Hello, I'm suffering from insomnia and that's the reason why this is going so fast. Anyway, don't hate me…I do hope I make sense, my brain is functioning on a weird vibe… xD

Enjoy!

M.

Chapter 26 – A little of DC Charm

When he recalled that moment in the future, he always thought of it as magical. One thing was to know she cared about him, because, really, she cared about Daniel, and about Teal'c, she cared about Martouf and Hammond, he was sure she even cared about Ferretti. But when those four little words came out of her mouth, he knew for sure she cared about him in the same way he cared about her…. 'far most than we were supposed to,' they often recalled aloud together when telling their story.

"Jack?" she asked, her eyes widened a little and she was trying to figure out if she had finally managed to scare the though Colonel… and then he smiled

"Say it again…" he told her in awe. She frowned first, but then she noticed what he was talking about.

"I still love you, Jack… I tried to forget you, I tried to live without you… and really, I can."

"That's anticlimactic…" he commented with a smile and she rolled her eyes.

"The truth is, nothing was the same without you, and when you leave, it will be all wrong again," she explained and he did and said nothing, just looked at her and she was starting to feel self-conscious. "I… where is the darn waiter anyway?" she questioned, feeling on the spot. He smiled at her flustered status.

"I still love you, Sam," he whispered loud enough for her to hear him. She turned around in a perfect imitation of the girl from the exorcist, and he smiled. "I tried not to, God knows I tried hard… but you, with all your technobabble and annoying questions about myself, and all that knowledge about me that you weren't supposed to have, and with all those doubts over you and all those selfless acts that seem to pour out of your hands. You… won me over. And there's nothing I can do. There was nothing I could have done, to avoid it… or to forget you," she bit her lower lip. The waiter chose that moment to make its appearance, and they huffed at the interruption. They both picked quickly and waited nervously for the young man to leave.

"So, we are back to square one, aren't we?" she questioned after a while, when they were alone again.

"Are we? I mean… shouldn't square one be me not knowing you and you not knowing me?" he joked and she shook her head laughing. He loved make her laugh.

"Well, it should be something like that, yes. But I meant back to the complex situation. You have a family, I have one… you live in Colorado and I in San Diego. We both travel for work…"

"There's all that too…"

"Jack…"

"Sam…"

"What's your plan? Why did you ask that of me?" she inquired curiously.

"I… the truth?" he asked and she nodded, "I didn't plan it. I just couldn't take it any longer. I can't be this close to you, Sam. And not want to have you close to me and it drives me insane"

"I'm sorry"

"Don't be. We are screwed, aren't we?"

"Probably... but I guess we can make the most of this 'date of sorts' and then…"

"And then… what?"

"Nothing…" she trailed, and he raised an eyebrow making her sigh, "well, I was thinking, actually I wasn't, it came out before I could fully digest it," she explained and he grinned, "you manage that somehow." She commented and for some reason he seemed proud of himself, "what my mind was about to let out was that, maybe, we can have this dinner, as we would if we weren't attached... And then, you could hold me tonight as you did at the cabin?" she finished hopefully.

"That didn't end up well last time…" he pointed and her face fell, "at least… if there's no alcohol we can manage," he smirked. "Yeah, I see your point. I'm in"

"Are you?" she asked, surprised

"You sure you betcha"

"Oki doki, then"

And that they did, they dined and chatted and exchanged longing glances and soft caresses and light touches and nothing more. They talked about anything and everything and shared a cake, and when she went to the toilet, her friend, the owner, told her she hadn't ever seen a couple so in love and wished her luck. And they left and he parked the car inside the garage and he walked with her to the second floor. He went to the room he had picked before and grabbed what he brought for pajamas as she waited him by the stairs.

Then together, they slowly climbed the last trail of stairs and this time, when she opened the master room door, he followed her in. He looked around, it was spacious and elegant, kind of like her room in San Diego. She pointed him the general direction of the washroom while she picked something from her dressing room. When he came out, she was already dressed in a silk pajama consisting on a flowy tank top and shorts. And he gulped, not because of the miles of creamy skin he saw (mostly because he got to see her legs, arms and those delicious bits of skin from her sides during the night) but because he knew they were naked around the same time just a few meters away.

