CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
With a glance at the other couple, Daniel and Sam went into their bower, Cam and Vala doing likewise. Daniel looked about the single room. Not surprisingly, it was dominated by a large bed. There were also a couple of chairs and a table, which was presently bearing a bowl of fruit and a tray of cheese and bread. Behind a privacy curtain was a chamber pot.
Sam sat on the bed. "I am so not looking forward to telling General Landry about this."
Daniel settled beside her after putting the clay pot they planted with seeds on the table. "Yeah. That's not going to be pretty." He looked at her. "So, have you thought about the fact that, for as long as we're on this planet, we are technically married?"
Sam nodded. She then smiled in amusement. "Just a little over a month of courtship, and we're already married. Talk about a whirlwind romance!"
Daniel smiled as well. "Hey, it's more than I got with Sha're." His smile abruptly disappeared. "Oh, boy. I just thought of something. Jack's going to be arriving in Colorado the day after tomorrow, and you know that Landry is going to tell him about this."
Sam covered her face with her hands. "Oh, no. I didn't think about that. Maybe we can take our leave the second we get back to Earth."
"I'm afraid that won't stop him. He'll just wait until the next time he sees us, which probably won't be long since he's moving back here."
Figuring that he might as well be comfortable as they waited, Daniel took off his boots and laid back on the bed. Sam did likewise. As she closed the distance between them and laid her head on his chest, a thought crept into his mind. If they made love right now their marriage would be made real in the eyes of the military back home. He wanted that so badly, not this way, with a marriage ceremony that they didn't even know was one, but with a real ceremony on Earth, all their friends and family present. He wanted Sam to be his for the rest of his life, for him to be hers.
But that would not happen, could not happen, until after he had heard the three words that he longed for with all his heart. How much longer would it be until he heard them? He had to believe that it would be soon.
Cam was slowly pacing back and forth. He dare not look at Vala, who was lying naked on the bed, having claimed that the bower was too warm and stuffy for clothing. The truth was that it wasn't a degree over seventy in there. Okay, maybe seventy-two now, it having gone up a degree or two since the removal of her clothing and the subsequent increase in his body temperature.
Cam knew what she was doing. She was teasing him. She was well aware that they could not have sex there since that would be consummating the marriage, and she was using that to have a little fun with him.
Vala stretched lazily, arching her back so that her breasts rose higher. She was wondering how far she could push it before Cameron ordered her to stop. A smile came to her lips. There was only one way to find out.
She began slowly running her hands up and down her body, making a little moaning sound. The sound drew Cam's eyes to her, and he saw what she was doing. He immediately turned away.
"Mmm, Cameron," Vala purred. "Come join me. Those clothes must be so confining."
Yes, confining was definitely the right word, at least in regards to his pants. He chastised the portion of his anatomy that was getting too excited and kept pacing.
Vala's voice dropped an octave. "I'm lonely for you, Cameron."
"Vala, stop it!" he finally snapped. "You know we can't do anything, so just cut it out."
Vala rolled onto her side. "We cannot have intercourse, but that does not mean we cannot do other things."
"Well, that's not going to happen either."
Cam went to a small slit high in the wall that acted as a window and glared out of it, arms crossed over his chest.
Suddenly realizing that he was upset, Vala got dressed and went to him. She hesitated a moment, then touched his arm.
"I'm sorry, Cameron. I should not have teased you like that."
"I just really wish you wouldn't do that. I'm only human, you know, and when you do stuff like that when you know we can't do anything about it, it just makes everything harder."
That made Vala feel bad. "I'm sorry. I promise I won't do it again." She laid her head on his shoulder. "Forgive me?"
Cam let out a sigh and put his arm around her waist. "Yes, I forgive you." He looked at her. "I have to know something, Vala. Is that all I am to you? A sex partner? Because, if I am. . . ." His voice trailed off, and he turned back to the window, trying to hide how upset he was at the thought that Vala was only interested in him for sexual gratification.
Vala looked away. No, he was more to her than that, a lot more. He had come to mean a great deal to her, more than she had believed he could. That thought scared her. She could not be in love with him; she just couldn't be, but he was dear to her all the same. But it frightened her to admit that. That was why she never told Daniel that she loved him, that and the fact that he did not feel the same toward her. She knew that Cam did care about her, but did he feel as much for her as she did for him?
