This was the very first story I ever wrote that had some Sam/Jack romance in it (although it isn't the main focus). I would like to think I've improved a lot since I wrote this, so please … no flames. I just thought you might like to read it. It was also written WAY before the end of S8, when there were only vague rumors and has been rendered hopelessly non-canonical by subsequent episodes.

Stargate Command:

"General?"

"Carter?" Brigadier General Jack O'Neill bobbed his eyebrows at his 2IC.

"It's a standard meet and greet, sir," Lieutenant Colonel Sam Carter told him. "I can handle this."

"Hell, I know that, Carter," O'Neill replied. "I'm goin' nuts in that office – I need to get off-world again."

Sam suddenly smiled. "Fair enough," she said. "But this is still my mission, I trust?"

"You're the boss, Carter," he said cheekily.

Sam rolled her eyes. This was going to be a long day …

P3X 449:

"This is more like it!"

Sam chuckled. The General wore a grin a mile wide – a grin she hadn't really seen since his promotion. "Yes, sir," she said, drawing to a halt as someone stepped out from behind a rocky outcropping. "Contact."

"I thought that the MALP showed no signs of life, Colonel Carter?" Teal'c asked quietly.

"Worthless," the General muttered, glaring at the MALP then looking at the newcomer. "So, what now?" he added, as the newcomer returned his stare.

Daniel stepped forward slightly. "My name's Daniel," he said gently. "This is Jack, that's Sam and that's Teal'c."

The young woman came up to the team, her brow furrowed. "Nenli," she said.

"Is that your name?" Daniel persisted.

"Sempara, tontil." She frowned and shook her head. "Heisse Liesel," she said instead.

"That's German," O'Neill said. He chuckled at Daniel's look of surprise. "I was Special Ops, Daniel; I speak Spanish, German, Arabic and Russian."

Daniel glanced over at Sam, who shrugged. The man was like an onion – one layer after another. Of course, that was part of her fascination with him. Her hand went up to where her ring rested on the chain of her dogtags. She loved Pete; she was going to marry him. But there would always be … feelings for the General. She sighed heavily – when had things gotten so complicated?

The General, oblivious to her internal meandering, went over to the woman. "Ich heisse Jack; sprechen sie Englisch?" he said.

"Sempara, tontil." Liesel held up a small vial. "Gemacht … verstehen."

O'Neill took a step back. "Not a chance in hell," he said. "You want us to understand each other, you take that stuff."

Liesel frowned; she evidently understood his actions, if not his words. "Gott in Himmel!" She opened the vial and downed its contents. "Ach, scheisse!" she said, pulling a face. Then she began shaking and crumpled.

Teal'c reacted quickly and caught at her slim form before it hit the unforgiving ground. "Are you all right?" he said, forgetting that she couldn't understand him.

She blinked up at him then stretched her hand up to trace the gold tattoo on his forehead. "Sehr gut, danke," she said with a smile. She breathed in deeply and leaned against Teal'c. "Welcome," she added.

"Whatever's in that vial must re-write neural pathways, sir," Colonel Carter commented excitedly to O'Neill. "We might have actually found a universal translator …"

"A-ah!" O'Neill pushed his hand through his hair. "English, Carter!" He turned back to Liesel, who was still resting against Teal'c. "You can speak our language now?" he asked.

"Will … learn it," she replied hesitantly. "The more you speak, the more … I will learn. You are … Tauri? Of the first world?"

"We are," Daniel said. "But Teal'c's a Jaffa."

"I noticed," Liesel said, touching his tattoo once more. "You no longer serve a false god."

"Indeed not," Teal'c said, wondering why she was not afraid of him. He had learned that many small women were intimidated by his height and build, with the exception of Doctor Fraiser and Ishta. But Ishta was also Jaffa. His lips tightened. They had ended their relationship shortly after Rya'c's marriage on bad terms.

And Doctor Fraiser had died nearly a year ago at the hands of a Jaffa. Despite her petite stature and her calling, she had been a true warrior for the Tauri, and they had all grieved for her passing. "I have killed many false gods since joining the cause of the Tauri," he said now, reflecting on the small doctor who had become his friend.

Liesel smiled at that. "Then you are all welcome here," she said. She stood up, putting her hand on Teal'c's upper arm, then stretched up and pressed a warm kiss to his cheek. "Live and die with honor, Teal'c of the Jaffa."

Liesel smiled slightly as she watched the three Tauri and the Jaffa set up camp for the night. In all her thirty turns, she had never met such a beautiful male as Teal'c. His skin was richly dark, he had short crisp black hair, melting eyes and a powerful build that would be envied by the gods themselves.

