C'mon guys...please R & R here. Thanks to those who did review.

TO HAVE AND TO HOLD.

By LetitiaRichards

Previously:

Jack reflected that now this was all over and he had Sam back in one piece thankfully, that he was about to lose her because Hammond would now rescind the engagement and dole out a suitable punishment on him. He fought against the feeling of sadness but it consumed him, making him angry with himself for getting Sam into this. He could so easily have lost her, as it was he may yet lose her if it meant prison for him.

Chapter 8

"Come on Jack, let's get you back to the base," Daniel said, taking his elbow and helping him to stand.

"Em...could you guys give Sam and I a moment?" he asked. He needed to speak to Sam in private.

"Sure. We'll have to stay right here, but there's plenty of empty rooms along the hall. The SFs should be here any moment and you'd be disturbed if you remained in here," Daniel said, shooing them from the room.

Sam helped Jack to walk down the hallway into another room where he shut the door behind them. They stood looking at each other for a few moments before Jack took her in his arms and held her as tight as he could without hurting himself too much.

"I'm really glad you're okay Sam. I was so scared they'd hurt you."

"I'm fine Jack, really. I was worried they had killed you. I kept seeing them hitting you and I thought it would be the last time I would see you alive," she sniffed, letting the tears of frustration and relief wash over her as she revelled in the feeling of him holding her again. "I love you Jack."

"I know Sam. I love you too."

They clung to each other for long moments until Sam broke the silence. She sniffed back the tears.

"Jack...about the engagement. Is it for real?"

Jack hesitated before answering.

"I wish it was Sam. Hammond knows we broke the regs. He and the President cooked up this story and released it to the press in the hope that these guys would release you if they had nothing to hold over us. I'm sorry. I wish it was real Sam, you know that. I want to marry you, but I'll probably end up in Leavenworth or wherever. This is my fault, and I take full responsibility. I told Hammond that, so any punishment to be meted out should be mine alone."

"No. We're in this together Jack. I'll stand by you. Always."

"God, Sam. I love you." He sighed heavily, burying his face in her warm neck. And he did love her too, so much so that he wouldn't allow her to lose her career over him, though he wouldn't tell her that.

OoOoOoOoO

Later in the briefing room, after Jack had been patched up and allowed to leave the infirmary.

"So who were they?" Jack asked, wanting to know who had the audacity to kidnap Sam and almost kill him in the process.

"The person behind all this was Lieutenant Jason Samuels."

"Samuels?" Jack gasped. "Bert Samuel's nephew?"

"No he isn't, though that could be assumed from the name. He was a marine on SG-16, and his name has been closely linked to Captain Arnold's."

"Tina?" Sam gasped in surprise, making Jack look at her in surprise that she knew the Captain. "Er...they're both on SG-16," she explained with a shrug.

"They were," Hammond added making Jack and Sam exchange looks.

"Ah," Jack sighed with understanding, then changed the subject by adding. "He said something about his uncle disliking us flyboys."

Hammond sat back in his chair and sighed, knowing that Jack wasn't going to like this one little bit.

"His uncle was based here at one time Jack."

"He was? I'm not gonna like this am I?"

"Afraid not Jack. His uncle was Robert Makepeace."

Jack glowered. No wonder this guy was angry that Jack could seemingly get away with loving Sam and he couldn't. His uncle bore a huge grudge against Jack in particular. It would have been one way in which to pay Jack back in revenge.

"I'd already separated them when I heard about their attachment. I should do the same to you two, but that's not for this briefing. I'll see you two in my office at 15.00 hrs tomorrow. As of now, SG-1 is on stand down until further notice."

"So what's gonna happen about Samuels?" Jack persisted, before Hammond could leave the room.

"He'll be formally charged with kidnapping. Ironically he'll be dismissed from the Marines, but he'll get to keep his attachment to the Captain, which is probably better than you can expect Colonel. Dismissed."

Hammond didn't wait to see the expression of miserable regret pass over Jack's face at the thought of what his punishment would be. He had to leave them to stew for a while, while he thought about what to do for the best.

Daniel and Teal'c excused themselves leaving Sam and Jack still sitting there, each wrapped up in their own thoughts.

"Jack."

"Yeah?"

"You...you don't regret this do you...our being together?" Sam asked tentatively.

Jack swung his chair round to meet her face to face, his dark eyes hard with determination.

"Never!" he said forcefully. "I've never regretted a minute of it Sam. Do you?"

"Oh god no Jack. I love you!"

Jack's face relaxed and he smiled broadly.

"Good, 'cause I love you too. Whatever happens Sam, always remember that."

"Jack don't, please. You're worrying me."

"I just wish I knew what Hammond had in mind. It's not knowing what he'll decide to do with me that's the problem."

"I know. It doesn't matter though Jack. I'll stand by you, whatever he decides."

Jack enfolded her hand in his and smiled.

"Thanks."

At a not so discreet cough, they broke apart and stood, looking round to see Hammond watching them from his doorway.

"Colonel, if you would, a quick word with you. You're dismissed Major."

"Yes sir!" they both answered.

Jack watched Sam retreat while he sallied forth into the lion's den wondering what he had done wrong now.

OoOoOoOoO

"Jack!" Daniel cried as Jack entered the commissary. They, Teal'c, Janet, Daniel and Sam, were all seated at one of the tables and Sam was discussing the problem of Jack's call to face the General already, wondering what was going on.

Jack could see the worry on her face as he approached. He cast a glowering look at Janet too, and she made her excuses to leave, saying she had a patient to see to.

Jack grabbed a cup of sludge they called coffee and sat down with his friends.

"Well?"

"What did Hammond want?"

Jack sighed and rolled his eyes. With all the worry over the disciplinary action about to descend on him and possibly Sam too about their liaison, he had totally forgotten that he was AWOL for a while. Hammond was not a happy chappie. And right now he was well and truly in the doghouse with the General.

"Er...Hammond's confined me to barracks as it were, for the next two weeks and docked some of my pay."

"Why?" they asked, outraged.

Jack shrugged gingerly, trying not to pull the new stitches and felt a little awkward.

"I didn't exactly have permission to leave the infirmary or the base," he stated.

"Oh. Thank god!" Sam sighed, thinking that he was facing the punishment on his own.

Jack looked at her askance, and she blushed deliciously.

"I...er... that didn't come out quite right," she confessed.

Jack sniggered at her embarrassment, but his eyes were full of love, making her smile appear.

She hit him playfully on the arm.

"Stop it!" she commanded with a pout, but Jack could see her laughing inwardly.

"What?" he asked innocently.

"Jack," she frowned. He knew full well what she had meant.

"Get a room you two, please!"

"That's just the problem Daniel. We tried that and we got caught."

"Well, should you er...be doing that in public?" he asked, referring to them holding hands now.

"Daniel. Don't you read the papers? We're supposed to be officially engaged. Why can't we do this?"

"Oh. I thought that was just a ruse."

"It was, but hell, who cares."

Teal'c who had remained a silent witness so far actually grinned and voiced his approval.

"Daniel Jackson, do you not think it is right for Major Carter and O'Neill to play along with the President in this charade?"

"Ah, well, I guess so, yeah," he agreed.

"All the time we're pretending to be engaged Daniel, I'm playing my part to the full," Jack stated enthusiastically, and in front of everyone in the commissary, he leaned across the table and kissed Sam deeply. Be damned who saw it. He couldn't give a toss.

TBC