FIC: The Briefing Room Chair...
Title: The Briefing Room Chair
Rating: PG
Word Count: ~1600
Category: J/S Romance, Missing Scene, Vignette
Summary: Do you think our heroes ever get stressed out? On the day Anubis opened all the stargates and prepared the Dakaran weapon to destroy all life in the galaxy, things got a bit tense at the SGC...
Spoilers: Season 8, Threads
Disclaimer: No copyright infringement intended.
Notes: Although many shippers believe that Sam and Jack got together at the end of S8 and are together in S9 & S10, we missed that 'magic moment' we all wanted to see where they finally agree that they were meant for each other. Hundreds of other fics have been written to describe how this may have happened, and I've come up with at least four of my own. So, this is the first. Please enjoy and comment. More will come very soon.
Very special thanks to Erin M. (erinm_4600), beta extraordinaire.
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Title: The Briefing Room Chair
The gate opened on its own!
"Sir! We can’t shut it down and the iris won’t help. We're too late."
Activate self-destruct.
"But Sir, that's not gonna destroy the gate, and theoretically there's only a remote chance it would disengage an active incoming wormhole."
Do it anyway, Carter!
I hesitate.
It’s all we’ve got. We’re going to die when that blast wave comes through anyway. You said ‘remote chance’ right? We go out fighting. At least we are dying together. I’m sorry.
"Okay."
We do it together. We plan our own deaths together. I’m afraid. But his voice gives me courage, as always, and I do it.
But then the gate shut down on its own. Unexplainably.
Carter, shut it off. We’re not going to die today, again.
"Aborting self-destruct, Sir. "
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
She realized she had hardly breathed for the last ten minutes. Then she became aware of the muscles between her shoulder blades that were screaming and she was physically and mentally exhausted and she couldn’t stand much longer. She had to sit down. And the solution that most quickly popped into her head was, of all things, the briefing room chair. It was overstuffed leather. So soft and welcoming. She remembered that it tips back just a little when you lean back and your neck can rest beautifully on the top edge. It beckons her up the staircase and she has no other thought. 'No one will be up there. It’s quiet. In the control room, too many things going on. So frantic. The thought of that chair…'
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
'Ahh. It feels perfect'. It quickly took in her body heat and soothed her tight back. It was the most comfort she had felt in days. She sighed. She sat a while, tension oozing out of her, at first, concentrating only on her own breathing. Glad to be breathing. Surprised she was breathing.
She sighed aloud, “This is all too much.“
“You okay?”
She sat up quickly and opened her eyes. “What? Oh, Sir. I was just…” She started to get up.
“Sit down, Carter.” It annoyed him that she was about to come to attention, here, while they were alone and just a few hours ago he was holding her in his arms, wiping her tears as her father died.
She did sit down, but didn’t lean back again. How long had he been watching her? She mentally smashed her hand to her forehead and thought, 'Sam, you idiot, his office is right off this room! What were you thinking? Now he’s going to think....'
“Um, well, I thought you would be downstairs with all the commotion; I just needed a break and this was the closest place I could think of.”
“Sorry for messing up your reverie. Mind if I sit? Too much what?”
Things had always been so complicated. They had vacillated back and forth between having a formal CO-2IC relationship and then being mutual confidants, sometimes in the same day, like just now. Thirty minutes ago, she was dutifully following his orders through the most stressful of battlefield situations. And now, here she was feeling at the end of herself, and like magic, he had appeared again, keeping his promise to always be there for her. So much of the time, he could be such an ass. Cold, even. But still, when she was hurting, he had this gift of just slipping into her little world and making her feel like her well-being was the only thing in the universe that mattered.
She tipped her head back and sighed as she looked at the ceiling. “Less than an hour ago, we engaged and shut down the self-destruct….again. I can’t explain what happened with the gate, but frankly, at this moment, I just don’t care. You know all those times you look death in the face and in those moments you just deal with it because it’s your duty. But when you somehow get out of it and you stop and realize you almost just died…. How many times can a person go through that and keep their sanity? I guess I’m just a little shaken up.”
“Has been bit of a tough day, hasn’t it?”
“But it’s not just that, the self-destruct, but also, losing Dad, Dakara with Ba’al and the Replicators, not to mention Daniel, and the wedding.”
