Hello all. Did this for WOTW challenge on SJfic. Still working on next part of rumors should
be up soon. Hasn't been beta so all mistakes are mine. Enjoy.
Title: Ten Years
by : Lilly
Her boxes were packed, her lab cleaned out and here she sat in the dark wondering if she was ready for this next challenge.
As soon as she stepped through that doorway her chapter with SG1 would be closed.
She thought back to the last 10 years of her life.
She had grown-up here, she had experience triumph and sorrow. She had celebrated victories and good time. She had suffered defeat and death all in this base. How many good people had they lost to this war? Too many to count, some were acquaintances others close friends some were family.
She wished her father and Janet could see her now and how much she had accomplished. She missed them everyday and silently said a prayer of thanks to them for helping make her the person she was today.
She would miss her teammates.
All of them having been a part of her life these last ten years it would be hard not to.
Cam and Vala were the new additions to her extended family but they proved to be just as dear to her as the guys were.
Cam reminded her of her old CO especially that time when they were out of phase and she had been injured. She thought that was it and how sad that if she was to take her last breath it would not be with one of her old teammates. But Cam kept her alive as well as kept her spirits. He would not listen to her when she asked him to carry out her last wishes.
He had been so angry with her and couldn't believe that she was giving up. He yelled at her and asked where the hell was the real Samantha Carter the one that would never give up. He had said he was disappointed in her and that all the trouble he had gone through in getting her on SG1 had been a waste of time.
She willed herself to live so she could kill him when she got better She had come up with 100 ways to kill Cam and they had laughed about it when they had returned to the SGC. He only proved then and there that he cared and that he would never leave her behind.
Vala was the opposite of tame.
She was spontaneous and fun to be with. She loved her like a sister. She never thought that she would let another person take that spot in her heart. Janet had been her best buddy, her surrogate sister and a dear a close friend. After her death it just hurt too much to let anyone else in. The guys had understood this since they felt the same. But when Vala came into their lives it was hard not to let the quick-witted, unpredictable, crazy scoundrel into their lives.
She had pictures to remind her of the good times with her friends and family for when things in Atlantis got bad or she got homesick.
She pulled out the pictures of the guys.
They smiled at her and she returned the gesture. Each of them had a hand in molding her into the woman she was today.
Daniel had been like her eager to please. At their first meeting she knew she would get along with him. His enthusiasm was contagious and she tried to make an impact on him with her knowledge only to be taken aback on how much she didn't really know about the stargate. He was never one to flaunt his knowledge he was always willing to listen and give his perspective.
He turned out to be one of her best friends, always there when she needed a hug or just someone to sound off too. He never judged her and was always patient with her. He was the brother she always wished Mark would have been. She would miss him but Vala had promised to keep him occupied and on his toes.
Teal'c had been a mystery at first. He was apprehensive about letting anyone get too close to him. It was all part of his Jaffa training. She was impressed by his skills and his loyalty. When others tried to find fault with him, she would try to explain to them that he was not as bad as they thought, that if they were lucky enough to have him let them into his inner circle that they would be amazed at what a deep, caring person he was. He had taught her so much he had been her rock when things seemed lost.
He had held her when she was at her lowest point. They had only each other having thought they had lost two of their teammates.
He had taught her how to fight and how to have patience with others that had none. He promised to keep an eye on Cam, Vala and Daniel saying that she had to move on that her path was leading her on another journey but to never fear that they were there behind her. He bestowed the best advice to her that a true leader asks for help and not just carries the burden alone. That if she ever needed him or any of them that all she had to do was ask.
She pulled out the picture of Cam and Vala and she let out a snort.
t was right after Cam's high school reunion. Vala said she hadn't minded Cam hooking up with "that girl" but knew she was still number 1 in both his parent's hearts. She had sat on his lap and taken a picture of her giving him a kiss and then email it out to his mother saying that they had worked things out and that she was practically her daughter in law. Cam had heard an earful from "that girl" and never heard from her again thanks to Cam's mom spreading the news that Vala and him were practically engaged.
She shook her head and pulled out the other frames. She fingered the picture of Cassie, Janet and her dad. She would display them in her office or room she still didn't know where. They would be there to give her strength, as would the photos of the rest of her family.
Then there was the one of her former CO.
He stared up at her with that smile that always made her catch her breath. He looked so relaxed not looking like the hard ass General others had learned to steer clear of when he would walk the halls of the SGC.
She remembered when it was taken he never knew about this picture. Janet had taken it of him years back and said she could have it. It was one of her favorites and she would not leave it behind.
She put them all back in the box and turned to see him standing in the doorway.
"Carter what are you doing in here in the dark?"
She shrugged. He stepped closer to her, "People are waiting to send you off in grand style I even heard they made you a special cake. I didn't even get cake when I left."
She smiled but didn't move from her stool.
He looked at the box full of pictures. She had made sure his was at the bottom and pushed the box to the side.
"You're going to miss this place aren't you?"
"Yeah, I am. I spent 10 years of my life here, I learned so much but now…"
He put down the bag he had brought with him pulled her hand from her lap and squeezed it.
"You are ready for this, never doubt that. This new venture is tailored made for you. Even though I'm losing my favorite genius and the Pegasus Galaxy is getting one of the earth's nation treasures you've earned this."
She smiled at him, "I remember the first time you called me that."
"Yeah seems like yesterday."
She gasped, "Oh God you didn't say that at the IOA meeting when they were considering me for the position."
He smirked, "No I would have to explain to them why I call you that and you know how much I love to speak in front of shrubs. So no that little gem is all mine. I'm proud of you. Dad would have been too."
"You think?"
He rolled his eyes and shook his head. "I know, he and Selmak would be so proud so would doc she'd be ecstatic you had gotten the position but sadden that it would take you away from her. I miss them. The place hasn't been the same since."
"So do I and your right it hasn't been the same. I'm going to miss all of this. All of you."
"Really? All of us"
She squeezed his hand, "especially you, I rarely got to see you when you went to Washington and that's only hours away now…"
He reached for the bag and handed it to her.
"Just a little going away present you could call it a keepsake of my favorite time."
She opened the bag and inside was a picture of both of them on the dock at his lake. It was right after her father passed away and she had finally said yes to fishing.
"I thought it could go with the picture of me you have."
She looked up shocked. He shrugged.
"Cassie told me doc gave it to you. Was just wondering why I never saw it up on your mantle."
"Because…"
He pulled her up from the stool. "No more hiding, we are free and clear. We are no longer in the same chain of command. We are free to do what we have been wanting to do for years."
She smiled, "ten to be exact."
"Ten years? It only seems like yesterday when I pushed you through the gate."
"Don't remind me I felt so sick after I got to the other side. I was such a babbling geek that day wanting so badly to impress you."
He smirked, "Yeah I know, what you didn't know at the time was that you impressed me when you didn't take my crap and challenged me to that arm wrestling match. I knew then I didn't stand a chance. But when you started with that techno babble…"
She smiled, "You know why I used all that techno babble? It was to keep me from staring at you to long or have you leave. I couldn't handle being in the same room with you, I only have so much self control."
He touched the edge of the picture, "So like your gift?"
She hugged the picture, "yes! I love it and you."
He pulled her towards him and asked, "So, Colonel, are you about ready to go?"
She smiled took one last look and nodded, "Yeah let's see what the next ten years brings."