Chapter 19 – Welcome

Disclaimer – Not mine, never will be etc. etc.

A/N – OK – so I've never been called "evil" as much as I have in the last few days by your reviews. I've also never had so many people ask for a cliffhanger to be resolved before they go away for the holidays when they won't have internet access. As such, here is a very short chapter just to keep you all happy for a few days.

I was going to make this one big Christmas present of a chapter but now I'm not sure if I should push aside all of my Christmas obligations to get the next chapter out. I'll wait to see what you guys think of this little one and then put pen to paper – Enjoy!

Sam opened her door to see Jack leaning nonchalantly against the door frame with his face down looking at her "Welcome" mat. She held her breath and waited. He raised his head slowly until he was looking directly into her eyes.

"Hi Dorothy", he drawled and the breath Sam had been holding quickly escaped as an audible gasp.

"How?", Sam whispered unable to break eye contact.

"The Wizard of Oz", Jack replied in a quiet, matter of fact tone.

"Oh", she said simply, not knowing what else to say. She looked away from him and stared over his shoulder off into the distance. After what seemed to Sam like an eternity, Jack took a deep breath that stirred her from her daze.

"Yeah. There was something bugging me for the last few weeks. A piece of the puzzle that didn't quite fit. Then Teal'c said something that made me think. So I looked back at IM my profile and then Dorothy's IM profile and that's what was missing. The Wizard of Oz. And that's when everything fell into place."

He stepped closer to her and she thought that he might reach out to her as he raised his arm. But he resisted the urge to touch her and instead placed his hands in the pockets of his jeans. He rocked back on his heels and continued.

"You said it yourself. We needed to get a life. On PX3-422. I took you to mean that you needed to get a life and I needed to get a life but that wasn't it, was it? You meant what you said, exactly as you said it. We needed to get a life. Together", he said emphasizing the word "we". He hadn't taken his eyes off her during his entire monologue so he couldn't miss the smile that lit up her face and made her eyes sparkle.

"You understand?" Sam asked with a voice filled with hope. He smiled slightly and nodded. "I think so." He paused obviously trying to decide how to continue. "At first I didn't. I thought that you'd been playing me. Manipulating me. But I think I know you better than that don't I?" He looked at her with such an intense gaze that she knew he was trying to see into her soul and then broke away and shook his head.

"I think that all this time, that's what you've been trying to tell me. That you thought that we should give this a try", he motioned between them with his arm. "Out of the public glare. Just Dorothy and Scarecrow. Jack and Sam. No Colonels and no Majors. Am I right?"

Tears filled Sam's eyes as for the first time she realized that he really did understand. That he was standing on her doorstep with a complete grasp of what she wanted and what she proposed to do about it. He had figured it out and come to her with a smile on his face and, yep, a definite twinkle in his eye.

"You're right", she answered, her voice sounding more confident than she felt. "So what now?"

A smile formed on Jack's face knowing that this was his moment of ultimate decision. He could turn away now and things could go back to the way they were. Or he could take a chance at happiness. He chuckled slightly to himself, as he finally understood that there really wasn't any choice. When he thought about how much he loved her, and how long he had waited for a moment like this to present itself, no matter how it came about, he knew what he had to do.

"Now you let me into your house so that your neighbors don't talk any more than they are already doing", he said, motioning towards her neighbor's twitching curtains.

Sam took a step back from her position in her hallway pulling the door open with her. She waved her hand inviting him into the house and Jack nodded and walked inside. He closed the door behind him and leaned against the hall wall. He ran an appraising glance over her and broke into a huge grin.

"Anyway, I knew that you hadn't been lying to me in your instant messages the minute I saw you", Jack said with in a smug tone.

"You could tell from my face?", Sam asked, a quizzical look creasing her brow.

"Nope. I could tell from your silk pajama bottoms and camisole."