"We're all fueled up. You ready to go?"
Sam picked up her bag. "Absolutely." She was still a bit surprised she was here, getting on a plane with Jack, headed to his cabin. This was a big jump forward for them, at least she hoped it would be.
A few months ago, an emergency message from the Beta site requesting her help resulted in her spending two weeks working on the stranded X 303. With her help they were able to limp back to Area 51. She was temporarily reassigned to help get the X 303 working again. She came back for a couple days to get some of her stuff and she saw Jack briefly when SG-1 went out for a going away dinner for Teal'c. He was taking advantage of her temporary reassignment to work with the free Jaffa. Daniel was being loaned out to various teams to help with some digs.
After a month Sam was offered the head of off world research position. She talked to Daniel and Teal'c before calling Jack. Once her reassignment was permanent Jack began calling her every evening. It took her about three days to realize he was just calling to chat and she began looking forward to it. Their talks quickly turned from work to their childhoods, families, and pet preferences. She'd always known he was a dog person, but he'd surprised her by telling her about a cat he had as a boy. Sometimes they just watched the same movie together and made commentary about the stupid parts.
Two days ago, he seemed a bit nervous when he called.
"Hey, Sam. Good day?"
"It was fine, nothing too unusual. You?"
"Sam old, same old here."
"Good to hear."
"Yeah, so, ummmmm, I've decided to take a few days off and make it a long weekend. I need to go up and winterize the cabin."
"What does that involve?"
"I need to check the generator, cover the outside water spigots, check the pipes inside the house, and get some more wood cut."
"That sounds like fun." He heard the sarcasm but chose to ignore it.
"I hoped you might think so, because I could use some help and I'd enjoy your company."
Sam's heart was racing. They'd danced around topics related to a relationship, such as their favorite side of the bed, preferences in toothpaste, and past relationship blunders, but a long weekend together was jumping several steps, such as a first date. Then she thought about her father's parting advice.
"I'd love to go." He offered to fly in and pick her up a little after noon on Thursday, which brought them to this moment, take off.
They got to the cabin around four in the afternoon and spent about thirty minutes unloading the truck he'd rented from the small airport. They were both in the kitchen unloading boxes and the two coolers when Jack reached around Sam to get a bottle of water. She misinterpreted his move, thinking he was wrapping his arm around her, so she responded by leaning towards him and putting her hand on his shoulder. Her touch stopped him short. He made eye contact with her before accepting her invitation, leaning forward to capture her lips in a soft tentative kiss. Her eyes closed as he let go of the water and wrapped his arms around her waist. Her hands moved up to encircle his neck. Their deepening kiss was interrupted by the ringing of the satellite phone he'd reluctantly brought along. He pulled back and saw the same acceptance in her eyes that he felt.
He picked up the phone. "It's the SGC." She grinned at the annoyance in his voice. "General O'Neill." He rolled his eyes and mouthed Daniel, which made Sam snicker. "Of course I did Daniel." He took a small step back from her. "I didn't see any mention of that, but I'll check it out. Thanks for calling."
He hung up. "What did Daniel want?"
"Did you bring your computer?"
She grimaced a bit. "Yes, but there isn't anything I need to work on. I just brought it in case."
"Daniel says there's been a major change in the forecast. Can you bring up the weather?"
"Of course." She went to the living room and logged in on the computer that had a satellite connection. Her eyes widened when she checked the weather. "Oh, wow."
"What?"
"Apparently we're about to get some snow."
"When you say some, what exactly does that mean?"
"A foot, maybe more."
Jack rubbed the back of his neck. "Damn, when should it start?"
A couple clicks later Sam looked up at him. "It could start any time now and it could last 36 to 48 hours. Isn't it unusual to get a snow this early in the year."
"A few flurries this early isn't weird, but a foot is nearly unheard of." Jack glanced out the window at the lowering sun. "I hate to say it, but we have a lot of work to do very quickly if we're going to be ready to get snowed in."
"What do you want me to do?"
"Start a fire in here, fill the jugs under the sink with water, and bring as much of the dry wood from the shed into here as possible. I'm going to make sure the generator will start and check the pipes before I start cutting more wood."
"Got it." Sam went to work starting the fire while Jack put on his coat and headed out to the generator. Sam was on her tenth armload when the snow start falling. Jack was cutting wood by the time Sam finished moving logs into the cabin and onto the porch. She started taking what he was cutting and stacking it in the space she'd just opened in the shed. They worked steadily for nearly two hours, until there was only a little light left and the snow was coming down heavily.
Jack followed Sam to the shed and put the axe away. "We've done what we can do. Let's get inside." They took off their coats and boots by the door. "Go get a shower while I start us some dinner. Use the shower in the master bathroom, I'm going to fill the tub in the hall bathroom with water."
"You don't think those jugs will be enough drinking water?"
Jack shook his head, "When we lose power, we'll also lose the water pump, that means we won't have running water. We'll use the water in the tub to flush."
"I like flushing."
"Agreed."
"You said when we lose power, not if."
