Fanfiction: Humming

[rachel500]

Fandom: Stargate SG1
Series: Aftershocks
TAG to Episode: S1 Enigma
Rating: PG-13
Author's Note: Hammond/Jacob friendship. Sam/Narim.
Disclaimer: No copyright infringement intended.  Written for entertainment purposes only.
 

Humming

'George!’

The familiar shout from the other end of the Pentagon corridor caught General Hammond’s attention and he turned swiftly to greet the other General striding towards him with a warm smile. ‘Jacob.’

Had they been in an informal location, the two men might have indulged in the manly version of a hug as it was they settled for a firm hand-clasp and brief pat on each other’s shoulder.

‘It’s good to see you again, Jake.’ Hammond said as they both took the measure of the other. Both were the same age, around the same height, Jacob carried a little less weight than Hammond but they were both of stocky build and were both sporting less hair than the last time the two men had seen each other. There the similarities ended; Jacob’s dark eyes and colouring were a contrast to the fair man looking back at him.

‘It’s good to see you too, George.’ Jacob took up a military stance; it was an automatic reflex after so many years in the Air Force. ‘Do you have time for a quick drink before you leave?’

Hammond glanced at his watch and agreed readily. His flight back to Petersen didn’t leave for another couple of hours and it would be good to spend the time unwinding given the day of meetings he had just been through.

He had been recalled to Washington DC to explain why his command had not done more to assist the NID in preventing a group of advanced aliens escaping from the SGC. Given that he had been aware of the plan SG1 had concocted to contact the Nox to assist the Tollans in escaping, had agreed with their belief that not allowing the NID to subject the Tollans to forced intellectual labour was the right thing to do, it felt like it had been a day of walking a particularly thin high wire. Jacob suggested a small public bar that the two of them knew well and George offered his car to provide transport; they would drop Jacob at his destination before continuing onto Andrews after their drink.

It wasn’t too long before the two men sat at a highly polished mahogany bar with two crystal tumblers of the finest whiskey and bourbon sat in front of them.

‘So the rumour on the grapevine was that you were in town for a roasting.’ Jacob said as they both reached for their drinks.

Hammond waited until the first gulp of the smooth fiery liquid slid down the back of his throat before he answered. ‘You could say that.’

‘How did you manage that?’ Jacob asked. ‘I thought deep space radar telemetry was supposed to be your easy gig into retirement?’ His mocking tone gave away his awareness that a cover story was in place.

Hammond gave a huff of laughter. ‘Let’s just say that life doesn’t always turn out the way you expect.’

‘Tell me about it.’ Jacob said, taking a sip of whiskey.

Hammond glanced over at his friend and frowned at the serious expression on Jacob’s face. ‘What’s up, Jake?’

Jacob’s guarded dark eyes met Hammond’s. ‘I have cancer.’

‘Damn. Jacob…’ Hammond sighed, his blue eyes regretful. ‘I’m sorry.’

‘Me too.’ Jacob said, tossing the whiskey back and indicating for the barman to give him a refill.

‘Do you know the prognosis yet?’ Hammond asked. He was more fully conversant with the ordeal of a cancer patient than he cared to admit; his wife had died of the disease.

‘They’re still doing tests.’ Jacob shrugged. ‘It’s early days.’

‘I take it you haven’t told the kids yet?’ Hammond surmised. He was sure Jacob’s daughter, Samantha Carter, would have informed him despite the restrictions placed on their personal relationship since she had become a Captain under his command and Jacob hadn’t spoken with his son Mark for years.

Jacob shook his head. ‘There’s nothing to tell yet, George. It could all be a storm in a tea-cup.’ He pointed a finger at Hammond’s unhappy face. ‘And you’re not to tell Sam. I’ll tell her in my own time, when I’m ready.’

Hammond nodded slowly. ‘You have my word, Jacob, but I still think you should tell her yourself; she’d want to know.’

‘So she could do what?’ Jacob responded heatedly. ‘Run back to Washington to take care of her old man leaving the exciting world of deep space telemetry or whatever the hell it is you do really?’