"Of course that's not all you are to me, silly," she said, making her voice sound light and casual, "but you do have to admit that the sex is great." She ran her fingertips down his arm. "I just can't get enough of you."
Cam felt his heart breaking a little. He had been hoping she would say something that would give him some indication that she felt at least a little of the same thing he did for her. But perhaps that was just too much to hope for.
Cam left the window and walked over to the table with its tray of food. "Want something to eat?" he asked, though the truth was that he had no appetite. He just needed to do something that would hide his feelings. He selected a couple of items, then returned to the window. Vala took some cheese and sat down at the table.
As he pretended to enjoy his food, Cam thought about his relationship with Vala. From the moment he figured out that he'd fallen in love with her, he had known that she might never come to feel the same way, but he now realized that, even as he was telling Daniel that very thing, down deep inside, a flame of hope had been burning brightly, a flame that was now dying.
So what was he going to do now? Could he remain in a relationship with a woman who would likely never return his love? Was the sex and her feelings of fondness for him enough? With every passing day, he loved her more, and with every passing day, his longing for her to love him back grew stronger.
Maybe this whole thing had been a mistake. Maybe he should have ended it after that first time and moved on. If he'd done that, he wouldn't have fallen in love with her.
"Cameron, what's wrong?"
The question interrupted the pilot's thoughts. He looked at Vala, afraid that she'd seen his thoughts on his face. "Nothing. Why do think something's wrong?"
"You haven't said anything in a while."
Cam quickly thought up an excuse. "I was trying to figure out a way that we can tell the general about this without him ripping our heads off."
"I am sure that he will understand. After all, it was unintentional."
Cam stared at her. "You can't possibly be talking about the same general I am. Landry will have a cow. The only question is the size of the cow." He had a thought. "You know, I'm thinking that we'd better delay telling him about us until he cools down. Telling him that on top of this would not be a smart move."
"You are probably right."
Cam returned his gaze out the window. There was a second reason for not telling Landry about the relationship, one that he would not reveal to Vala. He was beginning to wonder how much longer this relationship was going to last, how much longer he could give his heart to a woman who was not giving hers to him.
The five members of SG-1 sat around the briefing room table, four of them having a hard time meeting the eyes of the man sitting at the head of that table.
"So," Landry said, "there was some kind of celebration going on there?"
"Yes, sir," Daniel confirmed. "I believed that it was a combination of the three spring festivals and holidays that the ancient Celtic people celebrated."
"It was quite a party going on, sir," Cam said.
Landry nodded. "I assume that you didn't find out much of anything from them, such as how long they've been there or which Goa'uld brought them there."
"I don't think they knew, General," Daniel answered. "All their legends of the Stargate told them was that gods used to come through it, some of them evil. It sounds like any knowledge that they were brought to that planet by those evil gods has been lost."
"Did it appear that there was anything of value we might be interested in?"
Sam was the one to answer. "We didn't really get the chance to look. Everyone was focused on the celebrations."
"I see. So we might need to go back there when the celebrations are over."
"Ummm. . . ."
Landry's eyes focused directly upon Cam, who was the one to make the noise. "Colonel? Do you have something to add to this debriefing?"
"Um, well, as Jackson told you when we contacted you, the Stargate was not translating their language, so he was the only one who could understand anything they said, but even he couldn't understand it all."
"Only about half of it at first," Daniel confirmed.
Landry frowned. "Are you saying you misunderstood something that was said?"
"Um, sort of. It was more a case of missing some important, uh, details."
The general was now staring at him penetratingly. "What sort of details?"
Cam took over. "Well, you see, sir, when we got there, we were asked if we'd come there to be a part of the festival, so, in the interest of friendly relations, we told them that, sure, we'd love to join the party."
"I spoke to the village leader and got some details on the whole thing," Daniel explained, "but I didn't understand a lot of what he said."
The general's frown deepened. "I am starting to get a bad feeling about this, people."
Bracing himself, Daniel continued. "We were told that there was some kind of special ceremony taking place at noon, so we went to see what it was. There was a group of men and women arranged in a circle, looking like they were paired off into couples with single individuals standing behind them. Sam, Mitchell, Vala and I were put into the circle, with Teal'c behind us. Luan, the village leader, then gave a prayer, asking for all of us to be blessed."
