Storytime with Rachel F Hundred

Year One

There was nothing like the sound of the night; the quiet and the hush of the darkness that permeated the air. The way the silence was underscored by nature; the quiet ripples of water, the rustle of shivering leaves in the trees; the flurry of a passing creature through the grass.

Jack O’Neill watched the dark with a solemn intensity from his position just outside the camp the team had made earlier. The log wasn’t comfortable but it was better than the ground and its position by an old weathered tree allowed him to fade into the scenery. He tugged his cap down further over his brown hair and let his gaze travel over the clearing with a practiced eye.

There was no sign of trouble.

Nothing stirred.

He shifted imperceptibly trying to ease the ache that had settled into his left buttock and checked the time. The figures glowed luminously up at him. Another couple of hours and his watch would be over. He looked towards where Captain Samantha Carter slept. There was only the hunched lump of a sleeping bag visible next to another he knew belonged to Daniel Jackson. Teal’c was in a meditative state by their side. Sam would relieve him and she would be a few minutes early, she always was. He almost smiled.

The young blonde Air Force Captain had proven to be an asset to the team; brilliant in a way only a super-genius could be, a good soldier, a compassionate friend and one helluva sexy woman…he cut the thought off abruptly.

He had no right going down that road, Jack reminded himself briskly. He was her commanding officer. It wasn’t as though he hadn’t always been aware of the fact that Carter was an attractive woman. Heck, he’d noticed the moment she’d walked into the briefing room; the blue dress uniform actually enhanced everything about her instead of cloaking her in anonymity. There had been a multitude of moments since then that had driven it home to him; a certain Mongolian dress, her lips on his when she had been under the influence of an alien virus, the way his belly had tightened when she had examined him after the sarcophagus had eliminated Hathor’s handiwork, the feel of her body snuggled up to him in a cave of ice. The last was the moment that lingered in his memory; it was the most recent.

It was probably also the reason why he had found himself thinking about Carter more than he should. They had been stuck together alone for so long while they had tried to dig out the DHD, to find a way home little realising that they were already on Earth. It was an experience that had bonded them. Carter had been incredible; she had tirelessly worked to get them home; patched him up and kept him alive even though she had been scared. He couldn’t help but admire her for that. And how was he supposed to ignore how hot she was when she snuggled up to him even if it was to keep them both warm and alive? Even the BDUs couldn’t disguise her trim figure; the womanly curves, the legs that went on forever.

Jack swore under his breath and got to his feet. He should do a perimeter check, he thought determinedly pushing his less than regulation thoughts about Carter out of his mind. He silently made his way through the trees, checking for any signs that someone was creeping up on them; spying on them. He moved stealthily, ensuring his clothes didn’t catch on branches; that his feet didn’t snap any twigs. His training allowed him to make the circuit without disturbing a single thing. The log beckoned and he stopped as he realised Carter sat there waiting.

He didn’t mask his approach and the sound of his boots walking over the mossy forest floor had her turning toward him. He sat down beside her, careful to keep an appropriate distance between them. He checked his watch.

‘You’re early.’ Jack noted in a low voice.

Sam shrugged easily and pointed up at the sky. ‘Isn’t it incredible?’

Jack looked up. The purple was dotted with bright pinpricks of stars in constellations that differed wildly from Earth. No Big Dipper or Orion’s Belt. The stars were spread out in an altogether different pattern that stirred the astronomer in Jack. The stars were not the main attraction though as unusual as they were. The planet had two moons and they loomed closely in the sky; the first an orangey-red that shimmered and the second, a white circle. They were definitely not in Kansas anymore.

He glanced toward Carter. She was staring up at the moons captivated and the moonlight streamed down on her as though in recognition of her adoration, turning her messy blonde hair to a rumpled gold, her pale skin to a luminous cream and her eyes, a fathomless deep blue. For a moment, he forgot to breathe.

Sam turned suddenly to smile at him ruefully. ‘Sorry, sir.’

‘Don’t apologise, Captain.’ Jack waved her words away. He picked out a cluster of stars in the left of the night sky. ‘Those kind of remind me of a small dog.’

‘Really?’ Sam peered into the distance. ‘It looks more like a bear.’

‘A bear?’ He shook his head. ‘No way. See the two on the right are the paws, and those two at the top are ears and…’ he stopped as he realised she was smiling at him indulgently. He pulled a face at her obvious amusement.

‘Really, sir.’ Sam said teasingly. ‘Go on. I’m beginning to see the dog.’

‘Funny, Carter.’ Jack muttered, poking her arm gently. ‘Very funny.’

She kept on smiling and he found his own lips curving upwards in response. She’d been so formal with him when they had first started working together that he would never have imagined she would have loosened up enough to tease him. He was pleased that she felt she could. They fell into a companionable silence.

Jack refused to over-think it; refused to examine why it mattered to him more closely. He simply enjoyed the moment and how right it felt, sitting under the stars in the moonlight with Carter at his side.

Year Two

The campfire crackled and jumped in the slight breeze. Sam’s eyes were pinned to the flickering flames. She pulled her knees up to her chest and wrapped her arms around her legs, ensuring the long skirt she wore covered her. She shivered a little despite the fire.

She should probably get some sleep, Sam mused tiredly. They had a long journey ahead of them. Her blue eyes shifted to the van where the young couple who had offered them a ride were sleeping. They’d had to lie to them earlier to protect the timeline and although Sam knew it was necessary, she hated that they had spun them a tale. Aliens trying to get back home. She snorted softly. Well, at least the trying to get home part of it was true. SG1 couldn’t stay in 1969 for any longer than they had to or they risked changing time.

The fire flared again; a shower of sparks spluttering out and hitting the dirt. What if she was wrong about the solar flares, Sam mused. What if General Hammond had an altogether different plan in mind to get them back to the future? What if she screwed up?

She rubbed her nose thoughtfully. It had been a difficult year and her confidence had taken a knock. She rolled her eyes. A difficult year; she guessed that was one way to describe being taken as a host to an unsympathetic Tok’ra symbiote and having to deal with the consequences of that. Her body had changed; the chemistry of it, the feel of it. She could sense Teal’c a few feet away because of what had happened; the naquadah in her blood reacting to the Goa’uld he carried as a Jaffa. Her mind was sometimes filled with memories that weren’t her own; faces of strangers. The only good thing to come out of it all was that it had provided a way for her father to beat his cancer. He had become a willing host; a liaison between Earth and the Tok’ra. At least that was one thing that had gone right even if the Colonel remained sceptical about their new ally.

