Jack came awake slowly, rising through the layers of sleep one at a time. The first thing his brain registered was the smell of freshly brewed coffee wafting through the air. Cracking one eye open, he realized it was late morning. Sunlight shone brightly through semi-closed blinds lining the windows in Sam's bedroom. The last thing his mind registered was that he was alone.
Pushing into a sitting position, he ran a hand through his hair, making it stick every which way. Scooting to the edge of the bed, he looked around until he found his boxer shorts and pulled them on. Padding out to the kitchen, he saw Sam standing at the stove, humming while she poked at something in a frying pan.
Jack drank in the sight of her. She was wearing one of his old t-shirts that he hadn't seen in ages. The long, lean lines of her body looked strong and healthy, making him silently thank whoever might be out there watching over them.
"Good morning," Sam said, throwing him a sexy, knowing smile. It was the type of smile shared by lovers.
Lovers. Samantha Carter was his lover. No, that didn't even begin to capture the depth of feeling he had about this woman. Girlfriend sounded silly, given his age. Wife his mind whispered, making him smile. If only the stars would align, he thought to himself, because he'd marry her today if she'd have him. But the logistical issues of that were astounding, not to mention impossible given their current situation. Now that Sam was fully healed, she'd be reinstated on SG-1 and he'd, once again, be her CO. While he knew giving up what they'd found together wasn't an option, he was also unsure how to proceed. He'd never let her forego her career and she'd never let him retire. And if he were completely honest, he'd never want anyone else protecting her six anyway.
Shaking those worries aside, Jack focused on what was right in front of him. A beautiful woman who looked like she'd been thoroughly loved last night, and who he planned on worshipping again this morning.
"Mornin' beautiful," he replied, enveloping her in a hug from behind. He nuzzled her neck, teasing his tongue against the sensitive skin when she tilted her head to the side to give him better access. His fingers quickly found the hem of her t-shirt and slipped underneath. As his fingers brushed against soft curls, he stilled completely.
"Surprise," Sam murmured huskily, reaching one hand up to bury her fingers in his short hair.
Rotating her torso, Sam nipped playfully at Jack's lips, relishing the heated look of surprise on his face. She wiggled her backside against the telltale nudge and hummed low in her throat.
"Christ, woman," Jack growled, "are you trying to give me a heart attack?" He pulled her back against his front as one of his hands sank into her folds.
Sam let out a breathy moan when his questing fingers found the right spot. His teeth nipped her ear lightly before he spoke. "Do you know how hot you are? How unbelievably sexy?"
Sam bit her bottom lip and shook her head as a sexy whimper escaped.
"And it's not just your body," he clasped his arm around her waist and pulled her tighter against him, "it's the whole damn package." He started rocking his hips against her backside in rhythm with his fingers.
He kept building the fire within her, pushing her closer and closer to the edge of—-the doorbell rang. A shrill ding dong that evaporated the sensual haze sound them.
"Shit!" Sam jerked forward, realizing the eggs she'd been cooking were burning as smoke slowly began billowing up from the pan.
Grabbing a hand towel, she fanned the smoke, trying to clear the air before the smoke detector started blaring. The doorbell rang again, followed by a sharp knock.
"Go answer the door," she ordered Jack frantically, then picked up the frypan and dumped everything into the sink.
"I swear to god, if it's Daniel, I'm going to shoot him," Jack crossed to Sam's front door, still wearing his boxers. Whoever the hell had the nerve to interrupt what he was about to do to Sam deserved whatever embarrassment they suffered. "What?" He jerked the door open.
Standing on Sam's doorstep dressed in full Class A's was Major General George Hammond.
Hammond took one look at Jack and immediately frowned. The man was standing in his goddaughter's doorway wearing nothing except a partially-tented pair of plaid boxers.
"Did I come at a bad time?" Hammond asked right as Sam ran in from the kitchen, skidding to a halt as soon as she saw him.
"Uncle George!" She exclaimed, her face bursting into flames as she tugged frantically at the hem of the t-shirt she wore. Jack's t-shirt if George wasn't mistaken.
"Samantha," he replied, using her full first name like he had when she was little and in trouble.
"I, um," she stammered, her eyes darting between the two men. "It's not what—" she snapped her mouth shut. It was exactly what it looked like.
