// Signalizes a flashback //
----
"Well, Carters and company! It's been an interesting year for our annual family get-together, to say the least. Not really quite sure what to say, but I guess I can say this has been one of the most intriguing weekends I've spent with my family." Gary gave a small grin and shifted his eyes to wink at Jack, the rest of the family chuckled, and Sam sat, blushing. "So to all of you, I say. Good luck, lots of money, and good health. As cheesy as it sounds..." he clinked his glass to Janine's, and everyone followed suit with a 'here-here' from a couple family members.
----
Everyone was sitting around in the master house after dinner, talking and such. Jack was beside Sam with his arm around her, and Ryan and his wife, Tara, on the other side. Their child, a boy of about three or four, was sitting at Tara's feet, staring up at Jack. It was the same kid he'd scared at the airport, and he'd stayed away from the colonel all weekend.
"That little kid's staring at me." Jack muttered, laying his head back and staring at the ceiling.
"He's been staring at you all weekend."
"So has everyone else."
"But he has these puppy eyes like..." Jack stopped abruptly, leaning over to gaze at his foot. The kid was looking up at him, sucking on a thumb, and tugging on the pant leg. Jack blinked at him as he reached his arms up.
"Well, pick him up!" Sam nudged him in the side.
Jack slipped his arms under the boy and pulled him up into his lap, where he sat contently and curled up against the colonel's stomach.
"Ain't it cute." Sam grinned, snuggling into Jack's side as he rustled the boy's mop of shaggy red hair.
The kid poked Sam's nose. "My Sam."
"Oh, really?" Sam smiled and raised an eyebrow.
"Yah. Myne."
"Well, I think Jack might have something to say about that?"
"Nope! In fact, I think you two make an... exquisite couple." Jack grinned and Sam grinned back, playfully whacking him on the head as the kid sat up and repositioned himself so he sat on Jack's lap and leaned against Sam's stomach, curling up once more.
"How cute...!" Tara exclaimed, seeing her son and poking Ryan, pointing in their direction.
"Hey, Sam?"
Sam lifted her head, turning it to Ryan. "Yuh huh?"
"You two trying to abduct my son, eh?"
"Steal Callum? US? Never!"
"Yeah, right." he laughed. Sam shrugged and lay her head against Jack's shoulder, Jack wrapping his arm around her and kissing the top of her head.
Eventually, people milled out of the room and off to bed until only Jack, Sam, Ryan, Tara, and a sleeping Callum were left.
"Guess I'll turn in now," Ryan announced, standing up for a stretch and a yawn. Tara nodded, picking Callum off Jack's lap carefully.
Jack protested, saying that Callum was warm and now the colonel was cold, but Tara just smiled and shrugged as they said their 'goodnight's and wandered off.
"Just us left." Sam pointed out, shifting a bit.
"We should sleep more."
"Ah, who needs sleep when you've got coffee?"
"You can tell you're a co-worker of Daniel when..." Sam grinned and whacked him again. "Mm. Still cold." he looked at Sam with puppy eyes.
"Jack, you outgrew puppy eyes when you reached forty."
"You never outgrow puppy eyes!" he did it again.
"Well, what do you expect me to do?"
Jack slid his arms around her waist, lifting her on his lap. "Keep me warm?" Sam smiled and wrapped her own arms around his neck, setting her head against his.
"Now THAT I can do."
"Yeah, you've still gotta repay the favor from last night. You had cold feet." Jack grinned and Sam stuck out her tongue. Sam's arms tightened for a second. "What as that for?"
"I was just thinking about what it'll be like when we get back."
"Don't wanna be court-martialed?"
"It's not the top item on my priorities list."
"Should we tell Hammond?"
"What would he say?"
"I donno."
Sam frowned a bit and Jack gave her a quick peck on the cheek. "Just forget about it for now. This is our weekend."
"Our weekend." Sam repeated.
"Yes. Our's. Now, I don't know about you, but I feel like I'll be needing some sleep soon. I don't feel like making coffee."
"Me neither." she tightened her grip and gave Jack puppy eyes. "Please?"
"Ack. You look too cute like that. Cuter than me, and that's gotta be against some kind of regulation."
"Suck it up, Princess!"
"Hey!!"
Sam just grinned. Jack slipped one of his arms under her knees and tightened the other one around her waist, picking her up and heading towards the door as she laid her head on his shoulder.
"Whee."
"'Whee'?"
