled at him like that, that he was almost blinded for a minute. He had missed it. Hell, he had missed her. He hadn't realized how much she meant to him until she was gone. He knew that she was supposed to come back, but there was that little bit of fear that she would decide to stay with the Tok'ra. After all, her father was one of them now. And ole Marty was there too.
"We're having a little welcome home thing for you tonight at my house, 1900 hours." He seemed a little hesitant. "It really is good to have you back, Sam."
"Thank you, sir, it's good to be back. And thank you for the party." She was really surprised that he had followed her back to the lab. "Is there anything else, sir?"
"Uh, no, Major, just welcome back." He turned to leave, then he paused at the doorway. "You were missed, Sam." Then he walked out the door.
************
All of Sam's friends from the SGC were at Jack's. It was a lively group, and the party lasted well into the wee hours. Gradually, everyone drifted on home, Feretti giving Teal'c a ride back to the base, finally leaving only Sam, Jack, Daniel and Daniel's date, a pretty little lieutenant from SG-5 named Darcy.
"Sam," Daniel said, "Darcy is going to drop me off at home. Here are your car keys." Daniel handed them to her.
"Thanks for taking care of my car, Daniel." Sam thought that Darcy was very sweet, just what Daniel needed, and she had the feeling that she wouldn't be going any further than Daniel's apartment that night.
"Sure, Sam, anytime. Bye, Jack," Daniel called to Jack who was in the kitchen.
"Bye, Daniel, Lieutenant." Jack called out.
After Daniel left, Sam started to gather up plates and glasses to take into the kitchen. Jack came out just as she was preparing to carry them in.
"Sam, you don't have to do that, you're the guest of honor." Jack tried to take the stack of dishes away from her.
"Well, the party's over, so I'm not the guest of honor any longer," Sam said, holding them out of his reach and heading for the kitchen. "Besides, I'm just going to put them into the sink."
Jack stood there for a minute watching Sam as she put the dishes in the sink. She looked lovely. She had broken down and worn an actual dress tonight. It was dark blue, sleeveless, and the hemline ended a couple of inches above her knees. It was very simple and demure, but it was just about the sexiest thing he had ever seen.
"Well, I guess it's time for me to get going." Sam picked up a towel and wiped her hands. "I've got a long ride back to Cheyenne Mountain."
"What happened to your apartment? I thought that was where you were going tonight." Jack was concerned about her traveling so far by herself so late at night.
"Oh, the guy who sublet it has six more months to go. So I'll just be staying on base for now." Sam explained the situation.
"Well, you're welcome to crash here tonight," Jack offered. "You can have the spare bedroom."
"I hate to put you out . . ." she was hesitant to accept his offer, though it was tempting. She was very tired. It had been a long day since she had said goodbye to her dad that morning.
"Hey, it's no trouble, and I'd feel better about it if you stayed the night." 'Yeah,' he thought, 'if something happened to you on the way back to base . . .'
"Okay, then, I'll stay. Thanks, sir. I'm really tired." Sam smiled her appreciation at him.
"Good, then I'll show you to your room. You know where the bathroom is, and I'll get you something to sleep in." Jack beckoned for her to follow him. He showed her to the bedroom, then he went to his room and got her a tee shirt to sleep in.
Thanking him again, she said goodnight, and after he left she got ready for bed. Just as she was about to get under the covers he knocked on the door.
"Yes," she called out. Jack opened the door and stuck his head in.
"There's a new toothbrush in the bathroom if you want to brush your teeth." Although he hid it well, he was struck by how cute she looked in his tee shirt. Cute and sexy. Ah, hell. "Goodnight, Major."
"Goodnight, sir." After waiting a few minutes to make sure he had gone to bed, Sam ventured out into the hall and to the bathroom. There was a brand new toothbrush waiting for her, as well as a clean face cloth and towel. When she had finished she switched off the light and left the bathroom only to come face to face with the Colonel who was preparing to go into his own room.
"Er, Sam, I was just going to bed." Jack looked a little flustered.
"Me, too. Well, goodnight, again." She smiled at him.
"Goodnight." And they each went into their respective rooms.
***************
Sam was up before the Colonel the next morning and left him a note saying that she was heading on back to base. When she arrived there, she went straight to her quarters and grabbed a change of clothes. Then she went to the showers and took a long, hot one. At this time of the morning, the place was deserted, so she didn't bother to put up the women's locker room sign. When she walked out of the shower wrapped in her towel she didn't expect to have company in the locker room.
As she was putting her shower kit back into her locker, a male voice spoke. "Good morning."
Spinning around, she saw the most handsome man she had ever seen standing in the doorway of the locker room.
"Sorry, I didn't realize that men and women shared the facilities. I'll just wait." And with that he retreated from the locker room.
Sam stood frozen for a minute, then she finally-and hurriedly-dressed. Peeking out of the locker room door, she checked to make sure the gorgeous guy was nowhere around before she left and headed for the infirmary, hoping beyond hope that Janet was there by now. She was in luck.
