samandjack.net

Story Notes: Authors Note: I think there was a challenge that Sam and Jack met as teens, this sort of meets it I guess. The poem I used is one of my personal favorites that my mom used to read to me. Thanks to the Poet's Corner cuz that's where I found it. Feedback is always appreciated.


The waves crashed against the white sand as she ran to the water's edge. She would be spending entire summer spent at Aunt Maggie's cottage on Lake Michigan. Samantha Carter sighed and sank onto the warm sand turning her face to the sun. Her father was being sent to Beirut and he said it was no place for her. She stared out at the water. It wasn't fair, she thought, for him to have to go away so soon after-

"Sammie, don't get to close to the water."

"Oh Daddy, I'm nearly fourteen. I can swim you know."

"Not alone young lady, the undertows can be pretty strong in this lake." Jacob Carter warned from the porch of the cottage. "Now get up here and give your old man a hug."

Sam ran across the beach and wrapped her arms around her father, "I'll miss you Daddy."

"Not as much as I'll miss you sweetie." Jacob hugged her tightly, cursing the orders that were sending him to the Middle East for three months. Sammie was growing up so fast, turning into a young lady in front of his eyes. He didn't want to leave her, but orders were orders. Maybe Maggie was what she needed right now, a woman, someone to take the place of her mother. "Go up and get unpacked, your Aunt Maggie is getting lunch together and I'll have to leave right after that."

Sam blinked back the tears that pooled in her eyes, she wished with all her heart that her dad could have spent the summer with her at the lake. Especially now, they should be together for this, the first summer without Mom. But he was an Air Force Captain and had a duty to his country.

"No tears Sammie. Remember?"

"Yes Daddy," she whispered as she ran up the stairs to her room.

"For god's sake Jake, she's a child, not one of your airmen." Maggie Sommars stood in the doorway wiping her hands with a towel. "You shouldn't teach her to bottle her emotions like that. It's not healthy."

"Says who? Some fancy shrink who sits in a office scribbling notes and putting all the blame on the parents?"

"Says me you idiot," she snapped the damp towel at him, "clearly the Irish genes in the family were mighty thin by the time they got to you."

"Mary Margaret you are so full of it. Sammie is a perfectly normal kid."

"That's the part of the problem Jake, you still think of her as a kid. She's not anymore. She's a teenager. Do you remember what it was like to be that young?"

Jake frowned at his cousin, "Yes I do, no boys, Maggie. She can't date until she's, oh, at least thirty."

"I'm serious Jacob."

"So I am Maggie. No boys."

Maggie threw her hands up in frustration, "Jake, dating is the least of Samantha's problems. Since her mother died she has closed herself off to every emotion, good and bad. It's not healthy. Your feud with Mark is not helping the situation any. She needs the two of you to be a family."

Before Jake could answer Sam came down the stairs, "My room is great Aunt Maggie. Thank you so much for letting me stay here while Dad's overseas."

"My pleasure Samantha, it'll be fun. There's plenty to keep you busy and the Dexter's next door have two daughters about your age. So you'll have a chance to make some friends."

"Dad, there's even a telescope on the deck, did you see it? I'll be able to study the sky whenever I want." She almost smiled, "I'll bet the stars are really bright over the water."

"Sure did kiddo. I bet you have the best summer ever." Jake was pleased to see his daughter smiling. "Maggie promise you'll take good care of my little girl."

"Oh Daddy."



****



Maggie was right, Sam made friends with the Dexter girls, Nancy and Sandy. Nancy was the oldest, she was seventeen and her sister was a two years younger. They accepted Sam into their circle of friends without hesitation. Their days were spent on or near the water. Much to Maggie's relief, Sam began to act more like a typical teen, loud music, bikinis and groups of giggling girls populated the cottage. She was still reticent about talking about her mother's accident, but at least she was smiling more.

Sandy taught Sam how to wind surf and the three of them often took the Dexter's small catamaran down the shoreline to the State Park. Which according to Sandy was the best place to meet guys. Sam found she was uncomfortable around the boys. She was smarter than most of them and that set her apart from the other girls. Sandy told her she had to pretend that they were smarter or no boy would ever want to date her. As if she wanted to date any of them, they were jerks, always showing off and trying to kiss her. Besides, she wasn't allowed to date, not until she was sixteen.

