A/N - This is an idea that's been floating around in my head for awhile, so I decided I had better put it on paper. The scene where Skaara asks Jack if he will be coming to his wedding alone - at the exact moment Sam walks up - is one of my favorites, and it got me thinking...Of course, my mind wandered a bit toward the gutter in the second chapter, hence the M rating.

Thanks as always to my fabulous beta MidKnight Rider, who helped me keep my focus!

Chapter 1

Jack took a deep breath and inhaled the warm, dry air as he stepped through the Stargate. He walked out into the pyramid, a smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. He would never tire of returning to Abydos. To Jack it symbolized a second chance at life, a rebirth of sorts.

It was also home to one of his favorite people in the universe, and as the young man approached the group, Jack's smile broadened further.

"Skaara!"

The Abydonian walked up and clasped Jack in a bear hug. "It is wonderful to see you, O'Neer." He turned to the rest of SG-1, who had followed closely behind Jack. "All of you."

"It's good to see you, too, Skaara," said Sam. "And best wishes on your marriage."

"Thank you." He grinned. "And thank you for agreeing to accompany O'Neer to the wedding."

Sam shot a look at Jack, but he refused to meet her gaze. They hadn't really discussed whether they were officially attending the wedding together, but Skaara had clearly assumed as much. She mentally shrugged. It hardly mattered; Daniel and Teal'c were here with them as well.

In fact, they were all technically on a diplomatic mission for the purpose of strengthening ties between Abydos and Earth. Or, at least that's what the official report would say. Sam smiled. The fact that their trip happened to coincide with Skaara's wedding - well, that was just fortunate timing.

The group finished exchanging pleasantries and proceeded out into the open desert. It quickly became clear that they were not headed in the direction of the village. When Jack asked where they were going, Skaara cryptically replied that his family was already at the site of the wedding and that they had made accommodation for them there.

They continued hiking for several more miles, and as they came over a rise in the sand, Jack sucked in a breath at the view spread out below them. "Well that's unexpected."

Before them lay a deep valley, cut by a long and winding river. Palm trees and other lush foliage lined the river banks, and several tents of varying sizes occupied a space adjacent to the oasis. Off to one side was a small pyramid, an exact replica of the larger one that housed the Stargate.

Jack furrowed his brow questioningly at Skaara. "You've been holding out on us. This has been here all this time?"

Skaara just smiled, leaving Daniel to explain. "Water represents life," he stated simply. "For that reason, all important rituals are held here, including marriages."

"Does anyone live here?" asked Sam, her voice reflecting her awe.

The archeologist shook his head. "No, even now, this place is considered sacred. It is only occupied during times of celebration."

"Come," said Skaara, his eyes sparkling. "My family is here and anxious to see you. And I want you to meet my betrothed."

The group proceeded into the valley, and Skaara led them to one of the larger tents. As they walked inside, several people rose to greet them.

"Dan-yel!" exclaimed Kasuf, grasping his son-in-law by the shoulders and kissing him on both cheeks. "You honor us with your presence." He looked at the rest of the group. "Thank you for being here."

"The honor is ours, good father," replied Daniel with a smile.

At that moment, a young woman with long, dark hair and striking eyes timidly approached Skaara. He immediately grabbed her around the waist and pulled her to him. "And this is Ka'tar, my betrothed." He began gesturing to each of the team in turn. "This Dan-yel, Teal'c, O'Neer, my sha'loki, and his sha'lat Major Carter."

At that pronouncement, Daniel's head snapped up, and Jack and Sam gave each other a puzzled look, as several people began offering the two their congratulations. While the officers were busy acknowledging their well-wishers, Teal'c leaned in toward Daniel. "You seem somewhat startled, Daniel Jackson," he said in a low voice.

Daniel whispered, "Yes, well, Skaara just referred to Sam as Jack's sha'lat." When Teal'c simply continued to stare at him, he continued. "A sha'lat is a sha'loki's mate. He essentially just introduced Sam as Jack's wife, or lover."

Teal'c arched a single eyebrow in reply. "I see."

Teal'c turned to accept refreshment from a member of Ka'tar's family, and Daniel took the opportunity to pull Skaara to one side.

"Skaara," he began, his arms crossed and his tone reproachful, "you introduced Sam as Jack's sha'lat."

Skaara was unperturbed. "Yes?"

"You know they're not together."

The young man gave Daniel a knowing smile that belied his years. "Aren't they?"

"Skaara...," Daniel began again, but he was cut off by the Abydonian.

"Dan-yel, is it not obvious to you? They may not be together here," Skaara pointed to his forehead, "but they have been together here," he pointed to his chest, "for many years."

They both turned to look at the officers as Jack whispered something to Sam that made her duck her head and smile. Skaara smirked at Daniel. "You see? They wait only for their heads to catch up with their hearts."

