A/N: I didn't know where this was going when I wrote, and I had two totally different storylines in my mind, for multiple stories, I feel it's safe now to explain since the Laria drama was over. I was writing the other story while writing this one. I think I had about 3-4 pages and deleted it. Started it again with like 3 chapters in and deleted it, then started it a 3rd time and 10 pages in deleted it too. When I was thinking about where this story was going, it hit me that the other storyline could play out in this story. It will be a while until you see it, but I hope you enjoy this chapter. Love the reviews and appreciate every single one of them.

Janet had heard Cassie come through the door, after allowing her to go out with Elliot that night.

"How did the date go?" Janet asked.

"You know, we went to laser tag with Sandra and Ryan. It was laser tag." Cassie claimed.

Janet usually sighed when Cassie kept details out, it meant something did happen, either something she doesn't want her mom to know or something that made her mad. Janet wasn't too worried by the comments but wondered just precisely what Cassie wasn't telling her.

"You're not the only one who went on a date." Janet smiled.

Cassie smiled.

"Finally!" Knowing just what her mother was talking about.

"Oh! Mom! When can we see how it went?" Cassie asked.

"First thing in the morning," Janet claimed.

"In the morning, but their date would be done tonight… OH, unless it's not Oh, eww, mom!" Cassie stated and went up the stairs to her room.

Janet couldn't help but laugh at the comment.

Cassie had gone up to her room and started texting her friends to see when the next time they wanted to go out.

Sam woke to find her head on the chest of Jack O'Neill, his arm draped around her, his hands on her bare stomach. Their legs were intertwined, and Sam doesn't know how she ended up that way. They were both extremely light sleepers, and she has no clue how they tangled together without waking each other up. Sam looked towards the window in the room it was still dark, and too early to be awake, but with Jack O'Neill around her she was wide awake, the alarm clock was on the other side of her, but through Jack's outline, it read 4 something she couldn't see the rest of the numbers. She noticed her leg was numb as awareness came entirely back to her, and she hoped he would stay asleep as she tried to pull her leg out from between his. Jack was grumbling, still asleep, but displeased by the movement. Sam stopped, but her stopping had woken up. She felt his body stiffen a second.

"It's just me," Sam stated, trying to relax Jack and remind him where he was.

Jack sighed

"It's really you?" Jack asked.

Sam turned to him

"It's really me, you okay?" Sam asked.

"Just a bad dream," Jack admitted.

Sam nodded.

Jack turned over, and this time Sam wrapped her arm around his waist. He wasn't expecting it but leaned his hip over towards his side, allowing Sam to share his pillow and spoon him before they both fell back asleep.

Jack woke up with Sam nestled into the back of his neck. Her hand was resting on his side, and he was wasn't sure if he could ever get used to this feeling. The sun was shining through the window, and the clock beside him read out 8:02 am. It was a late start for the both of them, but a weekend, so he wouldn't beat himself up to bad, besides as long as Sam was tucked in beside him, he wasn't going anywhere.

He knew he woke her up when he stretched out a leg.

"Morning." Jack greeted her.

"Mmm, morning," Sam replied.

He turned over wanting to see her face, and although on missions he had woke her up numerous times, this was different laying in the same bed wasn't a common theme. He hoped to see a sleepy Carter, but she was already wide awake, there was no heavy lids, or dried out lips, there was Sam awake full of splendor, and he couldn't say the same for himself.

Neither knew how to conclude this, it was a bit awkward, but Sam got up and went to her room to her bathroom and told Jack she would make him breakfast.

Jack didn't meander long and went to the main bathroom once again, washing his face and staring at the grin he couldn't get off his face. If this is how just kissing her and pulling her close to sleep felt, he wasn't sure how he'd feel after the next step.

Sam was making french toast. She was in the mood for something sweet, and she knew Jack's whole mouth was a sweet tooth. She was mixing in vanilla when he came in and watched her.

"Is this okay?" Sam asked.

"Yeah, french toast is great," Jack claimed.

Sam had meant so much more with the words that came out of her mouth. She wanted to know if they were okay. If somehow in the middle of the night she had scared him off, and that this may be the last she sees of him on a personal level.

Sam doesn't say anything else but keeps thinking as she dunks bread in the eggs, and then in the cinnamon/sugar mixture. She wasn't paying attention and ripped one of the pieces of bread, making her tense up. Jack noticed it, and Sam huffed and put the broken bread to the side.