Sam couldn’t blame him. She was just lucky Colonel O’Neill still trusted her after what had happened with Jolinar. He could have insisted on her being replaced but he hadn’t; he had stood by her and helped her come to terms with what had happened. She knew his trust and confidence in her had helped her rebuild her own. He had even allowed her to try something that had almost killed him. Her mind slid back to the moment months before when the Colonel had been pinned to a wall by a metal sphere they had brought back. Her plan had worked; Earth and the Colonel had been saved but for a few awful minutes she had believed she had killed him, that he was dead.

As though her thoughts had conjured him up, the Colonel suddenly appeared beside her. He was dressed in the uniform of a rebel; blue jeans, white t-shirt, leather jacket. With his greying hair, square jaw and deep chocolate eyes, he looked every inch the alpha male; dangerous; sexy; hot.

So not going there, Sam thought desperately as she averted her eyes hurriedly. He was her CO. She was not developing a crush; she was not. She pulled a face. Maybe if she kept chanting it over and over it would eventually become true.

‘You know you’re thinking so hard I can hear you.’ Jack said dryly as he sat down. His voice was low and she knew he was trying not to disturb the others.

‘Sorry, sir.’ Sam said automatically, inwardly cringing. She hoped to hell that he couldn’t hear her thoughts because that would be seriously mortifying.

‘You want to tell me what’s wrong?’ Jack asked, nudging her with his knee as he warmed his hands on the fire.

‘I was just hoping our plan will work, sir.’ Sam replied. ‘If I’m wrong…’

‘Well, we’ll find out soon enough.’ Jack reassured her.

‘And if I am?’ Sam worried out loud. ‘I can’t help thinking that if I am we’ll be stuck here forever.’

The Colonel looked at her evenly. ‘This wasn’t your fault.’

‘I made the calculations…’ she began to protest.

‘And Hammond made the call even though he knew we’d end up on this jaunt to the past.’ Jack pointed out.

‘But…’

‘Ah!’ He held up a finger to forestall her argument. ‘We’ll get home, Carter.’

Sam nodded reluctantly.

Jack leaned back and she couldn’t help noticing the way his t-shirt tightened over his broad chest. She diverted her gaze, staring resolutely up at the night sky and the moon.

‘Where were you, sir?’ Sam asked softly.

‘Hmmm?’ Jack looked back at her bemused.

‘The night of the lunar landing?’ Sam expanded. ‘You told General Hammond where he was but I was wondering where you were?’

‘At a neighbour’s house.’ Jack explained. ‘They had the best TV.’

Sam smiled. ‘I wish I could have been there.’ Her eyes widened as she realised how her comment could be interpreted. ‘I mean, watching it myself for real as it happened.’

‘Well, if you’re right about this whole time travel thing maybe you’ll be able to work out a way to get back and watch it some day.’ Jack said.

She didn’t argue. Even if she could work out how to time travel through the wormhole it was too dangerous; who knew what damage they could do to the timeline?

‘You know it’s weird.’ Jack commented, gesturing up at the sky.

‘Sir?’ Sam asked confused.

‘Being on Earth and star watching.’ Jack explained. ‘This time last year we were on that planet with the two moons; remember?’

‘I remember.’ Sam smiled. She pointed up at a small cluster of stars; so dim and distant that they could barely make them out. ‘That’s your dog.’

Jack stared at the sky. ‘No.’ He looked at her; his chocolate eyes warm on hers. ‘Really?’

Sam nodded happily at the childlike glee that suffused his face.

‘You know from Earth,’ Jack said conversationally, ‘it really does look like a dog.’

They smiled at each other, remembering their previous banter. Sam looked away and up at the sky. Oh, she was in so much trouble; resisting him when he was in brusque Colonel mode was one thing but when he was being sweet and funny and adorable. Sam sighed. She really had no chance at all.

Year Three

Jack plucked some unknown object out of his mug and flicked it away. He stole a glance toward camp where the others were sleeping. They hadn’t quite forgiven him for his subterfuge over the rogue group; accepted him back as their team leader, yes; forgiven him as their friend, no.

He couldn’t blame them.

He had been brutal when he had pushed them away in order to protect his cover and to protect them. He still smarted in shame over how he had treated Daniel when he had visited him at his home. No matter how many times he replayed the scene in his head, he couldn’t see another way to have pushed his friend away. Well, he’d pushed him and Daniel was keeping him at arm’s length because of that. He wasn’t the only one.

Jack looked into the depths of the liquid. Carter had barely spoken to him since the whole rogue thing. Actually thinking about it, she had barely spoken to him since the whole Edora thing. His gut churned.

Getting stranded on another planet had been a crazy experience. He had thought he was never getting home; hadn’t been certain if his team had made it or not. He hadn’t considered that Carter would rewrite physics to make his return possible. He had missed his team; Teal’c’s dry wisdom; Daniel’s enthusiastic geekiness and Sam. He’d missed everything about Sam. He had missed her enough to go looking for comfort in another woman’s arms.

He felt the sliver of guilt slide into his gut again. Laira had been a good woman and she had deserved better than being treated like a replacement or a one night stand. Yet in the end she had been both. He could feel his skin heating with embarrassment at the memory of their first and last night together; the blatant matchmaking by the rest of the Edorans, the empty house, her invitation…had he really agreed to make a baby with her? How strong had that moonshine been anyway?

The thought of moonshine had him staring up at the night sky. The planet they were visiting was had three small moons. They could barely be seen from the ground but Jack knew they were there. He wondered if Sam would ever forgive him enough to sit with him and watch the night sky again.

Jack frowned. The Edoran fire-rain experience had started out as the two of them planning to watch together but then Laira had overheard them and offered to show them a good spot and Jack had felt compelled to invite the rest of the team. He wished he had turned down Laira; wished it had remained him and Carter just watching the meteors together. He wished a lot of things.

He wished he hadn’t pushed her away when he’d had to pretend that she didn’t matter to him. She had been so concerned for him and so confused at his behaviour.

‘I haven’t been acting like myself since I met you. Now I am acting like myself.’

His words came back to him and he swallowed the bitter coffee trying to eradicate the equally bitter taste in his mouth. The strange thing was that it was the truth. He hadn’t been acting like himself since he had met Carter. She had been so passionate about doing the right thing; about fighting for justice and freedom; so honourable about how she acted. There was something about her that made him want to be a better man than he was; to leave behind the lies and deceit, and the lack of conscience that had dictated his life in special ops. He wanted to become the hero he could see she believed him to be.

Returning to his special ops existence; the paranoia, the lies; that had been returning to the man he had been before Carter; before Daniel and SG1. When Hammond had assigned him to the rogue job, Jack had protested. Strongly. Forcefully. He needed his team; his team needed him. The assignment could tear SG1 apart, he’d said…

‘You’re stronger than you think, Jack.’ Hammond had replied.

