STARGATE SG-1: Bed of Roses
Summary: Sam continues to think over the last six years.
Pairing: Jack/Sam, Sam/Joe.
Spoilers: 2010, 2001.
Season: Future (about 2006, I think you get the idea by now!).
Disclaimer: Yeah, I think we get the idea! I don't own any of it!
Author's Note: Ever since The Female Apophis persuaded me to carry this into a series, I've really been looking forward to writing this chapter! (So it's all her fault! – Thanx a lot!). It's back to Sam's story (continuing from Chapter 2 – as I'm sure you'll be able to figure out!). Thanx for the reviews so far! Please R&R as always. Thanx! Enjoy!
Warning: REALLY STRONG LANGUAGE towards the end! (Plus some 'adult' situations).
Bed of Roses: Chapter 4 – Passion
2004 was quite possibly one of the most harrowing years I've had to live through. Or one day of it was at least. But it was a day that will never, ever diminish in my mind. For several reasons.
The day of Hammond's funeral was when things started to flair, really.
All things considered, it had been quite a quiet burial out at Arlington. Nothing like the kind of 'Grand send off' a lot of the high-class Generals get. But it was what Hammond would have wanted. Just close friends and family bidding fair well to him. Even Jack managed to crawl out from whatever rock he had been hiding under to attend. And that was part of the problems that started up that day. Jack came around shooting his mouth off about God only knows what and practically turned the wake into a brawl.
That's where it really started. At the wake.
Joe and I had just arrived as Daniel was finishing his speech. We had been delayed by my father who I rarely see these days. He wanted some time to catch up so we hung back for a while.
Anyway, the 'party' was in full swing when we got there and everyone was busy helping themselves to the finger buffet that had been laid out. Up to that point, I hadn't seen Jack since I started dating Joe. I was almost surprised to see him at the cemetery at all, in fact. Yes, I expected him to be there – there was no way he would miss it. But I didn't expect to SEE him. After the way he just faded into the background two years ago, no-one had really had much – if any – contact with him. He had just completely shut himself off to everything and everyone (or so I thought).
After barely glimpsing him at the cemetery, I expected he would just take off. Again, he surprised me, because there he stood talking with the rest of SG-1 (as we had been) and Janet.
I wouldn't say it was like old times because, in so many ways, it wasn't. For one, Hammond wasn't around. And secondly, Jack himself seemed different to me. Subdued perhaps. I couldn't quite place it then, but time had changed him. Etched their years of experience into the lines on his face, making him appear sadder and colder than I had seen him look before. The sight of him chilled me.
But then he looked across at me, his chocolate brown eyes catching mine. He smiled. But it wasn't his usual smile that set fire to the room with its warmth and energy. It was, like the rest of him, subdued, defeated almost. But it was reassuring and a comfort to me. That after all this time, there was still a small part of that spark left between us. Of course, knowing now what I didn't then about what was about to transpire, I wish that there had been nothing but cold hard feelings between us. That, at least, would make living with it bearable.
Before I knew what was going on, Joe guided me over to where my former team mates stood. I saw the smile fall from Jack's face as he observed me being guided towards the group by Joe – his hand on the small of my back (as Jack used to do).
The cold sad expression had returned to his features, mixed now with the beginnings of anger just showing a slight, menacing glimmer at the edge of his eyes. By the time we reached him, his jaw was set rigidly in place. I was struck be a strong pang of irrational guilt when I saw this new expression. It felt almost as if I was cheating on Jack, even though – as a couple – we had never progressed much further than strictly plutonic. Although my mind would tell you otherwise.
Our eyes locked once more and a tense smile forced itself across his lips in acknowledgment of my presence. I could only return the gesture with a similar smile – mine more out of nerves and awkwardness than malice and disappointment. My eyes quickly searched for something – anything! – else to fix their gaze on, but stubbornly, they kept finding their way back to him, as if magnetically drawn there.
Luckily for me, Joe missed the entire exchange while he greeted the rest of the group.
"Colonel O'Neill," Joe said amiably, looping his arm around my waist. "It's been a long time. It's good to see you." He offered his hand to Jack in greeting.
"Ambassador," Jack replied tersely, refusing Joe's peaceful gesture.
