Future reference

Title: Future Reference

Author: Crystal Candle

E-mail: crystal_candle@hotmail.com Status: Complete

Category: Romance, UST

Pairings: Sam/Jack

Spoilers: 1969. kinda

Season: 5

Rating: PG-13

Content Warnings: Some m/f sexual situations, nothing too graphic

Summary: SG1 accidentally gate into Earth's future, Sam and Jack learn a thing or two about what's in store for them.

Disclaimer: I don't own any of these characters or shows, I just write my own original works for others to enjoy, without profit or any gain.

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"Good luck SG1" General Hammond said to them as they walked up the ramp to the stargate. "And please. try to be diplomatic with them Colonel." Colonel O'Niell turned round and gave the General a mock hurt look, "What are you suggesting General?"

Carter smiled and pulled on the Colonel's jacket to motion him forwards. "If we don't leave soon we're gonna be late for the conference Sir." She reminded him gently. "Goodbye General, and don't worry about us!" He called as he stepped through the event horizon.

General Hammond shook his head with mirth, but these meetings with the people on P3X 725 were important if they were going to obtain any of their weapons technology. He hoped SG1 wouldn't get into any trouble, but somehow they always managed to anyway.

They stepped through the stargate, and immediately realised that they were not where they were supposed to be.

"I thought you said this was a desert planet Carter?" Jack said in a somewhat sarcastic tone as he took his shades off. He looked at his 2IC and she looked back with an equally confused expression. "I don't know Sir, the MALP showed extremely high temperatures and a landscape of sand dunes and very little plant life. I can't explain why we've ended up here, but it definitely is not P3X 725."

Jack sighed and looked to the other two members of his team. "Anyone have any suggestions?"

Daniel looked around their surroundings. It seemed that the stargate was in a big complex full of all sorts of people milling round shopping, laughing and queuing up to use the stargate; all of which were completely ignoring SG1. "It seems like a public embarkation room and a mall at the same time. The technology seems similar to ours but more advanced. I suggest we try to talk to someone, they don't seem afraid of us at all."

"Well Daniel, please be my guest." Jack gestured to a nearby group of people. SG1 walked slowly towards what appeared to be a family, and as Daniel started conversation with them, Teal'C of course kept a watchful eye on their surroundings, ready to defend his friends.

"Hi, I'm Daniel Jackson. We are peaceful explorers from a planet called Earth." He started, but stopped at the man's bemused expression. "Do you understand me?" "Yes of course I understand you." The man replied. "Can you tell us where we are please?" "Earth, like you said." The man appeared confused. "No, I said we were from Earth." "And I'm saying this is Earth." Daniel took a step back. "You're saying we're on Earth?" "Yes!" the man replied getting exasperated, and with that he took hold of his partner and his two children and started walking quickly away from Daniel. "Wait!" Daniel cried, running after him. "What's the date?"

"Daniel, what's going on?" Jack asked warily. "If this is Earth, then we must be in the future." He replied getting excited. "Hold on Daniel. If they have descended from Earth, would it be such a surprise they called their planet Earth too?" Sam said diplomatically. "No, I think this is Earth." Daniel replied, obviously hooked on the idea. "Everything is so similar!"

"Oh for crying out loud!" Jack started, and made his way towards a woman nearby. "Excuse me, can u tell me the date please?" "January 25th" "And the year?" She looked surprised but answered anyway. "It's 2006."

Jack looked back at his comrades, who were all standing with their mouths open. "It seems as if Daniel Jackson is correct." Teal'C stated with his usual calm. "What's this all about?" The woman asked. "We think we've travelled into the future through the stargate somehow." Daniel started. "Can you tell us where we can use a computer?" "Sure" the woman looked like she didn't believe them but led SG1 to a room full of computers anyway, and left them there.

