-1Absent Friends
Author: Magicsunbeam
Category: Hurt/Comfort
Pairing: None
Content: K
Summary: Missing scene from Tok`ra 2. Something's bugging Sam and Jack wants
to know what it is. I wrote this a while ago so some may have seen it on
Disclaimer: I don't own Stargate - it belongs to lucky old MGM
De-briefing, done. Medical checks, done. Shower, done. Eating, done.
All that was left was to head off home, maybe grab a beer and fall asleep
watching a game on T.V.
There was just one thing, one small problem was niggling at Jack O'Neill as he sauntered out of his office and into the corridors.
He was unsure how to deal with the problem. Hell, in his head, he
wasn't even sure if it *was* a problem. However his gut, his intuition, call
it what you will, was telling him something was not right in the world of
SG1.
As he realised he was passing Sam Carter's lab for the third time, he knew
his gut feeling was probably right. Deciding to get off the merry-go-round
of SGC corridors, he turned and headed back for the lab.
The door was open and, from there, he could see Sam sitting at her bench
staring unseeing, at a small gadget she held in her hands. He stood for a
while waiting to see if his presence would be felt.
Finally, clearing his throat he said, "Lights are on, but no one seems to be
home."
Sam jumped, almost dropping the gadget.
"Sorry, Colonel, I didn't see you."
"So I noticed. Whatcha got there?" He asked, coming into the room.
Puzzled as to why the colonel would want to know what she was doing, she
hesitated for a second before answering.
"It's a...... well, actually Sir, I don't know what it is. It's part of
sometechnology SG4 brought back from PXJ 556. We're still working on it. We
think maybe it's some sort of super-conductor for an anti-gravitational
device."
"Oh?" Jack cocked his head slightly, indicating that he may have been
interested to know more, had he not already been sure that the information
was going to go straight over his head, whistling `Dixie` as it went.
Sam smiled, having seen that look many times already.
"Is there something I can help you with, Sir?"
"Well, you see Carter," he relaxed visibly. "that was going to be my next
question."
She looked perplexed just for a moment, and then the light dawned.
Damn, she thought she had got away with being inconspicuous, but it appeared she had
underestimated her CO's powers of observation. She lowered her head, not
wanting Jack to see that he had caught her out.
However, he saw her discomfort, and before another word was spoken, he knew
his instincts had been right. Something *was* bothering her, it bothered him
too, and he wanted it fixing.
"Me and the guys missed you at chow, so I thought I'd head back up here and
see if you were okay."
"I'm fine." Sam answered, a little too quickly.
Taking the gadget from her and setting it down on the bench, Jack then sat
himself down on a stool next to her.
"Okaaay........." His voice was surprisingly soft, "You're not `fine`
Carter. A blind man in a sandstorm can see you're not `fine`. You are my 2IC and my
friend, what bugs you, bugs me. Now tell me, who said what, when, and which
of his bones you would prefer I break?"
A small smile appeared before Sam looked to the floor. A moment's silence
passed between them.
"You're worried about Jacob?" he suggested, and the smile instantly
disappeared.
`Bingo.` Jack said to himself. He waited patiently to see if he was going to
have to drag it from her, breathing a quiet sigh of relief when she
volunteered.
"It's just....... well Sir, it's a lot to take in, you know?" Sam didn't
look up for confirmation. She paused for a moment, trying to gather the words
together.
"All my life Dad's been a hard, solid military type. Nothing used to faze
him, he'd take whatever orders that were given and see them through. Oh,
he'd voice an opinion if something really bothered him, if an order didn't
ring true, but on the whole he was there to do a job and he made sure it got
done." She glanced quickly at Jack.
"You kind of remind me of him."
Jack raised his eyebrows. He'd only known Jacob Carter a short time, but
what he had seen of him, he liked. So he took Sam's likening him to the
older man as a compliment.
"It was only a few weeks ago that Dad told me he had cancer." Sam went on.
"I didn't expect it to move so fast. Suddenly, there was this sick, weak
figure where there used to be a strong, independent man and I admit it
scared the hell out of me."
"Look Carter," Jack interrupted. "I can understand how something like that
would affect you but there *is* a bright side to all of this. Your dad is
the epitome of health again...... Okaaay, so I don't think I would like the
idea of having my very own Junior to share the rest of my days with, but
hell, the guy's going to outlive you by at *least* a couple of centuries. You
should be out there celebrating, not sitting here getting depressed."
Sam said nothing, just gave the slightest nod. Jack suddenly got the feeling
he was about to hit the nail on the head.
"Carter?"
"I know, Sir. I should be celebrating and I will."
"Okaaay, there's something else you're not telling old Jack."
When Sam didn't reply, he took her chin in his hand and turned her head,
forcing her to meet his gaze and was surprised to see tears glistening just
out of reach.
Pulling away from him, embarrassed, she said. "It's stupid."
