[Stargate: Fiction] "Love Unbroken" [Sam/Jack, G]
Title: Love Unbroken
Author: Ami Ven
Prompt: writerverse phase 23, challenge 01, prompt 11 “True love stories never have endings.” (Richard Bach)
Word Count: 1,371
Fandom: Stargate SG-1
Pairing(s): Sam Carter/Jack O’Neill
Character(s): Teal’c
Summary: Journalist Artie Faber gets a rare interview with Master Teal’c of Chulak, Earth, and the Free Jaffa.
Love Unbroken
Artie tried not to seem visibly excited as an airman ushered him into the conference room. But he’d been practically vibrating since he’d arrived at Cheyenne Mountain, all through the security checkpoints and down two elevators to level twenty-eight - he was in the actual starting place of Stargate Command and he couldn’t do much to keep a straight face.
“If you’ll wait here, sir,” said the airman.
“Sure, of course,” said Artie, already distracted by the artwork on the walls - photographs of several older-model spacecraft and an authentic Lorne oil painting of an off-world stargate. He was still examining the painting when the door opened behind him.
Teal’c of Chulak, Earth, and the Free Jaffa was two hundred and eighty-seven years old, but Artie wouldn’t have guessed it if he hadn’t known. That number included the fifty years he’d lived in a timeline that never existed, and it made him the oldest-living Jaffa on record. His close-cropped hair was pure white, and there were deep lines on his face. He walked slowly, leaning on a carved wooden cane, but Artie had a feeling the Jaffa Master could still wield it like a staff weapon if the need arose.
Artie froze, awed for a long moment, then said, “Master Teal’c, it’s such an honor to meet you! I almost didn’t believe it when Colonel Alberts called, I thought it was a long shot that I’d even hear back from the Air Force, let alone actually be granted an interview. An actual in-person interview with someone who was part of SG-1 from the very beginning and-”
Artie broke off, wincing. “I’m sorry, I’m rambling. I should let you sit.”
“I find your enthusiasm encouraging,” said Teal’c. His voice was hoarse with age, but still strong. “Sit with me.”
Artie hovered awkwardly, unsure of whether he should offer assistance, but Teal’c moved easily to a seat at the conference table. He gestured for Artie to sit across from him. “Do you intend to record this interview?”
“Yes, sorry.” Artie pulled out his bag and began to set up the audio/visual recorder. “I really need to say ‘thank you’ again, sir. I know you don’t do interviews anymore, so I really appreciate your agreeing to speak with me on a topic like this.”
“This topic is the sole reason I agreed to your request, Arthur-Faber,” Teal’c told him, solemnly. “I have said all that I wish to say on the history of the Goa’uld oppression and the rise of the Free Jaffa, the many battles I fought as a member of SG-1, but I could not have enough opportunities to speak of my dear friends.”
Artie blinked. “That’s great. I mean, I’d love to hear anything you tell me.”
Teal’c nodded. “Then I will begin. Are you prepared?”
He checked his recorders. “Please, go ahead.”
“Their first meeting occurred in this conference room.”
“This room?” Artie repeated.
“Indeed,” said Teal’c. “I was not present, as I had not yet met either of them, but I heard them recount the event many times. At their meeting, they believed themselves to be in opposition. O’Neill expressed concern for being assigned a scientist, who might upset a military unit. Samantha-Carter-O’Neill had experienced discrimination from many fellow officers because of her gender, and refused to be lessened by that discrimination.”
The elderly Jaffa paused, smiling. “She later told me that she had challenged O’Neill to ‘arm wrestle’.”
“General O’Neill and General Carter-O’Neill both wrote about that in their memoirs,” said Artie. “But, sir, what were your impressions of them, when you met them? It was only a few days after they had met each other, wasn’t it?”
