AUTHOR: Matt, June 2003
SUMMARY: Each decision you make has consequences leading to more decisions to be made.
DISCLAIMER: Gekko, MGM, Double Secret… I am none of them
AUTHOR’S NOTE: Inspired by something I felt I had to say at work this past week with regards to my new job. Then someone posted something and it reminded me of it. This is one of those ‘from brain to screen in less than an hour’ deals – enjoy!
THANKS: To Deanie, for the quick beta
What would you do if you were presented the opportunity to embark on something that may or may not work out? Would you take the chance and pray that it did, or live in fear that it wouldn’t work out and instead chose the safer option?
In this scenario, the one choice leads you to a forbidden relationship while the other keeps you on the same path named status quo. What you’ve got now is pretty good, what you could get would be even better.
Well?
Remember that there are a million different ways that life could go. You’ve seen two examples of this, where one decision can make a huge difference. Both those alternative universes presented both good and bad situations.
Whichever decision you make will affect your future, there’s no doubt about it. Not just your future either, but of everyone around you.
Are you ready for that?
ONE
There was easy banter as he attempted to haul you out of the muddy river, but the moment you landed ungraciously against him it stopped. Now there’s only a moment of silence as you lean against him, his arms firm around you and his heart beating loudly beneath your head.
“Crap, Carter,” he groans and you take a quick step back to take a good look at him.
Oops. “Sorry, Sir,” you grin, seeing the mud covering his clothing.
“Oh, you are so going to get it,” he threatens, but you can see the smile on his face reassuring you that he’s not angry.
His threat doesn’t sound so bad anyway.
You grin once more and set off running. It only takes him a split second to take off after you and as your team-mates watch he chases you over the countryside. He yells at you as you duck down behind a bush and as he comes around you stick your arm out and watch him fall.
He lands on you and you have a split second to realise that didn’t exactly go as planned.
Now you can really hear his heartbeat, accompanied by his ragged breathing that isn’t exactly a result of the running. When he fell your arms automatically shot out as though you might be able to stop his descent or protect him at least, and now those arms have settled around him. Your hands rest on his back and his eyes are staring into yours.
You have to decide now whether or not to move or at least say something.
You decide.
In the distance Daniel is calling but you can’t hear a thing. You can only hear the silence as his lips descend onto yours and you welcome them gladly. This is what you’ve waited years for. Your arms wrap tighter around him and he rolls you over so that both of you are on your sides facing each other. The kiss is everything you dreamed of and more and you know in that moment that neither of you can ever go back to what was.
It appears he doesn’t either because when you finally break for air he immediately wants to lean back in for more. There’s a grin on his face and a gleam in his eye that tells you more than you ever expected to come from him. He shakes his head in wonder before his lips fasten back onto yours.
Well, at least neither of you is running away.
So where do you go from here?
TWO
There was easy banter as he attempted to haul you out of the muddy river, but the moment you landed ungraciously against him it stopped. Now there’s only a moment of silence as you lean against him, his arms firm around you and his heart beating loudly beneath your head.
“Crap, Carter,” he groans and you take a quick step back to take a good look at him.
Oops. “Sorry, Sir,” you grin, seeing the mud covering his clothing.
“Oh, you are so going to get it,” he threatens, but you can see the smile on his face reassuring you that he’s not angry.
His threat doesn’t sound so bad anyway.
You grin once more and set off running. It only takes him a split second to take off after you and as your team-mates watch he chases you over the countryside. He yells at you as you duck down behind a bush and as he comes around you stick your arm out and watch him fall.
He lands on you and you have a split second to realise that didn’t exactly go as planned.
Now you can really hear his heartbeat, accompanied by his ragged breathing that isn’t exactly a result of the running. When he fell your arms automatically shot out as though you might be able to stop his descent or protect him at least, and now those arms have settled around him. Your hands rest on his back and his eyes are staring into yours.
You have to decide now whether or not to move or at least say something.
You decide.
“Um, Sir?” you begin awkwardly.
The moment is broken and he leans back onto his elbows and then back on his heels. “Yeah,” he says as he gradually staggers to his feet. “So not a good idea,” he observes.
“Probably not,” you agree quietly as you stand up and dust yourself off.
In the distance Daniel is calling and both of you turn your heads to respond to him. There’s a combined, “we’re over here, Daniel,” and you turn back and grin at one another.
Your archaeologically inclined team mate rounds the corner and begins to talk excitedly about some find he’s spotted over the next hill. Your commanding officer pats him on the back and strides off with him. You know, though, that he’s not really listening to Daniel’s ramblings. He’s just good at putting on a show.
Slowly you follow, conscious of what so nearly happened back there. Your brain begins to ponder all the different ways that scene could have played out and you wonder what it would have been like to feel his lips on yours.
You only know you can’t go on like this forever.
So where do you go from here?