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The Poseidon Effect
***** Chapter 14 *****
She was lucky. She poured herself a mug of ambrosia and stood by the window, sipping it quietly while she thought about the memo that had been on her desk when she’d arrived. It was one of those “For: All SGC Personnel” memos that Jack had always hated, so she’d found it ironic that this one had come from him. According to the memo, today was his last day as temporary CO. General Landry would be returning on Monday. Her initial reaction had been surprise. She’d slipped so smoothly into the routine of having Jack around that she’d forgotten that his presence here was temporary. Now, faced with his imminent departure, she was thinking hard about what she needed to say to him. It was fairly obvious from their few exchanges over the past days that they needed to talk, but the thought of it made her palms clammy with nervous sweat. The object of her thoughts came in then. He was deeply engrossed in conversation with Daniel, so he didn’t see her at first, so she took the opportunity to observe him as the two men laughed and joked. He looked more relaxed than he had during the entire year he’d spent as CO of the base. In many ways, she wished now that she, Daniel, and Teal’c had fought harder to keep him as team leader. Jack O’Neill just wasn’t designed to sit behind a desk. He noticed her then, and flashed a quick smile in her direction. “Feeling better today, Carter?” She nodded. “Much.” “Good.” He pulled out his chair. “Then let’s get this show on the road.” The three of them sat down, but as the briefing began, Sam couldn’t help feeling a little nostalgic. She was glad that Jack seemed comfortable with his decision to retire, but she’d miss seeing him around the base every day. “So who’s going to tell me exactly what happened over there?” Jack asked. “Buttons,” Daniel said, eliciting a quickly stifled laugh from Sam. “Buttons?” Jack looked puzzled. Daniel grinned at Sam and then cleared his throat. “It turns out that the device on Dakara has a similar, though highly refined, purpose to that of the original Antikythera device found here on Earth in 1901.” “Which supposedly predicted the movements of the sun and the moon, right?” Jack said. “Right, only in this case, the designers took the concept a step further.” Daniel pulled some pictures out of his folder, handing copies to Sam and Jack. “These are aerial images of the area below where we located the device.” He waited for a few seconds to give the others time to look at the pictures. “The canyon where the device is located eventually widens out into flatlands. If you remember, when SG-7 did the geological survey, they mentioned it.” “Yes,” Jack said. “And as I recall, I commented that it must’ve been some drought.” “Right.” Daniel was getting excited again, his words coming more rapidly. “Apparently, the device the Jaffa found uses the changing positions of Dakara’s sun to regulate water flow.” “Excuse me?” “We think the device was built as a sort of remote controlled dam for a vast system of underground springs.” Jack raised an eyebrow. “On a planet that’s ninety percent desert. Odd, that.” “Yes. Well. I’m no expert on geology, so I can’t explain that,” Daniel said. “But apparently thousands of years ago somebody figured out a way to bring the water to the surface and control its flow so that crops could be grown. They made the device self-maintaining so that people wouldn’t have to spend their time pushing buttons and levers. They could spend it growing and harvesting their crops instead.” “Evidently somebody pushed a button,” Jack said sardonically. Daniel nodded. “The local citizens would’ve found it difficult to survive without their crops. They’d have had to look to somebody else for help, making them vulnerable to takeover by a more advanced race.” “So you think the device was sabotaged.” “Or simply turned off, yes.” “And then you and Carter came along…” “Right.” “One question,” Jack said, turning to Sam. “Why didn’t the locals just turn it back on?” Sam shook her head. “I don’t know for sure, but it’s possible that the device had been functioning unattended for so long that when it stopped, nobody knew how to get it working again.” “Nobody except the person who turned it off in the first place.” “Right. And that person apparently never changed his mind.” “Or hers,” Sam said with a slight smile. “Or hers,” Jack nodded. “Wouldn’t be the first time something like that has happened.” “No, Sir. It wouldn’t.” “So,” Jack said. “Is there anything about this gizmo that I can take to the Pentagon?” Daniel shrugged. “Maybe, if they’ve suddenly taken an interest in the growing cycles of corn.” “That’s what I was afraid of.” Jack closed his folder and pushed it away from him. “Right, then. That’s that.” He capped his pen and dropped it on the table beside the folder, then leaned back in his chair. “So,” he said conversationally. “Did you get the memo?” Sam didn’t miss the irony of Jack asking if anybody had seen a memo, and