Jack called Sam before he left his house to make sure it was still OK to come to family day. Sam assured him it was fine. He told her he'd be over shortly.

He arrived a little after noon, just in time for Jacob to put Rebecca's jacket and snow clothes on. The three of them walked across the street, Sam carrying Becks, and Jacob towing her sled behind them.

They got to a good and snowy spot and lowered Becks into the sled. Jacob began pulling her along behind them, sliding her along in the snow. She loved being outside, and was quite fond of snow, too. Sam and Jack walked behind the sled at first. Becks started getting cranky, so Sam took over from Jacob, then Jacob and Jack walked up front.

That didn't work on the grumpies either, so Jack tried pulling the sled. Becks stopped her complaining and looked up and smiled at Jack. The child really had taken to Jack quickly. This was only the third time meeting him, and already she wanted him to play with her.

"Well, would you look at that. I've been replaced already," Sam said jokingly.

"Never!" Jack said. "I'm just the tall, handsome, big kid, remember?" he said with a sparkle in his eye. Sam smiled and blushed, as she remembered making the comment yesterday at his place. Jack started pulling a little bit faster, and that made Becks laugh a lot. He started slowly turning her around in circles. He was smiling the whole time he was playing with her in the sled.

He ran ahead of Sam and Jacob. Sam started to say something, but Jacob touched her arm and turned to her.

"Sam, trust him. Just stand and watch," Jacob assured her.

Jack continued to play with Rebecca, making her laugh. Jack eventually slowed down, and began to walk with her in the sled again. Sam watched curiously, and everything she saw pulled at her heart. She was also certain he was going to ruin his orthopedic boot, but he didn't seem to care. Jack still had three more weeks in the cast and in the boot.

Jack's attention was fully focused on Rebecca. He was really having a good time with her. Sam wondered how much of his mind was on his son Charlie. Jacob looked at her and noticed she had a few tears in her eyes.

"You OK?" he asked her.

"Ya, dad. I think for the first time in a long time, I'm really OK, or at least I am really going to be OK," she said smiling at her dad. "I wish Jonas could see this. I wish he were still here.

"I know, kiddo. Me too. But maybe you are getting a second chance."

"Dad, look at him, and look how she looks at him. Do you think everything is going to be OK now?" she asked.

Jacob hugged his daughter and held her as she sobbed. Jack noticed them, and made his way back to them with Rebecca in tow.

"Why don't I take her back to the house and you two can talk," Jacob offered Sam. He released her from the embrace to look at her.

"Sam, it's OK to let this happen. He would have wanted you to be happy," Jacob continued.

"Hey guys, is everything OK?" Jack asked as he reached them. He noticed Sam's watery eyes.

"Yes, it's all good. I'm going to take Rebecca back to the house and get her ready for a nap. I'll see you two soon," Jacob said.

Then he took the sled from Jack, and walked back to Sam's house with Rebecca. Jack stood a moment and just looked at Sam.

"You OK?" he eventually asked Sam. He wiped her eyes gently with his thumb, then held one of her mitted hands.

"Ya, I am very OK. Jack, you are so good with her, and she really likes you," she said, looking at him. "I just feel, I don't know, I feel like this is happening too fast, but then also that it's not happening fast enough, and I wish he could know that I'm going to be OK. I don't know. Am I crazy?" she asked.

Jack smiled at her. He brought her into an embrace and held her close.

"You are the furthest thing from crazy, and I know you are going to be OK," he said softly into her ear as he held her. "If this is going too fast for you, then I'll back off and let you figure this out," and he pulled back a bit so he could see her face.

"But Sam, I like you. A lot. And I adore your daughter. This is something I haven't had in years. I can wait for you. Let's go back and then I'll go home."

Sam looked at him and smiled. She had a lot of questions. Is this what she wanted? Does she really want space right now? Her work schedule was crazy anyways, so she'd have her space built into her life already.

"OK," she agreed, and then placed her hand into the bend in his elbow, and they walked back to her house together.

They got to his truck and stopped as he got his keys out. She turned to face him to say goodbye.

"Jack, I'm sorry. I'm just scared," she admitted.

"I know you are. I sort of am, too."

"I want to be with you, I just don't know how. I mean, I know how, obviously, I have a three year old. Work is crazy and doesn't give me a lot of time to build a relationship. Can you just walk with me as I figure this out?" she asked.

He looked at her starting at the top of her blonde head, to her eyes, then to her lips, and back to her eyes. He understood her meaning. His mouth turned up slightly at the sides.

"We can be standing still and I'm going to be right next to you figuring this out," he said. Then he leaned in and kissed her gently. He stopped and looked at her and found her eyes piercing him. They both smiled.

