Okay… that whole apology for being a totally fluffy sap thing I said earlier… it now really comes into play. Really. Because I'm getting to the point where I seriously can't keep the fluff-bunnies at bay, and I think it's time to move on…

Again, I hope it's fairly in character… or at least in character as this situation allows…

Jack spent the rest of the day avoiding Sam. He'd be the first to admit it- he was totally and completely avoiding her, lest he jump her bones. At this point, it was a distinct possibility, especially since he now had a fairly good idea what he'd be jumping. Sure, he felt a little guilty running off from lunch before she got there and hiding further down stream… but it was the only way of stopping himself from putting them in any compromising situations.

Ordinarily, had they not spent every waking moment with each other the last three months, he would have dismissed the encounter. It would have been hard, but he would have done it willingly and, for the most part, successful. However, given just how much time they had been spending together and how easy they had become around each other, coupled with the knowledge that they were at least another eight months from going home… needless to say it was much harder to just ignore their little encounter.

Or pretend that neither of them was particularly affected by it.

Jack wasn't stupid. Though he had been very aware of himself and had been intent on keeping himself under control, he couldn't deny it thrilled him a little to see the spark in her eye too. It wasn't just that she was shocked and embarrassed about being caught- if he wasn't mistaken, there seemed to be the barest hint of pleasure in her gaze. There was a part of her, a very small part, that was secretly delighted she had been caught. It was that same part that fuelled her need for speed, caused her to make sometimes inappropriate jokes with the team and allowed her to drop his rank all those weeks ago. It was her fun side, and it was become more and more dominant the longer they stayed on the planet.

He was, if possible, in even more trouble.

He couldn't keep it up- the pretence that there wasn't some serious unresolved sexual chemistry between them. Tension he could handle… but full-blown chemistry would be the death of him. And Jack knew Sam felt the same. She'd never stepped out of line, but he had seen her stop herself on many occasions from doing just that. They were both only human, after all. Special and talented humans, maybe… but human none the less. And as far as he knew, neither of them had gone… there… with anyone for ages, and especially not since they'd been on Edora. Sure, some of the townspeople had tried. But neither him nor Sam was interested… unless it concerned their fellow earthling.

Shit.

He was in some serious trouble.

Once the sun had started to set he decided to make his way back to the house, hoping Sam would have stayed late at dinner, or maybe gone to bed early.

No such luck.

He walked in the door, and there on the couch in front of a small fire was Sam, her arm resting over the arm of the couch while her legs stretched out over its length. She was reading a small paper-back book that she'd had in her pack. She'd probably already finished it a million times before, and Jack knew she'd finished it at least three times since they had been on Edora, but they had nothing else to do. Jack couldn't help but think that the sight in front of him was the sexiest thing he'd ever seen. Oh God, he was a goner. The position wasn't even that sexual, and his mind immediately got lost in the gutter. Not good.

She looked up when she heard the squeak of the door and gave him a quick and hesitant smile before quickly turning back to her book.

'I ran off for our own good, Sam. Trust me, it had nothing to do with you; it was my overactive and highly frustrated libido, not you. Never you'

He wanted to say that, but he didn't. Instead he thought he'd stick to something a little more… neutral.

"Watcha reading?"

Nice. Real nice, Jack. Way to go, Captain Obvious.

"1984" she replied without inflection.

"That was a good year"

As expected the joke fell flat. Correction: it had its nails pulled off with pliers, was slowly singed to death, revived and then killed again using a series of small but powerful electric shocks. And then it fell flat.

Jack shuffled on his feet near the door while Sam pretended to read her book. She couldn't even apologise to try and break the silence. Not that she had anything to apologise for, but still… it's what she would have done if she had the opportunity. But she couldn't. The white slip was what they wore when bathing, and in the privacy of their own home, it seemed to provide enough modesty that, should he accidentally walk into the bathroom, she wouldn't be sitting there butt naked. But in the light of day, when the material clung to the skin, it was a completely different story, and Sam certainly didn't count on Jack turning around at the exact second she stood up out of the water.

In an attempt to keep things normal, Jack went to sit on the opposite end of the couch just as he would have had they not had their moment. Sam shifted her feet to allow him to sit. After a while, once Sam had read the same sentence fifteen times and Jack had counted about one hundred and twenty three sheep in his head, they finally dropped to pretence.

"Look, Sam… about this afternoon…"

"It's okay. I figured you must've had something you needed to sort out…"

"You could say that" he muttered.

She finally dropped the last walls and turned to him completely. Neither of them was sure if she was supposed to hear that, but she did.

"And?" she asked. She tried, she really did… but there was no way he was fooled by the seemingly innocent question. Not a hope in hell.

"And…" he sighed and scrubbed a hand over his face. "And I dunno"

"Yeah" she sighed softly, agreeing completely. Apparently she'd done some of her own thinking.

He met her eyes, and could tell that they were totally and completely on the same wavelength.