Most nights, the summer kids had a bonfire on the Dexter's beach and Aunt Maggie always insisted that Sam join her friends. She usually did, but left just as the gang started to splinter into couples. She had gotten pretty good at avoiding being asked to take that walk. Then Sam would sit on the deck and gazed at the stars dreaming about going to them., Unlike most kids her age she knew she wanted to do with her life, she knew that someday she would go to the stars. She'd never told anyone but her mother about her dreams. Mom had understood and had told her she could be whatever she wanted to be as long as it made her happy. When she looked at the night sky Sam sometimes pretended her mom was there looking down at her.

And so the summer passed. Sam wrote her father every other day and he tried to call at least once a month. She missed him, she even missed her brother who was working as a camp counselor, but was enjoying her life with her Aunt Maggie. Maggie encouraged Sam to pursue other interests and under her tutelage Sam learned to cook and garden. She hated cooking, but loved gardening.

They went shopping at the Farmer's Market and Maggie dragged Sam to every county fair and festival within driving distance. Sam found herself cheering at demolition derbies and admiring handicrafts all over the area. Maggie's other love was antiques and she and Sam spent hours scouring the countryside for pieces to decorate the cottage. Sam learned how to tell a fake from the genuine article and how to refinish furniture. Maggie taught her how to sew and together they made new curtains for Sam's bedroom.

Maggie even let Sam name the cottage after she'd noticed that most of the neighboring cottages had names. Summers Place. As the summer drew to a close Sam found herself not wanting to leave. She didn't want to move back to some base in the middle of nowhere. It would just be her and her Dad, Mark was going away to school. It would be lonely and she'd have to make new friends, again.



****

It was the Labor Day weekend. The last big party before everyone would be heading back to their real lives. Sam sat on the deck and watched the sailboats bobbing up and down in the choppy water. The day was gray and over cast, matching her mood. Tonight was the final bon fire and then the next day she'd be on her way to El Paso or wherever it was Dad had been stationed. She didn't really care, she wanted to stay here, but even Aunt Maggie was leaving, back to the private girls school where she taught.

"Manthers, hey Manthers." Sam grimaced at the sound of Sandy's voice and the use of the nickname Sandy had given her. She hated it, ever since Sandy had been dumped by Sam Johnson, she refused to call her Sam. "Hey Carter are you deaf?" Sandy bounded up the steps dropping beside her friend.

"Huh? No, just bummed," Sam dropped her chin on her knees, "this weather sucks. Are you going to cancel the bonfire?"

"Hell no," Sandy dropped onto the stairs beside Sam, "we never ever cancel the Labor Day bonfire. Hey get this. Tom's bringing some friend from school to the bonfire. Nance said they are really cute and-"

"Really old, at least older than us. College guys, at least twenty," Sam put in, "besides I thought you and Dennis Stickney were going steady."

"Oh that," Sandy waved a hand in the air, "it's over. Done. History. He was so immature."

Yeah, thought Sam, and you're not. "I'm sorry Sandy."

"Don't be, all he ever wanted was to do it."

"But you didn't did you?"

"Yes," Sandy answered quietly.

"You didn't!" Sam was shocked, she'd never known anyone who had actually done it. She and her friends had talked about doing it and what it was like to do it, but none of them had ever really done it. Sam had barely kissed any boys, well Todd Eldridge, but that didn't count.

"Yeah, well, once. It was messy, I didn't like it and it hurt," Sandy looked down at her feet, "a lot," she sniffed and wiped at the tears that threatened to fall.

"Oh Sandy," Sam impulsively hugged her friend, "did it really hurt?"

"Uh huh," Sandy nodded her head, "Carol said it doesn't hurt after the first time."

"Carol's done it too?"

"Yeah," Sandy looked at the younger girl. "Her and Doug. But they're engaged to be engaged when Doug graduates from high school so it's okay."

"Why is it okay?"

"Geez Sam, grow up, because they love each other." Sandy kicked at the sand, "'maybe it doesn't hurt if you're in love."

"Don't you love Dennis Sandy?" Sam's mom had talked to her about sex and about it being a natural part of life and something that should be shared with someone you love.

"I don't think so," Sandy answered, "but I don't care. I'm going to have fun tonight! What are you wearing?"

Sam was surprised by her friends quick change of mood, but that was Sandy, down one minute, up the next. Aunt Maggie called her a whirling dervish, whatever that was. "Uh, I, well, I haven't decided. Jeans I guess and a sweat shirt."