But a couple of weeks after it had all gone down and a side trip to Bedrosia later, Jack didn’t think they were as strong as Hammond believed. They hadn’t forgiven him.

Jack felt the bite of the cold through this jacket and he instinctively moved closer to the fire. When he’d come back from Edora and learned about everything Carter had done to get him home, he had been stunned. She had literally rewritten the human knowledge of particle physics to build the particle beam generator that had melted the barrier over the Edoran Stargate. It had made him wonder; had she worked so hard just because he was a friend, a team-mate or had there been something else? Had she loved him just a little?

He tossed the rest of the coffee away and picked up his gun. Whatever Sam might have felt he had destroyed with his undercover op; he needed to forget about it. He needed to set it aside and do a patrol. He moved through the forest silently, checking for enemies, anything that could potentially harm his team; he found nothing but he stayed away from the camp for as long as he could.

It was almost the end of his watch when he made his way back. He slowed as he caught sight of Carter. She was refilling a mug with coffee; sitting on the rock he had abandoned. He made his way over to her cautiously. He sat down and took the mug she offered with a nod of acknowledgement. He wrapped his hands around it and noted how she hadn’t moved away although he had sat right beside her; too close really given their military ranks and relationship. The warmth seeped through the wool of his fingerless gloves. He took a sip.

‘Thanks.’ Jack murmured gently. ‘It’s been cold.’

Sam nodded. She took a sip from the mug that she held.

Jack had no clue what to say to her; how he bridged the chasm that had opened up between them. He kept silent; content to sit beside her.

‘There’s a fourth moon.’ Sam said suddenly. ‘It’s hiding behind the third one.’

‘Where?’ Jack asked curious.

She pointed up at the indigo hue that passed as dark on the planet. ‘There.’

‘You’re right.’ He wasn’t surprised; she usually was.

‘I was thinking about it earlier.’ Sam admitted. Her grip tightened on her mug. ‘I couldn’t understand.’

‘Understand what?’ Jack asked, wondering if he was going to regret hearing the answer.

‘How the other three could exist without a fourth.’ Sam said quietly. ‘Their alignment and orbit suggested there had to be a fourth.’ She looked down. ‘Otherwise they would have fallen into the atmosphere and been destroyed a long time ago.’

Jack looked at her; the way her hair curled around her face, the blue eyes so cautiously guarded. ‘I think all four moons need each other.’

He surprised her into looking at him. He gestured up at the fourth moon. ‘All four of them are in balance. That’s what’s important.’

‘You think so, sir?’ Sam asked.

He held her gaze. ‘I know so.’

Sam looked away.

Jack cleared his throat. ‘You know I tried to find the constellation, the one that looks like a dog, when I was on Edora but I couldn’t find it.’ It had been one of the things that had bothered him; he had been so far from home that none of the constellations had been familiar.

‘Edora’s on the other side of the galaxy, sir.’ Sam replied automatically. ‘It’s unlikely you would have seen it.’

‘Ah.’ Jack sighed.

She stretched out her finger to the right. ‘There.’

Jack immediately made out the dim shape of the dog; trust Carter to pick it out of the sky.

‘I still think it looks more like a bear.’ Sam remarked.

Jack shot her a look.

There was a hint of a smirk playing around her lips. He warmed under it and felt the ache in his gut ease. He was forgiven. He sipped his coffee and leaned back subtly. His arm brushed hers but Sam didn’t move away; she settled against him instead.

Now, Jack thought as they stared up at the sky, now he was truly home.

Year Four

Sam turned over in the sleeping bag restlessly. The faint warm breeze washed over her and she scented the flowers that grew nearby. They had chosen to leave the tents down; the desert planet they were visiting was pleasant; no storms threatened. It was a perfect night for sleeping under the stars. In the moonlight, Sam caught sight of the faint mark on her palm from the burn she had received the week before. An unpleasant reminder that she had been taken over by an alien entity again; threatened the base again. She shuddered and buried her head in the jacket she had wadded up as a pillow.

She could only remember the barest details of what had happened after the entity had taken her over. Most of her memories were blurred, fuzzy. Flashes of being in the infirmary and Jack looking down at her with so much concern and fear in his eyes; with so much hate when he figured out it wasn’t her. There was a flash of standing in the corridor with him pointing a zat at her; the sensation of being adrift, trying to speak and no-one hearing and finally, back in her own body and looking up Jack. It had been harder on him than her; he’d had to shoot her, had thought he’d killed her; that he’d lost her.

‘I’d rather die myself than lose Carter.’

His heartfelt words during their za’tarc confessions came back to Sam. Of stating out loud that despite their ranks and the military relationship, that the impossible had happened and he loved her back. Sam closed her eyes tightly. She had already known; she had known it when he had looked back at her through a force-shield on Apophis’s new ship and wouldn’t leave her. He had loved her enough to die for her. It had scared her as much as it thrilled her and she had run from it; asked them both to bury the truth in the room where they had made their confessions.

But the fact was it kept bubbling over; rising to the surface. They had loved each other even when their memories had been altered and they hadn’t been themselves; their love and care for one another had been the only truth that had survived. In some ways, she was content with that; with knowing that they loved each other even though they couldn’t be together as a couple.

But this last incident…Jack had withdrawn from her and she couldn’t blame him. The regulations were there for a reason; to protect people from the possibility of having to kill a loved one; to choose between someone they loved and the fate of Earth. No-one should have to go through that. Sam had done it with Martouf. She had pulled the trigger and killed him; he had been her friend and she had cared for him, still felt the underlying tug of a deeper love Jolinar had shared with the Tok’ra agent. So Sam knew how Jack was feeling; could put herself in his place, and she honestly didn’t know whether she would have had the strength to pull the trigger and kill Jack to save Earth.

He had barely spoken to her in the aftermath; had checked in with her to make sure she was healing, had briefed her on the mission but he hadn’t flirted with her since; hadn’t teased her or bantered with her. It was as though Jack had decided he couldn’t love her anymore; that he had flipped some switch internally to stop, and that hurt.

She shifted again, turning to lie on her back. She looked up at the endless black sky. There was hardly a star in the sky. The planet was in a remote area of the galaxy; its moon was the only other astrological body in the bi-solar system. It was more distant than Earth’s moon yet the effect was to produce a gravity very similar to Earth’s. Usually Sam could feel the minor differences when they were off-world but not this time.

Sam stared up at the moon. The constellation she and Jack usually searched for was missing. Intellectually she knew it just couldn’t be seen from the planet they were on, that it was still out there in the galaxy, that she could look when she was back on Earth and she would find it. But its missing presence right there and then seemed to underscore the hopelessness of her love for Jack. The constellation was missing and Jack had made it clear in his own imitable style that he was moving on. She needed to do the same – she just had no idea how.

