Taking Time for Love

Title: Taking Time for Love

Author: Suz W.

Spoilers: After Orpheus, Revisions, Lifeboat, and Enemy Mine (episode tag)

Feedback: Always welcomed and gratefully appreciated!

Old Stories Referenced: “Moments Shared”, “Reminiscing”, “Beneath A Silent Moon”

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

Summary: With the daily routines of life becoming overwhelming, Jack makes it a point to find some time just for himself and Sam.

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 June 14, 2007, by Suzanne R. Whitmarsh. Author’s Notes: This story follows “Where Dreams May Take Us”. This story will not be as complex or confusing as my last one…just a simple, heartwarming story for you to enjoy before my series takes a turn in a new direction (it’ll be a bumpy ride, so fasten your seatbelt…but we’ll get through it together!). The featured poem is by Elizabeth Barrett Browning. Please enjoy this latest edition to my series and I’d love to hear your thoughts on it should you have time to send them to me. Thanks for your continued support and Happy Reading!!

Dedication: I’d like to dedicate this to Tiffany. Thank you for your continued support and feedback of my stories! I truly appreciate you and your dedication to my series! It’s been an incredible and unexpectedly fun journey so far, and it’s because of people like you who have taken me to where I am today!

Sam pinched the bridge of her nose with her thumb and index finger, doing her best to divert the raging headache that had been plaguing her since the day had begun. It was now after four o’clock in the afternoon, and she had barely taken a break to use the restroom let alone eat anything since before the dawn had breached the horizon.

She had been working on the complete overhaul of the Gate’s diagnostic systems for over a week now, and she was nearing the completion point. With that as inspiration, she had been pushing herself hard for the past few days, hoping to get it finished so she could join her team on their next mission.

Jack had arrived in the infirmary three days ago with a dislocated and injured shoulder that he had gotten from a brief skirmish with the Unas on P3X-403. He had been released that same day with pain killers and instructions to take it easy for a few days. Jack had attempted a great effort at wooing her away from her work to join him with a little time off, but as much as she would have loved it (and craved it), ultimately she had turned him down, and watched with a heavy heart as he walked out of her lab alone. The last four missions had encompassed almost a month’s time, and between all the debriefings, briefings, and paperwork, she and Jack had not spent one night alone together. The strain of missing each other had become evident even during the missions. Throughout each of them, Jack had kept his conversations with her to a minimum, and she noticed that he’d even started distancing himself from her. She assumed that it was in an effort to push aside the hurt and longing that they were each feeling, but she couldn’t be 100 percent certain, and that’s why it had been so hard to turn him down for some time alone.

Running her hands through her hair, she shook off her thoughts and tried to refocus her attention on the computer screen in front of her. Looking over the calculations in front of her as a double check, she suddenly stopped when she realized that she had left out an integer that would change all of her numbers by a tenth of a percent. Realizing that this was going to set her back by a few hours due to the fact that she was going to have to redo all of her calculations, she pushed back from her desk to prevent herself from hitting the computer screen, and instead got up and kicked one of her metal filing cabinets as hard as she could.

With her emotions on edge, she leaned her body against the nearest wall she could find and slid slowly down it to the ground. Bringing her knees up to her chest and hugging them, she bent her head down and allowed her tears to flow. Between the stress of working so hard to get her project done and her worries over Jack and missing him, the only thing that was left for her to do was cry.

And she did…for how long she wasn’t sure, but her eyes felt puffy by the time a gentle hand came to rest on her arm. “Sam,” a soft voice said close to her head.

Sam, startled, looked up. “Janet,” she said, quickly wiping at her wet eyes and cheeks. “I didn’t hear you come in.” Knowing even her voice sounded pathetic, she gave her a weak smile and sniffed.

Janet placed her hand on Sam’s back. “What’s wrong?” She had entered Sam’s lab only moments ago, only to find her dear friend sitting on the floor sobbing quietly. Possibilities started running through her head as to what could have caused her current state, but it was hard to think of too many plausible ones, especially since Sam had always appeared so strong and confident. But one name did come to mind, even if she didn’t want to think it could happen. “Is it Jack? Has something happened between the two of you?”

Sam wiped at her eyes again and then gave a little sarcastic laugh. “That’s just it…nothing has happened between the two of us in quite a while…between the missions and my work…I’m afraid I might be pushing him away.” Taking a shaky breath, she gestured at her computer. “And now I’ve got to spend the next few hours correcting a mistake that I should have caught in the beginning! I was so close to being done…”

Janet gave her a gentle smile. “Hey, it’s okay. You do remember that you’re human, right? It’s okay to make a mistake every now and then…even if you are Samantha Carter!”

Sam looked over at Janet through a teary-eyed expression and gave her a smile. “I know…I guess I’m just really tired.”

The doctor in Janet kicked in. “Well, I think anyone can see that. Sam, you need your rest. This project of yours can wait for a day or two while you take some time off. You push yourself too hard. It’s not healthy to work as hard and as long as you do…you’re going to physically collapse if you don’t stop, and I really don’t want to have to tell the Colonel that you’re in the infirmary instead of your lab!”

Sam took a breath and pushed herself to her feet. “I’ll be okay; really, Janet. I appreciate your concern…I guess I just needed a moment to…let go.”

Janet shook her head. “Sam, you’re missing the point. You need more than a moment.” Sighing in frustration, she continued. “Look, since it’s obvious that you have no intention of stopping until you’ve finished this project of yours, do you think you could spare a few minutes over coffee with me?”

Sam smiled. “I think I can give you that much. Besides, it might do me some good if I step away from my computer for a few minutes before doing my calculations over again.”

Returning her smile, Janet nodded. “Okay. That’s a start. Are you ready?”

Sam ran a hand through her hair and then over her cheeks. “Are you sure I don’t look…”

“Like you’ve just been crying your eyes out?” Janet said.

Sam nodded. “Basically.”

Janet took her hand and pulled her toward the door. “You look fine…tired, but fine. I’m sure if anyone notices your red eyes, they’ll just attribute it to your lack of sleep and constant hard work. Now come on. I’ve got a piece of pie calling my name.”

Sam allowed Janet to pull her along to the doorway. Even though it was going to put a small delay in getting her job done, it’d be nice to look at someone instead of a computer screen. And with any luck, she could finish things up before it got too late. She then began having thoughts of stopping by Jack’s house, but wasn’t sure that would be the best idea since she had been the one to turn him down for time alone together. But even if she couldn’t see Jack, a good night’s sleep in her own bed sounded almost just as enticing, and helped to renew her motivation to get the overhaul on the system done.

Janet and Sam took a table in a corner of the commissary away from the other people who were scattered about eating dinner. Upon Janet’s insistence, Sam had chosen a small sandwich and some blue Jell-O to fill her stomach with. She wasn’t really hungry, despite the fact that she hadn’t eaten all day, but she knew that some food would give her the energy she needed to finish her project.

Looking over at Janet, who was dipping a tea bag into her hot water, Sam could visibly see her mulling over something. “Janet, what’s going on?”

Janet looked up and gave her a short smile, curling her fingers tightly around the cup she was holding. “I broke up with Brian.”

Sam sat back in her chair. “The teacher I met at the Christmas dance? What happened? I thought the two of you were really hitting off. You’ve been dating for what…four months now?”

Janet sighed. “Just about. He’s a great guy and we were hitting it off…really well in fact. He never probed me too much about my job and always seemed to understand when I had to cancel on him at the last minute.” Staring into her tea for a moment of reflection, she continued. “Cassie had even finally accepted our relationship, and was building one of her own with him.”

Sam put her spoon down. “So what happened that changed all that?”

Janet hesitated before answering. When she did, her voice was softer. “Daniel.”

Sam suddenly remembered the night that she, Jack, and Teal’c had gotten together with Daniel over dinner after he had first come back to them from the dead. Towards the end of the night, it had become apparent to her that he’d remember intimate details between the himself and Janet, and had left with the intention of talking to her about it. “Did he come and talk to you?”

Janet nodded. “He did after the night that the four of you had dinner at Colonel O’Neill’s house. He told me that he’d remembered what had passed between us and wanted to see if there was a chance at a fresh start.” Taking a breath, she leaned forward, coming closer to Sam. “As much as I wanted to say yes to him that day, I was feeling pulled in both directions due to my feelings for Brian. So I told him that we couldn’t…that I was already involved with someone.”

Sam took a bite of her sandwich. “So what changed?”

Janet gave her a sad smile. “The recent mission to P2A-347; after I saw what had happened to him, that he had become a lifeboat for so many other souls, I became terrified that I would lose him forever…and after having already gone through his death, I wasn’t ready to face that again. I guess it was through that experience that I suddenly realized how much I still felt for him.”

Sam quickly felt very guilty for not having seen the pain she was obviously in sooner. “God, Janet, I’m so sorry I haven’t been there for you like I should have been! I guess I’ve been so busy…”

Janet held up a hand. “Sam, stop. It’s not your fault. You’ve been so busy with missions and this huge project of yours…I just didn’t want to bother you.”

Sam spoke up immediately. “It’s still no excuse, Janet. What kind of friend am I when I can’t even see that you’re going through something incredibly emotional?”

Janet patted the top of her hand. “It’s okay…really. I sat down a couple of nights ago, did a lot of thinking, had a good cry, and finally decided that I wasn’t being fair to Brian…especially since I realized that I can’t commit 100 percent of my feelings to him.”

Sam felt so sorry for her. She couldn’t imagine having to divide her feelings between two men…and she couldn’t imagine loving anyone other than Jack. He was her world, and she knew nothing or no one would ever change that for her. Taking another bite of her Jell-O, she asked her next question. “So how did Brian take it?”

Janet could feel her emotions welling up inside of her. “Not well…I basically had to put it down to a lost love back from the dead…and I told him that even though I’d fallen in love with him, I was being unfair to him since my feelings were divided.”

