Sorry to keep you all hanging there, but here's the next chapter for your enjoyment.

Alas, not much more to go now folks.

Thanks for all your wonderful reviews; I really appreciate them. Keep 'em coming...pretty please?

NOTHING IS EVER THAT SIMPLE

By LetitiaRichards

Previously:-

The look on the faces of the soldiers they passed along the way was priceless, but Jack couldn't help wondering what would have become of the SGC if Kinsey had succeeded. Mitchum, the young man who had tried to shoot him, had turned state's evidence in order to help the SGC catch the spy among them, who had been passing details of missions as well as the comings and goings of SG-1 and Hammond, who it turned out, was next on the Senator's list. Mitchum had sung like the proverbial nightingale. The result was that one of Hammond's own staff had been taken away for questioning, accused of passing on secret documents for the President's eyes only, to a certain 'Ex'-Senator.

Chapter 24 – Relief

"Hey sleepy head. How're you doing?"

Jack was half awake, but at those words, he stretched languorously. A luxury that wasn't lost on him. He hadn't been able to do anything remotely like that for so long now without hurting. He pushed himself upright in the bed, something else he could do now without pain, and smiled at Sam as she entered the room carrying a tray loaded with breakfast for him.

Now that Jack was fully awake, Mac had all but leapt onto him, smothering him in hello kisses until Jack had to fend him off so that he could greet Sam.

She laughed at the dog's enthusiastic 'good morning' to his master as she placed the tray on the table beside the bed. Playfully pushing the puppy out of the way she sat on the edge of the mattress, leaning into Jack for a morning hug and a kiss.

"You've slept for hours," she accused with a chuckle, reluctantly pulling away. "Feeling better?"

"I'm fine! What time is it anyway?" Jack asked already eyeing the array of food on the tray. He was starving; idly wondering when it was he last ate. Actually he couldn't even recall eating anything for hours.

Mac had sat up too and was watching every move Jack made, closely, his mouth salivating at the sight of food.

"It's a little after 09:00. General Hammond said you shouldn't be disturbed, but I though Mac would probably nudge you pretty soon when he would need to go up top. Teal'c will be along in a minute to take him.

Jack caught site of the long line of drool, falling from Mac's mouth and looked at Sam, feigning annoyance.

"Haven't you fed him at all?"

Sam giggled.

"Of course we have. Cheeky hound," she remonstrated the pup with a pout and wagging finger. "He had some breakfast about three hours ago but wouldn't go for a walk back then. I should think he's absolutely bursting by now."

Jack tossed him a piece of toast and Mac gobbled it up in two bites.

"He'll get fat!" Sam warned with another chuckle.

"He's a growing...dog." Jack explained.

"I thought the idea was to make him grow upwards not outwards!" Sam snorted, to which Jack frowned, narrowing his eyes to glare at her.

"He'll be fine!" he countered.

Sam fell silent, quietly fondling Mac's ears while Jack tucked in, then a moment or two later the door opened and Teal'c entered. Abandoning the fuss from Sam, Mac leapt from the bed and trotted over to greet him, his tail wagging so hard he was wobbling on his feet. Teal'c stooped to pat the puppy on the head and run his hand over his shiny coat.

"Hey Teal'c!" Jack called round a mouthful of his favourite cereal.

"O'Neill. It is good to see you well once more."

"Thanks," Jack mumbled round another mouthful, then went back to his breakfast with gusto. It wasn't often he got to have his meals in bed unless he was really sick. "Ya know," he said, swallowing so that he could talk. "I could get used to this." He laughed then, especially when Sam swiped him playfully across the arm in response.

"In your dreams, fly boy!" she huffed.

"General Hammond would like to see you when you are finished here O'Neill."

Jack guessed as much, now he was fit and healthy, he would guess he was about to be recalled to duty again. He nodded acknowledgement of Teal'c's message as he continued to eat, polishing off the toast after tossing another nibble for Mac who wolfed it down quickly.

Sam shook her head, she could see Mac being fed on all the wrong foods.

"What?" Jack asked seeing her movement.

"I didn't say anything!" Sam said, chewing on her lip.

Teal'c stepped in between them and grabbed Mac, snapping on the puppy's leash. The dog was more than ready to leave Jack's side this time, knowing Jack was okay. Teal'c took the little dog and exited the room hastily before Jack and Sam could argue further over Mac's diet.

Sam sniggered at Teal'c's haste. She rarely got to see the Jaffa in a hurry, except when they were fleeing from some enemy.

"Sam!" Jack warned, trying to look annoyed, but instead he pushed the tray away and grabbed Sam's hands as he rose from the bed. "C'mere you!"

