Home Is Where the Heart Is

Title: Home Is Where the Heart Is

Author: Suz W.

Spoilers: After Avalon (parts 1 & 2), Origin (part 3), The Ties That Bind, and The Powers That Be (episode tags)

Feedback: Always welcomed and gratefully appreciated!

Old Stories Referenced: None

Rating: R, S/J Friendship, Romance, and Sexual Situations,

Summary: After settling into a new life and routine, Jack brings news to Sam that may change things…again.

Disclaimer: All publicity recognizable characters and places are the property of MGM, Sci-Fi Productions, 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 August 14, 2008 by Suzanne R. Whitmarsh.

Author’s Notes: This story follows “From This Moment”. So now that we’ve entered Season 9 and a new chapter in the lives of Sam and Jack, I hope you’ll find this new direction just as enticing. Your continued dedication and feedback is so important to me and I can’t thank you enough for it. Enjoy this story!

Dedication: This story is dedicated to Kelly M. Congrats on your article in the AJN…I hope your writing success continues and I thank you for your dedicated support to my own!

“We’ll be landing shortly, Sir. Do you need anything else before we arrive?”

Jack, lost in thought, looked up and briefly smiled at the flight attendant. “I’m fine, Nancy, thanks.” After returning his smile, Jack watched for a moment as she turned her back and disappeared behind a curtained-off area on his chartered jet.

He was on his way to see Sam but didn’t always travel in such luxury with an entire plane to himself. He usually travelled commercial, mainly to stay off the Air Force’s radar as to his frequent flights out to Nevada almost every weekend. But this time he was flying on official business, and although he would still get his time with Sam, the request he was bringing to her might just make their weekend less enjoyable.

Adjusting in his tan leather seat, Jack moved his gaze out the window, trying to pick out imaginary shapes from the puffy white clouds that hung softly under the brilliantly blue stratosphere. For all the extra travel it had created, married life with Sam over the last three months had been amazing. Missing her terribly throughout the week only made the weekends that much better, and with phone calls to each other almost every night, not to mention occasional conversions on the webcam, it made the distance between them seem almost bearable.

Sam and Cassie had settled into a comfortable three bedroom, two and a half bath home nestled discreetly in a small town not far from the base. The town was big enough for Cassie to have plenty to do when she wasn’t working at one of the local restaurant hot spots full time, and she’d even made a small group of girlfriends with whom she could hang out with on her days off.

For Sam, the town offered a kind of quiet retreat away from the chaos and constant workload that the base seemed to always throw her way. Travel time to Area 51 was within 30 minutes, and despite being pitched into the deep end without much of a life preserver, she had already gained the respect of the staff that now worked underneath her. Though Jack knew that she could live off her reputation alone, he also knew Sam well enough to predict that she had walked in their humble and had retained that attitude, despite her rank and position.

Jack had been reunited with her four days after that initial and very painful separation in the airport parking lot. Having to walk away from her with tears in her eyes and leaving her alone in the cold, shadowed darkness, had torn at every fiber of his being, and he’d arrived in Washington D.C. emotionally drained, irritable, and wondering if he’d made the right decision.

So missing her to the depth of his soul, Jack had used the excuse of wanting to check and see how his old teammate was settling into her new position for his first visit. Being a general and one whom used to run the SGC, no one had questioned his agenda. So making it an extra long weekend, Jack had arrived at Area 51, officially as General Jack O’Neill, not only surprising Sam but the rest of her staff, sending the end of their week into minor chaos as personnel attempted to appear occupied at all times.

After his first day, he’d managed to escape official escort to a hotel and met up with Sam and Cassie at their house a few hours after dinnertime. Cassie, being the intelligent girl Jack always knew her to be, only hung around for a brief time before disappearing to the local library to study. With privacy finally theirs, Sam and Jack had made passionate love, clinging to each other to make up for the ache that had occupied both of their hearts since the separation.

After that first weekend together, Jack had only missed coming out to see her a handful of times. And Sam had found official reasons to come to Washington D.C. on several short, two day trips during the past three months, which gave her the opportunity to see the townhome where he had been set up in.

But unlike the big, bustling city, the small town Sam and Cassie now lived in offered Jack and Sam the privacy they sought. To her few neighbors and those who saw them more often together on walks through the town at twilight, Jack was her boyfriend, a man who traveled on business throughout the week, giving him time to see her on most weekends. And even though most small towns usually had their resident gossips, most people seemed to sense and recognize Sam and Jack’s need for space and privacy. Besides occasional small talk, they were left alone to enjoy each other without prying eyes and gossiping lips.

