Two weeks later…

It was her engagement party.

And it was tonight.

And he was still in his office, hiding beneath the paper work.

Despite the subconscious taking over just those few weeks ago, the next day when she had sprung the ring and the 'What about you?' question on him, he didn't know what to say. Staring blankly ahead for a moment trying to make the slightest sense of the situation and the words that came from her mouth, that somehow seemed jumbled since she put the little velvet box on the table.

He should have brought a little black velvet box to the table long ago but the thought of losing a fantastic friendship and the regulations made him hesitate.

He was waiting.

Waiting for the war to end, waiting for him to get kicked out, retire; just anything to make the situation simpler.

Well, it was simpler.

The simple fact was that she wasn't waiting any more.

There was a quiet knock on his door.

'Come in.' he said almost relived to have something to distract him from his thoughts…and paperwork obviously.

Samantha Carter walked in almost timidly.

'Are you coming?' she said.

She wanted him to go to the engagement party, she wanted him to go to the wedding, and because it was she who asked, he would do it.

He would do it in a heartbeat.

He would do it over and over again on the slight chance it might make her happy.

But not before he asked one thing.

'Will you wait for me?' He said simply, though something deep within his eyes revealed that this simple sentence meant more than it first appeared.

'Sure. If you're not…' she said brightly.

'No…' he interrupted shortly, before his tone became soft and barely audible. ' Will you wait for me?'

'Sir?' she said questioningly, unsure of his meaning.

'I have waited.' He said looking her directly in the eye, hurt evident in his own. 'Painstakingly and patiently I've waited, for almost 6 years.'

Realisation hit with about the same force as a sledgehammer, Sam was completely taken aback.

'Did you give up? Did you get tired of waiting?' He spoke his voice full of emotion and threatening to break with all the years worth of hurt and love that was forcing it's way to the surface.

She closed her eyes for a moment, though trying to hold back tears or simply wishing the entire situation away.

'It's not that simple.'

'But it is.' He said with complete sincerity.

'Well, it's not enough.' She said, her own emotions threatening to overwhelm.

'We said enough 4 years ago.'

'Things change, Jack.'

The 'sir' was neglected at this point; this isn't the conversation you have with your superior officer.

'We've changed' she continued, trying to convince her own heart.

'Have we really? Change is something I know a lot about. One week I had a life, I had a family; next thing I know, I had absolutely nothing and I was going on some suicide mission. It ripped my heart out and hurt like hell, I just can't go through that again, but trust me Sam when I say this hurts almost as much. That mission, the one where I thought I'd end my life, it changed me. I still couldn't live with myself but the task of merely existing didn't seem to hard. Then a year later I get called back up to the SGC. I changed again; SG-1 now gave my existence meaning, now I had a reason to be alive. But you Sam, somehow along the line you changed my existence into life.'

His eyes shone brightly with love and affection, and although his heart could continue to speak until the end of time, his head demanded and answer.

'Will you wait for me?'