'' A Beta site?''
'' Yeah. We have an Alpha site. It would make sense that we had a Beta site in the works. And a Gamma, sort of.''
Sam wondered if they had a 'Beta site in the works' back at home. She'd never been so close to the command structure before, but living with this Colonel O'Neill had certainly changed that. Suddenly she was a bouncing board for all his ideas - and he had millions of them. She'd never known before quite how well versed he was in all sorts of tactics and strategies. Of course, she'd noticed that his dress blues were littered with medals - her father had pointed them out to her after the first time he'd met Colonel O'Neill, not that they were easy to miss or anything - but, well, it had never connected in her mind that the guy was therefore full of useful military information and theories. Perhaps it was the self-depreciating way he came across to her.
'' You have to expect it, wouldn't you? With you and Daniel on my team.''
Sam had never thought about it like that before.
'' Sam, you can't get to Colonel without a modicum of intelligence. Throwing yourself into suicidal situations will only get you so far in the military,'' he said bluntly, slapping her butt with the tea towel before presenting it to her. Yawning broadly, he stretched with his eyes closed and Sam found her eyes travelling to the brown inch of skin between his jeans and his raised jumper. She quickly averted her eyes and stared out of the window.
'' Well, I'm off to bed. Night, Sam.''
'' Night, Jack,'' she said vaguely, staring at her reflection in the dark window. She watched his reflection walk off.
Shaking her head, she dried the last plate, the last few knives (how did they get through all those knives in just one meal?), and decided it was probably time for her to go on up too.
She was flicking off lights all the way to the hallway before she remembered they hadn't closed the curtains in the lounge. She bumped her knee on the coffee table, swore, rounded behind the sofa and nearly knocked over a standing lamp. Rolling her eyes at her clumsiness, she grabbed one edge of the thick curtains and started pulling them to the middle. It was almost ridiculous quite how used she'd got to this domesticity with Colonel O'Neill. More and more frequently, she'd dropped the 'sir' and 'Colonel' and resorted to calling him 'Jack', and he hadn't even insisted on it. They had some downtime coming up in a few weeks and he'd casually mentioned that he was going up to the cabin and there was plenty of room for her as well. And because she felt so safe with him - he was married, after all - she'd said she'd love to. And she hadn't keeled over and died on the spot, either. No one had snuck out of the woodwork (or metal work, in the case of the SGF) and strung her up. Janet hadn't tut-tutted, her father hadn't scowled and condemned her.
The phone started ringing, which made Sam jump. She knew there weren't any phones upstairs, not even in the offices, so she climbed over the sofa and grabbed the blinking object from its special stand. '' Hello?''
'' Hey, Sam,'' someone yawned.
Hey, yawns were even catching over the phone. '' Cassy? What are you doing up? Isn't it a school night?''
'' You know, I just love having two mothers.''
Sam snorted. '' It's called being an adult, Cass. What is it?''
'' Look, don't shout at me, but I'm doing my homework.''
'' It's nearly half past eleven!''
'' Believe me, this is early for some people I know. I'm doing Math.''
'' Uh-huh.'' Sam went to stand in the hallway, looking up at Colonel O'Neill who was standing midway down the stairs. He raised his eyebrows at her. '' Cassy, I'm not sure I can help you with your Math homework.''
His grin was broad and genuine.
'' Is this an ethical reason?'' Cassy asked suspiciously.
'' No. It's a tired reason. I'm tired.''
'' Sam! Come on, Mom's completely stumped, too. She's pacing. And if I don't get a good grade on this, my teacher'll kill me. And then Mom will. And you know General Hammond will find out and then I'll get a phone call saying I'm letting down Earth or something.''
Sam rolled her eyes dramatically. '' All right then, hit me.''
'' Excellent!''
So after half an hour of explaining sin, cos and tan, Sam was finally able to get off the phone. She just about managed to put the phone back properly in its stand before succumbing to tiredness and half-crawling up the stairs. Washing her face and brushing her teeth seemed beyond her - even though half her brain was protesting that it was only twelve o'clock and she was in the prime of life - so she fell face down on her bed in the dark with the curtains open and the door ajar.
