Moments Shared

Title: Moments Shared

Author: Suz W.

Spoilers: After Disclosure, Forsaken, The Changeling, & Momento (episode tag)

Feedback: I'd love to hear from you!!

Old Stories Referenced: “The Ties That Bind”

Rating: R, S/J Friendship, Romance, Action/Adventure, and sexual situations.

Summary: The holidays always bring people together…some more than others.

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 March 1, 2007, by Suzanne R. Whitmarsh.

Author’s Notes: This story follows “Beneath A Silent Moon (Part 2)”. Even though the real life Christmas has passed, in my series timeline it hasn’t. So I hope you will enjoy this story and indulge in a little holiday cheer, even if it’s already February (by the way…how did that happen!). The featured songs are by Steven Curtis Chapman entitled “We Will Dance” (right click...save target as) and Michael W. Smith and Jim Brickman (piano) entitled “Love Of My Life" (right click...save target as). I’d love to hear your thoughts on this story and any of my other ones. Your dedication is truly appreciated!

Dedication: I’d like to dedicate this story to Renee, a person who has been an amazing friend and incredible supporter of my series and writing! Thanks, Renee, for always being there!!

Jack stepped out of the spiraling wormhole and into a world filled with bright sunshine and crystal clear blue skies. It was a magnificent day on P3X-744, or Tagrea as it was known to the people of the planet. Since letting the Prometheus’ reactor module explode over the Tagrean stratosphere in order to save themselves, SG-1, along with the crew of the Prometheus, had managed to acquaint themselves with the Tagreans after almost being shot down out of a misunderstanding.

Since that day, they had been introduced to the Tagrean culture and its people, been under the tight scrutiny of one Commander Kalfas, almost started a war between a political society that was already divided, and had managed to get Commander Kalfas relived of duty and arrested due to his unyielding belief that the people of Earth were there to do the Tagreans harm, especially after uncovering the Stargate, which had been buried for centuries. But after all the smoke had cleared and it had been proven that the Stargate was simply a method of transportation for them in order to get home, dealings with the Tagreans had become easier.

Most of that ease was due to Chairman Ashwan and his unfailing notion in SG-1 and the crew of the Prometheus. With a much more open mind than the others that surrounded him, he had been the first to welcome them, and remained their strongest supporter. He had even held a state dinner in their honor, something Jack normally abhorred. But with his new found respect for Ashwan and what he was trying to do for his planet, Jack found he’d actually enjoyed the dinner that had been held only two days ago.

The dinner had gone well, though the food was something his taste buds had not been too keen on. Smiling to himself, he remembered that night as he stood basking in the warming rays of the sun, so contrasting to that of the current blustery cold winter conditions of Colorado. Sam had been in top form that night, dazzling anyone who would listen with her knowledge of Gate travel, how it essentially worked, and what direction they were attempting to go in. And as Jack had come to learn over the years he’d known her, she tended to glow when she would talk excitedly about something that was so important to her…and she had sparkled that night. With a captive audience of people now more eager to learn of the realm outside their world, Jack had just sat back and watched. And the fact that she loved him of all people made him feel like he was the luckiest man in the universe.

General Hammond, along with Major Davis and a few other notable higher ups had come through the Gate as well, so it had been a full on military/political show arena where the best performer won. Broaching the idea of an alliance with the Tagreans had been a top subject, and after a while, Jack had been driven from the room, having had his fill of political niceness for the year.

Knowing he had more chance of the sun exploding then at dragging Sam with him, Jack had managed to find his way into a quiet little courtyard, now only lit by the light of blazing torches on the wall, a primitive quality that wasn’t needed in such a high tech society, but something that gave a lasting effect. After about fifteen minutes of much needed air, Jack had been just getting the courage to go back in when Chairman Ashwan joined him.

Blinking back the memory, Jack looked around at his current surroundings, mostly a desert landscape, with the exception of the huge, looming ship settled into the sand only a short distance away. The Prometheus was currently being repaired, a painstaking process considering the Naquadria hyperspace generator had to be brought to the planet piece by piece through the Stargate and then reassembled. Sam of course was leading that team, a point to which had begun to irritate him since it was estimated to take at least a month and he had seen little of the woman he loved, personal or otherwise. Beyond the generator, other minor repairs were going on, and if all went according to schedule, the ship would be Earth-bound again soon. The original mission to P7X-009 had been scrubbed. Even though the Prometheus was suppose to use it’s maiden voyage to explore the planet, the SGC and the Pentagon had decided it was better to have the ship return to Earth to undergo further testing and repairs before any such mission was made.

As Jack stepped away from the Stargate and moved towards the ship, he took himself back to a moment in his conversation that night with Ashwan in the courtyard that had given him a reason to smile to himself.

The pleasant silence that had been surrounding Jack and Ashwan as their conversation had paused was broken by the sound of two familiar voices to each of them…one was Sam’s, and the other was that of Selek, Ashwan’s oldest son. As they both looked over in the direction of their voices, they could see the two passing by a short distance away, deep in conversation about something technical that Jack didn’t care to understand. He did however care to know where they were going. He didn’t like the idea of her being alone with anyone that was not well known to him. It wasn’t that he didn’t think she could take care of herself, but he had begun to find himself being more protective of her recently. After all that they had been through, he wasn’t taking any unnecessary chances. And if he looked deep within himself and allowed honesty in instead of denial, he found that in this case, his concern was laced with a little bit of jealousy.

Just as Jack was about to make his excuses and slip after them, Ashwan spoke up with a smile. “I must say, Colonel, your Major Carter is a charming creature…brilliant, beautiful, and obviously demands respect from those who work with her. You’re quite fortunate to have such an important figurehead in a woman.”

Jack raised his brow at that last sentence. “So I take it you don’t have women in positions of power?”

Ashwan nodded in confirmation. “Not as of yet, although Major Carter may be of some influence to the women of our society in the future; many of the leaders you have met tonight have been greatly impressed by her knowledge. It provides a different perspective on just what a female can do.”

Jack couldn’t help but smile. “Oh, believe me, Mr. Chairman, you’d be surprised by all they can do.”

Ashwan looked over at him thoughtfully for a moment before glancing back in the direction Sam and Selek had disappeared into. “Without trying to put you in an awkward position, Colonel O’Neill, I don’t suppose you know if she’s beholden to anyone?”

Jack looked over at him, a confused expression on his face. “Beholden?”

Ashwan nodded. “Yes, you know, attached to any one man. I’d love to pursue something further between her and my son if she’s not. She’d be a perfect match for him and I believe they’re around the same age.”

Jack could feel his underlying jealousy from the moment before suddenly make its presence known. With a tone he knew was a little bit on the defensive side, he answered him. “Well frankly, I wouldn’t let her leave the SGC for another planet, attached or not. She’s too important to us and what we’re doing.” Taking a breath, he hesitantly continued. “As for her attachment, I do know that she is in fact promised to someone, and is quite happy with that arrangement.”

Ashwan held up his hands in a retreating gesture. “I meant no offense, Colonel. It is obvious she is very important, to both the SGC as you called it, and whoever is lucky enough to have her heart. But I thank you for your honesty.”

Jack nodded, feeling suddenly guilty at being so sharp with him. “No problem…and I am sorry if I came off a little too strong. Carter and I have been on the same team since the beginning, and I guess I can’t help but be a little overprotective of her.”

Ashwan placed a light hand on his shoulder. “It’s obvious you care about her and her well being. She’s fortunate to have someone like you in her life.”

Jack nodded in acknowledgement, but he knew that in truth, he was the fortunate one. If she hadn’t come into his life, he really didn’t know where he’d be right now. He’s been so lost after Charlie, unsure of anything real, until she gave him something real to believe in again. And just for that, he would always love her, no matter what the future held for them.

Looking up, Jack adjusted his sunglasses against the light and proceeded forward towards the Prometheus. Since that night of the state dinner, Sam had basically spent her nights and days here on Tagrea, her energy focused on getting the ship she helped design back in working condition. Jack knew she felt responsible for the overload on the reactor, even if it hadn’t been her doing. She always strove for the impossible and usually achieved it. But in the few instances that she didn’t, Jack knew that Sam always tended to push herself harder than anyone, shouldering all the responsibility until it was made to work correctly.

As he reached the docking bay that had been opened as a means of entry and exit for the ship, Jack saluted the guards that had been posted to assure that no curious civilians found their way onto the Prometheus. Making his way down the metal hallways, he traced a path through the ship that eventually led him to the bridge. Upon entering, he ran into Colonel Ronson who was obviously on his way out.

Colonel Ronson appeared caught of guard. “Jack! To what do we owe this visit? I figured with the holidays coming up, you’d been off on a little personal time. After all, SG-1 can’t be doing a lot of off world missions since we are retaining the services of Major Carter.”

Jack gave him a half smile. “Yeah, well that’s why I’m here. I assuming that you’ll let her have some free time to go enjoy the Christmas party tonight with the rest of the base.”

Ronson held up his hands. “Hey, I’m not holding her here. Everyone else with the exception of a few personnel have already left the ship and gone back through the Gate. Of course, getting Major Carter away from her task may be harder than you think. It’s been all I could do to get her to stop long enough to sleep and eat.”

Jack nodded. “That sounds like Carter.” Fingering a piece of paper in his pocket, he gave Ronson a smile. “But I think I’ll be able to persuade her. If I have my way about it, she’s going to take more than a night off. I can’t have you wearing a member of my team down. Her skills and talents are needed other places too you know. Hell, even if I have to get General Hammond to order her off duty for a few days, I will.”

Colonel Ronson smiled. “Fine by me; she certainly deserves a break. But I’m still going to wish you luck.” Patting him on the back as he moved past him, he continued. “You’re going to need it.” As he continued walking in the direction Jack had come from, he called back over his shoulder. “You should find her in the engine room.” And with that, he disappeared around the corner, heading more than likely for the docking bay.

Jack moved off in the opposite direction, heading deep into the interior of the ship. After about ten minutes and a few wrong turns, he finally arrived at the room he’d been looking for. The engine room itself was very large and filled with steel towers that contained within them the technical linkup for the ship and all its workings. Upon an initial survey, he didn’t see anyone, but then Jack heard the distinct clank of a tool being dropped from towards the back of the room,.

Filing past the towers, he made his way to the where he thought he’d heard the noise come from and discovered a half open door leading to another room. Pushing it open, he found himself in a huge open room that was obviously made to house the reactor that Sam was now in the process of rebuilding. From the looks of it, she’d made amazing progress.

She hadn’t heard him come in, nor did the man who was assisting her. Lying underneath one of the drums, she was tweaking something with a tool while her assistant stood ready to hand her the next instrument. When Jack took a few more steps, the man looked over and suddenly straightened, obviously recognizing him. As her assistant saluted him, Jack placed an index finger to his lips and shook his head no.

Moving forward, he took the tool currently in the man’s hand and nodded at the door with his head, giving him the signal to take his leave. With another silent salute, the man Jack now recognized as Sergeant Siler gave Jack a small smile and then turned on his heel and made a quiet exit. For a few minutes, Sam continued to tinker with the part she was working on, oblivious to the change of men helping her. Finally, she thrust out the tool she was using without coming out from underneath the reactor .

