December 9th
She left at dawn.
Jack had woken up knowing that she was already gone, had opened his eyes to see an empty depression in the bed where Sam had been, and felt his heart reach a strange stillness. His arms remembered the feel of her; his lips remembered the taste of her; his skin remembered her warmth. At that moment, he understood the calm peace Teal’c reached through kel’no’reem- an acceptance of the world as it was.
However, Jack O’Neill was never one to step back and let Fate run its course. You could fight destiny, and fight he would.
Carter’s mission was supposed to be a secret, known only to General Hammond, the Asgard, and SG-1. Scuttlebutt being what it was, everyone knew this was one mission that she probably wouldn’t come back from. And scuttlebutt also being what it was, everyone was well aware of the relationship between the 2IC and her leader.
After the third almost-pitying glance, Jack had had it. He slammed up his I-will-kill-you face and moved silently through the halls to his office. Airman and civilians alike made hasty way for him, and he managed to reach safety without more than two insubordination counts and one death threat.
It would be twelve hours ‘til they heard- and something told him he’d be awake the whole time.
“Jack.” Daniel’s voice came over his shoulder as he tore through paperwork furiously. Had it been anyone else, O’Neill would have physically removed them from the room. But this was Daniel, and he was as close to Sam in his own way as Jack was.
“What?”
“You need anything?”
“No.” A pause. “Thanks.”
“Okay.”
Upon realizing that Daniel hadn’t left yet, Jack turned around.
The archeologist was headed for the microwave with a bag of popcorn, while Teal’c came through the door with a stack of movies atop a PS2.
After a moment Jack sighed and put down his pen.
“Who’s up for a beer?”
He might spend those twelve long hours awake, but he didn’t need to be alone.
“Colonel, I-” Janet stopped in the doorway, taking in the empty bottles and three men on the couch. Instantly her demeanor shifted to ‘Professional’ mode. “Colonel, you know alcohol isn’t allowed on base!” Shutting the door, she began to collect the scattered bottles. “How’d you get it in anyway?”
Jack eyed the dangerously low level in his Samuel Adams as Daniel hiccupped. Teal’c was too busy playing Star Wars to pay attention.
“You know Thor? He’s got this nifty device that beams things in…”
Janet paused, arms full, and looked at them again. She softened, dumping the bottles in the trash and grabbing one of her own.
“The entire base is holding a vigil-of-sorts too, you know.” Frasier laughed softly. “One of the newbies asked why Sam had to be the one to go; Siler told him it was because she was the only one who had a chance of getting out alive.”
At this point highly intoxicated, Jackson nodded vigorously.
“Yep, uh huh, that’s our girl!”
Teal’c eyed him warily.
“Did you not once say we should never let him drink alcohol again?”
O’Neill shrugged.
“Who cares? Have a seat, Janet, we’re just about to start Tomb Raider.”
“What the hell- sure. Move your ass, Jack.”
“Moving it, Doctor.”
And before Daniel could start the Mac-a-rena, they squashed him.
“You think they’re back by now?”
“They should be.” Now mostly sober, Jack was doing paperwork again- of his own free will, and for the second time in 24 hours. The doctor had gaped with mock horror and ‘fled’, going to the Commissary to find something to eat.
“Indeed. We will know soon whether or not Major Carter’s mission was successful.”
“Oh, I can see it all now: Thor beams her down right in the ‘Gate Room, then comes down himself, and they’ve got leis and there are hula girls…”
“I believe you are, as they say Daniel Jackson, ‘on something’.”
“Well, I’m sitting on a couch; does that count?”
Jack grinned. Getting Daniel drunk was a really good distraction.
“SG-1 to the briefing room. SG-1 to the briefing room.”
All three of them knew that this was it.
General Hammond looked up from his folded hands as the remaining members of SG-1 came in.
“Take a seat, gentlemen.”
They remained standing. He sighed.
“Seeing as we have yet to hear from Thor, let alone any of our other Asgard allies, we must assume that the mission was a fa-”
Bright white light enveloped the room.
“Do you time your entrances?” Jack asked with no small amount of irritation.
Thor blinked.
“Good morning, General Hammond. SG-1.”
“Is Sam-” Daniel stopped, afraid to find out.
“She is in the Infirmary. I must say, Samantha Carter has a most incredible will to survive.”
“Jack!” Hammond called as the Colonel started to follow the other two. “Come here.”
O’Neill hesitated, wondering whether or not he could risk insubordination right now.
“Please.” Reluctantly, he came back inside.
“I have rules, Colonel. Rules that I don’t bend for anybody. One of those rules is if I ever find out about a relationship which could jeopardize my people or my base, I deal with it. Harshly.” He met O’Neill’s eyes.
“So I don’t ever want to find out.”
After a moment, Jack nodded and headed out the door, a smile playing on his lips.
“This is good,” Thor commented. Hammond lifted an eyebrow. “Now O’Neill’s genes will be passed on.”
The General began to laugh.
“That’s another way to look at it,” he agreed. Then, sobering, he looked at Thor. “This never leaves this room.”
“Hey.”
“Hey.”
“How ya doing?”
“Fine. And you?”
“Better than fine, actually. Better than fine.”
