Storytime with Rachel F Hundred

‘Ow.’ Samantha Carter winced and opened her eyes. The infirmary ceiling stared back at her. She closed her eyes again as it flooded back to her. She had injured her shoulder, sustained a minor concussion and bruised everywhere else on her body. Given her fall through the wormhole from a great height and subsequent landing on the metal ramp of the SGC, it was a wonder that she hadn’t broken every bone in her body.

‘You awake, Carter?’ The sound of feet hitting the linoleum floor had her eyes snapping open and she turned her head gingerly to meet Jack O’Neill’s warm concerned gaze as he walked over to her bed.

She tried to moisten her dry mouth and failed. ‘Sir.’

His brown eyes widened as he heard her croaky voice. He looked around wildly and spotted the jug of water. He filled a cup and handed it to her. She struggled to sit up with her bad shoulder strapped so tightly and he put it down hurriedly. He helped her shift into a sitting position, and waited until she resettled before he gave it back to her. She took it with her good hand and took a grateful drink. The warm liquid slid down her throat, soothing the rawness.

‘Better?’ Jack asked, hovering. He pushed his hands in his pockets and looked at her guardedly.

She went to nod her head but stopped at the twinge of pain. ‘Yes, sir.’ She took another drink and wet her lips. She took in the faint hint of stubble on his jaw, the shadows under his eyes and the rumpled clothes. Her eyes flickered to the bed he had walked over from and she took in the disturbed covers. He had evidently spent the night in the infirmary watching over her. Her gut twisted and she looked down at the cup of water she held.

Since Janet Fraiser had effectively kicked SG1 out of the infirmary after dinner, it meant the Colonel had sneaked back at in at some point after Sam had fallen asleep. She couldn’t help the flush of pleasure that he had cared enough to return and stay with her. Not that it meant anything. He had been nothing but professional with her since the whole incident when a computer entity had taken over her body and he’d had to shoot her. He cared about her as a team-mate and as a friend but that was it. She knew he was dating someone outside the base; she had seen him with an attractive brunette coming out of a restaurant the week before. He hadn’t mentioned it since and neither had she.

She drained the cup abruptly and held it out without looking at him.

‘You want more?’ Jack asked archly.

Her eyes flickered back to him at the question and she watched amused as he picked up the jug and waggled it.

‘It’s a good vintage.’ Jack teased.

She smiled unable to resist his light-hearted tone. ‘No. Thank you, sir.’

Jack put the jug down before he grabbed the cup. He regarded her seriously as he fidgeted with it. ‘You OK? You need anything else?’

Sam looked down at her blankets and smoothed the edge. ‘I’m fine.’

Jack set the cup on the side table next to the jug. There was a long pause

‘You did good yesterday.’ Jack said softly.

She looked up and found him gazing back at her with so much understanding that she felt tears prick the back of her eyes. She dropped her gaze again. It took her a moment before she regained control. Given her injury, the previous day had disappeared in a blur of tests and medical examinations before she had been debriefed by General Hammond. When SG1 had been allowed in to keep her company, the team had focused on distracting her rather than any analysis of what had happened. It had been the first time the Colonel had mentioned her actions since she had been loaded onto a stretcher.

She took a breath. ‘I left him behind, sir.’

Another silence and she figured the Colonel was working out what to say to her. It was their number one rule and she had broken it at the cost of a man’s life. She had failed to protect the Ambassador.

‘If you had waited, if you had tried to go back and rescue him, what would have happened?’ Jack asked.

His tone was gentle and far too empathetic. Sam shifted position in the bed, welcoming the bite of pain in her shoulder as she moved.

‘Carter.’ Jack prompted. ‘What would have happened?’

It was his CO voice – the one he used when they were in the field and he needed her to give him an answer. She responded to it automatically without thinking. ‘The Aschen would have fired a bio-weapon through the open Stargate.’

‘Killing everyone on Earth.’ Jack pointed out brusquely.

There was an awkward pause. Sam kept her eyes pinned to the bedclothes.

‘Look,’ Jack began, ‘I know you liked him…’

Her stomach fluttered; he sounded jealous but of course he couldn’t actually be jealous, he was dating someone. It had to be her imagination trying to conjure up feelings that no longer existed. He was just making an observation. She had liked Ambassador Faxon – Joe. It hadn’t been anything serious; his obvious flirting and admiration of her had simply flattered her and soothed her ego after seeing the Colonel with another woman. She just thought Joe had been one of the good guys and he had given his life to save her, to ensure that she got the message about the Aschen back to Earth.