Sam cringed. “Ouch. That had to have stung.”

Janet gripped her cup tighter. “For both of us…and to make matters worse, that was the first time I’d admitted to him that I loved him.”

Sam could see she was on the verge of tears. “God, Janet, I am so sorry.” Taking her hand, she gave it a firm squeeze. “What can I do to help you through this?”

Janet returned the squeeze before releasing her hand and crossing her arms over her chest as she rested her elbows on the table. “Nothing really…but this is helping…just saying it out loud I guess helps.”

“Have you and Daniel talked since you broke it off with Brian?”

Janet sighed and sat back in her chair. “Not yet. He just returned from his dealings with the Unas, and since then, he’s rather been in his lab or has left the base all together. I just can’t seem to find the courage to talk to him.”

Sam finished off her Jell-O. “Well, maybe I could help…I could talk to him if you’d like.”

Janet shook her head. “I appreciate it, but I really need to do this on my own. If I can find the courage to break up with a wonderful man, then I surely can find the courage to talk to another about my feelings for him. I owe that much to Brian.”

Sam pushed her plate away from her with half of the sandwich left on it. “How’s Cassie handling this?”

Janet gave her a strained smile. “I haven’t told her yet. I’m hoping she will be understanding… if this had happened any earlier in my relationship with Brian, I’d wouldn’t worry. But now she’s formed a bond with him, and it’s going to make it hard.”

Sam responded. “Well, you’d better tell her soon. I’m sure she sees Brian during the day at school.”

Janet nodded. “She does, but he agreed not to say anything until I was able to talk to her.” Putting her hands over her face, she groaned softly. “Oh…I’ve made a mess of everything, haven’t I? What was I thinking!?”

Sam simply smiled. “You weren’t…your heart was doing all of that for you. You just have to trust it. It will work out.”

Janet brought her hands down and was about to respond when the overhead PA system paged her to the infirmary. “Well, I guess my break’s over with.” Looking over at Sam, she smiled. “Thanks for listening. Now I want you to get out of here…and I don’t just mean the commissary. Go home. You’re project can wait.”

Sam sighed at the thought of what awaited her in her lab. “Janet, you know I can’t…”

Janet stood up. “I know, I know. I’m going to come check on you in a few hours, and if I can’t get away, I’ll send one of the orderlies. And if you’re still here, I’m going to send you home under doctor’s orders! Got it? And don’t forget…I can get a military escort to see you home.”

Sam smiled and waved her off. “Go on. I’ll be fine.”

Janet placed her hands in the pockets of her lab coat as she nodded slowly. But looking at her friend, she knew she wasn’t going to be okay. Sam looked incredibly fatigued, and as she walked out of the commissary, she made a mental note to call a certain colonel at home when she got back to her office.

Sam looked at the clock on the wall in her lab. 2030 hours. Placing her right hand on her temple, she closed her eyes and applied gentle pressure to the spot that was aching. She was almost finished redoing the calculations, and then just had to run one more final diagnostic test on the Gate before she could go home and call her project officially finished. She could feel her body wearing down fast and could only hope her now splitting headache didn’t get the better of her before she could finish.

“You know they make something called Tylenol to help with headaches like that,” a voice said.

Sam opened her eyes and turned around to find Jack standing in her doorway, looking incredibly sexy, even to her tired eyes. He was dressed in jeans and a light, long sleeved dark grey shirt that highlighted his hair and made her body long for him even more. Giving him a tired smile, she spoke up. “Let me guess…Janet called you.”

Jack gave her a half smile. “Now see…that just proves your stubborn streak right there. If you knew she would call me, why didn’t you just follow her orders and go home?” Moving into her lab, he stepped close enough to see the fatigue written on her face and instantly frowned. “You look like Hell, Carter.”

Sam turned her eyes back to her computer screen. “Gee, thanks, Sir!”

Jack moved in even closer until he was right next to her. Lowering his voice, he continued. “I’m not trying to bring you down…but you’ve got both Frasier and I really worried about you. This kind of…stress is not healthy. So I’ve come to be your personal military escort and get you home…tonight.”

Sam looked over at him and suddenly noticed he wasn’t wearing his sling. “How’s your shoulder? I thought you’d be in a sling longer than this.”

Jack made a gentle motion with his injured arm. “Yeah, well, it’s still really sore, but I stopped by the infirmary on the way up here and Frasier cleared me from having to wear it. I just have to take a few more days off before I can return to active duty.” Sighing, he went on. “But we’re not talking about me right now…so stop trying to change the subject.”

Sam took in a breath. “Sorry, Sir…look, I just have to finish these few calculations, run one more test on the Gate, and then I’m done. I promise you I’ll be out of here in an hour. Okay?” She looked over at Jack, hoping to find him giving in to her plea, but her eyes only watched as he shook his head.

“No good, Carter. I know you…and if I leave you here, something else will come up and before you know it, you’ll be passed out on the floor! So I’m ordering you home…now!” Jack knew his tone was harsh, but he was not going to stand by and watch her put her health in jeopardy. He loved her too much and was determined to get her home. Aside from his own selfish feelings of missing her, he had never seen her so tired and stressed out at the same time, and that put up big red warning flags in front of him.

Sam was too tired to fight him on this, but she was determined to finish. “Okay, look…I will go home if you just give me time to finish this. I promise you I’ll rest easier if I know this is behind me.” Sam looked into his eyes, pleading with him to understand. She appreciated his caring, but she didn’t want this hanging over her head.

Jack took a moment to study her and then finally answered her, crossing his arms over his chest. “Alright, fine…you can finish this, but you have only one hour. After that, I’m taking you straight home. Deal?”

Sam smiled softly, hoping to get a return smile from his no-nonsense expression. But when she didn’t, she nodded stiffly. “Deal.”

Jack finally gave her a quick, small smile. “I’ll let you have at it. I’m going to go catch up on some paperwork in my office, but I’ll be back in exactly one hour. Whatever you don’t get done will just have to wait.” Turning around, he was at the doorway when he suddenly turned around. “And Carter…don’t make me regret giving this time to you.”

Sam gave him a smile and a lazy salute. “Yes, Sir.” She watched him nod and then turn and walk out of her lab. She knew it would be easy to be irritated at Janet for calling Jack in, but in truth she was incredibly happy to see him. Knowing he was waiting to take her home only provided the ultimate motivation for her to finish. And on that thought, she turned her attention back to the computer and went back to work.

An hour later, Sam was back in her lab putting things away. She had managed to finish all the calculations, correctly this time, and had gone to the control room and performed the final test on the Gate’s diagnostic systems. With everything in good working order, she’d walked back to her lab to wait for Jack. The urge to sit down was overwhelming, but she knew that if she did, she’d find it really hard to get back up again. But she figured that she wouldn’t have to wait for long; Jack was always true to his word.

And as if he could hear her thoughts, Jack simultaneously appeared in her doorway once more. “Major,” he said, eyeing her carefully, “it looks like you’ve managed to follow my instructions. Are you ready?”

Sam smiled. “Yes, Sir…let me just put these papers away.” Turning around, the room suddenly started to spin. Reaching out for the counter, she gripped its surface as she held her head for a moment.

Jack was at her side immediately. With one hand on her back and the other on her arm, he spoke up with worry in his voice. “Hey, you okay?” When she didn’t answer him immediately, he gripped her arm a little firmer. “Carter! What’s wrong?”

Sam shook her head slightly as her vision finally began to clear. Standing up a little straighter, she looked over at him. “Sorry, Sir. I guess I just turned too fast. I got a little dizzy, but I’m okay now.”

Jack eyed her wearily. “I don’t know, Carter. Maybe you need to sit down. I can go get Frasier to come check you out.”

Sam shook her head. “No, I’m fine…really. I just need a good night’s sleep.” Looking over at Jack, she tried to give him one of her sweetest smiles. “Can’t you just take me home?”

Jack thought about it for a moment. “It’s against my better judgment, but yes, I’ll take you home. But one more incident like that and we’re stopping by the infirmary.”

Sam nodded. “Agreed.” Giving him a quick smile, she proceeded over to the counter and placed the papers she had in her hand on it. After a few more minutes, she had managed to do everything she needed to do and finally looked over at Jack, who was watching her carefully. “Okay, that should be the last of it. We can go.”

Jack was happy to hear her say that. He could see that she needed to get some rest, and he was going to make sure she did. And since he was still off active duty for a few days, it would be easy enough to keep an eye on her. He wanted to take her to his house, but fearing that someone from the base might come looking for her, he decided against it.

Sam had moved ahead of him and was waiting by the door for him. Clicking off the lights, they moved out into the hallway and headed for the elevators. Sam looked over at him. “So, what have you been doing with your time….” Suddenly, she began to feel nauseous and her head felt like it was detaching from her body. And without warning, the world before her spun out of control and everything went black.

Jack looked over when Sam abruptly stopped her question. He had just enough time to react as her eyes rolled back in her head and her body began to collapse to the floor. Reaching out, he caught her in his arms, kneeling down get better support for both of them. His heart was in his throat as he called out to her. “Carter! Sam!! Answer me!” Without a response, he looked around for help, but since it was already past 2100 hours, only the base skeleton crew was on staff, and no one was around in the immediate area that he could see. Not wanting to waste his time or his breath, he gathered her up in his arms and stood up, ignoring the searing pain coursing through his right shoulder.

“Hang on, Sam,” he said, doing his best to calm his nerves to a point that he could think rationally. Moving as fast as he could, he made a beeline for the elevators, cursing their slowness for every second he had to wait. When the doors finally opened, he stepped on and pressed the button that would take him to the infirmary. As the elevator began its descent, Jack looked down at Sam’s face and was shocked to see how pale it had gotten since she’d fainted. Hoisting her a little higher in his arms, he inwardly cursed the pain in his shoulder that was now on fire. “Sam! Come on…you’re going to be okay, just hang on.”

