For Mu with love xxxxxxx a wife has gotta do what a wife has gotta do!

Language warning - Jack's at it again!

Supporting Rumors - Part 61

Jack knew he was in trouble the second he saw his wife's face. The determined look she wore spelt trouble with a capital T.

He searched his memory, trying to remember if he had upset her – or someone else – nah, he'd even been apologetic to the therapist when his damn twitchy foot had kicked out earlier that day and caught the young man in an embarrassing, not to mention painful, place.

Sam bent to hug and kiss him, somewhat briefly, much to his chagrin, but before he could return the hug she was straightening and dragging a chair over to sit beside him.

Oh … crap, her face now bore the look as if someone had taken her favorite do-hickey of the moment and broken it - and didn't he know that look well enough over the years. He cleared his throat. "Ah, you look like you . . ." He wavered in the full force of her glare. Where the hell had his anti-glare shield snuck off to?

Oh crap … now her face lit with a calculated 'gotcha'.

"Jack. We have to talk."

Double crap.

Her expression now changed to 'I know what you are thinking and if it isn't, it sure as hell will be shortly'.

"Talk away."

"You promised me we would face this together, that you wouldn't shut me out."

Jack nodded. He had. Couldn't argue with that.

"How are you feeling?"

Her question took him by surprise. "Uh, okaaaay," he drawled slowly, wondering what was coming next.

"Ah, see?" she said, revealing just a hint of triumph.

"Uh?"

"Okay. You think you could try again?"

Oh, the tone was now 'don't mess with me' – and no sir at that!

"Thank you dear, I am very well."

"Jack!"

He shrugged. He was used to living dangerously. "Well, for crying out loud, how do you expect me to answer? Okay? Fine? Marvelous? Hunky dory? Peachy?"

Sam grasped his arm to stop his tirade. "Truthfully, Jack. I know you, remember?"

Jack felt the bile rising, the churning in his stomach viciously competing with the fear that roiled constantly in his gut. Suddenly Jack found he couldn't hold back, couldn't conceal his churning emotions in the face of her determination. He didn't want to shut her out, but it was something so ingrained in him that it hurt – yet he couldn't risk losing her. "I don't know what the truth is anymore …" He groaned and ducked his head, bringing up his hands to shield his face from her. He breathed deeply, searching for the words that were straining to be heard. "I can't …"

The gentle tug at his hands not only lowered them but lowered all his resistance and the damn burst. "Truth is I want out of here. I want to – no wait … the truth is I want to get up and fucking walk out of here!"

Jack felt his pulse racing as his anger and frustration took control. He stopped, horrified at revealing so much, as he frantically searched her face, wanting - craving reassurance.

Sam sighed and closed her eyes for a moment.

"And I want to go home …" His voice died to a whisper. "I want to be home, with you."

The lump in his throat wouldn't be swallowed – it just grew. His eyes burned with unshed tears and he clenched them tightly closed.

"I want to be whole again Sam, to be able to walk with you, make love to you. I want my life back, I want …" He broke off with a sobbed breath and he opened his eyes, blinking viciously at the moisture that blurred his vision, to find her gaze upon him. Her blue eyes were so intense they were startling and he almost forgot to breathe as he was drawn into them.

"I know you're hurting, Jack and I'm hurting with you. I can never feel exactly what you are feeling and I know I simply can't feel the same pain at what you are going through, but I'm here beside you and I want – god, no, I need you to share it with me. Don't tell me you are fine when you aren't. I want you home, I want all of those things with you, but you can't do it alone. There's no limit to what you can do even if you never walk again. The only limit you will have is the limit you will place on yourself and what you can achieve."

"Easy to say, less than easy to do. A twitchy foot and an occasionally numb hard on don't exactly …"

"Oh no, mister, no way are you going to give me that cop out. You gave one hundred and ten percent all of your life to the damned Air Force and you are not going to get away with less with me. I admit you haven't always gotten that from me, but that's going to change. There is still hope, always hope, Jack. It's not going to be a fast track or a smooth one, you know that."

Jeez, her eyes flashing with fire – it made quite a vision. Feisty – but he had always known that – hadn't he? He sighed. "I know but I still wanted it to be quick. I knew how long I was supposed to be staying here for, but I was going to be up and out of here before now – that was the plan …"

"Plan B?" asked Sam, moving closer and her hand grasped his.

"Plan B was a couple of weeks extra."

"Plan C?"

"Wasn't one."

"No plan C? Oy, Jack I Want Another Option O'Neill …" Sam smacked a hand to her forehead in mock annoyance. "You had better make a Plan C, mister and make it a good one or they'll not let you home for a weekend next week."

"A weekend?" Was he disgusted or excited? Darn it, he'd been waiting for what seemed forever and it was just one lousy weekend!

"The house is almost ready, just the odd finishing touches, and you're apparently waaaay ahead of schedule with your independence, so?"

"Just you and me?" he asked suspiciously.

"Oh, and who else would you like to share your bed with?" she queried with a frown.

Jack gave her a grin and she shook her head. "Oh, don't answer that, please. I am not inviting Mary Steenburgen for the weekend."

She slapped Jack playfully as he feigned disappointment.

"They want someone to come out and check the house and also pay us a visit while you are home to see how we are coping, but other than that …"

Jack's grin widened. "We get to share a bed?"

"You only want me for my body or what?"

"Oh, what's the or what?"

Sam rolled her eyes and laughed.

xoxoxoxoxoxoxo

The plan was to get Jack thinking ahead, giving him something to look forward to and also a chance for them to spend, hopefully that was, some quality time together. Freund was all for it and had helped her to get things rolling … she just hoped that this would be the incentive for Jack to push on inside, climb out of the mental gulley he was in…

xoxoxoxoxoxoxo

TBC