The young man walked off without another word, leaving Daniel to stare after him, his mouth agape. But Daniel's thoughts were interrupted almost immediately by Jack, who was calling for an explanation of the role of the sha'loki. His three teammates looked at him expectantly.

Daniel pushed his glasses up his nose and began speaking in what Jack referred to as his professor voice. "A sha'loki is somewhat akin to a best man, someone who vouches for the honor of the groom during the ceremony."

"And the sha-, um...?" asked Sam.

Daniel cleared his throat nervously. "The sha'lat is the female, uh, companion of the sha'loki..."

"You mean like a date?" Jack asked, his voice squeaking a bit on the last word.

"Something like that, yes. In any event," Daniel continued quickly, "she, too, is considered part of the wedding party and typically assists the bride in preparing for the ceremony, as well as life after the wedding."

"I see," replied Sam, looking somewhat uneasy. She glanced at Jack, but he was busy picking lint out of his beer.

oOoOoOo

Later that night, the betrothed and their families sat down to dinner with what appeared to be the entire remainder of the village. Jack and Sam were given a place of honor next to the bride and groom, with Teal'c and Daniel seated slightly further down the low table. Liquor flowed freely and great plates of food were passed from one person to the next with everyone using their hands and fingers to feed themselves and sometimes each other. The scent of spicy food mingled with sweet smell of clove smoke. Toward the end of the table, two musicians began playing a lively and exotic tune.

Many of the villagers made a point to stop by and welcome the team, with some going out of their way to congratulate Sam and Jack, though on what exactly, Sam still wasn't sure. Regardless, it was clear most everyone assumed the two were a couple. Sam would have felt uncomfortable with the situation, but the mood of dinner party was so festive, she finally decided to simply play along and ask Daniel about it later.

At one point, while Jack was engaged in an animated conversation with Kasuf, Sam was approached by a large man she didn't recognize. As he seated himself next to her, Sam couldn't help but notice that he really was tall, dark, and handsome.

"You are quite beautiful," the man said, as his gaze wandered over her approvingly. "Tell me, are you committed to this man?" he asked, his eyes moving momentarily to the back of Jack's head.

"Uh...," Sam replied artlessly. She was reluctant to indicate that she was with Jack, but whether it was because it wasn't true or because she was enjoying the attention of the attractive stranger, she wasn't sure. Frustration was an emotion with which she had become all too familiar lately, and she was growing weary of always playing the good girl - or the good soldier, she thought, as she glanced quickly at Jack.

The man leaned closer, invading her personal space. "I could make you a very happy woman," he said seductively.

With that, he began to reach out a hand to touch her face. But before she could react, a second hand shot out from behind her and grasped the first firmly.

"Get your own date," Jack growled.

The man hastily pulled his hand away and stood. "My apologies," he replied. He gave Sam a small smile and walked off.

Sam twisted around to look at Jack. "Date?" she asked incredulously.

"Thanks. Don't mind if I do." And with that her commanding officer snagged one of the small fruits from a platter in front of him and popped it in his mouth, as though nothing had happened.

Before Sam could respond, Skaara stood and began to speak, with Ka'tar at side. "My friends and family, thank you for traveling all this way to share in our joy." His face lit up as he looked at his future bride. "It is with much happiness that Ka'tar and I declare our love and our intent to marry tomorrow!"

At that, the two kissed, and a great cheer went up from the crowd. Many people raised their glasses and shouted their congratulations. Sam watched as Jack toasted the couple and wondered whether there had been more to his actions with the stranger than a desire to rid his subordinate of the supposed unwanted attention of a local lothario.

oOoOoOo

Not long after the couple had addressed their guests, the crowd began retreating to their beds. Ka'tar and her family took Teal'c and Daniel to their tent, while Skaara and Kasuf showed Jack and Sam to the place they had set up for them.

Kasuf gestured toward a large tent. "This one is for you," he said pulling the flap back with a flourish.

Jack and Sam ducked their heads to walk inside. As her eyes adjusted to the dim light, Sam let out a small gasp. Two ornate lanterns cast a soft glow. Rich rugs in a complicated geometric pattern lined the floor, with plush cushions resting on top. A small table held a carafe of wine and a large bowl of water in which pink and white lotus blossoms floated. A platter of figs, dates, honey, and flat breads was laid out as well. The center of the room was dominated by a huge feather mattress, next to which a shallow dish of oil sat warming over a tiny candle. It was lavish by any standard, but neither Jack nor Sam had ever seen anything remotely so luxurious on Abydos.

Jack turned to Skaara, his eyes wide. "All of this is for us?"

"Do you like it?" The young man beamed at him.

"Well, yeah. But you really didn't need to go to all this trouble."

