Disclaimer: See Default Chapter
Chapter Fourteen: Just when you thought...
Jack rested his head on the high back of his patio lounge, relishing in the mid-afternoon heat as it sank into his bones. It was a beautiful day. Bright sun. No clouds. The trees were green. The birds were singing...
Doctor-Major Samantha Carter's hand was sliding under his tee shirt...
He drew in a long breath, enjoying the moment. Knowing that this time he wasn't going to wake up with the painful evidence that it was just a dream. Dreams didn't come close to the last two days with Sam.
"What are you smiling about?"
"Am I smiling? I didn't realize I was smiling."
Sam shifted, moving closer so she could lean her elbow against the back of the lounge and look down at him. Her fingertips brushed his lips and he reached up to push some blonde hair behind her ear. She was wearing it longer again, almost like when he first met her. He liked it. Not too long... just long enough.
"You are definitely smiling."
Jack pushed his fingers into her hair and pulled her down for a kiss. In the two days since she had come to him, they had shared many kisses. Everything from scorching and needy to slow and easy – but each one was enough to turn his insides out. An old warhorse like him... giddy in love. Imagine that.
Sam settled against him again, her fingers tracing circles and curls on his tee shirt. "So, what do you want to do with your second day of freedom?" she asked.
Jack looked up at the sky through his sunglasses. "It's what, almost 1430 hours? We could go scrounge up something to eat. I could eat."
Sam laughed. "You could always eat."
"This is true."
"But I don't think there is much left in your kitchen. Except for beer and left over Chinese. And since that Moo Goo Gai Pan has been here longer than I have, I'm not so sure I'd trust it."
Jack smoothed his hand over her hair and kissed her forehead. "We've got all day. No rush. So, why don't we go out for lunch then swing by the grocery store on the way home."
*Home*. Now, that was an interesting thought.
Sam nodded against his chest. "Okay. I just want to swing by my place and get some things." She looked up at him, and he thought he saw the briefest flash of uncertainty behind her blue eyes. "That is... if you want me to stay. I don't want to assume-"
He cut her off with a kiss. Her smile when he pulled back told him she understood. Words weren't necessary.
"I'm just going to go freshen up," she said, standing off the lounge.
"Sure thing. I'll meet you in the house." He tapped his leg. "Takes me a minute."
She leaned over and kissed him one more time before he heard the sliding door open and close. With a wince and a stifled groan, he stood and leaned into the knobby pine cane he had switched to the day before. He'd given up on the whole brace thingy. It was annoying... and with a smirk, admitted to himself it wasn't all that sexy. Too cumbersome to get off... well... when things needed to get off.
Jack entered the house through the kitchen, setting his coffee cup beside Sam's on the countertop. It had been almost ten years since he shared his home with a woman. Laira didn't count. Wasn't his home, his planet. His heart wasn't into it. But to be in his own kitchen, and to hear the sound of another human being in the other room ... living... being... it felt good. Damn good.
Just as he contemplated the thought of going to the bedroom and convincing Sam lunch could wait another hour, the knock as his door destroyed his plans. If it was the paper boy again, he'd ring the kids scrawny little neck...
"I told you I'd pay you on Friday...." He stopped short when he saw the four people standing on his porch.
"Daniel. Teal'c. Dr. Weir. Well, hello, General Hammond. Good to see you."
"How's your knee, Jack?" George Hammond asked.
Jack leaned his hand into his cane, shifting his weight. "Been better."
"Can we come in, Colonel?" Doctor Weir asked, brushing past Daniel to move inside.
Jack watched her as she stepped into his house and headed for the living room. "Sure... why not. To what do I owe this ... mass invasion?"
"Things have changed, Jack." Daniel said as he followed General Hammond into the house, Teal'c behind him.
"Changed? In two days?"
General Hammond let Daniel and Teal'c pass him to step down into the living room, waiting for Jack at the top of the steps. "Yes. I've spoken with the President about the current situation and made some recommendations. I don't know what decision you've come to, but you need to hear this before you decide."
"Oookay."
"Why don't you come sit down," Doctor Weir said from the chair where she had taken up residence. Jack tried to read her expression, but not knowing her well enough, he couldn't.
"Actually, I was just about to—"
"This is big, Jack." Daniel cut him off. "Oh, and by the way. Have you talked to Sam? We called her and tried her at home. I didn't know if you'd talked to her and she said anything about...." Daniel trailed off, staring past Jack.
He had felt her presence as soon as she stepped out of the bedroom, the awareness of her growing as she walked towards him. Sam stepped beside him, and he felt her briefly touch his back, where no one could see.
"General Hammond. It's good to see you, Sir."
"It appears that you were correct, DanielJackson, when you wished to wager O'Neill knew of Major Carter's whereabouts," Teal'c said, the faintest hint of a smile tipping his lips.
Jack looked at her, fair cheeks stained bright with heat. She glanced at him, and he shrugged, silently telling her he knew no more than she did.
"I'm glad you're here, Major Carter," General Hammond said, bringing Jack's attention back. "Jack, I've been sent by the President. The offer for retirement has been removed from the table. I am authorized to offer you something more."
