Until Next Time
Author: LauraJo
Email: laura@laurajo.net
Rating: PG
Archive: S/J archive, others please ask
Pairing: Jack/Janet, Sam/Jack
Summary: "Colonel. How are you? It's been... a while."
Disclaimer: Stargate SG-1 belongs to MGM/Gekko/Double Secret, and no
harm is intended by this little piece of fiction.
Spoilers: "2010"
Status: Complete
Author's notes: Written for thenewhope, in the
Janet
Fraiser Ficathon. My assignment:
1. LJ name: thenewhope
2. E-mail: thenewhope@newhopepress.com
3. Pairing: Jack/Janet with undertones of Sam/Jack and/or Janet/Sam, however unrequited. Or Sam/Janet friendship.
4a. Two other requirements: Yummy angst and snark are both great. Set somewhere in the 4th season.
4b. Smut/NC-17: Sure, as long as it has something to do with a plot.
5. Optional restrictions: Songfic = badfic in my book.
I hope this fits the bill! Thanks to Lin for the read through. {April 2004}
~~~
2006
~~~
"Hi, Doc."
Janet stared at her screen in shock for a full ten seconds. Not only had he never called her on the video phone before, she hadn't even been aware he owned one. Given his well-known opinions on, well, life, the universe, and everything that was happening these days, it seemed a little... incongruous.
Eventually, though, she found her voice. "Colonel. How are you? It's been... a while."
"I know, I'm sorry. It's, well... you know." Janet wasn't completely sure she did, but she had an idea. "Anyway, there was a reason I called," he continued. "I just spoke to Cassie, she cancelled our weekend. Didn't give much of a reason, so I was wondering if everything was okay."
"Your weekend?"
"Yeah, her coming up to the cabin tomorrow. You forgot?"
"I didn't know."
"Oh. I just assumed-"
"Don't worry about it, really. Actually, I've not spoken to Cassie in about three weeks. She's... busy."
"I'm sorry. And sorry for bothering you, I wouldn't have called if I'd realised you didn't know about it."
"Don't be silly. It's always nice to catch up with the old crowd."
"Old, Doctor?"
"Colonel, you know very well what I meant."
"Yeah, and I should remember you're one of very few people who would call me on it, instead of playing along."
"Or being intimidated."
"Or that. I really should get going though, let you get back to your evening."
"My evening. Right."
"Doc?"
"What? Oh, sorry, don't mind me. It was nice to hear from you. I hope we get to see you sometime soon."
Jack was about to reply with a dismissive comment of his own, but something stopped him. Maybe it was Janet's tone, maybe it was a part of him that needed some company, and had been looking forward to seeing Cassie more than he wanted to admit. Either way, he surprised himself with the next words out of his mouth. "Hey, are you doing anything this weekend?"
"Me?"
"You should come up here."
"Colonel, thanks for the offer but-"
"Give me one good reason why you can't."
Janet opened her mouth, then closed it again without saying anything. The truth was, she really had no reason not to. She didn't have any plans. She never did. Not on the weekends, and rarely during the week since the Aschen had revolutionised her field of work overnight. It might be nice to actually do something with her time.
Though it felt a little odd for her to be contemplating spending time alone with Colonel O'Neill.
Still, odd or not, company was company. After all, she'd always liked him. They'd just never spent much time together, things being how they'd been. Maybe now was the time to change that.
"What time do you want me?"
~~~
2007
~~~
"Jack, do you believe it's been a year?"
"Really? A year?"
"Yes, I was looking through my phone logs earlier today."
"Wow. You really know how to have a good time."
"Just another day at the office. But yeah, you called me a year ago today."
"Not sure I called with this in mind though," Jack admitted. "Not that I regret a minute!" he hastily added.
Janet smiled. "Me neither. I'd never have predicted it, I never wished it would happen but..."
"Exactly. You got it exactly right."
"I didn't really say anything."
"But I know you get it."
Janet smiled again. She was doing a lot more of that lately.
"So you coming up this weekend?"
"Wish I could, but Cassie has something she apparently needs to see me about."
"You don't sound too happy about that. Considering she's your daughter and all."
"That sounded bad, didn't it? That I'd rather be up there with you. Things are a little strained right now."
"I gathered. I spoke to her last week, she seemed fine to me."
"She is fine, she's better than fine. It's me that's the problem. But.. that's really not your problem."
"Jan..."
"It's not. We agreed."
"I know."
"Actually, I should get going. I've got some things to do, have to leave soon."
"Already?"
"It's getting late!"
