Part Three

-o-o-o-

Sam whooped with laughter as they swooped through the sky. It had been four years since they'd been together like this, and the feeling now was truly liberating. Sam felt as much as heard Jack's rumble of laughter above her.

They were again hang-gliding in tandem, an early date for them now that the regs weren't standing in their way. It had been Jack's idea; turns out he had a latent romantic streak, she realized as he had recreated every detail of their first day flying the glider together. She was sure he even had the picnic lunch waiting for them back at the truck.

Sam maneuvered the glider into a thermal updraft, taking them soaring into the clear blue sky. It was a perfect day for their activities once again, and Sam was relishing every moment of this precious time with Jack.

"We're getting pretty high," Jack yelled down to her. "Time to gear up. Get your oxygen out," he told her.

Sam nodded her head and got out her oxygen tank and mask. "This is truly breathtaking, Jack," she quipped before putting the mask on. Again, she felt Jack's answering laughter rumble through to her. It brought such smile to her face; she wished Jack could see it.

They sailed through the sky together enjoying the awesome vistas beneath them. In the weeks since Jack's transfer to Washington, they hadn't much time to enjoy one another's company. Sam's own transfer to Area 51 was imminent, so when Jack got this weekend break, he decided to swoop her off her feet. Literally, it turned out.

Sam was so very glad he had, too. She had been worried about the strain the long distance would put on their burgeoning relationship. They had waited so long for the opportunity to be together, it wouldn't be fair if something like a few hundred miles were to come between them.

She was determined to discuss the potential problems with him before they arose. She figured this afternoon would be as good an opportunity as they were likely to get. She smiled resolutely as Jack started maneuvering them back toward solid ground.

A little while later they were sitting down for lunch, once again on Jack's tailgate. This time the atmosphere between them was very different. It seemed charged with a sort of electricity, and Sam shuddered, suddenly remembering the flood of electrical charge that had flowed through her when that entity had taken over her body.

"You cold?" Jack asked with concern.

Sam shook her head. "No, just… remembering what it was that got me out here with you the last time."

Jack nodded. "One of the darkest days of my life," he said quietly.

"Mine too." Sam took another bite of her sandwich before she spoke again. "This was a great idea, Jack. I'm glad we came out here."

"Me too," Jack agreed. "We were a little overdue for some alone-time."

"It's only going to get harder, you know. Once I get moved to Area 51, I'm going to be working my tail off to catch up. I feel like I've barely scratched the surface of so much of the technology we've managed to acquire."

"I have no doubt you'll be up to speed in no time at all," Jack said with a proud smile. And then… you're going to be able to set your own schedule, have regular hours if you like."

"I don't know how regular my hours will ever be, even at R&D," Sam said wryly. There's just so much that I want to do… it would probably take several lifetimes to do it all."

"Well, you've only got yours to burn out. Make sure you take care of yourself in the process." Jack lifted his arm and draped it across her shoulders, pulling her into him. "After all, I've got some pretty big plans for us."

"Oh really? Such as?" Sam asked with an innocent smile.

"Well, it starts with a weekend out at my cabin. Just the two of us," he said with a suggestive waggle of his brow.

"That sounds great," Sam replied with a smile. "When did you have in mind?"

"Next chance we get," Jack replied. "I think I have a weekend off in… about… six weeks or so. Think you'll be settled in enough to escape by then?"

"Yeah, I should be able to manage that," she replied with a grin. She leaned her head on his shoulder. "So… you think we'll really be able to manage this whole long-distance thing?"

"What's a few miles between us after the mountain of regs that kept us apart for so long?" Jack replied with a smirk.

"That's a very good question. You have a point. Still, it's going to be so different. SG1 is really a part of our past now. We worked so closely together for so long, it's going to be a lot to adjust to."

"I think we're up to the challenge," Jack replied. He reached his free hand up to caress her cheek. "God knows we've worked hard enough for long enough to deserve this opportunity. I'm not about to screw this up, Sam. It's too important to me. You are too important to me."

"I know," she returned quietly. "You mean the world to me, too. And I'm so grateful we have this chance to be together. I don't want to mess it up either."

"We won't. We're good together, Sam." Jack's voice was getting a little hoarse from unspent emotion now. "Eight years together have already proven that."

"You're right," Sam said, equally choked up. She blinked against the sensation of tears burning her eyes quite suddenly. "We can do this. We'll get it right this time, Jack, I'm sure."

"So am I, Sam." He brought his mouth down to hers to brush her lips with a gentle kiss. It was as soft as rain falling on a spring morning, and she opened her mouth beneath him, her tongue snaking out to taste his lips briefly before they parted.

Jack looked at her for a long time after their kiss, his eyes boring into hers with so many emotions she couldn't track them all. " 'I love you' doesn't begin to cover it," he finally said quietly.

"I know." Sam smiled brightly for him, a tear slipping down her cheek and across his fingers. "Me too."

For a very long time, they sat quietly together, savoring the moment, every feeling that came with it. It was so rare and precious for them to have this time together that they never wanted it to end. And yet, at the end of the day, there was a world to protect, a galaxy to explore, and countless alien technologies to study. They had there work cut out for them, but they loved what they did. They had each other now in a way they had scarcely dreamed of for so many years that they knew all too well the value of their time together. They may not be able to work side by side any more, but what they got in return was well worth the compromises at long last.