CHAPTER 10

Sam was mortified. She'd hit him right where she intended to -which just happened to be the most painful place possible. She didn't know whether to rush to his side in sympathy or run screaming out the door with embarrassment. Possibly without the screaming, because calling attention to the fact they were in here together was most likely not the best idea.

"I'm so, so, sorry sir!" She sounded almost like she was pleading for his forgiveness. Jack could have told her it would take a lot more than an exceedingly painful kick in the groin for him to get upset with her. In fact - despite his recent words - he may even be happy to suffer this on a nightly basis if it meant he got to smell her hair. What was that smell anyway? Vanilla?

"Carter! Shhh!" Jack exclaimed, trying to remain as quiet as possible as he did so. The security cameras may have been down in these quarters, but he didn't think risking drawing somebody's attention by making a racquet was all that prudent.

Sam moved closer in an effort to speak to him at a less attention-grabbing volume. She took a place beside him on the bed, leaving one leg draped over the side.

"I am so sorry!" She whispered, almost inaudibly, but certainly with a lot of emphasis on the 'sorry'.

"Carter." Jack reached out and pressed his finger against her lips.

Sam was lost.

He really needn't have kept his finger there the way he did, because she was completely devoid of words. Actually she was having trouble organizing any semblance of thought at the moment. A rare moment indeed when her mind slowed down. Even rarer that it should come to a complete stop like this. The sound of his breathing in the darkness, and the way her lips tingled with pleasure was the only thing that registered. Everything else ceased to exist.

Almost involuntarily her hand came up to rest over the top of his. Her lips caressed the tip of his finger in a gentle kiss.

Jack gasped. Pretty impossible not to gasp when Colonel Samantha Carter kissed him -even if it was only his fingertip. If he was in any pain still, it certainly wasn't registering now.

They both stayed in their positions, afraid to move, lest the perfection of this stolen moment be lost. Sam could swear she felt his heartbeat through her lips. Or maybe that was her own pulse thundering in her ears? It took some time, but she finally came to her senses enough to speak, taking his hand in both of hers and laying them in her lap.

"I'm really glad to see you here…But sir."

"Don't call me that Carter. Not here. Not now." He'd had more than enough of that word.

"Jack..." Sam swallowed and bit her lower lip. Even in the poor lighting of the shonky security camera that sight did things to him. "I'm glad you're here but…"

"But?" Jack drew out her sentence for her.

For the first time Jack was considering that perhaps Carter didn't want him here. Perhaps she wasn't ready? She'd seemed so comfortable in his arms last night. But that was then, and the circumstances were quite different. The last thing he wanted was to rush things and scare her away.

"I don't want you to get court martialled, especially not courtesy of me."

She was worried about him?

"Worth it." Jack said simply. As far as he was concerned the military could go jump in a lake, because he was done pretending the woman who meant the world to him, didn't mean the world to him.

"Jack!" Samantha Carter saying his name in an exasperated tone…That was incredibly sexy. He hoped to hear that again.

"Sam!" He shot back at her, keeping his voice to a soft whisper.

That he had climbed into bed with her while she was sleeping didn't bother her in the least. Countless times over the years she had found herself curled around him when she woke. She wasn't sure if he had moved closer, or she had found her way into his arms as she slept, either way it was a most welcomed experience. It had caught them off guard the first couple of times, but eventually each occurrence became one of 'their' moments.

On one particular mission last year, she had awoken well over an hour before General O'Neill. She made no effort to move from his embrace, instead savouring every minute of his arms around her until he awoke. To this day she couldn't be sure, but she had strong suspicions that the then Colonel O'Neill had also been pretending to be asleep.

She relished the idea of laying here with him, but what she didn't relish was the idea he could live to regret it. They'd waited so many years to be together, she didn't want anything to come between them, and a court martial, for either of them, could be a definite stick in the spokes.

"Security camera's down Carter. Has been since yesterday. Won't be fixed until tomorrow. But if you do want me to go, just say the word."

"I..I-." Sam really wasn't sure if she was fit to make this call while he was still touching her. She wasn't sure letting him go was even an option at this point, security cameras or not. "Somebody could still come in." She was trying to push some rational thought out there in an effort to convince herself to let go of his hand.

"It's four in the morning Carter, not too many personnel clamouring for the guest quarters. Besides I strictly explained that you were in here resting, and if anyone disturbed you heads would roll. Although it appears that anyone who disturbs you is already in a lot of trouble."

Sam giggled. She really couldn't help but giggle when he was so obviously teasing her.

"I'm really sorry…Jack." Her speaking his name aloud made the decision for both of them.

"C'mere." He reached for her in the dark, pulling her into his arms as he had so wished to do back in the lab.

