22/06/2010 19:17:00

Just another little 'interlude' scene.

"care… just get her the hell back!"

What? Where was she? The world around her was still dark but she thought she heard Jack's voice. God - what a horrible day. She really couldn't bear to see him with his son. She wanted to walk away, to leave. As soon as she figured out what was going on that's exactly what she would do. And on top of everything else she had a killer headache!

"Sam, oh thank God. Are you all right? Are you hurt? Where were you?"

Jack was speaking so fast she could barely understand him – and certainly had no time to answer.

"Whaa ? Jack, is that you?"

"Yeah, it's me. What's wrong Sam? Are you okay?"

Gradually her eyes seemed to be picking out some shapes and the world was righting itself. She took a couple of deep breaths and just stood quietly as Jack kept asking her questions. His voice began to get frantic and she realized she had to answer him.

"I'm okay. Just give me a minute to catch my breath? I'm really fine – please don't worry."

She felt Jack draw closer to her and touch her arm. She jerked back, not wanting him to touch her. How could he? He was married to another woman; he had a child for God's sake! He shouldn't be worried about her, shouldn't even be talking to her, her mind reasoned.

A couple of more minutes of extremely tense silence and Sam was finally able to see clearly. She looked around and realized she was back in the alien – room? Reality came crashing back when she looked at Jack and saw, not the younger man with the child, but the 50 something General (although, now that she thought about it he was looking really great – better than she had seen him in a long time).

Oh thank God! Jack wasn't married, didn't have a child. It was all a dream or a vision brought on by the aliens! She looked at Jack fully this time, watching his very worried face. Suddenly, his expression reminded her of the Jack of the dream world – just as he had looked at her as things faded away.

She stared at him for a brief second and then burst into tears. These were not the quiet, contained tears she normally would have shed – but massive, loud, uncontrollable sobs which came from the very depth of her being. She had felt like her world was gone and suddenly it had all come back, had all become right. The relief but also the confusion were so intense her body, her emotions couldn't handle it.

She sobbed loudly for a long time. After the first couple of seconds Jack had reached over and put his arms around her, holding her tightly. Although at first she had tried to pull back, after a second she relaxed fully into his comforting embrace.

The two stood there, Jack holding the woman he loved, until finally her sobs quieted.

"Are you okay now Sam? Can you tell me what happened? Please sweetheart, tell me what's wrong. I want to help."

"Oh Jack, I did something terrible, something awful. I left you behind. I gave you up for my career and you got married and left me and now you have a child although you really don't it was all a dream but I'm sorry it was my fault I put myself first but you got married, how could you but how can you forgive me? I won't do it though – I won't give you up, you're too important, but I'm so sorry …"

"Whoa Sam, slow down. What are you talking about? What do you mean you left me behind? You didn't leave me, the aliens took you and I'm certainly not married or anything. What's this all about?"

Sam stopped and tried to calm down. She knew she was practically hysterical but she couldn't seem to stop herself. It had all been too much. She looked up at Jack, ready to calmly explain things to him when a random thought entered her mind.

"You married a brunette! How could you? How could you marry a brunette? And she was young and her name was Jennifer for God's sake. Could you have picked a girlier name? A brunette! God, I can't believe you did that!" and with that, she stepped back and punched him in the arm.

"Ow! What did you do that for? What are you talking about? I haven't married a brunette and I don't even know a Jennifer. Sam, please tell me what this is about."

But Sam had started crying again. She knew she was acting crazy but she couldn't help herself - a brunette! At least he could have married someone that looked like her - and how could he have married a Jennifer!

By this point Jack knew the best thing he could do was simply apologize. He and Sara had been divorced for a lot of years but he still remembered certain things about being married. One of them was, if all else fails, if you don't have a clue what you've done wrong, just say you're sorry. There's no point in trying to defend yourself or reason yourself through it. There were just times when abject repentance worked best – even if you didn't know why you were repenting.

"I'm sorry Sam. I'm really sorry. I promise, I don't really like brunettes" (actually, the color of a woman's hair was the last thing he thought about. He loved Sam's blond hair and blue eyes, and had loved Sara's hair as well, but he had also known, and, years ago had dated, a number of brunettes and even red heads all whom he had found attractive. He was smart enough to not speak his thoughts aloud!)

"Sam, really. I love blonds – I mean I love your blond hair. That's my favorite and I promise never to marry a Jennifer. Really, you have to believe me."

"Really", she sniffed. "You promise?"

"Yes, I am really sorry – I do not like brunettes and I will never marry a Jennifer. Now, can you tell me what this is all about?"

Sam slowly began to tell Jack all that had happened to her in the alternate time line or reality. As she spoke, Jack again reached out and held her as it was clear the experience had been extremely upsetting for her.