“Siler, could you hand me the half inch drill bit and a wrench?” Her voice sounded tired but determined, and Jack knew she’d been working herself to the bone. Looking down at his hand, he noticed that Siler had predicted her request before she’d even asked it. Deciding to be ornery, he fingered a Phillips screwdriver out of one of the nearby tool boxes and placed it in the palm of her hand.

She was obviously so caught up in whatever was running through her mind that she failed to notice the wrong tool until after she’d pulled it back under with her. “No, Siler, I need the half inch drill bit and wrench.” He could hear the surprise in her voice at the fault of her usually unfailing assistant, and Jack had to hold back a chuckle.

This time when she reached her hand back out, Jack instead put his hand in hers, and gripping it, turned it over to where he was able to place a delicate kiss on top of it. It took Sam a moment to understand what had happened, but when she finally did, she gave Jack’s hand an affectionate squeeze, after which he helped to pull her out from underneath the module.

When Sam’s eyes met Jack’s, they both smiled softly at each other, holding the other’s gaze for an extra long moment. Finally pulling herself out the rest of the way, Jack helped her to her feet. “Sir,” she said breathlessly, “what are you doing here?”

Jack gave her one of his half smiles. Keeping his voice low, he answered her. “Don’t worry, Carter, we’re alone. I sent Siler packing…well at least out of this room anyway.”

Sam gave him a warm smile. “Well, as much as I appreciate all Siler’s doing to help me, it’s nice to see your face instead.” Taking his hand again, she squeezed it lightly.

Jack could sense that she was being cautious on her show of affection, and he didn’t blame her. As much as he wanted to devour her with his lips, he also knew that despite the skeleton crew left on the ship, they still had a greater chance of being caught in a compromising position.

Squeezing her hand in return, he let it drop and cleared his throat. “Yeah, well I’ve definitely missed seeing yours. Carter, you’ve been working way too hard on this thing. Do you even know Christmas is tomorrow?”

Sam crossed her arms over her chest and shook her head. “I’m sorry, Jack, I didn’t realize how much time had gone by. I guess it’s a good thing I got your gift early this year then.” Grinning playfully, she watched as he gave her an exasperated look.

“Okay, smarty pants, I didn’t come here to make sure you’d gotten me a present…although I’m not complaining.” Taking a breath, he thrust his hands into his pockets to detain the urge to wrap his arms around her. “I came to escort you to the Christmas Ball that the SGC is throwing tonight. Everyone’s going and I’m not taking any excuses.”

Sam hugged her chest a little tighter. “Jack, I’d love to, but…”

Jack held up a finger. “Aaahh! Carter…what part of I’m not taking any excuses don’t you get? This little project of yours can wait a few days.”

Sam let her arms fall to her side as she pleaded her case. “But we need to get the Prometheus up and running again, and soon, Sir. As much as I’d love to go, I really think I need to get the reactor working again. I don’t like the Prometheus just sitting here waiting to be plucked off by the first Goa’uld that decides to visit this planet.”

Jack frowned at her. “Carter, the Goa’uld gave up on this planet centuries ago…hell, they even buried the Gate! I seriously don’t think you have to worry about them knocking on this door anytime soon.” Knowing things were going in the wrong direction, he took a breath and nodded to himself. “Look…I was hoping that my charming demeanor would woo you into coming…but apparently I’ve failed at that.”

Sam took a step towards him. “Jack…”

Jack held up his hand. “So I’ve come armed with a backup plan.” Reaching into one of the pockets of his pants, he pulled out the folded piece of paper that he’d been fingering earlier while talking with Colonel Ronson. “Doc told me to give this to you if I had a hard time convincing you to come back with me.”

Sam reached out and took it from Jack’s hand, curiosity overcoming her as to why Janet would send her a note. “What’s it about?”

Jack shrugged. “I think you’re supposed to actually read the letter to find that out. Personally, I didn’t read it for fear of facing her wrath later if it were about something I’m not supposed to know about. I’ve been around enough to know that a man might as well not even attempt to stick his nose in female business, otherwise it might get bit off.”

Sam softly laughed as Jack shuddered at an obvious memory of something from his young, school-age days. Moving forward, she kissed the tip of his nose and then stepped back, opened the letter, and began to read:

Dear Sam,

So you’re obviously reading this letter, which must mean that Colonel O’Neill has failed in his attempts to convince you to come back with him for the party tonight. Well, no matter how much work you have left to do, you deserve a break from it, and a fun night with friends.

But more than that, I need your help. I can’t believe that I’m even saying this…but I’ve got a date! He’s a really sweet man, a teacher actually, and he asked me out a few weeks ago after I chaperoned a dance with him and some other parents at Cassie’s school. So I’m taking him to the Ball tonight, but I’m scared to death and will never forgive you if you stand me up tonight. This will only be our second date and I need your support…and your impression of him!

Now the Colonel has strict instructions to take you to my house as soon as you get back. I even went shopping and got you a dress for the occasion…so no excuses!

Janet

P.S.—Remember, I can find a way to make this a medical order if necessary…

Sam couldn’t help but smile as she read the letter. She could feel her friend’s excitement and knew she couldn’t let her down. When she looked up at Jack, she found him watching her with a smug smile on his face. “You know what’s in this letter don’t you?!”

Jack held up his hands in an answered defense. “Hey, all I know is that I’m supposed to take you to her house when we get back, although I’m not crazy over that idea. I’d like some time alone with you before we have to put on a public appearance. But she assured me that I’ll get some time with you.”

Sam moved forward and put her arms around his neck and kissed him tenderly. Drawing back, she gazed into his eyes lovingly. “I promise you we will.” Giving him another quick kiss, she released him and moved back an appropriate distance just in case Siler or anyone else decided to come in.

Jack, feeling much happier after Sam’s lips had been on his, smiled at her. “So, I assume that’s a yes?”

Sam nodded. “Just give me another half hour to finish up what I’m currently working on and then I’ll be ready.”

Jack made a beeline to the door he come from and opened it. “Siler!” He only had to wait for a minute before Siler reappeared.

Siler gave him a stiff salute. “Yes, Sir!”

Jack nodded over at Sam with a jerk of his head. “You can help Carter finish up. We’ve agreed on a half hour more of work, and then we’re all going back to the SGC. It’s Christmas and I’ll have no Mr. or Mrs. Scrooge skipping out on the Ball that General Hammond has put together for the base. You workaholics can take a break for one night.” Looking over at Sam, he gave her a smug smile. “In the meantime, I’m going to go raid the pantry for something to munch on. I’ll be back for you two in a half hour.”

Siler nodded with a small smile, obviously happy to be getting a break from his tasks. Sam shook her head in exasperation as she turned her back on him and began searching for the next tool she would need. But as Jack reached the doorway, she turned around long enough to give him a smile that told him how much she loved him and how much she was looking forward to some time with him.

Jack returned her smile affectionately, grateful Siler had his back turned to both of them. Moving out of the room, he closed the door behind him and leaned against it for a moment. As disappointed as he might have been at his failure to woo her back to Earth on his own, he was extremely grateful Janet had thrust the note into his hand at the last minute before he had gone through the Gate. They hadn’t had time to discuss what the note was about, but he had been able to decipher that whatever she had planned would involve him to some extent.

As he moved off to find something to eat, he made a mental note to thank Janet for knowing her friend well enough to realize that he was going to need some extra motivation in order to convince her to come back home for a while. Smiling to himself, he could only hope that the other surprise he had for Sam would go over just as well.

One hour later, Sam, Jack, and Sergeant Siler walked through the wormhole, arriving at a partially deserted base. It was late afternoon and a lot of personnel had already vacated the premises for home in order to get ready for the Christmas Ball being held in one of the ballrooms at a downtown Colorado Springs hotel.

Not allowing any detours, Jack guided Sam to the elevators, with Siler following them. Once at the surface, Siler parted ways and headed to his car. Sam and Jack took their time walking, making small talk about the Tagreans in order to keep appearances normal. Once he had pulled out of the parking lot and was gone from site, Jack and Sam made their way to his truck.

Still on their best behavior, Jack pulled out and headed off in the direction of Janet’s house. The evening light was beginning to take its hold on the city, casting a softer yellow hue on the surrounding landscape. The ground was covered in snow, piled up high on either side of the roadway from the snowplows that were consistently making their rounds. More snow was forecasted for tonight, but with only little accumulation. The city streets themselves were only lightly traveled, with most people rather secluded to the warmth of their homes, or housed inside the shopping mall. Luckily for them, the route they were taking kept them away from the main strip of businesses that were more than likely packed like sardines with last minute Christmas shoppers.

About five miles from Janet’s house, Jack suddenly pulled off the road and entered the park. With Sam giving him a curious look, he guided the truck towards the back of the park and into a little lot that overlooked a now iced over pond. Putting the truck in park and turning it off, he looked over at Sam and gave her a slow, sexy half smile.

Sam found herself laughing giddily. “What are we doing here?”

Jack took off his gloves, removed his seatbelt, and scooted over closer to her. Reaching out, he placed his hands on either side of her face and drew her in for a passionate kiss. With hearts beating wildly, they both got lost in the moment and almost forgot to breathe. Coming up for air, Jack was pleased to see the pale pink flush that was now coloring her cheeks. “Haven’t you ever parked before?”

Sam gasped. “Jack! We can’t do that here! It’s still broad daylight and who knows who might discover us!”

Jack smiled. “Relax…as much as I would love to go all the way with you right here and now, I know that the risk is too great…but more than that, the Doc will have my head on a platter if I don’t deliver you to her house soon.” Bringing his lips down to her neck, he began painting a trail of soft kisses down her supple skin. “But,” he said, “who’s to say we can’t make out like a couple of horny teenagers for a few minutes.”

Sam moaned lightly, her body responding to his touch. “Oh, Jack…I’ve missed you.”

Jack proceeded to the other side of her neck as one of his hands found its way to her breasts. “Oh not as much as I’ve missed you…” With that said, he brought his lips up to hers and proceeded to ravish her with all the pent up passion that he’d been storing. Eventually, their bodies found a way to lie down on the seat, with Jack on top of her. With tongues exploring and probing every inch of each other’s mouth, they let the world slip away for a few minutes as their love consumed them.

Sam could feel Jack’s hard erection pushing against her through their clothes, and she arched her hips up and ground herself against it, loving the feel of his muscle as it pushed against her crotch. “Oh God, Jack! Please…please…I need you!”

Jack, to consumed by his passion for her, no longer cared if they got caught. With the windows of his truck already steamed over, he captured her mouth and used his hands to quickly unzip her pants and hastily pushed them down over her hips.

As Sam undid his pants, she reached down his boxer briefs and guided his erection out with her hand. Stroking it, she indulged in the way Jack responded to her touch, and then gasped as his finger found its way inside her. Arching her back, she clawed at the seat with the fingers of one hand while griping the bottom of the steering wheel with the other. With her voice coming in jagged tones, she pleaded with him. “Oh God…now, Jack…please!”

Jack wasted no time in answering her desperate cries. With one violent thrust, he was inside of her, loving the feel of how tight she was. Having already reached their climatic edge, they came together in full ecstasy only moments later, shuttering against each other as they held on for dear life.

As the aftermath of their lovemaking subsided into a quiet peace, Sam looked into Jack’s eyes and smiled, wiping the sweat off his brow with one of her hands. Keeping her voice low, she spoke up. “Well, I have to say that was the best parking I’ve ever done.”