"Yep."
Jack looked over his shoulder as Sam stepped back into the kitchen. She was wearing yoga pants and one of his oversized sweatshirts. She looked comfortable and sexy at the same time. Jack swallowed at the sight of her, which made her smile.
"I'll finish dinner while you get a shower. Hopefully I left you enough hot water."
"I just put the noodles in. The oven's hot, so you can go ahead and put the bread in. I'll be back before the buzzer rings." He leaned over to give her a kiss on the cheek as he passed, but she turned her face towards him and their lips met at an awkward angle. He turned back and faced her, pulling her a bit closer, and leaned in. She tilted her head as their lips met again.
He pulled back and smiled. "Better." He disappeared into the bedroom feeling pleased with himself. As promised, he made it back just as Sam was plating the spaghetti and pulling the bread out of the oven. They sat at the bar facing into the kitchen. They were just finishing the dishes when the power flickered and then went out.
"Our timing was perfect." Sam put the last of the dishes in the drainer to dry.
"We do seem to always make it work in the end." Jack left the kitchen and headed down the hall. He came back dragging a twin mattress. Sam looked confused as he laid it down between the sofa and the fireplace. "The rest of the cabin will be too cold to sleep in without power. I usually sleep on the sofa when this happens, but I figured that might be a bit tight for two, so I got you a mattress."
"Thank you."
"Don't thank me yet." He grinned. "You still need some blankets." He disappeared again and came back with a stack of blankets and sheets. As he dropped them on the sofa, she saw him roll his shoulders and rotate his head.
"Are you a bit sore from chopping wood?"
"Aching seems to be the new norm these days. Getting older sucks."
"I know just what you need." This time Sam disappeared down the hall. She went to the guest room where he'd put her bag. He was right about the dropping temperature in the bedrooms. She found what she was looking for and headed back out to the living room. "Take your shirt off and lay face down on the mattress."
Jack looked up at her from where he was putting sheets on the mattress. "What's that?" Sam held up the container. "Is that the stuff Janet used to give us?"
"Yep, now lay down."
"I guess I should get used to taking orders, huh."
"Yes, you should."
He took off his shirt and laid face down. Sam sat beside of him and put a dab of the blue biofreeze into her hands. She leaned over and began to rub between his shoulder blades. Her angle was wrong, and she couldn't get enough pressure, so she decided to change where she was sitting. She got up on her knees, scooted closer to him, and swung one leg over him. She lightly sat on the small of his back, on the top edge of his rear. She leaned forward and began to massage him again. Her increased leverage was letting her apply more pressure between his shoulder blades. She moved up to his neck and then out to each shoulder.
After several minutes Sam straightened her legs and lifted her weight off of him. "Roll over."
Jack took a couple small shifts and managed to turn under her. She sat back down and was pleased to hear him suck in a small breath as she felt the physical representation of his interest in her. She put more blue gel on her hands and leaned forward, starting her ministrations at the center of his chest. She again worked up and out, ending with his shoulders.
"Sam."
Her eyed slid up to meet his. "Jack."
She felt his abdominal muscles contract as he sat up. His hands slid from her thighs up to her waist. He wrapped his arms around her back as they started kissing. Years of repressed sexual desires bubbled to the surface as their tongues met and their hands roamed. Sam crossed her arms and reached between them, grasping the edges of the sweatshirt and lifting it over her head.
Jack stopped to admire her black lace bra before reaching behind her and opening the clasp. He pulled her against him and rolled them over. Once she was on her back he began kissing across her collarbones, down her chest, then back up her neck. His hands were as busy as his lips, moving along her sides, over her abdomen, and down her hips. He loved the sounds she was making and the way she kept moving her hands across his back and shoulders. Luckily the fire kept them warm as they shed their clothes.
Jack grabbed a comforter and covered them as she curled up against him. "Amazing."
She grinned. "Agreed." She bent her knee and laid her leg over his thighs as she sighed in contentment. She moved her fingers through his chest hair. "Well worth the wait."
Jack snorted. His hand kept moving on her naked back. "I'm looking forward to making up for lost time." He turned his head and kissed her. Once had not been enough to quell their needs but twice let them both fall asleep.
Sam woke when she felt Jack move away from her and roll off the mattress. "Jack?"
"I'm adding some wood to the fire and using the restroom. Go back to sleep."
"Mmmmm, k." She rolled back towards him when he returned a few minutes later. He didn't mind since she was still warm. When they woke the next morning, the wind was howling. Jack built the fire back up while Sam got dressed and moved towards the hall bathroom.
"Hey, remember if it's yellow let it mellow and if it's brown flush it down."
Sam looked at him horrified. "What?"
"I'm guessing the girl scouts didn't use that phrase?"
She shook her head, "Never."
"If you do need to flush you fill the tank using the water in the tub."
"Will do."
"I also put a jug of water beside the sink to wash your hands."
She smiled at him. "How thoughtful, thank you." She sashayed her hips as she made her way into the cold bathroom and he didn't look away until she was out of sight.
