Dividing Lines
Title:
Dividing
Lines
Author: Suz W.
Spoilers: After The Cure, Prometheus, and Unnatural
Selection (episode tag)
Old
Stories Referenced: Understanding
Rating: PG-13, S/J Friendship and Angst.
Summary: After arriving home from dealing with the human
replicators, invisible lines of animosity begin to show themselves among SG-1.
Disclaimer: All publicity recognizable characters and places are
the property of MGM, World Gekko Corp and Double Secret Productions. This piece of fan fiction was created for
entertainment not monetary purposes and no infringement on copyrights or
trademarks was intended.
Copyright: The original characters, situations, and story are
the property of the author. Copyrighted
on April 23, 2006, by Suzanne R. Whitmarsh.
Author’s
Notes: This story follows “Building
Unity”. I hope you’re continuing to enjoy my series,
even though I’ve slowed down on writing each story. But I’m not giving up, and promise that I will
complete what I started over 1 ½ years ago! Thanks for all your support and dedication to
my series! As always, your feedback
is so important and greatly appreciated!
Dedication: I would like to dedicate this story to all those who
have a continued commitment to the idea of Sam and Jack, despite their lack of presence
on the show together. I hope my stories
will keep that fire burning in your hearts, and help keep the imagination
stirring for what could come.
It had been almost three hours since SG-1 had returned to Earth’s atmosphere in the Promethus, arriving back at the base after a short transport from where Promethus had its home underground in the middle of the desert. Not much had been said between anyone during that time, and after separating to shower and change, they found themselves seated around the table in the debriefing room, waiting for General Hammond to finish the call he was currently involved in in his office in order to start their debriefing from their latest mission.
As they sat around the table, the silence in the room hung heavily in the air. Jack had picked up his pen a few minutes ago and was mindlessly drawing circles of all sizes on the yellow legal pad in front of him. Sam sat next to him, reviewing her notes from the mission and trying to ignore the obvious tension in the room. Teal’c, sitting across from her, sat quietly with his hands folded on the table in front of him, his head held high as he sat up straight in his chair. And Jonas simply kept twirling his thumbs in between hands that were clasped, looking around the room at each of his teammates and trying to figure out the best way to break the uneasy silence.
Deciding he couldn’t take much more of it, Jonas was about to clear his throat and talk about whatever popped into his mind, when General Hammond came strolling out of his office. Giving his number one team a concerned look as they stood up in his presence, he paused to examine each of their faces, noting the unusual tension painted on their expressions.
Walking forward, he cleared his throat as he finally spoke. “At ease, people. Let’s get down to business.” Moving to his chair, he pulled it out and sat down, watching as the others followed his lead. When no one took the lead to start the debriefing, he started it for them. “So let’s start off from the point where Thor found you in lost in space. From what I understand, he was the one who recruited you and the use of the Promethus for the mission to Halla.”
Jack nodded. “Yes, Sir. We made a pit stop here in our galaxy to pick up some supplies from the base…as you might have noticed.”
General Hammond responded. “Yes, Colonel, that much became obvious to us when almost all of our food storage and weapons hold was beamed out off the base.”
Jack winced. “Yeah, sorry about that, General. We didn’t really know Thor was going to go shopping until after he did it…or we would have specified just how much we needed, or rather didn’t need.” His thoughts ran to the room on the Promethus where he found Jonas and Teal’c gorging themselves on ice cream that was half-melted.
Sam picked up the reflection for him. “Yes, Sir. But unfortunately, the Replicators had managed to figure out how to work the device, along with reversing it and speeding time up for them. The Asguard knew that if we didn’t do something to fix the device, every galaxy, including theirs and ours, would be wiped out.” Taking a breath, she continued to take the lead of the debriefing, noting that no one else appeared eager to do any talking.
After about fifteen minutes of recounting events, along with questions and answers about them, General Hammond took the lead. “So you and Colonel O’Neill made it back to the ship, taking off just moments before the time dilation device went off, effectively sealing the Replicators in a bubble of time that is much slower than our own.”
Jack answered the question. “Yes, Sir. Now it is up to the Asguard to work their magic. We can only hope that they’ll find some way of stopping them permanently.”
General Hammond then asked the question that everyone on the team was hoping to avoid. “So let me get this straight. A replicator named Fifth actually offered his help, effectively aiding you in pulling off this victory.” When he only got a small nod from Jack, the general continued. “And he didn’t want anything in return?”
