A/N: Yes, I am back! After a week of studying, nervousness, exams and stressing, I am back with the (much shorter) sequel to "Changing Priorities". While I think it is possible to read as a stand-alone, there will be much enlightenment to those who follow the path. Er, I mean, read the first one. About this, I have never intended it to be an actual story. More like an interlude at first, but then the idea grew into a plot-worthy one, and now where it's clear in my head, it couldn't be presented as flashbacks in the next story. The chapters will be shorter, and I warn against shippy moments (not as much moments as feelings) between Sam/Jack for non-shippers. I have thrown in some Lantash/Sam, and yeah, I like the idea of bringing Martouf back, but that's only if a find a realistic reason and way to do that. So, instead of being a random interlude between stories 1 and 2, I made this story the second in my "Seize the Orbit"-verse. I hope I do my reviewers proud. Enjoy :)
Also, to you who haven't read Changing Priorities (do so), time doesn't add up if you want to follow the canon storylines in consistency with ages, et cetera. Don't think too much about it. I will drop references.
Disclaimer: I can in no way claim to own any of this, Stargate belongs to its rightful owners and it's definitely not me.
STARGATE SG-1: Changing Circumstances
A Stargate: SG-1 fan fiction
The light breeze is welcomed in the Minnesotan cabin by the fishless lake as it travels throughout the rooms to the grassy surroundings before calming down. By the slumber movements of the tall elm trees, you can tell it is still there, though.
Droplets of sweat find their way down her temples, hastily scooped away by the back of her hand. She is no stranger to hard work, but in this heat it is close to exhausting. Humidity and the beaming sun, both merciless enemies of previously unrivaled character. The August sun burns her skin tan, flushing her cheeks in the process.
Samantha finishes off her chores, scouting for the odd pair. Years ago she would have brushed off and even been slightly repelled by the idea of being a stay-at-home housewife. While the term doesn't apply to her wholly, some aspects of it are true.
She finishes preparing the salads and steps out on the verandah, embracing the scent that is the one of steaks on the grill, sizzling in spices. She takes her time placing the bowls on the set wooden table, smiling at the sight of her eight-year-old daughter and her former commanding officer. They go by first names now and have been for some time since they rekindled. To her daughter, he is, and will always be, "Jack". Introduced into her life when she was barely four years old, Ellie had been tentative at first but quickly learnt to trust the Colonel. Now rarely a weekend goes by without going to his cabin in Minnesota, famed for its fishing opportunities and its lack of fish. In the past Jack has gone there for privacy. Now he opens it for visits anytime.
Sam smiles; while the cabin is half across the country from their Californian home, she likes coming here, spending time with Jack and Ellie. Ellie had been patient when Jack had insisted on teaching her how to fish, and she had quickly gotten a hold of it, far too early realizing the doomed potential for catches but nevertheless enjoyed the lessons.
Ellie is incredibly smart for a child her age. She has just started first grade and has a remarkable sense of logic. Sam is just glad that she has stopped shifting between English and Goa'uld constantly. Truly bilingual, it had been hard to explain to Ellie that she couldn't speak or write in an interstellar language spoken by aliens alike, even if she is fluent and her penmanship flawless. Her teachers praise her and can barely keep up with her fast leaning curve. Frankly, Sam had been worried when Jack had suggested she attend a public school.
While Jack is still in the Air Force, Sam has retired years ago, mainly because of Ellie. She still works on the Stargate program as a civilian consultant and helps calculate and adjust the gate itself, but they are no longer going against regulations by pursuing a romantic relationship.
"Wonderful weather, isn't it?" Jack comments, turning the steaks and glancing at the sky shortly before snaking his arm at her waist, possessively pressing them closer. His breath smells of light beer and the remnants aftershave on his face. Sam chuckles and presses her lips softly to his in a light gesture, enjoying his proximity. When she was under his command, they could have never done so without breaking regulations. Part of the bliss that is not working for the Air Force any longer.
Ellie follows suit, smiling widely at them. Her hair hangs loose in braids, tousled by activity. She gives her a lop-sided grin and joins the hug.
"Any catches?" Sam asks, amused as they let go. Jack's beloved cap sits on his scalp, offering some shade and subsequently hiding the tints of grey.
"None," Ellie says before Jack can open his mouth. She doesn't seem disappointed by the fact, instead she smiles as if she was the sun itself. She rarely is disappointed in things, not even the fact that Sam has waited years to answer her pleas about horseback riding. It is only this year Sam has opened up to the idea of allowing her daughter the chance to ride any horse large enough to step on her. She knows it was foolish to keep her daughter from it, having ridden bareback herself, but maternal instincts have kept Ellie from ever riding until recently.
