Second Chances
"Another mineral survey, my favorite!" O'Neill said sarcastically as SG-1 stepped down the ramp to the new inhabited world. The world was lush, green, and forest-like with only a few clearings they could see from the stargate. "Carter, Daniel go do whatever you need to do."
"Yes, sir." Carter said as military perssonel were to answer to their commanding officers. Carter got out her gear and went off to take samples from the planet, while Doctor Jackson left O'Neill and Teal'c to look for signs that there ever were any lifeforms that ever existed on the planet. Teal'c and O'Neill just stood in the clearing waiting for Carter and Jackson who had gone off in opposite directions.
Fifteen minutes later, Doctor Daniel Jackson returned to O'Neill and Teal'c int the clearing. O'Neill was laying down with his hat over his eyes, and Teal'c was atanding right where he had left them.
"Where's Sam?" Daniel asked surprised that she was not back yet.
"She has not returned, yet." Teal'c said unemotionally.
"I'll go check on her," O'Neill said getting up from the ground and putting his hat back onto his head. O'Neill walked off in the direction that he last saw Samantha Carter walk off in. There were many trees that just sprouted up between a possible route. All around trees sprouted up all around him. He couldn't escape.
"What is this the twlight zone? Sam! Hey, Carter can you hear me?" O'Neill yelled, his voice trying to penetrate the thickness of the trees that enclosed him. A light flashed, and it was like time stopped. A non-corprial lifeform floated before Colonel Jack O'Neill, the lifeform was purple and orange. It had no real definate shape, but formed two eyes, a nose, and a mouth. O'Neill could not move.
The lifeform spoke, "Jack O'Neill why are you here?" the gigantic voice said. The lifeform released him from stasis to let him answer.
"We're on a mineral survey. Who are you?"
"I am of the race that was before your people, the Tollan, the Nox, the Goa'uld, the Tok'ra, the Asguard, and the Unas."
"You're old! What are you doing here? Did we trespass or something?" O'Neill asked.
"It does not matter why I am here, but it matters if you know why you are here. Do you?"
"I told you, we're doing a mineral survey," O'Neill said frustratingly. "Where's Sam? Where's the rest of SG-1?"
"They are safe for now, but Carter will not be unless you get to her before I lift the stasis cloak, or else she will be killed by a bounty hunter. I know why you are here O'Neill, since you don't know, should I enlighten you?" he asked being in a highly superior attitude toward him.
"Oh, please tell me! Then I can get to Carter, and save her." O'Neill said quickly, tired of games.
"A few years ago you made a choice to go through the stargate and explore the world of Abydos in which you freed the people who lived there from Ra, and destroyed him. Later, Daniel Jackson stayed. Then a few years after that you came back through the gate and exposing yourself and your team to the horrors that lay beyond...."
"Horrors?" O'Neill prompted.
"Doctor Daniel Jackson, his wife, Sha're, and her brother Skarra, were taken and used as hosts by the Goa'uld...."
"We got Skarra back," O'Neill said.
"Yes, but Sha're was killed. Also, the harcesis child has had an impact on his life, and Sha're's father's life as well.
"Teal'c, he was taken away from everything he ever knew, including his family..."
"He chose it! I didn't make him come!" O'Neill said tired of this game.
"Now, he and his family must live exiled from their world. He cannot leave your mountain without something to disguise the mark of Apohias on his forehead.
"Major Samantha Carter has been through much also, she has been the host of Jolinar, the Tok'ra, involuntarily and then given her life by the death of the Tok'ra. When the memories resurfaced she could not decifer her emotions from those Jolinar felt. The child, Cassandra, she found her and cared for her, and when you thought that she would self destruct she went back with her knowing that. She did not even get the child as her own. Her father knew that she was not telling him the truth about what she really does in the mountain, which put him farther away from her when he needed her the most. She had to experience Jolinar's treachary with Sohkar's minion, Binar, and could have lost her father and also could have been killed in the process." He finally stopped and just looked at O'Neill, waiting for somekind of apology or somekind of explaination from him.
