A/N - so THANK YOU for the reviews. Here is the next chapter - actually a lot more difficult to write than I thought it would be! I haven't written them in this timeline for a very long time... Hope you will be satisfied. Next one will be more T rated, wanna guess after what mission? ;o)

Jack heard a car passing by so he looked up. Then he realized that Carter's car was parked nearby so she was probably taking a walk or something. He of course heard the rumours that she had a motorcycle – well that she was more or less building one. But so far he didn't know if that piece of gossip was valid or not. Time will tell. That would yet another interesting part of her personality.

He got back to his previous thoughts. Sam was such a complex person. He could use some manual about handling work related issues with super talented attractive women with IQ over the charts.

When he tried to talk to her for the first time, it was after the not so well done mission on planet their inhabitants called Simarka. He should have done better. He should have acted differently.

And after the mission he shouldn't have tried to talk to her at all!

The team got back from Simarka and passed their medical check-up as well as the first briefing. Jack could remember that he wasn't all that happy with all the outcomes. But they have gotten home safely and with some possible valuable information about healing herb of whatever it was. What concerned him was Captain Carter. She somehow forgot to mention that she had been beaten and whipped while being held captive. And those blows she got while fighting Thurgan didn't help much. She was okay but the doc ordered her to stay on Earth for a week with the follow-up examinations of her wounds. She wasn't happy.

Jack wanted to go and see if she was really okay but when he finally dragged his legs to her lab he could already hear Daniel talking to her, apologizing for letting her be alone in that tent, unarmed. Jack didn't need to hear what Teal'c had on his heart, he was sure it was along the same lines.

He turned around and left. Everything was okay. No need to add more.

But in a week when Sam got the permission to go back to active Gate travel duty, he noticed the change. It took him few hours of their next mission before he realized that everything certainly was not okay.

Sam was different. Something changed. She kept her distance and she tried to reduce their conversation to yes, sir and no, sir. Well partially it was okay with him because she was just a young idealistic scientist, she was a kid in the candy store, she was a woman on the front line team which just shouldn't have happened.

But it did and he had to accept the fact that she did fight for her life and won.

He owed her an apology about letting those people dress her up in the blue dress and about leaving her without her sidearm to protect herself. He shouldn't have allowed it.

Before he could figure out what to do Daniel noticed some ruins on the nearby hill. So Teal'c volunteered that he would accompany him there while Jack and Sam would check the perimeter and find a place where to set up a camp.

Once they were alone, walking side to side, Jack knew he had to start this conversation.

"So, will you finally tell me what is wrong, Carter?" He asked and hoped he didn't sound like annoyed CO at that moment.

Sam looked at him and said her 'nothing, sir' in such a hurry that anyone would see it was way too fast.

"Come on, talk to me," he added.

"Is that an order, Sir? She asked back.

"No, of course not, you don't have to talk to me if you don't want to." He said and meant it. He wouldn't force her.

"Great." She said and continued walking. Jack understood that this was not going to be easy. After another twenty minutes of rather brisk walk and radio call from Daniel Jack couldn't take it anymore.

"Carter, stop." And so she did. "I get it you're upset but I need you to talk to me."

"No, sir. What you need is to hear everything is just okay." She replied with a hint of bitterness in her tone. Adrenalin was running through her veins, she so didn't want to have this talk.

Sam knew she was in troubles. She knew how to be a good soldier. She knew how to do her job. But working like this wasn't what she had imagined. She kept on walking trying to leave everything behind her but Jack had other plans. Before he had a chance to change his mind he grabbed her shoulder to turn her around so he could see her face.

"Look, I know you're upset about the last mission and I am sorry."

"You're sorry for what exactly, Sir?" She asked. Well more like snapped at him.

"I shouldn't have left you with no means of defence." Jack said and in that very moment understood that this was not the thing.

"Carter... I'm really trying here." And he could see she's just had enough.

"No, Sir. You just need to have a clear conscience about this. But the truth is that you let them dress me into that blue thing and then you made jokes about it. I get it why I had to wear that dress but your behaviour? How could you? You left to have a party and thought it would be best to leave me unarmed deep within possible enemy territory. You did that just because I am a woman."

"That's not right, Carter."

"No? Would you let any other team member be in that position? Would you leave Daniel like this? Would you treat me differently if I were a man?"

And he wanted to say yes that he would. And so he hesitated. Sam on the other hand gathered up all her courage.

"You're doing all you can to make me leave the team, aren't you, Sir?"

"Why would I do that Carter? Because they forced me to have you on my team?"

"They forced you to have me as a team member. And you don't like it. But they won't let you move me to another team. Not unless I ask for it. Because you know, Sir, I was not assigned to you. I chose to be on your team."

