TITLE: Errare Humanum Est
AUTHOR: Lara aka Lara_SGC
E-MAIL: Lara_
CATEGORY: Romance/possible AU
SEASON/SEQUEL: Takes place somewhere at the end of season four.
CONTENT WARNINGS: Swearing
SUMMARY: Just like the title says: making mistakes is only human but can Jack save Sam in time?
DISCLAIMER: Stargate SG-1 and its characters are the property of MGM, World Gekko Corp, Double Secret Productions and Showtime. I created this story for my pleasure and for the pleasure of others.
AUTHORS NOTES: The story is something I know happened to someone close to me and I kinda wrote this for her. I also stated AU in the category because I don't see the writers pulling this one off but it could happen to anyone of us. Hold fast!
~ Part 1 ~
Jack strode straight towards the General's office. His mind set, straightened like a vice. He had to rescue Carter.
The anger inside him was overwhelming him as he felt the adrenaline taking control of his body. Pushing him. His boots clattered hard on the floor, his hands shaped in fists.
His mind set to one thing, he didn't see Daniel turning the corner and they collided. He didn't quite knock him down but the man had to put a hand against the wall to keep himself from being knocked backwards.
"Wow Jack! Where the fire?" Daniel pushed his glasses back on his nose and smiled friendly at his friend but Jack had no time for this.
"Daniel, have you seen Carter?"
Daniel frowned. "Not on the base, but she called me this morning, telling me that she wouldn't make it for tonight to go out with us. She was with someone. His name slips my mind…sorry." Daniel said with a sad smile knowing this information was killing Jack.
Jack grabbed Daniel's shoulders not knowing his own strength. He didn't know he was hurting Daniel until the man gave him a pained expression. He loosened his grip and cursed under his breath. "Remember, Daniel. This is important. You remember 23 languages by heart but you can't remember one stupid name."
Daniel stepped back, wriggling his way out of Jack's grip, surprised by the man's anger. He hadn't seen him this angry for a long time. "Jack, Sam's all right she's-"
Jack furiously shook his head. "No, she's not."
"And how would you know?"
"I just do…okay there are some things that just don't fit."
Daniel eyed him. "Like what?"
Jack sighed, not wanting to tell, knowing what his reaction would be.
"Every morning, I pick up Carter. When she can't make it or when she is shopping or something, she leaves a note for me in some sort of code that only I can understand."
Daniel just watched the tormented man in front of him. Was he kidding? But Daniel saw the truth in his eyes. He hadn't known that Sam and Jack were making such agreements. But than again it wasn't his business. "Maybe she just forgot?"
"No, because than she would leave a key, she always does that."
"And you can enter her house…." Now Daniel did get suspicious. Was there more between them than they admitted or that he could see. Were they that good in hiding it?
"Daniel…it's not what you think. It's something we both agreed on. If something would happen to her I could always enter in an emergency. Oh, hell it's even weird she called you instead of me."
Daniel surpressed the urge to roll his eyes. Man this guy could be jealous and it was annoying him. He still had to translate the last three chapters of the book they had found.
"Maybe she couldn't reach you on your cell phone or maybe yours was turned off."
Jack took a deep breath and started explaining, hands making imaginable cuts in the air.
"Danny, she has to pick up her phone and say Jack in it. It dials automatically to my cell, beeper and home phone until one of those pick up. One of them is always turned on, don't you understand?"
"No. Jack, I understand your concern but it seems to me that you're just jealous about the fact-"
Jack's eyes burned with anger, disbelieve written on his face. "I'm not jealous, Daniel. For cyrin' out loud. Why am I still standing here talking to you?" He started to push Daniel out of the way to continue his strode to the office again but was stopped by the General himself.
"What's going on here?" Hammond wasn't a happy camper. His face was contorted in annoyance and his eyes were stern. He crossed his arms over his chest, clearly wanting answers. And it better be good ones too.
"Sir, Carter didn't check in today."
