For all of you out there who, like my beta, won't really like the start of this one. I'm sorry :( (She loved the end though)
M.
Chapter XLVII
April 9th, 2005
Sam's house.
"Honey! I'm home!" Ashley shouted once she materialized inside Sam's living room. The house was dark, and there were no sounds that would indicate where her sister was. Ashley frowned.
Sam had radioed her late the previous night to ask her if she could pick her up around 10 am. Then, at 9 am, Sam had radioed again to ask her to pick her up later. Ashley had frowned at that request, but she brushed it under 'probably something related with Sam's work.' agreeing to pick her at 16.
"Sam?" Ashley said as she walked to the office to see if her sister was engrossed in work, but the office too was dark. Checking her watch, she huffed.
"Sam?" she called again, this time walking towards the garage. There was no answer, and no Sam either, although her beloved Indian was parked inside.
Chewing her inner cheeks, she considered getting back to the Sanctuary and wait for her call, but then, she noticed Sam's car parked outside and frowned. While she was debating over calling her mom about the currently missing Sam situation, her eyes fell over Sam's home phone feeling grateful that she had learned her sister's cell number. Picking up the cordless, she dialed Sam's cell as she paced around the living room. The moment she pressed the last digit, she heard a car parking outside the house.
Outside, Sam got out of the car as quickly as she could, only to stop when she heard her cellphone ring. She sighed, during a Saturday afternoon, the only call she would usually get would be from the base; so not even bothering to check the caller id, she answered it.
"Carter!" Sam barked.
"Hey, sis," Ashley said, "I was just wondering where you were."
"Ashley!" Sam greeted, feeling relieved. "I'm a few feet away from home," she explained. Ashley walked towards the door and opened it for her, ending the call once she spotted Sam walking towards her with a grin on her face.
"Hey, Sam, wait for me!" a male voice, one Ashley recognized from the experience she had at the Colorado entrance warehouse. Her sister's previous grin became a grimace quickly before she turned around with a sigh.
"Pete, you don't need to walk me home," Sam almost hissed, stopping barely four steps away from her door.
"Welcome back," Ashley grinned, greeting her now that she was standing near Sam.
"Ashley! It's so good to see you," Sam said, taking the last steps that separated her from her sister and engulfing her in a tight hug.
Behind Sam's back, Pete cleared his throat. With a sigh, Sam took a step away from Ashley choosing to remain close to her sister. Ashley eyed the man who was ogling her, wishing that the Cabal had thought of giving her a real death glare.
"Hi, I'm Pete," he smiled at Ashley, offering his hand.
"Ah, yes! Mr. Shenanigans," Ashley said, deciding that her glare would do.
"Ashley!" Sam warned.
"What? Wasn't that his last name?" Ashley asked, pretending she was confused. Pete chuckled.
"No worries, Sam. It happens all the time," Pete said, feeling oddly proud of himself. Whoever the girl was, she knew who he was, which meant Sam had talked about him. "It's Shanahan," Pete grinned, his hand still extended for her to take. Ashley eyed at it, and then at him almost hoping he would give himself away, mentioning that her voice sounded oddly familiar to him and thus, force him to explain why he had Sam followed. Despite Ashley's hopes, he didn't. "And you are?"
"Ashley," she offered curtly.
"Oh?" Pete let out, looking at Sam as if she owed him some explanations.
"Ashley is my sister. I'm sorry, Pete, but I promised her we would go out for dinner. Now, if you excuse us, we need to get ready."
"I didn't see any cars out there, how did you get here?" Pete frowned.
"Dude! There are such things as taxis," Ashley said, rolling her eyes. "Where did you get him?" she asked, pointing towards Pete.
"Denver," Pete grinned. "I'm friends with Mark?" he offered, but Ashley only frowned. "Your brother Mark? Come to think of it; Mark never mentioned having two sisters."
"It is a long story," Sam started.
"I have time," Pete grinned interrupting her.
"Sorry, dude. I'm trying hard not to be rude here, but we have a date," Ashley said, signaling between her and Sam. "One she already postponed earlier, I'm guessing due to you."
"Oh, so you live nearby?" Pete tried again.
"Pete, please?" Sam pleaded. Looking at her expression, Pete sighed dramatically.
"Oh well, you can't say I've not tried," he shrugged, giving Sam what Ashley considered the grossest of the puppy eyes. "Will you call me when you decide?" Pete whispered, biting his lower lip while touching Sam's ring finger softly.