I felt my cheeks begin to flush with a slight anger towards him. An anger that must have reflected itself in my eyes, as Jack shot me a look as if to say; 'Hey, I'm here. I'm being civil. Don't expect more than that.'
I swallowed hard, choking back down my pride that was bubbling away from me as my frustration towards Jack grew with everyone of his 'civil' gestures.
Janet noticed the tension between the three of us.
"Well," she said moving the conversation on quickly. "To General Hammond."
We all raised our glasses into the middle of the circle we had made, but I could feel Jack's hateful eyes completely stationery on me the whole time. I hazarded a glance at him and, sure enough, my gaze was met by his hard set brown eyes.
For a second, my breath caught in my throat. In his eyes, there was reason behind his anger that looked on me almost pityingly. Or if it wasn't pity, it was something even more alarming to me. Love perhaps. I don't know. But it wasn't just contempt for Joe, whatever it was. Maybe there was more to that spark than I thought. God! I'd have given anything to have been able to read his mind then.
I quickly took a large gulp of my champagne before my rampant mind could dwell further on his eyes.
There was an awkward silence around the group once more.
Daniel, Teal'c and Janet exchanged a look for a moment; debating silently how quickly they could get away from Joe, Jack and me before the tension reached critical point. They could clearly see the venomous glances Jack was firing at Joe, even if I couldn't in my search for anything else to talk about.
Luckily for them, Janet was a quick thinker.
"Teal'c," she said turning to the Jaffa. "Aren't you scheduled to return to Chulak soon?"
"Indeed," Teal'c replied politely.
"Oh, well, we'll walk you to the terminal," Daniel added.
The three of them soon moved off. I was actually surprised they didn't run. Of course, this just left the three of us.
"As I said, Colonel," Joe ventured, trying to make conversation. "It's good to see you after –"
"Ah, cut the crap, Ambassador!" jack interrupted. "I'm not here for the company, and you know it."
And here it comes, I thought to myself, well aware of the torrent of insults and accusations about to some streaming out of both men.
"Well I hardly think it necessary for that sort of tone," Joe said, trying his best to remain polite under the circumstances.
Jack laughed out loud at his remark. "Jesus, Carter! You actually sleep with this guy!"
"HEY! You leave her out of this!" Joe stepped slightly in front of me, as if shielding me from a pack of hungry wolves. "This has nothing to do with Sam!"
"You're wrong there, pal! This has everything to do with Sam, and you, and everyone else here for that matter!"
I couldn't believe it! After all this time, he was still on about that!
Of course, Joe still had no idea of what he was talking about. The expression on his face conveyed that. So Jack elaborated.
"Look around, Ambassador," he said maliciously. "Just how long do you think it'll be before the Aschen have completely taken over everything?"
"That's not what they're doing," Joe said defensively. He had heard about Jack's paranoia – mainly from me – but had been convinced that time would settle his mind. Clearly, it hadn't.
their conversation continued, growing in intensity, anger and volume. I glanced around me. Several pairs of eyes in the room (including all of the Aschen delegates present) were turning their attention to the feuding men.
"Look," I said trying to come between them, "this really isn't the best place for this."
"You stay out of this!" Jack snapped as he verbally laid further and further into Joe.
Joe was instantly incensed. "Don't you ever talk to her like that!"
To my surprise, Jack instantly erupted into laughter. I used to love hearing him laugh, it was such a genuine sound and a great comfort whenever I heard it. But not now. Now, it was hollow, jealous and bitter. It reminded me of the paranoia and cynicism he had descended to since I had seen him last. It made me pity him – that's what was surprising about it.
"You think I give a damn about how I talk to her? Or you for that matter," he questioned, the bitterness slicing through every word he uttered. "You really think I care? I was her CO, for Christ's sake!"
Joe stood rigid for a moment. "As her CO, I would have thought you would appreciate how she ought to be treated!"
I was aware that everyone in the room was utterly fixated on the argument I was caught in the middle of. It was all I could do to try and shut everyone out and pray Jack and Joe calmed down soon. Unfortunately, as Teal'c would put it, things were only going to 'calm up' from here.
"How dare you lecture me on my team!" Jack was saying in response to a comment I hadn't heard.
"Yeah, well it seems to me you could use a few pointers!" Joe retorted.
