A Brief Vacation
A Brief Vacation
by E.H. Huxley
TITLE: A Brief Vacation
AUTHOR: E.H. Huxley
EMAIL: levity12001@yahoo.com
CATEGORY: Romance, Action/Adventure
PAIRING: Sam/Jack
SPOILERS: lots
SEASON / SEQUEL: any
RATING: PG
CONTENT WARNINGS: male/female relationship
SUMMARY: Sam and Jack marooned in a better climate this time.
STATUS: Complete
ARCHIVE: Heliopolis
DISCLAIMER: Stargate SG-1 and its characters are the property of Showtime/Viacom, MGM/UA, Double Secret Productions, and Gekko Productions. We have written this story for entertainment purposes only and no money whatsoever has exchanged hands. No copyright infringement is intended. The original characters, situations, and story are the property of the authors. Not to be archived without permission of the authors.
AUTHOR'S NOTES: So it's a bit trivial :) but it kept my mind off of 9/11. God bless to all hit by the tragedy.
The lush green meadow was eerily quiet and peaceful, the only noise emanating from a small creek running through it. Even the birds felt the melancholy of this place and seemed to avoid it. The evidence of the fierce battle that took place only a week before was quickly disappearing, grass shoots were already pushing up through the dirt where energy blasts had torn apart the sod. Colonel Jack O'Neill watched from the rise as a woman and short, obese man traversed the meadow approaching the remains of the Stargate. The woman stopped and stared at the two jagged, bent arms that jutted out against the bluish green sunset. She started combing the area as he knew she would, scrutinizing every foot precisely. She found a piece of the Stargate with the symbol most familiar to them, an upside down v with a circle at the crest. She bent to pick it up but left it where she found it when she discovered how heavy the small piece was. He expected her to do this because he had done precisely the same thing only an hour before. He knew what power that symbol had over the two of them. It meant their point of origin, a home that was more than a few light years away. With the Stargate in its present condition an impossibly long way.
The hair on the back of Major Sam Carter's neck prickled. She sensed she was being watched but she didn't know from where. It wasn't the man who had brought her here; she could see him rambling through the trees looking for some kind of wild mushroom. She scanned the meadow and the rise above it but saw nothing. To be safe she unclipped her pistol and kept her hand ready at her hip. The last time she was in this place it came in handy.
O'Neill kneeled in the tall grass hoping she wouldn't see him, he needed time to collect himself. A few minutes before she was dead, at least in his mind. The memory of the ambush flashed through his mind; in midst of the smoke and gunfire Daniel managed to dial home. The last thing he remembered was seeing Daniel and Teal'c leap through the gate, Carter was a meter behind them when there was a bright flash and the world went black. He woke up two days later in a hospital and was told of Carter's death along with all remaining Jaffa. He had passed the last week in a daze mourning not only her loss, but also the loss of a way home.
For the hundredth time the military voice in his head berated him for not following his instincts about the place. Something had felt off from the moment they walked through the gate. Now he and Carter were marooned here, all because he had failed to listen to that voice. Daniel and Teal'c may not have made it home if the wormhole had been disrupted when the gate blew. He shook off the painful thought; he wouldn't go there until there was proof they hadn't made it back. It was hard enough watching Carter despondently pick through the remains of the Stargate. She never looked this way; she always carried herself steadily and strongly. O'Neill took a deep breath and started down the ridge.
Sam sensed someone approaching from behind before she actually heard footsteps. She didn't know how she was able to do this, maybe the years of military training, maybe from having a symbiote in her head. She turned one hand on the pistol at her hip and saw a man sauntering towards her in the fading twilight. There was something so familiar about his gait; she caught her breath as he came closer and she recognized Colonel O'Neill. He looked ragged, unshaven and his uniform torn but he was alive.
She had no real memory of the ambush or of the entire day leading up to it. When she awoke she pieced together what must have happened from different accounts from Theosan survivors. They were on a standard meet and greet to P3X456, also known as Theosa when they were ambushed by several Jaffa, it sounded like Daniel and Teal'c made it through the gate safely before a high powered explosive set by the Theosans blew. Up until that moment she didn't know the status of Colonel O'Neill, she was thought to be the only survivor. She was planning a trip to the morgue the Theosans set up in the next town to identify the Colonel's body.
Jack saw a myriad of emotions pass over Carter's face as he approached. Her hand relaxed on her weapon as she recognized him, but she looked down as if trying to compose herself.
"Sir you're alive..how?"
Instead of one of his usual humorous quips, "I don't really know" was the only response he could muster as he pulled her into an unusual hug. Major Carter held on to him tightly, fearing he was a figment of her imagination. A few tears escaped down her cheek, she hoped he wouldn't notice and quickly wiped them away with the back of her hand.
"Oh joyous day, your beloved is after all alive and well" boomed a voice from the trees behind the remains of the Stargate. The short man O'Neill had seen walking with Carter meandered out from the forest carrying an armful of mushrooms. O'Neill pushed away slightly from Carter as the man approached. He appeared to be in his mid-fifties, well fed with a round face and spectacles.
"Sir, I would like you to meet Father Terry, he and his wife found me in the forest a week ago and have helped me recover".
"Father Terry this is my umm...beloved...Colonel Jack O'Neill". Sam had turned a deep shade of pink as she forced the words out of her mouth. Under her breath she whispered to Jack,
"Sir please play along with this". A slight smirk played on Jack's lips and she sighed knowing full well the creative forms of torment her commanding officer would have for her once they were alone.
