Title: No Way Back
Part: 1/?
Author: Jemma
Story Status: IN PROGRESS
Season: Five
Spoilers: Ascension
Categories: Angst, AU fic
Pairings: Sam/Jack
Rating: K+
Content Warnings: Angst, UST, swearing
Summary: After the events of Ascension, Sam turns down the offer of an 'under-the-covers' operation. But when an old face returns to the SGC, she decides to accept it. However, when her recruiter finds out why she really took the post, they blackmail her into working as a double agent at the SGC. (AU story) Sam/Jack
Archive Permissions: Please ask.
Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters relating to Stargate. They belong to MGM and any of their associates. I'm just playing around with them for a little while!
Authors Note: Written based on the following challenge:
Challenge #1,968 (Added 20 March 2003)
1. Has to be about S/J (cause I'm addicted gg) 2. Maybourne wants to win Carter for one of his projects, but Sam rejects it. 3. Sam is annoyed as she thinks there is no future for her and Jack, as Laira shows up at the SGC.
4. Sam is really depressed and finally goes to Maybourne. 5. Maybourne realises why Sam is on his side and plans to do something.(good/bad?) 6. Please a good S/J ending. Submitted by Maggie.
This is very much a work in progress!
I had a wonderful first week at Uni, but am already feeling quite overwhelmed at the amount of work ahead of me! So, I've started this so that I have something to 'dip' into on study-breaks! It may end up being quite a long fic, and take me a while to write. As I post parts, and feedback you can email me will be greatly appreciated to keep it going!
Date: 7th March 2008
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Sam had returned to Earth reluctantly; in fact, Colonel Reynolds had pretty much thrown her through the gate.
She couldn't blame the guy really – he was her superior anyway, so she really had no say in anything until she got back to the SGC and could explain herself to Hammond.
A part of her still couldn't believe that Orlin was gone – or ascended…what ever. She wasn't ever going to see him again and that was the thought that was brought her to the edge of revealing her emotions as they were walking to the gate.
"You ok Major?" the Colonel had asked, more compassionately that he probably felt.
"Yes Colonel," she had replied blankly, not wanting to reveal her true feelings about what had happened to him, or indeed, anyone else.
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Sam stepped through the wormhole and was relieved to see only General Hammond in the gate room waiting for her – clearly Colonel O'Neill had not had time to get back before she had. The conversation with him about insubordination was not one she was looking forward to having.
Even though General Hammond ultimately had the final say on her punishment for leaving with Orlin through the homemade gate, deep down she knew he wouldn't recommend her punishment be court-marshall. The General was like an uncle to her, and she was sure he felt closer to her than he was allowed to reveal as well.
Even so, as she walked down the ramp towards him, she saw disappointment in his face.
"Major Carter, please report to the briefing room immediately," he said aloud, no emotion present in his voice.
Sam looked at him steadily before quietly replying, "Yes sir."
She walked out of the gate room to her left and made her way through the control room and up the stairs. She could feel the stares of the technicians follow her as she passed them. She wanted to turn round and ask them all what the hell they were looking at…but figured in her current situation, it may not be the best course of action.
As she climbed the last few steps she could hear Colonel Reynolds, the rest of his team and General Hammond following her. Determined not to look behind her as she reached flat ground, she walked quickly forwards and took a place at the second seat in, on the near side of the briefing room table, so to let the Colonel take the first place next to the General.
They all took their seats quickly after her and Sam wasn't quite sure where to look, so opted for her hands folded in front of her on the table.
"Colonel Reynolds," the General said quietly as he sat down. "Would you care to explain exactly what the hell happened on the planet? I had a report from Colonel O'Neill on his way in, that this alien…who befriended Major Carter…may have come through to stop the test?"
Sam felt her stomach drop as soon as she realised the Colonel would arrive at the SGC sooner rather than later and winced at the emphasis that the General put on the word 'befriended'.
"Well Sir, Colonel O'Neill was right. The alien came through…along with Major Carter, as you can see…and despite my warnings, disconnected the device. I warned him it would explode, but that's what he seemed to want to happen. He said he wanted it destroyed."
The Colonel paused at this point and Sam risked a look up at the General, but looked down again quickly when she realised he wasn't focussing his gaze on her.
"Anyway, I tried to stop him General, I shot him, but he still managed to disconnect the device, so the overload started…"
"Colonel?" the General queried, as Reynolds didn't seem to know what to say next.
"Well General, I can't explain what happened next. All I saw was this bright white light moving towards the device…it picked it up and…flew it out away from us where it exploded above the planet. I can't tell you what happened General, all I know is that the device is gone. There's no way we'll be able to ever study it again and figure out a means of making it operational."
Colonel Reynolds finished with a long breath out, whilst the General simply folded him hands in front of him on the desk, much in the way that Sam's were. She could feel his gaze on her as he spoke.
"Major, can you shed any light on why this, alien, did what he did? Or how?"
Sam took a shallow breath before addressing the table.
"All I know Sir, is that if we had activated that device, it would have killed single SGC team member on that planet."
"And what about, the white light, that Colonel Reynolds saw? The device exploding above the planet? How do you explain that?"
Sam pursed her lips together and though about her words carefully.
"Orlin said that the others had given him another chance Sir. All I can assume is that he's gone back to his people, and to stop us all being killed, he took the device away."
"Fairly effectively preventing us from studying it any further…" Reynolds said under his breath.
Sam looked across at him sharply and couldn't help the words that fell from her mouth.