"Not to you." He said softly. "Sam, what's *really* wrong?"
She noted the use of her first name, not commonly used by her CO. She must
really have him worried.
"I know it's not every day you get a second chance at life and I know I
should be shouting from the rooftops, painting the town, celebrating. It's
just......"
"Go on." Jack prompted, gently.
"It's just that there's not going to be much fun in it, when the person I
most want to celebrate isn't here."
Inwardly cursing herself, she quickly brushed away a tear that had escaped.
"It's selfish of me, I know. But I just would have liked to spend a little time with him, to know that he really is okay. The stupid part is, I still feel I've lost him somehow."
Silently and with ease, Jack pulled Sam into his arms.
She surprised herself by not pulling away, suddenly realising she was
needing the comfort of a friend more than she cared to admit.
"It's not stupid and it's not selfish." He said, and then added. " But you
know he'll be fine, and just think, when he *does* get home, you can
congratulate yourself knowing there won't be many Dads who have travelled
galaxies to spend time with their daughter."
Jack heard a muffled laugh.
"It was bad enough getting a visit out of him when he was *in* the same
galaxy!" Sam said.
Sam held on for a moment longer then untangled herself from her friend's
arms.
"Thanks." She said simply.
"Any time." Jack replied and meaning it. "You going to be okay?"
Sam nodded her head and smiled. "Yeah, I'll be okay."
Jack headed for the door. He suddenly stopped and turned.
"Carter, do you have any plans for tonight?"
Once more, she was puzzled.
"No, why?"
"Well, I was just thinking. We haven't had a team night in a while, maybe
tonight would be good. We could help you paint the town." He grinned.
Sam smiled, a genuine, dazzler of a smile.
"Okay Sir, I'll fetch the pizza."
"Deal." Jack agreed, and went on his way.
Just after 8 o'clock, Sam pulled onto Jack's driveway and parked alongside
Daniel's silver Audi. Climbing out from behind the wheel, she grinned to
herself, thinking. `The boys are back in town.`
Gathering up the pizza boxes, she was about to head for the front door, when
Jack's head appeared over the balcony above her.
"Hey, Carter. We're up here."
She began the climb to Jack's observation deck, pizza's balanced
precariously. She was relieved of her load as she came level with the deck.
"Hey, Sam. Hope you brought lots of pizza, we're starved." Daniel asked
cheerily.
She grinned at him, "Plenty to go around Danny." She said, then made her way
to an empty deck chair and dropped into it. "What's with eating alfresco?
It's not so warm out here."
"Well, I got to thinking." Jack replied, handing her a beer. "We travel
among the stars just about every day now and it occurred to me we don't
often sit and actually *look* at where we're going or where we've been. So I
thought tonight, we would."
Sam nodded her head in agreement.
"Good idea, Sir."
Daniel was sitting with a large chunk of pizza in one hand, the other hand
on the telescope.
"Here Sam, take a look." He invited.
Swapping places, Sam put an eye to the machine. She saw a vibrant yellow
Star twinkling against the black velvet backdrop of night sky.
"Wow," she breathed. "That's so beautiful. What is that?"
"That's the star to which Abydos belongs." Daniel stated, wistfully.
Jack stood up and made his way across the deck.
"Let me take a look." He said, swapping places with Sam.
He fiddled with the dials for a couple of moments, then invited her to sit
again.
"This one may interest you, Carter."
Sam looked into the telescope once more, this time seeing a huge orange
orb.
"Which star is this?" she asked.
"I have no idea," Jack replied. "Doesn't have a name or number, yet."
Sam leaned away from the telescope and looked questioningly at her CO.
"So, why would it interest me?" she asked.
"Weeeellll--- when the Tok`ra dialled out of the SGC this afternoon, I was
sorta taking notice of the co-ordinates. I then bribed one of your brain box
scientist types into helping me work out a star map and---"
Stunned, Sam stared at him.
"You mean---"
Jack nodded, a big grin spreading across his face.
"You may not be able to talk to your Dad, but this way, at least you get to
*see* where he is--- for now at least."
"Sir," Sam floundered. "I don't know what to say."
"It's ok, Carter. Think nothing......."
"I mean, you actually took something *in*?" Sam grinned widely as Jack went
on.
"Yeah, I did...... HEY!!! You're getting dangerously close to disciplinary
action, Captain!"
Sam smiled. Another of her genuine, dazzling smiles. Jack caught it, knowing
the gratitude that came with it and winked at her in acknowledgement.
He suddenly raised his beer bottle.
"A toast, kids. To absent friends." He said, solemnly.
Four bottles chinked softly together.
"Absent friends." They chorused.
Suddenly, feeling much happier than she had done in weeks, Sam silently
thanked God for friends like these. She then turned back, to look once more
at the beautiful Topaz star that was still filling the lens.
"Night, Dad." She breathed.
~~~End~~~