a swift glance in Daniel’s direction was enough to tell her that he hadn’t either. “Memo, Sir?” “You know… The one that said today was my last day?” “Oh,” Daniel said, pretending surprise. “That memo.” Jack glared at Daniel. “Yes. That memo.” “Got it.” Daniel’s voice was suspiciously casual, but his eyes twinkled with laughter. For her part, Sam was having a hard time keeping a straight face. “What about it?” She asked, her tone suggesting that the contents of the memo hadn’t been anything remarkable. Jack sighed theatrically. “It’s nice to see some things don’t change around here.” Daniel and Sam adopted innocent grins. Jack snorted. “Anyway,” he said, “I was thinking about having a little barbeque tomorrow afternoon.” “A barbeque, Sir?” Jack gave her a pained look. “Yes, Carter. A barbeque. You’ve heard of those, haven’t you? Charred meat. Beer…” “Oh!” Daniel threw Sam a conspiratorial grin. “That kind of barbeque.” Jack threw up his hands in defeat. “All right, you clowns. I give up. The shindig starts at 1800.” He stood up and headed for the door. “And by the way,” he said as he opened it. “Teal’c’s coming.” And then Sam and Daniel were alone in the conference room, both wondering who’d really been in control of that last conversation. “What do you suppose he’s up to?” Daniel asked. Sam shrugged. “You know him as well as I do. Care to guess?” He shook his head. “No way.” “So I’ll see you tomorrow, then?” “Undomesticated equines couldn’t keep me away.”
She turned to leave, but apparently she didn’t move quite fast enough. Before she could make it halfway down the sidewalk, the door behind her opened. Damn. She looked longingly at her car. “Carter?” She stopped. Sighed. Turned around. Took a deep calming breath, and made a weak attempt at a smile. “Sir!” “Not even going to say hello?” “Sorry, Sir. I didn’t want to disturb you.” Lame excuse, she knew. Why would she have driven all the way over here if not to talk to him? “Well as long as you’re here, why don’t you come on in? Take a load off. Have a beer…” She suspected he would’ve kept talking indefinitely if she hadn’t surrendered. With a deliberate glance at her watch, she looked up. “I guess I can stay for a while.” She walked toward him, hoping he would interpret her clenched fists and stiff-shouldered walk as soreness rather than nerves. Taking a deep breath, she crossed the threshold into his home. For better or worse, by the time she left this place she’d know more than she did now. Maybe, she thought, more than she really wanted to know. But she had to face it. The dance of denial they’d both been doing for years needed to come to an end before she really did end up in a straitjacket. The click of the deadbolt jolted her into action, and she practically leaped to the other end of the living room, putting much needed space between the two of them. When she turned around, he was watching her quizzically. “Beer?” he offered. She shook her head. “Right.” He looked mildly disappointed. “There’s pizza…” Her stomach churned a warning and she lifted a hand in self-defense. “No. Thanks.” “So,” Jack said when he realized she wasn’t going to say anything else. “What brings you here… to my neck of the woods…” He didn’t finish the comment. Both of them knew immediately where he was going with it, and the memory wasn’t a happy one. “I just…” She paused, and then tried again. “I need…” Damn. Why did she always trip over her tongue at times like this? “What you said the other night. About why you left…” Actually, he hadn’t said much of anything, but she wasn’t about to bring up the subject of that incredible kiss. “I…” She bit her lip in nervous frustration and pushed the words out in a thoroughly Daniel-like rush. “I just need you to tell me, Sir.” He arched an eyebrow. “Sir?” “Jack.” “You sure you don’t want that beer?” he asked, hiking a thumb toward the kitchen. She wondered if he was suggesting it as a way to calm her nerves or his own. “Positive.” He took a deep breath, his chest rising and falling beneath his shirt. “You’re a bright girl,” he said. “Surely you can figure it out.” She shook her head. “This isn’t a physics problem, Jack.” There. For once his name felt almost natural in her mouth. “No,” he said. “I guess it isn’t.” And with that, they stumbled to an impasse. He couldn’t, or wouldn’t, say anything else, and it didn’t take long for her to feel the first twinges of humiliation. Maybe she’d dreamed the kiss. Or maybe… Maybe he hadn’t meant it the way she’d taken it. Abruptly, she decided it was time to get the hell out of Dodge before she made an even bigger ass of herself. She started toward the door. