The Valley (Part One)
The Valley (Part One)
by squacco
Title: The Valley (Part One)
Author: squacco
Email: squacco@onetel.com
Category: Action/Adventure, Romance
Episode related: 405 Divide and Conquer
Season: any Season
Pairing: Sam/Jack
Rating: G
Warnings: none
Summary: An old friend arrives at the SGC to assist with a special mission.
Disclaimer: Stargate SG-1 and its characters are the property of Showtime/Viacom, MGM/UA, Double Secret Productions, and Gekko Productions. I have written this story for entertainment purposes only and no money whatsoever has exchanged hands. No copyright infringement is intended. The original characters, situations, and story are the property of the author(s).
The Valley (Part One)
Author: squacco
Category: Adventure/Romance
Pairing: Sam/Jack
Rating: G
Spoilers: None
Author's Notes: This is a story in three parts. Parts two and three coming soon.The song is'i bloom blaum' by Coldplay. Summary: An old friend arrives at the SGC to assist with a special mission.
Colonel Thomas Mallory parked his Jeep in the car park at the Cheyenne Mountain Complex, grabbed his grip from the trunk and made his way to the security desk at the entrance. The airman on duty, who was fully armed, Mallory noticed, saluted smartly. "Good morning Sir"
Mallory returned the salute "Good morning airman, I'm Colonel Thomas Mallory to see General Hammond, SGC command." "Yes Sir, they phoned up from security to let me know you were on your way". Mallory handed over his ID and security pass and the airman checked them diligently. "Excuse me Sir, I'll just call down for you". The airman picked up the phone, announcing the arrival of the visitor. Replacing the receiver he turned to the waiting Colonel. "Your escort will be here in a moment Sir" Mallory nodded his thanks.
He looked around him with interest whilst he waited. He'd had full clearance for this visit but had actually been told almost nothing about the work that was carried out here, other than that it was very important and 'Top Secret'. Apparently his presence had been requested personally by General Hammond, though Mallory had never met the man and in fact, until a few days ago, had never even heard of him, and certainly hadn't heard of the SGC. He knew now that the acronym stood for Star Gate Command, but that was as far as his knowledge went. He'd been assured of receiving a full briefing on arrival at Cheyenne Mountain, but at the moment couldn't conceive why NORAD wanted a specialist in Antarctic survey here in Colorado.
"Colonel, Sir here's your escort"
"Thank you Airman"
"Colonel Mallory?"
"Yes Lieutenant". He received and returned a salute from a pretty brunette. "If you'll follow me Sir, I'll escort you to general Hammond's office"
They set off down a featureless grey corridor, eventually stopping at an elevator. The doors opened and they stepped inside, the young Lieutenant hit the button and they began to descend.
"How far does it go?"
"Sorry Sir, that's classified, but a long way"
Mallory chuckled at the response, but she was right, it took several minutes for the car to travel into the depths of the mountain. Eventually though, they came to a stop and the doors opened. Mallory saw the number 26 emblazoned on the wall and wondered if they were at the bottom.
"This way Sir"
Mallory followed the Lieutenant, along another featureless corridor. He wasn't sure that he liked the experience of being so far under ground; in fact he imagined he could almost feel the weight of the mountain pressing down on him. The people they passed in the corridors seemed oblivious however, he guessed that they'd become accustomed, just as he had become accustomed to working and living at sub-zero temperatures.
Suddenly Mallory became aware of voices raised in discussion from around the corner. Much to his surprise he thought that he recognised one of them, but surely not, he was pretty sure that Jono had retired, it couldn't be him.
As he followed the Lieutenant past an intersection in the corridors he glanced down and couldn't believe his eyes, it was him!
"Jono? Jono good God, I can't believe it. ...What in hell are you doing here?" he called out, much to the astonishment of the Lieutenant, who stood waiting for her visitor to follow her.
Down the corridor a short way stood Colonel Jack O'Neill and Dr. Daniel Jackson, having one of their, as usual heated, but mostly amicable 'discussions'. As O'Neill heard Mallory's voice he spun around, his eyes widening in amazement.
"Mal?" he called out "it can't be - Mal - for cryin' out loud!"
Then the two men faced each other before grinning and grabbing each other into a hug. Mallory was the first to speak.
"So Jono, I heard that you'd retired - what are you doing here of all places?" "Oh you know, same old .... same old, but what about you?" "I'm here to see General Hammond"
"Sure, yeah he's my CO, great guy"
Behind them the Lieutenant cleared her throat.
"Er, excuse me Colonel O'Neill, Colonel Mallory, but the General's waiting, Sirs"
"Yes, I'm sorry Lieutenant. Jono, will I see you later?" "Yeah sure, you betchya, looking forward to it"
Mallory strode off with a wave, following his guide to the general's office.
