A/N: Extra long for my fanatically devoted. Worth the wait, no? Exactly- and that's why it's worth driving myself into the ground to do it. Review, if you want. Email me, it makes me feel special. Yes, there will be more, and the final act of this little drama has already played in my mind. Stick around, it'll be great. Tell your friends, look at my other work. I know, this is my flagship work...but hey. There's plenty more waiting for you, if you check my profile.

The truck ride seemed to last an eternity. Sam was wrapped up in his clothes, his smell. The truck rumbled idly at a light, Willie Nelson's steel string twanging away. It was almost enjoyable, with him around. She still felt the nagging urge to flick the radio station, try to find some Tapping the Vein or Darling Violetta, but resisted. Jack was enjoying himself, making small talk, and she had no desire to to ruin that. The streets whipped by in a blur.

So, what now?

Jack drove, his mouth on autopilot as his mind plodded in circles. He enjoyed having Carter around. That night with her was...was surrealistically normal. Like they had been doing it for years. Like they had never been apart. It jarred him a little, to think like that. His lower brain recognized things more clearly. His mate sat beside him, starring out the window, and that was the be-all and the end-all of the situation. That would never change.

Where do we go from here?

Carter made a mental note to ask Daniel more about wolves. Then, it struck her. As natural and perfect as the day was, they were riding into work together. Not only would it raise some eyebrows, but it would be a first. Something warmed just below her navel at the mention of 'firsts'. The last night's events had shown them to be all but a couple. So what if everyone knew? They had known the pair's feelings from the beginning. The pack instinct was to simply let them be.

Den of wolves. Excellent analogy.

The gate guard waved Jack through, with only an odd stare. Jack felt nervous as he parked in the underground garage, shifted around in his seat. Fidgeted with his keys, waited for Sam to get our first. He wasn't sure about being seen like this. Doubt whispered from the shadows as he sat in his truck, staring at her. She wore a pair of ancient urban BDUs clinched tight with one of his belts, her damp riding boots, and one of his two white shirts. The cotton hung loosely over her, and she wore the shirt untucked. Anyone who looked closely enough would see the trademark mustard stain from a trip to Washington.

Well, if they didn't know before, they'll know now.

They walked close together, talked in low whispers as if the very walls were conspiring against them. They didn't quite touch, didn't hold hands for fear that someone would see them. They entered the elevator quietly. Sam knew they had an exploration mission planned for the day, so she wasn't too concerned. She'd have to change into her olive drabs, anyways.

I don't want to give up his scent. I don't want to give HIM up.

Jack stood against the elevator wall, his eyes darting between Sam and the numbers on the display. The privacy made him tense. He COULD take the opportunity, take her in his arms like he did in the time loop, like he did in his dreams. He tried to gauge the time, muster the courage. Before he could, she leapt on him. forced her tongue into his mouth. It wasn't a kiss, it was a declaration of passion. Animalistic, impulsive.

She beat me to it. Good on you, Sam.

His arms were around her, ready for her embrace. She pushed herself on him, filled with lust. Something inside of her - something unchanged since her ancestors had dwelled in caves- forced the imperative to mark her man to the surface. Their tongues battled briefly as she rubbed herself against him, and just barely broke away before the ding of the elevator. The doors opened, and Sam walked out smiling. She stepped off the lift with a smile on her face and a spring in her step. Some part of her took comfort from the fact that she had warded off the other women on base. The rest of her realized that she really didn't have any competition for Jack, anyways.

He even tastes good.

Jack rubbed his jaw as doors closed. He smiled, and a lit bit of him flared to life, deep inside. Something he thought long dead, something he had given up on. He smiled, hummed the first three bars to a half-forgotten song, and walked to the lockers. In minutes, he was geared up and in the gate room waiting. The SF's stared at him with something akin to envy, and he stared back. He paced a little, waiting for his companion. The concept of being separate from her wasn't quite registering with him.

What's she doing?

She walked in, and he smiled. Daniel and Teal'c were staring at one another, wondering what was going on. They could see the change, sense it. Something was off with her, something different. Some thing was different for both of them, something had changed. Looking around, she saw the change between her and her mate subtly changing the way the pack operated. Both Daniel and Teal'c were quieter. Beta and ceta males that once flirted now cast their eyes down.

This is how it should be. I hope today never ends.

Siler dialed, Jack tipped his hat to the control room, and everyone watched as the horizontal waterfall explode. Daniel and Teal'c rushed through, and Sam managed a huge, bright smile at her Jack before walking through a step ahead of him. Her eyes glowed as she marched across the event horizon, and the sensation of wind on Jack's face as he whipped along the corridor in space was almost comforting.

