Storytime with Rachel F Hundred

Chapter 31

Daniel and Sam acted almost simultaneously and Mitchell followed their lead. Chairs were pushed back as they rose from their seats and their hands reached for their weapons; the bug was shot into a number of pieces before its first leg twitch had completed.

‘Isolate the pieces!’ ordered Sam furiously regardless of the fact she was ordering a two-star General along with her own team and the base personnel. ‘Now!’ She yelled already running for the stairs and taking them two at a time into a stunned control room. She grabbed the radio and activated it. ‘Thor, this is Colonel Carter, do you read me?’

‘I read you, Colonel Carter.’

‘The Replicator is in a cloaked ship possibly leaving Earth’s orbit now. She has General O’Neill. Can you retrieve him?’

‘I am scanning.’ Thor replied. ‘I have detected a hyper-space window. Would you like me to transport you aboard so we can follow?’

Sam opened her mouth to say yes and knew immediately that she couldn’t. Thor’s ship was Earth’s only hope at destroying the Replicator ship; if she said yes they would leave Earth defenceless. Her whole body seemed to freeze as she came to a shattering conclusion; she couldn’t go after Jack with Thor no matter how much she wanted to. Her mind was already supplying an alternative even as she answered the small grey alien. ‘No.’ Her throat closed on the word and she took a deep breath. There was another way…if she could convince the general. ‘We need you to stay in place. You’re our best opportunity for destroying the Replicator ship. There are pieces of a Replicator sitting in the briefing room. It may provide more information.’

‘I am transporting it aboard now.’ Thor confirmed.

‘Thank you, Thor.’

‘Colonel, would you like to explain what just happened?’ Landry ordered his unhappiness evident in the blustering tone.

Sam unbent stiffly from her position leaning over the radio to face him; he was standing behind her in the control room. ‘The Replicator took General O’Neill trying to draw the Asgard away from Earth, sir.’

‘Leaving Earth open to attack from the ship we know is on the way.’ Landry surmised.

‘Yes, sir.’ Sam confirmed placing her hands behind her back.

‘How do you know that?’ Landry demanded.

‘Because it’s what I would do, sir.’ Sam said. Her gaze met his and he almost took a step back at the ice that glittered in the depths of the blue eyes. ‘The Replicator was programmed with my memories and thought patterns.’ She straightened. ‘Sir, I’m certain she’s gone to Dakara.’

‘Why?’ he asked bemused.

‘To make a play for the weapon while Ba’al keeps the Jaffa and Tok’ra occupied.’ Daniel inserted from his position near the stairs. ‘If we’re all busy fighting, she has a clear run at the weapon.’

‘I’d like permission for SG1 to go back to Dakara, sir.’ Sam stated. ‘We can stop her and recover General O’Neill.’

‘Isn’t it possible that General O’Neill is already dead?’ Landry asked bluntly.

There was total silence. Tension filled the small room and froze everyone into stillness.

Sam paled but held his gaze. ‘She won’t kill him.’

‘I understand she killed Doctor Jackson.’ Landry pointed out.

Because I’m not in love with Daniel, she thought and wondered what Landry would say if she said it out loud. She looked at the General squarely. ‘She won’t kill him sir.’ She repeated softly but firmly. ‘It’s possible she believes the knowledge of the Ancient repository is still somewhere in his mind.’

‘General,’ Daniel stepped forward to stand at her side in a show of support, ‘the Replicator is after the weapon. We have to do everything we can to stop her.’

‘But the weapon is in another dimension, right?’ Landry checked.

‘Yes, sir,’ Sam agreed, ‘but it’s likely that she’ll probe General O’Neill’s mind and there is the remote possibility that she could be the only thing capable of bringing the weapon back and…’

Landry waved his hands and she stopped. ‘I’m sorry, Colonel, Doctor,’ he said, ‘but we have to put the safety of Earth first.’

‘We are putting the safety of Earth first.’ Daniel pointed out pushing his glasses up his nose furiously. ‘If the Replicator gets her hands on the Ancient weapon she won’t hesitate to wipe us out.’

‘Sir, I have to agree with Colonel Carter and Doctor Jackson.’ Mitchell said standing by Landry. ‘From what I’ve read of the mission reports the human form Replicator is the main threat. Take her out and you’re just left with the bugs. Mean but manageable.’

‘Colonel Carter, from my understanding, you don’t actually have any proof that the Replicator is going to Dakara; this is just a feeling, correct?’ Landry asked.

‘Based on my own likely strategy in this situation but yes, sir.’ Sam conceded. She could already see his decision in his expressive eyes and her heart sank.

‘Then she could still turn up here when the battle starts.’ Landry stated.

‘I think that’s unlikely, sir.’ Sam said her words edged with a sharp desperation. He had to let them go…he had to…there were only six days and counting…

Landry cleared his throat. ‘I suggest we send a disruptor weapon to Dakara and brief the Jaffa. If she shows up there, they can take care of her. We have to concentrate on getting this base ready.’

‘What about Jack?’ asked Daniel softly.

‘I’m sorry,’ Landry said his tone and manner visibly softening, ‘but I think we should consider General O’Neill our first casualty.’

‘Sir, with all due respect,’ Sam began her posture every inch so much the professional soldier that Daniel’s own body ached to see it, ‘I think you’re making a mistake.’

The General bristled visibly. ‘Colonel, you will concentrate on building the counter-measure you proposed. Is that clear?’

‘Yes, sir.’ Her tone was properly formal even if her eyes were sharp blue flints of ice. ‘If you’ll excuse me, I should get started.’

Landry gave into a staring contest with her for a moment before realising from the stubborn set of her face that she was more than equal to waiting him out. He nodded sharply. ‘Dismissed.’

Sam turned and marched out of the control room briskly.

‘Colonel Mitchell, I’ll need you to organise base security.’ Landry ordered. His gaze fell on Daniel. ‘Doctor Jackson, you do,’ he paused his military mind trying to find a task or activity suitable for an archaeologist and failing; he gestured absently, ‘whatever it is you do in these circumstances.’

‘She’s right, you know.’ Daniel said furiously. ‘You’re making a mistake.’

‘We need to focus on Earth and General O’Neill would tell you so himself if he were here.’ Landry stated calmly.

‘But he’s not, is he?’ Daniel retorted before he spun on his heel. He headed out of the control room to the nearest elevator; Sam needed him. Well, not him, he conceded to himself, but she definitely needed someone. He was getting in the compartment when Mitchell caught up with him.

‘Hey, Jackson! Wait up!’ Mitchell took a running leap into the car just before the doors slid shut. He settled into a misleadingly relaxed pose beside his team-mate; hands in his pockets, his shoulders slouched. ‘Are you going to check on Sam?’ He asked casually.

‘Planning to.’ Daniel admitted.

‘She’s pretty pissed right now, huh?’ Mitchell commented.

‘She’s not the only one.’ Daniel muttered as he avoided Mitchell’s gaze, keeping his eyes on the floor counter. He stuffed his own hands in his pockets in an unconscious mirroring of the other man’s pose.

Mitchell repressed the urge to sigh. He knew there was a special bond that developed within a team that counted on each other for their very lives every single day. He could only imagine how that bond felt after eight years of working and fighting side by side but he figured there was more going on than met the eye.

Even without the rumours that circulated the base, he had already begun to suspect that there was more to Sam’s relationship with General O’Neill than simply being team-mates; the General’s offer to exchange his life for Sam’s back on Dakara had been a rather large clue. But he’d been friends with Sam at the Academy and although their relationship had drifted into odd phone calls and Christmas cards with the pressures of assignments, he knew better than most people what her honour and duty meant to her; there was no way the Samantha Carter he knew would have an affair with her CO. But there was something going on and he wanted to know what it was, and he was done waiting for someone to clue him in, he thought impatiently. ‘What’s with those two?’ He asked bluntly.

Daniel kept his gaze affixed elsewhere. ‘Nothing.’

‘Nothing.’ Mitchell repeated. ‘Look, Jackson, I may not be as smart as you or Sam but I’m not completely stupid.’

Daniel sighed and crossed his arms. ‘We’ve been a team for a long time, Mitchell.’ He shuffled a little.

‘Hey, I’ve been in teams. I know what it’s like to get close to the guys you work with…’ Mitchell began.

‘SG1 isn’t like any other team.’ Daniel retorted. He took a deep breath. ‘We’re family.’

‘Look, I know I’m the new guy,’ Mitchell said keeping his eyes on Daniel’s tense profile, ‘but I’m part of this team – this family – now too and I need to know. You guys keep me in the dark and we’re going to have problems that could get one or more of us hurt.’ He paused. ‘Y’all going to have to start trusting me sometime, Jackson.’

Daniel wrestled with his instinctive urge to keep the secret and to be fair to the other man; he knew Mitchell had a point. He sneaked a glance at the military officer and was surprised to see him looking back at him with a stubborn resolve that reminded him suspiciously of himself. Daniel sighed. ‘Nothing’s ever happened between them…’ he began, ‘the regs…’ he gestured awkwardly.

Mitchell nodded and subconsciously relaxed. That made sense to him and fitted with his own knowledge of his old friend.

‘But they care about each other.’ Daniel concluded.

Mitchell felt a wave of compassion for Sam. A thought occurred to him. ‘So when the General retires…’

‘They’ll finally have a chance.’ Daniel agreed.

‘Damn.’ Mitchell whistled. He sighed and crossed his arms. ‘This is going to be tough for her, huh? Leaving the General with the Replicator?’

‘It’s the wrong call not to go after the Replicator.’ Daniel looked over at Mitchell. ‘And you know it too.’

Mitchell accepted the comment with an easy shrug. ‘I can see where Landry is coming from.’

Daniel pushed his glasses up. ‘We should be focusing on going after the Replicator and recovering Jack.’

‘Maybe that’s what the Replicator wants.’ Mitchell said idly.

Daniel’s blue eyes flew to his. ‘What?’

‘Look, this Replicator is supposed to have all of Sam’s thoughts and memories, right?’

‘Yes.’ Daniel agreed impatiently.