‘…but there wasn’t a choice, Carter.’

Sam bit her lip as his words sank into her. She had left the Ambassador to the mercy of the Aschen because it had been him or Earth. There hadn’t been a choice. Not really. She wondered briefly if Jack – if the Colonel – had felt the same when he’d pointed a zat at her, when he’d had her or Earth as the choice…

No; there was definitely no choice at all.

‘I know.’ She said softly.

Jack sighed and she felt rather than saw his hand reach out but drop short of her arm, landing on the covers beside her. ‘Stop beating yourself up about it, Carter.’ He instructed firmly.

Sam looked at him about to protest that he couldn’t actually order her not to feel bad about what had happened.

‘Besides,’ his hand moved, gesturing at her shoulder, ‘the universe already got to you first.’

The smile had her lips moving before she could stop it.

He nodded satisfied.

‘Colonel. You’re here early.’ Janet said dryly from the doorway.

Jack froze and Sam almost laughed as he shot her a horrified look at being caught.

Janet’s heels tapped across the linoleum as she walked over to them. She grabbed the clipboard as she stared pointedly at Jack.

‘I was just checking in on Carter before breakfast.’ Jack claimed smoothly.

Janet’s eyes drifted meaningfully to the disturbed bed across the room and back to the Colonel.

‘I’ll just…’ Jack indicated the door. He winked at Carter and left.

Janet turned back to Sam and opened the clipboard. She glanced over Sam’s chart. ‘You had a good night?’

‘I’m fine.’ Sam said as Janet moved to examine her.

‘It was a very nasty fall.’ Janet corrected her. ‘You’re very lucky.’

‘So I’m told.’ Sam quipped dryly.

Janet shot her a chiding look as she shone a penlight into her eyes and scribbled a note on the chart. She continued her examination and Sam suffered through it. By the time, Janet had finished, Sam leaned back on the soft pillows with relief.

‘Can I get out of here?’ Sam asked eagerly.

Janet shook her head and put her pen back into her breast pocket. ‘I want to keep you here for another twenty-four hours observation.’

Sam groaned. ‘Janet…’

‘Sam.’ Janet retorted. ‘If your vitals remain stable, I’ll discharge you tomorrow but you’re going to need to continue to rest that shoulder for at least a week, maybe more.’ She smiled sympathetically at Sam’s disheartened expression.

‘Can I at least shower?’ Sam complained, plucking at her infirmary pyjama top.

‘I’ll get the nurse to help you.’ Janet raised a hand before Sam could say anything. ‘That’s my final offer.’

‘Fine.’

The doctor ignored her grumpy tone. ‘Cassie says hi and that she hopes you get better soon.’

Sam softened at the mention of Janet’s adopted daughter. ‘How is she?’

‘She and Dominic are back together.’ Janet pulled a face as she replaced the clipboard at the end of the bed. ‘Apparently, he is once again the love of her life instead of mud-sucking scum of the universe.’

‘Ah.’ Sam said sagely. ‘He apologised.’

‘With flowers and everything.’ Janet confirmed with a sigh. ‘Do you know how long it’s been since someone sent me flowers?’

Sam smiled at her ruefully. ‘I haven’t exactly been inundated with flowers myself, Janet.’

‘Oh come on,’ Janet said with a teasing glint in her eye, ‘you’ve had an alien follow you home, and didn’t that Tollan guy you kissed have you as his voice in his home? Not to mention the Ambassador seemed keen on asking you to dinner?’

‘And now they’re all dead.’ Sam muttered. She avoided Janet’s gaze.

Janet reached out to touch Sam’s arm gently. ‘Sam…’

‘Could I get that shower now?’ Sam asked a little desperately.

Janet sighed but nodded. ‘I’ll get the nurse.’ She walked away.

Sam shifted position on the pillows, trying to ease the ache in her shoulder and the tightness in her chest. In the past few months, she mused, she’d seen Orlin, the alien who had followed her home, give his life to save hers on Velona; Narim, the Tollan who had fallen in love with her, sacrifice his life to save Earth, and the Ambassador, with his admiration and invitation to dinner, save her life too.

And then there was Martouf, Sam considered tiredly. The soul mate of Jolinar, the Tok’ra symbiote she had once carried. Sam had shot and thought she had killed Martouf when he had been brainwashed by the Goa’uld but she had learned his body had been sustained by Lantash, his symbiote, and they had both been put in stasis in the hopes of finding a solution to the brainwashing.

