Beginning 5

Summary: This is a series of one-shots, depicting my various imaginings of the ways Sam & Jack's relationship could have started, post-Threads.
Disclaimer: I do not own these characters nor profit from their use - I merely toy with them for my own amusement.

Sam woke to the dry, cool air and droning hum of the air conditioning unit. She groaned and turned her face into the pillow, before lifting her head a little to look at her alarm clock.

It read 05:58. Time to get up.

She turned off the alarm before it could go off at 0600, and sat up, stretched, and turned her face up into the sunlight streaming through the gap in her curtains.

At 0600, her cell chimed with an incoming text from Cassie:

Happy birthday! xxx

Sam smiled, and texted back:

Thanks, hon. See you later x

She had plans to have dinner with Cassie that evening after work. Sam had mixed feelings about this birthday. Of course, there was the usual disgruntlement about getting older, but it was also the first birthday she'd had in eight years that she wouldn't spend with SG-1. They'd been scattered to the wind, with her in Nevada, Jack in Washington DC, Daniel still in Colorado Springs but poised to leave for another galaxy within the month, and Teal'c on Dakara.

On the other hand, Cassie was doing so much better lately, and she couldn't think of a better way to celebrate that than to have a wonderful birthday dinner with her surrogate daughter at the frankly fabulous restaurant for which Cassie had somehow managed to score a reservation.

She got showered, dressed, and was just about to make some pancakes – it was her birthday after all – when her doorbell rang. She looked at her watch, frowning. It wasn't even 0700 yet.

She opened her door to a young man in a delivery company uniform, who handed her a large, heavy box with her name and address on the label, asking her to sign for it. She had just taken the electronic pen from him, when something caught her eye over his shoulder.

"What the hell …?" She pushed past him out onto her porch steps, and stopped short, staring in shock.

Because there, spit-polish clean and gleaming in the early morning sun, was her pride and joy, her olive-green classic Volvo. The very same Volvo, that she had broken-heartedly left behind in Colorado Springs when it had broken down the evening before she had planned to drive it cross-country to her new life in Nevada. As far as she knew, it had been sitting untouched in a dark garage in the Springs ever since.

Except, apparently not.

She beamed, wondering which of her wonderful friends was responsible for this. Her money was on Daniel – he was the closest friend she still had in Colorado Springs.

"Uh, ma'am?" The delivery guy appeared at her elbow, and she distractedly signed for the parcel quickly, before returning her full attention to her beloved car.

It had a big white bow on the hood, with an envelope underneath that said simply, 'Sam'. She tore open the envelope, expecting it to reveal the identity of the angel who had sent her car, but instead it was a simple birthday card, inside which in printed text were the words 'What am I?'.

She looked between the car and the card in bemused confusion. "'What am I?'" She read aloud. Unsurprisingly it didn't make any more sense out loud than it had on the page.

She shrugged and brought the card back inside, pushing the large package against the wall inside the door and leaving the mysterious card on top. She quickly grabbed her shoes, keys and purse, and went out to check the condition of her car. It didn't take long to figure out that it had been fixed as well as transported and cleaned, and so she happily climbed into the driver's seat, intent on giving it a spin on the long, empty Nevada highways before getting into work that morning. If she left now, she'd have time enough.

"Lieutenant, would you come in here please?" Sam called.

She was standing just inside her office door, staring at her desk. Her office was not cluttered, in fact it was incredibly spartan, in part because she hadn't had it for very long, and in part because the security at Area 51's Research and Development department was even tighter in some ways than that of the SGC. Employees and visitors to the department couldn't even bring in their street clothes, much less personal effects. She wore the same tan jumpsuit as every other employee, with her name and rank sewn on.

Lieutenant Robins appeared at her elbow. "Colonel?"

"What is that?" Sam asked.

Robins followed the direction of Sam's gaze, and cautiously approached the blue, box-like object on Sam's desk, as though it was a bomb that might spontaneously explode.

"It looks like a mini-fridge, Ma'am."

"Where did it come from?" Sam asked, perplexed.

Robins looked at her, confused. "You didn't bring it in, Ma'am?"

"Of course not." Sam said dismissively. "So you didn't see anyone bring it in here?"

"No one has been in your office since I got in this morning, Colonel, and it was locked overnight."

"You're sure about that?"

"It has a bow and a card stuck to it, Ma'am, if that helps." Robins said, and Sam frowned and walked around to the other side of the desk, and saw that it did indeed have a bow and card taped to the front.

"Thank you Robins." She said, dismissing the young man.

"Yes Ma'am. Ah … happy birthday, Colonel." Robins saluted and shut her office door behind him on his way out.

Sam sat down at her desk, and pulled the bow and card off the mini-fridge. It was the same style of birthday card as the one that had been on her car that morning, and inside was the same printed three word question – 'What am I?'

"What are you indeed?" Sam muttered.

On a quest to figure out why on Earth someone would go to the lengths of somehow getting this bewildering item into arguably the most impenetrable facility in the country, Sam opened it, and found it stocked full of blue jello. She couldn't help it, she laughed.

