Fic: Perfection
Jul. 9th, 2004 03:20 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
woodfaceDisclaimers: Not mine.
Category: take a dash of angst, add some UST and top it off with a lot of fluff
Rating: PG
Spoilers/Set: Right after Descent
Summary: Without Jonas, they’d all be dead now.
A/N: This fic came into being when some people claimed that Sam Carter is too perfect. This is my answer.
Big thanks to my beta's![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
chiroho and splash_the_cat.
Without Jonas, they’d all be dead now. She should be relieved, glad that Jonas had been there to open the doors to the glider bay, but instead the only thing she felt was a bitter taste in the back of her throat that had nothing to do with nearly drowning.
If it hadn’t been for Jonas, they would be dead. No matter how many times the Colonel had patted her on the back and told her there was plenty of time, she couldn’t have done anything.
She hated it.
She hated knowing that she hadn’t been capable of saving her team. It really shouldn’t matter, because no one else in her position would have been able to open those doors, either. Yet it still annoyed her.
“Carter!” She was startled out of her thoughts, her eyes automatically fixing onto the last sentence of her mission report. Without a second thought her fingers flew over the keyboard to finish what she had been typing: Jonas Quinn managed to reroute the power from an auxiliary control panel...
“Carter?” She didn’t look up from the screen of her computer, feeling more than seeing him approach her desk.
“Sir?” Her hands stilled over the keyboard, fingers itching to hit the keys with more force than necessary.
“Watcha doin’?”
“Writing my mission report,” she snapped, only just keeping herself from gritting her teeth. “Sir.”
“Can’t it wait?”
Her index finger tapped on the J key as she bit her lower lip. “No, Sir.”
“Hammond asked for it to be on his desk by...” There was a slight pause, and out of the corner of her eye she saw him glance at his watch. “02:45?”
“No, Sir.” She couldn’t glare at her CO, so she scowled at the blinking cursor instead.
“So?”
“So what?” She flinched at the exasperation in her tone. She didn’t dare move, her eyes still fixed on the small blinking cursor. The rhythm was really starting to annoy her as she waited for him to reprimand her, tell her she was out of line. She wanted to squirm in her seat in anticipation – even if he’d never really stood on his stripes in that way – but years of military training kept her still.
She heard him move around the desk, but still refused to look at him.
“No one’s perfect, you know?” Damn him for sounding concerned and sympathetic.
She looked up at him, perfectly aware that she was now scowling at her CO. “I know that, Sir.” Finally she moved, aggressively hitting alt + f4 as she started to shut everything down.
“Then stop trying to be perfect.”
She wondered if he’d still think she was perfect if she hit him over the head with her mouse. She grabbed the files next to her computer, and was about to rise when she felt his hand on her shoulder, the same way he’d touched her on the ship.
She slammed down the folders and turned to face him, ignoring the fact that he rocked back in surprise. “Then stop asking me to be!”
“I’m not!” He held up his hands in mock surrender.
“Yes, you are.” She crossed her arms defensively across her chest, keeping herself from emphasising every word. “Every time we step through that gate, you ask me to do the impossible. You ask me to pull some trick or other out of my a... sleeve, and then act as if it’s the most natural thing...” She felt some of her anger deflate, as it always did, and wished she could have held on to it. It was easier that way.
“Carter, no one expects you to do the impossible.” He said softly as he lowered his hands, starting to reach out to her, but then dropping his hands to his sides, apparently thinking better of it. He cocked his head and gave her a rueful, crooked grin. “But maybe you’re right. Maybe I’ve come to expect that somehow you’ll always find a way to save our collective butts.”
Sam dropped her gaze and stared down at the tips of his boots. The standards she lived up to were so high because she had set them herself. “I should have been able to get us out.”
“You said it yourself – that station wasn’t linked to the primary system. No one could have done it. You’re only human, Carter, even if half of what you say is alien to me.”
She couldn’t help chuckling, and looked up at him again. He shrugged helplessly and pointed at the door. “Wanna get some cake?”
“It’s nearly 03:00, Sir.” She headed for the door even as she protested.
“So? I have some major shrinkage to make up for.”
Category: take a dash of angst, add some UST and top it off with a lot of fluff
Rating: PG
Spoilers/Set: Right after Descent
Summary: Without Jonas, they’d all be dead now.
A/N: This fic came into being when some people claimed that Sam Carter is too perfect. This is my answer.
