CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE: WORLDS APART
Tuesday morning Jack and Vicky came to the mountain early, both with duffels. Jack was going off world for a few days and thought it was a good idea for Vicky to stay on the base. For a change she didn't argue. First she wasn't sure that she was ready to stay in the house alone, and second she knew Jack and she wouldn't put it past him to call Alex and she was pretty sure that he would order her to stay on base. A least this way she could go off base for a couple of hours if she needed to. She knew how to pick her battles and this wasn't one of them. Besides she didn't want Jack upset before a mission. She knew that he was the consummate soldier but didn't want to take any chances that he would be distracted.
~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~
Jack was in the locker room changing for the mission when he heard the door behind him. He looked up and saw Daniel and he nodded to him as he took off his wedding ring and, as married soldiers on frontlines the world over do, put it on the chain with his dog tags.
"Jack."
"Daniel." Daniel wondered just how many times the both of them had said those two words over the years. The thought made him smile. "So, Jack, how's it going?"
Jack looked over and raised an eyebrow, "it? Just what would "IT" be anyway, Danny?"
"Umm...you know," Daniel looked suddenly uncomfortable, "you, Vicky?"
"Oh, that "it", "IT" is just fine, Daniel." Then e gave a little smile and asked, "So, Daniel, how's YOUR love life?"
Daniel looked appalled and blushed, "umm...well...I don't...busy..."
Jack laughed and slapped him on the back and said on his way out, "Well, Danny-boy, I guess we'll have to fix you up with someone. Vicky loves that sort of thing."
Daniel gaped at him, horrified and Jack laughed even harder as he walked out the door.
~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~
Jack walked into the gate room and saw Carter loading things into the MALF and making some final adjustments to it before it was to be sent through to the planet. Her own gear was piled at the foot of the ramp. Teal'c stood up; he had been loading things into the other side.
"Carter, Teal'c."
"O'Neill," Teal'c replied with a little nod of his head.
"Sir," Carter flashed him a brilliant smile.
"So, kids, we about ready?"
"Just waiting on Daniel and we can send the MALP through."
Just then Daniel rushed in saying, "sorry."
Carter looked up to the control room and said, "OK, dial it up."
The gate spun around and all of the chevrons lock, followed by the ever familiar "whoosh". The MALP rolled up the ramp and disappeared into the shimmering blue. Sam was watching the monitor showing the picture that the MALP was sending through the worm-hole. She manipulated the camera so that it would give a wide a sweep of the area in front of the gate as possible. She looked over her shoulder at the Colonel, "All clear, Sir."
"OK, kids, we're off to see the wizard." And he turned to give his usual wave to the General and stopped for a minute because Vicky was standing beside, Hammond. She gave him a smile and a little wave. Jack stared at her seriously for a moment then he tilted his head to the side and gave her a little smile. Then he turned and SG-1 walked through the event horizon and the blue shimmered and disappeared. For the first time since he first walked through the worm-hole, Jack felt like he would have rather stayed behind. Whether or not this was a good or a bad thing he didn't know yet.
What Jack couldn't see form his distance was how tight Vicky's jaw was. Yes, she would play the perfect military wife and send he husband off to maybe die, but she didn't like it one damn bit. She felt like hell, maybe she had made a mistake. She couldn't no more not love him than she could chose not to breathe, but maybe she should back away. Well, she sure as hell needed to talk to Alex.
The General, seeing how tense she was, patted her softly on the back, "They'll be just fine."
She turned and looked at him with sad eyes and said, "How do you stand it, sending people that you care about, off to who knows what, every time could be the last time you see them?"
"It never gets any easier, honey. You cope with it because you have no other choice."
"I'm going to check up on Chang and then I think I'll see if Alex has some free time."
Hammond smiled at her, "I think that's a fine idea."
~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~
When Vicky got to the infirmary she saw not only was Chang's bed empty but was stripped. //shit\\ She went to the CMO's offing, "Where the HELL is Chang?"
He looked up startled, "She was doing so much better, and I for one have never seen anything like it, I let her out. She on light duty, short days for a few days. Also, I want for her to stay in the VIP quarters until I completely sign off on her."
