Disclaimer: Still not my characters.

I know I said I wouldn't update for a while, but I cranked this out during a writing sprint with some other amazing writers. Our reward was loads of photos of Jack on Twitter. Who wouldn't want to write?

Dear Guest, I'm sorry you think the story is stupid. You are welcome to your opinion, and you are also welcome to not read if you don't like it. Sorry to disappoint. For those who are still with me, thanks.

This has not been beta'd, so all mistakes are mind and mine alone.

Reviews appreciated.

Sam sat in her lab two nights later, staring at the same piece of technology she'd been staring at for hours, without making any progress. Her mind was a million miles away, and she couldn't concentrate.

"He's leaving the day after tomorrow," Daniel said as he stormed in, startling from her thoughts.

"What are you talking about?" She asked, watching him pace and flap his hands around the way he did when he was really upset. He'd done it since they first met, and it made her smile to think about the young, too trusting, idealistic archaeologist he'd once been. Years of stepping through the gate, loss and pain had hardened him slightly, but he was still trusting and she was glad he hadn't lost that.

Daniel stopped pacing. "Jack!" He all but yelled. "Jack is leaving in a few days!"

Sam dropped the tool she was holding. "But, he's not supposed to report to DC for a few more weeks."

"That is true, Colonel Carter," Teal'c said from the doorway. He walked into the lab, and took a seat near her. "He is taking, what the military calls 'leave' until it's time for him to report."

"He wasn't even going to tell us!" Daniel said, irritation in his voice.

Sam looked over at him. "Wait, how do you know?" She wondered if the panic she felt came through in her voice.

Teal'c whose eyes had not left her since he sat spoke up. "Sargent Harriman may have left a leave form laying around, and I may have seen it."

"He wasn't going to tell us!" Daniel repeated, banging a hand on her table.

"How do you know he wasn't?" Sam asked, panic rising at the thought.

Daniel stopped, and took a deep breath. "Well, if he were, he'd have told us by now, wouldn't he? I mean, it's the day after tomorrow."

"Daniel Jackson is likely correct." Teal'c commented. "It is not like O'Neill not to tell us something that we would consider important."

Sam's mind spun. He was going to leave without even telling her. "But…"

"No buts, Sam. He's leaving. He's leaving, and he can't even do us the courtesy of saying goodbye."

Sam stood, and left the lab. She couldn't let this happen. They deserved more than this. She jogged down the hall as quickly as she could without drawing attention to herself.

Daniel and Teal'c both stood in the door, watching her go. "I feel like giving them both a swift kick in the ass," Daniel said.

"As do I," Teal'c said. "Many of them."

Sam didn't even stop to knock on his office door. She simply opened it, but found the room completely dark. "Dammit," she muttered before turning to run down the spiral stairs to the control room. It was late and there were few people around. "Has anyone see the General?" she asked.

Sargent Wilson turned and looked at her. "I think he went home ma'am."

Picking up the phone on the wall, she dialed the front security desk. "This is Colonel Carter. Has General O'Neill signed out? Okay, when?" Hanging up, she dashed out to the hall and waited impatiently for the elevator. She thought the ride to the top had never taken so long. When the doors finally opened, she swiped her card to sign out and ran to her car, thankful her keys were in her pocket. Opening the door, she slid into the drivers seat and was speeding out in just moments.

Jack was sitting up on his viewing deck. He'd come up to have a look at the stars one more time before packing his telescope. The weather wasn't cooperating though, and most were obscured by clouds. With the clouds had come a slight chill, and he was wearing only his black uniform t-shirt, have shrugged off the blue top the minute he got home, though not taking the time to change completely out of his uniform. Deciding it was getting too chilly to stay up top, and needing another beer, he climbed down the ladder and entered his lonely house. He'd left the Mountain earlier, knowing he'd be leaving and felt an extreme sense of loss. His entire world was changing, and the things he was leaving behind were the only things he really wanted to take with him. It was well past midnight when he finally decided to crawl into bed, feeling like he'd aged twenty years in the past few weeks. He was just drifting off to sleep when he heard a loud banging on his door. "Son of a bitch," he said as he pulled on a pair of sweat pants, forgoing a shirt. "Hold on, will ya?" he yelled as he stumbled to the door, not bothering to flip on any lights.

Yanking it open, he blinked in surprise. "Carter," he said coolly. "Bit late, isn't it?"

"It is," she agreed. "I need to talk to you." She pushed her way past him into the house.

"Come in, why don't you?" He shut the door and followed her to the living room, flipping on a lamp as he did.

Sam turned to face him, and her mouth went dry. She hadn't noticed at the door, but now realized he wasn't wearing a shirt, and his sweats were hanging low on his hips. In the dim light coming from the lamp her eyes traveled his broad shoulders and sleek muscles. She thought he look like every woman's fantasy. Swallowing hard, she hoped he hadn't noticed her perusal. "I…uh…"

"Carter?" he prompted. "Want to tell me why you're here. In my house. After midnight."

Blinking a few times, she said, "You're leaving."

"I believe we've established that." He stood, with his arms crossed, staring at her, trying to figure out why she'd come to him again.

"Yes, no, yes. Dammit. I mean you're leaving in a few days, and you weren't going to tell us. How could you do that to us after all we've been through?"

He sighed and ran his hands through his short hair. "I thought it would be easier."

She looked up, her eyes sad. "Easier? On who, you? It certainly wouldn't be easy on us. Daniel is freaking out and angry and Teal'c, well, he's not happy, and I…" she stopped as he walked toward her.

"And you, what?" When she didn't answer, he continued. "Look, I thought-I thought it would be easier on both of us." He held up a hand before she could speak. "I know, I was thinking for both of us again, but this wasn't really something that needed a lot of discussion."

Dropping her eyes from his face, she stared down at the carpet. "God, I've really screwed this up, haven't I?"

"Screwed what up, Carter?" He asked, tilting his head to the side. He could she was incredibly tense, but refrained from commenting on it.

"This," she said, motioning between the two of them. "Us. You and me."

"I thought there was no us," he said quietly.

"You're right," she said. "You're right. I'm sorry I bothered you." Stepping around him, she headed for the hall, moving quickly.

Jack was right behind her when she reached the door. "Carter?"

His voice stopped her. She suddenly decided she'd had enough; enough lying and concealing and denying. Turning back to face him, she looked up to find him eyeing her intently. "What are you planning to do while you're on leave?"

Jack had no idea what she was going to say, but that certainly wasn't it. "Going to the cabin."

"Fishing?" she asked.

"Yep."

Sam looked down, and blew out a heavy breath before looking back up at him. "Can I come along?"

Boom! TBC