A/N
Well here we go - last chapter.
I'm going to miss these two :-( But all good things must come to an end.
I hope you enjoy it :-)
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He thought for only a moment before responding. "That might not be such a good idea."
She looked at him uncertainly. "You don't want to?"
Jack grimaced. "I do, but..."
Sam reached out her hand taking his, stalling his refusal. She pulled lightly as she turned towards her door.
And he followed.
Bad idea Jack! He warned himself as he walked past her into the room. He glanced around briefly before turning back to face her when he heard the door shut. Really! Such a bad idea...
He knew it! He just knew how colossally bad this was. So why can't I stop myself?
Okay, now what genius!? Sam's brain challenged. "I'll put some music on," she said as she hurried past him. Oh god! This seemed like such a good idea when we were standing outside...
Jack couldn't help but notice how nervous she seemed now they were behind closed doors and he shook his head slightly. God she's so young. What the hell am I doing?
"Carter," he said watching as she fidgeted with her cassette player.
"I'm not sure I'll have music you'll like," she said flipping through her tap
He took a step towards her. "Carter," he tried again.
"Oh!" She exclaimed holding up a cassette. "I think you'll like this one."
Jack waited while she inserted the little black tape into the player and pressed the play button. Maybe some music will calm her down, he thought as he watched her. After a few moments when she hadn't turned to face him he crossed to her, touching her arm lightly.
"I think I should go," he said softly.
She turned to face him then. "Please don't," she said reaching out towards him.
Jack took a deep breath and looked her in the eye. "It's obvious me being here is making you uncomfortable," he said.
"But Jack..."
"And that's okay," he said cutting off her objection. "Actually," he continued rubbing a hand through his hair. "It's perfectly understandable, and I'm a complete jerk for even coming in here. I'm sorry," he said shaking his head as he turned to leave.
Sam stared at him wide eyed not really comprehending what was happening, she just knew she didn't want him to leave. She reached him as his hand landed on the door handle. "Please, don't go," she said placing a hand on his arm.
Jack gripped the handle and squeezed his eyes tight. Leave Jack. Now! Just get out!
He was about to ignore his own advice when the next song started.
...
I should be sayin goodnight now, I really shouldn't stay anymore
Been so long since I held ya, forgotten what love is for
I should run on the double, I think I'm in trouble
...
If Jack needed any sort of sign that was it. He pulled the door open and stepped out into the cool night air moving over to the edge of the small porch and wrapping his hands around the railing, breathing the fresh air deeply.
Sam watched him from the doorway for a moment before moving over to him, placing her hand over his on the railing. "Did I do something wrong?" She asked in a small voice.
God I feel like such an asshole right now. He turned to her and stroked the back of his fingers across her cheek. "Of course not Carter," he assured her.
"Then why..."
He sighed heavily, placing his hands on her shoulders he pulled her into him resting his chin on the top of her head. "There are too many reasons..."
She pulled back and looked up at him defiantly. "It's my father isn't it?"
Jack thought about saying no, but he didn't want to lie to her. "He's part of it yes," he admitted.
"I knew it!" She cried, trying to pull away form him.
Jack held her steady. "But he's not the only reason and he's not even the main reason."
She looked a question at him.
"You're young Carter..."
"I'm nearly eighteen..."
"I know that and that actually proves my point more than yours," he told her.
"So what else then?"
"I'm nearly twice your age," he started, surprised by her derisive snort at his remark.
"You're fifteen years older than I am," she argued. "I'm seventeen so you're not twice my age!"
"Again...proving my point more than yours."
"They were the same point," she argued.
They were silent again for a time and Jack sighed leaning his forehead against hers. "Carter, I know you think you're in love with me..."
"I am!" She argued.
"You only think you are," he replied, placing a finger on her lips to forestall her argument. "You'll run into me again in a few years time and you'll wonder what you ever saw in me."
Sam shook her head. "I won't Jack..."
Jack smiled ruefully. "I wish it weren't true," he said sadly, half because of how upset she looked right now, and half because he actually believed what he said. "But girls like you don't end up with guys like me."
