Awakenings

by Shiaw Mei Mei

Awakening to her real feelings, Sam has to make a decision.

Part One

It was a beautiful day in Colorado. Warm fall weather blessed them with a perfect day for the park. Sam and Pete wandered through the sounds of children playing and dogs barking. Pete pointed to an unoccupied bench and led the way. They sat quietly for a few minutes, enjoying the sounds and the company of each other. Pete seemed relaxed. Sam thought he had appeared nervous earlier, but it seems to have gone away.

Pete moved quietly around to face Sam. "Sam, there was something I wanted to talk to you about." He reached in the pocket of his jacket and pulled out a small velvet case.

'A ring?' she thought to herself. 'That had better not be a ring!'

"Sam," Pete started to speak as he opened the small box.

Sam's eyes were wild with panic. 'Oh, no, it is a ring!'

"Sam," Pete started again. "You know how much I love being with you. And I want to be with you always."

Sam was having trouble breathing.

Pete seemed oblivious to her physical distress. "Sam, will you marry me?"

She sat in stunned silence. Sam thought Pete was a nice enough guy. She liked being wined and dined and he filled certain needs that hadn't been filled in a long time. 'But a ring?'

"Sam, oh, Sam? Earth to Sam?" Pete's voice penetrated her thoughts. He looked a little irritated when she finally looked up from the horrifying piece of jewelry.

"This is way too sudden, Pete!," she said quietly.

"Sam, what's wrong? I thought you felt the same about me." He was starting to look annoyed.

Sam continued. "Pete, this is so sudden. I hadn't really thought about marriage."

"What do you mean 'sudden'? We've been seeing each other for over eight months. We spend as much time together as possible when you aren't screwing around with that damn Stargate! I don't think it's sudden!"

"Sshh! Don't mention that in public! I've warned you about that!"

"You know I don't really give a damn! I'm asking you to marry me and you can find words to scold me about your special 'project' but you can't find words to answer whether or not you will!"

"Pete, I just hadn't thought that far in advance. I really don't think that we know each other that well yet. I mean, other than Mark, we haven't even met each other's family." She was grasping at straws. "We've never even had a serious discussion. It's all been fooling around," she saw the look on his face, "You know what I mean, dinner, shows, and no serious conversation. I just didn't think that you were serious."

"Okay, so we get the families together, we talk about kids and the serious stuff. But I don't see that changing anything. I mean, would we split up because our families didn't approve. Mark likes me. He likes that you're seeing me. He even likes the idea of us getting married!"

"You talked to Mark about this before you talked to me?" Sam was the irritated one now.

"Just in passing, it's not like we set it up this way!"

"I just don't like the idea of Mark knowing about this before me! What if he tells someone?"

"Uh, Sam, what would it matter? Would you refuse to marry me if your dad didn't approve? Mark said he was a little overbearing but surely he wouldn't try and stop you."

"You talked to Mark about Dad's reaction to this?" Her voice was slightly shrill and more than a little loud. It sounded like her brother and Pete had this all worked out. "And did you ask Mark about kids and where we would live?" she said sarcastically.

"Sam, calm down. People are looking at us!" Pete moved nervously on the bench. "Look, you don't have to answer now. Just say you'll think about it."

Sam looked around at the other people enjoying the warm fall day. "I'll think about it," she said. She didn't feel too happy about it though.

----------

Sam stormed into her house after Pete dropped her off. She didn't invite him in. To think that he and Mark had been discussing her future made her blood boil.

She stopped suddenly. "Why?" she said aloud. "Why does this make me so mad I could hit someone?"

"Because all I wanted was a fling?" Sex? Not companionship? Not love? 'Love,' she thought dryly, 'want that, just not with Pete.'

Stranded on Prometheus with her strange hallucinations made her think long and hard about her life. She was tired of being alone, of having nothing but work to fill her time and her thoughts. Pete came along out of the blue. He's a nice enough guy. Smart, funny, sexy and he filled a void in her life.

Sam flopped down on the couch and pulled a pillow into her lap. Was that all he meant to her? Companionship? Sex? It was as if she was stranded in the desert with no water and Pete was an oasis. 'Of course, the Colonel was the desert.'

When Jack faced death from the knowledge of the Ancients, she wanted to tell him how she felt. But what exactly would she have told him? He knew about Pete. How do you tell someone that you love them, have always loved them, when they know you have someone else already? After Thor defrosted him, she wanted to tell him. She wanted to find a way around the frat regs, even if it was to hide a relationship. Then he got freaking promoted! She hugged the pillow tightly. Hell, she didn't even know if he still felt the same way! He had become distant in the last few years.

"Oh, Sam, don't go there! It just wasn't meant to be!"

Okay, what to do about Pete? Should she just call it quits now? Go back to being alone all the time, yearning for what could never be? On the other hand, should she give her and Pete a chance at finding something real and permanent?

"Argh!" She buried her face in the pillow.

Part Two

Pete sat impatiently at the restaurant waiting for Sam. She was late, probably held up by her precious job. She had told him about the Stargate. He hadn't wanted to believe her but she was serious. She told him that it traveled to other worlds and about the enemy, the Gourds, Golds, oh, whatever they called them. The ones like the crazy woman with the glowing eyes. That's all she would tell him. She never talked about what she did on her missions. He had finally stopped asking.

After the incident with the stakeout, Sam had bought his story of 'accidentally' being in the neighborhood and seeing her there. He never told her about checking up on her with his FBI friend. He wondered if he should.

She excited him as no other woman had. Sam was so different from the women he had known. She was strong and self-confident but she could be feminine and soft. Sometimes she was a little too strong, stubborn actually, but she would mellow.

Pete saw her enter the restaurant and search the room. She had called him yesterday and asked him to meet her. They hadn't spoken more than a few words since that day in the park over a week ago. She had been on a mission for most of that time.

Sam spotted Pete in a quiet corner of the restaurant. 'Good,' she thought. 'We can talk with some privacy.' She didn't want to meet him at her place because she knew that would just lead to the bedroom and there wouldn't be much discussion there. They needed to talk seriously.

"Hi, gorgeous!" Pete said as he stood to greet her.

"Hi," she smiled as he helped her with her seat. "I am glad you could make it tonight. I think we need to talk some more about your proposal."

"You gonna say yes?" he asked perking up his head, meaning to be funny.

"No, I need time to think about it," she laughed slightly, shaking her head. "I'm sorry, Pete. I just haven't thought about marriage in so long. Not since Jonas and I split up." She had told him about her ex-fiancé, well not everything, like he died off world thinking he was a god. But enough so that Pete knew it was a bad situation.

"Well, let's talk about it now," he replied confidently.

"Okay, but I really don't know where to start."

"Is this a kiss-off dinner?" he asked quietly, his confidence waned a little.

"No! Look, I don't know how long you have felt this way, but the idea has only been with me a week. I guess I feel that we don't know each other well enough to think about marriage yet."

"Ah, the lady said 'yet'," he smiled. "So there's still hope?"

"Well, let's just say maybe. We need to get to know each other better."

