Spoilers: "Chimera" "End Game" Previous spoilers may apply
Starr484- Thanks! I think there'll be a conversation in this one that you'll like!
LVB- Yes, I'm actually Australian, I've just been in the US for three years now. I am enjoying myself, but it's so cold! The yu-you joke was one of my favs too!
LiMiYa- he he, you'll love the convo between the two Jacks in this one.
Ilovesg1- Thank you! And I am having a great time in Australia!
janissima- Yes, I do like to have Sam as a strong individual. I hate having her all weak, although I do tend to write it sometimes!
shiny silver grl- Like I said, you'll love this conversation as well!
getcarter- Jealous? Just wait until you see what's about to happen!
feb04- Leave Sam at home! No way! ;)
Neko138- You're welcome, glad I could help!
TJ Bowman- Hey TJ! Thanks for reading my story! I hope you're having a great summer!
Sci Fi Fan Gillian, stargate-fan, Zoser, Airam4u- thanks! I really do appreciate you all reading my story!
A/N: Well, not much to say except sorry it's taking a while! I've been vacationing! and I'm still in Australia. I hope you enjoy this!
"Realities Apart"
Chapter 5-
"Colonel." Sam and AU Jack both looked to the General. "Uh, the other me. Take point. I don't want to suddenly find a wall in front of my face that shouldn't be there."
"Actually Sir, it seems that the differences in our realities are few, and most events in our realities are the same except for a few differences in the last few years, so the chance that-"
"Carter!" Jack cut her off. "Another time... maybe?"
"Sorry Sir."
"Teal'c, you take our six. I'll follow the Colonel here, then Daniel, and then Carter." Jack ordered.
"Yes Sir," AU Jack replied sarcastically before heading out into the hallway, his P-90 raised. The hallways were lit by the emergency lighting, and as they walked, long shadows were cast down the corridors from the bodies.
AU Jack headed silently for the stair well. No doubt the elevators were either out of order, or heavily guarded. All they had to do was make it to the higher levels so that they could escape through the escape hatch.
Each member of the group kept a fair distance between each other. There was a lesser chance, that way, of being ambushed.
They were closing in on the stairs when AU Jack lifted his hand in a closed fist. Behind him, Jack noticed the signal, and froze, and in turn, Daniel froze behind him.
Sam and Teal'c were still around the corner, and Daniel could only hope that they would stop when they rounded the corner, and that they wouldn't be making any noise, which was highly unlikely.
Jack was about to ask what was going on when he heard the noises himself; the unmistakeable sound of approaching Jaffa.
Daniel and both Jacks slipped silently through the nearest door, using AU Jack's ID card to unlock it. They found themselves within Felger's lab, which was discernible by the signs all over the walls, and in the hallway. Jack grinned, in his reality Felger had been placed, by Hammond, deep within the basement too.
They stood in silence as the footsteps drew nearer, all hoping that Sam and Teal'c would hear them in time. Their hearts all dropped when the footsteps paused outside of the door. After a few mumbled Jaffa words, including "Kree", as you'd be surprised if they didn't, a staff blast ripped onto the wall outside. Then, the footsteps began again and slowly headed down the hallway.
After the sounds disappeared, Jack turned to look at the others. "Ok, what was that about?"
AU Jack shrugged and stepped past Jack to open the door. He swiped the card, but nothing happened. He tried again with the same result.
"They shot the lock," Daniel realized.
"So, how do we get the door open?" Jack asked.
"I have no idea, that's what we need Sam for."
"We can't try contacting her; we might give away their position." AU Jack stated.
"We'll wait 20, and then make contact." General O'Neill said. "Until then, we wait."
Daniel nodded, and turned his attention to the lock. He grabbed a screw driver from Felger's lab table, and pried the cover off.
Jack looked to his friend in confusion. "Daniel, what are you doing?"
"Just looking. I know I'm not exactly the scientific one, but I've seen Sam do this many times.
"You and Carter lock yourselves in rooms together often?" Jack raised an amused eyebrow.
"Very funny, but no. I've watched her do this off world."
"Last time I checked, alien technology was a little different." AU Jack pointed out.
With his back to them, Daniel rolled his eyes. "I know some of us may not be as smart as others, but a lock is a lock, they all serve the same purpose, no matter what technology. It can't be that hard. Plus, I do know Earth technology better than any other."
AU Jack glared at the archaeologist's back. "So, now you're saying that my intelligence, or lack-there-of, also caused this problem?"
Daniel turned around to reply when Jack cut in. "If our intelligence had something to do without, then our reality would have been doomed long ago." He looked irritably between the two. "What seems to be the problem here?"
"Daniel here seems to want to point out every flaw in my reality, and blame it for Ba'al attacking." AU Jack spoke, glaring at Daniel.
"I wasn't pointing out any faults; I was simply pointing out the differences. As for blaming them for the attack, I was just saying that the differences could be one of many events that eventually led to this."
