SG-1 – Parenthesis – Epilogue
The next morning, they sat side by side on the plane that was taking them back to Colorado Springs. Sam had briefly dozed off on his shoulder in the cab and the coffee the air hostess had offered them soon after take-off had been most welcomed.
They had hardly slept that night – only dozing off for a couple of minutes in each other's arms, just for the pleasure of doing it at least once – not wanting to waste the precious time they had. The night had been sweet but long and they had not been able to part and had taken their shower together in the huge bathroom in Sam's room, a shower that had lasted much longer than was necessary. Only minutes from heading to the airport had Jack left her to go and pack his bag.
They had talked a lot that night, about everything that brought them together, not wanting to make plans, only enjoying the pleasure of being together, never uttering once the fateful "I love you" even during their moments of most intense pleasure. They both knew that those words didn't make any sense. Being together made them happy. Period. No need to make promises they would most likely not be able to keep. They knew they'd have to make do with what they already had at Cheyenne Mountain and off-world, mere nothings that had changed their lives to make them more beautiful ever since they had met, those few moments of tenderness and complicity in a world governed by rules and duty. Jack's forays in her lab that were making her crazy when he tried to distract her from her work, lunch at the commissary when he bribed the cook to get her blue jell-o, even briefings in the conference room where they were always sitting side by side and where, sometimes, God knew why, their knees touched and lingered there for longer than they were supposed to. That was all they had, that, and the memory of their night in Washington.
When they had finished their breakfast, Sam laid her hand on his. The caress made him shiver and he turned to her inquiringly. Her hand was slightly trembling on his.
"Jack, nobody must be allowed to know... I'm not ashamed of what happened but if anyone came to know about it... You're my CO and you're a man. They would make you responsible for it."
"I know... What happens in Washington stays in Washington, Sam. We'll never talk about it again. But you must know I have no remorse. I'm not ashamed I broke the rules and I will never be able to forget one single moment of that night in your hotel room," he said, taking her hand and dropping a tender kiss on it. He then replaced it gently on the armrest and turned his attention to the plane itinerary on the screen in front of him. Sam switched on her laptop and started working on one of her many projects. When they got off the plane, they were Colonel Jack O'Neill and Major Samantha Carter again. Their night in Washington would remain what it was meant to be: a parenthesis in their lives.
THE END
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