"Alright half pint, how do I look?" C.J. coming out of his bathroom asked Trey, who was sitting on C.J.'s bed.
Since the dance was only semi-formal C.J. was wearing black dress boots, nice black dress pants, that weren't too tight or too lose, a black short sleeved shirt that clung to all the right places showing off his muscular build, over that he wore a black long sleeve button up dress shirt with just the first few bottom buttons done up, and to top it all of he wore a red tie.
"Perfect." Trey gave a thumbs up. "Although I think you may want to do something about your hair."
"What...? Oh fer cryin' out loud..." C.J. disappeared back into his bathroom to deal with his hair. When he came back out his hair had been combed out and styled into a semi-spiky semi-messy looking style. "There, now is there anything else?"
Trey reached over to C.J.'s desk and grabbed a bottle and tossed it to C.J. who caught it out of reflex. Looking at the bottle he saw that it was cologne, so after shrugging his shoulders C.J. put some on, then left his room heading downstairs with Trey right on his heels.
Once downstairs C.J. headed into the living room only to find Jack, like himself, was all dressed up. Jack was wearing nice dress shoes, a pair of khaki pants, a white long sleeve button up dress shirt, and a black dress jacket along with a tie.
Before C.J. or Trey could say anything Sam, putting in some earrings, came down the stairs wearing a light blue skirt that ended just below her knees, fancy dress shoes that matched her skirt, and a pale pink spaghetti strap shirt with a denim jacket over top of that.
"So I take it you two are headed out tonight." C.J. stated looking at the two.
"Yes we are. You got a problem with that?" Jack answered while trying to ruffle C.J.'s hair.
"Ah, ah not the hair!" C.J. quickly moved his head out of reaching distance. "Wanna tell me where you're going...you know just in case."
"Just thought we'd go out for a night of dancing." Sam replied, receiving a wink from Jack that seemed to go un-noticed by C.J.
"Wait what about me?" Trey questioned, not liking the fact that he was being left out.
"You little man get to go play with Ryan over at grandpa George's house." Jack answered as he swung Trey up over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes.
"Well I hope you all have fun, but I have to be going now, so if you'll excuse me." C.J. then walked out the door to go pick up Shayla.
"Geeze! Shayla you've had how long? And you're still not ready." Cassie admonished Shayla. "He's going to be here any minute."
"No kidding! Now if you'd shut and help me maybe I can be ready before he gets here." Shayla shot back, while she continued digging through her closet looking for something to wear.
"Ok, ok wait here I'll be right back." Cassie left only to return moments later. "Here try this on."
Taking the outfit from Cassie Shayla quickly changed. Done changing Shayla went to look herself in the mirror. She was wearing a red wrap around style skirt that was longer on the right side than the left and a black and red long sleeved v-neck sweater.
"Cassie this is perfect, you're a genius."
"Yes well that's what they tell me."
"This outfit will match anything that C.J. wears, since he's bound to be wearing black."
"Yes that boy does love his black. Now that the outfit is taken care of lets concentrate on your hair. You should let me trim it up a bit."
"What...no. Why would I let you do that?"
"Trust me it will look great. Besides it'll be the perfect chance to see if C.J. really likes you."
"How so?"
"Because the guys who really have crushes on you always notice the little things."
"I guess so."
By the time C.J. arrived Shayla along with her shirt and skirt was wearing a pair of dress sandals that had straps up around her ankles and had her hair pulled up on top of her head with just a few curled strands hanging down.
Walking into the living room C.J. wasn't all that surprised to see Daniel and Janet all dressed up as well. It wasn't uncommon for the couple to go out with Jack and Sam so it wouldn't look like the two were breaking regulations. Janet was wearing a simple beautiful black spaghetti strap dress, and Daniel was wearing simple dress pants and a beige sweater (Think the outfit he wore in Abyss).
After about 15 minutes of making small talk C.J. was glad when Cassie came downstairs to announce Shayla was on her way down. Sure C.J. had know Janet and Daniel practically his whole life, but still he was taking their daughter out on what could be considered a date, even though the two were just going as friends.
Seeing Shayla come down the stairs took C.J.'s breath away. To him she'd always been beautiful, but seeing her now beautiful didn't come close to doing her justice. God how he wanted to kiss her more then ever before and tell her the things his mind had been fighting back for as long as he could remember.
Getting himself together C.J. offered his arm to Shayla and after saying their good byes the two left.
"Ok I gotta know did you get a hair cut or something? Cause, I don't know it might just be me but I swear your hair is shorter." Questioned C.J. as they waited to get inside the building the dance was being held in.
"Yeah I did in a way. Cassie trimmed it up a bit." Shayla answered as Cassie's words ran through her mind.
"It looks good. I like it."
Once inside Shayla pulled C.J., he not having much of a choice, over to where a professional photographer was taking pictures.
The photographer placed them in front of the back drop, standing with C.J.'s hands on Shayla's hips and Shayla's arms around C.J.'s neck. They both looked deeply into the others eyes, wishing they could tell the other how they felt, as the photographer took their picture. Done with getting their picture taken the two friends found a table for two on the second floor and ordered dinner.
"So have Daniel and Janet set their wedding date yet?" C.J. asked while he and Shayla ate their dinner. Daniel had asked Janet to marry him two months ago, but they had yet to announce a set date.
"Still being debated." Shayla smiled thinking about how here parents couldn't seem to settle on a wedding date. "What about Jack and Sam have they got their act together yet?"
