Hi Everyone,

Here is the next chapter. Thank you for all the reviews and can't wait to hear what you think of this one.

They stood looking at each other for what seemed like an eternity. The stared deep into each others eyes, and maybe for the first time, Sam realised how hard this was for him. The General…. Jack….. was never one to show his emotions ever and now here they were, at 4am, at his Cabin, standing outside talking about being more than friends……. She had imagined this moment a hundred times in her head, but never thought it would ever happen.

General Jack O'Neill was first and foremost her superior officer, and even if there was potential for something more there positions and the very nature of their position wouldn't allow for it. She recalled her words from what seemed like an eternity ago when she spoke to the reporter that came to the SGC just before Janet's death.

"Sam"

Oh Janet, she though. If only you were here to see this,

"Carter" Instinctively Sam stood up straight, reacting to his orders as she always did.

"Sorry Sir, I was day dreamining"

"I can see that, want to tell me what about?"

"Oh just everything, you, me, Janet, Jonus, Pete, everything.

"Well that's a bit much for 4am in the morning don't you think"

"Yes Sir"

"Well tell you what, we leave tomorrow, ah today…… and I think we should save this conversation until when we get back don't you think. Maybe go out for dinner or something, where we have a bit more privacy"

"Really?"

"Really…. now come on, let's get back to bed"

After their return to Colorado Springs, several weeks went by with Sam hearing nothing from the General (Great, she thought, I have gone back to calling him The General). Things had basically gone back to normal, same old routine, going through the gate, having some extreme adventure that they probably should have never survived, and coming home. Each time she came home there was a faint hope that standing in the Control Tower looking down at her would be Jack O'Neill but, that time never came.

It was late now, as she looked at her watch, and the base was relatively quiet. Sam was just finishing up in her lab and reached to switch of the lights when a hand darted out from behind her and grabbed her around the waste pulling her to them. She knew who it was instantly.

"Jack!"

"You sound surprised to see me"

She spun around in his arms to look at him. "Well I thought after not hearing from you for a few weeks that you had forgotten all about me"

"Never……… come on" He grabbed her hand and pulled her towards the door.

"Where are we going?"

"I'm keeping my promise to take you out for dinner"

"Jack, it's almost midnight"

"I know, but I also know that you wouldn't have stopped for something to eat in a while, you coming?"

"Yes Sir"

And they walked hand in hand out of the mountain.

The drive was short, and Sam knew exactly where they were going as she followed him on her bike. They were going to his place. He mind wandered almost a thousand times and her stomach was a mess with butterflies as she rode the short distance to his house. Once they arrived he walked her inside and offered her a beer, which she took gratefully (This meant she didn't have to go home anytime soon) and they sat in the lounge room.

He spoke first. "So, what would you like, I can order pizza, Chinese, Indian….."

"I thought you hated Indian!"

"I do, but I know you like it"

"Sir, I really don't think you are going to get anywhere open at this time of night"

"Maybe your right, I will just cook something" He stood and headed down to hall towards the kitchen. Sam followed.

"Sir, it's really not necessary, I am really not very hungry"

"Sam, its fine, go and sit down, I'm sure there is something that you will find interesting on TV at this time of night"

"What's that suppose to mean?"

"Nothing, whenever I am up at this time of night there is always some science show or documentary on that's all"

Sam nodded and headed out of the room back to the lounge. Jack, who had been leaning on the counter pushed off it with a sigh and followed.

Sam had curled herself up in a ball at the end of the couch, with her arms crossed and her legs tucked under her. She had removes her SGC issue jacket and was now wearing a very tight black shirt (not that Jack noticed or anything…) and she had taken offer her shoes and placed them on the floor beside her.

Not knowing what to say at that particular point in tie, Jack just decided to sit next to her and see what happened. Nothing did, they sat in silence for 5 minutes before the tension got the best of her and Sam spoke.

"Sir, I don't mean to be rude, but it is really late and I should really be getting home" She didn't look at him.

Jack, rubbing both his hands over his face in order to try and hide from her replied into his hands "Stay"

"Sir?"

He looked up from his hands and turned to face her, her eyes growing wide with anticipation. She thought she had heard him correctly but she needed him to say it again, needed to hear the sound come out of his mouth, needed……

"I said, I want you to stay" He turned away quickly, worried at what her response might be.

"Sir, don't you think this is all going a bit fast, I mean we haven't even talked about any of this and now you want me to stay, I just need to know where I stand, do you know what I mean….. I don't want to stay and then tomorrow things go back to how they were it just wouldn't be right, and then there are the consequences, the rules & regs………" She took a breath realising that he probably didn't catch half of what she just said.

"Carter… Sam…" He grabbed her hand and made her look at him. "Don't you think I have thought about all of that?"…. Don't you think I have played this conversation over and over in my head since you first walked into that briefing 10 years ago... Look, we both know the rules, the regulations that stop this (gesturing his hands back and fourth) from happening, and they are there for good reason"

"I know"

"But…" grabbing her hands again "They are no longer an issue"

Sam looked at him, her eyes full of surprise and hope "What?... What do you mean no longer an issue?"

Jack smiled "It means Dr Samantha Carter, that I approved your request for you to retire from the Air Force, but…… There is one HUGE condition"

Smiling, Sam couldn't resist. "How Huge?"

"Massive…….. You have to stay on at the SGC as a civilian, you are way too valuable to leave all together, and you will be Hank's 2IC."

"I think I can manage that Sir"

"It's Jack now Carter"

Smiling, Sam replied. "It's Sam now Jack.

Jack simply nodded his head, as did Sam, both suddenly realising that there were no longer any boundaries between them, no longer any rules or regulations, and as Sam realised that this was the moment of truth…. it terrified her.