"Tell you what," Hammond said, looking pointedly at Jack. "Why don't you both put on some clothes before inviting me inside," he ordered, then turned and marched down the porch to wait.
Sam sat on her couch, desperately trying not to fidget like a kid in the principal's office. Next to her, Jack sat stiffly, obviously chagrined at having been caught red-handed in an inappropriate situation.
Daring a look at General Hammond, she found him watching them closely, a frown pulling his lips into a tight thin line. The only thing that gave her pause, however, was an almost amused twinkle in his eyes. It was buried beneath the disapproving stare, but having often seen the softer side of her godfather growing up, she could tell something wasn't quite as it seemed.
"Sir," Jack broke the awkward silence that had descended around them, "I'd like to tender my resignation."
"What? No!" Sam hissed at him.
"Not accepted." Hammond glared at him.
"With all due respect, sir," Jack's voice was respectful but hard as he stared at his commanding officer. "I refuse to give her up."
"I could put a transfer in for Major Carter," Hammond offered almost tauntingly. "R at Groom Lake could use her expertise."
"Absolutely not," Jack growled. "Carter belongs on SG-1. Transfer me and give her command."
"Sir, no," Sam gasped at Jack's offer. If anyone belonged on SG-1 it was him. "I'll take the transfer to Area 51," Sam said, earning a glare from Jack. "It's my career, it's my choice," she said firmly.
Jack actually growled low in his throat but said nothing. His eyes cut back to Hammond, waiting for his response.
"Right answer," Hammond said after a tense moment before breaking into a wide grin. "Both of you. Right answer."
"Sir?" Jack asked hesitantly, unsure what had just happened. Beside him, he felt Sam relax, her ramrod straight back sagging in relief.
"I had to be sure, son," Hammond's entire demeanor changed, "about the two of you. What you'd be willing to give up and if you'd let your feelings for each other affect your decisions."
"What?" Jack looked at him incredulously.
"Uncle George," Sam used the familial name to let him know she'd caught on, "what did you do?"
Hammond grinned at his goddaughter before pulling out a folder marked confidential from his briefcase and handing it to Sam. "You'll want to sign these before I leave."
Accepting the folder, she pulled out a small packet of papers. " Temporary Disability Retired List," she read the words printed in bold letters at the top of the page.
"Sir?" Jack's eyes widened as he looked at Hammond.
"Look at the date."
"It's backdated to the Super Soldier attack," Sam said perplexed. She hadn't requested to be put on TDRL[1].
"If you sign that backdated form before I leave here today, you will essentially be medically retired until your required physical examination in two weeks," Hammond explained.
"And no longer an active member of the Air Force," Sam breathed, as what he was offering them finally clicked. Laying the papers on the coffee table she rose from the couch and walked into the kitchen and grabbed a pen out of the junk drawer. Crossing back to the couch, she sat down and reached for the paperwork.
"Sam," Jack's hand waylaid her, "are you sure?"
"You don't think I can pass the physical in two weeks?" She asked playfully, making him let out a little chuckle at the absolute absurdity of the thought. Winking, she signed the TDRL and handed it back to her godfather.
"This is a one-time offer," Hammond told them seriously, handing Jack a different packet of papers. "I'm sorry to make this so abrupt but Jacob and I had to call in a number of favors. When I walk out that door," he pointed to the front entrance, "this offer disappears like it never existed."
Jack accepted the paperwork and began thumbing through, making sure Sam could see, too. The third page caught his eye. It was an official letter signed by the President giving the SGC Base Commander full authority over SG team composition. It specifically referenced an exception to AFI36-2909 regarding "Unprofessional Relationships'' with reference to officially recognized, permanent relationships between officers.
The next page made Jack frown. It was a transfer for Sam, moving her out from under Jack's chain-of-command and ordering her to report directly to General Hammond as the Senior Military Science Officer.
"The SMSO will serve on SG-1," Hammond explained, "and will report directly to me, but," he nodded at the papers, "the next page is the President's non-negotiable requirement for any of this to be put into place."
Jack flipped the page and froze. It was a marriage license, already signed and notarized. The only thing missing was his and Sam's signatures. Jack's eyes widened when he saw Henry Hayes' signature on the officiant's line.
"Sir?" Jack asked, his voice rough. He glanced at Sam, her own eyes wide.
