Hey… over here what we get about the Inauguration Day, is what CNN shows and yup, the most remarkable thing about last two Inauguration Days apparently was the First Lady dress. (Hey! I couldn't come up with better names so… laugh if you know them! )

Enjoy!

M.

Chapter 18 - Balls & Scars

"So, then you went to the ball, right? My research shows that you being there was quite the surprise," Malcolm said. 'But, sadly, I couldn't find anything about what happened inside the venue besides the Presidential speech and footage of you dancing together."

"Well, it was," Sam started and looked at Jack.

"Interesting," he shrugged

2020

"O'Neill," Jack said, answering his cellphone without checking the caller id.

"Jack."

"Sam? Where are you? I thought you would be here about now."

"Well, there's a slight change of plans," she said, and he almost could see her bit her lip.

"No kidding, Sherlock. What is it?" he said concerned as soon as the sigh left her.

"You won't like it." By then, he started pacing.

"Just tell me what it is, and then we'll see how to fix it."

"There's no fixing, Jack. I'm on my way to get changed."

"But?"

"The JCS agreed with the Committee of ordering-around-for-today that all the Military Service Chiefs are going to join you on stage," she announced.

"But, Sam," he started to argue.

"They said it would look like we support you if we are on stage. As if we don't," she said, and Jack knew she had rolled her eyes then. "Hell! You are there because most of them forced this upon us." Jack rubbed his face tiredly.

"But, come on, Sam, you are supposed to dance with me!" he whined

"I know, but the members of the committee don't know it," she muttered. "And no one else gave me away," she huffed. "Get ready, and I'll see you at the venue. Cassie, Vala, and I have a plan. Hopefully, it won't backfire."

"Sam," he trailed and sighed. "I am not dancing with Vala," Jack stated, and even knowing he couldn't see her, Sam smiled.

"No, you won't."

2050

"Well, when I arrived at the meeting with the JCS, I found out it was requested because the committee in charge of organizing the ball wanted to add the participation of the Military Service Chiefs in the same stage for that night."

"To show their support," Jack explained.

"I see, so 'General Carter' was to be there too," Malcolm said, and the couple nodded.

2020

"Ladies and gentlemen," the host announced, and in the backstage, Sam grew nervous. "In preparation for the Inaugural Ball, we want to introduce you to the current Military Service Chiefs. They took a break from their tight agendas to join us tonight."

In the backstage, the members of the JCS minus the Vice-Chairman exchanged a sigh and squared their shoulders as they hoped not to be called in first.

"Chief of Naval Operations, Admiral Rabb," the host announced, and the Admiral smiled at them, took a deep breath, straightened his perfectly fitted navy dinner dress, and walked out.

From their vantage point of view, the remaining members of the JCS watched him walk to the front, salute to the crowd. Then, he walked to the right side, where he greeted the Senior Enlisted Advisers before walking to the left side and stand firmly; all the while cameras followed his every step as his movements repeated themselves on several screens around the venue.

"Chief of Staff of The Army, General Holden," he followed the steps of the Navy guy, in a neatly done Army mess dress. Once he disappeared from their view, the host started again.

"Commandant of the Marine Corps, General Mackenzie," the Marine General turned to Sam and smiled at her.

"Wish me luck, General," she said to Sam before following the steps of the two males.

"Chief of the National Guard Bureau, General Franklin," the host announced and Sam closed her eyes, only the Air Force was missing then.

"Chief of Staff of the Air Force, General Vidrine." The General stopped by Sam's side and gave her a nod before he walked out. He was wearing the Air Force Command Uniform.

"The Vice-Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff couldn't honor us with his presence. However, and I believe this is the first time he has honored us with his public presence, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff is here to join us," the host added with too much enthusiasm for Sam's liking.

"Without further ado, allow me to introduce you for the first time, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Carter."

Sam took a deep breath before getting out of the backstage. She walked straight to the front of the stage, trying not to frown while being blinded by camera flashes.

Her uniform was identical to General Vidrine's, considering there wasn't a female command uniform, yet. However, she found there was something comforting about using the well-pressed pants. Getting to the front, Sam saluted the crowd. Someone howled, and there were some whistles, but she remained stoically serious as the situation demanded it.

She walked to the line of enlisted advisers and exchanged salutes before walking to the Generals and Admiral on the other side of the stage. They all saluted her, and she greeted them back, finally standing at the furthest end of the stage.

