The Unending Odyssey
Part 2 – Chapter 3

"A new couple and a Year In."

When they parted, Harry had barely looked her in the eyes questioningly, for less than a second, when he initiated the next, deeper kiss.

Minutes later, they separated and took big gulps of air.

"Wow." They both commented with a whisper.

Sam noticed something, and grinned at him.

Harry grinned back.

It may sound cheesy, but they really didn't need to say anything to one another about it, to understand each other.

After minutes of this, Sam asked, "How long?"

Harry smiled in reminiscence, and answered, "When I realised… at my 18th." Sam raised an eyebrow, so he answered fully, "But long before then. Before I even wondered about my education…"

Harry's tone let her know something, and she asked, for confirmation, "You put so much effort because-"

"Yes." Harry told her.

"Then why did you join the Air Force? I mean… regs and all that."

Harry sighed and his grin faded, but he didn't let go of her. "That was more discipline than anything else… but it did mean many at the SGC recognised my part on SG-1. Before that, they all thought I was just some kid getting in on a sympathy ticket."

"It was never that, Harry."

"I joined because of you, you know."

"SG-1?"

"Yeah."

"But you were kept on because of your merits, not out of sympathy."

Harry nodded, and hugged her tight. He smelled her hair, and pulled away and asked, "Strawberry? I thought that was just something in romance novels…" he stopped at her smile.

"Well, not always." She told him, then pulled him back in, but not for a hug.

It was about half an hour later that Harry remembered the food.

--

The next afternoon, Harry was in the gym, sparring with Teal'c. the 6th time he was knocked down in 5 minutes, Teal'c asked from the floor, "You are in better spirits than usual, Harry. May I ask, what the reason is?"

Harry nodded, and as he held a hand out for the Jaffa for the 7th time, Teal'c asked again, "What is the reason?"

"Can't tell you, but feel free to ask again anytime."

That was when Teal'c finally got in a punch that knocked Harry down.

"Indeed." Teal'c merely replied.

--

"Okay, what gives?" Cam asked.

All but Landry were at the table, eating, and Cam had interrupted Daniel's musings about the Asgard's genetic modifications history.

"What?" Harry asked absently.

"You and Sam have been grinning since we got here, and from what Teal'c told me earlier, you were beating him at sparring. And this is Teal'c, he goes down for no shrimp."

Harry scowled at the Colonel, although his smile hadn't faded, and asked, "Who you calling shrimp?" Harry grinned, and added, "Forrest?"

Silence. Everyone stared at Harry for his comment. Harry had never made the Forrest Gump jokes to Cam's face before, although Cam knew he made them.

"Touché." Cam merely replied after a minute.

Query deflected, the rest settled back into conversation. Cam however, occasionally shot looks at Harry and Sam. Neither realised that Cam saw the occasional glances they shared.

"All they wanted was to live a little longer." Daniel finished.

Cam looked at him, and Daniel continued. "They, resequenced their DNA… cured most of the diseases they suffered. Even after the first 10 generations though, they still… suffered from their version of the common cold… but one fatal mistake, and they had doomed their entire race."

"Mistake?" Cam asked.

"They removed the wrong sequence from the next generation of clones. Gradually an entire section of their sequences deteriorated through the clone generations, until they could no longer reproduce sexually. By then there were no original Asgard bodies around that they could study to fix the problem Directly. Since then it's been one attempted fix after another problem.

Harry nodded, and added, "It was a godsend that Heimdall discovered Pre-cloning Asgard in cryogenic stasis when she did."

"I read that one," Cam commented. He looked at Daniel, and asked, "Hadn't you died, like the week before or something?"

Daniel shrugged and nodded.

"You read all the reports." Harry joked. "Not just a few that that one happened to be part of."

Cam just raised an eyebrow.

"Anyway, the time I spent with the Asgard, they took the time to study human anatomy more in-depth than Loki had. Since I was willing, they could do more intensive scans, and-"

"Anal probes?" Cam asked.

Harry frowned at the colonel. He had been getting a weird vibe from the guy all day. "Ha ha very funny," Harry deadpanned, then continued, "Anyway, their genetic resequencing technology has become… more refined since the original clone was produced. It allowed them to completely remove on of my 'M' genes from every cell in my body, and only that one they chose. Completely Harmless."

