Random Insanity

---

“Remember me when I’m gone,” Jack said, appearing at the door of Sam’s lab. Sam and Daniel looked up from the plan they were working on.

“Why?” asked Daniel. “What’s wrong?

“Are you sick, sir?”

Jack sat heavily on one of the stools. He didn’t even spin. “Yes, sick.”

“Oh, god. What is it? Cancer? Poisoning? What was that alien thing SG-9 caught last week-”

Sam interrupted him. “Sir, is it serious?”

“Very.”

Daniel looked panicked. “What can we do, Jack? Is there a treatment?”

Jack sighed. “Unfortunately, no.”

“No,” Daniel yelled, “this isn’t right. You can’t die. We’ll talk to the Tok’ra. They owe us.”

“Who said anything about dying?”

Sam and Daniel exchanged looks. “You did,” they said at the same time

“No, I didn’t. I said to remember me when I’m gone. Hammond just told me I’m being sent to Washington for the week. This is serious business. There’s no treatment for boredom by politician.”

Sam rubbed the bridge of her nose. “Sir-”

Jack just smiled.

“Sometimes I hate you,” said Daniel.

“Well, my work here is done,” Jack said with a clap. “See you next week.”

Fade to Black
by jennickels (aka Jen Connelly)
Stargate SG-1
Daniel
240 words
rating: PG-13
WARNINGS: implied character death

Daniel's died so many times he's lost count, but this might be the last time. For phantisma.

don't own... wish I did, but I don't. No infringement intended.

---

Daniel tried to live his life without any regrets. He fought for justice where he could, looked for the truth in everything, and strived to understand the world and people around him. He was a good friend (he thought) and a good husband (he tried).

He knew he'd made his fair share of mistakes, but he thought, all-in-all, he didn't stray far from the path of good.

That's why he accepted his fate.

He looked up at the man pointing the gun at him. It wasn't the first time, but it was probably going to be the last. He laughed at that.

"What's so funny? You think this is funny?" The guy said, waving the gun around.

On his knees, hands limply at his sides, there was no point in trying to fight. Even with all of Daniel's training he'd never beat a bullet at point blank range.

Figures he'd go out like this. What he didn't count on was that he'd die on Earth at the hands of a regular old criminal. Without his team around him. There'd be no coming back from this, no last-ditch miracle save. This was the end. At least he could say he did it with valor. He'd stopped the man from hurting a woman and her daughter. They ran away, Daniel wasn't so lucky. But those were the breaks sometimes.

He smiled. "Yeah, I kind of do think it's funny." Famous last words.

Daddy's Little Girl
by jennickels (aka Jen Connelly)
Stargate SG-1
SG-1, Jacob
135 words
rating: PG
WARNINGS:

This is why you never work with family. For ami_ven.

don't own... wish I did, but I don't. No infringement intended.

---

"Sam, get down."

"Be careful."

"Watch those rocks there."

"Careful, or they'll see you."

"Get down."

"Shhh."

"Sam, watch out for that-"

"DAD!" Her voice echoed through the valley. Jacob's eyes nearly popped out of his head.

"Sam, get down!" It was Daniel this time. She dropped to the ground, a staff blast sizzling past where her head used to be.

Jacob grabbed her arm, pushing her back down the hill. "Our cover is blown."

She grit her teeth. "No, really."

"Sam-" Jacob warned.

"Dad." She yanked her arm free. "I know what I'm doing."

He glanced back at the pursuing Jaffa. "Sure, you do, sweetie."

"This is all your fault," Sam yelled as she jumped into the wormhole.

Jack and Daniel exchanged tired expressions.

"This," Jack said, "is why you never work with family."

Girls in their Summer Clothes
by jennickels (aka Jen Connelly)
Stargate SG-1
Jack/Sam
555 words
rating: PG
WARNINGS:

It's summer. It's hot. What did he think she was going to wear—a parka? Written for obsessed_psyco.

don't own... wish I did, but I don't. No infringement intended.