That was the last straw, so to speak. Before I could do anything to apprehend him, Jack struck out wildly at Joe, catching him squarely on the jaw. He was sent staggering backwards, but managed to maintain his balance. A horrified gasp rippled in perfect unison through the room from the captive audience we had drawn.
Joe pulled himself back up straight and tall, a thin crimson line forming its way from the corner of his mouth down his chin. He absent-mindedly cleared the blood away and began pacing forward for a retaliation attempt.
"Joe! No!" I said stepping in front of Jack. The two men were staring through me at each other, just spoiling for a fight. "He's not worth it." I placed my hands on his shoulders in an effort to draw his attention away from Jack.
"He's not worth it," I repeated, kissing him tenderly on the lips (that made Jack that tiny bit madder).
Joe's attention switched between me and Joe for a moment, as I silently pleaded for him to drop it. "I'll be outside," he said finally.
He walked past us both, deliberately catching Jack on the shoulder on the way. Once he was gone. The whole room seemed to sigh in relief of the tension that had built up.
Jack let out an amused half laughed. "Obviously not quite got him house- trained yet, eh Carter?"
Before I could control myself, I turned around, took hold of Jack by his coat and dragged him through the gathered mourners to a separate room in the house. The door slammed shut behind us.
"What?" jack protested as I locked the door.
Once I was sure we wouldn't be disturbed, I turned to confront him. There was a moment's pause while I thought of what the hell I was meant to do now, and Jack waited for something to be said.
Eventually, he decided to take the initiative. "So, you drag me in here for a quick screw, or what?" he quipped.
In much the same fashion that Jack had launched at Joe, I swing at Jack. He fell back from the force of the blow and landed, rather haphazardly on the bed behind him.
"I guess not then," he said in response to his own quip.
"You've got a damn nerve, you really do!" I said. My voice a great deal higher than I would have liked and not to steady either. I could feel my whole body shaking from pent up aggression and rage towards the man in front of me. And what was worse was I could feel I was on the brink of tears. Damnit! Why did I let him get to me like this?!
I tried to maintain my composure that as rapidly slipping away from me.
"Five years without so much as a phone call and now you show up here and lay into Joe like that! Just who the HELL do you think you are?!"
Jack was sat on the bed massaging his bruised jaw. He stayed silent, even after I stopped shouting. It was something I couldn't bare then.
"Answer me!" I bellowed.
"Did you take it?" he said quietly.
"What?" I said on a breath. I was that wound up, I couldn't even question him properly.
"The Anti-aging Vaccine!" he said standing up. "Sam! Did you take the Anti-aging Vaccine?!"
I was confused. No, I was more than confused. I was down-right clueless to what he was going on about, and he could see it in my expression. He crossed the room to me and – towering above me as he often did – he took my face in his hands.
"Did you take the Vaccine?" he asked calmly. In fact, his voice was so soothing, it was very nearly disarming.
I blinked for a moment, lost in the sensation of his strong, warm hands surrounding my head. His fingers gently teasing into my hairline.
"Yes," I said eventually, pulling myself back to reality. "Everyone took it."
His hands suddenly fell from around me. At the same time, he hung his head and his shoulders sagged. He turned his back on me. I heard a heavy, tired sigh emit from his lips as he shoved his hands through his rapidly greying hair.
"SHIT!" he suddenly shouted, punching the wall nearest to him.
He really wasn't helping my confusion.
"Jack, what's going on?" I asked, trying to get him to elaborate on his cryptic question.
He took a few moments while he calmed down a bit before he answered. "General Hammond called me a few nights ago. Said there was something not right with the Anti-aging Vaccine. That he needed my help."
"So what was wrong?" I was sceptical to say the least.
"He wouldn't say over the phone. He said he had to call Fraiser too and he wanted to meet us both to discuss action. We were supposed to meet up today."
What could I say to that? Janet hadn't said anything about talking to Hammond before he died. And the Anti-aging Vaccine had been administrated a few years ago, with no negative side-effects in anyone in the whole country – heck! The world!
I looked at him dubiously for a moment.
"You don't believe me!" he said accusingly.
He was right. I didn't. I hated being the one to admit it, but before he left, his behaviour had been bordering on CHRONIC paranoia (never mind minor). Maybe he had just spent too many years in the Black Opps and stayed up too many nights, of late, drinking beer and watching Conspiracy Theory programmes about world cover-ups and such like.