And, it sparked an idea as to who may be behind it. There was only one man with both the ability to get it past security into her office, and the sense of humour to want to try.

"I'm sorry Colonel, he's not available."

"He can't still be in that meeting?" Sam asked.

"I'm afraid so, Colonel. Should I leave a message?"

"Would you just let him know that I called and ask him to call me back when he's free?"

"Of course, Colonel."

"Thank you." Sam hung up the phone. It was weird – General O'Neill's cell was switched off, and according to his secretary, he'd been stuck in the same meeting for the entire day. She was a little worried about what that meant, given that her new role as head of R&D had her out of the loop in as far as potential SGC catastrophes went. Though she had to believe that he'd call her if something big was going down.

She resigned herself to being left in the dark about the car and the jello for the time-being. Daniel, whom she had spoken to on the phone on her lunch break, claimed complete ignorance.

It was the end of her working day, and she certainly wasn't going to put in overtime on her birthday, so Sam locked up her office with a cheerful goodnight to her assistant, and hit the road. The purr of the Volvo warmed her heart once again, despite its lack of air con in the hot May weather.

Back home, she almost tripped over the parcel that had been delivered earlier that morning on her way in through the door. She'd forgotten about it in her excitement over the car and puzzlement over the mini-fridge of blue jello. She pulled a penknife from her pocked and slit it open. Inside, amid a sea of packing peanuts, was a familiar, care-worn telescope. Jack's telescope.

She grinned, standing it up on its tripod, and removing the taped note from one of the legs.

"What am I?" She read. Of course.

This note had another side, however.

Hey Carter.

Happy birthday.

This is a loaner – it's no good to me in DC with all the light pollution, but maybe you can make some use of it out in the Nevada desert.

Jack

He'd signed it Jack. It made her heart skip a little. They hadn't talked – not properly – since her reassignment to Groom Lake, but what interactions they had managed to have, had been freer, and friendlier, in a way that made her hopeful for the potential of important progressions in their relationship the next time they did see each other face to face.

The telescope was beautiful. She'd always admired it, whenever she'd seen it up on his roof in the Springs. He'd told her once it had been a gift from his grandfather, and she knew it was a precious possession of his. She would treasure it and keep it safe for him.

She wished she'd been able to get him on the phone. The 'What am I' riddle was driving her to distraction.

Her car, a mini-fridge full of blue jello, and a telescope. There had to be a connection, but she didn't see it.

An hour later, Cassie was at her door in heels and a sundress, with a very long, thin box under one arm and a wide and flat box under the other.

"Happy birthday!" The nineteen-year-old greeted her, letting Sam divest her of the more awkward of the two packages.

"Thanks Cassie. I hope these aren't both from you!"

"No, that one's Jack." Cassie said, nodding to the long thin box that Sam had taken from her.

Sam looked at her in surprise. "Seriously? Another one?"

Cassie grinned. "Got the others, did you?"

"You know about them!" Sam exclaimed. "Do you know what the riddle is about?"

"You mean the 'What am I' thing?"

"Yes!"

"Sorry, I've been sworn to secrecy." Cassie said, winking.

Sam huffed. "Fine. But he picked a really bad time to be stuck in a meeting all day."

Cassie chuckled at that, but passed her the other package rather than commenting further. "Open this one first, it's from me."

Sam took the box and gave Cassie a kiss on the cheek as thanks. She opened it at her kitchen table – it was an evening dress, knee length and clingy but tastefully cut in beautiful black material.

"Cass, you shouldn't have. It's beautiful."

"Wear it tonight?" Cassie asked, looking hopeful. The restaurant they were booked at was classy enough that she wouldn't look overdressed, so Sam agreed with a smile.

She took Jack's gift into the living room to open it, while Cassie looked reverently at the telescope.

"I can't believe he gave this to you." She commented.

"He didn't give it to me. He's just loaning it to me while he's in DC." Sam corrected.

"So you're borrowing it?" Cassie asked, twirling the end of a curl of hair and trying a little too hard to look innocent.

"I guess … what's your point?"

"No point. Open that one." Cassie said, deflecting with an easy grin. Sam rolled her eyes but was too curious about the latest package to push it.

She opened the box, and pulled out a brand new fishing rod.

"I guess he wants you to go up to his cabin again some time." Cassie said.

Sam grinned. "I guess so."

"What's that?" Cassie leaned forward and grabbed a card out of the discarded packaging. She held it up for Sam to see.

What am I?

"I don't know!" Sam exclaimed. "It's a fishing rod. That's a telescope, this morning it was my car, and there was a mini-fridge of jello in my office."

"So … how else might you describe those things?" Cassie prodded.

"I don't know. Riddles were always Daniel's thing. I really haven't the faintest idea what he's getting at with all of this."

Cassie looked disappointed.

"You could just tell me …" Sam wheedled.

"Absolutely not. You'll have to ask Jack the next time you talk to him." Cassie said.

Sam sighed. "Fine. I'll try his cell again, maybe he's out of that meeting by now."