Hammond sighed. ‘You’re the most stubborn old coot I’ve ever had the displeasure of knowing.’ The fondness in his tone was a strange contradiction to the words.

Jacob raised his glass. ‘Thanks, George.’ He swallowed another gulp of his drink. ‘How is Sam?’

‘She’s good.’ Hammond beamed proudly at the thought of the young blonde Air Force Captain and theoretical astrophysicist. ‘She’s a fine officer, Jacob. Her CO’s very pleased with her.’

‘Her CO, huh?’ Jacob sipped his drink. ‘Who is he?’ He asked in an easy, lazy manner as though the answer didn’t matter to him.

Hammond opened his mouth to reply and shut it again abruptly. Telling Jacob Carter that his daughter’s CO was an ex-Special Forces Colonel was equivalent to admitting that the deep space radar telemetry was a cover. ‘I can’t tell you that, Jake.’

‘Why not?’ Jacob asked. His eyes twinkled mischievously. ‘Might it be classified, George?’

‘I just don’t want you hassling one of my officers.’ Hammond retorted.

‘I bet he’s another science geek like Sam.’ Jacob said decisively.

Hammond almost choked on his drink at the thought of anyone calling the SG1 leader, Colonel Jack O’Neill, a man with a self-professed dislike of scientists, a science geek. He couldn’t prevent the small smile that tugged at his lips. ‘Let’s just say that he has a love of astronomy.’

Jacob knew he was missing something but he also knew his friend well enough to know that George would never divulge what it was that Sam was really doing or anything that might hint at it. Deep space radar telemetry his ass, Jacob thought derisively. ‘She called me the week before last.’

‘She did?’ Hammond lowered his glass.

‘She seemed upset.’ Jacob commented, looking down into the amber liquid in his glass.

Hammond thought back to the time Jacob had indicated; probably the whole incident with Cassie, the young orphan girl they had rescued from Hanka, he deduced. Sam had become very attached to the little girl. There had been a tough couple of days when they had discovered Cassie had been used as a Trojan horse by the Goa’uld; a bomb had been placed inside her and only the strange fluke of taking her away from the Stargate to contain what they had thought was going to be the imminent explosion had disintegrated it without incident. Cassie was fine and being adopted by their CMO, Janet Fraiser, and Sam…Sam had been through an emotional roller-coaster but as far as Hammond could tell, the rest of SG1 had supported her through it. ‘She had a rough couple of days.’ He allowed.

‘Analysing deep space radar telemetry?’ Jacob said sarcastically.

‘We have our moments.’ Hammond said.

‘Like this thing with the NID?’ Jacob threw out casually.

Hammond stared at him. ‘Jake…’

‘OK, OK.’ Jacob held up a hand. ‘I’ll back off.’ He threw back the rest of his drink. ‘Just tell me one thing, George.’

‘What’s that?’ Hammond asked warily.

‘Is she happy?’ Jacob asked simply.

Hammond gave the question serious consideration and nodded. ‘You know, Jacob, I really think she is.’

o-O-o

‘You kissed him!’ Janet’s eyebrows shot up as Sam shushed her.

‘Janet!’ Sam said laughing. ‘I’d rather not let the whole base know.’ She was perched on a table in the relative privacy of the doctor’s office eating lunch and looking over the data Janet had collated on the Tollan physiology. Janet sat next to her in her office chair with a shocked but conspiratorial grin on her face at the news that Sam had kissed one of the Tollan visitors, Narim.

‘Sorry.’ Janet said automatically, forking up another salad leaf. ‘Actually, I’m not sorry.’ She pointed the fork at Sam. ‘As your friend I expected this information the minute after it happened. Why am I only finding out about it now? A whole two days later?’

‘Well, I was busy showing Daniel how to hypothetically rig the system so the NID would only find out about the Tollans escape at the last minute immediately after.’ Sam replied. ‘And then I was busy having to investigate the system for any evidence of Daniel’s actions.’ Or rather had spent her time ensuring there was no evidence of what Daniel had done left in the system to be discovered.