"At the same time they studied you." Daniel added, to get Harry to continue.

Harry nodded, "Yeah. Certain things in my genome, aside from that whole magic thing, increased various aspects of my brain. You know my brain runs just about 4 percent above normal? It used to be 2 percent, except when I cast spells, which would increase for as long as I held a spell, 25 percent. But since they removed that gene, the requirement of jumping percentages was removed, but the potential was still there. If I push myself, it can go to 10 percent above normal, but that's dangerous for me, since I don't have my magic to assist in channelling the strain into something metaphysical."

"What, What?" Vala interrupted. "Spells?"

Harry frowned, then realised. "Oh, yeah. I was a wizard."

"But, those things…" she asked unsurely.

"Is something different… " Harry replied. "Anyway, that 4 percent gives me an increased capacity to learn, retain and remember information. With 2 percent increase, I did my high-school education in just 2 years… 4 percent? Well, I'm not all that sure, but I think I can read much quicker than most people I've met."

"Other than your mind, what else?" Vala asked.

Harry would have answered, but Sam did for him. "When he first joined SG-1… he wasn't as fit… I mean, athletically, than he is now…"

Vala looked between them, catching Sam's verbal trip.

"It took a lot of effort, but my body is easier to maintain at a particular fitness level than someone else would find."

"Such as?"

"Well, my muscles don't deteriorate like other peoples."

"You mean, you could get huge muscles, and they wont go away no matter how much you exercise?" Vala asked.

"No, they just take longer to do so. I'd say, instead of 40 weights every day to maintain a high level, I just do 30, every 2 days…"

"What about injuries?"

Harry shook his head. "Little improvement, but as you know, I do tend to spend days in the infirmary."

Sam grinned at him, and told Vala, "He's as bad now as Daniel was when we first started."

"Hey…" Daniel and Harry began to protest, but looked at each other for a moment.

"Alright, so maybe I was bad…" Daniel said, as Harry also said, "So trouble was attracted to me…"

Daniel shook his head at it, while Harry mock-glared at Sam.

"Now, now. No marital arguments at the table." Vala joked.

They both looked at her in shock, and asked, "How did you know-"

Vala went wide-eyed.

"Wait…" Harry began.

"So you didn't…" Sam continued.

Vala shook her head.

"Isn't he a little young, Sam?" Cam asked.

Sam looked at him with a frown.

"Isn't she a little old for you Harry?" Vala also asked, mimicking Cam on purpose.

Harry sighed, and sarcastically replied, "Hello…. Time-dilation field. Do you see anyone closer to my age on this ship? And I'm not counting the men before you suggest it." Harry added, stopping her making the comment that Cam was younger than Sam.

"I'm-" Vala began, but Harry cut her off by holding his hand up, giving an obvious glance to Daniel, then a pointed look at her again. She smiled and stayed quiet.

"Sam?" Cam asked, getting everyone's attention back to his question. He was clearly frustrated, Vala and Harry had took even Sam's attention.

Sam shook her head, and replied, "It doesn't matter."

"He's a Lieutenant-" Cam began, but Harry cut him off.

"I've known Sam for close to 6 years." Harry began, and stopped to calm down, before he added, "For only 3 of those years were I in the military."

"He's my best friend." Sam declared.

Daniel and Teal'c raised eyebrows, but that was about it.

Cam however, was shocked, and looked to the others for help, but found none.

Vala asked, "I may be a… little slow, but you two being best friends isn't surprising…"

They looked at her, and so she explained. "I mean, they spend most of their time in each other's company, and they're both scientists/engineers… They're both geniuses. It doesn't take another genius to see that they're suited."

If they all weren't look at her, they would have looked at her. She finished, "For what it's worth, I'm on your side."

"Thanks." Sam muttered.

"Ah… me too." Daniel said immediately after Vala elbowed him sharply.

"Me three." Teal'c added with a slight smile, but they all then looked at Cam.

He seemed to think it over, before he raised his hands in surrender. "Alright… Alright, fine."

With that, Cam stood up, and took his tray with him.

"I'm not all that sure but, Lieutenant is.. 2 ranks below Colonel?" Vala asked.

