Note: Thank you once more for all your comments. It really is a blessing to me to know that so many of you are enjoying this story. However, I make no apologies for leaving you all on tenterhooks. After all, I have to make you come back again somehow ;)

TITLE: The Key

CHAPTER FOUR

"O'Neill."

His cell phone had begun ringing barely two miles into his drive. He'd still not quite got the hang of sliding the damn thing out of the waist holder, especially when driving with a seatbelt fastened, so he sounded a little fraught.

The voice at the other end of the line was stony. "You left your jacket, General."

It was Carter. "Jacket, Carter?" He tried to sound confused. "What do you mean?"

"I mean, Sir, that when you ran out my house you left your jacket slung over my couch. I don't know anybody else that would wear a jacket with a star on each shoulder, at least not in my house. Do you?"

Oh boy. She did not sound like a happy camper at all. Worst of all, she was right. In his haste to leave, he had managed to leave incriminating evidence behind him.

"Look, Carter… I…"

"Sir, you left your jacket on my couch, an empty beer bottle and dirty plate on my coffee table, as well as the key you used, oh yes, and you left my backdoor wide open. For someone who's former special ops, you really screwed up."

Jack took a deep breath. "Carter, Sam, I'm sorry, I really am. How about I stop by tomorrow and pick the jacket up, okay?"

"Do you have a place to stay?"

"Well, no, but hey, I'm sure there's a couple of motels along this stretch." He thought he could see the sign for a popular brand of hotel up ahead.

He heard a hollow laugh. "Your wallet is in your jacket, Sir."

Oh crap.

"Look, Carter, I really don't want to interrupt your evening…" No, the last thing he wanted to do was have to awkwardly collect his uniform jacket in front of Davis, who would probably be equally embarrassed. After all, the guy had been at the SGC enough times to have heard the rumours circulating.

"There's nothing to interrupt, General."

If Jack could have closed his eyes in defeat, he would have. He'd screwed up big time. Davis had probably seen the jacket, leapt to wrong conclusions concerning Sam and some other General, and left. No wonder the woman was mad. Jack probably would have been too if he'd been her. He'd just messed up a perfectly good evening for them. She'd been happy when he'd seen her through the window earlier. Now, that happiness was gone; all thanks to a bumbling idiot.

"Sam," he began again, "I really am sorry, okay? I heard the two of you coming in and I didn't want to ruin things for you." He sighed. "Though it sounds like I did anyway."

There wasn't an immediate response. When Sam finally did speak, the tone of her voice made it clear he had no choice but to turn around and head back the way he came. "Please come back, Jack. I think we need to talk."

TBC