"The fate of the world is hanging in the balance and you're doing a crossword puzzle?" Jack whispered loudly to his 2IC at the briefing room table.
"This is a good one. 'Raindrops keep fallin' on my head,' all about old musicals," Carter informed her CO.
"What's the point?"
"Consider it trivia with logic."
"I failed the logic course three times before old Hackendahl passed me on effort."
Sam tried to cover a giggle as Hammond entered the room. Jack watched her slip her crossword puzzle into one of her pants' pockets.
"Thank you for coming in on such short notice, SG1. I'm afraid that we've run into a bit of trouble on P3X-6909. SG-3 needs your assistance in calming some very excitable natives who seem to think they are some sort of new food source."
"Ya know, I always said that Col. Davies looked rather dashing in his BDU's..." This, coming from Col. O'Neill. Carter stomped his toes beneath the table as Hammond pinned him with a look.
"You'll need to be leaving. Now. SG-1 dismissed!" He barked at them. Four whipped puppies (well, three; Teal'c never looked 'whipped') rose from their seats.
"He must be having a bad day," Daniel piped in as the team marched to the gate room. Jack reached over towards Sam's pants and snagged the crossword puzzle just before she got out the door.
"Hey!" She objected but he just smirked and looked at the puzzle.
"Musicals huh? You don't know that 7 across is Gene Kelly? I thought 'Singin' in the Rain' was one of your favourites." He said as they made their way to the gate room.
"Gimme! Let me look... Sir!" Sam exclaimed.
"You had your turn Carter. Oh! 11 down... 'America', you know, from 'West Side Story'! Duh... this is easy."
"Colonel? I didn't know you knew so much about musicals." 'Or cryptic clues in crossword puzzles.' She thought.
"I know a lot about a surprising number of things Carter. Now I'm confiscating this crossword until we come back. I can't have my second in command distracted by word games."
'You sure don't seem to mind me being distracted by you.' She thought with an internal grin. Aloud she said, "I bet you couldn't do all of these crosswords so easily Sir. This is a fluke."
"Are you questioning my abilities Carter?"
"I wouldn't do that Sir."
"I'll take that bet." They approached the wormhole.
"What we bettin' Sir?" She asked.
"Tell you what Carter; we'll discuss it when we get back."
He smiled at her as if to remind her of exactly how handsome he really was - damn him! She seemed to be in an O'Neill responsive mood right now and hoped she could concentrate on their mission objective. Normally she could, so she wasn't sure why she thought today might be different. What was it about today?
"Yes Sir."
Daniel grinned at the exchange thinking Jack probably wouldn't stand a chance of winning so he should be careful what he bet. They could really get him on this one and he resolved to talk to Sam about it, mentally rubbing his hands with glee at the idea of getting Jack. He so loved doing that; it was suitable revenge for all the times Jack got him. Jack was a master of the practical joke and Daniel Jackson was frequently at the butt end. He ruminated about how he could use the crossword puzzle bet to his advantage.
At the other end of the wormhole they were all business, joviality giving way to acute alertness. SG-3 was in danger, and so were they. Jokes could wait. There was no one immediately in the vicinity so they hoped they had the element of surprise and cautiously made their way in the direction they believed SG-3 had taken. They all sincerely hoped they wouldn't get there only to find a huge cauldron of SG-3 stew being served up for dinner.
SG-11 accompanied them as backup and they left Dawson and Smith to keep an eye on the gate while taking Johansson and Mitchell with them in case they needed more firepower. Jack wanted to rescue SG-3 with minimal fuss, and casualties. If possible he wanted to sneak in, sneak out and get through the gate before the natives even noticed. That, however, probably wouldn't be possible; it was the way of things. He was prepared for all out war if necessary. No one gets left behind - this was a guiding principle of Jack O'Neill's life. He included himself in that equation but was equally willing to sacrifice himself.
Jack had a unique ethical code and tried to stay true to it. Sometimes his actions might seem contradictory, but he didn't think of it that way. He could be tough, hard-nosed and uncompromising; the consummate soldier who would kill the enemy with impunity. Equally, he could be gentle, compassionate and accommodating; the skilful protector and loyal friend who would do anything to help. A paradox; perhaps, but it depended on the situation he was faced with. Jack was a warrior in his heart, but also very human.