Big thanks to my beta's
chiroho and splash_the_cat.Without Jonas, they’d all be dead now. She should be relieved, glad that Jonas had been there to open the doors to the glider bay, but instead the only thing she felt was a bitter taste in the back of her throat that had nothing to do with nearly drowning.
If it hadn’t been for Jonas, they would be dead. No matter how many times the Colonel had patted her on the back and told her there was plenty of time, she couldn’t have done anything.
She hated it.
She hated knowing that she hadn’t been capable of saving her team. It really shouldn’t matter, because no one else in her position would have been able to open those doors, either. Yet it still annoyed her.
“Carter!” She was startled out of her thoughts, her eyes automatically fixing onto the last sentence of her mission report. Without a second thought her fingers flew over the keyboard to finish what she had been typing: Jonas Quinn managed to reroute the power from an auxiliary control panel...
“Carter?” She didn’t look up from the screen of her computer, feeling more than seeing him approach her desk.
“Sir?” Her hands stilled over the keyboard, fingers itching to hit the keys with more force than necessary.
“Watcha doin’?”
“Writing my mission report,” she snapped, only just keeping herself from gritting her teeth. “Sir.”
“Can’t it wait?”
Her index finger tapped on the J key as she bit her lower lip. “No, Sir.”
“Hammond asked for it to be on his desk by...” There was a slight pause, and out of the corner of her eye she saw him glance at his watch. “02:45?”
“No, Sir.” She couldn’t glare at her CO, so she scowled at the blinking cursor instead.
“So?”
“So what?” She flinched at the exasperation in her tone. She didn’t dare move, her eyes still fixed on the small blinking cursor. The rhythm was really starting to annoy her as she waited for him to reprimand her, tell her she was out of line. She wanted to squirm in her seat in anticipation – even if he’d never really stood on his stripes in that way – but years of military training kept her still.
She heard him move around the desk, but still refused to look at him.
“No one’s perfect, you know?” Damn him for sounding concerned and sympathetic.
She looked up at him, perfectly aware that she was now scowling at her CO. “I know that, Sir.” Finally she moved, aggressively hitting alt + f4 as she started to shut everything down.
“Then stop trying to be perfect.”
She wondered if he’d still think she was perfect if she hit him over the head with her mouse. She grabbed the files next to her computer, and was about to rise when she felt his hand on her shoulder, the same way he’d touched her on the ship.
She slammed down the folders and turned to face him, ignoring the fact that he rocked back in surprise. “Then stop asking me to be!”
“I’m not!” He held up his hands in mock surrender.
“Yes, you are.” She crossed her arms defensively across her chest, keeping herself from emphasising every word. “Every time we step through that gate, you ask me to do the impossible. You ask me to pull some trick or other out of my a... sleeve, and then act as if it’s the most natural thing...” She felt some of her anger deflate, as it always did, and wished she could have held on to it. It was easier that way.
“Carter, no one expects you to do the impossible.” He said softly as he lowered his hands, starting to reach out to her, but then dropping his hands to his sides, apparently thinking better of it. He cocked his head and gave her a rueful, crooked grin. “But maybe you’re right. Maybe I’ve come to expect that somehow you’ll always find a way to save our collective butts.”
Sam dropped her gaze and stared down at the tips of his boots. The standards she lived up to were so high because she had set them herself. “I should have been able to get us out.”
“You said it yourself – that station wasn’t linked to the primary system. No one could have done it. You’re only human, Carter, even if half of what you say is alien to me.”
She couldn’t help chuckling, and looked up at him again. He shrugged helplessly and pointed at the door. “Wanna get some cake?”
“It’s nearly 03:00, Sir.” She headed for the door even as she protested.
“So? I have some major shrinkage to make up for.”
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
no subject
Date: 2004-07-09 01:42 am (UTC)That was just so beautiful and I hate to say it - perfect *g*
I can tell when I'm reading a really good fic cause I can hear the character saying the words. You hit the proverbial nail on the head.
::goes to have some cake::
no subject
Date: 2004-07-09 01:45 am (UTC)*blushes* Thank you so much =o)
Enjoy the cake!
no subject
Date: 2004-07-09 03:07 am (UTC)I just have to be really careful of what I read *g*
no subject
Date: 2004-07-09 10:34 am (UTC)Icon love....!
Date: 2004-07-09 09:20 am (UTC)Re: Icon love....!
Date: 2004-07-10 02:38 am (UTC)It explains me a lot :)
Re: Icon love....!
