Disclaimer: Stargate is not mine, no matter how much I want it, and just F.Y.I., things would look slightly different around the SGC if I did.
Spoilers: Cold Lazarus at the moment; we'll see as the story progresses
Setting: Season Uno & Season Eight, beginning of Season Nine
AUTHORS NOTE: Thank you to my reviewers, and to everyone else, I love reviews, please, just take thirty seconds to let me know what you think!
CHAPTER 2
THE DECIDING FACTOR
Over the next weeks, Sarah and Jack met occasionally at the coffee house, or at the bookstore, and talked. Not always about their personal issues, but about whatever was on their minds. Jack had gotten clearance for Sarah, seeming as she already somewhat knew of the gate, and it made Jack's life a helluva lot easier. Sarah had also started receiving bouquets of flowers from "anonymous". She suspected they were from Jack, but didn't know for sure, and was reluctant to ask him, because romance had never been his strong suit.
After three weeks of casual meetings, Jack decided to take it to the next level, and truth be told, he was wary of the situation. They had started to patch their torn relationship, but Jack couldn't get a read on her. He wasn't completely sure that he wanted Sarah back, but he didn't want to push her away again, just to end up an old bachelor. As he buttoned his top shirt button, he noticed his hands were shaking, ever so slightly. Sarah was having the same thoughts as she slipped into a soft peach sundress. Jack was taking her out to dinner that night, and she was fretting over what she was sure was going to be the start of something new. Whether it was going to be a romantic relationship was most likely going to be decided by the outcome of tonight's dinner, their first real date since their separation.
Her doorbell rang at exactly seven 'o'clock, and she kissed her father's cheek, and slipped out the door. The first thing that she saw was the truck, and looking around, tried to find its owner. She found him hiding behind the truck, a sheepish grin on his face.
"Ding dong ditch, Jack….isn't that a little bit elementary school?" She asked, a smile tugging at her lips.
"I couldn't resist…" He said, before straightening.
"So, where are we going?" She inquired, climbing into the cab.
"Well, I was thinking that little restaurant in town, with the live music" He said.
"Sounds good." She replied, and they backed out of the driveway, headed for the deciding dinner for the rest of their lives.
The meal was delicious, the conversation light and sparse, and the bluegrass band was delightful. They ate contentedly, each wrapped in their own thoughts, each fretful of what the outcome would ultimately be.
After they had both finished, Jack stood, and offered his hand to Sarah.
"May I have this dance, young lady?" he questioned.
"Jack, flattery will get you no where in life, you know that?" She responded ruefully.
"Tsk, tsk, you obviously have forgotten how utterly suave I can be, haven't you?" he whispered in her ear, one hand holding hers, the other resting on the small of her back, guiding her. She laughed, a deep sincere laugh, and nodded, relaxing into his guidance.
When they reached the dance floor, he twirled her before bringing her to him, loving the feel of a woman in his arm. He tensed. A woman, he thought, not Sarah, but a woman. Sarah looked up, confusion evident in her face.
"Something wrong Jack?" she asked, pulling her face back from his shoulder.
"No, I'm fine," He said. At her skeptical look he said, "Really, I'm okay."
She shrugged, and stepped back into him, and he tried to banish the thought from his head.
After several dances, they were both feeling slightly awkward around the other, so they went back to their table, paid the bill, and left, headed towards a local bar, both of them feeling the need to relax, and if it was not attainable naturally, they were going to call in the expert: hard liquor.
Jack ordered a Jack Daniels for himself, and a Sam Adams for Sarah, and carried them back to their table, doing the shuffle to avoid the early drunks. They sat in silence, chugging the drinks, and constantly raising their hands for refills.
After the fourth (or was it the fifth?) drink Jack started talking, his words not paying justice to the amount of liquor he had taken down.
"Sarah, do you want to go back to my place? It'll be much quieter there, and we can talk."
"Suuureee-ee, thaa would be gooood…" she slurred, the effects of her beers catching up to her. Jack loaded her into the truck, and drove home slowly, watching Sarah's every move, ready to pull over if need be.
They made it back to his house uneventfully, and he half-carried, half-dragged Sarah into the house, and plopped her down on the couch, before walking into the kitchen to start the coffee percolator. After several moments it was done, and he handed one cup to her, before falling into a chair himself. After a long silence Sarah spoke, jerking Jack from his inspection of the chair's worn blue cover.
"Jack, do you love me?" She said, her eyes piercing his.
"Where did that come from?" he yelped, trying to recede into the chair as she stood up slowly, and walked towards him, a dark look in her eyes.
"I, yes, sure, I don't know, Sarah…Sarah what are you doing?" his voice changing from unsure to confused. Sarah was slowly unzipping the back of her dress.
"Jack, do you want me?" She asked, letting the dress fall to her ankles, leaving her clad in her bra and underwear.
"WHAT?" He exclaimed, taking in the scene that was slowly unfolding before him.
"Jack, I'm drunk, I'm alone, and this is the fastest way I know to solve this tension." She advanced forward, a feral look in her eye. Slowly she bent down so that she was eye-level with him, and then steadily she leaned forward, and brushed her lips against his. Back and forth, just barely touching his lips, she taunted him, and teased him. She backed away, and looked at his deer-in-the-headlights expression. Then, she retreated up the stairs, only stumbling a couple of times, before disappearing from his view.
Jack sat, stunned. But, he didn't have very long to ponder his current predicament, because Sarah appeared at the landing, and his "sidearm" was making itself known. So, he picked himself up, and slowly walked towards the steps, approaching Sarah slowly. Her eyes were slightly glazed from the alcohol, but they still held a wild look. She walked down towards him, and grabbed his hand, placing it on her cheek. He took a step up, and cautiously went to her. She waited for him, and then gradually let her lips find his. They stood like that for longer that normal, their lips just barely touching each other's, before Jack started to trace her lip with his tongue. She opened her mouth willingly, and soon they were in a furious battle of tongues, each wanting to get farther into each other, each wanting more. He grabbed her hips, and pulled her to him, and she wrapped her legs around him, and he waddled up and into his room, before slamming the door behind them. Muffled groans could be heard, and then there was silence.
NEXT UP: THE MORNING AFTER