Alien Relations
Alien Relations
by RogueDragon
Summary: Carter and O'Neill are put in uncomfortable situations when the Tok'ra come to Earth, looking for help in trying to repopulate their dwindling numbers.
Category: Angst, Drama, Humor, Hurt/Comfort, Romance
Episode Related: 113 Hathor, 211 TokRa, 405 Divide and Conquer, 417 Absolute power, 503 Ascension, 609 Allegiance, 610 Cure, 617 Disclosure, 715 Chimera, 716 Death Knell, 720 Inauguration, 721 Lost City
Season: any Season
Pairing: Jack/Sam, Sam/Pete, none
Rating: 13+
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: 2004-10-28
Alien Relations A fanfic based on Stargate: SG-1 By RogueDragon, edited by Nebulan
--Spoliers: "Hathor," "There but for the Grace of God," "Crystal Skull," "Window of Opportunity," "Allegiance," "Cure," "Death Knell," "Chimera," "Lost City pt 2," "Affinity"--
(also archived at Gateworld.net)
Part 1: Duty and Regulations
An incoming wormhole with a Tok'ra IDC was so far the most interesting thing to happen that day. Brigadier General O'Neill had summoned Lt. Col. Carter from her lab. They hadn't heard from the Tok'ra in quite a while. They had severed contact with the humans of Earth so they could regroup and organize themselves. Samantha Carter was relieved to see that her father had come through the Stargate, alive and well.
Jacob Carter, a retired General from the US military and now the host to an alien symbiote named Selmak, came through the event horizon with another Tok'ra. They carried a device that obviously contained a Goa'uld or Tok'ra symbiote, a live one at that. A third human, dressed as a Tok'ra so she was assumed to be a Tok'ra (which she was), followed after them through the watery pool of light.
"Heya, Jacob!" General O'Neill greeted, "it's been a while."
"Yes it has," Jacob grinned, "I'd give you all a better greeting, but I've got my hands full. Hey there, Sammie, how've you been?"
"Oh, you know, blowing Anubis up, trying to get myself killed a few more time, you know, same old same old," Samantha grinned, giving her father a kiss on his cheek.
"That's good to know," Jacob teased.
"... and... " Sam grinned widely, "Pete asked me to marry him!"
"Congratulations!" The proud father exclaimed with a huge smile, which he held onto for a sec as if this changed some calculation.
"So, Jacob... " Jack imputed, glancing at the other Tok'ra, "you going to introduce your friends?"
"This," Jacob gestured to the other person holding the symbiote device, "is Telraq, that's Ny'iel" he nodded behind him to the female Tok'ra, "and this," he signaled to the device he carried, "is Gemjeen."
O'Neill nodded to the other Tok'ra, including the one in the jar, "welcome to Earth. I'm General Jack O'Neill. This, who I'm sure you've never heard of, is Colonel Samantha Carter. And these are Daniel Jackson and Teal'c." O'Neill indicated to his associates, who also happened to be his best friends.
"Jack, I don't suppose you could have Sam help Ny'iel and Telraq get Gemjeen settled in as I explain our situation to you in your office?"
O'Neill didn't say anything at first, "nah, I think I'll have the Colonel help them out while you come to my office and explain yourself."
The Carters rolled their eyes.
"Why are we going to Jack's office instead of the briefing room where there'll be enough seats for all of us?" Daniel asked as he, Jack, Teal'c and Jacob neared the office.
"Well, the conversation I wanted to have with Jack I didn't really want too many people to hear," Jacob said in a tone that hinted that wasn't too sure if he wanted Teal'c and Daniel to be there either. He seemed uneasy compared to the more carefree Jacob they were used to.
"Oh, come on, Jacob," O'Neill said as he held his office door open and following in after the others had entered, "they're my advisors! So, in other words, they translate what you say and help me understand all those Tok'ra details you're going to inflict on me. But if you really don't want them here... then again we can wait for Sam to come back and she can be my advisor."
"No," Jacob spoke quickly as he seated himself across from Jack, "I'm alright with Teal'c and Daniel being here... having Sam here could make things... awkward."
Daniel cocked an eyebrow as he folded his arms tightly and leaned against the wall on the side of the room Jacob sat down at as Teal'c took the other chair in the room.
"So, uh... what's with the snake you brought?" O'Neill said to start things off.
"Gemjeen is a Queen," Jacob stated.
"Like Egeria? ...Or... not like... Egeria" Daniel tapered off as Jacob shook his head.
( ( A/N: This information I created... much of this is not confirmed and just based off of insects... Especially since I feel like when I finally seen those Season 6 episodes I haven't seen, this story could be nullified. I'm going to make some other assumptions... ) )
Jacob opened his mouth to explain as the sturdy resonating voice of Selmak came out. "A typical Goa'uld queen, or in this case, Tok'ra Queen is raised from her infancy with the sole purpose of becoming a Queen, as well as having been born with some pre-made modifications. In order to do so, her nutrients are different as well as some other processes that she is put through when she matures. However, if a queen unexpectedly dies and there is no other queen symbiote, a Makeshift Queen can be created. In the case of the Tok'ra, Egeria didn't have many associates to back her up, so she was on her own."
"Kinda like bees?" Daniel asked in his fascinated scientist mode.
O'Neill gave him a 'you're nuts' look, "bees?"
Daniel glanced shiftily at Jack and shrugged, "bees do that, I think... They can make an ordinary drone a queen, but she's got some sort of limitations, and I think ants do too. Actually most insects who have queens probably have some kind of back up plan incase something happens to their queen, like termites."
"Thank you, Daniel," Jack said before Daniel could continue. He turned his attention back to Jacob/Selmak, "so you're saying that Gemmy is a... Makeshift Queen?"
"That is correct," Selmak continued, "often, a Makeshift Queen's children will be small, frail, and have other deficiencies. Often, few in a litter will survive."
"Litter?" Selmak ignored Jack, "as you saw with Egeria, Queens do not need to mate with another of her species to procure young, however, Makeshift Queens can incorporate the genetics from an outside source such as the host's species. Normal queens do it too because it helps with host computability."
"Mate with a human?" Jack cocked a questioning eyebrow.
"That's what Hathor did to me," Daniel added quietly. The others looked at him for a sec, but Jack changed the subject a bit.
"So tell me, Selmak," Jack cleared his throat, "why don't I like where this is going?"
"We learned that not too long ago, you discovered a specific gene that the Ancients once had is a key to using the Ancient technology."
"How'd you know about that?" O'Neill questioned, "we haven't heard from you since before all that, so how would you know?"
"We have our sources," Semlak said offhandedly.
"Oh? Care to share?" Jack's irritation with the slight lack of Tok'ra cooperation he had experienced sounded in that question.
"What does this gene have to do with your Queen symbiote you have in the infirmary?" Teal'c redirected the topic back on track.
"The fact that there is still remnants of the gene after millions of years made it rather intriguing. Unfortunately, as rare it is on Earth, it apparently is even harder to find on other worlds. We were lucky to find that one of our hosts did possess it so that we could get a sample and study it. We quickly found that the gene held some other properties as well as being an advanced bit of genetics and a very stable gene."
"You know," General O'Neill added, "as fascinating as all of this sounds, what does it have to do with your bottled up little friend?"
Jacob/Selmak took an awkward sigh, "we would like one of your people in possession of this gene to... be a sperm donor."
Jack and Daniel choked as Teal'c raised an eyebrow.
"Couldn't you folks just... take what you need?" Daniel asked.
"We could," Selmak replied, "however, it would be inefficient, wasteful, and probably kill most of the sperm cells. We need what we can get. The Tok'ra's numbers have been dwindling, and Gemjeen hasn't much time." Jacob/Selmak let his head bob down as they switched mental places. "Look, Jack," Jacob said in his more easy-going voice, "In all honesty, it's just easier to... do it the old fashion way. That's how it's done. I explained to them that the Tau'ri have some different views and uneasiness on these sorts of things. Actually, there are many cultures that feel like we do when it comes to this sort of thing, but some planets where we get the most hosts, they don't understand."
"Okay, I think I understood what you just said there," O'Neill replied.
"So, wait," Daniel butted in, "Gemjeen is going to have a host, right?"
"Yes," Selmak responded, "a host should be arriving here soon."
"Here? Soon?" O'Neill asked, propping his head up with his hand, elbow on his desk, as if to help his head keep from being overwhelmed. "So let me get this straight," he tried to clarify, "you're asking, for us to get one of these mutant humans to... you know... "
"Do the nasty, yes Jack," Jacob said with a hint of mocking annoyance.
"Swell!" O'Neill remarked, irritably, putting his head in his hands. "How soon is soon, by the way? How quickly are you going to want to do this?"
"Gemjeen's unstable." Jacob Carter said carefully, "She's been modified to make the most of this gene and her queening process was sped up since we can't wait around too long in one place while we are constantly on the move. She only recently finished the process. She's not going to live very long, Jack. Her time is going to run out pretty soon."
"Yeah, so, is that why you brought her first and then asked?"
"I didn't want to have to go back and forth."
"Look... what your asking is... " the General decided to stop keeping this professionalism and began to get a bit rude, "did you tell them that it'd be rather inappropriate for me to have to ask someone to do something like that? I mean, do something like this as a duty? I don't exactly have very fond memories of the last time a queen strolled in here and made baby snakes!"
"Alright," Daniel shifted uncomfortably, "let's shift the conversation away from Hathor!"
"Whomever you wish to provide your genetics should be someone who has been informed of the Stargate program," Teal'c commented, "the request is already one that would be considered improper to most humans here."
"Oh, I'm sure some guys wouldn't mind," O'Neill added sarcastically.
"Do you have any means of detecting the gene?" Teal'c asked.
"We do," Jacob said as if he didn't have much intention of using it.
"Hey, what about that Tok'ra agent of yours with the gene?" O'Neill inquired, "or are you worried about that harsesis thing?"
"For one thing, we're not aiming to make a human child, so no," Jacob informed, "for another, she's a female."
"Oh," O'Neill slumped over onto his desk, rubbing his temples.
"Look, Jack," Jacob explained, "we hope Gemjeen's new host will be here within the next few hours. We really don't know how long she has."
"So, what, you want to start your search?"
"Well," Jacob Carter hesitated, "we have a person in mind."
The SG members cocked an eyebrow in unison except Daniel raised both.
((A/N: can Jaffa have symbiotes after using tretonin? I'm assuming they can... ))
"Jack," Jacob started, but he sighed and bobbed his head and it was Selmak who continued, "as a result of all this, we hope to improve relations with Earth, as well as with the Jaffa rebels. We've asked the Jaffa how willing they'd be to incubate our young. Since we are not Goa'uld, we don't wish to make them feel obligated, but since these symbiotes are not going to turn them into slaves... "
"Unless you get a rebellious teenager," Jack added.
"Thanks, Jack," Selmak replied acidly, "that's optimistic! With these symbiotes, they can save on the tretonin. Besides, it has been found that Jaffa are better warriors with symbiotes and heal better and faster. We understand that many still wish to grow without a symbiote, and we respect that, but this will give us something we can bond with. This makes us have to depend on every Jaffa who is willing to help and forces us to have to trust them. Gives them some leverage. They could kill our young since they don't need them to live, but we hope to find a happy medium."
"What are you going to do about hosts?" Daniel inquired, "don't you have enough trouble finding them?"
"We figure we'll cross that bridge when we come to it. Hopefully by then we'll have more human allies, or have convinced more Tau'ri that being a host isn't so bad."
"Yeah... right... While that's all good and dandy," O'Neill announced a bit bitter, "that still begs to ask which human you have in mind."
Jacob/Selmak lowered his head and sighed irritably, "can you think of no one, Jack?" Jacob inquired.
"Actually, No," O'Neill replied testily.
"Many of the genetically compatible went to Atlantis," Daniel added.
"Atlantis? You found it?" Jacob inquired.
"Jacob!" O'Neill was starting to loose patience, "can we stay focused here?"
"O'Neill, are you not able to control the Ancient devices?" Teal'c imputed.
"Well I-you don't mean... " O'Neill's eyes darted back and forth to the others in the room, mainly at Jacob Carter who had directed his attention at the General's desk.
"Jack... " the Tok'ra host started uneasily, "the other Tok'ra know you are in charge here now and they also know that you are biased against anyone with a snake in their neck."
O'Neill stared at Jacob with an unhinged jaw, waiting for the older man to continue.
"They feel, that if you're willing to put aside your bias and your inhibitions about intimacy for the people of the Tok'ra, they'd be much more willing to renew relations and even more willing in sharing and those other issues they had against you."
"Really?" Jack's bitter tone was harsher then the others expected, "so maybe they would be more sharing and less arrogant? Maybe they'd be more willing to let us know about their spies who are placed in places that we ought to know about, or at least you this time? And maybe they'd admit that they're mistrust of us, and you, could possibly have been the reason that our Alpha Site was compromised? Which, by the way, was a very bad thing. There, sixty-two of our people were killed, a whopping five of their Tok'ra buddies, and... how many Jaffa, Teal'c, d'you remember?"
"I believe it was fifteen,"
"Yes. Not to mention that a vital member of our program was nearly killed! Who had a very important bit of technology with her, who, not to mention, is a very close friend of mine, and happens to also be your daughter!"
O'Neill glared at Jacob Carter, panting. Jacob, on the other hand, sat there calmly, waiting for the storm to blow over.
Jacob then cocked his head to one side and seriously and simply said, "yes."
O'Neill hadn't realized that during his rant he had stood up and was leaning on his fists, which were firmly pressing against his desk. General Jack O'Neill then made an effort to gather his composure and actually make an effort to think clearly and think things through. He resisted the urge to ask what had just been confirmed and took the effort to actually think about it.
"Alright," Jack said calmly with a hint of a grumble, seating himself once again, slumping down and putting his forehead on his desk, "I'll talk to my superiors."
