A/N: Thank you so much for all your warm wishes and reviews! I've spent the best part of a week in hospital but I'm finally on the right road again. I thought I'd write a little fic while on bedrest. Thanks again for all your support!
I'm excited to get back to updating this on schedule again. You're all the best!
The Fifth Race
[This moment is set between Sam informing General Hammond and Daniel that they believe they'll be dead by the end of the day and Daniel's entrance into the lab.]
Daniel felt a different emotion per step, anger, frustration, loss, confusion, anger, understanding, worry, anticipation, impatience… he went through the motions on his way back to Janet, who was watching over Colonel O'Neill, in the midst of creating who knows what. He could see the opening to the lab in sight, he'd spent the entirety of the journey feeling sick with the stress of the possible impending deaths of his teammates that were stranded on a planet ready to kill them. He couldn't actually believe that there was a more prevalent issue at hand over Jack's mind transforming, but then again in this job he could. He anxiously entered the room, this time not anxious for Jack, but anxious for Sam and Teal'c. He knew if Jack was still in there that he would kill Daniel for keeping him in the dark about their situation, but he also knew Jack would put aside killing him in order to save the rest of SG1. But another concern that has risen was that 'Jack' would have been too far gone to understand Daniel by the time he'd gotten back, Daniel didn't know what the knowledge of the original gate-builders was actually doing to Jack's brain and it was driving him crazy. At the thought of Jack silently shrugging off the news Daniel hurried up. He took a final quick breath and entered.
[post ep.]
Jack was all scanned out. He felt like the good ol' doc Fraiser had taken at least 50% the blood in his body for tests; and as he impatiently waited while she did so, he came to the conclusion that draining people of their blood was how she maintained her control. He'd cracked the mystery behind how such a small woman had such huge power. His eyes widened at his realisation.
Janet gave a tired smile and carefully slid her pen into her front pocket, "That's it from me Colonel. I'll let you know when your blood work is done. You're free to go, but I'd like you to remain on base until we have all your results."
He winced at the idea of a beer-less night after the ordeal he'd just had, but he'd seen that answer coming. "Thanks doc." He acknowledged, jumping up and walking straight towards the exit. "If you need me, I'll be wherever you and your needles are not." He waved her his thanks and paced towards the elevator. He softly brushed the button, half a second passed and it felt too long. His thumb attacked the button, he took a moment to appreciate the sensation of it until a familiar voice pulled him from his childlike shenanigan.
"Colonel?"
"Oh, hey Carter." He shrugged.
"You in a rush to get somewhere sir?" she asked.
"Oh, is that what this does?" He signalled towards the elevator.
She smiled. "Well maybe the ancients didn't have elevators, you might not remember how one works."
"Yeah, but you see my lowly human memories are intact, it's the ones that could actually help us that have disappeared."
"Ah!" she grinned, feigning understanding. The elevator doors pinged open, Jack and Sam turned to face each other as a couple of SFs stumbled out. Jack paved the way for her to enter, and then he followed. "Where to sir?"
He looked down to his boots for the answer, but there was nothing there.
"Where are you heading?"
"The way towards desert." She hummed.
Her response sparked an impressed response, "see, now that I can get on board with."
They lightly conversed on their way to the commissary, as usual conservation came easy to them. They filled up their trays with food and found that their usual location was taken, so they wandered to a table in the corner, next to the empty vending machine.
They fell into a comfortable silence. Sam took some experimental nibbles of her food and grimaced as she gently pushed the tray away.
"The cuisine not up to your expectation today?" Jack tested.
"I think it's the effects from heat on P9Q-281, I've been nauseous ever since."
"Hm yeah, the heat's a bitch."
"True. Though that can be said for any extreme weather condition."
Their eyes simultaneously met as they both shared the memory of Antarctica, a series of emotions followed, projected like a slide show in their minds. Sam swallowed the thoughts away and her attention fell to the frayed piece on thread at the end of her sleeve.
"I'm sorry that we didn't find anything you help you while we were on the planet, sir."
"Yeah well…" He slumped back and dropped his fork. "I'm sorry you guys were stuck there."
She took a moment to contemplate, with her eyes wide with wonder she hesitantly asked, "If you don't mind me asking, what was it like?"