Her feelings for Jack had shifted over the past couple of years. It might have started out as a crush, a case of hero worship for him but it had deepened into something real. She knew instinctively that she wouldn’t love anyone else quite as deeply or as completely. He made her whole. It was as though as long as she had him, she could do anything. She needed him; loved him; couldn’t have him.

And he had felt the same way. She knew it like she knew her own name. She had felt it in every look, every touch. It wasn’t a passing fancy for him; he didn’t just look at her as though she as an attractive woman but as though she was everything to him, as though she was his Sun and moon. He hadn’t looked at her like that since she had woken up in the MALP room.

He had made his feelings clear, Sam thought. Even if she resigned or asked for transfer, would he want her? The thought struck her like a blow to her gut and her eyes closed tightly against the pain. She wished she knew how to stop loving him as quickly as he had evidently seemed to stop loving her. She shoved the sleeping bag off abruptly and stood up. She made a gesture to Teal’c who had the watch to indicate that she was taking a bathroom break. The Jaffa nodded solemnly in reply. Sam walked swiftly around the ruins but instead of heading for the bushes she sat down on a fallen pillar and breathed in deeply.

The blossoms nearby were filled with a heady perfume and Sam raised her face up to the sky allowing the scent to fill her senses. She felt her body relax as she controlled her breathing. Everything seemed to be in sharp focus. The perfume was all she could smell and taste; her sight was filled with the sandy stones of the ruined temple, the deep green bushes and their orange and blue flowers. Her fingers gripped the rough stone she sat on and her skin warmed with the breeze. Her ears picked up the sounds of the bushes rustling, footsteps approaching. Her eyes snapped to the side.

Jack paused before he continued on and sat beside her. ‘You’ve been gone awhile.’

Sam knew she should say something, get up and leave but she couldn’t move. He was filling her senses like he always did. He looked tired; the lines that marked his face seemed deeper in the darkness and there were shadows under his eyes.

‘Teal’c was worried. You know how he gets.’ Jack scuffed his heels on the sandy ground and darted a glance at her. ‘You OK?’

‘I’m fine.’ Sam bit her lip and wondered if he’d call her on the blatant lie.

‘Your hand bothering you?’

She looked down and realised that she was rubbing her scarred hand with her good one. She halted the movement abruptly.

Jack cleared his throat gruffly. ‘We should head back before Teal’c sends a search party.’

Sam nodded.

He stood up and offered her his hand. She slid her hand into his, and he pulled her to her feet. He kept hold of her hand as she went to pull away and she stilled, her breath caught in her throat as he examined the thin scar and the way it glimmered in the moonlight.

‘That was a bad burn.’ Jack said so quietly she wondered if she had heard him.

‘It’s OK.’ Sam murmured, trying to comfort him.

‘Right.’ His thumb traced over her palm.

Sam felt her heart clench. ‘Sir.’

Jack looked at her suddenly, capturing her eyes with his. For a moment, they didn’t need words. Everything they felt gleamed from their eyes; love, regret, sorrow, heartbreak…it was over.

Sam blinked back tears.

Jack let go of her.

Sam watched him walk away. She brushed the tears from her cheeks swiftly and followed him.

Year Five

The ‘We Saved the World Again’ party Jack had held was over. Jack had determined a celebration was in order after saving Earth from the near fatal meteor collision. A few hours earlier his house had been filled with people; the disco music loud and competing with the chattering voices of the SGC personnel and their families.

Jack waved Daniel and Teal’c away and stood in his driveway watching the rear lights of their car disappear into the night. They had stayed until the last of the SGC staff had drifted away; as the night eased into early morning. Jack was trying to ignore the tug of disappointment that Carter hadn’t stayed around until it was over too. She had disappeared into the crowd half-way through and he hadn’t caught a glimpse of her since. Which was unusual, he admitted to himself; usually she would have searched him out to say goodbye.

He shrugged the thought away. He couldn’t blame her. Things had improved between them since she had been kidnapped but he couldn’t deny it had been a difficult year trying to find a new path given the decision to put aside their love and move on.

He had allowed them both to get too close over the first few years; had allowed their feelings to become more than they should and the year before it had almost cost Carter her life. He believed an alien entity had chosen to possess her because it had known Jack loved her and he had believed for a time that he had killed the woman he loved. No, he couldn’t go through that again; couldn’t risk her life because of his feelings. He wouldn’t let it happen again, Jack told himself brusquely, sticking his hands in his pockets.

The months following the entity had been hell. He had tried to be completely professional; had tried to simply be her CO. He had ignored the jealousy that he’d felt with every man who showed her some attention; tried to convince himself it was for the best that she moved on with someone else, someone who could love her like she deserved and would make her happy in a way he doubted he ever could, never mind the barriers that were between them. All he had done though was to have pushed Carter so far away that he had almost lost her because he hadn’t known she was missing until it was too late – and almost losing her had scared the life out of him and made him reassess the distance he had placed between them.

He had stopped trying to pretend to himself that he didn’t care about her since Carter had gotten abducted. He had realised that he didn’t want to lose their friendship in trying to keep their feelings professional and in trying to protect Sam. Friendship, Jack determined. He just had to rebuild their friendship, get them back on an even keel. It was what he had focused on since the kidnapping and it seemed to be working. Mostly. It wasn’t easy though. He still loved her despite his efforts to move on and he suspected that Sam still cared for him. But he couldn’t go there again; not for her safety and his sanity.

Jack breathed in deeply, enjoying the faint burnt charcoal smell that lingered from the barbeque. He didn’t want to go to bed. He wasn’t tired. The sky was just turning from black into purple; that first hint of the night giving way to the morning. He headed into the house and grabbed a beer along with his jacket. He climbed the ladder at the side of his house and hauled himself onto his roof where he had set up his look-out with the telescope pointed at the stars. He headed for the large comfy chair he had set out and stopped at the unexpected sight of Carter curled up in it.

For a long moment, Jack drank in the sight of her. She had tucked her legs underneath her, and her body was angled into the cushions, her head rested at an awkward angle against the top of the chair. Half of her face was smushed into the brown cushion, the other half was relaxed in sleep. Her short hair barely moved in the breeze.

Jack struggled against the urge to simply cup her cheek, trace her lips with his fingers…kiss her, wake her up and make love to her. He shook the fantasy away. He crouched beside the chair and gently shook her.

‘Carter.’ He whispered. ‘Your watch.’