"Thanks, Jack." Jacob then added, "oh, and can I request that this conversation didn't spread around."
"No kidding!" Jack grunted.
"Even to Sam?" Jacob Carter requested, "it would be awkward... on multiple levels."
--
After Colonel Samantha Carter got Gemjeen and the other Tok'ra settled in the infirmary, they had begun to talk about Gemjeen and all the details about her and the situation (with some exceptions).
"So, when's this new host due to arrive?" Sam asked as she double-checked some of the power connections to Gemjeen's bottle.
"Soon, we hope," Ny'iel replied, "due to our secretive nature, finding an available host can often be challenging. Also female hosts seem to be harder to come by."
"The symbiote's levels don't look so good," Dr. Brightmen observed with concern, "what if it becomes too late?"
"We don't wish to violate an unwilling host," Telraq's symbiote's voice replied. "We have laws placed to prevent us from violating a host, such as taking, or staying in an unwilling host. Even in extreme situations we still frown upon it. We don't want to become anything like the Goa'uld."
"If necessary," Ny'iel's host continued, which was the first time Sam had actually heard her, "Ny'iel will leave me and let Gemjeen take me as the host."
"What about... Nyiel?" Brightmen, like all doctors, cared about all of her patients, biped or snake-like.
"If it is a needed sacrifice."
"What would happen to the host if, say, someone on this base was willing to become the host?" Sam was impressed by how much more concerned Brightmen seemed than most people on base would.
"If she has the strength, she can move on when the other host arrives," Ny'iel, the symbiote, explained, after having swapped mental control with her host. "If not, Gemjeen would stay until her job is done and leave, or, if the host permits, until her death."
"I'll do it," Sam stated bluntly, eyes focused on the squirming symbiote. The others looked at her, startled, "I know what it's like, even the part when she dies." The others gave her an are-you-sure look, "I don't want anyone to die needlessly." They could tell she was serious. The two Tok'ra exchanged glances.
"I'm not sure how fond your father would be of that," Telraq said.
"He worries too much," Carter said in a big-girl tone.
Telraq hesitated, "he seemed specifically concerned about a few factors... " Telraq didn't get to finish his thought when he was interrupted by a ringing noise from the device that sustained Gemjeen. "Her vital signs are dropping!" Telraq shouted. Havoc immediately followed. "We can't keep her like this any longer!"
"Why?" Sam called, "you had Lantash in stasis for over a year... "
"This isn't a regular symbiote!" snapped Ny'iel.
"Then let her take me!" Sam commanded. The Tok'ra glanced at her and saw she was serious. Ny'iel released the seal to the device and opened it.
The snake poked its head over the top of the container and sprang towards Carter.
After a few heartbeats after the action had died, Dr. Brightmen went to the infirmary's phone, "get me General O'Neill."
--
"Why?"
"What do you mean?" Sam's thoughts responded to the new voice in her head.
"Even knowing what would be asked of you?"
"I guess I thought maybe you could move on when the next host came."
"I'm sorry Sam," Gemjeen replied, "I sorry, but I just don't have the strength! I truly am." As they mentally conversed, Gemjeen imagined for her someone to converse with. Sam saw a woman of apparently Native American ancestry, Gemjeen's last host who was now long dead. "Will you still help us?"
"You mean... be host for you so you can... propagate?" Sam winced a bit. There was a pause and Sam thought about it, "a few questions first... do I know... the would-be father?"
"Why do you think we came to Earth?"
"Well, Telraq did say that A.T.A. genetics are most easily found on Earth."
"So, what, did you think my host and I were going to play prostitute in the nearest city?"
"Well... no. And I guess he pretty much has to be someone on base, so I guess I would know him," Sam grumbled, "working with him in the future would be awkward."
"If it was one of your friends, could you?" The personification of Gemjeen had a look of apology and begging.
Her thought first rested on Jack. Sam then thought of Teal'c and how utterly bizarre that would be, especially since he always acted like a big brother, a much better big brother than Mark ever was. Besides... he's not even human anyway. Daniel was the same problem, too much of a sibling vibe, but she did have a crush on him back when she first met him. Of course, he was married at the time.
Then there would be that military regulations problem with everyone else.
She thought of Jack again.
"Of course we had hopped the host would not already have, how would you say it? A significant other?"
Pete. She was engaged to be married to Pete. Jack... Pete... Jack... Sam knew that Gemjeen was a little hesitant to share some of this information. She worried as to why.
Gemjeen answered that, "for one thing, there was something Jacob had asked we not reveal to you. But you weren't expected to become the host."
"You going to tell me now?"
"Well, for one thing, judging what I know of Jacob as a Tok'ra and from your memories, I'm pretty sure he was concerned that you would be jealous or maybe slightly heart-broken to know what we'd be asking the father we had in mind to do... "
--
As Jacob and O'Neill entered the infirmary, followed closely by Teal'c and Daniel, the bottom of their stomachs fell out at the sight of everyone staring at Colonel Carter. The room's occupants were a couple of guards, Dr. Brightmen, the two Tok'ra, and Colonel Samantha Carter.
The two worried guards stood next to the walls, they seemed to be in a bit of shock. Telraq and Ny'iel stood next to where they had set up Gemjeen's container, appearing worried. Carter sat, apparently exhausted, on a nearby hospital bed.
Jacob stood in horror as he studied the Tok'ra, his daughter, and Gemjeen's empty container.
"Gemjeen?" Jacob asked hesitantly, looking to all the females in the room.
"I'm sorry, Jacob," a deepened Tok'ra voice came from Sam's lips as she stared at her hands in her lap.
Jacob looked like he thought this was worst-case scenario. At least a scenario a good deal worse and more awkward than the one he had hoped to hide from his daughter.
"She was willing and I was struggling," Gemjeen explained.
"Alright," Jacob started to head back out, "I going to try and figure out what happened to that host... "
"Jacob, I can't move on," Gemjeen said calmly, "I'm doing a lot worse that originally anticipated."
"Yeah, the fact that you had to take a host shows that," Jacob sighed.
O'Neill stood there with his mouth hanging open for a few seconds. Then, turning on his heel, Jack got out his cellphone and left the room.
Jacob inwardly grumbled at Jack's actions, but continued to address the other Tok'ra, "did she know what we hoped Gemjeen would do, before she volunteered?"
"Yes, that we did tell her," Ny'iel answered, "your daughter is very curious. However, we did not tell her who we hoped would be the mate, as you had requested of us."
Jacob grumbled to himself, "thanks, but it looks like it's a bit pointless now." Ny'iel agreed. Jacob then addressed the guards and Dr. Brightmen, "if you have heard the whole thing as well, I would like to ask you not to repeat anything you have heard. Or at least anything that could incriminate Sam. I'm sure Colonel... General O'Neill would agreed." Jacob then left to catch up with Jack.
--
When Jacob Carter caught up with General O'Neill, he had just finished his cellphone call.
"Jack, please, for the sack of Selmak's people, don't let this change anything."
"Are you kidding?" Jack snapped, "this changes everything! I have to work with that woman! She a best friend of mine! A subordinate! Not to mention military regs and the minor fact that she's _engaged_!"
"Jack," Jacob grabbed O'Neill's arm, bringing him to a halt, "your goal is to help the Tok'ra repopulate their dwindling numbers. That is what is important!"
"Heck, this is your daughter we're talking about!"
"I know that, Jack," Jacob spoke boldly, "but I'm trying to be objective. You're both mature adults... although there is some question about your maturity... "
Jack made a face.
"I know in this case you both can overcome it," Jacob continued, "it didn't take you long to return to professionalism after you had to admit your feelings for her back with those zatarc detectors. Yes, I know about that, I was one of those who Anise reported to. Look, I know you and Sam have grown close, real close. I also know that if your job and military limitations as well as Pete were not in the way, you'd probably get a lot closer. You two have been able to distract yourselves and allow the other to try to find someone else. You've done it before, you can do it again!"
"You make it sound so easy!" the General snapped and turned his back on Jacob to pick up a hallway phone right by the elevator. "Let me know when my guest has arrived. Send him on down to level 26, I'm going to be in the storage closet right outside that elevator."
"Storage closet?" Jacob asked.
Jack glared at the Tok'ra as he opened up his cellphone again, "do me a favor, would you? Change out of your Tok'ra garb and join me when they intercom that my guest is here." Jacob looked somewhat offended, Jack explained, "he doesn't have as high a security clearance, and I don't want to have to explain that you have an alien in your head. Maybe you could get Nile and Tuvok to change as well." Jack looked away and slowly headed to a storage closet as he dialed his cell. "Yes, this is General O'Neill, get me General Hammond." With that, he stepped into the dark closet, closing Jacob and anyone else out.
O'Neill discussed the situation with his previous C.O. for a half-hour when an announcement was made over the base intercom. "General O'Neill, your guest has arrived."
Jack told George he'd call him back.
Jacob arrived before the elevator got all the way down. He was wearing one of the generic jumpsuits the SGC gave out as freebies. They two met up and waited. The elevator doors opened as a civilian escorted by an airman got out.
"Hi!" Jack greeted, "I'm General O'Neill."
"Ah, yes," the civilian replied, "I believe we have met."
"Jacob Carter," Jack introduced, "Pete Shanahan."
"Carter?" Pete greeted, "you wouldn't happen to be Sam's fondly oft mentioned father, would you?"
Jacob smiled and took Pete's extended hand, "I am if you're that future son-in-law I recently learned about."
"Recently? Sam didn't tell you?" Pete grew confused.
"Oh, I knew about you," Jacob casually shrugged, "but my mail often gets lost and the announcement seemed to have disappeared. One of these days I *really* have to talk get down to my local Post office and have a chat with them."
"So, why am I here?" Pete finally asked the question that had been tormenting him since he got that phone call, "is Sam ok?"
"Yeah," Jacob Carter turned to the base leader, folding his arms "I've been rather curious as to what you've been up to."
"You said you could detect the gene," O'Neill stated, "I don't care what your buddies say, Jacob, can't blame a guy for trying! They owe at least that much to us! To Sam!"
Jacob pursed his lips and finally nodded.
"Sorry, Pete, but you're doomed to once again only get to see the infirmary," O'Neill said and started leading them down the hall.
The sight of the other two Tok'ra in the army drab green jumpsuits almost got a laugh out of O'Neill.
"Pete!" Sam smiled with a glow. She got up and hugged her fianc and kissed him.
"So?" O'Neill said to the Tok'ra, "get out your little doodads and see if he'll do the trick."
Sam was surprised. She had been caught off guard at meeting up with her betrothed. She realized what Jack was trying to do and she kicked herself for feeling disappointed.
Jack however didn't know what to feel. He did know that he respected Sam so much that no matter how you rearranged it, doing what the Tok'ra asked of him just seemed so wrong. He tried not to entertain the thought.
The Tok'ra sampled Pete's DNA and played with those doodads. And not too anyone's surprise, the results were negative.
"Is that good or bad?" Pete asked Sam who was sitting on the infirmary bed with him, still utterly clueless as to why he was even there.
"Neither," Sam patted his arm and leaned her head on his shoulder, "it just means you can't help us out. It was a long shot anyway." She dared a glance at a pensive O'Neill.
"Carter, Pete," O'Neill addressed them, "you think when this is all over the two of you could schedule a vacation together? One way or another, Carter, when this is all over, I want you to spend some quality time with your fianc, and don't make me have to make that an order."
Carter nodded slightly and Pete just felt confused. "Is Sam ok?" he asked with growing concern.
The others exchanged glances.
"She'll be alright," Jacob responded.
"Well then," General O'Neill announced, "if you'll excuse me, I have a phone call to finish."
--
"I have to admit," General George Hammond said, "I never had to be faced with a dilemma quite like that." George chuckled a bit on the other end of Jack's red phone. It used to be George's red phone for seven years.
"No," Jack replied, "the only problem you've had on an alien intimate level was probably Hathor! I, on the other hand, I've been attack by a subordinate with an alien virus as if she was in heat or something. One woman seduced me and gave me nanocytes. A Tok'ra snake-head hit on me. And I had to comfort a grieving widow who was married to me in an alternate reality. One seductress shoved a pouch in my gut and later a snake in my head. Anyone else? I mean I have to have a FREAKING BREAKING POINT HERE!!"
"I know, Jack, I'm sorry." Hammond sighed, "look, I might have to talk to a few people, but at this point, I'm going to say that you might have to go through with this, son. You'd be helping to a dying people. You'll just be a lot more outside your comfort zone."
"What about Carter?" Jack asked.
"Would it be worth it?"
"Excuse me??"
"Would hanging military regs for one night in order to help an ally in our fight against the Goa'uld be worth the risk of you and Colonel Carter not being able to recover and possibly cause you two to have to be reassigned in different departments?"
Jack's heart fell out. The last thing he wanted would be to have Sam Carter taken out of his life... Then again... in a different department they may not see each other at work, have different work schedules, and have her stationed who knows where... well, that's not really any basis to start a relationship. The thing is they would be able to... but would it be worth it? Carter was a key member in their fight against the Goa'uld. He ought to just retire in that case.
"No, sir," O'Neill replied, "that actually doesn't sound worth it."
"Well, Jack, it is, and you know it. They need you," George countered. "I kept you two on the same team even after both of your feelings had surfaced in one form or another. You make a good team. The four of you make the best team! It'll be alright, Jack."
Jack smiled to himself feeling comforted, "thank you, sir."
George concluded with, "I'll call you by tomorrow. At this point, I'd say you've been given permission, but a lot of it would be up to you."
--
Sam strolled with her fianc back to the surface with a knot in her stomach. "Pete?" Sam began quietly, "I know that you can't even begin to imagine what kind of life I lead and I can't share it with you... "
Pete patiently listened to her.
"I'm afraid that if I were to tell you," Sam hesitated, "I'd scare you away!"
