The Road Not Taken…Chapter two…
She couldn't help but wake up before sunrise—too many years in the military and her body was use to the early morning hours.
Her body woke first, taking a deeper breath to liven her senses and get her heart pumping—but something was different. The scent in the air was different, there was no hum of the air conditioner and there was no aroma of fresh coffee being brewed from her automatic machine—which she set religiously.
She was about to sit up in bed when something or someone moved and suddenly there was a warm hand wrapping itself around he midsection and pulling her up against a warm body—and the softest traces of kisses were making their way down her neck and up to her ear—now she was awake. It all made sense in an instant and the scent of the sheets and the touch on her waist became very familiar…
"Jack…" the name seemed to roll off her tongue like velvet as she turned over in his arms. "Now that's a wakeup…" He was laying there beside her half covered by the sheets. His right arm under her head and his left draped across her abdomen as his fingers danced over her skin.
"Hi there." His hair was going in a million directions and she could've sworn that he was grinning at her through the sleepy look on his face.
"I think I like waking up like this…" she said letting her fingers play across his lips.
"Me too—" he said moving suddenly to pull her closer. "Tell me—why didn't we do this years ago?" The look on his face was priceless—he was actually kidding around.
"Gee I don't know—something about you being my commanding officer." She had met it as a joke but it struck a cord in him and he turned serious.
"That does bring up some things…" he said propping himself up on his arm.
"I'm sorry—I didn't mean to—"
"No, no we need to talk about this. We have to decide on a few things…"
"I know…" This is what she wasn't looking forward to—this is the hard part.
"I should make some phone calls—put myself on leave until we figure this out…" He said running through every angle he would have to cover at work to keep both of the out of trouble.
"Good idea." She felt the wall being put between them—only this time it was a different wall. She moved to the edge of the bed to get up but was quickly pulled back under the sheets and into jack's arms.
"Colonel Carter—I regret to inform you that as of this moment you are on administrative leave—see I think you've been working waaayy to hard here lately and along with everything that's been going on with your personal life I believe that you need to take it easy—"
"Oh really? You think I'm stressed out? So…what do you recommend…"
"Uhmm, at least two days—and I mean two full days of laying around in bed with a certain scruffy looking general who's kinda liking the idea of having you around when he wakes up…"
"Oh, that sounds like sound medical advice—are there any instructions that I should follow?"
"Ohh, I'm sure there's a few." A slow smile crept across his lips as he made his way to her collarbone and up her neck. "The first one—and this is the most important—you aren't allowed to wear any clothes for the first 24 hours."
"Oh…well—I don't think that'll be a problem."
By 2 o'clock that after noon they both managed to get up and stay out of the bedroom. Sam had thrown on an over sized shirt and pair of sweat pants that belong to Jack. As she moved about the kitchen making coffee—he couldn't keep his eyes off of her.
"What are you staring at?" She asked, knowing full well what he was looking at.
"That's a good look for you—you should wear my clothes more often."
Sam finished making the coffee as she smiled down at the counter.
"I have a phone call to make." She said becoming serious.
"I know you do—your dad—he's going to kill me isn't he?"
"I don't know if he'll kill you—but I still have some explaining to do."
"To Pete." The name drained the color from her face and in an instant changed Jack's light demeanor into his usual stoic gaze.
"Hey-" She saw the change in his eyes—she had seen it before but it wasn't until now that she realized what it was. She set the coffee grounds on the counter and walked over to him and rested her hands on his chest. "It's something I have to do—I owe them an explanation. And after I'm done telling them that I'm in love with you—I want to come back here…and be with you." She wasn't about to let things get weird between them. Slipping her arms around his shoulders she smiled as he pulled her closer.
"I think I can handle that—do you…want me to uh—come with you?"
"Oh god yes…but—I think it's something I should do alone."
"You're right…I'll go to the base and get the paper work started to put us on leave." It was like they were a normal couple planning their day—not planning a complete over throw of everything they had known for the last eight years.
Sam arrived at her house around 4 that afternoon. Her father's rent-a-car was parked out in front of the house—he was still at there. As she walked up the sidewalk to the front door, she felt like she was in trouble—like her father was going to be angry with her.
With the turn of the doorknob the door was opened form the other side—her father was now standing inches away from her. She couldn't speak for a moment—what could she say?
"Oh honey." The uncertain apprehension in his eyes melted away as he pulled her into his arms and held her. "Are you alright?" Hew asked as she dropped her purse to the floor and hugged him back.
"I'm okay Dad—I'm so sorry."
"What?" He asked pulling away to see her. "What do you have to be sorry for?"
"For running out—not saying anything."
"Sam, you followed your heart—that's what matters, all I've ever wanted is for you to be happy."
"Oh Dad…that's exactly what I needed to hear."
"Pete is a good man—but your heart is with Jack, marrying Pete would have been the worst mistake of your life."
"I have to talk to him."
"He's still at the hotel. He told me that he'd be in town until tomorrow—are you sure you want to talk to him—I could—"
"No Dad, thank you but I need to do this for myself."
"Alright—just remember, you didn't do anything wrong. Marrying him while you loved someone else—that would have been wrong."
This is what she needed to hear. She knew in her heart that she had done the right thing by running to Jack—but she need to hear her father say that she was right. "I'm going to change my clothes and head over to the hotel."
For the first time he noticed her attire and smiled as she walked back to her room. "That's a good look for you Sam!" He yelled down the hall.
"So I've been told!" She said before closing the door.