It's official - I'm definitively moving away from canon.
Sam was waiting in front of General Hammond's door. When the door opened and Jack emerged her eyes widened for a split second, but then she straightened.
"Sir", she said by way of greeting.
"Major", he replied, his tone all business, but his eyes warm.
"The general says to send you in."
He nodded at her and left, and Sam entered.
"Sir? You wanted to see me?"
"Yes, major, have a seat. We need to talk about a few things."
For a moment she thought he might have found about – but he was actually smiling at her.
"Yes, sir."
When she was seated he started:
"Well first of all I inform you that you are about to be promoted to Lieutenant Colonel."
That came as a surprise. Before she could say anything he went on:
"Second, you will take command of SG-1, and I expect you to find your forth within a week. Understood?"
"Chrystal, sir. Thank you sir!"
And then it dawned on her. What about Jack? Would he leave the SGC? Would she lose him right after finally getting what she had always wanted? Obviously her thoughts displayed on her face because she didn't make it further than:
"Sir, but what about - " before the general interrupted her.
"Colonel O'Neill has been reassigned – within the SGC."
His voice switched from commander to fatherly friend.
"He's not going anywhere, Sam."
He smiled warmly when he saw her relax.
"He's not your commanding officer anymore, effective immediately."
And that was about the best news she had gotten in a very, very long time.
She needed to find him. She could barely wait for the general to dismiss her. Since cruelty wasn't one of George Hammond's character traits he said:
"He's supposed to be in his office, major. You are dismissed."
She did muster the discipline not to run.
~o0o~
She found him seated at his desk, BDU shirt open and hunched over a piece of paper. 'What an unusual sight' she thought, and then he looked up. He seemed to be looking right into her soul, all the way through military protocol and discipline, and for a moment she got past his defenses, too. There was unshielded love, so intense and pure that her knees gave way. She swallowed hard and reached behind her back to close his office door. Leaning against it she said:
"I'm being promoted."
He beamed at her and got up. Walking around the desk he said:
"I know. You certainly deserve it."
When he stood right in front of her he softly said:
"I think congratulations are in order", and with that he bent to kiss her, his hands framing her face, and she leaned into him with her heart racing. When they broke the kiss he drew her in an embrace and she rested her head on his shoulder, her arms around him and her frantic heartbeat finally slowing down. He stroked her back over and over again and whispered in her ear:
"I've been wanting to do this for so long. I can't believe I'm actually allowed now!"
They both didn't get much work done after that, so they decided to sign out for the day. Feeling that defrosted pizza or Chinese take-out didn't quite suit the occasion they agreed to stop at a small Italian restaurant. It was early in the evening so there weren't too many people, and not too fancy so they didn't feel uncomfortable in the casual civvies they wore.
"What is this new assignment about anyway?", Sam finally asked over her pasta.
"Well, I just thought I might as well have a little fun."
His eyes sparkled and he had that cheeky smile that made him look half his age and that she hadn't seen it what felt like centuries. When he told her shew couldn't help but feel sorry for anyone who might cross his path...he would certainly enjoy that. And she just knew he would be good at it. She had seen him do it before.
After chocolate cake and crème brûlée they left the restaurant for Jack's house. Actually Sam would have loved to have him come to her place for a change, but she sensed that he would feel safer at his. They sat on the couch for quite a while, their fingers interlaced, a glass of wine and a Guinness at hand, and didn't talk much. Sam's head had fallen on Jack's shoulder at some point, and they simply enjoyed to be that close. Finally Sam lifted her head, put down her glass and looked at him with something in her eyes that might have been hunger, but her voice was deliberately soft.
"Can I take your shirt off?"
She was obviously careful not to intrude his space. Jack hesitated. God, how he wanted her to touch him. And yet he just couldn't. He reached for the top button.
"Let me do this, OK?"
"OK."
Sam's eyes wandered from one button to the next while he opened them. She felt like she had to sit on her hands when inch by inch his bare skin showed. When he had opened the last button and got ready to shrug out of the shirt she just couldn't hold back any longer. Still determined not to act without his permission she held his gaze while she reached for the collar. When he closed his eyes and didn't show any sign of resistance she slid her hands under the fabric. The moment she touched his skin his head fell back and he let out a tiny moan. It sounded as if he had wanted to suppress it but just couldn't. Sam smiled and bent down to kiss his collar bone. He sat perfectly still, concentrating on the path of her lips on his skin. She finally stopped kissing him to take his shirt off, and he was completely OK with it. So much more than OK...
"Let's move this somewhere else", he said and got up. He took her hand and lead her towards the bedroom. When Sam caught sight of the scars that ran across his back as well as his sides and some even across his stomach she felt a sharp pang of hatred for the bastards who had caused him such pain, followed by compassion and the strong need to caress him. He sat down on the bed, and after she had crawled in he lay down.
"How bad are these scars?"
"I'll live."
"Jack, can I touch them or will it hurt?"
"It's not that bad anymore."
Still not really an answer she thought, but it had to be good enough for now. Very tenderly she traced one scar after the other from his stomach to his side as far as she could reach with him lying on his back.
"Actually this feels good", he said softly and opened his eyes to look at her. This was Sam Carter in his bed, her cheeks flushed and her gorgeous eyes huge in the half light, caressing his battered body as well as his soul. Life might be good after all...
"How about you roll over?", she said, gaining courage from his relaxed expression.
He started to comply, but all of a sudden a flash of panic flared in his chest. He couldn't breathe and his body convulsed. He had to protect his back! Fighting to gain control he focused on his breathing. Sam took his hands and waited for him to look at her.
"I'm – sorry -" he breathed as soon as he could. She shook her head.
"Don't. It's OK, just stay on your back. Please, Jack, it's OK."
Very slowly his body relaxed. Low but controlled he said:
"No, it's not. I have to fight this. I want you to touch my back. I trust you with my life, Sam. I just know you won't hurt me, right?"
"Right, Jack. I'd never do anything to cause you pain. Do you trust me enough for this?"
Sam thought back to the infirmary, how Jack had fought to protect his back even when he was too weak to show any other reaction. Maybe this was too much too soon? It affected her enormously when he finally rolled onto his stomach. The full extend of the damage on his back still shocked her. Moved by the amount of trust he displayed she gently stroked him, from the back of his neck down his spine to the waistband of his trousers, back up along his shoulder blades and down his sides. He was tense in the beginning, but after a while he started to let go. His breathing became more even and he seemed to enjoy her tenderness. After a while she bent down and trailed small kisses along the most prominent scars. They ran across his back from on side to the other, and she worked her way from the uppermost all the way down to his waist. When she reached the small of his back he stirred and turned to look at her. His eyes were almost black, and she wasn't sure what to make of his expression. He settled back onto his back and reached out for her. She lay down on her side facing him, and he cradled her face. His mouth very close to hers he said:
"I want you so badly I can hardly think anymore, and still I'm scared to the bone."
He closed the distance and kissed her with such passion that she felt her body go limp. Breaking the kiss, but only moving away an inch he went on:
"I just don't know how much of the man I used to be is still left in me, Sam...you deserve to be happy, and I'd love to be the one who gets to make you happy, but I'm not sure if I can do that."
He sounded so desperate that it cut right through her heart.
"It's alright Jack, I am happy. There's only one thing I want – and that's for you to let me stay close to you. Can I fall asleep in your arms tonight?"
He pulled her into his arms and whispered into the crook of her neck:
"I think we can do that, Carter."