Author: CatyBeel

Season : AU

Rating: PG

Spoilers: Lot of references to all the other seasons. Some season 8 references.

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters used in the story. Would be fun though huh?

Summary: Sam has an engagement party, and a long talk with Jack.

Authors Note: If any of you are JAG fans, this story came from the episode Lifelines and it is my little version of it Stargate style.

He couldn't believe that he agreed to hold the engagement party at his house. What was he thinking?. He was glad that he had been able to talk Daniel to actually host the party, taking care of the food etc.

People should begin to arrive soon.

He looks around his living room to find Daniel sprinkling water onto one of the potted plants on a table.

"Daniel, what are you doing?" Jack asks. Daniel looks up.

"By sprinkling water onto the plants it will simulate dew drops, and some cultures believe that—"

"Ah, ah, Daniel." Jack interrupts him his hands in the air gesturing for Daniel to stop.

Daniel stops and realizes what it was that he was saying, and he has enough grace to look sheepish. "I'll . . . um . . . go and check on the food." And Daniel makes an escape from the room.

Jack just shakes his head, smiling at his friend's behavior. The doorbell rings and Jack moves to answer it. It is Sgt. Siler and his date, followed closely by Walter Harriman (the chevron guy).

A minute later, two couples are chatting over drinks and finger foods.

General Hammond is the next to arrive, "General, welcome, glad you could make it."

"Jack, call me George." They shake hands.

"I really am trying to but-"

"General is what comes out." George finishes for him. Jack just shrugs.

Teal'c arrives next with Krista. They have been keeping in touch ever since that incident with her ex-boyfriend.

The doorbell chimes again and Jack opens the door to Sam and Pete. He pauses, noticing how happy they seem. Trying to keep up a false front, happiness, he offers a grin. "Colonel, Pete, come on in." Jack steps back and lets them into the house.

Minutes later, after just about everyone has showed up, Jack heads outside to wait for Cassie, the only one who has yet to arrive, and to get some fresh air. Who am I kidding, I needed to get away from the happy couple in there.

He leans on the porch railing looking out into the dark night. He looks back when he hears the door opens and Carter steps out.

"Sir." She greets him, "I saw you come out here earlier. What are you doing out here?"

"Waiting for Cassie."

"I'll wait with you, besides it's a nice night."

They hear Pete laughing at a joke one of the marines told.

"He seems happy," Jack says.

"As well he should be." Sam returns. She is quiet for a moment. "I figured out what that device is that SG-6 brought back. It's really amazing-"

"Carter," Jack interrupts. "You want to talk about alien doohickeys at your engagement party?"

"Why not, while we're waiting..." He doesn't have a response for that so he just stays silent. "I heard that the new artifact that SG-12 brought back is going to Felger, and . . ." She lets the sentence trail off.

"And you want to play with it instead of Felger." Jack finishes for her, smiling, "I'll take care of it tomorrow, consider it an engagement gift.

"I was hoping for a toaster." she smiles

He laughs, "You still might get one." He looks at her then quickly looks away.

"What?" Sam asks him. (I changed this because "she" is used a lot here)

"Nothing. I—"he pauses, "I never pictured myself celebrating you engagement."

"Did you expect me to stay single for ever?"

"I don't know what I expected." He glances at her again. "You have been a surprise to me from the beginning. You remember?"

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Flashback from pilot

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"Carter is our expert on the Stargate."

"Where's he transferring from?" Jack asks looking down at a file.

"She is transferring from the Pentagon." Comes a voice from the doorway of the briefing room, she walks further into the room to stand in front of Jack. "I take it you're Colonel O'Neill. Captain Samantha Carter reporting, Sir." She salutes him, and he returns the salute.

"But of course you go by Sam." Kawalsky adds.

"You don't have to worry, Major. I played with dolls when I was a kid." She retorts.

"G.I. Joe?" He asks.

"Oh, Major Matt Mason."

"Oh." He turns to Ferretti who is sitting next to him. "Who?"

"Major Matt Mason. Astronaut doll." Ferretti answers Kawalsky's question. He looks back over at Sam. "Did you have that cool little backpack that made him fly?"

Jack was leading the briefing. "For those of you on your first time through the gate, you should be prepared for what to expect."

