A/N: If you will all look out the windows to your right, you'll see the angst-ridden, sad part of our story approaching rapidly on the horizon. Please do not panic. Remember to fix oxygen masks to your own face before assisting those around you. Also, continue to remain seated with your seatbelts fastened until the turbulence has passed.
I repeat, do not panic.
Chapter 21
Sam sat at her workbench, humming happily as she pored over maps of the Ancient site on P3X-812. There were small multi-colored dots marking the locations which had already been thoroughly searched for the rest of the locking device. Truthfully, Sam was only paying half-attention to her work. Most of her brain was preoccupied with thoughts of her upcoming wedding.
Three days. In just three short days, she would finally become Mrs. Jack O'Neill. The last three months had passed in a happy blur. She'd sold her home and moved in with Jack until the construction of their new house was complete. At thirty-three weeks pregnant, she was rapidly approaching her due date. Twins often arrived early, and she could expect to finally meet her babies shortly after her honeymoon ended.
"Oh, boy. She's humming again." Sam smiled reflexively as Jack's voice materialized behind her. She turned her head to see him stepping into the lab. As he approached, he gazed at her with the quiet affection she'd come to treasure. "Having a good day?" he asked, sauntering toward her.
Sam nodded, beaming. "I'm having a great day. Not sure I'm having a productive day, but it's great anyway." She shook her head ruefully. "I'm trying to stay on-task, but I keep getting distracted by visions of rose bouquets and tiers of butter-cream frosting."
As Jack reached the workbench, he stepped behind her and began gently rubbing her shoulders. "Well, I wouldn't worry too much," he said dryly. "I'm almost never productive, and they promoted me to Brigadier General."
Sam chuckled. "Good point."
Jack continued massaging her upper back as he gazed over her shoulder. "What's that?" he asked, nodding toward the map of P3X-812.
Sam sighed. "The layout of the Ancient site that Daniel's artifact came from. We're still hoping to find the rest of the puzzle." She pointed to the dots scattered over the surface of the page. "These are the places we've surveyed thoroughly. It's taking forever, because we have no idea what the key does. We also have no idea what this settlement was used for, when it was built, or how the layout contributed to its function." She sighed. "In essence, we're pretty much clueless. They're working in this section right now," she said, indicating a series of yellow dots clumped together.
Jack shook his head. "Well that's stupid. That area of the city was a public recreation area. They wouldn't have kept some all-important treasure hidden at the local social club." He gestured to an area of the map that was unmarked with dots. "They should look over there. That's where most of the technological research was done."
Sam slowly turned to face him, an astonished look on her face. "How could you possibly know that?" she asked incredulously.
Jack blinked, suddenly realizing what he'd just said. "I have no idea."
Sam's breath caught in her chest. Twice in the past seven years, Jack's brain had been temporarily flooded with all the knowledge of the Ancients. In both instances, he'd been able to build Ancient technology that had been light years ahead of anything found on Earth. Only through Asgard intervention had he been saved from death, as the human brain was not equipped to deal with such vast quantities of information. The Asgard were able to wipe the Ancient information from his mind, returning him to normal.
However, there was evidence that something of the encounters had remained in his head. Ancient symbols often appeared familiar to him, even if he could no longer read them. And, more conclusively, he had been able to instinctively use an Ancient weapon, designed from the data in his brain, in order to defeat attacking replicators. Sam could only guess that some of the Ancient information was still hiding in his head, even if Jack was not aware of it.
"Why didn't I think of this sooner?" she breathed. "Jack, you should be the one going to P3X-812in order to scout the site. Only you will know what we're looking for. General Hammond has been talking about pulling the plug on this, because we've essentially gotten nowhere in seven months of searching. If we don't get something useful soon, the Pentagon is going to axe the whole project."
Jack looked at her closely. "Can it wait until after the wedding?"
Sam considered the question carefully. "Honestly, I don't know. I think you'd better talk to General Hammond. I know he's been under a lot of pressure to wrap this thing up."
"I'll talk to Hammond," Jack said, "but he's going to want your input too, Colonel. You're his eyes and ears here, and your opinion counts for a lot." He removed his hands from her shoulders and gazed at her seriously. It was clear he was in 'professional mode.'
"Carter, what is your gut telling you? Can this wait or not?"
Sam rubbed the bridge of her nose. "It's waited seven months. Another week shouldn't matter." Then she dropped her hands back to her lap and looked Jack in the eye. "On the other hand, we've never before postponed a potentially critical mission because of a staff member's personal life. We worked through Daniel's ascension, Janet's death, and my pregnancy. We've always worked. Doing anything else sets a dangerous precedent."
Jack nodded. "Yeah, I agree. My first instinct is to get started in there right away. If I can get them on the right track before the wedding, they could potentially have made a discovery by the time we return from our honeymoon. It could give us an extra week to use whatever we find against the Goa'uld."
Sam reluctantly agreed. "You'd better call General Hammond. He'll want to be updated."
Replacing his hands on her shoulders, Jack leaned forward and kissed Sam on the cheek. "Don't sound so glum. I'll be back in plenty of time for the big event." He looked her squarely in the eye. "I wouldn't miss it for anything, Sam."
