6/?
Around midnight, long after Cassie had been sent to bed, Janet finally understood why Sam was crying. "I love him Janet." She'd confessed quietly. Janet wondered if she'd even said it out loud before then. "And Jon was going to be so great because he was, er, is Jack, but he's not my CO. But then I realized that he isn't Jack at all. He just smiles a bit like him, and he jokes a lot, but deep down, he isn't Jack. And I can never have Jack!" Sam wailed, again.
Janet hugged her and rocked her gently. She was lucky in her love life. She simply didn't have one, and that was ok with her. Cassie was her life, and Janet was more then willing to dedicate her entire being to her daughter.
A few moments later Janet realized that Sam had fallen asleep. She gently laid Sam down on the couch and grabbed a blanket from the hall closet. After placing it over Sam's body, Janet turned off the lights and went to bed. It was going to be a rough day tomorrow, and Janet didn't have to be a psychic to know it.
~ ~ ~
Daniel and O'Neill both arrived at the same time as Dr. Frasier and Carter. The elevator ride down to the base was so full of tension the Daniel wanted to scream. He'd had no sleep the night before, and this day was going to be hell. Top it all off with the fact that Sam looked pale and her face was blotchy. He was worried about her, but he didn't dare tell her that with the looks she kept giving Jack when he wasn't looking. If Daniel was a magician he'd have been able to catch a bunch of daggers with his teeth.
Carter went directly to her lab as soon as the elevator stopped. She avoided any contact with anyone, never looking up. Once in her lab she leaned against the cold wall and tried to gather her strength to get through the day. Maybe Thor would show up and get her mind off O'Neill.
"Sam?" Jon's voice broke into her reverie. He looked worried.
"Major Carter." Teal'c said, standing up from where he had been sitting on the floor. "Do you need assistance?"
Carter sighed. "No, I'm fine, thanks." He was her friend, and there was no need to snap at him, Carter kept telling herself.
"Sam, we've been worried. You left last night without saying goodbye." Jon said quietly. "And you look like hell."
"Thanks. I had a rough night." She looked at him and felt horrible. She shouldn't have left without at least telling him. "I'm sorry for leaving, I just...had to go."
"I've just never had a girl leave in the middle of a date before..."
"Date? It was just dinner Jon." Before he could say anything General Hammond paged her. "Come on, it's probably about you." Carter left, followed by Jon and Teal'c.
They were met by O'Neill and Daniel in the hall. "Jack." Jon said by way of greeting. O'Neill ignored him and looked over at Carter, concern seeping through him. What had Jon done to her?
When they reached the gateroom they saw the general talking to Thor. "Look Thor, you said you'd fix him, but now he is aging too quickly." O'Neill said, cutting to the chase.
Thor looked over at Jon. "He is merely becoming the age of when he was cloned."
O'Neill gave him a blank stare. "He is catching up." Daniel interpreted.
"Ah. Why didn't you tell us that he would do that?"
"And why does it hurt?" Jon asked.
"I was not aware that you did not understand what would happen." Thor said, answering O'Neill's question.
Daniel answered Jon's, "It's probably just growing pains."
"So, I'm going to be fifty in a matter of months?"
O'Neill stared at Jon. He wanted to tell him that he wouldn't see another day if he didn't leave Carter alone, but he held his tongue.
"And then will his aging slow down to normal pace?" Carter asked.
"Yes." Thor answered.
"Then that settles it. Jon's fine. Thank you, Thor, and sorry to have bothered you." With good-byes to everyone, Thor vanished. The general left to do some paperwork and Teal'c left to meditate. Daniel would have gladly left the threesome to their love triangle, but he was certain that if he weren't there, Jack would rip Jon a new one.
"Then I guess you'll be leaving." O'Neill said to Jon.
Jon ignored him and looked at Carter. "I guess."
"Good, I'll help you pack."
"I can get it, thanks." Jon said through clenched teeth.
"Then I'll escort you out." O'Neill offered. He was ready for this guy to leave. The sooner he was gone, the sooner life would get back to normal. O'Neill cursed when he was paged to the general's office. "I'm sure you can find your way out." He really hated not watching the guy leave. Not waiting for an answer, O'Neill went to General Hammond's office.
