Wishful Thinking

Rating: PG
Spoilers: Anything up to and including Season 8
Ship: Jack and Sam
Summary: Set during Threads. Jacob talks to Jack about Pete and Sam. And Jack has to face some harsh realities.
Distribution: If you want it, let me know.
Disclaimer: I don't own anything but this little fic.

o o o

Knock Knock.

General Jack O'Neill lifted his head from the mountain of paper work he was not so successfully working his way through at the sound of someone knocking at his door.

"Come." He called and was slightly surprised to see Jacob Carter standing on the other side of the door.

"Got a minute Jack?" The older man asked as he stepped into the room.

"Of course. What's up?" Jack watched as Jacob closed the office door and took a seat across from him.

"I just met Pete." Jacob said with a slight wince and fought the urge to scowl at the small smirk on the younger general's face. "Have you met him?"

"I've..." Jack searched for the right phrase. "Had the pleasure, yes." Perfect, just the right level of sarcasm and wit. Jacob would appreciate it. The smirk and chuckle it elicited, assured Jack that Jacob did indeed appreciate it. "He's interesting." Jacob scoffed.

"He's an idiot. Do you know what he said to me? He asked me if I really had one of those things in my head… He's a moron Jack. He's not good enough for Sam." Jacob was clearly not impressed with the brief meeting he had with his future son in law. The idea was preposterous.

"Yeah well. Carter thinks he is. There's nothing to be done about it." Jack didn't like the thoughtful look on Jacob's face. He looked like he was concocting something. Something that would inevitably get Jack into a lot of trouble.

"Well. There's probably not. I guess you're right." Jack didn't look convinced at Jake's words. "What Jack? Did you think I was planning some great scheme to break them up or something?" Jacob watched as Jack shrugged. "Oh come on Jack. I'm a Tok'ra. I have more important plans to be devising than that. You should know better."

"Yeah. I'm not convinced Jake. What's going on?" Jack asked leaning forward on his desk. There was something going on. He could just smell it.

"Well… I actually want to ask you about some rumours that have been circulating around here for a very long time." Jacob couldn't help but smirk at the groan that left Jack's now slumped form.

"Oh god. What do you want to know?" Jack's voice sounded defeated, as his head rested against his hands on the desk.

"Are you in love with my daughter?" At Jacob's question Jack's head shot up.

"You don't beat around the bush do you? Just straight in there with the big stuff. Huh?"

"I'm a busy, tired old man Jack. I don't have time to be coy." Jacob smirked at Jack's discomfort. He was pretty sure he already knew the answer. He just wanted to hear it from the proverbial horse's mouth.

"What do you want me to say Jacob? You know that one possible answer to that question could get me into a lot of trouble. Carter too." Jack sounded distressed. The last thing he wanted was to get Carter in trouble. To put her career in jeopardy. They had managed to get along pretty safely for the past eight years. With only a few occurrences where the subject came into question and each time they managed to come out of it unscathed. However at the hands of Jacob Carter, Jack feared they wouldn't. It was damn hard to deter a Carter when their mind was set on something.

"I know Jack. I know. I also know that my daughter is about to make the biggest mistake of her life, because she thinks she can't have what she really wants. She's going to settle for that moron. So what I want to know is: can she have what she really wants?" Jacob's eyes pierced into Jack's. He wasn't leaving that room until he got an answer, and Jack knew it.

"I want her to. I want it too. But I don't see how it's possible." There was sadness in his voice. A sadness that came from having to watch the one you love, love someone else.

"If there was a way Jack?"

"Then all bets would be off. Nothing would stop us. Certainly not Shanahan." Jack's voice held strength, conviction. He'd spent many nights wondering what if? He knew, if all the obstacles that stood in there way were suddenly bowled over and cleared off the playing field nothing would stop them from being together. And they would be great.

"That's all I wanted to hear Jack." Jacob nodded and stood from the chair. He turned to leave the office but paused at the door.

"How was retirement Jack? However short it may have been. Did you enjoy it? Or was it missing something? Something that your life is still missing?" Jacob smiled softly before leaving the room and closing the door behind him.

Jack sat staring at the door. He knew what Jacob was doing. In his not-so-subtle way he was trying to tell Jack to retire. He'd made it to General, something he never thought he'd achieve. Yet outside that door, was Samantha Carter, something so wonderful nothing else in the world could compare. Was he really willing to let her pass him by because of a job? Granted it was more than a job or a rank. What they did was important. What they did ensured that every person on the planet could go to bed every night, wake up every morning and live their lives knowing that nothing from above would ever harm them. Not while they were around. Even if the world didn't know it, they owed their safety to the people under that mountain and that was the most important job in the world.

But there was one question Jack couldn't put off asking himself any longer. What good is saving the world, when you're walking it alone?

He knew, that if she came to him tomorrow and wanted him, wanted to be with him, he'd throw it all away. He'd sign the resignation letter he'd had typed since he was promoted and he'd send it directly to the President himself. There was only one major factor that Jacob was ignoring. Pete Shanahan. Sam was engaged to another man. She'd made her decision and now Jack had to live with it. He hadn't lied when he said that he wouldn't let Pete stand in the way of him being with Sam. However in that scenario, Sam wanted to be with him. Reality was much crueller.

Sam Carter was going to marry Pete Shanahan and Jack O'Neill had to be the good little soldier. He had to stand by and watch, smile and congratulate them, and all the while with his heart breaking.

The End…