THROUGH THE YEARS

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Chapter 5: Brotherly Love

April 1983

Jack was excited as he made his way to his family once his class was dismissed after graduation. It was a beautiful April afternoon, he had two weeks before he had to report in Florida for flight school, and he was proud of himself and his accomplishments!

He had to admit to himself, he was a little confused over Rob and Lizzie's distance from him. They both seemed pre-occupied with something. Every time he tried to start a conversation with one of them, they would answer in as few of words as possible and quickly find an excuse to leave.

He hoped it didn't have to do with Sam. Over the first three months, Sam had written to him religiously. He absolutely loved getting her letters. At first, he was getting about two a week, but soon it went down to one a week. And now, he wasn't getting any at all. It was his fault. With graduation and all last minute duties, he really didn't have the time to sit down and write. Not to mention, the few times he tried, he couldn't come up with the right thing to say and gave up. The truth was, he just really wasn't good at writing letters, and not wanting her to think he was an idiot, he wrote her two more letters and then stopped. He kept telling himself he would call her and explain it all to her, but, he never had the chance to call and then it just seemed too late! He really missed her, though! At least when she was still writing, he had some sort of connection to her. He hadn't received a letter from her in almost a month!

Jack made his way to his family who all hugged and congratulated him happily. "So, Rob! You excited about your graduation?" Jack asked his brother, trying to get the boy to open up to him.

"Yeah." He replied in one word.

"So, dad says your going to Ohio State. That's pretty big-league, that should be interesting for you." Jack added.

"Uh, yeah." Rob replied.

'Well, that's two words.' Jack thought.

"Oh, sweetie!" Jack's mom said, coming over to him. "I almost forgot, here's a card from the Carter's. They wanted to tell you congratulations. They were sad to hear you wouldn't be making it back home before flight school but said to tell you good-luck!"

"Oh! Thanks!" Jack said, taking the card from his mom. He flipped it over in his hands a few times and then tucked it into his jacket, wanting to read it in private. When he looked back up he saw Rob watching him intently. Turning, he noticed Lizzie looking at him, too. A sad look on her face. "Something wrong, Liz?" Jack asked her, hoping to have better luck with her than he did with Rob.

"No." She said in an even tone and turned away from him.

The O'Neill's stayed another day before they had to head back home to Ohio. Jack enjoyed their company but was still a little upset over Liz and Rob's distance to him.

Once he had returned from the airport after dropping off his family, he sat down to try and figure out what was going on with them. With Liz being Sam's best friend, he pretty much understood why she was giving him the cold shoulder. He had promised her he wouldn't hurt her friend, and yet, that was exactly what he did! Wanting to or not!

But, Rob was a different matter entirely. Rob wasn't close to Sam so Jack was pretty sure his distance didn't involve her. He thought about everything Rob was going through at home and had a revelation! Rob was graduating high school! And, Jack wasn't planning on attending his graduation. Jack had told his family he needed to tie up loose ends here before heading off to flight school and there just wasn't enough time in between. Which was true, but maybe if he would have tried a little harder… Jack realized how much of an ass he was being. Here he was basking in his whole family coming all the way out to Colorado to watch him graduate while he had no intention on going to Ohio to be there for Rob's graduation. He was really being selfish! Jack picked up his phone and made some arrangements. He was going to do whatever he had to do to get to Ohio for his brother!

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Jack rented a car and headed to his parents' house, planning on surprising everyone. It was Saturday afternoon. Rob was graduating next Friday and Jack had to head to Florida no later than Sunday afternoon. He had managed to get in a full week with his family! He was very proud of himself and hoping to be able to talk with Sam and try and explain his lack of writing to her. The more he thought about Sam, the more he couldn't wait to see her!

He pulled in the driveway, got out of the car and headed for the door. He walked in the front door and yelled out. "Anybody home?"

Liz was the first to walk in the room. She was dressed up in a poofy, bright pink dress that Jack immediately recognized as a prom dress.

"Lizzie! I didn't know you were going to prom!" He exclaimed, taking in the sight of his sister all dolled up.

"Jack! I didn't know you were coming here!" She exclaimed back.

Jack opened his arms out wide. "Surprise!" He said, grinning.

Liz just looked at him, nervously.

"So, I thought it was a senior prom. Who are you going with?" Jack asked, taking another step into the house.

"Uh, Mike Maxon. You know him, he's Robby's friend." She told him just as Rob walked into the front room in a tux.

"Jack! What are you doing here!" Rob asked in surprise.

