Chapter 10: Believeing

Author's Notes: Sam's been missing for four months. Jack blames himself and after countless unsuccessful leads, he is beginning to loose all hope of ever finding her.

Jack could barely believe what he had heard, part of him not wanting to believe it for fear that his mind was playing tricks with him.

"Sam…?" Jack spoke breathlessly.

"It's me Jack… I remember…" she whispered as the tears fell from her eyes. She crushed her lips to his in an effort to reassure him that she was telling him the truth.

"I promise it's me Jack…" she spoke into his mouth, her hand running through his short hair at the nape of his neck, the other cupping his cheek.

"Oh god… please don't let this be a dream" Jack breathed against her lips.

"Oh god Sam, I thought I'd lost you… I though you were…" Jack could barely finish his sentence… the word 'dead' stuck deep in his throat.

"hey… shh, it's okay…" Sam placed feather-like kisses to his lips as Jack pulled the duvet back over the top of them from where it lay after Sam had bolted upright without warning.

"I promise, I'll never let you go." He whispered to her, running his fingers through her hair.

They lay in blissful silence for about five minutes before Jack spoke and Sam could heard the raw emotion in his voice and knew he was holding back tears.

"I'm scared Sam."
She turned her head slightly to look into his eyes, but he did not meet her gaze.

"What of?" She asked quietly.

Jack took a shaky breath and closed his eyes.

"I'm scared… that if I go to sleep… I'll wake up… and all this will have been a dream. I've… I've dreamt of this for so long, needing you in my arms. Sometimes I woke up believing the dreams were real… and then… when I realised…"

Jack put his hand to his face covering his eyes, doing everything within his power not to let the emotions get the better of him.

"Hey… look at me… please Jack…" Sam spoke softly and pulled his hand from his face. She brought his hand to her lips and kissed his palm softly and she met his eyes and could see the pain within them.

Sam manoeuvred herself so she was sitting up and looking down at Jack. She ran her hand softly down his face.

"This is real… I'm here… I'm not going anywhere…I'm yours and I'm never going to leave you… I promise. Whoever did this to me… the NID, the Goa'uld… I don't know, but we're together now, and I know deep down that together we are stronger… I'm yours and no-one is going to take me away from you again… because I care about you…" she gave him a sweet almost sly smile before adding "… a lot more than I'm supposed to."

She smiled at him and leant closer and whispered "I love you Jonathon O'Neill", before kissing his lips with gentleness and passion.

"I love you Samantha Carter… always and forever…" Jack returned the kiss and held her close to him.

She pulled back a few inches and spoke softly.

"We don't have to sleep yet… I wanna… I don't know… walk with you… talk… sit on your roof and look at the stars… we can sleep later." Sam offered.

"I like that idea… why don't we drive to yours get you some clothes and then go get take out?" Jack smiled.

"Okay…" She placed a kiss to his lips and they got dressed (Sam in the sweats and air-force t-shirt Jack had brought to her earlier) and left the house.

They got to his car and Jack opened the door for Sam and she slid in positioning herself in the passenger seat. She didn't take her eyes off him as he walked round to the driver's side. Jack didn't take his eyes off her either, even when he clipped the front bumper of his jeep which caused him to curse quietly and Sam to giggle.

Oh the sound of Sam's laughter… it made his insides feel warm and fuzzy and he slid in the driver's seat next to her. As he turned the ignition on Sam spoke quietly…

"wait…" she smiled and leant over and placed a long, drawn-out kiss on his lips, her hand stroking his face as she did so. Jack's hand slid around to her neck, his thumb stroking just under her ear as he returned the kiss with equal vigour.

She pulled back and let out a breath "mmm… now we can go."

Jack laughed and reversed out of the driveway and set off towards Sam's house.

Half way there Sam let out a gasp. "Daniel… Teal'c! Are they ok? I… I didn't…"

"It's okay… give 'em a call from my cell. They'll wanna know you're back to you ol' self." Jack smiled and handed her his cell phone from his pocket.

Sam dialled Daniel's number and after a few rings it picked up.

"Jack… is everything okay?"

"Hi Daniel…" Sam spoke into the phone.

"Sam?! Oh my god… it's you… you're… you?! When… what… h…how?!" Daniel yelled happily into the phone.

Jack laughed at the man's babbling.

"Yes, its me. I remember everything." Sam smiled.

"okay… where did we first meet?"

"On Abydos… it was my first mission through the gate." Sam answered.

"Hang on a second Daniel." Sam put her hand over the receiver and spoke to Jack.

"Shall we meet Daniel and Teal'c somewhere for dinner?"

"Yeah, how about O'Malleys?" Jack suggested.

"Besides, the company will help keep us awake." She whispered.

"Daniel?" Sam spoke into the phone.

"Yeah?"

