Whispers Of Doubt

Title: Whispers Of Doubt

Author: Suz W.

Feedback: If you've got the time!!

Spoilers: After Children Of The Gods, Hundred Days and Shades Of Gray (episode tag)

Rating: PG, S/J Angst, Romance, Sexual Situations, Friendship, Hurt/Comfort

Summary: After being separated for three months, Jack must find a way for Sam to trust him again with her heart.

Disclaimer: All publicity recognizable characters and places are the property of MGM, World Gekko Corp and Double Secret Productions. This piece of fan fiction was created for entertainment not monetary purposes and no infringement on copyrights or trademarks was intended.

Copyright: The original characters, situations, and story are the property of the author. Copyrighted on January 12, 2004, by Suzanne R. Whitmarsh.

Author’s Notes: This story follows “Shadows Of Suspicion”. I hope you enjoy it, and as always on any of my stories, I encourage and welcome your feedback!

Dedication: I would like to dedicate this story to LeeLoo! Thank you so much for your continued friendship and support of my stories. Your constant hard work at uploading my stories and maintaining my website is greatly appreciated. Without your help, I wouldn’t have a place for my stories to call “home”!

Sam walked into her lab. It had been a very long day. The clock on the wall read 1900 hours. It might as well have been midnight because she knew that even though it was still early in her perspective, she was never going to get any work accomplished. They had been in debriefings all afternoon, going over the detailed reports that Jack had to give after returning from his “undercover” assignment. Sitting in the briefing room, she found herself only half listening to what he was saying, wishing more than anything that she could just escape the looks he would occasionally send her way.

‘Come on, Sam! You’ve got to shake this off. Don’t let him do this to you!’ Sam’s thoughts attempted to bring her focus back as she opened up one of the folders on her desk.

But she knew the truth. Ever since Jack’s return from Edora, her heart had ached. Her mind was trying to process reasoning, trying to find a way to remind her that she was stronger than this. That she could move past the hurt. But she didn’t know how to do that. Jack hadn’t made any efforts to talk to her about anything that had happened. Of course, his secret mission had taken place within days of his return from Edora, but she still felt displaced, as if there was nothing that merited a discussion.

Closing the folder she had just opened, she sighed. It was pointless to sit here and pretend to work. Besides, she was tired, physically and emotionally. She hadn’t been sleeping or eating well for months, and she knew it was taking a toll. Gathering her keys, she headed for the door of her lab. Reaching the doorway, she about collided into Jack, who was attempting to enter her lab.

Stopping short, she found her voice, surprised to see him. “Sir! Sorry, I didn’t see you.”

Jack gave her a smile. “No harm done, Carter.” Looking at the keys in her hand, he gave her a questioning look. “Packing it in for the night? Isn’t a bit early for your schedule?”

Sam tried to smile, but found it hard to do. “I suppose, but I’m a little tired, so I thought I’d go home. I’ve been living here at the base for pretty much the last three months.”

Jack watched her with concern. She was looking thinner to him, and her eyes seemed to lack the luster that they use to have. As much as he didn’t want to admit it, he knew he was the reason. Feeling uncomfortable, he didn’t know quite what to say. Relying on his sarcasm, he smiled. “Well, I hope there weren’t any plants that needed to be watered. They may have decided to die on you.”

Sam gave him a half smile. She knew that he was trying to lighten the situation, but she just wasn’t able to enjoy it as much as she usually did. “I have a wonderful neighbor who helps to take care of them. She knows that I’m usually gone on “business”, so it’s kind of become a regular thing for her to do for me.”

Jack smiled. He was happy to hear any type of normal response from her. He had been meaning to find some time to talk to her about the past few months. But ever since getting back from Edora, he had been thrown into the mission that he and the general had discussed prior to him being stranded on that planet for three months. Watching her earlier that day in the briefing room, he could tell that he had his work cut out for him. A lot had happened, and if they didn’t talk soon, he was afraid that not only would he lose her personally, but professionally as well.

Seeing Jack lost in thought, Sam cleared her throat. “So…did you need something, Sir?”

Jack looked up, suddenly realizing that he’d let the conversation die. “Well, I was wondering if you wanted to grab a bite to eat? I haven’t had a chance to eat dinner yet, and thought, or rather hoped, that you hadn’t either.”

