Chapter 3: Who We Are

“So Sam’s sure this is going to work?” Daniel asked, squinting at the eight-symbol gate address displayed on the computer screen.

“Yep,” Jack nodded. “She’s got this whole new fancy bit of the dialing program all written up and ready to go.”

“And did Thor happen to mention where this address will take us to?”

Jack shrugged. “Some other galaxy. Sam said we know it as ‘Sculptor’, but whatever that means, I have no idea.”

“Speaking of Sam…” Daniel looked at Jack calculatingly. “How are things with you two?”

“Good…great even.”

“Well, that’s good, seeing as you had to pull so much to get together with her in the first place.”

Jack frowned. “Do I detect a hint of bitterness in your tone?”

“Why would I be bitter?” There defiantly was a bitter tone when he said that.

“Wait, did I miss something here?” Jack asked, looking confused. “What got shoved up your ass all the sudden?”

“Nothing, I just…” Daniel made a frustrated face. “I care about Sam…I care about you too, for that matter and I just hate the fact that you had to jump through so many hoops just to date her.”

Jack snorted. “That makes two of us, Danny.”

There was a knock at the door. It was Siler, come to tell Jack that the MALP was prepped and ready to head off to the address. Jack and Daniel both stood, then followed Siler down to the control room where Sam was standing behind Walter’s chair, watching as the gate was dialed up.

“Everything running smoothly, I take it?” Jack stepped up next to Sam, who nodded. “So, tell me more about this planet the MALP’s headed to.”

“We don’t know a lot about it,” Sam began. “It’s in the Sculptor galaxy, which is one of the closest to the Milky Way. Sculptor is a starburst galaxy, which means that there’s a rapid amount of star formation going on.”

“So gasses and novas, right?”

Sam nodded. “Yeah, something like that.”

The MALP trundled up the walkway to the gate, then on Siler’s signal, it passed through the event horizon. A split second later the screens in the control room lit up with readouts from the MALP’s cameras and sensors.

On the other side of the gate was what appeared to be a huge, bustling city. People threaded in and out of the marble and clay buildings, shouting to one another and dodging rickshaws and carriages. It seemed that things coming out of the stargate weren’t anything strange; no one paid any attention to the MALP except for a few children who threw pebbles at it and ran off. The MALP was able to get a few good scans of the city before the wormhole disengaged.

Daniel and Sam turned to Jack expectantly.

“I’m thinking!” Jack held up one hand, frowning slightly.

“Jack, this could be an incredible experience,” Daniel reasoned. “Not only meeting people from another planet, but also from another galaxy.”

“And,” Sam added. “We may be able to negotiate with the Sculptor system lords.”

“I don’t know,” Jack turned to look at them. “I think I want to get a little more intel before sending anyone out there. The last thing I need is for you all to walk into some nasty goa’uld trap.” He turned and headed towards the staircase back to the briefing room.

Sam exchanged a look with Daniel before following Jack up the stairs. “Jack!”

“What?” Jack stopped at his office door, turning to face Sam.

“You’ve sent us on worse missions before without any intelligence,” Sam said, walking over.

“This is different.”

“Why?” Sam’s voice dropped a notch. “The only thing I see different is us.”

“Personal feelings don’t come into this, Colonel,” Jack said, his eyes narrowed. “I’m not going to send one of my teams to a city in another galaxy when I have no idea what’s waiting for them on the other side.”

“Sir.” Sam forced all her annoyance into that one little word.

“Ah!” Jack held up a finger. “Didn’t you find it the least bit strange that no one except those kids gave the MALP a second’s glance? Until we know exactly what the deal is, I’m not sending anyone there.” He turned and opened the door to his office. Before stepping in, he turned and gave Sam a half apologetic look.

Sam looked up from her cup of jell-o to glare at Daniel as he sat down with his lunch. “I’m fine, Daniel, just a little annoyed.”

“What, because Jack’s holding off on the mission?”

“Yes!”

Daniel sighed. “Look, Sam, I’m as eager to go as you are, but Jack just cares about you.”

“Huh.” Sam grunted. “So much for Mister ‘I won’t let my feelings interfere with my job’.”