----------

Sam lay awake for a long time after Pete went to sleep. She listened to his steady breathing as she mused over the evening. 'Well, at least he agreed to give me more time to think about it.' She rolled over on her side to face away from him. She should have insisted that he go home tonight but he had been persistent.

'Okay, so I agreed to get in touch with Dad so he could meet him.' She rolled over on her back. Sam hadn't talked to her dad in a long time. Not since he left after the Tok'ra alliance fell apart. She didn't even know if she could get in touch with him. Sam moved to face Pete again.

Sam hadn't told him about her dad being blended with a Tok'ra. Actually, she hadn't told him anything about the Tok'ra at all. She couldn't risk him telling Mark anything. Pete got the same story that Mark got; their dad was still involved with the Air Force and worked secret missions. That's why he was always gone. How do you explain that his possible future mother-in-law was an alien parasite inside her dad? She always thought of Selmac as female since her last host was. She rolled over on her back again. 'Well, this is ridiculous. I'm going to wake him and I don't need that right now.'

Sam crawled out of the bed quietly. 'A cup of tea, that will help,' she thought. She fiddled around idly in the kitchen as the water heated. The clock on the wall looked back accusingly as she noted the time. 'Great, it's after one and I have a 0700 briefing. What was I thinking when I decided to meet him today.' Actually, she knew what she was thinking. She could beg off early since she had an early meeting.

Unfortunately, Pete was nothing if not persistent. So she stood in her kitchen in the wee hours of the morning and made tea. Pete wanted to have a serious talk about their future but Sam couldn't do that tonight. It was like he wanted to put eight months of their relationship in to one package in one night. Sam wasn't ready to talk about it. She liked Pete. He was fun, had a great sense of humor, good looking and treated her like a woman, something that she missed sometimes being the perfect soldier. Pete also wanted to talk about children. That was something she hadn't thought about in years. The Stargate program was the only thing on her mind over the last few years. The work they did was far too important to let personal lives get in the way.

He helped to take her mind off of the general. That situation had changed so much in the last few years. Sam absently fixed her tea and wandered over to the couch. She pulled an afghan from the back of the couch and wrapped it around her. If she had been willing to sacrifice her job for a personal life, she would have done it for the Colonel.

Sam laughed quietly to herself. 'The Colonel, well, the General now.' She never let herself think of him as Jack. It was dangerous. If she got comfortable with it in her head, she might slip in real life. Even in her fantasies, he was the Colonel. In her mind he would always be the Colonel, not General. 'Ah, stop thinking about him, stop thinking about the impossible.'

She needed to concentrate on Pete but her mind wouldn't let her. Her thoughts drifted lazily over what might have been as she fell asleep.

Part Three

"Sam, wake up! Sam!"

Someone was shaking her, hard. "What?" she practically shouted. Her dream had been a very nice one and someone was interrupting it!

"Sam," Pete's voice penetrated her brain. "You over slept! O'Neill just called looking for you. He said you were due at work half an hour ago."

"Shit!" Sam flew off the couch and ran for the bathroom. A very fast, and cold, shower later, she ran for the door.

"Sam, aren't you even going to say goodbye?" Pete's voice was slightly whiny.

"Bye!" she yelled as she hit the door.

Sam drove over the speed limit all the way to the mountain. She couldn't believe that the General had called her house and Pete had answered! She groaned at the idea. The General knew that she was dating Pete. He had to assume that after six months it had progressed to a physical relationship but to have it confirmed by Pete answering her phone at 0730! 'Ugh,' she groaned again.

She rushed through security and to her locker to change into her fatigues. Sam practically knocked over Siler and his friend with the wrench. 'What's with that damn wrench anyway?' she mused. She hit the door to the briefing room and screeched to a halt. Seated at the table alone was the General. She guessed he must have let the others go until she got there.

"Late night, Colonel?" he asked blandly.

"Uh, yes, sir," she blushed. "I, uh, couldn't sleep last night." It was the truth. Pete was out by 2200. Her lack of sleep had nothing to do with Pete's presence in her bed.

"Guests, uh?" His face was expressionless.

"Uh, yeah. Where is everyone?"

"I let them go to the commissary to get some breakfast. I didn't expect you to get here this fast."

"I apologize for my tardiness, sir."

"No problem, Carter. I'll be in my office; they should be back in a few minutes." He stood suddenly and retreated to his office.

----------

Sam couldn't keep her mind on the briefing. The general's reaction bothered her. Could it be he still cared for her, as he said so many years ago, more than he was supposed to? Daniel was droning on about some new rocks. Teal'c and the General looked fascinated but Sam couldn't concentrate.

"Unscheduled off world activation!" The loud speakers blasted Sam out of her reverie as all four moved quickly toward the control room.

"Any IDC?" General O'Neill asked as he entered the room.

"None yet, sir. Incoming IDC now, sir. It's the Tok'ra!" MSG Davis sounded surprised.

"Well, well, well, open the iris." O'Neill said. "I wonder what they want."

Sam cringed. What if it were her dad? She told Pete it could take some time to contact her dad. She had been relying on that to give her some time. What if he showed up now? Would she tell Pete?

As the fates would have it, Jacob emerged from the event horizon. Sam felt like banging her head against the wall. Normally, she would be ecstatic to see him but now. 'Why now?' She shook her head as she headed for the gate room.

"Sammie!" Jacob hugged his daughter hard. "It's been a while!"

"Hi, Dad," Sam said, not very enthusiastically. "It's good to see you."

Jacob pulled away from her, his hands still on her shoulders. "You don't sound too happy. What's up, Sam?" He looked into her eyes.

"Not now, Dad," she said quietly.

"Okay," he nodded. "We'll have time to talk later. I will be here for at least a week, barring any emergencies."

"I really am glad to see you," she smiled.

----------

Pete decided to surprise Sam with a romantic dinner. He was confident that she would agree to marry him if he could show her how much he loved her. He knew where she kept her spare key so he ran home to shower and change before returning to her house with groceries. He wanted to surprise her so he hadn't called to tell her he was still there.

Sam had told him that she didn't have an off world mission for a few days but he knew she tended to work late. He planned a cold dinner so he could serve it whenever she got home. He finished the salad he was working on and put it in the refrigerator beside the cold chicken and the white wine he was chilling. Satisfied with his preparations, he set the table, complete with candles. Finally, he sat down to watch TV and wait for her.

----------

"Okay, kiddo, what's up?" Jacob didn't let her get her car backed out of the parking space.

"Long story, Dad," she sighed.

"Well, I'm not going anywhere so jump in anytime."

"Okay, I've been kind of dating someone."

"Really? Anyone I know?" Jacob always figured that Jack and Sam would find a way around the regs. He was prepared to congratulate her on her success; he was not prepared for her answer.

"Uh, actually, no. He's a cop. He lived in Denver but recently moved here. He's a friend of Mark's."

"What?" Jacob's voice was sharp. "But I always thought that you and..." He stopped mid-sentence.

"Thought what, Dad?" She looked over at him curiously.

