Re-Evaluation

<body topmargin=0 leftmargin=0 marginheight=0 marginwidth=0> <table cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0 border=0><tr> <td valign="top" rowspan="2" width=120 BGCOLOR="#FFFFFF" TEXT="#080000" bgproperties="fixed" background="01078642egerdp.jpg"> <bR> </td> <td valign="top" height=428 BGCOLOR="#FFFFFF" TEXT="#080000" bgproperties="fixed" background="00f64643.jpg"> <div> <B>Re-Evaluation</B></div> <div>  <A NAME="re_evaluation"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="1" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="1" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" ></A><FONT SIZE="4" COLOR="#003366" FACE="Arial" >This story is being written before the end of Season 10, and before the movies are filmed or come out.  I don't know what elements in those stories will hold, but I made this latest chapter of Sam's "Slow Slide into Psychosis" series based on what I knew, and the unfortunate events with the men and women in NASA and the headlines therefrom.</FONT></div> <bR> <div> "Sir?"  Carter looked at Landry in disbelief.</div> <bR> <div> "You will report for a full psyche eval first thing in the morning.  This little incident with the crew from NASA..."</div> <bR> <div> "Sir, with all due respect..."</div> <bR> <div> "Colonel," Landry said, sitting down tiredly in his chair, "you are not being singled out.  Everyone who steps through that gate or who has direct access to this program is being re-evaluated.  I know you think this a complete waste of time and effort, and believe me Colonel, I would rather have you working on your gadgets and doo-dads, especially since those additional Ori ships came through into this galaxy.  But an order is an order and I know I can count on you to follow this one to the letter."</div> <bR> <div> Sam's shoulders sagged slightly.  "Yes, sir."</div> <bR> <div> "Very well then," Landry said, opening a red file folder on his desk.  "Dismissed."</div> <bR> <div> Carter turned and walked sullenly back to her lab.</div> <bR> <div> ++++</div> <bR> <div> Daniel started at the sound of a knock on his apartment door.  He tossed the remote control aside and got up slowly, trying to rub a knot out of his low back.  Casually, he threw the lock and opened the door.</div> <bR> <div> "Hey," he said in surprise.</div> <bR> <div> "Hey yourself," Jack returned.</div> <bR> <div> "I didn't know you were going to be in town."</div> <bR> <div> "Surprise visit," Jack said as he stepped inside the door.  He held up a small device which was nestled in his palm for Daniel to see.  It glowed a faint blue.  "How's things?" he asked as he did a slow circuit of the surroundings.</div> <bR> <div> "Fine," Daniel answered cooly as he watched Jack walk through his home.  "Doing some research, trying to get a handle on things.  You know how it goes."</div> <bR> <div> "Yeah, same ol' same ol'," Jack muttered.  He came back to where he'd started his sweep and tossed the little blue box on the table.  "All clear."</div> <bR> <div> Daniel walked immediately into Jack's personal space, rubbing himself sensuously against his lover, lips sealing over Jack's in a seductive kiss as his arms wrapped around the tall, lean frame.</div> <bR> <div> Jack smiled into the kiss, thinking to himself how cat-like Daniel was in moments like this.</div> <bR> <div> "What?" Daniel asked, licking a trail down Jack's neck.</div> <bR> <div> "Miss me?" Jack asked as he buried his hands into Daniel's soft hair.</div> <bR> <div> Daniel merely held Jack steady and undulated his hips against Jack's.  "What's that tell ya?"</div> <bR> <div> "That I'm about to get lucky?" Jack asked.</div> <bR> <div> "You have no idea," Daniel muttered, grabbing Jack by the hand and hauling him to the bedroom.</div> <bR> <div> ++++</div> <bR> <div> "How upset was Carter?" Jack asked as he finished drying off from his shower.  Daniel was already on his way back to the bed and Jack admired the perfect line of his naked body as he walked.</div> <bR> <div> "Upset's not the word for it," Daniel commented as he stripped off the bedding.  Jack grabbed clean sheets from the hall linen closet and together they had the bed changed in a few short minutes.