Thanks or the reviews!
Ok, this update went a bit slow, but it's here. :)
More fluff with Ella.
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Wise men say…
-Some things are meant to be
It was a cold day, but Jack didn't mind. He looked at the leaves and how they moved in the wind and smiled when he saw how a Jack Russell chased them until they fell on the ground. The owner looked at him and smiled what must have been her most seductive smile. …Fat chance… Jack nodded at her and walked by without taking further notice. The woman shrugged and returned her attention to the dog.
He and Sam could get one. They'd have to figure out where it would live, but it was possible. A time shared dog. They would name it together, get it trained… It would probably end up sleeping with them in bed, waking them up early and… His thoughts made his heart jump when he realised where they were going. A family. A family that was a little odd, but still…
Jack thought about the note Sam had written him before she left his house.
''We can still make this work. Planes, trains, automobiles… Even e-mail. X Sam.''
He was transferring, Sam was moving on and still they couldn't be together. They had settled for a relationship that meant that they were seeing each other without actually 'seeing' each other. Long distance. Close and yet so far away. It was a good thing. Sure. Yeah. It was absolute…
''Crap!''
Jack's head shot up when he noticed the woman the swearword came from. She was small, grey, wrinkled and innocent looking. And still, she had something feisty. He caught a glimpse of an orange rolling against his foot, while some apples bounced on the pavement, making their way to the street. Without thinking about it, he grabbed the orange piece of fruit with one hand and swiped up the apples with the other. The older woman bent over to collect the rest of her fruit and vegetables that were spread around her. Her woven basket had a hole in the bottom the size of … an orange.
''Here you go ma'am.''
Jack handed her the bruised fruit and frowned at her partly squashed tomatoes. The woman followed his gaze.
''It's ok. I'm making tomato soup, they'll look much worse after I'm done with them…''
She smiled and made knots to fix the hole in her basket.
''And thank you, Jack.''
He raised his eyebrows at the mention of his name, but soon remembered the story Sam had told him about the lady in the park. Ella. This one fit the description…
''You know my name?''
She nodded, but didn't look up at him.
''You're Sam's guy.''
Jack smirked and decided that he liked this lady. She dropped two oranges in the repaired basket and let out a frustrated sigh when they fell trough the hole again.
''Oh …drat! ''
She blinked, looked at the battered oranges and shrugged. Jack made the offer to help her with her groceries by carrying them in his arms and she gladly accepted. He moved to grab the two fallen pieces of fruit but the lady stopped him.
''Leave them, they'd just be extra weight and they're products of nature, so they won't do any harm…''
They started to walk in the direction she pointed in and Jack heard someone trip and yell.
''Oh freakin'… Who in earth leaves oranges laying on the sidewalk?!''
The elderly lady turned and screamed back with a sparkle in her eyes.
''Kids these days!''
She shook her head and Jack was pretty sure he saw her wink at him.
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They walked up to a small white painted house with flowers in the yard. A cat was eying Jack from behind the window and he faintly heard a bird sing.
''You don't strike me as the tea kind of man, but I can make you some coffee?''
He felt that he couldn't refuse and said he'd love some. As they entered the house, images of Martha Steward and The Brady Bunch tumbled over each other. The lady's house was …homey. Jack expected cookies and a fireplace, but got disappointed in that area. Instead, he got the offer for a sandwich and a central heating unit. The first he turned down, the second was turned up and made him feel warm and fuzzy in the most literal sense of the way. As the petite woman disappeared into the kitchen, he looked at the picture of the grandchildren on the wall. He counted twelve.
''Something for you and Sam?''
He turned around to face the lady who was watching him with an amusement written on her face. She nodded at the family picture.
''Um… We haven't really touched on that matter yet.''
He had thought about it, but as much as he thought they would be great parents, something held him back. The job, their ages, the new situation that came with having a relation… Jack wasn't sure. The lady came to stand next to him and she seemed to have felt that she had to change the subject.
''How's Sam doing? She's such a sweetheart.''
Jack felt a smile creeping up and he was sure that he was turning into a sap.
''She's good. She's happy. We're happy. And she is.''
She mirrored his smile and nodded again.
''That's good.''
Jack fell silent and stared at the wall.
''…So what's wrong?''
He let out a sigh.
''We're transferring. We both are. I'm going to Washington, she's going to Nevada.''
He tried to make it sound like a minor thing, but his face must have given him away, because the woman put a hand on his arm and squeezed.
''You don't want to be separated from her.''
Jack looked at her and tried to push back every upcoming thought about being unable to pick Sam up from work to grab a drink, or about Sam showing up late at night to talk about their day. He tried to ignore the fact that all they could do was talk on the phone and that he wouldn't be able to run his fingers trough her hair, or to pull her into a hug. He thought about all the times he had temporarily lost her off world…
''I can't even imagine what it's like to be anywhere without her close by.''
It was the truth. Even when Sam had been captured or missing, he had a gut feeling that things would work out. Even when he feared she was dead, something told him that she would come back somehow. But now, even with a much shorter distance between them, he felt that he could actually loose her to powers beyond his control. She could loose interest, meet another man, get involved in a stupid accident… Somehow, earth's threats still seemed more real to him than any bad guy the galaxy could throw at them. Ba'al could be survived, but what about a plane crash? He knew it was a very stupid way of thinking, but stupidity happened. He really didn't want to be separated from her, but he had to be.
''My husband was a gardener. He had his own way of organizing and designing gardens, a trademark, if you will. He got invited to meetings all over the country, back in the days… I was very proud of him and encouraged him to develop his skills. To spread his wings and take every opportunity he got. He designed backyards for the elite in New York and for movie stars in L.A. while I stayed at home with the little ones. He got rewarded for it, but still… All I could think about was that he was away too much and too often. Every time he walked out that door, my heart seemed to stop beating…''
It looked as if she wanted to add something to that and Jack waited for her to continue, but she stopped talking. He raised an eyebrow and figured that he must have missed the punch line. The woman noticed him waiting and grinned.
''…But when he came back… Boy, *did* he come back! We had to tell the neighbours he couldn't walk straight because he had an accident with an oak…''
She slightly blushed and put a hand before her mouth, while her eyes grew large in disbelieve for actually saying it. Jack blinked but couldn't help but chuckle.
'''So that's how one ends up with six kids and twelve grandchildren…''
She laughed out loud and squeezed his arm again.
''From what Sam told me, I dare to say that the two of you have a dang good thing going on. She loves you, I'm sure you love her… If it's meant to be, you're going to be fine, Jack. If it isn't meant to be, at least you will have had a good time welcoming each other back from time to time.''
He smirked and thought about what Sam had told him. They could make it work. And in all fairness… What did long distance really mean in the grand sceme of things?
Jack looked at his watch. Time to go. Time to go to the store and pick up some milk and bread. They had one weekend left before the chaos broke loose and he was planning on celebrating togetherness as much as they could. He said goodbye to Ella and he actually whistled on his way to the store and on his way back to Sam.
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Sam smiled and looked up at him from behind a huge cardboard box filled with books. Before she could say a word he had taken her hand and pulled her up so fast that she had to lean on him not to fall over. Taking advantage of her unstable position, he scooped her up in his arms and carried her through the living room. She protested with a surprised ''Jack, what are you…'' and looked at him questioningly. Jack wiggled his eyebrows in response.
''I think you and I should practise the whole 'welcome back'- routine.''
She rolled her eyes at him, but grinned at the same time. Jack gracefully continued carrying her away from the boxes she had been packing all day.
''So, Sam… have you ever heard about the dangers of working with oak trees?''
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More to come! More S/J togetherness too.
Thanks for your time :D