"Rectification" By Ruth M King

TITLE: Rectification

RATING: PG-13 Adult situations

ARCHIVE: Sam and Jack, anyone else please ask

SPOILERS: 2010

SEQUEL INFORMATION: Sequel to Mistakes, told from Jack's POV

DISCLAIMERS: Stargate SG1 is the property of MGM, Showtime, Double Secret and Gekko etc. I'm just playing for a while !

NOTES: This story contains spoilers for 2010. Don't read any further if you don't want to know :):)

***

I left the door open for a long time. Somehow always I thought that she'd come back to me, that what we shared was stronger than any marriage vows.....I was wrong. It didn't stop snowing that day. The streets were almost impassible. Maybe that was why she stayed away, but the snow melted and winter turned into spring....and she never returned. I left Colorado Springs on the first day of summer and went up to Minnesota...a place where her memory wouldn't haunt me.

Then one day....one day....she was there....and she wanted my help. I was walking up from the lake and she was standing there. God, she was so beautiful it made my heart ache. I hadn't realised how young she still looked. No wonder she hadn't wanted me. I'm an old man.

For years I had rehearsed what I was going to say to her. And it all came out just peachy, exactly how I wanted...not often life is that kind to you......Then I just walked away from her. She stood there for a while, obviously thinking that I'd come back....I didn't. I'd like to say that it felt great to finally get some kind of closure, some kind of revenge.....but I watched her walk away and it almost broke my heart. She looked so lost, so alone...

The next thing I knew I was on my way to Cheyenne mountain.

Why the hell does she have to be right all of the time? Well....I guess there has been one notable exception. That should have made me feel good, but it didn't. Sam saying she could never have children.....I don't why I should have been so devastated, but I was. In my mind I had always thought that one day.....you know the picture, wife, couple of kids, a dog....But it couldn't just be anyone, it had to be Sam. Even after all this time I thought it would still happen for us. And what did I do when she asked for my help? I might as well have laughed in her face. Deep down I knew that I couldn't stay here, I couldn't stay isolated. If I didn't want to save the world, I had to do it for Sam...and all the children she should have born.

Was it my fault that she married Joe? I wasn't even around when they met. I was too busy trying to make President Kinsey see that the damn Aschen were bad news. He had me thrown out of his office....literally. I was dishonourably discharged and couldn't get within a mile of the SGC without someone trying to shoot me.....and I know because I tried. I don't know what kind of bull Kinsey fed the rest of my team but they all stopped taking my calls...even Hammond. I ran into Daniel in town once....he looked at me with such pity that I couldn't talk to him for more than a few minutes. I guess they all thought that the old man had finally snapped. During this time Sam met Joe. Must have been love a first sight because they got married damn fast. Not that I got an invitation. If I had I might have been able to do something about it. I would have stopped the damn wedding. Yes, I felt betrayed, but I still loved her...I still love her.

God I never realised how much until I found her and Daniel at Cheyenne and she smiled at me. It melted the wall of ice I had carefully built back around my heart. In those seconds I really hoped that we could change the world and give ourselves a second chance.

We all stayed in Colorado Springs overnight. A motel on the edge of town, under assumed names. There are still some things I can arrange. I was sharing a room with Daniel, but he went to sleep early. He didn't hear me sneak out.

I'm not proud of what I did next. I knew she was a married woman, but that hadn't stopped us last time. If she was right it wouldn't matter, coz I'd make damn certain she would never meet Joe....I hope. God, I hope I don't let her get away from me next time. Maybe I should put that in a message and send it back.

'Jack, don't be an ass.......if Sam meets a guy named Joe, shoot him.'

Guess that'd go down real well. Unprofessional disruption of the time line.....and this isn't ? If I'd had Sam by my side maybe someone would have listened to me in the first place.

"Jack?"

"Sshhhh, no words."

"We can't."

"Yes,"

"Oh, God."

I couldn't help myself. What was it about her that made me nuts? I had to feel her again. It was the one thing that would make this worthwhile.

"I love you," I whispered.

For ten years I had wanted to say those words. Sure, I'd said that I'd cared about her, but that isn't the same thing. I've never seen a woman's eyes light up so much.

"Oh, Jack."

A smooth hand caressed my cheek and I turned my face to brush my lips against her palm. Every time she calls me Jack I think I love her a little more. Yeah, reality will hit us soon. I know we still can't have this. No doubt Joe will make another appearance before this is all over, but I don't care. I have her now....whatever happens.

***************************************************************************

Whatever happens....

'Give her a kiss from me...,' I couldn't stop myself. The look on Joe's face...he knew. He thought that by stopping her coming with us he could keep her. How does it feel to be wrong Joey-boy? You see I was pretty certain that Sam wouldn't go. We've been here before...in Antarctica, trapped in Hathor's base, on Apophis' ship....

I'm dying. They shot me down ten feet from the gate. I can feel myself slipping away and there she is. My Sam. She wouldn't leave me. Somehow that makes everything worthwhile. It's a confirmation of everything I've ever felt .

Oh God it hurts, Sam. Please.....make it stop.

Please.....God....Please....

The End.