Sam sighed deeply and rolled onto her back, staring up at her ceiling in the near-total dark. It was getting harder and harder to find peace long enough to sleep, the regrets swirling around in her head enough to keep her awake for days on end, and she knew that she would not be getting any more rest tonight.
It had been three months since she'd last seen Jack, and some sadistic part of her brain reminded her of the last time she'd lost this much sleep and gone so long without seeing him. The memory didn't help, as it brought with it the searing image of him turning from her to go back to her. Back to Laira.
But it had been her own fault that time, hadn't it? He'd tried, and she'd kept saying no. Sam had taken for granted that when she was ready to move their personal relationship forward he would still be there; she hadn't taken this particular scenario into account. Oh, she'd given it some thought, but not seriously.
She'd tried to tell him how she felt, had promised herself that she would. After he'd been forced to shoot her with a zat gun. After he'd been trapped on that planet with Lieutenant Tyler. After Tollana had been taken over by the Goa'uld. After she'd nearly died in some madman's attempt to cheat death. All those moments when it had struck home that maybe they wouldn't survive the next mission, after each and every one of them she'd sworn to herself that she would tell him before it was too late. But each and every time she'd chickened out, and now there might not be any more Afters.
Now, alone in the dark, she made a new promise to accompany the old one. She swore that she would tell him -- After they got him back. After she had personally tortured to death the damned Goa'uld who had taken him from her. After she knew that he was okay.
Breaking into tears for the first time since he'd gone missing, Sam prayed for just one more After.
-End-
Story Notes: Email: the_fourth_dimension@hotmail.com
Status: Complete
Category: SJ, angst
Rating: PG (one swear word you'd hear on the show)
Season: 5
Spoilers: A Hundred Days, Entity, The Fifth Man, Between Two Fires, Desperate Measures
Archive: SJA, Heliopolis; anyone else just ask
Summary: Companion piece to Before. When there might not be any more Afters.
Disclaimer: Stargate SG-1 and its characters are the property of Showtime/Viacom, MGM/UA, Double Secret Productions, and Gekko Productions. This story is for entertainment purposes only and no money exchanged hands. No copyright infringement is intended. The original characters, situations, and story are the property of the author.
Authors Notes: My beta reader thinks there should be more to the story. Probably. But don’t count on it. Oh, and for the first time my fic doesn’t have a happy ending. Don’t say I didn’t warn you.
Status: Complete
Category: SJ, angst
Rating: PG (one swear word you'd hear on the show)
Season: 5
Spoilers: A Hundred Days, Entity, The Fifth Man, Between Two Fires, Desperate Measures
Archive: SJA, Heliopolis; anyone else just ask
Summary: Companion piece to Before. When there might not be any more Afters.
Disclaimer: Stargate SG-1 and its characters are the property of Showtime/Viacom, MGM/UA, Double Secret Productions, and Gekko Productions. This story is for entertainment purposes only and no money exchanged hands. No copyright infringement is intended. The original characters, situations, and story are the property of the author.
Authors Notes: My beta reader thinks there should be more to the story. Probably. But don’t count on it. Oh, and for the first time my fic doesn’t have a happy ending. Don’t say I didn’t warn you.
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 ]