He snickered when he heard the flush. She found him in the kitchen getting out a pan. "Planning to cook?"
"Yep. How does eggs and bacon sound?"
"Sounds good to me. I worked up quite an appetite."
Jack wrapped an arm around her and pulled her close, leaning in for a long kiss. "So did I."
Sam put a hand on his chest and gave him a small push. "How about I get the food out while you go brush your teeth?"
"Deal, as long as then I can have a few more kisses."
Sam shrugged, "Maybe."
After breakfast Jack opened the front door to check the snow level. "At least eighteen inches so far." He closed the door. "It could be more but with the way the wind is blowing it's hard to know if there's more falling or what already fell is just blowing around."
Jack came over to the sofa where Sam was laying down. She sat up and he sat down so she could put her head in his lap. He ran his hand through her hair. She smiled up at him.
"Tell me about your first time."
"My first time doing what?"
"Having sex." She gave him a duh huh look as she said it.
"Oh." He smiled. "It was a bit of a cliché really." She turned her head slightly to get a better look at him. "Junior prom."
"Seriously?"
"Yeah, we'd been dating for over a year and she started talking about it weeks before prom. I had no reason to not do as she wanted. In retrospect, I should have ponied up for an actual hotel room instead of my buddy's basement, but I did make sure we had privacy and some wine. We dated through our senior year but then she met someone else at her work while I was in basic."
"That sucks."
He shrugged. "It hurt at the time, but it all worked out. So how about you?"
She blushed slightly, "My second year at the academy."
His eyebrows lifted. "Really?" She nodded. "You were a bit of a late bloomer."
"That was a big part of my motivation actually. I was tired of being the only virgin I knew."
"Not really the best reason."
"No, a few of the seniors had a bet going about who could bed me first. I didn't know that was part of his motivation at the time. I broke up with him when I found out."
"Hell, what an ass."
She gave him half a grin. "The funny thing is he was actually very sweet and romantic to me. I was seriously wooed for a few weeks."
"But you deserved better."
"As you said, it all worked out."
"I guess." He rubbed his thumb along the edge of her jaw. "Your eyes change color to go along with what you're wearing."
"Or my mood."
He grinned, "I have noticed they get very blue when you're mad and trying not to show it."
She bit the inside of her cheek. "Guess I don't hide that well."
"I'm sure I don't always know when you want to wallop me."
"I hope not."
Jack's eyebrows lifted in amusement. "Laughing makes them super blue. Hopefully I make you laugh more often than I made you angry."
"Without a doubt." She linked her hand with his and brought it up to her lips, so she could kiss his knuckles. "You seem to know just how to get me out of my head and make me laugh, even when I don't want to."
"When would you not want to laugh?"
"Remember when Cassie took Janet's car and we found her at the park making out with Justin?"
Jack's lips thinned into a line. "Oh yeah, you were so angry."
"And you were bound and determined to make me laugh."
"Cassie knew she'd screwed up. She didn't need me to make it any worse and I figured since Janet was going to come down on her I should do something to lighten the mood."
Sam shook her head. "Janet yelled for thirty minutes before finally grounding her for a month. That was a rough patch for both of them. I'm glad Cassie got through most of that before Janet died."
"Janet did well by her."
"Cassie was just what Janet needed too."
"I really thought you were going to leave SG-1 and keep her."
"I seriously considered it, but I think it all worked out for the best. I do well in the roll of Aunt and now that she's older I'm happy to fill in on what little mothering she still needs."
"Don't undervalue your relationship with her. You two are very close."
"Oh, I know we are. She's already told me I get to be her mother of the bride stand in."
The furrow formed on Jack's forehead. "Why in the world would that have come up."
"She's been dating Marcus for over two years and they're both getting close to being done in school. That's the logical next step."
"She needs to get out in the world, work for a while and get to know herself before she gets married."
"I don't disagree with you, but she gets to live her life." Sam gave a small shrug and looked away. "She's already been talking to a couple people at the company she's interning with about the options to work from home. She wants to be able to stay home for a few years when her kids are little."
"She's already thinking about having kids?"
Sam chuckled. "Yep, we'll be grandparents before you know it."
Jack let go of her hand and began waving both of his hands over her head. "Nope, nope, nope. I might technically be old enough to be a grandfather, but you are far from old enough."
"Sorry, old man, but I'm right there with you and I'm looking forward to it. I can spoil them rotten and then give them back when they need to reprimanded. All the fun and one tenth the work."
"Old man?" Sam giggled at his indignation. Jack began tickling her, turning her giggles to squeals. "I'll prove to you I'm not old." Sam pulled her legs up and twisted, in an effort to get away from Jack's assault. He stopped tickling her and held her up as she caught her breath.
She looked into his eyes. "That was evil."
He shook his head. "Not from my perspective. I love watching you squirm." He tilted his head and leaned forward, capturing her lips in a deep kiss. His hands kept roaming across her back and along her hips as they kissed. His hand slipped under her shirt, pleased to find her still braless. Her eyes closed, and she moaned, exactly the response he wanted. His hand slid lower, making its way under the waistband of her pants. She shifted to give him more room.
