Sorry about the long delays between posting, am doing my best to keep up with it during this hectic time of year.. Hope you like…..

Upon reaching the cabin Daniel peered in and noticed Jack and Sam were sitting rather close to each other on the couch, beer in hand and looked to be talking rather intensely. Looking over Daniel's shoulder Teal'c just nodded and made his way to the back step and sat down.

"I will be right back" Daniel commented and walked inside.

Being careful not to disturb Jack and Sam he quickly went to the fridge, grabbed a beer and an orange juice and back outside. Jack and Sam did not lift their gaze. They knew what he was doing and they both appreciated It., though they didn't want them sitting out there all night because hey were too uncomfortable to come inside.

"Hey Danny, T!" Jack yelled after them just as Daniel stepped out the sliding door.

"Yeah Jack"

"You requested our presence O'Neill?"

"Yeah, look guys, why don't you too sit in here for a bit, Carter and I were just talking about going for a walk ourselves"

"Jack it is almost midnight"

"I'm a big boy Daniel, plus Carter will look out for me"

"That doesn't surprise me Jack, but why don't you guys go and talk in your room or something"

Sam who had been sitting quietly through the whole conversation decided to speak up.

"Actually Sir, It really doesn't matter, I'm getting kinda tired anyway so I might get some sleep"

"Sure thing Carter, see you bright and early in the morning"

"Night Sam"

"Goodnight Colonel Carter"

"Goodnight Guys" and Sam made her way to the spare room.

It was 4am when Jack woke to the sound of the sliding back door. wondering whether it was someone trying to get in. He reached beside him and grabbed the gun in the top draw. You never can be too careful.

He got up slowly, without making a sound he headed past Sam's room. It was then he seen that the door was open and she wasn't in there. Obviously, he had his answer as to who was up and he wandered back to his room and replaced the gun. Sitting on the edge of the bed for a minute he debated about whether or not to go and see what was wrong or to just leave her alone.

Screw it, he thought. She was one of my team members and I still have to make sure she's ok. He got up slowly and made his way out the back door, picking up his jacket on the way out. As he reached the back door he gazed out over the moonlit lake and saw Sam's silhouette standing on the dock in basically the same position they were in not too long ago.

He walked down the stairs and made his approach known so she would not turn around and throttle him one, I mean let's face it she does have advanced hand to hand training.

He stood beside her and looked her up and down. She was still dressed in her pyjama bottoms, and a tank top, he noticed she had her arms folded, but he could not see her face, it was completely in shadow.

"So Carter, what brings you our here at 4am?"

"Couldn't sleep Sir"

"Yeah, me neither I didn't realise how much Teal'c snored" He heard her giggle, but knew that it was only out of politeness.

"So….. You ah, you wanna tell me what's up"

"Really Sir, I'm fine I just couldn't sleep and wanted to some fresh air"

"Well, you can't get much fresher that this" He said raising his arms up over his head and stretching.

"No Sir, you can't"

"So Carter, how are things at the SGC, really?"

"Different Sir"

"Different?"

"Yeah, no better, no worse, just different"

"Is that why you want to leave?"

"Sort of"

"You're not being very helpful here"

"What do you want me to say Sir, I mean we were a team, the 4 of us, you, me Teal'c and Daniel and now that's gone, its just different"

"Things change Carter"

"Yes Sir they do, but not with us, no one could possibly understand what we went through together, I mean don't get me wrong, I till love the SGC, but I wish things didn't have to change, especially between us…. Especially between you and me" She went out on a limb with that last comments and she didn't know what his reaction would be, so she didn't look at him, but he looked at her.

"Carter…" she didn't look, "Sam" he reached out and grabbed both of her shoulders slowly turning her towards him. "Thing will never change between us, we will always be friends, I will always be here for you, I have told you that, and I meant it"

Looking up at him and feeling her eyes start to swell, she figured that she had gone this far, she might as well continue "What if I want things to change, what if I want to be more than friends"

He looked at her then, like he had never looked at her before, and within a few seconds, though it seemed like an eternity to Sam, he pulled her I to the tightest embrace, his head instinctively curling into her neck.

He whispered. "Sam, I am really no good at this, I mean after Sara and Charlie….."

"Its ok Sir, she mumbled almost crying in his embrace.

"Sam, for once let me finish……. "After Sara and Charlie I never thought that I would feel about anyone they way I felt about them, and then you…., you walked into that briefing room and you know the first thing I thought?"

"Oh no, not another scientist" She took a step back.

"Yeah well after that"

"I don't know"

"I thought that this woman, this intelligent, strong willed and beautiful woman, is going to be the death of me"