"Uh, nothing. So how did you meet... what's his name?"

"Pete, Pete Shanahan. He came to the Springs on a case and Mark told him to look me up."

"And? What's the problem?"

"Well, uh, he wants to talk marriage."

"What? How long have you been seeing him?" Jacob was very surprised that things could have gotten out of control that quickly. Last time he saw her she hadn't said anything about a boyfriend.

"About eight months. He proposed last week and I, well, I was just so surprised. I didn't know what to say! I know I pissed him off but I hadn't even thought about it."

"Why not?"

Sam looked at him sharply before she remembered she was driving. "What do you mean?"

"Well, you've been dating a guy for eight months and you never thought about marriage? That's a little strange, don't you think?"

Sam thought about it before answering. "I guess it is a little strange. My life has revolved around my work for so long. I haven't really thought about much other than defeating the Goa'uld."

"So why are you dating him?" Jacob already knew the answer but he enjoyed watching her blush and stammer.

"Well, I, uh, I... Well, it's been nice having someone to do stuff with." She blushed harder as he smiled knowingly.

"Sam, you are a grown woman, and as much as I prefer to think of you as a little girl, I have to recognize that you have grown up needs." He almost laughed at her beet red face.

"Dad, my sex life, or lack of one, is not up for discussion. I just can't figure out what to do about Pete. Now he wants to meet you! He's already discussed the whole situation with Mark. He's got Mark's whole hearted approval, evidently." Her voice sounded bitter on the last sentence.

"You don't like it that he's talked to Mark?"

"Well, he discussed it with Mark before he even mentioned it to me. That did make me a little angry."

"Do you want me to meet him?"

"Well, I told him it could take a while to contact you. I was hoping for a little more time before we got that far. It's just all moving too fast for me!"

Jacob's head bowed slightly. When he continued to speak, it was with Selmac's voice. "Samantha, do you love this man?"

Sam sighed. "I don't know. That's the crux of the problem. I really am not sure."

"Don't you think it would be prudent to be certain before making a serious commitment?"

"Of course! The problem is that..." Sam's voice trailed off. "Oh, shit!"

Selmac's head lowered and Jacob's voice returned. "What's the matter, Sam?"

"Pete's here. Damn it!"

"How did he get in?" Jacob did a real good imitation of a Teal'c eyebrow raise.

Sam blushed again. "He knows where my spare key is. No, he doesn't have his own! Oh, this day is just not going well. First, I oversleep, then the general calls and Pete answers. Now I bring you home with me and Pete's here." She felt like screaming. "Things have got to slow down!"

"Why did Jack call?" Jacob had noticed that Jack was in a particularly bad mood today. Now he thought he knew why.

"Since I overslept, he called to find out where I was. I had fallen asleep on the couch and didn't hear the phone. Pete picked it up in the bedroom."

"Ah, just curious, mind you, but why were you sleeping on the couch in your own house?"

"I couldn't sleep and I didn't want to wake Pete." Sam quickly drove past her own house. "Look, Dad, I am not up to you meeting him tonight. Please take my car and get lost for a little while so I can get rid of him."

What could a father do when your daughter's eyes begged you to go along with her silly ideas? "Okay, Sammie, but I am only giving you an hour!"

Sam pulled the car to the curb and jumped out. She was two houses away from her own so she walked briskly home.

----------

Pete saw Sam's car drive past. He couldn't see where it went. A few minutes later, she walked in the house. "Where's your car?"

"A friend from base needed to borrow one so I had them drop me off."

"Okay," he said but his mind was wondering who was in the car that Sam would have driven past her own house to be dropped off. She hadn't been expecting him. Did she have someone else in her life? Had he messed up her plans for the evening?

"What are you doing here, Pete? I didn't expect to see you."

'Obviously not,' he thought. "I wanted to surprise you. I made dinner!" He reached in the refrigerator and brought out his offering.

"I wish you had called me. I already ate on base. I was just going to get some more work done before I went to bed. I didn't sleep well last night and I need to make it an early night." Sam was rambling on a bit. She just needed to get rid of him and she only had an hour to do it in!

"Oh, well, then I guess I should be going," Pete was obviously annoyed. "I wouldn't want to disturb your plans." Whatever they are!

"Well, thanks for the thought. Maybe tomorrow, okay?" Sam hugged him quickly and gave him a perfunctory kiss. "I'll call you, okay?" She knew she was rushing him. He seemed a little suspicious but she just ignored it.

"Okay, Sam, tomorrow then."

Sam watched as he walked to his car and got in. She closed the door and leaned against it. "Whew, that was close." Her mind wandered back to the conversation with her father and Selmac. She should be sure of what she wanted before she did anything permanent. And who did her father expect her to be dating? He said 'I thought you and...' Who did he think she would be involved with?

She shook her head at the puzzle and went to tidy up the guest room for her dad. He would be back soon.

----------

Jacob automatically drove to Jack's as soon as Sam got out of the car. He wanted to know what was going on with him and Sam. Okay, it was a sticky situation, what with both of them being promoted and Jack now being over the SGC. He could tell by the way Sam was acting that this guy, Pete, was not for her. And somewhere in her little genius brain, she knew it.

The look of surprise on Jack's face was obvious as he opened the door. "Jacob, what are you doing here?"

"Seems my daughter had a personal problem she needed to take care of so she gave me her car and ran me off."

"Personal problem?"

"Her friend was at her house when we got there and she doesn't seem ready for him to meet the in-laws."

"IN-LAWS!?" Jack practically shouted. "They're married?"

"No, but he's asked. She hasn't answered yet."

"Yet." Jack's voice was flat.

Jacob followed him in to the living room. There was a bottle of scotch sitting on the coffee table with a glass of ice next to it. The ice looked as if it had been used a couple of times already. "You got another glass?"

Jack dutifully went to fetch another glass with ice. Jacob poured about two fingers of scotch in it and sat back.

"Well, Jack," he raised his glass, "congratulations on the promotion!"

"Thanks." Jack was not in a celebratory mood at the moment.

"Okay, so tell me about this Pete guy. Have you met him?"

"Yeah, briefly. You remember Sarah Gardener, the woman that Osirus had taken as host. Well, old Petey showed up at the op as it was going down. Got a good look at Osirus in action and got injured in the process."

"How did a civilian get involved in that?"

"He claims he was in the neighborhood on the case that brought him to the Springs in the first place. I didn't buy it but Hammond did. Hammond also allowed Sam to tell him about the Stargate, just enough to keep him from asking too many questions."

"You've got to be kidding? I can't believe that George would do that!"

"Well, he and Sam were dating already. Hammond thought that it would keep him from driving her crazy. He'd already seen Osirus, eyes a-blazing and using a hand ribbon. Petey is supposedly a good cop; he probably wouldn't have left it alone."

"And you didn't buy the 'accidentally in the neighborhood' story?"

"Not for a minute. Too coincidental for me. Sam bought it though and I didn't want to push it." He didn't mention that after his promotion he checked out Pete's story. A friend at the FBI was able to confirm that Pete had called checking on Sam. The Denver PD confirmed that Pete was on vacation at the time of the stake out and that the case he was there for was closed before that.