Janet tilted her head and seemed to consider whether or not that was a valid excuse as she chewed. ‘OK.’ She allowed after swallowing. ‘I’ll let you off.’

Sam rolled her blue eyes. ‘Thank you.’

‘So…’ a wicked twinkle appeared in the doctor’s dark eyes, ‘how was it?’

‘Janet!’ Sam laughed, blushing.

‘Oh come on.’ Janet teased. ‘You can’t tell me you kissed an alien and then refuse to divulge details.’

‘The Tollans are human.’ Sam retorted. She gestured at the computer monitor. ‘This data proves that.’

‘But they’re more advanced than us.’ Janet rejoined. ‘Does that extend to…uh…kissing?’

Sam sighed heavily but her shining blue eyes gave away her own light-heartedness about their conversation. She grinned. ‘Maybe.’

‘Maybe?’ Janet repeated. She speared a tomato. ‘Details, Sam. I want details.’

‘It was…’ Sam searched for an appropriate descriptive word, ‘sweet.’

‘Sweet.’ Janet rolled the word around in her mouth. ‘That doesn’t sound like it was a passionate, want to tear your clothes off and have wild monkey sex type of a kiss.’

‘That’s because it wasn’t.’ Sam admitted. She had to admit she’d had very few of the kisses Janet was describing in her life. Her mind flashed back to a certain locker room incident with her CO when she had been suffering from an alien virus and she blushed deeply. She looked up from her plate of food and found Janet staring at her curiously. ‘What?’

‘Nothing.’ Janet said innocently. She had a feeling she knew Sam was thinking about a time when she had been kissed like that but if it was the incident Janet was thinking of, she knew it wouldn’t be fair to tease the other woman about it. ‘Sweet, huh?’ She asked dragging the subject back to Narim’s kiss.

‘It was nice.’ Sam said, licking the salad dressing from her fork.

‘Nice. Sweet.’ Janet shook her head making the brown bob sway. ‘That doesn’t sound to me like there was chemistry.’

Sam set her plate aside and nodded jerkily. ‘You’re right.’ She admitted.

‘Then…’

‘Why kiss him?’ Sam completed the question. She sighed and crossed her arms over the green jumpsuit she wore. ‘I don’t know exactly. He literally shared his feelings with me and all I was feeling were his feelings.’ Her lips twisted. ‘Did that make sense?’

‘No.’ Janet said laughing. ‘You’re talking about this emotional recorder thing you mentioned?’

‘Yep.’ Sam frowned. ‘It was incredible, Janet. I switched it on and I could feel what he felt every time he saw me.’

‘And that was…?’ Janet prompted.

Sam’s cheeks reddened again. ‘Like I saved his life.’

‘You did.’ Janet pointed out.

‘But it was weird.’ Sam admitted. ‘I mean I know they weren’t my feelings for him but his for me yet I felt them.’

Janet watched her amused. She had a feeling the illogic of feeling someone else’s emotions was driving the very logical scientist nuts.

Sam shook her head. ‘Weird.’

‘Which is what you were feeling when he kissed you.’ Janet surmised.

‘Exactly.’ Sam nodded enthusiastically. ‘And it was nice and I was flattered so I kissed him back.’

‘And then?’ Janet urged her to continue.

‘And then Daniel walked in.’ Sam said, referring to her team-mate, Daniel Jackson.

Janet almost choked on her food. ‘Daniel?’ She stared giggling.

Sam nodded. ‘I think his exact word was ‘whoops’.’ The mental image of Daniel’s startled expression had her own laughter bubbling up.

‘I’m sure it was.’ Janet said through her chuckles.

‘Stop laughing.’ Sam said, smiling as she began to giggle herself.

‘At least it wasn’t Colonel O’Neill.’ Janet pointed out continuing to laugh.

‘Don’t!’ Sam groaned dramatically and put her head in her hands. She peeked out at the doctor. ‘Can you imagine?’

The two of them burst into another round of laughter at their mental image of the Colonel walking in on Sam kissing Narim.

