Title: The Cold Light of Day
Author: Wendy Parkinson
Email: wendyparkinson@hotmail.com
Category: S/J, Angst, Character Death
Spoilers: Crystal Skull
Season/Sequel info: Set Second Season, sequel to my one and only
NC17 story Blackout (which can be found on Heliopolis 2 and the
SJA). I recommend you read that first, otherwise this won't make
much sense.
Rating: PG13
Content Warnings: Strong language, some violence, character death.
Summary: Sam and Jack face the consequences of what they have
done.
Date: 18th July 2000
Author's notes : Yes, finally, it's here! About a year after
Blackout, here's the sequel!! I warn you now, it's somewhat of a
change of pace for me - it's *not* a humorous story and I would
like to draw your attention to the content warnings in the header.
And there will not be a sequel... ever. <g>
A huge thank you to Sue for 'beta-ing beyond the call of duty' on
this one. I couldn't have done it without you!
Thanks also to Karen and Ness for their thoughts on the story too!
Dedication: For all the people who've asked for a sequel and
haven't let me forget about it. Especially Ness.... can I start
pestering you about 'Jacksex.doc' now, dear? ;-)
Disclaimer: Stargate SG-1 and its characters belong to MGM, Gekko
Corp and Double Secret Productions. This fan fiction was created
solely for entertainment and no money was made from it. Also, no
copyright or trademark infringement was intended. Any similarity
to real persons, living or dead, is coincidental.
All feedback and constructive criticism will be greatly
appreciated. No flames please.
copyright Wendy Parkinson July 2000
THE COLD LIGHT OF DAY
Captain Sam Carter blindly ran down the corridor. She had no idea
where she was going. She had to get away from the lab, get away
from her commanding officer. Her lover... Jack.
She spotted a storeroom, dived in and slammed the door behind her.
Leaning against the wall, Sam slowly slid down until she sat on
the floor with her knees tucked under her chin. She hugged her
legs and slowly rocked back and forth. Tears were threatening to
come. She swiped her hand across her face angrily, furious at
herself for what had happened.
What had she been thinking? In one impetuous act she had ruined
her career, lost a good friend and made herself feel like shit.
But what an act it had been. She'd just had amazing sex with Jack
O'Neill, truly the stuff her fantasies were made of. She shook
her head, as if in some vague effort to make everything go away.
Nothing made sense any more. Dominating her thoughts were the
memory of his hands, his lips, the feel of him inside her.
Running her hands through her short blonde hair she tried to
decide what to do. There was no way she could face Jack right now.
She needed time alone to think. SG1 weren't scheduled to go on
their mission to P5X219 until tomorrow. No-one would miss her if
she went home.
Sam decided to leave the base. She wiped her eyes, straightened
her uniform and emerged warily from the storeroom. Stopping
briefly to call Janet and say she had a migraine, she headed for
the surface. She was soon in her car and driving back to her
apartment.
Dr. Daniel Jackson opened the science lab door expecting to find
Sam. He needed to speak to her about SG1's next mission. He
puffed his cheeks out in frustration. After spending what felt
like hours trapped in an elevator with Graham Simmons, Daniel had
come to the conclusion that he had nothing in common with the
young lieutenant. Their conversation had floundered after about
two minutes. Shaking his head, he stepped into the room
Daniel stopped dead as he took in the scene in the lab. Colonel
Jack O'Neill was slumped on a chair, barechested, the remainder
of his clothes strewn on the floor. He didn't move, apparently
unaware of the younger man's presence. "Jack? Are you OK?"
The Colonel didn't answer, in fact, he seemed totally oblivious
to Daniel. The archaeologist frowned and walked over to his
friend. This wasn't like Jack at all. He put his hand on the
older man's shoulder. "Jack?" he said softly.
A grief-stricken face lifted to look at him. Jack opened his
mouth, as if to speak, then shook his head and stopped. He sighed
deeply. "I've ruined everything, Daniel. My career, SG1, a
friendship I valued more than anything else in the world... She'll
never speak to me again, never laugh at my jokes... she'll
request a transfer. I'll never see her again." He dropped
his head back into his hands.
Daniel watched his friend in horror. It was pretty obvious Jack
was talking about Sam but what could have happened to make him
react like this? The pair of them had argued before, sometimes
yelling at the tops of their voices but no-one ever took it
seriously. It didn't take a genius to work out that this *was*
serious and Jack meant every word he said. He looked down at Jack
with sympathy, then noticed his friend shiver. Daniel bent down
and passed him his T-shirt. "Here, put this on, you must be
cold."