Sam's heart pounded with exhilaration. She'd piloted some of the most advanced aircraft in existence, yet nothing she'd ever felt compared to this. She was with him. Him. Here in his arms, in the place that had kept them apart for eight years. The warmth of his body bathed her, and he pulled the covers up over both of them. She should feel at threat given their location, but she had never felt so safe in all her life.

"Carter." Jack whispered into her hair as she found a comfortable position to lay her head on his chest.

"Yes?" She answered.

"I hope this wasn't crossing the line with you…If you want me to go I-."

"Are you kidding?" She cut him off. "You'll be lucky if I ever manage to let you go."

Jack's heart swelled. That she had let her guard down enough to say something that…Affectionate. After playing the 'tough commander, tough subordinate' game for so many years he had wondered if that was how it was always going to be. He had his issues, he more than knew that. But Carter was not completely devoid of her own. She could be just as tough, just as stubborn and closed off as he was at times. He knew deep down that she held the same fear in her heart that he did; the fear of trusting, of loving completely, of the kind of intimacy that could completely shatter your existence if it went wrong. But it seemed that she wasn't letting that stand in her way. She wasn't afraid of him.

She trusted him.

"Good to know." He wanted to kiss her just about more than he'd ever wanted anything. That could lead him to even more tempting places however, so he consoled the need by nuzzling his face into her hair and holding her a just a little tighter.

"Carter?"

"Mmm?" She was too busy enjoying the gentle caress of his thumb as it stroked the back of her hand, to bother responding with actual words.

"You okay?"

That sounded like a loaded question to Sam, but she wasn't sure exactly what he was asking.

"No. I'm much, much better than okay."

"Good."

"Why do you ask?"

"When I first came in, I thought you were having another nightmare."

Uh oh. Should she tell him about the wonderfully vivid dreams she'd been having of him? She'd first started dreaming about him not long after they'd met. But every so often she would find herself in the kind of dream she'd just awoken from -one that didn't feel like a dream at all. A dream that had so much depth and clarity, that her senses had a hard time distinguishing it from reality.

"No. I was just dreaming."

Jack wondered if she were covering up because it was too painful to discuss. He'd definitely heard her groan as if she were in pain. Although there was no whimpering like he had heard the previous night, and no tears that he could see. Though the darkness definitely hampered his vision somewhat.

"About?"

"You."

Jack hadn't expected that. She dreamt about him?

"Me?"

Sam could hear the surprise in his voice.

"Mmhmm."

Jack began to wonder what kind of dreams she could possibly be having about him. He couldn't begin to imagine, but he hoped they were nothing like the nightmares that consumed him for weeks after that experience with the Entity. His chest tightened at the memory.

"In that case, I hope it was a good dream." He said, bringing his hand up into her hair and stroking it gently away from her face.

"Very good sir." Sam cringed in the darkness at her choice of words. She really couldn't help but call him 'Sir'. "…Jack." She corrected.

Sam could see him smile in the darkness.

"Care to share?"

Sam paused for a moment, lost in her own thoughts.

"Your pond…Does it have a little dock to fish from?"

Jack was completely baffled as to where that question had come from or where it was leading. Thankfully for Jack, he was more than used to not being able to follow her thought processes. Carter's mind ran at a mile a minute, while his lagged behind like an old man with a bad hip. As desperately as he tried to keep up, he often lost sight of where she was going entirely. It rarely bothered him, as he stood back in awe of this incredible woman with a mind so extraordinary that it exceeded even her outer beauty. That was certainly saying something as Carter was insanely hot.

Plus when she did her 'smart' thing, he got to play dumb, which usually got a smile out of her. Jack enjoyed this, as she was really hot when she smiled. At other times she seemed annoyed by his playing dumb. Jack enjoyed this, as she was really hot when she was annoyed.

His mind couldn't come up with a reason she might ask such a question, so he decided it was probably easiest just to inquire.

"Actually it does. Why do you ask?"

"Let's just say, I'm really looking forward to our fishing trip."

At this point Samantha Carter was pondering the complexities of materializing one of the best dreams she'd ever had. Now this was a challenge worthy of her attention.

"Oh?"

Sam would have responded to the implied question, but she was too busy thinking. She had several selections of jeans at home, and she was attempting to deduce which would be the best candidate for cutting off into shorts. Short shorts.

When she didn't answer he decided not to push her any further. She'd tell him if and when she was ready.

He took this moment of silence to appreciate the sound of Sam Carter breathing. That was an amazing sound. Miraculous even. She herselfwas a miracle, and for some reason she wanted to be his. Baffling.

"Did you want to get some more sleep?" He asked gently.

Sam considered his words for a moment.

"No, I don't want to miss a second of this."

