Sigh - Never, ever mine.
Hello readers! I have been extraordinarily busy the last few weeks so my apologies for the delay in writing.
The following story started out as a short Thanksgiving story (with turkey, dressing and a side of whump). I didn't have a chance to finish it by (or even near) Thanksgiving so it's a bit out of season. I also found it grew longer than I'd thought – really long – and I kept going back and editing and rewriting parts of it. So anyway, here it is; late and probably not one of my better stories but at least it's finished!
NOTE: This is definitely AU as my timelines are a bit off. I know that one of the characters who will appear (I won't give it away now) is actually dead by this time in the series. Still – I used creative license to bring him back in my Stargate world. I hope this isn't too confusing. I debated posting – so if you hate it I totally understand! Thanks everyone.
He pulled himself up from the darkness and tried reaching for something which would make him hold on. Just remember how lucky you are, how thankful. Just remember …
"But Mom, I'm hungry!"
"Jon, we're going to eat dinner in less than an hour. Your grandparents are coming and so are Aunt Shirley and Uncle Kurt and the boys. There'll be plenty for you then. If you eat now you'll spoil your appetite, and you know how much you love turkey and stuffing."
He pouted slightly. His Mom didn't look sympathetic at all but continued to work getting everything ready for dinner. She must have known that he was a growing boy – and boys needed lots to eat. He sighed and looked in longing at food already laid out on the table.
He loved the holidays – there were treats and family and friends. His Mom did lots of baking and his Dad would take him skating – and if it snowed early, they'd even go sledding. It was a great time, especially for a boy who loved the outdoors.
He had a lot to be thankful for, he knew that. His Dad and Mom were great – he loved them a lot. But right now he was hungry. He looked again at the table.
Still – just one little bite would be okay, wouldn't it …? He reached over to grab a bit of turkey and knocked over the tureen filled with hot gravy.
"Ow!" he stepped back as the hot liquid spilled onto his leg. "Aaagh, he cried, as the liquid began to burn more fiercely. He cried out again – how could gravy hurt so badly?
"How's junior doing?" he reached out and touched her swollen belly. That was his kid in there – he could barely believe it. He'd always loved kids and he felt as if he'd been responsible for creating a miracle – with Sara's help of course.
"The baby is fine Jack", his wife leaned into him and gave him a swift kiss on the forehead. She then went back to work, preparing the meal for tonight's special dinner. Her parents – Mike and Edith – were coming over. Jack liked Mike. He was easy going and enjoyed many of the same things Jack did. Edith, on the other hand, terrified him. He was sure she thought Sara had made a huge mistake in marrying him. She always looked at him with a scowl and liked to make little barbed comments. Jack didn't say anything although a few times he'd wanted to snap back at her. Still, to preserve family unity, he kept quiet.
"She likes you, you know", his wife suddenly said, as if reading his mind. "She treats everyone like that. If she didn't like you it would be much worse."
"That's nice to know", he said, sarcastically. "I can't figure out how - " He stopped, deciding it was best not to continue with that thought. Edith was her mother after all. He knew Sara loved her, although sometimes he wondered why.
"Can't figure out what?" she turned and looked at him with a small frown. After a short pause she sighed. "You're wondering how Dad takes it?" she asked. "I used to wonder that myself, when I was younger. I asked him about it once and he told me to mind my own business – said he loved her and they had their own way of dealing with things. I think he meant it. It's not what I'd want in a relationship, but if they're happy, I guess I shouldn't worry about it." She turned back to her cooking, stirring and then tasting the cranberry sauce on the stove.
He grinned and reached for her and pulled her towards him. She squealed and held the dripping spoon away from him. "Be careful Jack", she laughed. "or I'll drop cranberry on you."
He ignored her warning and pulled her into his lap and proceeded to kiss her, enjoying her cranberry flavored lips. God he loved this woman, he thought as his lips touched hers. He had so much to be thankful for - Sara, the baby – his wonderful life ….!
After a moment, the kiss grew more passionate and Jack pulled her closer. As he shifted his position, her hand moved and she accidently poked him in the side with her spoon.
"Aaaagh!" The spoon felt like it had ripped a hole in his side. He looked down and could see the red liquid as it slowly dripped onto the floor.
"Come on Jack – just one more!" Frank Cromwell pushed a glass of beer towards him. He was looking particularly bleary eyed – and Jack wondered how many he'd had himself. He glanced around the smoky room and could tell that more than one of the men was falling down drunk.
"Thanks Frank, but I'm at my limit. Anymore and I won't be able to walk back." Jack grimaced slightly. His words were just a teeny bit slurred and he knew he'd definitely had too much.
"Who needs to walk?" Frank laughed, along with some of the other guys. "Come on O'Neill – lighten up. It's a holiday for God's sake. Live a little. Enjoy life!"
Jack tried to look as cheerful as the other guys but in actual fact he was missing his wife and son terribly. Although he liked his career in the Air Force, he hated being away from his family, especially on holidays. He'd received a 'care package' in the mail earlier in the day from Sara and had spent a long time looking at the pictures of Charlie. The little boy had taken his first steps – and Jack hated that he had missed them. He also missed Sara and wished he could be curled up in bed with her right now. Instead, he was spending the evening with a bunch of crude, rude soldiers.
