Summary:

"He takes a deep breath. 'You got hurt again,' he mumbles. 'Except, this time…'

'This time what?'

Jonas squeezes his eyes shut. 'This time I think you died.'"

OR

Present-Day AU. A malfunctioning time travel device and a harrowing mission force Sam and Jonas to finally confront what happened in Florida. But they're running out of time to clear the air before Jonas' latest vision comes true - a vision of Sam's impending death. Sequel to "band-aids don't fix bullet holes."

A/N: Hello there 😊 As promised, I'm back with the sequel to "band-aids don't fix bullet holes," which should (hopefully, unless the characters hijack this story and take it in a wildly different direction) finally bring closure to the events of the preceding fic. This is the first fic in this series that does function as a true sequel to its predecessors as opposed to a standalone, so if you clicked on this first, I would suggest going back and at the very least reading badfbh before this one.

There will be some trigger/content warnings later on in the story, but I will make a note of them at the beginning of the relevant chapters.

Also, just an additional note to avoid confusion: since Janet is alive in this AU, I've put Dr. Lam in the position of being the base psychologist instead of Chief Medical Officer. I wanted to give her a role in this instead of just inventing a random character for the job.

Anyway, this series has unexpectedly become a passion project of mine so I'm really excited to continue it. As always I am eternally grateful to the few people who have indulged my niche interest by supporting these fics. Like I've said before, it's kind of terrifying to write for a rarepair, so it means a lot to know there are people who are investing their time in whatever I spit out onto the page. You're part of what's keeping me going, so thank you from the bottom of my heart. I hope you enjoy! 😊

time after time

Chapter 1: change the prophecy

It's 4 AM when Sam's phone buzzes, rousing her from her sleep.

At first she chooses to ignore it. Probably another spam text, she thinks. She snuggles deeper under the covers, squeezing her eyes shut in the hopes that she'll soon drift off. But then her phone buzzes again - once, twice, three times, and she realizes with a groan that it's definitely not spam at all.

Sam sighs and grabs it off the nightstand. She's greeted with a flurry of text notifications, all from the same number.

For god's sake, he's still awake?

Sam taps a notification and squints as the messages pop up on the screen. Hey sorry 2 bother u but got bad news, the first one says.

She frowns and straightens up against the pillows as she reads the subsequent texts.

i think it's brushed

sorry autocorrect butter

BUSTED smh

Sam rubs a hand over her eyes before replying.

Jonas it's 4am did you even sleep?

She watches the little dots dance across the screen as he types.

oh shit is that what time it is

Sam snorts in spite of herself. She's going to have to give him yet another talking-to about setting alarms while he's working.

S: what was the point of me giving you that smartwatch for your birthday if you aren't even gonna use it

J: look i was busy ok!

S: with what?

J: the device obvs

S: ffs I said we'd look at it again tomorrow

J: i couldn't wait

S: ugh fine what's wrong with it? btw you owe me dinner now

J: ok. u wanna go 2 that new hibachi place

S: JONAS

J: ok ok! i think it's outta power

S: the device?

J: yeah. that's why we haven't been able 2 turn it on

S: okay so now what?

J: idk but i think the crystal in the middle is some kinda battery

S: so…maybe we need a new one?

J: that's what i was thinking

S: and you couldn't wait to tell me this later?

J: sorry i didn't know what time it was!

S: it's fine just pls go to bed now

J: ok ok gotcha

S: I mean it

J: OK! Goodnight 😊

S: technically it's morning dummy

J: do u want me 2 go or not

S: yes shut up now go to sleep

J: okiedokie see u later

S: later ❤️

She curses herself for sending the heart, but it's too late now. After their reconciliation a few weeks ago, they've come to an unspoken agreement that they won't talk about what happened in Florida. But they also won't let it interfere with their friendship either. So far the arrangement has been working.

Sort of.

Sam places her phone back on the nightstand and shuts her eyes. Maybe this time her dreams won't taunt her with the aftermath of that kiss. Maybe this time the memories won't tease her with a different ending, one where she didn't push him away. Maybe this time she won't wake up with the ghost of him on her skin, desperately wishing that the alternate ending was real.

Somehow, though, she knows she won't get that lucky.

Jonas is a wreck when she arrives at the SGC a few hours later. Even multiple cups of coffee can't keep him from succumbing to his exhaustion. He's dozed off three times before lunch when Sam finally decides to put her foot down.

"Jonas, take a nap," she commands, pointing to the small futon crammed into a corner of his office.

"I'm fine," Jonas protests, rubbing his eyes.

Sam makes a face at him. "You look like you're five seconds away from passing out again," she counters. "Go lie down."

"But I haven't finished explaining - "

"I can read your notes. Go."

Jonas frowns, looking like he wants to argue further, but after a moment he gives in. "Okay, fine," he grumbles. "But don't let me sleep for too long."

"That's what your watch is for," Sam scolds, pretending to glare at him.

He has the decency to look sheepish. "For the record, I love the watch," he says. "I just forget to set the alarm sometimes."

"Well stop forgetting," she says back, steering him towards the futon. "If you don't get enough rest Janet'll take you off active duty."