When she still didn’t respond, he could feel his impatience at their progress to the infirmary spilling over. Kicking the door, he yelled out in frustration. “Come on, dammit! Hurry up!!” Just then, he could feel the elevator slowing, and within moments of it stopping, the doors opened up, only to reveal Janet on the other side.

Jack felt a wave of relief. “Doc! Thank God…you’ve got to help her.”

Janet immediately dropped the bag that she had in her hands. “Sam! Can you hear me?” Opening up each of Sam’s eyelids in succession, she check for any reaction, and was not satisfied to find only a delayed pupil response. Looking up at Jack, she quickly spoke up. “What happened?”

Jack just shook his head. “I don’t know. One minute we were walking towards the elevators so I could take her home, and then next thing I knew she’s collapsing to the ground!”

Janet nodded. “Follow me. We need to get her on a monitor now.” Making a fast track back to where she had just come from, Janet directed Jack to lay Sam on the nearest stretcher. Doing this, he stepped back out of the way so Janet and the night nurse could go to work. Jack watched helplessly as they attached patches and leads for an ECG, put on a finger cuff to monitor her oxygen saturation, and wrapped a blood pressure cuff around her right arm.

After what seemed like an eternity but was in fact only a handful of seconds, Jack impatiently spoke up. “Doc…what’s wrong with her?!”

Janet studied the monitor for a minute more before turning around briefly to look at him. She could see how worried he was and she felt for him. “She physically exhausted, Colonel. Her blood pressure is dangerously low, more than likely from dehydration, and her PsO2 is only 85%.”

Jack threw one hand up. “What the hell does that mean?” He could feel his palms starting to sweat from his nerves and he knew he was probably showing too much emotion, but he didn’t care.

Janet answered him quickly. “It means she’s not getting the optimal oxygen she needs.” Looking back at the nurse awaiting instructions, she rattled them off. “Put on a nasal cannula running at 4L, start an I.V. and bolus 500cc’s of saline through the line, and take a BP every two minutes for the first 15 minutes, then every hour after that as long as she brings her pressure up. I also want you to draw blood for a CBC.” Janet turned around and took a breath, looking up into Jack’s worried face. “As long as we can get her pressure up and some fluid in her, she will be fine.”

Jack rubbed his right shoulder that he had been absent-mindedly holding. “When will she wake up?”

Janet eyed him carefully. “Sir, she’s exhausted to a point that her body is forcing her into a comatosed state. It’s should only be temporary…I expect her to wake up in a day or two.”

Jack didn’t want to ask the question, but he had to know. “And if she doesn’t?”

Janet placed her hands in her pockets. “Then I’ll order an EEG and a PET scan to determine if something else is going on. Unfortunately, we’ll just have to wait and see.” Looking at the shoulder he was holding, she continued. “Now, I want you to sit down and let me take a look at that shoulder. You could have possibly dislocated it again by carrying her.”

Jack protested. “I’m sure it’s fine, Doc. Just focus your attention on Carter for now.”

Janet’s voice rose up a notch. “Sit down, Colonel. That’s an order!”

Jack begrudgedly complied. Unable to take his eyes of Sam’s unconscious form, he allowed Janet to pull, poke and prod his shoulder carefully for any damage he might have done to it. When she finished, Jack looked up at her. “So, Doc, what’s the verdict?”

Janet crossed her arms over her chest. “Well, I’m going to put you back in that sling for at least another 24 hours. You haven’t dislocated it again, but you severely pulled some of the muscles around it that were trying to heal. You’re going to have some swelling, so I want you to ice it at least four times a day and take some Advil as needed for pain.”

Jack made eye contact with her and kept his voice low as he spoke up. “I’ll do what I can, but I’m not leaving here until she wakes up.”

Janet looked around them briefly and saw no one within listening range except for the nurse who had just finished taking a blood pressure on Sam. “Karen, can you go look in on Sergeant Mills for me? I’ll keep a watch on Major Carter’s condition until you get back.”

The nurse nodded. “Of course, Dr. Frasier.” Taking a moment to write down the most recent vitals for Sam on her chart, she walked to the door and left the room.

Janet knew she would be gone for a while since Sergeant Mills was in the isolation ward and need a complete check of his vitals and temperature. Bringing her hands together, she refocused her attention on Jack. “Sir, you have to trust me…you need your rest just as Sam does. When she wakes up, she’s going to need you healthy and not still suffering in pain from an injury you refuse to treat.”

Jack stood up and looked down at her. “Look, Janet, I appreciate your concern, but I’m not going to just go back home while she’s in here. Besides, it’s my fault that’s she’s even in here in the first place.”

Janet eyed him carefully. “And how do you figure that? You weren’t forcing her to keep all those long hours.”

Jack shook his head. “Maybe not, but after you called me and told me what was going on with her, I got here and could see how worn out she was…but I let her talk me into one more hour of work. If I had been more insistent, she…”

“Would still be here,” Janet said, interrupting him. “Jack, you can’t blame yourself for this. Sam’s collapsing was inevitable…so it was better that she was here instead of at your house or her own.” Taking a breath, she looked over at Sam and then back at Jack. “She needs her rest, and once she wakes up, I will insist that she take a few more days off to recuperate. And I’m going to depend on you to make sure she does that.”

Jack’s eyes floated over to Sam’s face, which was still so pale and lifeless, and he suddenly felt like crumbling. Trying to shake it off, he walked over to her bedside and carefully slipped his hand into hers, blocking the camera view with his body. Squeezing it gently, he finally answered Janet. “Just get her better, Janet. She’s my whole life.”

Janet moved over to stand beside him and placed a gentle hand on his arm. “Jack, it’s okay. She will get better…she’s suffered a lot worse than this.”

Jack ran a hand through his hair and sighed. “I know…I guess we’ve both been so busy recently that I just miss her terribly.” Lowering his voice to a bare whisper, he continued. “I love her.”

Janet gave his arm a gentle squeeze and then released it. “I’ll go check on Karen and give you a few minutes alone with her. But when I get back, please promise me that you’ll at least go to your quarters, get some rest, and take care of that shoulder. Okay?”

Jack just nodded. Pulling up a nearby stool, he sat down on it and continued to watch Sam’s face, hoping against hope that she would just open her eyes and give him a smile. As he heard Janet turn to go, Jack turned his head to the side. “Thanks, Doc.”

Janet gripped the doorway and looked back at them. She couldn’t help but envy the kind of amazing love that the two of them shared, but at the same time she felt incredibly sad that such a love had to be hidden from the world. But as she watched Jack’s commitment to the woman he loved, Janet made a promise to herself to talk to Daniel. She owed herself at least that much.

Sam slowly opened her eyes and waited for her vision to focus on her surroundings. As it did, she discovered that she was staring up at a ceiling that had become all too familiar to her and her team over the years...the infirmary. Feeling like her head was in a fog, she brought her hand up to her head and held it there for a minute.

“Hey, welcome back, sleepy head.”

Sam looked over at the familiar voice to find Jack sitting close by in a chair that had been pulled up next to her bedside. Scrunching her brow, she rubbed at her eyes before finally giving him a small smile. “Sir…what happened?”

Jack was relieved beyond words to hear her voice and see even a semblance of a smile. Giving her a half grin, he answered her. “Well, Carter, you took a two day nap. Apparently, you were a little tired.”

Sam couldn’t believe what she had just heard. Sitting up quickly, she suddenly got dizzy and gripped her head with her hands. Jack stood up and placed a hand on one of her arms. “Hey, easy does it. Like I said, you’ve been asleep for a while.”

Sam used the firm, reassuring pressure of Jack’s touch to get a grip on her reaction. After a moment, she dropped her hands and looked up at him. “What happened? The last thing I remember is you were getting ready to take…escort me home.”

Jack nodded. “Yeah, well in the process of doing that, you collapsed on me and I took you here. Luckily, the Doc hadn’t left yet and she was able to stabilize you.”

Sam shook her head. “Stabilize me? Was I that bad off?”

Jack’s eyes remembered the initial intense moments in the infirmary. “To say the least…I’ll let Doc fill you in on the details, but apparently you worked yourself into some sort of coma-like state. Needless to say, you gave us a little scare.”

Sam could tell Jack had been unnerved by the whole situation and was worried about her. She was about to try and quietly reassure him, along with asking more details about what happened when Daniel walked in. Seeing that she was awake, Sam and Jack watched as a slow smile lit up his expression. “Sam, thank God! We were beginning to fear the worst.” Walking up to the other side of her bed, he beamed down at her. “It’s great to see you awake.”

Sam smiled up at him. “Thanks, Daniel. It’s good to be awake. I really didn’t mean to give everyone so much trouble.”

Jack couldn’t resist. “Yes, well that’s what happens when one works too much and doesn’t listen to her commanding officer who was telling her to take some time off.”

Sam gave him a sarcastic smile. “Sir, you know that I had to get that project done. It wasn’t something that I could just stop in the middle of.”

Jack looked over at Daniel and then back at her. “Well apparently your body didn’t agree with you...it’s just amazing that it allowed you to finish before it collapsed.”

“I have to agree with him, Sam.” Sam looked over to find that Janet had appeared at the foot of her bed, giving her a soft smile while holding a medical chart, along with a stern expression. “You’re incredibly resilient and very lucky. You could have done a lot more harm to yourself than you realize.” Janet looked at both Jack and Daniel, taking a few extra seconds to give Daniel a subtle smile that Sam noticed was just for him.

Sam held up her hands. “Alright…I get everyone’s point. I’m sorry that I put each of you through so much worry. I promise to take it easier.”

Janet moved around Daniel and got her stethoscope out. Placing it in her ears, she proceeded to check Sam’s breathing while assessing the monitors. A few moments later, she draped the stethoscope around her neck and placed her hands in her lab coat. Looking down at Sam, she spoke up, giving her a serious look. “You will take it easier, Sam. I’m putting you on leave for the next two days. I’d like it to be longer, but apparently General Hammond has another mission in mind for your team and wants you back on duty. But for the next two days, I don’t want to see your face anywhere near this base. Understood?”

