Hey! Coldish weather has hit my town, sooo… I'm in a pseudo romantic mood. So, it was perfect for writing this part. Don't get your hopes too high tough.

Anyway! Here we go…

Enjoy!

M.

Chapter 21 – Plans, trips and snow storms

"Hey, you called?" Sam asked entering the small office. Jack remained still there, "What's wrong?" she let out as soon as she noticed him.

"It's not what you might think," Jack commented before she decided he was there to ask for his transference. "There's something you need to know…" he trailed pointing to the chair next to his. Hammond frowned at the exchange, but he let it pass, he considered that if something came up between the two of them, one or both of them would present him the case in search for either advice or approval.

"Sam, have you managed to make those mimetic devices work?" He asked calling the attention at himself.

"Yup," she nodded once, "they only had you all hooked up to the ceiling to avoid you going around and compromise their invasion, but the image is recorded on the device itself in a…" the widened eyes and exchange of looks made her sigh, "yes, I know how they work"

"Cool," Jack left out, it was a point in their favor at the moment.

"Can you replace the image for an image of someone else? Let's say… The Colonel's and yours?"

"Are you going to tell me what's wrong? Or are you letting me come up with all the possible scenarios?" she wondered out loud.

"There's been a small breach at Interstellar…" Jack trailed checking her, she nodded once to ask him to continue, "there's no enough information to bring them down, but is enough information to want to protect you"

"Which would lead at them knowing there's an insider... What's the plan?"

"Right now, we can't risk to change your plans, but we also can't risk letting you out there. "

"So you want to use the mimetic device to put someone else in danger?"

"The Tok'ra agreed to send two operatives that will be able to learn whatever you have to present and be you for those days. And we will send someone as their guard, also, all the venues will be monitored closely."

"But for this plan to work, we both have to disappear and I have to load our images to the mimetic device, right?" She got two nods, "mmkay, however, I won't agree to go to a different planet. I prefer to be around in case they need to call me for information, or if something happens"

"I have the perfect place for that, we will be close to here, but far away enough that no one would come looking for you."

"What about looking for you?" she asked with an eyebrow raised.

"They're less than a handful of people who know where to find me, but we can plan around so we look like going to wherever you need to go, and travel from there to where we need to go"

"If that's the best plan we can come up, I guess I have no choice, but accept it," she shrugged.

"Oki doki, I'll start planning then," He grinned, "General?"

"Dismissed Colonel," he waited for Jack to leave before turning fully towards Sam. "Are you sure?"

"Yeah, it does sound like a good plan. What about Jess and Charlie?"

"When the time comes, we will put some extra guards to follow them. Don't worry, also if you feel you need to check this with Sam A, please do. But keep in mind that we aren't sure that we don't have someone listening from here."

"Yeah, will do. See you around," she waved before leaving.

It wasn't until they arrived back to her home in San Diego that she started to panic, not because of what she was supposed to do, or because of what was happening… but because she just realized she would be in very close quarters without anyone around to get her mind out of the gutter.

As the days passed, and she started to train the Tok'ra to become her, she silently grew more and more concerned about her situation. She found she couldn't speak to anyone about it, not for the sake of the plans and not because the only person who knew them was Jack himself and he was absorbed in making the perfect plan to get them wherever they were going and teach his fake self how he behaved. And then the few days they had to make all work passed and they were boarding her plane with destination to North Dakota, starting the journey to his cabin.

"We should be at Silver creek in 6 hours," he pointed as he started the engine. She nodded absentmindedly. They had spent the almost 3 hours of the flight avoiding any kind of conversation about the situation they were in. Trading their waters carefully, running away of too personal subjects.

"So where is it?'

"Silver Creek?" he asked, paying attention to traffic. "It's an hour or so northwest of Minneapolis"

"Then why Bismarck? I mean there are a few airports and lanes closer," she asked turning towards him

"Well, I would never go there just to go to the cabin," he shrugged. "Most people who know where to find me knows if I go there I will either drive from Colorado if I have lots of time, or from Minneapolis, if it is a short visit."

"Kay… If you are sure," She shrugged. "Do you believe someone is watching you too?" she asked after a while.

"It's been a long time since I was positioned to take care of you… I mean, your safety. So I wouldn't put it pass someone to start digging on my life." He told her looking at her from the corner of his eye, "I know for sure that if I was the one trying to get you, I would look whomever was in charge of your safety."