"I don't believe this!" he said throwing his hands up in defeat. "Of all the people –" he stopped short and shot me a look that was somewhere between pity, desperation and dismay.
"Well, c'mon! It is a lot to ask me to believe!" I said in my defence.
"This from the woman who used to travel half way across the galaxy on a daily basis?"
"That was different!"
"Why? Because you had proof then?"
"Exactly! You got any proof at all to back this up?"
"I've got my gut feeling. That used to be enough for you. You used to trust me."
"I used to do a lot of things, Jack. But times change."
"Evidently."
There was a pause for a moment while he studied my face, trying to find some glimmer of hope in it that he could latch onto. But there was none. I simply couldn't accept it.
"Sam, please!" he begged. "They're taking over everything!"
I stood back for a moment. "You know, I'd expect this sort of narrow- minded, non-tolerance attitude from someone like Kinsey, not you."
"And I never expected you could be so blind to what's happening here!"
"Blind?" I repeated. "Jack, they saved our lives! Our RACE, for crying out loud! And now you're turning on them?! It's insane!"
"No!" he shouted. "What's insane is the way the rest of you carry on! You just don't get it do you?"
"THERE'S NOTHING TO GET!"
Jack shook his head in disgust. "Maybe that's what the Vaccine does," he said to no-one in particular. "Maybe it takes perfectly intelligent people and turns them into complete MORONS! Don't you see? They're controlling your mind!"
I'd had enough. It was becoming painful for me to watch what he had become. I shook my head in pity for him as I backed away towards the door.
"Sam, please just listen to me," he pleaded.
Tears rose again in my throat. I couldn't believe him. Any of it. What he was saying was beyond any paranoia that I had witnessed before. And the way he said it too ... ... ... it really, truly hurt me to see him reduced to this. And it angered me that he would try to take this out on me and on the Aschen.
"Don't do this," he said as I kept retreating. "You're gonna regret it, I swear to God, Sam! Just ask Joe. You can bet he has something to do with it!"
That was it. My anger finally out weighed my pity for him.
"Oh, fuck you, Jack!" With that, I unlocked the door and left hoping never to see him again.
Joe was still waiting outside when I got there. Thankfully, he had cooled off, somewhat.
"Look, I'm sorry," he said trying to justify himself. But there was no need.
I took his hand, reassuring him that I didn't blame him for what had happened.
"Take me home?" I asked quietly. It was all I could say without bursting into tears at this point.
On the journey home, my temper began to dwindle as well. And I thought – wished – that would be the last of it.
But it wasn't.
Half of me wishes that Joe had stayed at my house that night. But something urged me to turn him away. I made some excuse about needing to clear my head after losing Hammond so quickly. Joe – being the gentleman that he is – was willing to comply.
Later that night, though, Jack came to me for what I thought would be round two. In fact, it was round one ... ... ... of a whole different game.
I was defenceless. There's no other way to describe it. From the moment I opened the door and saw him there to the moment we ... ... ... I was just defenceless. We couldn't fight anyone. That had all been done at the wake. Now, what was left was an undeniable want for each other. He needn't have said anything. There was a look in his eyes that I understood as his apology for everything. And I accepted it.
As soon as the door closed, we both seemed to shut out the heartache we had caused each other over the last few years.
So there we were, in my hallway, with no outstanding grudges and – more importantly – no regulations.
Without a moment's notice, he dropped to his knees and encircled his arms about my waist. His lips pressed against my stomach, through the fabric of my shirt. My hands instinctively made their way through his hair, until the torturous sensation of his embrace became unbearable and I wanted more.
I lifted his head, and in turn he stood up again, taking my gesture as the welcome he had desired.
That's when he kissed me.
Long, deep and full of the passion, lust and love that was mingling around us and inside us. He soon swept me off my feet – literally! – and carried me upstairs.
I guess there was more of our spark left that night than I thought.
And, by God, did it burn!
*****
Author's Note: Sorry it took me so long to get this posted. I got stuck on the arguments. The next part (of this and Closure) might take a while as well, cos I've got a lot of coursework to do, but I'll try my best. Right! Now, please review! Thanx!
