Disclaimer: See Default Chapter
Chapter 16: Long Time Coming
Sam stared at Jack, a thousand thoughts swirling in her head yet not a single word would form on her lips. He warmed her blood with the slow, easy expression that just slightly curled his mouth and wrinkled the skin at the corner of his eyes.
"Would you mind telling me why, Colonel?" General Hammond asked.
Jack raised his eyebrows, watching her as if he expected her to answer. In one dizzying rush, she realized he was giving it up for her. For them. And with one heartbeat, she loved him with an intensity that nearly blinded her. The next heartbeat came with a surge of guilt that he would give up the greatest opportunity of his career for her.
"I got a better offer."
She couldn't breathe, her body hot and pounding, a cold sweat rushing over her. A tingle of anticipation colliding with amazement and confusion. Sam blinked and looked away from him, otherwise she would never be able to think.
"Colonel, do I need to remind you of the classified status of---"
"Would you excuse me for a minute, General?" Jack said over his shoulder, cutting the General off. He arched his eyebrows and looked at her, motioning to the other room with his thumb. "Can I talk to you?"
Sam nodded, just a quick jerk of her chin was all she could manage.
Jack stood with a groan, leaning heavily on the cane to move along the front of the couch to the steps. Sam followed, fighting the urge to put her hands on him. Heat burned in her cheeks as she felt the eyes of four curious people on her and Jack as they left the room. Sam dared a glance over her shoulder and met Daniel's gaze. A smile bowed his lips so wide his cheeks shifted his glasses on his nose. Daniel nodded slowly and winked.
Slowly, Jack made his way up the two steps to the front hall, and once on level ground again moved at a quicker pace towards his bedroom door. Sam followed, trying to control the chaos that danced in her stomach like a swarm of butterflies. She was unable to control her glance at the bed as they entered the bedroom. The quilt was pulled up to the pillows in a half- hearted attempt after making love that morning. Just the memory warmed her.
Jack sat down on the edge of the bed, patting the mattress beside him.
"Do you think this is a good idea, Jack?" she asked as she sat.
"Why? Because they might think something is going on?"
"Well... yes."
"Something is *so* going on."
"I know there is, but –"
Her words were lost when he cupped the back of her head and covered her mouth with his own. The kiss stole her breath, and she clung to him – lost in the power of his touch. Jack moaned softly as he pulled back, bringing his hand forward to stroke her lower lip with his thumb.
"Do you remember when I asked you if you wanted to take this slow?"
His voice was husky, wrapping around her like a warm velvet blanket. Sam felt her eyes flutter at his touch, but forced herself to look into his face.
"I remember."
"You said eight years was slow enough."
Sam nodded. He touched her face, his fingertips tracing the line of her cheek, her forehead, brushed her hair from her temple. It was distracting in the best possible sense.
"I love you, Sam."
A shudder moved through her and she gave in to the need to close her eyes and just feel him. "You're not playing fair," she whispered, and heard his warm chuckle.
"I know. Sam, look at me."
She forced her eyes open, his own dark eyes looking down on her.
"Do you want me to take the promotion?" he asked.
"I want you to do what you want."
"I want you."
Sam curled her fingers into the front of his shirt, trying to find solid ground... solid *anything* to hold on to. "Jack, this could be the biggest opportunity of your life. You'd be crazy to walk away from it."
"You're right. That's why I'm going for it."
Despite her resolution to accept his decision if Jack decided to take the promotion, she was nearly suffocated by his words. Her eyes burned with the tears she did her best to suppress, and turned away from him before he saw one fall.
"You deserve this, Jack."
"No, I don't. Still can't figure out why you're here."
Sam jerked her head up, trying to make sense of his words. He was smiling, the kind of smile that had set her blood on fire more times than she could count. And she realized, they were talking about two different things.
"Don't know if you've ever noticed, but I'm not one for a lot of words. You know... sharing and stuff. Warm and fuzzies."
Sam smiled and let out a sigh. "No, I hadn't noticed."
"Marry me."
She could only stare.
"Don't make me wait too long. I already feel like a fool for asking."
