After Dad
Season: End of Season 8 – Post Moebius/Threads – I know! Another one!
A/N: I blame Sg1fantnin, who told me to write a sequel, I hope you like it
This fic follows "Dad" and it's sequel "Dad?". However, it can be read as a stand-alone
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They were at the cabin after her father had died, after the Goa'uld had been defeated and Daniel had done his semi-annual brush with ascension. It was just the two of them sitting in his cabin up in Minnesota; Daniel and Teal'c having driven to the nearest town for food supplies and more insect repellent. Sam was curled up in one of the armchairs reading a file. Looking for all the world as if she belonged there, or so it seemed to Jack. It just looked so natural to see her in the cabin. The thought left him with an ache in his chest; maybe he should do something about it.
"Whatcha doing?" sounding like a bored child rather than an Air Force general. But she smiled and looked up at him, and Jack decided it was worth it just to see her smile, and then realised what a sap he sounded.
"Just going over some of the engine diagnostics of the Daedalus, they want me to see what would be the best way to try and reintegrate some of the newer upgrades back into the Prometheus, and supervise the final inspection of the Daedalus before launch."
"It sounds like they're really going to need you there."
"Yeah, I guess."
"It's a good thing you're transferring then." He smiled at her, but hesitated before continuing, "Have you decided when you're going to tell the boys?"
"I dunno, I was thinking probably after dinner tonight, I guess they won't mind that much: Teal'c is going to want to go with Bra'tac to Dakara and Daniel's been bugging me to let him leave on the next Atlantis flight."
"Oh yeah, he's been whining at me for days about that."
She grinned at him and he tried to ignore the glow he felt from that simple expression. Ah who was he kidding, he loved her. He took a deep breath and looked at her.
"You know, Carter, it's going to be strange at the SGC without you." He said slightly wistfully.
She smiled again, not the huge 1000 watt grin, but a gentle smile; she got up and sat down next to him on the sofa, "I know, but Area 51 - and the 304 project - is not under SGC control; and that means-" She paused and just looked at him.
"and that means." He confirmed, reaching out to touch her cheek. Sam smiled again and leaned into his hand, his thumb still gently stroking her check.
Jack knew she'd be hiding somewhere and he knew exactly where that somewhere was. He was right. He stood in the doorway of her lab for a few minutes watching her try to work; he could see the occasional tear streak down her face and was glad she at least wasn't fighting back her emotions completely.
"Hey"
She looked up; and Jack could almost see the thousands of thoughts crossing her mind
"Please don't order me home"
"Sam-"
"Please, I don't want to be stuck there with nothing to do."
"Actually I was going to ask if you wanted to get some jello" he said gently. She looked up at his words, and Jack could see what it was taking for her to hold it together. He walked round her desk to stand next to her,
"C'mere" he said as he folded her into his arms. Her carefully constructed barriers came crashing down as she turned into him and cried.
Later, after dinner the 4 of them were sat around talking, but Sam still hadn't quite got round to telling Daniel or Teal'c about her intended move out of the mountain. She took a sip of her beer, leaning forward to put it on the table before leaning back into Jack's right side, who put his arm around her, pulling her into his chest. Although none of this went unnoticed by Teal'c it wasn't until Sam's left hand reached across and entwined her fingers in Jack's right hand that Daniel noticed what was going on between two of his best friends. Daniel being Daniel felt the need to comment.
"Umm guys? New change in the regulations?"
Sam looked up at Jack before looking over to Daniel and Teal'c and taking a deep breath.
"OK. I guess this is as good a time as any, when you both leave the SGC I'm going to be leaving too. In fact I'm going first, I've already handed in my transfer papers and they've already been approved, I report to Area 51 in 3 weeks, a week after we get back. I'm no longer stationed at the SGC." She looked back up at Jack as if looking for reassurance. Daniel stared at them for a moment, until he got the significance; then his eyes went really wide.
"oh"
Jack laughed, "All the languages in all the worlds in the galaxy, and you come up with 'oh'?"
Daniel tried again, "so you two, you're actually going to, to, um, to"
"Be together?" Jack finished, he smiled at Sam, "Yeah."
"Also this way I'm closer to Cassie, Nellis is much closer to LA than the SGC is, and not being off-world gives me more flexibility to be there for her."
Daniel looked at the couple again for a moment, before smiling, "About time"
"Indeed, I am happy for you both, O'Neill, Colonel Carter. I hope you find much happiness."
Sam smiled, "Thanks Teal'c."
After Daniel and Teal'c had gotten over the shock of Sam and Jack's sudden revelation, the rest of the first week at the cabin flew by, it still shocked Daniel to see Sam hold Jack's hand or Jack come up behind Sam and wrap his arms around her. Teal'c, not surprisingly was a lot more, well just more Teal'c about it. After the initial discussion, his only reaction was the occasional smile to see Sam curled up into Jack's side when they were watching a movie or the slightly raised eyebrow if the kiss went on a bit longer than was completely comfortable. He and Teal'c were happy for them and so Daniel spent a large part of the first week teasing them both mercilessly.
But half-way through their second week the idyllic scene was destroyed by the ringing of a cell phone. Jack scowled at his phone as he flipped it up to take the call.
"O'Neill, Mr President?" With a look to Sam he wandered away from the dock to take the call in private. Sam sat at the dock trying not to wonder why President Hayes was ringing Jack in the middle of his vacation, because if there was a problem at the SGC then she'd have gotten a call as well.
Fifteen or twenty minutes later when Jack appeared back on the deck, the happy, almost carefree Jack was gone, replaced with one pissed General. He sat down heavily in his vacated deckchair and looked over at Sam.
"George has given his 3 months notice, he's retiring."
"Oh" Sam had no idea why this had upset Jack so much.
"And they need a replacement"
Sam got it. "You"
"Me" Jack nodded grimly. He reached over and took Sam's hand, lacing his fingers through hers.
"I love you". Sam closed her eyes as her breath caught in her throat
"Jack-"
"No Sam, I don't care. We talked to the President, the President for crying out loud. Normally a guy just has to ask a girl's father, but Dad was the least of the problems; he wanted us to be together, he wanted you to be happy."
"So we have 3 months." She said. He nodded
"3 months until you're in my chain of command again. I'm so sorry Sam. I had promised-" Jack pushed out of the chair to stare around him running his hand over his face and into his hair. Sam followed him as he paced to the end of the pier.
"Hey" Sam reached over to stroke his face, a weak smile lit her face as he leaned into her palm, faint tears glistened in her eyes as he turned and kissed her palm. "This is not your fault, Jack." She stroked his check again, "hey, look at me, I love you, we want this, we can make this work."
"Only if I ask you to marry me." He said and turned away again, unable to encounter her eyes.
Jack ran his hand through his hair again and looked back at her.
"I don't want to ask you to marry me, to get round a technicality; I wanted to ask you to marry me because I love you." He looked down, "I shouldn't have to ask you to do that, it shouldn't be a technicality – a way to be together."
"It isn't."
Jack looked up at her, brown eyes meeting blue.
"It might seem like just 'a way to be together', but it isn't, not for me, I love you," She paused, "It's what I want, what I've always wanted for us." Now it was her turn to look away, unable to meet Jack's eyes, but he reached out and took her face in his hands, then their eyes locked, and he smiled.
"Will you marry me?"
She smiled, her 'mega-watt' smile this time, "Yes."
I hope you don't find this too out of character, but obviously I have no reference point hint hint