Eleanor

I was hunched over the dresser looking at myself in the mirror. The natural light from the window was better for doing my makeup than the bathroom fluorescents and I already had a shaky hand as it was. I added the last coat of mascara on before turning around to glide into the tea length white dress laying across our disheveled bed. It was something I had found last minute in a second hand shop, but after some slight alterations it fit like a glove. The flowing skirt that cut to just below my knees, the soft feminine sleeves, the buttons down the back, it was not my first choice if I had planned this before, but it was perfect.

"Daniel my love," I called out to him in the living room, "would you help me with my dress?" I went back to the dresser mirror and started unclipping my hair, brushing the soft coils out when he came into the room. His fingers slowly trailed along my bare spine, up my neck, and finally twisted in the hair at the base of my skull as he tugged my head back to look up at him. He bent down, placed a kiss on me and I smiled against his mouth in return.

"One last kiss before I'm a married woman?"

His words caressed my lips as he whispered back, "and every one after." His hand fluttered down to my throat and he pulled away. "I almost forgot, I have a gift for you." He stood up and I took the moment to admire him there shuffling through his side table, mumbling curse words to himself as he left the room to find whatever it was he had lost. Even in just the white undershirt, the charcoal wool slacks and black dress socks my stomach was fluttering thinking of him later when I'd take every bit of it off and luxuriate in the thought that he was mine. I pulled the knob from my top drawer and shuffled around until I found the small leather box I had stored there for safekeeping. I pulled it out, setting it onto the flat surface next to me and continued with my tedious tugging and pulling in the mirror of my hair into a loose low chignon. I allowed a few wisps of curls to be undone, framing my face and tied it all back to hold its shape.

"Daniel, my dress," I called back as I placed the golden hair comb into the soft collection of hair at my nape and wove in little flowers he had picked up from the florist two days prior into it. "It looks like a bird's nest," I mumbled. "But, it'll have to do."

"Sorry, yes," he came in and set a green velvet box down next to my gift, oblivious of its presence. His hands nimbly made their way up my back and he pressed a kiss to my neck. He rested his chin on the crook and grinned looking me up and down in the mirror.

"What's so funny?" I looked back at him through our reflection leaning my head against his, and his smile spread wider.

"I have never encountered an angel in all of the heavens that comes close to you."

"Oh hush," I laughed at the cheesy line and reached over to grab the leather box. I twirled around to face him and propped the box up in my hands. "This is for you." He feigned surprise and opened the snap button from the top of the box. Playfulness melted away into sincerity as he pulled the bronze compass out. It was about the size of a half dollar, and attached to a chain he could easily slide into his pocket if he so wished. He clicked it open, and I saw the glimmer in his eyes as he caught the photograph of us both pasted inside. Sam had snapped a picture of us when we were unaware at Jack's cabin, and it felt like the perfect copy to place inside. A moment of just calm, always before the storm it seemed, but at least here you'd never know.

"If you wind up lost, you can find your way home to me." I said softly and he looked back, a lump bobbing in his throat. He snapped the compass closed and slid it into his pocket.

"You," his tongue slid over his bottom lip in thought, "your soul and mine are one. I am never lost when I'm with you." He reached for the velvet box next to me. "Now, they're not your mother's," he opened it and I saw the delicate golden thread with ten pearls evenly spaced out.

"It's perfect," My breath hitched and I looked back into his swirling blue eyes, my own growing misty. He took it out and gracefully laid it across my chest clasping the back. With the small pearls resting just on my collar bones, my hand reached up and traced the material. "My mother loved you." I smiled weakly looking back in the mirror at the gesture that meant so much to me. "She always asked about you, always wanted to hear more. Said that she could tell I was happy, and that made her happy." I swallowed back the tears and smiled at him. "You do. I feel like I have just been bobbing along in life, and then I met you and realized I am now complete. Every thought, and smile somehow comes back to you now." The feeling was bittersweet, it was both the happiest moment of my life, and I couldn't help but mourn the loss of my mother, of his mother even. Two women who should be here.

He went to finish getting ready as I moved into the living room to put on my heels and lay out our coats. I knew later he would be leaving to head into the SGC to finish with negotiations before our trip. I had requested that we at least get lunch at the small diner by the base after the wedding papers were signed and before he went in. I looked out the large windows and saw the start of snow drifting over the city and it hit me how long it had been since I'd seen snow. He walked out of the room, ring boxes in hand and I draped my black wool coat over my shoulders still looking out at the dusting on the streets.

"I asked for it to snow, just for you." He placed the ring boxes in his own black wool coat pocket and wrapped a scarf around himself.

"I'm sure you did," I hummed as I reached out for his hand and he took mine warmly kissing the top and placing it into his own pocket.

"Come now Ms. Owens," he opened the door and together we went down the hall of our apartment building, "we have a courthouse wedding to attend."

I looked over at him, the man I cherished, who I was hopelessly devoted to, who in return wanted me flaws and all. "I would love nothing more Dr. Jackson."

Jack

Sam was going on about some project she was working on. A lot of mindless numbers and alternate whatever's. I just stared down at the half eaten plate of eggs in front of me and tried to disassociate. For one moment. I just needed one moment where I wasn't making decisions or worried about the safety of the planet. Just a moment where I was fishing, something, anything at this point.

"Let's get this over with." I heard Daniel's voice and perked up.

"Everything good?" I asked him as he sat down among us.

A smile twitched across his face and he gave a slight nod in response. "How far along in these negotiations are we?"

"We, are not." Teal'c's face scrunched into disgust.

"Weir is trying her hardest, but it's nearly impossible to even discern what they all want." Sam sounded just as discouraged as the rest of us.

"They just want a dick measuring contest." I muttered back.

"No," Daniel leaned in, "they want information. They want to know if we have something strong enough to defeat whatever it is taking these planets out they keep mentioning, the moons we pretend we don't know about. They don't want to side with us, they want to side with the winner, who they believe is Anubis. I say, we just lay out that we have Atlantis without flat out saying it. That should send the message that we are the more powerful side, and they'll scurry off again."

"Then we can be done with them?" Sam questioned. "They're not just going to test our so called weapon themselves?"

"They can't even agree on a conversation topic let alone an attack plan." I shrugged off her question and she seemed to agree with that. "Let's get this over with so you can get back to your Mrs." I stood up and clutched Daniel's shoulder giving it a squeeze.