Sorrento Moon
Sorrento Moon
by pz
Summary: The Asgard have a surprise for Sam when Sam and Jack take a busman's holiday.
Category: Romance
Season: any Season
Pairing: Jack/Sam
Rating: PG-13
Warnings: sexual situations
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: 04/03/03
Sorrento Moon - Sam & Jack take a break - Off world.Sorrento Moon (I Remember) Part 3 of the Chains Series.
Authors: Pz
Summary: Sam & Jack take a break of world..
Thanks: Tina Arena for the inspiration.
No breach of copyright intended. This fiction is written for pleasure only.
i sang your praises daily
and we let ourselves get swept away
it's true baby
we held heaven in our hands for days
you wait a long time
for something wild to take you somewhere and all i needed was to fly
it's a long way from paradise to ordinary picture us just smiling there we didn't have a care
i remember how it all came true
it was oh so tender
and i was lost with you
by the sweet sorrento moon
but the stars don't burn that brightly every season surely slips away
but you baby
you're the reason why i chose to stay
you wait a long time to find your dream and hold on to it and all i needed was to fly
it's a long day from innocence to understanding a picture of a child at play is how i feel today
and i remember how it all came true
it was oh so tender and i was lost with you by the sweet sorrento moon la luna de Sorrento
We were all used to it by now, so when Colonel Jack O'Neill vanished in a blaze of white light at the briefing, nobody panicked. We all recognised instantly that great Asgard way of attracting attention. We were sat round the table discussing our next planned mission, and extremely routine it was expected to be. Once Jack vanished, we all shut our folders and started speculating on what the Asgard wanted this time. When they called, it was usually far from routine and a few theories flew around the table, Replicators, new system lord maybe? We didn't have long to wait before Jack reappeared. He had a huge grin on his face.
`Hey, guys. Good to be back', he quipped.
We all gathered round him, firing questions.
`Was it Thor?'
`Is it replicators'
`How come you were so quick?'
`What do they want?'
Jack held up his hands, `Whoa. Down, children, down. Yes, it was Thor and no it isn't Replicators this time'.
General Hammond took control of the situation,
`Perhaps if we all sit down, Colonel O'Neill will brief us'.
We all obeyed and Jack walked round to the front.
`Thank you, sir. First I have to apologise. The little guys requested our presence on the Asgard home world, and I said that we would go. Hope that's ok, sir?'
He looked towards General Hammond who smiled and nodded. He knew that value of keeping in the good books of the Asgard.
Jack continued `Carter, you remember when you blew me up and saved their butts with that `stupid thinking'?'
I smiled, `You mean when I blew up the O'Neill, sir?', remembering my surprise at the time at the name of the new Asgard battleship.
`Yeah, well it seems they've built a brand new one and I'm invited to the launching'.
General Hammond beamed, `This is a great honour for you, Colonel, and for Earth'.
`Yes it is, sir' Jack acknowledged.
`When do you go?', asked the General.
'48 hours sir. Thor says they'll do that thing they do and dial up the gate from their side', he answered.
`Congratulations, Colonel'.
`Thank you, sir. Oh, and one more thing. They also want Major Carter to come along. Because she's so good at thinking dumb. An expert it seems. They've studied her dumb thinking and incorporated it in their battle computers and they're having some success against the replicators. Anyway, she's also got the invite'.
My reaction justified the 'dumb thinking' metaphor, 'Wow'.
Colonel O'Neill just grinned some more. I could tell he was excited by the whole thing. Kind of like a kid with a new skateboard.
'Well, Major you've got 48 hours to polish your shoes and iron your skirt', he said smugly.
General Hammond interrupted, 'How long will you be away, Colonel?'
'48 hours, sir. If that's ok?'
'Of course it is, Colonel. Now I expect you to make Earth proud', he added.
'Try my best, sir', replied Jack, looking unusually serious for a moment.
The General turned back to Teal'c, 'Teal'c, I'll team you up with SG3, if that's acceptable. They're currently on stand down because of Captain Green's injury, but with you as replacement, they can complete this outstanding mission in place of SG1. Daniel, I think you can find some rocks to fiddle with for a few days?'.
Teal'c simply bowed his head and then turned to face the Colonel and me, 'O'Neill, Samantha Carter, this is a great honour for you both. The Asgard are great allies in the fight against the Goa'uld. Congratulations'.
