Title: Visiting an Old Friend

Rating: maybe PG-13, PG, depends on you

Summary: Jack goes with Sam to visit a friend

Spoilers: Anything with Jacob, Seth, Joliner's Memories

Disclaimer: Not mine, don't sue me!!

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Jack walked nervously to Carter's lab. He hated to be the bearer of bad news, but he was. They had just been given a week of downtime. He was off to his cabin to fish, burp, and other manly stuff, and he knew that Sam was planning to go somewhere with her dad. Unfortunately, he had been called away to yet another *end of the world* special mission. Yeah, cause there's never enough of those...

Sam looked up from her computer that she was shutting down when she heard the knock on her door.

"Sir," she said with a smile, "how are you?" She stood fully erect to him now.

"Oh, just fine and dandy. Look Carter, I hate to be the jerk, but," He didn't even finish as she took the letter out of his hands and looked at him.

"Let me guess, Dad's not coming today." The look in her eyes was something he rarely saw from her, sad acceptance.

"Yeah, sorry about that." He rubbed his hand through his hair during the awkward silence while she read the letter. "So, what were you going to do?"

"We were, ah, going to visit an old friend." He nodded his head before his was knocked off of his feet with the next thing out of her mouth. "You could come, if you wanted. Unless you were going to go to your cabin and fish, burp, or other manly stuff like that." She smiled at him, and it made him forget his non-existent fish friends.

"What? No, nope no fishing. But I don't want to interfere with anything or anyone..." he started, but stopped as he saw her shake her head no with a smile.

"Nope, nothing to interfere with." He took a quick second to look at her. The look in her eyes, her face, even her body posture, he knew she needed someone to go with her for whatever she was going to do. Eh why not.

"Sure Carter, sounds great. Uh, by the way, where are we going?"

"San Diego. You can have my dad's plane ticket, since he won't be needing it. The flight is at 9:00 am."

"Alrighty then. I'll grab a cab and have it pick you up at 7 then."

"Ok, see you tomorrow." He gave her his lopsided grin and walked out of her lab. What did he just agree to do?

'Relax Jack, it's not like you're going to make a layover in Las Vegas or something.' Oh, this was going to be a very interesting downtime indeed,

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Jack had barely rang the doorbell by the time Sam was outside with her bags.

"Ready?" she asked nervously.

"As I'll ever be," he replied. Jesus, he thought, you'd think we were two teens that are gonna do it for the first time. He noticed the extra nervous energy about Carter, there was something else. He couldn't figure it out yet.

The plane trip was only about an hour and a half, and very comfortable. Since Dad didn't spend much money, he sure went all out when he did. They had First Class Seats, where it was only two in a row and reclining chairs. She had laughed at his comment that they should put some of these in the death gliders.

They walked off of the plane in a synchronous silence. Not that he was complaining, but they hadn't spoken much. She was still in the silent acceptance and pensive thinking mode she had been in since they met in her lab.

"The motel is right around the corner," she said. When he said Jacob went all out, he could have lied. The motel wasn't horrible, but it was no five star one either.

"Let's not forget to thank dad for this wonderful arrangement.." he said with a raiser eyebrow.

"Ok, Teal'c," she said sarcastically as she jabbed him in the ribs with her elbow and walked inside to register.

"Ow, that hurt," he pouted as he followed her in. he turned around to smile at him. The room had a bed, a couch that's was stained with God knows what, and a small TV that probably didn't even work. As soon as they put their luggage in the room, they headed out to meet Sam's friend.

"Oh, wait a second, I need to stop in here," she said as they walked pass a flower shop. A bouquet of tiger lilies later and $10 shorter, they were on their way again.

"Carter, I don't mean to interrupt your thinking or anything," she grinned at him, "but what's up? You haven't said much at all, and I still don't know who we're meeting."

"Don't worry, you'll see soon enough." Sighing, he realized his tragic flaw; her smile. It could make him do anything. Sometimes, he wondered if she knew that. She was the only one that could make him do some of the things he would do.