Jonas grimaces but doesn't disagree. He settles on the futon while Sam grabs a nearby throw blanket and tosses it over his body.

He smirks. "So you're tucking me in now?"

She rolls her eyes. "Go to sleep."

"Can I get a bedtime story first?"

Sam gives his leg a playful shove and turns around, making her way back to his desk.

"Is that a no?" he calls.

"Goodnight, Jonas."

She hears him chuckle to himself before he falls silent.

Sam spends the next hour perusing Jonas' journal, reading through his most recent notes on the device. The item in question is sitting atop his desk. It's a transparent cylinder housing a large white crystal inside it, surrounded by three metal rings that can be rotated into different configurations. Jonas has tried a number of configurations at this point, none of which have worked. In his journal, he's crossed off every failed configuration so far and added more notes in the margins theorizing about what function each might serve. The most important of these notes, however, is his latest. It reads, Device inoperative w/o power. Crystal = power source? Maybe needs recharging or replacing.

Sam mulls over the information. It's exactly what Jonas suggested earlier, that the crystal is a battery of sorts. If that's true, then perhaps it can be recharged somehow. If not, then they'll have to return to Asterion Prime and search for another one.

Just then, she hears Jonas stir in his sleep. She glances at where he's lying on the futon and frowns when she sees the expression on his face. It looks…pained? Concerned, she rises to her feet and crosses the room. Jonas makes a noise and squirms beneath the blanket.

"Jonas?" Sam says quietly, laying a hand on his arm.

He kicks his legs, muttering something under his breath.

"Jonas," Sam repeats. She gives his arm a tiny shake. "Jonas, wake up, you're having a nightmare."

Jonas rolls over onto his side. "Sam," he groans. "Sam, no."

She shakes his arm harder. "Jonas - "

"No!" he shouts suddenly, causing her to flinch. "No, no, no! I'm sorry, I'm so sorry - "

"Jonas!"

He awakes with a gasp, his hands clawing wildly at the blanket. "Sam?!" he yelps. "Sam, I'm sorry, I'm sorry - "

Sam leans over and grabs both of his shoulders. "Hey, hey, calm down," she says. "I'm right here."

Jonas blinks, trying to re-orient himself. "Sam?"

"Yeah, silly, it's me."

He peers up at her, still looking dazed.

"You were dreaming," Sam explains.

To her surprise, Jonas shakes his head. "No," he croaks. "No, I wasn't."

Sam frowns again and crouches down so she can be at eye level with him. "What are you talking about?"

He gulps. "I-I think I had another vision."

A thread of anxiety knots itself in her gut. "What kind of vision?"

Jonas' eyes well with tears. "Sam, I can't."

"Just tell me."

He takes a deep breath. "You got hurt again," he mumbles. "Except, this time…"

"This time what?"

Jonas squeezes his eyes shut. "This time I think you died."

Despite his protests, Sam insists that Jonas visit Janet for a check-up. His scans come back normal (well, normal for him, at least), but Janet decides to keep him under observation in case his headaches make a reappearance.

"He gonna be okay, doc?" Cam asks. The team is huddled in the doorway of the infirmary, out of Jonas' earshot.

Janet nods. "He should be." She sighs. "But it's worth noting that even though he's no longer experiencing extreme side effects, these visions still cause him a fair amount of shock. Especially if they're particularly unpleasant."

Sam feels everyone's gaze shift towards her. She bites her lip and looks down. "Do you think he should talk to somebody about this?"

"We've got Dr. Lam on staff for psych evals," Cam says. "Maybe he could talk to her."

"I can mention it to her," Janet offers. "It might do him some good."

"But what if Jonas Quinn does not wish to discuss the issue?" Teal'c asks.

"Well, obviously we'll have to ask for his consent first," Janet replies. "But if his condition is proving to be a mental health risk, I may have to recommend mandatory counseling sessions."

Sam glances at Jonas' bed. He's sitting up and reading a book, but she can tell by the look on his face that he's still rattled by whatever he saw in his vision. "I'll talk to him," she says quietly. "If anyone has a chance of getting through to him it's me."

"Did he tell you any details about what he saw?"

Sam looks back at Cam and shakes her head. "No. He was too shaken up."

"I believe it would be wise," Teal'c chimes in, "not to press him until he is ready to disclose that information."

Janet nods again. "I agree. He's already under a lot of stress and I think it's best for now if we go easy on him."

"Well, if he does say anything," Cam says, still eyeing Sam, "let me know?"

Sam offers him a half-hearted smile. "I will."

He pats her on the shoulder before turning to leave, Teal'c in tow. "Keep me updated, Doc."

"Will do," Janet says.

When the two of them are left standing in the doorway, Janet glances back at Sam. "Are you okay?"

Sam avoids her gaze. "Yeah, I'm fine."

"You don't sound like it."

Sam sighs. "It's just…I don't know." She shakes her head. "This is the third time he's had a vision of something happening to me."

"Well," Janet says, "walking into the path of danger is an occupational hazard. You've had plenty of near-misses that he hasn't predicted at all."

"True," Sam agrees, wringing her hands in front of her. "But this time he seems convinced that I'm going to…you know."

