Sam's leg was still giving her trouble a few weeks later. She'd healed in every other way, but she couldn't seem to walk long distances without the limp returning.
"Sam, let's try a crutch. Maybe it'd give your leg the amount of support it needs."
She nodded. "At this point, I'm willing to try anything."
Jack nodded as he went out to find a suitable piece of wood. Meanwhile, she limped around the kitchen, trying to perfect her own cooking techniques. She didn't mind the mental stimulus provided by the guess and check system of cooking curriculum that she was experiencing. Of course, Jack's experiences with bread-baking had helped her in that department, and it had only taken her a couple of days to get the hang of it with his constant tutelage.
Now, she was venturing into the uncharted territories of stews and soups. Jack had begun setting traps for some of the small land animals around- rabbits, squirrels, and other Earth-like creatures.
They still hadn't resolved the issue of what they would call one another. It had been three months according to Jack's calculations, and Sam could tell that Jack's faith in a rescue was waning. Of course, every time she attempted to discuss their situation, he would simply try to assure her that there was a rescue attempt as they spoke, and that she was worrying for nothing. But he got a certain look in his eyes when he was unsure about something. It was there every time he mentioned a rescue now.
He walked into the house, carrying a sack of vegetables and a large stick. "I'll smooth it down so you can use it." He said, setting the vegetables down on the table. He pulled out his AF regulation knife and began cutting away at the wood. The tediousness of the task would have driven Sam crazy, but she could tell that Jack appreciated the simple art of woodworking.
"You look like you know what you're doing." She noted, cutting up some tomato-like fruit.
"My grandfather taught me how to whittle as a kid. Kept me outta trouble."
She raised her eyebrows in interest. "Really?"
"He and I were really close. My cabin in Minnesota was passed down to me from him when he died."
"Wow."
"You know, growing up in Chicago, I didn't really appreciate nature."
"You didn't?" She asked, somewhat surprised.
"No. It was the summers with my grandfather in Minnesota that really helped me appreciate all kinds of things about nature."
"Like fishing." She inferred.
"And hunting and hiking."
"Wow."
Jack smiled. "Yeah. He was great."
"Jack?"
He looked up. "Carter…"
"We need to talk about this." She reminded him.
"We're still in the same chain of command. It's sir and Carter."
"No."
"That's insubordination, Major."
"Listen, while we're trapped here, let's just be friends. We act like that most of the time anyway. Hell, we're practically living together while I recover."
Jack considered this for a moment. "All right. Fine. It's Jack and Sam."
She nodded. "Okay."
They lapsed back into silence. "So, what's for dinner?"
She smiled. "A surprise."
"Really?"
"Yep. I hope you like it."
"I'm sure I will."
She smiled as she continued cutting up the vegetables. "I'm sure you will too."
She put the tomatoes into a pot, boiling them and harvesting the juice. As she did so, she added some of the native spices.
"Is it spaghetti?"
"Later, Jack."
"Aw, come on. Just a little tiny, itsy-bitsy, teeny-weeny hint?" He asked, setting down the crutch and leaning over the table.
She chuckled. "It's driving you crazy, isn't it?"
"Hey, I never was one for surprises."
"Well, then, you'll have to learn to appreciate them."
"Why?"
She brought up the wooden spoon that she had stirred the sauce with and put it to her lips. "Because. I. Said. So."
"Aw, come on, Samantha. You know you want to tell me." He said with a puppy dog face.
She wished she could say that she was impervious to the charms of the puppy dog look, but alas, she caved. "I'm making pizza. It's a vegetarian. It won't taste exactly…"
"Then, I guess I'll have to find us some beer." He said, silencing her. He grinned as he walked out of the house.
She gritted her teeth. Now he knew that he could get her with that simple look. She was so weak!
--
Jack sat on the grass by the creek, thinking. Three and a half months on this planet and not a sign of a rescue. They had wasted the first two and a half months on creating their own way home, but once Carter had gotten sick…
Jack closed his eyes. He didn't know what he would have done if she had died. He probably would have gone crazy, living like a wild man. At whatever point there was a rescue, he would have been unrecognizable.
But Carter followed orders. Every last one of them. Even orders not to die.
"Jack!" She called.
He turned to see her standing outside the cottage, one hand on her crutch. It had helped her tremendously, both physically and emotionally. It had been hard for her to stay in the house. Within the first few days of getting the crutch, she began to visit the homes nearby to get other supplies.
He remembered the day that he had told her that he had dressed her in the clothes of the natives. It was easier to dress her in the skirt and top, and he had needed to easily access the wound.
"You what?"