It didn’t stop there; Sam thought fleetingly back to her ex-fiancé Jonas Hansen and his ignominious end. She sighed heavily. She was cursed or maybe she was a curse, Sam reflected, sadly. There didn’t seem to be a man who had been interested in her who hadn’t ended up dead.

An image of the Colonel jumped straight to the forefront of her mind and she closed her eyes as though to erase the image. She was so not going there. He was alive, the voice in her head whispered back. He had said he cared for her more than he was supposed to – had loved her and he was still alive.

Only because the Colonel had moved on, she argued with herself. He had died in both the alternate universes SG1 had encountered when they had been together. It was just as well he was seeing someone else. If they had decided to be together; if they had pursued a relationship…she probably would have only ended up losing him anyway.

Her heart clenched painfully in her chest at the thought of Jack dying. Just the thought hurt. She could remember her father’s grief when her mother had died; Daniel’s pain at Sha’re’s death and how deeply Teal’c had mourned Sho’nac. Perhaps loving someone inevitably led to loss…

‘Uh, ma’am?’

She opened her eyes and found a nurse standing by her bed.

‘Doctor Fraiser said you wanted a shower?’ The young nurse smiled warmly.

‘Yes. Thank you.’ Sam manoeuvred out of the bed. She pushed her feet into the slippers offered. Maybe it was a good thing the Colonel had stepped back from his feelings for her when he had, Sam thought. If she lost Jack…it didn’t bear thinking about.

o-O-o

Janet’s fist stopped short of the General’s open door as she caught sight of the red phone in his hand. He saw her hovering and waved her inside the office. She took a couple of hesitant steps, her fingers clenching around the pale blue folder she held.

‘Yes, sir. No, I understand that, sir, but given…’

Hammond’s Texan drawl was tense and frustrated. She observed a dull red flush travel across his neck and cheeks.

‘I understand.’ Hammond sighed. ‘Yes, sir.’ He held the phone away from his ear, wincing slightly. He slowly placed it back into the cradle.

‘Everything alright, sir?’ Janet asked tentatively.

Hammond lifted his hand from the desk. ‘Senator Kinsey has insisted so there is going to be an official investigation into the events with the Aschen. Apparently, I can expect a recall to Washington in the next few days to answer questions on the matter.’

Janet frowned. ‘I’m sorry to hear that, sir.’

‘Not as sorry as I am, Doctor.’ Hammond noted dryly. He gestured at her and she handed him the folder. ‘What can I do for you?’

‘I’ve released Major Carter this morning.’ Janet informed him briskly. ‘She’ll be out for a week at least until her shoulder heals and will possibly need another couple of weeks on light duty beyond that. Her shoulder took quite a battering.’

Hammond nodded in agreement. He closed the folder and set it aside. ‘Very well. Thank you, Doctor.’

‘Sir.’ Janet acknowledged the dismissal and left the office. She headed for the elevator and punched the call button. She smiled as Daniel walked up to join her.

‘Hey.’ Daniel raised his head from the book he was reading and snapped it shut with an audible bang. ‘How are you?’

‘Good.’ Janet said with a smile. ‘You?’

‘Good.’ Daniel smiled back. ‘So I guess we’re both good.’

Janet couldn’t prevent her smile widening as the archaeologist’s eyes warmed with amusement. They both got into the elevator.

‘I’ve been meaning to say thank you for talking with Cassie on that history assignment.’ Janet said when the compartment started moving.

Daniel shrugged. ‘She did the work.’

‘You know she’s thinking of taking archaeology as a profession.’ Janet informed him. She nudged him. ‘You obviously inspired her.’

‘Uh, I think that was Indiana Jones.’ Daniel quipped, pushing his glasses up his nose.

They both got out at the infirmary level and Janet looked at him quizzically.

‘You’re getting out here?’

‘Sure.’ Daniel pointed in the direction of the infirmary ward. ‘Thought I’d check on Sam.’

‘I released her.’ Janet told him briskly. ‘I had an Airman drive her home.’

Daniel blinked at her. ‘You did?’

They both looked at each other and simultaneously sighed.

‘You’d think she would have told one of us.’ Daniel’s annoyance bled through his words and Janet couldn’t prevent herself automatically reaching out to place a hand on his arm.