The flashes died down, and people quieted until the host took over again.

"Ladies and gentlemen, the man of the hour. Allow me to introduce you to the President of the United States," Jack appeared in his black tux, "Mr. Jack O'Neill!" people went crazy with applause, everyone wanted to get their picture. The protocol also bound Jack, so as the people before him, he walked towards the Enlisted Advisers. He saluted them and shook each of their hands.

Then, he walked to the other side of the stage where he was received by a line of Generals and Admiral already saluting him. Jack smiled at them, and he went one by one, saluting them and shaking their hands.

Until he stopped in front of Sam, their eyes locked as they exchanged their salutations.

'What's the plan, Sam?'' he asked, using their link, and at the same time offered her his hand.

'You'll see,' she answered in the same fashion.

To the outside, she grinned as she shook his offered hand. There were several flashed as they did it.

'Now, go, before the press thinks there's something more here,' she said, retrieving her hand.

Jack walked away from her, waving to the crowd until he reached the podium, he waited for the crowd to settled down, and then, he started his speech.

With everyone's attention on Jack, Sam looked to the crowd and got her cue. At the end of the room, Cassie waved for her to come down. Not even looking around, Sam walked down the stage, trying to be as invisible as she could.

2050

"So, you appeared as the Chairman? Was the dancing footage from another ball where you appeared as the First Lady?" Malcolm wondered.

"I did both, in the same ball," Sam grinned.

"I see, that's why there's that article with the story of the bathroom," Malcolm said

"Which story?" Jack asked.

"Well, it was one of my favorites when I was doing my research, a woman called Stella Johnson wrote it," he said. He rummaged through his things and passed them a holo-news.

"It's any of it true?" he asked as they finished reading the article.

2020

Stella Johnson's first assignment was to cover the Commander-in-Chief ball. So far, it was better than she had hoped for. For some reason, the JCS were there. And the most surprising of their appearance wasn't that the usually camera-lover Vice-Chairman was nowhere to be seen. But the fact that they got to see the Chairman for the first time. Boy, she wasn't expecting that. Or the fact that the Chairman was a Chairwoman, a stunning one at that too.

General Carter seemed a bit too serious, and Stella reckoned that it was most likely a requirement at the woman's job. Then, the POTUS came out looking as handsome as always, and when he reached the Chairman, Stella thought she saw something flicker in his eyes. But it was so quick, and no one else seemed to notice it, so she shrugged it off.

Stella concentrated then on the words coming out of the POTUS. She was looking around when she noticed a redhead waving towards the stage. To Stella's utter surprise, the Chairman scurried down of the stage using the side stair and walked out of the saloon where the ball was being held.

Everyone seemed too focused on the President to notice the Chairman was missing, so Stella decided right there that it was worth to follow her. After all, she could get the words transcribed later. With a smile, she told her cameraman she would go to get some air.

Stella got out of the room in time to see the Chairman giving her hat to the redhead and freeing a braided blonde hair from under it, as the two rushed through the hall until they disappeared behind a door. She walked to where she last saw them and looked puzzled at the bathroom door.

"Cassie, where is it?" She heard someone say as she pushed the door slightly open.

"I put it on the handicapped one, Sam," a second voice said. Stella entered the bathroom then. "There's more room there to get changed."

Stella figured that if the second voice was that of the redhead, the first one should belong to the Chairman, who had disappeared inside one of the stalls.

"Oh, go ahead, there's no line. They are all free," the redhead smiled sheepishly at her. Trying to look the part of a woman answering nature's call, Stella entered one stall.

"What about the make-up girl?" she heard the Chairman's voice.

"She will be here in a few, Sam," the redhead, 'Cassie' answered.

'So the Chairwoman is 'Sam,' Stella thought.

"Crap! Cass, did we remember the shoes?"

"Yes, sorry. I have them," Cassie said, and Stella heard a box being pushed.

"Thanks," Sam said.

"Hi! Is there anyone here?" A third voice called loud enough to be overheard by all of them. Figuring she was inside the stall for long enough, Stella flushed the toilet and walked out.

"Hey Tina, she will be out in a few," as soon as Cassie said it, Sam opened the door and got out.

"Here, please," the third girl, 'Tina,' said, pointing to a comfortable looking chair that was in the waiting area of the restroom. 'This is my friend Ava. She will be helping me with your hair, ma'am."

