Notes: I hope our comedy tag-teams of Thor/Hammond and Daniel/Teal'c help with the cheesiness of this chapter... Hey, I never said this story was original, in fact, I flat-out denied it in Chapter 1. Beware: many, many mushy cliches ahead. Proceed at your own risk.
Ch 17: Safe
"Jack, what do you keep in your safe?" Sam asked casually as she got back into bed.
"Things I want to keep safe," he replied innocently.
"Such as..."
Jack decided to go for the exact opposite of the super-secret approach, knowing she'd just go at him non-stop until he caved and told her what she wanted to know. "Well, actually, I probably should tell you everything that's in there," he said seriously, turning to face her and smushing his pillow into a more comfortable position.
"You... oh. Okay." Sam wasn't prepared for him to give in that easily. It was lucky for her - she was really, really tired anyway.
"Well, first of all, the combination to the safe is your birthday, so if you ever need to get in there, well, you know it now."
"Wh... my birthday?" Sam asked, shocked.
"Well, yeah," he admitted, glad to have changed her line of thinking. She must have been pretty tired. Well, to be fair, she had been asleep and it was the middle of the night. "This cabin was my grandparents,'" Jack started to explain. Sam nodded to show she was listening and waited for him to continue. "My grandfather was a pretty paranoid guy..."
"Runs in the family," Sam supplied.
"Shush," he said affectionately, scooting closer to her and tugging at the covers she was still coccooned in until she shared them reluctantly. He smiled and continued. "So anyway he put this safe in and all, but he changed the codes all the damn time. Anyway, after he passed away, my grandmother went to live with her youngest daughter, my aunt, and went ahead and handed over the cabin to me because I was going to get it eventually anyway and she didn't want it going unused for years. SO... to make a long story short, I had pretty much forgotten about the safe, until I decided I needed it. And it took so long to track down what he'd changed the combination to before he died that I changed it to your birthday."
"When..."
"Uh, it was after Jolinar," Jack admitted.
"Jolinar! That was years ago!"
"Yeah," Jack agreed. He was embarrassed. He knew this made him sound really paranoid, but if they had ever actually needed what took up most of the room in that safe, it would have seemed brilliant rather than crazy. "After what happened with Jolinar, it occurred to me the government might become interested in you for something beyond that brilliant brain of yours. That, combined with all the early attempts to get to Teal'c... I became concerned that at some point it might be necessary for me to get some or all of you somewhere safe. So there's a Glock in there, and cash, and false identification for you, Danny, Teal'c, and myself. And Cassie and the doc too, after her little spinning chess-men displays I got kind of worried they might come after her too. I know it sounds crazy, but... well, come on, you all have had problems even here on Earth."
"So have you," Sam reminded him quietly, leaning in and kissing him softly. "It might be a little paranoid, but it's not crazy. I'm not surprised you thought of something like that, to be honest."
"You're not?"
"Nope. But that still doesn't really explain why you were rummaging around in there in the middle of the night."
"Oh. Well, that's not all that's in there. There's some stuff my grandparents left me that I just didn't have anywhere else to put, like the papers to this cabin and stuff. And there's a smaller box in there that locks as well. The combination to that one is Charlie's birthday. In it are medals I can't show anyone."
He said it casually, as if it wasn't a big deal at all, but Sam knew that meant they were from his Black Ops days, and probably commemorated things he'd much rather forget. She scooted closer to him and cuddled into his side, hugging him tightly, not knowing what to say.
She hadn't meant to bring up traumatic memories, she thought they were just playing around!
Jack was stroking her arm lightly, rythmically, like he didn't even know he was doing it, so she didn't have to look up at his face to know he was lost in thought.
If she had looked up at his face before she was lulled back to sleep, she would have seen that he wasn't so much lost in thought as surprised that she had stopped interrogating him about what he had been up to. He hadn't lied. All of those things were in his safe. But he also hadn't explained why he'd been going through it in the middle of the night. He hadn't meant to make her stop interrogating him by mentioning his Black Ops medals, but it was sort of a nice accident that it had happened anyway.
