Title: Behind the scenes of Threads…
Size: 75 Kb
Category: Romance
Pairing: Sam/Jack
Rating: Teens +
Warnings: None
Season/Spoilers: Season 8 – Threads/Moebius II
Summary: Sam and Jack's final act…
December 2008
DISCLAIMERS: I don't own these characters, just playing with 'em the way I wish TPTB had.
A/N: After a LONG period of silence, this is probably my swan song, and definitely NOT my best. Frustrated as I am, I just don't feel what I used to feel in regards to Stargate. I still love the show because it brought me so many things – amongst which MANY friends – but I finally grew tired on waiting for TPTB to give me the fruits of what *THEY* had seeded…
Many thanks to M for her –as usual- efficient and helpful betaing.
Copyright © Anakin David 2008
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Still sat on the wooden bench in front of the "dream house", Sam stared at Pete's retreating car, a sad but resigned look upon her face. She drew a heavy breath, closed her eyes and tilted up her head. "One mess sorted out, one more to go," she mumbled as she pulled her cell phone from her purse. With only a trace of hesitation, she perused the phone's address book and hit speed dial.
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Jack was just out of the mountain and reaching his car when his cell phone buzzed.
"O'Neill?"
"Sir, this is Sergeant Harriman, Teal'c has just come back, Sir. A situation has arisen."
"I'm on my way back down!"
He made a U-turn and jogged back to the entrance as he saw Carter's car coming in from the corner of his eye.
He didn't bother waving for her to hurry. He knew his attitude would speak volumes to her as he disappeared into the bowels of the mountain.
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Jack sat in his office, warily eyeing the pile of folders that grew inexorably despite his best efforts to reduce it. He was trying to digest what had happened in the past few hours.
Daniel was back, the planet was still in one piece despite Anubis's best efforts, and in the end, the Goa'uld had been severely kicked in the butt. There was still Baal –he cringed- unfortunately, but it was unlikely this last power monger would rise from the ashes of the snakehead's now gone galactic empires. The kull warriors were aimless empty cans. Without their master controlling them, the Jaffa were a free nation and it would be a long time before the system lord would be able to recapture even one tenth of his past so called grandeur. His domains had been shattered by the replicators' attack, as well as a good chunk of his fleet. Jack was certain that Baal would make his presence known at some point in the future. But unless the former system lord found some really –really- powerful allies, he doubted he would be much of a threat. Of course, you never knew with those megalomaniac aliens.
Daniel had gone down to the infirmary for a thorough checkup, but Jack had not followed. He had to report the past hours to General Hammond on the phone, or at least give him the broad strokes regarding the couple of dozens of minutes that could have ended the world for good. He knew he was probably going to have to go to Washington with the complete version, though. Carter would tell him if anything came out wrong with Daniel anyway. He sighed and picked the red phone.
"George?"
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Sam left the observation room once Helen Brightman nodded to show her patient was free to go.
She let Daniel dress and then filled him in on the latest events in her and the SGC's life. When she mentioned Selmak's heroic passing and subsequently her Dad's, Daniel just hugged her. Words were unnecessary to convey the sadness he felt at this news. Then Teal'c and Bra'tac came to meet Daniel and they all ended up in the commissary for a much needed meal for the archaeologist and various drinks for Sam and the Jaffa. They were pretty happy and relieved to be able to do so, all very much aware that these trivial moments were to be cherished in the circumstances they'd recently shared.
Now Daniel was showering and changing, getting ready to go back to his life, Teal'c and Bratac were due to return to Dakara shortly to finish straightening things up before Teal'c came back to Earth for a short while.
Sam went to her lab to collect her thoughts. The base was utterly calm and the darkness of her lab, lit only by the soft glow of the various machines and consoles, gave her the kind of comfort she needed. Her Dad's death was really not the issue, even her breaking up with Pete was not. Like before she felt an unusual calm about her private life and actually that *was* the problem… She knew what she had to do, and yet this situation was so foreign to her that she didn't know *how* to proceed. She sighed and stood up. Now was not the time for procrastination.
She went up a few levels to wait for the general to finish his long call in the briefing room. Seeing that he was still on the phone in his office, she stood in front of the picture windows overlooking the Stargate, observing Siler inspecting the device with a small team of techs, her back to the general's office.
The clicking of a door opening behind her startled her a little and she turned to see the general coming toward her with a wan smile.
"Tired?" she asked softly.
"Getting there…" he joked feebly. "What can I do for you, Carter?"
"Sir… I tried to call you earlier but I got your voice mail… I was… I was wondering if I could come over to your place…" she started warily, looking him in the eyes. "There are some things… I need some things…" she stammered then stopped and took a calming breath. "I need to discuss some things with you… off the record… If… Well if it's not too forward of me and if it's…" she was stammering again.
He saved her further trouble. "The house's open, Carter…"
She looked at him sharply. "I tried that once…"
"We won't be interrupted this time," he dismissed. "Miss Johnson…" he looked sideways with a small shrug. "It's over."
Sam kept the "Oh" inside of her mouth but surprise did etch itself upon her face, prompting him to shrug once more.
"A breath of fresh air was all it was," he said, trying to diffuse the sudden tension. "When do you want to come? I know Jacob wouldn't have wanted you to postpone the wedding, but if you just need a bit more time, you have it, you know that?" he asked gently, sadness briefly clouding his eyes.
