A/N: I'm so, so sorry about the wait for this chapter, seriously. I had the most ridiculously busy week, and after a solid week of essays the muse for writing just left me completely. Still, it's the Easter holidays now, so updates should hopefully be rolling out fairly quickly again from now on! Thank you so, so much for your responses so far, it means a lot to know you're all still interested!
Chapter 15: In which we see Sam and Jack through the eyes of some friends.
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"Excuse me, Doctor Jackson? Could I, uh -"
"Oh, yeah, yeah, sure," Daniel looked down, pulling the folders spread across the table into a vaguely neater pile by his tray.
"Thanks," Jonas grinned as he sat down. Daniel smiled back, eyebrows furrowing as he eyed the pile of food on Jonas' plate, big enough even to rival one of Tea'lc's snacks. "Oh, I love your food here," Jonas spoke around a mouthful of oatmeal, eyes shining. "It's just delicious. This oatmeal? Never had anything like it before. It's just, mmm, it's great," he kissed his fingers in an appreciative gesture, filling his mouth with another heaped spoonful.
"Well, yes.. Oatmeal is one of the more, ah, refined tastes we cater for here..." Daniel frowned in amusement at the rapidly appearing eccentricities of their new ally, who appeared genuinely fascinated by anything and everything. He reminded Daniel of himself a little; his naivety and excitement at anything new in years gone by. Too much time spent with Jack O'Neill and the universe since then had mellowed his outlook somewhat, admittedly, but that excitement still lit his heart sometimes. He chuckled quietly. "So, ah, how are you settling in?" He asked in sympathy, recognising that the young man was probably more than a little lonely, having left behind everything he knew only a few short days ago.
"Oh, good, great, actually," Jonas swallowed loudly, taking a deep drink of milk. "Everyone's been very kind, helping me to accommodate. I know I sort of threw myself on you guys, but I just thought it was the best way to help my people, to make them see," he gestured animatedly.
"Yeah, I know how that feels," Daniel smiled. "Well, we do appreciate it, Jonas. With any luck, you'll be able to be of as much benefit to us as we can be to you. And in any case, I'd love to learn about your history, what happened between your nations; that in itself is fascinating."
"Oh, of course Doctor Jackson, I'd be happy to. I'd love to learn more about your people too, you have so many, intriguing, customs and practices, it's incredible," Jonas gushed excitedly.
"Please, call me Daniel."
"Daniel. Thank you," Jonas smiled appreciatively. Daniel nodded in return. "I just hope that your people can find some better use out of the naquadria than Kelowna's leaders were able to, that I can show them it has more benefits than just to destroy each other. I keep getting told that I need to wait until a Major Carter gets back, to explain it's potentials to her. Is she, is she your lead scientist, or an overseer, or..?"
"Oh, I think you could probably say she's our head scientist, yeah," Daniel nodded, smiling. "She's the best we've got. You have no idea how excited she'll be about the naquadria. Actually, you've ah, you've already met her."
"I have?" Jonas frowned. "Well why didn't -"
"Oh, ah, she was just leaving the base, she wasn't really in a position, to, ah.. The woman in the elevator? We were headed to the infirmary just after you got here, she -"
"Yes, I remember! Colonel O'Neill's lady-friend? She was Major Carter?" Jonas exclaimed, frowning in concern as Daniel began to splutter and cough violently, choking on his coffee at the description of Sam as Jack's 'lady-friend'. Jonas watched, chewing patiently as he waited for the archaeologist to recover. When he was able to breathe normally again, despite being a little pink still, he spoke in a strained voice, eyes darting around the thankfully empty room to ensure no-one had heard.
"Uh, yeah.. I guess that is a term you could use, I- I mean I wouldn't, but there you go..."
"But, I got the impression that Colonel O'Neill hated scientists?"
"Oh, he does, just... Just not Sam. It's funny actually, ah, have you ever heard the term 'opposites attract'?"
"No, no I haven't...?" Jonas shook his head, ever curious to learn new things about the culture he was now living in.
