Chapter four
While Jack lay in a coma in the adjacent hospital bed, Sam was dreaming about events that had happened almost a year and a half earlier, right after Martouf had died.
She had been awakened in the night by screams and had run outside to see what was going on. Finding a group of medical people gathered around the victim, she had stood aside with Jack and watched. Jack told the marine standing next to him to help carry the injured man. Just then the flood lights came on, illuminating the whole compound in a harsh yellow glow. They were used at night only when work needed to be done outside, or in case of any emergency.
A wild animal attacking someone inside the compound certainly fit that description, Sam thought to herself, as chills ran up her spine. Sam knew that Jack had been trying to get an early warning system of sorts set up, but so far the necessary electronic components to create one had not arrived from Earth.
"I told those bastards that a fence was not gonna keep those things out of here," he groused as he watched the group of two female nurses, one male doctor and the marine, moving with the injured man toward the hospital tent.
Jack walked slowly along behind them, and Sam walked with him, hoping that maybe the time had come when she could have a reasonable conversation with him...on common ground, so to speak. Since the incident in her lab that night, she had tried to apologize to him...to explain how she felt...but each time he had ignored her and walked away, or told her he didn't want to hear her excuses. So for a while she had simply stayed away from Jack, letting her assistants go to him whenever she needed to make a special request for her department. She really hoped that by now he was ready to listen to her, because she was to the point where she couldn't live like this any longer.
"Maybe I could jury-rig something for now," she offered. She meant it as a sincere offer, but she also was trying to find something they had in common besides their past relationship...an ice breaker of sorts. "I'm pretty sure I could, Sir."
"Trying to get on my good side, Carter?" he asked with a smirk. Sam studied his profile. She sensed that he was enjoying this. He was getting off on the fact that she was feeling so uncertain...so insecure. He probably wanted her to beg, she thought momentarily. She considered it, but instead she went on the defensive.
"No, Sir!" she said quickly, unwilling to admit that he had figured her out. Then she changed her mind. Damn it, she missed him! And if she had to eat crow to win back his friendship, then she'd do it! "Yes, Sir. Actually I am, Sir."
"I would have thought you'd have stopped sir-ing me a long time ago, Carter."
"And I would have thought you'd have stopped calling me 'Carter' a long time ago, Sir," she replied cheekily. She clamped her mouth shut, wishing she hadn't said it...at least not in that tone of voice.
They stopped at the entrance to the hospital and watched as the group took the injured man inside. There was nothing for her to do now but go on back to bed. She had blown her chance, she figured. But she really didn't want to leave Jack's company just yet. She had been enjoying their chat...even though it hadn't lasted long.
His next words filled her heart with hope, even though she knew that under the circumstances he would have made the same offer to anyone in camp, 'especially a woman' her feminine brain yelled back at her. She pushed that idea to the back of her mind. Her feminist attitude was partially at fault for the troubles they'd had, and she knew it.
"I'll walk you back to your tent," he said, and they began to walk side-by-side, him in his green bdu pants and white undershirt with no shoes or socks, and her in her high-top boots and a pair of pink shorty pj's that had a loose top that hung down over her tummy. At sixteen weeks she wasn't really showing very much yet, but it was no secret that she was pregnant. Her urgent message to Janet via the stargate two months earlier had been like taking out a full-page ad in a newspaper!
"I'm sorry, Jack," she said without an explanation. She meant it for a lot more than just calling him 'sir', but she couldn't bring herself to say it. After all these months, she finally had a chance to apologize to him for breaking his heart, and her pride was keeping her from saying the words! His reply astounded her.
"It's okay, Sam. We both made mistakes," he said, and Sam's heart actually hurt for him. She had made one huge mistake when she'd broken off their engagement. She had turned to another man for understanding and sympathy. She had been to blame for everything that had gone wrong between Jack and herself, and yet here he was trying to take part of the blame. How sweet was that!
"No, Sss...Jack. I made the mistakes, not you. But I never intended to hurt you. You have to believe that!" she begged, reaching out to touch his hand. He didn't pull away, but he also didn't return her touch. And he didn't say anything. He just stared at her with those damned intense eyes of his! So she lowered her hand in disappointment, somewhat embarrassed. They had arrived at her tent, and she was afraid he'd just walk away, and she'd be no closer to saying what really needed to be said. His next remark surprised her once again.
"You look cute in those pajamas," he said as he dragged his eyes from her face, and looked her up and down. "The boots are a nice touch," he added with a chuckle.
"I know I look awful," she laughed, laying a hand on her belly. "But thanks for saying that. You look great, Jack. I think this assignment agrees with you." She meant it; he really did look great! He was as tan and as fit as she'd ever seen him, and she wished she could run her hand over his chest and feel his firm biceps under the short sleeves of his undershirt, but she didn't dare. Suddenly she realized she was becoming aroused, so she dropped her eyes from him and stared at the ground.
