Cross-posted from AO3, because I forgot to do it at the time...

Yeah, I don't know what this is, but I think it happened not long ago. I think the Stargate program's public now and I think Sam was put in charge of it. I never personally shipped her and Jack, but I think they're married and happy, and that something happened recently that's not so happy - you'll see what. And I think that something else unhappy is on its way, too.


The young eyes of an old man watched as a classic, pristine car pulled up in front of his home, and widened as he recognised the classic, pristine woman who stepped out of it.

Fifteen years had treated her well. Of course, he'd already known what she would look like now. He'd followed her career, watched as the first President he'd respected in decades had pinned a shining star to each of her shoulders on national television. But he hadn't seen her in the flesh, not since -

The bell rang and he almost jumped. The dog leapt up at him, barking loudly.

"Homer, get down," he scolded, "it's okay. She's a… friend."

But Homer didn't get down, so he shooed him into the backyard and shut him out before he sucked it up and answered the door.

"Hi, Jack," she said, smiling warmly, and he found himself smiling back despite his better instincts.

"My name's Jon," he told her. "Come on in, Carter."

He had Guinness on hand to give her and she drank it quickly. Not to say she was improper or inappropriate, she could never be that - but quicker than the Major Carter of old would have done.

"So," he said, leaning forward on the couch to better observe her, and setting his water aside, "it's been a while."

"Yes," she said. "I haven't seen you since you were…"

"Grown?"

He said it to see her flinch, but she just met his eyes, cool and calm, commanding. "Since you were a teenager."

"It was better that way."

"Yes, it was, but can't have been much fun for you."

"Well, I got over it, Carter, what else could I have done?"

"Jack… Jon," she corrected herself, "we're old friends, aren't we? Won't you call me Sam?"

Very different from the Major he'd known - but then there was something in it that he recognised as innately Carter, a spirit that made him feel really alive again.

"Sam," he said, "why are you here?"

"Because I know what you've been up to."

Jon sat up sharply. "The Air Force has been watching me?"

"Not the Air Force. Me."

"You?"

"And Daniel," she added quickly, "and Teal'c."

"And Jack?"

There she hesitated. "No," she said finally. "Not Jack."

"Me neither. Watching him, I mean. I kept an eye on the other two. And on you. By the way, General, congrats on the command."

He was rewarded with that shining smile, but it was older and wiser and a little sadder than the last time he'd seen it.

"Has something happened? They can't have gone back on it."

"No. The SGC's mine, and all the PR and diplomat-babysitting that comes along with it."

"You must be loving that."

"It's hell. But I wouldn't give up the command over it."

"Good. We need you there."

She smiled again. "We?"

"Us. You know—" he spread out his arms in an all-encompassing gesture— "humanity. You're the only one I trust to do the job right."

"That's exactly what Jack said." But her tone was thoughtful more than anything else.

"Sam. What do you want from me?"

"I want you to come and work for me."

For a second he was Colonel Jack O'Neill again, grudgingly answering the call from retirement to stand up and serve his country. And then he was looking Sam Carter in the face, Sam Carter who he'd loved, and worked with, and stopped himself from loving.

"I can't do that," he said quietly.

Her face fell and he wanted to take it all back, he'd been fifteen years apart from her and now he had her again he wouldn't let go - but her finger played on her ring for a second, and he set his jaw and looked away.

"I can't be around you all day and know you're going home to him at the end of it."

"Oh… no, I know you can't do that, Jon, I wouldn't ask you to do that. It's my own old command. The General Hammond."

"The Hammond? I thought General Mitchell was taking that."

"No," she said quietly, "Cam won't be taking any more commands."

That must be why she'd looked so sad. It must be new, or it would have been all over the news. "I'm sorry," he offered weakly. "He was a friend of yours, wasn't he?"

"He was family," she answered shortly, and didn't look at him for a minute. Then she straightened. "It's all a PR nightmare, Jon. It's a peaceful mission, and they wanted to put a civilian in charge from the start. The media loved Cam, and once we announced his command nobody could make any changes without incurring the public's wrath. But now… Jon, you're the only one I trust to do the job right."

"You get to make the decision?"

"I'm on the board. So is Daniel. Nobody else on the planet knows who you really are except Jack."

"So you two have snuck me into the running?"

"It wasn't either of us who proposed you. You're incredibly qualified for this command, Jon, even without your experience from before. You've been staying away from the military, but you've got everything on paper that you need, and you're you."

"You mean, I'm Jack."

"No, I mean you're you, Jon. You're not Jack. Jack couldn't and wouldn't head a peaceful mission like that, it's not his way. But you're young again, you're still younger now than you were when we first met. There's so much left for you to do, and it's only for a few months. Work for me, Jon."

It would be sweet to get into the sky again. To escape Earth's orbit, which hadn't really been home since Loki grew this body in a laboratory in the sky.

"I've got a life."

She laughed a little. "No, you don't."

"I've got a dog."

"I'll take care of your dog."

"You'll be taking care of the galaxy, and I won't have Jack take care of him. It's too creepy."

"Daniel will do it."

"His house is a museum."

"True enough. Cassandra will."

Jon had kept an eye on Cassie, too. She was close to his own age, really, but he still thought of her with the same paternal affection. She was a scientist of some kind - some sort of biology - and she lived in Denver with a writer wife and two small daughters. No pets.

Every kid has to have a dog.

"Can I take him myself?"

Sam nodded, a smile in her eyes if not on her lips. "So you'll fly?"

"God, they knew what they were doing when they sent you to ask me."

She laughed then. "Daniel said it was crazy, that I'd send you running for the hills."

"You nearly did."

"He wanted to come himself. Will you call him? I know he wants to talk to you."

"I'll call him."

"Good. Jon, it's been really good to see you, but I think maybe I should go."

He nodded numbly. Part of him could sit here for hours talking with her, but best not to open that door. She had the SGC and Jack to go home to. So he saw her out and locked the door behind her. Then he took his medicine, fingers trembling as he struggled with the cap, and finally he let Homer back in.

"Now I'm going home, too," he told the uncomprehending, excited old dog. The stars were where he was born, and now, thanks to Sam, he'd get to see them again before he died.


Basically I saw the photo of Amanda-as-Naomi that's been floating around and a sense of General Sam grew out of that, and before I knew it Cloneill was shooting a harsh word at her to see if she'd flinch. And then all of that happened.

Feedback is always appreciated.