The Opportune Moments, Prologue
Sep. 25th, 2008 07:47 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
fantastic_jackieTitle: The Opportune Moments, Prologue
Author:![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
patriot_jackie
Rating: G
Word Count: 1374 Words
Genre: Humor and Romance
Season/Spoilers: No real spoilers. Takes place in SGA4 and Window of Opportunity
Summary: While commanding the city of Atlantis, Sam's strange dreams lead her to request Jack to regale the events that unfolded during the time loops. As a way to lessen the separation she's feeling, Jack and Teal'c hurriedly write a slew of letters with a tale each, usually humorous, and send them to their distant former teammate who avidly reads them nightly. S/J established.
Author:
patriot_jackie Rating: G
Word Count: 1374 Words
Genre: Humor and Romance
Season/Spoilers: No real spoilers. Takes place in SGA4 and Window of Opportunity
Summary: While commanding the city of Atlantis, Sam's strange dreams lead her to request Jack to regale the events that unfolded during the time loops. As a way to lessen the separation she's feeling, Jack and Teal'c hurriedly write a slew of letters with a tale each, usually humorous, and send them to their distant former teammate who avidly reads them nightly. S/J established.
Author's Note: I also considered the title "Letters to Sam" for this, but I figured that was even more cliche than what I already have - and we all know how Jack feels about those. ;) This is just some crack I jotted down one morning as they hit me; I added a little background story that turned into a lot and voila! The chapters won’t be all S/J, and I’m sure they’ll be ongoing. As for any major current plot, as this takes place in both Atlantis and WOO, we shall see.
The chapters themselves I've purposely kept simple, abstaining as much as I can from any extra expositions or analyses. It's been difficult to not add that stuff in, but I hope the chosen style won't be too abrupt. - Tell me if it is!!
The chapters themselves I've purposely kept simple, abstaining as much as I can from any extra expositions or analyses. It's been difficult to not add that stuff in, but I hope the chosen style won't be too abrupt. - Tell me if it is!!
Note to my LJ Buddies: Particularly mrspollifax – you requested in that one meme so long ago the story revolving around “Five Minutes.” This fic was also up for choice there. Anyway, the point is that I’ve incorporated that one into this story – just so you know. ;) It won’t pop up for a while yet, though. Sorry!
mrspollifax – you requested in that one meme so long ago the story revolving around “Five Minutes.” This fic was also up for choice there. Anyway, the point is that I’ve incorporated that one into this story – just so you know. ;) It won’t pop up for a while yet, though. Sorry!It was, as the residents of Atlantis called it, Transmission Day – the day when the SGC dialed Atlantis for a full wormhole time limit of thirty-eight minutes. Mostly it took place for official reasons so the commander of the facility, now Colonel Samantha Carter, could report to the higher ups face-to-face about the progress at the Ancient city and how things were fairing in the Pegasus Galaxy. Of course, such an extended time limit gave the personnel opportunity to speak with their loved ones back home – the few that had them, anyway.
In her office, Colonel Carter had been grilled by the IOA for a full twenty minutes before they’d finally turned things over to the head of Homeworld Security. Though she understood the need for reporting to them and that said report was the main reason these transmissions occurred in the first place, she couldn’t shake the feeling that their ridiculous attention to needless details was entirely personal. Maybe not against her specifically, but Major General Jack O’Neill was as close to an arch nemesis to the IOA as SG-1 had been to the Goa’uld, and they were sure to leverage the upper hand whenever they had it. – Including cutting in on the time spent between the General and Colonel as the IOA was well aware that the two officers were unofficially engaged to be married as soon as the opportunity arose.
To both their regret, Jack and Sam did have certain official duties to discuss before they could simply talk between each other. Of course, something the IOA would probably never understand was that discussing work together did hold a certain romance between them all their own. After all, their supposed impersonal working relationship had been where everything started in the first place.
Neither would ever admit this aloud, of course; one less thing for the IOA to be aware of, and Sam reveled in the knowledge that their childish, partisan tricks would fall flat every time in the face of her and Jack’s relationship. They would never fathom how much she loved that man on the other side of the screen, and she cherished every single moment she had with him, whether they were discussing official business or not.
Said official business part of the conversation did not last long, though; General O’Neill had at least been present for the IOA’s interrogation, and they only had a handful of other matters to discuss, which were soon behind them.
“Jack,” Sam said, addressing him informally now to shift the conversation personal. “I’ve been having some… recurring dreams lately. Well, for a while, actually.”
His eyebrows arched on the screen; it probably wasn’t the first thing he was expecting her to bring up. “Well… Those happen from time to time,” he said.
She shook her head. “Yes, I know, but… These are different.”
“Different how?” he asked confused. “Have you talked to anyone?”
“No, of course not.”
“Sam-” he said in a warning tone.
“I can’t talk to anyone else about them but you,” she reasoned calmly.
“But I’m not there. And you do realize that… shall we say other people have access to these transmissions?”
In her office, Colonel Carter had been grilled by the IOA for a full twenty minutes before they’d finally turned things over to the head of Homeworld Security. Though she understood the need for reporting to them and that said report was the main reason these transmissions occurred in the first place, she couldn’t shake the feeling that their ridiculous attention to needless details was entirely personal. Maybe not against her specifically, but Major General Jack O’Neill was as close to an arch nemesis to the IOA as SG-1 had been to the Goa’uld, and they were sure to leverage the upper hand whenever they had it. – Including cutting in on the time spent between the General and Colonel as the IOA was well aware that the two officers were unofficially engaged to be married as soon as the opportunity arose.