Daniel Jackson wanted to pow-wow with the natives but Jack would not hear of that. SG-3 had made that mistake and he wasn't going to repeat it. No way was he ending up in the pot alongside them; that did no one any good, least of all SG-3.
Everything went smoothly until they tried to make their getaway and were spotted by an eagle eyed youngster who raised the alarm. This resulted in much death, and injury, to Jack's regret; it couldn't be helped. The natives were comparatively primitive, so most of the destruction was on their side As the SG teams fought their way back to the gate. Jack radioed ahead so that Dawson and Smith were ready and opened the gate to hasten their return.
They weren't too far from the gate when it happened. Jack thought his heart would leap into his mouth but was ever the professional. He saw Sam fall, called for Teal'c to cover him, and ran to her side. She had something akin to a short spear sticking out of her shoulder.
"Carter?"
He bent down to look, dreading what he might see. She was in obvious pain but he wasn't really sure how bad the injury was.
"You'll be okay Carter." His voice tried to soothe her; he hoped he was right. "Grit your teeth, I've gotta pull out the spear."
She winced at the very thought of it but knew he was right. He got a field dressing out of his kit and held it between his teeth in readiness; then he pressed down hard on her shoulder with one hand and grabbed the spear with the other.
"Its gonna hurt Carter. On three. One, two, three."
He quickly pulled it free and she yelped. Then he ripped at her clothes to get to the wound and staunch the now heavy bleeding.
"Sorry." He apologised as he virtually bared her breasts in his haste. 'Why did it have to be me?' he thought, disbelieving that he could be filled with libidinous feelings as Sam lay there bleeding and in pain. Her chest heaved as she took in deep breaths, trying to diminish her agony, serving to heighten his desire. 'Jesus Jack, control yourself!'
"I think there might have been something on the tip Sir." She managed to say. Crap! She looked terrible; pale and sweating. Had she really been poisoned?
"In that case I'd better take it along. Can you walk?"
"I'm not sure."
Teal'c approached, still firing his staff at the suddenly reluctant natives; they appeared to be withdrawing. They'd find themselves another meal; this one wasn't worth the losses they had suffered.
"May I be of assistance O'Neill?" he asked.
"Yes, we need to get Carter back through the gate, and quickly. Can you carry her T?"
Teal'c nodded, picking her up easily, while Jack took over his role of covering their backs. They made it through the gate with very little further trouble. By the time they made it though, Sam was unconscious and was rushed to the infirmary. After quickly briefing Hammond, Jack followed, along with the other members of SG-1.
She had definitely been poisoned and became feverish. The wound itself was easily dealt with but the poison was another matter. It was raging through her body doing who knows what damage. Jack was convinced she was going to die and refused to leave the infirmary. He sat by her side, watching her closely. She was restless and fitful.
At times she called out, mostly incomprehensibly, but sometimes with his name: "Colonel!"; "Jack!". The latter was a total surprise as she didn't normally call him that; he was sickened that he took perverse pleasure in the sound of it on her lips. It hurt when she also called "Pete!", but what did he expect?
'Sam, please don't die. I can't bear you to leave me,' he thought, willing her to live as if his sheer force of will would save her. Times like these highlighted his deep love for her. He couldn't face losing Sam. 'Please don't take her from me,' he prayed to God, 'you've taken so much already; not this, anything but this. Please!'
When he was alone with her he brushed her face and stroked her hair, telling her that he loved her and pleading with her not to abandon him. Her heart might belong to another but she would live on in his, no matter what. She was fundamentally important to his life; an indispensable friend and colleague even if there was nothing else between them anymore but that.
"I can let Pete have you Sam but not death." He whispered.
He blessed scientists, for a change, when they same up with what they hoped was an antitoxin. It worked. Only when he knew for certain that she would recover did he allow himself to relax and get some sleep, a couple of hours, leaving Daniel to watch over her with a promise to stir him if she woke up. He slept in the infirmary and was there, awake again, when she finally came round.
Her eyelids fluttered open and the first thing she saw was him. It was a comfort; Jack often was. She was pleased that the first thing she saw was his face, filled with concern.
"Carter. Its good to see you back in the world of the living. Don't try to talk, I'll call the doc." He smiled gently, relief showing clearly in his eyes.
