A Twist In Fate
by
Michelle Birkby
How did I, Jack O'Neill, liar, thief, seducer and all round bastard end up here, dying on the floor, sacrificing myself for a woman I barely know?
I'm watching her now, scurrying away, bleeding heavily herself, dragging herself to the mirror Tobias swears is the path to other worlds, other realities. She's gone to get help, to try and find someone trustworthy to rescue us. Well, rescue her. I'm beyond help. She'll try, I know, despite all she's discovered in the past few hours. There's a - goodness, for want of a better word - in her that I haven't seen since Daniel died. And for once, in a long time, there's a part of me that hopes I do live, that I do see her again, that I can tell Sam Carter just what she's done to me. I need to tell her, I haven't been myself since I met her.
******************************
That was only three weeks ago. Clare Tobias, my second-in-command, had been shot on a mission, fairly badly. Well, that's what you get for trying to steal from the Asgard. I'm fairly surprised we got away. She was going to survive, but she'd be out of action for a while. Janet was insisting she take at least a month off. Tobias tried to argue, as much because she doesn't like Janet as anything else, but the Doc. knows what she's doing, and I ordered her to stay put until Janet released her for duty. Of course, we didn't tell Hammond the truth. I told him it had been a sudden Gou'ald attack. He believed me - or rather, I assumed he did.
I think I underestimated him.
With Tobias out of action for a while, I'd thought I'd take a little downtime. Maybe the two of us could slip away for a dirty weekend. Or, if Janet refused to let her go, I'd impress one of the cute little tech's with my rank and scars, and sweep her away for a few days.
You don't like me much, do you? Don't worry. I'm not all that keen on myself. To tell you the truth, I'm killing time, until it kills me.
**************************
Hammond had other ideas for me.
"I've got a replacement for Major Tobias." he told me. "You can start going out again tomorrow."
"But I don't want a replacement, Sir." A new member of the team might not understand out little 'hobby'. Our habit of 'liberating' certain pieces of equipment from our so-called allies.
We weren't stealing them for money. We need weapons, defenses against the day the Gou'ald come for us. My job is to make us survive, and I will do that any way I can, and if that means doing a dirty, well it won't be the first time. Ephemeral allies who don't believe in war would be no good when the mother of all spaceships settles down on Cheyenne mountain. So when Maybourne bought up the idea of acquiring some of the technology for ourselves, under the counter, so to speak, I said, Why the hell not? And Tobias agreed eagerly. Ever since we'd got together, both on the job, and in bed, I'd known she'd agreed to anything as long as she got some fun out of it, and no one tried to stop her. And I went along with that. The last thing either of us needed was a good guy getting all moralistic, and screwing things up for us.
"Well, you're getting a replacement." Hammond insisted. "Major Carter, one of the scientists who originally worked on the Stargate."
A scientist? Hell, no. I hate scientists. Always too wrapped up in their own work to notice the world around them. Then again, that might be a good thing. He'd be too absorbed in his own work to notice what we were doing.
Maybe he'd even join in, just for a chance to fiddle with alien technologies. Maybe we could bring him round to our way of thinking.
"Where, " I asked, "is he transferring from?"
"SHE is transferring from the Pentagon."
The voice came from behind me. I turned to see her, framed in the doorway, smiling slightly.
It was as if someone had suddenly switched the lights on.
***************************
Of course, we had a little argument about her joining my team, and she argued back, and for the first time in ages, I felt a little of the darkness lift from me. After a moment, I said something funny, I don't even remember what, and she looked at me, and smiled at me, and the world stopped.
Only after she left the room, did I think about her. And then I realized she couldn't stay. Because I knew, instinctively, that no way would she ever understand our crimes.
******************************
I met up with Maybourne later, to tell him I wouldn't be bringing Area 51 any new toys for a while.
"You're sure this Major Carter can't be persuaded to see our point of view?"
he asked me. I stared at him, wondering why I hadn't noticed that he looked like a self-important frog earlier.
"I'm sure." I replied. "There's no way she'd be involved in anything underhand, or deceitful."
"You seem to have go to know her fast."
"That's what you wanted me to do, isn't it?"