Jack looked around, and though Janet couldn't see any more than just his head and shoulders she knew he was turning to glance out of the window behind him. She loved that window. The lake stretched out in all directions, and sometimes it was possible to imagine that the whole world was still like that, and aliens were still science fiction. As far as most of the world was concerned, anyway. Things had been better then, for her. For them.
"I see what you mean," Jack interrupted her thoughts with his reply. "I didn't notice it was starting to get dark before. You get going. Have a safe trip."
"I will. Miss you."
"Miss you, too."
~~~
2008
~~~
"Jack, you just missed Cassie!"
"She was there?"
"Yeah. Wow, I forgot we've not spoken in a while."
"Or seen each other. It's been-"
"A month."
"More for the latter."
"I'm sorry. I've been caught up, I guess, what with-"
"Cassie being around again?"
Janet smiled. "Yes. We've... sorted a lot of things out."
"I'm glad."
"She doesn't know about us though."
"Does that bother you?"
"Honestly? No. I like it. It's something... for me."
"Then there's no problem with-"
"Oh, Jack, hang on a second. I have another call waiting. Be right back."
"I'll be waiting."
Janet smiled as she hit the button on her phone to switch calls. It had been too long, she should have called Jack weeks ago. She wasn't going to get that happen again, as soon as-
She looked up, and the smile faltered.
"Sam!"
"Hey, Janet. I know it's-" Sam stopped as she took note of Janet's expression. "Are you okay?"
"Me? Yes! I'm fine. Shouldn't I be?"
"Umm, well... good. You just look a little... flustered."
"I'm fine."
"Is this a bad time?"
"No! No. What's up?"
Sam continued to study Janet's expression. "Janet, are you sure that there's-"
"Sam, really, there's nothing." Janet doubled her efforts to school her features and, though out of practice, she figured her mask was working since Sam seemed to finally accept her answer.
"I was wondering if you and Cassie wanted to join us for dinner on Sunday?" she asked.
"This Sunday?" Janet was now understandably surprised. Though she and Sam still kept in contact, it had become more and more by messages left at moments when they each knew the other would be busy. "Um, I don't think we have any plans."
Sam's face exploded into one of her huge grins, and Janet felt a slight pain at realising how long it had been since she'd seen that. She knew she was at least half to blame for their recent distance. Sam, like everyone else, knew nothing about her relationship with Jack. But with Sam, Janet found it harder to lie. Even if it was a lie of omission. So she'd taken to avoiding the need to talk in the first place.
"Great," Sam replied. "We'll see you around four then? We can go on into the evening if that works for you and Cassie. Joe might need to head off after dinner, but that'll give us more time to catch up."
Janet found herself grinning back, despite her already overactive brain planning how she was going to make sure she didn't mention Jack. "Sounds great. We'll see you then."
"Let me know if it's a problem for Cassie. Bye, Janet."
"Bye, Sam."
As Sam signed off, the call defaulted back to Jack before Janet had any time to think.
"Anything interesting?" he asked.
"Sam."
"Oh."
"She invited us round on Sunday, me and Cassie."
"You haven't seen Sam in a while, have you?"
"No."
"I hope you don't mind me saying, but you don't seem too happy about seeing her."
"I am, really, it's just... been a while." Janet fell silent, trying to work out how to say what she wanted to say next. In the end the words were out before she'd quite made up her mind. "Were you ever actually in love with her?"
Despite the abruptness of the question, Jack didn't hesitate in his answer. "You know I was. It can't be a surprise to you."
"No. I often wondered if maybe everyone she ever met wasn't a little in love with her."
Jack dropped his gaze to his lap, and fell silent. Janet had begun to wonder whether she should have brought up this subject by the time Jack spoke again. "Including you?"
She shrugged her shoulders, though Jack didn't see it since he still wasn't looking at her. "Maybe. Wow, I can't believe I just said that."
"Me neither." He finally raised his head. "There was a lot to love about her though."
"Was?"
"She's in the past."
"For you."
"Janet!" It was hard to surprise Jack O'Neill, but Janet could tell that she'd just succeeded, however unintentionally. "Please, don't tell me that-"
"Oh, no! I just meant that... I just meant that I still see her."
Jack laughed, surprised and amused that he'd reacted that way.
"And anyway, I never meant that I... Only that sometimes, I... I really have no idea how to say what I'm trying to say."
"It's okay, I think I know what you mean."
"Jack, sometimes I think you know me better than anyone these days."
"You know," Jack's voice had turned serious again, "I hope I do."
~~~
2009
~~~
"Hey."