She reached for him, but he blocked her access to his pants. "This is about you. I want to watch you."
"What?"
"I want to see what color your eyes will be." She started to giggle but then he hit home, and her eyes rolled back in her head as she moaned loudly. "There we go."
She began panting as he worked. "Open your eyes." She forced her eyes to his. The look of concentration on his face took her excitement up a notch. Her right hand was gripping his lower arm and her left hand was gripping the sofa cushion. Her head tilted back as her muscles contracted. She had to work hard to keep her eyes open.
"Damn, but you are so beautiful."
"That was…wow."
Jack grinned, feeling very powerful. "Old my ass." Sam couldn't help but giggle. His hands had slowed but they were still caressing her body. "I have an idea."
"Mmmmmm." Sam was still enjoying her post orgasm cloudy head.
"I'm going to go crank up the generator, so we can take a shower together. Then I can make us a big lunch."
That got Sam's attention and she shook her head. "We're doing fine without power. There's no need to go out in this." He lifted her head and shoulders, so he could stand up. She sat the rest of the way up. "Seriously, it isn't safe to go out there."
"I'll be fine and getting to take a shower with you will make it worth it."
"Jack, that's a blizzard." She waved her hands towards the window.
"I know." He disappeared into his bedroom and returned with an adult snowsuit. "I'll be fine. If you start doing the dishes as soon as I turn on the generator that will be enough to get the hot water heater working."
"This is crazy. You can't even see your hand in front of your face."
"I don't have to."
"You could get lost, even that close to the cabin."
"This isn't my first rodeo. I tied a rope from the porch to the generator. Stop worrying." He put his boots on.
"Jack."
He walked over to her and bent down to kiss her. "See you in a few." He wiggled his eyebrows. "I'll hopefully see lots of you."
Sam wrung her hands as she sat on the sofa waiting. After a couple minutes she started pacing. It took eight minutes for the kitchen light to come on. She breathed a sign of relief as she started running water into the sink. As Jack predicted the water was hot quickly. She filled one side of the sink was hot soapy water and began washing the dishes from breakfast. She checked her watch after five minutes and told herself to relax. It took her sixteen minutes to finish the dishes and by that time she was very worried. She went to Jack's room and found some warm clothes and a pair of boots. She bundled up and went out on the porch.
"Jack!" Her voice disappeared into the wind. "Jack!" She moved to the edge of the porch. "Jack! Answer me!" The world in front of her was all white. She felt around on the rail until she found the rope. She slowly stepped down from the porch, using the rope as her guide. She trudged forward pushing her legs through the nearly two feet of snow. She could see why it had taken him so long. She kept moving forward, not letting go of the rope, screaming out his name as she went. She literally bumped into him after six minutes.
"Jack? Can you hear me?"
"Sam?"
"Yeah!"
"It's my damn knee!"
Sam kept one hand on the rope as she used her other arm to help him up. He leaned heavily against her. It took them over ten minutes to get back to the house. They were both soaking wet and cold when they got on the porch. Sam opened the door and helped Jack hop inside. She unhooked the snow suit and helped him to the sofa where she took off his boots and got the suit off of him. She picked up the comforter from the night before and threw it over him. She stripped off her own wet clothes and boots and picked up a dry blanket to wrap around herself.
"Let me see that knee." He moved the comforter to the side. She bent down in front of him and gently placed her hands on either side of his already swelling knee. "That's going to need to be iced and elevated, but I want to get you warmed up first. How about we still take that hot shower."
Jack shook his head. "You go ahead."
"We're doing it together. I'll put a stool in the shower and help you get there." She didn't wait for an answer. She was back from the bathroom with clothes in her hands a couple minutes later. "Ok, the shower's ready and we can come back out here in front of the fire to get dressed."
"I really don't want to…" She put her hands on her hips and stared at him. "Fine." She helped him up and they hobbled to the bathroom. They were already close to naked, so it didn't take long for them to get the water running. Sam put some shampoo in Jack's hair and started rubbing it in when he moved his head away from her.
"I can wash my own hair."
"I know you can, but I thought it might feel good if I did it."
"Well it doesn't."
"Sorry." Sam washed her hair and grabbed a washcloth. "Would you like me to wash your back?"
"No."
"Would you mind getting mine?"
She turned her back to him and he gently rubbed it with his washcloth. "There you go."
"Thanks." Sam rinsed them both off before turning off the water. She handed Jack his robe before she put on hers. She helped him up and back to the sofa. She went back and got a towel. She was using it to dry her hair when she came back into the living room. She walked up behind him and started to towel off his hair, but he pulled away.
"Sorry. Do you want help getting dressed?"
"No."
Sam went back to toweling off her hair. She picked up her clothes and got dressed standing in front of the fire. Once she was dressed, she added a couple more logs to the fire.
"You don't mind if I use your snow suit, do you?"
Jack brow furrowed as he looked over at her. "For what?"
