Doing Her Job Chapter 3
Sorry for the delay folks, back to work was more of a stress than I thought it would be. Here is the final chapter of this story. There are two more stories in the series to come. Hope you enjoy the conclusion.
The next day Katie met Sam and Janet at the coffee shop where they always went when they wanted the best coffees in Colorado Springs along with their usual girly chat. It wasn't part of a chain but rather an independent café where the owner made a point of remembering all his customers' orders, particularly the gorgeous single women as these three definitely were.
After the three women had exhausted all the base gossip from the last few weeks, as well as all the real life gossip, it was Janet who finally brought up the elephant in the room. "Sooooooo, Sam... Daniel said that you and Jack were together on your last mission," she stated matter of factly, then looked back down at her latte, dying with curiosity but, knowing how skittish Sam could be, she didn't want to scare her so she wouldn't give them all the juicy details.
Sam squirmed on her chair and Katie was caught between getting involved in the girly joking with her friend in jest and remembering that Sam was her client, or soon would be.
"Yeah... I suppose..." Sam finally responded, blushing. "But I assume he told you that it wasn't really us."
"Of course he did!" Janet exclaimed, then reached across the table to cover Sam's hand, "But, honey, you didn't end up with Daniel or Teal'c, you were with Jack. That has to tell you something."
Sam sighed and Katie could see the same process go through her mind as had happened the day before in her office. "Yeah, it does. But I need to convince him that it means something, too."
Janet almost squealed with glee and Katie was also taken aback. So, Sam had decided to pursue a relationship with her CO who thought the entire idea of in-team relationships was the worst decision ever made. Katie figured she needed to let Sam know this about Jack, to let her down gently. "I think it might be difficult to convince Colonel Jack that it's a good idea for you to date when you're both on the same team."
"Yeah, I know," Sam said, "But if I don't try then I'll never know if it could've worked."
"Good for you, Sam," Janet approved, slapping the table.
"So, you'll be following her example and speaking to Daniel about beginning a relationship?" Katie casually dropped into the conversation. Janet choked on her drink and Sam burst out laughing.
"What exactly has my daughter been telling you?" Janet demanded.
Katie smiled. "Not much but when we talked a month or so ago she explained that Jack was always going to be an uncle and that she believed that Daniel would soon be getting the job of Dad."
"She didn't!" Sam exclaimed, laughing at the announcement.
"She did," Katie confirmed as she nodded her head vigorously, laughing as Janet turned redder and redder.
"Just wait until I get home. I'll kill her!" Janet finally spat out, causing the other two to almost fall off their chairs laughing.
Katie wiped her eyes and tried to pull herself together. "Jan, you don't need my help or permission to date, but love is in the air in the mountain. If you like him you don't want anyone else to have the chance to take him."
Janet turned on Katie with menace in her eyes. "What have you heard?!" she snarled.
Sam started roaring with laughter at the change in her friend.
"Calm down, Doctor. I've heard nothing about Daniel but everyone in that place has multiple dates at the moment, it's nice to see everyone happier as if a weight has been lifted off the place, everyone I have spoken to says they are able to focus more now that they have a life. Oh and the multiple dates includes yours truly." She sat back waiting for the reaction of her friends, she did not have long to wait.
"Really?!" Sam looked at the counsellor. "Okay, spill… NOW!"
"Well... Colonel Roberts from SG-11 asked me out for tonight and then Major Green has invited me to dinner next Thursday. See, I told you romance is in the air!"
Janet sat stock still then took out her phone. "I need to go and speak to a certain archaeologist." She ran from the room, leaving the other two staring at her empty space.
"She forgot to pay, didn't she?" Sam asked.
"Yup. But don't worry, I'm keeping tabs on all the times that one or other of you run out on me." Katie joked.
There was a comfortable silence between the two friends for several minutes.
"Do you think I should speak to the Colonel?" Sam asked quietly.
Katie considered the question and the conversations she'd had with General Hammond regarding separating SG1. "Sam, I think you need to follow your heart. You love Jack. That much is very obvious. But right now those feelings are close to jeopardising your missions. I think not only do you need to talk to him but, if you can't get him to see sense, I think you need to consider transferring to another team."
