A/N Ok, so this is my very first time, so please be gentle! Feedback is always welcome. This little piece was written for my wonderful husband, who wanted something with Sam in a red dress. The rest just followed. Big thanks to Rach for being my wonderful beta, and Steph for your support (and weird conversations) :).

Disclaimer: None of the characters are mine, I'm just having a little play with them. I have also used some dialogue from the episode "Chimera", and in no way do I pretend it is mine. It just fit in so nicely that I thought it would be fun to use.

Little Red Dress

She'd been sitting in the restaurant for over half an hour, waiting. A candle flickered on the table, as she finished the last of her glass of wine. She placed the empty glass on the table and reached for her phone for the umpteenth time, and let out a sigh as she saw that there were still no calls or messages. It was starting to look a lot like she had been stood up.

She looked around the expensive restaurant full of happy couples sharing fancy meals, and suddenly felt self-conscious sitting there all alone. This was meant to be her first proper date with a guy named Pete, who she had met through her brother. They had already met for coffee together a couple of times, but this would be their first dinner and official 'date'. She had looked forward to a chance to dress up, and feel feminine…sexy even. Her hair was done, she'd applied more makeup than usual and had put on a cute little red dress that definitely didn't hide the fact that she was a woman. It had occurred to her that maybe it was a bit too much, and she'd be sending the wrong signals for their first date. But when she had to wear drab BDU's almost every day, it was exciting to feel like a woman for a change.

Pete seemed like a nice guy. He was charming and funny and had been able to make her laugh like she hadn't had the chance to in a while. It was nice to feel that way - to feel 'normal'. It had been a long time since she had dated anyone and she was feeling a little apprehensive. Following her little epiphany after the incident on the Prometheus, Sam had decided that maybe it was time to seek out some happiness in her life. Time to find love. To stop dreaming of being with the man she was not allowed to have, and may never have the chance to be with. Her brother's call to set her up with his friend had come at just the right time.

As Sam contemplated ordering another glass of wine, her thoughts drifted to her commanding officer. Deep brown eyes filled her mind as she recalled a time when she had heard him utter the words, "I'd have rather died myself…than lose Carter… because I care about her. A lot more than I'm supposed to." As the memory came to the front of her mind she felt a lump form in her throat. No! she thought to herself. You are not going to think about Jack tonight, Sam. Get a grip! It's time to move on. Try to find happiness with someone you can actually be with.

She was shaken from her thoughts as she felt her phone vibrate. Lifting it up, she saw it was Pete and flipped it open to answer. "Hello" she answered, trying to keep the annoyance out of her voice.

"Hi Sam, it's me. I am so, so sorry, but I got held up at work, and I haven't been able to get away to call you. Something really important has come up with the case and I'm not going to make it tonight."

"Oh, that's OK Pete. I understand. We'll do it another night." She replied, knowing full well that she shouldn't be annoyed at him, when it could have easily been her who had been caught up at work.

"Thanks Sam, I owe you! Look, I better go, but I'll call you soon. OK?"

"OK, bye" she said. She couldn't deny the disappointment, as she hung up the phone. She had been looking forward to tonight - getting dressed up, having dinner, and being made to feel special as a woman, rather than the scientist and soldier. But, at the same time, she felt a slight sense of relief at the unexpected cancellation. As much as she was trying to move on, she couldn't help but feel like she was betraying Jack in some way, as silly as that seemed.

After paying for the wine, and telling the waiter that she no longer required the table for two, she picked up her bag and walked out of the restaurant, trying not to pay attention to all of the eyes that seemed to be following her out. She made her way out into the warm summer night, and decided to head to a little Italian place around the corner. She'd order some pizza, take it home, and wallow in her failed love life.

Jack exited the little family run Italian restaurant, two boxes of pizza in hand. It was only a small joint, but they sure made the best pizzas in town. As he came out of the door, balancing the boxes in one hand, he bumped, quite literally, into somebody. He quickly grabbed the pizza with both hands before they could tumble to the ground.

