I'm sorry it took this long, I promise you we (my beta and I) are doing our best to be as fast as we possibly can to bring this to you. Hopefully, you'll need to wait a little less for the next one. 😊
Enjoy!
M.
Chapter XLIX
April 25th, 2005
Underground Sanctuary
The previous day had been a nightmare; they had rushed from one emergency to the next and ended up having a Council meeting that lasted well into the night. Helen and Will got to bed way past midnight but were startled awake again around three and saddled with five hours of OR-time.
By the time they finally collapsed on the floor of the observation room, to keep an eye on their still sedated patient, Will's phone went off, scaring them a little. Will fought with his pocket for longer than he would if he wasn't so utterly tired. When he finally got the phone out, the notice on the screen said: 'staff meeting."
Helen looked at him knowingly, stood up, and helped him stand before they dragged themselves to her office.
"Oh, yes, coffee," Will said as soon as they entered her office, and the smell of a freshly made pot assaulted him.
"I made tea for you, mom," Ashley grinned. "And got food. We heard you got called in early."
"Thank you, darling," Helen said, as she gracefully flopped herself on the couch, ready to start the staff meeting. They waited until William was back in the sitting area to start it. Thankfully, it was quick and to the point. Still, she could not help but exchange tired side glances with Will, as he fought the urge to fall asleep on the couch, the tiredness he felt was way past being jolted by coffee.
"You should take a nap, Will," She whispered once everyone left, and only the two of them remained still sitting side by side on the couch. "Let me bring my laptop, and you can sleep with your head in my lap as we used to those first few days after your return."
"Don't tempt me, Helen," He sighed as her hand found the nape of his neck, and her fingers caressed him softly. "Besides, you should sleep too."
"I am tired, Will. However, I'm far from being at the same point you are. I will be able to function properly until we get to bed tonight."
"Mmkay," he agreed, missing her hands as she walked to her desk. Soon, Helen was back beside him, and he was placing his head on her lap, and everything else was forgotten.
Until a shrill noise, and his head slowly being moved to some very soft pillow, brought him back to the world of the living.
"Magnus," Helen picked up the phone. She saw Will sitting straight and rubbing his eyes tiredly before he walked towards her. "Hello?" she tried again, as no one spoke to her.
"Mom?" Helen's eyes widened in surprise. Sam rarely called her unless there was something very wrong going on, preferring to get to the Sanctuary with Ashley's help at any given time. Will reached her and noticing the shock; he chose to lean on her desk.
"Samantha? What a pleasure, is something the matter, dear?" Helen asked, and Will frowned.
"I need you," Sam said.
"Get me, Ashley," Helen said to Will, covering the mic of the phone. He nodded, walking away from the desk to radio Ashley without making much of background noise. "Samantha, are you at your home, or the base?"
"I am at the base," Sam confirmed. Then surprising them both at the same time, she added, "I could use a hug," in the lowest of the whispers.
"Samantha, close your lab door," Helen instructed as Will reached her side and whispered to her ear that Ashley was on her way. "I'll get Ashley to pick you up asap."
"Okay," She answered.
"I'll see you in a minute, Samantha. Whatever it is, we will fix it," Helen added as she lowered the phone.
Ashley entered the room. Noticing her mother's expression, she knew something was wrong.
"Where to?" She asked before she even tried to find out why.
"I need you to pick up your sister from her lab at the SGC," Helen said seriously, and Ashley's eyes widened.
"Is everything alright?" She said, feeling the worry growing inside her too.
"I won't know until she is here."
"I am on my way," Ashley said before she disappeared.
"I guess it will be one of those days, huh?" Will said, placing a tender kiss on her cheek. "I better give you some privacy. You know where to find me, right?"
"Always," Helen grinned as she watched him walk away. "Oh, and William?" she called, making him stop before he reached her door. "Do take a nap if you still feel tired, we might need you awake later."
"Will do," he smiled.
April 25th, 2005
SGC
"Sam?" Ashley called as she appeared inside her sister's lab, she was expecting alarms and people running from one place to the next. Or maybe even an injured Sam. But, no. She found Sam staring at her laptop screen, not seeing it.