"I'm allowed to enjoy being carried, aren't I?"
"You grew out of being carried when you turned thirty, Carter." Jack shot Sam's comment back at her.
"Like I care."
"Um... Sam?"
"What?"
"I kind of can't open the door like this."
"It always seemed so much easier on TV..."
"That's because they have this interesting little ditty called a 'production crew'. They --"
"Yeah, yeah. All right. I'll open it." She took an arm from his neck and turned the handle to the guesthouse, Jack shoving it open with his foot. He walked a few more steps and set her standing up in front of her door. "You aren't gonna join me tonight?"
"Clothes are in the other room." Jack pointed out.
"Aah. 'Kay then." she disappeared behind her door. Jack turned towards his given room, stopping at the door handle and smiling to himself before he opened it.
A couple minutes later, he hopped out of his room in flannel pants and a t-shirt, bounding over to Sam's door and opening it, creeping over to Sam, who was putting something in her suitcase. He wrapped his arms around her stomach and nuzzled her neck. "Hey, you." he whispered.
"Hey yourself." she wrapped her own arms around her stomach, hands on his.
He turned her slightly, facing the mirror where she could see him in the reflection. "You are beautiful."
Sam smiled. "And cuter than you."
"That comes with a price."
"Oh? How so?"
"Being cuter than me makes you eligible for being with the second-cutest person. Which, of course, is you. Because I'm obviously cuter."
"You're an egomaniac." she grinned. Jack kissed her cheek, the pair still looking in the mirror.
"A cute egomaniac."
"I can agree with that." Jack grinned back.
When Jack tried loosening his grip, Sam tightened her's, claiming she was too comfy.
"How can one sleep standing up?"
"You've saved the world ten times over and you still can't sleep standing up?"
"Neither can you."
"That's beside the point. I can always try."
Jack turned her around slowly in his arms so she faced him, bringing his face in close to her's. "I'm sure we could do something to take your mind off of it."
"Oh, really?"
"Mmhmm."
"Enlighten me." he leaned in and kissed her, Sam's hand released itself from Jack's and reaching up to tangle in his hair as she kissed back. Sam gave a small nibble on his lip and broke away, Jack smiling.
"'Enlightening' enough, Major?" he asked in a husky voice.
"Oh, yes sir. Very. Now, if you'd mind," she broke away from Jack and grabbed his hand, leading him in the direction of the bed, "I'd like to be enlightened a little bit more."
"Not enough for you, mm?"
"I guess not."
Sam's legs pressed against the end of the bed when Jack slid his arms around her waist and leaned in to kiss her again, one of Sam's hands reaching back up to his hair while the other rubbed his back lightly. Jack gave a light push so Sam ended up on her back on the bed. She gave a soft moan and ran a finger up his back, sending a shiver down his spine.
Jack broke away and moved his lips to her ear, whispering "You don't know how damned long I've wanted you." while sneaking a hand up the back of the shirt.
Sam moaned softly and muttered a barely audible "I'm willing to find out..." as she felt the cold of his hand on her bare skin...
----
The pair had been awake for an hour already, but not willing to move. Jack had one of his arms bent back behind his head, his other arm stretched around Sam's shoulders and she was snuggling into his side with one elbow propping herself up, the other hand tracing designs on his chest with a fingernail.
"That tickles." Jack admitted, smiling a bit.
"Ah, I've found your ticklish spot..." Sam grinned evilly. "Well, another one anyway." her nail ran over the bump of a scar and it stopped, her finger running back and tracing over the scar lightly.
Jack shuddered slightly, tightening his arm around his partner momentarily. Sam turned her head and looked into Jack's eyes, watching them glaze over like he was a million miles away.
// The general wrapped the whip tightly around his gloved hand, smirking. "If you will not tell us, Colonel O'Neill, perhaps we should force the information out?"
Jack kept his mouth shut, eyes looking up at the uniformed man. His hair was slicked back and his uniform was spotless, much unlike the prisoner before him. Jack's ankles were bound together, as were his wrists. He'd had barely anything save the meagerest of meals twice a day, and no opportunities to shower. His hair hung long in front of his face, beard growing. He'd been in the prison for five weeks already, and at least once a week Jack went through this.
The general unwrapped the whip, holding it above his head like a sacred relic and bringing it down on Jack, whose cries of pain rang throughout the hallways of the Iraqi hellhole. //
"Jack?" Sam looked scared into Jack's eyes as he shuddered once more, paying no attention to the woman before him. She brushed a hair away from his face and whispered his name again.
