AN: I have been absolutely humbled with the response to this story. I know I owe several of you responses and I will be sending them. In the mean time, I present to you part 4. We are at the hard part - picking up the pieces. Hopefully this doesn't disappoint.

There are brief references to "48 Hours," "Divide and Conquer" and "Threads." Again no copyright infringement intended.

"What the hell did you say to Sam?"

Gritting his teeth at the words coming through his cell phone, Jack took a drink of beer before answering. "Hello Daniel," he said, his tone sharp and sarcastic.

"Jack," Daniel snarled back, derision dripping from his tone. "Janet just called me. She stopped by Sam's and says she's a mess. The only thing Janet can get from her is that it's over and that you're making her go to 51."

"You knew that," O'Neill retorted, flipping the cap off another bottle as he heard a half sigh, half growl come through the line at the words.

"Something else happened."

The accusation burned its way through the line into Jack's brain. "Nothing that concerns you," he snarled, anger lacing his words.

"To hell it," Daniel stopped himself and took a deep breath. "You can't let her leave like this," he snapped.

"And what do you expect me to do about it?" Jack snapped back, running his hand through his hair in frustration.

Angry breathing came through the line. "Don't let her think what she's thinking right now. Fix this Jack, before it's too late."

Staring at the now dead cell phone, Jack snapped it shut and tossed it on the table in front of him.

Fumbling around in the dark to find the cell phone ringing beside his bed, O'Neill struggled to remember how to answer the new device. "What?" he finally growled into it when he heard a connection being made.

"General O'Neill, what the sam-hell is going on back there?"

Instinctively snapping into a sitting position at the sound of his former commanding officer's angry bark, Jack tried to fight through the haze of too little sleep, headache and remaining alcohol in his system. "Sir?" he stuttered.

"Would you like to explain to me why I just received Lieutenant Colonel Samantha Carter's resignation papers?"

"Shit," Jack muttered, throwing off the covers.

"Excuse me?" Hammond growled in a warning.

"Sorry sir," Jack countered, fighting to keep the phone between his head and shoulder as he drug on his clothes. "Sir, can you, say loose those for a little while? Carter or I will call you."

"Jack," Hammond started, his tone serious. "The only reason the Joint Chiefs agreed to the arrangement is that it would keep both of you. If they find out Sam has resigned, they'll force her back and she will have no choice but to work exactly where they want her to be - at the SGC."

"Just," Jack paused, swallowing hard. "Just give me a chance to talk to her. I can fix this, sir," he assured the older man.

"You better or you just gave up five years of your life for nothing."

Hearing the call disconnect, Jack muttered "tell me about it" as he grabbed his keys and went out the door.

Startling at the unexpected sound of the doorbell, Sam frowned as she looked at the clock. Putting down her coffee, she couldn't help but wonder who was at her door this early in the day. An uneasy feeling passed through her at the insistent ringing from the doorbell being repeatedly pushed. Opening the door slightly, she instinctively straightened and squared her shoulders at the sight of the man standing on her doorstep, anger and tension radiating from him.

"General," she said flatly.

Indicating he was coming in, Jack raised an eyebrow when she failed to move. Getting a raised eyebrow back as her response, he clenched his jaw before pinning her with his eyes. "Carter, I'm hung over, running on three hours sleep, haven't had coffee, and am more than a little pissed right now. Do you really want to do this?" he challenged, his tone hard and unrelenting.

Understanding the implied threat in his words and eyes, Carter backed away from the entry. Waiting until he had entered and closed the door, she spun and marched to the kitchen. In a few minutes, she came into the room and slammed down a cup of coffee in front of him before sitting stiffly in a chair away from him. When he did not sit, she had to fight the instinct to get to her feet.

Watching her through slit eyes, Jack could tell she was not going to offer much without a push. "Hammond called me," he said without preamble. "Would you like to explain to me why the hell you're resigning and why I had to find out about it from someone else?" he barked, his words becoming louder and more heated as he went on.

"I have nothing to say," Sam said flatly, counting on her military background to allow her to mask the nervous energy coursing through her. Clasping her hands, she hoped it would hide the trembling that tried to give her away. "I don't have to explain myself to you anymore."

"The hell you don't," Jack snarled, taking a step toward her without realizing it until she jumped up and put the chair between them.

Glaring at her, he saw the dark circles under her eyes that told of too little sleep and too much stress. Looking closer, he saw anger, pain, uncertainty, and a little fear reflected in her features. Taking a deep breath, Jack ran his hand through his hair to get a grip on his own emotions. Forcing his shoulders to drop, he looked back at her. "Can't we at least talk about it?" he asked in a softer tone, gesturing for them to sit down.

Waiting until she had hesitantly eased herself back to the chair, he began to speak again. "Just tell me why," he urged. "Please?" he added, when she didn't appear to be willing to say anything after his first inquiry.

After a few minutes, Sam spoke. What she said however, took him by surprise. "What is this?" she asked. Seeing a tilt of his head in confusion, she altered her question. "What are we?"

Seeing him wince at her question, she continued. "Cause I thought I knew. I thought we had it figured out. I finally realized that I didn't want a life without you in it, and I thought you wanted the same thing. But in the last forty eight hours," she paused, shaking her head. "Now, I don't know cause the mission happened, and I fell apart and you were there for me, but now you want to send me away," the words tumbling out stopped when Jack jerked out of the chair and turned from her.

