The thought of furthering their relationship had crossed Jack’s mind on more that one occasion of late. But when Sam had been missing in that blizzard, he had been so scared that he’d lost her. He couldn’t imagine life without her now. That had been the deciding factor and why he was now in a jewelry store looking at rings. "Do you have any idea what you’re looking for, Sir?" The assistant asked. "Not really. She doesn’t like things that are really big or fancy."
"So something simple but still elegant?"
"Yeah, I guess." Jack felt rather stupid at not having any idea, but Sam wasn’t really a jewelry person. The only rings she wore were the wedding set that had belonged to her mother.
The shop assistant put another row of rings in front of him and he scanned them. That’s when he saw it. It was simple but definitely elegant. It had a fairly small diamond with two smaller sapphires on either side. The setting showed off the stones without being too much. He could imagine Sam wearing it. "That’s the one." The shop assistant smiled. "That is a lovely one. Do you have any idea on the size?" Jack pulled a box out of his pocket. "Well it’d be pretty close to this one." He gave the woman Sam’s mom’s engagement ring. "She wears that one on her right hand." The woman measured the ring and handed it back to him. "It should be ready on Thursday. If I could just get some details from you, I’ll put the order in straight away."
"Thanks."
When Jack returned home later that afternoon, Sam was sitting on the sofa, crying. "Angel, what’s wrong?" He asked, immediately concerned. "Oh, Jack, I can’t find my mom’s rings! I’ve looked everywhere!" She sobbed. Jack felt a pang of guilt. He had needed to take the rings with him but hadn’t thought that Sam would go looking for them. She didn’t have a lot of things that belonged to her mom, and the rings meant the world to her. "Hey, it’s alright. They have to be around here somewhere. Why don’t you go and open a bottle of wine and I’ll go have a look in the bedroom?"
"I looked in there already."
"I’m sure you did, but there’s nowhere else they could be. Go on."
He hurried into the bedroom, making sure Sam hadn’t followed him, before wrapping the ring box in one of Sam’s nighties and putting it in a draw. When she walked in a few minutes later, he quickly started rummaging around in the draw. "I’ve already looked in all the draws," she told him.
He tried not to smile as he started shaking out all of her nighties, making sure he shook out a few other ones before he picked up the one containing the box. "I guess you didn’t look hard enough," he grinned as the box hit the floor. "You found them!" She squealed, picking the box up before launching herself into his arms. "Thank you, thank you, thank you," she repeated between kisses.
*****
By mid afternoon on Friday, Jack had completed all of his paper work and was pacing around his office, trying to figure out how he was going to propose to Sam. He’d picked up the ring the day before and made reservations at a classy restaurant for dinner, but he wasn’t sure if he should ask her there or if it should be at home. Deep in thought, he didn’t notice Daniel walk into the room and almost jumped as he suddenly caught sight of his friend. "Danny! Don’t sneak up on a guy like that! You tryin’ to give me a heart attack?"
"I didn’t sneak. You just looked very... focused. What were you thinking about?"
"Nothing!" Jack replied too quickly. His face flushed and he turned away from Daniel. "Okay..." Daniel said slowly, giving his friend a strange look. "Anyway. I just wanted to know if you and Sam wanted to come out for a few drinks tonight?"
Jack sat in his chair before he answered his friend. "Actually, we’re busy tonight."
"Really? What are you guys up to?"
"Just going out for dinner. That’s okay, isn’t it?"
"Yeah, sure it is. Are you celebrating something?"
"Geez, Daniel. What’s with the twenty questions?" Daniel raised his hands in defence. "Hey, I’m just curious. You know, Jack, the way you’re acting you’d think you were gonna propose to her or something." The quick look from his friend, made Daniel’s jaw drop. "Is that it?! You’re gonna ask her to marry you?!" He all but squealed. "Shhh! Keep it down, would you?" Jack hissed in return. "You breathe a word of this and you’re a dead man, Daniel. I will leave you on the next planet we gate to."
Daniel simply stared at his friend for a long minute, ignoring his threat. "I can’t believe it!" He finally managed. "How are you gonna do it?" Jack shook his head. "I have no idea. I’m taking her out to dinner tonight, but I don’t know if I should do it at the restaurant or wait until we get home."
"At home," Daniel suggested. "It’s more private plus you can... well, you know, after she says yes."
"*If* she says yes," Jack corrected, ignoring his friend’s red face. "She will, Jack, she will."
