Title: SG-3 (02/10)

Rating: R

Spoilers: None

Details: Angst, alternative series, Colonel Makepeace POV/Sam Carter POV

Summary: Sam takes the first step on the road to her new life.

Disclaimer: None of the characters or places in this story belong to me, they are the property of MGM Worldwide, ShowTime, Gekko Film Corporation and Brad Wright. No copyright infringement intended - please don't sue me! I'm skint anyhow.

Author Notes: Thanks to my new beta readers Adele and LauraJo! Couldn't have done it without you!

~SG-3 (02/10) ~

(c) Ruth, May 2003

**********

Makepeace:

When I first looked at the file of Captain Carter, I have to admit; I didn't think much of her.

Her file said she was 5"9, with blonde hair and blue eyes. I immediately had a vision of a bimbo, but the impression General Hammond had given me of her dispelled my thoughts.

She has one brother, her father is an air force general and her mother is deceased.

Her file described her as fiercely loyal, with a good sense of humour and high stamina. It also described her as highly intelligent - no wonder Colonel O'Neill had taken a running jump.

As I closed her file, however, I still had doubts. SG-3 was by far the most physically demanding team in the SGC, and she was a bit of an oddity in the middle of us hardened, not very well educated marines. I was going to have to talk to my two team mates John Phillips and James Edelson, who I'd served with for many years. Fortunately, the two of them walked into the commissary soon after and saved me the journey to their respective offices.

I waved them over, and studied their faces as they read her file. Their reactions were the same as mine. Shock and surprise, followed by uncertainty and doubt.

"What d'you reckon, boys?" I asked, taking a sip of tea.

Robert Morrison would have shot us. The thought of him being replaced by a girl would have been too much for him to cope with.

James looked at me. "You serious, Rob?"

John gave me a wicked grin. "Could be fun! Is she afraid of spiders?"

We all laughed. I was happy with the decision, and so were my men.

"Are we go for this, or what?" I asked.

"We're go!" James and John replied.

I walked back to General Hammond's office and put the folder back down on his desk.

"Well, Colonel?" he asked me.

I smiled sheepishly, still wondering if this was the right thing to do - for her as well as us!

"We'd be happy to have her on SG-3, General," I replied.

There. It was done. Now all that remained was to meet her in the flesh.

**********

Sam:

I couldn't believe my ears when General Hammond told me where I'd been reassigned. SG-3. The marines.

They were men who did what was necessary and nothing else. From what I'd learned, they were none of them very well educated, having been in the military since they were 18. I was determined, however, not to turn into Colonel O'Neill and let myself be blinded by prejudices.

I knew that this was not going to be an easy ride for me. Being one of the very few female officers in the SGC, I was always subject to prejudice from the men, but this was going to be worse than shouting in the corridors and discrimination on duty. I was going to have to get to know these men like my own brother if I was ever going to get on with them - I had to fit in with them.

It was going to be one hell of a job.

**********

Makepeace:

As I walked down the corridor to General Hammond's office to meet Captain Carter for the first time, I found myself surprisingly nervous. Pull yourself together, Robert! I thought, she's a woman, for fuck's sake!

I looked at James and John. They were in a pretty similar state to me, and neither could understand it. I began to worry that Captain Carter was going to be one of those types with a loud mouth and huge arse, a ballbuster. When I opened the door and my Captain saluted me for the first time, however, my worries abruptly vanished and instead I had to try my best not to laugh.

She was about average height, but very thin. She looked like a stiff breeze would blow her over. Her blonde hair was cropped to the back of her neck and she was dressed in green BDU's. The last thing I noticed was the startling, crystal-blue colour of her eyes.

"At ease, Captain," I said calmly.

She stood there, silently regarding me, waiting.

"I'm Colonel Makepeace, your commanding officer, with me are James Edelson and John Phillips. Welcome to SG-3."

"Thank you, Colonel," she said. I waited for her to relax so I could shout at her a bit, but she didn't. She remained there, rigid (but in a strangely graceful way), waiting for permission to be dismissed.