Jack smiled back at her and kissed her lightly. “I’ll second that. I don’t think I’ll ever be able to sell this truck now. It’s apparently capable of a lot more than just getting around town.”

As Sam laughed, Jack’s cell phone rang. Groaning, he sat up a little awkwardly and reached inside his coat pocket that was now deposited in a heap on the passenger side floorboard. Flipping the phone open, he rolled his eyes and then pinched the bridge of his nose as he answered. “I know, Doc…head on a platter.”

Janet’s voice came through loud and clear from the other end. “Well, Colonel, I’m assuming that since you’re answering your cell phone, you’re back on Earth! I thought I gave you strict instructions to bring her to my house?” After taking a quick breath, her voice came back, this time a little panicked. “Don’t tell me she didn’t come!”

Jack shook his head and tossed the phone over to Sam, who was now sitting casually behind the steering wheel, attempting to smooth out her hair. “Hey, Janet, I’m here.”

Janet breathed a sigh of relief. “Oh, Sam, thank God! Where are you? My nerves are about shot thinking I’m going to have to bring Brian to the ball by myself.”

Sam grinned. “Don’t worry, Janet, I’ll be there in less than 10 minutes. Jack and I had to…make a stop first.”

Janet’s voice suddenly became playfully stern. “Don’t think you two lovebirds can fool me! I really don’t need the details, at least not right now. Just get here, please?!”

Sam looked over at Jack and gave him a smile. “We’re on our way.” Hanging up the phone after saying goodbye, she handed the phone back to Jack and sighed. “We’re never going to live this one down you know.”

Jack shrugged. “Hey, I went and got you. The least she can do is show a little sympathy for us. Besides, I have to be on my best behavior for the rest of the night, and you know how hard that is for me on a normal basis, let alone with you in the same room.”

Sam kissed him on the cheek and then reached behind her and pulled her seatbelt around her, buckling it. Turning the truck on, she glanced over at him with a playful look in her eyes. “Well, I guess we’ll just have to do some more parking later on.”

Jack shook his head as he buckled himself in as well. “You are going to be the death of me, Major…but in a wonderful way.”

Surprised that he hadn’t objected to her starting up the truck, she looked over at him. “You don’t mind if I drive?”

Jack leaned his head back on the head rest behind him and closed his eyes, a smile curling his lips. “After what we just did, you can drive my truck anytime.”

Sam laughed and put the truck in reverse, backing out of the parking lot. As they pulled away, Sam knew that they’d found another spot that would remain special just for them for the rest of their lives.

Around ten minutes later, they found themselves on Janet’s front doorstep, and having just rung the bell, proceeded to wait for her to answer it, which didn’t take too long. The door flew open moments later.

Janet, dressed in her bathrobe, with curlers in her hair, looked frazzled and had a slight flush to her face as if she’d been hurrying around all afternoon. “Finally! Sam I swear you’re going to give me a heart attack!” Stepping aside for her to enter, Janet then quickly stepped back in front of Jack, putting her hand out on his shoulder and shaking her head. “No way, Colonel. I appreciate you going to get her and bringing her back, but we’ll never get ready in time if you stay.”

Jack rolled his eyes and held his hands up. “Alright already! Geez, Doc, relax a little.”

Janet took a breath and then finally gave him a sweet smile. “Brian’s coming over to pick me up around 1830 hours, so that will give you plenty of time to get ready yourself and be back here to take Sam to the Ball.”

Sam, who had been watching the exchange with a bemused expression on her face, suddenly looked startled. “Janet, he can’t take me to the Ball…what would that look like to everyone there?”

Jack crossed his arms over his chest and leaned against the doorjamb. “Like Colonel O’Neill escorting Major Carter to a function that he had to go off world for in order to get her to come. General Hammond knows I’m bringing you. After all, who do you think approved my use of the Stargate?”

Sam relaxed her face and smiled. “Wow! I never thought we’d be able to go together to one of these things. Granted we still have to act professionally, but at least it’s something!”

Jack nodded. “Yep…and professional or not, I expect to be put on your dance card for at least one dance.”

Sam moved forward and cradled his face between her hands. “You can have as many as you like.” Moving in, she kissed him gently on the lips. Pulling back, Sam and Jack were lost in each other’s eyes as Janet cleared her throat.

“Okay you two, that’s enough for now.” Taking Sam’s hand, she pulled her away from Jack and then pointed her finger at him. “You go get ready.”

Jack gave her a lazy salute. “Yes, Ma’am!” Giving Sam a wink, he turned around as Janet shut and locked the door.

Sam couldn’t help but suddenly laugh at her friend’s nerves. “Janet, it’s going to be okay! You must really like this guy to be so nervous.”

Janet nodded and gave her a half smile. “I think I do. He makes me laugh, appears to be a perfect gentleman, and actually seems interested in what I do…or at least what I can tell him.”

Sam eyed her carefully. “So what exactly does he think you do?”

Janet brought her hands together. “Oh, I’m a doctor…except I work for a divisional base of the Airforce that has dealings with NASA.”

Sam grinned. “Weather satellites, right?”

Janet nodded. “You got it.”

Just then Cassie appeared from the dining room. “Oh…hey, Sam!”

Sam smiled at her. “Hey, Cassie! How are you?

Cassie shrugged. “Well, school’s okay, boys suck, I have a curfew, and my mom’s now decided to date a teacher from my school!”

Sam raised her brow. “That well, huh?”

Janet intervened. “Cassie, I told you, this is only the second date for Brian and I. Is it so wrong for me to want to be happy?”

Cassie crossed her arms over her chest. “No, but at least when Daniel was alive, I didn’t have to worry about you dating a guy who could still potentially turn out to be one of my teachers next year.”

Janet tried to keep her voice soft. “Sweetie, I never dated Daniel.”

Cassie raised her voice a notch. “No, but you two definitely liked each other. It was only a matter of time before you did.”

Janet responded with a note of sadness in her voice. “Yes, well I guess we’ll never know now will we.” Taking a breath as the silence swirled around them, laced with old memories of painful days gone by, Janet continued. “Mr. Hall is a really nice man and I enjoy spending time with him. If things continue to go well, I’m sure we can arrange it to where you won’t have him as a teacher.”

Cassie shook her head. “You’re still missing the point, Mom! I don’t want you dating any teachers from my school…its embarrassing!”

Sam put her hands on her hips. “Cassie, I think you’re being a little unfair on your mom.”

Cassie sent Sam a glaring look. “No offense, Sam, but butt out!”

Janet raised her voice. “Cassie, that’s enough!”

Cassie grabbed her coat and backpack that were by the front door. “Just forget it! I’m going down the street to Sally’s to study. Have a great time!” With that she opened the front door and promptly slammed it, making both of them jump.

Sam blew out a breath. “Well, no wonder your nerves are on edge.”

Janet gave Sam a sympathetic look. “I’m really sorry you had to endure that. It’s just a phase she’s going through…or at least that’s what I keep telling myself.”

Sam gave Janet a hug. “Come on. Let’s go get you ready for the Ball, Cinderella. Your prince will be here before you know it.”

Janet smiled. “Thanks, Sam. I can’t tell you how much I appreciate you being here for me.”

Sam returned her smile. “I’m happy to do it. Besides, I’ll get time with both you and Jack. And of course I’m excited to meet this new man in your life. He sounds wonderful.”

Janet nodded. “He seems to be.” With that, they headed to her bedroom to finish getting ready. And as they went, all Sam could think about was Jack and how much she was looking forward to attending a function with him as her escort.

At 1830 sharp, Jack got out of his truck, once again in front of Janet’s house. This time, though, he was dressed in a black tuxedo that even he admitted looked good on. Being that it was a Christmas party and not a military function, General Hammond had relaxed the dress code to allow for non-military formal dress.

As he approached the front walkway, another car pulled up and stopped directly behind his truck in the driveway. After a moment, a tall man with dark hair and a fairly decent build stepped out of the car. Upon first impression, he wasn’t particularly handsome, but his eyes were kind and he greeted Jack with an easy smile.

“Hi there,” he said, his demeanor casual. “You must be the Colonel O’Neill I keep hearing about. Janet said you’d be joining us tonight. It’s a pleasure to meet you. I’m Brian Hall.” Sticking his hand out, Jack took it in a firm grip.

“Call me Jack. It’s nice to meet you. Doc doesn’t let just anyone into her life.”

Brian pulled his coat around him a little tighter. “Yeah, well I guess that makes me the lucky one. Granted this is only our second date, but I’m optimistic. She’s a wonderful person.”

Jack nodded. “Yes she is. She’s saved my life more times than I care to count.”

Brian gave him a funny look. “I’m surprised you’ve been injured so much. From what Janet described of her job and the base, you mainly work in conjunction with NASA and satellite systems. Is that wrong?”

Jack coughed uncomfortably. “Nope, that about sums it up. I guess you can say I’ve just got that kind of luck.” Noticing that Brian was looking a bit on the chilled side, not to mention that Jack had left his coat in the truck, he nodded at the house. “How about we go in before frostbite sets in and she has to treat us for that.”

Brian smiled. “Sounds good.”

The two men moved off together towards the front door. Upon arriving at it, Jack rang the doorbell and the two waited for the door to be opened to them. When it did, Janet was on the other side, looking beautiful in a knee-length green sequin dress. The neckline was a V-cut, with long sleeves and a fit that hugged her curves just right. She had her hair pulled up and curls crowning the top of her head. A diamond necklace ran halfway down the V-cut neckline, and diamond earrings to match hung from her ears.

Brian took her hand and gave her a winning smile before kissing the top of her hand. “You look beautiful, Janet. I have to be the luckiest second-date guy ever.”

Janet laughed, allowing the compliment to color her cheeks. “Thank you, Brian. And you look very handsome. I hope you don’t mind that I am dragging you out to a formal affair on only our second date.”

Brian, who was now inside the house with Jack, shook his head no. “Are you kidding? Teachers don’t get opportunities like this very often…well unless you count chaperoning the school prom.”

As Jack stood there listening to the light-hearted exchange, he failed to hear Sam enter the room. But then a flash of something red caught his eye, and as he turned, he felt like the wind was suddenly knocked out of him.

There before him stood a vision more beautiful than he’d ever imagined. Sam was radiantly stunning, donning a red dress that went to the floor and fanned out around her feet. The material was made of a soft chiffon, and flowed with every movement she made. The crimson red fabric had been overlaid with a sparkling material that caught the light and made her eyes dance. The neckline was a slightly wider V-cut than Janet’s, and with the empress waistline fitting her perfectly, her figure became undeniably stunning. Diamond and ruby teardrops hung from her ears, and on her wrist was a bracelet to match. Instead of a necklace, Sam’s hair had been partially pulled back, and a small but beautiful poinsettia, accented with the same sparkle effect as the dress, had been used to dress her hair.

Jack was at a loss for words. Instead, he just stood there staring at her, trying his best to regain his breath and his train of thought. Sam, who could see the effect she’d had on him, was smiling softly. He was looking incredibly handsome in his tuxedo, with his grey hair perfectly accented against the midnight black color of the jacket. And to top off his appearance, a satin red handkerchief had been folded and placed in the outer front breast pocket, matching the color of her dress perfectly. Sam had no doubt that was Janet’s doing, and something she’d have to thank her for later. It made her feel like they were a couple out for all to see, giving her dreams one night of a blessed reality.