Jack moved his hand from where it lay on top of her on his chest, to wrap it firmly around her waist, pulling her closer to him.

"Ditto." He finally said, enjoying the feel of her weight on top of him.

"Aren't you tired?" Sam asked, certain he must be, considering how little sleep he had had in the last two days. Much less than her even, and a large part of his sleep deprivation was thanks to her.

Jack could hear the concern in her voice.

"Exhausted. But no sleep for me."

"Why?" She asked. She really didn't want him burning out because of her, he needed rest. As much as she didn't want to let him drift off to sleep and leave her behind, she could be content with watching him sleep while in his arms. Not a bad deal when she thought about it.

"I'll miss you." He answered.

Sam was stunned into silence…He was being sweet. General Jack O'Neill - hardass extraordinaire - was being sweet. He knew he was being sweet. In fact she had the feeling he was making a purposeful effort to be sweet...And he was doing it for her.

Well…Two could play at that game.

"Take me with you?" She whispered, nuzzling her face into his neck.

Jack was feeling about the luckiest guy in the entire galaxy about now.

"Always."

Damn, there was no way she could beat that. Still…She could retaliate.

Sam stretched up and brushed her lips against his, softly and gently. This was a kiss that gave and didn't beg for more. A goodnight kiss.

"Go to sleep Jack. I'll wake you in a couple of hours."

Jack O'Neill closed his eyes, and within moments drifted away with the memory of Sam Carter on his lips.

Jack's ear was itchy. Another damn mosquito bite probably. Once again Jack chided himself, he knew those citrus candles were voodoo, yet he'd allowed himself to be taken in anyway. Then again, wasn't an itchy ear supposed to mean good luck? Or was that the palm of your hand?

The elevator door swung open to reveal Sam Carter ready to board the elevator with him. Alone in a confined space with Carter? Jack decided it had to have been ear.

"Colonel!"

The way she said his name in a slightly surprised voice set off warning bells in Jack's head. They saw each other every day, and yet she seemed some what shocked at running into him, almost as if she had been expecting not to see him. Almost as if…She had been trying to avoid him as much as possible, and this freak encounter had caught her off guard. Oh crap, not 'that' elevator ride.

Perhaps it was palm after all?

Jack looked on helplessly as his fears were confirmed by Daniel- first yawning as if he'd had no sleep in days, bidding Carter farewell and walking off as Carter climbed into the elevator with him.

Oh. This part. He remembered this part, the one bright spot in an otherwise torturous journey to level 28. Jack leaned in to smell Carter's hair as the pressed the button indicating what floor she was headed to.

Apparently he was a lot less restrained this time, because she looked at him questioningly for a moment before turning her attention straight ahead. Thankfully, if she had noticed, she obviously decided not to call him on it.

Ugh. This was the hideously awkward encounter where Carter confessed she was seeing Klutz Cop. Not that she needed to, as he'd known already. The way she'd started avoiding him, as if she had something to hide, pretty much gave her away. Jack couldn't imagine that the ever-subordinate Major Carter would ever do something that required hiding from her CO. He had to assume then that Sam was trying to hide something from Jack.

Right on cue, she started humming. What was that she was humming anyway? It was annoying whatever it was. Or perhaps he was more annoyed by the fact her little tune was the direct result of the presence of Pete Shanahan in her life. He listened some more. No, the song was definitely annoying.

"Humming?"

"I am?"

"You are."

"Sorry."

Jack wasn't quite sure what to do here, so he decided to stick to the prewritten script for the moment. He did not enjoy this elevator ride last time - well apart from the hair-smelling part - and he was not liking it any more this time.

The revelation that Carter had been seeing someone else caused a vice-like grip on his insides that he had been determined to ignore. But she deserved his support, and he would give it, even if it was the death of him. Jack considered for a moment…Perhaps this time around he didn't have to suffer in silence.

"So who is he?"

"How did yo-."

"Humming."

"Pete."

"Pete?"

"Pete Shanahan, he's a cop."

"Speeding again, are we?"

"He's from Denver. He's a friend of my brother's."

Jack couldn't help but snort at the utter ridiculousness that was Samantha Carter resorting to being set up. Granted she had no social life, but Jack couldn't imagine any man not being willing to poke his own eye out to be with her.

Carter turned towards him and Jack could tell she was less than impressed with his little noise. She had obviously taken it as a snort of derision.

"What?" She asked defensively.

"Nothin'."

Carter looked at him with a stifled glare, angry at his usual lack of words. She exhaled loudly as if she was trying to keep herself from saying something.

The way she turned away from him told him she had written off this conversation as a lost cause. Probably him too.

Damn it! He was supposed to be making things better, not worse!

