Just Before I Say Goodbye
Just Before I Say Goodbye
by Jessie
Summary: Jack Jr. says goodbye.
Category: Humor, Hurt/Comfort, Missing Scene/Epilogue, Romance
Episode Related: 406 Window of Opportunity, 703 Fragile Balance
Season: Season 7
Pairing: Jack/Sam
Rating: GEN
Warnings: none
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).
Archived on: 2004-08-04
Authors Note: Thank you so much to Carhop for doing a great beta job!! I have to say a special thanks to Elise for taking time from her new fic to fix this for me.
Copyright Jessica Rodgers November 2003
On with the story!
***SG1***SG1***SG1***SG1***SG1***SG1***
Just Before I Say Goodbye
"Hey, Carter, can I talk to you for a sec?" Jack jr., as he had been dubbed, looked uncertainly at the Major as he asked his question.
Sam glanced up from her computer and smiled at her CO's young clone.
"Yeah, sure, what's on your mind?"
Jack stood silently in her lab looking desperately for one of her doohickeys to bre.. ah, examine.
"Umm, ok, well, before you knew that I was a clone, you thought it was me, ah, Colonel O'Neill, the original, you know." Sam nodded. "Well, basically, I am him, I mean I'm the same, aren't I? Well, up to where we started doing things different, but I know everything he knows and stuff, right?" He ended his ramblings and looked at Sam expectantly, waiting for her reply.
"Except for your physical appearance, you are pretty much the same, yes." Sam answered carefully, unsure of where the conversation was leading.
"Look, I just want to say, ummm... This really isn't easy for me."
"This?" Sam asked, suddenly nervous.
"I love you." He blurted. "Have for a very long time. He loves you too." He added.
Sam sat in her chair, jaw slack.
"I just thought you should know, seeing as how I can tell you now. He wants you to know. I should know, after all I'm him, right?"
Sam looked up, still reeling at his words, and smiled slightly when she saw a very familiar confused look cross his face. "Yeah, you're him." She said softly.
Jack dropped into a chair, shoulders drooping forward. "I'm going to miss you, Sam."
Sam glanced up, startled at the unfamiliar raw emotion that she heard in his voice.
"I'll miss SG-1, fighting the snakes, I'll even miss doc and her needles. What the heck, I'll even miss the Tok'ra." He frowned. "Maybe not the Tok'ra, no offense to your dad." He added quickly. "I guess I know how my, his, uh, our robot copy felt. Having everything gone. At least he still had SG1 with him." He risked a look at Sam's face. "Please say something."
The Major locked eyes with him, very aware of who he was, yet wasn't. "I have been in love with Jack O'Neill for a very long time." She admitted softly. "You have a right to know."
Jack just stared at her, stunned. She loved him? She really loved him? He was just an old, well, young, soldier, yet she loved him. They sat in silence, both contemplating the ramifications of what they had said. He idly picked up her latest project from her desk and started fiddling with it. Before she had a chance to snatch it back, he set it back down, speaking almost in a whisper.
"I'll miss coming to your lab, just to be by you, telling those bad jokes just to see you smile. You know all those times I asked you to go fishing?"
She nodded.
"I guess while I was disappointed, I was always sorta relieved when you said no. I knew that I could count on you to be strong for us. It wasn't fair for me to put you in that position, but I, well..." He trailed off, unsure of how to continue. He wasn't used to baring his soul, but he was saying goodbye, and he needed her to know.
"I wanted so badly to say yes." She told him, bringing him out of his reverie. "I wanted to just forget the regs and just be Jack and Sam."
"There's another thing I'll miss." He said suddenly with a bitter smile. "My cabin and the lake with no fish."
She blinked at his admission. For someone who was supposed to be so smart, she realized that she hadn't given the situation too much thought, and considered everything that he was giving up.
"What are you going to do?" she asked him.
"I'm going back to highschool."
Sam's eyes widened. "You're going back to highschool?!"
He shrugged. "What can I say, Carter, you've inspired me."
Sam's head was spinning. "But won't that be humiliating? I mean, you've saved the world more than once, and yet you'll be accepting notes like 'good job, Jack you could be somebody someday'! And the kids! They're so immature and.."
"Carter!" Jack held up a hand. "I've thought about that, but there isn't a lot more that I can do. I'm not even old enough to beer, so I can't exactly sit and drown my sorrows." He told her gently. "I'll do hockey or something."
The pained expression in his eyes belied his light tone, and Sam saw right through his charade. She knew how hard it would be for him.
"Look, at least I won't have to deal with Tok'ra spice anymore, so there's a plus side."
Sam couldn't help the grin that spread across her face at the Jack-like nickname for Anise.
"I guess so." she agreed.
