CHAPTER TWO
"Jack!" Daniel called as he caught up with the older man in the hallway.
"Not now, Daniel."
"I need to talk to you about Atlantis."
"Daniel, we've been over this! With Carter leaving and Teal'c off-world so much these days, I just can't afford to lose any more senior SGC personnel right now. We need some continuity."
"Jack, you know that makes no sense. With SG1 effectively disbanded for the foreseeable future, there's not a whole lot of reason for me to stay."
Jack sighed. They had gone over this, but Daniel was clearly not letting it go. Jack didn't want to admit that maybe he was being so resistant because he wasn't ready to lose everyone that he cared about all at once. And sending Daniel off to a faraway galaxy full of life-sucking aliens didn't seem all that appealing.
"Look, Daniel. The Daedalus isn't due back for over a month anyway. Just, hang tight. If we can get past this little transition, we can discuss it again. I gotta go."
"Yes! Great. I'm gonna start making some preparations."
"Daniel, that's not what I—"
"Thanks, Jack!" Daniel called as he sprinted down the hallway.
Jack let out a huff and ran his fingers through his short hair. He had more important things to focus on at the moment anyway. He made his way to the locker room and quickly changed clothes. He checked his watch—5:17pm. Normally he hung around for a while after his scheduled shift was done, catching up on paperwork, returning calls, and checking in on anything that needed attention. But today was different. Feeling confident that the night shift could keep the base intact until morning, he signed out with base security and walked to his car.
He felt nervous. Really nervous. Like, kissing Marion Wilkins for the first time in junior high school nervous. "This ain't your first rodeo, Jack. Chill out," he told himself as he opened his car door.
Should he bring flowers? Wine? Chocolate? Nothing at all? He had no idea. He really did not want to come off as over-eager. He sighed and rubbed his hands over his face. Man, he was too old for this. Way too old, he mused as he drove home.
o-O-o
She hadn't felt this nervous since she was 15, going on her first real date with Caleb Pittman. Her dad had stared the poor kid down while he stood waiting for her in the living room. Sam had noted at the time how Jacob had prominently displayed his Air Force commendations in the room, as if to not-so-subtly let the kid know that he had access to weapons and friends in high places. It was probably why Caleb had been too nervous to even hold her hand that night and had her back home by 9:59pm on the dot. Sam spared a sad smile in memory of her father.
Now here she was, a full-grown woman—astrophysicist even, and a colonel in the Air Force to boot—with butterflies in her stomach about a boy coming over. "Get a grip, Sam!" she scolded herself.
She put the food in the oven to warm. She had spent hours thinking up the perfect menu to make for him, only to abandon the idea in favor of take-out Italian. She didn't need to risk poisoning him with her cooking on their first actual date. And this of course left her plenty of time to obsess about her appearance. She finally settled on a pale blue shirt with a deep V-neck that left just enough to the imagination. She tried on every skirt she owned, only to end up in her favorite pair of jeans that she felt pretty confident made her ass look good. She put on lipstick, then took it off, worried that she looked like she was trying too hard, then put on a slightly subtler shade.
Her body seized up when she heard the doorbell ring. 7pm—right on time.
Sam opened the door and found Jack standing there, dressed in dark jeans, gray sweater and leather jacket. She took in how handsome he was. Jack stepped in the door and offered her the bottle of wine in his hands.
"Thanks," she said with a smile. Jack was struck by her appearance. He'd seen her in civilian clothes countless times, but he rarely saw her dressed up. She looked stunning. Jack wondered if he should lean in and kiss her. God, he felt like an awkward teenager. He decided on a light peck that ended up somewhere between her lips and her cheek. She smiled at him and led him to the open kitchen. Sam grabbed an oven mitt to check on the lasagna warming in the oven. Jack perched himself on one of the stools next to the large island.
"Got a bottle opener?" he asked.
Sam opened a drawer and pulled one out. She grabbed two glasses and placed them in front of him.
