Credit for Story continuation given to: Hope Leslie Hermnharry and Written by: Lesleyp
Chapter 6 -Where are you now?
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It had been several months since his run in with Guierra and things were looking up for Jack. For all of their waiting, all of the road blocks, and all of the almost missed opportunities, Sam and he were finally together. Sure, a long distance relationship was difficult. But they were managing. This weekend though. It was gonna be great.
They were going to meet at the cabin tomorrow and he was gonna pop the question. He had no doubts what the answer would be. If there was anything in the world that was a sure bet, it was that he one hundred percent knew for sure that she felt for him what he felt for her. She showed him every time they were together.
He had spent weeks finding just the right ring. Wasn't going to be a long engagement though. She had a habit of backin out of these things. He smirked at the thought.
'Yup, things were finally lookin up for good old Jacques Eau Kneel', he thought happily, humming a tuneless ditty in his head.
He was planning to retire too, so he could live in Colorado Springs with her. They could come up to the cabin when she had leave. Her job was just too important to even think of anything else. And he was tired of the distance between them. They were finally together, and that's what he wanted to be. Together. Every possible night.
Sitting at his desk, he opened the ring box again. Perfect. Not too big, yet not too small. It twinkled in the light coming in from his office window, just like Sam's blue eyes lit up and sparkled. The anticipation was knawing at him.
Jack's phone rang and he answered it the way he always had.
"O'Neill."
"Hi, all ready for tomorrow?" It was Sam. Jack's heart did a little flutter.
"Ya, pretty much. You?"
"All packed and ready to go." Sam was smiling.
She knew something was up. He'd been in a particularly good mood the last few times they'd talked on the phone. Almost like a little kid keeping a big secret. She'd put money on it that she knew what it was. And of course the answer would be "yes". But she'd act surprised. Just for him.
"So, you should be there…what time?" Jack asked, trying to keep the excitement out of his tone. Just another weekend at the cabin.
"13:00 ish," Sam replied evenly. She could hear right through him, and couldn't help but wonder what the ring looked like.
"K, I'll be there before you…hold on," Jack was interrupted by the Chief of Staff walking through his office door, carrying a stack of folders.
"Uh, look, I'll uh, see you tomorrow. Gotta go," he spoke into the phone as he began to stand.
Sam knew someone must have just entered his office so she spoke soft and low.
"Can't wait to see you, got something soft and silky just for you. Bye." She hung up before he could respond, a huge mischievous grin on her face.
Jack coughed and flushed ever so slightly, a grin tugging at his lips as he hung up the phone. Boy had his conversation content changed with her over the past year. And he liked it.
"Sir," he directed at his commander.
"Jack," the Chief smiled at him. "I take it that was Colonel Carter?"
"Uh.." Jack stuttered, unconsciously looking back at the phone.
He still felt a little awkward that his relationship with Sam was out in the open. Ok, so no regs. were technically being broken. But having had to keep his feelings locked so deep for so long, it was difficult for him to just let go of that.
"Never mind," the Chief of Staff snickered. "Sit Jack, I need to put something to you."
Jack reclaimed his seat and waited for his boss to take the chair opposite. The General threw a form on the desk in Jack's direction. It was his retirement request. Unauthorized. Jack slowly picked it up then eyed his commander suspiciously, trying to formulate how he was going to argue this.
"We've got some new intelligence fresh out of Afghanistan," the General began to speak. "Seems that there is another major terrorist attack being planned on the United States. The information is that it's scheduled for sometime next month. I need you to go over the briefs because I want you involved."
"Not really my thing anymore Sir, you've already got General…" Jack began but was cut off.
"I know. I have good people. But this is your 'thing', Jack. There's more to this than just your average terrorists. At least that's my gut feeling. Just have a look. If I'm wrong, I'll approve that retirement request."
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Sam hummed happily at her laptop in the lab. Munching on a turkey sandwich she quickly typed away trying to update her notes on Merlin's device. It was hard to think of the invasion force on its way. Her thoughts kept wanting to return to the weekend she had planned with Jack.
