Fighting for Mortality
Fighting for Mortality
by Aftyn Victoria
TITLE: Fighting for Mortality
AUTHOR: Aftyn Victoria
EMAIL:SamAstarte@Hotmail.com
CATEGORY: Drama S/J
SPOILERS: none
SEASON / SEQUEL:
RATING: PG
CONTENT WARNINGS: none
SUMMARY: Sam must decide between divinity and Jack.
STATUS: Completed
ARCHIVE: Heliopolis
DISCLAIMER: Stargate SG-1 and its characters are the property of Showtime/Viacom, MGM/UA, Double Secret Productions, and Gekko Productions. We have written this story for entertainment purposes only and no money whatsoever has exchanged hands. No copyright infringement is intended. The original characters, situations, and story are the property of the authors. Not to be archived without permission of the authors.
AUTHOR'S NOTES: This is kind of a response to challenge 161, but I don't know if it entirely applies. Feedback is greatly appreciated. Thank you. Stuff in ** is meant to be italisized.
The warm, lithe body of his lover stirred, causing Jack O'Neill to awake from his blissful slumber. Sam had one of her legs draped over his in an almost possessive manner. An amused expression crept across Jack's face; he was delighted that the beautiful woman lying in his bed was possessive of *him*. He brushed several strands of blonde hair away from her eyes. Jack had proposed the previous night and she accepted without a moments hesitation.
In her sleep, Sam let out a soft moan of frustration. Jack wondered what she was dreaming about; perhaps it somehow concerned him.
Sure enough, Sam's dream did concern Jack O'Neill, but not in the sense he thought. For in this dream, she was fighting to stay on Earth. A messenger from the Lord had traveled into her dreams to retrieve her and take her back to Heaven. Sam's surroundings were entirely white and she felt as if she was floating. The Angel before her was Andrew, a dear friend. His blonde hair was falling into his blue eyes as usual.
"Samantha, you knew your task when you chose to accept it. You were to fall to earth in the facade of a mortal and help those of SG-1. You were to be there for Daniel Jackson when he needed to speak to someone. To Teal'c your were to act as a guide when the others weren't there. And to Jonathan O'Neill, you were to aid his recovery from his tremendous loss." Sam knew the male angel before her spoke the truth, but her time on Earth couldn't be over! She was happy. For the first time in many, many years, she felt true euphoria and now she was expected to just up and leave.
"Andrew, please do not make me return!" The look of sheer astonishment that filled the man's deep blue eyes made Sam realize just how strange she sounded. She was begging not to go to Heaven, while most pleaded to go there.
"Samantha, I am sorry. You have twenty-four hours before you must return, but if you do not return by that time, the gates of heaven will be closed to you and you will be sent to Hell."
A soothing voice brought her from her troubled sleep. When she opened her eyes, she found Jack lying next to her, with his head propped up on one arm. His other hand was tracing an invisible pattern on her bare stomach.
"Good morning." A smile was her only reply, Sam was still too shocked by her dream to speak. It was a waiting eventuality, but she had never expected it to come so soon. "We're supposed to take Cass to the park in an hour." He leaned in and placed a gentle kiss on her lips before continuing. "I'll make breakfast while you take a shower." She nodded her consent before sitting up and stretching her arms towards the ceiling.
"I'll be out in about ten minutes." Jack placed a kiss on her forehead before exiting the room to go and attempt to make a decent breakfast.
Sam had been quiet all morning and Jack was starting to worry. What if she was regretting the engagement. Even when they picked up Cassandra from Janet's, Sam didn't come alive like she normally did in the young girl's presence. Jack caught her studying him several times, almost as if she was trying to imbed his image in her mind.
The late summer morning was warm and the park was filled with happy families enjoying the Saturday morning. Jack carried two mitts and a well worn baseball; he had promised to teach Cassie how to catch. The picnic basket and blanket filled Sam's hands. Meanwhile, Cassie was ahead searching for a nice shady spot.
"Something wrong?" Though Jack had whispered as not to alert Cassie, Sam could still detect the sincere concern. She couldn't keep any secrets from this man and she could definitely not lie to him.
