Listening
By
Denise
"So Jacob, how are you feeling?"
"George, great to see you. I'm doing fine, thanks to my partner," Jacob Carter tapped the side of his head. Both men were in the infirmary of the SGC. General Jacob Carter, host to Selmac and Earth liaison to the Tok'ra as a patient and General George Hammond, commander of the SGC and old comrade of Jacob as a visitor.
"Looks like Sokar really put you through the wringer."
"Gotta give these Goa'uld credit, they got things that make thumb screws look like child's play."
George Hammond sat beside Jacob on the bed. "Jacob," he said quietly, "How are you really?"
Jacob sighed heavily. "Really, I'm...OK. An advantage of two minds in one body. It was actually worse for Selmac. Most of the ...torture was aimed at her. I just happened to be along for the ride. How's Colonel O'Neill?" Jacob changed the subject.
"Doctor Frasier says he'll be up and around in a few days. It would have been longer of the Tok'ra hadn't used that healing device of yours on his leg."
"It was the least we could do. How about the rest, how's Sam?" He asked, fatherly concern evident in his eyes.
"She and Doctor Jackson are simply exhausted. There don't seem to be any ill effects from that Sokar's Blood or the memory devices."
"Good, good. George, thank you for coming after me."
Hammond smiled. "Jake, after Martouf told us you were a prisoner of Sokar...If I didn't authorize a mission, your daughter and the rest of SG-1 would have shanghaied the gate and went AWOL again."
Jake chuckled. "Afraid she got that from me."
"I remember." Hammond agreed with a slight smile reminiscing past incidences of his old friend's stubbornness. His call sign hadn't been Mule for nothing.
"When we were coming back Sam said she had some leave coming..."
"Are you kidding me? SG-1 could take the next six months off and still have downtime to spare."
"I was hoping for some time. I've got about 15 years to catch up on."
"What did you have in mind?"
"Some place quiet, cold and quiet."
Hammond looked reflective. "You know, I think I have an idea. A buddy of mine has a cabin outside Canyon City. Let me make a few calls."
Hammond got up and left Jacob sitting in the bed. Alone he relaxed and closed his eyes.
'Selmac, how are you?'
'Jacob it is as you told the general, I am merely fatigued.'
'Do you need to go back to the Tok'ra? Am I endangering you by remaining here?'
'No. If they could do anything we would never have left Vorash. I merely need to rest and regain my strength. Do not be alarmed if I am dormant with in you. You and Samantha will truly have some time alone.'
'Thank you Selmac.'
'Just try not to harm yourself Jacob.'
He felt Selmac's wry amusement and presence fade from his mind. He opened his eyes and met the bemused gaze of his daughter. "Talking to yourself again Dad?"
"Something like that."
Sam joined her father on the bed. "How is Selmac?"
"She's just tired." The curtain opened.
"Jacob."
"General," Sam said getting to her feet.
"As you were Major. It's all arranged."
Sam looked at her father. "What's arranged?"
"Sam, do you still want to go away?"
"Dad, I haven't even had a chance to speak to General Hammond about it..."
"Major, the Tok'ra liaison wants to recuperate here on Earth. If you wish, you may accompany him. SG-1 won't return to active duty for at least two weeks. Perhaps you and Jacob would like to show Selmac some of the sights?"
Sam looked from her commanding officer to her father, knowing that when these two old war-horses set their minds to something, it would happen. Not that she really wanted to fight it.
"Sounds like a TDY I can't refuse," She gave in gracefully.
"Good. Major, Jacob, I don't want to see either of you inside this facility for two weeks. However since Jake's a visiting dignitary I want you to take a satellite phone with you. Marshall's cabin has electricity and satellite TV but no phone. Wouldn't be much of a get away if it did. Stop by my office in half an hour major, I'll have a map ready for you."
"Yes sir, thank you sir."
George Hammond turned and left the two alone. Jacob turned to his daughter.
"Sam, you were serious about spending some time together weren't you? If not..."
