Colours Of Love
Chapter 12 - Goodbyes
Sam woke with Jack wrapped around her, his face pressed into the back of her neck and one arm around her waist, holding her tightly with her back against his chest. She smiled, content to lie in his arms while he slept, deciding she'd forgive him for invading her side of the bed, the two of them occupying only the left half of the large mattress. Shifting slightly, her mind went back to the gift that Jack obviously knew she was aware of, and was now taking great measures to be elusive about.
"Stop thinking." A sleepy voice told her, his breath tickling her neck.
"I was wondering whether to get up yet." She replied softly.
"Too early, go back to sleep."
"I should start breakfast for everyone, their flight is at midday."
"You don't want to get up yet." He told her, his mouth beginning to move over her shoulder blade, making her shiver.
"Stop it!" Sam laughed, turning herself around so she could look him in the eye. He gave her a devilish smile, all traces of sleep gone from his face.
"Since we're both awake…"
"Not this morning, Jack." She told him regretfully, kissing him sweetly in apology. "In a few hours we get the whole house to ourselves."
"You want some help with breakfast?"
"If you're offering."
Ten minutes later they were in the kitchen, glad that no one else had gotten up yet. Jack let Jasper out in to the garden and found himself the previous day's paper, settling down at the kitchen table to attempt the crossword that Sam hadn't beaten him to. Sam busied herself digging out the brand new bread-maker that she'd never gotten the chance to use – a gift from Teal'c and Daniel when Jack had moved in, apparently sharing Jack's apprehension of her cooking skills.
"Sam, what's the name given to the group seven elements of the periodic table?"
Leaning over him, she answered with a grin: "What's it worth?"
"I got you a dog."
"You got me something else too."
Jack smiled, enjoying keeping her guessing now she'd found the ring, even if he'd had to rethink his plans for her birthday.
"Halogens." She sighed, exaggerating her disappointment at not getting any answers.
"C'mere you." Jack pulled her onto his lap, inhaling her light perfume as he drew her closer. "Maybe you shouldn't wear any of that lip…stuff."
Sam smiled, holding her face an inch from his as she wondered where that thought had come from. "Why?"
"Kinda makes it easy for Jake to tell what we've been up to." He replied with an impishly disarming grin, smoothing the long strands of her fringe back from her face.
"Well why don't you keep your hands to yourself then?" She replied with feigned exasperation.
"I would… but you know I have a weakness for scientists." Jack explained, finally receiving a kiss for his efforts, before she turned to help him with his crossword.
"Halogens, seven down." Sam told him again, taking his pen as he settled his arms around her waist,
"I think twelve down is Shakespeare." Jack offered, resting his chin on her shoulder so he could see the crossword.
"Not enough chairs for you two?" Liz admonished with an amused expression on her face, announcing her presence from the kitchen doorway.
"Morning." Sam greeted her with a smile, but made no move to get up.
"That smells wonderful." Liz exclaimed, moving over to the counter where the bread-maker was.
"It's an experiment. Never used it before."
"My brother bought me one for Christmas one year. I usually make lovely raisin bread that the kids don't like, but Mark tried chocolate chip bread the week before last."
"How did that turn out?"
"The girls loved it. I wasn't so sure." Liz told her with a laugh.
"I think chocolate is a Carter family addiction." Jack told Liz in a loud whisper.
"The female side at least." Sam agreed, refusing to let Jack bait her. "At least I'm not a 'Simpsons' fanatic."
"Hey, I'll have you know that's a great show."
"Beth loves that." Liz told them, making Sam laugh.
"She has a good sense of humour." Jack grinned, squeezing Sam tighter as she giggled, setting Liz off.
Jacob walked in to find his daughter and daughter in law in fits of giggles along with Jack rolling his eyes as he held on to Sam, who was still perched on his lap.
"I think there's something in the water, Jake. Don't go near the coffee." Jack spoke up as the girls both tried to pull themselves together.
"Sam's made bread, Dad. You want some eggs?" Liz asked easily, pouring him a glass of juice.
"Thanks, Liz."
"Any ideas for fifteen across?" Sam asked Jack quietly.
"Keanu Reeves." He answered without hesitation, receiving a questioning stare at his answer. "Teal'c has made me watch those Matrix films a dozen times already."
"There aren't enough chairs in here for you two?" Jacob asked the couple.
"Liz already said that, Dad." Sam smiled, still not getting up.
Mark and his daughters entered the kitchen a few minutes later, the girls both asking where Jasper was.
"What time should we leave for the airport?" Mark asked Sam once he'd poured himself a coffee, sitting down opposite Jacob.
