Stargate Command
Colorado Springs, CO
January 17, 2000
"Preliminary readings indicate all the Replicators have been destroyed. However, it's possible they have simply shattered into smaller pieces, like when SG-1 and Major Ferretti engaged them with our weapons aboard Thor's ship. Those pieces are capable of reassembling themselves because each individual building block is capable of exerting a reactive modulating mono-polar energy field on other blocks, allowing them to assemble themselves into many forms." Sam said, recounting her mission with Thor.
She was still feeling the excitement and wonder from the experience and couldn't help but rattle on a bit. "Anyway, that's why Thor sent the two of us back alone. The Asgard are going to make sure the Replicators are gone for good and if not, they have to make sure to get all the individual blocks and keep them separated."
General Hammond was practically beaming. "Mission accomplished then, Captain."
"She kicked their asses," Jack said with a grin, before adding a belated "Sir".
"They had asses?"
Teal'c raised a brow at the remark. "They did not, Daniel Jackson."
Catherine chuckled and leaned over to Sam. "You must tell me everything you've learned about these Replicators – including their anatomy – and the Asgard from your time with Thor, Samantha."
"And she will, Doctor Langford. In due time," the General said. "I'm sure Doctor Jackson, as our cultural expert, will also benefit from this knowledge."
"It is most regretful the newest Asgard vessel had to be sacrificed for us to be successful," Teal'c said, glancing at Jack.
Jack in turn simply shrugged. "Hey, whatever works right? I mean, if the Asgard were all dead the Replicators would take over the ship anyway."
Thor had told her about the ship's capabilities and Sam couldn't help but feel a little sad over the waste of such potential. Jack was right, though. "I guess that's true, but the O'Neill was supposed to be their last great hope. It looked very impressive."
"Indeed."
"Wait, it was named after me? Cool!" Slowly, the grin on Jack's face faded as he looked at both her and Teal'c. "And you blew it up?"
Sam smirked at his predictable response and raised her hands in supplication, "Well, it was my stupid idea."
Daniel and Catherine chuckled and even the General looked amused, but Jack himself shrugged off the disappointment and instead looked at her warmly. "You did sort of save a whole galaxy and the Asgard totally owe us now, so I guess you're forgiven."
"The Supreme Commander expressed the Asgard's sincerest gratitude," Teal'c said.
"It's good for Earth to have advanced allies such as the Asgard," General Hammond said. "We can learn a lot from them in medical and technological areas like Captain Carter already proved with her newly acquired knowledge about energy particles previously unknown to us. And it certainly won't hurt to have the Asgard to call on in case we ever find ourselves under attack by the Goa'uld."
Sam figured this was the perfect moment to relay Thor's final message to her before he'd activated the stargate. "Actually, Sir, Thor promised us one even better. If it turns out the Ida galaxy is free of the Replicators he will request the Asgard High Council to help us in fighting the Goa'uld."
Daniel's face practically lit up as at the news and it wasn't hard to understand why. "Oh wow, that is more than we could have hoped for!"
"I'd say that's pretty good timing," Jack said, smirking. "Between Earth, the Asgard and the growing Jaffa Rebellion it shouldn't be too hard to take them on."
"It is promising," Teal'c acknowledged.
General Hammond nodded, looking immensely pleased. "It's very good news," he agreed. "And before we conclude the Captain's debriefing, I have three other matters I wish to share with everyone.
"This morning I was told Colonel O'Neill will receive a commendation for his undercover mission that resulted in the retrieval of Captain Carter, putting an end to the Rogue NID operation and repairing our alliances with our allies. Congratulations, Colonel."
"Thank you, Sir," Jack said, quirking a smile.
"And in related news, I have been informed that the surviving Rogue NID operatives have all been convicted of high treason for their actions."
Sam let out a breath she didn't know she'd been holding at the news and was surprised at her own reaction. She thought she'd left it all behind her with the death of Lieutenant Colonel Grieves but upon hearing his fellow traitors had been convicted she felt vindicated. Feeling Jack's eyes on her, she gave him a small smile to let him know she was okay. More than okay, actually.
