Author's note – if you're tuning in for the first time, thank you! I hope you enjoy it!! If you're wondering what the deal is, fanfic.net decided that some of my content was not in line with their rules (uh, guess they finally found chapter 14….)
I owe a great deal of thanks to many fanfic authors – Sally Reeve, Ruthie, Cathain Nottingham, Ted Sadler, lighteninglady…the list goes on – these authors have helped, inspired and encouraged me and this reposting is dedicated to them and to all the ones I haven't mentioned!
Enjoy J
Lieutenant Jennifer Hailey was helping him catalog the artifacts that had been gathered on PX239. He appreciated the help; she was a scientist and was quite detailed and dedicated to the tasks she took on. He also liked that, although she was military, she had an almost childlike curiosity about her when it came to examining and analyzing the artifacts that they gathered. She reminded him of Sha're that way, he thought ruefully. He also knew that she was able to relax a bit around him as he was not officially military, and he felt a sense of duty to provide that outlet to the bright young woman.
"I'm finished with this box, Dr. Jackson, sir," she said.
"Okay, how much time do you have left before your next shift with Sam?"
She looked at the clock on the wall. "My shift up there doesn't start until 14:00 hours, sir. It's only 11:00 hours now, sir."
He knew she needed to keep up with the constant references to him as sir to maintain her military posture. It was a habit he had grown accustomed to with the other recruits at the SGC.
"Well, why don't you go ahead and grab the next box, then? If you don't finish it, I can," knowing as he said it that she would not let that happen; she would sooner work through lunch and run up to Sam's lab at full speed than leave a task unfinished. "Grab the smaller of the boxes, please, I don't want either of us to be here all night," he said.
"Sir, yes sir," she said, as she turned and headed out of the room. At least she had stopped saluting him, he thought wryly. Jennifer headed out of the lab, and down the corridor to one of the extra labs where the artifacts were stored. Dr. Jackson's lab was at the end of a long hallway, and the other doors in the corridor led to other large labs that were used for storing the artifacts until they could be properly cataloged. It was like a series of closets, the artifacts being dumped into one, then brought to the lab, then stored in yet another one.
Jennifer used her card key to enter the dark, dreary lab where the artifacts were first placed when they returned through the gate. The lighting here was very spare, a couple of long fluorescent bulbs strung overhead. It did not exactly scare her to come in here, but she felt a perceptible sense of relief when she could leave. She always left the door open when she came in here; there were no telephones or intercoms or other communication devices of any kind in here. If the card key did not work to open the door from the inside, for whatever reason, a person would be trapped in here. The thought made her vaguely uneasy.
She knew exactly where the boxes had been put; she had helped put them there. They were on the far side of the room, piled on top of some tables – that made them easier to lift, but the distance between her and the boxes increased that sense of uneasiness she had in here. Setting her card key on the table next to the door – she always put it there, so that she didn't accidentally drop it in the darkness of the lab – she strode across the room and scanned the boxes with her Mag flashlight, looking for one that might be a manageable size that she could finish before her next shift.
As she entered the lab, she did not notice the tall, lanky man watching from the open end of the corridor. He grinned, recognizing that the young lieutenant had just set herself up in a situation tailor made for someone such as himself. Looking around to make sure that no one was watching him, he sauntered quietly down the corridor and taking another look around, he stepped into the lab. He noticed her card key near the door; picking it up and putting it into his pocket, he shut the door behind him.
The sudden click of the door almost caused her heart to stop. She could feel the hair rise on the back of her neck. She whirled around, hoping it was just a draft that had caused the door to shut, but somehow knowing that it wasn't. She saw him then, standing near the door. She glanced quickly and noticed that her card key had disappeared from the stand near the door.
"Major Jameson, sir," she greeted him coolly. She had only heard rumors about this man and while she was not one to engage in gossip, what she had heard had fueled her natural suspicions about the man with the too easy grin.
"Lieutenant Hailey, how nice to see you again," he replied, with an oily tone of voice that now made the hairs on her skin stand up. He flicked the lights off with a deliberateness that sent shivers down her spine and sauntered closer towards her. Her natural instinct to run was now operating on high alert, but she could see by the way he was walking that he was blocking all of her escape routes. Besides, she realized, the door was the only way out and could not be opened without the card key that she was pretty sure he had.
"I was just retrieving a box for Dr. Jackson," Jennifer stated. She held the Mag flashlight in front of her defensively, like a weapon, preparing to defend herself if need be. Her soldier training had prepared her for that.
