alacarte

Disclaimer Stargate Sg-1 and its characters are the property of Stargate (II) Productions, Showtime/Viacom, MGM/UA, Double Secret Productions, and Gekko Productions. This story is for entertainment purposes only and no money exchanged hands. No copyright infringement is intended. The original characters, situations, and story are the property of the author. This story may not be posted elsewhere without the consent of the author.

Title: A LA CARTE

Author: Sue Corkill

Email: mscorkill@earthlink.net

Category: Sam & Jack, Angst, Missing scene

Status: Complete

Rating: PG

Content Warning: M/F

Season/Sequel info: Sixth Season

Spoilers: Frozen

Archive: Heliopolis, SJHW

Summary: Stan is cleaning and contemplating life at the SGC when Sam, Teal'c and Jonas come into the commissary after their return from Antarctica.

Feedback: Cheerfully accepted.

Author's notes: Another post-episode cake fic...though rather more angsty.

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A LA CARTE

Stan Halvorson wiped off the stainless steel counter, taking his time. It was a slow afternoon, especially so in contrast to the frantic activity that had surrounded the base several weeks ago. Man, he thought, scrubbing at a very stubborn spot, that had been some nightmare! All those extra people and then the base sealed off! Cook had been forced to really scrounge and some of the menu items had been fairly creative. Thank goodness they always carried excess in the basics, just for such a situation. And another "thank goodness" that they hadn't been reduced to eating MRE's. As it was, dessert had been reduced to canned peaches over sponge cake. Which, hadn't really seemed to bother the regulars, Stan realized with a wry smile, who hadn't seemed to mind just so long as there was something sweet for dessert. Now, on the other hand, those extra scientist types and eggheads had seemed miffed at the simple fare and had certainly complained loudly, not that there was anything he could have done about it!

But...he'd had a good chuckle when he saw that fruit allergy nerd/scientist in the lunch line one day during all the hubbub. Too bad they hadn't been serving Lemon Chicken that day, he thought with a sly chuckle.

Yeah, it had been pretty worrisome, he had to acknowledge, when the base was locked down. Thank goodness his wife and kids had been in California, visiting her parents. From what he'd overheard, he figured they would have been safe there if the mountain had actually been destroyed. Besides, there were only so many excuses he could come up with for why he periodically didn't make it home every day. But, bless Beth's heart, she'd been around the military enough not to question why he couldn't discuss where he worked. However, he'd known everything was going to be okay when Colonel O'Neill came in for his afternoon snack. If the Colonel could sit and calmly eat canned peaches on stale sponge cake, then things couldn't be that bad. And, Major Carter had the saved the base, just like he'd known she would. Well, he'd heard it had been Major Carter and the citrus-allergic scientist...and some crazy idea from the new guy.

Stan began draining the water out of the serving reservoirs, working automatically, his thoughts on the base's newest full-time resident. Jonas Quinn, healthy eater, not really big into sweets, big into fruit. Always cheerful and friendly, but then again, when you see the same person for breakfast, lunch and dinner every day for three months, well, you get to be a bit friendly. Stan felt sorry for the guy, confined to the base, and commissary food! Not that it was bad...but the commissary menu was pretty heavy on the carbs and had to get boring after a while. Which was probably why he ate so much fruit, Stan had just decided, when the door swung open and Jonas Quinn and Teal'c entered the deserted dining room. Stan reached under the counter for the fruit bowl he'd stashed there when he'd started cleaning, setting it out as the two men approached.

"It does not look promising for O'Neill," he heard Teal'c rumble.

Stan's ears perked up at the mention of O'Neill. He had heard the Colonel was pretty sick. Heck, he'd known something was wrong the minute he'd found out SG-1 had returned from the Arctic or Antarctica or wherever they'd been and O'Neill hadn't come to the commissary, looking for snacks.

"No, it doesn't, " Jonas agreed. "And now with Aiyanna so ill...."

Stan was surprised by Jonas' somber look, Teal'c he was used to seeing somber and if it was possible, the Jaffa looked even more serious than usual. Jonas still flashed him a smile however, as he reached out and took a banana from the fruit bowl, but Stan instantly noticed it didn't reach his eyes.

"Thanks, Stan," Jonas murmured, always courteous, even when he was obviously preoccupied. Teal'c loomed before him and Stan simply handed him the entire bowl, receiving a polite nod in return. The two men walked over to one of the nearby tables, and sat down. Stan went back to his cleaning, his eye caught by the one lone piece of chocolate cake he'd left sitting on the dessert shelf. He wondered if Major Carter would be in as well. He didn't have long to wonder; less than five minutes later the Major slipped quietly into the dining room.

