WATCH AND WAIT

Sam Carter burst in through the door, stumbling, before leaning
heavily against the surface next to the sink. Her face creased, tears
spilling down her cheeks as she tried to get control of herself.

She looked up, into the mirror.

The worse thing about it was that she knew, knew she would have to
walk back in that room with a smile on her face and perfect mascara,
like everything was perfectly normal and all was right with the world.

She didn't know how long she would be able to keep doing this.

"Sam?"

Sam froze a moment, then relaxed slightly as she saw, in the reflection,
the kind face of Janet Fraiser.

"Oh Janet," Sam said, shaking her head. "Why does he keep doing this
to me?"

Janet approached her friend slowly. "Because he thinks you don't
care."

"Don't care? How can I not?"

"Sam, you need to tell him."

"Tell him?" Sam turned. "Tell him? Janet, I can't go near him
without a valid Air Force reason! How can I tell him?" Suddenly
she was breaking down again. Janet caught her hugged her friend
as she wept into her shoulder.

"I don't see a way out of this, Janet," Sam sobbed, "I just don't see
a way out."

Jack O'Neill sat in the bar, downing some more of his beer before
gesturing to the barman for a refill.

"Jack!" the voice came from the entrance, a voice he hadn't heard in
a very long time. Jack turned.

"Kendrick?"

"Yessir," Captain J. Kendrick grinned. Despite himself, Jack grinned
back.

"Kenny! What the heck are you doing here?"

Kendrick looked around, grinning. "Looking for a drink, I guess." He
sat beside Jack and ordered.

-L-A-T-E-R-

"So what's her name?"

"Huh?" Jack looked up from his beer.

"C'mon, Jack, I know you. This is about a woman, isn't it?"

"Not just any woman," Jack replied.

"Yeah, that's what you always think."

"No, I mean it. She's the most beautiful woman you could ever lay
eyes on in the whole universe." And believe me, I know, Jack
thought. "She's got this lovely blonde hair...and these eyes, the
gorgeous blue eyes..."

"Right," Kendrick grinned. "Dumb blonde, huh?"

"That's just it about her," said Jack earnestly, "she's the opposite
to that."

"So...she's not blonde then?"

"Yes! No! I mean...she's blonde, but she's the smartest woman in the
galaxy."

"Sheesh, Jack, all these 'galaxies' and 'universes', I'd say you're
pretty star-struck. What's the catch? Is she married?"

"Worse," said Jack dryly, sinking back down to stare at his beer.

"A lesbian."

"No!" Jack responded. "Kenny, she's my 2IC!"

"Ouch!" Kendrick responded. He shook his head, "You sure pick 'em,
Jack."

"Yeah," Jack sighed. "I don't think I can take it any more. We've
been all over the...world...together, missions. Saved each other's
butts I don't know how many times. And she keeps falling for all
these aliens--" He stopped in horror, but Kenny was nodding.

"Ruddy foreigners," he muttered. "So what are you gonna do?"

"She'd be better off without me," Jack answered simply.

It was late at night, far past the closing time for O'Malley's.
Sam sat in Janet Fraiser's office.

The Doctor had been called to the Security Checkpoint to deal with a
worse-for-wear soldier who had swayed his way towards Cheyenne
Mountain.

Now, fifteen minutes later, Janet returned with two cups of coffee in
her hand. She gave on to Sam and sat down on the chair opposite her
friend.

"So..." Sam said, "Emergency over?"

"Yes," Janet replied, sipping the coffee, "Nothing that a few aspirin
and a cold shower won't cure." she continued with a grin.

"Anyone we know?" Sam asked.

The look changed on Janet's face, Sam suddenly thought it had less to
do with medical confidentiality than Janet knowing something she
thought Sam would not want to hear.

"It's Jack isn't it?" Sam said, almost accusatory.

Janet didn't bother to deny it, "He's OK Sam, sleeping it off in his
quarters. He was brought over from O'Malley's by someone called
Kendrick."

