Friendship Fic, could be seen as a little pre-ship between John/Sam. Set on Earth in the Colorado Springs area. I apologize up front if distances or whatnot seem a little off. I'm not terribly familiar with the area. I've been there a few times but only to visit my husband's family. In my defense I did ask him if there was enough time to get from point A to point B to point C in the time I had allotted and he said yes.
Set, probably Season 3 sometime.
Qualifications
Chapter 1
The gate disengaged as John Sheppard stepped down the gate ramp and into the bowels of Chyennne Mountain.
He was on leave, well, sort of. He came back because the two galaxies were for the moment cooperative and quiet. He had decided to renew his qualifications on Helo's and F-14's as his existing quals were set to expire very soon. Why? He couldn't really give you an answer. John currently flew much cooler machines, but still felt the need to keep up with most of his previous machines. One just never knew when this galaxy or the next was going to turn against you and he'd be back on Earth with nothing to fly. He even pondered renewing his sea trap quals, but that would require pulling too many strings. He had to pull quite a few just to get the initial qualifications since he was an Air Force Pilot not Navy, but he did it just because he found it fascinating and an experience he just couldn't pass up.
John wasn't due at Peterson AFB for a few hours, a perfect chance for a leisurely ride. He kept his motorcycle at a vehicle storage unit not far from base.
…..
John wasn't all that familiar with Colorado Springs having only been there a couple weeks before shipping off to Atlantis. Any Earth side time had been spent visiting Ford's family or dealing with the IOA and such. He never really had any time to just enjoy Earth. Then again, he was truly happy and content in Atlantis. He may not be able to ride his bike, but Atlantis was most defiantly home! He had never felt like he belonged anywhere, not at home, not at school and not even duty stations since joining the Air Force, until Atlantis. He finally had a home and the family he belonged to.
He hadn't gone far when he saw signs denoting how far landmarks were in a good many directions. Manitou Springs and Garden of the Gods were in one direction, and it sounded fascinating so he started off in that directions.
Downtown Manitou Springs... Parking was a bitch. Some event or another was being held and it was difficult to find space for even a bike! He drove by a fountain with a placard next to it, denoting it as a historical site. Standing at the fountain was a slender blonde dressed in leather, helmet under one arm, letting the mineral rich water run through the fingers of the other. He couldn't get a look at her face but he swore she was familiar!
Finally finding a place to park, he dismounted his bike and searched the area he had seen her with his eyes as he took off his helmet. She was no longer there, but his curiosity was peaked and he was determined to find her.
He ran his hand thru his spiky hair just as she rode past on a bike of her own. He quickly donned his helmet and hopped back onto his bike.
Several cars were now between him and the mystery woman but he was able to keep track of her as they wound their way in and out of traffic leaving the area.
They headed out of the city towards Woodland Park. It was quite a ride through Yute Pass. It was relaxing and thrilling at the same time. It was easy to get lost in the scenery and the feel of the bike beneath him swaying with the turns. It was mid-summer and the weather at any time of year was unpredictable, but for the moment it was warm and sunny, the air rushing around him cooling him as it found the entry points in his leather jacket. So sweet was the ride that he had forgotten all about his quest to identify the mystery blonde from the fountain.
When he again reached civilization he realized he had spent more time than he had intended and needed to get to Peterson. The blonde and her bike was no where to be seen. It was soooooo going to bug him as to who she was. He just knew he knew her from somewhere, but without seeing her face he just couldn't place her and it was going to drive him crazy. No matter. He had other things to worry about as he started his way back down the pass and to the Springs.
At the gate at Peterson, he was surprised to see a bike with the mystery woman being saluted by the guard as he waved her through.
He stopped, lifted his visor and handed the guard his ID who straightened to salute him through.
"Do you know where I can find hangar bay D-9?"
"Yes sir, the easiest way would be to follow the Colonel there, she's headed to the same place."
"Thank you Sargent," John said as he returned the salute determined to catch the woman as she disappeared around a corner.
A few dodged speed bumps and broken speed limits, and it didn't take long to catch up with her.