‘You know Sam.’ Janet said dryly. ‘I think she thinks she can handle this herself.’ A flicker of guilt ran through her. She had intended to invite Sam to stay with her and Cassie during her recovery but Sam had been quiet and closed off since Janet’s comment over Sam’s admirers. She could kick herself for making it.

‘I know,’ Daniel replied, ‘I just…I guess I’ll drop round and see her after work.’ He turned back to the elevator. ‘Well, I should…’

‘Right.’ Janet nodded and shoved her hands into her pockets. ‘See you later.’

o-O-o

Jack viewed the convenience store with a jaded eye and turned back to the attractive brunette sat beside him. ‘You really want to shop here?’

Amy Castle grinned at him. ‘Where’s your adventurous spirit, Jack?’ She patted his arm. ‘This place has the best deli this side of Colorado Springs.’

Jack grimaced. ‘We could go back to your place; get pizza.’ He couldn’t repress the hopeful note that coloured his tone and she rolled her sherry brown eyes at him.

‘We can’t eat pizza all the time. Come on.’ Amy objected firmly. She didn’t wait for him to reply but pushed open the passenger door and alighted from his truck.

Jack sighed as he watched her walk away. He pushed open his own door. He liked Amy, he did. He liked dating her and they had a good time together but he missed the freedom of being single, of having the option of eating pizza seven nights in a row if he wanted. He pressed the key fob and the truck beeped.

If he was being completely honest, his aversion to the deli picnic Amy had wanted for their romantic evening had more to do with the shop being in Carter’s neighbourhood. As her CO and team-mate, he knew he shouldn’t be bothered but as a man who had once professed to care more for Carter than he should he was only too aware of how awkward it would be if they ran into each other unexpectedly. For Carter, he assured himself. Not for him. Nope. Not for him.

It was unlikely to happen, Jack considered guiltily; Carter was home recovering from her injury. Daniel and Teal’c were checking on her. He had been invited but he’d had to reluctantly decline. He’d cancelled two dates with Amy during the mess with the Aschen – once when he and SG1 had accompanied the ill-fated Ambassador to negotiations and the second time when he had undertaken an unexpected trip to Washington. Jack figured a third cancellation was equivalent to the three strikes rule: after the third, it was time to leave the field, and he wasn’t quite ready to admit that his attempt to build something of a life outside of the SGC had failed.

Even though it had.

It had not failed, Jack told himself sternly.

Had too, the annoying voice in his head replied.

Jack sighed heavily and walked into the store. It was part normal supermarket and part huge deli counter. Amy waved at him from her place in what seemed to be a huge queue and he sauntered over to join her.

She took in his disgruntled expression and reached up to lightly plant a kiss on his mouth. ‘Why don’t you grab some dessert?’

‘Dessert.’ Jack stated. ‘Sure.’ He wandered off unsure of his direction. He estimated he had ten minutes before Amy got served and probably five minutes beyond that. He took his time before deciding on a tub of ice-cream and a frozen apple pie. He picked them up and checking the time, headed back to the queue. His eyes glanced down an aisle and caught on a familiar blonde haired woman straining to get to the top shelf, one arm in a sling. Before he was even aware he was doing it, he had changed direction and was marching down the aisle.

‘What the hell are you doing, Carter?’ Jack careened to a stop beside her.

Sam looked at him grumpily. ‘Shopping, sir.’

He shot her a look and she pointed at an oversize bag of chips that remained just out of her reach.

‘Where are Daniel and Teal’c?’ Jack demanded as he grabbed the chips placing it into the trolley along with her other groceries. ‘Aren’t they supposed to be helping you?’

‘They’re at the deli counter.’ Sam explained. ‘Daniel wanted to check out the gourmet coffee and Teal’c has this thing for the garlic stuffed olives here.’

Jack made a face. ‘Nice.’

Sam nodded in agreement. Her blue eyes fell to the items he was carrying. ‘Dessert?’

‘Yeah.’ Jack shuffled. He pulled a face, wondering if he could get back to Amy before any awkward introductions needed to happen. ‘Amy likes the deli here so…she’s, uh, at the counter.’ He thrust the tub of ice-cream in the right direction.

‘Right. I should let you get back to your date.’ Sam offered a small, tight smile. ‘Thanks for your help, sir.’

Jack hovered, reluctant to leave her. Carter looked pale; surprisingly fragile with the sling and her civilian dress of jeans, t-shirt and short blue jacket that highlighted her eyes. It had been his fault that she’d had to face down the Aschen alone. Kinsey didn’t like him and had banned SG1 from being part of the negotiations. It had only been because Faxon had insisted that Carter had been there at all.

