Disclaimer: See Default Chapter
Chapter 9: Revelations
Jack stood at the observation window, staring down at the empty Gate room. Things were quiet. No teams were scheduled to leave until 1600 hours, and SG-13 was off world until tomorrow.
He stared at the Ring. How many times had he stepped through it? Each time was still a rush, just like that first trip to Abydos. Back then, he didn't want to feel the rush... the exhilaration. He hadn't wanted to feel anything at all.
Even though he never admitted it to anyone, being called back to active duty eight years before had been ... great. As soon as he stepped into the Gate room ... and could almost feel the electrical charge in the air the mighty machine emanated... he wanted out there again. Daniel's speech to him, when he barely knew who Daniel was... that even if he had nothing to live for, everyone else did... had been a wake up call. He still hurt for Charlie... for the empty hole left in his heart by the death of his son... but after that mission he at least decided to give life a chance.
So much had happened in eight years. If Charlie were still alive, he'd be a man now. A young man, but a man. Sara was gone... remarried. But he wasn't empty anymore. He loved what he did... really loved it. He found purpose, and people to care about again.
It felt good to care again, and know, on whatever level... people cared about him. Granted, at first he had no use for Daniel, but the allergic spacemonkey had become a good friend. Teal'c... he still hadn't quite figured T out completely, but he'd trust Teal'c to the end of the Earth. Course, seeing that they had been across the galaxy more than once, the end of the Earth didn't seem quite far enough.
And Sam. There were too many words... thoughts... for Sam.
The thought of never stepping through the Gate again left him cold. To the bone.
The door opened and he looked over his shoulder, steadying himself with a hand on the wall to keep his balance on his good leg. Daniel came in first, followed by Sam who looked as though she wouldn't be there at all if Teal'c weren't right behind her. She looked at him with wide blue eyes. Searching.
Jack smiled. "Come on in, campers. Have a seat."
He watched Sam. She moved to the table, pulled out a chair, and sat... but her eyes never left him. Her gaze was anxious and ... frightened? It hadn't been very often Jack had seen true fear in Samantha Carter's eyes... but he saw it now. Jack reached for his crutch. Teal'c moved to help, but Jack waved him off. Doing his best to hide the pain in his leg, and the pounding headache behind his eyes, he made it to a chair and sat down beside Sam.
Where to begin. He drummed his fingertips on the tabletop.
Silence.
"I guess the Good Doctor Weir told you that you've got the next two weeks off."
None of them said anything, just stared at him. Jack cleared his throat.
"Yeah. Okay. She also told you I'm off SG-1."
"Not in so many words, Jack. But yeah," Daniel said, leaning forward.
"What has occurred to bring forth this change?"
"Good question, T," Jack said with an emphatic point at the big man. He leaned back and tapped his immobilized leg. With an aggravated jerk, he ripped open one of the Velcro straps, the sound echoing in the stone silent room. "I've been removed from active duty. Permanently."
He heard her small intake of breath, but didn't dare look at her. Afraid of what he'd see.
"There's nothing they can do?" Daniel asked.
"Nope. Fried the ole' knee but good."
"Will Major Carter be taking your place?" Teal'c asked.
He felt, more than saw, her body tense beside him. She was like a bowstring... tightened any further and she'd snap.
"That's the recommendation I've made to Doctor Weir, along with a promotion to Lieutenant Colonel. Carter is ready. They just need to decide who to bring on for the fourth member."
"So, what... are you retiring? Taking a desk job?"
Jack looked to Daniel, who sat on the other side of Sam. "Don't know. That's up to me. I've been given some options."
"Like what?" Daniel prodded.
"Well, retire... again. Or, I can stay with the SG-C, and take a desk job. And we all know what a thrill that would be for me." He paused, waiting for a chuckle or grin that never came. "Or, I've been offered a position acting as liaison between the White House and the SGC. I'd travel between here and DC."
He finally built the nerve to look at her, locking gazes with her.
"Either way, I'm no longer your commanding officer."
If possible, her eyes widened further. She just stared. Not blinking.
"I've got time to decide." He found it hard to force the words from his throat.
He watched her swallow, her throat shifting with the action. She finally blinked and lowered her chin, looking down at her clenched hands. Jack turned away, looking again to Teal'c and Daniel.
"Not the way I planned on going out... but what can you do, right?"
"It is most regrettable, O'Neill. I shall feel the absence of your presence most profoundly."
Jack leaned forward enough to clap his hand down on the big Jaffa's shoulder. "Yeah, Teal'c. Me, too."
After several more minutes of uncomfortable silence mingled with words of encouragement and regret, Teal'c and Daniel stood to leave. Sam shifted her chair back, but before she could stand, Jack slipped his hand under the table and set it on her knee. Not looking at her, he squeezed gently. Her fingers brushed across the back of his, and she moved the chair back against the table.
Daniel left, and as Teal'c reached the door, he looked back to Jack and Sam. With a slow bow of his head, and what Jack thought might have been the slightest hint of a grin, he closed the door behind him as he left.
In silence again, they sat. Jack still held his hand on her knee beneath the table, unseen by the security cameras. Her fingers still caressed his. Jack swallowed the dry lump in his throat, and shifted his gaze to look at her.
So wary... so damn...what? She looked like she was about to hop right out of her own skin.
"Hey," he said softly.
She looked up at him, through thick lashes.
"How you doing?"
Sam chuckled, a wry and humorless laugh. "How am *I* doing? I should be asking you."