She saw the question in his eyes; she hadn’t told him yet about the official breaking of her engagement. She’d get around to it…she wasn’t really looking for sympathy on that particular point.
He said, “Things usually get better. They will this time, too.” He saw she was carrying such a heavy load on her shoulders. He wished he could help her bear it but he believed that was Pete’s role now.
She replied, “On an intellectual level, I know that. But when it’s so immediate it’s hard to see past all this…I’ll be okay.”
“Yes, you will.”
They both leaned back in their chairs, staring at the ceiling, releasing mutual sighs and drinking in a short contemplative silence. Both of them trying to move past this current self-destruct incident, briefly reminiscing about simpler days and wishing for a simpler future.
“Do you ever feel that way, Sir? I mean, like it reaches a point where it’s all too much?”
Her question brought him back to the moment. “Do you really want to know, Carter? Maybe we should talk about this later.”
She met his eyes and gave a slight nod. “Just tell me I’m not crazy and I’m not weak and I’m not the only one who feels this way."
“Well, we’re probably all crazy, but you’re not weak and you are definitely not alone. For me, circumstances as of late….kind of like you said… Okay. Let me just say it this way: I’ve drawn up my papers and have started the search committee to find a new CO for the SGC. And I’m having new windows and a furnace put into my cabin. Yeah, Carter, I do feel that way.”
Her blue eyes got wider. “You’re leaving?” She felt a brief stab of panic. She thought to herself, again, 'Yeah, great. Like I needed one more major change in my life right now.' And then, 'Sam, he’s not part of your life, remember? Remember Kerry?'
“I’m not disappearing, just getting out of this command.” He was grateful she didn’t ask where he was going. He wasn’t ready to tell anyone about DC, yet. “You think I’m just gonna sit here behind a desk the rest of my life and watch everyone else having all the fun? A good friend convinced me by example there should be more to life than just the SGC. That it’s important to get a life up there in the real world. Like you.”
She gave a very deep sigh, tipping her head back and closing her eyes. “Not like me, Sir. I broke it off. I hope you have better luck.”
“Sorry to hear that, Carter. What happened?” 'Maybe not so sorry, but is she okay?'
“It doesn’t really matter, anymore.” She paused. “But it was still the right thing to do.”
'She thinks I meant ‘get a life’ with Kerry.' He had to correct that ASAP. The timing and location of this is all wrong but suddenly opportunity was glaring at him in the face. 'No more missed chances.' After a short silence, he began, “She figured it out, you know.”
“What?” She sounded puzzled. She opened her eyes and looked back up at him.
“Ms. Johnson. She told me I have ‘issues.'”
“What?” she repeated, confusion written on her face. Subtlety had its place and he was a pro. But she was so tired that understanding wasn’t coming so easily this time.
“Aw, come on, Carter. Kerry. When you came to my house that day, she saw... She knew I... Dang it, Sam.” 'This is it. Here we go.' “You. You’re my ‘issue.’”
Sam was speechless, trying to process what was happening. She instinctively knew he was getting at something important, in his own indirect way. But she had spent so long avoiding this conversation that she had trouble recognizing it was actually happening. Even more surprising was that he was the one initiating it.
He went on. “So I’m saying to you now that even though you broke it off with Pete, you’re not on your own. Yeah, it’s true, and don't take this the wrong way, certain aspects of your life have really sucked lately. But it won’t be ‘too much’ if you let me help you.” And then she heard his voice go quieter and with a gentle sincerity she saw reflected in his eyes, he said, “I told you I’d be here. And I am, from now on. Always.”
'I came up here to this chair to get my mind off things. Get my mind off what? Is he saying what think he’s saying? Is he tearing down the walls? Opening a door? Processing…processing…processing. I’m his ‘issue’? Kerry who? Pete who?' A light was dawning… 'Oh my g…'
He went on, his voice returning to his normal, casual warmth. “Look, you asked if it all got to be too much for me. Heck yeah! I’ve got so much on my plate, there’s no room for dessert…and you know how much I like dessert. I want my dessert…so I’m pushing the plate away. Join me later for cake?”
All the pieces snapped into place in her mind. Up until now she had been afraid she had forgotten how to smile, but no longer. She felt a big honkin’ one spreading over her face. “Cake would be good.”
He smiled back. Big honkin’. “Hey, did you know these chairs spin?” And then he kicked back from the table and took a twirl. She giggled.