"What? Don't you think that I know that my entire team has been affected by the stargate? Why don't you just let me go, so I can save Carter, and get my team home?" O'Neill was angry now, and only wanted to know where and how everyone was.
"That is one of your two choices...." the voice said mysteriously.
"What choices?"
"Your two choices: one is to try and save Carter and go home, and the second choice is for me to take you and your team back to when you were on your roof of your house when the military men went to bring you to Cheyanne Mountain and the stargate. Which would you choose? One will bring you life and one will bring you death, so what will you choose: life or death?" The choice wasn't very easy at all to decide.
"It won't only affect me, but the rest of my team, too. I want to talk to them, now," O'Neill demanded.
"I will grant it, but only for a few minutes," the lifeform transported Teal'c, Doctor Jackson, and Major Carter to the small enclosed place where he held O'Neill in.
"Jack? What happened?" Daniel asked curiously.
"Explain it later." O'Neill said.
"Where are we?" Carter asked, "How did we get here?"
"Explain it, later." O'Neill repeated, "We need to make a decision about the stargate. If we want we can change the past, our pasts with the stargate. We can go back to where General Hammond called us when he thought Ra was coming through the gate, but was really Apohias. The question is would we be able to change the past for the better?"
"But sir, it's going to effect more than just sg-1. It will change all of the lives of anyone in the sgc or anyone who we've helped on planet's we've visited."
"Carter, don't you wish that you could go back and spend more time with your brother and father?"
"Sir, my father's alive because of the Tok'ra, if we're going to change things I don't want to remember anything."
"So, I'll be on Abydos?" Daniel asked.
"Yes, and if you don't want to remember, then you don't have to," the entity answered.
"So, are we staying or changing history?" O'Neill asked, "Teal'c?"
"I would vote to change things, but not to lose the memories of the time I have spent on your planet, O'Neill."
"Daniel?"
"I guess I want to go back to the way things used to be, and choose to keep my memories, so I'll know to keep the gate buried forever."
"Carter?"
"I don't know. If I kept the memories, when my father becomes sick I'll know that they're's the Tok'ra, and no way to help him, but I don't want to forget either." Carter said frustrated with the choices.
"Carter, couldn't you have your dad checked up for signs of cancer, so that they can treat it in the early stages?"
"I guess I want to go back and keep my memories."
"So, I guess you're going to be sending all of us back to the way things were with our memories."
"I will prepare, but until then you may say your goodbyes to one another. It will take me approxmately an hour," he said, and then just vanished. The trees that had sprouted up into O'Neill's path vanished.
"Daniel, have fun on Abydos. Watch out for Skarra."
"Thanks. I will, Jack. I hope you enjoy retirement....agian."
"I'm sure I'll have lots to do. Now I'll be bugging Sam twenty-four, seven," Jack O'Neill said looking at Carter, who looked slightly surprised.
"Teal'c I'm going to miss you," Carter said, knowing that she would never see the Jaffa ever agian.
"Yeah, so will I," O'Neill chimed in.
"I will also miss all of you," Teal'c said slowly.
"By the way, Abydos gate will be blocked by rocks," Daniel said, "Teal'c unless you send a message through the gate, but we won't care we'll be happy to have you," Doctor Jackson said.
"I will keep that in mind Daniel Jackson, Thank you," Teal'c said.
"Sam, I'll miss you. Having another scientist on the team has been great, but now you're going to have to adapt to being one scientist around Jack O'Neill," Daniel said.
"I think I can handle it, but I'm going to miss having you around, too."
"And Jack, well, first of all you're hopeless...."
"Hopeless?"
"As in science and second you grow on people, so I'm going to miss you."
An hour passed, full of memories of their adventures through the gate, and their first meeting of one another. The entity returned, and instructed Sam and Jack to stand together, and Daniel and Teal'c to stand apart from each other and Sam and Jack. He first returned Teal'c, then Daniel, and finally Sam and Jack.
