Title: The Other Photos
Type: Missing Scene
Spoilers: Lost City Part One (set during) and Grace
Pairings: Maybe a little S/J
Summery: Jack can't keep all his photos on the wall; after all, people
would wonder why he had so many of his Deep Space Radar Telemetry
workmates...Sam POV, bit of S/J
A/N: Lost city part 1, Jack's house, after the General has left! And yes, this is cheesy, but don't we all need a bit of cheesiness every now and then?
Disclaimer: I am not, I repeat not, the owner of Stargate SG-1. Do you understand? I think you do.
I was still fidgety. Even with Daniel and Teal'c there, I was definitely still on edge. Not as much as before they had arrived. But then I'd been nervy in the good kind of way, oh no, don't go there Sam.
Whilst the three of them discussed the hidden depth and politics of "The Simpsons" my eyes continued to flick around. They would occasionally settle on some object or photo I would then spend at least 5 minutes analysing and memorising, because it was better than attempting to analyse and memorise my CO. I'd try to do that before. "Not that complex", yeah right. Subconscious had got that all wrong.
I had not told them what had happened when I was stranded on the Prometheus though I had meant to for a long time now. Daniel would probably be entertained by the fact his hallucination had insisted the nebula was a living entity, and if not Daniel specifically then anybody else that knew him.
But I hadn't told them, because I was afraid the Colonel would want to know what his hallucination had said. Part of me wanted very much to tell him, to see if it was true, but another part of me was terrified he would inform me it wasn't.
"Carter!" His voice pulled me out of my thoughts.
"Yes Sir?"
"Just checking your alive Sam, we've been talking about you in loud voices for a good 10 minutes," Daniel teased me, clearly exaggerating.
I remained mildly confused, "What were you saying about me?" I asked, clearly not thinking straight.
"That you look like you need another beer and maybe some fresh air-so why don't you get yourself some of both," The Colonel cut in before Daniel, in his "I'm not drunk but I've had a bit to much to drink" state interjected with something inappropriate.
"Good idea Sir," I stood. "If I have 2 beers does that mean I have to wait at least 2 hours to drive?"
He smiled. I was always quite pleased when I made him smile, I didn't really consider myself a funny person.
"Actually Carter it's exponential, you'll simply have to wait 4 hours."
Teal'c did the eyebrow thing whilst Daniel smirked, I choose to roll my eyes and progress into the kitchen.
Wondering out of the back I glanced up towards his roof. To go up there or not to go up there? Could the heels take the climb? Would he mind me going up there? I mentally shrugged and began the climb.
His telescope was set up, pointed at a cloudless sky. I mentally plotted the positions of Abydos and Chulak, two of those few planets visible from Earth.
I sat, reaching to the floor to put my beer down, but I found one there already, probably from when I had disturbed him earlier. There was something else next to it, lying open. It was a book of some kind, probably a photo album, perhaps more of him family?
Sticking my thumb in the gap so I didn't loose his place I picked up the book and looked at the front. Finding no clues there I opened the first page.
Ok, I had been right about it being a photo album. I had been wrong about it being more photos of his family. In fact I was in the photo that confronted me, along with the Colonel, Daniel and Teal'c. I recognised it as a shot from a good few years ago, when we were on the alpha site. We weren't aware the photo was being taken. Jack - I had thought of him as Jack, bad me...The Colonel, Daniel and I were leaning against the MALP drinking Coffee whilst Teal'c was telling us something...it was to long ago to remember exactly what.
I didn't really know what to think of this. So I decided not to think, and instead just looked at the pictures.
The next one was the team shot they had made us all pose for in front of the gate in our first year, and then the other we had done with Jonas. He was smiling broadly in it, and I couldn't help but smile myself. I loved having Daniel back, but I also missed his enthusiasm for everything we did.
I was surprised at how many pictures there were, I had no memory of them being taken. Most of them were on various planets. They were nice shots, and I found myself feeling very sentimental. And also envious. I was going to have to copy a few of these. But then again, I'd have to admit I'd looked at them...