Pete stopped and gently took Sam's face in his hands and made eye contact, "Sam... I am willing to share that chaos with you. Even if I am left in the dark!"
"It's not fair to you," Sam's eyes showed deep concern. "I mean, you're wife might come home, and (unbeknownst to her fellow officers who assumes she's okay and let her go home... ) she turns out to be possessed by an alien... "
Pete's face scrunched up and thought about this concept with a spark of maybe fear in his eyes. The couple stepped into the second elevator in Norad to complete the accent to the surface. "Can... that happen?" He asked, taking her hand.
Sam took a deep breath, "yes, Pete... it can." He might not have needed to know that. Life as a cop can be stressful enough, she didn't have to also change his perception of life as he knew it!
The thought of Pete having to possibly deal with her while possessed worried her. Heck, Daniel's body walked around town with Machello's mind in him. Pete did know about what could happen and he could help... "Look... " she got out some paper and started scribbling the number down, "if I ever act bizarre, let General O'Neill know... in fact, for all we know he could be possessed too... here's General Hammond's number. Working outside of the mountain, he should be a safe bet." She knew this might be a bit much for Pete, but if things were to get like that, Pete had to do his part if she was possessed and prevent her from doing anything bad.
Pete swallowed and took it all in. He looked up sweetly into his lover's eyes, "are you okay? This whole thing seems to be revolving around you. Not to mention your father and CO seemed to be walking on eggshells around me. I need to know that you're okay, Sam!"
Sam smiled. Oh, he was such a sweetie! He deserved someone better. Someone he could actually share his life with. Not just part time. "Yes Pete," Sam soother, "I'm fine. There's no danger or anything... it's just... awkward."
Pete knew she was sincere. He then kissed her, she kissed him, and in like manner they continued in the elevator until they arrived at the surface. "I love you, Sam."
"I love you too Pete!"
--
After that long day, O'Neill had gone home for the night with his dilemma hanging over his head. The next day, Jack turned to his advisors for advice but came up empty-handed. He figured Daniel and Teal'c understood his position so well that they were as lost in the dilemma as he was.
"Well, my superiors, after having the whole thing explained to them, told me to make the decision, with their encouragement to help you out and all" General O'Neill informed Jacob Carter. Jack stood behind his desk upon which he tensely leaned.
"So?" Jacob patiently watched Jack as he leaned back in his chair.
"So... " Jack started, "... I can't make a decision like this!"
"Why not?" Jacob seemed to be getting Freudian or something!
Jack threw his hands up, "I can't believe you're so okay with this!"
"Hey," Jacob shrugged, "I never did get much say in who my daughter slept with. At least I you I know I can trust."
O'Neill scoffed and made as if he was going to pace behind his desk, but returned and leaned down on his palms, which were flat on his desk. Jack growled angrily, "I have spent years trying to focus so we could continue to work as a team without clouded judgement!"
"George seems to think you can handle it."
"Jacob!" O'Neill grew more frustrated, "I could be opening a can of worms!"
"A clich Jack?"
"It was unavoidable."
"So you're saying that if you do this, you wouldn't be able to keep your hands off of my daughter?" Jacob pried.
Jack looked as if to respond but froze, didn't answer, and had a short staring contest with Jacob. "Carter!" Jack said, surprised, and snapped into a standing-up-straight position, almost as if at attention.
Jacob was thrown. Why he had said his last name? Just then he realized Jack was staring (almost pale) at the doorway.
Jacob whipped around to see his daughter, looking a notch sadder than her normal stoic military mode.
"Hey, kiddo," Jacob said, "how you doing?"
"I'm just a little confused as to why I wasn't involved in this conversation," Sam hid her anger, but the guys knew her too well. They looked ashamed.
"From what it sounds like," Jack realized this was the first time he had talked with Sam after he met Gemjeen and the others, "you're going to have to go through with this no matter what."
"Yes, sir," she gulped.
"How are you doing with that?" Jack got out from behind his desk to be the concerned friend he was. "Especially, considering the fact that ... you're engaged?"
Sam looked up at the General since she had seemed preoccupied with the desk and far wall before. At the moment, her CO was being a genuinely concerned friend, and totally selfless. For the moment. If he stopped thinking about her for a moment she could probably change his whole mood.
Since the Colonel was hesitant and not saying much, Jack sighed, placing a hand on her upper arm in a comforting fashion. "Look," Jack looked away from Sam, "I'll do... " he regained eye contact, "... what ever you decide. If it's good with you, it's good with me." And she knew that he meant it.
He realized that if they had talked, as terribly awkward as it would be, they might have been able to come to a conclusion easier. They were much too worried with the other person.
Sam nodded, "I guess... I'll ponder that ... and let you know."
Jack nodded and patted her arm, "lock the door when you guys leave," and he left the Carters in his office. Then he went home
--
Jack O'Neill was determined not to do anything resembling productivity for a few hours. He had grabbed a beer and flopped down in front of the TV. He never did actually comprehend who was playing in that ESPN game. Lost in his thoughts and half watching the television, he felt as if he has been mentally slapped when the doorbell rang.
He had only been home for an hour.
"Carter!" Jack had been expecting Daniel, Teal'c, or the annoying neighbor kid. "what are you doing here?" Jack's brain had been warming up from it's lack of use earlier, "what are you doing off base?!"
"Sorry, Sir," Sam sighed, "my dad thought I could stand to sleep in my own bed. I didn't think it would make a difference... but I want to talk." She was dress in civilian attire: blue jeans, a long sleeved dark blue shirt over a white shirt, very casual.
Jack leaned out his door, looked up and down the road, and returned inside and checked all the other windows. As he did that, the Colonel stepped inside and closed the door behind her.
In a minute or so, they met back up again in his living room. "Sorry, Colonel," Jack apologized, "you never know when the N.I.D. or Kinsey or someone would pay some guy to listen in on my house. Maybe I ought to soundproof my house... Yeah, anyway, I want to reduce the security risk you've made by leaving the base with... " his voice dropped to a tense whisper, "an *alien* in your head!" His voice got louder again, a bit more than it was "I mean... you know the rules better than me, don't you?"
"My dad told me to blame you," Carter stated calmly.
"I really hate him sometimes!"
"Yeah... me too."
O'Neill let out a loud sigh and seated himself on the other side of the sofa from SG-1's team leader. "So... "
"So... " Sam rubbed her hands together, nervously.
"How's... you know," Jack muttered, gesturing to her head, meaning Gemjeen.
"Better," Sam replied off-handedly, "she and I chatted for a while about planets that I may be interested in seeing."
"Any with a nice, quiet lake? Lots of fish and trees?" Jack asked, "Daniel and I could go fishing again, possibly get you to join us... and then we could all try and dunk Teal'c... and get our butts kicked."
Carter chuckled, "I'll ask."
After another pause, Jack dared ask if she had something in particular she had come to talk about.
Sam said nothing for a while, studying her twiddling thumbs. They sat in nervous silence for a bit. Finally, after Sam had gathered her thoughts she finally said, "it's just not fair!"
"What?" Jack was thrown off a bit, "what's not fair? Life?" his tone turned more caring, "I know life has a tendency to be rough on us... you especially."
"Well, you've died more times than I have," Carter tried to grin and slumped over.
"Yes," Jack rubbed her shoulder in an attempt to be comforting, "but you've lost more people who you cared about... Out of the four of us, I've lost the least amount of loved-ones it seems."
"Maybe fate felt you lost enough... " Sam quietly commented, thinking of the tragedy surrounding Jack's son.
O'Neill bit his lip and pulled his friend closer into a bit of a half-hug. They sat in silence for a bit.
"It's not fair," Sam muttered again with a sad sigh.
"Care to be a little more specific?" Jack hesitated.
"This... whole situation... me and Pete... " Sam ranted, "my right to a love life... you and me... "
Jack bit his lip, "Sam... "
"I know, sir," Carter sat up are looked away, but O'Neill had noticed her eyes had become a little teary.
"C'mere," Jack pulled his friend into a closer hug. They sat there like that for a bit until Sam felt like she could keep the tears from coming.
"How are you handling this, sir?"
Jack sighed, "I'm worried about."
Sam sat up and faced her CO. "I mean, how are you personally handling this whole situation?"
O'Neill thought, "I'm expanding my list of what the Tok'ra owe me big-time for. I had to knock off a few back when they saved my life." When Carter didn't reply, Jack felt forced to continue, "and I feel like a cuckold or something."
"Sir, just forget about Pete."
"Ha! How do I do that?" Jack demanded a bit harsher than he would have liked. "This situation maybe a heck of a lot easier without him."
"And if he wasn't in the picture?"
Jack shifted uncomfortably and looked away, "then I'd feel like I was taking advantage of a friend's situation."
"What if she felt like she was doing the same thing?"
Jack studied her.
"I mean, who am I kidding?" Sat stood up suddenly and started to pace and rant, "I'm not taking advantage of Pete, am I? I'm not that kind of person, am I?"
"Sam... you *do* have a right to a life."
"But what does it do to him?" Sam continued, "he has no idea what I've been through! He has no idea what horrors I've experienced! How than can I truly let him into my life?"
"The are people on the base whose spouses are more in the dark than Pete," Jack tried.
"He's just so damn sweet and willing to be there for me!"
"Carter," Jack stood up and stopped the Colonel's pacing and held her shoulders at arms' length. "You don't have to let this affect the rest of your life! Hopefully we can pretend it never happened!"
Sam looked up into his eyes. The both knew would be a lie.
"Am I rushing thing with Pete?" Sam finally asked.
Jack released his hold of Carter's shoulders and stepped back, not wanting to reply. He thought before he spoke, "I think," he began, "that Pete will be very good for you."
Sam sighed, "and you?"
"He's not really my type."
Carter glared at him, "what's your opinion of him?"
Jack sighed, "he seems nice," he offered, "I don't know him very well and sometimes have an urge to beat his brains in... " he cut himself off before he continued down that line of thought.
Sam studied him for a second, "I guess sometimes I worry that I'm so eager to have a love life that Pete might just be an excuse."
"Carter, you deserve to have someone in your life who can openly love you," O'Neill said tenderly, "Teal'c, Daniel, and I have been married. You deserve this chance to have someone love you and be there for you."
"But I already have that someone... "
The awkward scene to follow reminded them of a Goa'uld mother ship force-sheild. Jack didn't know what to say, and Sam didn't want to say anymore. They couldn't talk like this. They weren't allowed.
"Sam... " Jack reached his hand up to tuck some short blonde strands of hair behind her ear, and kept his hand there, stroking her cheek with his thumb. Jack glanced around his house, "did you want to get this... whole ordeal... over with tonight?" Sam bit her lip, "catching me in a more... intimate setting?"
"Sir... " Sam started in an apologetic tone, but was stopped by O'Neill's index finger that he placed on her lips to silence her.
"I know," he replied in a whisper.
She took a step closer as if to consent. Jack pulled her closer and placed his lips on the lips of his subordinate. She returned the kiss, wrapping her arms around his neck, pulling her closer.
They said nothing. Words would have been bad, making things too official. Without words you may still be able to convince yourself that it might not have meant anything.
In their case, no words were needed.
Epilogue -A good deal of credit of this next bit goes to Nebulan
The next morning, Jack was in the commissary, getting himself some coffee. At that moment the room was empty. The daily base traffic hadn't started up yet, though a handful of people had left with their coffee shortly after O'Neill arrived. The General was slowly fixing up his coffee, no hurry at all. He took fifteen minutes just to spoon the sugar in.
Dr. Daniel Jackson cheerily wandered in as if running into Jack was his goal and not any sort of food. Jack didn't take his focus off of his coffee, even when Daniel came and stood beside him, who directed his gaze primarily at the table in front of them, but kept glancing at Jack. Daniel had his hands stuffed into his pockets and was merrily bobbing slightly from one foot to another.
"So... "
Jack ignored him.
Daniel made his unsure contemplation face and after a bit, tried again, "good morning."
"Top'o the mornin' to ye, Danny-Boy," O'Neill greeted more cheerily than he felt. "That's Irish," he informed Daniel as he turned to him, "it means: good morning, Daniel," Jack said in one of his special tones and returned his focus to his coffee.
Dr. Daniel Jackson, the SGC's resident expert in languages, nodded in mock fascination. Glancing around, not knowing what to do, he grabbed a cup and filled it with orange juice. Finally he dared ask more specifically, "so... ?"
"So?" After another pause, O'Neill lost it and rerouted the energy away from his drink, spilling a little while he was at it. "What do you want from me, Daniel?! One of my best friends is upstairs, in a hot tub, giving birth to tons of little snakes that I fathered!"
Daniel blinked. After a calm, Daniel added, "so, how's Sam?"
Jack had once again redirected his attention to his coffee and was adding a little hotter coffee to it. Finally, he responded as an after thought, "I think I'll go check on her. Er... maybe I shouldn't... I'm really not too sure if I ought to be involved in anymore of that... I think she's in labor... of some kind."
"Well, you are the father of her children."
"They're not her children... they're Gemmy's... "
After and awkward pause Daniel decided now would be a good time to leave, "Oh, I just remembered, Teal'c and I were going to pick up some cigars... and a cake... " and he left. Jack just stared into space... confused.
Jack entered the room to find Sam in a hot tub, with Jacob, Ny'iel, Dr. Brightman and a female nurse tending to her.
"Hey," Jack said perkily. Sam looked up, she didn't look like she was feeling 100%. She was sitting in what looked like a milky bubble bath, with her shoulders and knees visible above the water, wearing a hospital gown. Around her was swimming larvae. "How you feeling?"
"A little morning sickness," Samantha teased. There was an awkward pause.
The doctor, the nurse and the Tok'ra chick were all looking intently at a jar with a newborn worm inside. Brightman, Ny'iel, and Lt. Evans then took off mentioning something to do with DNA.
