Author's Note: Wow! I'm overwhelmed by all the reviews: I LOVE IT! Maybe I should do the scroll down thing a little more often…oh well, just thank you to all you who did what I said and REVIEWED and so without further ado, here's the next chapter. I think I might change the rating to M. I'm not sure. So just be warned that this part of the fic is T/M. So be "mature". waits for laughter See, I'm funny. M. Mature. no laughs Whatever. Here we go.

Disclaimer: Aren't mine, but if I may have some say in the matter…WTF is up with this new season right now? All this time of waiting for Sam and Jack and we find out SG-1 is BROKEN UP and we haven't seen one bit of good S/J yet? You writers better clean up your act…

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He touched his hand to her cheek, unable to say anything though his mind was racing, even more so when she kept his hand on her with her own.

'What's wrong? Does she not want me here anymore? What the hell was that, anyway? What about Pete? What about the house? What about that kiss? Was it only what I want? Is she too emotional to be thinking clearly…yeah, right. Carter. Emotional thinker. But what about…then why did she stop? Did I do something wrong—"

"You wanna go inside?" she kissed the inside of his palm.

Jack looked at her with deep care and concern, fascinated at how she could silence his mind with a handful of words. Not knowing what else to say, he looked in her eyes. Those beautiful blue eyes. He'd never seen that glint before. He'd never known through experience what it was like to hold her. And somehow he knew that tonight would be a hard night to forget. Or, for that matter, to leave unfinished. He found his voice and answered her question.

"Okay."

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Sam led him inside, feeling more than slightly awkward. A minute ago they were so…connected, but now she was fully aware of how…how uncalled for her actions were. Had it felt right? Completely. Had he wanted it, too? She could feel the answer to that the entire time. Yes. Definitely yes. But now in the dim light of her entryway, she felt suddenly self-conscious about how her robe clung to her curves, accenting every part of her. Sam didn't even know why she invited him in anymore. All it was was trouble…she needed to buy herself some time.

Sam was about to excuse herself to change, but Jack pressed her against the door. He kissed her quickly, fighting himself to pull away as she answered his lips. Sam wondered why he'd done what he had, but was eternally grateful for it. Her whole mind got quiet when he kissed her, a nice change from the usual chaos inside. Jack looked at her, still partially concerned. He needed to know what she was thinking, and she was inside herself when they'd come in her house. Now he had her full attention. And they both knew it.

"What's going on, Sam?"

"I think that's kind of obvious, sir—"

"No, it's not. Especially since you just called me 'sir' after…after what just happened," he tripped over the question he wanted to ask in his mind, knowing he shouldn't and so going back to default. What had always come between them before?

"What about the regs, Sam?"

"I don't care anymore."

"Your father?" he chanced getting personal, his real question still longing to be out in the open air, but he surpressed it. He was not going to ask her that.

"He told me to be happy, Jack. I thought you'd understand that—"

"Happy? Then where the hell is PETE? You were always so damn happy with him, weren't ya?"

She wasn't sure if it was the close proximity in which their faces still were or the fact that he'd finally shown some emotion about Pete that made the tears start to fall, but the hurt in his eyes was unbearable. The pain in which he'd accentuated those words killed something inside her. Struggling to keep her voice steady, she shot her left hand up by her face, the back of her hand facing him. His eyes changed before she'd even said a word.

"Do you see a ring?"

Jack's eyes softened even more as he reached for her hand. He took it in his own and slowly rubbed his thumb across where the ring should've been. Where it was clearly written for all this time that she belonged to Pete. Now she was free. Jack had always called her "his girl", but now he knew he actually had a shot at this. A thousand words were exchanged in a single glance at her teary eyes, and he knew he'd struck a nerve inside them both. For here, they couldn't hide behind anything. There was no SGC, there was no Pete, there was no turning back, and there were no ranks. It was just Sam and Jack. And he wasn't sure what to make of that. All he knew what how much he liked the sound of it. The silence grew awkward as Jack made his way out of himself, trying to ignore the single tear running down his face. He didn't know he was speaking until he heard his own voice trying to sort it all out.

"What…how did…why?"

Sam knew in that moment how much she loved him. What had seemed so hard was actually quite simple. She had to be with him, or she would die inside. Jack brought out parts to her she never knew existed. Pete was mediocre. He was what she settled for when she thought she could never have Jack. But she was wrong. Sam had always had Jack. His heart had been in her hands for so long now…she'd just never seen it…he was the one she wanted. Plain and simple. And nothing should stop that. She looked back at Jack, wanting the conversation to just end already, as she didn't know if he expected an answer to his makeshift question. She drew in a raspy breath, ready to finally be open. She told him the truth. Sort of.

"Pete…Pete deserves to marry a woman who doesn't love someone else."

Every drop of anger and frustration left Jack as he felt her eyes pierce him. One more step and they'd be intimate. One more step and he'd feel complete. The distance of a few inches had never seemed so great, so impassable. But Jack liked challenges, especially ones he knew he could succeed in. This challenge was won before it began. He took that final step; Sam involuntarily pressed harder against the door, hoping she knew what was coming. He dropped his head onto hers, softly murmuring to her before their lips touched. His final order before the people they used to be were lost forever.

"Kiss me, Carter."