Jonas spoke up for the first time since the debriefing had begun. “Well, actually, Sir, he did. We were supposed to take him with us.”
The silence that followed that statement could have been cut with a knife. General Hammond used that moment to take in what he’d just heard. “Let me get this straight. We promised a Relicator that we would shelter him in exchange for his help?! And may I ask just how you could trust him not to have turned on you once you were away from the planet…not to mention the fact that you’d be transporting him on our most technologically advanced ship yet?”
Jack looked over at Sam briefly, who barely met his glance. Clearing his throat, he responded first to the question. “If I may, Sir, Major Carter had to promise him something in order to secure his help when he was…in her head. It was easy enough to simply deceive him in order to leave him on the planet. I verbally ordered Carter to set the timer for five minutes while signaling her at the same moment to set it for only three. He never suspected foul play.”
Sam could feel her body temperature rising with every word he said. Angry at his nonchalant attitude, she opened her mouth to protest, but then clamped her mouth shut, biting her tongue at the same time. As she flinched in pain, General Hammond caught her odd mannerism.
Speaking up, he looked directly at her. “Major. Is there something you’d like to add to the Colonel’s recount of events?”
Knowing she probably shouldn’t say anything different than what Jack just had, she was going to simply tell the general no, but her pride wouldn’t let her hold back. Looking over briefly at Jack, she directed her attention back to General Hammond. “Actually, Sir, there is. It’s not that I am disagreeing with the Colonel’s report, but I am disagreeing with the Colonel’s decision regarding his deception of Fifth.”
General Hammond, surprised at what he was hearing, took a moment before responding. “That’s a pretty bold statement, Major. Care to back that up with a little more explanation?”
Jack, who was now staring disbelievingly at Sam, spoke up. “Yeah, Carter, care to elaborate?”
As Sam opened her mouth to explain herself, Jonas suddenly jumped into the conversation. “General Hammond, I have to agree with Major Carter. I don’t think the Colonel made the best decision for the team.”
Jack, beginning to feel like a cat trapped in a corner by a big, snarling, hungry dog, answered back with taunt anger in his voice. “You know, Jonas, I don’t believe anyone asked your opinion!”
General Hammond could see things were beginning to get out of hand. “Alright, people, let’s settle down. There’s no need to get hostile here.” Looking back over at Major Carter, he continued. “Now, Major, could you please give me a reason for your statement.”
Sam, feeling the tension in Jack as he sat next to her like a ticking time bomb, carefully continued. “Fifth, upon entering my mind, explained to me that he didn’t agree with the way the others were treating us. He felt confused by emotions he was feeling that no one else among his kind seemed to experience. Knowing he had been created from the Replicator’s attempt to correct the flaw in Reece, I told him it was okay to feel such things.”
Jack interrupted her. “Carter, it was a robot, a machine! He couldn’t have been experiencing feelings.”
Sam looked over at him, staring him hard in the face. “I disagree, Sir! He was obviously experiencing human emotions that gave him the compassion to want to help us.”
Jack sat back in his chair, folding his hands on his chest as he looked back at her. “Help us! Look, Carter, I don’t know what went on in your head, but you’re forgetting the main point here…no matter how much emotion he may have shown you, in the end, he’s still just a Replicator! The bad guys…remember?”
Sam just stared at him for a moment, unable to believe that Jack was actually calling her a liar. “May have shown me, Sir? What exactly are you saying?”
Jack took in a short breath before continuing, knowing his next statement was going to hurt her. “Simply that maybe he was using your humanity against you, and you believed him.” The silence that followed his statement was deafening, and the room seemed to suddenly grow very small.
General Hammond, seeing this was going no where fast, had heard enough. “Alright, that’s enough for now. I’ll expect full documentation on this mission in your reports by tomorrow. Dismissed.” Standing up, he started to turn around and then thought better of it. “Colonel, Major. I’d appreciate a moment of your time.”
Jack, looking down at the table, gave a slight pained expression before nodding. Looking over at Sam briefly, he watched her give a slight smile to Jonas, who was looking from her to Jack with a concerned expression as he and Teal’c made their way to the briefing room door.