**************************
Colonel Jack O'Neill, retired, was sitting on the roof of his house staring out into space. He was disturbed by two men in military dress.
"Are you Colonel Jack O'Neill?"
"No. He's retired," O'Neill answered.
"Are you retired Colonel Jack O'Neill?"
"Nope. I rent from him,: O'Neill lied.
"Well, thank you for your time, sir."
"No problem, have a nice night."
************************
"Sam, why'd you quit your job in the pentagon? Are you transferring to NASA?"
"No dad, I'm going to teach, instead."
"Why, NASA was your dream, always," Jacob Carter was extremely confused as he talked to his daughter.
"Dad, maybe it's not what I want anymore," Samantha Carter said as she went to answer the door to see Jack O'Neill.
"Hey, Carter. How's it going?" O'Neill asked as he walked in and she closed the door behind O'Neill.
"Fine. How are you doing?"
"Fine," he said as he entered the kitchen to see Jacob Carter sitting on a stool. "You must Sam's dad?"
"Yes," Jacob said as he shook O'Neill's hand, " Jacob Carter, General retired."
"Jack O'Neill, Colonel retired."
"Retired? You're too young!"
"Yeah, but I decided bugging your daughter is a good use of my time."
"Jack, would you like something to drink?"
"No," Jack O'Neill said.
"Dad?" Sam asked.
"No," Jacob Carter answered. "You, know my daughter works at the pentagon, and quit todat to teach! She's wanted this all her life, and she's giving it all up!"
"Well, then you know teaching kids is a good idea, Sam could inspire kids to go into science and medicine. Don't they?"
"Yes," Sam said starting to get tired of her father's constant questions. "Dad, why don't we talk about something else, huh?"
"Okay, Sam. So, Colonel O'Neill what art of the military are, I mean were you in?"
"Airforce."
"Same as Sam. Is that how you two met?" Jacob Carter asked.
"Actually we mwt at one of those fun scientist conventions, I of course was accidently sent there the wrong week. But I'm sure you know what I'm talking about."
"Oh, yeah. I've gotten shipped to the wrong place at the wrong time. Not the greatest thing in the world." Jacob Carter said looking around the room, his daughter had left the room. "Where did Sam go?"
"I don't know, I'll go check on her." Colonel O'Neill left the kitchen, into the living room, not there. He went down the hallway and through Sam's bedroom door he could see her laying on her bed staring out of her window. "Sam? Are you okay? What's wrong?"
"I'm just tired. Dad's been questioning me all morning. I'm sorry Jack, I know you really weren't expecting this."
"No, but I'll make sure your dad gets home. I'll call you later okay?"
"Yeah, okay."
"Get some sleep Sam." O'Neill said as he closed Sam's door, and told Jacob that she needed to sleep and that they better go.
*****************************
"Daniel," Sha're called to her husband, who was staring at the gate. "Daniel? What is wrong?"
"Nothing, I was just thinking about Jack and Earth."
"Are you going back? Please don't leave me, my Daniel!" Sha're pleded.
"I'm not leaving, I'm not going to let anyone hurt you, Sha're," Daniel promised remembering Amonent. He wouldn't let Apohias destroy his world ever agian. He would live out his life on Abydos in peace.
The stargate began locking in symbols on Abydos. Seconds after all chevrons locked the wormhole disengaged. Daniel left Sha're to dig through rocks and found a small piece of cloth with the letters SG-1 and Earth's symbol on it.
"Skarra! Get all of the others we have to clear the stargate!" Daniel yelled as he began clearing rocks, and more came to help him. In an hour the gate was cleared, and someone began to dial Abydos. It was Teal'c. Everyone was frightened, but Daniel calmed them down, and then Teal'c helped them bury the gate agian.
"Greetings Daniel Jackson."
"Hi Teal'c. What happened?"
"I could not stand to stay First Prime of Apohias after what I've seen and what I know of the Tau'ri."
