Chapter 6

Sam drove up the dirt road, remembering the last time she had been here. After breaking her engagement, she had hoped that she and Jack would finally discuss their relationship but he had made no attempt to talk with her so she had given him the letter and moved to Houston.

Driving around a curve, the morning sun blinded her so she quickly put down the sun visor. Coming closer to the cabin the trees shielded the sun so she raised the visor back up and could see Jack sitting on the front porch.

He stared at her as she approached.

She parked the car and as she got out, Jack pushed himself up with his cane and didn't take his eyes off her as she walked toward him.

"Don't . . . want . . . you . . . here!" he yelled as he turned and went into the house and slammed the door.

Sam walked up on the porch, opened the door and came inside. "That's too bad because I'm staying!"

"Get out!"

Sam closed the door and stepped closer. "No!"

"This is . . . my house and you're . . . not . . . welcome here!"

"I'm not leaving, Jack, until we talk and get this situation straightened out between us. Avoiding each other has gone on long enough."

They stared at each other for several seconds until Jack sat down on the sofa and Sam sat down beside him.

"Did you really think that moving here would discourage me from coming to see you? Did you think that I'd never want to see you again? Did you think I'd just forget about you and leave you alone?"

"I don't . . . I don't want you . . . feeling sorry for me. I don't need your . . . pity."

"Pity is not the reason I'm here. Far from it."

Sam moved closer. "Jack."

He turned his head and looked into her eyes.

"I love you, Jack O'Neill, and I'm not going to leave you so don't you dare try to send me away. I've been in love with you for a very long time. Having a stroke did not make me stop loving you and I can assure you that it won't. You and I have wasted far too many years already and I am not going to waste another day."

"I can't . . . speak . . . as fast as I used to and . . . I can't . . . walk . . . like I . . . used to. I'll . . . embarrass you. You should forget . . . about me."

"I wouldn't be here if you were an embarrassment to me. Do you think I would have stayed with you all those weeks that you were in the hospital and rehab if you were embarrassing me? Do you think I'd have come all this way to see you if I wanted to forget you? I'm tired of running, Jack. Running away to Houston did not make me stop loving you. I had hoped it would but it didn't. It just made me miss you even more and I know my feelings for you are never going to change. I want us to be together. Can't you get that through your head?"

"My head . . . isn't . . . what it used to be."

"I know that but I don't care."

Sam put her hand on Jack's chest. "Here in your heart, you're still the same man I fell in love with. It doesn't matter to me if you move slower and talk slower. When you really love someone you love them during the bad times and the good and we've seen our share of bad times. Are you afraid that I'll grow tired of you and leave?"

Jack took a deep breath as he glanced away. "Yes."

"Do you love me?"

He looked into her eyes. "More than any . . . other woman . . . I've ever known."

"Do you want me with you?"

"Yes, but . . . for the . . . right reasons."

"What are your reasons?"

"Because . . . we . . . love each other . . . and not . . . because I want you . . . to take care . . . of me."

"I don't need to. You're already taking care of yourself. I know you're probably going to have some difficulty speaking and walking for the rest of your life but that's okay."

Tears came to Sam's eyes. "Please don't push me away. I would rather be with you more than any other man I've ever known. I'm never going to stop loving you."

Jack hesitated for a moment. "Promise?"

Sam quickly wiped her eyes. "Yes. I promise. Pinky promise. Cross my heart and hope to die promise. Until death do us part promise."

Jack grinned. "Well, I . . . guess that . . . settles it . . . then."

Sam leaned over and kissed him. After the kiss was over, she could see that there was something he wanted to say.

"What is it?"

He couldn't bring himself to look at her and stared at the floor.

Sam put her hand on his. "What's wrong? You can tell me anything."

"It's just . . . that . . . I don't know if . . . I can . . . make love to you . . . I don't know . . . if I can . . . have sex . . . because . . . of the stroke."

Sam stood up and held out her hands. "Let's go find out."

Jack stared at her. "Are you . . . sure?"

"Don't you think we've waited long enough? You don't know how many times I've dreamed of making love with you."

Jack grasped her hands and stood up and they headed to his bedroom.

Sometime later, they lay in bed with Sam's head on Jack's shoulder, her arm resting on his chest with his arm wrapped around her back.

Sam looked up at him. "This really had you worried, didn't it?"

"What can I say? I am a . . . guy, you know."

Sam smiled. "Yes, you certainly are."

Later that afternoon, they sat on the front porch. Jack had his arm around Sam's shoulder and her hand was on his thigh.

"I remembered . . . something . . . when I was. . . in rehab."

Sam turned to look at him. "What?"

"The day . . . I came to Houston . . . on the flight . . . back, I realized that . . . I had . . . pushed you . . . away and I . . . regretted doing . . . that and . . . I was going to . . . call you when . . . I got home . . . and apologize and . . . ask you to . . . forgive me . . . and tell you that I . . . wanted to give us . . . a chance."

"But the stroke happened and you didn't get to. Oh Jack, I'm so sorry."

"Not . . . your fault."

"No, it's nobody's fault. It just makes me sad that we've wasted so much time when we should have been together long ago."

Jack kissed her temple. "But . . . we're . . . together now."

Sam smiled. "Yes, we finally are and nothing is going to keep us apart."

"You're right. And . . . to make . . . sure of that, will you . . . marry me?"

Tears filled Sam's eyes and she nodded her head as she whispered "yes."

Jack put his arms around her and kissed her.

~oOo~

One week later, Sam answered a knock on the door of the cabin to find Teal'c and Daniel standing on the porch and she gave them both a hug.

"Jack and I are glad you could come. He's fishing on the dock. Let's go join him."

As they came around the corner of the house, they could see Jack sitting in a chair with his ankles crossed and a fishing pole in his hands. A Homer Simpson cap was on his head.

"Jack, look who's here."

Jack looked up at them. "Hi . . . guys."

Daniel put his hand on Jack's shoulder. "Hey. Good to see you."

"You . . . too."

"Have you caught any fish, O'Neill?" Teal'c asked.

"No. I think . . . they all . . swam away."

Sam sat down in a chair beside Jack and Daniel and Teal'c sat on the dock.

They talked for a while until Sam glanced at her watch. "Lunch is in the oven and it should be ready by now so let's go eat."

Jack laid down the fishing pole and they all stood up. Sam grabbed Jack's cane and handed it to him as she linked her arm through his and they headed to the cabin.

After lunch was over they sat talking at the table.

Jack looked at Sam. "Should we . . . tell 'em?"

"Yes, we should."

Daniel raised his eyebrows. "What's up guys?"

Jack took Sam's hand. "I . . . proposed."

Sam grinned. "And I accepted."

Daniel smiled. "Oh, that's great! Congratulations. When's the wedding?"

Sam squeezed Jack's hand. "We haven't set a date yet but we only want to have the two of you, Cassie, General Hammond and Mark and his family at the ceremony."

"Will you live here?" Teal'c asked.

Sam shook her head. "Jack has been urging me to get back to work in Houston and I think it's time so we're going to stay in my apartment and start searching for a house. We'll come here when I can take time off."

Daniel sat back in his chair. "Teal'c and I are glad that you're finally together and you deserve to be after everything that's happened. I've never seen you both so happy."

Sam smiled at Jack. "I've been crazy about him for a very long time."

Jack winked at Sam and smiled. "I . . . kinda . . . like you . . . too."

Sam chuckled. "You 'kinda' like me?"

Jack stared at Sam as his face grew serious. "I love you . . . Sam."

Sam kissed Jack's cheek as Daniel and Teal'c looked at each other and smiled.

The End