"Sam?" Jack asked.

She wasn't sure at first why it annoyed her so much that the bread broke, but then out of nowhere came a memory. One that was similar to the night before as Jack had wrapped his arm around her.

She was living with Jonas and had been for about 3 months at that point. They had been together a little over a year and engaged for about 2 months. She hadn't made any wedding plans, none and Jonas didn't know why. They weren't in an argument, but Jonas had questioned why she hadn't even started planning. Sam got defensive. She had just been moved up a lead of the Stargate project, and although Jonas knew that she had a lot of responsibilities at work, it seemed he thought she should be doing all the stuff at home too. She had been trying to get the french toast made, and one ripped. Sam had wanted to stick it back together, but Jonas grabbed it out of her hand and slung it towards the trash, saying she had ruined it, and it needed to start over. That was just the tip of the iceberg, she should have seen it coming, but she didn't. She had stayed another 6 months had a date for the wedding was picking out venues and colors and details. One night Jonas came home to his laundry undone she had just walked through the door not five minutes prior, and that is when Jonas slapped her in the face and told her she "was lucky he had him because no man would put up with her lack of keeping up the house." She was shocked by him hitting her and didn't say a word. He then shoved her out of the way and stomped into the kitchen, cussing her out for the lack of food. He grabbed her by the arm and insisted she cook for him.

Sam had seen him angry plenty times before, and he had pushed her out of the way now and again. He put his hands up to hit her but never followed through. She wasn't sure if he had his gun on him. She cooked dinner, and he said a few more downgrading things to her, making herself wonder if she would ever be a good wife. She knew it was wrong what he was doing, but he was telling the truth. She was at work more than home. She wasn't doing anything to further the relationship. She didn't like it when he begged her for sex after a 14-hour shift, and she was exhausted. She couldn't be home every night to cook or clean or do anything that a wife should do. She took the verbal abuse, and she went to sleep lying next to him. His arms not only draped but wrapped fully around firmly, holding her to bed like he expected her to try to escape that night. Sam didn't sleep that night.

Jonas woke up the next morning his usual self, he didn't say a word about the night prior and nor did she. He had to be to work early and ran out the door before she even got dressed. That's when she realized she needed to get out now before it got worse. She called in sick and told them she would need a few days. Jonas didn't know Sam had kept her apartment. It was still cheaper than paying for storage. She packed up the little belongings she brought when she moved in and wrote Jonas a note telling him not to come looking, and they were over. She left her engagement ring, and his grandmother's necklace he gifted to her that Christmas. She stuffed everything in her car and never turned back.

Jonas never did try to contact her again. She wasn't sure if it embarrassed him that she left or if he really was ashamed for what he did, judging by his antics that lead to his death, she figured the former.

Though she thought the memory had only lasted a minute at most, several had passed, and Jack was calling out to her walking up to her. When he put his hand on her shoulder, she flinched and went to hit him before she realized where she was and what was happening. Jack quickly defended himself but was surprised by her actions.

Jack looked in her in the eyes, confused.

"I almost hit you!" Sam stated and walked away, walked to her room, and slammed the door.

Jack was utterly confused. She was obviously having a flashback to something he'd seen happen to so many men over the years. It had occurred to him 1000 times, but he could never see it in himself. It scarred the hell out of him that Sam had acted this way, but he needed to check to see if she was okay. He knew the memories could get dark quickly, and there were times when you just get sucked into that moment back in time, and you feel like you're there. So he gave her only a minute before knocking on the door.

"You can go home now, sir," Sam stated.

"Sir?" Jack asked.

"Please just go," Sam asked again.

"Not gonna happen, Sam," Jack stated.

Sam was flustered.

She opened the door, with tears falling down her face.

"I'm fine, I'm not going to hurt myself, you've done your job you can go home," Sam claimed.

Jack sighed.

"Sam."

"What do you want me to say, I can't even make French Toast, and I expect you to put up with me, and my inability to get anything done around the house. I mean when am I going to have time for you, and everyone else, when I am always working. You want a baby, and I am not ready Jack, I'm really not, and I know you want to be a dad, but me being a mom, I just I can't let you down, sir." Sam stated.

Sam was about to close her bedroom door back, but Jack held it open.

"Where is all this coming from?" Jack asked.

Sam just closed her eyes and nodded her head no.