General Hammond spoke up again, smiling broadly. "And last but not least, it is with great pleasure I can announce that Captain Samantha Carter will be promoted to the rank of major in recognition of her outstanding work and achievements over the past two years."
Sam was shocked to say the least. She had barely recovered from the rush of destroying the Replicators and now this! The General and Major Davis had mentioned the possibility of a promotion when she'd returned to Earth but after all the recent developments in her life she hadn't given it much thought. Dimly, she realized everyone was looking at her and congratulating her. "Um, wow, thank you, Sir. It's an unexpected surprise and I'm not sure what to say other than that I'm honored."
"You deserve it… Major Carter."
She couldn't fight a smile at the sound of her new rank and automatically turned to Jack to see his reaction. He was wearing a shit-eating grin that probably mirrored her own expression. "Yeah, congratulations, Major Carter."
Stargate Command
Colorado Springs, CO
January 19, 2000
It had been a long day and Jack was so ready to go home. Sam had worked an afternoon shift and they were supposed to leave together but so far he hadn't been able to locate her. Not in her lab, the locker room, the infirmary – thank god – or anywhere in the Science Department. She'd mentioned something about meeting up with Teal'c during lunch but they weren't at his quarters and according to the SFs topside, she hadn't signed out either.
So, he had decided to stop by one of the Jaffa's most frequented places on base to see if Teal'c had any idea where she was. The first thing Jack saw when he entered the gym was Sam from the back, hair tied in a messy ponytail and sticking to her long neck and wearing a tight formfitting tank top and stretchy gym pants that accentuated her toned body. Teal'c and Sam were the only ones present, so Jack walked in and leaned against the wall, watching them.
They were moving in sync, practicing the ancient form of Jaffa martial arts. Teal'c did it often but Jack had never seen Sam participate in it before and he found it rather fascinating. It looked pretty impressive, especially when they moved as one. She looked small next to the Jaffa. Teal'c was tall, big and muscled, whereas Sam appeared almost slight with her thin frame. Their movements were controlled but smooth, supple, and there was a grace to her he hadn't noticed before.
She was flushed and the sheen of sweat made her skin glisten in the bright lights of the gym. He was reminded of the way she'd come apart in his arms four days ago and desire coiled low in his belly as he took her in – her curves calling for his hands in a way that made them itch. He pushed his fists in his jeans pockets, encountering the little square foils he'd bought the night before. The condoms made his mind flash back to the night they spent together in DC, two and a half years ago.
At that moment, Sam looked up and smiled at him, her eyes shining with delight at seeing him. He felt his heart constrict and smiled back. She didn't falter though, taking one step to the side and twisting her upper body as she brought up her arms and made a smooth arc with her outside leg in a seamless flow of motion – in a perfect mirror image of Teal'c.
It was kind of beautiful to watch.
The two of them continued for a few more minutes until they turned to face each other, dipped their heads and murmured something in Goa'uld. They parted and Teal'c greeted Jack with a solemn "O'Neill" while Sam came up to him, smiling.
"Hi."
Jack reached up and brushed a lock of her blonde hair back, tucking it behind her ear. The back of his fingers caressed her flushed cheek, eliciting an even deeper smile from her with dimples showing. "Hey," he said, smirking. "Did you have a nice workout?"
"Indeed."
"Yes," she nodded, "I was doing a cardio workout when Teal'c asked me to join him in Lok'nel."
Teal'c gave them one of his rare smiles. "Master Bra'tac informed me Sām was skilled in the art of Lok'nel. It has been quite some time since I practiced it with a novice as adept as she."
Sam practically beamed at the compliment. "Thank you, Teal'c."
"I merely speak the truth," he said, inclining his head. "I shall take my leave now. We will meet again tomorrow?"
"Yes, tomorrow evening."
"Very well. Have a most pleasant evening, O'Neill."
"Thanks, you too. Bye, T." He waited until Teal'c had left the gym before turning to Sam. She still looked good enough to eat and he had to remind himself that they were on base when he noticed her gaze drop to his lips. He wanted to kiss her, badly. But he was a big boy and he could wait until they got home. "Tomorrow evening, eh?"
