Never Alone: Simply the Best!
Jack sighed heavily as he walked through the door of his apartment. It was way after two am and he was exhausted and relieved to be home at last. Things sure had been hectic around the Pentagon lately and only a few days ago he'd been in Antarctica. The snow made him smile and remember his recent vacation in Minnesota with Sam. That had been a great trip, one of the best, despite all the downs, and possibly because of them. There's nothing like some downside to make the upside taste even better, and sweeter!
It was a couple of weeks since their vacation and Jack regretted he'd had so little time to speak to Sam on the phone during that time. He missed her. It was unlikely they would get to see each other before Christmas and that felt like too long to Jack, but he could be patient. She was coming to Washington for Christmas and they were spending Christmas Day on their own in Jack's apartment. He was so looking forward to that. No family, no friends, just Jack and Sam. What a Christmas Day that was going to be!
Of course it had been difficult to make a decision about their Christmas arrangements because there were competing possibilities. Sam's brother Mark and his family had asked Sam to spend Christmas there. That was when she'd told Mark about Jack so, reluctantly it seemed, Mark invited them both - a pretty scary notion as Jack knew that Mark wasn't exactly the Air Force's biggest fan, despite that he had reconciled with Jacob and Sam. He figured that Mark might want to give him the once over and put the family seal of approval (or not!) on their relationship.
Jack had never met Mark and his family and knew it had to happen sometime. Christmas might have been a good time, or possibly a bad one, given how family Christmases could be. Personally, he couldn't recall having had a decent Christmas until he'd moved to Minnesota; but not all families were like his own, thank the lord. Once in Minnesota, Jack's view of how a Christmas should be had totally changed. His grandparents had seen to that.
On the other hand, many of Jack's later Christmases had been spent with a group of guys at some Air Force base or the other, or even on a mission. Once he got married most Christmases with Sara, and later with her and Charlie, had been fine – if not damned great - with the odd stresses and strains he realised that many families associate with Christmas.
So, overall, Jack had mixed feelings about Christmas. He was relieved when Sam suggested they skip Christmas with her family and pay a visit to California at a later date. Clearly she had her own issues with a family Christmas, and no doubt she would reveal those to Jack eventually.
This made him realise that she knew quite a lot about his family and past while revealing little of her own. It was something he hoped would be rectified and, if she didn't offer, he might try probing a little, but not yet. He wondered what dark secrets Sam might have lurking in her closet. They couldn't be as dark as some of his, he refused to believe that was possible, but surely there had to be the odd skeleton or two. The notion was intriguing.
Sam's decision narrowed that list of Christmas possibilities but then there was Cassie. She almost took it for granted that she would spend Christmas with Sam, and maybe Jack too. Also there was Daniel and that small contingent of people they considered as family in Colorado Springs. So, for a while, the Springs was going to be their Christmas celebration location, and they figured the day itself might almost become a duplicate of the Thanksgiving they had all spent together. Neither Jack nor Sam had any objections to that, although Jack had the hidden aspiration to flout family traditions and spend that time alone with Sam.
Thus it was a bonus when Cassie cried off. She was regretful, tearful and filled with guilt when she called Sam to test out her reaction. Sam put her straight very quickly. Cassie had her own life and should live it. Actually, she was kind of happy for Cassie. As predicted, when Cassie returned to California after Thanksgiving, Chris had finally got around to asking her out. Cassie was ecstatic, go figure!
It seemed this romance had taken huge strides very quickly. Sam suspected Cassie and Chris were almost living together already, or at least living in each other's pockets. She had some concerns, of course, but Cassie's happiness was contagious.
It seemed that Cassie and Chris couldn't bear to be parted over Christmas and wanted to stay in California to spend it together, and with friends. Sam had invited Chris to come to the Springs, but their minds were made up. As Chris wasn't spending this Christmas with his own family, Cassie didn’t think it right if she pulled him away to spend it with hers. Besides, it was clear to Sam that Cassie liked this idea of how to spend her Christmas.
Fair enough, Sam couldn't blame her for that, but she hated the thought that Cassie might get hurt by this guy Chris and hoped that wouldn't happen. Although she knew that heartache was often an inevitable consequence of relationships at Cassie's age, it didn't stop her being concerned for Cassie. She decided that they should both meet this Chris guy as soon as possible. A trip to California sometime early in the New Year might be a good way of killing two birds with one stone and fulfil more than one family duty.
Jack concurred. His fatherly concern for Cassie was obvious, although he was pleased she'd "gotten her man" as she had wanted. Initially, his reaction was a little on the protective side, but he'd come around to the idea and sent Cassie a text telling her to enjoy herself and promising to type up his, so far mentally held, Jack O'Neill Handbook and e-mail her a copy.
This elicited a returned text :-) and LOL from his adopted 'daughter'. Cassie was thrilled to get the Jack O'Neill blessing. She wasn't sure he was serious about the handbook but thought it would be way cool if he were. In Cassie's mind she couldn't learn about some rules of life from a better person than Jack, although she'd already picked up a few from him along the way.