"I practically memorized your report from the first mission. I'd like to think I've been preparing for this my entire life." She replies to Jack's statement.

"I think was the Colonel is saying is, have you ever pulled out of a simulated bombing run in an F-16 at 8-plus Gs?" Kawalsky challenges her.

"Yes." Carter answers confidently and instantly.

Kawalsky is surprised at that but recovers. "Well... it's way worse than that."

"I'm an Air Force officer just like you are, Colonel." Carter responds to a complaint that he had about her. "And just because my reproductive organs are in the inside instead of the outside, doesn't mean I can't handle whatever you can handle."

"Oh, this has nothing to do with you being a woman. I like women. I've just got a little problem with scientists." Jack tells her.

"Well, Colonel, I logged over 100 hours over enemy air space during the Gulf War. Is that tough enough for you... or are we going to have to arm wrestle?" Carter challenges him, and General Hammond interrupts any further comment, telling them to continue the briefing.

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End Flashback

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"You didn't like me, at first, at least that was my impression" Sam says.

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Flashback from pilot

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"You know, you really will like me when you get to know me." Carter says to Jack, as they are standing in the gate room.

"Oh, I adore you already, Captain."

"Captain?" Jack addresses Carter.

"Don't worry, Colonel. I won't let you down."

"Good. I was going to say ladies first." And he walks up the ramp up to the Stargate.

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End Flashback

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"I felt that I constantly had to prove myself to you guys in the beginning." Carter exclaims. "I was the new guy. You could have gone easy on me."

"Go easy on you? I was the one that needed protection. When ever we got you next to some kind of technology, you started talking 100 miles per hour and using big words that I don't even understand today."

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Flashback from 'A Matter of Time' Season 2

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"Sir, for some reason the warping of our space-time seems to be an advance of the gravitational field rather than as a result of it. It's probably a lensing effect generated by the Stargate itself but I can't be sure."

Jack is nodding his head.

"Don't even pretend you understood that." Cromwell tells Jack.

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End Flashback

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"You know more about what I am saying than you let others think." Sam tells him. "And I'm not the only one who believes this." Jack raises his brow, Teal'c style. "Daniel, Teal'c, Cassie, Janet-." she pauses and looks away, still hurting from the loss of her friend.

"Are you ok with Janet's death?" He asks.

"Yeah, it just hits me unexpectedly sometimes."

"You should talk to someone about it, Sam."

"I do. I talk to Pete."

"Oh." He says looking away from her.

"When Janet was alive I had told her about Pete and she said that I wouldn't be able to be happy until...until I got over you." She tells him and the look on her face saying she can't believe she just admitted to that.

"She said that?"

"Yeah, and the funny thing is. . . . I half believed it myself."

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Flashback from 'Divide and Conquer' Season 4

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Jack is strapped into a chair in front of the Zatarc detector with Sam and Anise standing behind the machine.

"Major Carter was trapped behind the force field" Anise prompts.

"That's right." Jack answers.

Flashback

Jack is hitting the control box for the force field.

"Sir there's no time" Carter appeals to him.

He stands and they both look down the hallway behind her at the sound of approaching Jaffa.

She turns back to him.

End flashback

"There were sounds" Jack answers in a monotone voice.

"You did everything you could."

"Yes" comes another monotone answer.

"You couldn't save her."

"No" he says softly.

"But you still could have saved yourself." Anise questions.

"I guess." Another monotone answer.

Flashback

Jack is hitting the force field with the end of a staff weapon.

"Sir." Carter shouts to him.

"I know I know." He continues to hit the force field

End flashback

"What happened next?" The questions continue

Jack is silent for a moment

Flashback.

Jack is hitting the inside of the control box with the staff weapon.

"Sir, just go." She pleads/yells to him.

"No." he shouts back at her standing up facing her. They stare at each other through the force field, the steps of the Jaffa coming closer the Jaffa round the corner.

End flashback

"What were you feeling?" Anise asks him.

"Like someone who was about to die." He answers.

The machine indicates that he is still lying.

Looking at the red on the machine Carter speaks to him. "Sir."

She looks back up at him after she speaks, he is still silent.

Flash back

They are standing there, staring at the other with the force field between them.

End flashback

"I didn't leave . . . . because I'd have rather died myself than loose Carter." He finally answers.

