Tangled Threads (Ch 17-19)

CHAPTER 17

Dressed in jeans and a dark blue button down shirt, Jack was thankful to be out of his dress blues as he stood on his deck. With a beer in one hand and a pair of barbecue tongs in the other, he casually poked at the steaks on the grill.

Colonel Reynolds and Sergeant Siler had joined him at the barbecue but Jack was only half-listening to their conversation as he kept one eye on the food and one eye on Sam as she made her way around the guests.

A majority of the guests had briefly returned to the SGC to change into civilian clothing, before reconvening at Jack's house. Now, from his vantage point on the deck, he could easily scan his entire backyard where the various personnel were scattered around.

To his near right, Daniel was occupying one of the deck chairs he had found in Jack's garage and was conversing with Liz, Senior Airman Wells and Walter, but every so often the archeologist would glance around, only relaxing again when he caught sight of Sam.

Sliding his eyes to the far right-hand corner of the yard, Jack saw an irate Mark and an even more irate Pete having a quiet, but heated discussion, and Jack's fingers involuntarily gripped his beer bottle tighter. He was still smarting from the cop's appearance at the memorial service – never mind the fact that he'd practically invited himself to the wake - that the sadistic part of Jack's mind hoped Mark was secretly ripping him a new one.

In the middle of the yard, Sam stood with Major Davis and General Hammond - the only two officers remaining in their dress blues. They alternated between trading stories of Sam's father and watching Cassie play 'Tag' with Ben, Beth and Jo.

Taking a swig of beer, Jack observed Carter over the top of his bottle and felt his chest tighten. He noticed the sad smile that graced her face as she watched the kids playing happily around her, and when Jo requested to be picked up, he swallowed hard when he saw Sam struggle to brighten her smile for her niece.

He continued to observe them and when he heard the giggles coming from the little girl, he was reminded again of the fact that Jo was pure Carter.

Before he could grin at the thought, the pain was back in his chest when Sam adjusted Jo on her hip and placed a soft kiss on her niece's forehead. When Sam opened her eyes, they immediately met Jack's and he knew had failed to hide his surprise at the intense emotions shining brightly back at him.

Clearing his throat, Jack broke eye contact, suddenly finding the steaks on the grill fascinating. He risked a glance up a few minutes later, looking to his left where Teal'c was standing at parade stance, hands clasped behind his back, as he joined other members from the SGC. Standing in a loose circle, Teal'c listened intently as the men analyzed the highlights from last weekend's game, but he kept his eyes trained in front of him, obeying the General's request to keep an eye on Sam.

Jack was just about to turn his attention to his companions when he saw Major Davis join Daniel. Casting his eye around, he caught Sam standing alone in the far left corner of the yard. She was leaning against the trunk of the Norway Maple tree which dominated that corner, seeking solace in the shade of its thick branches.

He saw movement out of the corner of his eye and watched as Pete made his way over to Sam. Turning his attention to the grill Jack flipped the steaks, only looking up when he heard footsteps come to a stop beside him. He studied Mark carefully, then took another sip of beer as the younger man grimaced.

***

Sam smiled fondly as she listened to Major Davis regale General Hammond of the mission he accompanied SG-1 and her father on a couple of years ago. It wasn't one of their finest missions, but she couldn't help smiling as she listened to an amusing story her father had told Davis at the time. She was about to add her own anecdote from the mission when Cassie's teasing tones of 'I'm going to get you' rang out, and was quickly followed by Jo's giggles as she desperately tried to avoid being 'It'.

Sam felt a pang of sadness hit her as she watched the children playing around her and couldn't help but wonder if she would ever be able to have this experience for herself; to watch her own kids run about the back yard and just have fun. Images of Pete - as well as the General - flew into her mind, but before she could start to analyze anything, Jo darted behind her legs.

"Auntie Sam!" Jo giggled breathlessly, as she tried to hide behind Sam's legs. She bent down and effortlessly scooped her niece into her arms.

"That's cheating!" Cassie pouted, throwing her hands on her hips and causing Jo to giggle against Sam's chest. When Cassie shook her head in mock disapproval, Jo tightened her arms around Sam's neck and snuggled closer.

"You look sad, Auntie Sam," Jo said quietly. She glanced down and saw a pair of wide and worried blue eyes staring inquisitively at her.

"I miss your grandpa."

"Grandpa Jacob didn't like seeing us sad. He always said he wanted us to be happy. Did he want you to be happy too?"

Sam let out a small smile at the irony of the conversation.

"Do you know what Jo? He did."

Jo smiled brightly. "I want you to be happy too."

Sam answered her by placing a soft kiss on her forehead.

"I love you, Auntie Sam."

"I love you too, Jo," Sam whispered, as she closed her eyes.

When she was sure her emotions were under control, Sam opened her eyes only to find the General looking right at her. She gasped at the intensity of the emotions she saw. His eyes were full of sadness, guilt and longing as he watched her hold her niece close.

"Auntie Sam?" Jo asked as she pulled back, her tiny brows knit in confusion.

"Hmm?" She answered distantly as she continued to stare at the General, and so didn't notice Jo follow her gaze.

Sam was glad he broke eye contact first and a light poke to her shoulder brought her attention back to the infant in her arms.

"General Jack looks sad too," she mumbled.

"I think he misses your grandpa as well, sweetie," Sam answered carefully.

"Oh." Jo frowned again as she got lost in her thoughts. "I want him to be happy too," she stated with a firm nod of her head.

"Me too, Jo."

Jo's eyes suddenly lit up. "Can you make him happy?"

Sam sucked in a breath at the unexpected question and found herself struggling with an answer.

"Uh... I..."

She could feel herself blushing and prayed Major Davis or General Hammond hadn't overheard. Judging by the look on her former Commander's face however, told Sam he had.

Looking at her niece, she tilted her head to the side and thought carefully. For only being five years old, she knew Jo was very observant for her age and her usually innocent comments - like her engagement ring - were just voicing what everyone else had been thinking. With that in mind, Sam made a decision to humor her niece for a few more minutes.

"I don't know, Jo," Sam finally answered. "What do you think I should do?"

She tried to hide her smile when Jo bit her bottom lip as she thought of an answer and she was soon met with a dazzling grin that brightened her little face.

"You should give him some cake! He said chocolate is his favorite," she answered proudly.

Sam giggled at her suggestion and placed one more kiss on her forehead. Jo soon began to wriggle in her arms and Sam placed her on the ground before the little girl took off after Cassie once more.

Major Davis and General Hammond made their excuses to her a few minutes later, and Sam found herself wandering over to the large tree situated in the far corner of the General's yard.

She leant against the thick trunk and closed her eyes, savoring a moment to herself. Seconds later however she felt herself being watched and her eyes snapped open. She looked towards the General but frowned in confusion when she realized he wasn't the source. Sliding her gaze to her left, she involuntarily stiffened when she saw Pete making his way towards her; his eyes never leaving her face.