‘You sure you don’t need some help?’ He found himself offering.

‘I’ll be fine.’ Sam insisted bravely.

He remained standing beside her as though his feet had been glued to the floor. ‘Carter…’ he began and stopped. What was he going to say to her, he thought tiredly.

‘Jack?’ Amy called his name and both of them jumped.

Jack tried not to flinch as Amy slid an arm around his waist and looked at Sam with blatant curiosity. Carter looked away briefly, her cheeks colouring and Jack repressed the urge to slide away from his date.

‘I’m done.’ Amy confirmed. She nudged Jack. ‘Aren’t you going to introduce us?’ Her voice was filled with amusement.

‘Hmmm?’ Jack tried to pretend a nonchalance he didn’t feel. ‘Amy, Carter. Carter, Amy.’

Sam offered a weak smile.

Amy’s brown eyes widened as she made the connection that Sam was Jack’s team-mate. She shook herself as the silence continued, seemingly realising that she had been staring. ‘I’m sorry. You’re just not what I expected an Air Force Major to look like.’ She laughed nervously. ‘I mean, you’re very beautiful.’

‘Thank you.’ Sam blushed and adjusted her stance slightly.

‘Oh, you’re injured.’ Amy noted with concern, catching sight of the sling. ‘How did you do that?’

‘I fell.’

‘She fell.’

Sam and Jack answered in unison.

Amy looked at them both a little taken aback.

‘She had an accident.’ Jack expanded, waving at Carter. ‘She was…uh…’

‘On a ladder.’ Sam supplied helpfully.

‘And she…’ Jack said.

‘Missed my footing.’ Sam continued seamlessly. She gave an embarrassed smile as though to say ‘clumsy me.’

‘But she’s fine.’ Jack added; his eyes on hers.

‘Fine.’ Sam repeated.

Amy looked from Jack to Sam and back again.

Jack cleared his throat. He gave Carter an apologetic grimace.

‘I guess you’re going to find it difficult cooking with one arm?’ Amy noted, glancing at the trolley with its assortment of chips, pop tarts and cereal.

‘I guess,’ Sam admitted with a light laugh, ‘but I do dial a mean pizza.’ She smiled suddenly at Jack who couldn’t help but smile back. She suddenly broke eye contact as though remembering Amy and looked at her shyly. ‘It’s just as well I’m used to eating it all the time.’

Amy smiled and jerked her head at Jack. ‘So is he.’

There was another awkward silence and Amy cast another speculative look at Jack who avoided her gaze.

Sam gestured at her trolley. ‘Well, I should really continue with this…’

‘Yes.’ Jack agreed eagerly. He gestured at Amy’s basket. ‘We should really get going too.’

‘It was nice to meet you.’ Sam said politely to Amy.

‘You too.’ Amy said.

Jack waved his ice-cream at Carter and ushered Amy back down the aisle. They paid for their shopping and left. Jack ignored the looks Amy shot him in the truck on the way back and pretended to focus on his driving so he could brood.

OK, he mused, so the worst had happened. Carter and Amy had met. The world hadn’t ended.

Much.

He’d just been too aware in that moment of meeting, he realised with immense chagrin, which woman he loved.

Moving on, Jack reminded himself. He and Carter couldn’t be together. He was her CO. He had to protect her; they could only be team-mates nothing more. He had fixated on her because she was unattainable, as a way of hiding from the cold empty reality of his life outside of the SGC, not because he was genuinely in love with her.

Only he was.

Genuinely in love with Carter.

He thought back to the moment a month or so before when he had helped his ex-wife Sara pack up their late son’s belongings. He had realised as he had looked over the treasures he’d kept that his life had not moved forward since his son’s death. He’d believed briefly that maybe his feelings for Carter had been part of his wider self-delusion that he had been rebuilding his life after Charlie.

The last five minutes had shattered that belief. Or maybe the whole Aschen thing had shattered it. He’d only known that as he had acknowledged the possibility that they had found an ally to help with the Goa’uld that maybe, just maybe, there had also been hope of a future – and every time he thought about that future, he always found himself imagining a future with Carter.

Which was bad. Because Jack was her CO, a team-mate, a friend. They had returned to their professional relationship and put their declarations of feeling more than that behind them. Because it had looked like Carter might have had something going with the Ambassador, and Jack wasn’t supposed to be jealous of Carter finding happiness and dating another man. Because he, himself, was supposed to be with Amy who was fun and uncomplicated.

