Title: Remember Me
Written By: iluvaqt
Disclaimer: as per default chapter.
Short note: Thanks guys for reviewing. CapriceAnn Hedican-Kocur, you're most welcome. I wrote most of this story last month, but editing and getting it right takes forever. Especially for me because I pick things to bits. ;P After watching, "Behind the Gate: Part 1-3" I almost did a rewrite of this chapter.
Chapter 9
Jack's apartment, mid-morning
Jack woke up to the shrill ring of the telephone. Opening his eyes, he could see pink and white spots dancing about above him. Despite the throbbing of his head, he felt very cold. It was then that he realized he was on the floor.
His bedcovers were half on, and half off the bed. His gun was on the floor next to him. "What the heck happened?" he said aloud as he rubbed the back of his head. His neck felt stiff and his head felt like it had been wedged in a vice and cranked a few times over.
"Alright, alright." Turning slightly, he squinted at the clock. It read, 10.40 a.m. "10.. oh crap." He grabbed the phone off the nightstand and answered. He already had a pretty fair idea who it was even before he heard her speak.
"Gilmor? Yeah…no, I'll be in. I'm leaving right now."
Jumping up, he almost tripped over with the sheets that were still wrapped around his legs. As the sheet brushed his lower leg, he cursed. It burned and stung like hell. Looking down he saw that his calf had a nasty burn on it. It wasn't fresh, but it was still tender and angry looking. The skin had begun to heal and form a scab. So it wasn't a dream. He tossed the handset onto the bed and kicked off the sheets. Stumbling to the bathroom, he had a quick shower and threw on some clothes.
He ran his fingers through his hair and pulled a stick of gum from his pocket. This would have to be the first time he could remember that he was going to be late for work.
Whatever had actually happened, he couldn't be sure. What he did know was what it all meant. When he arrived at the base, everything started to unfold exactly as it had days before. Only this time, there were no strange morphs. The storage room he took a peak into, was just that, a storage room full of medical supplies. And to his relief, it did have a light switch.
He came to the conclusion that, someone - Thor, the Asgard, fate, whichever - was trying to tell him something. And he got the hint. He wasn't about to put his life on hold any longer. At least not without talking to a certain someone.
Part of the problem was that they'd never talked about it. Heck, they never even really- out-right- admitted it. He loved her. That's all there was too it, and he'd be damned if he stood around and watched her walk down the aisle with Pete, without ever telling her the truth.
Briefing Room, S.G.C.
Closing the file in front of him, Jack folded his hands and looked at each member of his old team. "Everything seems fine to me. You'll depart at 1300 hours."
Daniel smiled in satisfaction, and Jack could see him resisting the urge to do a victory dance. He shouldn't have played it out so long. He'd made up his mind to let them revisit the planet the first time around. He just enjoyed stirring his friend a little. It was easy to get Daniel going when it came to things he was passionate about. Like ancient cultures, ruins, alien languages, and the meaning of life, stuff like that.
"Up for a round in the Gym, Teal'c?" Jack asked his buddy, as he got out of his seat.
"I shall see you there," Teal'c replied with a nod.
Sam had collected her things and was about to follow Daniel out, when Jack called to her. "Carter, wait."
She gave him a questioning look, but pulled back her chair, and slid into it.
"It'll only take a few minutes," he assured her. Jack have her a pensive look. "I need to talk about us…" as she opened her mouth to protest, Jack held up his hand to silence her and continued, "before you go protesting the inappropriateness and regulations, yadda yadda, just let me finish.
"I'm accepting an offer from the Asgard to be their Tau'ri ambassador and High Commander of the Asgard fleet and…ah…don't," he cautioned when she was about to protest again, "I've been sitting on this a long time and I've made my decision. I can do more this way. And yes, it's partly because of how I feel about you." He gave her a tender look, and reached for her hand. "I care about you a lot, Sam. I fell in love with you, years ago." Not letting her break eye contact, he continued, "My job says we can't be together, but now that won't be an issue anymore." How hard was that.
This time Sam didn't say anything. She withdrew her hand from his touch and stared at the table for long moment. Taking a deep breath, she met his eyes. "I hope you're not doing this just for…"
"I'm doing this, because it's what I want," he said gently. "I'm not cut out for this administration stuff. I missed being in the field, the blood pumping, hair-raising adventure." At Sam's raised eyebrow, he explained it more clearly. "I'm bored out of my mind. I never thought I'd be sitting on my ass, getting grumpy and bald…I'd like to still get some action while I'm…" he paused with a frown and rephrased, "okay, that didn't come out the way I meant… the point is, I just had to know that, these feelings weren't all one-sided on my part. It's been driving me nuts. Pete's a nice guy and all, but too suspicious and domineering. He's not good enough for you…"
Sam blushed slightly and bit her lip. Nodding, she pushed back her chair. "Are we done, Sir?"
He had made her uncomfortable, he could see it on her face and in her posture. "Sure," Jack replied nonchalantly. "Briefing's over."
She gave him a slight nod and hurried out of the room. Jack sighed. That didn't go as well as he'd hoped. Seemed as though she couldn't have escaped fast enough. Yet, for a moment, even if it was only for a brief second, he'd seen something in her eyes that gave him encouragement. Picking up the phone, he took a deep breath. One foot in front of the other, right?
