When Sam hung up, she though the phone call was strange, so she called General Hammond since she had few minutes.
"Hammond."
"Sir, it's Major Carter. I need a favour."
"Major."
"I just got a strange call, a warning."
"Who was it?"
"Don't know sir!"
"What was the warning?"
"Well, sir. Mark set me up with a friend of his, Detective Pete Shanahan from Denver. I've got a date with him tonight. The strange phone call I got said that he knows about the SGC and what I do!"
"Are you sure this isn't a hoax?"
"No sir, no one knows about the date. The detective just called me this morning about it, so no one knows."
"That is strange all right, so what can I do for you?"
"Check him out; the message said that he works for the trust and for me to be careful."
"Well ok I'll make some calls. If he is working for the trust, don't let him know that you know." Then Sam heard a wagon pull up outside.
"I will sir! Let me know what you find out, he's just shown up."
"Ok, good luck!"
"Thank you sir," then they hung up.
Sam took a deep breath just as Pete knocked on the door. Sam put on a brave face and answered the door. Pete took her out to dinner. She put on a brave face just in case he was working for the Trust.
When they returned back to Sam's place, they talked for couple of minutes on the front door step when her cell phone rang.
"Sorry," then she answered it.
"Carter."
"Major Carter, it's General Hammond."
"Yes sir!"
"Detective Shanahan is working for the Trust." Sam was shocked but tried not to show it.
"Ok sir, I'm on my way. Thanks for calling."
"We will talk when you get here."
"Ok, thanks" then she hung up.
"Sorry Pete I've been called back."
"Sure, I would like for us to get together again."
"I'd like that, but with my work…"
"I understand." he gave her a kiss before he walked back to his truck.
Sam unlocked her door and walked inside turning lights on, and then she went to her bedroom and gt changed before leaving again to head to the SGC.
On the way to the SGC she noticed that Pete was following her, but they didn't know that Jon was following them. When Sam arrived twenty minutes later, she headed down to Hammond's office. When she stood in the doorway, Jack was there with a folder in hand.
"Colonel."
"Major! Come in and sit down." Sam walked in and sat down next to Jack.
"Major, I called the Colonel in on this one. I hope that is ok?"
"Yes sir, it's ok. What did you find?"
"Whoever called you Carter was right. This Detective Shanahan is working for the Trust. From the information that I was able to get, he is in a lot of debt and the Trust somehow found out that he is friends with Mark." Sam sat back in shock listening to what General Hammond had just said.
"I just can't believe this."
"Carter!" She turned to look at Jack.
"The President wants you to keep seeing him."
"What! Why?"
"So we can keep an eye on him, tap his phones, cameras so we can find out who his contact is."
"I don't know if I can do this!"
"Carter, Sam, it will be ok. As soon as we know who he is working for the sooner we can deal with them."
"Can I have some time to think about it?"
"Of course you can Major."
"Thank you sir, if you will excuse me," she stood up and walked out of the office.
Jack stood up and walked over and closed the door, then he turned to Hammond whom he knew and trusted.
"Colonel" Jack sat down after putting the folder on the General's desk.
"Sir, I think I know who called Carter."
"Who?"
"Jon… well future Jon"
"I think you better tell me what's going on."
"Jon, well the future Jon showed up at my place the night before Carter went to San Diego. He didn't tell me about what happened in the future, but he told me that he was here to change Sam's past and it has to do with this Shanahan."
"Why would he do that? Does he realise what he has done?"
"Sir, I think I know why, he didn't have to tell me."
"And that is?"
"This Shanahan guy must have done something to Carter; he must have wanted to change the past."
"So, he knows that the detective is working for the Trust?"
"Yep! I think that this guy must have killed Sam or…"
"But why her, why kill her?"
"I can think of a number of reasons. Remember what that Conrad guy did and wanted and how close we came to almost losing her."
"Yes, I know what you are getting at."
"They want to get rid of the strongest link not just to this place," he waved his arms around.
"But to all our allies out there, the Tok'ra, the Asgard and all the other allies. She has saved their asses more times than I can count. She is the glue that keeps all of us together. She's done more things than any one on this planet and yet those Trust assholes most probably want her dead, and with her gone, this place will fall apart."
"If Major Carter's life is in danger, then we will have to protect her at all costs."
"I know, but Jon did tell me something that got me thinking."
"What's that Jack?"
"He said 'Shanahan was her second choice since she couldn't be with the one she loved'. I knew he was talking about me."
"Jack, I know the two of you have feelings for each other, so do you want to retire?" Jack sat back and thought about what Jon said.
"Not yet… but Jon did give me a clue of when would be the best time."
"When will it be the best time?"
"After the second download. He didn't say when that was going to happen."
"Ok, is there anything else that you want to talk about?"
"No, not at the moment, sir"
"Ok then you're dismissed!" Jack stood up and walked to the door, opened it then turned to Hammond.
