Title - In Between the Threads
Number of Parts - ?
Setting - season eight
Category - Angst / Romance / Tragedy
Age - PG 15
Pairings - Sam and Jack, Sam and Pete, Jack and other
Spoilers - Season 8
Synopsis - Sam, Pete, Jack and Jacob's thoughts during threads
Author Notes - Sap warning!

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In Between the Threads

Chapter One

In Between the Lines

Sam was worried. Very worried…More than worried in fact.

Downright terrified was a more apt description.

Daniel was missing, and she was worried sick.

Finally, she made her way to the briefing room, still lost in her thoughts.

A sharp giggle jolted Sam back to the present, and she looked up to see Jack…and some brunette.

The brunette in question was young…late twenties at most. She was vivacious and vibrant. Dark ringlets tumbling down the side of her face. She wore a smart trouser suit and shocking pink top that surprisingly worked.

Her eyes then turned to Jack…grinning like a loony and definitely not in his 'command mode'.

Sam exhaled sharply, a deep numb feeling of helplessness and hopelessness rising in her chest.

She shuffled her feet on the floor, waiting for Jack to let her in. He was now showing the brunette out, but something told Sam that she was more than a colleague.

Finally, Jack raised a hand, beckoning Sam in to the office. Dutifully she filed in, her thoughts turning to the mystery brunette as he greeted her in his familiar way…i.e. giving nothing away.

Sam watched as Jack turned fully towards her, heading for his recliner.

"Sorry sir. I saw you were with someone. I didn't want to interrupt" she began.

"What's up" Jack was too easy-going.

Deciding to grab the bull by the proverbial horns, she asked"Who was that"

Jack's eyes left her, eyeing the small bundle of reports adorning his desk. "Um…Kerry Johnson. CIA"

Sam breathed in an inward sigh of relief. "I've heard the name. Oh, she was heading up the investigation into the Goa'uld at large still, after the incident with the Trust."

"Yeah."

Jack sat down heavily at his desk, and his scowl returned. Sam found that after this shift in his attitude that her mind came immediately back to the subject and hand.

"Sir. I wanted to talk to you about" she didn't get the chance to finish.

"Carter."

"We haven't heard from him in a week."

"Doesn't mean anything."

Sam felt a familiar jolt from within herself. She quickly identified it as exasperation…something this man regularly made her feel…among other things.

"Sir. We know he was captured by Replicators. Chances are he was onboard a Replicator ship when it disintegrated."

Jack tried to be the voice of reason. "All we know for sure is that he's missing."

"Sooner or later"

"Forget it" Jack shouted"I'm not falling for it this time."

As well as exasperation, Jack O'Neill regularly bamboozled Sam.

This was one of those times.

"Falling for it"

"Yeah…How many times have you thought he was gone and then he shows up…in one form or another. I'm sorry…but we're not having a memorial service for someone who is not dead."

Then, Jack looked up at the ceiling and yelled"You hear that? I'm not buying it"

Sam now went from bamboozled to bewildered to bemused. It was funny he could always maker her smile at the most worrying times while Pete…

"What? He's just waiting for us to say a bunch of nice things about him. Next thing you know, he'll come waltzing through the door like…right now."

As stupid as it was…Sam stared at the door…How could he always get her to act like a kid?

Once again, he brought her back to focus…sort of.

"Waltzing…now."

Sam found herself shaking her head at him, a small smile playing on her features.

"I'm sure he'll be waltzing sir…but we should prepare for the"

"I know Carter…I know."

There was an awkward moment of silence between the two, for as well as exasperation, bamboozlement, bewilderment and bemusement. He could take her breath away with the simplest of words.

She sucked in her breath, this time focussing herself.

"I'd better go sir…I've got lunch with my dad…and Pete."

Jack smiled warmly at her, carefully disguising the sadness that Sam knew was there.

"I hope it goes well."

"Thank you sir."

Another pause.

"Bye sir."

"Carter." He acknowledged her, before she simply nodded and left the room, a knot painfully kneading her stomach.

She had a bad feeling about this…and about everything.

In Between the Threads

Chapter Two - In between her shifts

Pete Shanahan felt a nauseating sense of unease as the elevator began the stomach wrenching descent to lower floor twenty five of the Cheyenne Mountain complex - near the heart of the top secret SGC.

Sam had called him earlier, and told him that she wanted him to come to the base. She'd also told him that he had full clearance…he didn't even have that after the - what was she called- Osiris incident.

