Jack headed through the briefing room and down the staircase to the gate control room. The others exchanged a worried look before they dumped their bags and followed him. Sam slipped into the chair by the side of Walter ready to assist him.

'Unscheduled incoming wormhole.' Walter announced.

'How many teams off world?' Daniel asked.

'Thirteen.' Jack said folding his arms and staring out of the observation window at the ring.

'Receiving IDC.' Walter noted.

'It's Bra'tac.' Sam confirmed recognising the code a moment before the computer displayed his name.

Jack glanced across at Teal'c who looked back at him with a mixture of concern and confusion.

'Open the iris.' Jack ordered as he started to head down to the gate room, Teal'c and Daniel following after him. Sam followed at a more sedate pace and Bra'tac was already stepping through the glistening pool of blue that was the event horizon of the wormhole and onto the steel ramp when Sam took her position with the others.

Bra'tac took a moment to steady himself, more to hide his shock at the strange apparel the SG1 team were wearing than to recover from the trip through the wormhole. His dark eyes landed with amusement on his former protégé who was wearing some kind of skin-tight blue jacket and Teal'c lifted one eyebrow as though in warning; he would not tolerate teasing even from his respected mentor.

Jack stepped forward to greet him with a smile. 'Master Bra'tac.'

'O'Neill.' Bra'tac inclined in his head. His eyes drifted to Daniel and to Sam as he acknowledged them in turn. 'I apologise for my unscheduled return but it is vital that I speak with Teal'c immediately. In private.'

Jack blinked but he nodded. 'Of course.' He hesitated as the two Jaffa made to leave the gate room before he cleared his throat and gestured at the group. 'Uh…Bra'tac, we were all kinda about to head out on a…'

'Vacation.' Bra'tac nodded. 'Teal'c spoke of this to me.' He felt it was a good way for Teal'c to say goodbye to the Tau'ri. No matter what bonds Teal'c had formed with his friends, he was very definitely needed back on Dakara. Bra'tac knew Teal'c would carry out his duty to his people but if he could do it after finding some closure to his time with the Tau'ri so much the better.

'So,' Jack drawled the word out and rocked back on his heels, 'will you need Teal'c for long or…' he gestured vaguely.

'A few hours only, O'Neill,' Bra'tac reassured him, 'and then I will return him to you to assist in your battle against the fish, hmmm?'

'Come, old friend.' Teal'c grasped Bra'tac's shoulder and gently led him out of the gate room.

Jack's expression cleared. OK, a few hours delay wasn't so bad. His eyes flickered to Sam. Of course, three more hours on base and it would probably take C4 to get her out of the lab and away from the ZPM.

Daniel caught the look. 'Jack, why don't you and Sam go on ahead? I can wait for Teal'c and we can catch you up at the cabin.'

Sam's eyes shot to Daniel's face and he avoided her accusing gaze. 'Daniel…'

'Are you sure you don't mind?' Jack asked hurriedly.

Daniel shrugged. 'I don't mind.'

'Great.' Jack grinned at Sam. 'Let's go then.'

Sam wasn't immune to the gleam of eager enthusiasm in the warm brown eyes looking back at her and sighed. 'Yes, sir.'

They retrieved their luggage and headed to the top of the mountain where their chopper was waiting on the helipad before Sam could come up with an excuse why it was a bad idea for them to travel on alone. They took their seats in the back of the chopper and were soon airborne, heading to the wilds of Minnesota where Jack's cabin was located. The helicopter would drop them at an airfield and they would take a rented car for the hour's drive up to the cabin itself.

It was difficult to talk with the noise of the engines and rotors even with the headsets, and they settled into enjoying the flight. Jack felt a twinge of envy at the pilot; he didn't log enough time in the air these days, he thought with regret. Hell, he didn't log enough time out in the field these days. His initial intention to join the rest of SG1 on the occasional off-world mission had gradually disappeared under the weight of command. He missed it. He missed being with his team; missed hearing Sam's technobabble, arguing with Daniel over some random aspect of the mission and fighting shoulder to shoulder with Teal'c. He'd done better at command than he'd initially thought, his mind flashing back to a resignation note he'd typed once, but he still felt like it was an uncomfortable fit. He just wasn't suited to sitting and watching the action, he admitted silently. He wanted to be out there…on the frontlines.

