Summary: Mildly angsty fluff set between seasons 8 and 9. Jack escorts Sam to her new post at area 51.

Written for Eisette with the prompt 'cactuses in Nevada'. Intended as proper angst, but everything I write turns to fluff, so...

Pairing: Sam/Jack, newly established.

"Y'know, Carter, I thought there'd be more cactuses in Nevada."

"Cacti." The correction was automatic, and she regretted it a little when he raised an eyebrow at her, as if to say 'Really? Even now?' She had a strong urge to tack a 'sir' on the end, but managed to resist. Finally, those days were gone. For the most part. Jack's gaze returned to the vast expanse of road.

"I still say there should be more of 'em. It's a desert, for cryin' out loud." She grinned out of the passenger window.

"Why're you surprised, sir? You've been to Area 51 before." She teased, still watching the barren landscape fly past as they drove along the highway.

"Yeah, but we always got a plane straight in. I've never driven." It was true, of course. Normally they got dropped practically outside the entrance, hitching a lift with various Air Force planes, then being picked up and flown specially, usually because it was the end of the world. Again.

This time, however, it wasn't, and they'd flown civilian-style, then rented a truck. Jack had insisted on a truck, and she'd laughed and said she wished she could rent a motorcycle, and he'd agreed and made a barely-audible comment about her and leathers that had made her smile and focus on the rental contract instead of his half-wistful, half-teasing expression...

So here they were, driving to Area 51. He was here, technically, in an official capacity, but nobody would blink an eye when he snuck into her temporary quarters that night, or if he glanced at her longer than he should as he held open a door for her.

"Jack?"

"Mmm?"

"How are we going to make this work?"

He turned to look at her again, deep brown eyes piercing her a little sadly. She smiled reassuringly and they warmed as he broke into a grin.

"Carter, I'm pretty sure I have a good reason to visit at least once a month." She laughed, and her eyes flicked down at his dress uniform. The uniform he'd now be wearing every day. "... I mean, I've got to keep an eye on those top secret projects, haven't I?"

"Yes, sir." She turned to look at the desert again, noticing the first checkpoint approaching ahead, with its miles of wire fencing extending in either direction. After that, they wouldn't have much chance to speak again. He'd get the same tour as her, see her settled into the quarters she'd live in until her rental bungalow was ready, stay the night, check out how the new generation of ships was coming along, then... He'd have to leave, drawn back to Washington by his still-recent promotion. The one that had allowed them to - finally! - express their feelings for each other, even if it meant they had to express those feelings mostly long-distance. It was ridiculous, really, that after all these years of being 'cock-blocked by the Air Force' - a phrase Daniel had delightedly slurred a few hours after he'd caught them kissing in the kitchen during their last team night - all that was keeping them apart was 2500 miles of road.

Jack cleared his throat, shifting her attention back to him. His eyes were fixed on the road. Sam raised an eyebrow in the way only someone who's spent 8 years working with Teal'c can do. His face cracked into a smile.

"Jesus, Carter, you do that nearly as well as T now."

"Thank you."

"I'm not sure that was a compliment."

"I'll take it as one. With all due respect, you're just jealous you can't do it so well."

"Careful, Carter." He said, with a slight growl. She smiled, and turned her blue eyes on him. He saw and grinned.

"Dammit Carter, you know that's not fair."

"All's fair in love and war, sir." He chuckled at her use of the cliché - a habit she'd finally picked up from him.

"Which is this?" He said, lightly.

"Jack, you know which one this is." Teasing, testing, not quite daring to say it yet. She'd always had problems with commitment, even before the Stargate.

"Or it will be until we get to that checkpoint." His tone was no longer light, though he'd meant it to be, reminded of the months - maybe years - of difficulty that were ahead of them.

"Jack..." Don't make this harder than it already is.

"Carter?" An instinctive reaction they both thought he'd trained himself out of.

"Don't 'Carter' me, Jack!" She snapped, regretting it instantly, and turned to focus on the sandy landscape out of her window again. Jack pulled over, but she stayed looking away from him, aware of the fact that he was undoing his seatbelt and scootching over to her. She flinched as he gently turned her shoulders so she was facing him, blue eyes wide, but tired-looking.

"Sam..." His voice was low, and he avoided meeting her eyes after that initial glimpse. "I'm sorry. That wasn't fair."

"All's fair in love and war, sir." She repeated, bitterly this time. He drew in his breath sharply, and placed his hands on her arms, lifting his eyes to meet hers again.

"And this is always gonna be just one of those, Sam. Always." She smiled at the bitter-sweet memory of his comfort after her father died.

"Which one is this?"

"You know which one this is, Sam. You're a genius, aren't you?"

Her lips curved into a frail smile. "Well, since this doesn't exactly look like a war..."

"C'mere."

The soldiers at the checkpoint frowned as they presented their IDs.

"Sir, Ma'am, is everything alright? You stopped back there for a while."

"Everything's fine, Airman. We were just checking out the view. But I really did think there'd be more cactuses in Nevada."