Sam obeyed. Every second their lips touched made it infinitely easier to forget everything but Jack. The pain seemed to fade as they both breathed heavier. 'God, don't let him stop now.' A prayer had never been answered that quickly for her. She opened her mouth to his questing tongue; Jack parted her thighs with his knee in an attempt to be closer to her. All it did was give her more fire behind her kiss, to which he had no objection. She slid his jacket off his arms, then focusing on the buttons of his shirt. Never before had she found buttons so damn difficult. He smirked at her, helping her with the last few before the shirt met the ground, quickly accompanied by his shoes and socks, Sam not pausing to let him do so. There was no going back now, no stopping, and they both knew it. They both loved it.

Sam wasn't sure how they got to her bedroom, but before she knew what was happening, she felt her soft mattress cut into her thighs, Jack's arms encircling her as she fumbled with his pants. As they fell to the ground, he propped himself above her on the bed, looking at this beautiful woman, who was way too good for him and much too smart to be doing this, and knowing she was his. Sam grabbed at his head, bringing it down on her lips and pulling him into the most passionate kiss he'd ever had. He tried to untie her silken robe, which clung to her body because of sweat as well as rain. It felt good when he started to peel the robe away from her skin. It felt more than good, it was fantastic. Jack seemed like he knew exactly what he was doing; when in reality he was simply admiring every inch of her. As the robe parted from her entirely, she felt herself grabbing for him again.

"Jack, don't…please don't now."

He smirked at her, finally knowing what to say. "Damn it, Sam, what do you want? Don't leave, don't stop…just don't…what do you want me to do?"

She breathed heavily once, not missing a beat. "Make love to me?"

Jack was surprised at how easily the phrase rolled off her lips. He'd thought about this moment for near nine years, knowing he wanted to show her how much he did love her. He'd never said it, but she knew. She knew. Sweat dripped off her like the rain outside, but as he pulled the sheet on top of them, she'd never felt more content. There was finally nothing between them but themselves. Skin against skin wherever they touched. Jack kissed her everywhere, his lips leaving another type of wetness on her body. It awakened everything inside her so quickly, she felt herself involuntarily shaking as his hands found her breasts. She kissed him to steady herself, finding even more reason to shudder as she did so. He finally ran his fingers down her sides, tracing her hipbone as he ventured further down. Her skin was like lotion he couldn't absorb, but he tried. She could feel his want in the humid air.

He ran his fingers down the insides of her legs, knowing they both couldn't wait much longer. She kissed the first part of him she found; she thought it was his shoulder, in encouragement. His smell was enough to make her dizzy, but the taste of him only drove her harder on. Jack's hand curled in the small of her back, supporting her in a near-seated position. Her fingers caught in his hair, their eyes locked, and one of them gasped into the other's open mouth.

And then it happened. Everything inside her exploded with desire at the sensation of it all. Breathing was difficult, but she didn't care. She didn't care about anything right then. It was Jack she was with. And Jack was the only thing on her mind. Her mouth opened to a soft groan as he slid closer to her; he felt their hips crash against each other and her hands grip the muscles in his arms. Somehow, she brought herself closer, and Jack shuddered. The hardened soldier she loved was shaking at her touch. The power she felt…and yet at the same time how helpless, was amazing. She'd tried to stay still, but it was all too much for her now. She moved up and down slightly, all the time moving closer, killing the previous ignorance of it being possible. Every time her lungs heaved, a small moan was accompanied with it. A high, breathless sound that was music to his waiting ears.

Sam had been spent for a long while, but she still needed more. The burning pain felt so good…she thirsted for him. She'd been thirsty for much too long…now she would drink her fill. Jack was content to just look at her. Her half lidded eyes fluttering when she moved, her open mouth gasping, the crinkle by her eyes as she tried to hold out just a moment longer every second. He kissed her softly, adding to the effect so much that she fell backward. Jack moved a pillow underneath her dripping wet head as he continued to try and comprehend how she could get to him so easily, and touch him so deep. Every part of him was crying her name, and his lips softly gave voice to the silent call.

"Carter…"

"It's…it's Sam." Talking was even harder than breathing. But it felt good. The pain was just below unbearable.

"Sam…I've never said it…but…damn, I love you so much."

She nodded her head furiously, tears starting again. "I know…I know."

He moved to kiss her and they both spoke. "Good."

"I know, Jack."

His lips caught between hers as his breath trembled inside her mouth. She nosed him away slightly, just giving herself enough space to speak, trying to get enough breath to not gasp in the middle of this. She wanted it to be perfect. "I…I love you, too."

Now Jack nodded. "I knew that, too."

"Okay, good."

He smiled at her, captured in her beauty. Jack felt the pain now, too. It was beautiful, but it needed to end. He moved away from her, giving her back the air she'd needed for the past forever at all the same time. He collapsed on top of her, and she ran her fingers down his back and through his hair. He moved a strand of her own out of her face and kissed her gently. As he lay beside her, all she did was move closer. Drowsiness met the two after the sweetest of kisses, leaving Jack's arms securely around her. And she loved it. She rubbed her head against him once before her eyes closed, knowing what he was thinking in his last moments before sleep.

"I'm glad you stayed, too."

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Okay so it definitely goes to M now. So because I did this…REVIEW and I won't do the zero thing! And maybe you'll get the morning after scene, too…