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have come.” “Sam.” His hand on her arm, and the quiet way he said her name made her stop and turn to look at him. “Don’t go.” “Why not?” “Because I don’t want you to go.” She stared at him, pulse racing. “What did you say?” “I said I don’t want you to go.” The words hovered between them like living things, harbingers of a turning point in their relationship. “Why?” She held her breath. So much hinged on his answer. Again, he hesitated. Frustrated, she blew out a breath. “Damn it, Jack. If we can’t talk about this…” “Because I love you.” It was a moment in time that would be forever imprinted on her mind in exquisite detail. She would remember the play of late afternoon sun against his features, the woody smell of fresh mown grass, and the call of a blue jay from the yard. And she would also remember her sharp intake of breath, the sudden ache of emotion in her chest, and the vulnerable look in his dark eyes. “Because you…” “Love you. Yes.” He’d said it twice. Clearly that meant she hadn’t imagined it. She took a step closer. “Is that… Are you…” She swallowed hard. “Do you mean that?” He grinned crookedly. “Do you really think I’d say something like that without meaning it?” Her thoughts raced, putting the pieces together with lightning speed. “You left because of me.” He shook his head. “Not entirely.” “Then why?” “They wanted me to take Homeworld Security.” “General Hammond’s job?” A nod. “He wants to spend more time with his granddaughters. Can’t say I blame him.” “And you don’t want it.” “I’m not a desk jockey, Carter. I’m an Airman. Hell, I didn’t even like being head honcho at the SGC.” “Then why did you take the job in the first place?” “Because you were right when you said we could’ve ended up with somebody much worse.” She cringed. “I really wish I hadn’t said that.” “Like I already said. You were right.” “And yet…” “Landry’s a good man,” Jack said. “I wouldn’t have left if I didn’t believe that.” Sam considered him for a minute. “Why,” she asked, “did you leave without saying goodbye?” He scrubbed a hand through his hair. “Carter…” “Jack. I need to know.” With a sigh, he met her eyes again. “If I had announced my intention to retire, what do you think people would’ve said?” She shrugged. “That you’d earned it? That you’d served your country with honor? That you were a hero?” “And that I’d left because of you.” The words hit her with all the force of a Goa’uld flash grenade. “Excuse me?” Shock made her speak more loudly than she’d intended. “Damn it, Carter, you and I have been fodder for the gossip mill ever since that damned za’tarc incident.” She spoke with rather more vehemence than strictly necessary. “Who the hell cares?” “I do.” “Let me see if I’ve got this straight. You left the way you did in order to keep people from talking about us?” Anger straightened her spine and gave her words a knife sharp edge. “In case you haven’t noticed, I can take care of myself.” “Don’t you think I know that?” “Then why the martyr act? Why put the rest of us through hell like that?” He answered her question with one of his own. “Are you planning on retiring from the Air Force anytime soon?” “No, but…” He interrupted her before she could complete the thought. “What do you suppose would happen to your career and to SG-1’s reputation if rumors started circulating about us?” She shook her head. “You said it yourself, Jack. The rumors are already out there.” “Damn it, Sam. Think about it!” He bracketed her upper arms with his hands. “What would’ve happened if I’d stuck around for the big send off and then you and I got together right after?” “Why should anything happen?” “Come on, Carter. You’re smarter than that,” he said. “You know damn well people would’ve taken it as confirmation of their suspicions, and all that effort we put into ‘keeping it in the room’ would’ve been for nothing. Every mission we’d been on together, every tough call we’d made, would’ve become the subject of endless speculation.” Frustration bloomed inside her. She knew what he was getting at. The stain on SG-1’s reputation would have been permanent and ugly. Still, she was thoroughly sick of other people controlling her personal life. “I wouldn’t care if it did,” she said, but some of the fire had left her voice. She would care, and they both knew it. She pulled out of his grasp and walked to the window, staring out at the deepening gloom. “So you were protecting me.” “I was protecting the team.” He tried a weak smile, but was met with stony silence. “Sam…” If it had been anybody else, she would’ve kicked ass first and asked questions later. But this wasn’t anybody else. This was Jack; the man she knew would readily sacrifice his own life to protect a friend. She realized then that this wasn’t about being a martyr. It never had been. It was about honor, and pride, and doing the right thing no matter the cost. “You thought that if Daniel, Teal’c, and I were angry over the way you left, everybody would stop thinking there was something between us.” “Dumb, huh?” “Not exactly the brightest plan you’ve ever hatched.” He shrugged. “That may be true.” Turning back to him, she took a deep breath. “You took a hell of a risk. What if we hadn’t forgiven you?” Another slight shrug, “The risk of that was pretty minimal.” “Because…” “Because family doesn’t turn its back on family.” “You turned your back on us.” “No!” he said forcefully. “I didn’t. I turned my