"Carter, I was, in essence, your doctor!"
"That doesn't change anything. You still changed my clothes!"
"I didn't see anything!"
She rolled her eyes. "You're unbelievable."
"What? You needed help. That leg was so badly infected that I was afraid you would lose it. And sadly for us, we didn't have ol' Doc Fraiser to handle the…intimate details of the job."
Her blue eyes flashed with anger as she folded her arms and turned so that she wouldn't have to look at him.
"Carter…I…"
"Leave me alone."
He closed his eyes as he brought his hands up to cover them. As he let them return to his side, he let out the air trapped in his lungs and mouth. "Carter, I'm sorry. But there was no way in hell that I was going to let you die!"
There was no response and he walked out of the house, confused and somewhat angry.
"Jack!"
"Yeah?" He called back.
"Come inside! I have a surprise!"
He lifted up the three fish he had on a string. "Me too!"
He arrived back at her cottage five minutes later. "You know, we should really take advantage of this beautiful weather. I'll grill the fish and you bring your surprise. We'll have a picnic dinner."
"Okay." She agreed.
"Sam," He began.
"Yes?"
"I've been thinking."
"Getting tired of the charade?" She asked with a smile.
He took a breath while giving her his signature confused look.
"What have you been thinking about?" She asked, realizing that he didn't understand.
"Oh, you know, just stuff."
"Really?"
He chewed the flesh on the inside of his cheek. "I never really was one…I mean, I never really told you…"
"What, Jack?" She asked, concerned.
There was a long pause. "Sam, I never really told you how I would've felt if you had…not…"
"If I had died?" She finished, tenderly.
He took a step toward her, now only a foot away from her. "We're probably not going to be rescued…anytime soon, anyway…"
"You may certainly be right about that." She agreed. "We're probably already missing, presumed dead."
"Well, I was wondering…can we…consider this…picnic…our first…"
"Date?"
"You're right, it's stupid. I shouldn't have…"
She kissed him soundly, successfully interrupting him.
"That's…in-sub-ord-in…" He trailed off.
"I'm not hearing any complaints." She said before she continued kissing him.
He was practically catatonic when she released him from the kiss. "Hmmm?"
Sam smiled. "Grab the basket. It's all ready. I'll grab the blanket."
"Uh huh." Jack said, still waiting for something…more.
--
They reached a clearing not too far from the cottage where Jack set the picnic basket down and Sam handed him the blanket, which he spread out on the ground. They sat down and Sam reached for the basket. "Grilled fish for the entrée, a nice homegrown salad for the side dish, and…cake for dessert."
Jack looked up. "Cake?"
"Uh huh."
"Why?"
"For your birthday." She replied with a smile.
"It's my birthday?"
"Yep. It's August 14, by Earth's standards."
He looked genuinely surprised. "Really? Thanks for remembering."
She smiled, "Well, when you have the house to yourself, it's kind of easy to let things float into your mind. Your birthday was one of those things."
"So…this cake…"
"Is a spice cake…"
"Spice? Okay…let's see how this cake turned out." He said, reaching for the basket.
She tapped him lightly on the hand. "Not until after the fish and salad."
"Aw, come on, Sam. It's my birthday!"
"No!"
"Why not?"
"Didn't your mother ever tell you that dessert came after dinner?"
He shrugged. "I never really listened to my mother." He said, in a falsely innocent voice.
"Uh huh…after dinner."
He folded his arms, pouting. "Fine."
Sam giggled. Jack O'Neill was pouting! He was throwing a temper tantrum, just like her nephew, Jason, had done at the age of five.
"Would you stop acting like a five-year-old?"
"Why should I?"
"Because I don't give in to spoiled children…" She said, with a grin.
He instantly sat up and reached for a plate of fish. "Wait a minute, birthday boy. Make a wish." She said, a piece of cake on the plate in her hand.
He closed his eyes, and began to wish. He just wanted another one of those kisses.
As she watched him, she prepared a forkful of cake which she was prepared to feed him. That kiss had been liberating, and she had realized that the attraction wasn't only one-sided. Perhaps her wish from three and a half months ago was actually going to be fulfilled.
He opened his eyes and as he did so, she placed the morsel of cake into his mouth and he smiled. "It's good. You should try it."
She raised her eyebrows. "Really?"
He nodded, and reached for the fork. He took another bite, then kissed her. Yes, that cake was one of the best she had ever made.
--
Daniel, Teal'c, Colonel Makepeace, and Major Ferretti stood in the Gate Room, ready to embark on their next mission. "SG-1, you have a go!" General Hammond said to the four team members.