Sam came awake with a startled gasp. Her eyes focused on his and looked away sharply as she looked around and got her bearings. She blushed. He could see the redness fill her cheeks even though the only light around was the moon shining down on them.

‘I’m so sorry…’ she began as she uncurled her legs and made to stand up.

‘Forget it, Carter.’ Jack said gruffly.

‘What time is it, sir?’ Sam looked at her watch and winced visibly.

‘Late.’ Jack said succinctly. ‘Everyone’s gone home.’

‘Everyone?’ Sam’s eyes widened.

Jack felt her panic and realised he hadn’t seen her car or bike out front. ‘You miss your ride?’

She nodded sheepishly. ‘Janet was supposed to be giving me a lift.’ She rubbed her upper arms and he guessed she was cold despite the denim jacket. ‘I guess she must have thought I left with someone else when she couldn’t find me.’

‘Probably.’ Jack murmured. His thumb worried the label on the beer bottle he held. ‘I didn’t realise you’d come up here.’

Sam pointed at the telescope ruefully. ‘I was thinking about the guy who found the meteor. You know how he was just an ordinary astronomer and I just…’ she smiled a little, ‘wanted to take a look for myself.’

‘Check we’d got rid of the thing?’ Jack commented dryly.

‘Something like that.’ Sam admitted.

They fell silent.

‘I, uh, I should call a cab.’ Sam said, politely. ‘You probably want to get to bed.’

Jack shook his head without thinking. He gestured at her with the beer bottle. ‘Look, you’re not going to get a cab at this hour. Why don’t I exchange this for some coffee and I’ll give you a ride home in a little while?’

‘I don’t want to put you out, sir.’ Sam said stiffly.

‘It’s coffee and a ride home, Carter.’ Jack shrugged. ‘It’s not like I’m saving the world or anything.’

Sam bit her lip and nodded.

Jack didn’t hesitate; he headed back down the ladder and made his way into the kitchen. Five minutes later, he leaned on the counter and wondered what the hell he was doing. He should have called her a cab or called Teal’c. The Jaffa didn’t drink he could have come back and taken Carter home. Heck, why didn’t he just offer to lend her his truck?

He ignored the voice in his head, telling him what a bad idea it was and concentrated on making two cups of coffee. He picked them up with one hand and went back out. He managed to get most of the way up the ladder one-handed and without spilling a great deal of the coffee.

Sam met him as he got to the top and he handed the mugs to her. She took them and he stepped onto the roof. He waved her back into the chair and indicated she should shuffle up so he could fit too. She handed him one of the mugs and they settled back.

‘Did you see it?’ Jack asked, motioning with his mug at the telescope.

‘No.’ Sam blew on the hot liquid. ‘I can’t make it out.’

He leaned over and took a look through the scope. He froze at the constellation in the lens; the dog constellation that he and Carter usually joked around about; the one he had come to think of as theirs. He straightened. Sam looked away from him and he could tell that she was hoping he wouldn’t call her on it and the fact that the meteor they had manoeuvred away from Earth was in an altogether different part of the sky.

‘Poor kid.’ Jack mused out loud, deliberately choosing another subject.

‘Sir?’ Sam asked confused.

‘The astronomer who found our meteor.’ Jack explained. ‘He’s probably searched night after night for something like that and when he finds something he can’t tell anyone about it.’

Sam relaxed beside him. ‘What about you, sir? Are you hoping to discover a meteor?’

‘I think I’ve had enough of meteors.’ Jack said lightly. ‘There’s something about seeing them up close and personal that just takes away all the magic.’

Sam grinned. ‘I know what you mean, sir.’ She rested against the cushions and turned her face up to the lightening sky.

He’d missed it, Jack realised. Missed her and the small moments they’d stolen together where they would simply sit and watch the stars. It was good to get that back and he resolved he wouldn’t allow them to lose it again. After all, there was nothing wrong with two colleagues – friends – watching the stars together.

Nothing wrong at all.

Nothing.

Year Six

Another alien world; another alien sky. Sam wrapped her arms around her middle and staggered out onto the balcony. The team had installed her in one of the palace bedrooms to recover from her ordeal in Nirtii’s genetic machine. Her body felt weak and drained but it lacked the horrible sense that something was deeply, badly wrong that had dogged it since her first session in the machine.

She was alive.

Sam lifted her face to the sky and let the cold wind wash over. She enjoyed the way it hit her skin; the way it gave her goose-bumps and made her shiver. She enjoyed the way it filled her lungs, so sharp and fresh that it had ached. She opened her eyes; the wind stung and tears sprang up in response. She didn’t stop them; allowed the moisture to run down her cheeks and freeze. It felt so good.

She stared out at the palace grounds. It was dark below; she couldn’t make out any detail. She should go back inside, Sam thought wearily; get some rest. She knew the Colonel wanted to leave at first light. Get off this godforsaken rock might have been his exact words. She didn’t move.

She had really felt her number was up; that her time had come. She’d spent so much of the last year mourning Daniel and the loss of him in her life, so much of her time fearing that she would lose Jack too. He had almost died when they had contracted an Ancient virus; almost died again when the Tok’ra symbiote he had taken as a last resort to cure that illness had led him into an ill fated rescue before deserting him and leaving him in the hands of Ba’al. Jack had managed to escape but it had been close. And then there had been the whole thing with Maybourne; Jack had been lost for weeks before she had worked out he had been transported to the planet’s moon. Yet for all Jack’s mishaps, it had almost been her who had died on their latest mission.

So many close calls.

For both of them. Maybe their luck was finally running out, Sam thought cynically. Maybe it had run out when they had lost Daniel. She could feel the grief welling up again and buried it ruthlessly. She missed her friend; missed him so much and on so many levels; it still hurt to think about him.

Sam shook herself. Her luck hadn’t quite run out that day and she was alive. She blushed as she remembered the way she had curled up on Jack’s shoulder; the way she had rested against him. She had needed his strength; she had needed him. She pulled a face. As much as she hated to admit it, she feared she was more in love with her CO than ever and more afraid than ever that he no longer felt the same about her.

Jack cared about her – she didn’t doubt that – but she had no idea if he still loved her. She suspected that he didn’t; that he had moved on. It was better that he wasn’t in love with her anymore, Sam mused sadly. He couldn’t be conflicted as a superior officer. He would always be her friend; she should be content with that.

She sighed deeply.

‘What are you doing out of bed?’

Jack’s strident tone had Sam jumping. He came to stand in the doorway behind her.

Sam gestured at the sky. ‘I was just getting some air, sir.’

‘Hmmm.’ Jack took another couple of steps to stand beside her. He leaned down, his elbows on the balcony wall. ‘You should be resting.’