‘So maybe it knew that a good way to distract us…to distract Sam was to snatch the General.’ Mitchell said. He shrugged. ‘Maybe she hoped we’d focus on getting him back rather than on making sure Earth had the best defence possible either by going after him or by planning some rescue attempt instead of preparing for the battle.’

Daniel struggled with the idea for a moment before he had to grudgingly concede that Mitchell might be right. The Replicator had to know how they all felt about Jack and especially how Sam felt about Jack. The Replicator could have easily tempted Sam and the rest of them into a chase leaving Earth without Thor’s help and even though the Replicator hadn’t been successful at drawing them away, it had to know they would be distracted by the loss of Jack. And, Daniel realised, she had counted on one person in particular being distracted, the person who knew her best and who was most likely to defeat her again; Sam.

He frowned. Landry had been right; Earth had to be the priority; it had to be their priority and Jack wouldn’t want to be rescued at the expense of the safety of the planet. But, he sighed, Landry was still wrong. They needed to go after the Replicator and stop her from getting the weapon.

‘So what do you do in these situations?’ Mitchell asked interrupting Daniel’s musings.

Daniel looked over at him. He still felt a little aggrieved at Landry’s dismissal of him. ‘I usually grab a gun when we get invaded by Replicators.’ He admitted wryly.

‘Well, you could help me with base security or…’ Mitchell let the sentence dangle.

‘What?’

‘Well, it seems to me that if someone’s going to come up with a solution to convince General Landry Earth would be secure and he can still do the right thing…’ Mitchell shrugged, ‘I kinda figure it would be you.’ He held the archaeologist’s gaze for a moment. ‘I mean, isn’t that what you do best?’

The elevator slid open and Mitchell stepped out. He turned back to Daniel who stood in the compartment. He held the door with one hand to prevent it from sliding shut again. ‘Are you coming?’

Daniel slowly shook his head. ‘I…uh…I have to…’ he waved a hand and punched a button to go back down. ‘You check on Sam. I’ll be there in a minute.’

Mitchell removed his hand and the door slid shut leaving Daniel oblivious to his wide grin. The archaeologist was too busy pacing the small space, his mind whirling as he tried to formulate his arguments.

He stepped out of the elevator and almost sent an Airman flying in his haste to get to the General’s office. He was breathless by the time he reached the open door. His brain registered that Landry was on the phone and he stopped his hand before it could complete the knock.

Daniel took a moment to recover his breath and calm down. It seemed strange seeing Landry in Jack’s office behind Jack’s desk and it strengthened his resolve to make sure Jack was rescued. Landry put the phone down and Daniel immediately rapped on the door.

Landry’s head whipped around to him startled. ‘Doctor Jackson.’

‘Can I have a minute?’ Daniel said hugging his arms around him as his fierce blue gaze caught on the other man’s.

The General sighed and motioned for him to enter. ‘If you’re here to convince me that I’m wrong…’

‘I’m not.’ Daniel said quickly as he stepped into the room. ‘Or at least,’ he admitted honestly, ‘not completely wrong.’ He gestured at Landry. ‘You’re right that Earth should be the priority and that’s what Jack would want despite his own personal situation.’

‘Huh.’ Landry leaned forward across the desk. ‘You just came to tell me that?’

‘No.’ Daniel pushed his glasses up his nose. ‘You’re still wrong about the Replicator.’

‘You don’t mince your words, do you, Doctor?’ Landry noted.

‘Yeah…’ Daniel waved a hand at the other door in the direction of the briefing room. ‘Sorry about before in the control room. I guess I could have handled that better.’

Landry shrugged, accepting the apology. ‘I guess I could have handled it better too.’ He gave a little head shake. ‘I know how much General O’Neill means to you and to Colonel Carter.’

‘Jack does mean a lot to us,’ Daniel allowed, ‘and I can’t deny that we want to get him back; Jack has a rule that no-one gets left behind and he’s kind of drummed that into us these last eight years.’

The General had to admire the way the younger man had reminded him of the SGC’s golden rule. He gave a grunt. ‘But? There is a but I take it?’

‘But,’ Daniel repeated with a small smile, ‘the Replicator is going to Dakara and she is going after the weapon.’

‘But you have no proof of that.’ Landry reminded him.

‘General,’ Daniel said forcefully, ‘the Replicator was created using Sam as a blueprint. She is our best bet of knowing what the Replicator is likely to do next. And I’ve been in the Replicator’s head. I can tell you right now she considers Earth insignificant; she’s after the galaxy.’ He gestured at the military man frustrated at the apparent lack of impact his words were having on Landry. ‘Both Sam and I have real experience with her. We don’t need proof; we just know.’

‘Is that a subtle way of pointing out to me that I don’t have experience with this?’ Landry said wryly.

‘You admitted it yourself in the briefing room to Jack before he was…uh…beamed away.’ Daniel pointed out. ‘You said he had the experience and you would try not to get in the way.’

‘And I’m getting in the way now?’ Landry said caustically.

‘I think you’re doing what you think is best given you’re suddenly in charge of a situation you never expected to have to handle without Jack.’ Daniel said diplomatically. ‘But there are other people here, besides Jack, who have experience at fighting the Replicators particularly this one.’

‘And maybe I should listen to them?’ Landry concluded with a rueful sigh and leaned back in his chair. He regarded the archaeologist solemnly for a long moment before he spread his hands out wide. ‘OK, Doctor Jackson, I’m listening. What do you think I should do?’

Daniel gave a sigh of relief. Mitchell had been right; this was what he did best.

Chapter 32

Sam stormed into the women’s locker room. It was the one place where there were no cameras watching her and no-one would bother her. She checked it was completely empty – there were more women assigned to the SGC than ever before but still few compared with the male officers – and to be doubly sure she locked the doors. She stripped and hit the shower. It was only when she was fully under the hot stream of water that she let her façade drop; let herself contemplate the horrible and irrefutable fact: the Replicator had Jack.

She bowed her head and braced her hands against the white tiled wall as her body shook with sob after sob. Count them. She could hear Jack’s voice as clearly as if he was standing beside her.

Six days.

There was only six days…she should have gone with Thor, she thought wretchedly. She should have gone with Thor and gotten him back. Instead she had left him with her Replicator double who was probably torturing him the same way the Replicator Fifth had tortured her…this was the reason why the regulations existed; no-one should have to decide between saving the planet and saving someone they loved.

She had been so sure Landry would have listened to her. Wrong again, Sam, she thought bitterly and swiped at her nose. And now she was stuck; ordered to work on the counter-measure while Jack was in the clutches of the enemy who was on her way to Dakara and who was undoubtedly going after the weapon.

‘You have untapped greatness inside you, Sam. But you’re limited by your own fears, you play by the rules, you do what you’re told and you deny yourself your own desires.’ The Replicator’s words taunted her.

Well, screw that, she thought harshly. She was done playing by the rules and she was done denying how she felt about Jack. Her lips firmed. Six days. It wasn’t time to stop counting. Not yet.

She switched the water off and reached for a towel. Her double was probably depending on Sam reverting to type; playing by the rules and denying her desire to go after Jack. After all, that’s what she usually did. But her father had once told her she could have everything she wanted and she intended to. The more efficient mind Orlin had gifted her with was already formulating a plan; she would do the counter-measure and make sure Earth was safe but as soon as it was done, she would go after Jack herself – orders be damned.

When she left the locker room her throat felt stripped raw and her eyes were sore but her face was set in a determined calm. She walked into her lab and froze at the sight of Mitchell standing by the central workbench. She was stunned at the sight of the tray beside him; a sundae dish filled with blue jello and a mug of tea.

‘Hey.’ He said sticking his hands in the pockets of the blue BDU pants. ‘How’re you doing?’

She rubbed a hand over her face and through her hair uncaring at the way the blonde strands poked out at odd angles. ‘I’m fine.’

‘I thought you might want something to eat.’ Mitchell settled on the stool next to her as she sat and took a spoonful of the dessert.

She swallowed the gelatinous sweet with difficulty. ‘Thanks.’ She managed.

Mitchell nodded. ‘Daniel…uh…told me…’

Sam’s blue eyes flashed back to him worriedly.

‘About you and the General…’ Mitchell continued determinedly.

‘Cam,’ she interrupted him hurriedly, ‘nothing has ever…’

‘I know, Sam.’ Mitchell held her slightly panicked gaze. ‘I know you.’

Sam sighed and smiled apologetically. ‘I’m sorry. I should have told you.’ She shrugged awkwardly and pushed her spoon back into the jello. ‘I just didn’t know how and it’s not really something we all talk about much.’ She paused. ‘Ever, really.’

‘Well, I promise I won’t mention it again.’ Mitchell smiled seeing how uncomfortable she was talking about it at all. ‘And you should go easy on Daniel; I kinda forced him into telling me.’

She gave him a pained smile.

‘Daniel’s fixing it with Landry.’ Mitchell said.

She looked at him sharply.

Mitchell shrugged. ‘It’s what he does isn’t it?’

Daniel was fixing it. The thought turned over in her head and Sam felt a weight lift off her shoulders. If anyone could convince Landry, it was Daniel. Maybe she wouldn’t have to risk getting court-martialled after all. She nodded at Mitchell. ‘Yeah. It’s what he does.’

‘I’ll leave you to it.’ Mitchell said jumping off the stool. ‘I’d better get started on base security.’

‘I’d better get on with…’ she waved at her workbench and the counter-measure. ‘And Cam?’

‘What?’ He asked.

‘Thanks.’ She smiled ruefully.

‘No problem.’ Mitchell took a step towards the door and found the doorway blocked by the arrival of General Landry and Daniel.

‘Good.’ Landry said breezily. ‘You’re both here.’

Both Sam and Mitchell straightened their postures into some semblance of ‘at attention’ as Landry entered with Daniel moving swiftly across the room to stand by his team-mates.

‘At ease, Colonels.’ Landry said. His eyes landed on the blonde Air Force officer in front of him. ‘Doctor Jackson has convinced me that I may have been too hasty in discounting your opinion about the Replicator’s strategy, Colonel Carter.’