Jack shifted uncomfortably. Jacob brought Sam some orange juice. "Hey... " Jack spoke up, "I have a question... " Sam perked up. "If all these little... guys, are going to have all the memories of past Tok'ra, are they going to have my memories too?"
"No," Gemjeen said in her deep voice, startling O'Neill. "But they will have my memory as well as what I have been able to retrieve from Jolinar's."
Jack hesitated, "you're not going to spread around Tau'ri secrets, are you?"
"No," Gemjeen smiled, "I respect you and Samantha's privacy."
Jack looked around and then down at the swimming babies. "Daniel" he pointed at one. "Teal'c" he pointed at another.
Sam just smiled the way she always did in response to O'Neill's silliness, obviously showing that Sam was the one in control again, "and the rest will be Jack Jr. right?"
"Hey, that's not a bad idea!"
She just smiled again, and then paused, "Sir, how fast do you think word will spread around base?"
"Oh, don't worry about that, I already spoke to the doc and the nurse about doctor/patient confidentiality, and the guards, I just ordered them... severely." There was a pause in which Jacob decided to sneak out the back door and let them have their privacy. "... Teal'c and Daniel know... " Jack added.
"Sir... I think they've known for a long time... "
"Yeah, I guess you're right," Jack looked up at her seriously and asked, "how are you holding up? I mean... how are you handling this whole situation, for that matter?"
"Got a couple of hours, sir?"
Jack opened up his hand, "I'm all yours," he grinned.
"That's not what I meant... " she mumbled as she stroked a worm.
Jack nodded and redirected his focus to the larva, which he held in his hand under the creamy liquid. "You know... these guys are kinda cute... "
"Yeah," Sam said fondly, showing a more girly side of her, "they're kinda growing on me. Of course I do have their mom blended with my brain, so I might be kinda biased."
"It's going to be really creepy when these tikes grow up," O'Neill commented.
"Don't worry," Sam kind of reassured, "it'd be about a century before they mature. I doubt you'll be alive."
The General threw a glare at her and after a pause he looked at the symbiote in his hand, "Dax." Suddenly he looked up and cleared his throat. "Yeah... " O'Neill grinned. "Well... get well soon." He said and turned to leave. He turned back, just looked at Sam, and before she could say anything, moved towards her and kissed her, for as long as he could without getting his arms wet. "In case... " O'Neill explained, "I never get... "
"I know," Sam smiled.
Part 2: Gifts from the Departed
"That is all I can take!" Ny'iel screeched. Which was a bizarre sound due to her base-clef-megaphone voice she had since she was a Tok'ra.
The person that Ny'iel was yelling at, Gemjeen, was the make-shift queen mother of the Tok'ra Symbiotes swimming the locker room tub.
"Um, Gemjeen?" Telraq's more easy-going human voice tried to cut in before any violence was thrown around, "your host does have duties to attend to, does she not? After all, she is an important member of operations on this base."
Ny'iel, Telraq, as well as Gemjeen's host, Lt. Colonel Samantha Carter, finally convinced her to leave her Tok'ra babies in the care of her fellow Tok'ra. After all, Ny'iel and Telraq had been a major part of this whole "repopulation" thing since before the young queen had even volunteered for the project.
But now, Gemjeen had no real job left to do. She was stuck in her current host and only had a short amount of time left to live anyway. Gemjeen had offered to Samantha to leave her so the Colonel wouldn't have to carry around her as a burden, but Sam had said that she thought the alien symbiote deserved to live a little while longer. Sam really didn't mind. Things almost returned to normal. As normal as one could get with the thoughts of another individual entwined with her own.
The colonel even returned to active duty as her team accompanied the other Tok'ra on base, Selmak, whose host was also Sam's father, retired Air Force General Jacob Carter, to the planet where the Jaffa rebellion had taken up residency. The SGC's commander, General Jack O'Neill, also joined SG-1 on this trip to meet the Jaffa.
The Tok'ra needed the Jaffas' help. One problem the Tok'ra had was incubation. Since it is in the nature of the Tok'ra to be on the run, simply rigging up a device to do the job would be impractical.
The Jaffa were genetically altered humans warriors to be incubators for Goa'uld young. However, the rebel Jaffa despised the dependency they had to the larval symbiotes. They couldn't live without them, that is, until recently. The Tok'ra understood the Jaffa's need for freedom from this dependency and developed a drug for them to replace the symbiotes, called Tetronin.
Now, the Tok'ra would have to depended on any willing Jaffa to incubate their new larvae as the Jaffa depend on them to provide the Tetronin if they ever run out. The Tok'ra wouldn't stop giving them Tetronin, even if they did not wish to take a Tok'ra symbiote, but this made the Tok'ra more vulnerable, a position the Jaffa had felt was the other way around.
If the Jaffa and the Tok'ra could team up for this cause, it could be all around rewarding. The Jaffa were better warriors and healed fast with symbiotes, they could save on the Tetronin, and they could improve Tok'ra/Jaffa relations.
After all was said and done, a good handful of Jaffa came back with them to the base on Earth, while there was a promise of many more to follow. At this time, they didn't wish to move the infant symbiotes. Besides, Earth was as safe a place for them to be as any for the time being.
"Interesting that you've chosen to take a symbiote," Daniel commented casually to Bra'tac, "wasn't your lack of symbiote one of the things that saved you when what's-his-name betrayed us-Ronan was his name...when we were searching for the Lost City?"
"I give more credit to General O'Neill and the mystical powers of the Ancients which he possessed at the time," replied Bra'tac, "besides, I have much more to gain by assisting an ally where I was once fated to assist an enemy. I also wish to be an example for my people. Many still have secret doubts about the Tok'ra."
"Don't we all?" Jack needlessly commented.
Teal'c, ever the gun-ho one, was first to get a Tok'ra symbiote.
"Now," O'Neill informed his best friend, "this junior is named Dax!"
"Dax?" Daniel cocked an eyebrow.
"Dax is the name of a fictional symbiote on Star Trek: Deep Space Nine which possesses the memories of several generations of it's hosts," Teal'c informed them with a grin.
Daniel leaned over to Carter and said not very secretly, "why is it, in the current SG-1 lineup, the alien of the team is the most familiar with human science fiction than us humans?" Sam stifled a laugh.
After all of the Jaffa received new symbiotes, the leftover Goa'uld symbiotes some of the Jaffa still carried were carefully handled and given to the Tok'ra to either dispose of them or if they felt like giving them to their scientists or whatever, no one really cared.
--
They were on a moon called Keltaz. Colonel Carter was glad to finally to be out doing something new, not that it hadn't been a dull week or anything. After all, she had become an emergency host to a genetically manipulated queen symbiote who was too weak to move on to a new host.
Then Carter slept with the intended DNA donor, who awkwardly enough was her boss, Jack O'Neill, although she didn't find the entire experience necessarily unpleasant.
Then she gave birth to a bunch of aliens.
Okay, so the week was far from normal, even by SG-1 standards. But Sam was glad to be back in the field exploring.
Since Sam told Gemjeen she could live out the remainder of her life inside the Colonel, Gemjeen had made a mission request from personal curiosity. Before Gemjeen got lined up to become a makeshift-queen, she had done research involving a strange device on M5C-965 (Keltaz). The reason why the Tok'ra and Goa'uld knew so little about the device was because only symbiotes seemed to be able to operate the machine in any form, but no known symbiote has survived to tell the tale. Gemjeen thought that maybe she could risk whatever remained of her life to study it further.
However, this time around, they were only going to look around.
Sg-3 had been sent to back SG-1 up because of Carter's situation. Colonel Reynolds and two of his team joined Teal'c in setting up a perimeter around the crumbling building. Reynolds' fourth team member was assisting Dr. Jackson inside. Lieutenant Satterfield, SG-3's young anthropologist, was working with Daniel on the inscriptions on the walls. Meanwhile, Sam/Gemjeen examined the actual device.
Colonel Carter and Gemjeen had two entirely different thought processes going on at once. While Sam mentally sat back and let Gemjeen run her body, Sam contemplated how the device would work. Gemjeen was translating the writings on the actual device and was endeavoring to determine its purpose.
Sam started doing some calculations in her head, probably more for fun than any actual useful reason (okay, she was bored, but she let Gemjeen have her fun). Sam caught some of Gemjeen's thought, such as her mental squeal of excitement when she confirmed that this was indeed the device she had read in more detail about on a different planet.
Just as Sam was getting to the conclusion of her equation that would probably be pointless in the long run, she nearly missed a mental whisper from Gemjeen.
"Thank you so much for everything, Samantha," Gemjeen had said, "Thank you and good-bye, and I'm sorry if I mess this up, but I do not believe I will."
Sam was still trying to process what the symbiote had said and not loose her place in her math at the same time when she felt the snake move around in her head and then tore through her throat, plunging into the freaky spout-like-thing on the alien device.
Sam was still in shock and utterly confused as the device quickly activated. A beam of light shot out and acted as if it was searching the room until it found it's target: Colonel Carter.
The next thing Sam knew she was engulfed in a bright light and felt as if her chest, namely her lungs, was repelling against the Moon's gravity. Floating, glowing, and strange sensations were the last thing Sam remembered before blacking out.
--
She woke up to the sounds of beeping monitors, chattering medical staff, and debates from O'Neill, Daniel, and Reynolds.
Sam heard Daniel try to explain desperately, "translations on the device itself seemed to point to a hope for new life, a change in life, a new form of life."
"Oh, that explains everything all then," O'Neill commented in dry sarcasm, anger and frustration.
"Jack, I don't want to freak anyone out or anything," Daniel hesitated, "I'm afraid it might possibly be referring to...mutation." Quickly Daniel added, "but then again, it may have possible healing properties, maybe a protection device or something else that helped a people survive."
Sam dared to open her eyes and realized that her father was at her bedside, holding her hand, as he watched the others argue. She gave her father's hand a squeeze and smiled.
"Hey kiddo!" Jacob greeting. The moment the others realized she was awake, their bickering ceased in a heartbeat. "How are you feeling?"
"Like I've been stuffed into a washing machine on the spin cycle," Sam replied, appearing more awake, "and like I have a chisel in my head."
"Ouch," Jack O'Neill stated as he came and stood on the other side of her bed then Jacob.
"What happened?" Sam asked, rubbing her head to hopefully ease the headache.
The others exchanged looks, "We were hoping you could tell us," Daniel said from next to the General.
"Well give me a hint!" Sam grumbled after not making any sense of the fog in her head.
"Okay," Daniel started, "you were over next to the device while Grace and I," he nodded to Lieutenant Satterfield, who stood shyly next to the wall, "were translating the wall writings."
"I noticed that you have an odd expression on your face," Lieutenant Satterfield finally spoke up nervously, "That's when I saw, er... the symbiote leave you..."
"She elbowed me and I turned around in time to see you get engulfed in a glowing, white, bubble, electrical sort of thing," Daniel offered, "We tried to get to you, but we were repelled like opposing magnets!"
The group waiting to see if that rang any bells for the Colonel. Sam then started to relay what she remembered.
"Any ideas about what the device finally did when Gemjeen activated it?" O'Neill inquired.
Sam shook her head. She had some suspicions based on some impressions she got from Gemjeen, but she didn't want to bring them up.
"If nothing else," Selmak voiced through Sam's father, "I believe Samantha is recovering from having been blended better than normal, and Gemjeen might have influenced that."
Sam sadly and sleepily nodded as the others looked at her.
"General," Dr. Carmicheal spoken up, "the Colonel needs her rest."
The crowd agreed to dissipate, but before Dr. Brightman got too far from her, Sam called her back, "Doc... there's some things I'd like you to check."
--
After having been a host to the Tok'ra for nearly two weeks, a couple of very long weeks, Sam's head felt rather lonely now. Trying to distract herself, Sam started working with a program on a computer she had dragged over to her bed. She was never much good at mourning.
It was getting late. Her get-well committee had already come and gone a few hours ago, wanting to know if she remembered anything else that might help them. Sam didn't let them in on her suspicions.
"As far as I can tell," Dr. Carmicheal had reported, "Colonel Carter is fine. Though she is showing signs of a possible sickness like the flu, but her immune system is weaker due to her transition from now no longer having a symbiote."
Currently, however, Sam's worst illness seemed to be emotional. She had gone through a lot lately. And she didn't realize how much Gemjeen had been helping her. The Tok'ra symbiote had been helping her not think about some of the events that had recently transpired.
Mainly memories involving a one Jack O'Neill.
Many emotions were confusing the military officer. Grief for Gemjeen, fear for what Dr. Brightman might come back with, and emotions Sam didn't really want to name for Jack. Somehow Gemjeen had been able to help Sam return to professionalism after her night with the General. Now, it wasn't so easy. She wondered how he was handling it. Had she hurt him by seeming to blow it off as nothing?
-~* Flashback*~-
Things had settled down. Sam had laid her head on Jack's right arm, which was around her shoulders. His hand lazily played with her short blond hair. Jack was propped up slightly by his pillow.
"How are you and... Gemmy doing?" Jack softy asked...feeling weird that there were in fact three individuals there on his bed.
"Good," Sam sleepily smiled, snuggling up to him more. The general must have brought her back from drifting off to sleep because she started to think. "Jack?" she questioned, but the yet-to-be-spoken words could be heard.
O'Neill repositioned himself a little so he could look into her face better.
"Jack... I--"
He cut her off with his left index finger which he placed on her lips, "shhh." When the silence was well settled, he softly told her, "go to sleep Colonel." And with that, he moved his left hand from her lips and caressed her cheek and then punctuated his order with a kiss on her forehead.
He watched her fall asleep as he continued to play with her hair. He wanted to cherish this moment since this was his only chance to be so close to the woman he cared so much for.
--
"Hey," greeted the cheery voice of Sam's favorite archeologist. Daniel was dressed in his civilian attire, obviously on his way out.