Naturally, she woke in exactly the same position, her body protesting mightily. At least she didn't have to get changed, she thought positively, rolling onto her feet and stretching. A good workout would probably do wonders for her kinks and she wandered downstairs to find something healthy to eat.
'' Morning,'' she greeted the Colonel, who was perched on the sofa, watching the early morning news.
'' Storm. Big one. Snow. Lots of it,'' he said, eyes fixed on the screen.
'' Snow?''
'' It is December.''
God. So it was. She looked at the calendar. December 4th. '' Christmas!''
'' Yeah.''
'' Presents!''
He leaned to the side and looked at her in the kitchen. '' Don't sweat it. Everyone will understand.''
'' What about Mark? The kids? And surely I have friends outside of work, or something?''
'' A couple. But you've kind of lost touch, what with your project in Europe and all.'' He raised his eyebrows at her significantly, reminding her of her cover story. '' As for Mark, you have a pact not to buy each other presents at Christmas. I'm not sure about the kids; I haven't seen them in over two years.'' He picked up his cup of coffee, raised it to his lips. '' But I expect a present.''
She narrowed her eyes at him threateningly. '' I hate you.''
He grinned. '' I want to get to work early today. When will you be ready?''
'' Why are we going in together?''
'' Weren't you listening? Storm. Big one. Snow. My truck has snow tires. Your car cringes at mizzle.''
'' Oh.'' And she was sure 'mizzle' wasn't a word. And her car was a classic. Classic cars liked nice warm garages. What was wrong with that?
She looked closer at the calendar and saw that the week of their downtime was Christmas week. He'd drawn a red line down that week and scrawled 'cabin' beside it. Christmas at the cabin. Huh. She really would have to get him a present or he'd be in a foul mood the whole week. '' I hope you're getting me one.''
'' Already got it.''
She dropped the sheet of the calendar. '' Please be kidding.''
He grinned. '' Nope.''
'' Oh, for crying out loud,'' she muttered, grabbing a cereal bear from the cupboard and storming back upstairs.
\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/
'' I've reviewed your request and I tend to agree, it would be useful if we kept up continuous contact with this planet,'' General Thomas said, looking at the both of them over his steepled hands. '' However, I'm not sure why SG-1 needs to be the ones doing the contact.''
'' Ah, that's mainly due to me, General,'' Daniel said, smiling as sweetly as possible and trying not to babble. '' I'd personally like to check out the 'book store' to see if there are any more informative texts, particularly those of the Goa'uld language, which are undeniably useful.''
'' Undeniably,'' the General agreed, nodding once.
'' And I'd like to see what sort of technology was on offer there. It also occurs to me that there must be other planets that do this sort of trading, so we could ask around while we're there,'' Sam added in a well-measured voice, trying not to sound too enthusiastic. Wouldn't want to get him suspicious, after all.
'' What does Colonel O'Neill think of all this?''
Sam and Daniel glanced at each other.
'' The lack of trees, he said, was appealing, but beyond that he didn't say much else,'' Daniel said, smiling slightly. They'd discussed, between them, the necessity of keeping Colonel O'Neill's name out of the plan as much as possible. After all, he would still have a career to come home too.
General Thomas seemed to find this amusing. '' Well, the SGF schedule is fairly tight at the moment. But I can see that such a mission would be beneficial, particularly with regards to technology. I'll keep it in mind.''
Sam sighed internally. For the time being, she guessed that was the best they could do. '' Thank you, sir.''
'' On another note, did you both get your invitations this morning?''
'' Yes, General. Black tie, General?''
'' Will that be a problem, Dr Jackson?''
'' No, sir. Just... I'll have to rent one, I suppose.''
Since Sam didn't have a clue what they were talking about, she looked from one to the other blankly.
Daniel took pity on her. '' It'll be in your in-tray. Under that stack of sheets Jack dumped on you this morning. It's the SGF's annual Presidential dinner. There's a strict non-uniform dress code. So you don't scare the locals.''
'' Oh.'' Huh. They'd had nothing like that back home.
'' I expect both of you to attend. As key members of SG-1 you will be on the second table and you will make yourself available for the President.''
'' Yes, sir,'' they chorused dutifully.
'' Right. Dismissed.''
