"Colonel O'Neill, enlighten us with one more SG-1 story, for old time's sake," someone yelled from the crowd that had congregated around him.
Jack adamantly shook his head in a negative. "Mmm... no. I think I've already told one too many stories tonight," he said, glancing over to where Daniel, Jonas and Teal'c stood. Jonas's slight blush, Daniel's furrowed brow and Teal'c's ever present raised eye-brow, spoke volumes.
"What are you going to do with all your free time, now that you're retired?" Jack turned towards the familiar voice. It was Sergeant 'I- can-fix-anything' Siler. Hell, everyone knew the man made Macgyver look like your ordinary fix-it man.
"I have no idea… probably some fishing - this retirement thing kind of snuck up on me," he said. "I haven't given it much thought. Besides, you haven't seen the last of me. I'll be back as a diplomat… which is kind of ironic, don't ya think?" Jack smiled, as their laughter and good-natured jeering filled the room. Holding up his hands to silence them, he commanded, "Okay, people, quiet down. I just want to say thanks, again, for the great send off. Now go, have some food - and that's an order."
Jack watched with a touch of sadness as they dispersed. He wasn't lying about the diplomat part - the General offered him the job after he turned in his resignation - but he also wasn't totally honest when he said he'd be back. He hadn't accepted the position... yet. He had something else to take care of first - something that meant more to him than life itself. That something just happened to be a tall, blonde-haired, blue-eyed wonder named Samantha.
Turning, he scanned the room for her. He had an overpowering urge to see her, to touch her, to tell her how he really felt. The memory of the time-loop came back and he smiled inwardly, reminiscing over the stolen kiss. But now, with the Regs out of the picture, he hoped they could possibly explore their very complicated relationship outside of military protocol. Just Jack and Sam.
"Where's Carter?" he asked Daniel, who, along with Jonas and Teal`c, remained by his side. He hadn't seen her since his farewell speech. He had, however, noticed the tears that pooled in her beautiful blue eyes when he mentioned how close the team had become, and how much he was going to miss working side by side with them. He praised her ability to lead and wished them all good luck in their continued fight to rid the universe of the threat posed by the Goa'uld. Their friendship meant the world to him, and for once in his life, he didn't hesitate to let them know it. There wasn't a dry eye in the place, including his own.
Jack noticed Daniel had suddenly found his boots quite interesting. Jonas, on the other hand, nervously looked about the room and Teal'c just stood there, with his brow raised in concern.
"What?" Jack demanded, perhaps a little too roughly.
"Teal'c, why don't we go and investigate the food table? I'm hungry," Jonas said quickly.
"I concur, Jonas Quinn. I feel the need for nourishment, also."
Jack watched as they both made a hasty retreat to the other side of the gate room, leaving him and Daniel alone. `Okay, this is 'so' not good.'
"Daniel? What's going on?" Jack eyed him suspiciously.
Daniel looked up at him with such sad eyes that Jack took a step back.
`Oh, man, this is worse than I thought.' "Oh, don't look at me like that," he all but hissed.
"Jack… she's upset. What can I say? We all are." Daniel looked down at his boots again.
"Damn it, Daniel, we've been over this." He ran his hand through his short hair, frustrated that he couldn't get through to him that it was over. His body wouldn`t let him do what needed to be done. "I'm too old… and tired. I just can't keep up with you guys anymore. You know that. Do you have any idea how hard that was for me to admit?"
"Real hard…"
"No, Daniel, it wasn't. Actually, it was one of the easiest confessions I've ever made. I realized, after almost getting us all killed on P3X something… something, I was no longer physically fit to be the head of SG-1. I can not and will not jeopardize the team's safety like that ever again. You`re going to have to give up on this, Daniel. I`m sorry, Space Monkey." Jack felt tears forming when he used Daniel's nickname. It had been a long time since he'd called him that. Thankfully, he was able to hold them back before he made a complete fool of himself.
"But, Jack…"
"No. No buts, no ifs. It's time, Daniel." He choked out the words. God, how he hated to disappoint him, especially since Daniel had only been back for six months.
"Oh, for cryin' out loud, I'll still be here. I'm seriously thinking about taking the General up on his offer, and you can still come to my place after a mission and hang out."
"Do you really mean that, Jack, or are you just saying it to make me feel better?"
"Of course I mean it. I said it, didn't I?" Jack paused for a minute, trying to think of a way to say what he wanted to say, without getting all mushy. "Look Daniel, I meant what I said about you guys being my family. I'm not abandoning you; I'm just retiring."
Daniel looked like he was going to cry, but he sneezed instead. "Sorry about that. Must be someone's perfume... or something," he said, sniffling.