He didn't reply but she could tell by the gleam in his eye that he was going to play along, maybe a little too well.
"It is such an honor to meet you and thank you for your help in defeating the evil that came to us a fortnight ago" Father Terry said.
"My pleasure, I guess I have to thank you for taking such good care of the little woman in my absence". With that O'Neill roughly draped his arm around Carter's shoulders. Carter tried to pretend this was the most natural thing but failed miserably, she hoped she didn't look as perturbed as she felt.
"Oh Brother Jack please" Terry shifted his weight from one foot to another uncomfortably, "you do not know of our customs, but we do not show affection for our beloved until after the kit". Jack dropped his arm from Carter, easing Father Terry's distress.
"Come we will be late for the evening meal. Have you found what you needed Sister?"
"Yes Father Terry"
It seemed to satisfy Terry that they were no longer touching and he started to amble off down a trail.
"Well Carter?"'
"I know Sir, I have some explaining to do"
"To say the least Major" panned O'Neill as they started down the trail after Father Terry.
"I woke up in Father Terry's house with a concussion, I must have walked away from the explosion. They told me you were dead and Daniel and Teal'c made it through the gate"
"Similar story, the warranty on my skull is about up. They told me I was the only survivor too"
There was a painful silence between them as they continued down the trail, neither felt like discussing how much grief they suffered thinking themselves the only survivors, marooned survivors at that.
"What's with the beloved stuff?" he finally asked.
"As soon as I was mobile they were trying to marry me off. You aren't able to function here as an adult unless you're married ".
"Actually that explains a lot Carter". She raised an eyebrow inquisitively and waited for him to elaborate but all she got was one of his half smiles.
"Well Sir, Father Terry has a very unpleasant, very interested single son"
"Does he look anything like his father?"
"They could be twins sir"
Jack wrinkled his nose in distaste.
"The nicest way around it was to claim I was engaged"
"To me? I'm flattered Carter"
"You were the obvious choice, I thought you were dead Sir" Carter said. He waited for her to smile but she didn't and he knew that was pay back for the little woman comment.
"So Major what are the chances of our getting home?"
"Home sir?"
"Yeah I know.... I saw the gate".
"We are thousands of light years from earth. Without a gate..."Carter trailed off
"But the Asgard, the Nox? They owe us a few favors..."
"It's a possibility, but the SGC doesn't even know we are alive. God knows what the Goa'uld started last week, they could be at war now for all we know".
"Then they won't have a lot of time to stop by and pick us up when they are in the neighborhood"
"No sir, we are a bit out of the way even for them"
"What about a second Stargate here?" Surprised Carter glanced at O'Neill
"What.. I'm not always ignoring the science babble... stuff..." Carter smiled and continued
"Again a possibility but Theosa is as big as Earth, even if there were another Stargate here it would be impossible to locate it. We believe the second one was placed on earth because the first had been buried in ice. If there is another one here it might be impossible to access".
"You know Carter you are using 'impossible' a lot".
Two
Father Terry led Carter and O'Neill back to a small town where the evening communal meal was served in a large dining hall. Word had spread quickly that Sam's beloved had been found alive and a large group congregated to meet another survivor of the 'great victory'. After the meal a community meeting was held. As an elder of the town Father Terry stood and addressed the group.
"Good brothers and sisters, we have much to discuss this spring night. First we want to welcome Brother Jack and his beloved Sister Sam. We thank them for their help in defeating the evil ones". Nods and murmurs of appreciation drifted through the hall. O'Neill met Carter's eyes and smiled.
"To show our appreciation we must welcome them into our community as they have no way home. As you all know we lost Brother Jared and Sasha in the battle. It is my vote we pass on the holdings of Brother Jared to Brother O'Neill, does anyone stand against this idea?" No one uttered a word but slowly everyone in the room started tapping reed-like canes on the floor.
"Everyone is in agreement, after the kit all will be theirs"
"Carter what just happened?'
"Sir I don't know but I think we just inherited whatever Jared and Sasha owned, maybe it's their way of handing down property"
"God I hope they didn't have any kids...' O'Neill sighed under his breath. Carter tried to focus on the floorboards at her feet and ignore Jack. Giggling during such somber proceedings probably wouldn't bode well with their newly adopted community.
"We might as well take any hospitality they have to offer, we may be here awhile"
After several more issues were resolved dessert was served and Carter was pulled away from O'Neill by a few of the women. She shrugged her shoulders in answer to O'Neill's quizzical look as she was carried away.
"So we must prepare you for the kit on Saturday" Sister Ellie, Terry's wife began excitedly.
"kit? What is it and why is it Saturday?" asked Carter confused.
"It is the ceremony when two are joined, you must have it as soon as possible to take title of property".
"You mean married, you think Colonel O'n....I mean brother Jack and I are going to be married on Saturday?"
"Of course, it is our custom, only the marrieds can own property and have title" replied one of the women.
"You were to be married at your home anyway, yes?" Chimed in a third woman.
"Not for months, years even" Carter stammered "you see we have very, very long engagements".
"Come we will discuss it at home" said Ellie.
Carter resisted Ellie and tried to shake off her confusion.
"Why can't I go with Brother Jack?"
Sister Ellie smiled knowingly,
"Because Sister you are not married, it is not possible to spend time alone with ones beloved until after the kit".
