Disclaimer: if I owned anything, or had any rights, would I have a disclaimer at the top of the page every time?
A/note: character deaths make me cry, so I avoid them generally. But it's mostly because they die too early. I'm a happy ending person, and this is how I believe Jack should die: old. And with Sam. Shamelessly S/J Set... well, at the end. When they are both really old, and yes, married. (duh...) No, it's not a songfic. Oneshot. Tissue warning.

~~ Goodbye, My friend ~~

Some days were better than others. Others he would look at her and be completely blank. Like they had never met. But on the good days, he knew her face. He would smile and say her name like it was the most beautiful and perfect thing in the world. Like he saw an angel.

When he looked her in the eye this morning, she knew today was the day. He just looked at her peacefully and gave her a smile that bought back a lifetime of memories. So she packed their things and made the long trip to their cabin in Minnesota.

It had changed over the years. It had been expanded with extra bedrooms; the deck extended out further over the water, a fence had been added to enclose young bodies in the yard. The dock was still there. A few repairs over the many years had been made, but it was still the same.

She helped him into his favourite deck chair that sat on that dock. He sat quietly and looked at the water. His hair, once brown and fluffy, had now faded to a crisp white and thinned, but not too much. His face was lined from wrinkles, but he had always professed that he had earned every one.

She returned to him, his fishing pole in her hand and her chair in the other, the house phone in her pocket. She gently placed the pole between his now frail fingers. He grasped it. The line dropped into the water at the end of the dock. Plop. He smiled his thanks.

She sat down next to him, close. She watched him. Every now and then, he would smile. She knew he was remembering things. Happy things. There were so many happy memories.

She looked out over the water, allowing her own mind to drift.

They had finally married after her promotion to Brigadier General. Nothing flashy, a small quiet service on top of Cheyenne Mountain. Getting the priest on base had been a nightmare. He wanted to do it at the place they had first met. She thought it was sweet, at the time.

She saw him cry the day they discovered they could not have children. She had cried with him. Those tears were quickly forgotten when they adopted Luke. He was five years old when they met him. Dark hair and dark eyes. A marine now, with a daughter of his own. Two years later, they had adopted Amy. She had Jack wrapped around her finger since day one. Still did. She was his girl. Cassie was a married mother too, three boys of her own, and she was crazy about them all.

He retired a Lieutenant General. She too made it as far, though her own retirement was more recent, due to her husband's declining health. She had no regrets about it. Absolutely none.

She looked back to her husband. His fishing pole lay peacefully in his lap. His eyes closed and his head back, he took a deep breath and smiled sadly.

She reached over and took his hand. He looked at her, a stray tear making its way slowly down his cheek. He gave her the same smile her had when he woke this morning. His angel.

"You're beautiful. My friend. My Sam..." He squeezed her hand, his eyes drifting closed.

"I love you." she squeezed back.

"My love..." he whispered. His last breath came, and went. He grip relaxed.

She watched him and smiled. She brought his limp hand to her lips.

"...And you are mine."

~~ SJ ~~

Shamelessly sad. I accept that if Sam and Jack were to get together, they may be too old for kids. But why deny them a family? I couldn't. Reviews, graciously welcomed. I'm sorry if I made you cry, I hate crying myself, but this made me cry. *sniff sniff*