Hey!
Thank you VERY much for reviewing!
Many thanks to Sara Loughlin for beta'ing!
One last thing... remember, please, our Carter doesn't really know this Jack...
Sorry for taking so long to update, and I hope you like it!
Our reality.
Sam yawned and rolled over to look at her alarm clock. "Time to get up," She said softly.
Her cell phone rang. She checked the caller ID- it was her CO. She placed it on speaker and set it on her nightstand.
"Hi, sir."
"Morning, Carter. Ready for a mission?"
She stifled a yawn. "What?"
"SG-3 is all sick- the flu. SG-1 gets their mission."
"You're at the SGC?" She asked, pulling a baby blue shirt over her head.
"Yeah... Walter called and said that someone kept knocking on the door. I show up and they go away."
"I have clearance to go off world?"
"Got it this morning. You up for it?"
Her lips curved into a smile. "I'll be there in 15 minutes, sir."
Å
Sam was halfway out the door when she remembered her 'appointment' with Cassandra. She checked her watch... 8:00...
She pulled out 'her' cell phone and checked the address book. Sure enough, a Cassandra Fraiser was listed. She dialed the number and waited impatiently for the young adult to answer her phone.
"'ello?" A grumpy voice asked.
"Cassandra, it's me- Sam."
The person yawned. "Hey, Sam... what's up?"
"Um... well... you see..."
Cassie sighed. "You're going off world and you'll be late... right?"
Sam winced. "Yeah."
"We'll make it a dinner date... I still want to go shopping though."
"Okay. We will," Sam promised.
"'Kay... bye."
Sam closed the door behind her and hurried out to her car.
Alternate Reality.
"Wait!"
With great effort, the two separated, both breathing hard.
"What is it?" Jack asked.
The Colonel shakily sat up. "Wh-what happened, sir?" Without waiting for an answer, she rattled on. "What were we thinking? You're not even my Jack-"
Jack held up his hand. "Carter..." He half groaned. "Did you have to ruin it?"
"I..."
He cupped her face. "Do you love him? The cop, I mean?"
She sniffed and shook her head. "No," She whispered.
Everything in her screamed for her to send it home, to pretend this never happened...
Before she knew it, she was kissing him back.
Å
Carter thought she heard a slight noise but was unable to pull herself away from her CO. God, he was a good kisser...
"Sam? Wh-what-y-you... NO!"
The two released each other to see Pete Shanahan with a look of anguish on his face, pulling the front door closed.
Carter was on her feet seconds later. "PETE!" She screamed, pushing the door open. "Pete!"
The cop didn't look at her as he started his car and pulled away.
"PETE!"
She turned around to see Jack in the doorway, bewilderment on his face.
"He's... gone..." She whispered.
Anger flashed across his face and he turned towards his car. He was halfway there when she blocked his path.
"What on Earth do you think you're doing?"
He snorted. "Leaving you alone so you could go make up with that cop!"
"I don't want to make up with the cop! I was just going after him to explain!"
"Explain what?" He hissed. "Why you were kissing your commanding officer?"
"No, to explain I wasn't his Sam just like you aren't my Jack! Don't you get it? I don't know you!"
"You know the other me!"
"You are not the same! So many things have happened on my world that haven't happened here!" She stopped and took a deep breath. "I was afraid I could possibly be breaking up with the man that your Sam loved!" She stared at him for a moment then sank unto the green grass. "In this reality, do you even see her like that? Do you ever lie awake, trying not to cry because you can't have what you want more than anything else on this Earth? Or is it just 'she's hot so let's sleep together'!"
"You're out of line, Colonel." He said frostily.
"You're not my CO! We have the same rank, Colonel."
"Well, as long as you are on the dam-" He stopped and made a visible effort to calm himself down. "As long as you are on this planet, you are under my command."
He was about to leave when he heard a sniffle. He closed his eyes.
"Crying, Carter?"
She didn't deny it. "Why does everything have to be so screwed up?" She whispered. "Why? Why can't, for once, things go smoothly?"
His anger nearly gone, he sank next to her. "Oh, Carter…"
"This reality is… almost perfect… all these people are alive, no worrying about Anubis…" She chuckled bitterly. "I've broken up with Pete… everything… except for my Daniel, my Teal'c, my Jack…"
She had whispered the last one.
"I'm just as dense in your reality?"
She nodded. "More so." She sighed wearily. "Ever since the zay'tarc incident, the two of us have always… known… but nothing's ever happened." The Colonel looked at her 'CO'. "Were… were you ever stranded on a planet called 'Edora'?"
He nodded. "Yeah, 'bout a year ago. Only for a month or so… why?"
"My Jack was… and you know what the first thing he said was? After I had spent three months of my life trying to save him? He walked over to Laira and told her he was sorry to be going home!"
"Ouch."
"Yeah," She whispered.
Jack was quiet for a moment before asking, "What's this… zar'c thing?"
She smiled and corrected him. "Zay'tarc. Long story."
"It always is…" He looked into her eyes. "I can't get to know you if you never talk about what happened on your world."
She was slightly shocked. Her Jack had never referred to their mutual attraction…
Trying to clear her jumbled thoughts, she looked at him. "Four years ago…"
Å
"Oh."
Carter looked at him. "What?"
"I don't think I like these... Tok'ra... snakehead things…"
"You never did."
He glanced at his watch. "I should head back to the SGC…"
"Why?"
He gave a short laugh. "Carter, it's 0430."
She looked at her own watch. "Wow."
Jack nodded. "Yeah."
She slowly stood up. "Good bye, sir."
He copied her example. "Later, Carter, and…" He hesitated. "I'm… sorry… about what happened."
"Don't be," She said quickly. "Bye."
And the two Colonels split paths.
For now.
Our reality.
"Sir, the delegates will not cooperate."
"You made sure to put doughnuts in their room?"
The technician sighed. "Yes."
"You made sure they were Krispy Kreme, didn't you?"
Walter refrained from rolling his eyes. "Sir, we can't keep doing this."
"Doing what?" The General asked.
"Locking delegates up."
Jack stopped. "Yes, we can."
The elevator doors opened and Sam stepped out. "Good morning, sir."
"Carter!" He greeted. "I was just on my way to see you. "
She smiled. "And here I am, sir."
"Daniel and Teal'c are already in the briefing room."
"That would explain why Daniel wasn't in his lab," She said, following him there. After taking her seat, she looked up expectantly for the briefing.
"This is just a routine check-up on the Cimmerians, kids," He began. "Party with the natives if you want, just meet curfew."
Sam looked up, slightly startled. General Hammond's briefings had never been that short before. Teal'c and Daniel were obviously accustomed to it, as they stood and left.
She followed them to 'their' locker room. They dressed quickly, grabbed their gear, and were in the embarkation room fifteen minutes later.
"Wish I was going on this one with you," Jack said rather wistfully as the 'gate began spinning, encoded the first chevron, and then began spinning the other way.
"Why can't you, sir?" Sam asked. "You are commander of this base… aren't you?"
"The Pentagon will only approve his going off world occasionally," Daniel answered. "They're afraid of losing him. I mean, it takes time to train a new man… and it's a ton of paperwork."
"Have fun, campers."
The gate activated.
"We will, sir," Said Sam before walking into the wormhole followed by her teammates.
Jack sighed. "Got anymore doughnuts, Walter?"
I see to be ending a lot of my chapters badly.
To all the people I disappointed by not letting Carter and Jack continue with…. whatever… I'm sorry.
I hope most of you liked it and…
Please review!