"About eleven I think. Are you packed?"
"I think we're all set, aren't we honey?" He replied, looking to his wife for confirmation.
"You two will have to come out and see us in Minnesota." Liz told them with a smile. "I can see Jo asking when she'll see you both again every ten seconds once we're on the plane."
"I think it'll be Jasper she misses the most." Sam replied with a smile, finally getting up and straightening her knee-length blue skirt.
**
With an hour left before their flight, the group arrived at the airport in plenty of time. Jacob had told Sam quietly that he would head back to the base once they'd seen Mark and his family off. Jack was carrying Jo in his arms as she refused to say goodbye to him just yet, Beth also hung back with Sam and Jacob as her parents went to check in their bags.
"I don't want to go." Jo was saying, her arms around Jack's neck.
"You get to go back to all your toys and friends, kiddo. And Aunt Sam and I will visit soon." He tried to reassure her.
"Don't want to."
Sam moved to rub her back comfortingly, giving Jack a grateful smile.
"Okay kids, we better get going." Liz told them; aware of how upset Jo would be when they said goodbye. Every time they visited her brother James, Jo didn't want to leave, and only promises of a future visit managed to settle her down. Liz moved to hug Sam goodbye, whilst Jack set Jo down on her feet, receiving a kiss on the cheek from the little girl.
"Bye, Jack." Liz smiled, giving him a hug. "It's been lovely to meet you."
"You too." Jack replied, watching Jo grasp her mother's hand, still looking upset.
Mark hugged his sister, and then held out his hand companionably to Jack, who shook it with a grin. "Don't let my little sister boss you about." He told him with a smile.
"I'll try, but you know scientists."
Sam slapped Jack's arm for his efforts, entwining her fingers through his as they watched her brother and his family disappear through customs.
"Okay Dad, lets get you to the SGC before the General thinks you're MIA." Jack suggested, leading them out of the airport building.
"Don't call me Dad, Jack." He replied, a small smile belying his irritation.
**
"You ready for pizza?" Jack asked her the second they got back to the house.
It was early evening by the time they had escaped the SGC, both officers immediately having had things thrown their way as soon as they had arrived, apparently all urgent. Sam had got to work straight away, whereas Jack had complained but never the less got a few things done, before practically dragging Sam away under protest, with the justification that she'd promised him a night of pizza and beer.
"Yeah, I'm starving. Ham and pineapple for me." She circled her arms around his neck to kiss him, and then walked to the kitchen to check on Jasper. Finding him sound asleep, she opened the kitchen door in case he woke up, grabbing a large packet of crisps and two beers to take through to the front room.
"Okay, they said half an hour." Jack informed her, dropping to the couch next to her.
"Jasper's sleeping." Sam told him, wrapping her arms around his waist and snuggling up to him.
"And I finally have you all to myself." He wasted no time, moving in to kiss her.
"So what are we going to do with our last week of vacation?" Sam asked, holding on to the collar of his polo shirt in an attempt to interrupt his delightful assault on her neck.
"Don't make plans for Thursday."
"This Thursday?"
"May 31st Thursday." He grinned at her a second before she felt his beer bottle-chilled hand creep under her t-shirt, provoking a surprised squeal.
"You're planning something for my birthday?"
"That's for me to know." Jack replied, silencing her with a smouldering kiss and shifting her legs into a more comfortable position underneath him.
The doorbell sounded, shattering the heated moment. Jack pulled back to see Sam's amused smile at being interrupted; even an empty house managed to stop them being alone.
"It'll be our pizza." She guessed, a second chiming of the bell prompting Jack to get up, heading for the door. He spent a few minutes politely chatting to the pizza guy before Sam heard the front door close again.
"Dinner is served." Jack grinned, producing two pizza boxes and two more beers.
"I've missed this." Sam told him, managing to manoeuvre herself into a half sitting position against him whilst still being able to reach her pizza.
"Nights in with pizza and beer?" He questioned, hooking a finger through a belt hook on her skirt with the arm around her waist.
"Being alone in the house with you."
"You've got a whole week of being in the house alone with me."
"You're really not going to tell me what we're doing on Thursday?" Sam asked, doing her best to look beseeching.
"Its five days away, for cryin' out loud!" Jack laughed, finding her inability to cope with being kept in the dark endearing none the less. "You're not getting any clues until then."
"Jack!"
**
Next chapter will probably be the last one before the sequel! Speaking of which, does anyone want anything specific they want to see happen? I'll try to keep it in the same sort of genre as this one, with a feel angsty bits to keep it interesting. Just thought I'd let ya know! :oD