A Familiar Face
A Familiar Face
by Apple
Summary: When a mysterious young woman accompanies Jack to the SGC, no one can figure out who she is, even though she looks familiar to all. The mystery only gets deeper as a death throws them into an unlikely adventure.
Category: Action/Adventure, Drama, Future Story, Humor, Hurt/Comfort, Mystery
Season: Future Season
Pairing: Team, Jack/Sam
Rating: GEN
Warnings: character death, minor language, violence
Author's Notes: This fic is also posted on gateworld.net. Originally a 12 part series, I put all into one to make it easier to read. There is a character death, but have faith.
Disclaimer: Stargate SG-1 and its characters are the property of Showtime/Viacom, MGM/UA, Double Secret Productions, and Gekko Productions. This story was created for entertainment purposes only. No copyright infringement is intended. The original characters, situations, and story are the property of the author(s).
Archived on: 09/27/06
Chapter 1 -
O'Neill couldn't concentrate. He hated waiting, she knew that, yet she had insisted that they wait until 0930 this morning to leave. He had been ready to leave yesterday, but she had simply smiled and told him that she would be at his office at 0915. He glared at his watch. 0830. This was going to be a long morning.
Jack was sitting at his desk, wondering why he had given up going through the stargate for a desk, cluttered with unfinished paperwork, in the heart of the nation's capital. He glanced at his watch, only two minutes had passed. Tapping it to make sure it was working, Jack sighed; this had to have been the longest 24 hours he had ever endured.
The flashing light on the intercom caught his attention. He glanced at his watch again, where had the time gone? Didn't really matter, she was here, punctual as usual.
"Yes Lieutenant?" Jack said, pressing the intercom button and trying not to sound too excited.
"Dr. Nielson is here to see you, sir."
"Thank you Lieutenant, send her in." Jack stood as the door opened; childlike anticipation in his eyes.
Standing in the doorway was Dr. Jacquelyn Nielson, Ph.D. Jack smiled at the brilliant 24 year old in greeting. Jackie - so she preferred to `Doctor' - who stood at a graceful 6' tall, was one of the tallest women he had ever met. But that wasn't what was so striking about her appearance. Although a scientist, linguist, and historian, she had a military bearing that was unexplainable since she had never served. Her long chocolate brown hair was full - bringing new meaning to `a mane of hair.' Set against the dark hair was fair skin and brilliant blue eyes - eyes that were familiar to Jack, but the rest of Jackie's appearance threw him off, he just couldn't place those eyes.
"Good morning Jackie."
"Morning General," Jackie greeted in her British accent, returning his smile. She had noticed the anticipation in his eyes, making her next question irrelevant, but she asked it anyway. "Ready to go?" The quick nod and hand reaching for an overnight bag were the only cues she needed.
***********
"Unscheduled off-world activation."
"What is it Sergeant?" General Landry asked as he came down the stairs and stopped just behind the technician. "What teams do we have off-world?"
"SG teams 1, 5, 12, and 17, sir."
"GDO?"
"Not yet, sir." The technician responded. A moment later, "Receiving signal now, sir." Looking up at Landry he continued, "It's SG1, sir."
"Open the iris." Landry ordered as he left the observation deck, heading to the gate room.
Within seconds of the iris sliding open, Daniel stumbled through followed by Teal'c, Sam, and finally Cameron. Cameron came through backwards, shooting as he did.
"Close the iris!"
Cameron continued to shoot into the event horizon until the iris was closed. No sooner was it closed than two subtle thumps were heard. Not until the wormhole disengaged did Cameron lower his weapon and visibly relax.
"What happened SG1? We weren't expecting you back until tomorrow." Landry grilled, concern lacing his voice.
"Priors, sir. That's what happened." Cameron responded angrily, finally turning away from the stargate to face his CO.
"Priors?" Landry asked suspiciously. It wasn't exactly the Priors' MO to drive his teams off a planet in a shooting match.
"Indirectly, sir." Sam responded. "Before we ever got to the planet, the Prior convinced the people that we were evil and they should - at the least - run us off the planet, although their ultimate goal seemed to be our deaths."
"Indeed it did." Came the annoyingly calm voice that was characteristically Teal'c. Landry didn't think he would ever get used to that.
Landry nodded silently. These Priors were really starting to be a pain in the ass. Opening his mouth to dismiss SG1, he found himself cut off before he had even begun.
"And this is the gate room. That," the familiar voice paused, "is SG1. Looks like they have once again barely escaped with their lives." Every eye in the gate room turned towards the blast doors and the two people standing there: a young woman that no one recognized, yet looked familiar, and a general with graying hair and a huge grin on his face, enjoying everyone's surprised looks.
Chapter 2 -
"General O'Neill." Cameron said, as he and Sam snapped to attention and saluted.
"At ease, Colonels." Jack said, after returning their salute. Turning, he winked at his companion and said conspiratorially, "Told you they'd be shocked." The young woman just smiled in return.
"Jack!" Landry exclaimed, finally finding his voice. Walking over he shook Jack's hand, "Wasn't expecting you until this afternoon." The looks on SG1's faces betrayed their surprise at not being told of O'Neill's visit to the SGC.
"It's good to see you Hank." Jack smiled broadly. "When Dr. Nielson here offered to fly me out here early, I couldn't pass up the chance to see the surprise on your face too."
Hank just chuckled and shook his head, he knew all too well. Turning to the young woman standing beside Jack, he was taken aback at the familiarity in her eyes and smile.
"Dr. Nielson, I'm General Landry." Hank said, extending his hand to the young woman. He noticed SG1 coming up behind him and decided, since Jack was being so lax in introductions he would handle it. "And this is..."
"SG1." Jackie smiled, interrupting. She extended her hand to each as she stated their names, "Dr. Daniel Jackson, Lt. Colonel Samantha Carter, Lt. Colonel Cameron Mitchell, and Teal'c. I'm Dr. Jacquelyn Nielson." The glint of humor at everyone's surprise was noticed by all standing in the immediate vicinity.
"Doctor?" Daniel asked, taking in her obvious youth. "Medical?"
"Jackie's a Ph.D. Daniel." Jack finally spoke up, correcting Daniel, a slight hint of pride in his voice.
"Ph.D.?" Daniel stammered. Looking from Jack to Jackie. "But you can't be more than twenty..."
"I'm 24, Dr. Jackson." Jackie answered his unasked question.
"Ph.D. in what?" Sam asked, her curiosity finally getting the better of her.
"I finished my Ph.D. in theoretical Astrophysics two years ago." Jackie smiled at the look of surprise on Sam's face. "A few days ago I finished the classes for my Ph.D. in Ancient mythology, with a focus on religion." Jackie caught the funny look on Daniel's face out of the corner of her eye. She smiled. She had understood General O'Neill's anticipation of surprising his friends and former teammates.
Daniel opened his mouth to speak, but closed it again without any words coming out. If he didn't know better, he would say that Dr. Nielson seemed to be the original SG1 wrapped up into one person. She had Sam's scientific mind, his own fascination with ancient mythology, and Jack's military bearing. The only thing missing...Daniel glanced at Teal'c before turning back to Dr. Nielson. Daniel almost choked as he caught her raised eyebrow and look of calm observation. There was only one thing left to do. Opening his mouth he asked: "Parlez vous franais?"
"Oui." Jackie answered, smiling. Knowing exactly where Daniel was going with this, she continued to speak, switching randomly through the 12 modern languages she knew, several dialects within each, threw in a few ancient languages, and finally ended with Goa'uld and Ancient for good measure. All in all, in a matter of 3 minutes, she spoke in 30 languages and/or dialects. She could no longer hold back the laughter. "My apologies Dr. Jackson, I could not resist."
"But how...?" Daniel stammered, not alone in the look of surprise on his face. Even Jack had not expected that.
"My Dad's best friend is a brilliant linguist. He took it upon himself to make sure that I was more than prepared for what ever life may send my way."
Daniel was about to ask who this linguist was, when General Landry interrupted.
"SG1 report to the infirmary. We'll debrief at 1300 hours." Landry would have liked to allow this entertaining conversation to go on - God knows his people needed the diversion - but there was work to be done. Turning his attention towards O'Neill he continued, "My office Jack?"
Jack nodded and turned to follow Landry. SG1 turned and headed back across the gate room to exit through the opposite doors. Jackie wavered for a moment, should she follow the two generals, or...
"General," Jackie began, not talking to either general in particular. Both turned to her, mid-step. "Permission to accompany SG1, sirs." Seeing the look of uncertainty in Landry's eyes, she continued quickly - maybe too quickly - "I'm sure the two of you want to catch up, I'd only be in the way and I'd rather not be baby-sat by an airman." Jack's eyes betrayed the concealed smile. "As long as SG1 doesn't mind, sir, I could just kind of tag along and catch up with General O'Neill after the debriefing." The ensuing silence seemed interminable.
"SG1!" Landry barked, breaking the deafening silence. All four team members turned in response. "How do you feel about having a shadow until the debriefing?"
Daniel looked at each of the faces of his team. Seeing no disagreement, his face lit up and he nodded back at the General, who turned and nodded at Jackie.
"Thank you, sir!" She smiled. Heading across the gate room to join SG1, she barely kept her excitement under reign. She felt like a kid again - one who has just met and been granted time with her heros. Heros? Had she really just thought that? Jackie mentally shook her head, sometimes she wondered if she shouldn't have taken more time to be a kid.
Chapter 3 -
"How do you know General O'Neill?" Sam asked, wincing as Dr. Lam took her blood.
"He's good friends with my parents. All my life he's been a father figure to me." Jackie responded easily.
"General O'Neill has spent most of the last 10 years here in Cheyenne Mountain or off-world. How could he have been a father figure to you in England?" Cameron asked as he looked up from what the nurse was doing.
"I'm not British Colonel." Jackie stated, speaking uncharacteristically with an American accent. She couldn't contain her laughter at the surprise and disbelief on SG1's faces. "I spent two years working in the American Embassy in London."
"How the hell did you manage to learn 30 languages and dialects, finish all but your dissertation on a second Ph.D., and spend two years working at an American Embassy, all by the age of 24?" Daniel exclaimed. "It's...humanly impossible!"
"Dr. Jackson..." Jackie paused searching for the right words.
"Please, call me Daniel."
"Call me Sam."
"Cameron."
Jackie smiled. It was almost like... but she couldn't think about that now, she had to focus on the reason she was in Colorado Springs. At this point the mission was her first priority. With that in mind she had to be very careful how she said things.
"Well, if we're all going on a first name basis around here, you should call me Jackie." Moving over to the empty gurney near her, she hopped up and continued, "To answer your question Daniel: I've been learning languages since I could talk, but I only picked up on Goa'uld and Ancient recently. As for the rest of it; I graduated from high school at 16, had my undergrad in science and history by 19, finished my masters at 20, my first dissertation in London, and started taking classes for my second Ph.D. at Oxford." Jackie shrugged, meaning that they could figure the rest out for themselves.
"You're free to go SG1." Dr. Lam said monotonously. This was something she was way too used to. Not that she wanted to jinx anything and complain about the sameness, but she really could do with a change of pace.
The four members of SG1 all jumped down from the gurneys and headed out of the infirmary in a hurry, almost as if they were afraid Dr. Lam would change her mind.
"I believe that it is almost time for our debriefing with General Landry." Teal'c said matter-of-factly as they walked down the halls of the SGC. Everyone else looked down at their watches, confirming what he had said, and changed direction to the debriefing room.
"Um, Daniel?" Jackie asked almost timidly. He turned around and raised his eyebrows in question. "I don't suppose you have a translation or something that I could work on while you're all at the debriefing, I don't exactly have clearance to sit through it."
Daniel smiled in understanding. Turning back towards the others, "You guys go on ahead, I'll catch up." Then he turned back towards Jackie and led her down to his lab.
**********
"How's it coming, Jackie?" Daniel asked as he walked back into his lab after the debriefing. It had been longer than he would have liked, but he also knew that it had been shorter than it could have been, so he wasn't going to complain too loudly.
"Great." Jackie responded without looking up. The pictures were so engrossing, and she was right in the middle of a key passage. Daniel could understand that, so he sat quietly, waiting for her to finish. "Daniel, where did this writing come from?" She asked unexpectedly, just barely looking over the edge of the picture at him.
"Um, I believe they came from P3X..."
"Not the planet Daniel." Jackie said, impatiently interrupting him. "What was the writing on?"
"Um..." Daniel started rummaging around on his desk. Lifting up a picture from the mess and handing it to Jackie, he continued, "This device."
Jackie's eyes got really big as she looked back and forth from the picture Daniel had handed her and the one that she had been translating when he walked in. "Where is it now?" She asked in desperation, the look in her eyes matching the concern in her voice.
"Sam's got it. She was heading to her lab after the debriefing to turn it on." Daniel replied not understanding Jackie's reaction.
"Turn it on?"
"Yeah. If you look here on the device there's a little button that seems to turn it on." Daniel said pointing to a spot on the picture of the device. Without any explanation Jackie grabbed the translations she'd been working on and ran out of the lab. "Jackie!? Jackie, where are you going?" Not getting any response, Daniel took off after her, not liking the feeling that something was terribly wrong.
**********
"Don't touch anything!" Jackie exclaimed as she rushed into Sam's lab. Sam, who had been about to work on a device that SG7 had picked up the previous day, stopped with her hand poised right above it. Jackie had been running so hard through the halls that she had only come to a complete stop after half running into the door frame of Sam's lab. She now stood there panting, trying to regain control of her breathing. "You...that..." Taking a deep breath to calm herself down, very glad that she had gotten there in time, Jackie walked further into Sam's lab, hearing Daniel running down the hall behind her.
"Jackie what is going on?" Sam asked impatiently.
"That's what I would like to know." Daniel seconded from the doorway. "What's with the marathon sprint through the SGC?"
"That's not the on switch." Jackie finally managed to say, not tearing her eyes away from Sam's hand as it hung suspended above the offending `button'.
"What are you talking about? Of course it is." Sam said, anger beginning to replace her impatience.
"No it's not." Jackie stated firmly, raising her eyes from the device to Sam's eyes. "While you were all at the debriefing I was working on translating the writings on this device." Jackie held up the pictures that she'd brought with her to emphasize her point. "That `button' is a diversion. You touch that and this whole section of the mountain will go up in smoke." Sam's eyes widened in surprise as she slowly moved her hand away from the device. "It was a tactic used by the Ancients for this particular device. They didn't want just anyone getting their hands on it. Apparently they felt that if one was smart enough to figure out that the `on switch' was a diversion, then one was capable of handling the device."
Daniel came up behind Jackie and took the pictures from her. Both women were silent as he studied the writing that the pictures magnified. "My god, she's right." He finally sighed. "These writings don't actually say what would have happened if you pressed that `button', but it does suggest that it would not be good. And to think that I was going to take my time in translating this - didn't feel that it was a priority." Daniel's face was filled with horror as he turned towards Jackie. "If you hadn't come with Jack..." He couldn't finish the sentiment.
Chapter 4 -
Over the next three days if anyone was looking for Jackie they could find her in one of five places: Sam's lab, Daniel's lab, doing kelnorim with Teal'c, sparring with Vala or Cameron, or in her quarters getting a few precious hours of sleep between all her other activities. Within just a few hours of arriving at the SGC, she had been accepted into what had become a family over the years. Of course her quick assimilation may have been due to the fact that she saved Colonel Carter's life and the lives of everyone else who worked in that section of the facility. Friday afternoon found Jackie sitting at Sam's counter cross referencing the data collected from the device and the writings she and Daniel had translated.
"Am I going to have to start dragging you away from your work now too?"
Jackie looked up from her work, jumping slightly at the unexpected voice in the doorway. Seeing Jack standing there with a silly grin on his face, she couldn't help but return the smile.
"Since I have a limited amount of time here at the SGC I wanted to do as much as I can to help."
"Considering that you saved the lives of a few hundred people, not to mention the foremost scientist and operative here at the SGC, I'd say you've done quite a bit already to help."
"Well, if you put it that way..." Jackie looked down at her work, a slight blush tingeing her cheeks - an effect of both her embarrassment and her pleasure at the compliment.
"Unfortunately for you, times up." Jack said brusquely.
"Up?" Jackie looked up incredulously. "What do you mean up?"
"I mean it's Friday afternoon, we leave on Sunday, and I'm not going to have you spending your whole time in Colorado Springs cooped up in this damn laboratory. So go change into civilian clothes. We're going out with SG1 tonight. It'll be just like old times, plus a few new faces, but I can handle that. After all, new faces mean new friends. So come on already, let's go."
**********
"Cameron you're drunk."
"No I'm not. I hold my liquor very well, and I resent any insinuation to the contrary."
"Come on Cameron, give me your keys."
"Not gonna happen Jackie."
"Teal'c a little help here please." Jackie said, turning to the jaffa.
"Whether you are drunk or not does not matter Colonel Mitchell. You have consumed alcohol therefore you are not fit to drive. I am already designated driver for Colonel Carter and Daniel Jackson, and Dr. Nielson is the only other one here who did not consume alcohol, so she is your designated driver."
Cameron glared at Teal'c for a moment, debating whether or not to challenge him. Even in his half drunken state he knew better than to take on the jaffa, so he reluctantly handed over his keys.
"Damn." Jackie said as she turned towards Cameron's car.
"What?" Daniel asked.
"Oh, nothing, I just left my jacket inside. Don't worry about it, you guys go on ahead; we'll see you back at the base." Jackie said. Teal'c nodded in agreement and began to herd Sam and Daniel in the opposite direction that Jack and Cameron were headed. She hadn't really thought about it before this, but they really should have taken care to park closer together instead of on opposite sides of the parking lot.
"I'll get it Jackie." Cameron said, turning back towards the building. "You go get the car started."
"Thanks Cameron." Jackie said to his retreating back. She received a hand wave in return. She smiled, shook her head, and walked towards the car with Jack.
"I think someone has a bit of a crush on you." Jack teased.
"Whatever." Jackie retorted, smacking Jack on the arm. The two laughed and joked across the parking lot.
When they arrived at the vehicle Jackie unlocked the door and then turned to face Jack, a huge grin on her face. She knew just what to say to get back at him for teasing her about Cameron. But the words never left her mouth. The look on Jack's face stopped the words immediately. Looking down she saw a growing pool of red on his t-shirt, and then he was falling towards her.
**********
"JACK!"
Sam, Daniel and Teal'c all whirled around at the scream coming from across the parking lot behind them. At first they couldn't see anything, until movement hidden in the shadows at the front of the car caught their attention.
"Sam! Daniel! Teal'c! Come quickly!"
