A/N: Happy end of the August Long Weekend! Here is a new chapter to ring in a new work-week. I may have taken a couple of liberties with Sam's character in this one, but the jury's still out on the matter. I'll let you decide. If I have, I sincerely apologize. If it's believable, thank goodness and happy reading! (And as always, reviews are greatly appreciated! Thanks to everyone who has reviewed so far, I love reading your comments!)
Oh, and just a head's up, there are still three chapters after this one, all of which will be posted sometime this week.
Jack heard the telltale rustling from the couch and rolled out of bed. Creeping up beside her, he put on his best Colonel's voice, ordering, "Get back to sleep, Carter. I'll take this watch." She mumbled something unintelligible, so for good measure he added, "That's an order." Sam settled back into the soft cushions, drifting peacefully back into a deeper sleep. Silently congratulating himself, Jack crept back to his bed, sinking gratefully into the dubious comfort of the old air mattress for however much additional rest he'd just managed to buy them both.
The sun was already up when Sam finally opened her eyes. She blinked in surprise. She couldn't remember the last time she'd slept this long. Something wasn't quite right, though. Should she feel this comfortable right now? Frowning in concentration, she could vaguely recall being ordered back to sleep sometime in the night. But that didn't quite mesh with her current surroundings... Glaring accusingly at the sleeping General by her feet, she rolled quietly from the couch, deciding two could play that game.
Slipping into Daniel's room, she grabbed a couple of items from her bag, changing quickly before sidling back into the living room to execute her plan.
Jack woke up warm. And while there was nothing entirely unusual about that, the warmth seemed to be emanating from one side of his body alone. Peeking over, he froze. A mop of soft blonde hair rested lightly against his chest, followed closely by one very bare, ivory shoulder. A slender arm had snaked up under his shirt, pressing him tight against the owner's soft curves. His pant leg had been hitched up to his knee by a wandering foot, the silky smooth leg still resting casually over his own...
Jack's breath hitched in his throat, every muscle in his body tensing at the unexpected company in his bed. Sam shifted in her sleep, stretching out beside him so that he had a perfect view of her more feminine attributes, framed rather attractively in a pale blue camisole. Jack groaned. At this rate, he was going to need a dip in the pond before he'd even be able to get his jogging pants on.
Sam's eyes fluttered opened at the strangled sound he'd let escape, and she smiled slow and wide, nuzzling back into his side.
" 'Morning," she murmured peacefully.
"Sam, what the hell is going on?," he asked, swallowing hard against her renewed proximity.
"I just thought you might need a little extra rest this morning, since you went to all the trouble of ordering me back to sleep when I tried getting up earlier...," she replied innocently.
"You remember that?," he choked.
"Mm-hm," she murmured, running her hand up his bare side.
"God Carter, are you trying to kill me?," he ground through clenched teeth.
"Of course not, Sir," she purred, just as innocently as before, her fingers sending bolts of fire through his body. "I just wanted to make sure you got enough sleep. You've been running a little short this week, and I've heard men your age need their beauty rest."
Jack shut his eyes against the sensory assault she was waging. You'd think she'd have been a little more grateful for the extra sleep. Instead, she really was going to kill him. And she was mocking him, to boot.
"I take it this means we're moving forward?," he gasped, trying to catch that errant hand before it did something truly provocative.
Sam smiled again, stretching to press a string of delicate kisses against his jaw. He shuddered. "Kerry's gone?," she asked. Jack nodded. "Then yes," she breathed.
"Good to know," he said, struggling to retain higher brain function. Deciding to fall back on soldier's instinct instead, he grabbed both her hands, pinning them down while flipping her off him and landing noisily on top of her. "I'm going to go for a nice, long swim now," he said, watching the reckless fire dance in her eyes. "And you will at the very least allow me to cook you a proper dinner before this ever happens again," he added, rolling quickly to his feet and heading for the door.
Sam laughed, a sound that was as much music to his ears as it was molten desire to the rest of him. It took every ounce of will power currently in his possession to open the door and step outside.
Sam dressed quickly once Jack was outside, silently congratulating herself on a command performance. Served him right for giving orders while they were on vacation. Especially after yesterday. Talk about mixed messages!
Teal'c and Daniel emerged from their respective rooms moments later, evidently having heard at least part of what had passed between them. Slightly embarrassed now that she knew she'd had more of an audience than simply Jack, Sam excused herself to the kitchen to get the coffee started. Both men followed.
"So, what was that?," Daniel asked casually, forcing a grin. Sam shot him a warning look.