I don't think today could be going any better.

Jack stumbled through the gate, which was an odd occurrence. He looked around at the other members of his team, and realized all of them no longer had weapons. The weight of the P90 in his hands was gone, and the sidearm in his thigh holster was also missing. Everyone was patting themselves down, confused. Jack stared around as he searched himself. Planetary time was the dead of night. An Asgard device stood directly in front of them, red prism gleaming in the light of two moons. A number of seemingly randomly placed boulders and logs dotted the clearing. Jack grumbled and continued frisking himself. He found his only weapon was his knife. Feeling uncomfortable, he sidled closer to Sam, gripping his Ka-bar tighter.

Shitcock.

Sam had her favorite song going in the back of her head as she slipped through the gate. The MALP had detected no sign of anything but the benign-seeming Asgard device. Of course, as with all Asgard technology, it was never quite benign enough. Jack moved closer to her, and she felt a surge of confidence. Daniel shrugged, and looked around. He turned back to the Colonel

"Now what, Jack?"

"Well...I don't see anyone, and since that doohickey seems to strip us of every weapon we have, I'm guessing it's pretty safe. Check it out."

"O'Neill, I feel this is unwise."

"I know, Teal'c. But we're right here, right? Be ready to dial us out. "

The jaffa nodded, took up position by the DHD.

That's my man.

Jack stalked around, scanning the distant woodline as Sam looked on. Daniel was busy scribbling notes, and Teal'c stood with one arm poised over the DHD. Eventually, Sam joined him as he paced like a caged animal. He inspected the boulders briefly, became bored until Sam approached. His eyes lit up, and he had to resist the temptation to take his mate's hand. They walked together, smiling and not saying a word, until the first moon set.

I could get used to this.

Sam hadn't been able to get the song out of her head. The twin moons were large, and their pale glow made the dull world so...magical. In their light, the rocks seems to glow, the woods seemed enchanting. She wanted to take his hand, walk through them until dawn with her man. At least she did until she heard the whining sound. At first, she thought it some local insect. She knew it wasn't artillery, or a mortar or any other piece of contemporary military hardware. It wasn't until the half-ton hunk of rock landed between Daniel and Teal'c did she realize that it had been fired from a catapult. Both her friends were sent tumbling through the air from the impact.

JACK!

Jack's first thought was predictable- protect Sam. His knife came out in a blur. He was dragging her for the forest as more rocks raining from the sky. Daniel was unconscious as Teal'c dashed across the clearing, carrying the archaeologist in a fireman's carry. The jaffa ran for the woods behind the Stargate, the closest cover. Jack and Sam were still some distance away, covering in the wood opposite. She huddled close to him, and without thinking, he wrapped his arms around her and clutched her tight. He shielded her body with his, keeping low.

Sam.Sam.Sam.

Despite the danger, she was exalted. Each and every part of her -mind, body, soul- told her that this is how it should be. Facing death and danger with her mate by her side. She breathed, eyes open and savoring the closeness of Jack's body. She let him shield her, knowing she would have done the same had she been quicker. She clutched her knife to her chest, knowing as she always did that she would kill or die for her man. Even in the heat of the moment, the music was loud in her mind.

I'll come to thee by the moonlight, though hell should bar the way...

Jack felt rather than heard the shelling come to a stop. He stood, releasing his mate and automatically falling into a weaver-style combat stance. His instincts told him that there were things out there, in the darkness. He couldn't quite see or hear them, but his instincts had been tripped and he knew. He pressed his back up against his beloved's, began the slow circling motion that seemed natural. Back to back, he spun with one thought in his mind.

If I have to die, there's no other person I'd rather have at my side.

Sam spun in the lazy circle, knife held out before her. She spied shapes, humanoid shape, but the motion kept her from seeing specifics. She could tell people were out there, she could all but smell them, hear their breaths. There were lots of them, more than a dozen. The warmth of Jack's presence bolstered her courage to superhuman levels. She knew that death probably lurked in the shadows, but she didn't care. The song, her favorite song came to an end as she circled there, and she remembered the final three lines:

The landlord's black-eyed daughter,

Had watched for her love in the moonlight,

and died in the darkness there.

She could not ask for a better death. She could not ask for more than her mate by her side. The thought occurred to her as the first of the figures roared a challenge from the shadows. She imagined two wolves, side by side, as hunters closed. Mated to the end.