Daniel explained about the seeds and other things. "He was partway around the circle when I realized that all the other couples were romantically involved. I figured that most of them were newlyweds or soon to be married, and the whole thing was a blessing for them to have a happy life together and produce lots of children."
"And he had mistakenly believed that you four were also newlyweds or betrothed and had come to be blessed as well?"
"That's what I thought, General."
Landry's eyes narrowed. "That's what you thought?"
"Um, yes, sir, but I was wrong, well, partly wrong. We were all being blessed, but. . . ."
"We were also being married," Vala boldly finished.
"You were what?!" General Landry bellowed, making the four human members of the team wince. Daniel could swear that he heard a few windows cracking.
"Sir, I assure you that, if we had known, we would never have taken part in the ceremony," Sam said.
"We'd have left that planet as fast as our legs would carry us," Cameron added.
Landry glowered at them. "So you're saying that all four of you," he pointed at Daniel, Sam, Cam and Vala, "got married in some alien Celtic ceremony while on a mission?"
"I'm afraid so, sir," Cam replied.
The general glared at Teal'c. "And what about you? Did you marry someone as well?"
"I did not."
"They thought that he was the one who got us together," Daniel explained. "Apparently, the person who brings a couple together is expected to be present to witness the culmination of his or her . . . handiwork."
Landry was amused at the thought that anyone could mistake Teal'c for a matchmaker, but the amusement lasted only seconds.
"Well, SG-1, you really topped yourself this time. I don't know how I'm going to explain this to the brass."
Sam spoke up. "Sir, we were completely unaware that we were getting married, and, according to regulations—"
Landry interrupted her. "I know all about the regulations, Colonel. That doesn't take away from the fact that not two but four members of the SGC's premiere team managed to get themselves hitched while on a mission." His gaze narrowed, focusing upon Daniel and Sam. "I am assuming that you weren't stupid enough to actually consummate this marriage."
"Absolutely not, sir," Sam assured him.
"All right, then. All of you can consider those marriages null and void. Now, get out of my sight."
They hurried out of the briefing room and went to Daniel's office.
"I think it's going to take me a while to grow my ass back," Cam muttered.
"I suppose it could have been worse," Sam said. "He could have given us a formal reprimand."
"That wouldn't have been fair," Vala declared. "We did not do it on purpose."
"No, but the smart thing would have been not to say that we'd join the festivities," Cam told her. "That's my fault. If we'd just said that we were there to make friends, none of this would have happened."
Sam shook her head. "Cam, you couldn't have known what was going on."
"Nevertheless, I should have been smarter in what I said."
"Well, the marriages no longer exist," Daniel said, "so this isn't going to have any permanent effects. We'll probably be the brunt of a few jokes if this gets around base, but, hopefully, that will be the worst of it." He glanced at his watch, seeing that it was going on six p.m. "Well, I'm going to head on home. It's been a long day."
"Yeah, me too," said Cam. "I'll see all of you in the morning." Not glancing at Vala, he left the office and went straight to the locker room, where he changed into his civvies.
A while later, he was on the road. He stopped at a fast food place to pick up some dinner, then made a second stop for something else.
About halfway through the burger Cam lost his appetite. He stared at it for a moment, then got up from his kitchen table and threw the food away. He got his other purchase, a bottle of malt whiskey, and poured himself a stiff drink. The pilot took it to the living room, then spent the next fifteen minutes just staring at it.
As Cam thought about what happened in the bower, the earlier pain returned. He still didn't know what he was going to do. He loved Vala so much, and the thought of breaking off their relationship was like a knife in his gut, but was there any point in continuing something that probably had no real future? Could he be satisfied with what they had now, knowing that it would very likely never be more? He'd asked himself that question before, and, now, he knew the answer. No, he couldn't. He wanted more, needed more. Oh, how things had change from when this all began.
As the minutes ticked by with his drink remaining untouched, Cam decided that he really shouldn't give up hope yet. If given more time, Vala might grow to love him. It had been less than five weeks, after all. It could still happen. He had never been a quitter, so he shouldn't just give up. He just prayed that what he was holding onto wasn't false hope.