Vicky smiled at him, "she's one tuff Marine, that's why she's the model for that action figure." //that and I snuck in here last night before I went home and used the Go'uld healing device\\
~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~
Vicky went to her lab and saw Lisa at her desk, working. "CHANG, what the hell do you think you're doing?"
"Geez, Ma'am, you scared the crap out of me. The doctor released me for light duty."
Vicky went over and scooped her into a hug, "I know, I just saw him."
Chang smacked Vicky on the arm and said, "then why did you have to scare me like that?"
"Striking a superior officer? That's a long way from the "Ma'am, yes, Ma'am" days."
Chang pales and said, "Ma'am, I forgot myself. If you want to bring me up on charges..."
"Relax, Lisa, I was teasing. Besides we can't get the model for the official Marine action figure in trouble, can we?"
Lisa rolled her eyes and said, "About that, Ma'am, what can we do?"
"Well, the General and I had a "chat" about it. Since General Valentine loved the idea so much and already has her people working on one for every service, we decided that there really wasn't anything we can do. Not without getting everyone court marshaled." Seeing how uncomfortable the Chang was she continued, "I'm sorry, but I guess you'll have to just suck up and be every little girl's hero."
Chang sighed, "Yes, Ma'am."
"OK, kid, I'm going to talk to Colonel Schmidt, if you need me just call his extension." When she was given a worried look she said, "Jack went on an off world mission, the first since..." Lisa gave her an encouraging smile and she left.
~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~
Alex let her into his office and gestured her to a chair, "So, Vicky, how have you been?"
"Oh, you know, bad, bad, good, bad, the usual." Alex studied her but didn't say anything, an old psychiatrist's trick. She continued, "Well, of course there was the thing with Chang."
"Yes, that was terrible. You did an exemplary job in finding and capturing the criminal."
"I had a lot of help, still it was very stressful. Then there's Jack."
"I notice that you are wearing your wedding rings."
"Well, over the weekend...we kind of.... sorted things out. We umm..."
"I see, and how do you feel about that?"
She grinned, "Well, "THAT" was great. It had always been great, but now it was sensational."
"Well, hopefully when we get older with practice we get better."
"Well, Jack sure as hell did," she grinned. Then she got serious.
"So what's the problem?"
"He's off world now, on a mission. Supposed to be a routine one, no danger. Those are always famous last words. It scares he hell out of me. What if I lose him now? I don't know if I can stand it."
"Do you wish that you were still out there, hadn't seen him again?"
She looked at the floor thinking. She looked up at him, "no, damn it, I don't."
"So, even if the worst happens, you're glad that I had this time with him."
"If the worst does happen now you have a support system."
"Yeah, but worrying sucks."
~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~
Vicky kept herself busy for the couple of days that SG-1 was gone. On Thursday when they were supposed to come back she found excuses to hang around the control room. The time for their return came and went. She was not the only one who was worried. O'Neill might come across as a goof off but he was also the best soldier that anyone at the base had ever worked with.
Finally Hammond ordered another MALP to be sent through the gate. The MALP was readied and brought to the ramp. Siler began the dialing sequence. All of the chevrons encoded but the seventh wouldn't lock. They were unable to establish a wormhole.
The General looked concerned but determined. "Sergeant, dial another location to see if we have a problem at our end." Siler dialed a successful connection to the Nox home world. He then dialed the address for Chulak, and it, too, connected. He looked up at Hammond to await his orders "Dial it again." Siler did with the same results. "Damn, just in case, Siler, run a diagnostic on the Stargate, it can't hurt."
"Yes, Sir."
Vicky addressed him, not as her uncle but as her CO, "General, request permission to mount a rescue mission."
He looked at her with raised eyebrows, "and just how the hell do you think you're going to do that?"
"Gate to the nearest planet with a Stargate, have the Asguard meet us there with a ship and us it to get to the planet."
"What makes you think the Asguard will just drop everything to bring you a ship? Wouldn't that breach their non-interference treaty?"
"Oh, they'll do it or I'll just tell the Nox, Tollen, and Furlings that they have been violating it for years."
He grinned, "You have a go, I'll have SG-3 get ready."
"Great, I'll be right back, I have to send the message." She took her fist and thumped the center of her chest and disappeared in a flash of white light.
Vicky beamed back to her quarters to suit up, then stopped at the armory and went to the gate room. When she got there not were the members of SG-3 ready but also Gunnery SGT Santorinni and Tech SGT Chang. "What do you two think that you're doing?"