"Hi, Sam, just get out of the shower?" Janet asked. She saw that Sam's clothes clung wetly in spots. "Did you even dry off?"
"Sort of. Janet, have you seen a new man around here?" Sam asked.
"No, why do you ask?" Janet was intrigued now.
"Because the best looking man I have ever seen in my life just walked in on me in the locker room." That explained the beetroot red condition of Sam's face. "I was so embarrassed that I couldn't say a word."
"You weren't completely naked were you?" Janet asked horrified.
"Not completely." Sam grimaced. "I was wearing a towel."
"Woo-hoo, I'll bet he got an eyeful," Janet chortled.
"Janet! It's not funny!" Sam covered her face with her hands. "Oh, God, I hope I never see him again."
"Well, this is a big place. You probably won't see him again." Janet took pity on her friend and changed the subject. "Did you have a good time last night? I went by your quarters when I got on base this morning, but you weren't there."
"Oh, I spent the night at Colonel O'Neill's." At Janet's arch look, she added "In the spare room. It was great to see everyone again. What do you think of Daniel's girlfriend?"
"Oh, she's so sweet. She's fairly new, she just came here about four months ago. She's on SG-5." She gave Sam a sly look. "So, you and Jack are on better terms now?"
"I guess so, things seem to be getting back to normal now." Sam studied her fingernails. "I still care about him, but I'm not going to let it tear me apart like it did before. He's my CO. I like and respect him, I care about him as a friend, and that's all it can and will be. Period. End of story."
"Well, Sam, maybe you should hope that you do see this gorgeous new guy again. What did he look like?"
"Well, he was about 6'1" or 2" with dark brown, almost black hair with these white wings on the sides. I think his eyes were blue, but I couldn't say for sure. He looked like a slightly older version of that guy who played the Mountie on that show 'Due South'. He was dressed in fatigues, but from what I could tell, he had a very nice body." Sam sighed. "It's too bad that I'm too embarrassed to ever see him again."
"Yes, it is." Janet smiled. "But you never know . . ."
"Oh, Janet!" Sam rolled her eyes. "Well, I need to get to the lab. I have a ton of stuff to go through, and I have a feeling General Hammond is going to be sending SG-1 on a mission in the next few days." Bidding goodbye to her friend, Sam headed to her lab and her work.
About two hours later, there was a tapping at her open door. She turned around to look and she saw Colonel O'Neill standing in the doorway.
"Hi, Carter," he said. "Why didn't you wake me when you left this morning?"
Sam shrugged her shoulders. "I figured you needed the rest, and besides I had to come on in and get started on some of this stuff." She indicated the boxes of data and devices. "This is going to take me a while to organize, and I've got a feeling we're going to be sent on a mission soon." No sooner had she said this, than SG-1 was paged to go to the briefing room. "Speak of the Devil."
"And the Devil comes," Jack said. Sam snickered, and Jack felt pretty good that he was able to make her laugh again.
They headed to General Hammond's briefing room, meeting up with Teal'c and Daniel right outside the door.
"Do either of you know what this is all about?" Daniel asked.
"Not a clue," Sam and Jack said in unison, then they looked at each other startled.
"Come in, Colonel O'Neill, SG-1." There was a man standing with his back to the room, gazing out the window at the Stargate. "I'd like you to meet the newest member of the SGC. Colonel Douglas McBride, this is Colonel Jack O'Neill, Major Samantha Carter, Dr. Daniel Jackson, and Teal'c." The man standing at the window turned around at the introduction. It was the man who had walked in on Sam in the locker room.
******
"Doug," Jack said in astonishment.
"Jack!" Doug said, equally astonished.
The two men advanced on each other and started laughing and pounding each other on the back.
"Jack, you old dog, I didn't know you were assigned here. The last I heard you were doing some kind of radio telemetry work." Then it dawned on McBride. "That's your cover isn't it. Oh, man, it's really great to see you."
"You, too, Doug. How long has it been?" Jack was amazed at the sight of his old friend.
"Oh, it has to be at least twenty years. Man, I can't believe this."
"General Hammond, sir, Colonel McBride and I went to high school together," Jack explained.
"Well, gentlemen, I must say that I'm surprised that you two know each other. This might make things easier all around. Everyone please be seated." General Hammond began the meeting. "Colonel McBride will be taking over command of SG-5. I want him to accompany SG-1 to P2J403 the day after tomorrow. It'll be a standard recon mission, and I want Colonel McBride to get the lay of the land, so to speak. We'll be sending the MALP through at 0900 and the mission briefing will be at 1100 hours. Dismissed."
They all stood for General Hammond to exit. Then Jack turned back to his old friend.
"Doug, man, it's great to see you. We need to get together to catch up."
"That sounds like a great idea, Jack." Doug and Jack were grinning at each other. While all this was going on, Sam was trying to get out of the room as quietly as possible. Doug stopped her however when he said:
"Good to see you again, Major Carter. Although, I am seeing a little less of you this time."
Sam blushed a bright red. "I want to apologize, Colonel McBride."
Jack's interest was piqued by this time. "You guys have met already?"
Doug grinned. "In a way. Right, major?"
