Chapter 6: Prototype

He was waiting in the arrival area of the continental flights, he was standing perfectly still, only his eyes were moving. He was standing in front of a wall, his back was protected from any attack, a reflex he had not yet managed to get rid of. He was wearing his uniform, he who all his life had hated dressing for ceremonies, his daily outfit had become this outfit he hated. He held his cap under his folded arm. He was lost in thought, knowing that his flight would not arrive for a few more minutes. He didn't notice the stares of the women, young and old, who stopped at him. An Air Force bag lay at his feet. He too had just landed. He hadn't flown civilian in years. He had noticed how impressed some of the passengers were with his uniform. He had been surprised by the deference of the flight attendants, who had been charming to him. He had even been greeted by the pilots. He had lost the habit of this kind of attention. In Washington, even though he attracted attention on the street, at Homeland Security headquarters they all wore a variation of this outfit, the medals and stripes being the only "removable" elements. The Denver International Airport was in full swing, with planes arriving and departing one after the other. He had been waiting for an hour already, but he didn't even seem to notice. His eternal sunglasses hung from the pocket of his jacket, he did not move, he waited for her. It should not be long now, his flight had been announced a few minutes earlier. Jack had taken a commercial flight in order to recover the rented car and to discharge the administrative steps of rigor. While he had kept his cottage in Minnesota, his house in Colorado Springs had been sold a few months earlier. There was still the question of housing to be clarified. His eyes found her in the crowd pouring out of a landing gate. She was in uniform, too, but far from impassive her face was lit by a frank smile. When she finally noticed him, she rushed toward him, her military bag bouncing on his back. He embraced her powerfully when she stopped in front of him. She laughed, of this laughter which had never changed in ten years and tightened in its turn against her. After a few seconds, she pulled away enough to perform a perfect military salute and he smiled.

"Aye, aye, sir." Dressed in her Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences uniform, she looked great. And strangely, her regulation hairstyle made her look like the two women who had loved her like a daughter.

"Dismissed Lieutenant Frasier." He took her by the shoulder and retrieved her bag to load it with his on his shoulder. "I got the car back, it's waiting for us. Your flight went well ? It wasn't too much of a rush after your exam?"

"I didn't get a chance to change, or get a bite to eat for that matter. I jumped in a cab but, I was the star of our flight to Denver, which more than makes up for having to travel in that uncomfortable uniform." Jack laughed heartily. Cassie's company had always been a source of joy for him. The girl's cheerfulness was a balm on his soul. "What about you? It's a shame we couldn't get on the same flight. You had to hang out there for a while, catching the eye of every woman over the age of seven... What torture." He laughed harder, putting a fatherly arm around her shoulders.

" Say thus young girl it is like that that you speak to a superior officer? " He teased her by crossing the doors leading to the airport parking. He loaded their bags in the back of the 4x4 that he had rented. Cassie raised her eyebrows in amusement. "What?"

"Jack, what's the point of selling your car if you keep renting the same model? You should have asked Sam to keep it for you, she would have picked us up." The mention of Carter crushed his stomach. He managed to keep a straight face, but his eyes went blank, which Cassandra noticed.

"Get in the car, General, shall I drive?" She joked as she tried to steal the keys from him.

"Cassandra, I'm already trying to get used to the idea that you can drink alcohol. So don't ask too much of me, I'm driving."

The young woman's laughter rang out as she climbed into the passenger side of the jeep. Jack closed the door behind her. He hesitated for a second before walking around the car. Was it really a good idea to come to this "family reunion" as Cassandra called it in her e-mails? It was too late to back out. They hadn't told anyone. No one would notice anything, right?

(...)

"Cassie!" His former subordinate's exclamation of joy did not escape him as he pulled their bags from the car. He put off laying eyes on her, bracing himself for the pain that knowing she was so close but, untouchable, would cause him. "I missed you, sweetie." Sam's shaky voice was uncharacteristic, she rarely let herself be overwhelmed by emotion. He forced himself to turn his eyes back to the house where the two women were hugging. When his eyes met Samantha's, nothing would have prepared him for the uppercut he felt he would take in the stomach. Just like before. As when it was not possible for him to touch her, to kiss her, to love her. She was the first to look away, pulling Cassie away to look at her in her college uniform.

"Cassandra Frasier." The appearance of the Jaffa on the doorstep behind Carter had the gift of bringing Jack out of his trance.

"Teal'c but that's impressive hair! Daniel!" The young soldier hugged the two men who had popped up behind Samantha. She was so happy to see them all. That they were together for the first time since Jack had left Colorado. Jack loaded the bags onto his shoulder and walked up to the doorway, witnessing the young woman's embrace with her two best friends at Carter's side.

"Hi Sam."

"Hello Jack." They were so formal, so stilted, like before. How before that day at the lake in Minnesota. That day when they'd been together for the first time since that kiss on the front lawn.