Sam nodded. “I promise, Janet.”

Janet looked over at Jack. “I’m going to keep her here for another few hours, Sir, for observation. After that, I’ll release her. Can you still see that she gets home okay?”

Jack nodded. “Not to worry, Doc. Carter here is going to behave…even if I have to personally babysit her.” Giving Sam a coy smile, he stood up. “I’ll be back in a few hours. I’ve got some paperwork on my desk that won’t quite nagging me. Just give me a call when she’s ready to go.”

Janet nodded. “We’ll do, Sir.”

Sam gave Jack a soft smile as he walked to the doorway. Turning around, Jack was relieved to see that wonderful light shining in her eyes again. The last thing he wanted to do was paperwork, but he knew he couldn’t stay the whole time until she was ready to go or the rumors would start to fly. Besides, he had plans to firm up before they left, and he found himself hoping that Sam would enjoy them as much as he was looking forward to surprising her with them.

After Jack had left, Daniel looked over at Sam. “Well, I’d better let you get your rest. I’ll stop by and see you later before you leave. Oh, and Teal’c said to tell you he hopes you will be better soon. He’s visiting his son off world and found out about what happened during a standard radio check-in.”

Sam took his hand and gave it a squeeze. “Thanks, Daniel.” She watched as he made his exit, and noticed that he didn’t leave before glancing back at Janet and giving her a smile.

Janet, who had been giving orders to a nurse for a fellow patient, walked back over to Sam’s bedside and gave her a gentler look. “So, a few things have happened since you decided to involuntarily leave us for a few days.”

Sam gave her friend a smile. “I gathered that much. I take it you finally sought out Daniel and were able to talk to him?”

Janet pulled up the chair Jack had been sitting in and sat down. Taking a breath, she nodded. “Yes…but that’s the funny thing. I didn’t have time to seek him out. He was the one who found me.”

Sam sat up a little straighter in her bed. “Really? What did he say?”

Janet kept her voice as low as possible as she talked. “Well, I can’t give you all the details here, but basically we’re going to give it another try.” Feeling as giddy as a schoolgirl, she continued. “We’ve both agreed we need to take it slow, but it’s a start in the right direction.”

Sam gave her a smile. “I’d say so. So what made him come to you now? I guess I’m surprised since you’d already told him you were seeing someone.”

Janet thought on her question for a moment before answering her. “I really can’t say exactly what motivated him, other than the fact that he said he needed to work through his feelings for me and just wanted to talk.” Taking a moment to look around the infirmary, Janet noticed they were basically alone with the exception of one other patient, who was asleep at the opposite end of the room.

Wanting to give Sam more details, she continued. “He showed up in my office yesterday and asked if I wanted to grab some lunch off base. I’ll admit I never expected him to say that he had remembered feelings for me…but basically that’s what he did. He told me that as his memories have returned, or rather the ones he’s been allowed to remember, he discovered that his heart hadn’t forgotten the times we’d shared before…he’d died. He knew that I was dating someone, but wanted to be honest with me that if things didn’t work out, he’d like to try again.”

Sam could see how happy Janet was and she was happy for her. “So I take it you told him about the coincidence that you had only just recently broken it off with Brian?”

Janet sat back. “Yes.”

Sam gave her a direct look. “Did you tell him you broke it off with Brian because of him?”

Janet, lost in thought for a moment over the pain she had caused Brian, looked up. Nodding her head, she gave Sam a small smile. “He was as surprised as I was at him offering up his feelings.” Sighing, she continued. “I still feeling very guilty over hurting Brian like I did, but I now know that I made the right choice.”

Sam sat up carefully and reached out for her friend’s hand and took it. “Janet, I can’t begin to say either way if you made the right choice or not; only you know that answer. But as a casual observer, I think you did the right thing.” Giving Janet’s hand a gentle squeeze, she waited for a response.

Janet smiled. “Thanks, Sam. I needed to hear that from someone other than myself.”

Sam nodded. “That’s what friends are for.” Letting go of her hand, Sam settled back into her pillow. “So…when’s your first official date?”

Janet stood up. “That hasn’t been officially decided yet, but…” Janet hesitated, not sure how to phrase her next sentence.

Sam suddenly got a broad smile on her face. Keeping her voice low, she spoke up. “He kissed you, didn’t he?!”

Janet could feel the blush rising on her cheeks. “No,” she said almost timidly, “I kissed him.”

Sam couldn’t help but let out a little soft laughter. “That’s great, Janet.”

Janet just smiled down at her friend. “What’s so funny?”

Sam just shook her head as she continued to smile. “It just seems appropriate, knowing Daniel as I do. I’m sure you swept him off his feet!”

Janet couldn’t help but laugh herself. “I guess I kind of did.”

Enjoying a few more moments of laughter together, Janet finally looked at her watch. “Well, I suppose I should make rounds on the patients in the other wards.” Giving her a more serious look, Janet continued. “Please get some rest, Sam. I want you to do nothing over the next few days even remotely related to work. Promise?”

Sam nodded. “I promise…but I’m sure you have nothing to worry about. I’m taking the Colonel’s threat of babysitting very seriously.” Giving Janet a wink, she watched as Janet turned and left, with a decisively happier step to her walk. Closing her eyes, her thoughts turned to Jack and the fact that she couldn’t wait to get out of here just to be alone with him. Janet’s affections for Daniel had stirred her soul to inspiration, and it caused her own body to long for Jack in a way that would make the next few hours very hard to get through.

That night, Sam found herself comfortably lounging in Jack’s arms as they sat on the couch cuddled together watching a show she was only half listening to. Ever since escorting her off the base and bringing her home, Jack had done nothing but wait on her hand and foot, along with the occasional stern yet loving reminder to stay put where she was.

She had watched him pad around her kitchen, making them a basic dinner of hamburgers, fries, and some mixed veggies for good measure. And then she’d watched him wash the dishes, and with a white dish towel draped over his shoulder, it made him undeniably sexy as the steam from the hot water waffled up around him. And after sharing a piece of divinely rich dark chocolate cake, and enjoying a now half empty glass of red wine, Sam was sure nothing else could make her as happy and content as she was at that moment.

Turning her body in order to get a better vantage point on his face, she laid her head on his left arm as she looked up into his eyes. “So,” she said, her vocal cords relaxed and almost purring, “where exactly are we going tomorrow?”

Jack looked down at her and gave her a half grin. “I guess you’re just going to have to wait and find out. After all, what’s the point of a surprise if I tell you?”

Sam gave him a coy smile. “Because you love me and you don’t want to watch me agonizing all night over what you have planned up your sleeve.” As if to demonstrate her point, she began to inch her fingers up under the cuff of his long-sleeved flannel shirt and up his arm.

Jack’s opposite hand came to rest upon hers that was tracing up his arm. Shaking his head and smiling, he pushed her hand back down his arm until her fingers were free to intertwine with his own. “I do love you, but it’s not going to happen, Carter. A surprise is a surprise…no matter how many times you give me those doe eyes…remember, I’m trained in special ops…I can withstand a lot of torture.”

One of Sam’s eyebrows made an arc. “Really?” Giving him a secret smile, she released her hand from his and used her fingers to begin unbuttoning his shirt. Not saying a word, she exposed his flesh underneath and began lightly tracing patterns on his stomach with her fingertips. Her touch was like a soft feather, and it forced Jack to tighten the muscles in his abdomen, revealing his toned body.

Looking up at him briefly and giving him a wicked smile, she proceeded to repeat the pattern that her fingers had just traced, except this time it was with her lips and tongue. Jack’s head began to swim as he continued to watch her, and he found his desire rising steadily. When Jack felt her fingertips undoing his jeans, he couldn’t help but allow a little moan to escape his lips. “It’s not going to work, Sam…” Jack began to say before he was quickly cut off as her lips found his in a lightning fast move.

Pushing him back on the couch, she devoured his mouth with hers as she moved his jeans away from his hips, working her tongue into every part of his mouth. After a few moments of exchanging incredible kisses, Sam pulled back and smiled as she saw the ultimate desire written all over his face. Moving back down below his navel, she proceeded to use her lips to trace an erotic pattern around his manhood that had him moaning for more.

Sam found her own body at the breaking point. She wanted his touch…she wanted him inside of her, pounding out their desires together. Yet though her brain was in a dense fog, she managed to hear the little reminder of why she’d started down this path. Using all her will power, she pulled back, sat up on the couch and just looked at him with a curt smile on her face.

After a moment, Jack suddenly realized the absence of her touch and looked up. He was about to ask what was wrong until he saw the look of triumph on her face. “You’ve got to be kidding me, Sam! You’re not that cruel!”

Sam just shook her head. “You’re forcing my hand…besides, I thought you could endure a lot of torture.” She couldn’t help but allow her smile to grow as she saw the exasperation on his face. “Just tell me what surprises you have in store for me…”. Almost in the blink of an eye, Jack lunged forward and tackled her, holding her protectively against him as they rolled to the ground.

Pinning her to the floor beneath them, Jack hovered over her with a smile. “I have a lot in store for you, but the only surprise you’re going to get tonight is this…” And without another word, his mouth found hers and moved her fiery passion and desire to new heights as he explored every inch of her body, tearing clothes off as he went. After Jack had her withering in pain from the desire that was moving through her body, he took her in one swift motion. With both of their bodies to the breaking point, their climactic crescendo only took moments as colors exploded before their eyes when their pent up passion was released.

Lying in the aftermath of incredible lovemaking, Sam snuggled in close to Jack’s now sweaty body, listening to his heartbeat as it returned to a more normal rhythm. Kissing the place on his chest where his heart was, she looked up at Jack and smiled. “That was amazing. I didn’t mean to be so cruel, but I guess it ended up not being such a bad thing. The only thing I didn’t accomplish was discovering what you have planned.”