He let out a quick, "So, sorry ma'am," as he noticed the black slingback heels from under the pizza boxes. His eyes made their way up from the shoes to the well-toned, elongated and legs that stood above them. His gaze was then drawn to the start of a red dress, the hem of which rested just above her smooth knees, the soft skirt rippling slightly in the warm summer breeze. Above that, he could see it clung tightly to shapely hips and a flat stomach, and, as his eyes wandered even further he couldn't help but notice full, beautiful breasts within the V of the halter neck of the dress. Almost unable to pull his eyes away, he eventually glanced all the way up and met the face of the gorgeous woman in front of him.

Jack froze to the spot and his jaw dropped. There, standing in front of him, was none other than Samantha Carter. Major Samantha Carter. Major Kickass Samantha Carter. Second-in-command Major Carter. The exact Major Carter that he should not be staring at like this…ever!

He cleared his throat awkwardly, trying to regain his composure. He could not believe the sight before him. The woman he was forbidden to love, standing there in the hottest little red dress he had ever seen, her hair done nicely, wearing makeup that made her eyes look as big and blue as an open wormhole.

And then it hit him. This was Carter. This was Carter dressed up on a Saturday night out on the town. This was a Carter who obviously had a date tonight. His heart sunk. He knew she wasn't his to have, but the very thought of her with another man made his heart hurt in a whole different way.

"Woah….sorry Carter. I uh didn't see you there."

"Sir!" she said, obviously as surprised as he was to see him here.

So much for not thinking about Jack. Sam couldn't believe it. Out of all of the people she could have run into tonight, it had to be him, the last person she wanted to see when she was dressed to the nines for a date with another man. She mentally rolled her eyes at her luck. It was pretty typical of anything to do with her love life at the moment.

"Sir, what are you doing here?" She asked, and then immediately chastised herself for asking such a stupid question.

"Pizza." He responded and then lifted up the boxes in front of her, as if she might not have been able to see them otherwise.

"Oh right…of course" she stammered, suddenly wishing that the Asgard would beam her up for some emergency. Anything to get her away from the awkward situation in which she had suddenly found herself.

"So…hot date huh?" Jack asked. She paused for a moment, her mind still not thinking clearly.

"What?" she asked. Sometimes, for being one of the smartest people on the planet, she could be pretty daft. It suddenly occurred to her that he was referring to her outfit.

"Oh right…uh I was actually kind of stood up. I thought I'd come and drown my sorrows in some pizza instead." She said as she carefully avoided his gaze.

"Really?" he questioned, raising his eyebrows. "I'm sorry to hear that." He caught her eyes and tried to convey his sincerity. As much as he hated the thought of her with another man, he truly hated the thought of her being unhappy.

They looked at each other for a moment. The awkward tension in the air could have been cut with a knife. Neither quite knowing what to say in the situation. Jack eventually broke the eye contact and looked around uncomfortably, shifting on his feet.

"Well I've got plenty of pizza here" he said, once again drawing Sam's attention to the boxes in his hand.

Looking back at him again, she asked, "Was that an invitation Sir?"

"Sure, why not?" he responded. "Friends, having pizza….that's what normal people do, right?"

Friends. All of a sudden Sam was reminded of a conversation that she had had with her own hallucination of Jack aboard the Prometheus, which had led to this night in the first place. She hesitated for a moment. This really wasn't the way that she had expected the evening to go. She wanted to say 'yes' so badly, but deep down she knew that it would be really inappropriate to go anywhere with him dressed the way she was at that moment. The way that he had looked at her hadn't gone unnoticed, and had caused a wave of desire to flood through her body. He was her commanding officer, she should really be trying to distance herself from him. Isn't that what tonight was meant to be all about? They were friends, that's all they could be, and for all she knew it was all he wanted them to be.

