The Intergalactic Social Event of the Decade

Part 11

This was the happiest day of Samantha Carter's life. So why did she feel like her father was escorting her to her execution? And why did she feel like she was being righteously executed as a traitor?

Cold feet. That's what it is, she told herself. That's what it had to be. Because Pete loved her and she needed to be loved. She deserved to be loved. She deserved to have a normal life and she was going to have it. And, Holy Hannah, the Naquadah wrapped around her wrist was getting heavier with each step she took.

She noted her father sounded reluctant when he handed her off to Pete. She looked over at Pete. He grinned happily at her. She offered him as much of a smile as she could muster and was glad he held onto her so tightly, because if he didn't she was sure her knees would buckle under the weight of the Naquadah on her arm.

Sam could honestly say she didn't really hear anything the chaplain said until he uttered those fateful words: "If anyone has just cause why these two should not be joined in lawful matrimony, let them speak now or forever hold their peace." And then the shockingly and bizarrely familiar voice:

"Yeah, that'd me. I kinda got a problem with his whole deal."

If Sam had been a woman prone to swooning, she would have fainted dead away.

---

Jack had closed himself completely down. He felt nothing. No pain. No regrets. No emotions. Nothing. He was nothing. Then a disturbingly familiar voice broke though the nothingness.

"Yeah, that'd me. I kinda got a problem with his whole deal."

What was so disturbing was the fact that it was his voice, but he hadn't said anything. Had he?

There was a huge collective gasp and rustling as everyone in the building to turned the back of the chapel to see a tall lanky figure standing in the aisle at the back.

Jack felt his stomach drop out. He had said it and yet at the same time he hadn't.

"Thor," he hissed. "Beam him out of here."

"Are you certain, O'Neill?"

"No!" Daniel exclaimed turning to Jack. "Don't you think that might be- oh, I don't know- conspicuous?"

"Goddamn fucking son of a bitch," Jack cursed himself. Both himselves.

SFs had moved on either side of his evil clone, ready to drag him away on Colonel Dixon's order. "No!" a strangled voice shouted. "I want to hear what he has to say."

Jack wanted the floor to swallow him up or Thor to beam him up. Whichever could happen the fastest.

---

"What the hell?" Sam heard Pete mutter.

She turned as best she could in Pete's grasp and saw the eerily familiar young man standing at the back of the chapel. He's gotten taller and wasn't quite as skinny, she noted in scientific detachment. She saw she SFs guarding the door overcome their shocked stupor and surround him. His penetrating familiar dark eyes imploring her. "No!" she heard herself screech. "I want to hear what he has to say."

"WHAT?" Pete gasped. "Who the hell is that kid?" He got no response from the woman beside him so he turned to her brother. He looked as shocked and confused as everyone else. No answers there.

The 'kid' in question shook off the grip of the SFs and strode purposefully down the aisle to stand in front of Sam.

"Who are you?" Pete asked.

"She knows," the 'kid' smirked. "So, Carter, you want me to say this in front of God and everyone or…"

"Um, you could go back there," the chaplain, who in his 30 years officiating weddings had never had anyone object, pointed to a door beside the choir loft.

"Thanks, padre. Carter?"

She nodded.

"Sam…" she heard Pete plead as walked through the door.

---

Jack O'Neill had never panicked over anything in his life. Which had proved to be a useful trait during his years in Black Ops and at the SGC. Now at this moment he thought he was having a panic attack. He couldn't seem draw breath and the whole world seemed to be broken into a thousand different pieces, none of which he could focus on.

Apparently Daniel noticed he was about to keel over and tugged on his arm pulling him to his feet. "C'mon, Jack, let's go…uh…check on security and see how he got in."

Jack nodded and managed to shake off Daniels grip. Then the two men walked down the aisle. Jack somehow managed not to pass out before they reached the door. He took a deep breath of the clean mountain air and collapsed on the steps.

