Colonel Carter's Residence, two months later, 1100 hours
"Sam?" said Pete as he walked out of the shower but didn't find the Colonel in their bedroom, "Hey babe, where are you?"
"Hey Pete" said Colonel Carter she reached her front door, ready to go out.
"Where you off to?" asked Pete.
"I'm off to meet with Willow and Faith" replied the Colonel, "Remember? I wanted to take a look at some dresses and they're supposed to be accompanying me."
"Really?" asked Pete as he grabbed the Colonel by her hips and pulled her closer to him before whispering into her ear, "you really need to go?"
"Yeah" smiled the Colonel, "unless you've changed your mind."
'And miss a chance like this to piss off all your suitors?' thought Pete to himself, 'and those three bitches you call your friends.'
"You're kidding, right?" asked Pete, "no way, I can't wait until to see you walk down that aisle."
"Me too" said the Colonel as she kissed Pete before opening the door.
"Don't worry" said Pete, "I'll take care of all the invitations; you don't worry about anything else."
"Great" said the Colonel, "thanks."
'No problem' thought Pete to himself as he waved to the Colonel, 'after we're married, we'll have our children and then you'll have no choice but to stay home where you'll be safe.'
Wedding Outfitters, Colorado Springs, 1120 hours
"Hey Sam" said Faith as she sat on the hood of her car with Willow and Dawn, "you're late."
"Sorry, Sorry" said the Colonel as she locked the doors to her car and walked towards the four women, "Pete wanted to talk about some stuff."
"I see" said Willow.
"Hi Dawn" said the Colonel as she saw the brunette standing next to Faith, "when did you get back from Sunnydale? How was your Summer? Dusted any vampires?"
Willow and Faith just looked at each other and tried not to laughed when the Colonel said the word 'vampires' with a straight face.
"Yes" smiled the Colonel as she looked at Willow and Faith, and their struggle not to laugh, "I know I can't believe I said that like it was something normal for me, but I did see the two vampires feeding on Buffy and Faith, and I saw Willow dust them with my eyes. So…. Yeah…. There it is."
"Sorry, ma'am" said Willow, 'its just something I never would have thought you would say without cringing or laughing."
"Very funny, Captain" said the Colonel as she grinned at Willow.
"I try, ma'am" said Willow.
"So… Dawn?" said the Colonel.
"The rest of the summer was great" said Dawn, "did some research stuff with Anya and Fred, went on some patrols with Buffy and her team although she wasn't happy about it. And I did dust my first vamp the night before coming back with some help from Buffy."
"Congratulations" said the Colonel, "did anything to celebrate?"
"Kennedy threw me a 'you killed a vamp' party" smiled Dawn.
"Really?" said Faith, "and I wasn't invited?"
"Well" whispered Willow, "we were off world until yesterday afternoon, so even if you were invited you wouldn't have been able to make it."
"Right" said Faith as she looked at Willow before looking at Dawn, "which means that we need to be celebrating tonight."
"Huh?" said Dawn, "I think I've had enough celebrations for one night."
"No… no… no… no…. No…" smiled Faith, "you're coming with me, Red and Sam for some fun."
"Ummmmm….." said the Colonel nervously as the three women looked at her, "I have a dinner date with Pete tonight."
"Oh" said Dawn as she suddenly came to a realization, "I'm sorry, I never congratulated you on your engagement. When's the big day?"
"Thank you" said the Colonel, "we're planning for it to be in a year's time, well barring anything unforeseen that is."
As they were talking, Willow turned to her left and smiled as she saw General O'Neill walking towards them after he left a grocery store.
"Carter?" said General O'Neill as he walked towards the group of women with two bags full of groceries in his hands, "whatcha doing out here?"
"Sir" said the Colonel and Willow as they stood straight and faced him.
Dawn couldn't help but smile as she saw the red head suddenly get off the hood of Faith's car quickly, and stand at attention.
"Come on" said the General as he waved his hands at the two officers indicating that they should be at ease, "relax Carter, Red."
