White Flag
By: KTarra
"This has got to be the craziest idea you've come up with yet, Tana,"
"No, its not Jace. I know she can sing. I've heard her. She sings in the ladies locker room when she thinks she's alone. I've actually heard her singing the song we want her to sing. She does it beautifully. She actually does it better than Dido does. Besides no one else is having someone sing their songs. Ours will be live. It will be perfect. Trust me, Jace!"
"How many times have I heard "trust me, Jace" right before we got into a lot of trouble."
Lt Montana "Tana" James reached up to kiss her fiancé Major Jaxson "Jace" Stewart before knocking on the Colonels office door. "It'll be great, I promise. Then we can win the contest and use all that money to help with the wedding."
"Come in."
The proceeded into the office and hoped that Tana's plan worked.
"Lt. James, Major Stewart, what can I do for you?" Colonel Samantha Carter inquired looking up from her paperwork.
"Well, ma'am, we have a request, that is you would be willing to help us." Tana responded.
"Well, I can certainly try. What is your request?"
"You've heard about the base talent show?"
"Unfortunately. It seems to be the only topic of discussion of late. But what about it?"
"Well, Jace and I are performing a dance routine..." Tana started.
"You dance, Major Stewart?" Sam interrupted.
"It's a well guarded secret, ma'am."
"I understand. I'm sorry Lt. you were saying."
"Yes, ma'am. Well as I was saying we are going to be dancing in the competition and we really need an edge to win. We are planning our wedding and could really use the money. The point I'm trying to get at is we have picked a song and we would like you to sing it for us at the competition."
"I'm sorry. Did I just hear you ask me to sing at the competition?"
"Yes, ma'am."
"Lieutenant, I..."
"I know you can, Colonel. I've heard you in the ladies locker room. I've even heard you singing the song we want you to sing. You do it beautifully. From what I hear none of the couples doing dances are having anyone sing live. I don't normally beg, but I will beg if need be." Lt. James finished.
"And what do you have to say about this Major Stewart?"
"Well, I didn't want to do it at first. But Tana deserves the wedding of her dreams so if that means I have to dance around on a stage to make her happy then so be it. Besides what is one or two hidden talents among the SGC?"
"Well said and point taken. You don't need to beg, Lieutenant. I'll sing your song for you but on a few conditions. First being that this will be kept a secret, and second, I will sing from back stage. I am not a big fan of singing in front of a lot people. The fewer the better in my opinion, so you just make all the arrangements for a microphone and that the band knows the song. My name appears no where on anything for this thing."
"Oh!!! Thank You Colonel." Tana's excitement could barely be contained. She leaped and hugged Jace and squeeled some more.
"By the way what song am I singing?"
"Oh, I'm sorry Colonel. White Flag by Dido."
"Ahh."
"I've heard you sing it before. I know it will be a hit." Tana replied.
"Well, Lieutenant, you have a lot to arrange. I suggest you get started." Sam stated trying to hide her smile. She was happy for the young couple. She didn't mind helping them, she just hoped she could pull this off without the whole base finding out about her little secret.
"Yes, ma'am. Thank you ma'am. We'll take care of everything. We'll be in touch."
"I certainly hope so. Dismissed."
They turned and left her office. She could still hear Lt James excitement and joy over her agreement. It did feel good to help out. Of course they had no way of knowing that she had wrote that song and sold it to the record label that Dido belonged to. Ofcourse her name appeared nowhere on the credits of her songs. Her songs were sold and as part of her contract once the song was sold to an artist a fictitious name was put down as the author, but she still got paid all the same.
Sam looked at the clock and realized that she has worked straight through breakfast and lunch. It was 330 and she was hungry. She put down her work and headed off to find Daniel. He would probably know some new gossip that would take her mind off the insanity that she had just agreed to. She headed out of her office toward Daniel's lab.
Daniel's Lab
Daniel was making notes on his computer about the artifact brought back by SG12 from PX5-87Y. He looked when he heard Sam knock.
"Hey, Sam. What's up?"
"Not much really. I just realized that I had worked through lunch and thought I would go get a bite to eat. Thought you might join me. Fill me in on the latest base gossip."
"Sure you want to hear it? A lot of it still about you and Jack." Daniel responded.
"Yea, I've given up that people on this base are going to get a life and realize that no matter how we feel, we're not going to break the regs."
"Ok then. Lets eat." And then headed off to the mess hall.
Mess Hall.
"They said we were what?" Sam asked shocked.
"I'm not gonna repeat it. But obviously its not true because according to the source you got pregnant as a result and since you obviously not pregnant that particular rumor has died a quiet death."
"Good grief. Don't people have anything better to do than speculate about my life."
"Well here's a good one for you. Last week two of the contestants in the contest went Jack and wanted him to get you to sing for all the couples dancing. Apparently he said no he would not get involved. He told them if you wanted to sing then that was your business."