Brian’s voice suddenly interrupted the moment between them. “Well, you must be Major Carter that I’ve heard so much about. And if I am permitted to say, you look amazing.”

Sam, blushing at the compliment, looked over at him and gave him a smile. Moving forward, she took the hand he extended out to her, but instead of shaking it, he kissed the top of her hand as he had Janet’s. Glancing over at Janet with a knowing twinkle in her eyes, she found her voice. “It’s nice to meet you, Brian. Janet’s been telling me great things about you. I’m glad that you’ll be able to join us tonight.”

Brian smiled and nodded. “Likewise…and if it’s not too bold to say, I must say I’m surprised that you don’t have anyone in your life…that is I’m assuming you don’t since you don’t have an actual date picking you up. Please forgive me if I’m wrong. But I’m sure Colonel O’Neill doesn’t mind escorting such a beautiful woman as yourself to tonight’s affair.”

Jack answered for Sam. “I don’t mind in the least. It’s good for my image and my pride to get such an opportunity.” Having regained some of his wit, Jack looked over at Sam with a half smile. “Carter, I must say you look beautiful tonight. It’s good to see you in something other than the standard issue military uniform.”

Sam smiled back at him. “Thank you, Sir. You’re looking incredibly handsome yourself tonight. You wear a tuxedo very well.”

Janet could sense a moment alone was need for the two of them. Looking over at Brian, she smiled at him. “Brian, let me give you a quick tour of the house before we leave.”

Brian smiled back and took her hand. “I’d love one.”

Janet looked over at Sam and Jack. “We’ll be right back.”

After they had left the room, Jack moved in and gave Sam a light, feathery kiss. Wrapping his arms around her, he looked into her blue, sparkling eyes. “You have got to be the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen. Every guy at the Ball tonight will be hating me for being lucky enough to escort you. I definitely want the first and last dance.”

Sam kissed him back. “It would be my pleasure.”

Jack gave her a cocky smile. “Speaking of pleasure, do you think we have time for another round of that before we have to show our faces at this little party? My truck’s right outside!”

Sam smiled and laughed. “Behave yourself, Jack O’Neill. Janet will kill us if we desert her now. They’ll be time for that later.” As if giving him a preview, she leaned forward into his embrace and kissed him deeply, loving the sensation of his tongue as it explored her mouth, and her tongue his. Breaking the kiss, Sam was satisfied to feel the bulge in his pants as her hand traveled down south with a mischievous look in her eye.

Jack shook his head. “Not nice, Carter. Now I have to suffer through this entire evening thinking of that.” Giving her a half smile, he pulled her roughly against him. “But I loved it.” As he was about to kiss her again, they heard Brian and Janet’s voices approaching. Jack suddenly reached up to his face. “Quick…see if I have any lipstick anywhere. I don’t need Janet giving me the evil eye.”

Sam giggled softly. “You’re fine. Besides, Janet let me borrow a lipstick that is supposed to be kiss-proof. So far…so good.”

Jack smiled back at her and then released her, just in time to see Brian and Janet walk around the corner. Looking from one to the other, Janet could see that she’d given them enough time. Smiling, she spoke up. “Are we all ready to go?”

Jack and Sam both nodded. As Sam and Janet grabbed their wraps, Jack spoke up. “Um, we probably should take separate vehicles…Carter and I certainly don’t want to interfere with any post-party date plans the two of you may have.”

Sam could see Janet had relaxed a lot since Brian had arrived, and was happy to see that she agreed with Jack. When she responded, her tone was happy and carefree, instead of being filled with butterflies. “Sounds good to me…Brian?” Looking over at him, she gave him a sweet smile.

Brian nodded. “I think that will work out great. I guess we’ll follow you guys there then.”

Jack nodded. Looking over at Sam, he held out his arm. “Shall we, Major?”

Sam looped her arm through his and gave him a small smile. “Lead the way, Colonel.”

Opening the front door, Jack led Sam outside into the night air, which had become a lot colder since the sun had set. Pulling her wrap tighter around her, Jack led her to the passenger side of his truck and opened the door, helping her up into it. After she was settled, Jack went around to the other side and got behind the wheel. Once the truck was running, he turned on the heat full blast. “It’ll get warm in a minute.”

Sam shuttered as a chill ran through her body and then looked over and took his hand, squeezing it. “You’re love is all I need to keep warm.”

Jack squeezed her hand in return before answering. “You’ll always have it.” Releasing his grip, he put the truck in reverse and backed out of the driveway. Brian was already in the street with his car awaiting their lead. As they drove off for the Ball, they both found themselves hoping it would be a magical evening never to be forgotten.

Thirty minutes later, Sam and Janet found themselves in the lobby of the hotel waiting for their respective dates to park the cars. Having been dropped off to avoid walking in the cold, Janet and Sam finally had a few moments alone together to talk.

Janet was anxious to hear Sam’s impression of Brian. “So, what do you think of him? Am I crazy or doesn’t he seem great?”

Sam gave her a warm smile. “He seems really sweet. He’s definitely got a gentlemanly way about him, and he seems really taken by you.”

Janet crossed her arms over her chest. “You really think so?”

Sam nodded. “I do. And Jack even seems to like him. Personally, I would love to see this work out for you. You deserve to be happy, Janet.” Hesitating, she went on. “You just haven’t been the same since Daniel’s death, and I’m finally seeing life returning to your eyes now that you’re seeing Brian. I think it’s great.”

Janet gave her a sad, small smile. “It’s true. I really haven’t been the same since we lost Daniel. I really don’t know why…it’s not like we were ever a couple.”

“Maybe, but the two of you had feelings for each other, that much was obvious.” Sam smoothed out the skirt on her dress. “I happen to remember a certain overnight rafting trip to Colorado where the two of you finally got a little closer.”

Janet smiled. “Yes, that was a great trip. It’s just too bad Daniel and I hadn’t had more time.”

Sam put a light hand on her arm. “Well, it looks like your moving on and doing a fair job of it. I really do like Brian. So relax and enjoy this evening, okay?”

Janet nodded. “Okay. And thanks, Sam. I really appreciate you doing this for me.”

Sam smiled and lowered her voice. “Well next time you’ll have to really twist my arm. I mean a night on the town in formal dress with Jack on my arm is not exactly something I’d call hard to do.”

At the mention of his name, Jack entered the lobby from the front door, with Brian directly behind him. They had had an easy conversation on the walk into the hotel from the parking lot, and Jack was finding himself liking Brian more and more. He had a relaxed nature about him that appealed to Jack, and it also made him an easy person to talk to. They had briefly discussed Janet and how she and Brian had met, and Jack could tell that Brian was taking a genuine interest in her.

Brian had also asked after Sam, wanting to know why someone so beautiful and who appeared so nice didn’t have anyone in her life. Jack did his best to leave the question unanswered, narrowing it down to her working non-stop and not taking enough personal time. He didn’t at all enjoy the fact that he had to cover up their love for each other and their commitment, and he was tired of hiding it, which is why he found tonight’s opportunity so uniquely wonderful.

As the two men approached their dates, Jack once again caught his breath at the site of Sam. She was a true vision to behold, and he felt like he was the luckiest man on the planet to hold her heart, even if it was in secret.

Sam spotted the faint smile on Jack’s lips and returned it. Despite how long they’d had to hide their involvement, they had become wonderfully skilled at showing their affection for each other in ways that would not be obvious to the ordinary observer. Of course with their team and those closest to them, they were forced to be a lot more by the book, but it was moments like this one that Sam loved the most, moments made only for them.

As the men joined Janet and Sam, Jack spoke up. “So, you ladies ready to make your grand entrance? I think by the time we get there the frostbite will have worn off.” As Jack prepared to offer her his arm again, he thought twice about it and decided that even though part of the SGC knew he had gone off world to get her for the party, he didn’t want to face the other half and have rumors circulating around them all night.

Sam seemed to understand this and nodded. “It’s okay, Colonel. We don’t need that formal of an entrance. We’ll leave that up to Janet and Brian.” Smiling at them, she held out her hand for them to lead the way. Following them, Sam and Jack walked side by side as close as they could get without touching. The façade was always what they dreaded the most, and it was now time to put on their masks.

Several hours later, the Christmas party was going strong. The revelers had enjoyed a full sit down dinner and were now in easy conversation with each other. The dance floor had been cleared off and the band had now taken those interested in dancing through several songs.

As promised, Sam gave Jack the first dance, loving the feel of his hand in hers as he spun her easily across the dance floor to an arrangement of music that combined several Christmas songs into one. After that, her dance card had been filled: General Hammond, Jonas, Teal’c, and even Sergeant Siler. As Jack watched Sam being danced across the floor to a variety of different kinds of music, he noticed a lot of other men doing the same thing. Rather it was the red dress she was wearing or the dazzling smile she’d flash occasionally to her dance partner, she had made an impression on everyone there. And it seemed that as soon as she took a break from dancing, only one song would go by before the next man would ask her to dance.

Jack knew it would be so easy to allow himself to be jealous of all the men that were getting to dance with her, but he had something none of them could touch…her heart.

Halfway through the evening, Sam had actually managed to rejoin their table for a short time in order to take a break and have something to drink. Jack couldn’t help but notice how the pink flush on her cheeks only made her eyes that much bluer as they sparkled with life. It was obvious that she was enjoying herself immensely, and it was so good to see her take a break from her more serious, scientific side.

Jack, who was sitting across the round table from her, lounging comfortably with a bottle of beer in his hand, spoke up. “I’d say you’ve made all the men here tonight very happy, Carter. I don’t think any of them thought there was a side to you besides the very smart scientist and the incredibly brave soldier. Just the fact that you got Siler to ask you to dance says a lot. I wasn’t sure the man knew how to have fun, let alone dance.”

Sam gave him a smile. “It’s been a lot of fun. But I’m not the only one that’s been doing a lot of dancing. Brian and Janet have practically been out there all night…so much for her butterflies.”

Jonas, who had been sitting there taking it all in, suddenly brightened. “There she is…I’ve been waiting to dance with her all night.”

As he stood up, Jack glanced over in the direction Jonas was looking in and saw that it was one of the infirmary nurses he was constantly flirting with whenever they weren’t offworld. Looking back at Jonas, Jack shook his head. “Jonas, how many women on this base are you going to flirt with before you decide on the one you want? You’re just breaking their hearts you know.”

Just as Sam had been asked by all the men to dance, Jonas had been asked by a lot of the single female population on the base. It had been amusing to watch his teammate go from one female to the other without a second glance back. He apparently had an effect on women that Jack didn’t understand, and Jack was almost certain that Jonas didn’t even know he made the women swoon. But the one he was looking at now apparently held had an actual interest for him.

As Jonas ran a hand through his hair and brushed the cake crumbs off his shirt and pants, he glanced back briefly at Sam and Jack. “I’ll see you guys later.” And with that, he was off, making a direct beeline for the nurse named Sharon.

After watching him walk away, Jack looked back at Sam. Their table had been at least temporarily deserted, making it the first time since they’d arrived at the party that they’d found themselves alone together, except for the one dance they’d shared. Jack watched her for a moment before she looked back over at him and smiled. “What?” Her voice was playful and content.

Keeping his voice low and soft, he answered her. “You’re beautiful.”

