She leaned closer to the table as if she couldn't believe her eyes. Needed to get a better look at the ring but was hesitant to touch it. It was beautiful. The design was polar opposite of what she'd been offered in the past. Smart man. Getting engaged to Jack was a heady thought. Would the third time be the charm? She'd be lying if she said she hadn't considered the possibility of marriage as an appropriate outcome for them. But it was always after a decent amount of time to get to know each other on a deeper level. They hadn't even made it to second base for crying out loud!
"You're serious?" She turned and eyed him up. In the end she was shocked he would be so forward.
"Well, yeah." He said with hope shining in his eyes. He adjusted in his seat to fully face her. Placing a hand along the back of her chair there next to his. "It's you Carter, always."
"How long have you had this?" She gestured toward the loaded weapon sitting on the table.
"It's been burning a hole in my pocket since last night." He admitted with a shrug to his shoulders.
"Even though we've not actually…" Again, she couldn't force the words from her mouth. Hoped he'd understand her implication. It was an all-purpose fill in the blank, really. So many things they'd yet to experience with each other.
"Seems like we're putting the cart before the horse huh, Carter?" All he could manage was a cliche, he hated cliches.
"A little, yeah." She stated, still a little dazed. "Being railroaded seems more apt, but yeah."
"When it came to you, I was given two choices by Hammond last night. Marry you or forget it. I went with my gut. It's been a little daunting to have to get three superior's permission just to be with you. I need to make good on it or they'll be after me." He joked, but only partly so. "Your dad would definitely haunt me."
"You spoke to my dad?" She was stunned. Hand over her heart.
"Ugh, more like he talked and I listened. In a roundabout way he gave me his blessing." Jack clarified.
"In a roundabout way he gave me his blessing too, at the end there. I just wasn't ready to hear it at the time." She spoke quietly. "Seems as though we don't have much of a choice regardless."
"Seems that way." He said again, with a heavy heart. The predicament was stressing him out too.
Best to get back to happier topics and garner an answer before she had any more time to think about this and make off at the speed of light. "So. I, ugh, still need to know if you are going to make me Mr. Carter?"
That got a hearty laugh and a spectacular smile from her sweet face. She turned to him and held out her left hand. "Please Jack, make me Mrs. O'Neill."
He swiped the ring from the table and slowly worked it onto the appropriate digit. It was a little over sized but that could be rectified easily enough. After he sunk it home he looked up into her eyes and mirrored her happy smile. With his other hand he wiped away a couple happy tears that had escaped. They wanted to kiss so badly. Of course that cued the fate's requirement to interrupt them. Just then the waitress brought a boisterous group of teenagers out to the otherwise deserted patio.
"School's out. Let's head back to the hotel." He said as she was already gathering her things to make a swift exit. He threw a few bills on the table and trailed closely behind her.
They hailed a local cab and made the quick trip back to the hotel. All in relative silence. Eager to pick up where they left off with much more privacy. The consistent fiddling with the ring on her finger didn't escape his notice. He couldn't tell yet if it was apprehension or excitement.
As they approached the rooms she was unsure just which one to head to. He made the decision for her with a hand to her lower back guiding her towards her door. He patiently waited while she dug out her key card. With a swipe and the telltale click they were in.
"Samantha." He murmured a millisecond before his mouth landed on hers.
She had to play catch up as he'd surprised her with his intensity. She gained her bearings and kissed him back. Hard. Allowed him to deepen the kiss and hung onto his solid frame for dear life. Not at all like the chaste kisses she'd experienced back in his office under the mountain. Those kisses were all shy, smitten exploration. These spoke of intense desire. Held back by duty and honor for far longer than was healthy. She lost track of time and space. Lack of proper oxygen to their lungs caused the need for an eventual break. He released her but didn't let her get too far.
"We'll get along just fine." He added with a satisfied smirk.
"Jack" She paused, giving her racing pulse another couple seconds to calm. "We've worked well together for eight years. But this kind of relationship is an entirely different arrangement. We don't even know if we can handle each other as equals instead of commander and subordinate." She posed. Here comes the doubts.
"I can show you how I'll handle you." He replied with a leer and let his hands rove over her back.
