Set after Politics.
Sam idly poked at the keyboard as she stared into space lost in thought.
Alternate Realities.
Her head was spinning, any possible outcome was in fact being played out somewhere in the multiverse.
She blinked and stared at the screen to see that her few lines in her report read as:
"Holy crap. Alternate realites. Earth destroyed. Engag-"
Oh how awkward.
She shook her head as she quickly erased them and paused staring at her desk, but not even seeing it.
'All right. Wait a minute. Let... Let me get something straight here. Engaged?'
While Sam had focused on the alternate reality portion of Daniels tale first off, the same could not be said for the Colonel.
And now?
Well the thought kept floating in her mind.
That train of thought has even caused Janet to ask her why she had gone red all of a sudden in the middle of a conversation about Cassie's latest art project.
It was a bit weird she would not hesitate to admit, being engaged to the Colonel.
However, probably not as weird to her as it should have been.
Huh.
But all things considered, she should really be focusing on the situation at hand.
Kinsey shutting down the program.
She got up from her desk, turning off the monitor, and paced up and down her lab trying to process the idea. Actual proof of alternate realities should've been enough to send her into a scientific tizzy, but the differences were distracting her.
'Hey Sam.' A decidedly glum voice greeted her and she turned to see a forlorn Daniel and an equally despondent Teal'c standing at the other side of her lab entryway. She beckoned them in and watched Daniel carefully as he sat down, trying not to jostle his arm.
'So I guess you're already theorizing about the portal that sent me to the other reality?' Sam just nodded, not trusting her voice to mask her confusion. Or her actual internal thoughts on the situation.
'Yeah, I'm, I'm not really getting anywhere though. It's a tad difficult to hypothesize without much to go on...'
'Yeah...' Daniel just looked at her, his brow furrowing slightly, clearly getting lost in thought before he turned and left the room. Sam watched him leave, biting her lip and trying to conceal the worried look that was screaming to come to the surface. Teal'c sighed from the other side of the room and she nearly jumped out of her skin, completely forgetting that he was there.
'God sorry, I just... This is way too confusing.'
'This is where O'Neill would attempt to be humourous.' She smiled and laughed brightly as Teal'c expression brightened at her response.
'I think you did him proud. In fact you may have bested him.' Teal'c nodded smiling ever so slightly, before his face dropped back to his usual passiveness.
'I do believe he is arguing on our behalf upstairs as we speak.' Sam sat down on the edge of her desk, legs out stretched out, crossed at the ankles and looked down at her boots.
'You do not believe this decision will be overturned.' She looked up at him, one eyebrow arched and face set in resignation.
'I've worked with people like Kinsey before. I spent years trying to get the Stargate program off the ground, and they've always stood in the way. Afraid of losing power to whatever is on the horizon.'
'Is he not a religious man?' Teal'c looked at her curiously and she sighed, tilting her head over to him and smiling sarcastically.
'He is a man who loves being in power, God has nothing to do with it. Despite what he says.'
'Just like my false gods.' Sam stared at him, still smiling slightly but with her brows furrowed in confusion for a moment, before bursting into laughter once more.
'You have definitely outstripped the Colonel. Kinsey as a false god, the ego certainly equals it.' She was now blinking in amazement as Teal'c, himself burst into laughter. She wished that someone, anyone was there to see him laugh a deep, booming, reverberating laugh.
It was also nice to know that she was apparently quite hilarious, for no one else had managed to get the big guy to laugh.
'You are concerned about Daniel Jackson's warning.' After a couple of minutes of laughter, Teal'c sobered and took in her contemplative face.
'I think the only ones who aren't, are Kinsey and Lt. Colonel Samuels. I don't know what to do, or even think about this mess.'
'You are wondering if the differences between our worlds make a difference to the destiny of our own universe.'
'And the differences are, I mean were oh I don't know, it is and yet it isn't, well at least anymore.' At this, Sam felt her face contort and she knew that she probably looked like the Colonel whenever she tried to explain wormhole physics to him.
'Ours is the only universe of consequence, you need not get too concerned with the workings of these other universes.'
She sat down on her lab stool and pulled over some paperwork and watched as Teal'c moved the other stool out of his way and settled down to meditate. Sam shook her head and sighed as she looked at her computer monitor to see her accidently recorded mental ramblings.
Sam watched as he sat cross-legged on her floor and detached himself from the waking world. As she gazed at the monitor with her garbled phrases scattered across it, she wished that she could too.
Sometime later, Teal'c slowly came back as she lolled back in her seat, hands folded and under her nose. She watched him out of the corner of her eye, as she tried to calm and still her rather turbulent thought process.
He did not move, balancing himself steadily on the floor, eyes forward but not trained on her. Teal'c's range of self control and inner calm was helping her find her centre. Sam found over the last few months that Teal'c had the singular ability to get her mind to slow down. Most of the time, it was almost as though her brain was spinning out of control, practically burning itself out. Daniel seemed to have a similar mind and they'd practically be racing one another to get to their answers. The Colonel on the other hand, challenged her in a way that she had never been before. He had a mind that could jump to a conclusion that she'd never have considered first hand. It was nice for a change having someone to ease the roar in her mind to a quiet hum.
However, it was only aiding a little bit with the current flat out sprint in her head.
Except copious amounts of alcohol, but that would be a bad idea, given the last time she got really drunk she spent the whole time likening herself to a ninja.
Yes, a ninja.
Sam's drunken mind was a marvel all of its own.
What was the nearly Sam O'Neill like drunk.
She sat up shaking her head slightly, trying to snap herself out of her current train of thought and stood up, stretching.
'I think we better check that Colonel hasn't shot Daniel yet.'
'I do believe that O'Neill would simply prod Daniel Jackson nearly his wound.' Teal'c followed her lead, rising slowly and looking her slightly reproachfully. Sam couldn't quite figure out if he was kidding or not, sometimes he was so dry, it was hard to know if he was actually being serious.
'Ahhh he would do that now wouldn't he. It's not very honourable to shoot and already shot man.'
Teal'c nodded at her but stop her gently as she moved towards the corridor, and she looked at him quizzically. His face was serious and a sharp thrill of panic swept through her, did she do something?
'We have taught him well.' At this he inclined his head slightly and left the room, leaving Sam wide-eyed and bewildered.
Allllllrighty then?
This has been sitting on my laptop since Christmas I kid you not. So I'm rather pleased that I got it finished. I really don't know what's up with me at the moment, but writing has become quite tricky, even trying to do some Sherlock and by jebus is that tricky. Though I am super excited for this year with all the movies that Benedict Cumberbatch is going to be in!
Yes I am a total fangirl about him too. The man wants to be a fricking lightsaber, how could you not?
Annnnyways I hope you enjoy this chapter, Teal'c is always tricky without having him stuck at 'Indeed', I hate that.
So here's hoping this makes sense, and is at least somewhat enjoyable.
Thank you for the response so far! Much love as always!