Sam tried to smile, but an uneasy feeling had settled in the pit of her stomach. Shaking it off, she took Jack's hand and squeezed it gently. "I know. Just be careful."
Jack's lips quirked in the famous O'Neill half-smile. "Relax, Carter. I'll be in charge of the mission. What could possibly go wrong?"
Sam smiled, but inside she wished he hadn't phrased it quite that way.
The stars overhead were seemingly endless. Jack never tired of stargazing, even when the constellations were as alien as these. Something about the vastness of the universe spoke to him on a basic level. Each star in the sky represented the possibility of planets teeming with life. He was sure Carter could make some technological remark about why some stars could support life-bearing planets and others were completely unsuitable. But, since Jack had no such knowledge cluttering his brain, he could revel in the flawed assumption that all those stars represented endless civilizations. The ability to move freely between those stars was the ultimate freedom.
Jack supposed he ought to be considering the concept of freedom quite a lot these days. Most folks thought of marriage as a surrender of freedom. But, in his own mind, he'd never felt more liberated. All the constraints that had once burdened him had now fallen away. He was free to decide on his career path, free to love Carter and his unborn babies. And, in some ways, he was finally free of the crushing guilt and grief that had accompanied Charlie's death. The wound left by his son's passing would always hurt, but he felt like his new family allowed him to move forward again. There were times he almost felt Charlie standing near him, smiling at the new happiness in his father's life.
The Ancient ruins on P3X-812 were very peaceful. Perhaps it was Jack's subconscious memories of the past that soothed him so, but, in any event, there was something undeniably comforting about this place. His first two days of exploring had been very uneventful. In the morning, he would pack up his gear, return to the stargate, and move on to a new life with Carter. Regrettably, he'd found nothing that looked like it might fit the metallic cylinder they'd discovered. But the relative quiet of the past few days had been a remarkably relaxing break for Jack. When he returned to Sam, he would be doing so with a balanced mind and joyful heart.
Yawning, he stretched out on his bedroll. Satisfied that the rest of the team had taken care of the basic camp duties, he decided to turn in early and get a good night's sleep. Smiling, he realized that he'd be spending tomorrow night with his new wife at his side.
Life didn't get better than that.
"Don't forget to bring your gold watch. The one you wear every day will look stupid with the tux." Sam spoke into the control room microphone with a smile. The stargate on the other side of the plate-glass window shimmered with the aquatic-looking event horizon. This was a scheduled mission report, though most of the communication so far had been about the wedding.
"Not even married yet and you're already giving me orders." Jack's voice crackled through the speaker. Even with the poor quality of the sound, Sam could clearly hear the dry humor in his tone. "Don't worry, I've already got it packed. All I have to do is pop in, shower, change, and meet you at the altar."
Sam could see several of the other technicians in the room smile at his remarks. There was a festive air on the base today. Everyone was looking forward to the upcoming nuptials between their general and his pregnant fiancé. "All right, General. Then you'd better finish striking camp. If you're late, I won't be happy."
"You got it, Colonel. I'll see you promptly at twelve-hundred hours. O'Neill out."
Sam smiled as the event horizon winked out of existence and quiet settled back over the gate room. Finally. It was finally time to commit her life to the one man she'd always loved. She'd managed to talk Jack into writing their own vows – heaven only knew how she'd managed that – and she couldn't wait to hear what he'd written. Giddiness filled her heart.
"You ready?" Daniel's voce startled Sam out of her reverie. Turning around, she fixed him with a dazzling smile.
"I think I've been ready for this my whole life."
Daniel returned her smile with one of his own. "I've gotta say, there were times I doubted this would ever happen. We knew you guys were crazy about each other for years. But you're both so committed to the Air Force, we sometimes wondered if you'd ever figure out a way to make it work."
Teal'c, standing beside Daniel, nodded his agreement. "I am pleased, however, that I was the one to win the pond."
Sam quirked her eyebrow, clearly puzzled. "The pond?"
Daniel also appeared mystified by Teal'c's comment. Then, a light seemed to turn on in his head. "Do you mean the pool?"
Teal'c blinked. "Yes, perhaps that is correct."
Sam laughed at Teal'c's misstatement, but then stopped abruptly. "The pool? You mean to tell me you were betting on when Jack and I would get married?"
Both men nodded, not looking at all contrite. Daniel glanced at Teal'c and made a face. "He beat me by a day. I figured you two would opt for a Saturday wedding, so I put my money on tomorrow. Teal'c was smart enough to realize that Birthmonth started on a Friday in the Colonies, so he picked today." He sounded mildly annoyed. "I can't believe he thought of that and I didn't."
Sam continued to look at the two men accusingly. "You were betting on my wedding?"
Teal'c shrugged. "If it makes you feel better, Samantha, we were not alone in our wagers. Most of the base was also involved. There is also a considerable amount of money riding on the date and time of your twins' birth."
Sam rubbed her forehead. "All right, I don't want to know any more. Just please tell me Jack isn't in on any of this."
Teal'c and Daniel exchanged knowing looks. Daniel smiled and said, "Would he do that?"
