An hour later, Janet, Daniel, Teal'c and Sam were staring at Jack's CAT scan. "It's impossible." Sam whispered.

The device that had shown up in Cassie's lungs was now perfectly replicated in Jack's brain.

"The cellular decay is happening at a higher rate than Cassie's did…I think it may have something to do with the Ancient gene…or possibly just his age."

Daniel wiped his forehead in frustration. "How long?"

"Only about an hour…hopefully we can just take him to the same nuclear facility and he'll be fine, but who knows if someone improved on Nirrti's first model?" Janet responded.

"Does O'Neill know?" Teal'c asked.

"No, but I've been given the talk to tell him." Sam explained.

"I've released him to the immediate vicinity on the condition that he wouldn't go near the Stargate, but who really knows where he is." Janet added.

Sam nodded. "Thanks, but I'll be okay. I'll just tell him and we'll…" She took a deep breath to keep from bursting into tears. "We'll just take it from there."

She found him in his office, playing with a yo-yo. "Uh, Colonel O'Neill?"

She saw all of the boxes around the room, and noticed that his desk was bare, and a couple of the boxes were full.

"Hey, Sam. What's going on?" Jack asked, as he swiveled around in his chair.

"Nothing…where are you going?" She asked.

"The General relieved me of duty this morning, so I'm packing up and going to the cabin…why? You wanna come?

She started laughing, but her heart was still as heavy as a millstone…it was in her throat and the added weight was steadily drowning her in a sea of emotion. Right now, she was treading water, but his reactions would be the difference between sinking into the depths of despair or choking on the sea water turbulently thrown around her.

"Actually, sir…"

He interrupted her. "Sam, stop calling me 'sir.' First of all, I'm not your commanding officer anymore. And secondly I'm dying…that's what you came to tell me, wasn't it? Anyway, if I can't be Jack around my friends by the time I die, then I'm not worth very much, am I?"

"No, sir…you're right, Jack." She said, bravely.

"So, judging by your hesitation, you have some bad news for me."

She swallowed.

"So, I'm right." He said as he stood up.

He walked over to her and she felt tears well up in her eyes. He cupped her face in his hands and forced her to look at him. "Sam, just tell me…I can handle it."

"Jack, you've been used." She looked down and mumbled something incoherent.

"What is it, Sam?"

She looked back up at him and his hands in hers. "You're a naquadah bomb…just like Cassie was." He body began convulsing with sobs as he stood there in shock.

"How long do we have?" He managed.

She took a deep breath and regained her composure. "Jack, we have to take you to the…nuclear facility just half an hour away." She said, trying to blink the tears away. "Hopefully, it'll…hopefully you won't…"

"Blow up?" Jack finished.

She bit her lip and looked at the floor.

"Sorry. I didn't mean to sound like I was joking." He said, deciding whether or not to put his arms around her. In the end, he did sweep her up into his arms.

She feels so good…so right, right here. He thought. But I have no right to tell her…if I'm just going to die.

"Jack?" She whispered.

"Yeah?"

"I can't live the rest of my life not knowing…"

"Not knowing what?" He asked.

"Whether or not you love me."

It was out now…he couldn't play it safe anymore, but if he told her that he…loved…her, she wouldn't move on with her life. Snippets of a popular song ran through his head.

It's the hardest thing I've ever had to do
To look you in the eye and tell you I don't love you.
It's the hardest thing I've ever had to lie
To show no emotion when you start to cry.

He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. If he survived, they would revisit this…or he would just accept the consequences.

"Sam, I…"

He couldn't finish. Despite all of his black ops training, military evasion tactics…he couldn't lie to her.

"Talk about star-crossed lovers." She replied in perfect understanding.

Jack ran his hand through Sam's hair and she closed her eyes in tender pain. "It's not fair to ask you to chance that I'll…" Daniel ran into the room, interrupting Jack's confession.

"Oops…" He said, as he saw Jack and Sam's close proximity.

They parted and stood side by side. "We're coming, Danny." Jack said.

"Well, I don't mean to sound calloused, but we're down to 45 minutes."

"I'm keeping track, Daniel." Growled a fierce Sam.

"Okay…" Daniel said, backing away.

"Samantha," Jack began; she turned back to him. "If by some miracle I survive, will you…marry me?"

She cried as she nodded.

He reached into his pocket and pulled out a jewelry box.

"And if I don't, will you keep living your life?" He asked, before he handed the box to her.

She hesitated and jack placed the engagement ring on her left hand, then placed his finger under her chin and forced her to look at him. "Sam, promise me…you're still young enough to enjoy life, so don't throw it away because of what the goa'ulds did to me."

She closed her eyes in pain.

"Sam, don't give them the satisfaction of knowing that they single-handedly brought down the best theoretical astrophysicist and soldier on this team."

She nodded. "Aren't you going to make that an order?" She asked, calloused.

Jack threw his arms around her and hugged her tightly.

Janet walked in hastily. "Colonel O'Neill, Major Carter, you need to go NOW."

Jack nodded. Then, as he pulled out of the embrace, he smiled bravely. "I will be back."

Then he kissed her forehead and started walking out the door. A hand was put on his shoulder and he turned around. Sam gave him a passionate kiss that rivaled Sha're's that fateful day on Abydos. As he tried to regain his senses, she looked him in the eyes. "You were right about coming back…but I'm going to be there every step of the way."