The Proposal
 
Sam sat alone by the fire quietly chewing on a ration bar, it wasn’t great but they’d had a hard day travelling and try as she might she couldn’t bring herself to eat more than a spoonful of the ‘soup’ the Gakarans has offered them. She gave a low sigh, her mind running through a million things; foremost on her mind was Colonel O’Neill. He had announced he was retiring; the Goa’uld were more or less defeated and he felt that he’d done enough. Frankly she could see his point, and while she didn’t want to see him go she knew he deserved it. Since he’d made the announcement several months ago they’d spoken little of it, but now, on his last mission it was painfully close and she couldn’t help but dwell on it. The prospect of SG1 without him wasn’t a pleasant one, she didn’t know who his replacement would be but she didn’t think she could ever trust another leader the way she did him.

“Carter” his voice interrupted her thoughts and she turned around smiling

“Sir”

“I was wondering where you’d got to”

“Sorry, I just had a bit of a headache and it was loud in there” she indicated to the village barn where she could just make out Daniel partaking in some sort of ritual dance

“Your missing all the fun” he grinned “Teal’c sang”

She laughed “I wish I’d seen that” she raised her eyebrows “did you sing?”

“Afraid not, maybe another time”

There was a long silence as his words rung in their ears – there wouldn’t be another time, there wouldn’t be any more off-world missions, this was it

“You can get back to the party if you want Sir, I’m fine here” Sam said, trying to break the silence

He paused, as if about to say something and then sighed “you’re sure your okay?”

“Yes Sir”

“See you in a bit then” smiling sadly he turned to head back toward the barn, but stopped and turned back “Carter”

“Sir?”

“This is my last mission”

“I know Sir”

“This is it, after that I won’t be here anymore” he smiled “I want you to know I’ve recommended you as my replacement – as a Colonel”

“Sir?” her eyes widened “really?”

“Yup”

“With all due respect, why? I’m not sure how good a leader I’d make”

“Carter, you know you’re always the best at everything you do – I have no doubt this will be the same”

“But...” she started

“And” he continued “there is no one I trust more to look after my team, and I mean that”

She smiled “thank you Sir, that means a lot”

“Drop the Sir, there’s not really much point any more, and it bugs me”

She laughed “Sorry...” she gave a small embarrassed cough “Jack”

“There’s something else” he said seriously, moving closer to her

She frowned, confused. She’d seen that look in his eyes before, it had been a while now but it was a look that regularly haunted her dreams – one of love, longing and pain.

“Sir” She began, not sure if she wanted him to carry on

“Please don’t say anything” he interrupted “You see I had this whole speech planned out, and if you interrupt I forget” he laughed in an attempt to lighten the mood

She said nothing, and looked at the floor

“Like I said, this is it for me, I’m leaving the military and life will be one eternal fishing trip. A few years ago I might have just kissed you and told you I loved you”

She looked up, shocked at his openness

“But things have changed” he looked at the ground, not wanting to meet her eyes “we’ve changed” he emphasise “maybe even moved on”

Sam smiled sadly, thinking of Pete

“Things just aren’t as simple as they used to be, I don’t know what you want, I don’t know how things should be, if I should even be saying this, but I have to, I can’t just leave and pretend... pretend that nothing was ever there. I need you to know, that despite everything we’ve been through, despite how I may have acted or changed, my feelings for you have never changed, never” he repeated

“In fact” he added apprehensively “I think I love you now more than ever, and even though the rational part of my brain is telling me not to say this – I couldn’t leave without making it clear just how much I care”

“Jack” Sam finally croaked

“I know this is pretty inappropriate, I’m still your CO and you have Pete. But I don’t want you to think that what I feel for are simply feelings that have build up and escalated over the years, heightened by the fact that I can never have you. I don’t want you to think that all I’ve ever felt was a desire to kiss you”

She laughed silently, raising her head to meet his eyes as he moved towards her

“This is real” he said taking her hand “I don’t want you for a moment, I want you forever” he placed his closed hand on top of hers and opened it, gently pressing a ring into her open hand

“Jack” Sam looked down shocked as he moved away, leaving her staring at the ring in her hand “what is this?”

