Crazy For You
The New Year's Eve party was organized both to celebrate the holiday and the continued bravery of the United States Air Force. A young Samantha Carter, just turned seventeen, convinced her father to let her come. He wasn't exactly excited about his attractive young daughter being surrounded by a thousand Airmen, but he couldn't deny her a night of fun. Mark, on the other hand, refused to come. He had obliged to stay at his grandparents' during the party, leaving Samantha by herself.
She was beautiful, and looked older than her age. She had hit puberty a bit earlier than other girls her age, and, as a result, carried some features that were significant of a woman in her early twenties.
She decided that tonight was an occasion worthy of a new dress. She decided to drive to the local mall and purchase one that would make any Airman turn his head. It was blue, satin, and clung to her body. Jacob wasn't exactly happy about how drop dead gorgeous his teenage daughter looked, but couldn't deny the smile on her face when she put on the dress and donned her mother's necklace. It was only for one night, after all.
Her father escorted her into the ballroom where the event was taking place, and just as he feared, heads turned their way to view the young beauty that was accompanying Jacob Carter. When he explained that it was not his young lover, but, in fact, his daughter, the Airmen seemed even more eager to meet her. She was greeted by several young Airmen, but didn't seem too interested. Instead, the blue-eyed blonde haired Samantha had her eyes locked on a man across the room. The moment she walked in, his chocolate-colored eyes had met her ocean-colored ones. She knew at that instant she needed to find a way to meet him. She ignored the other men that attempted to approach her and began walking straight toward the man in question. He set down the drink in his hand as soon as she became within speaking distance.
"There's no way that the most beautiful woman in this room is coming to talk to me." He ran his fingers through his sandy hair, in a jokingly arrogant way. Samantha Carter blushed. "I'm Jack O'Neill, and you are?"
"Samantha Carter, but you can call me Sam." She smiled, a little nervous.
"Well, Sam, would you like to dance with me?" She nodded just as "Crazy For You", by Madonna, began playing over the speakers. She took his hand and he led her onto the dance floor. She looked around and noticed several eyes were on them. "Well, Sam, who's your lucky date tonight?"
"I don't have a date. I came here with my father, General Jacob Carter." She smiled. "What about you?"
"No date. I couldn't find a girl to come with me if I paid her." He joked.
"Oh, I doubt that." She grimaced a little after the accidental words slipped from her mouth, but Jack O'Neill just smiled at them. He pulled her a little closer so that their bodies were almost flush. She felt a tingling sensation radiate through her body as their chests just barely made contact. She couldn't deny how attracted to him she was.
"George." Jacob Carter called to George Hammond.
"Yes, Jacob?"
"Who's that young man dancing with my daughter?" Jacob's eyes narrowed slightly as he spied the clear attraction between the two on the dance floor.
"That's Captain Jack O'Neill. He's a fine Airman. Graduated top in his class."
"When did he enlist?"
"During Vietnam." Jacob Carter spit out a bit of his drink.
"How old is he?"
"I would say around thirty-three." George Hammond sensed the hesitancy and worry in his friend's voice. "Don't worry, Jacob. It's just one night. Let them have their fun. Like I said, he's a nice man. A little dance never hurt anyone."
"I suppose you're right. Perhaps I should go do some dancing myself." Jacob eyed down one of the women that graduated from the academy a few years after he did. Although they were rarely without a date, it appeared that this woman was.
"Hello General. You look nice this evening." The woman smiled at him.
"As do you, Elizabeth. You can call me Jacob, you know."
"Jacob, would you care to dance?" She smiled, taking his hand.
"I would love to." He whisked her onto the dance floor, totally losing any train of thought that had to do with his daughter and Jack O'Neill.
He continued to hold her close, one hand carefully resting on the small of her back. The contact, though prolonged, continued to make her tingle. Little did she know, he felt a similar feeling.
"Jack?" She drew her head up near his ear and whispered, sending a tingle down his spine.
"Yes?" He did the same to her, causing an identical reaction.
"Do you really think I'm the most beautiful woman here?" Her voice was shaking a little.
"You wouldn't be the only one I asked to dance with tonight if I didn't think so." He reassured her, pulling her closer so that her head was resting on his shoulder.
They danced like this for two hours, gently sharing conversations about their interests and dreams, but Sam kept her age hidden, for fear that he would stop dancing with her if he knew how young she really was.
"Do you want to go for a walk?" He finally asked.
"Yes, I'd love to." She smiled and he lead her out of the ballroom.
They walked outside, to a path that lead through a garden full of snow-covered trees and skeletons of flowers. The white that covered the ground made the air seem quieter, and more delicate.
"I'm leaving to go overseas tomorrow." He finally admitted to her. Noticing that she was cold, he took off his dress jacket and draped it over her shoulders. "Tonight might be the last night I'll be around here for a while."
Sam looked down at the ground in front of her, unsure what to say.
"Maybe someday when I get back, if we meet again, I could take you for dinner?"