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When General Hammond entered his office after seeing to something in the control room, he paused slightly as he noticed Thor. Not only was Thor waiting for him, Thor looked... well, depressed and dejected were the only words that came to Hammond's mind as he took in the small alien's posture. He was sitting in one of the chairs facing Hammond's desk, slumped back into the chair so much that his ankles and feet barely stuck out over the seat of the chair, looking like he had the weight of the world on his tiny grey shoulders.
"Thor, what's wrong?" Hammond asked, quickly crossing his office and sitting down across from Thor quickly, leaning his elbows on his desk.
"General Hammond, I fear all of our efforts with Colonel O'Neill and Major Carter have been in vain," Thor confessed.
"Why? I thought everything was going so smoothly. Didn't he say he wanted to..."
"He did," Thor confirmed. "But that is not the problem. When I originally proposed this idea to Colonel O'Neill, I did express, on behalf of the Asgard High Council, concern with O'Neill's age and subsequent capability in producing offspring."
Hammond, who had, understandably, not heard about that part of O'Neill's conversation with Thor, tried very hard to keep his most serious and concerned face on. But later, when Thor was gone, he was going to get a good belly-laugh out of picturing O'Neill's 'vitality' being called into question yet again by the Asgard... particularly if Major Carter had been there... Hammond schooled his features again and turned his attention back to Thor.
"O'Neill assured me this was not a problem, and I believed him, but I am now concerned that we may have been right. According to our research, Major Carter and Colonel O'Neill have been engaging in your sexual reproduction practices..."
Hammond winced. Thor needed to learn about euphemisms. Soon. As in a week ago, preferably.
Thor narrowed his eyes at Hammond's discomfort but obviously felt what he had to say was too important to acknowledge it. He paused only briefly before continuing. "...have been mating, then, if you are more comfortable with that term, much more frequently than most normal humans."
Hammond wished he had hair to run his hand through or something.
"Uh, well..."
"They have been mating for five weeks now and according to my calculations have consummated sev..."
"Please spare me the details, Thor!" Hammond blurted out.
"Very well, General Hammond. I will share with you the facts as we have gathered them. In five weeks, Major Carter should have ovulated. It is most unlikely that she would not be impregnated already, unless O'Neill's age has decreased his..."
"I get it, Thor!" Hammond said quickly. He sighed and said, "Look, Thor, I'm sure your research is very... extensive and accurate, but sometimes normal, healthy couples try for years to have a baby. It's just not an exact science, I'm sorry. That being said, there might be some issues with Major Carter I hadn't thought much about before. She's been through a lot over the years, it's possible she's had some... personal issues as a result that Dr. Fraiser hasn't told me about."
"Why would Dr. Fraiser keep such important information to herself!"
It was the most alarmed Hammond had ever heard Thor. This whole thing just made him uncomfortable. "It's doctor-patient confidentiality, Thor. It gets a bit tricky in the military, but on something personal like that, I don't know... also, all female members of off-world units are required to be on birth control, and if Major Carter gets injections rather than some other form, it is possible that she's still technically on birth control."
"I see."
"I'll have her medical chart sent up here ASAP and we'll see if we can sort this out. Don't worry, Thor. Uh, judging by the sound of things, I'm not sure there's a problem at all, and even if there is, it sure as hell doesn't sound like it's Jack."
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"Jack?"
"Huh, what?" Jack woke up quickly at the strange tone in Sam's voice. She was perched on the edge of the bed with a coffee mug in her hand, and looked thoughtful.
"Thor dropped more stuff off last night," she said.
"Good, we were almost out of beer!"
Sam laughed and said, "Did you ask him for a grill?"
"Er... maybe."
"Oh, good. I was thinking it was a strange thing for him to come up with that on his own. Well, he sent one. It looks just like the one at your house, actually."
"It is the one at my house. Or, the one that was at my house, anyway. I figured we could get some use out of it."
"He sent a bunch of steak too."
"Well, that won't stay fresh for very long, I guess I'll have to do the cooking tonight!" Jack exclaimed cheerfully. Sam narrowed her eyes suspiciously but didn't say anything, sipping her coffee slowly instead.
"Hey, you woke me up and now you're drinking coffee right in front of me without offering to share? Who taught you manners, Samantha Carter!"
She smirked and said, "This from the man who got us thrown off of P2X492 for teaching the local children about belching contests."