"Oh, well..." Daniel pinched the bridge of his nose, thinking. "Ah, it's an expression used for two people who seem to have nothing in common at all. Say if you were to read a description of their personalities and interests, they have very little in common, and you wouldn't think they'd be attracted to each other at all. And yet, they are, often stronger than people who have a lot in common. Anyway, if that expression ever applied to a couple, it's Sam and Jack."
I see," Jonas nodded thoughtfully. "They've been together a long time, right?"
"Actually, no, ah, no they haven't," Daniel frowned. "Only a few weeks. Why would you think that?"
"Really? It's, it's just I'm a very perceptive person; I tend to notice things, details, that other people miss. And you know, I saw the way they looked at each other, and I'm telling you, that was not the look of people who've just started a relationship. I saw the look in their eyes, the way they held each other, and it was the look of two people that have been in love for a long time." Jonas shook his head lightly, tapping his fork against his plate. Daniel sighed quietly, running his hand over his head.
"Ah, actually, you're right about that," he said quietly.
"I am?"
"Yeah... Until a few weeks ago - Jack'll kill me for telling you all this," he smiled, "Sam, Major Carter, was a member of SG-1."
"Really?"
"Yeah, in fact we're kinda struggling without her at the moment, none of us are really that up on science and technology and, as you noticed, Jack doesn't generally have a great deal of patience for scientists... Anyway, because she was directly under Jack's command, the laws of our military prohibited them from being in a relationship. But, there's been something there for a long time."
"I don't understand," Jonas frowned. "Your military organisation would not allow them to love each other?"
"Yeah, no, not really," Daniel smiled ruefully. "Well obviously, it couldn't stop them having feelings, but... But yes, now Sam's left SG-1, they're free to pursue a relationship. It never made sense to Tea'lc and I either. I mean, aside from anything else, we've had to put up with their adamant denials for years, even though it was pretty obvious to us, and the rest of the base for that matter, that they were nuts about each other." He chuckled at the thought of his friends, blissfully unaware of each other's feelings for years. He marveled at how it was so clear to everyone else, yet they just refused to see it.
"Well, if that's the case, I'm glad they're able to be together now," Jonas smiled.
"Yeah, me too. But, ah, no-one else on base knows at the moment. Just the rest of SG-1, Doctor Fraiser and General Hammond, that's pretty much it. So, you know -"
"Oh of course, I won't say a word," Jonas nodded, smiling conspiratorially.
"Thanks, I appreciate that," Daniel began to gather up his files clumsily. "Well, I need to be getting back to this translation, but if you need anything, you know, you know you can come find me. Sam should be back in today, so if you keep dropping by her lab you'll probably find her when she's here."
"Oh thank you, I will," Jonas smiled around a mouthful of jello, waving to the retreating archaeologist who nodded in return.
..--00--..
Sam clasped her hands nervously, sliding her gaze sideways to Jack, who naturally exuded calm confidence as always. She bounced on her feet a little, reaching one hand out, before bringing it back down to join the other again. Jack turned his head towards her, smirking lightly.
"You alright? Sure you wanna do this?"
"Yes.. Yes I am, I know it's what I want. It would be perfect." She nodded swiftly to reassure herself, looking to Jack for further assurance. His calm smile strengthened her, and at his slight nod she reached out, tapping smartly on General Hammond's office door.
"Come," the General's sure voice rang out. Jack looked towards Sam, smiling fondly, raising a hand to pat her shoulder lightly as she took a deep breath and stepped in ahead of him. Hammond looked up from his paperwork as they entered, smiling at the welcome intrusion. "Major, Colonel, come in. Take a seat," he gestured.
"Thank you Sir," both voices mixed as the two officers sat down gently. Hammond looked from one to the other, not missing Sam's mildly strained expression and Jack's fond smirk.
"It's good to have the both of you back. Sam, how are you holding up?" He smiled warmly.
"Good, Sir, thank you. Good, actually. I, I know that as hard as it was to lose Dad, I'm just thankful that I had some amazing years with him, that I never would have had he not become a Tok'ra. So, it's, it's hard, but I'm ok," she nodded quickly, blinking. "The memorial service was beautiful Sir, thank you. Both of them." A small sniff escaped her, and Jack squeezed her hand gently under the table. Hammond nodded in acknowledgment.
