You've probably noticed that three chapters have been uploaded this week, thats because I'll be going on holiday for a week later today so I won't be able to upload new chapters while I'm away. The author, I'm not the author by the way, says she might be able to upload a new chapter while I'm away but she doesn't have an internet connection at home so she has to rely on the computers at the library

Anyways, onto the story

Chapter Thirteen

"Jack, are you alright?" Jonas asked noticing the look on Jack's face.

Mentally nudging himself Jack turned to Jonas and "Yeah, sure I'm fine."

Across the room Ruth rose from the sofa and walked over to where Jack was standing and said "Hello Jack, it's been a while."

That received a puzzled look from both Sam and Amanda. Jack on the other hand swallowed the contents of his mouth, which he didn't even realise he was holding then said "Ruth."

Amanda was still looking between her mother and her CO but couldn't hold the questions any longer "Mom, how do you know Colonel O'Neill?"

"Colonel is it now, well you've come a long way since the last time I saw you" Ruth said not answering Amanda's questions.

"Ruth that was over 25 years ago, I was near enough just starting out when I was posted in England" Jack said not sure whether he felt proud of that or not.

Amanda refusing to give up on getting her question answered asked it again only this time she was rewarded with a response but the response came from Jack not her mother. "Yeah Amanda me and your mother know each other. We met about 27 years ago when I was posted in England. We became friends after I met her on a day's leave then 2 years later I came back to the states but I never got a chance to say goodbye to your mom as she had to go visit a sick relative."

"Oh, Okay then" Amanda said still looking at her mother slightly puzzled.

"Come on, let's get something to drink like we came here to do" Jonas said dragging Amanda to the sofa sitting her down and going to get a few drinks for the group.

The night commenced with Ruth telling the group stories about Amanda growing up and the mischief she wreaked on her neighbourhood. Then the night took a turn and she started telling stories of the mischief that Jack used to wreak while still a junior officer and the trouble that he always seemed to find.

It was going on 0130 hours when Jack saw a chance to get Ruth alone to talk to her about the past. Getting up he announced that he was going to get another drink and then disappeared in to the kitchen where Ruth had disappeared moments before.

"Ruth" was the only word Jack said but it was all he needed to say to get Ruth's attention.

"What do you want Jack?" Ruth asked slight resentment coming through in her tone.

"I'd like the chance to explain" Jack said feeling nervous and sorry at the same time.

"Why would you have anything to explain Jack, all you did was gain my trust, my heart and promised me that you would never leave me and we'd be married by the end of the year" Ruth said, this time the bitterness in her voice come through loud and clear.

"I tried to call you, but you never wanted to talk to me and you never returned my calls. I was going to bring you over to the US after I found out that your uncle died, but you wouldn't talk to me" Jack said pleading that he didn't do wrong.

A tear started its short journey down Ruth's face and when she spoke this time there was only sorrow present "I… I'm sorry Jack I didn't know. When you called I was angry you left so I refused to talk to you. I just tried to forget you but it took a long time."

Jack moved forward to try and comfort her but she quickly backed away from his touch, shaking her head then she quickly left the room heading in the direction of the bathroom. Jack got a strange feeling that she was leaving something important out but knew he wouldn't be able to do anything more about it tonight so he went back and re-joined his team mates with a full bottle of beer in his hand.

Amanda and Ruth were sat talking after the group had gone home and Jonas had retreated to bed in a drunken heap.

Taking a sip of her coffee Amanda looked at her mother and said in a knowing voice "So mom do you want to tell me the truth about how you and Colonel O'Neill know each other then?"

Looking almost shocked at her daughter Ruth said, "Like we said earlier we knew each other when he was stationed in England."

"Come on mum your talking to me here, not a total stranger. I've seen you meet old friends and some of them you didn't part with in the best of ways, but I've never… I'll repeat NEVER seen you act like this towards a friend and I can tell that there was something other than friendship going on there" Amanda was starting to get annoyed by her mother's lies.

"Amanda please, we were just friends but we parted on let's just say the worst possible way you can, that's why I've been acting strange as you call it" Ruth said look sorrowfully into her daughters eyes.

"Ok mum I'll drop it for now but I will want answers soon, this is my CO here mum and I want to know why it looks like there's more going on here than it looks like on first inspection" Amanda said backing down.

They continued to sit there, now in silence while they finished their coffee and tea.

Jack and Sam reached Jack's house and went straight to the bedroom, as they were both exhausted. Sam was running the scene of Jack and Ruth meeting up again after 25 years over and over in her head and knew that she needed to confront him with it as she had a really strong feeling about what was going on.

"Jack" Sam said sitting up in bed watching Jack change, he stopped and looked at her just as he was about the head in to the bathroom to brush his teeth.

Looking back at Sam, Jack noticed that she was looking increasingly nervous. "What's the matter Sam" Jack asked trying to comfort her with his gentle voice and walking over to her and sitting next to her on the bed.

Looking in to his eyes pleading with him for the truth with hers she said in a quite voice, "You were more than friends with Ruth weren't you?"

Jack continued to look into her eyes wondering what she was going to say when he told her the truth, which he knew he had to tell her as there was no point in lying to her. "Yeah… we were" Jacks voice was almost a whisper when he spoke but Sam caught his answer anyway.

"How serious was it" Sam asked not knowing whether she was going to get an answer or not.

Jack could do nothing other than fix his gaze on his hand's in nervousness, "I was going to ask her to move to the states with me and marry me but… her uncle got sick she went to look after him. I got my orders to go back to the states but didn't have time to contact her to let her know what was happening. When I finally got back to the states and settled in I tried to call her and tell her my plans but she wouldn't take or return my calls. The only way I found to get over her was not to think of her and I did just that, up until walking in to Amanda's apartment and seeing her on the sofa."

"Do you still love her" Sam asked a simple question that she needed to know the answer to.

Jack looked up shock and realised what was going through Sam's mind. "Sam… god no Sam. I love you, I stopped loving Ruth over 25 years ago" Jack said bringing Sam in to a hug and he kissed the top of her head trying to reassure her of his feeling towards her.

TBC