"Jack, be serious." She said a little irritated after extricating herself from his arms. She missed his warmth immediately. But she needed a clear head to have this conversation. "I just thought we'd have some time to figure out how we got along in the day to day before taking such a serious step." She looked at her toes, considering if she'd admit her number one concern to him.
"Well, we can still do that. It's just going to be a crash course." Jack offered, matter of factly.
"That's what I'm worried about." She admitted. Figured honesty was the best policy. "Did you only propose because the military is forcing us into this?" She saw the look on his face the second he heard her ask. A little like she'd slapped him. A little like the guilty little boy with his hand in the cookie jar.
"OK. I hadn't thought much about getting remarried before last night. There's been no one available to make me think that far ahead and my first marriage was...well, never mind." He moved away from her to drop his blue jacket on the back of the desk chair. The temperature in the room was rising for several reasons.
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean it exactly the way it came out." She cringed a bit but pleaded with her eyes for him to know that she was genuine. He didn't meet her gaze however. Just stood quietly with his hands in his pockets. He seemed a million miles away. "Jack…"
"I'm trying not to be pissed." Jack was animated all of a sudden. He started pacing by the window. Managed to glance over at her after a minute. Saw her stricken look. "Not at you." He paused to collect his thoughts. "When you came by my office and we said what we said and did what we did. Well, I got excited. I started thinking about things and hoped we could make a go of it." He stopped his pacing to put his hands on his hips and face her fully. "Some time to figure this all out at our own pace would've been great, yeah." He took a labored breath and continued.
"That all came to a screeching, fucking halt last night in Hammond's living room. This is not at all how I wanted this to go. I'm used to the military micromanaging, but this? The truth is I did propose because they're basically requiring it. But I want to be with you, so..." He trailed off for a minute to collect himself again. "I'd like to think that I'd get my head out of my ass sooner or later but I can't say when or if I'd have proposed on my own." Jack was flustered and defeated all at the same time. "You deserve better." Relief was achieved. Able to finally unload what had been bottled up tight for almost a day.
She approached him slowly. Didn't want to spook the bear. As she neared she reached one hand to his chest to smooth out the tie that still hung from his neck. Used it to keep her hands busy. She just needed to be near him again. To feel his presence. To keep them both calm. To reconnect.
"I deserve you." She immediately lifted the fingers of her right hand to effectively quiet whatever self deprecating comment that had been on the tip of his tongue. "We deserve each other. Thank you for telling me the truth." She held her fingers over his lips just a little longer to ensure he didn't let it slip out anyway. "I want to be with you too. As long as we're on the same page, we'll get through it. In the meantime, whatever label we have to put on that so we don't end up prosecuted is gonna be what it's gonna be."
She smiled to reassure him that it was all OK. He managed a small smile in return and she knew they'd get this right. Her hands resumed their exploration of his tie when an amusing thought sprung to mind.
"Now that I think about it, since when have we ever done anything in order anyway?" She mused. "How many nights have we slept side by side in a tent and we've never…." One raised eyebrow was all that was needed to communicate the rest of that thought.
"Never." He immediately reassured her.
"OK. The Broca virus caused us to get real familiar before we could even call each other friends. Cassie has basically been our child ever since Janet died and we've never lived under the same roof." She could go on.
"Point taken." He took a step closer and rested his hands on her hips.
"And I definitely understand what you mean about having wanted to go about this differently. I won't lie and say that savoring a slow seduction wasn't a dream of mine." Her sultry lilt lit a fire under him and he pulled her close.
"Carter, I think we can see just how much slow seduction we can pack into the next three weeks." He said with a gleam in his eye. His finger followed an imaginary line from just under her ear slowly down to her collar bone. He moved in for the kill.
Because of the delirious torture of his mouth now at the side of her neck, she almost missed the feel of his hands as they slid under the back of her blue jacket.
"Three? I know I heard Hammond say one week's vacation." She was melting into him but her mind still processed.
"Hammond just said don't tell anyone." He said between kisses. "He said nothing about not doing anything. Unless you're off-world we're getting out of that mountain at a decent time and I don't care where we go."
