SATURDAY
Today, Sam talked with Steven. They sat down, and discussed , and pondered and talked for hours, but the outcome was always known, from the start. Sam couldn't have it any other way. She'd made her choice.
**********************
SUNDAY.
"You're back a day early." Jack said.. She turned to look at the tall figure, leaning carelessly against the wall of lab, hands rammed in his pockets. To an outsider, he looked like he hadn't a care in the world. But Sam knew him, better than anyone now, and she could see the carefully hidden pain in his eyes, the strain in his eyes.
Somehow, he knew about Steven.
"I got bored." She said, and stepped forward a little, towards him. She was sharply aware now, after a week without him, how much she missed him. And she was newly aware, after what Daniel had said, of the man himself. The way he stood, the way he smiled, the way his gaze rested on her, those deep dark intense eyes so unreadable to everyone else, so clear to her.
'I love him'
she thought, and the knowledge, so long in coming, so hidden away, shocked her with is clarity, its force. She loved him. There could never be anyone else, not now. Next to him, next to what she felt for him, any other man would seem colourless, dull, pointless in comparison.
"Does the house look good?" he asked.
"The house?" she queried, then remembered she was supposed to have painted it. "I rested instead." She admitted.
"And did you have a good time..resting?" he asked, stepping forward into the room. He leaned against her lab bench, and picked up a pencil, fiddling with it, staring intensely at it, not meeting her eyes. 'He's waiting', she thought. 'he's waiting for me to tell him that I met someone, that whatever we have between us is over, that I will never go fishing with him. And he won't object, won't argue, because all he wants is my happiness.'
"I met someone." She said, and the words fell like stones into the room. Jack swallowed, but didn't look up, only continued playing.
"He's a good man. Pleasant. Ordinary. Everything I should want."
"I know." Jack said, but still he didn't look up, and he gripped the pencil so hard, his knuckles turned white.
"No, you don't know." Sam said, and her voice was thick with tears, because she could see this man she loved sacrificing his happiness for hers, even though he knew the other man would never love her, know her, like Jack could.
"I broke up with him yesterday."
"You did?" Jack looked up at her, suddenly, dropping the pencil in astonishment. "Carter, I'm sorry..."
"I'm not." She said, grinning at Jack. "He was dull, and boring, and treated me like a porcelain Princess."
"And you hate that." Jack said, smiling in return. No-one knew his Sam like he did. His protection was different. He did it because he loved her. Others did it because they perceived her as fragile. And she protected him as much as he protected her.
"I hate that." She admitted. "Besides, how can I love him when I'm in love with someone else."
The world stopped around Jack. The air hung, waiting for her to continue, to say the next line. Jack stopped breathing.
"Carter, who do you love?" he couldn't believe it was him. It had to be him, but he couldn't believe it.
"I'll tell you when you retire." She told him, and he grinned. It was as close to an admission as his Major would ever get.
************************
"You changed my screensaver." Daniel complained.
"Egyptian dancers? No offense, Dr. Jackson, but they got a bit dull.." Jonas said, making tea in the corner.
"You have clouds." Daniel pointed out. "It comes with clouds! How exciting is that?"
"I like clouds." Jonas said, offering milk. Daniel shook his head.
"And bananas too, apparently." Daniel muttered, staring at the overflowing bin of banana peel. He'd come to his lab hoping to feel at home, but everything had changed. Nothing was the same any more.
"Did you throw away my coffee?" Daniel asked morosely, staring at the cup of tea Jonas had handed him.
"Sorry." Jonas said, apologetically. "But you...."
"weren't using it." The men finished in unison. They looked towards the doorway, drawn by the sound of voices.
"So how about going fishing? Right now?" Jack was calling. Sam passed the doorway, grinning like the Cheshire cat, positively glowing.
"I can't right now." She said. "I'm in the mood for jello." She said, turning and facing Jack, who now passed the doorway. He was smiling too, a rare, render smile that Daniel had only ever seen him use with Sam.
"Well, I could do with some cake." Jack admitted, following Sam as they passed Jonas's open door.
"Good, you can eat cake while I pull another brilliant idea out of my butt." Sam said, laughing, as their voices trailed away.
"Good to know, isn't it?" Jonas asked.
"Yes." Daniel agreed. "Some things never change."