There were also shots that I did of course remember being taken, aside from the standard military ones. You know the sort; ones at barbeques and one I'd been forced to pose for with Cassie and the puppy, but I seem to also remember Janet taking that....
But the biggest rush of emotions I experienced was when I reached the centre of the album, which also happened to be the page marked by my thumb.
They were both of me and Jack. The first was from when I had been promoted to Major, and unlike the other military posed photos, I was grinning like an idiot. Some of my euphoria must have rubbed off on him because the Colonel was also smiling slightly.
The second seemed more recent, and I adored the shot on site, even though I am like most females and despise pictures of myself. We were standing in my lab. He must have said something to make me laugh as one again I was smiling, but this time looking at him. He grinned back, hands in his pockets; looking more relaxed then I had ever seen him.
That did it, looking at that photo. I'd been really, really good so far. I'd kept it all in, but knowing all of a sudden there was this ever increasing chance we might not have anymore moments like that overwhelmed me.
I burst into tears.
I'm not sure how long I sat there crying. Long enough that I began to feel silly and ashamed about it, but not so long that I had stopped when they came looking for me.
I heard Daniel shuffle onto the patio below shouting my name.
"Sam! Sam where are you? I need you to agree with me about something!"
I hastily dried my eyes and cursed the fact that I hadn't a mirror on me. Sniffing loudly, I replied, "I'm up here Daniel!"
I realised Daniel wasn't alone when he commented to somebody, "She sounds sad." I wondered what he'd think when he saw me.
"I know! I'll go talk to her!" Daniel said a moment later, as if it was the best idea he'd ever had.
I heard the ladder rattle and then the sound of a thud. Risking a peek over the edge I saw him sprawled on the floor, The Colonel looking down at him.
The first rung was a bit slippery," Daniel offered in explanation.
"I know! I'll go talk to her! You go in the house and sit quietly," The Colonel replied, impersonating Daniel whilst pointing at the door.
Now realising that it was the Colonel coming to see me, I continued brave attempts at trying to look like everything was fine. However he must have been much quieter at climbing the ladder, as I found a tissue being waved in front of my face.
"I'm fine," I told him, taking it anyway but not using it.
He appraised me for 1 or 2 seconds before commenting, "You weren't wearing water proof mascara."
I grimaced and looked at the floor thoroughly embarrassed. Looks like I was gonna need the tissue...
He kicked a foot against the floor, "So what set this off?" He asked in an innocent sort of way.
I was aware of how uncomfortable this must be making him. So I went for the route he would take, and attempted to turn it into a joke.
"Well, I've got this commanding officer you see, and we've worked together for a long time, and well, when you work on Deep Space Radar Telemetry you tend to get quite close to people." I explained.
"Oh yes," said the Colonel, "Know exactly what you mean."
"Well, you'd think it'd be hard to put your life in danger when studying all that deep space, but it turns out he was able to do it."
"You have to give him credit for effort!" Jack interrupted me.
"Oh yes, and a good few for heroism I suppose. But anyway you see there's this chance right, and it seems to be increasing, that this whole heroism thing where we're trying to actually save the world, is sorta gonna kill him." I was terribly proud at this point I wasn't crying again.
"Oh, bummer."
"Yeah, did sorta get me down a bit."
The Colonel looked like he was carefully considering his reply, "But you've known this for awhile right, so, why start crying now?"
It was a very odd question to ask. Then I noticed I hadn't exactly put the album back where I left it, and his eyes were also on it.
"Sorry..." I began but he cut me off.
"That's ok, it's like you said, you tend to get close to people. I'd have a few on the walls but I'm worried people who aren't 'in the know' would wonder why I have so many photo's of my Deep Space Radar Telemetry team, and then ask me what it actually is...."
I smiled. Then almost immediately began to fight back tears. Who was gonna cheer me up now?
He pulled me close in what was becoming a familiar gesture, "I swear Carter, you've had at least double your quota of hugs this year!"
I was to busy crying onto his shoulder to smile.