We definitely need alcohol here, Jack thought to himself as he fiddled with the bottle. After hearing the satisfying pop, he generously filled the two glasses and offered one to her.
"Thanks," Sam said and Jack could hear the missing "sir" as the word caught in her mouth.
"Cheers!" he said, as their glasses clinked.
"Dinner's just about ready."
"You cooked?" Jack asked with a wary look.
"No," Sam offered with a mocking smile. "It's from Vincenzo's."
"Ah," Jack said, as he took another sip.
Sam shuffled around the kitchen as she got dinner ready. "So. How's everything at the office?" Sam said, trying to make conversation.
"Oh, you know. Same old, same old. Aliens breached security, tried to take over the base. We got it under control."
"You're joking," Sam replied, ready to be annoyed that she hadn't been called.
Jack smiled. "Carter, the most exciting thing that happened today was the unveiling of a new requisition form. Nice big boxes to write in. I like that."
Sam smiled and playfully rolled her eyes at him.
"How goes the packing?" Jack said, surveying the boxes in the corner of the living room.
"Making progress. Slowly. Hard to believe I've been in this house for 6 years."
"Did you find a place in Nevada?"
"Yeah. Renting a small house in Indian Springs. It's big enough for me and Cassie."
Jack felt a twinge of something he couldn't quite identify at the thought of Sam and Cassie being a family in Nevada without him. He pushed the feeling aside.
"Nice," he replied.
"Shall we?" Sam said as she gestured toward her dining nook. Jack took the plate of lasagna from her hands and walked over to the already set table.
"Looks delicious," he said as he placed the plate on the table.
Sam followed with the wine glasses and half-empty bottle. Jack waited for Sam to take her seat before gently pushing her chair in and taking his own seat next to her. Sam smiled at the chivalrous gesture.
They chatted comfortably while they ate. Sam felt some relief at the easy conversation between them. Or maybe it was just the wine. In any event, she was happy they were moving past the awkwardness of this brand-new dynamic in their long relationship. Jack could feel the tension ease and let out a breath. They continued to sit there over empty plates and full glasses. At a break in the conversation, Jack quietly placed his hand on top of Sam's on the table in front of them. Sam felt a shooting sensation at the contact from her hand to her abdomen. They certainly had chemistry. She couldn't deny that.
After a few moments, Sam suggested they move to the living room. She slowly got up and began clearing the plates from the table. Jack followed her lead, grabbing whatever he could and bringing it to the kitchen. He considered washing the plates when he saw Sam seated on the couch, apparently waiting for him.
He left the dishes stacked by the sink and moved toward the couch. Sam sat on one side, leaning with one arm on the back couch cushion while her legs swung up to rest behind her. Her left hand held her wine glass balanced against her thigh.
Jack sat down on the other side of the couch, leaning on the back cushion to face her. His empty hands fell to his lap.
They had hung out together more times than either of them could count. He had sat in her living room and held her while she cried for her dead father, joked with her over an open box of pizza, watched her laugh at a silly movie while he silently wished their relationship could be different. Now it could be different. There was nothing stopping them. Her transfer papers had gone through and he was no longer her commanding officer. She was on leave while she packed up her house and headed to Nevada. There was no funeral to plan, no job to wake up for at the crack of dawn, no cabin full of teammates, no chain of command keeping them in check. It was just them and they had all the time in the world. And the thought scared the living daylights out of him.
Jack reached out and grabbed the hand she had perched on the couch cushion. He wanted her to know he was ready. But he didn't want to push too hard. The contact made Sam's heart beat faster.
"You want a beer? I have some," she said as she jumped up.
"Yes, beer," he said, both relieved and disappointed.
Moments later she appeared next to him again, handing him a cold bottle and sitting just a little bit closer than she had been a minute ago. They both took hesitant sips of their drinks.
Sam placed her glass on the coffee table and turned to look at him. Deciding one of them just had to make a move, she placed her hand on his cheek and leaned in to kiss him. He responded instantly, putting his beer down with one hand and immediately moving it to cup her face. The kiss was cautious at first, but it deepened as they found their bearings. The situation was an awkward first for them, but this part felt right.