"I jiggled a few things around so I could be here for your graduation." Jack told him, smiling. He was still proud of himself.

Rob continued to look at Jack in surprise. "Graduation's not until next Friday. Tonight's prom. Liz and I are getting ready to leave. The limo should be here in half an hour." Rob managed to get out, how, he still wasn't sure.

"Yeah, I know. But, I thought I could spend a week with you…wait…did you say you and Liz are going with your dates, together?" Jack asked.

"Yes. Liz is going with Mike. We're good friends. We're splitting the cost of the limo." Rob told him.

Jack looked over at Liz grinning. "I thought you hated Rob's girlfriend? Weren't you two in some sort of feud? You're actually going to ride to and from prom with her?" Jack asked, teasingly.

"Uh, Jack. I haven't been going with Tracey in a few months." Rob said in a quiet, somewhat frightened voice.

"Oh?" Jack said, now a little surprised himself.

"I'm going to prom with Sam." Rob watched his brother's face turn to a light red-color. "We've been going together for a few weeks now."

Jack's face was now very red. "Oh! Going together as in?" Jack prompted, really not wanting to hear the answer he knew he was going to hear.

"Going together as in boyfriend and girlfriend, Jack." Rob finished.

Jack's anger was showing very well on his face. He couldn't believe his own brother would go behind his back and steal his girl! His own brother! How could he! Jack was pissed! Here he was thinking Rob was avoiding him because he was mad at him for not coming to his stupid graduation when he was really avoiding him because he couldn't look him in the eye after stealing the girl right out from under him! Jack was seeing red! There was no way he was going to be able to control his anger much longer! "How could you, Rob!" Jack growled, his eyes turning from brown to black.

"Jack! It wasn't on purpose! She was depressed because you stopped writing after two weeks! I was comforting her! You broke her heart and I was the one here to clean up the mess!" Rob yelled at his brother.

"YOU SON OF A BITCH!" Jack screamed at his brother. "You just couldn't wait until you could sweep right in and be her knight in shining armor, could you!"

While the boys were screaming at each other, Sam had come to the door and let herself in. Walking in, she was surprised to see Jack standing in the front room, screaming at her prom date! "Jack!" She said in surprise.

Jack turned around after hearing Sam's voice. His angry eyes softened immediately upon seeing Sam. He looked her over, not believing how absolutely gorgeous she looked. Instead of wearing an elaborate poofy dress that was in fashion at the moment, Sam had opted for a slim, royal blue dress with spaghetti-straps that made her eyes even bluer! "Sam! You're so beautiful!" He breathed, taking her all in.

Sam's cheeks flushed the way they always do when he was around. "Jack? What are you doing here?" She asked him quietly. "They said you weren't coming back…"

Jack looked at Sam. The passion from fighting with his brother and then seeing Sam dressed so elegantly was too much for Jack. Taking two large steps to Sam, he cupped her face in his hands and kissed her.

Startled, Sam was tense in his arms, but after a second, she began to relax and slightly opened her mouth. Jack took the opportunity to deepen the kiss. He felt Sam's arms lift and start to trail up his arms when he was all of a sudden ripped out of Sam's arms.

Rob dove at Jack, pulling him away from Sam. "You Asshole! Get off of her!" He yelled, just before his fist made contact with Jack's jaw.

"What the hell?" Jack yelled, standing back up and rubbing his jaw. "You hit me! First you steal Sam and then you hit me! Why you..!" Jack jumped his brother and punched him in the face as they both fell down, kicking and hitting each other.

Lizzie grabbed Sam and pulled her out of the room as Kelly came running back into the house with their dad.

"WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON IN HERE!" Came a roar from the doorway.

Jack and Rob stopped fighting and looked up at their dad. All 6 ft. 4 in. of him! Both boys stood up, Jack adjusted his shirt while Rob wiped the blood off his face with his hand. "Rob jumped me, dad!"

"What! You kissed Sam! She's my girlfriend!" Rob yelled at Jack.

"You stole her! You had no right!" Jack yelled back.

"BOYS!" Their dad's loud voice stopped their bickering. "BOTH of you will apologize to Samantha! THEN, you will BOTH apologize to each other! THEN, you will go to prom after Jack tells us all why he is here!"

"WHAT?" Both boys shouted in unison.

"THAT WAS NOT A SUGGESTION!" Mr. O'Neill roared.

