He made her wait until after dinner was eaten, and after the dishes were done. Really, he'd pretty much hoped that a full belly on top of a long day of walking might make her too tired to want to do anything else. But it didn't. She was young. Energetic. And she had a dancer's stamina, since she'd been dancing all her life. Jack was stuck. But at least he wasn't stuck alone.

"Line dances are easy," Gina said as she watched Jack push the sofa against the far wall, and watched Sam clear the coffee table and end tables out of the way. This left a very large space in the living room for them to use as a makeshift dance floor. "Luckily, I brought CDs or we wouldn't be able to do this."

Yes, lucky him, Jack thought, resigned to a night that was probably going to be as bad as a night of Annie.

Sam grinned, because she had a feeling she knew exactly what Jack was thinking.

Gina took control of them, then. She was just as good a teacher as her mother was, she claimed, and Jack and Sam both believed it by the time they were finished. The little girl stood between the two of them, showing them the steps of the dances she wanted to teach them. Showing them when to step forward, or back, or to slide their feet, and stomp. Even clapping was a part of line dancing, Jack and Sam found out. She obviously knew the dance well, and her love for it was plain to see. Which made Jack actually give far more of an effort than he might have. And the effort actually increased his enjoyment.

He wasn't stupid, of course, and he had a fair memory, so he didn't have trouble learning the moves and steps, he even managed to get a little rhythm – very little, but enough that he could move in time with the music when Gina decided the two of them knew the steps well enough to try it in proper time.

Sam picked it up easily. She was graceful and brilliant, and even though he wasn't terrible at the line dances Gina taught them, Sam was so much better that it made him look like a heavy-footed oaf. But he didn't mind. He was used to her being better at things than he was. After all, she was a rocket scientist, right? He was just a grunt.

"Good, Jack!" Gina was lavish with her praise when one of them made a move exceptionally well, and she was just as quick to point out a misstep. Which there were plenty of at first.

"Thanks, Gina." He smiled condescendingly at Sam. "Hear that? I'm good."

"Yeah, yeah." Sam wasn't so impressed. She'd just seen him trip over his own foot two minutes before. "Teacher's pet."

"You're just jealous."

"Am not."

"Are."

"No, I are not."

Jack smiled, and stomped his foot in time to the music once more as the final note of the song sounded from Sam's stereo.

"Okay, Gina." Sam said, looking at her watch. It was hard to believe they'd actually spent all evening line dancing. Harder to believe that Jack had participated so willingly. "Once through it from the beginning to make sure we can do it, then we need to get some sleep. It's getting late."

"I thought we were going to have ice cream?" Jack said as Gina set the controls of the CD player.

"We can have it tomorrow." Sam promised.

Gina nodded. She didn't care if she had to wait for her ice cream. She would much rather go through the dance again.

"Ready?" She asked them.

The two positioned themselves in their spots and nodded. Gina hit play, and the music started, and she watched them from the front as they went through the entire song without missing a step, or stomping in the wrong spot – although Jack clapped once in the wrong spot – right in the middle of a rest, and Sam rolled her eyes at him.

Gina clapped for them when the song (and dance) finished, and both of her pupils took deep bows, slightly out of breath, but grinning from their own successes.

"Good job!"

"Thanks." Jack pulled her into his arms for a hug, quietly thanking her for a very good way to end what had been a rough day for him. He wouldn't have chose dancing himself, but it had been far more fun than he'd expected, and he was glad she'd given him the puppy dog eyes to convince him to do it. Not that it meant he'd want to do it every day, but it was hard to hate something when your teacher loved it so much.

Sam hugged her, too, and sent her off to get ready for bed.

"That was fun." She said, as she and Jack pushed the couch back into its spot, and rearranged the rest of the furniture where it belonged.

"Yeah." He set her lamp back on the end table, and Sam looked over at him.

"You okay?"

"Yeah." He gave her a smile, and plopped down on the couch with a deep, contented sigh. He'd been on his feet too much that day. She sat down next to him, just barely touching him, and reached for his hand, which he was more than willing to give her.

"Long day..."

He nodded.

"But it was a good one."

"Really?"

He nodded again.

"Every day I spend with you is a good one, Sam." She felt his hand squeeze hers a little, and she smiled.

"Even dancing?" She teased.

"Yup."

Sam started to say something, but Gina came running down the hall just then, and she launched herself into Jack's lap. He caught her easily – she hardly weighed all that much, after all – and settled her between the two of them.

"You ready for bed?" Sam asked.

"Uh huh."

"Brushed your teeth?" Jack asked.

"Yup."

"Combed your hair?" He ran his fingers through her silky black hair.

"No, it's just going to get messy again. Why comb it?"

"That's my girl."

"Will you tuck me in, Jack?"

"It's only fair since you tucked me in last night."

He stood up while Gina gave Sam a hug and a kiss, and told her goodnight, then Jack scooped her up and headed down the hallway with her.

"Jack?" Gina looked up as O'Neill put her on the bed and started pulling the covers up.

"Hmmm?"

"How old do I have to be to get married?"

"Fifty."

"Fifty?"

"Maybe fifty-five. Depends on who you're marrying."

"How old will you be when I'm fifty?"

"Old." He grinned, wondering what she was asking all this for, and tucked the blanket around her. "Why?"

"Just wondering."

Uh huh.

"Go to sleep, sweetheart. We can talk more about it in the morning." When he wasn't tired.

"Okay, Jack."

He bent over and kissed her cheek, smiling to find himself in such a position, although there was also that slight ache that he felt when he remembered tucking Charlie in. This was suppressed, though. He didn't want to feel sad any more than day.

"Sleep good."

"I will, Jack. You, too."

She closed her eyes, and he left the room, turning the light off as he did.

"That didn't take too long," Sam noted as she watched him come down the hall. She was still sitting on the sofa, and he came over and sat down next to her.

"How long did you think it'd take?"

"I figured she'd at least get a bedtime story out of you."

"Nope. She didn't even ask."

Thank God. Jack didn't know a lot of bedtime stories. Certainly none appropriate for a little girl. He leaned against Sam and closed his eyes as she wrapped her arms around him. With company in the house they wouldn't do anything more than cuddle, but it was contact they both enjoyed, and Jack needed.

"Tired?" She asked him, softly.

"Mmm-hmmm."

"I should let you get some sleep, then." She kissed his cheek, and he nodded.

"Probably." He opened his eyes. "What do you have planned for tomorrow?"

"I'm not sure. Her mom will be back tomorrow night, but her sister's going to come get her about noon."

"So soon?"

"Mm-hmmm."

He scowled, and she smiled.

"I'm going to bed."

"Okay."

"Need tucked in?"

"Nah. Do you?"

"If I get you in my bed, I'll have trouble kicking you out, so you should probably just stay where you are..."

The gleam in his eyes was positively naughty, but he nodded his agreement.

"I'll see you in the morning."

She kissed him again, stood up and headed down the hall to her bedroom, well aware that was watching her the entire way.