Sam saluted automatically, Daniel did his usual slightly confused half-wave, and they left the office, closing the door behind him. '' Damn,'' she realised. '' I'm going to have a find a dress, aren't I?''
'' You and the rest of the female members of the SGF. I've already had an earful from Dr Fraiser this morning,'' Daniel murmured, looking around him to make sure the doctor wasn't in range. '' She was muttering something about having more important things to do than prancing around in something that cost more than she made in a month.''
Sam's brow furrowed. Since she'd never had to attend something like this before, she'd never heard Janet complain about shopping for formal dresses. '' Why doesn't she just rent something?''
'' See! That's what I said! I got a really nasty needle jab for that comment,'' he told her, absently rubbing his upper arm. '' She says formal dresses aren't made in her size.''
Sam's mouth formed an 'o' shape in understanding. '' I'll ask her to go shopping. Then she can laugh at me. I look dreadful in formal dresses. Like an elongated Barbie without the...'' She started to gesture at her chest, then stopped midway, smiled at a blushing Daniel. She patted him on the shoulder. '' Never mind, Daniel.''
He snorted. '' Thanks for sparing me.''
They went their separate ways, Daniel back to his office and Sam to seek out Janet.
Janet, for once, had a few minutes to herself and she was quietly savouring her first cup of coffee in her office. She gave Sam a withering look when she didn't even bother to knock but refrained from saying anything.
She dropped onto a chair with a sigh. '' Do you want to go shopping for formal dresses at the weekend?''
Janet sighed. '' Oh God. Don't.''
'' I promise you, I'll have a worse time finding something than you.''
'' Why! You're tall and thin! I'm short and... curvy.''
'' You're not short.''
'' I am. I know I am. I'm petite. Unfortunately, I'm not skinny petite, which is all the world seems to cater for. Dammit.'' She plonked her coffee down and looked remarkably like a mutinous pixie. '' I can't wear the same thing I wore last year and the year before that and the year before that. It's out of date, doesn't fit me particularly well and rubs under my arms.''
Sam was having a hard time not smiling. She'd seriously never seen Janet this aggravated about something so unimportant. Then again, this woman wasn't her Janet. '' Just how formal is this thing?''
'' You didn't have them back... where you come from?''
'' Never. If we had anything remotely important like this, I just wore my dress blues.''
'' See? That's what I think! We should be able to wear our dress blues. But since the other half of the occasion will be non-military, it's thought more kind that we don't look like a great sea of blue and white and make them nervous. Which is just ridiculous. If anything, the sight of a couple of hundred men and women in uniform should be a comfort. You know, I think I'm going to write an email in complaint...''
'' So, no shopping?''
'' No, no, I'll come with you. If we get this done early...''
'' That's a point; when is it?''
'' February 13th, of course. Just in time to ruin everyone's Valentine's Day.''
'' That far away?'' Sam didn't want to say it in front of Janet, but there was a possibility that Sam wouldn't be there.
God, that was a hopeful thought. Home by February 13th. It gave her a little glow just thinking about it.
'' They like to rope everyone in. Remember to RSVP or the General will come down on you like a tonne of bricks.''
'' Right. Um, Saturday?''
'' Sure. Do you want me to pick you up?''
'' Yeah, that'd be great.''
'' Nine-ish?''
'' Sure.'' Since she had Samantha O'Neill's signature down to a T there would be no need to lug Colonel O'Neill with her, which he would no doubt be grateful for. If, indeed, he'd even glanced in his in-tray and seen the invitation. After all, there were about fifty separate sheets of paper over hers. She wondered if he had a tux.
'' Oh, Sam, I forgot to thank you. For Cassy. She was driving me up the wall last night.''
'' That's okay.''
'' She used to be so good with her homework. She'd come home from school, have a snack, go up to her room and scribble away. I think it was the novelty of it. Now she's a teenager, the later it gets done the better.''
Sam grinned, remembering that phase well. She leaned forward and snagged Janet's stethoscope. '' I always used to do Math homework in Biology class.''
'' Didn't you get in trouble?''
'' I sat at the back. No one noticed. Or, if they did, they didn't say anything. Cassy mentioned any subjects she's particularly interested in?''
'' Nope. Should I be worried? I knew what I wanted to be from as early as I can remember.''
