A/N: This takes place right after 100 days. I am not a massive fan of the episode or the next episode, 16 Shades of Grey. I feel like there should have been a follow up to 100 days, but it never happened. This is a Sam/Jack pairing. All of the team is in the story, however. There is a lot of thoughts going into this, and I hope you enjoy it. Heads up, it's a slow burn. I am starting publishing this with 28 chapters already written. These are shorter chapters.
Jack walked back through the gate. He was happy to be home. He had spent the last 105 days thinking he would be on Edora forever. He was beginning to believe that the only thing that would make him happy was Laira's company. Jack felt terrible for quickly wanting to go back home. He knew the minute he asked Laira to come back, she would say no, and he wasn't going to offer to stay. He can't deny he cared for her. They had an instant connection, something he hadn't felt with anyone for a long time. He didn't feel like he used the woman, but he felt like an ass for leaving her. He wasn't sure what her charm was, but it felt good to have a relationship like that once again, even if only lasted about three months.
Jack had seen Sam, and the look on her face when he approached Laira, and the Cheshire cat grin Daniel gave as Jack said goodbye. He was happy to go home. He would not be pleased about explaining the last 100 days to his team, to General Hammond. It was beyond luck that Laira turned on the radio and heard voices. Jack knew that things were no longer a chance. He truly believed that there was a plan for him and the rest of the team.
General Hammond was genuinely pleased to have Jack O'Neill back on Earth and laughed at the site of the man in Edora's clothing.
"It's good to see you, son, I hate to tell you, but the infirmary first, you have been gone for a while; how about a debrief tomorrow 0900, get to the infirmary," Hammond asked.
"Yes, sir." Jack nodded.
Jack had been poked and prodded. Janet had been a mother hen asking him 1000 questions. He didn't lie when she asked about sexual activity. She just nodded her head and put a check on the paperwork to check for sexually transmitted diseases. She went through her routine questioning and checked boxes as she went. She smiled at the Colonel.
"It's good to have you back." Janet smiled.
Jack nodded. He desperately wanted to say it's good to be back, but he couldn't help the pang in his chest that made him feel bad for leaving the woman behind.
Jack wanted nothing more than to go home, but he knew the test results would take a few days, and he went to the locker room and was able to shower before Daniel found him in a hallway.
"You okay, Jack?" Daniel ask.
"Just fine, Daniel," Jack claimed.
"Listen, if you need to talk about Laria or anything, I'm here," Daniel stated thoughtfully.
Jack stopped walking, and Daniel also stopped. Jack turned to look at him.
"That obvious?" Jack asked.
"Listen, I believe you made the joke I had a woman on every planet," Daniel stated.
"You know I didn't mean it," Jack stated quickly.
"Oh, you did, because for a while I was trying to fill that hole, and it worked for a moment. You have to figure out if Laria was filling that hole, or now you have a hole because of her." Daniel stated.
"Do you always have to be so metaphorical?" Jack asked.
Daniel just looked at the man.
"I get your point, Danny-boy, and I have a lot to think about. I will see you at the debrief?" Jack questioned.
Daniel took the hint.
"You want anything to eat. I'm heading that way now," Daniel asked.
"No sleep sounds better, I appreciate it," Jack stated. He put his hand on Daniels's shoulder before walking away.
Jack went to the VIP room and laid in bed. He thought sleep would come easy, but he was different; this felt different. He had so much going on through his head, he tossed and turned rest came in fits, with rapid-fire dreams he couldn't remember. He was once again was used to embracing a woman in bed, and although he was taking up all the space of the twin-size bed, it felt oddly empty.
He woke up to a knock on the door. He scrubbed his face and opened the door to see a fresh-faced Carter smiling at him.
"Hey, Carter," Jack stated, unable to be mad at the moment.
"Hey, it's 0800, and I wanted to make sure you were awake," Sam stated.
"0800." Jack looked down at his watch and checking to make sure it's the time. "Damn."
Sam kept the smile on her face, "I'll leave you to it, sir." Sam stated the smile never leaving her face.
Jack couldn't help return the smile, glad to see her face once again. Sam turned to go to the elevators. Jack closed his door and stretched. He grabbed a pair of blue BDUs and tied up his boots. He sighed as he made his way to get something to eat and a coffee, something he hadn't had in 96 days after his supply ran out of his pack.
Jack was the last to enter the briefing room. General Hammond, Daniel, Teal'c, and of course, Carter were all waiting on him. He wasn't late, but it felt awkward to be the last one to the party. His coffee in his hand, he sat down.
"I know it's been a while for us all, so Dr. Jackson, will you brief us during the time all of SG-1 was on the planet Edora?" General Hammond asked.
Daniel nodded and handed a folder to Jack. Daniel started the briefing of the other three, commenting if they felt the need. Daniel had gotten to the point that he led the villagers who wanted to go to the gate, and Jack had gone looking for two teenagers.
"I can take it from here, Danny." Jacks chimed in.
"I went with a villager Laria, to go get her son and his girlfriend. They had gone back to the caves that Daniel was studying. They said that Daniel stated that was where their ancestors hid out the last time the "fire rain" started." Jack claimed.
Daniel looked at him and put his head down instantly, feeling guilty.
"Look, it's not your fault; they were afraid to go through the gate, and you were right. The cave was the second safest place," Jack claimed.