"Just a little bit of payback," she said with a shrug. Teal'c and Daniel exchanged a meaningful glance, while Sam just rolled her eyes. "Come on, Daniel. You're the one who said we should think more like Jack."
"Yes, but that was before he decided you'd already made the first move in coming up to his cabin in the first place!," Daniel exclaimed. "Generally speaking, thinking like Jack is not something I'd recommend!"
"Indeed, I believe you are mistaken, Daniel Jackson," intoned Teal'c." Sam and Daniel both turned to him in surprise. "O'Neill is not one to act independently when it comes to matters of the heart. I have observed him to be more likely to pursue one who has actively pursued him first." The other two gaped at their friend.
"In fact," Teal'c continued, "I have only known O'Neill to act in accordance to his own desires on one occasion, during the time loop in which no one but ourselves would remember events as they had been."
Daniel and Sam exchanged a quick glance, focusing back on Teal'c. The large Jaffa remained silent.
"Teal'c," Daniel said slowly. "What do you mean, Jack acted on his own desires?"
"During one of the many loops we encountered, General O'Neill resigned his commission in order to physically demonstrate his devotion to Colonel Carter."
Sam choked, coughing loudly to recover. Daniel studied Teal'c thoughtfully.
"What did he do?," he asked at last. Sam shot him a murderous look.
"He kissed her in the control room," Teal'c stated plainly. Sam's eyes widened in surprise.
"You mean to tell me he actually kissed me, knowing I wouldn't remember?"
"That is correct, Colonel Carter."
She looked back to Daniel. "And you were worried about my nerve," she grumbled at last.
Sam was waiting for him on the dock, towel in hand. Her expression was completely unreadable, which in his experience, at least, usually meant trouble. And since there was no one else around, he could only assume it would be trouble for him. Swimming to the end of the dock, he paused. Sam's eyes were resolutely fixed on the other side of the lake, but even still... Glancing at her expression once more, he sighed, resigning himself to coming up in the buff once again. At least this time there was a towel in plain sight.
Sam met his eyes as he secured the proffered fabric around his waist, searching his face for answers he didn't think she'd find.
"Sam, is everything all right?," he asked gently, wondering if somehow the events of the morning had already gone too far.
"You kissed me," she stated matter-of-factly, her gaze never leaving his face.
"Uh, Sam..."
"That's why you looked so smug, just after we broke the timeloop. You kissed me."
He stared at her, searching for something she might want to hear. Finally, he simply nodded, acknowledging the veracity of her accusation.
"Why?"
"I wanted to see how you'd react."
"And?"
"You were appalled that I was resigning, but you still kissed me back," Jack replied with a cocky smirk.
"Is that all that happened?," she asked sternly.
"Yes," he replied, the smirk wiped clean off his face. "Sam, I'd never...," he trailed helplessly, at a loss for words.
"Okay, then," she replied, relaxing slightly. And then she stepped forward, closing the short distance between them. Jack held his breath, mesmerized, as she stood on tiptoe, lacing her fingers through the hair at the back of his head, pulling him closer... Their lips met softly at first, a gentle greeting, but the kiss soon turned urgent, years of unspoken fear, loneliness and need filtering through. Jack tried to slow their progress, struggling to retain equilibrium in the onslaught of emotion lanced with desire, but his own body turned against him. Using one arm to pull her closer, the other cupped her face, fingers lacing into her soft blonde hair as his tongue begged for hers. His mind screamed for him to stop, before things really got out of hand, but his body wasn't listening. And if Sam's current grip on him was any indication, she wasn't thinking any more clearly than he was...
"Jack," interrupted Daniel's calm voice in their pre-arranged warning. Jack broke away from Sam panting, resting his head against her own as she tried to push closer. "I think it's time for plan B," Jack gasped, pointedly ignoring the younger man's smug amusement emanating from the other end of the dock.
The four friends convened on the large wooden deck at the rear of the cabin, Jack freshly clothed and both he and Sam noticeably more collected than they had been a few minutes before.
"So plan B is a group activity?," Sam asked.
"Not exactly, no," replied Daniel. "Plan B is to have you and Jack discuss your options calmly, preferably with all your clothing still intact." Sam scowled at him.
"Then what was plan A?"
"To follow your lead," answered Jack, moving a little closer to where she stood. "Daniel liked that idea best, but in my experience, plan A never works out. So we came up with plan B, just in case."
"Are there any other plans in case this one doesn't work out?," she asked.
The three men exchanged quick glances. "There may be other plans," Jack hedged. "But most of them hinge on the outcome of plan B."
"So we talk?" Jack nodded. "All of us?," Sam asked, a little doubtfully.