Sam interrupted her father. "No dad, I really want to. Let me grab a quick shower and get into some civvies. Then we can go by the house, do some quick packing and get on the road."
She looked at her watch. "It's 1500 now. I don't know how far off the road the cabin is but I know Canyon City's at least 45 minutes away. Don't want to get lost in the woods," she said with a smile.
"That's OK, I need to contact Martouf anyway. I better let them know I'm taking a bit of R&R."
"Cool, meet you at my lab at 1545?"
Jacob nodded and watched his daughter leave the room. /God she takes after her mother./ The blond hair, the blue eyes he fell in love with the instant his baby daughter looked up at him the first time. Even her temper. Oh she didn't show it often, she'd been around and in the military far too long to give her feelings free reign, but when it did flare up, it was a sight to behold.
Just like her mother, she had a temper as volatile as a mountain thunderstorm. Fast developing, fierce in its intensity and just as swift to dissipate. God he missed those passionate fights. Jacob like to think Sam was the result of one of their spectacular fracases.
Exactly nine months after he told his wife he was going to Asia, and nine months after one of their most spectacular fights, Jacob received the Red Cross delivered letter with the small snap shot of his wife, his son Mark and a tiny scrap of humanity his wife called Samantha after a character on her favorite TV show.
His daughter was over a year old and walking before Jacob saw her for the first time. The instant his eyes locked onto those vibrant blue eyes of hers he knew he was lost. Even though years of military training left him almost unable to physically show his love for his daughter, she held a special place in his heart.
Jacob regretted many things he'd done in the past, most of them in the last 15 years. He also knew he'd done things to hurt his daughter. Starting when he had, in his guilt and grief over his wife's death, pushed her away. He knew he'd made her feel like he didn't want to be around her when the truth was he couldn't stand to see the accusation he was sure was in her eyes.
As she'd grown up, looking more and more like her mother every day it had been easier just to let sleeping dogs lie. She appeared comfortable with the distance between them, and if she was OK, well he could live with it. The last thing he'd wanted to do was hurt her again.
Through out the years he'd contented himself with keeping an eye on her from afar. He knew she didn't want her career based on who her father was. In fact the one time he'd visited her in the academy she'd been so uncomfortable he'd cut his visit short.
He had, however, called in a constant stream of favors to keep abreast of what she was doing, where she was. He'd lost count of how many times he'd harassed people while she was in the Gulf, how many nights he'd laid awake while she'd been in harm's way doing her job. A job that could have gotten her killed. The relief he'd felt when the war was over and she'd transferred to the Pentagon had nearly been overwhelming. He knew research was no way to further her career, but at least she'd been safe. Personally he hadn't given a damn if she'd retired a captain as long as she lived to retire.
Little did he know her research job was leading her down a path to one of the most adventurous but dangerous jobs the world didn't know existed.
But sitting in that pit, thousands of light years from home, sure he was going to die with so much left unresolved between them made him promise to whatever deity had been listening that if he could survive some major bridges would be mended.
Fate had given him the chance he'd begged for and by god he was going to make the most of it.
With that determined thought in his mind, Jacob left the infirmary and made his way to the control room to contact Martouf.
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"You've changed things around a bit," Jacob remarked, walking into the living room that used to be his. Once he realized he would be spending most of his time on other planets light years from Earth, Jacob told his daughter to move into the house. It wasn't as if he would be using it much.
"Yeah, hope you don't mind?"
"Nah, it's more your home now anyway."
Jacob walked over to a large barrel cactus sitting on the floor in front of the bay window.
"You know your mother loved cacti. She killed them by the dozens. Yours is doing great."
Sam walked out of the bedroom absently folding a shirt. "Oh her...that's Esmerelda."
Jacob raised his eyebrows. "Esmerelda?"
"I've had her for years. She's followed me through school, to DC and now to Colorado. She's the one plant I don't have to worry about when I don't make it home for days. She actually thrives on neglect."
Jacob turned sharply thinking his daughter was lobbing a well aimed barb. He saw her walk back into the master bedroom.