"Shopping, Sir?" said Willow as she looked at the bags.
"Yep" said the General, "I'm planning on making my world famous omelette for lunch."
"World famous?" said Dawn,
"Yep" replied the General.
"Ok" said Faith, "I know I may regret asking this but what makes it world famous?"
"Ummmm…" said the General as he looked into his bags, "the eggs."
"Sir" said the Colonel, "eggs exactly aren't a special recipe."
"Right" said the General.
"You put beer, don't you?" said Colonel Carter.
"Maybe" said the General as he looked at the grinning faces of the three women in front of him, "don't knock it until you tried it."
"Yes, sir" said Willow.
"Right" said the General as he looked at Willow, the store and then looked at the Colonel, "so….. dress shopping?"
"Ummmm.." replied the Colonel nervously, "yes, Sir. Would you like to join us, Sir?"
"Not exactly my forte" said the General as he looked at the Colonel and then at the dress shop at the strip mall they were at, "maybe you ladies should go ahead and do the shopping for the dress."
"Yes Sir" said Colonel Carter as she turned around and headed for the store entrance before she stopped and turned back and walked to the General, "ummm.. could you ladies excuse us?"
"Yes, ma'am" said Willow as she nodded towards Faith and Dawn and motioned for them to head to the entrance to the store.
Once the three of them walked to the entrance, Willow turned to face the General and Colonel Carter who were just having a talk. It was then that she felt a pain in her heart with a huge wave of sadness that made her eyes water, it was the same pain and emotions she felt the day Colonel Carter had told the General about her accepting Pete's wedding proposal.
"Willow" said Dawn as she saw the red head rubbing her chest and her face showing signs of pain, "are you alright? Are you having a heart attack? I mean you're rubbing your chest like that and crying. Do you need to go to the hospital?"
"Red?" said Faith as she put one arm around her shoulder and another hand on her arm, "you ok?"
"Yeah" said Willow as she lokoed at Faith and then at Dawn, "I'm ok, its not a heart attack."
Faith: "Sam told Big-G something?"
Willow: "I guess. It's the same feelings and pain as that time. Actually it's more, I mean it hurts more."
Faith: "Oh. Anything I can do to help?"
Willow: "Sorry. I don't think they have medicine for empathic heart pains."
"Dawn" said Willow, "I'm sorry to worry you; I was just worried about something and my empathic abilities fedback on myself. Don't worry."
"You sure?" said Dawn.
"Yeah" said Willow as she stood straight up when he Colonel was walking back towards them. Willow glanced past the Colonel and noticed that General O'Neill looked on, with pain showing on his face, as Colonel Carter walked towards them before he turned around and walked towards his truck that was parked in the distance.
"You ladies ready?" said the Colonel as she reached the entrance and opened the door.
"Ma'am" said Willow as she suddenly realized that the feelings that she was getting, was coming from Colonel Carter as well, "are you alright?"
'Did the General tell you something, ma'am? Did you tell him something as well?' thought Willow to herself as she looked at a sadness that was etched on the Colonel's Face just for a few seconds, before she smiled and looked back at Willow.
"Yes" smiled the Colonel as she walked into the shop followed by Faith and Dawn, with Willow standing outside looking at the General walk away.
Willow: "Faith, tell the Colonel I'll be right back, will you?"
Faith: "Huh? Where you going?"
Willow: "I'll be right back, need to talk to the General."
Faith: "What you want me to tell Sam?"
Willow: "I need to see the General about an idea I had about reverse engineering the Kull Armour we managed to get back to the SGC last week. No….. scratch that….. just tell her that I have a idea for a new beer recipe that I just have to share with the General before I forget. Its for…. Oh just come up with something."
Faith: "Anything?"
Willow: "Sure."
Faith: "Ok then."
Willow: "Nothing too over the top, Faith."
Faith: "Of course not, Red."
Willow: "Thank you."
Faith then saw Willow take off towards the General.
"Hey" said Dawn as she saw Willow take off, "where's Willow going?"
