Disclaimer: I do not own any characters in the story, if I did I would not be writing fanfiction, I would be enjoying my own private island.

"Hey Jack, wait up!" Daniel's voice floated down the hall.

Colonel Jack O'Neill stopped and turned to glare at Dr. Jackson. "Daniel this better be important, I finally got vacation time and I don't want to waste any of it at work." He gestured at the bare metals walls around him. "Not quite Minnesota." His usual sarcasm was making an appearance.

"Actually, I wanted to ask you about Minnesota." Daniel looked at him uncomfortably.

Jack's face softened, "Oh, well, if you want to come along..."

"It's not me who-"

"Oh then if no one wants to keep me company." Jack turned towards the elevator.

"I want you to take Sam."

Jack whirled around not believing what he was hearing. "Um... Danny if you haven't noticed, I ask Carter to come along every time I go to my cabin, I think you know her answer."

"I know Jack, but it's just that..." he stopped when Sam walked around the corner.

Sam smiled at both of them then said to Colonel O'Neill, "I thought you would have left already Sir."

Jack shot a glare at Daniel, "I was just about to leave when... I thought I might ask you to join me again." He changed his mind when he saw Daniel making frantic gestures behind Sam and pointing at the both of them.

"Thanks again, Sir, but I have a lot to do around here, there's the Goa'uld devices SG-9 picked up from P3X 477 and the invisible book which no one seems to know what to do with."

"Major, there's a reason they call it leave." He drew imaginary quotes around the last word. Jack wasn't quite sure why he was inviting her again, after all there was no way she would say yes, unless an alien took over her mind. He guessed he had just wanted a reason to spend time with her alone and Daniel's request seemed to be the perfect excuse, even if he didn't know the objective of it.

Sam laughed and bid them both farewell and Jack good luck with his fishing even though he never caught anything.

Both men stood and watched her head back to her office. "If someone doesn't make her leave here for the next week, she'll take root."

"That's why you have to get her to go with you," Daniel almost whined.

"Why don't you take her wherever you're going. Where are you going anyway?"

"The United Archeologist Foundation conference."

Jack rolled his eyes, didn't anyone around here ever stop working?

Daniel noticed the expression on his face, "That's why you have to take her. Besides you understand Sam so much better than I do."

"Hmpf! Daniel if I understood one woman I would count myself lucky. Why do you think I joined the Air Force?"

Daniel knew that was a joke, but he didn't think it was very funny. The look he had on his face told Jack that much. And much to Jack's chagrin he found himself feeling slightly guilty.

"Jack, you've got to get her out of her, get her mind off all the stuff that's been happening."

Jack noticed the concern in Daniel's voice and thought about all the things that had happened to Carter, the armband incident, being a Zatarc, Martouf's death, him admitting what he never would have...

"I can't Daniel, I don't think I'm the right person to..."

"You're exactly the right person, maybe even the only person, she trusts you like no one else."

"It was then that Jack realized he was going to have to do what Daniel asked, God he hated it when he was right. Jack looked at Daniel and said the one word Daniel had been wanting to hear, "alright."

Without looking back Colonel O'Neill speed walked to Carter's office, but when he got there he wasn't sure what he was going to say. He knocked gently on the door announcing his presence.

"Sir, um...come in." Sam stepped back from the door to allow him passage and he closed the door behind him. Carter looked a little preoccupied, he thought there was a tear glistening at the corner of her eye, but the next second it was gone. "Did you want something sir?"

"Yeah, actually I want your company." Jack tried to stall for time.

"I told you Colonel, I have things to do around here."

"Carter they can wait. The SGC's not going anywhere. You have time off and I'm going to make you take it whether you like it or not."

Sam looked taken aback before regaining her composure. Jack felt sorry having to be so blunt but God Carter could be stubborn.

"I'm sorry Carter but I really don't want to alone." Jack figured if he made it about him she might be more willing to cooperate.

After a while Sam must have decided that Jack was being sincere because she said, "Ok, when do we leave?"

Jack could not believe how easy that had been. It was a pity he hadn't thought of it before, "As soon as your ready."

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