"But you can't get through that door without your card key, Lieutenant," he stated, grinning wickedly at the girl's predicament. He pulled her card key out of his pocket and waved it at her, then stuffed it back into his back pocket. "First year of the academy, lieutenant, never let the enemy get the drop on you," he drawled, closing in on her. "You could get written up for this. Of course, we could negotiate a little treaty to get you out of it," his voice fairly dripping with the intentions of his statement.
Jennifer drew herself up to her full stature and squared her shoulders. She didn't appreciate his attempt at intimidation; she certainly wasn't going to let on that it was working. "Sir, you are out of line," Jennifer said confidently, not quite as sure of her actions as she hoped her tone would indicate.
"Out of line, eh?" Jameson replied, bemusedly. "Oh, I think it's you who are out of line, Lieutenant Hailey, or at least you who needs to get out of line."
Jennifer's heart was pounding now; the things she had heard were true. He was a senior officer and could be a rapist, she realized. Her soldier training had not prepared her completely for these types of situations. She realized she was scared, and she was having a hard time replacing that fear with her normal anger at things that scared her. This was different. She was scared of this on a much different level.
Jameson continued towards her. She set her feet in a combat stance and wielded the flashlight like a saber. Jameson laughed. "Oh, so now you're going to fight me off with a flashlight, eh?" he said mockingly. As he closed the distance between them, Jennifer was not prepared for the lightning quick way in which he grabbed her wrist, forcing her to drop the flashlight. It clattered to the ground, shining against the door and far wall, leaving barely enough light for her to see him in.
In one quick move he had pushed her up against the wall with his body, pinning the wrist that he had captured above her head. His other hand expertly grabbed her free wrist; he was much more practiced at maneuvers in the dark, she knew, and her lack of knowledge and experience in these matters scared her to her soul. She felt helpless, not a feeling she was used to and certainly not one she wanted to get used to anytime soon.
With one hand he held both of her wrists above her head, still pinning her lithe, supple body against the wall with his. He was easily a foot taller than she was; even if she had the leverage, she wouldn't be able to reach his groin with her knee, she thought. He seemed to be taking great pleasure in her confinement. He lewdly took in the full sight of her, undressing her with his eyes. He bent his head and began to kiss her neck.
"Why, Lieutenant Hailey, you're really not such a battle axe after all," he growled, low in his throat, against her neck. She felt hot with shame and embarrassment at the words and the freedoms he was taking with her right now. Her mind raced furtively with how to resist the turn this situation was taking. She struggled to free her hands from his, this only served to make him laugh. "Oh, I like a little feistiness in my women," he growled against her skin. His kisses were now finding their way down to the collar of her shirt, and with his free hand he was caressing her body, fondling her firm breasts, moving his hand up and down her side and buttocks, squeezing them roughly, then trailing up to unbutton the military issue shirt she had on. Oh shit, she thought, not like this.
"Sir, you are WAY out of line," she managed in her strongest tone of voice possible at that moment. "I will have to report this, sir," she warned, hoping that somehow her feeble threats would be enough to stop the assault.
Jameson just laughed. "Oh, really, lieutenant? You wouldn't be the first person to try that stunt with me. If you value your career in this man's military, you'll just lay back and enjoy it like the rest of them have." His hand gripped her wrists tighter, causing her to utter a small yelp of pain. "I'll bet you like it rough, lieutenant," he growled as his tongue and mouth continued their assault on her. He almost had her shirt undone, and was tugging to free it from her belt. He stopped tugging the shirt and reached for the belt buckle, undoing the belt buckle and the top button and zipper of her pants.
With the shirt now free of its confinement, he returned to his undressing of her, finishing the unbuttoning of her shirt. He then pressed the entire length of his body up against her, forcing her to feel the hardness that he achieved only when he was able to intimidate women in this matter. He rubbed himself against her, moaning slightly as he turned himself on. She turned her head in an effort to get away from his punishing mouth, but he continued his assault.
Daniel frowned. The clock said 11:25 now; it shouldn't have taken Lieutenant Hailey that long to locate the boxes and select a small one. In the clutter and dark of the other lab, he realized, though, it might not have been as obvious to her which ones he was referring to. She wasn't one to ask for help, he knew. He decided to go and help her anyway; he'd figure out a way to rescue her dignity from it somehow.
He stepped out of his lab into the corridor, no need to shut the door. He looked across the hall and noticed the other door was shut and the lights were off. His frown deepened and he became concerned. She had never shut the door before; he suspected she had some fear of being confined but knew she would never admit it to anyone. And why would she be in there alone with the lights off?
He looked around his lab and in his lab jacket pockets for his own card key, and locating it, he strode over and opened the other door.
