Not an ending. Not a beginning.
Although they had all been given their shots before returning to P3X 797, the SG teams still had to go through their post-mission medical exam. They were all currently in the infirmary, all but one being seen to by a nurse.
Jack sat on a bed, thumping his heels against the side, wondering why he wasn't being poked and prodded by a nurse. Not that he was really complaining he just wanted to get it over with and go home.
One by one the teams were released. Carter was the last to go, and she approached his bed warily. Jack winced; things were definitely going to be a little uncomfortable between them. They hadn't completely slotted into an entirely comfortable working relationship, there always seemed to be an undercurrent of 'something' between them. The incident on P3X 595 and the events in the locker room had not helped. He only hoped that Daniel didn't tell her how they had found out Jack had been infected.
"Sir?" he could hear the slight trepidation in her voice.
"Look Carter, before you even start, there are going to be lots of embarrassed airmen around this base for the next couple of days. Hammond can't have everyone up on charges for their behaviour whilst being infected, especially as he would have to charge himself." He shrugged. "Don't worry about it."
She smiled but then her eyes flicked to the raw scratch marks on his neck. "Sir, I really am sorry," and with that she left the infirmary.
Jack looked around; the place was practically empty, aside from a few people still getting over certain side effects of the disease. Believing that he really had been forgotten, Jack eased himself off the bed and walked towards the exit. Suddenly a petite figure appeared in the doorway. "And just where do you think you're going Colonel?" A familiar voice said.
"Just stretching my legs," said Jack as he slunk towards the bed.
"That's alright then. Wouldn't want you leaving before your exam."
He smiled, and lay down as Janet pulled the curtains around them.
After an uncomfortable examination, uncomfortable because after her initial banter Janet had gone very quiet, and due to the fact that every time she touched his body he couldn't help but shiver, Jack was ready to leave. He sat up, turned, and swivelled off the bed. He walked towards the curtains, but a hand on his arm stopped him. Looking around he was met by a pair of magical deep brown eyes, and took a sharp breath in. There was still a faint tingle of electricity between them, a small sparkle...
"Jack." Part of him rejoiced to here his name spoken with that inflection, by that voice again. "Do you remember, when you were infected, when you were in that cell?"
Of course he could remember. The fraction of his real self that had remained had recognised her as someone important, someone who could help. His primitive side had wanted to denote her 'Alpha', but he knew her only as Janet.
He could only remember snatches of his time in the cell, the only vivid memory was when he had asked her to experiment on him, the feel of her cheek underneath his hand, and the concerned look in her eyes.
"I can remember parts of it." The hand shifted slightly on his arm, he could tell that she was unsure. He brought a hand up to her cheek and followed the line of her cheekbone with his thumb. Her eyes broke away from his gaze, and looked downwards. "I remember this," his voice almost faltered.
He studied her reaction. A small frown flickered on her face and as she tilted her head slightly she drew the side her bottom lip into her mouth, worrying it with her teeth. Then she took a step closer to him and brought her own hand up to stroke the side of his face. He could remember this tableau, and all the movements that went with it. This time however the words were different.
"You..." she faltered, took a breath, and started again. " You asked me..." again she faltered, and Jack couldn't believe it when he saw a sparkling rim of water in her eyes. Her voice took a strangely accusing tone, "You asked me to use you." Her eyes narrowed slightly, "You used my own words against me, and reminded me who you used to be."
"Janet, I'm sorry..."
She moved closer to him, looking at him through lowered lids. Ever so softly she said, "Don't ever say them again." With her mouth slightly open she brought her lips to his, and caressed them lightly. Increasing the pressure she gave him a sequence of ever lengthening kisses, before their lips met properly and she drew him into a dizzying embrace. He opened his mouth, welcoming her tongue, learning her taste all over again. His hand moved from her face, roved up her back and tangled itself in her hair. For a moment they both played make-believe, pretending that this was how it could be, that they had never stopped.
Eventually they broke apart and stood wrapped in each other's arms, unable to speak. Their breathing was heavy, their bodies reacting to the emotion that they were feeling. Janet buried her head into Jack's neck and inhaled his scent, not too good after running around on that planet, but still undeniably him. "Janet," he said his voice muffled by her hair.
"Mmhmm."
"I know that the situation has changed, but in some ways it hasn't, we can't do this."
"I know," she moved away from his neck, but didn't loosen her grip on him. "As soon as I saw you here, I knew that all we could be to each other was friends."
"I'm sorry."
"Don't be. Don't be sorry for our past or regret what our future will be. I will be glad to have you as a friend, instead of a memory. Remember we're lucky that we have even met again."
His grip on her tightened just a little. "I'm so glad to have you back Janet." He released her slightly, and she shifted to look up at him. He bent down and placed a chaste kiss on her forehead, whispering, "I can still love you though, can't I?"
She gave him a stunning smile, just like he remembered. "As long as I get to love you back, but just remember I'm going to be the one sticking the needles in you from now on."
An expression of mock fear fixed on his face. She stood on her toes and looked him straight in the eyes and breathed, "Now get out of my infirmary, Colonel."
He winced a little at the sound of his title, but knew that was the way it had to be, at least for a while. Releasing her from his embrace, he pulled the curtain aside, but before leaving he said a barely audible "Goodbye, Captain."