‘Sir.’ Sam sent Daniel a questioning glance and he smiled back reassuringly.

‘However, I do still have to consider Earth’s security as my priority.’ Landry pointed out. ‘So I need to ask you a question, Colonel Carter; when do you think the Replicator will make her move for the weapon at Dakara?’

‘During the battle, sir.’ Sam responded immediately. ‘Earth will be busy with the Replicators, the Jaffa and the Tok’ra will be busy with Ba’al; she’ll have a clear run at the weapon.’

‘Hmmm.’ Landry glanced at the archaeologist. ‘Doctor Jackson agrees with you.’ He straightened a little and held her gaze. ‘I’m amending your orders, Colonel. As Thor is estimating it will be tomorrow before the battle gets underway, your priority right now is building the counter-measure. However, as soon as you are done, you and Doctor Jackson will go to Dakara. You will try and find the Replicator and stop her by any means necessary.’

‘Sir, what about Colonel Mitchell?’

‘What about Mitchell?’

Sam and Daniel looked at each other wryly having both spoken at the same time and missed Mitchell’s slightly stunned look at the way they had both spoken up for him.

‘I’ll need the Colonel here looking after base security.’ Landry said firmly.

‘With respect, sir,’ Sam said firmly, ‘Colonel Reynolds of SG3 has better knowledge of the base and Colonel Mitchell is a member of my team, sir. If SG1 is going on a mission, he should come with us.’

Landry sighed and looked over three sets of resolute and hopeful eyes. ‘OK. Colonel Mitchell work with Colonel Reynolds and make sure he is fully briefed on all aspects of the security before you ship out to Dakara with your team.’

Mitchell had to work hard to keep the grin off his face. ‘Yes, sir. Thank you, sir.’

Landry turned to leave and stopped; he turned back. ‘And Colonel Carter?’

‘Yes, sir?’ Sam asked.

‘You also have permission to recover General O’Neill,’ he held up a hand, ‘but only if it’s possible.’

‘Understood, sir.’ Sam said her blue eyes sparkling with renewed hope.

‘Carry on.’ Landry left and wondered how Hammond and Jack had managed to cope with the astrophysicist and archaeologist for eight years; it was no wonder one man was bald and the other’s hair was grey. He ran a hand through his own brown brush of hair worriedly as he headed back to the control room.

Back in the lab, Sam hugged Daniel tightly. ‘Thank you.’ She said when she finally released him.

Daniel adjusted his glasses and grinned at her happily. ‘You should really thank Mitchell.’ He admitted.

Sam looked over at the other air force officer in surprise.

Mitchell shrugged and was surprised himself when she crossed the room to envelope him in a brief hug.

‘I should be the one thanking you.’ He said as she took a step back.

‘What for?’ Sam asked.

Mitchell gestured. ‘Making sure I didn’t miss out on the fun.’ He said grinning.

Daniel grinned back at him. ‘Well, you are part of the family now.’

Mitchell felt a warm glow suffuse all the way through him.

‘OK,’ Sam said, ‘we should get to it. The sooner we get things straight here, the sooner we can get to Dakara. Mitchell, you get to work on base security…’

‘Yes, ma’am.’ Mitchell snapped off a sloppy salute and left.

Sam turned to Daniel. ‘I’m going to need you to contact Dakara and brief Teal’c. We’re going to need a spacecraft, something like a cargo ship or a scout ship ready for us. And can you work with Thor and go over his sensor readings? We need to find someway of finding the Replicator’s cloaked ship.’

‘I’m on it.’ Daniel said striding for the door. He stopped in the doorway. ‘Sam?’

She looked over at him.

‘We’re going to get him back.’ He said confidently.

‘Damn right we will.’ Sam responded. She sighed and set to work; ignored everything to focus on the counter-measure. She worked through the night and into the early hours of the morning occasionally leaving her lab to consult with Daniel and Thor via the radio. As dawn broke over the mountain there was a second device sitting next to the first on the bench. It would create a series of layered disruptor waves. When the bug hit the first wave, the device would calculate the correct frequency and modify the other layers hopefully destroying the bug. It only needed to be tested but she knew its only real test would be the instant the first metal bug came through the Stargate. She blinked at the machine tiredly.

It would protect Earth, she thought and because she figured the bugs might take to ‘beaming’ themselves down to the SGC once they figured the Stargate was protected she had talked with Thor and he had prepared a jamming programme for the transportation technology. A copy was already on its way to Prometheus to be uploaded in case the Replicators tried to beam on board them too. She pillowed her head on her arms resting them on the bench. She closed her eyes falling into a restless sleep.

An image on a computer screen from a MALP feed; herself looking back at her. She remembered thinking it would be easier if the copy looked less like her as stupid as that sounded. An idea to ask her copy to help them against Fifth…the mental sharing of a memory where Fifth had trained her copy to kill her team-mates; to kill Jack…the betrayal as she realised her copy had used her to kill Fifth and create an immunity to the disruptor weapon.

A dark room in her mind and her arm held firmly by the Replicator that wore her face; ‘You have untapped greatness inside you, Sam. But you’re limited by your own fears, you play by the rules, you do what you’re told and you deny yourself your own desires.’

Jack’s hand in her hair; ‘Don’t you dare die on me now.’ His brown eyes searching hers. ‘Not when there’s only one week and four days before I tell you I love you, Sam and before you tell me you love me back.’

Orlin as he cupped her cheek in the palm of his hand. ‘I have to leave now but I will give you all I can to help you in the coming days.’ His hand turning into energy and a bright, white light filled her vision and a warm, healing wave washing away her pain…

Cold. Jack was cold on the Replicator ship and in pain but he was alive…she could feel the hard Replicator blocks that formed the floor beneath her as though she were there with him. Fragments of thoughts…the Replicator was invading his mind…but he was resisting, fighting back…

‘Don’t let her win, Jack.’ Sam thought hard at him. ‘Not with only five days to go before you tell me you love me and I tell you I love you back…’

‘Carter?’ His surprised response alarmed her…how could he hear her? How could she feel him?

‘Sir?’ Sam suddenly felt the darkness melt away and she was stood in the Ancient chamber on Dakara next to the control chair with Jack standing opposite her. He looked around wildly and on seeing her frowned.

‘It’s me, sir.’ Sam said.

‘How do I know it’s really you?’ Jack asked suspiciously.

Sam opened her mouth to reply and realised she didn’t have an answer. ‘I don’t know, sir.’ She admitted. ‘I’m not even sure how I got here.’ She glanced at the chamber and shivered. She turned back to Jack to find him striding across the floor to her and a moment later, his arms were solidly around her.

‘She would have come up with an explanation.’ He explained as he hugged her to him.

She hugged him back fiercely. The chamber shook a little.

‘She’s trying to get in here.’ Jack said letting her ease away.

‘I think I can keep her out.’ Sam said a little shocked at her newfound ability.

Jack gestured at the chamber. ‘Orlin?’

Sam sighed. ‘Orlin. I think he connected us somehow…’

‘Good for Orlin.’ Jack said. ‘Anything you can do about the accommodation, Carter? I’m really not too fond of this place…’

‘Hold on a second.’ Sam’s face screwed up as she concentrated.

The chamber melted away and they were sat side by side on the dock outside Jack’s cabin. They both dressed in casual clothes; jeans, sweaters.

‘Better.’ Jack declared taking in the lake. ‘Much better.’ He held out a hand to Sam and was pleased when she took it. ‘So while you’re here…’

‘It doesn’t look as though she can get to you.’ Sam said. She sighed and squeezed his hand. ‘I’m sorry, sir. I don’t know how much longer I can stay here.’

‘It’s OK, Sam.’ Jack said quietly. His brown eyes held hers. ‘I’m OK.’

Sam flushed. ‘She has to be torturing you how Fifth tortured me and…’

‘And I’m OK.’ Jack interrupted her. ‘Earth has to be the priority. Not me.’

‘We have a plan.’ Sam said determinedly.

‘You’d better not tell me.’ Jack said before she could say anything else. ‘If I don’t know neither will she.’

‘Yes, sir.’ Sam nodded unhappily.

‘You called me Jack before.’ He murmured reaching out to tuck a strand of blonde hair behind her ear.

She blushed. ‘I didn’t realise you could hear me.’ Her fingers tangled around his. ‘We still have five days to go before you retire.’

‘Five days.’ Jack said with a sigh.

‘Five days.’ Sam confirmed. She felt the pull toward consciousness and her blue eyes met his in a regretful apology.

‘Don’t stop counting, Sam.’ Jack said as he felt her slipping away.

‘I won’t.’ She promised understanding the hidden promise that they would get out of this; that they would still have their chance to dance on his roof under the stars…

‘Sam?’ The hand on her shoulder had her jerking awake.

‘Jack?’ She said automatically.

‘No, it’s me, Daniel.’

She stared up into Daniel’s blue eyes for a long moment without really seeing him.

‘Hey.’ She straightened and brushed her hands through her hair.

‘Are you OK?’ Daniel said worriedly.

Sam swallowed hard. ‘I’m OK. I just…I had a strange dream.’ She frowned. ‘What time is it?’

‘Eight-hundred.’ Daniel said. ‘We’re ready. Thor’s estimating we only have another six hours before the Replicator ship gets here and Dakara confirms Ba’al’s fleet is holding its position as though they are waiting.’

Sam nodded. ‘I’m done with the counter-measure.’ She patted his arm. ‘Get Mitchell. Give me a half and hour. I’ve got a couple of more things to do and then we’ll go.’

Daniel nodded. ‘We’ll be there.’

Thirty minutes later, they were geared up and stood ready in the gate room as Walter dialled up Dakara.

‘…Thor has everything ready, sir and Doctor Lee has the full details of how to operate the new counter-measure.’ Sam said to Landry as she clipped on her P90.

‘Good.’ Landry nodded as the wormhole engaged and the blue puddle appeared in the centre of the metal ring. ‘Proceed, Colonel.’ He said. He caught her eyes. ‘And good luck.’ He took a couple of steps back.

‘Thank you, sir.’ Sam nodded and SG1 progressed up the ramp. They stopped just in front of the wormhole. She glanced across at Daniel and Mitchell. ‘Ready, guys?’