Sam went straight to a computer and accessed what appeared to be a more advanced version of the internet. "This is indeed Earth Sir, and the year is 2006." "Now how could that happen?" Jack started, but was cut off when Sam gasped. "What?" "It says here that the stargate programme was made public when we found allies called the Raymir who eliminated the threat from the Goa'uld. Since then stargates are used to transport people around the world, and since the threat was gone, the SGC was collapsed." "Should we be reading that?" Daniel asked but no-one took any notice as they were trying to read what was on the screen. "So if this is Earth, then our future-selves must be here. What do you say we look them up and get their help to send us back to our time huh?" Jack asked. He looked to Sam and she nodded. Daniel still looked dubious as to whether they should find out too much about their futures, and Teal'C remained as impassive as always. "OK, cool. Off we go then." Jack said joyfully. "Carter can you find out where I live at this time?" "Yes Sir, your address is the same." She said after much searching.

They piled out the taxi and walked up the drive-way to Jack's house. "Guys, I really think we should try and sort this out ourselves. We weren't meant to know our futures." Daniel carried on his earlier argument. "Oh shut up Daniel. What do you think we'll find?" Jack retorted, and stopped short as he heard a baby cry. Daniel gave him a look that said 'I told you so', at which point Jack's future-self appeared in the doorway with a baby in baby seat in his arms. Still someway down the drive, the future-Jack didn't see SG1, and simply put the baby seat on the grass infront of the house and went back inside. SG1 looked at each other cautiously, having no idea what they should do.

Just then future-Jack reappeared, this time with rollerskates on and a hockey stick in his hand. "Come on Angel. I'm dying to kick your ass at hockey again!" he shouted into the house. A muffled "I'm coming" came from within the house somewhere.

The future-Jack turned around and met the gazes of SG1 with a shocked expression. "What the hell is going on here?"

"Er.. Jack? We're from 2001. Some kind of stargate malfunction we think." Daniel tried to explain. Meanwhile the baby on the grass starts crying again, so future-Jack bends down and picks it up gently. "I do remember this now. I knew you would come to the future someday this year, but I couldn't honestly remember when!"

"Sir, you remember coming to the future?" Sam asked. Future-Jack nodded and started walking (or skating rather) towards SG1 still with the baby in his arms. He went straight up to Jack and handed the baby to him. "She's called Freya." He told him. Jack looked astonished at the baby in his arms. It was so cute! Still the baby wasn't stopping in its tirade and continued to wail loudly. "Must need her mother. She always liked her best." Future-Jack said lightheartedly, trying to take his skates off.

Jack was just about to ask who the mother was, when Daniel started going on again about not wanting to know the future. "Surely you shouldn't be showing or telling any of us this?" Daniel told him. "Lets just say it will help in the long run." Future-Jack said cryptically.

Sam was looking at the baby over Jack's shoulder, trying to calm it down. And since she seemed like she wanted to help, Jack handed her the baby, coz he sure as hell wasn't getting it to shut up!

Sam carefully took the baby and cradled it in her arms. She smiled at the beautiful infant and made soothing noises to calm her down. which miraculously worked very quickly!

Daniel, Jack and Teal'C observed as Freya relaxed in Sam's arms while she smiled wildly at her. Jack's mind was in a whirl. was Sam the mother? He badly wished she was, but couldn't bring himself to ask future-Jack. Instead he gazed lovingly at Sam and the baby thinking what a pretty picture they made, and he let himself fantasise that this was what the situation was now - him, Sam and a baby.

"So, do you know how to send us back?" Daniel asked future-Jack, breaking the silence and breaking Jack's dream.

"Yeah sure, Sam figured it out. I have the details of the time the next solar-flare occurs." "You can predict solar flares?" Sam asked suddenly, taking her attention away from the baby for a minute. "We sure can. Come inside and I'll find the information for you." He smiled warmly at her, and Jack felt a sudden surge of jealousy witnessing future- Jack looking at her that way. Get a grip Jack! He thought, that's you! How can you be jealous of yourself? Still, he watched the interaction between Sam and his future-self like a hawk.