“Yes,” Teal’c agreed. “That fact did surprise me. O’Neill and Daniel-Jackson had already established their friendship, but I would not have guessed that they had only just met Samantha-Carter. I had not had much experience with humans, and the humans of the Tau’ri were particularly confusing in my earliest days on earth. There was much for me to understand before I fully recognized that the connection between O’Neill and Samantha-Carter was different than others.”
“But the connection was always there?” asked Artie. “The generals’ memoirs both mention an attraction, but they don’t go into a lot of detail. General O’Neill talks mainly about the people in the early Stargate Program, and General Carter-O’Neill talks a lot about science.”
“That is not surprising. For all of their eventual fame, they were private people.”
Artie frowned. “But you were there, Master Teal’c. I know it can’t really have been like the movies portray it, all dramatic and romantic. What was it really like?”
“I felt honored to witness their story,” said Teal’c. “People often emphasize their differences, but O’Neill and Samantha-Carter were very much alike. Perhaps one or both of them could have resigned from the Air Force, removing them from the regulations that restricted them. But that would have been against their characters - both were humans with a great sense of duty.”
“They saved the world,” Artie said.
“At great cost,” said Teal’c. “Earth lost many great warriors in the struggle against the Goa’uld. And there was a personal cost, as O’Neill and Samantha-Carter were forced to deny their love for one another. As their friend, I was sad to think that they would never be allowed to find their happiness together.”
Artie blinked. “But that couldn’t have happened. Could it?”
Teal’c smiled. “With the eyes of history, you see the union of O’Neill and Samantha-Carter as an inevitable fact. But there were many days I believed we should die with that truth unspoken. O’Neill especially was wary of giving it voice, more so as the years went on. He feared that his love would tarnish the record of Samatha-Carter’s service in the Air Force.”
“What?” said Artie. “But… she’s the Mother of Modern Astrophysics!”
“Again, you see with history’s eyes. Your world has come a long way, but it is not so long that human women have been counted as equals. And the task is not yet done.”
“No, it’s not,” Artie agreed quietly. “It’s just hard to think of Samantha Carter as anything less than… than a legend.”
“Indeed,” said Teal’c, with a smile. “That is why you have come to me, is it not? To hear tales that cannot be found in your history books.”
“Yes, it is. After the generals’ memoirs were published, there were several fictionalized accounts of their romance, but neither of them ever commented publicly. Did they see them? What did they think?”
“To my knowledge, they viewed each of the films as they were produced, and were greatly amused. O’Neill favored Galactic Love, as he felt the actor portraying him had properly captured his ‘essence’. Samantha-Carter preferred one titled Love Through the Stars, which she claimed was the only film to be scientifically accurate.”
“Really?” said Artie, grinning.
“Indeed,” Teal’c repeated, then added more seriously, “There was one film yet released after O’Neill was lost to us. It was called Love Unbroken and did not receive much acclaim or commercial success. Samantha-Carter watched it, along with Daniel-Jackson and myself, and cried throughout the viewing. But she continued to watch it each year until she, too, was lost.”
“That’s amazing. The general’s memoir ends with her retirement, and there’s not much written after-” Artie blinked. “Wait, you said ‘lost’. Not that they died, that they were lost.”
“That is correct, Arthur-Faber,” said Teal’c. “O’Neill possessed the gene of the Ancestors, and when he died, he was able to Ascend. He later returned, and assisted Samantha-Carter to Ascend, as well.”
“But then… they’re not really dead. In school we learned that Ascension isn’t death, it’s a new state of being. So if General O’Neill and General Carter-O’Neill both Ascended… they’re not dead. They’re still out there somewhere. Together.”
Teal’c smiled. “The thought brings me much comfort.”
“It’s a much better ending than the history books. More romantic. It always seemed so sad, General Carter-O’Neill being alone all those years. But she wasn’t, was she? She was just waiting.”
“Theirs was a bond that could not be broken by mere death. It was a change, not an ending.”
Artie smiled. “No. And that’s even better.”