"Willow?" said the Colonel as she saw Willow run across the parking lot towards General O'Neill's truck before she turned to face Faith, "what's she doing?"
"She wants to ask Big-G if she can have the week off for our anniversary, I mean dating anniversary" said Faith with a grin.
"Really?" smiled the Colonel as she nudged Faith, "where are you ladies planning on going?"
"Going?" said Faith smirking, "we're not even planning on leaving the bedroom."
"Ok" said Dawn as she looked at Colonel Carter, "I'll be spending that entire week in Sunnydale, I'm not staying in that apartment if those two are going to be going at it."
"Good idea" said the Colonel before looking at Faith, "too much information, Faith."
"You asked, Sam" smiled Faith as she looked at the Colonel, "so, ready to pick out your dress?"
"Yes" said Colonel Carter as she shook her head, "lets go."
"Sir" said Willow as she ran towards the General's truck, "please, wait."
"Red?" asked General O'Neill as he turned down his driver side window and his radio, "what's up? Everything alright?"
"May I come in, Sir?" said Willow as she pointed to the passenger side seat.
"Sure" replied the General confused.
He looked on as Willow ran around the front of his truck and opened his passenger side door before slipping inside.
"So" said the General, "what's going on?"
"Sir" replied Willow, "permission to speak freely?"
"Ummmmmm….. about?" said the General nervously.
"Stuff, Sir" said Willow nervously as she shifted her eyes between the General and the store, "just some stuff. I mean, you don't have to say anything if you don't want to. I'm just asking you listen."
"O…..K" said the General nervously, "permission granted."
"Sir" said Willow as she looked at Colonel Carter while she was picking out a dress with Dawn as Faith sat on a couch drinking what looked like champagne, "I don't like Pete, or as Cassie not so affectionately calls him, the Potato Face."
"Red" said the General.
"Please Sir" said Willow, "just asking for you to listen."
"Alright" sighed the General.
"Sir" said Willow as she looked at General O'Neill nervously, "you know I'm an empath, right?"
"Yes" said the General.
"I know how you feel about Colonel Carter" said Willow as the General immediately snapped his head towards the red head's direction, "don't worry Sir, I wont tell her anything. I know I'm not supposed to tell you either but I could literally feel your heart breaking just now when she was talking to you, and the day she told you about her accepting the Potato's proposal."
"What do you mean?" asked the General as his face suddenly showed concern.
"When she told you about her accepting the Potato's proposal, I felt a sharp sting in my chest" said Willow, "and…"
"Damn, Red" said the General as he he ran his hands through his hair, "I'm sorry."
"Please don't be sorry, Sir" said Willow as she shook her head, "it just confirmed everything I've observed since I came to the SGC. The pain in my chest wouldn't have happened unless you felt deeply for her, that's why the empathic feedback to me was so strong."
"Nice to know that I've confirmed something for you, Red" said the General as he rested his hands on his steering wheel.
"Sir" said Willow, "I don't want her to get married to that guy, neither does Faith, nor does Cassie. Especially Cassie."
"What are you talking about?" said the General.
"She thought that he was following the Colonel and that he may have run a background check on her" said Willow.
"How does she know?" asked the General surprised.
"I think she may have overheard some….." said Willow as she suddenly got a flash of a memory from the General's mind, "Sir, you knew?"
"Huh?" said the General.
"When I mentioned that background check" said Willow in shock as she looked the General, "you screamed out a memory. I'm sorry but I couldn't help but hear and see it. He really did a background check on her?"
"Yea" sighed the General, "he did."
"But…." Said Willow.
"No" replied the General, "I didn't tell Carter about it. It happened after she told me about the cop in the elevator. General Hammond called me up to his office later and told me that he got a call from the NID that that guy had asked one of his FBI contacts to run a background check on Carter, he claimed that she was part of a current case."
"But why?" said Willow, "How come…..?"
"I didn't tell her?" said the General as he interrupted Willow.
"Yes Sir" replied the red head.
"Because she was happy" said the General as he saw the Colonel with a dress on and modelling it for Faith and Dawn.