"Look Ellie I promise you, no I guarantee nothing will happen between Jack and I".
"I know that is your way sister Sam but as my new daughter I must treat you as my own, I would not allow my own flesh to be tempted before the kit..please understand our ways." Sam knew a lost battle and tried feigned interest as they discussed whose wedding dress would best fit her. The women became so engrossed in their conversation they didn't notice Sam slipping away from them to find O'Neill.
She discovered him in a corner having an intense conversation about fishing. He noticed the sour look on her face as she came approached.
"Hey come on Carter, this planet might not be so bad after all. People are nice, they set us up with a nice little house, and the fishing is good. I think I'm in heaven". Jack said jovially.
"Sir, I hate to put a damper on your enthusiasm but to get all of that we have to be married. From what I've pieced together you can't own property or live alone until you are married. Daniel would have a field day with this".
"Married? Married?" was Jack's exasperated response.
"Colonel they're planning it for Saturday".
"You mean the day after tomorrow, that Saturday?"
"Yes". Carter replied, her face pink from even having this conversation.
"So if we aren't married, no Sasha and Jared's stuff?"
"No Sir, and I'll continue to live with Father Terry's family and hisveryunpleasant son indefinitely.
"I don't know Carter he's not that bad". They both looked at Father Terry's son attempting to maneuver his girth around tables towards the remaining unprotected remaining desserts.
"Okay Saturday it is" Jack said slightly defeated.
Three
O'Neill didn't see Carter again until the night before their wedding. He had spent the time scouting the area and settling into Jared and Sasha's former home. Theosa reminded him of Minnesota in Summer, pleasantly without the mosquitoes. The small house they were given overlooked a lake and was surrounded with acres of orchards. Carter spent the time manipulating parts from all the SGC electronic equipment she had scavenged, including an almost intact MALP unit. She thought she had a basic transmitter built, but she needed a power source if it was going to power a signal strong enough to reach Earth. The Theosans had an archaic electrical system that she thought would overload if she attempted to patch into it. She was working on plans for a simple Naquadah generator when Jack found her. She filled him in on her progress and on her plans.
"Good work Carter". Jack seemed uneasy and finally asked her, "You okay with tomorrow?"
She wanted to tell him that she was going to go insane if she had try on one more wedding dress or pick the color of the Minchka even though she didn't know or even care what one was for that matter. Instead she let her breath out and sat down on the workbench. She knew him well enough to know that he was upset. The more jokes he cracked about their situation the more worried she sensed he was. She didn't want to add to it by complaining.
"It wasn't really on my to do list for the week, but I guess there are worse things".
He sat down next to her and sighed.
"Name one worse thing Carter"
"Then marrying you?" she paused trying to think. "Being taken over by an alien entity is worse"
O'Neill smiled slightly. "I'm glad I rank above that".
Sister Ellie popped her head in the work room door with glasses of ice tea.
"Sorry to bother you two but I've brought you some refreshments". Her eyes searched the two of them sitting there. She seemed satisfied nothing unsavory was going on and left after putting the tea tray down.
"Is it me or do you feel like we are back in high school?" Carter said exasperated.
"I'm sorry Carter".
Carter looked up confused. "For what Sir?"
"For getting you into this. Something felt wrong about this planet from the moment we stepped through the gate. I should have listened to that voice, been more cautious, something.." Jack trailed off, his mind going over the battle moment by moment trying to figure out what went wrong.
"Sir it's not your fault. There is inherent risk every time we go through that gate"
"SG1 was my responsibility. I don't even know if Daniel and Teal'c.." Jack trailed off.
"They made it through, I know they did"
They sat in silence for a few moments.
"Marrying you isn't so bad, on the bright side my father likes you" Carter smiled trying to lighten up the moment.
"Oh please Carter, the man can't stand me"
"You are both too stubborn to admit how alike you are". Carter replied. Jack unexpectedly laughed.
"You've got to let me be the one to tell him".
"I'll make sure he's unarmed first". The town dinner bell rang interrupting their conversation.
"Tomorrow won't be that bad Carter, the way I figure it, it's a marriage on their standards not ours. It makes strategic sense to know where you are at all times. I don't like having you miles away from me". "Well Sir how can I say no? That was probably the most romantic proposal I'll ever get."
Four
The next day Jack waited impatiently in the East Orchard with the community elders for the kit to begin. He tugged in exasperation at the tight collar of the formal shirt he was given to wear. For a spring day it was already 80 degrees out, the long sleeve woolen shirt wasn't helping. He sighed happily when a cool breeze began blowing through the orchard. The ceremony began and a group of women approached through the trees with Carter in the rear. He couldn't see her clearly through all of the branches filled with blossoms but could make out her blond hair approaching. He smiled thinking about all of the great anecdotes this was going to provide when they got back, all of course at Carter's expense.
As Carter came into his view, the breeze picked up soft petals from the blooming trees and carried them through the group of wedding guests creating a surreal shower. Time seem to slow down for Jack as Sam approached enveloped in the falling petals. He had never seen her look so beautiful. She wore a sleeveless dress a few shades lighter than her eyes and had a crown of flowers in her hair.
It was so rare he saw her out of uniform, let alone wearing something so downright feminine.