Although they had all been given their shots before returning to P3X 797, the SG teams still had to go through their post-mission medical exam. They were all currently in the infirmary, all but one being seen to by a nurse.
Jack sat on a bed, thumping his heels against the side, wondering why he wasn't being poked and prodded by a nurse. Not that he was really complaining he just wanted to get it over with and go home.
One by one the teams were released. Carter was the last to go, and she approached his bed warily. Jack winced; things were definitely going to be a little uncomfortable between them. They hadn't completely slotted into an entirely comfortable working relationship, there always seemed to be an undercurrent of 'something' between them. The incident on P3X 595 and the events in the locker room had not helped. He only hoped that Daniel didn't tell her how they had found out Jack had been infected.
"Sir?" he could hear the slight trepidation in her voice.
"Look Carter, before you even start, there are going to be lots of embarrassed airmen around this base for the next couple of days. Hammond can't have everyone up on charges for their behaviour whilst being infected, especially as he would have to charge himself." He shrugged. "Don't worry about it."
She smiled but then her eyes flicked to the raw scratch marks on his neck. "Sir, I really am sorry," and with that she left the infirmary.
Jack looked around; the place was practically empty, aside from a few people still getting over certain side effects of the disease. Believing that he really had been forgotten, Jack eased himself off the bed and walked towards the exit. Suddenly a petite figure appeared in the doorway. "And just where do you think you're going Colonel?" A familiar voice said.
"Just stretching my legs," said Jack as he slunk towards the bed.
"That's alright then. Wouldn't want you leaving before your exam."
He smiled, and lay down as Janet pulled the curtains around them.
After an uncomfortable examination, uncomfortable because after her initial banter Janet had gone very quiet, and due to the fact that every time she touched his body he couldn't help but shiver, Jack was ready to leave. He sat up, turned, and swivelled off the bed. He walked towards the curtains, but a hand on his arm stopped him. Looking around he was met by a pair of magical deep brown eyes, and took a sharp breath in. There was still a faint tingle of electricity between them, a small sparkle...
"Jack." Part of him rejoiced to here his name spoken with that inflection, by that voice again. "Do you remember, when you were infected, when you were in that cell?"
Of course he could remember. The fraction of his real self that had remained had recognised her as someone important, someone who could help. His primitive side had wanted to denote her 'Alpha', but he knew her only as Janet.
He could only remember snatches of his time in the cell, the only vivid memory was when he had asked her to experiment on him, the feel of her cheek underneath his hand, and the concerned look in her eyes.
"I can remember parts of it." The hand shifted slightly on his arm, he could tell that she was unsure. He brought a hand up to her cheek and followed the line of her cheekbone with his thumb. Her eyes broke away from his gaze, and looked downwards. "I remember this," his voice almost faltered.
He studied her reaction. A small frown flickered on her face and as she tilted her head slightly she drew the side her bottom lip into her mouth, worrying it with her teeth. Then she took a step closer to him and brought her own hand up to stroke the side of his face. He could remember this tableau, and all the movements that went with it. This time however the words were different.
"You..." she faltered, took a breath, and started again. " You asked me..." again she faltered, and Jack couldn't believe it when he saw a sparkling rim of water in her eyes. Her voice took a strangely accusing tone, "You asked me to use you." Her eyes narrowed slightly, "You used my own words against me, and reminded me who you used to be."
"Janet, I'm sorry..."
She moved closer to him, looking at him through lowered lids. Ever so softly she said, "Don't ever say them again." With her mouth slightly open she brought her lips to his, and caressed them lightly. Increasing the pressure she gave him a sequence of ever lengthening kisses, before their lips met properly and she drew him into a dizzying embrace. He opened his mouth, welcoming her tongue, learning her taste all over again. His hand moved from her face, roved up her back and tangled itself in her hair. For a moment they both played make-believe, pretending that this was how it could be, that they had never stopped.
Eventually they broke apart and stood wrapped in each other's arms, unable to speak. Their breathing was heavy, their bodies reacting to the emotion that they were feeling. Janet buried her head into Jack's neck and inhaled his scent, not too good after running around on that planet, but still undeniably him. "Janet," he said his voice muffled by her hair.
"Mmhmm."
"I know that the situation has changed, but in some ways it hasn't, we can't do this."
"I know," she moved away from his neck, but didn't loosen her grip on him. "As soon as I saw you here, I knew that all we could be to each other was friends."
"I'm sorry."
"Don't be. Don't be sorry for our past or regret what our future will be. I will be glad to have you as a friend, instead of a memory. Remember we're lucky that we have even met again."
His grip on her tightened just a little. "I'm so glad to have you back Janet." He released her slightly, and she shifted to look up at him. He bent down and placed a chaste kiss on her forehead, whispering, "I can still love you though, can't I?"
She gave him a stunning smile, just like he remembered. "As long as I get to love you back, but just remember I'm going to be the one sticking the needles in you from now on."
An expression of mock fear fixed on his face. She stood on her toes and looked him straight in the eyes and breathed, "Now get out of my infirmary, Colonel."
He winced a little at the sound of his title, but knew that was the way it had to be, at least for a while. Releasing her from his embrace, he pulled the curtain aside, but before leaving he said a barely audible "Goodbye, Captain."