AN : I'm so sorry to those of you who might have been waiting for the next chapter... my internet was just flipping out and i couldnt upload anything... anyway yeah here ya go... oh and please review, it makes me feel good and speeds up the writing and criticism is fine as well just dont completely put me down... thanks... R&R ...

Jack woke to the smell of something burning and immediately jumped out of bed, well um… fell would probably be the better word. He ran downstairs to find Cassie standing over the stove with smoking coming out of the pan of what could only be really burnt bacon.

"Cassie!"

"Jack oh my god I am sooooo sorry I was just trying to make you breakfast for being so nice yesterday and well I got distracted and well…" she stopped.

"Cassie don't worry about it." He said while reaching around her and turning off the stove and moving the pan into the sink.

"So Cass what are you planning on doing today?" he asked while rinsing cold water onto the pan.

"I have no idea, I was thinking maybe going to go check into a hotel or something until I figure out when I'm going back to New York and then call my work and let them know… what?" she asked after Jack held up one finger to silence her.

"First you're not checking into a hotel, second you can go grocery shopping, and third when you're done with that you can come into the SGC and keep me company." He smirked.

"First I need a place to stay, second I'm not going to go grocery shopping for you, and third aren't you a general now shouldn't you have a lot of stuff to do?" she countered.

"First you're going to stay… damn it," hewas confusing himself,"Cass you can live here if you want but if you do you might want to go grocery shopping because you've probably already noticed I don't have a lot to eat here, and you can come keep me company because SG-1's coming back today and im sure they'd love to see you."

"Jack are you sure you want me staying here?"

"I wouldn't have asked if I wasn't sure."

"Alright, then I'm going to need some money." She said while holding her hand out.

"How about I go get dressed first since I don't feel like giving a neighbors a show this early in the morning." He chuckled.

"Yeah…" she laughed after noticing his clothing or lack thereof.

Jack headed up the stairs and took a shower. Afterwards he got dressed in the usual khaki pants and blue button down shirt. He went back downstairs after grabbing his wallet and shoving it in his back pocket.

"Hey Cassie, if I give you money, you are going to come back right?" he yelled from the stairs. "Cassie?" he asked after not getting a response. He looked around the kitchen and she wasn't there, then he noticed the door going out to the deck was open. He looked out and saw Cassie talking on her cell phone. He walked out onto the deck to join her.

"Look I gotta go but can you please just give me a call I really need to talk to you, bye."

"Cassie was that him?"

"His answering machine."

"Well Cassie just some words of wisdom, he'll call you when he feels he needs to, and there really isn't anything you can do to make him want to call you, you can only do things that will make him want to not call you." At seeing here confusion he continued, "Okay if he gets a message from you he knows that you're still interested and he wont feel the need to call you so soon because he knows that your still there, but if you don't call him he wont know if you still want him and he will need to call you sooner because he wont want to lose you."

"Jack, how do you know that?" she said almost accusingly

"Because that's the wayall guys operate, until they realize what jackass'swe were being and knew women were too precious to be used like that."

With that she practically threw herself into him, and all he could do was hug her back.

"Jack you are so understanding, and caring." She muffled against his chest.

"What?"

"I said Sam is one lucky woman." He pulled away but held onto her hand and led her back into the living room and sat her on the couch.

"Alright look Cassandra, I know you have been out of the loop for a while now but you still know that Carter and I can be no more than friends, now more than ever." He added the last bit with a touch of bitterness.

"What does that mean?"

"Oh I guess Carter forgot to mention it, yeah she's engaged." He tried to sound happy he actually did but Cassie could see right through it.

"What the hell? To who? That stupid ass she was with?" she questioned.

"It sounds like that same guy but im not sure, it's a cop named Pete Shanahan."

"I cant believe shes going to marry him, I thought she was smarter than that."

"What do you mean smarter?"

"Nothing I cant say anything."

"Cassandra?" he warned.

"No Jack I promised her, but I'm telling you she cannot marry that man."

"Cass why?"

"Nothing, I promise I'll tell you later but right now I have to go shopping and you have to go to work."

"Alright but don't think I'm going to let this slide I want the whole story tonight."

"Okay Jack."

And with that they were putting on jackets and heading outside to go separate ways.