Daniel realizing Jack's need for a moment of privacy began questioning the guards on how Mini-Jack had managed to get past them. Apparently he had an invitation but Daniel couldn't imagine why in the world Sam would invite him. After his fruitless enquiries he sat down beside Jack who was attempting to light a cigarette with shaking hands. Daniel pulled the Zippo from his fingers and Jack gave him a murderous glare until he flicked the flint effortlessly and brought the flame to the end of cigarette. Jack took a greedy drag and Daniel closed the Zippo with a snap and handed it back to his friend.

Finally, Jack spoke. "I wouldn't have done that."

"He's not you anymore, Jack. Hasn't been in two years."

"I should have let Thor dispose of his pimply ass like he wanted to."

"You don't mean that."

"Damn right I do! There shouldn't be more than one of me running around to fuck up peoples lives!" He stood abruptly. "I'm going for a walk."

Before Daniel went back inside he watched Jack walk away to the small memorial garden at the back of the chapel. There was a low buzz as the guests furiously discussed the strange events. He walked back up to the front of the chapel and he had to smile at the scene before him. Teal'c was standing in the doorway that Sam and Mini-Jack had disappeared into and was preventing an indignant Pete from entering. Daniel sat down in between Thor who observed the proceedings silently and Cassie who in his opinion was sitting entirely too close to Jonas. Cassie turned to him, "Where's Jack?"

"He a went for a walk."

"Is he ok?"

"I guess that will depend," Daniel said and then watched in fascination as Pete and Mark Carter argued with Teal'c, General Hammond, and a surprisingly calm Jacob Carter.

"Just tell me who the hell that kid is and what right does he have to object to my wedding!"

"I'm afraid that's classified, son," General Hammond said calmly.

"Fuck classified!" Mark yelled back.

"Mark, for God's sake-" his father began.

"I'm not sure how but I'm damn sure this is all your fault!" he accused his father.

Jonas leaned over Cassie and whispered to Daniel, "I don't suppose you have any popcorn on you?"

"Wish I did."

---

Sam stared at the music on the stand before her. The room that they had found a bit of privacy in was obviously a rehearsal room for the choir. She continued to stare at the black notes and anywhere else but the familiar brown eyes.

"Carter…"

"You've grown up a lot," she told him, but not looking at him. "You look more like him."

"I am him in most ways. I still love you, Carter," he said softly.

She looked up at him for the first time. He was wearing a slick black suit and black shirt very much like the one General O'Neill wore the night before. He had his hands stuffed in his pants pockets and he was nervously rocking back and forth on the balls of his feet in an achingly familiar manner. His features had matured in the two years since she'd seen him. He wasn't a boy any more but he wasn't the man she knew either.

"What do you want me to do? Leave Pete at the alter for you?"

He smiled wryly, "As much as I'd like that and, believe me, I could use the company, but no. I'm here because you should leave- Pete, is it?" She nodded and he continued, "Leave Pete for me, the other me- the template."

"I can't."

"Why? Can you honestly tell me that you love that shrub? Can you, Carter?"

"He loves me!"

"The entire male population of the base and half the galaxy loves you!" He growled in frustration and his hands coming out of his pockets their nervous energy unable to be contained. "Siler loves you. He would bend over backwards for you, but I don't see you marrying Sparky!" Sam couldn't help but smile and he pressed on. "There is no way Pete can love you like I- like he does! You know that!"

"No, I don't!"

"For cryin' out loud, Carter, we're soul mates! Do you have any idea how it felt to be without you these two years? I think about you everyday and dream about you every night. It hurts. It hurts as bad as when I lost Charlie. Don't do that to him!" he pleaded. "You'll kill him, you know it, and you'll kill yourself. For what? For some stupid fantasy with a normal guy. Well, guess what, Carter? You're not normal! You've had snakes in your head, been taken over by machines, mind stamped, tortured, and God knows what else by now. You aren't normal and you can never be. You're as fucked up as I am and I love you for it. I love ever fucked up piece. Don't tell me that bastard in the monkey suit out there wouldn't run away screaming like a little girl if he'd known what you've been through or what you could do!"