"Yes,sir. Well, I need to get back to the lab. Goodbye, Colonel McBride, Colonel O'Neill. Daniel could you come by the lab later and help me with something . . ." Their voices faded as they walked down the hall.
"How did you and Major Carter meet, Doug?" Jack's curiosity had just about gotten the best of him.
"Oh, I accidentally walked in on her in the locker room. She was dressed in a towel and nothing else. Damn, what a woman!" Doug realized he was talking to Sam's CO. "Uh, sorry, Jack. After I saw her this morning it took me a while to recuperate. I guess my hormones are still in overdrive."
Jack realized that his buddy Doug was very attracted to his major. "Well, I guess she is an attractive woman . . ."
"Attractive? She's beautiful. Is she with anybody? I mean, I don't want to move into anybody's territory." Doug obviously was interested in getting to know her better.
"Uh, well, as far as I know she's not seeing anyone. Why?"
"Jack, have you gone totally brain dead? I mean you always were a little slow on the uptake sometimes. Do you think she would go out with me?"
"Um, I don't know. You'll have to ask her." Jack wasn't too pleased with the way things were starting to go.
"Well, buddy, how about directing me to this lab of hers." Jack gave Doug directions to Sam's lab, and his old friend set out to ask her out on a date.
Jack mentally kicked himself all the way back to his office.
******
Doug came by Jack's office later. He was full of enthusiasm about his meeting with Sam.
"Congratulate me, buddy." Doug was grinning from ear to ear. "I have a date with Major Samantha Carter on Friday night."
"Oh, uh, great, Doug." Jack felt a little sick to his stomach. Doug had always been a ladies man. He was a really good-looking guy and he was smart. Hell, he'd even majored in physics in college.
"Wow, she's as smart as she is beautiful, too. She showed me the particle accelerator she built. That's amazing. As far as I knew, things like that were mainly in the theoretical stage of development." Doug went on and on about how great Sam was. "Hey, man, I guess you already know how terrific she is. You know, I'm kind of surprised you haven't made a move on her yourself."
"It's against regulations." Jack said this a little morosely.
"Since when have you ever worried about regulations? I remember a time when you said that regulations were made to be broken." Doug stood up to leave. "Jack, how 'bout we get together tonight and do a little drinkin' and reminiscin'. Like old times."
"Yeah, sure, Doug." Jack stood and followed Doug to the door. "There's a bar right on the edge of town, 'O'Malley's'. Let's meet at 1800."
"Good enough. So long, buddy."
Jack didn't know that Doug saw Sam, Daniel, and Teal'c later and invited them too. He got held up in a meeting with General Hammond and didn't get to O'Malley's until 1830. When he walked in the first thing he saw was Doug, Sam, Daniel, and Teal'c sitting in SG-1's usual booth. Doug and Sam were sitting very close together and (damn!) Doug had his arm around Sam's shoulders. When he approached the booth, Sam scooted over a little closer to Doug (if that was possible) to give Jack room to sit.
"Jack, the team's been telling me about some of the missions you guys have been on. Impressive." To give him credit, Doug did look impressed. "And according to Danny, this little lady here, has saved your butt more times than can be counted." Sam blushed when he said this.
'If I'd called her "little lady" she would've decked me, but Doug calls her that and she blushes?' Jack grumbled silently.
Aloud he said, "Yeah, Doug, she has. We probably haven't expressed our appreciation enough for that, but I think she knows how we all feel."
"Right, sir," Sam rolled her eyes. "But I guess the word 'Thanks' isn't part of your vocabulary."
From that point, in Jack's opinion, the evening deteriorated. Everyone else seemed to be having a great time, though. Doug regaled the team with tales of his and Jack's exploits in high school. He had them all laughing like crazy, all except Jack. Oh, he pretended to laugh to cover up his pique. No one realized that he was less than pleased at the attention Doug was getting from his friends, especially from Sam. Gradually, however, the evening wound down. Sam left with Teal'c in tow to return to the base. Then Daniel left. Finally, the only ones left were Jack and Doug.
"Well, buddy, it looks like you've found your niche." Doug picked up the last of his beer and downed it. "You've got a great team there. I'm looking forward to going out into the field with you guys. And visiting other planets. You know, you hear rumors about things, but something like this you tend to discount. You know, UFO's, aliens, until you actually do meet an alien and spend an evening drinking with him."
"It's very exciting, but dangerous. You learn to never take anything for granted." Jack finished his own beer. He'd only had two. He just hadn't been in the mood to drink. "Well, it's getting late."
"Yeah, it is. See you tomorrow, buddy." Doug took himself off. After a couple of minutes, O'Malley came over to see if Jack needed anything else.
"Jack, I noticed that that new guy is making the moves on your girl, and you just let him." O'Malley didn't really understand what was up between Jack and Sam. Up until about nine months ago they came in together regularly, both with their friends and alone together. Then neither one of them showed up for about three months. Then after that they came in separately. In fact, tonight was the first time Sam had come in in about six months. Jack had told him that she was on a special assignment. She must have finished it and come back. And then she comes in with that new guy who looked like a movie star. If Jack didn't watch it, the new guy would end up with Sam and Jack would end up alone.
