Chapter 13:
Jack and Sam sat opposite each other in a nearby restaurant; the couple had changed out of their blue dress and drove into town. The place they chose was small and quaint, like something from a 1950's diner. Pictures of all the great movie stars from the black and white screen hung on the walls, setting the place off nicely and giving it plenty of character.
Jack sat across the red plastic table from Sam, his fatigue showing on his weary features. Once again Sam found herself comparing him to a small boy and smiled compassionately, Jack managed a weak grin. He hadn't said anything in the car, just kept his eyes on the road, Sam had tried to ask him questions about Colonel Knight but she had received nothing in return. She guessed he was still in shock, seeing her after all those years it must have stirred up a few memories for him. Jack would talk when he was ready, that was how it worked.
Jack focused his heavy eyes on the menu in front of him, he just decided to have the first thing he saw which was a steak sandwich, he licked his dry lips and handed the menu over to the waitress. Sam had ordered her food and diet coke and she'd asked for a beer for Jack.
"Thanks."
Sam thanked the waitress as she walked away.
"Man I'm hungry."
She said rubbing her hands together, hoping to get some sort of response from the Colonel.
"Yeah."
He supposed and started fiddling with the salt and pepper bottles. Sam shook her head and wondered to herself if he did these cute little things consciously or if he just had busy hands. A wild grin briefly flashed over Sam's face remembering her first hand experience of Jack and his 'busy hands'.
"It's nice a place."
She said looking around, his silence was really bugging her especially when she had so many questions for him.
"Yeah."
Jack once again nodded and put down the saltshaker. Carter closed her eyes, she knew he was quite at the best of times but this; this was not like him at all.
"Jack."
She said softly.
No reply.
"Jack."
She said a bit louder and opened her eyes. Nothing, he was still mesmerised by something out the window. She tugged at his jacket sleeve.
"Jack."
He turned his head sharply and frowned as though she had shouted at him for the first time and he hadn't done anything.
"What?"
He asked rather naively. She let go of her hold on his jacket and took his jitty hand in hers.
"Jack you haven't said anything."
His puzzled expression emburied its self deeper on his brow.
"Yes I have."
She shook her head.
"No, no you haven't."
He cocked his head.
"Yes I did, I did just then."
He contradicted. Sam squeezed her eyelids shut. Sometimes he was so frustrating, other times they would carry this kind of banter on for ages until they forgot what they had actually been arguing about in the first place and would find the whole thing amusing, but when he was being just plain ignorant it was hard to see the funny side.
"I mean about Colonel Knight, Summer."
His forehead uncreased it's self as his confusion was lifted. Jack ducked his head and pulled his hand away from her.
"Oh."
Sam's face softened.
"Jack."
She said his name in a kind of 'come on you know you can tell me' way. He knew this was true but he also knew how similar his and Summer's story was to his and Sam's story now.
"We ... used to date ... kinda, in a unofficial way."
It was Jack's turn to winch. He had felt the same feeling for Summer, the same feeling that he had confronted with Carter. He had loved Summer, so much that he had disobeyed his superiors, Jack and Sam were also defying their orders, fraternization is deeply frowned upon in the military. Jack didn't want Sam to think he was still in love with Summer, he wasn't, they had both agreed that it wouldn't work. Jack didn't want to tell Sam he and Summer had had to break up because of the pressures of hiding their feelings where getting too much. He didn't want what he and Sam had to end. He loves her too much.
Sam blinked, she had guessed that was what had happened, but now the same questions that plagued Jack's mind where beset on hers. Did Jack feel as though he couldn't tell her this because it was a similar situation? Did he not tell her because he didn't want her to worry? Sam shrugged off these thoughts; she loved Jack much more than any other lover she had ever been with. She never wanted this feeling to end.
"I see."
Jack looked up into her eyes and wished he hadn't. He could see his own worst fear mirrored in her expression. Once more he ducked his head out of sight.
"Jack."
She bit her bottom lip.
"I love you,"
He looked up but not at her, he looked down at the table.
"And no one, no rules, no regulations is ever gonna change that."
For the first time in the few months they had been dating, Sam realised how deep her feelings for the Colonel actually were and she wasn't going to hide them any longer. No, they had been forced to do that for far far too long, it was time to be honest.
"What ever happened between you and Summer was different, it's in the past. Jack we have our future to look forward to, our future together."
Jack felt his throat dry up and his tongue swell up beyond the capacity of his mouth. He cleared his throat and took Sam's hand back into his. Carter had meant every word of what she had said. Jack rubbed his thumb over the back of her hand, Sam looked up at him, her eyes filled with genuine tears. Jack titled his head to the side and smiled warmly at her, his eyes said it all, and at this moment a single tear tumbled down Sam's delicate face. He let out a sigh and leaned over the table, embracing her tightly.
She had just borne her heart to him, she'd never felt this vulnerable but yet at the same time felt as though everything had fallen into place. She completely trusted the man in her arms with her fragile heart.
He let go of her and sat back down as the food came.
"Your damn right Carter, Your damn right."