MINNESOTA - JACK O'NEILL'S COTTAGE - ALMOST A YEAR EARLIER

He had been looking forward to this moment for years. Every time he had invited her to join him. Of course they weren't alone, but SG1 had been his family for years. Daniel and Teal'c had become his best friends, even though he had sworn not to get involved with anyone. He thought he was dead when Charlie died. It had been a perfect day in every way. And as he watched Daniel and Sam set the table while Teal'c watched him dubiously pour beer over the steaks, Jack O'Neill felt completely happy. Daniel said something that made the young woman laugh, she tipped her head back, laughing sincerely. Their eyes met and something passed between them. A promise. He smiled at her and returned the meat, the Jaffa's hand came down on his wrist as he grabbed his beer.

"O'Neill this bovine is already dead, I don't think it's good to feed those flames."

"But that, my dear Teal'c, is the point. Charred on the outside, juicy on the inside thanks to my secret ingredient. Tell me about it."

As the Jaffa was about to reply, Sam's hand came to rest on his shoulder stopping him before he could even formulate his thought.

"Daniel has finished his beer, we'll have to feed him before he falls overboard general."

"Jack, we agreed, no General, no Colonel." She smiled at him. How hard it was for him to pretend that there was still that barrier between them. But they had decided to go at their own pace, without involving anyone else.

"Daniel can't hold his liquor, remember, Jack."

"I'll go secure Daniel Jackson, Samantha." She smiled at Teal'c.

"You're an angel Teal'c, he's at the stage where he's trying to translate Abydos jokes." When the Jaffa had walked away, Samantha took her place next to Jack, contemplating the steaks skeptically.

"I'm with Teal'c, that bovid looks dead." He laughed, brushing her hand with his, gently stroking her palm with his thumb. She shivered and her pulse quickened.

"Would a rendezvous on the dock tonight, when they have gone to sleep, tempt you, Colonel?"

"I thought you'd never propose it, General. Let's hope Teal'c falls asleep as quickly as Daniel did."

"Reassure me Carter, you didn't make him drink on purpose so you could seduce me in the moonlight?" He asked, arranging the meat on a plate as the Jaffa led Daniel back near the picnic table.

"I have no idea what you're implying General." She replied innocently as she grabbed the corn on the cob sitting on the other plate and headed to the table.

(...)

Jack O'Neill's cabin in Minnesota. Samantha had thought about it a lot over the years, imagining what the place looked like, imagining him in the middle of that big space, alone. This cabin was everything she had imagined and more. There were two bedrooms and an office that had been converted into a bedroom over the years. A beautiful living room with a kitchen overlooking the porch. And photos, everywhere. Including in the master bedroom that he had given up for this stay. Arguing that Teal'c and Daniel could take the other two and he would sleep on the couch. She sighed as her hand passed by a picture of a young boy with a baseball glove. Charlie. The tragedy that Jack's family had experienced. The drama that had made him decide to accept the suicide mission on the first mission to Abydos. The drama that had made them meet, involuntarily. Then her hand passed near a photo of SG1 taken on a planet "normal" enough for the photo not to be confidential and stored in their offices at the base. She smiled and moved on to the next photo, the entire team with Janet and Cassandra, Cassie's 14th birthday party, obviously. She remembered that picture. She glanced at the watch on her wrist. It was after midnight. The house was silent. She crept out of her room, feeling like a teenager trying to escape her parents' control. Light snoring could be heard from the other side of the house, probably Daniel in the larger bedroom. Teal'c had taken over the office with the sofa bed, arguing that he wasn't sleeping, that the kelnorim didn't need a bed. The sofa in the living room was empty, she smiled. The French door leading to the terrace overlooking the lake was open. He was standing on the dock with his back to the cottage, motionless in the moonlight. She slipped out, closing the French window gently so as not to wake Daniel or Teal'c. She was barefoot and the wet grass tickled her skin, so she slipped in beside him without a sound and leaned, as he did, against the railing. Her hand found his. He made her turn gently and wrapped her in his arms. His mouth sought hers. A shiver crossed her. She had long imagined what his lips would taste like, the touch of his skin against hers, the feel of his hands on her. But what she had imagined did not measure up to reality. Was it the death of her father that had provoked in her this appetite for life? She felt that she was experiencing everything with more intensity. The kiss lasted a long time, with only the stars to witness it. Jack's head nestled in her neck, his breath tickling her skin. She sighed.

"I wish I could never leave this place. Here everything seems possible." She sighed. He gently detached himself from her and smiled at her, brushing his fingers around her cheek.

"I got a call from General Hammond before we left for Minnesota." he announced. She tilted her head slightly, intrigued. "He's retiring. His daughter is in remission from breast cancer. He says it's time for him to spend more time with his family and grandchildren." He inhaled, preparing to change everything between them. "He wants to appoint me as head of Homeland Security to replace him." Samantha gasped, she was about to speak but he stopped her by putting his finger over her mouth. "Wait, don't say anything. I didn't accept, I wanted to talk to you first. Even if I leave for Washington, you will remain indirectly under my chain of command and ..."

