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A BIG thank-you to Sara Loughlin for beta'ing!
Well, hope you enjoy this chapter!
A/N: Carter/ Colonel Carter: OUR Carter. Sam/Major Carter: Alternate Carter.
A/N: Time in the two realities are NOT the same!
Our reality.
Jack could hear his second-in-command laughing as he stepped off the elevator. He had obligingly dropped her off at Daniel's lab before heading to fetch her coffee. He stopped in the doorway of the archeologist's lab and shook his head fondly. "Geeks." He muttered handing Sam her coffee.
Daniel ignored him. "So what do you think?" He asked, looking at Sam.
"Ambitious... I mean- training others to study alien cultures... it's a big plan. A whole world dedicated to it, eh?"
"I mean… a school in which other archaeologists could work out from, go to planets and just study the cultures! I even found some planets that would be good sites for a workplace."
Jack shook his head with mock dismay. "Like we need more of you Space monkey."
"So... " Daniel prodded setting down his now cold cup of coffee. "What do you think?"
She smiled. "It's nice."
"So, Carter, when you and Danny boy hitting the road?"
Daniel looked up. "Jack, we just got all those new ruins from P2X-896, I was going to-"
"Daniel," Jack said sweetly. "You are going to go home."
The archeologist glanced at Sam. "I mean... sure."
Sam bit her lip. "Why can't I just... well... go to... your Carter's house?"
"Doc wants you to have a babysitter," Jack explained. "And-"
"Dr. Carmichael has just informed me that I am to watch over Major Carter until such time she returns to the base," A deep voice announced. "If it is agreeable."
Sam smiled. "I'd love to have you."
"Then it is settled. Shall we depart?"
She nodded and picked up her BDU jacket that lay on the back of the chair. "Then I'm ready. I just have to get changed."
Teal'c nodded his understanding and they exited the room together.
Å
Sam slowly changed into 'her' civilian clothing. It was almost scary- 'this' Sam had the exact same blouse and jeans she did.
Were they that much alike?
Her pocket suddenly vibrated and she automatically pulled it out, opened it, and said "Hello?"
"Hi Sam. This is Pete."
A small smile spread across her face. "Hello-"
She stopped suddenly, realization hitting her. This was Carter's Pete. Not hers.
Shi-
"Sam?"
Did this Pete know about the Stargate program? What did she say?
"Sam?"
How did you explain the fact that you weren't you?
"Sam, are you there? Answer me!"
Thus roused, she cleared her throat. "I'm here... can you hold on a second please?"
He agreed and she looked around for Teal'c. She had only taken a few steps towards the doorway when he appeared.
"Are you ready to depart?" He asked.
She took a deep breath. "Does Pete Shanahan know about Stargate program in this reality?"
Teal'c's expression instantly became darker. "The detective?"
"Yeah."
"Indeed."
She uncovered the phone. "Hi... sorry about that."
"That's okay... we still on for tonight?"
She bit her lip. "I can't make it Pete... I'm sorry."
"Why not?"
"Crisis at work. "
"What happened?"
"Alternate reality switching... the usual." She said nervously.
He laughed. "Tomorrow?"
"This might take a while Pete... I'll have Sam call you-"
"You are Sam!"
"I meant I'll call you when... I'm home."
"Okay then... I love you Sam."
She shot a quick look at Teal'c before mumbling something that might as passed as a 'ditto' before hanging up.
"I'm ready."
He gave her a nod. "Good."
Alt. reality.
The meeting in Carter's humble opinion was pretty useless.
The General had secured permission for her to stay in 'her' house for now, provided SGC personnel stayed with her until such time she had 'full' clearance. She had already known that, thanks to one good doctor, but she thanked him.
She aimlessly wandered into the control room and noticed with a start, that Lieutenant Simmons was there. Apparently in this reality as well as her own before his death, here he too had a crush on her as he turned a fiery red as he saw her.
"M-major Carter! It's good to s-see you up and around."
She, with difficulty, repressed a smile. "Hello, Lieutenant."
He turned a deeper shade of red (if that was possible) and excused himself. Sergeant Harriman gave her a small, welcoming smile. "Colonel Carter is it?"
She nodded. "Sergeant. It's good to see some things are the same."
He nodded. "It's good to see you looking okay. When they brought you home, you were unconscious and pale...' He stopped. "We thought we'd lost you."
Carter was touched by the shy admission. "It's good to be up and around."
"I... heard... that there was no mirror... on the planet."
She barely moved her head. "It appeared to have been moved."
"I'm sorry."
She nodded. "So am I... so am I."
After a bit more chitchat, she left and wandered around the base for a while before turning into the commissary. The normally bustling room was nearly empty. She checked her watch. It was only 11:00. She quickly went through the line, selecting various foods automatically. Plopping down at a table, she stared at the food.
"Are you all right?"
She looked up. "Teal'c... Hi."
He took a seat across from her. "Maj-" He caught himself. "Colonel Carter, are you all right?"
She nodded. "I'm fine."
He raised an eyebrow. "Can I assist you in anyway?"
"Gen-Colonel O'Neill asked you to talk to me, didn't he?"
His silence spoke all.
"I keep telling everyone I'm fine. One little crying spell and the whole base is worried. Didn't your Carter ever cry?"
"Indeed."
She sighed and looked at her tray. "Do you want it?" She asked pushing it over. "I'm not hungry."
"You must eat, Colonel Carter."
"I know," she mumbled. "I'm just not hungry."
Teal'c inclined his head. "Very well."
She fidgeted. "Need something?"
"No."
She slowly swallowed a bite of what the commissary laughingly called lasagna. "Just as bad as my Earth," She said with a grimace.
Teal'c smiled. "O'Malley's?"
"I can't go off base Teal'c- thanks though."
"Did not General Hammond say that you could leave provided that a member of the SGC accompanied you?"
She hesitated, trying to remember then nodded. "Yeah… yeah, he did."
"I will have O'Neill and Daniel Jackson meet us there, if that is all right?"
"Yeah, it's fine."
He inclined his head. "Shall we leave?"
She nodded. "Yeah, let's go."
I hope you liked it!
Just a reminder... this IS a Sam/Jack ship!
PLEASE review!