"Hey," Sam smiled, turning off her program and giving Daniel her full attention.
"How are you doing?"
"All things considered... alright."
"What kinda of things to consider?" Daniel questioned with a worried tone.
Sam gave him a hurt angry glare, "I had become rather fond of the snake that was in my head, Daniel!" she replied bitterly with sorrow in her tone.
Daniel bit his lip and looked ashamed, "sorry."
Sam sighed, "I guess I'm getting a little cooped up in here."
"Maybe you could convince the docs to let you get out of the mountain and get some fresh air," Daniel offered.
Sam looked indecisive.
Without letting her answer, Daniel got up and went to get the permission from Dr. Carmicheal as well as General O'Neill. They agreed with a stern warning to get her back within four hours and have a cellphone (leash) handy.
--
"Sam?" Daniel said, glancing sideways at his passenger, "is something up?"
Sam said nothing and didn't even budge as she stared blankly at the passing lights of the night.
Daniel drove for a bit longer without saying anything. Sam was definitely not acting like herself and he didn't know what he could do. It's times like this he wish he had a sister growing up.
"So...wanna get a beer someplace or something?" Daniel offered.
"No," Sam finally made use of her vocal cords, "...how about... ice cream or something?"
At a local DQ, Daniel bought them both some dessert with still a minimum of talking from Sam. Daniel tried again to get her to talk again, but only got vague answers and a lot of "I don't know"s. When they finished, they hopped back into Daniel's car and since then never talked about a new destination, he just drove aimlessly in the silence.
"Daniel?" Sam said to the windshield, "could you take me somewhere?"
"Sure," Daniel replied, "as long we get back to the mountain in three hours and Jack isn't given any reason to kill me, sure."
Sam smiled and directed him to an apartment building in the busier part of town.
"So who's place is this?" Daniel asked as they both climbed out of the vehicle.
"You're coming in?"
"Sam," Daniel stated seriously, "something happened to you recently, and normally you'd probably still be under observation, but I'm going to have to do instead."
"It's Pete's."
It was under the list of possibilities Daniel had thought of already, so he wasn't shocked. Instead he tilted the driver's seat forward and grabbed a couple of notebooks out of he the slight disorder of the backseat. "I'll wait for you in the hall."
--
"Sam!" Pete greeted enthusiastically, giving her a huge bear hug. Pete noticed Daniel and paused, not sure what to make of him.
"Hey," Daniel threw his hands (which still held the notebooks) up in defense, "I'm not here as a chaperone, only as an escort." He leaned back against the wall on the other side of the hall, slid down to the floor, and opened up a notebook.
Sam encouraged Pete back inside as he still wondered about Daniel.
"What has been happening Sam?" Pete pleaded as he closed the door, "please give me some sort of hint? I haven't seen you since that cryptic visit to Cheyenne Mountain."
They sat down in his front room as she tried to decide how to word anything.
"To be honest with you, Pete, there's a lot of things I don't understand at this point," Sam leaned over and rubbed her temples as he half rubbed, half scratched her back.
"Any place you can think of to start?"
Sam stared forward as if searching for that place to start from, but wasn't having much luck, "when you came in, I had been placed in an awkward position," she began, "one that General O'Neill was trying to make easy for me, but it didn't work out."
Pete said nothing, hoping to mainly be a shoulder for her to lean on. Sam sighed. There was so much she wanted to talk to him about.
"Sam? Are you doing okay?"
"I guess, maybe, maybe not," Sam leaned forward into her hands with her elbows propped up by her knees, "nothing life threatening or anything." She hung her head.
"Sam," Pete tried after a quiet pause, "There's something in particular you want to discuss with me, I can tell?"
Sam looked up at him in surprise, "how'd you know?"
Pete smiled with laugh and sweetly replied, "'cause I know you Sam!"
Sam's shoulders sagged, "you're impossible, you know?
"What do you mean?" Pete sounded hurt.
"You're sweet, you're funny, you're there for me, and for some reason, you want to share your life with me... God, I don't deserve you!"
"I wouldn't say that!" Pete countered, "you've been saving this petty world from things worse than it even has any idea is out there! And you've been doing that non-stop for the last seven or eight years, going though who-knows-what. But I do know you've lost people you've cared about. After all that, I guess one thing I've wonder is if a plain old cop could possibly keep up with all of that and if life with me would be worth coming home for."
"Oh, Pete, don't say that!" Sam shot up and looked on the brink of tears, "you've been great! Better than great! I need a break from all that once in a while."
Pete sighed, "yeah, but what about when you guys kick all the bad guys' butts and all that? Why, the most interesting thing for you to do would probably be to take the microwave apart and with those parts create a booster for the stereo system or something!"
Sam giggled, "I think raising a family with you would be a good adventure to add to that."
"Yeah," Pete smiled and drew her closer into a hug, "I'd like that." They sat like that for a bit until he added as an afterthought, "besides, I'm nowhere near perfect. Heck, I had those trust issues which led to my stalking you."
"Hey, I've forgiven you for that," she countered, "I can understand you're frustration for my secretiveness and your cop instincts saying I was hiding something."
Pete smiled and held her close, "so what did you want to talk about?"
Sam laid her head down on his lap, "I guess I wondered if you really could stand me knowing what kind of things I've done or what all has happened to me."
Pete bit his lip and played with her hair, "someday... I wish we could be completely open and honest with each other. Hmm... could I possibly apply to work there or something? Then I could give them good reason to give me clearance!"
"I'm not sure, most of our civilians are scientists," Sam smiled, "besides, we couldn't work too closely, cause they have this problem with dating people you work with."
"I'd doubt there's be too much of a probl..."
*Beeep beep beeep*
Pete was interrupted by the sound of Sam's cell going off.
"Sorry," she apologized as she sat up and pulled out her phone, "Carter." Sam stood up so she could pace if needed.
"Colonel? What the hell are you doing off base?" Dr. Brightman demanded loudly.
"I got permission."
"You knew Colonel," Brightman snapped, "somehow you knew, or you wouldn't have asked me to do all those tests! And knowing that was a possibility, you still left?!"
"Emily..." Sam started to loose patience, "did you find something?"
"Yes Colonel," Dr. Brightman spat, "I found something that wasn't there before your last mission."
Sam fought back sobs before she tried to speak again, "who have you told?"
"I didn't know what to do, Sam," Emily Brightman apologized, "I gave all that I found to your Dad," Sam's head fell, "I asked him not to tell anyone yet."
"Thanks," Colonel Carter replied, "I'll head on back there soon."
Sam closed up her cell, placed her hands on her hips, and stared intently at the carpet.
"Sam?" Pete stood up and wrapped his arm around her.
"Pete?"
"Yeah?" he waited patiently.
"If I told you that I..." how was she to put this? "That I had to sleep with someone, what would you say?" She couldn't look at him.
"How do you mean?"
"Something to do with my job."
"What, you had to sleep with an alien king to get a treaty or something?" Pete was trying to figure where this fit in with the recent events.
"No," Sam closed her eyes, tears building up, "it has to do with DNA," she added offhandedly, "and a third, alien party."
"Oh," he said utterly confused.
"You weren't compatible."
"Ah," things were becoming clear. Pete's jaw had become slightly tense, "I don't know what I'd say..."
The tears began to flow with feelings of guilt and what she had done to Pete overwhelmed her. "And what if something unforeseen happened?" Sam still held her eyes closed and began to tremble slightly, "like, as a result, I became pregnant?"
Pete closed his own eyes and swallowed a lump, "I guess I wouldn't be too fond of that."
She let out a sob and leaned her head on his shoulder.
"I guess..." Pete offered, trying to be open minded, "partly, I'd wonder if you would raise the child as ours, or yours and his."
That wasn't a thought Sam really wanted to entertain so she didn't say anything.
After a very long and hard pause, Pete finally was able to say, "would it be O'Neill's?"
Sam forgot to breathe.
Her sudden stone cold stillness did not go unnoticed by Pete.
"I'm right," Pete said tensely, "aren't I?"
Sam's knees gave in as she began to cry harder. She tried to keep her military training at this point, but he kindly helped her sit back down on the sofa next to him, "I guessed that there was chemistry between you two from before, but I hoped it wouldn't be a problem."
"Pete, I didn't mean for any of this to happen!" Sam's voice was sincere, "I didn't have a choice!"
"Did you?"
Sam's chest tightened, "they could have continued searching for someone else who would be compatible, but they were short on time, and besides, it would improve their impression of him, especially as our leader, since he hasn't exactly gotten along with them in the past!"
Pete sighed into the his hands which covered his face, "as much as I would like to go beat him up right about now, I have to admit, when you had hinted to it earlier, it explained some of his behavior that day I apparently got my DNA tested."
Sam listened intently, not sure what he meant.
"He'd have been a fool if he at least didn't want the excuse," Pete shrugged, "but he respects you and cares for you. I can tell that by the way he acted. His number one priority is your happiness. Apparently more than your alien 'allies' and he looked as if her would have fought his superiors so you wouldn't have to be put into that sticky spot, despite the fact that he didn't really want to." Strangely enough, Pete sounded like he even had respect for him.
Sam was dumbfounded, "Pete... I..."
"Do you love him?"
"What?" Sam's jaw dropped, "Pete, I ..." she hesitated, maybe too long.
Pete turned away and stared at his fascinating carpet. "If the military regs and your jobs weren't in the way, and maybe you retired on an alien planet with all of your Cheyenne Mountain pals and still get to do exciting stuff but don't have either military or evil aliens holding back...would I even be the slight bit tempting?"
Sam's tears flowed freely, "Pete I..."
This time Pete interrupted, starting get some tears of his own, "Sam, I'm honored that you felt you could be happy with me, but aren't you just settling in the long run? Am I just a safe bet?"
Sam's jaw dropped.
Pete cringed at his words, "sorry, Sam, I guess these are a few things I've been worried about." He placed his hands over one of hers, "what I really want is for you to be happy. And I really don't think you'll find that with me in the long run, and I think you know I'm right except you're in denial."
Sam closed her eyes, sending a new wave of tears down her cheeks.
"Hopefully I've made you happy for a while though," Pete offered in an attempt to cheer her.
She managed a sweet smile, "what about you?"
Pete shrugged offhandedly and half-heartedly.
*beeep beep beeep* her cell started again. She ignored it.
She looked as if she wants to say something but wasn't sure what. She finally reached up and touched his face. She hesitated and she waited for him to make the next move. The cell's beeping didn't make things any easier. Finally, he reached up and grabbed her hand, holding it. He then pulled her forward, kissed her, stood up, and walked out of the room and her life.
--
Daniel jumped when Pete's door opened, having briefly forgotten where he was. Upon seeing Sam's tear streaked face, he panicked. He tripped over his notebooks trying to stand up. He picked up the closed cellphone in her trembling hand, and answered it.
"Hi, you've reached Samantha Carter's answering service. She is unavailable at the moment, please try calling back sometime *after* I've put the *batteries back inside her phone!*"
He ended the call, took out the phone's batteries, and helped his dear friend back to his car and to the base.
--
General O'Neill didn't know what to make of the scene in the spare lab.
Jacob and Ny'iel had several Tok'ra things around, but they weren't being used. Instead, everyone looked as if they were waiting, less than patiently.
Jacob leaned against a counter, looking perplexed and trying to decide how he even felt about the whole situation. Ny'iel stood stoically nearby. Dr. Brightman stood possibly angrily, with her arms folded tightly. Daniel was leaning against the far wall, hands holding his elbows making him look like he was trying to keep himself for beating up whoever's fault it was who upset his friend, whatever that was.
Sam, sat on top of a counter with her knees pulled up under her chin and her arms wrapped around as if to hold not only her legs up, but to keep herself from falling apart. Her eyes and nose were slightly red, screaming to O'Neill that she had been crying.
He had hesitated in the doorway with fear that they were all going to kill him for an unknown reason or another, or just wanted someone to hurt. Finally Teal'c approached behind him, encouraging him to move so they both could join the others inside. Jack hoped that since he had made it there before Teal'c, maybe they would try and kill them both instead of just him.
"Hey, campers," O'Neill broke the thick ice, "...what's up?" Daniel also waited for the answer since he had not been allowed in during the initial discussion and tests. Brightman and the Carters exchanged glances, not sure who should say and what. "Well?" O'Neill snapped, loosing patience.
Though he too wanted to know, Daniel was still in brother-mode so he swung his head around and gave Jack a death-glare in Sam's behalf.
Sam closed her eyes in irritation, sitting up, she said flatly, "Jack, I'm pregnant."
He blinked. A couple of times. She hadn't called him 'Jack' since-wait... now he was utterly confused. He stumbled a bit and sat down, feeling dizzy, "I thought that wasn't suppose to happen! All these people checked for that after ...you and Gemmy had all those baby snakes."
"We did," Selmak replied, "she was also not pregnant before Keltaz. It was not a natural conception"
That didn't help Jack's confusion.
"Do you believe the device Gemjeen activated is responsible?" Teal'c inquired.
"Yeah," Sam said quietly, and since she had bothered to speak, the others waited for her to go on, "I had a suspicion after I woke up in the infirmary, recalling some hints to Gemjeen's thoughts, so I had Dr. Brightman give me a different checkup."
"How? Why?" Daniel spoke up.
"A gift," Sam replied softly, "she had no intentions of hurting me."
"Hurting?" Jack grew worried, "are you alright?"
"Physically," Sam replied, "I'm fine..."
"The embryo is developing at an accelerated rate," Ny'iel threw in so Sam wouldn't have to answer.
"What?" Jack asked, "is it... human?"
"Yes," Ny'iel replied, "we believe the unexplained behavior has to do with the device rather then genetics." Her scientific approach sounded to O'Neill like he had another Anise on his hands, but hopefully she wasn't that bad.
"Sir?" Sam shook her head. No, he can't be 'sir' in this instance, "Jack... you're the father."