Sighing, Jack blinked and watched as the image of a horse in one of the clouds gradually faded into something unrecognizable. It was a Friday, and while Sam was expecting him later that night, he had received a call from Landry that had bumped up the time schedule. At first, his plan was to simply fill her in on Landry’s request, not wanting to put off the inevitable.

But it was her birthday, and the last thing he wanted to do to his wife was deliver news that might make that celebration less than enjoyable. So, mid-flight, he’d called Cassie at the restaurant where she worked to make sure everything had been taken care of for that night. After she had reassured him that things would be ready for them at 1800 hours per his request, Jack hung up the phone and decided that his early and official arrival at the base would simply be for a progress report, especially on her latest, and in his opinion, coolest invention yet…the Mark 9.

From all the reports Jack had read so far on it, the Mark 9 was a Naquadriah-enhanced nuclear warhead, with its sole purpose being complete vaporization of a Stargate and anything within a 100 mile radius. And once armed, an attempt to disable it without the proper code would result in immediate detonation. Basically it was the super weapon of all warheads, and after talking in length with Landry over the current problem at the SGC with this new threat called the Ori, Jack and Landry both agreed that the Mark 9 was the best solution to their impending threat. The only thing left to do now was to convince Sam of that.

Twenty minutes later, the plane touched down on one of Area 51’s remote runways. As the plane moved towards the main cluster of hangers, Jack took in a steadying breath as he began to gather the papers he’d taken out of his briefcase, putting them back where he had found them. After three months and several official visits to the base, not to mention all the years he and Sam had concealed their feelings from the prying eyes of others, Jack was now very seasoned at greeting her like he would any other officer.

But what Jack hadn’t counted on was how much more he would come to resent that acting role now that they were married. Being apart and pretending to be single was hard but bearable; having to act the same way in front of his wife was basically gut-wrenching. So even though his official visits gave them more time together, he found himself dreading it more and more each time he had to do it.

As the plane pulled to a stop, Jack stood up and put on his dress blues jacket. Placing the hat on his head, he picked up his brief case and overnight bag and headed to the door, which was being opened by the flight attendant. As he approached her, she smiled at him. “Have a good day, General O’Neill.”

Jack nodded and gave her a brief smile. “Thanks, Nancy.” Stepping onto the platform of stairs, he took in his first breath of dry yet hot Nevada air. Even though it was only April, the desert always got a jump start on the summer season. Switching the duffle bag to his other hand which held the briefcase, Jack reached into his jacket pocket with his now free hand and pulled out a pair of sunglasses, putting them on before descending the stairs.

Once at the bottom, he walked a few paces to the small gathering of personnel who had met his plane, all of who were standing at attention and saluting. Quickly noticing Sam was not among them, Jack gave them a half smile and an easy salute before putting his bags on the ground. “At ease, gentlemen. Major Hicks, right?”

The younger man at the front of the group nodded sternly. “Yes Sir.” Putting his hands behind his back in a much more relaxed stance, he continued. “We weren’t expecting you, General O’Neill.”

Jack pushed his sunglasses up higher on his nose as he squinted, looking up briefly at the sun before returning his gaze to Major Hicks. “Yeah, well I wasn’t expecting to make this trip either.” Hesitating, he went on. “I actually need to talk to Colonel Carter. Any idea of where I might find her?”

Hicks nodded. “Yes, Sir. She’s in one of the labs on level 13 working on a project. I’ll be happy to take you to her.”

Jack grimaced slightly. “Thirteen, huh? Nice number.” Realizing after only a second that his sarcasm had been lost on the man, Jack held out his hand. “After you, Hicks.”

As he began to pick up his bags, one of the even younger airmen quickly came forward. “I’ll get those for you, Sir.” Nodding his thanks, Jack straightened his form and moved off in the direction of the main hanger, unbuttoning his jacket as they went. Jack hated having to surprise Sam like this. It had been his hope that she had been informed of his impending arrival so she’d be prepared, but apparently her nose had been buried in the lab all morning long. Sighing to himself, he decided that she’d already had enough practice and should be able to pull off the acting job without any problem.

As the desert sun gradually became enveloped by the waiting horizon in the early evening hours of the growing night, Sam pulled into her driveway, exhausted and fully ready for a few days off from the base. While Jack’s early and unexpected arrival that morning had been a surprise, she always found her day brightened by his presence, no matter how much of a front she had to put on.