"Hey, you're the one who refused to put on the local duds on that planet with the little shrubby things! That nearly cost us a whole bunch of trinium, if I recall."
"Those people's definition of 'local duds' were more like our definition of a handkerchief! And I'm not about to be accused of bad manners by a man who's clearly trying to keep something a secret!"
"Sam."
"Jack."
"May I please have a sip of your coffee?"
"What a very polite way to ask, Jack, but no, you may not."
"Ack, Carter! Coffee!" He made a lunge for the mug. She tried to dodge and it spilt all over both of them and all over the bed as well. Luckily it was cool enough not to scald them, but it did make quite a mess.
They looked down at the mess simultaneously, looked back up at each other, and burst out laughing. Sam collapsed into his side, giggling, and said, "Well, I guess that settled that."
"I don't think so, I still want the coffee," Jack insisted, pulling her arm up to his face and licking at the line of coffee running down it.
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Dr. Janet Fraiser knocked on the doorframe to Hammond's office, clutching a medical chart to her chest with her other arm.
"General Hammond, you requested Major Carter's chart?" she asked, forcing herself to look and sound completely professional.
"Uh, yes, Doctor, I did. You didn't have to bring it up yourself though, I'm sorry. You could have just sent it up."
"That's okay, sir, I don't mind. Do you have a question about Major Carter's history that I can help you with, sir?"
"Well..." Hammond hesitated. Then he decided they really did need the doctor's expertise if they were going to proceed anyway. "Yes. As a matter of fact, I do, Doctor. Please come in and shut the door."
With her back to the General as she shut the door, Janet grinned to herself. She was about to find out what was going on, she just knew it!
"Have a seat, Doctor," Hammond said, gesturing at one of the chairs.
Janet lowered herself into the chair and jumped in surprise. Thor was seated in the one next to her. From the doorway, she hadn't even been able to see him. "Thor! I'm so sorry, I didn't know you were here!"
"It is good to see you again, Dr. Fraiser," Thor said. "I believe we have, as you would say, a lengthy tale to tell you."
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Jack had been in a really weird mood all day, and it was driving Sam nuts. Most of the time, he was acting like a kid at a theme park who had eaten way too much candy floss. Then some of the time he would go oddly still and look rather worried about something. And she knew he was hiding something. He kept trying to get her to take a nap, too! Alone!
She was wondering if he was starting to go stir crazy or something. Perhaps he was developing multiple personalities, who all seemed to be trying to confuse the hell out of her today.
Finally, around sunset, Jack tried one last time, saying, "Are you sure you don't want to go lay down for a while? Or take a long bath or something?"
"No."
"Okay, then, can you just... do me a favor?"
"What?"
"Could you please stay in the bedroom... no, wait, the other bedroom, for a while?"
"Why?"
"I just thought we could inaugurate the grill properly with a um... a kind of... dinner. Romantic. Dinner." He looked terrified she was going to laugh at him. She very nearly did, not because of the gesture, but because he had got himself so worked up over it.
"I just thought... I mean it's not like we can really go out on a date or anything and I thought maybe you missed that... part... of a... of a relationship so..."
"That sounds wonderful, Jack," she interrupted, hugging him. "I'll grab my book and get out of your way."
She pressed a lingering kiss to his cheek and hurried outside for her book, which she had left on the dock. Jack watched her go, somewhat surprised at how quickly she had agreed. Still, he was grateful. He had a lot to do and not a whole lot of time.
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"You're... you're serious about all of this, sir?" Janet asked after Thor and Hammond finished explaining what they had been up to.
"Very," Hammond confirmed.
"And they... Sam and the Colonel are..."
"Yes."
"Wow."
"Yes. And I am equally serious about NOBODY else finding out about this. That means Dr. Jackson and Teal'c, Doctor. I expect you to keep this to yourself for the time being."
"Yes, sir."
"Good. Now, the reason we are telling you all of this is of course because when and if Major Carter does conceive, we knew you would want to be able to help monitor her condition."
"Of course, sir."
"Additionally, Thor has become concerned that Major Carter has not already conceived. I requested her records to see when she received her last birth control shot."
"A week and a half ago, sir."