'' It's different for everyone.'' She breathed onto the stethoscope and listened through the earpieces. '' I don't think I could say theoretical astrophysicist when I was eight.''
Janet laughed. '' Sam, give me my stethoscope back. It makes me nervous when other people play with it.'' She waggled her hand over the desk until Sam dropped the instrument into her hand. '' Perhaps I ought to get her a careers book for Christmas.''
'' Janet!''
'' What? I'm that type of parent. I put socks in her stocking as well.''
Sam giggled. '' So did my mom. Dad used to put satsumas in as well. Never knew why.''
'' Parents are a mystery until you have children yourself. I can't tell you the number of times I've run around Christmas Eve trying to find things to put in the damned stocking. I swear it gets bigger every year. Cassy's always terribly smug because she'll have mine done by mid afternoon and there it'll be, hanging over the fireplace while I'm hunting around for packets of chewing gum that have gone missing in my handbag, or toys I got free from Happy Meals.''
Janet ate Happy Meals? That was just... wrong. '' You don't think Colonel O'Neill will expect a stocking do you? I know he wants a present, which'll be hard enough.''
'' Of course he'll expect a stocking! Men are children,'' Janet said scornfully, reaching for her coffee again.
'' I guess I'll have to do my Christmas shopping this weekend as well.''
'' Going up to the cabin?''
'' Yup. My first time, actually, assuming it's the same cabin.''
'' I'll bet he invited you though.''
Janet, too, had also heard all about Sam's relationship with 'the other Colonel', which was strange because Sam tended to keep quiet about it with 'the other Janet'. After all, the Janet back at home hadn't wanted Sam to hurt her career by giving in to her feelings. She'd been right, of course, though Sam couldn't help but wishing, on occasion, that her Janet back home had been a little more... open to the idea so that Sam wouldn't have to clam up about that part of her life. And it was a big part of her life, no doubt about it. '' Yes.''
'' You were never tempted to go?''
'' Every single time. In fact, one time I refused him, then ran after him to let him persuade me and....''
The doctor leaned forward slightly. '' And...''
'' Thor whisked him away to his replicator infested ship.''
Janet winced. '' Nice timing.''
'' Perfect. After that I realised, not for the first time, that work would always get in the way. So I kept saying no until he stopped asking me.'' Feeling rather deflated now, Sam slumped in her chair and remembered the last time she'd seen him, he'd just returned from a cabin trip she hadn't been invited to.
'' I suppose he stopped wanting to be rejected, Sam. It can't have been nice for him, even though you lived for the invitations,'' Janet said quietly, in the kindest tone she could manage.
'' I should have told him.... that I didn't want him to stop inviting me. That one day I would say yes. It didn't occur to me until recently that perhaps he couldn't wait any more. That there might be someone else he'd want to invite.''
'' Sam?''
'' Yeah?''
'' You're making yourself miserable.''
She sighed deeply. '' I know.''
And strangely enough, that feeling dogged her for the rest of the day. She worked quietly in her lab, trying to keep her mind off him, ate her lunch in her office as she drafted her reports, went to a budget meeting at three and spent any free time she had pouring over all the reports she could find. She knew only too well that she would need to get a move and find out the reason for Samantha Carter's disappearance before she got her chance to go home herself. It had been very important in the beginning to clear her counterparts name just to prove to Colonel O'Neill that he had been wrong, but now it was becoming a personal obsession.
For some reason, the secrets the couple had kept from the authorities, from General Hammond, kept ringing a bell quietly in her head. Major Carter didn't go on any missions during the time Colonel O'Neill was on Edora - the same in her own reality - because she was working hard on bringing him home. There had been a couple under Colonel Makepeace's command, but they were small time, mineral surveys and the like.
Sam wasn't the type of person to keep a journal, but that didn't mean this one wasn't. It wouldn't be safe to keep one at home, so the only likely possibility was on the computer in the lab or her office. Having searched both thoroughly, she'd found nothing. She'd searched through her paper filing system several times, finding everything in its place and not exactly sure what she was looking for.
Feeling conspicuous, she'd also ran her hands all over the insides and outside of her office desk, looking for any compartments or anomalies. On the occasion when she'd had call to hide things - ranging from her secret stash of candy bars to expensive pieces of equipment she didn't want Colonel O'Neill breaking - she'd taped it to the underside of drawers, but that had revealed nothing. She also figured that if anything had been left behind, the search team would have found it shortly after Samantha left.
