Jack ended up stopping off at a restaurant and getting a take out order of roast beef, potatoes and green beans for their dinner. It wasn't as good if he'd made it – or even better, if Sam had – but it was a lot better than cooking it himself and waiting another couple hours to eat. Besides, this way he didn't have to clean up any pots or pans. He went home, found Sam and the dogs cuddled comfortably on the couch, and joined them with his bag of food.
After they'd eaten, the dogs went out, and Sam and Jack ended up once more on the couch, this time with Sam stretched out on the sofa, and her head resting comfortably in Jack's lap. He idly ran his fingers through her short blonde hair as she relaxed after her long day, and Sam rolled over so she was looking up at him.
"So?"
"Hmmm?"
"Are we going to have puppies, yet?"
Jack scowled. "No. They just laid around the house all day, watching TV."
Sam smiled. This was about as annoyed as she'd ever seen Jack when it came to Jaffer.
"Give them time. It's only been a day and some change."
Jack shrugged. He wasn't usually all that patient anyways, and he really wanted this puppy. There wasn't much he could say, though. And it wasn't as though he had any say in the matter anyways. He played with her hair some more, debating whether or not to bring up what he and Shawn had discussed that day, or to hold off a while longer. Finally, he decided he might as well throw it out, just to see where she was in her thinking. He didn't want to seem to be rushing her, but he wasn't going to know unless he asked.
"Shawn and I had an interesting discussion today..."
Yeah, that was as good a way of brining it up as any, he decided.
"Oh? About Jennifer?"
"Well, that was interesting, too, I suppose, but no."
"What, then?"
"Marriage."
"Oh? He likes her that much?" Sam was grinning, which told Jack she was messing with him, and he smiled.
"Smart ass. Our marriage. You and me."
Sam raised her hand to look at the diamond ring on her finger, like she always did when someone mentioned marriage.
"What about it?"
"He thinks we're putting it off too long."
"What?"
"He wants us to get married before he goes into the Academy in the fall."
"Why?"
She was frowning, but it was a confused expression, not an annoyed one.
"He's worried he'll miss it, otherwise."
"Did you tell him we wouldn't dream of getting married without him there?"
"Of course."
"And?"
"And he told me he wants to see me settled before he goes away."
"He's going away to a school that's about half an hour from here."
Jack smiled, "I know. But it feels like it's further, I bet."
"So...? What did you tell him?"
"That I'd talk to you."
"And?"
"And, what?"
"What are we talking about?"
"Us getting married before the summer's out."
"That's only about three months."
"We don't have to, Sam," Jack said. "I was just telling you what Shawn and I were talking about."
"Do you want to?"
Jack shrugged. "You deserve better than what you have now."
Sam started to say something when there was a bark at the door. Abby was ready to come in, and Jaffer was right beside her. If she wanted in, then he did, too. Jack pulled her upright and slid out from underneath her, then went over and let them in. Jaffer trotted over to sniff Sam, making sure she wasn't eating anything that he should have a share of. Sam was still sprawled on the sofa, so he couldn't get up without jumping on her – something he'd only do to Jack – but she petted him and stroked his ears to make up for it, then did the same for Abby when she came over for her share of loving, too.
Jack came over and Sam raised up again so he could slide back under her, resuming his duty as pillow, and Jaffer and Abby went over and flopped down in front of the fireplace once more.
"Do you think I'm unhappy with the way things are?" Sam asked him, reaching for his hand before he could start playing with her hair again.
"It just isn't fair to you... making you run between houses." Since she almost always came to his place – mainly because her house wasn't as Jaffer resistant as his was. "I think you should have more. House, picket fence, 2.5 kids and a dog."
Sam smiled, "Are you going to build a picket fence around your front yard?"
"If it'd make you happy, I would."
She squeezed his hand. "I'm happy, Jack. You make me happy. I don't mind running from house to house – it beats the hell out of being by myself at mine, and I have good reasons for coming over."
"If I asked you to marry me sometime in the next couple of months, would you?"
"Because you want to? Or because you feel guilty?"
"Because it'd make me happy if I could call you my wife."
"Tired of the fiancé label?"
"Marry me, Sam."
"What will General Hammond say?"
"Nothing. If the President can get a thirteen year old into the Air Force Academy, then he should be able to grant us a waiver or something so we can get married."
Sam smiled. Jack was completely serious, and it was obvious to her that he'd been thinking about this, even before Shawn had brought it up.
"Before the end of summer, huh?"