Sam felt the rush of color heat her cheeks at his intimate response, and she found herself wishing she could hold him at that moment. And then, almost as if he could read her very thoughts, Jack put his beer on the table and slowly got up, never breaking eye contact with her. Moving around to where she was, Sam watched his every move with anticipation.

Reaching her, Jack held out his hand to her and smiled. “May I have this dance…that is if you’re not too exhausted?”

Sam immediately took his hand as she stood up. “I’d love to…and I’m never too tired for you.” Giving him a warm smile, she took his arm as he escorted her formally out onto the dance floor. They could feel pairs of eyes on them, but neither of them cared. They both needed this, and as Jack found a spot on the dance floor, he took her in his arms and looked into her eyes as they started to sway to the new song that had just begun to play:

I’ve watched the sun rise in your eyes

And I’ve seen the tears fall like the rain

You’ve seen me fight so brave and strong

You’ve held my hand when I’m afraid

We’ve watched the seasons come and go

We’ll see them come and go again

But in winter’s chill or summer’s breeze

One thing will not be changing

We will dance

When the sun is shining in the pouring rain

We’ll spin and we’ll sway

And we will dance

When the gentle breeze becomes a hurricane

The music will play

And I’ll take your hand and hold you close to me

And we will dance

Sometimes it’s hard to hold you tight

Sometimes we feel so far apart

Sometimes we dance as one

And feel the beating of each other’s heart

Sometimes the dance is slow and sweet

Some days we’re bouncing off the walls

But no matter how the world may turn

Our love will keep us from falling

And we will dance

When the sun is shining in the pouring rain

We’ll spin and we’ll sway

And we will dance

When the gentle breeze becomes a hurricane

The music will play

And I’ll take your hand and hold you close to me

And we will dance

The music will play

And I’ll hold you close and I won’t let go

Even when our steps grow weak and slow

Still I’ll take your hand and hold you close to me

And we will dance.

As the song ended, Sam assumed that Jack was going to escort her back to the table. But when he didn’t release the grip on her hand, nor remove his arm from the small of her back, she looked into his face with a small smile. He didn’t want to stop, and frankly neither did she. Though her feet were beginning to hurt from dancing in the heels she was wearing, it didn’t matter. Getting to dance another song with him was worth any amount of discomfort.

The next song started, a little more upbeat than the last, but Jack managed to keep her in step. His dancing skills had improved remarkably since she’d known him, and Sam knew there were females in the room wishing they were in her shoes right now. As she thought about this, her lips curled into a smile only visible to her dance partner.

Jack noticed it and spoke up. “What’s so amusing? I hope it’s not my dancing.”

Sam laughed. “No. You’re a wonderful dance partner. I was just thinking about all the women in the room that probably hate me right now for continuing to occupy your dance card. I know they’d love an opportunity to be in your arms.”

Jack gave her a half smile. “Well, I’ve danced with a few of them, but I don’t think it can compare to the number of men’s heads you’ve turned since showing up. I’m convinced that they only saw you as a brainiac up until tonight. I mean in case you haven’t figured it out by now, you look incredible. Janet did a great job at picking out your dress.”

Sam briefly looked down at herself and then nodded. “I guess she did. But your opinion is all that matters to me.”

Jack was just about to respond when he suddenly felt a tap on his shoulder. Not wanting to believe that some guy would be bold enough to actual think he could cut in during the middle of a dance, Jack abruptly stopped their motion and turned around. “What?!” He had an irritated tone, and he realized after saying it that he should have been more careful.

It was Sergeant Siler, and at Jack’s response, he took a step back and averted his eyes. “Sorry, Sir, but I have an urgent message for Major Carter.”

Sam felt her heart jump. Looking over at Jack briefly, they followed Siler off the dance floor to a more secluded part of the ballroom. She spoke up immediately once they were isolated. “What’s the message?”

Siler, still averting Jack’s face, looked over at Sam. “Ma’am, I just received a phone call from the control room at the SGC. One of the guards just radioed in from P3X-744 to inform us of a problem with the generator.”

Sam could feel her mind suddenly start to race. “What kind of problem?”

Siler, trying to keep his voice low in order to hide what he was saying from the other non-militant guests, answered her. “The guard was doing his routine rounds on the Prometheus, including the engine room. At his initial check, nothing was wrong. But on his way back, he thought he heard something. Upon checking, he discovered that the reactor had been activated.”

Sam felt her skin grow cold. “You mean…”

Siler gave her a curt nod. “Yes, Ma’am, I mean he suspects its getting ready to go critical.”

The music around them suddenly faded and Sam’s mind drew her complete focus on the problem at hand. Jack, who had been listening with a frown on his face, suddenly spoke up. “How much time do we have?”

Siler responded. “The best estimate I can give you is that from the time the guard initially checked it to when he found it active was around 15 minutes. He called it in right after that.”

Sam looked over at Jack. “Basically, Sir, we have only about 40 minutes before the reactor goes critical.”

Jack spoke up, trying to keep his voice low. “Don’t you build some kind of safety protocol into that thing?!”

Sam shook her head. “Yes, but I haven’t had time to rebuild the buffer yet. I was getting ready to do that when you came to get me.”

Jack blew out a breath. “So basically we have 40 minutes to get there, dial Tagrea, get to the ship, and then hopefully stop it from blowing up?”

Sam nodded. “Yes, Sir.”

Jack looked over at Siler. “Have you told Hammond about this yet?”

Siler shook his head. “Not yet, Sir, but I was going to after speaking with Major Carter.”

Jack looked over at the people still enjoying the party, including the rest of his team and General Hammond. Directing his attention back at Siler, he continued. “We don’t have time to waste here and I don’t want to start a panic, so I’m going to make the decision here. I know Hammond will back me up. Carter and I will head back to the base and get back to the planet. Inform Hammond of what’s happened and get his permission for us to go through the Gate. Have him call the control room with his authorization. I want the Gate up and running by the time we get there.”

“What about the rest of your team, Sir?” Siler waited for a response, his brain making a mental checklist of his duties.

Jack shook his head no. “We don’t have time to inform them. Carter and I can handle this. Just be as discreet as possible. Remember, there are civilians here.”

Sam was just about to head towards the door when she had a thought. “Siler, can you also let Dr. Fraiser know that we had an emergency at the base and had to leave. Tell her I’ll talk to her later.”

Siler nodded. Without another word, Sam and Jack headed for the closest exit from the ballroom they could find. Slipping out, they picked up the pace as soon as they entered the lobby. Grabbing the claim tickets from his pants pocket, Jack stood as patiently as he could while they waited for his coat and Sam’s wrap. Once the girl reappeared with their property, Jack practically snatched them out of her hand.

Shrugging his coat on, he looked over at Sam. “You want to wait here for me to get the truck?”

Sam gave him his answer by pushing open the front door and stepping outside. “I appreciate the thought, Jack, but there’s no time. We’ll be lucky if we reach the reactor in time.” As they made their way carefully but quickly across the parking lot, Sam spoke up. “Are you sure you want to come? If the reactor goes critical, we won’t have time to get out.”

Jack looked over at her briefly. “Carter, do you really think I’d let you do this without me? Not a chance. We’re in this together.” Spotting his truck, he got his keys out and remotely unlocked the doors. Helping Sam up into the vehicle, he then ran around to the driver’s side and hopped in. Revving the truck to life, he put it in gear and took off as fast as he could. He knew that once he was on the main roads, they would allow for more speed since they had been thoroughly salted and sanded.

Sam suddenly had a thought. “Do you still have that old pair of running shoes of mine that I use to keep in here in case we wanted to go running on the spur of the moment?”

Jack glanced over at her. “Yeah, I think they’re under the seat. Why?”

Sam reached under the seat and found what she was looking for. “Because there’s going to be no time to change clothes, and I’m not running across sand or up a Gate ramp in heels.”

Jack hadn’t really thought about it but he knew she was right. The time it would take to change in the locker rooms and then get to the Gate room would waste precious minutes. Reaching for his cell phone, he dialed the control room on the base. “Walter, its O’Neill. I’m glad you’re there. Listen, has General Hammond contacted you yet?” Waiting for his response, he nodded. “Good. I want that Gate up and running when Carter and I get there. That means wormhole open and everything. We’re 10 minutes out…I also want you to have two sets of gear ready to go in the Gate room: specifically P-90’s and vests.” Hanging up, he looked over at Sam, who was concentrating on the road ahead of her.

She caught his look out of the corner of her eye and looked over. “So you’re thinking sabotage too?”

Jack nodded. “Absolutely. But what I don’t get is why blow up the Prometheus? Whoever did it has to know that the blast will destroy part of their city as well.”

Sam thought for a moment. “Maybe not…maybe they don’t know what they’re dealing with. I know I’ve spoken to several Tagreans about it, but only the basics. Maybe they think it’ll just destroy the ship. After all, it’s located quite a distance from the city.”

Jack responded. “Yeah, well whoever did it better hope I never meet them; they’ve just put a whole lot of lives in danger, not to mention yours and mine.” Pressing on the accelerator a little harder, he picked up the pace as they continued on to the base. All they could hope for was that when they got there, it wouldn’t be too late.

As promised, ten minutes later Sam and Jack found themselves stepping off the elevator and heading straight for the Gateroom. When the doors to the room opened, they found everything Jack had asked for: weapons, vests, strap-on knives, and an open wormhole waiting for their entry.

As they quickly donned their gear, Walter’s voice came over the PA system from the control room. “Um…Sir…I was just wondering…about the clothes…”

Jack took off his tuxedo jacket and threw on his vest. Looking up at him, he held his hands out to the side. “We’re going for a James Bond look, okay, Walter?! It’s the new dress code for SG-1.” Taking a breath to calm the adrenaline coursing through his body, he spoke again. “Look…we don’t have time to change. Thanks for getting everything ready.” Jack moved up the ramp, following Sam who was almost at the wormhole. “If we’re not back or don’t report in in two hours, try and dial the Gate. If you can’t make the connection…well, I guess you can assume things didn’t go well.”

Walter nodded. “Yes, Sir….and good luck, Sir.”

Jack gave him a quick salute. “Roger that.” Turning to face the wormhole which Sam had just gone through, he took a breath and stepped through, following the spiraling trail that led to another world.

On the other side, Jack emerged into a world that was just finding its dawn. Light on the horizon was gradually taking hold of the night, and though the night had been cool, Jack could feel the humidity on his skin already and knew the Tagreans were going to have a hot day ahead of them. Sam was already talking to the guard who had discovered the problem, and after asking a few essential questions, she confirmed his suspicions.

Turning to Jack, she spoke up. “Sir, the reactor is definitely on its way to going critical.”

Trying to fully assess the likelihood of success, he responded. “How much time do you think we have left before it does?”

Sam spread her hands out in front of her. “My best guess would be 15 minutes top.”

“Can you fix it in time?” Jack hated asking the pressure questions, but he had to know if it was worth risking their lives over. They could very easily walk back through the Gate and never look back; but Jack also knew his conscious would never allow him to do that.

Sam looked uncertain. “I’m not sure, Sir. I need to look at it first.”

Jack took a hesitant breath and then searched the face of the woman he loved. He had every confidence in her and knew she would do her best. But as he stood there watching her, with the bottom of her red dress ruffling in the breeze and her hair shining in the new morning light, he wasn’t sure he was ready to risk their future together for a people he hardly knew.

