The Capital's Oval Office:
"General Jumper?" the urgent voice from Pentagon Security addressed him over his cell phone in the middle of his lunch.
"Yes, Captain."
"It's happened again, sir! An energy spike from General O'Neill's office."
"Were you able to track it?"
"Yes, sir. It piggybacked off the orbiting Prometheus then resurged at the General's townhouse in Reston. Apparently two life forms registered inside the spike."
"Thank you, Captain. That'll be all."
"But, sir, this is an obvious security breach. Don't you want action taken?"
"No, Captain. Keep me apprised the next time it occurs, I suspect, oh, about two to three hours from now." He shook his head with a slight smile.
"Yes, sir."
John disconnected and eased his phone back into his dress blues suit coat before facing his lunch date.
"Trouble, John?" President Hayes asked as he brought the last fork full of cheesecake to his mouth.
"Routine, sir. Apparently, O'Neill's taken advantage of Asgard technology – for personal use – again."
"Oh, is that all?" Hayes wiped his mouth with a napkin and shrugged, smiling secretly, which troubled Jumper—a lot.
"You still don't want me to confront him, Mister President?"
"Nope. It's a small price for us to pay considering all his sacrifices for his country and planet earth. No doubt his lifelong duty to protect this world has only begun, that goes for Colonel Carter, too."
"Yes, sir, but if the HWS Council gets wind that Asgard Transport Shells are being used for personal use, it's going to bite us in the ass."
"John, John," Hayes shook his head and leaned back in his chair patting his full stomach. "I suggest you take on my mindset concerning General O'Neill and his wife, Samantha Carter."
"Which is?"
"With the Ori knocking on our front door, we need those two brilliant minds in our court. And if the use of the shells keep this special couple enjoying some afternoon delight, who are we to argue with the Keeper of the Stars?"
"That's it?" John gaped. "I mean, that's all well and good, sir, but that'll hardly fly with the HWS Council. Why China will have us for desert!"
"No, that's not all it. Last month, I got a surprise visit from Commander Thor. We had an interesting and pleasurable chat." Hayes wiggled his stocking feet in the plush carpet.
"You what, sir? I didn't get that memo . . ."
"Nope. Nor did anyone else. I see no purpose in advertising the private lives of Jack and Sam O'Neill. God knows, they've been under the NID microscope far too long. Don't you agree?"
"Yes, sir, I do."
"Good." Hayes pushed away from the table for two that he and Jumper shared and then walked over to his desk, opened a drawer and brought out two Asgard shells. "This pink one," he held up the shell, like a little kid showing a new marble, "Is my personal communiqué with Thor. And this other one's," he held a smaller white shell, "a transport shell for security use only. Aren't they cool?"
"Um, sure." Jumper rubbed his furrowed forehead. He was getting a headache like when he'd talked with O'Neill this morning. Sometimes, Jumper worried that the president of the United States was a kissing cousin of one unpredictable General Jack O'Neill. John still recalled the first time he'd met O'Neill. Yep, it matched John's predecessor, General Michael E. Ryan's, remark to General Hammond, "Got your hands full with that one, eh, George?"
Now John had that handful and a president who thought the sun rose and shined on one Jack O'Neill. The scary fact was, so did John.
"Um, Earth to General Jumper."
"Oh, sorry, sir." He stood and cleared his throat as heat swept over his face.
"As I was saying, Thor stopped by and gave me the shells he then informed me he'd give both General O'Neill and Colonel Carter identical stones over a year ago. Of course, the Oval Office security taped that alien visitation including our conversation." Hayes fussed with some buttons on his desk and then smiled when the recorder started.
"I am Commander Thor, speaking on behalf of the Asgard High Council. The Tau'ri known, as Jonathon J. O'Neill and Samantha Carter-O'Neill are most valuable to the Asgard. They assist us in the ongoing battle against the evil that plagues our peaceful galaxies. I, Thor, entrusted identical shells to the O'Neill's. They are allowed to use those shells for whatever motive they deem necessary. That comprises of personal travel, such as Ancient bonding and practicing procreation to ensure future generations of O'Neill's. If you or your HWS Council attempts to relieve the O'Neill's of said transport and communication shells, we will have no recourse but to cease communication, and withdrawal our fortification of the planet Earth. Or as Jack would say, your ass is grass." Hayes touched the off button.
John shot to his feet. "He sounded serious, sir."
"Yes, I'd say that about sums it up." Hayes bent over and retrieved his loafers. "Now, I've got to go kiss up to the White House press."