"Hmm, I guess that if I was trying to get someone, I would investigate everyone around."

They stopped for food, did few short stops to stretch their legs mostly, and it was half an hour after the sixth hour of their trip when he finally pointed to a sign that showed Silver creek. She smiled at him.

"We still need to make one stop in town to get some fuel for the power generator and groceries." He told her before turning into a what looked the road to town. It was a quaint little village, he stopped beside the grocery store. "Let's get what we need for a week or so"

"Sure," she told him, jumping out of the car. She had given him an envelope with money for anything they would need and told him it was for him not to feel awkward with her paying for everything. Especially when everything from the rental truck was paid cash to avoid being tracked.

"So, what's with this cabin?" She asked, confused as they roamed the medium size grocery store, both putting different stuff they found as they went.

"It was my grandparent's home," he answered, but didn't continue further. "When we finish here I will get us fuel enough to last a day, they disconnect the power lines that far when I'm not around. So tomorrow we will have to make a trip to town to get it connected."

"Okay," she smiled.

"Hey Jack! Long time not seeing you," the cashier welcomed him. "Hi, I'm Esther."

"Sam," she answered politely not too sure of how she should introduce herself. The cashier looked at her, but didn't say anything but "nice to meet you"

"You never come anymore, Jack! I was told you got a kid?"

"Yeah, he's thirteen."

"Dear lord, is been that long since you last visited?"

"Nope, you just weren't here when I was." He smiled not quite telling her anything, and at the same time giving her the money for their purchase.

"Uh, well… it was nice seeing you around. You have to bring the kid sometime so I get to meet him!" she finished. Sam couldn't help but feel somewhat out of her pond, and observed.

"Relax, it's a small town. They believe they know what's going on in everyone's lives, but since most of their own kids and grandkids have parted to other cities, is easy to know they don't know as much as they want"

"I'm not worried about it. I do feel like I'm somewhat intruding into this community," she pointed

"Yeah, it will pass soon enough."

They went out of town not before stopping for the fuel, and continued driving until the street lights were off and further into the darkness. He drove at ease, so she figured out she shouldn't get worried about their whereabouts. Then he turned into what looked like a private lane. And she saw it, the wooden cabin sat in the middle of the now snow covered woods.

"Wow, it's beautiful and kind of perfect for a horror movie." She commented and he snorted.

"Why thanks, I guess… but really just wait until tomorrow both dawn and sunset look amazing from the deck." He doubted about turning the engine off or not, "let me get the generator on and then I will come look for you and the stuff"

"I can give you a hand or two… I kind of good with things" she smiled.

"If you want to… I just need to pour that into the thing and see what I'm doing… "

"I can always hold the lantern," She smiled, he moved towards where she sat to grab the lantern from the compartment and she tried hard not to blush, when they both got down, she thanked for the cold temperature that would hide her blushing features while he grabbed the fuel tank.

"This way," he pointed and they both walked towards the house. Between the two of them got the thing working in minutes and then the house was finally enlightened. The heaters were set at full speed to make it warm as fast as it could, while they started to get their things out of the truck and into the house.

"Here, let me take your things to the master …" he started trying to get her to release the small suitcase she brought with her.

"I'm going to stay in your guest room, Colonel. I am after all the guest," she affirmed not releasing her bag.

"But the master bedroom has an en suite bathroom… the"

"I don't care... you are the owner. I'm the guest. So do take the room that belongs to you," she affirmed. She didn't know for sure if it was because it really was his room to take or because she didn't dare to enter it.

"Okay…Let me bring your stuff then." He conceded, and she smiled finally letting go of the handle. "This way, Doc," He walked towards the end of the only hallway and she followed. He entered the room at his right, "This one is the guest's room." He added leaving her bag on a small desk. I'll bring sheets and covers shortly. The bathroom is the other door on this side of the hallway."

She prepared two sandwiches while he worked on putting everything away and showing her where everything went, she mocked him when she saw the contents of one of the cupboards was different kinds of beer, but he just shrugged it away.

"We can test them all while we are here," he added, putting some of them in the fridge. Then, once everything was set they waved each other goodnights and disappeared into their rooms.

