- Have a Little Faith -
Sam knew she was bad at this.
But a molehill had become Mount Everest, because of her fear.
She wanted to believe she'd settle this on her own.
She wanted to believe she'd find the courage to end it. Or begin it.
So she waited. Just waited. In limbo.
She was good at limbo.
And as the weeks grew closer to the hour of her cowardice...
Sam drew herself up from the couch reluctantly, to answer the persistent knocking.
Jack stood smiling. "Carter."
"Sir?"
He handed her a paper. She opened it and read it. Then re-read it and frowned.
"You're retiring?"
"Yep."
"Why?"
Jack leaned forward, taking her face in his hands and kissing her gently. When he pulled back, Sam merely blinked.
"Why?... "
"I might be a little slow on the up-take, Carter, but have a little faith."
Sam's mega-watt smile was her reply.
- Busted -
Sam is bending over. Way over.
Holy Mother of God...
Daniel snorted. "Are you staring at Sam's butt, Jack?"
"What!? No! Of course not."
Sam gives up bending. And squats instead.
Jack choked.
Daniel cleared his throat. "Uh, Sam... "
"Yes, Daniel?"
"Remember when you said you bought a thong?... "
Sam jumped up quickly, hastily pulling up her pants and pulling down her shirt.
Jack averted his eyes.
Sam blushed.
Daniel leaned back against the tree, threading his fingers behind his head. "Bus-ted."
- To Oz -
daniel: Sam, do you like the Wizard of Oz?
sam: Yeah.
daniel: Do you like it, Jack?
jack: Yep.
daniel: Teal'c?
teal'c: Dorothy vanquished the Go'auld well.
jack: It was a witch, T, not a Goauld.
teal'c: Same thing.
sam: *laughing* Why are you asking, Daniel?
daniel: I'm just curious who would play who if we were the characters...
jack: Well obviously, Carter is Dorothy. *smiles at Sam*
sam: I guess I'd see you, Daniel, as the lion, and Teal'c as the tin-man.
daniel: That would leave Jack as the scarecrow.
sam: Yes.
daniel: And the scarecrow was Dorothy's favorite.
jack: And?
sam: So?
teal'c: You appear to be a Dorothy/Scarecrow shipper, DanielJackson.
daniel: Yep!
jack: Dorothy is kind of hot...
sam: ...
jack: To Oz!
- It's Complicated -
"I'm dead?"
No one's going to answer me, Sam thought, because they can't see me. I'm dead!
Sam roamed the halls of the SGC, visiting departments and co-workers and friends. It was fun for about 5 minutes.
Then she visited General O'Neill. Jack.
He was hunched over his desk, with his head in his hands. A drawn-up retirement paper was already signed.
"You weren't supposed to leave me," Jack whispered.
"I'm right here, Jack... "
Jack's head shot up. "Sam?"
Oh my god, he can hear me!
"Jack, I'm right beside you!"
"How is that possible!", Jack said, looking around frantically to see her.
"Uh... it's complicated."
"What does that mean?"
"I have no idea!"
"Alright... let me think... " Jack stood up to pace. "We lost you in the stargate."
"How?"
"You smashed into the iris."
"Ow."
"Yeah... "
"But I'm not really dead, or you couldn't be hearing me."
"Unless I'm insane."
"There's that... "
"Or you pattern is stuck in the whatever, and you're just free-floating along, waiting for someone to re-pattern you."
"I think that's it!"
"Then what do we do?"
"Get Mckay and Dr. Lee and we'll explain everything. Or you will, because no one else can hear me but you."
"If this doesn't work out... "
"It has to."
"But if it doesn't... will you still haunt me?"
"Haunt you?"
"... Will you stay with me?"
"Always... always."
"Well I did kind of want to kiss you, so I'm calling Mckay and Lee for help."
Sam giggled, while Jack picked up the phone.
- Seeking Solace -
He knew she was hurting. Dad was missing, and she was blaming herself.
It only took a couple of seconds before Sam opened the door.
"Sir?"
"Just wanted to see if you were alright."
"I'm fine, sir."
"Yeah... "
He could see her fighting the tears.
"Carter, let me in."
Sam pulled back to let Jack enter her quarters.
"Sorry for the mess, sir."
When he didn't reply, Sam looked up. The sympathy on his face made the last of her walls come down.
Jack took Sam into his arms, while she sobbed into his neck.
After a few moments, she pulled back. "I'm sorry, sir."
"For what?"
