Title: Twisted Threads
Author: Dr Sarah Fraiser-Jackson
Rating:
PG
Pairing: Jack/Sam, Sam/other with implied Jack/other
Spoilers: Threads, possibly Reckoning because of the ill Jacob
Summary: AU-Threads minus Kerry but add Francis!
Disclaimer: Not mine, Stargate SG1 or Pinky and the Brain. Wish they were…
Author's note: Here ya go, no fic for a while so enjoy while it lasts. Has not been beta'd, forgive the suggested Jack/other…it does explain itself! As a famous plant once said: "Feed me Seymour, feed me now!"
x
Sam made her way up to the front door of her CO's house and knocked loudly. She had just broken her engagement off with Pete, finally deciding that she couldn't marry a man while she still loved another. It was crunch time; she was going to spill her heart to Jack O'Neill, she was fed up of hiding her feelings and loosing friends.
The door swung open and a tall, brown haired, green-eyed man beamed down at her.
"Uh…" Sam started but the man turned and called into the house. "Hey Jack, there's a blonde haired blue eyed beauty at your door, shall I tell her she's at the wrong house?"
Sam looked past the strange man and saw her CO pulling on a t-shirt as he walked into the hallway.
"Hey Carter," He smiled. "Come on in, we were just making dinner." He directed a look that said 'behave or else' to the man before walking to the living room.
"I'm Frankie." He held out his hand and Sam shook it.
"Sam."
Frankie smiled and bowed. "After you milady."
Sam smiled and followed her CO to the living room. This was a turn up for the books; she wasn't expecting that he had company, but then again what was she expecting? That he'd open up and confess his love for her, if he did actually love her? She started to doubt that she should have come. And who in the hell was this man?
"Sorry about the mess Carter, we had a little disagreement." Jack said looking at the upturned table and books on the floor.
As the to men tidied up their mess, Sam was starting to wonder the relationship between them. They were a lot physically closer than two old buddies, its like they liked the contact they shared.
"Want a beer?" Frankie asked.
"Sure." She smiled and waited till he was out of the room to talk to her CO. "Sir, I need to talk to you about something."
"Shoot." He settled back in his chair.
"Well, I broke it off with Pete and…" Frankie walked back into the room with the beers.
"Hey Francis, do me a favour. I have a list of groceries in the kitchen for the rest of dinner and there's some money in my jacket, do you think you could possibly…?" Add in the O'Neill puppy dog eyes.
"Go shopping." The slightly younger man said turning and walking out of the room. "You owe me one Brains."
"Sure thing Pinky." Jack shouted just as the front door slammed shut.
They both sat for a while in silence, Sam drank some of her beer while jack just peeled his label off. He sat forward in his chair moving closer to Sam. "You were saying?"
"I…who was that Sir?"
"Francis? I've never told you about Francis? Hang on, what did you think?"
"Well, I don't know."
"You thought…?" He started to laugh. "I can see why, but I mean: me? Gay? I can't imagine it somehow."
"Well Sir, the signs were pointing that way." She was starting to get angry now.
"Okay, okay. I admit they were, but he's my brother Carter. I haven't seen him since before Charlie died, he travels a lot and doesn't really live anywhere in particular."
She felt humiliated, her CO was outright laughing at her for some stupid mistake when she had turned up to spill her heart. She was angry and confused; she frowned at him.
"Look Carter, I'm sorry I never told you about Francis and I didn't know he was going to turn up with no place to stay. But he's out for a bit so please finish what you were saying."
"Well, I broke it off with Pete."
Jack waited for her to continue but she just stared down at the beer bottle in her hands.
"Sam?" He took the bottle of beer out of her hands, setting it on the now up right table and took her hands in his.
"I, I couldn't marry him, not when…I can't love him like I love…"
The phone cut Sam off, she closed her eyes and lent back while Jack answered it.
"O'Neill, and if this isn't important I'll have your head Walter… What time? …Where is he now? …Do you know what happened? …Okay, I'll tell her." He hung up and moved back to where Sam was sitting; now looking at his grave face.
"What happened?" She asked.
