He found out about it through the most unlikely place. He was in Colorado Springs for his job, and, according to his habits, he picked up a newspaper. He was expecting the usual front-page news, doom and destruction and just how the government screwed up this time or who was going to blow us up next. What he wasn't expecting was an enormous picture of his little sister, grinning so wide as to break her face, being embraced by a grey-haired man who was smiling more widely than Sam, if such was possible. 'AIR FORCE OFFICERS GRANTED SPECIAL MARRIAGE LICENSE,' the headline blazed. The article below went on to talk of 'Colonel Samantha Carter' and 'Brigadier General Jack O'Neill' and the amazing scientific breakthroughs they had achieved through their work in 'Deep Space Radar Telemetry'. The article also extensively mentioned a 'Dr. Daniel Jackson' and 'Murray', who was given no last name. Mark found the article puzzling, as well as hurtful—he was her brother, after all. Is it too hard to send a letter home just to say she was getting married? True, after their dad died, things had gotten rocky, since he knew there was something going on that she refused to tell him, but the military will always be the military, so there was nothing he could do.
The article soon left his mind, shoved back into the recesses in favor of a difficult business deal.
SJSJSJ
"Meghan, I'm home!" Mark closed the front door and locked it just as something attached itself to his knees. He bent down, laughing, and picked his daughter up. "Hello, Karen, how are you?" He asked of the six-year-old in his arms. She squealed with delight as she was spun around.
Meghan leaned against the doorway to the kitchen, watching her husband and daughter with a small smile on her face. She walked forward to kiss her husband once he let go of their daughter, exchanging the usual questions and answers.
"Any letters?" Mark asked without any interest, just as part of their routine. He wasn't expecting anything, so he was surprised when his wife answered.
"Actually, yes," Meghan said, waving a medium-sized envelope, "From one Samantha Carter. Sound familiar?" She noticed her husband's face take on a new seriousness and pale slightly. "Honey, is something wrong?"
Mark imperceptibly shook his head and reached for the envelope, taking it from his wife and ripping it open. A piece of paper fell out, as well as a smaller envelope. Mark picked up the piece of paper and began to read the letter written on it.
Dear Mark,
I realize we've grown apart since Dad died. However, that's no excuse for me not sending you a wedding invitation. I confess, I chickened out. I had no desire to see how you would react to my marriage, so I figured I'd tell you once the deed was done. I'm quite the air force officer, aren't I?
Anyway, I'm sure you're at least a little curious about my marriage. Believe it or not, I married my CO. And (before you protest) Dad knew about how we had hidden feelings for each other, and right before he died, he told me that I should try and be truly happy, and that I shouldn't 'let rules stand in my way.' I have no doubt as to what he meant by that. And so, I listened to my father (for once in my life) and married Brigadier General Jack O'Neill two weeks ago to the day. If it pleases you to know, it was a beautiful wedding, and everyone that matters to me came, including a few I thought couldn't make it. Now that I think back on it, I wish you were there, but there's nothing I can do about it now.
And I suppose I have nothing more to say. I'm putting a couple snapshots in here for you because I thought you'd be interested. The pictures are labeled on the back, so you know who's who. Don't look at them out of order, though. That spoils all the fun!
Forever your little sister,
Sam O'Neill
Mark silently handed the letter over to his wife and picked up the smaller envelope lying on the table. He opened it and pulled out a stack of pictures. The first one showed four people; a brown-haired man that looked like a little kid with big glasses, Sam, a grey-haired man that he was sure was Jack O'Neill, and an imposing-looking dark-skinned man wearing a black tassel cap. The back read, Me and my closest friends who are, from left to right, Daniel, Me (obviously), Jack, and Murray, otherwise known as T for reasons unknown. Mark flipped to the next picture, a briefing room with a large table and the four previously mentioned sitting around a beautiful briefing table and a general standing behind Sam. The four of us with General Hammond, who you might remember. The next was one that made his heart tighten painfully— Sam and Dad, grinning widely, giving each other bunny ears. They were both wearing green BDU's and were in what looked like a forest. Dad and I, goofing off on the mountain.
Mark flipped through the rest quickly, just looking at the fronts. Sam and Jack, Daniel and T, Dad and General Hammond, along with scientists and military men of all kinds decorated the papers. It seemed like his little sister attracted people from all walks of life to help her in her work. The last picture, though, caught his eye. It was taken by someone who was hidden well in a forest. Sam and Jack were sitting side-by-side against what looked to be a large rock in front of a very small desert, both messy (Sam the messier of the two with smears of ash all over her face and miscellaneous cuts, but that was unsurprising to him) and toting guns, but what truly struck him was Jack's arm around Sam and the looks on their faces. He had never seen such tender affection on his sister's face and, while her now-husband's face was partly shaded by his hat, it was obvious his face looked much the same. Mark slowly flipped over the picture to read the caption on the back. Me and Jack, it read, after a training session. It was pretty rough, even for Air Force, but we made it through with flying colors, (no pun intended) and T sneaked this picture when we were done. Mark flipped it back over and stared that the picture contemplatively.
With a small smile, he handed the pictures over to his wife and got up to find some paper, a pen, some stamps, and an envelope.
SJSJSJ
Number two of the challange is done. The standard Disclaimer applies. Oh, did I forget to mention these are all going to be AU in some way, but close enough to canon that it doesn't make too much of a difference? I think it slipped my mind the first time I posted. Well, that's all, folks! Au revior!