Acting professional, Jack had quizzed her more than usual on the Mark 9, which had also surprised her. After multiple inquires and wanting examples of scenarios, Sam finally asked him what his sudden interest was all about. Giving her a lame excuse, it became very obvious to her that Jack was just skirting the real issue at hand. Seeing that even Jack recognized his pathetic reasoning but obviously had no intention of informing her further, Sam decided to let it drop until they were alone later where she could really talk to him.

The rest of the day had been spent apart, with pre-planned meetings taking precedence over any time they could find together. Later in the afternoon when Sam had asked one of the airmen on the whereabouts of the general, she was told he’d left the base for the rest of the day. Knowing she would meet up with him later that evening, Sam had returned to her work, finally leaving the base tired and ready for some good R&R with her husband.

She had tried calling his cell phone several times on her drive home but had only succeeded in being connected to his voicemail. So after stepping out of her car into the muggy evening air that surrounded her house, Sam dialed his phone number again as she fished for her keys to the front door. And that’s when she heard his familiar ring tone sounding from the other side of her front door.

Smiling to herself and deciding he’d probably fallen asleep waiting for her, she put her phone back in her purse and then quietly unlocked the door. Stepping in through the door, Sam found herself suddenly surprised to see her house lit up with candlelight. It flickered and danced in every room that she could see, and the house itself smelled of intoxicating lilacs and vanilla. Putting her purse down, she hung up her keys on the key rack next to the door and then moved forward into the living room. “Jack?”

“Happy Birthday, Mrs. O’Neill.”

Sam turned around at the sound of Jack’s voice behind her. There, standing in the doorway holding at least two dozen deep red roses, was Jack. Giving her one of his sexy smiles, he moved forward, pointing the roses to the floor as he reached out and pulled her to him in a one-arm embrace, capturing her lips with his own in a passionate kiss that took her breath away.

After a few moments, Jack withdrew his lips from hers, smiling boldly. “Surprised?”

Sam caught her breath and took the beautiful roses he handed her. “To say the least! You’ve been a bundle of surprises all day! But my birthday isn’t until Sunday.”

Jack shrugged as he drew his arms around her waist, looking into her eyes as he tenderly kissed the tip of her nose. “I know…but how am I suppose to surprise you if you are already expecting something.”

Sam smiled up at him and gave him a quick kiss. “I love it…just as I love you. Thank you for these…they’re beautiful.”

Jack held up his finger as he smiled knowingly at her. “Not so fast! I’m not done yet. If you’ll follow me…” Taking her hand, he led her into the kitchen and then onto the back deck where a table elegantly set and lined with a crisp white tablecloth awaited them.

Sam briefly put her hand to her mouth as Jack gently took the flowers from her hand. Unwrapping the roses, he put them in an awaiting vase half-filled with water that had been placed on a small side table next to the one they were to dine on. Next to the vase on that same table, champagne sat perfectly placed in an ice bucket with two matching crystal-stemmed champagne glasses on either side of the bucket, ready to be filled. And oversized strawberries half-dipped in dark chocolate sat on a silver serving tray next to them.

Dinner had been laid out in a beautiful array around the place settings, and two long white candles stood in crystal holders, flickering softly in the night air. Sam turned to Jack and put her arms around him, drawing him close. “You are truly the most romantic man I’ve ever known, and I have to say you hide it very well. When we first met in that debriefing room, I would have never pegged you for anything more than an over-inflated macho male.” Kissing him softly on the lips as she tried contain a smile, she pulled back, looking up into his eyes again as tears formed in her own. “But even though you displayed your arrogance that day, I felt an instant connection to you from the moment our eyes met.”

Jack gave her a half-cocked grin. “Well, you definitely put me in my place…and earned my respect. As for that connection…let’s just say I think I fell in love with you from that very moment, even though it took me a while to figure it out.”

Sam quickly wiped at a stray tear rolling down her right cheek. “I love you so much, Jack. Thank you for this…for everything…for loving me.”

Jack bent his head and kissed her deeply. When he broke the contact, he smiled down at her as he released her body and took her hand again, leading her to the table. “Loving you is the best thing that’s ever happened to me. And one day soon, these secret lives that we’ve been living will become a thing of the past, and then I’ll be able to show the world what a lucky man I am.”

