Title: Make A Memory
Author: Psalm 136
Rating: K+
Summary: 'I love you.' He knows as well as she does that there are no more regulations in between them, but it's still enough of a recent memory to make this feel so forbidden.
Disclaimer: It's not mine, unfortunately.
Author's Notes: I was inspired by watching Jon Bon Jovi on my public television station, and he was singing his, "You Wanna Make a Memory" song, and it occurred to me that it was totally a Jack/Sam story. I know this is really rough, but I just had to get it out.
Jack surveyed the scene that met him once he left his kitchen in his Washington D.C. home. The mighty Jaffa warrior, Teal'c, was sleeping majestically on the floor of his living room, a few blankets tossed over him. Daniel was curled up on an air mattress in the corner, on his stomach and snoring gently, dressed only in sweats. The TV's volume was turned down dramatically, and in front of it, on his couch, dressed in sweats and a baggy Air Force sweatshirt, was Samantha Carter.
How this had come to be was stuff for the history books. After nearly two years of absence and distance, Jack had heard the Ori were defeated and knew a celebration was in order, but he also knew his team would need it. Granted, he did feel slightly bad about not inviting Mitchell or Vala, but to him, SG-1 would always be what it was in the old days, and he knew Carter, Teal'c and Daniel would need the time together more than anyone.
It'd been a long road for them all, ten years. Now, it seemed like it was all over, and they were all exhausted by the choices they had to make for the fate of their planet. Jack knew that he needed to be reminded why he'd taken the most tiring job on said planet, and now, he was assured of his choice.
He'd made it for the light in Daniel's eyes whenever he was speaking of some new alien find, some new culture or ruins that were just so gosh darn exciting. He'd made it for Teal'c's solemnity and subtle humor and for the way the Jaffa would show the team that he actually knew more about Earth culture than they did. He made it for Carter's killer smile when she was explaining the newest alien technology she'd deciphered and applied to their situation.
Jack smiled softly as he took a seat next to Sam who tiredly looked up to acknowledge him. "You okay?" He asked, handing her a mug of hot chocolate. He would have given her coffee, but he could only assume this would be her first night of real rest in a long time.
"Yeah." She told him, smiling as she took a drink of the cocoa. "Thanks."
The two fell into silence, both drinking their hot chocolate and watching the late night programs. Some time between Letterman's Top Ten and Jay Leno's headlilne jokes, Sam had scooted over towards him, and Jack had slipped an arm around her shoulders. Her head had settled on his collarbone, her mug on the coffee table, empty. Jack looked down at her blonde hair, and slowly titled his head so it was resting on hers.
"This was nice." He told her, his voice barely above a rumbling murmur.
He felt her smile against him. "It was. Thanks for inviting us." She took a deep breath and let it out as a sigh. "I missed this. I missed all of us being together." She risked a look up into his brown eyes.
Something in her eyes told him she was more than aware of the lack of regulations separating them.
"I missed you." She admitted, and then ducked her head again, but she did return it to its (rightful) place on his chest.
"I missed you, too." He replied, snaking his other arm around her to pull her close. If he was ever looking for the opportune moment, this was it, and he knew it. It was so hard to be vulnerable, even to this woman whom he trusted more than himself. This could be his second chance, and he was so scared of messing it up. He swallowed.
"I love you." He whispered into her hair.
Sam pulled away slightly, just enough so she could look up into his eyes. The moment froze, and then she smiled. "I love you too, Jack." She said, one hand pressed against his abdomen, propping herself up. "When were you going to tell me?" She asked teasingly.
"Oh, I don't know." He answered airily. "When were you going to tell me?" He turned the question on her, his eyes dancing.
"Never." She tempered the potentially frightening answer by pressing a tentative kiss to his cheek.
"Cheeky, Sam. Very cheeky." He did one better than her and kissed her square on the lips.
Of all the things he had known would happen on their team night, he hadn't though he would spill out his greatest secret. However, as he held her for a while long, and then eased himself onto his cot close to the dining room as she took the couch, he found that the moment had happened as only it would for them. When they last expected it, their hearts found they couldn't keep the words silent any longer.
There were no more oaths to fulfill for God and country, no more need to repress their individual selves for the respect they held for the Air Force. Right now, their only priorities were to rest and to explore the length and depth of their feelings for each other.
And find a way to tell Daniel and Teal'c without Jack owing them money for actually finding the courage to tell Sam the way he felt. He just really didn't feel like coughing up two hundred dollars to each because of one drunken admission and bet.
Please review and tell me what you thought!