At the next stop sign he pulled up beside her and raised his visor.
He still couldn't place her, and still couldn't see her face as she kept her reflective visor in place, nodded in his direction and continued on her journey.
He followed her to an abandoned air strip.
'What was she doing here?' he wondered. 'This isn't the hangar bay.'
He looked at his watch and realized he still had about 20 minutes but any more diversions could easily put him behind schedule, and he really wanted to avoid that.
He pulled up next to her ready to ask for directions and hoping to get a glimpse of her face.
He raised his visor and the figure looked in his direction, then revved her bike.
A smile spread across his face.
"You're on!" He said not knowing if she actually heard him or not. He flicked his visor closed and revved in response.
She held up three fingers, then one by one counted down until her hand was a fist, at which point both bikes took off.
The two bikes raced neck and neck down the long runway, speeds climbing higher and higher. 90...95...100...110...120...
They sped past a lift off marker and slowed as they neared the end of the run way.
The woman slid her bike sideways and speed back the way she came, John on her tail.
Once they reached the starting point they halted. The woman nodded to John then continued leisurely toward hangar bay D-9.
….
Once there she kicked the kick stand of he bike down and shut it off.
'Finally.' John thought as he did the same. The race was great and all, but he really wanted to know who she was, and where he knew her from.
They dismounted their bikes and she took off her helmet, shook her head and smoothed her short blonde hair. She placed her helmet on the tank of her bike and turned to him.
"Major Sheppard," she said extending her still gloved hand which he took with a smile. "Nice to see you again."
"Like wise, and actually it's Lt. Colonel now."
"Oh? Congratulations!"
"Thanks." "You here to qualify on the F-14's as well Colonel Carter?"
"Sam, please, and yes actually I am."
"Don't you have much cooler machines to fly?"
"I could say the same about you."
"Touche." "Yeah I just felt the need to keep up my quals on the things I used to fly. I figure with my luck I'll piss off the wrong person and be sent back to McMurdo or some other god forsaken place, so I had better keep my quals current."
"Aren't you the military commander of Atlantis? Seems a little far fetched to have such a fall from grace and go from the military commander of an intergalactic expedition to flying Generals around glaciers."
They started walking towards the bay holding the planes they would use to qualify.
"I only was invited to Atlantis on Elizabeth's insistence, I only have this job and the promotion because of her, no matter what she may deny. I know if it wasn't for her, Colonel Caldwell would have my job. If anything were to happen to her, or political winds change and she is replaced, I don't believe I'd find myself as military commander for long."
"You have a point. You'd think being a hero would be job security, but we've all been through enough to know that nothing is untouchable."
"So why are you here? Surely with your record and your mind you don't need to be qualified to fly F-14's"
"No, but they're fun." She flashed him a devilish grin. "When I found out why you were returning to Earth, I decided to renew as well. Besides, SG1 is actually on downtime. Teal'c is on Da'Kara and Daniel with SG3 translating something and frankly, Cam and Vala are driving me crazy and won't let me get any work done."
"So how'd you sneak off without at least Mitchell?"
"I told him I was going for a pizza run."
John laughed. "How long ago was that?"
"1130."
"So, over 4 hours, I bet he's getting hungry."
"I'm sure he is... Shall we?" Sam said gesturing toward the Airmen waiting patiently for them to finish their conversation.
…...
Each were seated in an F-14 on the runway waiting for permission to take off.
A voice came over their radios. "Ok, today we are performing touch and go's. Each of you will make ten passes and ten touches. After that you will spend approximately 10 minutes dog fighting. Each will have 5 minutes as the bad guy." "Range qualifications will take place at Area 51 on a later date. Is the mission understood?"
"Roger"
"Roger"
"Alright, who's leading the touch and goes?"
Sheppard spoke up, "Ladies first?"
"You bet!"
"Ok then, Colonel Carter, you are clear for take off."
"Copy that."
Carter's engines roared to life and she was momentarily pinned to the back of her seat as her craft sped forward and took off into the air all within the span of a few seconds.
"Colonel Sheppard, you are clear for take off."
"Copy."