Sitting down at the table, Sam nodded in quiet agreement. “It’s a day I’m longing for.” Looking up at the cloudless night sky, the stars twinkled brightly all around them, including Charlie’s Star. Starring at it for a moment, she softly smiled. “He’s always with us, isn’t he?”

Jack looked up at the star and nodded. “He was a great kid…and I’ve never really felt like he’s left me. Maybe because he knows I blame myself for his death…maybe he feels the need to watch over me. And maybe,” he said more quietly this time, “he led you to me.” Reaching for her hand across the table, he took it and gently squeezed. “God knows you saved me, Sam, and that’s something that I’ll never be able to repay.”

Sam smiled and returned his affectionate squeeze. “Just having you in my life as you are is more than I ever hoped for myself. You’ve shown me that I can find a balance between being a scientist and a woman. The kind of love you’ve shown me is something I really never felt possible for myself, especially after Jonas.”

They sat silently for a while, comfortably eating their meal underneath a blanket of stars. Casual conversation took them through the rest of the meal, and before they knew it, almost an hour had past. As Sam was taking another bite of her chocolate-covered strawberry, beautifully strum music from a single violin gradually faded forward into the background. As the sound increased, Sam suddenly realized that it was coming from behind her.

Turning around, she watched as a man dressed in a black tuxedo walked carefully up the last few steps of her deck. He was playing a dark, cherry wood violin as he went, and held a subtle smile on his lips. Glancing up briefly at Sam and Jack, he backed himself into a shadowed corner as he finished the current piece he was playing, flowing softly right into the next song.

As “Isn’t It Romantic” began being played out over musical notes that seemed to touch the heavens, Sam looked back at Jack and smiled. “You’ve thought of everything. Where did you find him? He’s wonderful!”

Jack stood and held out his hand in offer of a dance. “Cassie knows him. She couldn’t say enough about his talent and insisted I hire him for your birthday dinner.”

As they began a slow waltz across the deck floor, Sam shook her head. “You had me so enraptured that I never even asked after her. I take it she had a hand in all of this?”

Jack gave her a sly smile. “You could say she did most of it. I just told her what I was wanting. Oh, and she’s staying at a friend’s house tonight, so basically…”

“The night is still young.” After finishing Jack’s sentence, Sam kissed him softly before laying her head on his shoulder as they continued to sway through a compilation of several old, familiar songs.

After another 30 minutes of dancing and being serenaded by the melodic sounds coming from the young man’s violin, Jack and Sam both thanked him, praising his talent and showing him the way to the front door as Jack handed him an envelope with his payment.

Closing the door, Jack led Sam into the living room, where at some point, he had laid out a huge oversized blanket on the floor that was made of the softest material Sam had ever felt. Sitting her down on it, Jack walked over to a cabinet and opened it, pulling out a slender gift that had been neatly wrapped with a white satin bow on top.

Sitting down next to Sam, he handed her the box. “Happy Birthday, Samantha.” Jack watched with a subtle smile as she took it from him and carefully opened the wrapping the reveal a long, red velvet box. With a glance briefly given to him from beneath long, black eyelashes, Sam opened the box gingerly. And there inside, positioned on a bed of white satin, was a stunning platinum and diamond encrusted bracelet.

Sam caught her breath as she stole the first glance at it. “Oh, Jack,” she said breathlessly, “it’s beautiful.”

Seeing her amazement, Jack smiled confidently as he took it out of the box. “When I saw it, I thought it was perfect for you. But…this bracelet,” he said lifting it into the light, “isn’t for your wrist. It’s to be worn around your ankle.” Turning it over in his hand, he held it out to her.

Peering carefully at the piece of jewelry, Sam finally saw the delicate inscription that had been inscrolled on the back of it in intricate letters. For my beautiful wife…my reason for being…I love you, Jack.

Jack quickly spoke up before she could. “You see, I got the ankle bracelet because working in your lab and shooting at bad guys really doesn’t do well for wearing something on your wrist.” Taking it from her again, he went on. “So,” he said, tenderly moving down the leg of her pant to her bare feet, “this way, you can wear it always and know how much I love you…and no one is the wiser.”

Looping it around her ankle, he clasped it in place and the bent down and gently kissed the spot where he’d placed it. Sam purred softly as Jack then began moving purposefully up her leg, placing kisses on all sides of it. Running her hands through his hair as he inched his way up her body, Sam reclined herself onto the blanket as he moved on top of her.