"What about-"

"Don't you goddamn say that, Carter!" He fixed her with a harsh glare and wagged a finger at her. "Don't you dare! Fuck the regulations. Both of you have been hiding behind them for years. If you really had wanted to get around them you could have. The world owes you a couple times over and I think bending the frat regs would be a small enough thanks."

"But you're not him!"

"No, I'm not, but are you going to throw away real love for some fucked up delusion of what you think love is supposed to be. And you're not even happy! I saw you walking down that aisle. Dad had to almost drag you down it. It's time to face facts, Carter." His intense passionate dark eyes bored into her.

She sighed and stared down at the Naquadah chain and medallion on her wrist. She held it out to him. "You gave me this at the rehearsal dinner last night."

He took her hand gently in his and examined the medallion. "'Following roads through the stars, I found my heart, All my love, Jack'," he read. "That's the truth."

"You can read Ancient?" she arched a questioning brow.

He smirked, "Sure and Goa'uld."

"Why do you hide it?"

"I wouldn't want ol' Space Monkey to feel less important. I just know enough Goa'uld to get by anyway. Both Teal'c and I had to learn Latin and Ancient for that time loop thing," he seemed amused at her disbelief. "What you didn't think I could retain it?"

"I didn't think you would want to," she replied and then narrowed her eyes at him. "That reminds me, do you really have physics and astrophysics books on your self?"

"Yep, between my Calvin and Hobbes books and my Wizard of Oz first edition."

"So you do know what I'm talking about?"

"Sometimes. You're still way smarter than me." He shrugged. "I just like listening to you talk too. You get so passionate about it."

"Do you really have Armani suits in your closet?"

He laughed at that. "Used to. Can't really afford 'em with what the government's giving me these days. What did you do case my house?"

"Daniel conducted a 'archeological survey'."

"Never can trust you scientists, too damn curious."

"Why don't I know these things about you?"

His smiled turned slightly bitter, "You never wanted to know. Too busy shoving all the interesting stuff in that room, I guess."

She stared down at the Naquadah medallion and began to cry. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry."

He pulled her into his arms and held her tightly. "It can be okay if you let it." He pulled her head up from her his neck. "Hey, don't cry. You'll ruin you make up." He said smiling as he brushed her tears away. "You look beautiful today." He reached up to touch the camellias pinned in her hair on one side. "La Dame aux Camellias."

She snorted, "Are you trying to tell me you want me to die of tuberculosis?"

He laughed, "No." He stepped away from her, but still held her hands taking in the picture before him. The white flowers in her hair. He somehow figured that after the Shavadai incident she wouldn't want to wear a veil. The single strand pearl choker at her neck and the pearl teardrops at her ears. The simple white strapless satin dress, elegant in it's simplicity and completely Carter. "You really look amazing."

"Pete doesn't like my dress."

"He's a fool then."

"Thank you."

"So what are you gonna do?"

"Pete's a good man, but I can't marry him. It wouldn't be fair to him or me or you. I guess the rest depends on the General."

He nodded and then grinned suddenly, "What the hell were they thinking making me a general?"

"They must have been drunk." She smiled back at him and then leaned up to kiss his cheek. "Thank you so much. I think I needed someone to kick my ass."

"Hey, anytime," he stuck his hands back in his pockets. "You want me to send Pete in or maybe Dad? He could tell him."

"No, I'll tell him."

He nodded and then turned to go.

"Jack."

He turned back around, "Yeah?"

"Why were you the one to object?"

"I had had nothing to lose and nothing to gain. So it was easy for me." He gestured to her wrist. "He did last night, but I guess you didn't want to hear."

She nodded her understanding, "Thanks again."

"Yeah, sure. You betcha."

---

TBC