WITH FIREWORKS AND KISSES
CHAPTER 3
TITTLE: "With Fireworks and Kisses"
CHAPTER: Three.
AUTHOR: fresitaazul
RATING: OLDER TEENS for sexual situations and sexual innuendo.
CATEGORY: Angst/Romance
PAIRING: Sam and Jack
SPOILERS: Season 9 (Camelot)
SUMMARY: Sam has a party at her house to celebrate the Fourth of July.
WARNINGS: language, sexual situations and sexual innuendo. Read further at your own discretion.
DISCLAIMER: The characters used in this story DO NOT belong to me; I'm just borrowing them for fun. I am not gaining any money for this and don't expect to either.
FEEDBACK: Always welcome, thank you!
AUTHOR'S NOTES:
I have always wanted to see more of Sam and Jack's interaction with Cassandra. She is brought up only a few times on the show and I've always wondered what kind of relationship she has with both of them. On this note, this chapter was wonderful to write because I was able to explore this issue in my own way.
Thanks to my Beta, Lennie. Your help with the positive reviews and fantastic suggestions make the story shine! I am a very happy camper.
Thanks to my mom and my husband for their continuous support.
And last but not least, another big thank you to all my wonderful readers.
Like always, enjoy the ride!
"Well, hello!" Vala said excitedly as she exited Sam's living room and walked onto the back deck of her beautiful house. She admired the view, including the four men in front of her, and the colorful garden displayed in the background.
Sam had bought a much bigger house when she returned to Colorado Springs from Nevada; it was one she had spotted on her last visit to General O'Neill before he sold his own. The place was actually quite close to Jack's old house and it reminded her of her childhood home where she and her family had spent over ten years together.
"Hi, Vala!" Sam said from the grill as she approached the newcomer. "Did someone from the SGC drive you here?"
"Yes, a cute SF did. Thank you for having me, Sam," Vala responded sincerely.
"No problem! It's good to have you with us."
Daniel and Mitchell exchanged wary looks and raised their eyebrows.
"I'm glad at least you feel that way," Vala continued as she noticed the rudeness of the two men across from her and smiled sarcastically in their direction.
Sam sent them a look of reproach and turned to the gray-haired man who stood beside her. "Jack, have you met Vala yet?"
He shook his head and smiled, while he extended his hand to the woman. "No, I don't think I have, but I've heard a lot about you."
Vala stared at Jack for a long moment and finally took his hand with a wide smile. "It is such a pleasure to finally meet you, General. From what I hear, you are a legend at that mountain and across the universe!"
Jack raised his eyebrows and looked at Sam from the corner of his eye. "Why, thank you, ma'am, but don't believe everything you hear."
"Oh, honey, please call me Vala. No Ma'ams and Sirs in my vocabulary. I hope you don't mind me calling you Jack."
"Not at all," Jack responded and looked down at their hands, as she continued to squeeze his. He removed it from her tight grasp rapidly and looked at Sam again, who was now enjoying the awkwardness of his situation.
"Oh, sorry," Vala said and turned to Sam with a grin. "Honey, he's a hunk. No wonder you're such a nice and happy person! I would be with a man like this in my bed." Her voice was loud and the group heard every word the black-haired woman spoke, while everyone's face turned into a bright shade of pink.
Jack cleared his throat uncomfortably and swallowed a laugh, but he couldn't hide a grin from appearing in his face. "Well, I guess I'll go inside and check on… the…" He looked at Sam begging her for something to go inside for.
"Why don't you bring the iced tea and some beer?" Sam supplied and turned to the grill once again, ignoring the multiple pairs of eyes glued on her.
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Cassie opened the front door and pushed it with her foot as she made her way into the foyer. She dropped the grocery bags to the floor and closed the door behind her as she blew out a breath and rested her body against the cold surface of the wall. It was then that she noticed Jack's tall frame walking swiftly to the kitchen and she checked that he was not followed by anyone else.
Quietly, she approached him from behind and right before she made a move to scare him, he turned smiling casually. "Hey, Cass."
"Jack! You ruined it again!"
He laughed and opened the beer in his hand. "Cass, when are ya gonna learn you can't sneak up on me. It's just not possible!"