Sam shut her eyes briefly before opening them again, trying to hold back the emotion that was welling up in her throat. He seemed to be acting like nothing was wrong. A casual invitation to dinner didn’t sound like he wanted to talk; instead it sounded like he just wanted the company. What was she suppose to think? This was such unfamiliar territory to her. Unlike her scientific problems that she could solve with enough time, research, and brainpower, she didn’t have a clue at how to solve this one.

Jack could sense that she was upset. “Carter? You okay?”

Sam blinked hard. “I’m fine, Sir. Like I told you, I’m just tired.”

Jack wanted to reach out to her. He wanted to pull her into his arms and reassure her that nothing had changed. ‘Damn it, Jack! Why did you have to lose faith in her abilities to get you home? How could you have ever resolved yourself to think that there was no hope left for a rescue; she represents all the hope you’d ever need!’ His thoughts burned in his brain as he watched her trying to hold back tears.

“So,” Jack said finally, trying to sound normal. “How about that dinner?”

Sam couldn’t take it. She had to get out of there. Barely looking at him, she answered softly. “I’m sorry, Sir, but I’m just not hungry. I’ll catch up with you later.” Slipping past him as quickly as she could, she headed down the corridor as normal as possible, refusing to look back at him. She was afraid if she did, she’d break down right there in the middle of the base.

Jack just stood there, stunned. As he watched her walk away from him and disappear around the corner, he didn’t know what to do. Ever fiber of his being wanted to run after her and make her understand that she still had his heart. But as tired as she looked, he wasn’t sure that would be the best idea. Deciding to give her some space, he turned and walked slowly in the opposite direction, determined that he would talk to her tomorrow, no matter what.

Sam closed her front door and quickly locked it before leaning against it. Her house was quiet and felt incredibly empty. Flipping on the hall light after a moment, she looked towards her kitchen. She knew that she should eat something, but after her unexpected confrontation with Jack, all she wanted to do was to shut the world out. Dropping her keys on the table next to the door, she made her way back to her bedroom.

Ten minutes later, she had changed into a soft pair of cotton pajama pants and a spaghetti-strapped top, had brushed her teeth, and washed her face with warm, soothing water. She had thought about taking a hot shower, but even that required effort that she just didn’t have. As she made her way towards the bed, she got a chill. Despite the fact that it was mid-June and her air conditioner was running, she suddenly felt the urge to wrap herself in the comfort of a soft blanket. Going over to her chest of drawers, she opened the bottom one and stopped short.

There, looking up at her was the teddy bear that Jack had given her almost four months ago. After Jack had gotten back from Edora a little over a week ago, Sam had been so hurt after seeing how he had reacted at having to leave Laira. She had come home that night and stuffed the bear into the drawer in frustration. Though she had only spent a few nights at home during that time he was gone, when she had been home, the teddy bear had been her source of comfort. She had held it close to her heart, trying to draw strength from it, knowing that Jack was thinking of her, as it said on the satin pillow it held between its paws. At least she had assumed he was thinking about her. But when she had seen him with Laira, she had just felt foolish for believing that she was the only one that could be occupying his thoughts.

Reaching down, she picked it up and gently stroked its face. The soft, silky fur glided easily between her fingers. The red bow had been crushed slightly from the few nights that she had spent holding it while she slept.

Sighing, she spoke quietly to herself. “What is wrong with me? Why did I allow myself to fall for him? If I hadn’t, I’d be in my lab right now, rested, my stomach full, and I wouldn’t be standing here feeling sorry for myself. I’m stronger than this!” Closing her eyes, she just wanted to throw the bear across the room. But when she looked at it again, she found its eyes, his eyes, staring back at her. No longer able to hold back her emotions, she held the bear in her arms and laid down on her bed, the tears flowing freely down her cheeks.

Squeezing it tightly to her chest, she allowed herself to finally breakdown and cry. “Why, Jack! Why did you make promises to me that you couldn’t keep?” Her words became muffled as she turned her head into her pillow and curled up into a tight ball, pulling the covers over her. As much as she wanted to let go of the bear, she couldn’t bring herself to do it. What did that mean? Was she not going to be able to let him go either? Even when it seemed he’d forgotten about her, and all they’d shared? Sam didn’t know, but for now, she just let the tears and emotions flow out that she’d been bottling up inside for what seemed like forever. It had been some of the longest three months she’d ever been through in her life, and she didn’t know how much more she could take.

Ten minutes later, Sam had cried herself to sleep. Her dreams that night were more like nightmares, and she tossed and turned for the first half of the night. But despite the changes in her sleeping positions, she never let go of the teddy bear Jack had given her. Holding it close to her heart, it seemed to give her soul the comfort it needed. As the early morning approached, her dreams went away and her body was finally able to capture a few hours of dreamless sleep that had eluded her for so long.

