God Only Knows part 3.
As Jack climbed back into his bed he noticed the photograph from the letter on Sam's bedside table. Sam was lying on her side with her back facing him; at first he thought she was asleep until she sniffed.
"Sam?"
"I...I just wanted you to know, I didn't know I'd live through it." He said softly moving towards her bed.
"Sam, talk to me. Please?"
She rolled over to face him, her eyes red from crying. Jack noticed the letter in her hand.
"Jack," She paused and met his deep brown eyes with her blue ones. "I missed you so much, I didn't want to believe you were gone but everyone kept saying there was no hope of getting you back. On that planet I was on my own and I thought that I would be with you soon, I knew that I wouldn't be able to get home and I just gave up. Then I wake up and you're back here alive, I thought I was dead at first. Well, I guess what I'm trying to say is that I...I love you."
A fresh batch of tears weld-up in her eyes and started rolling down her cheeks. Jack sat on the edge of her bed and pulled her into an embrace.
"Shh Sam, it's okay." He said stroking her hair. "We'll figure something out." He planted a kiss on the top of her head.
Hammond smiled and walked out of the infirmary from his hiding place behind a large filing cabinet.
-------------------
"You wanted to talk to me General?" Jack asked as he popped his head around the office door a week later.
"Yes Jack, come in and have a seat." Hammond said pointing to the seat in front of him. "Now, as you are well aware you are retired for the third time from my command and that's just not acceptable Jack! I am asking you to come back and take command..."
"General," O'Neill cut in. "I don't want a command. I am retired from the Air Force once and for all."
"I understand Son."
"No I've made up my...you do?"
"Yes Jack, I do. That is why I am asking you to work here as a civilian consultant in the fight against the Goa'uld and training new recruits."
"So in other words I'd be doing what I do now but without the paperwork and chain of command?"
"Precisely." The old Texan smiled. "Well, what do you say?"
"I...I think I'll have to say yes, but this means that I have no power anymore?"
"I wouldn't say that, with your history and knowledge of the Air Force rules and regulations you would still be intimidating. Plus no one would have to know, they still call retired officers by their ranks."
"But SG1?"
"Major Carter would still take command, they'll need a new team member but you will be with them most of the time anyway." He sighed pushing a contract forward. "Just sign the paper Jack, we can discuss duties and responsibilities later."
"Of course George." He grabbed a pen and scribbled his signature on the dotted line.
"Don't push it Colonel." He warned. "Remember I can have you transferred to our Antarctic base, I know you love the cold weather."
"Yes Sir, sorry Sir." Jack muttered sarcastically.
"Now go and tell your ex-team." Hammond ordered and watched his highest- ranking civilian almost skip out of the room.
-------------------
"Hey Sam!" Jack said walking into her lab and plonking himself down on one of the stools. "What you doing?"
"Trying to..." She looked up from her doohickeys. "You don't care do you?"
"Not in the slightest." He grinned. "So is it really important or can you take a coffee break right about now?"
"I can take a brake, what you have in mind?"
"Well I need to talk to you about where we stand..."
"Well there are the Regs." She said quietly.
"Actually there aren't, I'm retired from the Air Force and work as a civilian consultant." He reached for her hand. "Look, I know there's Pete and everything but I love you and I want to be with you."
"I called Pete after you'd been frozen, and told him that I realised the man I loved had just died and I couldn't go out with him anymore." She smiled. "I love you Jonathan James O'Neill with two l's." She closed the gab between them and kissed him tenderly on the lips.
A knock at the door drew them apart.
"Jack!" Daniel whined. "Teal'c is annoying me."
"What's he doing Danny?"
"He won't let me do anything."
"That is not true O'Neill." Teal'c said walking up behind the archaeologist. "I will not permit Daniel Jackson to peel his sunburn because he will make it sore."
"Daniel, what have I told you?" He said sternly.
"But it..."
"No buts, come on, I'll get Doc. Fraiser to have a look at it." He sighed and grabbed Daniel by the hand. "Once I've dealt with the children we need to finish our conversation." Jack said winking at Sam.
"Yes we do. Daniel you behave yourself or you can go to bed with no coffee."
"You wouldn't dare!" He said mortified.
"Wanna bet?"
"I'll be good." He shouted as Jack pulled him out of the room closely followed by Teal'c.
"Men!" Sam laughed to herself and started to scratch her own sunburn. "Damn it! Jack wait for me!" She called as she sprinted out of the room.