He had no idea what was going on. Was he going through the Stargate? Was he getting into trouble for that background check? Was he meeting some of her colleagues? He hoped not…General O'Neill had been really nice, but Daniel and…Teal'c? At least he thought that’s what he thought Mercedes head's name was. Anyway…Daniel and Teal'c hadn't been very nice to him.

Why did her work friends hate him?

The lift slowed and Pete turned to the airman who shared the small cubicle with him.

"That's us sir." He said.

"Pete…call me Pete." He reminded him.

Who wanted to call anyone 'sir' anyway? He rarely called his Captain sir! Mind you…they'd went to the Police Academy and University together…They were old friends.

The airman shuffled next to him, bringing him back to focus. He fixed a grin on his face…trying to make her more at ease when she saw him.

The lift opened and he saw Sam. As per usual, he controlled the flip-flop his heart did every time he laid his eyes on her.

"Hey"

"Hi! Thank you, Airman." Sam said quietly.

Pete leaned over to give his fiancé a kiss, but ended up giving her a peck on the cheek as she deftly moved her head to avoid him.

Pete's heart stabbed at him, but his mind ignored it. He had to remain happy…for her sake.

"So, this is exciting! What's the surprise? Do I get to go through the Stargate? I mean, what planet are we going to?" He knew for a fact that the reason he was here was nothing to do with the 'gate, but he'd mentioned to Sam his love of astronomy several times.

"You don't get to go through the Stargate." Despite the fact he knew it was a long shot, he still felt downhearted.

"I'm a little disappointed, but still, full security clearance and an all access pass to the SGC? This must be big."

"Yeah…big."

Sam remained silent as she opened the door to a small room. He sensed that someone was in there, but couldn't see. Finally he could see an older man sitting in a wooden chair. He was a calm figure, wearing some strange alien material that looked like…tripe? Was Sam letting him meet an alien?

"Pete Shanahan? Jacob Carter. Dad this is Pete"

Dad? Oh crap!

"Dad?"

"Not quite yet. You have to actually marry my daughter, before you can call me that."

Funny…Sam had mentioned how easy-going her dad was and how he even let her CO call him dad.

"I was just..." help me please! He prayed "I meant...stammer, stammer. It's an honour to meet you sir."

Yes I bet he's thinking. 'It's so not an honour to meet the prat that's engaged to my wonderful astrophysicist daughter.'

Pete turned to Sam.

Why had she done this? What else was wrong?

" Why didn't you tell me"

"I didn't want you to be nervous."

"Why would I" Yeah…I'm only meeting my alien father-in-law, "I wouldn't." He focused on Jacob"I've been dying to meet you."

"I think it was Sam that was nervous."

Pete didn't like the sound of that.

"How did not telling me help"

Pete turned to Jacob and smiled, hoping one of them would bring up something of interest. Why couldn't Mark have been there? He was great friends with Sam's brother…Mark had introduced the two.

Pete realised that the silence was stretching…as was Jacob's patience…and Sam's dignity.

"This is great! You really got one of those things in your head"

The look on Sam's face told him that that was not the right thing to say, but by this time he was blushing and grinning like a lunatic. He was so embarrassed that all he could do was make dumb statements.

"If by one of those things, you mean a 2,000 year old Tok'ra symbiote. Yes."

Pete's heart internally sank, as he realised Jacob thought he was a git. His false smile was still plastered to his face and once again, he put his foot in.

"Seriously. That has gotta freak you out sometimes. That's weird."

He could feel the anger radiating off of Sam like nuclear waste from a lump of spent uranium…He was on the couch tonight…again.

"Well…It did at first." Jacob said quickly. "But Selmak's a great judge of character and we got on from the word go."

"Oh…well…at least that's something."

Pete now turned crimson, and Jacob's look turned to one of pity.

Pete was truly living up to his high-school nickname - Potatohead - He was metaphorically falling apart.

"So…Pete…how would you like to see the base" Sam mentioned with eyes that said 'say yes you freak!'

Like he was going to say no! The sooner he got out of this room with the pseudo-human-alien father-in-law the better.


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A few moments later, Pete found himself in Sam's lab.

"And this is a Naquadah generator…It has minimal waste and provides more than one hundred time the power of a single nuclear power plant…The Russians are currently looking into civilian applications."

Fascinating…but why did Sam spend all of her time here? Why in this dingy underground lab? And where the hell had all those empty Jell-O cups come from?

"Wow! Is it like, dangerous or anything"

"Yes…But if used correctly it's completely safe."

Jacob chimed in "It uses an element called Naquadah."