"Mister President, just so I get this straight--We do nothing, regarding General O'Neill's inappropriate use of Asgard technology?"
"Yeah sure youbetcha!"
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Eight months later: Jack's Cabin"Um, Jack?" Sam lifted her head off his shoulder and tiptoed her fingertips across the slick sheen of sweat on his tanned skin, watching his chest rise and fall as his racing heart and heaving lungs strove for normalcy.
Nothing.
At least he was breathing. Still, she reached up and tweaked his left dimple.
"Ow!" He made a lame effort to slap her hand. One weighty eyelid opened and he squinted at her with a childish glint. "Whatcha do that for?"
"Wanted to make sure you were alive." She grinned.
"Ah," he opened the other eye and smiled contently. "Other than the fact you just sucked the life out me, I'm fine for a corpse. Sure you're not a Wraith?"
"Liar. You're quite alive. And no, not a drop of Wraith blood in my veins."
"Sweet." He folded his arm around her then drew her back against him and she flung a leg over his waist and snuggled close as possible. Sam felt his breath on her neck and inhaled deeply to capture the air he breathed. The moment his used breath entered her lungs, she tingled delightfully inside. Was that an Ancient element or just human?
'For cryin' out loud, stop analyzing, Carter, and enjoy the moment like when we go fishing.'
'Yes, sir.' She inhaled deeper.
'Cool.'
His mind tap made her smile especially the reference to fishing. Sam sighed and sifted her fingers through his chest hairs that had multiplied over the years. His strong heart thumped against her pliant cheek. Here in the warm afterglow of lovemaking Sam had never felt more alive or more loved as his fingers stroked her ribs. And for the first time in months they were at the cabin without anyone to crash their lovemaking. Even Cassie had chosen her summer job over a week with the 'honeymooners' as she called them. As Jack would say, it doesn't get much better than this.
From above her, she felt his lazy gaze, knowing that like her, Jack was spent and content.
"Um, you do okay? Did I satisfy the beastress in you?"
"Very. And you?" Her tongue darted out to lick the salty moisture trickling across his chest bone.
"Oh, yeah, excellent." He squirmed at her lapping tongue.
"Hum, we are good together." She gave his chest another lick and lingering kiss.
"Yes. In fact we're excellent." His fingers shifted upward to caress her bare shoulder.
One more lick.
Jack shuddered.
Sam smiled wickedly.
"Err . . . um, Carter, unless you're looking for a third round, I wouldn't start something you can't finish."
"But, sir, you told me that after I returned from the SGC I owed you three rounds in the sack. Um, I believe that was only two."
"That was months ago, woman." He groaned. "And we've matched those three rounds dozens of times. I need to recuperate so I can whip your cute butt during our fishing tournament come pre-dawn. Loser must gut, clean and fry the fish—"
"Deal. However, you're an Ancient with this incredible insatiable sex drive for your soul mate and we really need to practice making babies--,"
Jack captured her hips and flipped her on her back.
"Wow! You recovered fast." She stared wide-eyed up at him, while she lifted her legs and pinned them around his waist.
"Goin' fishing." He grinned. "And you're bait."
"Oh boy, can't wait to see what I catch."
"If I have to draw you a picture," he huskily drawled and dipped his face toward her breasts.
A cell phone rang—Sam's.
"Don't answer," he murmured and kissed her throat.
"Um, hon, you know I'd rather not, but that's the ring tone for General Landry."
Jack lifted his head and said with a pouting tone. "You gave Hank his own ring tone—And is that the theme song from Sea Hunt with Lloyd Bridges?"
"Yep. Why?" She gave a sheepish look.
"A bit odd, don'tcha think?"
"Not really. The team and even Walter have their own ring tones, Jack, so do you."
"Which is?" He wagged his brows.
She opened her mouth but didn't answer. On the fourth ring, she lifted the phone from the bedside table and answered. "Carter here." She hit the speaker button so Jack could hear.
"Colonel, I hate to disturb you on your first downtime in weeks, but Daniel believes they've got the gate coordinates for the real Avalon."
"Oh, here we go again." Jack rolled his eyes and rolled off of Sam.
Sam pushed up on her elbow and made a face at him.
"I'm just saying," he mouthed and then sat up, swinging his legs over the bed and yawning.
"Good morning, Jack."
"Not anymore, Hank." He made sure Landry heard his disgruntled tenor. "And this can't wait until Monday, why?" He leaned over speaking into the intercom.
