Chapter 5 : "I Wouldn't Want You Any Other Way"

I look at my watch; it's 19.23. I guess I'm late, but it isn't my fault anyway. I knock at Daniel's door, and it's Teal'c who opens the door.

"You are late O'Neill."

"Yeah, I know. There was an accident on the highway so the cops had to close down some part of the road. Where's Daniel?"

I let myself in.

"Daniel Jackson is in the kitchen. He is not a 'happy camper' at the moment." Ah, I'm so glad that Teal'c has picked up some more of my non-formal vocabulary.

"I bet."

"Jack, is that you?" Daniel shouts from the kitchen

"Yeah, sorry I'm late. But the traffic was bad." I shout back and start walking into the kitchen, with Teal'c following behind me. And then I see him, fiddling with something on the table.

"Well, as long as you are here now. That's the important thing."

"What's up Daniel? It's only dinner. And I'm not that late anyway. So where's the food?" Strange, there's no sign of any food whatsoever. Not even the scent of it.

"Jack, I asked you here today because I need to show you something." He's taking something out from his pocket.

"It can wait, right? I'm hungry by the way. Got something to eat?"

"Jack, this is important." He's serious, not the 'lecture mode' serious, more like 'serious' serious. It's got to be really important then.

"What is it? And where's Carter anyway?" Usually, if Daniel had something serious to talk about, the whole team had to be there.

"She's not here ... not really, anyway. Actually, what I want to show you is related to her."

He gets my full attention now.

"What's wrong with her? Is she alright?"

"Major Carter is in perfect condition O'Neill. But Daniel Jackson and I feel that we need to discuss something related to her with you."

"Okay. I'm listening. What do you want to show me anyway?" Let's get this done and over with. I'm starving.

"This." Daniel opened his hand, damn, it's the red ribbon from Hailan.

I pinch the bridge of my nose and let out a long sigh. "You guys knew." This is going to be difficult.

"Yes, we saw the little boy with your cap, he told us everything."

Silence fills the room.

"May I ask what is your true intention towards Major Carter, O'Neill."

"Teal'c. It's ... complicated OK?"

"Well, then try to uncomplicate it, Jack. What the Hell were you thinking? Giving her the ribbon like that. Did you even know what that meant? You heard the legend. Basically you asked her to be your soul-mate." Daniel, Daniel. It's you who put us in that position in the first place. Remember?

"Daniel, actually, it's the boy who gave it to her."

"The little boy exchanged the ribbon for your hat O'Neill. The ribbon belongs to you." Teal'c bluntly provides the fact that I've already known.

"Listen guys, whatever happened between me and Carter, it's none of your business."

"Jack, we're your team mates. More than that, we're your friends. I think you owe us an explanation."

"Damn it Daniel. Carter and I have already talked about this OK? So I can assure you that none of this will affect our work."

"Then, what about our friendship Jack? Sam is like a sister to me, I wouldn't let you ruin her life."

"Daniel, you know me better than that. I wouldn't do something like that to her."

"Then what are you trying to do? Did you really believe that we wouldn't notice how differently the two of you have acted towards each other after the ceremony?" He's angry, not that I can blame him. But his expression softens as he says, "Jack, we're not trying to be difficult. We just want to know what has happened between you and Sam." He pauses for a while, looks at Teal'c and then continues, "We've noticed that you two seems happier, seem more relaxed and we're happy for that. But the regulation's still there Jack, it's not going away. You can't ignore it, and the sooner you realize it the better or else you'll hurt each other, and we don't want to see that happen."

"I'm trying to do the right thing, OK? First and foremost, she's my friend. Second, she's my subordinate and a damn good one. Third and last, she's a woman and I love her. No matter what the regulation says." Daniel starts to protest when I raise my hand to stop him. "We're not in a relationship Daniel, if that's what you're so worried about. Not yet. I asked her to wait ... and she said 'yes'."

"Did you not think that your request was a selfish one, O'Neill."

"If to love someone is a selfish act, then so be it."

"Jack, what if there's someone else who could make her happy? You made her promise her future with you, it'll break her."

"I know her. If ... if her heart ever changes ..." Dear God, please don't let that ever happen, "then she'll let me know."