"That's not on any periodic table I've ever come across…then again…science isn't my forte."

This earned a small smile from Jacob.

"The element was found on earth up until ten thousand years ago when a race called the Goa'uld mined it dry." Sam explained.

"Osiris was a Goold wasn't she"

"Yes…one of what was many."

Pete noticed Sam flash a warning look at Jacob. Pete guessed that something must have happened with the 'Goold' recently.

"I take it they're kinda extinct"

"Yeah." Sam said.

Pete decided to change the subject, and pointed to a folder marked 'Photo Album'.

"Can we take a look" Jacob said to his daughter.

"No" Sam blurted. She looked flustered for a second"There's um…classified material in it."

"Okay no problem." Like hell there wasn't. "Can I get to see the Stargate"

Jacob grinned this time…albeit weakly.

"Think we could get Sergeant Harriman to dial her up once" a smiling Jacob said to Sam.

"I think that could be arranged" Sam chuckled back, before she and Jacob left the lab, leaving Pete trailing behind…

In Between the Threads

Chapter Three - In Between the Levels

Pete found himself standing in a large room like something out of a Hollywood blockbuster.

The room was full of monitors and super computers. Air Force officers and personnel were busily going about their jobs.

"Pleased to meet you sir." A small balding man with glasses said to Pete, extending a hand.

"Pleased to be here…please call me Pete, sergeant…"

"Harriman…Walter Harriman."

"Sergeant Harriman's responsible for dialling up the gate and operating the iris while it's in use." Sam said, explaining - in theory - the whole of Walter's job.

"Sweet" This guy must get bored stiff.

Suddenly, there was an announcement on the tannoy.

"COLONEL CARTER PLEASE REPORT TO THE MALP ROOM."

Sam let out an audible groan, before turning to Pete.

"Sorry Pete…duty calls."

"No problem babe"

The Gateroom went silent…nobody ever called Carter a babe.

Pete Shanahan you spud! He inwardly chastised himself, as a crimson glow once again encompassed him.

"So…Pete…is there anywhere else you'd like to see" Jacob asked Pete calmly.

"I uh…"Wow! Question of the century! "I don't have any idea what else is on-base."

"Well NORAD's something to look at…they've got lots of stuff, but I'm not allowed up there."

Basically that meant that Jacob didn't want to go with him.

"That's okay Jacob." Came a call, and Pete saw General O'Neill heading down the stairs.

The man had an air about him. One that was of an authoritarian yet humanitarian feel. He was great commander and a great friend to those that knew him. That was obvious to tell.

"I'm heading home for the day, and I have some time to kill…I'll show Pete around NORAD and then be on my merry way"

In the few times he'd met the General, Pete had noticed several things. General O'Neill was very nice to him, but the undercurrent that was Jack was slightly more hostile to him. Jack beamed every time he looked at Sam, and whenever he was around, Pete got ignored.

Were they more than friends?


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Now, Pete found himself standing in a lift with the man, who was smiling away to himself.

"Thank you sir." Pete said to him.

"For what"

"For letting me onto the base…I mean…this is the world's best-kept secret…and I"

"Really shouldn't be here…. Don't mention a word to anyone…none of my superiors knew you were visiting…"

"I"

"But Carter's a friend…a good one…I knew how much it meant to her to have you here."

"Thank you."

"Don't mention it…"

The silence stretched thinly.

"Seriously…don't mention it."

"Right sir."

Again…the tension and silence were stretching…like a bubble gum bubble about to burst.

"So…What's it like being a cop" Jack asked, trying to break the newly formed ice.

"It's good…Colorado PD's even better than Denver, but I'm still missing it." But here I can be with Sam and you're not getting her.

"I'll bet."

Pete chuckled at the General's words after his thoughts.

"I miss Denver like hell, but I go through quite often to see Sam's brother."

"You know Carter's brother"

"Didn't Sam tell you how we met" Why hadn't she?

"Nope." The General responded.

"Her brother's my best friend…he set us up."

Jack blinked in surprise "Really"

"Really really." This guy is so nice…why do I hate him? "We clicked instantly."

"Oh." Jack seemed down about this. "That's like myself and my girlfriend…we met and just…clicked."

He has a girlfriend! Whew!

"How long have you and your girl…friend been together"

Jack turned round, raising his scarred eyebrow 'Mercedes head guy' high.

"I'm sorry…Sam said you liked to keep your personal life separate…I'm sorry for sticking my nose in where it's not wanted."

"It's okay…you're a detective…it's in your nature…surely that’s the reason you did the background check on Sam."