Jack glared at Rob and then walked past his dad to Sam. He reached out and grabbed her hand. "Sam." He said softly, looking in her watery eyes. "I'm so sorry! I never meant to hurt you! I was busy with school. I just didn't have the time to write! I read your letters over and over and was heartbroken when you stopped writing!" Jack told her, his own eyes starting to water.

A single tear escaped Sam's eye and she looked away to wipe it off.

Rob came up next to Sam and wrapped his arm around her waist. "I'm sorry, Sam. I hope we didn't wreck prom for you." He said quietly in her ear and then leaned in and kissed her on the cheek.

Jack couldn't bare watching Rob kiss Sam and turned around, his heart breaking completely. He walked out of the room, searching for his mom. At times like this, even a grown man needs his mother!

Sam turned and pulled out of Rob's embrace. She looked in his face. "You're going to have a black eye." She told him softly.

"How can you tell?" He asked, looking at his reflection in one of the windows.

"I just can, trust me." She said, giving him a small smile.

The prom crowd soon regrouped. Once Mike arrived, everyone headed out to the front lawn for some pictures. "Rob." Sam said, stopping before going outside. "Uh, I'll be out in a minute. Okay?"

"You're going to talk to Jack?" He asked her sadly.

Sam lowered her head. "Yes. I need to. He needs an explanation." She said, looking back up at Rob.

Rob leaned in and kissed Sam on her cheek. "Okay. Don't be long. Or, I'll come looking for you!" He teased, smiling at her and squeezing her hand.

Sam smiled back and then headed downstairs to the basement. Jack was sitting on the small bed staring off into space when Sam spotted him. "Hey." She said quietly, a little apprehensive.

"Hey." He said quietly back, looking up at her.

Sam walked over and sat down next to him. "Are you okay?" She asked, playing with her hands in her lap.

"I don't know. Are you?" He asked softly.

Sam laughed a sad laugh. "I don't know."

"I'm sorry." Jack said quietly, looking over at Sam.

She looked over and met his gaze. "Me too." She said in a low voice. "I didn't know. You stopped writing. You kept saying you were too old for me. I didn't know. I thought you lost interest. Rob, he asked me one day why I could like you so much and not see him as anything more than a friend. I didn't know and he looks like you and he reminds me a lot of you…" Sam trailed off.

"I'm sorry, Sam. I never wanted to hurt you." Jack reached over and gently grabbed Sam's hands. "I never lost interest in you. You have to believe me. I loved getting your letters."

Sam looked up in his eyes as tears threatened to fall from her own. "Why'd you do it?"

"Do what?" He asked.

"Kiss me." She said softly, looking back at her hands intertwined with Jack's in her lap.

"I don't know. I was mad."

"At me?"

"No. Yes. I don't know. I was mad at Rob. I was mad that you were with Rob. You were just there and…..so beautiful, I couldn't stop myself." Jack squeezed her hands. "Why did you kiss me back?" He asked her softly.

"I don't know." She answered, quietly. "I guess I couldn't stop myself either." She said in almost a whisper and looked up at him with sad eyes.

Jack's heart broke even more at seeing the hurt he caused Sam. He couldn't take it anymore! He needed to make things right with the world again! He leaned in and delicately captured Sam's lips. He expected her to pull away from him, to yell at him that she was with Rob now. But, she didn't. She reached her hands up and tangled them in Jack's short hair, allowing him to deepen the kiss. Jack felt his heart flutter as his tongue made its way into her mouth, exploring every bit of the enclosure. He wanted to explore her body with his hands, but remembering her age, kept them around her waist. After only a few minutes, Jack, reluctantly, pulled away. He leaned in and pressed his cheek against Sam's while his hand caressed her other cheek. "Go enjoy your prom, Sam." He whispered in her ear a few seconds later.

Sam turned her head and kissed him one more time. This time the kiss was short, she stood up at the same time she pulled away from the kiss. She slowly backed away from him, still holding his hand until she backed too far away. Looking at him one more time and smiling sweetly, Sam turned and headed up the stairs. "You going to come up and see us off?" She asked in a soft, hopeful voice from the middle of the stairs.

Jack jumped up off the bed and followed Sam up the steps.

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a/n: I must say, I am definitely a woman who lives on the edge! Because, even knowing I would probably receive a death threat or two for writing this chapter, I still had a helluva lot of fun writing it! Just keep in mind, this is a Sam/Jack romance. No matter who comes in the picture, Jack and Sam will ultimately end up together! And, yes, this story will be jumping a lot. I have to cover over a decade! Sorry, if this disappoints anyone!