A/N: I would like to thank everyone who reviewed the last chapter, and everyone who is now following. I don't think I'm happy with this chapter, I wanted awkward and a slow going relationship. But this A/U Jack and Sam aren't playing by the rules!

Please review. They make me smile every time I see them in my inbox *hint hint*.

No beta - all mistakes are my own.

4

Jack scrambled to his feet and rushed to her side, hiding her from Ferretti and Kawalsky's view. He brushed some hair off her face while checking her head wound.

"Are you okay?" he asked her in a low whisper.

"I heard something, back there. I got scared," she admitted.

"It was probably those losers. God knows they haven't been quiet. Why don't you go back to bed?" he said while rubbing her bare arm.

Sam shook her head. "I don't want to be on my own," she whispered.

"Come on Jack, let her join the party! We don't bite," Ferretti called to him, his grin evident in his voice.

"Would you like to join us?" Jack asked her, his hands moving from her arm to her hand, clasping it gently.

"Can I sit with you?"

"Of course," he smiled at her before she nodded. He turned around and led her to the sofa again, taking up their previous seats from earlier that evening.

"Aren't you gonna introduce us Jack?" Kawalsky asked after Jack had offered the bowl of chips to Sam, who to Kawalsky's surprise, took a large handful.

"Boys, this is Dr. Carter. Sam, that loser," he pointed to Kawalsky, "is Major Charles Kawalsky."

"You can call me Charlie," he said while standing up and reaching for her free hand to shake.

"Sam," she smiled, while gripping his hand and shaking it the way her father had taught her when she was five.

"Nice grip you've got there Sam. Who taught you that?" he asked as he sat back down.

"My dad. He's an Air Force General, I'm a bit of a Military Brat," she laughed at the three men's shocked expressions.

"Okay, we wont get on the wrong side of you," he said, keeping his tone light.

"And that other loser is Major Louis Ferretti," Jack said as Ferretti stood up and took Sam's hand, and kissed her knuckles instead of shaking it.

"Lou's fine," he smiled sweetly at her, then winked, ruining his gentleman's image.

"Sam," she repeated.

"That's gonna be some shiner there Sam," Ferretti pointed to his forehead, indicating where he meant on her head, while he spoke softly.

"Yeah, I noticed," she said before putting more chips in her mouth.

"Jack hit you?" Kawalsky tried to joke.

"Uh, no, he's the one who patched me up actually."

"What happened?" Ferretti inquired.

"Boys," Jack growled, warning them.

"No, its okay," Sam said as she lay a hand on his knee. She watched as he visibly relaxed. She noticed that it hadn't escaped his friends attention either, and watched as they both smiled subtly. "My, uh, ex, was the one to do the damage. I'll go to George in the morning."

"George?" Ferretti asked.

"Hammond," Sam explained.

"First name terms? Wow, she's a keeper Jack!" Kawalsky said before taking another sip of beer.

"He and my father served together for a long time. He's my Godfather," Sam said, a small smile on her lips as he chocked on his beer, and Ferretti once again chocked on his chips. She felt Jack tense slightly beside her.

"What's Hammond gonna do?" Ferretti managed to cough out.

"I dunno, lock him in the cells?" Sam shrugged.

"Jonas Hanson is a Captain at the base. He's getting assigned to SG-9. Or he was," Jack explained.

"Want us to beat him up for you Sam?" Kawalsky asked while cracking his knuckles.

"He's not worth the energy," she looked at the few remaining chips in her hand before sighing and shoving them into her mouth.

"Is that the first time he's hit you?" Ferretti asked as he stood up and walked over to her, kneeling in front of her, cautiously resting a hand on her bare knee.

"No," she admitted, looking ashamed. "But its over now. He's hurt me for the last time. I stopped loving him a long time ago," she whispered.

"Why did you stay with him?"

"I don't know. I thought I could fix him I guess. And possibly to prove dad wrong, when all I've really done is prove him right."

"Things will get better, I promise you that," he said while gently squeezing her knee. Sam looked him with a questioning gaze. "My sister had an abusive husband. She almost died. She's managed to move on, she married a guy who worships the ground she walks on and they have three amazing kids. If she can jump back from that, you can too."

"Thank you," Sam smiled at him.

"And if he goes anywhere near you again, the three of us will deal with him," he told her proudly. Sam leant forwards as best she could and hugged him.

SJ

"Jack?" Sam asked shyly, while playing with her now non messy ponytail, just after the boys had left for the night.