"Es does have her disadvantages," she continued. "She's gotten so big re-potting her is a pain...literally."
Jacob followed her into the bedroom, a mostly forgotten memory flitting in his brain.
"Where did you get her?" he asked, half knowing the answer.
Sam looked up from her packing and met his inquisitive gaze. "Mom bought her for me the week before she died," she answered quietly, "Thought I might have better luck than her."
"Sam..."
"I moved your clothes to the spare bedroom." She pointed to his military issue clothing with a grin, "We go tramping in the woods in fatigues the locals will probably think we're militia or something."
Jacob decided to let the subject drop. "Guess I better get a move on," he said as he turned to leave the room.
"Unless you want to walk." The mock threat he used in his struggles to make a wife and two children move with military timeliness drawing a slight chuckle as he went into the spare bedroom to pack.
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"Well this is the place."
Sam parked her jeep on the grass in front of the rustic looking cabin. She opened the car door, got out and stood there a moment closing her eyes and deeply breathing in fresh, cool air faintly scented with pine. /God I needed this./ She heard the other door slam and looked over at her father.
Jacob was also standing by the vehicle breathing in the fresh air and stretching.
"Whose place did General Hammond say this was?"
"Rear Admiral Marshall. We served together...way too many years ago."
"Rear Admiral...I guess Colorado's about as far away from the sea as you can get."
Jacob chuckled. "I remember Kelsey. Would you believe a sailor who spent the first 48 hours hanging over the side?"
"A seasick rear admiral?"
Jacob nodded. "While other wives and mothers were sending their men cookies, Kel's wife cornered the market on Dramamine."
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"And then..." Jacob asked.
Sam laughed licking the melted chocolate of the s'mores she was making over the fire off her fingers.
Outside night had fallen. Father and daughter were relaxing by the fire. Earlier they'd cooked steaks for dinner and were finishing off a bottle of wine.
"And then I just stood there on the ramp going on about energy output and whatever as I stuck my fingers in the event horizon like...like a kid playing in a puddle. Here I was trying to convince this colonel who DEFINITELY wasn't happy having me along that I was just as capable as any one else and I just STOOD there."
Jacob chuckled. "How did Jack handle that?"
"Typical O'Neill fashion, he pushed me."
Jacob shot a look at his daughter. "He did what?"
Sam nodded, her eyes sparkling with amusement. "He pushed be through the event horizon. It was either that or I would have stood there for an hour trying to figure it all out."
"Sam I never did ask. Why didn't you go to Abydos the first time?"
"I should have...I mean I was even booked on a flight..."
"But?"
Sam sighed. "But then some schmuck on a cellphone ran a red on D street and broadsided my car."
Shock and surprise crossed Jacob's face. "Sam, my God, why didn't you call me?"
"Dad, I didn't even know where you were. Anyway it wasn't that bad, couple of broken ribs and a bump on the head. They only made me stay overnight since I lived alone. I was just in no shape to go through a wormhole."
Jacob felt guilt shoot through his stomach. /Good grief, my baby had been in the hospital and I never even knew./ He forced himself to continue. "Then..."
"Then Colonel O'Neill came back telling everyone Ra was dead, so was Daniel, the planet was nuked, we couldn't get any other addresses to work...so the project was shelved. Officially I was reassigned."
"Unofficially...?"
Sam looked sheepish. "Unofficially I spent a lot of nights and weekends trying to figure out why only one of thousands of possible addresses would work. Then when I heard rumors of the stargate program starting again I pulled every string and finagled every way I could to get assigned on the next trip."
"And the last 3 years?"
"Dad I honestly wouldn't trade them for anything. Stargate travel is everything I ever dreamed of. I've been places, done things, met people...It's been the best assignment I've ever had. I ever will have. I'll never leave it...There have been some...not so great moments..."
"Like Jolinar?"
The enthusiasm faded from Sam's eyes. "Yeah," she agreed quietly, "Jolinar...was the worst."
"Sam, tell me about it."
"Dad, you...Selmac already know..."