"Colonel." She managed to say through her parched throat.
"Shhh." He took her hand and squeezed it gently. She smiled.
"Its good to be back Sir."
"I said shhh. Can't you obey a direct order from your CO?" he joked and she giggled slightly.
She slept after that and Jack finally allowed himself to go to his quarters and sleep properly.
There was a marked improvement when he went to see her a few hours later. Daniel and Teal'c were there too and they all kidded around a little. It lifted Sam's heart. The doc came, ordering them out to allow her to rest, and Jack turned as he was leaving.
"You want me to call Pete?" he asked.
"No! Colonel, please don't."
"What?" he walked back over to her bed, surprised by her reaction. He looked at the doc pleadingly and asked for five more minutes, which was granted. They were alone again. "So?"
"He can be bad enough about my work sometimes, without this. He'll freak when he finds out I've been injured."
"Sam that doesn't sound..." He couldn't bring himself to say what he wanted to. "He doesn't support your work?"
"Kind of yes and kind of no."
"Oh." That was about as clear as mud. Jack took a deep breath and dared to ask, "Sam? Are you happy?
"Not really, no." Jack was stunned.
"Oh! Do... do you want to talk about it?"
"Not really, no."
"Okay. If you wanna... well... you know..." He shrugged as if she would understand him without saying more, and she did.
'Talk to you?' Sam thought, 'you're probably the last person on Earth I can talk to about this.' She was grateful for the offer and wished she could.
Jack was wondering why he'd made the offer. Why would he want to talk to her about Pete, for crying out loud? Pete's continued existence in Sam's life troubled Jack deeply, following him around like a swarm of gnats that sucked away at his hopes and dreams.
"Sure. Thanks."
Jack hesitated, hoping she would say more and not daring to himself. She didn't.
"You should rest Carter. I'll be back later to check on you."
"Yes Sir."
"Oh, and Carter... here's that crossword you were doin'." He handed it to her.
"Thank you sir."
Jack left the room, his emotions running riot and confusing him to hell. Sam wasn't happy? He'd let her go so that she would be, and she wasn't. What was the point? In actual fact, he hadn't really ever let her go; he could never do that. He'd resigned himself to the inevitable and learned to live with it. That was a far cry from letting her go, or purging her from his heart. It would be a long time before Jack could let anyone in or give his heart to another; if he ever could. He had to admit that if he really had let her in he might not be in this position at the moment; losing her, the woman he loved so very much.
When he popped in later she was wide awake and quite lively.
"Sir, do you feel like finishing the crossword with me?" she asked and he grinned, happily sitting and going through the clues, joking and making her laugh. His knowledge of musicals still amazed her; he knew more than she did, and she loved them.
"How do you come to know so much about musicals Sir?" she dared to ask and he shrugged.
"Sara loved them and converted me to the cause. We used to watch them a lot."
"Really? That's sweet."
"Sweet? Give me a break."
"You're full of surprises Sir."
"Is that a good or bad thing?"
"Good."
"Right." He nodded, pleased that he still surprised her after all these years, and even more happy that she seemed to like it. "So, what about our bet Carter, the crossword?"
"You're still game?"
"Of course."
"They aren't all about musicals you know."
"I know other stuff." His grin was lopsided and she chuckled. He looked so cute with that little smile on his face. His piercing dark brown eyes sparkled brightly, crinkling at the edges, and dimples appeared at the sides of his mouth. It made him look younger, and often prompted Sam to wish she could take him in her arms and give him a hug.
"So what do we bet? Money?"
"Let's make it more interesting than money."
"Like what?"
He thought about it, conceiving a totally crazy plan and wondering how she'd react. 'No harm in chancing your arm O'Neill. What have you got to lose?'
"If I win you come fishin'." She raised an eyebrow, surprised by him yet again.
"What? Fishing? In Minnesota?"
"Sure."
"I- I-" She stammered.
"Think you'll lose?"
"Why that particular bet Sir?
"I'll never get you there any other way Carter." He laughed at her expression; something like a goldfish, mouth opening and closing but no sound coming out. "What if you win?"
"Well if I have to suffer fishing for a few days then its gotta be something big."
"Suffer fishing? I'll have you know that its very relaxing. You'll love it."