"Yes!" Sam almost jumped out away from his touch. "I will call you when I finish thinking about it."
"Bye, Pete," Ashley waved, then crossing her arms over her chest.
"It was a pleasure to meet you, Ashley," he waved awkwardly.
"Yeah, sure. I bet it was. Bye now!"
"Goodnight, Pete," Sam said, still rooted to her spot. If it weren't for Ashley, who dragged her inside the house, and closed the door in Pete's face, they would be still standing outside.
"What the hell was that?" Ashley asked.
"I could ask you the same," Sam answered.
"Sam?" Ashley inquired with a raised eyebrow, making Sam sigh.
"Pete," she said as if that explained everything.
"Sam," Ashley sighed, deciding there was no point on being angry about something she had no control over. "You'll need to give me more words than that if you want me to understand what happened," she said. Sam shook her head.
"I know," Sam agreed. "Can you take us to mom's office? I guess it will be better if I only have to explain this once."
"Oh, Lord. That bad?" Ashley asked. This time Sam felt the concern in her sister's words.
"I'm not sure," Sam shook her head.
Looking at Sam's demeanor, and thinking that she could teleport her later if she needed anything else from her home, Ashley grabbed her hand and took them straight to Helen's office.
April 9th, 2005
Underground Sanctuary
Work was something that didn't stop inside the Sanctuary walls; there was always someone who needed help, reports to write, news to share. So, unless she decided to take a day off, which was rare, or that things took her to someplace else, which was more common, Helen could be found in her office even during the weekends.
She was analyzing the possibility of getting herself topside to aid in an ongoing investigation that was being held in one of their topside funds providing companies when she looked up from her screen.
"Good evening to you both," Helen grinned, when her daughters materialized in front of her desk. Her expression changed into one of worry when she noticed there was something grim about the ones they were sporting. "Is everything alright?" Magnus asked.
"I've met Mr. Pete Shenanigans," Ashley shrugged, sounding a bit disappointed with the situation.
Walking towards the seating area, Ashley plopped onto one of the couches. "I'm not sure what's going on with her," she finished, pointing to Sam.
"I," Sam tried to start. But she shook her head as she began to pace around the office. "Pete came to my home earlier. He asked me to join him for a few hours," Sam sighed, not noticing how Helen had moved from her desk to sit in the loveseat across from Ashley. "Pete pleaded with me, said he had a free day, the weather was amazing, and most importantly, he wanted to spend some time with his friend. 'Come on, Sam! It is so lovely outside! I know you barely go out there, come on, don't be a party pooper,'" she said imitating him.
"So, you called me and asked if I was okay with picking you up later," Ashley added. Her words interrupted Sam's pacing. Carter stopped for a moment as if she considered Ashley's words, and then she nodded.
"Yes, as I've said, I tried to tell him no," Sam continued, and also restarted her pacing. "I explained I had plans. But he insisted - 'I came all the way from Denver to see you, Sam' - so I radioed to check it with you. I was a bit shocked when you didn't complain about my delay but accepted it quickly. With that out of the way, I was out of excuses not to go with him."
"There's nothing wrong about going out with a friend, Samantha," Helen smiled, trying to sound reassuring, or at least, not confused about why such a situation was distressing for Sam.
"Yeah, I know that but," Sam waved, then puffed, and finally, she plopped herself on the couch next to Ashley. Helen's motherly instincts kicked in forcefully, she walked towards Sam and sat as close as she could without making Sam feel more uncomfortable than she already looked.
"Samantha, darling," Helen said, in the most reassuring tone she could muster while placing a strand of hair out of Sam's face. "Whatever it is that is worrying you, you know we will be here to support you through it," she whispered. Sam nodded once.
"I know, I know," Sam trailed off. Leaning forward, she hid her face on her hands. "Ugh, I kissed him!" she cried out, disgusted at herself.
"You what?!" Ashley asked, jumping to her feet.
"Samantha, you know very well I can't possibly judge you for kissing a man, nor should anyone," Helen said, looking pointedly at Ashley. "You are, after all, single."
"I'm sorry 'bout my outburst," Ashley sighed. "Mom's right, you are single," she said, and Sam raised her head to watch her sister. "But I don't get it, what made you kiss him?" Ashley asked. This time, she sat on the coffee table, right in front of Sam to be able to see her better.
