Short and slightly fluffy! Hope you enjoy
"So what did General Schwartz say?" Sam wanted to know. Jack had called him first thing that morning to fill him in on what they'd discovered about Williams. He wanted to know how he should proceed with the General.
"I'm to relieve him of duty pending an investigation", he sighed, turning around to look at her. His face crinkled into a grin when he saw her standing behind him, the sight distracting him for a moment from the task ahead. "Hey, you look pretty cute like that!"
Sam stood there with a towel wrapped around her body and another around her head. She'd just stepped out of the shower when she heard Jack hang up the phone.
"Hi bump!" he said, reaching out and rubbing her protruding tummy. He leaned in. "Whatcha doing in there? Not giving your mom a hard time I hope?"
"No, he – or she – has been good. Lots of movement but at least the baby lets me sleep – UNLIKE MY HUSBAND!"
"Hey, can I help it if you're hot? I have lots of years of restraint to make up for!"
"All in one night?"
He got a very 'pleased with himself' expression on his face. "Can I help it if I'm so virile? If you got it, use it!"
"Yeah, and you can thank Thor for it", she muttered as she began to dress.
"No – you can thank Thor for it!" he smirked. She threw her wet towel at him.
"Do you want me to come?" she asked, returning to the subject of Williams.
"I thought you already -"
"Jack!" she interrupted laughingly. "Get your mind out of the gutter."
He made a longsuffering sound. "Yeah, I'd like you to come if you don't mind. Schwartz wants me to get the statements of the women and I think it would be easier if you were there. They already trust you."
"I hope they don't get too frightened and back out."
"Well, if they do, Williams will go free and it'll be a lot harder on them. Telling the truth won't hurt them."
"I don't' know about that Jack", she answered, coming to sit beside him on the bed. "For a woman to stand up to something like that in the Air Force –it can be hard – and it will often hurt her career chances. She'll be labeled a snitch or a liar."
"Not if I have anything to do with it – or Schwartz. He's doing everything he can to combat sexual harassment – and worse – in the military. The Air Force is changing Sam, even if it's slower than we'd like."
"I know, and I hope they do go on record, I just hate to put them through it."
"I know, but I think it will be better in the end. At least they'll have a sense that they got some justice. It must be terrible to be in the position they're in and feel so helpless."
"Yeah, I can imagine."
After breakfast the two of them headed back to the base, neither of them looking forward to the coming ordeal.
"I don't want you to be there when I talk to him Sam", he said. "You go see if you can talk to the women and get them started on their statements."
"What do you think he'll do?" she asked.
"Oh, he'll immediately call a lawyer and then try to pull in some favors. That's how he's gotten away with so much in the past", he said. "What's different now is that Daddy is no longer here to protect him, although I expect he'll still have some supporters. I just wish I had something else on him. He'll try and wiggle out of these charges. I just wish we could nail him for some of the other things he's done."
"Such as?"
"I think he conspired with the enemy when we were in the Gulf", he said. "There were a lot of rumors going around that he was selling information, but nothing was proved. He certainly had a lot of money from somewhere. If I could find out something on that, we'd have a better chance of nailing him – although I still want to get him on these charges as well."
By this time they'd arrived and Jack again parked his car in the 'Reserved' spot.
"Are you sure you should park here", his law-abiding wife asked.
"Yeah", he grinned, "who's going to tow me? And anyway, I deserve something for having to take time out of my vacation with my sexy wife!"
"So, a parking spot is a good substitute for me?" she asked with a 'look' at her husband.
"Nothing is a good substitute for you!" he answered quickly, and gave her a kiss.
"Be careful Jack! Someone's going to see us and my cover will be blown."
"Hey, that sounds like a great idea. Why don't we go back to the hotel and I can blow -"
"Jack, would you stop it!", she giggled. "You are being terribly naughty today."
"And you love it!"
She sighed. "Yes, unfortunately I do. Which is why I'm in this condition", she answered, pointing at her belly. "Come on, let's get this over with so we can get out of here."
He nodded and they left the car and headed towards the offices. Sam veered off before they arrived. "I'm going to go see if I can find Captain Davies and the others."
"Okay, but be back here by 11:00 at the latest okay? And I don't want you wandering around anywhere else."
"I'll be fine General. I can look after myself you know."
"I know you can, but let me worry about you okay? I've watched your six for a lot of years and I'm not about to stop."
She smiled and gave him a classic salute. "Yes Sir General, I'll be careful. And you be careful too Jack", she said softly and turned and headed out.
He watched her for a second and then moved towards the reception desk. "I'm here to see General Williams. Is he in his office?"
"Yes Sir", answered the Airman at the desk. It was someone different from the day before, and this young man was not nearly as friendly as the previous receptionist. "May I tell him who's here?"