He pulled her into a warm embrace, loving the way he could do so now standing on his own two feet instead of being confined to a wheelchair or the bed.

Sam melted into his arms and pressed her lips against his, deepening the tender touch. Eventually they had to break off, both gasping for breath.

Jack removed his hands from her back, sliding them up her body until he held her face gently between his palms. He gazed lovingly into the depths of her azure eyes.

"I love you Samantha. I don't want to wait. Let's go get married. Soon."

"Really? You mean that?" Her eyes lit up at the prospect.

"Of course I do! There's no reason to wait is there? I don't see a problem... Unless you...?" he hesitated, a frown worrying his brow, as he wondered if there was something wrong.

"No!" she cried in denial. "God! I want to do this!" she said, her face breaking out in a wide smile. "I love you so much Jack. It's just...I never..."

"Ack!" he cut her off. "No dwelling!"

Sam dropped her suddenly watery eyes when she recalled his helplessness when they'd first found him. It hurt so much to see him like that.

"Sam," he warned, knowing full well what she had been thinking. "you can't dwell on the past. I'm fine now. We're fine now. Right?"

Sam nodded, brushing away her tears; her smile a little wobbly but there. He lifted her chin with his finger and kissed each of her tears away, then pulling her into a firm hug; burying his head in her neck and breathing in her unique aroma. She was all woman and she was his. He could hardly believe his luck after all. It was all because of their stupid misunderstanding that he wound up in the hospital. That's when he suddenly remembered that he hadn't seen Ellie for a few weeks.

"Where's Ellie? I thought she was working here these days? Or did I dream that?"

"Oh, em...she's been busy."

"Yeah? Sam?"

"She'll be back soon." Sam bit her bottom lip, and Jack instantly knew she was hiding something.

"Back soon? Sam!"

"You have to meet with General Hammond, Jack. You know he doesn't like to be kept waiting."

Jack cocked his head to look at her through narrowed suspicious eyes. She was up to something, so it seemed, was Ellie. He had no idea what it could be but he guessed he would have to wait to find out. She was right, he couldn't keep the General waiting.

He disappeared into the bathroom for a few minutes, then came out feeling more refreshed after a quick shower, a change of clothes and brushing his teeth.

Teal'c and Mac were still up top, or at least that's where he assumed they were. He'd have to wait until after his meeting with Hammond to catch up with them again.

Sam escorted him to the briefing room. their progress was slow as everyone they met greeted him with enthusiasm. If they were surprised to see him, he was mistaken. This was the SGC and working here, everyone knew the impossible was possible. So seeing Jack had been nothing more than a pleasant surprise, and a very welcome one.

Finally they made it to the conference room where Sam sat at the table to await his return.

She grasped his hand and squeezed it to reassure him it would be okay. He nodded, really wanting to bend over and kiss her, but this wasn't the time nor the place, so he walked towards the General's office and knocked on the door.

"Come!"

Jack opened the door and stepped into the room. Thor was seated there opposite the General who was beaming at Jack as he entered.

"General," Jack acknowledged.

"Take a seat Colonel."

Jack sat down on the seat next to Thor.

"Thor, Buddy. How're ya doing?"

"Greetings O'Neill. I am well."

"Me too! Thanks by the way. I owe ya one!" Jack answered feeling slightly self-conscious for some reason. Maybe it was because this was such a personal thing to talk about. Which everyone knew Jack didn't deal well at all.

"I was explaining to General Hammond, O'Neill, that I have delivered Senator Kinsey to Kanis Primus. I have left him with a supply of food and water; enough for several days in fact. I shall return there in three of your days to discover if he is willing to confess his crimes against you to your justice system."

"That's good. A supply of food huh? They wouldn't happen to be those little yellow squares, that Carter said tasted like sh...? Em...well, let's put it this way, they're not to our taste if ya know what I mean. Sorry! I can see he's just gonna love that," Jack snorted with amusement at the thought of Kinsey trying to eat that stuff. It was beyond foul.

"Actually that is not so O'Neill."

"What? Not so, as in not the yellow squares, or not so, as in not your food at all?"

"I did not leave him the yellow squares. They are my personal favourites. I left him with the ones that even I cannot abide."

Jack couldn't help the laughter that arose. He could just imagine Kinsey's face as he tried to eat that stuff, let alone the stuff that Thor actually hated. The Asgard's favourite ones tasted bad enough, so he couldn't imagine what the ones that Thor disliked, tasted like. Personally he didn't want to find out either.

"Sweet!" Jack commented with a wide grin. Serves the bastard right. If the ex-senator couldn't stomach the Asgard food, then he was going to find himself somewhat thinner by the time he returned to Earth; supposing of course the smug sonovabitch decided he would admit to the charges.

TBC