A/N: Okay, so I am taking quite a few liberties with this one. I'm asking you to take a leap of faith with me concerning Jack's plan!
Fifteen minutes later they were in the familiar briefing room of the SGC surrounded by Daniel, Teal'c, Major Davis and General Hammond. When the General walked in he was extremely angry, but he forced himself to calm down before speaking to Sam- he knew she would never go to the media. "Sam do you know how the media found out you worked here at the SGC?"
Sam looked down, "Yes sir. My- Carlos told them. He found out at Teal'c's housewarming party, a couple weeks ago, that I worked at the SGC. His best friends' cousin is a reporter and I guess he let her know… he even had an interview lined up without my permission sir."
Daniel asked the next question, "How did you get out of your house with the media there?"
"I had gone for a run. When I got back I saw them all in front of my house…"
Major Davis was the next to speak, "General this is a nightmare for us. The Pentagon's been fielding calls from the media all morning asking to confirm if Dr. Carter worked at the SGC."
Jack looked up, "Dr. Carter? Did they specifically ask about Dr. Carter?"
They all looked at him unsure where his line of questioning was going, "Yeah… I don't see why that makes a difference."
"They don't know she was in the military! They probably think she worked here in a civilian capacity…"
"And…?" Daniel asked.
"We tell them the truth and make it look like Carlos is making this up. Dr. Samantha Carter never worked with the Air Force at SGC. We wouldn't be lying would we since it was Major Samantha Carter of the Air Force who worked at the SGC! And if Sam stays out of the lime light for the next week and the Pentagon puts this story to rest with the 'truth', then this story will become old news in no time."
Everyone looked at each other around the table upon hearing Jack's plan. They all nodded their heads as they considered it. "Jack, when did you become so diplomatic? That's a fine line of semantics you want to use," Daniel told his friend as a grin appeared on his face.
General Hammond was also inclined to agree, "Major Davis, do you think you can pull this off?"
"Yes sir. Of course, it wouldn't hurt if we made the media distrust Carlos a couple of more times. But, yes sir. I think we can get the media to buy it. The statement we make will have to be carefully worded so that the media doesn't pick up on the specific choice of words we are using."
"Dr. Jackson I'd like for you to help Major Davis with the statements he'll be drawing up."
"Yes sir," he told him with a wide grin. "Any chance we can kick him out of the country?"
Sam had a thoughtful look on her face as she considered that, "Well he hasn't gotten his Visa yet…"
Daniel turned to the base commander, "General-"
"I'm already on it," he told them as he walked back into his office to make a few phone calls.
"You know, if we make it seem like he made up this story to stay here, the media will turn on him… And if we make him Persona Non Grata, I doubt they'll raise a stink about it."
Daniel and Paul Davis began discussing the wording for the press statements they would release in response to the media frenzy in front of Sam's house. A few minutes later General Hammond returned, "I spoke with the President; he's going to hold up Mr. Guerrero's Visa application for the time being. I notified him of our plan to diffuse the situation and he's on board with it and he'd like you to speak with his press secretary," he told them before starting to leave the conference room. He paused and turned back to the crowd as an afterthought, "Sam, you are more than welcome to stay here on base until this all blows over."
"Thank you sir, but I think I'd rather just hole up with Cassie or stay at a hotel. It won't be long before the media starts watching this place… I should actually get going soon."
"Very well. I'd like to know where I can contact you though while we wait this out. That'll be all everyone," he told them as he returned to his office.
Ten minutes later Jack and Sam were leaving the base, "Are you okay with this?"
Sam looked over at him as she climbed into his truck, "Huh?"
"With us essentially making him out to be a liar and getting him kicked out of the country? We never asked you, but is this okay with you?" he asked her.
Sam knew he was deeply concerned for her and that if she said she wasn't, then they would head back into the base and come up with another idea. She looked away from him and through the windshield and when she spoke it was almost a whisper, "Yeah."
"Are you sure? I know this is going to affect your relationship with Carlos, so if you want to-"
"No. He ended our relationship when he assumed he could go behind my back and set up an interview for me with a reporter."
Jack placed his arm on her shoulder, "Okay, as long as you're sure… Let's get out of here."
The rest of that day Jack and Sam spent in his living room chatting and watching TV. They called Cassie at one point to arrange for Sam to stay with her, however the media had already started to contact her, so that option was out. Sam was starting to call hotels trying to find a place to stay for the next week that wouldn't break her bank, unfortunately she wasn't finding much luck. She was on her fifth phone call when Jack walked up to her and handed her a cup of tea.
"You know you can come up to the cabin with me. I was planning on heading over there tomorrow for a couple days of fishing. They'd never find you there," he offered her. He had been wrestling with the idea of inviting her to the cabin for twenty minutes before deciding that it was what a friend would do. And even though he was excited that it looked like Sam and Carlos were no longer an item, it hurt him to see Sam so distraught at the idea of having her life analyzed by the media. And if she did agree to go with him then he'd have the chance to be there for her… to show her that he cared about her and that he had changed. And he had- he would put her needs before his own desires. He could wait.
"Are you sure you don't mind?"
Jack smiled, "Yeah of course… Just don't say anything to me if you don't catch any fish!"
Sam laughed, "What about if you don't catch any fish?"
"I haven't minded not catching a fish there in ten years!"
Two weeks later Sam and Jack returned from his cabin. The media had dropped the story by then believing the government's statements that Dr. Samantha Carter never worked with the Air Force. Their distrust in Carlos' story began to grow when he had called them back to Sam's house when she had shown up to get some things for her trip to the cabin. They were already gone when the media vans showed up and Carlos had insisted that she was there and that the neighbor could verify seeing Sam that night. But Sam had called her neighbor, and long time friend of her father, before even showing up at her house to ask her a favor. When the reporters asked her if she had seen Sam that night she told them that she hadn't seen her since the night before when she had left on a camping trip, and no, unfortunately, Sam didn't say where she was going and when exactly she would be back.
TBC