As she awaited Pete's approach, Sam felt slightly guilty. Whilst he had made the effort to attend her father's memorial service, she really wasn't in the mood for his mollycoddling or continuous questions and she felt her jaw tighten in apprehension. A part of her was also still surprised by his appearance at the service, whilst the other part was annoyed at Mark for forgetting to tell her he would be attending; so she had tried her best to avoid them both as best she could.

"Sam, can we talk?" Pete asked, coming to a stop in front of her.

"Now's not really a good time, Pete."

"I just want to talk to you. You already blew me off at the memorial service and you've been avoiding me all afternoon. When is a good time?"

Glancing around she noticed her team looking over to her, but a subtle hand signal told them she could handle it. She closed her eyes and lowered her head in resignation.

"Five minutes; then I really have to see the other guests," she conceded.

She watched Pete fight to control the grin threatening to spread across his face, before he turned serious and shoved his hands in his pockets.

"So... how're you holding up?"

She couldn't help but feel sorry for him as he winced the second the question left his mouth.

"Sorry... I... I mean... stammer, stammer! You know I'm not great at this."

She smiled softly. " I know, but you're not the only one. If I'm honest, I don't know how I'm feeling."

He nodded and rocked back on his heels.

"Do you need me to stick around for a few days -"

A shake of Sam's head cut him off.

"No. Thank you. I'll... I'll be fine."

"Are you sure? I mean, it's just I have a few days off work, so I thought I'd hang around. We could maybe spend some time together, work some stuff out..." he trailed off, failing to hide the hope in his voice.

Sam frowned. "What sort of stuff?"

He shifted his weight from foot to foot as he answered.

"Uh, well, us... for a start," he replied, finally meeting her eye.

"Us?"

"Yeah. You know, me. You. Getting married?"

Sam closed her eyes and licked her lips before she spoke.

"Pete -"

"I know you gave me the ring back, but... I thought you might want to reconsider?"

"Reconsider?" she repeated in confusion.

"Look, babe, I know you're going through a lot right now, but I just think if you had a few more days..."

"My answer would still be the same. I'm sorry," Sam finished quietly.

An uncomfortable silence fell between them and Sam was starting to feel unnerved by Pete's prolonged silence. She watched closely as hurt, annoyance and various other emotions flitted across his features.

"Are Mark and the kids staying for a few more days?"

Sam answered carefully.

"Uh, yeah. They fly back to San Diego on Monday."

He nodded. "How have they reacted to your team?"

"Good," she smiled. "Really good, actually."

"I suppose it helps when they actually know what you do for a living."

Sam stiffened at his statement.

"Pete -"

"Yeah, yeah, I know. It's 'classified'," he retorted, pulling his hands from his pockets as he drew air quotes around his last word.

"So you know I still can't tell you anything," she placated.

Pete sighed.

"I know, babe. I'm sorry. It's just... if you really aren't going to reconsider... I just want some answers, why you ended things?"

"I told you -"

"No, you didn't."

He took a step closer, claiming her hands in his. "We were good together Sam, you can't deny that. I just want to know what happened to make you change your mind. You said your dad said something? Was that true? Or was it because of your job? Is it me? 'Cos if you need some space -"

"It's not that Pete."

"Is it someone else?"

Sam opened and closed her mouth as she decided what she should say, but Pete took her silence as a good enough answer to confirm his suspicions.

"Did your dad know about him? Is that what he talked to you about?"

She realized he was still holding her hands. Not wanting to cause a scene, Sam glanced around quickly knowing her teammates would be watching. She took a step back and pulled out of his grasp.

"I can't do this," she uttered quietly.

She moved to walk past him when his hand shot out and grabbed her arm, swinging her back around to face him.

Her shock at the sudden movement was soon replaced by anger and Sam tried to ignore the pain his fingers were exerting as they dug into her arm.

Her back was to her team as she faced Pete and tried to suppress the feeling of unease building inside her. She had seen this behavior before and knew it wouldn't take much to push her ex over the edge. Her mind raced as she thought of what to do, not realizing that the General, Daniel and Teal'c had witnessed the confrontation and were signaling to each other across the yard.

***

Jack tried to keep his expression neutral, but was having a hard time controlling the anger he felt when he saw Pete grab Sam's arm. 2IC or no 2IC, friend or no friend; Jack was never one to stand by and watch a women be mishandled by a man.

He set his beer down on the small table beside the grill, his eyes never leaving Carter's position.

"Reynolds. Take over for me," Jack ordered as he handed the man the barbecue tongs. The younger man complied and then followed Jack's stare to the bottom of the yard. He straightened up when he realized what had caught the General's attention and his mouth formed a small 'O'.

As Jack passed by Mark, he couldn't help but register the mirrored look of fury on the younger man's face, and he threw a terse 'Stay put' to him over his shoulder.

Jack met Teal'c's eye and nodded once as he descended the few steps onto the yard, while Daniel, who also noticed the confrontation, moved to join them. As a collective, they silently made their way over to Sam.

They had only moved two steps when Cassie ran over to them.

"Jack?"

"It's okay, Cass. Go back and play with the kids - keep them occupied. The food will be ready in a minute," he ordered gently, patting her on the shoulder.

She bit her bottom lip in worry but did as she was told.

***

CHAPTER 18

***

"Let go of me," Sam ground out as she tried to pull away. Pete's grasp remained firm and as the pain intensified, Sam decided to stop struggling and try a different, more calm, approach. She took a deep breath.

"I think it's best if you leave, Pete."

"I'm not leaving until I get an explanation."

"There's nothing to explain."

"No, Sam!" Pete retorted. "I've been driving myself crazy over this. We were supposed to get married in a week. I had to go back to Denver and tell my family and friends that there wasn't going to be a wedding anymore, because you called it off. And when they asked why, I couldn't tell them because I didn't have a clue! Do you have any idea how that made me feel?"

Sam winced at the harshness behind his words and forced herself to meet his gaze.

"I'm sorry -"

"And the only vague reason you could give for your decision, was something your father told you," Pete finished, sarcasm dripping from every word.

"Hey, that's enough!" Jack snapped as he came to a stop beside Sam, while Daniel and Teal'c stood slightly further back, flanking the couple on either side. "You're upset; that's fine, we all are. But Jacob was a good man and he deserves respect. You'd do well to remember that, Detective."

Pete was affronted by the General's sudden appearance and chastisement. He tore his eyes away from Sam to glare at the older man and squared his shoulders as he spoke.

"With all due respect, General, this is between Sam and I. It doesn't concern you."

"When you upset a member of my team and insult one of my good friends, you can be damn sure it concerns me," Jack countered, his voice taking on a low, dangerous edge as he stepped closer to Pete.

"And if I were you," Jack added as he reached out to the hand clamped on Sam's arm, "I'd let her go."

He pressed down on the pressure point on Pete's wrist and seconds later, the pain forced him to let Sam go. She reflexively rubbed her arm where five red circles stood out garishly against her pale skin.

"Sir," Sam said softly. Jack's gaze didn't waver from Pete, but he heard the unspoken request - she didn't want to cause a scene. But before he could reassure her, Pete replied, still piercing the General with a fixed look.

