Disclaimer: I don't own stargate SG-1; it is the property of MGM. This story was written purely for entertainment value and no money has or will exchange hands. All original characters and storyline are mine. Thanx
Written for my sister who's comment after the episode provided the inspiration for this and although I know that was months ago it has to be taken into account that I wrote this, lost it, found it and then had to type it up. So I hope you enjoy it.
Readdressing the balance.
By Arami Heartilly.
"Carter a word." It was the second time in as many hours that Jack had said it and the second time in as many hours that he'd needed to talk to her.
"Sir?" she asked as she followed him to the other side of the Asgard laboratory that they and the rest of SG-1 were currently occupying.
"It's not that sort of word Sam." He told her quietly using her name as she caught his line of sight, she smiled at him and nodded, knowing where this conversation was headed.
"You're worried about him aren't you." her voice was quiet and concerned, they'd managed to save the fifteen year old cone of Jack O'Neill but it didn't mean that it was all over yet.
"Yeah. He's a teenager for crying out loud!" he said raising his voice but not loud enough to alert the rest of his team.
"A pretty cute one at that." Sam added, watching the surprise in his eyes. She'd always sworn that cute was never going to be a word she'd use to describe Jack O'Neill; something about it had never sat right with her.
"Cute?" he asked sounding slightly amused.
"Yep." She admitted, looking at him as she did. What she wouldn't have given in that moment to hold him, she thought she'd lost him and now he was there and...
"Ahem, well he still knows all the classified stuff and he doesn't have anywhere to live. Not to mention the fact that he's going to be on his own without..." but he deliberately didn't finish. He didn't know how to or what exactly he was supposed to say.
How was he supposed to openly talk about a taboo subject that they both tried their best to pretend didn't exist in the first place? He loved her and he knew that the feeling was mutual but he didn't know if he had a right to ask her what he wanted to. But Jack realised that he could at least make his point in a way that would give her the choice without repercussions.
"I mean there's going to be two of me wandering around out there, and ok so he's younger and more hormonal but that doesn't change the fact that –"
"There's only one of me." Sam said, cutting him off from saying "he'll be on his own in a strange place with no one he knows and only hormones for company" and looking him right in the eyes. "I don't know what was harder, thinking that you were going to die, or that you were going to live your life alone as a fifteen year old boy." Her gaze didn't waver and although her voice was quiet he heard ever word.
"Sam, " he started but she continued regardless.
"And then I found out that you were ok and were still you, but I still feel like I'm abandoning him." Sadness crept into her gaze and Jack didn't resist any longer, he took her into his arms and held her close against him.
"It's going to be ok." He told her, although he was trying to convince himself at the same time.
"I don't see how it can be, for any of us. We are always going to end up alone." She whispered back as she held on tightly.
"That's not true, we are going to find a way. I swear it." and they continued to stand there, neither caring if the rest of the team were looking their way or not.
"Colonel?" Sam whispered at last breaking the silence and the contact between them when she stepped out of his arms to face him.
"Yeah?"
"The Asgard can clone right?" she asked.
"Do you really want me to answer that?" Jack remarked glaring slightly. She shook her head and attempted to suppress quiet laughter.
"No, but they can clone so maybe they could clone someone else." Sam reasoned tentatively as she voiced an idea she'd been considering for a couple of hours.
Jack's eyes darted towards hers and in that moment he was torn, he couldn't ask her to do that and yet part of him knew that they had a better chance of being together if she did. Either way though it still didn't guarantee a future for them – they still wouldn't get their life together this way.
"I can't and I won't ask you to do that Sam." He finally said with a slight shake of the head, no matter how much he wanted to.
"Then don't." she told him. "I won't leave him alone – I can't because he's still you and we never leave anyone behind."
Jack sighed, "Carter you can't do this because you feel obligated to or because of the team – you don't know how this will all turn out and you could end up wasting a lifetime because of It." he walked away from her, looking out into space so that she couldn't see his eyes. Eyes that betrayed his words.
"I'm not. This isn't about the regulations or the team slogan – I can't leave him behind and it's not just because of a sense of loyalty or because I feel obliged to." She took a deep breath and hoped her words came out right. "It's because I can't imagine one of us being without the other if we were given a choice. The torment and the heartache just isn't worth it anymore." Her voice softened and she walked towards him.
"I still don't..." but he had no fight left in him. "It's up to you." Jack whispered at last and he watched her reflection in the mirror as she smiled.
"I know, but it's our lives." Came her hardly audible reply before she turned and made her way towards the exit and to Thors acquired laboratory.