"For ruining your shirt." She glanced up. "And your neck too."
Jack laughed. "Just consider me your kleenex."
Sam smiled and held in a laugh. "Well anyways, sir... thank you."
"Any time, Carter. And on that note, let's go split that new double layered raspberry filled chocolate cake in the commissary."
"Chocolate... "
"And raspberry."
Sam motioned to the door and smiled. "After you, Colonel Kleenex."
- A Moment in Time -
He stares when he thinks she isn't looking. He watches her, just being.
She watches him underneath sunglasses. She watches his face, his body. He scares her, and flames the fire in her veins.
He looks away quickly, pretending to be interested in his shoes. She smiles gently.
She knows he's watching her eat. It makes her self-conscious. And excited.
Under the stars, with the campfire gently lighting their faces, they share a glance. And another.
A moment in time, and without guilt, they relish it.
- Triumph -
Jack stood watching Sam, dancing with Pete, in the most depressing, claustrophobic, miserable un-engagement party of his life.
At least Carter looked miserable too, Jack thought with evil glee.
Then he had an idea.
Jack walked up to the dancing couple, tapping Pete on the shoulder. Pete gave over his partner to him, smiling in an oblivious way that made Jack's insides high-five him.
"Carter," Jack said, taking Sam in his arms.
"Sir," Sam replied quietly.
The new couple danced, and as soon as Pete went back to his chair and watched, Jack went into motion.
Jack pulled Sam close, ran his hand down just to the swell of her derriere, and whispered in her ear.
He could see Pete sit up straighter.
Jack pulled back, and making sure Pete was still watching, leaned in to slowly and softly kiss Sam on the lips, lingering a moment too long for effect.
Then he walked away, went back to his chair, and watched the disaster he left in his wake.
Pete was furious, going back to Sam and wanting to know what the hell just happened. Doing a great impression of a goldfish, Sam was speechless and was unable to answer, much to Jack's delight.
Jack did feel sorry for Sam a wee bit.
But sitting in his chair, watching Pete rant and walk around in circles, and watching Sam's delicious bewilderment and sexy shades of blush...
"Peeled and mashed, Spudly. Victory is mine."
- Irregular Orbit -
Daniel is staring at a train wreck in motion. Sam, Jack, and Pete, all standing next to each other and talking. And all trying to make nice. If he wasn't already nauseous from forced-on-him-by-Jack beer, he'd throw up from this.
But it was interesting in a anthropologist sort of way. The Amazon Queen, being courted by Jimmy Olsen and Superman. Oy.
Daniel suddenly turned away, feeling guilty for enjoying this so much. It really was sad, because Pete's irregular orbit around Sam was sadly punctuated by Sam's magnetic pull towards Jack.
And all three were so oblivious.
Daniel got up to get another beer.
-Never Again -
Daniel wanted his stupid shampoo from the showers. Environmentally correct shampoo, which he paid $25 a bottle for. Stupid, and stupid shampoo.
Jack could see Sam's back in the shower stall.
And of course I said I'd get it. After he whined for ten minutes. All I wanted was to leave the mountain and have some beer and chicken wings... Sam's voice isn't that bad. But please, please don't turn around...
Sam turned around and Jack quickly pulled his head back from the corner.
Dear God... I thought you loved me... why are you putting a tall glass of Carter in front of me when I'm a Carterholic?
Sam turned back to let the water wash her front. And continued singing, 'Don't Stop Believing'.
Never again will I listen to Daniel.
But I did get to see a vision that I'll cherish for the rest of my -
Sam turned around again.
Jack beat his head against the wall.
- Obsession -
With wine glass in hand and feet propped on the table, Sam contemplated her life. Via a list. Must be organized.
Recession: the act of receding or withdrawing.
She'd withdrawn from him. Check.
Transgression: an act of transgressing; violation of law, command, etc.; sin.
She loved him and it was wrong. Check.
Depression: sadness; gloom; dejection.
Check, check, and check.
Suppression: conscious inhibition of an impulse.
Sam groaned and threw the list on the table.
After a moment of inner eye rolling, Sam leaned down to pick up the list again when her phone chimed. She grabbed the phone and saw it was him. Colonel O'Neill. Jack.
"Hey, Carter, want to grab some lunch with me? I'm at the Subway and Starbucks corner."
She stared at the words.
Say no. Say no. Say no.
"Sure, I'll be there in 10."
Obsession: the domination of one's thoughts or feelings by a persistent idea, image, desire, etc.
Check.