"Exactly!"
"Ok, ok! Would you two stop already?" Jack looked to his alternate. "Since when do you care what comes out of Daniel's mouth?" Daniel rolled his eyes. "Do you have some sort of problem with the Daniel in your reality?"
"I'm dead in his reality, Jack." Daniel reminded Jack, sighing at his obliviousness. Although, he really was touched that Jack was sticking up for him.
"Oh," Jack felt guilty for a moment as AU Jack stared back in silence, masking his pain which only Jack, himself, could see. They were all surprised, though, when Jack suddenly burst, "So, that's it!"
AU Jack looked on in confusion. "What's it?"
"You're pissed that your Daniel's dead, and mine's alive." Jack smiled triumphantly in the knowledge that he'd figured it out.
Daniel sighed. He really was sick of them referring to him as some piece of property; using 'mine' and 'yours'.
"Jealous? Of you?" AU Jack was outraged.
"Yeah, Daniel's still alive in my reality, I'm a General, and we don't have snakeheads running over every corner of our planet."
Daniel hoped that no Jaffa would walk by. He wouldn't be surprised if the whole mountain could hear, and a whole horde of Jaffa was converging on them at that very moment. There was no way he was about to even attempt to break them up. He wasn't particularly interested in getting his head bitten off. He had to admit, though, that it was amusing to see Jack O'Neill arguing with himself.
"Janet's still alive here, at least she was before this all happened, and I know you hate being stuck behind a desk all day, and not being able to go out into the action! And I'm the one who realizes the mistake we've made."
"Oh yeah? And what mistake would that be?"
"I know that I went about it all wrong with her."
They both fell into silence, and then Jack asked, quieter than before. Although, he was pretty sure he already knew what the answer would be. "Who is 'her'?"
"Carter." One simple word and the whole atmosphere of the room changed.
Even though he'd been amused by the argument, Daniel now felt uncomfortable, and wished he was anywhere but in the room with them.
Jack looked equally, maybe even more, uncomfortable than Daniel. He certainly would rather be facing a million super soldiers.
AU Jack continued before Jack could even begin to think of a coherent sentence.
"You love her, and you can't deny it. You won't do anything about it because you're scared. Don't give me crap about regulations, or doing what's right. You're scared out of your mind that it wouldn't work, that maybe once you're with her it wouldn't live up to everything that you thought it up to be. Most of all, you're scared that she doesn't feel that same way, when she does. And it makes me so frustrated that you have her, yet you do absolutely nothing about it. If you keep on waiting, you'll end up like me; with no chance what-so-ever of being with her, and having to live with that everyday for the rest of your life."
Jack shook his head. "You're wrong about one thing. She doesn't care about me like that."
"You're wrong."
"She's engaged!"
"What?" AU Jack took a half step back in surprise.
"Yeah, Pete Shanahan? The cop? They're getting married." General O'Neill kept the pain of his statement clear from his face, but just like he had, AU Jack saw right through the mask.
"Oh, she dumped that loser a long time ago, after he practically stalked her." AU Jack looked curiously to his double. "So, she's got a fiancé?" Jack nodded in response. "Oh... oops."
"'Oops'? What do you mean by 'oops'?" Jack's voice rose slightly, and he took a step closer to AU Jack.
"Nothing, never mind."
Jack advanced another step closer, his voice getting even louder. "What did you do?"
"It's none of your business."
"Like hell it isn't! Tell me."
AU Jack sighed. "I kissed her."
"YOU WHAT!"
AU Jack instantly took a defensive step back. "I kissed her, and she kissed me back." He was debating whether or not he should be intimidated by himself. He was somewhat entertained by Jack's obvious jealousy.
"Uh, guys, I think I can hear somebody coming," Daniel attempted to interrupt them. He could already see the General's fist planting itself in the other Jack's face any second now.
Oblivious to Daniel, Jack continued to glare. "I swear to god, you son of a -"
"JACK!"
They both turned to look at Daniel.
"What?"
"I think I heard someone coming, but I'm sure they already know we're here after the level of noise you two are making."
-10 minutes ago-
Daniel had already turned the corner ahead of her when Sam heard the distinct metal clanging of Jaffa footsteps. She looked over her shoulder at Teal'c, and together they crept into an adjacent room, using her own ID, which thankfully worked, to open the door. No sooner had they closed the door when the footsteps rounded the corner. They grew closer, and paused outside of the door. Sam held her breath, and waited for the inevitable. A staff blast hit the wall outside, and Sam flinched. She finally let her breath out when the footsteps began again, and faded down the corridor.
Sam opened her mouth to speak to Teal'c when they heard the safety being switched off of several P-90's.
Quickly, Sam and Teal'c turned around.
A/N: thanks for reading! Ummm. I'm not sure when the next update will be. Please let me know what you think!