"Who was it?" Sam asked non-chalantly.
"I believe he said it was Lt. Rogers and Lt. Wells. Both ladies claim to have heard you singing in the locker room. Any truth there?"
"Oh you know, Daniel, there is always a little truth somewhere in any rumor."
"So is that a yes or a no?"
"It's a maybe."
"Sammmmm"
"So what's the betting pool up to?"
"You know about that?" Danny sputtered.
"Ofcourse I do! The General and I have to have something to talk about."
"Well to be honest, I'm really not sure, as we've been offworld a lot recently without Jack so I guess the betting pool is having to reaccess things since you to are not spending as much time as you were together."
"That happens when people get promoted. But at any rate I gotta get back to my work or I won't be going home tonight. I'll see you in the morning. We are offworld tomorrow at 1100 hundred hours."
"Yea I got a few things to finish up also. I'm gonna finish this pie and then head back to my office. See you later." Sam got up put her tray away and went back to her office.
Three weeks later. Talent Contest.
There was only one more act to go before it was all over. So far everyone thought that Lt. Parks and Lt Rogers were going to win for their reindition of the last dance from Dirty Dancing, but there was still one more act to go. As secrets go they had managed to keep it a secret that Sam was singing. So far there weren't many people back stage since they were the last act. Most of the other couples had made their way out front to watch so she wouldn't have much of an audience.
"And now ladies and Gentleman, we are down to the final pair. Dancing to White Flag by Dido. Please give a round of applause of Lt. Tana James and Maj. Jace Stewart."
Sam stood at the mic ready to go. She was waiting for the signal from Tana. Tana motioned to her and Sam cued the Band to start. The intro music started and Sam lost herself in the music. She didn't really watch the performance going on. She always got that way when she sang. She counted the beats and started to sing.
I
know you think that I shouldn't still love you,
Or tell you
that.
But if I didn't say it, well I'd still have felt it
where's
the sense in that?
I promise I'm not trying to make your life
harder
Or return to where we were
I will go down with
this ship
And I won't put my hands up and surrender
There
will be no white flag above my door
I'm in love and always will
be
Unbeknownst to Sam they had gotten a camera on her and was feeding the image of her singing to the big screen while Tana and Jace danced. Their performance was fantastic. Everyone knew they were watching something special.
I
know I left too much mess and
destruction to come back again
And
I caused nothing but trouble
I understand if you can't talk to me
again
And if you live by the rules of "it's over"
then
I'm sure that that makes sense
I will go down with this ship
And I won't put my hands up and surrender
There will be no
white flag above my door
I'm in love and always will be
And
when we meet
Which I'm sure we will
All that was there
Will
be there still
I'll let it pass
And hold my tongue
And
you will think
That I've moved on....
For his part Jack was riveted on the screen. He hadn't realized she could really sing. Her voice was going to haunt him now even more so. He closed his eyes and just listened to her sing.
I
will go down with this ship
And I won't put my hands up and
surrender
There will be no white flag above my door
I'm in
love and always will be
I will go down with this ship
And
I won't put my hands up and surrender
There will be no white flag
above my door
I'm in love and always will be
I will go
down with this ship
And I won't put my hands up and surrender
There will be no white flag above my door
I'm in love and
always will be
As the last strains of the song played, the crowd jumped to applaud and cheer. Tana and Jace were thrilled. The crowd started chanting "Sam. Sam. Sam."
Sam was shocked. She hadn't really expected to get applauded for her singing. She was just helping these kids out. She came out on stage. The crowd roared again. Jack came up to the stage since he was the mc and in charge of this whole thing.
"Ok, that was great wasn't it?" the crowd applauded their agreement. "I think we have our winners. The money will be split between Lt. James and Lt. Stewart and Colonel Carter."
"Oh no sir. Let them have it all. They planned to use it for their wedding. That's the only reason I helped them." Sam quickly put in.
"You sure Colonel?" Lt. James asked.
"Yes, you keep it. But I better get an invitation to the wedding."
"Yes, ma'am."
"Well that concludes this years talent show. Let the party begin."
The music started up and people began to move out to the dance floor.
"May I have this dance?" Jack asked.
"Ofcourse General." He lead her out the floor.
"You know Carter, you really left Daniel in a knot a couple of weeks ago. He's been trying to find out if you could sing or not."
"Well a girl has to have some secrets."
"Speaking of secrets. That really was quite a performance..You sang that song like you owned it."
"Well in a way I do own that song, I wrote it."
"You wrote it?"
"Yup, now you know my other secret. I write and sell the songs to music labels. They pay me for my songs. Other people sing my songs and I make a bit of money for it."
"You never cease to amaze me, Colonel."
"I hope I never stop." They continued their dance. Just happy to be with each other for the moment. Neither knowning the plans and arrangements being made for the future....
The end for now.......
This will continue, Tana and Jace still have to get married.....