Authors Note: Thanks for the reviews and alerts. Glad people are reading and enjoying. This chapter is based around Beneath the Surface but again from Katie's point of view but please remember it is an AU. I forgot to mention my disclaimer last time, don't own it and make no money from it. Enjoy.
_SG1_
RECAP: Katie Woodman is now the counsellor at the SGC and the regs have been changed by the President, much to Jack's disgust.
Katie had her first visitors the very next day. The Major and Lieutenant from SG-9 appeared at her door, looking slightly anxious at the prospect of admitting having feelings for each other to someone whom they didn't really know. The conversation was short and to the point and Katie set in motion the process for SG-9 to be the first team with an officially sanctioned relationship between two of its team members.
After a month there were three relationships in process, none of which included SG-1. Katie was worried. She'd had a conversation with General Hammond who had decided to let SG-1 continue for the moment but was scrutinising their missions more than ever before. He was convinced that the feelings between Jack and Sam would adversely affect the team but as yet he had no evidence of that fact.
Katie, if she was honest, was not sure how the team would be effected but, this morning Katie was sitting in her office worrying about Sam. It was obvious through seeing her socially in the last couple of weeks that Sam was withdrawing into herself more and more.
She was pulled from her musings when she heard a firm knock at her door and got up to answer it. She was surprised to find Janet on the other side. The doctor rarely came to her office, if they met up it was usually with Sam in the commissary or out for coffee when they actually left the mountain.
"Janet, hi, come on in." Katie opened the door wider. "Have a seat." She gestured to the sofa and chairs, closing the door behind her friend.
"Thanks, Katie." Janet sat down on one end of the sofa. "Look I'll get straight to the point. I'm concerned about Sam and about SG-1. I'm really close to recommending to the General that he considers Sam be transferred to another team for medical reasons."
"Wow," Katie really didn't expect that. "What's happened?" Katie asked, intrigued.
Janet twisted her hands together, not a sign that the intimidating doctor was noted for, then she began. "They've just left on their next mission and I had to do their physicals. Sam's lost weight and she simply isn't herself, answering questions in monosyllables and not giving any more information. She can barely talk about Jack, never mind make eye contact with him. I'm starting to get really worried."
Katie took a second to think, if Sam was bad she assumed Jack would be worse, "What about Colonel Jack, how is he holding up?" she asked, expecting to hear that he had been causing chaos around the base in some way.
"Oddly removed from the situation, he is not acknowledging there is a problem, it's as if he has switched to military mode only and nothing can touch him."
"Especially Sam and any feelings that she has." Katie finished for her.
"You guessed it." Janet smiled at her friend, glad she had laid out her burden to someone who would understand.
"Have you discussed any of this with General Hammond yet?" Katie brought the conversation back round to the serious decision Janet had come to her with.
"Yes. I reported to him before they left. I told him I was worried about her interaction with Jack but he decided to authorise this mission to P3R-118. It's just a standard meet and greet for a potential trade alliance. He thinks it might give them time to work together without too much stress and perhaps avoid the breakup of the team."
"I thought Hammond believed things had settled down ever since that weird Groundhog Day a few weeks ago that lasted for six months. By the way, was that as downright confusing to everyone else as it was to me?"
Janet smiled. "You get used to strange things happening here." She sighed before looking questioningly at Katie. "Do you think I should make a formal report about my concerns?"
Katie sat back and thought for a moment. While she wasn't here to simply judge all SG personnel, her role did give her the option of direct discussion with the General over the welfare of the teams. "I think you have done your job and reported your concerns informally. I also think that if Hammond's talking like he is to you, and me, then it won't be long before he decides whether to make a change or not. I sometimes think that people here don't give him the credit he deserves. Not you, Janet, but some personnel seem to think he doesn't actually see what's going on, on his own base. When SG-1 get back we'll get Sam to come and speak to me officially or unofficially whatever we think would help her. Then together we can work out what's best to do for everyone concerned."
********SG1*********
Three days later SG-1 missed their scheduled check-in. Katie wondered if they'd all done the right thing in letting the team go on a standard mission to a bio-dome surrounded by ice. After more than two weeks had gone by since anyone had heard from SG-1, Janet went to see the General about the fact that SG-1 hadn't returned as everyone was worried about them, especially once the rescue team led by Major Griff had returned empty handed, but he had no more news to tell her. However, when SG-1 finally returned, Katie realised that she had a real crisis on her hands.
SG1SG1SG1
Katie was just about to leave work for the day when there was a timid knock at the door. She opened it with a flourish and was surprised at the shell-shocked Major she found. "Sam, good to see you! Come in."
"Hey, Katie, I wondered if I could talk to you for a bit?" Sam all but whispered the request as she slowly walked in to the room.
"Sure, Sam, have a seat. Can I get you anything? Coffee, tea, coke?"
"Uh, no thanks, Katie. I just need to talk." Sam sat down slowly on the sofa and her eyes searched the room, for what Katie had no idea. It appeared as if she were somewhere else entirely. Katie wondered if Janet had sent Sam to see her like they'd discussed while SG-1 had been missing.
Katie waited several minutes for Sam to begin but, when she didn't, Katie decided to get the ball rolling. "Sam, is everything okay?"
Sam suddenly snapped back into the room. "Uh… oh, sorry, Katie. We only got back a couple of hours ago."
Katie decided not to push the Major so said very gently, "We were all worried when you didn't get back, you know. Did something happen to you while you were all missing?"
Sam scoffed, "Yeah, you could say that."
