Name: Get Carter
Part: 3 of 3
Pairing: Sam/Jack
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Disclaimer: Stargate SG-1 and the characters are the property of MGM et al. There is no infringement intended and no profit made.

Part 3
Getting Through

"…pretty much volunteered to give me an explanation. I think Teal'c must've gotten through to him somehow: I'd only asked him how he was doing. Apparently it was Colburn's fault for constantly putting us all at risk. Anyway, I'm heading back to the SGC tonight, so I guess I'll tell you about it in the morning. Bye, Sam."

Beep.

End of message.

Sam glanced over at her answering machine and reluctantly pressed one of the buttons. Jack's stony face and fiery eyes flashed across her vision. She sighed, the message deleted.

Sometimes it hurt that he could talk to Daniel and Teal'c at times like this and not her. She accepted that their friendships were different: he and Daniel had bonds that went back to the first mission to Abydos; Teal'c shared his warrior-like spirit. But she was a warrior, too.

At first she had been able to understand it. After all, things had been different from the beginning, their military standing forming a firm line between them. He was her commanding officer: she had never expected him to confide his deepest emotions or share his darkest moments. Then they had saved Earth, saved the galaxy, saved each other. Gradually the line had weakened and shifted. Now they were closer than that. Now they were friends.

And still he couldn't confide in her.

She scolded herself whenever she became vulnerable to this train of thought, always turning back to the assertion that he was still her commanding officer. They were friends, yes, but she was his second-in-command and there was a formality about their relationship that had to be maintained.

By morning, Sam was still failing to put such thoughts aside. Sitting in her lab, she was finding it difficult to apply her full attention to any one task; when Daniel appeared, it was a welcome distraction.

"Daniel," she called, noticing him before he even had chance to knock.

"Hey, Sam," Daniel smiled from the doorway. "Get my message?"

"Yeah," Sam replied, trying to look more cheerful about it than she felt. "I'm glad Colonel O'Neill felt he could explain his side of things." It was partially true.

Daniel nodded but was swift to move on. "I'm just off to talk to Colburn with Teal'c. Thought I'd drop by to see how you're doing."

"I'll come with you," Sam offered, neatly avoiding a direct answer.

"Actually," Daniel replied as she stood, "you might want to hang around here for a while. Jack left me a message to say he'll be in this morning. I think he wants to talk to you."

"Oh?" Sam tried to sound nonchalant. "Any idea why?"

"You know, he didn't really say," Daniel replied evasively. "Anyway, Teal'c's waiting…"

"Right," Sam nodded, deciding in spite of herself to rescue him from floundering. "Let me know how it goes?"

"Sure." Daniel smiled and strode meaningfully away down the corridor. Sam frowned, sinking slowly back down onto her stool; but before she had even begun to read into the significance of his visit, she was aware of someone else waiting for her attention. She looked up. It was Jack.

"Colonel."

"Carter," Jack acknowledged, his gaze travelling around the doorframe. "I don't suppose you have a moment?" He seemed to be hoping that she was too busy to take the time to hear him, but they both knew that was never the case.

"Uh, yeah. I mean, of course, sir – come in."

He winced at the sound of her defensive front, the formality that came through with her tone. He took one step over the threshold and paused there, hands dug deep into jeans pockets.

"Come from home?" Sam asked, doing her best to strike up a flow of conversation in the static atmosphere.

"Yeah." Jack glanced down at the plain grey t-shirt he had thrown on just an hour before. "Cassie says this shirt matches my hair, but I don't see it."

Sam couldn't help it: she smiled, and Jack took the opportunity to step further into her cluttered lab. "About the other day…" he began, and faltered.

"It's okay, sir," Sam replied swiftly. "I understand."

He looked at her for a moment. "You do?"

"Yessir," she answered in her well-practiced tone of calm respect. "You're my commanding officer. It was just easier to talk to Daniel and Teal'c as friends."

"Wait, what?"