"Well, he was charming. Scratch that, he is adorable, he always makes me feel like I'm his priority; that's why I dated him for a while in the first place," Sam huffed. "Before Will talked some sense into me, and we ended up as friends."
"Will is very good at that," Ashley agreed.
"Anyway, giving him some access to the SGC was a mistake," Sam shook her head. "I still don't know why the General agreed with me. Anyhow, that's a story for another day. Earlier today, we went around town, had some lunch and then we went to the park 'to enjoy the weather.' He was talking about how I'm super special, making me feel very self-conscious. He said I'm like a superhero chasing bad guys across the galaxy and a bunch of super sweet things that I really didn't know how to take."
"So, you kissed him?" Ashley frowned but stopped her questioning when Helen glared at her.
"No," Sam shook her head. "I told him I was glad he had stuck around after knowing what I did for a living because anyone else would've freaked out. I mean, how many people would take well the knowledge that there are aliens and they come to Earth to attack almost every year?" She looked up and noticed she was straining away from the subject. "He said he was glad I was glad because he had put in a transfer request to Colorado Springs PD, and I, I kissed him."
"Because he asked for a transfer?" Ashley asked frowning in confusion.
"No one had ever done that for me before," Sam confessed. "No one ever told me they would move away from everything they know just to be closer to me." Helen smiled; she understood what Sam was feeling at that moment.
"Now, is this worry you are feeling, due to where this relationship you two share might end if he gets his transfer granted? Or is it something else?" Helen asked as neutrally as she could, having an inkling that it had more to do with the feelings she knew Sam had for Jack than any other thing. Sam shook her head.
"No? Yes?" Sam whimpered. "I'm not sure, mom. What I do know is, after I kissed him, I had to ask him if he was sure about the transfer. I hoped he would say it was a joke or something, but he…" she stopped. She laid back, wriggling in place as she searched for something in her jeans pocket. "He gave me this and said he got it 'coz he was sure of what he was doing,'" Sam finished presenting them with a black velvet box.
Ashley took the box almost dreading to check its contents because she was sure what would lay inside. With a nod of encouragement from both her mother and sister, she opened it to find a decent-sized diamond ring sitting inside it.
"Oh, God! What happened to the 'he is just my friend'?" Ashley asked, closing the box as if it burned her and dropping it next to her on the coffee table.
"Ashley Magnus, you are not making this situation easier for your sister," Helen hissed. Then she turned her attention to her grieving daughter. "Did he give you a ring, or did he propose, Samantha?"
"He showed me the ring, on a park bench," she let out and then she grimaced, "Holy Hannah! We were talking about aliens and eating hotdogs!" she complained. "I had to lower my hotdog on the bench to grab the box, and then Pete said he bought it thinking of me and how good looking our family would be. How ridiculous does that sound?" Helen chuckled.
"Well, hotdogs aside, I suppose you weren't hoping for him to drop to his knee and declare his undying love for you, were you?" Helen grinned. "I've been proposed to only once, on a carriage as we headed to Piccadilly. John was clear on his offer," Magnus said, trying to lighten up the mood. Sam scrubbed her face tiredly with her hands
"I feel so disappointed at the way that happened," she shook her head. "I mean, he is a friend, but shouldn't a proposal be romantic or something?"
"I suppose it depends on who you are proposing to?" Helen shrugged. "Would it have made a difference if he had waited for the sunset to drop to his knee, and there was some soft romantic music in the background?" Helen asked.
"I'm not sure," Sam sighed. "But, mom, what do I do now?"
"Well, if you said yes, I suppose the next step is to plan a wedding? Only if that is what you desire, Samantha. Engagements can be broken," Helen said.
"What do you say to break one? Sorry, I made a mistake here is your ring?" Ashley asked frowning in confusion.
"Well," Helen chuckled. "As I've said, I was engaged once, and if you consider the way I broke mine, your option sounds considerably better," Magnus offered, making Ashley snort. "What did you say to him, Samantha?" Helen asked, getting back on track.
"I didn't answer," Sam clenched her jaw. "I didn't say anything, not even I'll think about it. He said those words, and I said nothing! Then Pete said he would love to spend the rest of his life with me," she groaned.
