As Jack left the store he picked up his pace as he ran to his car. He started the car and raced out of the mall parking lot not knowing where he was going. His mind raced with questions and memories over his relationship with his 2IC. The fear of losing her to a stalking cop got to be too much at one point as he started to hyperventilate. Luckily, he was passing a park and he pulled into the parking lot and got out of his truck, rapidly breathing in large gulps of air as he paced in front of his truck. He paced around the lot trying to understand how this could be happening… Wondering if he had a shot at all… Was it even worth the risk? Once he'd finally calmed down a bit he walked into the park, again unaware of where exactly he was headed. He walked aimlessly trying to figure out if he had any options. After a half hour of aimlessly walking around the park he looked up and wondered where he was. As he looked around him he saw that he was across the street from Sam's house.
'I'm here for a reason,' he told himself. He took a deep breath before running across the street and up to her door. He banged on the door repeatedly until he got a response. "Carter! Open up!"
A concerned Sam finally opened the door, "Sir?! Is everything all right?"
Jack stared at her, 'It's do or die Jack!' "I need to talk to you, can I come in?"
Sam held open the door, "Yeah, of course. Are you all right?"
As Jack led her into the living room he was relieved. He recalled not seeing Pete's car out front and no ring on Sam's finger. And more importantly she wasn't calling him 'Sir.' "Yeah… I'm fine… Just been walking around the park for awhile… All of a sudden here I was across the street from your place… Yeah I've just been doing some thinking… Went to the mall earlier… So how are you?"
Sam confusingly stared at him, he was rambling. Not that he didn't ramble a lot, just not like this, and with a hint of nervousness and apprehension. "I'm fine," she slowly answered as she wondered why he was really there. They sat in silence for a few moments, Sam watched her CO and friend but he couldn't bring himself to look at her. Finally she broke the silence, "Can I get you something to drink?"
Jack looked up excitedly, "Yeah! That'd be great!"
Sam warily got up and headed to the kitchen. When she returned she had two bottles of beer in her hands. Jack eagerly accepted the beer and quickly downed it in one chug. Sam stared at him wide-eyed, she was getting more and more worried. "Sir, are you alright?"
"Don't call me sir, not tonight… Look I-"
He was interrupted by the sound of her doorbell ringing. Sam looked down at her watch, "Oh, that must be Pete." She got up and started to head to the door.
Jack chased after her though and frantically reached out for her hand as he stopped her and forced her to look at him. "Sir, I need to get that."
"Not 'til you hear me out first!" he quickly uttered.
Sam looked at her CO and then to the door, "I will, let me just let him in," she told him as she started for the door again as the doorbell rang again.
Jack again reached out for her to prevent her from reaching the door. "NO!" he quietly yelled. "I can't let you talk to Pete until you hear what I have to say!"
"What's going on?" she worriedly asked him.
"Carter… Sam… I think I love you! I think I can make you happy! And I know you can make me happy, you have for over seven years already!" Sam's eyes were wide now as she listened to his confession, but she didn't know what to say, she was too overwhelmed and confused. Jack paused to gauge her reaction, but he continued when he heard someone trying to jimmy the lock.
He took both her hands in his, "Look, I know my timing stinks, but I can't lose you. I need you in my life… Maybe it took Pete for me to realize how much I needed you, but I know I can't live without you!" Jack looked at the door as he heard the lock click and the doorknob turning. 'It's now or never Jack!' "I won't ask you to sacrifice anything, but will you marry me?"
TBC
'I'm here for a reason,' he told himself. He took a deep breath before running across the street and up to her door. He banged on the door repeatedly until he got a response. "Carter! Open up!"
A concerned Sam finally opened the door, "Sir?! Is everything all right?"
Jack stared at her, 'It's do or die Jack!' "I need to talk to you, can I come in?"
Sam held open the door, "Yeah, of course. Are you all right?"
As Jack led her into the living room he was relieved. He recalled not seeing Pete's car out front and no ring on Sam's finger. And more importantly she wasn't calling him 'Sir.' "Yeah… I'm fine… Just been walking around the park for awhile… All of a sudden here I was across the street from your place… Yeah I've just been doing some thinking… Went to the mall earlier… So how are you?"
Sam confusingly stared at him, he was rambling. Not that he didn't ramble a lot, just not like this, and with a hint of nervousness and apprehension. "I'm fine," she slowly answered as she wondered why he was really there. They sat in silence for a few moments, Sam watched her CO and friend but he couldn't bring himself to look at her. Finally she broke the silence, "Can I get you something to drink?"
Jack looked up excitedly, "Yeah! That'd be great!"
Sam warily got up and headed to the kitchen. When she returned she had two bottles of beer in her hands. Jack eagerly accepted the beer and quickly downed it in one chug. Sam stared at him wide-eyed, she was getting more and more worried. "Sir, are you alright?"
"Don't call me sir, not tonight… Look I-"
He was interrupted by the sound of her doorbell ringing. Sam looked down at her watch, "Oh, that must be Pete." She got up and started to head to the door.
Jack chased after her though and frantically reached out for her hand as he stopped her and forced her to look at him. "Sir, I need to get that."
"Not 'til you hear me out first!" he quickly uttered.
Sam looked at her CO and then to the door, "I will, let me just let him in," she told him as she started for the door again as the doorbell rang again.
Jack again reached out for her to prevent her from reaching the door. "NO!" he quietly yelled. "I can't let you talk to Pete until you hear what I have to say!"
"What's going on?" she worriedly asked him.
"Carter… Sam… I think I love you! I think I can make you happy! And I know you can make me happy, you have for over seven years already!" Sam's eyes were wide now as she listened to his confession, but she didn't know what to say, she was too overwhelmed and confused. Jack paused to gauge her reaction, but he continued when he heard someone trying to jimmy the lock.
He took both her hands in his, "Look, I know my timing stinks, but I can't lose you. I need you in my life… Maybe it took Pete for me to realize how much I needed you, but I know I can't live without you!" Jack looked at the door as he heard the lock click and the doorknob turning. 'It's now or never Jack!' "I won't ask you to sacrifice anything, but will you marry me?"
TBC