Jack took it from him wordlessly and tugged it over his head. He
picked up his socks and pulled them on too.
"Do you want to tell me what happened?" asked Daniel
quietly.
Jack stopped tying his boot lace, sat up straight and looked at
his friend. Daniel winced at the haunted look in his eyes. "I
guess I should tell you, as it's going to split the team up."
He took a deep breath. Daniel waited patiently for Jack to find
the right words, he could see this was difficult for him. "Sam
and I.... we.... Hell, I don't know how to put this that won't
sound cheap and sordid... It wasn't like that... It was beautiful...
It felt right, you know.... Like I'd come home... Like she was
the only woman on earth for me... It was almost like a dream... A
dream come true... that's turned into a nightmare." He shook
his head, then added bitterly, "After years of dancing round
each other, we finally did it, Daniel. Sam and I made love."
Daniel licked his lips. So Jack and Sam had had sex? He glanced
round. Here? In the lab? "So you and Sam... er... when the
lights were out?"
"Yeah. And I know she wanted to, she said so. Oh, Daniel,
she was so... passionate.... so loving. It was so right..."
His voice tailed off.
"You've said that before, Jack. But if it was so right, what's
the problem?"
"The lights came back on. Sam instantly regretted what we'd
done. I've never seen her like that. She was so pissed off that
even after what had happened, she called me 'Colonel'..."
"Jack, you need to speak to her, talk this out. I don't
think the team needs to split up over this. Sam probably freaked
because of suddenly finding herself in her lab, with a guy she
hadn't been with before. It is pretty weird, when you come to
think. But you two... I'm surprised it hasn't happened before.
There's always been something... a spark... chemistry... You know
what I'm trying to say here?"
"Yeah, I guess..."
"Find her, talk to her... please."
Jack pulled on his shirt. "OK. I'll try."
Sam sat on her sofa and stared into space, cradling a cup of
coffee in her hands. She lifted it to her mouth for a sip, then
shuddered. It was cold. How long had she been sitting there? The
light had faded and she couldn't see the clock. Letting out a
long breath, she admitted to herself that she was no nearer
finding a solution to her problem. She wanted things back the way
they were before she'd made love with Jack but she knew that was
impossible.
What were the alternatives? They could begin a relationship if
she left SG1 but her work was her life, she didn't want to be
stuck on another team. Hell, she might even have to serve under
Colonel Makepeace. Sam shook her head. In her mind, that wasn't
an option.
They could start a relationship and not tell anyone. Yeah, right....
like Janet or Daniel wouldn't notice! And she didn't like the
idea of sneaking around, it went against everything she believed
in, the way she'd been brought up.
She hesitated. Did she really want 'a relationship' with Jack? If
he wasn't her commanding officer, yes, she would. Sam knew that.
So what did she feel for him? Lust? Yeah, in spades. Respect?
Trust? Those too. Then came the six million dollar question...
Love? She wasn't sure. There had always been an attraction, a
chemistry between them, but love? Not yet. But Sam knew falling
in love with him would be easy if she let herself. But did she
want to? She let out a heartfelt sigh and wearily placed the cup
on a side table. She honestly didn't know. Why was everything so
damned complicated?
What was wrong with her? She was a professional soldier, a
theoretical astrophysicist, a decisive, intelligent woman, making
her own way in a man's world and one man could reduce her to this?
For crying out loud, she had to get a grip! With a grim smile,
she recognised the words.... when did she start using his sayings?
Would it be bad jokes or sarcasm next?
How would she feel when she saw him again? Every time she thought
of him, her mind filled with the memory of Jack's touch, his
caress. It had been her wildest fantasy come true, and though
doing it on the lab floor wasn't high on her list of romantic
locations, at the time it hadn't mattered at all. She'd wanted
him and she knew she still wanted him. Sam sucked in a sharp
breath. Just thinking about him was lighting a fire inside her.
They couldn't possibly work together like that, much as she
wanted to. One touch from him and she'd go over the edge, lose
her self control. Perhaps in time the feeling would fade. At the
moment, everything was too new, too fresh in her memory. She just
wanted to run away and hide.
As far as she could see, the only option was to tell Jack it had
been a huge mistake and try and forget about it. Somehow, she
didn't think that would work, he'd been pretty upset when she'd
left him. She wasn't sure if she could cope with it either. Even
if they did try to carry on, the team dynamic would be ruined.