There was no hesitation. All three recognized the voice - the voice calling their names. They all broke into a run, heading towards Cameron's car. Teal'c quickly outstripped the other two, arriving mere seconds after Jackie yelled their names.
"Teal'c he was shot!" Jackie exclaimed hysterically, as she leaned over the disturbingly still body of Jack O'Neill.
"Where did the shot come from Dr. Nielson?" Teal'c said, his calmness betraying the emotions running through him. Jackie simply pointed to a building on that side of the parking lot. Teal'c immediately took off to investigate, hoping to catch the bastard that had shot his friend.
Teal'c had just taken off in pursuit of the sniper when Sam landed next to the prone body of her former CO; Daniel on her heals.
"There's no pulse Sam. No pulse." Jackie wailed, rocking back and forth, Jack's head in her lap. "He's dead. He had no chance."
Sam ignored the hysterical babblings of the younger woman. This could not be happening, not now. Shifting into her military training, she quickly reached forward and checked for a pulse, there was none. Could Jackie have been right? No. She wouldn't allow herself to think that way. He could still be saved; she just had to keep him alive until an ambulance could get there.
"Cameron! Call 911." Sam barked at Cameron as he came running up. "Daniel, get her out of my way."
Daniel knelt down next to Jackie and wrapped his arms around her, gently pulling her away from O'Neill. She instantly turned and wrapped her arms around him, sobbing into his shoulder. He did his best to comfort her while watching with fading hope as Sam began CPR. He barely noticed when Teal'c returned, not having found the sniper. This whole situation was unreal. He felt detached. There was no way that his best friend - who had survived countless Goa'uld and jaffa attacks in his years with SG1 - was now dieing from a single bullet in the middle of Colorado Springs.
Chapter 5 -
"Thank you Colonel, I'll let you know when we find anything." The detective said. He stood slowly, nodded goodbye to Daniel and Teal'c, and left quietly. As he walked out the front door of Carter's house, he couldn't help shaking his head in disgust. What was this world coming to, that a highly decorated Air Force General couldn't walk around Colorado Springs safely?
Before climbing into his car, Detective Roberts turned and looked back at the house. He couldn't help but feel sorry for the four people inside. The youngest woman had been hysterical when the emergency personnel had arrived. The medics had immediately checked her over since she was covered with blood, but the blood hadn't been her own. The other three obviously had some training. They had maintained their composure throughout the interviews, both at the scene and here at Colonel Carter's house. Yet, despite the Colonel's military training, Roberts could see that she was in shock. The whole situation was a terrible shame.
**********
Sam, Daniel and Teal'c all sat in silence, each one lost in their own thoughts. The events of the past three days seemed almost like a dream. The surprise of seeing O'Neill walk into the gate room three days earlier paled in comparison to the realization that he was gone - for good this time.
"We should probably go." Daniel said, finally gaining the courage to break the deafening silence. "You need your sleep Sam; it's going to be a long day tomorrow."
At Sam's mechanical nod, Daniel and Teal'c both stood up and turned to leave. Suddenly Teal'c put his hand out and stopped Daniel mid-stride.
"Wha...?"
Teal'c cut off Daniel's question with his raised hand. Motioning for Daniel to stay put, the jaffa slipped out of the room. A moment later he returned, dragging a fighting Jackie along with him.
"Let me go Teal'c!" Jackie said, trying to pull away. With a soft grunt she landed on the couch. Trying to stand up and get away, she was stopped by Teal'c's hand, heavy on her shoulder. Realizing that fighting was futile she crossed her arms and sulked, making her look younger than her 24 years.
"What's going on?" Daniel asked, surprise written across his face at the struggle between Jackie and Teal'c.
"Jacqueline Nielson was sneaking out the front door."
"I wasn't sneaking Teal'c!" Jackie snapped.
"Indeed you were." He responded firmly.
"I was going out for a walk. Just needed some fresh air and I really didn't feel like socializing. So yes, I was trying to be quiet in getting outside, but I wasn't sneaking!" Jackie's glare would have made anyone else cower, but not Teal'c. "Forget it. I'm going back to bed."
Teal'c was reluctant to let Jackie stand up, but finally loosed his grip on her shoulder. However, he did not trust that she would not again attempt to go outside, so he walked her to the stairs and stood there until he heard her door shut.
"Come Daniel Jackson." Teal'c said, turning to look at Daniel. "We have overstayed our welcome."
**********
The ticking of the clock in the front hall could be heard throughout the still house. Jackie was very glad that she had learned how to move stealthily from Jack. Quietly closing the front door behind her she slipped through the front hall and up the stairs. Careful to miss the squeaky step, she made it to the top of the stairs in silence. As she moved down the hall to her room, Jackie paused at Sam's bedroom door. The only sound coming through the door was the deep breathing of sleep. Without further hesitation Jackie moved to her room and quickly fell asleep.
**********
The next couple of days Sam and Jackie spent their time planning the memorial service and tying up loose ends. Jackie had done most of the latter, knowing what needed to be done in D.C., leaving Sam to make the plans for the service. O'Neill's last wishes were to be cremated. Sam didn't like the idea, wanted an open casket service and a grave to visit, but she could not refuse O'Neill's last wishes.
Early Sunday morning, Sam and Jackie headed to the Cheyenne Mountain complex for the memorial service. As they pulled into the base, they were surprised by the number of cars that were already there, and the line of cars behind them waiting their turn to enter the base. Everyone coming to the memorial service was military, had to be since they were holding the service at the SGC. It looked like the whole SGC staff was going to be there.
Nothing out of the ordinary happened during the service. General Landry spoke first, followed by Daniel, Teal'c, and finally Sam. As Jackie stood next to the ramp listening to Sam speak, tears slid silently down her cheeks. Daniel quietly slipped his arm around her, hoping to offer what little comfort he could.
After Sam finished speaking, Daniel and Teal'c joined her in front of the active Stargate. Teal'c, who had been carrying the urn, handed it to Sam and joined Daniel in standing on opposite sides of the wreath sitting there.
A young sergeant stepped forward to the base of the ramp, lifted a bugle to his lips, and began to play `taps.' As the solemn notes echoed in the gate room, Daniel and Teal'c lifted the wreath and placed it in the wormhole. Slowly the wreath sank into the event horizon and disappeared. Both men placed their fists across their heart and bowed their heads in the jaffa sign for respect. Straightening up, they stepped to opposite sides of the Stargate, allowing Sam to step forward with the urn.
A single tear traced a path down Sam's face as she came face to face with the shimmering blue pool of the event horizon. It had been this device that had first brought Jack, Daniel, Sam, and Teal'c together. Now it would separate them forever. With a silent goodbye, Sam placed the urn in the wormhole and watched as it too sank into the event horizon. Seconds later the wormhole disengaged as the final notes from the bugle echoed and died.
**********
Nearly 30 people milled around Sam's house and yard. Sam was busy being hostess, Daniel was doing his best to carry on some semblance of conversation, and Teal'c was standing in a corner, the dark look on his face warning others away. Jackie sat in an opposite corner surveying all of this, wondering how they did it.
"Dr. Nielson?"
Jackie looked up at the bald man standing in front of her. Surprise crossed her face as the identity of the man standing before her registered in her mind.
"General Hammond?" it was Hammond's turn to be surprised. "What are you doing here?" Jackie realized how rude that sounded. "I mean..."
"It's okay Doctor, I know what you meant. You weren't expecting me to make it." Jackie nodded silently. "May I?" Hammond asked, motioning to the chair next to Jackie.
"Of course. And please, call me Jackie."
Hammond nodded.
"I talked to Jack the other day." Jackie looked shocked. Hammond smiled and continued. "He called me right after you offered him an earlier ride out here." Jackie's shock turned to concern, but only for a brief second before her face was unreadable. "The call was made on a secure line that only Jack and I knew about." Hammond paused. "Maybe we should take a walk."
**********
"Sam why don't you go lay down, you've been going since early this morning. The guys and I can finish up here." Jackie said as she walked into the kitchen. She had just walked the last guest to the door, leaving herself, Sam, Daniel, and Teal'c alone. "We are more than capable of putting food away and straightening up around here."
Sam paused for a moment and looked at the three people standing across the counter from her. They all looked worried and extremely worn out. In fact, they looked a lot like she felt, minus the worry; after all, they were worried about her. Slowly she nodded, right now there was nothing she wanted more than to lay down and sleep. As she passed, Daniel reached out and laid a hand on her arm. She turned and looked at him. No words passed between the two, but they carried on a conversation. Daniel nodded and dropped his hand, allowing Sam to move towards her room.
Quietly Jackie, Daniel, and Teal'c began the work of cleaning up, each one lost in their own thoughts. A couple hours later they stood surveying the living room, having just finished their work. Daniel came over and placed a hand gently on Jackie's shoulder. She turned and looked at him, silently cringing at the sadness in his eyes.
"Thank you Daniel." She whispered, not quite sure why she was doing so.
Daniel nodded.
"Keep an eye on Sam, k?" Daniel responded.
"Yeah." Jackie nodded. "She won't be too happy tomorrow about Landry's order for her to stay away from the base until Wednesday, so give her a call tomorrow?"
Daniel nodded. Turning he headed out of the house. Teal'c paused for a moment next to Jackie, he seemed on the verge of speaking, but instead simply nodded at her and followed Daniel out the door. Jackie sighed loudly, as much as she liked those two, she was glad that they were finally gone. She really needed some time alone...alone with Sam.
Jackie paused at the top of the stairs. Silence once again reigned in the house, feeling almost palpable in its stifling nature. She closed the distance to Sam's door in just a couple of steps. Leaning in, she at first heard nothing. Then she heard it, the soft sound of a heart breaking. Reaching for the door, Jackie slowly turned the knob and eased the door open just a crack.
"Sam?"
Sam buried her head in her pillow, hoping that the younger woman would just go away and leave her to grieve alone. No such luck. Jackie quietly walked into the room and stood next to the bed. Sam could feel her presence and was surprised at how unobtrusive it was. She wanted so desperately to hate Jackie; after all, she was the one who had brought Jack to Colorado Springs. But the scientist in her, the logical side, reminded her that the sniper would have found him anywhere. At least this way she had been able to spend a few days with him before the end.
A sob escaped. Sam was unable to contain it. He was actually gone. At the slight sound, Jackie was no longer unsure of what to do. She sat down on the edge of the bed. Reaching over she gently placed a hand on Sam's shoulder. The contact surprised Sam, but again, was not unwelcome. The minutes passed with the two of them sitting there like that, no sound in the room except for Sam's grieving.
"He cared about you...very much." The quiet voice broke the silence.
Sam's head came out of the pillow. Her blue eyes, swollen from crying, were wide with surprise.
"What?" She stammered.
Jackie smiled, slowly, sadly. She should not be the one sitting here telling Sam this. He should be, but he wasn't. She knew by the look on Sam's face that she was now committed to explaining her previous statement.
"Jack...he cared about you."
"He cared about all of us." Sam responded defensively. "SG1 was always more of a family."
"True." Jackie nodded. "Daniel and Teal'c were like brothers to Jack. But, that's not what I meant." Jackie paused, searching Sam's eyes, she was going to have to come out and say it. "But you...there was something more there when it came to you. A special twinkle in his eye when he talked about you, or with you."
Sam closed her eyes. Her heart longed for the words and despised them. Why? Why was she telling her this now? Her heart was already breaking, knowing this only made it worse.
"If I could..." Oh god, what am I saying? "...go back..." Stop it! Stop it this instant Samantha Carter! "...things would be..." Oh, what the hell. "...different."
Sam opened her eyes. Jackie was looking at her with compassion and understanding. The tears began to flow again.
"I shouldn't have waited. I should not have allowed my fear to hold me back. I should have told him..." Told him what? What Samantha, what should you have told him? "Now it's too late. He's gone and I'll never have the chance again."
Jackie continued to sit there next to Sam as she slowly cried herself to sleep. When she was finally asleep, she stood up, pulled the covers up over her, turned her alarm off, and slipped out of the room.
Chapter 6 -
Sam slowly opened her eyes. Small shafts of light filtered through her blinds and danced on the floor. A small smile played around her lips as she heard a bird singing outside her window. As she laid there the events of the past few days flashed across her memory. A silent tear traced its way down her cheek. Upon waking up to the beautiful day, she had hoped that it had all been a nightmare. But no, it was 0900 on Monday morning and...
"Crap!" Sam exclaimed as she jumped out of bed and rushed around her room to get ready.
Jackie looked down the hall towards the stairs. She smiled as she heard the muffled comments and curses coming from Sam's bedroom at the top of the stairs. She silently sipped her coffee as she listened to Daniel on the other end of the phone.
"Daniel, Sam just woke up, and she's not going to be very happy with me when I tell her that I turned her alarm off. I'll have her call you back within the hour." Jackie heard Daniel chuckling as she hung up.
Moments later, Sam came tumbling down the stairs, trying to put her shoes on as she ran. As she entered the kitchen Jackie held out a mug of coffee. Sam eyed it as she balanced precariously on one foot, trying to tie her shoe.
"Would you mind putting that in my travel mug for me?" Sam asked, switching feet. "Landry is going to kill me for being late. I could have sworn I set my alarm last night."
"You did." Jackie responded, not having moved since Sam walked in. Sam looked up at her, her eyes flashing. "Landry said he didn't want to see even one of your blonde hairs before Wednesday morning." Jackie once again held out the cup of coffee. "Coffee?"
"So you just decided to turn off my alarm instead of telling me?" Sam's raised foot settled loudly on the tile floor.
"I was going to tell you, but when I went into your room and you were..." Jackie paused, not quite sure how to continue. "When you fell asleep I decided I'd just face your wrath this morning." Jackie held the coffee out further. As Sam took it, Jackie picked up the phone and also passed it to Sam. "Daniel called just as you were waking up. I promised him you'd call."
**********
After talking to Daniel, Sam went out for a run. An hour later, she returned only to find Jackie's overnight bag sitting in the front hall and the younger woman rushing around the house.
"You're leaving?" A stunned Sam asked as Jackie ran down the stairs.
Jackie stopped mid-stride and looked at Sam. She debated whether or not to tell Sam what was going on. The look in Sam's eyes convinced her, besides she could use some backup on this one.
"Detective Roberts called while you were out." A brief flicker of hope flashed through Sam's eyes. Jackie knew she had made the right choice. "He was able to track down the bullet. It's a special order bullet that is only sold in one place in the world." Jackie paused again. Seeing the anticipation in Sam's eyes she continued, "Prague."
"When do we leave?"
"As soon as you're ready to go...I'm flying."
**********
"Where exactly are we going?" Sam asked as she started the car.
"Cheyenne Mountain airstrip." Jackie responded nonchalantly.
Sam shot Jackie a funny look, but Jackie ignored it. Twenty minutes later they arrived at the airstrip. Jackie gave Sam directions until they were in a far corner of the airstrip near a clump of trees. Once the car had stopped Jackie grabbed her bag and climbed out. As Sam followed suit Jackie moved away from the strip towards the trees.
"Jackie?" Sam asked. Her confusion was obvious.
Jackie shot a grin over her shoulder at Sam as she pulled a remote out of her pocked. Pressing a button a smallish alien vessel materialized in front of them.
"Is that...?" Sam gasped. She followed Jackie to the back of the ship as the back hatch opened.
"Welcome to Air Puddle jumper." Jackie said, thoroughly enjoying Sam's surprise. "We will be flying non-stop from Colorado to Prague. No turbulence is expected today as the inertial dampeners are fully operational. Once you are on board please stow your carry on baggage in the overhead compartments and find your seat. All trays and seat backs must be in their upright position for take off and landing." Jackie finished with a huge grin on her face.
"You've spent way too much time hanging out with General O'Neill." Sam said, laughing for the first time in days. Suddenly Sam stopped. "Wait a minute. The only puddle jumper I know about on earth is at Area 51. How the hell did you get your hands on it?"
"Key phrase there Sam, `that you know about'." Jackie smiled over her shoulder as she dumped her bag on the bench.
"Yeah, but I'm usually kept in the loop about all alien technology found, on or off world."
"Again, `usually'." Jackie said moving to the front of the jumper. Turning around she had a serious look on her face. "I need you to trust me Sam."
"Right." Sam said, not fully sure that she did. As she dropped her bag in the back of the jumper a thought came to her. "How are you going to fly this thing Jackie? You need the Ancient gene in order to..." Sam was cut off by the sound of the jumper powering up. "Never mind." She said as she sat down.
"Ready?" Jackie asked. At the nod from Sam she lifted off, cloaking the jumper as she did.
**********
The puddle jumper was somewhere over Chicago when Sam suddenly sat up and looked at her watch.
"Dammit!" She exclaimed.
Jackie looked over at her and raised one eyebrow. Sam couldn't help but think how much like Teal'c that action was.
"Everything okay?" Jackie asked.
"I invited Daniel and Teal'c over for dinner tonight. I completely forgot to call and cancel."
"No problem." Jackie smiled. Reaching over to the console she hit a few buttons and the sound of ringing filled the small ship.
"Hello?"
"Hey Daniel, it's Jackie."
"Hey Jackie, what's up?"
"I'm afraid I'm calling to reschedule our dinner tonight."
"Is everything alright?" Daniel couldn't hide his concern.
"Everything's fine. I thought it would be good for Sam to get away for a couple of days. I didn't know about the dinner until just now. Rain check?"
"Yeah." Daniel responded in disappointment. "Call when you get back."
"We will. Bye Daniel."
"Bye."
Jackie hit a button and the ship was once again quiet. Instinctively she knew that Sam was just dying to ask her a dozen questions. Glancing over at her Jackie confirmed what she suspected. Flashing a huge grin Jackie decided to open the floor.
"I admire your restraint Sam."
"What?"
"You're dying to ask me all kinds of questions. Ask away."
Sam studied Jackie's face for a moment, unsure if she was serious or just teasing. Finally, her curiosity got the better of her.
"Okay, first, how did you just call Daniel?" Sam caught the twinkle in Jackie's eyes at her question.
"Let's just say I customized this thing a little."
"A little? You just used the radio of an Ancient space pod to call Daniel on his cell phone."
"Actually, that was the easy part. Because cell phones are wireless, they act a lot like radios. I just had to add a small device so that I could dial specific numbers."
"Huh. When we get back you are going to have to show me exactly how you've customized this thing."
"Not a problem. Although I think some of the stuff you will recognize."
"There's still one thing I don't understand." Sam said, getting a raised eyebrow from Jackie she continued, "This is how you flew General O'Neill from D.C. to Colorado Springs, right?"
"Yeah." Jackie responded, not quite understanding where this was going.
"He knew about there being a second puddle jumper on earth and he didn't tell me about it?"