She frowned. "I don't understand," she replied truthfully.
"When beautiful, smart, funny, wonderful girls like you grow up," he said softly. "They don't want guys like me."
"That's not true! You, you're...I'll never want anyone but you!" she cried. "And what about what you said to me tonight? That you couldn't be around me without wanting to kiss me? That you wanted to be...the pie," she argued, feeling a little silly when those particular words came out of her mouth. "Did you even mean any of that stuff? You said you wanted to come in..."
Jack raked his hands through his hair and shook his head. "I did mean it. All of it," he assured her. "But I also had no right to say any of those things to you," he explained. "I've made this whole thing so much harder than it ever needed to be." God how did I let it go this far!?
"I'm sorry," she murmured.
Ah crap! He pulled her into his chest once again, selfishly allowing himself this last contact with his beautiful girl. "You have nothing to be sorry for you hear me? This is all on me and I'm so sorry that it's hurting you the way it is."
"I'll never stop loving you Jack," said sobbed tightening her hold on him.
He heaved out a breath before untangling himself from her embrace. Lifting her face to his he smiled at her as best he could. He knew he was doing what Carol Stephens told him not to. He could see her heart breaking before his eyes and he was powerless to stop it.
I'm doing this for her. This is the way it has to be.
He kept repeating the words over and over in his head afraid that if he stopped...he'd stay...
He brushed his lips over hers one final time. "I'm sorry Sam," he whispered before turning and jogging down the steps.
"Jack," she called.
Jack didn't look back as Carter called to him. He just kept walking thinking that Carol Stephens never told him that his heart would be breaking too...
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The next morning Jacob was surprised to see Sam's things out on the porch of her cabin when he came to collect her.
"Hey kiddo," he greeted his daughter as she stepped out of the cabin and pulled the door closed behind her.
"Hi Dad," she replied.
"How was the dance last night?"
"It was okay," she replied giving him a faint smile.
Jacobs eyebrows rose. "Just okay?"
Sam shrugged and shouldered her pack.
"I thought we might go and get some breakfast before we leave," he suggested.
Sam panicked slightly at the thought of running into Jack. "I'm not really hungry, so if it's okay with you I'd rather just get going."
Jacob sighed. Okay, something definitely happened last night, he thought. Deciding not to push the issue right now he grabbed Sam's other bag and they headed off towards his car.
Jack blew out a breath as he watched Carter get in the passenger side of the car with her father. He had hoped to catch her this morning before she left so he could maybe better explain why he'd left last night. But what else was he supposed to say that he hadn't already said last night? Maybe he could have found better words to tell her, but the message would still be the same.
As he turned to go pack his stuff he prayed that Samantha Carter would be able to get over him quickly. He had a feeling that it was going to take him a very long time to get over her.
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A/N
*Peeks nervously through fingers* ;-D
Angsty at the end I know, but hey that's teenage love right? From my favourite John Hughes film Sixteen Candles:
"that's why they call them crushes. If they were easy they'd call them something else."
The song in this chapter is 'Trouble' by Lindsay Buckingham
I know I've used lyrics from this song in another fic (amazingly titled 'I Think I'm in Trouble') but the words seemed very apt to the scene here.
This chapter started off quite differently when I first started writing it. Sam(and my imagination) got quite carried away with a Jack who wasn't quite as strong willed as this one. I know how I would've felt at 17 if I had the man of my fantasies at my fingertips;-D
But then after writing most of the final chapter I ended up doing a rewrite.
I do have most of the other ending written though, so if there's enough interest from you guys in wanting to read it then I'll finish it and post it. I will warn anyone who may be interested in reading it though it would move from the K+ rating of the rest of the story into T territory, but nothing strong enough to be classed an M - Jack wouldn't let it go that far. So if you want it let me know.
Also of course let me know how you liked this story regardless :-D
And I wanted to thank everyone for reading and following the story and giving lots of lovely reviews :-D
To everyone that has enquired there will be a sequel to this story. There has been a lot of interest in continuing with this Sam and Jack and so I have already started working on the sequel which should be posted sometime before the New Year - so look out for it :-D