Chapter 9
A Night Out
Sam and Jack entered the restarant that was a good half hour drive and three towns over to avoid being seen by anyone they knew on the base or in town. Even though they were both thinking that they liked the idea of being married to the other, and the could read it in each other's eyes.
Jack and Sam were seated after only a minute of waiting, probably because it was a Wednesday night. The resterant was pretty empty. A few college kids in a booth. They were either on break, or just didn't have morning classes, either way, the place was practically empty, which meant they could talk about having to worry about anyone listening in.
"Tell me something that's not in your file?" Jack asked, starting the conversation.
"Well, in High School I went through a rebel stage. I was always either 'the brainy kid' or 'Mark's sister' and I wanted to break the titles everyone had given me. So, I created a fake I.D. I did it on this new computer my dad had given me because I had started to take college level courses, and he wasn't around much, military life and all, so it was his way of saying, 'I'm proud of you,' and 'I'm sorry,' at once. So I made an I.D. For myself,and we were living outside Las Vegas at the time, so I started selling I.D.s to my friends, then we went into more and more dives. Lets just say it got a little sketchy.
"My dad never knew, Mark found out when he came home from college and made me straighten up or he would tell dad."
"I bet you kept a 4.0 even during your 'rebellious stage.'" Jack said, using air quotes.
"Well yeah, but, you see, I dealt with my mother's death in two ways: I dove into high school, doing extra classes so I graduated a year early with a 4.0 and living on the edge Neo style." At the blanc face she clarified, "From the Matrix?" When he still had no clue she shrugged, "Never mind, lets just say I was bored at just being, 'Science-geek Sam.'"
"No wonder you joined the air force."
"Yeah, well, lets just say that I have never told anyone until now, especially my father. I actually made good money selling fake ids to kids at school. My dad was always working, and my brother was away at college, so no one ever had a clue. I can only imagine what I could have done had the Internet been around..." Sam said laughing, "What about you Si... Jack? What's not in your file?"
"Well you know about my Simpson fetish... but one thing that no one knows was before I joined the air force I wanted to be an... astronomer."
"You? A Scientist?"
"I know, weird, huh?"
"What happened?"
"Well, I was a senior in high school, applying for college, including the air force Academy, but that was way down on my list at the time. Anyway, In December of that year my dad was in a car accident. He almost died, but while he survived, the doctor bills required for everything from intensive car to rehab cleaned out my parents savings, my college fund, even with basic health insurance, which didn't cover the then experimental surgeries. So, when I was accepted to the Air Force Academy, I went there in order to stay out of debt. But I discovered my love of flying."
Sam sat back and reflected... "So that's why he went to the Universty of Denver." Talking about Jack's clone.
"But I fulfilled my dream of studying the stars."
The night progressed. They ordered, they ate in comfortable silence. And they talked about little things, funny memories of growing up, reflecting on the years working together. While they were walking out to the car, Jack asked, "Do you want to be married to me?" she started to answer, but he wasn't finished, "Don't think about regulations, or your dad, or work. Do you love me, want to be my wife in more than just a piece of paper and a late night ceremony that neither of us can remember, but in your heart, be my wife."
Sam looked at him, not knowing what to say, but Jack continued, "Ever since you marched into that briefing room and gave me that speech about sex organs, I felt for you, well a feeling I thought had died with Charlie. But now I have a second chance, WE have a second chance." Jack knelt down on one knee, "Sam will you marry me, again?"
TBC... (I know, I'm evil).
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