As Sam felt Jack's arms and his complete love and support she began to feel incredibly foolish. How could she have ranted at him about brunettes? And the name Jennifer? God she had sounded like the worst kind of jealous shrew. She leaned back and looked up at him.

"Jack?"

"Yes"

"I'm sorry for being so silly. I didn't mean all that you know. I was just feeling so emotional and I think I went a little crazy. Can you forgive me?"

"Of course. Heck, with everything that we've been through I think we both have the right to be more than a little crazy. It'll be okay Sam, don't worry."

"I know Jack. Thank you. Thank you for always being there for me. And I'm really sorry."

"Hey that's okay. Uh …. Does this mean you don't mind if I marry a Jennifer?"

"Jack O'Neill", she swatted him on the arm. "You are incorrigible! No, absolutely not! You promised and you had better never so much as look at anyone with the name Jennifer!"

"Okay, okay. Can't blame a guy for trying. So Sam, what do you think this means? Any ideas?"

"Well, obviously they decided it was time to test me – to see if I'm worthy of being with you ,.."

"Worthy – of course you're worthy. Of course she's worthy!" he shouted

"Jack, I don't think they are just going to listen to you and say 'okay then fine'. Obviously they needed to test both of us."

"So, what did this test prove?"

"Well, I don't know if I should have called it a test really. I think it was showing me a possible choice I will have to make and what the consequences could be. That's what made it so frightening. It wasn't something in the past – it's something that hasn't happened yet. I'm so sure of what my decision would be … will be … and yet I'm still frightened."

"Why are you frightened if you know what you will choose?"

"Because, you never know what the future will bring. What caused me to choose to keep my career in this alternate time-line? I know it's always been important to me, but certainly not more important than you. Right now, I'm absolutely certain what I would choose. But maybe the choice won't be so easy if things were different. Oh God Jack, I don't know. I'm so confused!"

"Don't worry so much. Maybe now that you know you can make the right decision. Knowing the consequences has to make a difference."

"You're right. It does. Jack, I love you and I don't want anything to ever get in our way. Remind me of this if things change okay?"

"Okay Sam. I'll make sure and remind you - and I'll fight like hell to keep you from making the wrong decision."

"You know what? I think that's what bothered me the most in this last scenario. I didn't feel like you fought for me. You simply let me go because you didn't think you were worthy enough of my love. Jack!"

"What Sam, what?"

"I didn't like myself very much in the alternate time-line. I put my career first. I'm determined to not go that route this time but you have to promise me something."

"Something more than 'no Jennifers'?"

"Jack please, I'm being serious!"

"I'm sorry. What, what do you want me to promise?"

"I want you to promise me you will never do something, or never not do something because you think yourself unworthy. You are a good man, a strong man and you are the man that I love. I've chosen you, Jack and if you love me and who I am you have to respect my choice. You have to know that I would not pick someone who wasn't worthy, who didn't deserve my love. You have to promise to fight for me, to not let me go. I am no better or more valuable than you are Jack. You have to promise me that you will believe that!"

Jack didn't say anything for a long minute. She knew him too well, she had captured what was the weakest part of himer, his feelings of unworthiness. He knew, however, that she was right. For this relationship to work they both had to believe that they deserved each other, that they both entered the relationship equally, and both had something to share. He could no longer think of himself as an old, past-his-prime airman robbing the cradle and condemning Sam to a lifetime with someone less than her equal.

Yes, he had done things in his life that he wasn't proud of. He had made mistakes, some of them grievous. But, and this was the important thing, he had always tried to do the right thing. His desire was to do right, to protect the innocent and defend that which was good. Ultimately, however, the thing, which above all else made him realize that he did indeed deserve Sam Carter, was the very fact that she had chosen him. She was brilliant, and good and kind and compassionate. She would not pick a bad or unworthy person to love. And then there Teal'c and Daniel. Two better, more honorable men it would be hard to find – and they called him friend.

With an incredible feeling of 'rightness' he looked at Sam and grinned.

"Yeah okay. I promise to fight like hell for you. I promise not to think myself unworthy. In fact, I think you are getting one hell of a good deal Samantha Carter. I think we both are."

At that she relaxed and laughed. Jack, I love you. Only you could make me laugh at a time like this. I think we're gonna be okay."

"You betcha Colonel! Everything is going to be just fine! Oh, would it be okay if I introduced Jennifer to Daniel? I think he might like a Jennifer."

Thanks so much for the lovely comments. Thanks to LaRhette, dp and Lighwolf for your kind words. I can't reply directly so wanted to thank you here. It means so much to hear from people! It makes it so much easier to write!