"Fraiser just called," Jack said as Sam came out of the bathroom, drying
her hair from her shower. She was wrapped snugly in Jack's bathrobe. She
had one at O'Neill's house, but wanted to wear his. It smelled like him,
and wearing it was comforting.
"Checking on me?"
"Yeah." He was doing the breakfast dishes, which was a bit more of a task than the dinner dishes had been. "She wanted to know if you were up for company. Cassie's worried about you, and wants to see you."
"What did you tell her?"
"I told her one of us would call her back."
"I'll call her."
"Okay."
She walked over and stood next to him, watching as he washed the skillet he'd fried most of breakfast in.
"I could have done that."
"I wanted to."
"Uh huh."
"I did."
"Want me to dry?"
"Nah, I got it. Go call Cassie."
"Okay." She slid her hand under the back of his shirt, though, and ran her fingers along the tender, sensitive skin of the small of his back. Jack leaned over and kissed her softly in reply, and ran one wet, soapy finger along her cheek.
"Go. Before I decide to keep you in bed all day instead."
"Oh, please," Sam said with a smile. "Like that's much of a threat."
Jack echoed her smile, and shooed her away.
Sam went to the phone and dialed Janet's number. Jack listened with half an ear as she answered what must have been a million medical questions that Fraiser threw at her, assured her that she had, indeed, eaten breakfast – and no it wasn't cereal - and then made plans for the two of them to come to Jack's house for lunch.
"Is that okay with you?" She asked Jack.
"That's fine," he told her." He would have agreed to anything if it made her happy.
She hung up, and went back into the kitchen.
"They'll be over around 2:00."
"Okay."
The phone rang again, and Sam handed it to Jack to answer. It was Daniel, calling to check and see how things were going.
"It's Daniel," Jack told her. "Can I invite him to lunch? Or would that be too many?"
She shook her head. Suddenly she very much wanted to be surrounded by the people she loved, and who loved her.
"I can't believe he's stayed away this long. Invite him and Teal'c both."
"Did you hear that?" Jack asked Daniel. "Okay. 2:00. Bring cake."
Sam smiled, and Jack gave her an innocent look.
~*~
There was a knock at the door about noon, and Jack went to get it, wondering if someone had shown up early. Hammond was standing outside, dressed in slacks and a button down shirt, and carrying a bouquet of flowers.
"Thank you, Sir, you shouldn't have," Jack said, reaching for the flowers.
Hammond pulled them back, smiling.
"How's Sam doing?"
"She's up and about. Come in and see for yourself."
"Will I be in the way?"
"Not at all. I was going to call you."
"I was going to call you, too, but I decided to stop by instead." Hammond didn't make a move to enter the house, though. He wanted to say something, and he didn't really want Carter to hear it. As though he understood, Jack stepped outside and closed the door.
"I'm not going to accept your resignation, Colonel."
"With respect, Sir, you don't have that option."
"Actually, I do." Hammond said, handing the flowers to O'Neill to hold while he pulled out a piece of paper. "This is a copy of an order from the President. Addressed to me. Telling me that during the duration of our war with the Gou'ld I'm not allowed to accept requests for transfers or resignations from any member of an SG team."
"What?"
Jack reached for the paper, and Hammond handed it over. It was exactly what he'd said it was. And it was dated long before the day that Jack had told Hammond he was going to retire.
"When did you get this?"
"Once the President realized how dangerous the Gou'ld were, and how important it was that we keep the Stargate program a secret, he put a military gag order on the program and the base. It's been in effect for well over a year, and I'm sure you'll understand why."
Sure he did. He just couldn't believe what he was seeing.
"I have to resign, Sir." Jack said.
"No, you don't." Hammond sighed. "You've kept the secret this long, Jack, and it hasn't affected your relationship with Carter at work, or the relationship with the rest of your team, who obviously knew all about it. That's the main reason for the regulation. To avoid internal team problems because of relationships. Since you and Major Carter have proven you're not going to cause troubles within SG-1, I can't see any reason to separate you."
"You're sure?"
"Yes."
