Thanks to all your reviews guys. I needed the encouragement. Special thanks to: Sci Fi Fan Gillian; Ilovesg1; Natters; and Froggy0319 for reviewing.
Please…keep those reviews coming! Lotsa fluff comin' later! After the angst first of course! LOL!
TO HAVE AND TO HOLD.
By LetitiaRichards
Previously:
"So we have our indisputable proof that it was more than we suspected," Hammond said bitterly. He had no choice now than to follow it up. He handed them the note to read.
Chapter 5
"Dr. Jackson, I'd like you and Teal'c to start knocking on doors and making enquiries. Perhaps the Colonel's neighbours saw or heard something odd going on," Hammond ordered.
"Yes sir, though I doubt Jack will be particularly popular with them if we go round knocking on their doors this early General."
Hammond looked at his watch, and muttered under his breath, bringing a quirky smile to Daniel's lips.
"Quite right Dr. Jackson. Give it another hour, then see if you can unearth a least something of this mystery. In the meantime I need to consult with the President on a rather delicate matter."
All three looked at the General in confusion. Was he going to shop Jack and Sam to the President? They couldn't believe that he would do that.
Hammond held up a hand to stop the expected questions about his motives.
"Believe me, I know what I'm doing. It's try it my way, or I'll have to report these two..." he pointed to the picture in Janet's hands. "...to the proper authorities, and that is something I hope I can avoid at all costs. Trust me people, I am doing what I think is best here."
"Yes sir," they answered, though Teal'c still eyed him with some misgiving.
OoOoOoOoO
"Any luck yet?" Daniel asked as Janet joined him and Teal'c several yards from Jack's home.
Janet sighed and shook her head.
"Nobody saw or heard a thing," she said.
"Or they don't want to get involved!" Daniel huffed, crossing his arms over his torso in a rigid posture.
The main problem was that all sorts of people were turning up on Jack's doorstep at all hours of the day or night so anything strange happening during the early evening was nothing new to the neighbourhood and therefore ignored as being normal. It would be the talk of the neighbourhood if 'nothing' strange happened at Jacks' house. Whatever, it didn't make for good detective work that was for sure.
They took another look around Jack's yard but still they found nothing to give them any clues as to who was behind the kidnapping. The 'why' Jack was hurt? Well, that was obvious, at least to them; he had almost certainly been trying to protect Sam, even in his weakened state.
All three returned to the SGC where some good news awaited them.
Jack had awoken, though still in pain and uncomfortable.
OoOoOoOoO
General Hammond replaced the red phone, having had a rather long and difficult conversation with the President. He sighed with frustration before rising to his feet and taking a slow walk to the infirmary.
Once there he was confronted with a drowsy Colonel. He knew that Jack wouldn't be up to much of an interrogation just yet, but he had to know if the picture was real or a manipulation. He checked that he and the Colonel were alone before speaking.
"Colonel," Hammond greeted Jack, who grunted a response in return. "How're you feeling?"
"I'm okay sir. A little sore, headache - nail in the head type. I'll be fine."
"What happened Jack?"
Jack cleared his throat, a little and sipped a little water, giving him time to recall the event.
"Em...Carter called round to see how I was doing," he began, wondering if he was dropping them into it. "Then suddenly we were surrounded by a bunch of very clichéd thugs. I got hit, Carter was drugged and the last thing I knew she was being dragged off to god knows where. Then I woke up here." He paused for a moment as her situation caused his heart to clench painfully. He was so worried about her. "Any news on Carter sir?"
Hammond hesitated before answering.
"You really care for her?" he asked, carefully choosing his words, and it wasn't so much of a question as a desire for confirmation.
"Yes sir, she's the best 2IC I've ever had. She's a valuable member of my team."
"Valuable? Jack, is there something else you want to tell me about Major Carter? Perhaps how much she actually means to you, person to person as Jack O'Neill rather than as Colonel O'Neill?"
Jack looked sick, but he swallowed his surprise.
"General? I'm not sure what you mean sir?" he hedged.
"Oh I think you do Jack," Hammond stated confidently. "I'm not blind. I want your honest opinion Jack, please do me the courtesy of giving me a straight answer. Are you or are you not, involved with Major Carter?"
Jack sucked in a huge sigh and closed his eyes for a moment; his headache just doubled in size, but he couldn't lie to Hammond. Above all, he respected the senior officer as he had no other during his time in the service. Honesty was definitely the best policy here.
"We feel more than affection and companionship towards each other yes sir," he sighed guiltily, looking sheepish. "But, we haven't taken it any further than that sir, I swear!"
"So, this would show your feelings to be true?" George handed him the photos and Jack studied them with growing concern.
"Where did you get these sir?"
"Are they real?"
"Yes sir," Jack replied despondently. "What's going on General? What has all this got to do with Carter's kidnapping?"
"Everything Colonel." Hammond handed over the note and Jack read it with mounting dread. Someone had been spying on them and had reported them, and was threatening to take it further if not dealt with. There was only one course open to him now. He'd do anything to save Sam's career.
"I'll resign sir. I'll take retirement, if that's what it takes. None of this is her fault. I made the first move."
"Unacceptable Jack. We need you in this programme. We need Major Carter too. I've already had a word with the President..."
Jack closed his eyes and gulped down his frustration and dread. He'd messed up completely. Now he could face was a court-martial and possibly a prison term and he'd ruined Sam's record into the bargain too. She would be reprimanded and a black mark entered onto her record, though she could remain in the service. If she wanted to, that is.