They had talked about marriage. Well, sort of. He had never come right out and referred to them getting married, but he had dropped hints that he wouldn't be opposed. It came in the way of silly things. Like the time they'd seen an address post at the end of someone's driveway. It was shaped like a fish announcing the address as home to Mr. and Mrs. something or other. He had off the cuff suggested that they get something like it for the end of the cabin's laneway. It was the little things just like that.
She never commented at those times, just smiled at him. Jack O'Neill had to do things in his own time, and that was fine with her. He was her's, with or without the license. She could wait. She already had what was most important. What she had waited years for. The man that she loved, loving her in return. He made her feel it every time they were together.
"Colonel Carter, can I have a moment of your time?" Dr. Lam stood in the doorway.
Sam almost jumped from her seat. The doctor's sudden appearance had startled her, a piece of turkey sandwich still hanging from her lip.
"Sorry, didn't hear you come in," Sam blushed and tried to speak at the same time as clearing the wayward sandwich piece.
"I didn't mean to barge in," Dr. Lam gave a tight smile. "I just thought it would be better for me to come here and see you. Less chance of prying ears. I have the results of your post mission blood tests."
Sam threw the doctor a quizzical look and gave a slight shake of her head. The blood tests were standard procedure and never before warranted a visit from the doctor.
"Is something wrong?" she asked, becoming a little worried.
"Wrong isn't exactly the word I would use," the doctor gave a slight wince.
"More like," Dr. Lam hesitated briefly. She was unsure of how to say it, then decided straight forward would be the best way to proceed. "Pregnant."
"What?" Sam asked, stunned.
Dr. Lam didn't respond, she watched the Colonel's reaction carefully.
"That's impossible. I take the shot every three months. You gave me the last one two months ago yourself," Sam barely choked out.
Dr. Lam looked down. "I know."
Looking back up to Sam she said more softly, "I'd like to run a few more tests. Discreetly. My primary concern is, well-"
Again the doctor hesitated. "You've just come back from a planet where the Ori have taken control. I'm just worried that, well, what happened to Vala…."
"Oh my God!" Sam jumped from her chair and began to pace. "No. That can't be. That was completely different."
Sam remembered Vala's description of the whole event. How she'd overheard the Prior talking to her husband Tomin. Then tied it together with the vision she'd had of lying in bed, a fiery skull looking down at her.
"Was it?" Dr. Lam queried. "Vala isn't even sure if she was pregnant before, or if it was an 'immaculate conception'. The Ori may have influenced a fetus already inutero, or planted one."
"Oh my God," Sam said for the second time, putting her hands to her mouth. If she was carrying Jack's child and the Ori had harmed it? She couldn't bear to think about it.
"It may be too early to tell," Dr. Lam hurried to continue, knowing it was a terrifying thought. That there was a possibility of the pregnancy being Ori caused. She was afraid that the Colonel could become panicked and had wanted to avoid a total upset, which is why she had decided to come to Carter's lab rather then call the Colonel back to the infirmary.
"I'm not even sure I'd be able to detect-uh- Alien influence this early, if at all," Lam tried to use her calmest tone. "I do have to inform General Landry however. I just thought before I did that you might want to discuss this with General..."
"What if we terminated?" Sam asked, her heart beating frantically.
She wasn't thinking straight, and was horrified by the suggestion as soon as it was out of her mouth. What if there wasn't alien involvement and she was pregnant with Jack's child? She couldn't. Tears threatened to overflow. How could this have happened? Why now, when everything was going so right for a change. Not on the grand cosmic scale of things, but definitely with Jack.
She and Jack had never even discussed children. And, well, given his issues surrounding Charlie's death, Sam wasn't even sure she could broach the subject with him. This was almost too much for her. What would he say? What would he do?
Dr. Lam watched the confusion flicker over the Colonel.
"I wouldn't suggest it," she advised calmly. "If there is alien involvement we don't know what the repercussions could be. Any tampering, and there may be some fail safe. We just don't know. I understand this is a shock, but I'd like to at least run some preliminary tests as soon as possible."
"I'm supposed to be going away for the weekend," Sam responded in an absent tone.