I grabbed his hand, 'Thanks, Teal'c'.
Jack smacked him on the back, 'Yeah. We'll show you the holiday snaps when we get back'.
Teal'c looked puzzled, 'Snaps?'.
'Yeah, you know. Photographs. Images. Oh never mind. Anyway you take care of SG3. They're only a bunch of raw recruits', said Jack.
'Raw recruits? I thought that they had been in service for at least three years?', queried Teal'c.
Jack grinned, 'That's what I said. Raw recruits!'.
I shook my head. Jack had cast the bait and Teal'c had bitten as usual.
Daniel watched the whole exchange with that cute smile of his all over his face, `Sam, Jack. This is great. I get some peace and quiet to work on those Esher remains, and you get to have a good time'.
I grinned back at him.
At that the meeting broke up and I rushed off to tell Janet the exiting news. As usual Janet looked at it all from a more practical point of view, 'What are you wearing? Full dress uniform, I guess?'.
'Oh, Janet. I hadn't thought about that, but you're right of course. At least it doesn't need cleaning', I gabbled.
'But you can't wear just that for 48 hours?', she added practically.
'No. I guess you're right. What do I need? Can't really wear combats, can I?', I panicked, 'Oh, and what about food? The Asgard food isn't exactly palatable. We'll need to take something. And I suppose we'd better take a gift of some sort. And what about..'.
Janet interrupted my rant. She was shaking her head and laughing as she spoke, 'Seeing as you've now only got 46 hours before you go, I suggest you go talk to Colonel O'Neill and see what he has planned'.
'You're right, Janet. Thanks', I called over my shoulder as I headed for the door. I went straight to Jack's office, knocked on the door, opened it and stuck my head round. He was on the phone, but he waved me in and pointed to a chair.
'Yes, sir. Thank you, sir.'
'I will, sir. Goodbye'
He was still grinning as he put the phone down, 'The president! Sends his love to you. Seems to be pretty pleased with the honour that all this bestows. Nice!'.
I grinned back. It was a grinning kind of day.
I jumped straight in, 'Sir, there's a lot to sort out before we go. I'm assuming dress uniform for the ceremony, but what then for the rest of the time? Oh, and we'll need food, and a gift'.
Jack was tapping his pencil on the desk looking smug.
'Full dress uniform, Major, and then smart casual I suggest. Combat uniform is a little heavy handed for this kind of thing. Oh and as for food, I have that in hand. I'll leave the gift thingy in your capable hands. We won't take back packs, I've arranged a box to be delivered to your quarters for personal items and the gift. I'll pack food and other supplies.', he said.
My jaw must have dropped open with astonishment.
He stood up and shooed me out of the room with a parting shot, 'Suggest you start sorting things out, Carter. Don't want you to let me down. I have an appointment with the General'.
There wasn't much I could do, but obey, and I left, still in silence.
As soon as I left, Jack picked up the phone and started dialling. He waited for a moment for it to be answered, 'Could I have the number of Granelli's restaurant please ..........'.
The rest of that day passed in a blur. I needed to complete some work in my lab that I had started. I don't like leaving things half-done. Then later, I drove back to my house and reviewed my wardrobe, pulling out a couple of smartish blouses and a pair of tailored trousers and a jacket. I decided that sobriety was definitely the order of the day. My hand hovered over a bronze-coloured velvet cocktail dress that sat unused on one end of the rail. I'd bought it a while ago, but never had the occasion to wear it. It was that stretchy kind of velvet and I wondered if it was too showy. Maybe there would be some kind of function, so I shrugged and pulled it out, wrapping it carefully in tissue. The box that Jack promised had arrived earlier in the day and it was large enough to fit my entire wardrobe in, so it didn't matter if I took a couple of superfluous things. The question of the gift was still worrying me. I knew it was only a token, but how do you find something for people who were thousands of years more advanced than us. Anything technological was out of the question. It would just be a museum piece.
Eventually I fell asleep, still going over the options.
I got in to work early next day, but Colonel O'Neill's jeep was already there. I decided to go see him about the gift. He wasn't in his office when I got there so I just wrote a Post-It note, stuck it on his PC and headed straight to my lab. Half and hour later, the phone rang and I picked it up quickly, 'Carter!'.
