Author's Note: There are only a few chapters left of this fic, but when I re-read them, they were quite lengthy and I started to get bored reading (I'd a lot packed in), so I've split them up to make them easier to read. It does mean more chapters, for which I am sorry, but I'll be posting two chapters a day for the next four days so the story is complete. Thank you again for all the kudos, comments and messages I've received for this story – they are lovely to read through and keep me smiling.
Sam had spoken before she'd even reached him as he stood by the edge of the dock.
"You walked out of a meeting with the President?" She saw Jack take a deep breath at her question but he didn't reply, so she followed his gaze across the pond. "I mean, when I think of some of the things you've done over the years as part of SG-1 it doesn't completely surprise me," she shrugged, but she was still perplexed, "but this is the President we're talking about. Why would you just walk away? Was General Hammond there? What did he say?"
Without warning, Jack spun around to face her but she refused to back down as she met his gaze.
"I had no choice; they wouldn't listen to me."
"They wouldn't listen to you," she repeated.
"I told you, Sam," he said, his earlier anger dissipating, "Hayes told me about the promotion, I told him to keep it and said I had retirement planned instead. He said he couldn't let that happen – even when I gave him my reason for wanting to leave."
Sam hesitated. "You – you did what?"
Jack shrugged, and then looked at her in a way that made her heart melt and any confusion she'd previously had over his reaction suddenly vanished. He'd walked away for her. She sucked in a breath and stared at him; his eyes were dark and intense and serious and even though Sam knew he had no regret over his decision to walk out on the President, she could see the smallest seed of doubt start to creep into his expression and she didn't want that. She didn't want him to think that he'd made a mistake; that she didn't want this – because she did.
"Look around you," he said, as he gestured to the pond and their general surroundings. "I thought I'd finally be able to spend more time here once I retired – only this time I wouldn't be alone." He sighed heavily, then continued, "When I was recalled to active duty, I made a promise to myself that once the Goa'uld were defeated, I was out; I would hand in my papers and go riding off into the sunset," he said, lifting an arm and sweeping it in the general direction of the sun.
"The sunset," Sam couldn't help but comment, "isn't that a little cliché, even for you?"
She caught his grin out of the corner of her eye. "Maybe," he acquiesced, before his amusement disappeared.
"After Charlie –" Jack took a deep breath. "After Charlie died, I didn't come here for a long time; I couldn't," he said quietly, "but I knew I'd spend my retirement here – alone – and that suited me fine. I had just started thinking about packing up the house and moving out here –" He suddenly smirked and turned his head so he could look at Sam, "and then you came along. You, Daniel and Teal'c, and slowly but surely each one of you worked your way into my life and gave me something worth living for again."
They stood in silence for a few moments when Sam spoke softly. "You make it sound like it's a bad thing."
He looked away and back towards the landscape. "Over the years I've thought about all the times I invited you here – and every time you said no. I know why you turned them down," he added quickly, "but a part of me wanted you to say yes, just once, so I could get you up here." He shrugged, and Sam could see his discomfort. "I guess, at some point, I realized that I wanted to share this with you, and I needed to know if you wanted to share it with me."
"You wanted to share this with me?"
"Oh yeah," he murmured.
Jack shoved his hands deep into the pockets of his jeans and rocked back on his heels and Sam knew there was still more he wanted to say, so she waited. It wasn't like the General to open up and talk about things, much like herself, therefore she knew how difficult this was for him to share. His voice pulled her from her thoughts.
"When Pete appeared – and stuck around, I knew I'd be spending retirement alone again and there were days when I was this close to handing in my resignation."
His admission surprised Sam. "You were going to leave?"
"I wasn't going to stick around and watch you and the cop play happy families," Jack said, then immediately winced.
His words stung, but Sam couldn't entirely blame him. She hadn't made things easy for Jack – and vice versa – which is probably part of the reason why they were both standing here now and still having a half-conversation.
"Pete's not here anymore," she said, ignoring the waver in her voice.
"Neither are you – yet."
Sam blinked then frowned.
"I don't understand."
He turned to face her once more. "I told you a few days ago that I almost lost you once, and I don't want it to happen again."
She nodded. "We said we would figure something out."
"But that was before I went to Washington and all this promotion crap."
Sam swallowed hard. "So, what are you saying?"
"I can't get out of this, Sam, so we don't have a lot of options."
"But we still have options?"
He sighed. "Hammond's retiring; it's why I've been promoted. I'm the new Head of Homeworld Security."
"Oh." Oh.
Sam straightened, but her voice was barely a whisper when she said, "So, you're leaving."
He closed his eyes and it was all the confirmation Sam needed. He was leaving and with it, he was leaving his dream of retirement behind. But he was also leaving her.
"I have a few weeks before I need to report to Washington."
He took a step closer and Sam had to force herself not to take a step away.
"I tried every damn thing I could think of to stop this, Carter," he insisted, "and do you know why?"
He waited until she met his gaze.
"Because I still want this – us," he said, taking another step closer. "We deserve this, Sam."
Sam let out a breath she didn't realize she'd been holding. It was out of relief; relief that, despite the circumstances, he wasn't willing to leave her. However, he interpreted her response differently because he suddenly froze and Sam saw his expression turn blank.
"That is," he said uncertainly, "unless you don't want –"
Before he could finish his sentence, Sam closed the distance between them and pressed her body flush against his as she claimed his lips in a searing kiss. She knew she'd caught him off-guard but it only took a moment for him to respond and as she felt his hands settle on the small of her back to pull her infinitesimally closer, she reached up and ran her fingers through his hair. When they broke for air, Jack rested his forehead against hers and closed his eyes.
"I'll resign," Sam said, breathing heavily.
"Like hell you will." She felt his hold on her tighten before he pulled back just enough so he could see her. "There's no way I'm letting you give up your career for me. It doesn't really matter, anyway," he added.
When Sam frowned, his lips twisted into a wry smile. "Hayes said you're even more valuable to the Stargate Program than I am."
She felt herself flush, but shook her head. "Then I'll transfer. When I go to visit Cassie I can –"
This time Jack shook his head. "That won't necessarily work either." At Sam's look he continued, "Homeworld Security is responsible for overseeing all of Earth's defenses; that includes the SGC, Alpha Site, Atlantis, Area 51 – everything. No matter where you'd be stationed, you'd still fall under my command. I told you I tried to think of everything – I even asked Hayes if he'd consider changing the frat regulations."
Sam choked. "You did what?"
"I thought it was worth a shot," he shrugged.
"So, what now?" she asked after a moment.
"Before I tell you this, I need you to know that I'm all in here, Sam. OK? So, you have to let me know now if –"
Sam pulled him to her again for another deep kiss; this one wasn't as frantic as the previous one, but she hoped it left him in no doubt that she was also all in.
When she ended the kiss, Jack pressed his lips together, then nodded.
"We could get into trouble – we shouldn't even be doing this right now," he said.
"I don't care anymore." When his eyebrows rose in surprise, she shook her head. "Don't get me wrong, I don't want to sneak around – I don't think I could do that."
"I'd never make you do that, Sam."
"Then what do we do?"
"There is one option," he admitted, "but I don't know if you're going to like it."
She looked straight into his eyes and smirked. "Try me."
