Sequel to A To Z. I had to! My muse nearly broke my arm twisting it up between my shoulder-blades.

Coffee And Conversation #1

Considering how much people had been nagging her for years to get a life — well, specifically, General O'Neill — Sam found it very difficult to get some leave now that she actually wanted to leave the mountain.

I think this comes under the category of ironic, she mused grumpily as she left General Landry's office. She'd come dangerously close to insubordination when he'd turned down her third request in as many days and had had to bite back the words that came to her lips. Since taking command of SG-1, she'd noticed that she was starting to pick up some of her former CO's habits … and his attitude.

She smiled slightly — how that man had made General when he'd pissed off so many people (powerful people) was beyond her! Not that he didn't deserve it. He did. He was a good man; a strong, brilliant leader. But Jack O'Neill was not known for making nice with politicians and bureaucrats. She was surprised he hadn't gone nuts in DC by now.

Since their separate postings, they'd been carrying on a weird kind of flirtation over the phone and by email. But they hadn't actually seen each other since the small affair they'd held for Jack's transfer at O'Malley's. The restaurant had come under new management and the list of personae non grata had gone with the old owner.

After more than four years, they were finally able to get a really good steak in the Springs. Jack and Daniel had fallen on their steaks like ravening wolves, whilst Sam and Teal'c had been openly amused. Except for that one evening of serious protein cravings, Sam didn't eat a lot of red meat.

Her cellphone rang and she started at the loudness in the quiet corridor. Daniel had once asked how she could even get a reception this far underground. She'd merely smiled and he immediately decided that he actually didn't want to know. She tugged it out of her pocket and saw the General's cell number. "Sir; hi," she greeted him.

"Hey, Carter!" he responded cheerfully. Funny how he seemed much happier in DC than during that last year he'd spent at the SGC. "Whatcha doing?"

She opened the door to her lab and sat down at her laptop, bringing up the schematics for the Daedalus's hyperdrive engines. "Do you really want to know, sir, or are you just asking because you're bored?" she inquired.

"How d'you do that?" he said.

"Do what?" She didn't know whether he believed his own claims to stupidity, but he had a doctorate in confusing Samantha Carter.

"Manage to be polite and disrespectful at the same time."

She chuckled. "It's a gift, sir," she offered. "So …?" she prompted.

"Ah." A short silence. "Ah … I'm coming into town in a couple days to meet with Hank. You … uh … wanna get together?"

She was startled at that. Quite why, she didn't know. After all the flirting … The flirting was good … it was fun, but they'd done that when they'd been CO and 2IC — before the whole Zatarc disaster. Was that all this was? She'd done her best to move on, and so had he, yet they found themselves drawn back together. Was he a safe bet, like that hallucination had implied?

Yet she'd enjoyed that flirting so much that when Agent Barrett had asked her if she was single again, she'd merely said "Not exactly", hoping he wouldn't press her for details.

It was time to find out. "I'd like that, sir," she said. "You want to tell Daniel and Teal'c, or shall I?"

"Uh …". A longer silence this time. "I was … uh … Oh, for cryin' out loud! Sam; I just want to see you this time — no offense to T and Daniel."

"Ah." She responded with a Jack-worthy monosyllable. Just how many of his habits had she picked up? Then she slapped herself mentally. "I'd like that, s … uh, Jack," she said.

"Great," he said, sounding relieved. "I'll swing by your lab and collect you about 1600 day after tomorrow. Okay?"

"Sure," she replied.

"Well … better go. Meeting with the eggheads from '51 in ten," he said. She could almost hear him rolling his eyes. "The place hasn't been the same since you left, Carter — those guys sure miss you."

"I miss them, too," she said, "but I'm happy to be back here. So … have fun with the 'eggheads' and I'll see you in a couple of days."

"Okay. Bye, Sam."

"Bye, Jack."

And Samantha Carter returned to her work, unaware of the goofy smile that graced her lips.

As stated previously, I haven't seen S9 yet, so don't know whether Sam has retaken command of SG-1. If someone could clue me in (I don't mind spoilers) in one of your reviews, I'd be most grateful. Thanks!