Title: Safe Bet
Chapter: Visitors
Summary: "I know. I've made up my mind, Daniel. The truth is, though, they need Sam much more than they need me. And I need Sam much more than I need this position."
Disclaimer: Nope. Neither the show nor the characters belong to me. Maybe next time.
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It had been twenty four hours, and the awkward air that had been hanging around the SGC– General O'Neill and Colonel Carter in particular– had dissipated greatly, and this had not gone unnoticed by the others who worked there. New rumors had circulated around the secret compound, replacing the previous retirement ones. The all consuming gossip spreading among Stargate Command now pertained to the relationship between Jack O'Neill and Sam Carter, and how their affair was the cause of his retirement.
It never ceased to amaze Sam how juvenile grown adults could act, all because of some random persons too vivid imagination. One would expect military men and women to have a higher level of maturity, due to their extensive training and in many (nearly everyone at the SGC, to be particular) cases, near death experiences. Who would ever guess that they could be reduced to High School Freshman, gossiping in the girl's bathroom about who was seeing whom, and how far they had gone.
Instead of the tension that had existed between CO and 2IC, which had been enough to drive Sam crazy, now every time either one entered a room, there was an immediate hush among those already occupying it. The airmen and marines would stare for a few moments, then turn back to their food or their work, whispering almost furiously. At that particular moment, Sam and Daniel had walked into the commissary, intending on grabbing a quick cup of coffee. There were about six or seven other airmen in the room, and they all stopped to look at the two. Sam simply rolled her eyes, grabbed her coffee, and walked back out of the room.
"Are you not going to do anything about that?" Daniel asked, as they headed back to her office to work on a device SG-6 had brought back from P2S-256.
"You tell me something that I could do," she replied, "and I'll do it."
He nodded, "We hear anything new from the Tok'ra?"
"Yeah," she told him, nodding. "Dad contacted us this morning, they're sending him and a few other Tok'ra back to earth for a couple of days, to discuss the treaty further and take the first steps towards regrouping with the Jaffa rebellion. Dad thinks that with the news of their growing success the High Council may reconsider within a couple of months." She slid her key card into the slot and waited for it to open.
As they walked into the office, Daniel continued, "So when does he arrive?"
"Later on today."
"Are you going to tell him that Jack's going to retire?" he questioned.
"I'm not sure yet," Sam admitted. "General O'Neill isn't even positive if he's going to retire. He's still trying to go through all of his options, you know, maybe there's some other way..." she looked at the device sitting on the table. "So are you going to translate this thing or what?"
Daniel smiled, "Yeah... I'm going to translate it. Wouldn't want you blowing yourself up, now, would we? Jack wouldn't appreciate it."
Sam looked at him pointedly, "And neither would my father..."
XXXX
16 hours earlier...
"You're kidding!" the young woman exclaimed loudly, after he informed her of the president's change of mind. "Tell me you're not joking!"
"I swear it," Daniel promised. "Hammond just called me a few minutes ago. After Hayes got news that Jack was planning on retiring for good, he thought over his decision. From what Hammond told me, the president was getting the papers done as soon as he possibly could."
"We've got to tell them!" Cassie said. "Like, right now."
"No," Daniel replied. "We can't. Until it's final, nobody can now about, besides Hammond, Hayes, Davis, you, me, and somebody else..."
"Who else?"
Daniel smiled to himself, "It's a surprise."
"Oh, come on, Daniel," the girl begged. "Please just tell me."
The archeologist sighed into the phone, "Okay, fine. I'll tell you, but you're gonna have to help me with this."
"Of course. Now tell me."
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General Hammond was still sitting in the president's office, although he knew that they were waiting for him back at the Pentagon. No matter, though, when you had a meeting with the POTUS himself, you couldn't really get reprimanded for missing another. But then again, in his position, Hammond hadn't been reprimanded in years, or even had occasion to be. However, he was beginning to wonder how long all of this paperwork was going to take. "Henry, not that I enjoy the break I'm getting, but by what time do you think I'll be getting out of here?"
The man looked up from his desk, mid-signature, and smiled, "I'll be done shortly, George. Are you going to need a note to get back into class?"
Hammond wasn't surprised that his friend kept a straight face, while making an obvious joke. He was the president anyway, and a poker face was definitely in the job description, besides, he could recall from their days as lieutenants that the man had been damn good at the game. Fooled him out of his money all the time. "I don't think that will be necessary."
President Hayes nodded, "Can I ask who is going to deliver the good news to the men and women at the SGC?"
"Well," Hammond sighed, "I was figuring maybe Daniel would tell Jack, and he could tell everybody else. Unless, of course, you would like to do so."
He shook his head, "I can't say I would mind it, but I have no free time within the next couple of days. I could, however, get you some time off, to do so. That is, of course, if you would like to."
"I would be honored, sir."
XXXX
At present...
Knock. Knock. Knock.
"Come in!" Jack called from his desk, setting aside the file he had been working on, and twirling his pen between his pointer and middle finger. When Daniel walked into the office, the general leaned back in his chair, ready for whatever request the man was going to throw at him. A week on the new found planet of ruins, a full blown archeological dig on P1W-337, he never really knew. "What can I help you with, Spacemonkey?"
Daniel scowled at the nickname, but sat down all the same. "I just wanted to talk..."
Well, that was something new... in a manner of speaking. "Oh? What about?"
"You know," the man replied with a sigh. "You, Sam, your retirement, the rumors floating around about how she's with child... those kinds of things."
Jack snorted, which didn't surprise Daniel in the slightest. "You don't believe that one, do you?"