Summary: Sam continues to think over the last six years.
Pairing: Jack/Sam, Sam/Joe.
Spoilers: 2010, 2001.
Season: Future (about 2006, I think you get the idea by now!).
Disclaimer: Yeah, I think we get the idea! I don't own any of it!
Author's Note: Ever since The Female Apophis persuaded me to carry this into a series, I've really been looking forward to writing this chapter! (So it's all her fault! – Thanx a lot!). It's back to Sam's story (continuing from Chapter 2 – as I'm sure you'll be able to figure out!). Thanx for the reviews so far! Please R&R as always. Thanx! Enjoy!
Warning: REALLY STRONG LANGUAGE towards the end! (Plus some 'adult' situations).
Bed of Roses: Chapter 4 – Passion
2004 was quite possibly one of the most harrowing years I've had to live through. Or one day of it was at least. But it was a day that will never, ever diminish in my mind. For several reasons.
The day of Hammond's funeral was when things started to flair, really.
All things considered, it had been quite a quiet burial out at Arlington. Nothing like the kind of 'Grand send off' a lot of the high-class Generals get. But it was what Hammond would have wanted. Just close friends and family bidding fair well to him. Even Jack managed to crawl out from whatever rock he had been hiding under to attend. And that was part of the problems that started up that day. Jack came around shooting his mouth off about God only knows what and practically turned the wake into a brawl.
That's where it really started. At the wake.
Joe and I had just arrived as Daniel was finishing his speech. We had been delayed by my father who I rarely see these days. He wanted some time to catch up so we hung back for a while.
Anyway, the 'party' was in full swing when we got there and everyone was busy helping themselves to the finger buffet that had been laid out. Up to that point, I hadn't seen Jack since I started dating Joe. I was almost surprised to see him at the cemetery at all, in fact. Yes, I expected him to be there – there was no way he would miss it. But I didn't expect to SEE him. After the way he just faded into the background two years ago, no-one had really had much – if any – contact with him. He had just completely shut himself off to everything and everyone (or so I thought).
After barely glimpsing him at the cemetery, I expected he would just take off. Again, he surprised me, because there he stood talking with the rest of SG-1 (as we had been) and Janet.
I wouldn't say it was like old times because, in so many ways, it wasn't. For one, Hammond wasn't around. And secondly, Jack himself seemed different to me. Subdued perhaps. I couldn't quite place it then, but time had changed him. Etched their years of experience into the lines on his face, making him appear sadder and colder than I had seen him look before. The sight of him chilled me.
But then he looked across at me, his chocolate brown eyes catching mine. He smiled. But it wasn't his usual smile that set fire to the room with its warmth and energy. It was, like the rest of him, subdued, defeated almost. But it was reassuring and a comfort to me. That after all this time, there was still a small part of that spark left between us. Of course, knowing now what I didn't then about what was about to transpire, I wish that there had been nothing but cold hard feelings between us. That, at least, would make living with it bearable.
Before I knew what was going on, Joe guided me over to where my former team mates stood. I saw the smile fall from Jack's face as he observed me being guided towards the group by Joe – his hand on the small of my back (as Jack used to do).
The cold sad expression had returned to his features, mixed now with the beginnings of anger just showing a slight, menacing glimmer at the edge of his eyes. By the time we reached him, his jaw was set rigidly in place. I was struck be a strong pang of irrational guilt when I saw this new expression. It felt almost as if I was cheating on Jack, even though – as a couple – we had never progressed much further than strictly plutonic. Although my mind would tell you otherwise.
Our eyes locked once more and a tense smile forced itself across his lips in acknowledgment of my presence. I could only return the gesture with a similar smile – mine more out of nerves and awkwardness than malice and disappointment. My eyes quickly searched for something – anything! – else to fix their gaze on, but stubbornly, they kept finding their way back to him, as if magnetically drawn there.
Luckily for me, Joe missed the entire exchange while he greeted the rest of the group.
"Colonel O'Neill," Joe said amiably, looping his arm around my waist. "It's been a long time. It's good to see you." He offered his hand to Jack in greeting.
"Ambassador," Jack replied tersely, refusing Joe's peaceful gesture.
