From the moment they met, Sam Carter's best friend was Jack's little sister, this makes life even more complicated for Sam and Jack.

Main story take place after season eight, before nine. All references to Jack, John, Johnny, Jonathan or General are reference to Jack O'Neill.

Flashbacks in italics.

Chapter One: When Pigs Fly

Lt. Colonel Samantha Carter sat in her lab trying to determine the purpose of the device in front of her. It was quiet. She reveled in the fact that no one seemed to need her to solve a seemingly impossible problem to save the world. All that stood before her was an insignificant little device, or so she theorized. There were no scheduled missions for next two months, during the summer the SGC only worked time sensitive missions and occasionally Daniel was able to take a team to investigate ruins somewhere. There were too many requests for vacations so it turned out to be a good time to update gate software and hardware. This summer Siler was busy replacing much of the hardware on the Gate's power systems, so Sam was trying to stay out of his way.

She stretched, she was still sore from playing paintball on Teal'c's birthday two days before. General O'Neill had tackled her, trying to save her from being hit by Daniel. But, she was hit and he was very disappointed about losing the game. Jack still had not gotten over it. Teal'c and Daniel were of no help, besides their victory dance at the time, the rejoicing and celebrating continued as they rubbed it in the General's face almost constantly for the last 48 hours. She was trying to avoid all of them, but mostly the General. He kept asking her about what had happened? How could she get caught off guard like that? She was a professional after all.

Problem was she had not been thinking about the game. He was standing behind her and whispered some strategy into her ear. She did not hear the strategy he suggested. She was just thinking about how close he was, and how good he smelled, she was distracted for a moment and Daniel got lucky. How was she supposed to explain that to him? 'I'm sorry General, I couldn't stop thinking about how good you smelled.' Yeah, that was not going to work. Truth was she was having a lot of these problems since they got back from the cabin. Drifting off at briefings, missing parts of conversation at lunch, she was distracted. Highly distracted and it was frustrating.

Standing on the dock at the cabin, they leaned in towards one another, their lips mere inches away, then Daniel yelled to them from the cabin that the Poker table was set up. Jack growled Daniel's name in frustration, his finger's tightened around her upper arms, then he let go and they went into play. That was the last night there. The moment kept replaying in her mind.

Right now, though she was at an impasse. She was getting nowhere with this device. Her cell phone rang, frustrated she threw the tool in her hand on to the floor. She answered the phone and changed her plans. The timing could work to her advantage, she thought. She knew she could not continue working like this, time for drastic measures. Maybe a change of scenery would help her.

Sam knocked on the door. It was open, but he was engrossed in his paperwork, the irony of the scene amused her. She waited for permission to come in. He looked up, "Aren't you supposed to be on leave Colonel?"

"Aren't you, Sir?"

"I need to take care of some supposedly necessary paperwork in order to get funding for Daniel's new project and can you believe this someone accidentally omitted the commissary from next year's budget. The oversight needs to be corrected or there may not be any Jello."

She mocked her shock. "or cake!"

"Laugh now Carter, but what will you do at 2am next Tuesday when you need your fix?"

"Well I was actually thinking of taking my leave and….leaving."

"Really? Leaving? One moment please, Colonel." He picked up the phone. "Hello Walter, are you in the control room? Can you please check something on the radar for me? Do you see any evidence of pigs flying….No, okay thanks."

She had her hands on her hips and rolled her eyes.

"Must be hearing things, I thought you said something about leaving the mountain voluntarily."

"Your sister had an accident."

"What why didn't I get that call! Is she alright?"

"She's embarrassed. She broke her leg when she tripped and fell running a 5K."

He settled back down. "That's my sister, clutz."

"And, I'm guessing that's why she called me and not you. She wants me to come and help her. With Mike in Iraq she needs help with the kids. I just wanted to check with you to see if that was alright and to let you know what happened, Sir."

"My Mom lives around the corner, why can't she help." Sam raised an eyebrow, not as effectively as Teal'c, but the meaning was clear.

"You saw what happened after she had Maggie and your Mom tried to help her. An afternoon family gathering is one thing, several weeks of being together, all day….Their just too much alike."