He too was in the air within seconds.
They reached a height of 2000 ft. banked and came around lowering themselves to the runway, first Carter, followed a few second later by Sheppard. Each literally bounced their tires off the runway before heading back to the sky, banking again and making another pass. Each 'touched' the runway 10 times, then heard a voice come over the radio.
"Ok, ascend to 10,000 ft and prepare to commence dog fight. Colonel Sheppard your first as bad guy."
"Roger"
"Roger"
"Alright, you are at 10,000 ft. Colonel Carter you have 5 minutes to lock onto Colonel Sheppard and take him out."
"Understood."
"Begin!"
Sheppard punched it and banked left pulling a good many G's. The centrifugal force pinning him to his seat and causing pressure to build in his head. 'Too bad these things don't have inertial dampeners!'
Sam chased him, spun and came around behind him. John dodged and weaved and Sam matched him move for move.
He straightened and she nearly had a lock on him. She could almost read his mind. It was a tactic she had seen many times done by O'Neill and Mitchell in 302's, essentially hitting the brakes, dropping behind and taking her out, and she was prepared.
Sam shot straight up bending the plane in an upside down arc in the sky as he momentarily cut the engine. He was shocked when she didn't speed by him and he punched the throttle before he lost too much momentum, only to have her come out of nowhere behind him, instantly locking on.
Sheppard's alarms sounded and controls flashed res as he was 'taken out' by Carter.
"You're dead John!" she said with glee.
"How the hell did you pull that one off?"
"You think you're the only pilot to pull that trick? Though I'll have to tell you, the G's I just pulled nearly took me out, what I'd give for inertial dampeners in this thing."
"I was thinking the same thing a moment ago."
"Good Job, Colonel Carter. Kill for you in 3 minutes 35 seconds." "Colonel Sheppard, it's your go, move into position."
He slowed slightly then pulled up behind Carter."
"Ready"
"Copy that, begin!"
Carter made a sharp bank to the right, Sheppard on her tail. She spiraled and dove to the high plains desert below her. She dodged and weaved coming close to the ground on more than one occasion before shooting straight up. Sheppard was on her tail and she couldn't shake him. She decided to descend once more toward the desert in a fast gutsy move pulling up at the last moment.
Any sane pilot would have stopped and waited for her to finish her death defying move, but not John Sheppard. Alarms screamed at both of them as they came dangerously close to contact with the ground.
He had her in his sights, locked and 'fired'.
"Oh, so sorry, but Colonel Carter, you are toast!"
Sam was all giggles.
"Though I will admit to squeezing my cheeks there. Do you think you could have come any closer to the ground?"
"Not without impact."
"It's a good thing we're both Lt. Colonels or our asses would be grass, for that."
"Don't think that it's not!" Came the voice from the control tower. "I'll have word with your Commanding Officers later, for the moment, return to Runway D and return the planes to hangar bay D-9." "Oh and Colonel Sheppard, kill scored in 3 minutes 36 seconds."
….
They had changed out of their flight suits and were back at their bikes donning leather jackets, gloves and the like.
"So, what have you got planned for the rest of your three week's leave?" Sam asked.
"Actually nothing. I really don't have family to visit or any place to go. I figured maybe I'd head to the airport and just catch the next plane, no matter where it was going, or stay here. Still haven't seen Garden of the Gods and it sounded cool."
"It is, but the random plane idea sounds great too! But, if you wanted to see Garden of the Gods, why did you follow me all the way to Woodland Park and back?"
He shoved his hand in a glove and sported a smirk that combined with that spiky hair, would make lesser women melt. Good thing Sam was well accustomed to good looking hot shots! Still though, she couldn't help but find him attractive.
"I saw you at at fountain, but couldn't see your face. I knew that I knew you from somewhere but couldn't place you. It was nagging on my mind so I had to find out." "Now why the little race on the old airstrip?"
"Ahhh," she said, zipping up her form fitting leather jacket. Sheppard just couldn't' help but appreciate the way she looked in leather, hell anything she wore would look good on her. His smooth confident attitude had always come in handy during times like this when his mind wandered where his eyes wanted to. He was used to dealing with brilliant attractive women though, and kept his cool.