But Jack couldn’t deny that not once in all the times his mind had strayed to picturing a future had he pictured himself with Amy. It was always Carter.

Always.

He pulled up in front of Amy’s house and turned off the engine. Neither of them moved.

‘I like spending time with you, Jack.’ Amy broke the silence. ‘We’re good together.’

‘We are.’ He noted. His hands were still on the steering wheel. He had been up front with Amy that he had baggage and they’d both agreed that their relationship would be light-hearted. He looked over at her and found her looking sympathetically back at him.

‘But maybe we should both call it day while it’s just fun.’ Amy concluded.

Jack winced. Oh, he was so getting dumped. He wondered briefly what had given him away in those few brief moments she had seen him with Carter.

Amy sighed. ‘When you said you had baggage I just assumed Sara and…’

‘I know.’ Jack cut her off.

‘We had fun, didn’t we?’ Amy said with a small smile of regret.

‘We did.’ Jack acknowledged, registering the tense she’d used.

Amy leaned over and kissed him deeply. He returned the kiss; he knew it was a goodbye. She pulled back and cupped his cheek gently. A moment later, she was gone, disappearing up the walkway into her house, the door closing firmly behind her.

He wondered at the relief coursing through him and closed his eyes, resting his head against the back of the seat for a moment. Jack moved. He started the engine and pulled away. His thoughts drifted back to the decisions he had made over the past month. He knew his fundamental revelation that he had been hiding from life since Charlie’s death had some truth in it but he had no idea whether he should be happy or sad about realising that his feelings for Carter were real. Maybe it was the universe’s way of getting even with him, Jack mused morosely; allowing him to realise that he deserved to build a life again, that it would honour Charlie’s memory if he did, only to understand that the one woman he wanted to build that life with was out of reach.

He paused at the intersection; Carter’s house was to the left, his to the right.

His lips twisted. Nothing had changed. Jack turned his truck toward his house. He and Carter couldn’t be together and, whatever his feelings, he doubted she felt the same. She had accepted a dinner invitation with the late Ambassador after all and he had caught her humming in the elevator – she had done the same thing when the glowy alien guy had stayed at her house.

Jack winced. He was her CO; that was all he could be to Carter if she was going to stay safe and achieve her potential. Maybe one day they would meet an ally who would really help them and the war would be over, and the possibility of more, of a future with Carter would exist again. But in the meantime, Jack determined purposefully, he would keep his personal feelings for her under wraps and he was going to be the best damned CO Carter had ever had.

o-O-o

Sam stared at the chess board, trying to work out how she had just lost. Her blue eyes flickered to Cassie who grinned back at her. ‘You’ve been practicing.’

‘Maybe.’ Cassie admitted. ‘Thanks for coming over tonight instead of Saturday like usual.’ She slid off her bed and stretched with youthful ease.

Sam winced in envy. Her hand crept up to her shoulder. It was mostly healed after almost a week of rest but it was stiff and sore.

‘Are you OK?’ Cassie asked worriedly.

Sam tried to smile reassuringly. ‘Sure.’ She gestured at the half-packed suitcase on the floor. ‘You haven’t finished packing for your trip?’ Janet and Cassie were headed to Janet’s parents for the weekend.

Cassie made a face. ‘I’ll do it when I get back from my date with Dominic.’

‘Date with Dominic, huh?’ Sam said teasingly as she shuffled slowly to the edge of the bed and climbed off.

‘Yes.’ Cassie blushed as she pulled on a denim jacket. ‘We’re just going to see a movie.’

‘Uh-huh.’ Sam nodded; her eyes bright with mirth. ‘Making out in the back row…’

Cassie hit her softly with a pillow. ‘Sam!’

The doorbell rang as though on cue.

‘Go.’ Sam ordered, grabbing the pillow from her and waving her out of the door. ‘Get out of here.’

Cassie hugged her gently and with a flash of a smile she was gone. Sam placed the pillow back on the bed and smoothed the covers. Her eyes caught on a picture on a bookshelf and she made her way over to it. She picked it up and ran a finger over the gold frame. It was a rare picture of SG1 out of uniform along with General Hammond, Janet and Cassie. It had been taken a year before at a barbeque celebrating the General’s return as SGC commander after a brief absence. Her fingers traced over Teal’c’s bright red outfit, Daniel’s shy smile and the way she and Jack stood so closely together.

