DISCLAIMER: The story, characters and everything regarding SG-1 belong to MGM, Gekko, Secret Productions etc. They are not mine and never will be.
AUTHOR'S NOTE: This is the second Stargate fic I thought of, however it's the first one I'm submitting. I finished this one first because I know WinOfOpp better. It is my favourite, after all. I must say this… I've been converted! Happy now?
ARCHIVING: Only with the permission of the author.
A Compassionate Loophole
By KC
Proloop – Opening the Window of Opportunity
"Anyway, I'm sorry. But that just happens to be the way I feel about it. What do you think?" Daniel asked.
"What?" Jack looked up from his fruit loops, confused.
"What do you think?"
"Colonel? Is something wrong?" Sam asked with concern.
"Maybe…"
"What do you make of all this, Major?"
"Well, Sir. I'm not sure."
"SG-12's early return was the result of an accident. One of the team fell and broke his ankle. How could Teal'c & Colonel O'Neill have known that was going to happen?"
"Both of them claim to have memories of SG-1's mission to P4X-639."
"A mission that isn't scheduled to start for another six hours."
"So..." Sam began.
"So?"
"Don't you know what I'm gonna say?"
"Actually, by this time, we were on the planet. It's all different now."
"Oh. Well, I was thinking about what you said about a beam hitting the stargate."
"What about it?"
"After the flash, you found yourself back here, and then you were basically reliving the moments leading up to the mission. Maybe, you're not remembering future events. Maybe you were sent back in time."
"For what? Six hours? "
"It wouldn't be the first time we've seen something like this. The stargate did send us back to 1969."
"Good year." Jack smirked.
"So, I was wondering, could this beam you mentioned be a means to access the gate's subspace field in order to create some kind of time inversion outside of subspace?"
"I knew you were gonna say that."
"I guess I'm just thinking out loud. I'm gonna go run a few simulations."
"All right, here's the deal. We're all stuck in a time loop of some kind. However, Teal'c and I seem to be the only ones who realise it. Now there's this alien device on 639. It shoots a beam at the stargate which… access... subspace something…" Jack attempts to explain the current situation.
"Accesses the subspace field the stargate is capable of generating. It is powered by ionisation…" Teal'c helps.
"In the atmosphere, which is caused by… Ah! I know this one… Magnets!" Jack says emphatically.
"The Geomagnetic storm."
"Close. Anyway, I don't know why none of you remember this, but I do know for a fact – there is no point having ol' Doc Fraiser examine us again."
"Exactly how many of these loops have you ... have we ... been through?" Daniel asked curiously.
"I've ... lost track." Jack replies, the frustration evident in his voice.
"That must be frustrating."
"Uh ... yeah!"
"On the other hand, it's kind of an opportunity."
"How's that?"
"Well, think about it. If you know in advance that everything will be going back to the way it was, then ... you could do anything ... For as long as you want without having to worry about consequences…"
A Looping We Will Go… - A Compassionate Loophole
Sam sat in the commissary pushing around the blue jelly that lay in her bowl. She was distracted. Jack had been doing the strangest things this morning. He was riding his bike through the base, playing golf through the stargate, and he even beat up Siler! When she had asked him why he was doing it, he said he was in a time loop and he could do anything he wanted. This was definitely food for thought. Not only was she thinking about how it was possible for such a thing to happen, but also what she would do if she had the opportunity.
Just as she started to imagine a pair of healing hands roam over her body she was begrudgingly brought back to reality. Teal'c sat on the chair across from her and tilted his head with curiosity. Sam just looked at him.
"Is something wrong, Major Carter?" Teal'c asked.
"Is it true? Can you really do anything without consequences?" Sam whispered, leaning in.
"Indeed it is, Major Carter. In fact I have just come from sending a rather abusive message to Senator Kinsey. It was… most gratifying." Teal'c replied, his lips curling slightly.
"Any response yet?" Sam grinned.
"Not as yet."
"Damn, eh?"
"You did not answer my original question, Major Carter."
"Oh, right, that… Well, umm… I have this friend, and umm, they like this person, and they ah, want to know what the other person thinks of them, like if there was any chance…" Sam spluttered.
"Of Doctor Fraiser reciprocating your feelings, Major Carter?" Teal'c finished for her.
"What?!?" Sam was horrified. She could have sworn she was better at hiding her feelings than that!
"You have deep feelings for Doctor Fraiser and would like to know if she shares those feelings." Came the simple, unemotional response.
"I don't suppose there's any point in denying it, is there?" Sam grumbled quietly.
"No, there is not Major Carter. I have been quite observant of your behaviour around her. I find it most fascinating. In a previous loop, quite a few actually, Doctor Rothman made an attempt to commence courtship with Doctor Fraiser, and you were rather hostile towards him."
"He what!!!"
"It is ok, Major Carter. Doctor Fraiser turned down his offer. He was somewhat saddened by this, and O'Neill took great pleasure in trying to convince him to transfer."
"Please tell me he said yes."
"No. However when that plan was unsuccessful, O'Neill challenged him to a boxing match, in which Doctor Rothman was sufficiently beaten."
Sam laughed. "Well, at least that's something."
"Major Carter, perhaps I can help you." Teal'c offered as he stood.
"And how do you propose to do that, Teal'c?" Sam said dejectedly.
Once again his lips curled. Sam knew that this was as close as he was going to get to smiling. But for some reason, the look in his eyes told her that it was more of a mischievous grin. This was bound to be interesting…
"Come in." Janet replied in response to the soft knock at her office door.
