Summary: This is set in between Jacob's passing and the trip to the cabin. Just a little vignette to explain how they got from point A to point B. (I'm working on a piece that actually falls in the middle of point A and point B, then goes a bit toward point C. This will eventually be the prologue to that, but as a missing scene it stands on its own.)

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He acted like passing her office was an accident. "Oh, hey! You're here." It was a tactic she was all too familiar with; she wasn't fooled, but he knew she would play along. Even under these circumstances, she wouldn't like it if he appeared to be checking up on her.

"Still here, Sir," Sam replied with a wan smile. Jack noted that she didn't appear to be doing anything. Her computer was off, no tools were near at hand. Now he was worried.

"Whatcha doing?" he asked, trying to appear casual.

"I was on the phone. I just told my brother."

"Ahh," Jack said sagely.

"We argued about the cremation. Of course, I can't explain why it's necessary, so he just has my word for it that it's what Dad wanted." Sam sighed deeply and rubbed her eyes with the heels of her hands.

"You look like you could use some rest, Colonel." Jack was unable to keep the hint of tenderness out of his voice. He cursed himself and tried again. A little more firmly, he added, "Is your brother coming? Or will Pete be able to stay with you?"

Sam's dropped her hands but didn't raise her head. There was a protracted silence while she tried to conquer her embarrassment. She finally gave up and simply looked away while she answered. "I broke things off with Pete."

Jack was extremely glad she was looking away. It gave him a chance to school his expression. "Sam?" He waited until she caught his eye. "Is your brother coming?"

"Not for several days. He'll be here for the service"

"Well, someone has to look after you." He rapped gently along the edge of her desk as he moved closer. "You shouldn't be alone right now."

"I'll be fine, Sir," Sam said, but without any heart. She really didn't want to be alone, but couldn't see an alternative.

"I was thinking about taking a few days downtime myself."

Sam's head snapped up. Her rapid-fire brain processed all the things he could possibly be getting at, and formulated the response that expressed the greatest caution. "Really?" Not sparklingly clever, but effective.

"Fishing. My cabin. You should come along."

Caution to the wind! "What would Ms. Johnson of the CIA think?"

He took another step closer, pressing the border of her personal space. "That?" His hand fluttered insignificantly in the air, as if to indicate that she'd flown or floated away and he didn't care which.

"I'm... I'm not quite sure this is wise." Sam sounded pleased, but somewhat confused.

It occurred to Jack that it really might not be wise to be propositioning her so shortly after the loss of her father, or at least not seemly. "We'll get Daniel and Teal'c to come along."

Sam smiled – a small, secret, but no less dazzling smile. "What makes you think that you'll be able to convince them? Teal'c has vowed never to set foot near your cabin again, after the mosquito's nest incident."

Jack was made eager by hope. "I'll order them to come," he insisted. Sam laughed, and Jack laughed with her. "So you'll come?"

"Yes," Sam said without hesitation.

"Sweet."

"Yes."

"Huh?"

"You are. Sweet."

Jack's perplexed look started Sam laughing again. "I really don't think anyone has ever called me 'sweet' before," he said

"They don't know you like I do, Sir."

"Nobody does, Carter," he agreed with a grin, and set off to find Daniel and Teal'c. If ordering didn't work, he'd resort to blackmail.