Cam returned to the kitchen and poured the whiskey back into the bottle. He then headed off to his bedroom, knowing already that sleep would not be coming to him easily tonight.
Daniel heard the sound of a familiar voice.
"You know, Daniel. There are a lot of bad habits, but getting married without knowing it has got to be among the most bizarre. And, now, you've got Sam, Mitchell and Vala doing it, too."
Daniel sighed and looked up at Jack. "You act like I dragged them into it. There were misunderstandings and mistakes, and it happened. It's over and done with now. None of us are married anymore, thanks to the wisdom of the people who set up the program and its regulations."
"Yes, lucky for you, although, since you and Sam were already in a relationship, I suppose that unwittingly getting married wouldn't be such a disaster. I would have been quite perturbed, however, in not having been given the chance to throw you a bachelor party or be your best man."
"Who says you'd be my best man?"
"Daniel, you wound me. Who else would fill that esteemed position?"
"Maybe Teal'c, who, by the way, hasn't even smirked about this whole thing."
"Oh, but I bet he is on the inside."
When Jack then fell silent, Daniel stared at him suspiciously. "That's it? You're not going to say any more tasteless jokes or cutting barbs?"
"Nah. I figure that you'll get your fair share of those around here once word gets around. Beside, I understand that Hank nearly shattered the windows in the briefing room when he found out."
"Just about," Daniel confirmed, relieved that Jack wasn't going to be a bigger ass about this whole thing.
Jack sat down in the chair beside Daniel's desk. "I also heard about this other exciting news. The Anasazi, huh? I may not be into archeology, but even I've heard of them."
Daniel's eyes lit with excitement. "It's an amazing discovery. A team has already been sent there. I'm getting daily reports on what they've found."
"I'm surprised that you're not there, too."
"I thought about it, but the team will likely be there for months, and I wouldn't want to be away for that long."
A little smile came to Jack's lips. "Ah. So the love of a good woman has changed more than one thing in you, huh?" Something in Daniel's eyes made Jack's gaze sharpen. "What?"
Daniel shook his head. "Nothing."
"Don't give me that, Daniel. We've known each other for too long."
The archeologist looked away. "Sam just . . . hasn't said that yet."
"That she loves you?"
"I'm sure it'll come. We really haven't been a couple for that long. What we have together is fantastic. I couldn't be happier with it."
"Except to hear those words."
Daniel shrugged.
"You could just ask her, you know."
The younger man shook his head. "Absolutely not. I'm not going to push her like that."
"Are you afraid that she'll say no?"
Daniel fell silent.
Jack studied him a while longer. "All right, Daniel. I won't push you to ask her."
Eager to get the topic off him and Sam, Daniel asked, "When will you be starting your house-hunting?"
"Tomorrow."
"And when will you be seeing Sara?"
"Tonight."
"On a date?"
"No, just a dinner. Whether or not there will be any dates will all depend on how that dinner goes."
"Well, I hope that things go well, Jack. I really do."
"Thanks, Daniel. I appreciate that." The ex-general got to his feet. "Well, I'm going to go have a quick chat with Sam and visit Teal'c for a while, then I need to get to town and check into my hotel. I'll be pretty busy looking at places tomorrow, but maybe we can all get together for lunch."
"Sounds good."
They decided on where to meet, then Jack went down one level and made his way to Sam's lab.
"Hi," she greeted. "Have a good flight?"
"As good as a commercial flight can be." He stepped further into the room, an amused smile teasing his lips. "So, married and divorced all in the same day, huh? That's gotta be a record."
Sam blushed. "Jack."
"Yes, I know. No divorce needed. I still find it hilarious that you and Daniel got yourselves into that predicament, along with Mitchell and Vala. Nothing changes, I guess. SG-1 is still getting stuck in the most interesting dilemmas."
"A hazard of the job, I guess."
Jack noticed a pot sitting on the corner of the worktable. "What's that?"
"Oh, it was part of the wedding ceremony. Daniel and I planted seeds in it, and I'm curious to see what comes up."
Jack's searching gaze turned to her. "Curious, huh? Is that all?"
"Of course that's all. What else would there be to it?"