"Why?" she asks further.

"Because I care about her... a lot more than I'm supposed to." He answers quietly.

The red in the machine goes away. "You are not a Za'tarc." Anise claims.

"Now retest me." Carter tells Anise.

Moments later. "You are also not a Za'tarc." Comes Anise's voice.Carter is strapped into the chair in front of the Za'tarc detector.

She closes her eyes for a moment, "Thank you." Jack comes around to un-strap her from the chair, "Carter"

"Sir." She says standing. "None of this has to leave this room." The door opens admitting Janet and Teal'c.

"We're okay with that?" he asks her.

"Yes sir."

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End Flashback

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"Why'd you back away? Why did you want to keep it in that room?"

A car pulling up interrupts any reply Sam might have made. Both look over to see Cassie getting out of her car and walking up to them both.

"Hey guys." She gives Jack a hug and does the same for Sam. "I got you a little something." Cassie hands Sam a wrapped package. "Open it later."

They all head back inside.

After a few more moments Jack is trying not to watch Sam as she chats with friends, but his eyes keep on journeying to her. So he watches as she walks outside. He excuses him self and follows her outside.

Pete is talking with Daniel when he watches Jack walk outside after Sam.

"Can I get you a drink?" Daniel asks, noticing the direction of his gaze.

"Oh, yeah." Pete answers thoughtfully.

Jack surprises Sam when he steps onto the porch. "Are you ok?"

"Yeah I just left my purse out here."

"You're not upset?"

"No, any reason I should be?"

"No just as long as you're ok."

She moves to go back inside, but he stops her with a hand on her arm.

"Wait, as long as you're out here, you never answered my question." He looks at her. "Why did you want it kept in that room?"

"Complications." She gives a simple answer.

He gives her a 'and' look.

"Well, you are my CO and personal issues were already affecting our work."

He knew she was talking about the incident in Apophis' Mother ship when they were wearing the armbands, when he wouldn't leave her on the other side of the force field.

"We could have talked it through." Jack appeals.

"Some things are better left unsaid."

"That's more like your MO, hiding from everything concerning that subject."

"I wasn't hiding from anything. You agreed to keep it in that room, too."

"I didn't want to jeopardize our friendship, our careers. Did you?"

"At one point I was willing to risk it all." She replied quietly.

"Then you wouldn't be having your engagement party."

She looks in his eyes. "Maybe I would."

He doesn't answer, just looks back into the house to see Pete talking and laughing with Daniel and Teal'c.

"I don't think Pete would let you go without a fight." He changes the subject.

"No he wouldn't, he is too stubborn. Kind of like you."

"Hey be nice now." He says joking.

"Hey, this is the man I'm spending the rest of my life with."

"If it's ok with you then its ok with me."

She looks at him. "Is it. . . .okay with you?" She asks seriously.

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Flashback from 'Affinity' Season 8

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Carter is sitting in her lab, typing one handed on her computer when Jack walks by and stops in the doorway. She hears him and looks up, he comes further into the room.

"Carter." He says in greeting.

"Sir." She answers, sitting up straight, stopping her typing.

"I never thought I'd hear my self utter these words. . ." He begins, and her eyes widen in surprise, "I need that report." He finishes.

She looks blank for a moment, and then realizes what he was talking about. "Right... um. . . I-I just need to, uh, finish typing up my notes." She shuffles though some papers on the table. He walks even further into the room, "Uh, I'll have it first thing for you tomorrow." She answers looking up.

He glances at his watch as he stops on the other side of the table in front of her. "It is tomorrow."

She looks at his watch to see that he is right. "Oh." And she doesn't look up.

"I'm joking." He says leaning forward slightly. She looks up at him. "I don't need the report." He clarifies.

She looks confused. "Well then why-"

"Cause something's going on with you, you haven't tried to confuse me with any scientific babble for the last couple of days, and that's a red flag to me."

She grimaces, caught. She picks up a small ring box and holds it out to him. "Pete gave me this."

He raises his eyebrows in surprise and takes the box from her, opening it up to see the ring inside.

"People, normally wear these on their fingers." He tells her.

"I haven't said yes." She tells him.

"And yet you haven't said no." He counters, closing the box with a snap that makes her flinch slightly.

"I told him I need to think about it." She is looking at him.