Once the others had left, General Hammond took a moment before addressing them. “Look, I’m not sure where to go with your statements. It’s obvious that there is a problem that needs to be addressed, and I’d rather not have to dig too deeply into it with you. The two of you are probably my most capable officers I have. I trust that means you are also capable of getting this figured out.” Leaning over, he placed his hands on the table in order to get a closer perspective on both of them. “I don’t want to have to dig deeper into this. That would not only compromised the team abilities of SG-1, but I fear if a quick resolution can’t be found, I may be forced to make some reassignments.” Standing back up, he let out a heavy sigh. “I trust I won’t have to do that.” Giving them both a small smile, he nodded. “Dismissed.”
Sam and Jack watched General Hammond turn around and walk into his office. Once there, Sam turned towards Jack, deciding to take the first step. “Look, Colonel, I’m sorry, but I didn’t feel your report was complete.”
Jack tapped the tabletop with his finger before looking up at her. She couldn’t quite read what was clouded in his eyes. When he spoke, his voice was softer, but still held a firm edge. “Well, it’s certainly not complete now.” Without another moment’s hesitation, he turned on his heels and walked out of the room, leaving Sam to star at an empty room.
Bringing her arms up, she hugged her chest, a feeling of emptiness and betrayal surrounding her. Looking towards General Hammond’s office, she was relieved to see that he was currently occupied on the phone. Knowing she probably couldn’t conceal her emotions at that moment if questioned, she took the opportunity to take her leave. Heading in the opposite direction, she made a beeline for the elevator. Stepping onto it, she was about to press the button that would take her to her lab, but suddenly felt like the walls were closing in on her.
All she knew was that she had to get out, breathe real air into her lungs, and hope to clear her head. And she knew none of that would happen if she stayed on base. She also knew it was pointless to try and talk to Jack. All she could hope for is that they would get this resolved before the next mission, otherwise, she not only feared for their working relationship, but their personal one as well.
Jack focused hard on the single cube of red Jell-O balanced perfectly on the spoon he held between his fingers. The crystalline texture of the Jell-O seemed to glisten in the light of the commissary, and as he brought it closer to his eyes, the room became washed in that same red color as he continued looking through it. His mind was swirling, feeling like a spin cycle on a washing machine as it tried to sort through all that had happened during the debriefing. Never really good at confronting complex situations that required a lot of thought, Jack found the simplistic form of the Jell-O cube soothing.
Just as he was beginning to really enjoy his new found form of relaxation, a dark shadow moved in front of him, blocking out the light and taking away his fun. Annoyed, he jerked his head back and spoke up. “Hey! What’s the…” Looking up, his eyes met Teal’c’s, who was starring down at him with a curious expression on his face. Clearing his voice, he plopped the piece of Jell-O in his mouth and sat back in his chair, trying to appear nonchalant. “Hiya, Teal’c. I didn’t hear you approach.”
Teal’c raised an eyebrow. “That is obvious, O’Neill.” Sitting down with a tray piled high with food, he settled in his chair before speaking again. “Perhaps you are eating too much of the Jell-O. It appears to be warping your mind.”
Jack grunted under his breath as he shifted in his seat, allowing a small smile to curve his lips. “Don’t worry, Teal’c. I’m not addicted to Jell-O. It’s good but not that good.” Growing silent, he let his mind focus before continuing. “I was just thinking…or rather trying not to.”
Teal’c could see the tension in his friend’s body, but what stood out the most was the indented frown on his face, highlighted by the deep lines of creases on his forehead. Teal’c knew what was bothering him. Though the mission they had just returned from had not affected him emotionally as much as the rest of the team, he felt compassion for O’Neill and Carter as he could see the strain it was putting on them personally and professionally. Teal’c found himself wishing that he could reveal that he knew about their feelings for each other. It would make it so much easier to talk to him about problems such as these. But he also knew that it would only make things worse for O’Neill right now, and he didn’t want to give him anything else to worry about.
Taking a bite of his sandwich, Teal’c studied it for a moment before saying anything. “Are Major Carter and Jonas Quinn still giving you trouble over your decision regarding the one they call Fifth?”
Jack sighed heavily. Dropping his spoon on his tray, he ran his hands through his hair. “You could say that…Carter specifically. I think Jonas is smart enough not to piss me off too much. But Carter, well, I guess you could say we’re at a crossroads with each other.”
Teal’c looked up. “A crossroads? What do you mean by a crossroads?”
Jack leaned forward, placing his elbows on the table. “Um…an impasse, the inability to agree with each other, butting heads, being damn stubborn!” Shaking his head, he gestured with his hands. “Sorry, Teal’c. I didn’t mean to get agitated like that. I guess I’m still trying to take in how much she disagreed with my decision. It’s not like her. If Daniel were still alive, I would have totally expected it from him, but not her.”
