Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Sammi stood in front of the mirror examining herself in the pink mini-skirt and white, button-down blouse. With a groan, she pulled it over her head and reached for the off-white tank and cardigan combo. Leave it to her to become enrolled into one of the two-percent of private schools without a simple uniform dress code. Feeling no better about her latest choice, she gave up and pulled on a pair of wedge sandals.

"Why the hell do I even care," she muttered to herself. The last time she was a junior in high school, she'd been thirteen, consumed by her studies, and woefully out of place. She'd stuck out like a sore thumb, and while most of the other kids had left her alone, she still had the emotional scars from one group of mean girls whose sole mission was to make her life a living hell.

She shoved the unpleasant memories to the back of her mind. Now was not the time to allow her teenage emotions to dictate her frame of mind; she and John had a mission to complete. Of course, when she'd agreed to help take down the Trust, she hadn't considered what blending into society as a normal seventeen-year-old would actually entail. How in the world would a thirty-five-year-old clone in a teenager's body ever learn to fit in when she'd never fit in to begin with?

"Hey Sammi," John knocked on her door. "You about ready?"

"Coming," she crossed the room to open the door, banishing the insecurity. She had faced down System Lords and Ori Priors, a school full of teenagers should be a piece of cake.

"Wow, you look amazing," John gave her a long once over, drawing a touch of pink to her cheeks.

"Thanks," she said, "but you might be a bit biased; you know what I look like without makeup."

"You're gorgeous either way," he looked at her with a lopsided grin, "and you're definitely going to be the center of attention, no doubt."

Sammi's mind froze at his words. His well-intentioned comment set off klaxons in her head. The center of attention was not what she was going for.

"What?" John asked, knowing her well enough to recognize the look of panic.

"I need to change," she gulped and turned.

"What? Why?" A look of complete and utter confusion marred his face.

"You wouldn't understand," she muttered, turning towards her closet.

"There's no time," he grabbed her hand and tugged her toward the stairs and her first day as Sammi Carter, junior at the Donavon J. Adams School of Excellence.

"Are you all right?" John glanced at Sammi as they pulled into the parking lot of their new school. It was an impressive building, a mixture of historic Washington architecture and technological advancement. At six stories high, it was an imposing fixture despite being in the middle of one of the wealthiest communities in the DC area.

"I'm fine," Sammi snipped, her eyes locked on the front entrance.

"Now I know that's not true," he brushed her forearm with his fingers to get her attention. "I've watched you walk into near-certain death situations with more bravado," he said gently. "Tell me what's going on?"

"I know we haven't talked much about our childhoods, but high school wasn't exactly a pleasant time in my life," the look on her face spoke volumes.

"I thought you graduated around fourteen-years-old?" He cocked his head. "What possibly could have happened to cause this type of reaction?"

She clenched her eyes shut as if recalling painful memories. When she opened them, the raw pain he saw made his stomach sick. Someone had hurt her. Badly.

"It doesn't matter," she shook her head dismissing the memory and his concern. "We've got a job to do."

John didn't want to push, but he also understood what it was like to walk into a high school in the middle of the school year, both as a teenager and as a teenage clone. Neither was particularly pleasant, but at least this time he had her to lean on.

"Just remember they have no clue what life is really like outside of this minuscule bubble," he smiled at her. "Bullies smell fear. Just be the badass I know you are and you'll be fine," he slid his sunglasses over his eyes and assumed a cocky grin.

"John," she giggled at he slid his sunglasses down his nose and waggled his eyebrows.

"Now come on," he slid out of the driver's seat, and jogged around the car to open her door. "Let's teach these kids what it means to be cool."

He felt several pairs of eyes on him, but didn't mention it to Sammi as he offered her a hand as she gracefully rose from the car. Katherine, Jack's oldest sister, had already given them a leg up by loaning them her Porsche 911. The car screamed wealth, even in a ritzy community such as this.

The overall objective was for them to integrate into the social circles of the kids going here. The intel John had gathered while working undercover indicated a large portion of the Trust's funds were being laundered through various segments of this school. Either school officials were dirty or some of the parents were using it as a front. Regardless, follow the money, find the bad guys.

"Sammi!" Clare squealed as she ran towards them. At fifteen and a freshman, Clare was a mixture of gangly arms and legs with a face that rivaled supermodels. John and Sammi had met her on the bus from Minneapolis to Washington DC while they were on the run. She and Sammi had struck up a conversation that lasted for hours and resulted in an immediate friendship. By pure chance, Clare and her step-brother Louis lived three houses down from their Aunt Katie's.