Sam frantically thought of something to bet.
"If you lose you have to do all my housework and chores for a month while I sit and watch."
"Housework? I don't even do my own housework."
"You could have fooled me Sir."
His house always seemed to be clean and tidy whenever she'd been there, although the remnants of take-outs and the contents of his refrigerator often let the side down. Things lived in there sometimes; alien life-forms.
"A month? I'm only asking for a few days."
"Fishing."
"Okay. I'll take that bet. You?"
"Yes sir!"
"Shake on it?" So they did. The feel of her hand in his made his heart skip a beat. He rarely got to touch her; not nearly enough. A touch, or a look, was often all he required although he longed for so much more.
If she was going to be around, Jack thought he could easily live with his side of the bargain. He wondered, however, if Sam could live with hers. He imagined what Pete's reaction would be if he turned up on Sam's doorstep to do her housework and that made him laugh aloud. Pete probably wouldn't be too happy with the outcome of this bet, whoever won.
Should he try to persuade the guys to come with them to the cabin if she lost; to act as chaperones and make it all kosher and above board? He would much rather be there alone with her; it was a long held and cherished dream.
It wasn't long after this that things started to go crazy at the SGC, playing havoc with all their lives. Jack made the ultimate sacrifice by sticking his head somewhere it really didn't belong and having the knowledge of the Ancients downloaded into his brain for the second time.
It would kill him and he knew it, everyone did, but if it could save the planet he loved so much it was worth the forfeit. The grand scheme of things was a lot more important than the life of one insignificant human being called Jack O'Neill. At least that was how Jack saw it. He was pleased to discover that others thought him more important than he did.
Ironically, on the morning it happened, he had been trying to complete the crossword that would decide the bet with Sam. The clues were linked to science, something that Jack considered was probably much more than merely coincidence, and he vowed to speak to one Doctor Daniel Jackson, convinced he had a hand in it somewhere.
The team thought he was stupid with science, or certainly one half of them; Samantha Carter and Daniel Jackson. Jack liked to play dumb, but wasn't, and he could use that fact to his advantage now, as he had many times in the past. When he'd been given the crossword he nearly whooped with pleasure at the fun he was going to have. Instead, he tried his best to look downhearted and beaten.
He proceeded to tease both Sam and Daniel by feigning ignorance and showing them a crossword that appeared to have been partially completed by a baboon. He had the original in his pocket, complete and 100% accurate. Sam would be going fishing with him, unless she wanted to call off the bet, which she wouldn't as she thought she was going to win. This made him a happy man.
They never did get to discuss it properly after the "head grabbing" incident. Instead, Jack had been surprised to see her on his doorstep looking uncomfortable and obviously there to say something about regretting he was going to die. 'Can't change the facts of life Sam,' he thought as he let her into the house. Things might have got really interesting if Daniel and Teal'c hadn't shown up a few minutes later, clearly with similar intent - and doughnuts!
Hammond's arrival took the cake, though. It seemed that the President was set on turning their world further upside down by putting a civilian in charge of the SGC and recalling Hammond to Washington. Things between the four team mates had been going great and now this put the damper on proceedings somewhat.
Before they knew it, Jack was loosing his mind and SG-1 were on their way to saving the planet from almost certain extinction at the hands of Anubis. They might have saved the planet, but not Jack. Instead, he'd become a Popsicle in Antarctica, something which merely delayed his inevitable demise unless they found some answers, fast.
Sam sat pondering life, death and fate when Daniel knocked at her lab door. They both missed Jack terribly and had been working hard to find a way of defrosting him with his brain intact. Sam felt upset about the whole thing, regretful of the things she had never said to him, and of those things that they would possibly never do now.
"Come in Daniel."
He sat down, tossing a piece of paper over to Sam, and she looked at him curiously, without picking it up.
"Sneaky bastard!" Exclaimed Daniel, "I was feeling a little sentimental, you know how it is, and decided to sort through some of Jack's stuff. I found that in his jacket pocket. He hasn't worn that jacket since he went home to sort out his affairs. So, this must have been there since the morning we saw that pathetic looking attempt we saw. I can't believe he was scamming us!"
Daniel watched her pick it up and turn it over. She looked at the answers written in Jack's unmistakable hand. He'd made a couple of errors, which he'd corrected, but the crossword was both complete and correct.