Dr. Lam shook her head.
"We can hold off further testing until tomorrow, but I'm going to have to recommend against travelling. I don't see any harm with you leaving the base to go home tonight, but I'd prefer you stay close," Lam tried to cushion the blow as much as possible by walking up to Sam and putting a hand on the other woman's arm. She felt Sam shaking ever so slightly.
"I'll be with you through all of this," Dr. Lam gave Sam an encouraging smile. "But I will need to inform General Landry tonight."
"Can you hold off? Just until tomorrow? I'll talk to him and ask him to come down here tomorrow. He should be the first to know," Sam spoke almost sadly, her hand unconsciously moving to her stomach. She didn't feel any different. 'Shouldn't I feel different?' she wondered.
"I understand. I can do that," Lam replied, knowing she should tell her father tonight. But to hell with it. She could give the Colonel a night. It was the least she could do.
Sam couldn't speak so nodded instead, then hugged herself.
Before leaving Dr. Lam tried to give the Colonel what she hoped was her best supportive smile.
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"So you see our dilemma?" the Air Force Chief of Staff asked morosely.
"I do," Jack responded still deep in thought.
He and his commander had spent the better part of the afternoon going over top secret Special Forces recon reports and satellite imagery photos. Jack racked his mind to try and make sense of what he was reading. It seemed that a new cleric had hit the scene in Afghanistan riling up the fanatics. Quoting from the good book of the region, but with subtle changes. So subtle it was almost unnoticeable, except by someone with experience in the subject. The changes were infiltrated with what seemed like excerpts from the Book of Origin.
It hadn't been picked up by N.A.T.O. forces on the ground, because of course they knew nothing of the alien threat fast approaching. But the Chief of Staff had recognized some of it from the SGCs and Jack's own reports. He still hadn't been sure, which is why he needed to enlist Jack, and thus, why Jack's retirement had to be postponed until they were sure that the Ori weren't already here. And if they were here, they needed Jack all the more.
"I want you on the ground," the General informed Jack matter of factly.
"Sir?"
"I need you to head the investigation. And you'll have to be there to do it. I've already assigned a Special Forces team to meet you. They've been in the Parvan Province of Afghanistan for the past six months, so they have a good feel for the lay of the land."
"But," Jack tried to find an excuse to get out of this, but he knew his commander was right. He needed to be the one.
"When?" Jack conceded.
Jack's heart dropped but his outward expression showed nothing. He knew the answer. 'Well so much for plans of mice, or however the hell that goes,' he thought wryly to himself.
"ASAP," his boss responded. "You're to leave tonight. My exec sec is already making all of the arrangements. And Jack, no one, and I mean no one, is to know you're there. For obvious reasons."
'Well that was pointed,' Jack humorlessly thought. He knew he had just been ordered not to tell even Sam.
It made sense. Sort of. If the Ori were here, their point of infiltration would likely have been the SGC. Meaning there could still be a spy there. He knew it wasn't Sam. He just hoped his boss knew that too. But he understood. The Chief couldn't take the risk.
"Yes Sir," was Jack's only response.
"Good," the Chief of Staff rose to leave and Jack stood as well.
"Oh, and Jack, sorry about the weekend," his boss nodded grimly.
Jack couldn't keep from looking embarrassed. How the hell..."No problem Sir."
After his boss departed Jack took a seat back at his desk and took a deep breath. Slowly blowing it out he looked at the phone on his desk. Checking his watch he wasn't sure if he should call her at home or if she'd still be at the base. Crap! This wasn't working out how he had planned at all. What should he tell her? Didn't want to lie to her, but the Chief had been clear. Ok, the truth then. He had to work over the weekend, and probably then some.
And he couldn't involve the SGC. Aside from the whole possible spy issue, if they really did have Ori influence on earth, then the obvious tactic would be to divert and divide SGC resources. That would hinder Earth from mounting a defence, or more aptly a good offence. But why would the Ori focus on this particular region? The answer to that was easy. There were already fanatics there ready to be influenced.