"And then what?"

"Then ... then I'll let her go. I don't want my love to be her prison, I want ... I really want what's best for her even though ... even though ..." I have to close my eyes because even though it's only the thought, it's painful to bear.

"It will destroy you." Teal'c finishes my sentence.

"No Teal'c, if she loves someone else and is happy with him, then I'll be happy for her. She deserves it." I pause for a while. "What would destroy me is if she decides to stay with me when her heart's no longer mine. Because she's not being honest with herself ... I couldn't love that Carter."

Daniel touches my shoulder and squeezes it, "Jack, we're living a dangerous life. If she looses you now after all the promises you made, she'll ..."

"Ah ... we both are aware of that, it's there in our job description. At least, after this, we wouldn't have any regrets. I love her, she loves me, we decided to wait, The End. Our story might not be as good as any legend, but I'm content with that." Yes, I don't care what the future has in store for us. As long as she loves me, I don't care about anything else.

Teal'c broke out into a smile, "Then, I wish you and Major Carter will find happiness, O'Neill."

What?

Daniel released his hand from my shoulder and showed me the ribbon.

"There are three characters on the ribbon Jack. The first one is 'Ai' which means Love, the last one is 'Ming' which means Destiny or Fate ..." What the ..., I don't need a cultural lecture right now. "...and the one in the middle is 'Fu' which means Luck. They put 'Fu' in the middle so that it can unite the Love and Destiny."

He's giving me a sincere smile, "I wish you all the luck in the world Jack, so that you guys can be together."

Then it hit me; they've been planning this from the beginning. They just wanted to sweat me up a little bit. Oh, how I love these guys.

"Thanks guys." I really meant it.

"Oh yeah, are you still hungry Jack?"

I had completely forgotten about that.

"Yeah, you do have food here right?"

I asked them suspiciously, I didn't see any food around.

"Of course we do. I put the pizza in my guest room, we knew if there was food you wouldn't be so willing to talk about this. Can you get it? I'll take the beer out from the fridge." Who else put food inside a guest room? Danny-boy sure is one in a million. I shake my head and head towards the room, it's on the second floor.

I open the door, hmm, the smell of pizza is filling my nostrils. Before I know it, someone pushes me inside the room and closes the door, locking it behind me.

"Hey, what're your doing, let me out." I try to open the door, kicking it in one of my attempts to get out.

"O'Neill, I believe you would not be so keen to exit the room if you knew what is inside." That's Teal'c. So he's the one who locked me in here. Damn Daniel, what have you been teaching him? Something is inside? What is it? Pizza? That won't keep me in this room.

I look for the light switch, ah, there it is, and I switch it on.

Oh ... my ... God.

Carter is on the bed, nothing wrong with that. But what shocks me is that she is tied around her hands and her ankles, duct-tape covering her mouth. She muffles something, and I quickly get to her side and take off the tape.

"Daniel and Teal'c are so dead."

I untie her hands. She glares at me.

"You too."

After her hands are free, she unties her ankles by herself.

"What? What did I do?"

"You're late. I've been in this room since 18.50, tied and gagged. Daniel said you should've been here around 19.00."

I smile at that, "Bad traffic, sorry. So what did you do to deserve this?" I really had to ask.

"Jack," That's Daniel voice, where did it come from? "listen, Sam's been listening to our conversation from this speaker. I put a bug in the kitchen. I think you guys need to talk again. Oh yeah, we left some pizza and wine in the room, please do enjoy it." Sensing my confusion, Carter points her finger to the speaker on the table next to the bed. Who teaches Daniel all this stuff? I really should have a talk with Ferreti once I got back to SGC.

"Oh yeah Sam, Teal'c and I are really sorry that we tied you up. But, we think it's better to be you than Jack. Once again, sorry. But we really wanted to know how serious you guys are. Up, and one more thing, we really are happy for both of you and will support you all the way through. Teal'c and I will go out to get something to eat, so you guys can talk freely. Don't worry, I didn't put any bugs in the room. See you." So, that's the plan. Testing my feelings for her before giving their approval.

"Only Daniel." She said, sighing and shaking her head.

"Yeah, only Daniel."