And all this for a quick screw, she thought wryly to herself. But
it wasn't just sex, there were feelings attached, feelings that
had surfaced and now wouldn't go away. What *was* she going to do?
Her thoughts were interrupted by a knock at the door. She stood
carefully, switched on a table lamp and tried to work the
stiffness out of her limbs as she made her way to answer it.
Peering through the peep hole, her heart sank when she saw Jack
standing patiently on the doorstep.
"Sam, please let me in, I want to talk to you," he said.
She held her breath and stood motionless. Perhaps he would go
away if he thought she wasn't in.
"I know you're in there, Sam. I saw you switch on a light."
Her shoulders sagged in defeat as she reached for the door handle.
As the door swung open, she realised she had no idea what to say
to him.
"Sam," he said softly, as he walked past her into the
living room. "We need to talk this out."
She closed the door and followed him. "I know. But I don't
know what to say to you, sir. I think I need more time."
"We don't have 'more time', Sam. We're leaving for P5X219 in
the morning and I think we need to deal with this before we ship
out." His face softened when he finally looked at her and
took in her bedraggled appearance. "And for crying out loud,
don't call me 'sir' when we're off duty. For God's sake, this
afternoon, we..." He hesitated, wondering whether to finish
his sentence.
"I know what we did. That's the problem. I can't get it out
of my mind."
Jack took a couple of steps towards her. "Neither can I,"
he said, his voice barely above a whisper. Sam glanced up at him,
her blue eyes red and puffy, and his heart went out to her.
"I want to make it right, Sam."
He watched as she hesitantly licked her lips. "I don't know...
I don't see how we can..." She shook her head. Closing the
distance between them, he enveloped her in a comforting hug.
Abruptly, she pushed him away. "No!" she almost shouted.
"Don't touch me!"
Jack stared at her, confused. "I wasn't going to drag you to
the bedroom. It was only a hug. I've hugged you before."
"I know, but things are different now. When you put your
arms round me, it made me think of... earlier."
Jack wiped his hand across his face and took a deep breath. This
wasn't going well. "What did it make you think?" he
asked quietly.
"What do you want me to say? You were there! Do you want me
to tell you how good you were? Does your male pride need a
massage?" She swung away from him and marched into the
kitchen.
"Sam! Come back!" Jack followed her out of the living
room. When he caught up with her, she was leaning heavily against
the work top in the kitchen, her back to him, her head drooping.
"Sam?" He gently grasped her elbow and turned her to
face him. "My 'male pride' as you call it, doesn't need
massaging. What we did this afternoon was wonderful. I don't want
it to be something we regret and try to forget about. I want it
to happen again. I think you feel the same way."
He put his hand under her chin and gently lifted her head so he
could see her face. "Do you?" he asked, looking deep
into her eyes. She nodded slowly, tears beginning to run down her
cheeks. Very slowly, he leant in towards her and brushed her lips
with his. The touch was feather light. He could feel her
trembling. Carefully he enfolded her in his arms and stroked her
hair, kissing the top of her head. "We'll work it out, Sam.
We've got to."
"But I don't see how... the regs... I'm under your command..."
she mumbled into his shirt.
He leant back slightly, so he could look her in the face. "I'll
let you into a little secret, Sam. I've never been big on regs."
She smiled, in spite of the turmoil she felt inside. How come she
always laughed at his jokes? Was she already in love with him?
She shook herself. That question could wait until later.
Jack noticed her shudder. "Are you cold? Come and sit with
me over here and we can talk." Noticing her doubtful look,
he added, "Just talk." He took her hand and led her to
the sofa. Sitting down, he patted the space next to him. "Join
me?" Her hand still in his, Jack was struck by how
vulnerable Sam looked. She still seemed unwilling to sit down.
"Come on, I don't bite.... well, at least not unless you
want me to."
She pulled her hand away sharply. He winced and kicked himself.
Now that was a monumentally stupid thing to say... Just peachy, O'Neill.
Now she thinks you're a sex maniac. "I'm sorry, Sam. I didn't
mean... Hell, you know what I'm like at 'speak first, think later'."
Sam smiled weakly and gently lowered herself onto the sofa,
leaving a space between them. No man's land, thought Jack. And
for now, I'm not to trespass. He found himself sitting on his
hands. Taking a deep breath, he tried explaining again. "As
I said, I'm not big on regs. Who's going to know if we...."
He took another deep breath. "...start a relationship?"
