She's My Best Friends Wife

AN: Muse is back in full force thanks to the inspirational writing of author Brenton Yorganson. Been frantically writing lots of stuff… For those of you reading Sam's wedding, I've pretty much finished writing the next chapter, just have to add a little bit at the start and type it up. Shouldn't be too long now.

As always thanks for your dedication and your wonderful reviews.

Sam or Major Carter EQUALS our reality Sam Carter

Dr. Carter or Samantha EQUALS the other reality Sam Carter

So technically you can't hear what people are saying through the other side of the mirror, otherwise when Daniel was mirror surfing, Captain Carter would have called him in, but just forget that for a moment, okay.

Here it is:

'She's my best friend's wife." That's what Alternate Kawalsky had just said. Sam registered what it was that he said. She knew that Kawalsky and the Colonel were very close. Could it be…? Not another…?

She looked at her CO Jack O'Neill for confirmation. He gave a slight nod, and his eyes said the rest. Yes, there were now two known alternate realities in which her and her CO were seriously together in some form. TWO. However did they manage that? Oh yeah, she didn't join the military.

Did that mean that if she retired from the military and became a doctor, she and Jack would…? Nah. She shook her head as the rest of her mind caught up with the conversation at hand. "No, Sir. I'm sorry. Teal'c can't go anymore than I can. Entropic cascade failure. If I go, there will still be two of me in one reality. And the same will be true with Teal'c.' Sam ordered her mind to stay on task, and worry about whatever it was she was worried about, later.

Though she had little time to spare for herself, Sam had been able to sneak some blue jello from the commissary, and was now eating it, sitting on her spinny computer chair with her feet lying on her desk in a Jack-style. She claimed that she had to go through some of her notes on Quantum physics and her previous report on recalibrating the generator field before she started work on it with Dr. Carter, but really all she needed was to sit down for five minutes and get her thoughts clear.

The revelation that her Alternate self and Jack were married was enough to throw her off-centre, but her military training kept her mind focussed. She was just thankful that the briefing was over. She had found it hard to look her CO in the eye after that, and she became increasingly uncomfortable. And she knew why.

It was extremely unsettling, the thought that there could be many more alternate realities that could have them coupled. She thought that the first one was just trivial, mere coincidence. But two? How could it be? Could the military ranks be the only thing keeping her and Jack from having a potential relationship? The thought just seemed too… weird. She wondered how Jack felt about the whole thing.

Suddenly she remembered something from yesterday. She was going to tell Dr. Carter that they had permission to stay, when she met Jack outside the holding room. He had given her a really weird look, and said that he had just told Dr. Carter. That she should be left alone for a while.

She wondered what had transpired. He didn't even get her joke when he had said it would take a couple of hours for her to discuss how she felt about the 'twin thing.' And that was definitely not Jack O'Neill. His mind seemed to be a little bit preoccupied. Maybe the Colonel had talked to her, and reminding her of her… husband, she had… Nah she wouldn't have like, kissed him or anything.

She was still grieving. She remembered the Doctor saying something about her husband being killed by a Jaffa and not expecting Jack to be alive in this reality. She would have needed comforting, and who better to do it than her Alternate… husband.

Jack and Sam O'Neill? That just didn't sound… well it didn't sound wrong, but it didn't really sound right either. Just… normal. Like it was something that was meant to be.

Okay, where did that come from? Something that was meant to be? Just because they were together in two different realities didn't mean that that they were 'meant to be' in all of them. She did not believe in soul mates.

Besides, the quantum theory said that this, or only one reality was the one of most consequence. Well to the people that lived in their reality, there's was the only one that mattered.

Sam grabbed a folder from her desk drawers marked Quantum Theory. Well she would have to cross that off; it obviously wasn't a theory anymore. It was real. All of it. And in another reality she had chosen not to join the air force, and married Jack O'Neill. That's where their paths had been divided, by their choices. It was really quite amazing when she thought about it.