"Sirs!" Sam countered her superiors as she wrapped the top sheet around her and yanked the phone from her husband.
"Doctor Jackson thinks this might be the lead to the weapon that could defeat the Ori, Jack. He and Mitchell want to gate ASAP and I've given the go. They'd appreciate if Carter tagged along."
"I will . . ."
"Nice of you to ask, Hank. But we've got plans—"
"That can wait." Sam insisted and stood glaring down at him. "I'll be there in an hour, sir." She hung up before either man could speak.
"Carter." Jack stood in his birthday suit facing her with his Irish set jaw, his brown eyes dark and menacing.
"Don't." Sam held up a hand. "You know the safety of earth and the galaxy depend upon us finding that weapon and--."
"I was about to say, ya can't go dressed like that." He ineptly waved at her sheet-clad body. On the other hand, you could start a whole new fashion trend." He winked.
"Ah." She obviously hadn't expected him to give in so easily. "Jack?" She stepped closer and touched his face, her expression one of clear suspicion.
"We have an agreement, remember? Besides I've incalculable patience."
"Yes, we do and your incalculable patience is beginning to worry me. I mean since I went back to the SGC we haven't had much time together." She worried her lower lip with her teeth.
"Having seconds thoughts, are we?" He could only hope.
"Regretting that the SGC has totally infringed on our marriage."
"Hey now, there's been plenty of times that I've been gone when you've been home. It all works out in the end."
"You're sure about this?"
His long strong fingers wrapped around her wrist and his kissed the soft palm of her hand. "I'm fine. I'll hang out here a few days and fill the freezer with fish. So," he jutted out his chin toward the window, "go save the world-again, Carter."
"Okay, but I'll be back." She smiled up at him and he nodded with his dimpled smirk.
"Of course, you will." He drew her into his arms and held on tight, closing his eyes hoping that what he'd been envisioning the last few nights was not prophetic, but just a bad dream. "Um, Carter," he said against her throat. "Do your old man a favor and attach an extra reserve oxygen tank to your space suit."
"Huh?" She looked up with confusion.
Jack suddenly felt stupid for blurting that out. "Um, sorry, just forget it."
"Not that easy." She frowned and eased back into his arms, while he proceeded to telepathically say, "And remember, babe, no matter what, I love you and more importantly, you're never alone."
The SGC Three Days Later:
'Jack, it's beautiful! I wish you could see this. Holy stars, I love you. But this isn't how we're supposed to end . . ."
"Hang in there, Carter!" With Sam talking in his head, Jack bolted off the SGC elevator and vaulted the stairs to the control room. The base was a beehive of tense activity. The Ori were invading the galaxy and all hell had broken loose.
"General O'Neill!" Walter almost collided with Jack as he whipped around the stairs landing onto the control room floor.
Still in his civvies, Jack had no time for formalities. "Where's Landry?" He glanced at the open gate and the SGC teams and troops of armed Marines streaming through the blue toilet bowl in double time.
"Here, Jack." Hank plowed down the staircase from the briefing room. "Glad you could make it." He grabbed the printouts Walter shoved into his hands, glanced at them and frowned.
"Where they headed?" Jack rushed to the huge window then glanced at the computer coordinates as Walter retook his seat.
"Chulak, sir."
"Crap!"
"Yeah, tell me about it." Landry came to stand beside him.
"Wait!" Jack put a finger to his ear. 'Oh, Jack! The Ori's super gate engaged. The Odyssey's been hit again, I think their shields are down—Daniel and Mitchell. Another X304's been hit! There's nothing I can do . . . hard to breath . . ." Like a crackling bad connection she broke off.
'Sam?' Jack shouted in his head. 'I can hear you. Keep talking. We'll get you back!'
"Generals?" Walter turned from the communication's board, "We've lost contact with the Odyssey and the Jaffa ships as well."
"Keep trying, Sergeant!" Hank barked.
"Jack?" Hank turned and saw his paler.
"Oh, God! She's out there alone, Hank!"
"I know." His friend shook his head with regret. "I was in contact with Emerson when it happened. We'll find her, Jack."
Jack nodded and closed his eyes. Around him people scrambled and shouted. Orderly chaos ensued. Inside the quiet of his heart and mind, Jack felt helpless and did the only thing he could. He prayed.
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Ten Days Later:
"Dad, where's mom?" Cassandra pushed a wheelbarrow full of dead grass and weeds toward the backyard's mulch pile and turned off her IPOD as she waited on her father.