Janet lays a hand on Sam's arm. "We both know that these visions are never set in stone. Even if they play out exactly as he sees them, there's always a lot of context that's missing."

Sam nods, wishing she could calm the storm brewing inside her. "I know," she murmurs, finally meeting Janet's eyes. "But honestly I'm more worried about what'll happen to him than I am about what'll happen to me."

Janet frowns. "He's going to be fine, Sam."

Sam shakes her head again. "What if he isn't? What if something does happen to me and he never stops blaming himself for not being able to stop it?"

Janet sighs and lets her hand drop to her side. "I'm going to speak to Dr. Lam right after I finish up here. I think you're right about him needing to talk to a professional."

Sam nods. "Okay," she mumbles. "Thank you."

Janet offers her a tiny smile. "I'm going to do everything in my power to make sure he's taken care of," she says. "Trust me."

Sam reaches out and grabs Janet's hand, giving it a grateful squeeze. "I know, Janet." She takes a deep breath. "I do."

Jonas is still reading when Sam approaches his bed. She's not surprised to see it's The Hobbit again. It's been one of his favorite books since moving to Earth, and he re-reads it and the entire Lord of the Rings trilogy at least once a year.

"What part are you at?" she asks, sitting on the bed beside him.

Jonas glances over at her. "The dwarves just showed up."

"Ah," Sam replies, nodding. "You know, in another life I think you could've been a hobbit."

He narrows his eyes. "I'm not short."

She laughs a little. "I know, but you like to eat a lot."

His lips curl into the barest hint of a smile. "I guess that's true."

"You guess?"

"Okay, fine." Jonas rolls his eyes. "It is true. But I don't eat quite as much as hobbits do."

"Yeah, you do."

He makes a face. "I do not."

It's Sam's turn to roll her eyes. "You literally ate two pizzas for lunch one time."

"They were personal pizzas," he argues, "and I forgot to eat breakfast that day, thank you very much."

Sam laughs again. For a moment it looks as if he's about to laugh along with her, but then his expression falters.

"Jonas?"

He sighs and puts the book down. "I'm sorry," he mutters.

She frowns. "For what?"

Jonas looks down at his lap. "For causing you guys so much trouble."

Sam slips her hand into his. "You're not causing us any trouble, Jonas."

He glances back up. "Aren't I?" he asks. "I mean, every time these visions happen, it's always something terrible, and then you guys have to fuss over me to make sure my brain isn't going to burst."

Sam squeezes his palm. "We're just trying to look out for you."

Jonas grimaces. "Yeah, well, what good is that gonna do if I can't return the favor?"

She sighs and edges closer to him. "Jonas, it's not your job to fix everything. We don't even know when or where this vision is supposed to happen."

"We were underground," he says quietly. "In some kind of cave or chamber. I don't know exactly where. But you got shot with something and then you just…" He trails off, his breathing growing shallow.

Sam squeezes his hand again. "I just what?"

"You just collapsed," Jonas murmurs. "You went completely limp and I caught you but…"

She ignores the pang of anxiety in her gut. "Did you actually see me die?"

He meets her eyes, his own glistening with tears. "I guess not," he mumbles. "Everything got kind of fuzzy after that."

"Okay," Sam says, taking a deep breath. "Then that means there's a chance I survive…whatever this is."

Jonas looks away. "Maybe."

Sam runs her thumb across the back of his knuckles. "Look, Jonas," she starts, "I really think you should talk to someone about these premonitions."

He lets out a rueful laugh. "You mean like a therapist? Even if I could tell the truth, I highly doubt there's anybody out there who'd even believe me."

"We have Dr. Lam," Sam says. "She's qualified and she has security clearance. You wouldn't have to lie to her."

Jonas sighs. "I dunno, Sam."

She lets go of his hand to tilt his chin up. "You shouldn't have to deal with this on your own," she murmurs, looking him in the eye. "Talking to her might help."

"Help how?"

Sam lets her hand fall away. "Maybe help alleviate some of the anxiety. Or help you feel less responsible for shit you may or may not be able to control."

He holds her gaze, silently contemplating her words. After a moment, he draws in a breath. "Okay," he mutters. "If you really think it's worth it."

She clasps his hand again. "I do."

Jonas squeezes her fingers. "I don't want to lose you," he whispers, his voice breaking. "We've had too many close calls before."

Sam offers him a tiny smile. "I'll be okay," she tries to reassure him. "I just want to make sure that you'll be okay too."

A/N: This fic was originally going to be titled "meet me in the afterglow," but after some consideration I decided to name it after "Time After Time" by Cyndi Lauper instead (although I'm partial to the cover by Evan Williams/Bright World). I thought it fit the time travel theme better, plus some of the lyrics felt more relevant to Sam and Jonas' relationship in the story.

The chapter title, however, is taken from Taylor Swift's "Prophecy," since that fit well with Jonas' recurring visions.

The texting scene at the beginning was one of my favorite scenes to write. As we saw in "we found wonderland," I think Jonas would be an absolute menace with a cell phone, so it was a lot of fun to explore the idea further here.