Sam took a step closer to him. “Sir…we have to go. It’s now or never.”

Jack finally nodded. “Okay…let’s do it.”

Wasting no more time, Sam and Jack began their short run to the ship. Sam found it a bit more of a hindrance to run, having to hold up the bottom of her dress with one hand. But having replaced her heels with running shoes, she found that as she went on, the trek became easier to bear. Without the weight of full gear on her body, with the exception of her vest and gun, she was able to move fairly easily. Jack kept pace with her, and having shed his jacket back on Earth, he was even moving easier than normal.

Arriving at the docking bay entrance, Jack helped Sam up onto the ramp and proceeded to follow her. Once they were inside, they each took a moment to catch their breath. “So,” Jack said between breaths, “was it just me or did that short jog seem a lot easier than it normally would have been?”

Sam shook her head in agreement. “No, it was definitely easier.”

Jack nodded. “Well then, remind me to talk to Hammond about changing out attire to something a little lighter…I never realized how much weight we’re constantly carrying around.”

Sam gave him a brief smile. “Somehow I doubt the government will go for that.” Indicating with her head in the direction they needed to go, she continued. “Let’s get going. By my calculations, we only have about 5 minutes left to keep the reactor from going critical.”

Jack indicated with an outstretched hand. “Lead the way. I’ve got your six.” Both holding onto their guns, they made their way cautiously but quickly through the hallways until they came to the engine room. At Jack’s indication, they opened the door and did a quick sweep of the room to ensure that nobody was waiting for them.

Moving forward, they proceeded cautiously, making their way to the room that held the generator, the very reason for the climatic end to what was suppose to be a peaceful and uneventful evening. The chilling quiet around them was unsettling as they went, and every step seemed to be echoed off the walls encompassing them. As they approached the door, Sam and Jack took up posts on either side of it. Looking over at Sam, Jack nodded and indicated with his hand that he was going to go first.

Pushing open the door with the tip of his gun, he stepped inside, followed closely by Sam, and they did a quick sweep of the room. As he finished his rotation, his light fell on someone lying face down on the ground next to the reactor with blood pooling underneath him. Jack kept a sharp eye out as Sam knelt down on the ground next to the man lying there.

Upon flipping him over, Sam recognized him immediately. He had a bullet wound in the center of his chest that appeared fresh and was still seeping dark red blood. “Sir…it’s Selek, the Chairman’s son.” Feeling for a pulse, she finally retracted her hand and looked up at Jack. “He’s dead.”

Jack tightened his grip on the gun. He had an uneasy feeling in the pit of his stomach. Without looking at her, he spoke up. “Can you fix the reactor in time?”

Sam moved over to where the Naquadria reactor was emitting white light and sending out a small audible sound that kept increasing in decibels as it attempted to reach its critical turning point. Fidgeting with a few wires, she finally answered Jack. “I think so, but I only have a few minutes in which to do it before it’s too late.”

Jack nodded. “Do what you can.” As Sam went to work, Jack continued to survey the area when the door to their room suddenly opened. Jack whipped around with his finger on the trigger,and almost pulled it until he realized it was the guard that had met them at the Stargate. Swearing under his breath, Jack addressed him harshly but tried to keep his voice down. “What the Hell were you thinking, Airman? I almost shot you!!”

The young man, obviously rattled by his mistake and the Colonel’s reprimand of him, straightened. “I’m sorry, Sir. I came to see if I could be of assistance. I didn’t realize…” Just then, his eyes found their way to the body lying on the ground and he stopped his train of thought, obviously surprised and confused. “Sir?”

Jack glanced over at the body and then looked back at the guard, relaxing his grip on the gun. “So I take it he wasn’t here when you discovered the reactor?”

The guard, named Collins, shook his head. “No, Sir! I would have reported that immediately.”

“Crap.” Looking back at Sam, he continued. “How’s it going, Carter? You’re going to give me good news, right?”

Sam never took her eyes off what she was doing. “I’m trying to, Sir. I need just another minute. I just have to connect the ends of these two wires and that should do it.”

Jack turned back to Collins. “I need you to keep watch in the engine room. Keep a sharp eye out…we’re obviously not alone here.”

As Jack said this, Sam was just about to connect the two wires that would shut down the reaction when a pair of rough hands grabbed her from behind and yanked her to her feet. Wrapping one arm around her tightly, pinning her against the body of her captor, a gun was then placed squarely at her right temple, letting her know not to move.

At the sound of a scuffle, Jack whipped around in time to see Commander Kalfas place a gun at Sam’s head. He and Collins both immediately trained their weapons at his head as Jack did his best to control his breathing and his rapidly beating heart.

Kalfas shouted at them. “Drop the weapons or she dies!”

Jack, his eyes moving from the traitor’s face to Sam’s and back again, responded with a low growl. “Let her go, Kalfas! You don’t know what you’re dealing with here.”

Kalfas let out a bitter laugh as he tightened his grip on Sam. “Oh, I know exactly what I’m dealing with. Why do you think Selek is dead?!”

Jack tried to remain calm. He knew that if he lost his cool the way he wanted to, it would cost him dearly. “I don’t know. Why don’t you tell me?”

Kalfas gave him a hard stare. “Because he decided at the last minute that what we were doing was wrong.”

“What you’re doing is wrong! Blowing up this ship and half your city…”

Kalfas interrupted Jack, pressing the gun harder against Sam’s temple. “Will prove a point…that we should have never allowed outsiders into our lives, let alone re-erect something that had been buried centuries ago for very good reasons. And if this is the only way I can prove it, so be it. Selek was kind enough to show me how to work it after attaining the knowledge from your Major Carter here, but then he had a change of heart.”

Sam kept her eyes on Jack’s face, trying to draw calm and sensibility from him. She knew that they only had precious seconds left and if they were going to stop the reaction from happening, it had to be now. Searching her mind for a solution, she adjusted her stance and suddenly felt the knife she had strapped to her upper thigh. The one advantage she had to wearing a dress was that Kalfas had no idea she had it on her.

Deciding this was her only answer, she allowed her left arm to drop carefully to her side. Using her fingers, she very carefully began pulling up the left side of her dress. Knowing Jack and Collins could see what she was doing, she looked into Jack’s eyes for confirmation that he understood what she was about to do.

Not wanting to tip Kalfas off, Jack kept his eyes trained on the man, with only the momentary glances into Sam’s face. He knew she thought what she was doing was the best thing, but it was extremely dangerous, especially given that she had a gun trained on her head. One wrong move and it would be all over. Of course their alternative was to blow up with the ship, and he didn’t care for that scenario either. But he’d prefer dying with her instead of living without her. Doing his best to signal to her not to do it, he tried looking at her and moving his head slightly side to side as if stretching his neck.

Sam could see Jack was trying to tell her something, and she suspected it was not for her to use her knife. But if she hadn’t shown Selek the reactor and explained how it worked, they wouldn’t be in this situation. Essentially, the Tagrean’s potential peril was her doing, not to mention putting their lives in danger. Determined to stop the reaction in time, all she could do was hope that Jack would forgive her for disobeying him.

Sam then gripped the handle of her knife, took a breath to steady her nerves, and withdrew it from the sheath. In one fluid motion, she used her right hand to grip Kalfas’s wrist that was holding the gun to her head, and as she pulled it back, twisted the knife in her left hand and drove it backwards, plunging it straight into his upper left groin.

As pain suddenly seared through Kalfas’s body, forcing him to temporarily loosen his hold on her, Sam drove the knife in even deeper and then dropped to the floor from his grip, allowing Jack and Collins a clear shot at him. As gun shots rang over her head, Sam moved forward on her belly until she had the reactor’s two wires in her hands again. Not wasting another moment, she twisted them together and then waited on baited breath to see if the reactor would shut down.

And after what felt like an eternity, but was in fact only a few seconds, she allowed herself to breathe again as the reactor became quiet once more.

Turning over and sitting up, she found Jack and Collins standing over Commander Kalfas with their guns still trained on him. After a moment, Jack looked over and met Sam’s eyes. She could see both anger and relief painting his expression, and she held her breath once again as he made his way over to her, hoping that he was feeling more of the former than the latter.

As Jack approached Sam and squatted down next to her, it was all he could do not to take her in his arms and hold onto her for dear life. But with Collins there, and the fact that he was irritated that she’d disobeyed him and put herself and others at risk, he didn’t. Looking her over to make sure that she didn’t have any visible injuries, he met her eyes with a concerned frown on his face. “You okay, Carter? That was a pretty risky stunt you pulled off.”

Sam cringed internally because she knew she’d hear more about it later when they were alone. Taking the hand he offered to help her to her feet, she nodded as she felt a reassuring squeeze on her hand. “I think so. I just got the wind knocked out of me.” Hesitating, she glanced over at Collins who was still standing next to the body of Commander Kalfas. Letting go of Jack’s hand, she shook out the bottom of her dress and then continued with her explanation, all the while looking into Jack’s eyes with a pleading expression. “Look, I’m sorry, Sir. I did get that you were trying to signal me not to go for the knife, but I saw no other way out of it, and I knew time was running out. It was my fault that the reactor even had a possibility of going critical. If I hadn’t shown Selek…”

Jack cut her off. “If you hadn’t shown Selek, that crazed lunatic of a Commander would have found another way of proving his point. Why don’t we just chalk it up to a mistake that was fixed, thanks to you risking your life to save everyone else’s. As for disobey my order, we can talk more about that later when we don’t have two dead bodies to deal with.”

Sam gave Jack a small smile. “Thank you, Sir.” Taking a breath, she looked over at Selek’s body. “I’m sorry that he paid with his life. He seemed like a nice guy, and from what I’d learned from talking with him, he had done a lot for the Tagreans.”

Jack didn’t feel as much sympathy. “Yeah, well sorry if I don’t share your sentiment. Change of heart or not, obviously his love for the people only extended so far if he was willing to blow them up.”

Sam brushed a strand of hair out of her face. “I guess we need to go inform the Chairman about his son.”

Jack cringed. “Yeah, that will go over well. First we arrive appearing to want to blow up their planet, then we almost cause civil war among them, and now Ashwan’s son is dead…all because of us. Maybe it’s just me, but I really don’t think we should be pursuing any future alliances with these people. We’re not exactly their good luck charm.”

Looking over at Collins, who hadn’t moved from his position, Jack addressed him. “Collins, I want you to report back to the SGC. More than likely Hammond’s back on base from the party and wanting an update. Let him know that Carter and I have to go talk to Chairman Ashwan, but that everything is under control. We will give him a full debriefing when we get back.”

Collins gave him a salute. “Yes, Sir!”

Jack waited until Collins was out of the room with the door closed before turning back to Sam. Taking his chances that the guard wouldn’t suddenly return with another question, Jack closed the distance between them and took her in his arms, holding her tightly to him. “Don’t ever do that again…you scared the Hell out of me!”

Sam, holding onto him just as tightly, answered him. “I’m really sorry, Jack. I just wanted to fix something I was ultimately responsible for.”

Jack cupped her face between his hands and looked into her eyes. “And like I’ve already told you, you’re not to blame. We all make mistakes…even the perfect and brainy Samantha Carter. You mean more to me than anything or anyone…my life is nothing without you. So remember that next time you want to take your life in jeopardy. I’m not that young anymore…this ol’ heart can only take as much.”