Teal’c let a moment go by before replying. “Have you attempted to discuss this with her further?”
Jack just shook his head. “Nope. I figure I’m the last one she wants to talk to right now, and frankly, the feeling is kind of mutual. I just came here. I can never go wrong with food…unless I eat something really spicy…my stomach’s just not as tolerant as it used to be.”
Teal’c was surprised to hear him talk with such defeat regarding Major Carter. It wasn’t a good indication. He knew he was going to have to do something to motivate him. Searching for the right words, he took a handful of grapes and placed them in his mouth, chewing them as he thought. Swallowing, he looked straight at O’Neill. “Back on Chulak, it is said that when a symbiote is mated with its host, the stronger the psyche of the host, the stronger the bond between the two will be.”
Jack gave him a blank look. Hesitating for a moment, he leaned forward. “Let me get this straight…a stronger mind…a stronger bond? Isn’t it supposed to be the other way around? I would think that a stronger mind would hold off the symbiote and prevent it from bonding.”
Teal’c nodded. “It would seem so. But what may seem apparent is not always
so. In this case, the stronger mind of
the
Jack tried to think for a moment and then gave up. Shaking his head, he held up his hands. “Okay. I know I’m thick and all, but I just don’t get your point here.”
Teal’c gave him a half smile. “My point is, O’Neill, you and Major Carter are both strong in mind and body. Therefore, it presents a greater challenge to you both in your relationship with each other, but once blended, creates a strong bond. If you give up on that bond, it will not only weaken your relationship, but your mind as well.”
Jack just starred at him for a moment, taking in what he had just said. It made sense, and as much he didn’t want to admit it, he was right. As stubborn as Sam was being, he was being just as stubborn, if not more so. And since he had been the one who had technically started the whole thing, he figured he could at least try and end it.
Standing up, he gave Teal’c a small knowing smile. “Alright, buddy. I get your subtle hint. And thanks…I needed a good kick in the butt.” Turning, he moved to the door, making his way out into the hall. Teal’c watched him go, feeling good about what he had just done.
Jack made his way to Sam’s lab, hoping to find her there. He wasn’t sure if she’d be losing herself in work, but since she seemed to spend most of her time doing just that, he figured he try there first. But upon arriving in her doorway, he found only disappointment in the darkness of the lab, indicating that she hadn’t been there for some time.
Making his way to the elevators, he climbed his way to the surface, deciding to try her house next. It was only 1400 hours, but since she hadn’t been in her lab, and they weren’t scheduled for another mission for another few days, he guessed she was looking for a little reprieve. As he exited the base, warm mid-September air hit his face, bathing him with a mixture of humidity and a cleansing cooler breeze. The mountains surrounding him were beginning to become dotted in various colors of red, yellow, orange and brown. The trees waved in the wind, rustling quietly in a soothing rhythm that helped to quiet his nerves. He loved this time of year and took in a deep breath to help refresh him.
But twenty minutes later, he was no longer at ease. Sam was no where to be found in her house, and as he stood in the middle of her living room, he was at a loss of where to look next. He entertained a thought of just camping out there until she returned, but there was no guarantee of that, or that she wouldn’t just return to the base without ever going home.
Stuffing his hand in his pocket to fish out his car keys, he noticed a piece of paper lying on the floor beside an end table. Picking it up, he turned it over and read the scribble that was Sam’s handwriting. It was a reminder note, and after reading it, he suddenly knew where she had gone. Hoping he could remember how to get there, he headed out the door, locking it behind him, and got into his truck. He’d have to make haste if he wanted to find her before it got too close to dusk. And he could only hope that when he did, she would be receptive to working things out.
Jack pulled up next to the stable, and was relieved to find Sam’s car parked next to it. Hopping out of his truck, he made his way into the stables to look for her. But instead of finding a pretty blond stable hand hard at work, he only found the echoing of his own footsteps against the dirt floor. The stable door creaked loudly as he pushed it open further, evoking a whinny from a horse in a nearby stall.
Walking up to the stall, he poked his head over the door and was instantly greeted by a cold, wet nose. “Well, hey, Spice, it’s been a while.” The chestnut brown horse he’d ridden so long ago almost seemed to remember him as he sniffed Jack carefully, exploring his scent. Bringing his hand up carefully, Jack let the horse sniff and snort his hand before gently reaching up to stroke the side of his face and neck. Spice’s mane was coarse and thick, but obviously well cared for as it still retained a soft texture.
