Authors: Ariel Carter-O'Neill and EridaniMoon

Rating: Teen to Mature

Season: Alternate Future, Seasons 8-9+

Email: in our authors bio!

Ariel's note: This story took us a long time to write, and I hope you'll enjoy it. Eridani, thanks for all your support and your imagination, this story couldn't have been possible without you. Please review!

Eridani's note: This story came about after a rather unusual conversation with Ariel and has taken us over a year to write. Although I helped to write it, this is Ariel's baby… I just climbed on board for the ride! She's worked very hard on it, so please be kind and give her some great reviews!

Thunder

Chapter 1: Clashing Personalities

The sky was dark and full of electricity and Lt. Col. Samantha Carter was very exhausted. The last few months had been exhausting; both physically and emotionally, and all she wanted was to get a good nights' sleep in her own bed for once… And maybe grab a comforting hot bubble bath. She was finally leaving Cheyenne Mountain after what seemed like a year underground, when the first thunderclap went off and she couldn't prevent the shiver that ran down her spine or the fear that filled her eyes.

Her friend, Daniel Jackson, noticed right away that there was something wrong. Concern filled his blue eyes as he stepped closer, questioning, "Sam? Are you okay?"

Uncomfortable with the sudden attention, Sam offered him a weak smile, replying, "Yeah, I'm fine."

Just then a bigger thunderclap went off, causing her to freeze again, belying her own words. Her head dropped forward in embarrassment... After all, how did it look for an Air Force officer to practically leap out of her skin over a little bit of thunder?

The unusual fear that he saw in his companions eyes caused Daniel's stomach to draw into a knot, and placing a hand on her shoulder, he softly asked, "What's wrong, Sam?"

Turning away so that he couldn't see the tears springing into her eyes, Sam shook her head, muttering, "Nothing, Daniel, really... I'm fine; just a bit tired."

Resignation filled him at her words, but Daniel had been friends with the beautiful blonde for too long to think he was going to get an honest answer. Brushing a brotherly kiss over her forehead, he whispered, "All right, if you say so. But, call me if you need someone to talk to."

Nodding, Sam went to her car and drove home; knowing she could never call him. On her way, the thunderclaps became louder and more frequent, causing her to cringe and her hands to shake as she navigated the rainy streets. Finally arriving home, she quickly ran to her house, slipping inside to escape the cold rain. She checked the answering machine to see if Pete had called, a sinking feeling filling her as she heard only the typical telemarketing calls. You'd think that with all of the technology we've brought back from other planets, that I would be able to find one to stop the damn 'buy this, buy that; you've won a vacation!' calls.

Sighing she turned her attention back to the machine and the lack of contact with her lover… If you could call someone you never saw your lover… She'd called him a few times in the last two months, but he'd never called her back or even taken the time to come see her and God knew she hadn't had the time to go to Denver. She was feeling sad and insulted about it and knew that something had to change. She was reaching for the phone to call him again when the phone rang.

"Well, it's about time!" Sam's tone came out sharper than she'd intended, causing her to cringe as she waited for the caller to speak.

Silence filled the line for several seconds before the confused voice replied; "I'm sorry, Carter, you were expecting my call?"

She felt her face flush red as she realized that her caller wasn't Pete, but her CO, General Jack O'Neill. Nervously clearing her throat, she stammered, "Oh! Oh... So, sorry, sir, I thought it was someone else."

Silence filled the line again and then he softly questioned, "Pete?"

Guilt filled her for some unknown reason and after swallowing painfully, she replied, "Yes."

"Oh! Well, I guess I should hang up then." The General's tone indicated it was the last thing he wanted.

"NO! I mean… no." God help her, she'd just yelled at her boss. "You don't have to yet, sir, I don't even know why you're calling."

"Oh!" Embarrassment clouded O'Neill's voice, as he murmured, "It was because…

There was a long pause as he cleared his throat and closing her eyes, she prompted, "Yes?"

Tense silence filled the line before he quietly offered, "Because Daniel told me what happened in the parking lot and I wanted to know if you were okay."