"And again, I said nothing at all! The worst thing is that he was super nice about it! About what he said, and about what I didn't say. Pete told me he understood if I was shocked because we were not exploring our more passionate side as when we dated. But having had that experience, he knew how good we could be together, and finished telling me that he was willing to wait until I could give him an answer. Then, to end it, Pete kissed me, lightly on the cheek as he placed the box in my hands. I was dumbfounded, to say the least, and he took that moment to tell me: 'You deserved to be happy, Sam, that's all I'm offering to you.'"
"I'll be damned! I have to agree with the guy, you do deserve to be happy," Ashley grimaced. "So then, he took you home?"
"Yeah, well, 'take me home, please' was the only words I could say to him after that. God, what should I do?" She sighed.
"You need to think about it, Samantha. Your life is precious, and you need to choose what makes you the happiest," Helen said. "Be glad no one can make that choice for you."
"That so doesn't help," Ashley muttered rolling her eyes.
"Do a pro and con list, if you wish," Helen said, then waved her hands in dismissal. "The truth is that list or not; you know what your heart desires. Otherwise, you would have already answered him with an undoubting yes. Was that better?"
"No," her daughters said at once.
"Let me set this one straight for you: I might be your mother, I might be older than anyone you know, but I can't go making choices for you."
"But," Ashley started.
"I will support you both in whatever you decide to do with your lives, but I draw the line on choosing your destiny for you. I'm quite certain you both know I've done my share of stupid mistakes and I've learned to live with them, and so, should you," Helen said.
"It's not like I have much of choice" Ashley muttered.
"You are alive, Ashley. You have a big burden that came because of your own choice. Back then, I supported you, you had an amazing set of skills, and you believed you were ready to go inside the Cabal facilities. You had it in you back then, and I agreed to it because I knew you would do it even if I didn't allow you to do it. Now, when I lost you, I regretted tremendously supporting you on it."
"I wanted to help, I never thought they would catch us," Ashley said. "I never imagined…"
"Yes, it was your choice. Now, when the time came that I had to live that part of my life again, I didn't intervene, even if I knew what would happen, I knew you chose it. Yes, I had a plan on how to save you when the time came, but to be honest, I didn't know if it would work. After all, everything had pointed to your consciousness being lost for good. Now, I have no idea what the future will hold for any of us. We all must make the decisions we believe will hold the best possible outcome and pray we aren't hugely mistaken. Samantha, I can't tell you to marry him, and I can't tell you not to marry him."
"I know."
"Now, due to my own take on life, I must confess I'm not a fan of marriage. At some point, I wanted to get married, if only to stop being the old single broad of my circle. Yes, I looked young, yet being single for as long as I was, wasn't well taken by the society of that time. Now, when I accepted your father's proposal, Ashley, you were already on your way."
"Oh, cheeky," Ashley grinned, Helen rolled her eyes.
"I loved John dearly. I thought we had a bright future as a family, thus saying yes to him was not something I needed to think, I answered. Then, due to his symbiosis with the energy being, his life was altered. He became Jack the Ripper, and by extent, my life changed, I broke our engagement. The social situation at that time wasn't the brightest for women like me, who had 'fallen out of purity.' I'd witnessed how society subjected single mothers to excessive humiliations during that period. Therefore, to spare my father from the pain of his only daughter becoming an outcast, I asked for Nikola's help to extract and freeze your embryo. Thankfully, the social situation also evolved. Nowadays, getting a divorce is not a curse, breaking engagements is still a possibility, and being a single mother is not a tragedy." Helen looked at her distressed daughter and grabbed Sam's hand.
"You have to decide, Samantha, no one can do it for you. But have in mind that even if you end up in a situation you didn't want, you can always change your mind again, and fix it at any point you want," Helen finished, as she searched Sam's eyes to see if her daughter had understood what she meant. Sam nodded once curtly.
"I guess I have a lot of thinking to do now, huh?"
"Indeed, you do." The three of them shared a knowing smile as they fell silent.
"Mom?" Sam asked after a while
"Yes?"
"What did you do to break your engagement?" Sam asked. Surprisingly to her, Ashley snorted.
"I turned him to the Scotland Yard investigator, and then, I shot him," Helen grinned. "I can tell you the complete gory story as we have dinner, believe it or not, I'm starving."
April 10th, 2005
Underground Sanctuary
Jack got to a decision the day the President visited the SGC. He knew what he wanted to ask. However, knowing and being able to do it were two very different things. The latter managed to make him uncomfortable in his skin.
After several attempts of convincing himself and a meeting with Will, he had found the courage to press nine on his red phone. However, when the call was answered, he found himself asking for Will.
