"Resolutions" by Christine Bosman

Title: Resolutions

Author: Christine Bosman

Category: SJ Romance

Rating: PG ?

Spoilers: non (except for Star Trek Voyager, Resolutions)

Archive: SJA exclusive

Summary: Sam and Jack have to stay behind on an uninhabited planet

Disclaimer: I don't own anything, well..., a pile of junk and a Jack clone, but I don't own Stargate and related characters, they belong to MGM and Gekko, and probably to other people as well. The story belongs to Paramount as it was an episode of Star Trek Voyager. The only thing that belongs to me, is the way that I combined the characters and the story. Please don't sue me, I don't have any money and I won't earn anything from this story. Any similarity to real persons, living or dead, is coincidental and not intended by me.

Author's note: This is my first SG fanfic (nervous giggle), so please be kind to me, but if you do have an opinion about this story, let me know. Even if you *don't* like it. This is a response to the 1999 Voyager challenge and I couldn't resist. So here goes...

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It had been three weeks since Janet had contacted them last. Sam and Jack were getting very bored by then. Around the Stargate was nothing but a desert. There seemed to be only two kinds of planets the Stargate led to, Jack thought. One kind had lots of big trees and the other kind had lots of sand. But anyway, Janet had contacted them again by sending the MALP through the Gate. Sam had already started the communication.

Although Janet obviously was shouting through the static neither Jack nor Sam had any problems understanding her. She had tried her very best, but she couldn't find a cure for the strange disease that kept half of the SG-1 team trapped on a distant planet. After first returning to Earth with Daniel and Teal'c, both Sam and her CO had fallen ill. Janet couldn't think of another solution than sending them back. She had been right about that too, because they had felt better within minutes after their arrival on planet p7x477.

And now Janet explained to them that they never could come back. Not even the Tok'ra knew a cure for this disease. Hesitantly Janet suggested a possible way of finding a cure: "We could try and contact the Goa'uld. If we could find Sha're, she probably would help us." But Jack told her immediately that they could not do that, even if General Hammond agreed to such an action, Jack would not have it. Sam agreed with him, saying that she could try to find a cure herself.

Now General Hammond was heard through the heavy static: "Jack, Sam, we won' t be able to contact you again. You both know that opening the Gate is a possible risk for us. You will have to stay there and try and build a life for yourselves. We will open the Gate one more time to send you all the possible supplies and then you can contact us again only if you have found a cure." Jack cleared his throat and asked: "Are Daniel and Teal'c there as well?" After General Hammond confirmed that, Jack continued: "Could I say something to them?" General Hammond agreed.

At first Jack was silent, trying to order his thoughts. Then he said: "It has been an honour serving with you, Daniel and Teal'c, and with you as well, Janet and you have been the best Commanding Officer I have ever had, General. I hope the SG-teams will find many knew planets with friendly people one them, possibly with a weapon against the Goa'uld. Daniel, keep looking for Sha're, you will find her. And while you're at it, try to find and rescue Ska'ara as well. And last but not least. Teal'c. You have been a good friend to me as well as the others. Never give up freeing your people. If they are like you, they deserve to be free."

After that, Jack fell silent again. Sam couldn't speak, she had a huge lump in her throat and was sure she was going to cry. After a few minutes, General Hammond spoke again: "It has been an honour serving with you two as well. In three days we will send you your supplies, but that is the only contact we shall have. I think I speak for everyone if I say that I hope you will live long and prosper."

Jack and Sam were forced to spend three more days at the Gate, but now, they could at least discuss the future. They had agreed to leave the direct neighbourhood of the Stargate. It was after all a desert. And it was dangerous as well, the Goa'uld could come anytime they wanted. So they decided to leave as soon as their supplies had arrived. They could see mountains and trees in the distance, and thus they went in that direction. They settled down near a small river, first concentrating on building the shelter.

"The damn thing looks like a trailer," Jack commented, "Now we are really happy campers. Couldn't they at least have thought of giving it a nice colour?" Sam laughed, she was looking through the scientific equipment they had given her and wasn't really listening. "What's wrong with the colour, Sir? Don't you like grey? Besides, what is much worse, is that they didn't send a bathtub."

"No, I don't like grey," Jack said, "And I thought you liked showers." "No, Sir," Sam replied, "Hot baths are my favourite way of relaxing." Jack didn't reply to that last comment, he just continued to check their supplies. But after a few minutes he said: "Listen Sam, we're hardly in a command structure anymore. Why don't you call me Jack?" With a laugh, Sam answered: "Give me a few days on that one."

From that time, the days passed quickly. Sam spent most of her days setting op the scientific equipment, mostly traps, to try and catch the insect that had infected them. Jack spent his days in the woods. Sam really had no idea what he was doing, and was curious as could be. During dinnertime one day, Sam attacked him with questions, but all Jack would say was: "I'm building something." Frustrated Sam hit the table and Jack continued: "You are curious aren't you, and you can't stand it. But you will have to wait at least a few more days, then I might show you."

A few days later Sam did find out what Jack had been building: a bathtub. He placed it in front of the shelter and Sam spent many evenings relaxing in the tub, while Jack was inside the shelter, trying to discover his artistic side. One evening Jack was again fighting with paint and paintbrushes and just as he was muttering: "I will never be any good at this, I wish I could fight something, a Goa'uld maybe," as Sam cried his name.

He ran outside with a flashlight and a gun. There he found Sam, dressed in nothing but a towel, looking intently at the forest surrounding them. She whispered: "I heard someone." And then they both saw it, a monkey had come to visit them. Sam stretched her hand and tried to get it to come closer, but Jack didn't even look at the monkey anymore. He was distracted. After a while Sam noticed that Jack was checking out her cleavage instead of the surroundings and pulled her towel closer. Jack got the hint and walked back inside, without saying anything. A few minutes later Sam entered the shelter as well, pretending nothing had happened.

