Second chances
"Sara, oh my, Sara…" Jack softly moaned. Daniel shifted in his own sleeping bag and
lazily kicked his friend. Jack was talking in his sleep again, off world. For the third time that
mission Daniel gave silent thanks that Sam and Teal were in the other tent. That'd be just what I
need, Daniel thought , Sam to hear Jack moaning over Sara in his sleep. Daniel was puzzled
over Jack's new nocturnal use of his ex-wife's name. Through the traumas and the years together
Daniel and Jack had an unspoken agreement to watch over each other's nightmares. To wake the
other if the dream seemed to get bad enough, to talk in quite whispers about it if it helped the
other to go back to sleep, but to never, ever, talk about it in the morning. Daniel believed that one
time, after everything with Baal, that Jack faked a nightmare just to be able to talk to Daniel
about it without violating the "rules' of their tent sharing. Daniel would wait out Jack, if he
wanted to talk about his dreams of Sara, he would. If it wasn't that bad, then we wouldn't.
Daniel could wait out his friend's new dreams. But Jack's new daytime crabbiness was another
matter altogether. That morning he had trampled straight through the area Daniel was excavating.
When Daniel complained Jack simply snarled, "What Daniel? They're pot shards…they're still
pot shards… just small pieces of em…" Yeah, lovely. He had gotten short tempered with Sam's
insistence that they go another 10 clicks to a water source. "I don't give a damn," He said. "Camp
is here, get your samples from here." Fortunately Teal'c had located a small creek less than a half
click away, to which Jack caustically replied, "Well, isn't that great, now everybody gets what
they want." Jack had eaten his MREs cold, gone to bed first, and agreed to take the last watch.
Daniel was not looking forward to being greeted by a grumpy Jack first thing in the morning.
Daniel was still ruminating on his friend's sour disposition when Teal'c entered their tent, "Hey
T." Daniel said weakly, raising a hand to wave at him having just given over watch to Teal only a
few hours ago, "It is time for O'Neal's watch." Teal'c said, As he moved further into the tent
Daniel noticed light dawning outside. Teal must have been on watch a few more hours than
Daniel had thought. "Teal'c?" Daniel asked, "What time is it?" Teal simply stated, "I thought
O'Neal could benefit from a longer rest period." With near mirth sparkling in their depths his
eyes landed on Jack, and Daniel smiled. "Oh, Ok, let's hope it worked." Daniel kicked at Jack
through his sleeping bad again, "Jack." Daniel said, "Hey Jack. Your watch, get up." "Hump?"
Jack said before becoming alert and sitting up. "Oh, Damn, morning again." With effort Jack
dragged himself out of his sleeping bag, stretched, and left the tent. Daniel tossed and turned a bit
before giving in and getting up to make the mornings coffee. On a good day Jack would have it
ready and waiting for him, but Daniel could already tell today was not going to be a good day.
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Leave it to Sam to innocently pick the mornings first fight. She had found some strange
energy readings. She stated the UAV had also picked up odd energy reading and they were near
the water source. Despite Jack's earlier declaration that they were not wandering away from
camp, Sam pushed. "No," Jack said. "This isn't a science field trip. Our job is just to determine if
this is a sacred site for the Unas for mining the naquda deposits on this planet. Nothing else."
Sam still pushed. "Carter," Jack said icily, "Your just going to have to learn, you don't always
get what you want." Jack's tone hit Sam like a cold blast and she straighten immediately, "Yes
sir!" She said almost as icily and turned away. Jack and Sam didn't speak, to each other or
anyone else, the remainder of the mission.
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Daniel finished up his dig, having determined that this site was merely a rest stop for
travelers and a not a scared space. And the four went back to earth. The medical checked out
fine, and the briefing over quickly. Even Daniel didn't have much to say about the negative
findings. Hammond was pleased, a human mining crew would be assembled and sent to begin
operations. SG1 should never have cause to step foot on that planet again. It was over and done.
Sam hoped that everything that day could be over and done. But it was team night. A standing
reservation at Jack's house for Friday's after missions. He hadn't called it off so she had to
assume it was still on. Upset as she was about the way Jack was acting she knew he got that way
when something was eating at him. She didn't know what it was, but she was going to find out,
and fix it if she could.
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Sam showered and changed on base. She kept a supply of everything she need and a
change of clothes in her locker just for team nights. Being the girl she also got the showers to
herself, so she was ready first. She left the locker room giving the others waiting outside
clearance to go in. Not seeing Jack she looked puzzled, "He went home already." Daniel stated
to her confused sweep of the area. "Oh," Sam said, "We still on for tonight?" She asked. Daniel
shrugged, "He didn't say were not." "Oh, ok." Sam said. "I'll meet you there." And with that, she
walked out of Cheyenne Mountain and drove to Jacks.