Jack couldn’t help but chuckle as he kissed the top of her head. “You’ll just have to wait, Sam. As for the torture…well, I warned you I could take it.” Moving his hands down lower to her sides, Jack continued. “But honestly, I think you deserve a little punishment for what you tried to do to me.”

Sam looked up at him with a renewed desire in her eyes. “And what punishment do you have in mind, Sir?”

Jack just smiled and shook his head. “Not quite what’s obviously on your mind!” And taking his fingers, he began to mercilessly tickle her. Through laughter, shouts, pleas, and a light wrestling match, Jack finally relented and he scooped her up off the floor into his arms as they both tried to catch their breath.

Kissing her, he carried her into the bedroom and laid her down on the soft comforter. Moving over her, he kissed her again, but this time it was incredibly light and sensual, sending butterflies throughout Sam’s stomach as he released her mouth and looked into her eyes.

“I love you, Sam…now and always.” Jack’s voice was deep with emotion, and Sam felt incredibly lucky to have such an amazing man in her life.

With tears in the corners of her eyes, Sam touched his face with her fingertips. “And I love you, Jack O’Neill…so much...more than I ever thought was possible.” And then she captured his lips and the night moved forward…to the rhythm of their lovemaking, to the rhythm of their hearts, and then finally to the easy rhythm of their breathing as they faded into a peaceful sleep in each other’s arms.

“Jack, it’s spectacular!” Sam’s voice was as happy and carefree as he’d had heard it in a long time.

Smiling to himself that his first surprise seemed to be a success, Jack drew his arms around her from behind and snuggled in close. Looking over her shoulder, the world seemed to go on forever. But the most astounding and remarkable thing to him was the utter peace that surrounded them. From his current vantage point, the world suddenly seemed to appeared to belong to them, and there were no rules or regulations from keeping the love they secretly shared away from the eyes of others.

Dressed in sweaters, jeans, and full winter coats, the cold air blew quietly past their face, making every nerve in their exposed skin feel alive and renewed. Sam leaned her head back against Jack’s chest and took in the skyline before her. The sun had just breached the horizon, and the blazing orange and red rays sparkled brightly, holding the promise for a warmer day. It was the end of March, and though winter still had its hold on their surroundings, spring was trying to push its way through like the multicolored tulips that had emerged from beneath the dirt only weeks before.

Sam inhaled deeply, the clean air cleansing her lungs, and she let out a contented sigh that warmed her to her soul. “Jack, thank you for this…I never knew it could be so peaceful up here.”

Jack curled his lips into a small, satisfied smile as he kissed the top of her head and then rested his chin on it. “Yeah, well, it’s a little different when you’re not flying and navigating an aircraft.” Jack had booked a hot air balloon ride in hopes of giving Sam a break from reality, and as they continued floating through the clear morning sky, he was slowly discovering it was having the same effect for him. Neither of them had ever been up in a balloon before, and he was enjoying experiencing something so unique with her for the very first time.

After a moment, Jerry, their pilot for this trip, spoke up. “Beggin’ your pardon, but are you both airline pilots? I wasn’t trying to eavesdrop on your conversation, but I couldn’t help but overhear you mentioning navigation. These old ears tend to pick up on anything that has to do with flying.” Jerry was an older man in his 70’s who had obviously been enjoying his sunset years flying people around the Colorado landscape in balloons of all different colors and shapes.

Jack turned his head and looked over at Jerry. Jack had liked him immediately upon meeting him, with his gentle demeanor reminding him of his grandfather. When he had booked their flight, Jack had been impressed with his knowledge of balloon travel, and felt confident in placing their lives in his hands. Not that he was afraid of anything happening, but he wanted the best experience possible for Sam, and he was happy to see they were getting it.

Giving Jerry a smile, Jack looked at Sam before answering him. “You could say that.”

Jerry gave them both a smile. “If it’s not too much to ask of you, what airline do you fly for?”

At Jack’s hesitation, Sam spoke up. “Actually, I fly commercial and Jack’s in the Air Force.” Sam glanced up at Jack briefly, giving him a quick smile and applying gentle pressure to his hand that she was holding.

Jack immediately followed Sam’s train of thought. Since Jerry was a pilot, and more than likely ex-military given his age, he would know the rules and regulations of the Air Force. And since it was obvious that he and Sam were more than friends, Sam’s little fib was the most appropriate thing she could do. Giving her hand a quick squeeze back, Jack waited for Jerry’s response.

Jerry’s face lit up. “Well, I’ll be! I’m an ex-military man myself…also Air Force; was in the service for over 15 years before I got a late start on a more settled family life with my late wife and kids.” Looking over at Sam, he gave her a kind smile. “I also flew commercial for a few years after leaving the military, but then I discovered ballooning, and have been doing that ever since.”

Sam gave him a soft smile. “It’s obvious you love what you do. We’re happy to have you as our pilot for this trip.”

Jerry nodded and tipped his hat to her. “Much obliged, ma’am.” Giving the burner another pull for a short burst of flames that lasted a few seconds, he looked back at Sam and Jack, who had become wrapped in each other’s arms again. “Not that I’m trying to pry, but are the two of you married? I only asked because you remind me of my wife and me way back when…I remember that look of love like it was yesterday.”

Sam and Jack looked briefly at each other, realizing that it was too late to try and conceal their feelings for each other. After a moment, Sam reached beneath the neckline of her sweater and pulled out her dogtags. Holding onto the ring that Jack had given her, she suddenly realized what she’d done as she held it up for Jerry to see. “We’re promised to each other,” Sam said, pausing only for a quick breath. “I wear it with his dogtags to keep him even closer to my heart when we’re apart.”

Sam could feel Jack’s eyes on her, and when she looked up at him, the only thing she saw was an intense passion burning in his eyes for her as he gave her a gentle smile. As if to emphasize what she was seeing, Jack bent his head down and quickly gave her a fleeting kiss that left her lips warm and wanting more.

Jerry smiled. “Love is a wonderful thing. My wife and I had 48 wonderful years before she passed away.”

Jack felt a pang of remembrance at Charlie’s death as he stood there and watched the emotions wash over Jerry’s face and then disappear again like the sun coming out from beneath a wispy cloud. Clearing his throat, Jack spoke up. “We’re sorry for your loss. How long ago did she die?”

Jerry busied himself with the burner for a moment and then looked back at them. They could see the hint of sadness in his eyes, and Jack knew from experience that that empty place would always be there in some capacity. “It’s been a little over a year and a half,” Jerry said with emotion in his voice, “but it always feels like yesterday.” Giving them a sad smile, he suddenly sniffed and then brightened his expression. “I do apologize. I find that in an older age, it’s easier to get lost in your troubles. Forgive me…it is not my intention to bring you down. Besides, we’re missing all that beautiful scenery…and that’s something I never tire of seeing.”

Sam gave him a warm smile and looked out at the horizon, which was now warmly lit by the sun. “I can see why you wouldn’t…it’s beautiful.”

For the next few hours, they drifted east with the wind, following the Arkansas River as Jerry pointed out unique landmarks and told them a little about the history of the area. As they went, Sam and Jack became more comfortable displaying their love for each other in front of Jerry, and though it felt incredibly foreign, it was also a tremendous feeling of freedom which gave them a real sense of what it was like to be a couple in love for the entire world to see.

Since they had started out as dawn was breeching the horizon, it was only around 0830 hours when Jerry began making his slow decent to the spot where the assigned chase vehicle was supposed to meet them and drive them back to where they had started. Jerry had been chattering on happily about their surroundings, and then began switching his tone to what was going to go on during the landing process when he suddenly got a strange expression on his face.

The sudden silence had both Sam and Jack looking in his direction. Jack spoke up first. “Jerry? What’s wrong?”

Jerry suddenly gripped the basket they were in with one hand, and placed a clutched fist on his chest. Breathing heavily, he shook his head, not really looking at any one thing. “I don’t know…my chest…I’ve got this pain…almost as if someone is standing on it.” Without warning, he dropped to his knees, just as Sam dove forward to keep him from crumpling into a pile on the ground. Carefully laying him down, they both hovered over him as he turned increasingly pale.

Sam took her hand and shook him on the shoulder. “Jerry! Can you hear me?!” Just then, he lost all consciousness to the world. Sam looked up at Jack, who was on the other side of Jerry. “I think he’s had a massive heart attack!”

As Sam positioned his head to listen for any breathing, Jack stood up and looked out at the rapidly approaching landscape below them. “Crap!” Looking back down at Sam, he spoke up. “Carter, how do you fly this thing? Please tell me in your arsenal of knowledge that you know how to fly a hot air balloon!”

Sam, who had begun CPR, looked up at him as she did her chest compressions. “Sorry, Sir, but I’ve never even been in one of these things, as you know.” Not even recognizing the fact that she’d used his formal title, their bodies went into military mode within a fraction of a second.

Jack looked up at the burner that Jerry had been pulling on. “Okay, well I assume this will give us altitude…it’s what got us going in the first place.” Pulling on the string, the burner came to life, hissing out flames into the center of the balloon. After a few seconds, Jack released the string and was happy to see that they had gained a small amount of elevation.

Just then, a two-way radio could be heard crackling to life. As Sam continued CPR, Jack reached down inside Jerry’s coat pocket and pulled out his radio. He was about to speak into it when a voice drifted over the wavelengths. “Jerry! What’s going on? You’re moving past the landing site and drifting down at too fast a rate!”