Her mind spun with the possibilities of three whole weeks to explore. She almost missed those hands as they spread wide to take in all the warmth that she had to offer, as they moved up the expanse of her back. But she, for sure, felt it when he rounded to her chest and casually cupped her breasts through the protection of the material that encased them. Catching her off guard, he gave a quick pinch to her bra covered nipples just to hear that sexy moan again. Satisfactorily, he removed his hands from her shirt, mouth from her neck and helped himself to a tight grasp of her perky derriere. His hands needed to be everywhere at once. It got him too excited. He bit his tongue to hold back a joke about his side arm. There's no way she didn't feel it. He only had a second to think about how fantastic this afternoon was turning out to be and they still had all their clothes on. He was proud of his restraint. Just then her eyes opened and focused.
"You always have to touch things that aren't yours. You're drivin' me crazy!" She said, exasperated, looking straight into his eyes seeing his desire simmering there.
"That's the idea." He muttered before taking her mouth again in a quick kiss. "Hold that thought though, I've got to go next door to get my stuff."
"What?" She was confused, his seduction finally hampered her synapses. "Why?" He made to back away but she held tight.
"I'll be right back to finish what we started." He emphasized. "Trust me."
She did trust him so she let him go. Shaking the fog from her head she watched him rearrange himself and they shared a chortle before he jetted into the hallway. She smirked and headed to her duffel. Grabbed a few things and made haste to the bathroom. This breather was a good idea after all.
She took care of herself and shucked her dress uniform for her extra slip. A very short, navy, satin slip. Dabbed perfume in a few places and quickly made her way back out to the bed. She beat him to it as she settled back on an elbow as he made his way back in. She watched him place the 'Do Not Disturb' hanger onto the outside handle before he threw the dead bolt and dropped his bags.
He stopped in his tracks as he saw just what she'd changed into. She could've sworn she could hear a muttered 'Damn' under his breath. The smile finally met his eyes. He slowly pulled the tie from it's knot, the white button down from it's tuck, feet from his shoes and the belt from his pants. Throwing things as he went. She ogled his bare chest as he dug in a pocket and threw a few condoms onto the night stand before losing the pants as well. Ah, that's what he really went after. Good thinking, because besides the military's birth control she hadn't come prepared with anything else. She pushed the thoughts of how recent they'd both been with other people to the deepest corner of her mind. Instead focused on the man before her and held onto the gut feeling of just how right this felt. He made it as far as the edge of the bed before pulling the socks from his feet. He held her heated gaze the entire way. Just as he sunk his thumbs into the waistband of his briefs she rose to still his hands.
"Leave me something." She begged. On her knees she met him at the edge of the bed. Ran her hands slowly up his arms. Felt the hairs there, aided her motion and tingled her fingers. Noted the scars along the way. As she rounded his broad shoulders she returned her eyes to his. The look that passed between them was permission and agreement for what they both knew was about to happen. She fused her fingers together among the fine silver hairs of his nape and pulled his face to hers. She savored in the simple heat of his mouth and the taste of his swirling tongue on hers.
He finally put his hands on her body. Slowly appreciating the feel of the satin over her skin. His hands eventually settled over her lower back and pressed. The contact of their lower extremities was electric. He was warm and firm all over. The chest hairs tickling against the swell of her breasts was distracting. He didn't allow her much time to focus on that however as he'd already pulled a slender strap down her shoulder and let his mouth follow the path. One finger slid the satin just under the swell of her breast. She was exposed to his kneading hand and the lave of his tongue. She wasn't sure just how much more of this slow seduction she could take. She was strung so tight. As if he could read her mind he made a move to slip his other hand under the satin from behind. He found nothing but her bare ass and the garter ties holding up her stockings. His groan was audible.
"Just what did you leave me?" He teased with a squeeze to her cheek.
"Keep looking." She implored with a sly grin. She figured turnabout's fair play and dipped her hands into his underwear to get a good grasp of his behind. How many years did she spend walking behind him, staring and wondering just how this would feel? Boy, did it feel great.
With no impediments to his access he immediately found her wet and wanting. Now her groan was audible. She couldn't take it; she had to move this along before she went insane. His underwear hit the floor in record time. She brought one hand up to his face to bring him back from his spot on her neck and the other grasped his erection at the root.