back on the Pentagon, and the politics, and the next over-the-top bad guy to come walking through that gate.” He closed the distance between them. “I never turned my back on you.” His logic made a bizarre kind of sense when viewed in the context of his ‘protection at all costs’ mentality. Still, there was one minor problem. “Jack?” “What?” “I don’t exactly think of you as a brother.” Her heart started racing again, and she took a deep breath. “No?” Hope flared in his eyes. She reached out, resting the flat of her palm against his chest, and he wrapped his fingers around hers. He couldn’t have found a more willing captive. “Why did you come here tonight?” he asked quietly. “I had to see you.” “Why?” She took a deep breath. “Because I love you, too.” His lips crooked into a satisfied smile. “Yeah?” “Yep.” He slid his free hand along her arm and up to her shoulder, coming to rest at the nape of her neck. The touch of his long fingers against her skin sent a delicious tremor through her body. He tilted his head to one side, amused. “Ticklish?” “No.” She shook her head, her voice unaccountably shaky. “I just never thought…” He rested his forehead against hers. “Yeah. Well…” “I’m not dreaming this, am I?” she asked. “This isn’t some sort of cruel alien mind game?” “If it is, remind me to thank somebody later.” She felt the gentle caress of his lips against her temple and sighed her pleasure, the slight breeze ruffling the fabric of his shirt as she tilted her head up to meet him. And then the telephone rang. Jack cursed under his breath and lifted his head to glare in its direction. He didn’t release her though, and she laid her cheek against his shoulder, dropping a kiss on the lean fingers still wrapped around her own. She looped her free hand around his waist, hooking her fingers into his waistband. She listened to the steady beat of his heart while they waited for the intrusion to end. She was dimly aware of his disembodied voice from the answering machine, and then the muffled tones of the unknown caller. But those things happened at a distance, lost in a Brigadoon-like fog along with all thoughts of work, and aliens, and the groceries she needed to get later. When the machine finally clicked off, she felt him take a deep breath. “So,” he said. She smiled up at him. “So.” A dip of his head, a kiss on the end of her nose, and a grin. “So.” “Eight years I’ve waited… for ‘so’?” She teased. “You were expecting something else?” He raised an amused eyebrow, and she ran a playful hand across his chest in retaliation, pleased by his low groan of response. “Ya think?” she asked. He pulled his head back, looking into her face with an expression of mock confusion. “So... What? You want to go out for a beer or something?” “You know what?” she said, pulling out of his embrace. “That might be fun.” She almost laughed aloud at the stunned expression on his face. Hiding her grin, she marched toward the front door, curious as to how far she’d get before he took action. Apparently not very far. In fact, she’d barely gone two steps before she found herself spun back into his arms with a “Where the hell do you think you’re going?” “But you said…” The rest of her words were lost as he captured her mouth with his own. After that, all she could think about was the strength of his arms as he held her close, the warmth of his breath as it fanned against her cheek and the taste... God. After all those years of wanting and wondering and wishing, it was the taste of him that undid her, that made her make that low mewling sound in the back of her throat, made her move restlessly against him, hands knotting in the soft fabric of his shirt as she strained to get closer. She wanted him with an intensity she’d never experienced, wanted the physical barriers of buttons and zippers and fabric to go the way of the emotional barriers that had already fallen. He responded in kind, saying by touch all those things he’d never been able to say with words, and it was a long time before he lifted his head enough to meet her heavy lidded gaze. When he spoke, his voice was low and rough with need. “Tell me again why we waited eight years?” “Um…” She nibbled at a particularly fascinating piece of O’Neill real estate just east of his chin. “I don’t remember.” “And,” he murmured, one hand coming to rest at the base of her spine, the other along her ribs, thumb brushing idly against the outer edges of her breast. “Now that we’re finally here…” He pressed a row of tiny nibbling kisses along her hairline. “What happens next?” She moaned. Even through the fabric of her shirt the light touch was nearly more than she could bear. “I can’t speak for you, but I know what I’d like to have happen next.” He pulled her closer, thoroughly eliminating any doubt as to his own desires. “I mean,” he said, his voice rumbling near her ear and sending yet another shiver through her. “Besides that.” “Oh,” she said, and licked her lips. “Can we talk about that later?” He smiled. “Samantha Carter, you are a woman after my own heart.”