"Sam..." came the response as he sat up and pulled her silently into a hug, eyes closed tight.
"Are you okay? I'm so sorry..."
"It's not your fault." Jack whispered softly, not letting go.
"Oh, Jack..." she muttered, retreating to wrap her arms around her companion and curling into a ball. Jack rubbed her back, still saying nothing, but Sam didn't think there was anything to say. She'd barely ever heard Jack talk about his experiences with the Black Ops, knowing better than to ask.
Jack nuzzled her and muttered "I love you so much, Sam...", tightening his grip still. Sam laid her head against his chest and nodded, replying with a meek "I love you, too...".
They lay in that position for a while longer before Jack slowly let go, running his fingers through Sam's hair. "Maybe we should get up now..."
"But it's so comfy."
"Where've I heard that before?" a smile played on his lips that Sam was glad to see after his recent wash of memory.
"Maybe we should get dressed first." she pointed out, eyes running over the clothes scattered on the floor.
Jack raised an eyebrow. "That might be an idea." he slowly let go of Sam, standing up and stretching before grabbing his pants and shirt and trotting off to his room.
Sam smiled to herself, picking her own garments from the floor and putting on a fresh change of clothes. She walked out of her room to find Jack waiting patiently, hand in pockets. Sam reached for his hand which he'd pulled out from his pocket and entwined her fingers with his, resting her head on his shoulder as they walked out to the master house.
----
"'Morning." Gary greeted as the pair walked through the screen door, Jack closing it softly behind them.
"Hey, Uncle Gary." the said in unison. The three just stared at each other, Jack raising an eyebrow, Sam shrugging, and Gary grinned and shook his head.
"Hey, Sam. Can I talk to you for a sec?" Ryan requested from a deserted corner of the kitchen.
Sam walked over and smiled. "Good morning to you, too."
"Yeah, well. Anyway." Ryan bit his lip and smirked.
"What?"
"You are SO lucky there's only one window that looks out of the west side of the house."
"Why's that?"
Ryan raised an eyebrow. "You never realize how... artistic intimacy really is until you only see the silhouettes."
Sam's jaw dropped. "What the hell?"
"Tara and I happen to occupy that one bedroom with the west window."
"My god. I am soooo sorry... I didn't think anyone would see it..."
"Didn't know you could bend that much."
Sam flushed a deep red and thwacked her cousin. "You are such a pervert!"
"Very pretzel-like!"
Sam glared and stalked back to the colonel, who was sitting on a stool. She stood beside him and gave him the dreaded puppy eyes, so he opened his arms and lifted her onto his lap, wrapping his arms around her stomach.
"You look like a tomato." he whispered.
"Yeah, well, you would, too, if you'd just found out your cousin occupies the west bedroom."
"So?"
"He said I bend like a pretzel."
"Oh, god. He saw us?" Sam nodded. "He does have a point about that pretzel thing."
"Hey!" Sam turned her head and gave a playful glare, which prompted Jack to give her a quick kiss. Sam leaned in for a second shot at it, but Jack felt a tugging on his leg and looked down.
Callum was standing at his feet, looking up with big, brown eyes. He reached his arms up, beckoning Jack to pick him up.
"How do I pick a kid up with a major in my lap?"
"I'll get up."
"But I don't want you to!"
"He does." Sam pointed at Callum and slid onto the stool beside him, leaving the space open for the boy. Jack reached down and picked Callum up onto his lap, the boy grinning. this time, he poked Jack's chest. "Not myne."
"Not your's? Then whose am I?"
Callum sat sideways and pointed at Sam. "Ann Sammi's!"
"Oh, really?"
"Uh huh!"
"That's an interesting concept."
"Conchept." Callum made a weird 'o' with his mouth and tried out the word as Jack turned his gaze to Sam.
"Did you hear the news? I'm your's apparently."
Sam giggled. "I think I can live with that... One sec." she got up and ran to the other side of the counter, rummaging through the drawers for something.
"What're you looking for?"
"You'll find out!" she turned around so Jack couldn't see what she was doing, and turned back with a large sticker, like the 'Hello! My Name is...' without that first part. Written on it was 'Property of Sam - Hands off!'. She stuck it proudly on his chest.
Jack raised an eyebrow and pointed out "I feel complete now." as the young boy in his lap tried crawling up to wrap his arms around his neck.