I felt my cheeks begin to flush with a slight anger towards him. An anger that must have reflected itself in my eyes, as Jack shot me a look as if to say; 'Hey, I'm here. I'm being civil. Don't expect more than that.'
I swallowed hard, choking back down my pride that was bubbling away from me as my frustration towards Jack grew with everyone of his 'civil' gestures.
Janet noticed the tension between the three of us.
"Well," she said moving the conversation on quickly. "To General Hammond."
We all raised our glasses into the middle of the circle we had made, but I could feel Jack's hateful eyes completely stationery on me the whole time. I hazarded a glance at him and, sure enough, my gaze was met by his hard set brown eyes.
For a second, my breath caught in my throat. In his eyes, there was reason behind his anger that looked on me almost pityingly. Or if it wasn't pity, it was something even more alarming to me. Love perhaps. I don't know. But it wasn't just contempt for Joe, whatever it was. Maybe there was more to that spark than I thought. God! I'd have given anything to have been able to read his mind then.
I quickly took a large gulp of my champagne before my rampant mind could dwell further on his eyes.
There was an awkward silence around the group once more.
Daniel, Teal'c and Janet exchanged a look for a moment; debating silently how quickly they could get away from Joe, Jack and me before the tension reached critical point. They could clearly see the venomous glances Jack was firing at Joe, even if I couldn't in my search for anything else to talk about.
Luckily for them, Janet was a quick thinker.
"Teal'c," she said turning to the Jaffa. "Aren't you scheduled to return to Chulak soon?"
"Indeed," Teal'c replied politely.
"Oh, well, we'll walk you to the terminal," Daniel added.
The three of them soon moved off. I was actually surprised they didn't run. Of course, this just left the three of us.
"As I said, Colonel," Joe ventured, trying to make conversation. "It's good to see you after –"
"Ah, cut the crap, Ambassador!" jack interrupted. "I'm not here for the company, and you know it."
And here it comes, I thought to myself, well aware of the torrent of insults and accusations about to some streaming out of both men.
"Well I hardly think it necessary for that sort of tone," Joe said, trying his best to remain polite under the circumstances.
Jack laughed out loud at his remark. "Jesus, Carter! You actually sleep with this guy!"
"HEY! You leave her out of this!" Joe stepped slightly in front of me, as if shielding me from a pack of hungry wolves. "This has nothing to do with Sam!"
"You're wrong there, pal! This has everything to do with Sam, and you, and everyone else here for that matter!"
I couldn't believe it! After all this time, he was still on about that!
Of course, Joe still had no idea of what he was talking about. The expression on his face conveyed that. So Jack elaborated.
"Look around, Ambassador," he said maliciously. "Just how long do you think it'll be before the Aschen have completely taken over everything?"
"That's not what they're doing," Joe said defensively. He had heard about Jack's paranoia – mainly from me – but had been convinced that time would settle his mind. Clearly, it hadn't.
their conversation continued, growing in intensity, anger and volume. I glanced around me. Several pairs of eyes in the room (including all of the Aschen delegates present) were turning their attention to the feuding men.
"Look," I said trying to come between them, "this really isn't the best place for this."
"You stay out of this!" Jack snapped as he verbally laid further and further into Joe.
Joe was instantly incensed. "Don't you ever talk to her like that!"
To my surprise, Jack instantly erupted into laughter. I used to love hearing him laugh, it was such a genuine sound and a great comfort whenever I heard it. But not now. Now, it was hollow, jealous and bitter. It reminded me of the paranoia and cynicism he had descended to since I had seen him last. It made me pity him – that's what was surprising about it.
"You think I give a damn about how I talk to her? Or you for that matter," he questioned, the bitterness slicing through every word he uttered. "You really think I care? I was her CO, for Christ's sake!"
Joe stood rigid for a moment. "As her CO, I would have thought you would appreciate how she ought to be treated!"
I was aware that everyone in the room was utterly fixated on the argument I was caught in the middle of. It was all I could do to try and shut everyone out and pray Jack and Joe calmed down soon. Unfortunately, as Teal'c would put it, things were only going to 'calm up' from here.
"How dare you lecture me on my team!" Jack was saying in response to a comment I hadn't heard.
"Yeah, well it seems to me you could use a few pointers!" Joe retorted.