The door opened almost before she could knock, and Jack wasted no time in divesting her of the beer so that he could pull her close. She snuggled into his chest, soaking up his freshly showered smell and enjoying his low hum of masculine satisfaction. “You know—” He pushed the door shut behind her. “If I’d known what I was missing…” “We wouldn’t have done this any differently, and you know it.” He was quiet for a few seconds while he considered that. Then, “Yeah. You’re probably right.” “Of course I’m right.” She grinned at him. “The woman is always right.” That made him laugh outright. “You may be the brains of this outfit, but I’m the brawn, and don’t you forget it.” She fingered a button on his shirt. “And such lovely brawn it is, too.” “Keep that up, and we’re going to be in bed when Daniel and Teal’c get here.” He grinned when she immediately dropped her hand and stepped back. “I thought that might get your attention,” he said. “Smart ass.” “Takes one to know one.” Sam had a sudden insane desire to stick her tongue out at him, but she resisted the urge, turning instead to pick up the case of beer. “Fridge?” she asked. “There’s an ice chest on the floor beside it. Just throw them in there.” She heard the back door open as she stepped into the kitchen and assumed he was going out to light the grill. A quick peek in the fridge revealed a mouthwatering array of steaks marinating in what she strongly suspected was beer. Her growling stomach was interrupted by the peal of the doorbell. Daniel and Teal’c had arrived with a sack of potatoes and more beer. Sam grinned when she saw the familiar cardboard carton. There was already enough beer in the house for a frat party. More would definitely be overkill. Oh well. She doubted it would go to waste. “Come on in, guys. Jack’s out back.” Daniel held up the case of beer. “What should I do with this?” “Ice chest by the fridge,” Sam said. “Teal’c, if you’ll give me those potatoes I’ll get them in the microwave.” “May I assist you, Colonel Carter?” She smiled at him. “I can manage, thanks.” Daniel came out of the kitchen with a can of beer in one hand, and a bottle of water in the other. He tossed the water to Teal’c. “Jack’s out back, you said?” “Yep.” She nodded. “Lighting the grill.” “Got the fire department on stand by?” he joked. “You’d better believe it.” Teal’c looked puzzled. “For what reason do you require the assistance of the fire services?” Sam laughed. “It’s a joke, Teal’c.” He nodded slightly, though he didn’t appear to be entirely satisfied with her answer. “If you will excuse me, I will see if O’Neill requires my assistance.” “I doubt he needs any help, but I’m sure he’d love your company.” Teal’c nodded again and left, leaving her alone with Daniel. “So,” he said, eying her critically. “You look good.” She felt the blush spread across her cheeks. Damn her fair skin anyway. “Do I?” “Yes, you do. Radiant even, though that’s a term usually reserved for…” He trailed off, giving her a strange look. What the hell. It wasn’t as if she and Jack were still in the same chain of command. “Reserved for what, Daniel?” “Well,” he said slowly, “I was going to say it was a term normally used to describe a woman in love, but…” Must keep a straight face. Must not blush. Yeah. Right. She might as well try to stop her heart from beating. “But what?” “Sam, is there…?” The door opened and Jack stuck his head inside. “Hey, Daniel.” Then, with a quick smile in her direction, “Would you bring out those steaks?” Daniel looked from her to Jack and back again. His eyes went wide in sudden comprehension. “Well, I’ll be damned.” Jack stared at Daniel as if he thought his friend had lost his mind. “Something wrong?” Daniel grinned broadly. “Not as far as I can tell.” “I’ll be out in just a sec,” Sam said, with a bubble of irrepressible laughter. Jack glanced at Daniel again, shook his head, and disappeared. Daniel turned back to her. “When did this happen?” “Last night.” “No wonder you both have that ‘cat that caught the canary’ look about you.” “Yeah. Well…” A sudden thought occurred to Sam. “You’re okay with this, aren’t you? I mean, I realize it could be a little awkward…” “I’m fine, Sam.” He pulled her into an affectionate