Daniel snorted. "It's not like Teal'c and I aren't already involved. Might as well stick around to make sure you don't do anything you'll regret." Sam shot him a look that clearly said she didn't think she would have regretted the outcome of plan A had he not interrupted, but he ignored her.
"We'll just be over here," he said instead, motioning towards two chairs set up on the opposite side of the deck. Bowing slightly, Teal'c turned to follow the archaeologist, settling into one of the two chairs and resuming his progress through Sam's series. He was a book ahead of her now, she couldn't help but notice, reading the last of her novels. Daniel had a novel of his own to peruse. Sam turned to Jack.
"So we talk?," she asked again. Jack grinned. "Much as I would have preferred the alternative, yes. We talk." He leaned against the deck railing, watching her. She raised an eyebrow.
"Am I supposed to start?," she asked uncertainly. He sighed.
"Sam, I know what I want from this," he said, motioning between the two of them. "But I need to know what you want. What you expect."
"I don't expect anything," she said with a shrug. He eyed her carefully, deciding she was serious.
"Well, maybe you should," he said at last.
"Excuse me?"
"Sam, you deserve more than a casual affair with your CO. A hell of a lot more, in my opinion."
"What are you saying, Jack? That this is an all or nothing deal? Are you going to be the one to throw your career away, or am I?," she demanded, her voice carefully controlled while hurt and rejection raged in her eyes.
"I'm saying we've waited this long. If you want the full deal, we could always wait a little longer to work things out through the proper channels."
"I'm tired of waiting, Jack. Every time any one of us steps through that Stargate, there's always the chance we'll never be coming back through. We're good, but we've been lucky so far. Most teams only have one or two of their original members left. Hell, we've lost Daniel twice already. I don't think I can live with the possibility of never having anything with you just to keep the Air Force regulations intact."
Jack nodded solemnly. "All right. No waiting," he acquiesced. "But that still leaves the question of how far we're willing to take this."
"What did you mean earlier, when you said you already know what you want?," she asked. Jack smiled ruefully at her.
"I want to wake up beside you every morning," he said, stepping closer. "I want to be able to hold you in public, and kiss you whenever I want." He took another step. "And I never, ever want to be addressed as 'Sir' by you again," he murmured, gently cupping her face with one hand while resting his forehead against her own. "I want it all, Sam. For life."
Sam's breath caught in her throat as the full weight of his words sank in. "Jack," she began. He shook his head, pulling away to meet her gaze.
"I'm a selfish old bastard, Sam," he confessed. "When I said I want it all...I'm not ready to retire yet. And I won't ask you do what I wouldn't do myself."
"What if I volunteer?," she whispered. He chuckled darkly.
"I'd always wonder if I'd forced your hand. Besides, I meant what I said about you being one of our greatest national resources...I won't do anything to take you away from your career. Even if it means never having what I want."
"Jack, we can't live like this forever," she pleaded.
"Which brings us to plan C," he said reluctantly.
"Plan C?," she asked.
"It'll be an automatic court-martial if we're ever caught, and it's the worst damn compromise I've ever heard," he explained bitterly, "but Daniel and Teal'c seem to think we could make it work. Somehow," he added.
"So what's plan C?," she whispered, mentally preparing herself for the worst.
"We get married," he replied simply. Sam's eyebrows shot up in surprise, and Jack almost had to laugh at the shock plainly written across her features. "In secret," he added quickly. "We tiptoe around each other at work, same as before, only a couple times a year we sneak up here for a bit with our two favourite alibis," he explained, nodding discreetly in the direction of their friends.
"You hate plan C," she stated.
"It's not one of our best," he replied. "It's a whole lot of risk without very much gain."
They were silent a moment while Sam contemplated his words. When she spoke, she surprised her CO more than she ever imagined possible.
"I think I'd rather be your wife a few days a year than anyone else's wife everyday for the rest of my life," she said softly. Jack stood speechless, staring hard. She flushed, embarrassed. "But we can always think of another option, if that's what you want," she added hastily.
"No," he said.
"No, what?," she asked, confused.
"If you're happy with Plan C, we'll go with that," he clarified.
"Are you sure?," she asked. "I mean, if it's not what you want..."
"I'll take what I can get," he said firmly, closing the distance between them. Their lips met for the second time that day, this time without any urgency. Firm, tender, loving, they made a thousand silent promises to one another for better things to come.
"I take it you have decided upon a new course of action, O'Neill," interrupted Teal'c some time later.
"Indeed," he murmured against Sam's lips, eliciting a giggle from his soon-to-be wife.