Sam's head jerked up at the word 'relationship'. Jack hoped that
was because she wanted one too. He carried on, "I've been
thinking about this ever since we made love. I want to be with
you, Sam. I don't want a petty thing like regulations made by a
guy in Washington with no sense of humour and probably no sex
life to interfere with that. We can behave professionally when we're
on duty, keep it to off hours. What do you think?"
"You mean.... keep it a secret?"
"Yeah, I guess so."
"I've never..."
Jack watched her closely. She seemed so close to agreeing with
him. He knew she wanted this too but the 'screw the regs'
attitude didn't come naturally to her, like it did to him. "I
know this is hard for you, Sam. I know you're a good soldier, you
always follow orders. And I'm not going to pressure you, I want
you to make up your own mind. But who would we hurt if we gave
this a try? If we can't work together and..." he hesitated,
searching for the right words. "...be together, I can always
ask for transfer to a desk job. My knee won't last much longer
anyway, I'd probably be doing myself a favour."
"I need time to think," she said quietly, not looking
at him.
"Sure." Jack stood up. "I'd better be going. I'll
see you in the morning." Sam walked with him to the door.
"Well, goodnight Sam." He leant down and kissed her
gently on the cheek. He stopped dead when he heard her suck in a
sharp breath. Placing his hand gently under her chin, his pushed
her face up so he could see her expression. His heart pounded in
his chest when he saw the look in her eyes. They were full of
want and need, crying out to him for help. He knew he should go,
give her time to think, but he pushed the thoughts aside and
kissed her softly on the lips. She responded by reaching up and
cradling the nape of his neck in her right hand as her left slid
around his waist. She brushed his lips with her tongue,
requesting entrance. Without conscious thought, Jack responded,
losing himself in the taste and feel of Sam.
Then he realised what he was doing and pulled back. "Sam,
you're vulnerable right now. I don't want to... and you regret it
again..."
"No, Jack. I think I finally know what I want."
"You do?" He ran his hand gently down her cheek,
searching her face, not daring to hope she'd changed her mind.
Sam smiled weakly. "I want you."
He grinned and bent down to kiss her again, all hesitation gone.
Their hands explored each other's bodies as the kiss became more
intense, more passionate. When they broke apart for air, he
whispered, "Are you sure?"
"As sure as I'm going to be," she said ruefully. "I
don't know how we're going to make this work, but I'm tired of
trying to figure it out. What happened this afternoon was special,
Jack. I can't ignore that.... or you."
He took her hand in his and led her towards the bedroom. "This
time let's keep the light on. I want to see you."
Daniel lay on his bedroll, feigning sleep. Trying to ignore the
gentle snores coming from Teal'c, who lay behind him, he
struggled to stop a smile forming on his lips as he
surreptitiously watched Sam and Jack through almost closed eyes.
Sam was supposed to be on watch but the planet seemed uninhabited,
totally benign. Jack was sitting next to her, on a fallen log, so
close their hips were touching. Daniel was pleased for his
friends, they were made for each other. He wasn't sure who they
thought they were fooling with this 'we're just good friends'
story. Personally, he didn't believe a word. The looks and smiles
they had given each other all day said more to him than their
words ever could.
When he'd dragged Jack to one side and asked if him and Sam had
resolved their problems, he could have sworn the Colonel blushed
when he said, "Yeah, Daniel. We're friends again. What
happened in the lab was like a dream. We've decided to treat it
as one." Jack hadn't looked him in the eye once while he was
talking. Daniel knew his friend was lying but if they wanted
their relationship to be secret, it was up to them. He could
respect that. With the regulations as they were, they both had a
lot to lose if they were found out. Daniel suppressed a laugh as
Jack tickled Sam in the ribs, then she shut him up by kissing him
soundly on the lips. As the kiss became more intense, Daniel
closed his eyes, giving them the privacy they deserved.
Then, without warning, his world exploded.... Light.... Noise....
Smoke.... Shouting.... They were under attack. Daniel made a grab
for his handgun but he was thrown violently sideways as he
reached across his pack.... He groaned..... Pain..... He couldn't
breathe.... His lungs wouldn't work. It should be so easy....
just in and out, in and out.... Was he drowning? Touching his
chest he felt a warm sticky patch.... He'd been shot?.... That
explained it then.... His glasses had gone, everything was a blur....
Was that Sam?.... Someone was calling his name but he couldn't
see them..... Everything seemed to fade, become distant..... a
bright light.... Sha're....
