A/N: Hey guys!! My muse is working overtime!! So here's just a short fic cos I'm having writing urges LOL! (OK truth be told I should be writing an English article on 'love at first sight' but I keep getting distracted by Sam & Jack fan fics :D)

Season: 8
Spoilers: Anything up till Zero Hour

Summary: Things have changed, but underneath things remain the same. Sam and Jack have some sorting out to do…Episode Tag to Zero Hour

Pairings: Sam & Jack…duh

Disclaimer: Didn't anyone tell u? I got the rights to Stargate for my birthday :P…no really I did!

Star Crossed

Sam sat in the park, watching her house. She didn't particularly know why she was sitting out there, but she really didn't feel like walking up to her front door, walking inside and having to face the mounds of housework that awaited her return.

She looked up at the stars, her mind wandering back to the last couple of days. They'd been trapped in Anubis's lab for a few days, and Jack had been convinced that they'd been kidnapped by Baal. The looked of worry on his face when he'd first walked into the gate room had immediately been masked when he'd found out nothing was wrong, by his usual wisecracks.

But she knew better. He'd been worried. Extremely worried.

She looked back at her house, considering walking inside and facing her housework when a black four-wheel-drive pulled up outside her house. She stared at it for a couple of seconds, trying to figure out who's car it was.

The familiar baggy pants, leather jack, grey haired figure jumped out of the car and walked towards her front gate. As he reached it he paused, as if wondering if he should actually walk in. He turned and walked back towards the car, but then stopped and leaned against the bonnet, watching her house.

She'd left lights on, because she knew she'd probably be away a couple of days and wanted to warn off any possible burglars, so he probably thought she was inside.

She sat there for a moment, wondering if she should walk over to him and say something, but she decided against it. Waiting for him to walk up to her front door and knock.

He did just that a few moments later. Well, it took him about five minutes before he actually knocked, but he did. When he seemed to realise no one was home he started walking down her steps again. She jumped up off the park bench and jogged quickly across the street, meeting him at the front gate.

"Carter!" he said, sounding surprised.

"You sound surprised sir…" Sam smiled.

"Well, I didn't expect to find you here," he said, sounding truthful.

"It is my house, General," Sam said, suddenly realising how weird it was for the General of the SGC to be visiting her.

Especially being Jack…

"I realised that," Jack said. "But I thought you might on-base playing with some kind of…doo-hickey."

Sam smiled. "Was there a reason you came, sir?"

"Yes, actually…I wanted to talk," he said, sounding almost confused, as if trying to figure out if he actually wanted to talk, or didn't.

"Talk?" Sam repeated.

"Yeah…preferably, inside," Jack said, pointing at the door. "It's a bit chilly."

"Agreed," Sam said, grabbing her keys out of her pocket and walking up the stairs, opening the front door and letting him inside.

She couldn't ever remember him turning up at her place, alone, before. It must be something he didn't want anyone else to hear them talking about…which would mean it would probably be something against the rules.

"So the visit from the President went well," Jack said, making himself at home in her fridge.

Sam smiled. "You looking for beer sir?"

"Yeah…got any?" he asked, looking up.

"Check the bottom shelf," Sam replied.

He smiled and pulled out too beers, signalling to her, asking if she wanted one. She shook her head.

"Living room?" he suggested.

Jeez, what kind of talk was he planning?

She met his eyes and a sudden realisation flew over her. They were going to finish the conversation they'd almost had on the cargo ship in the engine room. She followed him silently into the living room and sat down opposite him.

"So…" she said.

"So…?" he asked.

"Well, you wanted to talk?" Sam said.

"I remember you wanting to talk a few times…" Jack said, quietly. "I figured I'd give you the chance to finish."

Sam remained quiet.

"Carter?"

"I can't," she replied.

"Sure you can," Jack said.

She shook her head. "It's different. You …I thought I was going to loose you, I just wanted you to know before something happened…"

"What's the use in that?" Jack asked.

She stared at him for a long moment. He was finding more entertainment in his beer bottle. But he eventually looked up.

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have come," he said, echoing her words for a few months earlier.

"Don't go," she said.

He looked up.

"I thought I lost you," she said quietly. "When you were frozen, I didn't want to leave, Daniel made me leave. I would've stayed there till we found the solution!"

"I know," he said.

"You know…" she said quietly.

"Sam, if you'd said it then it would have been a reason for me to let go," Jack said finally. "It gave me a reason to keep fighting…to save you…to hear you say those words…"

Sam nodded, tears welling up in her eyes. "It was hard, hiding it from Pete."

Jack said nothing, but placed his beer glass on the table in front of him, watching her the entire time. He didn't know what to say around the subject of Pete. He seemed like a nice guy, but he was with Carter. But if that made her happy…

"Are you happy with him?" Jack asked.

A short flash of hurt crossed her face and then she smiled. "As much as I ever can be with anyone…"

He knew that wasn't the complete sentence.

"I just wanted you to know…that I'm here for you Sam," he said. "I'll always be here for you."

Sam looked surprised. They were the same words that her imaginary image of Jack had told her on the spaceship half a year before hand. She'd believed the words then, but they weren't his words.

Now they were.

"Carter?" he asked.

"Sorry, sir…it's just…nevermind," she said.

"I should go," he pointed to the door.

Sam nodded slowly. "You should get some sleep, you haven't slept well for days."

"Almost a week," he forced a smile. "Well I guess I'll see you tomorrow."

She led him to the front door and opened it. He stepped outside and he followed.

"See ya Carter," he said, heading for the steps.

"Maybe its not me. I'm not really that complex."
His words from the Prometheus the year before rang through her mind.

"Wait," she said, grabbing his arm.

He turned to face her. "Carter?"

"Sir…" she stopped. "Jack…when I saw you get shot last year I thought we'd lost you, then again in Antarctica when you were on the brink of death…and now you're standing here and I can't even tell you how I really feel? Because I'm afraid of the rules!"

It sounded more as if she was talking to herself.

"I stuck by the rules for you, Sam…but I'm the head of the SGC now…I have to stick to the regs, I'm in charge of them," he smiled at her slightly. "But it'll never change how I feel. I'll always care about you."

Sam reached up and cupped his face in her hand. "I don't want to loose you without having done this…"

She leaned across and kissed him on the lips. It was only a second before she pulled back, covering her mouth with her own hands.

Without another word she turned and ran back into her house, slamming the door shut behind her.

Jack watched the door for a moment.

"I love you Sam," he whispered, then turned and walked down the stairs.

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A/N: Thanks for reading guys :D Please review…!! :D:D