DISCLAIMER: Nope. Still ain't mine. Still wishing though.

SUMMARY: Daniel has fallen in love with an extraplanetary visitor. Sam has discovered that Pete has a Jekyll and Hyde personality. Jack and Sam have just admitted to each other that they've thought about retiring.

SPOILERS: Up through season 8 Affinity. I hate the whole Pete/Sam thing. If the Powers That Be would just listen to the fans they would put Sam and Jack together.

Both Sam and Jack looked at each other. Simultaneously, they exclaimed, "But I was going to retire! You can't!"

Suddenly, they realized what they were doing and stopped. They started chuckling. "Great minds think alike," Jack said.

"That we do, Jack." Sam sat down in the chair opposite Jack. "What made you think of retiring? Why would you give this all up?"

"I'm not meant for command. Besides, I can still run the base as a civilian. That would be an advantage. I would be a civilian who was ex-military. I know how the base needs to run and what needs to be done. But as a civilian, the rest of the world, when and if the program goes public, wouldn't be able to complain about it being a military program. They wouldn't feel as threatened by it if it was in the hands of a civilian."

"But, then, ----"

"Then, you wouldn't be counted as being under my command. I could tell you things. Things like how much I worry about you when you go through that gate. How relieved I feel when you come back. How much it hurt when Teal'c came back from that planet alone to tell me what had happened to you and Daniel."

"Jack, --"

"Sam, please let me finish. I realized when Talorn told me that you believed that all I saw you as was my second in command, that I needed to have you in my life. On a full time basis. That's why I decided that since I couldn't ask you to give up your career, I would let mine go. I've been in the Air Force for a while now and I just feel like it's only fair to let you have your chance. I only hope you let me be part of your life. Sam, I love you. I have for a long time. It wasn't just when we admitted it during the whole Za'tarc thing. It was before that. I think I started knowing it when we got stuck in Antarctica. Or at least when we were recovering from that."

"Jack, I love you too. I wanted to tell you so many times. I just couldn't. I didn't want you to feel that you had to give up your career so that I could have mine. I just wanted to be with you and that was the only way I could think of to do that. And Pete doing what he did, that just made my decision easier." She bowed her head, trying to hide her tears. "When you were there to help me through this whole thing, I knew. I knew that I just couldn't continue on without you. I need you. I need you to help me be strong."

"Sam, --" Just then, a knock sounded at the door. The door opened and Jacob walked in. "Hey, Dad. What can I do ya for?"

"Sorry, Jack. Didn't realize that you were talking to someone."

"It's ok, Dad." Sam looked up at her father, forgetting for a moment about the shiner that covered the side of her face. She remembered quick enough when her father's gaze turned dark.

"Who did that?"

"Jacob, take it easy. Pete's clearance has been revoked. He can't get to her here and I won't let him get to her anywhere else either." Jack had stood up and moved between Sam and Jacob.

Jacob noticed the protective maneuver and calmed down. "Sorry, Sammie. I just get kind of crazed when I think of someone hurting my little girl."

Sam stood up and stepped in between Jack and Jacob. "Daddy, you always have been a little overprotective." She wrapped her arms around Jacob's waist and hugged her father tightly.

"So, is everything working out in here?"

"We were both thinking the same thing as it turns out. We were both thinking of retirement as the only option left. What do you think? Do you think they'd let me continue running the place as a civilian?"

"Well, a civilian running it, even an ex-military civilian, would be less threatening to the world at large when or if the program became public knowledge. So I don't think there would be a major problem. And if they have a complaint, I'll talk to them." Jacob smiled. "I guess that I'm not really needed right now. I'll go get some sleep for now. I'll talk to you two in the morning."

Jacob left the room. Sam turned to Jack and smiled. "I guess that settles the worry that Dad wouldn't understand. Or approve."

Jack opened his arms and Sam walked into them, wrapping her own around his waist. "I guess we're going to have some long talks coming up," Jack sighed.

"Yeah. I guess so. There's a lot of things to work out."

"It'll wait until tomorrow. Now that the stress of this thing is over I feel like getting some sleep."

"Me too. I guess we can meet for breakfast tomorrow?"

"Around 0700. We'll start the talking tomorrow. See you then, Sam."

"Ok, Jack." Neither one moved.

"I guess we should let go of each other so we can go get some sleep." Jack was sleepy enough that he didn't want to let Sam go.

Sam let go and pulled back. "I guess. It just felt so nice."

"That it did. We can do that some more tomorrow. And every day for a long time to come because you, my dear Colonel Carter, are stuck with me for a very long time."

"As you are with me, Jack O'Neill." She turned and left the room with a much lighter heart and almost a spring in her step. Jack locked his door a moment later and went off to his own room.

The next morning at 0700 sharp, Jack knocked at Sam's door. "Ready for breakfast, Sam?"

The door opened to a much more cheerful Sam. "I certainly am, Jack. Shall we go?"

The two of them walked side by side to the commissary, drawing glances the whole way. They seemed quite oblivious to the money exchanging hands as they walked down the hallway. At least it seemed that way until they reached the commissary.

When they saw Daniel and Teal'c exchanging money, they knew something was up. "How long have the bets been running?"

"What?" Sam couldn't believe it. She had heard rumors of people making bets on the relationship between her and Jack but she didn't think that Teal'c and Daniel would have been in on it.

"About three years. Give or take a month. Or six." Daniel had the decency to at least look ashamed that he had been caught betting on the two of them to get together. "Sam, if it makes you feel any better, --"

"It doesn't. No matter what you say. It doesn't make it any better." Sam was upset. "You, of all people, --"

"Sam, please. You have to understand. Most of us bet because we felt that you and Jack belonged together. A lot of people lost money when you said yes to Pete. I was one of them."

"I'm sorry, Daniel. But I just can't condone people betting on others relationships."

"Then why did you bet on Janet and I getting together?"

"How did you know that? I --"

"It doesn't matter how I know. It just matters that I know. My bet was made as a type of payback in kind for that."

"That whole deal is unimportant. The fact that the two of us have finally admitted to what we feel is the important thing." Sam was flustered and trying to change the subject.

"No problem. So how are you two going to get around the fraternization regulations?"

"We're still working on that. But we'll get it all worked out eventually." Sam took a bite of her omlette. "Thanks for the recommendation, general. This is fantastic."

"No problem, Carter. I kind of figured you'd like it." With that, Jack dug into his omlette.

A/N: There you go a second chapter in one day. Hope you all enjoy it.