"I see. So, that would mean it still has quite a few days to... run its course."
"Relatively speaking, sir," Janet said with a happy, not very professional smile.
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Sam was growing restless in the guest room. It was funny how it was 'the guest room' in her head already now, when it had started off as her own room. Now the only time she came in here was to get dressed. Between Jack's vicious attack on his closet and the fact that, well, he was a man and wasn't much bothered with clothes, particularly up at an isolated cabin, he didn't have a whole lot of closet and drawer space. So all of Sam's things were still in this room.
Speaking of clothes, she wondered if Jack was going to get dressed up or something. She decided a little recon was in order and nudged the door open carefully, peeking through the crack. No Jack in sight. She crept out into the hall and peeked around the corner, where she could see straight through the living room and into the kitchen. Still no Jack. She glanced out the living room window and could see that he was out cooking on the porch, but the lights outside were on so she couldn't see much from the glare, other than the vague outline of him. She couldn't tell what he was wearing.
Sneaking into the bathroom, she grabbed her compact, pocketed it, and quickly slipped back into the guest room. She slipped on some shoes and climbed out the low window, crept around to the side of the cabin, and held out her mirror until she caught sight of Jack's back. Sure enough, he was rather dressed up. Well, she supposed it was a relative term. As the last five weeks had been, for the most part, spent naked or very close to naked, she would have considered a tucked in shirt and a belt 'dressed up' at this point. They were, after all, completely isolated. It wasn't like there was a reason to pay attention to what they wore.
But tonight Jack wanted a date, apparently, so Jack was most definitely going to get a date.
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Janet had barely returned to her office when Daniel and Teal'c showed up, looking at her eagerly.
"You were in Hammond's office for a long time," Daniel started, not even bothering to greet her.
Looking back and forth at how eager the two were to figure out what was going on with Hammond, Thor, Jack, and Sam, Janet suddenly burst out laughing.
"What is amusing, Dr. Fraiser?" Teal'c asked politely, while Daniel mouthed like a goldfish.
"Nothing, I just... thought of a new nickname for the two of you."
"How will we know to respond to this new name if you do not tell us what it is?" Teal'c asked.
"Yeah, come on, Janet, anything's better than 'Spacemonkey,'" Daniel wheedled.
Shaking her head, Janet said, "All right. I was just thinking you two are the Hardy Boys of the SGC."
Daniel looked embarrassed, which pretty much confirmed Janet's hunch that he'd been a fan of the children's books when he was a little boy.
Teal'c, however, looked puzzled by Daniel's reaction, and said, "Is that not a compliment, Daniel Jackson? Dr. Fraiser considers us to be hardy. Does that word not mean 'inured to hardship or fatigue?' Such a quality is admirable in a warrior, and as a doctor, she is most qualified to make such an assessment. Thank you, Dr. Fraiser. I am proud to be a 'Hardy Boy.'"
Janet and Daniel exchanged smiles, both fighting the urge to laugh.
"Right. So, thanks, Janet," Daniel finally said, quickly getting back to the matter at hand. "Now, what did you find out?"
Janet bit her lip. She hated having to lie to them, but it wasn't for much longer. "He just wanted to ask me about Sam's medical history. He's getting tired of all these discussions and wanted to make sure she was even capable of carrying a child in the first place, after all she's been through with the Ashrak, Jolinar, exposure to radiation and all the trouble your team routinely insists on causing me."
"Oh. She is, right, I mean, she's okay? She would have told us if..."
"As far as I know, Daniel, she's perfectly fine. She has a tendency to be anemic, and she doesn't eat or sleep as much as I'd like, but other than that, she's just fine," Janet assured him quickly.
"Good."
"Look, guys, I hate to throw you out of here, but I have three teams scheduled for pre-mission physicals about to come in," Janet said, suddenly shuffling the files on her desk and trying to look busy.
"Oh, sure, no problem. See you later, Janet." Daniel gave a little wave and both men turned to leave.
On their way out, Janet heard Teal'c say, "Daniel Jackson, I believe it is time for lunch. We must keep our strength up if we wish to keep our reputation as 'hardy boys.'"
