Deus ex Machina by Mandarax
Author's Note – Search for Dues Ex Machina in wikipedia. Seriously.
A challenge from Samfan9 that I just had to answer.
Disclaimer – Not mine. Beware of the Blah Blah Blah. (Go Charlie the Unicorn!! Look for it on youtube.)
Summary – in Ex Dues Machina Sam and Agent Barrett have that awkward conversation in the truck, and they kind of ended it in the middle. Can be a sequel to Mark 9 but can definitely be read as a stand-alone fic.
Rated T.
**
Though she would never disobey an order from a commanding officer, Sam had qualms about her current assignment to work with Agent Malcolm Barrett on the Ba'al-is-on-Earth mission. She had Daniel at her side, that was true enough, and Danny is well caught up on the current state of affairs, as it were. But still, she hadn't left things off with Barrett quite as friendly as she'd hoped last time. It was more like she let him down really hard. Daniel knew that of course, and just as she knew he would, he stood at her side and backed her up. She was feeding off his quiet strength, putting up a nonchalant charade only because he was there to help her through what was likely to be a long and uncomfortable mission.
But, with all his strength and support, Sam knew Daniel couldn't always be by her side. Especially since becoming such a strong member of the team, almost a solider himself and not just the archeologist, he was given more freedom to act on his own in tense situations. How sweet, really, it was of Jack to teach him how to shoot every single piece of weaponry that had gone through their hands, from P90s to zats.
As Barrett, Daniel and she sat around the truck, waiting for updates from the field, she half watched Barrett. He'd been throwing her glances all day, and since they hadn't talked about what had happened last time they met, she knew he was going to ask at one point or another.
She relaxed slightly when the truck door opened and another agent, whom she recognized as Williams, climbed into the truck.
Malcolm nods to him. "What's the situation?"
They're all business, and Williams answers. "They're still inside. Since 16:02. All the exits are covered; we're just waiting for the green light."
Barrett nods again. "Dr. Jackson, you go with Williams."
She'd been listening without saying a word so far, but she should have said something now, because really, she's in charge of Daniel and she can't have others ordering him around. Instead, Sam closes her eyes briefly, aware of what's going to happen, aware that she's been avoiding being alone with Malcolm since arriving.
Williams checks his gun while Daniel rises up from his chair without a word, checks for his weapon at his back, and with a final apologetic glance at her, he climbs out behind Williams.
She needs to put some distance between them she realizes, and rises from her seat to watch Daniel follow Williams from the truck's back window. When there's nothing more to watch a few seconds later, she turns to the equipment and flicks on a switch. They should be prepared for incoming reports.
She knows Malcolm is watching her, years of having Jack watch her from the corner of his eye, and doing the same to him, had her trained. Then he clears his throat, and turns back to his own set of blinking lights on the console in front of him.
"How have you been?" He asks casually, and it's nothing but.
She looks up from the monitor she's been checking and glances at him, "Pretty good. You?"
He looks at her for a second, and she doesn't know if it's because he buys the act or not. "Yeah, pretty good. Can't complain," he doesn't call her on it.
She nods at him. He nods back.
She can deal with uncomfortable silence, probably better than she can deal with idle and irrelevant conversation, but Malcolm doesn't give up.
"What's new?"
She flicks switches on and off, turns a knob here and then there, trying to set up the equipment for best reception. She goes for the nonchalance again, "Uhh, let's see. I was leading R&D for a while there."
He interjects, "I never figured you the type to settle for a desk job."
She answers quickly, "I needed something with more flexible work hours. Janet's adopted daughter, Cassie, was going through a hard time."
"Oh, I see."
That was an excuse and they both knew it. Granted, Cassie had been going through a rough time, but that had more to do with college than anything else.
He accepts that, and she goes on, trying to fill the void so that no uncomfortable questions come up.
"Spent some time on the Prometheus on deep space reconnaissance… Oh! Helped stop a dangerous new enemy from gaining a foothold in the galaxy." That last part she says with an actual smile.
He chuckles, "yes, I heard about that."
She's still smiling when she puts in the earpiece.
"How's Pete?"
Yep, there it is. She glances at him, and he's trying the casual, cool and composed look as well. And not doing so well. She answers honestly. "We broke up."
He turns his head to look at her; his lips are twitching, the corner of his mouth turns up. "Really?"
She gives him a pointed look, but says nothing.
"Uhm, I'm sorry to hear that," he adds quickly.
"It's the best thing for both of us," she concludes, hoping this is the end and knowing it isn't.
He nods his head, and then, unable to keep the curl of a smile from his lips again, he asks. "So you're single again?"
She isn't quick to answer because how do you tell a guy who asked you out once and wants to do so again that you're not with the guy you refused him for last time, but you're not exactly single anymore because you married your ex-CO instead?
"Not exactly." She hopes this time it really is the final question.
His smile turns to a frown. He's given up all pretense of working.
She glances at him, smiles apologetically, and with a shrug turns back to her equipment.
He's staring at her. She makes a decision. To avoid any future misunderstandings and uncomfortable silences, she's going to have to tell him. She doesn't look at him as she says "I got married."
He glances at her left hand. "No ring."
"It's on my dog-tags." She switches on a piece of equipment, checks if she can hear anything from the earpiece, waiting for Williams or Daniel to give them a heads-up.
"Oh." Barrett still hasn't recovered; he's staring into a spot on the truck wall above his console. He's confused.
She glances at him, and she sighs. It wasn't a good explanation, she knows. She braces herself. "I married Jack O'Neill."
His head snaps to look at her. He's surprised. "Isn't he your CO?"
"He was. Before."
"Oh." He looks at her, still confused, then his eyes widen. "Oh."
She wonders if he understands that she left Pete because of Jack, if not for him. She wonders if that's what he's ohhhing about.
Daniel's voice ripples through the truck and she lets out a sigh of relief. Even when he isn't with her, Daniel is her deus ex machina. He reports that he and Williams are suspecting that Ba'al is still in the office. She knows Daniel didn't really have to report that.
She and Barrett are all business again.
At least she'll never have to have this conversation with him ever again.