Sam wiped a tear from her eye, thanked her guardian angel that it had been Daniel and not the Colonel and settled back. ‘Anyway I’ve sworn Daniel to secrecy. Narim was very sweet and I was very flattered but…’

‘But there was no spark.’ Janet completed again.

‘No spark.’ Sam nodded. ‘I wouldn’t have kissed him if not for his…’

‘Sharing his feelings for you.’ Janet said.

‘Exactly.’ Sam knew she would never have kissed him otherwise. Narim was sweet and kind and…not her type.

‘Well, it’s just as well you’re not likely to see him again,’ Janet said, putting her own plate on the desk, ‘I guess there won’t be a need for the awkward conversation.’

‘True.’ Sam agreed happily.

‘It was nice of you to give him your cat.’ Janet said.

Sam shrugged. ‘I haven’t exactly been around to look after Schrödinger very much lately.’

Janet smiled sympathetically. ‘I know the feeling. This past week with Cassie has been an eye-opener. I’m glad General Hammond authorised my leave.’

‘When does it start?’ Sam asked curious.

‘Today. End of shift.’ Janet said thankfully.

‘If you need any help…’

‘I know.’ Janet said. ‘I just need to ask you guys.’ She sighed. ‘You’ve done so much already.’

‘We’re not keeping count, Janet.’ Sam replied firmly. ‘We’re all pretty attached to Cassie ourselves you know.’

Janet nodded. ‘Well, you guys did save her.’

‘So did you.’ Sam reminded her. ‘How’s she doing?’

‘Good actually.’ Janet said as though it surprised her. ‘Daniel talked to her about losing her parents and I think that helped.’

‘He’s good like that.’ Sam said fondly. Daniel was one of the most compassionate people Sam had ever met.

‘Well, let’s hope he’s just as good at keeping secrets.’ Janet said dryly.

Sam rolled her eyes and reached for the report she had abandoned on a side table before they had begun their lunch. ‘So where were we?’

Janet sighed but accepted the change in subject reaching for her own report as they both turned their attention back to work.

o-O-o

Sam waited patiently for the elevator, flipping through her report on the MALP telemetry for P4A771, the next planet SG1 was scheduled to visit, for the briefing she was about to attend. The planet looked good. No signs of inhabitation, monoliths near the Stargate that Daniel had gotten excited about – something about a similarity to some place on Earth that Sam had to admit she had tuned out – and a sunny climate. They were scheduled to stay twenty-four hours on the planet and Sam was looking forward to it. They’d had a tough month; apart from Cassie, Daniel had been presumed dead for a few days before they’d realised he was alive, a queen Goa’uld had tried to take over the base, Teal’c had received a late reprieve from an execution and then there had been the latest thing with the Tollans…

She sighed and closed the report, stepping forward to press the elevator button again impatiently. She figured they could all do with a quiet, non-eventful mission after everything that had happened. Her mind drifted back to her kiss with Narim. She had to admit that she was thankful that she avoided as Janet had called it earlier ‘the awkward conversation.’ Knowing in truth about how he felt about her would have made it doubly difficult as she would have been aware of the hurt she was inflicting. Nope. It had been best all round that he had left and they wouldn’t meet again. Still…it was nice, more than nice, to feel that someone had wanted her that much, that someone had recognised she was an attractive woman underneath the soldier…

The elevator finally arrived and the doors slid open to reveal the rest of SG1 already inside the compartment. The Colonel beckoned her in with a smile that she returned absently as she took her place in the front while he continued his conversation with Daniel which seemed to be some kind of debate about whether it was acceptable for men to hold hands when walking through solid walls together. The elevator started moving downwards again. Sam flipped open the report and started to hum under her breath.

Behind her, Jack O’Neill stopped listening to Daniel’s impassioned arguing about the sociological norms of male behaviour and stared at Sam. Was she humming? He didn’t think he’d heard her hum before. His questioning brown eyes glanced across at Teal’c. The large, dark-skinned Jaffa had also observed the humming and was watching the young blonde Captain with a faintly quizzical expression, one eyebrow raised in a delicate arch.