"I've often wondered how you would look with all that hair down," Jameson said, and with his free hand he now reached for the hairpiece by which she kept her long, curly dirty blond hair piled behind her head. Despite repeated turnings of her head, which just served to make him laugh, he freed the hair from its confinement. The locks spilled out over her shoulders and across the front of her open shirt. She stared at him now, defiantly, and he took in the full view of her in this most vulnerable state, fully enjoying it.
"Major Jameson, I demand that you stop this now," she heard herself yell, wondering futilely if it would help.
"Oh, you demand it, eh?" he mocked her. "I'm sure you'll be demanding plenty of things from me before we're done, sweetie, but I'll bet stopping isn't one of them."
Neither of them had heard the card key slide into the door. Suddenly, the lights went on. "I believe you heard the girl ask you to stop, Major Jameson," came the smooth, angry voice of the archaeologist. He stood in the doorway, blue eyes blazing at the assault that was taking place. "Now, will you leave my lab on your own or will I have to ask the MP's to escort you?" Jameson knew that the MP's were within yelling distance, and Dr. Jackson's level of clearance and connections would bring them at a dead run. He didn't need that.
Instinct set in. Jennifer took advantage of Jameson's temporary distraction. She steeled herself and with all of the energy at her command she stomped on his left foot. The sudden pain of this broke his concentration, and as he bent to cradle his foot, she brought her right knee up as hard as she could into his now accessible groin area. Jameson dropped like a stone in a pond. Lying prone on the ground, he cradled his knees to his chest, desperately trying to nurse himself against the pain she had just inflicted. Her eyes flashed; Daniel recognized that look. If he didn't get her out of there, he could be testifying at her murder trial – justifiable homicide, he corrected himself.
"Lieutenant Hailey!" He yelled sharply. She didn't look up from her attacker, eyeing him and planning where to plant her foot next. "He's not worth it!" Daniel yelled, hoping to distract her from her all too obvious plan. He crossed the room and stood between her and Jameson's still writhing body. "Don't let him get to you like this," he said warningly. She looked up at him, eyes still flashing angrily, knowing that he was probably right. She reached down, and grabbed her card key from out of Jameson's back pocket.
The yelling had indeed brought the MP's at a dead run. Jameson did have a reputation, but so did Lieutenant Hailey; it was known that she had broken the nose of an upper classman at the academy in her sophomore year. The scene would be fodder for the gossip circuit for months to come, but Hailey had proved herself by dropping the major who towered over her by at least a foot. As the MP's came in to take Jameson away, Daniel stood gallantly in front of her; it was then she realized her state of undress. Quietly thankful for his covering presence, she rearranged her pants and shirt; her hair would be another matter. She would need a few more minutes and a ladies room to attend to that aspect of her dress.
As the MP's dragged Jameson to the door, one of them turned to Lieutenant Hailey. "Do you plan to press charges, ma'am?" he asked. He didn't even question how the situation had arisen.
Jennifer steeled herself. This was a pivotal moment. As a woman in the armed forces, she understood all too well the unwritten code of conduct. "No charges necessary, airman," she replied. "The major and I had a misunderstanding, that's all. I think we understand each other perfectly now, don't we, sir?" She turned to Jameson, eyes still flashing. Jameson said nothing, looking away disgustedly as he nursed his still aching groin and foot. Jennifer had hit him hard; she would probably have a bruise on her knee from where it connected with his pelvic area. And the military issue boots she wore were designed to inflict that level of pain if needed.
"Yes ma'am," the MP replied, helping Jameson away. They closed the door on their way out. Jennifer was not as scared of the empty lab now, with Dr. Jackson here. The thought of that comforted and bothered her at the same time.
Daniel stood, mouth slightly open, listening to the exchange. He looked at Lieutenant Hailey. Despite her disheveled appearance, or perhaps because of it, he noticed that she really was quite an attractive young woman. The military uniform hairstyle she usually wears is her protection from that, he thought to himself. Realizing the inappropriateness of his thoughts at this particular moment, he banished them from his mind.
"Are you okay?" he asked, with obvious concern in his voice.
"Fine sir," she said, reasserting her self. "Just fine." Her anger was back now, but it was not strong enough to cover the emotions of the situation she had almost had to endure there. He noticed that she was shaking slightly.
"Well, you'll forgive me if I don't believe you."
"I'm a soldier in the United States Air Force, Dr. Jackson. I am fine," she asserted, as much for her own benefit as his. But the shakiness in her voice betrayed her.
Daniel was standing within arm's reach of her, but was hesitant to touch her. "Well, I'm NOT a soldier in the United States Air Force, I'm an archaeologist, and I know I wouldn't be okay if it were me," he said in a serious voice. "But then, I don't think I'm Jameson's type," he deadpanned, hoping to lighten the mood enough for her to let her guard down.