When it turned out that Daniel had his own secret plans, which the couple were curious about but he wasn't revealing, and Teal'c was planning to be off world, and then George was spending his time with his own family, it seemed they were left with just the pair of them. That suited Jack fine and fitted perfectly with his fantasy. It was Sam who had suggested she go to Washington, which was even more perfect. It meant there was way less likelihood of them getting disturbed on Christmas Day by unwanted callers.
Thus, their Christmas plans were set and Jack had been making his own plans within plans, determined to make this coming Christmas as huge and honkin' and happy as possible.
As he thought about Sam, Jack debated calling but it seemed a bit late, and he was tired, so he ambled slowly to his kitchen and poured a glass of water, gulping it down quickly and heading straight for bed. Jack didn't even bother to turn on the light, starting to strip off his uniform and hang it over the chair, desperate to slip in under the covers and sleep. As he was about to fulfil that wish, he started upon seeing the lumpy outline of a figure in his bed.
"Sam?" he enquired softly, turning on the bedside light.
It was her all right, short blonde hair framing her peaceful repose. He sat beside her sleeping form and simply stared. She wasn't meant to be there, but there she was. He smiled, warmed by her presence. It was good to see her, even if it was in sleep. Jack bent to kiss her forehead and she stirred.
"Jack?"
"Hey," he smiled, stroking her cheek gently.
"Hey," she squeezed his hand, "surprise."
"Sam," Jack pulled her into his arms, "it's a great surprise. I wasn't expecting… you know I'm up to my eyes…"
"I didn't want to regret not coming."
"Regret not coming?" he queried.
"I-I wanted to come. I wanted to see you."
"I'm glad you came."
"You looked tired Jack."
"I am."
"Then come to bed."
"I'll fall asleep," he said, yawning as if to emphasise the fact.
"That's the point."
"But you're here," he whined, like a child who didn't want to go to bed and miss anything. Sam smiled with amusement at his reaction.
"It's gone two am," she said. "Come to bed, Jack. Come and cuddle me."
She pulled back the bedcovers, opening her arms to him, and he gladly got in beside her and allowed her to wrap him in them.
"Sam, I'm not gonna be here much…"
"I know. It doesn't matter. If this is as much as I get it's better than nothing."
"A phone call would have been cheaper," he quipped and she grinned.
"I got a hop, but that's not the point. You can't hold me in your arms over the phone. I can't look into your eyes, or smell you, or kiss you. I've missed you."
"Me too. To go from all that time together each day straight to nothing; that's tough."
"Yes, it is. And that was quite some week."
"You betchya."
"Do you wanna turn the light out?" she asked.
"Can't I just kind of look at my best girl dreamily for a while?" he responded and Sam smiled.
"Jack you're such a sap."
"Yeah, but who'd know?"
"I would."
"You I don't mind knowing," he said, smiling in a shy Jack O'Neillish kind of way.
They held each other silently, not feeling any need for words, eventually falling asleep with the light still on. Some time during that early morning, Jack woke up briefly and stared at Sam for a while with a wistful smile on his face before turning it off again and settling down for more sleep. He felt at peace in her arms and was happy she was there with him. He considered it one of the best surprises of his life and adored her for it.
*****************************
All eyes turned to Sam when she walked into Jack's office in The Pentagon. As she wasn't there on business Sam wasn't wearing a uniform and she looked hot in her short black skirt and blue blouse. It was simple, but effective, and she hoped for Jack's sake that it would get tongues wagging again and do something for his reputation. She knew he would so love that.
"Is the General free?" she asked.
"He's got someone in there with him at the moment, Colonel Carter, but he shouldn't be long. Do you want to wait?"
"Sure."
"Should I tell him you're here? Is he expecting you?"
"No and no, thanks," Sam smiled. "Don't disturb him if he's busy. I just dropped by to see if he could do lunch, but I know he's got a lot on right now."
Ten minutes later Jack came out, shaking the hand of whomever he had been meeting, and spotted Sam. His face lit up with a huge smile. Another wonderful surprise. It wasn't every day he got such a welcome visitor.
"Sam, what…?"
"Any time for lunch?" she asked and he looked at his watch, shaking his wrist and then looking again as if that action might have created more time in his busy schedule. Sam suppressed a giggle, fondly recalling Jack's apparent obsession with scrutinising his watch on many of their missions.
"Ummm… not a lot, actually…" he replied regretfully.
"Not even for a personal delivery?" she smiled, holding up a bag and wafting it in front of his eyes and nose. He sniffed and his grin broadened.
"Mmmm… smells good. You've found a decent bakery."
"Absolutely. Bagel?"
"Come into my parlour, Sam," he said, closing the door behind them. He was delighted she had brought lunch. No doubt she'd realised he wasn't going to get enough time to go out. "You are the best," he added, "Bagels and…?"
"Take a look," she said, handing him the bag.
"First things first." Taking the bag he placed it on his desk and pulled her into a kiss. "You are full of surprises. Trying to grab as many minutes in my company as possible, Dorothy?" he jested.
