After starting the coffee, Sam walked to the small kitchen table. She shook her head and sighed as she looked at the revolver and the single sheet of paper, still blank, with the ink pen sitting on top. She wasn't stupid. Jack O'Neill was a man with a death wish. If she hadn't arrived, he probably would have taken his own life by night fall. This man was not the right choice, but she wasn't about to just let him kill himself.

It was almost forty minutes before a slightly more sober, clean shaven Jack came back into the living room. To Sam's dismay, he was a very, very attractive man and he smelled so much better without the wreak of alcohol. His hair was unruly in a very sexy way. Maybe having him shower was a really bad idea. The last thing she needed was to be physically attracted to this basket case. Trying to regain her focus, Sam poured a couple of cups of coffee. "Do you take cream or sugar?" she asked.

"Black is fine," Jack replied. His voice sounded a bit stronger. Sam set the cups on the table, sliding the gun to the side as she sat down. "It isn't what it looks like. I was just-"

"So, I didn't interrupt your suicide?" she asked as she took a sip from her cup.

Jack sighed, "I hadn't really decided exactly. This," he said picking up the gun then returning it to the table, "has been sitting here for days. I guess I'm not even strong enough to end it, yet."

"Well, I'd say it takes a stronger person not to do it personally."

"Since you are not a shrink, let's just get to what you came for doctor."

"Sam, just call me Sam."

"Sam," he repeated, "what's West want?"

"I doubt he knows the shape you are in or he probably wouldn't have sent me colonel. I'm not sure I should proceed until we get to know each other a little better."

"Retired colonel and call me Jack, please. If West sent you, I figure he knows exactly the kind of shape I'm in and it likely doesn't matter for this particular mission. But, if you want to talk then talk."

Sam was taken back a little by his statement. She wasn't sure she liked what he was implying, but she tried to pass it off on his current state. "How long have you been retired, Jack?"

"Since my son died." He paused, "4 months, 6 days, and," he glanced at the wall, "about 14 hours."

"I'm sorry. I can't imagine losing a child."

"You have kids?"

"No."

"Well, being a parent is the most exciting adventure ever. There's nothing like it. Charlie was great. He was smart and funny, a great baseball player, and he thought I was a hero. But, it wasn't enough. I killed my own son."

Sam gasped and accidentally spilled part of her coffee. She grabbed a dishcloth and cleaned the mess. She really didn't know how to respond to this particular revelation. Finally, the silence seemed worse than anything she could possibly say, so she asked, "What exactly do you mean when you say you killed him?"

"I didn't have my firearm secure. He picked it up. He accidentally shot himself with my gun. West knows that, so believe me when I say he knows exactly what my mental state is right now."

"It sounds to me like it was an accident, Jack."

"Tell that to Charlie or Sarah."

Sam assumed Sarah was his ex-wife. Suddenly, she felt very sorry for the man in front of her. "I've been working on a top secret project at Cheyenne Mountain. We have an artifact. We call it the stargate. It's made of a metal that is completely unknown to this planet."

"So, what, it's alien?"

"That's what we believe."

Jack stood up. "Listen, Dr. Carter, I really think I'm loco enough. I don't need a crazy woman in my home talking about little green men, so I think we're done here. Thanks for the coffee and the," he paused, "pep talk. I think it's time for you to go."

"Jack, I'm actually serious. The stargate is, well, we think, it's a portal that creates a wormhole between our world and another. We've activated it already. General West plans to send a team through and do a risk assessment. This is a monumental discovery and the ramifications for the sciences and our culture could be enormous. Don't you want to literally travel to the stars instead of just looking at them through a telescope? At least, come back with me. Talk to General West. See the stargate." She picked up the gun. "I'm pretty sure this can wait a few more days."

Jack sighed. She had his attention now. "When do you want to leave?"

"Tomorrow morning work for you?"

"Tomorrow morning," Jack repeated. "Look, I haven't exactly eaten well over the last few weeks and I'm a little low on beer. I'm probably not in the best condition to drive. Want to give me a lift into town? I know a great place for a burger. I'll buy."

"That's not necessary colonel," Sam smiled, "but a burger and fries sound good to me."

By the time they arrived at the dinner, Jack seemed pretty sober. Sam was pleasantly surprised when he opted for a glass of water instead of a beer to go along with his burger. He seemed to know everyone from the waitress to the mother and son in the next booth. When he wanted, Jack could almost be charming. He even smiled a few times, but the smile never really reached his eyes. Sam realized mid-cheeseburger that she was going to have to be careful around this man. She'd always been attracted to the lunatic fringe, and she was pretty sure Jack O'Neill qualified. Even the way he dipped his fries in his ketchup was sexy. Maybe Sam just needed to get out of the mountain more and find herself a man. This one was really getting under her skin, and he was definitely not the right kind of guy for her. As he asked if she wanted a piece of chocolate cake for dessert with a tiny mischievous smile on his face and she felt a flutter in her stomach, Sam knew she was in deep trouble and it was a really long drive back to the mountain. Crap, why hadn't she flown?

Jack was having similar thoughts. Even in his messed up state of mind, he definitely appreciated the beautiful woman in front of him. She was so young and vibrant. There was a sick part of him that hated her for her exuberance and wanted to tarnish her obviously optimistic view of the world, but there was another part of him that just really wanted to be in her presence for as long as possible. She was hot, like Uma Thurman hot. If he were a better man, he wouldn't be thinking the thoughts he was thinking about this gorgeous woman. If she had any idea what was going through his mind, she'd leave him stranded in this dive and race back to her mountain. Crap, he was in trouble.

They finished their cake and he paid the tab despite her protests then they hopped in her little volvo and headed back to the cabin. It was getting really cloudy, and Jack knew the clouds and the area well enough to know they were in for one heck of a storm. It started pouring and the thunder was booming by the time the arrived. "You better come in awhile. This is going to be a doozy. You don't want to be caught out on these roads in a storm like this one."

Sam nodded and they rushed from the car to the cabin. They were soaked. Jack started another pot of coffee and a fire. "You look like a drowned rat," he said casually. I'll get you a t-shirt and sweatpants and we'll throw those in the dryer." Sam nodded and followed him to the bedroom. He handed her the clothes and pointed to the bathroom. Once she was safely behind the bathroom door, Jack sighed. He had really enjoyed the wet white shirt, but he needed her out of those clothes if he was going to behave like an officer and a gentleman. Of course, the idea of her out of those clothes was certainly an appealing possibility in itself. He quickly changed into some dry clothes himself and went to sit by the fire. Sam joined him and they found themselves talkin for the next few hours. Jack liked listening to her go on and on about the stargate and it's possible implications. He liked the way her eyes lit up as she talked her technobabble.

The rain finally let up about eight that night, and they said their goodbyes. Jack shook his head as he watched her pull out of the driveway. When did this start feeling like a date? What was wrong with him? He was a monster who didn't even manage to protect his son. He wasn't the kind of man who deserved a woman like Sam Carter and he was sure she was smart enough to know it. He was going to have to be very careful or somebody was going to get hurt, probably him.