Daniel rubbed his eyes. He felt like he was about to fall asleep. "I..uh...have work to do." He lied. He was already imagining his bed as he walked to his room.
"I can stay a little longer if you need to talk." Jon offered Carter.
Carter looked into his brown eyes and almost burst into tears right there. Thankfully, she was able to control herself before making a fool of herself. "It's probably best if you don't." She answered, hating the look he was giving her.
"You sure?"
Carter nodded. She didn't need him there, confusing her. "Have a good life Jon." She said. She began to walk back to her lab when he stopped her by reaching for her hand. "Jon..."
"Shhh. Just listen for a moment. I know I'm not Jack, and I never will be, but Sam, I love you."
Carter closed her eyes. She did not need this. "You can't possibly know that." She said, her eyes still closed.
"I can, and I do. I have all of his memories Sam. I've replayed scenes with you in them over and over again. I just wish that when I see you, in my mind, looking at him like you do, that you could, one day, look at me that way."
She didn't know what to say. He loved her because of someone else's memories. She looked at him and wondered if they ever could develop a relationship. As she thought it O'Neill walked back into the gateroom. She looked from him to Jon. No, she could never love another man, not even one who looked like Jack. "I can't." She said quietly.
As she was trying to make her escape Jon tried to keep her to him. "Sam...try."
"Hey!" O'Neill shouted. He saw her trying to leave and Jon pulling her back to him. "Let her go!"
"I was just talking Jack." Jon said, letting go of Carter's hand.
"Why aren't you gone yet?" O'Neill asked, anger seething through him. This guy was not him, no matter if he had his DNA or not. "I told you to leave."
"No, you didn't. And besides, you are not the first in command here."
"Would you like me to get General Hammond to have you escorted out?" O'Neill asked. He didn't even notice that Carter had left the room while he was arguing with Jon.
Jon looked around and sighed. Sam had left. "Fantastic!" He shouted. Jon started to leave the room but O'Neill stopped him. "I have to find her!"
"She doesn't want to talk to you. When'd you get to be so obsessive?"
"When I realized that you had lost the only woman you ever loved by not showing enough attention!"
O'Neill couldn't stop himself. He threw a punch and felt Jon's nose break. That felt good.
Around midnight, long after Cassie had been sent to bed, Janet finally understood why Sam was crying. "I love him Janet." She'd confessed quietly. Janet wondered if she'd even said it out loud before then. "And Jon was going to be so great because he was, er, is Jack, but he's not my CO. But then I realized that he isn't Jack at all. He just smiles a bit like him, and he jokes a lot, but deep down, he isn't Jack. And I can never have Jack!" Sam wailed, again.
Janet hugged her and rocked her gently. She was lucky in her love life. She simply didn't have one, and that was ok with her. Cassie was her life, and Janet was more then willing to dedicate her entire being to her daughter.
A few moments later Janet realized that Sam had fallen asleep. She gently laid Sam down on the couch and grabbed a blanket from the hall closet. After placing it over Sam's body, Janet turned off the lights and went to bed. It was going to be a rough day tomorrow, and Janet didn't have to be a psychic to know it.
~ ~ ~
Daniel and O'Neill both arrived at the same time as Dr. Frasier and Carter. The elevator ride down to the base was so full of tension the Daniel wanted to scream. He'd had no sleep the night before, and this day was going to be hell. Top it all off with the fact that Sam looked pale and her face was blotchy. He was worried about her, but he didn't dare tell her that with the looks she kept giving Jack when he wasn't looking. If Daniel was a magician he'd have been able to catch a bunch of daggers with his teeth.
Carter went directly to her lab as soon as the elevator stopped. She avoided any contact with anyone, never looking up. Once in her lab she leaned against the cold wall and tried to gather her strength to get through the day. Maybe Thor would show up and get her mind off O'Neill.
"Sam?" Jon's voice broke into her reverie. He looked worried.
"Major Carter." Teal'c said, standing up from where he had been sitting on the floor. "Do you need assistance?"
Carter sighed. "No, I'm fine, thanks." He was her friend, and there was no need to snap at him, Carter kept telling herself.
"Sam, we've been worried. You left last night without saying goodbye." Jon said quietly. "And you look like hell."
"Thanks. I had a rough night." She looked at him and felt horrible. She shouldn't have left without at least telling him. "I'm sorry for leaving, I just...had to go."