"Er ..... Jono?" queried Daniel.
"Oh Mal and I go way back to Academy days, we were best pals until circumstances split us up and we drifted apart. I was still known as Jonathan in those days, or Jon 'O' to distinguish me from another John in the same class. I didn't start using Jack until much later." "So what do you think he's come to see Hammond about?" "No idea, in fact I'm not even sure what Mal's expertise is. No doubt we'll find out soon enough"
Colonel Mallory, meanwhile, was appraising and in turn, being appraised by, General George Hammond.
"Colonel Mallory, welcome to the SGC, please take a seat" "Thank you General"
"Now I guess you're intrigued as to why I asked you here? - You must have a lot of questions?" "Yes Sir, that's certainly the case, quite frankly I'm a 'snow man' and unless you want help with the skiing up in Aspen, I can't think" The general chuckled.
"Well, before I tell you a little about what we do here, let me ask you a question" Mallory nodded, but the question wasn't at all what he was expecting. "What do you know about 'wormholes?"
"Wormholes!! Sounds like something from Star Trek! Aren't they purely theoretical" "Well actually no" Hammond passed, thinking a moment, then continued, "I think it might be easier to show you. I have a team due back from a field mission very soon, let's go and watch them arrive shall we?"
The General got up and motioned for Mallory to precede him. The Colonel, for his part, was thoroughly bemused, why would they want to watch a team arriving back from a mission? And what on earth had that got to do with wormholes? General Hammond led the way to the stairwell.
"It's only a couple of floors, we'll walk down" 'Down?' thought Mallory 'how can a team be coming back from a mission even further down?' He kept his thoughts to himself however and followed Hammond down the stairs. "By the way General" he said "I bumped into an old friend of mine on the way in" "Oh, who was that?"
"Jonathan O'Neill"
"You know Jack? He's my 2IC"
"Jack? Is that what he calls himself these days? At the Academy he was always known as Jono" "So you two were at the Academy together?" "Yes Sir, Jono and I go back a long way but we haven't seen each other in years. I'm looking forward to catching up with him later" "Oh, you'll have plenty of time for that. I'm hoping that you'll agree to being temporarily assigned to SG-1" "SG-1?"
" Yes, we have 12 teams here at the moment who go on field missions - the most senior is SG-1 - my crack team- lead by Jack O'Neill. They're a team of four, along with Jack there's his 2IC, Major Sam Carter, a brilliant scientist in the field of theoretical astrophysics, Dr. Daniel Jackson - archaeologist, anthropologist and linguist, and another, er, civilian called Teal'c. All will become clearer later I assure you" "I must say it sounds like very 'unusual' mix for a military field team," Mallory said "Well, son, this isn't your usual military operation" They had come to a halt outside a plain grey door. "Son" Hammond asked Mallory "Would you say you had an open mind?" "Well, yes Sir, at least I'd like to think so" "Good, because what I'm about to show you will blow you away" As he spoke, Hammond used a swipe card to open the door and they entered what to Mallory appeared to be some sort of central control room. Just as the door closed behind them a loud klaxon sounded and there was an announcement over the tannoy system. "Off world activation. Incoming wormhole" The control room had one wall entirely of glass overlooking a large area below. This room was dwarfed by a huge ring structure that appeared to Mallory to have symbols carved around its perimeter. Leading up to the ring was a ramp. As he watched, part of the ring began to rotate then, to his utter amazement, there was a 'KAWOOSH' accompanied by an outpouring from the ring. A cloud of something surged into the room then settled back into the confines of the ring, which now appeared to be filled with a curious pale silvery blue rippling...something. "Close the iris" said Hammond to the Tech on duty. This command resulted in the deployment of a large metallic looking screen that closed just like the iris on a camera. "Do we have an IDC?"
"Just coming through Sir, yes it's SG-5" "Very well, open the iris. Colonel would you come with me?"
A very bemused Mallory followed the General out of the control room and through a pair of large metal doors into the room containing the ring. Mallory watched open- mouthed as four Air Force officers stepped through the shimmering blue surface and made their way down the ramp to where he and the General were standing. With another whooshing sound the blue curtain disappeared, leaving just an empty ring once more.