He studied me for a moment, while I remained impassive under my dark glasses. It's an act I do well.
"Maybe she won't notice." he continued. "Maybe you can fob her off with something."
"No, that won't work."
And secretly, I felt a little jolt of pleasure that it wouldn't work on her, that those clear blue eyes of hers would see straight through any lie I told.
"She's clever?" he asked.
"Way smarter than we are."
Maybourne mused for a moment, staring out into the passing crowds. We were in a little outdoor cafe in Washington, and the day was warm, the sun setting. It was ..peaceful. I'd forgotten what peace felt like.
"What does she think of you?" Maybourne asked suddenly.
"She thinks I'm a hero." I muttered. The look of respect in her eyes, the sound of awe and respect in her voice when she told me she'd read the mission reports had sent a little worm of guilt squirming in my gut.
"Does she find you attractive?"
I looked up in surprise, resenting the question.
"I don't know. Probably not. I must be ten years older than her. Why?"
"There might be another method of ensuring her silence."
I knew what he meant. It was what I had done to make sure Tobias was loyal.
And although I'd had no problem seducing Tobias to buy her silence, the thought of doing the same to Sam felt...wrong. It made my skin crawl.
"No." I said emphatically.
"Why not? She's a good-looking woman, isn't she?"
More than merely good-looking. She took my breath away.
"That's not the point." I insisted. "I'm not doing it."
"Getting a conscience, are you, Colonel?" he asked, mockingly. "Let me make one thing clear. You cannot afford to have a conscience, and I cannot afford to have my supply of ...goods dry up. You make sure you do everything you have to to get Major Carter worshipping the ground you walk on, and thinking everything you do is God's own will. Otherwise, I will make sure that she, and everyone else, knows exactly what a double-dealing, lying, thieving, dirty little bastard you are."
I got up to leave.
"And don't think of going to Hammond." Maybourne told me, hissing out the word like the snake I now knew he was. "If you do, be assured you'll meet with a very nasty accident."
I started to walk away.
"And so will Major Carter!" he called after me, as I left.
*******************************
by
Michelle Birkby
How did I, Jack O'Neill, liar, thief, seducer and all round bastard end up here, dying on the floor, sacrificing myself for a woman I barely know?
I'm watching her now, scurrying away, bleeding heavily herself, dragging herself to the mirror Tobias swears is the path to other worlds, other realities. She's gone to get help, to try and find someone trustworthy to rescue us. Well, rescue her. I'm beyond help. She'll try, I know, despite all she's discovered in the past few hours. There's a - goodness, for want of a better word - in her that I haven't seen since Daniel died. And for once, in a long time, there's a part of me that hopes I do live, that I do see her again, that I can tell Sam Carter just what she's done to me. I need to tell her, I haven't been myself since I met her.
******************************
That was only three weeks ago. Clare Tobias, my second-in-command, had been shot on a mission, fairly badly. Well, that's what you get for trying to steal from the Asgard. I'm fairly surprised we got away. She was going to survive, but she'd be out of action for a while. Janet was insisting she take at least a month off. Tobias tried to argue, as much because she doesn't like Janet as anything else, but the Doc. knows what she's doing, and I ordered her to stay put until Janet released her for duty. Of course, we didn't tell Hammond the truth. I told him it had been a sudden Gou'ald attack. He believed me - or rather, I assumed he did.
I think I underestimated him.
With Tobias out of action for a while, I'd thought I'd take a little downtime. Maybe the two of us could slip away for a dirty weekend. Or, if Janet refused to let her go, I'd impress one of the cute little tech's with my rank and scars, and sweep her away for a few days.
You don't like me much, do you? Don't worry. I'm not all that keen on myself. To tell you the truth, I'm killing time, until it kills me.
**************************
Hammond had other ideas for me.
"I've got a replacement for Major Tobias." he told me. "You can start going out again tomorrow."
"But I don't want a replacement, Sir." A new member of the team might not understand out little 'hobby'. Our habit of 'liberating' certain pieces of equipment from our so-called allies.