"As soon as you both sign that document, you are legally married in the eyes of the law and the military," Hammond told them with a serious tone. "There's no going back. No chance to get cold feet. That's the deal Henry is offering."
"Jack, look at the date and time," Sam pointed to the signature lines. Today. Now.
"The President is currently sitting in the Rose Garden enjoying a peaceful morning to himself. His official itinerary, however, shows it as a private event," Hammond smiled. "If you decide to accept his offer, that marriage license will be buried so deep within the bureaucracy that no one will know about it until such a time as you might need it." Hammond watched them carefully to ensure they understood. "However," he continued, "Henry would like me to extend an invitation for you to come and allow him the honor of performing the vow renewal…in the future."
Jack blinked as the reality of what was being offered sunk in. Them together and on the same team. All he had to do was marry the woman he loved and keep said marriage a secret. But what about Sam? Was she ready to marry him?
"Sam, I—" her fingers against his lips stopped his words. Her eyes held his, her gaze filled with love. Gently extracting the packet from his hands, she signed her name on the designated signature line.
"I'm all in," she told him before handing the packet and pen back to him.
Jack's breath hitched at her words. All in. Always .
His heart racing, Jack signed his name just above hers on the other signature line. Then with slightly trembling hands, he cupped his wife's face. Her fingers wound around the fabric of his t-shirt, pulling him lightly toward her until their lips met in a soft but sensual kiss.
When they pulled back, Hammond spoke again. "Your father wanted you to have these," he told Sam, his voice gruff with emotion as he pulled an antique wooden ring box out of his pocket and placed it on the table between them.
Sam recognized it immediately. The cherry wood was polished to a high sheen, an intricate Celtic knot carved into the lid. With shaking hands she picked it up and flipped the little latch. Easing open the lid she found her mother's and father's wedding rings.
"These were my parents'," she told Jack, knowing he'd understand the significance.
Jack swallowed hard. Debra had been the love of Jacob Carter's life. His soul mate, he'd often called her. For him to pass on the symbol of their love to him and Sam…it was significant.
Sam picked up the larger band and looked at Jack. He held out his left hand, watching as she carefully slid the wedding ring onto his third finger.
Jack retrieved the remaining ring. Holding the delicate wedding band with his thumb and forefinger, he slipped it onto Sam's ring finger of her left hand. Bringing her hand to his lips, he placed a kiss against her knuckles.
"Congratulations," Hammond's voice was filled with emotion, "to both of you."
"Thank you, sir," Jack said, equally moved by the lengths this man had gone to for them.
"I have one more thing for you to sign," Hammond told Jack, pulling a folded piece of paper from his pocket. It was a personal leave request for the next two weeks. "I assumed you wouldn't want to stop by the base before starting the honeymoon." He laughed when they both had the decency to blush, having already been caught.
"Thank you Uncle George," Sam stood and walked around the coffee table to pull him into a hug. She kissed his cheek, smiling when he ruffled her hair like he used to do when she was a kid.
"Yes, thank you, sir," Jack echoed, still processing that he and Sam were officially married.
"I'm happy for you both," Hammond said, gathering up the documents before walking to the door. "I believe these are yours," he handed Jack his truck keys. "I'll see you in two weeks." He closed the door behind him, hiding his smile at their bemused expressions. When he'd come straight here from the airport, the last thing he expected was to find his two favorite officers in a compromising position. Oh, he assumed they'd broken some regulations last night, given his earlier discussion with Jacob. But catching them both in their underwear was downright hilarious, and worth it to see them so happy.
Pulling out his cell phone he punched in Jacob's number.
"Did she make an honest man out of him?" Jacob asked, foregoing the usual pleasantries.
"Did you have doubts?" Hammond laughed. "You were right, by the way, I should have called first." He couldn't keep the grimace out of his tone.
"That bad?" Jacob chuckled.
"Let's just say I owe you fifty bucks and leave it at that."
Post Notes:
[1] TDRL - Temporary Disability Retired List: a list of service members found to be unfit for military duty by reason of disability whose conditions have not stabilized sufficiently to permit the assessment of a permanent disability rating. Those on TDRL are considered "retired" for a period of time until they are either returned to active duty or medically discharged.
https/www.hrc.army./temporary-disability-retired-list/
This story has already ventured WAY into AU territory, so I figured why not blast the rest of the way. Hopefully, I surprised you at least a little bit. BTW, there are still eight more chapters to go!