Sam didn’t bother replying. She rested her hip against the wall and looked up at the night sky. ‘Jonas?’

Jack shrugged. ‘They think Nirtii left him alone apart from the whole, you know,’ he gestured, ‘seduction thing.’

‘Lucky him.’ Sam murmured.

‘How’re you doing?’ Jack asked gently.

Sam shrugged. ‘I’m fine.’

Jack’s lips quirked upward in a crooked smile.

She looked at him quizzically.

‘You must be feeling better if you’re claiming you’re fine when you’re not.’ Jack explained gruffly and she realised she had scared him earlier that day when she had admitted she wasn’t feeling fine at all.

‘Oh.’ Sam said, torn between amusement and chagrin. She shivered.

‘You should get back inside.’ Jack admonished; his dark eyes shone with concern and for an instant Sam could have sworn she might have seen love flickering in the chocolate depths.

‘In a minute.’ Sam requested softly.

‘You’re cold.’ Jack pointed out.

Sam clutched onto the balcony wall. ‘I just want to stay out for a while longer.’ She was unaware of the stubborn edge to her words and oblivious to Jack’s raised eyebrows.

The clouds moved and a shaft of moonlight bathed the balcony, making the grey dull stone gleam silver. Her eyes searched the sky and found the constellation she was looking for; the one Jack kept insisting looked like a dog and which was clearly a bear.

‘Hey, isn’t that our dog?’ Jack nudged her shoulder.

‘Bear.’ She immediately responded.

‘Carter, after all these years you can’t still be denying it looks like a dog.’ Jack teased. His eyes twinkled at her.

‘It’s a bear.’ Sam insisted without heat, content with the familiarity of the exchange.

They watched until a cloud drifted over and covered the constellation from view.

‘Come on.’ Jack waved at the room behind them. ‘Bed.’ His eyes widened suddenly. ‘I mean…’

‘I know.’ Sam smiled at his evident awkwardness. Another sign that he was definitely over her, Sam thought sadly. Otherwise he would have just teased her. She pushed away from the balcony and swayed suddenly.

Jack caught her before she could fall. He swore as he lifted her into his arms. ‘Of all the stubborn women.’ he muttered. He carried her back into the bedroom. He placed her gently on the bed and Sam squirmed into a better position as he stepped away.

‘Rest.’ Jack ordered.

‘Yes, sir.’ Sam agreed, a wave of tiredness pulling at her. Her eyes closed on his worried face. ‘Sorry.’

‘Yes. Well.’ Jack said. ‘Just don’t do it again.’

She felt him pull some blankets over her; felt their warmth begin to seep through her. ‘Just wanted to look at the stars.’ She muttered thickly.

‘We can do that next mission, Carter.’ Jack said.

‘Promise?’ Sam asked sleepily.

‘Promise.’

Sam couldn’t hold on to consciousness; the darkness beckoned. She felt the barest touch against her forehead and had the briefest moment to wonder whether Jack had kissed her. She had to have imagined it because there was no other explanation, Sam decided. She gave up and slipped into sleep.

Year Seven

Jack looked out at Janet Fraiser’s backyard and tried not to feel stirred by the sight of Carter huddled in a fluffy robe out on the deck.

‘She’s been out there for hours.’ Cassie Fraiser’s quiet words snagged his attention and Jack glanced at the teenager beside him. ‘You see why I called you.’

Jack nodded silently. He knew Carter had moved into Fraiser’s to look after Cassie following Janet’s untimely and tragic death. She had told him her plans when she had driven him home from the infirmary; Carter had believed moving in with Cassie would be less traumatic than removing Cassie from her home.

He turned and hugged Cassie. ‘You go back to bed. I’ll handle this.’

Cassie nodded jerkily, the top of her head bumping gently against his rough chin. ‘I miss Mom.’ Her voice was thick with tears.

‘I know.’ Jack said simply. He missed Fraiser too. He tried not to wince as Cassie hugged his injured ribs tightly before she let go and made her way back into the depths of the house leaving him in Fraiser’s kitchen and the conundrum on how to handle the grief stricken Air Force Major outside. Fraiser’s death had hit them all hard but Carter and Fraiser had been best friends and he knew Carter was struggling to cope with the loss on top of looking after Cassie.

He opened the door and slipped outside. The first thing he noticed was the chill. It was cold. His breath puffed out in a vapour of white air. He contemplated going back inside and making some hot chocolate but decided it could wait until he had convinced Carter she wanted to be back inside. What was it with her and being outside anyway, Jack thought crossly.

She didn’t look up as he approached and he sat beside her without any words spoken between them. One look at her tear-drenched face and Jack’s annoyance with her dissipated. The moonlight caught every sheen of moisture, the glimmer of more tears brimming in her blue eyes.

Jack pressed his lips together and wondered what to do. He knew what he wanted to do but Carter had a boyfriend and it probably was his place to comfort her not Jack anymore. Not that it had been his place before she had hooked up with the cop she was dating.

He was happy for her, Jack thought determinedly. Sam deserved to be with someone who loved her; deserved the happy ever after that he couldn’t give her. She was happy with the cop and that was all that was important. If he was jealous, it was his problem. And he shouldn’t be jealous. He had done his best to be no more than a friend to her for years; to ensure she no longer knew how he felt, that he loved her. It was his own fault if she had finally decided to move on. She deserved to move on and he was happy for her. He wondered how many more times he would need to think it before he believed it; he wondered if he ever would.

Another tear slid silently down her cheek, he caved. He didn’t care if she was dating two hundred other men, he was still her friend and he would comfort her.

‘C’mere.’ Jack said gruffly, sliding his arm around her and tugging her closer to him.

She was cold. Her face turned into the crook of his neck and he almost flinched at how cold she was. He hugged her closer, hoping his body heat would compensate. He didn’t know how long they sat together, his arm around her shoulders, her body curled into his, their knees resting together. Their free hands carefully not touching the other.

Jack was reminded of the questions the journalist had asked him earlier that day when he had acquiesced to Hammond’s order that he allow himself to be interviewed. Jack personally thought it was a waste of time but he respected Hammond so he’d done it. The interviewer had been surprisingly insightful about the Stargate programme and surprisingly respectful given all the grief Jack had dished out to him over the previous weeks.

‘And how do you feel about Major Carter?’

Such a simple question; such a loaded question. He couldn’t give a truthful answer. ‘I love her. I love everything about her. I would rather die than lose her.’ No-one wanted to hear that, not even Carter. His feelings for her hadn’t changed and he suspected that she still cared deeply for him; her reaction to his getting shot and almost dying was a big clue. But she was with someone and Jack wasn’t going to put her in the position of having to choose especially when he didn’t have anything to offer her. They were still in the same chain of command; their relationship was still banned under the rules and she was still far too good for him. She deserved someone younger, better, without his baggage. So, in his interview, he had blathered on about how great an officer Carter was; a genius; a national treasure. He pulled a face. He hoped to God Carter never saw it.

