The Intergalactic Social Event of the Year
Part 13
Sam and Jack found General Hammond waiting for them in the rehearsal room. Jack grinned at him and pulled Sam a little closer to his side, "George, would you mind waiting until after the ceremony before arresting us?"
His expression was carefully neutral as he handed Jack a manila envelope. "Son, you might want to have a look at this before you do anything else."
Jack felt his stomach drop out and the grin fall from his face as he took the envelope. He glanced over at Sam who looked just as scared as he was. He released his hold on her waist and opened the envelope. He pulled out the first sheet of paper. It had the presidential seal at the top. He read it aloud, "By order of the President of the United States of America, Brigadier General Jonathan O'Neill and Lieutenant Colonel Samantha Carter are authorized to enter into a matrimonial state and allowed to retain their current positions within the United States Air Force and Stargate Command." Sam quickly snatched the paper from Jack's hand and he pulled the second paper out. It was a Colorado state marriage license with their names filed in. All they had to do was sign. Sam also snatched that from his hand. Jack felt something else at the bottom of the envelope and upturned it, catching two objects in his outstretched hand. He held them out to Sam. Two simple Naquadah wedding bands.
Sam looked up at General Hammond who was now smirk at them shamefully. "Sir, how did you know it would end up like this?"
Jack's grin returned, "Because he's a sly old son of a bitch." He wagged a finger at the other General. "You set us up. You sent Mini-Me that invitation."
General Hammond shrugged, "Jack, you once told me you might need to buy back your soul, but you never asked so I thought I might as well make a gift of it."
The papers fluttered to the ground as Sam launched herself at General Hammond to hug him. "Thank you, sir." She kissed his cheek.
"You're more than welcome, Sam. It was the least I could do considering what you and Jack have done for all of us over the years."
---
Jack and Sam were hand in hand as they walked back into the sanctuary. The groom's side was noticeably bare. It seemed even Sam's brother and his family had departed. Everyone on the bride's side looked at them with expectant grins(except maybe a certain blonde Tok'ra.
"Well, folks," Jack began. "It looks like there's going to still be a wedding though with a slight change of cast. If you'll just-" Jack was cut off as most the remaining guests came surging up to surround them. Sam and Jack were torn from each other's grasp.
Sam was lifted up, hugged, and spun around so many times she thought she was going to be sick. Cassie chattered madly at her side but Sam didn't hear a word she said. Daniel, Jonas, and Teal'c all hugged her so tightly she thought they would break her in two. She thought Daniel might be crying. Her father hugged her close and only said, "Finally!"
Jack thought his arm was going to be ripped out of socket by all the well meaning hand shakes and back slaps. Daniel pulled him into a rather unmasculine hug. Jack thought that archeologist may have been crying. Jonas shook his hand and grinned bigger than ever if that was possible. Teal'c grabbed his forearm Jaffa style gave him an unusually big toothy smile.
Finally Jack had had enough and tried to calm everyone down, "Hey, folks!" he called out a couple of times to no avail. Finally at a loss, he shouted in his best hard ass CO voice "KREE!" And the entire room came to a standstill. "Thank you. I think we'd like to get married as soon as possible, y'know before aliens try to invade or something."
After Cassie dragged Sam aware to repair her make up and hair, Jack turned to his friends. "I don't think I could pick just one of you guys as my best men. So, Daniel, Teal'c, Jonas, and George, you'll all have to be my best men." The four men all looked incredibly pleased. Then Jack walked to the front pew to Thor in his image induced form. "Thor, buddy, I owe you a hell of a lot. I'd like you to stand up with me as well."
"It would be my greatest honor, O'Neill."
---
"I now present to you Brigadier General O'Neill and Lt. Colonel Carter-O'Neill."
"No!" Sam turned quickly back and hissed at the chaplain. "It's just O'Neill."
"Are you sure?" Jack's eyebrows shot up in shock. "I thought you were all liberated and stuff."
"I was with Pete. But, now, I'm only yours and I want everyone to know it."
"Works for me," he smirked with a certain amount of masculine pride. "But I'm not calling you 'O'Neill'. It'd sound to much like I was talking to myself."
"I'll always be 'Carter' to you, sir."
"Hey, you're 'Sam' to everyone else. You're only 'Carter' to me."
"Um," the chaplain broke in. "So, just O'Neill, then?"
"Yes," they said together.
"Then may I present Brigadier General and Lt. Colonel O'Neill."
There was incredible uproar and the chaplain said, "General, you may kiss the bride."
And, boy, did he ever.
---
Then there was cake, which Jack was immensely pleased about. In fact, he was pleased about everything. Jack O'Neill was without a doubt the happiest man on Earth or on any other planet, for that matter. Ever.
Daniel and Teal'c were pretty damn happy themselves. There was finally a resolution to all the insane sexual tension that had permeated the Cheyenne Mountain Complex and half the planets in the galaxy. But then that resolution also led to another troubling thought.
"Y'know, Teal'c it's going to be hell around the SGC when they get back from their honeymoon," Daniel said as they watched Sam and Jack mingle. The newlyweds had not let go of each other since the ceremony. It was almost as if they were afraid the other would suddenly disappear, which wasn't quite out of the realm of possibility.
"How so, Daniel Jackson? I believe working conditions will be much more pleasant."
"For them maybe. C'mon, Teal'c, you know they're going to be making out all other base, God, maybe even more. I won't be able to open a supply closet without being terrified there's going to a naked Sam and Jack in there."
"We shall have to endeavor to give them their privacy."
"I'm serious. I won't be able to sit at that conference table without wondering if they've just had sex on it. You know, they had to have fantasized about that."
"Daniel Jackson, I believe the time has come for you to find female companionship. It would be preferable if she did not turn to evil."
Daniel was so shocked he could only utter, "Indeed."
---
Jack led Sam out onto the dance floor for their first dance together as husband and wife. In fact, it was first dance together ever.
"You can dance, can't you, Jack?"
"Sure, Carter. They teach you absolutely everything in Special Forces."
She somehow smiled and managed to look wary at the same time. "I understand Daniel picked 'our' song out for us."
"Oh, crap. We should be terrified ,shouldn't we?"
There was a soft melancholy swell of music and Dean Martin began to sing:
Watch the sunrise on a tropic isle
See the pyramids along the Nile
Just remember, darlin', all the while
You belong to me
See the market place in old Algiers
Send me photographs and souvenirs
Just remember when a dream appears
You belong to me
I'll be so alone without you
Maybe you'll be lonesome too and blue
Fly the ocean in a silver plane
See the jungle when it's wet with rain
Just remember 'til you're home again
You belong to me
Fly the ocean in a silver plane
See the jungle when it's wet with rain
Just remember 'til you're home again
You belong to me
Jack kissed her gently, "You just remember that out there."
"And you had better remember that everywhere."
"Yes, ma'am," Jack grinned before he kissed her again. "Daniel is such a sap."
---
Epilogue to follow soon.