Three days later
"Well, Carter, it looks like we are stuck here for a couple of weeks," Jack says as the two of them sit on the edge of the sea. They are at about as far as they can get from the palace which contains… some sciencey thing that they are addicted to. He doesn't really remember.
She nods, but doesn't say a word.
He lightly touches her hand. She feels like she should pull away, but she can't quite make herself do it.
"We've got time to talk," he says.
"About?" she asks, longing to be in his arms. Weeks? She can't hug him for weeks. Her hand that isn't touching his reaches up to touch her engagement ring which is hanging next to her dog tags.
"What our life together is going to look like," he says.
She can't help but let a grin cover her face. His heart swarms, because she is grinning at the mere idea of spending her life with him.
"So, your place, mine, or a new one?" he asks.
"You fit so well in your house," she responds.
"Do you feel like you fit?"
She shrugs, "I don't want you to give up your house. I can't imagine you living somewhere else."
"We are not going to live somewhere that you don't feel like you belong. New place or yours?" he presses.
"We can look, but if we don't find someplace where the backyard feels like a forest. I think if you don't have a backyard like that, you're not going to be happy."
"Sweetie," he tries to suck the word back into his mouth as he sees her reaction, "Sam," he begins again, all the while swearing to himself he is going to find some term of endearment that she will be willing to endure, "I'm going to be happy anywhere you are."
She makes a patronizing face, "Jack, don't be sweet. We have to be practical if we want this thing between us to last, to last and be good."
"You want kids?" he asks with a blank face and examining eyes.
She thinks to herself that after she answers this question first they are going to be even with the whole 'say it first' thing. "I like kids, I really do. I just think that it will be a long time to be away from the gate, and the idea of dropping a kid off in day care and heading off to another planet boggles my mind."
"It's even more complicated if both of us are going through the gate," he agrees gravely.
She nods, "I do want kids, but not now, and… I worry that by the time I get around to being ready, it will be too late."
"If it is, there is always adoption," he points out.
She grins, relieved. Then her face goes a bit more serious, "How do you feel about it? I mean, considering Charlie," she asks softly.
Jack stares out at the sea long enough that Sam is pretty sure she never should have asked. She's about to apologize, but he answers, "After Charlie died and Sara left me, I thought I was never going to put my heart out there again. Then came Daniel, and he forced me to be his friend."
She smiles.
He glances at her shooting a smile, "And there is Teal'c, and Cassie, and…then I fell in love with you my heart is open for whoever is coming in. I'm willing to wait until you're ready for kids, and when that time comes, I'd be more than willing to retire, if you think two people going through the gate is too much."
"As a person who lost one parent, I can attest that it still sucks," Sam says.
"Right, but you lost her in a car accident, Carter, being stateside doesn't make us safe," he says softly.
She nods, and rests her head on his shoulder. It's amazing to him how such a simple action can make him feel so close to her.
"Samantha, should I get a motorcycle or ride on the back of yours?" he asks with way more graveness than the subject deserves.
She chuckles, "You definitely need to ride mine," she says, "All sorts of interesting body contact." She regrets it as soon as she said it, because now she is just longing for that kind of contact. "Jack, I want a small wedding."
"Mmm," he hums his agreement, "Family and friends in our new backyard?"
"Sounds lovely, however," she pauses, "If I could bring my brother and his family off world this spot would be pretty nice."
"It is lovely, isn't it?" he says comfortably.
"Jack, the General called in!" Daniel calls from the palace. Jack and Sam both stand up, and then head toward the palace. Jack continues in, but Sam stops by Daniel.
"Sorry to interrupt," Daniel says a little bashfully.
"That's okay, we were just planning the wedding," Sam says cavalierly.
"The what?" Daniel says, with eyes bulging.
She pulls her dog tags off where the ring is, "Wedding," she repeats with a grin.
"You guys got engaged," Daniel says pulling her into a hug. "Hey, Teal'c, Sam and Jack are engaged!" he shouts over his shoulder.
"When will your nuptials be commencing?" Teal'c asks.
"We didn't really get to that part of the conversation," Sam admits.
"I would be happy to officiate your wedding," Teal'c says solemnly.
"That's sweet Teal'c, but on Earth you have to be a justice of the peace or a minister or something in order to get to marry people," Daniel says.
