How she then proceeded to end up on the stairs to the courthouse, she really had no idea. Maybe it was his reassurance that she didn't need to be there. Maybe it was the stubborn military persona that harbored inside of her that was always seeking victory and retribution for crimes committed. Maybe it was the fact that she did not want her need not to be there to appear to on-lookers as her not being able to there. More likely, it was a combination of all these things and possibly even a little more. The rationale behind the decision was ultimately mute. She was there, standing in front of the giant oak doors, and she wasn't turning back now.
"Ready?"
There were rain clouds looming in the distance, creating a mild sense of irony. She turned towards Jack and smiled.
"Ready."
The hesitation in the bathroom earlier caused the two to be running slightly behind. Luckily for them, the case was running behind as well. Spectators were few, but that really wasn't too surprising. She noticed Pete's parents sitting in the third row on the left and how the averted their gaze as to not look at her. There were a few fellow officers that were doing just about the same. If she had to guess, she would not have called their looks angry or hurtful but more so that her presence reminded them of the act committed. Daniel and Teal'c were in the front right, waiting patiently for them to arrive. By the gesturing involved, one could only assume that Daniel was attempting to explain the American court system to Teal'c, still naive to such matters. The only thing that really did surprise her was the person sitting in the bench directly behind her two comrades, her brother Mark.
She intentionally forgotten to call her brother after the incident. Maybe right after the incident. Sure, but she was planning on calling him when the time was right. Then, the days turned into weeks, and Denver was never called. The sub-conscience mind does not lie, though, and that is where true intentions really lie. After her mother's death, she would instinctively burrow her problems away, always attempting to be the tough girl, to prove she didn't need taking after. Ultimately, this created a gap the size of the Grand Canyon between her and Carter men. Sure, the relationship between her and her brother had improved greatly since Selmak, but some instincts never truly change, this being one of them. On top of it all, there was the little fact that Pete was ultimately Mark's best friend. Anyways, the point is that she sure didn't tell him what happened, and so he must have found out through the grapevine. No matter the reason, his presence in the cold, drab courtroom made all that much more of a difference. As if telepathically, that thought made him turn around in the bench he was sitting in to face her. Their eyes met across the courtroom, and a faint shiver ran down her spine. For the first time in as long as she could remember, she felt a true feeling of connection and caring with her brother.
When Pete was escorted in, it almost felt like the temperature in the place dropped a good ten degrees. His face was sunken, his posture hollow. As she sat there, with her hands delicately intertwined with Jack's, she got this odd sense that the emptiness inside her got transferred into Pete when she found her happiness, and for some reason, that seemed to give her a sense of justice in and of itself. The actual sentencing itself was short. He received the average nine year term with possible bail after five. As much as she didn't want to admit it, as the bailiff escorted him away, it felt as a huge weight was lifted off of her shoulders.
They all were going back to Jack's to celebrate, including Mark...just a small little shing-dig among friends and family to create a sense of togetherness and well-being. It was in the hallway that she heard the distinctive voice calling out to her.
"Samantha."
She turned around to see Pete's mother frantically trying to catch up to her. She could see in Jack's eyes that he thought it was a bad idea, but she felt like this was something she had to do. Pete's mother did nothing wrong, and she deserved a little closure, too.
"Samantha, I know words do much justice with something like this, and really, I don't know what to really say. I just wanted to say that I'm sorry, I guess. You did the right thing, you know. Calling off the wedding. We could all tell that he wasn't quite the right guy for you, but he liked to pretend, I suppose. For awhile there, Pete was really understanding about it, but then he became dark again, like he used to be back when he was younger, you know."
Her voice grew almost into a whisper. Sam could tell how hard it was but how much it must mean for this woman to get it off her chest.
"He turned back to drugs, and he got mean and withdrawn. Sure, I was worried, but I never, never, thought he would have done something like this. If I only would have seen it coming, I swear..."
"Debra, you did nothing wrong. It was Pete's choice. Pete's decision for himself. We can't change what's happened, but we don't have to dwell on it either."
"You were always such a sweet girl. I just wanted you to know."
Debra patted Sam on the back before turning and running off into the small crowd forming in the hallway. It was then that the rain started to pelt on the concrete outside, and it was then, in the split second, that Sam felt the pieces of her life shift back into place. She folded into Jack's outstretched arm, and they walked out into the rain side by side.
..........
The next day, Sam came waltzing out of the hair salon, whistling the song, Singing in the Rain. Her hair was golden blonde again and gorgeous, as always. That night, she started to unpack some of the boxes that she had stored away in Jack's basement. They both knew she was home to stay.
..........
A couple weeks later, she felt like Jack and her and a perfect rhythm going. They drove to work together every morning, drove home together every night. For two people who started out not being good at the whole communication thing, they found that they never had a moment of awkward silence anymore. When they didn't have something to talk about, their silence was harmonious. Both knew fully well that you didn't always need to talk to effectively communicate.
..........
Two months after that, Sam permanently moved into the master bedroom with Jack. Their relationship had developed slow, and that is exactly what she needed at the time. However, there comes a time when enough is enough, and there is no more denying certain needs and wishes.
...........
One year later, Samantha Carter finally had her fairy tale ending. With Vala, Cassandra, Daniel, and Teal'c by their sides, the two exchanged vows on the pier at Jack's Minnesota cabin. The sun was setting over the pond when they had their first kiss and husband and wife. She couldn't help but think of it as a metaphor for the sun setting on her old life, her old troubles, and tomorrow it would raise again on her new life, her new journey.
Her toast was simple. "Sometimes, life gives you a bucket full of sour lemons. It's not always planned. Sometimes those lemons are quite frightening and self-revealing, but all it takes is a little bit of sugar to make the best lemonade you've ever tasted."
..............
The End.
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A.N.: So, did you like the ending? Was it fitting? I hope you enjoyed it. Thank you to everyone who keep reading all the way through, for those who contributed suggestions, and the always wonderful reviews. Appreciated as always :)