Earlier that same night, Jack found himself sitting on his couch, staring at the television without really seeing it. Sipping on a beer, he tried to drown his thoughts out but to no avail. No matter what he tried to do, he couldn’t get her eyes out of his mind. They seemed to be digging into his soul, making his guilt run deeper than it already did.

Jack sighed to himself as he leaned his head back against the couch. Memories of all the times they’d spent together here in his house were haunting him. Though they usually brought a smile to his face, all he could do was feel more guilt. ‘What have I done to you, Sam? How could I have been so careless with your heart?’ Jack’s thoughts had been scolding him all night, ever since the conversation he’d had with Sam in the doorway of her lab. He couldn’t help but see the hurt in her eyes, and knowing he was the cause was killing him.

‘After all,’ Jack thought to himself, ‘the whole reason for doing this last secret mission was to protect her, to keep her from getting hurt.’ After the break-in at her house that night almost four months ago, Jack had agreed to go along with the general’s plan to expose the NID, or as they now knew, a rogue group of off world soldiers led by Maybourne. They had been stealing technology from other worlds and smuggling it back to Earth through Colonel Makepeace. He had agreed to the mission solely because he couldn’t sit back and wait for Sam to get hurt again. But ultimately, he had been the one to hurt her. Having to pretend to be a totally different person had been incredibly hard, but the hardest thing had been when he had to look at her and tell her she didn’t know him at all. The look of devastation on her face at his comment was almost more than he could stand. He’d hated hurting her as he had, especially knowing it was done on purpose.

And then of course there was his time spent on Edora. Arriving there with his team for a simple observation of a meteor shower, he never imagined that he’d have been trapped there for a little over three months. One hundred days. That was how long he’d been separated from her, and in that time, he had allowed doubt to enter his heart. As the days had passed, he found himself willing to believe that there would be no rescue, that Sam wouldn’t find a way to get him home. How, out of all moments since he’d known her and come to respect how incredibly smart she was, had he allowed himself to lose hope in her?

Laira. Yes, he’d been attracted to her, but nothing that would ever have warranted his lack of faith in Sam. Thinking about it now, he had allowed Laira to manipulate his thoughts, to fill his mind with doubt. She had pushed him to forget, to give in, and to give up on the life he knew. How could he have been so stupid! He had tried to remain hopeful, to not give into fear. But with the Stargate buried beyond his reach, and Laira constantly trying to convince him to move on, to make a life with her, it had been all too easy. The only comfort he could take was that though he had found an interest in Laira, his heart had remained with Sam. Even when he and Laira had kissed, he had felt nothing. His dreams had been constantly filled with visions of Sam, and not a day had gone by when he didn’t spend most of it thinking about, and longing for, her.

So when the glorious day of his rescue finally came, and he heard Teal’c’s voice on the other end of the radio, he thought he was going to explode from happiness. When Sam came through the gate, and their eyes had met each other’s for the first time in one hundred days, it was everything he could do to not just run straight to her and pick her up into his arms, kissing her with all his might. Her smile had been dazzling, and had caused the dark veil on his soul to be lifted away instantly.

But what had he done? After all the exuberance he’d felt at seeing her again, he had turned away from her as she was explaining to him how she had managed to rescue him, and had gone to Laira. It had been as if Laira had some remote control over him, like he was a robot, fit to do her bidding. After that, as they headed back to Earth, Sam had barely looked at him. He realized at that moment that she had seen his affection towards a woman he, in all honesty, cared nothing about, especially in comparison to his deep feelings for Sam. And because of that, he’d broken her heart.

For the rest of the night, Jack drowned his sorrows and guilt in a few beers. Finally tiring of his self-pity, he managed to get himself to bed. Throughout the night, fears raked his dreams, and more than once, he found himself waking up in a dead sweat, calling out Sam’s name.

Sam walked into the workout room at the base the next morning feeling the after effects of crying herself to sleep. She was hoping with a decent workout, she’d be able to clear her mind enough to actually get something accomplished. But no sooner had she thought this before her eyes met Jack’s. He was working out his arms on one of the weightlifting machines.

As soon as Jack saw her, he stopped mid-lift. Slowly putting down the weights, he stood up. She looked positively terrified, as if she didn’t know what to do. Just as he was about to walk up to her, one of the gym attendants stopped to talk to her.