Sam still went out to check on the insect traps everyday, even though she hadn't found the particular insect that had infected them. Jack on the other hand, only thought of increasing the quality of their life on this planet, which they had named New Earth. They didn't want to call it "Earth 2". Sam was sort of irritated by Jack's lack of homesickness. One day she confronted him about it. "Yeah, you're right, I do not concentrate on a future where we might be able to get away again. I prefer to concentrate on today, instead of on a future that may never come. You should try it too." Frustrated Sam looked at him. "You may be right, but I can't. It would feel like giving up, and I can't do that."

Jack smiled at that response, that was his Sam, alright, she was no quitter. And he left her so she could check the insect traps. Their days one New Earth passed uneventfully until one day, when she was checking the insect traps again, Sam saw the monkey again. It behaved really odd, kept pointing at the sky. At last Sam got the hint and looked up. Clouds, enormous black clouds rushed by. It looked like there would be one hell of a storm. Quickly she turned and retraced her steps to the shelter.

Jack had noticed the storm as well. He immediately went out to find Sam. After he found her, they both struggled to get back to the shelter. The storm was so intense that they had to hide under the table. Sam was in a state of total shock as she saw all her scientific tools shatter around her. Jack tried to comfort her in a warm embrace, as well as to keep her from darting out and try to save what she could and then get killed in the process.

The storm passed as soon as it had come and once again the weather was beautiful. Sam immediately went out to check on her insect traps, but they were as thoroughly ruined as the equipment inside the shelter. Jack expressed his regret, but Sam smiled. "You know," she said, "this is one way of giving up." After that they simply continued to clear their surroundings from the mess the storm had left behind.

Even though al her equipment was ruined, Sam still continued to study their new home. One evening she massaged her own shoulders after spending several hours writing and calculating. "Ah, this hurts," she complained, "I'm apparently not used to this anymore." Jack got up from his chair and went to stand behind her. Laying his hands on her shoulders, he explained: "My mother always used to get sore necks. I was the only one she trusted to come near it."

And Sam had to admit, he was good. It felt so good that Sam leaned a little bit back, so she leaned against him. She had closed her eyes as well and enjoyed the feeling. And then Jack stopped massaging her shoulders. He just kept his hands on her shoulders and didn't say or do anything. Sam's eyes flew open when she realised what was happening. She straightened again and said in a cold voice: "Thank you, that helped a lot. I will go to bed now." Jack smiled a very small smile and wished her good night.

Sam went to lie in her bed, but she couldn't sleep. She tossed and turned, but it was no use. Within fifteen minutes she got up again. She went back into the living area and said: "We have to talk about this." Jack had spent the last fifteen minutes in an emotional turmoil as well, but his face didn' t show it. He just gestured in the direction of the table and said: "Let's talk then."

Sam sat down and looked at his beautiful eyes. But then she hid again behind the soldier's face. "We have to set parameters." Jack smiled a little. "I don't know if I can set parameters, but I could tell you a story, an ancient legend, Daniel has told me once. It's about an angry warrior who lived his life in conflict with the rest of his tribe. A man who couldn't find peace, even with the help of his spirit guide. For years he struggled with his discontent, but the only satisfaction that he ever got came when he was in battle. This made him a hero among his tribe, but the warrior still longed for peace within himself. One day he and his war party were ordered to take on a woman. Because the woman warrior knew exactly how to find the enemy, he allowed her to join his tribe. The woman warrior was brave and beautiful and very wise. The angry warrior swore to himself that he would stay by her side, protecting her from every evil, even though she could protect herself very well. From that point on her needs would come first, and in that way, the warrior began to know the true meaning of peace."

"Is that really an ancient legend?" Sam asked, not believing him. "No," Jack confessed, looking at her, "but that made it easier to say." Sam didn't say anything, needing time to let it sink in, but then she looked at him as well and reached out her hand to hold his.

Life became easy and wonderful after that for Jack and Sam, they still missed their friends and felt homesick every now and again. But they had started seriously on making a life on New Earth, a life together. Sam had planted several vegetables, the tomato plants especially were her pride and joy. Jack couldn't believe his eyes, he thought Sam would kill a plant, just by looking at it, she was totally unable to care for it, at least in his opinion.

But, as Sam told him, she had learned tending vegetables from her mother, who insisted she did something useful as well. And Sam had hated it. "But now I find it very rewarding. I just love to get my hands dirty and watch the plants grow." Jack laughed, but changed the subject: "Could you come into the house, I wanted to show you something, ask your opinion about it."

Sam smiled at the man she loved. "You have come to the right person, I have an opinion about everything." They walked inside and Jack showed her a drawing. Sam looked at it and said: "Oh, a boat." Jack nodded and explained: "I think I could build this. We could make a trip on the river." Sam had a huge grin on her face as she said that she would love it very much. Jack joked: "But your bathtub won't fit in." Sam replied that he was talking nonsense, who would need a bathtub, when there was a whole river.

But then she stopped talking, she heard something. Jack heard it as well. It was their walky talky. Daniel's voice could be heard: "Jack, Sam, are you there? We have just come through the Stargate with a cure for you." Jack answered them after a long look at Sam and explained to Daniel where they were.

And that really was the end of their stay at New Earth. Already it seemed like a holiday, or a dream. Jack and Sam started packing right away. They didn't talk, they knew, that everything they had on this planet was over. They were both glad that they would see their friends again, but still... Sam and Jack both missed New Earth already.

The End. (copyright (c) 2000 Christine Bosman)

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