Sam wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him towards her. In an easy motion, he laid her back on the mattress and drove her insane with the heated caress of his tongue against hers as he kissed her until her breath was short and her heart pounded an impossibly fast rhythm. When he finally broke the kiss, he rested his forehead against hers. Their breath mingled as they both fought for air.
Jack moved away from her, standing to his feet. One hand braced against the cane, the other he held out to her. Sam smiled and took it, the skin of their palms sliding together in a touch taken for granted by lovers around the world. After eight years of having to consciously keep herself from touching him... from allowing him to touch her... even in the most innocent of ways... it was a touch Sam relished in. When she came to her feet he leaned in and kissed her again.
"I guess I should go tell Ole George I'm not going to go work for some covert organization and spill all the Stargate secrets, huh?"
Sam nodded. "Let him off the hook. The others, too."
"Nah. I don't think this is going to be a surprise to Daniel or Teal'c."
She silently admitted he was probably right. Especially with the wink and smile Daniel had given her. Then Sam tensed, a new thought rushing through her already jumbled brain. Jack pulled back, looking down at her with a concerned expression.
"Sam?"
"Jack, we haven't talked about so many things –"
"What things?"
Pressure pushed on her chest. She couldn't look at him, focusing instead on the hollow at the base of his throat just before it disappeared behind the ribbed collar of his tee shirt. His arm came around her waist, pulling her closer.
"Sam, what things?"
She forced herself to look him in the eye. "Children."
His expression didn't change. It stayed a cross between concerned and gentle. "Children?"
"Jack, I don't know if you want children. Maybe you don't want children. I don't know if I can have children... I mean, until forty-eight hours ago I didn't even think there was ever a possibility that we would even be together, let alone—"
Once again, he silenced her with a kiss. "We'll work it out. Later," he said against her lips.
She nodded, believing him that they would. He slid his hand down her arm until their hands touched and their fingers linked. Jack winked and moved towards the door. This time, when they stepped into the hall and four pairs of eyes turned on them, Sam felt nothing but pride.
Chapter 16: Long Time Coming
Sam stared at Jack, a thousand thoughts swirling in her head yet not a single word would form on her lips. He warmed her blood with the slow, easy expression that just slightly curled his mouth and wrinkled the skin at the corner of his eyes.
"Would you mind telling me why, Colonel?" General Hammond asked.
Jack raised his eyebrows, watching her as if he expected her to answer. In one dizzying rush, she realized he was giving it up for her. For them. And with one heartbeat, she loved him with an intensity that nearly blinded her. The next heartbeat came with a surge of guilt that he would give up the greatest opportunity of his career for her.
"I got a better offer."
She couldn't breathe, her body hot and pounding, a cold sweat rushing over her. A tingle of anticipation colliding with amazement and confusion. Sam blinked and looked away from him, otherwise she would never be able to think.
"Colonel, do I need to remind you of the classified status of---"
"Would you excuse me for a minute, General?" Jack said over his shoulder, cutting the General off. He arched his eyebrows and looked at her, motioning to the other room with his thumb. "Can I talk to you?"
Sam nodded, just a quick jerk of her chin was all she could manage.
Jack stood with a groan, leaning heavily on the cane to move along the front of the couch to the steps. Sam followed, fighting the urge to put her hands on him. Heat burned in her cheeks as she felt the eyes of four curious people on her and Jack as they left the room. Sam dared a glance over her shoulder and met Daniel's gaze. A smile bowed his lips so wide his cheeks shifted his glasses on his nose. Daniel nodded slowly and winked.
Slowly, Jack made his way up the two steps to the front hall, and once on level ground again moved at a quicker pace towards his bedroom door. Sam followed, trying to control the chaos that danced in her stomach like a swarm of butterflies. She was unable to control her glance at the bed as they entered the bedroom. The quilt was pulled up to the pillows in a half- hearted attempt after making love that morning. Just the memory warmed her.
Jack sat down on the edge of the bed, patting the mattress beside him.
"Do you think this is a good idea, Jack?" she asked as she sat.
