When he opened his eyes, he almost expected to be alone in his bed; certain that he'd actually dreamed her joining him. He wasn't though. She was still beside him, sleeping peacefully and comfortably tangled up with him in a jumble of arms and legs.
He watched her sleep, wondering what she was doing there, when he was sure she wasn't supposed to be back until the next morning. She hadn't said too much to him when she'd joined him in bed. He'd been sleepy, and she had been flat out exhausted, so the two of them had simply fallen asleep without much more discussion.
As though she felt his gaze even while she slept, Sam's eyes opened only a moment later. He felt a thrill inside him when their eyes met, and then a lifting of his very soul when she smiled at him. The smile that was meant only for him.
"Good morning."
He smiled, reaching out and touching her cheek, as though to make sure she really was real.
"What are you doing here?"
Sam's smile turned into a grin.
"I'm very happy to see you, too."
"You know what I mean," Jack told her, tapping her lightly on the nose. "I thought you weren't coming back until tomorrow?"
"I forgot what day it was," Sam said, seriously. "I can't believe I left you alone this weekend."
Jack shook his head, as if to deny that he'd been alone, but Sam didn't give him a chance.
"Dad mentioned it yesterday – told me it was a pleasant surprise that he'd actually get a chance to spend Father's Day with me." She shook her head, looking guilty. "I packed up my stuff and came back as soon as I could."
"You left Jacob?" Jack asked. "After he'd said how nice it was that he was spending time with you?"
"Of course not. I brought him home with me. He's at the base. We'll spend time with him today."
Jack nodded, feeling a little better. Not that he didn't love the fact that she was here, but he would have felt like shit if Jacob had to miss out on her company just so Jack could have it.
"I'm glad you're home."
She smiled, running her finger along his cheek, then his jaw.
"You look a little tired. Have you been taking care of yourself?"
Jack nodded.
"You know me."
"Yes, I do. Which is why I asked."
He sighed. "I wouldn't have minded having you here the last few days," he admitted. "Things were a bit... crazy."
"What happened?"
Jack looked at his watch. It was still early. They had plenty of time for a long story. Besides, he didn't have anywhere he had to be.
"Dotty decided it was time for Shawn to find out."
Sam didn't have to ask what he was talking about. There was only one secret that Dotty was keeping. She was wide awake instantly.
"What did he say? How did he react?"
"It's a long story, Sam." He warned her. "Do you want to hear it here? Or over breakfast?"
"Here."
He nodded, and shifted a little to get more comfortable, then launched into the story, beginning with the call Dotty had made to Jack only a few hours after Sam had gone off-world.
Sam was quiet during all of it, knowing that if she interrupted, he'd have trouble retracing the story to where she'd stopped him, but her eyes were wide with surprise, and there was more than a little consternation in her expression. She'd definitely left him at the worst possible time. And had left him to face something alone that she hadn't thought they'd face for a couple more years.
"Wow."
It was all she could say by the time he was finished.
Jack shrugged.
"I probably could have done a better job explaining it to him, but at least he knows."
She nodded. It actually sounded to her like Jack had done a great job, but she wasn't going to bother telling him that. He'd just deny it, anyways.
"I'm sorry I wasn't here."
"Me too."
"Are you all right?"
"Me?" He was surprised by the question. "Of course I am."
Of course...
"Uh huh." She didn't really buy that, but she wasn't going to press the issue. He wouldn't dream of asking to spend time with Shawn on Father's Day – not when as far as Jack was concerned, James was Shawn's dad. Jack acknowledged and loved the fact that he'd fathered such a wonderful kid, but he hadn't been there to change diapers, or teach him how to throw a ball, and no matter how much he'd eventually try to make up for all that lost time, there would always be the simple fact that Jack wouldn't ever try to take over James' role as Shawn's father.
Sam understood all that. She probably understood it better than Jack did, even. She knew because she knew what kind of man Jack was.
"What did you learn on your little trip?"
He was trying to change the subject, and she smiled, and let him.
"Do you really want to know?"
"Sure."
She started to tell him, but his eyes glazed over almost immediately at all the technical terms, and Sam relented after only a few minutes. It was so much fun to do that to him. Half the time she just made stuff up, just to see how long it would take for him to fall asleep.
"I was thinking we could go over to Janet's and spend the day with her and Cassie..."
She'd been trying to think of ways to distract him from the day as soon as she'd realized what day it was. Long before she and Jacob had returned through the gate. Since Cassie and Janet usually spent Father's Day the same way they spent Mother's Day, it was a sure bet they'd be home, and maybe even barbequeing.
"Did you talk to her?"
"Cassie?"
"Janet."
"Nope. Do they have other plans?"
"Oh, I'm sure they're probably planning on ending up over here sometime today. Fraiser sent Daniel over to check on me last night."
She smiled. He was probably right, then. First Janet would send someone else then she'd come and double-check herself.
"I'll call her," Sam told him. "Do you want to go over there?"
"Sure. Whatever you want to do."
She smiled, and ran her hand along his chest, then lower, over his hard stomach, and lower still... It was still early, and since they were both awake anyways...
"Whatever...?"
He felt his heartbeat quicken. They had things to do that day; places to go, people to see, but at that moment, Jack had only one person on his mind. He smiled, and kissed her softly. Everything else could wait. After all, it was his day, right?