"It's a little something I like to do before qualifying if I am able, gets the adrenalin going."
"Ok, that makes sense." He flashed her a smile and snapped the chin strap of his helmet. "Where are you off to now?"
"Commissary, need to pic up a couple things. I'm making dinner for Cassie tonight. She's working as a nurse at a local hospital for the summer before she starts med school in the fall, they've been running her pretty ragged, so I'm cooking tonight. Wanna join us?"
"I don't know" There was that 'make you melt' smile again "Dinner with two beautiful women, or a plane to no where..."
Sam smiled as she flipped her visor closed and mounted her bike. John did likewise. Bikes were started and kick stands, well, kicked; and off they went with Sam leading the way.
…..
John was chopping vegetables next to Sam. They had been happily chatting for an hour, sharing off-world stories, mainly funny ones. He reveled in the delight she took in McKay's usually self induced predicaments. He was now the royal favorite and first pick to be king to 'Queen Harmony' brat extraordinaire. He couldn't help but love her giggle, it was very unique, and almost evil-maniacal.
"Hand me that pepper would you?"
As Sam handed him the pepper he noticed the air on her arms stand up and goosebumps race up her arm. He wondered if it was in reaction to him, or their proximity, was dinner more than just dinner between friends? They were more like acquaintances really. How many things can race through a man's mind in the span of a split second?
That's when he noticed the bright smile on her face. "Cassie!" she turned her head just as the door opened, leaving John to wonder what psychic connection Sam had with the young alien woman.
"Sam!" The redhead dropped her stuff at the door and ran over to Sam hugging her tight. "You finally crawled your way out of that mountain. I wasn't sure if you would, mission or not." She stepped back and noted John. "And you brought a friend." Her expression changed into one of concern, she really shouldn't be asking Sam about work right now. "Does he, uh, work on 'Deep Space Telemetry' too?"
Sam smiled at John's confused look. "Sort of, this Is Lt. Colonel John Sheppard."
"Nice to meet you" he said taking Cassie's hand. "But, just what does Depp Space Telemetry have to do with what we do?"
"It's code for the Stargate program. Anyone asks me what I'm doing for the Air Force I tell them 'Deep Space Telemetry' which is usually met by either skepticism or a job offer for 'something way cooler'"
"Ahh. So what's the code for my Expedition?" He wasn't sure if Cassie knew about Atlantis.
"I don't think we have one." "How about, lost but not forgotten?"
"Funny, Funny."
"So what is it you do?" Cassie inquired.
John looked to Sam questioningly and who nodded.
"I'm the military commander of the Atlantis Expedition in the Pegasus Galaxy."
"Nice! I've seen it thru Jack's telescope. Well Not Atlantis itself, but the cluster of starts that make up the Pegasus Galaxy."
"Oh, really? Who's Jack?"
Cassie looked at him incredulously. "General Jack O'Neill."
"Oh, sorry. Not used to people having a first name basis with a General."
"Well Cassie is special," Sam said giving the girl a small hug before returning to the cookbook.
"Why, yes, yes I am."
….
All three chatted over dinner of Cassie's work and school. How she took a huge course load and graduated a year early with a nursing degree to keep her occupied over the summer before attending med school at John Hopkins University.
They laughed over the days events and teased John about taking a full extra second to 'kill' Sam than it did Sam to 'kill' him.
Sam and Cassie frosted a cake for desert. Once, Cassie slapped his hands with her frosting knife as he tried to steal some icing off the cake. He just licked it off his hand instead as they all chuckled.
"So, Colonel Sheppard, are you off to Atlantis or are you taking some down time?" Cassie asked finishing the last bit of icing as Sam rinsed off strawberries that would top the cake.
"I dunno, I'm eager to get back to Atlantis, but I've been ordered to relax. Elizabeth is not thrilled that I loose vacation days every year since you tap out at 90 days accumulation. So I'm supposed to be Earth-side for 3 weeks."
"Any plans?"