Samantha Carter walked steadily trying not to show the nervousness she felt. The dress pinched her so she could barely breath, and she felt like she was going to trip at any moment. There was also the worry that the flowers in her hair were attracting bee like creatures. Once she saw Jack's reaction she started to think it was all worth while. She had never seen him look at her so openly with so much attraction. She knew how he felt about her but there was a silent pact between them not to go down that path. Jack shook off his initial reaction and smiled at her. She smiled back with a bit of satisfaction. It felt good to throw him off balance, he had called her 'the ball and chain' a little too often and enjoyed it too much. She could just imagine the spin he was going to put on this story once they got back to the SGC.
This wasn't exactly the way she imagined her wedding, not that she often fantasized about such things. She honestly never understood the allure of the bridal magazines. There were too many things to achieve in life to waste mental energy on that kind of thing. She just never expected to be standing there with Jack's hand in her own. He was her commanding officer and she rarely allowed herself to see him in any other way. It was difficult enough to keep the feelings she had for him at bay, indulging her imagination made working with him too complicated.
Jack brought her back to the present reality as he reached out and brushed a petal off of her cheek, flicking it off his finger with mild amusement. Over the next few minutes he tried to pay much attention to what was being said, but he couldn't concentrate. To Jack the whole ceremony was starting to be well, too ceremonial. The last time he had gone through anything like this he had been a kid. It seemed like a lifetime ago he stood across from Sara taking similar vows.
He had convinced himself that doing this was a necessary evil. Like taking a physical every few months, just another part of the job. It was his duty to keep what remained of the team together, even if it meant this extreme circumstance. He sighed inwardly, he knew that was a lie. He wanted to see where it would take them, just as he often wondered what would have happened if she had accepted his invitation to go fishing.
The ceremony progressed under the warm sun and Jack noticed Sam was looking everywhere but at him. He started to empathize, this whole thing must be incredibly humiliating for her; he squeezed her hand hoping it would come across as supportive. The real reason Sam wasn't looking at Jack was for fear one of his smirks would send into a giggling fit she couldn't contain. She finally met his eyes and was surprised by the seriousness of his gaze. For once there wasn't even a hint of humor in this eyes. There was something more in them today, something she hadn't seen in anyone's eyes in a long time.
The ceremony started to feel real to her too and a sense of dread overtook her. All the feelings that took so much energy to keep at bay started rushing through her. She tried to remind herself that this was all for show, there wasn't anything more between them than friendship. She couldn't risk her career by letting these feelings out. It could have been the tight corset of the dress or the panic attack making her heart race but she suddenly felt lightheaded and her knees give way slightly. Jack noticed her falter and reached out to steady her, holding her waist. His eyes searched hers, silently asking if she was okay. A warm rush of energy seemed to flow between them, as Jack pulled her closer to him worried she was going to faint. Father Terry's voice faded and they were suddenly all that existed in that narrow piece of space and time that held them. Jack brought his free hand to her face, gently caressing her cheekbone with his thumb, then uncharacteristically leaned in to kiss her.
He was stunned to find himself kissing her, but even more astonished that she openly accepted it, kissing him back softly yet fervently. Father Terry cleared his throat pulling them both back to reality.
"Sorry" Jack said noticing the alarmed looks on the guests. Sam thought she could actually see him blush. This was a day for firsts.
The ceremony drew to a close and they were each given an egg to hold and a long ribbon wound around their waists as if to bind them. Daniel would probably have some explanation, the egg representing abundance, fertility or god knows what. Sam supposed the ribbon was the Minchka. It turned out to be a light yellow that contrasted nicely with her dress. The wedding guests formed a circle around Sam and Jack and in closing Father Terry announced,
"Now you must now consummate the union"
"Consummate? What the he....?' Jack started to protest.
"I think it means kiss the bride sir" she whispered.
"That I can handle. Carter do me a favor, now that we're married, drop the sir". He whispered back as he gently leaned in to lightly kiss her again. She liked the way he felt in her arms. She liked the way her body reacted when he kissed her. Everything about him electrified her, his scent, his taste, the way the muscles of his arm tightened under her fingers as he pulled her closer. The few fantasies she allowed herself were so different from the reality of him. She always thought kissing him would be like his personality, rough and strong, not tender and passionate like the reality of him. The world dropped away again for them, there were no strangers, no kit, just the two of them. They seemed a little dazed when Father Terry cleared his throat again, officially ending the ceremony as the Theosans gave their version of applause.
Five
Two weeks after the 'kit' Jack returned from fishing to find Sam's transmitter functioning.
"Sir... sorry.. Jack I've got the transmitter running. I think with the Naquadah generator we may just have enough power to reach Earth, at least enough for a thirty second message".
"How do we even know they are listening?'
"We don't, but the SETI program is still running, hopefully someone will be smart enough to pass it on to Hammond".
Sam set up Daniel's camcorder and sat down next to Jack on the porch steps. The camcorder was found with the gear Daniel dropped during the Goa'uld ambush. They even had a poor quality video of their wedding kit filmed awkwardly by Joseph, the unfortunate son of Father Terry. He did a decent job considering it was his first try.
"Okay it's on". Sam said hurrying to sit down next to Jack
"This message is for General Hammond of the United States Air force commander of the SGC, please forward this message on to him as soon as possible" started Jack.
"This is Colonel Jack O'Neill and Major Samantha Carter of the USAF reporting in from P3X456.
The gate has been destroyed, repeat the gate has been destroyed. We are safe and uninjured". Sam used the rest of the time to give transmission data so a message might be returned.
"I'm going to loop it and run it every five hours".