hug. “In fact, I’m thrilled for you. You and Jack waited a long time for this. You deserve to be happy.” Wistfully, Sam remembered when her father had said something similar. She still missed him dreadfully. The back door opened again. “Carter! Did you get lost?” “Keep your pants on! I’m coming!” Okay, judging by the leer he sent her way, maybe that wasn’t the best choice of words. Deciding a retreat was in order, she headed for the kitchen. By the time they sat down to eat they were all in such good humor that at one point Teal'c actually laughed at one of Jack's jokes. When the others stopped eating to stare at him Teal'c looked confused. “Have I caused offense?” he asked. That sent them all into gales of laughter, and by the end of the meal they were feeling more relaxed than they had in a very long time. “So Jack,” Daniel said, pushing his plate away. “What are you going to do now?” “I’m thinking cheesecake,” Jack said. Daniel snorted. “I mean, what are you going to do now that you’re officially retired?” Jack rolled his eyes. “Every time I retire I get called back. I’m going to think of this as extended leave. Maybe I’ll have better luck with that.” “Okay, then. Extended leave. I still don’t picture you as the type of guy who can sit around fishing for the rest of his life.” Jack looked at Sam. “I’m thinking of moving to New Mexico. At least for a while.” “New Mexico?” Daniel asked. “Why?” It was Sam who answered. “I’ve been offered a research position at Area 51.” There was a heartbeat of silence while that sank in. “You will be going together?” Teal’c asked, eyebrow raised. Sam nodded. His smile, when it came, spread across his face like the dawning of the sun. “I am pleased for you,” he said. Under the table, Jack reached for her hand. “Yeah. Um. About that.” He took a breath. “Part of the reason I left the way I did was because I didn’t want people gossiping about Carter and I.” “Gee,” Daniel said. “And we thought you just didn’t want cake.” Jack gave Daniel a look of exaggerated patience. “When have you ever known that to be the case?” “I will not divulge your secret, O’Neill,” said Teal’c. “I won’t either,” Daniel said. “I’ve had enough gossip over Sarah and Sha’re. I wouldn’t wish it on the two of you.” “Thanks, guys.” A firefly landed on Sam’s arm, its tiny blinking light a silent call to others of its species, and under the table, Jack rubbed his thumb rhythmically back and forth against the soft skin of her hand. Somewhere nearby a dog barked. It was Daniel who broke the silence. His tone, a strange mix of excitement and regret, brought Sam’s eyes to his face. “I have some news of my own.” “Oh?” Jack prompted. “Do tell.” “Looks like I finally get my trip to Atlantis. I’ll be leaving on the Daedalus next week.” “Hey! Congratulations!” Jack thumped Daniel enthusiastically on the back. “It’s about time!” Daniel shot Jack a dubious look. “You didn’t know about it?” “Are you kidding? I’m just the temp. Nobody tells me anything.” They all laughed at that. The party didn’t break up until the moon was high in the sky, and even then it was with a certain amount of reluctance. All of them knew that tonight signaled both an end and a beginning. Sam and Jack would be leaving for Area 51, Teal’c would be going back to Dakara, and Daniel was headed for Atlantis. The team would be split up, probably forever, and it was hard not to be sad about that. Still, they’d accomplished much of what they’d set out to do eight years ago. Teal’c’s people were free. Daniel’s wife had died, but he’d made peace with her loss. Jack still hadn’t quite forgiven himself for Charlie’s death, but at least now he was able to live with it. As for Sam, she had proven her abilities, both as a scientist and as a warrior, so that now she could be content to rest on her laurels for a while. All in all, the partnership had been good for all of them. She felt Jack’s hand settle around her waist as they watched Daniel and Teal’c climb into the car. With a small sigh, she relaxed into him, resting her head on his shoulder. No, she thought, life would never be the same again, but it would still be pretty damned wonderful.
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