Titel: The Promise
Author: Schoggii
Spoilers: Up to Season 10 - minor references
Pairing: Sam&Jack
Disclaimer: I don't own any of the Characters, wish I did though. Just took them out for my own amusement but I'll be so kind to bring them back once I've finished - promised.
Summary: A mission goes horribly wrong and the live of everyone at the SGC changes - Will there be hope? AU set after Season 7. I will not lie, the first chapters may seem a bit confusing because I like to explain things later. So don't give up, keep reading and everything will be explained later.
Feedback: Yes Please!
Note: This story was originally written in german. This is the first time i tried to upload it in english - so please go gentle on me. I'ill try my best! So here we go...
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Intro
She breathed a sigh of relief. All around her seemed no longer to be important at this point. This exact moment, was the most beautiful, and at the same time the most sad one she ever had. She could feel the happiness in her hands.
She felt the first tears pounding down her cheeks.
A smile flashed across her lips. The salty taste of a tear stayed in it. She felt her heart beating, with love and at the same time with grief. Now everything would be different. Her life would change from now on. Was she ready for something like this? How could she do it?
She would make it, she had to.
She had given herself a promise and she would do anything to keep it.
Chapter 1 - A Head Start
PX379 - 15 December 2010
The Iris closed behind the three SG-1 members in his well-known hiss.
Sam put on a smile while she walked down the stepps from the Stargate. The pictures of the MALP hadn't lied. It was quiet and the weather was exceptionally good. She looked into the distance to make a brief check-up. No village was to be seen and neither where some power-hungry Goa'uld. She let the grip around her P-90 loosen up and marched towards Daniel and Teal'c, who'd already gone a few steps to the left.
"Well guys, I'd say we march three Miles south, then we split up and see if there's something to be found, as said, pure reconnaissance mission."
Daniel and Teal'c nodded in agreement as Sam took place in front of them as they startet walking. They walked silently side by side, each in they thoughts but at the same time vigilant. The leaves of the trees were already near their end and offered a colorful spectacle. The majestic mountains already had a white snow cap, and if you looked more closely you could see the wind whirling up the snow. Daniel had to smile at the sight. It reminded him of the time when he and his grandfather strolled through the woods in the mountains of Michigan. It always had a calming effect on him.
It was a good distraction to the lousy weather that was happening in Colorado and the warming sunbath sparkled a short smile on his lips. Daniel glanced at Sam, who'd already gone a bit further down the road. For the last few days, she'd been pretty quiet, but who could take offense?
This days weren't good ones and Daniel hoped they would bring them over as fast as possible.
They walked on for a while as the forest, which had previously looked harmless and quite, grew tighter. The more they walked, the more quiet it became. Daniel stopped after a while and adjusted his glasses.
"It's so quiet here." He said dryly as he glanced at Sam, who now stood a little further ahead near a thick tree trunk.
He watched his good friend as she watched the area carefully and then turned her gaze towards him.
"Almost too quiet, stay watchful." Sam said with a quiet tone as she straightened her cap and then continued on walking.
Teal'c, who walked behind Daniel and Sam, had been quite, but now also expressed the unusual silence.
"I do not like this."
Samantha stopped for a moment and looked at her faithful friend who came standing next to her.
"Let's go on about four miles further and if we don't find anything interesting, we'll go back."
Sam tried to suppress the uncertainty in her voice as she turned her gaze through the dense leaves of the trees. She could hardly see the sky from here. It had something crushing. The country, which had previously been so incredibly beautiful, had disappeared, and she wondered if there would be anything alive besides them. That the birds were no longer chattering, made an uneasy feeling rise in her. But she tried to push it aside and just concentrate on her task. They had a job to do and as soon as they would be certain that nothing interesting would past their ways, they could head home.
Another hour passed or so, as the three members of SG-1 marched now across a stone floor through a narrow valley.
When the dense forests finally disappeared, they came to a small hill. The landscape stretched over miles and the high mountains they'd seen before, were now smaller on the horizon. In front of them stretched a vast field but apart from a few trees and some rivers - it had nothing to offer. After they'd looked around and found no sign of life or of a city, Sam called back the troop.
"I don't think we'll find anything interesting here. The soil samples are probably the only thing we can take home with us today." She looked at Daniel and she could tell that he was disappointed. Of course she'd hoped that they would find something exciting here, but unfortunately they couldn't always be lucky.
"Next time we'll find something that will cheer you up, Daniel."She added nwith an encouraging smile.
"Looks really like an extinct planet, well, it was worth a try, better deadly silence than some bad guys ... and thank you Sam." He smiled slightly as he took a sip from his water bottle. The planet really seemed to be nothing special and Daniel hoped they would have more luck the next time.
"Any plans for tonight?" He asked Sam while she started to put her soil samples in her backpack.
Sam shook her head slightly as the group now set in motion to go back to the Stargate. "No plans, come over, I can cook something." Teal'c, are you coming too? "
The Jaffa warrior shook his head slightly. "Thank you very much for the invitation, but I'll go back to Chu'lak tonight, but I'll will be please to join you the next time."
Sam nodded and gave him a smile. She'd forgotten that Teal'c would go back to Chu'lak for a whole week. Damn it! She needed to concentrate more. The days around this time of year weren't easy for anyone, but she shouldn't be too distracted. She had to try to concentrate and just listen when someone told her something - not that easy.
She just had too much to worry about right now.
"Pizza, you could make pizza." Daniel said, dragging Sam back to reality. She couldn't resist a faint grin.
"Not pizza again, we've had it last time, I want to try something different, how sounds Chilli con Carne?"
