Disclaimer: See Default Chapter
Chapter Fifteen: Twists
"I don't know, George. Retirement was starting to sound pretty damn good."
"Just hear me out, son," General Hammond said. "Come sit."
Jack squinted his eyes and looked to the faces of each of the people in the room. Friends, a scientist he didn't trust as far as he could throw... well... Teal'c, and his lover. He looked to Sam, and she watched him with guarded blue eyes. She was guarding her emotions, her reactions, like he had seen a hundred times before. Jack couldn't blame her. Being descended on by a horde of people hadn't exactly been their plan for the afternoon. He shrugged one shoulder and arched his eyebrows. Sam smiled, a small smile but enough to let him know she was okay. He held out his arm and Sam came against his side, helping him down the steps into the living room. Not completely necessary, but what the hell.
As he took the first step, his gaze caught Daniel's. The archaeologist's lips were pulled together in a feeble attempt at hiding a smile. His shoulders shook with a suppressed laugh. Jack glanced at Teal'c, who arched high one eyebrow and let show the slightest signs of a smirk. Doctor Weir looked as though she wanted to be anywhere but here, and wouldn't look at Jack, her gaze darting away uneasily.
General Hammond took his stand opposite Teal'c by the fireplace as Jack sank down on the couch. Sam sat beside him, but he noticed she made sure there was some space between them. Some habits were hard to break, so he didn't take it personally. He set the end of his cane on the floor and tossed it back and forth between his hands.
"Okay. I'm listening."
"Jack, you are too valuable an asset to the SGC to lose you over something as pointless as an injury," General Hammond began. "I know that. The President knows that..."
"And I know it," interjected Doctor Weir.
"We all know it, Jack."
"I concur with DanielJackson and General Hammond, O'Neill," Teal'c said.
"Can't you just feel the love?" Jack put his hand over his heart and grinned.
"I've been talking with the President, Jack."
"Thought you retired yourself, General. Time with the grandkids and all, now that the Earth isn't in any danger of invasion." Delay tactics.
"The President still counsels me in on certain discussions. Your leaving the SGC being one of great importance."
"Me? Little ole me?"
General Hammond huffed. "Will you just shut up?"
Jack smiled at George Hammond's uncharacteristic show of frustration. He'd been trying for eight years to get an honest-to-goodness rise out of the man. Retirement must have softened his resolve.
"Fire away."
"The President wants to promote you, Jack. From Colonel to General. And to offer you the position of military commander of SGC, to jointly oversee the ongoing exploration of the Stargate Network and the protection of Earth. The President believes both a scientific and military approach to the program would be the most beneficial, and wants you to take the reins."
"Joint command?" Jack asked.
Doctor Weir drew in a long breath and looked down at her hands before meeting his gaze. "Ultimately, the SGC is a military facitlity."
Jack shook his head. "What does that mean? Exactly?"
"It means that top authority within the base would be yours, but the President and I are confident the two of you can develop a beneficial command relationship," General Hammond said pointedly.
Jack tried to hide any reaction his face might reveal, digesting the new twist. He looked from Hammond to Weir to Daniel to Teal'c. Finally, he looked across his shoulder to Sam. She sat beside him, silent, with her legs curled beneath her and her hands clenched in her lap.
"What about SG-1?" Jack asked, still looking at her.
Her eyes widened and her lips parted. He could tell she'd tell him to shut up if it wouldn't draw more attention than her silence.
"Major Carter, I'm pleased to inform you that you are to be promoted to Lieutenant Colonel and made head of SG-1. Captain Brady of SG-6 will be reassigned to SG-1 as your second in command."
Sam's gaze darted from Jack to General Hammond, then back to Jack. Jack smiled and wagged his eyebrows at her.
"Congratulations."
"Thank you," she said, her voice barely a whisper. Then she turned towards General Hammond, clearing her throat to speak firmly. "Thank you, Sir."
"You were well on your way to your own command, Major Carter. This situation has just served as a catalyst to move things forward." General Hammond chuckled. "Your father is going to be thrilled, I'm sure."
"Yes, sir. No doubt about that."
Sam's cheeks glowed with an excited flush, and her eyes practically sparkled. Not too many women in the Air Force could lay claim to the rank of Lieutenant Colonel, especially not in a combat-ready unit. This was big. Really big. Huge. He was proud of her. Proud to love her. Proud to be the one she loved.
Course, being made General and taking over a command like the Stargate Program wasn't exactly chicken feed.
Jack leaned forward and set his elbows on his knees, holding the cane so he could tap it against his chin. Two days ago, this would be quite the opportunity. Two days ago, he would have taken the promotion with a grin and a beer. But that was two days ago.
Two amazing days ago.
Two days that might never have happened if he had been promoted immediately.
She tipped her head, mouthing the question "what?".
"Does my accepting the position have any effect on Carter's promotion?" he asked, still watching her.
"Well, no. Either way, SG-1 needs a new CO and Major Carter is the best choice." He just listened as the General spoke, hearing in Hammond's voice the confusion. Probably wondering why he hadn't jumped at the announcement.
Jack looked away from Sam's face, only to have his gaze fall on the framed portraits on the shelf behind her. Charlie. His chest squeezed, an all-to- familiar rush of emotion hitting him. One he usually did his damdest to ignore. Suppress. For a brief moment he let himself remember what it felt like to have a family. Not the pain at losing it... but belonging to people and knowing they belonged to you.
"Jack?"
Daniel's voice pulled him from his thoughts. Sam stared at him, bright blue eyes so wide he could see white all around each blue iris. He smiled again.
"Thanks for asking, General Hammond, but I'm going to have to turn you down."
