Chapter Two - Angel Of My Nightmare
Daniel's office was in its usual state; messy, untidy and generally a haven for any lurking spiders who wanted to make a home for themselves. Daniel defended his lab on many times, calling it "organised chaos" but Jack had decided that it was just chaos. Sitting at the table surrounded by musty, ancient books and dozens of artefacts, Jack concluded that he was probably the tidiest member of SG-1 which was really saying something.
"Daniel?" Jack asked suddenly after sitting with his friend in silence for quarter of an hour.
"Yes?" Daniel replied, sounding more than a little distracted.
"Have you seen Carter today?"
Daniel's head flicked upwards suddenly, at once expressing a renewed interest in the conversation. "If you're wondering whether she's still annoyed with you…the answer is yes."
Jack frowned, his brow creasing in confusion; he knew he'd behaved completely inappropriately but Carter was taking this way too seriously. He'd said he was sorry, and he genuinely meant that. Surely she knew him well enough to know how rare it was for him to say sorry. "Don't start on me Daniel, I apologised to her."
Daniel momentarily pushed his translation away, settling his glasses down onto the desk and rubbing his eyes; he knew he should have had an extra cup of coffee that morning, "I don't think that's what it's about."
"Then what is it about?" Jack countered with a frustrated sigh.
"I think she's upset about something else too," Daniel replied as though talking to a small child. He noticed the flash of annoyance on Jack's face but he was far too tired to alter the tone of his voice or even apologise for it, "What, though, is a mystery."
Jack rubbed a hand over his face and sighed. He knew it had something to do with that photo. Last year when he'd done practically the same thing, but the photograph had been replaced by some notebook of hers, she'd just laughed and told him that he could borrow it if he was that interested, "Do you know any of Carter's relations called Beth?"
Daniel shook his head with a frown, "No. I only know of Mark and his kids." He paused, "Why'd you ask?"
"No reason. Just…wondered." Jack replied. Maybe it wasn't related to the photo; maybe it was her the anniversary of her mom's death. Her mood had been stormy and difficult for a few days and that was reminiscent of how Jack acted whenever Charlie's anniversary was near. "When did her mom die?" He asked, suddenly feeling very ashamed that he had no idea the time of year, let alone the month and day that one of his closest friend's parent died.
"Um, October 15th I think," Daniel answered, "That's six months away…it can't be about that can it?"
Jack shrugged, "I have no idea." He said slowly before rising from his seat and wandering towards the door.
"Where are you going?" Daniel asked, his voice holding a slight tone of worry, "Don't go and see Sam."
"Why not?"
"Because you'll inevitably put your foot in your mouth and make whatever she's thinking about worse."
Jack scowled, "I'll do no such thing. I just want to know what's troubling her that's all. And if you're not able to do it…" He gestured towards the piles of translations that various teams wanted him to do, "Then I'm the next best thing…right?"
Sam looked at the photo in her hand as though it held the answers to all of life's secrets. She kept the photo by her bedside, right next to an old picture of her mother and father's wedding day. A copy stood on her mantelpiece, pride of place in her living room. That was until her friends arrived upon which it was safely tucked away in a drawer. She'd always promised to leave it out and deal with the inevitable questions, but her courage never came.
She'd known it was a stupid idea to take the photo to work but she couldn't help it. Sometimes, some days, it felt like she was slowly forgetting Beth as though she was part of another life, another existence which didn't matter any more. Nothing could have been further from the truth. Bringing the photo to work meant that she was still a part of her life, still as important now as she was then. And part of her just wanted to see her face, see her eyes and her smile without feeling guilty.
"Come at the wrong time Carter?"
Sam looked up to the Colonel as though she was caught in headlights and as quickly as she could, stuffed the photo in the nearest available drawer. She knew that O'Neill had seen it already but that didn't equate to her being able to field any questions just yet. "Sir," She replied with a weak smile, her voice trembling. She attempted to steady it but it was obvious she'd been crying, "Anything I can do for you?"
He entered her lab without an invitation but then she supposed her could do pretty much anything he liked; he was the 2IC of the base, "I wanted to talk to you about yesterday." The words sounded uncomfortable and awkward.
