Work Text:
It’s one of her first memories: Sam is three, and her Uncle George throws her up so high in the air that even her father gets nervous, but she just screams and laughs and gives him a big hug.
When she turns six, she gets her first Big Girl Bike from Uncle George. “I’m supposed to do that stuff for her,” Jacob complains good-naturedly, but he can’t be upset when his little girl is so happy. When she immediately scrapes her knees, she goes running to the both of them and cries for a couple minutes before a determined look comes over her face and she gets back on the bike.
When she’s nine her mom teaches her to make cookies all by herself (except for some help with the oven). Uncle George is visiting town for the weekend, “for secret work stuff,” he says, so he doesn’t have much time to visit the Carters. But he makes sure to taste Sam’s cookies. “The best cookie I’ve ever had,” he tells her, and she beams at him.
She’s twelve and her mom is dead. She can’t talk to her brother, she’s too embarrassed; she can’t talk to her father, she’s too angry with him. She calls Uncle George but can barely speak for sobbing. He stays on the phone with her for two hours. “I’m here,” he says. “You’re not alone. You’re going to be okay, Sam.” She knows he’s busy. He’s the same rank as her father, and God knows Dad can’t find enough time for her. But three weeks later he comes to visit them all, and brings a gift for Sam: a model airplane. The real gift, though, is that he spends a whole Saturday putting it together with her, sitting quietly next to her with the tiny paintbrush in his hand, talking with her about anything and everything but her mother. She keeps the airplane on her dresser next to a picture of her mother.
15-year-old Sam just started tenth grade a month ago and Physics is the most boring and frustrating class she’s ever taken. She complains about it to Uncle George at the Carters’ Columbus Day picnic, who smiles and pats her shoulder. “Give it time,” George says, “Keep working at it, I bet you’ll grow to love it.” It’s the first time she’s ever disbelieved him...but he works hard at making her like it, sending her papers and books, and once taking her to a lecture at the college a few towns over. She’s not sure why--he doesn’t have a particular love of the subject himself, but he’s sure pushing it on her. When she asks him why it’s so important to him that she like it, he says, “I just have this feeling...I think you’re really going to like physics, if you give it a chance. It’s not for me. But I think you’ll really find it beautiful.” Odd--Uncle George isn’t the sort to just have a feeling. By the end of the year, though, she knows he’s right. Her teacher may be awful but the physics is beautiful, the melody of the universe.
She’s 18 and starting at the Air Force Academy in a week, but she’s nervous. They haven’t even allowed women all that long, and she doesn’t know what to expect. When she admits this to Uncle George, he tells her, “Well, I don’t know. Women at the academy are after my time. But listen, Sam, I want you to remember: there’s nothing about a woman that makes her inferior to a man. And there are plenty of things about you that make you superior to any number of cadets I knew. You’re wonderful, you’re brilliant, you work hard. You’ll do great. Keep your chin up, my dear.” Then he answers every question about the Academy she’s able to think up.
At 22 he is there for her graduation from the Academy; at 25, for her receipt of the titles Doctor and Captain. A few months later, she’s able to return the favor when he makes General.
When she’s 27, she’s assigned to a top-secret project having to do with ancient artifacts found in Egypt 70 years ago; George has no idea what it is--he can’t possibly--but he’s calling her more lately, asking what she’s been up to, encouraging her. “I can’t help it,” he says, “I have a good feeling about this job of yours.” Sam is bemused by his interest: Uncle George isn’t a getting-a-feeling sort of person. But Dad’s not excited. In fact, Sam thinks he might be disappointed in what she’s doing. Maybe Uncle George is just making up for that. She’s not disappointed with her job, though; some very interesting things have been happening at Cheyenne Mountain lately, and if she keeps working hard, she might just be able to get a closer look, one of these days.
When she’s 29, she’s transferred to Cheyenne mountain. She’s on the plane when she answers the call from her new CO. “Captain Carter,” he says, and the voice is so familiar, “I’m looking forward to working with you. I think you’ll find this assignment to be a very rewarding experience.” And he’s right, of course. Uncle George has never been never wrong.
Strange: it’s almost like he always knew.