"True, two system lords in a room together are more appealing. You're free to go Carter. Can you tell Lizzie, I'll try and come soon, I need to get this mess sorted out. Umm, you don't mind do you Carter?"

"No….not at all. Why should I sir…it is your family after all."

"I just didn't want to intrude on one of your girly get together's."

"Liz has a broken leg, I'll just be taking care of her and the kids, General."

"It's been a while since we were in Chicago at the same time, Carter."

"We were just there for Ben's baptism."

"Yeah, but we took your Piper and flew in and out the same day."

"Well, we had a mission, sir."

"I'm just saying. Alright Carter dismissed. Oh and Carter?"

"Yes Sir."

"Watch out for ambushes." One more dig in for losing the game he thought.

"Bye, Sir"

She thought of the last time she got to spend time with Liz and the kids. Jack suggested that she go. Liz and Mike's wedding anniversary was coming up and Liz needed a distraction with Mike in Iraq and her pregnant with Ben. Sam went to Chicago, they took the girls to the zoo and then got a babysitter and had a girl's night out with some of Liz's friends. It was rejuvenating for Sam.

Sam was actually grateful her plane was grounded for repairs. She was afraid she was too distracted to fly. She stepped on to the commercial plane, put here laptop under the seat, sat back and looked out the window. She remembered the first time she met Jack's sister, just after they returned from Antarctica.

ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

Sam walked up to the door hesitantly, trying to justify this visit. I am just checking on a colleague. I do the same thing for Daniel when he comes back injured. Why was she so nervous? She knocked on the door and realized maybe she shouldn't have come, maybe he was sleeping. She turned around and started to walk back to her car, hoping to escape. The door swung open.

"Hello can I help you?" Said an unfamiliar female voice. It wasn't Sara. She had seen Sara at the hospital during the Crystal/Charlie incident. This woman was about her age, pretty with brown hair and brown eyes. Oh this was a really bad idea, but too late now, she thought. She turned around and walked back toward the door. "I am Captain Carter. I just came by to check on Colonel O'Neill. See how he is recovering."

"Liz get your ass back in here, were not done." She heard him bellow from inside the house. The woman rolled her eyes. "I am sorry, come on in. My brother is not himself."

An unwarranted sense of relief washed over Sam and she blurted out. "Sounds like the Colonel to me."

"Oh so you know him. Good I can stop making excuses for him." They giggled.

"Stop that giggling! Who is it?" he bellowed once again.

"Would you stop that incessant bellowing or I am going to leave you here to fend for yourself.

"Promise?"

"Look, I took time off from work to come here and take care of you, you cranky old man."

"Nobody asked you to…Oh, hello Captain. What brings you to my humble abode?" Jack inquired in a slightly more friendly tone.

"Hello Colonel, I came to see how your recovery was going?"

"I would be fine, if my nursemaid would go home."

"You are not allowed to be left alone. The doctor said you could only come home if I stayed here with you. If you would rather, you can go back to the hospital. I certainly would rather go back to my hospital, at least most of my patients are sedated."

Liz glared at him. She could be intimidating. "I am sorry." He relented.

"Sorry about what?" She pushed him.

"I am sorry I yelled at you Lizzie."

"That's Better." She rewarded him with a kiss on the head.

"I hope you don't do that to all of your patients." He reprimanded.

"Only the cute ones! How do you think I met Mike?"

"I know how you met Mike. He was never your patient."

Liz ignored him and turned her attention to Sam. "You weren't the one stuck with him when the plane crashed, were you?

"Yes." Sam replied.

"I don't know how you put up with him, alone for 3 days."

"He was unconscious most of the time."

"Carter!" he responded indignantly.

"Go to sleep." Liz commanded. "Want a cup of coffee?" Sam nodded. "Come on let's let him sleep or be grumpy whatever he wants to do. We don't have to sit in the same room with him."

"So you work in a hospital?" Sam inquired.

"Yes, I am a surgical nurse at St. Anthony's in Chicago. I am sorry I didn't properly introduce myself and neither did my rude brother. I am Liz Jensen."

"Captain Samantha Carter. Call me Sam."