"No."

"No?"

Sandy jumped up yanking Sam to her feet, "Let's get really dressed up so we look older and then maybe we can meet some of those college boys. We can be someone else for the night. It'll be fun."

"Sandy I don't know-"



****



Sam stood off to one side and a bottle of beer in her hand. She felt silly and out of place. Sandy said she looked hot, Sam thought she looked stupid. Her hair was curled and sprayed and Sandy had put ton's of makeup on her and instead of jeans and a sweatshirt she was wearing slacks and a blouse. She glanced around and tugged at the slacks, way too tight slacks, she thought as she watched Sandy hanging on the arm of a tall blonde guy. Maybe she'd just sneak over to Summers Place and look at the stars. She tipped her head back and looked up eyes searching for a glimpse of them through the clouds.

"Hello there. What you looking at?"

Sam turned a looked at the young man who stood beside her, "Hello. The sky," she answered, her cheeks warming.

"Not much to look at, I'm David Thornsberry."

"S-Shannon."

He smiled at her, "Shannon what?"

"Just Shannon."

"Well just Shannon, are you from around here?"

"No." Sam took a sip of her beer, she was nervous, why she was always nervous around guys? He must be one of Tom's college friends, she thought, she'd never seen him before.

"Lady of few words huh? Me, I'm from Ohio. Near Dayton, but I'm going to school over at State. What about you?"

"I'm from here and there. We moved around a lot," Sam answered with a small smile, this wasn't so bad, pretending to be someone she wasn't. Maybe Sandy was right it was going to be fun, being someone else for the night.

"Where do you go?"

"Go?" Sam took another swallow of beer, "Oh school. I'll be leaving for El Paso in a few days." That wasn't a real lie, she thought, she was going to El Paso or somewhere like that.

"Warm clime huh? Sounds nice, I'm pre-med, how about you?"

"Physics."

"Wow, brains and beauty. I like that in a girl," David smiled and draped a arm over Sam's shoulder, "How 'bout another beer?"

Sam glanced down at the half empty bottle in her hand, "Sure, sounds good." She smiled up at him, man, she thought, my head feels funny.

"Be right back." David started across the sand for the coolers with a sly grin on his face, that one, he thought is already half in the bag and on her way to being his. He shot the thumbs up at his pals as he walked by. With a wink he grabbed four beers and headed back to the pretty blonde who was leaning against a piece of driftwood. "Here you go, uh, babe."

"Thanks." Sam sat down her empty and opened the beer, "Too bad it's overcast," she said, "if it was clear we could see more stars."

David grinned what an opening, "Maybe if we walk down the beach away from the fire we'll be able to see more. Less light."

Sam gazed up at him, he was kind of cute and very nice. Besides there were lots of people around, "Maybe," she answered with a smile.

"Hey, everything okay over here?"

Sam turned to see Nancy's boyfriend Tom walking toward them "Sure Tom, fine. Just talking about the stars."

"Cool. Nance wanted to make sure you were having fun."

"Tell her I am."

"Me too," David agreed, "Nice party Tom."

Tom glanced from David to Sam and then shrugged, "Don't monopolize her Dave. Join the rest of us." He said as he walked away.

"Sure, Tombo, in a minute." David answered grinning at Sam, "Should I be jealous?"

"Huh? No. Tom's crazy about Nance." Sam leaned back against the driftwood. "Whoa," she muttered, she was really feeling the beer. She glanced at the man standing beside her, he hadn't noticed, he was watching Tom talk to someone over by the fire. Sam took another gulp of beer, this one went down easier than the one before. She watched the other kids by the fire. Sandy had abandoned the blonde guy and was talking to Scott Peterson. Another immature jerk, Sam thought.

David watched as Tom glanced over at them. It was time to make his move before Tombo got all protective over the blonde. "Ready for that walk?"

Sam nodded and took the arm David held out to her. He had such nice manners. She took a sip of her beer and he seemed pretty smart, after all he was pre-med. He lead the way down the beach away from the fire and away from the last of the cottages that dotted the beach. They walked for several minutes as he chatted about school and his future, but Sam was having a problem keeping track of the conversation. Two, no make that nearly three beers on an empty stomach had left her with a pleasant buzz. She stumbled and David took the opportunity to slide an arm around her waist. They walked in silence, his fingers caressing her waist. "Let's stop here," he whispered in her ear, "and do some stargazing." He eased Sam down onto the sand and before she knew what was happening she was on her back looking up at the over cast sky.

