It was one of those velvety black nights, no moon and a sea of sparkling stars. The bus
had finally stopped for the night. They were camping in a state park, a chance for a
shower and maybe get a little fishing in before dark. After a dinner of grilled bass that he
had caught, Jack needed to do something normal, something soothing. The simple act of
fishing gave him so much peace he sought more. So he grabbed one of the sleeping bags
and took off for a spot he noticed on his way to the lake. It was a grassy knoll with a
clear view of the heavens surrounded by trees which would block out the light of the
campers, the only light for miles.
"Mind if I tag along."
He was delighted, someone with whom to share his interest. Jack O'Neill had two passions best observed from a distance, the night sky and Samantha Carter. Tonight it was two for the price of one. They had drunk quite a bit of jug wine with dinner and were feeling no pain, and perhaps, if he had all his wits about him, he would have done his star gazing from camp or alone but opportunity knocked and he opened wide the door. They stopped to sit on a log in a lovely spot overlooking a peaceful valley. Out of his shirt pocket he pulled a gift from Michael and lit up.
"Do you think that's wise, Sir."
"No, not particularly… Tell me Carter you never…" offering it to her.
"No."
"Hmm"
So he ground the remains under foot letting the smoke stream through his lips.
"Let's go just a little further, I found a good spot."
At first she just stood there looking up at the sky with so many stars it was impossible to fathom. She stood there until her neck hurt and until she felt dizzy, feeling as though the earth swirled under her feet.
"This is what primitive man saw and thought the gods were in the sky. I think I understand."
So on the grass he unfurled the sleeping bag and they lay down side by side while he pointed out constellations and nebula. He felt her shiver and threw an arm around her. She wasn't cold. It was the expanse of the sky and the nearness of the man.
"Is it clouding up?"
"No that's what the Milky Way really looks like. You're looking through our galaxy. Carter, I've got some questions for you. Do you mind explaining some things to me again? It's the paradox of time thing. There're two of each of us here now?"
"You mean a younger you and this you?" She said this as she rolled to her side to talk to him, placing her hand on his chest. He continued to stare at the sky.
"Yeah… Could I meet myself?"
"I don't think that would be wise, Sir."
"I though we were going to be a bit more informal. Anyway that's not quite what I meant. Would we go poof like some of your subatomic particles? Up in smoke?"
She laughed. He laughed, too but asked "What's so funny? I just find it kind of confusing."
His voice took a serious tone. "I know that I'd want to change things, not let my boy get hurt, not get into some of the missions that went south. You know, just make my life, his life better."
"But we can't, we'd change things."
"I don't know if I'd even listen to me. And anyway aren't things changed by us just being here now. And if we change things maybe we won't ever come here to be able to change things. I'm giving myself a head ache."
They were quite again and looked back at the sky. Her hand had never left O'Neill's chest and when she lay down again it fell feather soft on his belly.
"I've been thinking…"
"You think that's wise."
"Very funny, Carter, no, I know I'm supposed to be Mr. Positive but what if we can't get back. We have no ID, no driver's licenses. What would we do to survive and wouldn't that by it very nature screw things up."
"We could live in Vermont on a commune."
He seemed to think about this for a minute. "No, I won't share you."
"Excuse me!"
"I thought on a commune they shared everything. I'm just not that generous."
"What about what I want."
"What do you want?" he asked in a more serious tone, as his hand slid over hers and held it to his chest.
"I could always teach physics in a college."
"They are full of kids there just for draft deferment. You'll want to shoot yourself in no time. Anyway you don't have any credentials, who would hire you?"
"You could support me." At this O'Neill laughed out loud. She not only heard him but felt his words and laughter through the thin fabric of his t-shirt.
Still laughing O'Neill said "Yeah, and you'd stay at home with the kids and do the cooking."
"Would that be so horrible?" She tried to seem light hearted but basically sounded hurt.
He lifted her hand to his lips, kissing her finger tips and then her palm. "Would you stay with me?" he asked. And before the words were out of his mouth a shooting star trailed across the sky.
"Make a wish." She replied.
"I did."
"Mind if I tag along."
He was delighted, someone with whom to share his interest. Jack O'Neill had two passions best observed from a distance, the night sky and Samantha Carter. Tonight it was two for the price of one. They had drunk quite a bit of jug wine with dinner and were feeling no pain, and perhaps, if he had all his wits about him, he would have done his star gazing from camp or alone but opportunity knocked and he opened wide the door. They stopped to sit on a log in a lovely spot overlooking a peaceful valley. Out of his shirt pocket he pulled a gift from Michael and lit up.
"Do you think that's wise, Sir."
"No, not particularly… Tell me Carter you never…" offering it to her.
"No."
"Hmm"
So he ground the remains under foot letting the smoke stream through his lips.
"Let's go just a little further, I found a good spot."
At first she just stood there looking up at the sky with so many stars it was impossible to fathom. She stood there until her neck hurt and until she felt dizzy, feeling as though the earth swirled under her feet.
"This is what primitive man saw and thought the gods were in the sky. I think I understand."
So on the grass he unfurled the sleeping bag and they lay down side by side while he pointed out constellations and nebula. He felt her shiver and threw an arm around her. She wasn't cold. It was the expanse of the sky and the nearness of the man.
"Is it clouding up?"
"No that's what the Milky Way really looks like. You're looking through our galaxy. Carter, I've got some questions for you. Do you mind explaining some things to me again? It's the paradox of time thing. There're two of each of us here now?"
"You mean a younger you and this you?" She said this as she rolled to her side to talk to him, placing her hand on his chest. He continued to stare at the sky.
"Yeah… Could I meet myself?"
"I don't think that would be wise, Sir."
"I though we were going to be a bit more informal. Anyway that's not quite what I meant. Would we go poof like some of your subatomic particles? Up in smoke?"
She laughed. He laughed, too but asked "What's so funny? I just find it kind of confusing."
His voice took a serious tone. "I know that I'd want to change things, not let my boy get hurt, not get into some of the missions that went south. You know, just make my life, his life better."
"But we can't, we'd change things."
"I don't know if I'd even listen to me. And anyway aren't things changed by us just being here now. And if we change things maybe we won't ever come here to be able to change things. I'm giving myself a head ache."
They were quite again and looked back at the sky. Her hand had never left O'Neill's chest and when she lay down again it fell feather soft on his belly.
"I've been thinking…"
"You think that's wise."
"Very funny, Carter, no, I know I'm supposed to be Mr. Positive but what if we can't get back. We have no ID, no driver's licenses. What would we do to survive and wouldn't that by it very nature screw things up."
"We could live in Vermont on a commune."
He seemed to think about this for a minute. "No, I won't share you."
"Excuse me!"
"I thought on a commune they shared everything. I'm just not that generous."
"What about what I want."
"What do you want?" he asked in a more serious tone, as his hand slid over hers and held it to his chest.
"I could always teach physics in a college."
"They are full of kids there just for draft deferment. You'll want to shoot yourself in no time. Anyway you don't have any credentials, who would hire you?"
"You could support me." At this O'Neill laughed out loud. She not only heard him but felt his words and laughter through the thin fabric of his t-shirt.
Still laughing O'Neill said "Yeah, and you'd stay at home with the kids and do the cooking."
"Would that be so horrible?" She tried to seem light hearted but basically sounded hurt.
He lifted her hand to his lips, kissing her finger tips and then her palm. "Would you stay with me?" he asked. And before the words were out of his mouth a shooting star trailed across the sky.
"Make a wish." She replied.
"I did."