"I have Selmac's memory of Rosha and Jolinar as a trusted operative who faced tough choices and made extreme sacrifices for a cause she believed in. What I don't know is what my daughter went through. Sam, you almost died and I never knew a thing. I've heard from Garshaw and Martouf how horrifying the thought of another blending is to you. My blending with Selmac was difficult enough to deal with and I was given a choice, I had you and Martouf standing by me. You had none of that."
He moved to sit facing his daughter on the floor. He looked directly into her eyes. "Sam, talk to me."
He saw her struggle with herself, a battle raging between the soldier who was taught to contain her emotions and the daughter who desperately wanted to share with someone. He saw her close her eyes for a moment before the soldier lost. She pulled her knees to her chest and hugged them tight as if to block the pain.
"It started on Nasyia..." she began in a quiet voice, her eyes focused ahead of her but what they were seeing was light years away.
Quietly she told him how Jolinar took her over, how she was a prisoner in her own body. How she went home that night and watched herself explore her own apartment like a burglar would. Touching things, investigating. How she went to visit Cassie the next morning and listened to herself threaten to kill the innocent girl. How she watched the child run from her in terror.
How she, Sam , begged Jolinar not to hurt the girl while she heard her own voice promise she would. She felt the creature's desperation to get off Earth and watched herself lash out, hoping desperately that someone would notice. How when O'Neill told them to stand down Sam cheered while Jolinar silently screamed in frustration. Then how Sam watched horrified as Jolinar used Sam's knowledge to threaten her friends. The hurt, confused look on Daniel's face when he realized what was going on. The disgust that flickered across Teal'c's normally impassive face. She watched her hand pull the pin on the grenade. Sam tried to tell Jolinar they wouldn't let her go, but Jolinar wouldn't listen, the alien being lost in her own terror and desperation. How Sam felt nothing but relief when the tranquilizers finally took effect and she passed out, her last fleeting thought that maybe it was all a bad dream.
How when she awoke alone in the cell, for a moment she thought she was free. Then the terror of feeling another being in her body. How she wanted to tear at the back of her neck, to pull it out, but her hands wouldn't obey her commands. Then all she wanted to do was cry, but Jolinar wouldn't even let her do that.
She listened to herself talk to her friends. At first Jolinar blustered and bullied, ignoring Sam's advice that the Tau'ri don't respond well to orders and threats.
How much it hurt when Jack turned his back on her, leaving her alone. /How could you, I didn't leave you./
During the next two days Sam watched Jolinar bargain and negotiate all the while the part that was Sam got smaller and weaker. It was as if a tiny piece of her died every time she saw the hatred and loathing in her friends' eyes. The sheer act of fighting for control sapping her strength, making it harder and harder to fight.
Just before the Ash'rak came, all the tiny bit of Sam Carter that remained wanted to do was die.
As Sam watched the Ash'rak come close she prayed, begged for her friends to come. Surely she wasn't fated to die all alone, surrounded only by her enemy, a victim in a conflict she didn't really understand. /Mom died alone on a street, no friends or family around, surely this isn't going be my fate too? / Her friends would come...they had to.
Sam heard Jolinar tell the Ash'rak to go to hell. /Come on guys, any time now./
They're not coming...are they? They don't care if I live or die now...I'm the enemy.
/Oh God I don't want to die alone./ Tau'ri, you will never be alone again. Sam heard Jolinar promise.
Then the pain began. Oh God...the pain. Sam wanted to let go...to find peace but Jolinar wouldn't let her. Sam begged, pleaded with Jolinar to let her go.../Let me find peace./ Jolinar wouldn't listen. /Why won't anyone listen to me anymore?/
The next few minutes were a blur of pain and fear. Finally Sam found herself lying on the cold floor, she felt Jolinar fading...finally she could let go, she could die in peace. Then came the voice...a voice commanding her to stay...to fight. /No don't make me...you've already written me off...let me go...you didn't care before, why care now?/
Then there was more pain, pain as her lungs were forced to work, pain as her heart was forced to beat, dwarfing the pain of needles and probes. /They didn't care before, why the hell do they care now? Why can't they just leave me alone?/ I told you you'll never be alone. I'm sorry. She heard Jolinar whisper weakly as she began to fade away.
