A/N: As I was writing my story "Revelations", I realized that I had no intention of adding in a Jack/Sam ship, and I started feeling a little disloyal. So this spurred for a scene that is in that story, but it has nothing to do with "Revelations", really. In any case, it's just a little bit of sappy Sam/Jack one-shot. The prequel's already written, but I think that this one should be read first.
Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters in this story
A Moment in the Park
Major General Jack O'Neill was surprised to see his old teammate strolling through the halls of the Pentagon. She had not informed him that she would be there, nor had anyone at the SGC informed him that someone from the SGC would be in Washington. He paused for a moment to look at the Colonel before smiling one of his rare genuinely happy smiles and making his towards her.
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Lieutenant Colonel Samantha Carter's breath stopped for a moment when she saw her old commanding officer, It was so rare to see him in his dress blues around the SGC, but in Washington, he wore them every day. Carter had always had mixed feelings about dress blues. On the one hand, she had always associated them with strength of mind and body, but on the other, the dress blues often meant a loved one, namely her father, was leaving her. However, seeing the general, regardless of what he was wearing, was a comfort to Carter. He had, after all, been there for her on numerous occasions.
Carter wanted to run into his arms and hug him, but she stopped herself, remembering that she was standing in the middle of the Pentagon in the presence of a Major General. She came to attention and saluted with the hint of a smile on her face. O'Neill's smile widened as he saluted back and then silently directed Carter into the privacy of his office.
O'Neill took a seat behind his desk and motioned for Carter to take the seat across from him. He surveyed her for a moment, taking all of her in before asking, "So, what brings you to Washington, Carter?"
Carter raised an eyebrow, surprised that the General did not know. "National security, I believe, sir." At O'Neill questioning look, she continued. "We had some people poking around the other day. We're trying to find as much information as possible on them. See what kind of threat they pose," she explained.
"And no one thought to inform me of this?" O'Neill asked, wondering what Landry was up to, not telling his commanding officer about a possibly compromising situation.
"Sorry, sir. There hasn't been any time. General Landry was going to call later on today," Carter explained.
O'Neill visibly relaxed a bit and then looked more deeply at Carter. She hadn't changed since he had last seen her. Still the same beautiful, intelligent, and over-worked Carter. O'Neill almost sighed in contentment before realizing where he was. Bringing himself out of his own thoughts, he said, "Visiting some old friends?" he asked, wondering what had specifically brought her to Washington.
"I came to see Agent Barrett," she explained.
"The NID guy?" O'Neill asked.
Carter nodded. "He gave me some background information on these people." She took out one of the folders that she had with her and gave it to the General.
General O'Neill took the folder and opened it. He studied the contents for a while before looking back at Carter. "What are we going to do about this?" he asked.
."We're not sure yet, sir, I'd better get this information back to General Landry," she said, not trusting herself to remain calm while sitting in the office for much longer. "I'm scheduled to leave at 1700 hours."
General O'Neill glanced at his watch. "That's two hours from now, Carter," he said. "Why don't I take you out for an early dinner before you head back to the Air Field? Give us a chance to catch up," he added, hoping that he wasn't sound too forward.
Carter smiled. Against her better judgment, she wanted to go. This was O'Neill. One of her oldest friends. And they had been getting to know each other on a more personal level since his transfer to Washington and hers to Area 51. Although they had not seen each other in some time, they had stayed in touch. They had worked their way up to bi-weekly hour long phone calls in what seemed like no time at all. O'Neill had finally been able to open up to her about his son and his feelings during the first trip to Abydos, and Carter had been able to share how she really had felt about her father's death. It had been a major break-through in their friendship. Not even Daniel had heard so much about either situation.
"I'd love to, sir," she said, eager to leave so that they could drop the formalities that they had decided were unnecessary some months ago.
"Great," O'Neill said, practically jumping out of his chair, which, Carter noted with amusement, was the same chair that had sat in the general's office at the SGC for over eight years.
"I just have to deliver something to Davis for General Landry," she told O'Neill.
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O'Neill led the way, and the two were soon able to leave the Pentagon building. The moment they had turned the corner to head down the next street, O'Neill reached down and took Carter's hand in his. She looked down at their interlocked hands and then up into O'Neill's face.
"Is this okay?" he asked sheepishly.
Carter nodded and then leaned into O'Neill so that they were walking about a foot closer to each other than they had before. "I've missed you," she said quietly, enjoying the closeness that she had been longing for ever since the first time she had heard O'Neill's voice on the other end of the phone, right after she had transferred to Area 51.
"Me too," he said, looking down at the top of her head. O'Neill was not usually a man of words, preferring action, so he stopped in the middle of the sidewalk and faced Carter. Taking her face gently in his hands, he leaned in and kissed her.