Eventually, Jack felt Carter shift subtly. He let her pull away and offered her a handkerchief. She took it with a grateful smile and scrubbed her face. She blew her nose and absently handed the tissue back to him. He took it with a grimace and stuffed it in his pocket.

‘Cassie call you?’ Sam asked quietly.

Jack shrugged. ‘She was worried about you.’

‘I should…’ Sam made to get up.

‘She’s OK.’ Jack said halting her movement. ‘She’s sleeping.’

‘Right.’ Sam rubbed her nose.

Jack looked at her. ‘Stop beating yourself up.’ He ordered briskly.

Sam stared at him.

‘You’re doing a great job at looking after her, Carter.’ Jack said. ‘So stop beating yourself up.’

‘I just…it all just…’ Sam stumbled into speechlessness and fresh tears sprang into her eyes. ‘I can’t seem to stop crying.’

Jack simply tugged her back into his arms and held her.

‘I miss Janet.’ Her words were muffled against his neck.

Jack dipped his face; breathed in the scent of Sam before he pulled back. He caught hold of her chin. ‘You know she’d so kick your butt for being out here in the cold with nothing but a robe.’

Sam gave a short laugh but she swiped away her tears and her eyes conveyed her gratitude at his trying to lighten the mood.

‘Come on.’ Jack stood up and tugged Sam to her feet.

Sam nodded. She squeezed his hand and moved away toward the house. Jack glanced up at the dark sky; the clouds had shifted blotting out the moon. It sent a shaft of pain through Jack’s heart as he dropped his gaze. The stars were hidden by clouds; there was nothing but darkness and night. It seemed too foreboding; too much of an omen given Anubis’s domination of the galaxy. Perhaps losing Fraiser was a sign.

Or perhaps it was just losing Carter.

‘Sir?’

Sam’s quiet call pulled Jack from his morose thoughts. He had her friendship, Jack assured himself; that was enough. He followed her into the warmth.

Year Eight

Sam padded through the unfamiliar cabin uncertainly. It was quiet. The ticking of the clock in the area designated by Jack as the den sounded loudly and the rumbling snores of the Jaffa curled up on the floor gave a strange counterpoint. The faint glow of the embers in the hearth lit Sam’s way and she was able to pick out a path to the door of the cabin. She had dressed appropriately, having shrugged on a fleece jacket over her pyjamas before she had left the spare bedroom Jack had assigned to her for the duration of their fishing vacation.

Fishing vacation.

The words delighted her, sending a quiver of nerves to her belly.

Fishing.

With Jack.

Something she had thought she would never get to do; something she had thought she had lost the chance to do when she had believed he had stopped being in love with her; when she had tried to move on in response.

She shivered as her stockinged feet hit the rough wood of the porch and she pulled the fleece closer as she began to make her way around the side of the cabin to the dock. She had come so close to making a huge mistake; a gigantic mistake. She had almost married another man. Even just thinking it filled her with a sense of disbelief. She felt a twinge of guilt. Pete Shanahan was a good man and he had deserved better. She had fallen into the relationship after her hallucinations on the Prometheus had made it seem that she was holding onto Jack for all the wrong reasons. Pete had loved her but deep down she had always known she wasn’t ready to marry him; she loved him but she loved Jack more, and that wasn’t fair on Pete, her or Jack.

She loved Jack.

Sam smiled as she thought the words again. She loved Jack, and finally she was ready to admit it. More than that, she was ready to do whatever was necessary to make their relationship happen. And it would seem that the universe was finally ready to let them. The Replicators were gone; the Goa’uld were defeated; Earth was safe.

It was time.

And she was fairly certain Jack felt the same way although they hadn’t spoken openly about it. Her brow creased and her cheeks heated as she remembered her mortification when she had gone to his house to talk; at discovering a woman there – a woman who he was clearly involved with. Kerry Johnson. Sam hadn’t asked about what had happened between Jack and the CIA agent, but she knew him and Sam knew he would never have invited her fishing if he and Kerry had still been together. The fact that she knew Kerry had returned to Washington helped cement her belief that Jack’s relationship with the woman was over.

Jack was no longer with Kerry; Sam was no longer with Pete, and for the first time in years Sam figured they were on the same page. She had known it the moment he had comforted her as her father lay dying; when she had thanked Jack for being there for her and he had replied ‘Always.’

Her father was dead. Sam mourned him; missed him. But in a strange way, she was at peace with it. She had been able to say goodbye to him; had been able to hear him tell her to be happy. In his own way, she believed that he had given his blessing to her relationship with Jack. She would miss Jacob Carter but she knew she was going to do everything to make his final wish come true; for her to be happy.

Sam wrapped her arms around herself as she tiptoed across to the dock where Jack was waiting for her. She smiled happily as she stepped up close to him.

‘Hey.’ Sam murmured, letting her gaze run over his relaxed features, the ruffled grey of his hair. He was dressed in jeans and a fleece. His chocolate eyes warmed her before they fell to her feet which were only encased in woolly socks.

‘You forget something Carter?’ He asked amused.

‘I didn’t want to risk waking the guys.’ Sam explained away the lack of shoes, nerves making her breathless. She had spent the last couple of hours anticipating their meeting, ever since Jack had caught her in the kitchen after dinner and asked her to meet him at the dock at midnight; ever since he had broke the news that he was transferring to Washington and wouldn’t be in her chain of command at midnight over dinner.

Jack shook his head but he held out a hand and she confidently placed hers in his. He pulled her further onto the dock and positioned her in front of him. He wrapped his arms around her waist and she let herself rest up against his solid body.

‘Comfy?’ Jack asked seriously.

She nodded, her breath caught in her throat.

Jack pointed upwards. ‘Look.’

Sam smiled. The constellation Jack had picked out of the sky years before shone above them. It was so clear and bright; Sam could swear it sparkled.

Jack turned her gently in his arms. Her heart pounded loudly in her ears as she caught the intent in his. His fingers slowly cupped her face and lifted her chin before his lips settled over hers.

The first kiss was reverent, gentle, slow and deep.

Sam remembered to breathe as Jack raised his head.

‘Wow.’ Sam said unevenly.

Jack smiled smugly. He dipped his head and she met his lips eagerly. Their second kiss was fierce and passionate; years of pent-up feeling that had been repressed. They pressed together; as close they could get. Both of them were breathing heavily when they broke apart. Jack wrapped his arms around her; his head dipping into her neck as they revelled in holding each other.