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Sam knocked on the door with no answer. Jack was home, his truck was in the driveway.
She knocked again. And again, with no answer. Sam was starting to get upset. If he didn't want
to see us, she thought, he could call or at least answer the door and tell me to leave! Sam got out
her key to Jack's house, unlocked the door and let herself in. She didn't have to get past the foyer
before she figured out why Jack hadn't answered the door. She heard the shower running. "Sir!"
Sam cried out, "I'm downstairs, I let myself in." She heard a muffled watery sound that sounded
kind of like, "Ok Carter." She was about to turn toward the living room when a piece of mail on
Jack's hall table caught her eye. It was the delicate, feminine script that spelled out the address
that first caught her attention but it was the return address that made her look more closely. The
letter was from Sara, Jack's ex-wife. She held her breath and looked at the post mark, dated a
little less than a week ago. As in about a week ago that Jack had suddenly gotten so upset. It
didn't take a genius I.Q. to realize she had her reason for Jacks unbalanced state in front of her,
but it took a few minutes for her to fight through her feeling of prying to pick up the letter. In the
back of her mind she was listing to the pattern of the water of the shower, the steady hum and
splash. The bumping of plastic on porcelain as Jack grabbed the shampoo. Calculating she had at
least until he rinsed his hair and toweled off, and she'd hear him turn off the water, she gently
slipped the letter out of the envelop and began to read:
Jack,
I hope this letter finds you. And that it finds you doing well at whatever it is your doing these days.
I am writing you out of respect for you, not to hurt you. I have met a wonderful man, his name is Andrew.
He is good to me and we work well together. We are expecting a child in July. I am seven months pregnant.
I waited to tell you because at my age I wanted to make sure everything was ok before I gave you such news.
I wanted to tell you myself and not have you hear it from friends or in any other way.
Out of respect for the fact that you were Charlie's father I
felt you had the right to know Charlie is to have a little sister.
I hope you understand how precious this second chance is to me and that it
in no way diminishes the love I have for Charlie in my heart.
Warmly,
Sara
Sam's grip on the letter loosened in shock. Suddenly she understood. She had been to so
many wedding showers and baby showers and nothing for her. She understood the pain that
could come with another person's good news but she could not fathom the depth of pain this kind
of news would bring Jack. She was still holding the letter, lost in thought, when she got caught.
Jack stood in the hallway, looking at her, knowing what she had just read. "Carter," He said, his
voice low and dangerous. "I don't think that was addressed to you." A flash of embarrassment
ran though Sam, but she didn't deny it. "Sara's having a baby." Sam stated. Jack winced at the
words out loud and walked over to Sam. "Yeah…" Jack said. He stood in front of her and Sam
looked up. "Is that bothering you?" She asked. She knew the answer, but she had other questions,
ones that shone in her large and slightly damp eyes as she looked at Jack. Jack sighed. He took
the letter from Sam's left hand and then held her hand. "I'm happy for her…" Jack began. "I
honestly am. After Charlie… she wanted to try again, was obsessed with it, I was terrified. Full
of guilt and grief and self-hatred, I didn't think I deserve a second chance. We tore each other
apart. In the end we became different people, and the Sara and Jack that had loved each other
were gone. That love was gone. And she knew her second chance wouldn't be with me…" Jack
paused and then addressed the other question in Sam's eyes, "I'm not jealous. Not like that. She
got what she wanted and I'm happy for her, but it made me realize a few things." Jack stroked
Sam's hand and in a voice so broken he whispered. "I can't have what I want," Jack said and he
looked into Sam eyes and then looked away as he added, "And I've lost all of my second
chances." Her hand still in his he looked down and softly ran his finger over her ring finger.
Pete's ring was no longer there, but then neither was his. Sam felt a wave of love crash over her,
and without thinking she was in his arms, kissing him. Drinking his pain and replacing it with
joy. Tears leaked from her overfilled eyes as Jack's arms came around her. Holding her, petting
her, his hands on her face, round her waist, the back of her neck. Jack broke the kiss and looked
down at Sam, her eyes still closed, "Carter." Jack said softly, like a man trying to gently wake a
sleep walker. "What are you doing?" Sam's mind had come to a standstill with Jack's kiss, "I
don't know." Sam answered. "But, I want… I want a second chance." She opened her eyes and
smiled at him. "I want to take back what I said, let it out of the room." Jack smiled. "Are you
sure?" Jack asked her. Sam smiled, placed her arms around Jack and between kisses said, "I
think were worth a second chance."
The end? We'll see what the reviews say…