General Hammond rushed to the control room as the unscheduled off-world activation alert blared. As he had done with every off-world alert, he prayed it was SG-1 returning home with Major Carter and Colonel O'Neill.
"It's SG-1's IDC!" Walter exclaimed looking at him.
"Thank god. Open the iris," he ordered as he walked the short distance to the gate room. Only his many years in the military allowed him to school his features as the Major and Colonel emerged from the wormhole, followed by Daniel, Jacob, and Teal'c.
"Welcome home," his offered his standard greeting as he took in Major Carter's condition. Shell-shocked was the best adjective he could come up with. The Major wore an SGC jacket that hung down to just above her knees, both of which were exposed from her lack of pants. One side of her face was slightly swollen and bruised.
Pushing down the need to demand what had happened to one of his senior officers, he told her, "it's good to have you back, Major."
"Thank you, sir," she replied with a smile that didn't reach her eyes.
Dr. Janet Frazier came running into the gate room, followed by a nurse pushing a wheelchair.
"Hi, Sam," Janet said as she guided her toward the chair.
"I can walk," Sam argued, letting Hammond know she wasn't too badly hurt, at least physically.
"Sam," Janet protested.
"Carter," Colonel O'Neill said with a nod toward the chair. With a sigh, she sat down as they wheeled her away.
Hammond noticed that O'Neill's eyes lingered on the Major a bit longer than necessary, which wasn't too uncommon. What was unusual was the look in his face; his head was slightly cocked as if he was listening to something. A small smile quirked his lips.
"Colonel," Hammond nodded drawing his attention, "I'd like to have a quick debrief before you go to the infirmary. If you are uninjured."
"Yes, sir," Jack said following Hammond to his office. Jacob followed while Daniel and Teal'c headed to change their clothes then to the infirmary for their post off-world health checks.
Closing the door, the two men waited to sit until Hammond took a seat.
"She looks like hell," Hammond said bluntly.
"She's been through hell," Jack replied bluntly now that they were alone. "Not only did she have to navigate a culture saturated with misogyny, she found a way to free them from a sicko who had been a host to a Goa'uld. It'll all be in my report," Jack said before Hammond could ask for details.
"Now about Major Carter," Hammond proceeded. "Did you marry her?"
"Yes I did, sir," Jack confirmed, but Hammond could tell by the look on both men's faces there was more to the story.
"You might as well tell me," Hammond ordered. Experience told him he wouldn't like what came next.
"There was more to the ceremony than just exchanging vows," Jack said. Hammond closed his eyes as he suspected what Jack was going to say. "In order to get married, Carter had to undergo a ritual called the fire," Jack looked uncomfortably at Jacob, "It made it necessary for her to, umm, mate, sir. Failure to do so would have resulted in her death."
"So you and Major Carter engaged in sexual relations in order to save her life," Hammond needed confirmation.
"Yes, sir," Jack squirmed. He actually squirmed in his seat. Hammond suspected there was more to it than Jack just wanting to save the Major's life, but kept that suspicion to himself.
"Have you engaged in sexual relations since the day you married," Hammond asked, his tone all business.
"No, sir. We haven't been alone since that night" Jack answered. As soon as the words left his mouth, the hardened Colonel turned red. Hammond's eyes widened at what Jack's answer implied. Glancing at Jacob, he saw an incredibly pained expression on his face. Understandable given the fact they were literally discussing his daughter having sex.
"I believe I can make a solid case against court martial, since you only did what was necessary to save Major Carter's life," he told him, but Jack's pained expression concerned him.
"There's more, George," Jacob sighed, finally speaking. "Apparently Jack and Sam formed some sort of permanent mental bond."
"Which means what, exactly," Hammond's head was starting to throb. This situation was getting even more complicated by the second.
"They are literally in each other's heads. All the time," Jacob answered. His head lowered, indicating Selmac was assuming control.
"Colonel O'Neill and Major Carter are bonded on a cellular level," Selmac said. "Much like my host and myself. It is my belief that separating them could result in extensive physical and mental trauma, including one or both of their deaths."
"Divorce isn't an option," Jack interjected, followed by a delayed, "sir."
"I see," Hammond's hope for an easy resolution evaporated as he digested the situation.
"General," Jack said, "I think you should know that both Carter and I entered into this bond willingly. We knew what was going to happen. Even without the threat of her death, I would have willingly bonded with her."
"Jack," Hammond raised his hand, "stop right there. I'm going to pretend I did not hear that."
"George," Jacob said having resumed control of his body, "for what it's worth I support them, completely."
Jack quickly turned to look at Jacob with a surprised expression, but didn't say anything. Jacob refused to look at his new son-in-law. Hammond ran his hands over his head and let out a harsh breath. If he wasn't bald already, he would have been after this was over.
"You did say by any means necessary," Jack said.