---

This was bound to happen. It was only a matter of time. It's not like Jack had never seen Carter out of uniform before. He wondered why he was shocked. Maybe it was the way the morning sun glinted off her hair, or the fact that her nails were painted a startling shade of red that matched her lipstick. Maybe it was the way she laughed, so at ease while she chatted with Daniel.

It could have been any of those things. But the truth was, it was the dress. Light gray with red stripes. Classic style, like his mom used to wear. The sleeves just barely covered her shoulders and the collar went straight across in the front. The waist fit tight, but the skirt hung loose coming just below the knee. She looked amazing.

"Jack," Daniel called, finally noticing him gawking from ten feet away. Carter turned that mega-watt smile at him, her eyes sparkling. He needed to calm his racing heart before he went over there or she'd know. She'd be able to hear it pounding in his chest and she'd guess what he'd been thinking.

He swallowed hard then forced one foot in front of the other. "Hey," he mumbled as he got close.

"Sir," she said softly, head ducked.

"You look nice." Crap, did he just say that out loud.

Her face flushed almost the same color as her lips—it made her all the more beautiful. "Thank you, sir."

"You, uh-" She licked her lips, eyes darting over him then back to his face. "Look nice, too."

Jack frowned down at himself. He was in cargo pants and polo shirt. When he looked back up at her she was biting her lip.

"Thanks, I guess," he said, still a little confused. His mind kept getting distracted by her lips. She rotated between licking them and biting them. All Jack wanted to do was kiss them. He looked away as soon as the thought crossed his mind.

Carter gave a little cough. He glanced at her out of the corner of his eye. She was blushing again and looking away. Jack wondered if she could read his mind.

Daniel cleared his throat. "If you two are done flirting, can we get going? I told Janet we'd pick Cassie up at eleven."

Jack's head snapped up. So did Carter's. For some reason Jack couldn't fathom, he let his eyes slide over to Carter. She was giving him the same sideways look, a tiny smile pulling at her lips. Jack grinned back before returning his eyes to his shoes.

"You guys know I'm still here, right?" Daniel threw his arms in the air. "I wish you two would just get a room already."

He couldn't help it—their eyes met again. Jack was pretty sure the heat he felt wasn't from the sun. He wondered if Carter felt it, too. Although he probably shouldn't be thinking about that. Daniel started mumbling to himself then wandered off. Jack didn't know what to say. Well, he knew what he wanted to say, but all of it was inappropriate coming from a commanding officer to a subordinate. Carter gave him a knowing look. Damn, she could read his mind. Then she turned and followed Daniel, leaving Jack to watch her dress sway around her legs.

The Moments Before Leaving
by jennickels (aka Jen Connelly)
Stargate SG-1
Jack/Sam
638 words
rating: PG-13
WARNINGS:

What happened after Sam found about her transfer to Atlantis?

don't own... wish I did, but I don't. No infringement intended.

---

When Sam got home from work that night she wasn't surprised to find him sitting in her living room. He had a habit of popping up when something was going on. She barely spared him a glance while pulling off her shoes and tossing her jacket in the closet.

"How long have you known?" she asked. Jack made a face then rubbed the back of his neck. She could guess the answer. "And you didn't tell me?"

"Need to know," was all he said.

Irritation welled up inside her. "You could have given me some kind of warning."

Jack got up and went to her, his hands warm along Sam's arms but her body refused to relax. He swallowed hard. "I wanted to. I almost did several times but what difference would it have made? You would have been thinking about it this whole time instead of just... enjoying things."

Sam knew he was right but she still couldn't shake the anger. "Were you in on it?"

His arms fell to his side, his face blanching. Sam sighed and went into the kitchen. "Sam," he pleaded, following her. "They came to me asking for recommendations to replace Weir. I had to be honest. No favors, remember?"