Daniel gave her a pointed look.

Sam scowled, then hurriedly changed the subject. “Cassie’s break starts today, she’s going to be driving down to stay with me for a few day.”

“Really?” Daniel perked up. “Wow, I haven’t seen her in ages…not since…not since Janet…”

“Yeah.” Sam swallowed thickly.

“I’ll have to stop by and see her…”

“I’m sure she’ll be glad to see you.” Sam pushed her chair back and stood up. “Anyway, I’ve got some stuff I need to take care of before I head home, I’ll see you later Daniel.”

“See ya.”

“So, how’s school going?” Sam asked.

“Good.” Cassie shifted, folding her legs beneath her. “Daniel would be proud of me, I’m taking a mythology course this year.”

“Really? So what are you doing in there?”

“Well, like right now we’re studying Orpheus and Eurydice and other Roman myths like that…” Cassie grinned slightly. “We’re starting Egypt in a little bit though, so that ought to be really interesting.”

Sam chuckled. “Oh yeah, very interesting, I’m sure.” They were both silent for a moment. Cassie’s expression seemed to have darkened slightly, so Sam asked softly, “How are you holding up, Cass?”

“It’s hard…” Cassie murmured. After Janet’s death Cassie had shut up towards Sam and the rest of the world, almost as if she was afraid to show how she really felt. Now as she spoke, her voice was choked with unshed tears. “I lost my real mom when I was ten, and then I lost Janet only a couple years later.” She looked up at Sam. “What next? Am I going to lose you too?”

“No, Cass…” Sam moved over next to Cassie, putting her arm around the young woman’s shoulders.

“I just miss her so much, Sam.”

“I know…I miss her too.” Sam had to take a deep breath to control the tears stinging the corners of her eyes. “She was my best friend. And I also know what it’s like to lose your mom.”

“Yeah…” Cassie wiped her hand over her eyes. “Tell me something happy. I need to hear some good news for once.”

Sam tried to think. “Jack and I are dating.”

“Really?” Cassie’s face lit up. “Sam that’s great! Certainly took you long enough.”

“That’s what I thought.”

“So are you two gonna get married?” Cassie asked, grinning.

Sam could feel herself blushing. “We’ll see.”

“Do you want to?”

Now Sam was positive she must be bright red. Not looking Cassie in the eye she said quietly, “Yeah.”

“It’s a dangerous place,” Jacob said. “From what we’ve heard. Morpheus has spies everywhere, and of course it’s the domain of all the system lords so there are plenty of eyes open for anyone trying to stir up rebellion.”

“Well, we’re not trying to stir up rebellion, we’re just trying to get them to not take over our galaxy.” Sam pointed out.

“I know, but they might not see it that way.” Jacob looked meaningfully at Jack. “This is going to be a tough negotiation, especially because we have no idea if these goa’uld are like the ones we’ve dealt with before.”

Jack leaned back in his chair, surveying the people seated at the table before him. This was a tough decision. Each day he admired General Hammond more and more for his ability to always know what the right thing to do was. Jack’s eyes fell on Sam, who was staring down at her hands. There was a touch of tightness to the corner of her mouth that made her seem thoughtful, almost angry.

“I suppose I’ll have to send someone over to do that then.” Jack said finally.

Sam spoke up immediately. “SG-1 is more than ready…”

“Sam,” her father interrupted. “I don’t think you should go.”

“What?” Sam stared at him. “Dad, this is my job!” She turned pleading eyes on Jack, but he avoided her gaze. Sam let out an exasperated noise. “Oh, I don’t believe this! Why doesn’t anyone think I’m still capable of doing anything anymore?” She got to her feet and stomped towards the door, grumbling, “for crying out loud…”

Jack opened his mouth to shout that she hadn’t been dismissed, but something told him not to.

A short while later, Sam was sitting at her lab table with her chin resting in her arms when Jack entered, closing the door behind him. Sam looked up.

“Who’re you sending? SG-3?”

“The marines?” Jack raised his eyebrows. “Nah. Wouldn’t trust them. I’m sending this great team I’ve got called SG-1, lead by the unstoppable Colonel Carter.”

Sam closed her eyes. “Thank you.”

