Alpha Male

Disclaimer; see chapter one before and after the story



Falling from Grace

Later in the commissary the CO and 2IC sat together just like old times after procuring a number of slices of pie and copious amounts of blue jell- o.

'So.' Said Sam

'So,' replied the man opposite her through a mouthful of pie.

'What are you up to this weekend?'

'Going out with Lorna'

so that's her name!

'Lorna?' face contorted into to a look of sheer bewilderment.

'The woman I'm sorta going with'

'Right'

It wasn't that Sam didn't instantly know who he was talking about because she did, however the method in her questioning and further prodding of the subject was to see how much she could get out of him on the subject, which was very little as he was just changing the topic of conversation.

'How about you?'

'Didn't Daniel tell you?'

A look of complete and utter perplexity answered her question.

'My house warming party is tomorrow night. We've been planning it for weeks, practically the entire base is invited to my small three bed roomed house!'

'Oh right' he said rather out of it as if he where thinking deeply on some way to get out of it.

'You are coming, right?'

Her eyes filled with the fear of being rejected.

' Yeah sure I'll be there'

Her face lifted instantly.

'Really? Sure your not going out'

'Definitely not out.' He murmured. 'My team is important to me' he said more audibly, ' of course I'll be there.'



'Daniel, I can't come' a voice of exhaustion practically whined.

'Jack...'

'No I can't get out of this one, never'

'Jack, she's gonna kill you come Monday you know that. In fact she'll probably go in to the SGC tomorrow, hangover and all I might add, just to kick your ass.'

'Hmm' a distant murmur.

'Jack?' inquired a curious Daniel, 'What are you doing?'

Pause

'Sorry Daniel. Umm just talk to Sam and tell her I'm sorry'

The monotonous drone of the tone which sounds after the the other person hanges up rang through the receiver.



Sam arrived at the SGC on a Sunday morning, walking purposefully through the halls in her civies to make her soon-to-be insubordinate less noticeable, as she didn't look like a subordinate. ( logical when you think about it really!)

'Hello' she said neutrally as she moved into his office taking a seat in front of a mountain of paperwork that lay on his desk. She could she something different in his eyes, was that worry? exhaustion? Whatever it was it did not deter her actions.

'Hey' he said slouching into his own more comfortable chair. ( again with the perks of the job)

Sam smiled slightly as she noticed that a fair chunk of the paperwork mountain had come from her own lab. Results of practically unimportant tests littered his desk clogging it up at exactly the time when Carter felt the need for retribution.

'What's funny?' said Jack slightly offended at not being in on the joke, whatever the hell it was.

'Nothing' her face now one of resolution as the purpose of her visit filled her mind once again. 'Where were you?'

His eyes closed, leaning his elbows on the desk, his head slipped easily into his hands and remained there in a position of submission. He looked deeply into the curious and ever so slightly hurt eyes of his 2IC.

'I'm so sorry'

'I was looking forward to that cake that you promised as well.' A hint of distaste and anger in her voice indicated the raging volcano that rumbled beneath the calm exterior.

'I know' eyes full of remorse at the thought of letting every one down, especially her.

'Sorry' he added in an attempt to quell her anger. But this one word succeeded in shattering the composed superficial aura and releasing a fresh full blown surge of boiling hot anger.

'Sorry? Sorry isn't good enough you shouldn't have done it in the first place' she felt like a parent scolding a child, trying to teach them right from wrong, 'and let's not forget this isn't the first time. There have been nights that you arranged where you just don't turn up. Cassie's Birthday; now that was low, you know how much she needs us ever since Janet died. We are the only family that she has, sad but true. And don't try the base emergency crap because I check the records, and hardly anything has happened at those time to warrant you being called in, or last night for that matter' Pausing only to draw breath properly for the first time in a minute she only had one thing left to say;

'So, where were you?'

Subtlety went out the window, or the door since the SGC doesn't have windows, she spat the question with such venom that any man would shrink with the enormity of it. This was true as even Jack, the commander of the most secret project in the world shrunk visibly in his chair in the presence of such anger and a look of such revulsion.

But he had no words to explain himself. It was too complicated, too personal that he wouldn't dare tell her even when faced with her eyes blazing and wide in such an uncharacteristic way.

'Sorry' was the only word he could muster bowing his head in defeat, completely lacking the energy to fight back or acknowledge the insubordination.

Sam always imagined she'd win the argument, it what she does, living with an older brother for 15 year taught her as much, but she was ready for a fight, anger disapated as concern for her CO clouded her mind.

'Are you ok sir?'

'Yeah, Yeah I'm fine' he said in a not-so-believable way.

It' suddenly struck her that the change in his eyes, in fact his entire stance was that he appeared to be exhausted.

'What's going on?' she asked eyes questioning those old and tired ones across the expanse of paper.

Those eyes took on a slightly desperate look as though he wanted to reveal exactly what was troubling him, and yet a kind of fear held him back. Normally Sam would be unable to detect such slight changes in the way her CO eyes conveyed feelings, but the exhaustion was catching up on him; making him think slower and hinder his usually oh-so-good way of hiding his emotions.

'It's nothing'

Besides his eyes being so revealing, the fact that he acknowledged an it showed there was something wrong.

But the conversational argument was brought to an abrupt end.

'Carter'

The mask was back on, the swell of emotions quelled for the moment.

'I've got work to do and you supposed to be on down-time so I suggest you get home and nurse that no doubt of a hangover you've got there.'

Thrown off by the abrupt change in the man before her she did as she was asked and left the office without another word or an escort, as she believed she might have done earlier that morning.

Strange. How very strange

Upon the door closing, Jack slumped into his chair once more feeling the energy drained from him by his little act.

'I can't do this any more' he said quietly to himself before drifting to an uneasy place between asleep and awake.



Bet you guys are all worried cos I've went all serious on you there

Heee heee

BTW my doctor has informed me that coffee is bad for my heath so I'll no longer be drinking it ( much to my muses dismay) [ but even she realises the facts]

Therefore after much deliberation and mental clashing we have come to an agreement where by she will receive one chocolate bar for every review [ woo hoo 3 already!!!] so if you want madness and I can tell you do keep reviewing

This story has been helped by the Give Your Muse A Caffinee Fit brought to you by E-number-bay.