Just then the door of her tent opened and Marcia stuck her head out. "God, Sam, I've been waiting for you to come back! Is everyone okay? What happened? Was it one of those things?" she rattled off nervously.
"Sgt. Sullivan almost had his leg taken off by one of those hoodats. I'm going after it in the morning," Jack replied as Sam just stood there feeling disoriented. Being this close to Jack was having quite an effect on her, and she had to force herself to concentrate on what Marcia was saying.
"Going after it? Is that wise, General?" Marcia asked. Sam thought the very same thing, but she didn't say so, for fear of sounding like she had become soft. After all, she and the General and SG-1 had gone after some pretty wicked prey once upon a time.
"I can't just let this thing do as it pleases. They seem to hunt alone, and I'm betting they have territories. If I ignore it, it'll start thinking of this place as its own personal all-you-can-eat buffet. Sorry, Sam," he said, noticing her expression as the image of a dismembered Martouf popped into her head.
"Well, you just be careful then, General, and we'll be back here praying for you," Marcia said cheerfully, and then she ducked back inside. Just then they heard static on the radio and a man's voice.
"O'Neill. What's up?" Jack asked.
"We found nothing inside the perimeter, Sir, except spoor at the place where it came over the fence."
"Okay, you can show me at first light. Come on back and get some sleep. I doubt the thing will be back tonight, but add two more men to the fence detail until daylight. O'Neill out!" He released the button on the radio and shoved the thing into his pants pocket.
"Well, you better go inside now," he said softly. And just then the big flood lights went out. "Sgt. Simmons...always trying to save electricity, unless I miss my guess," he said with a chuckle. They were standing so close that Sam thought she could feel his breath on her face, and it made her shiver.
"Yes, but Sgt. Simmons has the best intentions," she said with a laugh.
Suddenly Jack took her hand in one of his and brought it up to his chest, effectively making her take a step closer to him. Sam held her breath. He was staring at her with eyes that appeared coal black now that the lights were out. They reminded her of black holes, and she could imagine herself being pulled in. Her body was tingling all over, her panties getting wetter by the second. Her desire for him was almost more than she could bear, but still she couldn't be the one to make the first move. She still had some pride left.
"Sometimes good intentions are all we can expect from someone. I had good intentions where you were concerned. I hope you know that, Sam. Good-night," he said, and then he released her hand and walked away.
Sam woke up even before Janet came to wake her. She didn't feel rested at all. In fact the frustration and anger she felt toward herself for all the stupid things she'd done was making her feel even more tired. Would she never be able to forgive herself?
She slowly sat up on the bed and looked at her watch. She had been asleep for only fifty-five minutes, but it had seemed much longer, and the content of her dream had worn her out. So much for getting some rest, she thought as she got off the bed to retrieve her boots.
Thinking she'd go find Janet and her daughter, Sam put on her boots and tied them. As she passed Jack's bed she thought she heard him say her name. Startled, Sam rushed over to stand next to him. She took his hand and spoke to him, but he didn't stir and his heart rate remained the same. After a couple of minutes she decided she must have been imagining it, so she left to find her friend and her baby girl.
Still in a coma Jack was dreaming about the events that had led up to this day, and some of his thoughts were quite pleasant. ...like the first time he and Sam had made love after Martouf died. ...if you could call it 'making love'.
"Hey, Carter, what 'cha doin?" Jack asked in a friendly manner.
He realized he hadn't greeted her like that for a long while, and it felt great to be on good terms with her again. Since the night that Sullivan had been mauled, they had gotten closer. When he'd gone out hunting that thing the following day and had come back bloody and tired, Sam had been there to greet him. In fact she had run out to meet him as he came limping up to the gates. She had obviously assumed from all the blood on his clothing that he'd been injured, but he had only twisted his knee. The blood belonged to the animal he had killed, and he had some teeth and claws to prove it. And after he'd cleaned up and told her all about the hunt, they'd had a nice dinner together in his tent.
Their friendship had been on the mend from that day, and mostly Jack was glad. But he was also cautious. Had they learned anything from their previous mistakes, or would they make them all over again?
"I'm just finishing up the plans for a more efficient wind turbine...one we can ship in fewer parts through the gate. That way it won't take so long to get them set up, and soon we'll be able to generate enough electricity to power the whole camp!" she cried enthusiastically.
"We can even electrify the fence, Sir!" she shouted happily, standing up from the stool where she'd been sitting for the past two hours. Her back was obviously hurting, and so she reached around and tried to rub it.
"Now that is really good news!" he said, and then he hugged her, his hands massaging her back in a familiar way. As he rubbed her back, his arms pulled her body flush with his and he bent down and kissed her on the lips. It was just a short kiss, but he felt Sam respond, and his heart soared. He didn't want to feel so strongly about her, but he simply couldn't help himself. Nothing either of them had done had changed anything for him; he still loved her, damn it! Jack wondered if she still loved him...even a little bit.