"You're welcome here Teal'c. It just might take people sometime to get used to the idea of having you around."
"I understand, Daniel Jackson."
"It's okay Sha're," he told her, she was hiding behind him, "this is Teal'c, he's on our side. He won't hurt us. He's a friend...Sha're this is Teal'c. Teal'c, this is my wife Sha're." Teal'c bowed his head, which made Sha're feel a little more comfortable around the Jaffa.
**********************
Two days later, Jack O'Neill was waiting for Carter in her living room. "You know I thought you weren't one of those women who take an hour to get dressed. We're only going out to lunch!" O'Neill said sitting on her sofa.
"I'm coming!" she yelled back at him. A minute later she entered her living room. "Ready."
"Okay let's go!"
**********************
Six months later, Sam and Jack had decided to get engaged. Sam had long hair and they were to marry in a month and a half. Jacob's cancer had been detected early enough to be treated.
"So, do we have everything set for the wedding?" Jack asked Sam, who was leaning on him.
"Yeah, but I wish Daniel, Teal'c, Janet, General Hammond, and Cassie could be there, too, but they can't."
"Hey, what should we do tommorrow? A picnic or a movie?"
"I don't care, either one."
"Sam, do you ever regret ou decision? How doing things over?" Jack asked.
"No. Do you?" he shook his head "no", "we wouldn't be getting married in a month and a half if we hadn't. We would have met in the SGC for the first time otherwise."
"I know. I just keep having stargate dreams."
"I know, I've been having those too."
*************************
A month and a half later, Sam and Jack were getting ready to get married when the Goa'uld began their attack on Earth. The wedding would have to wait. Sam and Jack rushed to Cheyanne Mountain, but didn't encounter resistance, everyone was concentrating on the attack. Ten minutes in, they made it to the control room above the stargate. General Hammond turned around to look at the strangers.
"How the hell did you get in here? Who are you?" he demanded.
"I'm Colonel Jack O'Neill, this is Major or rather Captain Samantha Carter." He stopped to catch his breath.
"We're or were part of SG-1, but we went back in time to change things, but we didn't believe the Goa'uld would attack Earth."
"Yeah, and we can stop it if you'll let us."
"How do I know you're telling the truth?" General Hammond asked O'Neill.
"Because when we made it to the moon in 1969, you were at your father's bedside after he had, had a heartattack."
"How'd you....."
"We know you, sir. Please let us help." Sam pleded.
"Okay," Hammond caved in, "what do you need?"
"Is Kawalsky still in the SGC?"
"Yes."
"I need him and Ferritti?"
"Done."
"I'll also need a box of tissue and to dial up Abydos."
"Colonel?"
"You'll see."
***************************
An hour later, Daniel and Teal'c had cleared the Abydos gate. Daniel dialed Earth and promised he'd be back, but to bury the stargate until they recieved another box. Teal'c and Daniel entered the gate. Soon they were through Earth's gate.
There at the bottom of the ramp, Carter and O'Neill waited for them. "Nice to see ya again Teal'c," O'Neill said, "Daniel." Teal'c only bows his head slightly. Daniel was studying O'Neill and Carter.
"What's wrong Daniel?" Carter asked.
"I ah.....nothing. Hey, are you two.......well um.."
"Married?" O'Neill helped.
"Yeah," Daniel answered.
"Not yet." O'Neill finished and watched as Daniel gave him a shocked look. Everything had changed, especially Sam. She seemed like she had changed the most.
"We need your help," Sam started, "the Goa'uld are attacking Earth."
"Again?" Daniel moaned.
"We're going to dial the ship up again and blow to hell again. What? You got a problem with that?"
"No, but can't I please not get shot this time?"
"Yeah, Daniel we don't need that."
General Hammond looked confused. Kawalsky and Ferritti walked in and stood besides General Hammond. "Okay people I assume you know what you're doing, Colonel O'Neill and Colonel Kawalsky will be in command of this mission." Sam and Daniel gave the operator the address and he bean dialing.