"Taking a nap." He rose from where he'd been weeding a flowerbed. "Crap." An Ancient or not, his knees were still shot. God's warped sense of humor he supposed.
"Another one. That's not like her. Maybe I should check on her." Cassandra paused and Jack knew she meant he should do the checking. Since Sam's near-death experience in space she spent a lot of time alone, more than either Jack or Cassandra liked. Because Landry had sensed something was wrong he'd ordered SG-1 on a week downtime, after all, they'd saved the world -- again. Surprisingly, Sam came home without argument. Jack arranged to work out of the SGC and their home so he could be with her. He understood Sam. Cassandra on the other hand felt like she was walking on eggshells with her mother. His daughter wanted her mother back to normal, but didn't know how to make that happen. Several times, Cassandra had gone and lain beside Sam like she had eight years back when Jolinar had died. Now Cass didn't understand why her wanting to comfort Sam didn't work. Jack wasn't sure himself.
"No problem, Sunshine. I'm going in for an ice tea so I'll check on her." He brushed his dirt-soiled hands down his jeans and headed for the house.
"Hey will ya bring me a glass?" She turned on her IPOD and started rocking her shapely hips. Jack shook his head, and then lifting his shades made a perimeter surveillance of his backyard. Thankfully, the trees blocked her sexual gyrations from the local male population's view. She'd be the death of him, yet.
"Sure yabetcha." He entered the house from the deck's glass patio door relieved that Cassandra was not dating at the moment.
Inside the house all was quiet. The central air hit his hot skin and despite a few shivers, it felt refreshing from the afternoon's summer heat. Jack washed up and removed his sweat soaked t-shirt, pulling a clean shirt out of the dryer. After he poured two glasses of ice tea, downed one he headed for his bedroom. Cassandra could either wait a few minutes or get her own, but he suspected Sam was thirsty.
He entered the dark bedroom and frowned when he realized the air vents were shut. He opened them then set the glass of iced tea on the bedside table. The bedroom felt stifling, like when he'd been in the runaway X302 with Teal'c and nearly suffocated. Only difference was instead of sweating he'd almost frozen and--Dang! He turned to the bed. Under the covers, Sam slept on her stomach, face buried in a pillow, yet she trembled as if cold. Jack pulled back the blanket and looked at her. The spaghetti straps of her tank top had slipped off her slender shoulders. Sweat beaded across her freckled back, and she seemed to be struggling for air.
"Samantha?" When he flipped her over she gasped, flinging her fists at him. "Whoa there, babe!"
He captured her wrists and shook her gently. She opened her tear-wet eyes and upon seeing him, catapulted into his arms and held on for life, violent sobs racking her slender frame. Jack struggled to sit upright on the bed and hold onto his panic filled wife.
"Dear God, Jack, I couldn't stop them!"
"I know, I know." Nuzzling his neck, he rocked her quietly and smoothed her damp blonde hair with his hand. Sam sobbed. Not something she did often, but he was glad. Other than her preliminary debriefing and mission report, she'd not talked to anyone about what she'd experienced alone in space when the Ori had gated into the galaxy. Her report had been expertly detailed, too detailed for Jack.
He assumed that she'd not remembered their telepathic conversation during the incident or refused to address it. Doctor McKenzie assured Jack this was a normal part of the DPTS and she'd eventually confront her feelings.
"The gate's energy surged, I got pushed off the ship, lost my magnetic lock . . . felt helpless . . . Watched the Ori fire on the X-304s and mother ships. I should have calculated the odds, had a plan B and been able to . . ." She bit down on her lower lip and shuddered.
"Samantha, look at me." Jack pulled back and eased a fingertip beneath her quivering chin until they were eye to eye. "You weren't responsible. You've got to stop second-guessing yourself and what happened up there. None of it was your fault, Carter."
"Yes."
"No. I was there and saw everything before it happened. It couldn't have gone down any other way."
"What?" She looked up and for the first time since he'd entered the room she looked alert.
"Um, I had a vision. Only I was in the space suit, but I was you?" He winced and gestured ineptly. "If that makes any sense."
"Huh?" Sam frowned with confusion.
"Look, I can't explain how or why, but the week before you left for Camelot, I had three reoccurring dreams. In them, the Ori had built a super gate while we and the Jaffa tried to stop it. I was onboard the Odyssey, but everyone addressed me as you, Sam. Next I knew I was outside the ship preparing to install a dialing control crystal."
"Holy Hannah."
"Ya're telling me." He snorted. "I had no idea you had your period. Your menstrual cramps are enough to bring down a horse."