"Major Carter?" he called out to her when she didn't come over to the counter, but instead headed straight over to the table where Teal'c and Jonas sat. She paused, and looked his way. He picked up the cake and held it out, feeling inordinately pleased when a small smile crossed her features and she walked over to the counter.

"Thanks, Halvorson," she took the proffered cake. And though she smiled at him, her normally sparkling blue eyes were just as dejected as Jonas' had been. His eyes followed her as she walked over to join her colleagues, yes, it looked like things weren't going too well for the SGC's number one team.

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Sam poked at the chocolate cake with her fork. She wasn't really hungry, but Stan would have been insulted if she hadn't taken it. She sighed, good grief! She couldn't believe she was worried about insulting the kitchen help when the Colonel was so ill! No, that was mean...it wasn't Stan's fault that O'Neill was dying. She didn't know whose fault it was, though she had to acknowledge it probably wasn't any one person's fault. Who could have known that Aiyanna would have some mysterious millennia old virus? Who could have known that-despite their best precautions-they'd all become infected? And who could have known that Aiyanna would try to heal them-at great cost to her own health? In spite of everything they'd done and all the precautions they'd taken, none of them could have known and none of them could have predicted this outcome. Dammit, she thought wearily, wishing she could hit something or burst into tears, or anything...instead of having to keep her feelings all bottled up inside.

"Are you not hungry, Major Carter?"

Teal'c's baritone penetrated her dismal thoughts and Sam looked up to find both Teal'c and Jonas staring at her as she systematically destroyed the piece of cake. She set her fork down, looking somewhat self-consciously at the concerned faces of her companions. "Ah, not really, guys," she confessed.

"You're worried about Colonel O'Neill?" Jonas asked. She met his eyes across the table, not sure what she'd see, but finding only caring and concern. She looked then at Teal'c, who nodded solemnly.

"Yeah, I'm worried," she admitted softly, trusting Teal'c's judgement in this matter. She looked down at her cake, an unrecognizable mass of crumbs and frosting now. Taking a deep breath, she was pleased when her voice quivered only slightly when she was finally able to speak. "It doesn't look good, Janet says she's done everything she can." She looked up then, her eyes desolate. "General Hammond contacted the Tok'ra, to see if they could help. They're sending someone."

Jonas interrupted eagerly, "That's good...they have that healing device, don't they?"

"Yes, but they didn't sound too optimistic." Sam closed her eyes briefly, trying to get her emotions under control. "It may take something more than that."

"Colonel O'Neill will be unlikely to agree to that, Major Carter," Teal'c intoned gravely.

Sam turned worried eyes towards him, "I know."

"To what? What won't Colonel O'Neill agree to?"

"To becoming a host," Teal'c answered Jonas for Sam, when she found the words sticking in her throat, unable to verbalize what she very much feared would be the only option for the Colonel's survival.

"Ah, I see," Jonas murmured, sitting back in his chair. "Colonel O'Neill won't wish to blend with the Tok'ra? Even to save his life?"

Sam shook her head; "I don't think he will Jonas, even to save his life. He has pretty...strong feelings about the Tok'ra and the Goa'uld." Feelings that she understood all too well.

"Maybe it won't come to that," Jonas offered.

"I hope so, I really hope so." Sam smiled weakly and crumpled up her napkin, dropping it down on the table, next to the uneaten piece of cake.

"I'm going to go check on Aiyanna." Jonas said abruptly, pushing back his chair and picking up his banana peel.

"I think..." Sam started, only to be interrupted by the intercom.

"Major Carter to the control room. Major Carter to the control room."

She looked at Jonas and then to Teal'c, her heart suddenly racing. Teal'c voiced her thoughts, "It would appear the Tok'ra have arrived."

She nodded and Teal'c stood. "I will accompany you, Major Carter." Sam forced herself to stand, feeling both relieved that the Tok'ra representative was finally here and intensely worried about what options he-or she-would have to offer the Colonel.

"Thanks, Teal'c." She picked up her plate, looking blankly at the mess that had once been chocolate cake.

"Let me take that, Major." Sam looked up, surprised; Stan had suddenly materialized by her elbow.

"Thanks," she murmured, letting him take the plate out of her hand. She walked past him, following Teal'c and Jonas as they strode towards the door.

"Major?"

Sam paused at the doorway, looking back questioningly towards Stan, where he still stood by the table.

"Tell the Colonel I'm saving some cake, for when he gets well, okay?"

"Sure, Stan, I will." Sam tried to smile reassuringly at him, not sure how successful she was, but it seemed to be enough to satisfy Stan, who grinned and saluted her before returning once more to clearing off the table.

THE END

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