Jack took a deep breath. "God, I hope so, Daniel. I’ve never wanted anything quite so much in my life." Daniel put a hand on Jack’s shoulder. "I’m so happy for you, Jack."
"Thanks, buddy," he replied accepting his friend’s manly embrace. Both of them jumped slightly as someone cleared their throat from the door. "Not interrupting anything, am I?" Sam asked with a grin. "I mean, if the two of you are having a moment, I could always come back."
"Smart ass," Jack said with a laugh, gesturing her into the room. "That’s not what you called it this morning," she teased, enjoying seeing Daniel squirming. He still found his friend’s more intimate discussions and actions embarrassing; both Sam and Jack took great pleasure in making him uncomfortable. "Hey, just ‘cause I said it was cute, that don’t mean it’s not smart too," Jack told her, drawing her into his arms. He heard Daniel making an excuse as he made a quick exit, closing the door behind him. Jack’s eyes stayed focused on Sam. Running his hands down her back to the piece of anatomy in question, he pulled her closer for a long, leisurely kiss. "You ready to go?" He asked when they finally pulled apart. "Yeah, let’s get out of here."
*****
At close to seven o’clock, Sam walked into the living room, looking at her lover who was engrossed in a hockey game. She’d taken a little longer than normal to get ready, wanting to look special for Jack. When he didn’t hear her discreet little cough, she placed her hands on her hips, slightly irritated. "You know, Jack. I didn’t go to all this trouble for nothing." He looked up at her. "Wha..." the rest of the sentence was caught in his throat as he struggled to take a breath. Sam... his Sam, was standing before him in a *very* sexy burgundy dress. It was short, ending a few inches above her knees and hugging her body in all the right places. Her long legs were accentuated by the strappy high heels on her feet.
It took him a few moments to find his voice, such was the effect she had on him. "Sam, you look... you look stunning!" She grinned, satisfied that her outfit had the result she wanted, Jack speechless. "You don’t look too bad yourself," she told him in return. And he didn’t. He wore a pair of black dress pants and a navy blue dress shirt. She watched his self conscious little smile as he rose and shrugged into his black jacket. She threw the black crocheted shawl around her shoulders before taking his offered arm and allowing him to lead her out the door.
They walked towards Sam’s new car, a very sporty little Mustang Cobra that Jack had convinced her to buy. She was pretty sure it was only because he wanted to drive it though. Pressing the remote key, he deactivated the alarm and unlocked the doors as they walked towards it. ‘Another toy for him to play with,’ Sam thought with a smile. "Your chariot, my dear," Jack drawled, bowing slightly as he opened the door for her. "Why thank you, kind sir," she replied with a laugh. He closed the door for her before making his way to the drivers side and getting in beside her.
*****
The restaurant that Jack chose was very classy and very romantic. He opened the door for Sam and ushered her into the dimly lit room. "Hi. We have a reservation for O’Neill," he told the young woman who greeted them. The woman quickly checked the book for their reservation. "Yes, sir. If you’d like to follow me, I’ll take you to your table." Jack nodded and followed the woman, Sam still on is arm. He couldn’t help the grin that formed on his lips as the males in the room looked at Sam appreciatively. It felt good being envied for having such a beautiful woman on his arm. A woman that was all his.
They arrived at the their table, which was tucked away in the corner of the room, giving the pair plenty of privacy. Jack held Sam’s chair out for her before taking his own seat opposite her. The young woman gestured to a man who was standing a short distance away and he promptly walked over to the table. "This is Luke," she introduced. "He’ll be your waiter this evening." She smiled at Sam and then Jack. "I’ll leave you in his capable hands. Enjoy your meal."
"Thanks," they both replied as she moved away.
Luke handed them both menus. "Good evening, sir, ma’am. Could I get you something to drink while you’re deciding?" He asked. Jack took the offered wine list and selected a rather expensive bottle of white for them. He then turned to watch as Sam opened her menu, her eyes widening at the cost of the meals. "Jack..." she started and he knew what she was going to say. "Sam, it’s not very often that I get a chance to spoil you. Forget about the cost and just order what you’d like." Her mega-watt smile was all the reply he needed. "Everything sounds so good," she enthused. Jack smiled, knowing he’d made the right choice.
Luke came back a few minutes later with their wine. "Would you like to sample the wine first, sir?" He asked. Jack raised an eyebrow, making Sam stifle a giggle. "Uh, yeah, sure," he replied uncertainly. Luke poured a small amount into his glass and after a tentative sip, Jack gave the man a nod. Luke filled both of their glasses and then took their orders.