The words came across the line in a rush and after several seconds she finally realized what he'd said. Embarrassment colored her face as she replied, "Sure, I'm fine!"

A teasing quality entered the general's voice as he offered, "I didn't know you were afraid of storms, Carter."

"There are a lot of things you don't know about me, sir." Especially how much I... Shaking her head and cutting off that avenue of thought, she declared, "And I'm not afraid of storms. I just don't like them."

The teasing tone disappeared, replaced by true concern as he asked, "Why?"

Sam sighed, wishing she'd kept her mouth shut. "Because when I was a kid, a storm once destroyed the tree in front of our house and it fell on the roof right above my bedroom. It was the middle of the night and I almost died before Dad managed to get me out... Since then, I haven't cared for storms, but I try very hard not to show it."

Lifting the phone away from his ear, Jack stared at the phone in disbelief before returning it and stating, "I see."

General O'Neill didn't sound convinced and rolling her eyes, Sam said, "But I can assure you that I'm okay, sir."

"Good, that's good Carter." Silence filled the line once again, stretching between them for several seconds before he suggested; "I'd better let you go, in case... Ummm, what's-his-name tries to call."

"Pete, General." Gripping the phone tighter in her hand, Sam reiterated; "His name is Pete Shanahan."

The general's sigh was deep as he softly replied, "I know that Colonel, I just choose to forget it... Good night Carter."

"NO!" Oh, hell, she'd yelled at him again. This was turning out to be a wonderful evening...

There was another long pause before he questioned, "Yes, Carter? Is there anything you want to add?"

Her hand shook as she took a deep breath, demanding, "I want to know why you choose to forget the name of my boyfriend."

More silence filled the line before he in turn demanded, "So, he's officially your boyfriend now?"

"Yes, and don't try to change subject!" How dare he act like she'd done something wrong!

"Me?" His tone was incredulous as he defended, "Never!"

The nerve of the man! "Answer the question then!"

She could see him grinning in her mind as he slowly drawled, "About what?"

Fighting back the growl that rose in her throat, she damned herself to hell duty on base as she yelled, "Sir!"

"Okay, okay!" His heavy sigh floated to her, the sound full of remorse as he quietly said, "I've chosen to forget his name because I don't think he's the right man for you."

Sam was completely shocked, standing open-mouthed in the middle of her living room as she replayed his words in her mind. Of all the things he could have said, she'd never thought he would say those to her. Her body vibrated with anger, and kissing her career goodbye, she hissed, "Who in the helldo you think you are to tell me that?"

Jack felt the question slam into him like a bulldozer, making him wonder why the hell he was doing this to himself. His words were so soft that she barely heard them as he answered, "Someone who cares about you a lot more than he's supposed to and who doesn't want you to be unhappy."

Oh, hell… Did I say that? Jack reeled backwards, staggering against the wall before sliding down to sit on the cold tile floor of his kitchen.

Sam felt her eyes widen, the shock reverberating through her as her mind screamed, Whoa! I can't believe he said that! Clearing her throat, she quietly asked, "So, you think I'm wasting my time with him?"

"No." Forcing the words from his throat, Jack closed his eyes, wondering how he could make her see... "I didn't say that."

Confusion filled her, and dropping into the nearest chair she inquired, "Then what are you saying?"

"That I know you very well, Sam, better than you think." Closing his eyes, he took the leap, whispering, "I know you're not happy with this guy."

She was so shocked that she didn't even notice that he had used her first name. Playing with the throw pillow, she asked, "If you're so smart, what do you think I should do?"

It's now or never O'Neill. Taking a deep breath, he answered, "I think you should leave him and try to find someone else."

"Oh yeah?" God, the man acted like it was so easy! "And just where do you think I'll find someone else? On another planet where my worst enemy can kill him? Or maybe at the base? After all, it's not as if there are any regulations preventing a relationship between the military personnel!"

"I'm sorry." Well, not really, but he couldn't admit that, now could he?