"In his defense, he only found out the day before we flew out." Jackie said smiling. "If he had told you about it, he would have ruined the surprise of his visit."
"But he could have told me after you arrived."
Jackie just smiled, but Sam noticed something else in her eyes, something that she couldn't quite explain.
"We have a long flight ahead of us Sam; you may want to get some sleep."
Chapter 7 -
"Sam."
"Hmm?"
"Sam, we're almost there."
Sam's eyes opened slowly. Looking around, she got her bearings before sitting up and moving forward in the jumper. As she sat down she looked out at the sprawling city of Prague below them.
"Where are we going to land?"
"I'm looking into that." Jackie responded, studying the computer display in front of her. They circled the city a couple times before Jackie decided on a clearing in a clump of trees near the river. Landing, Jackie was glad that she didn't have to disengage the cloak - this was going to be difficult enough without having to worry about being spotted.
"Are you sure you should be parking this thing in the middle of the city?" Sam asked.
"It was either this or park out in the country and have to walk into the city until we could catch a cab. The jumper should be fine here, there's not a lot of traffic through these trees, and it is cloaked."
Sam shrugged as the two women headed out of the park carrying their overnight bags. As they reached the road, Jackie hailed a taxi.
"Where to Ladies?" The taxi driver asked in Czech as the two women climbed in the cab.
"A friend of mine told me about this great little bistro in Old Town." Jackie responded in Czech, her accent perfect. "I can't remember what he called it, but he said that they have the best pastries."
"Ah, yes. I know just the place of which you speak." With that the cab driver took off down the road, winding in and out of the many streets in Prague.
"Jackie?"
"Not to worry Sam. We're going to that little bistro that Daniel told us about." Jackie responded to Sam in English, her British accent once again in place. "Then we'll check out some of those sites he suggested." Sam simply nodded, confusion flashing briefly in her eyes.
"Here you go." The cabby said in his native tongue.
"Thank you." Jackie responded in kind. The two women stepped out, and Jackie turned to the cabby's window. "How much do I owe you?"
"30 Euros." He responded. It wasn't until Jackie was about to hand him the money that she realized he had spoken in broken English instead of Czech. He noticed the surprise on her face and smiled. "Many tourists come to our city, some speak Czech, but almost all speak English, better for business that I do as well." Jackie smiled and turned to go. "Miss?" She turned back. "Be careful as you walk around town. Especially your friend, she has a definite American accent, and some of my people despise Americans. I however like Americans, they are good for business." He finished with a smile and nod before driving away.
Jackie couldn't help but smile at the cabby's last words. Turning towards the sidewalk, and Sam, she made a left and moved away from the bistro that they had stopped in front of.
"When did Daniel suggest a bistro?" Sam asked curiously.
"He didn't. While you were asleep I took the liberty to study up on Prague. I figured it probably wasn't a good idea to ask a cabby to take us to a gun shop, so I looked for something else that was close. Fortunately many of the locals claim that this bistro does indeed have the best pastries in the city."
"You're back to speaking with your British accent." Sam noted.
"Yeah." Jackie shrugged. "I have found in my travels that many people respond better to me when I am speaking with a British accent compared to an American one." Sam seemed to take the hint.
Five minutes later the pair turned a corner and could see the shop front that they were looking for. Jackie wished that the walk had been a little longer. She really had no idea what they were going to do once they were inside - guns were really not her thing. Sam sensed Jackie's nervousness as they walked closer. She decided to take charge.
"Jackie why don't I handle this? I'll talk to him; try to get some information out of him while you look around."
"That would be great." Jackie responded in relief.
The bell above the door rang as Sam and Jackie entered the shop that was apparently dedicated to guns and knives of both the past and the present. There was no one else in the room, so they began to browse. They hadn't gone very far before a short, round man bustled out from the back.
"What can I do for you ladies?" He asked, speaking in Czech.
"You can start by speaking to us in English." Jackie responded, in English.
"Of course, of course." The round man cajoled. "But how did you know that I can speak English?"
"With all of your historical weapons you must get a number of tourists through here." Jackie stated.
"Yes, yes. That I do. That I do. I am Serge, what can I do for you ladies this fine day?"
Sam took her cue.
"My name is Colonel Carter, I'm US Air Force. I have heard from many of my colleagues that you have the best sniper rifles and ammo in many countries."
"You are in need of such items?" Serge asked, looking her up and down in disbelief.
"I am."
As Sam continued to talk with Serge, Jackie wandered around the room. She was intrigued by some of the old knives and had to wonder if they were real, or just cheap duplicates. She wasn't quite sure what she was looking for, or what she expected to find. After all, this was a shop full of weapons. What could she hope to find that would help them? She would just have to hope that Sam would be able to weasel something out of the creepy owner.
Jackie circled the room and was about to head back to where Sam was when something caught her eye. Walking towards the far wall, she tried to keep her pace steady and the owner unaware of what she was doing. As she neared the wall she came face to face with shelves. Most of the shelves contained some of the coolest knives she'd ever seen, ones that she knew Daniel would love to get his hands on. But it wasn't the knives that had caught her attention. Dead center in the columns and rows of shelves was what appeared to be a holy shrine.
"My god." She whispered. It couldn't be, yet it was. "Sam, come here." She called across the room, never once taking her eyes off the shelf before her.
Sam was glad to finally hear Jackie's voice. It had been half an hour since they had entered the shop, and she wasn't getting anywhere with Serge. He was definitely a pro, and wasn't about to slip easily. Excusing herself, she turned and headed over to where Jackie stood, transfixed.
At first it looked like she was staring at row upon row of ancient knives. Sam thought about Daniel and how much he would love to look at these, but she couldn't figure out why Jackie had called her over. Then she saw it. She stared for a moment, taking it all in. Suddenly she whirled around and in a flash was across the room, pinning Serge against the wall, her arm across his throat.
"You son-of-a..." Sam could barely contain the anger. Her eyes flashed with the intensity of her fury.
"Sam..." Jackie, who had followed Sam across the room in a hurry, said as she laid a hand on Sam's shoulder, trying to calm her down.
"I should kill you where you stand." Sam hissed.
"No, no please." Serge pleaded. Looking at Jackie, he continued, "What is wrong? Why is she trying to kill me?"
"I won't let her kill you." Jackie assured. "However, there may not be much I can do for you, seeing as how the United States government may do it for her."
"Why...why would the US want to kill me?" Serge stammered.
"Does this look familiar?" Jackie asked, holding up a ziploc baggy that had a single bullet within it. Serge's eyes got big as he saw what she held.
"But I did not shoot that. I have been here in my shop..."
"True. But that is one of the fallouts of being the only place in the world that one can buy these bullets, they can be traced back to you. And since you are at the end of a very short list, I'm afraid the US may very well hold you accountable." Jackie inwardly smiled at the fear coming from the man's eyes.
"Why would your country kill me, a simple merchant, for one death?" He was grasping at straws.
"It is very likely that the US would not extradite you for just any murder." Jackie conceded. "Unfortunately for you this bullet killed one of America's best and bravest. For a general who has served as heroically as the one killed by this bullet, you can be certain that the US will call for your trial."
"O'Neill was a general?"
Both women stared at the little man in surprise. This was something that they had not been expecting. Sam's hold tightened on the little man and Jackie wondered if she would be able to keep her from actually killing him.
"Please, I did not know!" Serge squealed. "I did not know who he was!" Sam's arm kept getting tighter. "I know who killed him!" Sam's arm loosened. "I have a tape...from my security camera." Jackie followed the man's eyes, noticing the camera in the corner for the first time.
"Let's seem it then." Sam said, letting go of Serge.
**********
Ten minutes later, Sam walked quickly out of the shop and headed down the street. Jackie, who had paused momentarily, nearly had to run to catch up to Sam. Serge watched the two women hurry out of his shop. He shook his head. The US agents who had him under surveillance could have saved themselves months if they had just sent those two women in the first place. Then again, he glanced over at the bookshelves, they did not appear to be working with the agents, they seemed to know a lot more than most people did.
Serge shook his head again. He couldn't say that he wasn't relieved. If those two women could succeed - and he believed they could - he would finally be free. He glanced again at the far wall - he hoped they wouldn't be too late.
**********
Sam was walking so fast that Jackie could not completely close the gap between them. As she turned a corner just seconds after Sam, she nearly ran into her. Upon turning the corner Sam had stopped and steadied herself against the wall, unconsciously placing herself directly in Jackie's path.
"Sam?" Jackie asked, placing her hand on Sam's shoulder in concern. Walking around to face Sam, Jackie saw anger and grief in her blue eyes. She also saw the tears threatening to overflow.
"Is everything okay?"
Jackie looked up, surprised. Seeing the cabby that had driven them earlier, she coaxed Sam away from the wall and towards the car.
"Where to?" The cabby asked as the two women settled in.
"American Embassy." Jackie responded as she dug through her bag. "Mind taking the scenic route?"
"Sure." The cabby responded, watching as Jackie handed Sam a bottle of water and what looked like a couple aspirin.
**********
The taxi had been going through the streets of Prague for barely 15 minutes, when Sam fell asleep. Jackie was well aware that the cabby was watching them through the rearview mirror. She shifted slightly so that Sam's head wouldn't slip off her shoulder.
"How is Colonel Carter?"
"She's..." Jackie stopped and looked up in shock and concern. "How do you know her name?"
"My name is Agent Adrien Williams." The cabby said, dropping his accent. "I've been at the embassy for several months keeping Serge under surveillance."
"That doesn't explain how you know Colonel Carter." Jackie commented, also dropping her accent.
"Part of my job is to keep tabs on those who visit Serge's shop. There's a camera in the rearview mirror."
"I see." Jackie said coolly. "So you were waiting for us when we left the shop."
"The agent in charge knows the Colonel. He wasn't very happy when he saw her picture."
"And who is the agent in charge?"
"Agent Barrett."
Jackie nodded. She knew the name. Sam had worked with the NID agent before. He was one of the few honorable agents that worked at the NID.
"Why are the two of you here? And what would possess you to visit Serge's shop?" Agent Williams asked.
Jackie reached down and pulled the ziploc baggy with the bullet out of her bag. She held it up so that Williams could see it.
"My god, you knew of his victims." Jackie nodded at Agent William's statement. "Someone close?"
"Are you NID, Agent Williams?" Williams nodded slowly, knowing that there were many who disliked, even hated the NID. "Then the name General Jack O'Neill should be familiar to you."
"O'Neill?!?" Williams exclaimed, shock and dismay lacing his voice. "Oh god, please tell me O'Neill wasn't killed by this guy."
"Friday." Jackie replied sadly.
"So your local detective traced the bullet, told you it was from Serge's shop, and you and Colonel Carter caught the first plane out here to investigate." Agent Williams summarized.
"Something like that." Jackie responded, not caring to reveal the existence of the puddle jumper.
They road in silence for a few more minutes, both lost in their own thoughts. Agent Williams rounded a corner and there in front of them was the gate for the American Embassy. Pulling up, he stopped in front of the gate and spoke quietly to one of the marines standing guard. A minute later the gate swung open and the taxi pulled into the inner courtyard. Standing at the front door was a very irate Agent Barrett.
Agent Barrett's face became even angrier still when he opened the taxi door and saw Sam sound asleep. Upon Jackie's brief explanation about a prescription and sleeping pills, he ordered two marines to get a gurney and take Sam upstairs to one of the VIP rooms, and then he turned and ordered Jackie to follow him.
Barrett's office door was barely closed behind Jackie when he laid into her.
"What the hell is going on? Who are you and why did you bring Colonel Carter to Prague? Why were you seen entering and exiting Serge's shop? How the hell did you get into the Czech Republic without us knowing about it?" The questions continued to pour from Agent Barrett's mouth as he paced up and down his office. He stopped mid-step - and mid-sentence - when he turned and saw the ziploc baggy and bullet in Jackie's extended hand. Sitting down hard in his chair he asked, "Who?"
"General Jack O'Neill."
"Damn." Was the only reply that escaped from Agent Barrett's lips. After several long minutes he looked up at Jackie. "How's SG1 handling it? I know they were all close."
"They're handling it as well as can be expected." Jackie said softly, warming up to the agent across from her.
"I'm guessing you found Serge to be less than helpful." Barrett finally said, returning to the issue at hand.
"On the contrary." Jackie responded. Barrett looked at her surprised. She smiled. "When you've worked at - or at least known about - the SGC for as long as Colonel Carter and I have, you tend to pick up on things that other people might have missed."
"Such as what?" Barrett asked gruffly.
"This." Jackie said, handing Barrett a digital camera across his desk. The picture was of the shrine Jackie and Sam had found in Serge's shop.
"It's a religious shrine. How was it helpful?"
"It pissed Sam off." Jackie said smiling. "It was all I could do to keep her from killing the man on the spot. Fortunately his life was enough incentive for him to hand over a very important surveillance tape." Jackie pulled the tape out of her bag.
"What's on here?"
"Your sniper...and his orders to kill General O'Neill."
Chapter 8 -
Sam rolled over and slowly opened her eyes - she had a pounding headache. Once her eyes had focused she saw Jackie sitting just a few feet away from the bed in an overstuffed arm chair. Her head was perched against the side and a book lay across her chest - she had fallen asleep while reading. For the umpteenth time since first meeting the younger woman, Sam studied her features and marveled at how familiar they seemed to her. Yet despite everything, she could not place them.
"It's not polite to stare."
Sam jumped at the unexpected voice. She noticed the huge grin spreading across Jackie's face and couldn't help but smile as well.
"I thought you were asleep."
"Nah, just resting my eyes. I was too worried about you to sleep."
"Worried about me? Why?" Sam sat up in bed, curious.
"Because I made a mistake." Jackie finally opened her eyes and looked at Sam. "When I left home I grabbed the wrong bottle of aspirin by mistake. A couple weeks before I flew Jack to Colorado Springs, I broke my bottle of prescription sleeping pills, so I dumped them into an empty bottle of aspirin. You should have woken up 4-8 hours ago, when you didn't I got worried."
"You gave me sleeping pills?" Sam exclaimed. "How long have I been asleep?"
Jackie glanced down at her watch.
"Almost 16 hours."
"16 hours? Holy crap!" Sam swung her legs over the edge of the bed. Looking up at Jackie she continued, "So, what's on the agenda for today?"
"We're going home."
"What?!?"
"I talked to Agent Barrett while you slept. Now that they have an ID for the sniper, they've been able to pick up his trail. They'll have him in no time. Meanwhile, Daniel has left nearly two dozen messages on my cell phone, wondering where we were and why we weren't picking up. I'm guessing you'll find just as many on your phone. Besides, you have to report back to the SGC bright and early tomorrow morning." Jackie paused. "That and something's come up...something that I need to take care of."
**********
"Nice to finally see you awake Colonel."
"It's good to see you again too, Agent Barrett." Sam smiled as she and Jackie came down the stairs into the foyer of the American Embassy. "I'm sorry that I slept the whole time we were here and that we won't have a chance to catch up."
"It may not be much, but we at least have the ride to the airport to talk."
Sam shared a look with Jackie.
"Um...Agent Barrett?" Jackie interrupted. "We won't be going to the airport."
**********
"A puddle jumper?" Barrett asked in surprise as he stood on the edge of the clearing where Sam and Jackie had left the jumper. Jackie had just disengaged the cloak and there sat the jumper in all its glory. "No wonder we didn't know you were here."
"That is one of its many advantages." Jackie replied. "The other is that the flight is shorter."
Sam smiled half-heartedly. The effect of the sleeping pills still hadn't totally worn off. She was definitely glad that she would have a few more hours to sleep. She excused herself from the two, said a quick goodbye to Agent Barrett, and headed into the ship. Once inside, she stored her overnight bag and laid down on one of the benches. A few minutes later, she heard Jackie call out a goodbye to Agent Barrett, enter the jumper, and store her overnight bag.
As Jackie reached above her head to store her bag next to Sam's, she glanced down at Sam's still form. She should not have had that reaction to two sleeping pills. Jackie wondered if the exhaustion that had built up since Sam's last leave, coupled with the recent loss and subsequent grief, hadn't prolonged the effects of the pills. She sincerely hoped that that was the case. Turning around, Jackie reached up and pulled down a pillow and blanket. Quietly she put the pillow under Sam's head and gently laid the blanket over her.
Moving to the front of the jumper, Jackie started it up, took a quick look over the systems, and took off once she was satisfied. Hovering just a few feet above the ground, she turned the jumper and waved one last farewell to Agent Barrett before cloaking. Clearing the trees, she settled in for the long ride ahead of her.
**********
The puddle jumper was about halfway across the Atlantic when Sam finally woke up and made her way to the forward compartment.
"Good morning sleepyhead." Jackie smiled as Sam sat. "There's some food and coffee behind you if you're hungry."
"Where are we?" Sam asked as she sipped the tepid coffee.
"About an hour...hour and a half from New York City."
"Already?"
"We're in a jumper Sam; the trip isn't as long in one of these. Of course, sleep tends to make the time go by faster too." Jackie teased.
"I'm sorry; I didn't mean to sleep so long..."
"Don't worry about it Sam." Jackie interrupted. "You obviously needed the sleep. Besides, the more rested you are, the more prepared you'll be on your missions."
Sam nodded. The last few days had been hard on her...harder than they should have been. She was a soldier after all; she was used to much tougher situations than these.
Before they knew it, Sam and Jackie could see the Statue of Liberty and New York City sprawling out behind it in all its glory.
"That has to be one of my favorite sites." Jackie commented off-hand.
"Oh? Why?" Sam asked.
"The first time I saw it was when I was 16, I was on my senior class trip. Jack took some time off and met me in New York. Since I was a couple years younger than everyone else, I wasn't all that upset about leaving the group and hanging out with him for a couple days. He gave me the Jack O'Neill dime tour. Our last day before he had to leave, he took me to the Statue of Liberty where we would eventually meet back up with my class. At that point I had known about the SGC for a few years - he had such hopes that I would one day work there. As we stood at the base of the Statue he told me that every time he saw it he was reminded of the work that the SGC was doing to help the displaced humans on other worlds."
Sam smiled and nodded. She could appreciate the sentiment. Softly she quoted the statue's inscription:
"Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free, the wretched refuse of your teeming shore. Send these, the homeless, tempest-tossed to me. I lift my lamp beside the golden door."
"It fits somehow, doesn't it?" Jackie asked as they passed the Statue of Liberty.
"Yeah."
**********
"We should probably call Daniel and Teal'c." Jackie said as they flew past Chicago. When Sam nodded, Jackie reached over to the console and dialed Daniel's cell phone.
"Hello?"
"Hey Daniel."
"Jackie! Where the hell have you been?"
"We were out of range, couldn't get any signal."
