Thanks for all the reviews guys! Here's Part Two for you… Enjoy!

Today's Random Comment: Went to see Pirates 2 again last night and noticed so much more the second time around…is Johnny Depp absolutely brilliant as Captain Jack Sparrow or what? I love this film so much more than the first... Oh, and how many people here made the effort to stay to the end of the credits & find out what happened to the dog, eh? Anyone?

The Trouble With Carter

By Chezza

Disclaimer, Author's Notes and Copyright Notice, etc in Prologue.

o0o

Chapter Two

Daniel smirked.

"Well, you'll be pleased to hear it's got nothing to do with you forgetting about Valentines Day."

Jack's scowl deepened.

"I knew that, Daniel!"

Daniel raised an eyebrow in query and Jack sighed in resignation.

"I haven't forgotten, Daniel." He said defensively. "You're all going to be off-world for it anyway, which makes it kinda pointless…"

He hesitated for a second, before finishing in a rush.

"And we've already made plans for the following weekend."

Jack's look plainly said 'try again', even if he didn't speak it and it became Daniel's turn to frown.

"Huh."

Well, that was a surprise! With them being off-world and knowing that Jack would also know they would be off-world, he hadn't expected Jack to even remember, let alone 'make plans'.

Jack frowned in reply.

"Besides, I don't 'do' hearts and flowers and all that crud, Daniel. Carter knows that."

"Yes…well, you may want to consider it this year."

Jack's frown deepened.

"I thought you said this has nothing to do with - "

He waved a hand in emphasis.

" - that?"

Daniel sighed.

"Yes…but it might help with the actual problem itself."

Jack raised an eyebrow.

"Do tell?"

Daniel pulled a face. It didn't look like he was going to be able to put this off any longer.

"Well, from what I gather, you know, talking to her - "

He coughed a little awkwardly and Jack's expression practically screamed at him to get on with it.

" - and everything…I think, she's feeling…alittleinsecure."

The beer bottle lowered slowly and Daniel cringed inwardly, in expectation of the outburst which he had a nasty feeling was about to occur.

"Insecure?"

Daniel nodded, refraining from speaking in an effort not to set him off.

"Carter?"

He nodded again.

"Daniel, Carter is one of the least insecure people I've ever met!"

The bottle was being waved around again and it was a testament to how much had already been drunken out of it, that the liquid inside didn't immediately spill everywhere.

"I mean…she's saved the world for chrissake! Hell, the whole damn galaxy! And not just once."

Jack shook his head as he raised the bottle again.

"Insecure. Jeez…"

Daniel took the resumption of drinking to mean he'd calmed down, or at least accepted the idea enough, to listen to an explanation.

"Yes, I think so. You have to remember we're talking about Sam here, not Colonel Carter."

Jack was looking confused again.

"I thought we were. Unless someone split her down the middle when I wasn't looking…"

His face brightened at the thought.

"Hey, two Carters! That could be fun…"

Daniel rolled his eyes.

"Jack, don't be so obtuse. You know what I mean."

Jack sobered immediately. Standing straighter at Daniel's accusation, he fixed him with a piercing look.

"Actually I don't, Daniel. Why don't you tell me?"

Daniel grimaced, knowing he'd just been caught out.

"Alright. I'll give it a shot. Sam…knows who she is in her work and where she's heading with her career. But in her personal life…this thing with you…she's…not so sure."

Jack went completely rigid, the bottle stilling between his hands. He looked down at it for a long time before raising his head.

Uh-oh.

Daniel recognised that defeated look and the effort it was causing Jack to attempt to keep it hidden. The fact that he was failing miserably, said an awful lot more about the strength of his feelings, than he knew Jack would be happy with knowing he'd admitted.

It did not bode well.

"So…what?" Jack said, dully. "She thinks we're not going to work out?"

o0o

Daniel resisted the urge to swear under his breath.

"God, no! Jack, that's not it at all!"

Dammit. Trust Jack to get entirely the wrong end of the stick! Sam wasn't the only one who needed some confidence in themselves. And their relationship.

"Jack…" Daniel tailed off, sighing.

How to explain without creating more of a mess than he had already?

God, he was useless at this! It'd probably be a whole lot easier if he wasn't such good friends with both of them, but either way, being placed right in the centre of Sam and Jack's troubles was soo not a place he was comfortable with being in, right now.

Or ever, in fact.

Why the hell had Jack thought it was a good idea to involve him, anyway? It wasn't like he could offer any useful information on personal relationships! Jack himself, had a better record on that account. And that was saying something. Jack should be the one talking to Sam and sorting this out. After all, he was the one in a relationship with Sam, not Daniel.

And right about now, Daniel was classing that as a very good thing. Sam was a good friend to the point of being the sister he'd never had, if he used the typical cliché, but that wasn't to say he'd never thought about her that way. How could he not? Sam was a very beautiful and intelligent woman.

At this precise moment though, he was very definitely receiving the impression he'd dodged a bullet on this one. Sam might be one of the best friends he'd ever had, but as 'something more'… Well, he was starting to believe that the phrase 'high maintenance' didn't even come close.

He had the feeling Jack wasn't much better.

However, the fact that either of them had the patience to put aside their combined baggage and still do their best to attempt to make it work, was enough to make a reluctant Daniel push away his own resentment. He settled instead for a grimace at the amount of effort it took, and tried his best to find the right words to say.

"Look…Jack… Sam said to me – "

Oi. How best to put this? Might as well just tell Jack straight up. Sam could kill him later. When they'd sorted this out.

" – that you were the best thing to ever happen to her."

Of course, Sam was biased.

But still…Daniel found it pretty incredible, considering all the things Sam done in her life. Especially during the last nine years. The only reason he could come up with for her statement - and she had been fairly adamant about it - was that love was indeed blind.

It darn well had to be.

"I don't think she's just going to give up on you now. You'd have to do something pretty damn stupid for that to happen."

He could only watch in amazement as Jack's expression instantly softened from 'grim', into what could only be described as 'goofy'.

"Really? She said that?"

Daniel nodded, his amazement growing in line with the big-ass smile which spread itself across Jack's face.

"Sweet." Jack murmured softly, ducking his head to stare at his feet in what Daniel knew was a blatant effort to avoid showing how much of an effect that knowledge had on him.

He shook his head in disbelief. Wow. Jack really did have it bad.

Who'd have thought it?

Maybe Sam had a very good reason to be biased. He'd certainly never seen anyone put that particular expression on Jack's face before. It was actually kind of sweet.

In a sickening sort of way.

TBC…