"Believe in Me" By Lisa Yaeger

Title: Believe in Me

Author: Lisa Yaeger

Rating: PG-13

Category: Angst, Romance

Pairings: Sam/Jack

Content Warnings: mild language, hints of sexuality

Summary: What would Sam do differently if she knew what happened in the years before the note got sent back through the gate?

Season/sequel: You must have seen 2010 & 2001 or at least know basically what happened.

Spoilers: Up through the present, although I've only seen seasons 3-6. Anxiously awaiting Sept. 30th on SciFi!

Archive: SJD & whoever wants to- I'd be flattered!

Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters and places are the property of MGM, World Gekko Corp and Double Secret productions. This piece of fan fiction was created for entertainment not monetary purposes and no infringement on copyrights or trademarks was intended. Previously unrecognized characters and places, and this story, are copyrighted to the author. Any similarity to real persons, living or dead, is coincidental and not intended by the author.

Status: Complete- 2nd part's right behind

Author's notes: It's been awhile since I've seen 2001 or 2010, so forgive my inaccuracies and my ad libs- just enjoy the fic in my fic.

Feedback: Welcomed! Even if it's just to poke fun at my lack of ability to stay true to alternate universe/time travel stuff !

Date: 23-9-2002

*****

She was being - beamed up. There really wasn't any other term for it. From her bathtub, in her house, on a Sunday afternoon, while minding her own business, she was being beamed up. To where, she wasn't sure, but it was just a split second between noticing that she wasn't soaking in water that had gone luke-warm and finding herself in some strange, empty room. This was like a scene from a B-rated sci-fi movie, she thought to herself.

She was naked. Standing there, dripping wet, with a few soap bubbles still clinging to her, but definitely naked, somewhere that wasn't home. As soon as she thought it, her bathrobe was on the floor next to her. 'Thoughtful,' she mused. At least her abductors weren't completely cruel.

"Cruelty is not our intention." An androgynous voice came across- a sound system- maybe? Or was it in her head? She couldn't actually tell. She hurried into her robe that had been lying next to the tub at home just a minute ago.

"Hello?" This was very, very strange. She felt more than a little nervous without a weapon of any kind. Not even knowing where she was. Who she was with...

"You are safe from harm. When we are finished with you, we will return you to your world."

When they were 'finished with her'?? What the hell did that mean? Where was that voice coming from? Stay calm, just breathe.

"It means that we brought you here in order to show you your future." At that moment, a table appeared in the middle of the otherwise empty room.

"Look, I don't know who you are or what you think you are doing, but where I come from, it's a generally agreed upon principle that knowing your own future is not a good idea." Why didn't she have a normal job like everyone else? She really should have become a professor or researcher- no cell phones, no pagers, no *aliens*!

"Please have a seat" The voice wasn't demanding or impatient. Just there. In her head and in the room, and there wasn't anything to do but sit in a chair that had just been created for her.

So, she sat. The table then titled toward her, and a screen appeared in the middle. 'They brought me all this way to watch a movie?' If she didn't joke to herself, she just might scream.

"We are unfamiliar with the term 'movie' but the events you are about to see will no longer happen."

"Then why bother showing them to me? I thought you said you were going to show me my future?" Damn! Speaking of the future, she was going to be late for her date tonight. She should have known that something as simple as dinner and a movie would be too 'normal' for her. How in the world would she explain this to him? Maybe something like, 'Have you ever seen Star Trek?' No, she would have to make something up- which would be hard considering he was her new neighbor and would be able to see her car was there. She could say she passed out in the tub... 'Great, then he'll think you're an alcoholic or something.'

The screen lit up and familiar faces- Janet, Teal'c, Daniel?!?, Jack, Joe the Ambassador?!?- played on for what felt like hours, although she suspected time in this place wasn't the same as she was used to. Every second felt suspended as it happened, but in thinking back since her arrival, it felt like only a few hours had passed. Finally, the screen disappeared and the table resumed its level position.