Just as they were making their way back up the drive-way, a whirlwind of blonde hair and long legs came rushing out on skates wielding a hockey stick. "You are sooo not gonna kick my ass Jack O'Niell!" She cried, then stopped short as she realised who else was outside their house.

SG1 looked at her in shock. "Guy's, may I introduce Samantha O'Niell." Future-Jack began, as he went over to her a took her hockey stick away. "Maybe later huh? I think these guys are kinda anxious to get home." He said looking back at the team. "Sure. I'll go find the time of the next solar flare." Future-Sam said simply, and, after giving one last look at SG1, went back indoors.

"Come on then, it's boiling out here, I'll fix us all a drink inside." Future-Jack told them, as he led the way into the house. SG1 followed in amazement, trying to take in the fact that not only did Jack have a baby in 2006, but was also married to Sam! Please don't let this be another alternate universe. Sam thought. Funnily enough, Jack was thinking the same thing too.

After an afternoon of drinks and general talking, they had all gotten past the original uncomfortable feeling around each other, and relaxed as if there was nothing strange going on at all. The two Sam's had worked together and found the next solar flare to be at 12:30pm the next day, and Future-Jack had offered the team to stay the night at his house. He offered to get Daniel and Teal'C from his time over to the house, but Daniel and Teal'C decided they'd rather not know anything about their futures.

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It was late, and everyone had gone to bed already, very tired after the hectic and somewhat surprising events of the day. Sam, Jack and Daniel were sleeping on the floor in the lounge, when a loud wailing filled the air.

Jack stirred and opened his eyes. In a rush he remembered where. and when he was, and realised it was the baby Freya that was crying, probably hungry. Getting up quickly, he decided he would go sort the baby out, he was sure his future-self would appreciate it.

Finding baby Freya and taking her in the kitchen to fix her up some milk, he took a minute to look at the baby and wonder at the choice of name. Freya? As in. Freya/Anise the Tok'Ra? He shook his head in bemusement, and supposed that they must have had some reason to call her that. "Ahh. you're in here." Jack heard Sam come in the kitchen behind him and shut the door. "Yep, Freya here started crying and I figured I'd do those two upstairs a favour." He smiled at her as he saw how she was looking at him and the baby. He reckoned it was pretty close to how he looked at her earlier.

Sam walked over and picked up the now warm milk and handed it to him. Then a thought suddenly occurred to him - "Err, you are my Sam aren't you?"

"Your Sam?" She asked laughing a little. "yeah, well, from my time. you know." Jack tried to back-track. "It's ok, I know what you mean. And yes, it's me Sir."

She stroked Freya's cheek and played with her tiny hands while Jack fed her with the bottle. Both felt such a sense of happiness and joy that neither one wanted to speak and ruin the moment. For minutes they simply stood and gazed at the happy bundle in Jack's arms. So this is what it would be like, Jack thought. I could stand here like this forever.Freya however soon finished the drink, and it was only then that Sam and Jack looked up from the baby and realised how close they were standing.

Sam's breath caught in her throat as she saw how Jack was looking at her. She knew that she had strong feelings for him, she'd known for a long time, but this was just getting too much for her to take. She wanted so much to be with him but that couldn't be right now, there were rules, regulations and careers at stake. Sam made the quick decision to get out of this situation as quickly as possible.

Abruptly leaving Jack's side and heading for the door, she left him standing in the kitchen holding Freya, watching her go and wondering what was wrong. Sure he had a pretty good idea, but Sam had seemed upset, and he wanted to make sure everything was ok. So after putting Freya back in the crib, Jack went to find Sam.

She wasn't in the house that was for sure, he'd checked every room, apart from the Future-O'Niell's that is, so he shoved on his jacket and went outside.

Creeping silently around the house and into the back garden, he could see Sam sitting on a low wall by the patio, the moonlight reflecting off her fine features. As he stepped closer she looked at him and he could see the tears in her eyes. Sitting slowly next to her on the wall, he kept his eyes trained ahead of him, while she did the same.