‘I just hope we’re not too late for Jack.’ Daniel said without thinking adjusting his protective vest. He looked up at Sam apologetically. ‘Ah…sorry….’

‘It’s OK, Daniel. He’s OK.’ Sam said trying to reassure him. ‘I don’t know how to explain it but I know; he’s alive.’

Daniel’s eyes peered at her curiously. ‘Orlin linked the two of you, didn’t he? That’s why he knew Jack could bring you back and that’s why you feel him now.’

‘Maybe.’ Sam said cautiously.

‘Guys I don’t want to break this up but shouldn’t we get going before Landry changes his mind?’ Mitchell said.

Daniel and Sam looked at each other with amusement.

‘OK.’ She said pulled her green cap on firmly. ‘Let’s go save the galaxy.’ And more importantly, she thought determinedly, save Jack.

Chapter 33

The three Tau’ri members of SG1 stepped out of the wormhole and onto Dakara.

‘Woah.’ Mitchell held his hands up as the Jaffa guarding the gate aimed their weapons at the travellers.

‘Kel ma ghe!’ Teal’c stepped forward and the weapons were lowered. ‘It is good to see you Colonel Carter.’

‘It’s good to see you too, Teal’c.’ Sam greeted him with a smile. ‘Is everything ready?’

‘Indeed.’ Teal’c bowed his head and acknowledged Daniel and Mitchell with a brief glance. ‘I have organised transport for us. It is this way.’

They began walking and Sam kept stride with the Jaffa as he led the way. She was surprised to see Tok’ra and Jaffa talking and running together as they prepared for the upcoming battle. ‘Delek came through on his promise.’ She muttered in wonder.

‘I am as surprised as you, Colonel Carter.’ Teal’c said. He turned to her. ‘We have been unable as yet to confirm the presence of the Replicator.’

‘She’s cloaked but Daniel’s been working with Thor on a way to find her.’ Sam said. ‘We think we should be able to pinpoint where she is.’

‘And you are certain she is at Dakara?’ Teal’c asked.

‘I know she is.’ Sam said defensively.

‘I believe you, Colonel Carter.’ Teal’c said. His warm brown eyes held hers for a moment. ‘She is no doubt after the weapon.’

‘We think so.’ Sam confirmed.

‘We must prevent the human form Replicator from completing her mission.’ Teal’c responded. He pointed out their ship and they got on board with swift efficiency.

Sam took a deep breath. ‘OK, guys. Let’s get this ship in the air.’

‘Won’t the Replicator realise we’re onto her if we launch?’ Mitchell said taking one of the pilot seats as Teal’c took the other.

‘No.’ Sam said taking her laptop out of her bag. ‘I’m going to input a programme to emit false bio-readings; if she scans us we’ll be four Jaffa. If we join the rest of the ships, she’ll hopefully think we’re just another ship joining the fight.’

‘OK.’ Mitchell rubbed his hands at the controls. ‘So how do I fly this bird?’

‘You do not.’ Teal’c said firmly.

‘Aw come on, Teal’c.’ Mitchell turned to him with a pleading expression. ‘I haven’t been flying in ages.’

Teal’c looked over at the eager enthusiasm in his blue eyes and noted it was not unlike the eagerness Daniel Jackson or Colonel Carter displayed when faced with a new puzzle. He had eight years of practice at resisting that look. He turned back to the controls and made them air-borne. ‘No.’

Sam and Daniel exchanged an amused look at Mitchell’s crushed look as they worked on interfacing Sam’s laptop with the scout ship systems.

‘OK,’ Daniel said, ‘if you bring up the sensor readings Thor took, we think we identified a small distortion in space that we need to look for.’

‘This is going to be like finding a needle in a haystack.’ Mitchell murmured coming to stand next to them.

‘Not necessarily.’ Sam smiled grimly. ‘I know how she thinks and I know where I would be hiding.’

‘And if she works out that you’ve come after her?’ Mitchell asked.

‘Then we’ll check where I would hide if I thought I was searching for me.’ Sam’s brow creased. ‘You know what I mean.’ She brought up the scanning programme and tapped in the instructions as Teal’c took them into a holding position behind another Jaffa ship in orbit.

It turned into a tense wait while the scan did its work. They had almost reached the time they suspected Ba’al and the Replicators would strike, and Sam was beginning to doubt her strategy, when the computer beeped. She and Daniel got up from the floor and hurried over to it. Mitchell joined them as Teal’c kept the ship steady.

‘Got you.’ Sam tapped the screen. ‘She’s there.’ She looked at Mitchell and Daniel. ‘Let’s gear up. I want us to be ready to move.’

‘How are we going to ring through the cloak?’ Mitchell asked.

‘We think the anomaly is a fluctuation in the cloak.’ Daniel said.

‘You think?’ Mitchell asked alarmed. ‘You’re not sure?’

‘If we time it correctly we should be able to use it to get through the cloak.’ Sam confirmed as they put the protective vests on over the black t-shirts and picked up the P90s. She returned to the laptop. ‘OK, guys.’ She said. ‘Teal’c, you’ll stay here and wait for us. Mitchell, Daniel, you just need to find the General and keep the rest of the Replicators away from me and my duplicate. As soon as you get him, come back here. I’ll follow as soon as I’ve dealt with her.’

‘Exactly how are you going to do that?’ Mitchell asked.

‘Yeah, how are you going to do that?’ Daniel asked worriedly.

Sam avoided looking at them. ‘Trust me. I have a plan and I don’t intend letting her win.’ She gestured at the rings. ‘The rings will automatically activate the next time the cloak fluctuates.’ She hit the enter key.

Mitchell and Daniel got into the circle and Sam joined them. The rings surrounded them and in a flash of light they were gone. They reappeared on the cargo ship the Replicator had procured from Ba’al. It was already covered in Replicator blocks giving it an empty and sterile appearance except for the one other living thing in the cargo hold; Jack.

‘Cover me.’ Sam ordered as she hurried over and felt for a pulse. Jack’s brown eyes snapped open at her touch and he grabbed her wrist. She tried hard not to wince at the strength of his grip and knew she would have a bruise the next day; she tried hard not to take the look of hatred in his eyes personally. ‘Sir?’

The sound of her voice seemed to trigger something in his head that she was different.

‘Carter?’ His voice was disbelieving. His eyes narrowed on hers and searched the blue depths.

‘It’s me. It’s really me.’ She let go of her gun laying it on the ground to cup his rough cheek with her free hand. ‘Five days.’

‘Five days?’ He asked a little absently as though he still couldn’t believe she was there.

She smiled. ‘I’m still counting, sir.’

His brown eyes smiled at her for a moment before he sat up abruptly letting go of her. ‘So what’s the plan?’

Sam was about to reply when the door slid open and the human form Replicator entered. There were bugs following her like excited puppies, the sound of their clicking filling the small room.

Daniel flinched; the last time he had seen her, she had killed him.

Mitchell blanched at the similarity to Sam.

They both backed up from the door, their P90s fixed to the Replicator, and took positions either side of their team-mates.

Sam got to her feet and faced her copy with a defiant look. ‘It’s over.’

The Replicator smiled. ‘It is only just beginning.’ The two women began circling the room like prize fighters in the ring.

Daniel reached down and helped Jack to his feet. Jack grabbed Sam’s discarded P90 and joined the other two men in pointing the weapon at the Replicators.

‘You won’t win.’ Sam said calmly.

‘Ba’al has begun in his onslaught on Dakara.’

‘You don’t care about Ba’al. You plan for him to waste his resources keeping the Jaffa occupied while you try to get the Ancient weapon.’ Sam responded. ‘Just like you tried attacking Earth to keep us, keep me, out of the way.’

‘My brethren are at Earth which I see you have left defenceless after all.’ The Replicator smiled.

‘Not defenceless.’ Sam corrected.

The double regarded her coldly. ‘The Asgard are no threat; I will soon have control of the ship they left there.’ Her head tilted suddenly. She smiled cruelly. ‘An invisible iris. Clever.’ The Replicators at her feet moved angrily. ‘And one whose frequency changes with each of my brethren.’

‘You should give up.’ Sam said. ‘Thor integrated the technology into the Asgard shields. The Replicators can’t board his ship.’

Her double frowned.

‘You’re probably realising that the Asgard are jamming your transportation systems too.’ Sam said as they continued to circle almost lazily around the room.

The Replicator’s face tightened with fury.

‘I decided to tap into some of that greatness you told me about.’ Sam taunted casually.

The face of the other woman smoothed out. ‘No matter. Earth can wait. It will be destroyed when I retrieve the Ancient weapon and rid this galaxy of life.’

‘I’m afraid not.’ Sam said. ‘I actually have a counter-measure for that too.’

‘I can overcome it in time.’ The Replicator responded. ‘All I need is the weapon.’

‘You can’t have it.’

‘I will have it.’

‘You need to know how to get to it.’ Sam baited her. ‘There are only two sources for that information. The Ancient systems which you can’t access because the power’s gone and you don’t have the knowledge to revive it.’ Her blue eyes met the hard glint of an identical set across the room. ‘Or me.’

‘Carter.’ Jack’s concerned voice whipped across the room.

‘And here you’ve delivered yourself to me.’ The Replicator smiled. ‘This is going to be fun.’

‘Everybody else, out!’ yelled Sam as the double charged straight for her. She grabbed the Replicator’s raised arm as it aimed for her head and the two versions of Samantha Carter froze; the human’s hand around the Replicator’s arm.

Jack looked at Daniel. ‘This was the plan?’ He asked sarcastically.

‘We didn’t say it was a good plan.’ Daniel muttered.

The Replicator bugs began to move in their direction and Jack fired off his weapon, Mitchell and Daniel followed suit.

‘Sir, Colonel Carter ordered us to leave.’ Mitchell shouted over the noise of the gunfire.

‘I’m sure it says General on my uniform, Mitchell.’ Jack said. ‘And we’re not leaving without Carter.’ He allowed himself one brief anxious look at her in the grip of the Replicator before he went back to shooting the bugs.

