Author's Note: I just had to write this one. Was feeling particularly down one night and just kept writing. As always, leave me a message and let me know what you think.

Rated T ... yes I know this is unusual of me... I promise not to make it a habit :P Will change the rating if I decide to add this story. (Updated the rating 07.19.08 since it deals with a few mature matters)

(Note: Rating updated to M as of 08.20.08)

Spoilers? Season 7/8.

Insert the I don't own any of characters speech here!

-- d3vilish

Regretfully Yours...

She held the tiny envelope for what seemed like an eternity sitting perched against the edge of her couch. Her eyes glanced over at the clock: 2:43 a.m.. Exactly three minutes after the last time she looked at the clock.

She knew what the contents were. She just couldn't bring herself to open it and have all of her fears confirmed. Her hands trembled. Flipping it back to the front of the envelope, confirming the guest name as if she had read it wrong the first thousand times since she had retrieved it from her mailbox. It was loud and clear in unusually neat writing: Johnathan O'Neill followed by his mailing address.

Emotions that were supposed to be tucked in the deepest corners of her heart were threatening to emerge from her eyes as she forcefully blinked away the tears. Did she really want to confirm its contents? Would the outcome somehow change if she opened it later? Sam knew the moment she left the invitation on his desk that he wouldn't come. Sam also knew that if she handed it to him directly that she would probably break down right then and there -- she would be asking the man that would do anything for her, to do the impossible... to attend her wedding to another man. She would become Mrs. Pete Shanahan, and he hadn't done anything to stop her.

She looked at the coffee table littered with other RSVP cards. All of them were opened and accounted for, but she just couldn't bring herself to open this one. She sat there in complete silence. How she managed to even face him after leaving the invitation so coldly on his desk was beyond her - it was the easiest way out. The easiest way to shield herself from another let down. Why hadn't he stopped her when she showed him the ring? And now, all the gears were turning. She would be marrying Pete, a sweet, gentle, funny, adorable man with only one flaw. He wasn't Jack. Oh god... how did I let it get so far? Pete loved her... genuinely loved her. How could she turn that down? She didn't even know for sure if Jack had moved on or not. Sure she loved Pete. He was able to make her laugh. But Jack... Jack made her feel alive. She didn't even realize how in love with him she was until she delivered the invitation and retreated to her lab in complete and utter defeat. She had lost - the wall protecting her feelings for her CO had crumbled and she had no way of building it back up in time - the tears just streamed without reason. That was over two months ago.

And now, here she was. Sitting in complete seclusion for the past four hours wondering how she would ever face the answer scribbled on that little card. The RSVP card for her wedding. Was she making a mistake by marrying Pete? She loved Pete. Right? No matter how much she tried to convince herself that Pete was the man for her, she knew better. Yes, she was happy... but could she be happier? She would never know. Her fingers traced his name. Johnathan O'Neill. It was scribbled in black ink - a fountain pen she assumed, judging by the smudges. Sam had given him one for his promotion ceremony. He always had a bad habit of breaking pens. Perhaps it stemmed from his need to always be toying with them. She had it engraved - Brigadier General Johnathan Jack O'Neill on one side of the pen, Sir on the other. It was the perfect symbol of their relationship - formal, yet comfortable.

And now their perfect little dance would be over with the phrase "I do." No more yearning glances, no more subtle gifts, no more wanting the regulations to disappear. That one phrase would forever sever their relationship. They were adults and needed to move on. But if they were truly adults, then why did it hurt so much and why couldn't she move on? Sam fidgeted with her thumbs; a single tear spilling onto the envelope before getting absorbed into the material, the ink outlining her tear as it ran from its dried constraints. The first of many had finally breached the barricade. Sam gave up trying to hold them back. Nothing could stop the fountain of pain.

The wedding was in a week. Seven days. In seven days she would be Pete's - living in that house. She would be Colonel Doctor Samantha Shanahan. She cringed at the sound of Samantha Shanahan. She hated how it sounded. There was something about Carter that she just couldn't let go of. Shanahan just didn't suit her. The turmoil fist around her throat got tighter as she swallowed the bitter reality. Mrs. Shanahan. God. Maybe she didn't have to change her last name? Who was she kidding - Carter was his name for her and she wanted to keep it that way always. Her heart pounded as her eyes darted across the room in a poor attempt at diverting her attention away from crying uncontrollably. God she loved him. So much. But it was too late for them. The RSVP card in her hands was proof of that.

"It's not serious or anything." Her own words echoed in the chaos of thoughts clouding her mind. Was he really happy that she was happy about something other than quarks? Did he really want her to move on? Or was she reading it all backwards? Sam paused. Oh god. Her head dropped into her hands. He had just wanted her to be happy. All along, she was calling the shots. And here she was asking Jack to come to her wedding - this was her choice... Pete - the man which was supposed to be a distraction for her - had managed to steal her from her silent protector.

She swallowed her pride, traced her fingers over what was left of his name -- her pain-filled tears washing the formality out of the envelope. She toyed with her engagement ring, sliding it on and off before finally deciding to rest it on the coffee table with the rest of her future. But all she cared about was now.

Exhaling, she ripped one side of the envelope open. Screwing her eyes shut she slipped the RSVP card out of the damp envelope. She held her breath for a lengthened moment remembering that she would eventually have to read the card. She opened her eyes and read his RSVP.

Name(s): Brigadier General Johnathan Jack O'Neill

Number Attending: 0

She wasn't sure what hurt her the most - his stinging formality or the rejection of her invitation. Sam crumpled the card and envelope throwing it across the room before collapsing into the couch drowning the pillow with her sorrow. "God I love you Jack." she whispered into the pillow as her sobs continued to echo around her.

.

The end?

I'm still not sure if I should continue this story or not... what do you think?

Author's Note: It seems like everyone wants the story to continue so I've decided to write a few more chapters. I've changed the rating to M since future chapters will most likely contain mature subject matter or language.

Thanks for reading guys! :)