It was late and the full moon was high. Soft silvery light filled the glen and reflected off the surface of the lake. The earlier breeze was cooler now and Sam shivered.
"Cold?" Jack asked her.
"A little," she admitted. "I have a jacket at the..." She trailed off as a warm leather coat settled over her shoulders. "Tent," she ended lamely.
Jack got to his feet and held out a hand. "Fire," he explained to her blank expression. "And I have marshmallows."
"Oo, really?"
Five minutes later Jack had found suitable sticks and the marshmallows were turning a pleasing shade of brown. His jacket was still around Sam's shoulders; she looked very comfortable in it and the sight did odd things to Jack's stomach. He remembered back to his high school days when wearing a guy's jacket was what a girl did when she was going steady. He chuckled to himself.
"What's the joke?" Sam asked curiously.
"Nothing, I was just thinking."
Sam plucked a marshmallow off her stick and stuck in her mouth. "Sh'good."
"Uh huh," Jack laughed. "Nothing like marshmallows toasted over a real fire."
"Chestnuts."
"I beg your pardon?"
"As in toasted on an open fire," explained Sam. "Like the Christmas song."
"Oh. Yeah."
Sam licked melted mallow off her fingers. Jack closed his eyes.
"What's wrong?" He heard concern in her voice.
"Nothing why?"
"You groaned."
"I did?" Jack knew he'd groaned in his head. He hadn't been aware that he had actually made a noise. "Oh."
"So?"
"It's nothing Carter. Forget it."
Sam stared at Jack, a small frown creasing her brow. Back to Carter. There was no pain on his face, although he did look a little strained. Maybe he was tired. She glanced at her hand, at the bits of mallow still sticking. She raised her hand to her mouth. And stopped halfway as realisation dawned like the sun.
"Oh," she said aloud. Her mind raced. The innocent flirting of earlier didn't seem so innocent now. She glanced at Jack; his eyes were still closed. The moment was balanced, of that Sam was painfully aware. She looked up at the stars, bright but cold and distant. She made a wish on one and hoped the fates would be kind. "Do you believe in destiny?"
Jack opened one eye. "Destiny?"
"Destiny. Fate. What is meant to be."
"In what sense?"
Sam took a deep breath. "In the sense of reality. Twice we've encountered other realities where... where we..." Courage failed her.
Jack twisted where he was sat. Sam's eye seemed huge in the dark. She looked faintly terrified. "Where we were together," he finished for her. She nodded mutely. "I'm not sure we can rely on those other... realities. For one I ended up dead." He grinned at her but her expression didn't change.
"Small things make a difference," she said softly. She seemed to struggle with the words. "In this reality we met Teal'c on Abydos, turned him to our cause. We defeated Apophis."
"We think..."
"Jack!"
"Sorry. Go on."
Sam took another deep breath and let it out slowly. She was glad that the temperature had dropped as it disguised her shivering. "I'm just wondering... whether the possibility is worth... investigating."
"Pardon?"
"You aren't making this easy."
"Nothing worthwhile is ever easy."
"You believe that a relationship is worthwhile?"
"It doesn't matter what I believe," Jack replied, his eyes intent. "What you believe does."
"Why? Why is this my decision?" Sam got up and paced in front of the fire. "Don't you think that's a little unfair?"
"The only reason I got into the Stargate programme is because it was the only way I could avoid having my butt whooped. Hammond hit the roof when he found out I'd disobeyed orders. I didn't spend years studying it. I don't know how it works. You do. This is your life Sam."
Sam gazed at him, then lifted her eyes heavenwards. "Aren't the stars pretty?" She said softly. She looked back at Jack, her gaze unflinching. "Pretty but dead. I like what I do, but it's a career. Once you ordered me to get a life. There are limits to what I'm willing to give the programme. I think I've just hit it."
Jack stood slowly and walked towards Sam. She watched him approach and bit at her bottom lip. He stopped a pace from her. His face was carefully blank, but Sam read a hundred emotions in his dark eyes.
"There are... things that can happen," he said. "Hammond has admitted that much. Well, hinted. You know Hammond."
Sam swallowed. "What things?"
"Things that would allow what we want." He frowned. "If that's what you want."
"If that's what I want?" Sam echoed, disbelief in her tone. "Damn right it is!"
The blank expression melted into a rather stupid grin. His leather jacket fell to the ground as Sam's arms went round his neck. She tasted of...
Jack broke from the kiss. "Shit the marshmallows."
Sam laughed and reclaimed his lips.