They talked quietly while they were waiting for their entrées to come. They arrived about ten minutes later and Sam watched, amused, as Jack dug into his oysters. "You know, Jack, some people say that oysters are an aphrodisiac."
"Really?" He questioned, a mischievous glint in his eyes. "How ‘bout we test that theory out later?"
"Yeah, like you need the extra boost," she retorted before starting on her own entrée. "You’ve never complained before." Her eyes sparkled. "Oh, that wasn’t a complaint. Trust me on that."
There banter continued while they finished their entrée and ate their main meal. "Oh man, I’m stuffed," Sam declared as she pushed the plate away from her. "That was great," she told Jack with a smile. Seeing that they had both finished, Luke walked over and cleared their plates away. "Did you enjoy your meal?" He asked. "Perfect," Jack told him, Sam nodding her agreement. "Can I interest either of you in dessert?"
"Oh, I don’t think I could fit another thing in," Sam said with a laugh. Jack grinned. "Tell you what, Luke. Ask us again after we’ve worked a bit of this off on the dance floor." Luke smiled. "Certainly, sir."
Jack rose from his chair and held his hand out to Sam. She blushed slightly as she placed her hand in his. "There’s nobody else on the floor," she said, slightly self conscious. "So? They can all sit there and see how lucky I am then," Jack returned. Once they’d reached the small dance floor, he pulled her close. One hand rested on the small of her back, whilst he pulled his other, which was entwined with one of hers, to his chest. Sam’s free hand moved to his nape, gently caressing the short hairs there. They moved around the floor slowly, in time to the stirring sounds of the piano.
Pulling Sam closer to him, Jack thought of the ring that was safely hidden in the pocket of his jacket. It would be so great to get it out and go down on bended knee right there, in front of all the people who were watching them. He’d love them all to see just how much this woman meant to him and let them all know that she was well and truly taken. But he knew that Sam would be embarrassed at such a display. Besides, there was still a part of him that was unsure what her answer was going to be and he didn’t want to be rejected in front of anyone else. Looking into her crystal blue eyes, he saw her looking curiously back at him, obviously wondering what he was thinking about. With a smile, he moved his hand a little lower so it rested on her firm bottom, pulling her closer. With a twinkle in her eye, Sam closed the distance between their lips and they enjoyed a leisurely kiss.
They danced for a little longer before Jack led her back over to their table and they sat down. "That was nice," Sam told him with a smile. "Yeah," he replied, reaching over to squeeze her hand. "Very nice." They were interrupted by Luke, who came over to once again offer them dessert. "Oh, I’m not sure if I could..." Sam started, patting her stomach. "Why don’t we go halves in something then?" Jack suggested. Sam relented and took the menu that Luke offered her. "Okay. Have you got any preferences?" She asked Jack. "Whatever you want to have, angel."
She grinned and looked back at the dessert menu. "Alright. We’ll have the Wild Berry Cassata then. Two spoons please."
"Certainly, ma’am," Luke replied, taking the menu and leaving them. She looked at Jack who raised an eyebrow. "What’s Wild Berry Cass..."
"Cassata. It’s berry ice-cream with layers of chocolate and wild berry sauce."
"Mmm. Sounds good."
The dessert arrived a few minutes later, Luke placing it in the middle of the table with two spoons. Sam picked up a spoon and immediately took a large sample. Her eyes closed as she enjoyed the flavours that assaulted her taste buds. When she opened her eyes again, she saw Jack watching her, an amused grin on her face. "What?" She asked, knowing exactly what the grin was for. Jack always teased her about her love of desserts. "Nothin’. Nice?"
"Mmm. Sure is. Here, try some." She took another spoonful and offered it to him. "Wow, that is nice. You want some more?" He asked her, picking up the other spoon and offering her more. They finished off the dessert in this way, each feeding the other, grinning like a couple of teenagers.
After coffee, Jack paid the bill and led Sam out to her car, helping her into the passenger side before once again taking the driver’s seat. He started the car, turning on the radio and pulling out of the car park. Now that they were heading home, Jack’s nerves had returned with a vengeance. He still wasn’t sure how he was going to ask her, and he still wasn’t sure if she’d say yes. He knew that she loved him, but loving a person and agreeing to something as permanent as marriage were two completely different things. After her engagement to Hanson, Jack really wasn’t sure what Sam’s feelings were on the subject.