"Oh!" Sam was ever the mistress of understatement.
"Not as dumb as he looks, huh?"
"We both always knew that was true."
"I would never have guessed this though. Trust Jack to ruin a good plan. When we save his devious butt I'm sooo gonna have words..."
"Daniel! You're pissed because he thwarted one of your little plans again. We were scamming him, remember! I bet he knew all along that we faked that crossword and made it what we thought was especially difficult for him. We were wrong. He played us and it serves us right. Its brilliant! I love it!" She laughed.
"Yeah? Well don't forget its your bet!"
Sam paled. Crap! Fishing, the cabin, Minnesota and Jack. That could prove to be a fatal combination; or did she mean fateful?
"Yeah, well I'll live with it." She replied. Her laughter died and she turned serious. "Daniel, what are we going to do if we can't save his devious butt?" She added, a fearful tone in her voice.
"I don't know. We will get him back, Sam, I promise."
"I don't think you can make that promise. I really miss him Daniel."
"Me too."
Daniel saw tears brim in Sam's eyes and noticed her struggle to keep control.
"Why don't you ever tell him how you feel Sam?" Daniel dared to ask.
"What?"
"Jack. Why don't you tell him that you love him?"
"I... Daniel! He's my CO, and I love Pete."
"Yeah... sure... you betcha!" he replied in a parody of one of Jack's favourite expressions. "I've known you for years, Sam, and we're friends. You don't need to lie to me; in fact you shouldn't even try."
"Can we change the subject before I lose all self-control Daniel?" She answered, but it was already too late and the tears overwhelmed her despite her best efforts. Daniel got up and went around to the other side of her desk, pulling her up to him in a hug worthy of Jack O'Neill himself. The three men of her team had a knack of hugging her just so; perfectly, safely and securely.
She promised herself that, if Jack lived through this ordeal, she'd go to fishing with him. He'd asked her many times and she'd always found an excuse, playing avoidance and hiding from her feelings; afraid of what might happen, afraid to take a chance. When she'd taken a chance it had been with Pete, not Jack. She had to question her motives for that, and for everything.
"It'll be alright Sam. It will." He tried to reassure her, along with himself.
Of course it was alright. The SG-1 'survival against the odds' statistic never failed to amaze people. Thor came through for them to save Jack from both being frozen, and the Ancients' download. Jack quickly repaid the favour and the whole Asgard race were saved from their nemesis, the replicators, once again.
Sam suffered badly at the hands of Fifth. When Jack woke from his long sleep it was to find that she was written off as dead and it broke his heart. Once more, he continued to play the professional, while inside he believed he'd crack wide open and spill his guts all over the floor. Finding her alive helped a great deal but he knew she was in pain from her experiences with Fifth. It was all his fault. Fifth should blame him as it was his order she had obeyed when she clearly hadn't wished to.
Jack always maintained a belief that she hated him a little for his decision to abandon Fifth that day. He believed he had done the right thing, and would stick by that, even now; despite the consequences. He wanted to go to her, hold and comfort her, help her to recover from her ordeal with Fifth, but he couldn't. Besides, in theory that was Pete's job. He still couldn't bring himself to approach her about that, and her confession to him about Pete in the infirmary. He wasn't good with words and would only screw things up even more.
Meanwhile, the crossword got forgotten in the trauma and excitement of change. Jack was stunned when they promoted him to Brigadier General and placed him in charge of the SGC. Were they nuts or what? It wasn't that he didn't want the promotion, and the pay check that went with it, but it did scare the wits out of him. They were handing him a huge responsibility; the SGC was way bigger than merely being in charge of SG-1. Sometimes that small duty had seemed awesome enough. He was humbled that the powers that be, and the President, no less, had faith that he was up to the job, and guessed it had been a pretty controversial decision with some.
His team had persuaded him that accepting the post was the right thing; albeit that they seemed to have their own reservations. He wondered what impact his promotion would have on his relationship with the rest of SG-1, especially Carter.
Although his first decision as a General was to promote Carter to Lt. Colonel - nothing whatever to do with his deep feelings for her; he thought her entirely deserving, although some folks may never believe it - he wasn't sure whether the promotion made their situation even more hopeless than it had been previously. Then he persuaded himself that he was fooling himself if he even thought there was a situation, and he remembered the bet.