And that caught him off guard. That little piece of information he didn't know about. She had chosen to be on his team.

"I thought that someone with your reputation would be the best team leader I could hope for, that you would have a lot to teach me, to show me. I thought..."

"You thought what, Carter?" He asked her rather gently now.

"That it was a privilege to be on your team."

Jack could hear her saying that and yet in his head it didn't make any sense. Had she idealized him? Did she see something he couldn't?

He didn't fail to notice that she kept her hands on her gun and stood in a way from which she had a good view around them. She was a good soldier even while dealing with something like this. And having this kind of talk with her CO had to be difficult. Also he noticed she used past tense.

"And you don't think so anymore, Carter?"

"Sir..." And she didn't finish. What surprised him was that it hurt him a bit.

"Okay, you're right. I didn't want you on the team."

"Thank you for being honest, Sir." She said and turned around wanting to leave. But in a second she turned back and asked him "Sir, do you want me off the team?"

She was just waiting for the blow to come. She wanted him to tell her.

Jack on the other hand wasn't really sure what to do. In his mind he could see the scene. He would say yes. She would ask why. He would say because I can't afford to lose my mind. She would ask why would he. And he would tell her that she had stirred something deep within him he thought long gone. His gut was telling him that having her close would end up badly for him. And yet there was something about her he couldn't ignore and deny. She had huge potential. And he could probably be one of few people able to help her climb up the ladder. He could really teach her a lot of things.

"No, Sam, I want you to stay on my team." He said instead and used her given name.

"Then why, sir?" She asked desperately wanting to understand.

"I have never had a woman on my team before. I have worked with women but not on the front line." He confessed.

"Is that a bad thing, Sir?"

"I thought so."

"What changed your mind?"

"You did."

"How, Sir?"

"The way you can handle whatever comes your way... But even so, you are a woman, Carter." He stated calmly and Sam would swear his brown eyes were suddenly very warm.

"But I don't need any favours or special care, Sir." She tried to defend her position. "I don't need anyone to think I'm sleeping my way up the ladder or getting special favours, Sir."

Jack decided to let that part be – for now. He had to think first.

"Carter, there will be planets like Simarka and there it would mean different conditions for you. And if you want to do this job you need to accept that. And you also have to accept that seeing you as a woman doesn't mean I think any less of you."

Then there came silence. Jack was looking at her for a moment; he could swear he could hear the wheels in her head turning. In a moment she nodded and turned and continued her walk like this conversation never happened.

Jack was watching her for a moment but then fell into step right next to her.

"Carter, what you said earlier... is that the reason you never really loosen up?"

"What do you mean, Sir?"

"I mean that sometimes you laugh at my lame jokes or smile with Daniel over something you find. It's different from the usual all-by-the-book posture you have."

"Sir?" She really wasn't comfortable with this conversation anymore.

"Have you been accused of - as how you put it - sleeping your way up the ladder?"

"Yes, Sir."

"So you actually had to deal with men thinking that you being smart and attractive meant you would use that for your advantage." And it was not a question.

"I had to prove myself many times over because I am a woman and when I go with others for a beer or to play pool there is always someone to say I'm doing it because of... well you know, Sir. I worked really hard to be here and I didn't want you to..."

"Didn't want me to what?"

"I didn't want you to see me as a liability." She said and suddenly found the ground very interesting. And he did something he shouldn't have. Putting his finger under her chin he made her look up.

"I see a lot of things in you, Sam. By all means you are not a liability."

Time passed them by. Then she just nodded and they got back on track and in another few minutes she caught the Colonel smiling.

"So beer and pool, huh?" He asked with a smirk. And before she could have some remark he added "You're full of surprises, Carter..." And smiled at her in a way that left her speechless.

Now Jack was sitting in front of her house and knew that back then he did the right thing. It was a good thing to have her on his team. But he also knew that he should have listened to his primal instincts and told her to leave the team. It was a battle deep in him and neither side could win.

He just had to come to terms with the new way his life would be – with a woman on his team. And anthropologist. And alien. Hell!

He was afraid he was right about one more thing – that having her on his team would lead to him being hurt. Badly. Because after coming back the team went out for a beer and to play pool and darts and he tried and tried but couldn't beat her. He was almost sure she let him win few times. She was good. Very very good.

It's been very long since the last time he had someone whose trust and friendship would mean so much to him, it was strange but not unwelcomed. But it was more. He felt strange sense of protectiveness... and something else – responsibility. He knew that he was part of this circus to find Sha'Re and Skaara but now he felt like there was more to it. And it seemed like his life could have a purpose again.