"Would you have rather he left it there so you could blow yourself to bits, Sir?" she said angrily.
Reynolds looked back at her, neither of them willing to stand down from the confrontation.
"Ok people," the General interrupted. "Let's finish this off later. SG-16, report back to the briefing room in an hour."
Colonel Reynolds and his team stood, but didn't say anything as they left the room, leaving Sam and the General alone.
"Major.." the General began, but she looked up and stopped him before he could continue.
"Before you say anything Sir…I just want you to know, I went after him because I thought I might be able to stop him. That I might be able to persuade Colonel Reynolds to stop the test until I had time to tell you what I knew…"
He looked at her, not angrily, but perhaps with disappointment.
"Major Carter, I understand what you're saying. But there's no way I can ignore the fact that you disobeyed a direct order from your superior officer. Colonel O'Neill let you go in the house on the condition that you brought that alien out….not jumped through a Stargate with him."
Sam looked away and sat back slightly in her seat.
"I understand what I did probably wasn't the best course of action Sir," she began.
"It was the wrong course of action, Major," the General replied, leaving a tense air in the room.
Sam studied her hands in her lap, not wanting to look into the eyes of a man whom she knew she had tested the boundaries of trust so far.
"Do you believe the alien poses any kind of security risk, Major?" he asked slowly.
"No, Sir," Sam replied shaking her head. "I can guarantee he wouldn't reveal anything about us to anyone we wouldn't otherwise want knowing."
"And on that, we have only your word?"
Sam took a deep breath in and looked her commander straight in the eye.
"I hope you haven't lost all trust in me, Sir."
A few moments passed before the General smiled ever so slightly.
"No, Major," he replied. "But, should Colonel O'Neill's report to me deem it necessary, you may be facing a punishment," he added.
Sam didn't reply, simply nodded her head to show confirmation of her understanding.
"OK,…report back to the briefing room in two hours. You're dismissed Major."
She stood from her chair and walked from the briefing room slowly.
She couldn't believe how badly wrong everything had gone. Punishment she could live with, and deep down she figured she probably deserved it. Insubordination was not something taken lightly in her line of work. What she dreaded most was that could very well of lost the respect of her colleagues, her team, and her superiors.
Needless to say, the next time she saw Colonel O'Neill was not something that she was particularly looking forward to.
The fates may well have been conspiring against her, because as she thought of the Colonel, he appeared around the corner just past General Hammonds office door, very nearly running into her. She stopped just in time to prevent the collision.
"Sir!" she exclaimed in slight shock, not having a clue what to say to him.
For a second, she didn't think he was going to say anything to her and just walk on past to meet the General.
"Carter, back then?" he asked, in what she suspected was being put to her sarcastically. "And is your alien friend joining us?"
Sam continued to look him in the eye and at the mention of Orlin, something inside her just snapped.
"Actually no, Colonel. You'll be pleased to know he's gone," she snapped back. "You see, he went back with his people and took the device away before it could explode and kill us all…" she added, dropping her stare and beginning to walk past him. "Or perhaps you would have preferred that," she said under her breath, not thinking he would hear.
A hand on the top of her arm immediately confirmed to her that she hadn't been quiet enough.
"Carter, don't insult me by implying that's something I would ever want!" he said roughly, his face depicting shock at her words.
Seeing this made her immediately regret what she had said and she felt the anger fading from her.
He let go of her arm a second later and turned to walk away from her.
"I'm sorry, Sir. I didn't mean to say that…it's just, he was trying to save SG-16 from killing themselves, which is what would have happened if he hadn't sacrificed himself."
The Colonel stopped walking but didn't turn around.
"None of that changes the fact that you disobeyed a direct order, Carter," he said slowly, and then carried on walking into the briefing room.
Sam sighed quietly and turned away from the room, heading to the infirmary as a matter of procedure for all those who have returned from off world. She had a feeling that the Colonel wasn't going to let this one go as easily as perhaps he might have done in the past.
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Sam's visit at the infirmary had been standard and straightforward, though the conversation with Janet had left a lot to be desired.
Plenty of 'what were you thinking?', 'what did the General say?' and even more questions about Orlin.
"Janet, I already told you. I'm not sure exactly where he's gone. Only that he is gone and that he said he was going back to his people, what ever that means," Sam said tiredly.
"I'm sorry Sam, I'm trying to understand why you would have risked everything to help him; you barely even knew him!" she finished with a smile, as she finished drawing the last vial of blood.
Sam avoided her eyes. "He said he loved me, Janet."
She very nearly dropped the vial as she placed it on the tray to her right.
Looking back to Sam, directly in the eye, she asked her, "And…did you love him?"
She took a moment to think about her answer, knowing that it was no, but not knowing if it always would have been.
"No, Janet. I did care about him though – just the same as I care about Daniel, Teal'c, you, the Colonel…"
"But…?" she pressed.
"But…who knows what would have happened?" she said quietly with a sigh.
Janet smiled softly at her. "We're all done here."
"Thanks," she said as she stood up from the bed. "I'll see you later?"
Janet nodded and Sam smiled at her, walking away and out of the infirmary. She'd managed to kill an hour before she had to go back and face the two men that she respected the most on the whole planet – a wave of nausea swept over her at the mere thought of having let them down so badly.
She walked along the corridor in the direction of her lab, deciding that perhaps writing up her report of accounts was the best course of action, given that she may have to explain her actions in detail very soon…
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End of Part 1!!