"Why? Because they might think something is going on?"
"Well... yes."
"Something is *so* going on."
"I know there is, but –"
Her words were lost when he cupped the back of her head and covered her mouth with his own. The kiss stole her breath, and she clung to him – lost in the power of his touch. Jack moaned softly as he pulled back, bringing his hand forward to stroke her lower lip with his thumb.
"Do you remember when I asked you if you wanted to take this slow?"
His voice was husky, wrapping around her like a warm velvet blanket. Sam felt her eyes flutter at his touch, but forced herself to look into his face.
"I remember."
"You said eight years was slow enough."
Sam nodded. He touched her face, his fingertips tracing the line of her cheek, her forehead, brushed her hair from her temple. It was distracting in the best possible sense.
"I love you, Sam."
A shudder moved through her and she gave in to the need to close her eyes and just feel him. "You're not playing fair," she whispered, and heard his warm chuckle.
"I know. Sam, look at me."
She forced her eyes open, his own dark eyes looking down on her.
"Do you want me to take the promotion?" he asked.
"I want you to do what you want."
"I want you."
Sam curled her fingers into the front of his shirt, trying to find solid ground... solid *anything* to hold on to. "Jack, this could be the biggest opportunity of your life. You'd be crazy to walk away from it."
"You're right. That's why I'm going for it."
Despite her resolution to accept his decision if Jack decided to take the promotion, she was nearly suffocated by his words. Her eyes burned with the tears she did her best to suppress, and turned away from him before he saw one fall.
"You deserve this, Jack."
"No, I don't. Still can't figure out why you're here."
Sam jerked her head up, trying to make sense of his words. He was smiling, the kind of smile that had set her blood on fire more times than she could count. And she realized, they were talking about two different things.
"Don't know if you've ever noticed, but I'm not one for a lot of words. You know... sharing and stuff. Warm and fuzzies."
Sam smiled and let out a sigh. "No, I hadn't noticed."
"Marry me."
She could only stare.
"Don't make me wait too long. I already feel like a fool for asking."
Sam wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him towards her. In an easy motion, he laid her back on the mattress and drove her insane with the heated caress of his tongue against hers as he kissed her until her breath was short and her heart pounded an impossibly fast rhythm. When he finally broke the kiss, he rested his forehead against hers. Their breath mingled as they both fought for air.
Jack moved away from her, standing to his feet. One hand braced against the cane, the other he held out to her. Sam smiled and took it, the skin of their palms sliding together in a touch taken for granted by lovers around the world. After eight years of having to consciously keep herself from touching him... from allowing him to touch her... even in the most innocent of ways... it was a touch Sam relished in. When she came to her feet he leaned in and kissed her again.
"I guess I should go tell Ole George I'm not going to go work for some covert organization and spill all the Stargate secrets, huh?"
Sam nodded. "Let him off the hook. The others, too."
"Nah. I don't think this is going to be a surprise to Daniel or Teal'c."
She silently admitted he was probably right. Especially with the wink and smile Daniel had given her. Then Sam tensed, a new thought rushing through her already jumbled brain. Jack pulled back, looking down at her with a concerned expression.
"Sam?"
"Jack, we haven't talked about so many things –"
"What things?"
Pressure pushed on her chest. She couldn't look at him, focusing instead on the hollow at the base of his throat just before it disappeared behind the ribbed collar of his tee shirt. His arm came around her waist, pulling her closer.
"Sam, what things?"
She forced herself to look him in the eye. "Children."
His expression didn't change. It stayed a cross between concerned and gentle. "Children?"
"Jack, I don't know if you want children. Maybe you don't want children. I don't know if I can have children... I mean, until forty-eight hours ago I didn't even think there was ever a possibility that we would even be together, let alone—"
Once again, he silenced her with a kiss. "We'll work it out. Later," he said against her lips.
She nodded, believing him that they would. He slid his hand down her arm until their hands touched and their fingers linked. Jack winked and moved towards the door. This time, when they stepped into the hall and four pairs of eyes turned on them, Sam felt nothing but pride.