Author: GateSeeker2
Disclaimer: All necessary information is listed prior to Part 1
"Waiting for the Dawn" - Part 5
Jack and Cassie's conversation over breakfast was interrupted by the phone ringing.
"O'Neill," Jack answered emphatically anticipating who was calling him.
"Colonel. It's Carter. I was calling to see if Cassie's there with you?"
"Yeah – she's here. I was just going to call you." Jack said as he began walking away from Cassie and into the living room. His voice was sounding a bit harsh and edgy.
Sam sighed relieved to know that her suspicions about Cassandra going to the Colonel's house were correct. After a few seconds of silence, Carter proceeded. "Sir, may I speak with her?"
"I don't know Carter. I think she needs time. She was quite upset."
Sam was worried, "Is she OK?"
"Yeah Yeah – she's fine now. We talked."
"Oh?"
"Listen, she wants to stay with me for a few days...," 'if not longer' he thought, "...so given your other house guest, I think it might be for the best." His face was tensing into a quasi grin/smirk as he tried not to sound too callous. He paused briefly then added, "Then you can freely pursue other ACTIVITIES."
Sam could hear the sarcasm in the Colonel's voice especially as he said "house guest." But after all, she did have a house guest. However, she wasn't sure that she was going to let him stay again tonight. And she preferred to ignore his comment about pursuing other "activities." She wondered if she had also heard hurt or disappointment in his voice.
"O...K....," she began hesitantly, "I don't think she packed much. What if I bring some of her things over tomorrow? And...maybe we...can talk then?" Sam was trying to be hopeful. She didn't want this thing with Cassie to get blown out of proportion – at least not anymore than it was already – and continue longer than necessary. Sam instantly thought once again about how her Dad and brother Mark had their falling out after her mother's death and how it took forever to reconcile. Sam loved Cassie and couldn't imagine not having Cassie in her life. She assumed she knew why Cassie acted so taken aback, but Sam was surprised that Cassie seemed so disappointed. They had to talk.
It was quiet on the other end. Jack wasn't sure if Sam meant she and Cassie should talk or he and Sam needed to talk.
"Sir? Are you still there?"
"Yeah – sorry. I guess that'll be OK, Carter."
"What about 1900, Sir? I'll bring dinner?" She asked optimistically.
"Well, you're...," he wasn't sure if he should add, 'you're coming alone right?' So he didn't and his words just hung there.
"Colonel? Was there something you wanted to add?"
"Aahh, no, no nothing."
"Alright." Sam was a bit unsure what to say next, "Colonel, I'm not sure what she told you, but I think she just misinterpreted things." Sam tried to explain herself.
"Listen Carter. I think she was just shocked to see...," he wasn't sure what to call him but finally decided, "...your half dressed BOYFRIEND in your kitchen."
"Sir! Nothing happened last nig..."
Jack was trying to keep a hold on his emotions and decided to keep her from saying too much. "CARTER!" He snapped at her before she could finish her sentence. "You're an adult and can do what you want, but you had a responsibility to Cassie. Besides, I don't really want to hear the sordid details, thank you very much. Your private life is none of my business." 'Unfortunately,' he thought to himself. Jack sighed, "I'm only your CO."
She couldn't believe he had just said that, or what she was about to say. "I thought you were also my friend." She had to remind herself not to add the ever present "Sir" title to the end of her statement. The silence on the line grew.
'What did she want from him?,' he thought. He shuffled about in his living room while running his free hand through his unruly hair, and then he stopped. "I'm trying Carter."
She realized at that moment from the restrained tone of his voice that her dating Pete was hitting him hard – harder than she had expected. She didn't think that dating Pete would matter much to the Colonel. It had been at least three plus years since their awkward admissions to Anise. But what was she supposed to do? How long was she supposed to wait for a love that couldn't ever be? She deserved a life didn't she? Isn't that what her father, albeit a hallucination of her father, had told her?
"Sir?" Carter didn't know what else to say. Both of them had been on an emotional roller coaster for the last few weeks or rather this last year with all of their stresses. First, Daniel returns from being ascended, and then there was the Colonel's clone. Next there was her ordeal on the Prometheus and her resulting concussion with all her stupid hallucinations, and then Daniel's little abduction and rescue in the jungles of Central America, followed by her desperate escape from the super soldier, and now his most recent injury and the loss of Janet. But, this was probably the most either one had said even hinting about their feelings towards one another since the Zatarc testing. "I just wanted to try and have...."
