A/N: I have been waiting to write this scene for so long - it's been rattling around in my head for ages and due to working overtime, I haven't been able to post as much as I'd like. Thanks for the reviews and encouragement people - enjoy!


It was a full five minutes before Sam heard the soft patter of bare feet on the deck behind her. Although it was dark and the rustle of wind in the trees masked most of his movement, Sam knew who it was even before he placed a blanket around her shoulders and sat down beside her.

"I didn't mean to wake you," She said, as Jack crossed his legs to match hers, their knees practically touching.

"You didn't," Jack almost sighed, and Sam could hear the restraint in his voice. He must have heard her tossing and turning for the several hours that she'd attempted to succumb to sleep. His eyes widened momentarily as she turned to face him, seeing the wet trails running down her cheeks. Sam wiped at them absently before turning away again to look out at the pond before her.

"I'm fed up of crying," She uttered, sniffing a little before taking a deep breath and letting it go.

"It will take time," His voice came back. It was soft, gentle and ever so tender, and Sam couldn't help but feel her heart squeeze just a little within her chest.

"I know," she whispered, and she looked into his eyes, feeling his hand rest on her knee and squeeze gently. "I wasn't... it wasn't Dad..."

She saw Jack's eyebrow rise, ever so slightly, and marvelled at how unguarded his face was. Normally it was a rare occurrence, but she'd been seeing his emotions play out more and more lately, unsure if it was all the strain they'd been under recently or because their levels of intimacy were constantly upping a notch.

"Mom..." She added, sensing he was still waiting for an answer. The word came out thick with emotion, and she shook her head in spite of herself, closing her eyes and wishing the tears away. "And Janet..."

Jack sat silent beside her and despite willing the words to leave her lips, nothing came out. She looked up at him, hoping that he would understand. That the changes she was going through, the joy she was experiencing of being with him, wasn't just tainted by her father's death, but of those she'd lost long ago. The ones she wanted to talk to and gossip with about the new man in her life. About the little things she was only just discovering about him; of the way her heart felt like it constantly stopped several times a day. She frowned, realising that she'd never felt the need to do that when she was with Pete.

"I'm scared," She whispered, suddenly finding her voice.

"Of what?"

"Of needing you too much..."

The truth was she'd never needed anyone before. Not since her mom had died. Her fierce independence had served her well in the Air Force, and looking back, it was an attribute that many men in her life were attracted to. At the time she hadn't minded, with her career taking precedence she was happy to take and leave what she could as far as relationships were concerned. Even with Pete and his constant need to protect her, she was happy to have that balance and separation.

But with Jack it was different. They were trained to look after each other and had been watching each other's backs for eight years. This dependence they had, had gradually become engrained so deep, Sam was unsure of where Colonel Carter began and Samantha Carter finished. Of course, she felt the same way with Daniel and Teal'c, but it was still different with this man. And she had known that for a long time. It had scared her back then; was why it had been locked away in part of her mind for so long.

Unable to look in his eyes, she glanced at the hand that still rested on her knee. A series of goose bumps appeared on his skin, the hairs on his arm suddenly standing on end.

"I need you too..."

Sam looked up to see him swallow, his adam's apple bobbing in his throat. Tears welled up in her eyes again and she glanced back down at his still arm. Nudging his knee with her own, she shuffled over into his side, removing the blanket from around her shoulder and lifting it to place round his. Jack's own arm came instinctively around her waist, pulling her to him and enveloping them both within the thick cover.

"We should head back inside," He murmured, placing a kiss into her hair.

"I don't want to sleep." And in those five words she realised that she'd told him more than she wanted to about the memories that had been haunting her dreams.

Jack began pulling her backwards anyway, down onto the deck behind them. Sam twisted in his grasp, staring hard at him, feeling anger rise at the disregard of her request.

"Trust me," Jack whispered, returning her gaze and continuing to pull her down with him. He smiled at her as she relented and pulled her closer. "Look up..."

Sam followed his gaze to the stars above. The night was clear, the moon high in the sky and only half visible. Sam's eyes scanned the constellations and she felt a sigh leave her own lips as she gazed at the beauty of it all.

Her hand came to rest on Jack's chest, and she snuggled into his side, laying her head in the crook of his arm, eyes still staring up at the sky. She felt the rumble of his voice vibrate through his chest as he began naming the constellations, absently jumping from one to the other.

"...and that's Marge's hair..." he said, when he reached one he couldn't identify.

A soft laugh worked its way up from her chest and she burrowed in deeper when Jack placed another kiss to her forehead. "Thank you," she whispered, feeling her own body relax into the rhythm of his heart.

"For what?" He whispered back.

"For being here for me..."

"Always..."