Disclaimer: I own nothing, I just wish I did!

Season: Any

Spoilers: None

Character(s): Sam Carter and Jack O'Neill

Pairings: Sam and Jack

Author's Note: Another one of those stories that just hit me and ran around my head until I finally found the time to write it down This story is inspired by Brad Paisley's - We Danced.

Second in the Where Now? series. Hope you enjoy,

We Danced

It was Friday night in Colorado Springs. Inside Jack's Bar Jack, the owner, was looking around. The regulars were in their usual spots, nursing the same drink they always had, the businessmen and women who had come in for a swift drink before heading home were standing together talking shop. The airmen and women were causing a ruckus around the pool table; the out-of-towners were sitting by the windows, looking out and watching the people of Colorado Springs walk by. All it needed to make it a typical Friday night was the groups of guys and gaggles of girls out for some fun after a hard week a work.

"Here they come" thought Jack as he heard the door open.

Sure enough, in walked a group of around 20 guys who headed straight to the bar. Jack didn't move from his stool to help, he didn't need to anymore. He'd trained his staff well; they worked hard, efficiently and didn't need him on hand to deal with problems. This allowed him the freedom to go out at night or simply relax in his apartment above the bar. However, he loved Friday nights and rarely missed one. He wasn't sure what it was about them that he found so special, maybe it was the eclectic mix of people who came in, maybe it was the drunken antics of the patrons. Whatever it was Jack loved it. All he knew was that, on a Friday night, there was no where else he would rather be than sitting at the end of the bar talking with the customers.

Throughout the night different groups walked in and out of the bar. Very few groups stayed for more than a couple of drinks, but one group of women had come in two hours ago and showed no signs of leaving. Jack had spoken to a couple of the women and found out that it was a 'congratulations on your divorce' party. There were around 12 of them - friends and colleagues of the divorcee and by God were they drinking! Well, most of them were. Jack had noticed that a couple of the ladies had two drinks and then stuck to soda for the rest of the night – "Probably got an early morning tomorrow" Jack thought.

As the night progressed and the volume of people increased, Jack lost sight of the women; it was so busy that it was standing room only. He had noticed however that they hadn't slowed on their drink orders; the trays of cocktails kept being ordered and consumed. Jack was in his element, chatting with the punters, jumping behind the bar to serve when it got too hectic and running up and down to the cellar when a barrel needed changing, he didn't need to do it but he wanted his staff behind the bar serving and doing what they did best while he did the grunt work. But it was time for it to come to an end. He walked behind the bar, rang the bell and pressed play on the CD player, GreenDay's 'Closing Time' blared out. The regulars and those who had been to the bar knew what that meant and started to finish up their drinks, eventually the idea passed on to the others in the bar and soon almost everyone was finishing their drinks and making their way to the door.

However, some of the women were still in their seats finishing their cocktails, one of the women who had been drinking soda was trying to coax them out of the bar. Jack hadn't had a chance to speak with her that night, all he'd noticed was that she was tall and blonde, now he noticed that she moved with a graceful efficiency - no wasted movement as she urged her friends to finish their drinks so that she could drive them home. "Military efficiency" he thought. He knew a thing or two about that, being a retired Air Force Colonel himself. As she helped one of the women into their coat she turned and Jack was struck by the blueness of her eyes. She saw him standing there looking at their group with a little smile on his face and flashed him a smile in response. Jack had to grab the edge of the bar, her smile was lethal. By the time he had recovered and was about to go over and talk to her he saw that they were making their way out of the door. He sighed and began to wipe down the bar. His staff were busy collecting and washing glasses and putting the chairs up on the tables. In less than 30 minutes, the last glass was back on the shelf and every chair was up on a table. Jack bade his staff good night and grabbed a sweeping brush.

He walked over to the area that the women had been in all night and began to sweep, as he brushed around one of the table legs he noticed a purse on the floor, he picked it up and placed it behind the bar. He figured somebody would come back for it tomorrow, probably too drunk to realise they'd left it behind. He continued sweeping and was standing in the middle of the hardwood dance floor when he heard the door open behind him, "I'm sorry but we're closed" he said without turning around.

The person at the door replied, "I know, but I'm afraid I left my purse".

Jack span round, he hadn't expected to see the beautiful blonde at his door but some idiot looking for a late drink. He collected himself and walked over to her and said, "I put one back behind the bar, I bet it's probably yours."

She followed him to the bar and began to explain that she hadn't even noticed she hadn't got the purse until she was at home and couldn't find her house keys; they were in her purse while her car keys had been in her coat! Laughing to himself, Jack stepped behind the bar and picked up the purse then turned to look at the woman. He had every intention of handing her the purse and seeing her to the door but something stopped him. She was currently thanking him for finding it for her and he began to say there was no need to thank him; soon they were lost in conversation.

During his conversation with the women he found out that her name was Sam, she was a Major in the Air Force and taught at the Academy, so he was right about her being military. However, he noticed that it was getting to be very late, or very early, depending how you looked at it and knew that they had to call an end to this conversation, at least for tonight. As Sam reached for her purse Jack pulled it out of her reach and said with a smile, "You'll only get this back on one condition".

"And what's that?" asked Sam.

"Dance with me".

Jack took hold of Sam's hand and walked into the middle of the hardwood dance floor and pulled her close. Music was still playing quietly in the background, the chairs were stacked on tables and the lights were turned down low, and they danced.

From that moment Jack knew that he had found the one that he had dreamed about, the one he wanted to spend the rest of his life with.

Their relationship flourished quickly and Sam would regularly stop by the bar when she had finished teaching. However, tonight she had been out with the girls and stopped by the bar after closing time. She walked over to the bar and sat next to Jack, but as she sat down he stood and knelt down in front of her and pulled a diamond ring out of the pocket of his shirt. He looked up into her face and saw her eyes fill up with tears and she said, "This is the last thing I expected."

She then took hold of his hand and pulled him to his feet and said, "I'll only marry you on one condition."

And, just as they had done on the first night they met, they danced on that empty hardwood floor.

Come on, you all know the drill, please review.