May 2, 2001 – Colorado Springs, CO
"When am I going to get the answers to the questions I've been asking? Answers that I was assured I would have before now," Colonel O'Neill snapped to the briefing room where SG-1, General Hammond, and Ambassador Faxon were all seated around the table.
At this point, Jack knew the deal was done. It has been for a while, and nothing was going to stop it. Hell, Kinsey won the election because of it. All he was trying to do now was to get his team behind him again. He had a bad feeling they would be needed. It was a last ditch effort, but it was all he had left.
"Colonel, all of the pertinent questions have been answered, and the treaty is set to be signed tomorrow morning. It's a no brainer and a truly momentous occasion," the ambassador replied in a smooth tone as he glanced at Major Carter seated immediately to his left, his lips quirking up at the corners.
"The pertinent questions? Like why in the hell is a race interested in giving us everything we want for nothing?"
"Jack."
"Save it, Daniel. The Aschen all look the same, dress the same, talk the same, act the same. I've never seen a less cultured people, so they sure as hell haven't been getting it from the current Confederation members. They don't give a damn about our culture."
"Sir, the value of gate addresses is of…"
"Yes, Major, I can definitely see the value of a whole list of planets where they can go and give those people everything they want to get nothing in return.
What about the Jaffa? If we are killing the Goa'uld with this Aschen bioweapon, how do we discriminate between free Jaffa and otherwise? Or are we just going to kill them all?
What about the economic impact of the arrangement? A quarter of the economy is health care. Hell, 10% of it is related to defense spending. So, we are going to turn all of that over to the Aschen, disarm the public, disband the military, and overhaul over a third of the economy, and what, hope the Aschen will maintain order? It's not even a representative government anymore at that point. We are completely at their mercy."
The Colonel was on a roll now, and his anger and volume rose with every word.
"You call this a 'no brainer'? Well, you've got that right. We're surrendering our brains in the deal. They don't want to deal with people with brains. They want to deal with people who will blindly accept what they are told, that have their heads shoved so far up their asses…"
"Colonel! I understand your misgivings son, but it is out of our hands. SG-1 is on down time for the next week, and then I know the president wants you all there for the press conference next Thursday. Dismissed." The General let out a deep breath and rubbed his forehead.
Everyone stood up from the table, except for Jack, who was already standing.
"Sam," in a quiet voice, Joe Faxon called her over. "Call me when your plane lands tomorrow. We'll do something to celebrate."
"I'd like that," Sam replied with a smile.
"Great, I have to run and catch my flight. I'll see you tomorrow."
Jack saw them out of the corner of his eye.
Just friends my ass. But why lie to me? To let me down easier? I've gotta talk to her.
"Sir, a moment," while Sam and Faxon were wrapping up their chat, Jack called over to Hammond and handed him an envelope.
"What's this, Jack?"
"My formal resignation, sir. You know I've wanted to retire for years, and that was when I was serving this country and planet. I'll be damned if I'm going to serve the Aschen. I hope you put it through right away. I won't be at the presser on Thursday, and I'd hate to tell Kinsey to kiss my ass while I'm still under his command. Well, actually that's not true."
Hammond chuckled. "I know, Jack. I'll put it through right away. With the pain in their asses you've been since the talks started, I doubt they are anxious to keep to you anyway, so I'm sure they will approve it. For the record, I understand your hesitation, but you know my hands were tied on this one."
"I know. It would have been nice to get some backup from my team, but what's done is done. It's been an honor, sir."
"Likewise, son. I'll visit sometime and bring my fishing rod."
"You're always welcome, George."
...
As Jack walked out the door, he ran into Sam, who had just left a few moments before.
"What was that all about, sir?"
"Ah, not 'sir' anymore, Carter. I'm retired."
Sam's eyes got as wide as saucers.
"What? Why?"
"Why not, Sam? The war is over, right? I've done all I can here. Now, it's time to do some things I've wanted to do for a while, that I can do now."
Sam? Oh no, what's he doing?
"Oh? Like what, sir?"
"It's Jack, Sam. And I thought I'd see if you want to discuss some of those things with me over dinner tonight?"
