Author Note: Apologies for the spottiness of posting and whatever inconsistencies may have arisen. I was erring on the side of caution given the fact that Jack's no longer in the "loop", and at this point, hasn't been in the loop for nearly a year now. Someone mentioned the Hammond visit in "The Fourth Horseman", and I think it might have been slightly different given the fact that he was at Andrews in an official capacity and probably coming to check on the status of the latest disaster (as I would imagine he would have known about the origins of the virus since he was exposed to it) whereas Jack was not there in any official capacity, just to see his wife.

In any case, my mind has been a little distracted in finishing up my bachelor's degree and moving back home while I figure out "what next". Once more, apologies for the inconsistencies.

"Eighty-eight bottles of beer on the wall! Eighty-eight bottles of beer!" Jack sang with great gusto as he drove from the Minneapolis-St. Paul airport to the cabin. "Take one down, pass it around, eighty-seven bottles of beer on the wall!"

"Are you going to do this the WHOLE way to the cabin?" Grace asked with a heavy sigh.

Sam had to hide a tiny chuckle as Jack looked in the rearview mirror with a look of absolute shock encompassed his features. "What? You don't love this tradition of ours?"

"What's there to love?" She asked, cheekily. "It's just a bunch of dudes sitting around and getting drunk on beer..."

Sam had to clasp a hand on her mouth to keep from guffawing. Even with her precautions, however, Jack threw a dirty look her way. "I suppose you agree?" He asked with mock loftiness.

"She has a point," she said with a small chuckle.

He rolled his eyes good-naturedly as he pulled into the gravel driveway of his favorite place on earth. "Whatever. We're here anyway."

Sam slipped out of the front seat, stretching lightly as Grace and Jack got out of the other side of the SUV.

"Ah," Jack murmured, looking at the cabin with a loving eye. "Home, sweet cabin."

Sam chuckled softly as she reached into the car and pulled out her overnight bag and the cooler. "Come on, you two, lunch and then fishing."

"Why do we always fish in the afternoons?" Grace asked, following her mother with her own overnight bag. "My teacher says that fish don't usually bite after ten in the morning."

Sam turned an eye to her husband who was looking stoically at the floor.

"Jack..." She prodded, gently.

"And we never catch any fish." Grace continued. "Can we get up at four tomorrow morning and fish? Maybe we'd catch some fish."

Sam coughed gently in an effort to hide a chuckle, and her husband looked over at his daughter. "Well, Grace...it's not always about how many fish you catch..."

She looked at him skeptically. "Uh huh...that's what Billy said people say when they've never caught a fish before."

Sam tried to hide the amused smile that was rapidly growing on her lips, and she caught Jack's pointed eye.

"I'll have you know I've caught plenty of fish before." Jack cried, indignantly.

"Just not here," Sam said, trying but failing to keep a smile from her lips. "Because there are no fish in the pond."

"I KNEW IT!" Grace cried, triumphantly, as she raced to her room to unpack and begin reading her book again.

"Now, why'd you have to go and ruin the secret?" Jack asked with a mock-sigh as he looked over at his wife.

"Because she knew the answer, but was waiting for someone to admit it," she laughed softly as she walked over and kissed him gently.

She pulled away, and he wrapped his arms firmly around her. "Hey, don't go yet...I have a few more questions that need answering."

"Oh?" She asked, playfully.

"Yep." He said, nodding with a small wink. "Number one: Are you really as relaxed as you seem?"

She nodded, and he saw the genuine sparkle in her eyes return. "Yep."

"Good." He said, kissing her nose affectionately. "Now...number two..."

"What is it?" She asked, wrapping her arms around his neck.

"Was it entirely necessary to lock up the retired head of homeworld security in Cheyenne Mountain?"

She laughed heartily at the disgusted look on his face. "No."

"Then, why did you do it?"

"Well, first of all, the IOA has changed some of their policies regarding unauthorized guests."

"But I..."

"And...the SFs at the front were new."

"Ah." He said with sudden understanding. "But the whole... "he's no threat to us" thing?"