"How long until it reaches Earth? Asked Jack.
"Well, if it gets there we may hear back from them in a few weeks"
'Weeks Sam?'
"Well we are a ways away"
Six
Teal'c, Daniel, General Hammond and Janet sat in silence around the SGC conference table. They had just seen the thirty-second transmission several times. The relief in the room was palpable. Daniel was the first one to speak.
"Well they look good".
"Thank God" said Janet pensively.
"Now that we know they are alive we need to do everything in our power to get them back" started General Hammond. "Let's get a hold of Jacob Carter and see if there is anything the Tok'ra can do to help us out".
I would appreciate any ideas no matter how remote the possibility". There was an uneasy silence around the table. With the gate destroyed and no available ships to get there, they didn't have a lot of rescue options to work with. Even with the fastest ship they knew of it would take a year to get to Theosa and a year back.
Four weeks after their initial message was sent to Earth a Jack noticed a red light started blinking on the receiver Sam had fashioned from MALP parts.
"Hey Sam what does this light mean?" Sam rushed in from brushing her teeth and pushed the play button she had created on the receiver unit. The transmission was fuzzy but they could make out Teal'c, General Hammond and Daniel sitting around the SGC conference table.
"They're alive". Jack said relieved as he saw Teal'c and Daniel sitting safely on Earth.
"I hope this transmission finds you and you are safe, we have limited time, this is draining the power here at the base". General Hammond started. There was a slight pause and everyone at the table looked at Daniel,
"Well guys I drew the short straw again so I get to tell you this, it looks like it will be awhile before we get you out of there. We've tried everyone, the Tok'ra, the Tollans, the Asgard, we even tried the Nox. Everyone has their hands full. It has kind of hit the fan with the Goa'uld. We are thinking that it might be a few uhh.. six, eight months more maybe"
"Daniel"' General Hammond interrupted.
"Well" Daniel stammered, "maybe upwards of a year until we can get a free ship out your direction.
"Sam your father knows of the situation and is doing everything he can to help. Since you're safe he thinks it's best that you to stay put until things calm down". General Hammond cut in.
"We are about out of time, Colonel, Major, keep up the good work. Check in weekly if possible but leave details as vague as possible, we don't know who may be listening". With that the transmission ended, leaving Jack and Sam sitting in silence for a few moments.
"Well". Sam started but trailed off
"Well". Jack replied not able to put any other words together.
"I guess I expected a little more". Jack said.
"Sir I'm sure they are trying their best, it's not as if this is the easiest of circumstances..." Carter stopped talking. She was disappointed too and the words rang hollow even to her.
"A year" Jack finally said shaking his head.
"Hey it could be worse, you could be stuck here with Teal'c. I don't think he would make such a great wife". Sam said trying to get a smile out of Jack.
"I don't know Carter, he does cook better". Jack said ignoring her attempt to change his mood. She sat down next to him leaning her shoulder into his.
"You would prefer Teal'c". Carter stated, avoiding eye contact.
"Instead of you?" Jack asked surprised. "Of course not".
"Sometimes I think I make you uncomfortable, that's all".
"Carter, you've always made me uncomfortable".
"You know what I mean"
"Yeah I do" he replied.
Seven
Months passed and as the warm summer passed their orchards ripened. It turned out that the trees produced apple like fruit and nuts similar to almonds. Jack and Sam settled into a routine, going to bed early, waking with the sun. After several sad disasters in the kitchen they had become regular attendees of the communal evening meals. The Theosan culture was not unlike life on Earth a century so ago. Sam and Jack found it easy to fit into the community. Jack's stories of their travels through the Stargate became the hit of the evening story hour for the children, and he generally only had to exaggerate a little bit. Soon even the adults were finding excuses to stay and listen to his stories.
By mid-summer the pantry was stuffed with food stores for the winter and enough wood was chopped to last three winter seasons. Jack found it soothing to chop wood, it took away some of the tension he felt living with Sam. The lines in his head between honor, duty, friendship and love all blurred together at times. That whole messy ball of feelings he usually ignored popped up too often.
After the kit the reality of their lives and positions flooded back to them and there hadn't been a repeat of the kiss since. The feelings hadn't dissipated though for either of them. Jack found it difficult to ignore these feelings when Sam was everywhere. Sleeping in the next room, writing at the kitchen table, across from him at every meal. The military command that kept him honor bound started too seem every one of those light years away. It was difficult not to take her into his arms when she came downstairs in the morning, sleep still in her eyes and her short hair disheveled.
Sam often caught him looking at her just a little too long with that wry smile on his face. She stopped pretending not to notice, returning his stare until one of them broke down and looked away. It would never go farther than this, but it would sometimes take hours for the flurry of activity in her chest to subside.
After the kit Sam was jealous Jack adapted so well, he threw himself into project after project. He found some decent clay down by the lake and started making pottery, which became a hit with the Theosans. He had enough orders to keep him busy for weeks. Going from a job that was her life, a job that kept her busy night and day, to a life of little structure left her empty inside. She initially thought she would go crazy with boredom, but as the months passed she started seeing more and more possibilities. After convincing the elders of her plan she improved the output of the towns electrical system by over forty percent and had started plans for a rudimentary phone system. She even started teaching science and math a few days a week in the town's school.
