As Time Passes By Chapter 4 - Colorado Springs
Colorado Springs, 1997
Captain Samantha Carter couldn't get over the very sudden change in her life. Just last night, she'd been deeply ensconced in the Pentagon, carrying out her research. And here she was this morning, rushing from the elevator to a briefing room on the other side of the country. As she approached her destination, she recognized George Hammond's voice. She knew she would have to show nothing toward the general, her new base commander, even though she'd known him for many years. He had served with her father (a general himself) years ago, and the two families had become close.
"I'm assigning Cam Carter to this mission."
General Hammond's words brought to mind blond hair and big blue eyes. Colonel Jack O'Neill allowed the thought for a split second, then mentally berated himself.
'There have to be a bunch of "Sam Carter"s. Besides, he said "Sam", not "Samantha".' Jack let himself be disappointed for just a second.
"I'd prefer to put together my own team, sir."
"Not on this mission, sorry," Hammond replied. "Carter's our expert on the Stargate."
"Where's he transferring from?" Jack asked.
A disembodied feminine voice answered for the general. "She s transferring from the Pentagon."
Jack almost swallowed his tongue as he watched "his" Sam Carter walk into the briefing room. In his mind's eye, he saw her as the scared girl waiting to have her tonsils out; the uncertain cadet, stretching herself to help her team succeed; finally, the self-assured, almost cocky, young lieutenant in the middle of a war zone. And now, he had a new image to add, to connect with the voice that was so familiar, and yet not.
Jack saw the flash of recognition in her eyes, then heard the note of irony in her voice as she reported in.
"I take it you're Colonel O'Neill," Sam stated, then snapped to and fired off a salute. "Captain Samantha Carter reporting, sir."
Jack returned her salute almost without realizing it. He gathered himself as he heard Sam going back and forth with Kowalsky and Feretti. Then Hammond called on him to start the briefing. He barely got a sentence out before she interrupted him.
"I've practically memorized your report from the first mission. I'd like to think I've been preparing for this all my life."
Sam cringed inwardly at what a...groupie she sounded like. Could she be more pathetic? True, she had poured over the Abydos mission report when it came in. She had been torn between fascination at what the team had found on the other side, and horror when she had realized that the team leader had not been expected to return. When she had read the name of the team leader, she had searched desperately through the files she had access to for a picture of him. It couldn't possibly be "her" Jack O'Neill, could it? What were the odds?
She felt like she was having an out of body experience as she faced off with the two majors across from her. Her nerves and excitement were definitely getting the better of her, she decided, when she found herself correcting Jack - no, Colonel O'Neill - on the correct way for her to be addressed. Before she knew it, she was spewing a horrendous speech about her reproductive organs, and just how tough she was.
She knew the men across from her had pushed her buttons, probably intentionally. And she'd blindly followed them right over the ledge. She just hoped that she'd be able to regain some of the ground she'd obviously lost.
They finally got through their mission briefing, and plans were made for the team's departure. General Hammond dismissed everyone, and went to his office. Kowalsky and Feretti left the room, with a look from Jack to Sam, along with the room's other occupants.
"We just keep running into each other, don't we, Captain Carter?" Jack asked with a smile.
"Yes, sir, it seems like it."
"How've you been, Sam?"
"Good, sir. What about you?"
"Good, good. Well, you know, the knees, the back."
Sam smiled. "Yes, sir."
"So, 'Doctor' Carter, huh?"
"Yes, sir." Sam blushed.
"Anything else I should know about, Captain?"
"I'm sure there probably is, sir, but I think General Hammond already hit the high points." Sam didn't want to tell anyone that she had known the general for a very long time. She thought that could wait until they got back from their mission, and she had, hopefully, proven herself.
"Sir, I'd like to apologize for my behavior earlier. I have a tendency to..."
"Jump to conclusions?" Jack inserted.
"That's one way to put it, sir."
"Look, Sam, it's fine. Everyone has an off day. Let's just hope that's the worst yours get."
"Yes, sir."
"And, honestly, they were putting your buttons a bit. That didn't help, I'm sure. But fair warning: Kowalsky tends to do that. This may not be the last time."
"I'll keep that in mind, sir."
Sam had thought about Jack through the years, even when they weren't running into each other. Heck, she even, for some unknown reason, still had the note he'd left for her, back in Germany. She'd come across it every once in awhile, and thought back to when they'd stayed up all night playing chess and talking.
She'd been nervous and yes, scared, that night. It was the first time she'd been in the hospital, and she really hadn't known what to expect. It didn't help that her dad was out on a mission at the time, either. It was only about a year later when her mother died, and Sam's family fell to pieces.
Jack had been a bright spot for her to look back on. In her mind, Sam knew that he had become larger than life, deserved or not. He had been there for her at a time when she needed someone. She had never forgotten him for it.
Jack cleared his throat, and Sam blushed as she realized she had become lost in her own thoughts.
"Much as I would like to be able to continue to catch up, Sam, we have a mission to prep for."
"Yes, sir. I won't let you down, colonel."
"Yes, captain, I'm sure you won't."
Hours later, Jack's team was finally ready to ship out to Abydos. Physicals had been passed, armament doled out to team members, and last letters written, just in case. They didn't expect there to be any trouble, but you never could tell. Finally, they all met in the gate room.
The dialing procedure was started, and the team was ready to go. After the wormhole was engaged, the team made its way up the ramp. Jack and Sam were the last two. With the rough start in the briefing, even after their conversation, Sam still felt she needed to reassure him. She stared at the wormhole, something she'd dreamed about for so long.
"Captain?" Jack asked.
"Don't worry, colonel. I won't let you down," she assured him again.
"Good," he answered. "I was going to say 'ladies first'."
Sam trailed behind him up the ramp.
"You know, you really will like me when you get to know me."
"Oh, I adore you already, captain." He really did. He just didn't know how much yet.
Four days later, Jack found himself in the gateroom again. This time, he was standing at the base of the ramp with Daniel and Sam, waiting for Teal'c. Sam had been cleared after the incident with Kowalsky, and didn't seem to be any worse for the wear.
A/N #2: I honestly don't know if I'll put up another chapter. It depends on if it (or you all) screams at me or not.