"I apologise whole-heartedly," She answered, her voice military and collected. She guessed that was what the Air Force façade could do; drain emotions and deny they existed at all, "My behaviour was completely inappropriate and I understand if you would like to report it."
Colonel O'Neill just smiled and Sam began to wonder if he had a masochistic streak, "I don't think anyone will be reporting you Carter. Me, possibly, but not you. And I should be the one to say sorry. I acted like an idiot, and I hope you can forgive me."
Sam nodded, her smile brighter and more genuine than before, "Consider yourself absolutely forgiven." She'd known she'd overreacted…it shouldn't have surprised the venom with which she attacked the Colonel; it happened frequently if someone unintentionally discovered Beth, but she'd never have thought she would have acted to Colonel O'Neill in such a manner.
"How about I buy you some lunch in the mess hall?"
Sam tilted her head with the raise of an eyebrow, "It's free Sir."
"Then all the better," He replied with a smile, backing towards the door, "Coming?"
"I'll meet you there in ten." She replied, beginning to sort a space within her stacks of paper, watching the Colonel leave her lab and then return a few seconds later, "Sir?" She asked, puzzled at his reappearance.
"I forgot to mention Carter, I loved your Farrah hair." He added with a quick grin and she instantly knew he was referring to the photo where both she and Beth had sported "Charlie's Angels" styles, much to the amusement of Mark who'd decided that they were merely falsely liberated women when he'd been going through his annual socialist political phase much to the disappointment of their father, "And your cousin's was pretty impressive too."
Her smile continued, trying not exhibit the pain she felt throbbing inside her chest. His face faltered as she wondered whether he could read her mind, like so many other times, and see that she was hurting so badly that every word was too small to represent the pain inside her heart. He was turning to leave when she spoke. She wondered if he could hear her because it was so light and distant that if felt like she could barely hear it herself. "She isn't my cousin," She answered, "Elizabeth is my sister."
Thank you for all the feedback and I hope you enjoyed this part. Comments always help me write and do a fanfic writer's ego good!
More coming to a computer screen near you…
Daniel's office was in its usual state; messy, untidy and generally a haven for any lurking spiders who wanted to make a home for themselves. Daniel defended his lab on many times, calling it "organised chaos" but Jack had decided that it was just chaos. Sitting at the table surrounded by musty, ancient books and dozens of artefacts, Jack concluded that he was probably the tidiest member of SG-1 which was really saying something.
"Daniel?" Jack asked suddenly after sitting with his friend in silence for quarter of an hour.
"Yes?" Daniel replied, sounding more than a little distracted.
"Have you seen Carter today?"
Daniel's head flicked upwards suddenly, at once expressing a renewed interest in the conversation. "If you're wondering whether she's still annoyed with you…the answer is yes."
Jack frowned, his brow creasing in confusion; he knew he'd behaved completely inappropriately but Carter was taking this way too seriously. He'd said he was sorry, and he genuinely meant that. Surely she knew him well enough to know how rare it was for him to say sorry. "Don't start on me Daniel, I apologised to her."
Daniel momentarily pushed his translation away, settling his glasses down onto the desk and rubbing his eyes; he knew he should have had an extra cup of coffee that morning, "I don't think that's what it's about."
"Then what is it about?" Jack countered with a frustrated sigh.
"I think she's upset about something else too," Daniel replied as though talking to a small child. He noticed the flash of annoyance on Jack's face but he was far too tired to alter the tone of his voice or even apologise for it, "What, though, is a mystery."
Jack rubbed a hand over his face and sighed. He knew it had something to do with that photo. Last year when he'd done practically the same thing, but the photograph had been replaced by some notebook of hers, she'd just laughed and told him that he could borrow it if he was that interested, "Do you know any of Carter's relations called Beth?"
Daniel shook his head with a frown, "No. I only know of Mark and his kids." He paused, "Why'd you ask?"
"No reason. Just…wondered." Jack replied. Maybe it wasn't related to the photo; maybe it was her the anniversary of her mom's death. Her mood had been stormy and difficult for a few days and that was reminiscent of how Jack acted whenever Charlie's anniversary was near. "When did her mom die?" He asked, suddenly feeling very ashamed that he had no idea the time of year, let alone the month and day that one of his closest friend's parent died.