Ellie doesn't have any pets. Sam won't allow it given their former spontaneous life. When Ellie was a mere toddler, Sam commuted across states to keep up with her civilian Stargate contract, often dumping her daughter at her brother's in San Diego. Although the commuting has quieted down drastically in the last few years, Sam finds herself unwilling to bring the topic up, afraid that she may be talked into it by a joined effort of Jack and Ellie. Honestly, sometimes she isn't sure who is the worst of the two.
Cassie Fraiser is absent this weekend, although it shouldn't have come as a surprise. Recently her studies have taken their toll on the teenager and her adoptive mother won't allow her homework to be abandoned or done sloppily. Sam recognizes the benign intentions, but knows that Cassandra may not see it that way, so she had been forgiving when the teen had called and sullenly informed her that she would not be joining the pair and Ellie this weekend.
Part of why is homework, but the other part is the expensive plane ticket. While Cassie often commutes with Jack, Sam and Ellie have half a country to cross. She is not saying it is not worth it, but she has grown more reluctant in taking Ellie away from school and her friends in the Californian elementary school. Jack's surprise visits are always a pleasure, to put it mildly, but she knows that it can't be easy on him, flying between San Diego, Colorado Springs and Minnesota on his downtime. Despite this, he has never voiced any concerns about their relationship. Long-distance or not, she still feels the tingly feeling whenever she sees him, be it for the first time that week or the thousandth. Four years ago she did consider moving to Colorado Springs – mostly to reconnect with her once-friends, but also because of the beginning of a relationship with Jack – but found her reasons selfish. Ellie had friends and family in California. She was used to seeing her uncle and cousins twice a week! Besides, she only doubted her decision once things started to happen between her and Jack.
Now she looks at them, a fond expression on her face as they eat together, being that commercially perfect view of an american family. Except for the fact that her and Jack are space-exploring members of a secret program called Stargate, operating out of Cheyenne Mountain. Well, in her case, retired space-explorer, but every one of them has been on other planets. She still shudders and grits her teeth when she thinks of Ellie's first – and only – time off-world. It did not happen with her consent. Due to a conflict of interest, the Tok'ra – a friendly group of resistance Goa'uld symbiotes – managed to convince the SGC of the importance of scanning and studying Elara, seeing as she was, and is, as far as Sam knows, the only child of two Tok'ra hosts. Sam will never forget the way her daughter glanced at the Stargate like it was everyday public transportation before she arrived on Vorash. Sam still hasn't quite forgiven her father for that. Then again, according to Jack, Lantash is still giving her father a hard time over it, so the thought makes her smile.
Even though Elara's biological father is dead, and the closest thing a six-inch serpentine symbiote who works for the Tok'ra in the fight against the Goa'uld, Lantash still finds comfort in being protective. He makes sure, whether Jack likes it or not, to send a kind message to Sam and Ellie whenever he stops by. He is one of the more pro-Tau'ri when it comes to the political aspects of the Tok'ra and is therefore often sent to deal with the SGC's problems or to brief the SG teams on matters of importance. Lantash and his current host, Alaric (who seems to be pretty dispassionate and easily bored), are not allowed to be off-base, so she hasn't seen them for years. Hell knows she hasn't quite forgiven her father for exposing Ellie to that kind of trouble. Ellie doesn't have a lot of immediate family, but she has another kind of family from Sam, Mark, Lisa and David: the Stargate family, SG-1 and the medical officer in charge, Janet Fraiser and her daughter, Cassie. Then she has George Hammond and several of the base personnel as further cooers, her surroundings filled with people who love her.
Jack is pretty much her stepdad already. The thought makes Sam's head spin, her heart thud and face blush. They have never sat down and discussed the terms of the relationship. Seeing as Sam is no longer military, it just sort of happened. Not that she regrets it; no. The day she told Martouf her her pregnancy was the the day she declared her love for Jack. Awful timing, but nevertheless a fierce feeling that rekindled as Jack stepped back into her life. And she did hesitate, knowing that any heartache on her part would affect Ellie. While her parents weren't the best exhibits, she was aware of how it would affect Ellie if Jack dropped in and out of her life. She now sees Jack at least every second weekend. Seeing as it is summer vacation, those weekends have increased, but only slightly as Jack still has to go off-world plenty.
