Jack O'Neill raised himself from his favourite chair and favourite book rather unwillingly. He wouldn't have bothered at all if it hadn't been for the repetitive insistence of the doorbell. He wasn't expecting anyone, but whoever they where had spent the better part of the last ten minutes out there, it was only fair that he reward their determination.
As he opened the door he was greeted with the sight of a very familiar uniform.
"Colonel O'Neill?" The airman asked.
"Retired" Jack replied with a slight nod.
"Colonel, I have orders from Colonel Carter. You're presence is urgently required at Cheyenne Mountain" The Airman finished.
Not even Jacks questioning glare could tempt the airman to reveal any further information. But if he had been recalled, it must be for a *very* good reason.
"So she made Colonel at last" He muttered, half under his breath. The airman heard, but as usual he acted like he'd heard nothing. He just waited for the infamous Jack O'Neill, one time leader of Sg-1 and living legend around the mountain to get his coat and follow him to the waiting car.
^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*
As he was escorted through the familiar surroundings, Jack couldn't hide his smile. He hadn't realised how much he had missed this place until now. Not one thing had changed, still the same drab concrete walls, various stripes marking routes on the floor - scuffed but still the same, the only difference he knew of was that he was not a part of the set up anymore.
A bad injury while in the midst of the final battle with his old friend Apophis had seen him honourably discharged and his life take yet another unexpected change. Of course Hammond had offered to keep him involved as a civilian tactical advisor, but being the man he was, he had turned him down. It wasn't enough for him; he couldn't just sit by and watch his team leave on missions without him, that would have been worse than anything he could think of. So despite the begging and pleading of his team, he left and tried retirement for the third time!
They had all promised to keep in touch, and to their credit they did, but it was Jack's pushing that caused them to drift apart and despite all their attempts, the inevitable happened and Jack was relieved when it did. Yes, he missed them like crazy, but it was too difficult to not be able to discuss their latest mission or to wait for them to come back safe. He couldn't be there to protect them any longer and he didn't like it. He knew that Sam had been given command of Sg-1 (at his insistence) so he knew they would be ok, but it was too frustrating for him to wonder how they where doing, if they where safe, if they where alive on a weekly basis. So he pushed them away, locking them out of his mind as best as he could in a desperate attempt to remain in denial.
More than anything, he regretted that now. He had desperately missed them, Daniel, Teal'c and Sam.
For another moment he let his mind stay with his thoughts of Sam, she had been…he still couldn't put words to her, even now. Theirs had been a complicated road and under different circumstances he was damn sure they would have had a completely different dynamic that CO and 2IC, of friend and friend.
As he climbed the well-known stairs that led to the briefing room, he squashed his current train of thought. He had to stay focussed on the reason for his being brought back to the fold.
Entering the well-remembered room, he instinctively headed towards his old favourite chair. Sitting down, he ran his hand over the same wooded finish that he knew so well as he waited for whoever was going to explain to him what the Hell was going on.
"Jack!"
Looking towards the sound of the voice, Jack smiled as Daniel came hurtling into the room, standing he accepted the other mans exuberant welcome.
"Long time no see, Danny Boy. Woah, now who's going grey?" Jack couldn't resist the smart-ass remark. It had been so long, but it was still there, and that was comforting.
"What do you expect, it has been a good ten years since you've come out if hiding. A fact which we are still not happy about by the way"
"Daniel, we've been through this before, lets not spoil the reunion" Jack insisted.
Un-noticed to the two men, a woman watched them from the open doorway. Her stomach still reacting in the same way it had always done to the sight of Jack O'Neill, he hadn't changed, still sarcastic and determined to a fault and still in very good condition for his age, she giggled to herself, he always hated having his age pointed out.
A sound from behind him pulled Jack's attention from Daniel. He knew that sound so well; it had been engraved onto his soul for the longest time. Without turning, he smiled towards the giggle.
"Sam" his voice was soft, full of warmth and full of feeling. As she stepped into the light, he felt his breath catch, she hadn't changed at all. Ok maybe a few extra lines around her eyes, but still the same sparkle in her fiery eyes and still the same smile. The one that had always blinded him to anything else around him, the one that he still lost his heart too.
As she stepped forward into his extended arms, he chuckled into her ear.
"Finally made Colonel huh, Carter?"
"Not that you'd have known" She smilingly rebuked.
