A/N: This is the last flashback chapter from here its back to the current time.
Thank you Amber, Wendy and Jena for your help with the chapter.
Something was pointed out to me in a review and I thought I should clarify these stories from Faith till this one are in chronological order and are all pre-Stargate the show. Read and review and as always if it good tell me and if it bites a big one tell me:-P
"It's all your fault."
Sam mumbled to no one. She didn't want to be with anyone right now. She had done a good job of being with no one all day, but she knew that wasn't going to last long. As if on cue with her thoughts, Sam could hear the key turning in the door to her apartment. She made no action to move towards the door. She knew it had to be one of her worried friends trying to get her out, but she just didn't want to hear about it. Whoever it was at the front door was now moving into her apartment, dropping keys off on the front hall table, and moving towards the living room.
"Sam….Sam…I know you're here. Come on out," the worried female voice called. "Sam, come on, you have to get out of here. You can't sulk around forever you know." Sam could hear her friend moving throughout the house, opening all the doors and even looking in closets. Sam was sure she wouldn't find her, but there was her friend looking at her in relief. "There you are."
"Damn it, Liz, leave me alone," Sam stated angrily.
"No can do, you need to get on with life."
"I'm FINE!" Sam stated venomously.
"Right, and because the great and wonderful Sam Carter says she's fine it really translates to life sucks and I don't want to talk about it. That's why you're lying on the roof outside your apartment window looking at the stars. Oh yeah, you're doing fine!" Liz said in an overly sarcastic tone. "Sam, get your ass in here."
"No."
"I don't believe I was giving you a choice."
"If I come in, will you leave me alone?"
"Maybe."
"God, Liz you are such a pain." Sam said as she got up off the ground and ducked through the window to get back into her bedroom. Liz was now standing in front of her in a khaki skirt and a short-sleeved pink shirt with her blond hair tied up in a ponytail.
"I know," Liz smiled cheerfully. "Now, isn't that so much better?"
"No," Sam stated while willing Liz to go away.
"Anyways, I figured you need to get out," Liz said. "Oh, come on, Sam. It will be fun. I can call all the girls and go out and let our hair down. It will be fun!" she added after she saw Sam's facial expression of distaste.
"Why should I go? I am doing just fine here." Liz rolled her eyes at Sam's statement.
"You have been cooped up here for two months. Only leaving to go to work and even then it's like you're not even there."
"Why bother, they are just going to take my project away again."
"I know that has got to suck."
"Suck…SUCK is such an understatement. Liz, this is well beyond SUCK. It was MY PROJECT! I had been working on it for two years and it takes them one week while I am away and they give it to someone else. It was MINE! How would you feel if you were working on something for so long only to have it taken away?" Sam spat, waving her hands in the air with a look in her eyes that would kill.
"Hey," Liz stated with her hands in a defensive position, palms out. "I know it's got to be killing you. You are always happiest when working on a project and this one, I know, was your baby. But I really can't understand what you are going through…I'm just a glorified secretary with the rank of Captain. I don't have projects and I am more than happy to have some assignments taken away from me and given to other people. Come on Sam, I am just asking for one night; just a group of girls, some food, a few beers, and some hot guys. It'll be fun, Sam. Like old times," Liz finished off with a pleading look. Sam rolled her eyes.
"Fine, I'll go." Sam started. "But don't expect me to be peppy."
"Good. We leave in 30 minutes."
"What, you already had this planned?"
"I knew you would see the light."
"You are unbelievable, Liz!"
"I know," Liz said with a smirk as she started going towards Sam's closet to find something for her to wear.
"I'm not wearing that short jean skirt again!" Sam called towards her friend, who was now digging through her closet.
"That's what you think!"
"I'm going to cut my hair," Sam stated as she picked up a portion of her long blond hair that fell halfway down her back. She had convinced Liz into letting her wear something she was more comfortable in, a pair of long jeans and a light green short-sleeved top.
"Why Sam? Your hair is gorgeous!" Liz stated a bit loudly.
"They always see me as a woman. If I cut my hair, it's one less thing to remind them that I am." Sam said. "I have to prove myself, prove that I am worthy for these projects and am not just a woman that is thinking about getting married and will retire when that happens."
"Oh, Sam, you don't have to prove anything. You are smart. They know they need you." Sam rolled her eyes as the girl across from her with long brown hair, Cindy, spoke.
"I am sure they had a good reason for it." The girl to her left, Jessica, chimed in as she set her drink back down on the table.
"Yeah, it's because I'm a girl." Sam stated quietly, but the table still heard her over the noise of the bar. At that moment the waitress showed up with their food and took orders for the next round of drinks, leaving the women to their food. They ate in silence until Cindy started to talk with a squeal.