"Yeahsureyabetchya, Mr Scarecrow."
"Sweet!"
As they ate they didn't talk about anything of much significance, simply easy banter, which they both loved as they had never been sure it could be like that so easily between them. In the past they had had their moments, but there had also been many uneasy and self-conscious ones. These latter moments were increasingly rare and these days their silences were generally comfortable, companionable and loving ones.
"Cassie called me earlier. She sends you her love," Sam told him.
"What did she have to say for herself?" he enquired curiously.
"She rambled on about that Chris guy for a while," Jack raised his eyes to the heavens at those words, and smiled.
"She's in love?" he asked.
"Seems that way."
"The guy had better not break her heart or I'll be paying him a visit."
"Jack!"
"Well, you know…" he shrugged, "just a few fatherly concerns, Sam. She's got no one else looking out for her anymore."
"Feel you need to do your duty, General O'Neill?"
"More than a duty, Sam. I love her to bits, you know that. I just want to protect her is all."
"I'm sure she'd be delighted to hear you say so, Jack, but you want to protect everyone. It's in your nature."
"Ya think?"
Instead of replying verbally, Sam simply leaned over and kissed him briefly on the cheek and Jack smiled shyly, looking faintly embarrassed.
"Well, Cassie more than most," he declared. "So, anything interesting apart from Chris?"
"Oh, some crazy sounding arts project at UCLA's Hammer Museum. Something to do with astrophysics."
"Yeah? I thought I said interesting." Sam glared at him and, seeing that look of chastisement, he continued quickly, "Okay, I'll ask: an arts project to do with astrophysics?" He faked a gigantic yawn and Sam smiled, but carried on regardless.
"It sounds a little nuts, although Cassie said it was fascinating."
"What is it?" Jack asked, continuing to play along, and Sam loved him for it. He'd probably wanted to switch off at the first mention of the word astrophysics.
"Some German artist or the other who creates models of the cosmos and illustrates the principles of astrophysics using discarded stuff like wood, neon light tubes, dustbusters, carpet remnants, that kind of thing." Sam was guessing how Jack would react to that, and she was right.
"The cosmos made with dustbusters and neon lights? What the hell is wrong with people on this planet, for crying out loud?"
"Weird, I know, but interesting though."
"To an astrophysicist maybe." Jack rolled his eyes scornfully and Sam slapped his arm in jest. "Or an artist. But does it mean anything? I never have understood all that modern art stuff…"
"Who does?" Sam smirked.
"…or astrophysicists for that matter," he continued as if she hadn’t spoken, returning her smirk, "although I guess some folks must or what's the point? You're not a fan either? Of modern art, that is, of course." He winked at her in a slightly mocking manner and Sam grinned.
"Not particulary,"she replied, "but I've never really made time to think about it. I might find that particular project interesting. Cassie was enthralled."
"Sheesh! Younger generation. Shouldn't she be doing something better with her time? Getting an education for example?" Sam laughed and Jack looked pained. "Hey, I'm not kidding!"
"I know, Jack. Maybe she's learning something too."
"Sure. How to make crap out of dustbusters!"
"Man, you are so cynical sometimes."
"You're kidding, right?" Although he said it with a straight face, Sam could see the edges of Jack's mouth turning up as he tried to resist a smile.
"And you're ridiculing me," Sam declared.
"Not you. Cassie. Oh, and this artist, whoever he is."
"She'd be deeply hurt."
"No she wouldn't. She knows me."
Sam chose to ignore that and continued to relate what Cassie had said to her.
"Well, she says that the artist wants to subvert the expectations of precise scientific models and question scientific theories as they develop within popular culture."
"Sounds like something from the catalogue."
"Maybe she was reading it from a catalogue."
"I thought she was learning about science, not learning to subvert it."
"A little bit of subversion can do wonders, Jack. We've done quite a lot of that ourselves over the years."
"So we have," he agreed with a small smile and Sam reached out her hand and grasped his, her eyes glistening with merriment.
"You haven't been teasing me have you?" he asked with suspiciously narrowed eyes.
"No, really I haven't. Cassie says there's a couple of pictures on the Hammer website. It's all true."
"What is this hammer thing anyway?"
"An art gallery. It's attached to the UCLA."
"Oh. Totally enthralling, I'm sure."
"No suppressing your joy, is there?" she said sarcastically and they both chuckled.
Jack squeezed her hand affectionately, disappointed that this memorable moment of eating lunch in his office with Sam and exchanging inane and playful chit-chat would be so brief. It would, however, definitely be memorable. He pulled her hand to his lips, kissing it and meeting her eyes.
"I'm so pleased you came," he said, "It made my day; my whole weekend actually."
"Despite that I used the word astrophysics more than once in a conversation?" he nodded with a grin, "Mine too," she agreed.
"Whatchya doing later?" he asked curiously, wondering how she was going to fill in her time while he was slogging away in the office.