"Mr. President? Brigadier General O'Neill. Sir…"
Gate Room, S.G.C., Two weeks later
It was time to say goodbye. The weeks had flown by so quickly. When he looked over at Carter, their time together seemed all too short. As he glanced around the room at all the base personnel, he could feel her eyes on him. And he thought back to the night she'd shown up at his door.
Jack's apartment, a week before
There was a sharp knock on the door, and Jack tossed his book aside and went to answer it. He was surprised to see who was standing on the other side.
"Carter?" Jack asked with concern.
Sam was drenched from head to toe. Her hair was plastered to her head, and clothes were clinging to her like a second skin. Jack could see she was trying hard not to shiver. She wasn't quite succeeding.
"Get in here," he said, pulling her inside. "What the heck happened?"
"I went…I told Pete…" she chattered.
Without asking, Jack took off her jacket. He then realized why she hadn't volunteered it. She was wearing a white t-shirt underneath and it wasn't doing much to shield her body from view. He tossed her leather jacket over a bar stool, and grabbed a blanket from the closet. Wrapping it around her shoulders, he guided her to the lounge.
"Want to talk about it?" Jack asked carefully, taking a seat next to her.
Sam didn't answer. She stared into the flames in the fireplace. Light flickered and danced on the walls and ceiling. For a long time, she'd stood outside his building in the rain, wondering if she should even be there. Now that she was sitting there next to him, she didn't know what she'd been so neurotic over. This was Jack. She couldn't even count how many times he'd helped her through awkward and embarrassing situations. She knew she could always trust him, but she'd been denying her feelings for so long, she didn't know what to do next. Telling Pete was the first step, but after that she'd completely drawn a blank.
Jack put his arm around her shoulders. "Come here," he whispered, pulling her close.
Sam sagged into his arms and rested her head against his shoulder. A tear slid down her cheek. Soon she couldn't stop the flow.
"Talk to me, Sam," Jack asked gently. He lifted her chin and looked into her eyes. "I swear I won't bite."
Sam chuckled between sobs and wiped her eyes. "I don't know whether I hate or love that about you. Depends on the situation, I guess." She smiled and then her expression grew serious again. "I can't let you go," she said.
Jack hugged her close. Her clothes had already started to soak through the blanket and now he was getting wet, but he didn't care. He sat very still, drinking in the moment. She was right there with him. His heart was pounding, and he could feel his blood rising under his skin. She was so close, he was sure she had to know what she was doing to him.
"I feel like I've waited a lifetime for this," Sam whispered. "And now I'm losing you…"
Jack heard the tremor in her voice, and tilted her face to his, with his index finger. "I swear you'll never lose this." It was then that he kissed her.
The Gate Room, S.G.A., present
Jack pulled himself back to the present. Sam and he had spent every moment they could together outside the base. Who knew the next time they'd see each other. Thor hadn't been all too forthcoming about what his first job would be as new High Commander.
Jack gave his final address as an officer of the United States Air Force, and officially introduced his successor, as commander of the S.G.C., a Major General Patrick. Patrick had served under General Hammond years ago and came highly recommended. He'd been received with trepidation at first, but they had soon warmed to him. His level-headed attitude and his enthusiasm for the job, winning everyone at the S.G.C. over
"I want thank you all for making my job easier. Talk about experiencing both sides of the coin. I've seen all the work that you guys put into making this program work. Without the administration we have, I'm sure things would have fallen apart years ago and we wouldn't even be using this thing anymore." He gestured to the Stargate behind him. "I have to say thank you to everyone at the S.G.C., for all the experiences I've had over the past 8 years. Even though some of you might be secretly hoping so, sorry to say, this won't be the last time you see me." He looked over at SG-1 and saw the sombre looks on all their faces. He gave them a 'keep-your-chin-up' gesture and then turned slightly to address Gilmor. "Ms. Gilmor, keep 'em out of trouble for me will ya." And with a wink and a salute, he was gone.
There was silence in the Gate Room for a moment, before General Patrick stepped up to address them.
"Well, let's get back to it people."
And as everyone went about their duties, it seemed like business as usual. For a few more seconds, Sam didn't move. She gazed at the spot where Jack had stood only moments before. It still hadn't quite sunk in. He was gone.
"Sam?" Daniel asked, touching her lightly on the elbow.
Sam put on a brave smile and turned her head to look at him. "I'm okay."
Mess Hall
"You know, he's only been gone four hours and already this place feels different," Daniel said, stirring his spoon through his half-melted ice cream.
Sam had given up on her pumpkin pie a while ago. She couldn't help thinking about how long it could be before she saw him again. He hadn't said how she could contact him, and the Asgard had never left them a means of communication. They seemed to kidnap Jack or contact him personally whenever they wanted something.