As his friend tried to comprehend this, Daniel had to speak, "how? I mean, there was several days between..." he did a funny head bobble, "then... and the actual conception days later, and I thought Gemjeen used up all the DNA or something," Daniel's voice drifted off hoping to avoid the Hathor flashbacks.
Ny'iel started to offer an explanation which O'Neill didn't really catch, something about her queen-hood and being able to do bend the typical rules with this device. The General didn't really hear, he just sat down in a nearby chair trying to think on his own. Approaching fifty and he was going to be a dad again? ...wow...with Carter? Whoa...
"May I inquire..." Teal'c's words pulled Jack out of his thoughts, "what can we expect from the child if it is developing faster than normal."
Besides Teal'c, Sam and Dr. Brightman, everyone got an "oh-yeah" expression on their faces.
*How* has happened, their more immediate concern is *what now?*
"Fifteen minutes ago..." Brightman spoke up, "Sam was approximately over a month pregnant."
"Whoa! When is she going to have it?" Daniel inquired.
Emily drew a concerned expression that looked somewhat like something Janet would get, "a little over a couple of weeks... give or take."
"What kind of effect will that have on Colonel Carter?" Teal'c asked before any of the other guys were able to.
Sam's two doctors exchanged glances, "we don't know," Ny'iel stated apologetically.
--
Sam had spent most of that following day with Ny'iel (who was a much more compassionate scientist/doctor than Anise had been), Dr. Brightman, and Dr. Carmicheal, who Sam felt rather awkward around with him being male. Sam was still new to this whole "pregnant" thing.
Teal'c and Daniel were sent on a mission by themselves for a first. O'Neill didn't really want to declare which of them was in charge, but, hey, he trusted them. They work together well. Plus Jacob and Selmak would keep them in line. He missed going on missions with them. The SG-1 duo continued working with Selmak to bring Jaffa rebels back to the base where Telraq had been staying with the baby Tok'ra during the commotion going on elsewhere. Teal'c ended up spending extra time with the Hak'tyl in the following days, visiting his son and daughter-in-law, Rya'c and Kar'yn. Teal'c also spent quality time with his girlfriend Ishta.
Meanwhile, Colonel Reynolds led SG-3 back to Keltaz (M5C-965), along with SG-7, the scientific team, and a promise of another Tok'ra coming in to see what help they could offer, often getting Daniel's help in his spare time.
--
A couple of days after the big announcement, General O'Neill found Sam looking unenthusiastically bored while the doctors discussed some data several feet away. They were debating concerns about anything else unexpected happening in the pregnancy. Sam was looking bummed out.
Without even being noticed by the doctors, the General approached Colonel Carter with a humorous grin, "do you think they'd notice if I sneaked you out and we go get lunch or something?"
Sam smiled her laugh, appreciating the gesture, but didn't think he was serious.
"Wanna attempt it?" He smiled playfully and offered her a hand up. Deciding, 'why not? They probably wouldn't even notice' she slipped out the door with Jack and headed towards the commissary. "So how are you feeling?" the General inquired as they strolled down the hall.
"Alright," she sighed and thought for a moment, "suddenly I have an urge for Taco Bell or something..."
He laughed, "I guess I might, as base leader, be able to sneak you off the base for an hour or so."
"Brightman was *not* happy about that last time," Sam laughed, she looked down and watched her feet as she walked and then thought out loud, "or maybe something seafood..."
"Ha," Jack smiled, "tell you what, we head for the surface and give Doc Brightman a ring right before we leave, just so she'll know where you'll be."
--
Somehow they ended up at a Burger King.
Jack found Sam's appetite amusing, reminding him of when Sara was pregnant with Charlie...
"So," Jack leaned on the table, "what're you thinking?"
Sam sighed with her mouth full. She swallowed her food before answering, "I don't know..." she replied sadly, "I'm not ready to be a mom, not in a matter of weeks! I guess adoption would be fair to have a stable household but then there could be unforeseen problems so they'd have to have a security clearance and maybe work on base and I don't know if I can bear that."
"Hey," he reached his hand out and laid it on hers, "whatever happens, I plan to be right beside you when it happens."
They left their hands touching until they silently agreed that the time from friend to too friendly had come. She may be carrying his child, but he was still her CO. He noted something, though... He liked seeing her in her civilian attire. Made him glad that she felt comfortable with him outside of work. But lately, whenever she was in her civies, she had been wearing her engagement ring...
Surprisingly, the ride back didn't have an awkward silence, it was a thoughtful silence. There were too many unknowns at this point. But more than anything, Jack wished they could talk. Really talk. No more read-between-the-lines and cryptic language that tended to revolve around their personal topics.
"Hey," he tried casually as they stepped into the first elevator in NORAD, "I was curious as to why you weren't wearing your ring." He gently picked up her left hand with a couple of fingers, tapping her bare ring-finger with his thumb.
Sam curled in her fingers when he let go, studying her hand. "I left it on Pete's couch."
Jack's stomach dropped out, "Sam...I-I'm so sorry," there was an awkward pause as Sam could feel the emotions boil higher.
Sam leaned her head on his shoulder and tried not to cry. Jack instinctively put an arm around her as she said, "in the long run, I guess it really wasn't fair to him." Jack continued to listen, rubbing her shoulder in a comforting fashion. "I really was ready to commit, but I guess... in some ways, my heart still belonged to someone else..."
Jack bit his lip.
"What did you think of my relationship with Pete?"
Jack took a breath, "I thought he was a good guy and I wanted you to find that happiness... that you... couldn't find here..."
"Too bad I couldn't tear myself away."
Jack held her even closer, leaning his own head against hers. Despite what they tried to tell themselves, things were different between them, now. In this situation, it was much harder to "just be friends" for they came to despise the very air between them.
As the elevator door opened, they broke apart and Sam wiped away a tear that had apparently escaped. They silently stepped out and headed to the other elevator that led to the SGC.
Jack picked up the conversation as they entered the next elevator, "Sam, please know that I had no intention of getting between you and Pete."
Sam nodded, "I know," she felt her hold on her emotions becoming irrational, "it was all me, sir, you didn't do anything... except possibly be one of my greatest friends ever, and then some..."
Jack winced, why did things have to be like that?
He pulled her close again and into a strong hug. He dipped his face into where her shoulder and her neck met. He did this without even thinking about it. It was a typical Jack-hug.
That is, until, still without thinking about it, his lips found their way to that point on her neck. Next thing he knew his lips had touched to her jaw and then found her lips as hers eagerly met up to his. The repressed memories of the last time they kissed flooded back to Sam, surprising her as to how much Gemjeen had helped her on that account.
Both of them had lost sense of time and place, but Sam luckily happened to open her eyes at one point and notice the "26" highlight.
She pulled her face away from his. "Sir..." she said, barely catching her breath before his mouth was all over hers again. Finally she shoved him away and attempted to fix her disorderly hair as O'Neill tried to come back to reality. Just in time, too, as Jack had only gotten a couple of blinks in before the elevator doors open as they reached their floor.
--
A soft knocking on his door only brought Jack's ears out of his paper work, "come in, I'll just be a sec," he said without even looking up. He heard the door close as someone came into the view of the corner of his eye. He figured Daniel would be the one to come in and close the door without asking permission, but Jack was surprise to find it was Sam.
She had quickly taken off after their elevator incident while he was still trying to figure out what had happened, but not before he noticed her blush hard than he had ever seen her. Luckily, their only witness would have been Senior Airman Lawson who was distracted with a clipboard or something.
"Carter!" O'Neill finally said, standing up as if she had a higher rank than he did, and beckoned for her to sit.
"I thought we might need to talk, sir," she explained, still standing.
"Carter, look," he started quickly, "I'm sorry about what happened earlier in the elevator-I was completely..."
"Sir, you're not the only one at fault for that."
He continued, trying to explain himself professionally, "I know, but I should have..."
"Sir, please."
Her patient tone caused him to stop. He leaned forward onto his palms on his desk, since he was still standing. "What'd you want to talk about, Colonel?"
Sam sighed, not really too sure. She folded her arms, "what are we going to do?"
"About which part?"
"Any of it."
Jack sighed and sat down in his large, cushioned chair, "for three... to five or so years. We manage to behave. Then they take the fences down for one night and now the whole works got a monkey-wrench thrown into it." He rubbed his temples.
Sam sat down across from the General.
"How are you holding up?" He asked with great concern.
"Well... I don't exactly have time for an immaculate conception right now," Sam grinned.
Jack could not help but give a smile in return. "Well, I don't know how immaculate you can call it," he added, looking away a bit awkward.
"It wasn't normal, sir," she clarified, "nothing about it was, but the actual conception seems to have been more directly a result of Gemjeen's device." She winced sadly, not really feeling like reliving the memories involved.
"I can't even begin to imagine what you're going through," O'Neill stated after a concerned pause.
"I loose a new friend to death," Sam somberly replied as if lost in thought, "I lost a fiance because I betrayed him in a few different ways... and after I finally get you, you're once again out of reach." She had emotionally added that last bit, surprising both of them that she had said that out loud.
Jack gave her a lingering concerned look.
"Did I hurt you?" She inquired after a silence.
"Huh?"
"Gemjeen helped me move on from... that night," Sam explained, "I thought maybe you'd think I... that it didn't mean anything... Well, actually, those memory-suppressors came off in the elevator though, so what Gemjeen had done for me isn't working anymore."
O'Neill had raised his eyebrows in interest, but didn't know what to say. Finally, he decided to break the ice with something, "I guess..." he started, "I did wonder, but tried not to think about it."
"Didn't you succeed in not thinking about it?"
"Well, no," Jack sighed, "I wanted you to be happy, and if happy had to be with Pete, than I felt some-what glad that you were able to move past that hitch in your relationship."
"Well, that hitch got unhitched and went rolling over a cliff."
"I'm sorry that I'm such a trial in your life."
"Jack, you're not a trial," Sam said very seriously. "If fact, you've been quite the opposite."
After she had said that, Sam ducked her head away shyly, which only stated that much more than that he was. When she looked up again, neither said anything, they just locked eyes and understood.
--
The whole base had figured out that Colonel Carter had been host to a Tok'ra queen, and they also knew something happened to her on the moon with SG-3 as a witness. So when she started showing signs of a rapidly developing pregnancy, it didn't seem too odd... well it did, but at least the question of fatherhood didn't really come up since they knew it started on that moon with an unnatural conception of some kind.
Of course it always made for some interesting gossip. Many thought that a father would be Pete, however, many knew about the attraction between their CO and the SG-1 leader. Others debated that Daniel and Teal'c were still a good possibility. Sam, though, was utterly creeped out to overhear Jay Felger's name come up in one discussion. Luckily, most believed the only other party involved was her symbiote and the device on Keltaz.
Speaking of which, that Tok'ra who came to help Daniel and the others on M5C-965 ended up being none other than Anise who they hadn't heard from in three or so years since the X-301 incident. Daniel actually got along well with her. Though her host Freya had never been interested in him, Anise didn't throw herself at Daniel as Freya had done to Jack.
"With the information Colonel Carter was able to remember," Anise reported their findings to the briefing room occupants, "especially about alternate information Gemjeen had researched, we were able to find the alternate writings of which the Colonel remembered."
"Basically, from what we can tell from both writings and the results we've seen in the past, the device seems to be able to manipulate the human body, but we think only in a few ways and under a few conditions. I believe that if a symbiote had a host who was mortally injured beyond it's ability to heal, it could give its life and use the device to heal to host."
"That doesn't explain Carter's current condition, though," O'Neill imputed.
"Yeah," Daniel added, "the device seems to also be able to help create new life, possibly in helping with sterility too."
Anise continued, "Since Colonel Carter had recently Lo'machened when Gemjeen activated the machine," Jack shuddered, no one noticed, "Gemjeen may have saved some DNA in curiosity of later experimenting with the machine." Why did things have to be so impersonal with this snake?
"So, we think this device may have helped save a people by both saving lives and helping bring about new ones," Daniel babbled. "But the rapid growth of Sam's baby might have been part of a way of keeping the women from having to be bogged down with pregnancy for nine months. Possibly freeing them up for other labors..."
"Or it could be an error," Anise stated, amazingly with concern, "I do not believe the symbiotes should be dying. The machine has possibly been broken in ways we do not know, but I do intend to continue studying the device, I assure you."
--
"General?" Walter Harriman hesitated, fearing the wrath of a stressed O'Neill who was once again in a pile of papers.
"Yeah?" Jack half-snapped, only half noting that Walter was even there.
"Um, well, the Tok'ra have, well, commandeered the locker-room tub again..."
"Oh?" Jack still didn't look up, showing little interest.
"Yeah, well, Colonel Carter is in labor..."
"WHAT??" Jack jumped up and rushed out of the room, nearly running the poor sergeant over.
The Tok'ra had convinced Sam to give birth a different way than tradition. Jack was a little disappointed because he wanted to make Daniel do the delivery.
Jack had found his former second in command once again in a hospital gown, in the tub in the locker room. Had they even had that tub before Hathor showed up? It really didn't seem very practical, except for medical reasons, maybe.
On both sides of the tub was her father and Daniel, holding the drenched colonel's hands. Weather she was soaking from sweat or tub water, O'Neill didn't know. He shooed Daniel off her one hand and grasped it in his own.
"'Bout time you go here, sir!" Carter snapped.
"Sorry," O'Neill replied, "I was only just informed."
Teal'c and Daniel stood by as Ny'iel encouraged Sam to relax and let the process come naturally instead of forcing her to push. Jack, taking up the role of the concerned husband and father-to-be, quibbled some with Ny'iel and how qualified a Tok'ra would be in delivering a human child.
"If you must know," the rarely-heard voice of Ny'iel's shy host, Yulanea, (who Sam had gotten to know some) rebutted, "I was a physician before I became terminally ill and volunteered to be Ny'iel's host. One of her other hosts was also well-practiced in human health, primarily as a midwife! Why do you think we have hung around so long?"