"It's not hard to figure out, sir," Sam told him: "they're not military. You've known Daniel since Abydos and you've always been closer to Teal'c."

"Hey, no – that's not it."

"In any case, as an Air Force officer present at the incident I could be called upon to give evidence against you…"

"Carter."

"…so speaking to me about it might put you in a difficult position, making the situation worse…"

"Carter! Shut up and listen, will you?"

She was startled enough to stop talking; Jack ran his fingers through his hair with a grimace.

"You think too much," he sighed.

"Sorry, sir."

"You also apologise too much!" Jack exclaimed, frustrated. "I mean, jeez Carter, I'm the one who came here wanting to tell you how sorry I am. What have you got to apologise for?"

He sat down heavily on a nearby stool, gaze sweeping the equipment on Sam's desk. She waited, tight-lipped and rebuffed, and if he'd had the courage to meet her eyes he would have found himself just as stung as she felt.

"I didn't mean for it to seem like I don't trust you," Jack said finally. "I trust you with my life – you know that. None of this is to do with levels of trust or friendship; what makes you think I'm closer to any one member of this team?" It wasn't a challenge, just a question. Jack went on:

"I had my reasons for threatening Colburn, just as I had my reasons for being willing to accept court-martial without a fuss. Apparently you all know me too well, though, because I haven't been able to hide those reasons well enough."

Sam's expression had softened, but in confusion rather than comprehension. "I don't understand why you feel like you have to hide anything from us," she said.

Jack gave a half-hearted shrug. "I just figured it'd be easier that way."

-----------

The bright white walls of the Infirmary gave off a certain distinctive smell of sterility, but it was a cleanliness that Daniel barely registered. He was so used to being here, whether visiting or being visited, that it was almost a home from home. Of course, he had a few of those – not all of them on this planet.

That fact made Colburn's case all the more frivolous, Daniel realised. For all he had seen, the young man in his hospital bed still hadn't been able to grasp the importance of the SGC's mission – Jack's mission.

"He is awake," Teal'c observed.

"Teal'c?" asked Colburn as he heard the Jaffa's deep voice. Blinking, he sat up, and caught sight of Daniel. "Doctor Jackson. Hi."

Daniel tilted his head and gave a false kind of smile. "Hello, Ferdinand."

Ferdinand returned the smile meekly, gaze shifting nervously between the two members of SG-1 stationed at the foot of his bed.

"I've been on my own here since yesterday evening," he said. "Does that mean everyone's alright?"

"Oh, I wouldn't say that," Daniel replied with an airy sigh, "but if you're wondering about Lieutenant Reed and Captain Morris, then yes, they're fine."

"Have you come to get me out of here, then?" Ferdinand asked, suddenly eager. "Because if you are, that'd be great. I'm dying of boredom!" He let out a little laugh, but it died as soon as he saw Daniel and Teal'c exchange dark looks.

"No, we're here to talk to you," Daniel told him, moving slowly round to sit on the edge of the adjacent bed.

"Look, if this is about Jack…"

Daniel cut him off: "Yes, it is." He paused, then went on: "Colonel O'Neill is going to be court-martialled. Do you know what that means? It means he's probably going to lose his position on SG-1, maybe get thrown out of the SGC altogether."

"I'm sorry about that," Ferdinand began, "I really am…"

"You are not," contradicted Teal'c with disdain. He had no time for Colburn's excuses, much less his insincere apologies.

"I am!" Ferdinand exclaimed, aggrieved. "But that doesn't mean what he did was right."

"And what do you think he did?" Daniel challenged.

"I think he threatened to shoot me!" was Colburn's shrill reply. "He had his gun ready and everything! All I did was make a joke."

"About Major Carter," Teal'c interjected.

"No!" Ferdinand exclaimed, then grimaced. "Well… sort of. It was just the way Jack said it: 'Get Carter'…"

"So you ridiculed his order," said Daniel.

"It was a joke!"

"Yes," Daniel responded darkly. "A bad one."