Coming together in a sensual kiss of lips and tongues, they bodies reacted naturally to the increasing surge of passion running through each of them. Moving, touching, feeling, and longing defined their next few minutes, and before much time had passed, Jack was inside of her, their bodies’ one, their souls united.

A huge climatic surge had their heads spinning and their bodies shaking when they finally relaxed together in each other’s arms as Jack threw the part of the blanket they weren’t laying on over them. Facing each other, Jack traced a careful and delicate pattern around the sides of her face with one finger. “You are beautiful, Samantha O’Neill.”

Sam gave him a smile and then kissed his lips. “And you, my handsome husband, never cease to amaze me. I’m incredibly lucky to have you in my life…and I love you so much more than I ever thought possible.”

For the rest of the evening, they cuddled and talked softly, enjoying the quiet moments that the night was giving them. With Jack scheduled to fly back to Washington on Sunday, they made sure to make the most of ever precious hour they were being given.

The next morning, Sam and Jack sat lazing at the breakfast table, enjoying a quiet meal of cereal, toast, eggs, juice and coffee. Cassie was due back later that morning and they had plans to spend the rest of the day together as a “family”.

Jack, picking at his eggs, sighed quietly to himself as he glanced up at Sam, who was reading the morning paper. He hated to have to be the one to break the magical spell of their special weekend, but he knew what he was needing to talk to her about was inevitable.

Clearing his throat, Jack finally spoke up. “Um, I guess while we’re sitting here, there’s something I need to talk to you about. Actually, besides are previously arranged time together this weekend to celebrate your birthday, what I have to say is the reason for my visit.”

Sam, who had looked up upon him speaking, listened intently with a serious expression and nodded. “Okay…what’s up?”

Jack straightened in his chair. “Well, there’s a reason I had so much interest in the Mark 9 on Friday.”

Sam gave him a knowing smile. “I guessed that. What I wasn’t sure of was how long it was going to take for you to tell me the whole story behind your interest.”

Jack blew out a small breath. “Yeah, well there’s a very good reason behind my hesitation.” Pausing for a moment, he then went on. “Look, Sam, I want you to know that I’m not happy with the request that has become my responsibility to talk to you about, and because of what you’ve been through, I will support you 100% if you don’t want to go along with this request. And I can guarantee you that the same support will come from everyone at the SGC if you decide not to do it.”

Sam scrunched her brow. “Do what, Jack?”

Jack placed his hands on the table. “Well, to make it short and to the point…they want, or rather they need you…back at the SGC.”

Sam took a moment before answering him. Leaning forward, she hugged her chest as her elbows rested on the surface of the table. “Honestly,” she said finally in a quiet tone, “I suspected it was something like that. But why now? I’ve been keeping up with the developments of these Ori, but things seemed to be going okay…or at least as well as they can be.”

Jack nodded. “I know…and they have. But now things have changed.” Taking a breath, Jack continued. “Apparently, these Ori are trying to get a foothold in our galaxy. Just yesterday, Landry had a debriefing with a Goa’uld named Nerous.”

Sam thought for a moment. “I think I remember Teal’c talking about him. He tends to spell trouble wherever he goes.”

Jack nodded. “That’s the one. Apparently, Nerous contacted the SCG through one of our contacts claiming that he had some vital information on the Ori and their intentions in our galaxy.” Pausing for a moment to take a sip of coffee, Jack went on. “Landry was briefed on Nerous history of troublemaking, and even sought out Teal’c’s opinion, but the higher ups wanted to see what he had to say.”

Sam adjusted in her chair. “He must have had some pretty convincing information…what did he say?”

Jack responded. “As he told it, the Ori, or rather one prior, has taken hold of a Stargate on the planet Kalana.”

Sam furrowed her brow. “But that’s a Jaffa occupied world. I take it they’ve been unsuccessful in neutralizing him.”

Jack sat up a little straighter. “That’s the problem. They can’t get to him. Somehow, the Ori have found a way to maintain an open wormhole on that Gate for longer than the 28 minutes that your physics specifies.”

Sam looked surprised. “How long has it been open?”

“It’s going on three days now.”

Sam was stunned. “Three days?!”

Jack leaned forward. “That’s why we need your Mark 9. It’s the only weapon we have that’s powerful enough to destroy the Gate.” Hesitating briefly, he went on. “And apparently some kind of force field has been erected around the Gate.”

Sam thought for a moment. “But why do you need me?”

