A/N: Sorry I haven't posted in a long time. I had to take my laptop to get fixed then I started writing X-Files (which I'd love for you to read and review if you're interested) and I started college. So as you can see I've been pretty busy but finally I've started uploading a new story and I'll hopefully update every other day or so. Let me know what you think as always reviews are so greatly appreciated ;)

Setting: Right before season 9 (after the fishing trip at the end of season 8)

Disclaimer: Not mine.

He looked over at the woman laying next to him, with this huge grin on his face. "What?" She asked self consciously.

"Nothing." He shrugged and continued to smile.

"Why are you smiling like that?"

"No reason."

"Stop." She said blushing. He ignored her request. "I'm serious, stop." she said giggling in embarrassment. He rolled over onto his side and continued to look at her. "Do you know how ridiculous you look with that smile on your face?"

"I don't mind." He shrugged again.

"Tell me why you're smiling or I'll leave." She said sternly.

"You won't leave." He said calling her bluff.

"Just tell me." She rolled over onto her side too.

"It's just you're so beautiful." He said tucking a piece of hair behind her ear. She smiled and looked at him thinking about all the events leading up to this point.

Two weeks before

"Thanks again, sir, for inviting us on this little fishing trip."

"You guys deserved a vacation, after saving the world AGAIN. What is that 8, 9 times?"

"I'm not counting." She smiled.

"No, but I heard Teal'c is."

"Yes," She laughed a little. "Yes he is. Well thanks anyway, this was fun."

"Yeah it was." He looked at the ground trying to figure out how to say what he wanted to say, "So are you all packed up?"

"Yep."

"The boys are still packing, right?"

"I think so." She said trying to figure out where he was going with this.

"Good. I wanted to talk to you about something." He paused awkwardly. "Wanna go outside with me?"

"Ok?" She started to follow him out to the deck "Is everything ok, sir?"

"Yeah yeah, everything is ok, actually it's kind of great." He said sitting on a bench and motioning for her to sit next to him.

"Ok, now I'm worried." She sat down slowly.

Jack laughed "No it's fine," he thought some more about how he was going to say this.

"Sir, what's going on?"

"Just trying to figure out how to say this." he said looking at the ground.

"At the risk of sounding redundant, what's going on?" Jack continued to look at the ground. "Are you dying?" she asked.

"No! Why would you even think that?!"

"I don't know, you're acting really strange."

"I'm not dying, just getting promoted."

Her eyes got huge and she was speechless. There were so many things she wanted to say but nothing came out. Finally she managed to get one word out, "Promoted?"

"Yep. Moving to DC." She still couldn't speak so she did all she could do, continue to stare at him with an extremely confused look on her face. "I'm being put in control of Homeworld Security" still she stared. "I know what you're thinking "Jack are you nuts? Washington?"but what can I say? It's a great pay raise." He waited for a response "Still nothing? Come that was a joke. I know it's a shock, me in DC I can hardly believe it myself, but you really should say something here."

"I'm- I'm-I'm speechless." She finally said.

"Well at least it's something."

"Why?" she said not quite sure what she meant by it but it was the only thing she could say.

"Why what?"

"Why?" she said again.

"You know Carter, usually I'm the one that's bad at this talking thing. This isn't like you."

"I'm just surprised, to say the least. I never thought you'd….." she stopped herself from saying something she'd regret.

"I'd what?"

You'd leave me she thought but knew she couldn't say that so she did her best to cover, "Uh. End up in DC. I never thought you'd end up in DC."

"Oh yeah, I never thought I would either. But it made the most sense."

"Why?" she asked afraid to hear the answer.

"Because I can't work with you any longer." He said point blank.

"Excuse me?" she said completely shocked.

"I. Can't. Work. With. You." He repeated emphasizing each word.

"Why?" Same question she's been asking the whole time.

He kind of laughed to himself "It's not you, it's me." He looked up into her eyes. "I know we agreed never to let this… thing we have get in the way of our work, but it has." He took a deep breath "you have no idea what it feels like to watch you go through that 'gate everyday knowing there's a damn good possibility you won't make it back. And I sit there completely unable to save you."