Hammond looked from the concerned Colonel back to what seemed to be a slight frustrated Doctor Jackson. "I believe she is not supposed to be on the base today. Correct?"
Jack sighed and Daniel almost saw him count to ten. "Correct, Sir. But when I wanted to get h-" He stopped himself knowing that he was going to rise suspicion with the General if he told him that he and Carter had arranged for him to pick her up to get some dinner. He would ask questions he didn't wanted to answer and he was going to lose important time with it.
"Aah, nothing Sir. Her beeper is probably turned off."
Jack noticed how Daniel's eyes widened but he didn't give a damn.
The General firmly nodded and smiled. "Of course, son. She deserves her day off, I think you know that better than anyone." He turned to the men and nodded his goodbye. "I'll see you both tomorrow at 0700 for the next briefing."
Searching Jack's face with a slight frown, Hammond took off into the other direction not even looking back.
Janet walked up into the scene, she had heard the entire conversation and was surprised to hear that Sam had a boyfriend. If Sam had a boyfriend, she'd know. This is weird.
She waited until Daniel shook his head and went off to the second laboratory, closing the door behind him.
Jack looked at the ground. So much for asking the General. Was he so wrong then? Maybe. Maybe Daniel was right. Yeah and maybe pig's fly.
His head snapped up when he heard the known titter tatter of heals on the floor. He smiled.
"Janet, did Sam ever tell you that she met a guy?"
Janet came to stand in front of him and crossed her arms and firmly shook her head. "I heard the conversation. She never told me about any guy she met or that she had a visit coming over today. She actually told me that she couldn't go shopping with me because you two were going to get dinner." She raised her eyebrows and bit her lower lip.
Jack knew that Carter told the Doc everything. Janet and Teal'C were the one's that knew about the special relationship he and Carter shared and the feelings. He could talk about his feelings for Carter with Janet. He'd done it before.
"This is wrong and I know you know it too. If Sam was seeing someone-."
Silence and then a sigh. "Jack, she wouldn't care about anyone else. There is only one person in her heart and we both know who that is."
Jack knew she was talking about him. At any other time he would've felt flattered but he felt his stomach turn. There was something wrong with Carter. He could feel it.
"Go to her house, Jack. I can't get off the base to find out if she-"
Jack didn't listen anymore. He turned sharply and walked away.
Janet stood there, watching the anger wash over Jack's face. She had seen the look on his handsome features and she had seen that look in many eyes of soldiers.
Soldiers who were about to kill. She sighed as she saw him run to the elevators. She had been there when Jack confessed how much he cared for her. More than was allowed by the regulations and she had seen Sam's eyes. She had seen the emotions on both their faces. Sam came to her to talk about her feelings for Jack more than she could count.
They loved each other too much to just jump into some other's arms. Not at this moment.
She turned, risked it all and went over to the General. She couldn't keep it a secret anymore; there were lives at stake. She hoped Sam and Jack would forgive her but if she was right about what Jack was about to do, she'd better tell the General so he could send back-up before anything went wrong.
~Part 2~
Jack shut the door of his truck with a loud bang. He felt so angry and so worried. He just knew something was wrong when he saw another car parked on the street in front of her house. It was a black Nova with blinded windows and they were all bullet proof. Either she was dating the president or a first class criminal was with her.
When he strode to her door, he tried to listen for any sounds but it was as quiet as an empty school. He knocked on the door and yelled her name a few times until the door opened.
"What do you want?" A man about his height stood in the doorway. He had a broad chest and muscled arms but noting that he couldn't take care of. He saw the look in the man's eyes and knew that this man was used to kill.
Jack wasn't afraid. He had a gun, the man in front of him didn't have one. Or he had one but hadn't put it on. Mistake. He was obviously an amateur. Amateurs get killed.
He looked the man straight in the eyes and stepped forward, their noses almost touching. "Something that rightfully belongs to me. She's smart, beautiful and normally walks by my side."
The man shrugged and kept an honest face.