"Whatever..."
He watched her sleep, wondering what she was doing there, when he was sure she wasn't supposed to be back until the next morning. She hadn't said too much to him when she'd joined him in bed. He'd been sleepy, and she had been flat out exhausted, so the two of them had simply fallen asleep without much more discussion.
As though she felt his gaze even while she slept, Sam's eyes opened only a moment later. He felt a thrill inside him when their eyes met, and then a lifting of his very soul when she smiled at him. The smile that was meant only for him.
"Good morning."
He smiled, reaching out and touching her cheek, as though to make sure she really was real.
"What are you doing here?"
Sam's smile turned into a grin.
"I'm very happy to see you, too."
"You know what I mean," Jack told her, tapping her lightly on the nose. "I thought you weren't coming back until tomorrow?"
"I forgot what day it was," Sam said, seriously. "I can't believe I left you alone this weekend."
Jack shook his head, as if to deny that he'd been alone, but Sam didn't give him a chance.
"Dad mentioned it yesterday – told me it was a pleasant surprise that he'd actually get a chance to spend Father's Day with me." She shook her head, looking guilty. "I packed up my stuff and came back as soon as I could."
"You left Jacob?" Jack asked. "After he'd said how nice it was that he was spending time with you?"
"Of course not. I brought him home with me. He's at the base. We'll spend time with him today."
Jack nodded, feeling a little better. Not that he didn't love the fact that she was here, but he would have felt like shit if Jacob had to miss out on her company just so Jack could have it.
"I'm glad you're home."
She smiled, running her finger along his cheek, then his jaw.
"You look a little tired. Have you been taking care of yourself?"
Jack nodded.
"You know me."
"Yes, I do. Which is why I asked."
He sighed. "I wouldn't have minded having you here the last few days," he admitted. "Things were a bit... crazy."
"What happened?"
Jack looked at his watch. It was still early. They had plenty of time for a long story. Besides, he didn't have anywhere he had to be.
"Dotty decided it was time for Shawn to find out."
Sam didn't have to ask what he was talking about. There was only one secret that Dotty was keeping. She was wide awake instantly.
"What did he say? How did he react?"
"It's a long story, Sam." He warned her. "Do you want to hear it here? Or over breakfast?"
"Here."
He nodded, and shifted a little to get more comfortable, then launched into the story, beginning with the call Dotty had made to Jack only a few hours after Sam had gone off-world.
Sam was quiet during all of it, knowing that if she interrupted, he'd have trouble retracing the story to where she'd stopped him, but her eyes were wide with surprise, and there was more than a little consternation in her expression. She'd definitely left him at the worst possible time. And had left him to face something alone that she hadn't thought they'd face for a couple more years.
"Wow."
It was all she could say by the time he was finished.
Jack shrugged.
"I probably could have done a better job explaining it to him, but at least he knows."
She nodded. It actually sounded to her like Jack had done a great job, but she wasn't going to bother telling him that. He'd just deny it, anyways.
"I'm sorry I wasn't here."
"Me too."
"Are you all right?"
"Me?" He was surprised by the question. "Of course I am."
Of course...
"Uh huh." She didn't really buy that, but she wasn't going to press the issue. He wouldn't dream of asking to spend time with Shawn on Father's Day – not when as far as Jack was concerned, James was Shawn's dad. Jack acknowledged and loved the fact that he'd fathered such a wonderful kid, but he hadn't been there to change diapers, or teach him how to throw a ball, and no matter how much he'd eventually try to make up for all that lost time, there would always be the simple fact that Jack wouldn't ever try to take over James' role as Shawn's father.
Sam understood all that. She probably understood it better than Jack did, even. She knew because she knew what kind of man Jack was.
"What did you learn on your little trip?"
He was trying to change the subject, and she smiled, and let him.
"Do you really want to know?"
"Sure."
She started to tell him, but his eyes glazed over almost immediately at all the technical terms, and Sam relented after only a few minutes. It was so much fun to do that to him. Half the time she just made stuff up, just to see how long it would take for him to fall asleep.
"I was thinking we could go over to Janet's and spend the day with her and Cassie..."
She'd been trying to think of ways to distract him from the day as soon as she'd realized what day it was. Long before she and Jacob had returned through the gate. Since Cassie and Janet usually spent Father's Day the same way they spent Mother's Day, it was a sure bet they'd be home, and maybe even barbequeing.
"Did you talk to her?"
"Cassie?"
"Janet."
"Nope. Do they have other plans?"
"Oh, I'm sure they're probably planning on ending up over here sometime today. Fraiser sent Daniel over to check on me last night."
She smiled. He was probably right, then. First Janet would send someone else then she'd come and double-check herself.
"I'll call her," Sam told him. "Do you want to go over there?"
"Sure. Whatever you want to do."
She smiled, and ran her hand along his chest, then lower, over his hard stomach, and lower still... It was still early, and since they were both awake anyways...
"Whatever...?"
He felt his heartbeat quicken. They had things to do that day; places to go, people to see, but at that moment, Jack had only one person on his mind. He smiled, and kissed her softly. Everything else could wait. After all, it was his day, right?
"Whatever..."