"All right. Let's go." Makepeace said to his new team. "Ferretti, you take point."
Ferretti walked through the event horizon.
"Jackson, Teal'c…you're next."
Daniel eyed the new commander, wearily, before stepping through the event horizon with Teal'c.
Makepeace looked up toward General Hammond and saluted before entering the event horizon himself.
Major General George Hammond watched the new team with a certain amount of anguish. This was the end of an era. SG-1 was their front-line team not just because of the quality of the people he had on the team, but also because of the bonds that those people had forged with one another. He could already tell that there was a certain amount of distrust between the two original members of SG-1 and their new commander.
They had no quarrel with Ferretti; he had worked with them both at the beginning of the command, and while they certainly didn't always see eye-to-eye, there was a mutual respect between them that was a consequence of the men working together, or rather fighting together, for their very lives.
But Makepeace on the other hand…well, he could be just as sardonic as Jack had been, but instead of the underlying respect that Jack had for both of his people, Makepeace had a certain…je ne sais quois. It was as if he feared them- he was understandably intimidated by Dr. Jackson's intellect, and Teal'c was not a man to toy with, but...while Jack had been somewhat intimidated by both, they had found value in their differences. Makepeace was still learning to do that.
He sighed and watched as the wormhole disengaged. He really wished that Sam and Jack were safe, and that they would be brought back to the SGC in due time. Of course, 'in due time' should have been three months ago, but…one could never really be picky. Just as long as they returned safely- hopefully back to the command, but…again, no one could ever really be picky. Especially with those two.
--
Sam awoke to feel the coolness of the breeze caressing her body. As she looked up to find the stars shining, she felt an arm slide across her waist, and she smiled. There were few places in the universe where one could make love in the moonlight, and a deserted planet was the best choice.
"Hey," She whispered, softly. Unsure of whether or not she really wanted to wake him up. His silvering hair reflected the moonlight, and she grinned. This was her man. One-hundred-percent. It was just the two of them on this beautiful planet. Like Adam and Eve.
She found immense pleasure in that thought.
"Hey." His deep voice replied as his grip on her waist tightened.
"Cold?" She asked.
"A little chilly, but who's complaining?"
"Not me."
His brown eyes looked into her blue ones before he nuzzled into his neck, caressing it with soft kisses. "You know, come to think of it, I think we could use a little more body heat."
"Your wish is my command, birthday boy." She said before complying to his request.
--
The next morning, she awoke without the comfort of Jack's arms around her. She sat up, looking around her. "Jack?"
There was no answer as she got up and reached for her crutch. She grabbed the blanket and folded it. Then, she placed it on top of the contents of the basket, and hung it on her arm. She walked the long, hard walk back toward the cottage, expecting to find Jack there. As she took each step, she struggled to keep the basket on her arm, and found it difficult not to think of times when walking- no, running- had been no strain. She had run six or seven miles without breaking a sweat before, but since her injury, she had barely been able to walk one or two without the pain becoming so excruciating that she had to stop.
She finally reached the cottage and walked inside, placing the basket onto the table. "Jack?"
Again there was no answer, and by now, she was getting worried. She shook her head, trying to shake the worries. "He's probably just fishing," she told herself.
She gritted her teeth at the thought of walking all the way down to the creek. It was frustrating for her to admit that she was, for all intents and purposes, disabled. Therefore, she was unable to walk some of the previously insignificant distances.
She looked out the door and down toward the creek. It was another few hundred yards to the creek. She tried to see if she could see Jack, but she couldn't. They hadn't explored many other areas around the town since they had been stranded there. They spent time at the crater left from the meteor that had buried the Stargate, the creek, the cottage, the town, and obviously the field just outside of town. Perhaps he had wanted to take some time away from her to think about things.
She sighed. She had become a burden. She was not as independent as she had been for her entire life, and now, when she needed someone the most, she had burdened the one person she would never have wanted to burden.
She sat in the chair by the window, longing to have some comfort. To talk to her dad, and have him tell her that she was still every bit as wonderful as she had been before her injury. But she had the sinking feeling that since she was no longer eligible for a military post, that even his judgment of her would change.
She let the tears roll down her cheeks softly. Last night had been so wonderful. She had felt so beautiful and feminine, but…she had failed to live up to his expectations. And now, he was gone.
--
Jack was sitting in the cavern, thinking about all of the things that had transpired in the last twenty-four hours. He had taken advantage of his second-in-command. And for that, he felt ashamed. She was his friend. But she was also the only other person on this planet with him.
That was no excuse for the way he had behaved. Even a teenager would have been more conscientious than he had been.