Ones that already hated and were at war with the United States. This planets greatest super power. Take out the United States, and Earth would be easier for the Ori to invade and conquer. Or destroy. The question that made Jack extremely uneasy was, 'How did they get a man...or whatever they were, planted?' The only thing Jack could come up with was the time SG6 had brought the plague back to Earth. Did something else come through with them? Something that, like the plague, wasn't visible.
Jack flipped back through the reports to see if he could find a correlation. He found what he most feared. There was nothing known about this cleric until exactly one week to the day after SG6 returned from P2X-885.
Had it taken them that much time to decide which tactic to use? Which group to infiltrate? This cleric's influence had risen fast, and was rising still. No picture had been taken of him, and he was only known due to his follower's zeal in spreading his word. That word mostly having to do with bringing down the 'evil west'. If only they could stop and see the real evil that was very likely right in their midst. Jack just shook his head. Intell reports guessed that the cleric was hiding in the mountain caves, probably with another enemy of the west. This was not going to be an easy job.
Running a tongue over his back teeth, Jack picked up the phone. First he tried the base but was told Colonel Carter had left, so next he tried her home number. She was going to be disappointed he knew, but she'd understand. Not like she hadn't had to cancel plans for work before. Still. If he managed to get this mission over quick maybe he could make it back by next week or by the weekend at the latest. So he'd have to put off his big plans for a week. He tried not to think about what would happen if he found the worst case scenario in Afghanistan. He'd cross that bridge if and when he got to it.
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"Hello," Sam answered the phone on the first ring.
She'd been sitting beside it for the past hour trying to gather her thoughts before calling him. Since her meeting with Doctor Lam she'd been on an emotional roller coaster.
"Hey, it's me. Got some bad news," Jack started off.
Him too. She could hear the disappointment and tension in his voice, despite how she knew he was trying to hide it. Did he already know?
"Chief was in earlier…as you probably guessed," he continued to explain. "Needs me to work a special project this weekend. Can't go into it. It'll probably go into next week though, maybe a little longer. Who knows? So…." He left in hanging.
"So- the weekends off," she finished for him, her tone dead panned.
He picked up on it immediately.
"Look, I'm sorry. I was looking forward to…," he tried to apologize, but she cut him off.
"It's not that. I need to see you. I need to talk to you," Sam's voice was flat; she knew he wouldn't be able to come to the Springs tomorrow.
Jack knitted his brow. This was more than just him cancelling their weekend plans. Something was up.
"I can't get away Sam. Wish I could, so, whatever it is, you'll have to tell me now," he said soothingly becoming increasingly concerned as his only response from her was the dead air over the phone line.
"Sam?" his voice held a distinct edge.
She thought about it. Not exactly how she wanted to have this conversation with him. Over the phone. Then again, she didn't know if she could handle face to face right now without completely falling apart.
"I'm pregnant," she whispered inaudibly.
"What?" he hadn't heard her, her voice was so low.
"I said I'm pregnant," she said more loudly and angrily, thinking his earlier "what" was just him being obtuse.
"What?" now he'd heard. He flew back in his chair and his eyes opened wider in shock.
A million things began to race through his mind. Things like: he had to be there for her. Yet, he couldn't be there for her. How'd this happen? Ok that was dumb. Knew how it had happened. Just- not- how it had happened. Well, it's not like he had taken precautions. And they'd never talked about, well, that stuff. He hadn't even thought about it. Sort of dumb given he was a grown man and shoulda known better. But hey, wow.
Then there was the whole career thing. What she did, what he was about to do, how could they think of bringing a kid into the world, especially right now. But wow. A kid. His kid. Her kid. His kid with her. Jack was speechless. His confused emotions causing his heart to beat faster. He felt the sweat break out on his palms as the phone was becoming slippery.
"Aren't you going to say something?" she asked, her voice once again toneless.
"Uh.." was all he came up with.
His mind, still racing, went back to Charlie. But it was different this time. It was, well, it was with Sam. After the Guierra thing and being stuck in that hole going nuts, Jack was slowly finding he was able to forgive himself. Not completely. But more than ever before he could feel that it had been an accident. A horrible, life altering, nightmarish accident. And maybe he didn't need to keep blaming himself.