"He's expecting me Airman. I'll just go back and see him."
"I'm sorry Sir", the young man replied. "The General asked that I inform him when anyone arrived. I really can't let you go back Sir."
Jack stopped and turned slowly. "Son, do you see these stars on my shoulder?" he asked quietly.
"Yes Sir", the Airman stood a little straighter.
"And do you know what they mean?"
"That you are a Lieutenant General, Sir."
"That's right. And how many stars do you have son?"
"Uh none Sir."
"Very good. And how many stars does General Williams have?"
"One Sir."
"You're doing well Airman. Now, do I need to ask you what that means?"
"No Sir."
"So, again, I'm going to go and see General Williams and I will announce myself. Is that clear?"
"Yes Sir", the young man replied. It was then that Jack saw how frightened the man looked. Crap, he thought. I bet Williams threatened him – and I've just made it worse!
He sighed and looked again at the uncomfortable looking Airman. He is so young, Jack realized, and I've just scared the pants off of him. "Look", he looked at the desk where a nameplate R. Rawlins sat. "Airman Rawlins?"
"Yes Sir."
"Don't worry. General Williams will not discipline you for following my order, okay?"
"Thank you Sir."
Jack walked back to Williams' office, but he would have felt a lot better if poor Rawlins still didn't look so frightened. It struck him then how easy it was to abuse power.
He walked into Williams' office after a short, quick knock. "General", he announced as he entered the office. He could see that ole Jerry was furious. He'd probably been counting on getting a warning.
"General O'Neill, I'm surprised to see you so early."
"Early? I told you I'd be back."
"Yes Sir. What else would you like to see Sir?"
"Oh, I don't really need to see anything, although I do have a couple of things to do."
"Is uh, Colonel Carter joining you today?"
"The Colonel? Yes, she's here. She's visiting with some of your officers."
"I really don't need her disrupting them again General", he replied, anger flashing in his eyes. "She already caused a disturbance with some of them yesterday."
"A disturbance? What kind of a disturbance?"
"I understand she got them all worked up about things that just aren't true. We have a few women here who are extreme feminists and anything – even just a simple joke or a compliment will set them off. Some of my men will tell you – they're overly sensitive and emotional. It's probably PMS!" he laughed. "Either that or they don't like men, if you know what I mean!"
Jack thought, for a brief moment, that it was a really, really good thing that his wife wasn't here or this man might find out what hormones could really do to a someone crazy enough to talk the way he was. He was pretty sure Carter would have shot first and then – no, she just would have shot him!
"Is that going to be your defense?" he asked the man sitting at his desk.
"My defense?"
"Against the charges."
Williams stood up and leaned forward. "What the hell are you talking about O'Neill?"
"I'm talking about the charges for sexual harassment and rape."
"Rape? What did those lying bitches say? And I suppose Carter believed every word of it? What the hell is a woman who's been knocked up by some gonad brain doing running around my base? She has no business being in the Air Force and certainly shouldn't be an officer! She only good to be some man's whore!"
Okay Jack, take a deep breath and remember that life is good and you don't want to screw it up by killing this a – hole! Maybe if he just beat him to an inch of his life? No, he couldn't do that either.
"Shut the hell up Williams", he ground out.
"Or what O'Neill? What are you going to do? You going to call your back up? Oh, I forgot, you're here all by yourself. You're too much of a woman yourself to do anything. I always knew you were a pussy O'Neill. I can't believe you actually got yourself three stars. Who'd you have to screw to get them? General Schwartz?"
"I'm warning you Williams, shut up." Jack knew he'd made a strategic error. He should have had back up with this man. "You are hereby officially relieved of duty, by order of the Air Force Chief of Staff, pending an investigation into your contact. You will be escorted off base and will be transferred to Washington where you will answer charges that you harassed and raped women under your command."
"There's no way in hell you're taking me anywhere O'Neill. I'm going to make a couple of phone calls and then we'll see who's asked to report to Washington! You can get out of here and go to hell!" Williams reached down and pressed a button on his phone. "Rawlins, call the SF's and tell them to come to my office and escort General O'Neill off the base."
Jack just stood there, astounded at the balls of this man. "That's not going to work Williams", he said. "All the Joint Chiefs, plus the President are behind this. They've suspected you of a variety of things for a while. Do you really think your friends are going to get you out of this one?"
"Get me out of what one Jack?" he asked with a sneer. "I don't know of anything at all. I'm sure all those women who lied about me will change their minds pretty quick."
"When you threaten them Williams?"
"Threaten them? Why would I do that? No, I'm sure they'll just see the error of their ways, and take back all their lies. Then you won't have a thing to hold me on."