She tried to hide her look of chagrin.

"I knew it! You were getting me back for being such a jerk!"

She shrugged with an all-too innocent look in her eye. "One of the perks of being "the man" as you put it."

"That," he said, pointing at her. "Was evil."

"I have my moments," she chuckled.

They laughed together for a few moments, and Sam reflected internally to herself how nice it had been to literally and figuratively let her hair down. And after the last several months of running the SGC, it was more than time to do so.

"Sam..."

She looked up at him from where she still stood, wrapped in his arms. "Yes?"

"Tonight...after Grace goes to bed..."

"Yeah?" She asked, prodding him gently.

"Don't make plans."

She grinned. "I was going to say the same thing to you."

"Oh?"

She nodded. "I was thinking I could use a massage after all my hard work at the Mountain," she teased, cheekily.

He uttered a low chuckle appreciatively. "Well, I think we can work a massage in there somewhere," he smiled.

She laughed softly as she pulled away and walked up to the kitchen counter. "If you're going to fish before it gets dark, I should get to making the sandwiches."

She reached for the cooler and began unpacking the sandwich fixings from it. "Hey, I think I'm going to go to the grocery store while you and Grace start your fishing. Just so that we have something edible to fix for dinner," she said, pulling sandwich meats, bread and condiments from the cooler.

"You know," he said, slipping his arms around her waist as he kissed the soft flesh on her neck. "I can help you with those."

She chuckled softly as she looked back over at him. "I know you can." She said with an affectionate smile. "But for once, I want you to kick back and relax and let me wait on you..."

"Ooh...waiting on me?"

She offered him an amused smile as she returned to her work.

"Ignoring me now, huh?"

"It's not that hard," she teased.

"Oh, thanks," he laughed.

"Let's get the sandwiches made, you off fishing and me off to the grocery store," she said, matter-of-factly. "Then, we can talk about some...alone time."

"Ah...well...actually, I was thinking maybe you could go and hang out with your daughter while I make the sandwiches."

She raised an eyebrow.

"Look, you haven't seen much of her the last few months." He said, softly. "You both might enjoy some bonding."

"I would like to talk to her." She admitted.

"Then why don't you two fish or paint each other's toenails or whatever, and I'll do the grocery shopping and the cooking tonight."

"You've been picking up a lot of the slack for me," she murmured, worriedly. "And I don't want..."

"Hey, you have a full-time job. I'm retired. I'll do the house stuff. It's okay." He shrugged.

"But this is your vacation too..."

"Go talk to Grace." He urged, leaning in and kissing her gently. "You can cook tomorrow."

"Deal," she finally acquiesced as she turned to leave.

"Hey," he called.

She turned around, questioningly.

"I know the last few weeks have been a bit...tough...on both of us..."

She tensed slightly.

"I just wanted to make sure you knew..." He began, swallowing. "I really do love you."

She smiled softly. "I know." She bit her lip. "I, uh...I love you too."

"But?" He prodded, gently.

"But we need to talk about some things tonight. Work out how to keep this from happening again," she said, seriously.

He nodded. "I agree. The mini-me thing didn't go well."

"No, it didn't." She said, more soberly.

"We'll talk tonight."

She nodded slowly.

"After Grace goes to bed."

"Good time to do that," she admitted.

"Go. Bond. I'll have lunch ready when you emerge."

She managed a small smile before she nodded. "Okay."

She turned to leave, but he caught her by the wrist and pulled her into his arms. As he wrapped his arms around her, he pressed his lips against hers in a fiery and mind-numbing kiss.

It was a few moments before he pulled away from her. "I don't know what I would do without you, Samantha Carter," he murmured as he ran his fingers through her hair. "I don't tell you that enough. I don't show you that enough."

She had tears moistening her eyes. "Well, this was a great start," she whispered as she leaned up to kiss him again, more delicately and tenderly this time.

He held her tightly. "I promise to do better," he whispered in her ear.

"Me too." She promised.

"I love you, Sam."

"I love you too, Jack."