Sam was back in the same dark room that the Replicator had taken to her the last time she had invaded her mind. The same spotlight cast the two of them in its eerie glow.

‘You really do have a lack of imagination don’t you?’ Sam said looking around at the dark space.

‘You can’t really think you’ll win.’ The Replicator bit out. ‘I’m already in your mind. I’ll discover the way to bring the weapon back.’

‘I’m sure you will.’ Sam smiled. ‘But I’m in your mind too.’

‘You can’t…’

‘I can’t what?’ Sam asked. ‘Control things? Guess again.’

The scene around the changed abruptly; they were standing in front of the Stargate in the SGC.

‘And you accused me of having no imagination.’ The Replicator sneered.

‘Welcome to my turf.’ Sam said her blue eyes gleaming with satisfaction. She tilted her head. ‘Aren’t you wondering why the Asgard haven’t fired on your ship yet?’

The Replicator frowned. ‘You miscalculated. I had other Replicators go through the Stargate first. The ship arrived simultaneously.’

‘And because you went through the Stargate, the cipher I helped you create automatically changed the frequency rendering the disruptor weapon on Thor’s ship useless.’ Sam agreed cheerfully. ‘I know.’

‘You are distracting me.’ The Replicator realised.

‘You’re the one who miscalculated.’ Sam confided. ‘I have them now; your brethren.’

Sam allowed them to see through the Replicators in the cargo ship; they were stood frozen in front of the three men who remained in the cargo hold. Sam saw her team-mates confusion at the Replicators stopping before they shrugged and began firing again. She smiled.

‘I should thank you.’ Sam said casually. ‘For kidnapping Daniel. If you hadn’t, he wouldn’t have gotten into your mind and I wouldn’t have known I could do this.’ She smiled. ‘And, of course, for ascending. If you’re wondering how I’m managing to keep control in here, well, that’s down to one of the Ascended beings. You must have really annoyed them for them to agree to one of their own interfering.’

The Replicator glowered at her; she could almost feel its cold logic trying to rifle through her thoughts. Sam mentally slapped her back and shook her head. ‘Naughty, naughty.’ She wagged a finger at the Replicator. ‘Play by the rules, remember? And besides, quite honestly, I’m not sure what Orlin did so there’s no point looking. Now, let’s see about that cipher, shall we?’ Sam asked breezily.

The scene changed to Sam’s lab. She walked over to the computer monitor and brought up the code. She selected the cipher code and pressed delete. The immunity the Replicator had created with Sam’s help against the disruptor weapon disappeared from all the Replicators. Sam smiled in satisfaction.

‘I can recreate the code.’ The Replicator said furiously.

‘Not fast enough.’ Sam said smugly.

Sam used the Replicator ship itself to transmit the required frequency to destroy it to Thor. She smiled sympathetically at the Replicator. ‘You should brace yourself. Your brethren are about to be toast.’

‘You don’t have a weapon here.’ The Replicator snarled feeling the instant loss of the ship thousands of light years across the galaxy. She charged across the room to Sam.

Sam grabbed its arm in a mental parody of their real position. She flung them out of the mental space and into reality…

Sam’s eyes snapped open and she stared at the confusion on her duplicate’s face. ‘Haven’t you got it yet?’ She asked almost innocently as she used her control of the Replicators, within all the bugs across the galaxy, to severe the connection between their cells. They fell into inert dust. ‘I am the weapon.’

Her duplicate watched in horror. Her eyes met Sam’s and the Air Force Colonel saw a glint of fear before the human form Replicator disintegrated into a million inert blocks leaving Sam’s hand clutching air.

Chapter 34

Sam turned to her three team-mates and found them looking back at her with a mixture of awe and shock. She remembered they’d done the same when she’d killed the Goa’uld Seth with a ribbon device once and shuffled a little uncomfortable with their reaction. Maybe the ‘I am the weapon’ thing had been a little too much, she considered wryly.

‘Wow.’ Mitchell said as he gawped at his team leader across the rubble of Replicator blocks.

‘How?’ Daniel demanded bemused.

‘Who cares how?’ Jack started grinning. ‘Nice.’

Sam felt her own lips curve upwards before a sharp pain tore through her head. She staggered. An arm went around her as the world went momentarily dark; when she opened her eyes, she was clutching onto Jack’s shoulder and he was helping keep her upright.

‘You OK, Carter?’ Jack asked anxiously.

‘Sorry, sir. Just a headache.’ She rubbed at her temple and the throbbing pain there. ‘I may have overdone it.’

‘No such thing with a Replicator, Carter.’ Jack murmured.

The ship rocked as it came under fire.

‘We need to get out of here.’ Jack said taking charge. ‘Daniel, the rings.’

‘Right.’ The archaeologist jerked and made his way over to the panel on the wall. He activated them and hurried back to join his three team-mates in the circle.

They reappeared on the scout ship. Teal’c barely spared them a glance over his shoulder. He was busy flying trying to avoid the volley of fire directed at them. ‘It is good to see you again, O’Neill.’

‘Likewise.’ Jack said leaving Sam to move behind him while Mitchell moved into the second seat. Sam and Daniel took positions behind him. ‘What’s going on?’

‘Ba’al has attacked.’ Teal’c said succinctly.

Jack rolled his eyes at the literal answer. ‘How’s the battle going?’

‘We are losing.’ Teal’c stated with disappointment. ‘Ba’al will soon be able to land his troops on Dakara.’

‘Any ideas?’ Jack asked looking back at Sam and Daniel.

‘I’m all out, sir.’ Sam said her blue eyes watching the space battle in front of her with dismay.

Daniel pursed his lips. ‘I might have one.’ He pushed his glasses up his nose. ‘Maybe we can get to Ba’al.’

‘How?’ Jack demanded.

‘We know we…well, you,’ Daniel pointed at Sam, ‘killed the Replicator but he doesn’t.’

‘You want me to pretend to be her.’ Sam deduced.

‘Are you up for that, Carter?’ Jack asked his brown eyes scanning her tired face.

Mitchell watched in amazement as Sam drew energy from God only knew where to nod firmly. ‘It might be a way onto Ba’al’s ship.’ He concurred, his gaze drifting to the general.

‘If we can get him to lower the shields to let Sam on board.’ Jack corrected.

‘We just need to give him enough of a reason to.’ Daniel insisted.

Jack shifted uneasily and sighed. ‘Me.’

‘Sir?’ Sam asked hesitantly.

‘We all know Ba’al and I have history.’ Jack said seriously. ‘We should use it.’

‘Jack…’ Daniel objected his horrified blue eyes meeting his friend’s at the idea.

The scout ship took a hit from a barrage by a persistent glider and the debate was suspended while they all clung onto the consoles trying to keep their balance.

‘Our shields are almost gone.’ Teal’c stated calmly diving past a pair of Goa’uld gliders with a skill that had Mitchell looking at him enviously.

‘You have to show me how to do that.’ Mitchell murmured.

‘OK, time’s up, kids. We’ll take out Ba’al’s ship with C4 when we get aboard.’ Jack responded.

‘That’s probably rule number ten,’ muttered Daniel to Mitchell. ‘Always blow up the Goa’uld mother ship with C4.’

Jack glared at him and gestured at Sam. ‘Make the call to Ba’al. Tell him you’ve brought him a present.’

Sam nodded reluctantly. She knew the General’s torture at the hands of Ba’al had been one of the worst experiences of his whole time in the Stargate programme. She couldn’t help admire the strength of character it took to literally face his demon. She moved to the front and opened up a channel to Ba’al. ‘Ba’al. Respond. This is the Replicator.’

‘What are you doing here?’ Ba’al’s voice reverberated in the small ship.

‘My brethren are capable of dealing with Earth. I came to ensure your success here.’ Sam shot back. ‘And I have brought you a gift. The human known as O’Neill.’

‘You have O’Neill?’ Ba’al said admiringly.

‘Lower your shields and I will transport aboard with him.’ Sam said.

‘In case you haven’t noticed it is not the best time to lower my shields.’ Ba’al commented dryly.

‘It was a courtesy, Ba’al.’ Sam said coldly. ‘Lower your shields or I will lower them myself.’

There was a silence and they all held their breath wondering if Ba’al had gone for it.

Daniel looked questioningly at Sam and she shrugged; she had no idea if Ba’al would believe her performance.

‘Very well.’ Ba’al said.

‘He’s lowered his shield.’ Sam confirmed.

‘Teal’c, put this thing on auto and let’s go.’ Jack said as they all gathered back in the centre of the rings their zats at the ready.’

They ringed onto Ba’al’s ship and immediately took out the Jaffa guarding the ring room with shots of blue electricity.

‘OK,’ Jack said as Teal’c took up a covering position by the door, ‘Mitchell, Daniel, Teal’c; plant as much as C4 as you can all over the ship, target the shield generators, weapons, engines, anything that if it gets taken out would give us an advantage. Try not to get discovered.’

‘What about you and Sam?’ Daniel asked.

‘We’re going to make our way up to the bridge and deal with Ba’al.’ Jack said evenly. ‘We’ll meet back here and get off this ship as soon as we’re done. Understood?’

They all nodded.

‘OK, you guys get going. We’ll cover you.’ Jack jerked his head at the door. He and Sam watched them duck out of the ring room and head down the gilded corridor.

‘Ready, Carter?’ Jack asked.

‘We might encounter less resistance if we make it appear that you’re under my control, sir.’ She suggested.

‘Good idea.’ Jack said. ‘We’ll leave the P90s here. Take only the zats.’

‘You should know Ba’al will probably be able to tell it’s me in person, sir.’ Sam said. ‘He’ll sense the naquadah in my blood.’

‘We’ll worry about that when we get there.’ Jack said firmly. ‘Let’s go kick some Goa’uld ass, shall we?’

‘Yes, sir.’ Sam smiled at him and gestured with her zat.

He walked out ahead of her and she followed with his zat in one hand, her own raised and pointed at him as they made their way through the corridors. They passed a Jaffa patrol who all but fell over themselves to avoid Sam.