When he didn't move out of the way, she slid behind him and pushed him out of the washroom with her hands on his back. And he though once again on how he liked her hands, before shaking his head and walking towards the bedroom.

She opened the door to leave the wash room and that was when her own reflection caught her eyes. She looked at herself and she saw the woman in love her friend had mentioned, and also found a woman who was about to sleep with another woman's husband. And she couldn't avoid but to look at her reflection and ask herself what the hell was she doing… because even if she wasn't married anymore. He still was.

She tried to convince herself that a friendly dinner and sharing a comfy bed weren't things that could blow the line between what they were doing, and cheating. Then she shook her head again, maybe, she was helping him cheat on Sarah from the start, not willingly... but didn't people out there said that one shouldn't not desire the man of another woman or something like that?

He found her like that, staring at the mirror unseeingly. And with a worried frown marring her face. He came up to her and embraced her loosely and couldn't avoid pressing a light kiss on her shoulder.

"You are worrying too much," he told her, pressing his chin on her shoulder. Their eyes locked on the mirror. "How long has been since the last time you have slept?" he asked softly and she shrugged.

"A week or two…" she lied easily and he raised his eyebrow, waiting for the truth he hoped came out. She sighed, "A day or two after you left." She blushed, "Teal'c is good, I know that, I know he's 'useful' but…" she bit her lower lip, he didn't need to hear her voice the last part, but he still cringed when her eyes were on his, "Are you sure you want to do this?" she asked. A truth for a truth was still their apparent M.O.

"Just hold you, right? Like back at the cabin?" she nodded once, "of course, I believe we are both mature enough to survive this," she understood loud and clear the 'and we both need this to survive' hidden between the lines. "Now tell me, what was going on in your head?" he asked softly.

"I'm debating with myself whether or not this is cheating…"

"Maybe it is…" he shrugged, "and if this is, then I will have to say I don't care. I want to hold you tonight, just hold you… and pretend when the morning comes, that I'm allowed to wake up with you by my side. And that you are allowed to wake up with me"

"I…" she started, then she leaned back against his chest.

"I can go back down, Sam… to the room I picked. That won't change the fact that I love you and that you love me. That won't change the fact that for some people, that itself will be considered cheating… and maybe they are right, but I couldn't help to fall for you, just like you couldn't help but fall for me"

"There's no telling when the heart wants it…" she whispered, "take me to bed, Jack. Hold me while you can, and when the times comes, I will think of these nights in your arms to be able to move on"

He kissed her shoulder again, and walked her to the bed. He laid himself on a side and she placed herself half way over him, her head resting on his chest.

"Hey, don't think, just sleep," he told her reassuringly, "the issues will still be there in the morning"

"That's not reassuring at all," she deadpanned. He moved around and so did she, they lay side by side and one of his hands found her waist, establishing the only connection between their bodies. She sighed, "It wasn't this awkward at the cabin"

"We were pretty wasted then…" he pointed making them both laugh at the memory, then she huffed.

"Maybe this room is too hot for this," she mumbled, and she felt the bed shift and out of the sudden, the cover wasn't on top of them anymore and they remained covered by a thin sheet, she laughed while he positioned both of them back as they were before, "that wasn't what I meant" she laughed.

"I know, and yes, I'm rolling my eyes at you," she turned around to look at him.

"Your eyes are closed"

"I'm still rolling them…" she moved again, to try and find a position to fall asleep, she was really tired and it was really late, but there was an energy coming from the divide between their bodies that was making her unable to shut down for what was left of the night. "You know, it might get easier if you turn the darn light off," he pointed and she giggled.

And maybe it was the light, or maybe it was that he didn't pressured her to, nor commented on their situation, or maybe it was the pull his body had over hers what made her move a little backward, then there was a small humming of approval from him. And he, too, moved a little closer.

"What are you afraid of?" he whispered against her ear, making her shiver, "You know I won't do anything that can hurt you or our families"

"Yes, I know that," she added closing her eyes to be able to make those words come out.

