Just a note from your favorite author: (Don't tell me if I'm not your favorite author, at least a girl can dream, right?) Sam and Jack aren't technically going out. He needs to vent to somebody, and Sam is the one who would empathize the best since she is also a USAF officer. Besides, she might need to find her own legal defense team . . . Who knows until you read the next few chapters? (Of course that means that I have to write them . . . Maybe I won't . . . All right, I wouldn't do that to you guys!)

Jack met Sam in her lab, ten minutes later, both of them in their civilian clothes. He took a deep breath when he saw her. He had almost forgotten how good she looked in jeans and a t-shirt.

"What did you need, Sir?" She asked.

"Sam, would you just call me Jack when we're on leave? I'd like to know that we're friends, not just CO and subordinate."

She smiled. "Of course, Jack."

They walked up to the surface and Sam was about to go to her car. "Why don't we take mine?" Jack suggested.

She looked at him, strangely. "Si- Jack, what's going on? Is this a date?"

He shook his head. "Of course not, Car- Sam. I've just got some things on my mind and I'd like to talk to an old friend about them."

Her eyebrows shot up in surprise. "You want to talk about things?" She smiled, teasingly. "Well, obviously, it's the end of the world. Now, why don't we take my Volvo, and you can talk on the way? That way, we won't die because you're too focused on these things on your mind."

He pouted, mockingly. "Who said we were going to die?"

However, he followed her to her car and got in the passenger side.

"All right, what's going on?" Sam asked as she began driving.

"You know I talked to General Hammond after we were dismissed from our briefing, right?" Jack started.

"Of course. By the look on your face and the look on his, things were not going to be pretty."

"Well, they weren't. But it's not the General's fault."

"Of course not, he's the best commander the base has had." Sam agreed.

"Well, he recommended me for his replacement after he retires."

She stared at him while they were stopped at a red light. "That's great! You're going to be . . ."

"No, Carter. I'm going to be court-martialed."

She looked at him, confused. "What?"

"Kinsey happened to be there when the General spoke to the President."

She swallowed as they pulled forward after the stop light once more. "Well, that must have been a lot of fun."

He chuckled. "As fun as smelling Kinsey's dirty socks."

She crinkled her nose up at that thought. "That's not fair."

He smiled. "Anyway, Kinsey brought up the whole blow up Apophis incident. He basically told the President that he needed to prove to the military that the end does not justify the means."

They pulled into the restaurant parking lot and stopped. Sam turned to Jack. "I can't believe it. You mean you're really going to be court-martialed after all for that? We saved the dang planet, Jack!"

"I know, Carte- Sam, but that doesn't seem to be an end that justifies our defiance of a direct order."

She bit her lip in concentration. "So, are you scared?"

He shook his head. "Nah, I figure that there's gotta be a martyr for every cause. I guess I just get that delightful pleasure."

She looked at him, a deeper probing look in her eyes.

"Okay, I'm terrified." He admitted.

"I would be too."

"Anyway, so that's the reason that we're suspended from active duty."

She jolted forward. "We're suspended?"

He nodded. "The General just didn't have the heart to call it a suspension. He called it leave."

"Why are we suspended?"

"Mainly because we blew up Apophis."

"But that was six years ago."

He shook his head. "I know, but try telling that to Senator Kinsey. As it is, he wants SG-1 banished from Gate Travel."

She sat back in her seat, trying to take it all in. "You know, it's a shame he didn't really die."

Jack chuckled. "Yeah, well, at least I wasn't the one who would have killed him, though I'm seriously tempted to do so now."

She nodded, and then she looked him in the eyes. "You know we're going to stand by you. Just like we did with Teal'c. Just like we did when you were wrongly accused of attempted assassination. We're family."

He smiled, gravely. "I know, and that's why, no matter what, I'm going to be all right. They may take away my gate privileges, we may be split up as a team, but they will never break us apart."

Tears were shining in her eyes. "Why, Jack. I didn't know you could be so emotional."

He shook his head. "Oh that? I heard it someplace."

Before she could think about it, Sam leaned forward and kissed Jack's cheek. "I like this side of you. A lot."

Okay,that was more of a "when God closes a door, he opens a window" kind of kiss on the cheek. They do have feelings for each other, but nothing's going to happen until they know for sure if Jack's going to be court-martialed (being the eternal optimist, he assumes there will be one) and until they know whether SG-1 will indeed be suspended permanently from Gate Travel or not.

Bold font indicates extreme sarcasm

By the way, read and review! I mean it. I can see how many of you come to the site and don't review. I really want to know what you think! Like I've said before, I'm not psychic!