"Yes, and I'm beginning to regret that order," Hammond said sharply. "I guess the next thing to do is—Colonel O'Neill?" He noticed Jack's eyes had glazed over. "Jack!"
As Jack stood up and walked out of the room without an explanation, Hammond turned to Jacob. "What the hell just happened?"
Jacob was already standing when he said, "I'd guess Sam needs him."
General Hammond had no clue what that meant, but had no choice except to follow Jacob down the hall. They saw Jack turn into the locker room and continue back to the showers. As they followed him, Hammond watched in stunned silence as Jack approached a clearly distraught Major Carter. The shower stalls were tall enough that only the tops of her shoulders and head were visible, the rest of her body hidden by the tiled walls.
Without stopping, Jack walked right into the shower and pulled her into his arms; the water soaking his clothes. Major Carter threw her arms around his neck and sagged against him as she sobbed into his chest. Feeling like some sort of voyeur, he quickly backed out of the locker room with Jacob.
"What did I just witness?" He demanded. The raw emotion he saw between his two officers had shaken him.
"He feels what she feels," Jacob told him, his voice raw with emotion as well. "Sam described it as a warm embrace that never ends."
Hammond tried to wrap his head around what had happened to his officers. They had clearly been through something life altering. He knew there was chemistry between them; anyone with eyes could see that, but he also knew they'd never acted on it-until now. Without a doubt he'd have a fight on his hands with his superiors regarding his officers actions, but for the moment, ensuring they were both physically and mentally healthy was his top priority.
—POV—
Dr. Janet Frazier looked up as General Hammond and Jacob walked into the infirmary. "Thank goodness you're here," she told them. "I've lost Sam."
"What do you mean you've lost Sam," Daniel said as he and Teal'c entered the infirmary.
"She's in the locker room," Hammond informed her. As she grabbed her bag he waylaid her. "Let's give them a few minutes."
"Them?" She was growing more confused.
"Colonel O'Neill is with her," Hammond said as if that somehow explained the entire situation. At the looks on the rest of the men's faces, Janet could tell no one was surprised by that bit of information.
"Alright," she said hesitantly. Janet didn't like letting patients out of her sight until she was sure they were alright.
"Why don't you tell us what happened, doctor," Hammond ordered.
"Well, sir," she glanced at Jacob wondering how much to divulge. "Sam was pretty banged up, as you know. After examining her legs, which are covered in welts," she paused. "It looks like she was whipped with something," Janet added before continuing. "I was helping her to change into a hospital gown when I got my first look at her chest and torso. Sir, the bruising pattern is consistent with sexual assault," she cringed as the words came out of her mouth. The idea of her friend being raped was heartbreaking.
"Attempted," Teal'c said.
"What?" She asked trying to focus.
"Attempted sexual assault," he clarified. "Colonel O'Neill got to her before the attacker could complete his intent."
"Thank god," Janet breathed a quick sigh of relief. "But you all need to understand that regardless of if rape occurred, Sam was sexually assaulted. I told her I needed to do an internal exam, and the next thing I knew she was gone. I assumed the idea of an exam triggered her, but with what you've told me I don't understand why she just didn't tell me what happened. There are ways for me to make the exam more comfortable under these circumstances. Sam knows this."
She watched as Daniel, Teal'c, and Jacob exchanged looks. It was obvious that she may be the one out of the loop. "Gentlemen," Janet used her best doctor tone, "I can't help Major Carter if I'm lacking important information about what happened. I expect you to fill in the missing pieces."
"Doctor," General Hammond finally said, "I don't know Major Carter's exact reasons for leaving the infirmary, but I do know that if you had completed your exam, you would have found evidence of sexual activity. She likely did not want you to discover that and note it in her medical report."
Janet's eyes widened as she tried to understand what he was telling her. "You said she wasn't raped," she directed at no one in particular. When no one answered, she added, "will someone please just explain it to me in plain English," she pinched the bridge of her nose. Why was everyone dancing around this issue!
"Doctor," General Hammonds drew her attention, "who is the only other person, besides Major Carter, missing from our little impromptu meeting?"
"Colonel O'Neill," she said as her brain kicked in. If something had happened between Sam and her CO, she probably wouldn't want to confirm it with an internal exam. A sexual relationship between them could result in court martial.
"I've never known Major Carter or Colonel O'Neill to act improperly," Janet's first instinct was to defend her friends.
"Yeah," Daniel's cheeks pinked a bit, "while I don't consider their actions improper especially given the extenuating circumstances, I can confirm that I walked in on them sleeping in post-coital bliss."
"That is something I would have preferred not to know," Hammond told Daniel.
"It's seared into my brain," Jacob grumbled. Janet did not ask him to elaborate.
"General, I want you to let everyone know the locker room is off limits until further notice," Janet ordered him. Medical issues were the only time she'd dare to give the general an order. "I'm going to go check on my patient." She grabbed her medical kit and swept out of the room before anyone could argue.