"It's to cloudy to see any stars," Sam protested trying to sit up. She was getting scared, she hadn't realized they had wandered this far away from the party. Her instincts were telling her to get up and get out. "We better go back," she mumbled trying to sit up.

"I thought you wanted to look at the stars," David said as he captured her in his arms and began to kiss her.

Sam struggled, she didn't like this, she didn't like the feel of his mouth on hers or his tongue as he tried to stick it in her mouth. She pushed at his arms trying to free herself. "Don't," she gasped, "No."

"Don't you like me baby?" He pouted as he slipped his hands under her blouse and brought his mouth down on hers again.

Sam could feel hot tears stinging her eyes as she tried to get out of his grasp. He was bigger and stronger and she was sure she'd never get away from him. "Please, stop," she pleaded, "Please."

"Don't be a tease baby, you know you want me," David said as he reached for the buttons of her blouse, "No one likes a cock tease."

"No. Stop," Sam pushed his hands away, "Please stop. Don't touch me."

"Hey, lighten up baby," he grabbed her by the hair and crushed her mouth to his while Sam struggled to free herself.

"Everything okay here?"

David let go of Sam and swung around to see the silhouette of a man standing there, "Hey bud, get lost. This is none of your business."

"Are you okay?" The stranger looked over to Sam who was gathering her blouse around her, tears falling over her cheeks. Her hands were shaking and she was having trouble with the buttons.

"I told you to get lost.' David got up and stepped closer to the man, "Shit, it's you. What the hell are you doing here?"

"Protecting the lady's honor you ass hole. Don't you understand the word no?"

"It's none of your god damned business man. Get lost."

"I just made it my business, you got a problem with that? The lady said no."

David saw the dangerous set to the man's jaw and decided to get while he could still walk, "Hey man, if you want her, she's all yours, damn cock tease anyway. " He fled down the beach hoping he'd been long gone before they returned to the party. The guy had a reputation as a brawler.

The man knelt beside the frightened girl, "Did he hurt you sweetheart?" When he reached out to brush her hair from her eyes she shied away from him. "I won't hurt you, Tom sent me to keep an eye on you. Did he hurt you?"

Sam looked up into the man's warm, kind eyes, "No," she whispered, "he just scared me."

"Let's go back." He held out a hand to her. She looked so young sitting there, he thought, her knees to her chest.

"Can you please take me home," she asked looking up at him, "I don't want to go back to the party."

"Sure sweetheart," he pulled her to her feet, "where do you live?"

"El Paso."

He laughed, "Heck of a long walk."

Sam blushed, he had a nice laugh she thought. "I'm staying with my aunt, next door to the Dexters."

"That I can handle," he smiled down at her, she was a pretty little thing and some day she'd be a knock out.

"I feel pretty stupid," she said softly as she fell into step beside him, "I thought he really wanted to look at the stars. I guess Sandy was right."

"Right about what?"

"Guys being jerks and only wanting one thing," Sam answered honestly.

"On behalf of the rest of us guys, I'm sorry. Most of us aren't like Dave." She certainly spoke her mind, he thought as he looked at her, "How old are you? The truth."

Sam looked down at her shoes, "Thirteen," she whispered, "almost fourteen."

He rubbed his free hand over his face, god she was a baby. Thornsberry had better be gone when he got back to the party. "Let me give you some advice, kiddo. Don't try to grow up so fast. I can't follow you around until you're eighteen you know, " he smiled at her, "much as I'd like to."

"I'm going to learn to take care of myself," Sam said jutting her chin out, "I'll have my dad teach me self defense."

You'll need it, he thought as he smiled at the determined look on her face. "First lesson's on me kiddo. When a guy has you in a clinch, your best defense is a knee to the groin. Like this." He pulled her into his arms and raised his leg, "See what I mean? Your turn."

Sam blushed as he pulled her tight against him, but she copied his action bringing her knee perilously close to his groin, "Like this?"

"Whoa! Be careful sweetheart," he let her go and took a step back, "but you've got the right idea. Don't be afraid to hurt him either, if you say no and he won't stop, he deserves to be hurt. Got that?"

