We Love as One – Chapter 17

Disclaimer in index

Rating: Swearing.

Sam closed the door to her car and made her way over to Martouf, picnic basket in hand. She saw him sitting on the blanket that she had given him to lay out, legs stretched out and leaning backwards, supported by his hands. He stared into the blue afternoon sky, a tiny smile playing upon his lips.

Sam watched as the slight breeze ruffled Martouf’s hair and once again, she thought of how good he looked wearing khaki pants and a white dress-shirt, un-tucked and opened slightly at the top.

She walked up, sitting down beside him, tucking her legs underneath her, making sure the hem of her yellow cotton dress was secured beneath her. She placed the picnic basket in front of her and turned to Martouf. “What are you smiling at?”

Martouf’s smile widened as he continued to stare at the sky. “This. All of this. Being here, able just to watch the sky without having to worry about anything. The Goa’uld, the duties of my position, planning my next mission…and instead just relax, breathe in the air, and to be here with you, Samantha.” Martouf finished, turning his head to look joyfully at her, smiling.

Sam smiled back. “Nice isn’t it?”

“I never thought I’d be able to do this again. Before I became Tok’ra, my life was rather simple on my world until the Goa’uld showed up. It’s been so long since I’ve done something like this. I am truly content.” Martouf raised a hand to caress the side of Sam’s face. “I am happy to be here with you, love.”

Sam covered Martouf’s hand with her own and then crawled over to sit in between his legs, bringing his arms to wrap around her. “I love you, Martouf.” She rested the back of her head on his shoulder, looking up into the sky.

“I love you too, Samantha.” The pair sat quietly for a few moments before Sam raised her head.

“Well, are you hungry?”

Martouf raised a mischievous eyebrow and leered at her. “Hungry for what exactly, love?”

Sam flushed slightly and turned away before slapping Martouf lightly on the arm. “For food, Martouf, and only for food.”

Martouf let out a disappointed sigh. “Oh, well in that case, yes, I am hungry, love.” He squeezed Sam gently, nipping at her neck and inhaling her scent. He was incredibly happy, holding the woman he loved more than life in his arms and teasing her mercilessly.

After eating, Sam and Martouf sat quietly, holding each other and sneaking kisses. Bearing in mind that they were in public, they kept their desires reigned in.

Sam kept her head on Martouf’s shoulder and she turned to bury her face in his neck. All her life she’d dreamed of finding the one right man for her and here he was. Although he was without Lantash and Sam had to admit she missed him and felt guilty for accepting Martouf so easily into her life. It was a lame excuse, but it just happened and despite the guilt, Sam knew that she would’ve made the same choice if she had to do it all over.

Never had she thought that she could feel like this. In the arms of the man that she loved. She smiled a bit as she thought how crazy it was that her perfect man was essentially as alien. A man from another planet, possibly another galaxy. This romance was certainly one of a kind.

“Samantha, love.” Sam’s smile grew bigger as she heard his voice, deep, husky, caring, and innocently seductive. God, she loved his voice. She loved everything about him. Sam raised her head to look at him to see him smiling tenderly at her, his feelings plainly displayed in his eyes, his smile, and his hold on her.

“It is obvious that I have come to a decision, love.” He leaned forward to plant a kiss on the tip of her nose. “I love you Samantha. With my entire being. Every part of my body yearns for you and to imagine living without you is an impossibility to me. You make me more than happy, more than content and satisfied, what you make me feel is beyond that, beyond words and actions. The words ‘I love you’ are paltry, but sadly, such words are the only thing I can say and I will gladly say them to you time and again.

You are the most precious, most beautiful thing in my world; you are the missing part of me, love. And now that I have found you, I am going to keep you. I love you.”

Martouf, in a sudden show of emotion, crushed Sam to him. “I never want to live another day without you, to not wake up with you in the mornings and to have to sleep without you, to live each day without your kisses and not being able to hold you is a thought that is unbearable and a situation that would kill me.” He let go of her and resumed peering into her glassy eyes. “I want to stay with you, Samantha. I am aware that there is a formal ritual and ceremony Tau’ri go through in order to become mates for life. I want to be your mate and you mine for eternity, love.”

Martouf watched as a tear slipped down his love’s face and he automatically bent to kiss it away. “So this means you are staying right?”

He nodded and her face lifted into one of the most dazzling smiles. “Promise, Martouf?”