"Sorry, no one here with that description. Believe me I would know."
Bad actor. Jack saw through the lie. He was about to push the man away when he heard a thud in the living room.
"JACK, JACK!!"
Sam! The screams sneered through his bones, chilling him to the core. That and the way she wasn't using his rank. She was beyond scared. He didn't want to know what that man had done to her. That pissed him off more than he wanne know.
The man's eyes widened like a child caught with his hand in the cookie jar.
Jack punched the man in his stomach and ran to the living room. His breath caught in his throat when he saw Sam.
She was tied with her ankles and wrists to a chair. Blood ran out of her nose that was obviously broken. She had a black eye and blood trickled down the side of her mouth. Jack hoped she wasn't bleeding internally.
He switched the gun to his left hand and went over to her, eyes wide. He slowly pushed her shirt up and saw the purple bruises on her stomach and abdomen. Running two fingers over her ribs, he felt Sam shiver. He looked up and saw fear embedded in her stare. She was mouthing something. It was like she was screaming without a sound.
Jack turned around so fast he only caught a glimpse of the man charging at him, gun in his hand. He swirled around on his heels and pulled the trigger.
The man went down, blood started to flow from underneath his body. The eyes were open wide with surprise, staring up at the ceiling.
Jack heard Sam crying softly behind him. He felt like he needed to throw up. His aim was never off. He had shot the man in the heart with a .359. The impact was big enough to destroy the surrounding organs.
But then he swallowed hard. The man hadn't been pointing a gun at him.
Jack stared at the body. The fingers of the man's right hand were formed into an imaginary gun covered in a black cloth.
Stepping back, he heard shouting voices and General Hammond came striding in the house. His gaze went from the body to Sam and ending at Jack's horrified face.
~ Part 3 ~
"Colonel, sit down."
"Sir…I-" Jack swallowed hard and almost went limp in the chair staring up at the man in front of him. His hands were shaking just slightly.
"You don't talk your way out of this one, Colonel. I don't have to tell you how bad this looks - for you."
Hammond sighed and leaned over to Jack. "I would have done the same thing. But that's not how the president thinks about it. I talked to him, but I couldn't change his mind. His statement is very clear, he said that no one is irreplaceable. I'm sorry, son but please sign your resignation papers."
Jack took the pen in his hand and started to read the papers although he knew every letter by heart. He wasn't really reading just staring at them. He couldn't believe that the president had made such a decision. Someone must have pushed him into it. Bitterness and anger crawled through his body. It was self-defense.
The General looked up at the door just in time to see Major Carter turn and run away. The tears on her face didn't go unnoticed by him. "Excuse me."
He stood up and walked out of his office, straight after the Major. He found her in her quarters.
He knocked on the door to get her attention. She looked up at him and quickly rose from her bed, brushing her tears away. "Sorry, Sir. You shouldn't see me like this."
The General only smiled at her and walked to her. He placed himself on the bed and nodded to her to do the same.
Sam looked to the floor. "Why?"
Hammond sighed and looked at her. "The president thinks that if Colonel O'Neill takes such actions, he can no longer be in the program."
"But, he did it to save my life. If he wasn't there I may not be talking to you here."
A brief moment passed and the General shocked Sam with his next question.
"Do you love him?" The General raised his eyebrows and kept a stern look on her but it had a friendly undertone to it.
"I'm afraid I can't answer that question, Sir."
"You love him don't you? Please, Sam. Tell me the truth."
"Yes…I do."
He smiled and placed a comforting hand on her arm. "Don't be afraid, Major. Your secret's save with me."
She smiled up at him, the person she always saw as a second father. "Thanks, but how did you know?"
"I always knew. I always had my doubts of course but when I saw your reaction just a minute ago. I was fairly sure."
"It isn't fair…I owe him my life."
"You owe me nothing, Carter."
They both looked up to see the Colonel walking in, hands stuffed in his pockets. Sam wondered how much he had heard of their conversation.