It was late that night when he felt something wasn't right, he took the covers out of his body and slid his legs out of the bed sitting quickly, elbows on his knees. He placed his face in his hands and then scrubbed it tiredly. Then he remembered where he was and why he was there, quickly and silently he dressed on sweatpants and a sweatshirt and some thick socks, he grabbed his side gun from behind the bed and padded slowly but surely towards the guestroom.

He opened the door and thanked the gods he had remembered to change the hinges last time he was there, because he remembers how awfully loud those were before and now, no sound came. He strained his ears, but he found the breathing sound was missing. Confused, he walked inside and definitively, the bed, although, messed was empty and cold. He swore.

He got out of the room and found the lack of lights disturbing, he stopped to check the bathroom anyways but that room too was deserted. The only light was coming from the bright moonlight entering through the windows. Then he thought the worse, because who in their right mind would go around an unknown house in the pitch dark that currently surrounded him?

The kitchen was empty, and there was no one in the dining room beside it. He started to get a little more unnerved, but still in check with his own emotions proceeded to verify if the truck was still there, and definitively it was. Covered in two inches of snow, but still there. He waited for a while, maybe they were still fighting with the truck, but the engines were never turned on. He took the steps separating him from the living slowly, not even the lights of the remains of the fire he had put off earlier where there. Or at least, they weren't visible anymore, his mind provided. And then, he thought he saw something, and moved towards the back door.

And surely, there in the cold night, one of the lounge chairs he usually kept inside during winter was propped over the small dock. Swearing when he felt the cold biting his body, he turned around and quickly found the appropriated clothes to be able to move around and check what the hell was going on. And there she was, fully laid looking at the current clear skies.

"What the hell are you doing out here?" He asked, somewhat worried, somewhat relieved. But startling her out of her reverie. She quickly found his eyes, hers better adjusted to the night.

"Stargazing," she answered not explaining much.

"You know it's freezing out here, how long have you been here?"

"I don't know… what time is it?"

"11PM"

"32 minutes, then," she shrugged, "hope you don't mind, I dragged this one out"

"Nope, not really, it's water resistant."

"We should get back inside," she commented not moving.

"Are you cold?"

"Not really"

"Then?"

"It's late…" she trailed.

"But you are awake and so am I," he pointed, then he turned around and went to find another chair and they both sat staring up.

"When I was a kid, we moved a lot," she started softly, "and in order to make me feel home, or at least acquainted with the place, my mom and I would often stay up till 12 and she would show me the stars"

"So you decided Minnesota is too far away from San Diego, or Vegas, or Colorado, or DC that you needed to see stars in the freezing cold?" He asked jokingly, she sat up and turned around to watch him.

"No, not really… I guess is something I do every time I … never mind. We should go back inside..." She trailed standing up, and started to drag her chair back.

"Wait!" He stopped her with just one word, the tone made her shiver. "You are freezing, go inside. I'll take the chairs back in, maybe we need some hot tea or something," she smiled at him and thanked he actually mistook the reason of her shiver.

"Yeah, tea sounds nice, hot chocolate sounds even better, if I may interest you in it?" He agreed easily and not much later, they both sat in the kitchen bar, nursing two smoking hot cups of chocolate. He took a sip and hummed in appreciation. She snorted, "you were afraid to test it," he nodded, "why?"

"Well, it's not like I have seen you doing much cooking," he pointed, "this tastes very good"

"I don't think hot chocolate is considered cooking. Besides, I have a daughter that sometimes I need to bribe"

"Did I ever asked you why she's at the boarding school? I mean, I feel you could be an excellent mother, why ship her away?"

"It wasn't like that, when she was first born, she was with me most of the time. She had her own room in most of my offices and I stopped meetings to take care of her… but kids grow." She added, taking a sip of her drink, "when she needed to start school, I tried to take her to a good private one and pick her up. But my schedule wasn't as indulgent as people often thinks from a director or owner. Anyway, a week later I was almost forced to hire a driver for her. Week four, I had to travel for two weeks and couldn't just get her out of school so she would be with me. Rodney and I had a discussion, he spoke with the boards and they gave me a choice: I could retire and let him take over the companies, which I wouldn't do. Or, since I couldn't keep her flying away every two weeks to different schools, I could sign her as an intern… I do think Rodney was right, she deserved the stability and boarding school gave her that"

"You could have hired a teacher and make her study at 'home'"

"Yeah, and take away from her the chance to get around kids of her same age, and of a good school? I don't think that's fair either. It was good the first couple of years, then she started to ask not to pick her up. I know I'm guilty of the way our relationship was. I could have said no to the companies to be a mom… but I couldn't do it. And probably that's one thing she will hate from me forever"

