1.I don't own the characters

2.I don't make money from this story

3.Well I don't know if there is a three but just in case whatever.

a/n Thank you so much for the great reviews

here's the second installment

Thanks also to Englemyer who beta'd my first chapter. Hope I've remembered all the rules mate.

A little ditty.

Can you handle the truth?

She swallowed and felt a flush of arousal bloom up her body. Her eyes followed his chest hair down to where it disappeared into his unbuttoned jeans. Her tongue came out to dampen her suddenly dry lips. Jack of course watched her tongue in fascination and he braced himself because whilst in uniform he remembered the regulations and followed them to the letter. Out of uniform it was a different matter. His defenses were down and he wanted nothing more than to follow her tongues trail with his own.

"So Carter come on in;"

Samantha rallied and dragging her gaze up to his chocolate brown eyes asked in a whisper, "I thought you liked me."

She then groaned and covered her face with her hands thinking to her self 'I sound like a school girl who's just found out the boy she has a crush on fancies some one else.'

Jack was non pulsed. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"Of course I like you and what's more I admire your intellect, spirit and the way you handle your self in combat I trust you with my life on every mission we go on and there is no one else I would or could trust more than you."

Sam was staring at him with her azure eyes glistening with unshed tears.

"Sam what's wrong?"

Sam slowly blinked and one teardrop escaped running down her cheek in a lonely journey towards her chin. It was about to splash onto the floor but Jack's hand was there wiping the tear away and as he did his other hand cradled her cheek.

"C'mere," he said as he had on many occasions. He leaned her head to his naked chest. Sam breathed in his scent and reveled in his scratchy chest hair.

Just as she was getting comfortable, her pride reared and she wrenched herself away.

"Sir did you really request my transfer into another unit? No, don't answer that I know you did. I just want to know why?"

Jack rocked back and forth on his feet and slipping his hands into his jean pockets said in a very soft and deep voice, "Don't play dumb Sam you know why."

Samantha stood very still her eyes dilating as she took in his words and the fact that he had called her by her first name not her last as was his practice. She blinked trying to disregard what her heart was trying to tell her and continued.

"Don't use my first name Sir, I only allow friends to do that. What did I do so wrong one year ago, that caused you to request my transfer."

Jack was sick of the subterfuge caused by the regs.

"Okay Samantha you want to know what caused my request you'll hear it." Jack seethed.

Sam braced her self and was about to remonstrate him for using her first name again when Jack asked her, "Do you remember the mission to that little planet a year ago where the Trees where all upside down and the sky that weird purple colour."

Sam nodded. "Daniel nearly died when he was struck by that arrow."

"Yeah well what you don't know was that arrow was coming directly for you I saw it coming and had the choice of dragging you or Daniel down to safety. I thought that the arrow would have just pierced your thigh. But I couldn't be sure. Daniel was on his knees, so I new from its trajectory that it would probably do more damage to him."

He let that sink in for a second then continued.

"I chose you Sam cause I care about you more than Daniel; and way way differently"

"I made the decision with my heart and not my head."

"I can not lead effectively when every move I make, every order I give is based not on just what will get the job done and assure of a successful mission but of the danger to my 2IC above all other team members!" Sam was aghast and alarmed.

"Ja…Sir I don't know what to say, I know I had feelings but I thought that it was just one of those proximity things."

Jack asked her, "Sam these feelings you have, do they have a name, can you label them, cause I can name mine but once I do and if they are the same as yours the regs are going to be broken big time right here and now because I refuse to go on this way. I've been punishing myself for my sons' death for too long, you have taught me how to feel and I want to live again…"

"…I love you Samantha"

Jack just stood there looking at Sam wondering if he had just blown the best thing to happen to him. His second chance at love and life.

Jack stared at Sam intently; Sam's face looked blank just as it always did when she was trying to work out a complex problem like some alien thingy.

Inside her, the hormones that defined her female were doing a little happy dance. Hell they were head banging! Jack was the man of her fantasies. He had a starring role in all of her dreams and of late those dreams were getting hot leaving her feeling unsatisfied and achy when she woke.

Finally she blinked and a sweet smile appeared on her face. The one Jack thought she'd reserved for him alone.

"Jack you Love me?" she questioned.

Jack slowly advanced and took her hands in his. He nodded "Sam what else could I do" as if it was destiny.

"Then why are you still standing so far away?"

Jack dropped her hands shook his head and asked "The regs. Still exist"

"Not right now they don't couldn't we just forget about them for the next few hours or so?"

"Sam your career is so important to you if we were caught "fraternizing" yours would stall, I don't care about mine Colonel is nothing to sneeze at and remember I was retired"

"My career is important but I love you and I would not regret having you. Besides I really wanted to have children some…" Sam stopped when she saw a pained expression trace across Jack's face.

"What Jack don't you want kids too? You're great around them and it's not like we could replace Charlie or anything but you're the only man I would ever consider for the role of my children's father."

"Sam I could not give you any children because after Charlie died then Sarah left I went and got a vasectomy"

"Not only would you be giving up your career but you would be giving up your dream of a family" Jack un happily informed her.

Sam looked confused and sad, feeling a dream slip away.

"Jack I love you and three years haven't changed this only strengthened it. The kids well, I won't deny that I would have loved to have some miniature Jack's but, I want you now and always."

"Sam I think you need to think about this a bit more now you have all of the facts."

"So that's it I'm supposed to walk away not even kiss you." She whimpered tears beginning to form.

Jack could not resist her tears and pulled her into his arms hugging her and rocking her back and forth.

He tilted her head up and looking deeply into her eyes. "Sam I'm a coward. I want more than just to Kiss you and if we go that next step and then you decide that you don't want me -as in forever-….well I would not survive."

Sam angled her head and reaching up on tippee toes said against his lips. "Love me Jack just this once at least. Trust me."

Jack gave up and gathering her even closer kissed her. He gave in and traced her lips in imitation of her earlier gesture. She opened her mouth and her tongue tangled with his.

She felt absorbed by him engulfed in his strong arms and yet not threatened in anyway she knew if she wanted to he would let her go. She felt safe, sheltered. She wanted more she wanted his passion and would not let him get away with this. Reaching down between their bodies she traced the hair going into his jeans. Jack's sudden inhale told her she was on to something and all of a sudden she felt as if she was floating.

Jack tensed and though he still wanted to give her time, his barriers had been broken down and he was going to have just this once at least. Sam was so sweet he swung her into his arms wanting to give her the whole romantic walk into the bedroom scene. Unfortunately his knees did not want to co-operate. They made it as far as the couch.

Sam giggled "Wow Jack a romantic who'd of thought?"

"Enough. No giggling. I'm trying to romance you now just give in and let me huh"

"Oh Jack the romancing works both ways you know!" she whispered running her hand down his flank.