"Colonel?" Jack asked Kawalsky.
"What? You weren't very interested in coming back!"
"I was trying to rewrite history, ok?"
Everyone just smiled and they began up the ramp.
*********************
Suddenlly O'Neill, Jackson, Carter, and Teal'c were on the planet again. Surrounded by trees, just where they had been before. Daniel checked his watch.
"Jack, no time's gone by," Daniel reported.
"Great, so we spent how long, from our point of view?"
"Well, actually for us we've been gone about seven and a half months, sir." Jack looked at Carter, he could see that they were going to loose what they were about to have. He could see she knew it too. I don't want it to end, he thought.
"You have failed!" the gigantic voice boomed. "I will put you back were you should be now. May fate smile upon you O'Neill." Seconds later Jack was by himself.
He began to run toward Carter. I don't have much time, he thought, I'm not going to loose her I just got her back.
Before long he found her, he took out his zat gun and began firing at the bounty hunter creeing up behind her. She looked surprised. Did she remember anything that happened between us? Could we somehow keep our relationship?
"Carter, you okay?"
"Yes, sir. Thank you."
"Stay closer to the gate next time, huh?"
"Yes, sir."
Sir? Jack thought, why does she call me that? Here wait, I'm her commanding officer! She never calls me Jack, well, no that's not true she called me Jack before the Goa'uld attacked Earth. Damn Goa'uld, they can't leave anyone alone. Everything was so perfect, we were suppose to be married today. Why couldn't the Goa'uld wait another month? year? never come at all? Do they always have to ruin everything.
Jack and Carter approached Teal'c and Daniel "Hey, Daniel where were you last month?"
"Abydos, why?"
"Just checking," Jack turned and smiled at Sam, but she didn't want to change how it was. "Carter?"
"Yes, sir?"
"Dial us home."
"Yes, sir," Carter turned to the DHD and punched in the address, sent the GDO frequency, and went through the gate. Daniel, Teal'c, and O'Neill followed.
Soon SG-1 was back home, through the stargate on Earth. The team was checked out by the medical team, everyone was fine. SG-1 were the only ones that remembered what had happened in the alternate universe.
*********************
Colonel Jack O'Neill knocked on Major Samantha Carter's door. He had thought it rather strange, in the alternate universe they hadn't lived on the base, and they were almost married. Would she still love me? he wondered. What's so different? Besides the fact that we're back? His train of thought was interrupted by Carter's door opening, O'Neill entered the rather plain room. Carter closed the door behind him.
"Yes, sir? Did you need something?" she asked as she used to, before they were engaged in the other reality.
"Sir? What happened to calling me Jack?" he asked, he was getting tired of the game she was playing. She just looked down. "Sam why can't it be like it was? What was so wrong with that? I love you!" He just looked at her. "Did I do something?" he asked.
She looked up at him, "no it's not that, well, now that never happened!!! We're both in the airforce we can't..."
"Sam, did it, I remember. Don't you?"
"Yes, and I would love to go back and just make sure the gate never gets opened, but we can't!"
"Sam," he said softly. "I love you," he stepped closer to her.
"Colonel?" Carter stepped back away from him. "We can't...please leave! Why do we have to remember?"
********************
SG-1 came through the stargate with quite alot of fire power waiting for them. "Sir?" Colonel O'Neill asked General Hammond who was in the embarkation room.
"Stand down." General Hammond ordered as he left the control room to go to the embarkation room. "Colonel, how did SG-1 get back through the stargate?"
"Sir, as I remember we were assigned on a funfilled expedition for minerals."
"You already returned a few hours ago from your mineral survey, Colonel."
"Sir?" Carter questioned. "How long have we been gone?"
"Major I suggest that you report to the infirmary."
"Yes, sir," O'Neill answered. "Let's go campers, it's off to the infirmary we go!" General Hammond smiled as SG-1 made their way to the infirmary.