"So you're back?"
"No, not yet. But we should be back in about an hour, hour and a half at the most. So Sam and I were wondering if you and Teal'c wanted to have dinner with us tonight since we had to cancel on you guys yesterday."
"On one condition...I cook."
"You can cook Daniel?"
"Ha ha ha. See you at Sam's."
"Okay." Jackie smiled as she cut the connection.
**********
The time passed quickly. Before they knew it, Cheyenne Mountain loomed ahead. Turning the jumper slightly, Jackie guided it back to the corner of the airstrip where Sam's car was parked. Once the ship had landed Sam stood and moved towards the back. She was reaching over hear head to pull down her bag before she realized that the jumper hadn't powered down.
"Jackie?" Sam asked, turning.
"I have an errand to run. You head home; Daniel and Teal'c are waiting for you. I'll catch up later."
"Are you sure?"
"Yeah." Jackie smiled. Sam was halfway out the back hatch when she called out to her. "Hey Sam!"
"Yeah?"
"Don't hold dinner for me, I may be a little late."
**********
"Hey guys!" Sam called out as she walked in her front door.
"Sam!" Daniel exclaimed as he came down the front hall from her kitchen. He gave her a big hug. "Glad you're home." Daniel looked past Sam, expecting to see Jackie coming through the door. "Where's Jackie?"
"She had to run an errand. She'll be here later." As Sam was speaking Teal'c came out of the kitchen. Sam started laughing at the sight of him. He was wearing an apron and was covered in flour.
"Welcome home Colonel Carter." Teal'c said, just a hint of a smile on his face. "Daniel Jackson has been teaching me how to make traditional Earth desserts."
"I can see that." Sam laughed. "Well, while you two finish I'm going to go unpack."
The two men watched Sam as she walked up the stairs. There was something different about her; she seemed calmer, more rested. Shaking himself out of his reverie, Daniel headed back into the kitchen. Teal'c followed, thinking how much better his friend looked after her trip.
**********
"DAMMIT!"
Daniel and Teal'c came running out of the kitchen at the exclamation that came from upstairs. As they reached the bottom of the stairs they saw Sam running down them.
"Sam?" Daniel asked.
"I have to get to the mountain." She half explained, as she reached for her keys. Teal'c's hand stopped her.
"General Landry said that he did not want you on base until tomorrow morning Colonel Carter." He said coolly.
"Teal'c," Sam replied. "I have intelligence pertinent to our mission at the SGC. Landry will make an exception this once."
Teal'c couldn't explain it later, but something in Sam's eyes convinced him that she did indeed need to speak to General Landry. However, he did not remove his hand from her wrist.
"We will take Daniel Jackson's automobile. However, we must turn off the oven before we leave."
**********
General Landry was enjoying the quiet that was inevitable whenever SG1 was on leave. They were the SGC's flag team, and there was no doubt in anyone's mind that they were the best. Despite that, there always seemed to be one tragedy or another striking his elite team. That line of thought inevitably moved his thoughts to the most recent tragedy - the loss of SG1's original CO, General Jack O'Neill. This tragedy was the reason for SG1's current leave. Thus, for about 15 minutes, Landry's thoughts had gone in circles as he stared, unseeing, through his window into the briefing room and sipped his coffee.
The sudden entrance of the subjects of his thoughts into the briefing room snapped Landry back to the present. Slamming his now tepid coffee down on his desk he stood up and stormed out of his office.
"Colonel Carter I thought I made myself clear..."
"Yes sir, you did." Sam interrupted to everyone's shock. "With all due respect, sir, you need to hear what I have to say. It could very well be a matter of global security."
Chapter 9 -
"You did what?!?" Landry exclaimed.
All of SG1 was sitting around the table, listening to Sam's story of the past couple of days. She had only just begun - explaining that the detective had traced the bullet and she and Jackie decided to go to Prague - when Landry had interrupted almost angrily.
"You went to Prague and back in less than two days?" Daniel asked incredulously.
"Jackie had access to a second puddle jumper." Sam couldn't ignore the surprised looks around the table. "That's how she flew General O'Neill out here from D.C."
"What happened in Prague, Colonel?" Landry growled, not at all happy with the day's turn of events.
Sam summarized the events - from landing in Prague, to meeting Serge, to the security tape, to speaking with Agent Barrett, and returning to the States. She was brief in her summary, leaving out several details that would later be pertinent.
"Why do I get the feeling you're not telling us everything Carter?" Landry was really starting to get angry now. "Where is Dr. Nielson?"
"When we arrived back at the airstrip Jackie said she had an errand to run and that she would catch up with me later. Once I was out of the jumper she took off, cloaking before I could see where she was headed."
"Colonel Carter you said that you had something that could be a matter of global security. So far I don't see it. You are testing my patience."
Sam looked over her shoulder at an airman stationed at the computer in the corner. The airman nodded.
"General if you would turn your attention to the screen behind you." As Sam spoke the lights dimmed and the projector came on. "Sir, when we were in Serge's shop, I was trying to get information out of him while Jackie browsed around looking for something, anything that could help us. She came across this." Sam hit a button on the remote and up came Jackie's picture of the shrine in Serge's shop.
"Crap!"
"That is indeed an appropriate statement Daniel Jackson."
"I think I missed something."
"That makes two of us Colonel Mitchell. What are we looking at Carter?"
"Well sir," Using a laser pointer Sam pointed out a small silver sphere in the middle of the shrine. "This here is a Goa'uld communication device."
"Goa'uld?" Landry was dumbfounded. "I thought we were done with those guys."
"The system lords are gone sir, but there are still a few Goa'uld on the loose." Daniel interjected.
"So which Goa'uld is this? Or can we tell?"
"These symbols here tell us which Goa'uld."
"And...?" Landry prompted when no one said anything.
It was Teal'c who finally answered.
"It is Ba'al."
**********
"Sir, you can't do that!"
"I can Carter, and I have." Landry replied.
"With all due respect sir, we don't even know where she went. For all we know..."
"Colonel!" Landry interrupted. Softening his voice he continued, "Look Carter, I know what this means, and I realize that you are worried about her, I want her to be okay as much as you do. But if you remember, you were the one who convinced me that Jackie went after Ba'al. I'm sorry Colonel, but I have already officially declared her MIA."
"Sir...!"
"Carter!" Landry interrupted, the tone of his voice warning her not to continue. "I don't suppose you know how to contact her parents."
"No sir. She didn't talk about them much."
"I see. Do what you can to contact them."
"Yes sir."
"Carter..."
"Unscheduled off-world activation."
General Landry and Colonel Carter shared a look before hurrying down to the control room. Both thought the same thing instantly: perhaps their conversation was a little premature.
"What is it Sergeant?" Landry called.
"Don't know sir, we're not receiving a GDO."
"What about a radio signal?" Sam asked.
"Not yet ma'am."
Sam sat down at the closest computer and started typing furiously.
"Sir, we are receiving a radio signal."
"Let's hear it."
"SGC this is puddle jumper 2, do you copy?"
Sam could barely contain her excitement and relief at hearing that voice.
"Dr. Nielson this is Landry, we copy."
"It is good to hear your voice General."
"Where exactly are you, Doctor?"
"I'm not sure, sir. I don't even know if this planet has a designation yet."
"Are there hostiles?"
"Yes sir. But they are all in orbit around the planet investigating an explosion."
"An explosion?"
"Sir, as much as I would love to fill you in the events of the last week right now, I'm afraid I don't have the time. In less than a minute my cloak will fail. When that happens the hostiles will open fire. I know you have no reason to trust me right now sir, but I really need you to open the iris."
"I can't do that Doctor."
"Then sir that thump you hear against the iris will be me."
"What?!?"
"I am having mechanical problems sir, I don't have time to make another pass at the Stargate. I am lined up and will be entering in 10...9...8...7...6..."
Landry stood frozen. Both the sergeant and Sam looked at him expectantly.
"...5...4..."
"Sir?" Sam worried.
"...3..."
"Open the iris!"
"...2...1."
The iris had just slid completely open when the puddle jumper came through. Seconds later, the wormhole disengaged and the soldiers in the gate room relaxed. Because of the number of soldiers on the ground the jumper hovered at eye level with the control room and Jackie could clearly see the expressions on the faces before her. Sam was relieved and very glad to see her alive. The sergeant looked relieved that he hadn't heard a thump against the iris. General Landry on the other hand, looked pissed.
"Land that damn ship and report to the briefing room Dr. Nielson." Landry barked, confirming her suspicions that he was angry.
Jackie looked beneath her, there were still men mingling about the room.
"Mind clearing the gate room so that I can do that sir?"
**********
As General Landry stormed back up the stairs Sam rushed out of the control room heading directly towards the gate room. She had barely cleared the door when Jackie stepped out of the jumper. Seconds later Daniel and Teal'c entered through the opposite door, but neither Sam nor Jackie noticed. Both women had paused as they saw the other, conflicting emotions coursing through both.
"Jackie!" Daniel's exclamation brought Sam and Jackie back to reality. Daniel hurried up and gave Jackie a hug. In the short time that he had known her he had become very protective of her. "If you ever worry me like that again..."
"Indeed."
Jackie smiled at the three people who had so quickly accepted her into their family. There was only one missing...
**********
"Absolutely not Doctor!" Landry was adamant.
"With all do respect, sir, there is nothing you can do to stop me."
The shock and dismay in the room was palpable. SG1 and General Landry had just spent the last hour listening to Jackie explain where she had been over the course of the previous week. They were all surprised to hear that she had spent the time tracking Ba'al down. Never once had she engaged his ship. In fact, her malfunctioning cloak and mechanics were due to a stray meteor shower that had been heading towards the planet that Ba'al's ship was orbiting. Had it not been for diversionary measures - a rather spectacular explosion - Ba'al's ship would have eventually detected her.
Upon finishing her tale, Jackie had declared that she was heading back to that planet to destroy Ba'al as soon as she could get the jumper fixed. It was this declaration that had elicited Landry's adamant response and Jackie's rather disrespectful one.
"Jackie..." Daniel tried to calm her down, but she would have none of it.
"I could have you taken to the brig Doctor."
"Yes that is true, if you wanted to leave the jumper to block up your gate room." Jackie retorted. "General, no one else on this base can fly the jumper, and if I wanted to, once I was in it I could control the gate and you wouldn't be able to do anything about it." Jackie let her words hang in the room for a second before continuing, much subdued. "I don't want to have to that General. I came back to SGC because I wanted your cooperation and understanding. General Ba'al has been as much a threat to global security as any of the other former system lords, maybe even more so since he is one of the few that has survived."
"I don't take well to threats Dr. Nielson." Landry stated, trying hard to keep his anger under control. "I don't care how good your intelligence on Ba'al's ship may be, permission denied."
"But sir..."
"My decision is final Doctor!" This time Landry snapped. "You said it will take you an hour to fix the jumper, I suggest you get to work. I want that thing out of my gate room ASAP!"
As Landry stood to leave, Sam and Cameron also stood out of respect. Everyone else began to move towards the door - everyone except Jackie. Jackie stood resolutely and followed Landry into his office. When he turned and saw her behind him, he was irate.
"No more arguments Doctor. This conversation is finished."
"I'm aware of that sir." Jackie replied almost docilely. "I just wanted to give you this." She handed him an envelope and then left.
********
"Damn."
The curse was quiet. But Daniel, who was still in the briefing room, still heard it come from Landry's office. Against his better judgment, Daniel moved towards the general's office and knocked on the door. Landry looked up at him.
"Come in, Dr. Jackson."
"Is everything alright, General?"
"No." Came the simple reply. Silence reigned for a couple minutes before Landry handed the letter in his hands over to Daniel.
Daniel's sharp intake of breath was audible as he read the letter.
Hank, Jackie is following my orders. Trust her; she knows what she is doing.
The letter had only a simple one name signature: Jack.
Daniel looked up at Landry in shock.
"Dr. Jackson tell SG1 to gear up, you'll be leaving as soon as Dr. Nielson has the jumper up and running."
"Yes, sir."
Chapter 10 -
"You have grease on your face."
Jackie looked up from the jumper components she was looking at. Seeing Daniel standing at the back, she raised an eyebrow at him.
"Daniel, the jumper utilizes crystal technology. There is no grease anywhere in or on this jumper for me to have on my face."
"I know. Just seemed apropos."
Jackie rolled her eyes. Stopping, she observed his gear.
"Daniel...why are you geared up?"
"Landry approved your mission."
"I know." Jackie sighed as she realized the implications. "He's sending SG1 with me." Daniel nodded. "This will complicate things."
"Since your mission was sanctioned by the former head of homeworld security, Landry has put you in charge of the mission. SG1 is only going as backup."
Jackie bit her lower lip and looked at Daniel.
"Landry showed you the note." Jackie stated flatly.
"Yeah." Daniel nodded. "Care to explain?"
Jackie looked down at what she had been working on. She'd been expecting something like this to happen sooner or later, she had been hoping for later. She sat there like that for several minutes, knowing that Daniel was watching her expectantly.
"I can't Daniel. Not yet. There is too much at stake here." Jackie finally looked up at Daniel, pleading him with her eyes to understand. "I'll explain when we're done. For now, can you just trust me?"
"Jack trusted you, and I trust him."
Jackie understood.
"You gonna be done soon?" Daniel asked after several minutes of silence.
"Yeah. Tell SG1 to be ready to leave in 15 minutes."
**********
"What is your status jumper 2?"
"Jumper 2 is ready to go. Awaiting your command."
"Jumper 2 you have a go."
"Thank you General." Jackie said. She turned and looked at SG1. The looks on their faces varied. Teal'c as always, was unreadable. Daniel was thoughtful; Jackie guessed that he was pondering their earlier conversation. Sam seemed pleased that Landry had changed his mind; Jackie knew that she longed for revenge. Cameron on the other hand had a black look on his face. Since stepping on to the jumper he had been trying to find out what Jackie's plan was, she had busied herself with ship components to avoid his questions.
Turning back around, Jackie flew the jumper into the event horizon. Once they came through the other side she cloaked the ship and moved away from the planet. Within a couple minutes of leaving the gate room they were in orbit around the alien planet, moving towards a Goa'uld mothership.
"You're sure this is Ba'al's ship?" Cameron asked skeptically.
Jackie nodded. Reaching over to the console she hit a series of buttons. Suddenly the ship was filled with the arrogant voice that they all recognized as Ba'al's. as they listened they heard Ba'al respond in anger to his own comments. SG1 exchanged surprised looks.
"Of course!" Daniel exclaimed, understanding flooding his face, "Ba'al's clones are on board."
"There would be no point in attacking Ba'al if they weren't." Jackie responded, focusing her attention on the computer display before her.
"Indeed."
Jackie smiled at Teal'c's simple, yet profound way of saying things.
"How are we hearing this?" Sam asked.
"When I staged the explosion several death gliders left the mothership to check it out." Jackie responded, not turning from the display. "Before heading for the planet's surface I managed to beam a transmitter onto one of them."
Standing up, Jackie moved to the back of the jumper where she tinkered with a couple components. She continued to move around the ship while SG1 watched her curiously.
"Wait...you have Asgard beaming technology?" Sam inquired in surprise.
"Couldn't do this without it."
"So what's the plan?" Cameron tried again, not really expecting a response.
"You wait here." Jackie responded, not looking away from what she was working on.
"What!?"
"Jackie you can't do this alone."
"I concur with Colonel Carter and Colonel Mitchell."
Daniel was oddly silent, something the other three noticed.
"I won't be doing this alone." Jackie responded, finally looking at SG1. "But I will be going over there alone."
"There is no way in hell that I'm going to stay here while you put yourself in danger alone." Cameron declared angrily.
"I won't be in nearly as much danger alone as I would be if you went with me." Jackie replied.
"I resent the implication..."
"Let me explain Cameron." Jackie interrupted, finally turning to face SG1. "Implanted in my forearm is a chip that will make it impossible for the mothership's sensors to detect my presence. If I go alone I can move around the ship easily. If you go with me..." She left the statement unsaid, they all knew the implications.
"How do you plan to get through the shield?" Daniel asked quietly.
"The transmitter that I beamed aboard the death glider not only allows me to hear what is being said throughout the ship but will also make it possible for me to transport through the shield."
"What if you are compromised Dr. Nielson?" Teal'c asked the question on all their minds. "You are the only one who can fly this ship."
"Already taken care of, Teal'c."
"How?" Sam asked.
"This device here," Jackie said, walking back to the front of the jumper, "monitors my vital signs through the chip in my arm. If at any time my vitals become critical it will automatically attempt to beam me back. If it can't, it will turn to autopilot and return you through the stargate to the SGC. In that case you'll need to be sure to enter your GDO; it won't wait for you to do it."
The silence in the jumper was palpable. No one wanted to think about that possibility.
"Now, the transmitter is programmed to pick up not only Ba'al's voice but mine as well, so we will remain in contact."
"How will you hear us?" Cameron asked.
Jackie held up a small earpiece. Cameron nodded.
"Sam, since you have some experience with the Asgard beaming technology I'll need you to monitor my progress and be ready to beam me back at a moments notice." Sam nodded. "Daniel, stay on the line, my Goa'uld is a little rusty." Daniel smiled, highly doubting that, but glad for something to do none the less.
Jackie moved to the back of the jumper, slipped into her vest, and picked up a small bag.
"Alright Sam, ready when you are."
The small jumper filled with light, blinding its remaining occupants.
*********
"Jumper 2 do you copy?"
"We copy Jackie."
"Good. I'm heading out."
SG1 sat back in their seats, not liking the fact that they had no choice but to sit back and allow Jackie to do the dirty work. Minutes ticked by slowly as they listened and waited for any sign from Jackie.
Barely 30 minutes had passed when the report of zats and staff weapons was heard throughout the jumper.
"Jackie?!"
"Hold on..." Was the breathless reply. SG1 was sitting at the edge of their seats, ready to jump in and help at any moment. Suddenly all was quiet. "Sorry guys didn't mean to worry you."
"What happened?"
"I came across a patrol of jaffa. I'm sorry Teal'c."
"I understand Jacquelyn Nielson. In war there are many casualties."
"Teal'c I hate to ask this of you..." Jackie paused.
"Do not worry Jacquelyn Nielson. I am ready to help."
"Great! Sam can you lock onto my position?"
"Give me a sec...got it!"
"Great send Teal'c over."
"What about the sensors?" Cameron asked indignantly.
"That's why I need Teal'c and not just any one of the rest of you."
"I don't..."
Daniel's hand rested on Cameron's shoulder to shut him up.
"Teal'c is a jaffa Cameron."
"Oh. Right."
"Ready Teal'c?"
Teal'c bowed his head in acknowledgement before disappearing in a flash of light.
