Sam closed the diary, feeling suddenly guilty, as if she'd trespassed, somewhere she shouldn't. she lay back in the chair, closing her eyes against the sharp brightness of the sun. She was so tired. So much had changed in the past few weeks. She felt she'd lived a lifetime in just a month. She began to think back, think of all the moments between her and Jack, moment that had taken on a different significance now.
That first meeting.
Kissing in the locker room.
Dying with him in Antarctica
Hearing his voice as Jolinar disappeared
Holding his hand as she told him she'd have to kill him to save him
Hugging him after Jack had killed Hathor.
His smile as he promoted her to Major
Watching him kiss her mirror image
"I haven't been acting like myself since I met you"
"I'm going fishing. Wanna come?"
Watching him walk down the corridor to his almost inevitable death to save her
"I care about her. A lot more than I'm supposed to."
Jonah and Therra, falling in love
"Sir."
Rescuing him from the rogue ship
"Hey. Hi."
Coming off their addiction to the Light together
"If you don't let her go, we'll send thousands of probes to your world. We'll destroy you."
"I was calling, but you couldn't hear me."
Slowly, Sam drifted off to sleep. She dreamed, so vividly, of him. His voice, the feel of his breath on her cheek, the surprisingly gentle touch of his hand, his shy, sweet smile, that was just for her. Her dream was so vivid, that when she opened her eyes, and saw him standing there, she thought she was still dreaming.
"Hi." He said softly, smiling diffidently.
She wasn't dreaming. He was there. in front of her. Alive.
She didn't speak. She jumped up, cupped his face in her hands, and kissed him, long and passionately and deep. He didn't pull away. He responded, more gently, as if he were afraid that she'd break if he held her too close. Her entire body strained towards him, as if she could become part of him if she just held him tight enough. He gathered her in, wrapping his arms around her, pulling her into the safety of his grasp. Vaguely, Sam was aware of Daniel saying,
"We'll just go inside now."
But she didn't care. She wasn't aware of anything except the feel of him, the smell of him, the aliveness of him.
But eventually she pulled back, and stood there, panting slightly.
"Hi." She replied.
"You're you, right?" he asked, puzzled, and flushed. "I mean, you're not some robot, or alien? Have you lost your memory? You know who I am, right?"
"Yes, sir." She said, grinning like a schoolgirl.
"So, why'd you kiss me?"
"Because I love you."
"Are you sure?" He looked down, seeing the diary by the chair. "Oh, you didn't read that, did you."
"I thought you were dead."
"I was." He said gently. "Until you came back."
And this time he kissed her, and they kept right on kissing.
Inside the cabin, Teal'c had found the notes of the writing on the altar on P4X639.
"We should tell Sam." Jonas said, heading outside.
"Sam's kind of busy right now." Janet said, coming in as Jonas crashed in to Daniel in the doorway. Teal'c glanced outside.
"I had a feeling he would be alive." Teal'c said.
"Who's that?" Jonas asked, a little peeved to find a strange man kissing Sam so passionately.
"That is Jack O'Neill." Daniel explained.
"I thought he was dead."
"He doesn't die easily. None of us do."
"There were Tok'ra in the ambulance." Janet explained. "They had a cloaked ship in orbit. Once they had Jack, they ringed up to the ship, and brought him to me on Chulack."
"And the Aschen covered up the escape by saying he died. It's embarrassing, losing such an important prisoner.." Daniel added. "Let me see those notes."
Both Sam and Jack had thought that when the time came for them to say the 'l' word to each other, they would be a lot to say. Discussions to have, mistakes straightened out, reasons explained. But, as it turned out, there was no need. Everything was said in body language. There was no longer any need to explain, or understand. All they needed was each other, nearby, close by, touching, kissing.
But eventually reality had to be faced, and they walked back into the cabin. The others tried not to show on their faces that Sam and Jack had been outside, kissing, for several hours, except Jonas, who watched them unabashedly.
"So, what happens now?" Jonas asked.
"Well, I have an idea." Sam said, sharing a quick grin with Jack. "The original plan is still good, sending a note back through time. We just have to find a different way to go back."
"Hence the interest in the timeloop." Daniel said.
"Exactly. We go back to P4X639, set the mechanism going again."
"Start the time loop again?" Janet asked.
"No, this time we get it right. This time, we link into the time loop, and in the final loop, we send a note back with ourselves."
"You're going to meet yourselves?" Jonas said.
"No. we never actually go back in time. We place the note on the Stargate, and send it back in time, but in the same place. When they get sent back, the note gets sent back."
"But even the ancients can't get this thing working. What makes you think you can?"
"Hey!" Jack said. "Have you forgotten this is the women the Asgards...the smartest people in the universe...turn to when they need help?"
Sam smiled, blushing slightly.
"We know more this time. We have access to more advanced technology. We have the translations. I think we could do this."
"I'll contact the Tok'ra ship." Daniel send, stepping outside.
"It's odd, isn't it?" Jonas said.