Pete gulped…a nervous feeling rising within his chest…he thought it might have been his breakfast.

"I um…I…uh."

Jack was silent.

Pete mentally kicked himself…He'd lost the respect of another of Sam's nearest and dearest. He definitely wouldn't be telling her how his trip to NORAD went.

The elevator slowed and, and Pete found himself standing at another level of the base. The corridors had a smooth finish to them, and the people in the corridors were dressed differently. Yup…he was back at NORAD.

"Airman." The General called to a tall skinny man. Had he picked a skinny guy to remind Pete to work out a bit? C'mon! He was that podgy!

"Yes sir"

"This is Detective Shanahan…He's visiting the base for a quick tour and I think he'd like to see NORAD…Would you care to show him round"

O'Neill was leaving him here? He really didn't like the guy now.

"Sir" Pete asked.

"Don’t worry…When Carter's finished what she's done, airman Michaels will show you back down." O'Neill smiled.

"Thank you sir." Pete gritted his teeth.

"This way detective." Michaels said, indicating down a corridor.


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An hour later, Pete arrived back at the SGC. NORAD had been boring…despite the 'hype'. He wanted to go through that gate!

"Pete." He heard Sam call to him. "I'm sorry that took so long. Sergeant Siler accidentally fried himself."

"God! Is he okay" The guy must be a prat!

"He'll be fine, but I had to cover for him."

"That's no problem."

"How was NORAD? Dad said that's where you went."

"Yeah…" It was… "Interesting's the word I'd use" boring.

"I'm glad you liked it"

Jacob butted in "Jack showed him round."

Again, at the mention of his name, Sam tensed up and a flush consumer her cheeks.

"What's up" Your CO has a girlfriend Sam…live with it! He mentally yelled.

"It's just…he's my CO…you shouldn't have been on the base, and he shouldn't have had to take you round NORAD…It's just not professional."

Yeah like you pining for him is SO professional! "He didn't mind Sam."

"Really? It's just he's a busy man…"

By this point, Pete had stopped listening to Sam…It was obvious what her problem with commitment was. He gazed down at his wristwatch.

“Crap…I gotta be on duty in an hour…I really need to get going.” Saved by the bell! The sooner he was away from Cheyenne, the better!

Sam didn't seem to mind that he needed to go, and that riled him even more.

"I can't get you back up to the surface just now Pete…I'm sorry…I'll get Captain Stevens to accompany you."

Yeah…you don't pine for Captain Stevens…you don't mind him being in the li-

"It was nice to finally meet my future son-in-law." Jacob said calmly, extending a hand to him.

Pete considered this an offer of truce…It was obvious the two men weren't going to get along.

"It was good to finally meet you too sir! What planet are you going back to."

Sam rolled her eyes, and he could feel her humiliation at him rise to the surface gain.

"The current Tok'ra homeworld."

"So…are you like space gypsies" Oh god…He was doing it again! Why was he being such a-

“No…not quite…we had to move around to avoid the Goa’uld, and even now that they’re gone, we’re still going to move around as that’s what we’ve become accustomed to.”

"Oh…right…well…that's weird too."

"Hey kid…just what's so normal about being part-alien anyway" Jacob grinned.

"Good point sir" Pete chuckled back.

Pete noticed how quiet Sam was being. Her eyes were wandering over to the Gateroom door.

"Sam honey…what's wrong"

"Oh I uh…"

"Dr Jackson's M.I.A…we're all worried for him."

"Oh god." Why hadn't she told him? "How long's he been missing"

"Just over a week…" Sam sighed…"I'll see you later Pete."

Pete walked cautiously over to Sam, feeling Jacob’s eyes burrow into his head. He enveloped her in a hug, which thankfully she returned.

"Don't worry…I'm sure he's fine…How bad could it be? As far as I know this is a regular occurrence with Dr Jackson."

Sam giggled at that, and Pete felt his heart soar. A second later her veil of worry returned.

"This situation's a little different." She stated.

Pete felt that door slam shut on him, so he decided to talk about something closer to home.

"Are you still up for that florists meeting tomorrow? 1pm 7th on 10"

Sam nodded her head solemnly. "Yeah I guess."

She smiled at him, but it didn't reach her eyes.

"So I'll see you there then"

"Yeah."

"Okay…Mr Carter"

"Call me Jacob."

"…Jacob…once again it was an honour to meet you."

Another handshake. Pete felt it was the closest he'd ever get to this stoic man.