**********
As soon as the flash had cleared, Jackie grabbed Teal'c's arm and dragged him into an adjoining room. There he saw a dead jaffa lying among the crates of the storage room. Quickly he stripped of the jaffa uniform and put it on. As he stuffed his BDUs in his bag Jackie pulled out her zat and shot the dead jaffa a third time, vaporizing him.
Turning back to the problem at hand, Jackie looked up at Teal'c and smiled. He stood before her looking like the jaffa she knew he had once been, staff weapon and all.
"Ready?"
"Indeed."
"Good. Let's go."
Teal'c stored his bag in a corner where it would not likely be found and followed Jackie out of the room. The two slunk through the halls setting C4 throughout the ship. They were about half done - Jackie was kneeling, placing a blast - when her bag was kicked out of site and she felt a staff weapon open very near the back of her neck.
"Kree!"
Jackie stood slowly, her hands above her head. Turning around she faced the business end of Teal'c's staff weapon.
"Jaffa kree!"
Jackie heard the other jaffa's voice before she saw him. Teal'c turned slightly and spouted off in Goa'uld.
"Need me to translate?"
It took all of Jackie's self-control not to laugh at Daniel's teasing voice in her ear. She would have to remember to hit him for that when all this was done. At that point Teal'c stepped away from Jackie, allowing the other jaffa to step forward and drag her away.
**********
"Your comment was ill timed Daniel Jackson." Teal'c spoke once he was sure that the halls were clear.
"I'm sorry Teal'c I couldn't resist." Daniel cracked a smile.
"We need to set up a rescue mission." Cameron spoke, itching to get in on the action.
"No Cameron." Daniel responded patiently. "We need to complete the mission..."
"We don't leave people behind Daniel!"
"I know Cameron; I'm not suggesting that we do. But right now we have an advantage; Ba'al's attention will be on Jackie and finding out why she is on his ship. He will not be expecting a jaffa to be setting explosives."
"I concur Daniel Jackson. I will continue."
As the conversation appeared to be over, Sam pushed a button on the console to mute the outgoing signal. Then she turned to Daniel.
"You know something that we don't know, don't you Daniel?" Sam inquired.
"What are you talking about?"
"When Jackie told us she was going over to the mothership alone you were oddly quiet." Cameron jumped into the conversation.
"And since when have you been the voice bringing the rest of us back to reason?" Sam interjected. After a moment's silence, understanding flooded her face. "You know why Landry changed his mind about this mission." It wasn't a question, but a statement of fact.
"All I know is that Jackie's orders come from higher up than General Landry. I don't know what those orders are or what her mission is, she wouldn't tell me."
"Mission? Orders?"
"Who the hell would send a civilian on a mission without informing the military brass?" Cameron demanded. "Is she working for the NID?"
"Don't be an idiot Cameron!" Daniel exclaimed. Neither Sam nor Cameron had ever seen him so angry - his eyes were flashing fire. "As close as Jackie was to Jack to you really think that she would be working for the NID?"
"Then what the hell is going on?"
"I don't know." Daniel conceded, shaking his head. "All I know is that right now we have no choice but to trust her."
Chapter 11 -
Jackie had heard SG1's conversation after she was taken captive. Thank God for Teal'c and Daniel. They could not afford to blow this mission, too much was at stake. That had been 10 minutes ago. She hadn't been taken to a cell like she thought she would have, instead she was taken directly to what - on Earth at least - would be considered an office.
For someone who had spent countless centuries claiming to be a god, Ba'al had sure taken a fancy to the lifestyle of Earth - a planet where he had to be careful about claiming to be a god. Jackie smirked; boy was he about to get a surprise. Jack had been right, the Goa'uld did indeed have a weakness - they were too sure of themselves.
Jackie's reflection was cut short by Ba'al walking in. She knew she should probably wipe the smirk off her face, but wasn't too successful. He stopped right in front of her and his eyes glowed momentarily, apparently trying to freak her out. He obviously had no clue who she was.
"Bow before your god." Ba'al commanded, his voice resonating with the Goa'uld brusqueness.
"You are not my god." Jackie retorted. "You can drop the act Ba'al. I know who, or what, you are."
"Oh? What am I then?"
"You are nothing more than an overstuffed, overdressed, pompous parasite."
In a flash of movement, Ba'al slapped Jackie across the face. She didn't flinch, refusing to give him any satisfaction. Slowly she turned her head back and stared at him. He was quick, she'd give him that, very few people - on or off earth - could get the drop on her, but then again, she had been spouting off.
"You've spent too much time with Jack." Daniel's quiet voice came through Jackie's earpiece. "Would it kill you to try a little diplomacy?"
Jackie smirked.
"Tell me Ba'al, does it make you feel more like a man to beat up a woman who is currently unable to defend herself?"
Jackie could hear Daniel groan at her comment. Yeah, she could be diplomatic, but sometimes it was just more fun not to be.
"I shall wipe that insolent smirk off your face before I am done with you. But first," Ba'al turned and pressed a couple buttons on the `desk' behind him. Suddenly the chains around Jackie's wrists began to rise up, pulling her to her feet. "What are you doing on my ship?"
"I admit...I'm a little lost." Ba'al smacked her.
"Do not lie to me!"
"Fine you want the truth?"
**********
Sam, Daniel, and Cameron all shared a worried look. They had only known Jackie for two weeks - one of which she had spent gallivanting across the galaxy; they really hadn't known how she would handle interrogation by Ba'al. They sat in silence, waiting for her to finish her comment. Sam's hand hovered over the beaming device ready to beam both Jackie and Teal'c aboard if everything went to hell.
**********
Ba'al smirked. This had been too easy.
"Do you remember that explosion earlier, the one out in the middle of the meteors? That was my ship. The engines blew and were about to take the rest of my ship out in a grand explosion. But when you sent your gliders out, you gave me a chance at survival, I was able to beam aboard your ship in the brief seconds that your shields were down."
"My jaffa never detected the rest of your ship."
"That's because of the gravitational and EM fields generated by some of the meteors...screwed up the sensors on your gliders."
"There was no residual explosion."
"That's because my ship probably fell to the planet below with the rest of the meteors and either burned up in the atmosphere or crashed into the planet."
Ba'al stared at her, maybe this wasn't going to be as easy as he thought. Then again, at least he would get some pleasure out of torturing her. He pressed another button and the chains stretched up even higher.
**********
There was an audible sigh of relief from the three occupants of the jumper. Jackie had once again surprised them.
"That was a load of bull." Cameron sighed.
Sam and Daniel chuckled.
Even though the mood in the jumper had lightened since Jackie's `confession' to Ba'al, there was still a layer of tension. None of them knew what Ba'al would do next. Silently they all hoped that Teal'c would finish quickly.
**********
Teal'c resumed his movements down the halls of the mothership. He too had heard what was going on between Ba'al and Jackie. When she had asked if Ba'al wanted the truth Teal'c had paused. Teal'c had a sixth sense about people, leading him to openly trust, or mistrust, those he met. He had trusted Jackie from the start - partly because O'Neill trusted her, but partly because of the sense of honor he got from her. He hadn't really thought that she would give away the truth - but he had been wrong before.
Moving down the hall, Teal'c picked up his pace. Whether or not Ba'al believed what Jackie had said, he would still torture her. Teal'c had to get the rest of the charges placed so that Colonel Carter could beam them both back to the jumper. That was Jackie's only chance at survival.
**********
"I have only one charge left to place Jacquelyn Nielson."
Jackie smiled inwardly. Outwardly she was just too damn tired. It had been 20 minutes since she had given Ba'al her `explanation' for being on his ship. In that time he had enjoyed himself immensely at her expense. Everything hurt. From her head to her feet there wasn't an inch of her that wasn't screaming.
"I'll ask you one more time." Ba'al smirked as he stood before her, holding yet another torture device. "What planet are you from and why are you here?"
Jackie looked up at Ba'al for the first time in several minutes. Her blue eyes were suddenly the color of the ocean during a storm - they flashed in anger and spite. A smirk rested on her lips.
"I travel around a lot, don't really stay in one place for too long." She paused, trying to catch her breath. Between the anger and the pain her breathing was not what it should be. "As for why I'm here? That's simple. I'm here to avenge the death of a man who was like a father to me."
**********
"Here we go." Daniel groaned.
The members of SG1 who remained on the puddle jumper had been forced to listen to Ba'al torturing Jackie. Each one of them was itching to beam over there and beat the crap out of him. But they also knew that Teal'c needed time to finish laying the charges. The moment that Teal'c had said he was almost done, the three had shared a look, wondering what this information would lead Jackie to do.
They didn't have to wait long for their answer.
**********
"Colonel Carter I am ready to beam back to the jumper."
A bright light flashed and Teal'c was once again on the jumper. Joining the rest of his team in the front compartment his normally calm exterior was slightly agitated - evidenced by the stance he took.
"Why have you not beamed Jacquelyn Nielson back?"
"I can't." Sam said, trying desperately to find out why the device wasn't working. "There must be a dampening field around the room where Jackie is being held."
"And to whom do I owe thanks for sending me such a fine specimen."
All of SG1 grimaced at hearing Ba'al's sneering tone.
**********
"General Jack O'Neill."
Jackie hadn't thought it was possible, but the grin on Ba'al's face widened. But she wasn't real concerned with that. She had heard SG1 talking - they had forgotten to mute the transmission. Jackie took the time to glance around the room; there was nothing that would suggest a dampening field. Slowly her eyes rested on the console she had first thought looked like a desk. She knew what she had to do.
"I was wondering if anyone would figure it out. I have to say I am quite surprised that SG1 isn't here to do this. But I guess I'll have to settle for you. But first, you'll need your strength." Reaching behind him Ba'al lowered the chains causing Jackie to slump to the floor. He was about to leave the room, when a soft voice stopped him in his tracks.
"Ba'al." Jackie watched as he turned around, curious as to what else she might say. "There is something you should know before you leave."
Ba'al moved back across the room to the limp body before him.
"Come closer." Jackie croaked.
Ba'al knelt down beside her and leaned his head towards her. Jackie whispered towards him. The look on his face changed from a smug smile to pure anger, but before he could move away, everything went to hell - at least for him.
Jackie had known that if she had any chance of getting off that ship she was going to have to show her last card. She watched in satisfaction as the grin was wiped from Ba'al's face and replaced with fury. In that instant Jackie saw her chance. Moving faster than either of them thought was possible, Jackie swung her chains around Ba'al's neck and pulled tight. Holding the chains in place with one hand, she reached down with her other and pulled the zat off his belt. She quickly aimed it at the console and pulled the trigger. Once...twice...three times. Finally the console reacted to the energy surge and started to short.
"SAM NOW!"
**********
For the fourth time in a matter of hours, the small jumper was filled with a blinding white light. As the light faded SG1 saw Jackie slump to the floor. Teal'c - being the closest of the three - hurried to her side.
"Are you alright Jacquelyn Nielson?"
"I've been better...but I've also been worse." Jackie groaned as she tried to move.
"Do not move Jacquelyn Nielson."
Jackie looked up at the big jaffa who knelt next to her and smiled. He might be the best warrior that she had ever known, but deep down he was just a big softy.
"I would love nothing more than to just lie here, but I have a ship to drive." She tried to get up, but found that she didn't have the strength. She looked up into Teal'c's tender eyes and grunted, "A little help?"
Teal'c smiled one of his rare half smiles, bent down, scooped Jackie up, and carried her to the front of the jumper. Placing her gently in the pilot's seat he stood next to her, ready to help at a moments notice.
"Alright, let's get out of here. Teal'c you have the trigger?" The jaffa nodded. "Well, let her rip."
Teal'c pulled the trigger out of his vest pocket and pressed the button. Before Jackie turned the jumper back towards the planet they saw, and heard, the first of many blasts go off.
All of SG1 noticed that their decent to the planet was a little harsher than it should have been. Sam, Daniel, and Teal'c knew what Jackie was probably feeling at the moment seeing as how each of them had gone through Goa'uld torture at one point or another. They were all surprised to see how well she reigned in the pain and focused on getting them all home. However, they also knew that her strength wasn't going to last long; they just hoped it would last long enough.
**********
"Unscheduled off-world activation!"
Landry came tearing down the stairs into the control room.
"SG1's IDC sir." The sergeant told Landry as he came to a stop.
"Open the iris."
As the iris opened, the jumper tore through the event horizon and into the gate room. Landry stiffened as he saw the jumper heading straight for the control room window. Suddenly the jumper stopped just centimeters from the window.
"What the hell...?" Landry exploded; he really had had enough of Dr. Nielson's troublemaking ways. He never finished the sentiment however as his eyes focused on the group inside the jumper. All of SG1 looked fine, but Jackie was leaning against Teal'c looking rather battered and bruised. Her hands were barely hanging on to the controls. "Clear the gate room" Landry barked, realizing that at any moment the jumper could crash to the gate room floor as Jackie lost the battle to hang on. "Medical emergency in the gate room!"
**********
Jackie could feel herself loosing control as the jumper headed straight for the event horizon, she glanced at the console. The device that she had integrated with the Ancient's ship was blinking, but there wasn't enough time to turn to autopilot, she was going to have to do this alone.
As the jumper stopped just shy of the control room window, Jackie could see the fury on Landry's face, but at this point she really didn't care. Fighting unconsciousness, Jackie found herself leaning against Teal'c who was still standing next to her. As she heard Landry barking orders over the intercom, she slowly reached over with one hand and hit the button on the console that was still blinking. Instantly autopilot kicked in and the ship landed by itself. As it did so, Jackie finally gave in to the comforting black of unconsciousness.
**********
Dr. Lam looked out her office window. She smiled as she took in the sight of the SGC's formidable jaffa standing guard next to the bed of her one patient. In the six hours since SG1 had returned from blowing up Ba'al's ship, Teal'c had left Jackie's side only for 30 minutes, for the debriefing - and that was with reluctance. All of SG1 had spent the better part of the last six hours in the infirmary with Jackie, but they had eventually wandered off to get some sleep, but not Teal'c.
Dr. Lam smiled to herself. You couldn't ask for a better warrior, guard, or friend.
**********
Teal'c looked down at the sleeping form before him. She looked better since Dr. Lam had attended to her needs, yet she still looked frail and tired lying there unconscious.
While Jackie slept, Teal'c thought over the last several hours. He had been surprised when Daniel had come looking for him to tell him that General Landry had approved Jacquelyn Nielson's mission. As the mission had progressed he began to see the wisdom in the General's decision - Jacquelyn Nielson knew what she was doing. He had known instinctively what she wanted of him when she had told Colonel Carter to beam him over to Ba'al's ship. But he had not liked having to point his staff weapon at her. He could have easily taken out the handful of jaffa that had come upon him, but he realized what she was doing. The two of them could not single handedly take out all the jaffa on the ship and place the charges, but if Ba'al's attention was elsewhere, one of them could have the time to place the charges.
Teal'c had listened angrily as Ba'al had tortured Jacquelyn Nielson, but not once had she cried out. He was proud of her. He had been surprised when they came back to the SGC and she had leaned her head on his hip - but he was more surprised that it had taken so long for her to succumb to the pain and just let go. She was strong and she reminded him greatly of O'Neill. He supposed that was because she had grown up around O'Neill. Teal'c was certain that O'Neill would have been proud if he could have seen what she had done that day.
A soft groan from the bed pulled Teal'c back to reality.
"Jacquelyn Nielson?" Teal'c saw her eyes flutter at the sound of his voice. "Doctor Lam, she is waking."
**********
Jackie had been awake for two hours and she was getting restless. It was the middle of the night, but she couldn't sleep. Teal'c had finally escorted the rest of SG1 out of the infirmary about half an hour ago so that she could sleep. Instinctively she knew that he now stood guard outside the infirmary so that no one would bother her. A small smile crept up her face at the big man. Slowly the effects of Dr. Lam's drugs began to take effect and Jackie felt herself drifting back into peaceful oblivion.
**********
"Ready to bust out of here?"
Jackie looked up from the book she'd been reading to see Daniel standing in the doorway.
"Boy am I ever!" Jackie exclaimed excitedly.
"Well, than let's go before Dr. Lam changes her mind."
Daniel smiled at the huge grin that had spread across Jackie's face when she had seen him. Despite what had happened in the last 24 hours, he couldn't help feeling protective for the young woman. She had tested his trust in her, yet he felt a special kinship with her.
Leading her out of the infirmary and down the hall to the elevator, he placed a protective arm around her.
"So what is this about needing a cab? There are more than enough cars here on base. If you need a ride I could..."
Jackie smiled. Daniel noticed that it almost had a sad aspect to it.
"There's something I have to take care of."
"Hey!" Daniel stopped in the middle of the hall. "The last time you said that you disappeared for a week!"
"I'm heading home tomorrow Daniel." Noticing the surprise on Daniel's face, Jackie wrapped her arm around him and squeezed gently. "There is a small matter of business that I need to take care of before I leave." She paused. "Can you bring Sam and Teal'c and meet me at Garden of the Gods tomorrow at 1000?"
Daniel simply looked at Jackie. Somehow he had begun to think that she would make Colorado Springs her new home, it had never really crossed his mind that she would leave. Seeing that she was waiting for a response he nodded numbly.
"Garden of the Gods. 1000. Sam and Teal'c."
Jackie smiled and gave him a quick hug. Then she turned and entered the elevator.
**********
Daniel quietly took in the beauty before him. It had been quite some time since he had been to Garden of the Gods. He smiled to himself at the name. This beautiful park in Colorado Springs was aptly named, but the irony was still there - irony that only those working at the SGC would understand. He glanced down at his watch 0955...five more minutes.
"Any idea why Jackie wanted to meet us out here?" Sam asked casually, also glancing at her watch.
"Probably wanted to say goodbye." Daniel responded.
"Could Jacquelyn Nielson not have said goodbye to us at Cheyenne Mountain?" Teal'c inquired.
"Yeah I could have, but I haven't been here in ages and wanted to see it before heading home."
All three turned as they heard Jackie behind them.
"I know you guys are all about to burst from the curiosity, so I'll get straight to the point. Daniel...three days ago I promised that I would explain once the mission was over." Daniel nodded, Sam looked confused, and Teal'c - well, Teal'c's expression didn't change. "However..." Daniel's face fell, thinking that she was going to fudge out of having to tell him. "However...it's not really my place to tell you..."
"If you can't tell us, than who can?" Daniel interrupted.
Jackie smiled mischievously.
"It's not my place Daniel, because he should be the one to tell you." With that Jackie pointed behind her three friends.
Sam, Daniel, and Teal'c all turned around to follow her gesture. They scanned the area for a second before all their eyes landed on the same person. Sam gasped audibly, Daniel's jaw dropped, and Teal'c let loose one of his rare smiles - a full faced smile.
