He knew it was her.....even before she spoke. Most people wouldn't have even heard her approach, but Jack did and recognised the distinctive footsteps. The slight scrape of her toe as her foot scuffed the uneven ground.....
"Carter......Pull up a rock, take a load off," he offered.
Sam sat down next to him, seemingly unsurprised that he had identified her so easily. Jack handed her his beer and she took a healthy gulp before giving the bottle back to him.
"I thought I'd find you out here," she smiled.
"Just saying goodbye to some old friends."
Jack gestured towards the sky. It was a perfect night for stargazing; cold, clear, still. The moon was nothing but the barest crescent.
"Where's everyone else?" Jack asked.
"Daniel's drinking coffee, Teal'c meditating, Janet's yelling a some guy because they didn't send her the right supplies...."
Her voice trailed off.
"How about you?" he asked.
"Can't sleep....but otherwise....I'm OK, sir. After all....this is what I was trained for."
"Yeah."
He passed the bottle back and she took another swig. Their last night on Earth...at least that was what it felt like. After tomorrow....after tomorrow it was very likely that neither of them would see their home planet again.
"Wish you were coming out with SG1 and 2," he went on.
"Me too...but it's probably best I'm not, sir."
"I guess."
They both knew the reasons why Hammond had given them different assignments. Yes, the General had provided a perfectly good explanation, but neither of them really thought that he was telling them the whole story. After all Hammond wasn't blind. It wasn't likely that either of them would jeopardise a mission of this importance by an untimely display of emotions, but they both understood that their commanding officer couldn't take that chance. As Sam had just said, they were both professionals. They didn't like the fact that they would be separated, yet they would never voice those feelings.
"I've told Teal'c to watch your ass," Sam said. "He's in trouble if he doesn't bring you back."
"He'd probably be better off watching Daniel."
"Danny can look after himself better than you think. Besides as you said...he's damn difficult to kill....Anyway....I gave Ferretti that job."
"I bet he'll just love that."
Jack laughed and cracked open a second bottle of beer. He wasn't trying to get drunk, just relax a little.
"So, is your tech. team ready to go?"
"As they'll ever be. Alot of them haven't had much field experience..."
"Hey...that's what I thought about a certain Captain who was under my command."
"How did she turn out?"
"Better than I could ever have expected."
"The second you send us Daniel's translation we'll be ready."
"I know you will, Major."
They sank into silence as they shared the second beer. The stars shifted across the horizon as the moon rose higher in the sky. It wouldn't be much longer now. They were due to move out at dawn, Earth-time.
"What do you plan to do when this is all over?" Jack asked.
"I don't know, stay with the program I hope," she answered. "If we manage to eliminate the Goa'uld threat.....you?"
"I'm going to retire."
"Sir?"
"It's about time I did. Besides I'm sure the President will let me have a couple of trips through the gate if something interesting turns up."
"I'll miss you, sir."
"I'm hoping that won't be necessary.....marry me?"
"What?"
"If we both survive this, would you do me the honour of being my wife?"
He wasn't looking at her. If she said no....Sam gently placed her hand on his cheek and turned his face. She was smiling, one of the brightest grins in her repertoire. Without ceremony she placed a chaste kiss on his lips,
"Sir, if we both survive this, I'll marry you in the Gateroom, the second we get back!"
Jack threw his arms about her and pulled her close, struggling to control his own emotions.
"I guess there's no chance of getting laid tonight?" he joked.
"For what I have planned......you'll just have to wait until the wedding night."
***************************************************************************
'Where the hell was Sam?'
Jack couldn't believe this was happening.......The Gateroom was taking fire, the rest of her team were back, but Sam had yet to step through the event horizon. His own team had returned without a scratch...even Daniel....although quite how the archaeologist had managed to avoid that wall falling on top of him was a mystery of galactic proportions. Whatever...Sam's team had taken heavy casualties. The facility they had been sent to infiltrate had been heavily guarded. Of the eight man team, one was dead, a second dying, two were seriously injured and Sam...Sam hadn't come back at all.
He should never have proposed to her. It was all his fault. He'd tempted fate and Sam was paying the price.
"Son, we're going to have to close the iris," Hammond said.
"Hey, I'm on a promise here!"
The General didn't look amused by Jack's flippant reply.
"Just give her a little more time, sir. She'll make it, I know she will."
According to one of the still functioning team members, Sam had been covering their six....as any good commanding officer should.
"The Naquadah nukes are set to blow in three minutes, we don't want the gate open when that happens," Graham Simmons advised.
"Then we will wait for another two minute 59 seconds," Jack hissed.
"Jack, we're taking fire, we can't risk the iris mechanism being damaged. I'm sorry," the General reasoned.
Jack couldn't say anything. He felt like he had giant hand around his throat. Closing his eyes, he heard Hammond give the fatal order,
"Close the iris."
Then there was a thump. Even through the glass there was no mistaking the sound of a body hitting the ramp. Jack opened his eyes. The iris was shut, but there was a blonde dishevelled figure picking herself up off of the floor. She looked up at the control room and gave a tired salute. For all of three seconds Jack couldn't move....
"Get me a priest," he yelled over his shoulder.
Then he headed down to the Gateroom at a dead run....almost breaking his neck as he flew down the stairs. He slid to a halt in front of Sam. Her hair and eyebrows were singed and she had a nasty bruise starting to form on one cheek, but she was standing and she was alive. With trembling fingers he reached out and touched her face.
"You OK?" he asked.
"Yeah...I just landed on my face....did we all make it?"
Jack shook his head.
"Davis was DOA and Janet says that Turner won't survive the night."
Tears formed in her eyes. This was the first time she had lost anyone under her command. Jack placed a comforting arm about her shoulders and started to lead her down the ramp.
"Hey, Sam, you did good out there," he told her.
"I hope so."
She hugged him, holding him as close as she dared.
"Sam, the Chaplain's here....you still wanna?" he asked her.
"Yes, sir."
***************************************************************************
"So where did the newly weds get to?" Daniel asked.
Twenty four hours later and the SGC was still counting the cost of it's victory. He, Teal'c and Janet were sitting in the commissary, trying to think of something other than the horrors they had witnessed over the past few days.
"O'Neill said that, subject to Major Carter's post-mission physical, they would be taking a shower and then going to bed. I do not believe they wish to be disturbed," Teal'c replied.
"I guess it's going to take them a while to resolve all of that sexual tension," Daniel sighed.
"Do you really want to know where they are?" Janet laughed.
"What?"
"Come with me."
She led them through the hallways towards the infirmary.
"I thought Major Carter and O'Neill were uninjured?" Teal'c questioned.
"They are," Janet replied.
"Then I do not understand."
Daniel meanwhile had wandered over to one of the infirmary beds and peered behind the curtain.
"Teal'c," he gestured for the Jaffa to join him.
"They both came down for Sam's physical.......I didn't have the heart to move them," Janet went on.
Teal' drew back the curtain. There, curled up together on the bed, fully clothed were the newly married couple.
"You know it would be really tempting...." Daniel began.
"No, Daniel," Janet warned.
She closed the curtain and ushered the two men away. Sam and Jack, more than anyone, had earned a little peace and quiet.
The End.
Story Notes: ARCHIVE: Sam and Jack, anyone else please ask
SPOILERS: None
NOTES: How I think it should all end.
SPOILERS: None
NOTES: How I think it should all end.
DISCLAIMER: All publicly recognisable characters, settings, etc, are the property of their respective owners. Any original characters and plots are the property of the author. No money is being made from this work. No copyright infringement is intended. ... [ read more ]