Daniel and Vala turned to look back at each other, realizing they were holding each other very closely. Daniel slowly and regretfully lessened his grip on the beautiful woman allowing for a few inches of space between their bodies. Their eyes met and without speaking they began to dance slowly as a new song came on. Both were in a minor state of shock, wondering what the hell had just happened.
Vala recovered first, she smiled, her first non-forced smile of the night as she found herself in Daniels arms, "Well, wonder what that was all about," she said.
Shaking his head slightly Daniel regained control of himself, "Cassie," he said as if that explained everything, and in a way she supposed it did. She laughed a laugh that made his stomach fill with butterflies. And then they just danced because they had nothing to say, but their eyes stayed locked the entire time communicating every unsaid feeling. They slowly began holding each other closer and closer until most of them were connected in some way, her bright red dress against his black suit. The last notes of the song rang out and Daniel dipped her, their faces only an inch apart. They froze, this was new and different and they weren't sure what to do.
"Oh for God's sake just kiss already!" Cassie's voice rang out through the speakers, and the couple turned their heads to see a slightly frantic bride holding the DJ's microphone and staring intently at them. Quite a few heads turned and they found themselves in the center ring at the circus. He pulled her out of the dip, their eyes back on each others.
Vala let out a small giggle and said, "Well, if it's for the bride…" she trailed off her eyes searching his.
"Oh, trust me," he answered, "it isn't," and then he closed the short distance between them, causing cheers to erupt all around the hall.
Jack pulled one of his hands away from hers and shoved his hand into his coat pocket where he found what he was looking for and pulled it out. She gasped as she saw the black velvet box and watched him slide off the fountain and then down on to one knee, never breaking their eye contact.
"Samantha, you know I've never really been good with words, so bear with me," she smiled remembering some specific incidents, "I know I'm old, and a fool, who loves to go fishing in a pond with no fish, and has a slight tendency to obsess over the Simpsons, but with you-" he swallowed, "you're my everything. And I… I love you, Samantha. Will you marry me?"
She was stunned into a silence, he had said so little but it meant so much. She didn't think he was old or a fool, she did think he obsessed over the Simpsons but anyone who met him knew that. She thought he was the most wonderful man she would ever meet and she loved him more than life itself. She sat there gaping at him until he cleared his throat and said, "Uh… Sam I kinda need an answer." She leaned down and kissed him lightly on the lips. "I'll take that as a yes then?" he said as she pulled away, she nodded fervently as he placed the ring on her finger.
Tears of joy were seeping out of her eyes and when he sat on the fountain's edge next to her she just had to kiss him. She leaned in and their lips met, she loved the taste of him. His tongue darted past her lips and she opened, loving the way it felt when their tongues met. His hands were low on her back; hers locked in his hair as he leaned down his back against the fountain's cool marble, bringing her on top of him. She moaned into his mouth loving that she was kissing him and he was kissing her, her Jack. They broke apart when they heard cheers erupting from the not so distant reception hall. They looked at the hall, then at each other. Smiling when their eyes met, she brought her lips to his one more time before she got off of him and pulled him up so they could go investigate.
Jack and Sam entered to hear cheers still echoing around the hall, "What the hell is going on in… Whoa," Jack stopped his question, finding his answer in the middle of the dance floor where his best friend stood kissing Vala, quite passionately. His hands were in her hair and hers around his neck, after getting over the initial shock, both Sam and Jack began cheering with the rest of the crowd until the two pulled back.
"Wow," Daniel said breathing heavily.
"Wow's right," she said her breathing just as labored.
Cassie's voiced bounced out of the speakers as she said, "FINALLY!" Then, "Oh, Jack, you're back!" she said putting the microphone down mid sentence and rushing over to where the two stood in the entryway as everyone else resumed eating their dinner or dancing, "So?" she said impatiently.
"I prioritized," was Jacks answer, earning a squeal from Cassie and a confused look from Sam. He shrugged at Sam and mouthed 'I'll tell you later,'
Sam hid her left hand in Jack's right and said, "We have something to tell everyone," she said smiling.
Cassie squealed again, "What? What! What?" she asked excitedly.
Jack laughed and said, "Since when are you everybody?"
"Fine," Cassie growled and grabbed Jack's other hand dragging them both to the table that Daniel and Vala had just returned to. Jack purposefully slowed his pace to annoy Cassie while the rest of the SGC members watched amusedly. Finally as they reached the table Cassie said, "Okay, now you have everyone so spill!" Cassie ran around behind Daniels chair and linked her arms around his neck leaning down and placing her chin on top of his head.
Jack and Sam smiled at each other, both choosing to torture Cassie just a bit more, " Jack and I have some news," Sam began.
"But first," Jack interrupted, "Way to go Danny boy!" Daniel smiled and laughed, interlacing his fingers with Vala's. While one top of his head Cassie screamed, "FOCUS!" causing Sam and Jack to laugh while the rest of her "family" became more interested.
"Right," Jack said, deciding he had tortured her enough, "well the first bit of news is that I'm retiring." Cassie squealed again while Daniel and Teal'c smiled. The rest of the group looked extremely confused.
"Why?" the three not so quick ones voiced. Jack smiled, thinking back to the time he had gotten stuck in the time loop.
"George," he said walking in to the control room in civilian clothes.
"Colonel what are you doing out of uniform?" he asked.
"Handing you my resignation," he said handing the general a slip of paper and checking his watch.
"Resigning? But why?"Sam had asked.
"So I can do this!" he said pulling her into a kiss he had wanted for so long.
"So he can do this," Carter said, shocking him a bit, she pulled on his lapel with her free hand the other still hiding in his and kissing him full on the mouth. It was a quick kiss, nothing like the one they had shared outside, but it seemed to get the point across to Vala, Cam, and George. The original SG-1 members along with Cassie where beaming and the other three joined shortly after.
"Oh yeah, Daniel?" Jack asked smiling.
"Yeah, Jack?" the archeologist responded with an answering grin.
"Will you my best man?" Jack asked casually as if asking about the weather.
"WHAT?" Everyone shouted at once as Sam held up the ring. Jack was smiling while the rest of them all adjusted to the surprise. Cassie was so excited she nearly choked Daniel as she went to hug Sam. Daniel got up and hugged his best friend. "Course I will," he said smiling widely. They all in turn hugged Sam and Jack and then they stood in a small circle.
"Jack?" Cassie's voice sounded.
"Yeah Cass?" he asked.
"When did you get the ring?" she asked sounding confused. He smiled, he was wondering when she would figure that out.
"I've had it for a while. I never had the nerve to do it before, but something about you told me I was going to need it tonight and boy am I glad I brought it along," he said, Sam laughed and leaned her head against his shoulder.
Cassie felt a hand snake around her waist and turned to see her husband smiling at her. Dominic looked at the others and received a sharp glare from General O'Neill. He removed his arm from her waist and took her hand instead; Jack smiled contentedly while Cassie said, "Jack! We just went over this." All she got was a sheepish grin in return.
"Honey, we got to go," Dominic said, "We've got a plane to catch," he smiled. She looked at the ring on Sam's finger to the interlocked fingers and smiled.
"Well, my work here is done," she said earning laughs from the whole group. Matchmaking was exhausting work, she was totally ready to go and spend a few weeks with her husband completely devoid of deadly general's stares. Her world was right and everyone was happy, this really was the best day of her life, she thought as she leaned in to kiss her husband.
A/N: so what did you think? hope you all liked it.
please please please review.