And Sam's involvement in his personal life, he knew, was a catalyst in that whole process. So now there was a possibility of him being a father again. He had loved being a dad. But was he getting ahead of himself? What did she want? This could affect her more than….
"Jack! Talk to me," she ripped through his thoughts.
"Uh," there was so much he wanted to say. Needed to say to her. They had to talk about this, but there you have it, 'uh' was all that seemed to want to come out of his mouth.
"There's more," she carried on despite his lack of response.
"More?" The only thing Jack's mind flashed to was, 'what? twins.' He surprisingly found the thought not completely unwelcomed.
Sam was a strong woman. A brave woman. She loved this man more than she could ever relay into words. And she knew him so well. But in her own fragile emotional state she had mis-read his reaction. She knew he had issues over what had happened with Charlie, and realized that he must be struggling with those right now. But damn it! She needed him, right now.
She was an Air Force Officer. She knew the demands of the job and realized if the Chief of Staff had assigned him to an immediate special project then he couldn't drop everything to be there with her. But she sure as hell expected more than one word dazed responses. She needed a friend. She choked back the tears. She would not cry.
"Forget it," she finally said softly, placing the phone receiver delicately back into its cradle.
"What?" his confused mind allowed him to utter. Too late, she'd hung up. Not that he could blame her. Prince charming he wasn't exactly being.
"Ok, Jack," he admonished himself out loud while giving his head a little shake, "I know I pride myself on being a man of few words, but that was ridiculous. How cliché of me."
Feeling like a complete ass, he hung up and stared at the phone for a moment. Trying to gather his thoughts and willing himself to be able to utter more than one word responses, he picked the phone back up and dialled her number again.
Sam heard the phone ringing as she closed her front door. With keys and purse in hand she had left her house. She needed to talk to a friend. Jack was her best friend, but he was obviously handling this as badly as she. She needed to get her emotions and thoughts under control before talking to him again. She hadn't even told him the really bad part yet. The part that was ripping her apart inside.
"Crap!" Jack got the message thingy. Ok, so he hadn't handled it well. She was probably just pissed. He hung up. His mind reeling, he picked up and tried again.
"Helloooo", he spoke after her prompt. And waited. And waited. "Sam, for cryin out loud, please pick…"
He was cut off by the machine as it timed out.
Hanging up he dialled again. Message thingy. He hung up without leaving one.
'Okay,' he drawled inwardly. He decided he'd give her a while to cool off.
He still had to get prepped to go. His flight was leaving from Bolling in two hours. It was gonna be an all nighter. He just hoped he got some sleep on the flight before arriving at Bagram. He knew he wouldn't get much after he hit the ground. Probably wouldn't get any at all if he didn't straighten this out with Sam. Jack looked at his watch. He'd call her again from home.
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Daniel groggily got out of bed when he heard the banging on his apartment door. Looking at the clock he noticed the time was 11:30. Who the hell was at his door at this hour?
"I need to talk to someone," there stood Sam, looking a little worse for wear.
Daniel eyed her with suspicious concern. "Come in."
Sam looked like she'd been crying. Her hair was a little tousled, as though she'd been driving around with her car windows open. More likely than not it was from taking off her motorcycle helmet. He didn't waste much time on that; it was the looking like she'd been crying part that had him worried.
"What's up?" Daniel asked, leading the way to his kitchen. "Coffee?"
"Sure. Wait. No. Water. Water would be good," Sam stammered, fleetingly remembering that she'd once heard caffeine was not good for the fe..ba..during pregnancy.
Daniel eyed her curiously then took out a glass to get her some water.
She took a seat at Daniel's kitchen table, taking a sip of the water he offered. He slowly took the chair beside her. He didn't say a word. He knew she'd open up when she was ready.
Sam looked at her friend, and put her glass down on the table. Handling it nervously she told him.
"I'm pregnant," she stated simply.
"What?"
'What is it with men and that word,' her mind inanely tried to joke. Never mind that it had been her own response when Dr. Lam had informed her.