After blowing out a deep breath, she brushed some errand strands of hair back. "Well, you mentioned something about wanting to watch a hockey game tomorrow, so when Teal'c invited me to kelno'reem together I figured that was a good opportunity. Do you mind?"
Since returning to Earth she'd mentioned wanting to get to know Teal'c better a few times and if his support for her mission to the Ida Galaxy was anything to go on, Teal'c felt the same way. Jack wasn't surprised at all, she seemed to have that effect on Jaffa. "No, not at all. I'm glad you two are spending time together."
"And you're okay with watching Ife?"
"Of course."
She nodded, looking relieved. Then, as if noticing for the first time, she ran a hand down his sleeve. "You're already in your civvies."
Shrugging, he pointed in the general direction of the locker rooms. "Yup, I'm ready to go home."
"Me too. I just need to take a quick shower."
"Did you get to finish your science project?"
Sam had just started to move towards the locker rooms and turned back, frowning. "You mean my complete overhaul of the gate's diagnostic system?"
Right. "Um, yes?"
"It's going well."
"Good, good." She seemed amused more than anything, so he figured he was safe.
She waited until he pulled up next to her and bumped her shoulder with his. "Did you have a long day?"
"Yeah, lots of meetings and paperwork."
"I came looking for you earlier but Walter told me you and General Hammond were video conferencing with the Joint Chiefs of Staff."
He made a face, reminded of his numerous meetings and all their endless questions about their recent missions. "They wanted to know about Thor, his ship, your mission to the Ida Galaxy and the Asgard in general."
They'd reached the door to the women's locker room and stopped in front of it. "I'll be back in ten."
Jack took the time to find a landline to give a heads-up to the Dixons that they'd swing by in about twenty minutes to pick up their little girl. When he returned, Sam just exited the locker room, looking all bright-eyed and bushy-tailed. His hands were itching to touch her again but he only allowed himself to touch her elbow to guide her down the corridor.
"Did you catch up with your paperwork?" Sam asked as they waited for the elevator.
"Finished my mission reports," he said with a satisfied smirk. "And I also wrote a report about the Rebel Jaffa, after our little stay with Bra'tac and the others."
She stepped into the car, hit the button for level eleven where they'd switch elevators to get to the surface and waited for him to join her. "I'm still working on my report about my mission with Thor and Teal'c."
When the doors closed he couldn't resist reaching out to tangle their fingers together, feeling a little buzz of electricity run up his arm as their palms touched. "Yeah?"
"I learned a lot about the Replicators and physics in general. It's difficult to condense that knowledge in a report. There's so much we don't yet, Jack."
Her eyes sparkled and she was practically beaming with unbridled curiosity – he knew he had it bad when he felt it all the way down to his gut. There was just such… liveliness in her when she got excited about quarks or whatever. He listened attentively as she elaborated on what she'd learned and the theories she posited about reactive modulating monopolar energy fields and keron pathways, even if he didn't understand all of it.
She kept talking animatedly as the doors opened but let her hand slip from his, all too aware of protocol, probably more so as a female officer. They kept walking closely together and she only broke eye contact to greet passing personnel.
"Colonel O'Neill, Major Carter," one of the SFs at the checkpoint nodded. "Signing out?"
"Yeah." Jack took the clipboard to do so and saw the grin on Sam's face when the SF called her by her new rank. The promotion and his own commendation had taken place in the gate room the day before and he knew she was still getting used to it. He recalled his own pride and the natural high following a promotion from years ago and winked at her as he handed her the clipboard, "Major?"
She blushed and glanced down to sign out. "Thank you, Sir. Have a nice evening, Sergeant."
"You too, Sir, Ma'am," the SF said.
Jack couldn't suppress a grin at the little smile that still played around Sam's lips as they entered the elevator to the surface. She had every right to be proud of her accomplishments and considering what she'd managed to achieve after being betrayed by Grieves, she earned the promotion and a helluva lot more. Watching her from the corner of his eye made the desire to touch and kiss her return, making him shove his hands in his pockets as he searched for an innocent topic. "So, I called the Dixons to tell them we're on our way."