Jack shook his head. They couldn't talk about this. "Don't...Just...Don't." His voice was sounding forced and controlled. This wasn't a conversation that he was going to have on a phone, plus he wasn't sure that now was the right time to "take it out of that room," that room where Carter had suggested leaving all of their deepest feelings and confessions where it "never had to leave." But what if he wanted it to leave? How could she have been "OK" with leaving it there? Admittedly he at first had been relieved by her suggestion, but then he had quickly resented her for it. But he knew that it would have to stay there until she decided to address it again. She was the junior officer, and he wasn't about to put his desires above her career. But evidently it had stayed there so long that it had eventually withered away and no longer existed. After all, it was clear; she had moved on. She must have forgotten or no longer cared about how much he cared for her because she had chosen someone else. She now had Pete. How odd that their forced truths were isolated from their desired reality because they were tucked away safely in a stupid isolation room.
Sam had wanted to say so much to the Colonel, but she absolutely didn't know how or what to say. He obviously didn't want to listen to her. So she waited.
Jack turned around and spotted Cassie standing on the entry way steps leaning against the living room wall – purposefully eavesdropping. He decided to end this phone call. He was definitely back in his Colonel mode now. "OK, Carter. We'll probably just hang out today. See ya tomorrow at 1900. Bring Chinese food." And with those last words, Jack hung-up the phone leaving Carter staring wide eyed.
Jack strode confidently past Cassie and walked back into the kitchen to place the phone back in its cradle.
"Jack, why won't you tell her?" Cassie pleaded.
Jack certainly wasn't going to talk about his love life or lack therefore, with a seventeen soon to turn eighteen year old teenager. Furthermore, he wasn't exactly sure what Cassie was implying, but he had a good idea. After all, she was a smart observant kid.
Walking from the kitchen back into the dining room intentionally avoiding her question, Jack grabbed his jacket off the dining room chair and headed for the door, "Come on; let's get out of here."
To Be Continued...
NOTE: If you liked it, or if you didn't like it, please let me know. Thanks for reading.
Disclaimer: All necessary information is listed prior to Part 1
"Waiting for the Dawn" - Part 5
Jack and Cassie's conversation over breakfast was interrupted by the phone ringing.
"O'Neill," Jack answered emphatically anticipating who was calling him.
"Colonel. It's Carter. I was calling to see if Cassie's there with you?"
"Yeah – she's here. I was just going to call you." Jack said as he began walking away from Cassie and into the living room. His voice was sounding a bit harsh and edgy.
Sam sighed relieved to know that her suspicions about Cassandra going to the Colonel's house were correct. After a few seconds of silence, Carter proceeded. "Sir, may I speak with her?"
"I don't know Carter. I think she needs time. She was quite upset."
Sam was worried, "Is she OK?"
"Yeah Yeah – she's fine now. We talked."
"Oh?"
"Listen, she wants to stay with me for a few days...," 'if not longer' he thought, "...so given your other house guest, I think it might be for the best." His face was tensing into a quasi grin/smirk as he tried not to sound too callous. He paused briefly then added, "Then you can freely pursue other ACTIVITIES."
Sam could hear the sarcasm in the Colonel's voice especially as he said "house guest." But after all, she did have a house guest. However, she wasn't sure that she was going to let him stay again tonight. And she preferred to ignore his comment about pursuing other "activities." She wondered if she had also heard hurt or disappointment in his voice.
"O...K....," she began hesitantly, "I don't think she packed much. What if I bring some of her things over tomorrow? And...maybe we...can talk then?" Sam was trying to be hopeful. She didn't want this thing with Cassie to get blown out of proportion – at least not anymore than it was already – and continue longer than necessary. Sam instantly thought once again about how her Dad and brother Mark had their falling out after her mother's death and how it took forever to reconcile. Sam loved Cassie and couldn't imagine not having Cassie in her life. She assumed she knew why Cassie acted so taken aback, but Sam was surprised that Cassie seemed so disappointed. They had to talk.
It was quiet on the other end. Jack wasn't sure if Sam meant she and Cassie should talk or he and Sam needed to talk.
"Sir? Are you still there?"
"Yeah – sorry. I guess that'll be OK, Carter."
