If you're against the concept of same-sex marriages, look away now...

Life Goes On
Part 9: Promises made

"I'm not entirely sure if this is considered legal outside of Massachusetts or Canada," Colonel Caldwell looked a little hesitant as he stood at one end of the Daedalus' mess-hall, "but I am captain of this ship, so technically the age-old rules apply." He smiled coyly, "And if the Air Force does kick up a fuss, I'll just blame General O'Neill..."

"Amen." Chloe nodded; an amused expression on her face.

"Then let us begin." Caldwell took a deep breath, "We are gathered here in the presence of witnesses for the purpose of uniting in matrimony Samantha Carter and Chloe Sullivan. The contract of marriage is most solemn and is not to be entered into lightly, but thoughtfully and seriously with a deep realization of its obligations and responsibilities. Please remember that love, loyalty and understanding are the foundations of a happy and enduring home. No other human ties are more tender and no other vows more important than those you are about to pledge." He turned to face Sam, "Do you Samantha take Chloe to be your spouse for life? Do you promise to love and comfort each other, honour and keep each other in sickness and in health, for richer and for poorer, for better or for worse and be faithful to each other as long as you both shall live?"

"I do." Sam nodded happily, squeezing her partner's hand.

"Do you Chloe take Samantha to be your spouse for life? Do you promise to love and comfort each other, honour and keep each other in sickness and in health, for richer and for poorer, for better or for worse and be faithful to each other as long as you both shall live?" Caldwell repeated the question.

"I do." Chloe nodded, doing her best to hold back the tears.

"May we have the rings please?" Caldwell waited as a crewmember stepped forward with the matching pair of Athosian commitment rings that Teyla had aquired, "Sam, if you could take one of the rings and place it on Chloe's finger, then repeat after me: I give you this ring in token and pledge of my constant faith and abiding love. With this ring, I thee wed."

"I give you this ring in token and pledge of my constant faith and abiding love." Sam slipped the gold and silver band over Chloe's ring finger, "With this ring, I thee wed."

"Chloe, if you could take the other ring and place it on Sam's finger." Caldwell nodded, "And repeat after me: I give you this ring in token and pledge of my constant faith and abiding love. With this ring, I thee wed."

"I give you this ring in token and pledge of my constant faith and abiding love." Chloe took the other ring and slipped it over Sam's finger, "With this ring, I thee wed."

"Now that you have joined yourselves in matrimony, may you strive all your lives to meet this commitment with the same love and devotion that you now possess." Caldwell smiled, opening his arm, "By virtue of the authority vested in me by the United States Air Force as Captain of this vessel, I now pronounce you, spouses for life." He cocked his head to the side, slightly uncertain, "You may kiss the bride, I guess."

The assembled crew and Atlantis personnel cheered as Sam and Chloe fell into each others arms, kissing deeply.

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The sound of water lapping against the nearby dockside was soothing: Sam wasn't sure just how McKay had found this part of the city, but she wasn't about to look a gift horse in the mouth, having checked for any cameras or other recording devices. She lay back in the makeshift bed; Chloe curled up at her side, and smiled.

The party had started as soon as the Daedalus had landed back on Atlantis, and had gone on late into the night. Sam half suspected that many of the expedition members needed to blow of a little steam, and used the wedding as an excuse to let their hair down. Whatever the reason, there had been plenty to eat and drink (only fruit juice for the happy couple; Dr Becket's orders), and an importuned band had managed to play a few songs without permanently damaging anyone's hearing. Sam wasn't sure just how strong the Athosian ale was, but she could clearly remember an inebriated Dr Weir fighting an equaly intoxicated McKay for the bouquet that they had thrown over their shoulders. Weir had finally caught it, and promptly kissed a rather surprised looking Col. Sheppard.

Sam was sure that that would be the mainstay of Atlantis gossip for some time to come.

"So," Chloe held one hand up, examining her wedding right by the pale moonlight, "Carter-Sullivan, or Sullivan-Carter?"

"I'd have thought that you'd want to keep your name," Sam propped herself up on the elbow, the other arm sliding across her wife's stomach, "at least on a professional level."

"I'm talking more about for the girls." Chloe giggled, "Not that I wouldn't be willing to take your name..."

"I fell in love with, and married, Chloe Sullivan." Sam kissed the younger woman on the tip of her nose, "But I think Carter-Sullivan rolls of the tough a little easier than Sullivan-Carter and that's not just me being egocentrically."

"Chloe and Samantha Carter-Sullivan?" Chloe tilted her head to the side, "I think I could get use to that."

"It's going to be fun seeing everyone else's reaction back home." Sam smiled at the mental image, "Although I'm sure that someone, probably Elizabeth, is going to tell Jack before we get back to Earth. I just home someone has a camera on-hand..."

"Ooh! Can I be the one to tell Lex?" Chloe laughed, "I want to see first-hand how Mr Metropolitan reacts to the news."

"You are an evil, evil woman." Sam backed away in mock horror, "What have I married?"

"If you think people are going to be surprised by the fact that we're married," Chloe smiled evilly, "imagine how they're going to react to the news that we're carrying each others child?"

"That's going to be a whole other can of worms." Sam admitted, "I just home your father appreciates that I've made an honest woman of you."

"Are you saying that I wasn't honest before hand?" Chloe asked.

"You're a journalism-major." Sam countered, deadpan, "What was the question again?"

"What am I going to do with you?" Chloe asked as she grabbed Sam and rolled her over onto her back, pulling the sheet up over their heads, "Well, apart from this..."

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"Good luck and Godspeed." Weir stood holding a cup of strong black coffee at the airlock leading to the Daedalus, "Enjoy your honeymoon."

"Well, three weeks cooped up on a starship does have its advantages." Chloe smiled, "Like we can decide where we're going to live: our apartment in Smallville is barely big enough when Cassie visits..."

"We have many things to discuss." Sam admitted, "Look us up, next time you're back on Earth. You and Col. Sheppard..."

"I'll make sure to give you a call." Weir cut the astrophysicist off, and then shook both women's hands, "It's been, well, unusual."

"Welcome to my world." Chloe smiled.

"Take my wife, please." Sam laughed, wrapping and arm around the younger blond and started to lead her through the airlock and into the ship, "I'm glad I finally got to see Atlantis first-hand."

"So, tell me," Chloe asked as the hatch started to close behind them, "can I write about the Air Force's latest spaceship?"

To Be Continued...

If you didn't like it, then so be it: it was my story to write and time to waste, not yours.