"I hope Ife didn't cause too much trouble," she mused aloud. Hammond had given Sam the day off after her promotion but she'd asked to come in regardless to work on the dialing computer with Catherine. They'd compromised on Sam working the afternoon which would give her the morning to spend with Ife, who'd been a bit clingy the past two days after their respective missions with Thor. "I know it was a change for her to have just one of us around, but she seemed to be back to her old self again when I dropped her off on my way to the base."
"She's gonna have to get used to it, especially if you're going back to active duty soon."
Sam sighed and waited for the car's doors to open before she replied. "Doctor Fraiser made an exception for the mission with Thor," she reminded him. "Apparently, I'm doing much better than when I first got back but she's not entirely satisfied yet."
Jack followed her into the corridor to go through security and gave her a slow onceover. She was wearing a warm coat, jeans and boots that didn't reveal much of her curves but he'd seen her in the gym and had his hands on her just a few days ago… He kept his thoughts to himself and greeted the two SFs at the post before going through the checkpoint.
Her hand found his when they exited the base and they walked across the parking lot in comfortable silence. "What do you want to do for dinner?"
"Takeout?" He suggested as they reached his truck.
After climbing into his truck, she unnzipped her coat and waited for him to get into the driver's seat. "I'm not sure Doctor Fraiser would approve…"
He turned to her and caressed her cheek, smirking as she started blushing. Then, he leaned in for a brief kiss. When he pulled back, he placed a hand on her flat stomach and raised a brow. "I doubt the Doc will mind. You gained some much needed weight after getting back, but you're looking pretty good to me right now."
"Is that so?"
"Oh yeah," he said, catching her eye.
Sam slipped her hand in his hair and pulled him in for a kiss. He could feel her smile into it and then her lips glided over his and he got caught up in it. She was all he could focus on. The way her lips moved against his, her soft breathing, her belly under his hand… He groaned when her tongue peeked out and opened his mouth to let it slip inside. She tasted like toothpaste and what he'd come to recognize as pure Sam.
He welcomed her tongue with his own while one of her hands gripped his shirt. Her nails scratched at his chest through his sweater and he couldn't suppress a growl. Settling his hand on her hip he yanked her closer until her breasts were pressed up against him and he delved deeper with his tongue, needing to taste more of her.
They continued making out like a couple of teenagers at their first drive-in until the need for oxygen forced them to pull apart. He chuckled softly as they rested their foreheads against each other while trying to calm their breathing. Sam smiled brilliantly at him and between her sparkling eyes, swollen lips and heaving chest Jack had a hard time focusing.
"Oh wow." Sam leaned back in her seat and giggled softly. "I can't even remember the last time I made out in someone's truck."
He dropped his hand to her leg and followed her example, breathing loudly in the cab. Just being around her was enough to get him aroused lately but kissing her was downright intoxicating and his body responded eagerly. He shifted in his seat to get comfortable. It didn't escape his attention how she squeezed her thighs together and it only fueled his desire.
She sighed and picked up his hand, running her fingers over it like it was some fascinating piece of alien technology. And damn if the touch didn't go straight to his groin.
His gaze alternated from her elegant fingers to her lips and he groaned when her tongue peeked out. "Sam-"
"God, I want you, Jack." She leveled her blue gaze on him when he just stared at her and smiled bashfully. "It's been so long…" Sighing, she released his hand. "I was thinking that maybe it's time Ife gets her own room."
"Um," he cleared his throat and tried again. "Yeah, maybe."
"But it's been a rough week for her too, with one of us gone for a couple of days."
He nodded, the same thought had occurred to him. The concern for their daughter overrode his desire to be with Sam. Ife was still adjusting to their lifestyle and she didn't know any better than sharing a bed with Sam – although she had been fine when he took Sam's place while she was off with Thor. "How about we wait to see how she's doing by the end of the week?"
Sam bit her lip and, after a moment of indecisiveness, sighed. "That might be best."
"Hey, there's no need to rush this. We have all the time in the world," he said, reaching for her hand and giving it a brief squeeze.
"I know," she said. "It's just… there's taking things slow and there's taking things slow."