It used to annoy her; having him go off-world into dangerous situations of no alike, while she was working on theoretical astrophysics and lesser important matters on Earth at Area 51. She worries, and in the beginning wished to go with him because of the leftovers of Pakhet's adventurous spirit, but then reminds herself that Ellie has to have some stability.
Pakhet. The thought still takes her breath away. Pakhet had changed her life so drastically that it couldn't be compared to Ellie and her miraculously child-like ways. Pakhet, a thousand plus year old Goa'uld who infested her unwillingly. Frankly it sounds so foolishly naïve now, but at the time, Sam had felt the waves of benign intentions coming from her like a soothing sedatives or the sound of waves on a beach. Pakhet changed her. Gave her perspective on things past and of the present; she gave her the gift of understanding the remnant of love between her and Lantash; how it wasn't residual from Martouf, but honest love towards Lantash. Under the circumstances, Sam would have been scared, confused and utterly infuriated, but the symbiote fondly, kindly and patiently awaited her acceptance and willing partnership.
She is on medication. Mild ones, suppressants. Her brain would overload at the thousands of years of memories that Pakhet left her with, transferring them all as a way of paying her debt. She had migraines for weeks until they found the right dose. Even considered adding yoga and meditation to her list of efforts. Having memories without guidance, without Pakhet to focus them and explain them – she felt like she went insane. Luckily, her and Janet had found a temporary cure before Ellie turned four years old, returning everything back to normal for the kid.
Not everything, Sam reminds herself, a bad habit from having two consciousnesses in her mind. Inner dialogues aren't as fun as they sound. Or as crazy. No matter what her parentage is, she is still going to grow up like million of other kids with a split family. Granted, her father didn't leave her or Sam, or divorce them; he died, and what is left on him is another creature on another planet. When people ask, Sam says "he died", because it is the truth. Most of it, and the closest thing one without national security clearance could know. Everything about Elara is classified, or became classified four years ago when the SGC discovered her existence. Instead of the pediatrician she'd found when Ellie was two (and looked long for, fearing what she might say to abnormal DNA), Ellie now regularly visits Janet Fraiser when she is on the Air Force Academy Hospital. If she is feeling sick, Sam can merely call her best friend.
Janet Fraiser was one of the first to forgive her for hiding from them. She wasn't that satisfied with "not being informed of being an auntie", but once she grew past that, she fiercely demanded that everyone forgive her best friend. Today Sam and Janet are as close as they were before Ellie, the only differences in their relationship being that they're both moms and no longer co-workers.
While Ellie tells them of her latest riding lesson – a story involving a chestnut pony named Whiskey, who apparently has the most laughable neigh anyone's ever heard – Sam takes in the utter look of perfection. She knows real perfection is to much to ask for in this world (or worlds, for that matter), and she has never tried to be the picture perfect or to demand such from anyone she knows, but they're doing fine and they're happy. What's not to love? She loves the way her daughter enthusiastically tells Jack about her day, repeating herself over and over, her excitement exhausting and yet inspiring and how Jack listens patiently with the same enthusiasm. He comments on it, appreciating the fact she's telling him, acting exactly like any father would. And it also saddens her, because of Martouf and because of Charlie. Because of the opportunity to be a father that was taken away from Jack. And the same opportunity taken away from Martouf. And she knows better not to think that Jack doesn't draw parallels. Mustn't he wonder what it must've been like, if Ellie had been Charlie and she Sara? She also knows better than not to compare the two situations. She is no Sara; she knows what is out there, has clearance and doesn't demand Jack's full attention. She cannot judge Sara, because she hasn't met her and only has the biased version of Jack's responses. Sara and Jack grew apart because of what happened.
This new Jack – who she recognizes from her time as a major; he hasn't changed that much – is more patient, less angry, more acceptable of himself. And she knows that he doesn't just put a mask on for Ellie. He adores her, he cherishes her. He treats her like she is his angel. And that came naturally when they started over again, relearning to step in the dance between one another. Now Sam sees the personal side of Jack O'Neill. The calm, the thoughtful, the reflecting. The only thing she regrets is not seeing him in action. On missions. But she has Ellie, and when he is on Earth, she has him. And that is fine.
Because Sam Carter loves Jack O'Neill and they both know it.
A/N: OK, I know it's short, but I wanted to publish the moment I came home from my last exam. The last two oral exams got me two As. I'm extremely proud. My ego is boosted, but still, review?