"Yes. I'm '1st' Lieutenant, also called Full Lieutenant, most just call 1st and 2nd's, Lieutenants. 1st is higher than 2nd, and then it goes, Captain, Major, Lieutenant Colonel, Colonel (also called, Full-bird Colonel,) Brigadier General, Major General, Lieutenant General…"

"Right… Anyway. I wish you two luck." Vala said, then pulled Daniel away as she left the room.

"He doesn't stand a chance, does he?" Harry asked Sam.

"Nope." She answered and stared after them with an amused grin.

Teal'c stood up. "For what it is worth, I wish you all the best." He also added.

Harry nodded in thanks, and in silences, Teal'c also left.

That left Harry and Sam alone, staring into each others eyes.

After a moment, Harry got up, and went around the table to her side. He knelt down, and asked, "Samatha Carter, would you do me the honor of courting me?"

Sam smiled, nodded, and pulled him into a searing kiss.

--

It was 10 months into the Time-Dilation field and Daniel was showing the first signs of giving in to Vala's advances, Sam and Harry were enjoying themselves although they hadn't progressed past one particular stage, Teal'c had taken to writing about his life, and Landry had improved the garden, making a full hydroponics bay that he tended. Occasionally someone would walk in to find him holding pictures of his ex-wife and daughter.

They all found at least some semblance of happiness. All except one.

Cam had taken to flying a 302 around the Odyssey once a week, and while he stuck close to the hull, slow speeds, so as not to exit the time-bubble, each time he took a 302 out, he took it closer to the edge.

He increasingly got frustrated on the ship. Most of the time, someone could then find him just sitting in a 302.

The only person he seemed to socialise with, was Teal'c, and that was because every time Cam missed the weekly Movie Night, Teal'c would drag him out of his bubble for a bit of meditation, sparring, and a movie.

If he weren't so serious, Harry would have verbalised a joke about Cam's preferences, but didn't.

While Cam didn't socialise, he didn't avoid anyone when they went to him… except Sam and Harry.

No one was sure exactly why Cam didn't like their relationship, though Harry suspected that the age and rank thing was merely a cover for something else.

Even Landry had supported them, and had told them that that he was surprised it hadn't happened sooner – he even expected it to happen before they even received the Asgard's summons.

Then again, Landry explained why to Harry in private, told him how Carolyn hadn't exactly been that happy at the SGC until he, Harry, offered to take the two ladies for a night out. That had become a fortnightly event, not just a nightclub, but restaurant. Landry admitted that Carolyn had asked him to even suggest a relationship, but Landry said no on the grounds of what his superiors would say when they found out.

It was also when Landry and Harry had this talk, that they finally cleared the air between them, and explained.

"The Ori Motherships were firing their pulse weapons, our shields were collapsing under the strain. I had to take us into Hyperspace. I'll be honest, I didn't think it would take that long to get out… for what it's worth, I'm sorry."

Harry nodded in understanding.

After that, everyone (except, of course, Cam) noticed that Harry wasn't avoiding the General, and guessed correctly that what was done was done and they were putting it behind them.

--

Everyone was gathered on the bridge. Only Landry had gone there often, so everyone was a bit solemn at re-entering the place they should have been, engaged in battle.

Landry was looking out of the viewport. He sighed and turned to face them all.

"It's been an interesting year for us. It has been a sad one, and a joyful one. A frustrating one, and a freeing one. Car-…" Landry stopped, and looked at everyone, before he restarted, but instead of using surnames or ranks, he instead used their first names. "Samantha. You've had no success with any of our ideas. We very well could be here for the next few years of our lives. Let us hope that they are not sad ones or frustrating ones." With this, he glanced at Cam, who got the message. "And may the next few years be just as joyful and freeing." He paused again, but this time, he did so to collect himself.

"Up until now, we have mostly composed ourselves in a military fashion." Landry glanced at Harry and Sam, who were in a half-embrace. "It seems, that that is rather limiting, considering our circumstances. So, I would like it if, everyone just dropped it all. From now on, I'm Hank, not Sir, not General. It gets rather tiring when you've been in the service for as long as I have."

With that, Hank stepped to the side, and Cam stepped into his place. He avoided looking at any of them. "As you know, I find this whole thing… frustrating. We should be out there, fighting the Ori and living our lives, not being trapped on a starship. I'ld like to apologise for my behaviour over the last few months…" he looked up, and finished, "especially to you both, Harry, Sam. I… was jealous that you could continue your lives, and, a little angry, since… you're the two mostly likely to be able to come up with something that can get us out of it…"

The two nodded their acceptance of his apology, although neither showed if they forgave him. What he said still sounded, to Harry's ears, like excuses covering a truth Cam didn't want to admit to himself.