"I'm hoping Betsy might be free for coffee, and then I might hang out here for a while, catch up with some folks, I'm not sure. After that I'll go back to your apartment and wait for you."
"I might be late."
"I know."
"I'll try to get away."
"Don't worry if you can't, Jack. I can deal," she beamed. "You've got important work to do, General O'Neill. Way more important than me."
"Ya think? Somehow I seriously doubt that."
He gave her a hug goodbye and showed her out, scurrying off to another meeting, and Sam called Betsy.
*
"Any time for a coffee?" she asked her friend.
"I'll make time. Sam, It's great to hear your voice."
"Meet me in 5?"
"Make it 30? Sorry, I just need to finish up something."
"Okay. 30."
The two friends eventually caught up with each other 45 minutes later and Betsy was breathless and apologetic when she arrived. They exchanged some idle chatter, catching up on the latest with Betsy's husband and family, but Betsy was curious about Jack.
"So when did you get up here, how long are you staying and has he asked you to marry him yet?" Betsy sneered good-humouredly and Sam snorted, rolling her eyes.
"I arrived last night. I'm not even staying the whole weekend. I have to fly back early Sunday morning. And no he hasn't."
"He hasn't? The guy really ought to get on with it. What's keeping him?"
"Betsy!"
"Oh come on Sam. You know you want him to ask." Sam didn't respond to her friend's jibe so Betsy asked, "You're only here until Sunday?"
"Work, work, work. And Jack's up to his elbows in it too. I was asleep when he came in late last night, or I should say early this morning. I doubt I'll see much of him," Sam sighed regretfully.
"He's working over the weekend?"
"Probably."
"And today's Friday. You came all the way up to Washington to see him and you're hardly going to get to see him? Girl, you've got it bad."
"Yes I have, Betsy," Sam sighed. "God, I so hate this. I hate that we don't get to see each other like a normal couple should. We had a great vacation together and then… nothing. I just had to come. I missed him so much. Am I a fool?"
"No, just in love, and that's a good thing Sam, isn't it?"
"Both wonderful and awful. While we were on vacation, I learned so much about him that I didn't know before. After all those years…"
"Is that the awful?"
"No, not really. The awful is wanting to spend more time with him and not being able to. The awful is that gnawing feeling in the pit of my stomach when I think about him and he isn't there. Sure, I learned some things about him that were pretty awful, but it brought us closer together. Perversely, perhaps, but true. No matter what, I still love him. I know he respects, trusts and loves me and that's some of the wonderful. Along with that gnawing feeling in the pit of my stomach whenever I see him." Both women laughed at that comment. Love could be so hellishly circular.
"Damned if you do and damned if you don't. Isn't that the way of love?"
"I don't know, is it? I've never felt anything like this before. I thought I had been in love but this… I'm coming up to 40 years old and I never even knew feelings like this existed. What sort of life have I led? Pretty dull, if you ask me."
"Dull? I don't believe that for one minute. Sam, you have done so much that you really wanted to. You've had your career and that's important to you. Now you've found that other thing you always wanted. Better to have found it now than not at all."
"True."
"Anyway, what about that Pete guy you were engaged to? And what about Jonas?"
"I must have been nuts to even consider marrying either one of them. I loved them in my own way, I guess. I have to believe that. Poor Pete. He could never compete with Jack. It was wrong and, worse, it hurt Jack."
"You couldn't stay a hermit waiting for Jack O'Neill to stop being your CO."
"Betsy, I should have done something about it. I should have got myself removed from his chain of command. I should have done that a very long time ago."
"Do you really regret not doing it?"
"Sometimes… but mainly I guess not. I loved working under his command, I loved the job, and I loved my team. Only problem was that I loved him when I shouldn't have. But I saw him more then than I do now. That's so frustrating!"
"In a totally different way, Sam. Don't tell me that you wish you could go back to that!"
"No, of course not!"
"Ladies, mind if I join you?" a voice broke into their conversation. The women hadn't noticed him sneak up on them. Sam's heart skipped a beat. It was Jack. She looked up and smiled.
"Jack? I thought you were busy."
"I am, but my meeting finished early and a guy can take a coffee break, can't he? A little bird told me you were in here. You must be Betsy," he said, turning on the full charm smile, "I've seen you around. Sam's mentioned you. I'm Jack O'Neill."
"General O'Neill."
"Oh puleeze… let's not have all that crap. You're a friend of Sam's, and I'm not your CO. Call me Jack."
"J-Jack," Betsy stammered and Sam suppressed her amusement at her friend's flustered reaction. Jack was hot, no denying it. "Pleased to meet you. Perhaps I'd better leave…"
"Don't leave on my account. In fact I order you not to leave, Major. I came here to meet you, and sneak in a little Sam time of course." He took Sam's hand in his and kissed it gently, holding onto it and caressing her knuckles with his thumb. "Having a good gossip ladies?" His eyebrows emphasised the question by wandering to the ceiling, leaving his eyes staring directly into Sam's.
"A good gossip about you Jack," Sam confessed, heart thudding silently at his touch.
