Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters, just the plot. Spoilers for season six.
It was December 24th, Christmas Eve, and as usual there was a big party going on deep underground. Major General George Hammond always threw a large Christmas bash for all SGC personnel to celebrate yet another successful year and to mourn lost colleagues.
Colonel Jack O'Neill was doing the usual, mingling with higher ranking officers then hanging with the rest of SG-1. However, by the time he reached the usual table he only saw Teal'c and Jonas Quinn, Daniels replacement. O'Neill's 2IC, Major Sam Carter, was missing even though he'd seen them all earlier in the evening. Jack stopped and looked around, knowing even before he did that she wasn't in the room. He left the mess hall and started to search her usual haunts; her lab, office, Daniel's office, the control room, even the surface. He eventually found he leaning against the wall in the Gate room, just staring at the Stargate.
"Hey. You're missing a great party!"
"I know. It just… it feels odd seeing Jonas instead of Daniel, even after 6 months."
"It'll always feel like that. But as long as it hurts you'll still remember Danny."
Sam nodded, sliding down the wall so she was sitting next to Jack and resting her head on his shoulder.
"And you know what?" Jack asked, not expecting an answer and not receiving one. "No matter what happens, you'll always have Teal'c and Jonas."
"What about you?"
"Me? I'm yours. Always have been, always will be."
Sam snuggled closer to the man she wasn't allowed to love and sighed, enjoying the closeness.
"Sam?"
"Mmm?"
"I've been thinking, about us and the regs and all that…" he tailed off, clearly nervous.
"Go on," she softly encouraged.
"What would you say if I asked you to take advantage of any opportunity we were given?"
"What do you mean?"
"I mean, say one of us was injured and off active duty. There'd be no chain of command."
"Colonel… I don't know if I'd be able to go back to how things were before if we did that," Sam started.
"I don't mean that. I know I couldn't let you go. No, I mean… you know the regs for married couples in the same chain of command?"
"Course. The lower ranking officer reports to the others CO, who evaluates both of them, unless in combat situations, such as off world excursions," Sam recited, beginning to see where this was going.
"Right. So, if I was to turn up on your doorstep with two tickets to Vegas, what would you do?" Jack asked, staring at the Stargate.
"Well, unless you'd really irritated me, I'd probably go pack a bag," she replied evenly.
"Really?" His head whipped 'round, her answer unexpected.
"Yeah." Sam gave him one of her smiles and let HER colonel haul her to her feet.
"Come on. I feel like cake!"
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