Jack sighed. “The President feels that this threat is so real, he doesn’t want to send the weapon into the field without your direct supervision. Basically, he wants to make sure the job is done right.” At Sam’s hesitation, Jack went on. “You don’t even have to leave the Prometheus. SG-1 will lead the mission…all you have to do is be onboard in case anything goes wrong with it.”

Sam sat back and crossed her arms over her chest. “Well, I guess I can understand his logic.”

Jack changed his tone, looking directly at her. “Sam, listen to me.” When Sam looked up and met his eyes, he went on. “I don’t want you at the SGC or anywhere near the Prometheus, let alone that planet. But I do agree with the President…you are the best person for the job. But like I told you earlier, I’ll support whatever decision you make.” Standing up, he moved around the table to where she sat and knelt down beside her. “You are my whole life and I love you more than I ever thought I could love anyone. The last thing I want to do is sit in Washington and worry about where you are or what planet you’re on. I don’t think I have to explain to you why even the idea scares the hell out of me.”

Sam gave him a reassuring smile as she turned towards him in her chair and cupped his cheek with one of her hands. “I know…but honestly, the idea of going back to the SGC, even if it’s just temporarily, isn’t as scary as I thought it would be. Actually, I think it might just be what I need to put what happened behind me. I can’t fight off my demons if I run and hide from them.”

Jack stood and pulled her to her feet, embracing her warmly. “Somehow I knew you’d say that.” Holding her face with his hands, he went on. “You’ve always been so brave, and though I may have worried at first if you’d ever find yourself again after they cloned you, I knew somehow you’d find your way home.”

Sam smiled and kissed him. “With you by my side, how could I not? I love you, Jack, and I promise I’ll be careful.” Taking a breath, she went on. “Besides, I haven’t been back to my house since I left Colorado Springs, and with Cassie getting ready to leave for college anyway, it’ll work out.”

Jack nodded. “Well, work out or not, I’m still going to be worried sick about you every day.”

Sam took his hand and squeezed it. “I’ll be okay, Jack. The Clonaudians are gone as far as we can tell. And don’t forget about my protectors…I doubt very much that either Teal’c or Daniel will let me out of their sight for very long…especially Teal’c since he knows about us. Besides, this is probably just going to be temporary anyway. Before you know it, I’ll be back at Area 51 longing for our weekend rendezvous.”

Jack lifted her hand and kissed it. “Be it Colorado or Nevada, I’m going to find a way to keep our little arrangement.”

Sam gave him a mischievous grin. “I’m counting on it.”

After working out the details of her transfer, Sam and Jack enjoyed the rest of their breakfast and then cleaned up the kitchen just in time for Cassie to arrive home. Mutually deciding to not tell her anything about the upcoming changes until after they’d enjoyed the day, Sam, Jack and Cassie made plans for some shopping, a bicycle ride, and even a picnic at the local park, with a stop for some ice cream afterwards at the popular ice cream parlor in town.

Once they finally told Cassie about Sam’s acceptance to return to the SGC, they were both pleasantly surprised and proud of how well she took the news. It was decided that Cassie would stay on at the house for the last two months until she headed off to college. Sam knew that she could get the elderly neighbors on either side of them to watch out for her and make sure she was well fed, especially since they already seemed to enjoy providing them with home-cooked meals on a regular basis.

Late into the night, Sam and Jack lay dozing in each other’s arms in the glowing aftermath of their lovemaking. Sighing contently, Sam snuggled in closer as she spoke up in a sleepy tone. “Maybe after all of this is said and done, we can make a home here…or at least in some little quaint, out of the way place where the world doesn’t seem so chaotic. It’s so peaceful here.”

Jack smiled to himself and kissed the top of her head. “After all my years in the military, fighting off aliens, and now having to push paperwork, a quiet, country living sounds perfect. It would be a nice change.” Jack could feel her smiling softly against his chest as her breathing became slower and shallower. Drifting off to sleep himself, he took in that moment and what she had just said. It was going to be hard to let her go back to the SGC and the danger that it represented, but he knew he couldn’t stop it. And he also knew she was right…the best way to put behind them what had happened to her was to face it head on.

All they had to do now was go through the motions of their days until enough time had passed where they could officially reveal their relationship to the world. And Jack knew he’d be counting down those days like a child waiting for Christmas to come. Their happily ever after was on the horizon, and he’d be damned if anything was going to get in the way of them finally reaching it.

Next Story---> "The Call of the Wild"

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