Jack had slipped out of her life before. For three long months, she'd spent day and night working on a particle generator so they could go back and search for him. The fact that she knew he was still alive kept her going. She still remembered that crushing feeling she had, when she realized Jack had made a life for himself with Lyra on Edora. For a long time, it hurt to look at him. Hiding behind a tough military mask had gotten her through it. Now she took comfort in the fact that he loved her. And that he wasn't leaving her behind. He was just on a mission, she told herself. "You'll never lose this," he'd promised, and she believed that.
"Sam?" Daniel questioned.
She smiled. She knew she'd zoned out again. "Just thinking."
Teal'c cocked his head and raised an eyebrow. "It is about time you both acknowledged your mutual affections for one another. I am extremely glad for you both."
"You knew?" Daniel exclaimed in surprise.
"It was quite obvious, Daniel Jackson," Teal'c replied. "Although, I will never understand this military regulation that endeavours to prevent such things."
Sam blushed but didn't say anything. However, Daniel dropped his spoon and nodded in agreement. "Neither will I, Teal'c. If you ask me, its unhealthy to pretend to remain detached."
Rolling her eyes, Sam lifted her fork and cut into her pie again. It was probably stone cold by now, but she didn't really care. Taking a mouthful, she watched Daniel frown.
"I know Jack left his apartment to Teal'c, but whatever happened to his place over…"
"He leased that out about a year ago. Too many unwelcome visitors, I think." Sam looked over at Teal'c. "How is Oma?"
"She is keeping well. She wept when O'Neill told her of his plans. I believe she looked on him as a son," Teal'c answered. Teal'c had ploughed through mail course and dessert long before and was happy to just sit with them.
"Did Jack talk about his role with the Asgard," Daniel asked.
"Not much," Sam replied. "I supposed he'll have his own ship if he's going to be High Commander."
"How's he going to do that? We don't even know how most of their technology operates, let alone a flagship," Daniel said thoroughly perplexed.
"I really have no idea."
"Perhaps we could ask him, the next time we meet," Teal'c suggested.
A few months later, Sam's Lab, S.G.C.
Sam was so deeply engrossed in the notes she had covering her workspace, that she jumped when a light beamed into the room and Jack appeared.
For a moment she was speechless, the pen she'd been holding fell to the floor with a clatter. She knew she was gawking, but she couldn't help it.
"I wanted to see you, but I couldn't get my model generator to work. I tried dialling the Asgard's home world numerous times and…" she rattled.
"Carter, shut up," Jack said smiling. He pulled her in his arms, bent her backwards and gave her a deep longing kiss. When he stood her back up, he could see she was dazed and there was a sultry look in her eyes. It made him smile even more broadly. I still go it, he mused.
"You…I…wow," Carter breathed huskily.
"Hrmm," Jack grinned, "Kinda what you said last time."
"Last time," Carter asked with a puzzled look.
"Never mind," Jack said with a wink. Reaching into his breast pocket, he pulled out a blue gem attached to a thick bracelet of silver. It was shaped to resemble a watch. "It won't tell the time. But whenever you think you miss me enough, just call."
"It's beautiful," Sam replied, taking it and putting it on her wrist.
Jack pulled up his sleeve to show her, his. "Think of it as the Asgard's equivalent of our telephone. Just a little more high-tech," he said with a smirk.
"So have you figured out a way to destroy the replicators yet?"
"Our latest are hugely effective nitrogen mines. We case them in all sorts of attractive trinium alloys and boom. It's working for us so far." Suddenly, Jack looked up. Giving Sam an apologetic look, he brushed her cheek. "Duty calls. Miss you guys." He planted a gentle kiss on her lips and took a step back.
And just before Jack disappeared in a flash of light, Sam replied, "We miss you too."
Standing alone in her lab, Sam waved her finger at what resembled the Asgard generator on her desk. "Don't think this means I'm not going to figure out how to make you work."
Things were certainly a lot different without Jack around. But somehow she wasn't all that dejected about it. Somewhere, out there, he was working toward the same goal she was. And now that she'd openly admitted what she felt for him, it was strange, but her life just made perfect sense.
The years she'd spent fighting her feelings and blindly chasing after every chance at romance, had left her empty and frustrated. Right now, she felt completely content. If things never progressed between them, she knew she could live with that. Just as long as what they did have, never faded.
Aboard the Daniel Jackson, in orbit around Saturn
From the projection screen, Jack watched Sam smile to herself, as she scribbled down notes in her lab. He grinned to himself, and hit a button that ended the feed. "I'll work on you yet, Samantha Carter."
Through the window in his quarters, he looked at out at the tiny dot in the distance that he'd always call home. He missed it, but he loved where he was now too. Who wouldn't? He had to have control of the biggest mothership in galaxy - scratch that, the universe. Okay, so it wasn't the O'Neill II, but who could be that petty?
He wasn't sure how he'd get her to agree to it, but he knew he was far from giving up. He had a goal in mind. Samantha Carter would marry him some day, and they'd have a little girl with crystal blue eyes, like her mother. Getting out of his chair, he hummed all the way to the control deck.
"Plan A. Phase one, complete," he said aloud to himself.
Stepping through the archway, he found his second in command.
"What have we got my friend?"
End of Double Episode - "Remember Me"
Author's last notes:
For all the really avid Stargate-verse readers, last post on "Remember Me" are deleted scenes. Thanks again.