"To go out and turn off the generator."
"No way."
"We can't let it run dry."
"We sure as hell can. You aren't going out in this." Jack tried to stand up, but he lost his balance. Sam moved towards him to help but he put up his hand.
"I'll be back in a few minutes."
"You don't know how to turn it off."
Sam sat down to put on Jack's boots. She looked over at him and grinned. "I build naquada generators for a living. I think I can figure out how to turn yours off, even in a blizzard."
Jack snarled. "It's not worth it, Sam."
"I disagree. If we want the generator to work later, I need to turn it off now." She leaned over to kiss him on the cheek, but he leaned away.
"Don't go out there, please."
She put her hand on his thigh as she stood up. "I'll be back soon and then I'll make us some lunch."
Jack got dressed while she was gone. The loss of the kitchen light let him breath his first sigh of relief, the generator was off. He breathed his second sigh of relief when she came back through the door. She slid off the boots and snowsuit at the door and went straight to the kitchen. She filled a pot with water from a jug and brought the pot to the fire.
"Soup and sandwiches sound ok?"
"Fine."
"I'm going to make some tea. Would you like something?"
"A beer."
"You got it." She made an ice bag for his knee and brought him a couple Tylenol to go with his beer. She put a couple pillows under his knee and behind his back. A few minutes later she returned with sandwiches and another pot with soup to heat up by the fire. She made herself a cup of tea and sat on the mattress, leaning back on the sofa, while the soup warmed.
"How's your knee?"
"The usual."
"Considering the swelling I doubt it feels like normal."
"Fine, I'm old and my knee is crap."
"That poor knee's been through a lot."
"Yeah, well." When they both finished their sandwiches, Sam poured the chicken noodle soup into mugs. Jack drank his while Sam used a spoon.
Sam took his mug and empty beer bottle when he finished. "Thanks, can you get me another one of those?"
"Sure." Sam wiped off the dishes and stacked them beside the sink before quickly opening the refrigerator to get out another beer. Sam gave him the beer and made herself another cup of tea. She had gotten very cold outside and the tea and fire were finally helping her warm back up. She wrapped a blanket around herself and leaned back against the sofa. She looked over her shoulder and smiled at him.
"We could play a game."
"I'm not really in the mood."
"So, what would you like to do?"
"Nothing. Maybe I'll just close my eyes for a bit."
"Ok. I brought a crossword puzzle book. Maybe you can help me later."
"Like I'd be of any help to you." He turned his head towards the back of the sofa. Sam ran her hand through his hair before going to the back room to get her books.
Sam rubbed his arm. "Jack, I made some hot chocolate." He shifted, the pain radiated up his leg making him grunt. "I'll get you some more Tylenol and an ice bag."
"There's a bottle in the second drawer of the master bathroom. Can you bring it to me?"
"Sure." She got it and two mugs for their hot chocolate. "This is the good stuff." She handed him the bottle.
"Didn't finish it after the last knee surgery." He took a sip of the hot chocolate before taking two pills. "Mmmmmm, that's not your standard powdered stuff."
Sam smiled at him. "I doctored it up a bit. I hoped you might like it." She sat on the edge of the sofa and put her hand on his arm. After a moment he moved his arm, under the guise of drinking his hot chocolate. "I'll get that ice bag for your knee."
She lifted the comforter and gently pulled his pants leg up. She gingerly touched the edges around his knee cap. "It's looked worse than this before. Hopefully the swelling will go down quickly." She put his pants leg back down and sat the ice on his knee.
"Hopefully."
"The wind seems to be dying down a bit. I looked before I woke you up and we have more than two feet of snow. It will be a few days before we'll be able to get out of here, plenty of time for you to start feeling better."
"Oh goodie." His displeasure was evident.
"I found a couple crosswords we could do together."
"It just keeps getting better and better."
"It was just a suggestion." Sam got up and took their mugs to the kitchen. She was getting antsy and needed to let out some energy. She looked around her, unsure how to let off some steam. She wished she could go for a run but that wasn't an option in a blizzard. She leaned against the kitchen counter and looked out the window. He'd never let her shovel and really what would be the point with an hour of light left and the snow still falling. That left her with cleaning. She looked under the sink and found floor cleaner and wipes. She checked the closet and found a broom and a mop. It was the best she could do.
Jack sat up and looked over the edge of the sofa. "What are you doing?"
"Just cleaning up a bit?"
"Oh, ok. Why?"
"Just needed something to do." She cleaned for about a half hour and then put the cleaning supplies away. She felt a little better but still wished she could go for a run. She turned around when she heard Jack moving.
"Do you need something?"
"I need to pee. You can't do that for me, can you?"
"Nope, but I can help you get to the bathroom."
"I can do it on my own."
"But with a little help you'd be less likely to cause more damage."
"I'll take the risk." He leaned heavily against the wall as he made his way down the hall. When he came back, he laid back down to elevate his knee. That plus the ice was helping with the swelling.
"I thought I'd make chili for dinner."
"Sounds good."
"Anything I can get you before I get started?"