“Indeed.”
THE END
Current Mood:
mellow
Author: Ami Ven
Prompt: writerverse phase 23, challenge 01, prompt 11 “True love stories never have endings.” (Richard Bach)
Word Count: 1,371
Fandom: Stargate SG-1
Pairing(s): Sam Carter/Jack O’Neill
Character(s): Teal’c
Summary: Journalist Artie Faber gets a rare interview with Master Teal’c of Chulak, Earth, and the Free Jaffa.
Love Unbroken
Artie tried not to seem visibly excited as an airman ushered him into the conference room. But he’d been practically vibrating since he’d arrived at Cheyenne Mountain, all through the security checkpoints and down two elevators to level twenty-eight - he was in the actual starting place of Stargate Command and he couldn’t do much to keep a straight face.
“If you’ll wait here, sir,” said the airman.
“Sure, of course,” said Artie, already distracted by the artwork on the walls - photographs of several older-model spacecraft and an authentic Lorne oil painting of an off-world stargate. He was still examining the painting when the door opened behind him.
Teal’c of Chulak, Earth, and the Free Jaffa was two hundred and eighty-seven years old, but Artie wouldn’t have guessed it if he hadn’t known. That number included the fifty years he’d lived in a timeline that never existed, and it made him the oldest-living Jaffa on record. His close-cropped hair was pure white, and there were deep lines on his face. He walked slowly, leaning on a carved wooden cane, but Artie had a feeling the Jaffa Master could still wield it like a staff weapon if the need arose.
Artie froze, awed for a long moment, then said, “Master Teal’c, it’s such an honor to meet you! I almost didn’t believe it when Colonel Alberts called, I thought it was a long shot that I’d even hear back from the Air Force, let alone actually be granted an interview. An actual in-person interview with someone who was part of SG-1 from the very beginning and-”
Artie broke off, wincing. “I’m sorry, I’m rambling. I should let you sit.”
“I find your enthusiasm encouraging,” said Teal’c. His voice was hoarse with age, but still strong. “Sit with me.”
Artie hovered awkwardly, unsure of whether he should offer assistance, but Teal’c moved easily to a seat at the conference table. He gestured for Artie to sit across from him. “Do you intend to record this interview?”
“Yes, sorry.” Artie pulled out his bag and began to set up the audio/visual recorder. “I really need to say ‘thank you’ again, sir. I know you don’t do interviews anymore, so I really appreciate your agreeing to speak with me on a topic like this.”
“This topic is the sole reason I agreed to your request, Arthur-Faber,” Teal’c told him, solemnly. “I have said all that I wish to say on the history of the Goa’uld oppression and the rise of the Free Jaffa, the many battles I fought as a member of SG-1, but I could not have enough opportunities to speak of my dear friends.”
Artie blinked. “That’s great. I mean, I’d love to hear anything you tell me.”
Teal’c nodded. “Then I will begin. Are you prepared?”
He checked his recorders. “Please, go ahead.”
“Their first meeting occurred in this conference room.”
“This room?” Artie repeated.
“Indeed,” said Teal’c. “I was not present, as I had not yet met either of them, but I heard them recount the event many times. At their meeting, they believed themselves to be in opposition. O’Neill expressed concern for being assigned a scientist, who might upset a military unit. Samantha-Carter-O’Neill had experienced discrimination from many fellow officers because of her gender, and refused to be lessened by that discrimination.”
The elderly Jaffa paused, smiling. “She later told me that she had challenged O’Neill to ‘arm wrestle’.”
“General O’Neill and General Carter-O’Neill both wrote about that in their memoirs,” said Artie. “But, sir, what were your impressions of them, when you met them? It was only a few days after they had met each other, wasn’t it?”