"Of course not. But, you really haven't clarified the retirement one for me, you know?" The man leaned back in his chair as well, ready for a long explanation.
"What's there to clarify? As soon as the day is over, I send off my resignation..." he shrugged. "It's as simple as that."
"You can't seriously be going through this, Jack." Daniel replied, seemingly in disbelief. "We need you way too much here for you to just quit like this."
"The SGC doesn't need me anymore than I need my grey hair, Daniel. I'm nothing more than a nuisance, a thorn in the side of the pentagon. They're probably going to all jump for joy when they get my letter."
Daniel shook his head, "Okay, O brilliant one. If they really didn't need you, your military insight, your uncanny ability to see hidden agendas, then why would they have promoted you to general and stuck you as the leader of the program?"
"Hayes felt bad about the Kensey thing... felt he owed Hammond a favor."
"So, to help out Hammond, he hired you for his old job?"
"George went on to bigger and better things, Daniel. Maybe it gives him peace of mind knowing somebody who's been a part of the SGC for so many years is now running it. I don't know, and quite frankly, I've gotten to the point where I no longer give a damn."
"I just hope you're not making the biggest mistake of your lifetime, Jack. Yes, I know that you deserve to be happy, and so does Sam, but what happens if this new guy doesn't cut it? If he makes the wrong choice, and we all end up dust? Happiness won't be able to help you if the Goa'uld are coming, and our new leader doesn't know Jaffa from Nox?"
"I can't stay here forever, Daniel. You and I both know that."
The man shook his head with a sigh, "There's no going back this time, Jack. You realize that, don't you? You can't change your mind, decide that we really do need you here, and expect the president to accept you with open arms. It won't work that way anymore."
"I know. I've made up my mind, Daniel. The truth is, though, they need Sam much more than they need me. And I need Sam much more than I need this position."
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Her father ended up arriving at a little after 1600 hours. Anise was with him, along with a younger male Tok'ra that she couldn't remember the name of. Jacob, however, introduced him as Troyer. Sam wasn't sure if that was his hosts name, or the name of the symbiote, but it was her experience that mostly when a Tok'ra was addressed, it was by the name of the symbiote. In her fathers case, though, he was from earth first and foremost, and when on earth he was in control. While with the Tok'ra, it was Sel'mac.
Troyver and Anise went directly to the briefing room, they had a meeting with O'Neill, in which Jacob was not required to attend. Instead, she and her father went to the commissary for a early dinner. She was thankful that there weren't very many people in the commissary, and when the two walked in Jacob seemed to chalk up their staring to simple curiosity. However, she did make sure to pick a fairly secluded table, so she could talk to him in private.
"When you left the last time," she asked, as they sat down at their table, "you said 'tell him'. What did you mean by that?"
Jacob grinned, "It meant whatever you needed it to, baby."
Sam couldn't help but laughing, "That would have worked so much better if I had known what I needed it to mean."
"Well, what did you end up doing, then?"
"Well, firstly, I broke up with Pete..." she said with a small smile. Jacob looked slightly relieved, but let her finish her explanation. "And then I told Jack that I love him."
His eyes grew noticeably wider, "You did what?"
"I didn't know what you meant! So I took any possible meaning and ran with it. Besides, what you said, what Daniel said, what everybody said, it made a lot of sense. I was tired of holding it all in. And, I've got to tell you, I feel so much better now that he knows. I can actually breath now."
"What did he say?"
"Nothing, really..." she replied. "But, he did tell me he's going to retire." There was a momentary pause, "For good this time."
Jacob was speechless for awhile, "He's going to retire?"
She nodded.
"What is he thinking! Doesn't he realize how important he is to this program? To the treaty between the Tok'ra and Tau'ri. Hell, to the treaty between the Asgaurd and Tau'ri and probably all of the treaties that this world has with any alien race?"
"Dad, we've all tried to tell him how much he's needed here, but he just won't see it. And it's not like anybody can tell him what to do, he's an adult, you know?"
"Not to mention a stubborn ass."
"Well," she replied, nodding, "there's that."
XXXX
Hammond called Daniel as soon as his meeting with President Hayes was over. He told the archeologist that the president was getting him a plane ready, and he would be heading back for Colorado Springs within the hour. Daniel was relieved by the conversation, seeing as Jack was expecting to turn in his resignation letter at the end of the workday. Luckily, at the SGC there was no set end to the workday, and Jack had meetings until well after 1900 hours that night.
"I'll be there shortly, son," Hammond told him. "If he shows any indication that he's getting ready to send off that letter, distract him. I should be there before he does, but just in case."
Daniel promised him that there was no possible way Jack would get that letter. But before they could continue their conversation, the familiar sound of an incoming traveler filtered through the air and into Daniel's phone. "I gotta go, Jacob." the archeologist replied. "Call me as soon as your plane lands and I'll pick you up from the airport."
"Alright, son," Hammond replied, before hanging up.
Daniel put down his phone and took off his glasses, rubbing his eyes in an attempt to wake himself up further. The sound of Walter's voice filled through the air once more, "Incoming traveler! Incoming traveler!"
He found his way to the control room and watched as Jacob Carter walked through the gate with Anise and another Tok'ra. Anise and the younger male followed Jack towards the briefing room, while Jacob and Sam talked for a moment, before heading out of the 'gate room, to where, Daniel didn't know. However, he decided to give them some time alone, before going to talk with the Tok'ra. Besides, there was plenty of time before George would arrive.
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A/N: Well, I'm writing this on my first day in South Carolina, so who knows... maybe I can finish the next chapter before getting back home, as well. But anyway, I think this story is almost over. Not sure though, I'm rarely ever right about these things. At any rate, please review!