"Shit, Sam. You can't…" He immediately removed her hand and pinned it behind her back. Resting his forehead to hers he closed his eyes and jockeyed for control of his desire.
"Sorry" He felt compelled to apologize. "This has been a long wait. I'm not going to last. I need it to be with you."
"Now. I'm ready." She confirmed. It was all a flurry of activity after that. He readied himself faster than she anticipated. Her feeble attempt to remove her slip was abandoned. The next thing she knew she was pinned down by Jack's hard body. He didn't make her wait long till he spread her wide and slid home. Kissed her hard and held oh so still. Letting them both catch up to the connection. They wound their arms around each other for purchase and began to move.
She felt his mouth gravitate back to her neck and all she could make out of his mumbling were, "Mmm…Sam…feels so good." She had to struggle to stay lucid. Completion was creeping up on both of them and he took his que to apply one rough thumb to her pressure point. Balanced on his elbow to both make room for his ministrations and to watch himself join with her in the most intimate way. That was enough for them both. Her nails dug in for leverage as he found his release.
She felt it. She felt it in the tips of her toes; a bizarre combination of absolute numbness and a charge of electricity. Right in the tips of her toes. Like a bolt of lightning that streaks across the sky, this feeling of hers, surged through the flesh of her slender legs. A quiver followed in its wake. The uncontrollable trembling of muscles overwhelmed by this feeling.
She felt it discharge at the very center of her being. In a flash her once quivering muscles turned to steel and enfolded on him with all the strength she could muster. A cry of wild abandon tore from her sweet lips. Smartly muffled by his dexterous fingers. The tight grasp of another group of muscles was all that existed for her now. The involuntary clench and release trumped all other sensation. She couldn't stop it, not even if she tried. Not even if she wanted to.
The overwhelming feel of nature taking its course proved to be more than she could take. As clarity slowly returned she understood the phenomenon of lost time on a whole new level. Not that she would have missed much. Both sweaty, panting. Her lips still tingled. Among other things. The dead weight of her lover experiencing much the same reactions to their activities. She took a little pride in rendering him this defenseless.
Her back was nestled in the soft sheets, her blue slip shoved to her waist from both directions, and her commanding officer buried impossibly deep inside. The realization of their union was truly mind blowing. As she made to loosen her hold on his neck she caught a glint off a diamond from the ring. She'd almost forgotten. They were engaged to be married and had just consummated what could be the most perfect union.
He must have felt the increase in her heart rate as she felt the faint but sure kiss of his lips on her soft neck. Calm murmurs to the shell of her ear.
Her emotions slipped quietly from the corners of her eyes, wetting her cheeks while she lay tangled with Jack. She swore to herself, after this she was done with tears for a while. Things were looking up. Goodness knows why it took so long for this to happen and her reasons for following the rules. But worrying for the future and regrets from the past would only waste time. Time and energy that she could put into something that made her happy, really happy. Now there was only one person who could fit the bill when it came to the love that her father so eloquently spoke of.
Brigadier General Jonathan O'Neill.
With that came the realization there just weren't any other answers, no other options. This was the end of the road. What was the old line? How can this be wrong if it feels so right? No other man could occupy her life, her heart, mind and soul the way he had all these years. She decided that was something she should share.
"Jack," she whispered softly into his ear, his silver hair faintly tickling her nose.
He slowly raised his head from its home on her shoulder to meet her misty eyes. Arms still wrapped under her shoulders, hands delicately cradling either side of her head.
After studying his blissed out face she continued in a slow, hushed tone, "I love you Jack." Sam let that one true phrase speak for years of devotion and desire. Then she lay quiet and motionless, awaiting his reaction.
His mind instantly cleared of the fog, staring at her intently. It was the sincerity in her voice and the pledge that he could see shining in her crystal blue eyes that really got to him. The words wouldn't escape him this time. Not now, not ever again. He gave her the last thing she needed.
"I love you too, Samantha." He said with a smile, that spread ear to ear.
She followed suit and brought her hands up to frame his face. They kissed then, deep but at ease, with the intent to sup from the soul of the other. To feel the connection shiver down their spines. But most importantly, to promise forever.