"Sam's not my girl, she's just a friend." Jack stood and handed O'Malley ten bucks. "See you next week, O'Malley."
Jack went home.
******
The mission to P2J403 was uneventful. Nobody got so much as a splinter. Jack spent most of the mission trying to keep Doug and Sam apart. Oh, it wasn't anything overt. No, that would have looked too suspicious. He just made sure that if they were together, he was there too. For some reason, the thought of Sam and Doug being alone together made him angry. Which was ridiculous, but he couldn't help it. He was afraid to examine his feelings any further, to try to find out why he felt this way.
Then came Friday. He had almost forgotten that Sam and Doug had a date. Almost. He hung around the base a little later than usual, using the excuse that he had to finish a report. Lame excuse at best, but it was the only one he had.
He waited around until he saw Doug, dressed in civilian clothes, going toward the living quarters section of the base. He surreptitiously followed him (he wasn't black ops trained for nothing) and watched as Doug knocked on Sam's door. From his angle he couldn't see into the room, but he did see Doug's face. Whoa, she must be - Wow! She was wearing-scratch that- almost wearing a red dress. The front went up pretty high, and it was held in place by little thin straps. But the back! What there was of it didn't start until it reached the curve of her rear. The rest of it was just little thin straps that criscrossed her back- her long, smooth back. The hemline was about six inches above her knees. Jack was so shocked that he almost swallowed his tongue. He had never seen her dressed like that, not in all the years he'd known her. He'd only seen her in a dress a few times, most of them in her dress uniform. But this . . .
Jack went home and drank until he passed out.
*****
Monday came, finally. He had spent Saturday and Sunday in a drunken stupor. He had quit drinking Sunday afternoon only because they had a mission on Monday, and he needed to function. Thankfully, Doug wasn't going on this one. He wouldn't have to watch Sam and Doug together playing 'kissy face,' and he wouldn't have to spend the whole mission trying to stay between them.
The mission to P4R202 was another uneventful one. All they came back with were a lot of soil and mineral samples, and a bunch of Daniel's 'rocks.' After the debriefing, Sam and Daniel headed to their respective labs, Teal'c headed to his quarters to continue his reading of earth history, and Jack headed to his office to try to write up the mission report.
After thirty minutes of trying to write up his report, Jack decided to go over to Daniel's lab to ask him about something. Maybe by the time he got there, he'd have thought up something to ask him. Instead of going by his usual route, however, he took the long way around which just so happened to take him by Sam's lab. And guess who was sitting in there with Sam? Doug.
Jack stopped at the doorway. He ground his teeth so hard, it was surprising that Sam and Doug didn't hear it.
"Major Carter," he said abruptly. She turned around a little startled at the tone of his voice.
"Yes, sir?" she asked.
"Are you working on that mineral report? Now is not the time for socializing. I'm sure Colonel McBride would agree with me." Jack said this a little harshly.
"Yes, sir, I am." Sam was a little confused and hurt by his abruptness. "Colonel McBride was helping me by going over some spectral analysis to corroborate my findings."
"Yes, Jack," Doug wasn't as confused by Jack's abruptness as Sam was. He was an intelligent man, and he could see that Jack's interest in Sam wasn't all professional. Not that Jack would ever admit it. "You know, I took a minor in mineralogy in college."
"Oh, I forgot." Jack hesitated for just a few seconds, then said, "Well, we need that report ASAP."
"I know sir, that's why Colonel McBride is helping me. It should be done within the hour," Sam assured him.
"All right, Major. Continue your work. Be seeing you, Doug."
"Sure, Jack." Doug was a little amused by Jack's display of jealousy. Another thing that amused him was the fact that Sam was totally oblivious to that jealousy. He and Sam had a great time on their date, but he knew they would be just friends, nothing else would come of their relationship. She had had no problem talking about just about everyone on base, but every time he had brought up Jack's name, she had changed the subject. Obviously there was something there, but with everything that had happened in the last year, and the spectre of the regulations looming over it all, unless they were given a big push, both of them would stay miserable. Jack was a good friend, and after all he'd been through, he deserved to be happy.
******
The next few months passed in a blur. They traveled to other planets, got caught up in fire fights, went through fifteen alien rituals, and found three planets that were rich sources of trinium and naquada, two of which were uninhabited. All in all, it was a pretty successful period for SG-1.
On a personal note, however, not all the members of SG-1 were happy campers. Sam was still seeing Doug McBride, much to Jack's displeasure. Unbeknownst to him, however, it wasn't a romantic thing. Many times when they went out they included Janet and Cassandra. In fact, Sam was hopeful that something would develop between Janet and Doug. They were both such nice people.
Jack grew more surly and taciturn as time passed. He was firmly convinced that Doug and Sam were in love. The times he did see them together, they were laughing and talking. It made him physically sick to think of them together, his 2IC and his old high school buddy. He never said anything about it, and whenever anyone mentioned the two of them, he stalked off. He did manage to complete his missions competently as always, but the dry, sarcastic humor he had shown before was missing.