No! I wanted to leave it in the room! I don't know what my feelings for him mean exactly. It feels like I would get swept away in them, lose control. But I've been in love before, right?. It didn't feel like this with Jonas. Besides, all we do anymore is fight about the Aschen. What does he think we would talk about?
And now, I have Joe. We've been on a few dates now, and he's sweet. He is comfortable. He agrees with me about the Aschen. We don't argue. I'm in control of my feelings. Joe isn't dangerous like the Colonel.
"I'm sorry, sir, but I have an early flight to DC in the morning."
"Come on, Sam, it's not even 1800. I'll have you home in plenty of time to pack," Jack asked with a hopeful look in his eyes.
"I really can't. I still have to finish some of my presentations. I really am sorry."
"Oh, ok. When do you get back?" The pain flashed in his eyes for a brief moment before the blank stare returned.
"Sunday afternoon."
"Well, have a nice trip. Call me when you get back, and maybe we can do something next week."
"I will, sir, thanks."
May 8, 2001 – Colorado Springs, CO
Who would have thought being retired would be so boring?
Jack thought to himself. He knew Sam was due back from Washington Sunday afternoon, so since then he has spent most of his time wondering if she was going to call him.
I'm not an idiot. I know what time it is. No fool like an old fool, I suppose. Not that I can blame her. She's gorgeous, a genius, a good person, a kickass soldier. She's the whole package. I'm a broken down, old man. She probably thinks of me as a father figure, for cryin' out loud. Well, not quite. She would probably put a bit more faith in me regarding the Aschen if she thought that highly of me. I'm just an another old CO. Oh well, I'll give it one more shot, see if there is anything there on her part, and then head to the cabin.
So, after Sunday and Monday passed without hearing from Sam, Jack went and picked up a bouquet of daisies, Sam's favorite, jumped in the truck, and headed to her house. It was Tuesday around 1000, and he called to make sure she hadn't signed into the base, so he thought he would try to have a word with her at home. Jack parked on the street, and just as he opened the door to get out of his black F-150, Sam's front door opened. Joe Faxon was standing in the doorway with his back to the street locked in a heated kiss with Sam. Jack's heart shattered, his limbs went numb. He dropped the flowers in the street, closed his door, and drove away as fast as he could, running over the daisies on the way.
...
Meanwhile, Sam heard the squeal of the tires and looked up. She thought she saw the back of a black pickup drive away. After she bid Joe farewell, she noticed what looked like a bouquet of flowers crushed in the street.
Don't be ridiculous, why would Colonel O'Neill have been here with flowers? It must have been a neighbor or something. Oh well, I know he is expecting me to call him, but I don't know what to say. Maybe by later I'll think of something.
Later that night, as Jack left for Minnesota, Sam lay in bed trying to figure out why she felt so uneasy with her love life.
Because, you're stupid if you think you can dismiss what you feel for Jack as a crush and hero worship.
Unaware of where that thought came from, she ruthlessly shoved it away and forced her self to think about Joe.
May 10, 2001 – Bear Creek, MN
It was Thursday, the big day. While the rest of SG-1 sat at the table with microphones in front of them on national television, Jack sat on his couch at the cabin with a pot of coffee in front of him, though he wasn't hung over as much as he was still half in the bag from the day and night before.
He still hadn't heard from Carter, which was probably for the best. He had no clue what he might end up saying to her. He'd barely been conscious since he started drinking when he got there early Wednesday afternoon. He didn't even know what he said to Kinsey when he called imploring him to come to the press conference, although he remembered that he did in fact tell him to kiss his ass at some point.
While Kinsey, Faxon, and then Daniel babbled on about the significance of the treaty, Jack bobbed in and out of sleep. Then he woke up enough to catch the tail end of Carter's statement.
"The advances in science and medicine this partnership will provide are mind boggling. This is probably the single most important day in the history of this planet. Allying ourselves with the Aschen really was, well, a no brainer."
As she said those last two words, Faxon chuckled, and Sam looked over at him and smiled. Jack's mood was black. He switched from coffee to scotch, harkening back to his final outburst back at the SGC. The now constant stabbing in his chest was compounded by the humiliation twisting his gut. He thought about the woman he loves and her lover having such a good time at his expense.
She doesn't trust me, love me, or apparently even respect me. Talk about an old fool.