Sam didn't look at him. When Jack had first transferred to Washington they'd agreed to make a go at this relationship thing. It hadn't been easy and things were still sometimes weird but there was one thing they had both been adamant about: he would never play favorites.

"Were there any others?"

Jack nodded slowly. "There were three on my list, including Reynolds. The IOA had their own list. It wasn't an easy choice, Sam, but you are the most qualified."

They were silent for awhile. Sam could feel Jack moving closer. Finally his hands landed tentatively on her shoulders. His touch was gentle. She turned, laying her head on his shoulder and finally relaxed. She couldn't blame him, he'd just been doing his job. His arms encircled her, holding her close. His smell—the shampoo he used, musky aftershave, summery laundry detergent—enveloped her in a comforting blanket of familiarity. She breathed in deeply. "I'm just..." she paused to swallow the growing lump in her throat. "I'm going to miss this." She looked into his soulful eyes. "You," she clarified.

Jack leaned his forehead against hers. "I'm going to miss you, too. It's hard enough being halfway across the country. Now-" His voice caught in his throat. He was a lot more upset than he was letting on. Sam loved him even more for it.

"I know." She watched the emotions play across his face. She closed her eyes, a warmth spreading through her body. "I've got two weeks until I leave," she whispered. "Any ideas on how I should spend my time?"

She didn't need to open her eyes to know he was smiling. She knew him that well. "I have a few ideas." Then before she could say anything else he captured her mouth with his. Sam backed into the counter, Jack towering over her. One arm curled around her waist, the other cupped the back of her head. And Sam remembered exactly why they were working through the hard times. A blaze of longing, a heat so strong she thought she might spontaneously combust at any moment, ripped through her sending shivers down her spine, lighting a fire in her chest, causing all rational thought to evaporate.

As they continued to kiss, hands roaming over bodies, Sam wondered if leaving wasn't so bad if every day before was like this. Then she thought about how great it would be to come home for a visit and kissed him even harder. They never made it to the bedroom. Sam smiled. The kitchen floor needed a good wipe down anyway.

Well, I started writing this for a writerverse challenge. One I was hosting no less. I had to pick a song from this list so I picked Shania Twain's "You're Still the One." It has special meaning for me. It was a popular song still when Patrick and I got together. He was the one that introduced me to country music and bought me a Shania Twain CD. Somehow her song, "Holdin' On to Love (To Save My Life)" (which I've also used as inspiration for a story) became "our" song. It sounded like she was singing about our life. And this song, "You're Still the One," I always saw as our future song, after we'd been married for 10 or 15 or 20 years when we could look back at everyone that doubted us and "na na na na." So I started writing this as a romantic little Sam and Jack in the future fic but then it got all turned around and I got this instead. The song still inspired the original idea.

Unfortunately it took me too long to write and edit and I missed the deadline for my own challenge, lol. Oh well. Hope you enjoy. (Oh, in this future Woolsey is the head of the SGC).

Future Imperfect
by jennickels (aka Jen Connelly)
Stargate SG-1
Jack/Sam
1588 words
rating: PG
WARNINGS:

Future fic: Sam isn't quite satisfied with the life her and Jack have developed but he thinks he might have found the cure. Inspired by the song, "You're Still the One," by Shania Twain although, in the end, the story has almost nothing to do with the lyrics.

don't own... wish I did, but I don't. No infringement intended.

---

Sam stops mid-reach, her arm extended over her head holding a can of Campbell's tomato soup. How'd she get here? It's an odd thing to think while putting away the groceries. She slides the can onto the shelf with the others then reaches into the bag for more: cream of mushroom, cream of celery, barely beef. They eat a lot of soup apparently.



How? She tries to think back to a specific moment that would signal the changing point in her life. The instance she took a left instead of right, pulled onto the off-ramp, stopped at that roadside attraction of the biggest ball of yarn. In her case it is an old Victorian with yellow shutters, rose bushes in front and a beautifully manicured lawn in the back. She stares out the window over the sink, groceries forgotten.