Jack stood there for a long moment, thinking it over, but he couldn't see anything to object to. It wasn't as though he wanted to leave the SGC. He just knew where his priorities were when the two things he cared most about collided with each other. As long as Hammond wasn't going to force him to choose, he wouldn't. Finally, he handed the flowers back to Hammond, and nodded.
"Thank you, Sir. That's good news."
"I'm glad you agree, Colonel. Now, can I come in and see Sam?"
"Yes, Sir, of course."
They walked in together, but Sam wasn't in the living room. Jack went back to the bedroom, worried suddenly that he'd left her alone too long and she'd become upset. She wasn't though, she was just sitting on his bed, looking for her book, which she'd left in his room that morning.
"Hammond's here," Jack told her.
"Here?" She looked worried, suddenly.
"He knows, Sam." Jack told her. "He knows, and he's not going to do anything to split us up."
"What?"
"Trust me, okay? He knows about us, and he's not mad."
She was dumbfounded, but she nodded anyways.
"What's he doing here?"
"Checking on you, of course. He's as worried about you as everyone else is."
Jack pulled her to her feet, and kissed her before she realized what he was doing. The kiss was deep and hungry, and she melted against him as she returned it.
"What was that for?" She asked breathlessly, when he released her finally.
"Just a reminder. Now come on, he's waiting."
They walked down the hall together, and Hammond smiled when he saw Carter on her feet, looking far better than he'd expected. He went over to her and handed her the flowers, and surprised her and Jack both by taking her in his arms and hugging her tightly. This wasn't the General. This was the man who'd become almost a father to her over the last few years.
"How are you feeling, Sam?"
"I'm better, Sir, thank you."
"I tried to get a hold of Jacob, but he's on some hush hush mission. I'm sorry."
"It's okay."
Sam smelled the flowers Hammond handed her, and smiled. They were beautiful, and the thought behind them was even more special to her.
"Thank you." She repeated.
"You're welcome."
"Would you like a beer, Sir?" Jack asked. "Want to stay for lunch?"
"Would I be in the way?"
"No," Sam said.
"Daniel, Teal'c, Cassie and Frasier are all coming at 2:00. You can help me keep Teal'c from eating all the cake."
"Cake?"
"Trust me."
"Okay. I think I will have a beer, Colonel."
"Coming right up."
"Checking on me?"
"Yeah." He was doing the breakfast dishes, which was a bit more of a task than the dinner dishes had been. "She wanted to know if you were up for company. Cassie's worried about you, and wants to see you."
"What did you tell her?"
"I told her one of us would call her back."
"I'll call her."
"Okay."
She walked over and stood next to him, watching as he washed the skillet he'd fried most of breakfast in.
"I could have done that."
"I wanted to."
"Uh huh."
"I did."
"Want me to dry?"
"Nah, I got it. Go call Cassie."
"Okay." She slid her hand under the back of his shirt, though, and ran her fingers along the tender, sensitive skin of the small of his back. Jack leaned over and kissed her softly in reply, and ran one wet, soapy finger along her cheek.
"Go. Before I decide to keep you in bed all day instead."
"Oh, please," Sam said with a smile. "Like that's much of a threat."
Jack echoed her smile, and shooed her away.
Sam went to the phone and dialed Janet's number. Jack listened with half an ear as she answered what must have been a million medical questions that Fraiser threw at her, assured her that she had, indeed, eaten breakfast – and no it wasn't cereal - and then made plans for the two of them to come to Jack's house for lunch.
"Is that okay with you?" She asked Jack.
"That's fine," he told her." He would have agreed to anything if it made her happy.
She hung up, and went back into the kitchen.
"They'll be over around 2:00."
"Okay."
The phone rang again, and Sam handed it to Jack to answer. It was Daniel, calling to check and see how things were going.
"It's Daniel," Jack told her. "Can I invite him to lunch? Or would that be too many?"
She shook her head. Suddenly she very much wanted to be surrounded by the people she loved, and who loved her.
"I can't believe he's stayed away this long. Invite him and Teal'c both."
"Did you hear that?" Jack asked Daniel. "Okay. 2:00. Bring cake."
Sam smiled, and Jack gave her an innocent look.