"I'm sorry sir. For what it's worth, I'm truly sorry. Neither of us could stop it happening. We both tried, but the attraction was too strong, especially after this," he said, waving a hand at his chest injury.
"So it's only a recent thing?"
"No sir. Though we did nothing about it until I got to go home."
Hammond released an audible deep sigh and pursed his lips.
"Then perhaps our idea will work!" he muttered, making Jack wonder if he'd missed out some of the conversation. It was difficult to concentrate with a headache this bad.
"General? I'm sorry, did I miss something here? Idea? What idea would that be sir?"
"Jack, the President has decided on a course of action and I agree with him. We're going to play a little game Jack. Charades. We've already issued a notification, giving you and Major Carter special dispensation to announce your engagement..."
"What?" Jack gasped. "Whoa, back up there... Our engagement?" he gasped and poked a finger in his ear, waggling it about, not sure he'd heard correctly. Maybe it was this damn headache making him hear things he couldn't possibly have done.
"We, that is the President and the Joint Chiefs have already laid out this plan of action. Of course, it will only be a pretend scenario. As from the time of your injury, your resignation has been accepted..."
"Whoa! Wait a minute... I thought you said that it was unacceptable?"
"Jack! Just bear me out and listen!"
"Yes sir," Jack sighed, wondering what the hell was going on.
"The ploy is, that your resignation has already been accepted, though you haven't told anyone about it as yet. That's why you and Major Carter could...ah...indulge your feelings towards each other. You will of course be allowed to stay on in the Stargate programme as a civilian. The President feels that you can keep your position as CO of SG-1 as you and your team have proved time and again that you are the best team this facility has. Officially of course and technically you will remain in the service and continue to take orders, until we can think of a suitable punishment for breaking the fraternisation rules. You are both damn lucky that this programme needs you, otherwise I would have no qualms about throwing the book at you and dismissing you from the USAF. I'm very disappointed in you Jack. I just wish you had come to me first. I thought you trusted me? I would have found a way round the rules for you. Once this whole thing has blown over, you will be back to being Colonel and Major again, separated of course. We can then put it about that you broke off the engagement and wished to re-join the SGC."
Jack grimaced, thinking about the eventual outcome actually physically hurt, and this needed a lot of thinking about. He felt his face flame under the General's obvious disillusionment in him. He'd knowingly let his Commanding Officer and friend down by breaking the rules. Too late now, he had no choice but to go ahead with the plan.
"I don't know what to say sir." It all sounded so complicated and his head hurt even more now. "That I'm sorry, just doesn't seem to cut it General. Not after..."
"Don't fret over it Jack. I'm sure we'll think of something, but your place here is secure, as well as that of Major Carter. Just get yourself fit again. We're doing all we can to trace the Major's whereabouts. We're hoping that with your official announcement in the papers, that whomever he is, will release her as he'll have nothing to hold her to ransom for."
"Thank you sir. I..." Jack couldn't find the words to describe how he felt. Hammond had gone way beyond the call of duty to find a way out of this mess for him and Sam.
"Jack. I just returned the favour, I redeemed your soul! We're even now," he said, ginning, then turned and left the room leaving Jack stunned by the General's generosity. Jack knew he didn't deserve anything from this man.
OoOoOoOoO
"How are you feeling Colonel?" Janet asked her patient, glad to see him looking better.
"I've resigned," Jack stated flatly to his friends when they'd entered the infirmary room a couple of hours or so after Hammond had left, cleverly distracting them from answering the original question. "So you can drop the Colonel bit!"
"You what?" Daniel almost shrieked in surprise. Had Jack lost his mind?
"I said, I've resigned."
"You know, I could have sworn you said, you'd resigned," Daniel frowned, not wanting to believe his ears.
"Daniel!" Jack warned. "You know darn well that's what I said."
"But why sir," Janet asked, not able to stop herself from addressing him as 'sir' after all these years.
"Because!" he sighed not at all happy.
"Is resigning not a better course of action than a court-martial, Daniel Jackson, Doctor Fraiser?" Teal'c asked, understanding the reason without being told.
Janet and Daniel both gaped at him with wide eyes, then turned to look at Jack for more enlightenment. Jack nodded.
"You hit the nail on the head Buddy!"
"Well, yeah, I guess, if you look at it that way, then you had no choice," Daniel sighed, "but..."
"It was the only way guys. I don't have much of a choice here."
"So you two are really going to be together?" Daniel persisted with his questions, meaning Jack and Sam.
"We're officially engaged. That's why I resigned. I couldn't do that in my position as Car...Sam's CO," Jack explained, though it only confused them more.
Janet let out an involuntary squeal of delight, but Jack's glare nipped her enthusiasm in the bud. She'd waited years to get Sam moving on to do something about their situation, now she could hardly believe it was true, though where that left them was quite so desirable.
"Why didn't you say anything before?" Daniel persisted.
Jack merely shrugged, regretting the movement with a grimace of pain, which had Janet checking him out and adjusting his pain meds.
"Hey, I didn't know myself until just now!" he cried defensively.
"Jack?"
"O'Neill?"
"Sir?"
"It's all Hammond's and the President's and Joint chiefs' doing. Nothing to do with me."
"Will someone please pinch me, 'cos I think I'm having a nightmare!" Daniel said weekly. Was he still asleep or had he woken this morning in an alternate universe? 'This can't be real. It can't be happening,' he sighed miserably to himself.
"Yeah. Pinch me too while you're at it," Jack grumbled.
TBC