FOR TOMORROW
CHAPTER 5
For disclaimer and other information, please refer to chapter one.
A/N: I've been having a lot of internet problems at home, but finally here is chapter five. Thank you so much for all the wonderful comments and for all the support I've gotten with this story. You guys are great!
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The couple joined in a tight embrace for a long time, as Jack kissed her hair, her face and her mouth desperately, making sure she was real. Sam's tears stopped as she actually felt a smile grow in her face.
Suddenly, a bright light shinned above, and they found themselves in the room where Sam had initially awoken. Without breaking the contact of their bodies, Jack looked around searching for their captors, but found no one but them in the eternal white area. Just then, he met her blue, watery eyes and smiled weakly, as he brought her face to him and kissed her forehead with all the tenderness he could.
"I love you, no matter what." He whispered.
An ocean of thoughts flowed through her mind, as she realized there was really no easy way out of their situation. She felt scared, trapped, hopeless, but a bit of confidence arose knowing that Jack was there with her. With a brief pull on her end, she ran her fingers through his silver hair and closed her eyes again, as new tears began to gather.
"Shush… It's o.k." He consoled her, as he hugged her once again and rocked her in his strong arms. "We'll be fine, I know it."
She rested in his chest for a long while, inevitably falling asleep against him.
Hours later, Sam opened her eyes abruptly hoping the last couple of days had only been a horrific nightmare. Her heart sunk when she found Jack sitting against the wall beside her, his arm encircling her shoulder and the white room drowning them in the dreadful reality.
Brown eyes opened seconds later, focusing their gaze on the woman cuddled against him. "You're here. I'm here…Oh, thank God." He said, as she turned her face to meet his eyes.
"Jack, I have to tell you…" Her voice was trembling and insecure. It was filled with such deep sadness and sorrow, that his own fear resurfaced because it was something he had never experienced seeing coming from his Carter.
"I know." His kiss interrupted her words, and she held his lips prisoners to ensure he was actually there.
"The baby?" She asked, wanting to confirm they were actually referring to the same thing.
"Yes." A smile appeared on his face then, managing to shine some happiness back into both their hearts. "Odd way to spread the news, y'know. Next time, maybe you can turn Goa'uld and scare the crap out of me! That would probably top this one."
A joke. It was a unique, Jack O'Neill joke, just for her. Like always, achieving the goal to make her feel better, at least a little.
She sniffed and cleared the tears from her eyes while smiling. "Yeah, I'll keep that in mind."
"Are you o.k.?" Jack asked her, after another soft kiss.
"Yes."
"Did you see this guys? The Furling creatures?"
"Yes. Wait, how do you know they are the ones who took me?"
"Thor paid us a little visit,"
She nodded and lowered her eyes. "I see," Then, she looked up at him again. "Yeah, the Furlings…"
"Are they cute and fuzzy? Like the Ewoks?" There was actual curiosity in Jack's voice, like a small child asking his mom if Santa Clouse had eaten the cookies and drank the milk after Christmas.
She raised her eyebrows and shook her head, her smile actually growing. "No, not fuzzy. They seemed pretty human-like to me."
"Really?" Jack was disappointed. "Damn! There goes my plan of convincing the fuzzy thingies to forget about keeping our kid. I doubt they would if they were cute-looking."
"Jack…" Sam started, but he brought her closer, tightening his arm around her.
"I know. It'll be harder than that. But I don't care, Sam. We're getting out of here, all three of us."
He sounded so sure and so determined, that she couldn't find the words to explain to him her own loss of hope and the enormity of the responsibility they carried. She took a deep breath and kissed the hand that held her shoulder. "No, Jack. This time is different."
"Whadda ya mean?"
"We may not have a choice." Her soft and defeated voice came.
"I'm sorry? No choice? I thought I was the pessimistic in this relationship," He searched her eyes, finding them filled with grief and desolation. "There's always a choice, Sam. They can't use us for their little game of the superior races of the universe! I've told Thor, they can choose someone else to fill the spot."
"It's not that simple, Jack!" She argued, as she felt his arm tense around her. "Only the Humans can be the fifth race."
In his own struggle to remain calm and listen to her, he had moved from the wall to face her. "And I suppose the Furling guys told you this?"
"Yes. A woman named Mili'ah took me to you and explained why they are doing this."
He waited for her to continue, but her gaze had traveled to her feet. "Well, why?" He asked, impatiently.
"Because of what we have done. As SG-1, I mean. Apparently, they have known about this day for a very long time and this woman has followed me from the beginning."
"That's creepy."
"Jack, please." She asked in a serious tone, as he rolled his eyes and looked at her. "She said that if we don't sacrifice our baby, the humans will not join the race alliance and they will not be able to complete the circle to combine all the race's powers and end all the evil domination in the Universe."
Jack's eyebrows rose to an impossible high. "Meaning, the Ori and all the other bands of bad guys?"
"Yeah."