"So…You gonna marry this guy Carter? Because I kinda had my eye on you." He smiled at her, fixing his eyes to hers so she would know he was one hundred percent serious.

Sam looked at him in absolute shock. Her mouth hung open as if to speak, but apparently finding that talking wasn't within her capabilities right now. She knew she was supposed to say something, although she had no idea what that might be. This elevator ride would only last a few moments and she didn't want to waste them, so she ordered her lips to ramble off something.

"I…I…Don't know what to say sir."

"Well I do…Pete sucks."

She didn't answer immediately, just continued staring at him with an expression of disbelief.

"What?"

"I mean, really? Do you want to be known as Samantha Shanahan? Personally I think that sounds ridiculous."

"Sir-."

"And I wouldn't count on him keeping that hair."

"Sir-"

"Not to mention, he's a little stubby."

Sam was flabbergasted.

"How could you possibly know that? You've never met him."

"So you admit it? You think he's stubby too?"

Sam looked like she was considering the question.

"Maybe a little." She admitted meekly, no less bewildered by Jack's behaviour. "But how could you know that? You've never met him."

"Oh, I've met him. Believe me, Mr. Background Check is not good enough for you."

"What are you talking about?"

"Nothing. Just trust me Carter, I can promise you that he isn't good enough for you, because no man is."

Sam was overwhelmingly curious as to what he had meant by all of that, but his final words presented her with an opportunity to broach a subject he now seemed willing to discuss. What had caused this sudden change of attitude, she wasn't sure, but she recognized that this may be her last opportunity to have 'that' discussion.

"You are."

She was laying her heart on the line with just two words. Jack knew that was what she was doing because he could see the fear in her eyes. Not for the first time Jack wondered how a woman as amazing as the one that stood before him could possibly want him like she did.

"Not even close Carter, but I'm trying to be." He lifted his hand up to caress her cheek with the back of his fingers. "I'll keep trying to be."

"I thought you had given up." She said, staring up at him with sadness etched into her bright blue eyes.

"Never, Carter. If I ever gave you the impression otherwise, it's because I want to see you happy. You deserve to be happy. And if finding a guy who can give you all those things that I can't makes you happy, then you have my full support. But don't for a second think I don't want to give you all those things…It's just-."

"The goa'uld." She cut him off.

"Pretty much." He gave her a weak grin. "I started this war Sam, the first time I stepped through that gate nine years ago. I can't leave others to fight my battles for me. It's hard enough to live with myself as it is, if I deserted so I could live happily ever after with a beautiful woman I clearly don't deserve…I think my self loathing would take on a whole new life."

"What if I-?"

"No." He knew that she was going to suggest resigning from the military, but he would never allow her to sacrifice a part of herself for the likes of him. She stared up at him, the sadness and regret evident, but with a trace of contentment that stemmed from knowing he treasured her just the way she was, rank and all. "Like I said Carter, I'll support you whatever you choose to do as long as it makes you happy."

"Let's kick their asses sir."

Jack smiled.

"Sounds like a plan."

That had been her way of telling him that she hadn't given up on them either.

"We're going to win this war sir, I know it."

"Well Carter, if that's what you think we can safely say the goa'uld are toast, because you're always right about everything." He took her hand and laced his fingers through hers. "And let me just say, as soon as they are, we are going to have one heck of a celebration."

"Really?" She looked at him like he had just offered her the world.

"Oh yes. That is…If you want to?"

"Oh I want to sir. I've been 'wanting to' since about the minute I saw you." She grinned.

Jack was almost too stunned by her boldness to speak. He stared at her disbelievingly, in complete and utter adoration of this astonishing woman and all her marvels. She looked like she was considering kissing him, but a glance towards the security cameras told him she was too worried to.

"Do you trust me Carter?

"Of course."

Jack pulled her into his arms and kissed her with all the passion he could summon.

"Wow." She said breathlessly. "You've just given me one more reason to hate the goa'uld."

"I swear Carter, the day we kick their asses once and for all is the day I show you just how much you mean to me."

"General O'Neill, sir."

Jack's eyes snapped open to the very unexpected sight of Walter Harriman looking down at him. He shot up out of bed in an instant, realizing as he did that Carter stood on the opposite side of the bed, also looking down at him. A quick glance at her face told him she was no longer tired, and was instead positively beaming. Damn she was beautiful, even first thing in the morning.

"Is there something I can do for you two?" He asked, hoping it would sound to Walter as if Carter's being here was also an inconvenience.

"Looks like you may have been right Sir." Harriman announced, trying to remain professional and not let excitement penetrate his voice. "We just received word from Bra'tac. It seems that Anubis really may be 'toast' Sir."

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Author's note - Thanks for everyone who has favourited, reviewed and followed, you guys are what is keeping this story going. ;)