Chapter 6: Taking a Chance
Disclaimer: Only my stuff is mine.
A/N: Last chapter…so sad. Thank you to everybody who reviewed!! Thank you to everybody who read!! This story was really fun to write and I'm glad you all enjoyed it!
Check out my other stories too, if you want! I'll be posting another story later today…so…
ENJOY!!
Sam was caught in his gaze; she couldn't have moved even if she wanted to. His eyes no longer held their usually warm, but cautiously guarded expression. For the third time since she had met him, his eyes were open and raw. She was overwhelmed by the warmth and…love that she saw in them. 'Love?' she chastised herself. 'Don't be stupid…he can't love you.'
He was still holding her face gently in his hand. She felt his fingers slip away from her jaw and trail almost absentmindedly down her neck. She suppressed a shiver, not wanting to show how much his touch actually affected her. He brought his hand away from her collar bone and retook her free hand.
"Hiding what, sir?" She opted for playing dumb.
Jack sighed, but didn't break eye contact. This was going to be as hard or as easy as they made it. Personally, he was hoping for easy, but…things were…complicated.
"Sam…" he said her name, enjoying the way it played across his tongue. "There is something that I…have to tell you. And knowing that I came so close," he squeezed her hands and sadness filled his eyes. "To losing you out there…I don't want to miss my chance."
"Chance for what?" Sam asked; the nervousness and excitement rushing through her veins making her forget to add the 'sir' at the end. She spoke in barely above a whisper.
"My chance to…be honest." He finished after a moment, gauging her reactions.
"Honest?" she frowned wondering if they were talking about the same thing. "When haven't you been honest?"
"Oh, I don't know…" he gave an exaggerated sigh and his eyes moved ceiling-ward in a thinking gesture. Then turning his eyes back to her, an apprehensive amusement in them he continued. "Seven years or so?"
Sam's eyes widened. Now she really didn't know if they were talking about the same thing. "Seven years?" she shook her head slowly never breaking eye contact. "I don't know what you're talking about."
Jack gave her a small grin, but his eyes danced with a light she had never seen before. "Since I met you."
"Me?" Sam repeated. His grasp on her hands tightened and his gaze grew more intense; like he could see right into her.
"You." He knew he wasn't making this easy by dancing around his actual point. Even after imagining this moment for years, now that he was actually here…he was nervous.
Sam bit her lip and unconsciously rubbed his hands under her thumbs. She didn't seem to notice, but he sure did. His eyes widened as he watched her try and figure out where he was going.
"Sam." He decided to make it easy for both of them. No more secret looks or fleeting touches. No more song and dance, beating around the bush…no more hiding. "Samantha Carter…more than anything on this planet or any others…I love you." His words resounded with such an honesty they seemed to vibrate through her.
Her eyes widened again, dominating her face. There was blatant shock reflected in her irises and her mouth hung slightly open. He wanted nothing more than to pull her to him and kiss her, but…he wouldn't do that. Not unless she felt the same way about him.
Sam let the words sink in; enjoying the way they settled in her mind, over her skin, in her heart. She felt warm and whole. He loved her. For God's sake, he loved her. She felt the hot sting of tears in her eyes again and welcomed them. For once, she wasn't crying out of pain or grief…but out of sheer happiness.
"Holy Hannah." She breathed looking into his eyes. He smiled at the saying he often heard her father utter. A slow smiling was tugging at the corners of her mouth and her eyes sparkled with something other than tears. As the smile reached her eyes something inside him stirred. It was the same feeling he had after the whole 'time loop' incident when Daniel asked him about the lack of consequences. She was looking at him in the same manner that he had to her when he remembered the kiss.
Jack waited, his heart pounding in his ears, to either be rejected or accepted. He felt like he was on the edge of some cliff that she and he had been building for seven years and the next words out of her mouth would send him tumbling off. Either way he was going to fall…it was up to her whether or not he hit the ground.
"I love you too…Jack." She smiled as she said his name; shedding their ranks. She knew that she had never spoken truer words. Almost immediately it was like a huge weight that had settled resignedly on her chest was gone. She could breathe easily for the first time in seven years. It felt good.
Jack let out a breath he didn't realize he'd been holding. Leaning forward suddenly he gently pressed his lips to hers. They were barely touching, but it was enough to send her heart racing…a fact that was reflected by the fast, sharp beeps on the monitor. Jack smiled into their kiss and deepened it by releasing her hands and tangling his in her hair. Her hands went to his collar, scrunching it in her fists as she relaxed into the long known comfort of his embrace.