Jack and Sam sat opposite each other in a nearby restaurant; the couple had changed out of their blue dress and drove into town. The place they chose was small and quaint, like something from a 1950's diner. Pictures of all the great movie stars from the black and white screen hung on the walls, setting the place off nicely and giving it plenty of character.
Jack sat across the red plastic table from Sam, his fatigue showing on his weary features. Once again Sam found herself comparing him to a small boy and smiled compassionately, Jack managed a weak grin. He hadn't said anything in the car, just kept his eyes on the road, Sam had tried to ask him questions about Colonel Knight but she had received nothing in return. She guessed he was still in shock, seeing her after all those years it must have stirred up a few memories for him. Jack would talk when he was ready, that was how it worked.
Jack focused his heavy eyes on the menu in front of him, he just decided to have the first thing he saw which was a steak sandwich, he licked his dry lips and handed the menu over to the waitress. Sam had ordered her food and diet coke and she'd asked for a beer for Jack.
"Thanks."
Sam thanked the waitress as she walked away.
"Man I'm hungry."
She said rubbing her hands together, hoping to get some sort of response from the Colonel.
"Yeah."
He supposed and started fiddling with the salt and pepper bottles. Sam shook her head and wondered to herself if he did these cute little things consciously or if he just had busy hands. A wild grin briefly flashed over Sam's face remembering her first hand experience of Jack and his 'busy hands'.
"It's nice a place."
She said looking around, his silence was really bugging her especially when she had so many questions for him.
"Yeah."
Jack once again nodded and put down the saltshaker. Carter closed her eyes, she knew he was quite at the best of times but this; this was not like him at all.
"Jack."
She said softly.
No reply.
"Jack."
She said a bit louder and opened her eyes. Nothing, he was still mesmerised by something out the window. She tugged at his jacket sleeve.
"Jack."
He turned his head sharply and frowned as though she had shouted at him for the first time and he hadn't done anything.
"What?"
He asked rather naively. She let go of her hold on his jacket and took his jitty hand in hers.
"Jack you haven't said anything."
His puzzled expression emburied its self deeper on his brow.
"Yes I have."
She shook her head.
"No, no you haven't."
He cocked his head.
"Yes I did, I did just then."
He contradicted. Sam squeezed her eyelids shut. Sometimes he was so frustrating, other times they would carry this kind of banter on for ages until they forgot what they had actually been arguing about in the first place and would find the whole thing amusing, but when he was being just plain ignorant it was hard to see the funny side.
"I mean about Colonel Knight, Summer."
His forehead uncreased it's self as his confusion was lifted. Jack ducked his head and pulled his hand away from her.
"Oh."
Sam's face softened.
"Jack."
She said his name in a kind of 'come on you know you can tell me' way. He knew this was true but he also knew how similar his and Summer's story was to his and Sam's story now.
"We ... used to date ... kinda, in a unofficial way."
It was Jack's turn to winch. He had felt the same feeling for Summer, the same feeling that he had confronted with Carter. He had loved Summer, so much that he had disobeyed his superiors, Jack and Sam were also defying their orders, fraternization is deeply frowned upon in the military. Jack didn't want Sam to think he was still in love with Summer, he wasn't, they had both agreed that it wouldn't work. Jack didn't want to tell Sam he and Summer had had to break up because of the pressures of hiding their feelings where getting too much. He didn't want what he and Sam had to end. He loves her too much.
Sam blinked, she had guessed that was what had happened, but now the same questions that plagued Jack's mind where beset on hers. Did Jack feel as though he couldn't tell her this because it was a similar situation? Did he not tell her because he didn't want her to worry? Sam shrugged off these thoughts; she loved Jack much more than any other lover she had ever been with. She never wanted this feeling to end.
"I see."
Jack looked up into her eyes and wished he hadn't. He could see his own worst fear mirrored in her expression. Once more he ducked his head out of sight.
"Jack."
She bit her bottom lip.
"I love you,"
He looked up but not at her, he looked down at the table.
"And no one, no rules, no regulations is ever gonna change that."
For the first time in the few months they had been dating, Sam realised how deep her feelings for the Colonel actually were and she wasn't going to hide them any longer. No, they had been forced to do that for far far too long, it was time to be honest.
"What ever happened between you and Summer was different, it's in the past. Jack we have our future to look forward to, our future together."
Jack felt his throat dry up and his tongue swell up beyond the capacity of his mouth. He cleared his throat and took Sam's hand back into his. Carter had meant every word of what she had said. Jack rubbed his thumb over the back of her hand, Sam looked up at him, her eyes filled with genuine tears. Jack titled his head to the side and smiled warmly at her, his eyes said it all, and at this moment a single tear tumbled down Sam's delicate face. He let out a sigh and leaned over the table, embracing her tightly.
She had just borne her heart to him, she'd never felt this vulnerable but yet at the same time felt as though everything had fallen into place. She completely trusted the man in her arms with her fragile heart.
He let go of her and sat back down as the food came.
"Your damn right Carter, Your damn right."