------------------

"What I told you before was true," Jack asserted: "Colburn did disobey an order." Now facing Sam across her desk, he was determined to explain himself. "We were in danger of blowing up – there wasn't time to sit down and discuss mission etiquette. I pulled a weapon because that was the only way for Colburn to understand the seriousness of the situation."

He paused for a moment, then caught her gaze to make sure she was listening. "Carter, without you we would have died out there, and all Colburn could do was make a joke about you."

With a slight smile at the force of his indignation, Sam reminded him: "It wouldn't have been for the first time, sir."

"No," Jack agreed grimly, "and I hate that he gets away with it. I can't stand the fact I gave him special treatment because of his father. If it had been anyone else, I'd have struck them off the mission list for good."

"Colonel," Sam replied gently, "you didn't have a choice. General Hammond asked you to accommodate General Colburn's son for the good of the entire SGC."

"And the fact I agreed really sucks, doesn't it?"

Sam shook her head. "None of us could have known he'd be quite that naïve."

"Naïve? He wasn't naïve, Carter," Jack replied, "he was downright stupid. He put us all at risk more than once. As for his obsession with you…" He trailed off, rolling his eyes. Sam tried not to succumb to the colour rising in her cheeks.

"It wasn't an obsession," she protested. Jack snorted.

"Oh, yeah, so he followed you around so he could have a serious discussion about theoretical astrophysics? Give me a break, Carter. He was about ten times as incompetent around you – or have you forgotten the various injuries you sustained in his company?"

"Just a few electrical burns, sir, nothing serious."

"Sh'yeah."

And with that they lapsed into silence for a while, surrounded by the gentle flashing of console lights.

---------

"Look, Doctor Jackson, I'm not a military person," Ferdinand said, trying in vain to defend himself. "Didn't you find it difficult when you first joined SG-1, to fit into all that?"

"I won't pretend it was easy," Daniel replied honestly. "The military mentality sometimes leaves something to be desired, but… in the end, all you have to remember is to keep your head down and follow orders." The implication being that Colburn had done neither, which was absolutely true.

"How was I supposed to do that on a totally new planet?" Ferdinand asked, shifting to sit up further. "It's unbelievable out there! Even when we were getting shot at. I mean, just the fact that there's someone out there to shoot at us… who'd have thought there were races out there with technology to match ours?"

"On the contrary," said Teal'c; "Goa'uld technology is far in advance of the technology of the Tau'ri."

"Teal'c's got a point," Daniel told Ferdinand. "Sometimes it's just too dangerous to stand and stare." Daniel allowed a moment for that to sink in, then said:

"Listen, Ferdinand, believe me when I say I understand how incredible it feels to go out into the galaxy and have an adventure. No matter how many times I step through the Stargate, I am always utterly amazed by what I find. But one thing you can never, ever do out there is forget the risk. I admit, I get close to it sometimes, but that's what team mates are for, to pull you back into line. You forgot the risk, and because of that you put us all in danger."

"I didn't mean to!" Ferdinand protested, the guilt dawning over his young face.

"I know," Daniel assured, "but it isn't fair for you to blame Colonel O'Neill for doing what needed to be done. He wasn't ever going to do you any real harm, but he had to make sure you understood the danger we were in. It was a miracle we survived, Ferdinand. It's always a miracle."

-----------

Sam spoke out into the thoughtful silence first.

"I understand why you threatened Colburn," she said, "but you still haven't explained why you were willing to go through with being court-martialled. You could have lost everything you had here at the SGC."

Jack looked at her, eyes weary and wise. "I'd had enough," he said simply.

"Enough of Colburn?" asked Sam. She knew him too well to fear he'd had enough of Gate travel. She very much doubted if he'd ever tire of that.

"Enough of Colburn, enough of his dad, enough of the Government treating us like an optional extra," Jack replied with a wave of his hand. "What front-line military base do you know that has to entertain the son of a Chief of Staff just to keep the lights on?"