Pulling away, but not letting go, they held onto each others hands smiling into each others eyes, remembering so much.
Contrary to common knowledge, when they met up at the SGC for the second mission to Abydos, that was not the first time they had met.
Allowing herself the luxury of remembering back, she smiled back into chocolate eyes and knew her thoughts where mirrored. The same sparks had flown between them all those years ago, he'd been in Iraq, badly injured and she had been the pilot who had flew him back to friendly turf when he had recovered. All journey they had flirted like crazy, both completely at ease, both aware of the chemistry, but both aware that he was married.
She had often remembered the cocky special ops soldier that she had only known as "Jack" in the years leading up to her assignment at the SGC. Often allowing her stomach to run the series of somersaults that picturing those amazing, deep chocolate eyes caused. It was strange to feel so strongly about someone she had known for precisely 3 hours and 12 minutes, but it was there, deep and true and utterly unattainable. So she moved on (badly, admittedly) until that fateful assignment.
So she stood in the same doorway all those years ago, listening to that voice she had memorised, only that time he was expounding his thoughts on female scientists! Her pride piqued, she took a deep breath and decided to fight her corner, not for one second thinking that he could possibly remember her.
He did though, ok it took him a while, but when the realisation hit him (deep in a cavern of ice) about exactly who she was, their relationship took another twist.
Jack's mind was now replaying the same scenes as she, but he had a slant on that she didn't. He had knowledge that all those shared smiles and secret glances and blatant flirting was based on the fact that the same chemistry he had had with a chopper pilot in '91 had reopened the same reaction within him. Only this time, it wasn't a wife that stood in his way, it was the fact that she was now under his command and there was no way he was going to risk her having a court-martial because he couldn't control his feelings for her.
So he grudgingly settled for a friendship, one that spanned more that most. They had fought, laughed, cried and died together. He trusted her more than any other living person, and as he looked into her liquid eyes, he realised that he was still in it as deeply as he had ever been. Not even ten years away from her had dulled the ache in his soul that could only be soothed by her. Even when he had been discharged, he hadn't said anything to her and that was the only time in his life he could label one of his actions as cowardly.
If he was totally honest with himself, part of the reason he had let his team drift away from him was the hope that the pain of having Sam so near and yet so far would lessen if she wasn't around. He had only been partially right. After about seven years or so he only thought of her for twenty- two hours of every day!
A tactful cough from Daniel brought the two out of their moment. Mentally shaking themselves of the sudden mental lethargy they returned to the reasons why he had been brought back.
As they seated themselves, General Davis (once of pentagon fame and well read in matters of the stargate) entered the room. Shaking Jack's hand he wasted no time with pleasantries and began.
"As you are probably aware, Colonel O'Neill for the past three years Teal'c has been reassigned to Chulak as a special envoy with the Tok'ra, Skaa'ra. We received intelligence from them two days ago informing us of a rather delicate situation that you have a right to be aware of."
As General Davis paused for a drink of water, Jack glanced at Daniel and then at Sam. Both avoided his gaze, but there was something behind Sam's eyes that told him that this was not good.
"I am sure you recall your mission to Edora, Colonel. Your post mission report stated that while you where stranded on the planet, you developed a close relationship with a local woman"
Jack *really* didn't like the way this was going, he now understood why Sam and Daniel had avoided his gaze and why Sam had looked hurt. That mission had been difficult for him, but that was no excuse for the way he had behaved, he had been a prize jerk and had spent a good few months making up for it.
"So what do you need me for? I have no connection to Edora any longer" Jack interrupted, wishing Davis would just get to the point. It my be harsh, but Lara was a long time ago and a mistake based in denial of all he had seemingly lost, so why was he here, what could this possibly have to do with him?
Reading his unspoken question, Davis cut to the point
"I also understand. Colonel, that what you failed to mention in the report was that this relationship could have possibly led to the conception of a child"
Jack sat stunned. That information had been buried, figuratively and literally. Hammond had known and offered Jack the choice, go back and find out or forget it. After much soul searching Jack had turned away from it. The chances where slim and besides, even if there was a kid; Jack didn't want to complicate his or her life. Lara was a good Mom and although Jack desperately wanted more children, he didn't want to be a coupla-times-a-year-at-best Dad. The kid didn't deserve that. Better to let them grow up free of complications.
