CHAPTER FOUR
Things were going well, Jack thought, as he mused over their relationship. He wasn't sure if "relationship" was the right word. He didn't love the long-distance, but they spoke on the phone every night and he thought they could see each other a couple times a month at least going forward, once Sam settled into her new schedule. Nevada wasn't all that far away when you think about it. In the meantime, he'd start scouting the General pool for someone he could trust to take over the SGC.
Then he got orders to report to D.C. He called General Hammond, who confirmed that the brass wanted a full in-person debriefing on the current state of the SGC. And there were some possible changes to discuss. Jack did not have a good feeling about it. Nothing good ever happened in Washington.
He flipped his phone open and dialed quickly.
"Carter," came the greeting at the other end.
"They want me in D.C. on Monday."
"What for?"
"I'm afraid to find out. Supposedly it's for a full debriefing, now that we've vanquished our enemies and all. Something about the mission of the program going forward, yada yada."
"That doesn't sound terrible."
"There's something else going on here, I know it. And I know I'm gonna hate it."
"Ever the optimist," Sam said through a smile. "Keep me posted."
"Will do," Jack agreed. "And, I," he cleared his throat, "miss you."
"I miss you too," she replied.
o-O-o
Teal'c looked around the small suite at the SGC that he had called home for most of his time on Earth. He had acquired more than he realized. He wasn't sure what to do with much of it. He had little use for a Star Wars trilogy boxed DVD set on Dakara, nor for the robust wardrobe of colorful clothes that he had a taste for, a welcomed change from the armor and earth-toned robes that were common among the Jaffa. He decided most of his Earth belongings would have to remain behind. He needed a fresh start. He would entrust O'Neill with whatever he could not take yet could not discard.
He thought of O'Neill, the leader whose commands he had followed for the better part of a decade and whose courage and quick-thinking had led him to trust the strange newcomers in freeing Apophis' hostages. It had been a decision made in a moment of clarity and everything that followed had been a result of that instinct to trust. O'Neill had become like a brother to him and he knew he could never repay him or his team for what they had done for the Jaffa. They had stood up for him when the leaders of Earth remained skeptical about his loyalties and their belief in him had never wavered, even when his belief in himself had. And he felt sure the Jaffa would not now be free without their assistance. If he did nothing else in his life, his decision to trust the Tau'ri was a good one and he could feel proud of that. He hoped this would not be the end of his relationship with his teammates. More than just allies and fellow warriors, they were his friends—perhaps the best ones he would ever know.
A knock on the door interrupted his thoughts.
"Enter," Teal'c said loudly.
The door opened and Daniel stood in the doorway, surveying the room in front of him. "Wow. I didn't realize how much stuff you had here."
Teal'c paused his packing to look at Daniel. "Nor did I, Daniel Jackson. It would appear I have acquired much in my time here. Far more than I need."
"First Sam, and now you. Things will really be different around here," Daniel said.
"I believe it is time to move on, Daniel Jackson. I never intended my time here to be permanent. It is time to return to my people," Teal'c said, though he couldn't mask the sadness in his voice.
Daniel nodded his head awkwardly and crossed his arms over his chest. "I know how hard it is. Feeling like you're caught between two worlds and don't really belong in either of them. Trust me, I know." Daniel laughed nervously. "And I understand why you have to leave. But I hope you know that you will always be among family here, no matter what."
Teal'c gave Daniel a nod and kept his gaze on the other man. "Your acceptance of me has never wavered in spite of . . . my past actions. And for that, I am grateful."
Daniel understood that he was talking about his role in Shar'e's capture and implantation with the Goa'uld Amaunet. Daniel felt the familiar pain shoot through him that he felt whenever he was reminded of Shar'e. He welcomed the feeling and the memory of her.
The two men looked at each other for a moment before Daniel broke his gaze. "You about ready for a snack break?" he asked.
"I am in need of sustenance," Teal'c responded.
"After you," Daniel said as he held out his arm for Teal'c to lead the way.
o-O-o
The two men took stools at the bar. When the bartender approached, General Hammond ordered two pints of Guinness.
"Nice place," Jack said as he surveyed the bar. It was clearly a dive, but it had character. A nice contrast to the pretentiousness of DC.
"It's a good spot to decompress at the end of a long day at the Pentagon. Sam actually recommended it to me when I transferred here," Hammond replied.
Jack averted his eyes at the mention of his former second-in-command and current love interest. Of course Sam would have found this place. She worked on the Stargate program at the Pentagon for two years before joining the SGC.