"Nothing, I guess." Jack had to wonder, though, if, perhaps subconsciously, Sam was saving the thing because it was a symbol of hers and Daniel's brief marriage.
Sam studied the ex-general. Though they had talked on the phone, this was the first time they had seen each other since the ending of their brief relationship, and Sam was surprised to feel a little uncomfortable.
"How are you doing, Jack?"
"Oh, can't complain, well, except for being bored. Working at Homeworld Security usually wasn't the most exciting of jobs, but it still kept me busy. I've been at loose ends lately. I'm thinking of taking up knitting."
Sam smiled. "I'm sure that there are hobbies you'd enjoy." She paused. "Or perhaps you should consider teaching."
Jack's eyebrows rose. "Teaching? Me? Sam, I think you're confusing me with someone with the brains for that."
"Jack, I know that no one can advance to the rank of major without a Master's degree, and unintelligent people don't usually manage to get one of those. I think that the cadets at the Academy would be lucky to have you teaching a course in tactics and strategy."
"Academy courses are taught by people still in the service, Sam."
"Yes, but, if you talked to the right people, I really think that they would consider making an exception. Perhaps it could be an elective course."
Jack frowned and looked away. Teaching at the Air Force Academy? It was something he'd never even thought of before, yet, now that he was thinking about it, he had to admit that it had its appeal. One big advantage was that a bunch of young cadets wouldn't dare talk back to him or argue with him – unlike a certain archeologist always did.
"Well, that's not something to think about right now," he said. "I haven't even moved back here yet. I'll be house-hunting tomorrow, and I told Daniel that all of us could meet for lunch, if you have the time."
"Sure. That would be nice. Um . . . what about you and Sara?"
"We're having dinner tonight. And, no, it's not a date."
"I wasn't going to ask."
"No, but you were thinking about it."
Sam looked a little shamefaced. "Okay, you're right. I was."
Jack smiled. "Uh huh." The smile faded away. "I still don't know where this thing with Sara is going, Sam, if it's going anywhere at all." His gaze sharpened. "Speaking of relationships, I hear that things are going quite well with you and Daniel."
Sam smiled. "Yes, it's been terrific. I've never been happier."
"You thinking of moving in together?"
"We haven't even talked about that yet."
"But I'm betting that you have a drawer of your stuff at his place and a part of his closet. Probably vice versa as well. And you spend more of your nights together than apart."
Sam's face heated up again. "Um, yes."
"That's what I figured. You guys are on the fast track, Sam. That's as clear as day. Not that I disapprove. You've known each other for a very long time and been friends throughout all of it. You probably know just about everything about each other, and you've spent more hours in each other's company than some couples who've been married the same number of years have. I'm not trying to push you into anything, of course, but I'd bet my last dollar that you two will be cohabitating in not very long, whether it's just living together or with rings on your fingers."
Sam said nothing, feeling more than a little embarrassed by such words being spoken by a man with whom she used to be in love.
"You do know how much he loves you, right?"
"Yes, I know."
Jack waited for her to say that she loved Daniel, too, but it didn't come. Hmm. It looked like somebody was suffering a case of denial. Or perhaps it was just a touch of blindness. He had no doubt that she'd figure it out soon.
He mentioned to her the plans to get together for lunch tomorrow, and she was all for it.
"Well, I'd better get going," he then said. "I'll see you tomorrow."
Sam nodded. "See you then."
Jack's next stop was Teal'c's quarters. His knock on the door was answered with an invitation to come in. He entered with a song on his lips.
"Matchmaker, matchmaker, make me a match, find me a find, catch me a catch." His recitation of the song from Fiddler on the Roof earned him a dark look from the Jaffa.
"Oh, come on, T," he said. "You have to admit that it's funny."
"I do not find it amusing, O'Neill."
"You really need to lighten up, buddy." Seeing that Teal'c intended to do no such thing, Jack sighed. "Well, at least you didn't get married, too. That's something to be grateful for. So, other than being mistaken as a matchmaker, anything else interesting going on with you lately? Any more news on that grandkid of yours?"
"I have not heard of any new developments, so I would assume that Kar'yn's pregnancy is progressing normally."
"That's good. Don't know yet if it's a boy or girl?"
"No."