"Charlie hated me too," she snorted, "no, really. I was never around when he was a kid. I missed all his first. At least that you didn't," he smiled sadly. "Then, when he was six and I was finally stationed here. Well, in the US. I made them move, so we could live together as a family. He hated me so much, because he had to find new friends and adapt to a new school just because his daddy decided so. Then, when I thought everything was water under the bridge, I was moved again, I was stationed for four months when they decided to deploy me for a short time, and he found my secondary gun… I can't tell you everything that went through my mind the moment I learned what happened." He saw her frown, "he found it, and was taking it to his mom when he tripped and the gun fired itself"

"Holy Hannah!" she whispered laying a comforting hand on top of his. He was too far gone into his memory.

"The bullet went through his right lung; he was in the ICU for a month. They said he fell into a deep coma and he was likely not to wake up."

"And you took the mission to Abydos," she joined the dots and he nodded.

"He almost killed himself with my own gun, and I almost killed myself, before I put the situation in perspective. And now, barely four years later no one believes me when I say Charlie hated me. Therefore, there's hope for you and Jess, and you two are already working on it"

"Well, we still have to wait until the Air Force catches whomever is trying to get me. In the meanwhile, she really is better under the safety of her school." She sighed, "How is it that suddenly you are so wise?"

"I'm not wise, I'm just 16 years older than you..." he pointed. "we should go to bed," they both blushed fiercely.

"It's not like we can do much around here," she added, her blush deepening even more, "but sleep, I mean"

"Maybe tomorrow I can show you the library, or you could try to get into one of the town things like pottery," he tried changing subjects before his mind started not to be so helpful

"Pottery?" She raised her eyebrow.

"Sorry, I have no idea from where that came from. We should go to the community center and check what they have. I don't think an hour or two away from here would make it that much of a security issue."

"Well, I will try to stay put as long as I can. I don't want to keep you away from your family longer than I really have to. And even if there's something I could do... It's a risk. Leaving the house means we can be exposed and someone could get the hint. I appreciate the offer, I will try my best not to take anything apart," she gave him a quick peck on the cheek before she realized what she did, then blushed and hopped out of the chair then shouted a quick "good night!"

He was too dumbfounded to do anything else but return the goodnight in the same fashion. Then, like the teenager, his mind was accusing him to be, he raised his hand and placed it over the spot where she planted the kiss. Then he shook his head and went back to bed. And that was when his cell phone rung. Groaning, he picked the offending device and looked at the screen, who the hell called at 2345 hours?

"O'Neill?" he frowned

"Jack?"

"Robson?"

"Yeah… Esther told me … here…" the communication was awful, Jack paced trying to get a better reception. But then, he got the words he needed and tried not to freak, "snow storm…ast 3 days…hit town… you way"

"Robson… are you really saying that there's a 3 day long snow storm heading in our way"

"Yeah... snow is piling quic…. That' the report from Mine… roads are closed… you have fuel?"

"I only got enough for one night,"

"Jesus, Jack! … how we manage to get you some... Power lines are down … the Braxton's house." That's when he noticed the wind roaming at the windows, "…save all the fuel you can… Know you can survive this… you alone," Jack tried hard not to groan with the status of the line.

"Esther might have told you I'm not alone"

"Crap! She didn't… good hands with you"

"Thanks." He told Robson before hanging out. Now the only issue was, how to keep his fuel thought for a day going for three. "Crap," he walked and knocked the door to Sam's room, she opened a tired look in her face. "I'm sorry to bother you doc, but there's a snow front coming and we need to use the less possible fuel, if we want to last the 3 days we will be mostly uncommunicated"

"We should move to the living room then, and make a fire. Do you have a way to shut all the rooms, but leave the living room heaters open?" he nodded, "okay, then we should drag our stuff there, and prepare to sleep close to the fire. Warmest clothes on and we can save the fuel to warm only the room and to heat water in case cold gets into us." She provided, he looked at her surprised by her ability to think quickly in a situation like the one they were on.

"I would never believe you would react like this…" he told her in awe, she shrugged blushing, "However, I believe we will be better at the master room, it has a seating area, a fireplace, a bathroom and it can be kept warm. While, the living room is more open... we will lose a lot of heat there." She analyzed the situation, and nodded.