"Ha are you kidding? Not even close. I swear everyone can see hoe those two feel about each other except them."
They spent the rest of dinner talking about everything and nothing, catching up with each other about their week. While they were eating C.J. couldn't take it any more and loosened his tie.
"I was wondering when you were going to do that." Shayla said with a hint of humor in her voice. "I have to admit I was surprised when I saw you wearing a tie. I thought you hated them."
"I do, I mean who in their right mind would willingly want to tie a tiny little noose around their neck?" C.J. complained. "But I wore one any way, just for you."
"Why thank you. Now Mr. Anti-tie what do you say we go dance?"
"What the hell why not?"
The two danced to fast songs, rock songs, slow songs, and many other types of songs. Both had a good time dancing, but soon they decided to take a break. On their way back to their table both stopped cold in their tracks.
"Aren't those you parents?" Both C.J. and Shayla asked the other. Sure enough Jack, Sam, Daniel, and Janet were all there.
"What are you doing here?" "I thought you guys said you were going dancing?" The kids bombarded the adults with questions.
"We are dancing." Jack replied. "I mean this is a dance is it not?"
"Stop being a smart ass dad, this is serious. Do you have any idea what this could do to us?" C.J. demanded. "You guys can't be here you have to leave."
"Yes well unfortunately we can't." Daniel got into the conversation.
"Why not?" Shayla wanted to know.
"Because we're chaperoning that's why." Sam explained as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.
"WHAT!!!!!!" Neither Shayla nor C.J. could believe what they'd heard.
"And it just happened to slip your mind to tell us this little piece of information."
"We wanted to surprise you." Janet couldn't help the humor that slipped into her voice. She'd had a pretty good idea he kids were going to react this way.
"Ok, C.J. if we just play it cool, don't over react we might just make it through this night with our dignity intact." Shayla grabbed C.J.'s arm and dragged him back out into the crowed of people.
"Seeing the looks on their faces made this so worth getting dressed up and playing babysitter." Jack joked as he led Sam towards a near by table and Daniel and Janet made their way out on to the dance floor.
Pulling out a chair for Sam, Jack couldn't help but think how beautiful she looked. Asking the waiter to bring them something to drink Jack sat in the chair across from Sam.
"God you look beautiful tonight Sam." Jack complained. "I must be the envy of every guy in this place, with the exception of Daniel and C.J."
"You're not that bad looking yourself Jack." Sam complimented Jack right back, feeling slightly embarrassed by what Jack had said.
"I mean it Sam, when I say you're beautiful. You could be covered from head to toe in mud and you'd still be beautiful to me."
"Jack..."
"Sam I know the regulations, but to be honest I don't care any more. I love you and I know you love me, which is why I went to Hammond and gave him and the joint chiefs an ultimatum: either they make an exception to the regs or I retire for good. I don't want to tiptoe around this any more, I'll do what ever it takes to be with you. And apparently we're well liked by the higher ups because with out hardly any arm-twisting they gave in. As of this morning we have the go a head to be together, that is if you want."
"If I want? Of course I want this, I've wanted this since we met." Sam pulled Jack towards her and gave him a breath-taking kiss. "I can't believe you threatened to retire for me."
"Hey any thing for you. Although you should know that we're on a trial bases type thing, meaning we can't show our affections for each other while on duty and if our being together gets in the way of us doing our jobs we'll be split up and placed on different teams or even reassigned."
"I don't think that should be a problem. We've basically been doing hat for years already."
"Sweet!" Jack then stood up and offered his hand to Sam. "Now milady may I have the pleasure of dancing with a beautiful women?"
"I believe that would be acceptable milord." Sam took his hand and gladly moved into his arms as the next slow song began to play.
They danced as if no one else existed. They were too engrossed in holding each other and losing themselves in the others eyes. When the song stopped and the next one began to play Jack reached into his pocket and pulled out a small velvet box. As he opened the box he took hold of Sam's left hand and looked at her with pure joy and love in his eyes.
"Sam I don't know what it was that I did to make you fall in love with me, but what ever it was I promise I'll keep trying to do it, because I want you in my life always and forever. Not a day goes by that you're not on my mind and it kills me when we can't be together, so would you Samantha Carter please put me out of my misery and agree to be my wife?"
Sam looked down at the ring Jack was holding in his hand, then backup at Jack, with tears glistening in her eyes. Jack was beginning to get worried by Sam's silence, just as he was beginning to fear she was going to say no Sam pulled him into one of the most passionate and breath-taking kisses Jack had ever had. After breaking apart it took them both a moment to get their breath back.
"Yes, yes, yes, with all my heart yes." Sam whispered into Jack's ear as she wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him close.
Just then they were suddenly interrupted by C.J. pushing his way in between them with a look of disbelief on his face.
"What do you two think you're doing?" C.J. questioned. "Are you purposely trying to ruin my social standings? Come on you two are supposed to be chaperoning not sucking face on the dance floor. Do you have any idea how hard I had to work to go from being the newbie to the current social level I'm at now? I know you have the hots for each other but cool it, please. This is my social life on the line here."
Finished chewing his parents out C.J. left the two wearing slightly, very slightly amused looks on their faces and returned to where Shayla was standing. She was busy both glaring at her parents, who were being all lovey-dovey as she liked to call it, and trying to act as if she had no relation to the two what so ever.