It was the General's voice, 'Major, are you free?'
I wondered what he wanted, 'Yes, sir.'.
'Good, ten minutes in my office?', he said.
'Yes, sir', I replied and put down the phone. I guessed it must be about the visit and I was right, but not in any way that I could possibly imagine.
When I entered the General's office he was sat, leaning back in his chair, his hands clasped behind his head. He smiled and I breathed an internal sigh of relief, 'Sam, come in. Take a seat'.
The use of my first name had not gone unnoticed. It meant that what he was going to say was either off the record or personal.
'How are the preparations going for your little jaunt?', he asked.
'Fine, sir. Still struggling with what to take as a gift', I said.
He dismissed that with a casual wave of his hand, 'I'm sure you'll think of something appropriate, Sam'.
'Yes, sir', I said, waiting for him to get to the point.
'Sam, this is a somewhat unusual situation. Firstly because of the great honour that this bestows on us all, but also because it is normally against procedure for just two team members to go off world for any length of time. I realise that the Asgard are allies, however that doesn't change the optimum team size', he said thoughtfully.
He was right of course. I hadn't thought of it.
He continued, 'However I think that it's right to bend over backwards to meet the Asgard requests. There are precedents of course. When you helped them with that Replicator problem you went on your own, but that was an emergency.
I didn't know what to say, but he continued, 'I've spoken to Colonel O'Neill about the situation, and we've come to an agreement, if it's alright with you?'
'Yes, sir?', I said cautiously.
'For the duration of the ceremony, you'll be there in a formal capacity. We believe that will happen as soon as you get there and last only a couple of hours. Nobody will object to a bending of procedure for a few hours, but following that you'll both be on stand down. Holiday, if you like. It just happens to be off world instead of Florida or where ever. That should help us not break procedure. Bend it a little maybe, but that's ok. I think you could both do with a break for a couple of days.'
I was trying to understand the undercurrent in his voice as he spoke. There was definitely something there; a double meaning.
He leaned across the desk towards me and spoke slowly, 'Sam, I want you to have a good time. Take the opportunity to unwind. Let your hair down. Relax. You only have to report back on the actual ceremony. What else you do, is your own affair.'
I knew I was starting to blush.
'I think you understand me, Sam. Jack does. I've said the same to him. Let's call it an order, and I expect my orders to be obeyed. Jack seemed very willing to comply, for a change!'.
He suddenly leaned back in his chair and wound up the discussion, 'That's all, Major. I'll see you at departure. Now go sort out that gift.'
I was still dumb struck as I stood up to leave, but I managed a garbled, 'Thank you, sir', and was rewarded by a broad smile. That day passed equally quickly, and I finally decided on what to take; a beautiful craftsman made globe. I hoped it would be acceptable. Everything was so rushed what with a pre-mission medical and packing that I didn't even see the Colonel, never mind have chance to discuss the General's comments with him. When I left that night I was exhausted and at home I just collapsed into a hot, bubbly bath. I'd just shut my eyes, when the phone rang. I had no intentions of leaping out of the bath, so I'd taken the phone upstairs with me and I just leaned out and grabbed it.
'Hello?', I said.
'Hey, Carter. You busy?', said that familiar low voice.
'Just in the bath, sir', I replied without thinking.
He chuckled, 'Hold it, Carter. Imagination working overtime here. Just tell me, is there lots of bubbles?'
'Sir!' I exclaimed, 'as a matter of fact, there is!'.
'Shame!', he replied.
I feigned horror, ' Sir !'.
He laughed out loud and changed tack, 'You ready for tomorrow, Carter?'.
'Yes, sir', I replied demurely.
'Did Hammond have a word with you?', he asked after a hesitation.
I decided to play it cool, 'Yes he did'.
He hesitated again, 'That ok, Sam? What he said, I mean?'.
'Sure', I replied.
'Seems like I'm gonna get you on that fishing trip at last. See ya' tomorrow then. Bright and early!', he finished.
'Good night, sir', I said simply, wondering at the reference to the oft-repeated invitation to go fishing with him.
When I put down the phone, I giggled out loud. I loved making him do all the work. I loved imagining him squirm. I settled back down in the bath and then went straight to bed, falling into a deep dreamless sleep.