One night sitting on the porch watching Jack to return from the lake, she discovered that she was happy. It had been days since she had thought of what she was missing on Earth. Life was slowing down and she was learning how to relax. It took awhile but she could almost feel the tightly wound coil in her chest that kept her going all those years unwinding. On Theosa there was time to watch the sunsets from the porch steps, visit with the neighbors and even milk the cow like thing they had in the barn. They rarely talked about Earth; like a taboo subject as if talking about it would shatter the small bit of peace they had created for themselves. The few messages that had come from Earth did give them some hope. General Hammond wouldn't give details but there was some kind of rescue mission in the works.
Eight
Towards the end of the summer Sam came home from teaching algebra to find Jack packing for a week long hunting trip with some of the men. She was surprised and a bit annoyed he would leave when they had just received the hopeful news of a rescue operation the day before from the SGC.
"What if the rescue team shows up?" she asked sounding irritated.
"Carter, they are a year away" he said a little too sharply. "I'm taking the radio, if anything happens call". She was giving him that look that Sara used to give him when she was upset. He hated that look.
"I'm sorry Carter but I've been through this before, I'm not going to put my life on hold just for a 'what if', we could be sitting here for the rest of our lives just waiting". For a few moments they stared at each other until Carter finally responded with,
"Have a good time Sir" as she left the room, leaving him to pack.
Carter left the house and decided to cool off by walking the path around the lake. She wanted to go with them but as a woman she would never be asked. She could handle a P-90 as well as Jack, plus she wasn't squeamish about killing something edible and hopefully as steak like as possible. She continued to fume until half way around the lake she realized it was Jack's recent behavior that was bothering her more than anything. Over the last few weeks he had been taking every opportunity to avoid her; working late on the pottery orders, spending entire days in the orchard or on the lake. This trip was just another excuse to avoid her.
The second realization that she was starting to act and feel like Jack's wife upset her even. She didn't know what bothered her the most, the fact that she was taking on this role a little too seriously or that she would have to continue play acting for the foreseeable future.
Back at the house Jack finished packing and looked around for Sam to say goodbye. He called for her but there was no response so he was forced to leave a note on the counter. He regretted snapping at her like that but being around her the last few weeks had put him on edge. He was happy when he was with her, too happy. It was almost starting to feel like a punishment. They pretended for the benefit of the Theosans, but behind closed doors he felt a wall go up between them. Her last words echoed in his head, she had called him 'Sir'. It had been a long time since she had used such a formal address. He was confused and unhappy, they hadn't really argued, but there was that nasty feeling left over as if they had.
Nine
Four days later Jack arrived home before dawn. He showered and dressed, anxiously waiting for Carter to get up. He started breakfast banging a skillet down on the stovetop, continually eyeing the stairwell hoping his noise woke her. He didn't like how he had left things with her, it had eaten at him until he decided to cut the trip short.
As he sat down to eat, he noticed the receiver's red light was on indicating a message had been received from Earth. It wasn't blinking so Sam must have already viewed it. Jack pushed the play button and General Hammond's voice boomed.
"Sam, Jack, I hope this message finds you well". Jack quickly scrambled to turn down the volume.
"I'm sorry to have to report only bad news. The ship the Tok'ra promised us was destroyed yesterday en route to Earth. Major your father is fine but this pushes our rescue attempt out another sixteen months to two years. Rest assured we are still making every effort possible to get you two home...."
The rest of the message droned on as Jack looked pensively out over the lake from the front door. The morning mist was slowly burning off the water as the sun came up over the ridge of mountains.
He wandered down to the shore and picked up a few flat stones from the beach. He started throwing them one at a time with a practiced hand across the lake; they skipped across the seamless water leaving small wake trails behind.
"You're back". Sam said catching him off guard. She heard him arrive home but couldn't face him until he listened to the message from Earth, she didn't want to see the look on his face when he heard the news.
"Yeah". Moments before he couldn't wait to see her, now he wasn't able to look her in the eye.
"You heard?" Sam asked knowing the answer.
"I guess I'm going to be doing a lot of fishing over the next two years". He said angrily shooting another pebble across the surface of the lake.
"You've always threatened to take me, I may run out of excuses in two years". She said trying to get him to smile.
"I'm starting to think we may never go home Sam". He said steadily ignoring her attempt at levity. She took a few of the flat stones from his hand and threw them across the lake following his first throws perfectly.
"Would that be so terrible?" she asked. Jack looked at her confused. Wasn't getting home a priority? When had that changed? Why was everything about Carter so confusing to him now?'. Her eyes held the answer he was looking for. The realization struck him that she was happy here, she was happy here with him. He had been so preoccupied with his own feelings of guilt and attraction over the last few months he hadn't stopped to think about what she was feeling.
Before he could reply Sam kissed him. At first as softly as the kiss they shared on their wedding day but quickly deepening, becoming heated. He felt dazed and confused but it didn't really matter. All that mattered was she was kissing him. In that moment he let it all go, the regulations that ruled their lives, the fear of possibility.
"We don't owe them anything Jack, don't say it isn't right" she said pulling away from him.
"I was just going to say I should go away more often" he replied as he brushed a strand of blond hair out of her eyes. He continued to run his fingers light down the side of her face. It was in that moment they both knew that whatever the consequences what they had between them was right.
Three days passed before Father Terry was sent out to see if anything was wrong with Sam and Jack. No one had seen them in days and worry had grown. The truth was they hadn't really left the house much.
Ten
The wind blew open the bedroom window and Sam got out of the warm bed and warm arms of Jack to close it. The first cold storm of the fall was threatening to come in.