"I want to devote myself to research at Area 51," she announced outright, taking advantage of Jack's hesitation to cut him off. "We've saved the world countless times and almost eradicated the Goau'ld. The SGC can do without me, but I could focus on my research, developing Earth technologies and ... Oh Jack, if I'm in Area 51 and you're in Washington, I'm no longer under your direct line of command."

"Carter I..." He seemed to not want to believe it. There had been so many obstacles between them over the years. And he didn't want to be a drag on her career. She would run the SGC one day or even Atlantis now that they finally had a way to get there, he was sure of it.

"This is what I want Jack. To live at last. With you. But SG1..."

"Teal'c keeps score." Jack's reply left her speechless for a second.

"Excuse me?" Was that all he could think of to say after his announcement?

"Teal'c keeps score. How many times we've saved the universe. That was one of the points he made when he came to tell me he was leaving the SGC to help create the Jaffa nation. And I think Daniel told me the same thing when he asked me when he could join the Atlantis mission, since he is the foremost expert on the Ancients..."

"By... sorry?" He smiled.

"You stutter Carter. I promised I wouldn't tell you until they told you tomorrow. But I can't let you feel guilty about leaving SG1 when ... SG1 has accomplished its purpose. You can move on. We can move on." He stole a kiss from her. "I accept your transfer Colonel. I believe SG1 can do without you, but not me.

As the two soldiers kissed ardently under the stars. Neither of them noticed the silhouette silhouetted against the night on the terrace. A smile lit up the usually impassive face. The jaffa retreated into the house, closing the French window behind him. It was time, he thought, indeed.

COLORADO SPRINGS - SAMANTHA CARTER'S HOUSE - TODAY

"To Janet." It was Daniel who had given the toast in honor of the deceased. His eyes glistened with contained tears. Jack had long suspected that the archaeologist had an attraction for the SGC's Chief Medical Officer without ever having formal proof.

"To Janet," the members of SG1 repeated, raising their glasses.

"To you mom" Cassandra sighed as she raised her glass. She was the one who had insisted that SG1 get together to celebrate the deceased's birthday. She hated the idea of "celebrating" the death of her mother on the day of her death, she preferred to honor her life by celebrating the day of her birth. Jack's hand found hers on the right, while Sam did the same on the left. A smile grazed Cassandra's lips. Complementary as always.

When the meal was over, with Sam and Jack maintaining a cordial atmosphere between them, Cassandra and Teal'c offered to clear the table. Meanwhile Sam, Jack and Daniel were having coffee in the living room. Once through the kitchen doors, Cassandra turned to the Jaffa, putting the dishes on the table without even bothering.

"Okay Teal'c, what do you know?" She questioned him, nestling her hands on her hips as Janet would have done when faced with a recalcitrant patient.

"I don't understand the point of your question Cassandra." Botta touches on the Jaffa as he begins to fill the dishwasher.

"Oh come on Teal'c I know you know. And I know you know I know. I lived with them before I went to college. I'm not naive, Samantha was always stuffed in Washington, she said she was coming to see me, but she wasn't spending those weekends entirely with me. So she was spending them with Jack. Q.E.D." She argued as she mechanically passed him the dishes. "But then something happened. It looks like Jack died inside, oh he's faking it, but I can feel it."

"Colonel Carter seems, also, turned off. But I don't know about Cassandra Frasier. She's been working a lot since she returned to the SGC." Cassandra frowned. Her return to the SGC ...

"Oh boy that's not true!" She exclaimed angrily. The Jaffa raised an eyebrow in astonishment. "It's that stupid non-fraternization rule thing, I'm sure."

"I don't think that's all it is Cassandra Frasier." She sighed and nodded." And I don't think it's our place to interfere in the personal lives of the Colonel and the General."

"I know Teal'c, but I would like them to be happy, wouldn't you?"

"Indeed."

(...)

"Stay asleep Jack, it's ridiculous to sleep at the base. Teal'c is spending the night at Daniel's, stay with Sam and me. The couch is very comfortable I promise." Cassandra insisted heavily as the members of SG1 prepared to leave. Her former first officer stood behind the young woman, he questioned her with his eyes, she nodded imperceptibly.

"It's okay Cassie" The young military woman brightened up. After the customary greetings to Daniel and Teal'c, the house became quiet again.

Cassandra pretended to be exhausted from her day of exams, flying, and dinner and retreated to the guest room that had become her bedroom after Janet's death. Together, without exchanging a word, they finished tidying the house. Jack was finishing clearing the coffee dishes in the kitchen when he decided to break the silence. They stood side by side at the sink, Jack washing the delicate china cups while Samantha wiped them down. It was Jack who finally broke the silence between them after the others had left.

"The ascensiometer..."

"Mitchel's idea." She cut him off as she placed the clean saucer on the counter.

"Sam I..." He tried again, placing his hand on hers.

"No. Please. Stop." She slowly pulled away. The mere touch of his skin was upsetting her. She hadn't been able to deny Cassie that he was spending the night. But she couldn't, it was still too soon. "I don't want to go back to the way it was before Jack. It's all or nothing. I won't settle for half a story." Making herself violent, she placed a kiss on his cheek where a small growth of beard was already pointing. "Good night."