"No, Sam. He's right."

Sam frowned at her ex in confusion and noticed the resentment in his eyes. He kept his voice low.

"When it comes to you, it does concern him."

Jack gave nothing away at the statement, while Sam's shoulders stiffened slightly. Daniel and Teal'c shared a quick knowing glance, which went unnoticed by the others.

"Pete -"

"Save it, Sam." He replied brusquely, finally turning to look at her again. "You think I don't know what's been going on here? I saw you both at the memorial service earlier - he hasn't let you out of his sight all afternoon. I'm not stupid. You really expect me to believe nothing's going on between you?"

Jack felt Sam tense beside him and he instinctively knew this wasn't the first time Carter had discussed this particular issue with her fiancé. As a result, he had a pretty good idea what his 2IC was going to suggest the cop could do, so he decided to risk interfering a little more. As much as he itched to reach out and touch her, he refused to give Pete the satisfaction of witnessing it, so with the slightest shake of his head, he spoke quietly.

"Carter."

Pete watched carefully as the General's command registered with her, and she bit back her response. She pursed her lips into a thin line and regarded Pete as he stood with his arms folded across his chest and a disbelieving look on his face clearly saying, 'I told you so'.

"Incase you hadn't noticed Pete, I've just buried my father," Sam replied, sounding just as tired as she now looked. "I've been trying hard to be strong for Mark and the kids all week, that I haven't even started to grieve for him yet. So forgive my team, my friends, my family, for their support when I need it most."

Her voice cracked with emotion and she felt herself blushing. She dropped her gaze and silently cursed herself for showing a shred of vulnerability. She hadn't intended to reveal so much, but put it down to her heightened emotional state. And judging by the deafening silence which followed her words, she realized no one else had been expecting her revelation either.

She looked around at her teammates. The General was staring at her; his eyes full of sadness and concern. Glancing over her shoulder, Daniel's face was full of grief as he understood exactly how she was feeling; and Teal'c - whilst his expression remained as impassive as ever - Sam caught the anguish in his eyes. Turning back to face Pete, she noted he at least had the decency to look slightly ashamed as he shoved his hands back in his pockets.

"We've been over this before, Pete," Sam sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose. "Nothing has happened between the General and I. There are rules -"

"Spare me the rules, Sam. I'm a cop; I know they can easily be broken."

"Maybe," she admitted. "But they haven't."

"Look, I'm just saying... You say you're just friends, and yet the first chance he gets, he's running to your aid. Is he like this at work too, fighting your battles for you?" He sneered.

"Carter's more than capable of kicking your ass to Denver and back," Jack butted in with conviction. "And if you continue that way much longer, there's no doubt in my mind that she'll do it."

Pete shifted slightly to face the General. He was about to retort when he saw the thunderous look in his eyes and decided against it, when Sam's authoritative voice cut through his thoughts.

"I'm a soldier Pete. A damn good one, who puts their life on the line every day. Yes, it's dangerous, stressful and the hours are long. You ask anyone here and they'll tell you the same thing, but none of us would trade it for anything. I'm sorry you can't handle the secrets of my job, but that isn't going to stop me from doing it."

She paused momentarily, when she saw Pete's expression change. "I never showed you the soldier in me, Pete, because I can't," Sam placated, "but I thought you knew enough about the rest of me to trust me."

Pete's demeanor softened. "I do trust you, Sam, but when your dad -"

"You leave our father out of this," a voice interrupted to Sam's right. She sucked in a breath as she watched Mark come to a slow stop beside his friend. The General was equally as surprised to see Mark join them, but recovered quickly as he spoke.

"I thought I told you to stay put." It was a statement, not a question; and one Mark decided not to shy away from.

"You did. But I decided to ignore it, Sir." He added after a beat, as if it would lessen the dark look the older man was giving him.

Sam glanced between the General and her brother and frowned at the conversation they were holding with their eyes. Out of the corner of her field of vision, she noticed Pete appeared brazened by Mark's arrival, but as Sam studied her brother she noticed his anger wasn't directed at Jack, but rather her ex.

"Mark?"

He ignored her question and faced Pete.

"What's up, buddy?" Pete grinned, before swallowing a chuckle when he realized he greeting wasn't being reciprocated.

"Careful, buddy," Mark warned. He pointed over his shoulder. "The only thing that's stopping me from hitting you right now, is the fact that my kids are over there. I know what you did to Sam, and it was long before my father met you, so don't use him as an excuse for your actions."

Sam's head snapped around to face the General. She frowned when he refused to meet her gaze.

"Sir?"

Nothing.

"Mark?"

"Why didn't you tell me the whole story about Pete following you to a stake out?" he asked his sister.

"I didn't think - " She replied instinctively before freezing. "How do you know about that?"

Sam noticed the color drain from Pete's face as Mark turned to look at her. He stole a glance at the General, which told Sam everything she needed to know and she choked out a response.

"You told my brother?" she asked in indignation.

"Not exactly," Jack defended, grimacing slightly.

"Then how..." Jack watched the pieces of information come together in her mind. Usually, it was fascinating to watch; right now however, it was frightening, as he knew that sooner or later, she was going to find out what he had been hiding from her. She closed her eyes in suspicion.

"The folder. You had a folder with you the other day."

He dropped his gaze, but Sam was stopped from questioning him any further when Mark spoke up.

"He did the right thing, Sam."

He spun on his heel so he was standing sideways between his sister and his friend. "Did you know your trusting fiancé also ran a background check on you?"

"Background check?" Daniel and Sam chorused. A look from Jack had Daniel mutter a quick 'Sorry' before he took a sheepish step backwards.

"You ran a background check on me?" Sam repeated in disbelief.

"What else did you expect me to do, Sam? You wouldn't tell me anything about your job; there was a whole side to you I didn't know about. How secretive can it be working for the Air Force? I thought you were lying to me..." he argued.

Jack felt the pure rage radiating off Carter and he had to suppress the shudder threatening to run down his spine.

She flexed her fingers before her hands curled into fists at her sides and made to lunge at Pete. The General's instinct had him pre-empting Sam's move however and he just managed to stop her landing one on her ex. As much as Jack thought the guy deserved it, he wouldn't let Carter lose herself in front of her family, let alone the SGC staff hovering around.

He turned to face Sam and stood tall; challenging, but not intimidating her. Yet he was the one to swallow hard when he saw the icy glare she now held. Jack could count on one hand the number of times he'd seen that look on Carter's face - the one which meant she was seriously pissed and it wouldn't end well.

For a moment, panic flitted crossed his expression when he realized she was probably mad at him for getting in the way, but he shoved it aside and decided to deal with it later. He also decided to forget the fact that Pete was still probably watching the two of them as he rested his hands gently on her upper arms, wary of where she'd been grabbed earlier.

"Carter." He spoke quietly again, and when she shifted, her expression softened the second she focused on him. He could still see the fury just simmering underneath the surface, but he let out a breath he didn't know he was holding.

