The next morning Sam woke up feeling refreshed. She came out of her room smiling and ready to go back to work.
"Sam, you all right?" Daniel said from the living room.
"Yeah fine. What are you doing here anyway?"
"I thought I'd come by and check on you."
Sam opened a cabinet and got out an insulated coffee cup. She filled it with coffee.
"I have to go. I thought of something last night that I haven't tried yet. I think it will work." With that she headed out the door and to her car before anyone could protest.
She spent several hours in her lab fiddling with her machines and adding things to the power source. Finally she was done. She flicked a switch on the side of the device and it came to life with a low hum. Satisfied, and not wanting to waste any of the energy, she flicked it off and reached for her phone.
"Dr. Weir this Major Carter, I got the device to work."
"You sure?" the other woman asked.
"Positive."
XXX
An hour later Sam, Teal'c, Daniel, and Dr. Weir were sitting in the debriefing room discussing a rescue mission.
"Major, I'm sorry, I can't authorize the mission right now. We just received a message that the Goa'uld wish to arrange a treaty with us and I need SG-1 here."
"This might be our
only way of saving Col. O'Neill, we can't just leave him down
there!"
Sam argued.
"Could not Daniel Jackson stay to help with the treaty while Major Carter and I go to the Asgaurd homeworld?" Teal'c suggested.
Dr. Weir seemed to weigh this option in her mind for a moment, "All right. The two of you can go. But if they can't help, I want you coming straight home."
"Yes ma'am."
XXX
Carter and Teal'c stepped through the gate into an Asgard city on Orilla. It was a bustle
with Asgards running around preparing for something. One approached them.
"Major Carter, Teal'c, it is an honor to see you again, but I'm afraid you have come at a bad time."
"Heimdall, we need to speak to Thor immediately," Sam said.
"I'm afraid his ship is scheduled to leave in a few minutes for Halla. The Replicators there found a way to counter-act the time dilation device."
"Is there any way to contact him? Col. O'Neill's life is at stake." Heimdall considered and led them to a communication device. She moved the crystals around and Thor appeared on the screen. They spoke in Asgard for a few moments before Thor addressed Sam and Teal'c.
"What can I do for you Major Carter?"
"Col. O'Neill had the library of the Ancients downloaded into his brain again so we could find Atlantis and defeat Anubis. He led us to an outpost in Antarctica, that we fist thought was Atlanis. He fired a weapon left behind by the Ancients and we were able to defeat Anubis's ships. But he had to put himself in a stasis chamber there until we could contact you to revive him and get the information out of his head. It's been over a month and you haven't responded to our attempts to contact you."
"I am glad that Earth is safe and I am sorry for what has happened to O'Neill, but I cannot help you now."
"He's your friend!"
"I'm sorry Major Carter, but now that the Replicators have broken free of the time dilation device we have been preparing for war with them. After I go to Halla I can visit Earth and save Col. O'Neill."
Sam sighed; this wasn't what she wanted to here right now.
"Would it be possible for us to accompany you?" Teal'c asked.
"Of course, in fact I could use yours and Major Carter's assistance on this mission." There was a flash of blue-ish white light and they were gone.
XXX
Several Days later"Welcome home SG-1," they were greeted by Dr. Weir after they were beamed down to earth from the Daniel Jackson. "Why don't you all get cleaned up and we'll debrief in an hour." She instructed them and then headed back to her office to make a call to the president and General Hammond.
After they were all cleaned up and all the calls were made, they met in the debriefing room overlooking the Stargate.
"Well Colonel, welcome back to the land of the living," Dr. Weir said as she sat down.
"More like the world of the warm Colonel O'Neill retorted with an involuntary shiver.
"Back to your old self already, huh Jack?" Daniel asked.
"Of course."
"Good, then I can put SG-1 back on the missions rotation.
"Not so fast. I'm retired."
"Jack you retired years ago, the Air Force just keeps calling you back," Daniel told him as if he had forgotten.
"I think he meant on the way to Proclaruse Taonas," Sam spoke for the first time.
"Exactly! Since General Hammond gave Carter permission to take over the team when I went nuts I told her I retired so she wouldn't have to wait," O'Neill answered.
"Oh, well I'll talk to the president and I am sure we can get that taken care of. In the mean time, I have some excellent news for you, Major Carter," Weir told the group.
"Because of your dedication to your team and the SGC you are being promoted to the rank of Lieutenant Colonel. Once Colonel O'Neill's retirement is processed, you will be able to lead SG-1 with the appropriate rank."
"Thank you," Sam said in state of shock.
"It wasn't my decision. Apparently Colonel O'Neill recommended you for a promotion before you left for Proclaruse Taonas and the president and General Hammond agreed. Now if you'll excuse me, I'll get started on those calls for you, Colonel O'Neill." With that she got up and went back to her office.
XXX
That evening the team sat around Jack's family room in front of the television. They had spent the day celebrating Sam's promotion to Lieutenant Colonel and Jack's retirement by watching a marathon of The Simpsons.
"Man, am I tired," Daniel groaned.
"Shall we retire then," Teal'c suggested.
"Yeah Teal'c, I'll take you back to base," Daniel said wearily as he got up.
"Good night O'Neill, Colonel Carter," Teal'c said as he bowed.
"Good night Teal'c," Carter said from her seat on the couch.
When they had left Jack and Sam started to clean up the house. They collected the various fast-food containers and beer and soda bottles and took them to the kitchen. As he passed the stereo Jack turned on the radio.
"You don't have to help Carter."
"I know sir."
"Oh for cryin' out loud! I'm retired, it's Jack."
"Right…Jack. But you did call me Carter, not Sam." Jack threw up his hands in defeat and turned to leave the room as the beginning cords of Lonestar's "Amazed" began to play on the radio. "This is my favorite song."
"Do you want to dance?" he asked as he turned back around.
Sam stared at him a moment before answering, "Sure." Sam quietly walked over to Jack. He took her hand in his and put the other on her waist and they began to dance.
Every time our eyes meet
This feeling inside
me
Is almost more than I can take
Baby when you touch me
I
can feel how much you love me
And it just blows me away
I've
never been this close to anyone or anything
I can hear your
thoughts
I can see your dreams
As the song went along they swayed to the music. Sam looked up at Jack for a moment and their eyes met. Sam looked away almost immediately as tears began to fall.
I don't know how
you do what you do
I'm so in love with you
It just keeps
getting better
I want to spend the rest of my life
With you by
my side
Forever and ever
Every little thing that you do
Baby,
I'm amazed by you
"Hey, what's wrong?" Jack asked concerned.
"I thought I was going to lose you."
"Sam, you'll never lose me," he said as he leaned down and kissed her. He wrapped his arms around her waist and she wrapped hers around his neck as she deepened the kiss.
The smell of your skin
The taste of
your kiss
The way you whisper in the dark
Your hair all around
me
Baby you surround me
You touch every place in my heart
Oh,
it feels like the first time, every time
I want to spend the whole
night in your eyes
After a while they slowly made it to Jack's bedroom where they finally consummated their love for one another.
