Disclaimer: Stargate SG-1 and its characters are not my property. No copyright infringement is intended.
Flashbacks are in italics.
Jack watched his three closest friends as he thought back over the events of the last several days. Jacob had died, Kerry ended their brief relationship and Sam called off her wedding with Pete. While he and Sam were at the briefing room table talking with Teal'c and Bra'tac, Daniel had suddenly appeared in his office.
After seeing Bra'tac off through the gate and knowing they all needed to get away from the Mountain and take a break, he had invited Sam, Daniel and Teal'c out to eat.
They were at a corner table of the restaurant, enjoying each other's company and teasing Daniel that he always came back naked from his ascensions. Daniel took the ribbing in stride and told them how glad he was to be back in the land of the living.
He watched Sam as she talked with Daniel, knowing how much she had missed her close friend.
He thought back to what had happened several days ago.
She stood in his backyard, unsure of herself, spilling out words that she had not had a chance to finish as Kerry came out of the house and interrupted them. He saw the look on Sam's face as she heard Kerry's voice, closed her eyes for a brief moment, and looked like she wanted to sink into the ground. The two women were polite with each other, then Sam had received the call about Jacob. He watched as she ran around the side of his house, leaving Kerry standing there looking at him. They sat down to eat but he had suddenly lost his appetite. Kerry tried to make conversation, but his thoughts were on Sam and what she had possibly come there to tell him.
Kerry quickly finished eating and carried her dishes to the kitchen as he followed her into the house. He tried to apologize for letting his mind wander but she could see right through him. She made an excuse to leave and he was suddenly left standing alone in his kitchen.
He went back out on the deck and stared at the spot where Sam had stood. He now wished he had never gotten involved with Kerry. He did not want to hurt her and knew she deserved more than he could give. She was intelligent, pretty and witty but she had seen the look on his face when Sam had left so quickly. If his heart had not already belonged to Sam, maybe their relationship could have developed into something more.
He sat down in a chair, rested his elbows on his knees and covered his face with his hands. If Kerry had not been there, he would have welcomed the opportunity to talk with Sam and finally have the conversation that he had wanted to have with her for so long. He could have found out for certain that the reason she felt the wedding was a huge mistake was because of her feelings for him.
The next day he returned to the base to find out that Jacob's time was almost up. He sat lost in thought as Kerry knocked on his door and their relationship, that had barely just begun, was over. He knew it was for the best. Kerry urged him to do something about Sam but she had still been engaged to Pete and he didn't think there was anything he could do.
A few minutes later, Jacob asked to see him. He hurried to the infirmary and expected to see Sam there but she wasn't. He found a chair and sat down as Jacob opened his eyes.
"Jacob, you wanted to see me?"
"Yes, Jack. I don't have much time. I want you to promise me something."
"Sure. What?"
"Take care of Sam for me."
He felt his chest tighten. "She has Pete to do that."
"She doesn't love Pete, Jack, she loves you."
"Jacob, I . . ."
"You love her too if you'd just admit it. I know my daughter better than she thinks I do. I want my baby to be happy and you're the one who can make that happen. You can work this out."
Before he could respond, he saw movement from the corner of his eye and he turned his head to see Sam in the doorway. He stood up as she walked in.
He looked at Jacob. "I'll leave you two alone."
Jacob grabbed his hand. "Please think about what I said, Jack."
He nodded his head, walked toward the door and looked back at Sam as she sat down beside Jacob and took his hand in hers.
"What was that about, Dad?"
"Just a little guy talk, honey" he heard him answer.
A little later he found Sam in the observation room and he promised her that he would always be there for her.
The Tok'ra that was talking with Jacob looked up to get her attention and she ran downstairs. He watched as Jacob looked into Sam's eyes and whispered "I love you." He took his last breath and saw Sam choke back a sob. She held her father's hand and whispered a final goodbye. Having just told her he would always be there for her and not caring who was watching, he hurried downstairs and put his arm around her shoulder. She let go of Jacob's hand, turned to him and buried her face in his chest and cried. He held her for a few minutes until she raised her head and looked at her Dad one last time. He took her by the hand and led her from the room as one of the nurses pulled a sheet over Jacob's face.
They stood in the corridor, still holding hands, as she glanced back toward the room.
"I can't leave him, sir."
"He'll be treated with utmost respect, Sam. I promise. I'll take care of the details. Go home and get some rest. I'll come by later and help with the funeral arrangements."
She nodded her head and let go of his hand. He watched as her shoulders slumped and she walked slowly down the corridor. Sam rarely showed her emotions in public and he knew she would go home to grieve in private.
He and Teal'c stayed close to Sam at Jacob's funeral and at the cemetery. Sam had shown little emotion until George Hammond presented the flag to her that had covered her father's coffin and she hugged it to her chest. As Taps was played, her composure slipped and she hung her head. When he saw tears on her face, he took a step closer to her and put his arm around her waist.
A few days later, he sat at his desk and looked up to see Sam. She entered his office, closed the door and told him that she had given the ring back to Pete and there was not going to be a wedding. He told her that he and Kerry were no longer together.
She took a step toward him as she stared into his eyes. "Dad tried to tell me to not let rules stand in my way."
"Kerry told me something similar."
"Is there hope for us?"
He smiled. "Most definitely."
They were suddenly interrupted by Walter, telling him they were needed immediately in the gate room. Not much later, and with much relief, Anubis had been defeated.
So here they were, the four of them together again. He listened as Daniel asked about everything that he had missed since he had been gone.