"Teal'c, just how much have I missed?" asked Daniel as he watched Sam leave the room, he'd given up trying to make the communicator work so that they could report in to the SGC.
The black man simply shrugged, well as close to one as he ever came and answered, "Not as much as you would think Dr. Jackson. There are many barriers that have been left intact, I do believe that they came close to breaking but too many factors are still at play here."
The archaeologist rolled his eyes and leaned back against the counter he stood in front of. "I never thought that it would take this long."
"I would imagine that these things often do, rewriting someone's genetic code is not an easy task – even to those as advanced as the Asgard." The Jaffa replied but Daniel sent him a look.
"That's not what I meant Teal'c." grumbled the archaeologist.
"I am aware of that Dr. Jackson and I am also aware that the subject you are referring to has nothing to do with you or I." Teal'c explained, once again displaying how wise he was.
"Are you trying to tell me to mind my own business?" Daniel asked, getting the distinct feeling he was being told off.
"No, I am simply trying to point out that there is nothing we can do to remedy this situation – it is something that those involved have to do for themselves."
"Oh." He paused. "Do you think they will?" he asked knowing of both his friends stubborn tendencies.
"I believe that they already have." Teal'c answered, choosing not to look at his friend and to instead look towards colonel O'Neill.
Daniels eyes followed to see what the Jaffa was looking at before it hit him, something had just happened and his friend's conversation earlier was more than just a friendly reunion. Then he remembered Sam walking out and he couldn't help but wonder what exactly had been decided, there was also a distinct possibility that he would never find out because for a reason he didn't want to admit to figuring out he knew that for now at least, his colonel O'Neill and Major Carters relationship would stay the same.
"Dr. Jackson, I believe that we should try and communicate General Hammond and report in again."
"Ah yeah, right." And he tried again, trying to push the conversation he and Teal'c had just had out of his head, he wasn't supposed to know what was going on and he got the feeling the more he didn't know – the better of he would be.
"You know all the risks involved and you still wish to proceed?" Thor asked her as he judged her intentions with his large black eyes. He had been surprised that she would willingly go through with it, given her scientific knowledge she should have known all the dangers – not to mention the militaries reaction to this. But he was also aware that there was more going on here than met the eye.
"Yes." Her answer came without hesitation or fear and the Asgard was once again reminded of her bravery.
"Major Carter, may I ask you why you wish to do this." He had an inkling but still wanted a proper answer. Cloning was, after all not common practice with humans and this would clone far more than a body like it did with his people. With humans he cloned their minds, personalities and everything about them – in this case he was doing more than that though – he was putting them into a younger version of the person.
"Because there is something I need to do, something that if I don't do I may never get the chance to again." She replied carefully avoiding the main reason, it seemed however that Thor understood.
"Major Carter, you do realise that although you will actually be the younger clone that you will still be yourself as well?" she nodded.
"Yeah, but I realised that I will be living it and for the 'other' me? Well there will always be the knowledge that at least somewhere I get to do what I need to do and live the life I was never allowed to."
"Ah yes, I see, the human heart it seems, knows no bounds and yet you choose to imposed them anyway. And although, to some of your people this might not appear reason enough for such a procedure I believe that love is the greatest reason of all to do anything."
Sam felt her cheeks redden but nevertheless she nodded and allowed Thor to continue speaking, as there was no point in denying the truth any longer.
"So I will perform the procedure. However it is your responsibility if and when you decided to inform your superiors and I might also suggest that you change your name so that people do not become suspicious." He told Sam whilst leading her towards another room that was set out like the first one she had left.
"May I ask you one more thing Major?" enquired the grey alien from where he now stood at the control panel.
"Yeah, sure." She told him – not exactly sure what he was going to ask her.
"Do you want the younger O'Neill to be told what is going on?"
Sam considered it but decided in order to keep this as quiet as possible it would be best if he didn't find out until this was all over with.
"No, I think it would be best if he found out when we return to earth and get everything sorted. The military are going to want to know everything and if he doesn't know then he can't tell them."
The Asgard nodded. "As you wish." Then he moved some of the controls again before looking at her, "If you would just stand up there."
And she did, knowing what was to come and looking forward to it. How often do people get the chance to live their lives over? And how many people were given a second chance?
She was getting both those things and so many more, she just hoped it didn't come as much of a shock Jack – the Jack she would, if he let her, spend her life with him. A life that she hoped would give them the life together she knew they both wanted.