He grinned slightly. They may have been both crude and rude – at least when full of beer – but they were good guys. He knew they'd taken him out to try and get his mind off his family. Frank had caught him looking at the pictures and had obviously figured out that Jack was feeling miserable. He'd co-opted a bunch of the guys in their unit and had brought him out to the local drinking establishment.
Just then two of the men started singing a rowdy barracks song. Jack winced – it sounded awful – but they were clearly enjoying themselves. He looked around at the group of drunken, singing soldiers and realized how lucky he was – and how thankful. They really were good men.
Just then Frank turned to him. "See, isn't this better than moping in your quarters?"
He nodded and gave his friend a small grin but then stood. "Thanks Frank, it's been great, but I really do have to get back. I have an early morning meeting with General Howard." He gave a mock salute and turned to head out the door.
Frank reached out and grabbed his arm. "Come on O'Neill, just one more?"
"Aaagh!"he cried. He was sure that Frank had ripped his shoulder right out of its socket. "What the hell?" he gasped in pain.
"Daniel – you cannot possibly need to spend any more time looking at these damned rocks. You've been here for hours already. Just take some pictures of what's left and let's get the hell home. I want to watch the game, eat some pizza, drink some beer and then sleep in my own bed tonight. I do not want to watch you stare at pieces of stone with little squiggles on them and then sleep on the cold, hard ground!"
Daniel looked up at him with those damned puppy-dog eyes. "Okay Jack", he said softly. He pushed himself to his feet. "I guess I can call it quits now. I – just let me clean up and then we can go. I'm sorry you've had to sit around all afternoon like this. I know you hate it."
Great! Why did he have to be so accommodating? It instantly made Jack feel guilty and almost – almost change his mind. It was only the suspicion that Daniel did it intentionally that stopped him. He really had been patient with the man and surely he had had enough time to do what he needed to do. He'd cut him more slack than usual since it was Thanksgiving tomorrow. He didn't celebrate the holiday anymore, not really, but he usually managed to do something for each of his teammates to let them know how much he appreciated them. His kind deed for Daniel had been to let him stay longer with his rocks. Although nothing was said, he knew the other man understood his gesture.
Jack sighed. "Thanks Daniel. I'll just check on Teal'c and Sam and then come back and help you gather your things."
"Sure – thanks."
Jack walked away slowly, turning every so often to make sure his trusty archaeologist was okay. He could see him start to gather his tools so Jack sighed again and headed over to Teal'c and Sam. Yeah – Daniel was a good man.
He gave his other two teammates a heads up that they were returning to Earth and had to grin at how happy they looked at the news. He was pretty sure they'd been as bored as he had been. There wasn't much on this planet other than the ruins and it left little for any of them, other than Daniel, to do.
He headed back to the site where Daniel had been working. The man was almost packed up although there were a few tools left so he began to help pick up some of his friend's things.
"Thanks Jack", Daniel smiled at him. "And thanks for letting me stay so long to check out the carvings."
"So long? I thought you were going to complain that I'd dragged you away too soon?"
"Really? No, actually I was thinking how patient you've been today. I could have probably finished up the important stuff in an hour but since you weren't bugging me I decided to keep going."
Jack stopped and glared at his friend. He narrowed his eyes in suspicion when he caught what he was sure was an evil glint in the other man's eyes. "You did it on purpose, didn't you?" he finally said.
Daniel grinned. "I was waiting for you to lose patience hours ago. I must say I was really impressed at how long you lasted."
"Yeah" Jack shook his head. "But you haven't seen Teal'c. He's really bored."
Daniel suddenly looked a little worried, wondering if he'd carried things too far.
"And I think Sam's pissed", Jack continued. "If I remember correctly, she was planning to spend the afternoon at the spa but now she's missed it.
Jack had to keep from laughing as he saw the worried expression grow on Daniel's face. Revenge was so sweet.
God – he loved this man! He didn't know what he'd do without him. He said a small but silent prayer of thanks for Daniel's friendship.
Daniel stood up suddenly, a pointed trowel in his hand. "Here, can you pack this?" he handed it to Jack, accidently poking him in the hand. "Oops sorry!"
"Aaagh!", he screamed as it felt like a hot lance had pierced his hand. The pain was excruciating and caused him to double over. He worried for a moment that he was going to pass out. Instead of it getting better, the longer he stood there the worse the agony seemed to get. What was happening to him?
"Teal'c – watcha doin'?" Jack met up with his friend in one of the corridors of the SGC. The Jaffa looked like he was on his way somewhere important. Daniel and Sam were off for the holiday – Sam to visit her brother, Daniel to see Catherine Langford - so Jack had decided to head in and see what Teal'c was up to. Keeping busy kept his mind off the otherwise painful day.
"I am heading to the gym O'Neill. I have been working many hours to help Daniel Jackson with Goa'uld translations and felt the need of some exercise."
"Mmmm – sounds good. Can I join you?" Jack asked. He was feeling – antsy – and he didn't know why. There was something bothering him and he figured a good session with Teal'c might let out some of the anxiety he seemed to be feeling.
"Certainly", his gentle sounding friend answered. "Do you wish to spar with me?"
"Ya sure – just promise me you won't kill me?" Jack answered jokingly – although as soon as he said it he realized it didn't feel like a joke. What was going on? Why was he feeling so – strange?
"I will not if you do not wish it", Teal'c told him seriously. "Do you wish to simply be injured instead?"
"Teal'c", Jack answered, half laughingly. "I really hope you're joking because no, I don't feel like being injured today – or any day for that matter."
