Disclaimers in Part 1
Part 8
SAM
When I received Jack's letter, it went into my pocket to wait for that evening when I could be alone. Janet had let me out of her clutches a week after Jack left Hawai'iki with strict orders to eat three meals a day and rest at least seven hours per night or she'd have General Hammond take me off duty. I knew from past experience she'd do it, so I was as good as my word.
Now that I knew what was wrong with my stomach and was under treatment for it, eating was no longer a chore. Vesia fussed over me like a mother hen, much happier now that I was getting better. In fact, everyone in the compound was so kind it was hard to find any time alone. The arrest of Corporal Murdock caused quite a stir, especially among her former compatriots. Fortunately for her, she was back on Earth in custody before her arrest was announced.
Finally, after dinner I escaped to my apartment, claiming to be tired. Janet gave me the evil eye, but I was all innocence. As soon as the door closed behind me, I tore open the envelope and sat down to read.
My Darling Sam,
They made the arrest today. Sweers is in jail, charged with masterminding the scheme against us, paying for the forgeries and the break-ins. I don't know if you heard, but Sweers' dad refused to help him this time and cut him off without a dime. Apparently, the old man had threatened to disinherit him for quite some time. This was the last straw. I'll show you the tape of his arrest when you get back here for your next downtime.
Speaking of which, when will you be back? I have a lot to make up to you over this. It was my student after all who did this to us. I should have washed the slimy little jerk out after his first week no matter who asked for his assignment.
Anyway, on to more pleasant subjects. The area around my cabin is beautiful this time of year. We have a lot to talk about and, as you know, the cabin is very private. Think about it and write back as soon as you can.
I hope you're feeling better. I miss you terribly and love you so much.
Yours forever,
Jack
My next time off was in a little less than two weeks, so I wrote back that night to give us as much time to plan as possible. As it turned out, I wasn't able to leave Hawai'iki, so Jack offered to come to visit me. I was on pins and needles waiting for his arrival. Our exchange of letters had resumed and filled much of the void left by his absence, but letters were not nearly as good as the real thing. I needed his touch and his presence so much; it almost made me consider leaving SG-1. The 13 days, 16 hours and 42 minutes until he got there were pure torture.
Week 37 Day 2
JACK
Shortly after I arrived, Sam and I went to look at her puzzle. She'd written to me of it often and I was intrigued. I followed her down the stairs to the basement and we stepped around the construction mess for the expansions to the infirmary.
"The one I've been working on is this way. I've tried to leave the other alone in case I really mess up the first. Not that anything I've done has made the least bit of difference. I'm beginning to seriously consider a little C-4," Sam told me, grinning, as we walked through the first doorway into the storage room. The room was now half filled with medical supplies and lots of mysterious gizmos that I'm sure Sam and the Doc could name.
At the back left-hand corner stood a lamp and a table covered with tools of all types. The back wall was made of a shiny enamel-like material, while the other three walls resembled good old concrete. I knocked on the door, the wall around it and the wall to the left.
"Have you taken ultrasounds of the door?"
"As well as we could with Janet's medical ultrasound. It wasn't exactly designed to penetrate this type of material. The results showed that the door and wall are at least two feet thick."
"What's behind the side wall? Have you done ultrasounds of it?" I asked, suspecting a red herring.
"Um, no. We're trying to open the door on this wall," she replied, obviously humoring me. "Why do you ask?"
I smiled indulgently. "Notice the cracks here and here," I pointed out spots on the wall to our left, "and the faint marks on the floor?"
"I don't understand, Jack. What are you suggesting?" Suddenly, I had Doctor Carter's full attention and her faintly patronizing smile faded. Her curiosity engaged, she held up the lamp and peered closely at several places on the wall. "No, it can't be!" She turned without another word to ran back the way we'd come.
Hoping I was right, I followed her as fast as my game leg allowed. When I caught up, she was running her hands over the surface in the second storage room.
"The cracks are almost identical." I could tell she was beating herself up over missing these clues. She spun toward me indignantly, hands on her hips. "Okay, smarty pants, tell me how it opens."
I had to grin at her tone. Smoothing my hands over the surface several feet to either side of the vertical cracks, I searched for the release switch I knew had to be somewhere close. "Ah ha!" I yelled as my fingers found an indentation in the wall above the horizontal cracks. Near the ceiling, the slight depression hid easily in the shadows.
