Sam quickly undressed and got under the warm water of the shower. She stood still for a few moments allowing the tension and shame of the day to be washed from her body. She pulled the lid off the bottle of her shampoo and gently rubbed it through her blonde hair, taking time to rinse and repeat with some vanilla fragranced conditioner, it smelled divine on her skin.
Feeling better she dried quickly and pulled on her matching white bra and underwear, a soft cream turtleneck jumper and the pair of slim fit jeans that she's packed in her bag. She towel dried her hair combed it through knowing the warmth of Jack's house would dry it in no time. She checked herself in the mirror and decided some light makeup and a swipe of her trusty nude lipstick would just make her feel a little more human.
She decided to go barefooted and padded out of the guest room and back down the corridor towards the den. In the time that Sam had been away Jack had lit the fire, it was now gently crackling, the heat warming the cozy space in gentle waves.
'Colonel?' She called out. There was no answer, he must have left already. She spotted the whiskey bottle still resting on the floor where he'd left it, she bent down and picked it up unscrewing the lid as she searched for the glass that she had earlier. Finding it on the side table she topped up the amber liquid and set the bottle down on the coffee table. She picked up the full glass and wandered around the den looking at the photographs and medals Jack had displayed.
She wasn't surprised to find a framed picture of SG-1, it had been taken a year or so ago. The photograph was of the four of them stood together off world, it could have been taken on earth, surrounded by mountains and trees, their SGC badges and alien tech tactfully hidden by their positioning. She remembered Col. Dave Dixon had taken it. They were all laughing in the picture, Daniel's grin wide and happy, his hair longer then, hidden only partially under his bandana. Teal'c was smiling, an eyebrow slightly raised and his eyes focussed on Daniel who must have been the source of their amusement, she couldn't remember.
She looked at herself, smiling too but staring right into the lens of the camera. Her eyes vivid blue shining... then she saw Jack, he wasn't looking at Daniel or Teal'c, or even Dave Dixon... he was laughing, his tanned face gloriously relaxed as his brown eyes gazed down at Sam.
She picked up the frame and looked closer, he was stood beside her but his body faced inwards as if shielding her. His left hand placed on-top of the P90 that was strapped to his vest, his right hand hovering somewhere close to her right elbow, fingers just gripping lightly. His eyes were definitely fixed on her. She'd never noticed before, yet this wasn't the first time she'd seen the photograph. Daniel had the same one pinned to the memo board in his office.
Sam's thoughts were interrupted by the sound of Jack's truck pulling into the driveway. She placed the photograph back on the mantle and turned her attention to the door as he strode through.
'It's cold out there, almost like it's going to snow!' He said as he pushed the door closed behind him. 'Not quite as cold as Antarctica though' he said grinning.
'Thanks for this, Sir' Sam said, following him into the kitchen to help unload the food.
'Carter, it's nothing' He replied handing her two plates and some cutlery. They divided the food between them then sat at his table quietly savouring every bite. It was delicious, Sam only then realised how hungry she'd actually been.
They finished and quickly cleaned up the kitchen before moving back to the den where the fire had reduced to a warm glow.
Sam sat down on the sofa and tucked her legs up underneath her, laying her head back she realised how exhausted she felt. Jack sat beside her and had quickly found an old black and white movie to watch - 'a classic' he said turning towards her but pressed the volume down low so it was just a gentle murmur in the background.