"Daniel!! DANIEL!!" Sam screamed, throwing herself down
next to him. She felt for a pulse, some sign of life. All she
could focus on was the blood. So much blood. How could so much
blood come from one person?
"We got them," shouted Jack, running towards her,
closely followed by Teal'c. "There were three..." He
stopped when he saw Daniel. "Oh God. Is he...?"
"What the fuck do you think? Of course he's dead! And if I'd
been on watch instead of making out with you, he'd still be alive!"
"You don't know that."
"No, I don't. And I never will, will I?" She stood up,
tears pouring down her face.
They took him back to base, only speaking when they had to. Sam's
motions were deliberate, mechanical, she couldn't stop shaking.
When Daniel had 'died' before, she'd felt like this, but she knew
this time there would be no miracle solution, no joyful reunion
with their friend. This time she'd seen him hit, watched his life
ebb away with his blood. And it was her fault. Hers and Jack's.
Their fault that a good friend, a brilliant scientist, a man she
loved like a brother, was dead.
Why had she agreed to start a relationship with Jack? It was
against regulations, regulations that were there for a good
reason. To stop people dying needlessly.
At their debriefing, Sam couldn't bring herself to even look at
Jack. She knew she blamed him, as well as herself, for Daniel's
death. If only he hadn't persuaded her... if only they hadn't....
but she hadn't needed much persuading, had she? And if they hadn't,
would he still be alive?
"Major.... Major!"
"Sorry, sir. What did you say?"
"The Colonel says you and he were talking when the aliens
attacked."
Sam's mouth opened and closed a couple of times, while she tried
to work out what to say. She'd heard it called some things, but 'talking'
wasn't one of them. So Jack was adding lying to their crimes, was
he? She sighed. What difference did it make? She already felt
like a murderer, so lying to a superior officer was chicken feed
by comparison. Managing to find her voice, she murmured, "Yes,
I was distracted... I should have seen them coming... it was my
watch..." Tears began to flow unchecked down her face.
"...my fault. It was my fault."
"Major, please," said the General gently. "It was
not your fault. One of the reasons I called you here today was to
tell you that SG4 have been back to the planet and have examined
the bodies of your attackers. They had some kind of stealth
technology, individual cloaking devices, if you will. They
probably didn't become visible until they fired." He looked
at Sam kindly and passed her a box of tissues. "I know he
was a good friend. Grieving is natural, Major." He glanced
at Jack and Teal'c. "Anything else to add, gentlemen?"
"No, General Hammond."
"No, sir."
"Then... dismissed. I think we could all use some rest."
Sam went home, got undressed and climbed into bed but sleep
refused to come. Every time she closed her eyes, Daniel's face
danced before her, his blue eyes shining with enthusiasm over
some artefact he'd found, and she'd be hit by another shattering
wave of guilt. No matter what the General said, she'd never know
for certain that if she'd behaved more professionally, if she'd
been paying attention, she could have prevented Daniel's death.
She heard a knock at the door. Shuddering, she decided not to
answer. She knew it would be Jack, wanting to talk things through.
Curling up into the foetal position, she pulled the covers over
her head and willed him to leave her alone. She couldn't face him,
not until she'd decided what to do. This time, she had to be
strong and work this out on her own.
"Sam!... Sam!... We need to talk! Please answer the door. I
know you're in there." He had to be shouting through the
letterbox. She stuffed her head under the pillow, so she couldn't
hear him. Lying motionless for what felt like hours, she waited
for him to leave. Eventually, he stopped shouting and when she
lifted her head out from under the pillow, she heard footsteps
retreat down the path and a car start.
Finally, she had time to think.
When Teal'c arrived on her doorstep the next morning, Sam had
already been up for hours. She let the huge man in and motioned
him to sit on the sofa.
"How are you, Major Carter?" he asked, no emotion
evident in his voice.
"I didn't sleep at all. I guess I'm as good as I could hope
to be under the circumstances. Probably better than I deserve to
be." She sighed deeply and looked at the Jaffa. "How
about you?"
"I am fasting in remembrance of Daniel Jackson." He
looked at her and inclined his head to one side, his expression
unreadable. "I miss him."
"Yeah," she said quietly as the tears began again. She
swiped her hand angrily across her face.
"O'Neill is concerned about you," said Teal'c quietly.
"He says you did not answer the door when he called
yesterday. Did you not hear him?"
"Yeah, I heard him. I couldn't face him. I needed time to
think."
"You blame him for Daniel Jackson's death." It was a
statement, not a question.