*****************
"Can we go, yet?" Colonel O'Neill asked after awhile of being poked and prodded and x-rayed.
"Just a minute, Colonel. I have just one more test."
"Great," Colonel O'Neill said slowly. Janet Frasier injected Colonel O'Neill with a new booster shot, and did so with the rest of SG-1.
"There might be after effects. If there are please come back, but other than that you all can go."
"Yes!" Colonel O'Neill said after he jumped off of the medical table. "Let's go campers! Hey so where's everyone going?"
"To my lab, I have to look up something," Daniel said as he began walking in the opposite direction of the rest.
"Have fun!" O'Neill called, and Daniel shook his head.
"I am going to meditate in my quarters," Teal'c said.
"Funnnnnn," O'Neill said as Teal'c turned down another hallway. "Carter?"
"I think I'm going to lay down. I feel really tired."
"You sure you're okay, Carter? Maybe you should see Doctor Frasier."
"No, I'm just tired that's all. I'm fine, Colonel, really."
"Okay, well, I'm going to walk you to your room anyway."
"Okay, thanks Colonel," Carter became dizzy and stopped to hold onto the wall for balance.
"Carter?" O'Neill asked as he hurried holding onto her. She looked at O'Neill dazed, and it scared him. "Sam, let's sit you down," he said as he pulled her to the floor.
Minutes later, an airman approached them, but only said, "I'll get a medteam down here," before he ran down the hallway.
"Sam," O'Neill said trying to keep her conscience. He was holding her trying to not think about how long it was taking the medteam to get to them. She just kept going in and out of conscienceness. O'Neill heard footsteps approaching along with the sounds of wheels.....the medteam! Doctor Frasier immediately knelt beside Carter.
"What happened?"
"She said she was tired, and then fell agianst the wall. I made her sit down. She keeps opening her eyes every few minutes though."
"Okay, we need to get her to medlab 1." They lowered the gurney and the medical attendants along with O'Neill lifted her onto it. They pulled up the railing and headed for medlab 1.
**********************
SG-1 was waiting for Doctor Frasier outside of medlab 1, O'Neill had been pacing the entire time, Daniel had been sitting in a chair by the door watching O'Neill pace back and forth impatiently, and Teal'c was standing at attention as usual.
Doctor Janet Frasier exited medlab 1 to find the trio waiting, Daniel stood up and Jack stopped pacing. "She's going to be fine! She had an allergic reaction to the booster shot. I must admit it's strange, but... I do remember telling everyone to come in, if I remember correctly?"
"I told her!" Colonel O'Neill said said when Doctor Frasier started looking at him.
"Okay, okay." She said, "if you want you can see her now."
"Thank you," O'Neill said as he went into the room first. Daniel, Teal'c, and Doctor Frasier followed him to Carter's bedside.
"Sam?" O'Neill said trying to wake Carter. O'Neill hated to see her so sick, her skin had turned very pale. She didn't open her eyes, O'Neill took Carter's hand into his own.
"She'll probably be out of it for another hour at least."
"Mind if I wait?" O'Neill asked.
"No, but only one person. So Daniel, you and Teal'c can come back later."
"Okay, then we'll be back later, bye." Daniel said as he and Teal'c left the medlab.
"I'll get you a chair, Colonel," she said leaving the room.
"Thanks," O'Neill said thinking of how much Carter looked after the ashrak attacked Carter/Jolinar and killed Jolinar. "Sam? Can you hear me?"
"Colonel?" Doctor Frasier was bringing in a padded wooden chair for him. O'Neill left Carter and picked up the chair. He set it by her bed.
"Thank you."
"No problem. By the way, Colonel, they say it's good to talk to people even when they're asleep." Doctor Frasier left the room again.
Jack sat in his chair and took Sam's hand once again. "Hey Sam, I was thinking about the stargate. How the hell does the inner ring move?" He stopped and moved a strand of hair away from her face. "Sam, you know what, if you're not better soon I'll get stuck with some wanna be scientist. So please, for my sake, get better, huh?"