Sam felt Jolinar take control one last time then she was gone. Jolinar's voice was replaced by others. "Wait she's breathing on her own...she's back." "Congratulations Sam, you did it, you won."
Sam tried to tell them, but they wouldn't listen. / Why should now be any different?/ Sam didn't care anymore. She was alone again. They'd just abandon her again. / Who cares?/
Sam remembered lying there, staring at the wall. She heard Daniel, Jack, Teal'c, even General Hammond come in. / Now you visit, now you care, now you bring flowers, now you're sorry. Where were you when I needed you? Avoiding me, hating me because I was a victim. Who needs you, any of you. Just go away. Take those damn flowers Daniel and shove them.../
Then she felt the small hand. She looked into the trusting eyes of the innocent girl she'd been so mean to. The little girl who'd lost so much, who Jolinar had threatened so horribly and she still came to Sam with trust in her eyes. There was no guilt, no fear, just love and caring. Sam pulled the little girl into her arms and cried.
She cried for Jolinar, for her friends and for herself. She'd cried for the first time since her mother died.
Sam felt a warm embrace pull her into the present. Jacob pulled his daughter into his arms. Sam hesitated a second then allowed herself to relax into her father's embrace. She cried out all the fear, frustration and pain of the last 15 years until her body ran out of tears.
She barely felt him lift her up and carry her to the couch where he sat down still holding her close. She fell into an exhausted sleep as Jacob remained awake, staring into the dying fire.
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It was hours later when Jacob felt his daughter stir. He awoke from his sleep to see her beginning to toss restlessly in his arms. "No...please stop...no more..." he heard her mutter as a look of pain crossed her face.
He tried to soothe her, to wake her but she was lost in her own dreams, her body flinching as if she was in pain.
'Selmac, wake up please.'
'...Jacob, what is wrong?'
'It's Sam, she's...' Selmac swiftly accessed Jacob's memories 'Her nightmares must stem from accessing Jolinar's memories of her time on Netu.'
'What? You never told me Jolinar was there.'
'You never asked. Her knowledge is what allowed them to rescue us. Let me help her Jacob.' Selmac took control of Jacob's body, wrapping his arms around her to still her movements, placing his/their hand on Sam's tossing head. Both flinched as they were assailed by a wave of pain from Jolinar's memories.
Jacob found himself becoming a witness to the Tok'ra's torture. Though Selmac had control, Jacob still fought to remind himself it was only a memory, that the host, Rosha, wasn't his daughter.
'Jacob, do not fight me...this is difficult enough to do alone.' Chastised, Jacob closed his "eyes" and tried to ignore what Selmac was showing him.
Later he tried to get Selmac to explain it to him, but she couldn't. The closest analogy she could find was that bad memories were like ragged fingernails that caught and tore at the gossamer veils of dreams. That night Selmac took a mental file to Jolinar's memories, not altering them but merely smoothing the rough edges so they didn't snag Sam's dreams.
Jacob felt his daughter settle into in his arms again, her breathing slowing as she drifted back to sleep.
'Thank you Selmac,' he said, his gratitude evident even though his words were not spoken.
'...'
'Selmac?'
'Jacob, we never knew.' Selmac's 'voice' was full of pain and regret.
'Knew what?'
'All that happened on Netu. All she sacrificed for the cause. We knew there'd been torture...we just never KNEW. This does explain things.'
'What things?'
'Why Jolinar was so frantic when she took your daughter. When Samantha relayed events to Martouf, he always felt she'd surely exaggerated. It is not the Tok'ra way to threaten, to wrest control from the host as Jolinar did Samantha.'
'She was afraid.'