"If that is the case O'Neill", his friend spoke softly, "why do you continue to do things which cause you to be injured?"
Since they arrived at the gym at that moment, Jack was spared from answering although he looked at Teal'c with no small measure of shock. He couldn't figure himself out today and certainly couldn't figure Teal'c out. The other man seemed to be in a strange mood as well and his last words had sent a shiver up Jack's back.
They both changed and soon were facing each other on the mat. Jack was the first to move – and almost instantly found himself on the ground.
"Okay – take it a bit easy Teal'c. This is supposed to be for fun."
"Of course. I am sorry my friend."
For the next few moments they continued to fight. Fortunately Teal'c did go gentle on him and in the end it was a good session. Jack could feel himself start to relax, the exercise allowing him to release the pent-up anxiety he'd been feeling.
"Thanks Teal'c", he finally said as he wiped his sweaty face with his hand. "That was great, but I'd better get showered and changed. We can meet up afterward for lunch in the commissary."
"Thank you O'Neill. It was indeed a good session."
Jack looked at his Jaffa friend and thanked God that he'd asked him to join the Tauri – to leave behind his false god and to battle instead for freedom.
Jack headed towards the door of the gym and for some reason grew dizzy and stumbled slightly – he must be more tired from the session than he knew.
Teal'c reached out and laid a hand on his friend's back to steady him. "Are you okay O'Neill?"
"Aaagh!" His back shrieked in pain. It felt like the skin had been ripped right off. What was going on?
Without warning, his world faded again to black. So much for being thankful, for remembering …
"Sir?"
Her voice – he loved her voice. It was soft but firm. She could be gentle and warm and compassionate, but tough when she needed to be. She could command hardened troops, yell at slimy aliens and tell stories to a small child. Her laugh was joyous and sent tingles up his spine. There was nothing he liked more than to make her laugh. He was so thankful for her voice.
"General?"
He hated when she called him General. He didn't know why – he hadn't minded being 'Colonel'. But General – that somehow seemed too much of a distance, too much of a barrier. 'Sir' was okay – he liked hearing that from her. Usually she said it with respect, or humor, or friendship – or even, sometimes, with something more than friendship. Of course, sometimes she said it with frustration and a few times even with anger – although he acknowledged that he'd usually deserved those. No, he hated 'Genearl' but he didn't mind 'Sir'. He was just grateful that she said it with such affection.
"Jack!"
Now 'Jack' – that was by far the best – but so little heard. She'd used it occasionally, often when he was in trouble or injured – sometimes when they got together, as a team, for fun activities, and once or twice when things had moved slightly into forbidden territory. Yes, he really liked 'Jack'. He wished he could hear it from her more often. Hey – maybe when he left the SGC she'd use it. He knew he would be really grateful for that opportunity.
"Jack! Oh my God – Daniel."
"I see Sam. We'll have to get it out carefully."
"The bastard! Teal'c, we're going to need your help but we have to hurry – they could be back any second."
Now that was a voice he hadn't heard very often from her. She sounded really pissed. He hoped it wasn't at him. He tried to think – had he done anything to upset her or Daniel or Teal'c? He didn't think so but he couldn't quite remember.
He had been remembering lots of things for some strange reason. He'd been thinking about Thanksgiving and all those things that he had to be thankful for – his parents, Sara, Charlie, Frank – God, the people he'd loved and lost! But no – he'd also been thinking about Teal'c and Daniel and Sam – especially Sam. They were his family now, and he couldn't possibly feel anymore gratitude than what he had for those three. Yes – he was truly lucky, and truly thankful that they were his friends.
"I'm sorry Sir", her voice said softly. "This is going to hurt."
Hurt? What was she going to … "AAAAGH!" he screamed as something caused his hand to explode in agony. The next thing he knew his shoulder erupted in pain as his arm was moved. Thankfully someone – Teal'c he suspected – was there to catch him as he fell to the ground. That was the last thing he remembered.
"God, what did they do to him?" Daniel asked as they moved quietly through the Goa'uld camp. It had only been a few hours since Jack had been captured and he was a mess. The three of them had managed to hide and return when the coast was clear. There were only six Jaffa guarding their prisoner by then – the rest, including the Goa'uld himself, had left to return to their ship which was sitting about a kilometer away. It appeared that they were packing up to leave.
They'd found Jack hanging from a 'T'-shaped wooden beam in the middle of the camp. At first Daniel had thought his hands were simply tied to it but when they'd gotten closer it was to see that one wrist was, indeed, tied – the other – was impaled. Someone had taken a knife and had driven it through the back of Jack's hand into the wood. Daniel had almost been sick but stopped himself. He knew there wasn't time for that. They had to get the General away before the others returned.
"They've tortured him", Sam said, showing little emotion as they made their way back into the trees which surrounded the camp. "Teal'c?" she asked, trying to decide where they should go.
"I believe it will not be safe yet to return to the gate", their Jaffa friend said. "We should hide until we know the Jaffa are gone."
She nodded, knowing that it was likely the Goa'uld would have men at the gate. He surely knew that the General hadn't been alone and that there were others close by. She had wondered if they were walking into a trap, but so far they hadn't seen any more Jaffa.
They walked in the general direction of the gate but took a circuitous route, hoping to miss any stray Jaffa. It was Daniel who spotted the huge tree, twenty meters off their course. When they got to it they discovered that the base was hollowed out and would make a good hiding place. "This looks good", Sam indicated. Teal'c managed to get O'Neill inside and then returned to cover their trail. Sam knelt down and began to tend to the General's wounds.