"But I'm the one asking."
Chapter 9: Revelations
Jack stood at the observation window, staring down at the empty Gate room. Things were quiet. No teams were scheduled to leave until 1600 hours, and SG-13 was off world until tomorrow.
He stared at the Ring. How many times had he stepped through it? Each time was still a rush, just like that first trip to Abydos. Back then, he didn't want to feel the rush... the exhilaration. He hadn't wanted to feel anything at all.
Even though he never admitted it to anyone, being called back to active duty eight years before had been ... great. As soon as he stepped into the Gate room ... and could almost feel the electrical charge in the air the mighty machine emanated... he wanted out there again. Daniel's speech to him, when he barely knew who Daniel was... that even if he had nothing to live for, everyone else did... had been a wake up call. He still hurt for Charlie... for the empty hole left in his heart by the death of his son... but after that mission he at least decided to give life a chance.
So much had happened in eight years. If Charlie were still alive, he'd be a man now. A young man, but a man. Sara was gone... remarried. But he wasn't empty anymore. He loved what he did... really loved it. He found purpose, and people to care about again.
It felt good to care again, and know, on whatever level... people cared about him. Granted, at first he had no use for Daniel, but the allergic spacemonkey had become a good friend. Teal'c... he still hadn't quite figured T out completely, but he'd trust Teal'c to the end of the Earth. Course, seeing that they had been across the galaxy more than once, the end of the Earth didn't seem quite far enough.
And Sam. There were too many words... thoughts... for Sam.
The thought of never stepping through the Gate again left him cold. To the bone.
The door opened and he looked over his shoulder, steadying himself with a hand on the wall to keep his balance on his good leg. Daniel came in first, followed by Sam who looked as though she wouldn't be there at all if Teal'c weren't right behind her. She looked at him with wide blue eyes. Searching.
Jack smiled. "Come on in, campers. Have a seat."
He watched Sam. She moved to the table, pulled out a chair, and sat... but her eyes never left him. Her gaze was anxious and ... frightened? It hadn't been very often Jack had seen true fear in Samantha Carter's eyes... but he saw it now. Jack reached for his crutch. Teal'c moved to help, but Jack waved him off. Doing his best to hide the pain in his leg, and the pounding headache behind his eyes, he made it to a chair and sat down beside Sam.
Where to begin. He drummed his fingertips on the tabletop.
Silence.
"I guess the Good Doctor Weir told you that you've got the next two weeks off."
None of them said anything, just stared at him. Jack cleared his throat.
"Yeah. Okay. She also told you I'm off SG-1."
"Not in so many words, Jack. But yeah," Daniel said, leaning forward.
"What has occurred to bring forth this change?"
"Good question, T," Jack said with an emphatic point at the big man. He leaned back and tapped his immobilized leg. With an aggravated jerk, he ripped open one of the Velcro straps, the sound echoing in the stone silent room. "I've been removed from active duty. Permanently."
He heard her small intake of breath, but didn't dare look at her. Afraid of what he'd see.
"There's nothing they can do?" Daniel asked.
"Nope. Fried the ole' knee but good."
"Will Major Carter be taking your place?" Teal'c asked.
He felt, more than saw, her body tense beside him. She was like a bowstring... tightened any further and she'd snap.
"That's the recommendation I've made to Doctor Weir, along with a promotion to Lieutenant Colonel. Carter is ready. They just need to decide who to bring on for the fourth member."
"So, what... are you retiring? Taking a desk job?"
Jack looked to Daniel, who sat on the other side of Sam. "Don't know. That's up to me. I've been given some options."
"Like what?" Daniel prodded.
"Well, retire... again. Or, I can stay with the SG-C, and take a desk job. And we all know what a thrill that would be for me." He paused, waiting for a chuckle or grin that never came. "Or, I've been offered a position acting as liaison between the White House and the SGC. I'd travel between here and DC."
He finally built the nerve to look at her, locking gazes with her.
"Either way, I'm no longer your commanding officer."
If possible, her eyes widened further. She just stared. Not blinking.
"I've got time to decide." He found it hard to force the words from his throat.
He watched her swallow, her throat shifting with the action. She finally blinked and lowered her chin, looking down at her clenched hands. Jack turned away, looking again to Teal'c and Daniel.
"Not the way I planned on going out... but what can you do, right?"
"It is most regrettable, O'Neill. I shall feel the absence of your presence most profoundly."
Jack leaned forward enough to clap his hand down on the big Jaffa's shoulder. "Yeah, Teal'c. Me, too."
After several more minutes of uncomfortable silence mingled with words of encouragement and regret, Teal'c and Daniel stood to leave. Sam shifted her chair back, but before she could stand, Jack slipped his hand under the table and set it on her knee. Not looking at her, he squeezed gently. Her fingers brushed across the back of his, and she moved the chair back against the table.
Daniel left, and as Teal'c reached the door, he looked back to Jack and Sam. With a slow bow of his head, and what Jack thought might have been the slightest hint of a grin, he closed the door behind him as he left.
In silence again, they sat. Jack still held his hand on her knee beneath the table, unseen by the security cameras. Her fingers still caressed his. Jack swallowed the dry lump in his throat, and shifted his gaze to look at her.
So wary... so damn...what? She looked like she was about to hop right out of her own skin.
"Hey," he said softly.
She looked up at him, through thick lashes.
"How you doing?"
Sam chuckled, a wry and humorless laugh. "How am *I* doing? I should be asking you."
"But I'm the one asking."