Van Diemen's Land: part neun
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Jack propped himself up on his hand and looked at the woman lying next to him. She was so beautiful
when she was asleep, looking like a sleeping angel with her golden hair framing her lovely face.

He smiled as she began to stir, smiling to herself as she stretched and turned to look at him sleepily.

"Morning, gorgeous." He grinned.

"Morning." She turned over to look at the clock and sat up, clutching the sheet to her, "It's 10:30, Jack!
We've got to get to the base! Janet'll want to see me! What are we going to tell the General?! Oh my
God, what'll he say?! We've broken all the regulations!" Sam panicked and got up, pulling the sheet with
her to cover herself.

Jack caught her hand and pulled her back down.

"We don't have to go in to the base today."

"What do you mean?" Sam asked, puzzled. "Are we on leave?"

"I'm not. You are."

"Then you have to get dressed! You'll be so late!" She tried to pull him out of the bed after her.

"I don't need to go in, though."

"What the hell?! Stop playing games with me, Jack. What's going on?" She asked suspiciously.

"Oh, nothing. I just no longer need to go in to the base. I won't have to go in again in fact."

"What..."

"I've retired."

"RETIRED?!" Sam yelled.

"Shh!" Jack pulled her down to him again, but she wiggled away from him.

"What the hell did you do a thing like that for?!"

"Because, Sam, I've got something to ask you."

"Oh, great. You've retired! Because of me! Oh God, what have I done?" Sam moaned.

"Nothing!" Jack whispered. "Just listen to me."

He slid off the bed and knelt on one knee, while managing to stay covered with the sheet. He took
Sam's hand and looked at her.

"What...?" She asked, puzzled.

"Samantha Carter." He said solemnly.

"Jack..." She began, but he but his finger on her lips.

"Would you marry me?" He took the opportunity of her silence to produce a small navy blue velvet box
from under his pillow. He opened it to reveal a simple white gold ring set with a single diamond.

Sam gasped.

"Please?" Jack said, making puppy eyes at her.

"Oh, Jack!"

"Is that a yes?"

"Yes." Sam gasped, smiling, and wiped a tear away from her cheek.

"Great." Jack whispered, and placed the ring on her finger. He kissed her hand and slid into the bed
beside her.

She snuggled next to him.

"Does this mean I'm forgiven for retiring?" He asked.

She nodded.

"But who's going to lead SG1?" Sam asked, sitting up at the sudden thought.

"Oh, I don't know." Jack said, feigning innocence. Sam hit him playfully on the arm. "It's a Colonel
Carter, I believe." He said.

"Carter? Isn't it going to be a bit difficult having two people with the same name?"

Jack smirked, waiting for her the catch on.

"There aren't gonna be two people with the same name."

"What?! Am I getting transfered?"

God, Jack thought, is she being dumb on purpose?

"No, CARTER. You're still going to be in SG1."

"But....Oh!" Realisation dawned.


The Infirmary, three weeks later
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Janet gave Sam an injection, then moved away to throw away the needle.

"When's the wedding?" Janet asked, the excitement obvious in her voice.

"We're not sure yet." Sam grinned thinking about her and Jack. "I'm looking forward to it already." She
admitted, hugging herself.

"So are we!" Janet laughed, "Cassie wants to know all about Earth weddings. I think she's counting
down the days until she can throw confetti."

Sam grinned too, then paused as she heard voices coming from the other side of the infirmary. She
recognised one as Helena, who was still around the SGC, making out that she had to check Sam was
okay. Everyone could tell it was an excuse, she was terrible at lying, but no one could work out why
she would want to stay.

Sam heard Daniel's voice. Ah, so it was a case of 'Danielitis', as Cassie had christened the 'illness' that all
of Janet's nurses seemed to contract, that was affecting Helena. Though it wasn't a suprise. Half the
female population of the base had a crush on him. Not that he cared. Sam suspected he didn't even
notice, he gave a whole new meaning to 'obliviousness'.

"Daniel, I have something to ask you." Helena's seductive voice came through the curtain surrounding
Sam and Janet.

Janet also stopped to listen.

"Yes?" Daniel's voice asked tentatively, as though he knew what was coming.

"Will you come back to my planet with me? As heir to the leadership of the high coucil, I will need a
husband, and you are both a very intelligent and handsome man. I would be honoured to share my bed
with you."

Daniel made a noise like he had just joked on his coffee, and judging by the look on Janet's face, she
wasn't too happy about it either.

"I, er, I'm really grateful for the, umm....compliment....Helena. But I'm already engaged."

Sam glanced slyly at Janet, and noticed to her delight that Janet had turned bright red.

"Ah!" Helena didn't sound too upset, "Dr Fraiser!"

"Mmm hmm." Daniel nodded.

"Forgive me for asking you such a question."

"No, really, I'm, umm....flattered, really."

The sound of Helena's footsteps died away and Sam burst out laughing. Janet turned away in
embarrassment, and Daniel pulled back the curtain. He gave Janet a sheepish grin and glared
half-heartedly at Sam.

"Well," He said, "Looks like it'll be a double wedding."


Three years later
~~~~~~~~~~~
Colonel Samantha O'Neill leaned against the door frame and smiled out into the garden at her new
husband. It'd taken them quite a while to actually get round to getting married. Two years, eleven
months in fact. It'd been a fairytale wedding though. The sort Sam had dreamed of since she was a
little girl.

She turned down the volume on the C.D. player and turned back to him.

"Jack!" She called out to him, "Come inside, dinner's ready!"

"Yup." He grinned lopsidedly at her and ambled in.

He was just about to walk past her when he grabbed her, twirled her into some kind of tango position,
and said in a ridiculous Italian accent,

"What say we forget the dinner, huh? I can think of better ways to spend my evening."

Sam laughed and allowed herself to be picked up and carried up the stairs. As she stared into Jack's
eyes, she wondered what he'd make of her news. At the top of the stairs, she slid out of his arms and
placed a hand on her stomach.

"Jack, honey. I have something to tell you..."

The strains of 'their song' echoed in the background as Jack kissed her, crying tears of joy because of
what she'd told him. She wiped his cheeks with her thumbs, then lay her head on his chest, while they
waltzed round the landing, laughing and crying, knowing that if anyone saw them they'd look like
complete fools.

~~~~
Hold me now, hold me now,
Till this hour has gone around.
And I'm gone, on the rising tide,
For to face Van Diemen's Land.
~~~~



Je suis finis.
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Disclaimer: I don't own the characters of Stargate: SG1, but I do own the plot to this story.
The song 'Van Diemen's Land' belongs to U2 and was written by The Edge. The song 'Helter Skelter' (I
know I haven't used the lyrics, but it was mentioned in a previous chapter) was written by John Lennon
and Paul McCartney, geniuses that they are.

Author's Note: Phew! It's finished! I know the ending's a bit lame, but it's taken me too long to write
this and I have exams coming up. Well, that's all folks! Please review!