Disclaimer: I do not own Stargate or any of the characters you recognize. I'm just borrowing them for entertainment. There is no monetary gain and no copyright infringement intended.
AN: The reviews, emails, and comments have been amazing. Thank you! As always a major thank you Gategirl7 for all of your help!
Previously:
"Not our Jack," Daniel said slowly, finding his balance and moving toward Sam. When Cam had hugged her she'd felt relief and affection. He was her teammate. Without a word Sam turned and met Daniel half way. She carefully threw herself into his arms and held on for dear life. She felt his arms come around her and her embrace returned. Daniel was family. They'd lived and died too many times together for there to be any other reaction. In that moment she grieved with him for their Jack, for Daniel's leg, for Teal'c, for everyone else they both lost. In that moment they both healed just a bit. They were not alone. They would fix this.
Chapter 14 - A Leg Up
Jack watched Sam almost run into that fellow Jackson's arms. He could live with Mitchell's greeting. He even accepted the man's hand shake. Being called General was a little weird. What Jack couldn't take his eyes off of was the way that Sam melted against Jackson's chest. Ok, now he was all over her too. His face was in her hair, his arms wound tightly around her. Glancing at Mitchell, Jack caught the thoughtful smirk on the younger man's face and realized he was giving away too much.
"They sort of grew up together you know," Mitchell was saying, obviously noticing Jack's intense interest in the two people hugging a few feet in front of them. "So Colonel, right? Sorry about the General thing earlier." At Jack's nod the man turned to stand beside him. "Finding all this a little weird?" He motioned around the room. Thor was busy with the console and didn't seem to be paying that much attention Jack noted. He wondered unreasonably if Sam and Jackson hugging for so long was just old hat to the alien commander. "Hey, I read every report SG1 filed for 8 years." Ok the guy had no life Jack decided, turning a look on him. "I was injured in the hospital. I didn't have much to do," Mitchell defended, having correctly interpreted Jack's look.
"Point is even after reading all those reports and having fought the Goa'uld gliders first hand, stepping through the gate and actually being out here the first time almost boggled my mind." Mitchell was watching him intently. Jack turned his attention back to the young man beside him. "This must really be feeling a little Twilight Zone to you," he finished, waving his hand to encompass the ship and whistling a few bars of the theme song for good measure.
Jack had to agree but he wasn't letting Mitchell know that. The respect was there in the younger man's voice and stance. They might not both be in the same Air Force, but he'd lay odds Mitchell would defer to him if pushed. Good, Jack had about had enough of feeling powerless. "Me and the little alien guy hit it off right away," Jack absently informed him turning back to the objects of his growing irritation. Moving into their space he cleared his throat for attention. He did not like how at home Sam looked enfolded in the man's arms. Ok so they had been on the same team for years and it probably was no more then that, but Jack didn't like it. "So one glance and you knew it was me?" he questioned Jackson, curious, but more for something to say.
Sam stepped out of the doctor's arms and turned back to the group as Daniel met Jack's eyes. Silently regarding him for a moment, something like amusement crossed Jackson's face just before he settled his hand on Sam's shoulder. The man was doing it on purpose Jack would swear. Yep the doctor was messing with him.
"Well, that, and you haven't insulted or irritated me yet." Daniel's comment was out of place with his claims of friendship on the sub.
"Thought you said in your timeline I was your best friend," Jack questioned.
"No, actually I said I was yours," Jackson clarified.
"Ah," Jack nodded his head in understanding. "Sort of love hate thing, like Laurel and Hardy?"
"Except that you've never made a habit of shutting my head in windows or trying to kill me on a regular basis," Jackson confirmed, his comfortable tone making it obvious this banter went on between them quite often.
Jack paused, allowing the younger man to see in his face a little of the predator he'd long ago learned to keep under tight control unless needed. "So I had a lot more restraint in the other timeline then I do now," he commented, barely keeping his amusement from showing when Jackson straightened and quickly removed his hand from Sam's shoulder.
"Apparently," the archeologist agreed speculation in his voice.
Looking between them, Sam shook her head slightly. Jack could swear he saw an indulgent smirk on her face before she launched into an explanation of how Thor had come to be with them. The alien in question added in his own comments where needed and soon everyone was up to speed on how they'd come to be standing on the ship of the Thor from their timeline and how urgent the crisis they faced was.
"So fate of the entire universe is in our hands," Jackson concluded. "Well that's sort of new. Usually it's only a planet or two, maybe the galaxy. Not usually the whole universe." Sam and Mitchell didn't comment, but their faces acknowledged the man's statement. God, how many times did these people face events on this scale? Jack recognized the attitudes. He'd seen it before. People used to dealing with life or death situations on a day to day basis developed coping mechanisms. He'd developed a few himself and so had those on his team, but that was about saving a country, a few people, maybe even a continent from time to time.
"We've got a plan," Sam was telling them. "Hopefully we're going to reverse what Ba'al did, but we have another goal as well." She met Jack's eyes and he felt the familiar jolt that slammed into his chest, but this time his heart swelled with gratitude as well. Samantha Carter was amazing. He'd almost killed her. He could still see moments of hesitation in her when he got too close unexpectedly, but still she fought to save his son. He was beginning to wonder how the other him had waited all those years to claim this woman.