"O'Neill!"
Chapter 12 -
17 days earlier -
O'Neill sat at his desk filling out paperwork and wondering for the umpteenth time why he had accepted this latest promotion. Sure it was a great honor, and he was now Major General Jack O'Neill, but he really missed the action. As he was brooding about all the fun that he was sure his former teammates were having without him, a bright light filled the room.
Jack fully expected to see Thor standing in front of him as the light faded, instead a tall leggy brunette stood there with the most mischievous smile he had ever seen. He was about to reach for the phone when the young woman spoke.
"Hello Dad."
He wasn't sure which surprised him more - the fact that the brunette was standing in his office, her British accent, or the fact that she had just called him `Dad'. Again Jack reached for the phone.
"Don't bother calling security." The brunette spoke again. "As far as they're concerned, you're still doing paperwork at your desk...alone."
Jack glanced up at the security camera in the corner of his office and back at the woman standing before him. She simply nodded.
"What do you want?" Jack asked cautiously.
"That's the best you can do?" The woman retorted, sitting down in one of the chairs opposite Jack's desk. "I just beamed into your office, called you `Dad', and all you can say is `What do you want?' For Pete's sake Dad, this desk job has made you soft."
"Fine...who the hell are you?" Jack demanded, infuriated by the insubordinate manner of the young woman.
"That's better." Jack's guest responded. "The name is Jackie, and in case your coffee hasn't kicked in yet, I'm your daughter."
"From an alternate universe?"
"Nope...from the future."
"And I'm just supposed to take your word for it?"
"Of course not...you're supposed to take your word for it." Jackie was just being cheeky now.
"Cut the crap!"
"Sorry Dad. Yesterday - my time - you walked into the SGC sat down at m...Major General's..." Jackie cleared her throat and tried again. "You sat down next to me across from the General's desk. You told me that a number of years ago - of course that would be now for you - a young woman had beamed into your office claiming to be your daughter. That young woman was me. Of course you knew that you wouldn't believe me, so you told me something that only you would know.
"A couple years ago, back when you were CO of the SGC, you walked into Colonel Carter's lab to find out what was wrong. You said something about her not trying to confuse you with techno babble being a red flag." Jackie saw the recognition cross Jack's face, good they were on the same page. "Anyway, fast-forward ahead in the story, when she told you that Pete had proposed, your stomach tied up in knots and your heart ached. When she said she hadn't said yes, sudden elation filled your heart until you realized that she hadn't said no either. When she made the comment about you being part of the reason she hadn't given him an answer yet, you wanted nothing more than to spill your guts out to her, but knew that you couldn't, knew that she deserved to be happy, even if it wasn't with you."
Jack sat back in his chair in amazement. There was no way that this chick could know all of that. No one knew any of that. Suddenly the realization that she was telling the truth hit him.
"Wait, if I'm your dad, who's your mom?"
"After all these years working with Carter, you haven't gotten it through your head that I can't tell you anything? Remember the grandfather paradox?" Jackie smiled as her dad's eyes began to glaze over. "Besides, you'd just end up screwing things up if I told you." His eyes hardened. "You've just got to let nature take its course."
"So if you can't tell me anything, why are you here?"
"To save your ass."
**********
Jack stared as Jackie explained that over the course of the next week he was going to be shot at. She then explained how they were going to fake his death by injecting him with a drug that would slow his breathing and heart rate down so low that no machines would pick up on it. She would then have six hours to inject him with another drug that would counteract the first one - if she didn't make it within the six hours his heart would just stop beating altogether.
"Wait! Why not just stop the guy before it happens."
"Because I don't know when, where, or who."
"What!"
"You wouldn't give me any details - something about nature having to run its course." Jack scoffed, hadn't she just used that phrase? "All I know is that over the course of the next couple of weeks I will run across clues that will lead me not only to the sniper, but also to the guy that hired him."
"I really must have spent too much time around Carter if I wouldn't give you more details than that."
"I'll be back later today, after your meetings." Jackie smiled and stood. "By the way, you should probably call and cancel your flight for tomorrow."
"What?!? There is no way in hell I'm giving up my trip to Colorado Springs just because you've said that I'm going to be shot."
"I didn't say you had to give up your trip, just your flight plans." The mischievous grin was back. "I'll be flying you out tomorrow myself."
With that Jackie was gone in a flash of white, leaving a very disconcerted Major General behind to brood.
**********
Later that day -
Jack had just stepped out of his last meeting for the day. He wanted nothing more than to go home and crash, but he had a couple things that needed to be finished before he left for Colorado Springs the next day. He sighed as he entered his outer office, his secretary had gone home for the day, had probably left hours ago.
He was about to move further into the office when he was blinded by a white light. He was ready this time, was ready to see his daughter standing before him in his office. Instead, when he opened his eyes, he saw her standing before him in what he recognized as a puddle jumper.
"What the..."
"I said I would see you after your meetings."
"Oh, right. Guess I forgot." Jack's eyes brightened as he looked around. "This is how we're flying to Colorado Springs?"
Jackie nodded.
"Sweet."
**********
The next day -
The flashing light on the intercom caught his attention. He glanced at his watch again, where had the time gone? Didn't really matter, she was here, punctual as usual.
"Yes Lieutenant?" Jack said, pressing the intercom button and trying not to sound too excited.
"Dr. Nielson is here to see you, sir."
Jack blinked in confusion. Then he remembered: no one could know that she was his daughter. So instead of Dr. O'Neill - which sounded really weird - she was using the name Nielson. He chuckled, for a genius she wasn't very creative.
"Thank you Lieutenant, send her in." Jack stood as the door opened; childlike anticipation in his eyes.
"Good morning Jackie."
"Morning General."
Jack was taken aback at the formal use of his rank. Then he noticed that the door was still open behind her. Of course...
"Ready to go?"
When Jack reached down for his overnight bag in response, Jackie turned back towards the door.
"Where are we going?" Jack asked as he followed her out of the office.
"I had to sign in at the security desk when I came in. If I just vanished, taking a Major General with me..." Jackie didn't need to finish the thought, Jack understood.
Moments later they were walking down the street away from the Pentagon. As they neared a park, Jack gave Jackie a funny look.
"What better place to hide than out in the open?" Jackie smiled. Jack rolled his eyes.
"Considering that we are in downtown D.C. you don't think that philosophy is a little dangerous?" It was Jackie's turn to roll her eyes. "Especially considering that it wouldn't be out of the ordinary for me to have a tail?" Jackie just smiled.
Once they entered the park, Jackie led them straight across the open field to a small clump of trees. As they got closer to the trees, she pulled a small remote out of her pocket and hit a button. Moving into the trees she turned around and there before them was the interior of the jumper.
"How...?"
"I've made a few modifications over the years."
"But what about those two guys tailing us?"
"Not a problem, they think that we've walked into the trees." Jack raised an eyebrow. "They can't hear us Dad. There is a dampening field that creates interference within a ten yard radius of the jumper. So come on, am I flying or are you?"
Jackie couldn't help but smile at the boyish excitement that permanently attached itself to Jack's eyes and face at her suggestion.
**********
"Control this is jumper 2 do you copy?"
"Jumper 2 this is control, we copy."
"Control be advised ETA...10 minutes."
"Copy that jumper 2. You're ahead of schedule."
"The flight didn't take as long as anticipated."
"Very well, transmitting coordinates for landing location."
"Receiving. Thanks control."
"Not a problem jumper 2. We'll have a car ready and waiting for you at said coordinates."
"Roger that control, jumper 2 out."
**********
Jackie followed the coordinates relayed to them by the control tower at the Cheyenne Mountain airstrip. As she hovered before landing she saw an airman sitting in a standard SUV waiting for them. Feeling mischievous, she disengaged the cloak before landing. The shock and surprise on the airman's face was instant. Jackie couldn't help but chuckle.
"I hope that airman has clearance or we're going to have one hell of a time explaining this."
Jackie glared at her father for ruining her moment.
"I'm not stupid Dad. When I informed the control tower of our arrival I spoke to the only person at the tower who has clearance and explained the situation. He promised to send one of the airmen from the SGC."
Jack nodded. He had thought the airman's reaction was funny also, but this whole situation was weird and he found himself constantly second guessing everything.
**********
"Shall I call General Landry and let him know that you are here, sir." The airman asked as Jack signed in before heading down the 20-some-odd floors.
"No Airman, I think we'll surprise him."
"Yes sir."
**********
Jackie could sense the excitement growing in her companion the further down they went in the elevator. She allowed her smile to show as he drummed his fingers against his leg, willing the elevator to move faster.
Jack caught the change in Jackie's face out of the corner of his eye. Turning he saw a broad grin spreading across her features as she watched him. She didn't look away or get embarrassed when he caught her watching him. He smiled in return. He'd only known Jackie for about 38 hours, yet he could already feel the father-daughter bond. This was crazy - she hadn't even officially been born yet and already he was attached. Of course, he'd never thought that he would be a father again.
The thoughts of the two occupants of the elevator were broken as the door opened. Standing in front of the doors was a young airman. She dropped the equipment she'd been carrying and jumped to attention, saluting nervously.
"At ease, Airman." Jack chuckled, returning her salute. "Is General Landry in his office?"
"I believe so, yes sir."
"Carry on."
**********
"Unscheduled off-world activation!"
The announcement that blared in all the halls of the SGC stopped Jack as his hand posed about to knock on Landry's door. He turned and looked through the open door into the briefing room just as Landry rushed through to head down to the control room, not once glancing to the side. Jack walked into the briefing room once he was sure that Landry had made it down the stairs. Resolutely he walked over to the window that overlooked the gate room and watched to see what would happen. Landry's voice could be heard drifting up the stairs from the control room.
"What is it Sergeant? What teams do we have off-world?"
"SG teams 1, 5, 12, and 17, sir."
"GDO?"
"Not yet, sir." The technician responded. A moment later, "Receiving signal now, sir. It's SG1, sir."
"Damn. They're not due back until tomorrow. Open the iris sergeant."
Jack chuckled.
"Good ol' SG1, always getting their asses in trouble."
Suddenly he whirled and headed down to the control room. Several of the technicians dropped what they were doing and saluted him. Jackie stifled a laugh as she followed Jack down the stairs.
"At ease." Jack sighed, throwing them a sloppy salute. He watched for a second while SG1 tumbled through the stargate. Turning to Jackie she couldn't help smiling at the mischief filled grin on his face. "Shall we?" She nodded.
The two headed out of the control room. Stopping at the blast doors Jack nodded at a marine posted at the door. The marine turned and slid his card through the reader and stepped back as the door opened.
"Indirectly, sir." Sam responded. "Before we ever got to the planet, the Prior convinced the people that we were evil and they should - at the least - run us off the planet, although their ultimate goal seemed to be our deaths."
"Indeed it did."
"And this is the gate room. That is SG1. Looks like they have once again barely escaped with their lives." Every eye in the gate room turned towards the blast doors where Jack and Jackie stood. The looks on everyone's faces was perfect. Jack couldn't hide the huge grin that covered his face.
"General O'Neill." Cameron said, as he and Sam snapped to attention and saluted.
"At ease, Colonels." Jack said, after returning their salute. Turning, he winked at Jackie and said conspiratorially, "Told you they'd be shocked." Jackie just smiled in return.
"Jack!" Landry exclaimed, finally finding his voice. Walking over he shook Jack's hand, "Wasn't expecting you until this afternoon." The looks on SG1's faces betrayed their surprise at not being told of O'Neill's visit to the SGC.
"It's good to see you Hank." Jack smiled broadly. "When Dr. Nielson here offered to fly me out early, I couldn't pass up the chance to see the surprise on your face too."
Hank just chuckled and shook his head, he knew all too well. He turned to the young woman standing beside Jack.
"Dr. Nielson, I'm General Landry." Hank said, extending his hand to the young woman. He noticed SG1 coming up behind him and decided, since Jack was being so lax in introductions he would handle it. "And this is..."
"SG1." Jackie smiled, interrupting. She extended her hand to each as she stated their names, "Dr. Daniel Jackson, Lt. Colonel Samantha Carter, Lt. Colonel Cameron Mitchell, and Teal'c. I'm Dr. Jacquelyn Nielson." The glint of humor at everyone's surprise was noticed by all standing in the immediate vicinity.
**********
Jackie could see Daniel's mind working overtime as he took in all the information he had just been given. Going into this she had known that Daniel would likely be her biggest problem. He was good friends with both of her parents and had been a big part of her life growing up. If anyone was going to figure out what was going on before she was done, it would be Daniel.
"Parlez vous franais?" Daniel's words broke Jackie out of her thoughts.
"Oui." Jackie answered, smiling.
**********
"My office Jack?"
Jack nodded and turned to follow Landry. SG1 turned and headed back across the gate room to exit through the opposite doors. Jackie wavered for a moment, should she follow the two generals, or...
"General," Jackie began, not talking to either general in particular. Both turned to her, mid-step. "Permission to accompany SG1, sirs." Seeing the look of uncertainty in Landry's eyes, she continued quickly - maybe too quickly - "I'm sure the two of you want to catch up, I'd only be in the way and I'd rather not be babysat by an airman."
Jack's eyes betrayed the concealed smile. It was natural for Jackie to gravitate towards SG1. They were, after all, his family, and would have been an integral part of her young life - would be? Oh this time travel stuff was going to give him a headache. Although he had been surprised at her ability to spout off in more languages than Daniel, it had made sense once she explained that his best friend - i.e. Daniel - had taught her.
"As long as SG1 doesn't mind, sir, I could just kind of tag along and catch up with General O'Neill after the debriefing." Jackie's words broke into Jack's musings.
"SG1!" Landry barked, breaking the deafening silence. All four team members turned in response. "How do you feel about having a shadow until the debriefing?"
Daniel looked at each of the faces of his team. Seeing no disagreement, his face lit up and he nodded back at the General, who turned and nodded at Jackie.
"Thank you, sir!" She smiled. Heading across the gate room to join SG1, she barely kept her excitement under reign. She felt like a kid again - one who has just met and been granted time with her heros. Heros? Had she really just thought that? Sheesh. They were family, not heros - okay, maybe heros, but that was simply because Jackie had been raised on the stories of how they had repeatedly saved the world - but most importantly they were family. Jackie mentally shook her head, sometimes she wondered if she shouldn't have taken more time to be a kid.
**********
Two days later -
"Am I going to have to start dragging you away from your work now too?"
Jackie looked up from her work, jumping slightly at the unexpected voice in the doorway. Seeing Jack standing there with a silly grin on his face, she couldn't help but return the smile.
"Since I have a limited amount of time here at the SGC I wanted to do as much as I can to help."
"Considering that you saved the lives of a few hundred people, not to mention the foremost scientist and operative here at the SGC, I'd say you've done quite a bit already to help."
"Well, if you put it that way..." Jackie looked down at her work, a slight blush tingeing her cheeks - an effect of both her embarrassment and her pleasure at the compliment.
"Unfortunately for you, times up." Jack said brusquely.
"Up?" Jackie looked up incredulously. "What do you mean up? You're supposed to get..." She bit her lower lip. "Time's not up until this is resolved."
"I mean it's Friday afternoon, everyone believes we are leaving on Sunday, and I'm not going to have you spending your whole time in Colorado Springs cooped up in this damn laboratory - especially since I can't get...since your mission can't get under way while we're here at the base. So go change into civilian clothes. We're going out with SG1 tonight. So come on already, let's go."
Jackie sighed, he was right of course. She knew that she had been kind of hiding away, not really ready for this whole fiasco to begin.
"Right. I'll come by your quarters in 15." Jack looked surprised. "I don't know when this is going to happen remember? So every time we leave this base we have to be ready."
"Damn."
**********
"Come in." Jack called out when he heard the tentative knock.
The door opened slowly and Jackie stuck her head around the door. Jack's face broke out into a grin, he didn't know what it was about Jackie that made him grin like a fool - yeah he did, it was being a father again. Jackie returned the smile and stepped fully into the room, closing the door behind her.
"Ready?" Jackie asked as she laid a small bag on the one table.
"Ready to get ready to get shot, or ready to get shot?" Jack asked. Jackie glared at him. "Sorry kiddo, guess old habits die hard."
"Mm-hmm." Jackie muttered peevishly. "Alright, shirt off." Jack gave her a strange look, she just rolled her eyes. "Dad, I'm 24, I've seen you with your shirt off a few times. Now I need to be able to put this..." she was holding up a 3x3' square of something he didn't recognize. "...where you're going to get shot so that you don't actually get shot and die." She grumbled.
Jack unbuttoned his shirt and Jackie immediately stepped forward and placed the square over his heart.
"Hold." She ordered as she reached back into her bag. She pulled out a small plastic bag filled with a red liquid and placed that over the square. "Hold."
Over the next ten minutes Jackie kept pulling all kinds of stuff out of her bag. By the time she stepped back to look at her handiwork, Jack could barely tell that something was on his chest. She had managed to camouflage her little piece of bulletproof material and the fake blood quite well.
"Now we're ready." She smiled.
"What about when I actually get shot?"
"That's what this is for." Jackie held up a piece of what could have been skin, but Jack recognized it as more of the stuff she'd been using a moment ago - already fashioned to look like a gunshot wound. "One more thing Dad." Jack looked up at her as he buttoned his shirt. "No alcohol, it'll interact weird with the drugs."
"Damn."
**********
"I'll be right back guys." Jackie smiled as she stood up and headed towards the restrooms. On the way she ran into their waiter as he went to grab their drinks. "Excuse me?"
"Yes ma'am?" The young man asked, his gaze quickly taking in the leggy brunette before him.
"I need you to do me a favor."
"Sure."
"The gentleman at my table...the one with the gray hair." The young man nodded that he knew who she was talking about. "I need you to fill his beer bottle with water instead of beer."
"What?" The waiter was incredulous. He'd been asked a lot of weird things over the years, but this?
"His doctor has told him to lay off the beer for health reasons. But he is too proud to let his friends know that he has a problem."
"So he knows about this?"
"Of course."
**********
"I think someone has a bit of a crush on you." Jack teased.
"Whatever." Jackie retorted, smacking Jack on the arm. "Besides I haven't been born yet."
"Good point. Poor Cameron, that'll be a shocker."
Jackie glared at her father as they walked to Cameron's car - of course that only made him laugh harder. When they arrived at the vehicle Jackie unlocked the door and then turned to face Jack, a huge grin on her face. She knew just what to say to get back at him for teasing her about Cameron. But the words never left her mouth. The look on Jack's face stopped the words immediately. Looking down she saw a growing pool of red on his t-shirt, and then he was falling towards her.