"Sir!" Sam snapped through gritted teeth, "I don't mean to sound selfish, but could we focus on me?"
"Sorry, babe," he said as he unclenched one hand from hers which he still held with the other, and took a washcloth to wipe her face. When he realized what he said, he glanced nervously around the room, but Jacob, Teal'c, Daniel, and Emily only raised an eyebrow in unison. Ny'iel was unfazed. Emily Brightman's eyebrow was especially high, but not altogether shocked.
Just because her Tok'ra midwife had talked with Sam about the birth-giving process beforehand as well as she, being the geek she was, having researched it, doesn't mean her labor was going to be a breeze. She had been given some pain medications, but nothing that would worry Ny'iel.
In the end, Jack was certain she had broken a couple bones or more in his hand. He could have sworn she was taking more out on him than her father on her other hand. She probably blamed him, I mean, sure, it was his kid, but Jacob and Selmak were probably more to blame for this whole ordeal than he was!
Jack snapped out of his daze and his pity-party over his hand when a wail brought him back to reality.
"Hello there, little one," Ny'iel cooed as cries of an infant could be heard.
The new mother was handed a squirming baby girl. As Sam cuddled the baby in her arms as the beaming father put an arm around her shoulder and leaned over his daughter.
Sam's face shone brightly with happiness as tears ran down her face, "she's so beautiful." The others gathered closer, all smiling.
"Oh, sir, we forgot a name!" Sam suddenly remembered.
"I guess we never really had time to talk about it," Jack replied.
"It's been a busy couple of weeks, sir." Here she was, having just given birth to his child, and she still was going to call him 'sir'? O'Neill figured those times when she had, for one odd reason or another, failed to acknowledge his rank and he had chastised her for it had settled in all to well.
"Any preferences?"
Sam thought about it, gazing down as her wiggling little baby who was starting to fall asleep. Sam sighed, "I guess I'd want to name her Janet...but one child was already named in her honor, though she deserves a whole country...but I guess that would be personally hard."
Jack comfortingly tightened his half-hug. The close family (which included Uncle Daniel and Uncle Teal'c) waited in silence. Apparently, Brightman and Ny'iel had taken off somewhere.
"How about Jennifer?" Jack offered. Sam shifted to look at him. "I don't know," he tried to explain, "I was thinking Gemjeen...Gemmy...Jenny....yeah..."
Sam smiled, finding the thought touching.
As Sam looked to say something, Brightman and Ny'iel returned with some medical doohickeys. The parents had looked up to see them enter and grew concerned.
"General, Colonel," Ny'iel hesitated, "we would like to take some scans. She did, after all, have an unusual pregnancy."
With parental consent, Ny'iel placed a bio-sensor on the infant's chest.
With the concerned tension in the room growing, the Tok'ra tilted her readouts slightly to the other doctor who seemed to have been informed somewhat in being able to read it.
Dr. Brightman swallowed. "We didn't wish to alarm you before the birth since Ny'iel didn't think anything could be done then..."
"What?" O'Neill asked quickly and worriedly, "what are you talking about?"
"The infant is not physically stable," the Tok'ra apologized, looking away from her readouts, apparently having had her fears confirmed. "I did bring...," Ny'iel turned to her supplies, "a healing device," she pulled it out of her bag, "if you would let me try..."
Jack just stared off just over the baby as he gave Carter a comforting rub and tried to think.
"What can we do?" Sam asked, different tears starting up.
"Colonel," Brightman spoke up, "we don't know what else to do."
"Why is this happening?" Daniel asked.
"Hopefully Anise and the others will be able to answer that..." Ny'iel offered sadly, "but please, let us try before it's too late."
Sam looked up and made pleading eye contact with Jack. He said nothing, but nodded as he ran a hand over the baby's soft head. The thumb on his other hand softly caressing Sam's shoulder.
"Selmak?" Ny'iel sounded like her voice was breaking, "would you?" Seeing a Tok'ra struggle emotionally was very rare. But Ny'iel had been working closely on this for the last couple of weeks, and those female hormones and such running through her host probably didn't help any.
Jacob/Selmak nodded, took the device, pulled up and chair, and leaned over the mother and child. With an eerie hum, the device lit up.
The room held its breath and waited.
The baby began to stir. When she woke up, she opened her eyes and looked at the light above her. After an eternity, Jacob/Selmak dropped his head.
"I apologize," Selmak spoke up, "there isn't anything I can do."
Sam's eyes darted around the individuals, her lower lip visible trembling. "So that's it?" her breaking voice asked.
No one responded.
"How long?" Jack's voice almost sounded fragile.
The Tok'ra exchanged glances. Neither could look Sam in the face. "Minutes," Ny'iel replied.
Sam tried to bite back the tears, looking up and away from the others, but with the closing or her eyes, tears began to flow freely and a sob even escaped. O'Neill held her closer, snuggling his face between her neck and shoulder. Sam finally managed to open her eyes to look down at her baby girl who gaze back as if she understood.
Jack lifted his head and laid his chin on Sam's shoulder as he looked over it and down at his daughter. In the face of the soldier was rarely-seen heartbreak; Feeling the dread of outliving another one of his children.
Emily put a hand to her mouth as the other hand held her elbow. Her heart went out to them and began to cry herself. In fact, Ny'iel even had a tear escape.
"She really is beautiful, Sam," Daniel broke the silence after a few minutes. They may not have long, so Daniel hoped they could cherish it.
"Come on out of the water before you get two clammy," Jacob encouraged. The water, after all, had been warm earlier...
Carter got a blanket to wrap around her wet hospital gown as O'Neill helped her to a bench where they sat down together.
"She has your eyes," Jack said from over her shoulder.
Sam smiled through her tears, "and your tiny ears."
"My ears aren't that small," he replied as he reached down a finger and touched his daughter's ear who then reach up for her father's hand and gurgled happily. Jack played and tickled her with a pained smiled. She was able to spend some happy moments with her parents, as they were able to softly laugh and enjoy being with her.
Sam lifted her baby girl up to give her a kiss on her forehead as a tear trickled down Sam's face and onto the infant.
And then it happened.
From beneath Sam's lips, the baby girl dissolved into light.
Everyone stared.
"Oma...?" Daniel's whisper didn't get a response.
Sam and Jack watched with wide eyes and the energy being floated in front of them. Then the light that used to be their daughter reached out and touched the pair, enveloping them in light. Instantly, the now ascended being created a telepathic link. Instantly, Sam and Jack were overwhelmed with emotions. Some emotions they knew came from their child who, though she barely knew them, loved her parents very much. But other emotions they soon realized were from each other.
--
In an instant, Jack and Sam saw their entire relationship speed by. Sam felt Jack's irritation as well as humor at her overwhelming geekiness as they first got to know each other. Jack felt Sam's fears and desires to prove herself to him as a soldier and later as a friend.
They felt each other grow closer and fonder of each other as time passed, and finally, felt the emotional history of the feelings they started to feel for each other. They felt the heart-shattering pain of when they thought they would loose each other forever.
Then finally, the two saw their love grow unbreakable and at the same time unbearable as their knew they could never be together. Not because they valued their careers more than each other, but because they knew they could help save and improve millions of lives with the positions they held. They probably could do more for the universe in their current job than any other job. They sacrificed their personal need to be together to put the rest of the world, galaxy, and scores of people they cared about, first.
They then were allowed to realize the unconditional love they currently had for each other. That love Sam had tried to deny when she went out with Pete. Most notably, they briefly relived some recent events with very powerful emotions like from their elevator make-out session and the "no-regs" night.
They never thought they would confirm the other's feeling quite this powerfully.
--
General O'Neill and Colonel Carter came back to reality as the energy being pulled away and disappeared through the ceiling.
There was absolutely dead silence in the lab for several minutes they stared at the ceiling.
Jack finally pulled his gaze down to Sam's who looked back at him. They both were obviously overcome with the emotions they had just downloaded.
"Wow," Sam finally whispered.
--
It was two days later. Sam had gotten checked out and allowed to go home, so she took some leave. Jack knew that a meeting between each other would be confusing if nothing else, but he also knew that they needed to talk.
Rubbing his neck nervously, the General was able to bring himself to knock on her front door.
"Jack," she gently greeted, hanging on the door which was barely open.
"Can I come in?"
She bit her lip and nodded with downcast eyes. Seating herself on her couch, Jack joined her. He picked up her hands that lay on her lap and covered them with his own hands.
"I'm sorry I couldn't come by and see you before."
"Teal'c and Daniel stopped by," Sam shrugged, avoiding eye contact.
"Yeah," Jack followed her eyes to a plain, clean spot of carpet, "same here."
"Doesn't make it..."
"...Any less hard," Jack finished.
Sam clenched her teeth and closed her eyes as if to contain a river. She leaned on his chest as he wrapped an arm around her. Two hours later, his shirt was soaked in tears.
They never did talk about it. There didn't seem to be anything to talk about. Publicly, Sam was never pregnant, there was no burial, and no birth certificate.
Their baby daughter might as well never have existed.
That didn't ease the pain. Nothing ever would.
--
A couple days after that, Sam was called back to the base as the Tok'ra wish to say good-bye. Sam never even bothered to change into uniform. She met up with the departing Tok'ra who were no longer needed on Earth.
Sam was in mid process of expressing her gratitude to Ny'iel and Yulanea, who Sam now happily called friends, when she got an unexpected interruption.
EEEEEEEEEEEEVVVRRRROOORRRWWVVFFFF
One second she was surrounded by white light, and the next, she found herself in a non-SGC military room. She recognized more Asgard transporters as more people got beamed into the room.
"General?" Sam asked O'Neill who had showed up next to where she and the Tok'ra had been beamed to, shortly followed by Daniel and Teal'c.
They just looked around at all of the other confused faces. The SGC crowd was at least somewhat pleased that this unexplained event reunited them with their old pal, Major General George Hammond. There also were other high-ranking officials appearing in the room: General John P. Jumper, Air Force Chief of Staff; General Francis Maynard Chairman of the Joint Chiefs; Colonel Chekov, the SGC's main Russian contact, as well as the US President Henry Hayes.
O'Neill, at least, recognized some others due to his SGC head-honcho job. A couple people in charge of the Atlanus Outpost in Antarctica were there. Along with some of the Ambassadors Jack had met in one of those high-up meetings from various countries.
((A/N: They said that there were people from, I think it was, 12 different countries going to Atlantis. Plus they'd have to get more countries in on the Antartica find after "Disclosure"(which only had China, England, and France) and "Lost City" and so on.))
"Any idea what's going on?" Jack called out over the confused chatter.
"I have something of an idea," President Hayes responded. Everyone listened. "I had a visit from a couple of aliens." The entire room raise an eyebrow. "One was Thor. The other was a young woman who appeared human. She wanted to make sure the Secret Service wouldn't go crazy before she and Thor kidnapped me along with the rest of us."
"Kidnapped?" Jack reiterated, "wouldn't 'abducted' fit better?"
"Where are we?" Daniel piped up.
"We're in the Pentagon," someone replied.
"I can't open the door," someone else called out.
"That's because I wanted all of you to stay put."
The words were heard before Thor's Asgard transporters finished beaming a young woman, robed man, everyone's favorite little gray alien, and the Chinese and Japanese ambassadors.
"Sorry to make you guys wait, but I thought these two would want a chance to change out of their pajamas before I brought them here." The young woman indicated to the two ambassadors. Actually, the girl appeared to be more of a teenager, maybe 17 or 18, "I'm sorry if I inconvenienced any of you, but I thought you'd like to be here since we're implementing some changes to the planet's defense systems."
Everyone seemed to start talking at once, not yelling, put enough to be quite disorderly.
The girl waved her hands around, "hey, would you guys just all sit down, and I'll explain it." Everyone started to gather around the conference table.
The scene before them seemed very odd. In the front of a Pentagon conference room filled with some of the most powerful people in the world stood a young adult girl wearing tennis shoes, cargo pant, and a blue halter-top. Her appearance just screamed American teenager. She stood with an air of confidence as well as humor. Her blue halter-top brought out her blue eyes and seemed to help accent her slightly sharp cheekbones, small round ears, and long blond hair, which she had pulled up into a high ponytail.
Along with this slightly smug teenager was the very alien Thor who had beamed down a chair for himself, and an older young man reminded O'Neill and company of several of the Egyptian descendants they had met over the years, usually not on Earth. This man had a very close haircut, being just a step above bald. His Dali-Lama-like robe appeared to be like that of the monk SG-1 met on Kheb.
"Alright, kids," The girl stood and spoke boldly, "for starters, I am an ascended being, an alien for what it's worth. You can call me Jennifer."
Sam, Jack and close company's eyebrows shot up and exchanged looks. Sam and Jack looked hopeful.
"I don't know how many of you know how much," Jennifer started, "but I do know all of you know about the Stargate Program running out of Cheyene Mountain. So I'll just go back to the basics:
"Ok, there are these parasitic alien snakes, alright, some are good and some are very bad. When two humans who are both hosts to these symbiote snakes produce a human child, it contains all of their genetic knowledge, this is known as a Harcesis. And since the Goa'uld don't like to share their knowledge, this is very significant. Now, my companion and I are both not only Harcesis-es, but we are also have both ascended to a higher plane of existence. Since the genetic memory I possess is not like the evil genetic memory my pal has, I have been able to help him unlock the evil knowledge, deleting a lot here and there so that he can access the information without succumbing to the evil influence. We've had to delete a lot of the info, loosing a lot...
"Anyway, we both have connections to Earth, so we wanted to do something to help you guys, unfortunately, we've had to jump through a lot of loops with the other ascended beings since they have a non-interference-policy with the mortal realm. The others would only allow us to do so much, but since we picked up the knowledge from our mortal life, we're allowed to give some of it back."