That was the last straw, so to speak. Before I could do anything to apprehend him, Jack struck out wildly at Joe, catching him squarely on the jaw. He was sent staggering backwards, but managed to maintain his balance. A horrified gasp rippled in perfect unison through the room from the captive audience we had drawn.
Joe pulled himself back up straight and tall, a thin crimson line forming its way from the corner of his mouth down his chin. He absent-mindedly cleared the blood away and began pacing forward for a retaliation attempt.
"Joe! No!" I said stepping in front of Jack. The two men were staring through me at each other, just spoiling for a fight. "He's not worth it." I placed my hands on his shoulders in an effort to draw his attention away from Jack.
"He's not worth it," I repeated, kissing him tenderly on the lips (that made Jack that tiny bit madder).
Joe's attention switched between me and Joe for a moment, as I silently pleaded for him to drop it. "I'll be outside," he said finally.
He walked past us both, deliberately catching Jack on the shoulder on the way. Once he was gone. The whole room seemed to sigh in relief of the tension that had built up.
Jack let out an amused half laughed. "Obviously not quite got him house- trained yet, eh Carter?"
Before I could control myself, I turned around, took hold of Jack by his coat and dragged him through the gathered mourners to a separate room in the house. The door slammed shut behind us.
"What?" jack protested as I locked the door.
Once I was sure we wouldn't be disturbed, I turned to confront him. There was a moment's pause while I thought of what the hell I was meant to do now, and Jack waited for something to be said.
Eventually, he decided to take the initiative. "So, you drag me in here for a quick screw, or what?" he quipped.
In much the same fashion that Jack had launched at Joe, I swing at Jack. He fell back from the force of the blow and landed, rather haphazardly on the bed behind him.
"I guess not then," he said in response to his own quip.
"You've got a damn nerve, you really do!" I said. My voice a great deal higher than I would have liked and not to steady either. I could feel my whole body shaking from pent up aggression and rage towards the man in front of me. And what was worse was I could feel I was on the brink of tears. Damnit! Why did I let him get to me like this?!
I tried to maintain my composure that as rapidly slipping away from me.
"Five years without so much as a phone call and now you show up here and lay into Joe like that! Just who the HELL do you think you are?!"
Jack was sat on the bed massaging his bruised jaw. He stayed silent, even after I stopped shouting. It was something I couldn't bare then.
"Answer me!" I bellowed.
"Did you take it?" he said quietly.
"What?" I said on a breath. I was that wound up, I couldn't even question him properly.
"The Anti-aging Vaccine!" he said standing up. "Sam! Did you take the Anti-aging Vaccine?!"
I was confused. No, I was more than confused. I was down-right clueless to what he was going on about, and he could see it in my expression. He crossed the room to me and – towering above me as he often did – he took my face in his hands.
"Did you take the Vaccine?" he asked calmly. In fact, his voice was so soothing, it was very nearly disarming.
I blinked for a moment, lost in the sensation of his strong, warm hands surrounding my head. His fingers gently teasing into my hairline.
"Yes," I said eventually, pulling myself back to reality. "Everyone took it."
His hands suddenly fell from around me. At the same time, he hung his head and his shoulders sagged. He turned his back on me. I heard a heavy, tired sigh emit from his lips as he shoved his hands through his rapidly greying hair.
"SHIT!" he suddenly shouted, punching the wall nearest to him.
He really wasn't helping my confusion.
"Jack, what's going on?" I asked, trying to get him to elaborate on his cryptic question.
He took a few moments while he calmed down a bit before he answered. "General Hammond called me a few nights ago. Said there was something not right with the Anti-aging Vaccine. That he needed my help."
"So what was wrong?" I was sceptical to say the least.
"He wouldn't say over the phone. He said he had to call Fraiser too and he wanted to meet us both to discuss action. We were supposed to meet up today."
What could I say to that? Janet hadn't said anything about talking to Hammond before he died. And the Anti-aging Vaccine had been administrated a few years ago, with no negative side-effects in anyone in the whole country – heck! The world!
I looked at him dubiously for a moment.
"You don't believe me!" he said accusingly.
He was right. I didn't. I hated being the one to admit it, but before he left, his behaviour had been bordering on CHRONIC paranoia (never mind minor). Maybe he had just spent too many years in the Black Opps and stayed up too many nights, of late, drinking beer and watching Conspiracy Theory programmes about world cover-ups and such like.
