Author's Note: Well, there's just one chapter left to go after this…


When Sam reached the guest room, she closed the door behind her, rested heavily against it and took a deep breath. She just needed a minute to gather her thoughts; she understood Daniel's frustrations – although she was taken aback by how forthright he'd been in starting to share his thoughts on her and Jack – but they hadn't had the chance to explain to him that even though they were leaving and were going to be in different states, it was okay because it allowed them to be together. She closed her eyes and sighed; their decision to tell Daniel and Teal'c about their relationship wasn't really going to plan. It was why she had to leave the dinner table; even though they were outdoors, Sam felt like she was suffocating and needed a moment to catch her breath.

She also needed to try and salvage the evening because the four of them had been having fun and, for the first time in eight years, not having to worry about the fate of the universe being in their hands; but she did feel guilty for not having yet told her friends the truth about her and Jack, especially when she knew Teal'c already suspected the latest developments. It didn't change the fact, however, that they were a team – and would always be a team – and they didn't keep secrets from each other.

Sam sighed heavily. She loved Daniel but there were times when he became so passionately fixated on something that he missed the point entirely and while she was touched that he was fighting his corner for her and Jack to be together, she also realized that she was getting married, to Jack, and that their relationship was going to be far from normal. She crossed the room and sat down on the edge of the bed when Jack's words echoed through her mind.

We can make it work.

And he was right; they would make it work because it was them and this was what they both wanted. With a smile and a renewed sense of determination, Sam reached for her duffle until she found what she was looking for. She opened the small velvet box Jack had given her and carefully pulled the ring from the holder. She studied it for a moment and then got to her feet.


While Daniel and Teal'c watched Sam retreat to the cabin, Jack glared at Daniel.

"Way to go, Daniel," he snapped.

The archeologist looked at him with eyes wide. "What?"

"If you'd let us finish, you'd have heard us try to explain our reasons for accepting our new posts"

"I heard excuses," Daniel offered, but when Jack's expression darkened, he closed his eyes and sighed. "I'm sorry," he muttered as he glanced at Teal'c, "but you are our friends. We've been there with you. We know how you and Sam" are you and Sam really going to walk away? Look at what happened the last time –"

"This is different," Jack interrupted quietly.

"How?" Daniel challenged.

"Do you want to wait until Sam gets back – if she wants to come back?" Jack answered.

Daniel bit back any further response and Jack sighed. When he spoke, his words were quiet and absent of the frustration he'd felt moments earlier.

"I appreciate your concern," he admitted, "but even though we defeated the Goa'uld and our standing orders have been met, I can't just walk up to the President and say, 'screw the regulations'."

"But –"

"I already tried," Jack continued before he took a swig of beer, "he said no."

Daniel sat straighter in his chair, while Teal'c raised a brow in surprise.

"You – you tried?"

"When I was in D.C.," he nodded.

"And Hayes said no?" Daniel asked incredulously.

"Keep your voice down, Spacemonkey," Jack hissed.

"He really said no?" the younger man repeated.

"He gave some speech beforehand," Jack shrugged, "but, essentially, the answer was no."

Daniel sat back at his friend's confession, while Teal'c stared at Jack with interest.

"There is something you are concealing, O'Neill."

He darted a glance at the Jaffa, then to Daniel, and he pursed his lips. He didn't have the chance to say, or deny, anything when Daniel tilted his head.

"What do you mean by essentially?"

Movement out of the corner of his eye had him glance to the cabin and he saw Sam step back onto the deck. He released a breath in relief to see her coming back, and smiling. He threw her a quick smile before he sent a subtle look to his friends.

"Not a word," he warned.


With her hands firmly hidden in the pockets of her jeans, Sam smiled as she sat back down at the table.

"I'm sorry," she began, "I just –"

"You don't have anything to apologize for Sam," Daniel said softly. "I shouldn't have said anything. It's just –" He looked at Jack who nodded. "We care about you – both of you – a lot and after everything we've been through – we just want you to be happy."

"I know," Sam smiled. She pulled her bottom lip between her teeth and glanced over at Jack, "and we appreciate your concern."

She then pulled her left hand from her jeans pocket and under the table reached for Jack's hand. Immediately, his right hand came to rest on top of hers and he brushed his thumb across her fingers. He froze when he reached her ring finger and darted a glance in her direction. She looked away from him and back to Daniel and Teal'c.

"But Jack's right," she said, "the rules are still there and his promotion is non-negotiable. I can't resign either –"

"Hayes wants her to stick around even more than he wants me around," Jack groused good-naturedly as he set his bottle of beer down. Sam rolled her eyes then took a deep breath.

"But he did give us an alternative."

Daniel and Teal'c looked at each other and then back to Sam and Jack. It was Teal'c who spoke next.

"To what do you refer, Samantha Carter?"

"Well," she said, glancing one final time at Jack. He squeezed her fingers in support before he started to answer.

"Hayes has made it clear that the frat regs aren't going to go away, but with Sam in Nevada and me in Washington, we can… get around them."

"So," Daniel said slowly as his gaze flitted between them, "for you to be together – you have to be apart?"

Jack nodded once. "Essentially."

"I have to sign the paperwork on Monday," Sam continued, "and my commission at the SGC will finish later this month – but I don't report to Groom Lake for another four weeks."

Daniel frowned. "I don't understand."

"I won't be Sam's commanding officer for those four weeks," Jack said.

At this, Teal'c straightened imperceptibly, catching Jack's attention. Jack worked hard to keep his expression neutral, even as his friend's lips slowly twisted into an understanding. He looked back to Daniel and waited for him to catch up.

"So," the younger man pressed instead, his expression still one of confusion, "you'll do what for those four weeks?"

Jack started to smirk, only to receive an elbow to the ribs.

"We only have four weeks before I'm back in the official chain of command," Sam said, her own smile starting to appear, "so the only way for Jack and I to officially be together afterwards… is if we're married."

Daniel's elbow that was resting on the table, slipped off the edge at Sam's words while Teal'c's smile grew wider.

"What?"

Sam started to answer when Teal'c jumped in.

"I believe O'Neill and Samantha Carter are to be wed in holy matrimony."

Daniel's eyes widened further. "Uh –"

"I'll take that as 'congratulations', Daniel?" Jack grinned.

"Uh – wait." Daniel glanced at Sam in surprise. "You said yes?"

Laughter escaped Sam at his question – and the subsequent look Jack threw in their friend's direction – before she nodded. She then untangled her hand from Jack's and lifted it into the air.

"Yes, Daniel," she confirmed.

There was a whirlwind of movement and everything happened at once: Daniel embraced Jack and slapped him on the back, while Teal'c had enveloped Sam in a hug before the two of them switched places and congratulated the other. After a few minutes of different conversations all taking place at once, Jack cleared his throat and stepped up to his fiancée. With a smile, he placed his hand tenderly on the small of Sam's back and she instinctively leaned into his touch. Daniel and Teal'c shared a knowing look.

"We're really happy for you guys," he said, his eyes glistening and voice thick with emotion.

"Indeed," Teal'c agreed.

"Oh," Daniel suddenly exclaimed as he looked to the Jaffa, "that other thing makes sense now."

Jack's brow furrowed. "What 'other thing'?"

With a nod from Teal'c, Daniel held his hands out in a 'stay there' gesture. "We'll be right back."

Sam and Jack both watched in confusion as their friends left them alone.

"What was that about?" Sam asked.

"I've no idea," Jack murmured as he met her eye, then pressed a gentle kiss against her temple, "c'mon," he said as he claimed her hand in his and led them down to the dock.