Disclaimer: None of these characters belong to me – just borrowing!
Moving On
Atlantis was beautiful. Despite the constant threat of attack, despite the dangers both known and unknown, despite the burden of making decisions that could affect, or indeed end, the lives, not only of the personnel under her command, but of every other human in two galaxies, Colonel Samantha Carter's lasting memories of the city of Atlantis would be of its beauty.
The morning sun, shining on the piers and towers, the light reflecting from the endlessly shifting patterns of the ocean, the clean lines and grace of the high-ceilinged rooms and corridors: these would stay in Sam's memory. And Atlantis at night, like a golden beacon shining in the darkness, both a monument to its long-ago inhabitants and a hope for the present and future.
"SamanthaCarter!"
Sam looked up. Teal'c.
Sam felt stunned to find herself surrounded by the noise and bustle of her local supermarket. She blinked against the lurid hues of a shelf of washing detergents and wanted to cover her ears at the commotion of voices and music, the bleeping of the cash registers and the clatter of tin cans a nearby shopper was carelessly hurling into her cart.
"SamanthaCarter, are you well?"
"Oh, yes, I'm fine, Teal'c, thanks," she said.
Sam had experienced culture shock before, in fact after almost every mission she'd been on as a member of SG-1, there was some period of adjustment. Sam's life at that time had fluctuated wildly from one extreme to the other: meet with the Tok'ra, do the laundry; blow up a ha'tak, pay the electricity bill; save the world, defrost the freezer. Maybe she had been more adaptable then, or maybe it was because she had considered Atlantis to be her home, but right now she felt dazed by the contrast.
Teal'c looked at her in concern. He took Sam's hand and placed it on the handle of the shopping cart, placing his own over the top and giving hers a reassuring squeeze. He moved the cart smoothly forward, and they made their way down the aisle, a companionable pair at ease in each other's presence.
"I recall my first experience with a Tau'ri supermarket," said Teal'c. "I could only compare it to a Goa'uld palace in its brightness and variety and I found the relentless activity reminiscent of a naquadah mine."
Sam smiled. "I don't remember that, Teal'c. It seems a long time ago that you were new to Earth."
"Indeed," replied Teal'c.
Sam smiled. Teal'c's large, solid presence felt like an anchor, grounding her in an unfamiliar reality. She remembered how much she had relied on Teal'c the year Daniel had been ascended, especially when she had thought Colonel O'Neill lost too. She had cried in his arms and they had been drawn closer together than ever, as far as they knew the only two surviving members of SG-1.
They reached the ice cream aisle, their destination, and Teal'c's expression subtly changed: a Jaffa hot on the trail of enemy troops. This was Teal'c's ice cream-choosing expression.
He began by scanning the whole aisle, left and right, as if assessing the strengths and weaknesses of a Goa'uld stronghold and planning his attack strategy.
After carrying out a thorough reconnaissance, Teal'c stopped before the 'Pink Ribbon' brand, which had a wide range and was usually a reasonable price.
He frowned, an alarming Jaffa frown. A small girl nearby clung to her mother's leg as they passed.
"I do not understand this flavour which is called 'Reindeer Tracks'" said Teal'c. "What connection could there be between the spoor of a hoofed ruminant and a frozen dessert?"
"It's leftover from Christmas, Teal'c, that's why it's on offer," Sam explained. "Look, it has tiny hoofprint-shaped chocolate chips in it!"
"We will purchase some," said Teal'c, always with an eye to a bargain.
He carried on with his intense scrutiny of the different brands and flavours, adding to the cart some 'Banana Madness' (this title earned a raised eyebrow, but no comment), 'Blueberries and Cream' and, with an eye to Daniel's tastes, 'Triple chocolate coffee sundae'. He didn't ask Sam for her opinion and Sam didn't expect him to; when it came to ice cream, she trusted Teal'c's judgement completely.
He stopped, frowning, and held up a tub for Sam's inspection. It was called simply: 'Celebration'.
"I do not approve of ambiguity in ice cream flavours," he said, with what for Teal'c was a scowl. "They should state clearly what they contain so that there is no confusion."
"Well, it's got different flavours in it and sweets and things," Sam said. "It might be fun."
Teal'c put the tub firmly back on the shelf in a manner that said that frivolity had no place in ice cream flavours.
Sam felt her phone vibrating in her pocket. She took it out and looked at the screen: General O'Neill.
"Hello, Sir," she answered.
"Carter," he replied. "Where and when do you want Cassie?"
"Oh, thank you, Sir," she replied. "We're heading round to Daniel's house soon, so if you could have the Daedalus drop her off there at nineteen hundred hours, that'd be great."