"Welcome back SG-5" Hammond greeted the returning team "any problems?" "None Sir"
"Very good, debriefing in 40 minutes"
"Yes Sir"
The four men trooped out of the area, heading off to the locker room. Hammond turned to the younger man at his side who was still gaping like a stranded fish. "General, what just happened?" he managed to stutter "That ring, Colonel, is a Stargate, and what you've just witnessed is the formation of a stable wormhole from this gate, to another far across the galaxy on another planet. My team, SG-5 in this case, has been on a field mission ....Off world!" "Off world? You mean not on Earth? You aren't joking are you?" "No son, not at all, I told you it would blow your mind" "Wow - and where is this other planet that you go to?" "Not planet" replied Hammond "planets - multiple. This stargate is only one of a whole network of hundreds or possibly even thousands across the galaxy. Our job is partly to explore, meet new peoples and exchange technologies, but it does have a much more serious side. Earth and it's allies have a very powerful enemy out there, they are called the Goaul'd and we are sworn to protect this planet and it's population from them" "I...I'm sorry Sir, having trouble taking all this in" "Don't worry son. It'll all become clearer at the briefing, which will be at 1600 hours, meanwhile I'll get someone to take you to the guest quarters" "Yes Sir"
"I know it's a lot to take in at once, if you'd like the science explaining to you I'll ask Major Carter to give you a hand. As well as being a first rate soldier, the Major has one of the best minds in the SGC." "Thank you, Sir"
"Ah, Airman Andrews will you escort Colonel Mallory to guest quarters number 2" "Yes Sir, this way please, Colonel"
"Thank you, and you General"
"OK son, I'll send someone to pick you up from your quarters for the briefing. You'll find some reading material there for you that will explain things in more detail and also some old mission reports for you to read. I'll answer any questions that you may have at the briefing" "Thank you again Sir, I'm sure I'll find them interesting"
The guest quarters were quite comfortable and Mallory quickly unpacked his bag, which had been delivered for him, and settled down to read the literature that had been left for him. He was amazed by what he read. The most entertaining were the mission reports. These were mostly written by Jono, and read like some sort of script for a TV sci-fi series. There were also some reports written by his 2IC, Major Sam Carter. Mallory became more and more engrossed as he read the reports; Jono's were typical of the man he'd once known so well, a caustic wit hiding the real dangers that they faced on a seemingly daily basis. The Major's, on the other hand were clear, concise and very illuminating - the general had not been exaggerating, this Carter was obviously a brilliant scientist - a paragon he couldn't wait to meet. 'Nah strike that' he thought to himself 'the guy's probably a geek'.
There was a knock at the door.
"Come in" he called. The door opened and a head appeared around it...it was Jono. "Hey Mal, seems you'll be joining us at the briefing" he said "sorry I can't stay now - I have to go and see Carter, my 2IC - need to pick that formidable brain" He grinned at the thought. "You obviously think very highly of your Major Carter," said Mal "Yeah, you betchya, Carter's brilliant and the best damn 2IC I've ever had. Saved my ass on more than one occasion." O'Neill's eyes softened and a wistful smile crossed his lips. "Well Mal, I'll see you shortly, then we'll make time for a serious chat." With that he was gone. Mallory was intrigued - he'd known Jono since they were not much more than boys together and, even though he'd not seen him for many years, he couldn't believe he'd get so 'sappy' was the only way to describe it, about a fellow officer.
A little while later there was another knock at the door. It was almost time for the briefing so Mal expected that this was his escort. "Come in" he called
"Er, hi...Colonel Mallory?" A youngish bespectacled man entered, obviously not military. He was the one who had been talking to Jono earlier in the corridor. "Hi, I'm Daniel Jackson, I'm the archaeologist on SG-1, I've come to take you to the briefing room." He held out his hand and gave Mal's a firm shake. "Hi, Daniel, pleased to meet you, and please call me Mal or Tom, I answer to both." "Thanks Mal, I understand you may be joining us for a mission or two" "In that case Daniel you probably know more than I do, but I expect all will become clear at the briefing" "Yeah, have you met the rest of the team yet?" "No, though I've heard quite a lot about your paragon Major Carter." "You have?"
"Yes, first from General Hammond, then from Jono" Mal grinned " As a matter of fact Daniel, If I didn't know that Jono was as straight as they come I'd say that Jono had more than a soft spot for your Major Carter" Daniel couldn't help himself and burst out laughing, Mal looked askance at him. "Did I say something?" he asked
Daniel spluttered, " Sorry, but it's amazing, you've been here just a few hours and already you've unearthed Jack's biggest secret - 'sweet' as Jack would say" "Pardon?"
"Oh, you'll see - c'mon or we'll be late" Still chuckling Daniel led an increasingly bewildered Mal to the briefing room.