"No you're not!" Sam screeched the words into the phone, gripping the arm of the chair to keep from throwing the receiver across the room. "You just want me to leave Pete because… because… I don't even know why you want me to leave him! I've finally met someone who loves me and he knows what I do for a living, so I don't have to lie to him all the time, and now you want me to leave him just because you say so? Even though he never returns my calls and never comes to see me? I'm sorry, sir, but I don't think that my private life is any of your business."

The silence was ominous before he hoarsely questioned, "He nevercalls back and never comes to see you Sam?"

Uh-oh... Damn it, she hadn't meant to say that! "That's not the point here!"

The smirk returned to Jack's face as he held the phone away from his ear, looking at the object for a few seconds before returning it and stating, "Oh yes it is! If he never calls back and never comes, maybe it's because he doesn't know how to break off with you."

The nerve of the man! Her knuckles were white from their grip on the arm of the poor chair as she replied, "No, sir, I'm sure he has a good reason."

Jack's chuckle drifted to her through the few miles separating their houses as he muttered, "That reason is probably a big, imposing, dark skinned man."

Sam felt her eyes widen as his words sank in. Shaking her head, her voice took on a begging tone as she declared, "Oh no… No, no, no! You didn't' do that!"

"Do what?" Jack asked innocently as he decided it was a good thing Carter couldn't see the happy grin on his face right now.

"You asked Teal'c to scare Pete!" Accusing your CO wasn't the best course of action, but neither was yelling at him and she'd already dug her grave with that one...

Tilting his head back and staring at his ceiling, Jack realized he needed to paint it again as he asked, "Why would Teal'c do such a thing?"

"Because you asked him to and probably gave him an insane reason, so he did it, thinking he would help me." Okay, so the excuse sounded lame even to her, but she couldn't back down, not now.

This was just too much fun! Closing his eyes as he smiled, Jack declared, "In spite of what you're thinking, I did notask Teal'c to scare Pete."

"Then why did you say that?" Okay... If Jac... The General didn't ask Teal'c to do it, then why would the Jaffa threaten... No, he wouldn't have done it on his own; Teal'c wasn't like that! But then again...

Jack couldn't prevent the smirk on his face, even though she couldn't see it as he asked, "Say what?"

The innocent tone came over the line again; further annoying her and causing her to bark, "Don't start that again! You know what I'm talking about."

Uh-oh, Carter was getting really pissed off now... "I have no idea Colonel. Anyway… How long's it been since he called or came by?"

Closing her eyes against a wave of embarrassment, Sam's voice was barely audible as she whispered, "Two months."

Damn! And Carter actually put up with that from ole Shenanigans? "When are you going to realize that he is not the right man for you?"

"Maybe never." Okay, so she was beginning to see the light, but she wasn't about to tell Jack O'Neill that... She'd never see the end of his gloating!

Damn, he'd known she was stubborn, but how long was she going to beat this dead horse? "So why are you complaining about the fact that he never returns your calls?"

Sam's sigh filtered over the line to him. "I'm not complaining. I just feel insulted that I'm not important enough for him to return my call or come to see me... But I'm not complaining."

Right... She won't complain about the jerk, but she'll take her frustration out on her teammates. "Okay then, not complaining. Why are you still waiting for him?"

"Because I like him." The man was worse than a dog with a bone... Couldn't he see the obvious?

Yes! Screamed Jack's subconscious. She said she likes him but maybe she doesn't love him... Well, it never hurt to ask, right? "Oh, you like him... You don't love him?"

How the hell was she supposed to answer that? She still wasn't able to force herself to fully examine her relationship with the police detective and now her CO wanted the answers? Lost in her thoughts, she was unaware of how long she'd been silent when he prompted, "Sam?"

Taking a deep breath, she blurted, "I'mnotsureIlovehim…"

What? Shaking his head, Jack requested, "I'm sorry can you repeat that slower?"

"I'm not sure I love him." Closing her eyes again, Sam rested her head in her palm, trying to remember how in the hell this particular conversation had started and failing miserably. Sighing, she explained, "He's kind and nice and cute but I'm not sure it's what I need."

