TITLE: A Chance Encounter
AUTHOR: Tiffany Park
EMAIL: anderson7836@comcast.net
STATUS: Complete
CATEGORY: SoG DenialFic, future story, AU
SPOILERS: Shades of Grey
SEASON: Eh, who cares? It's AU. Anything goes!
PAIRINGS: None
RATING: G
CONTENT WARNINGS: None
SUMMARY: A chance meeting in a Pentagon cafeteria, a secret revealed...
ARCHIVE: Nah.
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.
AUTHOR'S NOTES: What can I say? I wanted a happy ending, and there hasn't been any DenialFic on the list in a while. Special thanks to Besterette for beta reading.

Written for the ColRMakepeaceSG-3 list at YahooGroups.

Laughing with her friends, Sam Carter tripped up the stairs to the Pentagon's main entrance. Amy, Mark, and Jeff followed close on her heels. Carter swung her briefcase with each step, more evidence of her good mood. She was glad she'd taken the time to look some of her former colleagues up when she got to Washington. They'd been ecstatic to hear from her, and immediately made lunch plans.

She'd never realized how much she missed them.

"It was great seeing you guys again," she said, meaning every word.

Amy hugged her. "Don't be such a stranger."

"You've got our emails," Mark added, grinning. "Use 'em."

"I will, I promise," Carter said with a lighthearted smile.

After some good-natured teasing and a few more good-byes, the little group dispersed. Mark, Amy, and Jeff all headed off to their respective offices. "Congrats again," Jeff tossed over his shoulder before he sauntered down the corridor.

Still smiling, Carter glanced at the new rank insignia on her shoulders. She hadn't been a lieutenant colonel for very long, and still wasn't quite used to seeing silver oak leaves, rather than gold. With the promotion had come better pay and a special perk: She was now in charge of her own Stargate team. She felt a swell of pride at being the first--and only--female SG team leader. Sam's the name, trailblazing's the game, she thought, a little smugly.

SG-27 was a science and research team, dedicated to studying astronomical and cosmological phenomena. Hard scientists all, plus they were fully capable military personnel. When she felt like amusing herself, she thought of them as a new kind of special ops team: crack combat physicists. It was an entertaining conceit that never failed to make her smile. It was nice having a team of people just like her.

Recently the SGC had encountered a real find, a planet with a good view of a binary star system that contained a massive O-type blue star and a rotating Wolf-Rayet star. Wolf-Rayet stars were extremely hot stars with terrific winds that stripped off their outer hydrogen layers. Fortuitously, the planet was also just far enough away so that humans weren't endangered by the radiation of the two stars' wind streams. Talk about an astrophysicist's dream.

Naturally, Carter had tagged the fledgling research project for her brand-new team of experts. It was right up their alley, and a wonderful opportunity to study the effects of radiation hydrodynamics in a real, physical model, rather than just doing simulations on a Cray supercomputer. The problem with it was that it was going to be a tough sell. Nothing that required offworld travel came cheaply. A properly equipped temporary base cost money. So did the time and effort of the researchers, to say nothing of the general operating costs of the Stargate itself.

She and General Hammond had come to Washington to get approval for the project. Carter had put together an extensive presentation that outlined the advantages of the research, and had been careful to include pragmatic benefits that could be applied to particle weapons development. That ought to cinch the deal, she thought. Still, she and the general planned to get together this afternoon to go over the proposal one last time. They were going to make sure everything was perfect before they entered the lion's den tomorrow morning.

She checked her watch. Wow, talk about early. General Hammond wouldn't be expecting her for another hour. She decided to grab a cup of coffee and go over some notes while she waited, so she went to the main cafeteria.

It was still lunch time, and the cafeteria was filled with people, military and civilian alike. Officers and enlisted personnel, civilian employees and contractors, all mingling and chattering as they hunted for an afternoon meal. Carter wove her way through the hordes and joined a line at the row of coffeepots.

After paying a harried cashier, she juggled the cup of coffee with her briefcase and purse until she was certain she wouldn't drop anything, then looked around the busy cafeteria for a place to sit down. Naturally, the nearby tables were all occupied. She was supposed to meet Hammond at the southeast side of the cafeteria. That was as good a place as any to look for a free chair.

As she made her way through the crowd, she spied Hammond sitting at a table near the wall. The general was having lunch with a man in Marine green. Neither had noticed her, likely because she was just one more anonymous uniform in a veritable sea of uniforms. She hesitated, wondering whether she should stop by and let Hammond know she was already here, or if she should leave the two men to finish their meal in peace. For all she knew, they could be having a working lunch and wouldn't appreciate the interruption. Still undecided, she moved a little closer, angling around to get a better view of Hammond's friend. She wondered if she knew him.

The Marine laughed and gestured, and she saw his face. She froze, stunned, as her good mood drained out through her toes.

She knew him, all right. It was Robert Makepeace.

But that was impossible. He'd been arrested several years ago for taking part in an illegal black op that was stealing off-world technology without government sanction. He should be in jail, not having lunch in a Pentagon cafeteria, not wearing the USMC uniform he'd disgraced.