As she worked she thought back on what had happened. Jack had been a few yards ahead of the rest of them when he'd been spotted by a lone Jaffa. He'd radioed and told the team to hot-foot it to the gate and he'd follow. They'd moved quickly, hoping that Jack wasn't far behind. Soon they heard more Jaffa in pursuit although they'd been unable to tell which Goa'uld the Jaffa served. At that point it didn't matter – they were too busy running for their lives.
It was only when they'd returned to rescue the General that Teal'c had been able to identify the symbol on the Jaffa's foreheads.
"But that's impossible", she'd hissed as they walked through the forest, Jack still unconscious in Teal'c's arms. "He's dead. Apophis killed him."
"It appears he escaped. Many Goa'uld developed elaborate escape mechanisms for when they are under attack."
"Great – of all the Goa'ulds to bump into it would be him. No wonder -"
"His hand?" Daniel asked softly.
She nodded and they continued on in silence until they found their hiding place in the tree.
"What else did they do to him?" Daniel now asked as she pulled open her first aid kit.
"He has what looks like a staff burn on his thigh. It's been cauterized so it hasn't bled oo much but infection is a real danger, as is shock from a burn. All the blood is coming from a wound in his side – I think it's a knife wound. I need to see to that first since it's still bleeding."
She worked for a while in silence while Teal'c stood guard and Daniel handed her the items she needed. Once the wound in his side was cleaned and bandaged she began to work on his thigh."
"There – now his shoulder. Daniel, you'll have to help me."
He nodded, just glad that Jack was still unconscious. Having your shoulder reduced was painful, although the relief afterward was wonderful. Daniel had had his shoulder dislocated as a boy and knew that it was important to get it put back as quickly as possible in order to reduce any chances of nerve damage.
He winced as he heard the 'pop' when Jack's shoulder joint moved back into position although he didn't think he was imagining seeing the relief on his friends face. "His hand now?" he whispered.
Sam nodded, and rubbed her hand over her eyes. "I can't believe -"
"He did that? I can. Heru'ur is just like all the other Goa'uld – a sadistic bastard!" He watched as Sam carefully cleaned the wound and then bandaged it. He couldn't help but wince and feel slightly nauseated every time she prodded the wound. He could tell there were broken bones in there as well as the trauma of the open wound. He just prayed it wasn't anything that would cause a permanent disability.
"Now his back", Sam said with a deep breath. She was looking exhausted – as much from the emotion as from the actual physical stress.
Daniel helped roll Jack onto his side and watched again as she cleaned the raw flesh. "They whipped him", he whispered. He'd known that immediately on seeing his friend tied face-first to the stake, his back bloody and torn.
"I know", she answered, "Although I don't think they did it too many times. I expect he was unconscious so it probably wasn't enough fun for them so they stopped." Although she said it matter-of-factly, Daniel could hear the anger and hatred reverberating through her voice. If Heru'ur were to walk by right now he was pretty sure Samantha Carter would rip him into tiny little pieces.
"There", she sighed and sat back. "You can put him down now."
"How is he?" Daniel watched the face of his best friend and was frightened by how still and pale he looked. God – don't let him die, not now.
"He's badly hurt", she said softly. "He lost a lot of blood and the burn alone could send him into shock. We have to get him back to the Infirmary as soon as we can."
"Why now?" he asked. "This was supposed to be a simple mission – a last time through the gate for Jack before he moved to Washington."
"I know." She reached down and gently touched the General's forehead. "He never seems to have any luck, does he?" She smiled slightly, although there was little humor in it. "We'll just have to make sure he gets back and gets well."
He nodded and continued to watch his two friends – one so ill, the other heartsick.
"I was thinking about castrating him", Sam's soft voice broke into the silence.
He looked at her in shock. "What?"
"Heru'ur", she explained. "I was thinking of the worst thing I could do to him and that seemed to be it."
"Yeah", he winced. "I think that's about the worst thing all right." He paused slightly and then laughed. "For a moment there I thought you meant Jack. I can understand being mad at him for trying to save us and getting himself caught but – that seemed a bit drastic."
"Daniel!" she choked. "How could you – I wouldn't – that's awful!"
"Yeah, well I kinda wondered. I figured you'd be the last person who would want to do that."
"Daniel!" she screeched, looking embarrassed and half angry.
"Hey", a thin, thread voice interrupted them. "How's a guy to sleep around here?"
"General?" She leaned over and felt his forehead. So far there was no fever, although she suspected it wouldn't be long. "How are you Sir?" she asked, although realized it was a stupid question as soon as the words left her mouth.
"Okay", he answered, trying to look around although he felt so weak he could barely move his head. He couldn't figure out where the hell they were. It looked like some kind of round room, but he was too sick and in too much pain to figure it out. He suddenly felt a pinch in his thigh and jerked in surprise. "What?" he slurred.
"Morphine Sir. It'll help."
He stared at her for a moment, then finally gave a tiny nod. Normally he hated the feeling of being drugged up on morphine but right now he was grateful for it. In fact, he could hardly wait for it to kick in. He was feeling terrible.
"Sir?"
He blinked at her, wondering why her face kept swirling around. He finally focused on just her eyes, allowing himself to enjoy their beauty. He felt the morphine begin to take effect and started to relax. In a moment his eyes grew heavy and the next they had closed.