"Colonel" continued Davis "I have to inform you that Teal'c has recently discovered that Lara did indeed give birth to a child whom *she* considered to be yours. However, there does seem to be some question regarding that aspect. Lara married very soon after your mission and her husband also claims to be the father of the child. Their law states that the child cannot inherit family land if parentage is questioned. As such they contacted us to see if we could help solve the 'problem'. Colonel, you have been brought back to the SGC so that your permission could be given to carry out a DNA test on the child."
^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^
Jack had never felt quite so helpless as he watched the all new Sg-1 step through the event horizon. Sam and Daniel: plus two. Under normal circumstances he would have been eager to see who had filled the prized spots, but not right now.
He was watching them leave to find out if he did indeed have a child on Edora.
*Watching*.
He thought with disgust, he was not even allowed to go through the gate anymore. Even to a friendly planet to find out if he had a kid there.
He had argued *very* long and *very* hard about that, but knew that Davis was not going to change his mind. Even Sam had taken Davis' side, saying that the situation didn't need any further emotion that it already had. They had relented and said that if the test showed the kid was his, he could go, but until then they believed his presence would only hinder the situation.
So now he had to stand by helpless as *Sam* of all people went to find out if he had had a kid with Lara. He wished that he would wake up, that this was all some weird ass dream. But he knew it wasn't. What was he going to do if the kid was his? Go back? That would mean leaving Sam all over again and after seeing her again today and feeling the same feelings that had haunted him ever since he first met her in that chopper all those years ago, he knew he couldn't let her go again.
His head was spinning with the main ways this could go down.
Kid his: leave for Edora.
Kid his: Stay here: (not gonna happen)
Kid not his: stay here and tell Sam that he loves her and has for the longest time.
He knew which one he wanted, he knew *who* he wanted, but he knew if he had a kid on Edora he would never be able to have *his* Sam. But he felt a spark of pride that somewhere in this universe he had possibly been given the gift of another child, even if it was a child he had never known.
To say Jack was confused about his feelings was a very big understatement!
^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^^*
As Sam stepped through the other side of the wormhole into the sun of Edora, her feelings where not as settled as normal. As usual, Jack O'Neill had entered her life and promptly turned it upside down, back to front and inside out.
Being held in his arms this morning had been a wake up call. She had realised that she had never stopped loving him, in fact she had probably fell even deeper as time had gone on. All their shared experiences enhancing her memory, never allowing him to leave her only fuelling the love she held for him.
But now here she was, on a mission to see if he had actually fathered a child with *that* woman. Sam had never been so hurt as she had when she had finally managed to get him back from Edora and he had just walked away from her. To say that old wounds where being reopened was putting it mildly.
It had taken her such a long time to forgive Jack, even though she knew it was irrational, she had felt like he had betrayed her and their relationship. Ok, so it was a relationship that always seemed to be faced with huge obstacles like a wife and then a whole Airforce. But now that there was a possibility of them having the relationship that they should have had, another obstacle stood between them again.
She knew that if Jack were indeed the father, he would not feature in her plans for her future, because he would very probably come here to be the type of father kids dreamed of.
Even though she should have been detached, this time when she was greeted by Lara, she couldn't quite bring the smile that accompanied her "Fair Day" greeting to he eyes. She *so* wanted Dytan to be the father. Jack didn't deserve this emotional rollercoaster and neither did she. She just wanted to live "Happily ever after" like the fairy tales say, but she knew that without Jack, she never would.
Dytan looked a lot like Jack she noted, tall and lean, but deceptively well muscled. But Dytan wasn't a cocky, sarcastic soldier who surprised people with his sensitivity. To Sam, he was just 'normal', but it was his eyes that held to most noticeable difference. Dytan's eyes where a clear blue, when compared to those melting dark ones that she loved so much they came a very poor second.
The child was waiting for them as they arrived, a girl who looked so much like her mother that Sam wasn't surprised that they couldn't tell who the father was. A few pleasantries where voiced, but Sam meant none. An icy finger of dread had begun to fill the pit of her stomach; she couldn't control expression as the doctor they had brought with them began the procedure.
Normally a full DNA test would be needed, but for this occasion, it was hoped that simple blood typing would be sufficient.
Daniel watched Sam; he knew how difficult this was for her. She had confessed her feelings for Jack shortly after he'd been discharged. Daniel knew that however well she hid it, she had never been able to get Jack out of her system, this morning had only served to prove that to her. But Daniel knew that Jack felt the same way, and had done for a *long* time and that this morning had proved a few things for Jack too.