'Yes, afraid of being a prisoner again, afraid of torture again. Her time on Netu scarred Jolinar far deeper than I or Lantash ever suspected. It is no wonder your daughter and her friends reacted so violently when Garshaw asked them to host me. No matter how many assurances to the contrary, they will always see being a host as a violation of themselves, a living nightmare.'
'Selmac, if I had known a year ago what I just learned from Sam tonight...I honestly don't know if I would have agreed to host you,' Jacob admitted.
'Jacob, if we had known of Jolinar's desperate actions, how they nearly cost your daughter her life, her sanity, we would never have asked. I consider it a miracle she and her friends did not come seeking revenge. It is a testament of your daughter's courage and bravery.'
Jacob smoothed Sam's hair. 'Will she sleep now?'
'Yes. She will likely be tired for a bit. She has retained many of Jolinar's abilities but not the extra strength imbued by a symbiote. It will always be possible for her to access them, just difficult at times. What I did for her is much like what I did for you. It is why your memories of Netu are not as painful as they should be. Jacob, I will go back to my rest now. She will remember little of tonight.'
Jacob felt Selmac fade as he opened his eyes and watched a new day dawn.
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Sam sighed and stretched, arching her back and slowly opened her eyes as she realized she wasn't in her bed. Her eyes took in the rustic walls of the borrowed cabin. She stretched again, not remembering the last time she'd slept so well and on a sofa no less.
"Hey sleepy head."
Sam turned and saw her father sitting in an armchair reading a book. "Morning."
"Afternoon is more like it."
"Huh?"
"Thought you'd sleep the day away."
Sam sat up noticing the sun slanting in through the west facing window. "Whoa. I actually slept all day?" She couldn't remember the last time she'd slept so long. "I'm sorry dad. I'm sure you didn't want to spend your vacation watching me sleep."
"Hey kid, don't be sorry. I imagine the last few weeks have been hectic. Anyway, do you know how long it's been since I simply got to sit by the fire and read a book?"
"Oh probably the last time I did," she admitted ruefully.
Jacob folded over the page of his book and set it down. "You feel like going out? I think there's a great Mexican restaurant in town."
"Queso and margaritas. My idea of heaven. Let me just grab a quick shower." Sam stood up.
"Actually I think there's a huge tub in the master bedroom." Jacob tossed a packet of bubble bath at her. "Take your time."
Sam smiled. "OK...I'll see you in an hour." She got off the couch and went in search of the promised tub.
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Sam scooped up some viscous golden cheese with the salty tortilla chip and carefully brought it to her mouth. Jacob watched her close her eyes in pleasure as her tastebuds processed the mix of hot spicy cheese and crunchy chip.
"Good?" he asked, a bemused expression on his face.
"Ummm. Whoever invented nachos...he should have gotten automatic sainthood." He chuckled at the sight as he took another sip of his margarita. Sam also picked up her drink and took a sip of the frosty brew, its tangy lime taste a perfect counterpoint to the chips and cheese. "What does Selmac think of Mexican food?" she asked softly.
Jacob's eyes darted around, making sure no one was close enough to hear their conversation. "She's reserving judgment but I've caught her trying to figure out if anything they have can be used to make some Tok'ra Queso. Sam started to laugh.
"What?" he asked.
"Oh I'm just trying to picture a couple dozen of them sitting on the floor pigging out on Queso and chips."
Jake laughed also. "That would be a sight to see. I know they've been fighting for generations but they do need to learn how to lighten up a bit. All rebellion and no play makes Marty a dull boy and all that."
"What about the tequila? Does it affect her?" Sam asked, honestly curious.
"It affects me," Jake replied, "She can certainly lessen or negate its effects if she wants to. But right now she's asleep. As a matter of fact the only way she's going to know anything about tonight is if she checks the logs, so to speak."
"I'll bet having a permanent vocal conscience is keeping you honest," Sam said, with a smile.
Jacob looked offended. "Why would I need a conscience?" he asked in mock innocence.
"Don't think I haven't heard about some of the pranks Mule used to pull. I think replacing all the foot powder with itching powder was the tamest one I heard of."
