Author's notes: Thanks for the encouragement! After these last few months I needed that! This chapter is getting more into the Sam and Jack relationship so if you don't like that sort of thing stop reading. On the other hand, if you DO like that, and I know a lot of us really really really (!) do, this story is definitely going in that direction.

From the last chapter: He got haltingly to his feet and went to the fridge. Grabbing a beer and twisting the top off, he went out to the deck and sampled the cool night breeze as he took a long pull from the brown glass beer bottle in his hand. Somewhere deep inside him, a tightly wound spring let loose with a satisfying twang. If only this fragile feeling of peace could stay with him for longer than a few hours. If only it was this easy to solve the rest of his troubles.

But, truth was, he had no idea how he was going to solve any of it.

A week later...

General O'Neill had resigned. Word had spread across the base like wildfire. In three weeks, a new CO would be running the Stargate program and nobody knew who yet. And O'Neill wasn't forthcoming with any information on who it might be.

Working out his three week notice, Jack was determined to leave his command in the best shape he could, so he was putting in a lot of long hours in spite of his promise to Kelly. He'd explained to her that just as soon as his retirement was official, her role with the kids would be a lot more manageable. He'd be home during the day, a regular Mr. Mom, and Kelly would remain in the household but with a lot less responsibility while she kept her studies on track.

But that wasn't helping Kelly any right now. She had to keep her scholarship this semester by maintaining a 3.0 average, and that didn't leave any time for the suddenly greatly increased need for her presence while the General finished out his three weeks. She was more stressed out than ever.

"Aunt Sam, this is Kelly, please pick up if you're there," Kelly pleaded for the third time in as many days on Sam's answering machine.

"Where is she?" Kelly groaned to herself as she hung up and slumped into the seatrest of her car. Sam and Kelly were in daily contact most of the time. A three day silence from her aunt was unheard-of. Kelly had class in a half hour and Maddy had to be at her soccer game in forty-five minutes. Nick had his driver's license now but couldn't help much since he had no car of his own, Kelly needed her car to get to school and Jack had the truck.

Which was at work, with him.

"Mindy! Get Maddie into my car, I'll drop you both off at the soccer field early. Take a book to read. I'll find someone to pick you up." Kelly was running around as she called to the girls, grabbing her notebooks and stuffing them into her backpack.

"And Nick? Can you fix dinner? There's some chicken in the freezer. Be creative."

"What goes with frozen chicken?" Nick smirked. Kelly glared. Nick cowered and slunk off to the kitchen to defrost the chicken.

"I'm gonna flunk out..." Kelly whined as she bundled her charges into the car and sped off.

Jack rubbed his aching temples again while he listened to Teal'C's unsatisfactory explanation of what had happened on the planet two days ago. He was struggling to stay calm and military in the face of Teal'C's news.

Sam and Daniel were missing after an unexpected encounter with some hostile inhabitants on the planet. Other than a brief recollection of the initial encounter and attack, Teal'C had been knocked out and left near the Gate, where he had been found by a rescue team and brought back to Earth. Two SG teams were now on the planet searching for signs of Daniel and Sam.

"Sir," Simmons interrupted the briefing. "We have an audio coming in from the planet. It's Colonel Carter."

Jack bolted out of his seat for the control room with Teal'C close behind.

"Carter!" Jack bellowed into the com.

"Sir, it's good to hear your voice." Sam sounded weak and rough.

"Likewise. What's your status?"

Daniel and I are hiding in a rock field but I don't know where we are in relation to the Gate. We were taken hostage and escaped last night. Daniel's injured. He was able to walk last night but now he's getting worse."

"Stay put, Carter. There's a rescue team on the planet. I'll have them track your com signal. Tell Daniel...hang in there."

"He's unconscious, sir." Sam's voice broke.

The doctor edged his way to the control room microphone, having listened to the exchange from the doorway.

"Colonel Carter, what are Dr. Jackson's vitals?"

Sam knew he meant to simply give him the basics. "He's breathing okay,but his pulse is weak and too fast. He's lost a lot of blood. He was knifed in the abdomen when we were captured. I've bandaged him but it isn't doing much good."

"Good work, Colonel, just keep him still. The rescue team will take it from here." Jack assured her.

"General O'Neill, we are under attack," was the next thing heard in the control room from the rescue team.

"Damn. Lieutenant, get SG teams 5 and 7 down here, now," Jack responded tersely.

It was almost midnight before the rescue had been completed and all personnel were finally safely back on base. Jack had accompanied his former teammates to the infirmary and now sat somberly by Daniel's bedside, watching over his injured friend while Sam was tended to nearby. He scrubbed his face and hair with both hands and looked at Sam as she stood and pulled on her fatigue jacket.

"Sir, I'm going home now," Sam said in a cool, detached tone. In spite of the news of Jack's retirement, nothing had changed for the better between them, to Jack's bitter disappointment.

"Wait, Carter, can I walk out with you?"

Sam paused, debating with herself, then nodded reluctantly. After another concerned glance in Daniel's direction, Jack grabbed his jacket and followed her closely as she made her way to the elevator, determined not to blow this chance to clear the air.

"You sure you're okay?" Jack questioned her as she sagged against the elevator wall.

"Will be. Once I get some sleep."

She did look bone-tired, not to mention dirty.

"Sam, come home with me. I don't think you should be alone tonight." She shot him a defiant look, surprised at his sudden intimate tone of voice, that said, 'I don't need your help,' loud and clear.

"With all due respect. Sir. I want to be alone." Jack seemed to ponder this for a minute, and Sam was surprised when he persisted.

"No, you don't."

The door swished open on the level of the Cheyenne Mountain Complex parking lot and Sam charged for the outside doors, signing out illegibly as she passed the security desk. Jack glanced at the soldier on duty and gestured at the sign out pad, indicating he was to sign the General out. He couldn't take the chance that Sam would get away while he stopped at the desk.

Catching up with her easily, he took hold of her arm and steered her gently towards his truck.

"I'm taking you home."

Jack froze in place, there in the middle of the dark lot, when Sam's response was a choked sob. He had her in his arms in an instant. With one arm wound around herbody and the other holding her head against his shoulder, Jack felt tears of his own fighting to get out.

"Please Sam, let me be your friend again. I miss you. I need you."

"Don't," she whispered wearily. Sam pulled back, almost too weak to free herself from his embrace, and looked up at him. Jack saw her eyes fully for the first time in weeks.

He was struck to the core by the pain in them.

"I don't want to be your friend."

"You don't mean that!" Jack protested, his voice full of fear and sorrow. Sam turned those sad, hopeless eyes on his again, then turned and walked to her car, pulling out her car keys as she went.

Jack's plan had been to go by the book, to wait until he was officially retired and then begin fervently pursuing a relationship with Sam just as he had dreamed about for almost eight years now. But he also recognized that plans sometimes had to be adjusted in midflight. This was one of those times. He didn't know why exactly, but she was giving up on them. He had to find out why.

If he let Sam get in that car and drive away he instinctively knew he wouldn't get another chance. Sam was a strong, stubborn woman. There had been so many times these past eight years when he knew the only reason she had complied with his orders was just that- they were orders.

"You don't mean that," he repeated by her side as she fumbled with the locked car door.

"We need to talk, Sam," he added, placing his hand over hers on the door handle. Taking advantage of a momentary pause in her clumsy efforts to open the door, he slowly pulled her away from the car and into his arms again.

TBC