A smile crept unbidden to the archaeologist's lips as he remembered this morning's sparks, just like old times. He had wanted to lock them up until they admitted it (finally), but he and Sam had known what was coming and he couldn't do anything to hurt her and confuse him more. But he silently sent up a prayer and made a promise that if this kid wasn't Jack's; a certain retired colonel would not be leaving the base without this time telling a certain other colonel exactly how he felt.
Daniel moved closer to Sam in an unconscious attempt to support her as the doctor finished the samples. Dr. McCann, was one of the best and as she began to speak Daniel knew that many fates would be decided on her next words.
"Colonel Carter, the results have given a definitive answer. Due to the obvious differences in the blood makeup of the Edorans to us I can say with a 99.9% accuracy that the father of the girl is not Colonel O'Neill"
Dytan whooped and swung his daughter into his arms, hugging her tight. Lara although smiling, looked a little disappointed. But two members of Sg-1 didn't care. Although neither spoke anything other than friendly goodbyes, both held a relief within them that was almost tangible.
As they began the short journey back to the gate, Daniel walked besides Sam and pretended not to notice the tear that she brushed from her cheek. He didn't have to say anything to her, he could tell by that familiar determined flash in her eyes that she was not going to let her Colonel get away again.
^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^
"Incoming traveller… it's Sg-1 General" A faceless airman parrotted.
Without a second glance Jack went to meet his destiny.
As she stepped onto the ramp, he couldn't see her eyes. But as soon as she lifted them to his, he knew that he wasn't a dad. Pushing away the small part if him that felt disappointed at the fact, in true Jack O'Neill style, he dealt with the thing he had wanted and needed for so long.
Without a second thought and completely ignoring anyone else in the room (which was a fair few people) he marched up to the woman he loved and pulled her into a hug that no-one needed explaining.
Clinging to each other, silently promising never to let each other go again, Jack whispered into Sam's ear…
"Third time lucky, Carter"
Once more, a cryptic comment instinctively understood. Her only answer was a 24-carat smile.
One that Daniel did a very good impression of.
Before any further developments could be made, Davis interrupted.
"Sg-1, I take it Colonel O'Neill is not the father"
"No Sir" beamed Sam, still refusing to move out of Jack's embrace..
"Well then, I think that you to need to talk privately" Davis grinned a grin that reminded Jack of Hammond. "Oh and Colonel O'Neill, that position of Civilian tactical advisor is still open" With that he left them to it.
As all other soldiers, civilians and scientists left, Daniel felt it his right to deliver one last view before joining the mass exodus.
"Guys, don't screw it up this time, three strikes and your out!"
As their gazes met once more, a silent promise was issued that this time neither where willing to ignore.
So stood at the base of the Stargate, they finally ended the saga that had begun back in the gulf which now finally had an unobstructed path to happiness.
"I love you, Sam." He whispered as his mouth descended to hers
"I love you too" She replied as their lips touched.
Any further thought, comment or explanation was left for later because now, in this moment, they both knew that there would be a 'later'.
A 'later' which would shortly include a wedding and several children that where undeniably, 100% Jack O'Neill's!
THE END!!!!
Feedback anyone? Please.
Story Notes: AUTHOR: Linz (lindsaymallen@yahoo.com)
SPOILERS: 100 Days, COTG and a small one for Solitudes.
SEASON: Future story. (Approx. 15 years from COTG.)
ARCHIVE: SJA, Heliopolis, others only have to ask.
NOTES: To all you guys who frequent AIM as much as me. I know this isn't the one you're waiting for, but hey it's for you all anyway! So don't forget feedback. Pretty please with chocolate sauce on top!
DEDICATION: A huge thanks to Edna whose post on the list inspired this little ditty.
SPOILERS: 100 Days, COTG and a small one for Solitudes.
SEASON: Future story. (Approx. 15 years from COTG.)
ARCHIVE: SJA, Heliopolis, others only have to ask.
NOTES: To all you guys who frequent AIM as much as me. I know this isn't the one you're waiting for, but hey it's for you all anyway! So don't forget feedback. Pretty please with chocolate sauce on top!
DEDICATION: A huge thanks to Edna whose post on the list inspired this little ditty.
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 ]