We weren't stealing them for money. We need weapons, defenses against the day the Gou'ald come for us. My job is to make us survive, and I will do that any way I can, and if that means doing a dirty, well it won't be the first time. Ephemeral allies who don't believe in war would be no good when the mother of all spaceships settles down on Cheyenne mountain. So when Maybourne bought up the idea of acquiring some of the technology for ourselves, under the counter, so to speak, I said, Why the hell not? And Tobias agreed eagerly. Ever since we'd got together, both on the job, and in bed, I'd known she'd agreed to anything as long as she got some fun out of it, and no one tried to stop her. And I went along with that. The last thing either of us needed was a good guy getting all moralistic, and screwing things up for us.
"Well, you're getting a replacement." Hammond insisted. "Major Carter, one of the scientists who originally worked on the Stargate."
A scientist? Hell, no. I hate scientists. Always too wrapped up in their own work to notice the world around them. Then again, that might be a good thing. He'd be too absorbed in his own work to notice what we were doing.
Maybe he'd even join in, just for a chance to fiddle with alien technologies. Maybe we could bring him round to our way of thinking.
"Where, " I asked, "is he transferring from?"
"SHE is transferring from the Pentagon."
The voice came from behind me. I turned to see her, framed in the doorway, smiling slightly.
It was as if someone had suddenly switched the lights on.
***************************
Of course, we had a little argument about her joining my team, and she argued back, and for the first time in ages, I felt a little of the darkness lift from me. After a moment, I said something funny, I don't even remember what, and she looked at me, and smiled at me, and the world stopped.
Only after she left the room, did I think about her. And then I realized she couldn't stay. Because I knew, instinctively, that no way would she ever understand our crimes.
******************************
I met up with Maybourne later, to tell him I wouldn't be bringing Area 51 any new toys for a while.
"You're sure this Major Carter can't be persuaded to see our point of view?"
he asked me. I stared at him, wondering why I hadn't noticed that he looked like a self-important frog earlier.
"I'm sure." I replied. "There's no way she'd be involved in anything underhand, or deceitful."
"You seem to have go to know her fast."
"That's what you wanted me to do, isn't it?"
He studied me for a moment, while I remained impassive under my dark glasses. It's an act I do well.
"Maybe she won't notice." he continued. "Maybe you can fob her off with something."
"No, that won't work."
And secretly, I felt a little jolt of pleasure that it wouldn't work on her, that those clear blue eyes of hers would see straight through any lie I told.
"She's clever?" he asked.
"Way smarter than we are."
Maybourne mused for a moment, staring out into the passing crowds. We were in a little outdoor cafe in Washington, and the day was warm, the sun setting. It was ..peaceful. I'd forgotten what peace felt like.
"What does she think of you?" Maybourne asked suddenly.
"She thinks I'm a hero." I muttered. The look of respect in her eyes, the sound of awe and respect in her voice when she told me she'd read the mission reports had sent a little worm of guilt squirming in my gut.
"Does she find you attractive?"
I looked up in surprise, resenting the question.
"I don't know. Probably not. I must be ten years older than her. Why?"
"There might be another method of ensuring her silence."
I knew what he meant. It was what I had done to make sure Tobias was loyal.
And although I'd had no problem seducing Tobias to buy her silence, the thought of doing the same to Sam felt...wrong. It made my skin crawl.
"No." I said emphatically.
"Why not? She's a good-looking woman, isn't she?"
More than merely good-looking. She took my breath away.
"That's not the point." I insisted. "I'm not doing it."
"Getting a conscience, are you, Colonel?" he asked, mockingly. "Let me make one thing clear. You cannot afford to have a conscience, and I cannot afford to have my supply of ...goods dry up. You make sure you do everything you have to to get Major Carter worshipping the ground you walk on, and thinking everything you do is God's own will. Otherwise, I will make sure that she, and everyone else, knows exactly what a double-dealing, lying, thieving, dirty little bastard you are."
I got up to leave.
"And don't think of going to Hammond." Maybourne told me, hissing out the word like the snake I now knew he was. "If you do, be assured you'll meet with a very nasty accident."
I started to walk away.
"And so will Major Carter!" he called after me, as I left.
*******************************