In the yard run two little boys. One belongs to the Velencia family next door—Ernesto, or Ernie as he is called by everyone but his grandmother. The other little boy...

"Whatcha doin'?"

Sam nearly jumps out of her skin. She whirls around, a can of soup still in her hand. "I didn't hear you come in."

Jack plasters that huge, lop-sided, dimple-producing smile on his face then pops a handful of M&M's from the dish on the counter into his mouth. "I guess you never do forget your Special Forces training." He continues to grin maniacally.

"What are you doing home so early?" She turns back to the cupboard, placing the last can on the shelf and closing it. Her heart is still racing but now in a good way. Jack always has that effect on her. He comes up behind her, wrapping his arms around her waist and placing his chin on her shoulder. Sam shivers.

"You sound disappointed." He doesn't sound upset.

"Disappointed? Why would I be disappointed?"

"You know why." She shakes her head, knowing her hair will tickle his neck. Now it is Jack's turn to shiver. She smiles at their reflections in the window, satisfied at his response. He presses his lips against her ear. "You were secretly hoping something was wrong."

"I was not." She spins in his arms to glare at him. "Why would I want that?"

He smiles knowingly at her. Sam deflates, leaning into him with a soft sigh. "You miss it." It wasn't a question.

"I don't want to. I like it here." She sounds unconvincing even to her own ears. She forces herself to turn back to the window. Outside their son, Dillon, zooms around the yard, arms stretched out wide like wings. Ernesto follows him, both boys making airplane sounds and the occasional "pchew" of gunfire. Another epic aerial battle is under way. Sam sighs again. "I do like it." She knows she's still trying to convince herself.

Jack smiles, his lips brushing against her neck sending a new wave of shivers down her spine. She practically melts into him. "You know," he says, kissing her just below her jaw, "you're not-" he kisses her behind her ear "-the only one." Another tender kiss at the nape of her neck then to the ear on the other side of her head. His voice is a breath in her ear, "I miss it, too." His lips press against the soft spot where her neck meets her shoulder.

"I know that," she whispers.

He snorts then pulls away. She looks over to see his eyes—they are full of that mischievous look Sam had first seen when she was a brash young captain. She'd nearly swooned that day, too, under the intensity of his stare. Her little hero-crush notwithstanding. He smiles at her.

"What?" she asks. He was hiding something.

"So how's Dil? He winning the dogfight?"

Sam only glances peripherally out the window. "What? You're not telling me something."

Jack ignores her, taking a box of cereal from the grocery bag. He smiles brightly at the colorful Fruit Loops design then shakes it like a little boy before starting to pull the top open. Sam snatches it away. "There's an open one in the cabinet." Jack still has that grin on his face, that twinkle in his eyes. He pulls the opened box out and jams his hand in. Sam huffs, irritation growing. "Jack."

She crosses her arms—she's had enough. Jack just stares at her for a long moment then finally tosses the handful of cereal into his mouth and laughs. "I can't keep secrets from you, can I."

She simply says, "no."

Jack shakes his head. "I talked to Woolsey." Sam narrows her eyes. "Looks like they're getting some new hardware in, software, too. I had absolutely no clue what he was talking about. I don't think he understood much of it either. But it's part Ancient design, supposed to make things run more efficiently. You know how the IOA is about efficiency."

"What are you getting at, Jack?" Sam suddenly feels this intense tightening of her stomach. She will not get her hopes up. She won't. She is.

Jack smiles again. "I guess they're needing someone with expertise on the 'Gate to set the whole thing up."

"Well, they have dozens of people-"

"Woolsey said, quote, I need Colonel Carter, she's the one that designed the original programming, she's the only one qualified to design this one."

"He did not."

"I kid you not. Although, I might have first mention that you were going through a phase of utter boredom at home."

"Jack."

"Not in so many words, of course." Sam frowns at him. Is he serious? Sometimes it's hard to tell. "I think it sounds great."

She's surprised. "Really?"

