Goodbye, SG-1 Table 2, Prompt 39 Father
Title: Goodbye
Fandom: Stargate SG-1
Characters: General: Sam,Daniel, Jack, Teal'c, Pete
Prompt: table 2, # 039 Father
Word Count: 745
Rating: PG
Summary: Sam says goodbye to her father
My fifth ficlet for my 100_situations Table
“Father.”
It was a simple epitaph, one that did little to describe the man that lay beneath it.
Samantha Carter stood beside it, long after the others had gone. Even her brother had wearily left, his kids in tow. She regretted all the lies, all the half-truths and non-answers, and the look in his face said he regretted a lot of things too. But it was too late for a do-over now.
Somewhere nearby, Pete waited, giving her the space to grieve, to hold on…to let go. She was grateful he seemed to understand the space she needed to deal with this. She wondered if he’d ever understand why Daniel and Jack and Teal’c were allowed in that space, always, as if that space included them when it couldn’t include him. She wondered if she even understood it, really.
She looked up as they approached, the last of her tears sparkling at the edges of her eyes, unshed. For a long time the four of them stood there, looking down at the plain marble marker. Daniel’s arm was the first to slide around her waist, pulling her close in comforting gesture. She laid her head on his shoulder and it was met with the gentle touch of his own…conveying more than any platitudes or fumbled questions might have.
Jack moved closer, and simply took her hand, holding it lightly between them. It was comforting, knowing they were there, that they were always there for her…She looked down at the place where Jacob Carter had been laid to rest and considered their time together in the last years. He had changed, and not just because of Selmack He had finally seen her for who she really was, the daughter that was so much like him…so fiercely independent, strong, stubborn…and he had finally noticed that despite that she still needed him.
“Jacob was a good man.” Jack said finally. “He was very proud of you.”
She smiled. “I know.” She squeezed his hand. “He wanted me to be happy.” She sighed and moved her head to Jack’s shoulder.
“And are you?” Jack asked, his voice soft. She closed her eyes and considered it, just as she had while she sat with her father as he died.
“I don’t know,” she whispered. She felt his hand tighten, felt Daniel’s arm tug her millimeters closer. She’d felt numb for so long, and hadn’t realized it until he had challenged her, forced her to look at the choices she had made. At the SGC, she made a difference, and her work was more rewarding than she had ever dreamed…but outside of the base, here on this planet she had defended with her life, nothing seemed real.
He had seen that. He had known. And, he had wanted more for her. Trouble was, she didn’t know if she had room in her life for more…even with the empty space in her life that he had once filled. She sighed, knowing what she had to do next, though a part of her still clung to denial. She offered a tentative smile as she stepped from between them. “Thanks, guys. I should…” She gestured toward Pete and Jack grimaced.
“If you need anything-“
“I know sir, I’ll call.” She hugged Jack then, holding on a little longer than she might have intended before she marshaled the feelings and released him.
“No matter what time it is.” Daniel added as he took her into his embrace. “I’m only minutes away.”
“I know.” She kissed his cheek and turned to Teal’c who had remained silent. His hug was warm, engulfing. In it she felt safe for the first time in weeks.
“Take care of yourself, Colonel Carter.”
“Don’t stay away too long Teal’c. I’m going to miss you.”
“As I will miss you.”
He released her and together the three of them moved away. Sam knelt beside the marker and let her fingers trace the letters. “F-A-T-H-E-R.”
“Sam?” She looked up as Pete’s hand closed on her shoulder. “You okay?”
She smiled, laying her hand flat on the stone. With a deep breath, she nodded and stood. “I am, Pete. Take me home?”
He nodded and put an arm around her shoulders. As he held the door for her, Sam turned to look at the lonely gravesite. Goodbye just wasn’t good enough somehow. She swallowed a lump of emotion and got into the car, pulling the door closed with a finality she hadn’t intended.
Fandom: Stargate SG-1
Characters: General: Sam,Daniel, Jack, Teal'c, Pete
Prompt: table 2, # 039 Father
Word Count: 745
Rating: PG
Summary: Sam says goodbye to her father
My fifth ficlet for my 100_situations Table
“Father.”
It was a simple epitaph, one that did little to describe the man that lay beneath it.
Samantha Carter stood beside it, long after the others had gone. Even her brother had wearily left, his kids in tow. She regretted all the lies, all the half-truths and non-answers, and the look in his face said he regretted a lot of things too. But it was too late for a do-over now.
Somewhere nearby, Pete waited, giving her the space to grieve, to hold on…to let go. She was grateful he seemed to understand the space she needed to deal with this. She wondered if he’d ever understand why Daniel and Jack and Teal’c were allowed in that space, always, as if that space included them when it couldn’t include him. She wondered if she even understood it, really.
She looked up as they approached, the last of her tears sparkling at the edges of her eyes, unshed. For a long time the four of them stood there, looking down at the plain marble marker. Daniel’s arm was the first to slide around her waist, pulling her close in comforting gesture. She laid her head on his shoulder and it was met with the gentle touch of his own…conveying more than any platitudes or fumbled questions might have.
Jack moved closer, and simply took her hand, holding it lightly between them. It was comforting, knowing they were there, that they were always there for her…She looked down at the place where Jacob Carter had been laid to rest and considered their time together in the last years. He had changed, and not just because of Selmack He had finally seen her for who she really was, the daughter that was so much like him…so fiercely independent, strong, stubborn…and he had finally noticed that despite that she still needed him.
“Jacob was a good man.” Jack said finally. “He was very proud of you.”
She smiled. “I know.” She squeezed his hand. “He wanted me to be happy.” She sighed and moved her head to Jack’s shoulder.
“And are you?” Jack asked, his voice soft. She closed her eyes and considered it, just as she had while she sat with her father as he died.
“I don’t know,” she whispered. She felt his hand tighten, felt Daniel’s arm tug her millimeters closer. She’d felt numb for so long, and hadn’t realized it until he had challenged her, forced her to look at the choices she had made. At the SGC, she made a difference, and her work was more rewarding than she had ever dreamed…but outside of the base, here on this planet she had defended with her life, nothing seemed real.
He had seen that. He had known. And, he had wanted more for her. Trouble was, she didn’t know if she had room in her life for more…even with the empty space in her life that he had once filled. She sighed, knowing what she had to do next, though a part of her still clung to denial. She offered a tentative smile as she stepped from between them. “Thanks, guys. I should…” She gestured toward Pete and Jack grimaced.
“If you need anything-“
“I know sir, I’ll call.” She hugged Jack then, holding on a little longer than she might have intended before she marshaled the feelings and released him.
“No matter what time it is.” Daniel added as he took her into his embrace. “I’m only minutes away.”
“I know.” She kissed his cheek and turned to Teal’c who had remained silent. His hug was warm, engulfing. In it she felt safe for the first time in weeks.
“Take care of yourself, Colonel Carter.”
“Don’t stay away too long Teal’c. I’m going to miss you.”
“As I will miss you.”
He released her and together the three of them moved away. Sam knelt beside the marker and let her fingers trace the letters. “F-A-T-H-E-R.”
“Sam?” She looked up as Pete’s hand closed on her shoulder. “You okay?”
She smiled, laying her hand flat on the stone. With a deep breath, she nodded and stood. “I am, Pete. Take me home?”
He nodded and put an arm around her shoulders. As he held the door for her, Sam turned to look at the lonely gravesite. Goodbye just wasn’t good enough somehow. She swallowed a lump of emotion and got into the car, pulling the door closed with a finality she hadn’t intended.