A/N: Sorry this has taken two weeks longer than I anticipated.. school has been crazy. And since I am on break I am finally able to work on this. I only hope I finish this along with the million other things I need to get done. Why does senior year have to be so stressful? Bleh.. Anyway. I hope you enjoy this. Don't forget to review!

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chapter 7

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Jack walked somberly to Sam's lab where he found her buried among the lastest piece of alien technology that SG-13 had brought back from their last mission. He stood in the doorway admiring her work before announcing his presence.

"What'ch ya doin'?" He questioned lazily.

"Hey, sir. I'm trying to get this to work. I have to reroute the wiring and hopefully that will lead to the information inside this to show up on the computer screen."

"Ah," he nodded, not quite sure if he completely understood.

"Is there something you wanted, sir?" She asked, glancing up from her project.

"Uh, yeah, Carter. I just spoke with the general.." His voice trailed off and her eyes suddenly remained fixed on his.

"Well, sir, your expression doesn't look optimistic." She was hoping the opposite was true.

He began to fiddle with a random wire that seemed to have no purpose. Completely silent, his gaze remained fixed on his hands.

"Sir?" The beautiful blond prodded.

Jack's hand went to the back of his graying hair and he thought of how he could state the news he was going to have to tell her.

"Carter..Sam. He, um.. The general told me that we would be court martialed if we decided to pursue a relationship." He saw the look in her eyes, she began to back away and he could sense the wall begin to go up between them once more. "I told him that we wouldn't let it get in the way of our job. He said he--"

"Sir, don't. I would appreciate it if you left now."

"Sam, please.."

"Colonel, I have to get back to work. And I do believe that you have paperwork to catch up on."

She looked back down at the wiring she was attempting to overcome before he showed up. She was certainly not pleased with the news, but she could deal with it. She had before, she could pretend again.

Realizing that she was not going to be communicative for awhile, he decided that he would leave her be. His only wish right now was that he would be able to come up with something.

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In the midst of the paperwork that was slowly, but surely, decreasing on the colonel's desk, was the tired colonel himself. He was going through each paper, and to be honest, everything was beginning to look the same. He needed a break. O'Neill arose and walked intently toward the mess hall to grab a cup of much needed coffee.

He put the dark liquid to his lips and drank from the styrofoam cup. //You'd think with all the money that comes in to the base, we could get nicer cups.// he smiled at the thought. Pouring himself a second cup he turned around to head back to his lab. When he was halfway there, an idea caught up with him. Grinning the only way he knew how he searched out the general.

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I know, pathetically short. But the next chapter should be the last one, and I'm going to try to get it out tomorrow. I promise. Please send feedback!! It's like oxygen to me!!