"Yeah," Jack said, wiping his hand on his shirt. He had to admit he wasn't going to miss that part of Daniel. The man was always sneezing!
"Um... Jack, about Sam..."
Jack stared at Daniel, his eyes narrowing in on his. "Where is she, Daniel?"
Daniel's gaze led Jack right to her. She was up in the briefing room, looking out across the gate room, her arms folded in front of her. Jack felt a twinge of guilt that he'd never told her how he felt. This retirement stuff came up suddenly, and with all the loose ends and a mountain of paperwork, he hadn't had the chance to sit and talk to her one on one. She looked so lost.
Jack started to head across the room, toward the stairs that led to the briefing room. As he went to leave, he felt Daniel's hand on his arm, stopping him.
"Jack, we all know she's ready for the command of SG-1. There was never a doubt about that. It's just… she's not ready for you to leave, she… loves you." Jack noticed he whispered that last part.
"I know," was his soft reply. Jack gave him one last look and walked off toward the stairs.
____________
Sam stared out across the gate room. She sighed heavily. Her chest ached and she knew her eyes were probably red and swollen. `Damn, pull yourself together, Samantha.' She hated being weak and she really hated to cry. Wiping at her eyes angrily, she tried hard not to think about Jack. It didn't work. The emotional bond that they had with one another was... unbreakable, or so she thought. Now that he was really leaving, she wasn't so sure.
Over the years, there was an unspoken truth between them. She thought if something pulled one of them away from SG-1- whether it be a transfer or retirement - they would pursue their relationship.
He had been so wrapped up in finalizing his reports and such, that they haven't had the chance to sit down and discuss their personal feelings. What the future held for them wasn't so clear anymore.
Sighing, she realized that his retirement was for the best. His body had betrayed him one too many times and it had almost cost them their lives. She knew he couldn't live with that and he didn't expect them to. If he hadn't gone to the General, she would have.
Sam caught sight of Jack standing next to her team. Her team. It sounded weird. She knew she was ready; Jack had seen to that over the years. In his own way, he had trained her to take over when the time had come for him to stand down. That time was now here, and she didn't want to let him down.
She watched as Jonas and Teal'c made their way over to the food table.
`Jonas is probably hungry.' His appetite never ceased to amaze her.
What she noticed next didn't surprise her: Daniel with his head hung low. He was taking this as hard as she was. Raising his head, the sad look confirmed her suspicions.
When she saw Jack scan the room, she could tell he was looking for her. She felt her pulse quicken. When his eyes settled on hers, she knew it would be only a moment before he was up here. Now, her heart was slamming against her ribs in anticipation. Quickly, she wiped away what tears were left and steeled herself for the inevitable, which both scared and thrilled her to no end.
______________
Jack leaned against the wall outside of the briefing room. He knew what he had to do. He'd gone over this moment a million times since he'd tendered his resignation.
Heaving a sigh, he thought briefly about his relationship with Sara. Lord knows, it had never been this complicated. Granted, she hadn't been in the military and they hadn't had the Regs hanging precariously over their heads. But the love he felt for her was so... different than what he felt for Sam. He knew Sam - inside and out. They could share things that he and Sara never could have.
When he came home from Abydos and found that Sara had gone, he hadn't been surprised. Not one bit. The hell he put her through - always gone on some secret mission, never able to tell her where, and Charlie…
`Don't go there, Jack, not now.'
Shaking his head free of the memories, he straightened and gathered up what courage he had. He came across some of the nastiest beings this universe had to offer, but what he was about to do scared him more than anything he'd faced. He wasn't sure what her answer was going to be to the question he was about to ask, but he knew he had to ask her one more time.
`Here goes everything…'
He quietly opened the door and slipped into the room. Sam didn't turn around or acknowledge that she had even heard him, but he knew she was aware he had entered. Slowly, he walked up and stood next to her, mimicking her stance and looked out across the gate room.
Taking a deep breath, he bravely asked the familiar question. His voice was barely above a whisper.
"So, ya wanna go fishin'?"
___________
So, there it was. He was giving her one last chance, knowing full well that her answer could come back and haunt him. She knew it had to be hard for him - not knowing whether she would commit to a relationship beyond the friendship they felt for each other, or tell him no, as she had so many times in the past.
Sam realized their future was just a moment away, but there was one thing that kept running over and over in her mind. What a tragedy it would be, not to know what it would feel like waking up in his arms, after making love well into the night. She couldn't stand the not knowing any longer. The feelings had always been there, but now she needed something more. She murmured her answer.
"Yes."
____________
Jack let out the breath he'd been holding. `Yes, she said yes!' Slowly, he turned to see her looking at him with her swollen, red- rimmed eyes. She was so beautiful.