"Sam?" she tried again and placed a hand over her shoulder.
That was an awful idea she learned right then, as her sister flopped her to the floor and pressed her knee hard to her chest. "Mom has been training you well," Ashley coughed, and Sam blinked, her brow furrowed deeply.
"Ashley? What are you doing here?" Sam asked, looking at her sister in confusion.
"I thought mom told you I was coming?" Ashley frowned, she had never seen Sam so distracted before. The frown hadn't left her, not even when she had helped her stand.
"Ah, yes. Sorry, I'm a bit distracted," Sam smiled.
"No kidding," Ashley grinned, patting her clothes back in place. "So, are you ready to go?"
"I," Sam said.
"Do you want me to excuse you with mom? I can always say something else came up, and you couldn't come with me," Ashley offered.
Sam considered it for a while, then shook her head. She was feeling horrible about the decision she had just made, even if it felt like a good idea at the time.
"Sam?"
Sam knew her mother would say whatever was on her mind, and she was kind of hoping she would. After all, it was far from the first time they had touched the subject she needed to approach. She sighed and looked at Ashley.
"Take me to her," Sam said.
"Your wish is my command," Ashley said, teleporting them both back to the Sanctuary.
April 25th, 2005
Underground Sanctuary
Helen was too worried to stay still. She couldn't bring herself to focus even to answer one of the hundreds of emails that plagued her inbox.
"What is taking her this long?" Helen muttered to herself and chewed her lower lip.
She opted for pacing from her desk to the door and back, when Ashley finally teleported inside her office, bringing Sam along.
"Finally!" Helen exclaimed, and with long fast strides, she took the steps separating her from her daughters. "Samantha," she opened her arms, noticing the worried and sad look Sam was carrying and was not surprised when Sam collapsed against her.
"What is going on, Samantha? Is everything okay? Are you hurt? All your friends are safe? Your dad? Your brother?" Helen's questions barreled out of her in a soft worried tone that only managed to make Sam more uncomfortable with the situation.
Sam knew she was acting childish. She was worrying them over something so dumb that she could not even put it into words.
After she had said yes to Pete and he had left, the adrenaline rush had started to wear off. When he was no longer there by her side, all smiles and soft feelings, and she was finally alone in her lab, she started to feel the weight of her choice.
Now, wrapped in her mothers' arms, she let out a quiet sob.
"Shh, everything will be alright," Helen cooed, even if she had no idea what was going on in Samantha's mind. Close to them, Ashley was watching them, even more at a loss than Helen. Still, Sam considered her mother's words might be accurate. If only she had not….
"I accepted Pete's proposal," Sam let out, taking a step back. She needed to see her mother's expression, and she was ready for the words that would follow — waiting for the firm opinion of Helen Magnus about how a daughter of hers should not settle. However, Helen just frowned, tilted her head, and looked at her as she somehow had not heard her.
"Can you say that again?" Helen asked, bringing herself out of the shock. That was not something she had envisioned in the many worst-case scenarios that her mind had provided as she waited for them. Not when Sam was reacting to being engaged as if she had killed her pet accidentally.
"I answered Pete's proposal. I said yes," Sam said again, this time slow and clearly.
A million thoughts passed through Helen's mind. Helen had mentioned to Will how much she disliked the cop; she had talked with Ashley about Pete's annoying habits of following Sam. She had even talked to Samantha, trying to warn her somehow that Pete was not the man she needed. However, she also knew Samantha was as stubborn as any child of hers could be, and adding Nikola's genes, that could be out of charts.
"Wait, you did what?" Ashley asked in dismay, seeing that her mother was not reacting to the news. Sam turned towards Ashley, looking at her sister, questioning her decision. Something that Sam needed to happen mostly to understand that sometimes she could be dumb and screw things up too.
"I," Sam started but shook her head. Her mind filling with images of how Jack would look at her when she told him about her decision, and mental pictures of Pete's happy face as she said yes.
"When did this happen?" Ashley asked.
"A bit earlier," Sam managed to answer, still hoping that her sister would let out a string of curses that would make her grasp just how wrong she was. However, they did not come.