“Major Carter! Good morning! Are you here to use one of the treadmills, or do you want to rotate on the weight equipment?”

Sam’s eyes kept jumping from the attendant’s to Jack’s. He had stood up at seeing her, looking as if he was about to come over. Quickly deciding that working out with Jack in the same room was not going to be helpful, she gave a quick smile to the attendant. “You know what, I think I’ve changed my mind. I think I’ll just go for a run on the surface.”

“That’s sounds like a great idea,” the attendant said with enthusiasm. “It’s a beautiful day out.”

Making a quick U-turn, Sam walked out of the room and headed to the elevators. A run on the trail should have been her first thought. Now, she would just have to hope that she’d be able to get as much out of it after seeing Jack.

A few minutes later, she stood at the trailhead just outside the base, letting the sun shine down on her. It was a beautiful day. The summer was in full bloom. Trees shined in different hues of green, and wildflowers of various blues, purples, and yellows dotted the landscape in color. The birds sung happily in the trees, and squirrels danced throughout the branches, playing carefree with each other. Breathing in the sweet scents of summer pine and mountain air, Sam longed for her heart to be carefree as well.

After stretching for a few minutes, Sam was about to start her run when she felt a hand touch her shoulder. Startled, she turned around quickly, only to find Jack looking back at her.

“Going for a run? Mind if I join you?” Jack held his breath, hoping she wouldn’t just slap him in the face, though he knew he deserved it.

Sam hesitated for a moment before answering. Deciding it was pointless to keep avoiding him, she looked at him, shrugging her shoulders. “If you want, Sir. I’m probably not going to go too far.”

Jack was stunned. Not only had he expected her to give him a fat lip, but she had also called him “Sir”, and that couldn’t be a good sign. She seemed to be trying to close her heart off to him. But he wasn’t going to allow that to happen, at least not if he could help it. Finding his voice, he chose his words carefully. “Sounds fine to me. But before we start, do you think we could talk for a few minutes?”

Sam looked over his shoulder at the base. Keeping her voice low, she looked at him, squinting in the sunlight. “We can run for a while and then stop and talk. I don’t want an emotional scene to happen right outside of the base. Someone might see us.”

Jack nodded. “Fair enough. Lead the way.”

Sam turned and started off. Jack was at her side in moments, keeping pace as they ran. For the first half of their run, Sam didn’t make any attempt to look at him, let alone talk to him. She just kept her eyes straight ahead, not really seeing any of the beauty around her.

Jack watched her out of the corner of his eye. It amazed him how beautiful she was, even while sweating in the near noonday sun. Her hair was covered under a black cap, the bill shading her eyes from the sun. She was wearing a light pair of fitted black cotton pants and a white tank top, with a sport bra on underneath. Jack was finding it incredibly hard to concentrate on the trail instead of her.

Sam was trying her best to concentrate on her run. She was relieved that Jack hadn’t attempted as of yet to talk to her, though she knew that for both their sakes, they would have to eventually talk. Having him so close to her was clouding her thoughts, making it hard to keep them straight. The gray tank top he was wearing was displaying the muscles in his arms and part of his chest all too well, reminding her of the last night they’d been together. She had removed his shirt as they had kissed, and running her lips over his chest, she had reveled in the sensations that were sent through her body at being so close to him.

Frustrated, she puffed out a breath of air. As they rounded the corner, the trailhead opened up, revealing a hidden paradise. In front of them, a small lake found the centerpiece among the forest and the bushes that surrounded it. And on the far side, a small waterfall sparkled in the sunlight, pouring crystal clear water from the mountaintops into the lake below. Slowing down, they came to a stop next to it, dazzled by the view.

Jack bent over, putting his hands on his knees as he took in his surroundings. Catching his breath, he stood back up, stretching his back. “Wow! Now this is beautiful! I didn’t know this was here.”

Sam gave him a brief smile before looking away. “This is my favorite part of the trail. It’s always been an escape for me.”

As they continued to rest and take in their surroundings, Jack turned towards her. “Sam, we need to talk. There’s a lot that I need to say.”

Sam closed her eyes and tried to calm her nerves. Opening them again, she looked at him. “I agree. We do need to get some things out in the open. Look…Jack, I think it would be best if we just try and forget what has happened between us. It’s obvious that you have moved on…”

Jack couldn’t believe what he was hearing. “No Sam! It’s not obvious! Look, the last thing I want in the world is to lose you!”