My forefinger slipped in and I pressed, with no result. "There's gotta be another one." I swept the wall again with my fingertips and found the second indentation inches from the first. With forefinger and pinkie each in a notch, I pressed and an audible click sounded from above my head.
Still, the door stayed stubbornly closed, but the section of wall above the horizontal crack receded into the ceiling ever so slightly. There had to be a "door knob" somewhere. Once again, we slowly swept our hands over the dusty surface on and around the "door." The rough wall had loads of knobs and stubs sticking out and I began concentrating on these, pushing, pulling and twisting. Finally, one reacted to my prodding, revolving a quarter turn to the left. Slowly, ponderously, the door pivoted inward reminding me of the front door to Cheyenne Mountain.
"You did it, Jack! I've worked on this for weeks, months even, and you got it in 20 minutes." Her frustration was obvious.
"You think too much, Carter. Some problems just don't deserve that much brainpower. They need a devious mind and you're just not that devious."
Mollified, she put her arms around my neck. "I don't care what anyone says. You're brilliant. Have I told you today that I love you?" I was desperately glad that we hadn't fallen into the trap of being shy or tentative with each other after our recent "separation."
JANET
I heard a shout from the storeroom and went to investigate. "What's going on?" Seeing my two friends wrapped around each other, I joked, "Really, get a room you two."
Sam pulled away from the colonel, a look of triumph on her face. "We have one."
"Huh?"
"Look, Jack figured out the secret of the door. We have a room - a secret room. Want to help us explore, Janet?" Sam's face split in a huge grin of triumph and anticipation.
Eagerly, I replied, "There's no reason you two should have all the fun. Lead on, mon colonel." Colonel O'Neill grabbed the portable lamp and followed Sam through the opening. The lamp showed what looked to be a lab, filled with dust-covered alien machinery and laboratory tables. Sam was immediately engrossed, so the colonel and I started checking out the rest of the room.
"Sam, over here," he barked from the back corner of the large room. The lantern illuminated a section of wall that stood ajar, similar to the secret door into this room.
Sam hurried over to his side and grabbed his arm to raise the lamp higher. "Just where does this go?" she muttered.
"Let's find out," suggested the colonel, grinning in anticipation.
JACK
The dark, narrow corridor ended in a wall. Sam and I scanned the surface for a latch.
"Here!" She grabbed a small lump of gray stuff on the wall, then tried twisting, sliding and pushing it before the door opened with a pop. Her grin was dazzling. She was really getting into this stuff.
Fraiser pushed forward. "Well, who's going first? Sam?"
Sam took the light and stepped into the room, turning to her right. "Oh, my god!" she gasped, walking forward.
I stepped in, peered over her shoulder, and saw what had surprised her so much. A shocked exclamation escaped me, too. Right in the middle of the former Lojan embassy was a Goa'uld ring platform.
SAM
I just had to find out where these rings went. They could be the solution to several problems, not least of which was easy access to the Stargate. I said as much to my companions and Jack trotted over to stand on the platform.
"So, send me," he quipped in that little boy "I'm off on an adventure" voice. Peter Pan would forever have Jack's face in my mind.
"Uh, I don't think so, Jack. For all we know it could put you smack in the middle of the Goa'uld Embassy," I replied in the same tone of voice.
"Well, kiddies, why don't you send a camera with the timer set to take a picture of what's on the other side, then bring it back," Janet interposed reasonably. Jack shot her a look that clearly said, "Spoilsport."
"Great idea, Janet. I'll go get the digital camera from my lab. Janet, do you still have that lazy-susan in the break room?" She nodded and walked briskly back the way we'd come to get the gadget. My enthusiasm was spreading.
I raced off to get the camera and was back in less than five minutes. Janet had just set the turntable on the platform when I jogged into the ring room.
"Okay, explain what you're going to do, Sam," Jack asked, clearly mystified by our actions.
"I'm going to set the camera to automatically take a picture every second," I explained while doing just that. "We put it on the turntable on top of the ring platform and start the lazy-susan spinning slowly. Then, send the whole thing wherever the rings go. Wait a minute and bring it back. The camera will have taken several pictures of the surrounding area while spinning around on the turntable."
"I would have expected nothing less," he joked, obviously pleased by our ingenuity. I sent him my best smile in return and was rewarded a look of pure desire. It had been weeks…
TEAL'C
The images taken by ColonelCarter proved to be of a wooded area a few dozen feet from the Stargate. The answer had been before us all along. As soon as my friends had identified the destination of the rings and located the ring control console, they sent Colonel O'Neill through to the other platform with equipment necessary to contact Earth. General Hammond was most impressed and pleased with their discovery.