He tried to smile, but it came out as a grimace. Then he headed out of the briefing room behind Captain Stevens. He smiled back at her…He hoped his new investment was worth it, but he felt like he was losing her.

Slowly but surely.

Not to General O'Neill…

But Jack…Her forbidden love.

In Between the Threads

Chapter Four - In Between the Jell-O

Sam sighed as she put the last of her tools away. After Pete had left the base, she'd gone straight back up to the MALP room to finish what she had been doing. Siler had had an electric shock and subsequently dropped his wrench on his foot…halfway through manually recallibrating all the FREDs.

Now, over two hours late for dinner, she was heading down to join her dad for a bite to eat in the commissary.

The meeting between him and Pete had not gone well. Her dad had been very scathing while talking to him and Pete? He'd been a total jerk! What was she doing with him? She was certain Jacob was asking himself the same question.


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A few moments later, she made it down to level 26 and filed into the commissary. Despite the fact that all they cooked was slop, the queue was a mile long. As she grabbed a tray, her thoughts turned back to Agent Johnson, and one thing in particular.

Jack hadn't smiled at her like that in…months.

"Hey kid" She heard Jacob call from his table. He sat with a half-finished crossword in front of him, and Sam was immediately reminded of the time Jack had tried to finish a crossword as part of a bet. He'd even showed up for work half an hour-

"What can I get you Colonel" the food server glared icily at her.

"Um..I…"

She looked down at the assorted gloop. There appeared to be lemon chicken, Cajun chicken, soup and omelette. Jack could make omelette, whereas Pete couldn't heat up a tin of beans!

Suddenly she didn't feel hungry.

"I think I'll just have some Jell-O."

The young man glared at hereven harder. "Of course ma'am."

She walked away from the serving line and headed for the desserts. There was a lot of blue Jell-O left, and sometimes she wondered if the caterers bought it in just for her. Jack had even said that once.

Once again putting him to the back of her mind, Sam picked up a Jell-O and headed to get a fork. It was Jack that had got her into that.

Finally, she sat at the table with her dad, who was looking pretty weary. Sam didn't think the Tok'ra got weary. Maybe he'd fallen out with Selmak? It was rare but not unheard for symbiote and host to butt heads every so often.

"What's on your mind" He asked her.

"Uh what"

"You just seem a but distracted and tense."

"Well…yeah…with Daniel being missing and everything and I'm always tense…at least that's what General O'Neill tells me."

Jacob smiled at the mention of Jack.

"How is Jack settling into the command"

"Fine." Sam snapped. This took Jacob by surprise, but he simply raised his eyebrows, creasing his forehead in the process, before going back to his dinner.

Feeling a bit vulnerable on the subject of Jack, Sam thought it best to ask an obvious question.

"So, you gonna visit Mark and the kids, this trip"

"Tomorrow."

Huh? It wasn't like her dad to give a one-word answer. Mind you…he had been awful quiet.

"Is everything ok"

"I'm just not very hungry."

"You've been pretty quiet."

"I'm fine."

"Dad" Sam wasn't going to ignore this.

"What"

"It's been two hours since Pete left. You haven't said a word."

"I did so." Sam couldn't believe his tone. It was like she was talking to him when she was a teenager again.

"He seems nice" This was her fiancé! Not her boyfriend for cryin-.

"I believe that's three words."

Suddenly feeling the need to defend herself, she stated "I'm gonna marry him."

"I know. I just met him. What do you want me to say? I know how happy he makes you. That's all that matters to me."

Huh? "Ok."

"Selmak really liked him."

"Selmak" That was odd.

"Yeah, and he's a great judge of character."

"Well ok." If you want to be like that Dad

"Look Sam, I'm tired. It's been a long day. I think I'm gonna turn in early."

Sam looked at her dad, for the first time noticing how old he was looking. That just didn't sit right, considering he was going to live a lot longer than she was. He wasn't telling her something.

"You sure nothing else is wrong"

"Yeah. I'll see you in the morning."

"Goodnight"

Sam watched him go. His behaviour was worrying her. In recent years, he'd been a lot chattier, a lot more animated about everything. She knew he didn't like Pete, but normally if Jacob didn't feel like talking, Selmak would take over, eager to talk about anything to anyone who would listen. She'd only spoken to Selmak once in the few weeks since her dad had turned up, and it was over a weeks since she'd last seen her dad act normal.

She pushed the worry to the back to her mind, only for Daniel's gentle face and her fear for his safety to push its way to the forefront.

…That and that brunette…Agent Johnson.

With her thoughts racing, she turned back to her Jell-O, her imagination in overdrive.