</div> <bR> <div> "I've been looking for an excuse to get her into an eval," Jack stated quietly.</div> <bR> <div> Daniel stood up, eyes blue and hard.  "Why?"</div> <bR> <div> Jack reached for his jacket and pulled out a mini-tape recorder.  He hit 'play.'</div> <bR> <div> "<I>I know you're there.  I don't understand why you won't just pick up the phone and talk to me for god's sake</I>."  Sam's voice was thin and tinny over the small speaker.  "<I>There are things we need to discuss.  Big things.  Future things.  I have to speak to you and I think it's pretty damned obvious that you're avoiding me.  And I know Daniel has something to do with that, too, so I won't even pretend like I don't know.  Look, Jack, please.  Just call me, okay?  Please</I>."</div> <bR> <div> "What the hell is that?"</div> <bR> <div> Jack tossed the cassette recorder back onto the chair with his jacket.  "That . . . is one of ten messages she's left for me.  They get progressively ... worse."</div> <bR> <div> "How long?"</div> <bR> <div> "Months."</div> <bR> <div> "What?" Daniel demanded.</div> <bR> <div> "I know..."</div> <bR> <div> "And you didn't bother saying anything about this?"</div> <bR> <div> "I know, I know," Jack groused and slumped down into the bed, turning onto his back and closing his eyes.  "It's just...it's <I>Carter</I>.  Our Carter.  The one who's saved my ass, and your's, and Teal'c's..."</div> <bR> <div> "I know who she is," Daniel barked.  "And I knew things had gotten pretty strange..."</div> <bR> <div> "She said you were a threat," Jack interrupted.  "Gave me a pretty clear warning that she thought something needed to be <I>done</I> about you."  Jack sighed and rubbed his eyes.  "I should have let you go to Atlantis," he said quietly.  "I should have just signed the transfer."</div> <bR> <div> Daniel slid under the sheets, pulling them over both he and Jack.</div> <bR> <div> "She's the one.  She made the recommendation to the IOA to have me killed when I was taken by Adria, wasn't she?"</div> <bR> <div> Jack let out a defeated sigh.  "Yeah."</div> <bR> <div> "I hung my ass out there - again - for the sake of this galaxy, and she makes a back door plea to have me murdered."</div> <bR> <div> "I was there to make sure that didn't happen."</div> <bR> <div> Daniel sat up, his arms braced on his thighs.  "She made the recommendation even before Adria turned me into a prior, didn't she?"</div> <bR> <div> Jack nodded, his head making little scratching noises on the pillow.  "Almost as soon as SG-1 got back from your search for Merlin's weapon, she filed a brief with the IOA."  He let out another long sigh.  "She's sick, Daniel.  Something's snapped, or is on the verge of snapping."</div> <bR> <div> "So lock her up," Daniel said angrily.</div> <bR> <div> Jack's eyes were sad as he turned to look at his lover.  "It's <I>Carter</I>, Daniel."</div> <bR> <div> And as much as he hated it, Daniel understood.</div> <bR> <div> ++++</div> <bR> <div> Sam sat down at the long, utilitarian table with the other officers in the Stargate program and glanced at the sealed booklet in front of her.</div> <bR> <div> "This test," said the Doctor from the front of the room, "will be conducted in three parts.  Trying to lie or cheat your way through any of the sections by weighting your answers will be easily caught and will be noted on your overall evaluation.  This is the personality determination analysis portion of the test.  Please answer all the questions you can in the time allotted.  Do not skip questions.  Answer them truthfully and honestly and do not go back to change answers.  Your time begins now."</div> <bR> <div> Sam slid her finger through the paper band and popped the test open.  She turned to the last page of the test and felt defeat swim through her.  The test was nearly fifty pages long.</div> <bR> <div> From the observation window above the room, Jack looked down at Sam, his jaw jumping with agitation.</div> <bR> <div> "What if your suspicions prove true?" Landry asked.</div> <bR> <div> "I don't know," Jack sighed.  "I don't have a fucking clue."</div> <bR> <div> ++++</div> <bR> <div> "Is this really necessary?" Daniel asked, stuffing another sweater into his suitcase.