Season 9 Episode 13: Ripple Effect

Episode summary: Another SG-1 arrive from an alternate reality … followed by another, and another … Sam realises that a black hole and some sort of massive energy burst at the exact moment that the first team's gate was dialled has caused teams from alternate realities to be diverted here. One of the teams that arrives is a little different, as it includes Dr Janet Fraiser and Martouf/Lantash. The Carter from the first alternate SG-1 comes to Sam with a possible solution, to stop any further alternate teams arriving, and the two SG-1s are sent on the Prometheus to carry out the plan. The alternate SG-1 however, have ulterior motives, and seize control of the ship. They had planned this all along, and now intend to go and steal the ZPM from Atlantis to take back to their own reality to power the Ancient weapon in Antarctica. Our SG-1 take back the ship, and Sam figures out how to send all the teams back, but doing exactly what the alternate Carter did to get here in the first place. The teams all go home. There is a sad goodbye between our SG-1, and Janet and Martouf.

Jack watched as Sam picked at her food, pushing it around the plate without actually eating anything. It was their six month anniversary, they were out for dinner in a fancy Washington DC restaurant, and she looked fantastic in a little black dress and the diamond earrings he'd given her. But she clearly wasn't happy, and that was a problem.

"I've said this to you in the past, but maybe you didn't believe me … food only works if you put it in your mouth. Pushing it around the plate doesn't count."

Sam gave him a strained smile in appreciation of the joke. "I guess I was a little distracted." She said, taking a bite of the salad.

"Thinking about work?" He guessed.

She nodded.

"You got all the alternate teams home safely, right? And the problem was fixed?"

Another nod. "Yeah, it's all sorted. They're all gone, and there won't be any new alternates coming through."

"So …?" He prompted.

"One of the teams … well, one of the teams had some familiar faces."

Jack blinked. "Maybe I missed something, but didn't all the teams have familiar faces? Wasn't that the point?"

"I don't mean 'us', I mean …" She sighed. "Janet and Martouf."

"Oh." He winced in sympathy. "That must have been a little rough."

"Didn't you already know about that? From the report?"

"I guess I haven't reached that file yet. I got a report about every single team, I haven't had the time to go through all of them." He looked at her askance. "Did you talk to them?"

"Yes."

"And …?"

"And … and it was wonderful, and awful, and it hurts." She blinked rapidly as her eyes misted up. "I'm sorry, I know I'm supposed to be focussed on 'us' tonight, it's just …"

"It's ok, I get it."

Sam smiled sadly and nodded. Weirdly, he probably did.

"You wanna get out of here?" He asked.

"God yes. Can we?"

"Yeah, hang on, I'll go find a waiter and pay."

He flagged down a young man at the bar and paid their tab for the mostly uneaten meals, got Sam's coat, and put it over her shoulders when they met back at the door.

"Home?" He asked.

"Yes please."

He drove her back to his townhouse. Inside, she kicked off her heels, and kissed him fiercely. He smiled against her mouth and kissed back, letting her push him towards the bedroom. If this was how she wanted to deal with it, then who was he to argue?

Later, when they were curled up naked in bed, exhausted, he whispered into her hair.

"Do you think the other Carters went to 2034 too?"

"Maybe." Sam answered sleepily. "I didn't ask."

"Darn. Could have been interesting."

"It could have gotten really weird. I heard about a few being married or having babies, and I got the impression not all of them were with you."

Jack's hand stilled where it had been stroking the soft skin of her upper arm. "Really?"

"Like I said, it could have gotten weird if I'd started asking questions."

Jack shuddered. "Yeah, some things are best left alone." He thought for a long few moments. "But if you had to guess, who …?"

"Jack." She admonished, turning over in his arms to look at him. "It doesn't matter. In this universe I'm here with you, on our six month wedding anniversary, and I'm naked in your bed. You really want to argue about it?"

He grinned. "Nope."

"I didn't think so."

He kissed her, silently thanking whoever might care to listen for letting this be his universe, and his Sam Carter.