They had received the note from the future warning them about the Aschen not too long after the barbeque. Sam sighed. She wondered what had happened in the other timeline. Had they embraced the Aschen as an ally without question? She feared they had. She knew forensics had worked out six years or more had passed before they had sent the note. Perhaps the truth about the Aschen’s plans to sterilise Earth had only just come to light at that point or they had seen Earth decimated by their so-called ally. Whatever had happened, Sam had no doubt that the truth about the Aschen had prompted SG1’s desperate action in sending the note back to the past.

She rubbed her shoulder thoughtfully. It had comforted her the year before that evidently SG1 had acted together to send the note: the Colonel may have written it but her own fingerprints had been found on the paper. Had she and Jack been together in that future? Sam had to admit that just after the Volians had introduced the Aschen and she had fantasised about the end of the war with the Goa’uld, she hadn’t been able to stop the kernel of hope forming that maybe it would give her and Jack a chance if they were no longer serving together, no longer fighting a war together.

Sam bit her lip. They had rewritten the future and maybe she and Jack had been together in that timeline but in her timeline, Jack was with Amy who seemed like a lovely woman. She was happy the Colonel was happy, Sam thought briskly, ignoring the twist of jealousy that knotted her gut. It was for the best. While she and Jack served together, they could only have a professional relationship even if her feelings for him hadn’t changed. Maybe, she mused, maybe it would be a good thing if she just buried her feelings for the Colonel and focused on her career for a while.

‘Hey.’ Janet knocked softly on the door, pulling Sam out of her inner wool-gathering. ‘You OK?’

Sam looked over her shoulder and nodded. ‘I was just thinking.’

Janet’s eyes slid to the picture-frame Sam was holding. ‘It’s a great photo.’

‘Yeah.’ Sam placed it back on the shelf. ‘It was just after that we got the note from the future.’

‘I remember.’ Janet said, taking a step inside the bedroom. Her arms were folded over her sweater. ‘It’s scary, isn’t it?’ She mused out loud. ‘We came so close to making the same mistake despite that note.’

‘Scary.’ Sam agreed. ‘I just hope the President will see we did the right thing.’

Janet looked at her quizzically. ‘You almost sound like you wish you were heading to Washington yourself.’

Senator Kinsey had gone through with his threat to insist on a formal investigation and the rest of SG1 along with General Hammond had been called to the capitol to answer questions on what had happened with the Aschen from a Select Committee comprising the Senator, the President and the Joint Chiefs. They were due to leave on a late flight later that night. Sam had been informed she did not have to attend given she was recovering from her injury.

Sam grimaced. ‘I wish I was.’ She would have preferred to have been with her team instead of stuck at home.

‘You have to rest that shoulder.’ Janet said firmly, crossing over to the suitcase. She knelt on the floor and pulled out clothes to repack them neatly.

‘It’s fine.’ Sam insisted.

Janet shot her a look of disbelief.

‘It’s a little sore.’ Sam admitted under the doctor’s knowing glare. ‘But that’s all.’

‘Hmmm.’ Janet folded a sweater and placed it back into the case. She gestured at Sam. ‘Your gym has a heated pool, right?’

‘Yeah.’

‘You might want to try swimming.’ Janet said. ‘It would help strengthen the muscles.’

‘Good idea.’ Sam said. She could go in the morning, she decided. ‘I should get back.’

‘You don’t want to stay?’ Janet offered. ‘I have a bottle of wine.’

‘Thanks but I should be getting back.’ Sam said, pulling on her jacket. ‘Have a good trip.’

Janet walked her out and Sam got into the car. She drove away with a tired sigh. The truth was her shoulder was aching and she was looking forward to getting home. Maybe a relaxing weekend on her own was just what she needed, Sam mused. No interruptions, no saving the world, just some time on her own. Sounded perfect.

o-O-o

Jack slapped the tray down on the table and sat down unhappily to eat his meal. He ignored Daniel’s sigh across the table and Teal’c’s raised eyebrow that had disappeared under the hat he wore.

‘This is a waste of time.’ Jack declared. The Select Committee weren’t interested in the truth; they were only interested in blaming someone for the treaty negotiations going South.

‘As you have said before, O’Neill,’ Teal’c noted with enough irritation to let Jack know that even the Jaffa’s legendary patience was at an end, ‘many times.’

‘None of us want to be here, Jack, especially on a weekend.’ Daniel said quietly. He picked at his own meal without enthusiasm. ‘Did you get hold of Sam?’

‘No.’ Jack sighed. ‘She’s not picking up.’