"But I-" she tried to talk but he cut her off.

"At least when I was out in the field I could protect you, but now, now I'm stuck in that damn office, just watching you go."

"But I-" She tried to talk but he cut her off, again.

"Quite frankly, Sam, I can't do it anymore. I just can't."

This time she didn't try to speak. "You called me Sam." She said after a few moments of silence.

"I… I guess I did. I'm sorry it must have slipped out."

"It's ok." She smiled letting herself get wrapped up in the moment. "But, General," she emphasized the word general trying to pu;; them both back to reality. "Like I was trying to say, I am more than capable of taking care of myself."

"I know that. I do." He reassured her, not sure what else to say.

"When do you leave?" she finally asked breaking the silence.

"Two weeks, end of the month."

"That soon?" she asked not knowing what else to say.

"Yep."

"I can't believe you're going to Washington. Are you sure about this?"

"Already accepted the job, in fact I've been looking at replacements already."

"You know I'm still going to be out there. Torturing yourself by working in DC isn't going to change that."

"You want to talk about torturing myself? I spend most of my day with you, so close to you, all the while knowing I can never be with you. I know you'll still be out there but maybe it'll help make it easier not seeing you every day." The words kind of flew out of his mouth.

Her eyes filled with tears as she thought about his words.

"Hey, hey none of that." He said putting his hand on her cheek and brushing the tears under her eyes.

"It's not going to be the same without you sir." She said trying to ignore the tears.

"Maybe that's for the best, Colonel." He said as she teared up again knowing he was correct. Without saying a word he lifted his hand off her cheek and placed it on the back of her neck, slowly pulling her head closer to his head. Then he ignored everything and kissed her. It was only for a moment but in that moment they both lost all sense of right and wrong and for the first time they forgot all about their rules and regulations and they just did what felt right. But then the moment was over. She pulled away and looked at him. "What do we do?" she asked.

"Whatever we do should involve a lot more of that." He smiled "A LOT more." He repeated.

"Sir, this is serious."

"I'll retire."

"I won't let you retire for me."

"I've been trying to retire for years."

"We both know you can't stay retired." She smile then got an idea "You're going to command Home world security?"

"Yeah? Where are you going with this?" He wondered.

"What does that cover?" she could tell by his expression he was confused so she explained "Obviously the Stargate. The Prometheus?" he nodded yes.

"Pretty much anything to do with the Stargate."

"What about Area 51?"

"No, but I still don't see where you're going with this."

"I'm going to transfer to Area 51." She smiled.

"No you're not."

"Sir?"

"Earth needs you out there on the front lines."

"We've defeated the Goa'uld, the Replicators AND Anubis. There are no more bad guys. And besides I wasn't the only person out there. Daniel and Teal'c will still be there and there are 15 other SG teams. Earth will be fine without me. Plus I'll still be helping with Earth's defense, figuring out how to work all the alien technology. I really have been thinking about this for a while." She sensed Jack's uncertainty. "This is the only way we can do this-" She said as she kissed him one last time.

"I do like doing that." He said after she pulled away.

"I do too." She smiled, "but that has to be the last time, until I transfer."

Before Jack said anything else Daniel walked out onto the porch where they were sitting. "There you guys are. We were looking for you. Teal'c and I are all packed up and- did I interrupt something?" he cut himself off, feeling that awkward tension he commonly feels when he interrupts one of Jack and Sam's conversations.

"Nope. We were just talking." Jack said.

"Uh-huh I'm sure." He said knowing he interrupted something but not really in the mood to try and get them to admit they're lying. "Well, like I was saying Teal'c and me and packed and ready to go when you two are."

"We'll be in in a moment." Jack said.

"Take your time." Daniel yelled over his shoulder already walking away.

"We should go in." Sam said.

"Yeah we should." He agreed as neither of them moved.

"Just a couple more weeks, we can do this." she said standing up.

"It's gonna be a long couple of weeks." He said following her inside.