"That's, all I have to say." Cam finished, and stepped aside.

Vala took his position, and looked at Daniel with a wink. "Well, I'm rather glad… in a way. Sure, we're all going just a tad crazy," Vala grinned and winked at Cam, then she continued "but at least two good things came out of this. Not the least of which, the relationship between our favourite scientists." Sam and Harry smiled in thanks at her. She continued, "But, I finally tied Daniel down!" Vala finished with a cheeky grin at said tied man.

Harry rolled his eyes.

Vala returned to Daniel's side, and without prompting, for once, the man put his arm around Vala, making her beam up at him.

Teal'c took the place. "I have been blessed knowing the peoples of Earth for 11 long years. Co-… Sam… Daniel, it has been a wonder knowing you both. Hank," Teal'c tried, and smiled as he corrected, "Landry… Cameron, It has been an honor knowing you for 3 of those years." Then he turned to Vala. "While we first met 3 years ago also, we have only known you for 2. In those 2 years, I have seen you grow from a… con artist after a quick buck, as our friends on earth say, to a kind-hearted member of SG-1, usually, not letting us get down. You have had a rough time of it, and it has been an honor to know someone with the strength of character to survive that." Teal'c bowed to her. His speech had Vala holding back tears.

Teal'c turned to Harry. "In you, Harry, I once saw a child who could control forces that false gods pretended to wield. But over time, I saw that I was wrong. You were no child. You were young, but had a wisdom beyond your years. And yet, when you joined Sg-1, we barely knew each other… But you helped me, in ways even Master Bra'tac admitted he could not. And since then, you have proven that you deserve your place on SG-1, despite, bumps along the way. After a few years on SG-1, I thought no one could even comprehend how difficult the adjustment from service as a Jaffa to being a member of Stargate Command. Jonas Quinn understood how it was to be an outsider, walking in. But you, Harry, understood at a deeper level. We are alike in many ways, Harry Potter. It has been an honor to help you become the Warrior you are today." Teal'c stepped back.

Harry let go, as Sam stepped over to also give a speech.

"11 years… has it really been that long?" She asked Teal'c and Daniel rhetorically. "It sometimes seems like yesterday that I'm getting ready to go into the briefing room… ready to give Colonel O'Neill a barb about… oh yes, 'Just because my reproductive organs are on the outside instead of the inside, doesn't mean I can't handle whatever you can handle.' I can still clearly remember the first time I met you, Daniel, and when Teal'c turned, and came over to our side. As Jack said, the moment you went from Vader to Anakin."

Teal'c lightly chuckled at the joke Jack had once made, since Star Wars was his favourite movie.

"And I can also quite clearly, remember when you appeared to us, Harry." Sam said, amused.

"We haven't heard that one." Landry said for himself, Cam and Vala.

"He appeared, with tattered clothes barely covering everything… important." Sam licked her lips seductively at him, making him groan. "Mid-air, and fell to the floor." She finished with a chuckle.

Then, she sighed, and said to Cam. "I remember when we first met. I was awarding you the Medal of Honor. You saved our butts over Antartica." She smirked, and finished, "You were a wreck."

She turned to Landry, and said, "I knew of your reputation before I knew you… I remember how you just smirked at Cam when I entered the Briefing room, 2 years ago, like you knew. I didn't know you though. After getting to know Carolyn, I got to know you." She paused to think, but shook her head. "It was an honor."

Then she turned to Vala. "I'll be honest," she began. Vala groaned. "No, It's good… really…"

"Sure." Vala mumbled.

"Like Teal'c said. I've seen you put up with some shit." Sam supplied succinctly. Everyone snorted at that. "And I've seen you handle it like no other… With Humor, Sarcasm and Wit. But when they failed you, you showed the real you. The Kind-hearted woman who…" She paused, looked at Daniel, mumbled "Sorry," and then continued, "Won his heart long ago."

Daniel groaned at her telling of his secret.

"Really?" Vala asked them both. Daniel glared at Sam.

"Some think that that happened way back on the Prometheus…" Sam suggested.