The bartender placed two pints in front of the men. Jack offered a gesture of thanks and took a long sip. With the day's official briefings over, Hammond had invited Jack for an off-the-record chat. Jack had a sinking feeling that something was up.
Hammond spoke first. "Looks like I'm finally retiring, Jack."
"Congratulations, sir! I take it you're doing it willingly this time?"
Hammond laughed. "Oh, definitely. With the Goa'uld finally defeated, the timing seems right. And it's been hard this last year being so far away from my grandchildren. Hearing my doctor's diagnosis that I've got the early signs of congestive heart failure sealed the deal. I'd like to spend whatever time I have left with my family."
Jack could understand that. And if anyone has earned the right to enjoy retirement, it was George Hammond.
"General, I believe I can speak for the entire planet when I say that I'm glad you stayed on for as long as you did. Not sure we'd be sitting here right now without your leadership. God knows you've saved my butt more times than I can count."
"Well I don't know about that but thank you."
Hammond was quiet for a few moments and Jack braced himself for what he figured was coming next.
"Jack, I'd like you to take over for me," Hammond said.
Jack grimaced and lowered his head at hearing the words spoken aloud.
"Sir, I—"
"Look, Jack, I know politics isn't exactly your forte. And your diplomatic skills could use a little . . . fine-tuning. But I need to know that the person taking my place believes in the mission and knows what's at stake here. I can't think of anyone better for that job than you."
Jack slumped down in his stool as he realized the situation he was in. In the wrong hands, Homeworld Security could do a hell of a lot of damage. They'd had to fight off opportunistic politicians since the program started. And even with Kinsey dead and the Trust scattered, there was no shortage of ambitious up-and-comers who shared their lust for power. There were strong factions in the government and the military that truly believed the Stargate program was moving in the wrong direction; who favored a more aggressive, militaristic approach. There were others who had been lobbying for international civilian control over the Stargate for years. The IOA was gaining strength as an institution and Jack knew there was only so long they would tolerate U.S. military control over such an asset. Hammond had managed to thread the needle so far and keep most people happy enough—thanks in large part to the work of SG1—but the status quo wasn't guaranteed. The SGC's recent successes gave them some latitude, and likely gave Hammond his choice of successors, but that good will wouldn't last forever. Someone had to be in charge who could keep the program on track and protect his people, and who had sufficient field and command experience to warrant the respect and deference of the various power players.
Hammond was right and Jack's heart sank. He had so been looking forward to an early retirement in Colorado. Or Nevada, even better. But he also knew that he and Sam weren't going backward. Not after he knew what it felt like to be inside her and to wake up with her warm body curled up next to him. Nope, that was not an option.
He straightened his back while his hand absently traced over the Guinness logo on the glass in front of him. "General—"
"Jack, it's George now. Please. I'm weeks away from retirement."
"George," Jack gestured deferentially. "There's something else."
"Oh?"
"Carter and I . . ." Jack began, rubbing his hand over his eyes and dreading that this conversation was necessary, "we've sort of gotten closer since her transfer out of the mountain. And not a minute before that, I swear," he threw in, though it wasn't entirely true. "Anyway, with her out of my chain of command, we were free to . . . pursue that, sort of. But, this . . . it would really complicate things."
Hammond let out a soft chuckle. Privately, he had been hoping his two subordinates would finally find a way forward with the relationship they both had clearly wanted with one another. "I understand, Jack. And I can't say I'm particularly surprised. And as your friend, I'm happy for you."
Seconds passed while Hammond appeared to mull things over. "Let me give this some thought. I think we can work something out, but we'll have to lay it all on the table with the brass. With your position, everything has got to be above-board and by the book. We can't give those who want to change the way the program operates any opportunity to go after you. Or Sam."
Jack grimaced again. He knew Hammond was right. A secret relationship across ranks between two prominent Stargate personnel would be trouble. It would give those sleazy types an opportunity to try and blackmail them or manufacture a scandal to get rid of them. Kinsey had already tried that once. And it could ruin Carter's reputation—something which he was ardently committed to avoiding. But having his personal life be a topic of professional conversation was somewhere between being head-sucked by an Ancient device and being tortured by the Goa'uld on his list of things he wanted to do.
Sensing Jack's discomfort, Hammond's mind went back to the last time he had seen Jacob Carter. It was a few days after they had defeated the Replicators and Jacob had made a point to visit Hammond at his home in Colorado on one of the rare occasions that he could get away from D.C.
The two men sat in the study, each with a tumbler of the 18-year-old whiskey George saved for special occasions. Jacob sipped his drink for a long time as he listened to the other man talk about their younger days serving together.