"Has she said anything about him to you?"

"No, and I really don't want to know, Jacob." Jack tossed back the remaining scotch in his glass and poured another drink. His second since Jacob arrived. He was evidently determined to get drunk.

"What happened with the two of you?" Jacob's voice was soft.

Jack's head jerked up and he looked at Jacob sharply. "What do you mean by that?"

"Jack, I am not blind and neither is Selmac. We both came to the same conclusion years ago. I just, we just want to know what happened."

"Nothing, Jacob, absolutely nothing."

Part Four

Jacob left Jack with his bottle and headed back to Sam's. It had been a couple of hours now. She was probably wondering where he was. Jack was in a bad way over Sam. This was not good. Sam might rush into something she's not ready for and doesn't really want just to keep from being alone.

Sam had told him about her experience on the Prometheus. She said that it had made her think about her life and her priorities. He knew she was tired of being alone but she needed Jack and not this guy Pete.

When he first figured out that Sam and Jack had feeling for each other, Jacob was not happy. It went against everything that Jacob believed was right about the military. There was also the difference in their ages and Jack's past was pretty black. Selmac had finally convinced him that it wasn't a bad thing. Those two were meant to be together. If only there was a way around the regs.

Jacob was going to be here a week. He decided on the drive back to Sam's that he was going to find a way to fix things. His daughter deserved to be happy. Jack would make her happy. So Jack deserved her!

----------

Jacob cornered Daniel and Teal'c the next morning in the commissary. "Hey, guys, we need to talk. Somewhere private!"

"We can go to my lab, Jacob. We would have privacy there."

Jacob nodded and he and Teal'c followed Daniel out of the commissary.

Once behind the closed door of Daniel's lab, Jacob got straight to the point. "Sam's boyfriend, Pete, has asked her to marry him. She's thinking about it. I don't like it and I want to figure out a way to stop it."

"Jacob," Daniel was shocked. "Have you even met him yet?"

"Nope, don't have to. Sam is not happy about the proposal but I think she is considering it because she is tired of being alone. In the meantime, Jack was drinking himself into a stupor last night because he can't stand the thought of her being with someone else."

"Jacob, I don't know where you are getting your information from, but Jack seems happy that Sam's finally got a life." Daniel had thought that Jack sounded a little forced when he said that but it seemed sincere.

"Look, guys, I am not blind. There has been something between Jack and Sam for years. They just won't acknowledge it. Or if they did, they won't do anything about it because of the damned military bullshit regs."

Daniel looked shocked. Of all the military people he knew, Jacob Carter was one of the most hardcore he'd ever met! "I can't believe you said that!"

"Look, they obviously have controlled their feelings and never endangered the team or the mission. Jack has never shown favoritism to Sam and she has never tried to use his feelings to get ahead. The regs are designed to keep all of those things from happening. If they can keep it together on duty, why do they have to stay apart off duty? Besides, this is my Sammie's happiness we're talking about! I don't want her to marry this yahoo and regret it for the rest of her life!"

"General Carter, I must concur with your assessment of the situation. I have been witness to the strength of their feelings toward each other."

"What?" Daniel and Jacob said at the same time.

"During the retesting by the Za'tarc detector, they were forced to disclose their feelings for each other. I was witness to this, as was Doctor Frasier. We neither one revealed what had happened. However, I do not believe that their feelings have changed in the last four years."

Daniel and Jacob both looked stunned. Four years, or more, of denying their feelings and then this Pete fellow shows up and screws up everything.

"Okay, so what do we do about it?" Jacob asked.

----------

The three of them threw ideas out for at least four hours until Jack came looking for them. They looked very guilty as he entered the room.

"What are you three up to?" His voice filled with suspicion.

"Nothing, Jack, just catching up on all the gossip," Jacob replied easily. "Selmac has an insatiable appetite for gossip. Have to indulge her occasionally." Internally, Selmac objected but Jacob ignored her.

"Oh," Jack didn't sound convinced. "Well, I was going to go get some dinner and just wondered if anyone wanted to come along." Meals seemed like the only time that he could feel like part of the team again.

"Sure, Jack!" Jacob stood and indicated that Jack should lead the way. Daniel and Teal'c followed them.

"Where's Carter?" Jack said, trying to sound nonchalant.

"I don't know, I haven't seen her all afternoon." Jacob's tone mirrored Jack's.

"Hmmm," was Jack's only reply.

----------

Sam was on her way home to have dinner with Pete. After the way she rushed him out last night, she felt guilty. He had gone to a lot of trouble to prepare dinner. He didn't deserve the bum's rush she had given him.

Sam arrived before Pete did and quickly showered and changed. She asked her father to stay on base tonight. She still hadn't decided whether to tell Pete that he was 'in town', so to speak. She wanted more time.

She finished touching up her make-up as the bell rang. Sam opened the door to find Pete standing there looking a little irritated.

"Hi. What's wrong?"

"What do you mean what's wrong?"

"Your face, you look like you could shoot someone. Did something go wrong at work?"

Pete walked past her without trying to kiss her. That was unusual for him. Sam closed the door, puzzled.

"Sam." Pete turned to look at her. His eyes were cold. "Who was it that stayed here last night?"

"What?" Sam was shocked. What was he doing, watching her house?

"I came back last night. I left something here and I wanted to pick it up." The excuse sounded lame to Pete but he wasn't in the mood to think of a better one. He'd sat down the street for hours last night waiting to see who would show up. "Your friend was pulling up in the driveway. I figured I'd wait until they left. He never did."

"How dare you spy on me!" Sam was angry at the thought.

"Well, you had a man here all night! I just ask you to marry me and I find out that your reluctance is because your seeing someone else! He must have been here before; he walked right in without knocking!"

"You are an idiot! Of course, my father has been here before. He usually stays with me when he's on, in town." Sam's eyes almost glowed with fury. She was so angry she almost said 'on world'.

Pete made the decision then that he would never tell her the truth about the stake out. She might kill him! His anger drained from his face and a sheepish look settled there. "Oh, Sam, I'm sorry I jumped to conclusions. It's just that you seemed so hesitant about marriage and then when you got home last night, you were in such a rush to get rid of me. Well, I'm sorry; I guess my imagination got away from me."

His face changed from sheepish to pouting. "Hey, your dad is here and you ran me off! Don't you want me to meet him?"

She felt guilty at her deception last night. Her voice was calmer as she continued. "Pete, I haven't had time to tell him that I was even dating someone. I wanted some time to talk to him first."

"You could've just said that, I would've understood."

"It was hard enough convincing him to run and get something for me. He wasn't supposed to be gone long. He decided to stop off at a friend's house so he came back later than I expected." It wasn't the whole truth. And she didn't know exactly where he went, he was very reluctant to explain the two hours plus that he was gone.

"Well, did you tell him about me?"

Sam sighed deeply. "Yes," she finally said.

"That didn't sound good."