Jack shrugged.
"Whenever you want."
"August 12th?"
"If you want."
"What do you want?"
He ran his hand along her cheek.
"August 12th."
She nodded, and smiled.
"August 12th, then."
After they'd eaten, the dogs went out, and Sam and Jack ended up once more on the couch, this time with Sam stretched out on the sofa, and her head resting comfortably in Jack's lap. He idly ran his fingers through her short blonde hair as she relaxed after her long day, and Sam rolled over so she was looking up at him.
"So?"
"Hmmm?"
"Are we going to have puppies, yet?"
Jack scowled. "No. They just laid around the house all day, watching TV."
Sam smiled. This was about as annoyed as she'd ever seen Jack when it came to Jaffer.
"Give them time. It's only been a day and some change."
Jack shrugged. He wasn't usually all that patient anyways, and he really wanted this puppy. There wasn't much he could say, though. And it wasn't as though he had any say in the matter anyways. He played with her hair some more, debating whether or not to bring up what he and Shawn had discussed that day, or to hold off a while longer. Finally, he decided he might as well throw it out, just to see where she was in her thinking. He didn't want to seem to be rushing her, but he wasn't going to know unless he asked.
"Shawn and I had an interesting discussion today..."
Yeah, that was as good a way of brining it up as any, he decided.
"Oh? About Jennifer?"
"Well, that was interesting, too, I suppose, but no."
"What, then?"
"Marriage."
"Oh? He likes her that much?" Sam was grinning, which told Jack she was messing with him, and he smiled.
"Smart ass. Our marriage. You and me."
Sam raised her hand to look at the diamond ring on her finger, like she always did when someone mentioned marriage.
"What about it?"
"He thinks we're putting it off too long."
"What?"
"He wants us to get married before he goes into the Academy in the fall."
"Why?"
She was frowning, but it was a confused expression, not an annoyed one.
"He's worried he'll miss it, otherwise."
"Did you tell him we wouldn't dream of getting married without him there?"
"Of course."
"And?"
"And he told me he wants to see me settled before he goes away."
"He's going away to a school that's about half an hour from here."
Jack smiled, "I know. But it feels like it's further, I bet."
"So...? What did you tell him?"
"That I'd talk to you."
"And?"
"And, what?"
"What are we talking about?"
"Us getting married before the summer's out."
"That's only about three months."
"We don't have to, Sam," Jack said. "I was just telling you what Shawn and I were talking about."
"Do you want to?"
Jack shrugged. "You deserve better than what you have now."
Sam started to say something when there was a bark at the door. Abby was ready to come in, and Jaffer was right beside her. If she wanted in, then he did, too. Jack pulled her upright and slid out from underneath her, then went over and let them in. Jaffer trotted over to sniff Sam, making sure she wasn't eating anything that he should have a share of. Sam was still sprawled on the sofa, so he couldn't get up without jumping on her – something he'd only do to Jack – but she petted him and stroked his ears to make up for it, then did the same for Abby when she came over for her share of loving, too.
Jack came over and Sam raised up again so he could slide back under her, resuming his duty as pillow, and Jaffer and Abby went over and flopped down in front of the fireplace once more.
"Do you think I'm unhappy with the way things are?" Sam asked him, reaching for his hand before he could start playing with her hair again.
"It just isn't fair to you... making you run between houses." Since she almost always came to his place – mainly because her house wasn't as Jaffer resistant as his was. "I think you should have more. House, picket fence, 2.5 kids and a dog."
Sam smiled, "Are you going to build a picket fence around your front yard?"
"If it'd make you happy, I would."
She squeezed his hand. "I'm happy, Jack. You make me happy. I don't mind running from house to house – it beats the hell out of being by myself at mine, and I have good reasons for coming over."
"If I asked you to marry me sometime in the next couple of months, would you?"
"Because you want to? Or because you feel guilty?"
"Because it'd make me happy if I could call you my wife."
"Tired of the fiancé label?"
"Marry me, Sam."
"What will General Hammond say?"
"Nothing. If the President can get a thirteen year old into the Air Force Academy, then he should be able to grant us a waiver or something so we can get married."
Sam smiled. Jack was completely serious, and it was obvious to her that he'd been thinking about this, even before Shawn had brought it up.
"Before the end of summer, huh?"
Jack shrugged.
"Whenever you want."
"August 12th?"
"If you want."
"What do you want?"
He ran his hand along her cheek.
"August 12th."
She nodded, and smiled.
"August 12th, then."