"Wow! Do I get a reward like that every time I come up with a new idea?" She seemed to be flirting with him.
"I guess," he said indecisively. Part of him wanted to believe that she really cared about him...that she regretted the mistakes she'd made. ...that she'd forgiven him for how he had treated her. He had been insecure, and insecurities had led him to treat her with distrust. And then of course there had been his Alpha brain that demanded he treat her like his trophy female, instead of the capable officer she was. He had a strong desire to protect her...even from herself, and he had acted on it...too many times.
"Is that what you want, Sam? A kiss every time you triumph? More?" his libido made him add.
"Yes, if you'd be willing. Jack, you have no idea how much I've missed you!"
Those were words he really needed to hear, and although part of him warned that possibly she wanted him only when it was convenient for her, a bigger part of him didn't really care. Her words instantly turned his fledgling arousal into a burning need...one he'd been living with for way too long. He'd been totally celibate since their break up, and his need for a woman...particularly this woman...was slowly driving him crazy. Without stopping to think, Jack went over and locked the lab door.
"What are you doing, Jack?" Sam asked nervously, following him with her eyes. He strutted back over to the work table and shoved her laptop and a few other things to one side. Sam gasped as though she were going to protest, but she said nothing. Then he pushed the stool she had been sitting on aside with his foot and grabbed her by one arm, turning her around to face the table. He pulled her back against him possessively, his hands cupping her breasts, his mouth next to her right ear.
"I'm gonna do something I've been needing to do for a long time, Sam. I'm gonna fuck hell outa you," he growled roughly, as his teeth scraped the side of her neck. He felt Sam's entire body shiver, but she didn't protest. His hands slipped under her loose top and to the waistband of her trousers, where he easily unfastened the button and lowered the zipper.
As an angry voice in his head yelled at him to hurt her...to fuck her till she bled, Jack jerked her pants and underwear down around her knees. Then he knelt down behind her, Sam clinging to the edge of the table with both hands, as he removed her boots. Soon she was naked from the waist down and bending over the table on her elbows, as Jack fingered her pussy from behind, his other hand clutching the back of her neck. She moaned loudly, her sex wet and ready for him. But even if she hadn't been wet, he had been determined to take her quick...and take her hard. And so he aimed his cock into her hot center, filling her up to his balls on the first attempt.
Sam cried out. And as he pulled out and slammed back into her again, she screamed again. Familiar with the sounds she made when making love, he could tell she was enjoying this, and so he continued to plunder her willing body. Her pussy was gripping him so tightly that he thought it'd kill him, but it also felt damned good. Soon he was thrusting in and out of her snug channel like the piston of a car, building up the pressure inside both of them. He knew he was almost ready to blow, and right now satisfying himself was all he cared about.
Sam had moved her hands to the front edge of the table, where she was holding on tightly, her knuckles white. Jack pushed his hands between her body and the table until his fingers were splayed over her round breasts, their pliant flesh overflowing his large hands. He squeezed them...pinching the nipples hard between his fingers...and heard her deep throaty moan. Even in his current state of mind, it occurred to him that Sam's breasts were much larger than he remembered. And then like a gun shot ringing out inside his head, Jack suddenly recalled why her breasts were larger. She was pregnant, and he was being about as rough with her as he could remember! Fuck!
Jack backed out of her and quickly pulled her up from the table, still holding her in his arms. She turned around in his embrace to look at him, as he began to rant. "Oh my God Sam, I'm sorry! Are you okay? I didn't hurt the baby, did I?" he asked, staring at her shocked face.
"Jack, intercourse won't hurt the baby," she said with a small smile.
"I know that. I just thought... Well, the way I had you down on the table on your belly... I wasn't being very gentle. I'm sorry; I wasn't thinking!"
"It's okay, really! I would have told you if you were hurting me or the baby. Now come on. I know you want to," she said, her voice soft and gentle.
For a beat he wondered how she would feel about letting him do this, if she knew what he'd been thinking...that he wanted to hurt her for what she'd done to him. He felt ashamed, and so he said nothing. She turned around and bent over, and Jack plunged into her once more. But this time he kept his hand under her belly, cushioning it as he pushed her forward onto the table. He knew then that he could never hate this child for what had happened between them or because of who its father was.
It hadn't been long before he came, the need to mark her as his own just too great to be denied. That was the moment when he decided he would never let anyone come between him and Sam ever again. The time they had wasted could never be gotten back, but they could still have many more years together, and he intended to see to it that they did!
When Jack climaxed in his dream, his eyelids fluttered and he moaned. A nurse who was checking his vitals decided to go and tell his doctor that there were indications that the General might be waking up.
TBC