"Carter." Jack muttered, moving to stand with his back to Sam, tension radiating from his body as her words echoed in his mind. He could feel her eyes piercing into his back. "Damn it," he breathed, realizing she really didn't understand he was trying to save her. "I don't want to send you away," he gritted out between clenched teeth, before giving into the sudden waive of fatigue passing through him. Turning back towards her, he added flatly, "I don't have a choice."

"Bullshit," Carter snapped, anger overriding nerves at his resigned attitude and the words that seemed so similar to the ones that had haunted her throughout the night.

Jack moved back to the couch to interrupt what she was going to say next. "Sam," he urged. "Just listen. You're exhausted, physically and mentally. You're grieving for Dad and now that baby. This morning you said you didn't know why you were doing this anymore. Any one of them can cause you to hesitate too long or make a decision that could get you or someone else killed." Jack paused as a shudder passed through him from thinking how close that scenario had come two days ago. "I won't let that happen," he added, his dark brown eyes reflecting the seriousness of his words. "And the only way to make sure you're not going through that gate is if you're not at the SGC."

"I can retire, be a civilian consultant," she pushed back.

"Think of Daniel, Lee, hell, any of the other scientists or consultants working there," Jack countered, shaking his head. "You think all of them volunteered for missions? It's like you told McKay once, as long as you're on the Air Force payroll," he trailed off not needing to finish the statement. Pinning her with his gaze, he continued. "If you try to retire, they'll force you back in the name of national security. If they do that, they'll be nothing between you and them; nothing to stop them from ordering you to do exactly what they want you to do."

Sam paled at his words. Swallowing, she shifted uncomfortably. "What makes you think they won't just transfer me back?"

"Won't happen," Jack assured, stealing his features from giving away anything he didn't want.

The careful way he had removed any emotion from his face told her far more than he realized. "What did you do?" The whispered words hissed from her lips as she stared him down.

Not answering her question, Jack pulled his cellphone from his pocket and placed it on the table between them. "Hammond is waiting to hear from one of us. It's your decision, your call," he said softly.

Watching him with somber eyes, Sam thought about his words. "Transfer away from the SGC, resign and become a pawn of the whoever wants me, or stay and get myself killed," she breathed, closing her eyes at the scenarios, shaking her head at the mess before her. "That's what you think my options are?" she asked looking at him. A slight nod of his head caused her to close her eyes again in pain. A moment later, she opened them again. "What if I stayed and tried..."

"I won't risk it," Jack breathed, knowing she was going to try to convince him she could stay and get better. Brown eyes burrowed into blue in a battle of wills.

Neither moved.

"You didn't answer my question," she observed quietly. "What are we?"

Softening his gaze, Jack ran his eyes over her features before locking his eyes with hers again. "I'm still a commanding officer who feels way more than he's suppose to for a subordinate and I'll always be there for you, no matter what," he stated gently, answering her without actually answering the question. "Nothing is going to change either of those."

Tears flashed in her eyes at Jack's confirmation. Lowering her head to hide them, she nodded to indicate she understood what he was trying to say and what she needed to do next. Picking up the phone, she dialed Hammond's office. Waiting for it to connect, she looked back up at him.

"You'll come visit?"

A smile tugged on Jack's lips as he nodded. He was stopped from saying anything by Sam greeting Hammond. Reaching down for the cup of coffee on the table, he took a drink of the now tepid liquid. Heading into the kitchen, he added more coffee to warm it and filled Sam's cup. Carrying them back into the living room, he handed it to her.

"Yes sir," Sam said into the phone, accepting the mug. "I'm sure. I'll report in three days as ordered."

Listening, she moved to take a drink only to freeze, her eyes cutting up toward Jack. "Er... yes, sir," she said haltingly. "I'll tell him. Thank you, sir," she added, slowing folding the phone to disconnect the call, her eyes not leaving him.

From her look, Jack realized that Hammond had said something to tell her what he had done. Trying to deflect it, he motioned with his cup.. "Careful, I warmed it," he said sitting down.

Sam put the phone on the table. "General Hammond said to tell you that you did the right thing and that it won't be that long." Looking up, she watched his reaction when she said, "You delayed your retirement for me didn't you? That's why they're letting me transfer."

Jack's uncomfortable half shrug and lifted corner of his mouth confirmed it for her. "It's not like I jumped in front of a staff blast," he jested trying to deflect the seriousness of his action.

"Jack," Sam breathed, looking away as tears flashed again in her eyes, realizing the sacrifice he had made for her.

"Hey," Jack called softly to draw her eyes back to him. "My decision, my call."

"But," Sam objected, only to stop when he shook his head.

"It doesn't matter, Sam. The minute you aren't under my direct command, I'll be at your door," he added softly. "It's just going to take a little longer, that's all."

Swallowing, she nodded at the promise of a future just made. "And in the meantime?" she asked huskily.

A sigh passed through Jack. "In the meantime, we do our jobs."

Realizing she was moving, Jack sat back as she sank to the couch beside him. Lifting his arm. he wrapped it around her as she leaned into him, laying her head in the crook of his neck.

AN2: I honestly don't know if my muse will take this further. But, we shall see. In the meantime, enjoy.