There was a lump in my throat as I looked at the Colonel. His dress uniform was immaculate. I was always amazed by the huge expanse of ribbon that virtually covered one side of his jacket. It spoke volumes of what he'd done in his military life. An achievement that he was far too modest about. He rarely spoke about his life before the Stargate program, but we all knew some of the conflicts that he'd been involved in. He even had his cap on and he was standing unusually still for him waiting for the Asgard to open the gate. Dead on time, the lights dimmed in the control room and the familiar shimmering pool whooshed out from the ring. General Hammond was stood next to Jack and I saw him pass a quick comment. A slight smile curled the corner of his mouth, then he resumed his serious expression. Two Airmen hefted the aluminium cases up the ramp and slid them through the gate, and the Colonel and I followed. As he reached the top of the rank, Jack turned and saluted the General, and I copied. In a moment we stepped through the event horizon and arrived at the other side.
I recognised Thor as we walked down the ramp on the Asgard home world, but even though I'd seen it before, my breath was taken away by the beauty of the city in front of us. The spires glistening in the sun looked almost too fragile to stand and small craft flitted in a kind of dance from building to building. The Asgard stargate was balanced on the top of the tallest spire and was protected only by a bubble of transparent material. Jack walked straight towards Thor and bent down so their eyes were on a level.
'Thor, buddy. Great to see you', he said.
'Colonel O'Neill, Major Carter. Welcome to Sorrento. It is good to see you also. Especially in such circumstances. If you could follow me, I will take you to the launching ceremony. I have arranged for you to have a private tour of the ship before we begin. Your cases will be delivered to your quarters. I have organised everything as requested, O'Neill, and your rooms will be prepared', said Thor.
I noticed the reference to 'rooms'. Jack must have requested it out of delicacy. We'd slept in the same tent hundreds of times over the years, although I suppose there always someone else there as well. I would have had no problem with us sharing a room, but he obviously had thought better of it. I pushed it to the back of my mind, and remembering the gift, I quickly turned to my packing case, pushed it open and took out the large cubic wooden box. I cleared my throat, `Sir', I said to Jack. He looked up at me and seeing the case he reached out for it. I passed it to him and still bending down, he held it out to Thor.
'A small token of Earth's appreciation of the honour you are showing us', he said formally.
Thor looked at the case and blinked a couple of times before speaking softly, 'Colonel O'Neill, Major Carter. Thank you, on behalf of the Asgard'.
Jack thought for a moment, 'Shall I carry it for you, buddy. It's a bit heavy?'
'Thank you, Colonel O'Neill. That would be appreciated'.
With that, all three of us, Jack with the box tucked under his arm walked to the edge of the platform. It always amused me intensely, the tone that Jack used when talking to the Asgard. They seemed to like it though and I know he was held in high esteem. We wouldn't be here if he wasn't. At the edge of the roof, Thor waved his hand over a light that seemed to hover in the air and a bubble of light just seemed to detach itself from the transparent walls and envelop us. In a moment, we were floating above the city and I gasped. Jack took hold of my aarm and held it tight as we picked up speed and soared towards the large craft that I could see tethered to a needle that must have been at least 500 feet high. The rope that held it shimmered with an opalescence that almost hurt my eyes. Jack nudged me.
'That's it!', he said excitedly. I turned and looked at him. His eyes were wide and shining. He was like a kid in a chocolate factory. The bubble slowed down as it approached the ship and started a slow, methodical trip around the enormous hull. The metal shone with a kind of luminescence and it seemed to flow in soft waves around its supple form. As the bubble moved around the nose of the craft, Jack squeezed my hand and pointed, 'Look. There!' I followed his direction. I could make out markings stretching away down the length of the hull. I recognised the markings as Asgard script but I could identify the Earth translation that ran underneath in letters at least 30 foot high. 'THE CARTER-O'NEILL'. All the breath seemed to leave my body in one gasp, and Jack tightened his grip on my hand. He leaned close and whispered, 'Sweet, huh?'
'You knew, didn't you?' I flung back at him.
He grinned, 'Course I did. Thor asked me if it was ok. They wanted to celebrate your 'dumb' thinking!'
I looked at the words again and then I noticed that the 'CARTER' was written in pale blue, and the 'O'NEILL' in brown.
'The colours match our eyes!' I exclaimed.