"Nice to meet you, Ava, just work your magic so I can be out of here in no time," Sam smiled.

Stella was impressed by how beautiful the blonde woman was at close range and how confidently she sat there as her hair and makeup process started, her back ramrod straight as the girls worked on her.

"You have very nice skin, ma'am. Thanks to that, I will take a lot less time to have you ready."

"Thank you, I guess," Sam said, winking at Cassie.

"You are the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs, right?" Stella asked once Sam's eyes fell on her. She noticed then she was staring.

"Great attention to detail, miss," Sam smiled. "I wasn't on that stage long enough to be easily recognized. But, yes, that's my daily job."

Her hair was done then in a lovely updo that left some strands to frame her face. The makeup finished a minute later, the smoky eyes making her blue's shine brighter. Sam stood up to watch herself in the mirror when Tina gasped.

"Eww! We should cover that!" Tina said, scrunching up her nose in disgust.

"Cover what?" Cassie asked.

"That scars on your back, it's disgusting."

Sam clenched her jaw. The scars that should be there from her last mission, were now gone. And she had the medical pod at the Ivanhoe to thank for it. The transformation into her younger self had taken most of the old scars out of her body. All but the ones that were too deep or connected too deeply to her.

"I'm sorry if my scars disturb you, Tina. But, I am first and foremost a soldier. We come with scars. They remind us of what we lost and what we survived. I am not covering any scars I might have since I'm proud of each of them. They are a reminder that someone else didn't' need to go through the pain. They remind me that someone survived. They remind me of the people I've lost, and of things, I can't forget and won't forget. If by getting it, I've saved one person, that means a mother or father, a sibling, or a kid, still have their loved ones with them. And foremost, they remind me how badly I failed to some of them," she finished and clenched her jaw again.

"Cassie," Sam said in a sorrowful voice before she left the room.

"I'm sorry for her outburst," Cassie added with a sad smile. "The one you pointed out as disgusting, is one of the hardest ones she has."

"How come?" Stella asked. She saw the scar from her position, and it looked pretty awful.

"Sam got that one by saving a junior officer, and with that one, she also failed to save her best friend," Cassie grimaced, and the others gasped. "It was February 20th, 2004. Sam and her team were on a mission, and they got ambushed. The medical team was there too, the CMO, Sam's best friend, was deployed to help an injured officer," Cassie took a deep breath.

"The team in which Sam was was trying to protect the area they were at when Jack, her CO at that time, spotted someone coming from the side. He moved to get rid of him, and he got shot. Sam ran up to him and checked him up. Thankfully, his vest covered him."

"Jack was alive but unconscious, and since she was his 2IC and the next senior officer, it meant she was in charge of the operation. She radioed the CMO and conferred if they were ready to move out of that place. And that was when she saw it," Cassie huffed.

"There was a guy about to shoot at one of the younger kids off the second team. A second guy appeared then and was about to get to the medical team. Sam had to decide between the junior officer and the medical team. So, she made up her mind and warned the medical team as she tackled the junior officer. She got that shot in the back as a result, as she covered herself and the junior officer, she saw it. The medical team," Cassie gulped. "They didn't hear her, the CMO got shot, and Sam saw her go down. The Doc didn't survive; that's the story I can tell you. The rest of it is classified."

"How do you know that's true?" Stella asked.

"The CMO," Cassie said with a sad smile, the three women nodded at her encouragingly. "The CMO was my mom. I could have lost Sam, Jack, and my mom that day, but thanks to Sam's actions after my mom passed out, I didn't. Sam, Jack, Daniel, they were all parental figures to me. Until now, I don't know who took it worse, but I know all of them, Jack, Sam, Daniel, and even T, blame themselves for my mother's death," Cassie smiled.

"Thanks to the last actions of my mom, out there, there's a girl named Janet. And that girl got to meet her dad. And that, that's what my mom wanted, you know? To save as many lives as she could," she wiped away her tears and walked to the door. "I saw you with a cameraman. Please, if you are going to write about this… be fair."

"Cassie," Stella called, remembering the name she heard.

"Yes?"

"Who is this 'Jack' you talked about?" Cassie smiled mischievously.

"You probably wrote a lot about a Jack O'Neill lately. It shouldn't be as hard to figure," as soon as she opened the door, they all could hear "The First Lady of the United States."