‘…and you’re not even listening to me!’ Daniel finished, gesturing dramatically with his coffee mug.

‘That’s because Carter’s humming.’ Jack said loudly.

Sam stopped abruptly and turned to look at each of her team-mates apologetically. ‘I was?’

‘You were.’ Jack confirmed.

‘Indeed, Captain Carter.’ Teal’c said. ‘You were…humming.’

They looked at Daniel expectantly.

He pushed his glasses up his nose. ‘I didn’t hear it.’

‘You didn’t?’ Jack asked astounded. ‘How did you not hear it?’

‘I was trying to tell you about…’

‘Ah!’ Jack held up a warning finger and Daniel subsided with a frustrated sigh.

‘Sorry.’ Sam flashed them a bright smile and turned back to the front of the compartment willing the elevator to increase its speed and deliver them to the briefing room without any delay.

‘Why?’ Jack asked.

‘Why what sir?’ Sam replied.

‘Why were you humming?’ Jack asked suspiciously.

‘Can’t a person hum?’ Sam said a little desperately.

‘Carter, how long have we known each other?’ Jack stopped her from answering with the same gesture that had prevented a rerun of Daniel’s lecture. ‘Rhetorical question.’ He added just to be certain; he had a feeling that she could probably tell him down to the exact minute and second. ‘And in all that time I have never heard you hum.’

‘O’Neill is correct, Captain Carter.’ Teal’c said. ‘I have never heard you hum until this day.’ His dark gaze scoured her wonderingly.

Sam shrugged and avoided their eyes. ‘It’s no big deal.’ She insisted.

‘Now you say that,’ Jack said, ‘and I know it’s a big deal.’

Sam decided the wisest course of action was to say nothing.

‘Daniel,’ Jack began turning to the younger man, ‘don’t you have some theory on…’ he stopped seeing the archaeologist’s eyes slide away guiltily. His brown gaze narrowed on him. ‘You know.’ The accusation echoed in the compartment and Jack knew he was right as he saw Sam’s spine snap into rigid straightness.

‘I don’t.’ Daniel hurriedly denied.

‘Yes, you do.’ Jack contradicted. ‘You know why she’s humming.’

‘Once again,’ Teal’c said, supporting him, ‘I believe O’Neill is correct.’

‘Really,’ Daniel said, clutching his folders to his body a lot tighter than was necessary, ‘I don’t know anything.’

Jack glared at him as did Teal’c.

‘Besides it might not even be…’ Daniel began to explain.

‘Daniel.’ Sam whirled around to face him with a furious scowl. ‘You promised!’

‘Promised what?’ Jack asked, trying to wheedle the information out of one of them.

Daniel ducked his head. ‘Guys, please. Don’t put me in the middle of this.’

‘Middle of what?’ Jack pressed.

‘Daniel.’ Sam’s blue eyes flashed warningly.

Daniel sighed and raised his head to meet Jack’s relentless stare. ‘It’s no use, Jack. She’s right. I promised.’

‘Thank you.’ Sam breathed out again in relief.

‘I could beat it out of you.’ Jack offered casually still staring at Daniel.

‘Yes but you’re forgetting one thing.’ Daniel said, adjusting his glasses again.

‘What?’

‘Sam would protect me.’ Daniel pointed out. He and Sam exchanged a conspiratorial grin.

Teal’c tilted his head. ‘A valid argument against such a plan.’ He concluded.

Jack sighed, admitting defeat. He’d get it out of Daniel when after the mission, he determined. ‘Yeah, well. I want you to know that I’m only giving up on my plan because I don’t want to see the mission delayed.’

‘And because you’re scared of Sam.’ Daniel muttered under his breath.

‘What?’ Jack asked not sure he’d heard correctly.

‘What?’ Daniel plastered an innocent expression on his face.

‘I believe Daniel Jackson was commenting on your fear of Captain Carter.’ Teal’c said helpfully.

The elevator stopped and the doors slid open.

‘We’re here.’ Sam said brightly, stepping out into the corridor.