"Don't do something you'll regret, Carter."

She opened her mouth to protest when the General stopped her again.

"Please. For me?"

Sam's eyes flew to his. His question was so quiet, she thought she had imagined it, but when she saw the intensity in his gaze, she knew.

He was calm - too calm - for the situation, but she took a deep breath and nodded her agreement. When Jack was sure she wasn't going to land a punch on the detective, he dropped his hands and moved slowly back to her side.

Sam opened her eyes and spoke with renewed determination.

"I've said I'm sorry for hurting you Pete, and I am, really... but I can't be with someone who doesn't trust me. I've made that mistake before - I won't make it again."

"So, I made a stupid mistake," he admitted. "I know that now, but I thought I made you happy."

"You did, and for a while I did want to get married."

"But?"

Sam sighed. "But, it's not fair to you, me, or anyone else to pretend that things would have worked out. I still want to get married, have kids, hell even get a dog," she choked out, causing Jack's eyebrow to rise slightly.

"But... you've never been happy with my job, and my dad said he wanted me to be happy... when I think about it, everything I want in the future... you aren't the one I'm supposed to share that with."

She let a few unguarded tears fall down her face as she watched Pete's reaction. To an outsider it was as if she had just slapped him across the face. And if she thought about it, in a way, she had. Her words were harsh and she hated herself for it, but she also knew they needed to be said. She didn't want to live a lie and hide behind excuses anymore. She was just too tired. Tired physically, mentally, emotionally.

"I do love you, Pete. But I'm not in love with you. I'm sorry," she whispered.

"I'm sorry too," he finally answered a few minutes later.

"I think you should go, Pete."

He opened his mouth to speak when Sam continued.

"Goodbye, Pete."

He stared at her for a few more seconds, before hanging his head in resignation. He shot a look to Mark as he slowly made to leave, pausing briefly by Sam's side. Jack heard her breath hitch once he passed and a subtle jerk of his head sent Teal'c following the cop to make sure he didn't come back.

Realizing Sam and Jack needed to talk, Daniel started to retreat away slowly when Sam sagged against the General. His arm flew around her waist to keep her upright, waving both Daniel and Mark off when they moved closer.

Mark cast a worried glance at his sister, before looking around and seeing Teal'c and Pete walking by the side of the house.

"I'm, ah, just going to check up with Teal'c," Mark said distractedly as he took off at a jog after the men. Jack watched him go for a second before turning to Sam.

"You okay?"

"I'm fine," she replied quickly, too quickly for his liking. She did manage to regain her equilibrium but looked exhausted as the adrenaline rush of the last few minutes started to fade.

Seeing the General's disbelief, Sam was trying to convince him she was okay when the satisfying sound of a smack, quickly followed by a dull thud, drew their attention.

As they looked towards the source, they saw Mark returning to the garden holding his right hand gingerly, while Pete was lying in a heap at Teal'c's feet. If Jack squinted hard enough, he'd swear he saw the big man smile as he hauled the cop to his feet.

"Oh my God," Sam whispered. A part of her wanted to go over to them, but her feet felt like lead and she couldn't move. She met Mark's eye a second before he disappeared into the house and it was only when the General put his arm around her waist again, she realized she was shaking.

"C'mon. Let's get you inside," Jack murmured as he led her towards the house.

***

Jack stood in the doorway to his spare room as Sam made her way over to the bed and slowly sat down. He found himself at a loss and watched as the conflicting emotions played across her face. He was uncomfortable; the situation with Pete was playing around his mind in a continuous loop and to make matters worse, Carter wasn't giving anything away.

While he never admitted it to anyone, he always got a kick out of the fact that the two of them had this 'link'. He knew it could be put down to their military training and being able to read what the other was thinking. Deep down though, Jack knew it was more than that; it was just a natural intuition, which he couldn't explain. It was just there. Yet, as he watched her fight internally with herself, he noticed that - for the first time in a long time - he couldn't read her, and it frightened him.

"Do you want me to hang around, or..." he trailed off, running a hand across the back of his neck in an effort to hide his discomfort.

"Why didn't you tell me?"

Her voice was so quiet, Jack strained to hear it. Casting a quick glance over his shoulder, he closed the door and moved to sit beside her.

"I... thought about it," he sighed.

"And yet, you didn't," she finished.

"No."

He let out a breath he didn't realize he had been holding.

"I didn't want to interfere."

She jumped up from the bed and spun around to face him.

"You told my brother. Sir," she added belatedly, when she realized her tone was border-lining on insubordination.

"I did."

"Then why didn't you tell me?"

Jack winced at the hurt expression she wasn't even trying to hide anymore.

"You think I didn't want to? I wanted to let you know the second Hammond informed me!" He stopped abruptly.

"But?"

"I couldn't." Jack admitted quietly.

Sam was surprised at his confession and the question was out of her mouth before she could stop it.

"Why?"

"Because you were happy, Carter!" Jack argued, throwing his hands in the air in exasperation. "For the first time since I've known you, there was something outside of work making you happy. Hell, you were humming, Carter. You were even leaving the mountain and taking the weekends off. I just figured he must have been worth it," he finished with a shrug.

"But didn't I have a right to know? Then it would have been my decision as to what to do?"

"Probably; but your personal life is your business, Carter, and I didn't want to interfere."

"You've never done that."

"Yeah, well. I was the one who told you to get a life... and look how that's turned out," he deadpanned. "Some friend I am," he grumbled after a beat.

Sam gasped quietly. Friend. The conversation she had with his hallucination on the Prometheus struck her like a staff blast.

Her response was strained. "Friend, Sir?"

He studied her for a second before he spoke and saw the unguarded stance she had adopted.

"Hey. This is you talking here. Might as well be honest if we're going to have this conversation. You can start by cutting the 'Sir' crap," he added.

Sam frowned in confusion before her mind registered what he was doing. The General had taken command of the situation, just like he hand many times in the battlefield before, but it was Jack who was letting her take the lead with the plan. He'd thrown down the gauntlet; it was up to her to pick it up. So she did. Rules and regulations be damned. She risked one more glance at the General before answering.

"I'm tired," she admitted softly. "I don't want my life to revolve around secrets anymore."

"So, what's stopping you?"

She took a deep breath to steel herself.

"When you came to see me in my lab. I told you the doubts I had about marrying Pete, and when I asked you if things had been different..."

"I remember."

"You told me you 'wouldn't be here'. What the hell was that supposed to mean?"

"Exactly that."

"Why? Because you would have retired?"

He shrugged, which only worked to intensify Sam's anger. She rubbed a hand across her forehead and took a steady breath.

"I gave you a choice..."

"What did you want me to say, Carter? Confess some sort of undying love for you? Yeah, Kinsey and the stuffed shirts down at the Pentagon would have loved that," he uttered rolling his eyes, before his voice turned slightly defensive. He didn't know he had uttered those words, not even when Carter's eyes widened.

"I thought the whole Za'tarc thing made our 'situation' clear?" he grumbled, waving his hand in a circular motion between them.

