Us
Us
by NG
Summary: Against all the odds that were stacked up against them over the years they had finally succeeded in having their lonely hearts beat as one.
Category: Future Story, Romance
Season: any Season
Pairing: Jack/Sam
Rating: G
Warnings: none
Disclaimer: Stargate SG-1 and its characters are the property of Showtime/Viacom, MGM/UA, Double Secret Productions, and Gekko Productions. I have written this story for entertainment purposes only and no money whatsoever has exchanged hands. No copyright infringement is intended. The original characters, situations, and story are the property of the author(s).
Archived on: 02/01/04
The war was over.
For eight years the SGC's proud men and women had fought with all their might to protect Earth against the overpowering force of their enemy. Then one day it was all over. Parties were held. Speeches were made. Heroes were declared. And after all was said and done the world had to go back to it's everyday life...
It was late one night. A skeleton staff manned the base. Serenity not witnessed in ages hung in the air.
Somewhere deep inside the heart of what was once Earth's first line of defense, a man and woman stood facing each other. One was leaving; the other came to say farewell. Neither Air Force regulations nor chain of command existed between them anymore. Still they found it seemingly impossible to bridge that dividing gap that had prevented them from acting on their feelings for each other years ago.
"General," she acknowledged him with a small nod of her head.
"Colonel," he replied, tugging his nervous hands inside the pockets of his pants.
Her light blue eyes misted over slightly and her voice wavered, "So...this is the end. It is difficult to believe that after all these years it is finally over. I just wish..."
She swallowed to clear away the heaviness constricting her throat. He tipped his head to one side, in that all too familiar way. A gentle smile nicked at the corner of his lips.
"Go on," he invited her, the tone of his voice deep and warm.
Her gaze locked with his inquisitive one before darting to the ground. Both of them knew what she wanted to say but instead it came out as, "There are so many that never got to see this day."
"Yeah, I know." It did not come out the way his heart intended, but he had never been one to juggle with his feelings.
She looked at him again. Her sweaty palms tapped against her sides. Fingertips played silent tunes on the fabric of her clothing.
"This is..." he paused in order to judge his next words, "strange," an unruly muscle jumped on his forehead at that comment.
"Yes it is," she answered in hardly more than a whisper.
He removed a hand from its hiding place and scratched across the bridge of his nose.
"So, any plans?" The hand crawled back into the pocket, "anybody special waiting?"
A frown formed between her eyebrows.
"Ah...what I meant was -," he stuttered upon noticing her expression.
The frown deepened.
"Never mind," he nearly snapped at her, inwardly the feeling of disgust seeped through him at his seemingly cowardliness.
Her mouth opened, then closed again - lips pursed together. After a second she uttered one single word, barely audible, "No."
It was his time to be speechless. His mind raced over the different meanings one little word might have.
Not sure whether he had heard her clearly the first time around she spoke up again, "Pete and I," her hands stopped playing music and instead clutched into ash-white fists, "we aren't on speaking terms anymore."
"Oh," was all he managed, but a light flickered on in his eyes.
"Oh?" she queried. Sensing the double meaning in his statement she said softly, "oh."
"Yeah," came the reply. Confirming in his own unique way that she understood him correctly.
"So..." he said after a little while, feeling a need to break the unspoken silence suffocating the air around them.
Her eyes narrowed. One of her hands started messaging the back of her muscle-tensed neck.
"Si..." her forehead scrunched up. Calling him 'Sir' felt on many levels just plain wrong at that moment. Yet, she had no idea what route to follow from there.
"Maybe I should just...go?" she asked in a kind of semi-question, pointing her hand in the general direction of the door. She was giving him the opportunity to choose the direction their conversation would go next.
Pretending to be nonchalant, rocking slightly on the balls of his feet, he shrugged slightly and replied in the most neutral voice he could manage, "Or not."
Her gaze met his again and for a moment they just stared intensely into each other's eyes. It was eventually Sam that looked away, only the faintest of a pinkish blush painting her cheeks.
"Uh...what I'm trying to say is that Teal'c and Daniel would hate for you to become a stranger," Jack mumbled underneath his breath, his bravado from earlier on having left him suddenly.
Biting on her bottom lip, tucking a few irritating hair strings behind her ear, she decided to play along and replied, "Oh really?"