"No, thanks."
She built up the fire before going to the kitchen to collect her supplies. She brought them out to the hearth and sat on the edge. Jack watched her cook, but she avoided looking back at him. She was trying to not let his grumpiness wear off on her, but her mood was growing sour. She kept stirring the chili as it warmed so it wouldn't burn. Once it was hot, she put Jack's in a bowl and ate hers out of the pot, to cut down on dirty dishes.
After wiping off the dishes and stacking them with the ones from lunch Sam grabbed a bag of marshmallows and returned to the living room.
"I thought we could roast some marshmallows later."
"Maybe."
Sam sighed. "I forgot to tell you that Cassie wants to come back to Colorado for Christmas. I told her I would talk to you about it. Since I have my house on the market, I couldn't promise her I'd be able to offer her a place to come."
"Cassie's always welcome. She should know that."
"She does. I suspect she was prying to see if you and I already had plans."
"Already have plans? That's months away."
Sam grinned and looked over at him. "Ok, she was prying to see if we were a couple."
"How would our plans for Christmas answer that question?"
"Couples make plans for holidays."
"So do friends."
The smile left Sam's face. "True."
"I'm happy to host a Christmas get together. Teal'c does make a great elf."
Sam shook her head. "I used the think he only wore those ears for Cassie but I'm beginning to suspect he actually likes them."
"He likes her smile."
"He's not alone. Janet was so mad at you for that puppy, but you won Cassie over."
"Every kid needs a dog."
"I'm kinda surprised you haven't gotten one since you became General."
"I'm an old man, not a kid."
Sam rolled her eyes, got up, and sat on the edge of the sofa. "You're not an old man." She leaned forward to kiss him, but he turned his head. Sam sat back up. She looked at Jack's face and knew the way he was avoiding eye contact meant something other than his knee was bothering him. "What's up?"
"Nothing, I'm just tired."
"I'm having a bit of trouble believing that."
"What if this was a mistake." He moved his hand back and forth between them.
Sam's shoulders straightened as she scooted back. "A mistake? What are you saying?"
The jaw muscles below his ear were twitching. "I'm sorry."
Sam stood up and backed away from him. "So now that you've…that we've…you think it was a mistake." She shook her head slowly. "What happened since this morning?"
"I've just been thinking."
"Thinking! You invited me up here to sleep with me and then what? Toss me aside when I have no means of escaping!"
"No…no. You know me better than that."
She sat down on the edge of the hearth and put her head in her hands. "Do I? It's not like this would be the first time you've pushed me aside."
"What does that mean?"
"I spent years berating myself for having feelings for you. I should have been strong enough to just stop how I felt, but over and over my thoughts kept coming back to you. Every once in a while, I thought you shared my interest but then you'd push me away, keeping a respectable distance between us."
"If I'd done a better job of it you would have made the life you deserve instead of being up here stuck with me."
Sam looked up. "What the hell does that mean?"
"You shouldn't be stuck being a nurse maid to an old man. You shouldn't give up on having a family because you're with me."
Sam shook her head. "None of that's true."
Jack pushed himself up and turned to face her. "Really? So, you and the cop didn't talk about having kids?" Sam sucked in a quick breath as she stuck her chin out, her tell when she was trying to think of a way out of something. "That's what I thought. You decided you weren't going to have kids because of me."
"That's not true."
"You deserve more than I can give you."
Sam's hands were balled up into fists in her lap. "Do you think I'm just some love-sick middle school girl with a crush? Have I ever done anything without over thinking it?" He just watched her. "This isn't any different."
"You should have stayed with the cop."
"That wouldn't have been fair to him or me." She took a small breath. "I went out with him because you told me to give up on you."
"No, I didn't."
Sam grimaced. "Technically it was me telling me, but I did it as you."
"That makes no sense."
"It was when I was stuck on the Prometheus with a concussion my dad told me to get a real life and then you told me to let go of, well, of you." She relaxed her hands and rubbed her knees. "When I came back, I spent a long time processing what had gone on inside my head. I decided to take my own advice. When my brother set me up, I went for it. I tried hard to ignore how I felt about you." She looked up. "I didn't want to say yes when he asked me to marry him. I'd hoped you would talk me out of it, but you didn't. In the end I forced myself to say yes to his proposal because if I said no, I was going against my own advice."
"You're a brilliant woman. You should listen to yourself."
Tears filled her eyes, so she looked away from him. "I knew I was making a mistake, but I kept moving forward. I came to you a couple times, to tell you how I felt."
"I know."
She swallowed. "You let me leave each time."
"I'm a mistake for you." She closed her eyes. One tear ran down each cheek. Jack gripped the edge of the sofa, fighting his desire to go to her.
"That's what I kept telling myself as I forced myself to stay with him." She wrapped her arms around herself. "Then when my dad was dying, he told me to go for what I really wanted. He knew. He knew I was settling. He knew I wasn't really happy. He knew what I really wanted, and he gave me his permission."
"Jake said that?"
She nodded. "He probably thought you'd care enough about me to never hurt me."