"Sure. You hate your job at the school-"

"I don't hate it, I just don't like that I have to hide everything I know because it's all classified. I could rewrite the textbooks. I should, they're all wrong."

Jack nods. "I know, Sam. It's hard for all of us." Sam knows he was thinking of Daniel, too, trying to find a life outside the SGC. Retirement isn't all it's cracked up to be. "This... I think this is exactly what you need. To find yourself again."

Sam looks out the window at the boys. They're rolling on the grass now, laughing obnoxiously loud. She wonders what is so funny. This is what she's supposed to want, isn't it? She'd quit the program seven years ago when she found out she was pregnant. It had been a spur of the moment decision fueled by pregnancy hormones and early maternal guilt. There were just too many crazy things that happened at the SGC. She wanted to keep her baby safe and that meant keeping herself safe. Now, seven years later, Dillon in kindergarten full time, she's left feeling useless. She'd taken up a teaching position at the local community college to pass the time but it proved more frustrating than anything.

"I'll be gone a lot."

"We'll survive."

"Even inside the mountain it could be dangerous."

"I know."

"I might not want to quict when the project is over."

"I kind of figured." He wraps his arms around her, a wordless agreement passing between them. "If it makes you happy."

"I am happy. Happy with you and Dillon and everything."

He turns her back to face him. "Sam, you're not happy." He puts his hand up to stall her retort. "I know this is what you wanted and you love us but it's not bad to admit it's not everything you need." He grins again. "We're not all cut out for retirement."

Sam snorts. "Look who's talking."

"Take the job, Sam. I want you to. Woolsey sure wants you to."

She bites her lip, thinking. So many things whirl around in her head she can't keep them straight. She sees Jack's retirement, their wedding, the blue line on the pregnancy test, Dillon's birth, Jack crying as he held his son for the first time, watching Dillon learn to walk, to talk, to read, to beat Jack at chess without blinking an eye. It all mixes and swirls with memories of SG-1, the good times and bad. God, she misses it. Misses it so much. When she looks up at Jack again she knows. She knows he knows, that he probably had known from the beginning of the conversation. There's no denying it—she'll take the job. He envelopes her in his tight, warm embrace. Sh'se never felt safer, more whole than when she is in Jack's arms. She breathes in the scent of him—a mix of new cut grass, aftershave and Fruit Loops.

"Have I mentioned how much I love you?" she says into his chest.

She feels more than hears his laugh. "Not today."

"I love you."

Just then the door flies open and in rushes Dillon. "Mommy, Daddy," he yells before flinging himself at them. Jack catches him in mid-jump and swings him around before bringing him in close for a big family hug. Dillon smells of dirt and grass and little boy sweat and it's heaven—in that instant she has doubts. But Jack squeezes her shoulder in reassurance. They'll be okay. They'll find a balance some how. Sam realizes it's not so important how she got here, where precisely she took that left turn. What's important is where they're at and where they're going. And even that doesn't really matter as long as they're together. Even if she spends all and day and night buried under a mountain of work.

I wrote this for a writerverse challenge (what's new). There were bonus points for writing from the perspective of an inanimate object. It was kind of fun.

Purpose
by jennickels (aka Jen Connelly)
Stargate SG-1
Jack/Sam
398 words
rating: G
WARNINGS:

There's something shiny in Jack's life that is in desperate need of a purpose.

don't own... wish I did, but I don't. No infringement intended.

---

He used to take me out sometimes. Just to stare. He'd hold me tight, eyes boring into me like they could find the answer to the universe in my curves. Occasionally he would run a finger along my side. Over and over. It was neither comforting nor irritating, mostly just pitiful. And then it was back to hiding in the dark. It was a routine I eventually got used to.

Today something is different, though. I'm moving—a lulling sensation that turns to a fluttery vibration. A feeling of anticipation hangs in the air. Something is definitely happening. I wait. It seems like forever before my box is cracked open, daylight streaming in. He pulls me out and runs a measuring eye over my surface. His eyes no longer hold that empty, painful look. They are bright and excited. His fingers, strong and firm, slide over me like he's rubbing me for good luck. Maybe he is.

