A/N: There's one more chapter after this one....

The house was silent. The kids were sleeping in the den downstairs, Mark and Melissa in the spare room and Cassie in what Sam had dubbed her room since she stayed over when not at college.

Sam's head lay in the crook of Jack's arm, her hand on his chest. The only sound was of his heartbeat as it thundered beneath her ear. Raising it softly, Sam twisted her head to rest her chin on top of her hand. She looked at him through the darkness; his own eyes still open and staring up at the ceiling.

"Melissa thought you looked good in your uniform, by the way..." Her words were soft, almost a whisper. Not really the sentiment she wanted to express, but in the surrounding silence she had stumbled and said the first thing that popped into her head.

"Yeah?" Jack's gaze shifted down to hers, a slight smile on his lips.

Sam nodded. "Said you seemed perfect – that you must have some big flaw that no one knows about because no one can be a hard assed general and still be as considerate and affectionate as you..."

Jack almost chuckled at the absurd observation. "What did you say?"

"That you don't get to be a Major General without having seen and done some bad things in your time..."

Sam felt it as he swallowed, noticing that his eyes had flicked up to staring at the ceiling again.

To be painfully honest, the thought hadn't even crossed her mind before, until Melissa had made some throw away comment. Though part of her believed, in her sister-in-law's own way, it wasn't a throw away comment and was instead a covert way of dropping a hint or two to see how the notion sat in the bigger schemes of things. Things were still new and Sam wasn't inclined to discuss it with Jack yet, let alone a family member whom she'd somewhat drifted apart from. Her acknowledgement of Jack's fatherly role in Cassie's life would have been made in just the same way, whether she was in a relationship with him or not.

"When is it?" Sam asked, being careful not to stare too intently at his face, but trying to convey her support all the same. "His birthday?" She answered when he threw a raised eyebrow her way. "He'd be eighteen right?"

She felt his eyes meet hers, his gaze sweeping over her face, silently studying her. He shifted slightly, swallowing another lump in his throat before forcing the words out of his mouth. "Two months away..."

Raising her chin to look him directly, Sam tried to keep all emotion out of her voice. "We should head back to Colorado, maybe book a hotel for the weekend? Somewhere nearby..."

Jack's eyes were back on hers again and she held her breath, watching a flicker of anger and despair dart across his face. Finally he nodded and Sam deflated, resting her chin back down onto her hand again. She felt his hands trace up her back, the heat from each one seeping through the cotton of her pyjamas. Briefly pressing her lips to his chest, Sam shifted, settling back into his arms again. Instinctively, their arms tightened around each other and it wasn't until he let out a long sigh, that Sam felt him relax again.

"You've given me so much support these past few months," Sam found herself saying, just as his heartbeat began to regulate. "What with Dad and..." she paused, "Everything else... Cassie and work..." She stilled the hand that had subconsciously been tracing patterns on his skin. "You deserve to have the same level of support given to you... You need... I want..." The words dwindled out and Sam frowned into the darkness, slightly frustrated with herself.

As the words span round in her head, Jack shifted beneath her. Scooting down the bed, he pushed her onto her side, arranging themselves so that they were facing each other, eye to eye, and still within each other's grasp.

"Sam," Jack choked, "You already do support me... Even if you don't realise it," he shook his head. "Maybe I don't say it enough but you, doing what you do, being here for me – it's enough. Hearing your voice on the phone after a bad day; squeezing my hand when I see you; running your fingers through my hair..." They shared a small smile at his revelations and Jack tilted his head as he continued, "Flashing me that megawatt smile of yours..." Sam couldn't help but reward him for that one and Jack stifled back a laugh as she grinned right on cue. "I mean it..." Jack added softly.

Sam nodded at him, words suddenly failing her for a moment.

"Being in a house with a family again..." Jack avoided her gaze, his eyes shifting as though searching for the words in his mind. "It's good, but it's also... strange." He shrugged. "It's been a while..."

Sam squeezed his arm affectionately and watched as his eyes sought out hers again through the darkness. "Brought back memories....?"

It was more of a statement than a question but Jack nodded. "Not all bad," he said, offering her a sad smile.

"That's good to hear..." Sam murmured.

They lay in silence for few moments before Sam looked up to see Jack studying her again. He looked torn, and after he hesitated for what felt like an eternity, Sam frowned at him. "What?" She whispered.

"Just..." His words faltered, his eyes boring into hers, and Sam held her breath as she stared back. Just when she thought she couldn't take it anymore, Jack launched himself forwards, claiming her lips. Blood soared in her ears, her heart pounded in her chest and Sam felt the intensity filled within his kiss filter through to her own skin.

Pulling back, Sam was breathless, and she stared at him with a mixture of passion and confusion on her face.

"I missed you," Jack murmured, his face hovering close to hers.

Sam smiled as his breath caressed her lips, her eyes instinctively closing. "Me too..."

Although nothing more was said, Sam knew that all the other unspoken words were filed away. His kiss a silent promise, that when they were ready, another discussion could be had. They were happy with the way things were. As frustrating and cryptic as they could both be sometimes, she knew that with time, things would change. And for the better.

A contented sigh escaped her lips and Sam opened her eyes to see Jack smirking at her. A slow smile crept across her face.

Yes, things were certainly getting better.