After a short nap, wrapped up in each other. Stomachs growled and nature called. They were forced to tend to other needs. He caught her looking at her engagement ring while they enjoyed room service for supper. Sitting on the bed in their robes. Between bites she would stare at it, a million miles away. Processing, planning. He was happy to wait her out. She was the smart one after all, always knew how to pull them out of a situation without a hitch. He didn't have to wait long.
"I've been thinking. What about going to your cabin in Minnesota to get married?" She said almost timidly. He wasn't sure why she would be shy about it.
"Your best idea yet!" He reassured her.
"Good." She seemed relieved. "I just wasn't sure. I've turned all your offers down in the past."
"Fishing is more fun with friends." He paused to consider his words. "That's why I always asked but I get why you didn't go." He picked up her hand and gave it a squeeze. "I don't hold it against you." The two of them alone, tucked away in a quiet cabin outside the realm of reality. Yeah, the possibility of crossing some lines was definitely there, even back then. Lines that they hadn't been ready for. Lines that would've gotten them into big trouble.
"Thanks for understanding." She smiled, relieved. "I don't have a place like that. To come back to, no matter where I've been. One that holds so much history and so many good memories. I want to enjoy that with you." His smile reached her heart and he obviously couldn't be happier to hear that.
"What's mine will be yours." He promised.
"Good. We can make some new memories." She proposed with a dreamy look.
"Oh we will. In every room of that cabin, the deck, the dock, the boat…." He gave her his best licentious look and a waggle of an eyebrow. It garnered a giggle from his betrothed. Dinner forgotten she scooted closer to him on the bed.
"We'll have to get a motel room for Daniel and Teal'c. They really don't need to see that." She mused. Hands running under the hem of his robe to stroke his chest.
"Tell me, why does anyone else have to be there at all?" He played out a confused look.
"Witnesses." She knew he was playing dumb. "At some point we'll have to come up for air long enough to make it 'official'." She squeezed his nipple and got the affronted reaction she'd anticipated.
"Hey, maybe we can talk T into getting ordained!" He mused, while slowly running a hand up her long leg.
She fought the distraction and continued his stream of thought. "Daniel can be your best man. I'll call Cassie to see if she can make it up for a day to be the maid of honor."
"I'll dig out my grey suit, get the other rings and the license started. You find a white dress, flowers, and something blue, yadda yadda." He was on a roll now. "Oh! And another outfit for ….afterwards." He added with a grasp to her pert bottom.
She didn't need his look or the suggestive behavior to know just what kind of afterwards outfit he was talking about. She swung her leg over so she was sitting in his lap. "What about food?" Her hands rested on his strong shoulders as she nuzzled his neck. "Beer in a cooler and something burning on your grill?" She suggested with a belly laugh.
"Sounds like my kinda party!" He grinned and hauled her against his chest to supply her with ample kisses and a hug so tight she fought for air. He released her to check his watch almost as an afterthought. "Four hours. From popping the question to the party all planned." He beamed. "Damn, we're good."
She untied her robe to rid the barrier. Untied his robe for him and moved the sides apart. She hovered just above the designated landing spot as she searched among the sheets for a small square prophylactic. The connection was made with little prep necessary. All this talk was foreplay enough for the both of them. He used two hands to help her properly sit astride and sink all the way down. "Yes, we are." She mumbled seconds before rolling her hips. Their mutual groan was instantaneous.
They were both better able to savor the second experience, having taken the edge off. No more words were needed. Just lips, hands and tongues helped to aid the build up of pressure and imminent release. No one kept track of time after that. Too engrossed in the bubble they'd created. Soon enough an airplane would take them back to reality. Where they had to wear clothes and couldn't be attached at the hip all day. They'd soldier through until they could escape reality and recreate this paradise again. As a mister and missus.
Note: I'd like to think the events of Mobius set them back just after this story but obviously before getting to Minnesota. Ergo, they remember all this. Jack's quote at the end of Mobius 2 where he says to Sam "You've got packin' to do" always struck me. The quote and the look on his face was more emotionally loaded than normal for him. I always felt like WAY more had happened between the scenes than the measly crumbs they chose to give us on screen.
Anyway, I hope you liked it. Marking this as complete. I'm toying with an idea for a small epilogue but I don't have anything written out yet. Peace, for now.