I sit down on the edge of the bed while she sits near me, drawing her knees up to her chest and resting her head on them.

"So, what are we going to do until they let us go?" My stomach grumbles as she asks the question.

"Well, I'm hungry, so I think I'll have my dinner. Would you care to join me?" she's biting back a laugh.

"I'd love to."

I look around and spot the pizza box right away, and bring it over to the bed. She takes one slice of the pizza.

"Can I ask you a question?"

I take a slice as well.

"Sure."

"What did you mean when you said that ... that you couldn't love me if I'm not being honest with myself?" Her eyes are troubled.

I have to smile at that. "You are what you are. And I love you for that. I don't want you to stop being you ... not for me ... not for anyone else."

She thinks about what I said.

"You think too much ... but that's okay. Because it's you, that's what you do. I wouldn't want you any other way." I try to give her an example.

"Really?"

"Yeah, although I really hope that you could cut it short with your technobabble." I couldn't resist teasing her.

"I thought you said you like me just the way I am. The technobabble is part of me, you know."

"I know. It's one of your endearing qualities, although I don't understand a word of it."

She smiles.

"Can I ask you another question?"

"You can ask me any question you like."

"If you have a change of heart, would you let me know?"

"Of course, because I don't want our relationship to be based on a lie. It wouldn't last."

"I see."

"Hey, don't worry about it, I couldn't see myself running after another woman with you beside me. You're a hard act to follow. Let's see, Major in USAF, Phd in Theoretical Astrophysics, a beautiful woman and a wonderful friend. I'm a lucky guy because you love me." She's blushing, and I never thought that she could be more beautiful than she already is.

"You should show your romantic side more often, women would love to get their hands on you." She's trying to avoid my statement.

I put my hand over hers.

"I got the woman that I want, I don't care what other people say. Although she compared me with a car. A dead car, I might add." I pout. She's laughing at that.

"Well, he's got some advantages."

"Tell me then, what's that car got that I don't."

"Al's my first love, you know what people say about first love. He always has a special place in my heart." Great, how can you beat her first love?

"So, be a dear and tell me. What can I do to kick him out of your heart?"

"Just be you." She says so softly, her smile still in place.

"'Cause you wouldn't want me any other way?"

"Yeah. I wouldn't want you any other way."

------------------------------------------------------------

Major Edwin Wagner walked inside the empty bar, there were only two other customers beside him. The bartender was cleaning the glasses. He recognized one of them and approached him.

"Major, glad that you could make it." the man said.

"What do you want, Larry?" Wagner wasn't happy with all this. He had only been in the SGC for a month and the General and Colonel O'Neill had their suspicions about him. He didn't want them to know that he had a hidden agenda. Larry was his contact person, they wanted him inside the SGC to do some 'damage' to Colonel O'Neill. He couldn't believe it at first when they had approached him to do the job; they knew that he had a 'personal grudge' against O'Neill.

"There's been a change in plan. O'Neill is not to be harmed ... yet. Their last journey changes everything, we need the naquada." Larry said. O'Neill had lots of enemies but he was a very capable officer and SG-1 leader, a team who saved the world several times. His enemies respected him, which spoke a lot about the man.

Wagner cursed under his breath, but he knew how to play the game. No one controlled him; he was the one in charge of his plan. "Okay, just let me know when you want to continue with the plan." With that he walked out the bar, towards his car.

Wagner drove his car deep into the middle of the night. His brain worked quickly-- he needed to make O'Neill suffer soon. Larry's new order changed all his plans. He was afraid that if this treaty with the Hailanese did work that they wouldn't let him have his revenge. A generous amount of naquada would give Larry's boss new priorities. He knew O'Neill better now; he knew what his weakest points were.

The car stopped in front of a church. Wagner got out of his car and started walking, certain of where he was going. He stopped right in front of a tombstone and ran his fingers along its surface. "Cath, it will be over soon. He will pay for all of your agony, soon sweetheart, soon. I promised you." He bent down and kissed the stone. After giving it a last look he walked back towards his car.

- to be continued -

------------------------------------------------------------

AN: Thanks for JayBee who beta read this chapter for me, and also for the little lecture…hehehehe.

blue-topaz@lycos.com