CHAPTER 9: AND SO IT ENDS

A couple of days later, the five friends flew home. The closer they got to Colorado Springs, the more glum and subdued Sam and Jack became until finally the two of them signed in at the base with an air of doom.

"Would you two stop behaving as though you're heading for a firing squad!" Daniel snapped at them. "You'll have the whole base wondering what's wrong."

"Indeed," said Teal'c. "It would be wise not to expect the worst, O'Neill."

"Cheer up," Janet added, chirpily. "It may not be as bad as you expect."

"Do you get the impression they know something we don't?" Jack asked Sam wryly as the doors opened and they exited the elevator.

They all changed into their uniforms and headed up to the briefing room to see General Hammond.

"Good to have you back, SG-1, Doctor." The benevolent man who they all deeply respected looked round the table. "You're all looking well rested. That week at Colonel O'Neill's cabin must have been good for you. Especially you, Major Carter. I'm glad to see you looking better than you did when Dr Fraiser and the rest of SG-1 dragged you out of here." Sam blushed fiercely when he looked at her as he mentioned their cover story and he smiled kindly at her.

"Dr Jackson, you'll be pleased to hear that your recommendations have been taken."

Sam and Jack both looked puzzled, while Daniel and Janet smiled broadly and even Teal'c had a twinkle in his eye.

"First of all, Dr Helen Magnus was invited to the White House yesterday evening. The President briefed her on the Programme and has asked for her assistance should we encounter any creatures off-world where her expertise may be of value. No offense to Dr Fraiser and her excellent team but we could have used Dr Magnus' help when Teal'c was bitten by that bug a few years back and there will no doubt be other occasions when we may need to call on her. Secondly, Dr Magnus inquired about the Touched Virus, which was apparently mentioned while you were in her facility in Old City?"

Janet looked guilty. "That was my fault, General. I accidentally let it slip."

"Fortunately, no harm was done this time, Doctor, but please be more careful in future. The President asked me to explain the virus to Dr Magnus in more detail than he could and she offered an interesting theory. She suggested that Major Carter's illness last week may have been a flare-up of that virus, resulting from exhaustion after your recent experiences on P3R-118. I realise that no one else who was infected has experienced recurrences, however, as Dr Magnus pointed out, Major Carter is the only person ever to have been infected with the Touched Virus who also has naquadah and a Tok'ra protein marker in her system. Dr Magnus stressed to the President just how critical Major Carter's condition was, so due to the exceptional circumstances, the President has excused any impropriety that may have taken place in the course of saving Major Carter's life."

General Hammond paused to enjoy the looks of astonishment coming from his favourite personnel. "That pardon is open-ended, in case Major Carter's condition ever flares up critically again. However, I must make it very clear that this pardon is only valid under those particular circumstances. This is not free permission for you to break the fraternisation regulations, Major Carter."

"Understood, General," she stammered.

"General," Jack began, only to be interrupted by his Commanding Officer.

"That's as good as it's going to get, Colonel. Take it or leave it."

"We'll take it," agreed Sam, quickly.

Later that evening, the friends were all back at Sam's for another barbecue, minus Cassie who had begged to spend one more night with the friend she had been staying with for the past few days, leaving SG-1 and Janet free to discuss General Hammond's revelations.

"So what did you do, Daniel?" Jack asked, looking amused.

"Me? Why would you think...?"

"Your recommendations, Dr Jackson?"

"All right," Daniel admitted. "I spoke to General Hammond and suggested that Helen be informed about the programme and asked to consult. I pointed out that we could easily use her expertise and that she knows how to keep a secret. She's been protecting abnormals for most of her life, after all, and except perhaps in Old City itself, very few regular people know about them. I also hoped she could help you with the frat regs, Sam, but I guess this was the best she could manage, at least not without telling the President that you're an abnormal and I know you didn't want that to happen."

"No," Sam agreed, shuddering at the thought. "I definitely don't want that in my official record."

"Helen really came up with a perfect hypothesis," Janet mused, "and there's no way of disproving it. Not unless someone else who was infected has a Tok'ra die in them. Sam's unique. She's the only person who has both naquadah in her blood and the Tok'ra protein marker. So Helen's theory goes into your official medical record, Sam, and the NID has no reason to be any more interested in you than they are now."

"Agreed. It's not perfect, that we can only be together when I'm in heat," Sam said looking sadly at Jack, "but it's better than nothing. I couldn't stay on SG-1 anyway if we were in an ongoing relationship. No matter how much I'd like to think otherwise, it would definitely affect our team dynamic."

Seeing Jack nod in agreement, she continued. "Neither of us would be allowed to leave the programme, we're both too important to it right now, and I'm not going to get command of my own team yet. The only Majors to lead teams have extensive black ops and field experience - far more than I have at this time. I'm just not ready to lead a team yet. I suppose I could transfer to the labs on a full-time basis but there aren't many scientists in the mountain who can operate effectively on an SG team, so I'm more valuable dividing my time between my lab and a field team. And I really wouldn't want to be on any other team. Besides, Colonel O'Neill is Hammond's 2IC, so ultimately we're in the same chain of command no matter what team I'm on."

Jack lifted Sam's hand and kissed it. "It's not ideal but we'll make do for now."

Jack and Sam stared into each other eyes, sorrow and regret clearly visible on their faces, until Teal'c broke the mood.

"Major Carter? Daniel Jackson and I have not yet seen you in your cat form. Would you mind...?"

"Changing for you? Wait here," Sam said impishly, winking at her Jaffa friend.

Not liking to change in the open in case she was seen by a stranger or nosy neighbour, she went back inside where she quickly shimmered into her cat form before reappearing through the cat flap in the kitchen door. The large tabby cat padded over to her friends and jumped up onto Jack's lap, settling herself down comfortably as he grinned at her. When Jack's hand came up hesitantly to stroke her, she began to purr and rubbed her head under his hand to encourage him to keep petting her. Jack smiled pensively as he stroked her soft fur, remembering the sound of her purring when they made love. "I'll hear that again," he thought longingly. "One day."

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