"Plan C?," Daniel asked, stepping up beside Teal'c. Jack reluctantly broke away, nodding. "Good," said the archaeologist. "Do we have a timeline yet?" Jack frowned.
"We hadn't gotten that far, yet, Daniel," Jack replied a bit tersely.
"O'Neill. Our remaining time here is limited. You must act quickly if you wish sufficient time to consummate your marriage," Teal'c admonished. Three sets of horrified eyes turned on the large Jaffa, who unabashedly held his ground.
"Uh, I think what Teal'c is trying to say is that we thought you'd want as much time as possible together before we have to leave again, so maybe we should get the ball rolling...," Daniel babbled, desperately trying to cover the sudden awkwardness.
"Daniel, I think you're losing your touch," Jack shot, a smirk suddenly tugging at the corner of his lips. "Teal'c's delivery was much more succinct, wouldn't you agree?" Sam slugged him in the arm, quickly wiping the smirk from his face as he rubbed what Daniel was sure would be a sizeable bruise.
Sam turned her attention to Daniel, frowning. "Even if we applied for our license this week, we'd never find someone to marry us on such short notice," she said. Daniel shot Jack an accusatory look.
"You didn't explain?" Jack shrugged.
"Explain what?," Sam asked, growing suspicious.
"Uh, licenses leave a paper trail," Daniel pointed out. "So we were thinking we'd borrow a simpler tradition for the occasion."
"Daniel...," Sam warned.
"He wants us to use the ancient Egyptian ceremony," Jack simplified.
"You've bartered cattle for my hand?," she asked sarcastically. Jack smirked. Daniel frowned at them both.
"The ancient Egyptians were a socially advanced people," he explained. "Women had rights, and from what we know of it, their conception of marriage wasn't entirely different from our own. And while it is believed a bride-price was originally paid to the father of the bride, it later became tradition for this sum to be paid directly to the intended wife. Much like an engagement ring," he explained.
"So, no cattle," clarified Jack.
"The ceremony itself is remarkably simple, so we can go through with it at any point, once you're ready."
"No animal sacrifices, I hope?," she asked.
Daniel shook his head, grinning. "You each make a short statement declaring yourselves husband and wife, and it's pretty well done. Traditionally, moving the bride's possessions into her new home would be part of the ceremony, but we technically already did that yesterday..."
"Daniel...?," she asked, waiting for more of an explanation. She really wasn't looking forward to going home to a ransacked house...
"What? Oh, uh, sorry. Um, we weren't sure if you'd be willing to leave any of what you brought up here behind when we head back, and it's an integral part of the ceremony, so Teal'c and I arranged a bit of a dowry..." He glanced away, embarrassed, then quickly added, "Oh, but don't worry! It's not really how you would think of a dowry... It's more like a gift, really. That stays here. To mark this as your home," he finished awkwardly.
Sam scowled at Jack, who shrugged. "Hey, don't look at me. I had nothing to do with that part," he said, hands raised in defense. "And they've assured me that none of it is mine." He paused. "As in, they are not bribing me to take you off their hands," he tried to explain. "For what it's worth, I'm doing this of my own free will. I swear," he fumbled, watching the growing skepticism in her eyes.
"We had to make this your home, Sam," Daniel said apologetically. "It's the only way this will count."
"Although O'Neill has yet to make a formal request for your hand," warned Teal'c, "and we will be unable to proceed until then."
"Romantic, eh?," Jack asked sarcastically. Sam looked at him in complete bewilderment. He winced.
"Sam, if you've changed your mind..." he said, gently resting a hand on her arm, "I'll understand."
"No," she said, shaking her head. "It's just...a lot. All at once."
"It doesn't have to be today," supplied Daniel helpfully.
Sam shook her head. "I did say I was tired of waiting, didn't I?," she said with a rueful smile.
"You did," agreed Jack, grinning as well.
"Okay then," she said. Jack's grin widened.
"In that case," he said, slowly sinking down to one knee. "Samantha Carter, will you do me the honour of becoming my wife?"
Even though she had known it was coming, and even though she had had two such proposals prior to this one, Lieutenant Colonel Samantha Carter suddenly found herself unable to speak, moved by the simple elegance of the question, by the ruggedly honest beauty of the man before her, and by the fact that she knew, knew, that this was the right choice, the only choice, to keep them both happy for a long time to come.
"Yes," she whispered at last, nodding for emphasis. Jack stood again, grinning from ear to ear and looking twenty years younger than he actually was. Pulling her closer, they kissed again, oblivious to their two witnesses, one of whom was grinning rather foolishly despite himself.