Jack clicked on the radio. “Jack O’Neill here…unfortunately, Jerry appears to have had a heart attack. We’re attempting to give him CPR, but neither one of us know how to fly this damn thing. I’m hoping you can give us some instruction…”

The male voice responded almost instantly. “Oh my God! Um, okay…let me think…since you’re already past the landing point, you’re going to have to obtain some altitude again and look for another place to set down. Pull on the burner for at least five seconds for the first few bursts, but don’t pull too hard because we don’t want to increase the frequency of the burn too much or your climb won’t be efficient. Hang on..”

The radio clicked off, and Jack looked down at Sam, who hadn’t had any success in her efforts. Squatting down, he kept his voice as steady as he could. “Any progress?”

Sam looked up at him as she started another round of compressions. “No pulse yet…I’ll keep trying.”

Jack could see that she was getting worn out, and was about to offer trading jobs when the radio clicked on again. “Are you there?”

Jack responded. “Reading you loud and clear.” Standing up, he gave the burner another good pull.

The voice answered back. “We’ve looked at your current position in conjunction with the map, and if you can manage to keep her going in the same direction, you should come across a small clearing behind a treeline just south of your position.”

Jack clicked on the radio. “Okay…but how do we land this thing?”

The man answered him. “When you start to see the clearing, you’ll need to deliver smaller and quicker bursts to the burner at a higher frequency. This will give you a little more accuracy in landing as long as the thermals and downdrafts aren’t too strong.”

Jack shook his head as he clicked on the radio. “What does that mean?”

The radio answered back. “There’s no time to explain…we’re going to lose our signal here in a few minutes. Just deliver the short bursts…this will help you to descend. With any luck, the chase team will be there before you get there. How’s Jerry?”

Jack looked down at their pilot, who was beginning to turn grey. “Not good…you should go ahead and call for an ambulance.”

The man responded. “Got it…we’ll get there….” The radio suddenly began to give off a lot of static and then completely faded out the voice that had been their guide. Jack pocketed the radio and looked out in the direction they were going. Giving the balloon another burn, he turned around to find Sam checking for a pulse. “Anything?”

Sam looked up at him with a sad expression in her eyes. “Sorry, Sir, but he’s gone…there’s nothing more I can do for him.” Wiping at a small tear that had escaped for the man who’d given them a few hours of freedom for their hearts, she took her fingers and closed Jerry’s eyes. Reaching for one of the blankets that had been stocked in the basket, she covered him and then stood up.

Jack, giving the burner another pull, reached out and took her hand, helping her to step over the body. Enfolding her in his arms immediately, he kissed the side of her head and gave her a gentle squeeze. “You did all you could. Look at it this way…he died doing what he loved.”

Sam’s lips curled into a small, sad smile. “I guess he will finally be able to see his wife again.”

Jack pulled back and looked into her face. Giving her a quick smile, he nodded. “Yeah…I just wish that he could have waited until we were on the ground to join her.”

Sam tried to shake off her sadness. Looking out ahead of them, she spoke up. “I caught a bit of what was being said. Is that the treeline in the distance?”

Jack gave the burner another pull and peered out into the horizon. Shaking his head, he looked over at her. “I guess…but then you know as much about this as I do. Any idea on when we should start delivering those short bursts?”

Sam moved forward and looked over the edge of the basket. “Well, we’ve got to be at least 3000 feet off the ground…and if that is the clearing up ahead, you should be able to start delivering them now.”

Jack looked at the distance they still had to go and then down at the ground. “Really? It’s not that I’m doubting you, but…”

Sam interrupted. “Jack, remember that this is not my specialty, but with the speed we’re going, and with the distance we’ve achieved from the ground, it’s going to take us some time to descend. And we don’t want to miss our landing spot again. The thermals he was talking about have to do with vertical columns of air that come about as the ground temperature increases. As the day goes on, the thermals will become more intense and make it next to impossible to land the balloon without crashing. That’s one of the reasons we had to start out so early.”

Jack pulled on the burner and gave a short burst to the balloon. Within moments, they felt a very slight descent to their position. Looking over at Sam, he spoke up. “Do you want to do this? You seem to have a better idea about this than I do.”

Sam looked up at him and gave him a reassuring smile. “You’re doing fine…just keep giving them off about every 20 to 30 seconds.” Giving him a kiss on the cheek, she continued. “If anyone can get us on the ground, it’s Colonel Jack O’Neill.”

Jack gave her a half grin. “Yeah, well let’s hope I can hold up to my reputation.” Placing a kiss on her lips, he looked into her eyes. “Sorry about all of this…my plans for us today didn’t include crash landing a balloon into a field.”

Sam smiled up at him. “With our history, I almost would expect nothing less. But at least we’re experiencing it together.” Taking his hand, she gave it a squeeze as she looked out ahead of them.

Jack delivered another short burst to the balloon and pulled her closer. “Well, I’ve got a lot more planned for you today, so we’re going to make it through this. It’s not everyday that I get you completely to myself to where you can’t just run back to the base if they should call on you.”

Pulling on the burner, they continued their gradual descent as the treeline and now partially visible clearing continued to grow closer on the horizon. After only 10 more minutes, they were able to see the entire clearing and could almost touch the tops of the trees. Without any sign of the chase team having arrived yet, Jack looked at the upcoming last row of trees that they had to clear and debated about pulling on the burner again.

“Carter,” he said, “are you sure we’re not too low?”

Sam looked out ahead of them. Shaking her head, she responded. “We can’t go any higher. If we do, we’ll end up in the trees on the other side of the clearing. We’re just going to have to hope we don’t collide with those trees.”

Jack gripped the basket harder. “Yeah, well, we’re about to find out. Hold onto something!”

Just as he said that, the basket skimmed the first tree, brushing past it. As they went, the basket dropped a little lower, causing more of the trees to collide with the basket. With the impact of the trees causing the basket to partially spin and shake, Sam and Jack were unable to see the final tree in their path. When they struck it, the impact caused them both to lose their footing. Sam fell over Jerry’s body, slamming her right side into the floor of the basket, while Jack hit his tailbone.

Sam shouted out at Jack. “Jack! Grab the cord! If we don’t give the balloon a little altitude, we’re going to slam into the ground!!” As she tried to get up, she watched Jack regain his footing, swearing under his breath as he went. He had just delivered another short burst, followed by another, when he yelled back at Sam.

“Hang on! We’re going to hit!!” As Jack braced himself against the basket, it hit with a sound impact that sent them both reeling. The basket bounced once, rose up in the air, and then set down again, this time catching its corner on the ground, causing the basket to tilt over on its side.

Jack and Sam held on for dear life as the basket continued to drag on the ground for a short distance before finally coming to a sudden stop. The abrupt halt forced Jack to lose his grip, and along with Jerry’s body, they rolled out of the basket and onto the ground, dangerously close to the burner, which was still hot from its recent use. Getting up as quickly as possible, Jack drug Jerry out of the way of the balloon; he didn’t want his body in the way of the balloon in case a gust of wind should decide to put it back in motion again.

Running back to the basket, Jack was relieved to see Sam crawling out shaken but unharmed. Taking her hand, he pulled her away from the basket and into his embrace. “Hey…you okay,” he asked her, gently gripping either side of her face with his hands in order to see for himself.

Sam nodded. “I think so…nice landing.”

Jack couldn’t help but smile. “Well, I tried as best I could to give you a memorable one.”

Sam laughed. “Well, you succeeded.”

Just then, a van pulling a trailer emerged out of the trees from an unseen road and came to a stop not far from them. Sam and Jack waited as the frazzled driver and three other people piled out of the van. Deciding they didn’t need to discover Jerry’s death by first seeing the body, Sam and Jack walked towards them.

The man who had been driving spoke up first. “Hey,” he said, slightly out of breath, “you must be O’Neill. I’m Shawn, the voice on the other end of the radio.”

As Shawn extended a hand, Jack took it and gripped it firmly. “Jack O’Neill. Thanks for the assistance. It wasn’t the smoothest landing possible, but we made it in one piece.”

Shawn nodded and wearily looked over in the direction where Jerry was lying. “And Jerry…how is he?”

Jack crossed his arms over his chest and squinted in the sun as he looked at the young man before him. “I’m sorry, Shawn, but he didn’t make it. Sam suspects he had a massive heart attack, and though she attempted CPR for quite a while, nothing would have saved him.”

Shawn and the men with him were overcome with saddened expressions, and a few even skirted their eyes to the ground. It was obvious that he hadn’t just been well liked by Sam and Jack, and they both felt sorry for the crew who must have worked with him for a long time.

Shawn sadly shook his head. “God…he was like a father to all of us. He loved ballooning so much…taught us all how to do it, though no one was better than Jerry.” Taking a moment to collect himself, he looked up at them with watery eyes. “I called the ambulance…it should be here soon.”

Sam took her hand and placed it lightly on Shawn’s arm. “We’re both very sorry for your loss…I did all I could.”

Shawn gave her a sad smile. “I’m sure you did. I guess it was just his time to go…but thank you for trying.” Sighing heavily, he quickly wiped at his eyes and glanced back at the rest of his crew, who were also trying to collect themselves before looking back at Sam and Jack. “Um, you’ll have to give us a little while. We need to pack up the balloon and of course wait for the ambulance…but then we’ll drive you back to the starting point.”

Jack nodded. “Let us know how we can help.”

Shawn gave him an easier smile. “Thanks. Sorry your trip ended up this way, but at least you got to fly with the best.”

Sam and Jack looked at each other briefly and then back at Shawn. “He was a great man and a true inspiration, and we’ll never forget our trip or what we learned from him.”

Pulling their efforts together, they managed to get the balloon packed up and were in the process of putting it in the trailer when the ambulance finally found them. Thirty minutes later they were on the road and headed back to where they started. Huddled quietly together in the back of the van, Sam and Jack kept any conversation to themselves, allowing for the ballooning team to begin to deal with the great loss before them and the new direction they, as a team, were going to have to take. They knew from their experience of losing Daniel that each one of them would have their own emotions to work through, depending on their connection with Jerry, and Sam and Jack weren’t about to interfere with that.