So what did she know?
Both Colonel O'Neill and Major Carter had naquadah in their blood from being blended, against their will, with Goa'uld.
Was it possible that someone had found out? It was an offence to lie in reports, of course, but Sam was sure this wasn't the case. Why would someone use that to threaten Sam? Why not Colonel O'Neill? And, what's more, why would she feel the need to run from Earth with Matthew?
In fact, the only reason Sam could see for her taking Matthew with her was to protect him. She must have felt only she could do that and it could only be done away from Earth, which meant the threat was on Earth and possibly within the SGF.
'' Sam?''
'' Huh?''
'' Home?''
She glanced at her watch. '' Oh God. Sure. Give me a few minutes.''
He smiled at her kindly, his hands in his jeans pockets. '' Hard day?''
'' Tedious, more like. You?''
'' Not so bad. Paperwork, a few meetings. Oh, man, is that what I think it is?'' He reached forward and plucked the invitation up. '' I missed this. February 13th. Well that's just peachy.''
'' Janet and I are going dress shopping at the weekend.'' She reached up to cover a yawn that escaped.
He made a face. '' Tux. Oh, crap, I'll have to start practising tying a bow tie again.''
Sam's mouth corners twitched. '' I can do it.''
'' You can!''
'' Yeah. Can't....''
He shook his head, eyes changing slightly but his mouth keeping its smile. '' No. She's worse than I am. Great! Well that's a load off my mind.''
She snorted. All right for some, she supposed.
\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/
Janet found her dress ten minutes into the shopping trip, no exaggeration. It was green, metallic looking, long and kind of... well, Sam didn't have all the technical words for it so all she could think of was that it came in at the waist and went out and had bit of a train. It was gorgeous and suited Janet down to the ground.
'' No bra!'' Janet said excitedly, jumping up and down in the changing rooms to show that the tight top gave her all the support she needed.
Sam scowled. '' You look beautiful.''
Smugly, Janet wandered back into the changing room and closed the curtain. '' What about the blue dress?''
'' I hate blue dresses.'' Which wasn't strictly true. She'd just started hating them ever since she'd been forced into one off-world. Ever since then anything blue and ornate gave her the creeps and reminded her of female oppression. She couldn't help it. She didn't think she was particularly feminist, she just believed that there were certain things a woman didn't have to put up with just because her reproductive organs were on the inside rather than the outside.
'' Well, Sam, you know your colouring will mostly allow you to wear anything.''
Sam sighed. '' I'll be outside if you need me, Janet.''
'' Okay.''
Sam wandered around the formal dress section of the store, pulling out the odd dress that appealed to her. She really didn't know what she was looking for. She wasn't exactly a follower of fashion, just grabbed whatever appealed to her. She knew she didn't particularly want to stick out at the dinner, which left out strong colours. Pastels, she supposed, were the way to go.
There was nothing that stuck out in that particular store so she and Janet wandered around the clothes shops, running up and down flights of stairs, leaning against walls in elevators, until Janet made them stop for a very late lunch. Doctor's orders, she said. They ate sandwiches in a small, well heated but rather empty cafe and chatted inconsequentially, both of them fairly well pleased to be away from the SGF for a weekend doing something sociable. This Janet, Sam found, was different from hers. Subtly, but definitely. For one thing, she'd once had an affair with her CO, which shocked Sam no end.
'' I was fresh out of medical school, Sam. Very young in military experience, really. I knew the regulations but it seemed to me that they were just a guideline and that nothing would actually go wrong.''
'' And?''
She inclined her head. '' Nothing did go wrong. We had a relationship, enjoyed each others company outside of work, and when it petered out, it petered out. No one got hurt but... there were rumours. I lost a friend or two who staunchly disapproved, and I regretted that.''
'' But you didn't regret the relationship? Compromising yourself for something that didn't work out?''
'' No. How could I? We were both adults. I enjoyed myself. Then again, it wasn't as if we were in combat together.''