"Hi Clare," Sammi answered her in a subdued tone as the girl practically threw herself into Sammi's arms. Clare's enthusiasm wouldn't be denied, however, and within minutes, Sammi was grinning from ear to ear as Clare regaled her with stories about the school and teachers.

"O'Neill," Louis nodded to John as he came up behind Clare. John nodded back, keeping his fake smile warm while sizing the guy up. Louis was seventeen and also a junior, but he exuded a quiet control that John was unused to finding in teenagers.

"Come on, Clare," Louis chuckled, easing her away from Sammi by the shoulders. "Let's give them a chance to see the school before you tell them all our secrets."

"Party pooper," Clare stuck her tongue out at her step-brother, but did as he asked. "Have lunch with me?" She asked turning back to Sammi.

"Um, I don't know my lunch period," Sammi hesitated.

"Silly," Clare rolled her eyes, "everyone eats at eleven-thirty. This isn't public school."

"Oh right," Sammi shrugged, but John could tell that made her even more nervous.

"We're supposed to meet a Principal Griffin before class," John said, giving Sammi the excuse she needed to escape Clare.

"He's the Headmaster," Louis told him. "You don't want to be late. We'll see you at lunch."

"See you!" Clare beamed.

"Clare is...interesting," John said, not wanting to be mean. He actually really liked her.

"She's refreshing," Sammi replied honestly. "I wish everyone were as transparent as Clare."

"You really like her, don't you?" He smiled. Leave it to Sammi to already begin finding her tribe.

"I do," she smiled her first genuine smile of the day.

Whether by design or by coincidence, Sammi and John didn't have a single class together in the morning. It was nerve-wracking for both of them to be separated, preferring to tackle recon missions together, but they did see the value in splitting up to collect information. By lunch, they were both ready to report in and share what they'd learned.

Sammi spotted John waiting for her by the cafeteria doors. He was a picture of teenage arrogance, his shoulder leaning against the wall, ankles crossed, and sunglasses perched on his nose. He looked utterly relaxed and in control.

"Fancy meeting you here," she said with a grin as she leaned against the wall facing him.

"Of all the gin joints," he said in a bad Humphrey Bogart impression as he pulled off his sunglasses. "How was your morning?"

"Fairly uneventful," she shrugged, conscious of the curious looks they were receiving from the other students. New students weren't exactly normal at this school, what with tuition costing more than her annual salary at the SGC. "Yours?"

"It was... interesting," his tone was unreadable, making Sammi want more details.

"Come on, let's grab some grub," he straightened quickly, motioning for her to enter first.

"Hi John," a feminine voice purred from behind them. Sammi turned in time to see John wince before assuming a mask of indifference and acknowledging the girl behind him.

"Nancy," he said in greeting as his posture subtly changed. If Sammi hadn't known him so well, she never would have suspected, but John was on edge. He clearly didn't like this girl.

"So are we on for Friday night?" She asked him, reaching a finger out to touch the collar of his polo shirt. Sammi stiffened at Nancy's insinuation.

John must have anticipated or sensed her reaction because he reached a hand behind his back and held up one finger, their signal for wait and pay attention.

"I already told you," his voice oozed annoyance, "I've got plans."

"So break them," she said in a flirtatious giggle and stepped closer to him. "Or are you playing hard to get?"

John looked at the hand on his shirt before taking a step backwards out of reach. "It's nothing personal," John shrugged with mock sadness.

"How about Saturday then?" She took another step forward, her tone more insistent.

"He's busy all weekend," Sammi said, stepping forward so she was even with John. Nancy's eyes widened, then narrowed suspiciously as she sized up her apparent competition. "With me."

Oh lord, what possessed her to all but issue that challenge, Sammi cringed inwardly. Hadn't she promised herself she wouldn't draw attention?

"Like she said," John slung her arm around Sammi's shoulders, "I'm busy."

"I see," Nancy said, but continued undeterred, "family stuff. Is this your sister? The one Clare has been telling everyone about?" She crossed her arms and arched an eyebrow at Sammi, daring them to contradict her as people Sammi assumed were Nancy's friends gathered around.

"I'm not his sister," Sammi smirked, unwilling to allow that particular rumor to stand.

"Definitely not my sister," John huffed a laugh.

"Hi Sammi, John, you ready for lunch?" Clare beamed as she practically skipped up completely unaware of the confrontation taking place, but giving John and Sammi a chance to escape.

"Thanks Clare," Sammi whispered once they'd joined the lunch line.

"What for?"

"For saving us from her," John nodded toward Nancy and a group of girls across the cafeteria.