"One day I will, Jack. One day!" she declared with great confidence. With a fast move, she jumped and sat on top of the counter as she drank from a new can of Diet Coke he handed her. "So…"
Jack sighed and rolled his eyes, an action he performed often when talking to the inquisitive young girl. "Cassie, not again."
"What? I haven't even said anything yet!" she said with an angelical grin.
"Yet..." he echoed and narrowed his eyes as he took a long drink from the bottle. He gazed at Sam through the wide kitchen window then returned his eyes to Cassandra and his smiled mirrored hers. "Out with it, Cass. Now. Say it."
"She's got you wrapped around her finger, doesn't she?" she teased, more as an affirmation than a question.
He remained quiet until the girl fixed her eyes even more on his features and his brown ones met hers. "I'm afraid she has for a very long time, Kiddo."
"Yeah, I know. Actually, I think it goes both ways." She looked in Sam's direction and then gazed at Jack. "I'm so glad you guys are together. I spent so many years hoping you could find a way. Not to mention when Sam almost married the cop…" She took a long sip and continued, "I mean, what was up with that?" This came in a higher tone of voice. "Made me so mad, Jack. I've always wanted her to be with you."
"Cassie, we've been over this…"
"Yeah, yeah, the stupid USAF regulations. Believe me, I know. I did a complete research on it trying to find a loophole for you guys!" She swallowed the liquid in her mouth and continued, "If it had been me, I would've broken those rules a long time ago."
"Cassie…" Jack warned.
"What? It's true! If I had the love of my life standing right in front of me, there is no way I would let him go," she pronounced the last words dreamily.
He shook his head and took a deep breath. Again, the 'relationship issue' had been brought up and he found it hard to make the girl understand the reasons behind their choices. "Cassie, there is much you have to learn in life. Things are way more complicated than what they seem."
"O.k… Teal'c," she said sarcastically. "Jack, don't give me that crap! The only reason you didn't make a move all those years was for her. I know you too well, and you've broken many rules in your lifetime."
"Hey, hey, hey! Watch the language young lady," Jack said, trying to sound menacing.
"See? You're trying to change the subject again!"
"Please, Cass… let's just drop it, huh?" he begged. Jack really hated discussing the Sam/Jack issue with the young girl, especially when she went into the years they spent apart because of their jobs and the military. Even after the many times he and Sam had explained the reasons to her, there was always an inappropriate moment she chose to re-open the can.
She let a long sigh escape and closed her eyes in defeat. "Fine… I'll drop it, but only because you're being nice and I haven't seen you in a while." She smiled brightly knowing she had achieved her objective. "Now, tell me something fun! Not about Sam, of course," she teased again and enjoyed the look he gave her. "Let's talk about D.C."
"Really? I thought you said something fun," he took another long sip of his drink.
"That bad?" she questioned sadly.
"Huh?" he said, regretting the sudden slip of emotion. He didn't want anyone, especially Cassie or Sam, to notice how miserable he was in Washington.
She raised her eyebrows while waiting for his response, but she noticed the quick change in mood as he smiled and tapped her shoulder gently.
"Nah, it's fine. It's work, you know? Fun is always around the corner!" He looked towards Sam again and then back at Cassie. "O.k., enough about me. We have a present for you since, y'know, a little bird said that a certain freshman, now sophomore, won a scholarship," he said with a proud expression. With a quick gaze to Sam, he indicated she came inside.
"You didn't have to, Jack," Cassie said softly, a little embarrassed.
"Who said I do things because I have to?" With a mischievous smile, he pulled her from the counter and guided her towards the room where she was staying while visiting Sam –her room actually, since she had decorated it herself. He covered her eyes with his hands and made an abrupt stop at the entrance.
"Jack?" Cassie asked curiously, keeping her eyes closed.
"Patience, Cassandra. Patience," he told her as he turned her around and stood by the desk inside the room. "Now, open you eyes."
She did as told, and slowly opened her young, brown eyes to find a big wrapped box on top of the small wooden desk. "W-what is it?"
"Well, come closer and find out!" he said, as excitement got the best of him. At that point, Sam came from around the corner and looked at him intrigued.
"What's going on?" she asked, and he gestured for her to walk in and stand by him.