Something in the way it happened, had told Will that Jack was coming with a purpose in mind. That he had requested that no one knew about his visit made that clearer on Will's mind.
Getting him inside without raising any alerts was something that Will, thankfully, knew how to do. He disabled the safety measures before he picked up his friend and turned them on again once they were on the other side of the security barrier.
After that, the drive back was done in complete silence. But, what had surprised William the most was that after grabbing the radio he had offered him, Jack had squared his shoulders in a way that told him he was trying to convey something he wasn't feeling. And then, Jack asked him to take him to Nikola's lab.
To say Will was curious about the whole visit was a big understatement. However, he had nodded and walked the man to the door of Nikola's lab.
"Here we are," Will said. "Just radio if you need help getting to wherever you want to go."
"Radio," Jack said, not paying attention to Will anymore, but at the same time pressing the device tightly in his hand. He looked straight ahead and took a step closer to the door that had slid open due to his advance. Will saw him doubt for a split second as Jack observed Nikola's back and then, he entered the room, officially leaving Will outside hearing range.
"Mr. Tesla," Jack said as firmly as he could, once the door slid closed behind his back. Nikola turned around surprised by the intruder and frowned highly confused by the reasons Jack could have to be in his lab of all places.
"What on Earth could you possibly be doing here, General?" Nikola frowned. "Besides distracting me, that is," he waved, trying to bring his typically annoying side out to hide the fact that he was feeling extremely curious.
"I need a few words with you," Jack answered, his voice didn't leave space for a no and that amused Nikola a bit more. 'Maybe he needs me for some experiment,' he thought.
"Then out with it," the vampire said out loud, but when the General inhaled deeply, Nikola knew he wasn't exactly the reason behind Jack O'Neill's visit.
"I met Sam a long time ago," Jack started, making Tesla feel a bit lost. "At first, I liked her. She was different from any other woman I'd met."
"Go on," Tesla encouraged. His curiosity, along with the fact that the usually private General was talking about his daughter, managed to bring out Nikola's best behavior.
Now when Jack didn't notice his interruption, Nikola knew why he was talking about her. His voice softened, and his eyes glimmered, and before he said much more, Nikola knew Jack O'Neill was about to confess he loved Samantha. He had been on the verge of admitting the same about Helen a long time ago and knew how it looked.
"Sam," Jack continued, "She has this way of keeping things in perspective for me. I think, at first, she thought she needed to prove herself worthy of being in my team. The truth is, I'm not sure my team would've existed for as long as it did if General Hammond hadn't forced her into it. She is the one who has saved us on so many occasions that I've stopped counting. She is the one who keeps us going, even when we believe there's no hope," he said and smiled. "And…"
"You love her," Nikola rolled his eyes. "Yadda, yadda, yadda," he said. Mostly because he was feeling utterly uncomfortable, seeing the same feelings he had for Helen showing so clearly on Jack's face. Jack shook his head and looked at Tesla, who sighed. "Oh, for God's sake! Go on already."
"Yes. I'm in love with her," Jack confessed. Tesla grinned at the sincerity of his words.
"I understand you more than you imagine, General," Nikola answered, and then, as if to change the mood in the room, he clapped his hands cheerily. "She is one of a kind just like her mother."
"Unique, yes."
"Now that we have established this care to tell me why exactly you are telling me this?" Nikola asked, crooking his head.
"I, this might be very old fashioned, but I wanted to ask you for permission to marry your biological daughter. Well, if I can find a way to ask her and do it without hurting her career or mine," Jack finished. Nikola looked more than a bit astounded by the whole situation, but when he managed to get control of himself, he chuckled.
"General, you do know it is 2005, right? You don't need to request my permission to marry her. Samantha is a grown-up, and as such, she is capable of standing her ground and making her own choices," Nikola said, mostly to be sure his future son-in-law understood that whatever happened, Sam would do whatever she wanted. "You know this, am I right?
"Of course," Jack started. "Look, I'm not here asking because I believe she needs your permission. I'm here because I would like to know that I have your support if she does take me."
"Then, by all means, you have my permission," Nikola grinned. "If you do manage to convince her, that is."
"Really?" Jack asked, surprised.
