The ride to his house was pretty uneventful. He took both bags into the house for Sam and showed her where she was staying.

"Sorry it's not very big but Cassie has the bigger guest room. You could stay in my room, yeah you should, here come on." He said while reaching back onto the bed to get the bags he placed there just seconds before.

"No Sir, this is fine."

"We're off-duty Carter, call me Jack."

"Fine Jack, but this is fine for me."

"Well my room would be better. You need to rest and my bed is the most comfortable bed in the house so logically it makes sense."

"Sometimes I worry about your logic Sir."

"Carter are you questioning my deductive reasoning skills?" he decided to let the 'Sir' slip for right now. "Now come on, off to my room with you."

He then led her back down the hallway and opened the door to his room. He walked inside and threw the bags onto the bed.

"Carter, its okay you can come in ya know." He said as he realized she was still just standing in the doorway.

"It's just, this is your room Sir."

"Damn it Carter, please just call me Jack."

"Sorry."

"It's alright." He walked over to a door adjoined to his room, "Now this is the bathroom, its all yours for the next six days. There's one down the hall that Cass and I'll use, so yeah. I guess I'll go start dinner and call Cassie to find out where the hell she's at while you get situated."

"Alright, Jack." Finally Jack thought.

Once he left the room and she heard him fiddling around in the kitchen she finally took a look around. It was exactly how she had pictured it. Not that I've pictured his bedroom at all, she thought to herself. It looked like Jack O'Neill, plain and simple with a touch of a rustic tone.

Maybe he could come over and decorate my house.

She wandered over into the bathroom and look at herself in the mirror.

Man, I look like crap. I wonder if he's got a comb in here.

She opened the cabinet behind the mirror and looked inside, hoping that she wasn't being as snoop-ish as she felt she was being. In the cabinet she found his shaving cream, his aftershave and a lot of bottles of pills. Not wanting to be found snooping she closed the cabinet and went to her bag to get hers.

She brushed her hair, brushed her teeth and changed into a pair of sweatpants and an air force shirt she wore when she was tired but knew she wasn't going to get off-base for the night.

I guess I should just leave all my clothes in my bags. Hmm… I wonder what he's doing down there.

On her way downstairs she looked at the clock, 2200 hours, how did it get that late?

"Jack!" she called from the bottom of the steps.

"In the kitchen." He called back, trying to ignore how great it felt to finally hear his name on her lips.

"Hey, what are you making?" She asked while sitting on a stool at the island in the middle of his kitchen.

"I'm just re-heating some chili I had last night." He looked back over his shoulder at her, "That sound okay?"

"Yeah, just fine." She got up to get herself something to drink from the fridge. Finally deciding to grab of the water bottles she saw there she asked, "So did you get a hold of Cassie?"

"Yeah, hey get me a Guinness would ya?" she grabbed him a bottle and handed it to him.

"So where is she?"
"Thanks," he said taking the bottle, "Uh, she went to see a movie she said she'd be home in and hour or so." He guessed.

"Oh, did you tell her I was here?"

"Yup."

"And?"

"And what Carter?" realizing what she was all worked up about he added, "Look she's not mad at you she just doesn't want to talk. You can't force her to, so just let it be."

"I know, but I just want to help her."

"Then just let it go Carter. Trust me, it'll be fine."

"If you're sure…"

"I am. Okay, let's eat."

He grabbed the pan off the stove and poured chili into two bowl and sat one in front of her on the island and sat down across from her and dug into his.

"This is pretty good."

His face lit up at the compliment, full blown smile and everything. "Thanks, it's my own recipe." She almost spit out her chili trying to hold back a laugh at his grinning face. He looked like he was a little boy and she just kicked his puppy.

"I thought you said you liked it."

"No," she coughed trying to compose herself, "I was trying not to laugh."

"Oh great, now you're laughing at me." He feigned hurt.

"No, its just you were so proud of yourself, I just couldn't help it I'm sorry Sir."

"Jack."

"Jack."

"Good."

"Thanks."

"Enough with the one syllable words already."

"Kay."

"Colonel." He warned.

"Hm?"

"Stop."

"Why?" she questioned, unconsciously wondering how far he would go to make her stop.

"It's my house."

"So." She said while he started to get out of his seat.

"Do you really think you can win this one Major?" he said walking slowly around to her on the other side of the island.

"Yes." She said rising from her own seat and circling the island, mocking his movements. He was waiting for her to make the first move and she knew it. Anticipate your enemies next moves, damn him and his special ops training she thought. Well here goes nothing. And with that she made a dash for the living room, making it behind the couch but barely. Seeing her momentarily stop to think of her options Jack saw and opening and leaped over the couch taking her by surprise. Together they fell but Jack made sure he cushioned her fall and not the other way around. He lost his hold on her though, she knew that he would make sure not to hurt her with the fall so she quickly jumped up and ran to behind the table back in the kitchen, laughing the whole time.

"Carter, Carter, Carter." He admonished, rising to his feet in one quick movement. Well at least his knees aren't bothering him from that fall Sam thought. "It looks as if I underestimated you. I won't make the same mistake again." He walked slowly into the kitchen and grabbed his beer off of the island, and took a swig. She laughed out loud at how serious he was trying to be, she could tell he was just barely holding onto his serious façade. He sat his beer back down onto the island. "I'm glad you find this so hilarious." He finally said his laughter getting the better of him.

"Well I'm glad I'm not the only one." She said catching her breath, when she noticed his facial expression change once again and a dangerous glint was in his eyes and when he broke eye contact from her, she followed his gaze down to the island.

"No, Sir, please." She said while silently thinking Hm, could be interesting.