</div> <bR> <div> "Just until this is all sorted out," Jack explained.</div> <bR> <div> "She failed the test today, didn't she?"</div> <bR> <div> "There were some pretty big flags thrown up, yeah."</div> <bR> <div> "As - angry - as I am about this, about her, I don't see what running off somewhere and hiding will do."</div> <bR> <div> "You and I both know how frighteningly resourceful Carter is when she puts her mind to it.  It's one thing losing you to an enemy ... it's another losing you to someone we both know and care about.  I need to know you're safe so I can have a clear head to do what I may need to do if this doesn't shake out in the end."</div> <bR> <div> "She'll be out of the service?" Daniel asked.</div> <bR> <div> "I don't know," Jack said.  "If her scores warrant keeping her in, but keeping her contained, maybe I'll post her somewhere else."</div> <bR> <div> "Atlantis?" Daniel asked.</div> <bR> <div> "Maybe.  I don't know yet, Daniel, I really don't.  We've got a lot of info to gather first.  I just need to know you're safe."</div> <bR> <div> "I wouldn't call going to a rickety old cabin buried under thirty feet of snow safe exactly."</div> <bR> <div> "My cabin is not <I>rickety</I>," Jack objected.  "It's rustic."</div> <div> ++++</div> <bR> <div> "Why did you break off your engagement with Jonas Hansen?"</div> <bR> <div> "Excuse me?"</div> <bR> <div> "Just answer the questions, Colonel," said the Doctor blandly.  She was an older woman, thin, tight lipped and all business.</div> <bR> <div> "We grew apart.  I wanted to pursue my research, he wanted a field assignment."</div> <bR> <div> "So you broke it off because you couldn't be together?"</div> <bR> <div> "Our philosophies became divergent."</div> <bR> <div> "In what way?"</div> <bR> <div> "Look, I don't mean to offend..."</div> <bR> <div> "Yes, you do."  The Doctor looked up and straight into Carter's eyes.  "With recent events in the, shall we say <I>public</I> space program, the mental stability of everyone who makes space travel a career choice is being called into question.  Lack of cooperation or reticence in participation will be counted against you."</div> <bR> <div> "He wanted to go off and play soldier and I wanted to have a career and a family," Sam said flatly.</div> <bR> <div> "Did he want to go off and play soldier before or after you met him."</div> <bR> <div> "He was like that before."</div> <bR> <div> "And yet you still developed a close personal relationship with him."</div> <bR> <div> "Yes."</div> <bR> <div> "Did you want to change him?"</div> <bR> <div> "I thought I could."</div> <bR> <div> "Make him into what you wanted?"</div> <bR> <div> "Yes."</div> <bR> <div> "Have him choose you over *his* career?"</div> <bR> <div> Sam grit her teeth.  "Yes."</div> <bR> <div> "Tell me about your relationship with your father."</div> <bR> <div> Sam could feel the entire interview slowly slipping out of her control.</div> <bR> <div> ++++</div> <bR> <div>  "So how're things?" Jack asked from his bed in the Broadmoor Hotel.</div> <bR> <div> "Things are . . . snowy," Daniel laughed.  "Cold.  Windy."</div> <bR> <div> "Ahhh, springtime in Minnesota.  How I miss it."</div> <bR> <div> "You are so full of shit," Daniel chuckled.  "What's new?"</div> <bR> <div> "She's not doing well," Jack said.  "I think I'll have to come up with that alternative soon."</div> <bR> <div> "Really?"  Daniel was suddenly very serious.  "How <I>not well</I>?"</div> <bR> <div> "She seems to have 'emotional entanglement' and daddy issues."</div> <bR> <div> "Yeah, like that's news."</div> <bR> <div> "The IOA won't let me ground her."</div> <bR> <div> "What?  I thought *you* were in charge of Homeworld Security."</div> <bR> <div> "I am, but the IOA runs the oversight, and they won't let me ground her.  They admit there are some very large problems, but they want her in the program."</div> <bR> <div> "So what are you thinking?"</div> <bR> <div> "I'm not sure yet.  I'll know more in a week or so when the final reports come back."</div> <bR> <div> "I'll make sure to buy more steaks."</div> <bR> <div> "Yeah," Jack smiled, "you should do that."