There was silence for a while, before Jack felt he had to say something. "Carter." he began quietly, not really sure of what he wanted to say. He turned to her then, "Are you. what's wrong?" Sam looked him in the eyes and saw only the concern and sincerity of a very good friend. granted a good friend she was in love with. but she couldn't bring herself to fob him off with excuses and lies, not to those eyes.

"It's just, seeing this version of our future." she struggled with her words, while she also struggled with the huge lump in her throat and tears in her eyes. Why was she suddenly so emotional? She'd been able to bury these feelings well enough until now. Now it seems just seeing her future with Jack and the baby, had forced her to realise how much she felt for him. That had made her incredibly happy at that moment, then just as suddenly she was back down again with the realisation that regulations stood in their way. Now how to tell Jack all of this?

"It's hard." she started. "Seeing how happy we could be, but knowing at the same time that it cant be. Not yet anyway. It was just that, when we were in the kitchen, it felt like I was home, it felt right and it felt good, and tomorrow we will go home and I have to pretend I haven't anything but professional feelings for you again."

He took hold of her hand and gently caressed it with his thumb, looking as if deep in thought. "I don't think I can do that Jack" Sam said as her voice finally broke and tears fell down her face. "Oh Sam." Jack sighed as he took her in his arms and held her tightly. Sam didn't cry anymore, she really didn't want to infront of Jack. Instead she closed her eyes and welcomed the love and support he had to offer. This kind of affection was safe. no rules were being broken.

But as she relaxed into the hug, the familiar feelings of attraction returned and she considered the man hugging her tightly, how she could feel his chest rise and fall, his strong arms around her. Her breath and her heart began to quicken as she felt the familiar stirrings of longing and desire.

Somewhere in this hug the mood and atmosphere had changed, thought Jack. He too could feel the strong attraction, but he knew nothing could come of it yet.

Sam pulled back slightly and then brought her face very close to Jack's. Her hand wandered up from around his chest, up to his neck, and then his face. ever so slowly. She could see the same longing and desire in his face, and couldn't stop herself as she leant forward just enough to almost bring her lips to his. She could feel his breath intimately on her face, and pushed herself forwards to kiss him.

Through this sensuous journey, Jack had remained relatively passive, starring transfixed on the object of his affections as she slowly seduced him. As she was coming to kiss him, Jack suddenly stopped her by pulling back and putting his hands on her shoulders. He was so turned on, and had the strongest urge to kiss her all over and make love to her . but he knew right now she was upset because they couldn't do this. And that was the situation, they couldn't do this.

At first Sam looked hurt, but then realised that this was how it had to be. She leaned forwards again, but this time to lean her head on his shoulder and attempted to control her rapid breathing. Jack tried the same, but it was difficult with the object of his desire practically straddling him.

"I understand." She whispered into his shoulder. With a groan, Jack pulled her back up level with his face "I'm not sure I do." And with that he quickly pulled her lips to his. Their kiss started out exploratory, but soon became heated and passionate. He wanted to kiss her everywhere, and he was trying. First her neck, then her face, her eyes, her mouth. His hands slipped under her top, and she moaned into his mouth as he started exploring every inch of her.

As if in unison, they both jerked back suddenly and looked at each other with such passion and love, that they knew some day they would be together and be happy. And although all they wanted to do right now was to divest each other of their clothing and show each other exactly how they feel, they had to stop before this became a reality.

Jack helped Sam stand up and put her top back on, and with shaky legs they walked silently back into the house to actually get some sleep before they tried to get home tomorrow.

"Goodbye Kids!" Future-Jack and Sam waved at SG1 as they walked up the ramp of the Stargate. They waved back and Daniel, Teal'C and Sam went through the event horizon to their own time. Jack turned around to have one last look at his future family. He smiled at the image he would take home with him, as future-Jack winked at him to let him know that everything was gonna be ok between him and Sam. With that thought, Jack stepped through the Stargate, knowing that he had something to look forward to, and boy was the wait gonna be worthwhile!