Picking up on her obvious uneasiness and hesitation, Jack broke the silence, breaking her gaze and looking down at the ground, saying, "Look…it's ok, don't worry about it. It was just a suggestion, but no big deal. I'll see you on Monday."

He began to walk away, before his disappointment showed. He felt stupid for suggesting it in the first place. She had been planning to be on a date with another man, as it was. Of course she wouldn't be wanting to share dinner with him.

"I'd love to." She suddenly blurted out, before she could stop herself. His disappointment hadn't escaped her attention and her heart had immediately twisted at the thought of his pain. He was right, they could share a pizza as friends. It would be nice, and she could never deny how badly she wanted to spend this time with him.

He stopped in his tracks, raising his eyebrows at her response. "Oh…great!" he said, genuinely surprised at her revelation. He looked at her again, standing there, looking absolutely stunning, and wondered how on earth he could be so lucky.

"So… should I meet you at your place, Sir?" she asked. Warmth spread through her once again, as she noticed the way that he was looking at her, his eyes dark with desire. Oh boy! She thought. This is really not a good idea!

Jack was startled, suddenly aware that he had probably just been caught out staring, and cleared his throat awkwardly. "Uh, actually, I was planning on taking it somewhere else to eat. Want to come with?" He said as he nodded in the general direction of his truck.

Sam frowned a little, unsure of what he meant, but trusting him implicitly she just shrugged her shoulders, said "OK," and then followed him towards the truck, the wafting smell of pizza making her stomach grumble.

Hopping into the truck, Jack caught a waft of Sam's perfume and almost died. She smelled like a gift from the heavens - a seductive mix of vanilla and flowers. His only saving grace was the fact that the smell of pizza soon filled up the cabin of the truck, helping to squash his growing yearnings.

"Here, you can have the job of keeping them warm" he said as he placed the boxes on her lap.

"Yes, Sir" she responded, giving him a smile. Jack started up the truck and proceeded out of the parking lot.

"So, where are we going?" Sam asked, smiling with curiosity and excited at the unknown. Jack just glanced her way before turning his attention back to the road. "You'll see."

They travelled in silence for most of the trip. Both lost in their own thoughts and feeling slightly awkward at being in this unfamiliar situation together. After a while it became apparent to Sam that they were heading away from Colorado Springs and up the mountain.

As the increasing silence between them became more uncomfortable, Jack reached over to turn on the radio. As the music filled the air, Sam looked at him, and raising her eyebrows, said with a smirk, "Classical, Sir?"

"What?!" He asked defensively, turning her direction, and returning his smirk with one of his own. "I have taste."

Sam let out a small chuckle at his reply. "Yes, Sir" she said, her smile growing wider, and looking back out the window at the darkness beyond. This man never failed to amaze her. He was sure full of surprises.

At that point Jack turned, heading down a narrow dirt road which looked like it didn't get much use. A few minutes later the truck pulled up at a clearing, overlooking the lights of the small city below. It truly was a beautiful sight.

Jack opened up his door and then reached behind him to pull out a rug from behind his seat. Usually when he came up to this spot he would either just sit in his truck or up on the back, but with Sam in the cab it seemed a little small, and he wasn't sure she'd want to sit up on the back in her nice dress and heels.

He set up the rug in front of the truck, leaving the headlights on, but dimmed so that they would have some light without being blinded. Sam followed, the boxes of pizza in her hand. Jack went back and pulled out a six pack of beer and placed it on the rug, sitting down himself with his knees loosely bent in front of him. He let out a slight grimace as his knees creaked slightly.

Sam handed Jack the pizza and then proceeded to kick off her heels and sit down next to him. Keeping a respectable distance, she folded her legs out to the side and straightened her dress out over her thighs. Jack placed the pizza boxes between them and opened up the first one, revealing a ham and pineapple pizza, offering her a piece.

"Pineapple?!" she said incredulously, once again raising her eyebrows. On one of their team nights, Jack had stated quite clearly that pineapple should never ever be on a piece of pizza.