"Who went through my stuff while I was a Popsicle?" he asked his ex-team mates.
"That would be me Jack." Daniel raised his hand gingerly, nervous of Jack's reaction because he could be intensely defensive of his privacy.
"Ah! And did you find anything of interest when you rummaged through the pockets of my jacket Daniel?"
Sam blushed and looked at Daniel. They had almost forgotten about the crossword puzzle, and the bet. A lot of things had distracted them.
"You mean the puzzle Sir?" She said, thinking they should own up quickly and get it out of the way. Jack smiled like a python might before it struck its prey.
"Yes Carter, that's exactly what I'm talking about. We had a little bet? Remember that at all do ya?" Sam coughed uncomfortably and squirmed a little, "or were you hoping I'd forgotten, given the fact that you lost. Minnesota, here we come!" His smile was sweet, and sexy, and she felt like melting in a puddle in the middle of the floor.
"Things have been a bit hectic around here Sir. I was going to bring it up, eventually." She looked a little sheepish and Jack almost laughed.
"Were you now? Regrettin' the bet? Want to back out? Maybe next time we have a bet you two will remember that I might seem like an idiot, but I'm not. And don't pretend you don't know what I'm talking about. You thought you could scam me. Last laugh's on you Carter."
"Actually, it was my idea Jack." Daniel confessed, not wanting Sam to take the blame; it was true. "She didn't really want to do it, but I persuaded her."
"You mean you squirmed, wheedled and made yourself a pain in the butt until you got your own way. Don't think I don't know what that's like. You have my sympathy Carter, but you still lose the bet."
"Yes Sir."
"You're a sneaky son of a..."
"Don't finish that Daniel. You might be a civilian but you still work for me."
"You gonna clap me in irons?"
"I wish! Okay kids, I've got work to do; Generalling and commanding to get on with. So, Carter, we'll get together later to check diaries and discuss dates? I'm a busy man, you know, I'll have to see when I can fit you into my schedule." His grin was pure evil O'Neill this time and he left before she even had a chance to respond.
Once he'd gone she laughed, loudly. Jack could hear her from down the corridor and smiled to himself. She still appreciated his humour; that was in his favour. Not much else though, he mused. Still... Minnesota...
Later on he felt guilty and wandered to her lab. She looked up as she sensed him at her door.
"General?" She enquired as to his presence.
"Look, Sam, you don't have to come to Minnesota with me. I don't want to make things uncomfortable between us." He thought, 'It can be bad enough as it is without forcing her into something she probably didn't think she'd ever have to do.'
"A bet's a bet Sir."
"You never really believed you'd lose. I don't want you to come at gunpoint. I'll understand."
"I know." She thought it was sweet of him to give her the option to back out, but she wasn't going to, however nervous the whole idea made her feel. "I'd like to come." She clarified, looking him right in the eye. He was surprised and looked away shyly, suddenly feeling at a disadvantage.
"Oh!"
"Would you prefer me not to?"
"No!" He never had truly believed it would come to this, it was just a fantasy, so didn't quite know how to take her smirk. "I'd like you to." This time he met her eyes; was there truly something there, a spark, or was it just wishful thinking?
He had to juggle a lot of balls to make it possible for them to get away for a few days at the same time. Three weeks later they managed it and boarded a hop to MSP.
"How did Pete take it?" he plucked up courage to ask.
"Not very well. He's pissed, but he'll have to live with it. I won't let him stifle me. I'm my own woman."
She almost sounded like she was trying to convince herself and, once again, Jack wondered about her relationship with Pete, how happy she was, how much the man meant to her. He wanted very much to ask; maybe while they were at the cabin he'd find the courage he lacked.
During the flight, Sam fell asleep with her head on his shoulder and he turned and kissed the top of her head when no one was looking. This was going to be an interesting few days. He had struggled with himself as to whether this was the right thing to do; go through with it. He was still her CO but wanted so much more. Was it possible? Only if she felt the same way as he did.
Once upon a time he had thought she did but now, with Pete on the scene, he wasn't sure of anything. He'd made a huge mistake not doing something about her, them, earlier; he'd lost her, but was still hoping he hadn't. The thought of really losing her scared him. Should he tell her that? He decided he should see how the next couple of days panned out before doing anything drastic. Those few days could shape the whole of his future and he must use them wisely.