She shook her head. "It's not about that, Sir… It's been a pretty rough day but I was wondering…"
"I'll leave in 20, I can be home in about an hour. That okay?"
She gave a quick smile of relief. "It's perfect."
"Good, I'll see you then…" he retreated to his office.
"Yes Sir," she replied softly.
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Sam parked her car in his driveway alongside his truck. With a resolute sigh, she got out and locked it as she walked up to his entrance door and rang.
He opened after a few seconds. He was dressed casually, a pair of jeans and a blue sweater with its sleeves rolled up his arms. "Come in," he said with a gesture of his head. "Something to drink?" he asked while leading the way down the short flight of stairs to his living room.
"Water?"
"Ice?"
"No thanks," she said as she looked around his lounge, feeling a bit awkward.
"I'll get it, make yourself comfortable."
Sam sat on the edge of the couch, nervous but resolved. He came back a few moments later, handing her a glass before opening a bottle of beer for himself and tossing the cap on the coffee table.
"I'm all ears," he said waving with his bottle invitingly.
"There's no easy way to start…" she begun, looking anywhere but at him.
"The beginning," he suggested.
"Okay…" she said looking him in the eyes. "I called off the wedding. Pete's probably retrieved his things from my place by now, and I'm thinking of asking for a transfer to Nevada because that's where Cassie is going to be and she needs me now," she blurted out.
Jack's eyebrows threatened to reach his hairline. "Wow! Quite a mouthful!" he said, then amended himself "Sorry… This…" he frowned. "What?"
"I…"
"No, don't…" He sighed. "I know what you said, just… let me process it…"
"Sorry…"
"Stop that."
"What?" she asked, surprised.
"Being sorry, you don't have to be sorry!" he said, putting his bottle on the coffee table and raising a hand to his brow in frustration. "Look… Carter…"
"Jack it was the right thing to do," she said softly.
He raised his head sharply at the mention of his name, and met her eyes.
"I wasn't in love with him," she resumed. "I was probably in love with what he represented, at least for a while… but not with him…"
They fell silent, both lost in their thoughts.
Eventually, Jack cleared his throat. "You said you wanted a transfer?" he asked in a soft voice.
"Well, that's not entirely related, but yes. I know Cassie's been having a rough ride lately and she needs me… She's a tough kid but not that tough… On the other hand, I could really do with a change. While I was waiting for you to finish your call earlier, I realized that after Anubis's defeat, the threat is pretty much gone. Teal'c's probably going to want to help with the free Jaffa, and Daniel doesn't need the action to be happy…" she looked at him, waiting for an answer.
"Well that makes two of us, then," he said nonchalantly.
"Two? What do you mean?" she frowned.
"You'll be the first to be informed, too. The phone call was with Hammond…"
"Yes?"
"I told him the whole story of the last few hours and all and then we chitchatted about this and that, like the fact that I'll probably have to go to Washington to make my report to the President and speak before the Joint Chiefs, and well… you know how much I love speeches…"
"And?" she interrupted, slightly annoyed by his rambling.
"And what do you know? It appears that ole' George has had enough…"
"What do you mean?" she asked, suddenly alarmed.
"He's retiring. He's offered me the job… Ordered me to the job actually… well... Not exactly ordered but strongly suggested that I take it…"
"But… What about the SGC?"
"General Hank Landry's been assigned to the position, effective this Monday."
"This Monday? Four days?!" she exclaimed.
"Well you know about the Air Force and procrastination..."
"So what now?"
"Well I was given a two week leave as soon as Landry steps at the SGC, to organize my things in Colorado Springs, maybe take a little rest. And then I am to report to DC, get the promotion and start on the new job."
She smiled. "A promotion?"
"Yes, they thought a Brigadier General was not enough for the job. They want a Major General…"
"Congratulations, sir," she said warmly.
His eyes sharpened. "What happened to Jack?"
She blushed furiously.
He looked pensive for a while, frowning. "Well, at least I'll tell you what's going to happen to Jack," he started. "Jack is headed to Minnesota as of Tuesday morning… on his own … or with his friends …" he looked sharply at her.
She smiled slowly, her eyes twinkling.
"Actually, that was something else I meant to ask you…"
He raised his eyebrows questioningly.
"I could do with a little vacation myself, too… Before moving to Nevada, that is… And…" she grimaced a little, hoping she was not going to sound too corny. "I've never been to Minnesota…"
He smiled cockily. "Wanna hitch a free ride?"
"If it's not too much of an imposition…" she replied jokingly.
Jack stood up. "Actually it's not since we're flying there… You think the boys would want to come?"
"Well I don't want to speak for Daniel, but I still remember Teal'c complaining about mosquitoes…"
"Ah shush!" he said with a dismissive hand. "Teal'c'd never been out in the wild on Earth… He'll live with it now... We can pack a special array of anti-any insect spray for him if that's what it takes!"
Sam giggled, making him smile at her in a way she had seldom seen these past years. She stood up. "I think I should go now… It's late and…"
He stood up too. "Yes… Look I'll talk to the boys tomorrow and make plane reservations for the two of us… that okay?"
"Very much, yes…"
Their eyes met and Sam was surprised to see a new kind of warmth in his.
"You're okay?" he asked in the same voice he had used in that observation room not too long ago.
"I am now, yes…" she said, and she meant it.
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