"And General," Nikola called him as Jack walked towards his lab door. The tone Nikola used didn't leave room to doubt of the threat that was coming, so Jack squared his shoulders for the following words. "I shouldn't have to remind you that I am a vampire and would have no qualms on showing you how bad I can be if you happen to hurt her, right?" Nikola finished with a smirk that did nothing to hide the volume of his threat.
It was almost an hour after his arrival to hollow earth that Jack walked out of Tesla's lab feeling more confident about his next step than when he had arrived. He walked the way that separated him from the main building and then through the many corridors that he knew lead to Helen Magnus office. He stopped by the heavy looking double doors that oddly, were open.
"General O'Neill," she announced before he could say anything. "Do come in and close the doors behind you, if you will," Helen grinned. He stood rooted to his place by the threshold for a second when he noticed that, not surprisingly, she was expecting him.
"You knew I was coming," Jack noted, as he closed the doors that weren't as heavy as they looked before he turned and walked closer to her.
"I knew you were around, yes. Please take a seat, I'll be with you shortly," Magnus said, pointing towards the sitting area. Jack heard as she typed a couple of lines on her computer before she rolled her office chair away from the desk. Standing up, Helen walked towards the sitting area, and elegantly sat on the love seat across from him.
"Doctor Magnus, I need to ask for a favor," Jack said as firmly as he could, feeling the weight of her gaze over him. She crooked her head and smiled as if she knew something he didn't.
"Yes. You've come to ask for my help to find a way for you to marry my daughter; without endangering Samantha's career, or yours. Taking into consideration that for some reason unknown to you, they won't let you retire," Magnus replied. Jack opened his mouth to say something, but Helen raised her eyebrow, and he shook his head.
"How you do that?" Jack frowned. "Wait! They won't let me retire?" he asked, noticing the meaning of her words. Helen shook her head.
"You've become too valuable to the program; you know this, General. What you probably don't know is that they won't take your resignation or retirement even if you are entitled to the second one. I've asked."
"I, that can complicate things," Jack muttered.
"A bit, yes," Helen grinned in acknowledgment. "It can make finding a way for you to marry my daughter without hurting your careers a bit of a challenge."
"How do you do that?" Jack frowned. "The knowing why I'm here thing," he waved.
"I have eyes everywhere, General," Helen smiled, noticing the radio on the coffee table in front of her. "Well that, and," she picked up the device, "it seems you left your radio open on my channel," Helen grinned.
"Seriously?" Jack blushed. Helen nodded, turning off the radio for good.
"Yes, maybe you were pressing it out of nervousness?" She offered. "In any case, they were lovely words."
"Ugh, that's embarrassing," Jack sighed.
"Not really, if you think about it, you were lucky it was my channel. Otherwise, who knows who would have heard your exchange with Nikola."
"Holy Hannah!"
"Don't worry, your secret is safe with me, General. Not that I ever considered you as being so old fashioned," Helen grinned. "Now, as for the reason why you are here. I've been discretely talking to several people about the possibilities if this situation was to arise."
"And?"
"Let's say that General Hammond has been sitting on his retirement for a while now, and someone will need to step into his position once he finally does," Magnus smiled.
"Even if they decided they want me there, which I doubt. Being at Homeworld Security leaves us in an even worse situation. I won't only be in her chain of command."
"You'll be her CO's CO. Yes, I'm aware of that," Helen couldn't avoid rolling her eyes. "You really should allow me to finish what I want to say when you come for advice, General," she grinned. "There will also be an open post at area 51 that only a certain Lieutenant Colonel qualifies for," she trailed off.
"What's the catch?" Jack squinted at her.
"Why there must always be a catch with you?" The Doctor rolled her eyes.
"Because we are in the military and there always is one?" He offered.
"Well, it's not a catch per se," Helen smiled, "it's a limitation."
"Shoot."
"Her position will be temporary; they won't be able to hold it for long even if they manage to make her believe it is permanent. But the limitation is as follows: You don't know about this opening. Samantha can't know about this conversation or the temporary nature of that post. You, General, will have to propose as soon as you both have been transferred. You must get married before the following week starts. Because, by the following Monday, Samantha will be under your command again. With that said, it is obvious you won't be able to plan a wedding due to the sheer amount of work you have."
"How do I even plan her dream wedding if she can't know about it? And I can't know about it? I mean, is it even possible to make it all happen in less than a week? Christ! I'm not even sure she will agree to it!"