"Pik me up?" Jack looked at the boy and nodded, sliding an arm under Callum's legs and the other on his back, Callum wrapping his legs around Jack and staring at the room behind him.
Sam glanced at Jack, seeing something on his face. It wasn't the same as what happened earlier that morning, but the hurt in his eyes was apparent. He had the same look as when the engineered Ritu child had stumbled through the gate, requesting to be named after Jack's dead son, Charlie. Sam reached out and touched his hand lightly. Jack, wrapping his larger hand around her's, gave a small smile.
"Callum, come have your cereal." Tara said softly, smiling at the sight of the three.
Jack sighed quietly and let Callum go on the floor, beckoning Sam to join him once more. She inched over and sat sideways on his lap, Jack wrapping his arms around her's and holding her hands, stroking them lightly, as Sam placed her head on his shoulder. Tara stood behind them with a questioning look at Jack's sudden quiet-ness, and Sam mouthed 'dead son' to her. She went a bit pale and nodded, turning back to her son.
Jack stood up slowly enough so Sam wouldn't fall off and walked silently outside, Sam watching after him for a few seconds before rising and walking after him.
----
She followed him out to the rock where Sam had claimed she'd spent a lot of her time as a child. He was sitting on the rock, one elbow stationed on his thigh, hand holding his head up while the other hand just sat on his leg. He looked out at the water, not making any motivation to move when he heard Sam come up behind him.
"Hey." she greeted, not expecting much of a response.
"Hey."
She sat down beside Jack and propped her head on her hands, propped by her elbows on her knees. "You're... quiet."
"Being here reminds me of the first time we took Charlie to a family reunion. It was one of Sara's. He was the same age as Callum is now."
Sam nodded in silent understanding. "Must be hard for you."
"He kept reaching up and asking me to hold him."
"Just like Callum."
"Yeah."
Sam nodded again and Jack sighed, so she reached one hand to close around his free one and gave it a small squeeze. "I'm sorry."
He squeezed back.
They lost track of how long they sat there before they went back, in silent understanding.
It was funny, Jack thought later on. It was funny how one little weekend could remind him of so many things...
----
Did you like it? Huh? Huh? :P Review! *tugs* Please? Need feedback. It's done for shure now. I think!
----
"Well, Carters and company! It's been an interesting year for our annual family get-together, to say the least. Not really quite sure what to say, but I guess I can say this has been one of the most intriguing weekends I've spent with my family." Gary gave a small grin and shifted his eyes to wink at Jack, the rest of the family chuckled, and Sam sat, blushing. "So to all of you, I say. Good luck, lots of money, and good health. As cheesy as it sounds..." he clinked his glass to Janine's, and everyone followed suit with a 'here-here' from a couple family members.
----
Everyone was sitting around in the master house after dinner, talking and such. Jack was beside Sam with his arm around her, and Ryan and his wife, Tara, on the other side. Their child, a boy of about three or four, was sitting at Tara's feet, staring up at Jack. It was the same kid he'd scared at the airport, and he'd stayed away from the colonel all weekend.
"That little kid's staring at me." Jack muttered, laying his head back and staring at the ceiling.
"He's been staring at you all weekend."
"So has everyone else."
"But he has these puppy eyes like..." Jack stopped abruptly, leaning over to gaze at his foot. The kid was looking up at him, sucking on a thumb, and tugging on the pant leg. Jack blinked at him as he reached his arms up.
"Well, pick him up!" Sam nudged him in the side.
Jack slipped his arms under the boy and pulled him up into his lap, where he sat contently and curled up against the colonel's stomach.
"Ain't it cute." Sam grinned, snuggling into Jack's side as he rustled the boy's mop of shaggy red hair.
The kid poked Sam's nose. "My Sam."
"Oh, really?" Sam smiled and raised an eyebrow.
"Yah. Myne."
"Well, I think Jack might have something to say about that?"
"Nope! In fact, I think you two make an... exquisite couple." Jack grinned and Sam grinned back, playfully whacking him on the head as the kid sat up and repositioned himself so he sat on Jack's lap and leaned against Sam's stomach, curling up once more.
"How cute...!" Tara exclaimed, seeing her son and poking Ryan, pointing in their direction.
"Hey, Sam?"
Sam lifted her head, turning it to Ryan. "Yuh huh?"
"You two trying to abduct my son, eh?"
"Steal Callum? US? Never!"