"I hope it's a girl."
Teal'c stared at him. "Why is that, O"Neill?"
"Because I'm looking forward to seeing you go all gaga over a little baby granddaughter. Don't get me wrong. Fathers and grandfathers go gaga over baby boys, too, but, from what I've heard, the gaga factor is way higher with girls."
"I assure you, O'Neill, that I will not go gaga either way."
"Ah, you say that now, but just wait."
Jack talked with Teal'c a while longer, mentioning the lunch get-together, then said goodbye. As he was leaving the base, he was whistling a tune, his thoughts now on tonight's dinner with his ex-wife and what it might bring.
Sam, Daniel and Teal'c were already at the cafe they'd chose when Jack arrived. They were surprised to see that he wasn't alone.
"Sara!" Sam exclaimed. "We didn't expect you to come."
Jack's ex-wife smiled. "I decided to join Jack in his house-hunting."
Sam shared a quick glance with Daniel, who was holding back a smile. "Really?" she then said. "I guess it would be nicer to do something like that with company. I didn't have anyone with me when I went looking for a place."
Jack looked at the size of the booth, which was for four people. "Let's see if we can get a bigger booth." He called a waitress over, who found a larger booth for them. Everyone got settled, then decided on what they were going to order. Once the orders had been placed, they began to chat.
"It has been so long since I met all of you," Sara said to Daniel, Sam and Teal'c. "Not since that . . . that incident."
All the others looked at each other briefly, thinking back to when the crystal entity impersonated Jack, then took on the form of his and Sara's dead son. After it was all over, it was necessary for Jack to tell Sara something to explain what she saw. He couldn't tell her everything, but she did know now that humans were not alone in the galaxy. She was not, however, aware that not everyone sitting at that table wasn't human.
Sara turned her gaze fully upon Sam and Daniel. "Jack tells me that you're in a relationship now."
Daniel smiled. "Yes, not for all that long, though, just a few weeks."
"And you're still working together?"
"That's right," Sam replied.
"My. That's an awful lot of time to spend in each other's company. A lot of couples I know would go nuts being around each other so many hours of the day and night."
Daniel gazed at the woman he loved. "Sam and I have always enjoyed being in each other's company, even when we were just friends."
"Yeah, it's downright freaky how well they get along," Jack remarked. "I've never seen them argue, not once."
"We have argued, Jack, and we've had plenty of disagreements."
"Uh huh. And how long did you stay mad at each other?"
"Not very long," Sam confessed.
"I rest my case." He smiled. "Although, once you start living together, I can guarantee that there will be more arguments. That's always the way it is."
"Jack," Sara said in disapproval, giving his arm a light slap. "What a thing to say."
"Well, it's true."
"So," Daniel said brightly, wanting to change the subject in a hurry, "any luck with the house-hunting?"
"Not much yet," Jack replied, "but then, we haven't had the chance to see very many. We might have more luck this afternoon."
Neither Daniel nor Sam failed to notice that he'd included Sara in that statement.
The rest of the conversation was light and enjoyable. Sara even managed to get Teal'c to contribute more than a word here and there.
Daniel looked at his watch. "Well, we all need to get back to the base."
"It was great to see you again, Sara," Sam said.
"You, too. We'll have to do this again one of these days."
"That would be fun."
The three members of SG-1 wished the other two people goodbye and left. Jack and Sara watched them leave, then the ex-general turned to his former wife.
"Well?" he inquired.
"That man is totally, head over heels in love with her. The way he looks at her, it's like she's his entire universe."
"Yep."
Sara paused. "And she's in love with him, too."
"That's what I said. Too bad she hasn't seen it yet."
"Give her time, Jack. It took me three months to come to the realization that I was in love with you, and it took you even longer. She'll get there."
Jack nodded slightly. He then smiled. "So, back to the house-hunting?"
"I'm ready. Let the hunt resume."
Before starting the car, Jack said, "Um, I was thinking that we could get together again for dinner tonight."
"Sure. That would be great."
He looked at her. "At a nicer restaurant perhaps?"
Sara met his eyes. "I'd like that, Jack."
"You would?"
She smiled. "Yes, I would."
Jack nodded, a little smile on his face.
As he started the car, the smile grew into a grin.