"He's not happy about it. He thinks I am rushing things."

"You told him you haven't said yes yet? And that I want to meet him?"

"Yes, but he's only going to be here a few days and part of it he will be working. I don't know if there will be much time." She hated lying but she still wasn't sure about introducing him to Dad.

"If your dad travels as much as you say, there's no time like the present."

Sam thought she was going to pass out. She wasn't ready for this! She wanted time to think.

Pete didn't look happy at her expression. "Why are you so against it? You were the one that said we needed to meet each others families."

"It's just happening so fast! I want it to slow down a little."

"Okay, I won't push you for an answer but at least let me meet your father while he is here. It might be the only chance for a long time."

"Okay," Sam said with resignation.

Part Five

Jacob wasn't happy. Sam had agreed to introduce him to Pete. They were supposed to meet at a restaurant for dinner tonight. He didn't want to meet the guy before he had a plan in place with Daniel and Teal'c. He headed to Daniel's lab to see if they had come up with anything.

"Jacob, come in!" Daniel greeted him as he appeared in the doorway. Teal'c was standing off to the side of the door. They both looked like they had been discussing something serious.

"Hi, guys! Pete is insisting that Sam introduce us. We're supposed to meet tonight at dinner. I need a plan!"

"What restaurant?" Daniel asked.

"I told her O'Malley's. She didn't seem happy about it but she agreed."

"General O'Neill frequents O'Malley's. She may be afraid of his being there," Teal'c supplied.

"You may be right. Have you guys come up with a plan yet?"

"No, Jacob, that's what we were talking about when you got here. I'm at a loss! I know you are right and that Pete is wrong for Sam but I have no idea how to stop her if she makes up her mind to marry him."

"Well, if Teal'c is right and Jack goes to O'Malley's regularly then there would be nothing unusual about her finding him there. Right?" Jacob's eyes took on a positively evil look.

"Sooooo, you want us to make sure he's there?"

"Yes."

"General Carter, what would be the benefit of General O'Neill's presence? Do you not think that it would cause him extreme discomfort to be there."

"Yes, Teal'c, I think it would. And I think it would cause Sam to be uncomfortable as well. Maybe they need to see just how much this is upsetting the both of them. Also, if Pete gets a clue about how they feel about each other, maybe he'll disappear."

Jacob's head lowered briefly. Selmac's voice continued, "And if that doesn't scare him off, maybe I will have a little talk with him."

"Ooh, Selmac, that should send him screaming! But don't lower your head for the glowing eye change! I know Tok'ra do that to keep others from being uncomfortable with the change, but Pete saw Osirus in glowing eye mode. That should scare the crap out of him!" Daniel laughed. Even Teal'c had to laugh at Selmac vehemence.

"That was my intention!"

Jacob's head lowered again. "Yeah, Selmac's pretty upset about all of this. Of course, what affects the host usually affects the symbiote and the other way around. She's just reacting to my feelings about all this. Okay, so that's the plan. But can you get Jack to O'Malley's by 2000?"

"I don't see why not. He goes with Teal'c and me quite a lot. Just make sure your table is easily visible and try to get one that is big enough for us to join you."

"Good!"

----------

Sam decided to dress down for the occasion. O'Malley's was relatively casual and she didn't want to appear over dressed to her dad. A nice pair of black jeans with a light blue sweater set and comfortable shoes made up her outfit. She was supposed to pick up Jacob on base and meet Pete at the restaurant.

Sam headed toward the base to get her father. She was so nervous. Half the SGC frequented O'Malley's. Sam had avoided going there with Pete for that reason. Well, not exactly that reason. The General frequented O'Malley's. She didn't want to run into him there with Pete. What were the odds that the first time she goes there that he would be there? They had to be astronomical.

Jacob was waiting in the parking lot of the SGC. "Hi, Sammie," he said as he crawled into her car. He leaned over to kiss her cheek. "You look nervous, kid."

"Yeah, I guess I am."

"You sure you want to do this. I could always claim something came up."

"No, I don't want to do this, not yet. But I promised Pete so we're off!"

"Wait a minute, Sam," Jacob said before they pulled out of the parking lot.

"What?" she sighed as she put the car back into neutral.

"Sam, this doesn't seem right. You really don't want to marry this guy do you? You wouldn't be so reluctant to introduce me if he really meant anything to you."

"Dad, I really don't want to talk about it right now."

"I always thought there was someone else that you cared for."

Sam bit her lip and closed her eyes against the tears that threatened. "There was but it wasn't meant to be."

"Why not, Sammie?" Jacob hated seeing her like this and he knew that the conversation was making it worse, but she needed to think about what she was doing and why.

"It's just not possible. And I am tired of being alone, of having nothing to come home to except an empty house. Pete is a good man. He loves me. I won't hurt him by marrying him just so I have someone waiting for me but I am determined to see if it would work. Maybe my feelings will change." Tears escaped her closed eyes.

"Sam, just promise me that you will think about it carefully before you do anything." He reached over to wipe the tears with his fingers. "I love you and I only want you happy. You deserve to be happy."

A slight sob escaped her lips as his words echoed her hallucination on the Prometheus. "I know, Dad." She sniffed slightly and proceeded to pull the car out of the parking lot. They drove to the restaurant in silence.

----------

It had taken some convincing but Daniel and Teal'c managed to convince Jack that an evening out was called for. They hadn't been out in a while and O'Malley's sounded like just the ticket. Jack was actually enjoying himself playing pool and having a few beers before they ate. 'Maybe Daniel and Teal'c were right. I need to get out more.'

He was actually able to forget about Sam and her friend for a little while. That is until Jack looked up and saw Sam and Jacob had entered the restaurant. They walked over to a table and greeted someone just out of Jack's line of sight. The mystery person stood up to greet Jacob with a handshake and came into view. 'Oh, shit!' It was Petey. He had to get out of here!

"Daniel, I just thought of something that I forgot on base. I gotta go!" Jack was so anxious he knocked over his beer as he tried to set it down on a table. "Shit! Here some money for the tab," he said quickly as he fumbled with his wallet.

"Jack, wait, what are you doing?" Daniel knew what must be wrong but he was afraid to look around for Sam and Jacob. He didn't want Jack to realize that this was a set up.

"I just need to get out of here!"

"O'Neill, you look disturbed. What is it that you forgot?"

Teal'c's words penetrated his brain. He looked disturbed. He had to calm down. He couldn't let Sam or Jacob see him upset. Jack took several deep breaths and tried to school his expression. The men's room was on this side of the restaurant. He decided to go there to calm down before he tried to get past that table. "I'll be right back."

Daniel looked at Teal'c and shook his head. "Man, I really didn't think Jacob had read the situation correctly, but that just confirms it!" Daniel let out a deep sigh. "What do we do now?"

Teal'c nodded to something behind Daniel. He turned to see Jacob headed their direction. "Where's Jack?"

"Men's room. Jacob, he totally lost it when he saw Sam and Pete over there. I don't know if this is a good idea or not. He said he forgot something on base and needed to leave. I don't know if we can keep him here."