The briefing room held only one occupant when Daniel and Mal arrived. A large man got to his feet as they entered. He was wearing BDU's but certainly didn't look like your average USAF officer. He had a strange golden symbol that appeared to be somehow embossed onto his forehead. Mal had never seen anything quite like it before. "Ah, Teal'c" said Daniel "Let me introduce you" "Colonel Thomas Mallory, this is Teal'c, he's also a member of SG-1" Teal'c bowed his head briefly.
"I am pleased to make your acquaintance Colonel Mallory" "Teal'c is a Jaffa, from the planet Chulak," said Daniel, as if that explained everything. "Oh, wow.... so you're...."
"An alien, as you would say" finished the big Jaffa " that is correct"
At that moment the door opened and General Hammond entered, Mallory stood to attention. "At ease Colonel" said Hammond, then turning to Daniel, asked "Colonel O'Neill and Major Carter not here yet?" "They're on their way, General, Jack wanted to see Sam about something to do with our last mission" O'Neill's voice was then heard from outside "Ah, here they are now" Daniel took a seat opposite Mallory, making a point of watching the man's expression carefully as the door opened.
Jono entered the room first and hot on his heels was a simply stunning blonde. 'Ah, that explains it ' thought Mal. 'Sam' Carter was obviously very much a woman, despite baggy BDU's and a cropped military style haircut. He looked across at Daniel who winked and grinned back at him. 'So' thought Mal a brilliant scientist, great soldier and beautiful to boot. He was looking forward very much to making the Major's acquaintance. Then he remembered Daniel's cryptic comment about discovering Jono's secret. So.... was there something going on? He couldn't wait to find out.
General Hammond called the briefing to order, formally introducing Mallory to SG-1. "Now, SG-1, you'll have read the reports of your next scheduled mission. The planet, designation P9L 478, looks very interesting, but its' exploration is going to prove tricky. That's why I've asked Colonel Mallory here to join us." he nodded in Mal's direction. "The Colonel has spent most of the last 15 years as part of the USA's Antarctic survey team and he's an expert - the best, so I've been reliably informed - on travelling, working and surveying in constantly sub-zero conditions." the General paused a moment " Now the UAV, that's an unmanned reconnaissance vehicle, Colonel, has sent back intriguing video footage of the planet." Hammond then turned to Sam Carter " Major, would you enlighten us?" "Yes Sir" she replied crossing the room to operate a video projector. She turned to address her audience. "This is the recording the UAV sent back to us" all eyes watched the images forming on the screen. "As you can see, near the gate and for approximately 20 klicks, the planet is locked in ice and snow. The ambient temperature is minus 50 degrees Celsius. Fortunately, at least at this season, wind speeds are low, averaging less than 10 kph. This means that conditions, though very difficult, are not impossible to cope with. At least with the right know-how" She turned and beamed at Mallory 'Wow,' he thought 'and a smile to die for - no wonder Jono's well and truly smitten' "Now" continued Sam " you'll see something quite different". The film continued to show featureless grey-white snowfields backed by what appeared to be a range of mountains, forming a wall of rock in the distance. The UAV must have gained some height here, as the ground suddenly appeared to drop away. Then gasps could be heard from those who hadn't seen this footage before. Below the UAV now, were green fields, a deep fertile valley, with scattered woodlands meandering streams and a smattering of what were obviously small settlements. The whole valley, which appeared to be enclosed by a wall of rock, was temperate and lush - like an oasis in the desert. "How on Earth?" exclaimed Mal.
"Exactly Colonel" agreed Hammond "How? Is it natural, or do the inhabitants have some means of keeping out the cold - some technology that we can perhaps barter for. That's what I want you to find out".