He wanted Sam's love but didn't want to lose her friendship by forcing the issue. What if he screwed it up? It could be bad for the SGC, and all of them.
At MSP they picked up an SUV and settled down for the drive. It was a few hours from there to Jack's cabin and it would be dark when they got there. They picked up some supplies en route.
When she called him 'Sir' or 'General' for the millionth time he lost his cool a little.
"For crying out loud! Let's get one thing clear Carter. On this trip I'm Jack and you're Sam."
"Yes Sir. Dammit! Jack!" He laughed.
"Old habits die hard, huh?"
"I guess."
He pondered what other old habits he might persuade her to break while they were at the cabin.
It was pitch black by the time they reached the place and he had to get the flashlight out of the back. It took a while to sort all the things that needed to be done before he could relax; the generator, the stove, the bags in the truck. By the time all that was finished he was whacked. Sam made them both sandwiches which they sat and ate amiably in his living room.
"We could go outside and sit on the porch if you like. I have lights, although the mosquitoes can be pretty annoying. I've got bug zapping stuff for them too though."
"I'd love to see it properly for the first time in light of day Jack."
It pleased Jack to hear her say that although he couldn't quite work out why. So, next morning, she resisted the temptation to peek out of the window. She could hear Jack pottering around in the kitchen and joined him for coffee.
"Take it outside? I've been trying to avoid looking. I want to see it from out there." She said. His responding smile made her heart flutter and she knew she had chosen to do exactly what he wished for.
"Yeah, sure."
He was interested to see what her reaction would be to one of his favourite places in this universe. To his surprise she took his hand.
"So take me." She said.
His own heartbeat matched her quickened one, although he didn't know it, and he led her outside. Her gasp made him feel warm and fuzzy inside.
"Its beautiful!"
"I'm glad you think so." He thought, 'You could share it all with me if you wanted to, just say the word.'
They walked to the dock and looked out over the lake. It was breathtaking. Jack fell in love with it every time he visited, even after all these years. This was home; Colorado Springs was merely temporary, a requirement of the job.
Sam waxed lyrical about the beauty, the trees, the lake, the cabin, the forest; everything she could see in front of her. All the time she unselfconsciously held his hand, seemly unaware that she was doing it. Jack, however, was exceedingly aware.
"I love it here." He said when she tailed off.
"I can see why."
"So you get it now?" he alluded to all the invitations she had refused in the past and his insistence that he spend as much time there as possible because it helped him unwind and relax.
"Yes I get it."
He stoked her hand with his thumb and she suddenly realised what she was doing. Before she was able to let go, he put her hand to his lips and kissed it gently.
"We forgot the coffee." He said, letting her go and walking back towards the cabin. "I'll get it; stay there."
'Oh my God!' Sam thought, tingling with a sensation she hadn't felt for many years, if ever. Pete didn't make her feel like that; he couldn't cut it by comparison. Jack was way sexier, and manlier.
She considered what to do about him. Was there still a chance for them, and was this it? Should she grasp it with both hands or run away screaming in terror? She'd almost forgotten how much she really wanted Jack. She'd been too busy trying to make herself happy with someone else; settling for less than she aspired to. The stark realisation hit her hard. Sitting on the dock, she dangled her feet in the water and visited fantasy land.
Jack's return with the coffee brought her back to earth with a bump. He sat beside her.
"I can get chairs." He offered.
"I'm fine. This is nice."
"Great."
The silence between them stretched for a while, both of them thinking similar thoughts without knowing it. They wanted to reach out to each other, hold each other and kiss, but neither had the courage. Jack eventually spoke, raising something he'd wanted to for a few weeks.
"Sam." He paused, uncertain of himself, and she looked at him expectantly. "Fifth... do you wanna tell me what happened?" She shook her head.
"I don't really wanna talk about it." He looked frustrated at her response.
"I need to know... I... Sam its all my fault, I should never had ordered you to leave him behind."
"No! You did the right thing."
"I kinda got the impression you thought I was wrong."
Sam looked into his eyes and realised that the thought upset him. Not only did he blame himself but feared how she felt about the orders that had brought it about.