"Don't you, really?" Helen asked, amused. "Yes, it is possible to organize it in a week. Now, if I were in your shoes, I'm sure that wouldn't be the way I would like to spend the first and only week I will have to enjoy the perks of being in a relationship with someone I've loved for a long time," she pointed out.
"I," Jack started, and Magnus tried not to laugh at the light blush that was covering his face.
"Let me save you the embarrassment of talking with your possible mother-in-law about what you would rather do the first time you can actually touch Samantha for longer than just a hug. What I propose is to find a way to figure out what she would like and what she wouldn't, and we'll see how to make it happen here. The only other thing you will have to choose is if you would prefer a wedding with your alien friends and the abnormal side of the family, or if you will want to make it 'humans' only. If the first one is the case, I'm confident that your alien friends would not be surprised by my side of the family. If the second one is your choice, we can raise security and keep all the ones who wouldn't pass as humans locked out for that day," she offered.
"Huh," Jack frowned in thought. "Come to think of it, save for the Asgards all the aliens we could count as friends look very much human."
"Really? That's surprising, considering the range of abnormals we have on Earth," Helen commented.
"When?"
"When do you want to have it? As I've mentioned, I've been chatting about this, but you need to choose a time. Unless they are forced to make General Hammond retire, you have complete liberty on when you want it to happen. I'll make sure to convince everyone how perfect the timing is."
"In two months?" he wondered.
"Two months?" She asked back
"Will that be enough to organize it all?"
"We can certainly make it happen," she smiled.
"Good. In two months then."
"Check your calendar and email me a date, is that all?"
"What do you know about her relationship with Mr. Shenanigans?" Jack blurted out, and Helen raised her eyebrow.
"Now I finally know where Ashley got that one!" Helen muttered, "I'm in no position to comment about it, General. You should ask her"
"She won't tell me a thing, besides I'm her CO, I'm not supposed to go around asking 'bout her private life."
"You are her friend, General. It isn't asking about your subordinates' private life. It is inquiring about your friend's happiness or lack of thereof," Helen pointed out.
"So, things aren't going well," he grinned.
"General, send me a time frame. Then make your side of the plan happen as I will with mine," Helen shook her head. "I need to get back to work."
"So, you are saying Shenanigans shouldn't be an issue," the Doctor shook her head amusedly.
"For a Brigadier General, you certainly have lots of self-doubts," she chuckled.
"As if for a two-hundred-year-old abnormal you don't," Jack grinned.
"There's that too," she agreed. "Let's say that you still have a chance; use it before it is too late," Helen said seriously. Jack frowned.
"No regrets, right?"
"Precisely."
"Thanks, Doctor. I appreciate this," he started to walk away, and Helen smiled softly at him.
"Oh, General?" she called him, and he turned around to face her. "Thank you for asking Nikola's permission to marry her. It meant the world to him."
"I suppose it was the least I could do, right?" he nodded. "If you are wondering, Doctor, I didn't ask you because you already have been pushing me towards her, so I believe you have my back on this," Jack confessed. Helen smiled.
"Yes, I suppose I do," she grinned. "Will you need help getting topside again?"
"I'll ask Ashley," he said, showing her the radio he had picked from the coffee table.
"Oh, I never got to thank you for that, General."
"For what?" he frowned, walking closer to her again.
"Her experience in SG-1. I know having to ask us to go rescue them was far from your cup of tea, but she was ecstatic when you agreed to her joining SG-1 on recon missions."
"Well, her skills are amazing for the work we do. Between her, Carter and Teal'c getting in and out of somewhere become a piece of cake. You know that, Doctor."
"I know it. Since we are being honest here, I shall confess I wasn't ready to know both my daughter's whereabouts included being somewhere around the galaxy, but it seems to make them both happy."
"I'm glad. Ashley is a good girl, and she deserves a chance to be happy," Helen smiled.
"Why do I have a sense of déjà vu?" Helen chuckled, remembering a time when she had said the same about him; Jack rolled his eyes. "Find me that time frame, General. And then, make sure you keep my other daughter as happy as she can be. That's an order."
"Yes, ma'am," he saluted, leaving the room and a very amused Helen behind.
"Jack," Will said, after almost tripping over him outside Helen's office.
"Will."
"Hum, Ashley is in the kitchen if you were looking for a way back," Will pointed.
"Awesome, see you on Thursday?" Jack asked.
"Sure! Same time?" Will asked. Jack nodded before they each went their way. "So? What are you two planning?" Will grinned entering Helen's office, pointing to the corridor. The Doctor's smile told him more than he expected, so he closed the door behind his back.