Jack had woken up knowing that she was already gone, had opened his eyes to see an empty depression in the bed where Sam had been, and felt his heart reach a strange stillness. His arms remembered the feel of her; his lips remembered the taste of her; his skin remembered her warmth. At that moment, he understood the calm peace Teal’c reached through kel’no’reem- an acceptance of the world as it was.
However, Jack O’Neill was never one to step back and let Fate run its course. You could fight destiny, and fight he would.
Carter’s mission was supposed to be a secret, known only to General Hammond, the Asgard, and SG-1. Scuttlebutt being what it was, everyone knew this was one mission that she probably wouldn’t come back from. And scuttlebutt also being what it was, everyone was well aware of the relationship between the 2IC and her leader.
After the third almost-pitying glance, Jack had had it. He slammed up his I-will-kill-you face and moved silently through the halls to his office. Airman and civilians alike made hasty way for him, and he managed to reach safety without more than two insubordination counts and one death threat.
It would be twelve hours ‘til they heard- and something told him he’d be awake the whole time.
“Jack.” Daniel’s voice came over his shoulder as he tore through paperwork furiously. Had it been anyone else, O’Neill would have physically removed them from the room. But this was Daniel, and he was as close to Sam in his own way as Jack was.
“What?”
“You need anything?”
“No.” A pause. “Thanks.”
“Okay.”
Upon realizing that Daniel hadn’t left yet, Jack turned around.
The archeologist was headed for the microwave with a bag of popcorn, while Teal’c came through the door with a stack of movies atop a PS2.
After a moment Jack sighed and put down his pen.
“Who’s up for a beer?”
He might spend those twelve long hours awake, but he didn’t need to be alone.
“Colonel, I-” Janet stopped in the doorway, taking in the empty bottles and three men on the couch. Instantly her demeanor shifted to ‘Professional’ mode. “Colonel, you know alcohol isn’t allowed on base!” Shutting the door, she began to collect the scattered bottles. “How’d you get it in anyway?”
Jack eyed the dangerously low level in his Samuel Adams as Daniel hiccupped. Teal’c was too busy playing Star Wars to pay attention.
“You know Thor? He’s got this nifty device that beams things in…”
Janet paused, arms full, and looked at them again. She softened, dumping the bottles in the trash and grabbing one of her own.
“The entire base is holding a vigil-of-sorts too, you know.” Frasier laughed softly. “One of the newbies asked why Sam had to be the one to go; Siler told him it was because she was the only one who had a chance of getting out alive.”
At this point highly intoxicated, Jackson nodded vigorously.
“Yep, uh huh, that’s our girl!”
Teal’c eyed him warily.
“Did you not once say we should never let him drink alcohol again?”
O’Neill shrugged.
“Who cares? Have a seat, Janet, we’re just about to start Tomb Raider.”
“What the hell- sure. Move your ass, Jack.”
“Moving it, Doctor.”
And before Daniel could start the Mac-a-rena, they squashed him.
“You think they’re back by now?”
“They should be.” Now mostly sober, Jack was doing paperwork again- of his own free will, and for the second time in 24 hours. The doctor had gaped with mock horror and ‘fled’, going to the Commissary to find something to eat.
“Indeed. We will know soon whether or not Major Carter’s mission was successful.”
“Oh, I can see it all now: Thor beams her down right in the ‘Gate Room, then comes down himself, and they’ve got leis and there are hula girls…”
“I believe you are, as they say Daniel Jackson, ‘on something’.”
“Well, I’m sitting on a couch; does that count?”
Jack grinned. Getting Daniel drunk was a really good distraction.
“SG-1 to the briefing room. SG-1 to the briefing room.”
All three of them knew that this was it.
General Hammond looked up from his folded hands as the remaining members of SG-1 came in.
“Take a seat, gentlemen.”
They remained standing. He sighed.
“Seeing as we have yet to hear from Thor, let alone any of our other Asgard allies, we must assume that the mission was a fa-”
Bright white light enveloped the room.
“Do you time your entrances?” Jack asked with no small amount of irritation.
Thor blinked.
“Good morning, General Hammond. SG-1.”
“Is Sam-” Daniel stopped, afraid to find out.
“She is in the Infirmary. I must say, Samantha Carter has a most incredible will to survive.”
“Jack!” Hammond called as the Colonel started to follow the other two. “Come here.”
O’Neill hesitated, wondering whether or not he could risk insubordination right now.
“Please.” Reluctantly, he came back inside.
“I have rules, Colonel. Rules that I don’t bend for anybody. One of those rules is if I ever find out about a relationship which could jeopardize my people or my base, I deal with it. Harshly.” He met O’Neill’s eyes.
“So I don’t ever want to find out.”
After a moment, Jack nodded and headed out the door, a smile playing on his lips.
“This is good,” Thor commented. Hammond lifted an eyebrow. “Now O’Neill’s genes will be passed on.”
The General began to laugh.
“That’s another way to look at it,” he agreed. Then, sobering, he looked at Thor. “This never leaves this room.”
“Hey.”
“Hey.”
“How ya doing?”
“Fine. And you?”
“Better than fine, actually. Better than fine.”