It was a good point. Most levels of Government had never regarded the SGC as a real battlefront. Its wars were fought elsewhere in the galaxy.

Sam sighed. "So what are we going to do?"

"You're not going to do anything," Jack answered with a stern look. "I'm not gonna let you get involved in this. You could still be called up as a witness."

"Not if we find a way to stop the trial from happening," Sam replied, matching his gaze. "We have to talk to General Hammond…"

Jack was already shaking his head. "Not gonna happen. He's in a tough enough position as it is."

"Colonel." It was Sam's turn to be uncompromising, her face set in a serious expression. "The SGC can't afford to lose you over something as trivial as this. There is more at stake than principle here."

Jack scowled. "Somehow, Carter, I don't think I need reminding of that."

"With respect, sir, I think you do."

His stormy eyes darkened and he opened his mouth to issue a scathing reply; Sam was ready to answer it, tense and determined. The threatening argument was halted by Daniel's timely arrival.

"Sorry to interrupt, guys." His cheerful smile and wry tone suggested otherwise. "Colburn's asking to speak to you both." At Jack's expression, he added hastily: "To apologise."

Tossing an accusing look at Sam, Jack stood up. "This better be good."

----------

"Major Carter. Colonel O'Neill."

Ferdinand Colburn's tentative greeting was met with a curt nod from Sam and an icy glare from Jack. Daniel resumed his seat on the next bed; Teal'c, who had not moved from his position as sentry, gave his friends a gracious head-nod.

"I'm sorry," Ferdinand sighed, dropping his gaze to the bedclothes. "I've been dumb, Jack, real dumb."

"Yes." Jack's tone was low, his words slow and deliberately drawn-out. "You have."

Ferdinand gave a guilty little shrug. "Sorry," he said again before turning to Sam. "And sorry to you, too, Major. I was out of line trying to be smart. I'm sorry about the burns, too."

Sam nodded but couldn't quite bring herself to reply. Ferdinand continued:

"You've got to understand, I was so desperate for this to work. If I could've made it as a functioning member of an SG team, I could've finally shown my father that I was worth something."

Jack was incensed. "Hey, this is no way to try and prove yourself, pal!" he snapped, taking a emphatic step forwards.

"I know," Ferdinand replied quickly; "I do, I know it, but I didn't know it then. I thought you guys were just some wacky Air Force unit that saved the Earth a coupla times."

"A couple? Listen, son…"

"Jack," Daniel warned, and from it earned a sharp look.

"I didn't understand what you do, how important your work is," Ferdinand continued, seeming not to take any notice. "Doctor Jackson made me realise that I have face up to my own mistakes. I convinced my father to give me this chance, so I really can't blame anyone but myself." He took a breath and raised his head to survey the assembled members of SG-1. His gaze settled on Jack.

"So I'm dropping the charges," Ferdinand told him. "I probably deserved to be shot, anyway."

"No argument there," Jack muttered. Sam sent him a glance and he replied with a guilty, "What?"

"My father wanted me to write an official report on my experiences at Stargate Command," Ferdinand went on. "And I'm going to. I'm going to make sure everyone knows how vital your work is."

Jack wasn't quite sure what to make of that. Ferdinand gave a hopeful smile and Jack found himself responding with, "Er, thanks. We really appreciate that." He cleared his throat before continuing: "Y'know, if you want to start proving yourself, you should start doing it on your own time – not ours and not your father's. Be who you wanna be. If you're not cut out for the military, go do something you actually enjoy."

Ferdinand let out a relieved laugh. "Yeah. Sounds like good advice, Jack."

"Of course it is," Jack replied, allowing himself half a smile. "You just make sure you listen to it this time."

"I'll do my best!" Ferdinand grinned with a light-hearted salute. Jack rolled his eyes.

"And do me a favour, Colburn," he said, making his way towards the door.

"Sure," the young man replied brightly; "anything."

"Never, ever ask to come on a mission with me again."

End.