Rating: PG
Word Count: ~1600
Category: J/S Romance, Missing Scene, Vignette
Summary: Do you think our heroes ever get stressed out? On the day Anubis opened all the stargates and prepared the Dakaran weapon to destroy all life in the galaxy, things got a bit tense at the SGC...
Spoilers: Season 8, Threads
Disclaimer: No copyright infringement intended.
Notes: Although many shippers believe that Sam and Jack got together at the end of S8 and are together in S9 & S10, we missed that 'magic moment' we all wanted to see where they finally agree that they were meant for each other. Hundreds of other fics have been written to describe how this may have happened, and I've come up with at least four of my own. So, this is the first. Please enjoy and comment. More will come very soon.
Very special thanks to Erin M. (erinm_4600), beta extraordinaire.
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
Title: The Briefing Room Chair
The gate opened on its own!
"Sir! We can’t shut it down and the iris won’t help. We're too late."
Activate self-destruct.
"But Sir, that's not gonna destroy the gate, and theoretically there's only a remote chance it would disengage an active incoming wormhole."
Do it anyway, Carter!
I hesitate.
It’s all we’ve got. We’re going to die when that blast wave comes through anyway. You said ‘remote chance’ right? We go out fighting. At least we are dying together. I’m sorry.
"Okay."
We do it together. We plan our own deaths together. I’m afraid. But his voice gives me courage, as always, and I do it.
But then the gate shut down on its own. Unexplainably.
Carter, shut it off. We’re not going to die today, again.
"Aborting self-destruct, Sir. "
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
She realized she had hardly breathed for the last ten minutes. Then she became aware of the muscles between her shoulder blades that were screaming and she was physically and mentally exhausted and she couldn’t stand much longer. She had to sit down. And the solution that most quickly popped into her head was, of all things, the briefing room chair. It was overstuffed leather. So soft and welcoming. She remembered that it tips back just a little when you lean back and your neck can rest beautifully on the top edge. It beckons her up the staircase and she has no other thought. 'No one will be up there. It’s quiet. In the control room, too many things going on. So frantic. The thought of that chair…'
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
'Ahh. It feels perfect'. It quickly took in her body heat and soothed her tight back. It was the most comfort she had felt in days. She sighed. She sat a while, tension oozing out of her, at first, concentrating only on her own breathing. Glad to be breathing. Surprised she was breathing.
She sighed aloud, “This is all too much.“
“You okay?”
She sat up quickly and opened her eyes. “What? Oh, Sir. I was just…” She started to get up.
“Sit down, Carter.” It annoyed him that she was about to come to attention, here, while they were alone and just a few hours ago he was holding her in his arms, wiping her tears as her father died.
She did sit down, but didn’t lean back again. How long had he been watching her? She mentally smashed her hand to her forehead and thought, 'Sam, you idiot, his office is right off this room! What were you thinking? Now he’s going to think....'
“Um, well, I thought you would be downstairs with all the commotion; I just needed a break and this was the closest place I could think of.”
“Sorry for messing up your reverie. Mind if I sit? Too much what?”
Things had always been so complicated. They had vacillated back and forth between having a formal CO-2IC relationship and then being mutual confidants, sometimes in the same day, like just now. Thirty minutes ago, she was dutifully following his orders through the most stressful of battlefield situations. And now, here she was feeling at the end of herself, and like magic, he had appeared again, keeping his promise to always be there for her. So much of the time, he could be such an ass. Cold, even. But still, when she was hurting, he had this gift of just slipping into her little world and making her feel like her well-being was the only thing in the universe that mattered.
She tipped her head back and sighed as she looked at the ceiling. “Less than an hour ago, we engaged and shut down the self-destruct….again. I can’t explain what happened with the gate, but frankly, at this moment, I just don’t care. You know all those times you look death in the face and in those moments you just deal with it because it’s your duty. But when you somehow get out of it and you stop and realize you almost just died…. How many times can a person go through that and keep their sanity? I guess I’m just a little shaken up.”
“Has been bit of a tough day, hasn’t it?”
“But it’s not just that, the self-destruct, but also, losing Dad, Dakara with Ba’al and the Replicators, not to mention Daniel, and the wedding.”
She saw the question in his eyes; she hadn’t told him yet about the official breaking of her engagement. She’d get around to it…she wasn’t really looking for sympathy on that particular point.