"Good", she whispered softly. "You need to rest Sir", she told the sleeping man. She reached out and tenderly stroked his head.
"And you too Sam", Daniel said softly. "I'll watch him while you sleep for a while."
"No, I have to -"
"- do nothing Sam. Don't be ridiculous. I'm here and I'll keep an eye on him. He'll be fine – you're doing a terrific job."
"Yeah, if I was doing such a great job why is the General lying here hurt and in pain? It was my job to keep everyone safe and I messed up."
"Daniel's right", Jack's voice drifted softly up from the ground. "you're being ridiculous. This wasn't your fault and you did good Colonel. You got the rest of your team to safety and were able to rescue me. Now shut up and finish and then do what Daniel says and rest - and that is an order Colonel."
Sam smiled and rubbed her eyes – which were watering rather fiercely – from fatigue she was sure. "Yes Sir", she answered, "as long as you do too."
"Yeah, okay. I'll just dream about - Thanksgiving." With a small smile he closed his eyes. After a few moments his breathing evened out.
"What's that about Thanksgiving? I didn't think Jack celebrated Thanksgiving. He told me years ago it brought back too many memories of when Charlie was alive."
Sam just shrugged and didn't answer. Instead she curled up on her side, next to the sleeping General and pulled the sleeping bag up around her face. As she slowly closed her eyes she thought back to a few days before they came on this last mission.
"Any plans for the holidays General?" Carter stood beside his table, balancing a tray with coffee and a bagel.
He motioned for her to sit. "Not really", he answered shortly, although pleasantly. He'd fallen out of the habit of celebrating most holidays years ago, after - . "Uh what about you? Going to visit your brother this year?" Anytime they'd actually had a holiday, which was usually rare, she would try and visit her family in San Diego. Since Jacob's death a few months ago she'd made even more of a conscious effort to spend as much time with Mark as possible, now that he was her only family.
"No, not this time", she answered. "He's visiting his in-laws this year and honestly I felt like just staying home and relaxing. The last few months have been -" she stopped and shrugged.
"Yeah, I know", he smiled gently at her. "Well, at least you'll be around for Black Friday!"
She grimaced and shook her head. "I'm afraid I'm not that into shopping. I have everything I need and I've already bought Christmas presents for Mark and Marianne and the kids. I really don't think I could handle all the crowds."
"You could take a Zat and knock them all out. Just think of the great buys you'd get!"
She laughed. "There's that, although I think the Pentagon might throw a bit of a fit." She paused and took a bite of bagel, her expression becoming more serious. She looked as if she was contemplating something serious.
Jack watched the expressions flitted across her face and marveled again, like he'd done countless times in the past, at what an amazing person Samantha Carter was. She'd been through more than most people ever had, and this year had lost her father, broken up with her fiancé, been kidnapped by a human shaped bug and had saved the world – more than once. And yet here she sat looking serene and beautiful. He frowned slightly – no - actually, she didn't look serene, not at the moment. In fact, she looked rather nervous, which wasn't like her – unless she was faced with imminent death and destruction – and then she usually just looked brilliant. No, something was bothering her. He wondered what it was.
"Uh, I was wondering -"
"Yes?" he asked, his brow lifting when she grew silent. "What were you wondering?"
"Well, since I'm not going anywhere this year, and you said you didn't have any plans I thought maybe -?"
He canted his head, wondering what she was trying to say. It wasn't like her – or at least hadn't been for many years – to hesitate around him.
"I thought maybe you'd like to come over for Thanksgiving Dinner?" she said in a rush. "You know, I mean – we could do a small turkey or something. It would be just two friends celebrating the holiday. You don't have to come of course. I mean, you may have something else to do that day and I'll understand, but it would be nice if you came."
At first he'd thought she'd meant all of them – the whole team. But when she'd said it was the two of them he'd grown quite surprised. It had been many years since either of them had suggested anything that wasn't team-related. Even the trip to his cabin had been with all of them, even though it had mainly been because of her that he'd issued the invitation.
He realized that he'd been silent too long and that she was starting to look uncomfortable. He mentally shook himself and then smiled. "That would be great, but you have to let me help. I do a mean pumpkin pie!"
"I bet you do Sir", she grinned. "And I won't say no to help. It's been a while since I've cooked for anyone other than myself."
The name 'Pete' came to mind but he refused to dwell. Shanahan was no longer in the picture (thank God) and he had done his best to forget the shrub. He grinned again and stood up. "There's just one thing Carter."
"What's that Sir?"
"You have to promise to call me Jack. I refuse to be General while helping someone stuff a Thanksgiving turkey!"
"Deal Sir – as long as I'm just Sam", she answered, reaching out and touching him on the arm.
He had taken a step away from the table but stopped at her touch. "You're never just Sam", he said softly, turning his face to look at her. With a small smile he turned back to the door and left the commissary.
She felt herself relax into her sleeping bag and soon was asleep – a smile on her face.
Daniel watched as his friends slept. Both of them were pale and looked as if permanent worry lines were etched into their foreheads. He just prayed Teal'c would return soon. Jack needed to get to an infirmary and all of them needed to know he was going to be okay.
Jack had told them he'd been transferred to DC to take over Homeworld from General Hammond, who was finally hoping to retire. It had felt like the end of an era and all of them found it difficult to contemplate losing Jack from the SGC. Still, Teal'c was leaving soon to take up his reins with the Free Jaffa Nation. He was considering going to Atlantis and Sam – well, he didn't know if she even knew what she was going to do.