Sam turned towards him. “Oh really?! Then maybe you can explain what I saw on Edora. It was all too apparent to me that you had taken a great interest Laira! I can even get Teal’c and Daniel to back me up on that one.”

Jack knew this was coming. And though he’d tried to prepare his defense in his head a million times, now that the moment was here, he didn’t know how to start. Taking a breath, he spoke as calmly as he could. “Sam, look. I know what you saw, and I’m not going to lie to you. I did take an interest in Laira, but it was only after the first few months of being there. I allowed myself to lose hope, and it’s something I never should have done.”

Sam stared at him with a hurt look in her eyes. “Did you honestly think that I wouldn’t do anything and everything I could to get you home? I lived at that base for days, even weeks on end, working day and night to try and find a solution at getting you back! After the times we’ve shared, you thought that I wouldn’t find a way?”

“It’s not that. I guess I just allowed myself to think it was impossible.” Jack searched her eyes, trying to convey to her that he was sincere. “And, I had Laira constantly trying to convince me to move on, that I should form a life…with them.”

Sam closed her eyes, trying to hold back the vision of him and Laira together. Lowering her voice to a near whisper, she looked at him. “With her, you mean.”

Jack kicked at the ground in front of him, sending a stone skipping across the mirrored surface of the water, creating ripples in its wake. “I guess you could say that.”

Sam wiped at a tear that had begun to form in the corner of her eye. Sniffling slightly, she smiled. “Look, it’s not like we made any promises to each other. I probably don’t even have a right to even act this way. You’re free to do what you want.”

Jack looked at her, shocked. “How can you say that? I know we have a lot to still work out, but I thought you knew how I felt about you…that I care…deeply.”

Sam gave him a sad smile. “But not enough to not….” Her voice faded out.

“To not what?” Jack took her hand in his and squeezed it.

Sam looked at their hands intertwined. How she loved seeing their fingers laced together. Snapping her thoughts back to the present conversation, she removed her hand from his. “I probably don’t have a right to ask this. I know you kissed her, but did you…sleep with her?”

Jack hung his head before looking up into her eyes. “No, I didn’t, I swear to you. Yes, I kissed her, but I didn’t feel anything. Please, you have to believe me, I thought of you constantly, even when she…kissed me.”

Sam felt her body relax slightly. One of her greatest fears had turned out to be false. She knew they had kissed, but if they had slept together, well, she just didn’t think she could have handled that.

Jack’s voice interrupted her thoughts. “Sam, please, you have to believe me!”

Looking at him, she finally answered. “I do. I trust you wouldn’t lie to me about that.”

Jack finally felt like there might actually be some hope. Gripping her arms, he looked her squarely in the face. “Then trust me that I was overjoyed to see you after all of that time. I know I was a real jerk by turning away from you when you were talking to me. I think about it now and I don’t know why I did that. It was just that place, being there for so long. But all I wanted to do when I finally saw you was sweep you into my arms and kiss you all day. You know I couldn’t, not there.”

Sam gave him a half smile. “Well, what about when you came back? You never even attempted to talk to me.”

“I know, and I should have. It’s just General Hammond wanted me to get on the mission we’d planned out as soon as possible, since it should have been done long before then.”

“Yeah, well, I guess since you never talked to me, and then you immediately went into pretending to be a different person, I didn’t know what to think. I guess I just assumed that Edora had changed you, that she had changed you. And after what you said to me…”

Jack didn’t hesitate any longer. Pulling her into his embrace, he held her as tightly as he could. “I swear if I could take back what I said to you, I would. I am so sorry…I know that I hurt you. It killed me having to say that to you. Of all people, you know me the best.”

Sam thought she was going to break down again. Feeling his arms around her, she realized at that moment how much she had missed them, how much she had missed him. Letting her head relax on his shoulder, she closed her eyes. “So what do we do now?”

Jack pulled back and cupped her cheek with his hand, his eyes pleading with hers. “Does that mean you forgive me? That you’ll give me a second chance?”

Sam smiled at him, unable to resist the hope in his face. “Well….”

Jack staged a goofy smile on his face and got down on one knee, holding his arms out. “Please Sam, I can’t lose you! What can I do to make it up to you? I’ll do anything!”

Sam gave him a playful smile as he got back up, inches from her. “Anything, huh?”

“Yep! What is your request?” Jack couldn’t believe how amazing she was. He had tried not to hope for too much since he knew how much he’d hurt her. But yet here she was, on the edge of forgiving him, or so he was hoping.