"And I know you won't do anything that can hurt me or our families," he added softly, his lips caressing her neck with each word. She shivered.

"Are you sure?" she questioned, she had yet to find a moment to let him know she wasn't married anymore. "Because, I'm really not"

"I'm sure…" he placed a small kiss on her neck. "I trust you, Sam"

"What if I don't trust me?"

"Well, then I will have to trust in you for both of us. Or stop you before it goes out of our hands, and with that, you can trust me"

"Okay, I can do that," she sighed, and finally she was able to relax enough to let her eyes close tiredly, then he moved closer to her, closing the final gap between their bodies and showed her that he trusted her as much as she trusted him. She turned around with a sigh and it was then enveloped on the safety of his arms, with the sound of his heart beating in her ear, she fell asleep.

"I will think of these nights until the time that I can be free comes, then I will come looking for you, Sam… because I can't live without you," he whispered to the night. And she sighed comfortably from above his chest and he knew that at some point, everything would fall in place.

She stretched on top of him early the next morning, somehow she had remembered the last time they had the chance to share a bed and had set an alarm, no matter how much she wanted to be in his arms, there were meetings to be held and a ball to assist. He groaned under her when her body moved along his and when the shrill of the alarm pierced his head.

"How much wine did we have yesterday?" he asked, caressing her back.

"We didn't have more than a bottle… I think. But is not the wine," she confirmed, "it's the lack of sleep. Apparently, we can talk… a lot," he laughed, making her move along with the movement of his chest.

"I can't believe they had to kick us out of the restaurant"

"My friend wanted to go home too," she shrugged, "I guess 2am is a good time as any to go home after a long day"

"I don't know how we managed…" he started and then her belly roared. "You are kidding, right? You are hungry already?" she blushed and he found that, from all the images of Sam he had the chance to see, this one was the one he loved the most. "I love you," he told her because he couldn't even stop himself from saying it, and she grinned.

"I love you… but if we don't start to move our butts out of here, I …" she started with a mischievous smile but then she shook her head, "we are going to be late," she finished and stretched herself once more, and stood up

"No running?" He asked loudly, while he watched her move to the dressing room and by extent to the washroom

"There's no time!" she told him, turning around before entering, just to point him the clock.

"Holy Hannah!" he told her using the phrase she often used on those moments. And jumped out of bed and disappeared downstairs.

He found her in the kitchen, (once he managed to find the kitchen). She was nursing a hot cup of coffee and seating on a stool by the kitchen counter. In front of her two plates of waffles sat along with a variety of things to add them. She was wearing a light colored suit, with a black tank top. Her jacket was still against the back of the chair.

"You did all this?" He asked, kissing the skin on her shoulder, he found that, for some reason when they were alone, he couldn't stop doing it nor he wanted to stop doing it. Just like he found out she had something with caressing his hair or placing small kisses on his neck. She turned around and smiled at him.

"I told you once, I do know how to cook, and really, this is fairly simple. Now, let's eat up, we don't really have much time"

They left the house not much later, she placed her hand on top of his over the gear and when she did, he changed them so hers was down and his was on top and their fingers could lace up. The tingling sensation accompanied them to the parking spot and until they had to leave their private selves inside their minds and became once more Doctor and Colonel, as if all those moments they've spent together hadn't ever occurred.

By the time the meeting was approaching its end, she looked definitively tired and he was annoyed and bored. It wasn't the best combination in any case, and they still had to get ready for the party. She looked at him and he winked at her, and immediately was like she had regained some of her missing energy. The corner of her lips curled slightly and he didn't feel annoyed anymore. It was a rarity really, that they could place themselves in a different wavelength just with a simple exchange, but they didn't even realize that until they were years into their future.

She looked at her clock and winced. And by her reaction, people around the table did too. She smiled reassuringly at them and they quickly started to close the meeting, scheduling different things with different people and finally, exchanging comments. Jack didn't know if whomever she was dealing got exactly what they wanted or not, but he was pretty sure that if they did. They didn't even have the slightest idea of them wanting it in the first place. He had noticed how she was able to make them want something she was offering and make them believe it was what they were asking for, as if the idea came out of them in the first place.