The sublease on Sam's apartment finally ended. Daniel, Teal'c, Janet, and Doug all decided to help Sam move her stuff back into her apartment. They asked Jack to help, but he was noncommittal. So they all decided to meet one Saturday afternoon at Janet's house to load up Sam's possessions that she was keeping stored in her garage. They loaded up Doug's pick-up truck and moved the stuff to Sam's place. They had been there about ten minutes when Jack showed up.
"Ah, there he is, he shows up when the job is half finished," Doug said jokingly.
"Colonel, thanks for coming to help," Sam said. "I really appreciate all the help everyone is giving me."
"S'all right Carter, you can buy the beer when we get all this junk unloaded." Jack quipped.
"Sir, I take exception to my stuff being called junk," she said in mock offense. "I'll do better than just buy the beer, I'll buy dinner for everyone."
"You're on, Major." Jack reached into the back of the truck and grabbed two boxes. "All right, campers, let's get this job done." Everyone moved into action, and in a short time Doug's truck was unloaded and all the boxes were in Sam's apartment.
Doug set up Sam's stereo and put some CD's on to play. Then he hooked up her television. In the bedroom, Janet was unpacking sheets and making up Sam's bed. In the kitchen Sam and Jack were unpacking her kitchen utensils. Daniel and Teal'c were unloading books into the built in bookshelves in the living room. Soon, the apartment was in a semi-decent state. Sam called a halt.
"All right, everyone take a breather. I'm going to the market around the corner and pick up some beer, soda, whatever, and some food. What do you guys want to eat? Burgers, pizza, Chinese, chicken, something else . . .?" Sam inquired.
"Pizza's fine with me," Janet said.
"Me, too," chimed in Daniel.
"Is that all right with everyone else?" Sam looked around the living room. When she saw nods of assent, she said, "Janet, why don't you call in an order, and I'll pick it up after I leave the market."
Agreeing, Janet moved to the kitchen to make the call, Doug following along behind her. Jack had started to notice that Doug seemed to be spending more time with Janet this afternoon than with Sam. But then he realized that he'd been with Sam all afternoon unpacking her kitchen, so he kind of brushed it off.
Sam grabbed her purse, and started to leave. "Does anyone want to go with me and help me carry the stuff?"
Jack grabbed his jacket and said, "I'll go with you Carter. But, I'm driving."
"Why, sir, don't you trust my driving?" Sam asked.
"Sure, I trust your driving. I just trust mine more." And with that he escorted her to his car. He drove them to the shopping center down the street, cracking jokes all the while with Sam giggling the whole way, and they went into the market to purchase the beer. Then they picked up the pizza order that Janet had called in and headed back to Sam's apartment.
When they arrived back, Doug and Daniel attacked the pizza like they were starving. Sam, Janet, Jack, and Teal'c were a little more restrained. Once the pangs of hunger were assuaged, the group sat around, listening to oldies on the radio and talking. Doug sat on the sofa with Janet on one side and Sam on the other. Jack sat on the floor at Sam's feet. Daniel sat in one armchair and Teal'c sat in the other.
Right in the middle of a word, Janet yawned. "Oh, my, I need to go before I fall asleep right here."
"I'll drop you home, Janet," Doug offered.
"That's a good idea, Doug," Sam said encouragingly. Jack looked at her strangely, but she didn't notice. "I'd take him up on the offer, Janet." Sam smiled at her friend.
"Thanks, Doug." Janet looked a little anxious. "It won't be out of your way, will it?"
"Nah, it's on my way," he answered.
Sam walked Janet and Doug to the door. She caught Janet's eye and gave her a thumbs up.
"Bye, Doug, Janet." Sam was grinning from ear to ear.
"Bye, Sam." Janet shot Sam a warning look, took her jacket, and went out the door.
"Goodbye, Sam." Doug leaned forward and kissed Sam on the forehead. Then he winked at her. He knew what she was doing, and he was quite willing to go along with it.
Next to leave were Daniel and Teal'c. Finally, the only people left were Jack and Sam.
After seeing Daniel and Teal'c out, Sam walked into the living room and started gathering up beer bottles and pizza boxes. Jack helped her. They didn't say anything to each other, they just worked side by side until everything was tidied away.
"Would you like another beer?" Sam asked.
"Sure," he answered. She walked to the refrigerator and retrieved two beers. Handing him his, she led the way to the living room and sat on the sofa. Jack sat down beside her.
"Thanks for coming by and helping, sir," she said. "I really appreciate it. It's good to be back in my own place. The base is a place to sleep, but it's not a place to relax."
"No problem, Sam." Jack took a drink of his beer. "What was that thing you did with Janet and Doug? I thought you and he were an item." He studied the label of his bottle intently. He should have looked at Sam when he asked her the question. He would have seen a look of shock and amazement on her face.
"Sir - Jack, Doug and I are friends and that's all. He's interested in Janet." Something in her words and the tone of her voice forced him to look at her. "Doug and I went out a few times, but it just didn't click. Now, Doug and Janet, those two get along like a house on fire."