"Yes, but not as much as I blame myself. What we did was
wrong, Teal'c. Very wrong. And now Daniel's dead." She
sighed. The Jaffa waited patiently for her to continue. "I
couldn't see him last night. I had to think things through... on
my own. It seems like every time he comes near me, rational
thought flies out the window and we end up..." Sam hesitated,
then turned away from Teal'c and looked at the floor. "...in
bed." She glanced up to find him staring at her quizzically.
"Now you're shocked. I'm sorry."
"No, Major Carter. I am not shocked. Daniel Jackson told me
of your relationship with O'Neill. He was happy for you. *I* am
happy for you."
"And there's the biggest problem, Teal'c. I don't know if I
want 'a relationship' with Jack. My body certainly does... but my
mind, my heart?" She put her hand on her chest to emphasise
her point. "I don't know what I want. It all happened so
fast, one minute we were 'commanding officer' and 'second in
command', the next we were lovers. I haven't had time to think
properly."
The Jaffa sat very still, watching her closely. "Did your
solitude allow you to come to any conclusions last night, Major
Carter?"
"Yes, Teal'c. I did finally come to a decision. I know what
I have to do. I'll tell Jack tomorrow at Daniel's funeral."
Jack went through Daniel's funeral service in a kind of trance.
The familiar words meant nothing, the sea of sombre faces united
in grief failed to touch him. He felt dead inside. Numb. His best
friend was gone and Sam hadn't spoken to him since their return
from the planet. Was Sam right? Was it their fault Daniel was
dead? Even after what the General had said they'd never know for
certain.
When he turned to leave the graveside, an elderly man approached
him. "You worked with Daniel, yes?" he said.
Jack nodded weakly. He supposed this guy was a relative of Daniel's.
"Colonel Jack O'Neill," he said.
"I am his grandfather, Nicholas Ballard."
Jack was shocked. Daniel had never mentioned a grandfather.
"He never..." he began.
"No, he wouldn't. I've been in a mental institution for some
years. I fear he felt I was an embarrassment." There was an
uncomfortable pause. "You know, it's unnatural to outlive
your child, but outlive your grandchild...." He shook his
head sadly. "Why am I still around? What is an old fool like
me doing still alive when a brilliant young man like Daniel is
dead? There is no justice, is there, Colonel?"
"No, no justice," agreed Jack quietly, as the old man
turned away.
Lost in his own thoughts, he didn't hear Sam approach him. He
started when she tapped his shoulder. "Jack?" she said
softly.
"Sam... Teal'c said you had something to tell me..." He
hesitated when he took a good look at her. His Major looked like
hell, there were dark shadows under her eyes and he could see she
had been crying.
"Yeah, I do.... 'goodbye'."
The breath caught in his throat. No, she couldn't.... could she?
Jack looked into her eyes. They were brimming with unshed tears.
"Goodbye?"
"I'm transferring back to the Pentagon. It's for the best."
He could hear her voice beginning to falter. This was hard for
her. "Why is it best? We should help each other through this.
I need you, Sam. After what the General said...."
She shook her head, the tears rolling slowly down her cheeks.
"But we'll never know for sure. Perhaps in time I'll be able
to deal with this but right now I can't. Every time I look at you,
I see Daniel dying in a pool of blood. I can't be with you, Jack.
Not now. I need the space. If I stay here I'll never be able to
work out what I want... you're just too damned distracting. I
need to find out what's best for me. And for now I need to be
away... from you."
"Sam, please..."
"No, my mind's made up. I've got to go, I've got a plane to
catch." She turned away from him, unwilling to look him in
the eye.
Jack grabbed her elbow. "Sam... wait, we can talk..."
Gently pulling herself free, she said softly but firmly, "No,
Jack. Not this time. Look what happened the last time we 'talked'."
He flinched at her reference to the debriefing. She shook her
head sadly. "I'm sorry. That was unfair. I know you only
said it to protect me and my career." She shrugged. "It's
too late to make any difference to Daniel, isn't it?"
Swallowing hard to fight back the tears, she continued, "My
mind's made up. I have to go. Goodbye, Jack."
She kissed him softly on the cheek and left him standing alone in
the cemetery, the breeze tugging at his dress uniform. Jack
watched, tears pricking at his eyes, as she said her goodbyes and
got into a waiting car. As she drove away, he hoped and prayed
that one day Sam would change her mind. "I'll be waiting,"
he whispered as she disappeared from view. "Come back to me
soon."
the end