'Yeah. They kinda like our coloured eyes. Fascinates 'em.', he replied.
After that shock, the launching ceremony and everything went in a blur. It's kind of hard to tell with the Asgard, but I think that they liked the globe that we'd brought them and before I realised I caught myself yawning. Jack picked up on it immediately, 'Long day, Carter?'
'Yes, sir', I replied, 'but a good day'.
'Yeah. It was, wasn't it? I guess we're on leave, now that the formal stuff has finished'
I just nodded in the affirmative.
We were walking down a long curving corridor, leading from the Council chamber, after the celebrations had ended and at that moment, all I could think of was my stomach. Unfortunately Asgard food is not palatable to us, but I had made sure that I'd had a good breakfast before we came. Jack leaned over and muttered into what approximated for an ear in Thor's head and nodded. He stopped walking and gratefully I copied, wriggling my toes in my court shoes.
'Carter, Thor would just like to show you that new computer they've built using 'Dumb' thinking. I'm going to turn in, but Thor says he'll escort you back to the rooms afterwards, if that's ok', he said.
He didn't wait for answer, but just turned on his heel and headed back down the corridor. I have to admit to being disappointed. Not only was I tired and hungry, but I thought that maybe we would have a little time together whilst we were here, especially as we weren't on duty. Perhaps I had misunderstood General Hammond's meaning. I watched him until he disappeared from view and then turned back to Thor.
'Major Carter, I know that it has been a long day for you. This will only take 10 of your minutes, if you would like to see the computer', said Thor.
I nodded. I have to admit that I was interested in the concept of engineering 'Instinctive thinking' so I smiled and followed Thor. The tour was actually fascinating and I lasted about 40 minutes before feeling the effects of the day. Thor watched me closely and said, 'Major Carter. I will escort you to your rooms now'. Gratefully I followed him until he stopped outside a smooth featureless door. He pointed to a light panel on the wall and said, 'This will open your door for you. I think you will find all in order. I will see you tomorrow, Major Carter'. I thanked him and shook his tiny hand and he turned and left.
The light panel was warm to the touch as I pressed it and the door slid open with a whisper. It looked darkish in the room, but as I walked in, a dim glow caught my eye from the corner.
'About time', said a familiar voice.
What met my sight was the last thing that I expected. A beautiful crystal table was laden with delicious looking food. There was a cold salmon, meats, cheeses and a crisp looking salad. I spotted a divine looking Tiramisu sat on a slender crystal stand next to the table. Jack was sat on a beautiful curving chair next to the table. He had changed from his uniform and was wearing smart black trousers and shirt. He was sipping from a tall slender glass containing chilled white wine. The table was lit with a soft glowing ball that floated above its surface. He poured some more wine into another glass and held it out to me without saying anything.
I was totally speechless, so I just walked over, took the glass from him and sipped at it.
Jack motioned to another door set in the far wall, 'You can get changed in there, if you want', he said quietly.
`Thank you, sir', I replied automatically.
`Sam, remember what Hammond said. As of now we're on stand down. Holiday if you like. My name's Jack in case you didn't know'.
In a daze, I walked over and pressed the panel and the door slid to one side. I walked in and the door slid shut behind me. The room was simply furnished, but beautiful, almost ethereal. Both our boxes were lined up against the wall and I realised that the 'rooms' Thor had mentioned earlier consisted of a bedroom and a lounge. My pulse started to race and the tiredness melted away. Gratefully I peeled off my uniform, and looking round the room, spotted what looked like a sort of shower in the corner. Pressing my hand against the walls, I realised that it was some kind of sonic shower when pulses of warm tingling air spread out from a nozzle in the ceiling. Hesitantly, I stood under the soft breeze and enjoyed the feeling as it caressed my skin. I soon felt completely clean and relaxed. As soon as I walked away from it, the shower switched off. I opened my box and looked at the contents. After a moment's hesitation I picked out the velvet dress and slipped it over my head. The floor was soft and warm under foot, so I just walked barefoot back into the other room.
Jack was still sat by the table, staring into his glass. He looked up as I walked up to him and he let out a low whistle, 'Wow, Carter. Where have you been hiding that?'
I think that shower device must have loosened some screws because I just grinned at him and spun round, the soft skirt flaring out as I turned.
'Like it, sir?' I asked archly.