ColonelCarter arranged for the installation of a palm scanner on the remote control console to keep unwelcome visitors from using the platform to infiltrate the embassy. This proved in later days to be a very wise move, which served to protect us.
With the help of Corporal Foster and the guild planner, the designs for the rebellion headquarters were finished. Refurbishment of the structure proceeded rapidly and one floor would soon be ready for habitation. The day after the discovery in the embassy basement, DanielJackson and I toured Jaffa HQ, as the Tau'ri warriors had begun to call it.
"Well, what do you think, Teal'c? Will it meet your needs of housing 20-30 Jaffa, as well as providing offices and meeting rooms?" my friend asked.
I turned from the new wall I was inspecting to answer, "It will indeed, my friend. The structure is quite sound and contains sufficient space for those of our cause who will stay within the embassy. You have my sincere thanks, DanielJackson." I bowed in appreciation of his generosity.
"No thanks are necessary, Teal'c," DanielJackson replied earnestly. "You have been a true friend and companion for these past seven years, and would have done no less for me if the roles were reversed. I'm just delighted that the team can stay together." He smiled and continued, "Now, if Jack can just get permission to move here too, we'll all be together again."
I, too, smiled at this thought and we turned to leave the half-finished space.
SAM
He did it! Five days later, General Hammond approved Jack's transfer. Jack had only to finish the second round of classes and then restructure the training program to allow for his being off world. Knowing his ingenuity and determination as I did, I was confident he would pull it off.
Teal'c, Daniel, Janet and I were sitting around our favorite third-floor spot over coffee one evening when Daniel rather deliberately put down his cup and cleared his throat. He and Janet exchanged charged glances. "Um, Sam, we three have a surprise for you and Jack, but we couldn't wait until he gets here to show you."
"You do?" I asked doubtfully.
My three friends stood and Janet said, grinning mischievously, "Close your eyes, Sam."
I looked askance at them, but obeyed. Telling me when to turn and when to stop, Teal'c gently guided me by the shoulders as we negotiated the halls to the southern wing.
"Okay, open 'em," Janet ordered, her voice full of excitement. I looked around at them and saw the same on all their faces. Even Teal'c showed some emotion. I turned back to face the way I'd been and saw a new pair of double doors into one of the apartments, although the doors were several feet closer to the main portion of the building than they had been. It had been a mirror image of my own apartment in the opposite wing of the Embassy, but now looked much bigger.
Teal'c stood forward and threw open the doors. He bowed and waved me in. I self-consciously giggled at his whimsical display and stepped forward into the unknown space. My mouth fell open as I looked around the expanded and freshly redecorated apartment. They had combined three small apartments into two larger spaces.
"You did all this for us?" I was incredibly touched by their generosity and thoughtfulness.
Daniel took my hand and replied, "We figured you needed more room if you were going to live together."
I froze at his words and bit my lip. Jack and I hadn't spoken about whether we'd live together. Just being on the same planet was a major step forward for us.
JACK
Sam's rather nervous and tentative letter reached me two days after the little surprise the gang had sprung on her. Poor Sam, she was afraid I'd run for the hills at the thought of moving in together, but nothing could have been further from the truth. It was a dream come true for me.
I wrote back to say that the living arrangements were perfect as far as I was concerned, so long as she'd be comfortable. Only one more thing could have made me happier – to have her agree to marry me. Not that I put that in the letter.
Week 44 Day 3
JACK
Despite the short amount of time I had to prepare, I had my things packed, my house closed up, someone to take care of my yard, and I stood at the base of the ramp waiting for the wormhole to connect to Hawai'iki, my new home.
No Segway this time. When I stepped through the event horizon onto PJB-007, Sam was waiting for me, a huge smile on her face.
"Welcome to Hawai'iki, Colonel O'Neill," she whispered as her arms slid around my neck. Silence reigned for a few minutes until Sam pulled back.
"Let's go home, Jack. I think they're having a surprise party for you, not that they'd tell me you understand. Teal'c, Janet and Daniel are getting quite good at hatching secret little plots." She helped me carry my stuff to the ring platform and sent the first batch through.
While we waited for the signal to send ourselves, we stood quietly in the shade of the grove of fir surrounding the platform, arms around one another, her head on my shoulder. I had such a good feeling about the move to Hawai'iki and the direction our relationship was taking.