They'd decided to ask Jack come on one last mission with them – for old time's sake. They'd picked a planet that had seemed innocuous and were planning a bit of a camping trip – where they could sit around and reminisce about their years together and all of their adventures.
It was just their luck, of course, to have run into a roaming band of Jaffa – and the Goa'uld from hell. Teal'c had postulated that Heru'ur had been on the run after his defeat from Apophis and had probably simply stopped to gather water and fuel. Daniel shook his head – why did bad luck seem to follow them around?
Teal'c had left a while ago to check out the gate and see if Heru'ur was still hanging around with his Jaffa. If what he postulated was true they didn't think he'd stay around too long. He didn't have much of an army left and probably was more interested in hiding out than anything. Daniel hoped that Heru'ur was satisfied with what he'd done to O'Neill and would leave. The only problem with that, of course, was they couldn't punish the snake for what he'd done. Oh well – there would be other opportunities, they were sure..
Teal'c returned a short while later with news of Heru'ur and his Jaffa. Sam and Jack both remained asleep as he explained what he'd found.
"There are indeed Jaffa guarding the gate", he said softly to Daniel. "They are hidden well, but I was able to see them. There appear to be about twenty of them which is why it was so easy for us to enter the camp and retrieve O'Neill. Heru'ur expected us to go to the gate immediately and thought he would be able to capture all of us."
"So what do you think we should do? Jack needs to get to the Infirmary."
"It would be too dangerous for us to attempt to leave at the present time. We will have to wait until Heru'ur gives up."
"How long do you think that will be?" Daniel asked, looking down worriedly at his sick friend.
"I do not know. It depends how long he planned to stay on this planet. I do not believe he plans to stay here for any length of time. I suspect he has been on the run from the other System Lords."
"What other System Lords?" Daniel scowled. "Aren't pretty much all of them dead?"
"He may not be aware of that fact." Teal'c explained. "And he will not want anyone to know where he is. I will go back to the gate tomorrow just after sun-rise to see if the Jaffa remain."
Daniel nodded, although he didn't look happy. If there had been fewer Jaffa they could have tried making it through, but twenty was too many, even for SG1.
It was just a little while later that Jack became restless. His tossing and turning and muttering woke up Sam, who immediately leaned over and checked how he was doing. "He has a fever", she said softly. "I'm going to give him some more antibiotics and something to try and reduce the fever." As she spoke she prepared a syringe and it was only then that she noticed Teal'c. She frowned when she heard what he had to say about the Jaffa at the gate.
"Okay, check again at first light. Hopefully Heru'ur will decide it's not worth it to wait around, although I wouldn't count on it. God, why did it have to be him?"
Neither of the other two answered, long since having realized that there were rarely good reasons why things happened the way they did.
That night each of them took turns watching O'Neill, bathing his face with cool water, and trying to calm him down. They all worried that Heru'ur might have sent out a patrol and Jack's talking could alert anyone who came too close to their hiding spot.
"What is he talking about?" Daniel whispered at one point, a question in his eyes. "He keeps muttering about his mother getting mad at him for sneaking food and then there was something about hot gravy and a trowel. And then he keeps saying 'thank you'."
"I don't know Daniel", Sam answered shortly. "He's delirious, it doesn't mean anything."
"No, I know – it's just – strange. Usually when he has nightmares it's about Charlie or about some battle he's been in. I've never heard him talk about cranberries before."
Just then Jack's eyes popped open – wide – and he stared straight up, looking neither right nor left. "Eyes, blue eyes", was all he said, then his own slowly drifted shut.
Daniel and Teal'c glanced at each other and then at Sam, who was staring at Jack. Daniel suspected that if there had been any light at all in their 'tree house' he would have seen her blushing.
By late that afternoon Teal'c was able to report that Heru'ur's Jaffa appeared to have left. They were still suspicious, but Jack's fever had grown steadily worse and they decided they had to chance it. Teal'c and Daniel managed to make a stretcher, while Sam continued to watch him.
"Don't you die on me, you hear!" she whispered to him. "If you do and miss our Thanksgiving I'll – I'll – I'll follow you and shoot you, even if you are already dead!" She could feel the tears stream down her cheeks – but only from tiredness, she was sure.
"Okay Sam, we're ready", Daniel hissed into the tree trunk. He still couldn't believe how huge the tree was – but was definitely thankful for it. It had given them shelter and protection. He patted its trunk. "Thank you tree", he said, and then grinned at himself. He had turned into a tree hugger.
In the end, they made it back to the gate and then to Earth with no problems. The Goa'uld really must have left the planet – or decided it wasn't worth spending the time waiting for an enemy who might never show.
As they walked through the event horizon, to their home, Sam allowed herself one brief moment, to wonder if they'd meet up with Heru'ur ever again. Sam really hoped so. She wanted to personally zat the damned Goa'uld out of existence.
"Why can't I go home?" he asked petulantly. "I've been here for a week and I had to miss my Thanksgiving and there's nothing to do!"
Dr. Brightman looked at him in exasperation. Everything she'd been told about the General was true. He was a kind, intelligent, courageous man – who could suddenly turn into a whiny infant when recuperating in the Infirmary. Thankfully she'd read Janet Frasier's notes – warnings really – and knew how to handle the man.