"Is that it?" she whispered secretly into his ear, while pointing at the box in question.
"Yup."
"OH. MY. GOD!" the girl screamed as she ripped the first piece of wrapping paper. "JACK! SAM!"
Next thing he knew he was being crushed in a tight hug. Cassie cried silently into his shoulder and looked at Sam with watery eyes. After a moment, she pulled back and looked at the two of them as they displayed honest smiles. She then hugged Sam for a while longer, until she finally ended the embrace and wiped away the tears that covered her face.
"Well?" Sam said expectantly. "What do you think?"
"What do I think?" Cassie said. "Thank you!" New tears began to fall and Sam wrapped her arm around her shoulder, guiding her to the box again.
"Oh, Cass. You know how much you deserve this, don't you?" Sam asked sweetly.
The girl nodded and smiled tenderly. Even at 20 years old, Sam knew she would always have that childlike innocence they first saw in her all those years ago when they found her. She had lost so much and had remained brave and happy; both Sam and Jack took her under their wing and cared for her more than was describable.
"And you know you're gonna have to teach me how to use that thing, right?" Jack added, hopeful.
Cassie laughed at the typical Jack comment. "Didn't you buy it, Jack?"
"No… just how much do you think I know about computers?" He looked at Sam and wrapped his arm around her shoulder. "I simply paid my half and was here when the FedEx guy came this morning." He turned his head and gazed at Sam. "This woman here spent months researching, and studying, and calling and asking…" he sighed and made a dramatic gesture. "Y'know, until she found the best, most perfect laptop she could get you. I'd be surprised if the thing is not a time machine, too!"
Cassie shook her head and glanced at the box again; it was a beautiful slim black Apple laptop, the latest MacBook on the market. She and Sam had talked about it briefly over the phone and she had mentioned taking a summer job to save up to buy it later in the winter. She even remembered Sam giving her ideas to make more money so she could get it earlier in the fall.
"You tricked me!" Cassie said.
"What?" Sam asked.
"You tricked me into working two jobs when you knew all along you guys were planning on getting it for me! Hey! Even before I got my scholarship!"
"More work is always good, Cass. Think about how much money you'll have saved up for when you start the next semester and all the free time you'll have to study!" Sam responded actually excited.
Cassie and Jack looked at each other and rolled their eyes. "Sam, you were a real geek, weren't you?" Cassie finally said.
"Were?" Jack added and instantly regretted the comment as Sam gazed at him dryly.
"For your information, being a geek as you call it, got me where I am now," Sam said in her defense.
Jack watched her for a moment and then pulled her into a passionate kiss. After her surprise and Cassie's embarrassment, he broke the contact and smiled as he looked into the blue eyes he adored. "God, I love you!"
Both women raised their eyebrows at the sudden intimate declaration. Sam smiled and kissed him lightly on the lips. "Glad to know you love the geek in me."
"Oh, you know I do." He waggled his eyebrows suggestively and they stared at each other until finally Cassie coughed and brought them out of the spell.
"You two need to get a room, badly." The girl's smile grew wider as she looked towards the hallway. "You know, all the others are out drinking and chatting, I'm sure they won't notice you're gone…"
"Cassandra Frasier!" Sam said immediately. She looked at Jack who was smirking at the younger woman's comment and started walking out of the room. "Where are you going?" she asked him.
"I'm taking Cassie's suggestion, of course," he said simply.
"Jack!" Sam yelled in shock. "No, we have guests… you have to be kidding."
He winked at her and disappeared in the opposite direction, heading to the backyard.
"I know you want me, Samantha Carter!" Sam and Cassie heard him yell as they heard the sliding door open and close.
Sam shook her head and turned to Cassie who was watching her with happy eyes. "What?"
"Did you know this is the happiest I've ever seen you, Sam? Even though he's miles away, he manages to put a smile on your face every time. I can see it when we talk on the phone, and I bet it's the same when you're at work."
"Jack O'Neill can do that to me," the older woman declared. "Come on, Cass. We'll play with this baby tomorrow morning. You haven't seen Teal'c and Daniel, have you?"
"No! Oh, god, they're gonna think I'm the worse friend ever!" Cassie said as both women walked through the hallway.
TBC…..