THE END
Today, Sam talked with Steven. They sat down, and discussed , and pondered and talked for hours, but the outcome was always known, from the start. Sam couldn't have it any other way. She'd made her choice.
**********************
SUNDAY.
"You're back a day early." Jack said.. She turned to look at the tall figure, leaning carelessly against the wall of lab, hands rammed in his pockets. To an outsider, he looked like he hadn't a care in the world. But Sam knew him, better than anyone now, and she could see the carefully hidden pain in his eyes, the strain in his eyes.
Somehow, he knew about Steven.
"I got bored." She said, and stepped forward a little, towards him. She was sharply aware now, after a week without him, how much she missed him. And she was newly aware, after what Daniel had said, of the man himself. The way he stood, the way he smiled, the way his gaze rested on her, those deep dark intense eyes so unreadable to everyone else, so clear to her.
'I love him'
she thought, and the knowledge, so long in coming, so hidden away, shocked her with is clarity, its force. She loved him. There could never be anyone else, not now. Next to him, next to what she felt for him, any other man would seem colourless, dull, pointless in comparison.
"Does the house look good?" he asked.
"The house?" she queried, then remembered she was supposed to have painted it. "I rested instead." She admitted.
"And did you have a good time..resting?" he asked, stepping forward into the room. He leaned against her lab bench, and picked up a pencil, fiddling with it, staring intensely at it, not meeting her eyes. 'He's waiting', she thought. 'he's waiting for me to tell him that I met someone, that whatever we have between us is over, that I will never go fishing with him. And he won't object, won't argue, because all he wants is my happiness.'
"I met someone." She said, and the words fell like stones into the room. Jack swallowed, but didn't look up, only continued playing.
"He's a good man. Pleasant. Ordinary. Everything I should want."
"I know." Jack said, but still he didn't look up, and he gripped the pencil so hard, his knuckles turned white.
"No, you don't know." Sam said, and her voice was thick with tears, because she could see this man she loved sacrificing his happiness for hers, even though he knew the other man would never love her, know her, like Jack could.
"I broke up with him yesterday."
"You did?" Jack looked up at her, suddenly, dropping the pencil in astonishment. "Carter, I'm sorry..."
"I'm not." She said, grinning at Jack. "He was dull, and boring, and treated me like a porcelain Princess."
"And you hate that." Jack said, smiling in return. No-one knew his Sam like he did. His protection was different. He did it because he loved her. Others did it because they perceived her as fragile. And she protected him as much as he protected her.
"I hate that." She admitted. "Besides, how can I love him when I'm in love with someone else."
The world stopped around Jack. The air hung, waiting for her to continue, to say the next line. Jack stopped breathing.
"Carter, who do you love?" he couldn't believe it was him. It had to be him, but he couldn't believe it.
"I'll tell you when you retire." She told him, and he grinned. It was as close to an admission as his Major would ever get.
************************
"You changed my screensaver." Daniel complained.
"Egyptian dancers? No offense, Dr. Jackson, but they got a bit dull.." Jonas said, making tea in the corner.
"You have clouds." Daniel pointed out. "It comes with clouds! How exciting is that?"
"I like clouds." Jonas said, offering milk. Daniel shook his head.
"And bananas too, apparently." Daniel muttered, staring at the overflowing bin of banana peel. He'd come to his lab hoping to feel at home, but everything had changed. Nothing was the same any more.
"Did you throw away my coffee?" Daniel asked morosely, staring at the cup of tea Jonas had handed him.
"Sorry." Jonas said, apologetically. "But you...."
"weren't using it." The men finished in unison. They looked towards the doorway, drawn by the sound of voices.
"So how about going fishing? Right now?" Jack was calling. Sam passed the doorway, grinning like the Cheshire cat, positively glowing.
"I can't right now." She said. "I'm in the mood for jello." She said, turning and facing Jack, who now passed the doorway. He was smiling too, a rare, render smile that Daniel had only ever seen him use with Sam.
"Well, I could do with some cake." Jack admitted, following Sam as they passed Jonas's open door.
"Good, you can eat cake while I pull another brilliant idea out of my butt." Sam said, laughing, as their voices trailed away.
"Good to know, isn't it?" Jonas asked.
"Yes." Daniel agreed. "Some things never change."
THE END