Three and a half hours later, Sam and Jack found themselves sitting opposite each other at a picnic table, shaded by a large, old oak tree. After arriving back at Jack’s truck with the ballooning team, Sam and Jack had repeated their condolences at Jerry’s unexpected passing and then got into his truck and left them to begin finding a way to deal with their new reality.

It had taken almost two hours to drive back in the van to the starting point, and though it had been a tragic start to their day, they’d both agreed to go on with the plans that Jack had made for them. They owed it to Jerry to live their day and their time together to the fullest. So after they’d been on the road for a few minutes, Jack informed Sam of his plan to take her to lunch atop one of the most notable peaks in the country…Pikes Peak.

Having already planned for lunch, Jack had all the picnicking supplies they’d need in the back of his truck, with the exception of anything cold, which they’d picked up on their way before heading up the mountain. It had only taken about 20 minutes to reach the top, and though they had been hoping to be one of the only ones up there since it was still just the end of March, they were both surprised to find quite a few people enjoying the day and the view with them. Though snow still lightly blanketed the ground in places and the air held a chill, the weather had been warming steadily over the past few weeks, and Sam and Jack found themselves enjoying an early season spring day.

So after finding the most secluded part of the recreational area, they laid out their lunch spread on the picnic table and sat down to enjoy lunch. As Sam placed the final fixings on the sandwich she was making for Jack, she looked up to find him watching her with a subtle smile. “And what are you smiling at?” Sam asked Jack, giving him a small wink.

Jack took the sandwich she handed him as he continued to smile at her. “Nothing really…it’s just we need to do this more often.”

“Which part?”

Jack shrugged. “All of it…as long as you’re the one with me, it doesn’t really matter.”

Sam smiled and sighed. Looking down at her sandwich, she picked up a carrot stick that was next to it and popped it in her mouth. “I could definitely get used to days like this one,” she said after a moment. “It just seems like the time we do get together gets shorter and more sporadic all the time.”

Jack reached across the table and took her hand. Giving it a squeeze, he took a moment before answering. “Sam, you do know I’m still willing to throw in the towel…just say the word and I’ll retire with just the blink of your pretty eye. Then we could have as many of these days as you’d like.”

Sam squeezed his hand back and smiled. “I love you, Jack, and I can’t tell you how much I appreciate your willingness to give up your career for me. But you know I can’t let you do that…at least not right now. We’re just going to have to be patient and hope that someday, our time will come when we’ll be able to share all of our days together.”

Jack looked into her eyes for a moment, cherishing what he saw there…an uncompromised, sincere love that left him breathless at least once every day that he was given. “We will get that chance, along with those days…I promise you that.” Releasing her hand, he opened up a bottle of water and poured both of them part of it into two paper cups. After handing her cup to her, he lifted his own in a toast. “Here’s to our future and making it happen sooner than later.”

Sam nodded and tapped her cup to his. “Cheers.” Taking a drink, she looked out over the beautiful view to the left of them and pointed out to an adjacent mountaintop. “Do you see that mountain over there?”

Jack glanced over at it and then back at Sam. “Yes, ma’am.”

Sam folded her hands under her chin looked at him. “Well, you picked a perfect spot for such an inspirational toast.”

Jack raised his brow in interest. “And why is that?”

Sam smiled sweetly. “Because that is the very spot where another great inspiration took place and resulted in a national treasure.” Seeing that Jack had yet to figure out what she was referring too, she went on. “Katharine Lee Bates, who wrote ‘America the Beautiful’, was inspired to write the song while looking at this very mountain that we’re on…or rather what she refers to in the song as ‘purple mountain majesty’”.

Jack picked up his drink and smiled. “Really? I guess I’m quite the planner when it comes to lunch dates.”

Sam leaned in a little closer. “I would have to agree. You’ve really done an amazing job with our day today, Jack.”

Jack leaned in a little closer too. “It’s not over with yet. By the end of today, you won’t even have a thought about the base. No Stargate, no mission, no problems to fix, and not even any thoughts on any other personnel, including Teal’c and Daniel.” With that said, he took a drink of his water just as an all too familiar voice resounded in his ears.

“Did I hear my name?”

Jack and Sam both froze in place. As Sam slowly looked over, Jack swallowed the water he’d just taken like a hard rock in his throat and followed Sam’s lead. And there before them stood Daniel with Janet at his side.

Daniel adjusted his glasses and gave them a funny look. “Hey guys! What’s up? We didn’t exactly expect to meet you both up here.”

Jack, who couldn’t think beyond the shock of being caught with Sam outside of work, didn’t know what to say. Sam, who wasn’t doing much better, was trying to quickly find the best answer while trying to keep her facial expression as normal as possible. But before she had a chance to open her mouth, Janet answered for her.

Placing a light hand on Daniel’s arm, Janet responded to Daniel with a light smile on her face. “Well actually, Daniel, they’re probably here because of me. You see, I ordered Sam to takes a few days off, as you know, and that included time away from the base. I’d asked the Colonel here to make sure she followed my instructions.”

Jack snapped out of his shock and followed Janet’s lead. “That’s about the sum of it…but I found that Carter here was being too tempted by work that was stashed away in her house, so I decided to babysit her up here…where it wasn’t an easily accessible.” Glancing over at Sam, he then continued. “What about you two?”

Now it was Janet and Daniel’s time to look uncomfortable. “Well,” Janet said with hesitation, “we’re, well, we’re on…”

Daniel finished for her. “We’re on a date.”

Jack raised his brow. “Really?

Sam instantly smiled and directed a look at Janet, who returned her gaze. “And how’s its going?”

Janet did her best to suppress a big grin. After composing herself, she spoke up. “We’ll have to let you know. We’re just getting started.”

Daniel adjusted his stance uncomfortably. “Janet was looking a bit stressed out, so when I suggested going out to eat, she brought up the idea of coming up here for a picnic.”

Jack looked over at Janet and gave her a careful look. Clearing his throat, he glanced over at Sam and then stood up. “You know…I just remembered something I left in my truck.” Looking down at Sam, he continued. “I’ll be right back…and behave yourself, Carter. I know how you and Daniel can get on topics that will definitely take your brain out of the relaxation zone.”

Daniel gave him a funny look. “The relaxation zone, Jack?”

Jack shrugged as he moved past him. “It’s a work in progress, Daniel…just go with it.”

As he passed by Janet, he gave her another look, one that she finally took as the hint he was trying to get across. “Um, Daniel, I just remembered I left my cell phone in the car.” Giving him a smile, she nodded in the direction they’d just come from. “I’ll be right back. I’d better have it in case the infirmary calls.”

Daniel nodded and gave her a smile. “Maybe you need to take some of your own advice.”

“Haha,” Janet said, taking her hand and brushing a small piece of a leaf off Daniel’s coat. “I’ll be right back.” Looking at Sam, she went on. “And keep the conversation light you two!”

Sam and Daniel watched as Janet and Jack moved off towards the vehicles. “Well,” Daniel said after a moment, “mind if I sit down?”

Sam gave him a smile. “Not at all.”

As Daniel sat down and he and Sam struck up a conversation, Janet casual caught up with Jack. “You wanted to see me?”

Jack waited for a few more steps to ensure they were out of earshot before answering her. “You know, Doc, when you made the suggestion to bring Sam up here as part of our day away, I really didn’t expect to run into the two of you. I mean, no offense, but it kind of makes it hard to be ourselves if we have company…not necessarily you, but since Daniel doesn’t know the whole…shall we say ‘story’.”

Janet responded with apathy. “I’m really sorry, Jack, but I had no idea of what you had planned for the two of you. I only made those suggestions to help you get an idea of what to do to help get Sam away from the base and her work.”

Jack suddenly stopped in his tracks. Looking over at her, he squinted against the bright sun as he looked at her. “Suggestions? Please, please tell me you didn’t plan what I’m hoping you didn’t plan!”

Janet looked puzzled for a moment and then figured out what he was referring to. “Sir, you didn’t!?”

Jack dropped his head and shook it. Moving forward again, he motioned with his hands. “I did! Come on, Doc…you made some great suggestions…picnicking on Pike’s Peak and then a gourmet dinner aboard the Royal Gorge Railroad was perfect! I even prepaid for the tickets.”

Janet felt terrible. “Sir, I am so sorry! I honestly never expected Daniel and I to go out any time soon, let alone today. So when he surprised me by suggesting it, the ideas just came to mind. I mean, not to be presumptuous…but I never expected you and Sam to even make it out of the house.”

Jack glanced over at her and then looked ahead of them as they approached his truck. Sighing, he finally nodded. “Look, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to jump on your case about this. You had every reason to believe what you did.”

Janet turned towards him and gave him a soft smile. “It’s okay. Besides…I wouldn’t worry it I were you. I doubt that Daniel will even talk with Sam about our date, let alone tell her our plans.”

Jack looked over at the pair sitting a fair piece away at the picnic table, heavy in conversation. “I wouldn’t be so sure about that.”

Janet followed his look and then smiled. “We’ll just have to see.”

A few minutes later, Jack and Janet arrived back at the table and were greeted by two smiling faces. It was Daniel who spoke up first. “Hey, guess what?! I told Sam about where we were headed next and she thought it sounded like fun, so I insisted that she and Jack join us.” Suddenly catching Janet’s eye, he dropped his smile a notch and went on cautiously. “I hope…that’s okay?!”

Jack just looked over at Janet and gave her a very stiff smile. Janet, keeping her face surprised but aware of Jack’s gaze as she did her best to ignore it, moved forward and sat down next to Sam as they began to talk about the details that had already been discussed.

Five hours later, Sam, Jack, Daniel and Janet found themselves nearing the end of a train journey that had taken them three hours, which encompassed the Royal Gorge. After meeting up at the top of Pikes Peak, the four of them had enjoyed an afternoon consisting of talking, hiking, and reminiscing.