"Not really. I'm actually quite lost here. I sort of... fit in, back in Atlantis, ya know?"
"I know, all too well, I know. Having been born and spent my first 12 years on another planet, well, lets just say I know how it is to feel out of place." "Then again, I don't think anyone in the Stargate program really feels like they belong anywhere outside of the 'Stargate Family', as I like to call it."
Sam just smiled and nodded as she shut off the water.
"I was thinking about just going to the airport and getting a ticket for the next plane out and seeing where it takes me, spending a day or so there and doing it all over again."
"Sound exciting and spontaneous, but aren't you supposed to let the military know where you're going?"
"Well" he said with a devilish grin, "They know where I am. I'm never more than a beam away."
Cassie's eyes lit up. "So true!" "Hey, Sam, you should go with him!" "You really could use a vacation."
"Huh?" Sam said looking a little like a deer caught in the headlights. John was fun and all, but she didn't exactly know him. Especially not well enough to go globe trotting with him. "Uh, I can't, really. I have work to do at the Mountain and..."
Sheppard cut her off. "Hey, you said your self that Cam and Vala weren't letting you get any work done. Like I said, we'd never be more than a beam away. What'd'ya say?"
"Maybe she's afraid of what Jack would think." Cassie teased.
"Cass!" Sam shot her a warning look.
"What?" She said innocently.
John just looked uncomfortable and pretended not to have heard anything.
Just then a blue light enveloped Carter and she disappeared.
"Ughh!" Cassie scoffed and rolled her eyes.
"Happen a lot?" asked John.
"More than you would know."
She quickly sliced strawberries for the cake.
"Ummm.. maybe I should go?"
"I'm sure you'll be the next one beamed out of here, I want to get these strawberries on the cake first though. You can take it with you. If Jack is there he'll appreciate it."
"Why would you think he was there?"
"He usually is when something catastrophic enough to warrant beaming happens. Though, I really think he likes to beam Sam away just to annoy her."
He wanted to ask, but it wasn't appropriate. He didn't want to be a gossip but he wanted to know. He had to know if a CO and their 2IC could covertly be together without affecting the job or having too many people, if anyone knowing. But it wasn't his place to ask and it nagged at him as the words danced on his tongue. He fought hard to keep them there.
Luckily Cassie bailed him out. She could see his inner turmoil. She didn't know if he liked Sam and that was why he wanted to ask the question the entire world wanted and answer to, or if it was something else. While the two had chemistry, she didn't really get the 'vibe' of any crush on either end.
"You are curious to know if Sam and Jack are a couple?"
He cleared his throat and just nodded.
Cassie smiled, "So does everyone else." "I happen to know the answer..." she trailed off letting him squirm for the answer for a moment. "No, they are not. Should they be? YES! But they aren't and most likely never will be."
"Why?"
"You know better than me. Regulations, the likely hood of dying every day, normal complication every couple faces..." "It's sad, pathetic really. I wish, just once, they would just put everything that's holding them back aside." "I really think they would have had everything, I think they really had a chance. But, I also think that they've missed their chance." "I've seen the change. From flirting and banter, to pining, to a sadness in both of them." She got a far off and sad look.
"Anyway, I'm not sure why you wanted to know. I know everyone wants to know, but I sense that for you, it's another reason."
"Yeah, something like that."
Cassie poured the now cut strawberries on top of the cake and had no more than replaced the cover over the cake when he started to shimmer. She quickly shoved it into his hands and he disappeared. It always amazed her if you can catch that perfect split second, one could hitch a ride or send something along a matter stream.
A/N: Ok, I have no idea really about dogfights and if this one even resembles something physically possible. However, I do know about touch and go's. We were stationed at Norfolk VA for a few months while DH was in IFF school. We rented a little apartment next to NAS Oceana. The planes would fly so close to our apartment (which was on the 2nd floor) that we could see every bolt in the plane. At times it looked as if they were landing on our roof! When we'd head to the Commissary, we'd see them doing their touch and go's. I was always taken aback by they way they never really landed, that they literally just bounced off the runway. I guess it counted as a 'landing'...