"Um, October 15th I think," Daniel answered, "That's six months away…it can't be about that can it?"
Jack shrugged, "I have no idea." He said slowly before rising from his seat and wandering towards the door.
"Where are you going?" Daniel asked, his voice holding a slight tone of worry, "Don't go and see Sam."
"Why not?"
"Because you'll inevitably put your foot in your mouth and make whatever she's thinking about worse."
Jack scowled, "I'll do no such thing. I just want to know what's troubling her that's all. And if you're not able to do it…" He gestured towards the piles of translations that various teams wanted him to do, "Then I'm the next best thing…right?"
Sam looked at the photo in her hand as though it held the answers to all of life's secrets. She kept the photo by her bedside, right next to an old picture of her mother and father's wedding day. A copy stood on her mantelpiece, pride of place in her living room. That was until her friends arrived upon which it was safely tucked away in a drawer. She'd always promised to leave it out and deal with the inevitable questions, but her courage never came.
She'd known it was a stupid idea to take the photo to work but she couldn't help it. Sometimes, some days, it felt like she was slowly forgetting Beth as though she was part of another life, another existence which didn't matter any more. Nothing could have been further from the truth. Bringing the photo to work meant that she was still a part of her life, still as important now as she was then. And part of her just wanted to see her face, see her eyes and her smile without feeling guilty.
"Come at the wrong time Carter?"
Sam looked up to the Colonel as though she was caught in headlights and as quickly as she could, stuffed the photo in the nearest available drawer. She knew that O'Neill had seen it already but that didn't equate to her being able to field any questions just yet. "Sir," She replied with a weak smile, her voice trembling. She attempted to steady it but it was obvious she'd been crying, "Anything I can do for you?"
He entered her lab without an invitation but then she supposed her could do pretty much anything he liked; he was the 2IC of the base, "I wanted to talk to you about yesterday." The words sounded uncomfortable and awkward.
"I apologise whole-heartedly," She answered, her voice military and collected. She guessed that was what the Air Force façade could do; drain emotions and deny they existed at all, "My behaviour was completely inappropriate and I understand if you would like to report it."
Colonel O'Neill just smiled and Sam began to wonder if he had a masochistic streak, "I don't think anyone will be reporting you Carter. Me, possibly, but not you. And I should be the one to say sorry. I acted like an idiot, and I hope you can forgive me."
Sam nodded, her smile brighter and more genuine than before, "Consider yourself absolutely forgiven." She'd known she'd overreacted…it shouldn't have surprised the venom with which she attacked the Colonel; it happened frequently if someone unintentionally discovered Beth, but she'd never have thought she would have acted to Colonel O'Neill in such a manner.
"How about I buy you some lunch in the mess hall?"
Sam tilted her head with the raise of an eyebrow, "It's free Sir."
"Then all the better," He replied with a smile, backing towards the door, "Coming?"
"I'll meet you there in ten." She replied, beginning to sort a space within her stacks of paper, watching the Colonel leave her lab and then return a few seconds later, "Sir?" She asked, puzzled at his reappearance.
"I forgot to mention Carter, I loved your Farrah hair." He added with a quick grin and she instantly knew he was referring to the photo where both she and Beth had sported "Charlie's Angels" styles, much to the amusement of Mark who'd decided that they were merely falsely liberated women when he'd been going through his annual socialist political phase much to the disappointment of their father, "And your cousin's was pretty impressive too."
Her smile continued, trying not exhibit the pain she felt throbbing inside her chest. His face faltered as she wondered whether he could read her mind, like so many other times, and see that she was hurting so badly that every word was too small to represent the pain inside her heart. He was turning to leave when she spoke. She wondered if he could hear her because it was so light and distant that if felt like she could barely hear it herself. "She isn't my cousin," She answered, "Elizabeth is my sister."
Thank you for all the feedback and I hope you enjoyed this part. Comments always help me write and do a fanfic writer's ego good!
More coming to a computer screen near you…