Once again I thank you all for your reviews.
Sorry, but I'll deal with Cindy in a later chapter. Why is it that you all think she is evil? She might not be!
Anyway I hope you all enjoy this chapter. The next one is already written, so it should be up tomorrow. I wouldn't want to keep you all in suspense much longer.
NOTHING IS EVER THAT SIMPLE
By LetitiaRichards
Previously:-
"Tom. Call my wife, and make a reservation at Giovani's I feel like celebrating tonight."
"Yes sir!"
Chapter 22 – Plans
"I suggest you get some rest sir," Janet ordered sternly, seeing her patient was still a little shaken up.
"Rest? You expect me to turn over and go back to sleep?" Jack sounded incredulous, but Janet had expected he'd be too hyped up after that to sleep, so she pulled out a hypo.
"I'm going to give you a shot sir. It will help relax you, and don't tell me you're not still in a little pain from that sudden movement, because I can tell you are."
"I will remain here O'Neill. No-one shall disturb your sleep."
Janet swabbed at the injection site, putting the used needle away to dispose of properly when she'd returned to the infirmary.
Jack frowned down at his arm where she'd jabbed him, and pouted up at the Doctor, but she just smiled and left them to talk.
"I'll stay if you want?" Sam asked, knowing he would rather she be with him inside the room. Not that he didn't mind Teal'c, but she knew him better than that. He needed more reassurance than just a friend watching over him.
Jack nodded, and Teal'c being the soul of discretion acceded the point with a dip of his head.
"I shall be outside O'Neill. Colonel Carter can therefore, remain in here as you wish."
"Thanks Teal'c." Jack knew he could relax now. With Sam curled up beside him and Mac too and with Teal'c and a couple of guards outside he would be safe from now on. Though the thought of being confined to one room wasn't a pleasant one, but one which he would have to endure if their ruse was to work. In the dead of night with so few people around to witness the event, and after he'd slept off the shock, he would be moved to a more secure location.
Jack waited for Teal'c to retreat then lay down on the new pillow he'd been given. The bullet had been removed from the mattress already and taken away to the lab. The drug Janet had forced into him was beginning to take effect. Sam curled up beside him, stretching her arm across his waist lightly as she rested her head on his shoulder. Mac curled up on his other side, content now that Sam was here too. His master would be safe now.
"Are you sure you're okay?" Sam asked, biting her lip anxiously.
Jack turned his head towards her, studying her face in the dim light. He raised his hand and stroked the soft strands of hair at the base of her neck.
"I'm fine. Honestly." He pressed his lips against the top of her head in a gentle kiss.
She tightened her grip a little, burrowing her face further into him, her body shaking as the tears started.
"Hey!" Jack cried softly. "He didn't get me, and this time we're gonna nail that bastard for good."
"I know, but I could have lost you tonight." She sniffed the tears back; she didn't mean to cry. He would think she was such a cry baby.
"Not with Mac around," he assured her. "He was great, weren't ya boy!" Jack moved his arm from around Sam and fondled the pup's ears roughly, getting several licks for his trouble. "I don't think that guy will be taking any more pot shots at anyone for a while," he snorted, amusement colouring his voice. Teal'c had already given the dog a treat for being a hero.
Sam made a fuss of him too and Mac rolled over so they could both rub his tummy; his tail thumping the bed in a steady rhythm.
Jack yawned suddenly and nestled against Sam.
"Seems Doc's jab is working," he sighed round another yawn.
"Go to sleep Jack. I'll be right here. I love you!" she whispered, unsure if Jack heard her or not. He murmured something in reply but he was asleep in seconds. She stretched up and kissed his jaw, feeling the stubble prickle. She smiled at his sleeping face then snuggled closer again, contented just to have him alive.
She lay there for several minutes, comforted by the steady beat of Jack's heart beneath her ear. Gradually she closed her eyes too and drifted off as well.
OoOoOoOoO
Daniel had schooled his features into one of deep grief when he'd left the room. He'd brushed past several people on his way, unwilling to greet them in his usual manner. His best friend had just died!
Rumours were running round the base like wildfire until General Hammond made the rumour official through an internal memo. He also made an important phone call, requesting help. He had a plan and a certain someone could be just the person he needed right now.