"Now, I missed Sam's entry," Cassie pouted and left

2050

"Well, yes, I escaped the stage as soon as I spotted Cassie, got changed, told the makeup artist I was proud of my scars, and left to be introduced as his wife," Sam grinned.

"But the story Cassie told it's true, except they were staff blasts and not guns," Jack sighed.

"My scar," Sam sighed. She turned around and moved her clothes down enough to show it to Malcolm, "came from an injury I didn't even notice I had. I had just seen Jack being severely injured, and right after it, I just lost my best friend. It was hours later when I passed out waiting on news of Jack, that a nurse spotted a fresh batch of blood on my shoulder. "

"We'll never know for sure how she got that injury. Staff blasts cauterize the injury as they burn your skin," Jack said.

"The theory was that whatever the shrapnel was, it got to me after a blast hit me, and that's why it was still bleeding. Anyway, the medical team took the shrapnel out, cleaned the wound, and patched me the best they could."

"The Councilors said that the few scars that remained after rejuvenating are too attached to us," Jack offered, and for some minutes, they went silent, remembering Janet. That day happened many years earlier, but they still felt guilty and felt her loss as if it was the first day. Malcolm cleared his throat.

"I'm sorry, guys. So, can you tell me what happened on the ball?"

"Well, I gave my speech, called Sam, we danced, we got down, had dinner… you know the usual."

2020

After saluting Sam, Jack turned around and walked to the podium. He waved at the crowd for a while until the applause and the music finally died out.

"You know, I will probably get used to being called that, and then, two months later, it will be the end of my term," Jack said, and the crowd laughed. "Yeah, yeah, you laugh all you want, but you all know it is true. Sorry, but these are the things that happen when they make deliver several speeches on the same day! That's why my best friend is a linguist; he can talk, incessantly! Anyway, we are not here to hear me ranting about old friends. We are all here for you," Jack grinned, and the crowd cheered loudly.

"Well, let me say I hope you are at least somewhat comfortable in your fancy dresses. I can now confess I hated the mess dress, but, boy, it attracted girls!" Jack grimaced. "Crap! The wife can hear me, and I don't know you, but I don't think the Secret Service would be thrilled if 'eagle one' end ups sleeping in the rose garden."

"Let me confess something else to all of you; the wife is worth it. Trust me. She can kick my butt and yours… and still looks gorgeous and hot as hell! Can I even say hot as hell? Well, I already said crap before. Anyhow, I'm sure I will get someone from the protocol office letting me know those kinds of things... tomorrow," he grimaced.

"I'm so not looking forward to that one. Sorry, protocol office, it's just that I can't help it," Jack smiled. "My wife, she is hot as… Netu!" he said, he knew no most people wouldn't know what Netu was but at least it wasn't hell.

"There, I didn't repeat it. But you know what the best part of tonight is? You all will have the pleasure to meet my wife for the first time," Jack grinned.

"Hooray!" Some guys shouted.

"Yup! Hooray, indeed! You want to know why? Because she deserves it, and so do you. Someone pointed us today that introducing her at this ball would be fitting; you will learn why later on when she is finally out here with me," the cameras failed then and Jack grinned. "Huh, it seems they got tired of my face, or we are experiencing some technical issues," he chuckled.

"While they try to fix it, let me tell you we still got two things going on here; we need to contact some folks abroad, and my wife has to appear. Then we dance, and finally, we leave you be. So which one you prefer first?"

"Is she really hot, sir?" someone dared to scream.

"Yup!" Jack nodded.

"Like the Chairman?" another guy asked.

"Which Chairman? Chairman Josephson isn't my type. Sorry, Matt, but you aren't," he grinned at the Chairman.

"Joint Chiefs!" a couple of guys yelled at the same time.

"Joint Chiefs?" Jack grinned mischievously. "Oh, you have no idea. I guess that's a ladies' first situation?"

"Yeah!" the crowd cheered.

"Well, then let's call her," Jack said and waved to the host.

"Ladies and Gentleman, the First Lady of the United States," the host announced, and Sam walked out. "Mrs. Samantha O'Neill."

"Oh, it's such a shame the cameras aren't working right now. You should see her in a close-up," Jack said as Sam walked towards him. She said something, but he didn't quite understand her.

"What's that?" he asked.

"Want me to look at the things?" Sam said once she reached his side.

"Hmm, leaving you with doohickeys and techs?" Jack squinted. "Go, have fun," he said, and she disappeared behind the scene again. "You know? She is quite good at fixing things, except Gameboys' for some reason she keeps breaking those," Jack said as they waited.

