Disclaimer: I don't own Stargate...
Sam jumped when the door was flung open and she saw Jack standing in the doorway. Hastily, she wiped the tears from her face, forgetting that she was still wearing the ring.
"Sir, I..."
"Sam, what the hell are you doing here?"
"I was just... that is I came to... I thought that I should..."
Sam took a deep breath as she tried to steady her voice and figure out what to say. Jack had caught her completely off guard and she had no idea how to explain herself. She scrambled to her feet, Jack's resignation still clutched in her hand and the box with Pete's ring lying forgotten on the floor. She could tell by the look on Jack's face that he was just as taken aback as she was. However, his look of shock was slowly changing to one of horror as he looked at her hand.
"Where did you get that?"
His voice wasn't accusing, just worried and hurt. Sam looked at her hand and then desperately wrenched the ring off her finger. Could she possibly make this situation any worse?
"Jack, look can we talk?"
Jack was surprised by the openness in her voice, and the fact that he honestly couldn't recall the last time she had called him Jack and not Sir. He nodded blankly and gestured for her to sit in his chair. Sam shook her head. She felt like standing at the moment. Jack shrugged and slumped heavily into his chair, his mind still trying to make sense of why Sam was in his office in the middle of the night reading his resignation and wearing the wrong engagement ring. He was no longer angry, that had melted as soon as he had seen his beautiful Sam in a tearful heap on the floor. He had barely been able to restrain himself from scooping her into his arms and comforting her. He liked being able to do that... but it had all gotten more complicated lately...
Sam paced up and down a few times, trying to steady herself and figure out just how to word things. She was keenly aware of how Jack's eyes followed her about the room... his gaze burned into her back. Sam sighed deeply. This was going to be hard...
Jack ran a hand through his hair. He was wrong about his heart being ripped out... oh it was still there... it had been hurling itself at his ribcage for a while and now it had jumped up into his throat and was trying to strangle him. Although it wasn't treating him too nicely, he still wasn't in the mood for having it broken for the second time in as many weeks. Why couldn't she just say whatever she was gonna say? Women...
Sam decided to go for the simple approach before both her courage and her legs failed her. Jack's ring was still gripped in her hand. God, she hoped he didn't hate her... She walked over to the desk and sat on it, just in front of Jack. He looked up at her expectantly, but with fear and trepidation in his eyes. It almost made Sam cry again to think that she had been the one to put that there...
"Jack, I love you. I've loved you for a long time but I've just been too scared and too stupid to see it. You must hate me after all I've put you through, but you at least deserve to know."
Jack wanted to pinch himself to make sure this was real. But if it was a dream, he sure as hell didn't want to wake up. Could this really be Sam, sitting in front of him and telling him that she loved him, looking at him expectantly with tears filling her eyes.
"Please don't hate me..."
Sam barely whispered. She looked down to hide the tears that were falling. Two weeks ago there had been two men that wanted to spend the rest of their lives with her. After tonight, there would be none. She gently took his hand in hers.
"I just wanted to let you know; I've been wearing the wrong ring. If I can't wear this one, I don't want to wear any other."
When their hands parted, Jack's ring was glistening in the palm of his hand. Sam slid gently off the table and headed for the door. She paused for a second and held her breath... please Jack, say something... Sam headed down the corridor, her heart heavy and her footsteps echoing loudly in her now empty world...
Jack stared at the ring in his hand for a long, long time... a million thoughts went through his head, quite a lot more than usual! Sam loved him... but she was engaged to someone else... Get a brain O'Neill! That ring is in a box on the floor, she just told you she loved you and now she's walking away thinking that you hate her. Can you see anything wrong with this picture? Like hell I can!
"SAM!"
Jack jumped up from his chair and darted across the room as fast as he could go. He sprinted down the corridor, ignoring the complaints of his bad knee.
Sam turned when she heard her name and was making her way back towards Jack's voice when she collided with someone coming around the corner at top speed. They both managed to stay upright but it was a very breathless Jack that was trying to communicate with her.
"Sam... shouldn't... have... let you..."
Screw all this talking, just kiss her! You're the boss...
Sam had one arm around Jack's back to steady him after their collision and her other hand was on his chest. She could feel his heart racing and she looked up into his eyes to try and see what he was going to say when she felt him wrap his arms around her and she was lost in his kiss. She could feel Jack's arms tighten around her waist and she reached up and drew his head closer to deepen the kiss. Jack could have sworn that time stopped, but maybe it was just the lack of oxygen...
When they broke apart, Jack pulled Sam into a tight hug, burying his face in her neck. He never, ever wanted to let her go.
"I love you more than ever..."
Sam just hugged him tighter.
A/N: There's more to come, but not tonight... In the meantime, please review!