He took a step towards her; his fingertips traced lines through the imaginary dust on the table next to him. "Well you know how it goes with those two. Teal'c will do his Jaffa warrior thing and Daniel will be totally impossible to live with."
"I see," her voice became very soft, "Teal'c has his son and I believe Daniel is seeing someone. I don't think it will take them very long to forget about me."
He took another step closer in her direction and replied in a similar soft tone, "There is Cassie. She is at a stage where she needs a mother figure in her life."
"I doubt it. She's at college and there's that new guy taking up most of her time."
"There's your father...."
"On the other side of the galaxy, rounding up the remainder of the Tok'ra."
"Hailey..."
"A happy and satisfied member of SG-2."
"Okay then what about Siler?"
A half-moon smile flickered across her lips, "Siler? Running out of people here...General?"
He returned the smile and then held up his forefinger as if to say, 'Keep that thought.' Walking passed her he locked the door, paused a few seconds as if in deep thought before making his way back to her.
"There is someone else that will miss you," he answered her question, "but he's afraid."
"Why?" she responded in the only way she could think off. For a ridiculous moment she could not help but wonder whether they were talking about the same person. Though one look at the raw emotions tumbling behind his eyes convinced her mind to let her rapid beating heart take control.
He hesitated before continuing, "For so many years he has had these powerful feelings and they scare the hell out of him."
Her eyes closed for a second.
Could she dare to believe?
She decided to take the plunge with a sentence that came to mind, "Who, for me?"
Her answer was the faintest trace of a sad smile. He too remembered that conversation they had when he was still just a Colonel and she the second-in-command, his Major. It had been so much easier for them in those days. Officially their working relationship had dictated how they were to behave towards each other. Silently it had forced them to lock away any improper feelings in the deepest darkest corners of their souls.
"No for Teal'c," he answered in a pretend serious tone, reminiscent of the same reply he gave her at that time.
The soft laughter that reached his ears transformed his lips in a grin.
"This...person," she started after a few seconds, "does he still feel the same way."
"What, scared?" he asked. He knew what she was asking but felt a need to hear her say it out allowed.
She licked across her top lip, "Feelings. Does he still have these feelings?"
"Will it make a difference to you if he does?" he inquired gently, one eyebrow was slightly raised skywards. His hands had reached for their hiding places in his pockets once more. At that moment he felt as if the whole world went silent in anticipation of her answer.
Her eyes darted to the ground. She struggled to express the three very important words that she knew he needed to hear, "Yes, it does."
Allowing her eyes to slowly climb up his body until they came to rest on his encouraging ones she added, "You see I feel similar feelings for him. At one stage in the past I had even considered resigning my commission."
"And now there's no obstacles left between this guy and you?" His hand reached out towards her face. Jack could have sworn it was shaking all the way to the side off her cheek, where he started tracing a line down her jawbone.
She froze for a moment, shocked and maybe even a little bit afraid off the intensity of emotions she felt at something as small as a touch from him. She could barely managed to prevent herself from squeaking out her next word, "No."
His exploring hand came to rest underneath her chin. "Well I have it on good word that this guy is currently considering kissing you, but being the gentleman he needs your permission first."
Sam felt her heart beating faster, faster and faster. 'This is it,' kept on repeating in her mind. Feeling words to be inadequate at that moment she nodded her consent.
That was all the motivation he required.
Turning his head sideways and moving closer he at first just steamed his lips across hers. Breaking away slowly he looked deeply into her eyes to make sure she was still a willing partner in the new ride life and destiny had thrown their way.
Her hand cupped the back of his head, fingers messaging through short silver-gray hair, and gently forced his lips back to hers.
Time stood still for them. After what seemed like forever they parted reluctantly. Unwilling to let go of her completely he leaned his forehead against hers.
"Sam?" he whispered. Standing so close to him she could hear his unsteady breathing.
"Yes?" she asked. He could feel the blood pumping feverishly through his fingertips that were tracing circles across her temples.
"Thank you."
"I don't understand," she lifted her head and look at him confused.
"For this," he bent his head and started tracing a line of kisses down the side of her head, "and for giving...for giving us a chance."
As was said before the war had ended and life went on.
The only difference was that with the change in time one man and one woman had reached out to one another. Against all the odds that were stacked up against them over the years they had finally succeeded in having their lonely hearts beat as one.
If you enjoyed this story, please send feedback to NG
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