Title: Extending Always

Disclaimer: I could think of some colourful things to do with Jack if he ahem I mean Stargate were mine but alas, they belong to these guys - Showtime/Viacom, MGM/UA, Double Secret Productions, and Gekko Productions.

Pairing: S/J

Rating: G

Season: Four

Summary: A conversation between Jack and Sam before they send the note through the Stargate in 2010.

AN: Spoilers for 2010, Season 4. Wasn't anyone else tickled by all the hostility between Jack and Joe, never mind his bitterly sarcastic remarks to Sam at his cabin? Well, I was, and watching it recently provoked this little piece from my muse.

"…It'll have to do," Jack said to Carter as she gave him the timeframe they were working with. Fifty Seven minutes. Not a lot of time to save the world in. He kept his eyes on Sam as she walked over to Joe and spoke quietly to him. Jack winced, she wasn't coming with them. He had said they needed her and perhaps they did but he… he wanted her there. He swallowed at his melancholy. This was not the time, ironically, to be pondering on his feelings for her. Or, perhaps it was…

"Carter?"

Sam looked up from the floor to see Jack teetering in the doorway, waiting. His eyes narrowed at the man standing beside her, grasping her hand, squeezing it tighter when Jack called her name. She followed Jack's gaze to see Joe staring at her with forbidding eyes.

"Joe…" she pleaded as she lightly pulled her fingers from his grasp and glanced sideways to Jack, who deftly looked away as if he didn't care.

"When I said no part, Sam, I meant no part," Joe warned her with dark eyes. Sam licked her lips as a sigh from Jack's lips floated to her ears. Idly, she registered Janet and Daniel leaving, quietly muttering something. Sam took a steadying breath, her stomach in knots. She felt like her loyalties were being tugged between the two men she stood between. There was certainly no love loss between Jack O'Neill and her husband, there never had been and neither had been pressed to conceal it. Joe was speaking again, "… and that especially means no part with him."

"I have to talk to him, Joe," she offered, a little embarrassed at having this conversation in front of Jack. She could almost see him, shuffling his feet impatiently in the doorway of the lab, rolling his eyes in frustration and whispering 'for cryin' out loud'. She grimaced glancing uncomfortably at her husband and realising that if Jack was left to wait much longer he'd probably take a more direct measure. "We don't have much time…" With that she turned on her heel and started towards Jack, stopping, she gave Joe a look over her shoulder.

Please don't make me ask you to leave, she pleaded with him silently through brightblue eyes. He glared at her, then at Jack standing beside her now. Jack's lips twitched only slightly in mirth although his eyes were shooting hatred still. Sam looked to the ground, unable to watch the silent battle.

"Don't worry, Ambassador," Jack spat. "I'll have her bundled out to you before you can say 'I saved the world… again'!"

The man huffed at Jack and squared his shoulders as he advanced on them. Striding purposefully until he reached them, he paused and spoke, "Let's hope for everyone's sake… you get it right." Joe gave Sam a last disproving stare and moved out to get the GDO.

"Or at least for yours, you mean…" Jack said quietly after the man.

"Why do you have to be like that?" Sam asked sadly with accusing eyes trained on him. Jack's deep brown eyes seemed to penetrate her suddenly and she cast her eyes away unable to bear the judgement in them.

"Oh, why to bother you with that now, Sam…" Jack said sarcastically and Sam shook her head, annoyed.

"This," she waved her hand between them. "…is going to get us nowhere!" She raised her voice an octave, upset. She was boring holes in the ground with her eyes, and clenching her teeth, working up the courage to look at him and compose herself at the same time.

Suddenly, she felt his fingers moving over the skin on her wrist and as she sucked in a breath, her head shot up to see sorrowful chocolate pools reflecting, much more than they should be, back at her. "If we do this, it won't matter that I hate him… or that we're…." Jack whispered, tailing off, letting go of her hand as quickly as he hand taken it.

Sam's eyes widened at his words and despite herself, the many emotions erupting inside her at them she found manifesting in tears in her eyes. She tore them away from his face and looked at the wall, tightening her jaw.

"We're what, Jack?" She asked hardly, still refusing to look at him. She felt his unease join her own in waves. He didn't answer and when she chanced a glance at him she realised he was avoiding looking at her too. She cleared her throat. "Do you really hate him?" His eyes flashed to her at the demand embedded in her question.

"We don't have time for this, now, Sam," he reproached her, avoiding the question adeptly and speaking in a tone that he held for her when she was pissing him off back when she served under him. Sam sniffed and tried to control the emotions raging inside her.

"I want to go with you," she admitted, determined and waited until he met her eyes. He raised an eyebrow, he already knew that.

"You're safer not."

"I'm needed."

"We can do it without you, Carter," Jack argued and Sam shut her eyes tightly, letting them fly open after a few seconds. "Besides, he's right."

"You can't seriously believe that?" She countered and his lips parted and he gave her a shrug. She narrowed her eyes at him and felt a tear escape with the movement. She watched as he tracked its flow down her cheek and as if in slow motion she watched his fingers rise, graze her skin lightly and wipe it away. His hand moved along the curve of her cheek and rested at the side, cupping her face into it.

"There may be only one thing he and I agree on, Sam," he whispered hoarsely as he gazed deeply into her glazed eyes.

"Jack…" A torn whisper escaped her lips and the crack in her voice was followed by a tight convulsion of the muscles in her face as she futilely fought to hold back the tears that were already falling freely down her face. His other hand went swiftly to the other side of her face and he pulled her towards him, resting his forehead on her as he heard tiny sobs escape her. "I never meant to hurt you…"

"I know," he breathed and she felt the tickle of his breath especially on her wet skin. Her arms snaked around his waist and he pulled her into his arms, knowing that if this did or didn't work, it would certainly be the last time he would feel the touch of Samantha Carter.

"I can't let you do this on your own," she said resolutely, her words muffled in the curve of his neck. He smiled as he ran his fingers through her hair and pushing his nose into its softness, he took in her scent.

"We'll be okay," he promised.

"Liar." His smiled widened and his chest shook with a silent chuckle. "Jack?"

"Yeah?"

"I love you."

Jack's body tensed and he inhaled slowly to relax himself. A few years ago, he had been certain he and Sam were finally getting it right, he was in no doubt he loved her more than he could possibly anyone and he had an idea that she felt something the same. And just when he was about to finally take his head out of his ass and do something about it, all the crap with the Aschen swept his life from underneath him. No one believed him, not even Sam. No one listened and thinking she'd be the one he'd finally get through to, Jack had incessantly chipped at her but Sam was at the top of the little human worshiping pyramid the Aschen had constructed - they and their shiny doohickey's had her transfixed. Then came Joe. And that was that. There was no use in fighting anymore.

"Jack?" He felt fear in her voice and maybe even regret as her lips moved against his neck, not wanting to face him directly with this particular line of conversation.

Jack tightened his grip on her and closed his eyes. The past was irrelevant, and hopefully would be for everyone very soon. "I love you too." He let the words roll from him like a sweet lament and smiled sadly when wetness tickled the skin on his shoulder. "Always, Sam," he whispered. "Always."

He tugged on her slightly so that she pulled away and looked at him with bleary eyes and he flashed his knee-weakening O'Neill smile at her, his eyes twinkling.

"C'mon," he took her hand and gave it a squeeze. "Let's go make sure that always lasts a lot longer than The Aschen plan."

Yeah, I know. Short and stupid but it had to be done. Blame my muse. I blame it for everything, works quite well for me.