-1THROUGH THE YEARS
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a/n: I'm back already! It's a miracle! Once again, I wrote this chapter quickly and so it is probably filled with mistakes. Please forgive me! I'm thinking of finding a beta to do the dirty work for me…..
Once again, pay attention to the dates, they still jump!
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Chapter 20: Promotions and Reassignments
March 1991 California
Sam stepped off the military aircraft on Edwards Air Force Base. Standing only a few short feet away was her dad and a very excited 22-month old Grace.
"Mommy! Mommy!" Sam heard her little girl calling. Sam stepped off to the side and rushed to her little girl, scooping her up in her arms and covering her in kisses.
"Oh, baby, I've missed you so much!" she exclaimed as she hugged her little girl.
Jacob wrapped his arms around the two most important women in the world to him. "We're both so happy to have you back, Sammie."
Sam hugged her dad back without setting down her little girl.
The trio headed off the airfield and towards a small diner on base to catch up. Sam, never once, letting go of her baby.
The following day an assembly was held and Sam, Jacob and Grace all gathered, once again, on the airfield. The general came out a few minutes later, and after acknowledging Jacob and shaking his hand, headed to the podium.
"Ladies and Gentlemen, airmen, loved ones, It is a joyous occasion to have so many of our airmen return so soon to us. Every airmen here is a hero, and as much as I would love to award and promote every last one of you, my superiors would blow a gasket! However, I have received information pointing out that certain officers in this command, went well above and beyond the call of duty during this war.
It is with great honor and privilege that I call to the stage the following officers: Captain John Andrews, Lt. Frank Allen, Lt. Samantha Carter, Lt. Carl Elliot, Major Tom Hardy, Major Sean Johnson, Sgt. Troy Kellogg, Captain Michael Kimble, Sgt. Jane Lloyd, Lt. Cameron Mitchell, Lt. Cindy Preston, Sgt. Henry Robbins, Sgt. Gary Smith, and Captain Patrick Williams."
Sam walked to the stage in surprise upon hearing her name called. She stood at attention as she watched Captain Andrews and Lt. Allen promoted to a higher rank and given a medal of honor. When the general turned to her, she thought she was going to die of excitement!
"Lt. Samantha Carter, the United States Air Force recognizes that you have fulfilled your duties as lieutenant and hereby promotes you to the rank of Captain," the general stated as he removed her lieutenant insignia and replaced it with the Captain bars.
Sam beamed in pride.
"Captain Samantha Carter flew over one hundred hours in enemy air space in the past four months. She saved the lives of her fellow airmen several times with her quick thinking and fast flying maneuvers. It is with great pride that I award Captain Samantha Carter with this medal of honor." The general pinned a medal to Sam's uniform and smiled at her.
Sam smiled back, completely surprised by her promotion and award.
She stood at attention while the general continued down the line, smiling widely when Mitchell was also promoted to Captain.
After the ceremony, Jacob insisted on taking Sam and Cameron out to celebrate. They headed to a restaurant a short distance from base and wasn't at all surprised by the large contingent of other officers at the local restaurant, also celebrating.
A few days later, Sam flew with her dad and Grace back to Jacob's base to spend the remainder of her leave. All airmen returning from Iraq had been given a 30-day leave and Sam decided she and Grace would spend that time with Jacob.
Shortly before her leave was up, Sam laid Grace down in the room she had been sleeping in for the past 5 months and joined her dad in the living room. "She's going to miss you when we leave," Sam told her dad, taking a seat on the couch.
"Yeah, not as much as she's missed you, though. You should have seen how excited she was when I told her you were coming home. She is just as smart as you were at that age."
Sam smiled at this. I don't know if that's a good thing or a bad thing," she joked.
"Oh, a little bit of both, I believe. And trust me, I would be the one to know," Jacob teased his daughter. "I'll miss you both. It'll be weird going back to a quiet, empty house after sharing it with a toddler for months."
Sam laughed. "I bet."
"So, I heard Mitchell mention Jack O'Neill, did you run into him in Iraq?" Jacob asked, innocently.
Sam turned her gaze to a spot on the wall in front of her, not wanting to have this conversation again with her dad. "Yeah, we did."
"Did you tell him about Grace?"
"No," Sam replied, her eyes never leaving the spot on the wall.
"Don't you think he has a right to know?" Jacob asked in an even tone.
Sam licked her lips. "I-I was going to tell him. I was, really," she squeaked. "I just didn't get a chance. I had a mission and when I came back, he was sent on his. I didn't see him again."
"I see," Jacob replied.
"Dad," Sam warned. This was not the first time they had bickered over Sam telling Jack about his daughter. Jacob was on the firm belief that Jack would immediately leave Sara upon knowing of Sam having his daughter. Sam wasn't so sure.
