AU: When an exploration mission goes way off the left field, Jack and Sam are left to patch up their lives. Will that door stay open?
Disclaimer: All recognisable characters are the property of MGM/Amazon. No copyright infringement intended. I am once again taking my favourite two Gaters for a walk in an Alternate Universe. Takes place after 5.05 Red Sky with some canon episodes skipped (overlooked) and others referenced.
Rating: Mature.
Chapter 40: Damage Control
Friday afternoon – SGC – General Hammond
Damage control. That was what was needed here.
The Major had just stormed out of the room after a display that most certainly violated the Conduct Unbecoming article of the UJMC, and while Kinsey could not bring her up on charges personally, he appeared hellbent on making things very difficult, even going so far as to procure a counterfeit letter of dismissal. If it had been real, he would still be here. I had to call the President, but I had to deal with my unstable 2IC and the threat to his Major first.
"Colonel O'Neill. My office!" I barked at my 2IC, who looked like he was getting ready to give chase. He looked from the open door just as everyone else had filed out into the corridor, then back to me and back to the open door. 'Don't do it, Jack.' I thought to myself. I knew it would take Major Carter at least fifteen minutes to get out of the mountain having already ordered security to slow her escape by checking and double checking with Doctor Fraiser that she was cleared to leave.
I watched as he began to pace relentlessly across the floor, his eyes flicking between me and the door over and over, his lips moving and the occasional mutter leaving his mouth as if he were talking to someone or something.
"Colonel." I prompted, motioning for him to join me. He looked at the door again, hands opening and closing into fists. Jack was already tittering on the edge of a court martial for Assault and Battery after what he did to Doctor Jackson.
Then there was the Fraternization.
In a normal situation, that would see them facing anything from docked pay, demotion, or separation right through to incarceration, dismissal, and dishonourable discharge. So far, I had been able to convince the Joint Chief's that having Major Carter in a purely scientific role at the SGC would be preferable to having her locked up. As cliché as it was, she really was an indispensable member of this facility.
The same could be said for Colonel O'Neill. His experience as a commander, his unflappable equanimity in the face of the enemy and his integrity along with his unique genetics, not to mention his rapport with the Asgard made him equally indispensable. Whilst we didn't know much about this 'special gene' he had, The Supreme Commander of the Asgard had been quiet adamant that it made him an integral part of the SGC as Earth's first line of defence and vital to their own research.
I just hoped their importance to the program and our allies would be enough this time.
All the little looks, touches and words over the last five years had been brushed under the rug because both the Colonel and the Major had proven time and time again that there was no degradation of the chain of command, which was the underlying rule governing Fraternization.
Now that the Major was pregnant and choosing to keep the child, Fraternization would be back on the table if it was proven to be the Colonel's. Thankfully, the paternity of the child was ambiguous. Oh, I suspected the child was Jack's, but suspecting something and proving something beyond all reasonable doubt were entirely different. I had been very careful to not ask outright the question. The closest I got was during the off the record discussion with Jack. The only evidence we had was the presence of the paraprotein that just so happened to mirror the classified protein in the Colonel's blood. Given the fact that the paraprotein was alien in nature and unidentified, it could not be brought forward as proof of the child's paternity.
The man in question turned to me wearing a look that I could not identify but did not fill me with confidence that he would follow my order.
"Colonel?" I gestured to my office again.
"Sorry, Sir." He apologised before darting out of the room and straight into the broad chest of Teal'c. "Get out of my way, T." The Colonel ordered.
"I will not, O'Neill. You must listen to General Hammond." His response to that was to spin and aim for the stairs into the control room.
"Jack. This isn't the way." Doctor Jackson stated from the top of the stairs. "Sam needs her CO right now, not her friend." He added, hands up to stop Jack from running. SG-1 never failed to amaze me. They had stopped him from getting himself into trouble since I had no doubt that Kinsey was still kicking around the base. It would not do Jack any good for Kinsey to see him chasing Sam through the corridors.
"Jack. I'm sure I don't need to tell you that Major Carter is not safe." He turned to look at me with black eyes. "Please…" I gestured to my office once again. Looking between Teal'c, Daniel and me, he relented and stalked toward my office. With a nod to remaining members of SG-1, I followed him and firmly closed the door.
"Colonel. I don't need to tell you the amount of trouble you are in." I stated as I walked around the desk and sat down. Gesturing for him to also take a seat. He didn't, choosing instead to pace the length of my office behind the two guest chairs.
"No, Sir."