Jennifer giggled at the joke, in spite of herself. The giggle was a release of its own sort, and now the emotions could not be stopped. She looked down at the floor and crossed her arms in front of herself, sobs beginning to rack her body despite her best efforts to stop them.
Daniel tentatively reached for the young woman, encircling her gently in his arms. Although part of her wanted to resist, instinctively she accepted his warm, comforting embrace. She sobbed openly now, great heaving sobs of release and relief. They racked her small frame as Daniel held her comfortingly. In a few moments the sobs subsided, and she stepped away, wiping her eyes on the back of her sleeves, attempting to regain her full military composure.
"Um, no offense, lieutenant, but you don't look all that military right now," he said. She giggled at the remark, imagining that he was right. Her tousled hair and red eyes, not to mention the marks on her wrists and neck, were signs that something was amiss.
"Since it's just about lunchtime, I was planning to go offbase to get a real cup of coffee," Daniel said. "Can I convince you to join me?"
Jennifer was touched at the offer, and she knew she needed to pull herself together before she went upstairs to Major Carter's lab. She smiled at him, a real genuine smile, causing him to think again that she really was an attractive young lady. That's just wrong on so many levels right now, he thought to himself.
"I've found a back door out of this place, if you'd prefer," he said, thinking that she wouldn't want to have to explain her appearance to too many people. "I usually park near there so I can escape without too much notice being taken."
She was grateful for his considerate offer. Although she knew it was not unusual to suddenly be attracted to someone who had rescued you from a terrible fate, she wondered if that was what suddenly made her realize that Dr. Jackson was really an attractive man, with his chestnut brown hair and deep blue eyes. She pushed the thought away. That's just nuts; I'm just reacting to a stressful situation, she thought.
"Thank you, Dr. Jackson, sir, I would appreciate that." Well, at least she hadn't saluted him this time.
They stepped into the coffee shop, it was crowded with students who usually chose to take their lunch there. No base personnel this time, thankfully. They noticed a table in the corner by the window and made a beeline for it. She headed straight for the chair against the window. It was her defensive posture again, he thought, scanning the world around her for all of the threats that could be there, imagined or otherwise. He suddenly felt a sense of needing to protect her somehow. He had not felt this way with the other junior officers that he had worked with.
Suddenly she relaxed and a smile of remembrance came over her face. "What are you thinking about?" he asked.
She waved at a woman carrying a big pink drink. "When we were in the academy, we used to come here to hang out when we were off duty. One time, I saw someone carrying this pink frilly drink, one of their fruit and berry combinations or something and I made a remark about how pretty it was. They ribbed me a bit about that, saying that the word "pretty" wasn't in the Air Force glossary. I made some comment about how they wouldn't know pretty if they fell over it anyway, being male and all. Well, Tom – Lieutenant Eliot, that is, goes up to get the drinks and he comes back to the table with this big goofy grin on his face and a huge version of one of those drinks, with whipped cream and a cherry to boot and he says in his best southern drawl 'a pretty drink for a pretty lady – I know pretty when I see it.' It sounds sort of goofy now, but it's just one of my favorite memories of him," she said wistfully.
Daniel smiled, flattered that she had shared the memory with him. Perhaps when her hair was down she really did let down some of her defenses. A reverse on the Samson and Delilah theme, he thought wryly to himself.
He excused himself to go up and order the coffees; standing in line he looked over at her, again feeling oddly protective of her now. She had seemed so vulnerable there in the lab, even if she had fought Jameson off without any help from him. The only vulnerability she would allow herself, he thought. He caught sight of her; she was looking out the window now, not with that soldier's scanning for threats look, but with a faraway look in her eyes. Her long, curly dirty blond hair framed her face softly, and he found himself thinking again what a beautiful girl she really was. Oh, so wrong, Jackson, stop that now.
He turned back to the counter and saw that it was his turn to order. He noticed that the woman next to him was picking up a blended fruit juice drink, just like Lieutenant Hailey had described – pink and frilly. On a whim, he added a large one of those to his order of a small espresso, his fuel of choice today.
"Whipped cream on that, sir?" the girl asked.
"Yes, please," he thought for a moment "and a cherry on top, if you've got one." The girl raised a quizzical eyebrow at this last part, but she had heard plenty of unusual requests in her line of work. She selected a nice, round, plump maraschino cherry and set it delicately on top of the mound of whipped cream.
Daniel glanced over quickly; she was still looking out the window with that dreamy smile. He was glad to see that she had relaxed some, and was impressed by her ability to seemingly recover from her ordeal. Not that it should have surprised him – she was tough as nails; it would appall her if she knew he was having protective thoughts about her. She'd never let Jameson's assault get to her any more than her natural instincts had allowed; that would be giving him the advantage. And, she had dropped him like a stone in a pond.