Knowing she wanted him as much as he wanted her was strangely reassuring and at the same time a turn on. The feelings she elicited from him were as complex as Sam herself, apparently. "Don't worry about it. We'll get there, I promise."
She chuckled as he leered at her and gave his shoulder a playful shove. "Jack!"
"Hey," he said teasingly, "that's assault on a superior officer, Major."
Sam's face lit up at the reminder of her new rank and he couldn't help but return the smile that followed. She was the one who broke eye contact after a few seconds and checked her watch. "Oh! We should get going or we'll be late picking up Ife."
It took them twenty minutes to reach the Dixons and another fifteen to get home. During the ride they'd decided against takeout for Ife's sake because the poor kid couldn't handle all Earth food yet. Ife was also in a bit of a mood, going from happy to see them to protesting loudly against being strapped in her car seat. Jack took Ife out of the car and carried her inside while Sam went straight to the kitchen to get started on supper.
However, Ife ran off the moment he'd helped her take her leather socks off and Jack was left standing in the hallway with her little coat in his hands. "Ife?"
"Want Momma," she yelled before disappearing around the corner.
Jack couldn't say he blamed her and shrugged when he heard their voices coming from the kitchen, reassured that Ife was indeed with Sam. He started putting her things away and took off his own coat and shoes, before joining them.
Sam was standing near the counter where she'd laid out some veggies and Ife was in her arms, holding on tightly, while Sam spoke to her in soft tones. Jack's heart melted a little at the picture they made and he simply stood back for a while, watching them.
After a minute or two, Sam glanced over her shoulder and smiled at him. Unable to resist the almost magnetic pull the woman had on him, he walked over and lightly touched her back. When she leaned into it he stepped closer and wrapped his arms around her waist. "I see you've found the munchkin. She ran off. I think she likes you better."
"Daddy is being silly," Sam said as she brushed Ife's hair back.
Jack looked at Ife's little smiling face and sighed. "I don't blame you munchkin. I know you missed Mommy when she was gone," he said, pressing a kiss to Sam's temple. "But she had to help our friend Thor to save his galaxy from nasty little techno bugs. Mommy kicked their asses!"
Sam rolled her eyes but didn't pull away from him. "Jack-"
"What? It's all true," he said. "Mommy saved the Asgard's little grey butts."
"It was just a stupid idea that happened to work. It won't work a second time."
He tightened his grip on her a little and dropped his chin to her shoulder. "Don't listen to her Ife, Mommy's ideas are never stupid. They're pretty awesome, actually."
For a moment, it looked like Sam was going to protest but then she closed her mouth and just shook her head a little. "You're not supposed to tell her classified information, Jack."
Smirking, he pressed a quick kiss to her neck before straightening up and giving her a little push towards the stove. "Ife won't tell anyone, will you munchkin? Nope, it's our little secret. Now why don't you start on supper while I tell our daughter all about your awesomeness?"
"Secret," Ife parroted, giggling. "Awesome."
"See? She's got this down pat," he said, winking at Sam.
She made a noncommittal sound, clearly just humoring him, and started collecting the things she needed from the cupboards.
Jack grabbed Ife's little feet and squeezed them gently, making her giggle again. He smirked in response, before leaning closer and reaching for some of the veggies next to her. He picked up a baby carrot and zucchini, holding them up for Ife. "See, Thor came to us and asked for Mommy's help, because he knows how smart she is."
"Momma."
"Yeah, Momma's the smart one in this family," Jack said, wiggling the zucchini. He caught the look on Sam's face and raised his brow in a silent question before returning his attention to their daughter. "Anyway, as I was saying…"
He continued to tell the story about Sam's little adventure, using various veggies and utensils for illustrative purposes – and he winced when she took the eggplant he'd used for the O'Neill and chopped it up – while Sam prepared their evening meal.
"… and that is why Mommy couldn't be here with us," he concluded. "She saved a whole galaxy."
"You do realize she's not old enough to understand all that, right?"
Jack ruffled Ife's hair and glanced at Sam, smirking. "You never know, she might have your brains."
Sam snorted, clearly not believing him. "Dinner is almost ready."