Clare's eyes went wide. "Oh crap, that's Nancy Anders," she shuddered. "She's a legacy kid, fourth generation. Did you piss her off?"

"Maybe," Sammi winced inwardly. "She asked John out and he turned her down."

"Ouch," Clare shook her head. "She's used to getting whatever she wants."

"Too bad," John said, grabbing a tray with a plate for each of them on it.

"She won't give up that easy," Clare warned, "although I'd love to see her taken down a notch. She's the biggest bully because she's untouchable. Her family donates over a million every year to the school, so she does whatever she wants and gets away with it."

"Not cool," John said, with a frown as Sammi pushed down panic. It was only her first day and she'd already pissed off the queen bee.

John carried her and Clare's food as they spotted Louis already sitting at the far side of the cafeteria.

"How's the first day?" He asked them, his nose still in his book.

"They managed to piss off Nancy," Clare announced, causing Louis to look up and wince.

"Oh man, she's a pain in the ass," he said, making John laugh.

"Have you dealt with her?" Sammi asked him.

"He used to date her," Clare giggled at Sammi and John's shocked expressions.

"Not one of my better life choices," Louis sighed. "I was enamored by the illusion of her when I was younger."

Clare snorted, "Yeah right," and Louis actually blushed.

"In my defense," he bristled, "she wasn't quite as bad back when we dated. She was actually quite sweet."

"Whatever," Clare rolled her eyes in obvious disagreement. "Oh, there's Jenny," she waved to a girl dressed in jeans and a t-shirt who was carrying a lunch sack.

"Hi Clare," Jenny smiled shyly, "Louis."

"Jenny, this is Sammi and John," Clare said excitedly, "the ones I met on the bus."

"Hi," they both said.

"Hello," Jenny nodded, but didn't meet their eyes.

"Jenny is here on scholarship," Clare said.

"Clare!" Louis chastised, "Jenny has asked you repeatedly not to tell people that."

"But she is!" Clare pouted. "It's an accomplishment!" She turned to Sammi to explain. "Only one scholarship is awarded per year, based upon academic achievement."

"It's also based on financial need," Jenny clarified, looking ashamed.

Sammi glanced at John. They needed to make Jenny feel welcome, clearly the other kids didn't.

"Wow Jenny, that's awesome," John told her. "I'm impressed," he said as Nancy walked by shooting daggers at them.

"You are?" Jenny asked, finally lifting her eyes to meet theirs.

"Absolutely," Sammi said, smiling warmly at her. "What's your favorite subject?"

"Quantum physics, specifically astrophysics," Jenny finally smiled. "I know it's weird."

"Not at all! I'm fascinated by wormhole theory," Sammi beamed, knowing she'd found a kindred spirit.

"I read a paper last year on the efficacy of Einstein-Rosen bridges," Jenny said, all shyness gone.

"The one about exotic particles?" Sammi popped a grape into her mouth, then offered some to Jenny.

"Oh hell," Louis laughed, "I thought Jenny was bad. Now there's two of them. We'll never have any peace." He held his heart in mock shock.

"You have no idea," John drawled, earning a grin and an eye-roll from Sammi.

Chapter Text

The rest of the day passed without incident, and Sammi was pleased to discover she had two afternoon classes with Jenny and John; and their entire group all had gym together.

She and John ended the day without any sign of the Trust, but they both knew this was going to be a drawn-out mission. She was also finally seeing the wisdom of using this as a chance to establish their new identities. Most of the kids they'd met were actually nice, perhaps she and John could find a home here even after they'd taken down the bad guys.

"Sammi!" John ran to catch up with her as she exited the building. "So? Was it as bad as you remember?"

"No," she laughed, "except for Nancy, everyone was really nice."

"Same here," he agreed, "Louis talked me into exploring the world of extracurricular activities. I have a football tryout next week," he shrugged at her surprised look.

"What's going on there?" Sammi indicated where Jenny was on her hands and knees next to an older vehicle, frantically picking up something from the ground. They both made a bee-line for their new friend, who they realized had tears streaming down her face.

"Jenny?" Sammi knelt down, trying not to startle her, but Jenny jerked anyway.

"I'm sorry," she sobbed, wiping her face, but the dirt on her hands smeared, marring her cheeks with grime.

"Hey," Sammi grabbed her hands to stop the mess, then gently wiped away the largest streaks. "It's okay. Wanna tell us what happened?"

"Nancy," Jenny sobbed, "she or one of her henchmen took all the lug nuts off my tires."