</div> <bR> <div> ++++</div> <bR> <div> "The ship will be ready in another six weeks or so," Landry said, turning off the presentation display in the conference room.  "Colonel Carter will then be transferred to the Pegasus galaxy and remain stationed at Atlantis base, at which time she will continue her most critical research on various defensive systems."</div> <bR> <div> Sam sat, tight lipped and pale in her chair as the Joint Chiefs, the heads of the IOA and General O'Neill concluded the briefing.</div> <bR> <div> "This sounds like an excellent plan," nodded the head of the Chinese delegation.  "From Atlantis, Colonel Carter will be able to continue her work from a more protected position."</div> <bR> <div> "Make no mistake, kids," Jack piped up.  "Atlantis has its own set of troubles and woes."  He stood up and looked around the table.  "The Wraith, the Replicators, the Genii, just to name a few, would love to get their hands on Carter.  This assignment is very far from <I>safe</I>."</div> <bR> <div> "We have every confidence in you, Colonel Carter," Landry stated firmly.  "And I think we've probably detained you enough from your work.  You've got a lot of packing to do, as well as consulting on the final stages of that ship you're about to fly out of here.  Why don't you get back to it and let us poor administrators get on with the paperwork?"  He smiled kindly in her direction.</div> <bR> <div> Sam stood and gave a weak smile.  "Thank you, sir.  I'm grateful for the opportunity."  She cast a brief glance in Jack's direction but he shuffled his papers in front of him and refused to meet her eyes.  She left without so much as a backward glance.</div> <bR> <div> "Very well, ladies and gentlemen, let's get down to business," Landry said as he closed the door behind her.</div> <bR> <div> ++++</div> <bR> <div> Daniel watched as the silver-dollar sized snow flakes filled the air, the second of a wave of storms just settling in.  The growl of a diesel engine made him smile and he looked over the rise of the driveway to see a long, sleek pickup truck pull into view.  Jack slid easily from the driver's seat and opened the passenger door of the crew cab.  "Don't just stand there - I got those steaks you ordered," he shouted.</div> <bR> <div> Collar turned to the wind, Daniel stepped into the blowing snow and took the bags from Jack's hands.  "How was the drive?" he asked.</div> <bR> <div> "Interstate's nearly snowed in.  Had to take a few back roads.  Made pretty good time though.  I'm only a couple hours late."</div> <bR> <div> "I would have thought it was the flight that delayed you," Daniel commented as he lead Jack into the cabin which was warm from the fire in the hearth.</div> <bR> <div> "Flight was great," Jack said as he dumped several paper bags loaded with food onto the counter.</div> <bR> <div> "So what's the final word?"</div> <bR> <div> "Carter's got the new ship and she's headed for Atlantis."</div> <bR> <div> "That's almost like she's being rewarded for what she's done."</div> <bR> <div> Jack took off his coat and threw it over a chair at the kitchen table.  "Shepard's got a heads up on her.  He'll make sure she doesn't try and get around any of the security measures while she's there."</div> <bR> <div> "So then - we're okay for a while."</div> <bR> <div> "Yeah, for a while."  Jack took Daniel's coat and hung it over a second kitchen chair.  "And for at least two weeks, it's just me, you, a bed, a gallon of lube, and about three hundred dollar's worth of thick, juicy steaks."</div> <bR> <div> Daniel smiled.  "Is that my reward?"</div> <bR> <div> Jack pulled Daniel into his arms and held him tight.  "No," he said quietly.  "It's mine."</div> <bR> <div> ++++</div> <bR> <div> "Colonel Carter, we're ready to bring main engines online."</div> <bR> <div> "Thank you, Major," Carter answered over the com.  She looked around at her on-ship quarters and sighed angrily.  She was being exiled and she knew it.  She grit her teeth and slapped her hand against the bulkhead wall.</div> <bR> <div> She'd received the abbreviated version of her evaluation and it had not been a complimentary read.  With all the fuss being made over at NASA, she knew that she was lucky to have escaped permanent reassignment to a science lab in Nevada.  