Sam set her coffee cup on the desk and rose from her chair, "I have
to see him." was all she said.

Sam made her way slowly towards the room where Jack was apparently
recovering. She looked up at the six-foot-three SF. "I'm here with
authorisation from Doctor Fraiser." The SF nodded and opened the
door. Carter went through, slowly.

Jack was curled up asleep on his bunk facing the door.

Sam closed the door, and sat down on a chair, backwards. She lowered
her head and rested it on folded arms, which lay along the top of
the back support. She watched him, silently.

Dreaming, Jack was facing Sam alone in the Briefing Room. She did not
look happy.

"Jack," Sam was saying, "why are you holding back from me?"

"I... Say what?" Jack looked at Sam.

The Dream Sam took a step towards him. "You're holding back, you're
pulling away. Why?"

"'Cos for crying out loud Sam, we're in the military."

Suddenly the figure he was speaking to had long hair. "No, Jack,
you are in the military - I am not. Didn't you feel something when
we kissed?"

Suddenly there were two Sams: one with long hair, one with
short. "Jack," said Short-Haired Sam. "Don't leave me, not for her.
Not for Sara. Don't go to be with Laira. I need you, Jack."

Jack shook his head and both Sam's blurred into one. The one Sam that
was left was his Sam, short haired, spunky Sam. His Sam...

Jack moaned and stirred on his bunk. Sam was startled, fearing
that he'd awaken and find her sat there staring at him.
Putting the chair back under the desk, Sam got up abruptly but
carried on watching Jack.

"Sam," he mumbled in his sleep.

"Jack?" Sam said in response. No reply. Jack had shifted on the bunk
and gone back to sleep.

Sam felt the strange mixture of disappointment and relief pass
through her. In a way she wanted him to wake - but in others she
told herself it would be better for him to remain asleep.

But she had to talk to him, she knew that really. Had to stop him
leaving SG-1. Leaving her.

Reluctantly she left Jack's quarters. He had gotten drunk because of
her, she just knew it.

Sam returned to her own quarters and attempted sleep.

She couldn't.

Or at least, she didn't think she could, but at some point she did
drift off. And she dreamed.

There were voices. She tried to hear what each one was saying, but
she couldn't, not all of them; so she tried to find just one.

"Jack?" she called.

"Sam?" Jack answered, but he seemed so far away.

The voices seemed to crowd her, and suddenly Sam found a bayonet in
her hand. The voices were beginning to form vines, and frantically
she slashed through them.

She had to reach Jack.

Kendrick walked away from Cheyenne Mountain after escorting a drunken
Jack O'Neill back to base. OK, so he was to blame for Jack's current
state, although not entirely.

As he left the security checkpoint, Kendrick laughed, a laugh that
was most unlike him, a booming laugh that sounded almost unearthly.
New to him, but almost reassuring, as were the glowing eyes and
restorative properties of the Goa'uld symbiote he now carried inside
him.

Kendrick was never one to believe in UFOs with little green men.
He was more your straight talking, beer drinking tough Air Force guy.
His association with Colonel Jack O'Neill had begun so long ago
neither of them wanted to recall the exact passage of time.
But they were friends, which made it easier for Kendrick to carry out
his task. A task given to him by Seth, a Goa'uld settled on Earth but
defeated by SG-1.

Now the task was complete, Kendrick's thirst for revenge was over.
Driven underground by the attack on Seth's headquarters, Kendrick
kept for himself a group of devotees, who had maintained a watch on
the SGC and more importantly SG-1.

The previous evening had been a good time to reveal himself to his
old friend and the ploy worked. After a few beers, Jack was pouring
out his heart, although Kendrick really did not care that Jack O'Neill
was in love.

Kendrick returned to his vehicle, an RV that, while it appeared
cumbersome, was useful for surveillance equipment and a place to
sleep while on the move. Useful for being close to the SGC, to be
able to watch the facility.

Watch and wait...