Half the World

[ardvari]

Title: Half the World
Author: ardvari
Rating: M
Pairing: Sam/Jack
Disclaimer: Not mine.
Spoilers: Stargate Universe 1x19 Incursion part 1
A/N: Sequel to Satellite Heart. Last part... for now. I think. Maybe. Concrit welcome!

Comments

Watergate Tapes, Part 2

[thothmes]

But suddenly Lt. Andriessen is smiling. Smiling!

A crackle. It's faint, the signal thin and straining, the bandwith barely enough for audio, out here between the galaxies, but the voice is rich and gruff, and ever so familiar.

"Carter, Hammond, you there?"

She can feel everyones eyes on her, but it's an illusion. They are all looking away, giving her space.

"I'm here, sir," she says.

"And I'm here," he replies.

"Good to know, sir. We were... concerned."

"I was hoping you hadn't heard."

"Odyssey told us, but they were almost out of range. A dirty bomb, they said?"

"Yeah. It was... ugly. We lost eighteen. Denby's pretty bad. We won't know for a while."

Eighteen-and-a-half.

"And you, sir?"

Eighteen-and-a-half seconds is a very long time.

"I'm fine Carter. Telford was here, but he wasn't close enough to the radiation. Walter and I were across town. We're fine."

"At the White House, sir?"

"At the Watergate Hotel. A working luncheon with the I.O.A. Between the food and the company, the indigestion was inevitable, but that's all the action I saw."

He sounded bitter, but she knew it was because he would have rather have been there, in the thick of it, perhaps making that one, last, grand and glorious gesture. It rankled that he'd been chewing on gourmet chicken salad instead, and sipping coffee from tiny, thin-walled cups.

"They want you home, Sam. Those are your orders."

"Understood, sir. We're heading home."

Federico was already punching it in.

"And sir?"

"Carter?"

"I'm thinking I might stay a while."

"Yeah?"

Voice only, but she could still see the barely-there almost shy smile, and feel the warmth of those brown eyes, soft with pleasure and relief.

"Yeah. I think it's time that I got a hobby."

"Knitting?"

"I suck at knitting, sir. I was thinking of fishing."

"Anyplace special?"

"Well, there's a lake in Minnesota, sir, where the bass grow this big..."

He couldn't see the three inches between her thumb and her forefinger, but he knew.

"Watch it, Colonel!"

"Yes, sir! I'm sure there are other, bigger fish there too, sir."

"Yeah?"

Pleased again.

"Yes, sir. Hammond out."

She's going home. This time she wants to stay. She'd consider command of the SGC if it were offered. Otherwise, she's thinking of terminal leave. With all the time she's banked, she wouldn't be surprised if it were eighteen-and-a-half months.

Re: Watergate Tapes, Part 2

[ardvari]

Can I just tell you how absolutely perfect this is? I've been sitting here for three days wondering if this part of the story would be a good ending because really, it's kind of not an ending at all. YOUR story is the ending I couldn't figure out when I tried to wrap my head around it and this is just brilliant. In fact, it's brilliance²! Thank you thank you thank you for this, I love it! It's my favorite comment fic yet! :D

Re: Watergate Tapes, Part 2

[thothmes]

I had a really crappy day yesterday (it sometimes happens when you're a mom and both kids decide that today's the day they want to pick fights and have ISSUES), and finding this message was a real pick-me-up!

Yay! I pleased SOMEBODY on a day I couldn't seem to please anybody! Yay!

I'm so glad you liked it.

Re: Watergate Tapes, Part 2

[ardvari]

Oh, I hate those days! Glad to have been the person you pleased though because you really did. I walked around with the biggest smile all day. :)

Re: Watergate Tapes, Part 2

[yessikg]

I had almost forgotten about Alliances, amazing fic! I can totally see this as the ending :)

Re: Watergate Tapes, Part 2

[thothmes]

Thank you!