As Sam studied her reflection it became clear to her just what she has actually done. It was a surreal feeling and one that filled her with trepidation and for good reason, she was now a sixteen year old girl with long blonde hair – not to mention the fact that she had to change her name and go through high school all over again. At least this time though, she'd beable to walk it and do what she really wanted to do instead of studying her time away.
There was also the little problem concerning where she was going to live, she knew that her older self had quite a sum of money stored away in a bank account but she also knew that it would be a little suspicious if that money were suddenly to disappear somewhere. Then there was the military – if they or the government ever found out there would be no end of trouble, so she would need a good back-story and again of course there was the name issue.
She'd never imagined being called anything else that Sam or Samantha let alone know how to answer to one. The name Thera crossed her mind – but that one brought up too many painful memories and would be too obvious to any military people who came to check on the younger Jack.
Sighing she sat down on the stool and looked at herself, trying to think of another name that would fit the teenager that looked back at her. She looked so young, her skin showed none of the imperfections she had attained through her stressful life and she felt fitter – no old injuries or scars on her body. Everything about her seemed do new and yet she could remember being like this before, only that time painful memories of her mothers death haunted her mind. Now she could enjoy life – if she could think of a name.
"Hey, what's keeping Thor?" teenage Jack asked from where he sat with his feet up on the table of the 'lounge' they were sat in. he was thoroughly sick of the situation he was in – he'd just lost his life, everyone and everything he'd ever known. But in a cruel twist if fate another him would still get to live it.
He was now stuck with high school and he knew no matter how many people he met there none would replace the people he'd worked with. No one could replace her.
"I don't know, probably checking out the laboratories to see if there were any other experiments here than need to be returned to earth before he goes back." the older man told him, purposely not making eye contact.
He looked distinctly nervous and the teenager knew there was something wrong – he had wore that look on many occasions. However he didn't get the chance to ask as Daniel and Teal'c entered the room.
"Ah hi Jacks" the archaeologist started when he saw who was in the room, "We thought you'd like to know that we informed General Hammond of the situation and that we'd be back as soon as Thor sorted everything out."
They both nodded at exactly the same time, which triggered a snigger from Daniel and a raised eyebrow from Teal'c.
"Alright that's it!" the younger Jack yelled – even managing to surprise his former self. "I'm sick of this – all of this! You've made it quite clear already that I can't have my life back and now it just feels like your rubbing it in my face!"
The archaeologist stood stunned, he hadn't expected this and couldn't quite understand the reaction. "Look I'm sorry, I just figured that you'd both want to know because – "
"Because we're both Colonel O'Neill right?" the clone interjected rising to his feet and pacing around the room.
"Well yeah, I mean you are both the same person." Daniel told him quietly, he was beginning to get a little scared of the teenager.
"Not anymore! I'm just some high school kid now, while he... while HE gets everything I ever worked for and needed. Tell me Daniel just how that makes us the same!" his eyes were wide and angry and his whole body seemed to radiate his frustrated mood.
No one in the room could speak let alone move, infact it was only Teal'c that could look at the teenager as both Daniel and the Colonel chose to look at the floor or the walls. The only thing that would remedy the situation had to remain a secret, which put Jack in a precarious situation. His cloned self could go off the handle before he realised what he was missing and he knew he'd have to figure out a way to let the teenager know that all was no lost and that his younger self was better off – he would have the one thing denied to him. If he would just keep his temper in check.
The door slid open than to reveal a slightly nervous Samantha Carter. She walked in to the room and looked at each of its four occupants.
"I heard shouting in the corridor, is everything ok?" she asked choosing to look to Teal'c for an explanation.
"I believe that you would have to ask the teenage O'Neill Major Carter as it is he who seems to have the problem." The stoic black man told her motioning ever so slightly with his head in the direction of the person in question.
"Oh." Sam replied, not exactly knowing what to say to any of them. She could guess at the problem but decided it would be best not to bring it up right now. So instead she turned to Colonel O'Neill and cryptically informed him of what had just happened.
"Colonel, Thor said that everything here is fine and any alterations that needed to be done have been a complete success." He nodded slowly and their eyes met.
The teenage Jack knew then that something else was going on – and that there was something he wasn't being told, but he figured that it was just something he wasn't entitled to know about anymore.
"Is that it, can we go now?" he remarked harshly, really starting to hate the current situation.
"Yeah, we can go now." His older self told him, but he also looked at him – as if trying to communicate something but he shrugged it off – too angry at the situation to really think about it.
Well that's it for chapter one but the next one will be up as fast as I can type it. As always positive reviews and constructive critism is much appreciated. Thanx.