Sam smiled at him through a blurred, tear-streaked vision. “I promise…I love you, Jack.”

Jack gave her a small smile as his eyes drifted to her lips and then back to her eyes again. “And I love you, Samantha.” Kissing her then fully on the lips, the two of them exchanged their affections for each other as time slipped by, offering them a few minutes of much deserve respite.

Two hours later, exhausted and wrung with fatigue, Sam and Jack walked through the Stargate and arrived back on Earth to find General Hammond awaiting their return at the foot of the ramp.

He couldn’t help but allow a small smile to form on his lips as he watched them walk towards him, both still dressed in their formalwear. Sam’s red dress flowed out from underneath the black vest she was wearing, and the poinsettia was still adorning her hair, despite the fact that the hairdo she’d been wearing had fallen partly down around her face. Jack, dressed in his black tuxedo pants, white shirt and black shoes, with his shirt sleeves rolled halfway up his arms, his necktie gone, and his vest open in the front, looked every part of a James Bond character.

As they approached him, General Hammond spoke up. “Colonel…Major…I’m glad to see you’re both home safe and sound. From what Sergeant Collins filled me in on, you were able to stop the reactor before it went critical?”

Jack nodded. “Yes, Sir…Carter saved the day again with that incredibly smart brain of hers.”

Sam gave him a sideways glance before returning her attention back to the general. “It was a joint effort, Sir, but successful. Unfortunately, the Chairman’s son lost his life over it.”

General Hammond frowned. “Yes, Collins filled me in on that too. I take it you’ve informed Chairman Ashwan. How did he take it?”

Sam hesitated for the right words. “Shocked and saddened would be the best way to describe him. I think the hardest thing for him is coming to terms with the fact that his son played a small part in almost destroying their city.”

Hammond sighed. “Yes, I would imagine he will never get over that.” Taking a breath, he straightened himself. “I’ll expect a full debriefing…but not tonight. It’s already 0100 hours and Christmas is dawning.”

Sam spoke up. “I’ll get back to work on the ship after a few hours of sleep, Sir.”

Jack turned and looked at her. “Carter…it’s Christmas! Can’t you take one day off?”

General Hammond stopped her before she could respond. “There’s no need to answer that, Major. There will be no off world travel for the next two days. I’m mandating a little holiday spirit here. Everyone deserves some time off.”

Sam spoke up immediately. “But, Sir, the Prometheus…”

“Will be just fine,” Jack said, interceding to save the General any further convincing. “Come on, Carter, you heard him…give that brain of yours a rest for once…go home...read The Night Before Christmas.”

Sam looked over at him, giving him a funny look. “The Night Before Christmas, Sir??”

Jack shrugged. “Yeah…well, maybe it’ll remind you of…dancing sugar canes.”

Sam gave him a half smile. “Don’t you mean sugar plums?”

Jack waved her off. “Yeah, whatever…the point is, Carter, to enjoy Christmas instead of letting it just slip by…right, Sir?”

Hammond couldn’t help but chuckle. “Exactly, Colonel. Well, enjoy the holiday and Merry Christmas…dismissed.”

Jack couldn’t help but smile at Carter’s defeated look. Slapping her lightly on the back, he nodded his head towards the door. “Come on, Carter…I’ll walk you to your car.”

As they headed out of the Gateroom, Sam and Jack dropped their gear with the nearest airman, lacking the energy to put it away themselves. Following the hallway to the elevator, they got on when the doors opened. As the elevator doors closed and it started to ascend, Sam looked over at Jack. “You know, Jack, you could have backed me up a little more in there. After what just happened, we really need to get the Prometheus in working order to prevent any other kind of sabotage from happening.”

Jack looked over at her, meeting her eyes. He could tell from her tone that she really wasn’t irritated with him, but he was surprised that she was even bringing it up. “Carter, relax. The Prometheus will be just fine. Just look at the extra guards that were sent through the Gate when we about to head back to Earth, not to mention the ones Ashwan contributed to assure that this wouldn’t happen again.”

Sam sighed as she leaned back against the wall behind her. “I know you’re right, but I just feel like this needs to be fixed. This whole thing initially started because the reactor failed.”

Jack just shook his head. “Sam, you’re too hard on yourself. Do you truly believe that everyone holds you responsible for the Prometheus?” Not giving her a chance to answer, he held up his finger. “No one blames you, Carter. Get that through your pretty head. Things happen and you just have to go with it.”

Sam was about to answer him when the elevator slowed to a stop and the doors opened. “Come on. Just let the base be for a few days. It’ll be okay.” Jack briefly took her hand and led her out, dropping it as soon as they came within site of the posted guards at the front.

Exiting the base, a blast of winter air hit them in the face, and they had to duck their heads to shield their faces from the sting of the frigid, cold whipping air. Reaching Jack’s truck first, they stopped next to it. Sam, hunkering in her wrap, looked up at Jack. “I may come back tomorrow to do some work in my lab that I can bring back to the planet when I’m cleared for Gate travel, but we can have the morning to ourselves. Even though neither of us got our decorations out this year, we can still spend Christmas morning together. That’s the best gift I can think of.”

Jack just gave her a half smile. “Let’s get you to your car before you freeze to death.”

Sam was surprised by his lack of response on her suggestion, but she figured it had to do with the fact they were both extremely cold. “Okay.” Walking the short distance to her car, they didn’t say anything further until she was in her car and Jack was standing over the open door.

“I’ll see you a little later. Drive carefully.” Jack backed out of the way of the door and closed it for her.

Perplexed at his distant behavior, Sam rolled down the window as he’d turned to go. Not taking her chances that someone was listening, she addressed him formally. “Colonel!”

Jack stopped and turned around, his eyes squinting against the wind as he looked back at her before retracing his steps. “What’s up?”

Sam studied him for a moment, finally replying. “I thought you’d like to spend the night.”

Jack just gave her another sly smile. “Maybe…we’ll see.”

Sam was now totally confused and becoming suddenly concerned. “Jack, what’s wrong? Look, I’m sorry about what happened earlier…I only want to get the ship back up and running.”

Jack drew his coat around him a little tighter. “I know, Sam. Look, it’s freezing out here and you’re just exposing yourself to cold you don’t need. We’ll talk later.” And with a small smile, he straightened, turned around and walked back to his truck.

Rolling up her window, she sat there for a moment, watching as he got into his truck and started it up. She couldn’t figure out his behavior, nor could she place what’d she’d done to cause it. Placing two fingers against her right temple, she decided that she was too tired to care at that point. Turning the key in the ignition, she started her car and pulled out just behind Jack. As they drove in opposite directions, she decided that she would get to the bottom of this mystery first thing in the morning. The last thing she wanted was for them to be at odds with each other on Christmas.

Forty-five minutes later, she stepped out of her bathroom, wearing her favorite warm, soft robe. Having just taken a hot shower and gotten into her pajamas, the only thing she wanted to do was dive into bed and fall into a deep sleep. But as she made her way to the bed, she noticed a glass of milk and a cookie sitting next to her bedside lamp, along with a beautiful single-stem red rose and a folded note.

Smiling to herself, she reached for the paper and opened it. Jack’s familiar handwriting had been quickly scrawled into a short note that made her feel better about how they’d left things:

The warm milk and cookie to help you sleep, and the red rose to let you know how much I love you.

--Jack

Sitting down on the edge of her bed, she ate the chocolate chip cookie that had also been warmed and downed the glass of milk, not realizing until then how hungry she was. Picking up the rose, which had been thoughtfully cleaned of all thorns, she laid her head down on the pillow and placing the flower to her nose, inhaled deeply.

After only about a minute, the room around her suddenly became fuzzy and unclear. Trying to sit up, she found that her body felt heavy and unwilling to move. Trying to turn over to reach the light and turn it off, she only succeeded as far as moving onto her side before her eyelids became like lead and closed of their own accord. With the world now spinning black, Sam drifted off into a deep state of sleep, oblivious to anything else around her.

And an hour later, she was still fast asleep when a pair of arms picked her up and carried her out of the house….

Soft morning light filtered in through hazy windows, illuminating Sam’s face as it lay on a pillow of soft down. Squeezing her eyes tightly and groaning softly, she flipped over onto her back and slowly opened her eyes. Laying there for a moment, she tried to focus her vision on the ceiling as her site went from dark to grey to fuzzy to a final form of focus that allowed her to see her surroundings fairly well. Unsure of what she was looking at, she rubbed her eyes and then looked again, not understanding why she was looking at a ceiling made of logs.

Suddenly startled, she pushed herself up in bed and found that she was in a totally different bedroom, with her body now covered in a colorful quilt instead of her duvet-covered down comforter. The room was familiar to her, although with her head still in a fog, she couldn’t figure out why.

Pushing back the covers, she discovered her robe had been placed in a chair next to the bed. Gingerly standing up, she quickly donned it and then moved forward to the door that led out of the bedroom. As she went, she started looking for anything that she could use to defend herself with against her unknown captors. But as she reached for a nearby book, her instincts suddenly took over, and they seemed to be telling her she had nothing to fear. Reaching for the door knob, she turned it slowly until it clicked, and then using her other hand, gently pushed it open.

When she did, she looked out into the hall and was greeted by the soft sounds of Christmas music coming from the living room to her left. And then it hit her why the bedroom seemed so familiar…she was at Jack’s cabin. Moving fully out of the bedroom, she walked down the hall, trailing her hand along the wall for support as she went.

“Jack?” Her voice still held the aura of sleep as she did her best to clear the haze from her mind. Reaching the entrance to the living room and the rest of the cabin, she only had to look around for a moment before she spotted him standing in the kitchen with his back turned to her. He appeared to be cooking something on the stove in his undershirt and flannel pajama bottoms, with a dish towel hanging casually over his right shoulder.

Clearing her voice, she spoke up again. “Jack?”

This time he heard her and whipped around at the sound of her voice. “Sam!” Quickly removing the skillet from the burner, he moved out of the kitchen and came towards her. “You weren’t supposed to be up yet. I was planning a whole breakfast-in-bed thing.”

Sam just looked at him. “Jack, what are you talking about…what thing…how did I get here?” Suddenly a little dizzy, she grabbed for the nearby couch.

Jack immediately reached for her and took her in his arms. “Whoa…easy. You’re probably still a bit out of it.” Picking her up in his arms, he carried her over to the couch, putting her down gently, and then proceeded to sit down next to her.

Sam held her head for a moment and then looked over at him. “And why would that be? Jack, what’s going on?”

Jack looked over at her and cringed. “Um…well, I guess you can say I sort of kidnapped you.”

Sam sat up a bit straighter. “What are you talking about? Jack, what did you do?!!”

Jack put a little more distance between them as he held out his hands. “Now just calm down…”

Sam gave him an incredulous look. “Calm down! Jack…I went to sleep in my own bed and woke up here!! How did that happen?”

Jack moved his head to the side as he looked at her. “Well…I guess you could say I got a little help from Fraiser, and well…I sort of drugged you.”

Sam put her hands on either side of her head to try and process what he had just told her. “You guys drugged me?!! With what?”

Jack moved back a little more. “Just a mild sedative!”

Sam shook her head. “Mild! Jack, I feel like a Mac truck ran over me.”