"Because you were seriously hurt Sir", she said calmly. "You lost a lot of blood, your wounds were infected and you've had surgery. You need to rest and recuperate."
"I can do that at home!"
"But what if something happens?"
"I'll call you and tell you", he told her with a scowl.
"No you wouldn't", she answered calmly. "I'm sorry Sir, but you live alone and you're not well enough. You could have a relapse or fall or - something, and then you'd be in trouble. Just give it a few more days and -"
"A few more days!" he practically shouted. "There's no way in hell I'm staying in this god-forsaken pit a few more days. I want to go home!"
"Hey Jack, givin' the Doc a hard time again?" Daniel walked into the room with a grin. "She's just trying to look after you and help you get well. You need to cut her some slack."
"I'll cut her some if she does the same", he glared at the woman he'd praised previously as being a fine doctor – "almost as good as Janet", he had said at the time, which was high praise indeed.
Dr. Brightman sighed, knowing it was time to give in. "Okay Sir – you can go – but only if someone stays with you!" She looked at the General and could instantly see his expression lighten up – although there was still a sneaky gleam there. Thank you Janet, she said silently to the woman she'd never met. This whole scenario had been one on which Janet had given very clear instructions.
"It's always wise to make the Colonel (as he was then) think he's pulled one over on you. He likes to win these little games so the best thing is to say no - and then finally appear to have given in against your better judgment. Always make sure to enlist the help of one of his teammates. They know how to keep him in line. Daniel and Sam do pretty well but use Teal'c if you want to ensure complete cooperation. Teal'c can handle anything the Colonel throws at him." Dr. Janet Frasier
"Okay. Daniel – you want to come over and babysit?"
"Uh – sorry Jack, no can do."
"What?"
"Sorry – I'm heading off to Chulak with Teal'c for a few days. He's invited me to come and visit and see some of the ruins there. We thought you wouldn't mind."
Jack just stared at him, totally stunned by this turn of events. Never, in all the years they'd been together, had his friends ever deserted him when he was ill. He felt – hurt and betrayed.
"But it's okay, because Sam said she'd be happy to stay with you", his friend continued – with a totally straight face. "She's just clearing off all her work and she'll be ready to drive you home as soon as the Doc here says you can go."
The Doctor was quite surprised at the expression she caught on the General's face. She didn't think she'd ever seen him look – overjoyed before. For a moment there she'd worried when Daniel had told him he and Teal'c were leaving. Now – there sat one very happy General O'Neill.
"I just want to give you one more check General and then you can get dressed. I've written up the instruction and you are to follow them completely – otherwise you're coming back in. Do I make myself clear?" she asked sternly.
"Yeah, sure Doc", he grinned.
"Oh, and in case you're wondering", she said, "I'm going to give a set of instructions to Colonel Carter as well."
His face fell, but only slightly. He knew, as well as she did, that it was important for him to follow those instructions. Although he liked to push things whenever possible, he wasn't stupid.
"So, no beer and no jogging?"
"No anything but lying around and resting Sir. Eat healthy, sleep and watch out that you don't use that hand. We'll start you on physical therapy but not for a few more weeks. Until then you are left-handed, okay?"
"Okay Doc, I got it. Thanks." This last he said with real sincerity. As much as he could be a pain, he also knew that he owed her a lot – not the least of which was the probably the full use of his hand.
He chatted with Daniel until the Doc said he could leave and then accepted his friend's help in getting dressed. He was in a great mood and wouldn't let anything bother him, even the overly-solicitous help of his friends. Besides that, it was difficult to dress with one hand.
Yup – things were good.
"Hi Sir – ready to go?"
Very, very good.
He was already tired by the time he got into her car, although he'd never tell her that. Glancing at her out of the corner of his eyes he realized he probably didn't have to. She knew him too damn well!
He had to bit his lips to keep from grinning. He couldn't believe he was going to stay at Sam's! He was surprised that it had been so easy – and that she had agreed so readily. Of course, Landry was now officially in charge at the SGC. He'd come in early to take over when Jack got injured. He'd only had a few more weeks until leaving anyway – so this was easier for everyone.
That meant that until he took up the reins in DC he was without a command. And that meant – there was no one under his command. He suddenly grew nervous. She was no longer under his command! He glanced sideways again and could feel his heart begin to pound.
"Come on in Sir. I have the guest room all ready for you. Dr. Brightman said you were to go right to bed when you got in. Have a rest and afterward we can have dinner."
He nodded briefly and followed her – limping slowly – down the short hallway. He'd been to Sam's before – many times – but it still felt strange to actually be staying here. No, it felt more than strange – it felt illegal.
She carried his duffel bag in and placed it on a chair and then pulled down the covers on the bed, looking serene and relaxed. God, how did she do that? He was sure he was sweating.
"Do you need help getting undressed Sir?"
Okay, that made her expression change to one of panic. If he hadn't been so uncomfortable himself he would have laughed. God, what a pair they were.
"Uh – I think I can handle it Carter, thanks."
"Okay", she hurried to the door, not looking at him. "Call if you need anything. I've left towels on the shelf in the bathroom and there's water there by your bed."
"Thanks", he said softly as she left. He stood silently for a few moments until finally the exhaustion forced him down on the bed. He struggled to get out of his clothes, wishing for just a moment that it was Daniel or Teal'c here with him. There was no way in hell he was going to ask Sam to help him get undressed. He finally managed to get into sweat pants and a t shirt and then collapsed back on the bed. He was out like a light.
