This is just a short chapter tonight folks - but 2 in two days. Aren't you proud of me? Stay safe and well.

The door opened the medic, Sapphira, exited the room. "You may go in," she said to Jack, who was waiting anxiously in the hall.

"She's okay?" he asked.

"She is fine. But she will tell you," the medic smiled and watched as the Tauri male entered the room. She then turned to Alethea, who had been waiting with Jack. "He loves her very much."

"He does," nodded Alethea. "But it took him long enough to admit it."

At Sapphira's puzzled look the Councilor grinned. "Iola told me that they circled around one another for weeks, before finally admitting it. It was a good thing. We were all concerned, especially after Thor told us that they were meant to be together."

The two women turned and walked down the stairs, leaving the two humans to talk.

"Sam?" Jack entered the room and walked carefully up to the bed. Sam was sitting on the edge, her head held in her hands. "Sam?" he asked again, sounding worried. "Is everything okay?"

Sam lifted her head and looked at him. She appeared dazed, but not upset. "What?"

"Is everything okay?" he frowned, now sounding even more worried.

"Oh – yes, of course," she smiled. "Everything's fine. I'm not really even bruised. I think I'm just tired."

"Are you sure? You look -"

"What" she asked, avoiding looking at him? "I really am fine, Jack. Sapphira checked me out carefully."

"Okay – if you're sure. But I still want you to rest. It's been an emotional day."

"Jack, I'm fine. And it's been an interesting day." She stopped and took a deep breath. "In fact it was a nice day, a very nice day" she said softly, thinking about their afternoon together."

"It was," he smiled. He continued to regard Sam closely. She did appear fine, but there was something she wasn't telling him and it worried him.

"I was worried," he admitted.

"Really? But you knew it wasn't anything serious," she told him.

"I know but – I have this horrible feeling that something is going to happen to keep us apart. Every time things seem to be working out for us then the universe throws a curve ball at us."

"Not this time," she answered, sounding determined. "Nothing is going to keep us apart!" she said fiercely. "Now, did somebody say something about dinner?"

"I'll check," he grinned at last. Sam's hunger seemed to make him feel better. "I wonder what happened to Kore?" he asked, suddenly remembering what had precipitated this whole thing.

"Why don't you go check," Sam told him. "I'm just going to find the little Furlings room and freshen up."

Jack looked at her carefully for a moment, but then nodded. "Okay – I'll be back to get you. Stay here when you're done."

Sam rolled her eyes, but agreed. It was kind of nice having someone watch out for her again. It had been a lot of years since anyone had taken care of her. "You're turning into a sap, Sam," she told herself.

Once Jack was gone she made her way to the Furling bathroom. She looked at herself in the mirror and was shocked to see that she looked like she normally did (or at least what was normal since she'd been on Furlin).

"You don't look any different," she told herself. She then slowly lowered herself onto the edge of the Furling equivalent of a bathtub. "What the hell are you going to do now?"

Jack made his way back to the main room, to see everyone still there, except for Kairon and Elpis.

"Hi," he said to the room.

"Jack!" Alethea came forward, her hands held out. "How is Sam?"

"She's fine," he said. "She's just freshening up. I wanted to see what was happening?"

The Councilor sighed. "It is very sad. My mate Kairon and Elpis have taken Kore to the security center. She will be questioned and then held for judgment."

"Do you know who was behind this?" he asked. "Because I doubt very much if she was the one who instigated it."

"We do not, although I have my suspicions. They will determine this at the security center."

"Uh – how do they do that?" he asked, suddenly worried about their practices with prisoners.

"Do not worry – she will be treated kindly. But we have a device that will determine the truth of what she says. That way we can apprehend any others who were behind this attack. I am just grateful that no one was seriously hurt."

"Me either," he agreed. "Uh – I hate to ask this, but Sam is really hungry. Do you happen -"

"Oh my," Alethea interrupted. "Do forgive me. In all the excitement I forgot to have dinner served. I will have a tray made up for her – and you, if you wish. After that you are welcome to stay here, if you'd prefer not to return to your home."

"Thank you," he replied. "That would be kind," he said. "Especially since I have no idea how to make it back to the other house."

A few minutes later Jack tapped on Sam's bedroom door. At her "come in" he pushed open the door and entered, a full tray of food in his hands.