Carter moved a liitle in the bed. She pulled her arm that was hooked up with IV tubes in the opposite direction.
"We don't want to pull those out!" Jack took her arm and pulled it back, "there we go." Jack pulled Carter back to how she was.
Carter's eyes opened slowly, she looked over and saw Jack. Jack was looking the other way, Jack she thought look at me! Pain! Carter was unconscience once again.
*****************
Hours later, Colonel Jack O'Neill was asleep holding Major Samantha Carter's hand. He had fallen asleep with his head on the medical bed. Sam's eyes opened once again. She looked over to see Jack O'Neill had fallen asleep holding her hand. "Jack," she called softly, but he didn't wake. "Jack," she called again a bit louder.
"Just five more minutes," he mumbled, ad Sam laughed a little at his answer.He sat up and opened his eyes to see Sam looking at him. "It's about time!" he said sarcastcally. "so how ya feeling?"
"Better, sir." Sam said as Daniel and Teal'c walked in.
"Hey Sam," Daniel said walking closer to the bed.
"It is good to see you well, Major Carter."
"Thanks Teal'c."
**************
One week later, SG-1 was all cleared to go back to work. So, Colonel O'Neill decided to invite SG-1, General Hammond, Doctor Frasier, and Cassie to a BBQ at his house.
"So this is a BBQ? Interesting," Teal'c said exploring Colonel O'Neill's backyard. Cassie followed Teal'c telling him everything that people do at BBQ's. As the two explored the backyard, Janet and Sam decided to talk to Jack.
"So, Colonel, this is your first time you've thrown a party for anyone at your house?" Janet asked.
"Well yeah. Carter here, and Daniel are permanent residents at Cheyanne Mountain."
"It seems that way, sir," Carter suggested.
"Daniel's a permanent resident in the infirmary, I think he has a bed reserved for him after every mission," Jack paused. He looked at Sam and thought, she's calling me sir again. We're at my house at a BBQ and she calls me sir. "Carter here, is glued to something that has to do with the stargate or something we brought back." He thought a second about actually going to her apartment, he hadn't seen it before the mission and wondered if she was going to act like nothing happened between them or would go back to the way things were before. "You know we have to get our two scientists out of that mountain at least for one afternoon."
"Well, I'm going to go check on Cassie," Janet said leaving Sam and Jack alone.
"We leave the mountain, sir," Carter said catching O'Neill off guard.
"What?" O'Neill said.
"Daniel and I leave the mountain."
"When?" O'Neill asked.
"All the time," Sam said, but O'Neill only stared puzzled. "Through the stargate. We leave all the time."
"That's not what I meant and you know it!" He was a little angry at her, why can't she just stop it! I want what we had back! "Sam.....why can't we...."
"We can't."
"Why not?"
"Regulations, Colonel."
"We bend regulations all the time. I mean like General Hammond will even care Sam?" Jack just looked at her. Sam looked unhappy and he couldn't do anything about it. They wouldn't be married as they were to be, they could only be friends, good friends.
"I'm sorry, Colonel," Sam said, he pulled her into his arms holding her.
"No.... it's nothing to be sorry about. You were right, Sam. I just miss how things could have been....and how we were. I love you Sam." He released her, she looked like she was going to cry. Jack O'Neill smiled at Samantha Carter, and she pushed back the tears and smiled back at him. "We should probably get back to the BBQ. Come on."
"Okay, sir......Jack," Sam corrected and he smiled at her, they rejoined Daniel, Teal'c, Janet, and Cassie.
"Sir?" he asked and she smiled back. " So anyone hungary?" Jack asked.
"Me!" Cassie yelled jumping up, and everyone smiled and laughed a little.
"Burgers and hot dogs are ready come and get it!" O'Neill yelled inviting his friends to line up to get the food he had prepared. Eveyone lined up with a plate, all hungary.
****************