They walked past a large cemetery. It seemed very large, and was even larger inside. Now he was starting to get anxious. What was going on? Why were they in a cemetery? They walked through lines of headstones, and realization started to dawn on him as they neared a certain one.

"Colonel O'Neill, meet my mom. Mom, Colonel O'Neill," she said as she started the introduction waving her hand between the two. He looked down at the gravestone and saluted.

"Nice to meet you, ma'am." He turned to look at Sam. "So this is why you and your dad were coming here."

"Uh hrm," she said as she bent down to lay her flowers down on the grave.

"Not to butt in, but what about Mark? Does he ever come here?"

"Ever since all three of us made up, we always try to come here and meet together. He should be here soon," she explained.

"Not soon enough, I guess. Hey Sammie," he said as he kissed her one the cheek. His wife hugged Sam as Mark bid hello to his departed mother.

"Mark, this is Colonel Jack O'Neill." The two men looked at eachother for the briefest of moments, and finally shook hands.

"Nice to meet you," Jack said to him. He saw the same thing in Mark as he did Sam, sad acceptance. He was suprised he didn't notice it earlier.

The foursome went to dinner at a local diner and talked the night away. They traded stories about friends here and now, about their mother and what so. Sam was extremely relived when Mark and Jack didn't bring up the whole 'military' thing. If there was way to ruin everything, that was it. Four hours later, it was time for the to say good bye. Sam and Jack walked back to their motel with ease, their banter benevolent.

"No way!!" she laughed as she fell onto the bed, holding her side. Jack followed her through the door and turned the lights on., throwing the key on the table by the door.

"Yeah! So when I had to tell my CO what we did, I don't think I had ever been more mortified than that one moment." He grinned at her.

"Jack O'Neill, you dog you!" She couldn't stop laughing. He was happy that her mood turned much more merry. He couldn't remember the last time they were like this. She sat up to look at him.

"Do you think my mom would be proud of be? I do. She didn't want me to join the military. Of course, she would have been happy with anything I decided to do. I think it I joined because it was convenient, hiding feelings, pretending that nothing hurts or what so." He couldn't believe how much she was opening up to him. Shock shook through him. He knew she didn't like to talk about her family life. Hell, he didn't even know her dad was a General in the Air Force until he met him in Washington DC Taking his silence as a sign, Sam moved to walk away from him.

"Sam, I know your mom would be proud of you. I know I am, and that's an impressive incident within itself." They both smiled at that one. "Not only are you an asset to the team, you are an asset to me. " He grabbed her wrist before she could walk away. "You have changed me, for the better. You brought me out of my dark place, and you will always have a place in my life for it." They both stared at eachother with the knowledge of his confession.

Sam slowly sank to the bed next to him. She moved her hand so that they were now holding hands. She moved her free hand to caress his face with the back of her hand. They didn't need words to talk at that moment, it was all in their eyes. The trust, the friendship, the devotion, the affection, the loyalty, and the love between them was spoken in silent volumes.

At the same time, the both leaned in for a kiss, no hesitation amid them. At first, it was only a peck. As soon as his arms moved up to run through her hair, she was at his mercy. The kiss started to heat up, and become more passionate. It wasn't just some lust fulfilled fantasy coming true, it was true companionship happening. Even if physical part couldn't come just yet, they were already above the friendship part.

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Sam laid snug in Jack's arms during the night. She didn't know if he was asleep yet, but his breathing was slow and deep. She sighed as pulled his arms tighter around her.

"Not asleep yet?" he asked her, his voice laced with lethargy. She smiled as his breath thrilled the tiny hairs on the back of her neck.

"Nope." They both knew the reason, they didn't want the next day to come. "I think you would've liked my mom." She snuggled closer to him as he reciprocated her actions.

"I'm sure I would have." They were both silent for a minute. "You know what? I came out to San Diego with you, so next time, you have to come to Minnesota with me." He brushed his face in her hair, which delighted her.

"Ok, I promise." With this promise, the promise that whatever they has wasn't going to end, she found peace in the arms of the man she who became her soul mate.

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Too ambiguous for ya? Hahaha end it how you want it to, its your choice!! As always, feedback loved and craved!!!!!!!