"You are a con artist," he told her with a smirk, when the doors of the car were closed and her hand was again resting below his over the gear. She smiled and waited for them to be a little bit further away before lowering her head over his shoulders.

"It doesn't bother you, right?" she asked

"You over my shoulder or you being a con artist?" she laughed

"Both I guess?"

"No, no really"

"I'm not a con artist, by the way," he raised his eyebrow but noticed she couldn't see him

"And how exactly do you call to someone who can make you believe that her idea was your idea in the first place while she pretends she wasn't the one who came with it?" he whispered and she laughed hard.

"Persuasive?" she added with a smile. "It's not my fault they can't remember what they wanted" she shrugged.

"There's that too…so, you don't have much time to get ready for the ball…" he mentioned and she checked the time and sighed.

"I never do. You have no idea how many times I had to go to these dumb things with my hair braided just because I hadn't time to dry it up"

"That's why you had it short?"

"Yeah, it's faster and it doesn't need that much work"

"It suited you. This longer hair also suits you…" he commented and then he snorted

"What?"

"You probably can be hairless and dressed in a potato bag and it will still suit you," he told her

"It's not the style is the way you wear it," she commented with a wink before going down of the car. He agreed with her, especially when not even half an hour later she was descending the stairs, 'she always wears classics, she never risks it' was what he overheard later that night about her dress. But to him she looked perfect, godlessly even.

The fabric was a blue so dark that it seemed black, there was a v neck and the drapes on the sides accentuated her shape, the silver belt on her waist called attention to how slim she actually was and from there, the fabric went down loosely to the floor. She turned around with a smile and a curious 'whatcha think?' and he whistled, especially when he saw the back, which was somewhat lower, leaving her shoulder blades out showing some more of her perfect skin. Her hair was half braided and half lose towards one side and her makeup again brought her eyes out. She completed her outfit with a thin white gold bracelet, and a long earring on the uncovered ear and a small diamond on the almost covered one.

"You look… heavenly," he added stopping her from turning around again embracing her from behind and using their current position to place yet another kiss on her shoulders. She shivered but didn't point to him how many times he had done that in the past few hours.

"You don't look bad yourself…" she left out on a trembling whisper.

"It's just my dress blues, nothing you haven't seen before." He shrugged, and she turned around in his arms and placed a kiss below his ears.

"Yeah, nothing new," she told him and then showed him a mischievous smile, that made his body react hardly, "it doesn't mean I haven't checked you out or didn't think you were hot on them before," she whispered on his ear before scraping it with her teeth and letting him go.

Once he managed to control the shiver that her action had caused, he took her hand and lead her towards the car. And less than half hour later, Jack found himself surrounded by politicians, diplomats, the top brass of the forces, and lots of colorful dresses.

She winked at him when someone took her away from his side, and towards a group of people. He followed her with his gaze and soon he too was being swept away from where they first where seating towards a group of people interested on his presence at the party.

Somehow he had managed to keep an eye on her without people noticing he was doing it, until she was moved even further away and he finally found an excuse to extricate himself out of the group he was in. He walked slowly towards the group in which she now was, they were talking animatedly about something and she was laughing with them and he saw her close her eyes slightly as if she was searching for a way out, and on a whim, he decided to save her.

"Doctor Carter," he smiled, joining the group, "Ladies"

"Ah, Colonel O'Neill. I thought I lost you to the brass," she welcomed him making some space beside her for him to join the group, "Mrs Johansen was telling me all about the upcoming Harry Potter book," he looked at her confused, and remembered having a similar conversation the first morning he was in her home.

"Are you a fan too, Colonel?" Mrs Johansen questioned hopefully.

"Me?" the old lady assented in such way that made him wonder how on God's earth her jewelry was still on. "I… you know how people is always saying that books are always far better than movies?" he asked, making the old lady frown in confusion.

"Yes?"

"Well, I'm waiting for the movies… that way the books won't be spoiled," he smiled and winked at Sam.