"Sam, your dad gated into the SGC about two hours ago, he was very ill and they lost Selmak. So far your dad is still alive but they rushed him to the Academy hospital to get the best possible treatment."
"What?" Sam looked shocked.
"I'll drive you, let me just leave a note for Fran." He quickly scribbled a note and grabbed Sam's car keys out of her hand as his brother had his.
They sat in silence during the ride to the hospital, Sam in shock and Jack worried about her. As soon as he had parked, they had rushed into the hospital to find Jacob. The receptionist directed them to his room where he lay, a deathly pale colour replaced the usual peachy tone of his skin and wires and tubes attached to his body in a somewhat random order.
"Oh my God, Dad!" Sam cried rushing to his side, Jack following close behind.
Jacob was asleep or unconscious, neither knew for sure.
"Sir, Ma'am?" A doctor asked walking into the room with a chart. "I'm Doctor James, I've been treating your father, Colonel Carter."
"How is he doc?" Jack asked.
"It doesn't look good, I'm afraid." He sighed and looked the chart over. "After the death of his, uh 'friend' Jacob hasn't been able to keep infection at bay. We have been pumping him full of antibiotics and painkillers but I'm sorry to say we are just prolonging his death. He keeps slipping in and out of consciousness but each time he has been coherent and knows what is happening."
The doctor left leaving Jack to comfort Sam, he put his arm around her shoulder as she cried into her father's chest.
Two days later, Jack stopped the car and turned off the ignition. He looked over at Sam, she was tired and had been crying, her face was blotchy and there were rings around her eyes.
"Sam, lets get you inside. You need to sleep."
"I can't." She whispered.
"Sam, look at me." He turned her face, keeping his hand in place on her cheek. "Its not the end of the world, you'll miss your dad and it will hurt like hell but you'll learn to live with it. It's the same for everyone; it was the same with your mum, the same with Charlie and the same with Daniel-however many times that happened."
She smiled slightly.
"He's still missing."
"Yes he is, and we don't know what's happened to him. All we can do is hope and wait." He moved his thumb over her cheek to wipe away the tears. "But you have to sleep."
She nodded and they both walked into Jack's house. It was late and dark, Francis was asleep in the spare bedroom so Jack guided Sam to his room.
"I'll find you something to wear." He said sitting her on the end of his bed; she was wrapped in the blanket he found in the back of her car to keep her warm. "Here you go, a nice pair of pyjama pants Daniel bought me last Christmas, which I have to say are very comfy and an old Air Force T-shirt."
He left her to change, and went to find some more bedding for himself on the couch.
Five minutes later, he knocked on the door to his room. Poking his head around, he smiled as she was hugging herself in his clothes, which were too big looking incredibly beautiful.
"I'm going to sleep on the couch so yell if you need anything."
"Jack, please don't go." She begged. He could see the pain and loneliness in her eyes and it killed him inside.
He walked over to her and hugged her tight, rubbing her back and smelling her hair.
"You really have to sleep you know." He pulled her over to the bed and laid her down, tucking her under the covers. He squeezed her hand and tried to move away but she had a tight grip on it.
"Please?" She pleaded.
Squeezing her hand, he pulled the covers back and spooned himself in behind her, still holding her right hand in his, nestled snugly around her stomach.
"Mark's coming down for the funeral." She said after a while.
"That's good." He kissed the back of her head and pulled her tighter to him. "Sleep Sam, you need it."
"You're my knight in shining armour Jack." She said before dozing off completely.
Jack smiled remembering something Jacob has said before he had passed away that afternoon.
"Jack, I want you too look after Sammy. I tried but I guess I've failed." He said wheezing.
"No Jake, you've looked after her just fine."
"Where is she?"
"In the ladies room."
"Well, before she gets back, I want you to know I always hoped it would be you she would marry-even with the regs."
"Me too Jake, I promise I will never hurt her or let her get into any trouble."
"She said she split from Pete."
"Yeah."
"Good, she deserves better. She deserves you."
"I don't think I'm good enough for her."
"Jack, you give yourself too little credit, listen to her old man when I say I would be proud to have you as my son-in-law."
"I'll always protect you Sam." He said before joining her in the land of nod.
xThe Endx
