"That's a nice…outfit," Jack pauses when he realizes that he has no idea what to call the thing that Sam is wearing.

"Lingerie, honey," she prompts.

"I know. I just thought there might be a more specific name for it. I've never seen anything that looked quite like that before," he says swallowing hard.

"Do you really want to talk about fashion terms right now?" she asks.

"No," he admits cross the distance between her. He gives her the sort of kiss she believed only happened in romance novels. It ends with him lifting her off the ground, and tossing her playfully on the bed.

"We saved the world today," she whispers.

"Yes, we did," he admits.

"The universe is rewarding us, by removing the curse," she says pulling him down next to her, not wanting to lose a second of contract.

"What say we leave the universe out of it."

-0-

Their hearts are beating as once, still at a rapid and syncopated rhythm from the activity they just finished. This is the definition of a perfect moment Jack thinks.

"I'm sorry," Sam whispers.

"Sorry?" Jack says confused.

"I know I'm not very good. You did all that waiting, and then…"

Jack reluctantly pulls Sam away from him just enough that she can see his face, and know how serious he is. "Sam. I don't know what Jonas said to make you think that, but he was an abusive bastard with no taste. What we just did…it was amazing. It should be the subject of an epic poem or an opera or something. I am enthusiastically looking forward too many repeats in our long life together. How was it from your point of view?"

"Really good," she says snuggling into his chest.

"Good, then we've got a consensus."

Jack is nearly to sleep, lulled by pure happiness. Then Sam speaks again, "I'm going to invite my mom to come stay with me tomorrow, unless you've changed your mind."

"Nope," he says running a hand through her hair.

-0-

The whole time that Sam makes small talk with her father she feels as if her stomach is doing summersaults. Finally, she says, "Could I speak with Mom?"

"Of course, honey," and they talk as her father makes his way down the hallway. He holds the phone up to her ear, and Sam is still sure that her father can hear every word.

"Hi, mom, how are you doing?"

"Pretty good," her mother says. It's an answer that means nothing. Her mother is 'pretty good' if she is the healthiest she's been in decades and she's 'pretty good' if she's at death's door.

"You've been using the respirator much?" That is something that is bound to get her a more specific answer.

"Not in weeks. I really want to see that baby of yours. When are you brining him up?"

"I thought maybe you could come down to see me. We have a room all set up. Two actually. One for the nurse. I made sure that there is space and connections for all of your machines."

"Honey, you have no idea how much I want to, but traveling is just so hard for me…" her mom begins.

"Come live with me mom."

"What?" Mrs. Carter gasps in shock.

"I'm asking you to live with me forever."

"Honey, you have little kids, a new man in your life. I would never burden you with…"

"You're not a burden. I wouldn't be asking if I hadn't thought this through. Jack is on board. In fact, it was his idea. I was the one who put the brakes on until after Caleb got a little older."

"He's still a baby, Sam. You don't know what you're saying, what you're offering, and giving up. Honey, I would never ask that of you."

"You're not asking Mom. I'm serious. I want you to come. If you'd rather stay with Dad that's fine, but I want you to have a choice. The first real choice you've had in decades. I know exactly what I'm getting myself into."

Her mother pauses, "You remember what I told you when you left for college?"

It comes back to her, a memory she had not thought of in years, she wonders how it could ever have left her conscious thought even for a second, "Yes, you told me that if I didn't leave now than I was never going to."

"I wanted you to leave Samantha. I wanted you to have a normal life. I still want those things for you."

"Mom, I want a life that includes you. Just promise me that you will think about it?"

"I will honey."

"I love you," Sam says. They always leave their conversations on a high note, knowing far better than most families how quickly everything can change, and leave you wishing you had said everything.

"I love you too, Samantha."

She hears her father's footsteps retreating from the room, and then hears his voice on the phone, "I never thought that you were capable of such cruelness." The phone is slammed down, and Jacob doesn't pick up when she dials the number quickly again.

-0-

It's two days later before her father calls her. "I'm sorry I was short on the phone," he says, remembering how quickly life can change.

"I'm sorry dad. Maybe I should have talked it over with you before I made the offer, but I promise that I was not trying to be cruel. I thought I was doing you a favor as much as I was doing one to mom."

"A favor?" Jacob spats, "A favor? You thought that when you took from me the only woman that I have ever loved you were doing me some sort of a favor?"

"I didn't know you loved her," Sam says quickly, but then she corrects herself, "I mean, I knew you had some familial feeling. Some sense of duty. I just thought that things were pretty much over between the two of you before the accident."

"I begged her to come back before the accident. I begged her to come back, and that's why it was my fault."

"I begged her too," Sam says, "All of this time I thought she came back because I was a whiny little baby."

"What a pair we are," Jacob says with a sigh.

"Jack told me once that I could forgive myself by forgiving you. I do not think that he was far wrong," she says. "Are you… have I misunderstood your relationship completely?" Sam wonders how that could be possible, "Are you really together? Really happy?"
"Your mother left me years ago, Sam. She meant it."

"But she came back. You were going to reconcile."

"Maybe, but that was years ago."

"So, you just never talked about it? All of these years?"

"You never upset a cease fire, Samantha. I got to have her, in a fashion. I am allowed to be her devoted servant. In the old novels, that's always what happens to the lover who loses out in his suit, right? Sometimes I am almost grateful for her injury, even though it makes me a horrible monster to think such things. After all, if it were not for it I would not have seen her in so long."

"Dad, you could come too," she offers suddenly.

"Sam," Jacob says in a tired voice.

"I love you. I was trying to free you. I thought this was duty for you. I would love to have both of you in the house. I could free you from much of the daily care. You could see her without being her slave."

"It's more than I deserve, Sam," Jacob complains.

"No, you being loved is exactly what you deserve. If you don't blame me for mom coming back and getting hurt than you can't blame yourself. You should go and talk to mom. Tell her how you really feel, and talk about whether the two of you want to move. Okay?"

"Okay," Jacob agrees before the two of them exchange the usual I love yous.