Then again, she thought cynically, consequences didn't necessarily depend upon one's actions, but rather upon who one knew. Politics sucked.

She peered at him. He looked older, a lot older, with gray dusting his close-cropped hair and harsh lines bracketing his mouth. There were crow's feet around his eyes, and deep furrows on his forehead. His face was worn and tired, yet his posture was straight, strangely unbowed.

Then she noticed the gleaming rank insignia on his uniform, and nearly fell over.

Makepeace wore a single, silver star on either shoulder--he was now a brigadier general.

Carter goggled. She couldn't believe it. Makepeace had been promoted? After what he did? Even with political connections taken into account, how was such a miscarriage of justice possible?

Frowning, she shifted her gaze to the colorful fruit salad displayed on his chest. She saw there a new ribbon: The Legion of Merit. Awarded for "exceptionally meritorious conduct in the performance of outstanding services and achievements." What the hell could Makepeace of all people have done to deserve that significant honor? Her eyes traveled further; she noted a new gold star on his Purple Heart ribbon--a device signifying yet another award of the medal. When could that have happened?

How could that have happened?

She again focused on the stars on his shoulders. Her scowl deepened, and she moved in to eavesdrop on the conversation, counting on the sea of uniforms in the cafeteria to keep her camouflaged.

"--I'm just glad you got out in one piece," General Hammond was saying. "So your part in it is done?"

Makepeace nodded. "Yeah. Finished testifying to both the House and Senate Committees on Intelligence last month. There might be a grand jury called, but I doubt it," he added with a cynical twist of his lips. Then he sighed. "The whole rotten mess is someone else's problem now, and good riddance to it. My nerves are shot, and I've got the granddaddy of all ulcers."

Hammond looked sympathetic. "I'm just sorry it went on so long."

Makepeace snorted. "Me, too."

An Army captain and two civilians wearing defense contractor's badges moved in front of her, loudly discussing the merits of some helicopter program. Carter uttered a mild oath under her breath and maneuvered around them, attempting to stay out of Hammond and Makepeace's line of sight. She edged a little closer to the table.

"--ought to be told," Hammond said. "It's only right."

"If you say so." Makepeace shrugged. "Tell them whatever you think best."

"Bob, you really should consider--"

Suddenly, Makepeace looked up, straight into Carter's eyes. She uttered a tiny gasp and took a step backward. The Marine general gave her a wry half-smile and raised his glass in a mock salute. "Looks like word's going to get around even without your help, George," he commented dryly. Hammond turned around, saw Carter, and managed to look both exasperated and resigned.

Carter raised her brows. Defiantly, she walked to the table and stared down at the two men with what she hoped was a supercilious expression. Hammond scowled, looked at his watch, and shook his head. "You're very early, Carter."

"Yes, sir," she agreed, her words clipped and abrupt.

"I think it's time for me to disappear," Makepeace said with amusement.

"Coward," Hammond muttered.

Makepeace was unfazed by the cutting remark. "Like I said, somebody else's problem. In this case, yours." He pushed back his chair and stood up. Reluctantly, Hammond followed suit.

Makepeace looked at Carter with a cocked eyebrow. She noted the direction of his gaze, and realized he was looking at the silver oak leaves on her own shoulders.

"Congratulations, Colonel," Makepeace said with a polite nod of his head. He said to Hammond, "It's been good seeing you again, George." He directed a quick, significant look at Carter, then returned his attention to Hammond. "Good luck," he added with a crooked grin. Hammond winced comically.

The two men shook hands, then Makepeace picked up his briefcase and headed out of the cafeteria. She watched his departure, speechless, then turned to Hammond. "General, what-- How--" she began, her voice a little shrill.

"Keep your voice down, Colonel," Hammond ordered, moving to stand directly in front of her. "Remember where you are."

She grimaced at the rebuke. She knew better than to make a scene in public, especially when the subject was undoubtedly classified to the nth degree, but she was having a hard time containing her outrage. Her next words came out in a hiss: "Sir, with all due respect, how the hell does a traitor become a brigadier general?"

"A traitor doesn't," Hammond returned evenly, locking his eyes on hers.

Carter gaped at him. "I don't understand," was all she could manage.

"Until now, the whole thing's been 'need to know'," Hammond said. "And only a very select few have had any kind of need to know at all."

"Not even the people directly involved?" she asked, still simmering. "Even after all this time?"

"Of course not," Hammond reproved her. "You know better."

Carter barely repressed a flinch. She did know better--most of the time. It was the way of the world, at least as far as classified operations went. This seemed different, though. This time there was a betrayal, an utter loss of faith, a lie that everyone had believed for years.

Hammond suggested gently, "Maybe you should sit down, Sam."

Carter remained standing. "Sir, I don't understand," she repeated.

"It's a long story," Hammond said, "and I still can't tell you everything, but what I can say ought to be more than enough." He shepherded her to the door. "Let's find a quiet place to talk. Then we'll go to a nice bar somewhere. I think you're going to need a drink."

January, 2003

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