"You want to talk about it?"
Sam looked down, obviously trying to get her emotions under control. After several moments she finally mumbled, "We had our memories wiped and thought we were other people." She looked up at Katie and suddenly had tears streaking down her face. "It was hard work but I was so happy with him."
"With Jack?" Katie asked quietly.
Sam nodded and gratefully took the tissue that Katie held out to her.
"Were you in a relationship with him while you were there?"
"Yeah, we didn't remember our lives but I knew I was supposed to be with him," Sam replied, her bottom lip quivering. She quickly wiped her cheeks.
"What do you think, now that you're back? How do you feel now that you can remember who you both are?" Katie asked, and then watched as Sam totally fell apart in front of her, losing what little control she'd had. Her eyes filled again and her lips rose in a small smile that looked completely forced.
"I've always wanted to be with him," she whispered.
"Sam, have you spoken to him about the changes to the regs?"
Sam shrugged and wiped her eyes. "I tried when the President announced it but he just shut me down"
Katie placed her hand over Sam's, which had torn the tissue to threads on her lap. "Maybe you need to try again?"
Sam didn't get the chance to answer before there was a loud knock on Katie's door.
"I'll see who it is and make them an appointment for later, okay?" Katie walked over to the door and opened it a little and found herself pushed back into the room by a surly Colonel.
"Doc, Hammond's ordered me to speak to you so…" Jack stopped dead when he saw Sam on the sofa with tears in her eyes. "Carter, are you okay?" he asked quietly, not sure what to do.
Sam quickly tried to pull herself together and stood up. "Uh... yes, Sir." She wiped her eyes and started to head for the door.
"Carter, wait! Don't leave, please," Jack pleaded.
Katie began to feel seriously like a third wheel as the two officers stared at each other across the room. When it became apparent that the heated stares were not going to readily turn into conversation, Katie gently closed the door to ensure other personnel couldn't witness the conversation and cleared her throat. "You wanted to speak to me, Colonel?"
Jack's eyes snapped from Sam to Katie. "Uh… yeah… Doc… um… well... Hammond thought…"
"The General was briefed on your latest mission and thought you both needed to speak to me about it," Katie finished Jack's rambling sentence.
Jack shrugged again. "He thought it was a good idea." His tone belied his opinion on the matter.
"But you don't?"
He turned from her, very aware that she was blocking the only exit and prowled like a caged tiger. Once he turned 360 degrees he faced Katie. "Look, Doc, I ain't gonna do this touchy feely nicey nicey thing."
"You mean have a conversation?" Katie translated bluntly, causing Sam to smile and Jack to glare.
"About this!" his hands flailed wildly between himself and Sam. "I'm not talking about this!" he responded brusquely. However, fortunately for Katie, who really didn't want to deal with a surly colonel, Jack was facing Sam at the time of his statement and saw the pain cross her face, and his anger deflated.
"Carter," he pleaded again, and Katie wondered if Sam had more of a clue than she did, because she didn't know what he was pleading for.
Sam stared at him for a long time and then straightened her shoulders as she clearly came to a decision. "I think we need to talk… Jack," she said deliberately. "Katie's here to help us and I think we should take advantage of that. But I can't make you talk." She forced her eyes to leave his and walked to the door and stood beside Katie. "Thanks for listening, Katie. Can I make a regular appointment with you?" she asked quietly.
Katie was almost desperate for Jack to say something, anything, to stop Sam leaving but that wasn't part of her job, either. She focussed on Sam. "Sure, Sam. Why don't you come back on Monday and we can check diaries."
"Thanks, Katie. General Hammond's given us some downtime, so would you like to meet for coffee over the weekend?"
"Yeah, that'd be great. Say, tomorrow at 3?" Katie turned to smile at Sam, glad she seemed to be a little more at peace as she left.
"That's fine. I'll meet you at the usual place and I'll see if Janet's free."
"Sounds good, Sam. Okay, see you then," Katie said as she closed the door behind Sam and was left with a very confused Colonel.
"Jack, why don't you sit down." Katie tried to encourage the Colonel into a chair and she was mildly surprised when he allowed her to do it. This was not the conversation she had expected to end her day with but she would see if she could get Jack to start talking.
Realising that Jack was unlikely to start the conversation he so hated, Katie began. "So, Sam said you all had your memories wiped but that you and she ended up together."
"Yeah," Jack grunted as a response.
"How did it feel?"
"What?"
"Being together with Sam?"
Katie could see his shutters going up again. "Doc, I wasn't with Sam, I was with Thera. It has nothing to do with me and Carter."
"Okay..." Katie decided that line of questioning wasn't working so tried something else. "So, was it strange thinking you were someone else for a while?"
"I guess… it was only crazy when I started remembering."
"How do you mean?"
Jack looked up at her and Katie thought she'd lost any chance of him opening up. He coughed uncomfortably. "Only that I'd forgotten about him, about Charlie." He abruptly stood. "I've got to go Doc. It's been nice chatting and all, but I won't be making another appointment."
Jack had reached the door before Katie spoke again. "Colonel, maybe you need to think less about you and more about your team. It's only going to be able to survive for so long with the emotions you and Sam are feeling. As her CO, I'm telling you this in confidence. Sam's close to breaking point and she may not be able to continue on SG-1 with the way things are now."
Katie could literally see that information get processed. "Thanks, Doc. I'll think about it."
_SG1_
AN: Thanks for reading, would be great to hear what you think but reviews are not demanded.