"Do you and Teal'c want to meet Jack and I at O'Malley's in, say, an hour? See if Janet and General Hammond can come too." Sam asked him.

"Sure, we'll be there. Oh and Sam… it's so good to hear your voice again." Daniel told her.

"Thanks Daniel. See you soon. Bye" Sam clicked off the phone when he said goodbye.

Sam handed the phone back to Jack and he put his arm around her as he drove and she willingly snuggled up to him and let out a contented sigh.

"This is perfect."

"Mm, I know what you mean." Jack smiled and kissed the top of her forehead.

An hour later and after stopping at Sam's house for her to have a shower (for which Jack joined her) and change clothes they were strolling across the car park and into the restaurant.

As soon as she entered she spotted Daniel and Teal'c seated at a booth across from the door and Sam couldn't help the giddy smile that adorned her features as she hurried across the restaurant towards them.

Daniel scooped her up in a hug and kissed her on the cheek. In the four months that he had been missing it felt like he had lost a sister because that was what Sam felt like to him.

"We thought we'd never see you again." Daniel told her.

"I know" Sam let out a breath. "I'm just glad I'm back."

As Daniel let go of her Teal'c surprised her by enveloping her in a bear hug.

"You have been sorely missed Samantha Carter… are you alright?" Teal'c asked, the sentence seeming stoic but filled with much devotion, admiration and friendship, for like Daniel, it had seemed like he had lost a sibling. Each member of SG-1 felt like a brother (or in Sam's case a sister) to him and he would die for any of them. It had also pained him greatly to see Jack in so much despair and grief when she was missing.

"I am now Teal'c… thank you." Sam smiled.

They all sat at the table, Jack letting Sam slide in the booth fist then sitting next to her, while Daniel and Teal'c took up seats opposite them.

After ordering food and drinks they all sat talking like Sam had never gone missing, all of them deciding that topic of discussion should be left for tomorrow and to just try to get back to normal for the night.

Tomorrow they would set about finding out who had taken Sam and for what reasons.

About an hour after they had arrived Sam excused herself to use the bathroom.

"Okay, but if you're not back in three minutes I'm coming in to get you, and I don't care how many female's I get screaming insults at me when I do!" Jack told her with a grin.

"I'll be fine." Sam smiled and Jack watched her leave and she turned to smile at him again as she walked in the door.

He didn't take his eyes off the door that lead to the women's bathroom the entire time she was in there. He let out a breath he didn't even realise he had been holding when she walked out again a few minutes later and back towards the table.

She held out her hand and spoke softly. "May I have this dance?"

Jack grinned and let out a soft laugh as he took her hand and he lead her onto the wooden dance floor where a soft, smooth jazz piece was playing.

Daniel and Teal'c watched them dance with soft smiles on their faces and as the waitress came over to ask if they wanted more drinks, she temporarily blocked their view. When she left again what they saw didn't shock them at all. Sam and Jack were engaged in a passionate kiss on the dance floor, totally oblivious to their surroundings.

Daniel smiled. "It's about time."

"Indeed." Replied the Jaffa with a small nod of his head.

Outside O'Malleys, Jack stood behind Sam, his arms wrapped around her keeping her warm.

"Do you guys wanna come back for a couple of beers maybe a couple of games of poker or somethin'?" Jack asked.

"Sure you guys don't wanna be alone?" Daniel asked with a sly grin.

Sam and Jack both laughed, "It's fine… poker and beer sound like a great idea." Sam told them.

"Okay, well let me phone Hammond and Janet, they'll want to see you. They should have finished by now." Daniel told them. He had informed them earlier that George and Janet had desperately wanted to come to see Sam now that she had her memories back, but were unable to leave due to an off-world mission ending badly and several marines coming back severely wounded.

"Alright, you'll follow us?" Jack asked.

"Sure." Daniel told him and they parted ways toward their vehicles.

Jack reversed out of the parking space and pulled up just beside Daniel who was still talking on the phone.

Jack pressed the button beside him to open Sam's window and yelled across to Daniel. "Come on Danny-boy!"

Daniel covered the mouth piece and yelled back. "You go, we'll follow in a few minutes."

Jack laughed and sighed. He pulled out of the restaurant car park and set off down the road. A few minutes later he rolled to a halt at a set of traffic lights.

Jack reached over and took Sam's hand.

"You okay?"

She turned and smiled at him. "Perfect."

Jack brought her hand up to his lips and his eyes flicked to the lights above them… 'still red'… and placed a kiss to the palm of her hand.

Then without warning…

smash

the sound of metal on metal

glass shattering

glass flying

Sam screaming

darkness

OH NO… it's not over yet!

Mwahahahaha!

(AN- I just edited it slightly. The traffic lights are now a few mins along the road… not directly outside the restaurant)