Title: He Went

 

Author: Lisa Yaeger

 

E-mail: lisayaeger@hotmail.com

 

Rating: PG

 

Category: Angsty

 

Pairings: Sam/Jack

 

Content Warnings: none really

 

Summary: *She* calls

 

Season/sequel: Set in the present, season 6

 

Spoilers: General knowledge of the show. Everything is fair game.

 

Archive: SJD & whoever wants to- I'd be flattered!

 

Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters and places are the

property of MGM, World Gekko Corp and Double Secret productions. This

piece of fan fiction was created for entertainment not monetary

purposes and no infringement on copyrights or trademarks was intended.

Previously unrecognized characters and places, and this story, are

copyrighted to the author. Any similarity to real persons, living or

dead, is coincidental and not intended by the author.

 

Status: Complete

 

Feedback: Welcomed!

 

Date: 29-10-2002

 

*****

He went.

 

Of course he went.

 

*She* called.

 

The only reason she knew that *she* called was because she was there. A

random occurrence, that she would happen to be there when the phone

rang.  They all were there.  Just playing poker.  A normal Friday

night.  Nothing out of the ordinary.  Until the phone rang.  And it

was *her*.  And he went.

 

No explanation.  He just grabbed his coat and was out the door.  He

would have won the hand, too, but he left. 

 

She wouldn't have even known who called except that after he was gone,

they were cleaning up, and his phone was still sitting on the counter.

 Where he had slammed it down before grabbing his keys.  She picked

it up to return it to the cradle, and that's when caller ID came on to

display the last caller.  *Her*.

 

It all made sense at that moment.  She really couldn't imagine who-

besides the people in the room or someone they all knew- could make

him fly out the door like he was on a mission to save the world.  It

was a look she knew well.

 

She took the two alien members of the team back to the base and drove

by his house to see if he had made it home- 0200.  He hadn't.  The

thought of going in and waiting for him occurred to her for the

hundredth time in five minutes, but the terrifying thought that he

might, just might, be coming back with *her* stopped her blood from

flowing.  It was too cold a night for that.  So she went home instead,

to wait for a sleep that wouldn't come.  She remembered that feeling.

 

Three hours later she decided to give up the pretense that she could

go to sleep and crawled out of bed.  The coldness permeated her body,

and deeper, if she told the truth to herself.  But no need to do that.

 Why start now?

 

The coffee she was drinking did little more than warm her hands

temporarily as she stared at the steaming brown liquid in the mug that

she clutched.  Deciding something abruptly, she changed into

jogging pants and a sweatshirt and went running.  Fast and far.

Without stopping.  Without thinking.  Until she couldn't run anymore.

 She looked up to find herself standing in front of his house.  Of

course.  If she wasn't thinking, if she wasn't guarded, every step she

took would lead to him.  Every time.

 

He still wasn't back.  He had spent the night with *her*. 

 

Oh god. 

 

She ran back home.  Taking much longer than before.  She took a hot

shower that nearly burned her skin, but did little to warm her body.

Stepping out of the tub, she wiped the foggy mirror with her hand, and

for the first time in a very long time- maybe since the last time she

had felt this frozen- she wished she were someone else.  *Her*.

 

Dressed back in what she had worn to bed the night before, she laid

back down on the mattress and closed her eyes, exhausted.  Sleep

coming in jagged, bitter pieces.

 

She almost didn't hear the knock at the door.  Or rather, she thought

it was part of another dream her mind had concocted to trick her into

thinking he had come for her.  Then she heard it again, and still not

quite believing it was real, got up to convince herself that it was a

dream.  Only to find he was actually there. 

 

No words were spoken as she opened the door and let him in. 

 

He stood in the hallway.  Looking as awful as she did.  Both looking

better than they felt. 

 

No tears.  No questions.  No explanations.  Nothing.  Just two people

who weren't quite ready to give themselves to each other yet.  And

weren't quite ready to give up on each other either.  Maybe that was

something after all.

 

"I didn't...  I mean we didn't...  I couldn't..."

 

That was more than before.  And even that had taken three months to

happen at all. 

 

She nodded.  Understanding what he was saying without him having to

say the words.  Relief washed over her in massive waves.  The thaw could begin.

 

"I should go."

 

So he went.

 

Of course he went.

 

It was really her call all along. 

 

*****