"That was four years ago, Sir! I know we never talked about it and the rules were always there, but the only time we even came close to fraternizing was when one of us was dying... and it wasn't like we did anything besides share a hug," Sam countered.

"Incase you've forgotten, you're the one who wanted to leave it locked in that damn room, Carter. Not me," Jack said, his voice rising to match Sam's as he jabbed himself in the chest with an index finger.

She blanched at his statement, and Jack opened his mouth to speak, only to close it again. As he thought about what he should say to ease the tension, Sam moved back to the edge of the bed and sat down heavily, her anger dissipating as quickly as it came.

"When I was stranded on the Prometheus, I had these... hallucinations," she winced as she spoke, while Jack's ears pricked; she hadn't included this in her mission report.

"Teal'c appeared to me first. He told me under no circumstances was I to fall asleep because I would die."

Seeing the General was about to come off with a sarcastic comment, she continued quickly.

"Daniel told me to 'talk' to the gas cloud I was trapped inside; something about feelings and understanding it as a type of living entity."

She looked up from her hands to see the General roll his eyes at 'Daniel's' suggestion.

"Dad was there," she admitted, before stopping abruptly as a lump formed in her throat. "He, ah, he said it was time for me to let go of the things that prevented me from finding happiness... To love someone and be loved in return."

Jack's mouth formed a small 'O' at her words. He rocked back on his heels before moving slowly to sit beside her on the bed.

"There was also a little girl - Grace. She spoke in riddles and sang 'Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star,' the whole time."

She saw the General quirk an eyebrow and read his unspoken question. "To this day, I still don't know who she was. She never said."

There was silence for a few minutes when Jack frowned.

"Was I there?" he gestured with his hand.

Sam snorted. "Yeah, you were."

She didn't offer anything else, but as Jack glanced over, he noticed the distant look in her eye.

"Carter?"

"You told me to go save my ass."

Jack smirked, before turning serious.

"That's it?"

She shifted to face him and searched his face.

"You said you were a safe bet."

At a tilt of his head, she repeated her words from their conversation on the ship.

"As long as I was thinking about you, setting my sights on what I thought was unobtainable, there was no chance of being hurt by someone else."

"Ah."

"I struggled with a lot of my demons and whilst I was stuck in the infirmary, I did some thinking."

Jack let out a snort, which Sam ignored.

"When I was discharged, Mark called the next day, saying he had this friend he wanted me to meet. After everything I went through on that mission, I thought it was the right thing to do. I tried to move on - take everyone's advice - and for a while, I thought Pete was the missing part of my life. But last week, when he showed me the house... I knew I was kidding myself."

She had jumped off the bed again and was pacing up and down the room before she stopped in front of the General.

"I had finally gathered the courage to go and talk to you about everything..."

Jack winced as he finished the sentence for her. "...and you found me with Kerry."

Sam nodded and snapped her eyes closed to hide the tears threatening to fall. She didn't realize the General had moved away from the bed and was now standing just inches from her face, and when he hooked a finger under her chin, she started slightly at the touch.

Their eyes met; Sam's filled with unshed tears, and Jack swallowed hard as he remembered her being stuck behind that force shield and he refused to leave. Because he couldn't. Because he cared about her; a lot more than he was supposed to.

The words were out of his mouth before he could stop them.

"Tell me now."

Sam hesitated.

"Sam."

She gasped at the softness in his voice as he spoke her name and she found the softness reflected in his eyes. She was just about to answer when a knock on the door interrupted them.

Closing her eyes in frustration, she sighed while Jack stormed to the door and flung it open with a curt 'What?'

"Oh, General, I'm so sorry!" Liz apologized profusely from the other side of the door, as she tried not to drop the plate of food she was carrying.

"Mark said Sam came back here, and she was upset. I... I didn't know you were with her."

Jack sighed, his voice softening.

"You're okay, Liz. I thought it was Daniel," Jack explained sheepishly.

She nodded uncomfortably when she noticed Sam hovering in the background, wiping her eyes. She was going to kill her husband.

As if Jack read her thoughts, he cleared his throat.

"Why don't you stay, and I'll go check on Mark?"

When she saw Sam eventually nod behind him, she agreed.

Jack let Liz into the room before he made to leave. He rested his hand on the doorknob and turned back to Sam.

"Take all the time you need, Carter."

With that, he closed the door behind him and leant against it as he ran a hand across his face.

"Shit."

***

CHAPTER 19

***

Sam took the General at his word and spent another half hour in the spare room, before freshening up and returning to the back yard. Her mind was still racing from the 'bit part' conversation she'd had with him, but was no wiser as to how or what she was going to say later.

She briefly thought about confiding in Liz, but she never got a chance as her sister-in-law launched into an apology as soon as the door had closed behind Jack.

Liz had cornered Mark at the barbecue once he had reemerged from the house and noticed his hand carefully encased in an ice pack. After receiving a very brief outline as to what happened, Mark suggested his wife check on Sam as she was upset by Pete's accusations. What he had failed to mention however, was that Jack hadn't yet returned to the kitchen, let alone the back yard.

As a result, Sam spent most of the time telling Liz what exactly had happened with Pete, and that - despite the unintentional interruption and the abrupt greeting - the General's frustration was not directed at her in the slightest.

As the two women made their way from the room to the back yard, Sam was grateful the interruption came when it did. She knew both herself and the General had let their guards down when they were talking. They had both raised their voices, and the last thing she wanted was for anyone to overhear their conversation and jump to conclusions. If - when - they were going to finish that talk, Sam decided it would be just the two of them, and no chance of an interruption.

Liz walked towards the deck chairs she had been sitting at earlier to find Cassandra already there with the kids, eating hot dogs. Sam sat on the other side of Cassie and cast a quick glance around. She could feel a few inconspicuous looks being thrown her way, but when she made eye contact, they were swiftly broken. She smiled to herself, knowing her teammates had obviously warned the guests to even dare bring up the subject of what had happened earlier.

After a while, conversation between the women turned to more trivial matters and for the first time that day, Sam allowed herself to relax and successfully avoid her brother and the General for the remainder of the afternoon.

***

With the kids watching television in the den, Jack saw the final few guests to the door while Daniel assisted Liz with the dishes in the kitchen, and Mark deciding to hover in the hallway, nursing a fresh ice pack. Sam remained outside and was putting away the last of the deck chairs, whilst Teal'c picked up the few empty bottles scattered around the yard. She had just returned from the garage when Teal'c straightened and addressed her.

"Colonel Carter."

She closed her eyes. She knew Teal'c had been observing her ever since they had stepped outside. She turned to face her teammate and smiled softly.

"Permission to speak freely."

"For you Teal'c, always."

He inclined his head slightly before speaking.

"Do not hold O'Neill responsible for his actions."

At Sam's startled expression, he continued.

"O'Neill is a man of honor and a good judge of character. By his actions he only intended to protect you from further hurt. I have every confidence that O'Neill wanted you to know about Detective Shanahan's deception, albeit under more appropriate circumstances. To confide in your brother, is a decision he would not have made without great consideration."

