"Jessica told me you're passing through this way by yourself," Tony said. "I thought you told me about your wife that night, blond like Jessica wasn't she? She can't be too happy about your being gone."

"That's a story in itself, son," Jack said, bowing his head sadly, "that's a story in itself."

Chapter 11: An Unexpected Ear

"So," Tony prompted, "are you gonna tell me about it."

"Don't think you'd understand."

"What? The younger man asked. "With all due respect, Sir, after I just spilled my guts, that's not exactly fair."

"Fair?" Jack echoed quizzically. "What would you know about fair, Captain?"

For a moment the young reservist was afraid he'd pushed a superior officer, albeit one currently far from uniform or military role, a bit too far.

"You're right," Jack said, putting Tony out of his misery. "You want to hear about me and Sam? Simple truth is I'm an idiot. My wife is incredible. You have no idea." He stopped to take a long swig of the beer. "She's too good for me. I don't deserve her. I think she's finally figuring that out."

"How do you know that?" Tony prodded.

Jack stood up and started to pace. He hated this. He hated talking about himself period. But talking about him and Sam, with someone he barely knew, that was … different. In some ways, he supposed, it made it easier. None of the history was there, the investment of worrying what this man would think of him. Besides, there was the whole …Pot … Kettle… and the color Black story… this guy might understand.

"She doesn't trust me, not like she used to; used to trust me to be strong for her," Jack elaborated. "She doesn't think I can deal anymore, hides things from me, important things."

"Yeah, I get that …" Tony said in response to Jack's statement. "I think Jessica sees me that way too. Then I have to ask myself, 'is she right?' Maybe I can't handle things anymore. Hey, I did run out on her."

Jack swung around and glared at the younger man. But he was at a loss for words.

"I'm just saying," Tony added with a shrug.

Jack stretched his arms up over his head, then rubbed his hands through his still short military hair cut. Picking up a stray pencil from the table in front of him, he began to twirl it between his long fingers.

"I should be talking with Sam about this," he said, more to himself than anyone else.

"Maybe," Tony offered.

Jack knew he wasn't ready. In his inimitable fashion, he tried to shift the focus back to his new buddy. He wasn't prepared for how the attempt would boomerang.

"How did you feel when you got the message about Aaron?" Jack asked Tony.

"Like my heart had been ripped out," Tony replied without missing a beat. "I felt, still feel, like a colossal fool for leaving in the first place."

"Yeah," Jack said. "I know the feeling."

"You have kids?" Tony asked, innocently enough.

"Now?" Jack answered, doing his best to deflect the question. "No… I had a son who died a long time ago and ..." His voice drifted off unable to complete his thought. It was a topic he wouldn't discuss with this man he barely knew. It felt sacred, that much he needed to broach with Sam before anyone else.

"I'm sorry," Tony replied, sensing Jack's reticence to go any further. "Beer?"

Jack nodded.

Tony pulled himself up, grabbed his crutches and made his way to the kitchen. When he came back he had a six pack neatly tucked between each hand and crutch. He dropped the beer on a table in front of Jack.

"Looks like we'll be here awhile tonight," he said. "Might as well get comfortable."

OoOoOo

In the middle of the afternoon, recently back from a two day mission with SG-13, Daniel decided to pay Sam an overdue visit. Both he and Teal'c had been off world the past two days, leaving their friend largely to her own devices. From the scuttlebutt going around the base, the astrophysics genius hadn't left her lab in two days.

He knocked on the door jamb to announce his presence. Sam was so engrossed in her work, she didn't respond. Daniel walked in and stood directly in front of her, then waited another few minutes before she looked up and noticed him.

"Hi," she said belatedly.

"Hi…" he replied slowly. "You know, if I had been a Goa'uld …"

"If you had been a Goa'uld, Daniel, the station would have been on red alert, with klaxons blaring," Sam rejoined. "I'm focused on what I'm doing. So what?"

Daniel took a step back and held up his hands in mock surrender.

"Okay … I'm concerned, that's all."

"Fine, Daniel," she said, clearly irritated. "As it is, General Landry has me off the duty roster for Gate missions for another two weeks. Now you're telling me, you don't think I'm safe in my own lab. What am I supposed to think about that?"

Daniel took a seat. Sam's a force to be reckoned with when she's angry. I'm glad she's on our side, he thought.

"Supposed to think?" Daniel began nonchalantly. "I don't know, maybe that your good friend is concerned about you."

Sam seemed to relent a bit, her expression softening. She took a deep breath and offered Daniel a make-up, somewhat forced smile.

"No word from Jack?"

"Nothing," she admitted, "not that I expected any response."

"You texted him?"

"Yeah, I did," she said. "I wanted him to know I'm thinking of him."

"If he doesn't know he's an idiot," Daniel mumbled.

Sam shook her head, ignoring the well meaning, frustrated comment. Daniel got the message, at least temporarily.

"I'm going for lunch," he said invitingly. "It's taco day, come'on."

"Not hungry, Daniel," she answered definitively.

"You have to eat," he persisted. "If nothing else, I'm sure they have that nasty blue Jello you like."

Sam smiled softly, but returned her attention to the disassembled naquadah reactor in front of her.

Daniel couldn't restrain himself. Here was his friend, not eating, not sleeping, while her husband was off on his voyage of self discovery.

"He's an ass for doing this to you," he said.

"Maybe…," Sam admitted, "but he's in a lot of pain."

Daniel exhaled sharply, silently reminding himself of the basic esteem in which he held his friend Jack O'Neill.

"You must really love him," he acknowledged finally.

Sam put down what she was doing and looked up at Daniel. In her eyes were tears and a profound sense of resignation to the inevitable.

"Don't get me wrong, Daniel," she said. "I am angry with Jack for leaving, but right now, I'm more worried than anything. Sam stopped, struggling to compose herself as her voice broke and her eyes filled up. "I have to trust that Teal'c knows he's okay. He's been through so much."

"And so have you," Daniel replied. "Vala's right, it's time you started to nurture yourself as much as you did Jack before he left.

"Was that it?" Sam asked her friend, not really expecting an answer. "Was I smothering him, is that why he left? I almost wish that was it," she said answering her own question. "If only he'd given me a chance to explain."

OoOoOo

It was 0300 in Colorado Springs. It was the middle of the night in Minnesota as well. Jack was sleepless and knew Sam would be too. Most likely, he figured, she's still in her lab. Actually he hoped she was there as opposed to other possibilities, specifically being off world. At least her lab was safer. In fact, ever since he'd watched Jessica text Tony about Aaron's accident, he'd flashed to the possibility of Sam being injured when he was away. He had to admit, the thought terrified him.

Though he was by no means ready to go home, he had to hear her voice, even if it was to hear her scream at him for leaving. And he supposed she had every reason to be angry.

Nothing ventured, nothing gained, he thought.

And so, he dialed.

The ring tone startled Sam from a light sleep. She was in her lab, draped over a counter, exactly as Jack had pictured her.

"Carter," she answered.

"It's me .."

TBC

A/N: I know I'm evil to leave it there. But the next chapter will be up soon. Don't expect too much too soon. These two still have a way to go.

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