AN: Not really much to report. All the annoying people are gone from my job. My numbers are up because I have a reliable staff. My boss is happy with me. Her boss is happy with me... other than I posted a photo on the company webpage showing we didn't have our freight put away and he was 'embarrassed'. Yah he should be. It's sitting there because he cut my staffing hours to bare bones but there's not less work. So who's fault is it that there's freight in a photos? That's right mister cut my staffing hours. Yours.

Chapter 3 - Tuesday

Jack sighed. Of course, they wanted them to attend counseling. The church always wanted to fix things. Even things that weren't fixable. Like Sam not loving him enough to wait. Fine. He'd jump through their damned hoops if it would make her happy.

"Just give me the dates and times, Colonel. I'll be there." He agreed in a tired tone.

"Thank you, Sir. I'm really sorry about this."

Jack waved a dismissive hand at her about the whole thing. He picked up a folder on his desk, and made an obvious show of opening the file and started to read the contents. Realizing Sam was still in his office, he asked in a slightly cooled tone. "Is there anything else?"

"No sir." Sam replied.

"Dismissed." He said to her without looking up so he didn't have to see the hurt in her eyes.

Sam stood there for a moment, then mumbled her thanks and quietly left the room, her posture slighted defeated.

Jack stared intently at the folder as he pretended to review the analysis report on the mineral deposits of P-whatever that SG12 had brought back. But internally, he told himself to hold firm as he reminded himself. 'I can't be that guy, Sam. I can't be your back up plan. You either commit to wanting to be with me or you don't but I'm not going to wait on the sidelines while you sleep with someone else and accept a wedding ring from him' he thought of her expectation that she could be with another man and still expect him to treat her the same way he always had. He stared at her stiff back as she walked away from him. 'And I won't be second prize either. Even Jack O'Neill has a little pride'.

Oh, who the hell are you trying to fool? He asked himself. You'd forgive her in a heartbeat if she dumped that shrub. He mentally admonished himself. Shamelessly, too, you loser.

Jack let out a slow frustrated sigh. If this were real marriage counseling, he'd try to get through her stubborn head that he loved her no matter what and they should work at making this work because love was worth fighting for. Unfortunately it was just a formality to help rid her of a fake wedding license confirmation she didn't realized she'd signed.

Jack snarled at himself for being maudlin and got back to work reading mission reports.