As he continued stroking the horse, who had moved closer to the stall door so that Jack could move his hand further down its neck, Jack looked around the stable. “Where’s your stable mate, Spice?” Referring to Sugar, the horse Sam had ridden the day that the two of them had taken that ride together, Jack began contemplating if he should dare take Spice out to look for Sam without proper permission. But then thinking back to the note he had found, it had said that for Sam to feed and water the horses, indicating that the owner’s must be gone and the horses were Sam’s responsibility.
Taking a chance that it would be okay, he moved over to the tack room and found a saddle and bridal set. Opening the stall door, Spice stood still as Jack suited him up. The horse seemed to be reading his thoughts, understanding that Jack needed his help. Five minutes later, after checking all the straps and buckles, Jack threw one leg up and over, mounting Spice with ease. Reining him in, he urged the horse forward, moving out of the stable and into the afternoon light. The sun was beginning its decent across the sky, offering a more orangey hue to the light it was giving off. The temperature was still warm, retaining the humidity of the day, giving the sun that much more substance.
Not knowing which way Sam had ridden, Jack decided to try the path that the two of them had taken together. As he moved up the trail, he thought about all that had been said between them since returning from their latest mission, and how much he regretted it. They’d always talked about the possibility of something like this happening…where their ranks and the fact that Jack was her superior might create a problem on a mission. But they’d promised each other to not let it interfere with their relationship, or their love for each other. Easier said then done.
Twenty minutes later, after a steady but careful climb up the trail, Jack reached the top. The meadow before him opened up, revealing a stretch of land covered in tall grasses, dotted with wildflowers in varying colors of violet, pink, yellow, and white. And with the setting sun casting a deep orange-yellow hue, it made the scene before him seem like something out of a dream.
As he started forward, the soft grass crunched under the weight of Spice as he trod along steadily, a slightly happier prance to his step as he enjoyed the place that Jack had taken him to. As they moved along, Jack listened to the breeze as it licked the branches of the nearby trees, causing them to sway in rhythm to its beating pulse. The birds chirped a friendly greeting, flying from branch to branch as if their movements were a dance or a game.
Coming up on the approaching tree line, he halted the horse. Looking around as Spice munched on some of the grass, he tried to find any sign of which direction she might have gone. Then, the sound of running water nearby caught his attention. The stream. He remembered they’d let their horses get a drink from it when Jack and Sam had come here on their ride. It had also been the place where the snake had spooked Sam’s horse, giving Jack a huge jump to his heart as he had watched the horse take off in terror, with Sam clutching the reins as tightly as she could.
Directing Spice towards the sound of the stream, he made his way carefully through the trees, avoiding any major roots jutting out from the ground. Before he knew it, he had the stream in sight. Looking around, he watched the water as it rippled over the small rocks that lined its bottom and sides. Its crystal clear appearance, shimmering in the fading light, had his mouth salivating, and he found himself suddenly thirsty. As he moved forward, he looked to his right and spotted what he had been searching for.
Sam sat at the edge of the water, staring endlessly into its shallow depths. She didn’t even seem to see him, or hear his approach as he turned his horse, dismounted and walked the rest of the way to her, letting Spice get his fill of the cold mountain water. Stepping lightly, he spoke up once he was within 5 feet of her. “So how about next time you play hide and seek, you give me a little more notice. And I must say,” he continued, gesturing around him, “this is a great place to hide.”
Sam, startled when his voice sliced through the serene quiet, looked up at him, quickly wiping a tear from the corner of her eye. Clearing her voice, she looked up at him. “Obviously, I didn’t hide well enough…you found me.” Looking around, she spotted Spice. “How, by the way, did you know where to find me?”
Jack stuffed his hands in his pockets. Shuffling his feet slightly, like a kid who’d just been caught with his hand in the cookie jar, he gestured over his horse. “I promised Spice I’d hook him up with two biscuits if he told me where you were.” Seeing that his humor wasn’t working on Sam, he cleared his throat again and continued. “I went by your house and found your reminder note on the floor to feed and water the horses. Luckily, my age hasn’t worn out all my brain cells yet. I managed to find my way here and found Spice alone in the stable. I figured that you had taken Sugar out for a ride, so I guessed at which direction you had gone. And here I am.”