Sam started to walk towards him, placing a finger on his chest, pushing him back a few steps towards the lake. They were near the waterfall, and the gentle mist coming off the surface of the water floated in the air around them. “Well, there’s something I’ve been wanting to do since our very first mission. Something I owe to you.”

Jack gave her a puzzled look. “Yeah? What’s that?”

“This!” And with that, Sam pushed as hard as she could on his chest, knocking him off balance, and sending him into the cold water of the lake behind him. Laughing for the first time in months, she watched as he came up, sputtering and dazed.

“What was that for? I don’t remember pushing you into any lake!” Despite the shock of the cold water, Jack couldn’t help but smile as he watched the light returning to her eyes.

“No, you didn’t. But you did push me through the wormhole…it may not be the same thing, but it’s the same concept.” Sam had wanted to get him back for that moment since it had happened, and she couldn’t think of a better opportunity to do it, or for one in which she felt justified in doing it.

Jack just shook his head and smiled. “I guess you’re right…so do this mean I’m forgiven, and that you’ll give me a second chance? Or do I need to let you pour ice down my pants, because that’s what this feels like!”

Sam just laughed. “Good! It’ll help cool you off after all that running.”

Jack took his hand and pushed it forward, attempting to splash her. He wasn’t that far from where she stood, but the banks were sloped enough that it would make it a bit difficult to get out at this end. Jack got a sly smile on his face. “Well, if you’re done torturing me, do you think you could help me out?”

Bending down, she reached out a hand for him to grab onto. But instead of getting out, Jack pulled as hard as he could, pulling her off her feet, and straight into the water with him.

Sam came up sputtering as he had, her hair matted to her head. Pushing it out of her face, she gave him a shocked look. “Why did you do that? Now I’m just going to have to find another way to get you back for that!”

Jack grinned, closing in the distance between them and taking her in his arms. “I welcome the challenge.” Without any more hesitation, he captured her lips in a strong kiss.

Despite the temperatures in the water, the shivering that Sam had been doing ceased as she felt Jack’s mouth move over hers in a welcoming passion. She responding as a fire rolled through her body, lighting the spark that had been growing dim in her heart. As his hands swept over her head, slicking back her hair, she moved her hands in response over his arms and chest, finally coming to grip his back as she bent her head back, while his mouth covered every inch of her neck.

Jack kissed her hungrily, never knowing he could miss another person so much. Only his dreams had held her touch for the last few months, and now, finally able to really feel it, he thought his skin was going to melt from the heat that she was creating in him. Her kisses alone told him all that he needed to know…that he may have kissed Laira when he was stuck on Edora, but any feelings he may have had for her disappeared from existence as they moved through the water, kissing each other as if there would be no more time left to do it.

Through their passion, they had managed to move enough through the water to reach the base of the waterfall. When it surrounded them, they broke from their kisses and looked up, shielding their eyes from the sun and the spray. Looking back at each other, they smiled. Jack felt his breath leave his lungs as he looked at her, with the sun and the water sparkling all around her as her face glistened in its light. She looked like something out of a fantasy, an impossible dream that he never thought he’d reach. He watched as she stepped back and leaned her head back under the fall of the water, enjoying the feel of it on her skin.

Coming out, she gave Jack a smile. He smiled back at her, reaching out to pull her to him and kiss her gently once more. “Thank you, Sam, for letting me have this chance. I promise you that I will never hurt you again…”

Sam put her index finger up to his lips. “Shhhh. Don’t tell me promises that you don’t know if you can keep. Let’s just promise to take this one day at a time, and if fate is on our side, we may have a future to look forward to.”

Jack smiled at her. “Sounds good. But I’m going to do everything I can to see that fate will be on our side.” Spinning her away from the falls, she laughed as he held her close. “You know,” Jack said, looking towards the shore. “It’s going to have to be a long run back if we’re going to dry off in time before heading back into the base. I think if we walk in there like this, it may look a bit conspicuous.”

Sam smiled at him. “Well, we may just have to lay out and dry before we head back. I think I could handle that…that is, if you can.”

“Oh, I think I can. As long as I get to hold you doing it!”

And so for the next hour, Jack and Sam found a somewhat dry and not too rocky place to lie down on, letting the rays of the warm summer sun dry them off. Holding each other amidst the peace and beauty of the forest, they both knew that for the first time in many months, their hearts, minds, and souls would find the welcomed rest they had desired since being apart.

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