Chapter Fourteen: Just when you thought...
Jack rested his head on the high back of his patio lounge, relishing in the mid-afternoon heat as it sank into his bones. It was a beautiful day. Bright sun. No clouds. The trees were green. The birds were singing...
Doctor-Major Samantha Carter's hand was sliding under his tee shirt...
He drew in a long breath, enjoying the moment. Knowing that this time he wasn't going to wake up with the painful evidence that it was just a dream. Dreams didn't come close to the last two days with Sam.
"What are you smiling about?"
"Am I smiling? I didn't realize I was smiling."
Sam shifted, moving closer so she could lean her elbow against the back of the lounge and look down at him. Her fingertips brushed his lips and he reached up to push some blonde hair behind her ear. She was wearing it longer again, almost like when he first met her. He liked it. Not too long... just long enough.
"You are definitely smiling."
Jack pushed his fingers into her hair and pulled her down for a kiss. In the two days since she had come to him, they had shared many kisses. Everything from scorching and needy to slow and easy – but each one was enough to turn his insides out. An old warhorse like him... giddy in love. Imagine that.
Sam settled against him again, her fingers tracing circles and curls on his tee shirt. "So, what do you want to do with your second day of freedom?" she asked.
Jack looked up at the sky through his sunglasses. "It's what, almost 1430 hours? We could go scrounge up something to eat. I could eat."
Sam laughed. "You could always eat."
"This is true."
"But I don't think there is much left in your kitchen. Except for beer and left over Chinese. And since that Moo Goo Gai Pan has been here longer than I have, I'm not so sure I'd trust it."
Jack smoothed his hand over her hair and kissed her forehead. "We've got all day. No rush. So, why don't we go out for lunch then swing by the grocery store on the way home."
*Home*. Now, that was an interesting thought.
Sam nodded against his chest. "Okay. I just want to swing by my place and get some things." She looked up at him, and he thought he saw the briefest flash of uncertainty behind her blue eyes. "That is... if you want me to stay. I don't want to assume-"
He cut her off with a kiss. Her smile when he pulled back told him she understood. Words weren't necessary.
"I'm just going to go freshen up," she said, standing off the lounge.
"Sure thing. I'll meet you in the house." He tapped his leg. "Takes me a minute."
She leaned over and kissed him one more time before he heard the sliding door open and close. With a wince and a stifled groan, he stood and leaned into the knobby pine cane he had switched to the day before. He'd given up on the whole brace thingy. It was annoying... and with a smirk, admitted to himself it wasn't all that sexy. Too cumbersome to get off... well... when things needed to get off.
Jack entered the house through the kitchen, setting his coffee cup beside Sam's on the countertop. It had been almost ten years since he shared his home with a woman. Laira didn't count. Wasn't his home, his planet. His heart wasn't into it. But to be in his own kitchen, and to hear the sound of another human being in the other room ... living... being... it felt good. Damn good.
Just as he contemplated the thought of going to the bedroom and convincing Sam lunch could wait another hour, the knock as his door destroyed his plans. If it was the paper boy again, he'd ring the kids scrawny little neck...
"I told you I'd pay you on Friday...." He stopped short when he saw the four people standing on his porch.
"Daniel. Teal'c. Dr. Weir. Well, hello, General Hammond. Good to see you."
"How's your knee, Jack?" George Hammond asked.
Jack leaned his hand into his cane, shifting his weight. "Been better."
"Can we come in, Colonel?" Doctor Weir asked, brushing past Daniel to move inside.
Jack watched her as she stepped into his house and headed for the living room. "Sure... why not. To what do I owe this ... mass invasion?"
"Things have changed, Jack." Daniel said as he followed General Hammond into the house, Teal'c behind him.
"Changed? In two days?"
General Hammond let Daniel and Teal'c pass him to step down into the living room, waiting for Jack at the top of the steps. "Yes. I've spoken with the President about the current situation and made some recommendations. I don't know what decision you've come to, but you need to hear this before you decide."
"Oookay."
"Why don't you come sit down," Doctor Weir said from the chair where she had taken up residence. Jack tried to read her expression, but not knowing her well enough, he couldn't.
"Actually, I was just about to—"
"This is big, Jack." Daniel cut him off. "Oh, and by the way. Have you talked to Sam? We called her and tried her at home. I didn't know if you'd talked to her and she said anything about...." Daniel trailed off, staring past Jack.
He had felt her presence as soon as she stepped out of the bedroom, the awareness of her growing as she walked towards him. Sam stepped beside him, and he felt her briefly touch his back, where no one could see.
"General Hammond. It's good to see you, Sir."
"It appears that you were correct, DanielJackson, when you wished to wager O'Neill knew of Major Carter's whereabouts," Teal'c said, the faintest hint of a smile tipping his lips.
Jack looked at her, fair cheeks stained bright with heat. She glanced at him, and he shrugged, silently telling her he knew no more than she did.
"I'm glad you're here, Major Carter," General Hammond said, bringing Jack's attention back. "Jack, I've been sent by the President. The offer for retirement has been removed from the table. I am authorized to offer you something more."