Jack continued to stare out at the view in front of them and quietly said, "It was Charlie's favourite," before taking a bite of his own piece and chewing slowly.

Sam continued to watch him, but her expression fell and a look of sadness shadowed her eyes. It was so very rare for Jack to talk about Charlie, that even now, after seven years of knowing him, she was still unsure of how to react to such a statement. Her heart broke at the very mention of his name, knowing that she would never be able to truly understand the enormity of his loss.

Looking her way, Jack gave a small smile that failed to reach his eyes. "Today is his birthday" he said quietly. He put his pizza back down and grabbed one of the beers, opening it and taking a sip. When he had invited her on this little pizza trip he had planned to keep the sentimental meaning of the outing to himself. But sitting there, on such a lovely summer night, the beautiful view in front of him, next to the woman he trusted, respected and loved more than anyone, he felt he owed it to her, and to Charlie, to share it.

Sam was taken aback by his statement, once again unsure of what to say. She was shocked that he was not only telling her this, but that he had wanted to share this special evening with her. At a loss for words, she followed Jack's lead and grabbed a bottle of beer, clinked it up against his and said "Happy birthday Charlie", before taking a sip.

Jack whispered "Happy birthday Charlie" in response, gulping down another mouthful of beer, before returning his attention back to his piece of pizza. He was instantly relieved that Sam hadn't responded to his revelations with sympathy. He wasn't sure he could have handled that. Tonight was meant to be about happy memories, not the miserable path of self-destruction and grief that had consumed him once before. He still had other days for that, like the anniversary of his death.

Sam took small nibbles on the now cold pizza, and deciding to speak up, said "Thank you, Sir, for sharing this with me. It means a lot."

Trying to lighten the situation, in true Jack O'Neill fashion, he said "What? The pizza? For cryin' out loud, you hate this just as much as I do!" knowing full well that she wasn't referring to the pizza.

He grabbed her half eaten pizza out of her hand and put it, as well as his mostly finished piece, back into the box, closing the lid and tossing it behind them. "Come on, let's have some real pizza!" He opened up the second box, showing her the pepperoni pizza inside.

Sam just laughed and shook her head. No matter the situation, he always managed to make her smile. "Thank god!" she said, and then snatched a piece, taking a much bigger bite than she had done previously. Jack smirked at her response, taking a piece for himself and shoving it in his mouth. "You didn't think I'd actually planned on eating two whole pizzas on my own did you?" he asked.

"I don't know, Sir. You have been hanging out with Teal'c quite a lot. Maybe you thought you could match him for appetite."

They ate in silence for several minutes. Both enjoying the peaceful surroundings and lovely view before them. "What was he like?" Sam broke the silence, asking a question which she had wanted to know, but had never felt comfortable asking in the past.

Jack looked up to her eyes, seeing the uncertainty within them, and was touched that she had asked the question. He very rarely spoke to his team about Charlie, usually just odd comments here and there. He had had more deep and meaningfuls with Daniel about him, but never with Sam. For some reason, talking to Sam about Charlie almost felt like forbidden territory, like he would be opening up his soul to her in a way that was too personal considering the professional distance they had been trying to keep. Apparently tonight they were blowing all professionalism out of the water. He should have known that would happen as soon as he had invited her on his little excursion, especially with her looking as sexy as she did.

Looking back down, he took a slow breath, releasing it in an attempt to gain the courage to start this conversation. "He was an amazing kid," he began. "He was smart and funny. Could be cheeky as hell. But he had this smile that just lit up the room. He would have loved you actually," he said, looking back in Sam's direction and meeting her gaze. "He loved space and rocket ships and science. He…uh…he wanted to be an astronaut when he grew up." He said, his voice suddenly catching in his throat. Thinking of the life that his son would never have, suddenly became unbearable. He could no longer bring himself to look in Sam's direction, knowing the pain that he would probably see reflected in her own eyes.