“Look, Sam,” Jack pulled up a stool, sitting down next to her. “What I said earlier, about personal feelings not coming into this…Well I was telling a big fat lie.”

“Yeah, I guessed that.” Sam said, opening her eyes slowly.

“You know, I used to think that they had the frat regs just to keep someone from jeopardizing the lives of their team for just one person,” Jack said quietly. “But now I realize it’s also so commanding officers don’t hold their best team back from any action.”

Sam said nothing, she just looked at Jack.

“I didn’t want to send you,” Jack continued. “Because I don’t think I could stand it if I lost you. I love you, Sam, I really do. And, because of that I realize that I need to let you do…what you gotta do.”

Sam managed a weak smile. Jack put his hand out, running his finger-tips over her temple then down her cheek. He leaned closer, lightly brushing his lips over hers. Sam sighed and chuckled quietly.

“So much for not showing affection at work.”

“What? That wasn’t affection, what are you talking about?” Jack grinned at her, standing up. “I’ll stop by before Cassie leaves tomorrow.”

Sam nodded. “I’ll see you then.”

“Sam?”

“Yeah?”

Jack looked at her seriously. “I love you.”

Chapter 4: This is How You Remind Me

The restaurant was dimly lit, so the candle on the table was all the light that fell across Sam’s face as she fidgeted with the edge of her napkin. She looked up, meeting Jack’s eyes and smiling.

“You didn’t have to do this.”

Jack waved his hand. “Pshaw! We managed to survive a full month of official ‘dating’ while working on the same air force base…I think that’s something to celebrate.”

Sam chuckled, raising her glass of wine to Jack in a toast then taking a sip. As she set her cup down her hand came to rest on the table. Jack reached out, gently curling his fingers around hers.

“Sam, if I asked you to marry me, right now, how would you react?” he asked a moment later. “This is purely hypothetical, of course.”

“I’d say yes,” Sam answered, not hesitating for a moment. “Of course, if you’d asked me four years ago I probably would have said yes.”

“Actually,” Jack winced. “You would have thought about it for a few minutes before asking if I was possessed by something.”

Sam frowned. “And you know this how?”

“Well, you remember that time Teal’c and I were stuck in a time loop?”

“You asked me to marry you?” Sam’s eyebrows shot up.

“That and…” Jack grinned sheepishly. “Other things. Hey, Danny made a good point. I could do anything I want and no one would ever know.”

Sam’s eyes narrowed now. “Jack, what did you do?”

“I think it’s more of a question of what you did to me…” Jack mimicked punching himself in the face.

“I punched you in the face?!”

“Well…not in the face…per say…” Jack grinned at Sam, who was giving him a contempt filled glare. “Aww, come on! That was all in a past that you don’t even remember!”

Sam chuckled. “Yeah, stranger things have happened.”

“Uhuh, like that one time…” Jack leaned in closer. “That one time the alternate version of you and Kowalski came through.”

“Oh god!” Sam rolled her eyes. “I think I’m the only woman in history who’s been jealous of herself!”

Jack rested his elbows on the table, looking meaningfully at Sam. “Well, if it’s any consolation, you’re a much better kisser.”

“Hmm…but she and her Jack O’Neill were married.”

“Hey,” Jack reached up and took Sam’s chin in his hand. “You’ve got your Jack O’Neill shelling out the big bucks for your dinner, so quit complaining!”

Sam grinned, turning her face to place a kiss against Jack’s fingers. Jack smiled, then they both sat back as the waiter brought over their food.

“That’s because you always drive, so you have to take me home anyway, and…” Sam turned to face him. “You always have to be at the base the next morning. More often than not so do I.”

“True.” Jack followed her into the living room where they sat down on opposite ends of the couch, quietly observing each other, dressed in their dinner clothes. Jack found himself eyeing the neckline of Sam’s dress where it lay flush with her skin. Five months ago Daniel would have had to remind Jack that perving on Sam wasn’t acceptable. But this wasn’t perving…it was…admiring.

A flush was creeping down Sam’s neck. “What’re you staring at?”

“You.” Jack said bluntly, raising his eyes to meet hers.