Behind Sam, Helen was trying to reign herself in. Magnus had promised she would not weight on Sam's decision, no matter how wrong she thought it was. Still, keeping her own opinion of Pete inside was proving harder than she thought it would. Especially now that Sam seemed to have reached her decision.
"You said yes to Pete," Ashley let out. For some reason, Sam felt there was a question in those words. So, she nodded in agreement. "A bit earlier?"
"Yes, an hour or two ago," Sam frowned.
"And you were at the base instead of with him?" Ashley continued her line of questioning, trying to piece together how exactly what Sam was telling them fitted in with the state she found her in.
"Yes, I needed to complete paperwork," she huffed, embracing herself and starting to feel anger at the situation.
"Paperwork?" Helen asked, managing to react.
"Yeah, I told you the police were trying to frame Teal'c for murdering his neighbor's boyfriend and kidnapping her."
"Yes. You mentioned you asked for Pete's help since he is a police officer."
"Well, we found Teal'c, but Daniel ended up kidnapped. We found they had him at a warehouse on the outskirts of town. Pete offered to help me, and since he has clearance, I didn't see any issue with it. We found Daniel and Teal'c's neighbor unconscious in that warehouse, surrounded by several computers and different pieces of technology."
"I don't think I understand how everything you've said until now relates," Ashley sighed.
"We were at the warehouse; I needed to stay to see that everything was dismantled and sent to the SGC. There were two SG teams, Daniel, Pete, and I. Daniel had just woken up," Sam stopped herself, as she remembered the face Daniel did when she rushed to him, followed by Pete. She shook her head to clear the image and waved in dismissal. "Anyhow, we were there, waiting, and Pete was looking at me and everything so in awe that I just said yes."
"Dear lord," Helen said, and Sam turned to watch her. She did not know for sure what she wanted to hear from her mom at this point. All Sam knew was that she was feeling confused. "Do you think you said yes out of gratitude?" Helen asked, almost biting her tongue, to not say that she knew that was what had happened. However, that also seemed to touch a nerve. Sam's stance changed to a passive-aggressive one, and Helen figured that, at that point, anything she could say about how wrong she thought Sam was, would be taken poorly.
"No! I said yes, because I wanted to say yes!" Sam lashed out. "What is wrong with you both? You are always talking about supporting my choice, whatever it is, and now, where is all that support? I thought you wanted me to be happy! For crying out loud!"
"Samantha, we do want you to be happy," Helen stopped herself not quite knowing how to put her thoughts into words that would not end up doing more damage than good.
"Sorry, Sam, but this came a bit out of the blue," Ashley said. "I mean, we all here know or thought you were head over heels with Jack. We like Jack. So, we were all trying to understand why you were even considering Pete's proposal. And now…" she shook her head.
"I know you have been thinking about this since he presented you that damned ring, but have you stopped to consider if you want him to know that you are abnormal? If you want him to know about this part of your life where your mom is over two hundred years old, your dad is over a hundred, and your sister can teleport out of her sheer will?"
"Ashley," Helen warned. "That is enough."
"But, mom," Ashley frowned.
"Are you at peace with your choice, Samantha?" Helen asked, knowing Sam was feeling a need to backtrack on her answer to Pete. However, that question was not something Sam was expecting to hear. She frowned and looked at Helen.
Something told Sam that Helen was trying hard to remain neutral by asking her that question. She could lie, say she did not have mixed feelings, that it wasn't Jack who she saw when she said yes.
"I suppose I am," Sam sighed, not even half-true, and she knew it. They all knew it.
"Do you think he will make you happy?" Magnus asked, trying to assess what was going on in her tormented mind.
"What kind of question is that? How do you know if someone will make you happy? Happiness is a very subjective feeling!" Sam blurted out, unable to stop herself from answering in that fashion. Helen knew right then that the answer Sam was not giving was somewhere between 'perhaps at best' and 'I hope so,' but she doubted it too much even to be able to word it out loud.
"Well, I hope you have made the right choice, Samantha. I will be happy for you if you are," Helen said honestly.
"What? Mom?" Ashley started.
"It is her life, Ashley. Her choice, we cannot but support her," Helen smiled. Ashley squinted at her mom and wondered not for the first time in her life if her mom had a plan, she was not made aware of. Trusting in her mother's judgment, Ashley sighed.
