Author's Note: Here it is as promised. I'm not really sure where the idea for this fic came from, but I wrote it and I hope you enjoy it. Again that to KEF for picking this fic and encouraging me to get ti ready to read. Also thank you to my two Betas, AriaJack and SerenBunny for all your help make my little fic better.
Let me know if you liked it hated it, I'm addicted to reviews.
Sam looked directly at Jack. "Well, she's my clone." she looked shocked. "You mean she doesn't know? I thought , because she came to you, she knew." Sam peeked back into the living room, where Carter stood at the mantel looking at the assembled photographs.
Dropping her arm, he turned away, messing his hair up some more. "No she doesn't, but it explains a lot. She's so much like you it was creeping me out. She sounds the same, likes her pizza the way you do. How did this happen?"
"When Loki made your clone, Jon, as he calls himself, he asked for one of me too, only Thor asked my permission first. I helped modify her so we don't look quite the same. Thor and I thought it was best if there wasn't a complete replica of me running around. She has all my knowledge, but no idea that she's me. To her, she's always been Carter Anderson."
"Carter? You couldn't think of anything better?" He couldn't help but be annoyed at the choice of name, his special name for her.
She shrugged, "I didn't have a lot of time, and it was Jon's choice, not mine."
Jack sighed, he was tired, so tired, and this day wasn't even close to being over yet., "Let me get this straight. You created a mini-you and didn't tell her she was – well, you?"
Nodding, she said, "The knowledge is in there and one day she will know who she is. I just wanted her to find her own way before that happened."
"Of all the egotistical things. What were you thinking?" Jack was angry now. Had they even thought about this person they were creating. She would have feelings and stuff, hadn't they thought about Carter at all?
Sam could see the anger on his face, and knew just what he was thinking, she always did. "I was thinking about you, and how I wouldn't want to live without you. According to Thor- Jon didn't want to live without me. If he had to live your life over again, he wanted me with him, and I agreed!"
They were both shouting now and they were so close to one another she could feel his breath on her cheeks. She closed her eyes; it was still there between them pulling them together and then ripping them apart.
When they had been together, expectations had been too high and they had forgotten that the other was human. They had loved one another for so long, and had been forced to hide it beneath duty and honor; they were unsure how to act now that they could love openly, in the light of day.
Opening her mouth to speak, Sam had no idea what to say to him. She knew Jack so well, but she was unsure how to live with him. Seeing him again, she knew that life without him was too painful to live anymore. She wanted to try again, before it was too late.
Reaching out, she touched his face, "Jack, I don't like living like this I want to try...."
Just then, Carter's voice spoke from the doorway. "I'm a clone of you, not your sister? How could you do this to me? My whole life is a lie. All my choices were your choices! Even Jon- he's you!" She pointed to Jack. She was so angry. Carter's eyes took them in. "And I only love Jon because you love him! Nothing about me is me!" She pushed past them and ran from the house. Jack and Sam arrived at the back door in time to see Sam's car driving away.
Sighing, Sam entered the living room and dialed a number from memory, "Jon, it's me. Carter was here. We upset her." pause. "No. Yes, we're at my house." pause. "Me, and the General." pause. "No, Jack." pause. "Yes, he's a general." Pause. "I know, you've told me that before, but he'll just have to live with it. We'll wait for you."
"Who was that?" He asked, although he knew exactly who it was.
"Jon O'Neill. Carter's boyfriend. Your clone." Sam offered. Trying hard not roll her eyes at the dumb Colonel routine, it was so very old.
It was his turn to sigh; it's harder to pull off stupid when you're a two star general. "Jon? Why isn't he Jack. I never said he had to change his name."
"Soon after his" she paused trying to find the right word, "Creation, he chose to go by Jon. He thought it would be better that way for the two of you." Her voice got quiet at the end. Sam shrugged, she really didn't want to tell him the answer, and she hoped he'd let it go.
"Better how?" he asked gruffly.
Guess not, she thought. Sighing she answered, "He's in the Air Force just like Carter. Even with a different name, people already assume he's your -ah son." He turned and looked at her with one of those looks that served him very well as a general. Not wanting to annoy him further, she continued. "Sir, he looks just like you- he is you."
Feeling all the anger and frustration drain out of him, Jack dropped on to the couch resting his head in his hands. "Why did the little bugger do that?" Jack wasn't sure what he was asking about, the Air Force or Sam's clone, maybe both.