She got up, without looking at him, and took the marshmallows back to the kitchen. She leaned against the sink and looked out the window for several minutes as she regained control of her tears. She'd spent all these years thinking it would work with him, but she'd been wrong. She was fine alone, had been for a long time, and would be again. She went from the kitchen to the bathroom and then returned to the living room, ready for bed. She laid down on the mattress with her back to him.
He sat staring at the fire while she moved around the cabin. Jake had called him son while he was dying. Jack had chalked it up to Jake being ill, but maybe there had been more to it. What if that had been his way of telling him he approved. Jack rubbed his hands through his hair. She should be with someone who could do crossword puzzles with her, someone who could understand what she was saying. She needed someone younger, someone she didn't have to take care of.
When she came back and laid down Jack took that as his cue. He hobbled to the bathroom and then made his way back to the sofa. He propped his leg up and covered himself with the comforter, but sleep would not come. He'd been laying there for over an hour when he was sure he heard her crying. He knew that was his fault.
Sam dropped a package of pop tarts on his chest. "I put a cup of instant coffee on the table near your head."
"Thanks." He looked her up and down. She was wearing a couple shirts, a pair of jeans, and a pair of his snow boots. "Going somewhere?"
"I'm going to clear off the porch. I'll turn the generator on before I come back in."
"There's no point in clearing off the porch."
"I can't stay in here."
It was cold, but Sam was glad to be moving and away from Jack. It took her about an hour to clear off the porch and she had no interest in going inside, so she headed out to the generator. The snow went up above her knees so pushing through took a lot of effort but once she was there, she could see the lake, so she took a moment to admire the beauty of the untouched snow. Her legs had gotten much colder, so she decided it was time to get back inside. She cranked the generator and turned back towards the cabin. She turned to her right when she heard the crack. She was confused at first. The sound was intruding on the silence that had been her companion since leaving the cabin. Realization set in when she saw the tree falling towards her. She put her hands up as she tried to run but the snow trapped her.
Jack heard the same crack, moments after the lights came on in the cabin. The sound that followed set his senses on alert as the lights went back out. He pushed up and limped towards the door, expecting Sam to open it before he got there. His worry grew with each step. He pulled the door open and leaned out.
"Sam." He looked around. "Sam! Where are you?" He hobbled out onto the porch. "Sam!" He looked for her tracks, the only blemishes in the snow. They led to the fallen tree that now dominated the side yard. Panic welled inside him, but his training took over. He stepped back inside, put on his snowsuit and boots, and grabbed a ski pole to use as a crutch. He made his way back out to the porch.
"Sam, where are you?" Jack looked towards the tree. "Sam!" He followed in her tracks. "Sam!"
He stopped moving and surveyed the fallen tree. He could see the generator through the branches. It looked intact so hopefully it wasn't damaged beyond repair. He moved some of the branches aside. "Please, Sam, where are you?"
"Here."
"Sam! Are you hurt?"
The branches rustled slightly. "I don't think so."
"Good."
"But I also can't get out."
"What?"
"The tree is laying across my hips. I can't get my legs out from under it."
"Ok, let me get closer to you and I'll help lift." It took Jack a couple minutes to get in position. He leaned down and grabbed one of the large branches near her and lifted. He sank more than he moved the tree. "I need more leverage. I'll be right back."
"Ok, hurry."
He reached out and touched the top of her head. "Will do."
He made his way to the shed and collected two fence posts and a sledge hammer. It had taken him almost fifteen minutes to get back to her. The snow and his knee had slowed his progress. He hammered one post into the snow until he hit dirt and made it steady enough to stand on its own. He threaded the other pole under the tree and balanced it on the pole in the ground, creating a lever.
"Ok, Sam. I'm gonna lift the tree up so you can crawl out." He got ready to push down on the pole. "Sam?" He moved the branches and leaned forward. "SAM!"
"Hmmmm?"
"Sam, you gotta be ready to get out when I lift up, ok?"
"Yeah." Her voice sounded sluggish and he was worried that she didn't understand. He went back to the pole and lifted up. The tree barely budged. He laid across the pole, using his full weight to lift the tree. It moved a couple inches.
"Can you get out?" He lifted his head and looked through the branches. "Sam?" If he moved the tree would lower back on her, so he couldn't go help her. "Sam, you have to do this. You have to move." He kept his eyes on her. "SAM!"
She reached up and grabbed a branch that was behind her head. She pulled but she wasn't sure if she moved or not. She pulled again. Jack scooted forward, keeping his legs over the pole and reached towards her, grabbing her hand. He pulled, and she scooted towards him. He let go and climbed off the pole, slowly letting the tree back down.
"Sam, come on. You need to get inside." She rolled over onto her side and then onto all fours. She tried to push up to standing but fell. "Let me help you." He put an arm around her and helped her get to her feet. She waivered as they moved slowly towards the cabin. He leaned heavily on the ski pole as he partially supported her.
He laid her on the mattress as soon as they got in the house. He added two logs to the fire before turning back to Sam. He knelt beside her.
