AN: Thanks everyone for all your rules, its much appreciated :o)

Disclaimer in Part 1

Watching her place her head in her hands upset him. He hadn't intended for it to get to this point, but it had. And nothing he said now could take away the regret he was feeling. He wished this whole Edora trip hadn't happened. Sitting in silence he remembered an old saying that his mother had taught him. 'You always hurt the ones you love more, because they evoke the passion from within.' He'd forgotten about it till now, and she was right. His childish behaviour stemmed from the fact that he knew what he did was wrong, but because he couldn't see a way round of changing his actions, he did the next best thing…kept his distance, and in doing so he'd hurt her.

Sam closed her eyes in quiet contemplation, in the hopes that for the next hour or so that they were in there alone he would keep his mouth shut. It was bad enough that everyone looked to her expecting her to know the answers to everything…sometimes she just got lucky, that was just the way it was. It could have easily been Teal'c or Daniel left stranded on the planet, and she would have done everything in her power to bring them home, just as she had with the Colonel. But with him, it was different… personal, she didn't know how or when her feelings for him had arisen, but like it or not she had to deal with them. And fate had decreed that today was the day.

Jack, unable to face the silence any longer continued. "You know none of this would have happened if you hadn't been in a snit."

"Excuse me?"

"Are you denying it?"

"Yes."

"Well you can't, because everyone on the base knows you've been in a bad mood since I got back." Jack carried on nervously, knowing full well he was venturing into unknown territory.

"And who's everyone, sir?" Sam replied coming to a standing position, complete with hands on hips, demanding he answer.

"People."

"Who?"

"Me."

"And?" Sam countered tilting her head in a questioning manner.

He couldn't believe it. Why couldn't he just have kept his mouth shut? Instead of making things better, he was making it worse. Everything that seemed to be coming out of his mouth seemed to be the wrong thing; he didn't even know why he was doing this to her…pushing her further away. It was like an in built defence mechanism. The more his feelings for her escalated, the further he pushed her aside, because it was easier than telling her the truth. And that was the problem.

A cold stony silence befell the darkness once more and for the first time since they stepped into the elevator he didn't know what to say.

Sam felt tears of hot burning anger fall down her cheeks. She wasn't crying for him, but his words had hurt her, and for those few moments she was pleased he couldn't read her expressions. Pulling herself and her anger into a tight ball she pushed it far down deep within her chest, if nothing else she wasn't going to let him see her upset. If he wanted 'snitty' then that's what he was going to get.

"Okay, sir. Lay your cards out on the table."

Damn she'd called him on it.

"I don't think this is the sort of a place we can properly sort this matter out, Captain. Do you?" Jack answered cryptically trying to find any way to get out of this mess that he'd suddenly found himself in the middle of.

"Well with all due respect, sir you brought it up, not me."

"Yeah, well…I'm beginning to wish I hadn't." Jack replied in all honesty.

"Well now that you have, I think now is as good a time as any. So, I'm listening, sir. If you have a problem with me, then I'd like to get it sorted here and now."

"Okay. You start."

"I don't have a problem, but apparently you do with me. Or am I completely wrong on that score?" Sam asked eyeing him with incredulity.

"Hey, I'm not the one who's got a problem here. Ever since I got back from Edora you've been acting…well you've not been yourself. Was it something I said? Something I didn't say? Throw me a bone here Carter, I'm not a mind reader."

Pacing back and forth, Sam gesticulated wildly and unreservedly about his accusations. To think, he honestly believed that it was her who had the problem. He

couldn't have been further from the truth, and this time, she wasn't afraid to tell just that. "Hey, it's not me who kept their distance. That was you. Every time I tried to talk to you, you walked away. It was you who refused to speak to me, not the other way around. Do you want me to be completely honest with you?"

"That would be a refreshing change from these last few days."

"Are you sure, sir? Because I have a feeling that this goes way beyond ranks and regulations." Sam stated without a hint of doubt that what they both were about to say would go far beyond their normal flirtations.

It was time for a bit of honesty.

In an unexpected move, Jack walked casually over to where he saw a willowy figure standing not more than a few feet from his vicinity. If they were going to do this, it had to be done right. There was no way they could do this on a professional level, with the way the conversation had been flowing, there seemed a very real likelihood that 'things' might come out. And since it was on his insistence, he had to make sure that they both understood; this was personal.

Sam felt her chest tighten as he neared her. Thoughts tumbled to the forefront of her mind. She didn't have a clue what he was doing, but whatever it was, it was making her very nervous. The soft sound of a gentle breath escaped her lips, and she could have sworn that the only sound emanating from this dark place was the sound of her own heartbeat.