PART 2: JACK
1 / Jack vs. Sam
"Damn, and what do I do now?" I said to myself. "If I look at her, I'm sure everyone will guess what we did in the shower ! Oh no, I must think to something else. She's beautiful but I really need to stop thinking about her, her naked body dripping..." I didn't know where to hide ! I left the briefing room to go to the mess.
"Jack ?" Boyd asked, cutting me from my intimate thoughts "For how long do you know Colonel Carter?"
"Since we entered the program. Why ?"
"You should have asked her to come with us, I wish she still speaks about apples and everything else" Boyd chuckled again. The guy was always chuckling !
"I think she has better things to do than hang out with old Generals !"
Unless of course, she entered the mess with Daniel and Teal'c, at the exact same moment.
"Colonel Carter ! Come and join us !" Boyd asked.
Carter had always been respectful of her superiors, so she left our friends to join my table.
The more she got closer, the more I felt my heart want to leave my chest - I would surely have a heart attack shortly!
Boyd pulled his chair, getting closer to me. So she had to sit between Boyd and an old bald and deaf General, obviously not blind! He looked at her like a cat watching a bowl of milk. She looked at me, hoping that I would saved her, but I could barely lift my head from my plate.
"Cannot wait for this day ends! That all my guests leave my base, so I would find Carter at her house or at mine !" I told myself. I didn't care as long as I could be with her.
Lucy appeared running to pick Carter up for a computer system failure. My presence wasn't required, so I decided to stay with my guests. The company of good bald men was significantly better than the one of a beautiful blonde! Who's gonna believe this ?!
My guests finally left my base and when I tried to reach my 2IC, Lucy met me. She handed me to sign reports.
"But what's so urgent, Sergeant?" I asked.
"I have to send these reports tomorrow morning, first thing."
"I see, so we'll spend the night together" I said without thinking about the meaning of my words.
Carter was walking towards me but turned around when she heard my words.
"Carter?" I called her but she didn't look back. I tried to follow her but my assistant held me by the arm.
"General, the reports" she pleaded at me. As my duty had priority before everything else, I had to abdicate and follow her in my office.
I had so much work that I hadn't seen Carter alone since our shower. I had met her in a meeting but she had never stayed to talk with me after, contrary to her habits. Lucy always found me something to do, to keep me from seeing her.
I assumed that Carter also had a lot of work, she was very busy with her research. But I absolutely had to get away for a moment from my office to join her. Lucy didn't give me a moment of respite ! I also think she wanted my body, but I refuse to be with another woman than Sam.
"I'll take some fresh air, Sergeant" I said.
"Where are you going, sir?"
How dare she !
"I beg your pardon?"
"Where are you going, sir?" She repeated, as if I was deaf or dumb.
"Mind your own business, Sergeant ! I'm still the General here !" I screamed leaving my office. Even Carter would never meddle in my business.
2 / Sam
Once at Carter's lab door, I heard a man's voice in hers.
"Sam, I don't know what happened last week, but I'm worried about you" Daniel said.
"Daniel, I'm upset but it will be okay, please don't worry" she answered.
"You don't eat anything and you want me not to worry, you're kidding me, right ? If it continues like this, I'll talk to Jack ! "
"No, don't tell him anything about me, okay?" She spat. I realized at that moment that I should have come to see her earlier.
"So it's about him ?" Daniel said softly.
Before their conversation drifted, I decided to enter the lab.
"Carter?" I called.
She straightened in her seat and greeted me.
"At ease, carter ! Daniel, are you okay?"
"Thanks Jack, I tried to convince Sam to have lunch with me" my friend said.
Sam didn't look at me and added "I have too much work for lunch."
"Carter, let's have lunch the three of us, I'll take care of you CO !" I said trying to make her smile.
My plan didn't work and she glared at me. Daniel became aware of the situation and left the room with an apology. I took advantage of his departure to close the door.
Sam had risen to store files on the shelf, she seemed fascinated by her ranking.
"Carter ?" I asked in a soft voice.
"Sir ?" she replied, still not facing me.
"Sam, look at me, please" I said, moving toward her.
She turned her head towards me and I was able to read the sadness in her beautiful blue eyes. I crossed the few steps that separated from her in an instant and took her in my arms. She refused my embrace.
"I'm sorry, I was busy, I couldn't release! I wanted to come before, I swear" I confessed.
"Sir, you have no explanation to give me. What happened between us was a mistake and we should no longer talk about it. Never ! " And so, she killed me !
I left the room on these words, I could no longer stand to see her when my heart was broken. Daniel was waiting in the hallway but I didn't answer when he called me. I ran towards the exit, I really needed fresh air.
I went home and had decided not to return to work until the next day. But that day stretched in a week without me really noticing. I received calls and visits. I never answered, contenting myself to stay on my couch, watching TV.
As I watched a replay of "The Simpsons" one morning on a cable channel, somebody rang at my door. I didn't move, I was lying comfortably with pillows on the couch. I heard the key in the lock and the door opened.
"Get out!" I yelled at my visitor, who knew me well enough to find my emergency key.
"Sir, I need your signature on several documents. I won't stay long, I promise" my 2IC said.
"Colonel Carter, I should have known that you would be coming. Work, always work ! Nothing's more important than that, to you, isn't it?" I said, sitting up.
I got up to go make some coffee and I looked at her. She also looked at me and finally said: "Are you ill, sir ? You're very pale."
"You as well."
"I'm fine" she said. I saw that she was trying not to cry and I didn't know why. This woman had destroyed me but I always worried about her and I felt a wave of love for her over me.
"Carter, you can't lie and especially not me."
"Sir, I have troubles with your replacement, but don't worry, I'll come through. Sign the documents, please and I'll leave you alone."