Sam closed her eyes and ducked her chin.

"I know, Teal'c," she whispered. "It's just..."

She trailed off as she looked at the Jaffa. He tilted his head to the side, but didn't speak, sensing Sam needed to voice her thoughts.

"I know we're all entitled to a private life, but... I just thought something like that..." she gestured, waving her hands in a vague direction of the back yard, "was important enough to the General, to me, that he would have told me sooner."

She paused for a moment before continuing.

"God, Teal'c. I was so close to marrying Pete. Was the General really going to let me go through with the wedding without saying a word?"

"I do not believe that to be the case."

"When did he plan on telling me?"

"Do you not believe the answer to your question would be more informative coming from O'Neill?"

Sam opened her mouth to speak, but thought better of it.

"Yeah, I suppose so," she agreed quietly.

She went to move away when Teal'c placed a hand gently on her right forearm.

"Samantha Carter. During our time on SG-1 we prepared ourselves for those times when we may be called upon to protect and defend our allies, our friends, ourselves. We are warriors. The warrior protects and defends because he realizes the value of others."

He paused, making sure he had Sam's full attention.

"O'Neill realized your value to him a considerable time ago. Do not underestimate his feelings for you."

Sam's eyes glistened as she listened to Teal'c's words and had to swallow hard against the lump in her throat.

"Thank you, Teal'c," she replied honestly a few minutes later.

She stepped forward and gave her friend a hug, which he warmly reciprocated. When Sam pulled back, she studied him closely and noticed the mixed emotions in his eyes. After a moment, she spoke quietly.

"You're leaving, aren't you?"

Teal'c bowed his head. "I am afraid so, Colonel Carter. My duty with SG-1 and Stargate Command is now complete. My people are free from the Goa'uld," he stated with the hint of a smile.

"It is now my duty to return to Dakara and assist the High Council as we work to build a new system of government to enable our people to remain free. However, it does not mean I am happy to be leaving. I will miss you all greatly, but as a warrior..."

"...This is what you have to do," Sam finished, blinking hard.

"Indeed."

"I'm going to miss you, Teal'c."

"I shall miss you as well, Samantha."

They shared another hug when Sam made to move away. She picked up a couple of empty bottles when Teal'c took them from her hands. With a small smile, he bowed his head and silently made his way into the house, leaving Sam alone outside.

She turned to lean her elbows on the deck railing and scanned the yard as she dealt with the revelation that Teal'c would be leaving the SGC.

***

Jack closed the front door behind Colonel Reynolds with final instructions to look after the base for the next two days as temporary CO, when he saw Teal'c making his way towards the kitchen. Acknowledging each other with a nod of the head, Jack glanced over his friends' shoulder to see Sam standing on the deck. When he tore his gaze away, he realized Teal'c was standing in front of him.

"Teal'c?"

"Colonel Carter is not angered by your actions, O'Neill."

Jack sighed deeply, and ran a hand through his hair before wincing.

"I wouldn't be so sure about that, T."

"On the contrary, O'Neill. She is confused and hurt, but not angry," he stated honestly.

Jack briefly closed his eyes. "Way to let a guy down easy there, buddy."

At Teal'c's confused look, Jack shook his head. "Never mind."

"Colonel Carter is a formidable warrior, O'Neill. However, she is also a woman who has recently suffered a great loss. She will be looking for someone she can turn to for companionship, support and strength. She will be looking for you, O'Neill."

Jack raised his eyebrow in a good imitation of Teal'c, but before he could retort, the Jaffa continued.

"You are her friend, are you not?"

"Yeah," he answered suspiciously.

"Then should you not offer her a shoulder to recline on?"

"It's a shoulder to lean on, T, but thanks. I think."

"Colonel Carter cares for you a great deal, O'Neill. Do not allow your fears to let this opportunity pass you both by."

With those final spoken words, Teal'c gave his friend a knowing look and continued into the kitchen, while Jack let out a long sigh and glanced back towards where Sam was still standing.

***

Sam stiffened slightly when she heard the glass door slide open, but decided against turning around. Instead, she cast a glance over to the right when her companion came to a stop beside her.

She looked out at the yard, watching as it quickly disappeared in the darkening night, but watched from the corner of her eye as the arrival leant against the railing, mirroring her stance. Relaxing slightly, they remained silent for a few minutes before he spoke.

"I'm sorry, Sam."

She turned her head to look at him.

"Me too. I -"

"Don't. You've nothing to be sorry for."

Sam sighed and was about to protest, when a chuckle escaped her companion.

She frowned in confusion. "What?"

"I'm just thinking... I didn't realize until today, just how much you've changed over the years."

Sam straightened and took a deep breath.

"I'm not saying it's a bad thing," they added quickly. "It just... came as a surprise, that's all."

Sam smirked. If that was a compliment, she'd take it.

"How's the hand?"

Now it was Mark's turn to smirk.

"Surprisingly good, actually. Daniel took a quick look at it; he doesn't think there's anything broken - it'll just be a little bruised for a couple of days."

Sam nodded, before her expression turned serious.

"I can't believe you punched him."

"Yeah. I've never been one for violence, but... he had it coming," Mark finished with a shrug. "Besides, I saw the look in your eye. I know how close you were to doing it yourself. It was probably for the best you didn't touch him."

"He'll not press charges or anything, will he?" Sam asked, biting her bottom lip in worry.

Mark shook his head in response before grinning.

"Nah. I think Teal'c had a quiet word with him after I left."

Sam's eyes widened.

"Seriously, sis. I am sorry. I never thought Pete would -"

"You're fine, Mark. Honestly. I should have known after the stakeout. I never should have let him get away with it."

"You did what you thought was right at the time."

"Did I?" She asked, and Mark blinked at the doubt he saw in her eyes.

"Yeah. You trusted him, and had no other real reason to doubt that. You were in love."

Sam grimaced at his words.

"What about Jonas?" she asked suddenly.

"What about him?" Mark asked with a frown.

"I placed too must trust in him too," she said quietly, and Mark blanched at how vulnerable and broken his sister looked at that moment. He moved to pull her into a hug when Sam stepped away from him, shaking her head.

"I'm supposed to be able to make good and sound judgment calls, Mark. It's my job. But -"

"Oh, have a day off, Sam!" He cried in exasperated, before lowering his voice.

"Okay, so your job involves a lot of that, and God only knows what else. A relationship is not a job. Yeah, it might feel like it at times with all the work you have to put into it to make it successful, but... it's different. A whole other set of emotions are involved when you're in a relationship, especially when it is someone you really care a lot about. I'll admit, you made a bad choice with Jonas. I never liked the guy, but no matter what he told you, it was his job that sent him off the rails, not you. As for Pete? Well, if you're looking to lay blame for that one, that'd be me. I was the one to introduce you both. But forgetting those two decisions... you've made hundreds more in your life which have turned out well."

At her undignified snort, Mark rolled his eyes.

"I'm being serious, Sam. Are you honestly trying to tell me that a majority of the decisions you've made in that mountain, have been wrong?"

