Part 5
Awakenings
We knew we had an audience but that didn't stop me from finally getting what I've always wanted. I kept kissing him, afraid that each time I opened my eyes he'd disappear.
He saw the fear in my eyes and asked me what was I afraid of? I squeezed his hand and told him that I was afraid that if I closed my eyes and opened them I might not find him here with me, that if this was a dream I didn't want to wake up.
He pulled me against him and whispered in my ear that this was real, that he was here for me and that from now on, nothing would keep us apart. He pulled away from me and cupped my face.
"Samantha Carter, I love you. You are the only thing that makes sense in my life. Before you I lived a life in darkness, you are the light that saved me, and I am thankful that you found it in your heart to love me for who I am. I may not be perfect and I have the worse temper, patience isn't one of my forte; well…you know the rest but remember one thing: I will love you every day for the rest ofyour life. I will never let anyone or thing harm you."
I tried to hold back the tears that were threatening to fall. I loved this man with my whole heart, after all that I had done to him he still wanted me. After running away from my feelings for him after hurting him with another he still loved me. He wanted me to overlook his flaws? Didn't he see my flaws? They were naked, in front of him, plain to see, all those mistakes I had made and he had fixed, just by being here with me. I was afraid he would come to his senses and tell me that it was too late. But I looked in his eyes and that was all I needed to do. His love for me shone in the windows of his soul, his eyes mirroring this bright light that engulfed me and made me feel what was in his heart.
My tears started to fall and I could see his love turn to concern.
"I'm sorry Carter, I shouldn't have sprung that on you like that, it's just that, oh damn I'm through making excuses for the way I feel for you. I almost lost you and I wont let that happen again, but if your having any doubts I'd understand. I'm not the easiest guy to get along with and if what I'm asking for is too much for you, I'll understand. Just please let me know before I fall anymore in love with you."
He let me go and I could see the turmoil in his face. I let him go and I saw him panic. I grabbed his hand and went down on one knee.
With tears streaming down my face, the surf hitting the beach behind him and the moon shining bright I said the words that I had been wanting to say.
"Jack O'Neill, you are not perfect but neither am I. I am so lucky to have found my soul mate as well as the man I would give my life for. You are the stars in my sky, the air I breath and the warmth of the sun I feel; you are my everything. I love you with so much emotion that it frightens me to think you would not return these feelings. So I'm asking; no; begging you to please complete me and consent to be my husband."
Jack was speechless and I was holding my breath. Oh my god what if he said no.
I waited and started to think it was a mistake to have done this to him here and now.
He came down onto his knees took me into his arms and clung to me. I felt him nuzzle my neck. I could feel the tears that were falling from his eyes. I pulled him closer, never wanting to let him go. I had let him see what was inside of me, I was as vulnerable and I waited to see if he would accept me like this, weak in his hands.
He pulled back and with the most ravishing smile he replied, "Oh hell yes!"
I squealed and pushed him down to the sand. I was straddling him, kissing him, my hands started to roam.
He grabbed my hands and nodded his head no.
"We have an audience Sam, come on; I don't want to give your dad anymore reasons to kill me."
"I just asked you to marry me you said yes and he's going to have to accept that we are together and if he can't…too bad. I am not giving you up ever again. You are stuck with me for better or worse; richer or poor; through sickness and through health."
"Yeah, are you sure you want to marry me and you are not going to retire. I will Sam; you have too much going for you and your still young and hey its time for me to go and...
"No. I already got it worked out. I'm going to retire and General Hammond said he'd talk to the President about hiring me on as a consultant. Jack, I love you being a General you deserve it. I want to start a family as soon as possible and I can't be going through the gate if I'm pregnant. No I'm retiring, not you okay? Its what I want to do. I'll be happy just as long as I have you to come home to."
Jack smiled, "a family, really Sam? I never thought, but I didn't want to wish for too much. So when do you want to start trying to get pregnant."
I got up grabbed a blanket and held out my hand to him. He took it and got up and we started to walk away from our audience.
I leaned into him and whispered, "No time like the present and I couldn't think of a better place to make love to you but on the beach with the waves in the background and under a full moon."
"Yes ma'am what ever you say; I'm putty in your hands."
I chuckled as we got to the spot I was looking for.
We spent all night there discovering each other and talking, making love.
We awoke and walked hand in hand back to the house.
Dad was asleep but Molly, Mark and the kids were up. We walked through the back door and I held Jack's hand. Molly tried to suppress a giggle and Mark was giving us his best impression of dad with his arms folded, a dark scowl on his face.
Mark was about to speak when I raised my hand and nodded my head no.
"I have some great news, I asked Jack to marry me and he said yes. We'll be getting married as soon as my retirement papers go through."
Molly gasped and then squealed; she ran up to me and pulled me into her arms, hugging me. She whispered in my ear, "I told you this would work out Sam; oh I am so happy you finally have found your peace. He's a good man Mark said so and so did dad. If he loves you as much as Mark loves me then you have nothing to worry about. Oh Sam I'm so happy for you."
Mark had pulled Jack into an embraced.
"Welcome to the family Jack; and if you ever hurt my sister, I'll kill you" Mark said with a straight face and Jack was taken aback. Molly let me go and I went up to Mark and smacked him in the stomach and threaten to tell Molly about the time he got in trouble for having a girl in his room.
Jack smiled and took my hand. Molly came up to my brother with her arms on her hips and scowled at him.