"Colonel O'Neill I want you to have your team ready to move out by 0800 - 7 days from now - you're to liase closely with Colonel Mallory regarding the equipment and supplies that you'll need to survive the journey to and from the valley" "Yes Sir"
Both Colonels replied together, grinning at each other and already looking forward to working together. "Colonel O'Neill" Hammond continued "you'll be ultimately in charge of the mission, but I expect you to follow Colonel Mallory's advice on survival in the extreme conditions you're likely to face, is that clear?" "Of course, Sir, Mal knows I trust him implicitly" "Yeah, Jono but you never were very good at following orders" Mal returned with a grin. Sam carter regarded the two men with a quizzical expression 'Mal' and 'Jono' she thought, 'what gives?' "Very well team, dismissed - Jack, I'd like you and Sam to bring Colonel Mallory up to speed with the way we work here" "Sure, Sir"
They all stood as the General left the room, but remained behind to discuss what they'd just learned. Mal walked over to where Jack was lounging against the edge of the table. "So, Mal, whaddya think of our little set up so far?" "Amazing Jono. Just imagine, I'm going to be setting foot on another planet, I can't believe it" "Oh, believe it my friend. Hey, let me introduce you to my 2IC." "Carter" he called, beckoning her over. "Sir" she smiled at him, a sparkle in her blue eyes "Colonel" she turned to Mallory, "Welcome to the SGC"
"Carter, this is Mal, a very old friend of mine, though we've not seen each other in years. Mal this is Major Samantha Carter, the best 2IC in the SGC" "Sir" she protested, and Mal was enchanted to see her face flush a delicate shade of pink. "I'm delighted to meet you at last, Major" Mal smiled at her. "Hey guys" said O'Neill to his team "how's about we get together at my place tonight. We can get some beers in and a pizza, and you can all get to know Mal a little better." They all agreed and decided to meet up at Jack's house at 1900 hours. "I'll drive you Mal," said Jack "you're welcome to stay at my place overnight" "Sure thing Jono, I'll just need to pick up my bag" "I'll collect you from quarters in, oh say half a hour?" "Yeah, as long as you can show me the way back to them, these corridors are even more faceless than the usual base" "I'll take you Colonel," said Sam " it's on my way"
"So, Major, how long have you known Jono, er Jack?" "I've been on the Colonel's team for 5 years, Sir, since the second mission to Abydos and the setting up of the Stargate program." "I'd heard on the grapevine that he'd retired after some personal tragedy?" Mal was fishing and he knew it. "That's possible, Sir, but you'll have to ask the Colonel" Sam didn't care how well this guy knew the Colonel, she wasn't about to divulge details of his personal life. Mal smiled to himself. "Your reticence is very admirable, Major" "Yes, Sir"
They continued in silence for a while until they reached a door that Mal recognised. "Here you are, Sir, I'll see you later at Colonel O'Neill's" "Thank you, Major" he smiled at her "I look forward to getting to know you all a little better" "Sir" Sam nodded and left the Colonel at his door, not yet quite certain what to make of him. Mallory grinned to himself 'seems the lovely Major is giving nothing away' he thought 'ah, well, I'll just have to see if I can't get her to loosen up a little later on. I'd hazard a guess though that the feelings Jono may have for her are quite possibly reciprocated'.
O'Neill picked Mallory up from the guest quarters and drove him to his home in Colorado Springs. They spent much of the journey reminiscing - all those 'whatever happened to' and 'do you remember when' conversations shared by old friends. "So Jono, I'd heard that you'd retired. I asked your lovely Major but she wouldn't tell me anything - very loyal" Jack gave a wry smile. "She's not mine, I'm sorry to say, though she is lovely". "You may not think she's yours, Jono, but she certainly seems to" "That's a pretty big assumption for someone who's only met her once" "Ah, yes but wasn't I always a great judge of character - anyway - don't change the subject, unless of course you're not going to tell me" Jack was silent for a moment. Even though the pain had lessened over the years, he had never found talking about his family easy. Mal, however, had been his best friend and so he guessed he deserved to hear the ugly details. Besides, who knew what he'd heard on the grapevine, Jack would far rather his friend heard the truth directly from him. "I married Sarah just before I became involved with 'Black Ops' and we had a son, Charlie. He was my reason for living. When Charlie was 8 years old he shot and killed himself - with my gun. It was an accident, the gun was shut away but little boys can be cunning and persistent." Jack heaved a sigh; Mal saw the deep sorrow in his friend's eyes but stayed silent. "I - I went to pieces" Jack continued "shut Sarah out of my life and tried to drown myself in whisky and guilt. Then one day a USAF Major turns up on my doorstep and I find myself on a suicide mission to another planet. That was the idea, you see, but it didn't turn out quite the way I expected. Meeting Daniel and the people of Abydos changed me and finally I found the courage to continue with my life. The irony of it was, by the time I returned, Sarah had gone and there was no life to come back to." "Jono, I'm so sorry"
Jack smiled at his friend. "Thanks. It still hurts of course, but it's been over 6 years now - and anyway that's pretty much how I ended up at the SGC." "You have a good team" said Mal "and I know from experience how important that is." "Yeah, I guess they're my family now".
Jack pulled his truck onto the driveway of a substantial house. "Here we are" "Nice house"
"Yeah, I always meant to get rid of it and buy something smaller, especially as I'm off world so often I don't get to spend much time here, but ya know how it is." "Sure do, I'm down at the base in Antarctica for five or six months of the year but I still keep up my family home." "D'you have a family Mal?"
"No, well not exactly - I have a long time partner, Angie - she's a geologist, works at the base. We have a kinda off-on relationship. Six months together 24/7 six months largely apart - odd, but it works for us" "So you're happy?"
"Oh yeah, very"
"Then I'm glad for you"
They entered the house "Like a beer?"