"Threading the needle" Jack murmured as she climbed back in bed shivering from the chilly air.
"What did you say?" Sam asked him
"Do you remember when Teal'c flew the glider through the Stargate?"
"Yes". Sam thought he was talking in his sleep best to humor him.
"Teal'c called that threading the needle" Jack said half asleep.
"I remember, what a day". Sam smiled
"Why can't they do that?" Jack asked sleepily.
"We don't have a Glider let alone Stargate here Jack, go back to sleep"
"No, why can't they fly through the Earth Stargate to another gate in this system..then fly the glider here?"
Sam hadn't thought of that.
"It's possible, it would be a long journey and they could only take one of us back at a time".
"Couldn't they just bring the Stargate your buddy Orlin made, I bet it's lying around somewhere." Jack said, before falling back to sleep. Sam sat up in stunned silence. She couldn't believe it that he had probably literally dreamed up a way home. Jack was sound asleep and didn't notice Sam dress and go downstairs.
Jack found her in the morning pouring over pages of hand written notes.
"How long have you been up?" Sam looked up surprised. She had worked through the night and hadn't noticed the sun coming up.
"I didn't actually come to bed"
"I seem to remember you coming to bed last night". He said kissing the spot on the back of her neck that drove her crazy.
"It's your idea Jack. I think it can work. If I can get the generator to produce just a little more..' Sam said lost in thought again.
"Idea?" Jack asked mystified
An Indian summer hit a few weeks later. While Jack was away for the day helping one of the neighbors, Carter decided to take advantage of the last of the warm afternoons, writing another chapter on wormhole physics in the West orchard. There had been no reply to the messages they had sent to Earth with Jack's idea. The blank message light had been too distracting as she tried to write, so she left Jack a note and went searching for a quiet place.
After work Jack found her sitting against a tree on a blanket. He marveled at how beautiful she could be just wearing a simple cotton summer dress. She spent so much of the summer working outside, her skin was deeply tanned and hair a few shades blonder than it used to be. Working twenty floors underground didn't do much for the tan lines, especially with the hours Sam put in.
"Hey" he said handing her a glass of ice water.
"You read my mind". She said gratefully taking the water and gulping it down. Even in the shade it was still warm out.
"How was the barn raising?' she asked.
"I thought there would be more beer and less raising" Jack said as he lay down on the quilt next to Carter and put his head in her lap. "I'm beat". She smiled down at him and ran her fingers through his short graying hair. It was still damp from the shower and smelled lightly of his soap.
"Any messages?" She asked.
"You know the usual, Terry sends his regards. Jason and Tana are getting married, they want to know if they can use the East Orchard Saturday for their kit". Jason and Tana were two of Sam's advanced mathematics students from the last school term.
"My god they can't be more than fifteen, I thought Kits are held only in Spring"
"Yeah well it might be a shotgun kind of thing". Carter shook her head in amusement.
"Any other messages?"
"Oh you meant from elsewhere, sorry no". They sat quietly listening to the peaceful sounds of the Orchard. The sound of birds and bugs increased as the evening approached, and the wind rustled the trees as it started up off of the lake.
"What happens to us if they come Jack?" Carter finally asked. It had been in her mind for awhile but she hadn't been ready to talk about it.
"If it means losing you, I won't go back". Jack said firmly.
"Jack given the opportunity we have to go back, I'll resign" she said firmly.
"No you won't Carter. The SGC needs you. Men like me are replaceable"
"Without your charm we wouldn't have the allies we've made, look at the Asgard, they even named a ship after you".
"Which you blew up". Jack said.
"Yeah I did kind of do that". Sam smiled.
"You were just jealous they didn't name a ship after you".
"You know me so well". Carter replied ruffling his hair and leaning down to kiss his exposed temple.
"So it's decided I'll resign". He said closing his eyes. Since there was no rescue on the way she knew the argument was academic and not worth upsetting him, but silently mouthed the words
"We'll see" anyway. Jack opened one eye,
"I heard that".
In the distance a low mechanical whine grew. It had been so long since they had heard the sound of a glider, at first neither recognized it.
"Is that what I think it is?" Jack said rising to his feet.
"I think so". Sam said gathering her notebook and handing Jack the blanket to carry. Jack cursed when he realized he didn't even have a sidearm with him.
"It could be the SGC" Sam said hopefully.
"Yeah or it could be the Goa'uld" Jack replied grimly. They hurried back to the house to ready the few weapons they had left.
An hour later they were about to head to the town when they heard the familiar voice of Father Terry.
"Brother Jack..Sister Sam, are you here?" Terry was wary of barging in on them after an unfortunate incident a few weeks before. He had come to see if the pitcher he ordered was complete, only to stumble upon them in a slight state of undress.
"Ah there you are" he said noticing them in the doorway, happy they were fully clothed.
"Good news, joyous new. Your people have come for you". He said jovially leading Daniel and Teal'c around the corner of the house into view.
"I'll be damned" was all Jack could say.
It was indeed a joyous reunion. They had months of news to catch up on. They soon split up, with Jack and Teal'c going to retrieve the glider from the meadow where the Stargate once stood and Sam taking Daniel on a tour of the lake and orchards, then back to the house.
"You know I'm jealous Sam" Daniel said looking around the living area of the house.
"Jealous? Of what?" Sam asked surprised.
