Friends with benefits

Chapter 11

All mistakes are mine.

Her father's funeral was planned, and she had saved the eulogy she'd spent that afternoon writing before curling up on the sofa. Sam pulled the afghan tighter around her shoulders and sipped on her fuzzy navel. Pete had offered to come stay the night, but she had insisted on being alone. The thought of having him here bothered her, which was really all she needed to know. She took another sip. Being in Pete's arms left her feeling incomplete but for those brief moments in the infirmary observation room while Jack had his arm around her, she felt whole, even amid her grief. Sam closed her eyes. Jack might not be available but that didn't mean she had to settle. It was unfair to Pete as well as to herself. She was better off alone than with a man she didn't want to turn to in times of need.

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Daniel sat down in the chair in front of Jack's office. "Ready for this afternoon?"

"As ready as I can be." Jack kept signing requisitions. "Have you talked to Carter today?"

"Just left her lab." Daniel leaned forward. "She broke off the wedding."

Jack stopped writing and looked up. "As in postponed it or she kicked him to the curb?"

"The curb."

"I see." Jack looked back down at his desk and moved a couple folders. "We should do something to take Carter's mind off things."

"Such as?"

"I don't know." Jack sat back in his chair. "We need to get her away from here for a while. If we don't, she'll just hole up in her lab."

"She likes it in her lab."

"We can take her to my cabin."

"We?"

"Yes, Daniel, we, as in you, me, Teal'c, and Carter. We all have plenty of leave coming our way. We can make it a long weekend, hell we can take a whole week."

Daniel winced. The thought of a week in cramped quarters and fishing didn't appeal to him but he saw the logic in getting Sam out of town. "A long weekend sounds good."

"Excellent. Why don't you go tell Carter and Teal'c while I make sure we don't run out of orange juice or titanium."

"Do orders for orange juice and titanium come to you on the same requisition?"

"You'd be surprised."

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Sam grew bored watching Daniel and Teal'c play chess, so she went out on the deck. Jack was standing at the far corner leaning forward with his forearms on the deck railing. Sam moved up beside him mimicking his position.

"Thank you for bringing me here. It's very beautiful."

"I'm glad you came."

She turned around. As she settled back against the railing her fingers lightly brushed the inside of his bent elbow. "Jack."

"Sam." His voice was deep, and it flowed through her.

"I was thinking about Jonah and Thera the other week." She gently wrapped her fingers around his forearm.

"Really?"

"I felt so comfortable curling up next to you."

"Ahhhhh, well, that part was nice."

"It was." She glanced inside the cabin when she heard Daniel complaining about Teal'c's most recent move. "I know it might be too little too late, but I want you to know I never stopped caring, even if I did give up on us for a while." She let go of his arm.

He reached out and grabbed her hand. "I never stopped either."

"Oh." She looked at their linked hands. "So are you saying that you...I mean that we…" She let out a small breath. "Are you saying you would be in support of a change?"

He straightened and turned so he was just a smidgen closer. "I would."

"I have a couple ideas about that, but it will take me a couple days after we get back to work through it."

"A couple days you say." He gave her a smile that made her toes curl. "I can do that."

She looked over his shoulder into the lit cabin. "Did you invite Daniel and Teal'c to keep me on my best behavior?"

He looked over at her through his half-lidded eyes. "It was my behavior that concerned me."

"You give my self-control too much credit."

"Eight years of data says your will power is superhuman."

"So is yours."

Jack scoffed. "Hardly." He squeezed her hand. Sam moved marginally closer. She let go of his hand and stretched her arm out, placing her hand on his chest. His hand lightly landed on her hip. "A couple days, huh?"

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Daniel and Teal'c entered Sam's lab together. "Ready to head to the briefing?"

"Almost." Sam gave them a tense smile. "I've accepted a position at Groom Lake."

"What?" Daniel's mouth fell open.

"Head of research and design." Her smile widened but she was still tense. "I'll get to play a bigger role in ship design, and I'll have more time with the tech being brought back through the gate."

"But you won't be here." Sam wasn't sure if Daniel looked more concerned or shocked.

"No."

Teal'c bent his head forward. "Congratulations Colonel Carter. I know you will do well in your new role."

"Thanks, Teal'c."

"Yes, right, congratulations." Daniel tried to give her a smile, but he failed. "Who's taking over SG-1?"

Sam shrugged. "I don't know. I only found out I got it this morning."

"Oh." Daniel plopped down on a stool. "I'm guessing Jack knows."

"He was the first person I told." She reached out and put her hand on Daniel's arm. "You guys are the second and third." She tilted her head. "I know this is a shock, but this opens up some options for you guys as well."

"Huh?" Daniel's brow furrowed.

"Atlantis. Dakkara."

"Right."

Sam could see Daniel considering the possibilities. Sam glanced at her clock. "We better get going. We don't want to keep the General waiting."

Jack came out of his office as soon as they got to the top of the stairs leading to the briefing room. "Hello campers, ready for an exciting mineral survey?" Jack rubbed his hands together

"Always, sir." Sam sat to Jack's right and Teal'c sat to his left. Daniel sat beside Teal'c.

Daniel was struggling to pay attention as Sam gave an overview of the planetary conditions. Jack kept glancing his way, but Daniel didn't notice.

Jack couldn't resist needling him. "Do you agree Daniel?"

All eyes turned to Daniel. "Huh?"

Sam felt responsible. "It's my fault, sir. I told them about Groom Lake just before we came down for the briefing. I could have timed it a bit better."

"I see." Jack briefly pursed his lips. "Well, let's make your last mission a success by making sure everyone knows what's going on."

Daniel's head shot up. "Last mission?"

Sam winced. "I might have left that part out." Sam's eyes roamed from Daniel to Teal'c. "I start at Groom Lake next month, but I've asked for a few weeks off before then. I need time to pack and get moved."

"I see." Teal'c nodded. "That is most sensible."

"Alright, back to the environmental report for P3M-245." Jack tapped the report laying on the table before him. They got back on topic and finished discussing the mission parameters in less than twenty minutes.

Sam hung back to talk to Jack as Daniel and Teal'c headed for the stairs. When Daniel looked back, he saw Jack smiling at something Sam had said. "How can he look so happy when he's losing Sam?"

Teal'c glanced at his close friends. "I do not think O'Neill is losing anything. As a matter of fact, I believe he is gaining something."

Daniel's eyebrows inched closer together. "Huh?" Reality hit as Jack's index finger lightly touched the back of Sam's hand. "Oh." He looked back at Teal'c. "Oh."