But still this ate at her.  It chewed at her guts like a disease.</div> <bR> <div> She'd managed to track Daniel to Jack's cabin, but she hadn't been able to do anything about it.  She was pretty certain Jack was on his way to meet him, and for all intents and purposes, they were just two friends spending some vacation time away from the tension of the mountain.  No one would so much as raise an eyebrow in their direction.  After all, Landry had all but ordered Mitchell to spend part of their time off together.  That looked far worse than this did.  There seemed to be nothing she could do to exact her revenge on that front.</div> <bR> <div> In silent frustration Sam began unpacking.  There was a slight shudder as the engines engaged, and then the vibrations settled down to a dull thrum beneath her feet.  She nodded.  Everything seemed to be functioning properly.  Quickly she put her things away, setting out some of her personal items.  Pictures, mementos, a few decorations.  Nothing much.  Everything dispensable in case something happened to the ship.</div> <bR> <div> With a dawning sense of clarity, she began to realize that Jack had, out of some sense of loyalty and concern, spared her what could have been an agonizing and shameful end to her career.  He'd given her an out, a way to save face.  In his own way, he'd shown her that he cared.</div> <bR> <div> But not in the way she wanted him to so desperately.  And that's what it came down to, really.  She was desperate.  Lonely.  Desperately lonely.  These re-evaluations had brought some things to light - her own miserable failings, her weaknesses.  She'd allowed herself to behave like a desperate, weak, dreamy-eyed, lonely little girl.  The bitter taste of defeat filled her mouth.</div> <bR> <div> The next time she saw Jack O'Neill, she would no longer be weak.  It was, indeed, time to re-evaluate her methods.</div> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> ~finis~</div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="mailto:claforce@plotexpo.com" TARGET="_top" TITLE="mailto:claforce@plotexpo.com"><U>Give the author's ego a marshmallow . . . please feed the bear.</U></A></div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="id3_sg1_slash.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Stargate SG1 Slash Fiction"><U>Back to Fic List</U></A>     <A HREF="id2_directory.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Directory Listing"><U>Back to Directory</U></A></div> </td> <td valign="top" rowspan="2" width=120 BGCOLOR="#FFFFFF" TEXT="#080000" bgproperties="fixed" background="01178643.jpg"> <bR> </td> </tr><tr> <td valign="top" height=52 BGCOLOR="#FFFFFF" TEXT="#080000" bgproperties="fixed" background="00f64643.jpg"> <div> <TABLE BORDER="0" CELLPADDING="0" CELLSPACING="0" WIDTH="161" BORDERCOLORLIGHT="#C0C0C0" BORDERCOLORDARK="#808080" FRAME="BOX" RULES="ALL" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" > <tR> <tD VALIGN=CENTER HEIGHT= 45 ><NOBR><div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="39" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" WIDTH="29"></div> </NOBR></tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP><NOBR><div> <A HREF="index.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Plotexpo.com"><U><IMG SRC="0181d270.jpg" border=0 width="29" height="39" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></U></A></div> </NOBR></tD> <tD VALIGN=CENTER WIDTH="15"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="45" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="15" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></tD> <tD VALIGN=CENTER><NOBR><div> <A HREF="id205.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Wedding Day"><U><IMG SRC="017271d0.jpg" border=0 width="39" height="29" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></U></A></div> </NOBR></tD> <tD VALIGN=CENTER><NOBR><div> <A HREF="id208.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Of One Mind"><U><IMG SRC="016271d0.jpg" border=0 width="39" height="29" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></U></A></div> </NOBR></tD> </tR> </TABLE></div> <bR> <bR> </td> </tr></table></body>