"Yeah, sis. I don't know how you are going to deal with the abnormal part of your life, but, as mom said, if he makes you happy, I'm also happy," Ashley finished, mumbling.
"Thanks," Sam said, not quite smiling.
"Samantha, there is one thing nagging me. It has been eight years since you met General O'Neill. We know how you feel about him, and not even once have you breached the rules of work. Why out of the blue, you answer a personal question in a work environment?"
"I felt I should?" Sam flinched, noticing exactly how out of character her answer to Pete was, but she had done it, and she could not take it back now, could she?
"Does anyone else know that you are finally engaged?" Ashley asked.
"Not really. Between the time I accepted and called you, I was too busy moving and cataloging things, and then when I finished the paperwork I… well, called mom." Helen sighed.
"You should find the time to let them know, Samantha," Helen said, trying not to sound ominous. "We should return you to the base before someone notices your absence."
"Yeah, I guess it is time," Sam shrugged, feeling even more confused now than when she had first called in, in desperate need of a hug.
"Samantha, are you alright?" Helen asked, noticing that although she was trying to present herself as someone who had made a choice she wanted, it was creating chaos in her mind.
"I could ask you the same question, mom," Sam diverted the question seeing how tired her mother looked that day.
"Long day, short night, early busy morning," Helen shrugged. "Then again, I asked first."
"Why wouldn't I? I'm getting married," Sam smiled, but the happiness she tried to convey never reached her eyes.
"It seems you are," Helen said, and once more, she opened her arms.
Sam doubted for a bit; she was not a child who needed mommy's embrace to fix everything. She had been without a mother during times when she needed one. Still, if she was honest, whenever Helen embraced her, she felt safe and loved. So, whenever her mom opened her arms, Sam willingly walked into them, this time was not an exception. Helen tightened her embrace and placed a kiss on her hair. "Congratulations, darling," Helen whispered, and Sam gulped.
Somehow those two words whispered in all honesty, made her decision all too real. Helen caressed her back softly, trying to give her some reassurance. And at the same time, trying to convince herself that it was a phase, and Sam was going to notice how wrong this was before it was too late.
"I should go," Sam whispered and took a step away from Helen.
"I will see you next week?" Helen asked, and Sam nodded. Then, Ashley completed the steps that separated her from Sam and teleported her back to the lab. Once both girls where gone, Helen reluctantly walked out of her office.
"What is wrong?" Will asked the moment he saw her standing against his doorframe. She sighed, and he nodded towards the couch.
"I knew I should have scared the guy away," Helen muttered, closing the door behind her. "I knew I should have bought that wig and send him packing, hoping he would not try to contact her again. I should have tried, at least. I should have sent him a nicely wrapped cillobar spore. His DNA would be all gone by now, and there would be no turning back," she continued as she paced.
"Helen?" Will tried to gain her attention, but it didn't work.
"Oh, but then I would end up having to care for him! No, my plan to invite him here and trip him into Afra's containment cell was also good," she stopped for a second as if she was considering her words. "Then again, all the paperwork and the explanations to the council as to how someone tripped inside a fire elemental containment cell…"
"Helen?" Will asked again, a bit louder, and got closer to her. However, she was pacing faster than he calculated, and he missed her by a few steps.
"A pradophili! He would blissfully find himself in a forever dream state, and we would not need to care for him! He would end up in a medical facility topside, and we would all be free! Why didn't I think of that sooner?"
"Helen!?" Will finally screamed, pushing himself into her path. As a result, they both ended up sprawled on the floor. "Ouch," he said, having connected bum first, and only getting a confused expression from Helen, who had landed right on top of him. "Are you going to tell me what is going on, Helen?" Will asked as they both sat on the floor. She lowered her eyes, embraced her legs tightly as he placed a strand of hair behind her ear.
"Samantha said yes to that … that… cop!" Helen hissed, scrunching up her nose in disgust. Will sat there, stunned.
"Please tell me you did not say all you just said to me to her?" He asked in worry. Helen looked at him with a raised eyebrow, and he raised his hands in surrender. "Of course, you didn't."