Jack shot Daniel a dirty look as the archaeologist grinned and skirted past him.

‘No respect, Teal’c. I get no respect.’ Jack grumbled good-naturedly as they followed after their team-mates.

‘Indeed.’ Teal’c said, clasping his hands behind his back and keeping his mischief well-hidden.

Jack looked at him askance. ‘You’re not supposed to agree with me, for crying out loud.’

Teal’c was saved from a reply as they entered the briefing room and stopped at the sight of General Hammond.

‘General.’ Jack said cheerfully taking his usual seat at the table next to Carter. ‘We weren’t expecting to see you back so soon.’

‘I got an earlier flight.’ Hammond said by way of explanation as he resumed his own seat.

‘How was the grilling, sir?’ Jack asked.

‘Medium rare.’ Hammond admitted. ‘I think I managed to convince them that Doctor Jackson’s involvement extended only to informing the Tollan about the Nox and that the rest of the actions taken were by the Tollans and the Nox themselves and that given their level of technological advancement we had very little ability to stop their escape. I’ve assured them they won’t find any evidence to the contrary.’ He looked questioningly at Sam.

‘I’ve been over the system, sir.’ She confirmed. ‘There’s no evidence to be found.’

Hammond took a moment to marvel at the way her statement confirmed she’d completed her task of removing said evidence without admitting it and even giving the impression that her actions had been investigatory. He fought the urge to praise her ingenuity.

His blue eyes moved to Daniel regretfully. ‘There will be a letter attached to your employment file noting your actions and you should consider yourself warned, Doctor Jackson not to act in contradiction to your standing orders despite your status as a civilian.’

‘Understood.’ Daniel said much too cheerfully for someone being chastised.

‘And with that, the authorities have determined they won’t pursue the matter of the Tollans’ escape any further.’ Hammond said.

‘Excellent, sir.’ Jack grinned.

Hammond looked around at the shared relief on the faces of SG1 and nodded. ‘Shall we begin the briefing?’ He motioned at the Captain. ‘If you could begin, Captain Carter?’

‘Of course, sir.’ Sam flipped open her report and started in on the MALP readings.

An half an hour later, Hammond gave them a go for the mission and rose from the table. ‘Captain Carter, please stay behind a minute.’

Jack looked questioningly at his superior officer and Hammond gave a shake of his head. ‘Just the Captain, Colonel.’

‘I’ll catch you up, sir.’ Sam said.

Jack nodded unhappily but left her in the briefing room with the General who waved her into his office and closed the door.

Sam turned to the General puzzled. ‘Sir?’

He walked around to the other side of his desk. ‘Sorry to delay you Captain, but I just wanted to let you know that I ran into your father while I was in Washington.’ Hammond felt the words to tell her about Jacob’s condition crowd his throat and he swallowed against them hard. ‘He sends you his best.’

‘Thank you, sir.’ Sam smiled at him warmly.

‘You might want to give him a call when you get back from your mission.’ Hammond suggested.

‘Sir?’ Sam’s brow creased in confusion. ‘Is something wrong?’

‘No, no.’ Hammond denied. He gestured. ‘He just mentioned that you called him last week. I think he could do with some reassurance that you’re happy here.’

‘Well, I am, sir.’ Sam said firmly. ‘Very happy.’

Hammond acknowledged the warning tone in her voice wryly; Jacob had the exact same pitch when he felt someone was getting close to overstepping their boundaries. He strategically retreated into their official relationship. ‘Glad to hear it, Captain. That will be all.’

‘Sir.’ Sam came to attention and saluted before leaving his office. She shook her head and headed for the stairs. She bet any money her Dad was poking his nose into what she was doing again. She sighed in disgruntlement but the sudden thought that she had brought it on herself occurred to her; she had called her Dad when she’d been upset the week before. Maybe he had actually paid more attention to her than she had thought despite his lack of communication since…she sighed.

She’d call him when she got back from the mission, Sam decided. All he needed was to know she was happy and she was. She was smiling as she took the stairs two at a time; smiling and humming.

fin.