"There are other ways of getting a hold of him. His phone number has been the same in Colorado Springs for the past three years."
"Dad, I'm leaving in a few days, do we really have to do this again?"
Jacob Carter looked over at his daughter. She didn't deserve this. All he wanted was for his little girl to be happy. Seeing the way Jack looked at her, the way she looked at him, he was sure Jack O'Neill would never break his little girl's heart, but in reality, that is exactly what he did. Jacob wanted to hate Jack O'Neill so badly, but the truth was, he knew his little girl still loved that man intensely, and Jacob just couldn't force himself to hate someone his daughter loved so much. Especially when he was also the father of his granddaughter. "I'm sorry, Sammie. I just want you to be happy."
"I am, dad, really. I love Grace with every fiber of my being and if I had to go back and do it over again, I would. As long as I got Grace out of it, it's worth it."
Jacob nodded at his daughter, she was wise beyond her years, this was something he had known for a very long time, and something that still surprised him when he was reminded of it.
A few days later, Sam and Grace flew back to California, Sam going back to her job with the new rank of Captain.
It was a week later Sam finally decided that her dad was right. She was sitting in her living room, reading the letter Jack wrote her in Iraq over and over again. Grace was taking a nap and Sam had been undisturbed for over an hour. After reading the lines: Sam, I love you. I know I'm married and I hurt you so much, but I know we are meant to be together. Don't ever forget that, because I know someday we will be, for the hundredth time, Sam decided she needed to find out if his words were true. Picking up the phone, she dialed the number she had memorized in her head long ago.
The phone rang twice before a woman answered, "hello."
"Hi," Sam started after hearing the woman answer. "I was calling for Jack O'Neill."
"And who is this?" the woman asked in disgust.
"Uh, um, Samantha Carter," Sam managed to get out.
"Oh," the woman replied as if it was no big deal she was calling. "I must say, I've been expecting this phone call ever since that little scene outside Jack's parents' house after our honeymoon."
Sam had no idea what to say, in fact, her mouth was making a motion similar to that of a fish on her side of the phone line.
"So, do you really think Jack is going to leave me for you? Ha! You must think very highly of yourself," Sara spat through the line.
"Excuse me?" Sam replied, somewhat finding her voice.
"You heard me! He is NOT leaving me, no matter what he might have told you!"
"Uh, he hasn't told me anything," Sam announced in confusion.
"Then why are you calling?" Sara asked in a hateful tone.
"I needed to tell him something, is he there?" Sam asked, getting very frustrated with this woman.
"Oh, let me guess, you've finally built up the nerve to tell him about your daughter."
Sam's mouth dropped open in shock.
"Well, don't bother. He knows that he fathered your daughter and he doesn't care. We laugh about it all the time. He loves me and his son. He never wanted a daughter and he never wanted you. Exactly how many times does he have to break up with you before you get it through your thick head?"
"I don't believe you," Sam gasped into the phone.
"Really? And Jack always said you were smart. Well, Samantha, let me let you in on a little secret. Jack and I have been fully aware of your actions over the years. We've known about your daughter ever since you were pregnant. Jack has been worried that you would tell him he was her father and make him pay for child support, or worse, make him actually meet the little bastard-child."
"How dare you…" Sam began, but was cut off by Sara's cold voice.
"No, Samantha, how dare you. He married me, Samantha, knowing fully well he was engaged to you, knowing you were carrying his child, he married me. He chose me because I am a real woman, not a child, not a tomboyish soldier wannabe like yourself."
"You bitch!" Sam roared.
"Yes, that's right, Samantha, I'm Jack's bitch, and you'd do well to remember that."
Sam slammed the phone back on it's hook. 'Damn it! Who the hell did that woman think she was?' Infuriated, Sam paced her house, trying to relieve some of the anger that had built up inside her over that phone call.
How did she know about Grace? Did Jack really know? Sam knew he would never laugh over her, would he? Was this whole love affair really just in her own head? They really had broken up several times over the years. Could he really be happy with Sara? Happier with her than what he was with Sam? Sam felt the tears start pouring down her face.
She didn't want to believe that Jack would ever lie to her about his love, but she had a hard time convincing herself as the memory of Jack walking into his parents' house with Sara popped into her head. She remembered how happy he looked before noticing Sam in the room. That had torn Sam up more than anything else in the world. It was at that moment that Sam realized that Jack could be happy with someone that wasn't her.
He was happy with Sara. Did she really have the right to try and take that from him? Sam was more confused than ever! She was back to square one. She had no idea what to do. Wiping the tears angrily from her face, Sam took the letter Jack had wrote her, still clutched in her hands, and tore it to shreds until she finally felt some of the anger and frustration leave her body.