“You know what it is” he said softly “and I know how crazy this is, I have no right to ask you after all this time... when you’re seeing someone, but I had to, I want the whole package Sam, I want you in my life forever – I know it’s impossible and I know you’ve moved on but...” he swallowed “I had to ask”

“I don’t know what to say, I... I... this isn’t real... I”

“Be mine” he said simply “I know it’s a lot to ask, and I don’t deserve you and I know you’ve moved on with your life, but” he gave a sad smile and a slight shrug “just be mine, that’s all I ask” he smiled ironically “not much”

“I... I” Sam struggled for words, she could feel tears pricking at her eyes as she stared into his longing eyes

“Don’t answer” he cut her off “I’m going back to the party and tomorrow we’ll be going home, after that I’m leaving – tell me then”

“Why?”

“Because, I don’t think I’ll be able to face you when you turn me down. At least tomorrow I’ll be able to escape to my cabin for a while before I see you again” he smiled sadly, the turned slowly from her and headed back to the party.

* * * Sam sat in stunned silence, turning the ring over and over in her hands, her mind going a mile a minute. She’d known he felt something for her once, but lately it had been pushed to the back of her mind, repressed along with her own feelings – pretending that the connection wasn’t there because she knew it couldn’t happen. Now she had Pete

“Sam?” Daniel called as he appeared behind her, “what you doing?” he glanced down at her hands

“Just thinking about something”

Staring at the ring in Sam’s hand his mouth dropped open “Oh my God, Sam” he sat down next to her “is that what I think it is?” he indicated to her hand

“An engagement ring? Yes”

“Did Pete propose? When?”

“No, he didn’t”

Daniel frowned “Then what...”

“Jack” she said simply

“Oh” his shock showed on his face and he glanced around uncomfortably, unsure what to say “What” he started “what are you going to do?”

“What would you do?”

“If Jack proposed to me?”

She smiled “You know what I mean Daniel, what would you do if you’d been seeing someone for a year, and then someone else proposed?”

“It depends on the circumstances, how much do I care for the person who proposed?”

“A lot, an awful lot more than you’d like to admit – and you were so sure that you’d moved on, so sure that you’d found a new path then suddenly... everything turns on its head again”

He sighed sadly and looked at her sympathetically “If you weren’t seeing Pete what would you say”

She glanced at him “yes” she told him simply

“So Pete is the only thing stopping you, you just have to figure out who means more to you – who can’t you live without?”

“How?”

He shrugged “I can’t help you there, I think it’s up to you to know, this isn’t something you’ve got to decide – it’s something you know, you know what’s right” he stood up and dusted the dirt of his trousers, “I’ll see you later Sam” he glanced over his shoulder as he headed inside, and smiled sadly at his friend as she struggled to make the most important decision of her life

* * * Jack stood up from the table where he’d been sitting alone, he was exhausted, emotionally and physically and decided to call it a night. He looked over to one of the entrances to the barn, and made a move towards it

“Jack” she called after him

Turning he looked at her “Carter” his voice and face held no sign of the feelings he’d conveyed earlier, he was back to being a soldier, being her CO, hiding it behind a mask

“You’d have to call me Sam”

“What?” he frowned

She held the ring up “I could never marry someone who called me by my surname”

His eyes melted as he realised what she’d said “Sam? You’re saying...”

“Yes” she finished for him, as tears began to pour down her face and she broke into a trembling smile “yes, I’ll marry you, yes I’ll grow old with you, yes I’ll be with you forever and yes I’ll go fishing with you”

“But” he started, his mind travelling to Pete

“But nothing, it’s you, it’s always been you Jack and you really think I’m going to give that up?”

“I...I” it was his turn to be speechless “I don’t know what to say”

She grinned “I don’t think you have to say anything” moving closer to him she reached out her hand for his and squeezed his fingers, “just kiss the girl” she whispered as she moved closer to him and gently kissed him

A/N: And they all lived happily ever after