A/N This is my first ever FanFic.
Please be kind.
But seriously, please tell me what you think.
Present Day
Downtime. What was she supposed to do with downtime? At first it had been a suggestion, then a request. Finally, it had become an order. And if there was one thing Samantha Carter was good about, it was following orders and regulations.
She let herself into her house, and thought that maybe a hot shower would relax her. That was an exercise in futility and she knew that, but she went through the motions anyway. After she was done, she went to her bedroom where she stopped short. Her eyes went directly to a picture of the two of them. It was a candid shot. Cassie had taken it and framed it for Sam last Christmas. She felt that all too familiar lump rise in her throat.
"No." She thought. Not here. Not now. But she was drawn to the picture anyway. She picked it up and looked at him. Her thumb slowly tracing his face. The smirk on Jack's face warmed her heart and tore at her at the exact same moment.
She couldn't let herself grieve for him. Not yet anyway. Because to grieve she would have to admit that he was gone. To admit that he was gone, she would have to accept that she failed. To accept that she failed was to admit that it was her fault…
But it was her fault.
It was her fault that Jack O'Neill was gone… that Jack… her Jack was dead.
3 months ago
It had started out as a routine mission to a routine planet. The people of this planet called themselves the Pentlookian. They were friendly and knowledgeable about the stargate.
Their scientists had been working on getting it set up and running when Col. Cam Mitchell and the rest of SG-1 walked through.
Their leader, a matriarch by the name of Fallon, welcomed the travelers with open arms. Even when the head of her security questioned them, SG-1 took it all in stride. After all, there were used to this kind of thing. When they were deemed not to be a threat, they met with Fallon and the rest of her advisors. Scientists and Historian were the first in line to question them. Daniel did what he could to help fill in the missing pieces of their history by helping them translate some of the texts they had found. Sam did what she could to help enlighten their scientists.
It was in essence a routine mission, but something felt off.
No one could put their finger on what exactly was not quite right about this planet and the people who called it home, but they felt it just the same. Daniel threw out the notion that they were jaded. They were used to bad guys being everywhere. That they were in fact just being cynical.
"Come on guys. Face it. We are bitter and skeptical because nothing disastrous has happened." Daniel said.
"But there is something…" Mitchell contested. "You feel it too, don't ya Sam?"
"Yes. But maybe Daniel is right. Maybe we are just being misanthropic."
"Not that it is my place to say anything," Vala started.
"Like that has ever stopped you." Daniel quipped.
Vala shot Daniel a look, and continued, "But I think everything is just peachy."
The team looked at Teal'c.
"Teal'c thoughts?" Mitchell asked him.
"I believe these people to be fair." He said.
Mitchell threw his hand up in the air. "I'm telling you, there is just something not right about these Pentlookians. I feel it."
Sam felt it too. She just wished she had listened.
TBC