"Ah." He ran a hand through his messy hair. He sighed as he considered how to answer, he held her anticipating gaze, "I don't know. On my part, there were feelings."
She frowned. "Of what?"
"A lot." He huffed. "I'd say mainly powerlessness. It was kinda like I was a kid in my own body. Things were happening, I didn't really understand it. Though I kinda did." He picked his fork up and studied it as he pondered what he'd just said, unsure of whether that was really the right answer.
Something in her eyes shifted, a sense of empathy engulfed her gaze, aware of how those feelings felt she said. "I'm sorry sir."
"No, it wasn't like that." He brushed off, he knew that she was relating his experience to her time with the not goa'uld who seemed to have acted awfully like a goa'uld taking over her. "It was strange. I- ah I don't know, my memory on it is a bit fuzzy."
"I- we were worried about you, sir."
"I was worried about you too Captain." She offered a small smile. Jack blinked as a means of clearing whatever atmosphere seemed to be surrounding them. "You know you really should eat." She opened her mouth to justify herself, but he raised his hand and pointed at her tray, "not that though." He tapped the table, "c'mon I know just the thing."
Curious, and confused, she followed him through the halls of the base.
"Sir, where are we going?" she repeated for the third time.
"You'll see." He smirked.
He told her to change jackets, so they went to their lockers to change. They rendezvoused at the level 25 elevator doors, once inside the elevator Jack's choice of button confused Sam.
"Colonel- that's- I thought you had to stay on base until all your results were in?"
He rolled his eyes. "We're not going far. Plus, you're with me so it'll be fine."
Unconvinced she nodded, "Right."
"Carter, we'll be back before you know it."
They quickly made their way through check point and left the mountain, she followed him into his truck, and they took a 5 minute drive to a small street. Jack pulled into a spot on the side of the road, he turned the engine off and threw her the keys to offer her to wait in the truck but she insisted on going with him. They made their way to faded yellow sign that read 'Shelley's'.
She recognised where they were and followed him into the small building that she drove past every day. They were hit with the smell of fresh bread and brownies, it warmed up their senses. Sam's nose twitched, she turned to the Colonel and quietly asked, "a bakery?"
"Breads good for you when you're feeling sick." He casually replied, matter-of-factly.
She bit back her smile. "Sir, it's just a little nausea."
He glanced at her and shrugged. A friendly, freckly teenager with a faded badge that read Felicity greeted Jack by his given name, and he responded with equal warmth as he ordered a single loaf of bread. Sam was entirely entertained as she observed the interaction before her, she pitched in with the odd laugh or sound of agreement. She found the idea of Colonel O'Neill frequently visiting a bakery delightful, though somehow unsurprising. As the exchange came to an end, Felicity handed over their order as well as an apple turnover that she claimed was going to be thrown away. They bid their thanks and leaped back into the truck.
They laughed their way back to the SGC, he pulled into his spot and turned to face Sam.
"You know, the bread is for consumption."
"What, here?" She asked.
"Why not?" he took the brown bag from her, opened it and tore off some bread to offer to her. She initially wavered, but she slowly reached to accept it. Their fingers briefly brushed, they both felt the warmth of the fresh bread, Sam then pulled the torn bread from his grasp and took a bite. She scoffed and coughed out the heat, her face flushed with embarrassment as she barricaded her cheek with her hand. She saw the Colonel looking at her while chewing, "it's still hot" she sheepishly said.
They sat slumped in those seats for fifteen minutes, eating bread and talking. He presented her with the apple turnover which she declined, so Jack took it upon himself to eat it while she explained to him her most recent findings on the Touchstone research. He was going to stop her, but he thought in her defence they hadn't talked about anything work related since they'd left the SGC, so he supposed it was overdue.
It began to rain, which was their cue to get back to the base. They jogged to the entrance and signed back in.
The elevator doors shut, and they felt the food inside them drop per level. "Carter, can you believe you were gone half an hour and the place is still standing?"
"I do leave the base, sir." She said slightly defensively. He gave her his look, the same look he'd always give her whenever she responded to his teasing. The doors parted at level 19, she stepped forward to leave but first twisted to face him, "Thank you for the bread."
"Anytime."
She gratefully gestured her goodbye and began to walk to her lab.
The nauseous feeling in her stomach had faded and it had been replaced with a noticeably different feeling.