"I acquired the appropriate paperwork to be a minister of one of your lesser known religious orders online," Teal'c replies.
"Wait, are you telling me that you got ordained?" Daniel says in shock.
"Indeed," Teal'c replies.
"Why exactly?" Daniel asks.
"The people of your world spend an inordinate amount of their lives in slumber," Teal'c complains.
"So you're saying that you go bored, and decided to become a minister?" Daniel asks in disbelief.
Teal'c nods his head, causing Sam to laugh.
"I would be honored to have you marry us, Teal'c. We would probably be the only people in the whole planet that could say they were married by an alien," Sam says touching his huge arm.
Just then Jack returns from his check in with the General. "Teal'c is going to marry us?" he says.
Sam nods.
Jack tilts his head, and gets a wicked look on his face. "Let's get married, right here, right now."
"We can't, Jack. My family isn't here, and you probably have people that you want to invite, not to mention we have friends from the SGC."
"Our two most important friends from the SGC are right here, Sam. We could do a reception when we get back. Invite all the other people that are important to us to have a party. Right here, and right now, we could just have the most important people in our lives here for the actual ceremony."
Sam grins, "Okay, I love this idea, but we're going to have to get a marriage license, and make sure that off-world marriages are even legal."
"Umm… as a person who has had an off-world marriage I can attest to the fact that it is legal," Daniel says.
"Right, but you never lived with Sha're on Earth, and Jack's marriage to Kynthia wasn't legal," Sam points out.
"I had to get that annulled," Jack says, somewhat surprised that Sam didn't already know that.
"I will contact the General to obtain the necessary paperwork," Teal'c says walking off.
Daniel looks at his friends with a gleeful expression on his face for several seconds before he jumps forward, hugging both of them close to him.
-0-
Two Days later
Sam never exactly pictured herself getting married in BDUs, but somehow it seems fitting since she is marrying Jack. She fell in love with him in this exact outfit, so why shouldn't she marry him in it?
Teal'c may have been ordained by Earth, but the wedding is definitely Jaffa in origin. Teal'c instructs the two of them to link their hands together and touch foreheads. They stand there in silent meditation for a whole five minutes. Then the words begin.
"Do you promise to protect each other as long as you both draw breath?"
"Indeed," Jack and Sam chorus together.
"Do you promise to draw closer to each other whether your paths go through smooth ground or rough?" Teal'c continues.
"Indeed," the forehead touchers chorus.
"Does love beat within your breasts?" he asks.
"Indeed," they say, and then at Teal'c's gesture they each move a hand to the other one's heart. Jack wills himself not to be distracted by Sam's chest rising and falling with nervous breath under his hand.
"Do you enter into this agreement with free minds and open hearts?" Teal'c asks.
One more "indeed" is drawn from the two, and then Teal'c says, "By the power vested in me by the government of the state of Colorado on the planet of the Tau'ri, I now pronounce you husband and wife."
The two pull apart, and wait for the next words. When they are not forthcoming from Teal'c, Jack prompts, "You're supposed to tell me that I can kiss her now."
"She is your wife. You do not require my permission to show physical affection toward her. I do not wish to be that involved in your relationship."
Jack shrugs, and gives Sam one heck of a kiss.
"The General sent a gift for the two of you through with the wedding certificate," Daniel says walking forward holding a bottle of Champaign.
Jack turns the note so he can read it, and then he passes it to Sam for inspection. "Did the General just give us permission to… off world?"
Sam turns a bright shade of red as soon as she had read the note, "Enjoy your honeymoon in the pleasure palace."
"I think so," she says, hiding her face in her brand new husband's shoulder in humiliation.
"Are not married couples allowed to mai'tac on your world without seeking permission of their leaders?" Teal'c asks to Daniel.
"Usually, but people don't normally do, ah…" Daniel coughs, "That when they are working, so this is like a special thing."
"Your world is very strange," Teal'c says.
"So is yours," Daniel reminds him, not for the first time.
"So, Mrs. O'Neill, would you like to have a glass of bubbly with our friends here?" Jack asks.
"Not happening, I'm going to keep my name," Sam objects.
"That doesn't mean that I am not going to call you Mrs. O'Neill," Jack says with a grin.
"I would try to stop you, but I know that is going to be a losing battle, so go ahead," Sam says cheerfully, practically skipping back to the castle.