"Sam," he says. I'm in the open now, sitting on his palm with the sun glinting off my shiny exterior. A beat passes before he speaks again. "I have something to ask you."

And then I'm in motion. He holds me up and I see the most beautiful woman in the world staring back at me with a startled expression. Her hand comes up to cover her mouth. Her eyes glisten and she blinks. He watches her, gauging her reaction, but there's a pull to his lips that says he's smiling. He knows.

He doesn't actually ask the question, just holds me out until she plucks me from his hand. Her fingers are slimmer, lighter as she explores my surfaces. The touch is tentative at first but become more purposeful. Tears slide from the corners of her eyes. She slips me onto the fourth finger of her left hand. It's a perfect fit. That has to mean something, I think.

"Oh, Jack," she murmurs in response, then he pulls her close. "What took you so long?"

He makes a rumbly sound in his chest that I've never heard from him before. He's laughing. "I can't remember."

This is my purpose, I realize. No longer will I be hidden away in a box in a dresser drawer. I'll be in the air, in the light, sitting on a pretty finger of the prettiest woman in the world. Exactly where I should be.

She Don't Know She's Beautiful
by jennickels (aka Jen Connelly)
Stargate SG-1
Jack/Sam
2448 words
rating: PG
WARNINGS:

It's one of those "dress up" missions that SG-1 really despise. Except this one goes a little differently for Jack and Sam. Jack will never look at those missions the same way again.

don't own... wish I did, but I don't. No infringement intended.

---

"Have I mentioned how much I dislike planets where I'm forced to dress up?" Carter asked from behind the privacy curtain across the room. "They never end well."


( She light's up my world like nobody else... )

updated: [1/3/22]


(in order of being posted, newest to oldest)

Close Encounters of the Vala Kind (Danie/Vala)--After a (mostly) successful mission, SG-1 are stuck on a cargo ship searching for the nearest Stargate to get home. Sam estimates it will take approximately six weeks. That's six weeks stuck with each other and bored out of their minds. (1445 words) [PG-13]

Lost (Danie/Vala)--Daniel and Vala are supposed to meet up with the rest of the team at a campsite in the mountains. But nothing goes according to Daniel's plans. (100 words) [PG]

Bad Timing (Danie/Vala, Cam/Vala implied)--Set sometime after season 10. Daniel is finally ready to move ahead with his life but he's not expecting the surprise that comes out of Vala's room late one night. And he's not sure he'll ever get over it.  (1097 words) [PG]

All It Took Was A Sunrise (Daniel/Vala)--Daniel, Vala and the sunrise—just a little bit of talking. And a lot more action. (1682 words) [PG-13]

Not a Date (Daniel/Vala)--Daniel prepares to take Vala out to dinner but it's not a date. Missing scene for Momento Mori. (758 words) [PG]

Shadow Play (Daniel/Vala)--Another mission with Vala goes horribly wrong for Daniel. Prompt: in the shadows. (643 words) [PG]

Don't Drink the Wine (Daniel/Vala)--It's cliché but so much fun when "aliens made them do it". Daniel and Vala get caught after participating in a wedding ceremony on an alien planet. He really should know better by now. (864 words) [PG-13]

In the Light of Night (Daniel/Vala)--Daniel and Vala are stranded in a cave during a violent storm.  (577 words) [PG]

Just the Beginning (Daniel/Vala)--The morning after starring Daniel and Vala... it's just as awkward as Daniel knew it would be. Can be taken as a sequel to Save the Last Dance if you like. (496 words) [PG-13]

Save the Last Dance (Daniel/Vala)--At Jack and Sam's wedding Daniel finally gets a dance with the very popular Vala Mal Doran. It just takes a little prodding from Cam to get him there.  (2880 words) [PG]