"Because you keep playing them while there are so much better game consoles nowadays," her voice came from the speakers.

"Told ya, she's good," Jack grinned.

"Ladies and Gentleman, Doctor Samantha O'Neill," the host announced as she walked towards him again.

"Will he keep doing that?" Sam asked, pointing over to the back.

"That's what he does," Jack grinned, and Sam shook her head.

"Well, the connection to the people abroad is ready, Jack, sadly there are no close-ups yet," Sam said.

"Oh, well, I'm not that handsome for a full close up anyway," he joked as the screens changed from the flag that had been showing since the cameras went down to a group of people.

"Hi, there!" Jack greeted.

"Mr. President, sir," one of them said.

"Hello, can you tell us who you are and where are you stationed now?"

"Private First Class, Roberts, sir. Currently stationed in Libya."

"Sergeant Donaldson, Kuwait, sir."

"Petty Officer Ray, USS Bush, sir."

"Senior Airman Wiles, currently stationed at… General!?" Wiles stopped and saluted.

"At tease, I'm retired, Wiles," Jack grinned. The Airman lowered his arm before he grimaced.

"You are, sir. However, I already had an incident with the General, sir," Wiles said,

"Care to explain?" Jack asked, stealing a glance towards Sam, who grinned sheepishly at him. Wiles looked nervously at the pair.

"You know, I'm still the Commander in Chief, airman," Jack grinned.

"That's true," Sam said.

"Uh, okay, I'm stationed at the Hammond, Sir. I'm part of the systems support crew. I just started my tour, and it is my first time as part of system support. The Hammond is full of civilian techs, sir. So, when the door opens, this techie comes in, she's wearing unmarked BDUs, right? And she starts working around not paying attention to any of us. We all looked at her in awe. The woman is quite stunning and was fiddling with tech pieces, so she must be pretty smart, right? And we are all nerds in that room, and to add to it, we were all guys, and none of us could remember the last time that we saw someone like her close by… "

"I think we all get the picture, Airman," Jack said, shaking his head.

"Well, we were all kind of trying to impress her, but what we didn't know was that we on the verge of screw things very badly. I have to say in my career. I never had someone dressing me down as hard as her when she finished we all thought, 'wow! For a civilian techie, she could be a helluva Drill Sergeant,'" Wiles said, and Jack chuckled.

"After that, she started to keep us in our toes. Not an hour later, everything was fixed, but she was still around our area. Then, there was a 'General to the Bridge' call, and there's not a single General at the Hammond, sir. The Commander is a Colonel. So, we chuckle, and she walked to the phone, picked it up, and said, 'I'm establishing a secure bridge between you and here. Give me a second, and we'll chat," she said. Walked to the computer she was fiddling before and then, on-screen, there was General Reynolds."

"Talked to Reynolds recently?" Jack asked, and Sam just shrugged.

"No, sir; I didn't, sir. She did. What scared the hell out of us was that she didn't flinch, and she didn't salute him. General Reynolds did! Then, her screen changed, and we got a view of the entire JCS, sir!"

"And let me guess, you managed to figure out who she was, not before she made you all promise you wouldn't tell a soul who she was?"

"Yes, sir! So, you see why I can't avoid saluting her," he said and saluted again.

"At tease, Airman," Sam said. "You should've gone with plan B and not A, Jack," she added, smiling at him.

"I guess I should have," Jack grinned. "We wanted to contact all of you abroad to thank you for the fantastic job you make out there. Keep doing the good work people, and Wiles, try not to underestimate women or scientists."

"I learned my lesson, Mr. President," Wiles said, and the connection was replaced for a flag.

"I guess we need to introduce you, Ms. O'Neill?"

"I think Wiles already gave away all the clues," Sam grinned.

"I guess he did. Still, let's do this properly. So, people, let me introduce you, my wife, General Doctor Samantha Carter-O'Neill, Chairman of The Joint Chiefs of Staff," Jack announced.

The room went silent for a while. The camera finally caught up with the first couple, zooming into their faces, and a round of cheers and claps exploded.

"So, I take you all like my wife," Jack grinned.

2050

"And for some reason, the worldwide press was more concerned about what I wore more than on what transpired that night," Sam huffed.

"Yes. It was a beautiful dress, though," Jack said, looking mischievously at her.