"I don't believe this!" he said throwing his hands up in defeat. "Of all the people –" he stopped short and shot me a look that was somewhere between pity, desperation and dismay.
"Well, c'mon! It is a lot to ask me to believe!" I said in my defence.
"This from the woman who used to travel half way across the galaxy on a daily basis?"
"That was different!"
"Why? Because you had proof then?"
"Exactly! You got any proof at all to back this up?"
"I've got my gut feeling. That used to be enough for you. You used to trust me."
"I used to do a lot of things, Jack. But times change."
"Evidently."
There was a pause for a moment while he studied my face, trying to find some glimmer of hope in it that he could latch onto. But there was none. I simply couldn't accept it.
"Sam, please!" he begged. "They're taking over everything!"
I stood back for a moment. "You know, I'd expect this sort of narrow- minded, non-tolerance attitude from someone like Kinsey, not you."
"And I never expected you could be so blind to what's happening here!"
"Blind?" I repeated. "Jack, they saved our lives! Our RACE, for crying out loud! And now you're turning on them?! It's insane!"
"No!" he shouted. "What's insane is the way the rest of you carry on! You just don't get it do you?"
"THERE'S NOTHING TO GET!"
Jack shook his head in disgust. "Maybe that's what the Vaccine does," he said to no-one in particular. "Maybe it takes perfectly intelligent people and turns them into complete MORONS! Don't you see? They're controlling your mind!"
I'd had enough. It was becoming painful for me to watch what he had become. I shook my head in pity for him as I backed away towards the door.
"Sam, please just listen to me," he pleaded.
Tears rose again in my throat. I couldn't believe him. Any of it. What he was saying was beyond any paranoia that I had witnessed before. And the way he said it too ... ... ... it really, truly hurt me to see him reduced to this. And it angered me that he would try to take this out on me and on the Aschen.
"Don't do this," he said as I kept retreating. "You're gonna regret it, I swear to God, Sam! Just ask Joe. You can bet he has something to do with it!"
That was it. My anger finally out weighed my pity for him.
"Oh, fuck you, Jack!" With that, I unlocked the door and left hoping never to see him again.
Joe was still waiting outside when I got there. Thankfully, he had cooled off, somewhat.
"Look, I'm sorry," he said trying to justify himself. But there was no need.
I took his hand, reassuring him that I didn't blame him for what had happened.
"Take me home?" I asked quietly. It was all I could say without bursting into tears at this point.
On the journey home, my temper began to dwindle as well. And I thought – wished – that would be the last of it.
But it wasn't.
Half of me wishes that Joe had stayed at my house that night. But something urged me to turn him away. I made some excuse about needing to clear my head after losing Hammond so quickly. Joe – being the gentleman that he is – was willing to comply.
Later that night, though, Jack came to me for what I thought would be round two. In fact, it was round one ... ... ... of a whole different game.
I was defenceless. There's no other way to describe it. From the moment I opened the door and saw him there to the moment we ... ... ... I was just defenceless. We couldn't fight anyone. That had all been done at the wake. Now, what was left was an undeniable want for each other. He needn't have said anything. There was a look in his eyes that I understood as his apology for everything. And I accepted it.
As soon as the door closed, we both seemed to shut out the heartache we had caused each other over the last few years.
So there we were, in my hallway, with no outstanding grudges and – more importantly – no regulations.
Without a moment's notice, he dropped to his knees and encircled his arms about my waist. His lips pressed against my stomach, through the fabric of my shirt. My hands instinctively made their way through his hair, until the torturous sensation of his embrace became unbearable and I wanted more.
I lifted his head, and in turn he stood up again, taking my gesture as the welcome he had desired.
That's when he kissed me.
Long, deep and full of the passion, lust and love that was mingling around us and inside us. He soon swept me off my feet – literally! – and carried me upstairs.
I guess there was more of our spark left that night than I thought.
And, by God, did it burn!
*****
Author's Note: Sorry it took me so long to get this posted. I got stuck on the arguments. The next part (of this and Closure) might take a while as well, cos I've got a lot of coursework to do, but I'll try my best. Right! Now, please review! Thanx!