Chang stepped forward, not afraid of the Captain and said, "Ma'am, with all due respect, after all that you and the Colonel have done for us, we're going with you."
"OK, Gunny, you can go but Chang you are staying here. After all you aren't cleared for regular duty." Lisa handed her a paper, which was a signed consent to return to duty form. "Lisa, you might get hurt..."
Chang pulled herself to her full five feet and said, "I am a Marine, Ma'am."
All of the Marines looked proud of her and Vicky knew when she was beaten, "I know I'm going to regret this but OK."
The chevrons started to engage when the last locked and the wormhole was established General Hammond said through the PA, "Captain O'Neill, Gunny, Chang, and SG-3 you have a go. Good luck, people and bring them back."
"Yes, Sir." And they all turned and walked through the event horizon.
~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~
On the other planet O'Neill signaled the Asguard and they were all beamed up. She thanked him and he went to another awaiting ship and they set off.
~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~
Jack groaned and slowly opened his eyes, immediately clamped them shut again because the light hurt his eyes. He heard someone moving near him, "T?"
"I am here, O'Neill."
"Carter? Daniel?"
"They are here as well. They appear to be uninjured, however, have yet to gain consciousness."
Jack groaned again as he rolled over on his back and threw his arm to cover his eyes from the light, "Zat?"
"It would appear so, O'Neill."
Jack looked over to his left and saw Daniel start to stir, "Danny, you OK?"
"For someone who's been run over by a truck, I'm just fine."
Jack turned his head in the other direction and saw Carter on her side, facing him. Her eyes were open but she looked in pain."
"Carter?"
"Fine, Sir. Where are we?"
Jack squinted and looked around seeing a room that looked all to familiar, "Oh, just your basic Go'ould Mothership."
"Crap."
"Indeed, DanielJackson."
"Well, how the hell did we get here?"
"Now, I'm just guessing, Danny, but I think a bunch of Jaffa Zatted us and ringed us up."
"You're funny, Jack."
In spite of the pain Jack grinned at him, "I thought so. Well another fine mess we've gotten ourselves into."
Tuesday morning Jack and Vicky came to the mountain early, both with duffels. Jack was going off world for a few days and thought it was a good idea for Vicky to stay on the base. For a change she didn't argue. First she wasn't sure that she was ready to stay in the house alone, and second she knew Jack and she wouldn't put it past him to call Alex and she was pretty sure that he would order her to stay on base. A least this way she could go off base for a couple of hours if she needed to. She knew how to pick her battles and this wasn't one of them. Besides she didn't want Jack upset before a mission. She knew that he was the consummate soldier but didn't want to take any chances that he would be distracted.
~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~
Jack was in the locker room changing for the mission when he heard the door behind him. He looked up and saw Daniel and he nodded to him as he took off his wedding ring and, as married soldiers on frontlines the world over do, put it on the chain with his dog tags.
"Jack."
"Daniel." Daniel wondered just how many times the both of them had said those two words over the years. The thought made him smile. "So, Jack, how's it going?"
Jack looked over and raised an eyebrow, "it? Just what would "IT" be anyway, Danny?"
"Umm...you know," Daniel looked suddenly uncomfortable, "you, Vicky?"
"Oh, that "it", "IT" is just fine, Daniel." Then e gave a little smile and asked, "So, Daniel, how's YOUR love life?"
Daniel looked appalled and blushed, "umm...well...I don't...busy..."
Jack laughed and slapped him on the back and said on his way out, "Well, Danny-boy, I guess we'll have to fix you up with someone. Vicky loves that sort of thing."
Daniel gaped at him, horrified and Jack laughed even harder as he walked out the door.
~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~
Jack walked into the gate room and saw Carter loading things into the MALF and making some final adjustments to it before it was to be sent through to the planet. Her own gear was piled at the foot of the ramp. Teal'c stood up; he had been loading things into the other side.
"Carter, Teal'c."
"O'Neill," Teal'c replied with a little nod of his head.
"Sir," Carter flashed him a brilliant smile.
"So, kids, we about ready?"
"Just waiting on Daniel and we can send the MALP through."
Just then Daniel rushed in saying, "sorry."
Carter looked up to the control room and said, "OK, dial it up."