"Yeah?" he replied while putting the dirty dishes in the sink. "Do you need more painkillers?"

Sam took the packet from his hand and swallowed the tablets with the glass of water by her side.

"Can…" she started while clasping both of her hands in front of her.

"Yeah?" he asked as he turned around to face her.

"Can I stay with you tonight?" she asked, her voice shaking with embarrassment.

"I'm not kicking you out Sam," he laughed as he folded his arms over his chest and leaning against the sink.

"No, I meant… can I stay with you… in your room? Tonight?" she finally managed to ask. Jack stood still. His expression blank. "It's just that I'm used to someone being there and I don't want to be on my own-"

"Sam," he placed his hands on her arms. "Which side of the bed do you want?"

"Um, either, I don't mind. As long as I get a pillow and some of the covers I'll be fine."

Taking her hand he led her to his bedroom and closed the door behind them. He dropped her hand and walked into his adjoining bathroom.

He walked back into his room and saw that she was still standing where he had left her.

"You'll get cold," he said as he pulled off his t-shirt. He walked passed her and pulled off his jeans and socks before getting into his usual side. "You gonna stand there all night?" he asked while setting his alarm.

Sam shook her head in the near darkness of the room and walked over to the bed. Gingerly she got under the covers and lay her head on the spare pillow.

"I like your friends," she said, as he settled down next to her. "They seem very friendly."

"I think they like you too," he told her while pulling the covers over his chest. He tucked one hand behind his head as he lay on his back. "I wont touch you, I swear."

"Okay," she said before laying a hand on his bare chest and scooting closer. She kissed his cheek and pulled away, back to the other side of the bed. "Goodnight Jack."

"Goodnight Sam," he replied as he touched his cheek where she had kissed him. He had only known her for a day, but he could tell that he was already developing feelings for her. Feelings that he never expected to feel after his divorce. He couldn't decide if they were real or if he felt them because he felt sorry for her.

Smiling, he started to fall asleep.

SJ

Jack woke the next morning to unfamiliar pressure on his chest. He opened his eyes and looked down. When he saw a mass of blonde hair the panic that had started to fill him ebbed away. Not a heart attack.

Why was there blonde hair on his chest? He looked to his side and saw that the blonde hair was attached to a woman. Good. That was good. Wait. Why was there a blonde woman in bed with him? Oh yeah, Sam.

God he hated mornings. And surprises.

Sam moved slightly in her sleep, and he noticed that her leg was over his. He really hoped that her leg stayed where it was and didn't travel any further north.

Reaching over he switched off his alarm. He had woken up before it. Again. Unconsciously he started playing with Sam's hair. It was long and soft. Just the way he liked. He caught himself smiling. He was in bed, with a beautiful blonde, with long soft hair. And she was curled around him. He wondered if it was wrong that it felt so right and natural.

He felt Sam tense slightly as she awakened. She moved her head so that it was buried in his neck and kissed him while the hand that was on his chest, shakily travelled south.

"Sam," he said as he grabbed her wrist when it reached his stomach. "You don't have to do that."

"Jack?" she breathed as her head shot up. Recognition flared in her eyes as she looked at him. "Sorry, I thought…"

"Its okay. I understand. Did he make you do that a lot?" he nodded downwards while lacing his fingers through hers.

"Every morning," she cringed.

"Seriously?"

"Yeah. Just habit I guess that I," she swallowed, unable to say the rest.

"You don't have to do that with me," he assured her. "Let me see your side," he said as he sat up in bed.

Sam sat up and pulled up the t-shirt. They both looked at her side at the same time and cringed.

"That is one nasty bruise Sam. We should get you to the infirmary and get that checked out. I'm ninety-nine percent sure you aren't bleeding internally. Otherwise I would have had you back there last night. But that needs looked at."

SJ

Once they were both dressed and had eaten - Jack refused to let her have a shower, just in case the shampoo infected her head wound - they walked out of his house.

Jack quickly looked at her broken wing mirror and decided that he wouldn't be able to fix it, the joint had been snapped and not popped out like he had hoped. He helped her into his truck and drove to the mountain.

As he looked over at the woman sitting at his side, he couldn't help but feel a strong connection - one that made him feel as though he had known her for years. He smiled to himself as he concentrated on the road again.

Sam decided that her first stop would be by Hammond's office. She needed to tell and show him the damage before the on site doctor.