'Major Carter?' Dr. Carter walked into the lab cautiously, not sure if she was welcome.

Sam looked up and managed a smile at her other self. 'Um, hi. I've got my notes.' She held them up. 'Now the last time Colonel O'Neill recalibrated the generator I was able to-'

'Look Samantha, Sam, whatever.' Dr. Carter said quite abruptly. 'I know the fact that I'm married to my Jack bothers you. It is pretty weird I'll admit. If it were me…' Sam shook her head.

'It's okay, Samantha. I understand what… well no I don't understand exactly what you're going through. But I get it. And I'm okay with it. Really.'

Dr Carter looked sceptical for a moment then her face softened. 'You really are like me.' She grinned. 'Sam, I know you really are uncomfortable about this. But I know you'll put on your military face, a face that I don't have but Jack does, and well…'

'Don't pretend you know me, Samantha!' Carter retorted, more than a little perturbed. 'We may look the same and have the same uni degree and the same parents and siblings, but you made different choices and so did I. You're different. We're different. Maybe I am a little freaked out, but you are perfectly in your rights to be in love with Jack O'Neill and I…' Sam stopped her tirade suddenly, not wanting to continue that sentence, afraid of what it might reveal to herself and to… herself.

Samantha finished the sentence for her, '…and you are not in your rights to be in love with Jack' she said softly with sympathetic understanding.

Sam looked away from her. 'We… we need to get to work Dr. Carter. We have to do this as soon as possible so that the symptoms of Entropic Cascade Failure will not worsen.' Sam cleared her throat in a business like style and continued what she was going to say before.

They had done it again. They had managed to get rid of the Gou'ald in two realities. After waiting anxiously for Jack, Daniel and Teal'c to appear before the mirror again after they helped Dr. Carter and Kawlasky to make contact with the Asguard, Sam was quite relived to see them back safe and sound, and even more shocked to see what transpired as Daniel and Teal'c stepped back through the mirror. Her Commanding Officer, Colonel Jack O'Neill was kissing her Alternate self. Thanks to her fantastic "military face" Major Carter was able to hide just how shocked and embarrassed she was, but she had to turn her face away, unable to bear looking at them kiss. She also couldn't help wondering what it would be like to kiss Jack. She did however see the tear that trickled down Dr. Carter's cheeks as she kissed her Alternate husband, when her own husband was dead.

Sam was able to sympthasise with her. It must have been hard for her, seeing her husband die, and then seeing him alive and well and safe. And knowing that she couldn't save him or her planet.

Well at least she had another chance with General Hammond and Kawlasky to continue righting wrongs in the galaxy.

Curiously, she turned her gaze back to the couple, seeing them break apart. She could faintly hear Samantha say 'You're really not him, are you?'

Jack shook his head sadly and gave a small sigh. 'No.'

'I wish…'

'Yeah…' Sam was surprised once more. Did Colonel O'Neill mean yeah as in 'I know' or yeah as in 'so do I'? It was a thought-provoking question that to continued to plague her many days after everyone had come back safely and the mirror had been destroyed.

Sam had heard that the Colonel had a long 'chat' with General Hammond the day before, and she didn't have to be a Theoretical Astrophysicist to know why he wanted to talk to Jack. It was obvious that Jack displayed certain… feelings towards…. her. Or Dr Carter, or somebody. No doubt it was a serious discussion. Jack didn't even look twice in her direction the whole day. And she could see him trying very hard not to on the previous days. Their interaction had become very awkward.

As for Major Carter, she had found it very difficult to meet his eye at all. She didn't know who he was anymore. She'd always thought he was a very simple man, but she found there was more to him than meets the eye, and that he actually had many layers, like an ogre, or cake. He was hard to decipher.

It just so happened that he chose to interrupt her little musings in her lab, to come and sit beside her as she typed up her mission report.

She knew he was there. She could feel his presence the moment he stepped into the room and out of the corner of her eye she was watching him.

She typed up a few more words, gathering her strength and then turned to face him, still not meeting his eyes.

