Story title: Lost and found
Rating: I dunno... fine for anyone really... nothing too sinister
Disclaimer: yeah... nothing's mine - I applaud those who created this wonderful universe and hope they don't mind me borrowing it for this
A/N: This is just a one-off. I'm having horrible issues writing my thesis, and wasn't even able to relax by continuing my current fic! I saw metamorphosis again recently on TV and it got me thinking... this is just a post-ep... hope you enjoy
Jack woke with a start. His face was coated with sweat as he sat up in the dark room and vainly looked around him, trying to figure out where he was. There was a time, way back during his childhood, when waking up had been a simple affair of finding himself in his bedroom. Now, however, he never knew where he'd be, and in those first moments of consciousness, he always prayed that at least he wasn't captive in some hostile place – country or planet.
It didn't take him long to recognise the drab walls. He was at the SGC. He froze still. Why was he at the SGC and not at home? He was no Carter – usually, the minute he could, he skedaddled out of that mountain and back to his beer and Simpsons DVDs. As soon as he thought of Sam, he realised why he was still there – she was also on base that night. Janet was waiting on test results to check that she wouldn't turn into a puddle of water.
He suddenly realised why he'd awoken with a start. The nightmare came roaring back to the forefront of his consciousness. Seeing her on that bench, getting sicker by the minute, her skin gleaming with sweat. It had scared him so much. What had been more frightening, was her unashamed show of affection to him, resting on his shoulder. For Sam to overlook the proper chain of command and succumb to her need for comfort, well, it had told him then and there just how serious the situation had been.
In his dream, they hadn't cured her. In his dream, he'd seen her begin to cough and splutter before liquefying before his eyes. In his dream, he'd screamed in a murderous rage, complete victim to his pain and anguish. In his dream, she'd been dead.
He had to make sure she was ok.
Not stopping to get properly dressed, Jack bolted to the door and launched himself into the corridor. Although it was probably still the middle of the night, there was an impressive amount of personnel still on base. Jack didn't even notice the strange looks he got from the assorted airman and scientists as he propelled himself down the corridors. He must have looked a sight, wearing his worn tracksuit pants and T-shirt, running barefoot through the underground complex.
He finally reached the infirmary and burst through the doors, only to find the whole space empty. Not so much as a nurse. He moved to the side of the room and banged on Dr Frasier's door. Not waiting for an answer, he burst into the room.
"Where is she?" his voice warned Janet not to ask any questions.
"Sam's sleeping in her quarters, Colonel." Janet answered with surprise, concerned at this sudden appearance of a very dishevelled Jack O'Neill.
Jack didn't wait to hear Janet's questions. He turned right around and moved out of the infirmary, slamming the door behind her. As he recommenced his night-time chase through the SGC, he realised that she must be ok, if she was asleep in her quarters. He thought this fact would calm him, and tried to slow his pace, but still the niggling fear remained. His mind was clouded with images of her turning to water and he broke out into a full-on sprint.
He didn't slow down until he was less than a metre from her door. Not stopping to knock, he pushed the door open and slammed it behind him, darkness blanketing his senses so all he could hear was his own panicked breathing.
A light suddenly came on, hurting his eyes. He shielded them with one hand and looked down to the bed, where Sam had woken up. She was leaning over the bedside table, her hand still hovering over the light-switch, looking at him groggily.
"Sir?" she didn't seem fully awake yet, her hair was all ruffled and her face creased from being pressed into the pillow.
Now that he was in her quarters, looking at a very much alive – albeit semi-conscious – Carter, Jack felt like a complete idiot. Of course she was ok. A bad dream was just a bad dream. Why the hell wouldn't she be ok? He'd been there, he'd seen her cured… he'd taken her hand and held it as they stood together. He'd guided her back to the stargate, making special efforts to make sure she was ok. He'd even apologised when she'd gotten sick of him handling her with kid-gloves.
Sam slowly brought herself up so she was sitting in the bed, leaning slightly against the wall. "Sir?" she asked again. "What's happened?"
