Beneath the memory stamp – part 3

"Please Major, have a seat." Sam took the chair beside Colonel O'Neill, who was also sitting across from General Hammond's desk. General Hammond glanced over at a box sitting on the corner of his desk. "These are supposed to be the only copies of the tapes from the surveillance of your home. Is it fair to assume there are personal moments contained within these tapes?"

Sam swallowed as she avoided making eye contact with either man. "Yes, sir."

"Could any of it be used against you?"

Sam sat silently for a moment contemplating. "No, sir. Although I wouldn't be happy if those tapes became public knowledge, there isn't anything on there that could be used to blackmail me. It's all in my report."

"Very good, Major. I am sorry this was done to you and, as I have told you before, I had no idea you were still under surveillance."

Sam nodded. "I know, sir."

"Good, good. Unless there is anything else, Major, you're dismissed."

General Hammond waited a moment after Sam closed the door before looking at Jack. "I have very little faith that Colonel Simmons gave us the only copy of these tapes."

"Agreed."

"I am also concerned that these tapes do contain material that might, in the future, be used against Major Carter."

"She was honest in her report." It had been hard for him to read it all.

"Yes, but there may be material that she either doesn't remember, didn't see, or doesn't consider relevant." General Hammond sighed. "I'm afraid one of us is going to need to review these tapes and the associated notes."

Jack glanced at the box. He had no interest in spying on Sam's private life, but he also didn't relish knowing Hammond had seen everything either. "I'll do it, sir."

"Are you sure, Jack?"

"Yes, sir."

He knew Hammond would probably have been unhappy about it, but Jack took the box home. He didn't want to risk someone walking into his office while he was viewing the tapes. He put the first tape in the player as he flipped open the notebook included with the tapes. The first tape started just before he left Sam's house that first day. He put the tape on fast forward as he skimmed the notebook. They had made detailed notes about Sam's daily activities. They made note of each phone call, her bathroom activities, what she ate, read, listened to, and watched on television.

There were two pages in the back of the notebook that caught his attention. Each page had a list of tapes and times. The list on the left page was more numerous, nearly full three columns. The right side only had one column of entries. The first entry on the left side was on tape six. He fast forwarded through the first five tapes, all they showed was Sam messing around her house. When he got to tape six, he slowed down as he got to the time recorded in the notebook. Sam walked out of her bedroom and got a coffee cup out of the cabinet. Sam was facing the camera when she lifted her arms over her head, stood on her tiptoes, and stretched tall. Her beauty didn't escape him. He hit rewind and paid attention to the background, unsure what was significant enough to have gotten this moment written down in the notebook. A third watching still didn't show him anything of significance.

He hit fast forward again. The next notation wasn't too much father into this tape. Sam finished her coffee and made breakfast, an egg, toast and fruit. She watched some television while she ate and then cleaned up. She left the view of the camera just before the next time written in the notebook. Jack hit play and watched Sam walked out of her bedroom, wearing just a towel, which barely covered her rear, and went to her hall closet. He couldn't tell what she got from the closet before disappearing again. When she reappeared, her hair was wet. Jack had a sinking feeling about the purpose behind the times listed in this notebook, and it left him feeling a bit nauseous. The next time listed was on tape seven and it showed her stretching before going out for a run. Watching the video captured at the times listed on the left page made Jack feel like a dirty old peeping tom.

He kept going for the next five hours, slowing down at each of the times listed, and not finding anything of military importance or blackmail worthy. Jack finished all the tapes before the cameras were supposed to have been removed before he called it a night. He started again the next morning as he drank his coffee. He was two tapes in before he hit the first time written on the right page. Sam came into the house and tossed her purse and coat down, clearly annoyed. She seemed to be fussing at someone, but the room was empty. He put the tape to regular speed as he approached the time written. Sam stood and the room filled with a bright light. When the light dimmed Sam was still standing the room, but now she looked bewildered. Jack knew that had to have been the blending Sam mentioned in her report. Her face soothed and he could tell she was calm, totally at peace with whatever was going on between her and the alien. She spent quite a while talking to the empty room before going to bed. He listened to some of what she said but it was a one-sided conversation, making it a bit hard to follow.

