slight language warning
***SG1***SG1***
Rapping his knuckles on the door jam, Jack schooled his features. "You wanted to see me, Sir?"
"Colonel, come in," General McCallum said, putting down papers to give him his full attention. Sitting back, the commander of Nellis Air Force Base ran assessing eyes over his latest addition. "How are things going for you?"
"Fine, Sir," Jack answered, a little confused by the question. He had been there a little over two weeks and he had tried to be on his best behavior. "Have you heard something else, Sir?"
"No, no," McCallum quickly replied. "Just checking in," he said, a small smile on his lips to ease Jack's worries. "I wanted to get your opinion on a couple people in your class. It seems others are having some trouble with..." The ringing of the telephone interrupted him. "Excuse me," he said offhandedly as he reached for the device. "McCallum... George! How are things?" The General's eyes darted toward Jack. "As a matter of fact, he's right here." Looking down, he listened. "I can put him on," he said after a brief moment. Listening more, he sighed. "No other way?... What should I tell him?... Okay," the commander said before hanging up the phone.
Looking up, he saw the tension in Jack's frame, understanding he had already surmised who the caller was and that it had been about him.. "You're to report to Cheyenne Mountain, ASAP," McCallum confirmed.
"Did General Hammond say why?" Jack breathed, his heart racing at the possibilities, many of them not boding well for his team or Earth in general.
"I'm suppose to tell you that everyone is okay. He just needs to consult with you on something. Something that can't be discussed over the phone."
Nodding, the explanation did little to ease the sense of dread that seeped into Jack. Forcing his hands to let go of the arms of the chair, he stood. "Sir?" he said, asking for permission to go, his mind already calculating the quickest way for him to get there.
"Granted," McCallum said, "And Colonel, tell Hammond I'm only loaning you out for forty-eight hours. I expect you back."
***SG1***SG1****
Striding down the hallways of the SGC, Jack barely registered the airmen and scientists who darted out of his way, pressing themselves against the walls at attention. It wasn't often they had seen him in anything but BDUs. Seeing him in blue slacks and wind breaker, his white shirt peaking out from under the open zipper, he looked every bit the colonel the eagles on his shoulders told them he was. Mostly however, it was the harsh seriousness of his features that made them move the quickest.
Pausing at the doorway of his former commander long enough to force his breathing to calm, he scanned the room. Seeing Hammond reading, a frown on his features, Jack felt the grip of fear on his soul tighten slightly. "General?"
"Jack," George called, gesturing for him to enter before sliding the paper into a folder. "How's Nellis?"
"Fine," Jack breathed out, coming into the room. Stopping by the chairs, his hands gripped the back of one of them for support. He had hours getting there to conjure up many unpleasant possibilities that may be waiting. "But I doubt you called me here to discuss my teaching techniques."
Chuckling, George stood. "No, I didn't," he sighed, picking up a folder. Looking at it in his hand he pursed his lips weighing the implications of the papers within it. Changing his mind, he shot Jack a tight smile, laying the papers back down. "How about we head out of here, find a drink?" he asked, reaching for his coat.
Jack's eyebrow quirked. "Sir?" he said, his eyes darting between the General and folder that seemed to have significance as to why he had been summoned.
Shrugging on his jacket, Hammond made sure he was looking Jack in the eye. "Just trust me," he said softly.
A wrinkle of confusion crossed Jack's features before they smoothed out. "Always, Sir."
***SG1***SG1***
Reaching out to take the beer offered to him, Jack sat back in the chair, running his eyes around the General's living room. Knowing the older man sat down in a chair across from him, he took a deep breath. "As much as I have enjoyed the chit-chat and all," he said, gesturing to the room to indicate the General's hospitality, "you ready to tell me what's going on?"
Chuckling at his former second, George silently conceded he had kept him waiting for too long. Knowing there was no easy way to say what he had to tell him, he decided to rip the tape off in one blow. "Major Carter has submitted papers," he began. "And I can't accept them unless you agree to come back."
Stunned confusion froze Jack's features. "Excuse me?"
A loud sigh escaped Hammond as he allowed the full effect of the unpleasantness of his task to appear on his face. "It's not my choice, Jack. The Pentagon never intended for you both to leave. They only accepted your transfer request because they thought Major Carter would be back." Taking a long draw on the beer in his hand, he added, "I've been ordered to keep at least one of you, whatever it takes."
"Son of a bitch," Jack breathed, closing his eyes as his head hit the back of the chair.
***SG1***SG1***
"Have you decided what you are going to do now?" Tiffany asked, watching Sam as she toyed with a paper clip she had picked up from the desk. She had noted the sadness that had permeated Carter since she had sent in her paperwork.
"Not really," Sam breathed, her eyes drifting to the hospital grounds outside the window. "I get several offers a year from private companies to consult. Maybe I'll do that," she shrugged. "Or teach," she added, glancing back at the doctor.
Nodding slowly, Rogers pursed her lips. "Will that be enough?"
A frown met her words. "Meaning?"
"Meaning," Tiffany said, shifting in her chair, "you've lived the past how many years on adrenaline, coffee and determination trying to literally save the world from destruction. Plus, what did you tell me? Foremost expert on the most closely guarded secret the military and the world has?" Shaking her head slowly again, she continued. "That's pretty heady stuff to walk away from."