"Doctor Carter, did I just hear you say you wanted to sleep with me? Because I'm pretty sure that's what I heard," he said, laughing. He made her blush.

"Ya, pretty sure I did," she replied, smiling and blushing, and touching his arm.

"Thank you for today. This meant a lot to me, Jack. You are very good with Becks. To me, that means more than anything," she smiled at him. "Call me, or I'll call you."

"You betcha. I'm not going anywhere, Sam. I'll be in touch. Have a good night," he said, tucking a bit of her long blonde hair behind her ear.

"You too. Drive safe."

She watched him drive off and walked into her house with a huge smile on her face. She'd promised herself to call that number Janet gave her tomorrow. Perhaps a new job would give her more freedom to have a real relationship with Jack. Because now she knew more than ever, he was worth the effort if for nothing else than how he treated her daughter. She wanted this man. In every way possible.

…

Monday at work was busy, but she'd have time to call the number from Janet at lunch. Jacqui came in and got the scoop on the weekend. Jacqui started crying when Sam described how Jack interacts with Becks, and how he has some magical power to stop her crankies and grumpies. Sam also told her she was going to start looking for a new job. Jacqui agreed that it's probably time Sam found something more stable, not just for Sam and her lack of romance, but for her daughter, too. Becks needs mom around more.

Sam called the number at lunch time. The man on the phone offered her an appointment for an initial interview on Wednesday. She figured it was so quick because she dropped Janet and Jack's name. She and Jacqui took Sam's appointment list Wednesday and called everyone to either reschedule, or come see Jacqui for easy things like removing stitches or surgical site checks. Sam called to make sure she wasn't on call this week. All of a sudden, Sam had Wednesday off.

…

Jack asked if Sam would like him to drive her to Peterson on Wednesday and show her where she needed to go. The thought of spending the entire day with Jack was something she looked forward to. Of course she wanted him to take her.

He came to pick her up a little early on Wednesday so he could come in and have coffee and peanut butter toast with her and Jacob. Becks woke up while he was there, and she ran to him and hugged his leg. He lifted her up and hugged her back, both of them full of smiles. They finished coffee and toast, then Jack and Sam left to go do her interview.

After her interview, things turned into much, much more. She ended up taking both the Counterintelligence and Lifestyle Polygraph tests, blood was drawn, security clearance paperwork filed, fingerprints taken, and a litany of other paperwork filled out, some of which included beneficiary and next of kin information.

It was a long day and Sam's head was swimming with what took place after her interview. She didn't get done with all of it until after 3 PM. Jack was still there waiting for her. He did take time to eat and go talk to people he knew while he waited. He knew exactly why all the other tests and paperwork was being filled out. Someone in the Stargate program wanted her for the job. But he couldn't say anything. Yet.

He picked her up in the office where he dropped her off in the morning for the interview. He quickly called General Hammond to let him know that she was done, and he'd be leaving Peterson shortly. They hung up, and Sam and Jack started to drive back to Sam's.

"How would you like to come over for an early dinner? I know you have surgery tomorrow," he asked her. She looked hesitant at first, and glanced over to him with her mouth open as if she was going to say something.

"It's just dinner, Doc. Just dinner, and nothing more," he said smiling. That seemed to settle her nerves a bit.

"OK, you're right. Two adults having dinner, right? We can do this," she said, trying to convince herself more than anyone. They both smiled and laughed at her nervous commnet, and Jack drove the car to his home.

They pulled up to Jack's place, and walked inside. She quickly called her dad to let him know she'd be late. Jack took her coat and put it on a chair in the living room. She walked around some more in his living room. Last time she was here, the room was full of people. She was looking at the pictures and awards that were above his fireplace.

"Would you like something to drink? Beer? Water? Wine?" he asked.

"How about water now, wine with dinner?" she asked. He smiled at her.

"Sure thing, Doc. Be right back."

She sat down on his couch and waited. He came back with a glass of water for her, and a beer for him. She asked him all sorts of questions about her interview, and why they had to do so many tests on her today. He explained what he could, and explained it would be a few weeks until they found out if she was selected. But deep down, he knew she was already accepted.

A little later on, he grilled some steaks for them. She went in the kitchen and made salads for them, and found some asparagus for him to grill as well. They sat at the dining room table and talked and got to know each other some more. She could feel the attraction to Jack building in her. She couldn't take her eyes off of him.

