Chapter 9: Remembering

They were standing in the hallway of Jacks house, the rain lashing against the windows as Jack moved up slowly behind Sam after he had closed the door behind them.

"Let's get you into some dry clothes" he told her softly and led her to the bathroom.

He disappeared into his adjoining bedroom as she stood in his bathroom looking around the room, trying to see if anything seemed familiar.

Jack returned with some black sweat pants and an old air force t-shirt.

"Sorry" he mumbled, "these were all I could find." He spoke quietly to her as he placed the clothes on the chair by the bath tub. He moved up behind her, worried by her silence and gently touched her shoulder.

She didn't jump, but closed her eyes at the sensation his touch caused. Her shirt was clinging to her like a second skin and she could feel the warmth of his hand radiating through her chilled body.

"God, you're freezing. You should have a hot shower or…" Jack started to moved his hand as he moved to turn the shower on, but her sudden, quiet cry of "No!" stopped him.

Her body remained facing away from him but she turned her head to him. She took his hand and gently pulled it back to the place he had touched her last, and then began to move his hand gradually down her arm.

Jack looked into her eyes and understood and as she tentatively removed her hand, he continued his caress down her arm. He moved behind her so their bodies were pressed softly together, his front touching her back and as soon as she felt him move around her she moved back into the touch of his body. Jack's other hand trailed softly down her other arm, his fingers caressing the skin beneath them.

She felt warmth wherever he touched and as his hands reached hers he ran his fingers across the back of her hands and in between the digits, his caress provocative and yet so gentle. He interlaced their fingers, and she moved his hands. She moved his left hand so it trailed across her stomach and under her shirt. She moved her other arm up her body so that her hand played idly with the hair at the base of his neck, caressing the skin there then gasped softly as a memory assaulted her.

she was kneeling in front of him, dressed in black, he was in a tight white t-shirt with a pale blue shirt over the top, their kisses passionate as the were desperate, his hand moving to her face to cup her cheek…

Her head fell back against his shoulder and she then turned in his arms and divested him of his shirt.

Jack broke the kiss but only moved back a few centimetres. "Are you sure you want to do this? I'd die if you wake up tomorrow hating me for it"

"I'm sure… and I know… the one thing I know without a doubt is that I could never hate you. You're the one person I trust, the one I feel I know… have a connection to... I feel it in my heart." She whispered softly to him.

He manoeuvred them toward the bedroom and fell towards the bed. As they lay there, Jack stopped and looked down at her and closed his eyes.

"I'm sorry… I can't…" Jack apologised.

"Why?" She asked, confused.

"Because I want our first time together to be… when… well, when you know who you are…I'm sorry." Jack brushed a strand of hair away from her face.

She smiled up at him. "Thank you… I now know I really can trust you."

Jack kissed her lips softly. "We'll find another way of getting your memories back. I promise."

They lay together Sam's head resting under Jack's chin while Jack was languidly running his fingers through her hair while his other hand held Sam's securely in his, their fingers interlaced. He hadn't fallen asleep. He was contented to watch her sleep. The way her body moved when she breathed in her sleep, he way her lips moved.

Suddenly she sat up, scaring Jack half to death.

A rush of visions came at her…

Walking into the briefing room meeting his eyes for the first time

She was dressed in a blue dress and he told her she 'looked great'

Throwing him on the bench in the locker room and kissing him deeply

Him holding her and running his hand through her hair telling her 'It's alright… we're going back'

Him leaning over her caressing her face

Holding his hand when the alien device had impaled him to the wall

Sitting together by a fire

Him holding her with his hand over her mouth to stop the enemy Jaffa finding out their position when she cried out in pain

Hugging him after he had killed Hathor and not been taken over by the Goa'uld

Watching Jack kiss her duplicate through the mirror

Jack trying to stop them taking her on the hell planet and being shot for his actions

Telling Janet she missed him

Begging him to save himself

Watching him on the other side of the force-shield as he yelled at her that he wouldn't leave her

Cuddled up to him in the underground facility where they believed they were miners.

Jack finding her strapped to the medical bed as they were about to kill her

Nearly drowning together.

Not giving up on finding him when he was stranded off world

Crying because she couldn't bear to lose him

Jack asking her to go fishing four months ago and the touch of their hands as she promised him that next time she would go.

Him… Jack O'Neill… the one man she loved most in this world. The man she would die for

Jack held her, asking if she was alright, and telling her that she was safe.

Suddenly her eyes snapped open and locked immediately with his.

"Oh god… Jack…" she let out a breath, tears now falling from her eyes. She reached up and ran her thumb over his lips.

"…I remember."