As they kissed, Sam felt her doubts melt away and her confidence build. She put her arms around his neck and ran her fingers through the hair at the back of his head. She gently pulled him closer to her. He responded in kind and pressed his hands against her back. His hands slid down until he found the hem of her shirt. He toyed with it, then slipped one hand onto the bare skin of her lower back.
He felt, more than heard, the small moan she uttered at the feel of his skin against hers. Suddenly, the contact wasn't enough. She leaned into him, as she slowly made her way onto his lap. Her legs straddled him, with her knees on the couch on either side of his waist. Jack moaned his approval at the move and slid his hand further up her back.
They never broke their kiss, which become more breathless and intense by the second. He finally broke free from her lips and immediately claimed the smooth skin of her neck with his mouth, leaving a wet trail down her clavicle. She threw her head back and pushed her chest forward, giving him greater access.
"Can we take this to the bedroom?" she asked.
Jack paused for a minute, willing his body to cool down a bit. If they were going to do this, he couldn't have any doubts that it was what she wanted, not just what she thought he wanted. "Are you sure? We can wait if you want."
"I think eight years is long enough, don't you?"
"Oh, hell yes," he responded eagerly.
And with that he claimed her mouth again as they both slowly untangled themselves and stood up. Sam intertwined her hand in his. She held his hand as she led him down the hallway to her bedroom.
As they entered the threshold, Jack grabbed her around the waist and kissed her. His hand found its way under her shirt and he caressed her skin. He felt desperate to touch her. All of her. He grabbed the hem of her shirt and pulled it up over her head. He tossed the shirt on the floor as he placed his hands on her bare back. She felt heat radiating on every spot his hands touched. The sensations were overwhelming. Sam tugged at his sweater and helped him as he lifted it over his head and tossed it aside. She eagerly ran her hands over his chest and placed hot, wet kisses on his neck and torso. He embraced her again and moved them toward the bed. They tumbled onto it together, as Sam scooted up toward the head of the bed and pulled him on top of her.
The rest came naturally and it was some time later that they lay next to each other on the bed, panting.
"Well that's a relief," Sam said with a smile as she turned to face Jack.
"You were worried that after all this time, the sex would suck, weren't you?" he teased her.
"The thought crossed my mind."
"Didn't suck."
"No, it didn't."
And with that he pulled her toward him. She lay her head on his chest and draped her leg over his. She closed her eyes and felt the thumping of his heartbeat.
o-O-o
She woke up to the smell of freshly brewed coffee and immediately perked up. She smiled into her pillow at the memory of the events of the night before. She threw on some sweatpants and a shirt and shuffled into the kitchen. She saw a very sexy Jack O'Neill standing over her stove wearing boxers, socks, and a sweater, with his hair deliciously tussled.
"Well look who finally woke up!" Jack teased.
"It's 7am," Sam quipped back.
"Early bird, Carter."
"You wore me out last night," she said with a grin.
He smiled at the memory. "I try."
She slid up next to him and gave him a good morning kiss. He eagerly kissed her back. He thought that he would definitely be happy waking up to this every morning for the rest of his life. He had no doubt about that.
"What's for breakfast?" she asked with excitement.
"Pancakes!"
"Nice."
She leaned against the counter next to him. She watched as he placed another pancake on the stack in front of him and turned off the stove.
He then moved in front of her and put his arms behind her back. He leaned in slowly and kissed her just below her ear.
"Eat up! I have to head to the base."
She felt a twinge of disappointment that they couldn't spend the day together.
"How long before you officially report at Area 51?" he asked.
"I leave Friday."
"Well that gives us 5 whole days!"
Sam smiled at that.
"Just so you know, I would really like to spend every free minute with you until you leave. I hope you're okay with that," Jack said.
"I think I can deal with that." She answered slyly.
"Excellent." He engulfed her in a hug before grabbing a pancake with his hand and heading off to get dressed.