He knew that Sam was happy to have Daniel back, but there was a lingering sadness in her eyes. She desperately missed her father and breaking up with Pete just a few days after Jacob's funeral, had not been easy for her. She had unintentionally broken Pete's heart and he knew she was feeling guilty for letting the relationship go as far as it had.
He took a bite of his steak just as Daniel looked at Sam.
"So Sam, how's Pete?"
Sam hesitated and took a sip of water.
"Did I say something wrong?"
Sam put her hand on Daniel's arm. "Pete and I are no longer together. I called off the wedding."
Daniel raised his eyebrows. "Oh, Sam, I'm sorry."
Sam squeezed his arm. "It's okay, really."
Sam laid her fork down on her plate, put her hands in her lap and stared at her hands.
He, Daniel and Teal'c glanced at each other.
Sam suddenly pushed back her chair and stood up. "Excuse me. I need some air."
Daniel looked at Teal'c then Jack. "I really didn't mean to upset her."
"Don't feel bad, Daniel, you didn't know."
He stood up and saw Sam go out the door and around the corner of the restaurant. "I'll go check on her. Order dessert for us. Get whatever you want, it's on me. We'll be back."
He caught up with her as she stood looking at a small garden of flowers. One hand gripped a wrought iron fence as she held her other hand to her throat.
He walked up behind her and he knew she could sense his presence. She slowly turned her head and he could see the tears on her face. He took her by the hand and pulled her to the very end of the walkway so they could have some privacy. He leaned back against the fence, pulled her between his legs and wrapped his arms around her waist.
She looked into his eyes. "I miss Dad so much. I thought he'd outlive me. I can hardly believe he's gone" she sniffed.
"I know, Sam, I miss him too. He was a good friend."
She slid her arms around his neck and hugged him tightly. They stood that way for a few minutes as she cried.
It felt so right having Sam in his arms, feeling her warmth and softness, drinking in the subtle smell of her perfume. Their bodies melded so easily together. He would stand this way as long as she wanted, he would hold her until she was ready to let go.
Sam turned her head and whispered in his ear "what would I do without you, Jack?"
"Let's not find out, okay? As I told you, I'll always be here for you, Sam. That's a promise."
"I'm sorry I hurt you" she said as her voice cracked. "I didn't mean to hurt you with Pete. I couldn't marry him knowing how I felt about you. That's why I came to your house. I wanted to tell you how strong my feelings are for you but then Kerry . . ." She stopped as her voice broke and he felt her tremble.
He ran his hands up and down her back. "It's okay, Sam. I had a pretty good idea what you were trying to say."
Sam leaned back and put her hands to his chest. He knew she wanted to say something else and he would give her all the time she needed. She put one hand to her cheek to wipe away the tears but new tears appeared as she looked into his eyes. "You've been so good to me. First with Dad and seeing that everything was taken care of for the funeral and you've been so understanding through all of this mess with Pete. It's a wonder you don't hate me when I've hurt you so badly."
"I could never hate you, Sam." He slowly leaned down and gave her a gentle kiss. "I love you."
Tears pooled in her eyes as she tried to smile. "I love you too, Jack. I always have."
He had waited so long to hear her say those words.
She slid her arms around his neck and hugged him again. He couldn't count how many times he had thought of holding her like this.
Sam closed her eyes as they held each other in silence. Being here in Jack's arms made her feel more secure than she had ever felt in her life. She had always belonged with Jack, not Pete or any other man. Jack had waited patiently for her to realize that they should be together. She bit her lip, thinking that she had almost lost him.
She looked into his eyes. "I don't ever want to lose you."
"Don't worry, you won't. But you may get tired of having grumpy ole me around."
Tears pooled in her eyes as she grinned. "No. Never."
He gave her a gentle kiss on the forehead.
She stared at his chest. "It upset me greatly to see you with Kerry that day at your house. I know now how you must have felt when you saw me with Pete. I've been so foolish."
He put his finger under her chin and lifted her head so he could look into her eyes. "Yes, it hurt but I wanted you to be happy, Sam, whether it was with me or Pete or someone else."
A tear ran down her cheek. "You are the sweetest man in the whole world, Jack O'Neill."
He hugged her to him. "Oh, Sam."
As darkness came, they could hear the faint sound of music from inside the restaurant as the band started to play a slow song.
"Would you like to dance?"
She glanced around. "Here?"
He grinned. "Why not?"
Sam grinned back. "I'd love to."
She laid her head on his shoulder as they danced under the stars and swayed to the music until it stopped.
Sam looked into his eyes and gently kissed his lips. He deepened the kiss as she put her arms around his neck.
They stayed that way for a few moments, then she looked into his eyes. "We have a lot to talk about."
He ran his hands up and down her arms. "Yes we do and I know the perfect place in Minnesota to have long overdue conversations."
Sam grinned. "Sounds great."
She glanced at the building. "I guess we better get back inside before Daniel and Teal'c come looking for us."
"I told Daniel to order dessert. They've probably eaten it all by now, you know how big Teal'c's appetite is."
Sam laughed. "You're probably right."
A Few Days Later
He sighed with contentment as he glanced at Sam. He was finding it hard to believe that after eight years she was finally here with him at his cabin, sitting on his dock and casting her fishing line into the water.
Sam smiled. "This is great."
"I told ya."
"I can't believe we didn't do this years ago."
"Yes, well, let's not dwell."
"There are no fish in this pond, are there?"
"No."
Sam giggled.
He looked into her eyes and he could tell that although she was still grieving for her father, she was going to be okay.
The End