Chapter Fifteen: Twists
"I don't know, George. Retirement was starting to sound pretty damn good."
"Just hear me out, son," General Hammond said. "Come sit."
Jack squinted his eyes and looked to the faces of each of the people in the room. Friends, a scientist he didn't trust as far as he could throw... well... Teal'c, and his lover. He looked to Sam, and she watched him with guarded blue eyes. She was guarding her emotions, her reactions, like he had seen a hundred times before. Jack couldn't blame her. Being descended on by a horde of people hadn't exactly been their plan for the afternoon. He shrugged one shoulder and arched his eyebrows. Sam smiled, a small smile but enough to let him know she was okay. He held out his arm and Sam came against his side, helping him down the steps into the living room. Not completely necessary, but what the hell.
As he took the first step, his gaze caught Daniel's. The archaeologist's lips were pulled together in a feeble attempt at hiding a smile. His shoulders shook with a suppressed laugh. Jack glanced at Teal'c, who arched high one eyebrow and let show the slightest signs of a smirk. Doctor Weir looked as though she wanted to be anywhere but here, and wouldn't look at Jack, her gaze darting away uneasily.
General Hammond took his stand opposite Teal'c by the fireplace as Jack sank down on the couch. Sam sat beside him, but he noticed she made sure there was some space between them. Some habits were hard to break, so he didn't take it personally. He set the end of his cane on the floor and tossed it back and forth between his hands.
"Okay. I'm listening."
"Jack, you are too valuable an asset to the SGC to lose you over something as pointless as an injury," General Hammond began. "I know that. The President knows that..."
"And I know it," interjected Doctor Weir.
"We all know it, Jack."
"I concur with DanielJackson and General Hammond, O'Neill," Teal'c said.
"Can't you just feel the love?" Jack put his hand over his heart and grinned.
"I've been talking with the President, Jack."
"Thought you retired yourself, General. Time with the grandkids and all, now that the Earth isn't in any danger of invasion." Delay tactics.
"The President still counsels me in on certain discussions. Your leaving the SGC being one of great importance."
"Me? Little ole me?"
General Hammond huffed. "Will you just shut up?"
Jack smiled at George Hammond's uncharacteristic show of frustration. He'd been trying for eight years to get an honest-to-goodness rise out of the man. Retirement must have softened his resolve.
"Fire away."
"The President wants to promote you, Jack. From Colonel to General. And to offer you the position of military commander of SGC, to jointly oversee the ongoing exploration of the Stargate Network and the protection of Earth. The President believes both a scientific and military approach to the program would be the most beneficial, and wants you to take the reins."
"Joint command?" Jack asked.
Doctor Weir drew in a long breath and looked down at her hands before meeting his gaze. "Ultimately, the SGC is a military facitlity."
Jack shook his head. "What does that mean? Exactly?"
"It means that top authority within the base would be yours, but the President and I are confident the two of you can develop a beneficial command relationship," General Hammond said pointedly.
Jack tried to hide any reaction his face might reveal, digesting the new twist. He looked from Hammond to Weir to Daniel to Teal'c. Finally, he looked across his shoulder to Sam. She sat beside him, silent, with her legs curled beneath her and her hands clenched in her lap.
"What about SG-1?" Jack asked, still looking at her.
Her eyes widened and her lips parted. He could tell she'd tell him to shut up if it wouldn't draw more attention than her silence.
"Major Carter, I'm pleased to inform you that you are to be promoted to Lieutenant Colonel and made head of SG-1. Captain Brady of SG-6 will be reassigned to SG-1 as your second in command."
Sam's gaze darted from Jack to General Hammond, then back to Jack. Jack smiled and wagged his eyebrows at her.
"Congratulations."
"Thank you," she said, her voice barely a whisper. Then she turned towards General Hammond, clearing her throat to speak firmly. "Thank you, Sir."
"You were well on your way to your own command, Major Carter. This situation has just served as a catalyst to move things forward." General Hammond chuckled. "Your father is going to be thrilled, I'm sure."
"Yes, sir. No doubt about that."
Sam's cheeks glowed with an excited flush, and her eyes practically sparkled. Not too many women in the Air Force could lay claim to the rank of Lieutenant Colonel, especially not in a combat-ready unit. This was big. Really big. Huge. He was proud of her. Proud to love her. Proud to be the one she loved.
Course, being made General and taking over a command like the Stargate Program wasn't exactly chicken feed.
Jack leaned forward and set his elbows on his knees, holding the cane so he could tap it against his chin. Two days ago, this would be quite the opportunity. Two days ago, he would have taken the promotion with a grin and a beer. But that was two days ago.
Two amazing days ago.
Two days that might never have happened if he had been promoted immediately.
She tipped her head, mouthing the question "what?".
"Does my accepting the position have any effect on Carter's promotion?" he asked, still watching her.
"Well, no. Either way, SG-1 needs a new CO and Major Carter is the best choice." He just listened as the General spoke, hearing in Hammond's voice the confusion. Probably wondering why he hadn't jumped at the announcement.
Jack looked away from Sam's face, only to have his gaze fall on the framed portraits on the shelf behind her. Charlie. His chest squeezed, an all-to- familiar rush of emotion hitting him. One he usually did his damdest to ignore. Suppress. For a brief moment he let himself remember what it felt like to have a family. Not the pain at losing it... but belonging to people and knowing they belonged to you.
"Jack?"
Daniel's voice pulled him from his thoughts. Sam stared at him, bright blue eyes so wide he could see white all around each blue iris. He smiled again.
"Thanks for asking, General Hammond, but I'm going to have to turn you down."