"Hey." Jack wore the same smile as when she'd left only a few hours earlier. Somewhere over the last few years the sight of Janet Fraiser had begun to evoke a far different reaction in him to the one it had before. Now, the sight of her with her hair starting to fall around her face and her eyes drooping with tiredness made him want to protect her, to hold her, to coax her into sleep and then join her until the morning.
Years ago, it had been far more associated with her running herself ragged trying to diagnose their latest alien illness, and in turn brought to mind visions of needles and thermometers and penlights dancing before his eyes.
Wow, he must be a little punchy himself.
"You got back safely then," he continued.
"As always. Not much to go wrong with these transport things."
"So they say."
"Well, yes, so they say. Thankfully, with this, they seem to be right."
"Hmm."
"Cassie wasn't in when I got home."
"That's a shame, I know you wanted to catch her."
"There's always other times."
"Still, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have... delayed you." The grin on his face told Janet he was absolutely not sorry.
"You know, a lesser woman might get offended that you apologised for doing that."
"She might. But I know you're not a lesser woman. Height notwithstanding."
"I was going to say that was a smooth recovery, but you blew it."
"Oops." Again, he was far from apologetic. He enjoyed that he didn't have to tread on eggshells with her. Never had.
"Can I ask you something, before I head off for some sleep?"
"Of course, you know that."
"Do you think you'll ever come back here?"
"Back there? No."
"Next year, there's the-"
"No, I'm not coming. Even then."
"Right."
"Jan, does that bother you?"
Rather than answer an automatic no, Janet stopped to really think about it before opening her mouth. "No, it really doesn't. I just wanted to know."
"I'm sure Kinsey will find some way to play my absence as a good thing."
Janet smirked. "You don't seem too bothered by it."
"What does it matter to me? I'm out here, no one ever sees me. Let them think what they like."
"I see you."
"And you have your own opinions. Based on the real me."
"I guess I do."
"Now go on, sleep."
"Isn't that normally my line?"
"It certainly used to be. I figured maybe it was time for you to share it."
"So if we're sharing, you're heading to bed too."
"Yeah sure, ya betcha."
Janet shook her head, and fought back her laugh. She had no idea why, but it bugged her that she laughed every time he said that.
"'Night, Jack."
~~~
2010
~~~
"I feel like I'm saying goodbye to you."
"Jan, you'll see me tonight."
"I'll see Colonel O'Neill, retired, tonight. And Daniel. I won't see you."
"Okay, fine. Well, I'll still be there when this is done. Not done. When we... I was there before."
"You haven't realised, have you?"
Jack thought for a minute, not wanting to admit that he had no idea what Janet was talking about. It was no use though, he really didn't know. "I guess not."
"We're turning back the clock to before the Aschen."
"I know that."
"To before Joe."
"Well that kind of goes hand-in-hand with the whole 'before the Aschen' thing, don't you- Oh." He had thought about it, of course he had. It couldn't have been anything but at the forefront of his mind after Sam's visit, and again after their conversation at the SGC. He just hadn't thought about it in connection with him and Janet.
"Look, Jan, we don't know for sure that-"
"Yes, Jack, we do. Hell, back then the very possibility of me and you ever having anything couldn't have been further from my mind."
"Well, thanks," he interrupted.
"You know that's nothing against you! But Sam, well, I could never-"
"We've been through this before."
"So you know why it feels like goodbye."
Jack hung his head, conceding defeat. "I wish it didn't."
"Jack, I'm glad you said yes. I'm glad you agreed to help us. I wasn't sure sending Sam was the right thing to do, but there was nothing I could do, nothing I could say, I didn't want her to-"
"Jan! You did the right thing. We're doing the right thing."
"You almost didn't help."
"Almost doesn't count."
Janet gave a half-smile.
"Look, we've not got long," Jack stated.
"I know."
"In fact," Jack glanced at the clock in the corner of his screen, "We should think about getting going. Daniel will be waiting."
"You, me, and Daniel."
"At least he won't know he's playing gooseberry."
"Or chaperone."
Jack shrugged. "Either works."
"I hope I can do this."
"You can."
"I... This is going to be the last time we speak like this, isn't it?"
Jack took a deep breath, and let it out slowly. "Yeah."
"I don't know what to say." Janet looked completely at a loss, and it was all Jack could do not to reach his hand out towards the screen.
He had to settle for a simple verbal reply. "Me either. How about, 'see you soon'?"
Janet nodded, "See you soon."
After the screen went blank, she mumbled to the empty room, "I love you."
THE END
5648
Remember. Cherish. Honour. Love. Respect.