Those who've had to deal with alien allies were shocked at this. Hammond spoke up on their behalf, "what do you mean?" his tone was extremely cautious and wary.
"No, we're not giving you weapons exactly," the Harcesis girl explained, "what we are giving you is information on where you can find a few good ZMPs for the Atlanus Outpost."
"Sweet!" Jack impulsively added.
"Be warned, there are rules!" she cautioned, "they can ONLY be used at the planetary defense post. I wouldn't push your luck on what will happen if you break those rules. Another rule is that the outpost weapons have been directly reprogrammed not to be used against your own planet in any way. Granted you can get enemies in the atmosphere, but since there is mind thought involved, the controller has to be aware of the dangers the target possesses to direct the drone weapons.
"Everyone follow me?" she spoke more directly to those in the room who didn't know as much about the going-ons, "this extremely powerful weapon that you have cannot be used against any of you. If you guys start bickering about the threat to your own planet, I might come back to haunt you just because you're irritating!" Sam and Jack exchanged looks: Sam's was annoyed, Jack's was proud.
The ascended woman nodded to her fellow Harcesis and he headed off through the wall as she started to take questions. When he returned, he handed her several DVDs and they then handed the DVD copies from the security tape to all of the ambassadors and then nodded to Thor. The Asgard then began to beam all of the ambassadors, the Atlantus Outpost workers, and people like those in the Stargate Oversight Committee home.
"Oy! Glad we got all of that out of the way!" the girl heaved a heavy sigh of relief as she joined the others in a more casual group.
"So, yeah, who are you??" Jack released the question that he had been holding back for nearly too long that it almost sounded angry.
The young woman smiled and winced sheepishly, "can you not guess?"
Almost as if this was answer enough, Sam busted into tears and hugged her.
Sam seemed afraid to let go, when she finally did, Jennifer faced the others, mainly the President and other D.C. people. "My given name is Jennifer Laugoria O'Neill."
Jack raised an eyebrow, "'Lawg'or'ia'?"
"Gemjeen gave it to me," Jennifer replied, "it means 'Gift'."
"Wait, wait, wait, so let me get this straight," President Hayes spoke up with a sideways smile, "you're that kid of General O'Neill and Colonel Carter's who was conceived via an alien device and an alien?"
"Yes, Mr. President," Jennifer respectfully replied. She had been sounding a lot more polite since the others left. "Gemjeen, the Tok'ra who was blended with my mom, Colonel Carter, had intended me to be a thank-you gift of sorts since she knew that mom and dad would like to have a kid before their life ran out. The kid didn't necessarily have to be with each other. Unfortunately, her gift didn't work out quite right since my accelerated development in the womb made me unstable and I died shortly after birth. An ascended being had been watching and helped me ascend to a higher plain of existence."
"How are you a Harcesis, though?" Daniel asked.
She gave a soft laugh, "I have the genetic memory of not only Gemjeen and some traces of Jolinar, but I also have most of mom and dad's memories."
The shock didn't even have time to settle in for Sam before she started questioning, "how? I mean, humans don't have genetic memory, I mean, there's not way for..."
"If the Goa'uld can do it..." Jennifer interrupted. "Plus, when you throw in unknown alien technology all sorts of fun stuff can happen, Mom!"
"So, wait, you contain, our memories?" Jack queried doubtfully.
"Yes, Dad," Jennifer smirked, "I know things about you no else on this planet ever knew but you, like the stuff you did while time-looping that you never told anyone about."
"Is there something to which you have need to inform the rest of us, O'Neill?" Teal'c smirked.
Jack hesitated, but still questioned the validity of her statements.
"Dad, I know you, better than you even know you since you haven't even admitted a lot of things even to yourself, but I'm telling you the truth, do you really want me to prove it?" Jennifer broadly grinned, "like you handed in your resignation while time-looping."
The other looked to him for the truthfulness of the statement. Jack didn't move at all, though his eyes did dart around to the others.
"For what reason?" Teal'c inquired. Jack seemed to stiffen even more.
"So he could kiss mom."
Jack's gaze switched over and stared at Sam to see her reaction. He seemed to be afraid to look at Jacob, who Jack hadn't noticed was finding the whole scene hilarious.
"In front of General Hammond," Jennifer added.
"What?" Sam laughed out, unable to suppress her grin any longer.
"Okay, fine!" Jack snapped. He started getting defensive of the others, "I resigned first!"
"Jack, we can understand that," George laughed too.
Jack glared at his daughter. She stuck her tongue out at him. He chuckled soundlessly and returned a proud grin.
Daniel, who had been studying Jennifer's companion, suddenly spoke out as if surfacing from his own little world, "you *are* Shifu, aren't you? I mean, it made sense, but you may not have been Oma's only Harseisis... But you look a lot like your mom...and dad...and grandfather and uncle!"
The others looked and the Egyptian man, who smiled and nodded, "I am please that our roads were permitted to cross once again."
"Likewise!" Daniel beamed.
"I actually told him that he's not allowed to speak unless it was important," Jennifer explain, "he still tends to only speak in Oma-isms. We've been working on that too."
"I don't understand..." The president interrupted, "So... you're dead?" he said to the ascendeds.
Shifu answered before Jennifer got the chance, "Death is not the end of happiness nor health." The humans just blinked confusedly. Shifu looked at Daniel knowingly. Jennifer looked at Shifu irritatedly. He shut up timidly.
"So, Jennifer..." Jack turned his attention back to his daughter.
"Please, Dad, call me Jenny or Jen...actually, just call me Jen."
"Is that what all your ascended friends call you?"
"We don't speak allowed, exactly...though it is nice to hear my name aloud," she smiled.
"So what have you been up to for the last four days?"
"Oh, I've been real busy... getting used to being in existence in any form, let alone on a higher plane. I have a lot of memories, but none really prepared me. Then I met Shifu, started working on the whole Harseisis deal, decided that we wanted to do something for you guys, and tracked down the others to get permission and convince them. Then I had been going through records here on Earth and such to find all of the ambassadors and all you people, where they would be when we'd start this party, and then find Thor, convince him (which was easy enough) and then you know the rest I guess."
Jack raised his eyebrows, "been busy."
"Ya think?" Jen smirked, "you have no idea, and this wasn't even on the physical plane!"
"So, wait," Jacob spoke up, "what's it like to have all the memories of your parents, out of curiosity."
"Well," Jen said thoughtfully, "I guess you could say I'm used to it. I have always had them, so it's not really weird, more... entertaining."
"So..." Jack hesitated, "you remember thing like..."
Jen raised an eyebrow and smirked expectantly. "Remember, recent events I remember from Gemjeen's point of view too."
"Okay, that's just... wrong!"
"Get over it."
The two O'Neills were about to keep this up when Sam interrupted.
"How long can you stay?"
"Not too long," Jen replied, quickly switching gears to sorrowful.
"Will we see you again?" Jack actually sounded for the first time like he'd missed her. Not that any of them had doubted it.
"I still have a lot to do," Jen explained, "lots of work with Shifu and some other things I want to get done. Like one thing I want to figure out (since the others wont tell me) is how to make the hyperspace containment and use in ZPMs more efficient. I'm thinking that a combination of trinium alloy and the phase-shift..."
"Ahh!" Jack interrupted. Sam had a proud tear on her cheek.
"Plus," Jen added more seriously, "I need to discover my own personality. Though Dad may have corrupted me beyond repair."
"Hey!"
"We hope to visit," Shifu commented, he and Daniel had apparently finished their chat and decided to watch the others. "After all, home is where the heart is."
The others stared at him. He grinned.
Jen smiled proudly, "you guys are family. More literally for me, but you also are the closest thing Shifu has to family on this plane."
"Especially to you, Daniel, who I would call a father," Shifu smiled. Daniel returned the smile, not needing to vocally express that he also felt a close bond to his wife's son. Finally, Shifu threw his arms around his surrogate father and hugged him.
"Well, we gotta run," Jen stated.
"So soon?" Sam asked.
"Yeah, sorry." Jen gave her parents, grandfather, and friends of the family hugs. "I love you," Jen said when she wrapped her arms around her mom and dad again, "I really do." She pulled back from her folks and added hopefully, "when I'm finished, I hope maybe I can come back and descend into human form, maybe even as a six-year-old so you don't have to worry about daycare and all of that. Though you'd miss the adorable baby years."
"Yeah, but why go to kindergarten?" Jack inquired, "you've already got a Ph.D. in your brain at least."
"I don't know how much knowledge I'll keep," Jen shrugged, "but is it so bad to want to give childhood a shot?"
Jack smiled softly and nodded. Jen could tell that he was thinking about the childhood that his other kid had been denied completing.
Jennifer O'Neill then stood at attention and saluted everyone in the room and then held the salute as she dispersed in a white glow.
--
The room was still for over a minute or two after Jen and Shifu left in their impressive ascended light show. Thor had soon after said his see-you-later-s and took off.
"You know," Daniel said, dazed, to Sam in a low voice that still carried, "it's too bad you and Jack can't get married." Sam shot him a look, but the archeologist seemed to be in his own world. "In that alternate reality, where you were a civilian scientist, I never even knew something was going on between that Sam and Jack until he was heading off to get killed and they said their good-byes. It was only then that I learned they were engaged."
"What are you getting at, Daniel?" Sam tried to control her tone.
"Well, I mean," Daniel offered, "I know you guys would still be able to keep up the professional attitude at work and still be married..."
A wide grin spread across Jack's face as an idea came together. "I was thinking," Jack casually approached the President, "Henry...," President Hayes was humorously surprised at Jack's obvious attempt to suck up, "I was wondering if I could call in a huge favor in Colonel Carter's behalf."
"Oh?" Henry Hayes grinned, "and what would that be?"
"Well, you see," O'Neill placed a hand on President Hayes' shoulder and took on a philosophical tone, "I think Danny has a very good point." Hayes looked a bit confused so Jack elaborated, "I think if Colonel Carter and I were to get married, it would be no different than leaving things as they are."
"General?" Carter said inquisitively.
"Come on, Mr. President," Jack was starting to sound like he was begging, "look at all the things we have done for king, country, world, galaxy, and universe! All this time we knew that a relationship would mean taking us away from all the lives we could save and such. You can allow us to do both!"
"Would you be able to make an order that would kill her, Jack?" Gerorge Hammond injected.
Jack lifted his head and turn to the former SGC commander, "about as easily as I ever make that order," Jack replied, dead serious.
"What about your other subordinates, sir?" Sam added.
"Com'on, Sam," Jack turn back toward the group that came for the SGC, "they SO owe us!" Jack approached her, placed his hands on her shoulder, and looked into her eyes, "I know exactly how you feel on this topic. Jenny's little telepathic connection after she was born kinda ruined any doubts we had!" He briefly lost sense of time and place as his hand reached up and cupped her chin.
"Where would you have the wedding?" President Hayes inquired.
"Sir?" Jack had been surprised at the comment.
"I'm just wondering if it's going to be on a different planet," Henry replied, "because that could be quite a hassle to work out if I'm going to attend."
Jack was dumbfounded, and surprisingly at a loss for words. "Um, I'm not sure," Jack responded, "I'd like Thor to be able to come, but he could wear a hologram or something." Jack pondered, "let's see, Teal'c would be Best Man and Daniel would be Man of Honor..."
"What??" Daniel lurched.
"But we can make quite an effort to get as odd of a crowd as possible to it would be worth coming to, Mr. President," Jack offered. He was still standing close to Sam, his hands now on her arms instead of her shoulders.
"Oh?" Hayes grinned
"Yeah!" Jack replied, getting excited, now holding Sam's hands, "we could have a 'four-races-alliance' reunion! We could get Oma, Jenny, and Shifu...Thor and maybe Freyr and Heimdall for the Asgard... Lya and friends could be our Nox, either way, I'd like to invite Lya, she's been a pal. Oh! Daniel, maybe we could somehow find your grandfather and he and the giant aliens could also come! There'll be plenty of Jaffa: Bra'tac, Ishta, Rya'c... and so on...Then we'll have Tok'ra. Heck! One's going to walk the bride down the aisle!" Jack excitedly threw out a hand towards Jacob who was grinning. "And of course, we like Ny'iel...I'd have to think about which of the others I can stand..." Jack wrapped that arm around Sam's shoulder.
Sam, who was grinning and blushing, flicked Jack for his last comment. "We can't forget Chaka and Warrick to add to freakier-looking aliens!" Sam added.
"Good, good!" Jack replied. With one arm around protectively around Colonel Carter, General O'Neill turned to the president, "So? What'd'ya say??"
President Henry Hayes just grinned as he and the other high-ups headed to the door of the room, "I'll check my schedule," he called back.
"So is that a 'go-ahead,' sir?" Jack called out.
"I'm not the one you should be proposing to!" President Hayes called from out of sight in the hall.
Jack flipped his head towards Sam and simply raised his eyebrows at her. She threw her arms around his neck and almost attacked him with her eager and thrilled kiss.
"Urrr Aorrt!" He mumbled into her mouth and pushed her away.
Sam looked hurt.
"I'm sorry!" He offered, looking surprisingly pathetic, "I forgot about your brother! He can't come."
Sam smiled, relieved actually, and then pondered, "I'm not too sure how thrilled he'd be about me dumping his friend and getting engaged to some one else not too long later. That probably wouldn't thrill him too much." She tightened her arms, which still hung around his neck, "as long as we have an Earth-side reception," she grinned.
He smiled broadly back at her and pulled her back up to him to finish that kiss.
Daniel and Teal'c didn't even realize they were staring at the odd site of their best friends making out until Jacob and Ny'iel pulled them out of the room.
-- The End --
(The only original characters created for this story: Telraq, Ny'iel/Yulanea, Jennifer, Airman Lawson, and Dax (though the name is (c) of the Star Trek people))
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