The sky was getting darker so they decided to come inside. Jack took the beer inside and put it in the fridge. His team mates were already seated on the near-by chairs and sofa. He joined them in the living room and the night kept going.

It was their last day at his cabin and they were supposed to leave Minnesota. Teal'c said he'd better go since he wanted to get to Dekara and meat with his son, and in order to be in Colorado at a reasonable hour he should leave now. As the Goa'uld were now defeated he wanted to spend as much time as he could with his son, his wife and their new-born child. Daniel said he'd give Teal'c a ride to the base and asked Sam if she wanted to come with. Since she came with her own car, she told Daniel she'd stay for a while and drive home herself later that evening.

When they left Sam helped Jack to clean up a little and then they went out to the porch and sat on the bench.

"So…" Jack started.

"So…" Sam repeated.

They sat like that for many long minutes, staring at the clear stars filled sky. The silence was very uncomfortable when finally Sam broke it.

"This is a bit awkward..."

"Yea, I'll say…"

It didn't help much since the silence continued to be as weird as it was, no one willing to be the one to start a conversation.

"Carter…"

"Sir…

They said together. "Sorry, sir, go ahead."

"No, that's okay, you go ahead." He looked at her and she gave him a look that told him he should say what he wanted to say.

"So…you're going to area 51 huh?"

"Oh. Yes, sir." She said a bit disappointed.

"So what did you want to say, Carter?"

"I wanted to wish you luck in Washington, sir."

"Oh." Now it was his turn to be disappointed

"What did you think I wanted to say?"

"Huh? Oh, no… nothing…"

"Oh…"

That annoying long minutes of silence came back again. Not able to go on this way Sam finally broke them and said "This is ssooo stupid!!"

"Yea, I'll say. We're like two kids in high school!" He said.

"No kidding!!"

"We used to been able to talk to each other," he looked inside her blue eyes "what happened to us, Carter?"

"I don't know, sir"

And here it was. He opened the door to that conversation they have prevented from each other and have been avoiding for so long. It was about time they'd have it. It was time to put it on the open. They won't be working together anymore so the only time was now. It was a moment that will either make or break them, and they knew it. They both did.

"Well, I do" Jack said.

"Do you, now?" she asked.

"Yup." he answered.

"Well?"

"It's rather obvious don't you think?"

"No, I don't." Yes, she did. But she wanted him to say it. To hear the pain in his voice as he tells her how he feels. She had to make him say that or they'd just be chasing their own tails.

"You met that cop of yours. You hummed in that elevator and introduced me to him as your CO, throwing in my face the fact that you've moved on. That the moment four years ago was just that… four years ago." He was standing now, taking a long breath before continuing.

"Do you even know how I felt every time I heard Daniel say you were meeting this guy to do your wedding arrangement? How it was like to have that phone ringing in the debriefing room knowing it was your *boyfriend* by the way you acted afterwards?"

"Oh, you stop it right there!" she said and stood in front of him.

"Why? Too hard to hear the truth?" he shot at her.

She chuckled nodding her head in disbelief. "Oh, it's not that"

"So?"

"So, first, his not my *boyfriend* anymore…"

"Yea, I know he's you fiancé" He cut her off.

"Shut up and listen. He's neither my boyfriend nor my fiancé, we broke up." when she met his gaze she could see the surprise in it as she moved on "And second, I know *exactly* how it feels like."

"Do you, now? How come?"

"Are you serious?" she was practically yelling now "That day, when I came to your house while you were doing that barbeque, I was about to tell you how I felt when your *girlfriend* showed up. Now I know why you were constantly looking at the door. How could I have ever been so stupid? You talk about four years ago. You bastard, how can you blame me for moving on, even though I didn't and broke my engagement because of you, when you did it yourself?!"

"I didn't." He said quietly.

"What?"

"I didn't." He repeated.

"But…" she started, but he cut her right off.

"I couldn't. Yes, me and Kerry were together, but I couldn't stop thinking of you. She broke up with me a day after you came by, saying she could put up with my issues except for one"

"And what would that one be?" She asked.

"Stop playing games, Sam, we're way over that now"

"I'm not playing games. Do you think I'm enjoying myself here?"

"You are playing games. You know damn well it's because of you. She even said that the whole situation is stupid. That if what's keeping us apart are the rules and regulations, I should retire, again." He sat back down, a sigh escaping his lips.

"We are two stubborn, messed-up people." She said sitting next to him.

"Heh, you got that right."

She raised an eyebrow at him and he said "Oh come on… you know what I mean!"

"Yes, I do."

"Well, at least we got it out. We should have done this before" she said.

"Yea, well, let's not dwell." He said, the second time that day.

"So what now?" she asked.

"I guess we move on…"

"How do we do that? I mean, we're single again, now rules and regs anymore… what do we do?"

"I know what I want" he said.

"And what's that?" she asked again.

"I want to do… this…" He closed the gap between them and leaned towards her slowly. He stopped millimeters from her face giving her time to back up. But she didn't. Instead, she leaned towards him and took his mouth in hers for the first time, after eight long years.

At first the kiss was soft and tender, each giving the other time to come to their senses and stop. But when none of them did so, it soon grew more passionate. They explored each other's mouths while their hands roamed and caressed each other's bodies, drawing the two closer and tighter.

Suddenly, Sam pulled back and stood up. When she saw his questioning look and recognized the fear in his eyes, she put her hand in front of him.

"Let's go inside."

He was relived and took her offered hand.

When they entered the house she continued to lead him towards his bedroom. She'd spent the past two evenings here with the guys so she knew where everything was. But suddenly he stopped in his tracks.

"Jack? What's wrong?"

"Are you sure about this, Sam? Once we get inside I don't think there will be a way out of this."

"Who said I want out? I'm as sure about this as I'll ever be, Jack"