Sam laughed, her blush deepening as she looked away. Jack scooted closer, leaning over to kiss her lightly on the cheek.

“You know,” he murmured. “I don’t have work in the morning, for once.”

Sam turned, catching his lips with hers in a passionate kiss that was over far too soon for Jack. “Well that’s good, because I don’t think I’d let you leave yet.”

Jack gave her a ‘Shut up and finish kissing me already!’ look before cupping her face in his hands and pressing his lips to hers.

It was a moment that he’d been waiting for for such a long time. The moment that he could hold Sam in his arms without having to think about anything else. Jack had worried the previous night that he wouldn’t be able to live up to her expectations, but those fears weren’t needed. When Sam had cuddled up to him, the moonlight causing her damp skin to glow slightly, she’d looked up at him with that radiant smile that still caused his heart to soar.

“I love you.”

How many times had Jack thought those words while watching Sam lay unconscious in a bed in the infirmary? Or worse, when he was sure he’d never see her again. And so he’d said it aloud as often as he could, to make sure she never forgot.

Sam’s eyes fluttered open and she looked up at Jack. He couldn’t help but think about the last time she’d looked at him like that…but then a seemingly impassible force field had lain between them.

“Did you get any sleep?” Sam asked quietly, her fingers moving in a lazy circle over his chest.

Jack shook his head, nuzzling his face against her hair. He hadn’t wanted to lose any of this night to the oblivion of sleep, and so lay awake, watching Sam, taking in everything about her.

He’d seen her asleep before, of course, off world on nights when he didn’t want to put up with Daniel’s snoring or Teal’c strange sleeping habits. But then the seemingly impassible barrier of two sleeping bags had lain between them. Not that that had stopped Jack from “accidentally” slipping an arm around her waist or her just happening to roll over so she was pressed up against him. Hey, if you’re asleep next to someone on an alien world you’re bound to do something. And it could have been worse.

“I’m hungry.” Sam murmured after a while. The sun’s first rays were poking up above the horizon, and some bird was cheerfully twittering away on the bird feeder hanging outside the window.

“Pancakes?” Jack inquired as Sam sat up.

“Sure.” She grinned, then laughed as she caught Jack eyeing her. “What’re you staring at?” she asked.

“You.” Jack smiled sweetly, wrapping his arms around her and pulling her close. “God, you’re gorgeous, Sam. I’m surprised you weren’t scooped up years ago.”

“It’s all your fault,” Sam accused, touching her finger playfully to the tip of his nose. “For being so darn attractive that I didn’t want anyone else.”

“Since when have you thought that?”

“Since the first day I walked into the briefing room.” Sam replied. “Even though you obviously hated my guts.”

“I did not! That’s just my way of showing affection to someone I don’t know.” Jack hugged her tightly for a moment. “Anyway, now at least, I know for sure what you said was true.”

“Huh?”

Jack grinned cheekily at her. “Your reproductive organs are most definitely on the inside.”

“Jack!” Sam’s eyes widened and she punched him on the arm before sliding out of bed and grabbed her bathrobe off the back of the closet door. “I’m going to go make breakfast.”

A short while later they were sitting across from each other at Sam’s kitchen tale, working their way through a steaming pile of pancakes.

“So, you gonna be in charge of making breakfast when we’re all settled down together?”

Sam rolled her eyes. “Sorry to point it out to you, Jack, but you’re going to be the first to retire. Which means that you’re going to be the one with the time to do stuff like that.”

“Darn.”

“And…” Sam was musing dreamily now, pushing a piece of pancake around her plate. “You’ll have to get the kid’s lunches ready and make sure they get off to school on time.”

“And feed the dog,” Jack added. “And make sure the kids cleaned out their hamster’s cage so it doesn’t stink up the whole second floor of the house.”

“The fun stuff,” Sam looked up at him, smiling.

“Where as you will be rushing off to give an interview with some magazine,” Jack continued, trying to appear serious. “Because the Stargate program will probably have gone public by then.”

Sam laughed. “So you really think this is going to work? Us, I mean.”

“It had better.” Jack said, reaching out to grasp Sam’s hand. “Because there isn’t anyone else that I’d want to spend my life with.”