"I think I'll be fine," Sam said, a hint of sarcasm and exasperation in her voice.
"You're sure that some part doesn't feel like you're giving up? That if you walk away now, someone else will be winning?"
Confusion crossed Sam's face. "Why are you doing this?" she said lowly.
"Because you have to be sure, Sam," Tiffany said gently. "Otherwise, you are never going to be happy with whatever you end up doing and it's going to taint everything else you may choose to have in your life. Especially if it happens to be involved in some part of your former life that you regret walking away from." Her eyes pinned Sam to make sure she understood she was speaking about a particular person.
***SG1***SG1***
Scrubbing his hands over through his face, Jack turned away from the window. "Look, isn't it all really moot anyway? My knees aren't going to take a helluva lot more."
"There's other ways you can be involved without going on missions," George reminded him as gently as he could. "As I said before, you could run the place if you want. Otherwise, I'll get them to create some sort of advisory or logistical position for you."
"Paperwork. Lovely," Jack murmured, dropping back into the chair and taking a drink of the lukewarm beer.
A sigh escaped Hammond. "I'm sorry, Jack." Steeling his features, he bit back the bile that etched up his throat, knowing what he had to say next. "I could talk to Major Carter and see if she wants to stay in some capacity, maybe in the lab."
"No," Jack said sharply, resignation settling into his voice. "She's given enough," he added quietly. A shiver ran through him at the thought of Sam being forced back to the mountain and then into going through the Stargate again. Swallowing, he fought the nausea that churned in his stomach at the thought of what could happen to her then. Toying with the label on the bottle for a few seconds until he was sure he could safely speak, he looked up. "When do I need to be packed?"
"Advisor or the whole enchilada?" George asked, a big part of him hating every particle and nuance of the question. The rest of him was relieved he did not have to have this conversation with Sam.
Looking away, Jack ran the question through his head. With everything he had done over the years, he had long given up the dream of making General. At the same time, getting it this way, as a bribe to lure him back, made the acid in his stomach churn again. Turning his eyes back, he shifted slightly before pinning Hammond with his gaze. "I don't want those stars if I haven't earned them."
Shock flickered across George's face. Meeting Jack's eyes, his face softened."You've more than earned them son." Making sure to retain Jack's gaze, he added, "I'll stay as long as you need me to, Jack. If you're not sure, come back as a strategist and I'll keep the chair until you're ready or they're ready to let you go."
A frown pulled on Jack's face at the words. "You wanted to retire."
Hammond dropped his eyes, trying to hide the flash of guilt at his inability to keep this from happening to Jack. "Sometimes," he drawled softly, "sacrifices have to be made."
Jack suppressed the reaction that wanted to escape at the confirmation of Hammond's intention to throw himself on the proverbial stake for him. He considered the older man a close friend and while he may not be able to save himself in this situation, he'd be damned if he'd let him sacrifice himself also. "Guess if I have to stay, may as well get the perks too," he said dryly, his eyes drifting to the stars on the General's shirt.
***SG1***SG1***
"Do you think I'm giving up? Letting someone else win if I don't come back?"
The words coming through the lab's telephone speaker caused Daniel's head to snap up, his eyes colliding with Teal'c's. "Er... why do you ask?" he stuttered out, unsure of what else to say.
"It's something Doctor Rogers asked me," Sam explained.
Licking his lips nervously, Daniel asked the obvious. "And you said?"
"I don't know." Silence came through the line until Sam added, "I sent Hammond my retirement papers."
Daniel dropped his head at the sense of loss the words caused in him. "I'm sorry, Sam," he said softly, his eyes going to Teal'c to see similar sorrow in his eyes. "I know how much this means to you."
"It's okay," she replied, her voice thick. "It'll just mean more time to do other things," she added after clearing her throat.
"Have you spoken with O'Neill about your decision?" Teal'c asked.
"Not recently. A while back he said it was my choice if I came back," Sam replied, her voice low. "He'd be there for me either way."
"As will we."
"Thank you," Sam choked out. After a pause to swallow the lump the words had caused, she continued. "I thought it was for the best, but now, I'm not sure. Part of me wants to stay in, leave open the possibility to come back. So I can prove that I can do it, you know?"
***SG1***SG1***
"Do you want me to tell her?" George asked, handing Jack another beer.
A pained look crossed Jack's face. "Tempting," he breathed out, "but I'll do it." Looking down, he added softly, "She deserves to hear it from me. She was happy I wasn't in the line of fire anymore."
Nodding slowly, George watched as Jack pulled on the bottle label. "You know, this isn't all bad," he said evenly. A skeptical look had him adding, "For you and Sam. The Air Force won't be between you anymore." A softening of Jack features told Hammond that the younger man had had similar thoughts.
"She needs time yet," Jack said quietly, not bothering to deny that they were heading toward a change in their relationship.
"What about you?" George pressed softly, his head tilting slightly in curiosity. "How are you doing with everything that happened?"
A slight shudder passed through Jack at the flashes that popped into his head. "Good days and bad," he quipped, forcing his mind to shove the memories back. Sobering, his eyes drifted to the window. "I'll be okay as long as she doesn't change her mind and wants to come back to the SGC."
A slow nod acknowledged Jack's statement and the unspoken confirmation of the painful emotions that still remained. Looking down, George let out a heavy sigh. "I'm sorry that I couldn't stop this."
***SG1***SG1***