Sam continued to look at the Colonel. Her heart breaking at the sight of him obviously dealing with the pain and inner turmoil of his emotions. Despite everything that they had been through together, this was still relatively new territory between them. She felt a heavy weight in her gut, yet knew full well that what she was feeling was nothing compared to what must be going on inside her commanding officer. As he turned his head slightly, in the light from the car's headlights she caught a glimpse of an unshed tear glistening in his eye. This was definitely a sight she was not used to seeing.

Tentatively, she reached out and touched his hand, which had been resting on his knee in front of him. It didn't elicit any response from him, and she knew that he was probably trying to hide his feelings from her. But wanting him to know that she was there for him, no matter what, she placed her hand more fully over his and squeezed. This time Jack turned his head to her, giving a small, quick smile. Unable to hold her eye contact for long, he turned his attention back to the city lights, and then in a gesture that surprised even him, placed his other hand over the top of hers, patting it gently. The message was clear- she was there for him, and he was letting her be there for him. There were no more words needed.

It was in that moment that Sam knew there would be no more dates with Pete, or any other man for that matter. It was Jack. It had always be Jack. It would only ever be Jack. She might not ever be able to be with him in any physical manner, but he had well and truly captured her heart.

After an all too brief time, they retracted their hands, both highly aware of the other's presence. As they both turned their attention back to the scenery, Jack let out an uncomfortable cough, suddenly ready to change the topic. "So….what's his name?" Jack asked, unable to hide his curiosity.

"Pete," Sam replied quickly, hoping to get this conversation over and done with as soon as possible. "Pete Shanahan. He's a cop."

"Speeding again are we?"

"He's from Denver; he's a friend of my brothers." Sam replied, feeling more and more uncomfortable

"Set-up." Jack stated, more than questioned, only allowing the quickest of glances in Sam's direction.

"Pathetic, I know." Sam responded, only chancing a quick look to her side.

"No, it's great." Jack said, trying his hardest to believe the words that were coming out of his mouth.

"Really?"

"Isn't it?"

"Well it's not serious or anything," Sam started to justify, suddenly aware that the conversation was starting to drift towards the unspoken 'them'.

"Tonight was going to be our first dinner date. I mean, we've only met for coffee a couple of times…." She continued to explain, not quite sure why she was continuing to discuss a man whom she had already decided not to see again.

"And yet," Jack started, waving his hand in a broad gesture towards her attire, "red dress."

"Too much?" Sam asked, a slight blush rising up her neck as she became hyperaware of what she was wearing and what her commanding officer may have been implying.

"Oh no, don't get me wrong," he said. "I think you look…" he wanted to say hot, sexy, utterly gorgeous…"Great," he responded instead, risking a quick glance up and down her body, before averting his eyes.

Jack's quick once over didn't escape her attention and she found her heart started to beat just that little bit faster as a warm tingle spread through her body. "You do?" She asked, trying to look at his face, hoping for some clues as to what he may have been feeling.

"Yeah sure ya betcha" he replied, once again glancing her way and giving a small, coy smile. Sam caught his eyes, holding them, somehow hoping that staring into those brown depths would reveal a part of his soul that she was hungry to know. He still had up those Jack O'Neill walls. Was he hurting for her? Was he aching at the thought of her being with another man? She couldn't have him hurting like that, not because of her. Especially tonight, of all nights.

"I'm not going to see him again" she suddenly blurted out.

"Huh?" he questioned, still looking at her, his eyebrows raised in confusion.

"Pete. I'm not going to see him again." She explained.

"Oh" he silently mouthed and then looked back down into his lap. Chancing a look back up, he met her eyes again, and with a confidence in his voice that he didn't feel, questioned, "Why?"

Sam bit her lip and dipped her head, before once again meeting his eyes. She didn't want to say the words. She hoped she didn't need to. She stared at the man in front of her, her eyes conveying the pain, the hope…the love.