"There were several small meteors that hit pretty close one even hit the village, the heat was intense, and we stayed in the cave for three days, luckily it had rained and put a lot of the fire out. We went back to the village. Several didn't survive. A meteor struck one of the houses. The villagers told me they went back to the gate, but it wasn't there. Of course, I looked for myself, and there was a noticeable impact. I dug for it for days. Laria's son helped for a little while. A lot of villagers blamed me for sending off most of the villagers. I was expected to help them during the day, and I could only dig when everything was done in the village.
Everyone was staring down at the table General Hammond included.
"I gave up about a month later," Jack claimed.
"I'm sorry," Jack muttered.
No one knew what else to say, and all sat quietly before General Hammond picked his head back up.
"I hate to do this to you, son, but there was Naquadah on the planet, Major Carter found and brought back samples." General Hammond claimed.
"Yeah, it's there, nothing like in some of the mines I've seen, but it's there," Jack claimed.
The General just nodded his head.
"After returning their people, are they still agreeable to a deal?" General Hammond asked.
"Yes, sir," Jack stated.
"Very well then, any other discoveries to be made while you were there?" The General asked.
"No, they weren't very advanced, no technology of any kind. Nothing else worth bartering for." Jack claimed.
"Will they be willing to deal with new people if we send them?" General Hammond asked.
"Laria expects me to be there when they start discussions," Jack stated.
"Is she in charge there?" General Hammond asked.
"She will most likely be the one to lead negotiations," Jack commented.
"Is there anything else that needs to be brought up during your stay?" General Hammond asked.
"No, sir," Jack claimed.
"Alright then, Major Carter, why don't you bring us up to speed in detail about the particle accelerator." General Hammond stated.
Sam started giving her an explanation of how long it took for her and some other scientists to figure it out. Jack always complained about her going into too much science, but the way she was explaining it, it felt she had thought it over 1000 times, and the speech wasn't for the briefing, but him. She was highlighting how much of an effort it took to get him home. Her smile never left, and her eyes, although they went around regularly, stopped and stared at him.
After she was done explaining, Jack felt sick for so many reasons. He heard her say the Tolin's had offered to swing by in about ten months, but she, of course, had to figure it out beforehand. Three months was damn near impossible, but it seemed like it was always that way when it came to SG-1. He hated he was such a bother and wondered if it was even worth all the time of saving him. He could have been happy on the planet with Laria, her son, and possibly a baby. His stomach knotted again, it wasn't like he was young and they had rounds and rounds of unprotected sex, but it happened multiple times. He could be a father. He could have a baby. Right that moment and in the middle of Sam's discussion, he stood up, made it to the nearest trash bin, and puked.
Everyone rose.
"Call Dr. Fraiser." General Hammond yelled at one of the airmen.
"I'm fine," Jack muttered.
"Not used to earth food." Jack excused himself.
Sam walked over to him with a cold glass of water. Daniel wheeled the chair around for him to sit back down.
"I'm fine." Jack insisted.
Once Jack wheeled himself back to the table, the briefing continued, Teal'c continuing about digging and the 2-way radio contact. It took them and the rest of the village another four days to get the Stargate back upright, and Teal'c continued with stating the facts, including
"Colonel O'Neill was offering Laria refuge here on Earth, but she declined."
General Hammond looked at Jack in the eye. Jack didn't back down but knew he was expected to say something.
"Come on, Daniel invites back girls all the time," Jack claimed. No one said another word for about a whole minute.
"Teal'c continue." General Hammond asked. Teal'c finished the rest of the story until dialing home.
Sam couldn't help the hurt in her chest when the words came out of Jack's ever witty mouth. She got the picture loud and clear. She saw the spark between the two the moment they arrived, and she had turned around out of courtesy when they said their goodbye. In her mind, it was a fling with an Alien, something they've all had over the past few years, which she laughed at when she was going through her mind. She hadn't heard Jack ask Laria to come back with them. It hurt to know that he was willing to have a whole life on EarthEarth with her. It made her stomach hurt, and after Jack throwing up, she couldn't help think she would be next in line to do the same. She couldn't look at him; she didn't trust her eyes. The hurt she knew was clearly expressed in them right now.
As soon as General Hammond said, "dismissed." She was quick to grab her papers and leave. Jack looked at her funny as she was the first to walk out of the room and looked at Daniel to make sure he didn't miss it.
Daniel knew the reason she was in a hurry to leave, he risked looking at her instead of Jack when Jack had made his statement, and that was the moment Daniel knew for sure that Sam was in love with Jack.
"What, Carter late for a date or something?" Jack joked.
"Not exactly," Daniel claimed.
"So tell me what I'd miss," Jack asked.
Daniel was ready to snap. He knew that this was Jack's way of trying to catch up. Trying to act like the last three months never happened, but they certainly did, and they all knew it would lead to repercussions.
Daniel looked at him.
"I am helping SG-5 with some translations. Let me get back with you, preferably topside?" Daniel asked.
"Sounds like a plan whenever the doc will let me go. It might be a few days." Jack mentioned.
"I'll talk to her." Daniel smiled and walked out of the briefing room. Hammond had gone back to his office, and it was only Teal'c and Jack standing the room, and Jack felt lost.
"So tell me, T, how has life been treating you?" Jack asked.
Teal'c raised his eyebrow. He then tells Jack about new television shows, new music, and cities he has been learning about. Jack politely listened, somehow finding Teal'c's voice soothing, something he had never thought of before.