His eyes were a deep, chocolate brown. She noticed they changed intensity as the topics of their conversations changed. His eyes lightened and twinkled talking about hockey, family, or The Simpsons. They darkened when they trasped the subject of physical attraction and flirting. They smiled and laughed until about 6 PM. She'd have to start making her way home. 3 AM comes quickly when your first surgery is at 6:30 AM.

They both got up and cleared the table off. They did the dishes, still laughing and flirting with each other. He washed, she dried. He flicked bubbles and water at her, she flicked the towel at his ass. When the last dish was done, and she dried it and laid it on the counter to the left of the sink, he turned into her personal space and backed her into the counter.

Their eyes locked, and her breathing increased. He put his hands on the counter on either side of her body, and stood there, taking her all in. He kept his hips away from her body on purpose. She looked from his eyes to his lips, then to his neck and shoulders. She wanted this man. She wanted this to happen.

Without thinking, she gently brought her hand to the back of his neck. She pulled him in and started kissing him. She immediately opened her mouth and tasted his tongue. She inhaled deeply through her nose so she could smell him and taste him at the same time. She moved her lips against his, as she ran her tongue along the top row of his teeth. She grew hot knowing she was the cause of his groans emanating from his belly. Then she remembered surgery.

"Jack," she whispered, arching up into his chest. She pulled his forehead to hers, and caressed the back of his head.

"Jack," she said again, this time looking at his eyes. They were dark with passion and want. She imagined hers were glassy and unfocused, too.

"I have surgery. I have to be up at about 3 AM. When we do this, I don't want to have to leave. I want to be able to stay close to you all night and morning long, and wake up whenever we feel like it, not because I have to leave," she said, closing her eyes and adjusting her legs to take some of the pressure off of the desire that had built.

He wrapped his arms around her and held her for a few moments. He caressed her back with his right arm and hand. She let one of her hands drop to his lower back, the other up under a shoulder, with her head tucked into his neck. He could feel her breaths on part of his neck.

"Sam, it's perfectly fine. I understand, and ya, your plan is way better," he said with a smile. "Why don't you three come here for Christamas? I have the guys over and we sort of just hang out like we did the other day. I'm still going to be on limited duty, so no chance I'll be deployed for the holidays," he said, pulling back to smile at her.

"Oh. Wow. Thank you," she stiffened as she spoke. "We were supposed to go to San Diego to see my brother and his family, but they decided to go to his wife's family this year. Her parents moved to Roatan, Honduras, and as much as I'd love some beach and sun, I don't want to take Becks out of the country just yet. Let me ask dad. I'm sure it won't be a problem. This is very kind of you, Jack. And just know, my birthday is the 29th. I'll be the big three-oh," she said laughing.

He laughed too, then gave her one last kiss. He went to the living room to get their coats.

"You have a few more weeks before Christmas. You have plenty of time to decide if you'd like to join us here or not. I'd love to have you, but completely understand if you just need it to be your family. No pressure, but my team already adores you," he said, smiling at her, and holding her coat for her to don.

"Why thank you, sir. Just let me talk to dad. I already know Becks' answer," she said, smiling at him, and giving him a peck on the cheek. "OK, I'm ready."

…

The next two weeks were a blur. Sam was on call during the weekends. Her office hours were short, and scheduled surgeries were light, but something must have been in the air because she was called in to surgery almost every night of the following two weeks. She didn't see her daughter except for about 10 minutes at breakfast each morning.

In the few moments of clarity that she had, she had Jacqui write her a script for Depo Provera. You know, just in case. But it would be a while before she'd even have a remote chance of being physical with Jack.

During the two weeks, she missed calls from Jack, and she'd forget to call him back because she collapsed when she got home. She felt like her life was once again spiraling out of control. Until she got a fateful call on Friday afternoon, more than two weeks after her interview at Peterson.

The man on the other end of the line was the same man who interviewed her. He told her they had a position open for her in a top secret facility in Cheyenne Mountain. But, before she began work, she'd need to spend one week at Peterson AFB in a secure facility where she'd be learning the history of the job, as well as the current situation about the job. She asked the man if she could call her dad to discuss her child care with him before making the decision. The man assured her that was OK, and really, required of her, before spending the week at Peterson.

Sam immediately called her dad and told him she'd been offered a job. She said they could talk more about it when she got home, but right now she needed to know if he'd be OK taking care of Becks for an entire week while she went for her orientation. He of all people understood classified work. He'd had a clearance at one point, too.

Sam even offered a suggestion that maybe Jack could come over for visits with Becks, as she hasn't been around him for two weeks due to her schedule. Jacob laughed and said that's probably a good idea. Even he liked the idea of his daughter involved with Jack. Becks liked Jack, and that was all the proof Jacob needed to know that Jack was a good man.