"How do you know is was her?" John asked, intending to take the proof to school authorities, but his question only caused Jenny to sob harder.

"No one ever believes me, but it's her!"

"She's done this before," Sammi stated, meeting John's eyes as Jenny nodded.

"It's been a while," Jenny whispered, "I don't know what I did to piss her off."

"Sweetie," Sammi hugged her, "you didn't do anything to warrant this. I promise."

"No, this is on us," John said grimly. Jenny looked up shocked.

"He means we're the ones who pissed off Nancy today," Sammi clarified. "And you had the misfortune of becoming our new friend right after. I'm so sorry."

"No," Jenny shook her head, "This isn't your fault; Nancy just likes to terrorize me."

As if summoned from the bowels of hell, the demon herself materialized, along with her entourage. John, knowing her type, quietly palmed his cell phone and hit record.

"Hey Jenny," she taunted, "what are you looking for, spare change so your family can afford your tuition?" The group of girls cackled. "Rumor is your mom slept with Principal Griffin to get you into this school," Nancy sneered, "she must not even be a good screw because you only got a partial scholarship."

Sammi growled low in her throat, all sense of teenage self-preservation evaporating at the words. She had suffered through bullying like this and knew the toll it could take on a person. Jenny should not have to suffer it. John, knowing her well, placed a hand on her shoulder. At her sharp look, he backed off, pulling Jenny upright with him.

"What. Did. You. Say?" Sammi stood up and took a menacing step forward. Nancy, apparently recognizing the threat, took a sudden step back, her composure cracking for a nanosecond before she reassumed her haughty stance.

"You heard me," she tried to say evenly, but her voice cracked.

"I did," Sammi took another step forward, and to Nancy's credit, she stood her ground. The same couldn't be said for her entourage. "And I'm giving you one chance to apologize."

"Or what?" Nancy said, suddenly noticing she was now standing alone. Her 'friends' had retreated a good six feet or more behind her, blending in with the crowd.

"Sammi," John warned, knowing she wouldn't blow their cover, but also knowing she could inflict some damage if Nancy was brave enough to take a swing at her.

"Stay out of this, John," she said without looking at him. She took another step toward Nancy.

"Sammi," Jenny called, "she's not worth it. Let's just go."

Sammi took a steadying breath and glanced back at John and her new friend. Jenny's eyes were pleading with her, but what made her pause was John's look of support. No matter the outcome, he'd have her back. Jenny was right, Nancy wasn't worth it.

"That's right, bitch," Nancy taunted, "turn around and run and take that slut with you."

"Ah shit," John sighed dramatically a split second before Sammi balled up her fist and popped Nancy square on her nose.

The hit was perfectly placed and executed, exactly as Sammi intended. It succeeded in knocking Nancy onto her ass, but didn't break the delicate bones in her nose. She'd likely have two ugly black eyes, but no permanent damage.

"Worth it," Sammi told John as she walked past him, dismissing Nancy without a backwards glance. "Come on Jenny, we'll give you a ride home."

"Oh my gosh, that was awesome!" Jenny told her once they were in the Porsche and headed toward Jenny's home. "No one has ever had the guts to stand up to Nancy before."

"Sammi's special," John said with a grin, "but you are too, Jen." He glanced at her in the rear view mirror to catch her look of doubt. "I mean it, don't let anyone demean you. You belong in that school as much, if not more so, than anyone else."

"You talk like my dad," Jenny told them with a quiet grin, as John and Sammi shared a look.

The neighborhood Jenny lived in was a few miles out of the city, in a cozy but upscale suburban community.

"This is me," she pointed to a cute two-story craftsman style home with a swing set and a garden in the back yard. "Wanna come in?"

"Sure," Sammi said with a smile. Jenny's home wasn't anything like she pictured, given how embarrassed Jenny acted about being a 'scholarship kid'. It was warm and inviting, exactly what Sammi had always dreamed of owning.

"Jen, that you?" A woman, presumably Jenny's mom, called from the back.

"It's me," she answered. "My car had a flat. Some friends brought me home."

"Well I'll be," her mom said, coming out of the laundry room with a basket of towels on her hip. "Welcome. Can I get you some milk and cookies?"

"Mom," Jenny blushed.

"I'd love some, ma'am," John said with a grin. "Been ages since I've had some homemade cookies."

"Call me Paula," she smiled at him, "and you are?"

"Oh sorry," John offered his hand, "I'm John O'Neill and this is Sammi Carter."

"Nice to meet you both," she sat the cookies on the counter and poured them each a glass of milk. "I'll send your dad and Max after your car later."