"Maybe I did at the time, but not when I thought about it afterwards. He's a Replicator, however human he might appear. What he did..." Jack saw her shudder, "it proves that you made the right choice. He isn't right; he's warped." Jack moved closer and put his arm around her.
"I'm sorry; I shouldn't have brought it up. Its just been... eating away at me."
"Guilt? Jack you have nothing to feel guilty about. I don't blame you."
"You got punished for my sins Sam." She lay her head on his shoulder. It felt very comfortable to sit like this; it felt right.
"I'm glad you don't think I was wrong. I know I can be a hard ass; so sue me." He said and she giggled.
"But you can have a deliciously soft centre for someone whose ass is so hard." He laughed at her response.
"Thank you, I think!"
She raised her head to look into his eyes again. To her amazement he looked right back without wavering and started to caress her back with his hand, and stroke her hair. They were mesmerised by each other, unable to break eye contact.
"I've been waiting for you to do something about it." She murmured and he knew exactly what she was talking about without her clarifying in any way. Her eyes spoke and what he saw in them lifted his heart.
"You think it should be me that does something about it? I always thought it should be you."
"Oh."
"Yes, oh."
"So," She paused to take a deep breath, uncertain of what to say and settling for something that opened them up for anything, "what are we gonna do today Jack?" She asked, still maintaining the eye contact.
"Well, right now I'd really like to kiss you. Can I kiss you?"
She nodded and he bent his head to her lips. The kiss was soft and sweet and he didn't venture passion, only love.
"What now?" he asked, gently
"You kiss me again?"
He did, this time with more ardour, which she returned with a fervour he hadn't expected.
"Pete asked me to marry him." She said, out of the blue and Jack almost leapt in the air with shock. She felt him tense.
"And what did you say?" He held his breath. 'This can't happen,' he thought, 'did she come here merely to make up her mind? She's undecided?' Sam could see the confusion and pain in his eyes, despite that he tried to hide it.
"I haven't answered him yet. He asked two weeks ago."
"Oh. Doesn't he think it a little odd that you're coming away with another man when he just asked you to marry him?"
He dropped his arm from around her shoulders and she flinched because he was doubting and hurting.
"Jack, I don't care what he thinks. I want it to be you."
"What? Me? What do you mean?"
She pulled her legs up from over the side of the dock, kneeling before Jack and taking his head in her hands, and then proceeded to kiss him.
"You mean commit to me? Marry me?" he asked when they came up for breath.
"Yes. I love you Jack."
"Wow! That's a bit of luck, because I love you too."
They both smiled, pleased that they'd taken the bet and with its outcome. This vacation had got off to a great start, and now they had the rest of their lives.
End
Story Notes: Art Credit: Thanks to Fulinn28 for creating both the original, very cute, artwork and the book cover that illustrates this fic on my site. She can be contacted at: Fulinn28@ficwithfins.com,
Author's Note: This fic was written quite a while ago (and certainly pre-Threads) as an entry to a Complete-a-Fic-Challenge on Jack and Sam's Pad Yahoo Group. The idea was to see what different endings authors created from the same fic opening. The beginning of the fic was supplied by Bren Ren, whose words end at "snagged the crossword puzzle just before she got out the door." All words after that are my own. I have also used Bren Ren's original title idea. Thanks Bren Ren!
Thanks also to Bonnie for casting her yes over this to ensure I hadn't done anything stupid! If I have, however, it still is down to me. The fic with its book cover can be found at my site at: http://www.ficwithfins.com/AA3_1/archive/1/illtake.html
Author's Note: This fic was written quite a while ago (and certainly pre-Threads) as an entry to a Complete-a-Fic-Challenge on Jack and Sam's Pad Yahoo Group. The idea was to see what different endings authors created from the same fic opening. The beginning of the fic was supplied by Bren Ren, whose words end at "snagged the crossword puzzle just before she got out the door." All words after that are my own. I have also used Bren Ren's original title idea. Thanks Bren Ren!
Thanks also to Bonnie for casting her yes over this to ensure I hadn't done anything stupid! If I have, however, it still is down to me. The fic with its book cover can be found at my site at: http://www.ficwithfins.com/AA3_1/archive/1/illtake.html
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 ]