It looked like the human form Replicator had the Jaffa scared senseless, Jack thought. He could sympathise. He didn’t voice the thought knowing how Sam would react if he said it out loud. He had endured hours of torture at the hands of her duplicate. His only comfort had been in knowing he had denied her the victory she had wanted; he had never forgotten that she wasn’t his Sam. There had been one strange moment though…

He cleared his throat and kept his voice low. ‘You know, Carter, when I was on the ship with the Replicator, I kinda thought you were in my head one time.’

There was a question in the statement and she nodded across at him quickly.

Jack sighed and gestured at her. ‘I’m thinking this might fall under the category of unusual behaviour, Carter.’

‘I’ll report to the infirmary if we make it back, sir.’ Sam replied wryly.

‘When, Carter.’ Jack corrected.

It took them some time to get to the bridge. Jack indicated the count on one hand as they entered and Sam nodded her head subtly to confirm she had understood. There were four Jaffa; one at the flight controls; one operating the weapons and two at the door. Ba’al was sat lounging on the only chair on the bridge. It was gold and throne-like. They walked a safe distance inside the room and came to a halt in front of Ba’al.

His dark eyes scanned her with confusion and realisation hit him hard and fast. ‘You’re not the Replicator.’

‘Surprise!’ yelled Jack and grabbed his zat as Sam threw it toward him. He spun and kicked out at the guard by the flight controls; he zatted the other. He ducked behind a console and fired at the other guard taking him out too.

Sam fell to her knees and zatted the two guards by the door before she dived for cover. She wasn’t quick enough. Ba’al had already moved from his throne and he grabbed her roughly; the ribbon device was pointed at her head and she felt the first stirrings of pain as the orange glow hit her.

‘Ba’al!’ Jack yelled from his position. ‘Let her go!’

‘I will kill her, O’Neill.’ Ba’al said almost lazily. ‘Unless you surrender immediately.’

‘Don’t do it, sir!’ Sam managed to shout past the unremitting pain.

Jack knew he had no choice; he couldn’t let Ba’al kill her. He threw down the zat and stepped out from the console. His brown eyes met Ba’al’s smug gaze as he put his hands up. ‘It’s me you want. Let her go.’

Ba’al deactivated the ribbon device. Sam fell weakly to the floor and curled up into a foetal ball. Jack immediately stepped toward her and when Ba’al didn’t object, hurried over to her side. He pulled her unresisting body into his arms cradling it gently.

The Goa’uld flounced back to the throne as more Jaffa rushed into the room. Ba’al took a moment to order them to take over the controls before he turned back to the curious sight in front of him of O’Neill holding Samantha Carter. ‘Interesting.’ He drawled. ‘I had planned to kill you but perhaps I could have some fun first.’ He smiled cruelly. ‘I have always wondered what would be worse; to be tortured yourself or to watch those you care about be tortured. What do you think?’

Jack smoothed Sam’s blonde hair back from her pale face and gently stroked the faint red mark that the ribbon device had left. He stared with disgust at the Goa’uld. ‘I think you’re a sick bastard.’

Ba’al smiled in satisfaction. ‘You’ve lost your sense of humour, O’Neill.’ He settled back in his throne. ‘I do believe you might be more than a little fond of the Colonel.’ He saw the barely perceptible flicker that crossed the deeply carved lines on O’Neill’s face. He was right, he thought incredulously. The man was in love with the woman in his arms. ‘Humans,’ he sighed, ‘in the end you’re just as predictable as the Jaffa. What a disappointment.’

Jack felt a weapon being pressed into his hand and had to stop himself from reacting. Sam was obviously not as out of it as she was pretending. He gripped the zat and tensed. He would have to time it right. ‘It’s over, Ba’al.’

The Goa’uld laughed. ‘I will soon take Dakara. The Replicator will have Earth.’

‘The Replicator is dead and Earth is safe.’ Jack retorted.

Ba’al smiled. ‘Then you have saved me the task of ridding myself of her.’ He leaned back and stroked his beard. ‘I will get to Earth in time.’

‘You won’t get to Earth.’ Jack caught a movement by the door; the rest of SG1 were slipping into the room. ‘It ends here.’ He said and his eyes met Ba’al’s with renewed confidence.

‘My Lord!’ Ba’al’s Jaffa interrupted the exchange. ‘There are two ships exiting hyperspace.’

‘What ships?’ Ba’al said.

The Jaffa turned to him with a visibly frightened expression. ‘It’s the Asgard, sir and an Earth vessel.’

Jack smirked at the Goa’uld. ‘That’ll be the cavalry.’

Ba’al scowled and his eyes flashed white. ‘Get us out of here.’ He ordered.

‘Oh I don’t think you’re going anywhere, Ba’al, old buddy.’ Jack drawled. The first of the C4 explosions rocked the ship.

‘Our shields are down!’ The other Jaffa yelled.

‘Now!’ Jack shouted as the bridge shook again; this time taking heavy fire from the Prometheus.

Teal’c and Mitchell moved and both took out one of the Jaffa with a zat. Ba’al was half-way out of his seat when Jack pointed the zat at him.

‘Ah! Ah!’ Jack shook his head as Ba’al reached for his wrist. ‘I wouldn’t.’ He stood slowly and, beside him, Sam got to her feet.

Ba’al watched as they were joined by others; a human male with brown hair and blue eyes hidden by circles of glass – the infamous Doctor Jackson, he surmised. Another human male of a similar build to Jackson stood beside him; the new guy, Ba’al thought dismissively. Finally, the shol’var Teal’c stood next to Colonel Carter. All of SG1 stood in front of him and all had weapons pointed at him. Ba’al shifted uncomfortably.

‘Ba’al, Ba’al.’ Jack sighed dramatically. ‘You seem to have lost your sense of humour.’

Ba’al gave a tight smile as another volley of fire hit the ship. ‘You have your prize, O’Neill. I will come with you without a fight.’

Jack’s face creased in confusion and he waved his gun at the Goa’uld. ‘I’m not taking you with us.’ He looked at Sam. ‘Did I say I was taking him with us? Because I don’t recall saying that?’

A look of pure panic flitted across Ba’al’s face before he regrouped a little. ‘I am more valuable to your government alive.’

‘Maybe.’ Jack admitted with deadly calm. ‘But I’m going to kill you anyway.’ His brown eyes hardened. ‘And I’m going to do it the once.’ He zatted him twice.

For a long moment, they all looked at Ba’al slumped in his throne, dead.

Daniel raised his zat and fired; the body disappeared.

Jack looked over at him in surprise. The archaeologist pushed his glasses up his nose and didn’t say anything. Jack had always wondered if the other man remembered how, when Daniel had been ascended, he had stayed with Jack during his torture at Ba’al’s hands, kept him sane during the whole ordeal; how he had helped sow the seeds of his recovery back at the SGC. He had never asked Daniel if he remembered and Daniel had never indicated he had. The younger man finally met his eyes and the look they shared was one of total understanding. Jack felt the catch of emotion in his throat.

The console behind them exploded.

‘So,’ Jack said clearing his throat, ‘any ideas on how we get out of here before we get blown up?’

Sam was already moving to the controls. ‘If we can get a message to the Asgard or the Prometheus, we can…’

The flash of light and disorientation was familiar and much wanted. They re-materialised on the bridge of the Prometheus. In front of them Ba’al’s ship exploded; a brief fireball that lit up space.

The battle was over; they had won.

Chapter 35

Jack wondered what a difference seven weeks made. He was once again standing off to the side of a room in the middle of a reception clutching a glass of punch and he was once again wearing his dress blues pretending to listen to Daniel babble while his actual attention remained on a certain blonde Air Force officer making the rounds. But that was where the similarity with Jacob Carter’s memorial reception ended.

This reception had a definite celebratory air and was taking place in the SGC commissary. The new structure of the SGC had come into effect at oh-eight-hundred that morning and in addition to the formal inauguration ceremony, there had been a round of treaty negotiations between Earth and her various alien allies. The reception was the final event in a day packed with meetings, speeches and more meetings. The mess was filled with SGC personnel, members of the IOA, the Joint Chiefs, the President and a number of their alien friends; the party had spilled out onto the corridor hours before and showed no sign of letting up. Jack briefly took a sip of his punch and glanced at the clock.

He had expected the President to have left hours before and was getting a little annoyed that Hayes hadn’t yet made a move. His eyes slid to the snappily dressed leader of the Free World and took in the way he and Bra’tac were roaring with laughter at something Thor had said to them. It didn’t look as though Hayes was going to move anytime soon. Jack sighed impatiently. Protocol insisted that he and every other person there remain until the President left and Jack was anxious to get away. There had been no time in the day’s schedule for the discussion. In fact there had barely been time for him to pass Sam a note, like they were teenagers at school, asking her to meet him at his house that evening. Ten hours after his retirement became official and they were still stuck in the same roles they’d played for the previous eight years. He bit back a sigh of frustration.

Jack’s eyes collided with Sam’s blue gaze across the room. The brief sympathetic smile she was able to give him before Carolyn nudged her and she was dragged back into the conversation with the odious French IOA rep helped ease his nerves a little. And he was nervous. His belly was churning with nerves. God knew why, Jack thought. He knew she loved him. Maybe it was the sudden realisation that their chance of being together was actually, really, honest-to-God going to finally happen. He was retired. She was no longer in his chain of command. There were no regulations or rules standing in their way. If they ever got out of the reception, he thought dryly.

‘Are you listening to anything I’m saying?’ Daniel’s exasperated tone pierced his inner musings and he wrenched his attention back to his friend.

‘No.’ He admitted. ‘How much longer is this thing going to go on for anyway?’

‘Everybody’s celebrating, Jack.’ Daniel reminded him. ‘We did save Earth again.’

Jack took a sip of his punch to avoid answering.

‘So any plans for tonight?’ Daniel asked trying to keep an innocent expression.

‘Funny, Daniel.’ Jack snapped.

Daniel was about to tease him about his mood when he caught the well-hidden frustration and nerves simmering in his friend’s brown gaze. His own blue eyes softened imperceptibly. ‘It shouldn’t be much longer.’ He said comfortingly.