He said, “Things usually get better. They will this time, too.” He saw she was carrying such a heavy load on her shoulders. He wished he could help her bear it but he believed that was Pete’s role now.
She replied, “On an intellectual level, I know that. But when it’s so immediate it’s hard to see past all this…I’ll be okay.”
“Yes, you will.”
They both leaned back in their chairs, staring at the ceiling, releasing mutual sighs and drinking in a short contemplative silence. Both of them trying to move past this current self-destruct incident, briefly reminiscing about simpler days and wishing for a simpler future.
“Do you ever feel that way, Sir? I mean, like it reaches a point where it’s all too much?”
Her question brought him back to the moment. “Do you really want to know, Carter? Maybe we should talk about this later.”
She met his eyes and gave a slight nod. “Just tell me I’m not crazy and I’m not weak and I’m not the only one who feels this way."
“Well, we’re probably all crazy, but you’re not weak and you are definitely not alone. For me, circumstances as of late….kind of like you said… Okay. Let me just say it this way: I’ve drawn up my papers and have started the search committee to find a new CO for the SGC. And I’m having new windows and a furnace put into my cabin. Yeah, Carter, I do feel that way.”
Her blue eyes got wider. “You’re leaving?” She felt a brief stab of panic. She thought to herself, again, 'Yeah, great. Like I needed one more major change in my life right now.' And then, 'Sam, he’s not part of your life, remember? Remember Kerry?'
“I’m not disappearing, just getting out of this command.” He was grateful she didn’t ask where he was going. He wasn’t ready to tell anyone about DC, yet. “You think I’m just gonna sit here behind a desk the rest of my life and watch everyone else having all the fun? A good friend convinced me by example there should be more to life than just the SGC. That it’s important to get a life up there in the real world. Like you.”
She gave a very deep sigh, tipping her head back and closing her eyes. “Not like me, Sir. I broke it off. I hope you have better luck.”
“Sorry to hear that, Carter. What happened?” 'Maybe not so sorry, but is she okay?'
“It doesn’t really matter, anymore.” She paused. “But it was still the right thing to do.”
'She thinks I meant ‘get a life’ with Kerry.' He had to correct that ASAP. The timing and location of this is all wrong but suddenly opportunity was glaring at him in the face. 'No more missed chances.' After a short silence, he began, “She figured it out, you know.”
“What?” She sounded puzzled. She opened her eyes and looked back up at him.
“Ms. Johnson. She told me I have ‘issues.'”
“What?” she repeated, confusion written on her face. Subtlety had its place and he was a pro. But she was so tired that understanding wasn’t coming so easily this time.
“Aw, come on, Carter. Kerry. When you came to my house that day, she saw... She knew I... Dang it, Sam.” 'This is it. Here we go.' “You. You’re my ‘issue.’”
Sam was speechless, trying to process what was happening. She instinctively knew he was getting at something important, in his own indirect way. But she had spent so long avoiding this conversation that she had trouble recognizing it was actually happening. Even more surprising was that he was the one initiating it.
He went on. “So I’m saying to you now that even though you broke it off with Pete, you’re not on your own. Yeah, it’s true, and don't take this the wrong way, certain aspects of your life have really sucked lately. But it won’t be ‘too much’ if you let me help you.” And then she heard his voice go quieter and with a gentle sincerity she saw reflected in his eyes, he said, “I told you I’d be here. And I am, from now on. Always.”
'I came up here to this chair to get my mind off things. Get my mind off what? Is he saying what think he’s saying? Is he tearing down the walls? Opening a door? Processing…processing…processing. I’m his ‘issue’? Kerry who? Pete who?' A light was dawning… 'Oh my g…'
He went on, his voice returning to his normal, casual warmth. “Look, you asked if it all got to be too much for me. Heck yeah! I’ve got so much on my plate, there’s no room for dessert…and you know how much I like dessert. I want my dessert…so I’m pushing the plate away. Join me later for cake?”
All the pieces snapped into place in her mind. Up until now she had been afraid she had forgotten how to smile, but no longer. She felt a big honkin’ one spreading over her face. “Cake would be good.”
He smiled back. Big honkin’. “Hey, did you know these chairs spin?” And then he kicked back from the table and took a twirl. She giggled.