"Yeah, right." he laughed. Sam shrugged and lay her head against Jack's shoulder, Jack wrapping his arm around her and kissing the top of her head.
Eventually, people milled out of the room and off to bed until only Jack, Sam, Ryan, Tara, and a sleeping Callum were left.
"Guess I'll turn in now," Ryan announced, standing up for a stretch and a yawn. Tara nodded, picking Callum off Jack's lap carefully.
Jack protested, saying that Callum was warm and now the colonel was cold, but Tara just smiled and shrugged as they said their 'goodnight's and wandered off.
"Just us left." Sam pointed out, shifting a bit.
"We should sleep more."
"Ah, who needs sleep when you've got coffee?"
"You can tell you're a co-worker of Daniel when..." Sam grinned and whacked him again. "Mm. Still cold." he looked at Sam with puppy eyes.
"Jack, you outgrew puppy eyes when you reached forty."
"You never outgrow puppy eyes!" he did it again.
"Well, what do you expect me to do?"
Jack slid his arms around her waist, lifting her on his lap. "Keep me warm?" Sam smiled and wrapped her own arms around his neck, setting her head against his.
"Now THAT I can do."
"Yeah, you've still gotta repay the favor from last night. You had cold feet." Jack grinned and Sam stuck out her tongue. Sam's arms tightened for a second. "What as that for?"
"I was just thinking about what it'll be like when we get back."
"Don't wanna be court-martialed?"
"It's not the top item on my priorities list."
"Should we tell Hammond?"
"What would he say?"
"I donno."
Sam frowned a bit and Jack gave her a quick peck on the cheek. "Just forget about it for now. This is our weekend."
"Our weekend." Sam repeated.
"Yes. Our's. Now, I don't know about you, but I feel like I'll be needing some sleep soon. I don't feel like making coffee."
"Me neither." she tightened her grip and gave Jack puppy eyes. "Please?"
"Ack. You look too cute like that. Cuter than me, and that's gotta be against some kind of regulation."
"Suck it up, Princess!"
"Hey!!"
Sam just grinned. Jack slipped one of his arms under her knees and tightened the other one around her waist, picking her up and heading towards the door as she laid her head on his shoulder.
"Whee."
"'Whee'?"
"I'm allowed to enjoy being carried, aren't I?"
"You grew out of being carried when you turned thirty, Carter." Jack shot Sam's comment back at her.
"Like I care."
"Um... Sam?"
"What?"
"I kind of can't open the door like this."
"It always seemed so much easier on TV..."
"That's because they have this interesting little ditty called a 'production crew'. They --"
"Yeah, yeah. All right. I'll open it." She took an arm from his neck and turned the handle to the guesthouse, Jack shoving it open with his foot. He walked a few more steps and set her standing up in front of her door. "You aren't gonna join me tonight?"
"Clothes are in the other room." Jack pointed out.
"Aah. 'Kay then." she disappeared behind her door. Jack turned towards his given room, stopping at the door handle and smiling to himself before he opened it.
A couple minutes later, he hopped out of his room in flannel pants and a t-shirt, bounding over to Sam's door and opening it, creeping over to Sam, who was putting something in her suitcase. He wrapped his arms around her stomach and nuzzled her neck. "Hey, you." he whispered.
"Hey yourself." she wrapped her own arms around her stomach, hands on his.
He turned her slightly, facing the mirror where she could see him in the reflection. "You are beautiful."
Sam smiled. "And cuter than you."
"That comes with a price."
"Oh? How so?"
"Being cuter than me makes you eligible for being with the second-cutest person. Which, of course, is you. Because I'm obviously cuter."
"You're an egomaniac." she grinned. Jack kissed her cheek, the pair still looking in the mirror.
"A cute egomaniac."
"I can agree with that." Jack grinned back.
When Jack tried loosening his grip, Sam tightened her's, claiming she was too comfy.
"How can one sleep standing up?"
"You've saved the world ten times over and you still can't sleep standing up?"
"Neither can you."
"That's beside the point. I can always try."
Jack turned her around slowly in his arms so she faced him, bringing his face in close to her's. "I'm sure we could do something to take your mind off of it."
"Oh, really?"
"Mmhmm."
"Enlighten me." he leaned in and kissed her, Sam's hand released itself from Jack's and reaching up to tangle in his hair as she kissed back. Sam gave a small nibble on his lip and broke away, Jack smiling.
"'Enlightening' enough, Major?" he asked in a husky voice.