Carter was surprised, though the action was not completely unexpected. She returned the kiss, before moving back a little as she glanced around. She did not want to be caught in this compromising situation, and that was a definite possibility, since they were still so close to the Pentagon.
"Ah, come on, Sam. No one's going to care," he said, practically whining.
Carter smiled and took O'Neill's hand in hers again. She led him further down the street and into the nearby park. "Ah, good thinking," O'Neill said.
They sat down at a bench in the middle of the park, near a fountain. The whole situation seemed eerily familiar to Carter. These were about the same circumstances under which Pete had proposed to her. But sitting there with O'Neill just seemed right to Carter. She moved in close to O'Neill, and he put his arm around her.
"So, how have you been?" he asked.
"I've been good," she answered, knowing that it was probably because of O'Neill that she was doing well. She had been in a bad place after her father had died, and Cassie's plight had not helped, though Carter would have it no other way than to be there for Cassie when Cassie needed her. It was her phone calls with O'Neill that had helped her stay grounded and fairly happy through all of the sorrow of losing parents that was surrounding her. "How about you?"
"Fine," he said off-handedly. "Miss the SGC, though."
Carter nodded, understanding how he felt, since she had felt about the same when she had been at Area 51. Then, on impulse, she leaned in a kissed O'Neill again, warming very quickly to the feeling of his lips of hers.
When they broke apart again, both were smiling. "What was that for?" he asked teasingly.
Carter shrugged. "Just felt like it," she said, as she rested her head on his shoulder.
They sat like that for quite some time, each lost in his or her own thoughts. When they spoke, they both started at the same time. "So-" each said, before cutting off, laughing.
O'Neill, ever the gentleman, motioned for Carter to go first.
"So, where do we go from here?" she asked.
"I've been thinking about that, Sam," he answered. "For a long time," he added. "A really long time," he mumbled, stalling for time.
"And?" she prompted.
"Well, I've been carrying this around for a while," he said, fumbling in his pockets. "And I was going to come out to the Springs in a few weeks to ask, but since you're here, I might as well- ah, ha!" he exclaimed, finally locating what he was looking for.
Carter looked down at his hands, curious to see what he had taken out, but O'Neill was hiding it too well. "What?" she asked playfully.
"Sam," O'Neill said, very seriously. "I put a lot of thought into this. This isn't a spur of the moment thing," he told her.
"Jack, where's this going?" Carter asked, suspicious that she knew exactly where it was going.
"Sam, you know that I love you," O'Neill said, turning his body to face her. "Will you marry me?" he asked, presenting the ring that he had been concealing in his hand.
Although Carter had seen it coming, the anticipation did not take away from the sheer joy that she felt at the proposal. "Jack," she said, feeling that it was important to first say this: "I love you, too." It had been the first time that either had professed their love for the other to the other's face. "Yes!" she said eagerly, taking his face in her hands and kissing him eagerly.
"Really?" he asked. "Just like that?"
"You wanted me to wait to say 'yes'?" she asked.
"Well, no, but you waited two weeks to say yes to Pete," he told her.
"And, if you'll remember, that was because I was thinking about what would happen to us. Don't have that issue this time around," she answered with a smile.
"Ah," he said. He took the ring out of the box and took her hand in his. He slipped the ring on her finger and then kissed her again. "I'll understand if you don't want to wear this around the base. Awkward questions and all," he said.
She nodded, knowing that he really would not mind. She admired the ring for a moment, before deciding that even if she did take it off, it would always be close to her heart. "This is all really fast," she said, lowering her hand and looking into O'Neill's eyes.
"We can have a long engagement," he told her.
Carter smiled. "I think that we've waited long enough," she informed him.
"I think so too," O'Neill agreed. "So, what do we tell Daniel?" he asked, knowing that his old friend would certainly care if he found out that he had not been informed.
Carter groaned. "We'll never hear the end of it from him," she said. "At least Teal'c will be okay with whatever we do. Are you still planning on coming out to the Springs in a few weeks."
"I was thinking about it," he said with a smile. "My fiancé lives there, you know?"
"Really?" she asked, with a laugh. "Anyone I know?"
"You might," he said before kissing her again.
When they broke apart, Carter looked at her watch. "Holy Hannah," she exclaimed. "I should really get going before General Landry sends SG-1 after me," she told O'Neill hesitant to part with him.
He merely nodded and said, "I'll take you to the air field," he said. "Sorry there was no time for dinner."
"Are you kidding?" Carter asked. "This was much better," she said with a smile.
They stood and grasped each other's hands again and quickly made their way back to the Pentagon and then to the air field.
Carter kissed O'Neill once more before getting out of his car and making her way to the plane that was waiting for her, already anticipating his trip to the Springs.