'Oh yeah. Sweet. Real sweet', he said, his voice becoming so soft I could barely hear him.
I started feeling dizzy with spinning, and the lack of food, so I stopped turning and stumbled to one side laughing. Next thing, I felt a pair of warm hands on either side of my waist as he stopped me falling over. He led me over to the table and sat me down in the other chair.
'I think you'd better eat something, before you fall over', he said gesturing at the table with a grin.
I looked at the beautiful food again.
'Where did all this come from?', I asked.
'Granelli's', he said.
'In Colorado Springs?', I asked wondering.
'Yeah', he smiled, 'Picked it up before we left'.
'That's fantastic,' I said, tucking in voraciously. He just sat and watched me, sipping at his wine, nibbling every now and again and smiling. When I'd finally eaten my fill, I sat back on the chair and looked at him. He was still watching me over the rim of his glass.
'Well!' I said.
'Well?' he asked.
We studied each other across the table for a while, until he stood up and held out his hand. I took it shyly and he pulled me towards a panel in the wall. He waved his free hand over it and it swept to one side to reveal a balcony, suspended on fine crystalline cables. He tugged my hand and pulled me out onto the balcony.
'Look', he said, pointing.
The Carter-O'Neill was floating in the air, glowing softly.
'It really is beautiful, isn't it?' I gushed.
'Yeah', he said.
It was about then that I spotted the moon. It was large and full, shining with a pinkish glow. I knew I was lost. There's something about moons and me. I'm a sucker for them. They do strange things to my head. They used to call it lunacy. I noticed that Jack was still hold of my hand, and I just flipped. I took just one step on tiptoe and I was close up to him. I reached up with my other hand and slid it around his neck. Without even taking a breath, I kissed him full on the mouth. It felt every bit as good as it had on P5X-633. But then I felt a momentary pang and pulled back from him. He hadn't said or done anything to encourage me and the thought passed my mind that maybe I'd completely misread the whole situation.
'Oh God, how embarrassing', I thought, 'Sam, you'd better say something to rectify the situation. He is your CO'.
'Sorry, sir', I mumbled, 'It's that moon! Moons do something to me. I don't behave rationally'.
Even I didn't believe it!
He let go of my hand, but as I turned to go, he slid his arm around my waist and pulled me very close to him. I could feel the warmth of his body through his shirt as he murmured against my neck, 'Sam, don't go. Stay here'.
I nodded dumbly, no more able to leave than fly. Those chains that bound us together were tightening again.
'You see that ship, Sam. It means a lot to me. Your name and mine kinda linked like that. It seems like fate', there was a catch in his voice as he spoke. 'It is beautiful. One of the most beautiful things I've ever seen, but it pales next to you'.
There was nothing more to say, so I didn't. Instead I just melted against him and we kissed again under that Sorrento moon. His arms were entwined around me, his fingers running through my hair. After what seemed an eternity, he pulled me back into the room, but then stopped and looked at me seriously.
'Sam, this is up to you. I'll sleep on the chair in here if you prefer. I'll understand you know.' he said, pinning me down with his eyes.
'I won't, Jack! I won't understand at all! I think it's time we were honest with each other instead of playing games. I've waited a long time for this. Too long, and I'm not going to wait any longer', I said firmly, and with that I pulled him towards the bedroom. A huge grin lit up his face, and he started pulling off his shoes. In one swift movement we reached the bed and I just pushed him down onto it. I watched in amazement as he floated upwards away from me, and I jumped on after him. The bed had some kind of antigravity field on it and we were floating around just bumping into each other. I was giggling almost uncontrollably.
'Wonder how this works, sir?' I said, trying to twist round and look down.
'Oh, no you don't, Carter', he said firmly, 'You can look at it tomorrow', and with an athletic lurch he brushed a panel on the wall and we both fell into a heap on the bed as gravity returned to normal.
He ran his hand through his hair and shook his head, 'Wonder if Thor has any more surprises for us?'
I became acutely aware of how close we were and my breathing became ragged. All I could think of was our limbs tangled round each other. Simultaneously, we grabbed each other and kissed again.
Next morning I woke up. I felt his warm body next to mine, his leg resting protectively across my thighs, his arm across my shoulders. His breathing was deep and slow and I could feel the slight roughness of his chin prickling my neck. I dozed again until I felt him stir. His arm tightened around me.
