It had been just over a week since Sam had been transferred to Cheyenne Mountain, and she was still in the infirmary. She was bored out of her mind. The guys tried to keep her amused, but there were only so many times she could beat them at poker before the thrill was lost. Lucy stopped in every chance she got. For someone who had only been working there for a week, she sure knew the gossip well.
Jack had been wonderful. He had been there for her when she needed him, endured her frustration at being stuck in a bed, and through it all managed to be totally adorable. She smiled to herself as she looked at the teddy bear he’d bought her so she wouldn’t be lonely and the bunch of red roses that sat next to her bed.
“Oh, would you get that love sick look off your face? I’m starting to get jealous!” Janet joked as she walked into the room.
Sam grinned at her friend. “I’ll tell you what, Janet. You let me out of this place and I’ll set you up with someone. A cute archaeologist or something. Deal?”
“Let me check you out and then I’ll decide.”
“Oh come on, Janet. I’m going crazy in here!”
“Sam, your body has gone through a major trauma. Rushing it is only going to prolong your recovery.”
“And I want you back on your feet ASAP.” A deep voice sounded from the door. The women looked around to see Jack standing there, hands stuffed in his pockets.
Sam grinned at him as he walked over to her bed. “Hi there.”
“Hey, Sammy.” He lent over and gave her a quick kiss.
Janet shook her head. “How come whenever any of us call you Sammy, we get threatened with death, but he gets a grin?”
Jack laughed. “Guess I’m just special.” He looked back at Sam and his face became serious. “Janet, are there any problems that I should know about? It has been more then a week, I was kinda hoping I could take her home soon.”
Janet gave them a reassuring smile. “There’s nothing I’m not telling you. You both have to realise how serious this was. Sam has to take it easy. No working, or strenuous activity.”
Jack nodded his understanding and Janet thought he was going to drop it until he spoke again. “So she can come home to recuperate? I mean, she’s less likely to work at home then if she’s allowed to wander around here.”
Sam gave her a hopeful look.
Janet threw her hands up in defeat, knowing she was outnumbered. “Yes, that probably would be just as good, provided that the Major here actually takes it easy.”
“I can promise you she will. Since we’re not going off-world anyway, I asked the General if I could have some time off. He agreed, so I will be there twenty-four-seven to make sure she rests.”
“You just make sure she does, Colonel. If something happens, I’m holding you responsible.”
“Yes, Ma’am.”
*****
Jack turned the car into the driveway and turned the ignition off. Looking towards his passenger, he couldn’t resist leaning across and giving Sam a quick kiss. “Welcome home, angel,” he said quietly.
She gave him one of her dazzling smiles before opening the passenger door.
“Oh, no you don’t,” Jack said as he jumped out of the car. “Wait, so I can help you.” He crossed to her side of the car and helped her out. Once he had closed the door, he handed her his keys picked her up.
“Jack!” She squealed. “This isn’t really necessary.”
“So, humour me,” he replied with a grin.
He carried her up to the front door where she noticed a note wedged near the handle. “There’s a note here,” she said, grabbing it before unlocking the door.
“What’s it say?” he asked, pushing the door open.
She opened it up and started reading. “Jack. Called in to see you but you weren’t home. I’ll call back later. Sara.” Sam looked at the note and couldn’t help the twinge of jealousy she felt. After all, why would his ex-wife be calling around to see him?
“Oh, I forgot. She was calling around to drop off those photo’s of Charlie I wanted to borrow,” he said, as if he’d read her thoughts. “Guess I had more important things on my mind,” he finished as he planted a kiss on her hair. She smiled at him, silently chastising herself for being so insecure.
“Come on, lets get you into bed.”
“Oooh, Jack, thought you’d never ask,” she giggled, raising an eyebrow suggestively.
“Behave yourself, Major,” he mock scolded.
He carried her up to the bedroom and placed her gently on the bed. “Do you want some pyjamas or are you alright in your sweats and T-shirt?”
“This is fine. I can’t be bothered getting changed.” She pulled back the covers and slid between the sheets.
Jack pulled the covers over her and sat down on the bed. “Is there anything you want?” he asked, fingers running through her hair.
“No, I’m okay. I might just sleep for a while.”
He smiled gently at her, before leaning over and kissing her on the forehead. “Alright. I’ll be down stairs, so yell if you need anything.” She nodded and closed her eyes.
“Love you,” he said as he rose from the bed.
“Love you too,” she replied with a smile.
*****
Sam woke up when she heard voices coming from down stairs. She gingerly got out of bed and headed for the staircase. Listening carefully, she headed down the steps, trying to figure out who the visitor was. So intent on recognising the voice, she didn’t see Jack’s boot laying on the floor near the table and tripped.
