Sam

God help me.

I am kissing my CO.

KISSING.

In fact, kissing is stretching a bit. Slipping into my half-remembered teenage vernacular we are necking... french kissing... snogging.

Absolutely, definitely, certainly, without questionably, a court martial-able offence. So why on Earth am I kissing him back, sliding my hands over his bare back, pulling him towards me? There are no alien influences to blame, no mind-bending drugs force fed to the participants of this kiss. Just me and him; a wounded shoulder and a small act of heroism. Not very good defence at our trial.

"Mmph," he says, breaking away. "As pleasant as this is, it's not really an answer to my question."

"I don't know of a better option than running the alpha site, sir."

"Jack. For cryin' out loud, Jack. This feels, uh, weird enough as it is. Please stop calling me sir. You're making me feel guilty."

"Force of habit si-Jack. Sorry," I apologise, "Sorry."

"Aw, c'mon Carter. You always come up with the bright ideas."

"Not this time," I mutter, breathing deeply. It doesn't help, my pulse races faster as his pleasant scent envelops me and I simply grow more reluctant to push him off. His nose brushes mine.

"You know what I used to think?" I say, trying to stop myself from talking but failing miserably.

"What?" he breathes and the whisper of his breath on my face makes me tremble.

"I used to think that I should just, you know, kiss you. Because there was no way that you could be as good a kisser as I kept imagining."

"And..?" he grins.

Sarcastic Major gains control thankfully. "And I was right," I smile and he looks vaguely affronted. "Are you out of practise or something?"

"I'm not going to dignify that question with a response," he responds, "Your alternate reality double kissed better than you do."

I raise an eyebrow. "Ouch. Nice comeback."

"I'm good at them," he sighs with a what-can-I-do kind of look.

"Unlike other things," I retaliate in the same sighing tone.

He kisses me fiercely again, shocking me for a moment. He breaks away suddenly and a look of brief sadness must have crossed my face as he chuckles with glee. "If it's that bad, why look so sad?"

"Oh, shut up."

"Come on. I need a solution to my dilemma. You're not helping at the moment, you know," he says, not to be swayed from his problem. He shifts his leg to a more comfortable position, giving me a much better idea of how much he is enjoying this.

"Why not retire on Earth?"

"I would be bored Carter, bored out of my tiny, shiny mind. I've done it before. Its boring. With a capital B. I want to stay involved with the SGC."

"Join the diplomatic corp."

"Uh-uh. Never going to happen. Can you see me as a diplomat?"

He has a point there. Jack O'Neill is probably responsible for fifty percent of the off-world relationship problems we have with various aliens. He speaks his mind too often to be a diplomat. "Get assigned permanently to the staff training team. You'd still go off world, challenge you mind thinking up bizarre situations to test recruits and see SG1 all the time."

"Hhmm..." he says, still not looking happy but his face clearing a little.

"There is another alternative."

"What?" he asks.

"I could resign."

"Not a chance, Carter. You're not giving up your career for me. No way," he replies vehemently.

"I could still be on the team as a civilian. Doctor Carter. You know that's what happened in various other realities."

"But...you... you could easily get promoted to Colonel yourself And you'd never be allowed to command SG1 if you were on the roll as a civilian."

"But-"

"The answer is no, Carter. I'd rather stay as a teacher than let you do that. Maybe I should ask the General if he has a better idea. Maybe he'll let me rejoin as a civilian..."

"As an expert in what?" I ask, trying to keep any trace of amusement out of my voice.

"Tactics against the Go'uld? Asgard relations?" he suggests.

"Oh. Yeah, good point."

He kisses me again, catching my wandering hands as they stray from his back. "Uh Carter, it's not as if I was exactly expecting... I mean, I didn't um... I don't have any..." he blushes and I wish I had a camera. I've never seen the Colo-Jack blush before. Ever.

I grin. "I have."

"You have? Carter... you...you whore!" he laughs.

"Hey, Janet's the one who packed them. Prepared for every eventuality, she said."

"She *really* doesn't trust us, does she?" he replies, the blush fading.

"As I said before, she's right not to... mmph..." I retort as he kisses me again.

*