When I finally calmed down, I was a bit surprised to find myself sitting down. I don't remember him pushing me into the seat, but he must have done at some point. He was sitting awkwardly trying to keep one hand around me. I felt thoroughly embarrassed. And exhausted.
"Feel better?" He asked.
No, you're still dying...
I nodded.
He slipped into a chair next to me, picking up the album.
"Go on, which one did it then?" he asked as he handed it to me.
"You're not afraid I won't start crying again?"
"I'll risk it."
I opened it up to the middle and pointed at the offending photo.
"Ah," he said, "I like that one."
"Yeah," I sniffed, "It's nice, but I had no idea it was being taken."
"Jonas took it when we gave him that digital camera for his birthday. He took quite a few of these actually," He said as he flicked through. "Some are stills from Daniel's camera, some are random shots taken by other people."
I wasn't quite sure what to say now. Luckily he thought of something.
"You want it," He said, pulling it out from its sleeve and handing it to me.
"Yeah, but you keep that, I'll grab a copy some time."
"S'alright, I won't need it soon."
"You will if I have anything to do with it," I told him firmly, throwing in a glare for good measure.
"Ok..." He replied, putting it back into the album.
Oh dear, I was back to not knowing what to say. Come on Carter think of something, anything...
"By the way Sir I'd don't think it would be worth it."
"Sorry?"
"Even if we found the lost city and saved the world, I still don't think loosing you would make it worth it," Why was I still talking, I shouldn't be saying these things, and now he was staring at me...
"I mean, if you found the lost city, and were able to save the world, you'd still have to destroy all the G'ould, establish world peace, cure cancer and solve 3rd world debt problems before I might begin to consider loosing you as worth it," I said all in a rush.
He continued to stare at me for a moment.
"So basically, not only have I got to save the world, I've also got to make it a perfect place to live in?" he asked me.
I began to carefully consider my response, but realising it was a bit too late to start doing that now, just went with the flow.
"I'd rather be blown up with you than live without you."
He smiled and told me, "You really are nuts!"
"Yes, I've spent far too much time around you."
He put an arm round my shoulder. We spent some time going through his album, reminiscing and such. After awhile Teal'c could no longer keep Daniel in the house, so we all went down and looked at them together.
I stayed well over the 4 hours.
A/N: Lost city part 1, Jack's house, after the General has left! And yes, this is cheesy, but don't we all need a bit of cheesiness every now and then?
Disclaimer: I am not, I repeat not, the owner of Stargate SG-1. Do you understand? I think you do.
I was still fidgety. Even with Daniel and Teal'c there, I was definitely still on edge. Not as much as before they had arrived. But then I'd been nervy in the good kind of way, oh no, don't go there Sam.
Whilst the three of them discussed the hidden depth and politics of "The Simpsons" my eyes continued to flick around. They would occasionally settle on some object or photo I would then spend at least 5 minutes analysing and memorising, because it was better than attempting to analyse and memorise my CO. I'd try to do that before. "Not that complex", yeah right. Subconscious had got that all wrong.
I had not told them what had happened when I was stranded on the Prometheus though I had meant to for a long time now. Daniel would probably be entertained by the fact his hallucination had insisted the nebula was a living entity, and if not Daniel specifically then anybody else that knew him.
But I hadn't told them, because I was afraid the Colonel would want to know what his hallucination had said. Part of me wanted very much to tell him, to see if it was true, but another part of me was terrified he would inform me it wasn't.
"Carter!" His voice pulled me out of my thoughts.
"Yes Sir?"
"Just checking your alive Sam, we've been talking about you in loud voices for a good 10 minutes," Daniel teased me, clearly exaggerating.
I remained mildly confused, "What were you saying about me?" I asked, clearly not thinking straight.
"That you look like you need another beer and maybe some fresh air-so why don't you get yourself some of both," The Colonel cut in before Daniel, in his "I'm not drunk but I've had a bit to much to drink" state interjected with something inappropriate.
"Good idea Sir," I stood. "If I have 2 beers does that mean I have to wait at least 2 hours to drive?"
He smiled. I was always quite pleased when I made him smile, I didn't really consider myself a funny person.