"We're going to save Jack's son. Charlie is alive now and I intend that he comes into our timeline and stays alive and well." The reactions of the other two men pulled Jack's gaze away from Sam. Mitchell looked surprised, but agreeable. Jackson nodded like it was the most natural thing in the world that they'd all put their lives on the line to save his boy.
"Can we do that?" Jackson was asking. "I mean I know you wouldn't mention if we didn't have a chance to do it. This is good." The man he'd just intimidating into stepping away from Sam turned to him, warmth and affection the only emotions evident in his face. "I'm glad we're going to try to do this Jack," he said simply.
"Thank you," was all Jack could think to answer back.
"So what's the plan?" Mitchell slapped Jackson on the back and stepped into the discussion. As Sam explained their idea to use the pod in the ancient outpost, Mitchell slid off the console he was perched on. "If I was Ba'al, that would be one of the first targets I'd hit from space," he interrupted.
"I agree," Sam confirmed. "That is why Jack and I are going to Proclarush Taonas."
"To retrieve the ZPM and power the outpost," Jackson confirmed, nodding his understanding. "And that's where Jack comes in," he concluded. "You sure that you've thought this through Sam?" he questioned. Jack didn't like where the doctor was going, but he waited to see what the other man had to say. "You didn't meet Jack on the first mission to Abydos. I did." Sam didn't reply but her full attention was on what Jackson was saying.
Jack knew he'd given her reason to fear him. His instinct was to interupt the conversation but he stopped himself. He wanted to see what her friend had to say and how Sam would respond. He needed to have a better idea of where he stood with all of them, but especially her. How much was she doing for him and how much for the other him? Was the damage he'd inflicted fixable?
"Daniel," Sam tried to cut the doctor off, but he was persistant.
"No Sam, just hear me out," he protested. "You weren't there. Jack was different by the time you met him. You're going to put your life in this man's hands. Sam, you're going to put Thor's life in his hands when you put him in the Ancient chair. I just want to make sure you've thought it through."
***
Leave it to Daniel, Sam thought. She was fully aware that when Jack sat in the control chair of the Ancient outpost he would know immediately the power that he had at his disposal. With the fully charged ZPM, he could do serious damage to Thor's ship and he could most certainly hold Ba'al's fleet at bay. Strategically, few could match Jack O'Neill. Would he see more advantage in defending Earth than in helping them change the timeline? The universe being ripped apart was a threat Jack accepted, but didn't understand it. He might favor taking a chance and protecting his world against the concrete threat Ba'al represented when a weapon capable of doing so was put in his control. Was Daniel right? Was she making a mistake in trusting this man?
Sam's eyes flew to Jack's. He must have been aware of the assessing nature of her gaze. He nodded reasuringly and moved to stand at her shoulder, facing Daniel. "I get why this needs doing Jackson, even if I don't fully understand the mechanics of what we're doing," he pointed out. "Sam has nothing to fear from me and neither does Thor."
The feel of Jack's hands on her throat hit her for a moment before she pushed the memory to the back of her mind. She hated that she still got jumpy when he moved to quickly with her. "I trust him to do this Daniel." Sam realized that her statement was true. He wasn't a threat to her anymore. It made no sense for him to want to kill her. She would deal with how much he'd hurt her with his actions later when there was time.
"I believe we are wasting time in this discussion. O'Neill has never broken the trust of the Asgard," Thor pointed out from his console. "I have scanned your DNA Dr Jackson." Thor's change of topic caught Sam by surprise. She glanced at Daniel, but his face showed the same confusion. "If you are ready I will transport you to a life pod and replace your severed leg. It will take no more than a hour for the graft to be fully functional, by the time that we have finished suppying the ship you should be able to walk normally."
"You can do that?" Daniel's face lit with hope.
"Hot damn!" Mitchell exclaimed. "Now that's what I'm talking about."
"I will beam you into the pod. I have scanned your DNA and the pod is now ready to regrow the portion that you are missing. You will be able to sit up in the pod and will remain conscious," the Asgard explained.
Sam blinked to keep the tears back as she watched Daniel's face. "I shouldn't do this," he said after a minute surprising them all. "Someone is bound to notice. It could compromise our mission."
"Who?" Mitchell questioned, coming to stand with them. "Look Jackson, either we're going to change the timeline or we're all going to get destroyed when time rips itself apart," he stated simply. "Between now and then it's going to have to be up to you and me to hold down the fort while these two try to go roll back the clock on Ba'al." Sam winced at Cam's choice of words. "You're going to be more useful with two working legs. Besides, if your handler's anything like mine they wouldn't notice if you walked up naked with a 'check out my leg' sign strapped to your chest." Daniel still looked undecided. Sam wasn't sure what to say to convince her friend. He did have a point that someone might notice, but having his leg was worth the risk.
"Just get in the pod now Doc." Jack ordered impatiently from behind them. "I doubt anyone is going to notice unless you advertise it and Mitchell's right about you needing to be at your best." Sam smiled at him in gratitude as she watched Daniel nod to Thor. The beam of light that took him paled in comparison with the smile on her friend's face.