She spent most of the next day talking to her invisible alien again. Jack slowed things down and listened occasionally, but it was boring. He went to the next time listed on the right page. Sam sat on the sofa with her eyes closed, occasionally softly moaning. After a few minutes she laid down face first and stretched out. He'd read about how the alien had made her feel like she was getting a massage, even though he couldn't actually touch her. She'd written that he left her feeling mentally and physically more relaxed than she ever felt before. She spent that night on her sofa.

For the next three days Sam went to work and then came home and talked to her invisible guest. He knew the alien had used the time to watch television and read online, but he couldn't actually see him doing it. Jack listened to a few of Sam's one-sided conversations but mostly he just fast forwarded, until he got to the next time listed in the notebook. He watched Sam turn off the lights and head to her bedroom. The cameras didn't let him see in her bedroom, but he could hear the sounds, sounds he recognized from when she was Thera and they didn't remember the Air Force regulations. He pressed fast forward again. Although Jack knew what she must be experiencing, there was no way to really prove it and this couldn't really be used against her.

After Jack finished lunch he got to the part of the tapes where Orlin made himself visible. Jack watched him making dinner and saw Sam's surprise when she could touch him. He watched himself leaving, wishing now he'd asked more questions and wormed his way inside. He could've headed several things off at the pass, if he'd known what was going on. It still annoyed him she didn't tell him then and there. After they ate dinner Sam sat on the sofa with him. Orlin reached out and took her hand and she let him. They sat there holding hands and chatting, so Jack fast forwarded but he stopped when Orlin leaned towards her and they started kissing. Jack's chest tightened at the sight. The kisses lengthened and deepened. Jack checked the book and wasn't surprised to see this moment on the right page.

Orlin followed her to her bedroom, making Jack regret his lunch and start wishing he had a couple beers on board. He'd read Sam's report and knew she had engaged in a physical relationship with him, but seeing it was different. He kept fast forwarding, not wanting to hear those sounds again. He watched Orlin receive numerous packages and disappear for hours into Sam's basement while she was at work. When she came home, they would eat, sit on the sofa, and then go to bed. It was all too domestic looking for Jack's liking. He finished all the tapes before bed and packed the tapes back up.

Jack laid in bed but couldn't fall asleep. He was angry, too angry to sleep. He wasn't angry at Carter, at least he didn't think so. He tried to rid his mind of the sound of her pleasure, a sound that had been in his dreams for months now. That sound had pleased him in his dreams, because she'd made it for him but not now. Not now that he'd heard her make it for another man, a man allowed to touch her, a man allowed to tell her he loved her. He'd read that part of her report too. When their minds touched, she knew his essence and how he felt about her. That was at the heart of his anger, his inability to tell her how he felt and his belief that she'd known and yet she'd been with that damn alien. He rubbed his hand over his face, maybe he was a little angry with her, which wasn't fair. They weren't in a relationship. She was allowed to find love from someone else, someone allowed to love her. Jack rolled to his side and punched the pillow.

On Monday Jack brought the box to Sam's lab. He stood in the doorway watching her before lightly knocking and entering.

"Sir."

"At ease Carter." He put the box on her lab bench. "I thought it would be best if these ended up in your care."

"Thank you, sir." He nodded before turning back towards the door. "Sir?"

"Carter?" He looked over his shoulder.

"I'm sorry."

"There's nothing to be sorry for."

"I shouldn't have allowed myself to get involved with him."

Jack looked down, avoiding eye contact. "Sometimes the brain can't overrule the heart." He left before she could come up with a response.

"Hey, Sam. Back so soon?"

"Hi, Jacqueline. Thanks for fitting me in."

"No problem. What can I do for you today?"

"I just want to get it shortened up a bit."

"I thought you were going to grow it out again."

"I was but that didn't work out, at least not for now."