A/N: This chapter was done by a non-AU plot because of the spoilers I saw for Threads and I was just dying to work this scenario out, so after you read this you will be returned to more fascinating alternate realities that I just happen to cook up.

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Alternate Reality Eight: (Our universe)

Flashback

"No. You don't understand. I could never be happy this way"

"Then you will be unhappy for a very long time"

End flashback

She knew it would never happen. Or so she kept trying to convince her now irrational mind.

Logic did not seem to work though, as her thoughts kept wandering back to Fifth's words.

She had known undoubtedly that it was all an illusion, because Pete would never do that to her, she would never give up the SGC, and he would never want to take her away from everything she so loved.

In that virtual fantasy world constructed by Fifth, she had been utterly positive about the man she thought she loved, but when he asked her to marry him...It didn't make sense...usually how she theorizes a scenario to work, it turns out exactly as she thought.

But that was science, and in a more despondent sense, this was psychology. A question that makes your emotions overwhelm you, you're deciding an overtly important choice in your life, and it elicits pleasant and unpleasant feelings in turn once you've had a chance to think upon it and rationalize with your so long implanted patterns of behavior.

She was upset with herself for her immediate reaction to Pete's proposal as her first thought had been: What will the General say?

What kind of girl who is completely confident about the outcome of her hypothetical life decisions for so long, including her response to her boyfriend's life altering inquiry, and with that same question is utterly stripped of all her established perspectives?

The cliché kind, Sam thought with laugh; everyone knows he hates clichés.

"Has science suddenly become comedic?" a sarcastic voice quipped from behind her. Sam realized too late that she had actually been responding out loud to her musings as she turned in her seat to see O'Neill standing there with a stack of official documents in his hand and a distraught expression on his rugged face.

"Sir" she greeted ever professionally as she tried to remember what she was supposed to be working on before her personal mentality had gotten the better of her.

Jack gave her a half smile, which was more like one section of his lips quirking up slightly while the look in his eyes was stern with militant exhaustion.

Without even bothering to let her answer his question he asked another, "I don't suppose you could double as my secretary, eh Carter?"

She smiled sympathetically, "I'm afraid not, Sir, I have some..." she trailed off and glanced at her cluttered lab table for any indication as to what she should have been doing, "research to do on the probability of interactive continuums on essential theoretical alternate realities"

The older man sighed and rubbed his hand over his eyes, "If that's the nutshell, I don't want the elaborated version" he commented, setting his stack of papers down on a cleared part of her desk and then sitting next to her, turned so he could stare at them with a look of malice she had only seen him give a Goa'uld.

She did not respond to his witty notation as she returned to her work. Or lack thereof.

She was aware that it was well passed the hour her shift had ended, and she knew the General was not here just to glare fire balls at his paper work in hopes that in doing so he could make it go away without having to lift a finger.

Usually, though, when he came by her lab to force her to go home, he would start nagging her with bad analogies and giving her annoying ultimatums until she finally got too distracted from whatever she was doing and realized she was going to have to put it off. And yet unbeknownst to him, she had pretty much succeeded in that department, he was still just sitting there without saying a word and initiating their normal routine.

Sam waited a few more minutes before actually trying to get back to work, but her curiosity at her CO's currently uncharacteristic demeanor, stopped her from picking up where she had diverged and instead sparked an interest that she could not ignore.

"Sir, what exactly are you doing here?" she queried and waited for the answer with natural anticipation as he spun the chair from its appointed direction to look at his subordinate.

The expression on his face was far too serious for Sam's liking, but by now she had pretty much gotten used to the many moods of her commanding officer (you tend to pick up on a few things after working side-by-side for eight years with someone) and was prepared to handle them without shock.

"For starters" he began, "Ever since I've been seeing Kerry, you haven't made an effort for conversation past the usual addressing of ranks and the words you spoke an oh so recent," he paused to glance at his watch, "three minutes ago"

Sam didn't know what to say to that. Which was good for Jack because he wasn't finished.

"I can't say I was all that much better at handling your engagement...at least, making out with someone right afterwards helped...I mean..." he lost himself and his eyes glazed over a bit trying to find his way back, this moment became added to a long line of awkward conversations that had cropped up between them over the years.

Fortunately by now, Sam had become and expert for countering Jack's often confusing and socially inept conversational skills.

"Sir," she said, adverting her eyes with a hint of embarrassment, "I've...actually been meaning to have this discussion with you"

That snapped Jack back to where he was supposed to be and he raised his eyebrows, "Really?"

"Yes" she responded, nervously picking up a nearby pencil and beginning to twirl it nervously between her fingers, hoping to make this talk easier, but barely succeeding in lessening even an once of the tension that had sneakily crept in to hang thickly in the air around them.

"I..." she cleared her throat and started over, "Sir, do you remember the Zartac detector test that we underwent about four years ago" heat rose to her cheeks with her own self-awareness at this point.

"Yeah" he muttered, not doing too much better with his own discomfort at this delicate topic.

Carter had to word herself right or she knew she'd have a court martial on her hands. She took a shallow breath and let it out with her next sentence.

"Well, some of the things that were said...I think they still apply", her cryptic statement had just saved them both and Sam found herself thankful for the many shared experiences that had allowed their speech to fly under the radar for the most part.

"I know" was his answer.

For a few moments they each nervously fidgeted in their respective places before Jack got up and reached for his pile of papers.

"Bye Carter" he mumbled quietly, almost like a sigh, before exiting the room.

Sam cringed from the easing tension and then proceeded to let her head drop unceremoniously to her desk in defeat. Not as she had been planning it to go, but talks with O'Neill rarely met her predetermined criteria.

She had let him know how she felt. There was nothing else to do but toss on a happy face and marry her fiancé. Meanwhile the echo of Fifth's words would continue to plague her mind.

"Then you will be unhappy for a very long time"