She was shaking. Visibly shaking. With tears hovering at the corners of both eyes. The voice again, without compassion or judgment, "Do you understand why we showed you these events?"

Unable to speak, she could only shake her head. Why had she been brought here to watch that? Why now? Daniel was still alive in that timeline. General Hammond was dead. She was married-to Joe-but she couldn't have children. And her relationship with *him*- oh my god, how did it all get so twisted?

"We have been watching your world since your Stargate was discovered. When you and your friends altered the timeline in your year 2010 in order to stop the events leading up to the meeting with those called the Aschen, we assumed your future was safe. However, we started paying attention to you again when you met with that race in the next 2001."

"Yes, but we didn't make an alliance with them. So, isn't everything alright? Why did I have to watch these things that won't happen now? What kind of a people are you?" The tears were freely flowing now; she was standing, screaming at a voice she couldn't see. Angry at a future that she created.

No reply came for what seemed like an eternity. She had no idea how long she had been sitting on the floor sobbing, replaying the scenes over and over in her mind. Looking back on the nearly 10 years they had made her watch, she suddenly realized why they had brought her here, why they had brought her here *now*. Not knowing whether or not they could hear her, she finally spoke, "I think I understand."

"Continue."

She knew why they couldn't read her mind now. She could barely make sense of her own thoughts, "It was because of Joe." It had to be. That was the only thing that made sense- the only thing that happened both times in their encounters with the Aschen. It was why her heart stopped beating when she watched the screen- her argument with the Colonel had literally stopped her blood from flowing. "When Colonel O'Neill and I were fighting about the alliance with the Aschen, and I turned to leave. It was because I had a date with Joe." That was the moment when everything changed. She had left him standing there while she made her choice. The choice that would change her future- the future of the planet, apparently. He had retired the next day, and she had agreed to marry Joe not long after. The words he spoke to her echoed in her head louder than anything she had ever heard, "If you can't believe what I'm saying to you about the Aschen, at least believe in me." It was his final appeal to her. To try to stop her from siding with them, with *him*; his plea to her to help him convince General Hammond and everyone else that this was wrong. So wrong. But she didn't believe him, and that's what changed everything. For the worse, for years to come. Until they went back and undid the future. But they met the Aschen anyway, and she met Joe, again. And she would have gone out with him, too, if he hadn't... "Wait! Did you? I mean-"

Her thoughts were clear now, and they understood what she was asking, "No. We do not interfere in that way. We had hoped that by his disappearance from your life like those before and after him, you would come to the conclusion that the one you are to be with was already near you. However, when we saw your preparations for the evening with another, we knew we had to show you the truth."

"The truth? What do you mean?" Did they mean what she thought they meant?

"Yes."

Damn! That was clear enough. "You're telling me that I'm supposed to be with-"

"Yes."

"If you've been watching us for this long, then you must know there are rules and regulations, and we can't-'"

"Yes, we know."

This was getting to be annoying. "Then what do you expect me to do?" Back on her feet, her voice rising, she felt a familiar sensation. As she was being 'beamed' again, his voice echoed once more in her head, "...believe in me."

Not exactly her bathtub. Nope, not at all. In fact, she was in the briefing room, sitting across from her CO, next to Jonas. In her bathrobe. Her short, silky, low-cut, not-exactly-dress-code, white bathrobe.

"Major?"

Vaguely aware that General Hammond was at the head of the table calling her name, she turned and just stared at the man who minutes before was dead, in another timeline, but dead just the same.

Relief washed over her and a huge smile that he rarely saw was directed his way, "General Hammond!" It was little louder than a whisper, but there was so much affection and concern loaded in those two words.

He returned a small smile and asked, "Who else did you think I was Major?"

"No one, Sir, I'm just glad to see you. It feels like a long time." Her eyes studied his face as if she hadn't really seen him before.

