Carter stood in front of the quantum mirror and waved as Jack smiled in the reflection.
The Image dissipated and Carter lingered a moment as a smile swept across her face. What would have happened if Jack hadn't come through the mirror? She was sure that he had something to do with her Jack's recent behavior...
For a moment, she wished that she could have gone through with him to make sure his Sammie was all right...that the antidote worked. But she was needed here...there was something keeping her here now.
She turned for the door and paused with her hand on the handle. Looking over her shoulder to the dark mirror she whispered, "Take care of her Jack,"
She walked down the hall and to the elevator. As the doors closed before her, she suddenly remembered what had happened the last time she as in this elevator...
The memory of Jack's lips on hers came rushing back.
The warmth of his body melding with her own... the feel of his hands caressing her face and neck and down to her back... the memory made her smile slyly as the doors dinged open.
IN THE GENERAL'S OFFICE...
O'Neill sat at his desk.
His thoughts were divided between the injured Tokra in the infirmary and Carter...Carter...Sam...had he done the right thing? Of course he did, he should have done it a long time ago. He always thought that the time wasn't right...that he couldn't leave the SGC at that moment—he was needed.
But now, with his promotion, he wasn't needed like he used to be...the thought of retirement didn't sting as it once did...it seemed more...possible.
"Sir?" Her voice touched something in him, something that had been awakened not even an hour ago...
Looking up from his desk he met her gaze and for a spilt second he was lost in her eyes.
He had to look back down at his papers on his desk to keep himself from a situation he had spent years avoiding...
"Hey Carter...uhmm, you'll never guess what came through the gate..." he said standing and straightening the files before him.
HE WAS FIDGETTING, and she knew it.
It was going to be just how she had always imagined it would be—AWKWARD.
All these years, their friendship and the trust they had built between them...it was like she'd just walked into the briefing room as she had done eight years ago...the awkward banter...the unfamiliar ground...this was the reason they had never spoken about what was or might be between them... this moment...this right here was the reason they never crossed that line...
And now he was trying to jump over the hurdle that was the "elephant in the room" so to speak, and start a subject that would put them on a subject other than what they really needed to talk about...what they wanted to talk about...
"Tokra." He said as she scrunched her forehead at him.
"What about them?"
"One of them came through the gate, he's all banged up..." He said crossing to the front of his desk where he leaned back against the tabletop and shoved his hand into his pockets.
"Did he say what happened?" She said trying to maintain her scientist frame of mind, concentrate on the matter at hand.
He shook his head, "He's still unconscious...Doc. said he should wake up soon."
She frowned and looked down to the ground.
"We don't know if you dad was there...he's usually on some secret mission anyway...you know?" he said, recognizing the look of despair on her face as she pondered her father's fate.
"I know-"she said, choking back the tears that stung her eyelids. "I'm uh—"She said, suddenly unable to speak pass the lump in her throat.
"You should get some sleep...head home for the night." He said. "We're not gonna get much more information until morning."
She didn't even try to fight him, only nodded and turned for the door. She stopped before reaching for the handle and turned around slowly...the lump in her throat disappeared.
"I'm going to see Pete tonight." She said in a tone that sent chills down O'Neill's spine. He couldn't help but feel sick inside suddenly and instinctively looked up at her and for a moment showed the fear in his eyes. But a moment later it was gone and the indifferent--sarcastic O'Neill covered it up.
"Oh?" He said sitting down in his chair.
"I have to tell him—something." She said trying to say what they both knew needed to happen.
"And what is that?" He said, wanting to hear the answer and yet dreading it at the same time.
She had turned for the door again. Slowly she looked over her shoulder at him and a smile that radiated through him swept across her face. "That I can't see him anymore." She said before walking out into the hall and closing the door behind her.
This he could do.
It didn't matter what crisis was near him or what ill-fated journey loomed on the horizon...
A spark of hope had been ignited in him; bringing life to a part of him that had been dead for almost ten years...a part of himself that he had denied for nearly eight years...a part of himself that belonged to her...that lived for her.
He smiled at the door where she stood only a few moments before, still seeing the smile she gave him...
Yes, this was going to work....