"You got to experience six months of living in an entirely different culture". Daniel said enthusiastically. "It's been something I've been thinking about since my stay on Abydos. Establishing some kind of exchange, an off world Peace Corps of sorts".
"After the initial shock wore off, I really started to enjoy it here, but I would kill for some Chinese food". Sam took juice out of the cooler and grabbed some glasses from a cupboard.
Daniel picked up a pitcher of juice. It had been one of Jack's more successful projects. He had been improving greatly over the last month.
"This looks like something you could buy at Pottery Barn" he mused. She had forgotten how everything fascinated Daniel off world.
"That's probably where Jack got the inspiration for it". Sam smiled taking the pitcher from him and pouring a glass of fruit juice.
"Jack made this?" Daniel asked incredulously.
"He's a man of many hidden talents".
Daniel shook his head in disbelief and wandered around the living area of the house drinking the juice. He paused at the sturdy wood mantle over the fireplace to look at the Earth symbol broken from the Stargate. Jack had placed it there shortly after they settled as a reminder of Earth. Sam had thrown the Minchka from the Kit beside it. Daniel fingered the silkiness of the yellow ribbon wondering why it was there.
"Sam I've been meaning to ask, I've been here an hour and I've been asked three times if I'm married. Why?"
"You have to be married to be considered an adult. Both men and women aren't allowed to function in any capacity until they marry".
"They must have made an exception for you and Jack giving you this place". Daniel said distracted reaching up to touch the jagged edge of the symbol.
Sam busied herself pouring another glass of fruit juice, pretending she didn't hear Daniel's comment. He stopped and turned to look at her. She felt the heat creeping up in her face. It all started to make sense to Daniel, Sam had only addressed Jack by his first name since he and Teal'c found them. There were no Sirs, or Colonel's, just Jack.
"Oh my god" Daniel exclaimed. "You married Jack".
"We didn't have much choice". She shrugged wishing the conversation would go away, she hoped to avoid the subject entirely, at least for awhile.
Oh wow..wow" Daniel said thoughtfully.
"What's up guys?" Jack asked entering the house with Teal'c. Daniel looked back and forth between Jack and Sam several times trying to take in the news.
"He knows". Jack stated more than asked.
Sam nodded once. Teal'c stood with arms folded, subtly raising his left eyebrow.
"DanielJackson knows what?"
"That Sam and I are married Teal'c".
"Then this is good news O'Neill." Teal'c gave one of his rare smiles. The effect of his smiles was always a bit disconcerting for anyone not familiar with the Jaffa.
"Yeah Teal'c is right." Daniel started. "We all knew you guys were well, you know kind of meant to be. I for one think it's great".
"It's against regulations Daniel, if we go back one of us has to resign". Sam finally said.
"We just agreed I would resign" Jack replied.
"No you decided, I never agreed to it"
"Sam I'm a civilian liaison right? I'm not governed by the same regulations. Why couldn't you stay on as Dr. Carter".
"Give up her rank, everything she's worked for? No way". Jack replied.
"Why even tell?" Daniel said after a brief pause. "Jack, you've broken the rules before. You lied about my death on Abados because it was the right thing to do".
"DanielJackson is correct O'Neill, I do not foresee your relationship harming the team".
Sam looked at Jack and realized she liked the idea.
"It's better than one of us resigning Jack"
"You would be okay with that?"
"Absolutely, at least for now"
Nine
It took several days to modify the reactor to run the small Stargate Orlin built. The techs back at the SGC had reprogrammed it to dial one address, Earth. They only had one shot, once the wormhole opened they had only thirty seconds to get through the small gate. Sam figured with the amount of power the reactor could supply, only two people could go through the gate. Jack volunteered to return the glider back the way it came. Teal'c promised Bra'tac it would be returned safely within the week.
Sam attempted to pack up the house but ended up leaving almost everything for Jason and Tana. At the last council meeting Jack had offered the newlyweds the house and orchards. The town elders agreed that it should be passed down. It was harder than they expected saying goodbye to the kind people that had taken them in six short months before. As she went through the house, the only things she really wanted to take were her wedding dress, the Minchka and a few of the nicer pottery pieces Jack had done. The irony that she had hated that dress the day she married Jack and now she couldn't part with it wasn't lost on her and she smiled.
The next day the glider was packed and ready to go, and the Stargate ready to be fired up. To Jack, Sam was almost unrecognizable in her uniform which she dug out at the last minute. He was already starting to miss the summer dresses she had taken to wearing. She caught him staring and smiled.
"Okay Jack the Gate is ready to go. Are you set?".
"As I'll ever be. We'll radio through to see if you have made it before we shut it down on this side".
"We'll expect you to arrive at the SGC in sixteen hours then". He smiled back at her knowing this was the last second of a momentous six months for them. They didn't spend much time on goodbye, there were no tears, or declarations of love. The only sign of affection Daniel and Teal'c could see was Sam putting her hand to Jack's cheek as they shared a private moment. A second later Sam hit the ignition key on the gate and she and Daniel were running towards the event horizon.
Jack watch until they both disappeared, then confirmed with an ecstatic SGC that they had made it through all right.
"Okay Teal'c, you better go before we hit the road, not a lot of rest stops along the way".
"I do not understand the meaning of this O'Neill, the region of space we are going through is indeed void of any civilization".
"I'll explain later Teal'c, let's get going". Jack smiled at his friend realizing for the first time he was truly going home.
If you enjoyed this story, please send feedback to E.H. Huxley
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