Jackie caught Jack and slowly lowered him to the ground. She was thankful for the shadows that the car created, she a gut feeling that the sniper might still be watching, waiting for her screams.
"Dammit that hurts." Jack growled.
"Sorry Dad." Jackie whispered as she undid his shirt. `Perfect.' She thought as she saw that the bullet had hit dead center of her little make shift `vest'. Carefully she pulled it off, not unaware of Jack's wincing. Quickly she pulled the `wound' out of her purse and applied it before grabbing a syringe and uncapping the needle.
"You know I detest needles." Jack grunted as he eyed the needle.
"I know Dad, but this one will save your life."
"That's what Doc used to say."
Jackie smiled. She found the vein in his arm and injected the liquid from the syringe. Replacing the cap and slipping the needle back into her purse she reached up and checked his pulse, it was slowing down.
"Here goes nothing." Jackie said quietly, she saw a faint smile on Jack's face. "JACK!"
**********
"Thank you Colonel, I'll let you know when we find anything."
Jackie could hear the detective leave. It had been a long evening. She glanced at her watch. Midnight. She had three more hours.
Teal'c and Daniel were still there. She was glad. Sam had not taken the whole thing well. She had swiftly slipped into what Jack called `soldier mode' when she had arrived next to Jack and Jackie. Never in her life had Jackie been so glad that her father had insisted on those damn acting lessons - of course, now she understood why he had insisted. She was fairly certain that she had convinced everybody at the scene. Of course, not all of it had been acting - she had been genuinely terrified as she had set up the ruse. She still wasn't sure how she hadn't completely missed his vein.
Jackie glanced at her watch again - she was just as impatient as her father - 0030. Damn. Why wouldn't Daniel and Teal'c just leave? She couldn't wait any longer; she was going to have to go now. Slipping out of her room, she was glad that her father had had the foresight to teach her some of his Black Ops skills.
The front door was a mere five feet away when Jackie felt a large, gentle but strong, hand on her shoulder. Damn. She may be good, but Teal'c was still better.
"Let me go Teal'c!" Jackie said, trying to pull away. With a soft grunt she landed on the couch. Trying to stand up and get away, she was stopped by Teal'c's hand, heavy on her shoulder. Realizing that fighting was futile she crossed her arms and sulked, making her look much younger than her 24 years.
"What's going on?" Daniel asked, surprise written across his face at the struggle between Jackie and Teal'c.
"Jacqueline Nielson was sneaking out the front door."
"I wasn't sneaking Teal'c!" Jackie snapped.
"Indeed you were." He responded firmly.
"I was going out for a walk. Just needed some fresh air and I really didn't feel like socializing. So yes, I was trying to be quiet in getting outside, but I wasn't sneaking!" Jackie's glare would have made anyone else cower, but not Teal'c. "Forget it. I'm going back to bed."
Teal'c was reluctant to let Jackie stand up, but finally loosed his grip on her shoulder. However, he did not trust that she would not again attempt to go outside, so he walked her to the stairs and stood there until he heard her door shut.
"Come Daniel Jackson." Teal'c said, turning to look at Daniel. "We have overstayed our welcome."
Jackie sat sulking on the edge of her bed, waiting for the house to get quiet. She kept glancing at her watch; she was going to be cutting it close. Of course she hadn't actually expected to not be able to get out undetected. Damn jaffa.
Finally Jackie heard Sam enter her room. She waited a few minutes before sneaking back down the stairs and out the front door. Once she had cleared the porch, Jackie broke into a jog, rounded the corner and headed down the street. She smiled when she saw the vehicle that the airman had left for her. Poor kid, he had no idea what he was getting into when he had picked her and Jack up at the airstrip a couple days earlier.
Climbing into the car, Jackie started the engine. She glanced at the clock and silently cursed, 0230, she had half an hour.
**********
The morgue was usually quiet this time of night - unless of course some big accident or murder happened, then things could get busy. But tonight the young security guard was restless. An ambulance had brought in some Air Force general about five hours ago, but nothing had come in since. Yawning, the security guard decided to go grab some coffee; it wasn't like anyone would notice that he was gone.
Jackie had been sitting in the car for about five minutes - five minutes that she really couldn't afford. Finally she saw what she wanted - the security guard was leaving the room. Quickly she climbed out of the car, slipped the keys into the pocket of her leather jacket and hurried into the morgue. She didn't know how much time she would have before the security guard returned, so she hurried down towards the nearest set of double doors.
Glancing at her watch, Jackie grimaced, she had less than 10 minutes and she still had to locate her dad. She was so caught up in her thoughts that she didn't see the young doctor until she almost ran over him.
"Sorry." Jackie mumbled as she hurried past him.
"Hey! You're not supposed to be back here." The doctor yelled after the young woman who had almost knocked him down. She didn't hear; she was in too much of a hurry. He was about to go get the security guard when he realized that the woman wouldn't have gotten past him if he was actually there. Making a quick decision, the doctor ran after the young woman himself.
By the time that the doctor caught up to Jackie, she was opening and closing the doors along the wall - glancing at tags on toes before slamming the door and moving on.
"Ma'am you're not supposed to be back here, this area is restricted."
"I've got to find him - got to find him before it's too late."
The doctor's heart went out to the young woman. It was always hard to lose a loved one - this wouldn't be the first time that he had dealt with hysterical family members that just refused to believe that their loved one was dead.
"Miss..."
"Just shut-up and leave me alone." Jackie interrupted, still searching.
The doctor could have been offended by that, but he knew her pain. Suddenly he realized that the young woman wasn't searching anymore, instead she had pulled out one of the tables and was looking down at - the doctor gasped - the Air Force general that had been shot that evening. He watched dumbfounded as she pulled the sheet back exposing the already slightly gray-tinged chest. Reaching over to the chest she gently touched the wound. Slowly her finger traced about an inch to the left and started picking at something with her fingernail.
Jackie was surprised when the doctor was suddenly standing between her and her father - she hadn't realized he could move that fast.
"I'm sorry for your loss miss, but you have to let him go."
Jackie glanced up at the clock in the room. She cursed silently she had two minutes.
"Move!" The doctor grimaced at her tone, but stood his ground. "You're killing him dammit!"
"He's already dead."
Suddenly Jackie started cursing up a blue streak; of course the doctor didn't know that since she was speaking in Goa'uld. She didn't usually care for the language, but it had the perfect sound for cursing someone out. She saw the doctor grimace again, she didn't care, she needed him to move. The young doctor was tough though - he didn't budge.
At a loss as to how to get the doctor to move, Jackie decided it was time for desperate measures. Reaching behind her and under her coat, she pulled her 9mm from her waistband and aimed it at the shocked doctor.
"Move out of my way NOW!"
Slowly the doctor did what she said. He noticed that she glanced at the clock again before reaching back and grabbing at a loose piece of skin. In a swift movement she ripped the piece of skin off his chest, the doctor grimaced - it didn't matter that the guy was dead and couldn't feel anything. When he finally made himself open his eyes he saw what appeared to be a prosthesis still stuck to the general's chest by a corner. His eyes wide, the doctor glanced at the young woman to see her reach into her jacket pocket and pull out a syringe. Still pointing the gun at him, she pulled the cap off the needle with her teeth and centered the needle directly above his heart. In one swift motion, she stuck the dead general with the needle and injected the fluid.
Jackie, still pointing the gun at the doctor, threw the syringe to the floor and immediately checked for a pulse - nothing. She glanced up at the clock. Dammit! She hadn't made it, she was too late.
"I'm sorry dad." She choked as tears filled her eyes - real ones this time. She gently leaned her head against his bare chest and let the tears fall silently. She had screwed up - she hadn't made it in time.
"Damn that hurts!"
Jackie's head shot up. It couldn't be, but it was.
Jack looked around the room, he was in a morgue. Finally his eyes rested on the face of the young woman standing next to him.
"Hey kiddo." Suddenly Jack saw them - tears. She'd been crying. "Hey what's wrong?" He asked sitting up.
"I...I thought..." Jackie stammered, yet another tear slipping down her face.
"C'mere." He said quietly and wrapped his daughter in a big hug. Glancing up he caught sight of the clock. "Cutting it a little close don't you think?"
Jackie pulled back and smacked Jack on the arm, a small smile playing at her lips.
"That's your own fault...and Teal'c's." Jackie griped.
"My fault? I've been unofficially dead for the last six hours."
"You didn't do a very good job of teaching me stealth. Teal'c still caught me."
"Hey that's not my fault; I can't even get past T." Just then, Jack noticed the young doctor slumped on the floor, leaning against the wall. "We have an audience?"
"Yeah, quite determined for such a small guy. Wouldn't move out of my way when I was trying to revive you. Had to use a little extra incentive."
For the first time, Jack noticed the 9mm lying on the table next to him, Jackie's hand resting on top of it. He looked up at her face, surprise followed by pain shadowing his eyes. Guilt flooded through Jackie - she knew instinctively where Jack's mind had gone - to Charlie. It hadn't been until she was twelve that she finally understood why her dad overreacted every time something happened to her. He had been concerned about being a father again - even knowing that she survived to go back in time he had been worried that he would screw up.
Jackie reached over and squeezed his hand.
"You taught me well Dad."
**********
Dad? The young doctor didn't think that he could be any more shocked than he already was. He shuddered as he watched the two continue to interact - seeing the general "resurrect" had nearly given him a heart attack. He feared that it would be a long time before he could perform an autopsy without thinking of the general coming back to life.
"Doc? Earth to Doc."
The gruff voice brought the doctor back to his senses.
"Hmm?"
"I don't suppose my clothes are around here anywhere."
The young doctor nodded, not yet trusting his voice. Slowly he stood and moved to a low cabinet on the other side of the room and started rummaging around. While he did so the two behind him continued to talk. He listened, hoping to keep his mind off the mental image of the general coming back to life.
"Jackie, why don't you take the Doc here to his office and explain what is going on while I get dressed?"
"Sure Dad."
"You gonna be okay?"
"Yeah, just coming down off the adrenaline rush. I'll be fine."
"Great." Jack reached a hand out and placed it over Jackie's, which had moved to pick up the 9mm. "I'll hang on to that." Jackie nodded, knowing better than to argue with him. Looking up both saw the doctor moving towards them. "Thanks Doc." Jack smiled and took the clothes from the man's shaking hands. "Jackie here is going to explain things."
The doctor simply nodded and headed out of the room, Jackie close on his heals. Jack smiled at the doctor's reaction - under other circumstances this would be a terrific practical joke. He winced as he swung his legs over the side of the table - even when the bullet didn't break the skin, getting shot still hurt like hell.
**********
"So you can understand how important it is that this stays quiet."
"Morning campers!" Jack said, walking into the doctor's office. "How ya doin' Doc?" He turned a compassionate look on the young mortician.
"Still a little in shock...but I think I'll be okay." The doctor muttered.
"Great!"
Jackie shook her head. For a guy who had been declared dead for the last six hours he was awfully chipper. She stood to go. It had taken awhile, but she had finally convinced the doctor she was telling the truth. He had finally - albeit grudgingly - agreed to fill out an autopsy and cremation reports.
"Oh!" Jackie turned back to the doctor, pulling a ziploc baggy out of her jacket pocket. "You'll need to give this to the police."
The doctor nodded, staring at the bullet inside the baggy that he now held. So much for a quiet night at work.
**********
"How are they doing?" Jack's quiet voice broke the silence in the car. He was staring across the street at Sam's dark house.
"As well as can be expected. Although I don't think that the full realization has hit Sam yet. She switched so quickly into `soldier mode' that she hasn't had a chance to process everything yet."
Jack nodded sadly.
"And there's no way that we can tell her what's going on?" Jackie gave him a look. "Right - could change the future."
"I rented a cabin for you so you can spend your time relaxing and fishing." Jackie handed him a key. "I told the manager that you were not to be disturbed. He decided that he really didn't want to mess with an old general who was forced to retire." She laughed at Jack's raised eyebrow. "I had to come up with something that would keep people away." She sobered. "We can't afford for someone to find out that your death was staged. I need time..." her voice trailed off.
Jack reached over and squeezed her hand. She was quite the young woman: smart, strong, able to think on her feet - but she was still a child in so many ways. She squeezed his hand back then looked up with a mischievous smile.
"If you even think about sneaking into the memorial service..."
Jack laughed. Jackie leaned over and kissed him on the cheek.
"Don't call me, I'll call you." Jackie saw worry flash across her dad's face. "I'll be fine Dad, you and the rest of SG1 have trained me well."
Jack silently nodded, watching as Jackie walked up the front steps and slipped into Sam's house.
**********
The ticking of the clock in the front hall could be heard throughout the still house. Jackie was very glad that her dad had taught her how to move stealthily. Quietly closing the front door behind her she slipped through the front hall and up the stairs. Careful to miss the squeaky step, she made it to the top of the stairs in silence. As she moved down the hall to her room, Jackie paused at Sam's bedroom door. The only sound coming through the door was the deep breathing of sleep. Without further hesitation Jackie moved to her room and quickly fell asleep.
**********
Sunday (after the memorial service) -
"Dr. Nielson?"
Jackie looked up at the bald man standing in front of her. Surprise crossed her face as the identity of the man standing before her registered in her mind.
"General Hammond?" it was Hammond's turn to be surprised. "What are you doing here?" Jackie realized how rude that sounded. "I mean..."
"It's okay Doctor, I know what you meant. You weren't expecting me to make it." Jackie nodded silently. "May I?" Hammond asked, motioning to the chair next to Jackie.
"Of course. And please, call me Jackie."
Hammond nodded.
"I talked to Jack the other day." Jackie looked shocked. Hammond smiled and continued. "He called me right after you offered him an earlier ride out here." Jackie's shock turned to concern, but only for a brief second before her face was unreadable. "The call was made on a secure line that only Jack and I knew about." Hammond paused. "Maybe we should take a walk."
Jackie nodded cautiously and followed the retired general out the front door and across the street into the park. They walked silently for a couple minutes both lost in their own thoughts. When they were a short distance from Sam's house, Hammond hit a small button on his watch and looked up at Jackie.
"We have two minutes to talk before the EM pulse dies and any surveillance equipment will be able to work again." Jackie smiled; Hammond was still on top of the game. "Jack told me that he had been offered the opportunity to aid in a mission of a delicate nature. He said that he would be working with a civilian and that he might not be coming back from this one. He asked that if something did happen to him, that I help you in any way possible."
"Thank you George." Jackie said slowly. "Right now I'm waiting for my next signal to move, but when the time comes I may need you on my side to convince some people that what I'm doing is sanctioned."
Hammond opened his mouth to respond, but was stopped by the beeping of his watch.
"We should probably return." Hammond said, turning Jackie back towards Sam's house. "I'm glad that you are here Jackie...you seem to be good for Colonel Carter."
Jackie simply smiled at the older man. This mission had just gotten a little more interesting.
**********
The Next Day -
After talking to Daniel, Sam went out for a run. As the door closed behind her Jackie sunk into the couch and sighed. Sam had taken the alarm bit better than she expected, of course Daniel had helped calm her down a bit. A couple minutes later Jackie picked up her cell phone and dialed a number.
"Hey Dad, how's the fishing?"
"Pretty good. How was the memorial?"
"Not bad, some nice things were said. Over all it was pretty moving."
"Sorry I missed it."
"I bet you are." Jackie couldn't help but chuckle.
A couple minutes into the conversation, Sam's home phone rang. Jackie really didn't want to pick it up, but checked the caller ID anyway. She sighed.
"Dad, Detective Roberts is calling; I need to take this call."
"Okay Jackie, take care of yourself."
"I will Dad." Jackie smiled and hung up. "Dr. Nielson." She said picking up the other phone.
"Dr. Nielson this is Detective Roberts."
"What can I do for you Detective?"
"I have some news for you Doctor." Roberts paused on the other end, wondering if he should tell her or ask for Colonel Carter. "I've managed to trace the bullet that we received from the morgue. It is sold in only one place...a small weapons shop in Prague."
**********
"You're leaving?" A stunned Sam asked as Jackie ran down the stairs.
Jackie stopped mid-stride and looked at Sam. She'd been in such a hurry to gather everything together for her trip to Prague that she had lost track of time. She debated whether or not to tell Sam what was going on. The look in Sam's eyes convinced her, she couldn't leave Sam behind. This was as much Sam's business as it was hers, besides she could use some backup on this one.
"Detective Roberts called..."
**********
While Sam hurried to pack whatever items she might need in Prague, Jackie was busy downstairs. Quietly she pulled two identical aspirin bottles out of her overnight bag. Turning them over, she glanced at the bottom. She threw one back into the main part of her bag, and then slipped the other one into a side pocket.
Jackie sighed, she wasn't sure if she was going to need them - and really didn't want to, but in case things got a little rough, she would be prepared. Glancing at the side pocket she thought how fortunate it was that she had had an extra aspirin bottle on hand when her prescription bottle fell out of the medicine cabinet, spilling her prescription sleeping pills all over the counter.
**********
6 Hours later (In Prague) -
Jackie circled the room and was about to head back to where Sam was when something caught her eye. Walking towards the far wall, she tried to keep her pace steady and the owner unaware of what she was doing. As she neared the wall she came face to face with shelves. Most of the shelves contained some of the coolest knives she'd ever seen, ones that she knew Daniel would love to get his hands on. But it wasn't the knives that had caught her attention. Dead center in the columns and rows of shelves was what appeared to be a holy shrine.
"My god." She whispered. It couldn't be, yet it was. There before her were artifacts that to anyone else would be just artifacts - but to her, and anyone else at the SGC, they held a lot more meaning. Instantly she recognized that the silver sphere was a Goa'uld communication device. Goa'uld here? That thought sent a shiver down her spine. Surrounding the communication device were other artifacts - knives and other religious articles - all bearing the same mark: the mark of Ba'al. Instinctively she realized why she had been a part of the mission that finally defeated Ba'al - he had something to do with the hit on her father.
"Sam, come here." She called across the room, never once taking her eyes off the shelf before her.
**********
"Let's seem it then." Sam said, letting go of Serge.
The short man scrambled away quickly, trying to get out of Sam's reach. Jackie smirked, if only the man knew that there really was no safe distance from the pissed off woman. She quickly hid the smirk though as she followed the other two into a back room.
Jackie could feel Sam's tension rise as they watched the tape. There was a man standing in front of the shrine, talking and gesturing. Both women knew who he was talking to. They then watched as the man returned to the counter and picked up a box of bullets - bullets like the one that had shot Jack. In a swift movement Sam had ejected the tape, grabbed it and hurried out of the room. Jackie turned to follow, thought better of it, grabbed that day's security tape and then left, stopping only to snap a quick picture of the shrine with her digital camera.