"Oh." He just sat there and took another drink of his beer. They sat like that for a few more minutes, drinking silently. Then he spoke. "I thought you and Doug were in love. I mean, he talked about you a lot, how much he liked you and all."
"I like him, too, but I'm not in love with him." Sam definitely didn't look as if she were heartbroken over not being in love with Doug McBride.
"Well, I guess I'd better go and let you get some sleep. You need any help getting finished unpacking all this j- uh, stuff? I can come over tomorrow and help," he offered.
Never one to reject an olive branch when offered, Sam accepted his offer. "Sure, sir, I'd appreciate that. Come over about noon. We can have lunch, then get the rest of this 'junk' unpacked." He grinned at her for her use of his word for her possessions.
"Sounds like a plan, Sam." Jack picked up his jacket and shouldered it on. "I'll see you then."
"Goodbye, Jack." Sam walked him to the door.
"Bye, Sam." He walked out the door and into the night.
******
Sunday morning dawned bright and sunny.
Later that afternoon . . .
"Uh, Sam, what is this?" Jack held up a board with eight notches in it.
Sam looked up at the two foot long board Jack was holding up. "Oh, um, some of the girls in the dorm at the Academy gave me that."
"Why does it have eight notches in it? And what are these names listed under each notch? Conquests in the game of love?" He wiggled his eyebrows and gave her a mock leer.
"Not exactly." Sam looked a little embarrassed. "The eight notches are for eight guys I dumped one semester."
"You dumped eight guys in one semester?" Jack looked amazed. "Were you going for some sorta record, Carter?"
"No. They actually started the board after the first four." Sam laughed. "I guess I kept it as a souvenir of my young and heartless days."
"Whoa, Sam the heartbreaker." Jack grinned. "What did they do wrong, Sam?"
"Well, mostly, they wanted me to do their work for them. The first time one of them asked me to write a paper for him, that was it. He went into the dumpster. Then I reported him to the honors board." Sam took the board from Jack and put it on the top shelf of her closet. "I think that's the last of it. It didn't seem like that much stuff when I packed it up."
"Always seems like more when you're unpacking it. What time is it?" Jack asked.
Sam glanced at the clock on her nightstand. "It's 5:00. I'm a little hungry, how about you?"
"Sure, I could go for something. Grab your jacket, I know a place."
Jack drove them to a little out of the way diner. It was a small mom-and-pop place with red-and-white checked table cloths. The food was simple and good, and they spent the whole time laughing and talking. It had been a long time since they had been so at ease with each other, and it felt good.
Later, when Jack drove Sam home, he walked her to her door.
"Sir- Jack, thanks for helping me unpack and put away my things. I really appreciate it."
"Anytime, Sam." He had his hands shoved in his pockets. "I had a great time today. I've missed our talks a lot."
"Me, too," Sam looked down at the ground.
"Sam," Jack said quietly.
She looked up at him. "Yes."
"Good night," he said, then he leaned over and kissed her on the forehead.
"Good night," she whispered. She unlocked the door and stepped into her apartment. "I'll see you tomorrow."
"Tomorrow," he said in agreement.
She closed the door, leaned back against it and sighed. She had only tried to fool herself. She loved him just as much as she ever had.
*******
Jack let himself into his house. Today had been the best day he'd had in a year. Hell, it had been the best day he'd had since-well, since forever. He was no dummy, he knew that it had been such a wonderful day because he had spent it with Sam. Just the two of them, alone. He could get used to that real easy. When she had told him last night that she and Doug weren't in love, he had felt such a sense of relief. He wondered why Doug hadn't told him, them he realized that he'd hardly talked to Doug about anything other than SGC business since right after he'd started seeing Sam. Jack just hadn't wanted to hear about what Doug and Sam were doing. But, they weren't doing anything! Doug was really interested in Janet. Well, he wished him luck. Janet was a good woman, she and Doug were well-matched, because he was a good guy. He could say that now that he knew that he wasn't with Sam.
But what about the next guy, he thought. And there would probably be a next guy. Sam was a beautiful, intelligent woman. Some man was going to snatch her up one day, and that would be that.
Jack went into the kitchen and got himself a beer. He returned to the living room and sat down on the sofa taking a long drink. As he sat there he looked back at what he and Sam, and the rest of SG-1, had been through together. There was the time when was Sam was kidnapped by that kid and sold to that guy Turgin, and the time when they went through the second gate in Antarctica. There was the Jolinar thing- oh, God, that was the worst. He was sure he'd lost her that time. Then she met Martouf, and the thing with Jolinar's memories. And the whole alternate universe thing- in that other universe he and Sam had been together, had been married, for cryin' out loud! And that "touched" thing- one of the hardest things he'd ever done was resist Sam.
