TITLE: The Big Bang
AUTHOR: Allison West
SPOILERS: 48 Hours, Redemption.
RATING: PG, S/J Friendship, Mild Violence.
SUMMARY: Missing Scene from Redemption. What happens when O'Neill overhears MacKay's comments to Major Carter?
DISCLAIMER: All publicly recognisable 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.
AUTHOR'S NOTES: Just a short story to fit in with Redemption. This episode absolutely rocked! I love seeing MacKay around. He brings out this great side of Sam, plus he's totally adorable.
Jack O'Neill stood at the top of the stairs leading from the Briefing Room down to the Control Room. He was leaning over the railing observing the world below him. The control room was a hive of activity as various technicians, scientists and SFs wandered around.
Carter sat at one of the computer consoles with one of the technicians, monitoring the Gate, and by the look on her face, thinking too much. He liked to silently observe her when she was working. She always ran around, busy with one thing or another. You could tell that her job was always a challenge for her, and she enjoyed it. He continued to watch and listen to her as she stood looking over the shoulder of one of the technicians.
"Energy build up has reached 18%," the technician told Carter as she looked at the computer screen. The energy that was being transmitted through the Stargate was continuing to increase. It would only be a matter of days before that build up reached its maximum levels and there was nothing they could do about it.
"There has to be a way to drain the capacitors," Sam said in frustration, biting her bottom lip.
The figure of a man walked into the control room. "Still as sexy as ever I see," he called.
Hello! Who the hell was that and why were they calling his Major sexy? Aside from the fact that she was of course, but that was hardly the point right now. Jack leaned a little further over the railing, trying to get a better glimpse of the figure. It was that scientist, the one who had been hanging around when Teal'c was stuck in the Gate. MacKay? Wasn't he supposed to be in Russia or something?
"What are you doing here?" Sam said turning around to face him. There was an obvious look of disgust on her features as she studied the man standing before her. She had her arms crossed defensively across her chest.
It was obvious that there weren't any friendly feelings between the two. Jack had remembered a slight animosity between them the last time he was here, but nothing to warrant the look that Major Carter was now giving him. It wasn't in her nature to be genuinely hostile towards others. Did something happen the last time he was here? Jack quickly dismissed the thought as he continued to watch the scene below him.
"Well, there's no point in building Naqadah Reactors for Russia if there isn't going to be a Russia," MacKay said smugly. Sam glowered at his remark. "The Pentagon thought you might need some help."
"Not from you," she said fiercely. 'Way to go Sam!' Jack thought, suddenly becoming more interested in the exchange. She wasn't taking any crap from this guy.
'"Oh, well okay, then I'll get a cup of coffee and a doughnut and wait for the big bang," he said sarcastically as he walked off, his destination the base's commissary.
"That's just what I need," Sam said to herself before Davis handed her the telephone. She took the call, then quickly left the room. Jack made his way down the stairs and headed in the direction of the elevators, bound for the commissary.
********************
Jack walked down the corridors as quickly as his injured knee would take him. He turned a corner and saw MacKay a few metres in front of him. "MacKay," he called. The younger man turned around at the sound of his name being called. He stopped and looked at Colonel O'Neill walking towards him.
"Colonel O'Neill," he said. "Good to see you again. It's always a pleasure to come here and see what shit you guys are in this time. I was just on my way to the commissary to get a snack for the big show".
"Yeah," Jack said absently, deciding to ignore his sarcastic remarks and get straight to business. "Listen can I talk to you for a second?"
"Sure, but can we make this quick I want to get back to the control room before the action starts."
"Oh this won't take long," Jack said leading MacKay down the corridor. "If you'll just step into my office," he said, opening a door to his left. MacKay followed him into the room, or what turned out to be a storage closet.
MacKay looked around the room confused before turning to face O'Neill who stood by the door with his arms folded calmly across his chest. "Nice office Colonel," MacKay joked sarcastically. "Who's your decorator?"
"Listen," Jack said, grabbing MacKay by the jacket collar and pushing him up against the wall. MacKay gulped and started breathing fast, a mild look of fear appearing in his eyes. "I know you're new around here so I'm gonna say this slowly. MacKay, if I ever hear you talking to Major Carter like that again, the only big bang you'll be seeing will be coming from my fist. Understand?"
"I don't know what you're talking about Colonel," MacKay said nervously, trying to sound innocent.
"Oh I think you do," Jack said, scrunching MacKay's jacket a little tighter. "She works hard around here to get the respect that she deserves. And a little smart ass like yourself is not going to take that away from her. So if you'd like to stay involved with this program, I suggest that you stop talking to her, or there are worse places than Russia where you could end up."
The scientist looked Jack in the eye and then nodded. Jack released him. MacKay straightened out his jacket and scampered out of the room faster than a bolt of lightening. O'Neill grinned to himself and looked at his watch, he was running late for a meeting with General Hammond and Colonel Chekov. He walked back into the corridor and headed the elevator.
The End.
