Chapter 34: Coming Home
It was disturbing to Dana as to how quickly she tired. She knew she needed to pace herself, but it had been less than an hour since she had arrived at this reception and already she could feel the strength draining out of her. Before she had been taken, she could spend hours in one of these functions without a second thought. But that had been a lifetime ago…
A piece of cake - at least that’s what Dana told a concerned Jack when she arrived. It was a last minute invitation from the President and she hadn’t had time to let him know. The look in his eyes told her he knew there was something more to it, but he’d wait until later for an explanation.
Maybe she wasn’t ready for all of this, Dana thought to herself. Maybe it was too much, especially for her first day outside of Cheyenne Mountain. The President had wanted her to attend, to put her in the same room as the men who had advised him against authorizing her rescue mission and she couldn’t say no. He said he wanted them to have a face to go with the name and for them to know that it was worth it and would always be worth to rescue any one of Earth’s citizen from the hands of the Goa’uld.
On the way over to the Air Force Academy where the reception was being held, Matt began to explain to Dana the politics surrounding this thing called the Stargate Program. It had cost Matt to go against some of his top military and political advisers to authorize her rescue. He now wanted to use her, unapologetically, as the example to show that the program was about more than giving them a military advantage. It was about protecting those things important to them, the things the Goa’uld wanted to take away. By the time they had arrived Dana was surprised to find out how much she wanted that too. She also wanted Matt to know she had been worth it.
Dana closed her eyes briefly against the pleasantly noisy scene in front of her and took a deep breath. Just a little bit longer, she told herself. Just long enough to prove the point. When she opened them, her gaze met Jack’s from across the room. He was frowning. She gave him her best smile to reassure him that she was ok, but Dana knew he was not fooled by her brave show. Without taking his eyes off of her, Jack began to make his way over to her side. As he moved towards her through the crowd, Dana was aware of another set of eyes watching her. She knew Matt had not once let her out of his sight, probably feeling somewhat responsible for putting her through this. Just as Jack reached her Dana glanced over at Matt. She saw his eyes meet Jack’s, his expression unreadable. He nodded; Jack nodded back and without a word to anyone or a thought to protocol, Jack slipped his arm around Dana’s waist and took her out of the reception.
~*~*~*~*~*~
Jack could have kicked himself for not putting up a bigger fuss when Dana showed up at the cocktail reception at the Air Force Academy with the President. Overwhelmed by seeing Dana looking so much like she did before she was taken, he had let his heart override his head and took her at her word that she was feeling up to it. He was more than a bit upset that the President had pressed her into attending after the stormy meeting the two of them had had earlier in the day, and hurt that Dana hadn’t told him she was going to be there. He also felt guilty because he had been so busy with the various briefings for the visiting dignitaries that he hadn’t had a chance to speak to Dana for more than a quick moment. Watching her as she shadowed the President, shaking hands, making small talk with a smile, Jack had to admit Dana seemed to fit easily back into the world she been torn from almost a month ago. Jack understood Dana was making the point that she was strong enough and ready to go back to her life. It made him both very proud and very sad. He suspected he was going to have to get used to feeling that way.
He had fantasized so many times about leading her down this hall of this house but instead of thoughts of passion, Jack’s only thought now was to make Dana as comfortable as possible. It was her first night in his home and it was so very different than he had imagined it would be. Dana was exhausted and even though she wouldn’t admit it, Jack knew she was in some pain. It was still early, but she hadn’t argued with him with he insisted that she go straight to bed.
The bedside lamp was already on as Jack ushered Dana into his bed room. She paused briefly inside of the door looking slowing around the tasteful but decidedly masculine room and nodded approvingly.
“This looks like you,” she said smiling up at him.
“Old and beat-up?” Jack quipped guiding her over to sit on the bed.
Dana laughed tiredly. “Strong, masculine and comfortable,” she said. “I like it very much.”
The door bell chimed softly.
“Those are your meds,” Jack said kissing her softly. “I’ll be right back.” He had called the SGC from the limo on the way to let them know he was not taking Dana home with him and asked Dr. Frasier to send over any medication she would need for the night.
“Jack...” Dana’s weary voice stopped him at the bedroom door, “A cup of tea would be lovely….” Her smile was strained and it made his heart ache.
“Coming right up,” he said.
He retrieved the meds from the airman at the door along with a list of instructions from the doctor and went into the kitchen to put the kettle. While it was heating, he took a glass of water and the pain meds back to the bedroom. He arrived to find that Dana had already started to undress. He tried not to show his concern at seeing how she moved slowly and silently handed her the pain meds and the water. As she took them, the kettle sounded off and he went back to prepare her tea.
Dana was in bed when Jack came back, her clothes draped neatly over the chair by the bed. Although she had the sheet drawn up in front of her, he could see she had nothing on under it. It reminded him poignantly of how she had covered herself shyly the morning after their first night together. How far they had come since then, he thought sadly.
“I wasn’t sure where to put them” she said as he handed her the cup. He reached out to gently touch her hair as she began to sip the tea.
“The chair is fine,” he said softly. “It’s kind of chilly in here. Let me get you one of my tee shirts.”
Dana shook her head and sat the cup on the bedside table. “No need for that.” she said. Reaching out, she pulled Jack down to her and gave him a slow, loving kiss. “I’ll be warm enough when you come to bed.”
It had been some time before she had been taken since they had been intimate together, their separation lengthened by Dana’s recovery. Even so, feeling his body more than ready to respond, Jack hesitated. As much as he wanted her, she was worn out and needed to rest. He had waited this long, he could wait a little longer.
“Dana, baby, you need to rest…” he started, but her fingers pressed gently against his lips to silence him. He waited as she raised tear filled eyes to his.
“What I need is to feel your body against mine” she whispered, “To have your touch wipe away the feel of their hands on me. I need you to make me yours again.”
It was now his turn to stop her words as his mouth captured hers. “You never stopped being mine,” Jack whispered, his voice rough with emotion, “And you never will.”
He could feel her begin to weep as he kissed her over and over again, each kiss deeper than before. Desire long denied blazed between them, and his Air Force dress blues joined her charcoal grey suit on the chair.
As he pulled Dana into his arms, Jack almost forgot his resolve to take it slow and be mindful of her injuries. Others had place rough hands on her; tonight he would make sure he was very, very gentle. He made love to her as she cried, his hands, his mouth on every part of her. He traced her scars with gently with his fingers and softly kissed her bruises. His own tears washed over her as if to cleanse away any nightmare or dark memory of the unspeakable things that happened to her and she continued wept, sobbing his name over and over again. As they moved as one, and as Dana rose to meet him, Jack whispered his love to her, claiming her, possessing her, making sure that all she could feel, all that she would remember was him in her and their love.