He carried the drinks across the room, deftly making his way around the other patrons. As he neared the table, she looked up. Her face lit up and her mouth dropped open at the sight of the drink. He grinned and set it in front of her. "A pretty drink for a pretty lady," he said in his best mock Southern drawl. "I know pretty when I see it." He set his own down, spilling a bit and then began looking around for a napkin to wipe up the spill.
She patted his arm "I'll get one," she said. "I need a straw for this monstrosity, anyway," she grinned. She walked over to the counter where the implements and condiments were kept and grabbed a stack of napkins and a straw for herself. She walked back to the table and slid into her seat, neatly dropping the napkins on the table and stabbing her drink with the straw. She smiled again; she really seemed to be enjoying herself, Daniel thought. She took a long draw on the straw of the drink and suddenly she was fanning her mouth with a surprised look. "Oh, it's COLD!" she gasped.
"You better slow down on that thing, you wouldn't want to lose control, now," Daniel kidded her.
A shadow passed over her face; he realized that his words had brought back the too recent memory of her harrowing incident with Jameson. Losing control, not ever having been in control was more like it, he thought to himself, with a sense of helplessness.
"I'm sorry," Daniel said. "I brought you out here to forget that."
"It's okay, I really do appreciate this." She smiled again, this time with a hint of sadness. "I don't think I'll forget that whole thing nearly as fast as I'd like to," she said, sadly.
"Well, Lieutenant Hailey, you may be one of the greatest soldiers of all time, but you were and still are a woman, and any woman in her right mind would have a hard time forgetting that whole thing." The cloud passed over her pretty dark eyes again, and Daniel leaned across the table. "It's okay not to be military all the time, y'know," he chided her gently. "Nobody else ever has to know that you let your hair down once in a while."
His words suddenly reminded her. "Oh my God, my hair," she said, a hand flying up to the locks. "Excuse me for a moment, won't you, Dr. Jackson?" She rushed off to the ladies room.
He watched her go, a sudden sadness coming over him at the moment lost. He chided himself at this. "She's young enough to be…" the thought confused him. She's young enough to be what, he pondered. He realized that Sha're had been younger than Lieutenant Hailey when he had married her. So, either I was a dirty old man, or I'm becoming a dirty old man, he thought sardonically. Jack would be proud, his brain added.
In the bathroom, Jennifer tucked her hair back into the military style she was used to wearing. Doing this made her feel somewhat normal again, putting things back in the order she was so used to. But, she also felt an odd sense of longing for the few, non military moments she had passed with Dr. Jackson. It was not something she was at all used to, but Dr. Jackson had made her feel comfortable, and, well, safe. No doubt that's just because of what happened this morning, she thought, and brushed aside the feeling, tucking the last few stray hairs into place and straightening and smoothing the rest of her uniform. Ready for the military again, she thought. She set her chin in that way she had when she was determined, and headed back to the table.
As she returned from the ladies room, Daniel could see in her eyes that the wall against her emotions had gone back up right along with the hair. Probably best that way, he thought sadly, it would keep his thoughts about her from straying in directions that maybe they should not be taking.
They finished their drinks and proceeded back to the base, but the lunchtime traffic was bad, and they pulled into the base at 14:15. He looked over at her, noticing the slightest hint of worry beneath the steely gaze in her eyes.
"This is my fault," he said. "Please let me explain it to Sam – I mean Major Carter."
"Explain what?" Jennifer asked. "You're not going to tell her what happened, are you?" she inquired in an incredulous tone.
"No, no, of course not," he replied reassuringly. "It's my fault that you're late for your shift and rather than you having to explain it, I'd rather explain it to her. You went off base with me at my urging; it's my fault," he said.
Jennifer steeled herself. This was still her responsibility; she was a soldier and she could have insisted that they return earlier than they had. From somewhere inside a nagging voice reminded her that she hadn't wanted to, that she had enjoyed the diversion from her military routine.
"I'm responsible for appearing on time for my shifts, Dr. Jackson," she stated in that tone she used when she imagined she was being condescended to. "I'll probably get written up for it and I'll take the discipline on the chin, as I should, like any good soldier would," she stated, in her usual military tone.
"Everyone knows you're never late for your shifts, Lieutenant Hailey," Daniel said, a little exasperated. "Don't you suppose it will raise more suspicions the one time that you are?"
She pondered this for a moment; he was right. The red marks on her neck and wrists from Jameson's assault weren't fatal, but could be cause for questioning, if her superior officers were so inclined. She didn't really feel up to making up a story for this, she realized.