"What about 1900, Sir? I'll bring dinner?" She asked optimistically.
"Well, you're...," he wasn't sure if he should add, 'you're coming alone right?' So he didn't and his words just hung there.
"Colonel? Was there something you wanted to add?"
"Aahh, no, no nothing."
"Alright." Sam was a bit unsure what to say next, "Colonel, I'm not sure what she told you, but I think she just misinterpreted things." Sam tried to explain herself.
"Listen Carter. I think she was just shocked to see...," he wasn't sure what to call him but finally decided, "...your half dressed BOYFRIEND in your kitchen."
"Sir! Nothing happened last nig..."
Jack was trying to keep a hold on his emotions and decided to keep her from saying too much. "CARTER!" He snapped at her before she could finish her sentence. "You're an adult and can do what you want, but you had a responsibility to Cassie. Besides, I don't really want to hear the sordid details, thank you very much. Your private life is none of my business." 'Unfortunately,' he thought to himself. Jack sighed, "I'm only your CO."
She couldn't believe he had just said that, or what she was about to say. "I thought you were also my friend." She had to remind herself not to add the ever present "Sir" title to the end of her statement. The silence on the line grew.
'What did she want from him?,' he thought. He shuffled about in his living room while running his free hand through his unruly hair, and then he stopped. "I'm trying Carter."
She realized at that moment from the restrained tone of his voice that her dating Pete was hitting him hard – harder than she had expected. She didn't think that dating Pete would matter much to the Colonel. It had been at least three plus years since their awkward admissions to Anise. But what was she supposed to do? How long was she supposed to wait for a love that couldn't ever be? She deserved a life didn't she? Isn't that what her father, albeit a hallucination of her father, had told her?
"Sir?" Carter didn't know what else to say. Both of them had been on an emotional roller coaster for the last few weeks or rather this last year with all of their stresses. First, Daniel returns from being ascended, and then there was the Colonel's clone. Next there was her ordeal on the Prometheus and her resulting concussion with all her stupid hallucinations, and then Daniel's little abduction and rescue in the jungles of Central America, followed by her desperate escape from the super soldier, and now his most recent injury and the loss of Janet. But, this was probably the most either one had said even hinting about their feelings towards one another since the Zatarc testing. "I just wanted to try and have...."
Jack shook his head. They couldn't talk about this. "Don't...Just...Don't." His voice was sounding forced and controlled. This wasn't a conversation that he was going to have on a phone, plus he wasn't sure that now was the right time to "take it out of that room," that room where Carter had suggested leaving all of their deepest feelings and confessions where it "never had to leave." But what if he wanted it to leave? How could she have been "OK" with leaving it there? Admittedly he at first had been relieved by her suggestion, but then he had quickly resented her for it. But he knew that it would have to stay there until she decided to address it again. She was the junior officer, and he wasn't about to put his desires above her career. But evidently it had stayed there so long that it had eventually withered away and no longer existed. After all, it was clear; she had moved on. She must have forgotten or no longer cared about how much he cared for her because she had chosen someone else. She now had Pete. How odd that their forced truths were isolated from their desired reality because they were tucked away safely in a stupid isolation room.
Sam had wanted to say so much to the Colonel, but she absolutely didn't know how or what to say. He obviously didn't want to listen to her. So she waited.
Jack turned around and spotted Cassie standing on the entry way steps leaning against the living room wall – purposefully eavesdropping. He decided to end this phone call. He was definitely back in his Colonel mode now. "OK, Carter. We'll probably just hang out today. See ya tomorrow at 1900. Bring Chinese food." And with those last words, Jack hung-up the phone leaving Carter staring wide eyed.
Jack strode confidently past Cassie and walked back into the kitchen to place the phone back in its cradle.
"Jack, why won't you tell her?" Cassie pleaded.
Jack certainly wasn't going to talk about his love life or lack therefore, with a seventeen soon to turn eighteen year old teenager. Furthermore, he wasn't exactly sure what Cassie was implying, but he had a good idea. After all, she was a smart observant kid.
Walking from the kitchen back into the dining room intentionally avoiding her question, Jack grabbed his jacket off the dining room chair and headed for the door, "Come on; let's get out of here."
To Be Continued...
NOTE: If you liked it, or if you didn't like it, please let me know. Thanks for reading.