"Oh God Sam, that's great!" Daniel spurted before going on excitedly. "Does Jack know? Of course he does. You'd tell him before me. Hey, that's terrific!"
He grasped her arm and tried not to jump out of his chair in excitement. Then noting his friend's downcast eyes, he added more cautiously, "Isn't it?"
Sam broke down and told him everything Dr Lam had said to her. She'd been driving around for hours before landing at Daniel's trying to clear her head and get her thoughts straight. It just wasn't working for her.
"How did Jack take all of this?" Daniel winced, hoping Jack had been supportive.
"Not well," Sam answered.
"Whadya mean?" he probed, wiping the sleep from his eyes. "What exactly did he say?"
"Let's see, there was 'What', then 'What', next came 'uh, followed closely with another 'uh', to be topped off with 'more'. Ya, that pretty much sums up his end of the conversation," she tried smiling at Daniel, but it was difficult because the last thing she felt like doing was smiling.
"That's it? Isn't he concerned that the Ori might be involved?"
"I didn't get to that part," she revealed.
"Oh Sam, this is not good. You need to tell him," Daniel was beside himself.
"I know. I just needed to get away and think. Find a friendly face," Sam couldn't help the single tear from flowing.
Daniel moved gently and gathered her in a sitting hug, silently cursing Jack. This is what Jack was supposed to be doing.
"He needs to get his butt down here," Daniel almost spat.
"He can't," Sam defended Jack while seeking comfort in her friends embrace. "He's got orders this weekend."
Daniel pulled away. "He can damn well get out of…!"
"No, he can't," Sam interrupted. "It's the job Daniel. We all know what's required, and we all accepted it. Our personal lives are secondary. He's no exception. He can't be."
Daniel searchingly looked into her eyes and thought better of arguing. It's not what she needed right now. She needed a friend. And that's what he was going to be.
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When Sam finally arrived home two hours later she was feeling much better. Daniel had offered the support she had needed. Just someone to be there. She was still scared, but knew she wouldn't be alone. She had friends. Hopefully she'd still have Jack.
It was 01:30 and she was tired. Finally all the emotion of the day had exhausted her. Just a quick trip to the kitchen for a drink of water and then she would head off to bed. She would try to call Jack in the morning before he left for his office.
She noticed her message machine was showing new messages and instinctively knew it would be him. Instantly she regretted not going back in earlier that evening when she'd heard the phone ring. Yes, she was going through something awful. But to be fair, it was a shock to him too. They'd never talked about kids. She knew marriage was likely to top this weekend's agenda, yet children? After everything he'd been through with Charlie? Maybe she had been too self absorbed. She began to feel a little guilty. She had left him hanging after dropping the proverbial bomb after all. Ok, so he hadn't dealt with it well, but neither had she. She checked her messages.
The first she heard was "Crap!" and she began to laugh. How very Jack. He probably hadn't even realized it recorded.
The next was a musical hello, then him wanting her to pick up. Obviously he thought she was still there avoiding him.
The third message brought a lump to her throat.
"Hi, I'll be quick in case I get cut off. Hate this damn thing. I admit, I didn't handle that well. I'm sorry. Gonna be out of touch for a couple of days. Look, I'm really sorry Sam. I'd rather be there, with you. You know that. I- I love you. Just remember that. Please. I'll be in touch. Soon."
She had never before heard such depth of feeling in his voice, let alone on a message machine. He could not hide the anguish of not being able to talk to her. He still loved her. It was going to be okay, everything would be okay. Her hand once again unconsciously rubbed her abdomen.
TBC
Author's Request: When you're finished reading this chapter, please click on my name to visit my profile. Once there, if you select my home page, you will be brought to youtube where you can view the video "Where are you Now" created by Hope Leslie Hermnharry especially for this sequel.
DISCLAIMER: "Stargate SG-1," "Stargate Atlantis," and its characters are the property of MGM/UA, Double Secret Productions, Gekko Film Corp., Showtime/Viacom and USA Networks, Inc. This story is for entertainment purposes only and no money has exchanged hands. No copyright infringement is intended. The original characters, situations and story are the property of the author(s), and may not be republished or archived elsewhere without the author's permission.