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Sara heard the dial tone and smiled wickedly as she hung the phone back on it's receiver. 'Ha,' she mentally applauded herself. 'I am so glad I hired that private eye to gather as much information on Samantha Carter as he could. I am definitely going to have to send him a bonus! I told you Sam, you are never going to take Jack from me.' Sara smiled again, evilly, as she recalled the conversation in her head and how upset she had made Jack's 'perfect little princess'.
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June 1991 Colorado Springs
Four months after the cease-fire, Jack and the rest of his men had finally returned from the middle east. They had been responsible for maintaining the peace and policing the streets of Kuwait for any disturbances from Iraq. It had taken over a month to finally get back to the base he was at with Sam. He knew, even before he got there, that she was already gone, but he couldn't help but feel disappointed as he strolled through the base, not one sign of her unit in sight.
Jack thought long and hard on the flight back to the States. He loved Sam and he wanted to be with her so much. He had no idea what to do about Sara and Charlie. No matter what, he would not give up his son. That just wasn't an option. But, he couldn't give up Sam either. The only thing he knew for sure was that he was starting to hate his wife, almost as much as the men who had tortured him in Iraq.
It was no huge surprise when Jack was promoted to a full-bird colonel upon his arrival back at Peterson. It also didn't surprise him that Kowalsky was promoted to Major, or that Lt. Ferretti was promoted to Captain.
What did surprise him was the strange jacket hanging on his hook when he walked in his house. It was also quite a surprise to see a naked man in bed with his wife when he walked in to his bedroom. "Honey, I'm home," Jack called sarcastically, at seeing his wife having sex with another man in his bed.
"Jack! What the hell are you doing here?" Sara yelled in anger.
"Surprise, dear wife of mine. I live here," Jack replied, coolly.
"Yo, dude, long time no see," the hippie man replied, laying in bed with Sara.
"Uh, Randy, isn't it?" Jack asked the man in a carefree voice.
"That's me," the ditzy man said with a grin.
"Thank you, Randy. You have just saved my life," Jack told the man.
"Sure, dude, anytime," Randy replied, dropping back down on the bed.
"Jack! Jack! What the hell do you think you're doing?" Sara yelled, standing up and snatching her robe off the bathroom door.
Jack had already turned and left the room, heading straight towards Charlie's room.
"Jack! What do you think you're doing?" Sara yelled again.
Jack turned around, so much fury in his eyes, Sara was scared enough not to say anything. "I am taking my son and leaving," he replied in a calm, even voice.
"You can't just take him," Sara said indignantly, but kept her distance.
Jack looked at the woman before him. "Watch me," he announced and packed as much of Charlie's clothes as he could fit in the suitcase he was holding.
"Jack!" Sara cried. "You can't do this!"
Jack ignored her and when he had packed adequately enough, he scooped Charlie up in his arms and walked out the door.
It took Jack a total of twenty minutes to have a house on base. It wasn't the ideal place to live, but it would work for now. By nightfall, Jack had a fully-furnished house ready for he and Charlie to live in. The office secretary had called three times telling him that Sara was constantly calling the base looking for him, but he had no intention of calling her back.
Jack was thinking very level-headedly. As much as he wanted to call Sam and tell her he had finally split with Sara, he knew that would be a bad move on his part. He needed to wait until the divorce was final and he had custody of his son. Sara would use anything she could against him and he wasn't going to drag Sam into the middle of his mess.
He had planned everything out and had hired the best attorney he could find. The only problem was that Sara also hired a good attorney. What should have taken months to finalize, in truth, took much longer.
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May 1992 Washington DC
Sam walked into the Pentagon on her first day of work. She had been transferred from Edwards, being told that the Pentagon needed her massive intelligence more than Edwards needed her fancy flying techniques. It had been an emotional good-bye at Edwards a week ago. Going to war with her fellow airmen had created a bond that she was not ready to sever yet. Several men and women in her unit had also been transferred over the past year, so this did help make the transition a little easier for her.
Mitchell was heartbroken at Sam's transfer, especially because he was one of the few who were remaining at Edwards. He and Sam had grown even closer in the past year, so much that Grace was calling Cameron, Uncle Cam. He was there to help her pack and clean her on-base house and even drove Grace and Sam to their plane.
On the airfield, Cameron hugged Sam and Grace and kissed them both on their cheeks. "I love you two, you know?" he announced. "You've been my best friend, Sam, and Grace has been like a niece to me."
Sam pulled him into another hug. "You've been my best friend, too, Cam. I wish we didn't have to go. I'm going to miss you."
"B-bye, Uncle Cam," Grace said to the older man before walking on the plane with her mom. Before entering the plane, she turned around and blew Cameron a kiss. He reached up, grabbed the kiss and pulled it to his chest. He waved good-bye as the plane flew out of sight.