And despite Jack’s initial grumbling and groaning to Sam when they got a brief private moment together, he’d actually found himself enjoying the afternoon. They had boarded the Royal Gorge Route railroad around 1600 hours, and after settling in the Theodore Roosevelt first-class dining car, they became tourists in their own town.

Following the mighty Arkansas River, they moved directly under the famous Royal Gorge Bridge in a train being pulled by a streamlined locomotive. With the suspension bridge hanging 1053 feet above them, the four of them marveled at the incredible vistas and wildlife that abounded in the canyon around them. The train also made a stop on the “hanging bridge” before serving dinner to allow the guests a chance for some incredible photo opportunities. And after settling back into their respective cars, a four-course dinner was served against the backdrop of a beautiful sunset that cast shadows all around them, making the sky above them a brilliant display of red, orange, and pink hues.

Sam sighed contently as she looked up through the glass panels in the ceiling of their train car, watching the beautiful day wane away. She was stuffed from a wonderful meal, surrounded by good friends, and had Jack by her side, even if they couldn’t show their love for each other in their immediate company. She was happy and relaxed, and couldn’t remember a time in recent memory when she had experienced such a contented peace.

Jack’s voice resounded softly in her ears. “Penny for your thoughts?”

Sam looked over at him and gave him a smile. Glancing over at Janet and Daniel, who were sitting across the table from them snuggled closely together, she found them deep in a conversation that had no bearings for Jack or for her. Giving Jack her full attention, she answered him, keeping her voice low. “I was just thinking what an amazing day it has been…from start to finish.”

Jack gave her a half smile and discreetly brushed two of his fingers over the top of her right hand, which was the closest to him. “Who says it’s finished?” Shifting in his seat, he turned his body more towards her. “How are you feeling? I hope we haven’t done too much to wear you out today. You were technically supposed to be resting.”

Sam looked back up at the sky above them and shook her head. “I’m fine. This is exactly what I’ve been needing…I just can’t believe that I’ve never done anything like this. I never knew how much fun the area we live in everyday could be.”

Jack couldn’t help but widen his smile. “Yeah, well, if you’d unbury your nose from the lab every once in a while, I think you’d find a lot more of this.”

Sam looked over at him and gave him a short smile. “I know.”

Daniel’s voice intervened with their conversation. “Jack’s right, Sam…you do work too hard…as evidence showed us with your recent two day infirmary visit.”

Sam looked across the table to find that Janet and Daniel had surfaced from their private world. Janet smiled at her as Sam met her eyes. “It’s good to see that you’re relaxing, Sam. I may have to insist that Jack babysit you on a more regular basis. He’s done a good job of it this time.”

Jack couldn’t help but smile at her comment. “Well, Doc, if it keeps Carter here healthy and happy, I’m willing to help out wherever I’m needed.”

Suddenly, they felt the train braking as it prepared to pull into the station. As the subsequent announcement started overhead, Daniel sat up a little straighter and stretched. “Well, I guess its back to reality. This has been great…I’m glad we ran into you guys.”

As the train stopped, everyone collected their belongings and filed slowly out of the car. Walking to the parking lot in silence, Jack pulled back with Daniel as Sam and Janet moved ahead of them talking.

Jack kept his voice low. “Now, Daniel, even though we’ve had a great time today…together as friends…don’t forget you are on a date.”

Daniel rolled his eyes slightly. “Thanks for the tip, Jack, but I did remember that.”

Jack gave him a smile and a friendly pat on the back. “Just wanted to make sure.” After a moment of awkward silence, Jack glanced over at Daniel. “So…what are you kids up to next tonight?”

Daniel looked over to meet Jack’s grinning face. “You’re kidding me, right?” When Jack didn’t drop his smile, Daniel shook his head, but couldn’t help but smile. “I’m not going to tell you! You just concentrate on getting Sam home okay.”

Jack looked ahead of them at the two women who had just stopped in front of Jack’s truck. “I think I can handle that, Daniel, thank you.” As they approached Sam and Janet, Daniel moved over to Janet and took her hand.

Janet moved in close to him. “Well,” she said, “goodnight you two. Thanks for joining us on this outing…it was really fun.”

Sam and Jack both nodded, but Jack answered first. “That it has been. Now don’t you kids have too much fun…have her home by midnight, Daniel.” As Janet hid a smile, Sam playfully slapped Jack on the arm.

Daniel thumbed in the direction of his car. “Okay…well, we’re going to go now. Goodnight…and drive carefully.”

Sam and Jack both said their farewells and then watched Janet and Daniel walk to his car, hand in hand. Smiling, Jack moved around to the passenger side of his truck and opened the door for Sam, helping her up into it. Once they were both inside the truck, Jack locked the doors and turned the key in the ignition, bringing the truck to life as they put on their seatbelts.

Turning on the headlights, they watched as Daniel and Janet pulled out of the parking lot. Blowing out a breath, Jack suddenly unlatched his belt and turned to Sam. “Com’ here.” Not waiting for her to get her seatbelt unlatched, Jack moved over to her and quickly captured her lips, ravishing her.

Sam felt completely alive and at his mercy as he kissed her, taking her breath away. They stayed in this position for several minutes until Jack finally pulled back, allowing both of them to breathe. Even in the dark, Sam knew her cheeks were flushed from their passionate exchange.

“So,” she said, trying to catch her breath, “shall we attempt a repeat of the last time we ‘experimented’ in your truck? As I recall, it was quite remarkable.”

Jack grinned. “That it was…and it was definitely memorable.” Giving her a sensual kiss as if to prove his point, he pulled back and then continued on with what he’d been saying. “But we have one more stop to make on this little adventure of ours, and I think you’ll like it.”

Sam smiled and gave him a slow kiss. “I’ll love anything as long as you’re with me.”

Jack ran a finger over her cheek. “Always.”

“You are truly a romantic, Jack O’Neill.” Sam smiled and closed her eyes as Jack wrapped his arms around her. They were reclined together in a two-person Jacuzzi tub filled with hot, steaming water and bubbles that went up to their necks.

Jack had stunned Sam with his final surprise of the day by booking them into a room at a quaint little B&B in the town of Cripple Creek, CO., which was not too far from Colorado Springs, but far enough away that they could enjoy each other without fear of being caught. The inn itself had been built in 1898, but had recently been renovated, allowing for modern features, while holding onto historic charm.

Jack took his hand and ran it over Sam’s wet hair, slicking it back. He loved the feel of it as it ran over his fingers, and her slick skin against his was just as intoxicating as several rounds of a good beer. “Well, Samantha Carter, you’re worth every ounce of effort I have in me…even if I have to dive into my more feminine side.”

Sam couldn’t help but laugh. Scooping up a handful of bubbles, she watched the crystalline foam as it shimmered in the candlelight that was surrounding them in the bathroom. Blowing the bubbles gently with her breath, she turned around enough in the tub to meet Jack’s eyes. “So,” she said, keeping her voice soft and sensual, “Mr. and Mrs. Jonathon Herring?”

Jack’s lips formed into his signature sexy half smile as he traced a finger around the curvature of her jawline. “Well, the Jonathon is obvious enough…as for Herring…it was my mother’s maiden name.”

Sam smiled lovingly up at him. “Well, it’s an honor to take your mother’s maiden name…even if it is just for a night. I have to admit you really caught me off guard when you gave the reservation name and paid cash.”

Jack cocked his head at her. “Did you mind?”

Sam turned back around and snuggled herself deeper into his embrace. “Are you kidding me? It feels amazing to be ‘married’ to you…even if it’s not permanent.”

Jack became lost in thought for a moment. Blinking several times, he rested his chin on the top of her head. “Well, one day it will be…that is if you will still want to put up with me.”

Sam closed her eyes again. “I can’t imagine wanting anything more.”

And as they sat there enjoying the peaceful silence around them, Sam began to hear Jack’s voice, very soft at first, and then it grew to a more audible level as her heart pounded with more intensity as his words touched deeply into her soul.

How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.

I love thee to the depth and breadth and height

My soul can reach, when feeling out of sight

For the ends of Being and Ideal Grace.

I love thee to the level of every day’s most quiet need,

By sun and candlelight.

I love thee freely, as men strive for Right;

I love thee purely, as they turn from Praise;

I love thee with the passion to put to use

In my old griefs, and with my childhood’s faith;

I love thee with a love I seemed to lose

With my lost saints; I love thee with the breath,

Smiles, tears, of all my life!….and, if God chooses,

I shall but love thee better after death.

Sam was astonished and speechless. As her eyes rimmed with tears, she finally found her voice as she turned around and gripped his face lightly with both her hands. “Jack…that was probably one of the most beautiful things I’ve ever heard. I’ve always known the beginning of that poem, but never the whole thing, and I’ve certainly never heard it spoken with such honest love before.” Kissing him on the lips, she pulled back enough to say in a throaty whisper “thank you.”

Jack kissed her with an equal passion and held her tightly against him. “Well,” he said in between kisses, “I decided that ending the night in the same way we always do would be boring, and I never want us to get to that point. And besides…you’re worth all the memorizing that poem took…not to mention the rehearsals in front of my bathroom mirror.”

Sam grinned as she imagined him doing just that. “Jack, you will never be boring…and neither will our relationship. I just need to find something to equal what you’ve done for me today.”

Jack just shook his head. “Love me…and never stop. That’s all I ask.”

Sam drew his lips closer to hers. “I will always love you…and that’s a promise.” Kissing him deeply, they moved into each other, coming together as one in the bubbles that still surrounded them.

In the morning, the day would break and the sun would rise, breakfast would be served, and then reality would begin once again for Colonel Jack O’Neill and Major Samantha Carter. But for now, in the night and in the moments of their love, reality failed to exist, and Mr. and Mrs. Herring relished in their ever deepening love, the time allotted to them, and most importantly in each other.

Next Story---> "Uncharted Territory"

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