"Okay," she told him not quite convinced. "Should I move my things while you close the heat on the other places? Maybe I can start a fire when I finish?" He nodded, smiling at the offering.

"There's firewood and tinder under the fireplace, tomorrow morning we can bring some more from the shelter," he provided, disappearing towards the other end of the house. She went back to her previous room, tossed in the bag the few things she took out of it and closed it. She turned off the heater in there and soon she was standing in front of the master bedroom's door. She inhaled deeply. "Carter aren't quitters, although things will get way to close in the few days," she muttered to herself before going in.

The room was far from what she imagined, it was very masculine. The lack of feminine touch was evident at first sight. There was a small table for two at one of the corners towards closer to the windows that she figured held a nice view of the lake. The other corner, was hogged by a stone fireplace. The right side wall too was a window, a library and two settees along with a small desk completed that wall and corner. Then she had no choice but to set her eyes in the middle of the room and sighed. She didn't know for sure if it was with hope or disappointment, but it was a sigh nonetheless. The bed was huge and it was perfectly made on one side, the other was somewhat undone. The covers were dark and so were the sheets. The last things she noticed was a door, she walked to it and found herself in what looked like a long dressing room which she supposed ended at the bathroom.

Hearing Jack trip against a table, made her aware that she was staring. So she left her things next to the desk and moved towards the fireplace. She looked around and found some tinder, and moved some logs around and felt around until she found the matches, she hoped those were still good and then she proceeded to turn the tinder in four or five places.

"Huh, I really thought I would come and find you still fighting with the fire," he commented very surprised when he saw the small fire raging. "You took some survival course, didn't you?"

"I… uhm… sort of…" she tried to explain, but she really didn't want to go through that part of her life just now. "So, I guess the other side is mine?" She asked and he frowned.

"Huh?"

"The bed?... Or you prefer to drag the mattress from the guest room?"

"Oh! No! That bed is big enough for the two of us and some more people… that didn't come up right."

"It doesn't matter, Colonel. Probably with more people this wouldn't be so uncomfortable as it is right now," she finished standing up and cleaning her hands against a rug she also found by the fireplace, and smiled awkwardly. She went to the bathroom to wash her hands

"I'm making you uncomfortable?" He asked, coming close to her, when she returned to the room. He bit his tongue not to call her Doc, he thought it would be too cold. Nor Sam, which he thought it would be too personal. She shook her head after looking at him in the eyes.

"No, not you… the situation, I guess."

"I… I'm sorry. Let me know what I can do to make you less uncomfortable…" he started, but she sighed passing a hand through her hair

"We probably should sleep, maybe is all this tiredness speaking."

"Sam…" he called and almost face palmed himself, she inhaled deeply. "Please, do tell me if there's anything I can do to make this easier for you." He added in a whisper, they were close now, very close. She nodded once, biting her lower lip.

"Tell me…is this that easy for you?" she wondered also in a whisper. "Are you really comfortable with this situation, Jack?" Their eyes locked. And he sighed, his hand found her face and her face couldn't help but follow his hand. Then in a swift movement, he closed the distance and embraced her closely to his body, resting his head on her shoulders. He could feel her breath on his neck and her heart beat on his chest. She too, could feel his breath and heart, and she embraced him tightly.

"I wish the situation was this easy outside these walls, Sam. I wish you to have what you deserve. Sadly, I am only a human being, a very flawed one," he whispered in her ear making her shiver.

"It could be this easy, Jack. If we really put our minds to it," she answered. They stood like that until their hearts started to beat steadily again. Then, when they figured out they both had gained some strength from the other, they separated.

"Do you still think this is uncomfortable?" he asked as she walked towards the still done side of the bed. She turned around before settling on her side. A thoughtful expression on her face.

"Maybe, this is one of those rare what if... Maybe this situation is meant to test our resolve, and our strengths… maybe, this is a test to see if alone, we are able to still put everyone before ourselves…." He looked at her pensively, she smiled. "Come to bed, it's not uncomfortable, but whether we pass or fail the test… this will be hard on us."

Following her instructions, he went back to bed. It was once he felt the weight of her body sinking a little the bed on the other side, once he felt the warmth leaving her body, although she was far, once he fully processed he could extend his arm and reach for her and either bring her close to him or roll himself closer to her… that he fully understood exactly how hard it would be.