"Yeah, sure that'd be good"
"I'll get on the phone and order some food. The guys'll be here soon" "The guys? I'll bet that's not how you think of Major Sam" Mal grinned at Jack, who sighed theatrically. "You're not going to let it go are you?" he asked, "You always were the most aggravatingly tenacious ......" Mal laughed, "That's me - so give"
Jack shook his head wearily "There's really nothing to say, I'm her CO, we're not allowed to have any kind of relationship, you know that, it's against regulations" "Wow, you have changed - I distinctly remember hearing you say that the only good rule was a broken one" "Yeah, I guess, but I'm not the only one involved here" "So?"
"Truthfully?"
"Yeah"
Jack was silent for a moment as if deciding how much to reveal to his friend. "I'm in love with her" he gave an exasperated groan "she knows that I care for her and I'm pretty sure she cares for me - but that's as far as it's ever gone between us, or ever likely to" "Well, I admire your restraint, but I think you're a fool - especially now I know a little about how dangerous your job is, I read some of your mission reports. I mean, you constantly dice with death - If you love her you should do something about it -right now -tomorrow may be too late" "I couldn't ask her to make that sacrifice, Mal. I'm at the end of my career, but she's much younger than me and still has it all in front of her. She's exceptional, could make General one day" "So her career means more to her than you do?" "I don't know, we've never discussed it. Hell we've never discussed anything about our situation; it's much easier not to. That way we can ignore it and just get on with the job, well most of the time we can ignore it" "Mm, well you haven't convinced me pal." A loud knocking at the door prevented any more discussion. "That'll be the others - c'mon, forget my problems - that's not why you're here" He went to the door to find Daniel and Teal'c, who thrust beers into Jacks hands. Carter's car was just pulling onto the drive, so he waited. She got out of the car and walked slowly to the door. Jack smiled rather more warmly at her than usual. Seeing her always lifted his spirits, but following his conversation with Mal, he was feeling a little less in control than normal. She was looking particularly good tonight, he thought, wearing figure hugging jeans and a close fitting long sleeved white t-shirt, that clung in all the right places and showed off her figure more than she was usually wont to do. "Hello, Sir" she smiled at him.
"Hi, Carter, you're looking very nice this evening" "Why, thank you Sir" the surprise at his comment was evident in her voice; it wasn't like the Colonel to make such remarks - 'more's the pity' she thought. "The guys are in the kitchen I think, go on through. I'd better get some pizzas ordered - the usual?" "Yeah sure"
She went ahead of him into the room giving him ample time to appreciate her rear view. He shook himself - maybe Mal was right and he should say something. But, truth was, he was scared to take the risk, to jeopardise their friendship and their working relationship. Soon everyone was chatting, doing his or her best to make Mal feel part of the team. The food arrived and they had a very pleasant evening. Mal had lots of interesting tales to tell of his time in Antarctica and Jack and Sam told him briefly about their own ordeal on the continent. Mal had noticed how formal they were with each other, even off duty. Jack seemingly only ever called her 'Carter' even though there was often the hint of a caress in the tone of his voice. Sam only ever referred to him as 'Sir' and occasionally as 'Colonel'. Mal however would have none of this for himself. They were off duty and he insisted Sam call him Mal, just as everyone else did, and he called her 'Sam'. As the evening drew on Mal found himself in the kitchen alone with her. "Well, Sam now that you know me a little, d'you think I'll fit in with SG-1 for a while?" "Of course, Mal, I'm looking forward to it. This will be good for the Colonel too, it's great to see him relax" she looked a little flustered, as if the simple remark had revealed too much "I mean, you must have lots of interesting tales to tell of when you were at the Academy together." "Fishing, Sam" They both laughed "but yeah, Jono and I were close friends in those early days. He was such a great guy to be around, great fun and interested in so many different things" he smiled at the memory "if anyone wanted to know anything on almost any topic, they'd ask Jono - and he nearly always knew. Oh he wasn't what you'd call scholarly, but he had a very special mind. He was good at sports too and very popular with the girls. You could always depend on Jono to entertain you." Sam looked a little quizzically at Mal. "Mm" she said, "I always suspected that 'don't ask me I'm dumb' was a bit of an act." "Jono, dumb!" exclaimed Mal "Nothing could be further from the truth, but it's always been his way to hide behind a smokescreen, getting to know the real O'Neill isn't ever going to be easy" "I'm beginning to realise that" Sam smiled "Don't give up on him Sam, he's worth the trouble" "Oh" she said quietly "I know."