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Jack looked down at himself nervously as he stood outside the door to the guest bedroom. He was probably overreacting, the logical part of his mind kept trying to tell the rest of it. Unfortunately, Jack figured the logical part of his mind was probably one of its smaller, emptier areas. He knew Sam had basically agreed to have children with him, which was pretty much the biggest long-term commitment you could make, but still. He was nervous. They had never discussed specifics before.
He smoothed his grey sweater down and debated his wardrobe choice yet again. He wasn't much for clothes, but he thought he matched rather well in his grey sweater and black slacks. But he was also slightly concerned that the grey sweater would just emphasize his grey hair, reminding Sam how much older he was than her...
He bolted for his room to change his shirt, changed his mind again, and quickly walked back to the guest room, knocking on the door loudly before he had time to question himself again.
Sam jumped at the loud knock on the door, slipped into her shoes, and hurried to open the door.
"Dinner's... wow." Jack interrupted himself and looked at her slowly.
Sam smiled self-consciously, tucking her hair back behind her ears, and took advantage of his distraction to just as openly admire how he looked. The grey sweater made the silver and grey in his hair even more irresistible than usual, making her fingers tingle with the urge to run them through his hair.
She glanced down at herself; she had been nervous about the dress. Thor, understandably, had no clue about Earth clothes, or any clothes for that matter, and had basically beamed the entire contents of her closet in with them, so she had a lot to choose from. It hadn't taken her long to decide to go with her favorite: the perfect little black dress that she loved because it wasn't complicated or particularly revealing, but it did look good.
"You're going to freeze," Jack finally said, after several unsuccessful and adorable attempts to speak.
"We're eating outside?" Sam asked, mildly surprised. It was well-after dark and the nights were already starting to get chilly.
"Not anymore, I'll bring it inside."
"Don't be silly, I don't want to ruin your plan. I'll just grab a coat..."
"Are you kidding me, you look amazing, Sam, you're not putting on a coat. I'll just... have to get a little creative," he said with a quick grin. "Give me ten more minutes."
He turned to go but Sam stopped him, sliding her hand up his chest, curling it around his neck, and pulling him into a kiss that very nearly made him decide to completely forget about all of his plans.
"Let me see how it is now, please? Before you move everything inside?"
"Of course. Oh! I just thought of something... come on!" He grabbed her hand quickly and practically dragged her through the living room and out to the patio, where he had set up a folding table, covered with a simple white tablecloth. The table was already set, with candles and wine glasses and everything.
"Jack this is beautiful. Please, don't change it, I'll just put on a coat..."
"No, this will be good too. Maybe even better, I just remembered something..." He was set on his plan now, and moving quickly. He blew out the candles and cleared the table, quickly moved it inside, and hastily pushed the couch and coffee table back, setting the table near the fireplace.
Sam watched, knowing if she tried to help he would just tell her no. He set the table quickly again, relighting the candles and bringing the chairs in as well. He disappeared and came back with some sort of paper-wrapped log-thing. He tossed it into the fireplace. "Jack, what..." Sam started. It was much too warm for a fire, even if he left the sliding door completely open.
"It doesn't give off heat. I bought it by accident last year, but never used it because obviously when I'm up here alone I need a fire for warmth, not for... ambiance."
Sam figured that was the strangest thing he had done all day long: use the word 'ambiance' in a sentence. Not that he'd ever successfully fooled her with his 'dumb-Colonel' act, but now apparently, he not only knew she knew, he also didn't care anymore. Interesting.
"Okay, there. Wait..." Jack had the fire going now, and he hurried over to the light switch and turned off the rest of the lights, letting the fire, the candles, and the little light from the kitchen light the room. "Okay. Now. Ready."
Sam moved to sit down at the table but Jack called, "Ach! Carter! Wait!" and practically ran over to the table.
Watching him in amusement, she waited patiently while he pulled out the chair for her. This was all so sweet, but really, it wasn't necessary. She didn't know why he seemed to feel like it was all of a sudden.
He scooted her up to the table and squeezed her shoulders, leaning over the back of the chair to drop a kiss on the top of her head.
"I would have done the whole multi-course thing but couldn't figure out how to do it and keep the steak hot without making you wait. Anyway. Be right back." He hurried off into the kitchen. Sam watched him go, amused and confused. She'd never seen him so... nervous? Flustered? Whatever it was, it was kind of cute, but it wasn't typical Jack O'Neill behavior.