He is looking right back at her, then looks down. "And. . ." he says as he sets the box onto the table between them, his fingers lingering on it for a second they drawing back.

"That was two weeks ago."

"Ah."

"You know all these years I've been concentrating on work, I just assumed that one day I'd-"

"Have a life" He interrupts.

"Yeah."

"Yeah" he silently repeats.

"Now it comes down to it, I don't know. I mean every time we go through the gate we risk not coming back. Is it fair to put somebody else through that?"

"Pete is a cop, I think he could handle it."

She nods, "What about kids?"

"What about 'em?" He counters.

"Do I take maternity leave and then come back? What do I do, drop the baby off at daycare on my way to some unexplored planet, on the edge of the crab nebula?"

"Carter, there are people on this base who have families."

She looks down for a second then back up at him. "What about you?" she asks.

He looks confused. She continues, "If things had been different . . ." she doesn't continue and looks down.

He is looking at her intently and is quiet for a few seconds. "I wouldn't be here." He answers quietly. She looks back up at him.

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End Flashback

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"It's not up to me who you spend your life with."

"So you're not okay with it." It wasn't a question.

"I didn't say that," he tries to back track. He is quiet for a moment. "Do you love him?" He asks quickly.

Sam avoids the question and looks away. "We should go back in."

"Hey," he calls quietly. "Do you love him?"

"That's not a question you get to ask." She responds and turns back to the front door.

"Sam."

"What?" She says shortly, a little surprised at his use of her name.

"You forgot your purse." He holds it out to her. Their hands touch as she reaches out to take the purse from him. Something passes between them, he deliberately takes a long time to let go of the purse.

"I should go back inside." She says quietly, finally looking away.

"Yeah." He agrees. He notices her shiver and realizes it is cold out. "Here, you're cold." He removes his jacket and drapes it over her shoulders.

"Thanks."

"Cater, I'm sorry. I was out of line."

"No don't apologize. It's a sign of weakness."

"You know whatever you and Pete have between you, that's your business."

"Whatever's between us?" She parrots him. "I'm marrying him, what do you think is between us?"

Jack just nods and looks away.

"I want you to be happy for me." Sam says.

"I am happy for you." He answers still looking away.

"Really?" She asks him. "I'd hate to see you disapproving."

"I don't disapprove, I'm just raising questions."

"Since when did you become my caretaker?"

"As your CO it is part of my responsibilities and when you save someone's life it kinda falls under that category too."

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Flashback from 'Desperate Measures' Season 5

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Carter is handcuffed to a hospital bed, sitting up she hears the door open and the two scientists/doctors walk in, and one is pushing a cart.

"What's happening?" she asks, then one grabs her arm as the other prepares a needle. "What are you doing?" She starts to fight them. The one who has her arm is tying something around her arm and she kicks out on the bed flailing uselessly, she sees the needle the other is preparing and stares at it. "You're gonna kill me," She says in understanding.

"We could be saving millions of lives." he sets the bottle down and taps the needle getting the air bubbles out. She continues her fight and the door in the background opens and Jack steps into the room, gun raised, "Hold it, drop it." He shouts as he comes into the room, the two captors look up, stopping. Carter stops fighting them.

"Drop it, right now, don't even fool around," Jack continues until he reaches the first man, his gun pointing to his the other mans head, "Put it down" The man puts the needle down on the cart. Jack moves them away from Carter, Maybourne makes them stand against the wall.

Jack looks to Carter. "You alright?" He asks.

She looks up at him, breathing hard from the struggle, "Yeah, very dramatic, thank you."

"You bet."

"Keys for the cuffs are in his pockets." Carter informs him.

Maybourne gets the keys and tosses them to jack. Jack uncuffs Carter and grabs his radio. "Daniel, we got Carter, she's ok."

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End Flashback

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"So you owe me one." He finished.

"I paid you back, numerous times to be exact."

"When, specifically?"

"When you were frozen in Antarctica."

"When you went to go find the Asgaard?"

"Yes, sir. And if you think about it you actually owe me."

"How do you figure that?"

She looks at him but looks away again, and he remembers.

"Edora" He says understanding, looking away also.

She backtracks, "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to bring up bad memories."

"No you're right. You never gave up on me. I shouldn't have given up on you."