"Well, tell him I invited all of you to join us. He can't get out of here without coming past our table. I need to get back over there."

Part Six

Sam was in shock. Daniel, Teal'c and the general were here. She didn't see them until after they had sat down. The general headed to the men's room but she would recognize that back anywhere. She tried to maintain her composure while Pete and her father got through the introductory chatting. When Jacob spotted Daniel and Teal'c, he went to speak with them.

"Sam, why don't we invite your friends to join us?" Pete said as Jacob was talking to Daniel and Teal'c.

Sam was about to panic. "I thought you wanted to get to know Dad?"

"Well, I think I should get to know your friends, too. Do you not want me to know your friends? Are you ashamed of me?"

"No, of course not. It's just..." Her voice trailed off as Jacob returned to the table.

"Hey, I hope you don't mind, but I asked the guys to join us. They'll be over as soon as Jack comes back from the restroom."

Sam looked up to see the three men headed their direction. 'Oh, God, this is so not good!'

Jack didn't want to accept the invitation but he was afraid that it would look strange if he left too quickly. Jacob already suspected that his feelings for Sam were deeper than they should be. If he left now he would just confirm the suspicion.

After the greetings and hand shaking, Jack picked a chair as far away from Sam as he could get. After he sat down, he realized his error. He was directly across from her. It would be hard to avoid looking at her. The waitress came up to take their drink orders. Unwisely, Jack switched from beer to scotch. At least he could get numb faster on scotch.

'Oh, the dinner from hell...' Sam's mind was in turmoil. The general took the seat directly across from her. It would be hard to avoid looking at him. Her mind completely tuned out the conversation around her. She wondered if she could fake being sick and leave. 'Hell, with faking it, my stomach is in knots!'

Jacob noticed that Sam's face was pale. This was affecting her as much as it was Jack. That confirmed all his suspicions. Neither Jack nor Sam contributed to the conversation. Both tried very hard not to look at each other. Pete didn't seem to notice as he chatted with Daniel.

Teal'c remained stoically quiet. His loyalty to O'Neill would not allow him to warm up to Pete. He disliked seeing O'Neill in so much pain.

Pete finally realized that he and Daniel were the only ones talking. He glanced around the table. Teal'c looked like he was ready to kill someone. Pete knew he was an alien; a Jaffa was the word Sam had used. Maybe that was his normal expression. Jacob looked deep in thought. Jack had no expression on his face but his eyes were cold. And Sam, well, Sam looked pale, almost like she was ill.

Pete leaned over and whispered in her ear. "Sam, are you feeling all right?" His hand moved to cover hers on the table.

"I'm fine." She answered shortly as she jerked her hand back and put it in her lap. Jack's hand clenched hard on his glass before he downed the remaining liquor in it.

The waitress arrived to take their food order and Jack ordered another drink. Sam was concerned. He was drinking too fast, too much. She averted her eyes when his dropped from the waitress to her.

The table was uncomfortably silent after the waitress left. Pete looked around the table and wondered if this was such a good idea. But these were Sam's friends. Didn't he have the right to get to know them? Sam's attention was riveted on her silverware. Daniel and Jacob also found the flatware fascinating. Teal'c looked like he was meditating or something, staring out into nothing. Jack was busy watching the ice melt in his empty drink until the waitress returned with a full one.

Pete leaned over to Sam and quietly asked, "What's going on here? Everyone seems like they don't want to be here, including you."

"Not now, Pete." Her voice was very quiet but he could hear the discomfort in it.

"Step outside with me for a minute, please," he whispered in her ear.

Sam nodded and stood up. "We'll be right back," Pete announced.

Once outside, Pete let some of his anger show. "What's with those people? I thought they were your friends. They act as if they would rather be anywhere except here! Is it me?"

Sam didn't answer. How could she? She still loved Jack and evidently, everyone at the table knew it except Pete. What could she say?

"Sam, what's going on? Do they know that I asked you to marry me? Do they not approve?"

"I haven't told anyone that except Dad. He might have mentioned it to them. I don't know."

"So why are they acting like that?"

"I don't know!" Sam didn't want to talk about this. She didn't want to be here. She didn't want to be with Pete! She realized now that he was a poor substitute for Jack and that it was unfair to use him this way. They needed to talk, soon, but not here. "Let's just go back inside and get through this evening, okay. Please!" Her blue eyes begged him to be patient.

"Okay, Sam, but I want to know what's going on. We will discuss it later."

When they returned to the table, it appeared as if no one had moved, well, except for the general's drink. It was empty again. Pete held Sam's chair for her as she sat back down.

They sat uncomfortably quiet until the food arrived. Everyone dove into their food with gusto, except for Jack and Sam. Sam toyed with hers, moving pieces of steak from one side of the plate to the other. Jack didn't touch his. His third drink was empty when the waitress came back to check on them. He didn't say a word, just held up his empty glass and tapped it with a finger.

By the time the meal was finished, Jack was on his eighth drink with no food. Pete looked pissed, Teal'c looked angry and Daniel just looked sad. Maybe this wasn't such a good plan.

Jacob knew Jack was going to need a designated driver. He was bombed. He thought he had an idea. If he could convince Sam to drive Jack home, even if Pete had to follow them to get Sam, he thought that maybe they could talk in the truck on the way. Jack drank enough scotch to possibly loosen his tongue. He figured that Daniel and Teal'c would follow his lead in anything he said.

"Jack, you can't drive in your condition"

Jack protested, his words slurred. "I can get home just fine by myself."

"No you can't, Jack, and don't argue with me. You could get yourself or someone else killed in your condition. Now give me your keys." Jack reluctantly handed over his keys.

Jacob looked at Sam. "I need Daniel and Teal'c to take me back to the base." He handed her Jack's keys. "Why don't you drive Jack home? Pete can follow you and pick you up there."

Sam looked shell-shocked! "Uh, Dad, I don't think this is a good idea," she whispered in a panic.

"He can't drive, Sam, and I need to get back to base."

The waitress showed up with the bill, which Jacob promptly paid for. "Come on, guys, let's go."

Daniel and Teal'c got up to leave with Jacob as all said good night to each other. Once in the car, Daniel looked at Jacob, "Are you nuts? What was that all about?"

"No, Jack's drunk enough he might say something to Sam on the trip to his house. It's all I could think of! This evening had to be the most uncomfortable one I have ever had! And that says a lot, being an ex-general and a Tok'ra!" Jacob sighed heavily, hoping that he did the right thing.

Part Seven

Sam stared at their retreating backs in shock! She was going to kill her father! Pete didn't look too happy either. Jack's look was, well, calling it black would be an understatement.

"Well, let's go!" Sam said, exasperated.

"Just gimme my keys, I'll be all right!" Jack growled.

"No, sir, Dad is right; you could kill someone in this condition. Come on."

Pete hadn't said a word. He couldn't believe the way this evening turned out. Now they were having to chauffer her drunken C.O. home. Was the man always like this?