“Yes,” Teal’c agreed. “That fact did surprise me. O’Neill and Daniel-Jackson had already established their friendship, but I would not have guessed that they had only just met Samantha-Carter. I had not had much experience with humans, and the humans of the Tau’ri were particularly confusing in my earliest days on earth. There was much for me to understand before I fully recognized that the connection between O’Neill and Samantha-Carter was different than others.”
“But the connection was always there?” asked Artie. “The generals’ memoirs both mention an attraction, but they don’t go into a lot of detail. General O’Neill talks mainly about the people in the early Stargate Program, and General Carter-O’Neill talks a lot about science.”
“That is not surprising. For all of their eventual fame, they were private people.”
Artie frowned. “But you were there, Master Teal’c. I know it can’t really have been like the movies portray it, all dramatic and romantic. What was it really like?”
“I felt honored to witness their story,” said Teal’c. “People often emphasize their differences, but O’Neill and Samantha-Carter were very much alike. Perhaps one or both of them could have resigned from the Air Force, removing them from the regulations that restricted them. But that would have been against their characters - both were humans with a great sense of duty.”
“They saved the world,” Artie said.
“At great cost,” said Teal’c. “Earth lost many great warriors in the struggle against the Goa’uld. And there was a personal cost, as O’Neill and Samantha-Carter were forced to deny their love for one another. As their friend, I was sad to think that they would never be allowed to find their happiness together.”
Artie blinked. “But that couldn’t have happened. Could it?”
Teal’c smiled. “With the eyes of history, you see the union of O’Neill and Samantha-Carter as an inevitable fact. But there were many days I believed we should die with that truth unspoken. O’Neill especially was wary of giving it voice, more so as the years went on. He feared that his love would tarnish the record of Samatha-Carter’s service in the Air Force.”
“What?” said Artie. “But… she’s the Mother of Modern Astrophysics!”
“Again, you see with history’s eyes. Your world has come a long way, but it is not so long that human women have been counted as equals. And the task is not yet done.”
“No, it’s not,” Artie agreed quietly. “It’s just hard to think of Samantha Carter as anything less than… than a legend.”
“Indeed,” said Teal’c, with a smile. “That is why you have come to me, is it not? To hear tales that cannot be found in your history books.”
“Yes, it is. After the generals’ memoirs were published, there were several fictionalized accounts of their romance, but neither of them ever commented publicly. Did they see them? What did they think?”
“To my knowledge, they viewed each of the films as they were produced, and were greatly amused. O’Neill favored Galactic Love, as he felt the actor portraying him had properly captured his ‘essence’. Samantha-Carter preferred one titled Love Through the Stars, which she claimed was the only film to be scientifically accurate.”
“Really?” said Artie, grinning.
“Indeed,” Teal’c repeated, then added more seriously, “There was one film yet released after O’Neill was lost to us. It was called Love Unbroken and did not receive much acclaim or commercial success. Samantha-Carter watched it, along with Daniel-Jackson and myself, and cried throughout the viewing. But she continued to watch it each year until she, too, was lost.”
“That’s amazing. The general’s memoir ends with her retirement, and there’s not much written after-” Artie blinked. “Wait, you said ‘lost’. Not that they died, that they were lost.”
“That is correct, Arthur-Faber,” said Teal’c. “O’Neill possessed the gene of the Ancestors, and when he died, he was able to Ascend. He later returned, and assisted Samantha-Carter to Ascend, as well.”
“But then… they’re not really dead. In school we learned that Ascension isn’t death, it’s a new state of being. So if General O’Neill and General Carter-O’Neill both Ascended… they’re not dead. They’re still out there somewhere. Together.”
Teal’c smiled. “The thought brings me much comfort.”
“It’s a much better ending than the history books. More romantic. It always seemed so sad, General Carter-O’Neill being alone all those years. But she wasn’t, was she? She was just waiting.”
“Theirs was a bond that could not be broken by mere death. It was a change, not an ending.”
Artie smiled. “No. And that’s even better.”
“Indeed.”
THE END
Current Mood:
mellow