Not that they had many frontlines these days. The Goa'uld were mostly destroyed and those that remained were fleeing to remote parts of the galaxy to hide as their once trusted troops of Jaffa turned on them. They had utilised the ancient weapon on Dakara before its destruction to rid the galaxy of Replicators and Anubis had according to Daniel been neutralised by Oma for the foreseeable future so it left their galaxy pretty quiet. Not that theirs was the only galaxy…

He frowned. He had an uncomfortable feeling that the President was going to press him for an answer on the job he had offered Jack when he'd been in Washington. Head of the Department for Homeworld Security. General Hammond's current post and the one his commander was leaving for a well earned retirement very shortly. A desk job. Sure he'd have oversight of the Stargate programme, the Atlantis project and the cool new spaceships but…but he wouldn't be out there and he'd be even more removed from the action. At least there was the occasional lockdown or rampant plant to take the edge off the paperwork monotony at the SGC.

'Sir?' The voice of the pilot crackled through the headset and brought Jack out of his reverie.

Jack adjusted his mike. 'Yes, Major?'

'ETA in ten minutes, sir.'

'Thanks, Major.' Jack shifted on the bench and looked over at Sam who smiled back at him before returning her gaze to the sky. The smile was enough to raise his spirits and he wondered again how one woman, one smile, had the power to do that.

Samantha Carter. He smiled a little. In his mental list of pros and cons for leaving the SGC, she definitely fell into the 'con' column. If he left the SGC he wouldn't get to see Sam that often and she would still be in his chain of command. At least if he stayed, he'd get to see her every day when she wasn't off-world. Of course, she'd still be in his chain of command. His thoughts drifted back to his break-up conversation with Kerry.

'Is the Air Force the only thing keeping you two apart? Rules and regulations? Because if it is, you're making a very big mistake.' Her eyes reflected her incredulity.

'And you know what I should do?' He asked.

'Retire.' She said.

'Again.'

'Don't get me wrong you're considered invaluable to the programme by the Pentagon but the President has appointed a civilian to run the SGC before. Just a thought.'

So, Jack considered, all he really had to do was convince President Hayes that he, Jack O'Neill, was still the right person to run the SGC but that he no longer wanted to be in the Air Force. Of course it was likely that the President would ask why and that was the sticking point…if he told Hayes about his feelings for Sam then he would in effect be admitting to his Commander in Chief that he had formed an inappropriate attachment to a junior officer. It would be a tacit admission that he was close to breaking, hell, had already broken the fraternization regulations in spirit, if not in deed. He didn't figure Hayes would set JAG on him but it would certainly make for an awkward conversation particularly given Hayes's own agenda to get Jack to take the Homeworld gig. His eyes landed back on Sam. He could never ask her to give up the Air Force and her career; she was a damned good soldier and a brilliant scientist; they needed her. But maybe they didn't a grizzled veteran like him anymore. Maybe it was about time he did something about what was between them and provided them with some options. God knew he couldn't take another Pete scenario.

The bump as they landed jolted him out of his thoughts and Jack stretched trying to get the kinks out of his neck as they climbed out. His easy brown gaze slid straight into the smirking face of the pilot who was staring at Sam with a knowing look. Jack felt his own features freeze. It was obvious the little twerp thought Carter was off for a dirty weekend with her CO.

'Colonel Carter.' Jack said careful not to let his anger show in his voice.

'Sir?' There was a flicker of surprise in her voice at the full use of her name and rank; usually he shortened it to her surname.

'Why don't you go ahead and pick up the car? I just have to confirm the arrangements for Daniel and Teal'c.'

'Yes, sir.' Sam nodded and headed across the tarmac towards the small building that housed the car rental firm.

The pilot and his co-pilot came to attention beside the aircraft as Jack's hard gaze landed on them both. 'When you get back to the SGC, Doctor Jackson and Teal'c should be ready to travel here to join myself and Colonel Carter. Make sure the helicopter is refuelled and ready to depart as soon as they are.'

'Yes, sir.' The two men answered in unison. Jack saw the flicker of surprise across the pilot's face at the realisation that the couple he had just transported wouldn't be alone and the sudden uncertainty at his original assumption. Jack decided not to push it any further. If he said anything directly the young officer would only believe his original assumption had been correct and that Jack was protesting too much. He settled for a firm nod before he slung his bag over his shoulder. He walked away and hunted with his free hand in his jacket pocket for his sunglasses.