“Ah, shit!” Jack and Sara heard as they sat, drinking coffee in the kitchen.
“Sam?” He called, racing out to the living room. He saw her leaning against the table, holding her stomach. She looked across at him and saw Sara standing behind him. “What in the hell are you trying to do? You’re supposed to be resting!” He scolded, helping her to the sofa.
“I woke up and heard you talking to someone. Ahh,” she gasped as she sat down.
“Yeah, Sara’s here. Now lie back so I can check your stitches. You know, Janet will kill me if you pop one.” He looked at her face and saw that she was very pale. “Are you okay?” He asked with concern.
“Yeah,” she replied quietly, smiling to reassure him.
“Now *stay* there while I get a new dressing.”
Jack went upstairs and Sara came and sat in the chair opposite Sam. An awkward silence fell over the room. “Are you sure you’re okay? You look very pale,” Sara asked finally.
“Yeah, just hurt a bit when I tripped over Jack’s boot,” she replied, smiling as proof.
“So he still leaves things lying around everywhere, making you have to watch where you’re walking at all times, huh?”
Sam chuckled. “Yeah. I learned that one real quick.”
“Learned what?” Jack asked, hurrying back down the stairs.
“That you’re a slob,” Sam replied with a grin.
“I am *not* slob, thank you!” He replied feigning hurt.
He turned serious, concentrating on Sam’s wound. “Okay, you ready?” He asked, preparing to rip off the old dressing. Sam nodded and gritted her teeth. With one swift pull, the dressing was off and the pink wound was exposed.
“My God!” Sarah breathed.
Both Jack and Sam looked across at her. “It’s not as bad as it looks,” Sam tried to reassure her. “My doctor says it’s healing nicely.”
“And thankfully, you haven’t done any more damage,” Jack said as he put a clean dressing over it.
He sat back on his heels and looked at her closely. She was still too pale for his liking. “Are you sure you’re okay, angel? I could call Janet and get her to come...”
She placed a finger on his lips, silencing him. “I’m fine, honest.”
He smiled, running a hand through her hair. “Come on, let’s get you back into bed.” He lifted her off the couch, realising she really wasn’t feeling well when she didn’t protest. “I’ll be back down in a minute,” he told Sara.
Placing Sam gently on her side of the bed, he tucked her in and sat down beside her. “Please take it easy, Sam. I don’t think my heart will take much more of you scaring me.”
She reached up, gently caressing his cheek. “I’m sorry, Jack. I’m sorry for scaring you.”
He leant down to kiss her. “Just don’t do it again.”
“I promise,” she returned, her eyes starting to close.
“Sleep well, angel,” Jack whispered, hearing her breathing deepen as she drifted off to sleep.
Jack walked back down to where Sara was, sitting on the sofa with a sigh. “Are you okay?” Sara asked him.
He nodded. “It’s just been a very long week.”
She nodded her understanding. “It must have been terrifying.”
“I have to admit, I was so scared that I was going to lose her.” He took a shaky breath. “All I could think was that a bullet was going to take away another person I love. I’m starting to think I’m cursed.”
Sara put a hand on his. “Jack, she’s okay now, and you *know* that this wasn’t your fault.”
“Yeah, I know,” he replied. “I swore I’d never let anyone get that close to me again.” He chuckled. “Guess I forgot to tell my heart that.”
She smiled. “Well it’s too late for that now. You’ve let someone in, and I don’t think you could back out now, even if you wanted to.”
“Not a chance in hell,” Jack agreed.
Sara nodded. “So, you know what you have to do?”
“What?”
She rose up from the chair. “You need to go upstairs and try to spend as much time as possible with her, because you and I both know how quickly we can lose the ones we love.”
Jack got up, following her to the door and seeing her off. When she’d driven away, Jack closed the door and made his way up to the bedroom. Sam was still sleeping peacefully, so he took his shoes off and carefully slid into bed beside her. He sighed. Just having her back home, asleep in their bed, made him feel so much better and he drifted off into sweet dreams of their wedding.
When Jack woke up several hours later, he was surprised to see Sam’s eyes open, staring at the ceiling. “Hey there,” he said quietly.
“Hey,” she replied. “Feel better now?” She asked with a smile.
“That’s supposed to be my line,” he returned, rolling on his side and propping his head up on his hand. He reached across to run his fingers through her hair. “Why aren’t you asleep?”
“I’m not tired anymore.”
“Are you feeling okay?” He felt her forehead, happy that she didn’t seem to have a raised temperature.
She nodded. “I’m okay. Has Sara gone?”
“Yeah. You’ve got me all to myself.”
“Good.”
She reached across to stroke his cheek, feeling the slight stubble beneath her fingers. “Stay here with me?”
