AU from Window of Opportunity. Not for those who hate the idea of Jack with anyone other than Sam. Like 'Renaissance', this is one of my earlier stories from before I became a mad shipper. Also like 'Renaissance', I based Jack's age on what was stated in 'Brief Candle' rather than the DOB established in 'Fragile Balance'.

All those caveats are now done with. Please … read and enjoy.

BOOK 1 – CONSEQUENCES

Prologue

Colonel Jack O'Neill whistled cheerfully to himself as he pulled the bright sweatshirt on. These 'loop' things were annoying the crap out of him, until Daniel had pointed out that he'd be able to do anything he wanted … without any consequences.

He and Teal'c had taken full advantage of this. T had practically beaten up a young Airman who'd kept crashing into him with a door, they'd played golf through the Stargate, and Jack had personally ridden a bicycle through the warren-like corridors of the SGC during the habitual full alert caused by Malikai and his endless looping.

And now … now was the time for the piece de resistance. Something that had preyed on his smarter-than-he-wanted-people-to-know mind for a few weeks now.

Ignoring his gimpy knee, he strode up the metal stairs and into the control room and got ready, surprised to find himself nervous. "Colonel? You're out of uniform," General George S. Hammond, CO of the SGC, told him.

Jack beamed at his CO. "Yes, sir," he said. He strode over to Major Samantha Carter, his own 2IC, then tugged her into a passionate kiss. She responded by wrapping her arms around his neck to deepen the kiss. Not the response he'd been expecting, but who was he to argue?

Just for the hell of it, he dipped her – who said he couldn't be romantic when he wanted? – and waited for the annoying flash that would signal the resetting of the loop.

He waited.

And he waited.

"Sir?" Carter squeaked as she stepped away from him, her blonde hair mussed and her lips red.

And he waited. Carter stared up at him, her goldfish impression only topped by the intense fury on Hammond's face.

Oh, crap. He'd left the resignation letter on his desk.

Major Doctor Samantha Carter was officially pissed. Because of Colonel O'Neill and his stupidity, she now had an official reprimand on her record! She'd spent the evening of her disciplinary with Janet Fraiser and a bottle – or three – of wine, and they'd both decided that Jack O'Neill was an asshole.

She stormed onto the base the day after, intent on finding everyone's favorite smart-ass and demanding what the hell he'd been thinking. Not that she hadn't enjoyed it …

No, don't even go there, Sam!, she urged herself. She signed in and hurried to the elevator then blushed deeply. "General," she said politely.

"Major," he responded stiffly.

Oh yeah, he was still furious. But it had been the Colonel who'd borne the brunt of his anger. What had Hammond called him? Oh, right: "A disgrace to the uniform". General Hammond certainly had a way with words.

Sam got out of the elevator. "If you're looking for Colonel O'Neill, Major, I wouldn't bother," Hammond said now.

Huh? "Sir?" she replied.

"The Colonel has been relieved of duty," Hammond replied, softening slightly toward his unofficial niece. "He faces court-martial."

To say Sam Carter was shocked would have been like saying that the Goa'uld weren't nice guys. Yeah, she was pissed at him, but he didn't deserve court-martial. From what he'd told her, several planets including Earth were caught in some kind of a subspace bubble and were repeating the same period of time over and over. For some reason, though, he and Teal'c were immune to its effects. She could understand how that would drive him crazy.

Two weeks later:

Faced with dishonorable discharge or early retirement, Jack took the lesser of the two evils and retired. "I'm sorry, son," Hammond told him. "If there was anything I could've done …"

Jack looked at his CO … check that; former CO … and smiled slightly. "Don't worry about it, General," he said, burying his very real pain. "The old knee couldn't have stood up to active duty much longer, anyway."

Hammond regarded him with that piercing blue-eyed gaze that occasionally made Jack wonder just how much the man could read him. "Of course, Jack," he replied. He cleared his throat uncomfortably. "About your request …"

"To retire off-world? Yes, sir?" Jack said. His heart beat quickly. Please let them say yes! There was nothing for him on Earth anymore – he wanted to take his chances someplace else.

"In the words of the Joint Chiefs; we owe you that much," Hammond said. He smiled slightly then the smile faded away. "Understand, though, we can't give you a GDO. It's a one-way trip."

"I understand, General," Jack said.

Clad in jeans and faded sweatshirt with the Air Force logo – welcome to the Jack O'Neill hall of irony! – Jack stood in the 'gate room, waiting for Sergeant Harriman to finish dialing. His heart sank when his team – former team, dammit! – walked into the room. Nuts.

"Hey, kids," he said lightly. "Come to see me off, did ya?"

Teal'c gripped his forearm tightly. "I do not understand Tauri regulations – surely the passion between a man and a woman is irrelevant to their ability to do battle." He dipped his head. "You are my friend, and my brother. And I will miss you."

Jack smirked, trying to ignore the lump in his throat. "Geez, T; that was pretty loquacious for you."

"Jack …," Daniel said uncertainly, his blue eyes wide behind his glasses. "Is there something you're not telling us?"

Jack knew immediately what his friend was getting at. "Sorry, Daniel; no sting this time," he said. He put a friendly arm around the younger man's shoulders. "Be good, ya hear me?"

"Gee." Daniel grinned. "Guess I'll have to get a new role model, then."

Smart ass. He and Jack had definitely hung around together too long. Jack groaned silently as he turned to his former 2IC. She'd cut her blonde hair to more regulation length, and he admired the pixie effect with her big blue eyes. "Carter," he said. "Sorry about …". He waved his hands expressively. "No; I'm not sorry about kissing you, but I'm sorry you got that reprimand." His own file had enough reprimands on it to choke a horse, but this was the first one for Carter, and she'd been understandably pissed.

She blushed. "It's not like I tried to stop you, sir," she pointed out. She smiled slightly. "Just out of curiosity; what would have happened if the loop had reset itself?"

"I'd be sitting facing you over a table with a goofy grin on my face," he admitted. "I'll miss you, Carter – for a scientist, you're okay."

She gave him a bigger smile. "We'll miss you too, sir," she said.

Jack didn't bother correcting her use of 'sir' – after nearly four years, it had become ingrained. The 'gate activated and he hitched his backpack more firmly onto his shoulders. "Yeah, well … that's my cue," he said.

He turned and headed up the ramp then turned back once more to view his colleagues, his friends … hell, his family. "See ya, kids," he said.

With that, Jack O'Neill turned, walked through the wormhole and into the next phase of his life.