"Oh, that's the guy I was telling you about," she said as she smacked Jessica on the arm.
"Where?" Jessica asked, clearly interested to see who her friend had been talking about.
"With the group of guys that just walked in. There at the bar," she started, "third guy from the right." At this all the girls were trying to look but not look at the guy at the bar. There among a group of guys was a blond haired guy, medium built, with standard jeans and a button down shirt on.
"Oh wow! And you say he's not a jerk?" Jessica asked.
"Oh, he's positively charming," Cindy said with a dreamy look in her eyes.
"Well, then why don't you go up and talk to him?" Liz asked. "Ask him if he wants to dance." Cindy's face turned red.
"I could not do that. Besides no one is on the dance floor," Cindy whined.
"Not yet at least," Liz said as she stood up.
"Liz, what are you doing!" Cindy asked as Liz started to walk towards the guys. "Liz, what are you doing!" she repeated.
"I said this was a girls night out. I said food, beer, and hot men…we need hot men," Liz called back to her friends over her shoulder. The table sat there stunned. None of them brave enough to move, but each watched every one of Liz's moves. She calmly walked up to the blond haired guy that Cindy was crushing on and calmly pointed towards their table. They talked for a while and then with the other guys and after about 5 minutes the 5 guys picked up their beers and walked towards the table. To say the girls were shocked would be an understatement. Mutters of 'she did it again' were heard from Cindy and Jessica.
The guys came to the table and introduced themselves. The blonde haired guy's name was Mike. They sat down at the table and conversation ensued. Mainly they talked about the band that was playing in the background; they were playing a mix of soft rock cover songs and a few of their own creations. At one point, Liz grabbed one of the guy's hands.
"Where are we going?" the guy asked.
"To the dance floor," Liz stated simply. The guy looked at the dance floor. It looked like a standard bar dance floor; half of the restaurant section of the bars tables had been pushed aside and the band and dance floor were created. The dance floor was also empty. The guy looked at Liz like she was crazy. "Someone has to start the dancing!" she added as she successfully dragged him off to the dance floor.
They danced by themselves for a moment before Cindy and Mike left to dance. Jessica looked at Sam, asking her with a look if she could go dancing too. Sam just nodded her head yes and Jessica and another guy were off to the dance floor. Sam decided that she had to get out of there; she just needed some fresh air and she remembered there was a park across the street from the bar. Making her excuses to the remaining two guys at the table, she grabbed her purse and she went to Liz.
"I'm going outside to the park across the street," Sam halfway yelled over the band. Liz looked at her for a moment.
"You want me to go with you?" she asked, worried.
"No, I just need some fresh air. I will be back in a little while," Sam answered.
"You're not going to leave us like you did that other time?" Liz asked.
"You know that was 2 years ago." Liz looked at Sam, asking the question again with a look. "I promise, I am just going to sit at the park. I will come back here and tell you if I go anywhere else."
"You promise?" Liz asked.
"Yes."
"Alright. Be careful though, you never know who is going to be out there this late."
"I know," Sam said as she walked towards the entrance of the bar, past the bouncer, and out the door.
The night air was warm and there was no moon in the sky. Sam looked up and even with the light pollution of the city, she could still see the stars. She looked around her and crossed the street; traffic was always light at this part of town. As she walked into the park, she noticed two sets of swings over on the hill and made her way there. As she got closer she noticed that a male figure was sitting on the swing set all the way to the right. Though she could not see the man, she could tell by his body language that he was in deep thought, but he didn't send off any warning bells. Sam decided to sit on the swing set to the left. She chose the swing that was able to keep an eye on the man, but at the same time, get a good view of the night sky.
She thought about her position in the military; she loved it. She didn't want to quit, but at the same time, she couldn't allow herself to be walked over. She had been told by Jonas that she was too nice and trusting. Maybe it was time to show a different side of Sam. This one was going to stand up and let people know that even though she was a female, she could do everything a man could do. She was going to cut her hair. Though she had never gotten a sexist remark about her hair at work, she had gotten statements from dates calling her a dumb blonde. The hair had to go. Sitting back as she watched the stars, Sam mapped out her life. The man on the other swing set seemed to be doing to same thing and must have come to a conclusion because he started looking up at the stars. Sam thought about it; she should have been creeped out by this man sitting in the park by himself. But it was comforting to have someone else there, even if it was a stranger.
They swung and watched the stars in silence for a while.
"Jack!" A male voice yelled from the park entrance.
"Oh, fer crying out loud," Jack said while standing up from his swing and making his way towards the voice.
"Yeah, he's in there," the male voice hollered to someone else before turning his attention back to Jack.
"What's going on?"