"Sir, my resignation. Now, if you would excuse me, I'm going to get my stuff."
Hammond stood up and turned to Jack. "That may not be necessary, Jack."
Jack stopped and slowly turned to the General. "Excuse me, Sir?"
"Look, I don't think you deserve this. I can't change this situation; you'll never be a Colonel anymore. I know the reason why you did it but the team needs you and I think it will fall apart if you leave. You're the leader of the best team and I can't afford to lose it by one swift action you took to save one of your team members. I'll let you stay on the team as a civilian. However, because of her rank, Major Carter is going to lead the team from now on."
Sam pushed herself off the bed and stood tall in front of the General. "No, Sir."
"No Sir?" He raised an eyebrow, eyes wide with surprise.
Sam didn't back off. "As much as I appreciate your proposal, I'm used to Colonel O'Neill leading us and so is the rest. He's just a born leader. I don't want to command him. I will not accept command over SG-1…Sir."
"Very well. This stays between us. When the president gets air of this, you'll both have to come up with a good explanation but I guess saving the Earth and the president's butt will fill in for that."
He stood up, grabbed Jack's resignation paper and walked to the door but turned. "Major? Remember my question?"
Sam glanced at Jack and looked back. "Yes."
"Well, he's not a Colonel anymore."
She smiled at the General who left.
Sam stepped up to Jack and looked him straight in the eye. It didn't matter what she was going to do, he wasn't her commanding officer anymore. He wasn't even Air Force anymore. She stared up at Jack's frowning face. Clearly he hadn't heard their previous conversation.
"The General asked me a question earlier. I was surprised to say the least. He asked me if I loved you."
Sam saw sorrow cross his eyes. "And of course you answered no, because-"
"I didn't say no. I'm just a Major asking you to love me."
Jack just stared at her and slowly started to shake his head but than grinned.
"You don't have to ask me. I already do."
"And I always knew, Sir…Jack. I'm going to get used to that." She chuckled. She never expected that this conversation would go off so easily. So comfortable.
"How?" Jack frowned but there was still a slight touch of a smile on his lips.
"Well, I don't usually use your given name to adress-"
"No, I mean how did you knew that I loved you?" He had a pretty clear guess but he wanted to hear it from her.
"Well, first of all you almost declared your love to me and second of all you kissed my double."
Jack raised a finger. "Correction, she kissed me. I only gave in."
"My point exactly." She smiled and crossed her arms in front of her body.
"What about that he's not a Colonel anymo…oh." His mouth formed a nice 'o'.
Sam smiled and nodded. She walked passed him, brushing her body when she did and he caught her arm.
Feeling a tingling sensation in her stomach, she looked up at him. She could see the struggle that was going on inside him. She wished she could read his mind and she was starting to get worried when he went silent for a few unbearable moments.
He softly pulled her body with his hand against him and took a moment to search her eyes and flicked his gaze to her mouth.
Their kiss was soft and full promises. Jack wanted to pull away, thinking he was going too far but Sam didn't let him. Her hands grabbed his upper arms, pressing him against her and her tongue darted on his lips.
After a few glorious seconds, both remembered that breathing was important and pulled back for air.
Jack smiled when he caught his breath and softly brushed her cheek.
Sam looked him daringly in the eyes and pressed her body sensually against his.
"So, did I kiss better the second time?"
"Third time actually."
The grin was just too much for her. "Third time? I don't recall kissing yo-"
"Sam, remember when we were looping?"
"Yeah."
"Well, remember when Danny asked me if I did anything outrages and remember when I just smiled?" He grinned and kept grinning, his eyes filled with love and laughter.
That twinkle didn't go unnoticed by Sam. "You didn't!" She pushed him playfully with both hands on his chest and laughed.
Jack joined her as General Hammond watched them from the hallway. A happy sigh escaped his lips and a grin split his face before he let them both do some more exploring.
After a few steps he tried to wonder what else Jack had done in the looping. Of course he would never know.
END thank you for reading