"No need, ma'am," John said. "It's a simple tire change. I can take care of it tomorrow."

"John and I don't mind giving Jenny a ride to school, if that's okay with you," Sammi added, knowing Jenny wouldn't want to explain the missing lug nuts to her family.

"We are grateful for your assistance," Paula nodded at them. "Stay as long as you'd like," she smiled warmly.

"Thank you," they replied in unison.

"You have a lovely home," Sammi told Jenny.

"I'm sure it's a lot smaller than you're used to," she said self-consciously.

"Not really," Sammi glanced around. "I grew up mostly in small apartments. My dad is Air Force, and we seemed to move every three to four years."

"Really?" Jenny was surprised. "How about you?" She asked John.

"Minnesota," he said around a mouthful of cookie.

"Clare told me you were from Washington."

"Technically, I guess he is," Sammi told her, "but John's family is complicated."

"I consider a small cabin in Minnesota my home," he added after a drink of his milk.

"So if you grew up moving around and you in Minnesota, how in the world did you both end up at Mrs. Whitman's house?" Jenny arched an eyebrow.

"My mom died the year I was born and my Dad was a General in the Air Force," Sammi said.

"Was?" Jenny asked hesitantly.

"He died two years ago," Sammi told her. "My sister took me in; she's a General, too."

"Wow," Jenny said, impressed.

"That's where I come in," John explained. "Sammi's sister is married to my father. He wanted me to go to school here and everyone agreed Sammi should go too."

"John's dad is also a General," Sammi supplied.

"Damn, that's a lot of Generals!" Jenny exclaimed.

"Language!" Paula called from the back, making all three teenagers snicker.

"So are you two a thing?" Jenny asked point blank, "because Clare seems to think so."

Sammi blushed as John looked around uncomfortably.

"You are!" Jenny laughed. "Wow, how does that work and does your family know?"

"They know," Sammi hedged, but didn't say anything more.

"Wow, my new friends are the coolest people ever!"

Chapter Text

John's spidey senses were tingling as they pulled into their driveway a couple of hours later. Two large, black sedans were parked out front. He sent Sammi a look, knowing she'd pick up on the same thing.

"Aunt Katie?" He called from the entry way, as Sammi hung back to watch his six.

"In the parlor," she called, her voice clipped. Not good.

As they entered the room, two men dressed in black, clearly security, stood around a third man.

"Sammi, John," Katherine nodded, "this is Congressman Anders, Nancy's father."

"Hello Sir," Sammi said feeling John tense beside her. They knew exactly why he was here.

"Would either of you care to explain why my daughter came home with two black eyes?" He asked smoothly.

"Your daughter is a bully," Sammi said simply.

"Excuse me?" He reacted sharply, that cool demeanor slipping slightly before he recovered.

"Here," John pulled out his cell phone and hit play. A video of the earlier confrontation came to life, displaying Nancy's behavior and the resulting punch.

"I do apologize for my actions," Sammi told him, "but not for standing up for my friend."

"I see," the Congressman said, clearly expecting the conversation to have gone a different way. "But there is the matter of the physical assault against my daughter," he looked at Katherine.

"It would be a shame for anyone to see a video of your daughter calling that poor girl a—," Katie looked at John.

"A slut, ma'am" John said, suppressing his grin.

"And I wonder what Principal Griffin would think about the slanderous things said regarding his character," Katie arched a regal eyebrow.

"I see your point," the Congressman conceded after pretending to ponder her comments. "I believe this matter is resolved. Good day, Katherine."

"Good day, Ned," she walked him and his security to the door before returning to the parlor.

"What on earth possessed you to punch the daughter of one of the most influential members of congress and on your first day!" Katherine exclaimed, throwing her hands in the air. "You," she pointed to John, "I would have expected this from you, but you?" She looked at Sammi in shock.

"Well, we wanted to draw the Trust's attention," Sammi shrugged. "If Congressman Anders is a member, I'm sure we'll know about it soon enough."

Katherine only shook her head and left, muttering something about them being the death of her.

"So, Tiger," John said, using the nickname he'd given her during their time in Minnesota . "Do you plan to make this sort of thing an everyday occurrence or do you only punch mean girls on our first day of school?"

"You're one to talk, John," she accused. "Clare already told me you stood up for Louis in math class today. I believe she said there was a lot of male posturing," she laughed at his caught-red-handed expression.

"Damn, that girl is sneaky," John dodged. "Maybe we should enlist Clare's help. I bet she could single-handedly ferret out the Trust's identities in a week."

"Pfft," Sammi shook her head, "she could do it in a day."