She rolled her eyes. "Forget I asked. Can we go now?"
Daniel nodded. "Anytime. Your bags, toiletries and gown are all waiting for you. Shinsall has personally seen to your quarters."
Sam's face once again lit up with a breathtaking smile. "All right, then let's get moving. I think I've waited long enough for this day."
Laughing, Daniel agreed. "All right, Cinderella. Let's get you ready for the prince."
Jack pointed to a crate of supplies. "Michelson, make sure that gets back to base."
The young enlisted man saluted sharply. "Yes sir. And congratulations on your wedding, General."
Jack smiled. "Thanks. I'll save you a piece of cake."
Whistling softly to himself, Jack strode around the camp, making sure everything was ready for their return to Earth. A small team would stay here and continue the search, but a majority of the men and supplies were returning to the SGC. Jack would review the project when he returned from his honeymoon.
Just then, out of the corner of his eye, Jack noticed something odd. Though he'd been rigorously searching the area for three days, he must have missed something with his earlier efforts. Sunk into the ground, behind a seemingly random outcropping of rock, was a circle of stepping stones. "Hey, Michelson," he called back to the younger man. "Grab the camera and come over here."
As the young soldier hastened to comply with the order, Jack walked across camp and picked up the metal cylinder that Daniel had discovered so many months ago. Carefully avoiding the glowing crystals, he hefted the cylinder and strode to the stone circle.
Upon closer inspection, the ring actually resembled a patio. Along the edges of the circle were evenly spaced, dark black stones seemingly made of volcanic glass. At the center was a smooth, round stone with a pinkish hue. An odd, familiar feeling tickled the back of Jack's brain as he stepped onto the stones.
As if he had no control of his actions, Jack automatically walked to the center of the circle. Instinctively, he placed his fingers under the edge of the rose-colored rock and gently pried it up. His actions revealed a man-made hole lined with uneven grooves.
Gently, Jack took the cylinder and smoothly slid it into the hole. With a satisfying click, the device locked into place. Jack had time for a brief smile of pleasure before he noticed the smell of ozone. Instantly, he realized he'd made a mistake.
He'd forgotten a step.
Though he had no idea how he knew, Jack was filled with the sickening certainty that something awful was going to happen. Reflexively, he tried to dive out of the circle of stones, but even as he lurched into action, he knew he'd be too late.
A blinding flash of light was immediately followed by a deafening crash. The air seemed to sizzle, and every man within a hundred feet of the circle was thrown to the ground.
When young Airman Michelson recovered his footing, he raised the camera back to the spot he'd just been filming. Only, instead of General O'Neill's tall, commanding figure, all he could see was a smoldering pile of dust.
Sam hummed happily as she finished putting in her pearl earrings. Her father would be waiting outside, reluctantly ready to give her away. Her ivory gown smoothly flowed over her rounded belly, and a wreath of primroses graced her short blond hair. The guests were all seated, and Shinsall was ready to perform the ceremony. All the pieces had finally come together. It was the happiest moment of her life.
When the door opened, she opened her mouth to scold her father. She'd told Jacob to wait outside, because his nervous fluttering was distracting. The words died on her tongue, however, when she saw Daniel instead.
"Daniel, why aren't you with Jack and Teal'c?" Seeing the grim expression on Daniel's face, Sam felt her heart slowly plummet into her stomach. "He's late, isn't he?" Sinking into her chair, she looked at Daniel in distress. "Let me guess, something came up off-world and we're going to have to postpone the wedding." Sam tried to tamp down the flood of disappointment that was welling up inside her.
"Sam…" Daniel's expression hadn't changed. Suddenly, she noticed something resembling pity lurking in the back of his gaze. Sam swallowed, fighting back sheer panic. Surely, she reasoned, it was just the light making Daniel look so pale. As she held his gaze, however, she knew something was terribly wrong.
"Is he hurt?" The words were a strangled whisper.
Again, Daniel's face remained carved in an expression of grim sympathy. As he stepped toward her, Sam felt the earth tilt on its axis. Her stomach lurched, and her hands flew to her mouth. "Daniel?" Her voice was small and terrified.
"God, Sam. I don't know how to tell you this." He knelt in front of her and took her wrists in his hands. Gently, he peeled her hands away from her face and stared intently into her bright blue eyes. "Something happened in the ruins, Sam. He found the locking device and activated it, but there was a problem."
Sam's face was a mask of terror. "But he's going to be okay, right?"
Daniel closed his eyes for a moment, gathering the courage for what was likely going to be the hardest thing he'd ever done. Taking a deep breath, he once again captured her panicked gaze.
"I'm sorry, Sam. But he's gone. There was a huge discharge of energy, and he was just… gone. There's nothing left. I might have hoped that he somehow escaped, but one of the Airmen captured the whole thing on film. I saw the tape, Sam." He swallowed, willing his voice to remain steady. "Nobody could have lived through that." Seeing the denial painted on her features, Daniel pushed ahead, making himself say the words she needed to hear. "Sam, I'm sorry. I'm so very, very sorry. But there's no question in my mind.
"Jack is dead."