"Ouch" said Willow as she rubbed her chest again.
"Sorry, Red" said the General as he looked back at the red head, "so that's it."
"I see" said Willow, "Well, I found out that the Potato was following Colonel Carter."
"What?!" said the General, "I didn't know that."
"I was debating with myself whether I should tell the Colonel or not" said Willow.
"Did you?" asked the General.
"Yes" said Willow as she looked at the General's surprised look, "I told her during the mission to that planet that had all those quantum mirrors, the one when I went into that other reality to save the other Dawn."
"Oh" said the General as he turned to look at the shop again, "guess it didn't help any, huh?"
"Unfortunately it didn't, Sir" said Willow, "later when she told us that she accepted the proposal, the Colonel told me that she talked to Pete about it and that he gave her some kind of a reason for doing what he did."
"Oh" replied the General.
"But" said Willow, "If you tell her about the background check…."
"It won't change anything" said the General sadly, "she'll either still marry him or she'll not marry him but resent us for telling her the truth. She's an adult Red, she's made her choice."
"Even if it's the wrong one?" asked Willow.
"Carter thought that you going into that other reality was a mistake but you still did it" said the General as he looked at Willow, "You made a choice to go, even though she had her misgivings, as did I."
"This is different, Sir" said Willow.
"Really?" asked the General, "you're telling me that a small part of yourself wouldn't have resented us if we had told you not to go?"
"I would have followed your orders, Sir" said Willow.
"I'm not saying that you wouldn't follow orders" said the General, "what I'm saying is that, if your arguments for going to that other reality didn't fly with Carter, if she had ordered you to stay… would you have felt resentment towards her."
"It's not the same, Sir" said Willow.
"Red" said the General, "I know you would have felt a little resentment, I know you."
"Sir" said Willow.
"Which is why we can't tell her about the background check" said the General, "I don't want her to resent the both of us. I ordered her to get a life and that's exactly what she's doing."
"Sir" replied Willow, "I know you have feelings for her, and I wish that it was different."
"Me too, Red" said the General, "but I won't ask her to give up her career and honestly, I can't give up mine. The SGC is too important for the both of us to put everything on the line for a 'what if' situation. Hell, I don't even know what her feelings are."
"Do you want me to tell you?" asked Willow.
"No" said the General, "I won't like the answer either way and I really don't want to cause you more hurt."
"I'm sorry, sir" said Willow.
"It's alright" replied the General as he looked at the red head, "you should get back, I think Carter may need your opinion on the next few dresses she tries."
"What will you be doing, Sir?" asked Willow as she opened the passenger side door, "I mean once you get home."
"Probably getting a tiny bit drunk?" said the General as he shrugged his shoulders.
"Ummmm… no" replied Willow with a grin.
"No?" said the General surprised.
"You heard me, Sir" smiled Willow, "No, you are not getting drunk."
"But the beer" said the General in a whining voice as he pointed to the two six pack of beer in the back of the truck.
"No" said Willow, "after we're done with shopping and lunch; I'll come by with Dawn and Faith, and we'll have dinner."
"Red" said the General, "I'd really like…."
"Sir" said Willow as she pointed to her own face, "this is my resolve face, I'm not taking no for an answer."
"But" said the General.
"Sir" said Willow as she furrowed her eyebrows, "don't make me give a double combo of my resolve face and my magical pout."
"Alright, alright" said the General as he scratched his head, "1800 hours, don't be late."
"Sir" said Willow, "I'll get the steaks and stuff, Faith makes a mean lasagne and I'll get Dawn to make a salad or something. I'll even get Daniel and Teal'c to come as well."
"Alright" said the General, "Get them to bring the beer."
"Of course Sir" said Willow as she got out of the truck before turning around to the General, "I'm really sorry, Sir."
"She asked me about kids" said the General as Willow almost closed the door before she opened it again.
"Sir?" asked Willow.