"Of course not!" Helen rolled her eyes at him. "I told her that I am happy if she is happy."
"Okay, with that out of the way," Will said. "What were you saying about that, pradophili?" he asked seriously. Helen looked at him and then she burst out laughing.
"Oh, Dear God, William! That is one of the many reasons why I love you!" She said, and then they both started laughing at the silliness of the situation.
"Are you done venting?" He asked once they managed to contain their laughs and were finally seated on the couch in Will's office.
"A bit childish on my part," Helen said. "But yes, I'm done."
"When will you talk to her?" Will asked seriously. She sighed.
"I want the waters to calm down a bit before I try. I know that she is not quite sure if she is doing something right or not. If I talk to her now, I will be bringing her obstinate side out. Besides, I'm quite certain the cop will go out of his way to please her now that she has said yes."
April 29th, 2005
Janet's house.
It had taken Sam two days to come to terms with the fact that she had said yes to Pete. Something about the support of her family was reassuring, disturbing, and utterly annoying. While they all claimed to know she didn't love Pete, they said they liked Jack.
Now, the previous night, Sam had gone for dinner at the Sanctuary, and she was not even paying attention to the conversation happening at the table. However, when the words 'it's up to you, we will support your choice,' came out of her mother's mouth, Sam had felt her blood boil, and she lashed out at her.
The utterly surprised, and at the same time, knowing looks Sam got from the people at the table, made her realize they were not even talking about her. Still, she had started, and for some reason, she could not stop herself until she ended up teleported back home. Ashley had growled to her as they stood in the middle of her living room, her soft eyes transforming into black pools for a second before she slapped Sam in the back of her head and disappeared back home.
Mulling over her actions of the previous night, Sam decided she needed another perspective, and she knew she should go to her friends. And so, she did.
A stunned silence, along with a veiled disappointment, was what she got from the two Fraisers' after she let out her confession. Janet, who was seated beside her, had let herself fall against the back of the couch, while Cassie, who joined them via video call, made her laptop jump a bit as her head collided with her desk, both silently waiting for Sam to say she was joking.
"Please say something?" Sam asked.
"I... Does Uncle Jack know?" Cassie's voice came thought the speakers of Sam's laptop. Sam flinched.
"I haven't told him or the guys. I will," she trailed off, 'when I work up the courage to do it,' she thought.
"Make sure he is sitting," was all that Cassie could come up with, she was too shocked. But her Aunt Sam had been a source of support during any major fight she had had with her mom, so supporting her seemed the right thing to do. "I'm happy if he makes you happy, Aunt Sam," she said. "I need to go. I'm late!" Cassie shrieked and hung up the call.
"What about you, Janet?" Sam turned her face away from the computer and towards her very shocked friend.
"I think we need wine," Janet said, standing up and walking to the kitchen. Sam rubbed her face, feeling drained before she followed her friend.
"Talk to me, Janet."
"Well, what do you want me to say, Sam?" Janet frowned, picking up two wine glasses from her countertop. "I'm happy if you are."
"Somehow, I'm starting to hate that phrase," Sam huffed. "Tell me the truth? What do you really think about it?" Janet opened her mouth, then she closed it again, and concentrated on opening the wine and pouring them two glasses.
"I'm surprised. I'm confused. I'm annoyed. I'm hurt," Janet said, taking time between each of her statements. Then, she looked at Sam. "It's weird, Sam. We've spent so many nights during so many years talking about Jack and how stupid the regulations are! And now, you seem to have forgotten all about him."
"It's not like that," Sam started, but she was not sure where to start, or what she wanted to say.
"Don't, Sam. You asked me to be honest, and I can tell you truly that I'm happy when you are. Don't flinch at it," Janet grinned. "I, I think I understand where this comes from too."
"You do?" Sam frowned. This time she was the one confused.
"Yeah, you are a woman, Sam. And you have been pinning over your boss since you met him. You know you can't have him without having to ask him to retire, which means he will lose a part of what he loves the most in his life. Alternatively, you retire, which will also mean you will lose something you love. It's an impossible choice."
"And then, along comes Pete. He is nice, kind, and brings you flowers for crying out loud! Every time he can. Who wouldn't fall for that?"