To both their regret, Jack and Sam did have certain official duties to discuss before they could simply talk between each other. Of course, something the IOA would probably never understand was that discussing work together did hold a certain romance between them all their own. After all, their supposed impersonal working relationship had been where everything started in the first place.
Neither would ever admit this aloud, of course; one less thing for the IOA to be aware of, and Sam reveled in the knowledge that their childish, partisan tricks would fall flat every time in the face of her and Jack’s relationship. They would never fathom how much she loved that man on the other side of the screen, and she cherished every single moment she had with him, whether they were discussing official business or not.
Said official business part of the conversation did not last long, though; General O’Neill had at least been present for the IOA’s interrogation, and they only had a handful of other matters to discuss, which were soon behind them.
“Jack,” Sam said, addressing him informally now to shift the conversation personal. “I’ve been having some… recurring dreams lately. Well, for a while, actually.”
His eyebrows arched on the screen; it probably wasn’t the first thing he was expecting her to bring up. “Well… Those happen from time to time,” he said.
She shook her head. “Yes, I know, but… These are different.”
“Different how?” he asked confused. “Have you talked to anyone?”
“No, of course not.”
“Sam-” he said in a warning tone.
“I can’t talk to anyone else about them but you,” she reasoned calmly.
“But I’m not there. And you do realize that… shall we say other people have access to these transmissions?”
“Of course I do. We wouldn’t be talking about this if that weren’t the case,” she retorted holding his eyes and letting him read into everything she wasn’t saying with the seemingly casual statement.
He got the message; he usually did about such things. Clearing his throat, he shifted uncomfortably in his seat. “You were saying?”
She tried not to look smug. Tried. “I think they’re memories, but I don’t really remember them. Just flashes, pieces of conversations, feelings.”
“Pesky things, those feelings.”
“Jack.”
“So…” he said, ignoring her reprimand. Which was an odd thing for her to do considering they were both in uniform and officially on duty, she thought. Interesting what a relationship could flip upside down. Of course, she’d never abuse her position. “You remember, but you don’t… Forgive me, Carter, but I fail to see how I can be of any help to you.”
“Well… most of the memories involve you or Teal’c or both of you.”
That got his attention; the eyebrows once again arched. “So what are you thinking?”
“I’m thinking…” she trailed off, wondering how to pose the question she wanted to ask without really asking it. There were a particular few ‘dreams’ that she found herself torn between wanting to be dreams and wanting to be forgotten realities. But she couldn’t ask him if he had, for instance, kissed her in the control room in front of General Hammond. The dream was so real; she supposed it was possible her mind was creating new circumstances based on her missing him, but something about the dream just seemed… more. So instead, she asked about another of the dreams: “Did you and Teal’c ever play golf through the Stargate?”
Jack O’Neill wasn’t easily startled, and even less often did it actually show. But when you’ve worked, and later fallen in love, with him for almost ten years, you learn to pick up on the subtle clues, such as the opening and closing of his mouth as he couldn’t think of anything to say.
Okay, so maybe not so subtle, but he had relaxed around her considerably since…
“You remember that.” He said it more as a statement, but it was still a question.
“So you did.”
He didn’t deny it.
"Somehow, I remember a few things that didn’t happen in the Control Room, too, Jack,” she said, holding his gaze.
He winced. “Yes, well… You’re not angry, are you?”
She arched an eyebrow. “Should I be? When did this all happen?”
He shrugged. “Groundhog Day. But I figured you’d know that.”
“It was the only logical explanation I could come up with, but I am also the one who doesn’t really remember.”
“Look, Sam… You should know that I didn’t… I would never…” he began but trailed off, frowning as he couldn’t determine a safe way to say what he needed to say.
“I know,” she said, stepping in so he didn’t have to finish. She hadn’t thought he would, but it was nice to hear it from him – in a manner of speaking.
He nodded. “Good.”
“But I still want to know what happened.”
“Carter, lots of stuff happened, and we only have three minutes left on this transmission.”
Sam looked quickly at the clock and saw that he was correct. “Don’t remind me,” she mumbled quietly, looking back to his face.
Jack gave her a lopsided smile and took the chance to change the subject. “I saw that the schedule puts the next transmission date three weeks from now. That’s better than a month, right?”
“Much better,” she said with a small smile, and reached for the screen, trailing her hand down where his face was a galaxy away. She took her hand away. “And in the meantime, you can write me some letters. The old fashioned way.”
He raised his eyebrows. “Letters, you say?”
“We’ll be receiving shipments of supplies from the SGC in six days since things weren’t ready this time. That gives you enough time to write a few excerpts from what happened back then.”
He sighed. “Sam… Why now? You’ve known for a while, haven’t you? This didn’t just start happening?”
She smiled sheepishly. “No, I’ve had them for a few years, since it happened I think, though they have become more frequent.” She searched his face, memorizing everything about him, reminding herself. “It’s just… I miss you, Jack. I miss everyone. And if there are events, occurrences that we’ve had together that I don’t remember-”
“Consider it done,” he interrupted gently, undoubtedly because they were down to seconds. His face had changed as she explained, and she had no doubt that he understood perfectly. “I’ll even ask Teal’c if he wants to help out.”
She grinned. “I’d love that. Thank you, Jack.”
He shook his head. “Whatever makes you happy, Sam.”
“You do,” she answered without hesitation. “I love you.”
He smiled. “I love you, too. Always.”
And the transmission cut out.
Well, she thought to herself as she stared at the blank screen, at least she had something to look forward to now.
TBC in Opportunity 1: The War...
AN: So... interesting? The letters are written in Jack's and Teal'c's voices, which makes them a bit more challenging than just a regular gathering of such ficlets. The first letter will be posted tomorrow, and after that, I'll try to have one up every week. I already have five written out, so you can at least count on that. :)
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