Her pretty mouth dropped open. She believed him! "So that's why you said to connect an extra reserve tank?"
"No, the cramps had nothing to do with the reserve tank, but I could have used a muscle relaxer."
"Jack!" She sounded frustrated.
"Hey can't you take something for the groin pain?" He made a sour face.
She blew out through her mouth.
"Sorry. You were saying?"
"I did what you told me." She smiled softly. "I attached an extra tank."
"Why spank me, Rosy. You never told me."
"Um, maybe if you'd read my mission report." She suggested with her Carter smile of white teeth.
"I did, but skimmed your bullet points of technical babble. The issue is, you are alive, Carter, and that wasn't a coincidence." He turned melancholy and hummed a familiar song as he leaned in and kissed the mole beneath her left eye.
"Que sera sera, huh?" She picked up on the melody, leaning into him.
"Yeah, something like that." He pressed a kiss to her forehead.
"Jack, Daniel's right, we are going to grow old together. And when the time comes for us to die, I hope we do that together because I can't imagine going on in this world without you."
"Hey now, that's so far down the fork in the road, let's not go there quite yet." He handed her the glass of iced tea. "Down the hatch, girl."
"Not thirsty." She refused.
"That's an order, Colonel."
"Yes, sir." She drank the cold amber liquid so fast that some of it escaped her lips and trickled down her chin to her neck and between her breasts.
"Wow!"
"What?" she looked up as he took the glass and placed it on the bedside table.
"That's so hot."
"You've got to be kidding." She snorted.
He set her hand on his lap. "Believe me, that's not my sidearm, woman."
"C'mere and prove it, Flyboy." Sam laughed and locking lips they tumbled onto the bed.
"Hey, no giggling." Jack proceeded to prove it.
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Sometime Later:
"Man oh, man, a girl could die of dehydration around here!" Cassandra entered the cooler tempered house, set down her IPOD, poured a glass of tea then chugged it down. Wiping a hand across her mouth, she trudged down the hallway for the bathroom and then noticed her parent's door ajar. The silence bothered her.
"Please, Lord, don't let me catch them doing the nasty again?" Warily poking her head through the doorway's fissure she scanned the dark room, and spotted their haphazardly strewn clothes before her gaze settled on the rumbled bed. Oy! Time to exit stage right. But something about the special moment she'd walked in on, kept her riveted in place.
Underneath a wrinkled sheet Jack and Sam were locked in their favorite position she'd witness dozens of times before. Her mom's tousled blonde hair was fanned across her dad's bent arm and a look of peaceful contentment softened her pretty face. Finally! Cass realized the demons that had been haunting her mother had been finally slain. Naturally, her knightly father had something to do with her mom's recovery.
His other tanned arm was folded over the sheet and possessively hugging his wife's waist. With his face buried in the bow of Sam's neck, Jack's nasal snore drifted across the room and made Cass grin. She exhaled a sigh of relief and joy. Tears wiggled free from her eyes and warmed her cheeks and heart. She loved them more than life and wished her kid brother Charlie who was stuck with the Tok'ra could be here. More than anything, Cassandra longed for more siblings to share the security and love she'd found with her parents. Family meant everything to Cassandra. Every since Janet's death, she'd purposely pushed their buttons and done stupid stuff. And, yet, they'd hung in there with her. Until this last year of experiencing their tough love, Cass had not realized how much her parents loved her.
"Thanks God." She shut the door, turned back toward her the kitchen and was pleasantly surprised to find she was not alone.
"So, it's been awhile, half-pint." Cass acknowledged the curly, brunette, blue-eyed girl in a pristine white dress.
"Shush!" Grace put a finger to her pink lips. "I'm not supposed to be here." She glanced suspiciously around as if expecting to be found out.
"Playing hooky, huh?"
"Yep." she giggled. "I can't stay long and don't tell mom or dad I was here, they'd freak as usual."
"I won't." Disappointed, Cassandra dropped to her knees and held out her arms for her future little sister. "So, when you comin' home for good?"
Grace stepped into Cassandra's arms, held on tight and whispered, "Soon. At least, that's what the Star Keeper said. And remember, sis, whatever will be, will be, for God always keeps His promises."
"Yeah, I—"
Grace vanished.
"D'oh!" Cassandra grappled with empty air. Unnerved, she stood and glanced back at her parent's bedroom. A smile split her face as she walked away singing, "Que sera sera, whatever will be will be, the future's not ours to see, que sera sera. . .you sure yabetcha!"
The End . . . for now.