SAM
Of course, there was a party waiting when we got there. As soon as the elevator doors opened onto the back hall, welcoming hugs and handshakes overwhelmed Jack. Even my more devoted protectors among the Marines had come to believe that Jack was innocent of hurting me and welcomed him openly.
The grand reception room was jammed full of tables and aliens, many there just for the food and good times, but many were allies who truly were glad to see Jack. After a few hours of Jack playing the guest of honor, Daniel pulled us aside.
"I think you two can make your escape now. There's another surprise for you upstairs." He shooed us away while the getting was good.
"What do you think the surprise is?" Jack asked like an excited eight-year-old. I loved this adorable, child-like side of him.
"I hesitate to guess with those three masterminding it. Could be anything from a romantic dinner to a strip-o-gram," I said dryly. Jack chuckled at the thought and he practically dragged me up the stairs. I finally caught his enthusiasm and we ran down the hall hand-in-hand to our new home.
I'd moved my things in just this morning, not wanting to stay there without Jack, but hadn't really had time to put everything away. When we opened the door, there were no boxes in the middle of the floor, no laptop flashing away on the desk. However, there was a pair of champagne flutes and a bottle of wine chilling in a bucket of ice, a fire in the strange, Lojan fireplace, and soft music playing.
"What a bunch of romantics," I said softly, overcome by their gesture as I looked around at all of my things put exactly where I would have wanted them. I looked closer and saw Jack's things along with mine. They had unpacked his boxes, too.
"Hey, come in here to see the rest of the surprise, Sam," I heard from the bedroom, a very strong hint of amusement in his tone. I followed his voice and stepped into our bedroom. Someone had turned down the satin-sheeted bed and candles illuminated the room with a soft rosy light.
"Oh, my," I whispered, my cheeks flaming. Jack stepped up behind me and circled my waist with his arms.
"Nervous?"
Confused, I turned to face my love. "Of what?"
"This - moving in together. If you're not ready, we can take things slower," he assured me.
Deeply touched by his consideration of my feelings, I gave him my best smile and answered, "After seven years, I'm more than ready for that. It's just … all this is a little overwhelming when it was so unexpected." He kissed me gently and tugged on my hand toward the living room. I followed him back toward the couch and we sat in front of the fire.
"Here," he held out a glass. "Take a sip of this. Someone has very good taste in champagne." I had to admit it was excellent and Jack took my hand as we sat on the sofa in front of the fire.
"Happy?" he asked, almost tentatively.
I gazed up at him and replied, "More than I ever thought I could be. You?"
"Yeah. There's just one more thing that would make life perfect."
Nervous, I looked over. "What?"
"For us to get married," Jack said quietly. "Will you? Marry me, that is."
I hadn't expected it, but Jack's proposal made it all seem real, suddenly. We were finally going to be together. I drew in a shaky breath and tried to speak around the silly grin plastered all over my face. "Of course I will. Marry you, that is."
"Then you should have this," Jack said, smiling happily, and reached into his pocket. Not surprisingly, it was a jewelry box, but what was inside took me by surprise. Of an antique design, the ring held a stunning princess-cut diamond, surrounded by several smaller diamonds. Not the tiny chips in most antique rings, but at least .125-carat diamonds, set in a swirl around the center stone. The matching wedding ring added another swirl. "It was my grandmother's. Grandpa had more taste than money, but he knew where to invest what little he had. Sara never liked it, so it hasn't been worn since Grandma died."
"It's incredibly beautiful, Jack." I looked up at this man, who constantly surprised me, and marveled that he loved me. What had I ever done right to deserve him? "I do love you."
"Then my life is perfect," my love murmured as he pulled me into a heart-stopping kiss.
The End
Author's Note: What do you think? Feedback would make me happy and feed my hungry muse, greedy little piggy that she is. This story is in answer to a challenge by "Megan Klaus"
a) Daniel asks Sam what happened between her and Jack during his absence, but made a slip and asked what's goin' on between her and Jim. (Daniel could be tipsy or something; set your mind free)
b) Sam and Daniel publicly use Jim as a synonym for Jack. Gossip's going high who this mysterious 'Jim' could possibly be.
c) Jack gets jealous - who the hell is Jim?
d) Jack finds out/or Sam tells Jack e) well S/J S/J S/J ... that's actually primarily what counts
Author's Note Redux: Thanks to everyone who posted feedback. I hope you found the last chapter worth the long read. LOL Brevity isn't my strong suit.