Sam looked at the man sitting beside her, slightly concerned at his continued silence. "Are you okay, Jack? You seem preoccupied by something." He gave himself a mental shake before he replied. "I’m fine. Just concentrating on getting us home in one piece." He grinned at her. "Hate for those oysters to go to waste ‘cause we’re in the hospital," he finished, pleased that he’d diverted her suspicions. "You’re incorrigible!" She returned with a laugh. "And you wouldn’t have me any other way," he countered.
The rest of the trip home was quiet. Jack opened the door to their house and ushered Sam in first. After closing the door, he sat on the sofa in the living room, watching the woman he loved as she bustled around, checking the answering machine and removing her heels. "Sam?" He called, knowing that it was now or never. "Yeah?" She looked at him when he said nothing more. "What’s the matter, Jack?" She asked, seeing him sitting nervously on the sofa. "Come and sit down a minute," her told her, patting the seat next to him. "Is something wrong?" She asked, suddenly suspicious of the romantic evening. "No, angel. Nothing’s wrong." He wrapped his arms around her, pulling her to his chest before taking a deep breath. "You know I love you... right?" She pushed away from him slightly so she could look at him. "Of course I do. Jack, what’s going on? You’re making me nervous."
Jack sighed. "I’m sorry, it’s just... I don’t know how this is gonna come out, so just bare with me, alright?" Sam nodded, her eyes wide but she let him continue. "When Charlie died and Sara left, I figured that was it for me. There’d be no more happiness in my life and I’d just end up a lonely old man. I never realized that all of that had to happen for me to find the person who makes me complete. Then, when you were missing in that blizzard, I felt like I’d lost a piece of myself, like if I didn’t find you, I couldn’t go on. Nothing else mattered to me but finding you and when I did, and you were okay, I swear I’ve never felt such relief before. I guess what I’m trying to say, is I need you in my life, Sam, and I want you to be my wife."
Sam’s mouth opened, but no words came out for a few moments. "You want to marry me?" She finally asked, the shock clear on her face. "Yes," he replied, trying to read her. About the only thing he figured out was that it looked like she was about to cry. He wasn’t sure if that was a good sign or a bad sign.
"Oh, Jack. I love you *so* much, don’t ever think that I don’t..."
"But?" He asked, his stomach twisting, knowing she was rejecting him. "But after Jolinar, I don’t even know if I can have kids." He looked at her, confused. "What’s that got to do with me wanting to marry you?"
"Everything! You want a family. What if I can’t give you that? Jack, I love you too much to take that opportunity away from you."
"There are ways around it, Sam. Anyway, even if there was never a chance, that wouldn’t change the way I feel about you."
"Jack..."
Jack put his hands on either side of her face, making her look at him. "Listen to me. I, Jonathan Charles O’Neill, want to marry you, Samantha Jane Carter. For better or worse, ‘till death do us part. Anything else would be a bonus." He kissed her. "I just want you." Sam smiled as happy tears fell down her cheeks. "You’ll always have me."
"Is that your way of saying yes?"
"Yes." She kissed him and he could taste the salt of her tears. "I love you, Jack, and I would love to be your wife."
Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out the velvet box and opened it. "I swear to you now, Sam, I’ll do everything I can to make you happy." Sam gasped at the beauty of the ring inside. "Did you pick this out yourself?" She asked, clearly impressed. "Yeah, I did. I saw it and I just knew it was the one." He took the ring from the box and slipped it on her finger, silently thankful that it fit. "God, I love you," Sam told him, kissing him once more as the tears continued to fall.
He grinned as tears welled in his own eyes and, picking her up, he carried her to the bedroom. Once there, he placed her gently on the bed and proceeded in showing her how pleased he was that she was going to be his wife.
*****
I see the questions in your eyes
I know what's weighing on your mind
But you can be sure I know my part
Cause I'll stand beside you through the years
You'll only cry those happy tears
And though I'll make mistakes
I'll never break your heart
I swear by the moon and the stars in the sky
I'll be there
I swear by the shadow that's by your side
I'll be there
For better or worse
Til death do us part
I'll love you with every beat of my heart
I Swear
*****
COMING SOON- Songbook Series 7: All the Way
Story Notes: Songbook Series 06: jez80@ozemail.com.au
SPOILERS: none
ARCHIVE: Sam and Jack and Heliopolis please.
AUTHORS NOTES: Thanks to Kes and Jenn for beta’ing for me.
FEEDBACK: Very much appreciated!
SPOILERS: none
ARCHIVE: Sam and Jack and Heliopolis please.
AUTHORS NOTES: Thanks to Kes and Jenn for beta’ing for me.
FEEDBACK: Very much appreciated!
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 ]