Author's Note- A short mini-fic about what Walter had seen over the years. I posted this over on GW and figured I'd post it over here as well. Thanks to Never_on_earth for the plot bunny!

Witness to the Love Story Unfolding

Walter slowly walked down the halls savoring the quiet time at the SGC. With the Goa'uld, Ori and Replicators gone the SGC was pretty quite nowadays. Not that he minded of course. It was nice to not have some off world emergency come up.

He slowly walked into the commissary and took a seat. He took the time to look around at all the people that through the years had been the building blocks of the Stargate program. Daniel Jackson and Teal'c along with Cameron Mitchell and Vala sat at a table, laughing at some joke that Cam was telling them about his youth.

His eyes strayed across the room to a man and a woman who were grinning at each other. Colonel Samantha Carter and General Jack O'Neill. Walter smiled when he saw Jack's hand slowly slip under the table to her knee. She just smiled at the General.

Walter had known from the beginning that they were in love with each other. It wasn't that hard to miss after all. Whenever something happened to her, the General's stance would change. Oh he'd been concerned about Teal'c or Daniel when something happened to them as well. But when it involved her, there was no way to mask the pain that was always in the General's eyes during those times. Oh sure he had always brushed it off, saying she was a valuable member of his team...but everyone could see how he felt. It had been as clear as day. His eyes seemed to say that that woman meant everything to him and he'd go to whatever lengths it took to get her back to him.

And there had been no denying that Colonel Carter had felt something for the General as well. He'd been there when the General, then a Colonel, had been missing for three months on that planet. And he'd witnessed her reaction about getting him back, how desperate she had been. Then of course there were all those times when her eyes would light up when the General had walked into the room.

But every time Jack had said that she was just a member of the team...Walter knew different. He had seen too much of their flirting over the years. He'd heard the 'if only' from him about there being two Samantha Carters a few years before. He'd been there when the General would check up on her if she was working on the gate late at night, telling her to go home and get some rest. He'd been there to witness first hand Jack's snippiness when she had been engaged to that other guy. Could tangibly feel the General's tension when he would be around her during that time, could feel the awkwardness.

And Walter had been there after she had broken the engagement, when the General was transferring to Washington, and though nothing was ever said, he knew that the General was finally with the woman he loved. If the pure look of happiness on his face had been any indication. After all why would he be that happy about taking a desk job, unless it somehow involved her?

Walter saw Sam's hand slowly slip down to her knee under the table and she held the General's hand in hers.

Nothing was wrong with them being together now, he was out of her direct chain of command. But they still were professional, they still called each other 'Sir' and 'Carter' on base. But for the moment, when the commissary was deserted except for himself and the rest of SG-1, Colonel Carter and General O'Neill let their professional walls slip just a bit.

As Walter looked at the two of them sitting there, looks of happiness radiating from both their faces, Walter couldn't help but be happy for the two of them.

After all that those two had been through they deserved happiness...and they deserved each other.

Walter had witnessed the love story of those two unfold for years, and finally after all the heartache...peace and love had finally overcome.

Just like he always knew that it would for those two.

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Author's Note- Thanks for reading and if you liked it let me know!