The door opened to allow Sam to enter. Janet looked up and smiled at the blonde as she made her way further into the office. Sam came around the desk to lean against it to Janet's left, as she usually did. Janet was puzzled, usually Sam would have said something by now.
"Hi." Janet started.
"Hi." Sam mirrored.
"So…"
"Hi." Sam repeated.
"Sam, you said that already."
"Right…" Sam launched off her resting spot on the desk and began to pace.
Janet stood up and clasped Sam's hand firmly, effectively stopping her movements. "What's wrong?"
Sam sighed and bowed her head. "I want you to know something, but I'm not sure how to tell you…"
Lifting Sam's chin with her slender fingers, Janet looked into Sam's eyes with as much reassurance as she could muster and whispered, "Just take your time."
Sam unconsciously shut her eyes as Janet's hand moved up and cupped her cheek. She leant into the touch and repeated 'It's just a time loop' in her head as she tried to draw confidence from Janet's palm. Sam whispered something so quiet that Janet couldn't hear her words clearly. What she thought she heard was not something that Sam was likely to say to her.
"What?" Janet questioned.
Sam opened her eyes and locked them with Janet's. The look in Sam's blue orbs told Janet all she needed to know. Sam did say what she had thought she said. Sam had said 'I love you'.
"Excuse me, George?"
Jack handed General Hammond a piece of paper.
"Colonel, what are you doing out of uniform?"
Jack looked at his watch. "Handing you my resignation."
"Resigning? What for?" a very shocked Daniel asked.
"So I can do ... this!"
"Mmm!" Jack moaned as he chewed his mouthful.
"I don't think I've ever seen anybody enjoy oatmeal so much." Daniel winced.
"When you've been eating fruit loops for who knows how long, a little variety helps." He stuffs another spoonful of oatmeal in his mouth
"Well, we got a message from the Tok'ra. Apparently, they've been trying to contact us for over 3 months." Sam informed the trio at the table.
"Really?" Jack mumbled as he took yet another mouthful.
"Who knows when they first realised that we were cut off? I mean, there's really no way of telling how much time passed."
"Let me ask you something, in all the time you were ... um ... looping, were you ever tempted to ... uh ... um ... do something crazy? I mean, you could do anything without worrying about consequences." Daniel pried.
"You know, it's funny, you've asked me that before."
"And?"
Jack sets his eyes on Daniel. Sam and Daniel both stared at him. They looked at each other, and then back at Jack. Jack smiled and put the spoon of oatmeal into his mouth, never taking his eyes off of Daniel.
"Major Carter? May I have a word with you please?" Teal'c requested as he came to stand beside the table. He frowned at the strange looks that were being conveyed between the three sitting members of SG-1.
"Of course, Teal'c." Sam replied as she stood and followed him out, throwing one last questioning look at the two men still sitting.
"What's this about?" Sam asked once they were out of the commissary.
"It is of a matter regarding Doctor Fraiser."
"Is she ok?" Sam asked immediately.
"Indeed."
"Then why do you need to talk to me about Janet?"
"During the time loop we conspired together to find answers to some of your more pressing questions concerning the Doctor. We were successful." Teal'c came to a stop in the middle of a deserted corridor, positive they had reasonable secrecy.
"What are you going on about?" Sam was confused. She was sure that no one knew of her feelings for the small brunette.
"I am aware of your feelings for Doctor Fraiser. During the time loop I observed them when some entertaining events took place."
"Entertaining?"
"It involved Doctor Rothman asking Doctor Fraiser on a date. She said no." Teal'c added before Sam could curse the dimwit doctor, again. "That loop ended with O'Neill beating him in a boxing match."
"At least someone hit him…" Sam grumbled angrily.
"We then took it upon ourselves to discover Doctor Fraiser's true feeling towards you."
"And?"
"When you went to tell her of your feelings I did not see you for some time. The loop was soon to restart, and to inform you of her reaction I needed to speak with you. Upon entering Doctor Fraiser's office I was subjected with a most… interesting sight."
Sam cringed. "I'm not sure I want to know…"
"You would find it most pleasing, Major Carter. Doctor Fraiser had you pinned down on her desk and was in the process of unbuttoning your shirt."
All the colour drained from Sam's face, only to be replaced moments later by a very bright red. Although she was indeed pleased with the outcome of their little escapade, it was quite an uncomfortable situation she was caught in, and she wasn't talking about Janet's desk.
"There is no need for embarrassment, Major Carter. I did not see more than what I told you, and I would be quite delighted if you and Doctor Fraiser were to be involved in a relationship."
Sam was flabbergasted. She was at a total loss for words. She tried to analyse what Teal'c had just told her. Teal'c and I conspired to find out Janet's feelings for me. I told her how I felt and that ended with Teal'c walking in on us about to…
"Major Carter?" Teal'c asked with concern when Sam was quiet for several minutes. "Sam?"
"I need to find Janet." Sam patted Teal'c's upper arm in thanks as she made her way past him, her pace shifting into a jog, and then a full sprint.
"I knew you were going to say that." Teal'c smiled, uncharacteristically. Sam had said that on many occasions. This time would have a lasting, happy consequence.
Epiloop – Tomorrow finally comes
"Major Carter?"
"Mmm?"
"Want breakfast?" Janet asked as she nuzzled Sam's neck.
"Not if it involves letting you go." Sam held onto Janet's frame laid against her own firmly, with a very strong inclination to never let go.
"I'm not hungry either." Janet kissed the underside of Sam's jaw, and then proceeded to kiss Sam's lips. Within moments the fiery passion was back and they both gave in to their desires.
The End