"So, you aren't mad at me?" Sam frowned.
"No, I can't be mad at you for wanting a life. I mean, even Jack was always joking about how much you should get one. Now you got one."
'Then why do I feel so bad?' Sam thought.
"Congratulations, Sam," Janet said and raised her glass. As she gulped her wine, Sam once more thought that her choice was all kinds of wrong.
April 30th, 2005
San Diego
From behind the dark-tinted windows of her vehicle, she looked at the house in front of her and squared her shoulders. She could do this. There was nothing wrong with going there, ringing the bell and trying to talk with him. She looked at the folder that was currently sitting on the passenger seat of the SUV she was driving and frowned.
All she knew about Mark Carter, and his family, lay inside the brown covers of that file. He was her daughter's only brother. No matter how much Sam had said, 'she understood Beth and her reasons,' Helen saw how sad she looked after visiting him. She was not willing to allow her daughter to get married without her only brother there with his family to support her.
Helen gave one last glance to the picture of the quaint little house before she shoved it back to the folder and secured it in the safe they had built to the glove compartment. With one last glance at the home, she got out of the car.
The sound of her door closing contrasted somewhat eerily with the sounds of children laughing, and Helen couldn't help but smile. She had always loved children's laughter; she found it so pure and untainted of the many layers of worries of an adult. Magnus continued walking around her car and into the pathway to the door with confident strides. She pressed the bell and waited until a woman opened the door for her.
In her 275 years of life, Helen had been on the receiving end of a myriad of different looks, but the stare the woman was giving her was not something she often saw anymore. Hate, anger, envy, all mixed up together in the woman's eyes, which only grew wider as she observed Magnus from head to toes and then back. Helen remained still exuding quiet confidence. With the Magnus smile plastered on her face, Helen tried to pretend she wasn't thinking about throttling the woman for looking at her in such a manner.
Then the woman gasped, looking at Helen's eyes wide and surprised. Helen realized then all those bottled feelings were directed towards her daughter.
"Bethany Carter?" Helen asked, knowing well it was her. The woman nodded, "Is Mark Carter home?"
"Y-yes?" Beth blinked and shook her head, her expression changing to one of confusion.
"It is the accent, isn't it?" Helen joked, to see if that made the woman react. However, Beth only shook her head and opened the door.
"Come on in," Beth whispered, pointing Helen towards the living room. Magnus smiled, entering the open space, almost making a beeline for the pictures displayed on the mantle. Looking at the images of the Carter kids, it was easy to see why no one had questioned Sam's looks before. "Mark! Living room! Now!" Beth shouted, making Helen cringe inwardly.
"What?" Mark said, entering the open space, and soon he stood shocked, watching a brunette Sam smiling at him. "Oh, I guess you must be the sister Sam mentioned the last time I saw her."
"Sister?" Beth asked, confused.
"Yes. Mark's parents adopted Samantha after someone kidnapped her from her home," Helen explained.
"I'm Mark," he said, noticing he had not introduced himself. He offered his hand smiling, Helen shook it.
"Helen," she said after a short while.
With Will's help, Helen had presented Mark's case to the Council, and they, for once, had let it to her better judgment to decide whether she was going to be 'Magnus,' 'Bancroft' or one of her many other aliases for Samantha's brother. However, Mark never asked, and Magnus was happy not to disclose anymore. "I am not Samantha's sister, but we are related, as you might have guessed from the way I look."
"Yeah, quite a doppelganger," Beth said.
"Is she okay?" Mark frowned. "I mean, we don't know anything about you, and we last heard of her almost half a year ago."
"Yes, she mentioned it on New Year's Eve dinner," Helen nodded. "I am sorry to bother you on this fine day, but I am here with a purpose."
"Oh?"
"Samantha is getting married," Helen said.
"Yes, Pete called to let me know she said yes," Mark grinned. Magnus fought a flinch and hoped she did not look surprised to his eyes. She wanted them at Samantha's wedding. However, Pete was not the husband in her mind. "Boy, was he happy!"
"Samantha is, what you Americans' say, 'a good catch,'" Helen said.
"So, how are you two related?" Beth asked.