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Flashback from 'One Hundred Days' Season 3

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The 3 members of SG-1 are standing in front of Jack, who is dressed like one of the Edorans. Carter is explaining everything to him.

"So when the third MALP sent back just a few seconds of telemetry we knew the gate was horizon-"Jack moves, he walks right by Carter, not saying anything, walking to Laria. "-tal." She stops.

"Is he alright?" she asks Daniel.

"He's fine." Daniel answers looking away from Jack, "I just don't think he was expecting to go home again."

Jack stops in front of Laria. "You must be very happy to be going home."

"No, I'm not." He answers. Sam hears this and looks away from the two.

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End Flashback

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Jack looks to her. "You have always been a good friend."

Carter remembers the conversation she had with him, or her imaginations projection of him, on the Prometheus during the Episode Grace.

"Friend?" She asks him.

"Well, what would you call it?"

"I'm not sure. It's not just that you're my superior either, I mean you have seen me at my best and at my worst. You've been there for me too."

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Flashback from 'Death Knell' Season 8

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She walks over to the pile of sand, where the missile from the UAV hit the warrior that was chasing her. She stares at the dirt for a moment then turns and sits on the dirt of the hill. She closes her eyes, exhaustion settling over her. The hears some dirt falling and looks up and over to her left, to watch as the warrior stands up, un hurt, dirt coming off of his armor.

Sam sits there, in shock, as he raises his arm, aiming at her, preparing to shoot her, she doesn't move, when something explodes at the warriors feet, Teal'c is at the tree line shooting at the warrior and the warrior turns his attention from Sam to aim at Teal'c, and Sam gets up and runs back to the pile of rocks where the UAV was set up. Teal'c dives behind the trees as the warrior shoots at him.

Jack appears out of the trees behind Carter, and crouches behind the rocks next to her, ducking when the warrior shoots in his direction, then he comes out from behind the rocks to shoot the modified T.E.R hitting the warrior in the chest, having no effect on the warrior. Jack ducks again as the warrior shoots as he walks closer to their position.

Jack turns to Carter, "Carter, I need the –"He stops mid-sentence as Carter holds up the matrix crystal for him. She is ducking behind the rocks. Jack nods and takes the crystal "Thanks." He plugs it into the weapon, and shoots the warrior twice in the chest and the warrior falls. Teal'c comes out of the tree line and heads over to the fallen warrior. "Cover him." Jack instructs Teal'c, tossing the weapon to Teal'c.

"Is he. . ? Carter asks looking at Jack who is now standing.

"Yeah, he's dead." He answers her. She looks relieved, Jack looks up to Teal'c," Right Teal'c, he's dead?" he double checks.

Teal'c prods the body with his foot, and nods affirmation to jack.

Jack looks back at Carter. "Yeah, he's dead." Carter turns her back on the warrior nodding, and sits on the rock, closing her eyes.

Jack watches her move. "Wanna get up?"

She shakes her head. "I just wanna rest for a minute."

He sits on a rock next to her, watching her, as she sits there resting. Then, he reaches his arm out. "Come here." And she looks towards him and leans towards him resting her head on his shoulder as his arm comes around her shoulders.

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End Flashback

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Pete is sitting on a couch inside the house, a bottle of beer in his hands, looking out the window, watching Jack and Sam talking when someone sits next to him. He looks over to see Daniel.

"Don't worry about them," Daniel nods his head to the two outside. "In a little while you'll have her for the rest of your life."

Pete just nods and takes a sip of his drink, staring back outside.

"I want you to remain my friend, not just my CO." Sam tells Jack.

"Your husband might have something to say about that." He says looking at her.

"My husband," she repeats his words.

"Kinda brings it home, huh?"

"Pete is a good man. He is good for me, I wish you would like him." She appeals to him.

"I never said I didn't." Is all he says.

She accepts his answer, and watches the emotions play on his face, usually he is so guarded but for some reason, tonight he has been more open that he usually is. "You look ... sad."

"Don't feel sorry for me, okay." He snaps.

She doesn't back down. "Wouldn't you be happier if you could just let go?"

"Your problem is that you let go to easily." He diverts the question.

"This isn't about me."

"Isn't it?"

"Pete knew what he wanted and he went after it."