Jack finished his beer and took the empty to kitchen. Stretching, he took himself to his bedroom and undressed for bed. After he'd settled himself for the night, he thought about the night Sam had spent there after she'd returned from her six months with the Tok'ra. It had taken all the restraint he had to keep himself in his own bed. He'd missed her so much while she was gone. The six months had seemed more like six years. He'd let things sour between them. He knew it was his fault. Things had changed between them before he'd been stranded on Edora. His feelings had started changing, then that happened. Just before he had been rescued, he'd finally accepted that his life was going to be spent on Edora with Laira. He'd started making a life with her. Then that had changed. Too much change, too many times. He couldn't cope, so he shut down emotionally, become cold and abrupt with her, demanding perfection in everything she did. No wonder she'd jumped at the chance to get away from him.
Things were different now. He didn't know if absence had made his heart grow fonder. Maybe the feelings had been there all along, just buried. He did know that it had made him appreciate her and realize just how important she was to him. He just wasn't sure how he could convey that to her.
"Sam," he sighed. He punched his pillow and turned over to sleep. They had a mission tomorrow. Maybe he'd get a chance to talk to her then.
**********
"SG-1, you have a go. Good luck." General Hammond gave them the go ahead, and they stepped through the event horizon.
The gate on P2X555 was in a meadow. There was green grass and blooming flowers. It was a beautiful place.
"Where are the trees?" Jack asked. "Where's the sand?"
"Obviously, Jack, the gate builders decided to put this gate in a meadow instead," Daniel said.
"Obviously, Daniel," Jack said dryly.
"All right, the probes found evidence of some ruins over to the west, so we'll head on out that way. It looks as if there are two separate settlements, so we'll split up, Carter and I will go to the southwest and Daniel and Teal'c to the northwest. Okay, campers, let's head out."
It was about a 2 mile hike to the ruins. Sam and Jack carried on a sporadic conversation, but mostly they were silent. It wasn't a strained silence like the ones from previous missions, but a companionable one. There was no need to talk right now, so they didn't. They arrived at the site and started looking around. After combing the area for about an hour without finding anything of any major interest, they radioed Daniel and Teal'c.
"Daniel, it doesn't look like there's anything of any importance at this site," Jack told him.
"Well, this site's a treasure trove. Are you sure there's nothing there of value?" Daniel asked.
"We're pretty sure, Daniel," Sam said. "It looks like they stripped the place clean when they left."
"Okay, guys, if you're sure. Why don't you head on over this way then."
"Sure, Daniel. It's starting to get dark, so we'll make camp here and head to your location in the morning," Jack said.
"All right, see you then." Daniel signed off.
"All right, Major, let's get camp set up." They did so, finishing just before dark. They sat by the fire eating their MRE's, making desultory conversation, and watching the stars and moons come out.
"Wow, there are three moons!" Sam exclaimed. "Isn't it unusual for a planet of this size to have three moons?"
"Yeah, it's unusual for a planet this size to even have one moon," he answered her. "They must have been near miss asteroids that got caught in the planet's gravitational field."
Sam looked at him in surprise and smiled. "This is from Colonel 'I hate scientists'?"
Jack smiled wryly, and shrugged. "A momentary lapse. Won't happen again."
She laughed. "It's too bad we don't have your telescope here to get a closer look at them."
"Well, Major, if you're willing to haul it around . . ."
"I don't think so, sir."
Sam went and got her sleeping bag to spread out by the fire. When she came back, Jack was looking up at the sky.
"See something interesting, Colonel?" she asked.
"Yeah, I think so. I think . . .Come here Sam," he said.
"What is it?" She walked over to him curiously.
"Look at that." He pointed up to the three moons. "I think we're going to see an eclipse tonight."
"Really? All three moons?"
"Yeah." He walked behind her and put his hands on her shoulders. "Just watch."
They watched the moons gradually move into perfect alignment with each other and the planet. And there it was: a triple lunar eclipse.
"Wow," Sam breathed. "Look at that! It's amazing!"
"Yeah, amazing," he agreed. Jack leaned forward and pressed his lips to Sam's hair. "I love you," he said softly.
Sam got very still. He was afraid he'd overstepped himself, then he heard her whisper, "I love you, too." She reached up and put her hand over the one on her shoulder. His hands slid down her arms, around her waist and held her closely against him. They stood like that for a long time, then he drew her closer to their camp fire where they sat down with his arms around her.
"You know that this isn't gonna be easy." He knew that there would be a lot of obstacles.
"Yes, I know. But it's worth it." She raised his hand to her lips and kissed the palm. He turned her in his arms and kissed her. Oh, sweet, so sweet. Definitely worth it.
"We're gonna have to be careful, you know," he said when the kiss ended. "There's a lot of regulations against us."
"Are you sorry?" she asked.
"No, hell, no!" Jack was emphatic. "I just . . .I don't want you to be sorry. Am I saying this right?"
"Yes, you are, and I am not sorry and I won't be sorry." She snuggled into his arms. "I've loved you for a long time, Jack."
"You have?" Jack was surprised. He'd never imagined that she would love him, much less for a long time. "How long?"
"I'm not sure. But I realized how I felt when you were on Edora," she said.
"Oh, Sam, baby, I'm sorry." He held her tighter in his arms. "I hurt you so bad. I'm sorry."