"Ah, it is not of relevance. As I've said, I've come here with a purpose, that purpose is getting you and your family to her wedding. I'm aware you are not currently on the best of terms with her. However, I also know she would like you to be there to share her happiness."
"We will think about it," Beth said.
"Pete didn't say they set a date. We can't promise to be there if we don't know when or where it is."
"Yes. Well, I was not sure you would be going even if you knew when or where it is. Thus, here I am. Before you say anything else, this is what I'm offering: I will fly you and your family to Colorado and back, or to wherever the wedding is. If you need something new to wear, I'll arrange for someone to take you shopping. Accommodations and transport will also be provided, and of course, this is all free of charge. The main motivation is to have you, all of you, there."
"That is," Beth said in awe.
"A very generous offer, ma'am, but," Mark said.
"Please do not continue, I do not need an answer now," Helen stopped him, and produced a card from the front pocket of her jacket. "When everything is more… organized, and the event itself is confirmed, call this number. That is my partner's card; he will be of great assistance to you, either if you decide to join or not," she smiled, passing him one of Will's cards.
"Okay?" Mark said, a hint of doubt on his voice.
"There is only one other thing, a request," Helen said.
"I knew it; it was too good to be true," Beth shook her head in disbelief.
"I request that when Samantha calls you to tell you the news, you do not mention my visit nor my offer."
"Why?" Beth frowned.
"She does not know I am here," Helen's phone rang once, and she took it out. She read the message and frowned for a second before she looked up again. "I'll better leave you both to enjoy your day. I'll show myself out," she said, walking towards the front door.
"Ma'am," Mark called, stopping her from reaching the SUV. She turned around as he jogged towards her. "Is she learning to play the cello?" he asked, and Helen smiled softly.
"Yes. She is a natural."
"Great, that's great."
"Indeed, have a nice day, Mark Carter."
"So, did you figure out how is she related to Sam?" Beth asked once Mark entered the house, feeling a bit lighter.
"No. But Sam did mention her mother's name was Helen," Mark mumbled.
"Mark, you are working too hard, that woman couldn't be Sam's mother! She is too young!"
April 30th, 2005
Underground Sanctuary
Will was surprised when an entryway alert popped up on his screen. 'Samantha Carter, Colorado Springs entryway,' the message flashed. Will marked it as an approved entry, and as soon as he did, Ashley popped up in his office.
"Hey, I know mom is not here. I'm not sure why she didn't call me?"
"Call? Sam or Helen?" Will asked a bit confused.
"Sam, duh! You know mom took an SUV out to the San Diego entryway," Ashley grinned.
"Go pick her up, Ash."
"Maybe she comes to apologize?" Ashley shrugged.
"Well, we won't know until she is here, right?"
"Rrright, I'll bring her here… since mom is not here and all."
"Good thing I have nothing scheduled," he said, raising his eyes only to notice he was alone. But he only needed to stand up to start a new pot of coffee before the sound of Ashley clearing her throat made him turn around to find Helen's daughters in his office, looking highly uncomfortable with each other.
"Sam, hey! How are you?" Will greeted.
"Good? Where is my mom?" Sam inquired.
"I'm out," Ashley said. "I need to help Henry with something," she lamely excused herself. Under Will's soft gaze, Sam sighed and plopped herself on the nearest couch.
"Ah, Helen had an errand she could not postpone. She should be back soon," he grinned, knowing that after receiving the alert about Sam entering the Sanctuary, she would rush back. "Maybe we could talk for a while? Coffee?" He offered, and she nodded, he wasn't sure to which one, but he continued nonetheless also pouring a mug for her.
"Look, Sam, I know I am far from a close friend to you, and even further away from being a parental figure, but I am here, at the Sanctuary, because Helen believes I am a good psychologist. I know what she told me about the situation, and I kinda understand why you reacted that way," he passed her the mug and lowered his before sitting down in front of her.
"You mean to tell me you understand why I threw out a screaming fit in the middle of dinner when the conversation was not even about me?" She snorted.
"Yes. I'm an outsider, Sam. So, it's easier for me to understand what you might be going through."
"Then, please explain it to me, because I really can't," she huffed. "I'm constantly thinking things over, and I can't seem to understand where I stand."