He awoke to a wonderful smell that brought back all sorts of memories – of friends and family – of times spent with those he loved. He opened his eyes and smiled.
He slowly made his way out to the kitchen to find Sam stirring something on the stove. "Hey", he said softly.
She looked up quickly and smiled. "Happy Thanksgiving Sir", she said.
"Jack."
"Huh?"
"Jack. You promised, remember?"
"Oh right." She smiled some more. "Happy Thanksgiving Jack."
"Thanksgiving was days ago", he told her, looking at her solemnly.
"No it wasn't", she shook her head. "It's today – right now in fact. There's turkey and stuffing and everything. I'm afraid I didn't make a pie – but I do have cake."
"Mmmm – turkey, stuffing and cake. Sounds great. Happy Thanksgiving Sam!" He gave her a great big smile of gratitude.
She helped him take a seat and then chatted as she continued to get everything ready. When she pulled the turkey out of the over he laughed.
"That looks like enough to feed the entire Air Force", he told her. "Unless you think I'm that big an eater."
"I promised Teal'c some left-overs", she explained.
"Oh – in that case I think you got too small a turkey."
They continued to laugh and to talk while she moved about the kitchen. She put him to work doing a few simple things, although it was hard for him with only one hand. He grew frustrated at one point and would have reached for something with his damaged hand except she reached out and gently took it in her own.
"No Jack – it's okay. I can get it. I know it must be frustrating but it's only for a few more weeks."
"I know", he sighed. "I just hate feeling so damned – useless."
"Useless?" she laughed. "You? Come on Sir – Jack – you were seriously injured just over a week ago. It's amazing how well you're doing already. Just give yourself some time."
He normally would have complained – or have felt horrified at the thought of weeks of recuperation, but then he thought about the fact that she wasn't under his command. Suddenly those weeks seemed rather promising.
"What happened Jack?" She was standing looking at him, her face awash with concern and sympathy. He hadn't really told them much – hell, he hadn't told them anything except that Heru'ur was a bastard, which they already knew. He sighed – he didn't really want to think about it, but knew she'd saved his life – again – and he owed her something.
"After he caught me he wanted to know who else was on the planet and what we were doing there. I didn't tell him so he decided to have his Jaffa rough me up a little bit."
"And you stood there and antagonized him as much as you could, didn't you?" Her voice was full of both affection and exasperation. She knew him well.
"I figured that it wouldn't matter, that whatever I said or did he was planning on hurting me. He definitely held a grudge."
"So I could see!"
"Yeah – well, most of it I could handle but -" he stopped and looked down at his bandaged hand. He grimaced slightly and then lifted his eyes. "I – when I knew what he was going to do I – was sorry I'd pissed him off", he said with a slight grin.
She knew that's not quite what he'd been about to say, but nodded anyway. She understood. It would have been terrifying to go through what he did. The fact that he'd come out of it so well spoke to the strength of the man – not just his physical strength, but his strength of character.
"So tell me why you were thinking of cranberries?" she asked, trying to lighten up the mood.
"Cranberries?" he said in confusion. "What do you mean?"
"You were hallucinating when we were hiding. You kept talking about cranberries and beer and about being thankful."
"What? Oh – when Haru'ur - uh - stuck me to that post I guess I was trying to think of all the things I had to be thankful for – trying to take my mind off things you know."
"Yeah, like being beaten to an inch of your life and having your hand skewered", she said angrily. "I'm sorry", she immediately apologized. It's just that when I think of what he did I want to - God - I want to kill the bastard.
"Yeah", he answered. "I kinda feel the same." They sat there for a few minutes in silence, both of them trying to deal with what had happened.
"But cranberries?" she finally said, knowing that it was time to forget Heru'ur and what he'd done.
"Hey, I like cranberries", he joked, knowing that was one memory he couldn't share with her. He thought briefly of Sara and Charlie with a pang – but then brought his attention back to the present and realized that he still had something for which to be thankful.
They enjoyed the meal together and although he didn't have much of an appetite he forced himself to each as much as he could, just for her. Afterward she made him lie down on her couch while she turned down the lights and put on some soft music. She sat on the floor in front of him, leaning her head back on the couch by his shoulder.
"This is nice", she said gently. "I'm glad you're here, although I wish you weren't hurt. I – was frightened when we were there. I thought -". She couldn't continue, the fact that she'd almost lost him was still too close, too raw.
"I'm here", he said softly. He looked down at the top of her head, her hair glistening silver in the firelight. He felt excited, happy, unsure – and more frightened than when he'd been captured by Heru'ur. Then he'd been in danger of losing his life. Here – he was in danger of losing the thing he held most precious in the world.
But on the other hand – he was also on the verge of winning that most precious thing. He slowly lowered his hand and carefully placed it on top of her head. He held his breath – it could go either way. When she lifted her own hand and took his – and then kissed it gently, he knew he'd won.
"This is the first Thanksgiving I've celebrated since – in years", he told her, gently squeezing her hand. "Thank you."
"It's nothing", she whispered, equally as softly.
"It's everything Sam. You're everything."
She turned slightly until she was looking at him and gave him a smile he'd never seen before. She then lifted his hand one more time and gently kissed his palm. "No, not everything. But I am yours."
He lifted her hand and this time it was he who kissed hers. "Then I really have something to be thankful for, don't I?"
And he was.
The End