"So, Jacob, I know you didn't come here just to reminisce about the good old times. What can I do for you?"
Jacob smiled. He took a long sip of his drink before he began slowly.
"I'm dying George. But I'm not here to talk about that," Jacob said, breaking the comfortable silence.
"Jacob—"
"George, please. Selmak's dying and I'm gonna die with him. There's no other way. I don't know if we have days or weeks, but I need you to listen to me."
Hammond sighed and leaned back into the armchair. "I'm listening Jacob."
"It's about Sam. I need you to make sure she's okay . . . after I'm gone. Leaving her behind will be my biggest regret. Mark too, of course. But he's in a happy marriage with a wonderful woman who loves him. He has his beautiful family. He'll be okay. But Sam, she deserves to be happy. Really happy. And I'm afraid I won't live to see that."
"Jacob, you know I regard Sam like a member of my own family. I've had to keep my paternal feelings for her in check more than once as her commanding officer. I'd be happy to take on that role. You don't have to worry about that."
Jacob smiled. "You know, when I first met Jack O'Neill, back in Washington that first time, before Selmak, it was clear to me even then that he and Sam were too close. Back then I had the guy pegged as a lecherous creep who was abusing his position of power to take advantage of my daughter. And I had half a mind to tell him so, even knowing that Sam would kill me for interfering.
"But as I spent more time with SG-1, I realized that wasn't him. The man would never take advantage of her. He would die to protect her, I'm sure of that. And over the years, knowing he was there watching her back has given me great comfort.
"When I see them together, it reminds me of myself and Sam's mother. And of you and Rebecca, before she died. Not everyone gets the opportunity for that kind of happiness, fleeting as it might be. The two of them have given up their best chance at it to put the mission first. And while that's admirable, it breaks my heart."
Hammond nodded. He couldn't say he disagreed with the man.
"Trust me, Jacob, I've spent plenty of sleepless nights mulling over the situation. It's been obvious to me for years that the two of them care more for each other than is appropriate, given their working relationship. I've often wondered if the best thing would be to assign them to different teams. Or encourage Jack to retire and allow him to continue working for the program as a civilian. But ultimately, SG1 as a unit was too valuable and they knew it. They had made their choice and I felt it was my duty to honor that. And now with Sam's engagement to Mr. Shanahan . . ."
Jacob grimaced and huffed. "That's not gonna work out, George, and you know it. She's settling. He's not the one she wants and sooner or later she's gonna realize it. I just hope it's sooner."
"That may be so, but she seems happy. She's made her choice, Jacob. All we can do is offer our support."
Jacob sighed. "You're right. I know that. I just want the best for her. Whether she's with that Shanahan guy"—he couldn't keep the look of distaste off his face as he said the name—"or . . . someone else. I need to know there's someone who can take my place."
"You'll never be replaced, Jacob. Of that, I am sure. But you needn't worry. I will look after Sam like I do my own daughter. She'll be okay."
"I'm glad to hear it, George."
Hammond looked at Jack and continued, "You know I spoke with Jacob before he passed. He made it clear to me that in his absence, it was my job to look after Sam like she was my own daughter. I told him it would be my honor to take on the job. He liked you, Jack. And he trusted you with Sam's life. He knew how the two of you felt about each other. It was his dying wish for Sam to be happy."
Jack smiled at the mention of Jacob and it warmed his heart to know that he would approve, though he would never admit it.
"Just so you know though," Hammond continued, "if you hurt her, I will shoot you. I may be flying a desk right now but I still know my way around a P90."
Jack was taken aback by the sincerity in Hammond's statement. "Understood, General. Trust me, there isn't a day that goes by that I don't remind myself that I'm the luckiest son of a bitch in the galaxy to even have a shot here."
Hammond chuckled and took a long sip of his drink. He spared a thought for his late friend Jacob and glanced skyward, hoping he was doing right by him.
o-O-o
Well that was just as awful as he was expecting. Sitting with the President of the United States of America and members of the Joint Chiefs to discuss his sex life was something he hoped he never had to do again. Humiliating didn't even begin to cover it.
But at least they had a plan now. He would take over Homeworld Security, putting him in command, at least officially, of all off-world related programs. With her new assignment leading research and development at Area 51, Sam would report to the commanding officer of that facility, General Hawley. Jack would have no role whatsoever regarding her evaluations or promotions. Any reassignments had to be signed off by General Vidrine.