She looked up at him and smiled. She would probably be in the academy when he came back, and the likelihood of them meeting up was pretty slim. Still, she couldn't bring herself to say no, when she so badly wanted to say yes.
"Of course." She smiled, and he reached out to grab her hand.
"I really like you, Sam."
"I really like you too, Jack." She smiled and looked up at him. He stopped in his tracks, and looked at his watch.
"You know, it's almost midnight." He smiled at her.
"Do you want to go back inside for the countdown?" She innocently suggested.
"I'd rather stay out here with you." He smiled, squeezing her hand. She returned the smile, a little nervous about what could happen at the end of the countdown.
They heard the party inside start to shout numbers and Jack started to count along.
"Eleven. Ten. Nine. Eight. Seven. Six. Five. Four. Three.." Sam felt her palms start to sweat as he moved closer. "Two." His face was inches from hers now. "One." His forehead touched hers and she closed her eyes. His lips covered hers all at once, filling her entire body with passion and desire. She parted her lips and their tongues danced furiously. She grasped his sandy hair with one hand and the back of his neck with the other. Through her closed eyes, she could see the illumination of the fireworks highlighting the sky and the moment. She pulled away and looked in his eyes. "Happy New Year, Sam." He smiled, gasping for air.
"Happy New Year, Jack." She in turn gasped for air, before pulling him back in for a hungry kiss.
"There is no man luckier than me right now." He smiled and kissed her forehead. Sam didn't know, but her father had witnessed this last moment, and was growing worried.
Jack took Sam's hand and walked her back inside, offering her a glass of champagne. She denied his offer, quickly making up the excuse that she had to drive her father home. She knew, however, that if her father spied her with a drink in her hand, he would kill her.
"Sam!" She heard from across the room, and turned around to see her father. She dropped Jack's hand. "We're going to head out." He looked at Jack, who was staring at his daughter longingly and added, "I'll meet you at the car."
"Goodbye, Jack." Sam smiled, meeting his eyes.
"Goodbye, Sam." He leaned in and kissed her cheek. "Don't forget about me." He smiled, reaching for her hand as she turned to leave.
"I couldn't." She smiled and left the party.
Jacob didn't mention Jack.
Twenty years later..
Today was a special day for Samantha Carter. She smoothed out her white dress, still nervous that her fiance wouldn't like it. Her best friends had reassured her dozens of times that she looked stunning, but until she heard it from him, she wouldn't believe it. She still looked wonderful for her age, despite the scars that covered her body from all of the trauma she had endured during her time on SG-1. She put on her mother's necklace, and declared that she was ready. Hammond, who she had asked to walk her down the aisle was all smiles.
"You look beautiful, Sam..just like your mother."
"Thanks, George. I really appreciate you doing this."
"Your father was my best friend. I wouldn't have it any other way." He smiled at her. "Now, let's go surprise the lucky man in that room." He escorted her to the sanctuary and knots started to grow in her stomach. She felt the tears swell up in her eyes as the music started playing and he turned around. His chocolate eyes met hers and she couldn't contain her happiness anymore.
She couldn't hear, but he whispered to Daniel, "There's no way that the most beautiful woman in this universe is coming to marry me." Daniel returned a smile as Sam arrived at his side.
The ceremony began, and while they did listen to the words, they couldn't stop looking into each other's eyes.
"I, Samantha Carter, take you, Jonathon O'Neill to be my lawfully wedded husband, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better and for worse, for richer and for poorer, in sickness and in health, until death do us part." She smiled into his eyes.
"Please place the ring on his finger." The priest smiled. Sam slipped the shiny silver band onto Jack's finger.
"You have declared your consent before the Church. May the Lord in his goodness strengthen your consent and fill you both with his blessings. What God has joined, men must not divide." The couple then stared at him with anticipation. "You may kiss the bride."
Jack swooped her into a dip kiss, as he had done once before, though Sam didn't remember. The romantic kiss received cheers and clapping from the crowd.
"I now present to you, Mr. and Mrs. O'Neill." They walked back down the aisle, hand in hand, faces completely covered in smiles.
They were congratulated by their guests, and then took pictures. They both climbed into Jack's truck and headed to the reception. His hand didn't leave hers the entire time.
"You are so beautiful. The most beautiful in the universe." He smiled at her as they pulled into the parking lot of the reception hall.
He let her walk in first, smiling that all eyes were on her.
The DJ announced them, along with the rest of the bridal party.
"I'd like to invite the bride and groom to come to the dance floor for their first dance together." Jack took Sam's hand and lead her to the dance floor. "Crazy For You" started playing over the speakers.
"Jack!" She giggled.
"Thought I forgot, didn't you?" He smirked, pulling her in for a kiss. She leaned to his ear.
"Jack?"
"Yeah?"
"Do you really think I'm the most beautiful woman in the universe?"
"You wouldn't be the woman that I'm dancing with tonight if I didn't think so." He smiled and pressed his cheek against hers. "I love you, Sam."
"I love you too, Jack."