He parked the car near the hidden entrance he favored. "Please trust me on this, Jennifer." His use of her first name caused her to glance over at him; something about the earnestness in his blue eyes spoke to her instincts. She didn't know why, but something about the way he looked at her in that moment made her feel she could trust him. She sighed a bit, relaxing. He noticed it, too.
"Okay, Dr. Jackson. Thanks." She smiled briefly at him, he caught a fleeting glimpse of the warmth he had noticed in her earlier, then they got out of the car and she followed him inside. They proceeded up to the lab. The clock outside read 14:35, glaring out her tardiness. The door was shut, and they could hear two voices inside, conversing.
"All soldiers break rules sometimes, Major," they heard Jack say in his matter of fact tone. He sounded not so much surprised as almost pleased that Lieutenant Hailey might actually have made a mistake.
"Well, sir, I'm concerned because she's never been late before – it's not her style; she's way too dedicated to military protocol to be tardy even one minute, much less 35. Maybe we should be alerting her CO; something may have happened to her."
"What do you mean, something may have happened to her?" the Colonel responded, knowing that Sam was right but not wanting to embrace the idea of the young woman not being okay. He'd grown fond of her, she was an A-1 military type and he respected that. Like Carter, only angrier, he thought. Major Carter, he respected too, but Lieutenant Hailey might kick his ass if he ever gave her reason to. "This is a secure military facility, in case you hadn't noticed, Major," knowing that he didn't need to remind her of this but feeling better about it himself as he heard the words coming out of his own mouth. "Nothing bad ever happens here." The words rang hollow and he knew it.
Major Carter's voice dropped in tone and volume, but from outside of the lab both Daniel and Jennifer clearly heard her say "Don't tell me you haven't noticed the way that Major Jameson looks at her, the snake," Samantha Carter spit the last two words out.
The words were followed by silence in the lab. Jack uttered an imperceptible curse word in response to Sam's observation.
Daniel and Jennifer looked at each other. Jennifer was still trying to digest the dialogue she had just eavesdropped on; it was nice to know that the superior officers she admired and tried to emulate noticed her and her attention to her duties, and comforting to know that the woman she admired had been looking out for her in a way that she did not think ever crossed the superior officer's mind. Daniel put a finger to his lips, signaling for Jennifer to be quiet and he knocked on the lab door.
"Come in," Sam called. "Door's open."
Daniel disappeared into the lab. Jennifer could hear the muffled sounds behind the door, she knew Daniel was talking low so she would not hear. She did trust him, but this was her career, too. She held her breath. She heard him repeat "She's on her way, it's my fault she's late, and no, I can't tell you why but please, if you never do another favor for me again as long as we live, please don't pull rank on her over this. You have to trust me on this one."
"I don't know, Danny," Colonel O'Neill said. "This is pretty big stuff, here," he said.
"Please, Jack," Daniel repeated, knowing that Jack was pulling his chain a bit, but willing to go along for now.
"Just give me one good reason, just one, just one word, about why I should overlook military protocol in this instance."
Daniel sighed, and bit his lip. He was going to have to go out on a limb here; he was afraid that Lieutenant Hailey would think that he had betrayed her trust, but his non-military instincts told him that the one word Jack was digging for was the one word she had hoped he wouldn't say, yet it was the one word that summed it all up. No details necessary.
Outside the door, Jennifer listened intently. Having also heard the conversation between the two superior officers, she too, knew the one word that would set everything right at this moment. Timing was everything now. She took a deep breath, squared her shoulders and raised her hand to knock, waiting for Daniel's response to the question. She knew that he would say it, but somehow, she trusted that he knew what he was doing here.
"Does the word Jameson work here?" Daniel asked in a mildly sarcastic tone. Even without having heard the conversation, he knew that it would. Jennifer knew that he was going out on a limb for her, and somehow she knew that he wouldn't betray her trust beyond that one word.
Jennifer heard Jack sigh with frustration, muttering that if only more women would come forward about Jameson they could get him out of there. She heard Sam say quietly "But given the sensitive nature of the program, they can't just turn him out in the street. It would be even more difficult than it is under ordinary military circumstances to have him removed." She heard Sam mutter sarcastically "as if reporting it will make any difference to anything other than her career and her reputation. Whatever happened, I hope she dropped him like a stone in a pond."
Everything she had heard helped her to feel a bit less alone with her situation. Bolstered by this, she set her mouth in that determined way of hers, stood up straight, squared her shoulders and knocked on the door. Dr. Jackson had been right about smoothing things over; she was grateful that the trust she had put in him by pure instinct had not been betrayed.
"Come in," Sam called.