“Love too,” Jack replied, taking her carefully into his arms. “Go back to sleep, angel.”
“I don’t feel like sleeping. Can’t you keep me entertained for a while?”
He refused to take the bait, instead moving back slightly to look at her.
“Well, we could go over some wedding plans, or...” He trailed off, taking a deep breath. “I could show you the pictures I got from Sara.”
Sam could see he was nervous and smiled to reassure him. “You know you don’t have to, Jack.”
He nodded. “I know, but I want you to know him, even if you’ll never get the chance to meet him.”
She smiled. “Then I’d love to hear about him.”
“Good,” Jack replied, getting up and hurrying down the stairs.
He returned a few minutes later, carrying a paper bag. Putting the bag on the bed, he helped Sam sit up more, placing a few pillows behind her so she was comfortable. Then, making himself comfortable beside her, he reached for the photos. Taking a deep breath, he pulled the first one out.
He smiled as he saw which one it was, passing it to Sam. “This was taken the day he was born,” he told her. Sam smiled at the small, scrunched up face of Charlie, held by his obviously proud father. She couldn’t get over how young and happy Jack looked. There was none of the pain that she often spotted on his features now.
She placed the photo in her lap and took the next one, in which Charlie was a few months older. She laughed as she saw him playing with the baseball glove, which was almost as big as the baby. “I see you started him young,” she quipped, making Jack chuckle.
“What can I say, he’s an O’Neill.” He smiled at the woman beside him. He was surprised at how easy it was to share his son with Sam. There was still the customary ache in his heart, but not the all consuming pain that he used to have.
They continued along the time-line of Charlie’s life, Jack explaining each photo as they went. All too soon, Jack was down to the last photo. He took it out of the bag and his breath caught in his throat. “Oh,” he whispered, looking at the photo he held.
“What’s wrong?” She asked.
“I... I didn’t realise this one was in there,” he choked.
Sam took the picture from his trembling hands, wondering why it upset him so much. It was a portrait of Charlie. He looked older then in the other photos. She looked across at him, seeing the tears falling freely down his cheeks. “Jack?” She questioned gently.
“It... it was his last school photo. He... brought it home, and Sara and I were looking at it when he...”
Sam took the sobbing man in her arms, her own eyes bright with tears. “I killed him,” he kept repeating, over and over.
“No you didn’t, Jack. You didn’t kill him,” she told him, rubbing his back.
“Yes I did. It was my gun. I should have hidden the key better. I just assumed that he’d never go near it. I’d told him how dangerous they were.” He buried his head in her shoulder. “I didn’t keep him safe, just like I didn’t keep you safe.”
She pushed him away from her so she could see his face. “Jack? What are you talking about? There was no way you could have stopped what happened to me. You *know* that.”
He sighed, the tears finally stopping. “I know,” he relented, realising how stupid it sounded, but feeling it all the same. “I feel cursed, Sam. A bullet took Charlie from me, and I nearly lost you in the same way.”
“But you didn’t lose me. You saved me. You kept me fighting, when it would have been easier to just give up.”
“But I...”
“No buts, Jack. *You* saved me.”
He looked at her for a long time before finally nodded. Sam could see in his eyes that he knew he wasn’t to blame for her getting hurt.
“Why is it that every time I feel like I’m in hell, you’re there to bring me back?”
“Because I love you,” she replied.
“Because you’re my angel,” he corrected moving to kiss her.
*****
You're my angel, you see me through.
Believe in me, I believe in you.
Oh, fill my heart from you're loving well.
You're my Angel.
Pick me up when, I'm feeling down.
When I stumble, on shaky ground.
Oh, you're my answer, when I can't tell.
You're my Angel.
Oh you take me up to heaven.
When you spread your loving wings.
When I am weary, and way behind.
When I am clearly, out of my mind.
Oh, when I find I'm in my own hell.
You're my angel.
Oh, you're my angel
*****
COMING SOON- Songbook Series 11: If I Should Fall Behind
Story Notes: Songbook Series 10: EMAIL: jez80@ozemail.com.au
SPOILERS: Cold Lazerus; small one for The Devil You Know
ARCHIVE: Sam and Jack and Heliopolis please.
AUTHOR'S NOTES: A huge thanks to my two beta gal's, Kes and Jenn! And to Sue for her medical input.
FEEDBACK: Very much appreciated and cherished.
Enjoy, and send feedback! (Please?)
Jez.
SPOILERS: Cold Lazerus; small one for The Devil You Know
ARCHIVE: Sam and Jack and Heliopolis please.
AUTHOR'S NOTES: A huge thanks to my two beta gal's, Kes and Jenn! And to Sue for her medical input.
FEEDBACK: Very much appreciated and cherished.
Enjoy, and send feedback! (Please?)
Jez.
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 ]