"Of course not -"

"Then what's the problem? Don't doubt yourself because you made a mistake, sis. No one is perfect - not even you. Life isn't perfect and it's certainly not fair, but take it from someone who's been there. Accept your mistakes and move on, before it's too late. I wasted too many years giving dad the cold shoulder and now... I'd give anything to have him back and spend those years with him."

He glanced over his shoulder towards the house, before turning back to his sister.

"Look, I meant what I said earlier. You've changed a lot over the years; you're still my baby sister, but you're no longer the geeky teenager I remember and teased so well."

He grinned as Sam lightly slugged him in his right shoulder.

"You're not even the same woman that came to visit me with dad all those years ago..." He swallowed hard at the statement.

"I always knew you were strong; you have to be when you're in the Air Force. But even with mom... and everything... I didn't realize until today, just how strong you really are. I've watched you over the last few days, along with your team. I know you feel the need to be strong all the time - it's okay, it's what you're taught as a soldier," he added quickly, when Sam began to interrupt.

"But... it's also okay to let everything go once in a while. Your team, they care about you a lot, Sam. They're also worried about you, because they know you haven't grieved for dad yet. Don't make the same mistake he did after mom died. Don't shut them out, sis."

"I'm not, Mark."

"Then what about Jack?"

Sam spun around to face her brother.

"What?"

"I may be a guy, but I'm not blind. You've been avoiding him ever since Pete left."

She was stunned into silence, so Mark risked pushing her a little further.

"I know I gave you a hard time about him when we first arrived. And for that, I'm sorry too... but he's hurting as well Sam. And not just because of dad. He hasn't said anything, but I know he's feeling guilty over how he handled everything."

He could literally see her slamming her emotional shutters down when she spoke. "I don't want to hear it, Mark."

"Tough shit, Sam." He retorted. "Even I've noticed there's something between the two of you. Why do you think he told me about Pete? Why did he fight for you earlier? Why is he inside debating with himself as to whether he should come out here and see if you really are mad at him? He's crazy about you, Sam. You can talk, shout, scream, curse, hell, even kiss for all I care... just do whatever you both need to and sort this out."

He pinched the bridge of his nose, before continuing, slightly calmer than before.

"You need to cut yourself some slack. You're one of the most beautiful women I know, Sam - inside and out. You're smart, strong, loyal. You have friends who would do anything for you, and one in particular who I know would give his life for you. You do deserve to be loved; and from what I've seen that guy is right here. He always has been. For once; just forget your job, forget all your scientific calculations and what your head is telling you to do. As trite as it sounds, listen to your heart. Trust me, it'll make you a hell of a lot happier in the long run."

Sam swiped angrily at the tears streaming down her face before Mark pulled her into his arms.

"I'm scared, Mark," she eventually stuttered into his chest.

"I know, sis. But something tells me Jack is just as scared about this as you. He'll try and hide it underneath his Air Force persona, but he is."

He pulled back to look at her, and gave her a small, but reassuring, smile.

"You're smart, Sam. You'll make this work," he added with a wink.

Even in the evening darkness, Mark could see the blush rapidly spreading across Sam's face and he smiled. He held her for a few more minutes, rubbing her back softly as she tried to control her breathing.

"Will you be okay?"

She nodded against his chest.

"Okay. I'm going to help Liz with the kids. I'll call you when we're ready to go," he said, placing a soft kiss on the crown of her head. He gave her shoulder a gentle squeeze.

Just before he stepped indoors, he turned back to Sam.

"Remember what I said, Sam."

With that, he walked inside and slid the door closed behind him.

***

Sam was still trying to get her breathing under control after her brother left. She could feel where the fallen tears had stained her cheeks, but despite her brother's advice, she refused to break down completely whilst she was at the General's house. She closed her eyes and listened to the silence that surrounded her in the quiet night. Drawing a shaky breath, she cracked open an eye and looked to her left. Squinting, she moved slowly from the deck and walked around the side of the house when her eyes rested on a ladder leading up to the roof.

Stepping onto the roof deck, Sam cast a quick glance at the telescope and thought about looking through the lens. Knowing the General probably had it set up for a particular constellation, she changed her mind at the last second and stepped aside, deciding to lean against the railing instead.

After a few minutes of looking at the stars with the naked eye, Sam felt someone behind her, knowing instinctively who it was.

"Thought I'd find you here," he murmured, coming to a stop beside her.

"I don't remember the last time I just stood and looked at the stars. On Earth, that is," Sam said with a small smile.

"Here," he said, placing something into her hands.

Frowning in confusion, Sam held the item up to her face to see it better before turning to the General.

"Diet soda?" she asked with a bemused expression.

"As much as I'd love to offer you a beer, we do have to drive your family home soon," he shrugged before lifting the identical can he was holding and popping it open.

"Oh. Thank you, Si.. Thank you," she smiled awkwardly in response.

Jack nodded once before he took a sip.

"Eugh, Carter. You must be the only person I know who likes this crap better than the original," he grimaced.

"I like the taste better," she replied defensively.

"Whatever," he muttered as he set the can down by his feet. He leant forward to rest his elbows on the railing, hands clasped in front of him.

They fell into a comfortable silence for a few minutes before Sam spoke.

"What time's your flight?"

"0800 from Peterson. Hammond's putting me up for the two days I'm there."

"That's good."

"Yeah."

Sam frowned at his lack of enthusiasm.

"What's wrong?"

"It's two days in DC, Carter. It's stuffed shirt central, down there! I'm gonna hate it."

She smirked as she watched her CO behave like a petulant child.

"You'll be fine. Just... don't say anything... to offend anyone," she shrugged.

"Yeah, like that's going to happen," he retorted, rolling his eyes.

Sam gave him a pointed look before ducking her chin to try and hide the smile forming on her lips. She wasn't quick enough however.

"Something funny, Colonel?"

"No, Sir." Sam looked up, her eyes twinkling.

He grunted something unintelligible and Sam decided to let it go as they fell into silence again.

"So, are we... uh... are we okay?" Jack asked after a moment.

"Sir?"

Jack winced at the honorific.

"Sorry," she mumbled, before sighing. "We're okay," she answered quickly.

"Really?" Jack asked dubiously. When she refused to meet his gaze, she confirmed what he already knew - they weren't okay.

"I don't want you to tell me what you think I want to hear, Sam... I want you to tell me what you want me to know."

A frown fleeted across his brow as he made sure that made sense in his own mind. He nodded once in confirmation that it did actually make sense, when Sam spoke.

"You should have told me," she said pointedly.

Jack huffed out a breath. "And what if I had, Carter? What would you have done? Taken the news calmly and spoken to your cop, or been angry at me for sticking my nose in where it didn't belong?"

"Don't use me as the reason for keeping Pete's deception to yourself," Sam countered, spinning on her heel to face the General.

"I'm not," he shot back. "But are you honestly tellin' me that you'd have accepted the news calmly. Not even the slightest hint of annoyance?"