‘You said that an hour ago.’ Jack complained.

The archaeologist searched for another subject. His eyes alighted on Delek talking with Landry. ‘So, are the Tok’ra serious about reinstating the treaty?’

Jack shrugged. ‘They say so.’

‘I guess our relationship with the Asgard is proving to be attractive since the Tok’ra want to clone Egeria.’ Daniel murmured.

‘Indeed, Daniel Jackson.’ Teal’c said as he and Mitchell came to stand by the archaeologist’s shoulder.

Mitchell smiled at them all. ‘Is it just me or is it a little freaky that they kept the body and want to clone it?’

‘That’s what I thought.’ Jack said in agreement.

‘They are a dying race otherwise.’ Daniel pointed out. ‘And with the Asgard helping them, they have a real chance to do it successfully.’

Jack pressed his fingers to the bridge of his nose. ‘Whose idea was it for the Asgard to help them anyway?’

‘I believe it was Colonel Carter’s.’ Teal’c said answering the question although he was very aware that Jack already knew the answer.

‘Her brain is back to normal, right?’ Jack checked. Sam had collapsed on the Prometheus shortly after they had transported over and Jack had insisted Thor check her out. They had discovered that her brain had reverted to normal synaptic activity. They didn’t know if it was being subjected to the ribbon device or whether Orlin had always meant for the effect to be temporary. Jack frowned. They also didn’t know if Orlin’s link between the two of them was still there or not; Jack preferred to think it was.

Daniel sighed. ‘Yes, Jack.’ He replied patiently. ‘Sam is back to normal.’

Or as normal as any of them were, Jack thought smiling wryly and causing Daniel and Teal’c to regard him suspiciously.

Daniel sighed and decided not to pursue it. He gestured with his punch glass. ‘What she did with the Replicator though; that was impressive.’

‘It was.’ Jack agreed. ‘I always knew Carter could take her.’

‘As did I.’ Teal’c said.

‘I don’t get how she did it.’ Mitchell said.

‘Well, her brain was working at a more efficient rate.’ Daniel explained. ‘Sam was able to control what happened when they linked mentally because her brain was able to keep up with the Replicator’s. The Replicator was always linked with her brethren so Sam was linked with them too.’

Orlin’s gift had provided Sam with her most formidable weapon during her battle with her Replicator duplicate – her own mind.

‘I could only take control for a short time, when I did it, because I had, have, a normal human brain.’ Daniel continued sounding slightly peeved. ‘I found out her increased brain activity was also the reason why the chair on Dakara responded to only her too.’

‘Rule number twelve, Mitchell,’ Jack said sighing, ‘never ask how around either Daniel or Carter.’

‘Is that right, sir?’ Sam’s amused voice startled the four of them and they whirled around to find her standing just behind them.

‘How’s everything going out there?’ Jack gestured vaguely at the rest of the room quickly diverting the conversation.

‘Slowly.’ Sam sighed, her eyes meeting his ruefully.

‘Tell me about it.’ Jack murmured. He indicated the punch bowl to his left. ‘Punch?’

She was about to reply when the President appeared beside them. The two military officers snapped to attention. Jack was about to follow suit when he realised he didn’t need to anymore.

‘At ease, Colonels.’ Hayes smiled broadly at them all and regarded them with a fond look. ‘I couldn’t leave without thanking you all for saving the world. Again. How many times does that make it?’

‘This is the tenth occasion, Mr President.’ Teal’c responded solemnly.

‘Teal’c keeps count.’ Jack explained seeing the President’s surprise.

‘I understand you’ve lost the speedy brain thing?’ Hayes said directing his question at Sam.

She refrained from rolling her eyes at her Commander-in-Chief and nodded. ‘Yes, sir.’

‘I’m afraid we’re back to only having Carter produce one miracle a week like normal, sir.’ Jack added.

‘I think we can live with that.’ Hayes said smiling at her. ‘Although I have to say, the Asgard are thrilled with the new Replicator counter-measure especially as they’re still uncertain about whether there may be any more secreted away in their galaxy. They’re so thrilled in fact that they’ve agreed to work with us on a new ship design.’

‘That’s excellent news, sir.’ Sam said.

‘Yes, which is why they’ll be another letter of commendation added to your collection, Colonel.’

Sam’s eyes lit up with delight and she looked around her equally delighted team-mates and former CO before they landed back on the President. ‘Thank you, sir.’

‘No, thank you.’ Hayes said. His eyes moved to encompass the whole team again. ‘All of you.’ He sighed. ‘Well, I have to be making tracks.’

Jack made to move; he was supposed to escort the President to the surface.

The President waved him back. ‘Stay with your team, Jack. I have more than enough Generals accompanying me to the top.’ He indicated a beaming Hammond and Landry who were waiting behind him.

‘Thank you, sir. Have a good trip.’ Jack said happy to see the President finally leaving.

Unfortunately as the party began to break up various people wandered over to SG1 to say goodbye to them and delayed them further. The room was almost empty before they were left alone again.

‘Well, if you’ll excuse me I have plans.’ Sam’s blue eyes caught Jack’s briefly before she smiled at the rest of her team-mates. ‘See you guys tomorrow.’

Jack watched her leave and checked the clock. OK, he needed to check a couple of things but after that…

‘I don’t know about everybody else but I could do with a workout.’ Mitchell said. ‘Who’s up for a little one on one basketball?’

‘I will join you, Colonel Mitchell.’ Teal’c offered.

‘Sure.’ Daniel said. ‘Why not?’

‘I guess you have plans too, sir?’ Mitchell asked politely.

Jack nodded; Daniel had explained how he had come to tell Mitchell about Jack’s relationship with Sam but he was still uncomfortable with the idea of the young officer knowing. ‘And I have to think of my knees.’ He quipped to get over his discomfort.

‘Colonel Mitchell, perhaps it would be prudent for us to secure a court.’ Teal’c suggested. He placed a hand on Mitchell’s shoulder. ‘O’Neill.’ He bowed his head.

‘General.’ Mitchell nodded his own farewell as the Jaffa led him away.

‘Well, I’d better go and…’ Daniel gestured after the disappearing Mitchell and Teal’c.

‘I’ll walk out with you.’ Jack jerked his head in the direction of the rapidly disappearing Lieutenant Colonel and Jaffa. ‘He’s working out well isn’t he?’

‘Who? Mitchell?’ Daniel nodded. ‘I guess.’

‘You’re allowed to like him you know.’ Jack said.

‘I know.’ Daniel smiled at his friend. ‘I was telling Sam the same thing last week when she was feeling guilty about her friendship with Carolyn because of Janet.’

Jack’s eyebrows rose a little at the analogy. ‘I’m not dead, Daniel, and I’m not planning on going anywhere.’

‘Nope, you’re not.’ Daniel agreed. He shrugged. ‘He was the reason I managed to come up with a way to get Landry to agree to let us go after you, you know.’

‘Yes, well, Hank had a difficult call.’ Jack said. ‘He’s not used to the weird stuff that happens around here yet.’

‘I’m not exactly used to seeing you be replaced by a metal bug either.’ Daniel retorted sharply.

‘And what was with shooting that bug dead on sight anyway?’ Jack questioned. ‘Didn’t it occur to anyone that it might have been me?’

‘You?’ Daniel said taken aback.

‘I might have been transformed into the bug.’ Jack pointed out as they got to the elevator. ‘Stranger things have happened.’

‘Jack.’ Daniel began exasperatedly before he caught a glimpse of something in the depths of Jack’s brown gaze and realised with a start that Jack was poking at him because he was nervous about his upcoming discussion with Sam. He sighed. ‘You’re going to be alright.’

Jack stilled registering the change of topic. ‘How do you know?’

‘You’re just going to have to trust me.’ Daniel said. He slapped Jack’s shoulder gently and left him by the elevator.

Jack watched Daniel amble away down the corridor. He rubbed his hand through his grey hair and made his way to his office. He figured he would be out of the base in just under half an hour which gave him plenty of time to get everything ready for Sam arriving.

He had most things prepared and waiting to go; the table had been set, the food – a simple steak and salad – was bought and in the fridge along with a cake for dessert, a bottle of wine and some beer. He’d debated candles and settled for one short stub on the table only. He was aiming for cosy but not too romantic; despite his words on Dakara he figured they were someway off a proposal. They both needed time to adjust to the change in their relationship and he had no intention of rushing Sam and screwing up.

Walter entered his office a couple of minutes after Jack. ‘I have a couple of things I need you to sign, sir.’

‘Thanks, Walter.’ Jack took the proffered folders and glanced down at the requisition papers. He grimaced and scrawled his signature at the bottom. ‘Is there anything else?’

‘Nothing, sir.’ Walter said taking the folders back.

‘In that case, I am out of here.’ Jack said happily.

The alarm sounded.

‘Oh for crying out loud.’ Jack muttered.

He followed Walter back down to the control room.

‘Unscheduled incoming wormhole.’ Walter confirmed. ‘It’s SG6, sir. Code red.’

‘Open the iris.’ Jack ordered. ‘Defence team to the gate room.’

The first blast hit the wall of the gate room; the second impacted the wall just above the observation window of the control room causing all of its occupants to instinctively duck.

SG6 stumbled through the wormhole onto the ramp.

‘Close it up!’ Jack yelled already on his way down the stairs. ‘And get a med team to the gate room.’ He entered the gate room at a rush. ‘Brace, what the hell happened?’

‘Sorry, General.’ Brace said taking off his cap and touching a hand to a wound on his head. ‘Hostile natives.’

‘Noted.’ Jack said. ‘You’d better get you and your men to the infirmary.’

‘Yes, sir.’ Brace nodded. ‘But I think we should debrief as soon as possible, sir. We found an Ancient artefact on the planet, sir. We think it might be an Ancient repository.’

‘You mean one of those head-sucky things?’ Jack said alarmed.

‘Yes, sir.’

‘Debrief in one hour.’ He agreed reluctantly. He made his way back up the stairs to find SG1 minus Sam running into the control room.

‘What’s happened?’ Daniel asked.

‘SG6 think they’ve found one of those head-sucking devices the Ancients left.’