An uncomfortable tightness spread over her stomach and she frowned. She was entering the anla'vir – the time when a woman would choose her life-mate. Intellectually, she knew that this was part of the reason why she felt so drawn to the Jaffa, but she also enjoyed his company. He was quiet and thoughtful, speaking rarely. Yet when he spoke, his words had a deep impact.

He walked over to her, the strong muscles of his abdomen outlined by the black vest he sported. "Are you well, Liesel?" he asked. "You appear worried."

She smiled at him. "I am well," she said. As the hours had passed, the tontil had helped her learn their tongue. "I was just … watching you with your friends. You're very close, aren't you?"

"Indeed," he said, returning the smile. "We have gone through much together in the last eight years – they are not blood, but they are my kin."

She chuckled as O'Neill stomped out of his tent, running a hand through his gray hair. "Coffee. Give me coffee," he muttered, heading over to the fire. Colonel Carter handed him a cup and he grinned at her. "Thanks, Carter," he said.

"Is he always like that?" she asked, wondering if there was something between the two soldiers. They appeared very close and there was certainly sexual tension – it was almost palpable.

"Frequently," Teal'c said. "But he's a fine warrior and my friend."

"Ah." Liesel sat down next to Teal'c and crossed her legs. "I wanted to be a warrior also, but I am not tall enough to join the military."

"Being a warrior is a state of mind," Teal'c said. "A warrior is not measured by his size, but by his heart and his mind."

Liesel stared at the play of muscles on his arms as he drank some coffee. The Jaffa was so big, he could hurt her easily, yet she wasn't afraid of him in the least. Something in his mien told her that he was a gentle soul. "Thank you," she said. "Now if only the military thought the same way you do."

Teal'c stirred from his sleep – the sleep that he needed now that he could no longer kelno'reem – as he heard distressed muttering from the tent next to his. Liesel.

He got up and stalked over to the tent. "Liesel," he said softly, putting his head in.

The young woman curled up in a ball, hugging her stomach. "It hurts," she said, staring at him with tears in her eyes. "Anla'vir."

He didn't know what that meant, but he also couldn't let her suffer without offering a measure of comfort. "Can I get you a pain-killer?" he asked gently, sitting down next to her.

"No!" she gasped. "Must deal with the pain. Can't mask it with drugs." She stretched her hand out and took his larger one, resting it on her taut stomach. "Hold me," she pleaded.

"Of course," he said. He wrapped both arms around her small frame, rubbing gently at the distressed stomach muscles. She sighed and leaned back against him, her head fitting against the crook of his neck and shoulder. Colonel Carter had once told him that he was very good at hugging. He'd thought at the time that she was still recovering from O'Neill's month-long disappearance with Colonel Maybourne, so had not paid much attention.

"You're very good at this," she said, linking her fingers with his. "Your wife is a lucky woman."

He sighed gently. "My wife died nearly three years ago," he said. "Her prim'ta matured and she refused to accept a new one. She was always stubborn."

"Oh, I'm sorry, Teal'c." Liesel turned in his arms and rested her hand on his cheek. "I couldn't begin to understand what you must have gone through."

No. Although he and Drey'auc had no longer been in love, especially after her remarriage to his best friend, they had still cared deeply for each other – enough that he had performed the funeral rites.

"You couldn't have known," Teal'c said, turning his head and kissing her palm. He had no idea why, but he was intensely drawn to this strong passionate little woman. "How is the pain?"

"Better," she said. "Thank you." She put her hand to the nape of his neck and drew him down to her. At the first touch of his full lips to hers, she nearly purred. He tasted warm and sweet, like a rich candy; she ran her tongue along his lips, wanting to taste him fully.

He opened his lips and their tongues entwined, tasting each other. He was like a fine wine; full and mature. And he was so gentle, his hands sliding into her hair to bring her closer to him.

She slid her hands under his vest, wanting to touch that strong chest. She broke from his kiss and nuzzled at the hollow of his throat. He groaned something in what she presumed was Jaffa – it sounded like "Chal'nocn". That groan was her undoing. She tugged his vest over his head and began kissing her way down to the hard planes of his abdomen.

He grasped her hands quickly and moved her away from him. "Liesel," he said. "We've only known each other a day – is this what you really want?"

He truly was a man of honor. "I'm sure," Liesel said. She had never been more sure of anything in her life. She removed her clothing and his, then pressed up against him. "Teal'c; make love to me," she said.

Teal'c breathed in deeply, feeling his heart settle back down. Liesel lay with her head on his chest, and he could feel tears drip from her eyes onto his chest. She'd been untouched, and she was so much smaller than he – he must have hurt her. "Liesel," he said, touching her hair gently. "I am sorry that I hurt you."

She sniffed then looked up at him, her eyes bright with unshed tears. "You didn't," she said. "No more than anyone else would have for my first time." She pressed up against him and gave him a deep kiss. "You were so gentle … and giving. I'd never have imagined I could feel so much." She put her hand to his heart. "These are happy tears, Teal'c."