"Major, where were you just now? And what was that 'beam' that brought you here? Maybe we should have Dr. Frasier examine you first."

"No, sir. I'm fine, really. I wasn't harmed in any way."

Finally, Jack spoke, "Carter, your neighbor called the police. He said you two had a date and when you didn't answer your door, he got worried. The police searched your house, found your ID and called us. How long have you been gone?"

Was it her imagination or did a mixture of relief and sadness permeate his eyes. Relief that she was okay? She could understand that. But sadness at what? That she had a date? No, it couldn't be, could it? "I'm not sure. What day is it?"

"Monday, 1300 hours."

"Then I guess I've been gone a little under 24 hours, Sir."

Out of the corner of his eye, Jack caught Jonas eyeing Sam in a less than professional way, "Jonas!"

Dragging his eyes away from the hint of cleavage Sam was showing, not to mention where the end of her robe hit at mid-thigh, "Yes?"

"Jonas, go get the Major some clothes, will you?" It was all he would do to keep from staring himself. He didn't need that guy doing it in front of him.

"Sure thing, Colonel." He got up to leave, but he noticed both Jack and Teal'c looking less than pleased at him. 'Like they weren't looking, too,' he thought.

Teal'c spoke as Jonas left the room, "MajorCarter, what was the purpose of you being taken hostage?"

She thought about that for a minute. How much could she say without telling them about a future that won't happen? Would it matter if they knew since those events wouldn't occur anyway? She decided to be as open as she could and hope they understood what she couldn't say, "I was home, yesterday afternoon, taking a bath, when I was beamed up-"

Jack interrupted, "*Beamed* up? Surely there is a more scientific explanation that that, Carter?" He was smiling just a little.

"Yes, Sir, I'm sure there is, but I don't have it at the moment." She smiled back. How in the world could she have missed it before? They were engaged- hell, married- in other universes! What had she been thinking?? Joe, Shmoe!

"Continue, Major." The General saw her mind drifting somewhere else and wondered if he should get Janet in there.

"Sorry, Sir. It was a lot to take in for one day." All eyes were glued on her; she had to say it, "I saw the future, or rather a future that won't happen because we stopped it in time."

Teal'c recovered first from the news, "Do you mean the note that ColonelO'Neill sent back through the Stargate?"

"Yes. We actually all worked at getting that note sent back. Even Daniel."

"Was he all-glowy?"

"No, Sir. He was himself. In that timeline, Daniel lived." She decided not to say that General Hammond didn't. What good would that do now?

Jonas returned with some clothes from her quarters and handed them to Sam. The General told her to get dressed in his office and report to Dr. Frasier. The briefing would resume in an hour.

*****

Other than the standard warning that she needed to sleep, Sam was sent back to the briefing without any interference from Janet. Once reassembled back as they had been sitting before, Sam continued her story, "Once I was beamed up, to wherever I was, they told me that they wanted me to see the future."

General Hammond repeated his question from earlier, "Where were you?"

"I don't know, Sir. I could guess that I was on a ship of some kind or on another planet. The room I was in didn't have any kind of technology except this table that turned into a screen. It played the events in the other timeline that led to us meeting the Aschen, forging an alliance, and then using the Stargate to send a note back once we realized what they were doing to us."

Jonas piped in, "You mean sterilizing the population? I read that report. With those kind of friends, who needs enemies, right?"

Growing impatient at the lack of a purpose to this whole situation, "Major, can you tell us why they chose you? Why they bothered showing you a timeline that obviously can't happen now? Daniel's dead for cryin' out loud! What's the point?"

Realizing that the moment she would have to tell him, tell them all, what the point was drew near, she took in a breath and carefully measured her words, "The reason they chose me was because I was partly responsible for the treaty that we made with the Aschen. They wanted me to see that the events, that led up to the point where our only hope was to go back and change our past, could still happen."