"She started to babble….. yeah babble would be the right term…. About having kids" said the General as he leaned back into his seat as Willow got back into the truck, "she was worried about what she would have to do if she does have kids, would she have to take maternity leave and then come back or would she have to drop off the baby at day care on her way to some unexplored planet?"
"I see" said Willow as she quietly listened.
"She then asked me what I would do" said the General.
"Sir?" asked Willow.
"What I would do if things were different?" said the General.
"What would you do, Sir?" asked Willow softly.
"I wouldn't be here" said the General as he looked at Colonel Carter come out in a different dress, "if Charlie was still alive, and if I was still with Sara then I wouldn't be here. I'd probably be retired and living a boring life. I would never have met Daniel, Teal'c, Cassie, Faith or you. And I wouldn't have met Carter."
"Yes, Sir" said Willow.
"She also asked me if I was coming to the wedding" said the General.
"Are you, Sir?" asked Willow as she looked at her Commanding Officer who was looking at the Colonel as she drank some champagne.
"I told her that I would" said General O'Neill.
"I'm glad, Sir" said Willow, "you never know, you may meet someone there. I heard that people can find their significant others at weddings."
"Yeah?" said the General as he looked at Willow, "who said that?"
"Ummmmm" said Willow as she looked around nervously, "me?"
"Right" said the General, "alright Red, you should get going. I'll call Daniel and Teal'c to come by tonight. And don't worry about the steaks. I've got enough in my freezer to last for weeks."
"Alright Sir" said Willow as she got out again, "I'll get Faith to just prepare the lasagne anyway and get Dawn to make a salad or something."
"If Cassie didn't have to leave last night, she would have been able to make some great garlic bread" said the General.
"Really?" said Willow, "she never made me one when we stayed together."
"You never asked, Red" said the General.
"Right" smiled Willow as she closed the door.
"See ya, red" said the General as he started the truck.
"Bye, Sir" said Willow, "see you tonight."
"Yep" said the General, "oh, Carter coming?"
"Sorry Sir" said Willow, "she said she has a date with the Potato."
"Ah" said the General, "anyway, see ya tonight."
"Yes, Sir" said Willow as he drove off and she ran back to the dress shop where Dawn, Faith and Colonel Carter looked at her as she came into the shop.
"So" said the Colonel as she turned around in the dress she was trying on, "did you get your week off?"
"Huh?" said Willow as she looked at Faith.
Faith: "I kinda told her you asked for a week off for our anniversary."
Willow: "But that's not until next month."
Faith: "I know, but you asked me to come up with something."
Willow: "Right."
"You know" said the Colonel, "for your anniversary."
"Right" said Willow, "yea, he agreed."
"OK" said Dawn, "I'll be in Sunnydale for the entire week."
"Why?" said Willow.
"Apparently" said the Colonel as she drank some champagne, "Faith has some plans for you."
"Oh?" smirked Willow.
"Involves some handcuffs and….." said Faith as Dawn put her hands on her mouth.
"We really don't need to know, Faith" laughed the Colonel as she looked at Willow, "so what do you think?"
"About that dress, ma'am?" asked Willow.
"Yep" smiled he Colonel.
"Looks good" said Willow as she gave the Colonel a thumbs up.
"Just good?" said the Colonel as she headed to the fitting room with another dress, "I'm trying this one."
"She's excited" said Faith.
"Yeah" said Willow, "Oh, we're having dinner at the General's place tonight."
"Is he alright?" whispered Dawn as both Faith and Willow looked at her, "oh come on, it's pretty obvious that he's got feelings for her. It would take a blind person not to see it."
"Don't tell anything to the Colonel though" whispered Willow, "regulations and all."
"I know" said Dawn, "I read up on it when I was in Sunnydale."
"Oh" said Willow.
"Yeah" replied Dawn, "kinda sad though, but romantic."
"Like a bad romantic movie" said Faith.
"One of those flops you mean?" said Willow.
"Yeah" replied Faith.
"Let's see" said Willow to herself as the Colonel walked out in yet another wedding dress, "maybe this will turn out to be a box office hit."
TBC.