Jack held up his hands. “Hey, you weren’t supposed to drink the whole glass of milk! I didn’t think you would be that much of a warm milk lover!”

Sam just looked at him. “I was hungry!”

Jack matched her tone. “Apparently!” Taking a breath, he moved a little closer. “Look, Sam, I really am sorry, but I knew I’d never get you up here willingly. And you proved that last night by telling me you were going to go to the base today. For cryin’ out loud, Carter, it’s Christmas!”

Sam threw her hands out. “You kidnapped me!”

Jack stood up. “I know, I know…but you need the break. And besides…isn’t there some sort of rule that excludes me from wanting to show my…well, my girlfriend a little holiday spirit?”

Sam looked up at him. “Not really. It’s still taking me against my will…not to mention the fact that you drugged me.”

Jack held up his finger. “Hey…I was under doctor’s orders to see that you got some rest and relaxation.” Taking a breath, he shrugged his shoulders. “We just knew that the possibility of drugging you might become necessary. I wasn’t going to do it until after we talked outside last night.”

Sam’s head was still spinning and she could feel her resolve leaving her. Sitting back on the couch, she looked around the room for the first time. It was fully decorated for Christmas, from a magical tree to stockings that were hung from the mantle of the fireplace. Gifts had been placed under the tree, and candles and holly adorned every corner of the room. From the center of the ceiling fan, a sprig of mistletoe hung perfectly placed, topping off the theme that had been so well thought out.

Looking up at him, she couldn’t help but give him a small smile. “You did this for me, didn’t you?”

Jack smiled proudly. “Yep…pretty good for an old Colonel if I do say so myself.”

Sam shook her head. “You know, you could have just told me what you had in mind. I might have surprised you.”

Jack sat down and took her hand. Holding it up to his lips, he kissed it and smiled softly. “Oh, please…I think I know you a little better than that.”

Sam laughed lightly. “You’re probably right. But next time I would prefer the asking to the drugging. I still feel out of it.”

Jack held up a finger. “Ah-ha! A problem easily remedied. I’ve got some good, strong coffee brewing in the pot that will have you on your toes in no time.” Getting up, he moved into the kitchen, poured two cups, and was back at her side in no time. Handing her a cup, he waited for her to take a drink.

Sam did and she made a face. “Yeah, that’s strong alright.”

Jack smiled. “I do what I can.”

Sam curled her hands around the cup as she looked at him. “Yes you do.” Giving the coffee a minute to start clearing her head, she resumed the conversation. “So how long do you plan on holding me hostage?”

Jack put his cup down. “Well, I’d love to keep you here forever, but I guess two days will have to do for now.”

Sam’s eyes widened. “Two days! Jack…I love the idea of private time with you, but I’ve got work to do.”

Jack nodded. “I know…and in two days the general will open the Gate again and I’ll lose you to that damn ship for who knows how long. But for the next few days you’re all mine…no sharing and no exceptions.”

Sam leaned her head back on the couch and closed her eyes, sighing. She knew that if she were honest with herself, she was immensely enjoying the idea of two secluded days with Jack…it was just getting her brain to stop focusing on what she was supposed to be doing that was the only barrier. Turning her head to the side, she looked over at him finally and smiled. “Alright, Jack, you win. But I’m going to have to have a serious talk with Janet when I get back about letting you have free rein with drugs.”

Jack moved in and kissed her affectionately. When he pulled back, he smiled at her. “Don’t be too hard on her…it was my idea.” Sitting up straighter, he nodded with resolve. “Now…how about that breakfast?”

Sam answered back. “Sounds great. You need some help?”

Jack hopped up. “Nope…it’s almost done. You just get that pretty head of your straight and I’ll do the rest.” As he went to the kitchen, he continued. “After that, we’ve got some presents to unwrap.”

Sam sat up and looked at the tree. Underneath it were scattered brightly colored packages, some of which she recognized as the ones she’d wrapped for Jack. “Hey, how did you get these up here?”

Jack eyed her innocently. “Let’s just say I’ve been planning this for a little while…and when the whole Prometheus mess happened, it kind of threw a kink in my plans. So I enlisted Janet’s help when we were off world. She brought up a bag for you, along with the gifts you’d gotten for me. I guess it was a good thing she knew where you’d put them. She even decorated the place for me…and did a great job at it.”

Sam smiled. “It looks like she thought of everything.” As her head continued to clear, she stood up and walked over to the tree, touching a bright red, shiny ball ornament that was hanging carefully from a branch. Her eyes then found the window to the side of the tree, and she moved over to it.

The glass was frosted over with ice crystals, mirroring the world outside as it remained covered under a layer of fresh, white snow. Pulling her robe tighter around her, she walked over to the fireplace to absorb some of its heat while looking at the stockings that had been hung there. Each one had their individual name on it, and as Sam traced Jack’s name with her finger, she looked over at him. “Did you have these stockings made?”

Jack glanced over at the stocking she was touching and smiled. Turning back to the food he was dishing out onto plates, he shook his head. “No, I have to give the full credit to the Doc on that one. I think she must have felt we deserved our own stockings, and even if we can’t hang them in our homes…yet…we can at least have them here.”

Sam reached for her coffee and then moved over to the table where Jack was setting the food. Sitting down, she inhaled the steam coming off the egg and bacon breakfast he’d prepared, loving the smell and the warm feeling it sent through her. As Jack sat down across from her, Sam looked at him and smiled. “I’m glad you did this. Now, I’m not agreeing with your methods…but it should be a wonderful way to spend the next two days.”

Jack raised his coffee cup and gave her a wink. “I’ll drink to that.”

Over breakfast, they shared an easy conversation, doing their best to keep the direction of it from going anywhere close to the subject of work. Afterwards, they cleaned up and then sat in front of the Christmas tree like two little kids, laughing and opening the gifts they had gotten one another.

Sam had bought Jack a handsome sweater and an expensive watch that she knew he’d been wanting. Jack had surprised Sam by not only buying her a beautiful pair of earrings and a sweater, both of which she loved, but also the most recent book out on Quantum Physics that she had been wanting to get.

Sam looked up at him with surprise on her face as she recognized it. “How did you know?”

Jack laughed. “It’s way out of my realm. I actually asked you assistant, Henry, for the latest and greatest nerd novel that you were looking into getting. I knew he’d have a fairly good idea.”

Sam laughed with him. “Well, he was right. Thank you. This is wonderful…I can’t wait to get started on reading it.”

Jack frowned. “You’re not going to do that here are you? I really don’t want to be replaced by a book.”

Sam bent towards him, eyeing his lips. “You don’t have anything to worry about. When I’m with you, nothing could distract my attention from you.” As if to prove it, she put the book down and proceeded to kiss him, lightly at first, but as the moment consumed them, the kiss intensified, and they found themselves clearing a spot on the floor beside the tree. Then they made love to each other, enveloped by the magical moment of the morning that was Christmas.

After their passionate exchange, Sam and Jack took a steamy, hot shower together, not only to save on the hot water, but to enjoy another round of lovemaking that had them both clawing at the slick, wet walls. They spent the rest of the day and well into the evening in each other’s arms, rather napping, reading, making love, or just allowing a peaceful moment to pass between them. Nothing and no one could touch them, and with that knowledge and freedom came a feeling of elation unlike any other they’d experienced in a long time.

As the hour approached midnight, Sam, who had been lying on Jack’s shoulder watching the fire as its red-orange flames danced lower and softer in the fireplace, slowly sat up and stretched her arms above her head. They had been talking for hours about anything and everything, but for the last thirty minutes, silence had crept in as Jack allowed his eyes to close, dozing in a sitting position, with his head reclined against the couch.

Watching him as he slept, she couldn’t believe how incredibly lucky she was to have such an amazing man in her life. He was incredibly handsome, an amazing lover, a true gentleman, and her bestfriend. He had given her more than she could ever remember wanting, and the idea of spending the rest of her life with him thrilled her more than words. Bending forward, she kissed him lightly on his forehead, then his nose, and then on his lips.

Jack’s eyes slowly opened, and meeting hers, and he curled his lips into a sexy smile. “Hey.”

Sam smiled back at him. “Hey yourself…you ready for bed? I’ll tuck you in.”

Jack ran a finger down the side of her cheek. “Sounds great…but,” he said, sitting up as he ran a hand over his face, “there’s one thing left to do before we say farewell to Christmas for another year.”

Sam gave him a curious look. “And what is that?”

Jack stood up and moved over to where the CD player was. Turning it on, he picked up the remote off the top of it and then moved back over to her. Holding out his hand, he answered her. “I don’t believe I ever got that last dance the other night. How about we complete that promise you made me? I even found a song that I think we can maybe call our own.”

Sam could feel her emotions getting the better of her. Taking his hand, she stood up and wrapped her arms around his neck. “You picked out a song for us?”

Jack tried to shrug it off. “Yeah, well, you know…I can be a romantic mush when I want to be.”

Sam kissed him lightly on the lips. “You’re incredibly romantic all the time, and I love it…just as I love you.”

Jack brushed a strand of hair from her eyes. “Well, if it makes you happy, that’s all that matters.” Looking down at the remote he held in his hand, he pointed it at the stereo system and pressed play with his thumb. Tossing it onto the couch, he brought his other arm around her and held her close as the music began. And together they danced, wrapped up in each other’s arms in front of the Christmas tree. The room was illuminated only by the white lights strung from the tree, the few candles that remained lit, and the fire that was now barely licking the logs as it drew its last few breaths. And as they danced, magic spun around them, making time stand still just for them.

I am amazed

When I look at you

I see you smiling back at me

It’s like all my dreams come true

I am afraid

If I lost you girl

I’d fall through the cracks

And lose my track in this crazy, lonely world

Sometimes it’s so hard to believe

When the nights can be so long

And faith gave me the strength

And kept me holding on

(Chorus)

You are the love of my life

And I’m so glad you found me

You are the love of my life

Baby put you’re arms around me

I guess this is how it feels

When you finally find something real

My angel in the night

You are my love

The love of my life

Now here you are

With midnight closing in

You take my hand as our shadows dance

With moonlight on your skin

I look in your eyes

I’m lost inside your kiss

I think if I’d never met you

About all the things I’d missed

Sometimes it’s so hard to believe

When a love can be so strong

And faith gave me the strength

And kept me holding on (Chorus)

When the song ended, Sam had tears in her eyes. “God, Jack, that was perfect…just like you are. Thank you…this has been an amazing Christmas.”

Jack simply answered her with a kiss that took her breath away. And then taking her hand in his, he tugged on it gently. “Come on. We can tuck each other in.”

Walking to the bedroom hand in hand, Sam knew she would never forget the feeling of that moment for the rest of her life. With a promise for the future made in the form of a beautiful ring that hung from her neck, she felt more confident that ever that nothing could separate them. The future was theirs for taking…all they needed was time to work out the finer details.

Yet deeper in her mind, and a place she was choosing to ignore, Sam knew it wasn’t that simple or easy. They had a long road ahead of them before that promised future would become reality. She could only hope that the finer details wouldn’t prove to be too much for them to handle. She knew that only time would truly tell if the moments shared so far would be enough to get them through whatever might lay ahead of them.

 Next story--> "Reminiscing"

Did you enjoy this story? Let me know your thoughts!

Back to the Series Index

Home Page