A mischievous twinkle appeared in his eyes as he spoke to her. "If I tell you a secret, promise to hold it against the original?"
She laughed. "I promise."
He scooted his chair closer to hers and spoke in a dramatic whisper. "Remember the time-loop fiasco a couple of years ago?"
Sam lit up. Was she finally about to find out what he did? His tone became serious; he wouldn't joke about this.
He took a deep breath and leaned in closer. "I kissed you."
Sam was suddenly very aware of their close proximity. "You what?!" she whispered back.
"I kissed you." How he longed to do it again, just once before he walked out of her life. His eyes came to focus on her lips as he continued.
"I handed in my resignation in to the General so I could do it. His face was priceless."
"Why'd you do it?" she asked.
He pulled his eyes from her mouth and looked intently into her wide, blue eyes. "Because I wanted to be able to hold you, to touch you. To know how you felt against me."
Sam was speechless. "Oh."
"Sam, I.."
The need to kiss her was overwhelming. He was no longer her commanding officer. There was nothing standing in their way except, well, except for his counterpart. The original, of which he was only a copy. He stood up suddenly, breathing heavily, as he ran his hand through his hair in frustration. He certainly felt real. His feelings for his former 2IC were certainly real enough, and yet...
"Jack?" Sam asked, almost shyly. "Come here."
She wanted him to kiss her. She wanted to feel his lips against hers. She owed him that much. He sat down in front of her, and watched as she scrutinized him. It would feel strange, she realized, to kiss this child, but one look into the familiar liquid brown eyes removed all doubt. She pressed her lips to his gently, waiting for a response. He sat in shock, trying to comprehend what was happening. Was she kissing him? After so long of denying his feelings, was it right? His arms came around her, pulling her closer to him. Oh yeah, definitely right.
"I love you so much." He told her as they broke apart. "I don't know how I'm going to live without you. I don't know why I'd want to.
"I love you, too." She told him honestly, awed that she was finally able to say the words. "And I'm so sorry."
He nodded his understanding of her words.
"You know, in the commissary when this started, I reminded you to call me 'sir'. I don't know why I did that, because I've always hated having that between us. I guess, I don't know, just thought you should know that." She smiled at his fumbled apology.
"It's alright. Have you spoken to Daniel and Teal'c?" she asked hesitantly, unsure if she should bring up what he was leaving behind.
"Yeah." He gave a small smile. "Daniel is fascinated by the whole thing, and Teal'c, well, Teal'c is Teal'c. He gave me the whole 'been an honor' speech, Jaffa style."
He shook his head bitterly. "You guys aren't giving anything up, you know? You still have me, I just don't have you." He kicked her desk. "Why couldn't the Asgard have just minded their own business?!" He looked at her sheepishly. "Sorry. Didn't mean to spill that out on you."
"It's okay."
He stood up. "I should go."
"Maybe we can keep in contact, as friends, you know?" she added hurriedly.
He gave her a slight smile. "I'd like that. And who knows, maybe I can work something out with, uh, me, about the cabin. Then again, maybe I should make a clean break." He sighed. "I just don't know."
"We'll figure it out." Sam assured him, putting an emphasis on the 'we'.
As long as he needed her, she would stand by him. She knew that neither one of them would feel comfortable exploring a romantic relationship, but first and foremost, they were friends.
"Bye, Sam."
"Colonel?" He turned back to her. "It's been an honor to serve with you, Sir." She saluted him smartly.
"You too, Carter."
"Goodbye, Jack." She watched him walk from the room, acutely aware of his loss. If she were the clone, she doubted she would be able to handle the situation near as well, as he was. But then, that was one of the qualities she loved about him.
Loved.... She touched her fingertips to her slightly swollen lips. Jack loved her! His feelings hadn't changed for her. She went back to her work, determination embedding itself deep within her spirit; she still had something worth fighting for.
***SG1***SG1***SG1***SG1***SG1***SG1***
Jack looked up from his paperwork to see his clone standing in front of him. Jack jr. shoved his hand out toward him. As Jack met the handshake, the younger-looking man spoke firmly.
"Take good care of them."
"I will." Jack promised.
"You'd better, Jack O'Neill. And make sure Sam knows how you feel before it's too late." He narrowed his eyes. "Don't make me have to come back here and kick your butt, because I would without hesitation."
"You wouldn't be me if you didn't." Jack acknowledged.
Thrusting his hands deep into his pockets, the clone spoke again.
"Listen, about the cabin......."
The End
If you enjoyed this story, please send feedback to Jessie
Heliopolis Main Archive
A Stargate: SG-1 Fanfiction Site
Just Before I Say Goodbye
by JessieSite Navigation
Support Heliopolis