Date: 2004-07-10 11:55 am (UTC)I am so in love. :D Thank you!
no subject
Date: 2004-07-10 12:24 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-07-09 01:44 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-07-09 01:45 am (UTC)Thank you very much!
no subject
Date: 2004-07-09 07:52 pm (UTC)I loved your description of Jack wanting to reach out to her, and then thinking better of it.
Lovely lovely fic :D. It's writers like you that keep me tied to Stargate when I am off being starstruck by other fandoms :)
no subject
Date: 2004-07-09 08:18 pm (UTC)*knuffels*
no subject
Date: 2004-07-09 05:47 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-07-09 10:33 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-07-09 09:17 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-07-09 10:31 am (UTC)I'm sure they'll get plenty of cake *g*
Thanks =o)
no subject
Date: 2004-07-09 12:35 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-07-09 12:40 pm (UTC)Thank you so much *knuffels*
no subject
Date: 2004-07-09 06:17 pm (UTC)I love how you write Sam - I love how you write Jack, too, but Sam's my favourite character so.. I think you got her characterisation down to the last. I like how she isn't perfect, and I like how she hates it when she isn't because of the expectations she's created (and the fans have created.)
Excellent fic, thank you.
no subject
Date: 2004-07-09 06:27 pm (UTC)Seriously, thank you that means a lot. I love Sam too and it's good to know that the characterisation is right.
Thank you for reading and commenting! *knuffels*
no subject
Date: 2004-07-09 08:38 pm (UTC)Loved it.
no subject
Date: 2004-07-09 08:38 pm (UTC)Thanks!
no subject
Date: 2004-07-11 12:46 am (UTC)...
...
*wants to cry from jealousy*
no subject
Date: 2004-07-11 12:46 am (UTC)*knuffels*
no subject
Date: 2004-07-11 12:49 am (UTC)But... but you're just so GOOD, Jara. I cccan't help it.
no subject
Date: 2004-07-11 12:49 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-07-11 12:51 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-07-11 12:55 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-07-11 12:55 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-07-11 12:58 am (UTC)Did you know that I'm anal about my icons?
no subject
Date: 2004-07-11 12:59 am (UTC)Yes, I did. And I can be annoying and persistant.
no subject
Date: 2004-07-11 01:03 am (UTC)I'm more anal than you can be annoying and persistant.
no subject
Date: 2004-07-12 07:04 am (UTC)*feels the love, grooves*
no subject
Date: 2004-07-12 09:57 am (UTC)Thank you so much! =o)
no subject
Date: 2004-07-14 02:06 am (UTC)Someone should make an icon with that line. :)
Awesome little fic - much better than most of what I've read recently from other folks. Thanks for posting!
no subject
Date: 2004-07-14 09:09 am (UTC)*snerks* By all means...
Thanks, hon *huggles* Glad you liked it =o)
no subject
Date: 2004-07-23 08:50 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-07-24 12:28 am (UTC)I'm always happy to add more banners to the SFZ. Just mail them to woodface@gmail.com =o)
no subject
Date: 2004-07-25 07:16 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-07-25 07:58 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-07-26 03:33 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-07-26 08:53 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-07-16 11:52 am (UTC)Yes, it is expected and sometimes believed that Sam should be/is perfect. Of course she isn't!! She's a human being, well, aside from the whole Jolinar dealie that we won't go into right now.
She expects of herself 120%, yet Jack is so aware that she is falliable, as are all his team, and he makes allowances for this. It came across perfectly *g* here, and *SO* topical right now, thank you, thank you.
no subject
Date: 2004-07-16 11:57 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-08-02 12:54 am (UTC)*eg* Heee, I'd like to see that. :D
But oooh, I do like this look at Sam's perfectionistic mindset. Even though I'm such a spoiler virgin, I've managed to avoid most of the Sam/Pete fun. ;)
“So? I have some major shrinkage to make up for.”
*snerk* Bwahaha! :D
Oy, and I just realized that I'd forgotten to log back into LJ while I've been going through your journal since dinner. Oops. *goes to do that*
no subject
Date: 2004-08-02 12:58 am (UTC)Bwahaha! Oh yeah! *g*
Oy, and I just realized that I'd forgotten to log back into LJ while I've been going through your journal since dinner. Oops. *goes to do that*
*pats* Poor Pam.
Thanks, bunny =o)
no subject
Date: 2004-08-02 01:37 am (UTC)*pats* Poor Pam.
See, I was wondering why I couldn't open the page with the locked post that I'd bookmarked and tried to read after signing online again. ;) But all's well now. *g*
no subject
Date: 2004-08-02 01:39 am (UTC)