After what seemed like hours they broke apart. He leaned his forehead against hers, his upper body resting gently on hers. Reaching a hand under her shirt, she pulled off the wires connecting her to the heart monitor.
"Now we're on even ground." She muttered embarrassedly, tossing the cords aside and flicking the switch to the machine.
"Mmmm." Jack smiled leaning back into a sitting position. "I liked hearing it." His voice was slow, lazy…and he was grinning.
Sam blushed expecting one of his smartass comments. Instead she got something that made her blush deeper and realize just how perfect Jack O'Neill was. "It let me know that you're still alive. It's the best sound in the world."
Sam grinned and untangled her other hand from his shirt. She scooted over, ignoring the pain that spiked through her, to make room for him. He carefully turned himself around and brought his feet up to rest next to hers. He lay back, lifting an arm and wrapping it around her shoulders. She smiled and, after a moment's hesitation, she turned on her side and buried her head in his chest. The hesitation was sparked by the worry that someone would see them, but it didn't matter. Sam had a funny feeling that Janet would make sure everyone would stay out of the infirmary and, as for the cameras…well, they'd be talking to General Hammond soon anyway.
Sam laid a hand on Jack's stomach and flushed when he covered it with his own, stroking her skin with his thumb. She felt…safe in his arms. Warm, safe, and whole…like she belonged. 'I do.' She realized with a start. 'I belong here…with him.'
Jack lay looking up at the ceiling, his head tilted so that it leaned on hers. He felt her snuggle deeper into his chest and grinned contentedly. With a start he realized that this is how it would be from now on. No way was he going back to being 'just friends' with her now that…this had happened. He didn't care if he had to retire; this was how it was going to be. His thumb traced circles on her hand and he never thought he would enjoy contact so much.
"Carter or Sam?" he asked suddenly. For some reason, he felt that this was important.
"I like it when you call me Carter." She responded, her voice muffled by his shirt. "But Sam sounds good too." She chuckled. "Sir, you could call me anything you want and I won't care…as long as you're calling me." Sam felt herself blush again. She wasn't used to being this honest…or sappy. But, she knew he wouldn't care.
She felt his head move on top of hers and realized he was nodding in thought. Sam smiled mischievously into his chest and felt her blush grow deeper when she continued. "I'm sure we could find, ah, situations…for both."
She felt him freeze under her. Then listened to the deep rumble of laughter in his chest as what she said hit home. "My, oh my, Samantha Carter," he drawled. "This is a side of you I've never seen before."
Jack was surprised that those words had passed prim and proper astrophysicist/soldier Sam Carter's lips. But he wasn't unpleased. Was he imagining it, or could he actually feel her face heating through his shirt? She didn't reply, but he had a feeling she had a sarcastic answer sitting on the tip of her tongue.
"Sir, Jack, or Colonel?" she shot back instead, turning the question on him.
"I believe you put it best when you said, 'I'm sure we could find situations for all of them.'" He said, gently squeezing her shoulders. She chuckled and tightened the grip on his hand. "I love you, Carter." He whispered into her hair, pulling her closer. He felt her sigh contentedly and pull her other hand from her side, cross it over her chest, and capture the hand he had around her shoulders.
"I love you too, Jack. More than anything." She whispered into his chest, but she was sure he heard her.
"I know." He said after a pause.
"So…where do we go from here?" she asked, though she could feel her eyelids growing heavy and her voice was slow with sleep.
"We talk to Hammond. He's been making some not so subtle comments over the years, so I have a, ah, feeling that he…knows." Jack frowned at his lack of explanation. "Not to sound too 'glass is half full,' but I have a feeling that he'll be able to work something out." She nodded slowly. He could feel her breathing begin to even out as smiled. She needed sleep.
Sam felt herself drifting off. His words were as comforting as his presence. They'd make it work. Sam would never let him retire; she couldn't stand being on SG-1 without him. Hell, she couldn't stand being anywhere without him. Especially not now.
She slipped into the most comfortable sleep of her life. She had never felt safer and knew that her usual nightmares would not plague her as long as she was with him. Her last conscious feeling was him tightening his arm around her and kissing the top of her head as he also fell into a much needed sleep.
The End (Or The Beginning…Depending on how you look at it…)