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Flashback from 'Chimera' Season 7

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Pete is sitting in his truck using his binoculars to watch the truck that Sam, Jack and Teal'c are using to set the trap for Osiris. He watches as the two figures leave the van with weapons, but takes no action, just continues to watch.

The night passes, and dawn arrives, Pete is still watching the van, and Osiris has yet to leave.

Carter leaves the van with a zat in hand, and begins to come around the truck, when she hears a voice behind her.

"Sam."

She stops and turns back to him. "Pete what are you. . ?" A shot from Osiris hits the roof of the truck next to Sam she ducks for cover. "Get down." Pete uses the van for cover. Sam uses another car for cover, Osiris continues to shoot at the truck, Sam takes two shots at Osiris but they hit the personal shield, "Holy. . ." Pete exclaims. He comes out from his cover and shoots at Osiris also but the bullets hit the shield also. "It's no use Pete." Carter tells him.

"Yeah why is that?" he asks taking cover again. Sam watches as Osiris looks towards the vans rear tires where the gas tanks is located, and her eyes flash

"Now that is not normal." Pete says as he watches the eyes flash.

"Look out" Sam calls, they both move away from the van as Osiris shoots the tank and they dive on the grass as the van blows up.

Jack takes Osiris out with one of the tranquilizer darts. He checks Osiris. "Clear" He calls out.

Sam sits up turning to Pete "You ok?" she asks

"I'm ok, are you ok?"

"Yeah" She answers.

"Well that's good." He slowly lays down on his side and Carter notices his side. Her hand touches his side, seeing the blood when she removes her hand.

"Oh god, Pete you've been hit."

"Have I?"

"Carter?" Jack calls out.

"Its Pete, he needs an ambulance." She answers. Jack goes inside to make the call.

Sam turns back to Pete. "Just hang in there ok." She says softly to him.

"Sam, what just happened?"

"I promise if you make it through this I will explain everything."

"Deal"

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End Flashback

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"And he got it." Jack returns.

"Yeah" she says softly. "He did apologize, and he was charming about it also. Your problem is that you make complicated things too simple."

"There was nothing 'simple' about our situation."

"What do you want?" He opened the topic of their 'situation' so she presses.

"I want a lot of things." He answers nonchalantly.

"What do you want most?" She presses.

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Flashback from 'Windows of Opportunity' Season 4

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Sam is sitting at a computer in the control room, General Hammond is there also, when Jack comes into the room, wearing his civilian clothes, a black beanie hat, and holding a piece of paper.

"Excuse me, George." He hands the paper to Hammond.

"Colonel, what are you doing out of uniform?"

"Handing you my resignation." He says glancing at his watch, stepping closer to where Carter is. The Stargate is dialing up in the background.

"Resigning. What for?" Carter stands up questioning Jack.

Still looking at his watch as he says "So I can do this. . ." and his hands frame her face and he leans in a kisses her. After a few seconds he turns and tilts her, her hands come around him returning the kiss.

And the loop begins again.

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End Flashback

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Jack has a distant look in his eyes remembering the events of what he was able to remember from the incident with the ancients repository downloaded into his brain.

"Jack." Sam uses his name bringing him back to the present.

"What I want most is to never loose you."

"I promise what ever happens, you'll never loose me."

"Don't make promises you have no control over." He says calmly, "Why did you go to him so quickly?"

"I waited to give him an answer, longer than he deserved. What else was I supposed to do?"

"Wait."

"For how long?"

"As long as it takes."

Just then Davis opens the door and sticks his head out, "General, Colonel, General Hammond is looking for you. It's cold out here." He observes.

"Yes it is getting cold out, Davis, we'll be right in. Thank you." Jack dismisses him. He turns to Sam. "We should go inside."

"I know." But neither of them moves.

"Sam, you will always have some one who loves you."

"And you have someone who loves you."

Sam steps up to up to him and leans up to him to kiss him on the cheek, but he turns his head so that her lips lightly meet his, she slowly begins to pull back but he follows her, deepening the kiss, his hands coming around her pulling her against him. After a while he pulls back from her and releases her. She walks to the door but before she opens the door she stops. "We are getting too good at goodbyes." And she opens the door walking inside.

He looks up to the sky for a moment, looking at the stars, and sighs, and heads inside behind her.