"Carter! In English!" He was beyond irritated now.

"It's hard to explain, Sir. All I can say without jeopardizing this future is that in the events of that timeline, I made a decision that changed the course of-well, everything. The people or things that took me yesterday wanted to make sure I didn't make the same mistake a third time."

General Hammond and Jack caught her slip in tandem, "A *third* time?"

"Yes, Sirs. In that timeline, I made a mistake by accepting-an offer-- from someone to do something that I didn't really want to do. At least not with that person. But I did, because I thought it was the right thing to do for everyone. Except me, and someone else, too, but I didn't really know that at the time-"

General Hammond was rubbing his forehead, "Major, even I'm getting confused. Could you try again?"

"Sorry, Sir. Let's just say I made a mistake then. And I almost made the same mistake in this time, too, but outside forces stepped in before it got out of hand. If yesterday's events had been allowed to continue, then a third mistake might have been made." She remembered thinking when she accepted her neighbor's invitation for a date that he was kind of cute. A little old for her, maybe, but he was so nice, and simple. An accountant. What could be complicated about that? Nothing, and everything at the same time. She could never love him, at least not like she loved someone else. That was the mistake. Being with someone--*anyone*-- else. The time was approaching fast- she knew now what she was supposed to do. What they hoped she would do all along.

"MajorCarter- How do we prevent this 'mistake' from occurring again?" Leave it to Teal'c to bring the situation to a head, and he didn't even know it.

"Teal'c, I think I'm the only one who can make sure it doesn't happen again. That's why I was chosen."

Why was his stomach feeling queasy all of a sudden? Too many years of experience recognized that look in her eyes- he was about to lose a member of SG-1, "Major, what are saying?" General Hammond braced himself.

Sam took Jonas's notepad and pen from in front of him and wrote a simple letter to General Hammond. He didn't need to read it to see what she was writing.

"Are you sure you aren't overreacting, Major? I mean you've just been through an ordeal- seeing Daniel alive, witnessing mistakes that you think you made-"

She tore the paper from the pad and slid it in front of him, "I'm sure, Sir. This was supposed to happen a long time ago." She purposefully kept her eyes away from Jack. Their time would come later. Alone.

"Very well. SG-1 you are dismissed. And *Doctor* Carter, I expect to see you in my office first thing in the morning so that we can arrange your new work assignment. I may not be able to keep you from quitting this team, but I'm not letting you off of this project. Quite frankly, I think the President would kill me if he learned I let the foremost authority on the Stargate just walk out the door."

She was smiling again, "Yes, Sir. Thank you." She put her head down on the table. This was quite possibly the longest day of her life. She heard the door close and assumed she was alone, "Oh, god. What have I just done?"

"Left me with quite a problem, Doctor." His face didn't give anything away.

Her head shot up to see her former CO still sitting across from her.

"And what's that, exactly?" Let the dance begin.

"How in the world am I supposed to find a replacement for you before our next mission? A soldier I could find. A scientist, for sure. But both? I'm going to be going through personnel files for days." He actually looked a little angry at her.

"Sorry, Sir. Believe me when I say this wasn't my idea at all. I had no idea when I woke up yesterday that this was going to happen."

"Obviously not, or you wouldn't have made a date with your neighbor."

Oh, that. "It wasn't a date really. Just dinner. And a movie. With a new neighbor. Kind of a welcome-to-the-neighborhood thing." Was he buying this?

"He seemed to think it was a date. An accountant, isn't he? A little old for you, don't you think?" 'Good job, O'Neill, remind her how much older you are.'

"Well, at any rate, I don't think he'll be interested now that I flaked out. What did you guys tell him anyway?"

"Nothing much. Just that you had a history of mental illness. We told him you had probably forgotten to take your medication on time." That had been Janet's idea.