Jack knew he needed to cover their asses, if only to protect Carter's career. And he made it clear to the brass that this was his condition to take the position. President Hayes seemed only too happy to accommodate this simple request given the number of times the two of them had saved the planet. And Jack made sure to confirm that their relationship had only begun upon her transfer, when they both believed they were free to act under the regulations. Everyone seemed to accept that, at least outwardly. But having his bosses know intimate details about his personal business was pretty much his worst nightmare.
He picked up his phone and dialed.
"Carter," he heard the voice at the other end answer.
"Hey."
"Hey. How'd it go?" Sam asked nervously.
"Oh, you know, your basic nightmare come to life. Minus the naked part."
She gave a nervous chuckle.
Jack sighed and continued, "We're good. You report to Hawley, Hawley reports to Vidrine on anything to do with you. I am to have no part in your promotions or work evaluations. Other than that, we are free to pursue a personal relationship, though we are urged to exercise extreme discretion in doing so."
He heard her let out a sigh. He could tell that she was relieved that they could now act on their feelings without fear of breaking any rules, but he knew she was just as mortified as he was at having their relationship be a point of discussion in a meeting with the President.
"Well that's good news," she managed, trying to swallow her embarrassment.
"Yeah," he said as his lips turned into a smile with the reality that they could actually do this thing sinking in. That was immediately followed by a wave of terror that he better not fuck this up. The only thing worse than having to go through airing his dirty laundry with the brass would be to have them find out it that it was all for nothing because she dumped his ass.
Note to self, Jack: don't fuck this up.
o-O-o
Jack stood nervously as he rang the doorbell. These conversations were always awkward. A few moments later the door swung open and Hank Landry's smiling face greeted him.
"Jack! It's good to see you in the flesh. How long has it been?"
"Not long enough," Jack replied.
"Funny man you are. So what brings you to these parts?"
Jack sighed and looked Landry in the eye before speaking. "Here on official business, Hank. I need to talk to you about the Stargate program."
"Stargate? Is that some top-secret code that I'm not familiar with?"
Jack cleared his throat. "No, it's an actual gate. That goes to other planets. In outer space."
Hank glanced at the other man warily. "Okay, seriously Jack. What's going on here?"
"Maybe we should sit down for this."
Hank sighed and gestured for Jack to enter. "If you say so."
They sat in Landry's study for quite a while. Jack went through the usual speech about the Stargate and the program. Hank's attention never wavered. When Jack was finished, Hank leaned back on the sofa and simply stared at the man in front of him.
"You're pulling my leg, right?" Hank said incredulously.
Jack smiled. "Not this time, Hank," Jack replied.
Hank stood up and slowly paced around the room.
"So you're saying the Cheyenne Mountain base is actually a vast underground facility containing an ancient metal ring that transports people to other planets and that this has been happening for almost 10 years? And you want ME to run that facility?" Hank said, his voice rising.
"Yeah, that pretty much covers it," Jack said casually. "What'd'ya think?"
Hank gave Jack a half-smile. "What am I supposed to say to that?"
"How bout, 'sure.'"
Hank sat down again and leaned forward, bracing his arms on his knees. He looked Jack squarely in the eye and held his gaze before speaking. "You're damn right. I'm in," he said as a smile spread across his face. He reached out his hand. Jack smiled back at him as he clasped the man's hand with his own.
o-O-o
Jack, Daniel, and Teal'c gathered around the Gate. Teal'c wore his traditional Jaffa robes. He had sent his belongings through to Dakara the day before.
Daniel was first to bid farewell to his friend. "Take care of yourself, Teal'c. We couldn't have done any of this without you. And you've been a great friend." Teal'c could see Daniel's eyes getting misty.
"You as well, Daniel Jackson. I have learned much from you. Your capacity for compassion and forgiveness in even the most difficult of circumstances is truly your greatest gift. I hope we shall meet again before long. You will always be a welcome friend to the Jaffa. And to me."
With that, Daniel hugged Teal'c and subtly wiped the tears from his eyes.
Next, it was Jack's turn to say his goodbyes.
"T, you know I'm no good at this stuff."
"It is alright, O'Neill."
"I just . . . we'll miss you around here. Don't be a stranger."
"I have learned much under your leadership, O'Neill. I have yet to meet another with the level of loyalty and courage you display. The SGC is fortunate to have you in command. As is Earth. And I am fortunate to have called you my friend."
Jack was moved by his words. He slapped Teal'c on the shoulder before drawing him into a hug.
"Take care of your people, T. They need you. And if it doesn't work out, you always have a place here."
Teal'c bowed his head and turned to go through the open Gate. Jack called the military personnel in the room to attention. A sizeable crowd had come to see Teal'c off.
They all watched as his figure disappeared into the shimmering blue circle.