"I'm afraid they're not taking back anything General", Sam said as she walked into the room. "I have six sworn statements here, from various women under your command, all swearing that you sexually assaulted them. Oh, and I have a number of others, including some of the men, who have told me they would be pleased to testify against you. I'm afraid General, that most of the men and women on the base detest you."
"It's a conspiracy", he said through gritted teeth. "This is all your doing, isn't it O'Neill. You've been out to get me for years and you saw this as your chance! Well, I'm not going to let you get away with this. I have friends – powerful friends – and I'm going to destroy you!"
Jack just laughed. "Really Jerry? Well, I'm afraid you won't be able to prove anything. General Schwartz has it on record that I asked not to be given this assignment and that I declared my history with you. He then recorded that it was his order that brought me here. I would really rather have never seen you again, but I guess someone has to deal with the dirt and this time it fell to me. And as for powerful friends", Jack laughed again, "I really don't think you can beat mine. I'll have to introduce you to Murray and Thor one day. Oh, and you've already met Carter. She's a lot tougher than you think."
"Colonel Carter!" Williams said with disgust. "that bitch!" he gestured to where Sam stood with the statements. "I'm sure she's only here because you didn't want to leave your 'mistress' behind. I bet you anything you're sleeping with her O'Neill!"
"Yes, of course I'm sleeping with her", Jack replied calmly.
"You admit it? Hell- I'm gonna let everyone know and you'll be destroyed. Oh, and does her husband know?"
"Carter", Jack turned to her. "Does your husband know I'm sleeping with you?" he asked casually.
"Yes Sir, he does."
"And does he mind?"
"No General, not at all."
Jack faced Williams again. "See, nothing to worry about. Her husband knows all about it!"
"You're a pig O'Neill. You claim to be 'holier than thou' and you're as bad as the rest of us – screwing another man's wife! I bet the brat is yours as well! You make me sick!"
"Who said anything about sleeping with another man's wife?" Jack asked. "Did we say anything about that Carter?"
"No General, we didn't."
"There see. The only wife I'm sleeping with is my own, Jerry." He shook his head in confusion. "General Williams, meet my wife, Colonel Samantha Carter-O'Neill. Oh, and the 'brat' as you put it, is mine."
The General looked back and forth between the two officers facing him and, for the first time understood that he was dealing with two very smart – and probably very powerful – officers. His shoulders sagged briefly, but then he stood straight. "You may think you have me, but I can assure you O'Neill, that you haven't heard the last of this!"
By the time they left the base it was late in the afternoon and Jack was exhausted. Dealing with this kind of thing was horrible – worse in many ways than dealing with their enemies. The only thing that made it worthwhile was the gratitude on the faces of so many of the men and women on the base. He knew he'd done the right thing for their sakes. He just hoped that Williams was finally dealt with, and wouldn't come back to haunt them!
"So, are we all done with work for awhile Jack", Sam asked, looking at her husband in concern. She knew this had taken a lot out of him.
"Yes, absolutely. I told Schwartz that after this I didn't want to hear from anyone unless the earth was in danger of complete and utter destruction."
"Okay good. Then let's forget everything and go have supper and go to bed. It's been a tiring day and I for one just want to rest."
Jack agreed, but was quiet for the rest of the way to the restaurant and all the way through the meal. When they arrived back at their hotel he quickly changed and then lay down on the bed and turned on the TV.
Sam got dressed in her pajamas and climbed into bed and cuddled up next to him. He put his arm around her and pulled her close and leaned down and kissed her head.
"Thank you", he said softly.
"What for?" she looked up enquiringly at him.
"For having my back."
"Of course", she responded seriously. "I always do, you know."
"I know." He reached down and took the remote and turned off the TV. Turning to face her he said, "and I'll always have yours."
"Yes, I know", she reached forward and gave him a gentle kiss. "We've always been there for each other – it's one of the constants in our relationship – even when we weren't together", she said.
"Don't remind me. I don't want to think about not being with you – past, present or future."
"You don't have to Jack. I'm not ever letting you go."
"Good thing woman, cause I need you." This time he leaned down to kiss her. "And anyway, what other General gets to sleep with a Colonel and knock her up?"
"Jack, that's awful!" She leaned back. "You know of course, that I only slept with you because of your stars."
"My stars? And here I thought it was my -"
She kissed him again, interrupting his words. "That too", she whispered.
He grinned. "Well in that case – wanna sleep with me again for my - stars?"
"Yasureyabetcha Jack!" she grinned. He gently rolled her over on to her back - and those were the last words spoken for a while.
Okay, I thought about adding all sorts of fighting and whump, etc. but decided to stay away from it in these stories because I want them to be more about their relationship than about adventure (I'll leave the whumpin' for my other stories). I may bring Williams back – who knows. Vini