Her debrief took so long that it included two meal breaks and left her exhausted. Strong coffee was the only thing keeping her going when she and Jack sat down in General Landry's office.
"I know another meeting is the last you want after a day this long, but I'd like to talk to you about your next assignment, which you won't start until after you have had a nice long rest and passed all the required hoops that have to be jumped." General Landry sat back in his chair.
"I would appreciate a little heads up, sir. I mean the promotion came as such a pleasant surprise, but I am a bit curious what's in store for me now." Sam's fingers were twisted together in her lap as she kept her shoulders straight and stiff.
Jack reached over and put his hand on her forearm. "Hank and I are both retiring." Sam's eyes widened as she looked between the two men. "We've been putting it off hoping to finally negotiate your release and now you're home."
"Both of you?" She looked aghast. "But that's a huge loss of experience all at once."
Both men shared a smirk. General Landry huffed. "The President said the same thing, but we pointed out there were other people with experience ready to take our places."
Jack gently squeezed her arm, regaining her attention. "The SGC is yours."
Sam slumped back in her chair. "That's…that's…huge."
Jack gave her a soft smile. "You deserve it and you're ready."
"There's also no rush." General Landry slid a folder across his desk. "The plan is to have you come back here in a month or so, when you're feeling ready, and we'll work on a smooth transition of power over a few weeks. I won't throw you into the deep end."
Sam looked over at Jack. "And you?"
"I'm thinking it's time we find a nice little place here, with a yard, a big yard. You know, something with enough room for a dog, maybe two."
Sam's eyes glittered with the tears she was holding back. "Really?" Jack nodded. "I think I can make that work."
General Landry stood first. Sam and Jack followed suit. "In that case why don't you two get out of here."
-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-
Sam barely registered the apartment building Jack stopped in front of.
"Daniel's on a dig somewhere out there," Jack pointed up, "but he lets me stay here when I'm in town." He held the door for her. Sam knew the way, so she headed for the elevator and then the third door to the right after exiting the elevator. Sam went to the guest bedroom while Jack locked up. He was glad he'd brought a few things for her from D.C. as he watched her going through her bedtime routine. She moved as if she was going through her evening routine on rote and he assumed she probably was since she was dead on her feet. He watched her pull the covers up to her chin and roll onto her side before closing the bathroom door, to keep the light from bothering her while he got ready for bed.
Jack slid into bed doing his best to not jostle Sam, in case she was already asleep. He barely had a chance to stretch his arm out for her before she curled up against him. She had clearly not been asleep even though her eyes had been closed. She pressed her forehead against his neck, laid her bent right arm over his chest, and stretched her right leg along the top of his right leg. She sighed as he curled his right arm, resting his hand along her ribs.
Jack pulled his head back far enough to be able to kiss her forehead before relaxing back against his pillow again. "We can sleep in. Our flight to D.C. doesn't leave until 1500."
"Thanks for getting approval for me to go with you."
"You can do your eleventy billion psychiatrist visits in D.C. just as easily as you can here."
"Eleventy billion?"
"At least." His fingers twitched, making her squirm just a bit. "And while I'm wrapping things up at the Pentagon you can work on packing."
"Packing huh?"
"Yep, my wife has this awesome new job, so we'll be moving soon."
She fell asleep laying tightly against him, but his brain refused to turn off. He knew it was ridiculous, but a little corner of his grey matter was worried if he closed his eyes, she'd be gone when he woke. He didn't want to risk waking up and finding out this was just a dream, similar to the ones he'd had so many times over the last few months. Eventually he drifted off.
Jack stretched his arm out and found cool sheets beside him in the morning. A fear colder than the sheets gripped his heart. He threw back the covers as he sat up, scanning the room. He calmed when he saw her discarded bra still lying on the dresser. He made a quick stop in the bathroom before going to the small kitchen.
"Morning." Jack shook his head. "Already working?" Sam was sitting in the breakfast nook with his laptop open in front of her. He wasn't at all surprised that she either knew his password or was able to get in without it.
"Morning. I'm not exactly working on work."
"Then what are…"
"Look." Sam turned the computer towards him as she gave him a wide bright smile, not attempting to hide her excitement as she vibrated in her seat.
Jack bent down and squinted, wondering where he had left his readers. "Well, I'll be damned."
"It's perfect timing, wouldn't you say?" She bit her lower lip and wiggled her eyebrows.
"I guess it wouldn't hurt to contact the real estate agent, just to get a little info." Jack stood up and moved over to the coffee pot.
