"Seasons 6: Coming Full Circle" by Carol S Comer

Title: Coming Full Circle

Author: Carol S. Comer

Status: complete

Category: SJR, angst

Spoilers: 100 Days, Shades of Grey (what else?)

Season/Sequel info: 3rd Season subsequent to the events of Shades of Grey sequel to "Through the Bitter, Bitter Cold," "The Coming of Spring," "All Things New," "An Early Summer Storm" and "Waiting for the Summer" and the beat goes on, and the beat goes on...

Rating: PG

Content Warnings: Shiny happy people (SO unlike me) - high gag factor.

Summary: Jack's back and Sam's warming up to him again.

Disclaimer: The characters and situations depicted here are owned by Stargate (II) Productions, Showtime/Viacom, MGM/UA, Double Secret Productions, and Gekko Productions. No copyright infringement was intended. This story was created and the characters used for entertainment purposes only and no money changed hands. And hey, I was nicer to them than you guys are, so off my case!

Author's Notes: All good things must come to an end...

COMING FULL CIRCLE

She did this a lot these days - disappearing on him. Used to be if Sam was MIA, she could be found with little effort cloistered in her sacred labs. Now, well, now was a different story. No one had seen her for most of the afternoon so Colonel O'Neill set off, once again in search of the errant major.

He checked her quarters, scoured the labs, the gate room, the control room and the infirmary and even checked the commissary on the off chance she had finally decided to start eating. It was almost as if she didn't want to be found. Then the answer hit him in a flash. Suddenly it was glaringly obvious where the major had been seeking refuge when she was absent from control - the last place she had been before her life went to hell.

He rode the 28 stories up in the elevator and stepped out into the harsh sunlight. It was beautiful, high seventies, sun shining bright and warm. Jack picked his way through the budding foliage and found her in the clearing in the woods surrounding the compound where she had hid the day of the Edora briefing.

"Nice day." He called to her, startling her out of her revery. Sam turned to see Jack standing with his hands firmly jammed in the pockets of his pants, bouncing on the balls of his feet.

"Yes." She agreed, closing her eyes and raising her chin to the sun. "The first of summer's promise." With that she abruptly opened her eyes and turned to Jack in surprise. They both started laughing.

"Deja Vu." They said in unison and laughed harder in response. Jack sat down on the mossy ground next to her and leaned his head back against the log and looked skyward.

"Its been a long, cold winter." He said.

"And a miserable spring." She added.

"Not anymore." Jack observed gesturing heaven-ward towards the cloudless sky. They sat quietly next to each other, shoulder to shoulder leaning against the fallen wood appreciating the warmth of the day and the heat of their proximity.

"You know what would be good?" Jack asked interrupting the silence. "We should be at the lake - drifting slowly on a pontoon boat, sipping margaritas and listening to classic songs about summer's end." He said echoing her words of so long ago. "'The Boys of Summer,' 'All Summer Long...'" Sam smiled appreciatively.

"Or maybe fishing. Beer. Complete silence." Sam added playfully. She shifted on the hard ground which pushed her closer to the colonel.

"I missed this." He said seriously.

"Sir?" Sam asked in confusion.

"You smiling." Jack said, punctuating his statement by touching her lips with his finger for emphasis. "Its been a long time since I've seen it."

"Too long." She agreed nodding. Sam licked her lips in response to the weight of his finger tip as he pulled his hand away from her face.

"I thought you were still angry." Jack told her as he dropped his hands to his lap. His eyes followed. "You kept disappearing like that. I thought you didn't want to see me."

"No." She said. "I wasn't hurt. I wasn't angry... I had no right to be." Sam explained as she reached for his face and lifted his chin to meet her eyes. "but that didn't mean that all those feelings of loss and betrayal just evaporated when you and the General announced that you were really one of the good guys." She shrugged in remembered frustration. "It just doesn't happen like that. My heart just needed some time to figure out what my mind knew. So I came up here to think ... and feel... and I knew when the time was right you'd come looking for me." She said sweeping her hands around indicating the clearing. "The place where it all started." Jack frowned in concern.

"All this time - you were waiting for me?" He asked.

"No." She responded. "I was waiting for the summer."

"Hey, that's my line." Jack said teasingly and smiled at the major. Sam nodded in agreement and leaned her head against his shoulder.

"Its really over now, isn't it?" She asked, the relief evident in her voice.

"Its really over." Jack told her brushing a strand of blond off her forehead. Sam shut her eyes in response and relaxed against him.

Jack wrapped his arms around her shoulders and pulled her closer. Sam sighed contentedly. He watched her face as she basked in the heat of the sun and marveled at how relaxed she looked. The last six months had wrought terrible damage that was still evident on her face - tiny frown lines embedded between her brows, and purplish-brown shadows ringing her lower eyelids. But as April turned warm and promised the summer's debut, Sam had bloomed like a tulip at the first sign of spring.

"Did you love her?" Sam asked again quietly.

"No." He answered simply. No - I could haves or I should haves or I dids. Jack unblinkingly confessed to making love out of loneliness and leaving a woman he never truly loved - allowing Sam to judge and condemn him or forgive and forget. They sat in companionable silence while Sam weighed the knowledge.

"Do you love me?" She asked again finally.

Jack knew the question would come and this time, he did not hesitate. "Yes." He told her with complete conviction.

Sam turned to face him and planted a gentle kiss on his cheek. Jack smiled and pulled her to him and they kissed tenderly sheltered by the budding trees.

"Don't ever leave me again." She said and the promise of the coming summer brought them full circle.

****************

And like any good fairy tale - they all lived happily ever after. The End.