She looked away again, the tension between them becoming too much, and let out a shiver as the cool mountain air started penetrating her bones. She wrapped her arms around herself as another shiver swept over her, not sure whether it was her body's reaction to the cold, or from the emotion elicited by the man sitting next to her.

The shiver didn't escape Jack's attention. The air temperature had definitely dropped since they had arrived and she really wasn't dressed appropriately for the mountain air.

"C'mere" he said and shuffled closer to her so that he was sitting right next to her, almost touching, but with her slightly in front. Sam's breath caught in her throat as she felt his hand come up behind her and land on her bare arm. Her cold skin suddenly felt alight at the touch, his hands warm against her. He started rubbing his hand up and down her arm, his other hand soon doing the same to her other arm. Despite knowing that she was still probably quite cold, she started to feel on fire, the touch warming her to the core, the closeness sending tingles down her spine. She closed her eyes, embracing the sensations emanating from beneath his hands.

As Jack rubbed his hands up and down Sam's arms, he couldn't help but lean closer, her perfume intoxicating…her bare upper back and shoulders even more so. This was wrong. He knew it was wrong, but tonight he didn't have the strength to pull away- to put up those barriers that were so important between them.

He heard her let out a quiet sigh, as her head dropped, revealing more of her neck. He couldn't look away. He wanted to touch her, touch more of her, to taste her….it was too much. He knew he had to move away before he did something stupid. Something really really stupid and completely against regulations. He paused the movement of his hands on her arms, and was about to move away, but stopped as she turned towards him- unable to meet his gaze due to the angle- and whispered, "Do you ever wish…." Her voice trailing off into the night, the sentence unfinished.

"What?" he asked, almost a whisper.

Sam dropped her eyes back down to her lap. She bit her lip as she contemplated whether or not to go on. Jack's hands slowly started travelling up and down her arms again, in a much gentler and sensual way than before, causing her skin to tingle at the touch. Sam closed her eyes again, trying to savour the sensation, while her mind dealt with a barrage of emotions and thoughts.

"Do you ever wish," she tried again, her voice so soft that he had to strain to hear her, "that we could just…forget? Just for one night…" She didn't elaborate any further, but she didn't need to.

"Sam…" Jack groaned and lowered his head to her bare shoulder in a futile attempt to gain some self-control over his body's reactions and his emotions. He wished - boy had he wished! He wanted her, so badly that it hurt. But he couldn't - they couldn't. He had to be strong or their whole working relationship could be ruined forever, and that was regardless of whether or not they were caught and court martialled!

"After everything we've been through, and everything that we've done…we're still denied….this." She didn't elaborate on 'this,' but her meaning was clear. "I just wish….." she trailed off again, her voice quiet, but almost pleading.

Jack's hands had stilled on her arms, once again, as his forehead was rested on her shoulder. He remained silent, wanting to say so much, but not quite sure what to say. His self-control was slowly being torn to shreds. The proximity, her words, her smell, it was all becoming too much. He thought back to all of the times that he thought he had lost her, or was going to lose her. Then he thought back to tonight and the vision he'd had of her with another man…her in that little red dress, those heels…her body pressed up to somebody else- kissing, touching, as they made their way to her bedroom…

He let out another slight groan as his resolve all but vanished. "Sam" he whispered again, as he shifted his head, trailing his nose across her naked shoulder, drowning himself in her scent.

She let out a small gasp and another shiver swept over her. Her whole body ached for him- craving his touch. She felt it as the tip of his nose was replaced by his lips, and he started trailing kisses along her shoulder. She wanted- needed more.

Jack's kisses made their way across her shoulder and up to her neck. As he kissed the side of her neck he couldn't help but have a taste, using his tongue to gently lap at her skin.

"God…Jack…" she moaned, and leaned her head to the side to give him more access.