~*~
There was a knock at the door about noon, and Jack went to get it, wondering if someone had shown up early. Hammond was standing outside, dressed in slacks and a button down shirt, and carrying a bouquet of flowers.
"Thank you, Sir, you shouldn't have," Jack said, reaching for the flowers.
Hammond pulled them back, smiling.
"How's Sam doing?"
"She's up and about. Come in and see for yourself."
"Will I be in the way?"
"Not at all. I was going to call you."
"I was going to call you, too, but I decided to stop by instead." Hammond didn't make a move to enter the house, though. He wanted to say something, and he didn't really want Carter to hear it. As though he understood, Jack stepped outside and closed the door.
"I'm not going to accept your resignation, Colonel."
"With respect, Sir, you don't have that option."
"Actually, I do." Hammond said, handing the flowers to O'Neill to hold while he pulled out a piece of paper. "This is a copy of an order from the President. Addressed to me. Telling me that during the duration of our war with the Gou'ld I'm not allowed to accept requests for transfers or resignations from any member of an SG team."
"What?"
Jack reached for the paper, and Hammond handed it over. It was exactly what he'd said it was. And it was dated long before the day that Jack had told Hammond he was going to retire.
"When did you get this?"
"Once the President realized how dangerous the Gou'ld were, and how important it was that we keep the Stargate program a secret, he put a military gag order on the program and the base. It's been in effect for well over a year, and I'm sure you'll understand why."
Sure he did. He just couldn't believe what he was seeing.
"I have to resign, Sir." Jack said.
"No, you don't." Hammond sighed. "You've kept the secret this long, Jack, and it hasn't affected your relationship with Carter at work, or the relationship with the rest of your team, who obviously knew all about it. That's the main reason for the regulation. To avoid internal team problems because of relationships. Since you and Major Carter have proven you're not going to cause troubles within SG-1, I can't see any reason to separate you."
"You're sure?"
"Yes."
Jack stood there for a long moment, thinking it over, but he couldn't see anything to object to. It wasn't as though he wanted to leave the SGC. He just knew where his priorities were when the two things he cared most about collided with each other. As long as Hammond wasn't going to force him to choose, he wouldn't. Finally, he handed the flowers back to Hammond, and nodded.
"Thank you, Sir. That's good news."
"I'm glad you agree, Colonel. Now, can I come in and see Sam?"
"Yes, Sir, of course."
They walked in together, but Sam wasn't in the living room. Jack went back to the bedroom, worried suddenly that he'd left her alone too long and she'd become upset. She wasn't though, she was just sitting on his bed, looking for her book, which she'd left in his room that morning.
"Hammond's here," Jack told her.
"Here?" She looked worried, suddenly.
"He knows, Sam." Jack told her. "He knows, and he's not going to do anything to split us up."
"What?"
"Trust me, okay? He knows about us, and he's not mad."
She was dumbfounded, but she nodded anyways.
"What's he doing here?"
"Checking on you, of course. He's as worried about you as everyone else is."
Jack pulled her to her feet, and kissed her before she realized what he was doing. The kiss was deep and hungry, and she melted against him as she returned it.
"What was that for?" She asked breathlessly, when he released her finally.
"Just a reminder. Now come on, he's waiting."
They walked down the hall together, and Hammond smiled when he saw Carter on her feet, looking far better than he'd expected. He went over to her and handed her the flowers, and surprised her and Jack both by taking her in his arms and hugging her tightly. This wasn't the General. This was the man who'd become almost a father to her over the last few years.
"How are you feeling, Sam?"
"I'm better, Sir, thank you."
"I tried to get a hold of Jacob, but he's on some hush hush mission. I'm sorry."
"It's okay."
Sam smelled the flowers Hammond handed her, and smiled. They were beautiful, and the thought behind them was even more special to her.
"Thank you." She repeated.
"You're welcome."
"Would you like a beer, Sir?" Jack asked. "Want to stay for lunch?"
"Would I be in the way?"
"No," Sam said.
"Daniel, Teal'c, Cassie and Frasier are all coming at 2:00. You can help me keep Teal'c from eating all the cake."
"Cake?"
"Trust me."
"Okay. I think I will have a beer, Colonel."
"Coming right up."