"Uh… uh…" Jack fiddled with his hands, looking all around the room, trying to save face. "Uh nothing." He managed to get out finally. "Nothing, sorry. Go back to sleep Carter."
He turned to leave, but was stopped by the sound of her voice. "Jack?"
He froze on the spot. Since when did she call him by his first name? He turned slowly around. "Carter?" he looked at her questioningly, belying his strong instinctual desire to run out of the room.
"You ok sir?" Sam was shivering slightly, missing the warmth of being fully under the covers.
"Sure Carter, why wouldn't I be?" Jack replied quickly, although he knew she wouldn't buy it. Apart from anything else, his attempt at speaking flippantly had only made him sound neurotic.
"Because you burst into my quarters, without knocking, at 4.30am, while still wearing your pyjamas." Sam pointed out.
Jack looked down at his attire and realised that indeed, he hadn't even put any shoes on when leaving his quarters. There he was, standing in front of his 2IC, barefoot and in his pyjamas.
"Ah. Yes. Well." He didn't know what to say and so just shrugged. He looked up at Sam almost apologetically, "I'm sorry, I'll let you sleep." Again he turned towards the door, and again the sound of her voice stopped him.
"Stay?" she pleaded quietly.
"Huh?" Jack turned around to see that Sam had moved on the bed to clear a space for him to sit down. Against his better judgement, he gingerly perched on the edge of the bed. Being able to sense her so close to him was wonderful. All his fears from his panicked trip through the corridors of the SGC dissipated and he was just happy to know she was ok. He sighed and without realising it sank back against the wall, settling comfortably next to her.
He felt the bed shift slightly before her head rested on his shoulder. For the second time in the space of 24 hours, Jack found himself acting as a pillow. Sam was settling in comfortably, breathing in and out deeply, evidently contented with their current situation. Hesitantly, he brought his hand up to trace his thumb down her cheek, following the line of her jaw.
"Hmmm…" Sam sighed contentedly, already succumbing to the fatigue that had let her sleep so fitfully before interrupted.
"Hey Carter?" Jack whispered, not wanting to startle her.
"Hmmm?" Sam indicated she was still listening.
"I'm really glad you're ok." His voice was husky, and nearly cracked as he considered again what had almost been.
Sam shifted slightly, opening her eyes and turned to look at him, her chin now resting on his shoulder. "Is that why you came here?"
Jack nodded, not daring to look away from her beautiful face. He didn't trust himself to speak either. He could feel the emotion within him reaching a kind of release point, but didn't want to succumb. Apart from anything else, the consequences for their careers wouldn't be good.
He was saved from having to break the contact when Sam pulled herself away from the wall slightly and threaded herself under his arm to hug him around his chest. She rested her head just underneath his chin and held onto him for dear life. Jack reciprocating by tightening his arms around her, relishing in the feel of her body against his. He realised that hot tears had begun to form in his eyes and tried to blink them away. His relief and joy at having her so close to him prevented this from happening, and a tear managed to escape and fall from his cheek.
Sam could hear Jack's breath rasping as he struggled to come to terms with the trauma of her torture by Nirrti. She just held him even tighter, wanting more than anything else to reassure him, to simply be with him. When she felt a hot tear fall onto her shoulder, she shifted her position to look at him. His eyes told her everything she needed to know. The sadness, joy, despair and relief danced within his deep brown eyes, drawing her closer to him.
With her heart in her throat, Sam tilted her head upwards and moved her lips closer to his. Without saying anything, she kissed him lightly, gingerly at first, before infusing the kiss with all the emotions she had been harbouring towards her Commanding Officer for the past 5 years. She felt his arms tighten around her as he deepened the kiss, and became lightheaded as the touch of his lips took her to another plane. Finally breaking from their heartfelt embrace, she smiled briefly at him before settling back into his arms, breathing in his presence.
Jack felt Sam's breathing become more regular as she drifted off to sleep, and he leant his head back against the cold wall behind him, looking up to the ceiling. Not loosening his hold of her, he allowed the exhaustion he'd been feeling ever since their arrival back at the SGC take over and joined her in the land of slumber. Tomorrow they'd have to face another challenge, but tomorrow at least they'd have each other.