Jack watched as she dropped her gaze a little and lightly chewed the inside of her bottom lip. There was barely a body width between them, and Jack decided it was time he made a decision. Limbo was killing him, and if things really went pear-shaped, he'd be glad to run far far away for a couple of months if she needed him to. It was worth the risk. They could deal with ramifications later, but for now they were stuck together with mutual feelings that they could no longer ignore. Leaning across the distance suddenly, not giving her time to react or pull away, Jack lightly touched her lips with his own, his hand sitting gently on the side of her face. After a moment he pulled back, and for a split second he watched as her face stayed unchanged, her eyes closed and her muscles completely relaxed. She looked blissful. Then she opened her eyes and met his, and they were clear and very blue… not to mention more than a little shocked.

A slight smile tugged at the corner of her mouth.

"Now you know where I stand," he whispered softly, his hand still cupping her cheek. He wouldn't push it further.

After a beat he went to get up, noticing she hadn't moved a muscle. Perhaps he should start to organise that exit strategy now. Her hand flew out and stopped him by taking his arm and making him sit back into the cushions. He threw a questioning look at Sam. He watched as a fleeting look of indecision crossed her face before she mimicked his previous action, leaning across the distance and kissing him with a little more conviction than he had shown. She let the kiss linger a second longer than his, her hand resting against his jaw-line. Their eyes slipped closed.

She pulled back with a small smile, her eyes shining with happiness and something he didn't want to name just yet. Finally they had chosen a road to travel.

"Now you know where I stand," she replied lowly.

With a smile Jack pulled her to him, tucking her under his arm as he had done so many times before. Sam wrapped her arms around him and they went back to watching the fire, their minds focussed on all but the flames. Suddenly his sexual appetite had been replaced by a warm feeling of contentment. They still had some things to consider, namely what they would do when they got home. Most likely Jack would go to General Hammond and ask for special dispensation. He was quietly confident the guy would grant it- the General wasn't an idiot. He knew the feelings had been present, and there was nothing saying that just because the relationship stopped they wouldn't make compromising decisions because of their feelings. They'd done it before and they'd do it again, and no amount of restriction would change that.

But he was still worried that, in the light of day, Sam would reconsider. A relationship with a team-member, even in a place as different and kooky as the SGC, could still be seen as a ladder-climbing effort on her part. She'd worked hard to earn her place, and Jack didn't want to ruin that for her.

"I was thinking…" started Sam, sounding serious but still content.

"Hmmm?"

"If he doesn't grant us special dispensation, I'll ask General Hammond to transfer me to the labs, and maybe even keep me on SG-1 in a scientific research position based out of there"

Jack really did get spooked when they did that 'mental connection' thing.

"I was just think that… well, not the transfer bit, I don't want you to have to transfer… but the permission thing…"

"Really?" she asked with a grin. He was really thinking the same thing? Spooky.

"Yeah. He's a reasonable guy… and he's certainly not blind"

Sam nodded into his chest. She knew exactly what he was referring to.

"I'd offer to retire…"

Sam started to move slightly.

"…but I know neither you nor them would let me… again… so I won't even bother mentioning it"

Sam settled back into his side. At least he knew her well enough to not be an idiot. Despite his attempts to downplay his importance, Jack played just as big a roll as any of them. She wouldn't let him think otherwise.

"And then?" she asked.

Uh-oh. This was it- the million-dollar question. Once he had permission to show her how he felt, where did that leave them? Was this just a fling- a way to relieve the tension while having some fun in the meantime? Was this just sex? Or was this a commitment? And if it was, how big a commitment? Were they talking 'lets take it slow', or was this like 'I might ask you to marry me in the future'? What if they discovered that once they were in a relationship they actually didn't like each other that much? Or a lover's spat caused problems within SG-1, or they found they bought work-related disagreements home? And what would Daniel and Teal'c think?

These were all things they had to consider. It was one thing to screw the regs… but to do so without considering the long and short-term ramifications was just plain stupid. And neither were that.

Jack sighed. This was it. Confession time.

"I'm in for as long as you are," he whispered sincerely to the top of her head. He felt her arms tighten around his stomach, and saw an errant tear trickle down her cheek. His free hand wiped it away, and travelled down her face to her chin, where a single finger coaxed her to meet his eyes. "I mean it", he added.

She nodded. "I know you do"

She took a shuddering breath and closer her eyes, resting her head back on his chest. She hadn't returned his sentiment, but he was waiting patiently. He was good at waiting on the edge...

Sam raised her head and looked at him, swallowing nervously before answering.

"I am too. In this… as long as you are"

He grinned and held her tightly, cradling her head as he kissed the top of it. Truthfully, she was terrified. She wanted this relationship, no doubt… but what the hell was she going to say to those who asked- Her father? What would he say? And her brother? They'd never met the man before. And what about Janet? She knew of their feelings - Sam could remember her giving a look when the conversation about a certain Colonel came up. The last time Sam had gotten involved with a fellow officer had not ended well. And they hadn't even been in the same chain of command. As much as she wanted this, she was still terrified.

But she trusted Jack, and she knew that he would keep to his word. He was in every way the opposite of Jonas- his awful experiences had, somehow, softened him rather than turned him crazy. He had learnt to love the simple things, and enjoy life; despite the cards life had dealt him.

If he promised that he was in this for the long haul, she believed him.

Okay, I need feedback now more than ever! =P What'd you think?