Jacob acted shocked. "Now who would be telling those vicious lies about little ole me?"
"Oh any one of a dozen people at the Pentagon. Once they figured out which Carter I belonged to I was deluged with people willing to fill me in on some of your exploits."
"Malicious lies, pure exaggeration, all of it." Sam and her dad laughed as the waiter brought them steaming plates of enchiladas, rice and beans covered with melted cheese and sour cream.
"So...aah...I heard I missed something a couple of months ago?"
Sam shot a puzzled look at her father as she struggled to get a bite of enchilada to her mouth without dumping it or the stringy melted cheese down the front of her shirt.
"What?"
"Something Major," he prodded.
"Oh that."
"Yeah, that. When were you going to tell me?"
Sam shook her head in exasperation and leaned forward, "Right, Sokar was going to kill you and us and I'm supposed to call for a time out so I can tell my dad I got promoted," she whispered.
Jake held up his hands in surrender, "I'm razzing you. Actually I knew. George contacted me but I couldn't come. Though, as it turned out, it was probably for the best. Larry, Curly and Moe," he said meaning Crones, Nirti and Yu, the three system lords who showed up to negotiate the treaty, "would definitely not have liked having me around." His hidden meaning that the less the system lords knew about the Tok'ra/Tau'ri alliance the better.
"Yeah. That was one very...interesting week," she said with a sigh, referring not only to the treaty negotiations but also to having to use her barely controllable powers to heal Cronos. The very Gou'ald who most likely sent the Ash'rak after Jolinar and set into motion the whole chain of events that led to her being blended with Jolinar, the Tok'ra alliance and her being able to save Jacob's life. In an extremely warped way Cronos saved his own life by ordering Jolinar's execution years before.
"I'm sorry I missed the party. And the chance to give you this," he said pulling a small box from his pocket and sitting it on the table.
"Dad?" she asked as she put her fork down and picked up the box.
Jake shrugged, "It's not much but I think you'll like it." Sam looked warily at the box, sincerely hoping nothing in it was going to move or have too many legs. She opened the lid and pulled back a small piece of cotton. Nestled on another piece of cotton were two golden maple leaves. She looked up to her father, "Dad?" she asked again.
Jake shrugged, "Well, I'm sure not using them and it made no sense to just leave them lying in a drawer..." he said.
Sam laid her hand on his arm, "Dad, stop. I'm...proud to wear these," she said sincerely, tears beginning to gather in her eyes.
"Yeah, well kiddo. Once you hit three star you're going to have to get your own."
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Sam stood in the embarkation room and watched her father, once again attired in his Tok'ra garb, turn and give her a small wave. He was swallowed up by the watery blue surface and the wormhole disengaged with a small pop. She left the room and went to her lab.
She started to sort through the various reports that had accumulated over the last two weeks. She heard the door swing open. /Right on time./
"So Carter, decided to come back to work?"
Sam grinned at the amused tone of O'Neill's voice. "Somebody has to. I hear you and Daniel got into some mischief?"
Jack looked sheepish. "It was an experiment," He admitted.
"Experiment? You actually got Teal'c drunk." Stinking drunk from what she'd heard.
"Yeah, it took 3 bottles of tequila," he complained good-naturedly.
"So is he a rowdy drunk?"
"Actually, he's a singer. He's not half bad." Jack limped a little as he crossed the room and sat on one of the stools.
"Why do I get the feeling if Janet sees you limp she's going to be mad."
Jack shrugged dismissively. "She cleared me for duty. So I hear dad left."
"Yeah, just went through the gate a few minutes ago."
"So...how was your vacation?"
"It was the best two weeks I've had in...a long time." Jack looked at Sam. He hadn't seen her this relaxed for months.
"Sweet. We got a mission tomorrow. Danny's got a Kheb possibility." Jack got up to leave the room.
"When?"
"Briefing's at 0800. We go at 0930. From what I hear it's rain gear time."
"What, no trees?"
"There are always trees. Glad to have you back major," Jack shot over his shoulder.
"Glad to be back colonel.'
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