The gate spun around and all of the chevrons lock, followed by the ever familiar "whoosh". The MALP rolled up the ramp and disappeared into the shimmering blue. Sam was watching the monitor showing the picture that the MALP was sending through the worm-hole. She manipulated the camera so that it would give a wide a sweep of the area in front of the gate as possible. She looked over her shoulder at the Colonel, "All clear, Sir."
"OK, kids, we're off to see the wizard." And he turned to give his usual wave to the General and stopped for a minute because Vicky was standing beside, Hammond. She gave him a smile and a little wave. Jack stared at her seriously for a moment then he tilted his head to the side and gave her a little smile. Then he turned and SG-1 walked through the event horizon and the blue shimmered and disappeared. For the first time since he first walked through the worm-hole, Jack felt like he would have rather stayed behind. Whether or not this was a good or a bad thing he didn't know yet.
What Jack couldn't see form his distance was how tight Vicky's jaw was. Yes, she would play the perfect military wife and send he husband off to maybe die, but she didn't like it one damn bit. She felt like hell, maybe she had made a mistake. She couldn't no more not love him than she could chose not to breathe, but maybe she should back away. Well, she sure as hell needed to talk to Alex.
The General, seeing how tense she was, patted her softly on the back, "They'll be just fine."
She turned and looked at him with sad eyes and said, "How do you stand it, sending people that you care about, off to who knows what, every time could be the last time you see them?"
"It never gets any easier, honey. You cope with it because you have no other choice."
"I'm going to check up on Chang and then I think I'll see if Alex has some free time."
Hammond smiled at her, "I think that's a fine idea."
~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~
When Vicky got to the infirmary she saw not only was Chang's bed empty but was stripped. //shit\\ She went to the CMO's offing, "Where the HELL is Chang?"
He looked up startled, "She was doing so much better, and I for one have never seen anything like it, I let her out. She on light duty, short days for a few days. Also, I want for her to stay in the VIP quarters until I completely sign off on her."
Vicky smiled at him, "she's one tuff Marine, that's why she's the model for that action figure." //that and I snuck in here last night before I went home and used the Go'uld healing device\\
~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~
Vicky went to her lab and saw Lisa at her desk, working. "CHANG, what the hell do you think you're doing?"
"Geez, Ma'am, you scared the crap out of me. The doctor released me for light duty."
Vicky went over and scooped her into a hug, "I know, I just saw him."
Chang smacked Vicky on the arm and said, "then why did you have to scare me like that?"
"Striking a superior officer? That's a long way from the "Ma'am, yes, Ma'am" days."
Chang pales and said, "Ma'am, I forgot myself. If you want to bring me up on charges..."
"Relax, Lisa, I was teasing. Besides we can't get the model for the official Marine action figure in trouble, can we?"
Lisa rolled her eyes and said, "About that, Ma'am, what can we do?"
"Well, the General and I had a "chat" about it. Since General Valentine loved the idea so much and already has her people working on one for every service, we decided that there really wasn't anything we can do. Not without getting everyone court marshaled." Seeing how uncomfortable the Chang was she continued, "I'm sorry, but I guess you'll have to just suck up and be every little girl's hero."
Chang sighed, "Yes, Ma'am."
"OK, kid, I'm going to talk to Colonel Schmidt, if you need me just call his extension." When she was given a worried look she said, "Jack went on an off world mission, the first since..." Lisa gave her an encouraging smile and she left.
~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~
Alex let her into his office and gestured her to a chair, "So, Vicky, how have you been?"
"Oh, you know, bad, bad, good, bad, the usual." Alex studied her but didn't say anything, an old psychiatrist's trick. She continued, "Well, of course there was the thing with Chang."
"Yes, that was terrible. You did an exemplary job in finding and capturing the criminal."
"I had a lot of help, still it was very stressful. Then there's Jack."
"I notice that you are wearing your wedding rings."
"Well, over the weekend...we kind of.... sorted things out. We umm..."
"I see, and how do you feel about that?"
She grinned, "Well, "THAT" was great. It had always been great, but now it was sensational."
"Well, hopefully when we get older with practice we get better."
"Well, Jack sure as hell did," she grinned. Then she got serious.
"So what's the problem?"