Sam surprised herself when she exchanged a very knowing smile with Mal. 'This guy's sharp' she thought 'I'd best be careful not to give too much away.' She followed the Colonel back into the living room "So, Mal, what was that about the Colonel providing entertainment?" she asked with a pointed look at O'Neill. "What Jono, you mean these good people haven't heard you play?" "Aw Mal, please" drawled Jack, looking a little embarrassed. "C'mon Jono, you were so good, remember Anji and all those other Simon and Garfunkel songs we used to sing?" Sam, Daniel and Teal'c were looking increasingly puzzled by this exchange, Mal grinned at them. "Just as I thought" he explained "Jono here was always one to hide his light under a bushel, he's obviously never told you that he plays a mean guitar!" Jack buried his head in his hands for a moment before giving his friend a wry grin. "You never give up do you?" he chuckled "but honestly, I haven't played in years." "So? It's like riding a bike, you might be a bit rusty, but hey this isn't Carnegie Hall." "Yeah, c'mon Jack we'd love to hear you play" enthused Daniel "wouldn't we guys?" "That would indeed be most entertaining," added Teal'c, raising an eyebrow. Sam couldn't help but chuckle at the expression on O'Neill's face. "No giggling, Major" Jack said trying to be stern. "C'mon Jono, you know I won't stop nagging you until you give in" Mal added Jack sighed theatrically, got up and left the room. Sam raised an eyebrow at Mal; she was under the strong impression that he was up to something. A few moments later Jack returned carrying a very smart looking acoustic guitar. He pulled up a low stool and sat down. "It'll need tuning, give me a minute" he said as he proceeded to strum and adjust the strings. Then, casting a rather wistful smile in his old friends' direction he began to play. It was an early Paul Simon instrumental tune called 'Anji'. It had always been a favourite of theirs, but he hadn't played it for 10 years or more. Jack actually astonished himself; after a slightly hesitant start, it was as if he'd only played it yesterday. A broad smile spread across Mal's face as he listened to his friend play - this simple tune brought back so many memories. He looked at the others, pleased to see a mix of astonishment and pleasure on their faces. As the tune came to an end, Jack grinned a little sheepishly at his friends. "Well, you're obviously not that rusty, Jono" exclaimed Mal "that was pretty near perfect". "Yeah" grinned Jack "I'm surprised at how much I remembered. It's been such a long time since I played that I'd forgotten just how much I enjoyed it." "Sir, that was amazing" Sam said, Daniel and Teal'c joining in with the praise. "Play some thing else" Jack chuckled "Here's one that I know will bring back memories for you Mal, but you'll have to remind me of the words" He began another Simon song, 'The Boxer' beginning to sing softly. He had a good true voice. Mal soon joined in and by the time they'd reached the last verse, Daniel too added his voice.
"In the clearing stands a boxer and a fighter by his trade
And he carries the reminders of every blow that knocked him down
Or cut him, till he cried out in his anger and his shame,
'I am leaving, I am leaving but the fighter still remains'
Lai la lai"
"Wow, Sir, that was really good" enthused Sam "I'd no idea you were so talented" Jack shrugged, a little embarrassed but clearly really enjoying himself. "Oh I'm sure Jono here has lots more secrets for you to winkle out of him, Sam" said Mal, with a sly wink. "Really? And what might they be Sir?" she asked sweetly, giving O'Neill an arch grin "Please do tell" Jack actually flushed, and Sam instantly felt a little contrite. Mal stepped in quickly, realising he may have gone a little too far with his comments. "Hey Jono, remember this one?" he began to sing and Jack to play, the awkward moment forgotten. Jack and Mal went through a whole repertoire of songs, from folk tunes to hits from the 60's and 70's with eventually both Daniel and Sam joining in. They drank a fair amount of beer and were soon quite raucous and merry. Jack finally called a halt and wandered outside onto the deck for some air, leaving the others arguing about the relative merits of the Beatles and the Rolling Stones. Sam was astonished when Mal gave her a very pointed look, nodding towards O'Neill's departing figure. Normally Sam wouldn't have dreamt of following him, but she'd seen a very different side to the Colonel tonight and wanted to see more. Mal engaged Daniel and Teal'c in a noisy conversation and Sam slipped out unnoticed. She found O'Neill leaning against the railings of his deck, staring up into the sky. She quietly joined him. "Thank you" she said simply
"Mm? What for"
"For the music and the evening, I've really enjoyed it" He turned and smiled at her "Yeah, me too. I'd forgotten" "Mal seems like a really good guy"
"Yeah, the best" There was a moments' silence. "You call him Mal" Jack stated.
Sam was a little taken aback.