He kissed a sensitive spot behind her ear, and she could hold back no longer. Turning her head and twisting her body, she grabbed his face with one hand, and found his lips with her own. Jack moved one of his hands from her arm to her face, fingers partly in her hair, his thumb lightly brushing her cheek. The kiss was fuelled with passion, and it wasn't long before their mouths were parted and tongues danced within.

Neither knew how long it had been before they broke apart, resting their foreheads against each other and nuzzling each other's faces, panting with desire and lack of oxygen. Jack moved one of his hands to her waist, taking in the feel of the soft dress under his rough hands. Sam groaned and their lips met once more- fiercer, more desperate, demanding, as their tongues fought for dominance.

Jack grabbed at her waist before slowly, tentatively moving his hand across her stomach and up under her breast. Sam gasped and arched her back, tilting her head back and allowing him access to suck on her throat. He gently nipped under her jawline, before meeting her mouth again with a passion fuelled kiss.

They both let out a moan as Jack's hand moved higher, cupping her breast in his hand. Skimming his fingers across the material, he came to the edge and then slipped his hand underneath. He gently kneaded, circling her taught nipple with his thumb.

"Jack…." Sam managed to get out between kisses. "Want you…." She could barely form a coherent thought as Jack's hands worked their magic and his tongue took possession of her mouth. She was throbbing and wet, desiring so much more from him.

Jack gently pushed her backwards, slowly removing his hand from under the top of her dress and sliding it firmly down her side, across her hip and over her thigh towards her knee.

Sam held his head to hers as she slipped one hand across his shoulders, trying to gain as much contact as possible. She knew where she wanted him, and tried to entice his body to cover her own.

Jack had other plans as he kept himself slightly to her side, savouring every sensation as he tentatively trailed his finger over the silky smooth skin of her inner thigh. Sam arched into his touch, separating her legs further, as his hand ever so slowly approached the part of her that craved him the most. His thumb rubbed over the edge of her panties at the crease in her thigh. The slow ministrations were killing her, as her whole body felt on fire, heart racing and panting for breath, she started to reach for his belt….

Ring ring! Ring ring! They were startled apart by the noise. Both so caught up in the moment and drunk with desire that it took them a moment to realise that it was Jack's phone ringing from within his pocket. Faces flushed and panting, they stayed unmoving, looking into each other's pupil-dilated eyes. They both saw the moment in each other's eyes that the realisation of the situation started to hit home. What they had done…what they had almost done.

They were shaken from their thoughts as his phone rang out again. Almost deafening in the otherwise silent surroundings. Jack gave Sam one last regretful look, before reaching into his pocket to grab the phone. Looking at the screen, he looked back to Sam. "It's Daniel" he said. "I might just…"

"You should answer it" Sam quickly interrupted. "It might be important."

Jack just gave her a look of disbelief, before flipping open the phone, answering it with a very agitated "What Daniel?!"

Sam sat up, looking at Jack and trying to calm her body.

"No I don't know where she is…How would I know Daniel?...Maybe she's on a date!...Is it important?...The Stargate what? Never mind…Leave it with me." He hung up the phone, stopping Daniel from saying anymore. He did not want to be talking to anyone right now.

He looked back at Sam, her eyes wide with concern.

"The base has been trying to contact you…some computer glitch to do with the Stargate…or something."

Sam just lowered her head. She could no longer stand to meet his eyes. It was suddenly too painful, feeling like a bucket of ice water had been thrown over the both of them. He was her commanding officer. This could never go any further. There was too much at stake.

She felt her eyes watering up, and turned her head further away in an attempt to hide it from him. The atmosphere between them suddenly becoming incredibly awkward as they were reminded of their positions.

"Crap!" Sam exclaimed, both at the situation between them, and at the problem with the gate. "I'd better give them a call," she said, as she started to get up to get her phone from inside the truck.