‘An Ancient repository of knowledge?’ Daniel translated. ‘Really?’

‘Really.’ Jack sighed. ‘Debrief is in one hour. Daniel, it would probably be useful if you could attend.’

‘Sure.’ Daniel frowned. ‘What about you? Aren’t you supposed to be…’ he let his voice trail away aware of the very public arena.

‘Couldn’t Colonel Emerson take the debriefing, O’Neill?’ Teal’c asked stepping in.

‘He’s already left the base.’ Jack replied to Teal’c. ‘Besides he’s trying to get his family settled. Let’s give the guy a break in his first week.’

‘Sir, I’d be happy to take the briefing.’ Mitchell volunteered.

Jack was pleased at the young officer’s offer but he knew he couldn’t accept it; it was against procedure and if the debrief was about a head-sucky thing it really needed him. ‘Can’t do it, Mitchell, but thanks for the offer.’ He sighed heavily. ‘I have to make a phone call.’ He made his way back to his office and picked up the phone before any of them could protest.

‘Hey.’ Sam replied her voice filled with curiosity at receiving a call from him.

‘Hey.’ Jack answered. ‘Listen, there’s a situation here, SG6 just came back claiming they found some Ancient thing. I’m going to be a little late.’

‘OK. Do you need me to come back to the base?’ Sam asked.

‘No.’ Jack said firmly. ‘Look everything is pretty much set up at my place and it isn’t locked. Why don’t you head over and I’ll be with you as soon as I can? I shouldn’t be more than an hour late tops.’

‘Are you sure?’

‘I’m sure.’ He answered without hesitation. There was a slight pause and he could hear his heart pounding in his chest as he waited for her answer.

‘OK. I’ll see you there.’

‘OK.’ He sighed again; this time with relief. ‘See you later.’

Sam disconnected the call and focused back on her driving. Maybe she should have offered to delay their date until the next day. Her lips twisted. She didn’t want to delay it.

Count them. Counting was something she was very good at. Mentally, she had ticked off the days and when the previous day had dawned she had moved onto the hours. She had quickly realised that the schedule for the inauguration of the new structure would preclude her and Jack being alone together until the evening and she had simply added the hours to their hastily arranged date to those she was tracking and striking off. In no small way the counting had kept her sane through the incredibly long and tedious day. She couldn’t remember another time when she had ever actively looked forward so much to leaving the base.

She sighed as she pulled up in front of her house. Between the Presidential delay and the events back at the base that had delayed Jack, it did feel as though the universe was conspiring against them a little. It couldn’t be helped, she thought as she made her way into the house. She figured there were going to be lots of moments in their future just like the one she was experiencing. Both of them were dedicated with a strong sense of duty – if they weren’t, it wouldn’t have taken them eight years to get to their first date.

Her musings had taken her into the house and through into her bedroom where she decided to look on the positive side of the latest delay. With the Presidential visit lasting as long as it had, she had thought she was going to have to rush getting ready but if Jack was going to be late she could take her time. She was going to pamper herself, she decided and do the whole date routine; bubble bath, make-up, hair.

In the end she arrived at Jack’s house a little panicked that she would arrive after him. She checked her watch. Ten minutes before twenty-one hundred which would be exactly an hour after their date was originally scheduled to start. Jack’s truck was missing from the drive and she sighed with relief. He expected her to already be there and she hadn’t wanted him to arrive before her and give him any cause to think she was having doubts. She smoothed her damp hands on her jeans as she made her way into the house.

The door was unlocked as he’d said and she smiled wryly. He was going to get robbed blind one day. Maybe she could talk him into getting the dog he’d once suggested…the thought caused her to stop uncertainly in the hallway for a moment. Pete had suggested a dog and the very thought had confirmed to her she’d didn’t love him enough to marry him; with Jack getting a dog seemed…right. She pottered into the kitchen and smiled at the contents of the fridge; got nervous at the dining table set for two in the room next door. Her fingers traced over the red and white chequered table-cloth, delicate china and crystal glasses. The traditional romantic trappings had her looking at her clothes ruefully. Part of the reason she had been late leaving her own house was because of a multiple number of clothes changes. She had settled for her current outfit; jeans teamed with a leather blazer and a blue silk shirt that highlighted her eyes and made her skin look luminous. Looking at the table setting again, she figured she could have worn the new dress she had tried on first.

She sighed and checked her watch. Five minutes. It wasn’t like she expected him to turn up on the stroke of twenty-one hundred. She wandered around and switched some of the occasional lamps on in the living area before she finally sat on the sofa to wait shrugging her blazer off. There were only a couple of minutes left. She wondered at her nerves. It wasn’t as though she didn’t know how he felt about her. If their goodbye on some spiritual plane when she had been dying on Dakara hadn’t been explicit enough, finding out that he had offered his own life to save hers might have given her a clue. She shook her head. She didn’t know if the link between her and Jack that Orlin had created when he was healing her was still there or not; she couldn’t feel it but she had considered that it might take one of them being in danger for it to come to the fore. She hoped it would be sometime before they tested that particular theory; they’d both been in danger enough of late.

She was actually a little relieved to have her mind back to normal whether it had been a side-effect or an intentional act by Orlin. Having the ability to defeat her Replicator duplicate had been great and she couldn’t deny that it had given her a lot of personal vindication but it was good to feel like her mind was her own again. There were some benefits that remained: she could still easily access Jolinar’s memories and she still had the Ancient gene. She viewed the latter as a reminder of Orlin and the sacrifice he had made for her. Besides, she considered, as she rubbed her hands on her jeans again, Carolyn had given the go ahead for SGC personnel to begin the gene therapy – every off-world member of the base would soon have the same ability she had.

The clock on the mantel chimed. It claimed it was twenty-one hundred; her watch corroborated it. She sighed and reached for the National Geographic on the coffee table. She flipped through it idly before she glanced back up at the clock. Five minutes past nine. Great, she thought exasperatedly, she’d gone from counting the minutes before to counting the ones after. Maybe a glass of wine would settle her nerves. She headed into the kitchen and reached into the refrigerator for the bottle. Her eyes caught on the beer and she had a sudden idea. She moved quickly grabbing a beer along with the leather blazer she had discarded and a few minutes later, she settled into the oversize chair on Jack’s roof by his telescope and looked up at the night sky. The minutes slipped by and lulled by the alcohol and her own tiredness, Sam closed her eyes.

She was asleep when Jack found her a couple of hours later. He sighed in relief at the sight of her. The debriefing had taken longer than he had anticipated; the first delay had been down to much needed medical treatment but once the debrief got underway, SG6’s archaeologist had rambled; Jack had never seen Daniel so close to lynching one of his own people. In the end they had substantiated it wasn’t a head-sucky thing but it had taken way too long.

Jack had tried calling an hour before to apologise and beg Sam to stay; when she hadn’t answered he’d worried that she had been upset at ostensibly being stood up and had left. His mood had been pretty dark leaving the base but it had done a miraculous one-eighty on seeing her car in front of his house. Finding her had been a challenge but seeing her curled up on his look-out chair, her blonde hair mussed by the breeze and her face smoothed in peaceful sleep made it worthwhile.

He rubbed his hands back through his own thoroughly messed up grey hair and crouched beside the armchair. He cupped her cheek and winced at the coldness. She must have been sat out a while, he thought.

‘Sam?’ He brushed a thumb over her cheekbone and tucked an errant curl of blonde hair back behind her ear.

Her eyes snapped open, wide and startled before they settled abruptly at the sight of him. ‘You’re home.’

I am now. The thought popped unbidden into Jack’s head. ‘Sorry I’m late.’ He said gruffly.

‘That’s OK, sir.’ Sam murmured as she uncurled from the chair.

‘You know you don’t have to call me ‘sir’ any longer.’ Jack’s lips quirked upwards in a reluctant smile.

There was a faint glimmer of nerves in her face as she registered what she’d said. ‘Habit.’ She admitted defensively when she regained her voice. ‘You only stopped being my CO,’ she checked her watch and her brow creased a little at the time, ‘fifteen hours and eight minutes ago.’

‘You’ve been counting?’ Jack asked amused.

Sam shrugged a little embarrassed.

Jack felt the rest of his tension drain away. She’d been counting. ‘C’mere.’

He held out a hand to her and she left the chair willingly, sliding her hand into his. He pulled her to her feet and wrapped her against him as her arms went around him and held him as equally tightly against her. He buried his face in her hair as she pressed her face into the crook of his neck. Sam breathed in the scent of him and snuggled closer.

Eventually, Jack shifted so he could see her face, his soft brown eyes meeting hers unguarded and vulnerable. ‘I love you, Samantha Carter.’

‘I love you back, Jack O’Neill.’ Sam said simply.

Their first kiss was soft, tentative and Jack eased back as he felt her lips curving into a smile under his. He looked at her questioningly and saw the smile actually started in the blue depths of her eyes.

‘We’re on your roof under the stars.’ She said pointedly.

He examined her expression carefully. Maybe the proposal wasn’t rushing things…maybe he wasn’t going to screw this up. He began to sway a little with her; a barely perceptible movement. ‘And we’re dancing.’ His voice wasn’t quite steady.

‘Yes.’ Sam registered with a laugh. ‘We are.’ She hooked her arms around his neck, her fingers stroking through the grey strands at the back of his neck.

‘I don’t hear you telling me how the universe works.’ Jack prompted shifting his own hold to her waist.

Sam’s smile widened, simple joy gleaming back at him from her blue eyes. ‘I have this theory…’

Jack’s eyes held hers and he was sure she was able to hear his heart it was beating that loudly. ‘Marry me?’

‘Yes.’ There was no prevarication, hesitation or indecision. She didn’t need to think about it; didn’t want to make him wait; they’d both waited long enough.

Jack gave a relieved sigh and brushed his lips across Sam’s. Once, twice; the third time they settled into a kiss that quickly slipped into something altogether deeper that had Jack pressing her closer and Sam burying her hands in his hair.

The happiness her father had once wished for her wrapped itself around her and Samantha Carter finally stopped counting.

fin.