Later that day, Cassie did come into the SGC, and not having any trouble getting through the security checks to her surprise and filled Jack in on what she bought, and returned his credit card. SG-1 came home and was ecstatic to see Cassie. They went through the usual 'Whats been happening in New York' and 'How have you been' after the post mission physicals and their briefing, but Cassie didn't talk much with them, but instead returned to Jack's office.

"Yeah Cass, what's up?"

"Nothing, I'm just not feeling so well can I go back to your house and sleep a little and just chill?"

"Yeah go ahead do you still have your old key?"

"No, I think I left it at your house."

"No biggie, here take my spare." He reached into his desk drawer and pulled out a key and handed it to her, "Here, just let me know if you go anywhere else so I don't get worried" He laughed at himself and how parenty he was sounding.

"Okay mom!" her retreating form tossed back from out of his office.

Not much later than that another knock came at his door.

"Yeah Carter come in." She didn't come in however.

"Sir how do you know it's me?" she asked.

"You always knock the same way, now just come in, will ya?"

She came in and shut the door behind her, which automatically made him feel uneasy.

"Sir, what's Cassie really doing here?"

"What do you mean Carter?"

"Well she said she told all of us that she had some time off from work and wanted to visit, but I knew that there was something else. Well, when I asked her about it later when it was just the two of us she brushed me off and didn't even say a word to me and then left."

"Well Carter, I'm not her keeping I don't know."

"Well the thing is Sir, right now apparently you are." She said fiercely, probably a little more than was intended, so he let it slip.

"What are you talking about Col." He stressed the last part to make her realize she was definitely treading on thin ice.

"I'm sorry Sir," she sighed, "I let her cool off a little and I checked for her a little while ago but a guard said she had gone home, and I asked him where she was staying and he said that she was staying with you for the next couple days, and well Sir that means she must have not have planned to come down or else she would have stayed in a hotel or something or made plans with you first. And since you didn't say anything about her coming down I just assumed it was a spur of the moment kind of thing."

"Well Carter, never could get anything past you. But seriously if she hasn't told you anything, then why are you so sure there's anything wrong?" He said trying to keep a smile of his face. He would never admit it but the fact that this time Cassie felt like she could confide in him and no one else made him feel useful again, maybe not in the field anymore but still as a person.

"It was just a feeling I got, Sir."

"Well, I don't know what else to tell you Carter, plus I about to head home now, I think I've done enough paperwork for one day." He said while standing up and putting on his BDU jacket. "Now if you'll excuse me, I gotta go change into my civvies. See ya later Carter." He threw after leaving his office and heading through the briefing room.

"Pease Sir, do you at least know why she'd bemad at me?" She asked following him out to the briefing room. He turned back to her

"Not a clueCarter." He turned around and Sam could have sworn before she heard him tell Walter to lock him office up for him she heard, "Might have something to do with that ring on your finger" before the door behind him closed.

Sam was left there staring at her finger, complete with an engagement ring that she usually put right after coming back from missions.

The next day was mostly uneventful, no SG teams were due back and only SG-3 were leaving and they left at 900 hours this morning. It was now 1300 hours and O'Neill was walking through the halls looking for his favorite science twins to go have lunch with him.

He entered Carter's lab to find that she had fallen asleep at her computer. He hated to wake her but if he didn't her neck would be screaming at her the rest of the day.

"Carter," he whispered, "come on time to wake up."

"Jack?" she questioned.

"Well yeah, Samantha." He laughed.

"Sir?" she questioned more alert now and completely woken up after being called by her full name.

"Nothing, you called me Jack earlier," he trailed off, "nevermind." He cleared his throat. "You up for some lunch Carter?"

"Actually Sir, yeah." She said while rolling her head from side to side.

"Alright lets go get Daniel," he trailed off noticing she winced trying to rise up off the chair. He grabbed her arm and steady her as she almost lost her balance. "Carter you okay."

"Sir?" she asked in a voice he rarely heard from her, a voice with a frightened edge to it. Her legs failed underneath her and he barely caught her. He then noticed she had lost consciousness. With her firmly in his grasped he swung her into his arms and ran to the infirmary.

He didn't care how many strange looks he received from people as he the commander of this base ran carrying in his arms his 2IC, who many have speculated a romantic relationship between himself and her. All he cared about was getting her to the infirmary and finding out what the hell was wrong with her. His brain was in overdrive so much he barely noticed her waking up and wincing every time he took a step and she was juggled.

AN: please review ... pretty please ...