'Right, I've got the heavily padded glasses case for Daniel, the book of sports rules for Teal'c, bath salts for Janet, paints for Cassie...what do I get the Colonel?' Sam thought as she wandered around the huge mall. She was fairly happy for the first time in ages. She loved Christmas, (although one very harassed friend had pointed out this was probably because she didn't have a husband and several small kids to cook for), and she actually quite liked wandering around the mall, with its gorgeous decorations. And what was more, she'd only thought about Simon once. And then not in a good way.
She'd fallen pretty heavily for him, but she was beginning to realise that what she'd felt was only the residue of her sixteen-year-old self. She was finally getting over him, and the only problem now was what to buy Sir.
"Jack, Jack, Jack, " she murmured to herself, absentmindedly, trying to fit his face to the various presents she'd seen. She continued to walk, but she was gazing at a display window, so she didn't see the woman opposite her until she literally walked into her.
"Oh God, I'm sorry!" she cried, bending down to help the woman pick up her packages. "I wasn't looking where I was going."
"That's okay, neither was I." the woman said as she stood up, and faced Sam.
"Mrs O'Neill?" Sam asked in surprise, as she recognized the woman's face.
"Are you always so formal?" Sara asked, smiling. Sam reminded her of a child bumping into her teacher. Sam didn't reply. Her gaze had travelled downwards, to Sara's noticeable bump of pregnancy. Sam swallowed sharply, and paled a little.
"I didn't realise...Sir didn't say...I mean, congratulations." she stammered, obviously disturbed, but whether at the pregnancy, or her not knowing about it, Sara couldn't say.
"Thanks." Sara replied smiling. "And Jack didn't tell you because it isn't his. And I'm not Mrs O'Neill any longer either."
"Oh!" Sam face cleared, and she smiled. "I'm sorry, I had no right to pry."
"Yes you did." Sara said. "You've got more right then most."
Sam just looked puzzled. Sara watched her. Jack still saw her, once in a while, they still talked. And everytime Sam's name came up, (although he rarely mentioned her to Sara), Jack's face would soften, he would smile a little, secretly, his eyes would light up. Sara had assumed the feeling was mutual, but judging by Sam's reaction....Sara decided, just this once, to interfere a little.
"Do you fancy a coffee?" she asked brightly. "I've been trudging around all day, and I could really use a break."
"Umm, okay." Sam replied, a little hesitant about being so friendly with Sir's ex-wife. She was sure he wouldn't object, but still, there seemed something wrong about it.
"Great!" Sara said, leading the way. "And call me Sara."
"I'm Sam."
"Yes, I know."
*****
They found a seat easily in the crowded coffee shop, as people moved to offer the pregnant lady a seat.
"So.." Sam said, unsure where to start the conversation.
"So..." Sara said with a smile. "Jack and I finally divorced six months ago."
"Oh, I didn't mean...." Sam said quickly.
"No, I know you didn't. But I think you should know, anyway."
Again Sam looked confused. "I'm not sure why.." she began to say.
"We decided to split up after the business with the Charlie thing. You know, that whole clone, weird stuff."
Sam remembered. She'd been the one that had told Jack where the clone had gone, and when he had chased after it, she had followed. She'd been there, she remembered meeting Sara, leading her out of harm's way, Jack leaving the woman he loved to Sam's care without a doubt. And she remembered Jack coming up to afterwards and saying, seriously for once, "Thank you."
"For what."
"For everything you just did for me."
"It's my job."
"I know. But you do so much more then your job. Thanks for looking after Sara for me."
And he had touched her lightly on the cheek, and left, leaving a very confused Captain standing there.
"I gave him a chance then, to come back to me." Sara said. "But he chose not to."
Sam's face crumpled in sympathy.
"He decided," Sara continued, "to go to you."
Sam suddenly realised where Sara was leading with all this, and she gave in to her first reaction...denial.
"Oh, no, you've got it wrong." She said quickly, her face flushing with embarrassment at the idea. "We're not...I mean..he's not..."
"Interested?" Sara finished for her. "You know, underneath all that bravado and flippancy, he's not the most confident person in the world. he's probably afraid you'd run away."
"There's regulations...."
"An easy excuse to hide behind. When's Jack ever obeyed regulations?"
"And he's really not interested in me that way. He told me how he loved you, and I really don't think he could love me that way."
"Oh?" Sara said, looking back to the days when she thought she was loved. It had been a happy, glorious time, full of joy....if you forgot the dark days, the arguments, the differences...the beginning.
"Yes. He told me how he loved you from afar, never saying anything, because he was afraid you would reject him. He said you had been friends for ages, but he had loved you all that time, but was afraid to tell you."
Sara stared in disbelief at Sam, trying to fit what she had just said into the facts of their marriage. It didn't work. Whoever Jack had been talking about, it wasn't her.
"Sam, we slept together the first day we met, at a party. I got pregnant. Jack had always wanted kids, he offered to marry me, I said yes. I'm not denying that there wasn't love in the marriage, because there was, a lot of it, but there was no helpless longing, or hidden desires. We were together from the moment we met, and we stayed together because of Charlie. And before me, Jack was a love'em and leave'em type, if you know what I mean."
Sam looked at Sara, unsure what to think. She had believed Jack when he told her of the time he had loved painfully, desperately afraid to speak, and she had believed in, and taken comfort in the fact that he had finally found his true love. Now what was she to think.
"You mean, Jack lied to me?"
"Oh, for crying out loud." Sara said sharply. "You know, Jack's always telling me how smart you are, but I'm beginning to wonder if his senses aren't a little bit clouded. It's you, you idiot. He's in love with you."
"No, not me....I'm just...I'm not..." Sam said, unable to believe what she'd heard. Sir, in love with her...it just wasn't right. It shook her, broke apart her comfortable safe world, changed everything.
"Sam...."
"Ladies."
Both women turned round in shock at the familiar insouciant voice.
"Jack!"
"Sir!" they said, simultaneously.
Jack stood there, looking battered, but pleased (and not a little bit gorgeous in that leather jacket, they both thought) and a little confused. "What were you two talking so intensely about?" he asked.
"Presents!" Sara cried, before Sam could say a word. "Sam was asking my advice on what to get you. She's a little bit stuck."
"Oh." Jack said, smiling, but still a little confused by this turn of events. "Nice of you to go to so much trouble Major." he continued, smiling at her. Sara saw the smile, and also smiled, significantly, at Sam. Sam shook her head back at Sara, vigorously.
"Well, I'll leave you two ladies to it." Jack said, preparing to leave.
"No, its okay, I'm going." Sara said, struggling to get up. Jack helped her up, and handed her her bags.
"Do you need a hand?" he asked. She smiled.
"Chivalrous as ever." she replied softly. "It's okay. This little one's daddy is picking us up soon. It was nice to get to know you Sam." she said, smiling at her. "Bye Jack."
"Let me know when the baby's born." he said.
"I will." She reached up to kiss him on the cheek. "Tell her." she whispered.
"I'll lose her." he whispered back.
Sara drew back, shaking her head at Jack. Then she left, and Jack sat down in her place.
"Presents?" he said to Sam. "What did she say?"
"You'll find out Christmas Day, Sir." she replied.
The 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 ]