Jack watched as Sam studied him and he tried not to flinch at the fire in her eyes.

"No. I would have been pissed," she muttered eventually. "I just... now, after everything we've been through, together... and as a team... I guess I'm just not sure where we stand anymore," she hedged carefully.

She turned away from the General and took up her position at the railing again.

"After Daniel... died - the first time," Sam continued, ignoring the blank look she knew Jack was giving her. "You pushed us away. You pushed me away. When I went to you for comfort and support... you didn't want to know. That whole year when he was gone, so were you. You were gone from us. From me. I... things had started to go back to the way they were after Daniel returned, but lately, you started to push me away again."

She risked a glance at the General and felt her confidence strangely bolstered when she saw his discomfort.

"You would distance yourself from me. You stopped calling into my lab; at briefings, you barely spoke two words to me, unless you had to..."

She stopped abruptly and sighed, trying to reign in her emotions. She didn't want her voice to travel down to the house, knowing someone could come out at any minute.

"I thought you'd moved on," she admitted so quietly, Jack strained to hear her. "That's why I was with Pete. Don't get me wrong, at the beginning... things were great, but... I was miserable towards the end... I didn't want anything to do with the wedding plans. I thought the more I put them off... I thought there was a chance you'd say something, anything, to change my mind," she finished with an embarrassed laugh.

"Carter... You know I don't do... talking," Jack voiced, waving his hands in a vague circle in front of him.

"Try. Please. For me?" She pleaded, repeating his words from earlier.

He narrowed his eyes before running a hand through his hair. He was a broken man; he could defy orders whenever he had to, but he had yet to master the art of ignoring a plea from the woman standing beside him.

He murmured something that Sam couldn't catch, but what she thought sounded suspiciously like, "Yoummmerpnt."

"What?"

Jack took a deep breath. "I wanted to say something every time you brought up his name, but who was I to do that? I'm a disgruntled old soldier Sam, who has had to do some damn distasteful things... You seemed happy, so..." he shrugged to try and hide his discomfort.

"I assumed if you stuck with the guy - even after he followed you to a stakeout - it was serious, so I let it go... I let you go... Tried to anyway. I assumed you'd moved on, and I couldn't blame you for that. But seeing you with Pete... killed me, Carter. I know it shouldn't, but it did. I... I just wanted you to be happy, Sam. If Pete was the one that gave you that..." he didn't finish his sentence, opting for a shrug of the shoulder instead as he stared out into the night sky.

Sam didn't realize her mouth had fallen open, until Jack spoke, not shifting his gaze from in front of him.

"You're gonna swallow a fly if you stand like that much longer," he quipped, trying to make light of the situation.

She snapped her jaw shut, and silently ordered the tears threatening to fall, not to.

"Where you ever going to tell me about Pete?"

"Yeah. I think so. I've read that damn file every day for the last fortnight, deciding how, or when, to tell you... When I saw you and Mark arguing the other night..."

He didn't finish his sentence. He didn't need to.

"I'm... so sorry," Sam whispered. "I... I thought you were the one who'd moved on. That you realized you didn't lo... care for me, anymore," she grimaced, internally kicking herself for her slip up.

Jack smirked ruefully. "I tried. Believe me. I thought it'd be easier that way, without the frat regs and worrying about stepping over the line. But..."

As he turned to look at Sam, she mirrored his movements and soon only a few inches separated them.

"I could never stop loving you, Sam."

Her eyes widened at his confession and she had to force her heart and lungs to start working again before she passed out. She stumbled over her words, but was stopped with a wag of his index finger. When she tilted her head to the side, Jack cleared his throat quietly.

"I meant what I said... before. I'll always be there for you, no matter what. Believe me."

Sam ducked her chin as a soft smile graced her lips. She felt his eyes on her and she gasped at what she saw. He was looking at her like... well, she hadn't really seen that look on his face before, to that degree of intensity.

For the first time in a long time, her brain wouldn't function and she couldn't form a coherent thought, let alone try to speak.

"I... I know..."

She closed her eyes and silently pleaded for her heart beat to slow down. She could hear the pounding in her ears and could swear the General would be able to hear it as well. With her eyes still closed, she felt him take the can from her hands and set it down. He then shifted closer to her, but it was only when he lightly curled his fingers around her wrists, sending jolts of electricity up her arm, that her eyes flew open. He was still looking at her fiercely, and she felt herself trembling at the tenderness and honesty shining in his chocolate brown eyes.

"You know I'm going to hold you to that now," she smiled, trying desperately to hold back even more tears that were intent on falling.

Jack's eyes widened slightly in surprise before he quickly schooled his features. His voice gave him away however. "Yeah?"

Sam let out a short laugh before taking closing the distance between them a little more and answering confidently.

"Yes, Jack."

Before he had time to register her words, Sam leant forward and brushed her lips lightly against his.

She could feel the heat rising in her cheeks as she pulled back, and she watched as surprise, then something akin to smugness, settled on Jack's face. He made no attempt to hide it.

He could count on one hand the number of times she'd referred to him by his name, but it was usually in a life or death situation. The fact that right now, there was no imminent threat of danger lurking around the corner and they were both free from alien influence, made it even more special to hear. Add to that, the fact that she had just kissed him... it all served to reduce him to one word answers.

"Sweet."

He resisted the urge to laugh as Sam's blush deepened, instead, pulling her to him.

"C'mere," he murmured.

She melted into his embrace; her head resting against his chest, and his chin buried in her hair. They stood like that for a few minutes, when Sam spoke quietly.

"So..."

"So?"

"What do we do now?"

She felt Jack stiffen slightly underneath her and when she looked up, she saw his emotions were guarded once more.

"I don't know," he sighed. "But we'll figure it out."

Sam studied him for a few seconds before nodding absently, and Jack could see the cogs turning in her head as she tried to think of the different options.

"Hey," he whispered, as he hooked a finger under her chin and bringing her to focus back to him.

"Stop thinking," he chided gently. "Or... at least wait until I get back from DC," he added with a shrug.

At her confused frown, he turned serious.

"You've had a lot to deal with lately. Promise me you'll take it easy over the next two days, and just spend it with your family. When I get back, we'll talk."

After a beat he added quietly; "I don't want to mess this up, Sam."

She thought over his words before flashing the grin Jack knew she reserved just for him and he felt his heart stop. This was real. They were finally going to have their chance. He had no idea how they were going to work it out, but he was determined to make damn sure they did.

He started to pull Sam to him again when Mark's hesitant voice drifted up from the yard.

"Sam? We're ready to go."

She pulled back slightly from her CO and leant towards the railing. Jack's arms remained loosely wrapped around her waist, his thumbs tracing small circles in the small of her back as she spoke.

"I'll be right down."

She stood like that until she heard the glass door slide closed and moved back into Jack's arms. His grip tightened as he tilted his head slightly and pressed a soft kiss to her temple.

"We'll figure something out," he repeated quietly, his breath tickling her skin and causing her to shiver.

"I promise."

***

A/N: For Chapters 20 – 22 please click here. Thank you!