"Oh, yes sir. Very. Now, if you'd mind," she broke away from Jack and grabbed his hand, leading him in the direction of the bed, "I'd like to be enlightened a little bit more."
"Not enough for you, mm?"
"I guess not."
Sam's legs pressed against the end of the bed when Jack slid his arms around her waist and leaned in to kiss her again, one of Sam's hands reaching back up to his hair while the other rubbed his back lightly. Jack gave a light push so Sam ended up on her back on the bed. She gave a soft moan and ran a finger up his back, sending a shiver down his spine.
Jack broke away and moved his lips to her ear, whispering "You don't know how damned long I've wanted you." while sneaking a hand up the back of the shirt.
Sam moaned softly and muttered a barely audible "I'm willing to find out..." as she felt the cold of his hand on her bare skin...
----
The pair had been awake for an hour already, but not willing to move. Jack had one of his arms bent back behind his head, his other arm stretched around Sam's shoulders and she was snuggling into his side with one elbow propping herself up, the other hand tracing designs on his chest with a fingernail.
"That tickles." Jack admitted, smiling a bit.
"Ah, I've found your ticklish spot..." Sam grinned evilly. "Well, another one anyway." her nail ran over the bump of a scar and it stopped, her finger running back and tracing over the scar lightly.
Jack shuddered slightly, tightening his arm around his partner momentarily. Sam turned her head and looked into Jack's eyes, watching them glaze over like he was a million miles away.
// The general wrapped the whip tightly around his gloved hand, smirking. "If you will not tell us, Colonel O'Neill, perhaps we should force the information out?"
Jack kept his mouth shut, eyes looking up at the uniformed man. His hair was slicked back and his uniform was spotless, much unlike the prisoner before him. Jack's ankles were bound together, as were his wrists. He'd had barely anything save the meagerest of meals twice a day, and no opportunities to shower. His hair hung long in front of his face, beard growing. He'd been in the prison for five weeks already, and at least once a week Jack went through this.
The general unwrapped the whip, holding it above his head like a sacred relic and bringing it down on Jack, whose cries of pain rang throughout the hallways of the Iraqi hellhole. //
"Jack?" Sam looked scared into Jack's eyes as he shuddered once more, paying no attention to the woman before him. She brushed a hair away from his face and whispered his name again.
"Sam..." came the response as he sat up and pulled her silently into a hug, eyes closed tight.
"Are you okay? I'm so sorry..."
"It's not your fault." Jack whispered softly, not letting go.
"Oh, Jack..." she muttered, retreating to wrap her arms around her companion and curling into a ball. Jack rubbed her back, still saying nothing, but Sam didn't think there was anything to say. She'd barely ever heard Jack talk about his experiences with the Black Ops, knowing better than to ask.
Jack nuzzled her and muttered "I love you so much, Sam...", tightening his grip still. Sam laid her head against his chest and nodded, replying with a meek "I love you, too...".
They lay in that position for a while longer before Jack slowly let go, running his fingers through Sam's hair. "Maybe we should get up now..."
"But it's so comfy."
"Where've I heard that before?" a smile played on his lips that Sam was glad to see after his recent wash of memory.
"Maybe we should get dressed first." she pointed out, eyes running over the clothes scattered on the floor.
Jack raised an eyebrow. "That might be an idea." he slowly let go of Sam, standing up and stretching before grabbing his pants and shirt and trotting off to his room.
Sam smiled to herself, picking her own garments from the floor and putting on a fresh change of clothes. She walked out of her room to find Jack waiting patiently, hand in pockets. Sam reached for his hand which he'd pulled out from his pocket and entwined her fingers with his, resting her head on his shoulder as they walked out to the master house.
----
"'Morning." Gary greeted as the pair walked through the screen door, Jack closing it softly behind them.
"Hey, Uncle Gary." the said in unison. The three just stared at each other, Jack raising an eyebrow, Sam shrugging, and Gary grinned and shook his head.
"Hey, Sam. Can I talk to you for a sec?" Ryan requested from a deserted corner of the kitchen.
Sam walked over and smiled. "Good morning to you, too."
"Yeah, well. Anyway." Ryan bit his lip and smirked.
"What?"
"You are SO lucky there's only one window that looks out of the west side of the house."
"Why's that?"
Ryan raised an eyebrow. "You never realize how... artistic intimacy really is until you only see the silhouettes."
Sam's jaw dropped. "What the hell?"