"Little old me? I'm flattered. I'm really not all that interesting," Jack grinned lopsidedly and Sam laughed.
"Wanna bet?" she said.
"I hope she's been complimentary about me Betsy." He looked over into Betsy's eyes and she melted a little.
"N-nothing but good things, G-Jack."
"In that case she's being way too kind," he chuckled.
"I'm sure that isn't true," Betsy replied. "You know, every time I see you around I feel sure we've met before."
Sam's eyes widened and she kicked Betsy under the table. Her friend merely smiled innocently. Sam was clearly going to go nuts if she spilled the beans about their teenage encounter with Jack O'Neill with two lls, but Betsy hadn't been able to resist the opportunity to wind Sam up.
"Really? I'm sure I would have remembered," said Jack, "Any clues as to where?"
"Not really but I've been around the Air Force all my life so it could have been anywhere."
"Of course, you're an Air Force brat like Sam."
"Brat?" Sam said with mock annoyance, "We are not brats, are we Betsy?"
Sam was relieved that Betsy hadn't revealed her secret but was horrified by Betsy's next words.
"Oh, I don't know, I can remember a few times…"
"None of which will be related now," Sam interrupted, speaking through gritted teeth.
"But I'll take a rain check," Jack winked at Betsy.
"When hell freezes over," Sam countered.
"Well, Sam, that makes me kinda curious…" Jack teased.
"You want my life story Jack?"
"I told you mine. Quid pro quo? Ever heard of it my honey bunch?" he quipped with a sarcastic tone.
"Are you making fun of me, General O'Neill?"
"As if…"
"Your history is so much more interesting than mine, Jack."
"But I don't know that if you don't tell me," he smirked.
Betsy was suddenly feeling a little out of the loop but smiled to herself. These two were so clearly in love you could almost touch it. She was happy for Sam although wasn't surprised that her friend didn't want Jack to know she had mooned over him for months on end.
After their original encounter, Sam had snuck around the base trying to catch glimpses of Captain Jack O'Neill as often as possible, dragging Betsy along with her. They managed to secret themselves into the most ridiculous places so Sam could swoon over him. She was heartbroken when he shipped out. Apart from on one occasion, she had never seen him again until they met each other at the SGC.
Quite a few years after their original meeting, Sam had once glimpsed him in a park and was totally stunned by that sudden appearance. She was considering whether she should try to initiate some sort of conversation with him when she realised he was with a woman and child. His wife and son no doubt. She watched them for a while and they seemed so happy. Later she had called Betsy to tell her about it, which of course is the only reason Betsy knew.
Betsy had been astounded that Sam even remembered the man she'd had a crush on all those years previously. Now, as she watched Sam and Jack looking so happy together, she was wondering about fate and kismet. Life could be pretty strange sometimes. If someone wrote this in a book its readers would think it ridiculous.
A beeping noise came from Jack's pocket and he raised his eyes to the heavens.
"No rest for the wicked. Sorry, gotta run," he said, "I asked to be beeped if they needed me. Seems they do. Sam, see you later. I'll get home as early as I can but don’t wait up, honey. Ummm… pleased to have met you at last Betsy." With those words he pecked Sam on the lips and retreated.
On his way out he had to manoeuvre close to a table at which two women sat gossiping, much like Sam and Betsy were. As he approached they were whispering, but his very sharp ears could hear them quite plainly.
"Oh, he's such a hunk, isn't he?" one of them said.
"General Jack O'Neill," the other one sighed, "gotta be one of the hottest Generals in this place, that for sure."
"That blonde must be his wife, I guess. They're SO Cute Together! Don't you think so?"
"Way cute. Lucky woman. I wouldn't kick him out of bed, if you know what I mean."
"Stand in line, Jenny! But it looks to me like he's besotted with her so I don't think either of us would have any luck on that score."
"Mores the pity. I've heard he's a really cool guy, for a General."
Jack glared at them in a way he hoped was a stern Generalish face and they looked mortified and fell silent. Once he'd passed he allowed a small smile reach his lips and felt an all round sense of satisfaction. Cool? Hunk? Hot? Cute together? Wife? It was music to the ears of that particular General. Once he'd passed he strained his ears to hear more.
"Oh my god he heard us, how embarrassing!"
"Must have good ears."
"Looks to me like he might have good everything!"
The two women tittered and Jack smirked with delight. Their exchange was a huge boost to his ego and it pleased Jack that people thought he and Sam seemed like a cute couple. Maybe his concerns about the age gap were groundless after all. He'd often pondered how they looked together and whether he appeared like an old man with a woman who was way too young for him. Apparently not, even though, to his eyes, Sam looked pretty young while he looked, and often felt, damned old.
It looked like his reputation was doing okay – more than okay. Jack's smirk broadened at the notion.
Meanwhile, Sam was smiling at his retreating back and then turned to glare at her friend.
"Betsy Sheridan, you nearly told!"
"I was never gonna tell. I just wanted to see how you'd react."
"Some friend you are."
"You should tell him."
"One day I will, but not yet, okay?"