Eventually, their hold loosened.

Jack smoothed her hair back. ‘So.’

‘So.’ Sam repeated gently.

They both smiled inanely at each other.

‘You OK?’ Jack checked and she saw the fleeting anxiety zip across his face.

Sam reached up and cupped his cheek. ‘More than OK.’ She assured him.

‘OK.’ Jack said, turning his head to drop a kiss on her palm, over the faint line of an old scar.

‘What next?’ Sam asked softly.

Jack shrugged. ‘Whatever you want.’ He told her confidently. ‘We’re together; that’s all that matters.’

Sam nodded almost unable to speak. ‘That’s all I want.’

Jack’s face brightened at her words. ‘So you’re ready to admit it’s a dog.’ He quipped wryly.

She laughed, a happy and light-hearted sound that added a music to the night. Her fingers stroked the strands of hair at the back of his neck. ‘Jack, I love you but it’s a bear.’ Sam suddenly realised what she had said and stiffened slightly in his arms.

Jack’s eyes widened; his hold tightened and his gaze held hers fiercely. ‘I love you too.’ He smiled suddenly and his eyes twinkled. ‘But it’s a dog.’

Sam couldn’t speak; didn’t want to; she was happy and they were together. As he kissed her again, she knew he felt the same, and they held onto each other in the moonlight.

Epilogue

Jack took a deep breath of alien air and gave a sigh of contentment. He rarely managed to get off-world anymore given his retirement. Or kind of retirement. The President refused to release him completely. But his kind of retirement came with perks, namely that he got to live with Sam most of the time which he considered was no mean feat given her last assignment had taken her to another galaxy. It also provided him with the occasional jaunt off-world just like the current mission.

Ostensibly, he was there as Earth’s representative but as the event was a naming celebration of Teal’c’s grandson, there was a more underlying personal reason why Jack – and Sam – had wanted to be there. It helped that Teal’c, who still held clout with the Tau’ri as a prominent Jaffa leader as well as continuing to serve as a member of SG1, had pretty much insisted on the presence of his former SG1 team-mates.

The day had been filled with feasting and ceremony. Jack could swear that he had seen a tear in Bra’tac’s eye when Rya’c had pronounced his son would bear the old warrior’s name. Jack and Sam had spent time catching up with Daniel and Teal’c mostly. They had barely seen the guys between Sam’s assignment to Atlantis and Jack being in Washington. But they had also taken time to talk with the other members of SG1, Cameron Mitchell and Vala; to reminisce about the old days. The day had ended with the Jaffa carousing. He could still hear them faintly in the distance and was grateful that Kar’yn had been thoughtful enough to place them in a house at the far edges of the settlement.

He had attempted to get to sleep but it had been a while since he had been off-world and he was too buzzed. Hence his midnight walk. Jack stared up at the night sky; it was a swirling mass of colour; every shade of purple flowing across the heavens. Pinpoints of light sparkled like diamonds on the dark canvas. He admired the beauty for a moment before his eyes started a search for a particular constellation.

He wasn’t surprised to hear footsteps behind him or the arms that slid around his waist.

‘Why Teal’c I didn’t know you cared.’ Jack quipped lightly.

Sam chuckled and pressed her face into his back. ‘Sorry, only me. I can go get him if you’re disappointed.’

He smiled at her teasing and turned in her arms to face her. ‘Never.’ He tilted her chin up and kissed her.

‘Couldn’t sleep, huh?’ Sam smoothed her hands over his shoulders.

Jack shrugged easily.

‘You should have woken me.’ Sam protested gently.

‘You were sleeping.’ Jack replied.

She rolled her eyes. ‘That was why I mentioned the waking me bit.’

‘Smart ass.’ Jack tapped her lightly on the nose, his eyes smiled down at her. He glanced back up at the sky. ‘I don’t get to do this enough.’

‘Come off-world?’ Sam inquired. She nodded fervently. ‘I know the feeling.’ And he knew she did; her roles were becoming desk bound, command and diplomatic positions in line with her rank. She rarely got to go off-world herself.

‘I don’t miss getting shot at.’ Jack said as though he had given the matter considerable thought – which he had.

‘Yes you do.’ Sam laughed. ‘And poking at the Goa’uld.’

‘But they were so easy to poke.’ Jack defended light-heartedly.

They fell into a comfortable silence. Jack tugged her closer when he felt her shiver and wondered if she should be outside. It was cool but not cold, and he held his tongue knowing she would only remind him that she was pregnant not ill as she had done when he had suggested she shouldn’t attend the celebration.

Pregnant.

He could hardly believe it. They had left it to fate both believing that maybe given their ages and the damage their bodies had endured, that maybe a child wasn’t in their destiny. The news that Sam was pregnant had stunned them both. It was the cherry on top of the cake as far as Jack was concerned. He was just so happy to be with Sam especially when he had come so close to losing her.

He found his mind wandering back to the year they had finally come to their senses. If Sam hadn’t found the courage to question her impending marriage, hadn’t found the courage to attempt to talk with him, Jack didn’t kid himself; he knew it could have worked out so differently. In some reality somewhere it was probably the cop stood where he was with a pregnant Carter. Well, not right where he was because Jack was damned if he’d ever have agreed to let the cop go offworld but still. And the Jack in that reality was either dead or a complete moron, he determined harshly.

Jack still couldn’t believe that he had come so close to letting Sam go because he’d mistakenly believed she would be happier without him – and boy, had she read him the riot act on that one. He had maintained that his actions had kept her safe though. Loving her so openly had led to her being targeted, and he just couldn’t have gone there again. Jack shivered, remembering the fateful moment he had believed he had killed her.

It was in the past, Jack reminded himself. The future was what was important; the future and the here and now. His hands held her protectively.

‘I miss this.’ Sam murmured, her words a mumble against his chest. ‘Watching the stars with you under an alien sky.’

He missed it too. They sat out and star watched on Earth but there was nothing like an alien sky. They’d begun with an alien sky after all.

‘Can you,’ began Jack.

‘There.’ Sam pointed upwards and immediately Jack made out the dog.

‘Ah, it’s good to see Toto is watching over us.’ Jack said.

Sam sighed. He’d named it Toto on their wedding night. She had decided to call it Baloo. He figured naming their child was going to be an experience.

‘Come on back to bed, Jack.’ Sam kissed him lightly on the lips and eased away from his embrace. Her fingers caught his, and he let her tug him away. He glanced over his shoulder at the sky and the constellation. His lucky stars, Jack thought, and as he followed his wife inside the house, he thanked every one of them.

fin.