Daniel and Teal’c exchanged a worried look.

‘You think she’s OK?’ Daniel asked, abandoning his meal.

‘I don’t know, Daniel.’ Jack responded tersely.

Carter had been excused from the investigation given her medical condition. Jack had initially been pleased she was being saved the trauma of having to relive the mission but he was beginning to get worried. That morning Daniel had admitted that the last time he had talked to Sam had been the Friday night when they had arrived in Washington. Daniel had tried talking with her all through Saturday too but Sam hadn’t responded. When he’d tried again that morning without success, it had bothered him enough to finally tell Jack. Jack had tried himself as soon as Daniel had told him, and he’d tried again when they had been released from the Committee proceedings for lunch with no luck.

‘I’ve called the base.’ Jack informed his team-mates briskly. ‘I’ve ordered an Airman to go round and check on her.’

‘Maybe she decided to visit her brother or go out of town.’ Daniel offered, anxiously. He took a sip of the juice he had picked up.

‘She would have answered her cell.’ Jack replied, knowing that Daniel knew that already.

‘She may have forgotten to take it with her.’ Daniel shot back.

Jack pushed his plate away; the food uneaten. ‘One of us should have stayed with her.’

‘We didn’t have a choice.’ Daniel reminded him.

‘Major Carter is a formidable warrior.’ Teal’c said reassuringly.

General Hammond approached the table and Jack partially rose before his CO waved him back into the chair.

Hammond pulled up another and sat down. ‘The President has called a halt to the proceedings with Senator Kinsey’s agreement. The President agrees that there was sufficient cause for us to confront the Aschen, and that given Major Carter’s report on their intent to sterilise our population that any treaty would not have been appropriate. He’s not happy that we effectively acted without authority in the matter but he’s determined it was the right course of action.’

‘That’s excellent news.’ Daniel said with relief.

‘You did a good job, Doctor Jackson.’ Hammond said with a paternal smile. ‘If you hadn’t found the remains of the Volian City and the newspapers, we wouldn’t have been able to substantiate our concerns.’

Daniel flushed at the praise. ‘It was a joint effort, General. Sam was the one who was able to verify that the Aschen were duplicitous.’ His face creased into another anxious frown.

‘So are we dismissed, General?’ Jack asked brusquely. ‘We’d like to get back asap.’

‘Is something wrong?’ Hammond asked, taking in the tension in the three SG1 team-mates.

‘Indeed.’ Teal’c murmured. ‘We have been unable to contact Major Carter since our flight arrived on Friday evening.’

Hammond’s eyes shot to Jack’s. ‘Have you…’

‘I’ve already contacted the base, sir.’ Jack confirmed. ‘They’re sending someone round to check on her.’

Hammond rose swiftly belying his bulky frame. ‘I’ll see whether I can get our flight from Andrews moved up. I’ll meet you in the lobby in five minutes.’ He left before they could say another word.

SG1 headed out and grouped together in an alcove as they waited for Hammond.

‘Jack.’ Daniel’s eyes moved pointedly across the lobby.

Senator Kinsey glared at them coldly before turning back to a dark-haired man beside him. Jack grimaced as he recognised him; Colonel Simmons. Simmons had led an investigation into SG1 when Jack had been trapped off-world and he’d investigated Carter during the whole alien in her house affair. Jack grimaced; he might have known Kinsey and Simmons would know each other. They walked out of sight and Jack released the breath he hadn’t even realised he had been holding.

‘That can’t be a good sign.’ Daniel muttered.

‘You mean two of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse being seen together?’ Jack sighed. He reached for his cell again and redialled Carter’s number. ‘Come on, Carter,’ he muttered, ‘pick up.’

‘The number you are calling is unavailable. If you would like to leave a message…’

Jack snapped the cell shut.

‘Jack…’ Daniel began, worriedly.

‘We don’t know anything for certain yet, Daniel.’ Jack reminded him.

‘But you think something’s happened to Sam, don’t you?’ Daniel prompted; his blue eyes insistent on Jack’s.

Jack was unable to deny it. Carter wasn’t the type to forget to take her cell if she was going somewhere and even if she had, she would have called one of them, probably Daniel, to find out what was going on in Washington. Her silence was telling. He looked from Daniel to Teal’c and back again. He nodded slowly.

‘Yeah,’ Jack said with a heavy sigh, ‘I think something’s happened to Carter.’ And though he hoped to God he was wrong, he knew deep down in his gut he was right.

fin.