Sam reached for Jack as he stood unsteadily. He pulled his arm away from her. "I can walk!" She stayed close anyway, just in case.

Pete watched as the general stumbled toward the exit. The waitress stopped Pete. "Are you taking him home?" she asked. "He doesn't need to be driving."

"Yeah, we're taking home," he answered sarcastically. "Evidently he doesn't handle his liquor well."

"Usually he doesn't drink this much. He seemed determined to get drunk tonight."

"You know him?"

"Yeah, they come here a lot. This is the first time I have seen Jack tie one on like that!"

"They?"

"Yeah, Jack, Daniel, T and Sam. They're not here as much as they used to be but for years they've been regulars here."

'T', he thought. 'I guess Teal'c's real name would cause too many questions.' "Thanks for your concern."

The waitress smiled as Pete followed Sam and Jack out.

Sam wanted to help him but the general was stubborn. Every time she reached for him when he stumbled, he pulled away from her. 'Why did he do this?' she thought. She had never seen him this drunk before.

He managed to get to his truck without falling down. Sam opened the passenger door for him and he crawled inside.

Pete came over to the truck. "Sam, why don't we just call him a cab. You don't need to do this."

"Yes, I do, Pete. He's my C.O. and my friend. I have to make sure he gets home okay." She didn't mention that she felt partially responsible for his condition. She had a sneaking suspicion that he was upset over her and Pete. He had seemed happy that she had found someone but his behavior contradicted his words. "Just follow me. It's about a half an hour from here."

Pete nodded and went to find his car. They would have to come back for her car later. 'Why didn't her father just take her car instead of having Daniel take him?' The thought struck him out of the blue. 'Something's not right here.'

Jack's head leaned against the window as Sam started the truck. He seemed totally out of it. Sam's eyes filled with tears at the thought that she had done something to make him this way. 'But that's not possible. He couldn't be upset over Pete. Could he?' At one time, in their relationship, she would have said yes to that question but so many things had changed over the last few years. Jack seemed to pull away from her. She decided that his feelings had changed. If she thought he still felt the same way that he did four years ago, she would have never gotten involved with Pete.

Jack's mumbling interrupted Sam's train of thought. She thought she heard her name. "What is it, sir?"

"Sam," his voice was louder. "Don' do it, Sam." His words were slurred. She wasn't even sure if he was conscious.

Sam's curiosity overrode her good sense. "Don't do what, Jack," she said softly.

"Don' do it, Sam. Don' marry 'im." His words drove a knife through her heart.

She took a deep breath. In for a penny, in for a pound. "Why not?"

"Love you. Don' marry 'im."

Was he saying that Pete didn't love her or that he did? Her mind was in turmoil now. "Love who?"

The only answer she got was a soft snore. Had he been talking in his sleep? 'Oh, great, I feel like I'm trapped in the twilight zone.'

Jack slept until right before they arrived at this house. He woke with a start, not knowing where he was. He looked over at Sam as she pulled into the driveway.

"Wha's goin' on?" he slurred. His head had already started to hurt, a premonition of things to come.

"I am just seeing that you get home, sir. You had too much to drink."

"Wher's ev'ryone?"

"They left, sir. Went back to base. Pete's following me to pick me up."

"PETE! Comin' to my hous'! Why?"

"Someone had to come and get me, sir." She wondered at the tone. He really must not like Pete. But how could that be, he didn't even know him.

"Lousy bum. Spyin' on you. Callin' FBI on you." Jack's heavily slurred muttering was difficult to hear but Sam caught most of it.

"Spying on me? FBI? What are you talking about?" She left off the customary 'sir' as anger set in. "Why would Pete spy on me? And how would you know?"

"Called friend in FBI. They tol' me. He follow you to Danny's hous'."

Okay, now Sam was really pissed. "Pete said he accidentally stumbled on the stake out at Daniel's."

"He lied." That was clear enough.

Pete's car had pulled up beside Jack's truck. He watched Sam talking to O'Neill, wondered what the drunken man had to say.

Sam took a few deep breaths. She needed to get the general in the house before she asked Pete about this. Sam climbed out of the truck and walked around to Jack's side. He had opened the door but was practically falling out. She steadied him as he managed to land on his feet. "Come on, sir, let's get you inside."

Pete made no move to help her. He didn't think the general would appreciate it. He watched the man wrap his arms around Sam as she helped him to the door.

Sam managed to get the door open in spite of the general. He was hanging on to her for dear life. She was afraid if he fell, she'd never get him back up so she let him. She hit the light switch on the way in. She looked toward the stairs to the bedroom. Sam didn't think she could get him that far so she opted for the couch.

Pete watched the lights come on. He saw the silhouette of Sam and O'Neill move to the left. He should go in and help her. He started to open the door to the car but decided against it. Something the waitress said bothered him. Sam used to go out with the guys from her team all the time. Since he'd been dating her, she never mentioned this.

He thought that it was just because they were work friends, not off duty friends. He had those. People that he worked with that he would call a friend but didn't socialize with off duty. As far as he knew, Sam didn't go out with them anymore, or at least not since he started dating her. Was it because of him?

Pete was so lost in his thoughts that he didn't realize the lights had gone out in the house and Sam was opening the door. He looked up at her. She looked really pissed. "What's wrong? Should I have helped you?"

"I have a question for you and I expect an honest answer!" She was really, really pissed.

"Okay," he said slowly. What the hell happened in there?

"Did you call the FBI to check up on me?"

"Uh, uh," his mouth was open but nothing intelligible would come out.

"I take that as a yes," she said coldly. "Did you follow me to that stake out?"

Pete closed his eyes and sighed.

"I'll take that as yes, too. And as far as your question went. My answer is not only no, but hell no! Now get out of here! I never want to see you again!" She slammed the door to his car and stormed back into the general's house.

Pete sat there in a daze. Should he follow her? In the mood she was in, she might kick his ass. How could he explain his actions? He did it because he loved her. He didn't think she would listen to anything he said right now. He glanced up at the house. The lights were on again.

What was she going to do? Call someone? Call a cab? At least he could give her a ride back to her car. Then again, she was highly trained in hand-to-hand combat and she was really pissed at him right now. He started the engine and pulled out of the driveway.

Sam watched him drive away from the darkened living room. Her eyes filled with tears. How could she have been so gullible? Was she so desperate to have someone in her life that she could have believed his story about the incident at Daniel's? And he called the FBI? And that night that her father stayed at her house. Was he there watching the whole time? Sam broke down in to sobs. She curled up in the nearest chair. She cried so hard it hurt. She knew she should go home. She could take the general's truck or call a cab but she was too upset to do anything.

And what about the general? He said something about love earlier. She couldn't tell if he was saying that Pete didn't love her or that the general did? Did Jack end up in this condition because of her? Her tears increased at the thought that she might be responsible for causing him any pain. She finally cried herself to sleep.