"Thanks Sammie; now I'm in the dog house, honey it was a long time before I met you. You know you're the love of my life. See Sam you've just opened up a can of worms and she wont give up till I tell her."
I started to laugh and leaned into Jack, whispered that Mark was in big trouble now. He smiled and the kids ran into the kitchen to see what all the noise being made was about.
"Mom what's going on? What did dad do to get you mad now? Why is Aunt Sam laughing?"
Molly turned to the kids and smiled and said that mommy was not mad at daddy and that we were all going into town so that daddy could buy that pretty charm bracelet that mommy had seen at the jewelry store. She then brought them to Jack.
"Alex, Sandy I want you to meet an important person to both your grandpa and especially to your Aunt Sam. This is General Jack O'Neill; and Aunt Sam has some wonderful news to share with you."
I looked at my niece and nephew and said, "your mom is right, Jack is an important person to me and he's gonna be your new uncle as soon as we get married."
Sandy threw herself at me and begged to be a flower girl and Alex came to stand next to me had his head down. I saw that he was quiet and pulled up his chin and asked him what was wrong.
"You said I was the new man in your life and I promised that I would not let anyone hurt you; that I was your protector. But now you're leaving me?"
I had forgotten the talk Alex and I had had the first week we came to the house. He had snuck up on me at the beach crying. I was still vulnerable after all that had happen in Colorado and in a moment of weakness had pulled him into my arms, he'd held me and soothed my wounded soul.
Jack heard what Alex said and came down to his level.
"Alex, you don't know me but I want to thank you. You kept Sam safe for me and I could never show you how much that means to me. But if you're willing, could I be a back up protector? You know when you're not around and Sam needs another man in her life? I'll do this only if your okay with it?"
I heard the exchange and nearly cried. We all came to stand around Alex and Jack and waited for his answer.
He took a deep breath and said, "Do you promise to take good care of her? That you will never hurt her? To love her as much as we all do, because if she doesn't know it she needs a protector and I think you could do the job but if I find out you didn't do a good job then I'm gonna have to find a replacement."
Mark laughed as did Jack.
"Out of the mouths of babes" I heard Molly murmur as she picked up her son and gave him a hug.
I pulled him out of Molly's arms and whispered that Jack wouldn't disappoint him that he was a good guy. Alex looked over at Jack talking to Sandy and nodded.
"Grandpa said he was and so did dad I think I like him too but he's still got to prove to me that he's the right guy for you."
I hugged him and said he was.
Dad came into the kitchen and asked what was all the noise, where was breakfast? Molly went to get dad a cup of coffee.
Jack started to pale and Alex took his hand, pulling him over to dad.
"Well Uncle Jack, don't you have to tell Grandpa Jacob something."
Mark smirked and came to sit next to dad.
"Ah yeah Uncle Jack don't you have some news to drop on the old man".
Jack had the deer in the headlight look. He kept opening his mouth and closing it. Molly came over and nudge me.
"You better go save that man of yours Sam. I don't think he's taken a breath of air since Jacob came into the kitchen"
I walked up to Jack and whispered "breathe."
He snapped out of his stupor and I took his hand.
Dad saw this exchange and looked around the table. We were all staring at him.
"What? do I have morning breath or something hanging from my nose? Or is somebody gonna tell me what's going on. Jack it seems that you have some big secret to say; so say it."
Sandy went over and sat on dad's lap, leaned into him and whispered she had a secret.
Jack nudged me in the side, I looked at him and he whispered, 'hey you asked me to marry you and telling your dad falls into the whole telling thing".
I rolled my eyes, leaned into him and whispered coward.
He squeezed my hand.
Dad asked Sandy what was her secret she was about to tell when I blurted out that I had asked Jack to marry him and he had said yes.
I didn't know whether dad was happy or surprised or I don't know.
He was smiling and that was bad. He asked Molly if she could take the kids to the other room or better yet get them dressed so we could go out for breakfast. That was worse he didn't want any witnesses. He waited till they were upstairs before he exploded.
"Married! Sam you asked him to marry you? I !! When did you to decided to get married you've haven't…
"Jack O'Neill ! Is there another reason my daughter asked you to marry her because if she's pregnant by you and this is the only way she can have you I should tear you limb from limb"
Mark started to laugh, which only made dad angrier.
"Was there something going on between you two while you were working together? I love you both but I wont tolerate you breaking the rules. Well Jack say something."
Jack looked at dad and said, "No Jacob, nothing and I repeat nothing ever happen while Sam was working with me. I have respect for the rules and regulations, they are there for a reason and we never did anything to embarrass us or the program. I don't know how to tell you this but you've been blind to the love I hold for your daughter. It was bigger than both of us and now that we can be together we're taking that chance. I'm sorry if I'm not the man you wished for your daughter but remember Jake, she asked me to marry her and I am never going to give her up. She's my life and future. Please Jake don't make Sam regret doing something I would have done probably today."
He put his arm around my shoulder and we waited to see what dad would say.
We could tell he was talking to Selmac the way he nodded his head and rolled his eyes. He finally stopped and got up.
He came around the table and pulled us both into a hug and whispered, "I'm happy really I am, its just a little shocking to go to sleep with a daughter and wake up with another son."
Mark gave a whoop and pulled me into an embrace. He whispered he was happy for me and that he wished all my dreams would come true. I looked at Jack and said they already had. My life had a future and it included the man that had awakened my heart with his honesty and ability to show me what true love was. All I ever needed or would ever want was next to me and it would never be taken away.