"Sounds good to me Sam." Daniel nodded in agreement and together they made their way back to the gate. An hour later Daniel had now pushed in the last symbol into the DHD and the Stargate filled with life.
"I will bring the Cake." It suddenly came out of nowhere and Sam had to laugh again at Daniels comment.
"Cake sounds great!" Sam added with a nod as she turned in his direction and followed him up the stairs towards the shimmering blue light.
But before Sam went through she stop and stood still for a moment.
Suddenly something ran ice-cold over her back.
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"Colonel, welcome back, did you have any problems on the planet?" Landry's voice came out of the speaker, and Sam looked puzzled at the window she knew so well. There was still a strange feeling seeing Hank behind it. It had been exactly one year since General Hammond had retired. She liked Landry, he did a good job and in the meantime everyone had got used to him. Still, she missed the familiar face she'd greeted over the past 10 years.
"Problems Sir?" She looked questioningly in the direction of the general.
"You're six hours late Colonel." It sounded again from the speakers.
"Six hours, Sir? But we've dialed up the gate exactly at 1500 as planned." Daniel turned at Sam, who once again glanced at her watch and then shrugged. It was extremely weird and Sam knew there would be some test for her to do, but she would think about it later. There had to be an explanation for this. Possibly a solar eruption that had affected their traveling from the planet. - nothing she could't figure out and nothing that she didn't see before.
"Sir I think I know what the problem is, possibly there was a solar eruption when we passed through the gate. I will look in to it as soon as I'm changed."
"Well, Colonel, don't let me keep you from doing so, briefing in an hour."
"Yes, Sir."
Sam nodded and followed Daniel and Teal'c out of the gateroom. Once she arrived in the locker room, she waited until Daniel and Teal'c had finished showering and then stept into the shower aswell.
The first jet of water felt cold at first. But when the water temperature rose, she breathed out calmly. She could feel her tense muscles relax, and a sense of calm came over her. Every time she went through the gate, she knew she was taking a risk, but then, every time, hope came. What if they might find him?
The closer the day came, the worse it became. It would soon be four years. Four years without Jack. Even if she told herself that she'd never see him again, she couldn't stop hoping.
The warm water felt pleasant on her skin. The planet from before had been quite strange. She couldn' exactly say what it was that made her shiver, but somehow she didn't feel good about it. Perhaps it was only because she'd become much more vigilant in the last few years. In the past something like this wouldn't had bothered her. She always knew that no matter what happened, she could rely on Jack. It gave her security to feel his presence on a mission. Knowing that he was only a few steps behind her. That he would take control if something went wrong. That he would always watch her six.
Not that she couldn't defend herself. She had been the leader of SG1 for four years now. At first it had been a great challenge and she'd taken several months to get used to it. Even today, she often wondered, if it might have been a mistake to take the position as leader of SG1. She was a good soldier and she knew that she had the confidence and support of her two friends and the whole SGC. But somehow it felt wrong. It should of been his place. No one was as good as Jack O'Neill, not even her.
Sighing, she turned the water off, opened the curtain and stepped out of the shower. After getting dressed, she decided to go over to Janet, who was to be found as usual in the infirmary. Her best friend sat at her desk and smiled when she saw Sam.
"Well, everything went well i guess?" Asked the brunette, who always had a hearty smile on her lips.
Sam smiled and sat on the infirmary bed as always. Janet stood up and short after she started checking Sam. The usual routine control after a mission.
"Yes, nothing special, it was short trip, no village or sign of live." She said shrugging as she then continued.
"Not that I'm complaining, this time my report will be much shorter than the last one, I'll have to go over to General Landry and then I will had home. I invited Daniel for dinner. He said you didn't have any plans for tonight so..."
Janet gently touched Sam's troat and then continued with her checkups. She knew Sam didn't want to be alone today and she would do everything in her power to be as close to her as possible.
"That sounds great, should I bring something?" A bottle of wine, perhaps? "
Sam returned her grin. She could need a good bottle of wine and it would certainly not be wrong this evening.
"That would be great, come over at 7pm.."
"Perfect, your also good to go, everything is fine." Janet smiled happy and Sam stood up.
"See you later." She added and then left the infirmary.
The meeting with General Landry had also been quick, since they've had not much to report about PX379. She told Landry she would give him a quick report about the time change that occurred first thing in the morning. After she had'd said good-bye to Teal'c, who she wouldn't see again for two weeks, she now went to the elevator. She waited impatiently for the doors to open as Major Swan stepped beside her.
"Colonel Warren, I'm sorry if I holding you up, but we're currently checking the Naquada Mine on PX34832 and I thought you would be interested in joining us tomorrow, we'd like to have you with us."
Sam looked at the man and a shiver run trough her body. She knew this planet too good, and the thought made her stop breathing. She had sworn never would she put foot on it, but she knew that sooner or later she'd to face her fears. The Major probably didn't even know what had happend on this planet and probably just wanted her expertise on the Naqauda. But for Sam, this trip would be far more than just a few simple samples. She looked at the soldier and just decided to listen to her gut feeling and then nodded at him.
"That sounds good, I'd like to accompany you, is General Landry informed?"
"Great news Ma'm, I asked General Landry this morning whether it would be okay for you to accompany us, he didn't mind. We will meet at 0730."
"Okay, thank you Major, then we'll meet tomorrow, I wish you a nice evening."
She smiled at the man once more and then stepped into the elevator.
Was she really ready for it?
A/N: I hope you liked the first chapter and you could read it in english :P Please don't hesitate to give me some guidance in my english writing - i would really appreciate it!