"Actually Carter it's exponential, you'll simply have to wait 4 hours."
Teal'c did the eyebrow thing whilst Daniel smirked, I choose to roll my eyes and progress into the kitchen.
Wondering out of the back I glanced up towards his roof. To go up there or not to go up there? Could the heels take the climb? Would he mind me going up there? I mentally shrugged and began the climb.
His telescope was set up, pointed at a cloudless sky. I mentally plotted the positions of Abydos and Chulak, two of those few planets visible from Earth.
I sat, reaching to the floor to put my beer down, but I found one there already, probably from when I had disturbed him earlier. There was something else next to it, lying open. It was a book of some kind, probably a photo album, perhaps more of him family?
Sticking my thumb in the gap so I didn't loose his place I picked up the book and looked at the front. Finding no clues there I opened the first page.
Ok, I had been right about it being a photo album. I had been wrong about it being more photos of his family. In fact I was in the photo that confronted me, along with the Colonel, Daniel and Teal'c. I recognised it as a shot from a good few years ago, when we were on the alpha site. We weren't aware the photo was being taken. Jack - I had thought of him as Jack, bad me...The Colonel, Daniel and I were leaning against the MALP drinking Coffee whilst Teal'c was telling us something...it was to long ago to remember exactly what.
I didn't really know what to think of this. So I decided not to think, and instead just looked at the pictures.
The next one was the team shot they had made us all pose for in front of the gate in our first year, and then the other we had done with Jonas. He was smiling broadly in it, and I couldn't help but smile myself. I loved having Daniel back, but I also missed his enthusiasm for everything we did.
I was surprised at how many pictures there were, I had no memory of them being taken. Most of them were on various planets. They were nice shots, and I found myself feeling very sentimental. And also envious. I was going to have to copy a few of these. But then again, I'd have to admit I'd looked at them...
There were also shots that I did of course remember being taken, aside from the standard military ones. You know the sort; ones at barbeques and one I'd been forced to pose for with Cassie and the puppy, but I seem to also remember Janet taking that....
But the biggest rush of emotions I experienced was when I reached the centre of the album, which also happened to be the page marked by my thumb.
They were both of me and Jack. The first was from when I had been promoted to Major, and unlike the other military posed photos, I was grinning like an idiot. Some of my euphoria must have rubbed off on him because the Colonel was also smiling slightly.
The second seemed more recent, and I adored the shot on site, even though I am like most females and despise pictures of myself. We were standing in my lab. He must have said something to make me laugh as one again I was smiling, but this time looking at him. He grinned back, hands in his pockets; looking more relaxed then I had ever seen him.
That did it, looking at that photo. I'd been really, really good so far. I'd kept it all in, but knowing all of a sudden there was this ever increasing chance we might not have anymore moments like that overwhelmed me.
I burst into tears.
I'm not sure how long I sat there crying. Long enough that I began to feel silly and ashamed about it, but not so long that I had stopped when they came looking for me.
I heard Daniel shuffle onto the patio below shouting my name.
"Sam! Sam where are you? I need you to agree with me about something!"
I hastily dried my eyes and cursed the fact that I hadn't a mirror on me. Sniffing loudly, I replied, "I'm up here Daniel!"
I realised Daniel wasn't alone when he commented to somebody, "She sounds sad." I wondered what he'd think when he saw me.
"I know! I'll go talk to her!" Daniel said a moment later, as if it was the best idea he'd ever had.
I heard the ladder rattle and then the sound of a thud. Risking a peek over the edge I saw him sprawled on the floor, The Colonel looking down at him.
The first rung was a bit slippery," Daniel offered in explanation.
"I know! I'll go talk to her! You go in the house and sit quietly," The Colonel replied, impersonating Daniel whilst pointing at the door.
Now realising that it was the Colonel coming to see me, I continued brave attempts at trying to look like everything was fine. However he must have been much quieter at climbing the ladder, as I found a tissue being waved in front of my face.
"I'm fine," I told him, taking it anyway but not using it.