"I'll tell you later." He accepted that answer and they continued to walk in silence until the perfect spot had been found. Once the blanket had been spread out, Jack decided that it was too early to eat and led Cassie to a fairly clear area where she could learn the basics of baseball.
"I see why you're so reluctant to leave." Sam turned to see Andrew sitting next to her.
"Andrew, I love him." The angel next to her studied the object of her affection for several moments. Cassie was having trouble catching the ball; every time it came near her, she jumped away.
"I don't make the rules, I just enforce them."
"Don't give me that!" Her outburst elicited strange looks from surrounding picnickers. "There has to be a way I can stay." Andrew shook his head negatively. "Andrew, there are no set rules when it comes to Heaven."
"Samantha, you're an angel, always have been, always will be. That's just how it is, I'm sorry."
"Look, I've performed my task, don't I get some kind of reward?" Andrew didn't answer, he simply shook his head. "Give me a break! If I leave here, that man will be no better than when I got here. Possibly worse!"
"Samantha ... "
"Let me finish, Andrew. Jack already lost happiness once, if I leave, he'll be losing it again, thus defeating the purpose of my task to help him." Hope rushed through Sam's veins as she watched Andrew, who seemed to be pondering her words. She was unaware of the sneers she was receiving from the picnicking people who more than likely thought she was crazy.
"Your words are true, but if you become a mortal, the process is irreversible."
"I understand."
"No, no you don't. By being mortal, you will have the same feelings they do: guilt, fear, despair. The same sensations: Pain, discomfort, remorse." Little did her friend know, if she had Jack next to her, she could conquer any suffering.
"You forget, Andrew, I already deal with all of those feelings!"
"Yes, but your true mortality will amplify your emotions and perceptions profusely. You will be susceptible to sin and the devil's tricks. You would no longer have a definite place in heaven, if your sins are great enough, you may go to Hell."
"Andrew, listen to me, I know the stakes ... I know the possibilities. Please, tell me if there is a way for me to become mortal and stay with him." The man's face was filled with conflict. He knew he had to tell her, it was her choice. Yet, he didn't want to lose his friend to the mortals. She would grow corrupt and hostile. Or, perhaps she could teach those around her to have faith and how to love.
Her words were true, if she returned to Heaven, many lives would be changed and not for the better. Jack would revert to a suicidal state and Andrew knew there was a possibility that no one would be able to save him from himself. Daniel Jackson would be able to go on with his life, but with no one to have patience and protect him, he might be lost due to carelessness. The Jaffa, Teal'c would be able to go on, but would miss his friend greatly. The little girl, Cassie would long for her dear friend and mentor.
"I will see what I can do about that, but you must do your part and pray." Though she was skeptical at first, Sam decided her friend would not lie to her. She closed her eyes and leaned against the tree behind her. A whispered prayer escaped her lips. Sam quietly stated her reasoning to her heavenly Father and pleaded his forgiveness for wanting to fall from Heaven. When she finished, her eyes remained closed. Sam was afraid that she would find herself in Heaven. Afraid her prayer wouldn't be answered.
"Sam?" Jack's voice brought her from her silent speculation. "You okay?" Her eyes opened and before her stood Jack and Cassandra, a bit winded.
"Cass, you want to go buy an ice cream?" Jack offered, already knowing the answer.
"Sure!" Cassie gladly accepted the five dollar bill Jack held out. They walked toward the small stand that stood across the street. Cassie jogged ahead of them, allowing Jack and Sam to talk.
"You all right?" Sam's smile widened as she saw the concern etched across her fianc's face.
"Fine, just a little tired." She couldn't tell Jack about her ordeal; he would probably think she was crazy or something.
They ordered their ice cream. Cassie chose a strawberry vanilla swirl, while Sam and Jack both ordered chocolate milkshakes. Cassandra bounded into the street, not bothering to look both ways, as she had been instructed many times by Janet. Sam saw the approaching danger. She leapt from Jack's side, dropping her milkshake, and pushed Cassandra out of the way. The brakes'
ear-piercing screech alerted the nearby picnickers. "No!" Jack's cry was lost in the painful scream that escaped Sam's collapsed body.