"That's…" Mrs Johansen frowned.

"What I'm going to do too," Sam added, saving him from the death glare he was about to receive, "The Colonel gave quite the argument on why waiting for the movies was better than reading them, especially when there are so many books we will never have a chance to see on the big screen"

"Well, I find it as a very … peculiar… approach. However, I highly doubt you joined us to talk about books and movies, Colonel," another young woman pointed.

"Ah, no… Miss?"

"McMillan, Mrs. McMillan," she added with a flirtatious smile.

"Well, that's because you are right, Mrs McMillan, I was actually not in search of joining your group, alas, I was coming here to ask the good Doctor, if she wanted to have a dance with me," he answered in a lowered tone as if Sam wasn't listening to him anyways. She rolled her eyes at his playfulness.

"Such a lovely woman, isn't she?" Mrs. McMillan complimented in the same way, making Sam blush. She squinted as the two shared a mischievous laugh.

"Thank you Beatrice. You, on the other hand, Colonel… I take you didn't find a nice group to talk?"

"Oh, nonsense! Of course I have, now I'm only trying to escape them. There's only so much I can divulge about my career"

"Oh! Really? What do you do, Colonel? I'm Catherine Mackenzie by the way"

"Pleasure, I work at NORAD, deep space radar telemetry"

"Really? And how did you two meet?"

"Doctor Carter is our main external adviser"

"And what exactly you do at deep space radar telemetry?" Mrs McMillan chimed in. He inhaled deeply.

"We measure what they can't in space radar telemetry," he added sarcastically. The widened eyes and horrified expressions told him that his was the wrong answer. "I'm joking ladies, but my line of work can be immensely boring"

"And why do you still do it then? Both of you, nonetheless"

"What the Colonel means is that conversations about it can be boring, Beatrice. There are too many scientific terms to explain anything easily"

"Ah… that makes sense, I'm sorry Colonel. I didn't pretend to be rude," she apologized.

"No problem, ma'am"

"Colonel? I believe you wanted to dance?" Sam asked, smiling, as an answer he extended his hand to take hers. Oh, he knew that dancing together could be far more dangerous than screwing it up with a bunch of ladies, but he was totally looking forward to it now.

They joined the group of people who was already on the dance floor, first they danced with the proper distance, but as the night moved along and they found themselves turning to the dance floor whenever one or both wanted to escape from prodding situation, they danced more and more closely.

He found her on yet another group, he looked at her tired eyes and then at the watch. And then whispered in her ear, "let me know when you want to go," She nodded once, and looked around. If they left right there, then they would be the first leaving and she didn't want to attract that kind of attention to them.

"Aw, this music is lovely! Honey, let's dance," one of the woman said to her husband, "you should dance too, Sam. I saw you too are quite good at it," she smiled innocently, while Sam blushed after being caught.

"Wanna dance?" he asked, smiling impishly, and she nodded. They moved towards the place they had used most of the night; it was secluded enough that they weren't under the eyes of too many people. And this time, she rested her head on his shoulder and he brought their joined hands to his chest level as they slowly swayed with the rhythm. Her weight resting more and more on him. "we should go before you fall asleep on your feet," he told her and she nodded.

It took them a while to be able to go out, and it was way past midnight when they finally got back to the house. He walked her upstairs as he had every night since Jess's birthday party and until he asked to be replaced. And just like the day before, she opened her door and tugged his hand for him to join her in. But he didn't move, she frowned and then she looked at him and he tugged his blue jacket. She left an 'oh' out. And laughed at her own silliness.

"Do leave the door open," he told her with a wink.

"Do try not to take long, I'm dead on my feet and I'm pretty sure you are too"

She turned around and went to get changed, he did too. Soon, he was back in her room and she was patting 'his place' and he was curled up beside her. And they fell asleep, not thinking on how they could talk for hours with each other, or how well they fitted together both mentally and physically (at least when sleeping, dancing or talking well past the wee hours of the day), or even on how wrong it was to be that emotionally attached to the other, but at the end of the day, they knew that love could conquer it all, even if it took some time.