`How did I get so lucky?' He took a step towards her, as she did the same. They were now standing face to face. He wasn't sure what to do with his hands, as they were shaking so. He timidly reached out for her and placed them on her hips. As he pulled her closer, she slid her hands up his chest, resting them on his shoulders.
He stood there for a moment, relishing in the fact that they didn`t have to hide their feelings for one another anymore. Little by little, he slowly lowered his head, pausing slightly, before gently laying his lips on hers. It was a quick kiss, and as he pulled back, he could see the love that she held for him in her eyes. He couldn't help but smile.
____________
Sam grinned back and couldn`t help but think, that it was about time they had done this. She brought her hand up, cupped the back of his head and brought it down. She kissed him passionately, releasing the stressful frustration that had built up over the years. The lack of oxygen was the only thing that could make them stop.
Suddenly, Sam caught movement out of the corner of her eye. Everyone in the gate room was watching them. Some were jumping up and down and waving wildly.
Some were even stuffing money into Daniel's hands, down his shirt, and anywhere else on his body they could find that would hold money. Daniel looked up at them and shrugged his shoulders. It was a surprise to see Teal'c also handing over money. The Jaffa actually had a hint of a smile on his face. Jonas looked lost, but started to jump up and down like everyone else.
Sam giggled when she saw General Hammond hand her father some money. He was giving Jacob his patented glare, though his eyes were sparkling mischievously.
"I can't believe the General and my father had a bet on whether we would… well, you know," Sam stated, blushing.
Jack hugged her tight. "I guess Dad had faith in you after all. He knew you wouldn't break the Regs - not even for me."
"Oh, but I was close… so close," Sam said, giving him a quick kiss.
_____________
Jack stood there and pondered her confession. It was then, that it dawned on him - someone had to be the first to fall and it was only fitting that it was him. She belonged right where she was. The new CO of the best team the SGC had to offer.
The moment seemed so right, that he dared to say something he had wanted to say for a very, very long time.
"You know I love you… right?"
A mega-watt smile spread over Sam's face.
"I know… I love you too."
Jack kissed her again and this time they took their time to show just how much they really loved each other.
The End
Feedback, please. It encourages me to write more.
The First To Fall
Written by Terri Clark, Georga Middleman, and Pat Bunch Found on Terri Clark's Pain to Kill CD
I've had love and love's had me
I've been held and been set free
And I have lived enough to know
That you might stay or you might go
So here I am, one more time
Call me brave, call me blind
I'm gonna count to three
I'm gonna hold my breath
Try not to be afraid
Though it scares me half to death
I'm out here on a limb
Although I know that it might break
My heart is gonna want you anyway
And if this love has any chance at all
Someone's gotta be the first to fall
The rest is just a touch away
We'll make forever day by day
It'd be a shame to let this go
How sad to think we'd never know
How the morning light would fall on us
After we lay all night in love
I'm gonna count to three
I'm gonna hold my breath
Try not to be afraid
Though it scares me half to death
I'm out here on a limb
Although I know that it might break
My heart is gonna want you anyway
And if this love has any chance at all
Someone's gotta be the first to fall
So here I am, one more time
Call me brave, call me blind
I'm gonna count to three
I'm gonna hold my breath
Try not to be afraid
Though it scares me half to death
I'm out here on a limb
Although I know that it might break
My heart is gonna want you anyway
And if this love has any chance at all
Someone's gotta be the first to fall
Story Notes: SEASON: Future Story
WARNINGS: Language
STATUS: Complete
SPOILERS: Small one for Window Of Opportunity
ARCHIVED: Carterfic, Jackfic, Sam and Jack, Heliopolis, Gateworld any where else, just ask
AUTHOR'S NOTES: I heard a song and this kind of popped in my head… and stayed there. Hope you like it. Feedback welcomed. Thanks to Am, AngelQueen and Tricia for their beta skills. I thought they did a wonderful job. The lyrics to the song are at the end of the story. Feedback is appreciated.
WARNINGS: Language
STATUS: Complete
SPOILERS: Small one for Window Of Opportunity
ARCHIVED: Carterfic, Jackfic, Sam and Jack, Heliopolis, Gateworld any where else, just ask
AUTHOR'S NOTES: I heard a song and this kind of popped in my head… and stayed there. Hope you like it. Feedback welcomed. Thanks to Am, AngelQueen and Tricia for their beta skills. I thought they did a wonderful job. The lyrics to the song are at the end of the story. Feedback is appreciated.
DISCLAIMER: All publicly recognisable characters, settings, etc, are the property of their respective owners. Any original characters and plots are the property of the author. No money is being made from this work. No copyright infringement is intended. ... [ read more ]