"Ah, the happiness of my daughter while he is alive," she grinned.
"So, he finally is at that point?" He asked, standing behind her chair and taking the chance to massage her shoulders.
"I thought you were friends?" She almost mewled.
"Yes, we are. But it doesn't mean Jack tells me all his little secrets," Will shrugged. "What about Pete?"
"What about him?"
"Hasn't Sam been here just yesterday to let you know he had proposed?" Will pointed out. Helen grimaced. She turned around her chair to find him smiling sheepishly at her. She rose, nodding towards the coffee area.
"Let's say I hope that a chance of a fulfilling life with her love will overweight her current need of settlement," she explained as she reached for the water heater and Will for the coffee maker.
"You don't like Pete," William stated, making her huff. She turned around, facing him.
"Well, apart from the time when he leered at me thinking I was Sam, I don't know the guy. He believes I'm her British cousin," Helen rolled her eyes while Will chuckled. "I know he has endangered himself and Samantha because he wanted to know what she does for a living, and at the end, he forced her hand to get knowledge of the Stargate Program."
"Well, that doesn't help his case."
"It's not only that, Will. He has followed Samantha several times, and I mentioned to you he has asked for a background check on her. He also admitted to having placed a tracking device on her car. So, please explain to me why I should root for what looks like a very toxic relationship with limited future, in which she will be hiding half of her identity?"
"Well," he attempted.
"Besides, why is she even considering that proposal is beyond me," she huffed.
"Well, I agree with you."
"You do?" Helen frowned.
"Yes, of course. The fact that Samantha didn't answer straight away is quite telling. It shows her head isn't in that relationship. Some guys can be completely oblivious."
"However?" Helen squinted at him.
"Sam's situation isn't the easiest one, and you know it. She doesn't only have a work that is top secret. She has a whole family she can't talk about, and you know that having to confess she is abnormal might even be part of what made her doubt." Helen hummed. "We all know if Sam does marry Pete, she will end up having to explain why she doesn't age, and that can be terrifying."
"Why do you have to be so good at your work?" she asked, crooking her head.
"Because you wouldn't have me here if I weren't?".
"Can I confess something?" Helen whispered, falling into his embrace. "It went through my mind to put on a wig and send him away, pretending to be her."
"Oh, Helen Magnus! You are terrible!" He chuckled and planted a kiss on her cheek. "I love you."
"I love you, William," she answered before she forgot all her worries while kissing him.
"So? Would you marry me if I asked?" Will asked as they prepared their drinks.
"I would, of course, I would," she said, surprising him.
"Huh? Really?"
"You seem utterly surprised," Helen frowned, looking at him
"I thought you didn't believe in marriages anymore," he shrugged.
"Yet, I'm the one pushing the General into one," she pointed out. "It's not that I don't believe in them. I came to realize I wouldn't fit in one."
"But you would marry me if I asked you?"
"William, by far, loving you is the easiest thing that I've ever done. If you need a ring on my finger and a piece of paper to tell whoever you want how much I love you, then, by all means, I'll do it."
"And if it is so we can stop being 'romantic partners' and start being husband and wife?" He asked seriously. She turned around, forgetting her tea and eyed him.
"Honestly, William, calling you my love is more than I've thought I would get to call you. It still amazes me every time I say it and every time you do. But then again, if that question came from you, I wouldn't doubt my answer."
"Then again, you did say yes to Jack the Ripper," he joked, making her snort.
"Seriously, William?"
"I know, poor timing," he shook his head. There was something in his eyes that made her wonder, she hummed.
"William, my love, you are not thinking about actually proposing to me. Are you?" She asked.
"You know what? You are right, Helen. Getting to hear you calling me 'my love' does feel exhilarating," he pecked her lips. " I'm not thinking about it; it was something that popped into my mind as we spoke."
"And you got curious if you would get a yes knowing where I stand on marriages?"
"Exactly," he blushed.
"You are so silly sometimes," she chuckled finally sipping her tea.
"Yup, your silly love," he winked at her and grabbed his mug.
"If you are thinking of kissing me, Doctor Zimmerman, you'd better do it before you drink that poison of yours," she grinned.
"Your wish is my command, my love," he said. Lowering his mug, he took her cup from her hand and placed it on the countertop next to his before they got lost in a passionate kiss, drinks forgotten.