The sight she saw as she walked into the locker room let her know everything she needed to know about Sam's new relationship with Jack. He was on the floor inside a shower stall with Sam sitting next to him. The water had been turned off, but Jack's clothes were soaked. He had his arm around a naked Sam, but there was no sense of sexual tension between them. In fact, the look their faces was one of calmness with just being near each other. Not exactly what Janet had expected given Sam's abrupt departure from the infirmary.
"Hi doc," Jack said sensing her presence.
"I want to let you know General Hammond gave me a brief synopsis of what happened off-world," she told them. "Eventually, I'll need to know exactly what happened, but for now, know that I am aware you were together physically, and any finding about that will be kept off the record medically. Would it be okay if I take a few vital signs from each of you?"
"Janet, I'm sorry. I should have told you," Sam said. "I didn't mean to just leave. The idea of evidence of our relationship being officially on the record overwhelmed me. Once that happened, everything sort of hit me at once. In that moment all I could think about was getting the blood and grime off of me."
"Sam, I understand," Janet used her serious doctor voice. "I understand why you were left, but know that I'm on your side. Both of your sides."
—POV—
Jack sat on an infirmary bed next to Sam. After checking their vital signs, Doc Frazier had ordered him to change his clothes while she helped Sam get dressed. Pulling his wet clothes off, he gave a small thanks that Sam had chosen the locker room when she'd left the infirmary.
While Jack had held her in the shower, he caught his first good look at the bruising on her torso. As he took in the damage, he wished he could go back and kill the bastard.
They'd been in the infirmary all day while the doc ran her tests. So far everything had come back completely normal; all of Sam's bruises, scrapes, and welts were deemed superficial. They were waiting for the last test and then hopefully get out of here.
"I think I found something," Janet said coming into the room with General Hammond. "It appears that a small set of nucleotides in your DNA have been altered."
"In layman's terms please, Doctor," Hammond requested.
Before she could respond, Jack answered. "The cuffs Carter and I had to wear for the bonding must have changed a small subsection of our DNA, making it possible for us to form a mental connection."
At Janet and the General's perplexed expressions, Jack pointed to Sam's head then his. "Mental connection thingy," he explained. "That was all Carter, I just said the words."
"Fascinating," Janet said.
"Daniel said the same thing," Jack sighed. "I really wish people would stop saying that."
Jack sensed Sam biting back a smile at his sarcasm.
"I have several more tests to run, but I can give them a clean bill of physical health. Except for Sam's injuries, there's nothing wrong with either of them," Janet told the General.
"What about the DNA alteration?" Hammond asked.
"Insignificant overall. While it likely explains their mental bond as Colonel O'Neill said, there's no danger to them or us," Janet answered.
"It's like the difference between my blonde hair and Janet's brown hair, sir," Sam said. "Insignificant overall, well, except for the mental bond thingy."
"Great, can we get out of here?" Jack jumped off the bed.
"Not so fast," Janet stalled him. "I want you both back in here at at 1100 hours for more tests. I want to test the strength of your mental connection. What is occurring between you is fascinating." Janet gave Jack an apologetic look at her use of the word fascinating.
"Permission to go home, sir," Sam asked General Hammond.
"Major, until we know the extent and side effects of your and Colonel O'Neill's bonding, I must insist you remain on the base," Hammond answered.
Jack felt Sam's disappointment. He wanted to get out of here for a few hours, too. Most of the base likely suspected something nefarious happened on the planet. He was positive word of the General's original order for Jack to marry his second-in-command had already made the rounds on the rumor mill. They both felt like ants under a magnifying glass.
"With all due respect, sir," Jack hoped General Hammond would reconsider. "Dr. Frazier has already confirmed that physically we are just fine. It would help both Major Carter and me to get out of here, even just for the night. I'm mentally exhausted and would really like to sleep in my own bed."
"Sir," Janet said, "there's no reason I can think of to keep them here." Jack gave her his best dazzling smile.
"Alright, but I want you both back here at 1100 hours," Hammond ordered. "I assume you want them to stay together?" He asked Janet.
"Preferably," Janet agreed. "If anything happens, report back here immediately."
"Yes, sirs," Jack said motioning Sam to go first.
"Thank you sir," Sam told the General as they hurried out the door. "You, too Janet."
The ride in the elevator seemed slower than normal as Jack waited to touch Sam. He'd hadn't touched her since they left the locker room and it was killing him. As the elevator doors opened, he let her exit, then followed her as they quickly signed out of the base.
"I'll drive," he said simply, and she didn't argue as he opened the door of his truck for her.
As soon as they had drove past the outer perimeter of the base, he reached his right hand toward her. She met him halfway. Intertwining their fingers, he held onto the lifeline as they drove the 20 minutes to his house.