"Overthinking is a Magnus trait," he grinned. "Look, sometimes we want so badly to be happy than we lose sight of what being happy entails. Take some time to find out what it means to you, and then go and grab it, trust me, it is for the best. You might live a very long life like your parents, but that doesn't mean the rest of the world can. I mean it, your mom is 236 years my senior, and she most likely will survive me. I know when I'm gone, she will remember me and won't regret it."
"But what if I don't know if I'm regretting it or not?" Sam huffed. "Why feelings are so damn complex?"
"You can rationalize feelings all you want, Sam. The thing is, doing it or not, it won't stop you from actually feeling them. I know, I've been there. Now, the other piece of information I can give you is that Helen is straining herself not to influence your choice. People will do that out of love; you might not even understand why they do it. There might not be a reason, but they will do it. They will be honestly happy with your life, even if you are struggling to grasp that concept. I sure had that issue not so long ago."
"So, you are saying I'm not happy, but they are still happy for me?"
"Risking making you jump out of anger or throw that coffee at me, I'm saying they are and will be honestly happy if you are. The issue is, are you?" Sam opened her mouth to speak, but nothing came out. "I don't need an answer, but you do need to find out."
"Thanks, Will. I think," Sam said, taking a sip of her coffee. "This is actually good," she said. His tablet buzzed with another alert then, and he walked to it. 'Helen Magnus, San Diego entryway.'
"Ah, your mother is on her way in, you might want to go to her office."
"There won't be a need. William, Samantha. Thank you, Ashley, can you be a dear and bring the SUV to the garage?" Helen's voice made them both turn around.
"Sure, mom," Ashley added before disappearing. Will grinned as Helen walked towards him, pecked his cheek, and then hesitated about doing the same with Sam.
"I hope Will was welcoming?" She said finally, deciding that sitting next to Will was the best for now.
"Very much so," Sam said before the uncomfortable silence fell. Will shook his head, kissed Helen's cheek, and stood up.
"Sam, it was a pleasure talking to you. Helen, I'll be at the library if you need me. Oh, please keep in mind that you both suck at feelings," he said, and then walked away.
"I…" they both started after some seconds ticked by. Helen closed her eyes, and Sam huffed. Once, she opened her eyes, Helen noticed how uncomfortable her daughter was.
"William is correct; I am not very good at talking about feelings, Samantha. He has helped me greatly on that front, so much that I can say to you that your words hurt. I understand where they came from, and I forgive you. However, you must understand that I will do things you will not like, and I will support you even if you do things I do not like. Because I love you."
"I think I'm not used to people having my back," Sam confessed. Helen frowned. "I mean, after my mom passed away, I had little to no support from my family. I had support from my instructors at the academy, but I didn't have any friends. It's hard to keep friends when they hate you because you are smart. Then, I had colleagues and many scientists that would kill for my position."
"What about your team? Your friends? You seem quite close to them," Helen wondered.
"That's the point, mom. I never asked for their support before, even if I know they have my back."
"How come? You've been working together for years," Helen pointed.
"Yeah, work. I talked with Janet about my frustrations when I found out I was adopted; I mentioned it to the guys too. The thing is we don't do private talks if we can avoid them. Is that weird? I mean, they are my friends."
"They love you, Samantha, and they respect you. I'm quite sure they know when to push and when to pull. Most likely, you did not see how much they do support you until now. Have you told them?" Helen asked.
"I told Janet and Cassie, the guys don't know yet."
"And I take they took it well enough?"
"Surprisingly well, actually."
"Risking sounding a bit repetitive: They love you, Samantha. We all do," Helen affirmed again, hoping this time her words would get through whatever fog was in Sam's mind. "Now, may I interest you in a hug?" Helen offered with a smile. "I have heard a mother's hug can fix many aches." Sam nodded, and albeit unsure, she moved to the offered hug. "I love you, Samantha. I have loved you your whole life," Helen whispered as she traced soothing circles on her daughter's back.
"I'm sorry, mom. I'm sorry I yelled at you."
"Don't be, I am sure it will not be the last time," Helen grinned. "Now that things seem solved, for now, how about a big bowl of ice cream and a movie?"