"Attacking Doctor Jackson like that. What were you thinking?" I berated him for the first time since the attack. He didn't answer me. Sighing heavily, "I know what the Major means to you…"
"She's a…"
"Don't throw that same excuse at me, son." I interrupted his attempt to highlight his relationship with his 2IC as purely professional. We were way past that. "I have turned a blind eye, ignored what I know is there because SG-1 worked as a team. But I can no longer in good conscience keep you together." That was when he finally reacted.
"I'll retire."
"And we'll reactivate you. The JCS have made it clear that retirement is off the table. We are at war, Jack. A highly classified war where we can't just retire veteran Colonel's." I barked back at him. Of course, having him in prison pretty much amounted to the same issue, a lack of experienced Colonel's. "Luckily for you, Colonel, you've been spared a court martial for now."
There was enough evidence to prove that Colonel O'Neill and Major Carter were unduly affected by their interaction with alien technology. With their stories being backed up by Doctor Jackson and Teal'c as well as multiple on base sightings of 'Shadow Jack', the JCS had unanimously decided to leave any punishments in my hands. He didn't need to know that though, since I still hadn't ruled out demotion. Unfortunately, that once again left us with a dearth of experienced Colonel's on a frontline that could not afford it.
"Sir. Whatever you have to do. Do it to me. Just don't punish Carter." He requested, finally coming to a stop, though his hands were still clenched in tight fists.
"Oh, I will, Colonel, believe me, but first, we have a fire to extinguish. For that, I need you." He looked at me with narrowed eyes. Leaning back in my chair, I arranged some paperwork on my desk. The task I had for him was totally off the books. Not even an Eyes Only file was available for this one, much like the mission to clean house two years ago.
"Sir?" He prompted, looking as uncomfortable as a Black Ops soldier can look. "Please don't ask me to alienate them, not again. Not now." He asked in earnest. I understood his concern. Though hopefully, it would not come to that this time. Unfortunately, I could not offer him any platitudes because he was still not going to like what I had to say.
"As you are aware, Major Carter's personal information has been compromised. The USAFA has confirmed that four vials of her blood are also unaccounted for, though the nurse has mysteriously disappeared." I informed him.
"WHAT!" He bellowed.
"COLONEL!" I yelled with my own glare and waited for him to get himself under control. I could see he was having an internal conversation once again. If he could not get this under control, we would have no choice but to ground him permanently which was not something we wanted to do. Taking a breath, I calmly got his attention. "Jack." He looked at me and what I saw was pure anguish. He was scared. "We need to know who has done this. Every lead we had has dried up. She is not safe."
"So let me go to her. I will stay with her and keep her safe." He demanded, hands leaning on the back of the chair.
"I can't allow you to do that, son." I replied sternly. It was not an order because I knew he would ignore it anyway and because I knew exactly where he was going when he left here. Anymore documented insubordination and the JCS would have no choice but to make an example of him. That was something we could not afford.
"What are you not telling me, Sir?" I stayed silent waiting for the realisation to catch up with him. "Right, this is another part of that 'whole lot worse before it gets better' thing, isn't it?" I nodded.
"We need to know who is behind this. It is your job to find them. If you stay with her…"
"…they won't try. God, you think they'll come after her!" He finished for me in a pained tone that sounded equal parts choked and angry.
"Not if you find them first."
"Jesus, Sir. I can't…" He started with a look of anguish before his face turned dark and hard, "Stop it! Carter needs you." He berated himself out loud before he started the pacing and muttering again. It felt strange to be sitting watching this man have a conversation with himself. I had known for years that he had a dark side. His file said as much, and then there were the things he had done at the SGC, the most notable being the time he closed the iris knowing a man had followed him through. Whatever had happened on that planet had somehow brought this side of him out, given it more of a presence in his mind. The part of him that was always kept hidden now kept him constant company in his conscious mind. The question was, would this make him more effective or less effective in the field. One thing was certain, there was no way he could go through the Gate with Major Carter anymore even if she were not pregnant.
Suddenly, he looked at me, seemingly finished with his internal conversation, "What do you need me to do, Sir?"
"Prepare her, anyway you feel necessary, but not so much that they do not risk it. This operation is yours, son." I instructed loosely, leaving my order open to lots of interpretation. Doing so gave him free reign on how he was going to handle it, who he was going to involve and how he would report back. "Dismissed." He stood immediately and disappeared through the side door.
Picking up the phone, I placed a call to both the level 17 and surface security posts confirming that the Colonel was cleared to leave the base. It had only been eleven minutes since the end of the briefing, which meant that he would be hot on the heels of Major Carter who would have just finished her final medical check-up.
Now to call the President. Picking up the red phone, I steeled myself for the conversation I had to have about a certain Senator whilst being careful not to openly accuse the man of something that I could not prove.