"It doesn't matter now, things are different." She pressed her lips to his, kissing him passionately. He clutched her to him, stroking her hair.
"Yeah, things are different," he said when their kiss broke off. "I've wanted you from the first moment I saw you, and I realized that you meant a lot to me when I was on Edora and I thought I would never see you again. Then you went off to the Tok'ra for six months. I missed you so bad."
"Then why . . . ?" she asked.
"What can I say, I'm a jerk," he grinned ruefully. "A big, dumb jerk."
"Well, I'm not going to contradict my commanding officer," Sam said with a twinkle in her eye.
"You little . . ." He started tickling Sam unmercifully and she squealed.
"Oh, please, no, no," she laughed breathlessly. She retaliated in kind, and they both collapsed to the ground. "Jack, I love you."
"I love you, Sam." He kissed her again, then he drew back, standing and drawing her up with him. "And now, Major Carter, it's time to go to bed."
"Bed? Is that an invitation, Colonel O'Neill?"
"Not tonight, Major, but I promise you, the first night we're back on earth, that'll be an invitation I'll be glad to make." He pulled her into his arms and kissed her again.
They moved their sleeping bags close together, then they went to bed, sharing one more kiss before drifting off to sleep holding hands.
The next morning they shared breakfast, then broke camp. They headed toward the ruins Daniel and Teal'c were exploring, not talking much, and not needing to. Just being together was enough for them.
When they arrived, they helped Daniel pack up the artifacts he had found, then they set back off to the gate. When they arrived back on earth they submitted to the standard physicals and briefed General Hammond on what they had found on the planet. He gave them forty-eight hours of downtime and dismissed them.
Jack and Sam couldn't get off the base fast enough. They went to Jack's house. As soon as the door shut, they were in each other's arms and they stayed there until their forty-eight hours were up.
******
Epilogue
The best part of being with Sam is waking up with her, Jack thought one morning after he woke with Sam in his arms. Well, the second best thing anyway, he amended, when she started to wake, shifting against him as she stretched. He tightened his arms around her.
"Good morning, Major," he whispered in her ear.
The 'Major' smiled and turned to face her love. "Good morning, Colonel." They kissed. That was one thing about a new relationship, they couldn't keep their hands off each other. Sometimes it was hard when they were on base or off-world. But they had made the decision to keep their private and professional lives separate. That was the only way they could make this thing work. It was also the only way they could keep it secret, too.
It wasn't a complete secret. But the people who did know weren't about to spill the beans. The only people who knew besides Sam and Jack were Daniel, Teal'c, Janet and Doug.
It was so funny the way Daniel found out. He had come to Jack's house early one Saturday morning soon after Sam and Jack had gotten together to help Jack clean out the rain gutters on his house. After receiving no answer to his knock, he let himself in and proceeded to look for Jack in his bedroom. He found him all right. He found Sam, too, and interrupted an interesting 'conversation' Jack and Sam had been having.
After being struck dumb for about thirty seconds, he said, "Uh, sorry, guys, I'll come back later." Then he went into the kitchen to wait for them to finish.
Although he was totally pissed off at first, Jack eventually saw the funny side of it. Daniel learned to knock on bedroom doors before opening them. Since Daniel knew, they decided that they might as well tell Teal'c, and since Janet was Sam's best friend, she was told, too. Doug found out from Janet. Jack swore all of them, upon pain of severe bodily injury and/or death, to secrecy. When it became necessary, they would announce it to the world. Until then, it was nobody's business but their own. The only thing that mattered was that they were happy.
"You know, Jack, I was thinking about that eclipse we saw," Sam said, interrupting his train of thought.
He shifted her onto her back. "That one on PX2-whatever it was?"
"P2X555. Yes. Our situation has been kind of like an eclipse in a way." She looped her arms around his neck. "We were overshadowed by everything that had happened to us, all that baggage that moved between us and blocked us from realizing what we could be, what we could have."
"So we were eclipsed?" Jack asked.
"Exactly." Sam smiled.
"You know what, sweetheart?" he asked, his voice muffled by the kisses he was placing on her neck.
"What?"
"You think too much. And sometimes thinking's way overrated." And he proceeded to show her how much he loved her.
The End
(And they lived happily ever after!)
Story Notes: Title: Eclipse
Author: Karen
Email: kcafaro1@intrstar.net
Spoilers: Season 3
Rating: PG-13
Summary: Aftermath of events in 100 Days, Shades of Gray
Archive: Sam and Jack, yes; Heliopolis, yes; anyone else, please ask.
Disclaimer: Stargate SG-1 is owned by Showtime Networks, MGM/UA, Double Secret, Gekko, et.al.
Author: Karen
Email: kcafaro1@intrstar.net
Spoilers: Season 3
Rating: PG-13
Summary: Aftermath of events in 100 Days, Shades of Gray
Archive: Sam and Jack, yes; Heliopolis, yes; anyone else, please ask.
Disclaimer: Stargate SG-1 is owned by Showtime Networks, MGM/UA, Double Secret, Gekko, et.al.
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 ]