"I've been telling Sam for years to get a life… it seems she did till… what ever happened."
"I understand!" Then Jack walked out the door.
Hammond stood up, walked to the door and closed it then turned around.
"Are you going to tell me what happened to Sam?" Jon then uncloaked himself.
"You'd better sit down George." Hammond sat down and looked at Jack's clone.
"Shanahan married Carter. I was at the wedding, I was cloaked. I was looking at Jack's face and I could tell that it was hurting him like hell to see Sam marry the bastard, although he tried not to show it, but it was in his eyes. Anyway, on Monday morning, Jack got a call then he and two teams and a doctor flew down to South Carolina where Sam and Pete were on their honeymoon. Shanahan had tied Sam up and raped her and beat her up." Hammond was shocked with what he had just heard.
"How bad?"
"Black and blue, cut, swollen lips, black eyes, he really did a number on her and that's not the worse part." He sat down in the chair thinking about what Jack had told him over the phone.
"Most of the punches were to her lower stomach. It was so bad that she was bleeding internally… the doctors had to do a hysterectomy to save Sam's life. That was over two months before I came here to change things."
"Have you spoken to Sam?"
"Yes, we talked, she told me 'That I wished I could turn back time and have never gone to San Diego. Then I wouldn't have met Pete and Mark wouldn't have had set me up with him and none of this would have happened'.So, since I was bringing the ship here."
"You decided to change the past."
"Yes, when I talked to Sam we were in a park, she was watching mothers pushing strollers, playing with their children. When I looked at her as she watched, I could see the hurt in her eyes and the sad look. From what Jack told me, she was still having nightmares about what Shanahan did to her. She was slowly becoming withdrawn into herself and Jack worried about her. He told me she not the Sam Carter as he once knew. I could tell in his voice he was worried he was going to lose her." Hammond nodded.
"I know you are him, what do you think he would do if Sam…"
"Killed herself? He would do the same."
"Thanks for telling me about what happened to Sam."
"Sure! I better go, Shanahan is meeting someone from the Trust tonight. I'll try to get much information as I can."
"Thanks!" Then Jon cloaked himself before walking over to the door.
"I just hope that it isn't too late for them this time George."
"I hope you're right Jon." Then the door opened and Jon walked out of the office.
Jack walked around the corridors for an hour before he went to Sam's lab. When he got there she wasn't there, but he knew the one other place where she would be so he got into the elevator and headed to the surface.
When he got there he walked outside and nodded to the airmen before walking over to where Sam sometimes went to think. As he got close enough he could see her thinking. She turned when she saw him out of the corner of her eye. He walked over to her.
"Hey, still thinking?"
"Yeah!"
"Mind?" He waved his hand next to her.
"Sure." Jack sat down next to her.
"Are you thinking about what has happened?"
"Yeah, I just can't believe what's been going on. Why, why me?"
"You're the strongest link, Sam." She turned to him when he called her Sam.
"Meaning?"
"Sam, who built the dialling programs for the gate?"
"I did."
"Who's the only SGC person who can operate all goa'uld devices?"
"Me."
"Who's the one with the dumb ideas that saved the Asgard home world?"
"Me."
"Who built that laser gun thingy?"
"Me, sir what are you saying?"
"Sam you're the strongest link. You're the glue that keeps the SGC going. You were the one that built the computer dialling programs. You're the one who has saved the Asgard, the rebel Jaffa, the Tok'ra and other good alien's lives. They all respect you Sam. If something bad happens to you, that glue would be gone and everything would fall apart. I think that is what the Trust wants to happen."
"What should I do?"
"I know that the President wants you to keep seeing Shanahan."
"What do I get out of it?" Jack looked at Sam.
"What do you want, Sam?"
"I want a life,… a family."
"Question is Sam, who with?"
Sam looked at him and she put her hand into his and gave it a squeeze. Jack could see the love in her eyes and he remembered what Jon had said, 'Shanahan was her second choice since she couldn't be with the one she loved'.
"Sam, are you sure?"
"For seven years."
"Well, when are you planning on seeing Shanahan again?"
"I don't know. I said I didn't know when."
"Ok, where did he take you last time?"
"Some French restaurant." She screwed up her face and that made Jack smile.
"Well, give him a call and see what he is doing Friday night. Tell him you have the night off and see what happens from there."
"Ok, anything else?"
"Don't worry, when the time is right someone will have the worst timing."
"Daniel," she said smiling.
"Yep, so I'll leave you to think things over."
"Thanks Jack and I've decided."
"So what have you decided?"
"I need to make some phone calls first."
"So, you're not going to tell me are you?"
"All in good time."
She leaned over and gave him a kiss on the mouth before standing up and putting her hand out to him. He took it and she pulled him to his feet.
"Thanks!"
"Any time." Then they walked back to the SGC.
Sam went down to see General Hammond. She spoke to him and then to the President for few minutes before leaving to go back to work for few hours.