Going on a Summer Holiday
Chapter 1
This story is set in Series 6 with the SG1 that exists then. It goes completely AU after Metamorphosis.
Starts during Metamorphosis, just after Ivanov has died and Sam will be next.
Jack quickly turned and looked at her. 'Oh, God, she's going to be next,' he thought. 'I can't watch this, I can't.'
Sam had turned to face him, away from the puddle that had been the Russian Lieutenant Colonel. 'I don't want to die, not this way, not without telling him.'
Sam's eyes were beginning to get wild; Jack could tell that panic was starting to set in. "It's okay, Carter, we'll figure it out. Just rest."
For the first time in their working career Sam refused to follow one of Jack's orders. "No, Sir, it won't be okay," she said quietly. Grabbing his hand, she pulled at him with urgency. "Please, Jack, I don't want to die, not like this, please."
Jack pulled her roughly towards him. She snuggled into his chest and began to cry quietly. He tugged her closer, slipping her legs over his and pulling her onto his lap, cradling her. "Ssshhh, Sam, it's okay. I won't let anything happen to you, I promise," he whispered into her ear.
"I can feel it, Jack. Inside everything's changing. I'm not sure what that machine's supposed to do but I think it changes your DNA. What happened to Colonel Ivanov is going to happen to me next. Oh, God, Jack!" Her tears subsided as she spoke into his neck, held in his tight embrace.
Not knowing what else to do, Jack continued to hold her as her breathing calmed. "I'm sorry, Sam. I don't know what to do." He sounded so helpless she wanted to comfort him.
"It's not your fault, Jack." She paused. Could she say what she wanted? Could she tell him? Turning into his neck, just under his ear, she whispered so quietly that even he had trouble hearing. "I love you, Jack. I've loved you for so long." She was scared, not knowing how he'd react.
She let out a sigh of relief when he pulled her tighter and whispered, "I know, Sam. Me, too." It was enough for now.
Gently pushing her hair off her face, Jack took her hand and looked at her, his eyes telling her everything she wanted to know and everything he'd kept hidden.
Jonas was returned at that point and Jack was taken. He didn't look back; he wouldn't give these people the satisfaction of seeing his despair.
As Jack was being taken to Nirrti, he was trying to work out what was best to do, but he was struggling to keep up with the fast pace of events. The people of this planet - Hagar and his friends - had finally accepted that Nirrti was out to destroy them, not to help them, that she was the cause of all their misery as she experimented on them. Jack now had to do the worst thing he could think of: he had to save Nirrti, when all he wanted to do was look her in the eyes as he strangled her with his bare hands for what she'd done to Sam. But she was the only one who knew how to work her and without her they wouldn't have a hope of reversing the damage that had been done. He had to save Nirrti to save all the people on this planet ... and Sam.
However, after failing to stop Hagar from doing what he'd wanted to do – kill Nirrti - Jack felt desolate. There was no way no to save Sam now; he'd lost her. But then, just as he was turning to return to Sam, Hagar's words stopped him in his tracks. 'I looked into Nirrti's mind and took what I needed. Hurry, while there is still time'. The implication was clear: Hagar could save Sam. He needed to get Sam. He ran to the dungeon in desperation. 'Please, don't let me be too late'.
Jack scooped Sam up from the pallet as soon as he reached her and ran back to the machine. "Stay with me, Carter! Come on, Hagar knows what to do to fix this. Don't die on me now!"
Weakly she tugged on his shirt, gently kissed his neck, and closed her eyes. "No, not now, Sam. Wake up! That's an order!" he shouted as Teal'c came up behind him, helping him position Sam in the machine which would return her DNA to normal.
Both Jack and Teal'c looked their usual stoic selves; only Jonas was showing his worry. However, inside Jack was close to breaking point; if this didn't work they really would lose her.
Hagar switched on the machine with Jack and Teal'c holding her for the first few seconds until she could stand without their help. Jack watched her intently as she slowly regained strength and finally, finally opened her eyes.
Then it was all over. It had worked! Staggering slightly when the machine turned itself off, Sam carefully stepped down from the machine, holding up a hand to let them know she was okay when Jack moved to steady her. She reached for Jack and he took her hand, Jack turned to Hagar to thank him and to bid farewell.
Jack kept Sam close beside him as they said their goodbyes, not yet willing to let her go. He was concerned about how quiet Sam was being, especially after Hagar had said that they would destroy the machine once they'd all been returned to normal as it was too dangerous. He looked down at her and she squeezed his hand, like Jack needing the closeness to reassure herself that she was alive. Jack continued to hold her hand as they turned and walked through the forest towards the gate, glad that Sam didn't pull away.
Teal'c and Jonas walked ahead of them, perhaps deliberately, allowing time for a private discussion. Jack was panicking, not because of what they'd confessed, but wondering whether, now that everything was back to normal, Sam would take back the declaration she'd whispered to him as she'd lain dying in his arms. He knew he was holding on to her hand as if it would disappear if he let go.
Sam gently pulled on his hand; she had no idea how to start this conversation but knew it had to be done. "Jack, slow down a little," she started to say. He slowed but didn't turn to her; he was too afraid of the put down he expected, even though the fact that she'd used his name gave him hope.
"Jack, I can't go back, I can't put it back in the room. I need it to come out but I need to know what you want."
Jack stopped and faced her, confusion written all over his face. He'd dropped her hand in surprise. "You, ah... you don't want to take it back?"
"No." Sam smiled up at him.
Jack smirked. "Well, then, we won't put it back in. We'll figure it out, I promise." He took hold of her hand, lifted it to his mouth, and kissed it gently.
Sam blushed a bright red and smiled a shy smile at him. "Let's go home, Sir." Her smile got wider as she grasped his hand and started walking towards the gate.
Teal'c and Jonas had already dialled home before they'd reached the gate. As Jack and Sam approached, Teal'c looked over, pleased that they were close together. He, too, had feared that Major Carter would die. Jonas was another story! He looked at the two and their close body language, then his chin hit his chest and didn't look as if it would return anytime soon.
"Relax, Jonas, we know what we're doing," Jack said quite calmly. He squeezed Sam's hand and released it. "Let's go, kids!"
**********************SG1***************************************
SG-1 wandered through the 'gate and were greeted by a fairly frazzled General. "SG-1, report!" he called from the control room.
"Well, Sir," Jack began, "Nirrti was up to her old tricks. The machine could either turn people into superhumans or, well, puddles," he finished a little lamely.
"Where is Colonel Ivanov?" Hammond asked.
"Sir, I regret to say he didn't make it," Jack stated sombrely. "We're very lucky that he was the only one we lost." Jack frowned as he remembered how close he'd come to losing Sam, then he glanced at her with a small smile lifting one corner of his mouth, immensely grateful that she was still there.
"I can sense this will be a long briefing. Get yourselves checked out and changed. Briefing room in 2 hours," Hammond ordered. He had a niggling feeling that there was something amiss but he couldn't quite pinpoint it.
The medical examination was brief for everyone except Sam. Janet noted that Jack hovered over her the entire time, which was very unusual. He brushed off his actions as concern over the after effects of the machine but Janet wondered if it was something more.
Once they'd been cleared the team made its way to the briefing room. Jack wasn't sure whether to say anything to Hammond, although he was inclined to keep quiet. He looked over at Sam as they left the elevator, raised his eyebrows as if to say, 'What do you want me to do?' Sam put her finger to her lips to tell him to keep quiet. Their eyes were telling each other all they needed to know. They needed to talk, but without anyone else in the way. They needed to get away.
TBC
