She walked into the house, feeling more relaxed than she had been in years. "Jack, you are the best boyfriend anyone has ever had..."
He looked over at her from the kitchen. "Enjoyed it, didn't you?"
"Oh, yes." She said with a grin. She placed her purse on the dining room table. "Something smells great."
"Go into the bedroom..."
"What?" She asked, surprised.
"Go into the bedroom. There's a surprise for you on the bed."
"Okay..." She said, confused. She walked into the bedroom, and found a box lying on her bed. She opened it carefully, and raised her eyebrows. Inside the box lay a sapphire-colored evening gown. She gasped softly.
She looked out the door before she smiled gently. She hurried over to the bathroom, and hopped into the shower.
An hour and a half later, she stepped out of the bedroom, wearing the form-fitting spaghetti strapped gown that gently fell to her ankles. Her hair was perfectly curled, and her makeup was carefully applied. The sapphire and diamond necklace and earrings which she had inherited from her mother were in place as she stepped slowly into the hallway.
"Is that you?" Jack asked from the living room, dressed in a suit and holding a single rose in his hands.
"You surprise me." She whispered as she stepped into the soft light of the fireglow.
"I have untold depths." He chuckled.
"You went to so much trouble..."
"No trouble at all."
"What's the occasion?"
"Do I have to have an occasion?"
"I'm still a little confused." She admitted.
"We're here together, Sam. That's all the occasion I need."
He reached into his pocket and retrieved the remote for the stereo. He pressed play, and pulled her into his arms as "Only Fools Rush In" began playing in the background.
Sam couldn't help but chuckle softly at the irony of the song.
"You look fantastic." He whispered into her ear as he held her close.
"This was your idea, Jack. You chose the dress."
"Actually, I showed the woman at Dillard's a picture of you, and she chose the color. I just guessed on the shape."
She chuckled softly.
"You still look fantastic." He said, kissing her cheek gently. He started to gently sway with her, softly singing in her ear.
"Wise men say
'Only fools rush in',
But I can't help
Falling in love with you.
Shall I stay?
Would it be a sin
If I can't help
Falling in love with you?"
She smiled tenderly as they danced slowly in the living room. "You sure know how to help me relax."
He shrugged. "I try."
"You look pretty amazing too." She admitted as they continued to sway to the theme song of their romance.
"Thank you." He said with a small grin.
"The song's pretty much perfect." She said, seriously.
"I heard a remake of it the other day on the radio, and I realized it described us perfectly." He said, seriously.
"Well, I like it." She said with a tender smile.
He smiled appreciatively. "Now...dinner."
"Dinner?"
"Yep. This time, I made it myself." He said, leading her to the dining room table, now carefully set with two place settings and two candles lit in the center of the table.
"Wow." She said, looking over at him.
He helped her into her seat, setting the napkin on her lap with a flourish.
He quickly filled their wine glasses with chilled champagne before he walked over to the fridge and retrieved their salads.
"Have I mentioned that this is the best surprise I've ever had?" She asked, shaking her head in astonishment.
He grinned. "No. But I could see it on your face."
"I think we need to spend more time together." She teased gently.
He chuckled. "When you're an Air Force general who does little besides running from alien bad guys and fish in a pond that has no fish, you can afford to do these kinds of things periodically."
"Next time, I promise I'll go fishing with you."
He grinned. "You've only fished with me once in the ten years I've known you, Carter. Why start now?"
"Because now I know there are no actual fish in your pond. So, technically, I'm not fishing." She laughed.
"Oh, thanks." He said as he laughed alongside her.
She smiled as she sipped at her champagne. "Are you sure there's no special occasion?" She asked, looking at him more soberly.
"Positive." He said, equally sober. "You go on missions and live here in Colorado Springs. I'm in Washington, D.C. We don't get to see each other too often, so I want to make the most of our time together."
"I don't need all of this." She said, seriously. "I'd be just as happy simply to spend time with you walking through the aisles of a grocery store."
"I know." He said, honestly. "But you deserve this."
She gave him an appreciative smile as she took a bite of her salad. "Thank you."
"Hey, you are a national treasure. Remember?"
She remembered everything about that mission. From the fear that had nearly paralyzed her when he had put his head into the Ancient repository to the relief when he, Daniel and Teal'c had rescued her from Fifth.
"I remember." She managed through her emotion.
He reached for her hand, and squeezed it gently. "Hey...no tears, tonight. Not if they're sad ones. This is a sad-free zone."
She smiled as she felt a chuckle well up in her. "Yes, sir." She said, honestly. She would shed no tears except in happiness tonight. She could give him that much.
They lapsed into comfortable silence for a moment before he looked at her.
"What?" She asked, catching his glance. "Do I have something in my teeth?"
He chuckled before he shook his head. "No."
"What is it, Jack?" She asked, more tenderly.
"I am sitting across from the most beautiful woman on the planet. For some reason, I never want this to end."
She blushed lightly.
"Sam, I know it wouldn't happen for a long time. Until we kick the Ori out of our galaxy, to be precise."
She looked at him curiously.
He scooted his chair over to her. "Sam, I...I'm a selfish man."
"What?" She asked, confused.
"I'm a selfish man to be thinking about this, let alone actually asking this when the world needs you so much right now."
Her brow furrowed. What was he talking about?
"I guess...selfish or not, I have to ask. I know it'll seem like it hasn't been long enough, but I wanted to this six years ago. So, if you want to keep things at the status quo, I understand. But..."
"But what?" She asked as he glanced away.
He looked back at her. "You asked if this was a special occasion, remember?"
"Yes."
"I lied."
"Oh?" She asked, raising an eyebrow.
"It's...a very special occasion, and I'm not saying this right..."
"What are you trying to say, Jack?"
He set a small velvet box on the table, and she gasped.
"I know you don't want to tell anyone until we're not bound by these stupid regulations anymore, and I understand that." He fumbled. "But...I also want to make sure that you know I'm looking at this as a long-term thing. This isn't just some suddenly real fantasy that I'm acting out. This is something I've wanted for a long time, so I'm just going to say it."
She waited as her heart pound loudly in her ears.
"Will you..." He began. "Even consider...marrying a grouchy Air Force general...who would worship the ground you walked on...for the rest of his life?"
Her lips parted in surprise as he finally brought his eyes up to look at her.
"Yes, Jack." She whispered as a small smile played on her lips. "I would love to be your wife."
He breathed a sigh of relief before smiling. "Well...that wasn't so hard..."
She chuckled as she leaned in, and kissed him. If nothing else, there would be a lot of laughter in their household.
There is yet another sequel...stay tuned for "Odyssey" where I've rewritten "Unending".