"I got it," she answered as they continued walking along the waters edge, "Oh look, Cygnus!" She tipped her head back, "It's clearing up, you can see the stars. See there's Andromeda."

"Sagittarius," he pointed skyward , "see it over there?"

"Yep, boy you know your constellations." Sam grinned and plopped down on the sand, "I love watching the stars. Here they are so close it seems like I can reach out and touch them. Someday I'm going to go to the stars." Holy Hannah, she thought, I can't believe I just said that, now he's going to laugh at me.

"I bet you will," he answered, smiling at her enthusiasm, "I like to star gaze myself, I don't have much time to do it these days. Maybe when I retire. So you want to be what, an astronaut?"

"Yes," she gazed at him defiantly, "I will be someday. There's no rule that says girls can't you know."

"If you say so," he smiled at her, "my money's on you kid, first woman in space. I'll be sure to be at your parade."

Sam glanced at him to see if he was teasing her, "You mean that?"

"I do. How'd you get so interested in the stars anyway? Most girls are into, I don't know, horses?"

"My mom used to read me a poem about the stars, but I can't remember it." Sam said, "I wish I could. She loved poetry and the stars. She said once she married my dad because he could tell Cancer from Virgo."

He laughed, "Sounds like a smart lady your mom."

"She died." Sam whispered, "it's just me, my dad and my stupid brother." She swallowed back the tears that threatened to spill over.

He looked over at her, her smile had disappeared and so had the defiant teenager and in her place was a sad little girl. "I'm sorry." He wished he say something to make the hurt go away, poor kid. "I think know which poem you mean, but I can't remember it either. Something about being alone on a hill and a heaven full of stars, that one?" When she didn't answer, he stood up, "Come on kiddo, let's get you home. It's late." He pulled her to her feet and held her hand as they walked along the water's edge to Summers Place.



****



Captain Samantha Carter, USAF, sat at her desk going through the contents of a box that had arrived while she'd been off world. It had been shipped to her from Michigan, her Aunt Maggie had died six months ago and Sandy Dexter Stickney had just finished packing her things up. This box had been found in the attic. It was full of memories. Sam had spent summers at with her aunt at her cottage, Summers Place. There had been one special summer she remembered vividly. The summer after her mother had died. It had been the summer she'd learned how to defend herself and that chivalry was not dead. She'd walked under a starry sky with her knight in shining armor and told him about her dreams, she never knew his name and she never saw him again.

Sam pulled a tattered piece of paper from the box, scrawled on it were the stanzas of one of her mom's favorite poems. Written by the knight and stuck on the front door the next morning. She stared in surprise at the now familiar handwriting.



Stars By Sara Teasdale

Alone in the night
On a dark hill
With pines around me
Spicy and still,
And a heaven full of stars
Over my head,
White and topaz
And misty red;
Myriads with beating
Hearts of fire
That aeons
Cannot vex or tire;
Up the dome of heaven
Like a great hill,
I watch them marching
Stately and still,
And I know that I
Am honored to be
Witness
Of so much majesty.



She blinked back the tears that pooled in her eyes. He'd been so kind and gentle with her that night. He'd rescued her and then sat and looked at her beloved stars with her. When she'd told him her dream, he hadn't laughed and he'd found her poem for her.

"Everything okay here?"

Sam looked up at Colonel Jack O'Neill stepped into her office. "Oh my god," she whispered, "it was you."

"What was me," he was understandably confused, "Carter are you okay? You look a little pale." Without a word she held out a tattered sheet of notebook paper. "What is this?" Jack took the paper and then looked up at her, a shocked look on his face. "You were the little girl on the beach?"

Sam nodded, "And you were my knight is shining armor." Her blue eyes glittered with laughter, "I can't believe it. I never realized it was you until I saw that poem."

He smiled at her, "It was a long time ago and I didn't know it was you either. You've changed since then. I was right."

"Right about what?"

"You going to the stars," he answered and being a knock out, he thought. He held out the piece of paper, "I looked it up when I got back to the house-"

"And stuck in on the front door," she said, "I found it the next morning. I went over to the Dexter's to thank you but you were gone." She got up and walked around the desk, "It's a little late, but thank you," she kissed him gently on the cheek, "for rescuing me."

"Anytime Carter."



The End



End Notes: Like it? Was the ending too sappy? Let me know. Annab@triton.net

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