Sam knew she was going to miss Cameron very much. He had become an important person in her life and she was heartbroken as she wondered how long it would be before she saw him again.
They arrived in DC and moved into the small apartment the Pentagon had set them up with. Sam had a week to get all unpacked and situated before having to report for work. After spending two days unpacking, Sam headed out with Grace to find the perfect day care.
They visited four different day care centers before Sam found one that she and Grace both liked. The daycare also doubled as a pre-school, and since Grace was three now, Sam thought it was perfect for her little girl. Sam enrolled Grace and then the two headed off for dinner before going back to their new home.
By the time Sam had to report to the Pentagon, she and Grace were all settled in. She woke up early on her first day and made a large breakfast for the two of them. After breakfast, the girls got ready and Sam dropped her daughter off at her new 'home away from home' before heading into work.
The Pentagon was quite large and Sam had no idea what she would be doing there. Walking in, a secretary directed her to the office of her new CO.
She sat outside the small office for a good twenty minutes before a woman with short gray hair and a civilian business suit came walking out of the office. "Thank you, sir. You have no idea how important this project is. I know we can figure this thing out eventually," the woman was saying as she walked out of the office.
Sam stood up upon seeing the body of the general behind the woman.
"At ease, Captain," the familiar voice of the general rang out.
"Colonel, Co-, uh, General… Hammond, sir, I-I, they didn't tell me who my commanding officer was going to be, sir," Sam stuttered out in surprise at seeing her dad's long-time friend.
"Samantha, it is great seeing you again. What's it been? Ten years?"
"Um, yes, at least. The last time I saw you was shortly after my mom's memorial service and that was twelve years ago now. We were all living in California and you and dad were both still colonels," Sam finished, smiling at the man before her.
"Yes, that was a long time ago, now wasn't it? How have you been?"
"Pretty good, sir. Yourself? How's Mrs. Hammond?"
Sam saw the general's loving eyes sadden at the mention of his long-time wife."
"She's sick, but we're still holding out hope."
"I'm sorry," Sam mumbled out, worried about the sweet woman who tried to comfort Sam on several occasions after her mother's death.
Gen. Hammond nodded his head. "She has cancer. She's going through chemo right now. We're really not sure how well she will react to it."
"Would she mind my visiting her sometime, sir. I would love to introduce her to my daughter, Grace."
General Hammond smiled warmly. "I'm sure she would love to have you and Grace visit. She always had a tender spot for you."
Sam smiled at this and took it as a compliment.
It was at this point that General Hammond realized the woman still in the room. "Oh, Katherine, I'd like you to meet Captain Samantha Carter. She will be the one helping you with your project on this end. She is a very intelligent woman and I believe the two of you will be able to figure that thing out together. Captain Carter, this is Dr. Katherine Langford."
"It's nice to meet you, ma'am," Sam replied.
"Oh, please, call me Katherine. It appears we will be spending a lot of time together in the coming months.
Sam nodded and smiled. "Well, then, I insist you call me Sam, or Samantha, I'll respond to either."
Dr. Langford left the room and General Hammond gave Sam a quick tour of the Pentagon before showing her to her new office.
"Wow!" Sam exclaimed, walking into the large office/lab. "I've never had my own office. Or lab, for that matter."
"Well, Captain, I'd have to say you're moving up in the world," the general teased. "I would like you to get started on this information on Dr. Langford's project first. If anyone can get this thing figured out, I'd bet money it'll be you."
Sam smiled at the compliment and took the large folder the general held out for her. "If you have any questions, you can come to my office, or just hit the number 2 on your phone. It will connect you right to my secretary."
"Thank you, sir," Sam replied and saluted General Hammond before he left her office.
Sam sat down and opened the large file in front of her. What she read astonished her. It described a large circular object a Dr. Langford discovered in Egypt in the 1920's. The object itself was not what astonished Sam, but the indistinguishable metal the object was made of. Sam was not surprised that Katherine's report stated that she assumed the object was capable of maintaining power of some sort. Sam went through all the information in the file, her head swirling with possibilities of what this thing might be.
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a/n: A few things: 1. In the pilot episode, Sam tells Jack that she had been working on the Stargate for two years before Dr. Jackson made it work and in season 2's episode, 'Secrets,' she tells Jack she spent two years at the Pentagon trying to get the Stargate Program up and running. Okay, so they never actually said whether that was two years combined or two in DC and two at Cheyenne Mountain. It is probably two years total, but it works better for me to have it as two years in DC and then two years actually working on the Stargate, so that's how it is in this story. And 2. I always wondered if Hammond would have done anything after the episode '1969' to ensure his future turned out the way it was supposed to. That is why he is at the Pentagon helping to get the Stargate Program up and running.