Vala's eyes widened and she grinned up at Daniel. "Oh, good memories."

"No… much much, later." Daniel denied.

Sam turned to Harry. "7 years we've known each other. 7 years, you've been a ear to talk to, a mind to bounce idea's off of,"

"Oh, the bruises." Harry joked.

Sam shook her head, but was smiling at his pun. "You've been there for the people near and dear to me, and you've been there for me. A shoulder to cry on, there to cheer me up… someone I could talk to."

Cam was feeling a bit shamed at this point, they could hear Sam's emotions in her voice.

"7 long, wonderful years." Sam said, and her voice began to quiver when she continued, "Through the good, and the bad… I guess what I'm trying to say…" she paused, took a deep breath, and said with feeling, "I Love you."

Sam moved forward and Harry kissed her, pulling her into a tight hug as he did.

A minute later, they let go, and Daniel took the position.

"It's been one hell of a ride. Going from danger to danger. Before the SG-C, I lost Sara to my own obsession with proving I was right about the pyramids. On Abydos, I met and married Sha're… but then she was taken by the Goa'uld. After years of searching, we found her. But… we had to kill her." Daniel looked down, but after a moment, looked back up. "Sara came back, and I thought we could try again. But then it turned out, she too, had been taken by a Goa'uld… Then I died. Over the years, I've come to have low expectations on relationships, involving me anyway… And here Vala comes along. She amuses and Perturbs me within seconds like neither Sara nor Sha're could. And over the last 2 years, I found myself caring more for her than I thought I could… She just gave me the push…-es…" Daniel smiled at her, and she grinned at how he added the pluralisation. "To show it. I just hope nothing happens to her…"

"Be a Goa'uld host?" Vala asked, then sarcastically finished, "Been there, done that. I guessed I should just beat you to the punch."

Everyone chuckled.

"Sam. You've been a good friend over the years. I have admired you as both a military officer and scientist. I'm ashamed that, after I returned from ascension, I wasn't as close to you as I had been." Daniel glanced at Harry momentarily, and Sam knew then that Harry had mentioned something to Daniel about it.

"Teal'c… you've been a good friend. It was difficult to deal with when you… killed Sha're, but I don't blame you… You've been a steady source of calming advice over the years… and I'm really bad at these speeches." Daniel finished lamely.

They chuckled, and Sam replied, "Dr Langford told me about the lecture you were giving, just before she recruited you for the Program."

Daniel looked at her, and smiled in remembrance,

"While I don't know you, Hank, that much, it has been a pleasure working with you."

With that, he turned to Harry. "Harry… My little brother." With that, Daniel pulled Harry into a bear-hug, and ruffled his hair.

"Hey, Gerrof!" Harry grumbled good-naturedly.

"I always wondered what it'd be like to have a brother. You fit the bill nicely…"

"Yeah, as someone to try to beat up." Harry inserted. "You just try it now."

"Sure." Daniel nodded to him somewhat condescendingly. Then he stage-whispered, "Nice Catch, Bro."

Harry gave him thumbs up.

With that, Daniel stepped away.

Harry took the position. He was quiet, thinking of how to say what he wanted to say.

After a minute, he decided on what he wanted to say, and began. "7 years. To me, it seems a long time. 2 years learning 7 years of schooling. 1 year on Sg-1 as an apprentice engineer, then joining up. A few months at the academy, on sg-1… Then I used my last bit of magic."

Harry looked around, and after moments, continued. "For 6 months I was with the Asgard. They healed me, then I helped them. 6 months. They're like family to me, as much as you all are now. Thor; Heimdall; Kvasir; Freyr… to think, they'll be gone soon after leaving this time-field…" Harry paused, thought for a moment and then emphatically said, "makes me wish that we leave it up." He finished.

The others looked at him in shock.

"Don't get me wrong, I'm not sabotaging my or anyone elses attempts to fix this, but I can't help wanting to stay in here longer, keep the Asgard alive longer…"

He was quiet, before he looked up at everyone. Unlike the others, he went in reverse order.

"Vala… we've had some good laughs…" Vala snorted, so Harry corrected, "Okay, mostly me… at your expense. But it's been fun. Especially seeing Danny-boy on his toes whenever you're around." He added with a grin. "When you first met me, you were wary of me. You didn't know who I was, and you had that feeling of meeting me before. But that wasn't the first time I met you. I was on the Prometheus, back when you stole it, and made sure you couldn't get away with it."