**********
"Where to?" The cabby asked as the two women settled in.
"American Embassy." Jackie responded as she dug through her bag. "Mind taking the scenic route?"
"Sure." The cabby responded.
Jackie knew that the cabby was watching her actions. She didn't care. Reaching into the side pocket she pulled out the aspirin bottle. Double checking, she looked at the bottom of the bottle and sighed at the `S' scrawled on the bottom. Jackie handed Sam a bottle of water and two sleeping pills from the bottle, glad that they looked like a couple aspirin.
**********
Barrett's office door was barely closed behind Jackie when he laid into her.
"What the hell is going on? Who are you and why did you bring Colonel Carter to Prague? Why were you seen entering and exiting Serge's shop? How the hell did you get into the Czech Republic without us knowing about it?" The questions continued to pour from Agent Barrett's mouth as he paced up and down his office. He stopped mid-step - and mid-sentence - when he turned and saw the ziploc baggy and bullet in Jackie's extended hand. Sitting down hard in his chair he asked, "Who?"
"General Jack O'Neill."
"Damn." Was the only reply that escaped from Agent Barrett's lips. After several long minutes he looked up at Jackie. "How's SG1 handling it? I know they were all close."
"They're handling it as well as can be expected." Jackie said softly, warming up to the agent across from her.
"How did you know O'Neill?" Barrett asked, once again looking up with suspicion in his eyes. He had suddenly realized that the woman sitting across from him still hadn't given him her name.
"I'm Doctor Jacquelyn Nielson." Jackie introduced herself, realizing the same thing Agent Barrett had. Agent Barrett took her proffered hand and shook it. "Jack O'Neill was good friends with my parents, he was family."
Barrett nodded his understanding. He observed the young lady who sat across the desk from him. There was something about her that just didn't sit well, but for Sam's sake he knew he needed to find out what she knew.
"I'm guessing you found Serge to be less than helpful." Barrett finally said, returning to the issue at hand.
"On the contrary." Jackie responded. Barrett looked at her surprised. She smiled. "When you've worked at - or at least known about - the SGC for as long as Colonel Carter and I have, you tend to pick up on things that other people might have missed."
"Such as what?" Barrett asked gruffly.
"This." Jackie said, handing Barrett her digital camera across his desk. The view screen showed the picture of the shrine Jackie and Sam had found in Serge's shop.
"It's a religious shrine. How was it helpful?"
"It pissed Sam off." Jackie said smiling. "It was all I could do to keep her from killing the man on the spot. Fortunately his life was enough incentive for him to hand over a very important surveillance tape." Jackie pulled the tape out of her bag.
"What's on here?"
"Your sniper...and his orders to kill General O'Neill."
"How do I know that you aren't the sniper and have set all this up to pull the attention away from yourself?" Agent Barrett wasn't certain, but he could have sworn that the young woman across from him had rolled her eyes.
"Do you know General George Hammond?" Barrett nodded in response. "Do you know how to contact him?" Again he nodded. "Then I suggest you do so."
**********
Agent Barrett sighed as he hung up the phone. He had known General Hammond for several years - ever since that whole fiasco with the attempt on then Senator Kinsey's life. He knew that Hammond had a good sense about people and trusted his opinion on them. Hammond had stated that he trusted Jackie and that she was on a mission approved by O'Neill himself before he died. Barrett still didn't fully trust the young woman sitting across from him, but couldn't ignore the fact that two Major Generals of the Air Force did.
"Okay Dr. Nielson, what's the plan?"
"You and your team are going to continue with your orders to find and apprehend the sniper." Jackie held up her hand to stop Barrett's objections. "With the aid of the SGC I will take care of the SOB who hired him to kill Jack."
Barrett nodded. He instinctively knew that this whole thing was bigger than him and that the only people that could bring justice to General O'Neill's death were his family at the SGC.
"Very well. When will you leave?"
"As soon as Colonel Carter wakes up we'll be on our way."
**********
14 Hours later -
Jackie looked up from her book to once again check on the sleeping form in the bed she sat next to. After leaving Barrett's office she had headed to the room he had offered her to sleep. She had set her alarm for fifteen minutes before Sam should have woken up, knowing that she wasn't going to be a happy camper when she found out about the sleeping pills. That had been eight hours ago, and Sam still slept.
Worry creased Jackie's brow as she watched her friend sleep. Two sleeping pills should not have knocked anyone out for almost 16 hours. Closing her eyes, Jackie berated herself for her stupidity. As she did so she heard movement coming from the bed. Opening her eyes just a slit she saw Sam roll over and open her eyes. Fascinated, Jackie watched as Sam watched her.
"It's not polite to stare."
The look on Sam's face was well worth it.
**********
"A puddle jumper?" Barrett asked in surprise as he stood on the edge of the clearing where Sam and Jackie had left the jumper. Jackie had just disengaged the cloak and there sat the jumper in all its glory. "No wonder we didn't know you were here."
"That is one of its many advantages." Jackie replied. "The other is that the flight is shorter."
"How much shorter?"
"It took us six hours to get here."
"Damn. I need to get one of those."
While laughing, Jackie noticed that Sam only smiled half-heartedly. It wasn't long before Sam excused herself, saying only a brief goodbye to Agent Barrett. Jackie was worried again; the effect of the sleeping pills must not have worn totally off.
"You're worried about Carter aren't you?"
Jackie looked up surprised. Had her thoughts been that transparent?
"She's already slept 16 hours because of those damn pills, something else is wrong."
"It's probably a lot of things. You know Carter, she runs herself ragged at the SGC, sometimes won't sleep for several days in a row." Jackie nodded at Barrett's accurate assessment. "You add on top of that her grief over losing a member of her team - which by the way has always been more of a family - and you've got a recipe for disaster. My guess is that after a little more sleep she'll be fine. The sleeping pills simply reminded her body of what they had been missing."
"Hope you're right." Jackie replied quietly.
"Speaking of SG1, do any of them know about this mission of yours?"
"No."
"You don't think that they have a right to know? This was O'Neill's last mission, one that he died during."
Jackie sighed, if only she could tell him, but there were just too many variables.
"Agent Barrett if you learn nothing else from your years knowing about the SGC and what happens below that mountain, remember this...nothing is what it seems."
Agent Barrett gave Jackie a funny look. It was a mix of surprise, shock, confusion, and mistrust.
"Thanks for your help Agent Barrett. I look forward to hearing that you have captured the sniper."
As Jackie stepped into the jumper her eyes were immediately drawn to Sam's still form. It had only been a couple minutes since she had entered the jumper herself, but already she was asleep. Before Jackie lifted her bag to place it next to Sam's she pulled the digital camera out and slipped it into Sam's bag.
**********
6 Hours later -
The flight had been uneventful, but Jackie knew that the same could not be said about the end. As she landed, she wondered how in the world she was going to tell Sam that she wasn't going with her. She'd been stewing about that for nearly the whole flight. Jackie carefully maneuvered the jumper to the coordinates where it had been `parked' before and where Sam's car was waiting. Once the ship had landed Sam stood and moved towards the back. Jackie didn't move, deciding to handle this conversation by letting Sam start it. Sam was reaching over hear head to pull down her bag before she realized that the jumper hadn't powered down.
"Jackie?" Sam asked, turning.
"I have an errand to run. You head home; Daniel and Teal'c are waiting for you. I'll catch up later."
"Are you sure?"
"Yeah." Jackie smiled. The conversation went a lot better than she had hoped it could. Apparently she had finally earned Sam's trust. Sam was halfway out the back hatch when Jackie remembered something and called out to her. "Hey Sam!"
"Yeah?"
"Don't hold dinner for me, I may be a little late."
Jackie waited until Sam was in her car before closing the hatch and taking off. She hovered for a moment, watching as Sam started her car and headed home. Without a second thought as to what she was about to do, or how she was going to do it, she turned the jumper towards space and headed off.
**********
1 Week later -
Jackie stared intently at the computer display before her. Her informant had been correct; there was indeed a mothership in orbit around the planet that she was approaching. Turning from the display she slowed her engines and entered a standard orbit above the planet, not far from the mothership. Watching the mothership and trying to decide what to do next, Jackie thought back over the past week.
After leaving Earth, Jackie had hightailed it to the nearest planet with a stargate and `gated to another planet - one that she knew was full of rogues and spies. That planet was to the universe what Tortuga was for the Caribbean back when pirates were at large. She had known better than to let any of the planet's inhabitants know that she was flying an Ancient shuttle, so she had landed with the cloak engaged and had not disengaged it while near the planet.
Having spent two years as a diplomat in London, Jackie had learned a lot about negotiating. Her 6 months at the SGC had taught her a lot about alien cultures. By putting both experiences together, she had managed to `negotiate' the information she had needed out of several inhabitants. Granted, some of her `negotiations' had required the use of her 9mm and zat, but she had left the planet with the required information.
After several days of planet hopping, Jackie had finally found out where Ba'al was hiding, and here she was. Now she just had to figure out how to get access to that damn mothership. All too suddenly she was hit with an idea - and several meteors. Her attention had been so focused on Ba'al's ship that she had missed the fact that a meteor shower was heading her way. Checking her sensors after the initial collision, Jackie managed to move out of the way of the incoming meteors - that was when the idea hit.
Moving back into the field of meteors, Jackie located one that was about the size of her jumper. Placing the jumper right in the path of this meteor she disengaged the cloak for three seconds, then simultaneously cloaked, moved, and shot a drone at the meteor - splitting it into hundreds of smaller pieces and creating quite the effective explosion.
As she suspected, three death gliders left the mothership to investigate the explosion. As another large meteor headed towards the three gliders, one moved ahead so as not to get hit by it. This left it separated from the other two for a few seconds, giving Jackie the window of opportunity that she needed to beam a transmitter just below the wing of the glider.
Once the transmitter was in place, Jackie took time to investigate the damage that the meteors had done to her ship. What she found was not promising: her cloak was about to fail as were several other mechanical parts of the ship. Immediately she changed course and headed to the surface and the stargate.
**********
"I have only one charge left to place Jacquelyn Nielson."
Jackie smiled inwardly at Teal'c's words. Outwardly she was just too damn tired. It had been 20 minutes since she had given Ba'al her `explanation' for being on his ship. In that time he had enjoyed himself immensely at her expense. Everything hurt. From her head to her feet there wasn't an inch of her that wasn't screaming.
"I'll ask you one more time." Ba'al smirked as he stood before her, holding yet another torture device. "What planet are you from and why are you here?"
Jackie looked up at Ba'al for the first time in several minutes. Her blue eyes were suddenly the color of the ocean during a storm - they flashed in anger and spite. A smirk rested on her lips.
"I travel around a lot, don't really stay in one place for too long." She paused, trying to catch her breath. Between the anger and the pain her breathing was not what it should be. "As for why I'm here? That's simple. I'm here to avenge the death of a man who was like a father to me."
"And to whom do I owe thanks for sending me such a fine specimen."
"General Jack O'Neill."
"I was wondering if anyone would figure it out." Ba'al's smirk had widened into a grin that covered his face. "I have to say I am quite surprised that SG1 isn't here to do this. But I guess I'll have to settle for you. But first, you'll need your strength." Reaching behind him Ba'al lowered the chains causing Jackie to slump to the floor. He was about to leave the room, when a soft voice stopped him in his tracks.
"Ba'al." Jackie watched as he turned around, curious as to what else she might say. "There is something you should know before you leave."
Ba'al moved back across the room to the limp body before him.
"Come closer." Jackie croaked.
Ba'al knelt down beside her and leaned his head towards her.
"O'Neill lives." Jackie whispered towards him. The look on his face changed from a smug smile to pure anger, but before he could move away, everything went to hell - at least for him.
**********
2 Days later -
As Jackie's cab left the mountain she couldn't get the look on Daniel's face out of her mind. She smiled fondly at the memory. She had always had a special relationship with Daniel, and when she returned to her time she would instantly get to see him. But the Daniel here would have to wait a while for her to come along. Once the cab turned on to one of the country highways leaving Colorado Springs, Jackie let her mind wander.
An hour after leaving Cheyenne Mountain, the cabbie pulled off the highway onto a small dirt road that wound around the lake. At the end of the road there was a small cabin that the manager of the lake property used as his office. Unfortunately that was the only place to park for some of the cabins, including the one she had rented over two weeks ago.
Quickly jumping out of the car with overnight bag in hand, Jackie paid the driver and headed down the trail towards the cabin she had rented.
"Excuse me miss?"
The voice calling to her stopped Jackie in her tracks. Turning around Jackie saw an older gentleman hustling towards her.
"Yes?"
"I'm sorry miss, but I was given explicit instructions that the occupant in cabin 12 was not to be disturbed."
Jackie smiled kindly.
"I know Mr. Jensen, I gave those instructions."
"Dr. Nielson?" Jackie nodded. "Oh I'm sorry ma'am; I didn't realize it was you. Does this mean that you will no longer need the cabin?"
"The General and I will be leaving tomorrow, I'll settle with you in the morning."
"Very well Dr. Nielson, thank you."
Jackie smiled as the funny little man hurried back to his office. Turning back around, she followed the path the quarter of a mile down to the cabin that sat close to the lake. As the path neared the cabin it turned slightly toward the left giving Jackie a great view of the lake. She stopped at the turn just to take in the view. As she turned to keep going down towards the cabin she caught a glimpse of a silver head at the dock.
Not wasting a moment, Jackie dropped her bag on the porch quietly and headed down towards the lake. As she got closer she could hear deep breathing from her father - he was asleep. Coming up behind Jack - quietly so as not to disturb him - she bent down and lifted the lid to the cooler that sat beside him. As she reached in to pull out a beer, Jackie found that she couldn't move because of the hand gripping her wrist.
"Don't you know that it's not polite to sneak up on people?"
"You're one to talk." Jackie scoffed.
"Aren't you a little young to be drinking beer?"
"Dad!" Jackie protested. "I'm 24!"
"Ah, but here you technically haven't been born yet."
"DAD!"
Jack opened one eye and looked at her. Suddenly both eyes were open as he stared at her face, all laughter draining from his own.
"What happened?"
Jackie had completely forgotten about the bruises and cuts on her face and arms. She must look like hell.
"It's nothing, Dad, really."
"Like hell it is! What...happened?"
"I had a little encounter with Ba'al while laying charges around his ship."
"What?!?"
"I guess I should start at the beginning..."
**********
The next morning: 0950 -
"Are you sure you're ready to do this?"
Jackie looked over at her dad and smiled.
"No time like the present."
"You know how I dislike clichs Jackie."
"That must be why you use them all the time."
Jack opened his mouth and then shut it again without saying anything. This girl knew him waaay to well.
"Are you ready? After all they've thought you were dead for two weeks now."
"Hmm. Has it been that long already? Well I guess it's time to remind them that you can't get rid of Jack O'Neill that easily."
Jackie laughed, but found herself sobering up quickly.
"Dad, you know I'm going to have to leave soon." Jackie bit her bottom lip as she waited for a response.
"And here I was just getting used to being a dad again."
Jackie smiled, a little sadness creeping in.
"Consider it good practice Dad, for the real thing in...the future." Jackie glanced at her watch. "Well, I better get going, don't want to be late." She leaned over and gave him a kiss on the cheek.
**********
"Any idea why Jackie wanted to meet us out here?" Sam asked casually, also glancing at her watch.
"Probably wanted to say goodbye." Daniel responded.
"Could Jacquelyn Nielson not have said goodbye to us at Cheyenne Mountain?" Teal'c inquired.
"Yeah I could have, but I haven't been here in ages and wanted to see it before heading home."
All three turned as they heard Jackie behind them.
"I know you guys are all about to burst from the curiosity, so I'll get straight to the point. Daniel...three days ago I promised that I would explain once the mission was over." Daniel nodded, Sam looked confused, and Teal'c - well, Teal'c's expression didn't change. "However..." Daniel's face fell, thinking that she was going to fudge out of having to tell him. "However...it's not really my place to tell you..."
"If you can't tell us, than who can?" Daniel interrupted.
Jackie smiled mischievously.
"It's not my place Daniel, because he should be the one to tell you." With that Jackie pointed behind her three friends.
Sam, Daniel, and Teal'c all turned around to follow her gesture. They scanned the area for a second before all their eyes landed on the same person. Sam gasped audibly, Daniel's jaw dropped, and Teal'c let loose one of his rare smiles - a full faced smile.
"O'Neill!"
It took a matter of seconds for all three to regain composure. Once they did, Sam and Daniel turned back around to question Jackie, but she wasn't there.
"Jackie?" Sam called.
That made Teal'c turn around.
"Jacquelyn Nielson?"
"Where did she go?" Daniel wondered. Then he spotted something. Moving over to table that he, Sam, and Teal'c had just been sitting at, he picked up a white envelope and read the writing. "Sam...it's addressed to you."
"Come Daniel Jackson, Jacquelyn Nielson could not have gotten far."
While Daniel and Teal'c took off looking for Jackie, Sam opened the envelope that Daniel had handed to her.
Sam -
I'm sorry that it was necessary to keep you in the dark about my mission. As I watched you grieve for Jack it became harder and harder to keep the truth from you. I hope that one day you understand why I did what I did - I did it for you and Jack. The `reality' of Jack's death helped you come to some realizations about your life. Don't let the fact that he is alive rob you of those.
It will be some time before we meet again - but we will meet again.
- Jackie
**********
Jack had been so intensely focused on the surprised looks on his friends' faces, that he had not seen Jackie slip away. Not until he saw Sam, Teal'c, and Daniel searching and calling her name did he realize what she had done. She had been saying goodbye in the car. As he walked closer he saw Daniel and Teal'c take off in search of her, but he knew they wouldn't find her. This was going to be one interesting story to tell them.
With interest, Jack watched as Sam opened an envelope that Daniel had handed her, pull out a single sheet of paper and read its contents. She was so absorbed in what she was reading that she didn't hear him come up next to her. Not until she finished reading and looked up, did she notice that he was standing beside her.
"Jack." Sam stated simply, a couple of tears sliding down her face.
Jack took a step closer and gently brushed away the tears with his thumb. As he did, Sam closed her eyes and reveled in the fact that he was indeed alive and standing before her. When she opened her eyes and looked directly into his, Jack inwardly gasped. In a brief instant he saw Jackie's face before him as she stood in his office that first day. He remembered looking at her and thinking that she looked familiar. Coming back to reality and gazing into Sam's blue eyes he knew why.
Jackie had Sam's eyes.
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A Familiar Face
by AppleStory Bemerkung:
This fic is also posted on gateworld.net. Originally a 12 part series, I put all into one to make it easier to read. There is a character death, but have faith.Site Navigation
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