The tears came streaming, and Jack held her close. She didn't pull away from him but didn't say anything.

After a long time, Jack tried to get her to process.

"You were making breakfast, and the next thing I know, you went tense what triggered you?" Jack asked.

"I really don't want to talk about it," Sam stated.

"Come on, Sam, it's just me," Jack stated.

"I feel so stupid," Sam admitted.

"You're a lot of things, Sam, but stupid isn't one of them. Just tell me what happened." Jack stated.

"Is that an order?" Sam asked. Although Jack was no longer her commanding officer, he still outranked her. It's something he could technically do.

"Damn it, Carter, of course, it isn't I would never hold my ranks over you, especially when we're in your house. Especially after last night." Jack claimed.

"I'm sorry for presuming that I know you wouldn't do something like it's just that I..." Sam stopped suddenly.

Jack held her hands, looked into her eyes, and waited.

"I haven't been in a serious relationship since Jonas," Sam claimed.

Jack winced at the dead man's name. He didn't forget about him, but the thought of him running through his mind did him no favors. Sam wasn't exactly surprised that he had led the people on that planet to believe he was their god. So he was obviously an asshole.

Sam noticed the wince.

"He pointed out a lot of things that don't make me very good in relationships, let alone being a wife," Sam stated.

Jack looked at her realizing how much that awful man had broken her. If he wasn't already dead, Jack O'Neill would kill him himself. Jack wondered for a short time how hard it would be to figure out the next solar flair to send him back in time, so Sam never met the prick, but now was not the time because Sam already felt like she had lost Jack before she even fully had him.

"Sam, I don't care what he thought. If anything, I'm not good enough for you. I know what I am getting myself into, I am more than okay with it." Jack claimed.

"But I tore the bread," Sam stated.

"It will be fine, Sam. We're fine." Jack stated.

Sam didn't believe him. She felt even worse now.

"I'm sorry, Jack, I don't think I'm fine," Sam claimed.

Jack sighed.

"Sam, I know I should have done something earlier. I should have retired, I should have had you transferred. I should have told you sooner that I cared about you. That's on me." Jack stated.

"No, I could have done any one of those things my self and chose not too," Sam claimed.

"Because I wasn't 100% clear with you," Jack stated.

Sam smiled at him.

"Sam, I just have one question," Jack stated.

Sam looked at him.

"Did he ever hit you?" Jack asked.

"The first time was the last time," Sam replied.

Jack nodded.

"Sam, I just want you to know that I have those kinds of flashbacks too, so if I ever do anything, stay back, I never want to hurt you," Jack claimed.

Sam simply nodded.

"Come on, I think we're making french toast.

Sam looked at him once again, utterly surprised by the way he was still moving forward.

Jack waited for her before they walked down the hall together.

Jack really didn't help Sam until the toast was made. He plated and poured syrup.

The two ate quickly.

"So, Sam, are you free tonight?" Jack asked.

Sam looked confused.

"No plans, tonight," Sam claimed.

"Good, can you be ready tonight by 6:30. Bring a sweater." Jack stated.

Sam looked at him oddly.

"You're serious?" Sam asked.

"Of course. Meet me at my place, don't be late." Jack stated.

Sam smiled and nodded.

Jack left Sam's house once again, not taking his dirty clothes with him. It was on purpose this time.

With Jack leaving Sam's stomach knotted up, she had 1000 things rushing through her head. How on Earth after what transpired this morning could he want to do anything even semi-romantic with her again? She had completely lost it over a piece of bread.

Sam had told Janet the story long ago. She wondered how much her friend remembered and wondered what she would say about the ordeal. It was close to eleven and Sam was shocked that she hadn't called yet. Just then, Sam's phone rang as if Janet had heard her thoughts. Sam hesitantly picked up, not knowing if she wanted to give her friend a rundown of the ups and downs that was this first date.

"Hey, Sam, how did it go?" Janet asked.

"Like a roller-coaster," Sam admitted

"Is that good or bad?" Janet asked.

"Well, he asked me out tonight," Sam claimed.

Janet laughed.

"So overall, it went well," Janet stated.

"I guess it did," Sam admitted.

"Alright, well, Cass is dying to find out if it went okay." Sam laughed.

"Well, how about I come over, and we'll catch up," Sam claimed.

Janet agreed, and Sam got ready to visit her friend.