"I know no service could do him justice, but... Let's not dwell. I assume you haven't come to see me about that. I trust you've seen the naquadria samples that Jonas Quinn retrieved from his home planet?"
"Yes, Sir, it's fascinating, really. Jonas has told me what he knows about it, he was very helpful actually, and preliminary tests show that it has incredible potential as a power source -"
"But," Jack interrupted cautiously, wary of letting Sam get carried away with herself, "that's not the reason we've come to see you either, Sir."
"Oh?" The General raised a questioning eyebrow.
"No, Sir," Jack drawled, looking to Sam. Her mouth opened and closed several times, as though struggling for something to say, before turning to the General.
"Well, Sir, the thing is.. We wanted to tell you.. that.. I, I mean, Colonel O'Neill and myself, are, are -"
"We're getting married, Sir," Jack piped up, folding his arms and smiling cheekily. Sam closed her mouth, her cheeks turning a delicate shade of pink as her lips formed a tight-lipped smile.
"Yes, Sir, that's.. what I was trying to say."
Silence reigned for several moments. Hammond looked from one to the other, mouth slightly open in surprise as he processed the information. Eventually, Jack's words fully registered, and his face broke into a wide grin. A powerful, delighted laugh filled the room, and he clapped his hands together. He stood up, leaning forwards, grasping a rather surprised Jack's hand and pumping it enthusiastically, as his other hand reached out and clasped an equally surprised Sam's shoulder.
"Well, congratulations!" the rotund General beamed. "I can't tell you how pleased I am for the both of you. And if I may say so, it's about time!" he sat back in his chair, smiling happily. "If any two people deserve happiness, it's you two. You've earned this, many times over. You have my sincere best wishes."
"Thank you, Sir -"
"In fact, I insist that you come to my house for dinner one night soon to celebrate. The girls will be so excited to hear," Hammond continued, clasping his hands in joy.
"Thank you, General," Jack nodded his thanks. He nudged Sam gently, giving her a quick nod.
"That means a lot to us Sir, thank you," she smiled sweetly at her commanding officer, relieved at his pleasure. "There's, there's something else though," she spoke quietly, wringing her hands together under the table. "It's just, Sir, that with my father dying, and... Well, he would never even have known that Colonel O'Neill I and were together, but... The thing is Sir.. With my father gone, I still need someone to give me away at the wedding, to walk me down the aisle. Sir... We'd both be incredibly honoured if that person was you." The soft sincerity in her voice and in her eyes rendered Hammond speechless again, for the second time in as many minutes. His gaze drew across to meet Jack's, who conveyed the same warmth and sincerity. A small, proud smile lit the General's face, and he nodded several times, slowly, emphatically.
"Sam, I'd be honoured to. Thank you. I can think of nothing I'd be more proud to do," he spoke warmly.
"Thank you, Sir," she whispered.
"Yes, thank you General," Jack joined in. "You know me, Sir, sincerity isn't exactly my middle name, but believe me when I say it would mean a lot to both of us." Hammond bowed his head, acknowledging Jack's rare moment of straightforward openness.
"Believe me, Colonel, it means a lot to me as well," the General smiled warmly at the younger man. He held Jack in a great deal of respect; despite his renowned irreverence, he knew the Colonel was a thoughtful, talented man. In many ways, Hammond thought of the wayward officer as the son he'd never had. Though he was not supposed to favour anyone his command, he had never been able to help the affinity he felt towards the roguish Jack O'Neill and his team. He held similar feelings for Sam, who he had known as a close family friend for years. Yes, he was honoured indeed to be invited to participate in such an important way at their wedding.
"General Hammond, Sir," Jack interrupted his thoughts.
"Yes, Jack?"
"There was one more thing, Sir..."
TBC
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A/N: Sorry it's a bit shorter than usual, but I really wanted to get a chapter out tonight for you. Hopefully my inspiration will pick up again now! Thank you so much as always for reading, and please let me know what you thought! Thank you:-D