Sam sighed, agreeing with the difference in situation between herself and Janet. '' I suppose my main worry was that we'd be in a situation where he'd be forced to choose, me or someone else. And he'd made a decision based on his emotions.''
'' And you believe Colonel O'Neill would choose wrongly?''
'' Don't you? I mean, isn't that what he did here?''
'' Here is different, Sam. Here, she was his wife, and she had taken his son from him. No man would react emotionlessly to that.''
'' True. It is very different here.'' She smiled whimsically. '' I heard you delivered the baby.''
Janet rolled her eyes and brushed crumbs off her jeans. '' Yes, and if I wasn't a Major in the USAF I would have blushed at the abuse you, she, hurled at her husband.''
Sam grinned and leaned back in the chair. '' When was he born?''
'' September 7th, 1996, at 0227. Eight pounds and three ounces,'' she reeled off with medical precision
'' That's big, right?''
She shrugged her shoulders delicately. '' Average. He was full term, actually. The only baby I've ever delivered on its due date. Typical soldier's baby. Prompt.'' She giggled at her own joke. '' You know he's named after me?''
'' Matthew?''
'' Matthew Fraser O'Neill.''
'' That's so sweet!''
Janet grinned. '' I was pretty pleased at the time. So were they. He really was the most adorable baby. Had most of the SGF wrapped around his baby fingers by the time he was two. Because of the naquadah in his blood, we had him in for regular check-ups, just to make sure.''
Though she was internally wincing from the fact that Janet was acting under the impression that Matthew's parents had naquadah in their blood 'by accident', or whatever she thought, she was interested in the health of a baby born with the element in its blood. After all, she did hope to have children someday. '' Any problems?''
'' None that we could see. Didn't start floating around the room, or anything. Though he did have a particularly bad case of chicken pox,'' she added irreverently. '' Anyway, the present. Shopping. Dress.''
Sam groaned. '' Oh for crying out loud.''
'' Oh, stop whining. We'll find you something.''
\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/
Crunching through the slushy snow on the driveway, a dress bag over her arm, Sam grinned at Jack who was holding the door open for her. '' You've been gone for days,'' he remarked as she stepped inside and hung the dress up temporarily on the coat hanger.
'' Miss me?''
He blinked. '' Well, yes, actually.''
Shocked, she glanced at him. '' Oh. Well. You could have come, but I didn't...''
'' Sam, it doesn't matter. I'm just... getting used to... What did you buy?'' he managed in the end, fitfully running a hand through his hair.
Sam unlaced her shoes and kicked them off. She grabbed the hanger and took it into the lounge, dropping her hangbag onto a sofa and casting off her coat. '' It took me hours to find it, but it's perfect.'' She unzipped the plastic and carefully pulled the dress out. The lamps made the medium metallic grey glimmer slightly but she knew the cool colour looked good with her skin and hair, didn't make her feel flashy. There were no straps, it was form fitting from the chest down to her waist, then, like Janet's, came out at the waist into a fuller skirt. It was lined, which would keep her warm, and all she'd have to do was search out some kind of a wrap to go with it. And shoes, of course. But she could always rummage in her counterpart's closet for them.
He whistled appreciatively. The grin on his face was a mile wide, and softened his expression considerably. He always looked so much more friendly when he was genuinely happy, which, with this Colonel O'Neill, only happened when he forgot she wasn't his wife.
'' Yeah, I was pretty pleased, too,'' she agreed. '' Janet nearly bought it for me, she was so relieved. She found her dress almost immediately.''
'' So you had a nice day?''
'' Very nice. It was lovely to be out of the SGF.''
'' You work too hard.''
From the tone of his voice, it was a line he had used before. '' So do you,'' she pointed out, as she had always wanted to but never could.
He grinned, almost as if he expected it. '' Do you want to go out to dinner tonight? I don't really feel like cooking and you... can't.''
She narrowed her eyes threateningly. '' Won't,'' she correct. '' It's different. But, yes, I would like to. Where do you have in mind?''
'' That new place?''
She knew which one he meant - he'd been pointing it out to her every day. '' Yeah, good idea.''
'' I'll phone, see if they'll have space for us.''
'' And if they don't?''
'' I'll point out that I'm a Colonel in the USAF and I can blew up their itty bitty restaurant on a whim.''
'' That's not funny.''