He came back carrying two plates of steak, grilled vegetables, garlic potatoes, and toasted bread.
"There's more of everything in the kitchen but the table's too small," he said quickly, setting down the plates and sitting down across from her.
"Jack, this is wonderful," Sam said appreciatively as he poured wine for both of them.
"Sam, you are wonderful."
Sam blushed, which was perhaps a silly response to have, but the fact was that Jack O'Neill was a man who spoke volumes with actions, but still rarely with words. That was changing, gradually, but she hoped it never really changed all that much. The cliche about still waters was practically written for the man, and that was who she had fallen in love with in the first place, after all. While it was wonderful that he was opening up and all, she wanted it to be a natural change, not something he felt he had to force himself to do. And she never wanted to lose the unspoken communication that had always been a huge part, for a long time the biggest part, of their relationship.
"Hey, you okay?" Jack asked, touching her hand lightly.
"Yes, of course," she answered with a quick smile, squeezing his hand. "I just can't believe you did all of this, Jack, you didn't have to, you know."
"Yes, I did," he said quickly, clearly trying to explain something important to her. "I did have to. Because I wanted to. So I had to."
She smiled at the explanation. It was a good thing she understood Jack O'Neill-speak.
"Come on. Eat before it gets cold."
"Yes, sir," she said with a teasing grin, picking up her fork and knife.
They ate slowly, Sam taking a long time to eat because she was prattling on rather nervously, and she was positive she sounded dumb and flustered. She was sounding dumb and flustered because she was. Because Jack would not stop looking at her. She knew that look. It had always been a dangerous look, so she hadn't seen it very often until recently, when it had become dangerous in a completely different and much more pleasant sense of the word. She'd seen it occasionally over the years... one time over breakfast in the commissary while Jack took huge bites of oatmeal and Daniel rambled on and on about time loops and medieval Latin stuck out particularly in her mind. She'd seen it a lot more the last five weeks, but he'd never stared at her so hard for so long.
When she finally set down her fork, unable to eat anymore, the small noise of the fork on the plate seemed to wake him up. His eyes snapped away from her and scanned the rest of the table quickly, he exclaimed, "Dessert!" and was off like a shot with their plates before she could so much as blink.
"I couldn't... I don't know how to cook anything for dessert," he apologized, setting something fantastic looking in front of her.
"This looks great, where'd it come from then?" Sam asked enthusiastically.
He smiled in relief and said, "Uh, the bottom part is just a really big brownie from this place Daniel took me to..."
"The bakery by his apartment? With the big cinnamon buns out front?"
"Yeah! Anyway, the brownies are from there and I just put the ice cream, caramel, and chocolate sauce on top."
"It looks delicious, but it's big enough to be a whole separate meal!"
He laughed, obviously pleased by her enthusiasm, dug his spoon into the mountainous dessert, held it out to her, and said, "Not a meal Doc Fraiser would approve of. Come on, dig in."
Sam didn't know what to do. They worked their way through the dessert, although Sam was too full to eat very much of it, but every time Jack started to relax he would get inexplicably nervous again. Normally, he was the one calming everyone down in an emergency situation. She was pretty good at calming him down in diplomatic situations. But she had no idea what was making him so nervous, so she had no idea how to calm him down.
"Jack," she finally said, setting the spoon down and touching his hand, looping her fingers through his and squeezing lightly. "This is so sweet." He shifted in his chair uncomfortably. "No, come on," Sam said, holding his hand harder. "I know you don't like to hear good things about yourself, but too bad. You can't do something like this and then expect not to get any attention for it. Now. This was perfect. Everything was delicious, and beautiful, and you look incredible. So what's making you so nervous? If you're trying to seduce me, it's really not necessary, Jack. You did that a long time ago."
Jack took a deep breath and said, "I... I didn't plan to be nervous. I mean I was nervous. That's why I had a plan. So I wouldn't be. And when I came to get you for dinner and saw you, I... forgot. It's not the dress," he said quickly. "I mean it is, but... it's not that the dress does something to you it's just... it's what you do for that dress, it's the same thing you do to my sweatshirt, the same thing you've been doing to baggy BDUs for seven years..."