Sam gave him a small smile and then looked back out over the stream. Jack could see the distress in the lines on her face. Moving forward, he sat down next to her, resting his forearms on his knees. Taking a breath, he searched for the right thing to say. “Look, Sam, I’m sorry. Things just got out of hand in the debriefing.”
Sam nodded. “You could say that. Look, Jack, I appreciate your apology, but I have a feeling that the debriefing room is as far as it extends.”
Jack was silent for a moment. He could see that this wasn’t going to be a simple fix. “Well, I’m sorry that you feel like I made the wrong decision with Fifth, but I did what I thought was best at the time.”
Sam looked over at him. “And now? Do you still feel that way?”
Jack hesitated before answering. “Yes, I do. He was a Replicator, probably our worst enemy, and you wanted me to take him with us.”
Sam could feel her blood beginning to boil. “He was different, probably more human than Replicator, at least emotionally. And besides, you never gave me time to explain it to you.”
Jack could feel frustration coming on. “There wasn’t time! When in that five minute window was I suppose to sit down and have a heart to heart with you? We had Replicators on our heels and could have been frozen in time with them! I’m sorry, but I’m not going to apologize for making a decision I thought was best, especially with what information I had to work with.”
Sam allowed a single tear to roll down her cheek. When Jack reached out to wipe it away, Sam brushed away his hand. “Please, don’t.” Standing up, she folded her arms over her chest. “Look, Jack,” she said, her voice shakier than he’d ever heard it, “we might as well be honest with ourselves.”
Jack could feel fear crawling up his throat. “Honest about what exactly?”
Sam swallowed hard. “That this can’t continue…that we can’t continue.”
Jack interrupted her. “Now, Sam, hold on…”
Sam shook her head. “No, Jack. I’ve been giving this a lot of thought. This mission was just an example of what can happen with us being in a relationship other than friendship. With my anger at you back in the debriefing, I risked exposing us, and the consequences of that would be irreversible. But this…we can fix this.”
Jack couldn’t believe what he was hearing. “You think we can just…undo…all the feelings we have for each other?” When Sam only continued to stare out ahead of her, shaking lightly, Jack took her by the arms and turned her to face him. “I dare you to look me in the face and tell me you can do that…that you can forget that you love me, and that I love you.”
Sam’s bottom lip was quivering. After a moment, she found the strength to answer him. “I will always love you…and that’s my punishment for letting this go too far. But I can’t jeopardize our careers or our lives for that matter…you have to understand that.”
Jack held onto her arms. “No, no I can’t understand that, and I won’t. You’re just upset. Look, if you want me to apologize for what I made you do back there, I will. I’m sorry! But please, don’t let this come between us.”
Sam shook him off. “Don’t you see! It already has! And if you’d listen to yourself long enough, you’d know I’m right. The damage has been done, and what happened on that Replicator world was just a reality check. We have to end it.”
Jack placed his hands on either side of her face. “No, Sam. I’m not letting you go. Not like this. I love you too much. Do you hear me?”
Sam placed her hands on top of Jack’s and looked into his eyes. “I’m sorry, Jack, I’m so sorry…” Her voice barely a whisper, she suddenly pushed his hands off of her face and stepped back, moving towards Sugar. “It’s over…we’re over. Don’t make this any harder than it has to be. I’ll put in for a transfer if I have to, but we just can’t do this anymore.” Sobbing, she turned away from him and jumped on Sugar. Digging her heels into the horse’s side, they took off at a full gallop.
Jack called out in fear. “Sam!” Turning around, he ran for Spice, but apparently all the commotion had startled the horse, and before Jack could reach Spice, the horse took off, running in the opposite direction. “Damnit!!” Turning around again, he looked in the direction Sam had gone. He could barely see her. “Sam!!”
When she just kept riding at full speed, Jack felt helpless. Knowing his horse would eventually return, all he could do was wait. Running his hands through his hair, he sat down and picked up a rock, throwing it hard into the stream, making a large splash and ripple. Muttering to himself, he found his mind numb. “You’re wrong, Sam. It’s not over. I’m not going to let you go that easily. I love you too much.”
And so Jack sat there, watch the last rays of the day disappear behind the trees, leaving him in a growing dark for which there seemed no end. He didn’t know where to go from here, or how to convince her that they could make it work. But he was determined to find a way, no matter how long it might take.