"What?" Sam asked.
"How the Tok'ra ship just happened to be here to rescue Jack. How they just happened to get the ambulance with Jack in it. How none of the Aschen has found us here yet. How you managed to escape from the hospital so easily."
"What are you saying?" Jack asked, bad-temperedly.
"Nothing. I'm just saying...it's almost like someone's controlling all this."
"Hey, you're the only one we don't know." Jack told him. "If you're saying one of us can't be trusted, then I say it's you."
"Jonas is ok." Daniel said, coming in. "He just notices too much. The Tok'ra is on the way."
It was like old times again. A Tok'ra ship (really an old Gou'ald ship), all four of them together. Five, with Janet. Even Jonas seemed to be slotting in nicely. Daniel was talking to him a lot, keeping him out of Jack's way. Jack, though, was too busy to notice Jonas. He was with Sam. Silently he sat and watched Sam work through her plans. He'd always loved this. Just to sit there, and watch Sam's mind turn over, creating wonderful solutions to his insoluble problems. He'd first realised he'd fallen in love with her like this, sitting on a lab stool, fiddling with something she'd given him, watching her smile and frown as she worked. He'd sat there, watching her invent, and he'd thought to himself 'she really is quite amazing. No wonder I love her.'
"You sure you can pull this off?" he asked her.
"No."
"But you're going to try."
"I have to. I have to try."
"Why?"
"Because I can." She said simply. "I'm tired of sitting back and letting someone else order me what to do. I'm tired of living my life by rules and regulations. I'm ready to take the initiative, to go out there, and put things right, without being asked to by you...no offence."
"None taken. Go on."
"I just want ....I want to be the one giving the orders, not taking them. I'm ready to take charge, and I know I can do it."
"Finally." Jack said, getting up and walking across to her
"What do you mean?"
"Almost from the first moment I met you, I knew you were special. Not just to me, but as you. I knew you had the potential to take my place, and be a lot better at it then I was, and I worked so hard to put you there. I'm proud of you, Major."
"Colonel." She gently reminded him, her eyes twinkling, teasing.
"Colonel. You take charge, when we get there. I have absolute faith in you."
"Yes sir. And by the way..if you weren't such a good commander, I wouldn't have turned out so well."
"Good. Stop talking now." He said, bending down to kiss her.
"I'm in charge. I'll decide when we stop talking." She teased, but she reached up, kissing him back. At the back of both their minds was the knowledge that within hours this would be over. Time would have changed.
Still, they both knew they'd be together in the new timeline. How could they not be? They were Sam and Jack. They belonged together. They were soulmates. However long it took them, whatever obstacles they overcame, they would be in love, together.
That first meeting.
Kissing in the locker room.
Dying with him in Antarctica
Hearing his voice as Jolinar disappeared
Holding his hand as she told him she'd have to kill him to save him
Hugging him after Jack had killed Hathor.
His smile as he promoted her to Major
Watching him kiss her mirror image
"I haven't been acting like myself since I met you"
"I'm going fishing. Wanna come?"
Watching him walk down the corridor to his almost inevitable death to save her
"I care about her. A lot more than I'm supposed to."
Jonah and Therra, falling in love
"Sir."
Rescuing him from the rogue ship
"Hey. Hi."
Coming off their addiction to the Light together
"If you don't let her go, we'll send thousands of probes to your world. We'll destroy you."
"I was calling, but you couldn't hear me."
Slowly, Sam drifted off to sleep. She dreamed, so vividly, of him. His voice, the feel of his breath on her cheek, the surprisingly gentle touch of his hand, his shy, sweet smile, that was just for her. Her dream was so vivid, that when she opened her eyes, and saw him standing there, she thought she was still dreaming.
"Hi." He said softly, smiling diffidently.
She wasn't dreaming. He was there. in front of her. Alive.
She didn't speak. She jumped up, cupped his face in her hands, and kissed him, long and passionately and deep. He didn't pull away. He responded, more gently, as if he were afraid that she'd break if he held her too close. Her entire body strained towards him, as if she could become part of him if she just held him tight enough. He gathered her in, wrapping his arms around her, pulling her into the safety of his grasp. Vaguely, Sam was aware of Daniel saying,
"We'll just go inside now."
But she didn't care. She wasn't aware of anything except the feel of him, the smell of him, the aliveness of him.
But eventually she pulled back, and stood there, panting slightly.
"Hi." She replied.
"You're you, right?" he asked, puzzled, and flushed. "I mean, you're not some robot, or alien? Have you lost your memory? You know who I am, right?"
"Yes, sir." She said, grinning like a schoolgirl.
"So, why'd you kiss me?"
"Because I love you."
"Are you sure?" He looked down, seeing the diary by the chair. "Oh, you didn't read that, did you."
"I thought you were dead."
"I was." He said gently. "Until you came back."
And this time he kissed her, and they kept right on kissing.
Inside the cabin, Teal'c had found the notes of the writing on the altar on P4X639.