As Jack climbed back into his bed he noticed the photograph from the letter on Sam's bedside table. Sam was lying on her side with her back facing him; at first he thought she was asleep until she sniffed.
"Sam?"
"I...I just wanted you to know, I didn't know I'd live through it." He said softly moving towards her bed.
"Sam, talk to me. Please?"
She rolled over to face him, her eyes red from crying. Jack noticed the letter in her hand.
"Jack," She paused and met his deep brown eyes with her blue ones. "I missed you so much, I didn't want to believe you were gone but everyone kept saying there was no hope of getting you back. On that planet I was on my own and I thought that I would be with you soon, I knew that I wouldn't be able to get home and I just gave up. Then I wake up and you're back here alive, I thought I was dead at first. Well, I guess what I'm trying to say is that I...I love you."
A fresh batch of tears weld-up in her eyes and started rolling down her cheeks. Jack sat on the edge of her bed and pulled her into an embrace.
"Shh Sam, it's okay." He said stroking her hair. "We'll figure something out." He planted a kiss on the top of her head.
Hammond smiled and walked out of the infirmary from his hiding place behind a large filing cabinet.
-------------------
"You wanted to talk to me General?" Jack asked as he popped his head around the office door a week later.
"Yes Jack, come in and have a seat." Hammond said pointing to the seat in front of him. "Now, as you are well aware you are retired for the third time from my command and that's just not acceptable Jack! I am asking you to come back and take command..."
"General," O'Neill cut in. "I don't want a command. I am retired from the Air Force once and for all."
"I understand Son."
"No I've made up my...you do?"
"Yes Jack, I do. That is why I am asking you to work here as a civilian consultant in the fight against the Goa'uld and training new recruits."
"So in other words I'd be doing what I do now but without the paperwork and chain of command?"
"Precisely." The old Texan smiled. "Well, what do you say?"
"I...I think I'll have to say yes, but this means that I have no power anymore?"
"I wouldn't say that, with your history and knowledge of the Air Force rules and regulations you would still be intimidating. Plus no one would have to know, they still call retired officers by their ranks."
"But SG1?"
"Major Carter would still take command, they'll need a new team member but you will be with them most of the time anyway." He sighed pushing a contract forward. "Just sign the paper Jack, we can discuss duties and responsibilities later."
"Of course George." He grabbed a pen and scribbled his signature on the dotted line.
"Don't push it Colonel." He warned. "Remember I can have you transferred to our Antarctic base, I know you love the cold weather."
"Yes Sir, sorry Sir." Jack muttered sarcastically.
"Now go and tell your ex-team." Hammond ordered and watched his highest- ranking civilian almost skip out of the room.
-------------------
"Hey Sam!" Jack said walking into her lab and plonking himself down on one of the stools. "What you doing?"
"Trying to..." She looked up from her doohickeys. "You don't care do you?"
"Not in the slightest." He grinned. "So is it really important or can you take a coffee break right about now?"
"I can take a brake, what you have in mind?"
"Well I need to talk to you about where we stand..."
"Well there are the Regs." She said quietly.
"Actually there aren't, I'm retired from the Air Force and work as a civilian consultant." He reached for her hand. "Look, I know there's Pete and everything but I love you and I want to be with you."
"I called Pete after you'd been frozen, and told him that I realised the man I loved had just died and I couldn't go out with him anymore." She smiled. "I love you Jonathan James O'Neill with two l's." She closed the gab between them and kissed him tenderly on the lips.
A knock at the door drew them apart.
"Jack!" Daniel whined. "Teal'c is annoying me."
"What's he doing Danny?"
"He won't let me do anything."
"That is not true O'Neill." Teal'c said walking up behind the archaeologist. "I will not permit Daniel Jackson to peel his sunburn because he will make it sore."
"Daniel, what have I told you?" He said sternly.
"But it..."
"No buts, come on, I'll get Doc. Fraiser to have a look at it." He sighed and grabbed Daniel by the hand. "Once I've dealt with the children we need to finish our conversation." Jack said winking at Sam.
"Yes we do. Daniel you behave yourself or you can go to bed with no coffee."
"You wouldn't dare!" He said mortified.
"Wanna bet?"
"I'll be good." He shouted as Jack pulled him out of the room closely followed by Teal'c.
"Men!" Sam laughed to herself and started to scratch her own sunburn. "Damn it! Jack wait for me!" She called as she sprinted out of the room.