He appraised me for 1 or 2 seconds before commenting, "You weren't wearing water proof mascara."
I grimaced and looked at the floor thoroughly embarrassed. Looks like I was gonna need the tissue...
He kicked a foot against the floor, "So what set this off?" He asked in an innocent sort of way.
I was aware of how uncomfortable this must be making him. So I went for the route he would take, and attempted to turn it into a joke.
"Well, I've got this commanding officer you see, and we've worked together for a long time, and well, when you work on Deep Space Radar Telemetry you tend to get quite close to people." I explained.
"Oh yes," said the Colonel, "Know exactly what you mean."
"Well, you'd think it'd be hard to put your life in danger when studying all that deep space, but it turns out he was able to do it."
"You have to give him credit for effort!" Jack interrupted me.
"Oh yes, and a good few for heroism I suppose. But anyway you see there's this chance right, and it seems to be increasing, that this whole heroism thing where we're trying to actually save the world, is sorta gonna kill him." I was terribly proud at this point I wasn't crying again.
"Oh, bummer."
"Yeah, did sorta get me down a bit."
The Colonel looked like he was carefully considering his reply, "But you've known this for awhile right, so, why start crying now?"
It was a very odd question to ask. Then I noticed I hadn't exactly put the album back where I left it, and his eyes were also on it.
"Sorry..." I began but he cut me off.
"That's ok, it's like you said, you tend to get close to people. I'd have a few on the walls but I'm worried people who aren't 'in the know' would wonder why I have so many photo's of my Deep Space Radar Telemetry team, and then ask me what it actually is...."
I smiled. Then almost immediately began to fight back tears. Who was gonna cheer me up now?
He pulled me close in what was becoming a familiar gesture, "I swear Carter, you've had at least double your quota of hugs this year!"
I was to busy crying onto his shoulder to smile.
When I finally calmed down, I was a bit surprised to find myself sitting down. I don't remember him pushing me into the seat, but he must have done at some point. He was sitting awkwardly trying to keep one hand around me. I felt thoroughly embarrassed. And exhausted.
"Feel better?" He asked.
No, you're still dying...
I nodded.
He slipped into a chair next to me, picking up the album.
"Go on, which one did it then?" he asked as he handed it to me.
"You're not afraid I won't start crying again?"
"I'll risk it."
I opened it up to the middle and pointed at the offending photo.
"Ah," he said, "I like that one."
"Yeah," I sniffed, "It's nice, but I had no idea it was being taken."
"Jonas took it when we gave him that digital camera for his birthday. He took quite a few of these actually," He said as he flicked through. "Some are stills from Daniel's camera, some are random shots taken by other people."
I wasn't quite sure what to say now. Luckily he thought of something.
"You want it," He said, pulling it out from its sleeve and handing it to me.
"Yeah, but you keep that, I'll grab a copy some time."
"S'alright, I won't need it soon."
"You will if I have anything to do with it," I told him firmly, throwing in a glare for good measure.
"Ok..." He replied, putting it back into the album.
Oh dear, I was back to not knowing what to say. Come on Carter think of something, anything...
"By the way Sir I'd don't think it would be worth it."
"Sorry?"
"Even if we found the lost city and saved the world, I still don't think loosing you would make it worth it," Why was I still talking, I shouldn't be saying these things, and now he was staring at me...
"I mean, if you found the lost city, and were able to save the world, you'd still have to destroy all the G'ould, establish world peace, cure cancer and solve 3rd world debt problems before I might begin to consider loosing you as worth it," I said all in a rush.
He continued to stare at me for a moment.
"So basically, not only have I got to save the world, I've also got to make it a perfect place to live in?" he asked me.
I began to carefully consider my response, but realising it was a bit too late to start doing that now, just went with the flow.
"I'd rather be blown up with you than live without you."
He smiled and told me, "You really are nuts!"
"Yes, I've spent far too much time around you."
He put an arm round my shoulder. We spent some time going through his album, reminiscing and such. After awhile Teal'c could no longer keep Daniel in the house, so we all went down and looked at them together.
I stayed well over the 4 hours.