He ran to her side, and demanded someone call an ambulance. Blood trickled down her forehead and her foot was twisted in an awkward angle. Cassie knelt next to Jack spouting apologies, but Jack's attention couldn't be shifted from Sam's angelic face. Her breathing was labored and she wouldn't open her eyes. "Sam, please! Let me know you can hear me!" Jack received no response, Sam was still.
The bellow of an ambulance's siren broke his rapt concentration and he looked up to see several people scurrying toward him and his love. One of the men pulled him aside and after asking him what had happened told him to step back. Since there wasn't enough room for more than one extra person in the ambulance, Jack stayed. He grabbed Cassie's hand and pulled her hurriedly towards his jeep.
Jack sat in the waiting room with Daniel, Teal'c, Janet and Cassie. A mutual silence had fallen over all five after Jack told everyone what had happened. They were alone in the unadorned, white room. It had been three hours since Sam had gone into surgery and none of the nurses had given them an update on her situation.
In the operating room, two surgeon's stood over Sam, while four nurses assisted them when needed. Sam had nearly died twice, and she was still in a danger zone. Two of her ribs had been broken and one had punctured her left lung. The doctors didn't know that every time she nearly died, Andrew was there, willingly prepared to take her to Heaven. Fortunately, Sam was putting up a fight. In her unconsciousness she dreamed she stood on a cliff overlooking a turbulent sea with Andrew standing next to her.
"Andrew, this is what I want ... Is it so wrong to want to be happy?" The angel next to her looked down at his feet, as if the answer was there.
"Samantha, it's not wrong to desire happiness, but if you choose to be mortal, you will be mortal forever." He paused, looking over the edge of the cliff, into the savage water beating against the protruding rocks. "What if he dies, what if his love for you fades, what then ... You'll be left alone in a mortal world. If you choose to be mortal, you will be unable to see any of us, you'll be just like any other person. You will be just another virtuous soul when you die ... *If* you return to Heaven."
"I understand and I know you're worried that I'm making the wrong decision, but I'm not. I know I'm not."
"Do you see how violent and untamed the sea below us is?" Sam nodded, unsure of what Andrew was getting at. "That represents mortality. I've brought you here, so that you can decide whether or not to jump into mortality."
"You mean that if I jump into that sea, I will be a mortal." Andrew nodded. "Then I'll jump." Andrew turned to her with a grave expression, placed a hand on her shoulder and turn her to face him.
"Goodbye Samantha, good luck and may God have mercy on your soul when your judgment day comes." He drew her into a brotherly hug, then pulled away and vanished.
"Goodbye." Sam knew he hadn't heard her, but she wanted to say goodbye to a friend she had known for her entire life. She then turned to face the edge of the cliff. The water was indeed dangerous looking, but it was only an illusion. Once she jumped, she would awake and find herself mortal. Sam raised her arms above her head and leaped off of the cliff and dove into the freezing water.
Sam opened her eyes slowly to find Jack's head resting on the hospital bed next to her arm and his fingers laced within hers. His breathing was slow and deep; he was obviously asleep. He would kill her if she said it aloud, but he looked so vulnerable and childlike when he slept. Would he ever believe her if she told him she had been an Angel. Perhaps one day she would find out, but right then the only thing she cared about was seeing him.
"Jack?" Apparently he wasn't in a deep sleep, because he was awakened by the whisper of his name. He studied her intently before bringing their interlocked hands to his mouth and planting a kiss on the top of her hand.
"How are you feeling?"
"Sore." Sam allowed a smile to spread across her face as Jack brushed a few stray strands of hair behind her ear. His touch was electric, just being in his presence made Sam ecstatic.
"I thought I was going to lose you."
"There is no way in Hell ... or Heaven for that matter." Jack grinned and placed a kiss on Sam's welcoming lips. Andrew had been right, sensations were amplified.
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