Sam started fidgeting on her seat and looked at Katie with tears gathering in her eyes. "Is that what you'll recommend General Hammond?" she whispered.
Katie took a deep breath. "No, Sam. I just know that that's what the General thinks is the right thing to do given the declarations you both made last month." She waited for that to sink in. "Sam, I'm sure, as I think you are, too, that SG-1 could function very well with you and Jack in a relationship. But, without these feelings you have for each other being out in the open and acknowledged, I think they have the potential to drive you both – and your teammates – completely crazy, which would break up the team, anyway."
Sam nodded. "Yeah, I know. I need to speak to him."
"Yeah, you do."
"Okay, but I think it'd be better if you were there. Can you come to my place tonight? I'll go find him and we can talk a bit before you come over."
Katie thought it was the craziest plan Sam had ever come up with but who was she to judge? Sam was the brains of the SGC. "Okay..." she reluctantly agreed and then smiled. "But if he has a temper tantrum I'm letting you deal with it." She joked.
Sam smiled a tight smile a little concerned at the idea of an O'Neill temper tantrum, but she fortified herself, this had to be done. "Now all I have to do is find him." She rose from her seat.
"And pay me your half of the check?!" Katie added, smiling encouragingly at the decision Sam had made but trying to make light of the situation holding her hand out for the money.
SG1 SG1SG1 SG1
Katie arrived at Sam's house just before 20:00 that night and took careful check of her surroundings. Both Sam's car and Jack's truck were there, so that was a good start. She listened carefully as she made her way to the front door. There were no tears or tantrums that she could hear, which was also good news. She took a deep breath then knocked on the door and waited for it to be answered.
The door was flung open by a decidedly chipper Colonel. "Doc! Good of you to come!" he boomed as he walked away from the door, clearly expecting Katie to follow him.
"O… kay," Katie said quietly, then followed him through to the kitchen/diner at the back of the bungalow.
"Hi, Katie!" Sam greeted from the sofa as Katie as she entered the room. "How are you?"
"Feeling a little like I'm in a parallel universe, if I'm honest," she admitted, looking warily at both Sam and Jack and the relaxed poses they both had.
"We talked," Sam said simply.
"Okay…. I thought…"
"And we'd like to ask your permission to pursue a relationship," Jack jumped in before Katie could continue.
Katie's mind was reeling as she tried to come to grips with this totally unexpected piece of news. She suddenly realised that her mouth was still open in an O of surprise and abruptly shut it, before asking in jest, "Do I at least get to sit down first?"
"Sure, Doc! Can I get you anything? Beer? Coffee?… Water?" he asked while he searched through Sam's kitchen. "Is that all you have, Carter? Gees, I thought my cupboards were bad."
"I haven't been to the grocery store yet. I had to trail all over town to find you, remember?!"
Jack had the grace to look sheepish. "Yep, found her back on my doorstep, Doc. I hear I have you to thank for her coming to find me."
Katie shrugged out of her jacket and threw it over the back of a chair. "Not really. Sam wanted to speak to you. She just needed a bit of a nudge in the right direction, just like you. And coffee, please, Jack. Thanks."
"Instant okay?"
"That's fine, thanks."
"Cream? Sugar?"
"Just a little cream, thanks."
Katie walked over and sat down in one of the comfortable chairs opposite Sam and spoke up a bit louder so that Jack could hear from the kitchen area. She had no idea why there had been a complete change of heart on Jack's side but although they were her friends she was first and foremost their counsellor so she proceeded as she would with any other couple. "So, the protocol is that, even though you've informed me, you're still not allowed to date. First you have to wait until your team agrees. We can have that meeting on Monday, if you want, since you're all on downtime."
"And if they don't?" Sam asked quietly, worrying the cushion on her lap.
"Carter, Daniel and Teal'c've been running the book on us for years! It'll be a walk in the park!" Jack spoke confidently from the other side of the breakfast bar.
Sam wasn't so sure and looked at the counsellor, still wanting her opinion.
