Jack insisted on packing most of Janet's stuff away himself, he seemed
paranoid about her even looking at something heavy. Janet would have found
his concern sweet if it weren't so annoying. A full day of packing later
and they were ready to go. Jack drove, which Janet had to admit she didn't
mind. They drove Cassie to the airport, she was going to fly up ahead of
them, stay with Janet's mom and then Jack and Janet would pick her up on
the way back to Colorado.
They had been driving for almost twelve hours straight when Janet finally managed to convince Jack to pull over at a motel. He gave in somewhat gratefully, not thinking he would want to go on much further. Janet waited in the car while Jack booked the room. He came back out with the key and drove the car round to their room. He grabbed their overnight bags from the trunk and then helped Janet out of the car, her back not giving her much assistance. Jack opened the door and switched on the light, the special ops man in him sweeping the room. Janet frowned,
"There's only one bed." She observed. Jack looked down,
"Yeah...well you know, I figured, we could, um..combine body heat! Yeah, that's it." He mumbled. She smiled,
"It's ok, it's not like we haven't shared a bed before." She said sitting down rubbing her back.
"Sorry." He smiled lopsidedly, obviously afraid he'd pushed it a little to far with the one bed stunt. Which he might well have done if Janet hadn't been so tired. He decided on a strategic subject change. "Is your back still sore?" He asked,
"Yeah." She said, still rubbing it. "My doctor warned me that the extra pressure might aggravate that injury."
"What injury?" Jack frowned,
"Remember that time, we um..."
"Oh!" Yes, Jack remembered that night well, hell, he still had dreams about it. "That injury." He smiled, dropping the bags he went over to the bed, kneeling behind her where she sat on the edge.
"Jack what are you do-" She was cut off mid-sentence as his hands began to massage her back, starting at her shoulders. She moaned slightly at the feeling of relief his hands brought.
"I would suggest lie down, but, uh..."
"This is good." She said, sighing happily. He continued in silence for a while, but then brought up something that had been bothering him.
"Janet?"
"Uhuh."
"You remember you asked me about Sam and I said there was nothing between us?"
"Mmmhmmm."
"I was lying."
"I know."
"You do?"
"Yeah."
"Ok, but it's not like how I think you think it is."
"What?"
"I mean. You think I love her, don't you?" She nodded. "But I don't. During the whole Zatarc thing, I said that I care about her a lot more than I'm supposed to, which I do. But I'm not supposed to care about her at all, she's just supposed to be my subordinate. I don't love her, at least, not like that." He paused. "Not like I love you." He said quietly. She froze, turning slowly to face him.
"What?" She frowned, unsure she had heard right.
"I said I don't love Carter, not like I love you." He repeated clearly. Janet stayed still for a second, which seemed like an eternity to Jack, before smiling slightly. He scooted to the edge of the bed, so he was sitting with his feet on the floor like her, and then enveloped her in a hug. It was then, when she was right next to his ear, that she quietly whispered her response.
"I love you too." This made Jack hug her even tighter. They sat like that for what seemed like hours, until Jack pulled back.
"So does this mean we're.." He searched for the right word. "together, again?" She looked shocked,
"If you want..but, I mean, I was an idiot about this whole thing, and I'd understand if you didn't want to, because-" She was cut-off by Jack's mouth covering her own as he gently kissed her.
"I want." He smiled.
They had been driving for almost twelve hours straight when Janet finally managed to convince Jack to pull over at a motel. He gave in somewhat gratefully, not thinking he would want to go on much further. Janet waited in the car while Jack booked the room. He came back out with the key and drove the car round to their room. He grabbed their overnight bags from the trunk and then helped Janet out of the car, her back not giving her much assistance. Jack opened the door and switched on the light, the special ops man in him sweeping the room. Janet frowned,
"There's only one bed." She observed. Jack looked down,
"Yeah...well you know, I figured, we could, um..combine body heat! Yeah, that's it." He mumbled. She smiled,
"It's ok, it's not like we haven't shared a bed before." She said sitting down rubbing her back.
"Sorry." He smiled lopsidedly, obviously afraid he'd pushed it a little to far with the one bed stunt. Which he might well have done if Janet hadn't been so tired. He decided on a strategic subject change. "Is your back still sore?" He asked,
"Yeah." She said, still rubbing it. "My doctor warned me that the extra pressure might aggravate that injury."
"What injury?" Jack frowned,
"Remember that time, we um..."
"Oh!" Yes, Jack remembered that night well, hell, he still had dreams about it. "That injury." He smiled, dropping the bags he went over to the bed, kneeling behind her where she sat on the edge.
"Jack what are you do-" She was cut off mid-sentence as his hands began to massage her back, starting at her shoulders. She moaned slightly at the feeling of relief his hands brought.
"I would suggest lie down, but, uh..."
"This is good." She said, sighing happily. He continued in silence for a while, but then brought up something that had been bothering him.
"Janet?"
"Uhuh."
"You remember you asked me about Sam and I said there was nothing between us?"
"Mmmhmmm."
"I was lying."
"I know."
"You do?"
"Yeah."
"Ok, but it's not like how I think you think it is."
"What?"
"I mean. You think I love her, don't you?" She nodded. "But I don't. During the whole Zatarc thing, I said that I care about her a lot more than I'm supposed to, which I do. But I'm not supposed to care about her at all, she's just supposed to be my subordinate. I don't love her, at least, not like that." He paused. "Not like I love you." He said quietly. She froze, turning slowly to face him.
"What?" She frowned, unsure she had heard right.
"I said I don't love Carter, not like I love you." He repeated clearly. Janet stayed still for a second, which seemed like an eternity to Jack, before smiling slightly. He scooted to the edge of the bed, so he was sitting with his feet on the floor like her, and then enveloped her in a hug. It was then, when she was right next to his ear, that she quietly whispered her response.
"I love you too." This made Jack hug her even tighter. They sat like that for what seemed like hours, until Jack pulled back.
"So does this mean we're.." He searched for the right word. "together, again?" She looked shocked,
"If you want..but, I mean, I was an idiot about this whole thing, and I'd understand if you didn't want to, because-" She was cut-off by Jack's mouth covering her own as he gently kissed her.
"I want." He smiled.