Sam hung up the phone with her dad, and called Jack. She filled him in on everything. She felt as if he already knew she got the job. But she was too excited to ask. She let him know that it would be OK for him to go visit Jacob and Becks while she was at Peterson. They hung up the phone, and promised to call when she was done for the day.

It was Friday, and she had an option to start at Peterson on Monday. Right now, she didn't care about the surgical rotation or finding a doctor to take over for her. The hospital would do that, and they had a pool of surgeons to pick from. She would not be missed. Except by her staff. This conversation would be hard.

She called the hospital HR and let them know that today was her last day. She let them figure out the logistics, but as soon as she made that call, she began to cry. She felt as if a weight had been lifted from her. She'd have more time for her daughter. She'd be able to develop a real relationship with Jack. She'd be able to hang out with his friends more. This was a great opportunity, and it all made her very happy.

She called in her office staff to let them know. Everyone but Jacqui cried. Jacqui knew this is what Sam has wanted for a while. She was happy for her friend. She hugged Sam, and then they shed some tears.

Jacqui had been there for Sam when her husband was murdered. She had kept Sam sane at a time when Sam could have easily thrown in the towel and given up. Jacqui helped Sam tie up loose ends that day. At around 6 PM, Sam and Jacqui left the office together. Both of them stood outside the door and looked in.

"One chapter closes, another opens. I love you, Sam. I'm very happy your life is moving again."

"Love you, to Jac. Thank you. For everything. You helped me when I needed it the most. I would like to keep in touch with you."

"We will. When the time is right. For now, go home to that tall, handsome man. Let him love you, Sam. It's time."

Sam smiled at her friend. They said their goodbyes, then got into their cars and went their separate ways. Sam drove home to find Jacob and Becks in her bedroom, with Jacob reading her a book. Sam smiled at them both.

"Hi," she said, kissing her daughter, and kissing the top of her dad's head. "Dad, if it's OK with you, I'm going to jump in the shower and head over to Jack's. Right now I am not planning on coming home. Is that alright with you?" she asked nervously.

Jacob smiled at his daughter. She was moving on. Finally.

"It's perfectly fine. Just don't give me details. You will always be my baby girl," he said. They both laughed.

"Thanks, dad. I love you guys. I'm going to go get ready."

"Be careful. But have fun," Jacob said.

"Not really the words you want to hear from your dad!" she joked. Then got up to take a shower and head over to Jack's.

…

She pulled up to his house to find Daniel's car parked out front. She grabbed her bag out of the back and made her way to the front door. The door was opened by the time she got there and saw Jack standing there smiling at her.

"Doctor Carter, to what do we owe this surprise?" he asked, reaching for her bag. "Does this mean what I think it means?" he asked softly.

She looked up at him in the door, and stepped up to meet him in the entrance way. She pressed up against him in his personal space, and kissed him. Then met his eyes again.

"Yes, it does," she said smiling. She heard a grunt of approval come from his throat. It would be an interesting evening with guests.

He put her bag down in the living room, and Daniel and Janet saw Jack put her bag down. They gave each other a smile and a knowing look.

"Hi Sam," Janet said. "Congratulations on the job!"

Sam looked at her strangely, but thanked her. Janet noticed her confusion so she followed up.

"The Colonel told us already. We're excited for you."

Jack was sitting next to Sam, caressing her back.

"Thank you, Janet," Sam said, leaning into Jack.

Janet and Daniel saw the little move, and decided that was enough.

"Alright, we are going to leave. You two have a fun night!" Janet said excitedly. Jack smiled and made a laughing noise. Sam blushed and averted her eyes.

They all stood to say goodbye to each other. There were hugs and more cajoling about the festivities of the night. Then Daniel took Janet home.

After Jack shut the door, Sam had a rush of desire pass over her. She stiffened a little bit because of her reaction. It had been a long time for her.

"You OK?" he asked. She turned to him, and wrapped her arms around him. She exhaled loudly.

"It's been a very long time, Jack."

"For me too. But I hear it's like riding a bike," he joked, and put his hand on her chin, and pulled her eyes to meet his. "We'll go slow. At any point if it becomes too much, then we stop. Remember, walking together," he said, swaying with her in his arms.

She stared at him as he spoke. Desire pooled again in her belly, and emptied into her panties. She wanted him. She could tell he wanted her. He lowered his head to her and put his lips gently onto hers.

He pulled back to look at her again. He dropped his right hand along her arm, and ran his fingers down along her hand. He moved his hand to intertwine his fingers in hers. He squeezed her hand and waited. Then she smiled at him, and she let him lead her back to his bedroom.