Jennifer opened the door and said "Major Carter; Lieutenant Hailey reporting for duty, ma'am." She turned to O'Neill with the customary salute and greeting: "Colonel O'Neill, sir." The redness of her eyes had faded, but was still visible, and the marks on her neck and wrists were less angry now; however, it was enough for them both to notice and decide that severe repercussions were not required here.
"Have a little trouble finding the place, lieutenant?" O'Neill asked lightly, but forcefully. He was trying to walk the fine line between restoring the military order that needed to be in place and not forcing the young woman to reveal the circumstances of the situation before she was ready.
"Sir, permission to speak freely, sir."
"Permission granted."
"Doctor Jackson was kind enough to ask me to help him with cataloging some of the artifacts recovered from the mission on PX239; the batteries in the wall clock in his lab died and I did not realize the true time, sir, until I noticed the clock had not moved." The lie rolled easily from her lips; she herself wasn't sure where the idea had originated, though it was true that she did lose track of time when in the lab – either lab, she thought to herself, pleasantly surprised that she found both disciplines so fascinating.
O'Neill looked at her with a mixture of amusement, admiration and surprise. "Well, working with Danny on his rocks can do that to a person," O'Neill replied with mild sarcasm, impressed by the young woman's attempt to alleviate Daniel's burden of the truth about what happened. He was tempted to point out that she was wearing a military issue watch that kept perfect atomic time and that all of the clocks in the SGC were hardwired into the electrical system, eliminating the need for batteries, but the look from Sam told him that it wasn't necessary. She knew far better than he the position the young soldier was in and while she knew that Hailey would never stand for special treatment no matter what the situation, she also knew all too well that discipline for a situation that was beyond one's control was not appropriate. The woman in her also knew that the young lieutenant did not need to be reminded that the situation had indeed been out of her control; she was no doubt frightened enough about the truth of that.
"Will it ever happen again, lieutenant?" O'Neill asked, his voice only slightly suggesting that he was referring to more than just the tardiness.
Jennifer Hailey set her mouth in that way that they had come to know about her, when she was determined. "Sir, no sir," she said, with a particular emphasis on the "no" that was not lost on the other three. Then with a barely perceptible glance at Daniel, she added with just a hint of sarcasm and arrogance. "Sir, I do not break rules, sir." Daniel grinned widely at the reference and Jack glanced up sharply, wondering if they had heard the conversation, and just how much of it.
Samantha Carter interrupted just then; there was still work to be done. She was proud to see how well the young cadet seemed to be regaining herself. "Lieutenant, can you please calibrate the gas chronometer? I'd like you to do some readings today on the sample that SG-3 brought back from their last mission."
"Ma'am, yes ma'am," Lieutenant Hailey replied with a salute. She set her notebooks down and proceeded to the task given her by the senior officer, grateful to have seemingly escaped the situation. She made a note to herself to thank Dr. Jackson later.
The shift came to an end, but neither one of the scientists noticed. Sam had allowed the younger officer to conduct the entire series of experiments that afternoon, knowing she would need this to distract herself, also knowing that she was almost as capable of doing the job as Sam herself was. They still clashed often on these things, Jennifer feeling that her ideas were right, but time and training were tempering her need to argue every point. She had begun to realize that Major Carter could be her mentor, although she was a bit embarrassed about some of her earlier, younger, hot-headed confrontations with the woman. Things in the Air Force were different from things in the academy, and she felt something akin to longing to share her fears and concerns with the older officer.
Sam looked at the clock, realizing that the shift had ended some time ago. Without the natural light down at this level, it was hard to remember when a day began and ended.
"Lieutenant, your shift ended a while ago," she noted with a wave at the clock. "You're welcome to finish that experiment another time."
"I'm almost done, ma'am; if it's all the same to you, I'd like to finish this before I leave here tonight."
Sam was impressed again with her dedication to the science.
"Alright, Lieutenant, but it will be late. I'll drive you back to your barracks." Sam turned back to her own work. Jennifer was tempted to argue, that she could take care of herself, but she was also flattered by the offer from the officer and thought better of it. The events of the morning had also made her slightly uneasy about walking back to the barracks at night; even though there were plenty of MP's around, she would never admit she wanted an escort from them.
She finished the experiment; Sam said that they would compare notes on it the next day. Wisely, Jennifer understood that if they began to discuss their findings at this moment, both tired and hungry after a long day and an especially long day for herself, they would probably just end up arguing.
"Have you eaten, Lieutenant? It's a long way home for me and I was hoping to eat here before heading home – that way I won't have to make dinner when I get there. The commissary sometimes has some ragged leftover sandwiches and it's quiet this time of night," she continued.