"He's off world now, on a mission. Supposed to be a routine one, no danger. Those are always famous last words. It scares he hell out of me. What if I lose him now? I don't know if I can stand it."
"Do you wish that you were still out there, hadn't seen him again?"
She looked at the floor thinking. She looked up at him, "no, damn it, I don't."
"So, even if the worst happens, you're glad that I had this time with him."
"If the worst does happen now you have a support system."
"Yeah, but worrying sucks."
~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~
Vicky kept herself busy for the couple of days that SG-1 was gone. On Thursday when they were supposed to come back she found excuses to hang around the control room. The time for their return came and went. She was not the only one who was worried. O'Neill might come across as a goof off but he was also the best soldier that anyone at the base had ever worked with.
Finally Hammond ordered another MALP to be sent through the gate. The MALP was readied and brought to the ramp. Siler began the dialing sequence. All of the chevrons encoded but the seventh wouldn't lock. They were unable to establish a wormhole.
The General looked concerned but determined. "Sergeant, dial another location to see if we have a problem at our end." Siler dialed a successful connection to the Nox home world. He then dialed the address for Chulak, and it, too, connected. He looked up at Hammond to await his orders "Dial it again." Siler did with the same results. "Damn, just in case, Siler, run a diagnostic on the Stargate, it can't hurt."
"Yes, Sir."
Vicky addressed him, not as her uncle but as her CO, "General, request permission to mount a rescue mission."
He looked at her with raised eyebrows, "and just how the hell do you think you're going to do that?"
"Gate to the nearest planet with a Stargate, have the Asguard meet us there with a ship and us it to get to the planet."
"What makes you think the Asguard will just drop everything to bring you a ship? Wouldn't that breach their non-interference treaty?"
"Oh, they'll do it or I'll just tell the Nox, Tollen, and Furlings that they have been violating it for years."
He grinned, "You have a go, I'll have SG-3 get ready."
"Great, I'll be right back, I have to send the message." She took her fist and thumped the center of her chest and disappeared in a flash of white light.
Vicky beamed back to her quarters to suit up, then stopped at the armory and went to the gate room. When she got there not were the members of SG-3 ready but also Gunnery SGT Santorinni and Tech SGT Chang. "What do you two think that you're doing?"
Chang stepped forward, not afraid of the Captain and said, "Ma'am, with all due respect, after all that you and the Colonel have done for us, we're going with you."
"OK, Gunny, you can go but Chang you are staying here. After all you aren't cleared for regular duty." Lisa handed her a paper, which was a signed consent to return to duty form. "Lisa, you might get hurt..."
Chang pulled herself to her full five feet and said, "I am a Marine, Ma'am."
All of the Marines looked proud of her and Vicky knew when she was beaten, "I know I'm going to regret this but OK."
The chevrons started to engage when the last locked and the wormhole was established General Hammond said through the PA, "Captain O'Neill, Gunny, Chang, and SG-3 you have a go. Good luck, people and bring them back."
"Yes, Sir." And they all turned and walked through the event horizon.
~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~
On the other planet O'Neill signaled the Asguard and they were all beamed up. She thanked him and he went to another awaiting ship and they set off.
~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~
Jack groaned and slowly opened his eyes, immediately clamped them shut again because the light hurt his eyes. He heard someone moving near him, "T?"
"I am here, O'Neill."
"Carter? Daniel?"
"They are here as well. They appear to be uninjured, however, have yet to gain consciousness."
Jack groaned again as he rolled over on his back and threw his arm to cover his eyes from the light, "Zat?"
"It would appear so, O'Neill."
Jack looked over to his left and saw Daniel start to stir, "Danny, you OK?"
"For someone who's been run over by a truck, I'm just fine."
Jack turned his head in the other direction and saw Carter on her side, facing him. Her eyes were open but she looked in pain."
"Carter?"
"Fine, Sir. Where are we?"
Jack squinted and looked around seeing a room that looked all to familiar, "Oh, just your basic Go'ould Mothership."
"Crap."
"Indeed, DanielJackson."
"Well, how the hell did we get here?"
"Now, I'm just guessing, Danny, but I think a bunch of Jaffa Zatted us and ringed us up."
"You're funny, Jack."
In spite of the pain Jack grinned at him, "I thought so. Well another fine mess we've gotten ourselves into."