Part Eight

Jack was afraid to open his eyes. His head hurt so bad that it would just possibly would explode if sunlight came in to contact with it. He cautiously moved his hands around. He wasn't in his bed that much he could tell. His couch? Vague memories from the night before slid through his aching brain. Most of them involved the bottom of a glass of scotch. He groaned as other memories filtered through. Sam and Pete. Jacob, Daniel, Teal'c. The dinner from hell. His stomach rolled at the memory of the food he didn't eat.

How did he get home? He couldn't believe he made it if he drove. He needed to get up. His stomach was making it clear that too much liquor and no food was a stupid idea. 'Like staying for dinner with Sam and her fianc was brilliant one.'

He cautiously opened his eyes. The sun was barely up, the room dim. At least he wouldn't have direct sunlight to make the pain worse. He closed his eyes again and managed to sit up. The world twisted and turned and his stomach joined it. He moved quicker than he thought possible as he made for the bathroom.

Sam woke to the sound of someone being sick in the bathroom. At first, confused by her surroundings, she remembered last night. She was still at the general's house, so logic would conclude that it was Jack throwing up in the bathroom. She quietly went to the kitchen, found a dishtowel and wet it with cold water. By the time she got to the bathroom, Jack had finished emptying his stomach and was leaning against the bathtub.

Sam stood in the open door and looked at him. He looked like hell. His eyes closed, his hair damp with sweat and he was very pale. "Here, sir, this might help."

He jumped at the sound of her voice. Bloodshot eyes squinted at her in confusion. "Sam?"

"Yes, sir, here." She handed him the cold rag.

"What are you doing here?" He was totally at a loss. Why would Sam be here?

"I drove you home."

"What happened to what's-his-name?" Jack buried his face in the cold rag. It definitely helped.

Sam really didn't feel like going into it right now. She still felt like a fool believing Pete's story, not recognizing him for what he was. "He went home."

"And left you here?" his voice was muffled by the rag. His stomach was still in turmoil. Sam's presence wasn't helping.

"Yeah, you feeling any better?"

"Not really, I think I'm going to be sick again..." He dropped the rag and moved as fast as he could for the toilet. His stomach was almost empty since he hadn't eaten last night. He hated the dry heaves worse than throwing up. He heard the water running in the sink. He felt Sam's leg brush his side as she sat down on the edge of the bathtub. The cold rag felt good as she wiped his face, throat and neck with it.

"Sorry," he mumbled.

"I am not surprised. Eight scotch on the rocks with no food. It's to be expected."

"Eight!"

"Yeah, eight," she said quietly. She had actually kept count. She had never seen him drink so much. "Where do you keep your aspirin?"

"Ah, kitchen cabinet, over the sink."

Sam went to retrieve the aspirin and left him with the cold rag. He'd love to brush his teeth to get the awful taste out of his mouth but he wasn't sure he could make it from the hall bathroom to his bathroom.

Sam came back with four aspirin and a glass of water. "Here."

He quickly swallowed the pills and downed the water.

"Easy on the water, I know you're dehydrated but it can make you throw up some more." She took the glass from him. "Can you manage to get in the shower? It will help."

"I don't think I can get to my room much less the shower, but I really would like to brush my teeth!"

Sam laughed. "Come on!" She reached out her hand to help him up. It was slow going but she got him down the hall, through his bedroom and into his bathroom. He almost lunged for the toothbrush and toothpaste. Sam laughed again.

"Go ahead, laugh at my pain!" he growled.

"Okay, I will! You shouldn't have drunk so much!" Sam smiled as she watched him attack his mouth with way too much toothpaste. "Can you get into the shower?"

Humor returned to Jack's bloodshot eyes. "If I say no, are going to help me with that, too?"

As much as she would like to, Sam just shook her head. "Nope, not going there but if you get in the shower, let the water, as hot as you can stand it, run over your head for a few minutes. Right before you get out of the shower, turn the hot water off. The cold water is a bit of a shock but your head will hurt a lot less after that. Then go to bed. The aspirin should do the rest." Sam turned to leave the bathroom.

"Are you leaving?" his voice was quiet.

She didn't turn to answer him. "Not yet, I'll wait until you get settled," her voice drifted back to him as she left his room.

Sam explored the kitchen cabinets until she found the coffee grounds and filters. She filled the pot with water and started it to brew. She wondered if he was going to follow her instructions. She had warded off many a hangover headache with that remedy. Finally, she heard the water running in his shower.

She sat down with a cup of coffee and her thoughts. 'Why am I still here?' She knew she should have left last night but she was so upset. She could have snuck out while he was throwing up but she felt partially responsible for his predicament. She could have said she was leaving when he asked. But she was still here.

Sam laughed as she heard him yell. Must have turned off the hot water. It was a shocking way to treat a hangover but it usually worked. She walked toward the bedroom as she heard the water shut off. "You alive in there?" she called through the door.

His muffled response came back to her. "Barely."

Sam just laughed at the tone of his voice. "I made some coffee if you want a little. You don't need too much, it increases your dehydration."

The door opened and Jack came out dressed in a worn pair of sweat pants. He had a towel over his head and a t-shirt over his arm. "Yeah, coffee, coffee would be a good thing." He tossed the towel in a basket and pulled the shirt over his head.

"Come on, then, I'll make you some dry toast to go with it."

"How do you know so much about hangover cures?"

"Well, there are advantages to being a genius!" She laughed as he gave her a dirty look. "When I was at the academy, several of us did some private research into cures for hangovers. Mine scored the highest during the clinical trials. Of course, it really works better if you do it before you pass out, but it is still effective afterwards."

He managed to get down the hall without running into the walls. Jack sat heavily in the nearest kitchen chair and watched as Sam fixed him the promised toast. "Why are you still here?"

She paused in her actions. She shrugged as she replied. "It's Saturday morning and I don't have anything planned."

"What about last night? Didn't you have plans last night?"

"I did," she sighed as she turned to look at him. "They changed." Her blue eyes were calm.

"Why?"

"I had a disagreement with Pete. It's over."

Jack's eyes couldn't stop from showing his relief. "Why?"

Sam laughed as she turned around to get his toast. She placed it in front of him as she sat down across from him. "What is this, Jack, twenty questions with a hangover? Can't be much fun!"

It took him a full minute for his brain to process the fact that she called him 'Jack'. He couldn't stop the smile that crossed his face. "You just called me 'Jack'."

"That's your name, isn't it?"

"Yeah, but you don't use it."

"Maybe it's about time some things changed."

Jack sat quietly eating his toast. Did she mean what he thought she meant? His brain was still too overloaded with alcohol to process much. Was it wishful thinking? Besides, the regs were still an obstacle. More so, with his promotion.

It hurt too much to think right now. It was enough to know that Pete was gone. As far as everything else, he needed to think without a hangover. His eyes were also being uncooperative. They wanted to close. He couldn't believe how sleepy he was.

Sam noticed the sleepy look on his face. "Come on, Jack. You need some sleep." She helped him out of his chair and helped him toward his room.

She pulled back the covers and helped him into bed. "Sleep now, Jack. We'll talk later," she whispered as she tucked him in.

His hand came up to grab hers. "Yes, we will," he said sleepily as he pulled her hand to his lips.

The End