"We should tell Sam." Jonas said, heading outside.
"Sam's kind of busy right now." Janet said, coming in as Jonas crashed in to Daniel in the doorway. Teal'c glanced outside.
"I had a feeling he would be alive." Teal'c said.
"Who's that?" Jonas asked, a little peeved to find a strange man kissing Sam so passionately.
"That is Jack O'Neill." Daniel explained.
"I thought he was dead."
"He doesn't die easily. None of us do."
"There were Tok'ra in the ambulance." Janet explained. "They had a cloaked ship in orbit. Once they had Jack, they ringed up to the ship, and brought him to me on Chulack."
"And the Aschen covered up the escape by saying he died. It's embarrassing, losing such an important prisoner.." Daniel added. "Let me see those notes."
Both Sam and Jack had thought that when the time came for them to say the 'l' word to each other, they would be a lot to say. Discussions to have, mistakes straightened out, reasons explained. But, as it turned out, there was no need. Everything was said in body language. There was no longer any need to explain, or understand. All they needed was each other, nearby, close by, touching, kissing.
But eventually reality had to be faced, and they walked back into the cabin. The others tried not to show on their faces that Sam and Jack had been outside, kissing, for several hours, except Jonas, who watched them unabashedly.
"So, what happens now?" Jonas asked.
"Well, I have an idea." Sam said, sharing a quick grin with Jack. "The original plan is still good, sending a note back through time. We just have to find a different way to go back."
"Hence the interest in the timeloop." Daniel said.
"Exactly. We go back to P4X639, set the mechanism going again."
"Start the time loop again?" Janet asked.
"No, this time we get it right. This time, we link into the time loop, and in the final loop, we send a note back with ourselves."
"You're going to meet yourselves?" Jonas said.
"No. we never actually go back in time. We place the note on the Stargate, and send it back in time, but in the same place. When they get sent back, the note gets sent back."
"But even the ancients can't get this thing working. What makes you think you can?"
"Hey!" Jack said. "Have you forgotten this is the women the Asgards...the smartest people in the universe...turn to when they need help?"
Sam smiled, blushing slightly.
"We know more this time. We have access to more advanced technology. We have the translations. I think we could do this."
"I'll contact the Tok'ra ship." Daniel send, stepping outside.
"It's odd, isn't it?" Jonas said.
"What?" Sam asked.
"How the Tok'ra ship just happened to be here to rescue Jack. How they just happened to get the ambulance with Jack in it. How none of the Aschen has found us here yet. How you managed to escape from the hospital so easily."
"What are you saying?" Jack asked, bad-temperedly.
"Nothing. I'm just saying...it's almost like someone's controlling all this."
"Hey, you're the only one we don't know." Jack told him. "If you're saying one of us can't be trusted, then I say it's you."
"Jonas is ok." Daniel said, coming in. "He just notices too much. The Tok'ra is on the way."
It was like old times again. A Tok'ra ship (really an old Gou'ald ship), all four of them together. Five, with Janet. Even Jonas seemed to be slotting in nicely. Daniel was talking to him a lot, keeping him out of Jack's way. Jack, though, was too busy to notice Jonas. He was with Sam. Silently he sat and watched Sam work through her plans. He'd always loved this. Just to sit there, and watch Sam's mind turn over, creating wonderful solutions to his insoluble problems. He'd first realised he'd fallen in love with her like this, sitting on a lab stool, fiddling with something she'd given him, watching her smile and frown as she worked. He'd sat there, watching her invent, and he'd thought to himself 'she really is quite amazing. No wonder I love her.'
"You sure you can pull this off?" he asked her.
"No."
"But you're going to try."
"I have to. I have to try."
"Why?"
"Because I can." She said simply. "I'm tired of sitting back and letting someone else order me what to do. I'm tired of living my life by rules and regulations. I'm ready to take the initiative, to go out there, and put things right, without being asked to by you...no offence."
"None taken. Go on."
"I just want ....I want to be the one giving the orders, not taking them. I'm ready to take charge, and I know I can do it."
"Finally." Jack said, getting up and walking across to her
"What do you mean?"
"Almost from the first moment I met you, I knew you were special. Not just to me, but as you. I knew you had the potential to take my place, and be a lot better at it then I was, and I worked so hard to put you there. I'm proud of you, Major."
"Colonel." She gently reminded him, her eyes twinkling, teasing.
"Colonel. You take charge, when we get there. I have absolute faith in you."
"Yes sir. And by the way..if you weren't such a good commander, I wouldn't have turned out so well."
"Good. Stop talking now." He said, bending down to kiss her.
"I'm in charge. I'll decide when we stop talking." She teased, but she reached up, kissing him back. At the back of both their minds was the knowledge that within hours this would be over. Time would have changed.
Still, they both knew they'd be together in the new timeline. How could they not be? They were Sam and Jack. They belonged together. They were soulmates. However long it took them, whatever obstacles they overcame, they would be in love, together.