"I've just never had a girl leave in the middle of a date before..."
"Date? It was just dinner Jon." Before he could say anything General Hammond paged her. "Come on, it's probably about you." Carter left, followed by Jon and Teal'c.
They were met by O'Neill and Daniel in the hall. "Jack." Jon said by way of greeting. O'Neill ignored him and looked over at Carter, concern seeping through him. What had Jon done to her?
When they reached the gateroom they saw the general talking to Thor. "Look Thor, you said you'd fix him, but now he is aging too quickly." O'Neill said, cutting to the chase.
Thor looked over at Jon. "He is merely becoming the age of when he was cloned."
O'Neill gave him a blank stare. "He is catching up." Daniel interpreted.
"Ah. Why didn't you tell us that he would do that?"
"And why does it hurt?" Jon asked.
"I was not aware that you did not understand what would happen." Thor said, answering O'Neill's question.
Daniel answered Jon's, "It's probably just growing pains."
"So, I'm going to be fifty in a matter of months?"
O'Neill stared at Jon. He wanted to tell him that he wouldn't see another day if he didn't leave Carter alone, but he held his tongue.
"And then will his aging slow down to normal pace?" Carter asked.
"Yes." Thor answered.
"Then that settles it. Jon's fine. Thank you, Thor, and sorry to have bothered you." With good-byes to everyone, Thor vanished. The general left to do some paperwork and Teal'c left to meditate. Daniel would have gladly left the threesome to their love triangle, but he was certain that if he weren't there, Jack would rip Jon a new one.
"Then I guess you'll be leaving." O'Neill said to Jon.
Jon ignored him and looked at Carter. "I guess."
"Good, I'll help you pack."
"I can get it, thanks." Jon said through clenched teeth.
"Then I'll escort you out." O'Neill offered. He was ready for this guy to leave. The sooner he was gone, the sooner life would get back to normal. O'Neill cursed when he was paged to the general's office. "I'm sure you can find your way out." He really hated not watching the guy leave. Not waiting for an answer, O'Neill went to General Hammond's office.
Daniel rubbed his eyes. He felt like he was about to fall asleep. "I..uh...have work to do." He lied. He was already imagining his bed as he walked to his room.
"I can stay a little longer if you need to talk." Jon offered Carter.
Carter looked into his brown eyes and almost burst into tears right there. Thankfully, she was able to control herself before making a fool of herself. "It's probably best if you don't." She answered, hating the look he was giving her.
"You sure?"
Carter nodded. She didn't need him there, confusing her. "Have a good life Jon." She said. She began to walk back to her lab when he stopped her by reaching for her hand. "Jon..."
"Shhh. Just listen for a moment. I know I'm not Jack, and I never will be, but Sam, I love you."
Carter closed her eyes. She did not need this. "You can't possibly know that." She said, her eyes still closed.
"I can, and I do. I have all of his memories Sam. I've replayed scenes with you in them over and over again. I just wish that when I see you, in my mind, looking at him like you do, that you could, one day, look at me that way."
She didn't know what to say. He loved her because of someone else's memories. She looked at him and wondered if they ever could develop a relationship. As she thought it O'Neill walked back into the gateroom. She looked from him to Jon. No, she could never love another man, not even one who looked like Jack. "I can't." She said quietly.
As she was trying to make her escape Jon tried to keep her to him. "Sam...try."
"Hey!" O'Neill shouted. He saw her trying to leave and Jon pulling her back to him. "Let her go!"
"I was just talking Jack." Jon said, letting go of Carter's hand.
"Why aren't you gone yet?" O'Neill asked, anger seething through him. This guy was not him, no matter if he had his DNA or not. "I told you to leave."
"No, you didn't. And besides, you are not the first in command here."
"Would you like me to get General Hammond to have you escorted out?" O'Neill asked. He didn't even notice that Carter had left the room while he was arguing with Jon.
Jon looked around and sighed. Sam had left. "Fantastic!" He shouted. Jon started to leave the room but O'Neill stopped him. "I have to find her!"
"She doesn't want to talk to you. When'd you get to be so obsessive?"
"When I realized that you had lost the only woman you ever loved by not showing enough attention!"
O'Neill couldn't stop himself. He threw a punch and felt Jon's nose break. That felt good.
