Ahh… It feels good to finish this story. I don't think I'll be writing another long one until the holidays; this one just kept unravelling. I've already written a one-off so maybe I'll do a few more of those. (Actually I was thinking of writing a few more chapters to 'Green Shadows' in the other characters' points of view. What do you reckon?)

Thanks again to Hope's Tears (I know! I'm taking one GCSE early and that's bad enough. Incidentally my calculator paper is on Tuesday.) and Sci Fi Fan Gillian who took the time to review even though I said I didn't mind if you did or didn't, it means a lot to me and, I think, has helped to improve my writing throughout the story. Well that's all folks. Cya, luv Rivergem. P.S What? Didn't I tell you I liked angst? Heh heh heh.

All of SG1 were sitting on Colonel O'Neill's roof. Daniel, having had a bit too much to drink, i.e. four bottles of beer, was sprawled over a deck chair, telling a bemused Teal'c about a dream he had recently had. He was gesturing wildly towards Sam and the Colonel and saying something about someone's hair. Sam grinned; Daniel really couldn't hold his drink.

Teal'c, on the other hand, was as sober as usual and apart from tipping his chair backwards slightly every few minutes to avoid some of Daniel's more erratic hand movements, seemed relatively relaxed. Sam knew that, like her, Teal'c was just happy to enjoy the company of his team, reunited once more.

Colonel O'Neill was bent over his telescope, oblivious to everything except the stars. As soon as General Hammond had ordered them to take a week of downtime, he had suggested that they finish off their stay at his house. Tonight was the last night, with only a weekend to go before returning to the SGC. Their bags packed and sitting in the living room beneath them, Sam, wanting to exercise her newly healed foot, had proposed that they all go up onto the roof for one final drink. That had been two hours ago.

"O'Neill. I believe that I should now take Daniel Jackson home, he is quite intoxicated and is unfit to drive." Teal'c said, looking pointedly at Daniel who was laughing quietly to himself.

"Sure T. You gonna be ok to drive?" Asked O'Neill.

"Indeed."

"It's getting late, I'll start packing up the telescope now and you can take your bags to the car." Teal'c got up and, dragging Daniel by the arm, led him carefully towards the ladder. After much protesting on Daniel's part, she heard the crunch of gravel as they reached the bottom. "You off too Carter?" O'Neill said to Sam who had stood up.

"Yeah. I need to get back, I'm going shopping tomorrow morning." She said quickly.

"Shopping eh? I never figured you as the shopaholic type Carter." Said O'Neill, grinning boyishly.

"Oh, no. I'm going food shopping." She said, now wishing that she were 'the shopaholic type' as the Colonel had said.

"Oh. Ok. How about you go and get your stuff ready and I'll be down in a sec to help you." He said and began to unscrew the tripod of the telescope.

Relishing being able to do so, Sam slid easily down the steel ladder and went and fetched her bags from the house. She heaved her suitcase into the boot when she heard Teal'c behind her.

"I will see you on Monday Major Carter." Said Teal'c, solemnly hugging her and then turning towards the car. Daniel was still clumsily climbing down the ladder having just said good-bye to O'Neill who was apparently still taking apart his telescope. Jumping the last few rungs, he staggered across the drive and stumbled into her, pulling her into a tight hug.

"Jack hash messy hair doeshn't he?" He slurred. "That'sh how I knew it wash him behind the Shtargate. Bye Sam." With that he practically fell into the back seat of his car and slammed the door shut after him. There was a roar of tyres grinding into gravel and they drove away. Sam blinked.

She made her way over to the ladder and paused at the bottom, feeling strangely nervous. She could almost hear her heart beating and her hands shook as she grasped the steel rung in front of her. Taking a deep breath, she began to climb. Sam clambered over the edge of the roof and looked up. O'Neill was still pretending, as she now recognised, to take apart the telescope. He turned around, a silhouette against the glow of the street lights behind him.

"So. You going now Carter?" He asked quietly.

"Erm… Yes. Thanks for letting us stay over. I had a good time." She stuttered.

"Glad you enjoyed it." Sam couldn't see the expression on his face but he stepped forward as he said it. To her surprise she moved towards him too. They were so close now; she could feel his breath, see her reflection in his eyes.

"I… Got to go…" The cold evening wind ruffled her hair and stung her cheeks but she didn't notice.

"I heard you." Jack said simply and her mind went blank. Then in a rush of understanding she realised what he was talking about. She felt numb. She could only stand there, inches away from him, staring. "Me too." He whispered.

They leaned in towards each other…

Then, as one, they inclined their heads. Sam looked down and a solitary tear fell to the floor. The barrier was still there, as achingly unbreakable as ever. With every cell in her body telling her to stay, ever fibre of her willing her to just reach out and… Sam turned away.

"Goodbye Jack." She stole one last glance at him. He was looking resolutely down at the concrete, his head bowed.

"Goodbye Sam." She heard him say softly as she climbed back down. Tears welled up in her eyes and she opened the door of her car and sat down. She gripped the steering wheel so hard her knuckles went white.

With a weak glimmer of hope still burning in the darkness in her mind, Sam drove away.

Above her on the roof, O'Neill, not able to watch her go, sat at his telescope, eyes gazing at the stars but mind looking to the future.

The End.