Kasuf grasped his shoulder. "As sha'loki and sha'lat, you and Major Carter have a place of honor among the wedding party. Enjoy." He moved toward the exit, indicating for Skaara to follow. "Come. You have a big day tomorrow, my son. You should rest."

Skaara shot one last grin at Jack and Sam and made his way out of the tent, leaving the two officers staring dumbfounded at each other. Almost instantly, though, the tent flap opened again, and Daniel and Teal'c stepped inside.

"Whoa," said Daniel after taking a quick look around. "They really went all out."

"I know," said Jack.

"It's too much," added Sam.

"Well, it's tradition for the sha'loki and his ma-, ah, sha'lat to be provided with a tent on par with that of the bride and groom, but this is more than I would have expected."

Teal'c nodded. "It seems the Abydonians continue to prosper now that they are no longer forced to serve a false god."

"Indeed," muttered Jack absently, as he stuck his finger in the warm oil. "Hey Daniel, what's this for anyway?"

"Ah, well, it's for, um, you know...," the archeologist stammered.

Jack cocked his head and looked at him expectantly. "No. No I don't know."

"Um, it can be used as a massage oil...or a, um, lubricant."

Jack's eyebrows shot to the top of his head. "Ah," he replied, as he hastily wiped his fingers on his pants. He risked a glance at Sam, whose cheeks were now bright pink. He quickly averted his eyes.

"Well, in any event, I think it might be better if I bunked with the boys." He looked back at Sam. "You enjoy."

"But, sir..." Sam started. She refused to think too hard about why she wanted Jack to stay with her, but she desperately hoped he would.

Daniel interrupted. "You can't do that Jack. You would greatly offend Kasuf and his family."

"It wouldn't be the first time we've shared a tent, sir," Sam added.

Jack ran his hands through his hair, causing it to stick up on end. "Yeah, but none of those other tents had..." He gestured around the space, momentarily at a loss for words. "Oil!"

At that, Daniel and Teal'c beat a hasty retreat back to their tent, and Jack announced that he was going out to get some air. Sam sighed and began preparing for bed, trying her best not to think about how much she'd love to rub some of that oil into her commanding officer's tanned skin. Cursing silently at the completely inappropriate images now plaguing her inner eye, she turned her attention to the task at hand.

Looking around the tent, she considered for a moment whether she should sleep on the floor or the feather bed. Having finally decided that the bed was big enough for both of them, she laid her bedroll on top, leaving enough space for Jack's. In doing so, she noticed that bedclothes had been laid out for their use. "When in Rome...," she muttered to herself and quickly exchanged her dusty BDUs for the soft linen garment. She blew out the candle heating the oil and placed the entire set up in a far corner of the tent. With one final glance around, she walked outside to check on Jack.

Much to her surprise, she found him sitting just a few feet away, staring up into the night. She took a seat next to him and followed his gaze skyward. Despite the number of people that must have been camped nearby, the sound of insects was the only thing she could hear.

"You know, I never get tired of this," he said after a while.

"Sir?"

"Looking at the stars. Doesn't matter what planet we're on."

He glanced at her, his eyes widening ever so slightly at her attire, and she blushed when she realized that the thin material revealed more than she intended in the cool night air. He quickly turned his attention back to the sky.

After a moment, he spoke, his eyes still trained on the stars. "Listen, Carter, I'm sorry about the whole shallot thing. I didn't know..." He sighed. "The last thing I want is for you to feel uncomfortable. I can talk to Skaara tomorrow."

"That won't be necessary, sir." He raised his eyebrows at her, and she smiled. "No one likes to go to a wedding alone."

They sat in comfortable silence. Jack closed his eyes and breathed deeply. "Peaceful, here. Reminds me a lot of my cabin." He opened one eye and looked sideways at her. "Not that you'd know, of course, seeing as how you've never been there."

It was a long time before she responded. "I'd like to go sometime," she said quietly.

"Oh?" He paused. "Well, it's not like I haven't asked, Carter."

"Yes, sir. It's just that..." She shrugged. "I think the timing has to be right."

He looked at her for a long while, but she refused to meet his gaze, opting instead to draw designs in the warm sand with her fingers.

"You know," he said, in a soft voice, "if you wait for perfect timing, Carter, it may never happen." He looked away and sighed. "Plus, the cabin's not exactly new anymore. It's starting to show some signs of wear."

Sam smiled again but still didn't look at him. "I'm sure it's still got a few good years left."

"I hope so, Carter. Because I'd really like to share it with you sometime."

She finally looked at him, certain now that they were no longer talking about the cabin. He stood and brushed off his hands.

"I think I'm going to turn in now, before I say something - about the cabin - I'll regret in the morning."

"Good night, sir," she said softly.

He turned to look at her, his eyes dark and a small smile on his face. "Good night, Carter."

Sam pulled her knees up to her chin and wrapped her arms around them. She rested her head on top and stared out into the desert, deep in thought.