He breathed, thinking if they had ever encountered such a bad situation before. He thought this had to be the worse it could get. "Why our baby?" He finally asked.
"Because it has to be a sacrifice for both of us, and Daniel and Teal'c."
Jack stood up, running his hands through his face and passing though the room. "Did this Milan lady mention a superior? Maybe I could talk to him or her, to let us sacrifice something else. I mean, what is this? Abraham's re-make?"
In complete silence, Sam walked to him and buried her face in his neck. "What are we going to do, Jack?"
He caressed her hair and kissed the top of her head as he hugged her closer. "I don't know, Sam. I don't know."
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"Jack?" Daniel called as he walked inside Sam's house, turning on the foyer's light. He noticed a light coming from her bedroom, so he headed there, expecting to find Jack passed out on the bed. After searching the master bathroom and gazing at the empty bed again, he noticed a white box lying on it. Closing his eyes at the realization of what it contained, he took it and placed it on his pocket.
Daniel searched the house twice, making sure Jack was not, somehow, hiding in his loneliness. He took his cell phone from his coat's pocket and dialed.
"Mitchell."
"Hey. He's not in Sam's house." Daniel said.
"I was about to call you, Jackson. We got a message from the Asgaard,"
After a pause, Daniel left the house and got in his car. "What, Mitchell?" he said in desperation.
"The Furlings have General O'Neill, too."
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General Landry stormed out of his office, his face the clear expression of someone about to reveal very bad news. He sat on his chair and looked at Daniel, Mitchell and Teal'c before running his hands through his face.
"The President has announced we must go through with the Alliance." He finally said.
"What?" Daniel asked, his own rage overcoming him.
"Are they willing to sacrifice the child, General?" Said Teal'c.
Landry swallowed hard in embarrassment for his superior's decision. "Yes."
"Of course they are," Daniel declared, shacking his head. "Why am I not surprised?"
"Yeah, me neither." Mitchell continued. "So, what is the good President and the join chiefs suggesting, sir? That we let Sam and O'Neill fight their own impossible battle while captured?" Came his sarcastic question.
Landry gazed at Mitchell, as his own disagreement with the decision was evident. "Believe me, Colonel. I'm not happy about this either. But I don't know what else we can do."
"We go look for them and bring them back!" Mitchell yelled. "Sir."
Eyes traveled through the table, while a silence invaded the room.
"Even if we find them, they can obviously take Sam again whenever they want, Mitchell." Daniel finally said.
"You have to understand, this alliance is too important. It could be the answer to the question we've asked ourselves since we discovered the Stargate. We could end this war once and for all. Save millions and billions of lives." Landry continued, his eyes focused on his hands. "I hate this sacrifice thing just as much as you do, but…"
"No sir. With all due respect, I don't think you do." Daniel contoured. "We are not only talking about sacrificing an innocent baby's life; we would also kill Jack and Sam." Daniel looked at Teal'c, both men drowned in sadness. "And along with them, Teal'c and me. These races know us too well, know the bond that ties us, and understand what has made us so special throughout the years. We do NOT LEAVE ANYONE BEHIND." He looked at Landry with determination. "Thus, the sacrifice."
"Yes, Dr. Jackson, I know…"
"Again, sir. I don't think you do. What good would an alliance be, you know, us standing there representing Humans as a race, if we are willing to give up on what makes us human?" Daniel stood up and approached the window that faced the Stargate. "Our capability to feel overwhelming emotions, to make mistakes and stand up again, to have childish dreams of better days to come, and wonders to be discovered; to create something, no matter how little, and strive our entire lives to make it big; to enjoy and have our breath-taken by the beauty of a sunset, or a sunrise; we can learn to love those who have hurt us, and we have the ability to forgive and forget if we choose to." Then, Daniel turned to look at the people at the table, all eyes watching him and listening to him carefully. "These races know that the sacrifice they are asking from us, is in fact the biggest one a human can do. A mother and a father's love for their child. They also know, this mother and this father are special; Jack…" Daniel cleared his throat and shot his eyes to block his tears. "Jack lost his son. He was suicidal when I met him! I swear to you, if Jack looses another kid, he will die. He will not give it up, no matter what; you might as well shoot him. Sam knows this, and she will die first too. She will not give up her baby. And believe me, nobody understands what this alliance means better than those two! That is why they were put in this situation." The archeologist turned to face the Stargate once again. "And, I will not give up on neither one of them. No matter what." Turning and walking to his chair, Daniel stood behind it and looked at the General. "Sir, I am sorry to say that I prefer to die as a human, than to live the rest of my days knowing I gave up on exactly that to be part of the great four races. I don't care how important it is."
"As will I, GeneralLandry." Teal'c said as he stood up and walked to the exit with Daniel.
Landry watched the pair leave and turned to Mitchell. "He's not even human!"
"I think he is more human that most people I know, sir." Mitchell said and stood up as he followed the two.
TBC……….