"Least I could do," he said. "You having pizza and a movie?"
"Ice cream. I'm at the supermarket with Teal'c now. Shall I pass you over to Teal'c?"
"When he's buying ice cream? 'Fire in the hole!' - take cover, Carter. Teal'c can be a mite touchy about ice cream. Just say hey from me."
"OK, well thanks for getting Cassie here, Sir."
"Like I say - least I could do," he grumbled. "Erm... Carter." He paused. "I'll do what I can. I mean, about getting you a command."
"I know you will, Sir," she said, firmly.
He hung up and she slipped the phone back in her pocket.
As Teal'c continued his perusal of the ice cream, Sam watched a young mother coming down the aisle. She had her small baby held close to her in a sling and was talking softly to the child and absently stroking the soft baby hair.
Sam smiled, thought of Teyla with Torren John and wondered how they were. Sam had watched Teyla with her new baby and had seen the look in her eyes, so full of unconditional love, caring and infinite compassion. But when Teyla had begun to recount her experience on Michael's ship, the danger that she and Torren had been in - then, Sam had glimpsed in Teyla's eyes the other great truth of motherhood: Teyla would kill for or die for her child without a split second's hesitation.
At that moment Sam had recognised the look in Teyla's eyes and knew that although her own potential for motherhood might never be realised, her passion for her career drew from the same warrior spirit that arose in all mothers when their child's well-being was threatened. Sam knew she would kill for or die for those under her command. She had risked her life before and would do it again. She could not have committed her life wholeheartedly to the protection and advancement of her planet if she had had a family; she had made her choice and, although she might suffer an occasional pang of regret, she stood by that choice.
Teal'c finally satisfied with his selection, they headed to the checkout and then to the carpark and then to Daniel's house.
Daniel greeted them at the door, put his arms around Sam and held her close. It felt like coming home. She breathed in his familiar scent of coffee, ancient manuscripts and an indefinable Danielness. And a less familiar scent.
"Garlic?" she said, sniffing.
"Oh, er, yes, I thought maybe just ice cream might be a mistake, so you know, chips, dips, garlic bread?" he gestured vaguely but enthusiastically in a typically Daniel way.
"Sounds great!" Sam beamed, pleased to be with her old friends, even while missing the new.
Later on, Sam sat on Daniel's couch, sandwiched between Daniel and Teal'c, Cassie sitting close at her feet. Daniel's mouth was open, spoon paused above his bowl of triple chocolate coffee sundae', eyes transfixed by the movie: 'Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix.' Teal'c was steadily working his way through 'Reindeer Tracks', Cassie's lips and tongue were turning blue with 'Blueberries and Cream' and Sam was thoroughly enjoying 'Banana Madness'.
"The woman Umbrage is dishonourable," Teal'c declared. "She tortures children in order to further her personal and political interests."
Cassie choked, spluttering into her ice cream.
"C'mon, Teal'c, it's not real!" she said.
Teal'c subsided, muttering. Sam thought she caught the words, "Kill her where she stood," and snuggled down further into the couch, basking in her friends' presence.
She loved watching movies with her ex-teammates. Teal'c's perspective was always interesting and often hilarious. Sam knew he sometimes deliberately played up to his 'First Prime of Apophis' past for comic effect. After so many years there wasn't much he didn't know about Earth culture, but he had an extremely dry sense of humour and enjoyed playing the 'baffled Jaffa'.
Daniel made very few comments when watching movies, unless there was any kind of archaeology involved and then nothing would quell the rushing torrent of his invective, making it very difficult to enjoy the storyline. Mostly, though, he became absorbed with the plot and characters in a childlike way, jumping at the unexpected and welling up in emotional scenes. Sam was amazed that after all he'd been through, and Daniel had been through more than any of them, he still retained his innocent enjoyment of simple things.
Or perhaps it was because of all the things he'd been through. Sam felt her enjoyment in life's simple pleasures had increased over the years. She valued her life so much because it had been at risk so many times.
Sam looked down at Cassie, scraping the last of the blueberry ice cream from its tub. Cassie looked up at her, smiling, and Sam thought what a wonderful young woman she had become. She had struggled after Janet's death but had grown past the tragedy and was now happy in herself but with an added depth and compassion for others.
Sam had had enough 'Banana Madness' and offered the tub to Cassie, who eagerly accepted.
Sam felt her eyes begin to drift closed, even with the dramatic scenes of magic and mayhem playing out on the screen. She allowed herself to relax further.
She would always have a place in her heart for Atlantis and those people, friends and colleagues, who had been under her command. She would always feel she could have done more in their fight against the Wraith.
But this was her life as it stood and she had much to be thankful for.