"Did I tell you I love you, Jack O'Neill," Sam said as she saw the tray?

"You just love me for the food," he complained. He set the tray down on a little table, which he pulled up to the bed and then sat down beside Sam. "Okay, dig in!"

For the next few moments there was silence, except for the odd moan of culinary pleasure coming out of the mouths of the two friends and lovers.

"You know," Sam murmured, her mouth full of dinner, "I might seriously consider taking them up on their offer to stay here. This food is amazing! How are we ever going to be able to go back to Earth food – hell, to commissary food?"

"Maybe we can make that part of the treaty," he said. "We discover why their food tastes so good."

"I have a feeling it's less to do with the food and more to do with us," she said, in the middle of a bite.

"With us?"

"Mmm hmm. I expect that there's something on this planet that affects our senses. I mean, everything seems – sharper, more intense here – don't you think?"

"Oh yeah," he said, staring at her, "except you. You could not be any better back on Earth than you are here – then you always have been."

"That's so sweet, Jack!"

"Yeah – I think the moment I met you I knew you were special – even if you were a scientist!"

"And I offered to arm wrestle you!"

"That's right, you did. You know – you never followed through on that."

"I figured you didn't want me to," she told him, putting another bite into her mouth.

"Why wouldn't I?" he asked.

"Because you were afraid I'd win!"

He looked at her incredulously. "Okay, I'm the first to admit that you're way smarter than me, but you are not stronger. I'd whip your butt in a second!"

"Oh you would, would you? Well, we'll have to try that and see. But for now – yum, there's more of this pudding. I have no idea what it is, but I swear that it must have been made in heaven!"

Jack chuckled as he watched her enjoying the food. Sam regarded him carefully, out of the corner of her eye. She knew that he was worried, that he sensed that she was keeping something from him, but that he didn't know what. She briefly closed her eyes and tried to concentrate on her meal.

"Alethea offered to put us up here for the night," he told her, interrupting her thoughts. "I think that might be a good idea. For one, I don't know how to get back to the other house – and if someone is trying to kill us, it might be better to stay here."

"Okay," Sam nodded, taking another bite of the pudding. "I don't have any clothes."

"I'm sure that Alethea can lend you something – me too."

She nodded. "Okay, I'm stuffed! Did you have enough to eat?"

"More than enough, oh glutinous one!" he told her, causing her to laugh.

"Can I help it if it's so good?" She yawned. "I don't know why I'm so tired all of a sudden," she complained. "Do you think we should go downstairs? I feel rude sitting up here like this."

"You're not being rude! Someone just tried to kill you so I think you're justified in taking it easy. I'll go down and ask for some nightclothes, and then say goodnight. It's been a lot today and I'm tired too."

Sam watched as he left the room, carrying the tray and dirty dishes with him. How she loved him! She thought back to the last couple of months – and then to the years of loneliness before that. She really didn't know how she had come to be so lucky.

"I guess I have you to thank, Thor," she said softly, lying back on the bed and contemplating the ceiling. "You – and the fact that Jack was willing to forgive me. I guess I really am lucky!"

She lay there, contemplating what they life could be like now – now that they had more years ahead of them. She thought about retiring from the Air Force, moving to California, buying a house, a dog and a cat – and then she thought about …

She took a deep breath and let it out slowly, praying that she wasn't about to mess everything up.

"Hey, you okay?" Jack's voice startled her, and she lifted her head and looked at him.

"I'm fine! Just thinking about the dog and cat," she told him.

"About the dog and cat?" he asked, frowning in confusion.

"Yes – that we're going to buy. I still think you'd look good with a wiener dog!"

"Over my dead body," he said, collapsing down on the bed beside her. In his arms he held some clothing. "Pajamas," he said. "And I'm thinking a Great Dane."

"Over my dead body," she said back to him. "We can compromise."

"Okay – I can do that." He leaned back, so that he too was lying on the bed, looking up at the ceiling. "I can hardly wait," he said softly. "Retirement never looked so good! Just you and me – and a dog and cat! No aliens, no Air Force, no duty before ourselves! He turned his head so that he was looking at her, and he smiled. "I can hardly wait, Sam."

She swallowed, and then returned his smile, but didn't say anything. Yup – she's really screwed things up!