"You have come all this way for papers and telling me that you had problems at the base and I shouldn't be worry for you? Yes, it makes sense !"
"The documents aren't an excuse, sir, I swear !" she said, sobbing.
I approached and took her in my arms. She clung to me and cried.
3 / Lucy
I prepared coffee and Sam had moved into my living room. I managed to get her to talk. For a week, she replaced me. She said I had the flu to cover me.
Lucy made life a misery for her. Daniel urged her to come see me but Lucy had always a good excuse for not letting her come.
"Exactly what she did to me" I said.
"Yes, I also come to this conclusion and I owe you an apology" she confessed.
I grabbed her hands and held them in mine. She seemed exhausted.
"I suggest one thing: take a nap here while I sign the papers and I'll go back to the base with you, okay?"
"Just sign the documents, I manage until tomorrow if you want."
"No, you're exhausted, you never stop yawning since you're here, so take a nap and then we'll see" I proposed. I placed a blanket over her lap.
I took the papers and I settled comfortably. Instinctively, she moved closer to me and laid her head on my shoulder. I surrounded with my free arm as I was focused on my reading. I never sign a document without reading it, unless it's from Carter. But here, I was suspicious, it was from Lucy.
Sam woke up an hour later. She rubbed her eyes and sat up when she realized she was in my arms.
"Jack?"
"Well, no sir anymore ?" I said smiling at her.
"Of course, sorry Sir !" she said reluctantly.
"I was joking Carter !"
"Very funny, sir" she yawned.
"I finish it and I'll make coffee again, it will wake you up and I..."
"I'll make the coffee, if you want" she said, rising. She stretched and her shirt let see her belly appear. I turned my head. She must have seen me do, as she pulled over and walked to the kitchen.
I took a shower after. I decided to go back to the SGC with her and get rid of my assistant.
"Let's go, I'm driving" I said, to force her to get in the car with me.
She followed me, but said nothing.
I was driving in silence and Sam didn't seem willing to break it. Once at the base, we took the elevator. I was guiding her with one hand in her back and left it in place the time of the descent.
"I want you to have diner with me tonight" I said, not quite sure of the answer.
"Is it a good idea?" she asked, looking sad.
"I don't want to know if it's a good idea, I want to know if you willing to. Be honest, please !"
"Yes, I'm in, but -"
"No but ! We'll have prime rib of beef" I said, smiling. I left my hand down her back to caress her buttocks, as discreetly as possible. I had seen enough videos of this device to know the angle. Seen as we were settled, my hand was invisible.
"Sir ?" she said, biting her lower lip.
"A problem Carter?" I said without looking at her.
"No sir" she said, smiling at the wall.
Once in my office, I ordered my assistant to come. She appeared quickly but obviously surprised by my presence.
"Sir ?"
"When is Sergeant Harriman planned to come back from his seminary?"
"On next Monday sir, why ?" Lucy replied.
"Well, in that case, you return to Area 51 now ! I don't want you here anymore" I announced to the young woman. I knew it was extreme, but she didn't give me a choice. From what I understood talking with Sam, she was a little too devoted to her work, especially with me.
She looked at me and just left my office. Sam arrived at the same time and the two women met. Lucy began to cry when she saw Sam and she ran.
"Sir, I have brought you a coffee. Is everything all right ?"
"Thank you Carter for the kind attention. you'll have a massage as a reward."
"Sir" she was indignant.
"I sent Lucy to her usual position, I'll manage till Walter's return. I can't stand her anymore."
"Okay. I'll let you work, see you for lunch. Daniel's looking forward to seeing you."
"With pleasure, Carter."
I loved finding our complicity back, this was what I had missed so much during the last weeks. I could stay only to watch her for the rest of my life, if I knew that everything was fine between us.
I worked hard to make the time pass more quickly. I was well advanced when Daniel came.
"You look tired, Jack. Are you sure it was a good idea to come back?"
"Thank you, Daniel, your compliments go straight to my heart ! What brings you here ?"
"SG3 is going on an exploration mission to a planet that interests me, I wanted to know if I could go with them and ask Teal'c to join us?"
"No problem Daniel, when do you leave ?"
"In half an hour. I count on you to force Sam to have lunch. She often forget to eat lately."
"If I think about it myself, I'll make sure she eats."
"I trust you with that, Jack, you're a stomach on legs!" Daniel smiled.
Daniel had left to join Teal'c and SG3 to go on another planet for his research. I went to Sam's lab and we had lunch, just the two of us. She seemed uncomfortable with me, as shy but not cold.
I escorted her to her lab and when I was about to leave her, she whispered in my ear: "I want you."
I had trouble concentrating on my work for the rest of the day. In time, I went back to pick her up, for the promised dinner.
I stopped at the supermarket on the way. She accompanied me, and we haven't talked a lot. I was nervous and she seemed too.
At home, I offered her a glass of wine and she agreed. I took one too and I started the grill for the meat.
"I hope you haven't been too hard on Lucy, sir?"
"My name is Jack. And no, I just asked her to leave and to return to her former work."
"I guess it hasn't been easy for her."
"Why ? Because she had a crush on me ? She'll get over it !"
"On - you?" She asked, surprised.
"Well yes, you hadn't noticed ? She spent her time trying to separate us, that's why I could not come to you. It's obvious she's in love! "
"In love, yes, but not with - you!"
"Who then ?" I couldn't believe it, I was convinced that she loved me.
"Me !" she said as I burst out laughing.
"It's laughable at this point to imagine that anyone could fall in love with me, sir ? Even if it's a woman?" She asked furiously.
"Sam, I'm sorry ! I love you but I laugh at myself! It has nothing to do with you !"
She threw herself on my neck to kiss me. Then I realized what I just said and I wasn't ashamed. I loved her and I wanted to be with her.