"You need to get these wet clothes off."
Her movements were weak and clumsy. It was taking too long so Jack helped her sit up and pulled both shirts over her head. He removed her bra and then laid her down to slip off the boots and her pants. He laid her clothes on the hearth to dry and wrapped her in a blanket. He went back to the door and took off his boots and snowsuit. He made sure the front door was closed and latched before going back to the mattress. Her eyes were closed.
"Hey, Sam, can you hear me?" He ran the back of his hand across her face. "Please." She wasn't shivering. He knew that was a bad sign. He stripped down to his t shirt and boxers. He took the blanket off of her and pulled her against him, throwing the blanket back over them both. He put her hands between them, resting on his chest.
He rubbed her back. "Time to warm up. Come on Sam. Wakey wakey." She didn't budge. "I'm sorry Sam. You know I'm an idiot, right?" His hands kept moving. "I need you, even though I'm not good enough for you. You deserve someone smarter and younger, but I can't let go. Hopefully you're stronger than me and you'll run, make a life for yourself. You deserve so much."
He felt a couple small shakes. "Buuuuulllllllll."
He closed his eyes and grin as a wave of relief filled him. "That's right, let me have it."
A couple minutes later her whole body began to tremble, and her teeth chattered as she shivered. Jack held her and murmured until she fell asleep. When she woke, she was alone, still wrapped in a blanket lying beside the fire. She stretched her sore muscles.
"Good afternoon."
"Hey. I feel like I ran a marathon."
"I'm not surprised. I made you some soup. Would you like some tea too?"
"Sounds good, thanks." Sam started to unwrap the blanket and stopped. "I'm naked."
"Uh, yeah. Your clothes were soaked, and you were freezing. I laid them on the hearth to dry and I put a few clean ones beside you."
She looked to her left. "Thanks, can you turn around?"
"I'll go to the kitchen to get a mug and tea bag." He was getting the mug out of the cabinet when he heard her suck in a quick breath. He went to the hall and looked in on her in time to see the large bruise across her hip as she pulled up the sweat pants he'd laid out for her. He went back into the kitchen with his hands balled into fists.
"Here ya go." He handed her the bowl of soup. "It's chicken and rice."
"I appreciate it." She started eating it. "It's good."
"I can heat up canned soup like a pro." He poured hot water from a pot near the fire into the mug. "Give this a few minutes and the tea will amaze you too."
She smiled. "I'm sure it will." She finished her soup and took the tea bag out of the mug and put it in the empty bowl.
Jack took the bowl. "Is there anything else I can get you?"
Sam shook her head. "No, thanks." He sat on the sofa to her right when he returned. "Does it bother you that I need help?"
"No." His brow wrinkled in confusion.
"It doesn't make me weak or unworthy?" She took a sip of her tea.
He frowned. "Of course not."
"So, it's ok for me to need help but not for you to need help?"
Jack crossed his arms.
"I heard you talking to me." Jack rubbed his hand on his jeans while Sam took another sip of her tea. "Are you ready to talk like adults or do you plan on just pushing me away?"
"I've never been much of a talker." He looked over at her and saw her eyes were green for the moment. "But for you, I can do it."
She grinned. "Good, because this is important to me." She put her hand on his leg. "You're important to me."
He put his hand over hers. "And you're important to me."
"But not important enough." Sam looked at him out of the corner of her eye. "You care for me, but you don't want to be with me."
"It's not what's best for you."
"Because?"
"You were talking about having kids a year ago but just last night you'd put that behind you, because of me."
"Not because of you." She shook her head. "I knew last year my chances of getting pregnant weren't great because if my age, but I was finally in a relationship where trying was an option."
"And now you aren't."
Sam sighed. "Well, no, not really. We've been talking for a few weeks and we haven't even technically had a date. Can you honestly tell me we're ready to have kids?"
"No."
"I knew when I called off the engagement that I wouldn't get to a point in another relationship where kids were an option, at least not before my time ran out. I could have stayed in a relationship that wasn't right and tried to have kids but that wouldn't have been fair to me, him, or the kids."
"No, it wouldn't have been."
"There's nothing wrong with being on my own."
"As long as you're happy."
"I am, but that doesn't mean I also wouldn't be happy with you." She turned to face him and sucked in her breath in pain as she moved her hip.
"Be careful."
"I heard you say you wanted to be with me. Was that the truth?" He looked into her eyes. "Stop thinking and just answer."
"Yes, yes, I want you, to be with you. The real question is why would you want to anchor yourself to an old man like me."
She reached up and placed her hand on the side of his face. "Because I love you." She tilted her head to the side. "I've been in love with you for longer than it was allowed. I tried hard to let you go but I couldn't."
"But you should have."
"No, I shouldn't have, even my dad agreed." She gave him a small grin. "Father knows best, right?"
Jack slowly shook his head as he cupped her face. "You'd be better off without me."
"But you'll never leave me."
He leaned in, "No I won't." Their lips met in a slow tentative kiss.