"Okay. I'm so happy for you Sam. He's nuts about you."
"You think?"
"Well you know he is."
"Yeah, I do believe he is," she grinned to herself and added, "Did I happen to mention he's really hot in bed?"
"You most certainly did not but I can't say I'm surprised. He's pretty hot full stop. That smile is meltingly wow!"
"Mmmm…" Sam smiled dreamily.
"You shouldn't be thinking things like that inside these hallowed walls, Sam. This is The Pentagon, you know." She emphasised the words The Pentagon by making quote signs in the air, which reminded Sam of Jack.
"Can't help myself," Sam tittered, "I sure hope he's not too tired when he gets back to the apartment tonight." She waggled her eyebrows suggestively.
"Samantha Carter, hush your mouth!" Sam laughed at Betsy's feigned shock. "Oh, sigh and swoon. I envy you."
"Betsy Sheridan, you have a perfectly wonderful man all of your own."
"You are so right about that. The sexy Jack O'Neill somehow made that fact slip right out of this little brain of mine," she grinned, "Oh my, is that the time?" she added, looking at her watch in horror. "Sorry, Sam, I have to go back to work,"
"No problem. That is one thing I really understand."
"Take good care of that man of yours. He's a keeper."
Sam watched Betsy disappear with a smile on her face. Her friend was right; Jack was a keeper, although it wasn't like she hadn't had a few doubts on and off since he'd revealed that rape incident to her. She hadn't lied when she told Jack she trusted him completely, or that she knew him better than that. On the other hand, a man can't tell you that kind of thing and then you simply forget all about it.
Nevertheless, he was a keeper and keep him is exactly what she intended to do, if at all humanly possible. Somehow Sam knew it was not only possible, but also very probable and, bottom line, she wanted Jack: to be with him, to love him and to be loved by him.
Wondering what to do with the rest of her day, Sam changed her mind about hanging around The Pentagon for a while and decided to go shopping. Sexy underwear. Shoes. Just what the doctor ordered. No matter what time Jack got back that night, she was determined to be ready and waiting.
*****************************
Sam entered the apartment and flopped onto the couch. Phew, that had been some shopping trip. Now for a bit of pampering.
As the bath ran, she looked for the take-out menus Jack said he left in a draw in the living room. Getting take-out seemed like a plan. Then, if Jack came back before she starved to death, they could heat it up and eat together; if not she would eat alone.
Rummaging through the draw her eyes alighted on a note pad and, seeing her name written in huge letters, she took it out for a closer look. It appeared that Jack had been doodling, probably absent-mindedly, while he was on the phone as there was a phone number written on the pad too. Her name had been written repeatedly, the kind of thing a teenager with a crush might do, and she smiled. Jack could be such a big softie. He could also be a very dangerous man. It was all very paradoxical, but so exciting!
She perused the take-out menus and picked two to decide between later on, putting the rest back in the draw along with the note pad. Then she wandered into the kitchen looking for the candles Jack kept there, lighting up the bathroom with them, and trawled through Jack's CDs trying to find some suitable music to bathe to.
Sinking into the bubbles appreciatively, the hot water and steam made doubly soothing by the flickering candlelight, she thought about Jack. When wasn't she thinking about him these days? Sometimes she wondered, but thinking about him right then and there in the luxuriant hot water seemed like an excellent plan. If she couldn't be with him, she could pretend.
Their vacation had been a hotchpotch of good and bad, mostly good. Jack stories about his childhood had both illuminated and shocked, as had some of the other things he'd revealed. They had also thrilled. Jack opening up to her like that meant so much and she realised it couldn't have been easy for him. He would never have revealed much of that to anyone, friend or close colleague, and she felt privileged that he had done so with her. It was way more than merely significant.
Thoughts of his earlier childhood disturbed her considerably. She conjured a vision of a large overbearing drunken bully taking a belt to Jack, punching and kicking him, and then locking him in a dark cupboard, lonely and miserable for hours. It was a joyless vision. She tried to suppress the images of a village, blood, bodies and a young girl's terror. Jack was rightly ashamed of that incident, although he had done the right thing in the end, and paid a heavy price. But it was an important part of what made him the person he now was, and that person was a man worthy of admiration, respect and love.
Sam recognised that he'd revealed things that he had never wanted her to know and wondered how that made him feel. Did he worry that one day such revelations might bite him in the ass and destroy them? She sincerely hoped not, wishing for him to have the faith in her that she had in him.
Shaking herself, Sam cursed. Those were not the kind of thoughts she had anticipated having while bathing. She'd expected nice, sexy, sensual thoughts and she forced Jack's smile into her mind, imagining leaning in to kiss those lips.
Her imagination was running riot. She pulled back from the heart stopping smile to focus on Jack's face: those beautifully sculpted high cheekbones; the deep chocolate brown pools that formed his eyes; the cute dimple on his chin; the crease on his forehead that ran to the top of his nose, indicating his years of experience and possibly thoughtful frowning; the pink slash of a mouth that beckoned to be kissed; and the small scar in his eyebrow that Sam was often attracted to rub lovingly and soothe with her lips.