Sam smiled, a quick flutter running through her to be replaced by such a calm feeling that the tranquility of it was surprising in itself. It was part of the way they balanced each other: usually she was the one freaking out because he needed a miracle to save all their asses... in this particular instance, he was the nervous one, and she was suddenly calm.
"Then if it's just me, what's the big deal?" she asked matter-of-factly, sliding out of her chair to go over to him.
He leaned back in his chair, looking up at her, and said quietly, "Because it's not 'just you,' it's... you."
She thought he'd be less nervous without the space of the table between them, but instead of calming down the closer she got to him, he was getting even more nervous. This was definitely not normal for Colonel Jack O'Neill. She realized she was sort of looming over him now that she was standing next to his chair, which hardly encouraged anybody to relax. But she couldn't exactly crouch down next to him in this dress. She settled the matter by settling across his lap, wrapping an arm around his shoulders.
"I love you, you know. You can tell me, whatever it is." She pressed her palm to his cheek, startled by how warm he felt, and kissed him.
"I love you so much," he said when they stopped to breathe. "But I... I don't want to mess this up."
"What makes you think you'll mess this up?"
"I did it before, and... this time I know there's no way I'd survive it."
"Survive what?"
"Losing you... ruining... everything."
"Jack, I'm right here. What are you trying to say?"
"I... wanted to ask you... want to ask you... to um... you know. Marry me. Please."
She looked at him in pure shock, tears springing to her eyes, and laughed. "I thought you were about to tell me something horrible the way you've been carrying on!"
"Sam..."
"God, Jack, you really are paranoid. Of course I'll marry you!"
He grinned and kissed her thoroughly, pulled away, and said, "Yeah?"
"Yeah, Jack. I'd love to marry you."
"Cool," he said, his customary smirk back in place.
Sam laughed and said, "Well, good to have the normal Jack O'Neill back."
"Oh, crap, I forgot..." He started fishing in his pocket for something, which quickly turned into a ridiculous balancing act as he tried to keep her on his lap with one arm while digging around in his pocket with the other.
Laughing, because this was so much more appropriate for them, Sam waited, running her fingers through his hair.
"That is so not helping," Jack said, getting frustrated.
"Too bad, I've been wanting to do this all night."
"This was my grandmother's," Jack explained, finally locating the ring but holding it in his cupped hand. "I got it out of the safe last night. So technically I wasn't lying. I did tell you that there was stuff in there from them and at the time we had that conversation I had already removed the ring from the safe anyway," he said, clearly pleased with himself.
Sam rolled her eyes and said, "You've been around Daniel too much."
Jack ignored that and continued. "Right. As I was saying before I was so RUDELY interrupted... I have quite a few cousins, some of them women, so I don't know, I guess she couldn't pick which one of them to give this to or something... but she gave it to me. Just before I was called in from retirement, actually. I was... a miserable old bastard, as you may have heard, but she... she was kind of astrange lady and she pretty much flat out told me my life wasn't anywhere near over yet. Then she shoved this into my hand and told me I'd need it someday."
"Wow."
"Yeah, she was... she was pretty funny. You would have liked her. Anyway. If you don't like it, when we get out of here..."
"I'm sure I'll love it, Jack."
"I don't even know if it will fit..."
"JACK!"
"Right. Sorry. Let's see then..." He slipped the ring on her finger. The center was a round diamond, with a triangular sapphire on each side, framing it. Beautiful, but not too elaborate. It was a little bit big, but in no danger of falling off. Holding her hand, they both looked down at the ring.
"Looks right on your hand," he commented, like he was speaking to himself. "Do you..."
"It's exactly what I would pick if I looked at every ring in the world," she assured him.
"Really? It looks kind of big..."
"It's just a tiny bit loose... but that just means I'll still be able to wear it when I'm pregnant," she added somewhat shyly.
Jack broke into a huge smile and kissed her. "It reminded me of you. I mean before. Something about the first time we went through the puddle, and the shape of it is kinda likewings or something, I don't know, but it... I'm glad you like it."
"I love it," she promised.
"I love you. What do you say we go get out of these clothes?"
"Yes, sir!"