"I'll leave you to get to know each other," said Hammond, before he left the room.

I watched Captain Carter's eyes follow him out of the door, then finally come to rest on my men and me. Now, I saw, she looked a little apprehensive.

"So, Captain," I said, pulling up a chair and sitting down. I did not allow her to do the same. "There's a few things you have to know about SG-3 before we get started."

She nodded, still not speaking. John and James sat down on either side of me. I realised later that this would have made us much more daunting than I had intended.

"SG-3 is a highly physically demanding team, but if General Hammond thinks you're up to it, then so do I."

"Yes, sir." She said.

"I do not appreciate whining about people's feet hurting or the suchlike. If you're injured, Captain, I have one simple rule. Put up, and shut up. Understood?"

"Yes, sir."

"You will be required to carry the same weight as us on your back. In times of an emergency, you may also be required to carry our weight on your back. We all need to be able to lift each others' bodyweight."

I saw her swallow at the thought of carrying me or either of my men.

"Your hair thankfully will not be a problem," I said, glancing at her cropped locks.

She blushed slightly.

"Finally, Captain, I hear you have a bit of a record for speaking your mind. I will not tolerate insubordination of any kind on my team. Do you understand?"

She really blushed that time. I was determined to give her a rough time. Edelson and Phillips had been given no less when they joined up. She may have been a woman, but I would treat her no differently.

"Do you have any questions, Captain?" I asked.

"When do we ship out, sir?" she replied.

"0600 hours tomorrow, Captain," I replied. To my surprise, she didn't look distressed at the early mission time. Edelson and Phillips had done.

"Dismissed," I said, watching her leave the room.

**********

Sam:

Well, that was scary. Colonel Makepeace wouldn't even let me sit down! His minions - sorry, 'fellow men' James Edelson and John Phillips were plain ugly to put it politely, and Makepeace was just dammed rude! I'm going to have to keep a hold on my tongue, though. I can't believe the man had the audacity to put me through the lecture on pain and injuries - I was half expecting him to say something about my period, but luckily he didn't. The consequences of him doing so would have been bad for my career as well as him!

Sighing in despair, I sat down at my desk in the safety of my lab. I took up the photo of my mom and looked at it sadly, remembering what she once said to me:

"There will always be days like this, Sam, honey."

They never seemed so bad when mom was around - but when she was taken from me all those years ago…

I stopped before the tears fell from my eyes. SG-3 members do not cry! I harshly told myself, but that just made it worse. I ran over to my door and locked it, before I dissolved into tears and fell to the floor with my back against the door.

**********

Makepeace:

That went well. I think I scared enough crap out of her for the first briefing, but I could have done better. John and James weren't exactly taken with her, and I think they're planning on making her life a misery, but it's what she has to learn. SG-3 marines don't cry or make a fuss - i'll have to come down hard on her if she even thinks about it!

"How skinny was she?" John asked me.

"Skinny," I replied.

"She might be one of them, an…an…anresic things," said James.

"Anorexic, you twat!" I said, and we all laughed.

There was no doubt about it, having Captain Carter on the team was going to be an experience.

"What'dya say we go out for a drink, guys?" I asked.

"Maybe we should invite the blue-eyed girlie!" said James.

We all laughed again.

"Nah, just the three of us," we all agreed.

Later that night, we placed bets on how long the 'blue-eyed girlie' would last on SG-3.

John said a week, James said two and I said more than three.

Blue-eyes, I thought, you'd better tough it out for a month, or you're gonna cost me $1000!

**********

Sam:

I sat against my door, wiping the tears from my eyes with the back of my hand. I set my watch alarm for 0430 hours, which would give me enough time to shower and get ready for my ordeal. I unlocked the door and left my lab and the SGC behind me for a few precious hours.

When I had to return in the morning, things were going to be very different.

TO BE CONTINUED IN PART 3

Author's Note: Feedback please! mailto:samcarterusaf@yahoo.co.uk