It was quite some face and one she had grown to know so intimately over the years, loving every line and curve. She imagined her fingers exploring it, followed by her mouth, until Jack's lips possessed hers and pulled her into one of his most passionate and sexually charged kisses.
She roamed to his neck, kissing along his tempting flesh, reaching the small mole in the left hand side and sucking gently, and then moving along his shoulder and gently biting the top of his arm gently. Sam groaned softly in her longing for it to be real, starting to run her hands over his masculine chest, tickling the now grey chest hairs with her fingertips, while in reality her hands started to roam over her own body as she fantasised.
Her thoughts turned to their wonderful sex lives, remembering recent acts of desire and fulfilment in Minnesota. Sam wasn't exactly inexperienced when it came to sex, but Jack was special. Both instinctively, and as a result of his well learned and practiced skill, he seemed to know exactly what she wanted and needed and his desire to please and satisfy her gave her so much pleasure that sometimes it seemed almost unreal. He was good at it, brilliant in fact. All her previous experience had not prepared her for what he could provide. Simply the best!
She seemed to please him too, which was gratifying. Sam had never been sure she could live up to what he wanted but he inspired her to try things she had never tried before, to experiment and innovate. She probably had never been a particularly wonderful lover, not necessarily bad, but not necessarily good either, just average. Until him.
Sam wanted and desired him more than any other man she had ever met and that meant she wanted to pleasure and satisfy him more than any other as well. Together, they were quite a pair when it came down to sex and Sam knew it.
These thoughts were taunting and teasing her and she was building up a yearning for him that was so acute it seemed like he was there in the bathroom with her. She heard him cough and started, opening her eyes. He really was there. Oh my god!
"Thinking about me were ya?" Jack smiled suggestively, amused by the blush rapidly appearing on Sam's face.
"As it happens I was. How long have you been standing there?" she croaked, embarrassed as hell by what he must surely have seen.
"Long enough to know what you were thinkin', and doing."
"Oh!" Her blush deepened.
"Don't be embarrassed, Sam. Surely we're beyond all of that now?"
He crouched by the side of the bath, and bent over to kiss her forehead gently and then allowed a hand to roam softly over her nakedness in the water. Taking the hand that he had seen her using to touch herself with, he lifted it to his lips.
"I'm here now," he commented, "you don't need to do that." His desire to take her in his arms and make love to her was overwhelming, "The water's getting cold. Time to get out of there, Dorothy. Can't have you melting, now, can we?"
He kissed her again and then pulled her out of the bath and into his arms, careless that she was wet and transferring that wetness to his dry clothing. She obeyed without comment, wanting and needing his warm body, and lovemaking, more than ever at this very moment.
She needed sex with him right now, and he knew it! Somehow, she no longer minded how he'd come about that knowledge and he swept her into the bedroom without bothering to let her dry off, urging her to lie on the bed, his mouth eagerly seeking to explore her naked skin. It was evident that Jack wanted her as much as she wanted him.
"Jack? Were you thinking about me?" she asked with a smile.
"All the way home, honey. God, you smell so good," he said wistfully, making love to her with enthusiastic eagerness.
"You came home earlier than I thought, " she said afterwards as they lay in each other's arms. "I was so gonna get myself looking all special for you Jack."
"You always look special to me."
Sam grinned and lightly ran her fingers along his arm.
"I bought special shoes and everything…"
"Special shoes?" Jack queried with a more than curious quirk of the eyebrow.
"Special sexy Jack O'Neill seduction type shoes."
"You were gonna seduce me in special shoes?" he beamed happily at the idea.
"You betchya," she responded with a cheeky grin.
"Shucks!"
"Another time."
"That is a definite yes! Anytime."
"Special underwear too."
"Gulp!" he exclaimed, "Can I see?"
"No you cannot, mister. You'll have to wait for the right time now."
"I'll go out and come back in again," he suggested jokingly.
"Ummm… there's a thought."
"I would hate you to waste them on anything less that the full seduction."
"Not up for seduction?"
"Wish I was. Maybe later."
"I could probably do something about that," she teased.
"I bet you could."
Jack smiled but she noted the exhaustion in his eyes and decided that the last thing he needed was any additional pressure or expectations. She hadn't come all the way to Washington to hassle him, or get in his way. She wanted him to relax in her company and simply… be Jack.
"But you're right, "she agreed, "maybe later. You hungry?"
"Not really. I'm too darned tired."
"I'm not hungry either. Let's just stay here for a while?"
"That would be good. Am I imagining it or do we spend way too much of our time in bed?"
"I wouldn't say that exactly. Besides, I like it in bed with you."
"That's something we have in common, then. Sweet!"
Sam giggled and gave him an affectionate squeeze.
"I'm so pleased you got away."
"Not sure I'm up to much. Now was so not a good time to come to Washington."
Sam was taken aback, wondering whether Jack was hinting that she shouldn't have come.