"He insisted" she said, a slight note of defiance in her voice "and besides, we're off duty". "So, if we're off duty, why won't you call me Jack?" he asked quietly. Sam found that she couldn't look at him and stared out at the dark, finally she whispered "That's different...you know why" "No, tell me" he replied equally quietly. She sighed "It helps me cope...you're 'Sir' and that keeps things under control" Now it was Jack's turn to sigh, "Yes Sam, I understand" She turned to look at him, his use of her given name so unusual. "But sometimes" he continued, "We need to relax the control a little" They were standing very close and Jack reached up, running a finger gently down her cheek, feeling her tremble at his touch. "Jack...I," she whispered
"I know" he smiled at her and gently brushed his lips across her cheek, then he was gone. Sam's mind was in a whirl and she stayed outside for a while to cool her burning cheeks and slow her rapidly beating heart. She had never met anyone before who could so discompose her with such a simple gesture of affection. It seemed that both of them were acting a little out of character this evening, must be Mals' influence, she thought. In which case, the next few days might prove to be interesting, she'd better watch her step. She didn't know whether to welcome the thought or not. Sighing, she went back into the house. The guys were chatting quietly now. Daniel looked half asleep and soon announced that he and Teal'c were headed home. Sam picked up another beer. Though she knew she'd really had enough, the encounter with O'Neill had unsettled her. She decided that a little indulgence wouldn't hurt for once. Sam took her beer and curled up on the couch at the opposite end to Mal, who turned and smiled at her, lifting an eyebrow as if in enquiry. Sam just smiled, keeping her own counsel, but Mal noticed her heightened colour. He was convinced that something private had passed between his friend and Sam Carter. Jack had picked up his guitar again and was quietly strumming. Sam smiled; it was as if that now he'd reawakened his interest he couldn't leave it alone. The memories it evoked were obviously fond ones. She lay back on the chair suppressing a yawn. "Seems like our Major's a little tired" Mal murmured. Jack gave her an unfathomable look and then began to play, singing quietly, almost in a whisper
"Darlin' those tired eyes go with me all the time
And in the dead of night, tell me you will be mine.
Where do you go to, pretty babe?
Where do you go when the night wings away?
You ask me so sweetly, yeah
What do I do, and who do I sing for
Well honey, I sing about you
You"
Sam opened her eyes as the guitar sank into silence. The little song was heartbreakingly beautiful. She looked across to Jack, who was gazing thoughtfully at her. He smiled a little wistfully and she retuned the smile, to which he gave a slight nod of the head. Sam wasn't quite sure what was happening between them tonight - it was almost as if the unexpected appearance of someone from the Colonels' past had set in train some new chain of events, opening up a previously unseen side of him. She'd never really thought of Jack as having a wistful nature and he was being more obvious in showing his feelings for her. He would certainly never have sung such a romantic little song to her before. If she were honest with herself she found her responses to his gentle courting more overwhelming than she would have thought and it seemed she didn't have as much control over her own feelings as she'd hoped. Mal, announcing that he was ready for bed, broke her train of thought. She stood, a little unsteadily, stifling another jaw-cracking yawn. "Carter, you wanna stay here tonight?" asked Jack, apparently back to his normal self. "If that's OK with you Sir. I think I've probably had too many beers to drive home" "Sure, take the ground floor guest room, Mal you can have the one upstairs. I'll show you" "Thanks, Jono - G'night Sam, sweet dreams" he smiled knowingly at her, causing her to blush and look away. "Goodnight, 'Sirs'" she said emphasising their rank, she really need to get back to her old comfortable position regarding her superiors. With a rueful shake of her head she left the men and went off to bed. Sam slipped immediately into an alcohol induced deep sleep, but the early hours of the morning found her wide awake and pondering again the events of the previous night. 'Well, Sam Carter' she told herself 'seems like it's decision time. Do you move on or do go you try to go back to what you had?' The thought of actually moving on in her relationship with O'Neill scared her more than she was willing to admit, but she knew somehow that an invisible line had been crossed and that it might not be possible to go back, even if she wanted to. She knew that they were both waiting for a tomorrow that might never come, but she also knew that neither of them would countenance a relationship that had to be kept secret from their friends and colleagues. Jack was nothing if not honest, and she had always been uncomfortable with any sort of subterfuge. Of course there was always the option of one of them transferring to another unit, but in her heart Sam knew that she wanted to be there to watch his back, and suspected that Jack would feel the same about her. She sighed, tossing and turning in the bed, but sleep had now eluded her. Finally she got up, it wasn't quite 0500. She showered and dressed, deciding to head off early to the base. She would put all her problems on the back burner for now and concentrate on the up-coming mission. When they returned, she promised herself, she'd make a decision one way or the other. Little did she realise that fate was to play a part in making the decision for her.
END OF PART ONE
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