'Sir?'

'Carter.' He stated.

'Sir?'

'Carter.'

Something clicked. 'Sir, I think I know what you're going to say. Or the vein of thought that you have. But first I want to ask you a question.'

Jack gave her a suspicious look and then nodded.

'What did General Hammond speak to you about?' Jack suddenly looked extremely nervous and started fiddling with the scientific quantum remote controller on her desk.

'Sir… I wouldn't fiddle with that.'

'Alright, alright.' He gave her a quick grin that surprised her, that and the feeling that she got in her stomach. When did that get that there?

'General Hammond wanted me to tell him about the deal with Alternate Sam. Because of… y'know.' He trailed of, unwilling to mention exactly what it was that he did.

'Because you're her husband in an alternate reality, right?'

'Exactly.'

'And you kissed her in front of me, right?'

'Yousureyabetcha that's what he wanted to talk about.' Jack finally gathered up his nerve and stopped "beating round the bush."

'Sam, what I really came here for is to say, I'm sorry. I'm sorry that I kissed Dr. Carter in front of you.' A pair of eyebrows flew up. 'I'm sorry that I kissed her at all', he corrected himself. 'But I couldn't turn her away. I figured it was the only way she could truly let go of her hurt and regret… so she could stop grieving that she lost her husband, and remember all the good times they had. Y'know?'

Sam couldn't help it, but she stared at Jack. He knew exactly what Dr. Carter had needed. He knew exactly what she would need if it ever happened to her… not that she was ever going to marry Jack or that he would be there to comfort her when he was dead. She superstitiously touched some wood.

Sam gave a nod. 'I understand, Sir… Jack. Thankyou for being there for her. It means just as much to me as it does to her. Well it probably means more for her but… well you get the picture.'

'Well I'm sorry if I made you uncomfortable.'

'It did, just a bit. But I don't think it's anything to get worried about do you?'

'No. Definitley not.'

Jack gave a sudden wistful look thaat caught Sam by surprise.

'You know… Samantha said that I know you. Do you think I know you?'

'What… What do you mean?'

'You know how some people can work with a person for ten, twenty years, but they never really know the person. Do you think we know each other?'

'It's kind of hard not to know a person, Colonel, when you've shared so many experiences with them as we have. I mean, how many people can truly say, "We've been through hell and back together?"'

Jack gave a grin. 'Funny, Carter. Real funny. Seriously though?'

'I'd like to think we know each other, Sir. I know…' Sam thought for a moment. 'I know the phrases you use. I know you don't like cliches, and may I add that that is becoming a cliché. I know how you like your coffee, and I know that you prefer hot chocolate the same way. And-' Sam stopped and gave Jack a suspicious look. 'Why am I telling you this? Yes, I think we know each other. Is that all?'

'I was merely wondering. I know why you do that whole scientific babble thing.'

Sam raised her eyebrows. 'Oh, do you now? I didn't think I had to have a reason.'

'Well you do, and it's because, secretly you like being able to understand things that I don't because you feel threatened by my superior leadership skills and you want me to feel threatened by your smartness. And let me tell you, Major Carter. It's not working.' Sam gave a snort of laughter.

'Could've fooled me, didn't you just say last week how you thought smartness was overrated. If that's not a sign of feeling threatened I don't know what is.'

'Since when are you a doctorate of phycology'?

'Since I met you of course, Sir.'

'That hurt, Major.'

'The truth will do that to you.'

They chuckled and then both stopped suddenly, as if they had realised at the same time, how incredibly flirty they were being.

After that whole Alternate Reality thing, she knew that it might be risky with the whole feelings things, but she was surprised at how quickly they settled back into what she now recognised as their routine.

Well she knew one thing for sure. Dr. Carter was completely wrong about them.

The may not be at the getting married stage. Heck, she was almost quite positive that they would never be able to reach that stage, but they weren't totally void of feelings.

Still she wondered… was it only in those two reality's or would there one day be another reality up there on the list?