Sheesh, was she describing her lover or her cocker spaniel? "What do you think you need?"

"Someone strong, smart, cute, who cares for me, someone I can trust with my life, someone who knows I'm not perfect and able to deal with it, someone I want kids with…" Wow, sounded just like the dog she'd had growing up, Sam thought with a grimace. Either that or... No, she couldn't think of Ja- General O'Neill that way!

Jack felt the grin spreading across his face again. "That sounds like someone I know."

"Really? Who?" He doesn't know, he doesn't know, he doesn't know...

"Well… er… me?" Ok... How did Ms. Brilliant Astrophysicist miss that one? Frowning, he questioned, "Sam?"

Sam felt her heart running in her chest. What was she supposed to say to that? Oh, gee sir, I know that describes you, but if I admit it, there goes our working relationship. Yeah, that was so going to happen...

A shiver of fear ran down his spine at her silence, and sitting up, he yelled, "Carter!"

"Yes sir?" The words popped out of her mouth before she realized it, born of eight years of protocol and she could hear his wince over the line. "Sorry General... I... I guess it does describe you, but I... Sir, I think I need to hang up now."

"NO!" Okay, don't panic O'Neill... You have to keep her talking.

Bewilderment filled Sam's voice as she questioned, "Sir?"

His voice was low, with a dangerous quality threading through it as he stated, "Don't hang up yet, we have to finish this conversation."

Like that was going to happen! Sighing again, the days' activities leaving her exhausted, Sam softly replied, "This conversation is over, sir." She just wanted to be alone and think about her miserable love life!

"Carter!"

The 'I'm a General, don't mess with me' tone entered his voice, causing her to sit up straight, opening her mouth to respond, when another big thunderclap shook the house and she screamed. She was shaking all over and holding the phone so tightly her fingers hurt, but she couldn't release it, couldn't put it down.

Jack rose to his feet when he heard her scream, concern flooding him as he yelled, "Sam?" There was no answer, but he could still hear her breathing. Swallowing against the lump of fear in his throat, he asked, "Sam, are you okay?"

There was still no verbal response, but he could hear her crying softly, as though from a distance. Grabbing his truck keys, he headed for his front door, the cell phone still plastered to his ear. Sliding into the cab of the truck, he started the powerful engine as he said, "Hang on, Sam, I'm coming!"

Fifteen minutes of talking into a non-responsive cell phone later, Jack was at her place, knocking on the front door. No response. The storm had become more violent, the wind was blowing violently and the thunderclaps were big and loud. Lightning illuminated the sky as he pounded on the door; panic filling him as there was still no answer. He was wet and cold so he decided to let himself in. Looking around, he anxiously called, "Sam? Sam, where are you?"

He heard a sob coming from the living room and turning in that direction, he cautiously entered the room, catching sight of her; curled up on the couch, tears rolling down her cheeks and the phone still in her right hand. Immediately running to her, he lifted her head, wincing at the fear and anguish mirrored on her face. Brushing her hair back, he smiled and whispered, "It's going to be okay, Sam, I'm here now."

Sitting next to her on the couch, he pulled her into his arms, holding her tightly. Watching as the sobs continued to shake her body, he thought, She's totally in shock and doesn't seem to be able to stop crying... I don't think she even realizes I'm here! Taking the blanket that was thrown over the back of the couch, he pulled it over them both and started murmuring softly to her, comforting her.

Sam still didn't seem to know he was there, as she continued to sob, startling him as she began to mutter about her awful love life... Things he had no business hearing, not if Shenanigans wanted to remain in one piece. Jack didn't know how to act, so he kept running his hand through her hair until he felt her grow heavy and lax in his arms. Glancing down, he found that she had actually exhausted herself to the point that she had fallen asleep.

Smiling at the woman he loved, he gently shifted her into a comfortable position on the couch, covering her with the blanket. Jack wasn't sure how long he'd stood there, watching her as she slept, but he finally realized that the room was almost completely dark. Sighing, he kissed her forehead and murmured in her ear, "Sleep well, Sammie."