"Would you rather I hadn't come?" she asked tentatively, "I hoped…"
"No, Sam! I love that you came. I didn't mean… best surprise ever," he grinned happily, "I just wish I could spend more time with you is all, and I wish I wasn’t so damned tired."
"However little I see of you this weekend, I'll see more than I would if I hadn't come."
"Sam, you have no idea how great that makes me feel." Jack pecked her on the cheek and ran his fingers through her hair.
"Maybe not but I'm really glad I'm here, otherwise I wouldn't be able to do this."
She grasped the back of his head and pulled his face gently towards hers, kissing him lovingly and then resting him back down on the bed again.
"So you came here just for that?" he grinned.
"Well… what we just did was pretty good too, but I would have settled for just that."
"Man, are you easy to please!" he jested and Sam smirked.
"Not really. It's just that you have a knack of pleasing me."
Jack felt a small thrill run through him at her comment and moved closer, giving her an affectionate squeeze and nuzzling her neck. He fell silent and Sam cherished the regular sigh of his breathing on her skin, softly whispering his name and getting no response. She smiled, snuggling up closer to him and closing her eyes to join him in his obviously much-needed doze.
When Jack woke again an hour or so later, his sudden movement woke her too and he berated himself.
"Damn, I fell asleep!"
"S'okay. So did I," she replied.
"Sam, I'm an old has been who can't keep his eyes open anymore. What the hell do you see in my for crying out loud?"
"Lots of things Jack. Lots of great things."
"I wish I were younger. I wish…"
"Shhh. Don't Jack. If you were different then you wouldn't be you," she interrupted and he smiled contentedly at that comforting response.
"God, I love you Colonel Samantha Carter," he declared in a whisper.
"I make you happy?" she asked.
"Very."
Sam squeezed him gently, searching his eyes and seeing his exhaustion lift a little and the years roll back and make him appear younger again; plus something else. Desire?
"I love you too, General Jonathan O'Neill," she murmured.
"Yeah. Who'd have thunk?"
"Who indeed?" she replied with a tease in her voice, following it with a kiss that made Jack's heart palpitate. Then she got up, disappearing into the bathroom. When she reappeared she was wearing blue silk underwear, the color of darkening blue night skies. On her feet were a pair of high strappy sandals that matched exactly and Jack looked her over appraisingly, blowing out a low sighing breath.
"I got the idea you might have changed your mind," she said in a soft seductive tone. Her provocative smile lit her face, along with his heart and virtually other part of his body.
"Aren't you ever wrong about anything?" he grinned.
"Not much, no," she agreed with a sexy leer and sauntered towards him, swaying her hips suggestively, and starting her slow, teasing seduction. "Do you mind?"
Man, was this turning out to be another one of those weekends! Jack smiled, his fatigue fleeing with her gentle touch, and not minding one little bit. In fact, he loved every minute and sighed with a deep sense of satisfaction, feeling relaxed and refreshed. Samantha Carter sure was good medicine – the very best!
Story Notes: Sequel/Series Info: Sequel to Part 13: Never Alone: Where the Heart Is
Author’s Note: This week's fic (issued 11/26/05) challenge on the As the Stargate Turns Yahoo Group was to use the line "They're SO Cute Together!" and/or the word 'dustbuster'. This fic uses both and I must confess to being surprised that I found a way to use "dustbuster". Once again, this fic has not been beta read except with my own eyes, so apologies for any errors you might find.
Author’s Note: This week's fic (issued 11/26/05) challenge on the As the Stargate Turns Yahoo Group was to use the line "They're SO Cute Together!" and/or the word 'dustbuster'. This fic uses both and I must confess to being surprised that I found a way to use "dustbuster". Once again, this fic has not been beta read except with my own eyes, so apologies for any errors you might find.
End Notes: 1. The artist (Bjorn Dahlem) and the art project at the Hammer Museum that is mentioned in this story really do exist http://www.hammer.ucla.edu/index.htm
2. In Part 6 of this fic (Dancing Cheek to Cheek) I had Jack and Sam go for what sounded like a nice little walk in Anacostia Park and Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens in Washington DC. This was inspired by some Internet research I did as I have never been anywhere near Washington DC! But it is a salutary lesson to us all not to rely totally on Internet research as I have now learned that this area of Washington is not one of the safest parts of the city (which sounds like it might be putting it mildly). So apologies to you readers for that blunder. I won't correct the fic (no going back is what I say) but I will try to do better another time! Thanks to Livi for the information.
2. In Part 6 of this fic (Dancing Cheek to Cheek) I had Jack and Sam go for what sounded like a nice little walk in Anacostia Park and Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens in Washington DC. This was inspired by some Internet research I did as I have never been anywhere near Washington DC! But it is a salutary lesson to us all not to rely totally on Internet research as I have now learned that this area of Washington is not one of the safest parts of the city (which sounds like it might be putting it mildly). So apologies to you readers for that blunder. I won't correct the fic (no going back is what I say) but I will try to do better another time! Thanks to Livi for the information.
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 ]