The junior officer realized then that she had not eaten that day since breakfast – the drink Daniel had bought her earlier that day, the pink frothy juice and milk combination had tided her over a bit and the exchange with Jameson had upset her appetite, but she was really hungry now. Even the ragged sandwiches in the commissary would be better than whatever junk food she might be able to forage back at the barracks, she thought. "Ma'am, that would be a fine idea, ma'am," she said. They headed down to the commissary to buy some dinner.
Jennifer grabbed one of the sandwiches and a carton of skim milk. She noticed the one remaining cup of blue jello and reached for it; it was a strange and fun delicacy for her, much like the pink frilly drinks in the coffee shop. Sam noticed the younger girl absconding with the blue jello; she knew Hailey was warming up to her but that she probably wouldn't appreciate knowing that much similarity existed between the two women. She opted for a piece of the dry looking chocolate cake sitting wrapped up on the counter. The milk might help wash that down.
Sam often wished that she could be a mentor to the younger officer, and went out of her way to provide opportunities for that to her. But she also knew that Jennifer Hailey's temperament and desire to make it on her own made this path very precarious; she would never stand for special treatment or special privileges. While making her admirable as an officer and a member of the armed forces, it almost made it frustratingly difficult to break through her emotional walls and reach her on a friendly level. Jameson is lucky she didn't tear his head off, whatever he tried, Sam thought.
The younger woman had chosen a two seat table in the corner; she sat with her back to the wall. Always on the defensive, wanting to observe her surroundings, Sam thought. However Jameson might have gotten the drop on her, she was no doubt furious that he had broken through that defensive posture somehow. She would never let anyone know how that happened, anyone other than Daniel, who had seen some or all of it. Sam would have to proceed extra carefully now to keep from spooking the girl entirely.
She seated herself across from the younger woman and unwrapped her own sandwich and opened her own carton of milk. Without looking directly at her, Sam said "Lieutenant Hailey, may I speak to you off the record?"
Lieutenant Hailey felt the hairs on the back of her neck rise. This woman that she admired and competed with all at the same time was about to open up to her about something. Jennifer wasn't sure she was ready for this; she was equally angry at the imposition into her defenses as she was anxious to connect with Sam on this level. The fact that Samantha Carter was a senior officer made the request almost unnecessary, a fact that Jennifer hated at that moment. Military protocol dictated the answer to that question. Bravely facing her own worst fears and anger about what the officer might say to her, she answered.
"Ma'am, yes ma'am."
Samantha spoke while arranging things on her plate, never looking directly at Lieutenant Hailey. She wasn't sure the younger woman would be capable of eye contact on what she was about to say; she wasn't sure she was capable of it either. It had been a long time since she had thought about this subject, much less spoken about it to anyone.
"When I started here at the SGC, I had an incident of my own with Jameson. I felt compelled to report it, but then, I had the luxury of knowing that, if this assignment did not work out, I could always go back to the Pentagon. And, my father was still on active duty with the Air Force and a good friend of General Hammond's, so I knew I had plenty of support. I did report it, and as I'm sure you can appreciate, nothing was done about it. But, with it on record, and knowing my background, Jameson has never bothered me since."
"A number of other women have also had incidents with him, but none have opted to report it, for reasons I'm sure you understand. The decision to report it or not is up to you. But please don't be afraid to come to me, woman to woman, off the record, if you ever run into this again."
She took a breath and continued, not wanting to stop as the younger officer had not stopped her yet. "On duty, and as two smart scientists, I know that we often disagree – I daresay we butt heads – but that should not keep us from sticking together as two women in a men's world. There aren't too many other women around here that understand this as we do. Janet Fraiser is another good example of one who does."
With that, she tucked into the remainder of her sandwich. Her face did not bely any emotion, and Jennifer appreciated that. The offer was exactly what she had been hoping for in some ways, and exactly what she needed at that moment. The manner in which it was delivered did not violate any of the unwritten military codes of conduct (not to mention the written ones) that she so desperately clung to when everything else seemed so out of order. The incident with Jameson had almost cracked all of that, anyway. She further appreciated that Sam had not completely likened their two situations, but had accounted for her seeming advantage in having her family and connections in higher places. Jennifer made a mental note to seek out Dr. Janet Fraiser; she had met the small, pleasant woman in the infirmary a few times on returning from missions. She knew that she had a daughter a few years younger than Jennifer herself.
"Oh, and Lieutenant, one more thing." Sam said, with just a hint of playfulness in her voice and a gleam in her eye.
Jennifer looked up. "Yes ma'am?"
"As a senior officer, I get the last cup of blue jello," Sam said with a grin as she exchanged her plate of dry chocolate cake with the cup of blue jello on Jennifer's tray.
Jennifer grinned. "Ma'am, yes ma'am," she replied in her most officious tone.