"Great. Now the whole neighborhood thinks I'm crazy. Of course, they probably thought that from the last time when Orlin..." Jesus, why did it take someone abducting her to figure out that she ended up in trouble when she tried to be with other men. Why *did* she do that again? Right- because she couldn't be with the one man she loved. Except that now she could. A smile slowly crept on to her face, "Sir, I think-"

"No."

"No?" He couldn't know what she was going to say, could he?

"No more 'Sir' or 'Colonel.' Or have you forgotten the piece of paper you just gave to General Hammond?" He couldn't forget. Whatever those aliens showed her, he was grateful. Not at that the way they did it, but at least the outcome seemed to work in his favor so far. He might be able to find a suitable replacement on SG-1, but not in the other place, where it counted the most.

"Okay, Jack. I think there's more that I need to tell you about what I saw-up there." Wherever that was.

"Why?"

"You have got to stop repeating everything I say, Sam." He liked the way that sounded. "Whatever you saw can't happen, right?"

She just looked at him, "Correct."

"So, you figured out what they were trying to accomplish-- by showing you what would have happened-- if you hadn't figured out how to send that note back through the gate, right?"

"How did you know I was the one that figured it out?"

"Who else could have, in any timeline?" He was sincere.

She was really touched- he had all of the confidence in her now that he did then. When he asked her to believe in him. When she let him down. That would never happen again. Actually, it never happened at all. Except in a future that wouldn't exist, that only she knew about, and even though she suspected he knew at least some of it, she would never confirm it. What would be the point of that? So that he could be hurt now? That was what she was trying to avoid now. And then, too, she realized. When she went to see him at the cabin to ask for his help, she wanted to erase more than the Aschen. She was hoping for another chance at happiness- with him. For a future where she could have children- with him. It was always about more than changing the past. It was about creating a future. And now they could have one without regulations standing between them, "Yeah, I think I get it now." Did she ever.

"So, by telling me more than I really need to know, you could be jeopardizing this future, couldn't you?"

She always knew he was smarter than he let on, "In theory." She got up to leave. She realized she hadn't eaten in over a day.

"Well, I'm no expert on theory, Doctor, that's your department. I'm more of a black and white kind of guy, you know?"

"Yeah, I know. So what would your black-and-white mind tell you to do if I said I was hungry?"

"Oh, right. You missed your date."

Damn, not only was he not taking the bait, he was still mad about-wait, what was that guy's name anyway? Ted? Tom? Tim? She had stopped walking and was staring at the door with that crease in her forehead showing that she was thinking. Jim? Bob? Bill?

"Sam?"

Will? Al? Mike? Matt?

"Sam?!?!"

Dave? Todd? Alex? For cryin' out loud, what was it??

He was standing in front of her now, bending his neck to look right into her eyes, "SAM!"

"Scott!!" Finally! It was Scott.

"As in 'beam me up, Scotty?'" What the hell was she talking about? Maybe she really did need to eat something. She was getting sort of spacey.

"No, the guy I was supposed to go out with. His name is Scott. I couldn't remember."

"So, I guess the bean counter didn't leave much of an impression, huh?" He was smiling now. She couldn't even remember his name!

"I guess not."

"Well, in that case, if you're still hungry, I might offer to buy you dinner."

"You might?" She was testing the waters- treading very lightly. This was too important to mess up, again.

"Let's just say I'll make you a deal."

Uh oh. Here is comes: "What?"

"You put that bathrobe back on, and I promise to take you someplace where no one will mind that's all you're wearing." He did that thing with his eyebrows.

How could she refuse? "You're not going to tell me where?"

"Believe in me, Sam. Have you ever done something that I asked you to do that you ended up regretting later?" He couldn't have known the double meaning behind his own words, could he?

"No." She wouldn't have regretted it then; she knew she wouldn't now- probably not ever. It was only about dinner this time, but she hoped it would be about a lot more later. A lot more. "I'll go change."

His jaw dropped as she walked past him. Sweet! Now he just had to figure out where the hell to take her...

*****