'Hey. Good morning', he said sleepily.
'Good morning', I said feeling a little shy.
He stretched out his arm and I knew without anything being said, so I edged over to him and snuggled my head on his shoulder. His arm tightened round me. We dozed like that for a while until I felt him move. I opened my eyes just in time to see him stroke the anti gravity panel and before I could say anything I was floating naked above him. It was then that I noticed he'd tied himself to the bed with a sheet. He stretched out and crossed his hands behind his head looking straight up at me.
'Jack! What are you doing', I exclaimed, trying desperately to retain a little dignity as I floated around, arms and legs flailing. I tried to look annoyed but when I saw the look on his face, I gave in and just smiled down at him, hands on hips.
'Jack! What are you doing?', I repeated.
'Enjoyin' the view. Oh yeah, definitely enjoyin' the view'.
With a lunge towards the wall, I brushed the control panel with my foot and fell, landing right across him. The breath was knocked out of him and I shouted, triumphant, `Hah, serves you right!'. He twisted beneath me so quickly that I didn't have time to get my breath, and before I knew it I was pinned down beneath him. He was holding my wrists down on the bed, and I struggled ineffectually. I soon stopped, rather enjoying the situation I was in. His eyes were piercing as he loosened my arms, reaching his hand up to stroke my face.
`Sam, we need to talk', he said seriously.
He rolled off me and leaned on his side, one hand supporting his head. There was the faintest blush on his tanned cheeks. I recognised it as a symptom of the struggle he was undergoing emotionally. I just turned my head to face him.
`What do you want to say, Jack?' I prompted.
He ran his tongue over his lips and started hesitantly, `Sam, I know that you turned down that Command because you wanted to stay close to me, to us, to the team, and it still makes me feel guilty as hell. I never wanted it to be like this. You shouldn't give up anything for me. I'm not worth it'.
I reached out and put my fingers on his lips to quieten him before I answered, `Jack, I want you to listen to me. I'm not a child, I'm in my thirties. There come moments in life where you have to reassess your priorities, and this is one of those moments for me. Even if last night had never happened, I would choose the same. I did choose it. From the moment of that first kiss on 633, I've been chained to you.. No, it happened a long time before that, it's just taken me a while to understand what I want from life. If all I could have is your friendship, then that is enough, I still wouldn't change my decision'.
He sighed again, `You know, I once asked that Alternate Reality Samantha how she could have married such a loser, and I meant it. You deserve much better than me. You deserve the best. You deserve that white picket fence and adoring husband and I'm sure there's a queue of guys who'd give it to you'.
I wasn't sure whether he was fishing for some reassurance, but it didn't matter, `Jack, shut up and come here. If you mean what you say, then let me live my life how I choose. A couple of stolen moments with you is worth a whole lifetime with anyone else. Now are you going to kiss me or what?'
At that he reached out and pulled me towards him, wrapping his arms and legs round me as though to protect me from the whole world. His brown eyes burned into me before he covered my lips with his. After what seemed forever, he pulled his face away and said, `Remind me to speak to Thor about one of those anti gravity things. Gotta have one. In fact can't live without one. It so livens up the view'.
I smacked him playfully on the arm and we fought, eventually landing in a laughing heap at the side of the bed at which point things became much more interesting.
The remaining time on Sorrento was like a dream. A dream where we lived another life. Thor gave us the first class tour of the city, and as I was pouring over yet another piece of technological wizardry with the Asgard scientists, I caught Jack watching me proudly. Our second night together was free of the inhibitions and constraints of the first night and we just honestly enjoyed each other. I could have stayed forever, and when the morning came and we put our uniforms back on I cried. Jack just held me and we kissed. It was like a parting kiss. `Sam, things have changed. It's like you said on that planet, we've opened the box, and I don't want to shut it back up'. I looked at him with swimming eyes, `Can you live with moments like this for now. I promise that I'll make them happen? It just can't happen all the time'.
`I know, sir', I sniffed, `But I'll still see you everyday and that's enough. Maybe you can actually take me fishing sometime?'
`Sure I can, Sam. In fact that's an order', he murmured.
We left it at that. It looked like we were always destined to leave things in rooms or on planets, but I know that one day we'll keep it with us and share it always, but until then ......
The End
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