"Because I'm you." Jack and Sam turned to see Jon standing in the doorway, "I spent a month in high school and realized how stupid it was. So I took my SATs and went to college. In two years, I finished my first degree and in another year and a half I had my master's done.
Not sure he wanted to know but he asked anyway, "In what?" He was slightly amused by his scholarly self.
"Astronomy and the Master's is in Electrical Engineering. Carter is almost finished with her second masters. Once Air Force saw our test scores we were really attractive to them. They wanted me in black ops but I said no, they knew who I was. I wanted back into the SGC. All I'm waiting for is an opening, unlike Carter who just got offered a spot."
"Aren't we presumptuous?" Jack said sarcasm in full force.
Jon rounded on him, "What else would we do? We're you! How can you ask us to be anything less than who we are? "
"He's right." Sam's voice was quiet.
"He is?" Jack demanded, his anger returning. He had hoped never to have to deal with his mini self again but here he was, right in the thick of it.
"Who better to turn the SGC over to but ourselves? Anyway, this argument isn't important right now. We have to find Carter. I'll grab my computer, if she left her phone on we should be able to find her."
A few minutes later, they had an address from downtown Colorado Springs.
They pulled up a few minutes later outside a nightclub. People were lined up outside around the building. The music's deep bass could be felt where they stood outside. It was going to be a long night; Jack rubbed the bridge of his nose.
Turning to Jon he said, "Give me the picture you have of Carter. I need it to get us inside."
Glaring, Jon reached into his coat, removed a picture and handed it over to Jack. "I want it back."
"Like I want to keep it." Jack sneered.
Watching them, Sam was amazed, she couldn't believe that; (1) two grown men were acting like little children. The only other time she had seen Jack like this was with his robot self, she only hoped it would not end the same way. And (2) that Jack knew that Jon had a photo of Carter. The only reason that could be, was if Jack always had one of her. Studying him, she wondered if Jack still had her picture, and where it was? Could it be over his heart, like Jon's picture was?
She was about to ask when Jack spoke up, "Here's the plan. We're here to find our daughter, who's underage and should not be in there. We should be able to get in without too much problem but, if they give us grief, we can play the general card. I'm sure there are a lot of cadets in there and they don't want to get on the black list."
The two others nodded and followed Jack up to the head of the line. Approaching the bouncer, Jack said, "Have you let this girl inside tonight." The larger man studied the photo and shrugged. "Well she's only eighteen, and you can get into a lot of trouble. Let us in."
The man shook his head. "We don't let people jump the line. If you want to get in you have to wait, like everyone else."
Jack grabbed the man and spoke calmly, "Then I would like to speak to the manager, please. You see, I'm an Air Force General and I have a few things to say to him."
The man visibly flinched, "Ah, I didn't realize, Sir. Yes, you may go inside. I promise this won't happen again." The man stepped to the side and allowed them to pass.
Inside it was even worse, the music was so loud it hurt. Jack wanted to get this over with as soon as possible, so they split up. They agreed to meet at the bar in fifteen minutes if they didn't find her.
Pushing his way through the crowd, Jack found her a few minutes later. She was plastered against some guy and downing shots as quick as the bartender was pouring them.
A few more maneuvers, Jack stood in front of her. "Carter, what are you doing?" Reaching out, he grabbed her arm, pulling her away from the guy. She swayed a little when he stood her on her feet.
"Nothing Jack, nothing at all. Just being me, not Sam. I'm not her, she's not me, you're not Jon and Jon's not you-so what are we? I don't know anymore. I'm beginning to wonder if I ever did." She sounded drunk, very drunk.
"This is not you and this is not Sam. You are who you want to be Carter, choose right now." He shook her a little, hoping to sober her up, or knock some sense into her. "The bottom of a bottle is not the place to find yourself, or anything for that matter."
The thug she was sitting with stood and tried to stare down Jack. "Hey Gramps, she's with me. I got her in here and she owes me. Why don't you let her go and the two of us can get back to our fun."
Not letting go of Carter, Jack turned and looked at the boy. "Back off, or so help me I will snap you in half, and then her boyfriend will crush whatever's left of you."
Being a coward at heart, the younger man sat back down, and allowed them to leave without any more arguments. Jack pulled her through the crowd to the back door.
Once outside, he pulled out his cell phone and called Sam, "I have her, we're heading to the truck. I'm gonna try and talk to her. Find Jon and meet us there."
"Right, see you in a few minutes." Sam ended the call.
That's all for now, when I get the next part it's all yours.~ Kelleth~