Harry grinned at her shock.

"Anyway. It's been interesting knowing you, and I hope it continues to be so. Cam… It's… well actually it's been somewhat rocky knowing you. I know, I know… It's because I'm a genius…"

Everyone laughed at his false immodesty.

"But it has been interesting, and funny at times, to watch you… blunder in, trying to be like us SG-C Vets."

Cam frowned and swatted him on the arm playfully.

"It's been a good show. I hope you get what you seek." Harry finished, and turned to Teal'c, to everyone's (except Landry and Sam's) surprise, "Teal'c. We didn't know each other that well until I joined SG-1. You looked out for me, made sure I knew certain protocols. As someone who also came from the outside, and worked to earn your place, you understand my position. To come from a place where the rules… the knowledge… it was all different. You helped me adapt. And I must admit, you were almost like an uncle to me…"

Harry smiled wistfully, before he sighed and turned to Landry.

"I knew you before I joined SG-1. I didn't realise who you were until we crossed paths at the SGC though." Harry shook his head, and asked, "Did you really have to call me a, 'Messy, excessively horny teenager who wouldn't know which hole to use even if it was sign-posted-idiot'?"

Everyone looked at Landry wide-eyed, who had the decency to look both embarrassed and ashamed at the comment.

Harry sighed, and turned to Daniel. "My older Brother… you took me in when I got here… well, near enough – took pity on me having to live with Cassie and J-… Janet. " Harry stuttered on saying Janet, even after 4 years, the memory still hurt.

Daniel chuckled somewhat at the reminder.

"You made sure I didn't stray from doing my homework… git."

Daniel chuckled proper at that reminder.

"you looked after me… made sure I knew what those girls were really suggesting…" Harry smiled slightly.

"Oh?" Sam asked.

Harry shrugged, "I'll tell you later. A few good suggestions we could try out."

Daniel, who knew exactly what Harry was referring to, boggled at Harry's audacity. Then he realised that the others didn't know what (although could guess) and Landry seemed to be reminiscing as well.

"Were the Big brother I dreamt about as a kid. When you died, man, that was tough. But you came back. And I'm glad you did."

Then he turned to Sam. He choked on his words, so he took a few deep breaths.

"You're my reason for being. I'd move heaven, Earth, Orilla and Atlantis for you."

Sam smiled at his unique phrasing. As well as the words.

"You reminded me of my best friend from before. Hermione. She was clever… really clever. But, I wasn't interested in Hermione, romantically that is. But you, you reminded me of what I loved about Hermione. That drive for knowledge. To fix things. To fight for what was right. After awhile, I realised, you weren't like Hermione. You were… more. There were facets to you that weren't to Hermione, and there were facets to Hermione that thankfully, you didn't have."

Harry thought for a second, before he began, "I'm not sure when I started to have feelings, but I know when I realised that I did. I thought I had died and gone to heaven, when I saw you. The Axe helped." Harry added.

Sam chuckled. She had known it to be a little… risqué to dress as Buffy The Vampire Slayer, but hey – she killed snakeheads for a living.

"Over the years, we got closer. First you training me, and then, us working together. Finally, I asked you out to diner… and oh… that kiss." Harry smiled in remembrance. When he opened his eyes, he continued, "It was then, that I knew. I didn't want to live without you there to share it with me. I love you, with all my heart…" Harry paused, and unnoticed by Sam, Harry's hand drifted towards his pocket. Neither did she notice how nervous he was.

"As you said, I'm your best friend, and you are mine. There's a phrase, best friends sometimes makes the best partners."

With that, he pulled out the item from his pocket, got down onto one knee, and asked…

--

A/N: MS Word said 5k exactly. FFN says 5,201. I prefer MS Words' count. 5k exactly.

And Aren't I evil for that cliffy?

They have been in the time-field for a year now. I've jigged with the plan, and it'll last 15 years. with 2 geniuses instead of 1, i guess they come up with a way a fair bit quicker.

edit: bugga, found a spelling error. 'knew' instead of 'knee' on the last line... odd thing is, it's not an error thats in the original msword file that i uploaded. when i uploaded it, all i did was add the A/N.