"Tara and I happen to occupy that one bedroom with the west window."
"My god. I am soooo sorry... I didn't think anyone would see it..."
"Didn't know you could bend that much."
Sam flushed a deep red and thwacked her cousin. "You are such a pervert!"
"Very pretzel-like!"
Sam glared and stalked back to the colonel, who was sitting on a stool. She stood beside him and gave him the dreaded puppy eyes, so he opened his arms and lifted her onto his lap, wrapping his arms around her stomach.
"You look like a tomato." he whispered.
"Yeah, well, you would, too, if you'd just found out your cousin occupies the west bedroom."
"So?"
"He said I bend like a pretzel."
"Oh, god. He saw us?" Sam nodded. "He does have a point about that pretzel thing."
"Hey!" Sam turned her head and gave a playful glare, which prompted Jack to give her a quick kiss. Sam leaned in for a second shot at it, but Jack felt a tugging on his leg and looked down.
Callum was standing at his feet, looking up with big, brown eyes. He reached his arms up, beckoning Jack to pick him up.
"How do I pick a kid up with a major in my lap?"
"I'll get up."
"But I don't want you to!"
"He does." Sam pointed at Callum and slid onto the stool beside him, leaving the space open for the boy. Jack reached down and picked Callum up onto his lap, the boy grinning. this time, he poked Jack's chest. "Not myne."
"Not your's? Then whose am I?"
Callum sat sideways and pointed at Sam. "Ann Sammi's!"
"Oh, really?"
"Uh huh!"
"That's an interesting concept."
"Conchept." Callum made a weird 'o' with his mouth and tried out the word as Jack turned his gaze to Sam.
"Did you hear the news? I'm your's apparently."
Sam giggled. "I think I can live with that... One sec." she got up and ran to the other side of the counter, rummaging through the drawers for something.
"What're you looking for?"
"You'll find out!" she turned around so Jack couldn't see what she was doing, and turned back with a large sticker, like the 'Hello! My Name is...' without that first part. Written on it was 'Property of Sam - Hands off!'. She stuck it proudly on his chest.
Jack raised an eyebrow and pointed out "I feel complete now." as the young boy in his lap tried crawling up to wrap his arms around his neck.
"Pik me up?" Jack looked at the boy and nodded, sliding an arm under Callum's legs and the other on his back, Callum wrapping his legs around Jack and staring at the room behind him.
Sam glanced at Jack, seeing something on his face. It wasn't the same as what happened earlier that morning, but the hurt in his eyes was apparent. He had the same look as when the engineered Ritu child had stumbled through the gate, requesting to be named after Jack's dead son, Charlie. Sam reached out and touched his hand lightly. Jack, wrapping his larger hand around her's, gave a small smile.
"Callum, come have your cereal." Tara said softly, smiling at the sight of the three.
Jack sighed quietly and let Callum go on the floor, beckoning Sam to join him once more. She inched over and sat sideways on his lap, Jack wrapping his arms around her's and holding her hands, stroking them lightly, as Sam placed her head on his shoulder. Tara stood behind them with a questioning look at Jack's sudden quiet-ness, and Sam mouthed 'dead son' to her. She went a bit pale and nodded, turning back to her son.
Jack stood up slowly enough so Sam wouldn't fall off and walked silently outside, Sam watching after him for a few seconds before rising and walking after him.
----
She followed him out to the rock where Sam had claimed she'd spent a lot of her time as a child. He was sitting on the rock, one elbow stationed on his thigh, hand holding his head up while the other hand just sat on his leg. He looked out at the water, not making any motivation to move when he heard Sam come up behind him.
"Hey." she greeted, not expecting much of a response.
"Hey."
She sat down beside Jack and propped her head on her hands, propped by her elbows on her knees. "You're... quiet."
"Being here reminds me of the first time we took Charlie to a family reunion. It was one of Sara's. He was the same age as Callum is now."
Sam nodded in silent understanding. "Must be hard for you."
"He kept reaching up and asking me to hold him."
"Just like Callum."
"Yeah."
Sam nodded again and Jack sighed, so she reached one hand to close around his free one and gave it a small squeeze. "I'm sorry."
He squeezed back.
They lost track of how long they sat there before they went back, in silent understanding.
It was funny, Jack thought later on. It was funny how one little weekend could remind him of so many things...
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Did you like it? Huh? Huh? :P Review! *tugs* Please? Need feedback. It's done for shure now. I think!