"Do it after we get to the restaurant, you have to get changed now or we'll be late."

Cassie had insisted on driving, as she said she wanted Sam to feel free to have a glass or two of wine with her dinner, since it was her birthday. She dropped Sam at the door of the restaurant, and told her to go and claim their table while she parked the car.

The restaurant was comfortably quiet, with a hum of low conversation and jazz playing in the background. Sam gave Cassie's name to the maitre d', and was led through the restaurant to a table in the corner – a table for two, already occupied by none other than Major General Jack O'Neill.

He stood up with an easy smile as she approached, and chuckled at her passable impression of a goldfish.

"Cassie sends her regrets, and hopes you'll accept me as company in her place." He said, dismissing the maitre d' and pulling out a chair for Sam. She was too shocked at his sudden appearance and the apparent sneakiness of her goddaughter to object to the chivalrous gesture.

"Your secretary kept telling me all day you were in a meeting." She said as she sat down.

"I told her to say that." He admitted.

"No kidding." Sam chuckled. "I was getting worried that there was some crisis at the mountain."

"Nah, I'd have called you for that." Jack said. "Although, I didn't actually tell her to say there was a day-long secret meeting."

"That may be my fault. I called your office five times between the hours of 0800 and 1800. If you only told her to say you were in a meeting I probably forced her to stretch her cover story somewhat."

"Whoops."

"Yeah." Sam laughed. "So …?"

"So?" He raised an eyebrow.

"To what do I owe the honour, General?"

"Well Carter, how often does a person have a birthday?" Jack said, spreading his hands in an expansive gesture.

"About once a year." Sam answered drily.

"Right, so … ostensibly I'm here to wish you a happy birthday."

"Ostensibly?"

"It means something which is apparently or allegedly true, but is not necessarily the whole truth."

"I know what 'ostensibly' means." Sam said.

Jack's eyes twinkled. He was teasing her.

"So what's the whole truth?" Sam asked.

Jack looked away, dodging the question. "Get any good gifts this birthday?" He asked.

Sam grinned at him. "You know, funnily enough I did."

"Glad to hear it."

"I'll take good care of the telescope for you. I'm touched you're trusting me with it."

"Aw, Carter, I'd trust you with anything."

She smiled at him. "Actually it was all very touching, the telescope, my car, the fishing rod … and I'd love to know how you got that mini-fridge past security."

"I have my ways." He said mysteriously. "Tell me, did these various and vaunted gifts come with any … cards?"

"That god damn riddle." Sam said. "Do you have any idea how much that's been bugging me?"

"You haven't figured it out?"

"No!"

"Cassie didn't drop any hints?"

"I don't think so … no wait, she said something odd about me borrowing your telescope, but that didn't really help."

"Maybe this will." Jack said, in a softer tone. He slid his hand across the table top, palm-down, and lifted it to reveal a little silver coin underneath. Sam frowned and picked it up, inspecting it.

"It's a sixpence." Jack supplied. "An old English silver sixpence."

Sam looked up at him. There was something niggling in her memory about that. And he was looking at her with such gentleness, such … such love, that it stole her breath away.

That's when it hit her.

A few months ago, at the painful engagement party Pete had insisted they throw, Sam had explained to Teal'c – in the presence of Jack and Daniel – about the tradition of a bride wearing something old, something new, something borrowed and something blue. Her mother had told her that it came from an old English superstition, a rhyme that literally went:

Something old
Something new
Something borrowed
Something blue
And a silver sixpence in her shoe

Something old – her old Volvo, something new – the fishing rod, something borrowed – the telescope, and something blue …

"The blue jello in the blue mini-fridge!" Sam burst out laughing.

Jack looked in part mildly alarmed at her reaction and pleased she'd worked it out.

"I'm sorry, it's just … you know the rhyme is supposed to be about things a bride wears on her wedding day?" Sam said, still chuckling.

"I know," Jack said defensively, "I just figured, I'd alter it a little so I could get you stuff you actually wanted."

Oh … wait …

"Jack, you're not …" She trailed off, a little awestruck.

"See, the thing is, I figure we've basically been subconsciously dating for the last eight years. I know you better than I even knew Sara after a couple years of being married to her. And … well …" he grimaced as he fumbled for words, and instead leaned forward across the table, taking Sam's hand.

"I love you. I'm pretty damn sure you feel the same way about me, and I'm done waiting." He said finally. "So, this is me, Jack O'Neill, asking you, Sam Carter, to marry me."

Holy Hannah.

"Yes." She breathed.

Jack blinked. "Yes?"

"Yes." She grinned, leaned forward a little further, and kissed his surprised, wonderful mouth. It only took him a second or two to catch up and kiss her back, and when he did, it made her melt.

A polite cough interrupted her new world of bliss. A waiter was hovering. Jack pulled back a scant inch and glared at him. "Yes?"

"May I take your drink order sir, madam?"

Sam grinned ruefully at Jack, and sat back. Perhaps making out wasn't really an option in the best restaurant in town.

But, it sure was nice to have it to look forward to.