To Love You More
~* Take me back into the arms I love,
Need me like you did before.
Touch me once again, and remember when
There was no one that you wanted more. *~
'To Love You More', Celine Dion.
"Major Carter, I need to speak to you immediately."
General Hammond's words snapped through our impromptu mothers' meeting. Numbly, I followed him into the nearest free room. I didn't know what else to do. He held the door for me, and then closed it, and leaned against the handle.
"Major, let me tell you a story," he said. I was dumbfounded. I could feel my whole world spinning away from me, cascading off in little hoops and swirls. It was a curiously light headed feeling.
"About three and a half years ago," the General continued, "I received a rather interesting medical report from Doctor Fraiser detailing the results of a Zatarc test that had been carried out immediately prior to the President's arrival at the SGC for the Tok'ra - Earth treaty summit. I might add that the contents did not come as a complete surprise."
I stood in shocked silence. More of my life pinged and glinted as it danced away into oblivion.
"Having read the reports very carefully, I destroyed them," Hammond continued. "I even went to the effort of obtaining the security footage of the incident in question and destroying that as well."
I had always wondered what had happened to that.
"Then I placed a call to the President, asking for a personal favour on my own behalf, and on behalf of two of my finest officers, both of whom had, I felt, given of their all in the service of this planet on numerous occasions, far exceeding the call of duty. I pointed out that, due to the nature of our position here, and the enormity of the task that lies on our shoulders, and the fact that we have to keep that a secret from everyone else on this planet, it was only to be expected that friendships and attachments should form that might be in breach of strict regulations. I told him I had reason to believe that just such an attachment had formed between yourself and Colonel O'Neill."
It was at this point that I felt myself falling off the top of the burning building.
"I also told him that I believed you were both capable of carrying on a relationship as well as working alongside each other in a professional capacity, and that it would not in any way damage the dynamic of SG-1 to allow you a certain lee-way in the rules as far as fraternization was concerned. He took my word for it."
I goggled. Hammond reached into his pocket and pulled out a plain, unmarked envelope. It contained a single piece of paper.
"I have here a written permission from the President of the United States for Colonel O'Neill and yourself to engage in a personal relationship, provided that such a relationship does not cause any disruption to your conduct in Air Force situations."
He looked at me seriously.
"Major, I believe that you and Jack have had some sort of falling out over this. I also believe that until this matter is resolved, SG-1 cannot go on functioning as a team. Quite frankly, if I was to follow strict protocol, I would break you up and reassign all of you. In fact, I've already done that, and officially that will be my reaction to this. Unofficially, I think SG-1 is this Base's most valuable asset, and I hate to see all that vanish because of a personal squabble. I might add that in my own opinion, you were a damn fool ever to give Jack up."
I couldn't do anything but stare. This whole 'falling off a building' thing wasn't so bad after all. The General stepped back and opened the door for me.
"He's due to leave any minute," Hammond warned. "Sort this out, Major. That's an order."
"Yes, sir," I managed weakly. I headed out into the corridor.
"Oh, and Major?" he said as I left. I turned back.
"I do hope you're going to invite me to the wedding."
I glanced involuntarily at the ring on my finger. The diamonds glinted at me. My whole life was gone, there was nothing left, but those stones still shone as brightly as they ever had done.
It was time to start flying.
So I ran. I knew exactly what to do, and where to go. I ran as my life depended on it, down stairs, along corridors, shouting as I went above the call of the klaxons, the 'Chevron One encoded', calling out only one word: "Jack!"
The airmen saw me coming, and opened the blast doors. I raced into the Gate room, and pulled up short. He was there, ready to leave, on his way out of my life forever.
"You were right," I said simply. "I'm sorry. Please, Jack; marry me."
And then I was in his arms, the distance between us vanishing as I kissed him in front of the entire Base.
"Yeah-sure, ya betcha," he answered, and I threw my arms around him, clinging on to him, whispering in his ear: "I love you." I could feel him laughing against my neck, whispering back "I love you." Pulling away to kiss me again, his hands snaking around my neck, tangling in my hair, bringing me back to him. I had let go, and it was the sweetest feeling in the world.
I was aware of whoops and cheers and general applause going on around us. Then:
"Get a room!" came over the intercom. I looked up to see that it was Davis, grinning inanely at the pair of us from the control room. Janet and Daniel and Teal'c were standing there as well, shaking their heads even as they smiled back at us. And I thought I heard something else as well… Yep, I was right.
"Pay up," Bosworth said to Colonel Dixon. "I believe you owe me four hundred dollars, sir."
Story Notes: Email: warrior_of_gondor@hotmail.com
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