Katie still felt that either she or Jack were in a parallel universe, however he was right about this; despite his reservations the rest of his team had been very vocal in their surprise that Jack and Sam were not together, well Daniel had spoken, Teal'c had conveyed his opinion in his own way.
Turning to Sam she tried to reassure her, "Jack's right, Sam, but you have to give them a chance to say whatever they wish. It can be the hardest part of this process because essentially your future is in their hands."
"What's the timescale if they agree?" Jack asked as he handed Katie her coffee. He turned and sat down next to Sam on the sofa.
"Almost immediate. I speak to the General and we both make a decision based on my analysis of the team." Katie sat back and took a sip of her coffee as she viewed the couple because, really, that's what they were now. She noted that they still maintained a respectable distance, although they were leaning slightly towards each other. She doubted they were even aware of what they were doing. Her curiosity held out no longer, "Can I ask you, Jack, why you changed your mind about this? I was there, remember, when you slam dunked Hammond for coming up with this idea."
"You did not!" Sam exclaimed, looking aghast at Jack.
"Yeah… well… I didn't like the idea of special treatment…thought that it went against everything we have fought for." He cleared his throat, and focussed on Katie, "I didn't want 'feelings' to interfere with the mission" he spat the word out, then squirmed a little, turning towards Sam "but then I saw those other couples getting together and it made me… well... jealous, I suppose."
Katie nodded, she could see how a career military man like Jack could feel that way about the changes, perhaps he now needed to realise how 'feelings' actually made the decision come about. "You know it was the za'tarc incident with you two that prompted all this, don't you?" Katie was met by surprised looks so she explained further. "Janet had to report what happened in the room. So did I. Hammond went ballistic at me for not coming to him sooner about it and waiting until after the President had left. He and the President came up with the change in regs, with my help I suppose. He's been at his wits end for months trying to decide whether to break up SG-1 because of the feelings you admitted to having".
"And then I went and threw it back in his face."
"Yeah, I gotta say that I didn't see that one coming, but I am glad you have come around now."
"Me too." he whispered and looked at Sam, who blushed simply at the look in his eyes.
Katie was the one to clear her throat this time and Jack snapped his head round in her direction and then stated.
"So, if Danny boy and the big man agree, Hammond's likely to be happy with our decision?" Jack asked.
"That's an understatement. Over the moon would be more like it, and so will the President. They both have good odds in Daniel's betting pool."
"Okay then, Doc. Set up that meeting for first thing Monday and we'll be there." Jack stood up. "But for now I'm going to take the President's warning about dating without permission very seriously and leave." He looked down at Sam. "Carter, I'll bring the boys over tomorrow and we can talk to them before the meeting, see if there's anything to iron out." He looked back at Katie. "That okay, Doc?"
"Sure, but you can't pressure them. They have to feel free to speak their minds without worrying about you blowing up at them or acting like the big bad Colonel, or the whole thing doesn't work."
"No pressure, I promise, Doc," Jack said irreverently as he put his hand over his heart. "See you on Monday, then." He turned to Sam and smiled as he looked into her eyes and said very quietly, "See you tomorrow... Sam." He grinned when she blushed and then turned to leave.
"See you... Jack," Sam replied just as quietly.
Jack winked then walked to the front door, looking back at Sam before letting himself out.
Still looking the front door after Jack had left, Sam said wistfully, "I think I'm going to like calling him Jack."
Katie couldn't help smiling at Sam's obvious infatuation. She finished her coffee and put the cup down on the coffee table. "Well, my work here is done. It's taken a few weeks longer than I'd expected but I'm glad you've got your act together. See you Monday, Sam."
Sam stood and hugged her friend and counsellor, then walked her to the front door. "Thanks, Katie, for giving me that nudge."
"No problem. Oh, and on the topic of our two doctor friends, I expect a gossip update very shortly."
"Will do!" Sam opened the front door. "Have a safe trip home. Night, Katie," Sam said as Katie walked to her car.
Katie opened the driver's door and turned back to Sam before getting in. "Goodnight, Sam." Then, with a cheeky smile on her face, added, "Sweet dreams."
_SG1_
AN: Thanks for reading folks, hope you are able to keep reading the series. I am still writing one but the other is finished. Thanks for all the support.