Rumour also had it that Colonel Carter was refusing to leave her quarters; too upset to face anyone right now. Everyone knew of her close ties to the Colonel, so they could understand why she had withdrawn. SG-1 had officially been given time off until after the planned memorial service, said to be held in a week's time. It was also whispered that O'Neill would have a full military funeral in Arlington, though some refuted the idea, saying they had heard that he was to have a private funeral locally in order to be buried near his dead son.
It would severely test SG-1, Hammond and Janet to the limit of their nerves. And it was all they could do to not put a stop to the gossip and deny the outrageous whispers. For the rest of the day and into the night the news would be twisted and repeated until nothing about it rang true except for O'Neill's untimely death.
OoOoOoOoO
There were soft voices outside the room and Mac pricked up his ears, listening for any hint of danger, but all he heard was Teal'c talking quietly with General Hammond. Moments later the door opened, alerting Sam. Gently, she untangled herself from Jack rather self-consciously, aware of the fact that she had been curled up asleep with Jack's arm around her, but Hammond ignored the fact and made no reference to her compromising position. Too deeply asleep, thanks to Janet's injection, Jack never stirred at the intrusion.
"Sir?" she whispered, meeting him just inside the doorway wondering what new developments had occurred.
"At ease Colonel. I've been talking to Thor. He has agreed to play a little part in my plan to unmask the real person behind all of this madness. I want you to take Mac and go to your quarters. Keep him there until it's time to make an appearance, no matter how he might howl the place down. It will only add credence to the misinformation we're spreading around about Jack's demise. I know it will be tough on you and for Mac for a while, but please bear with me on this. Jack will be perfectly safe. I promise."
"Thor's gonna hide him?" Sam gasped, knowing Jack would be safe in orbit.
Hammond nodded.
"Yes. In a few moments he's going to beam Jack to the sick bay on board his vessel and keep him there until the appropriate time. Meanwhile I am expecting exalted company as soon as possible after word of the Colonel's misfortune reaches our suspect's ears."
"That soon?"
Hammond nodded with a sigh.
"Knowing him, he won't be able to wait to gloat about Jack's loss. You'd best get going Colonel. I'll, em...wait outside."
"Yes sir," Sam replied with a blush. Then Hammond outlined the plan to her, then hurried back to his office.
She walked back to where Jack lay sleeping still and sat on the edge of the bed, gazing down on him. Very tenderly, she brushed the silver hair back from his brow, then leaned down to kiss him goodbye for a while.
"Sorry I couldn't stay Jack, but Thor will explain the reasons. I'll see you soon my love." She captured his lips in another kiss eliciting a small sigh and a smile from her sleeping partner, then she coaxed Mac to leave Jack's side.
She picked him up, holding him firmly, whispering that she was going to find something nice for him to eat, then left the room. Moments later Mac gave a soft growl and then started howling.
Nobody else noticed the bright light that bathed the room for an instant, nor witnessed the silent disappearance of one Colonel Jack O'Neill.
OoOoOoOoO
One hour and thirty minutes later, Janet was waiting in the mortuary, her nerves tingling on edge as she waited. A bright light filled the room momentarily and a waxy body appeared on the table.
She was startled at first, but sucking in a huge breath, she quickly draped the sheet over the naked and lifeless body of Colonel O'Neill. She held the stethoscope over the heart but thankfully discerned no heartbeat. Carefully, she held the pistol and fired a shot to his temple from close range, reminding herself that this body wasn't the real Colonel.
Unscrewing the silencer, she pocketed the gun, added a little make up and pulled the sheet over the head before leaving the room. Her part in the charade was done.
Shutting the door to her office behind her, she removed the gun and locked it away in a drawer, then she poured herself a cup of strong coffee and sat down to recover her nerves. It hadn't been a particularly pleasant task, and the mindless clone had looked so like the real Jack O'Neill. It had been positively scary.
The next part of the ploy was ready for when the VIP arrived, probably sometime tomorrow if General Hammond wasn't mistaken. All he would find is the lifeless corpse of Jack O'Neill, courtesy of Jack's little grey alien buddy, Thor and his cloning techniques.
OoOoOoOoO
Sam had her hands full with a very upset puppy. He wanted his master, and cried all night, refusing to touch his food the next morning.
She did her best to comfort the puppy, but he was inconsolable, unable to understand why he had been separated from Jack. All she could do was to keep him close, and reassure him that he would see Jack again very soon.
TBC