"Nice to meet you Sam. Are you unfortunate enough to work with my brother or just fly with him?"

"Work with him; were on the same team. He's my CO."

"Oh. So what is it that you do?"

"I'm the astrophysicist assigned to the Colonel's team."

"Wow an astrophysicist? I don't get this deep space telemetry stuff. I am just glad he isn't in special ops anymore. I worried about him when he was in the field. Although apparently he still knows how to find trouble. Always has, Mom said he broke his first bone when he was only two. He jumped out of tree. He didn't know he had limits."

"I don't," he hobbled into the kitchen on his crutches. "have limits, that is." He smirked at her.

"What do you want? You really shouldn't be up, Johnny." Liz complained. Sam smiled, she had never heard anyone refer to him as John or Johnny.

"Nobody offered me coffee. Hey is that the cake my neighbor brought over for me?"

"Sit down. You can have a small piece if you'll take your meds. Then you need to lay down for a while."

"Anything for cake."

"I'll get the coffee," Sam said. Liz got his pills.

"Here you go old man." Liz handed Jack his painkillers. He glared at her.

"Thanks baby sis." It had been their traditional exchange since she was three and he was fifteen. They grimaced and then shared a fake smile. Over the years Sam heard the story often that their father called Liz a surprise, her mother called her a miracle, and Jack called her a pain in the butt. Jack was twelve when his sister joined the family and she was only 7 when he joined the Air Force.

"So Liz, spilling all of the family secrets."

"Nope just yours babe." Liz answered him. "Sam, I have to get out of here. Do you know anything about the nightlife here? I'd love to go dancing."

Jack spit out his coffee and laughed and it was Sam's turn to glare. "You're asking the wrong person Liz. Carter here doesn't have a life and you're married to that Jarhead.

"Being married doesn't mean I can't have fun. And you leave my jarhead alone, I know you like him."

"Do not."

"Do too. Stop it!" And she stuck her tongue out at him.

"Yes, I know a couple of places." Sam answered defiantly, interrupting their argument.

"Great, we can have a girl's night out." Liz said excited.

"Hey, I thought you weren't supposed to leave me here alone."

"I can call Daniel." Sam offered "He can come over and sit with him."

"Hey, I don't need a sitter!"

"Okay sounds like a plan, pick me up at eight we can get dinner first. That way I don't have to drive his precious truck."

"Sure. I had better get going though. It was really nice to meet you Liz." Sam said as she headed for the door.

"Yeah, thanks for stopping by to check on me Carter. Don't worry about me, I am just fine." Jack called from the kitchen sarcastically, as the two walked out.

"I can see you're in good hands Colonel." Sam called back to him.

Please put your seats and trays in the upright position, we will begin our decent into O'Hare International Airport shortly.

ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

Jack tried to get back to his work, but was having a hard time focusing on the work in front of him. Worrying about Liz he found himself reminiscing.

"Johnny don't go."

"Lizzie I know you don't want me to go, but I have to do this. It's the Air Force, I'm going to fly planes. But, I'll be back, you'll see. Someday you'll leave here too."

"Na-uhn, no way, I won't, I'll never leave here. Jane and I will be best friends forever and I will stay here with Mama and Daddy."

"I bet you'll find something to pull you away someday Lizzie."

ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

"Johnny, Johnny!"

"Lizzie?" Jack thought he was just dreaming again in the POW camp.

"Johnny, you're okay. You're safe. Look at me."

He looked at her confused and passed out again.

"Sara," he called out.

"Johnny, it's me Lizzie. I am here. You went missing, but you're safe now." Four months in a POW camp, Liz counted on them bringing him here when he was rescued.

"No you need to go home Lizzie, it's not safe here."

"It's alright. We're in the hospital. I've been here for 3 months. I am serving here as a civilian at the base hospital. You know, Jonathan O'Neill, this is a pretty drastic measure you took to get me to leave Chicago." Jack smiled briefly and passed out again.

Liz stayed for another 3 months after Jack was sent home state-side, but she was glad to know he was home safe as she finished out her commitment.

That was where she met Mike. He came in to check on a couple of his men who were injured and she fell for the jarhead.