“I promise, love. Whatever happens, I will never leave you.”

~~~~~

Jack O’Neil winced as he attempted to shift on his couch, eyeing the fluffy pillow he brought with him to the living room from his bedroom. Was it really worth the effort to move to try to reach for it? Thinking for a second, he shook his head and decided he could forgo the extra comfort the plushy pillow offered rather than take the risk of having more pain shoot up his leg.

Reaching for the remote, Jack idly flipped through the channels and sighed. It was Saturday morning and there was nothing on but cartoons and shoddy decorating shows. Deciding between the two, Jack opted to watch Spider-Man. He heard his stomach growl and Jack looked at the empty box of Fruit Loops that he’d finished off earlier and grumbled to himself. Was it too early to order pizza? Come to think of it, where had his wallet gone? He hadn’t been out of his house for nearly four days and he was bored. Really bored.

Mindlessly staring at the cartoon hero on his television screen, Jack thought about calling Daniel up and having him and Teal’c both swing around to watch some movies and perhaps pick up a pizza. Knowing that Carter would be too busy entertaining her guest, Jack decided not to call her up. Thinking about what Daniel had told him two days ago about Martouf *and* Lantash being alive, but no longer in the same body confused the hell out of him. He scowled. Having ‘ole Marty and Lantash back was sure to throw his reliable 21C off for sure and Jack didn’t like the idea of his friend being off-balanced. Not to mention the fact that Jack hated the Tok’ra (Jacob wasn’t Tok’ra, he was simply just Jacob and in a class of his own) and knowing how Carter felt for Marty would cause trouble with the team dynamics. Half of her mind would always be thinking of them when she should be focusing her attention on her duties and staying alive, she’d be raking up some major frequent flyer miles visiting the Tok’ra and Jack’s worst fear might come true. Sam might want to leave the SGC and actually *become* a Tok’ra. He shuddered. How someone could willingly volunteer to place a snake in their head and say goodbye to any ounce of privacy was unnerving and unbelievable to him. Knowing Carter, she’d probably do it just to be with her dad and Marty.

Gritting his teeth as he tried to shift closer to the telephone, Jack let out a string of curses as he jarred his injured leg, resting propped up on his coffee table in front of him. His eyes went to the crutches he had flung away hours earlier; damn things, they didn’t help him at all, felt like his arms were being pushed out of his shoulder pockets. Still grimacing, Jack panted lightly as he used all his energy trying to maneuver himself to the side table and his cordless phone.

“I thought I was supposed to be getting *better*, not worse.” It had over a week since Jack had been injured and he felt like he had just been injured yesterday. He had lied about how bad the pain was when talking to Doc Frasier just so he could get out of the infirmary and home to his beloved beer and television. His knee felt like it was on fire and he cursed himself for shoving the painkillers and other assorted pills the doc had given him on his kitchen table. There was no way in hell he was going to get up.

A sharp tearing pain made Jack reconsider and fast as he shut his eyes in agony. Maybe he should’ve listened to the doc when she sternly ordered him not to move around so much. Grabbing the cordless, Jack dialed Daniel at home.

Daniel picked up on the third ring and asked immediately, “You’re bored, aren’t you Jack?”

“Gee, didn’t know I’d gotten predictable in my old age.” Jack quipped, his voice strained.

Daniel noticed the tone of his friend’s voice and became concerned. “Jack, are you okay? Have you been taking the painkillers Janet gave you? Are you moving around?” The last question came out as an accusation and Jack rolled his eyes at Daniel’s mother-hen attitude.

“Yes mom and I’ve been getting drunk all day too.”

“Jack, Janet said not to move around a lot to give your leg a chance to heal properly. You know what she’s going to do when she finds out.” Daniel said putting his shoes on and grabbing his jacket, making sure he had his car keys.

“Stuff it, Daniel. I’m perfectly fine. Now, the reason I called is that I’m-“

“Hungry. You want me to pick up Teal’c, grab a pizza, a 24-pack of beer, and head over to your house for movies.” Daniel finished for him, pressing the elevator button in his apartment complex.

Jack raised his eyebrows. “Wow, I *have* gotten predictable in my old age. Make sure you get extra pepperoni too.” Hanging up the phone, Jack took a deep breath and slowly, very slowly lowered his injured leg off the coffee table and onto the floor. Shit, that hurt like a bitch. Chest rising erratically from strain, Jack counted to three before heaving himself off the couch. Immediately, Jack almost blacked out from the pain, coming from his leg. He tried to move toward the kitchen, but when he applied the littlest pressure to his injured leg, Jack collapsed and passed out cold on his living room floor.

That was how Daniel and Teal’c found him when they arrived a short time later. After using his spare key, since Daniel didn’t want Jack moving around, the pizzas were immediately forgotten as Teal’c and Daniel saw their friend lying still on the floor. Daniel rushed to call an ambulance and arranged to have Janet meet them at the Air Force Academy Hospital while Teal’c gently lifted his friend’s body to lay it on the couch.