Sam's smile faded. "You don't seem as excited as I thought you'd be."
"It's not that. I just…wouldn't you prefer something new; I mean new to us."
Sam pushed up from her chair and moved over to him. She gently wrapped her arms around his neck. He sat his coffee cup down on the counter so he could wrap his arms around her waist. "It has a backyard with enough room for a dog or two."
"Yes, it does."
"It has an observation deck where we can make out while pretending to look at stars."
"Pretending?"
He sucked in a breath as she kissed his neck. "I might let you look at the stars in between."
"In between?" His blood flow was quickly shifting directions. She nibbled his earlobe.
"We'd make it our home."
"We would, huh?" Her hands slipped under the edge of his shirt as he tried to focus on what he was saying. "And how exactly would we do that?"
"By doing this in every room." She lifted her head and pressed her lips against his, deepening the kiss as soon as he responded to her.
-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-
Jack dumped his now cold coffee down the sink and made a fresh cup for himself and Sam, who was still laying gloriously naked on the sofa. "You know Daniel would die if he knew what we just did on his couch."
"Again? He should be tired of dying by now." Sam giggled at her own joke. She was still smiling when Jack handed her a mug of coffee and sat down beside her.
"We both better hope he doesn't have a hidden camera in here somewhere."
Sam wiggled her eyebrows. "You wouldn't like to watch that video?"
Jack snorted. "I might like to watch you, but I know I wouldn't like seeing me."
Sam turned her head into his shoulder and giggled again. He loved hearing her so happy. She looked back up at him. "When I finish this coffee, I'm going to call the realtor, as long as you're ok with that."
He used his thumb to trace the edge of her jaw. "If you're sure then I'm good with it."
The realtor was surprised they wanted to make an offer on the house sight unseen. Sam decided not to ruin the mystique of it all by admitting they knew the house well, although she assumed eventually the realtor would probably realize Jack was the home's former owner. By the time they got on the plane they were making plans about what furniture would go in which room. It was a better future than Sam had allowed herself to imagine while trapped in the work camp.
As Sam looked out the airplane window at the clouds below, she thought back to the clouds floating above her while she laid in the mass grave. The odor hit her again and for a brief moment she was back there, surrounded by death. Jack, sensing the change in her attention, squeezed her knee, grounding her, letting her clear her mind for the moment. She knew she had to use her new position to try and help Terla and the other Assirian women. She would suggest an all-male negotiating team offer medical and research help, as well as sanctuary for the women deemed unfit. Jack squeezed her hand, having felt her tense. She gave him a smile, letting him know she was alright, with him and her future at the SGC.
Epilogue:
"General, we finished our report."
Sam motioned to the chair in front of her desk. "Please sit and give me the condensed version."
Dr. Bailey slid into the offered chair. "The Assirian doctors were correct about the gene for Blue disease being on the X chromosome."
"But?" Sam could hear the but in her statement.
"The gene also protects the Assirians from a widespread insect borne disease that causes miscarriages."
Sam's head tilted. "Which means?"
"It means the women who don't carry the gene will have a higher miscarriage rate than those who do carry the gene."
"But the Assirians have been blaming the higher miscarriage rate on the gene as well?"
"Yes, they have." Dr. Bailey nodded. "This also means we can't ethically genetically engineer this gene out of their society. It provides a benefit."
Sam's lips thinned. She had been hoping for an easy quick answer even though she knew the Assirians had spent decades working on this problem. "What does your team suggest?"
"We will continue to research whether it is possible to modify the gene so it still protects them from the insect borne disease but doesn't cause Blue disease but while that will take a long time and may not produce the results we want. In the meantime it would be best to deploy teams to help them better mitigate the Blue disease."
0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-
Sam was waiting at the end of the ramp when Colonel Byrd and his team returned from Assiria.
"Colonel, good to have you back."
"Thank you, General." He stopped in front of Sam. "The medical teams have been accepted by the Assirian medical establishment. The first trials have shown a distinct improvement in Blue disease infants. Dr. Moyer believes with a little time they can get the treatment refined to the point this disease may not result in a shortened lifespan."
"That is excellent news."
"Their researchers were shocked to learn the Blue disease gene had a benefit to their society. They fought hard against the concept but in the end they accepted our findings."
"And the camps?" Sam felt her stomach twist.
"The death camps have all been shuttered. The breeding and work camps are still functioning, since they are such a key component of their society, but they are open to our suggestions."
"Good work, Colonel. We'll do a full debrief in an hour after you are released from the infirmary."