But for a few hours, as he held her, all seemed right in the world. There was no global or galactic conflict, the heavens were still aligned in the right space, and Samantha was in his arms. What could possibly have been better than that?
"A clear conscience." He whispered.
If they were ever rescued, they could potentially be tried for breaking Air Force fraternization regulations. As if the Stargate program wasn't under enough scrutiny. Then again, they would most likely live the rest of their lives out on Edora. Far from the enforcers of the regulations that he had allowed them to disregard. But Carter had said six months, and it had only been three and a half.
Only three and a half months. Of just him and Carter.
He pounded his fist against the rock wall. "Dammit!" He yelled. Why couldn't the Fates get at least one thing right? Why did they have to be in the same chain of command?
Suddenly, something occurred to him. She had resigned. She had very literally said: "I resign!"
Of course, she was delirious with fever when she said it, so…it wasn't a given that she still felt that way.
The throbbing in his hand began full force just then, and he closed his eyes. He just couldn't do anything right today, could he? From the fact that his hand felt like a pile of jello, he figured he had most likely broken a fistful of the bones in his hand. And with no infirmary and no Dr. Fraiser, that would be most likely debilitating. "Great." He sighed. As if they didn't have enough to worry about.
--
Makepeace, Teal'c, Ferretti, and Daniel ran through the Gate under heavy fire. "Close the iris!" Makepeace ordered.
"Do as he says." Hammond said to the Gate Technician as he walked into the Gate Room. "What happened?"
"Colonel Makepeace and the local leaders didn't get along too well." Daniel said, one eyebrow raised.
"May I ask why?"
"They wanted us to turn over our weapons." Makepeace said, confident that the General would understand.
"We were there to negotiate. There were no signs of any weapons on their end." An agitated Daniel replied.
"How can you be sure, Dr. Jackson?"
"We were taken to a room used for sorting grain…by hand." Daniel said. "It was the closest thing to a…negotiation hall that they had."
"Colonel, did you see any sign of danger?"
"One doesn't have to see any signs of danger to know that they're there." He replied.
"In the future, Colonel, I'd appreciate if you listened and gave more consideration to any advice that Dr. Jackson gives you."
"Sir, my job is to keep my team safe. If I am not allowed a weapon, I cannot complete my objective." Makepeace began.
"All I'm asking, Colonel, is that you give a little more credence to Dr. Jackson's suggestions." Hammond said, kindly.
"Yes, sir."
Daniel looked at Makepeace, in disbelief. "You nearly got us killed by refusing to give up your weapon. How does that accomplish your goal?"
"Dr. Jackson, that's enough." Hammond said, firmly.
"No, sir, I don't think so. Colonel Makepeace was not letting me do my job. Now, I was trying to initiate some diplomatic relations with the people of P4X 357. He was pushing me to include defense technologies in that agreement."
"That's part of our standing orders, Dr. Jackson." Makepeace said, clearly not seeing the point of the interrogation.
"He has a point, Dr. Jackson."
"Yes, but I'm fairly certain that our standing orders have no clauses that legalize illegal activity." Daniel said, eyeing the General.
"What are you trying to say?"
"Colonel Makepeace not only brought weapons to a negotiation with a new alien ally, but also stole some of their weapons technology."
Teal'c raised an eyebrow while General Hammond, Colonel Makepeace, and Major Ferretti looked stunned.
"I assume you can back up your charges with facts, Dr. Jackson." Makepeace challenged, one finger dangerously close to the trigger of his P-90.
"The Tok'ra approached me on our last mission to Vorash. They needed my help translating some Ancient symbols, and as I went over to the section of their base that contained their laboratory, I saw Colonel Makepeace speaking to someone over a goa'uld long-range communication device. I don't know how he got it, but I do know that these handheld devices are not standard US Air Force issue."
Hammond turned to Makepeace. "Is this true?"
"He must have gotten me confused with someone else."
"In an SG uniform?" Daniel challenged. "And maybe you can clear something else up for me. Jacob Carter stopped by. It appears that some of their tunnel crystals are missing. It happened shortly after I saw you speaking into that device. You mentioned the name 'Maybourne.'"
Makepeace moved his P-90 into its defensive position and began firing. He hit Daniel in the shoulder before the Gate Room began teeming with SFs who cocked and aimed their weapons at the irate Colonel.
"Colonel Makepeace, you're under arrest. Take him to a holding cell." General Hammond said with disgust.
"You don't know what you're doing." He said, derisively. "You think this is about making friends? This is about saving the planet, and none of you have the guts to do what needs to be done to do that."