Jack watched on as she retrieved her phone and dialled the SGC. He didn't bother trying to listen in. He wouldn't have understood half of the conversation anyway. Instead his mind was preoccupied with his beautiful second in command- how she felt under his hands, the taste of her mouth and her skin, the small noises she made as she demanded more…

He looked at her now, her hair messy and her dress slightly dishevelled. She was leaning back against the door of the truck, one arm crossed over her midsection, as she looked out into the blackness of the forest around them. Even in the dim light there was no hiding her beauty. He loved her, he knew he loved her, and even though he knew they could not be in any sort of relationship right now, he felt an odd sense of calm that he had had the opportunity to taste her, to feel her, to get some sense that she might feel the same way back…

With a sigh he looked away from her and started to pick up the pizza boxes and the rug which they had been sitting on. Tonight was over. That much was clear. Maybe one day, he told himself. Maybe one day….

Sam hung up the phone and turned to Jack, who was putting the last of the things back into the truck.

"I think it's all ok now," she said. "I just had to run Lieutenant Simmons through some coding."

"That's good," Jack replied. "We should probably…uh…" he said, gesturing to the truck. Uncomfortable was an understatement to what they were both feeling in that moment.

Sam gave him a pained look, full of regret and loss, before nodding her head and stepping up into the truck, straightening out her dress as she sat down.

They drove most of the way in silence, both lost in their own thoughts, and neither willing to raise the issue of what had happened between them. Tomorrow they would have to go back to being CO and 2IC, but neither wanted to face that reality just yet. At this stage, the unspoken was easier than the spoken.

It remained that way until they reached the outer lights of the city. Sam had one arm up on the window, biting at her freshly manicured nails. Jack looked over at her and his heart broke, seeing the obvious emotions play across her face. Reaching over, he grabbed her spare hand, entwining their fingers with a gentle squeeze. They looked at each other for a moment, before Jack gave her a quick smile and returned his eyes to the road.

As they approached the dark carpark near the restaurant, Sam's heart caught in her throat. They had travelled the whole way in near silence, unable to verbalise the emotions that raged within. This was it. She would be getting out of the car and the night would end. This would end. Tomorrow they would go back to their working relationship and pretend that none of this had ever happened. She wanted more. She wanted so much more. But right now, the job had to come first.

Jack pulled the truck up next to her car. They looked into each other's eyes one last time, the pain, the loss, the love could be seen within.

"Thanks, Sir," She said, not quite sure what she was thanking him for, but unsure as to what else to say. She gave him one last half-smile and turned to open the door. Before she could, Jack reached for her arm, pulling her back to face him.

"Sam, wait," he said, before taking hold of her face and meeting her lips in a long, passionate kiss. Unlike before, the kiss was slow and tender, full of love, rather than lust. They pulled apart, resting their heads against each other, not wanting the moment to end.

"I'll wait for you," she whispered, before meeting his lips for one last kiss, and then turned and left the truck. Jack watched her retreat to her car, a small smile gracing his lips and a twinkle in his eyes.

The next day….

Jack was in the elevator, travelling within the depths of the SGC. His mind kept wandering, thinking of silky skin, desperate kisses, and one very sexy little red dress. He couldn't get past the perfection of that moment from the previous night. It was wrong, he knew it was wrong, but it had felt oh so right. He was startled from his thoughts when the elevator stopped at the next level and the door opened, to reveal none other than Carter herself.

They avoided eye contact as she walked in and reached past him to press her floor button. The doors closed and they remained in silence. Jack was wondering how to break the awkward silence when he suddenly noticed that Sam was humming a tune he did not recognise. He looked at her for a moment and noticed a small smile playing over her lips as she hummed.

"Humming?"

"I am?" she asked.

"You are," he responded matter of factly.

She looked up at him and met his eyes. A big grin spread across her whole face and he couldn't help but smile in return.

"I guess I am," she said, with a sexy, mischievous glint in her eye before turning back to face the front.

Jack just shook his head, dimples showing as he smiled. Oh, she was going to be the death of him!

The End