"I'm glad," he said, relieved that he hadn't hurt her, but puzzled as to why she had not mated sooner. Although small, she was strong, beautiful and passionate. "The males of this world are fools," he said.

She smiled up at him then dropped her head to his chest. "I won't argue with that, but why do you think so?"

"They let a woman like you live for thirty years without marrying you and making you theirs," he said. "Fools."

She gave an inelegant snort of laughter. "Flattery will get you everywhere, Teal'c of Chulak," she said, her hands resuming their exploration of his body. Her eyes widened as she felt his body's response. "Again?"

"We don't have to," he said. "Your body is not used to this – I don't want to hurt you."

"You won't," she said, wriggling quickly on top of him. "I'm ready for you."

He chuckled slightly at the challenge in her tone then kissed her deeply. Passion soon replaced the amusement …

The next three days passed in a similar fashion. While O'Neill, Colonel Carter and Daniel Jackson met with other members of Liesel's community, Teal'c was conducting more intimate relations with Liesel. Despite her inexperience, she'd rapidly learned what pleased him the most, and he found that he was beginning to fall in love with her.

He was mildly worried about this. He'd never given his heart easily and had only loved two women in his life – Shau'nac and Drey'auc. Shau'nac had died at the hands of Tanith and Drey'auc had refused a prim'ta, hastening her death. And now there was this young woman. She was full of life and laughter, with a strength of will to match his own.

He stroked her soft pale hair as her head rested on his chest. At first glance, she seemed like a fragile child, but she was truly indomitable. The men of this world truly were fools.

She shifted and squinted up at him. "Wass?" she croaked in her own tongue. "What's the matter?"

"I am not very good at talking of my feelings, Liesel," he said, "but I have grown close to you over these days together."

She chuckled, running her hands up his arms to cup his face. "Couldn't get much closer, in fact," she said cheekily.

He had to smile at that. "Indeed, but you know what I mean. I must return to Earth soon. However, I would like to continue seeing you."

"I'd like to promise myself to you, Teal'c," she said, dropping a kiss onto his lips. "But I understand that you have a job to do. I'm a young woman – I won't wait forever for a man."

"I understand," he said stoically, knowing that it was far too soon to expect a commitment. And he was still determined to free the Jaffa from the false gods. "But I'll come here when I can."

"You, sir, have a deal," she said. "Now, I think General O'Neill's looking for you." Her green eyes twinkled at him. "I can hear his dulcet tones."

Teal'c chuckled. It had always amazed him that O'Neill could be so loud one minute, and then a master of stealth the next. But that was why the Tauri were so interesting to him. "I should go," he said. "Besides, you need rest."

Liesel stretched up to wrap her arms around Teal'c's neck. "Come back soon," she said, then pressed up against him for a deep kiss.

His large arms wrapped around her waist as he lifted her off her feet and up against him. "I will," he said.

She was dimly aware of Jack O'Neill's embarrassed cough and Daniel's amusement, but she didn't care. All she could concentrate on was the big man who had stolen her heart. Not that she would tell him. He had an important cause to fight, and she refused to get in the way of that.

He set her on her feet and she wobbled slightly. "Gott in Himmel!" she muttered, then went over to her new friends. "I hope to see you all again soon," she said. "And that includes you, General. A man like you does not belong behind a desk." He was lean and hardened, despite months off active duty, and behind his wisecracks, she sensed the sharp military mind and dangerous air.

He shook her hand. "Take care of yourself, Liesel," he said in her own tongue – he was much more intelligent than he acted, and had picked up her language very well over the course of their visit. Of course, it helped that he spoke the mother tongue. His speech was old-fashioned, but perfectly intelligible. "And any woman who can make the big guy smile like that is okay by me," he added. "He's a good guy – he deserves happiness."

She noticed his eyes stray to Colonel Carter, who was entering symbols into the dial home device. "You do too, General," she said. "Whatever is preventing you from seeking out that happiness, you should find a way around it."

Leaving him with that little bit of wisdom, she went over to Daniel, who was chatting amiably with Nerron, one of the local historians. "It was good to meet you, Daniel Jackson," she said in English now.

Daniel smiled at her. "And you," he said. He looked up as the Stargate activated with its customary whoosh. "Looks like that's my cue." He shook her hand then turned to the historian. "Next visit, I'll bring some of my books about modern-day Germany," he said.

Nerron smiled at him. "Thank you, Doctor Jackson," she said. "It was very good to meet you."

Daniel headed up the steps to the event horizon then stepped through with a wave of his hand. General O'Neill went next then Colonel Carter and Teal'c stepped through. He was gone. Would she ever see him again? Something told her no.