Dammit. As much as he hated to admit it, this was the reason for the damn frat regs. There should never be a question that everything wasn't above board with him and Sam. It wasn't fair to her. She'd worked hard to achieve her current rank and she damned well deserved it. Not that anyone who knew her, anyone who'd served for a long time in the SGC would question that. Jack took a deep breath. He knew Major Sanders was new to the SGC; maybe he just hadn't had time to settle in and get up to speed with how close Jack remained to his former team and the formidable reputation of SG1.

But it wasn't all the Major's fault, a small voice prompted in his head; Jack had created the situation by travelling alone with Sam. His heart sank a little at his realisation. He'd just been so eager to get away, to get her away from the SGC he hadn't considered how it might have looked to someone else…damn. He sighed. Well, he'd done as much damage limitation as he could and hopefully Sam hadn't noticed. He caught sight of her heading for the car lot and changed direction to catch up with her.

'All sorted?' He asked as he fell into step beside her.

Sam's blue eyes snapped to his. 'They gave us a jeep. It's in lot C, sir.'

Jack sighed. 'Lot C it is and we're on vacation, Sam; lose the 'sir'.'

'Yes, sir.'

He shot her a look and relaxed when he saw the amusement glimmering in her eyes. 'Do we have a key for this car?'

'I do.' She dangled the car key between them.

Jack made a grab for the key and she snatched it back out of his reach.

'I can drive.' Sam insisted as they drew to a halt at the only vehicle in lot C.

Jack grinned at her. 'But you don't know where we're going.'

'You wouldn't give me directions?' Sam checked.

'Nope.'

'You're kidding?' She stared at him for a long moment.

'It's a guy thing, Carter.' Jack explained cheerily knowing there'd be hell to pay later for the remark.

She rolled her eyes and handed him the key.

Jack happily unlocked the doors and a few minutes later they were driving away from the air field. He made the familiar turns and was soon headed out on the road up to the cabin. It didn't see a lot of traffic and Jack enjoyed the freedom of the open road. He'd been driving for a while before he realised that Sam hadn't spoken a word since they'd set off from the air field. She was probably mad about the whole driving thing, he thought amused. He sneaked a glance at her and his eyes snapped wide open with shock before he wrenched them back onto the road. Sam was curled up, fast asleep.

He sneaked another look. She looked exhausted, he mused with concern. There were purple shadows under her eyes and faint lines of tension around her mouth and eyes that marred her otherwise flawless complexion. Screw appearances, Jack thought furiously, he'd done the right thing dragging her away on vacation. Hell, he should have done it sooner. He tried to reassure himself that with some good food and sleep, she'd be OK. He sighed. Sam always did have a tendency to overwork and he knew she'd missed the immutable influence of their late CMO and friend, Janet Fraiser, who had always ensured that Sam rested.

God, he missed Fraiser and knew Sam missed her more. Her grief was probably only surpassed by SG1's god-daughter, Cassandra. Fraiser had adopted the young alien girl, the lone survivor of a planetary massacre, when they'd brought her back through the gate with them. In every way that mattered, Cassie had lost a mother that day on the battle field when Janet had been hit. Cassie had lived with Sam immediately after the tragedy but she had eventually asked to live with Fraiser's colleague Doctor Warner and his family; the middle daughter was her best friend. Sam had been trying to juggle too much when she was on Earth and was just away too often off-world. Jack knew the decision had been hard on them both but especially Sam. Jack figured she saw it as a failure even though Cassie understood and he knew Cassie understood because with being at the SGC he'd managed to spend time with her on a semi-regular basis. Cassie was a wise head on young shoulders and as far as Jack could see she was dealing with losing Janet and the changes in her life with a dignity that most adults twice her age didn't have. He had invited her along to the weekend but Cassie had declined claiming she already had plans…and maybe she knew the team needed some together time.

Jack frowned. It probably would be the last time the team was 'together' for a long while. Teal'c already had one foot on the other side of the gate. Jack knew the Jaffa was getting pressure to return permanently to Dakara to truly lead his people and in truth there was very little counter-argument Jack could muster to prevent it. He didn't think the Free Jaffa would go for the 'because we'll miss him' line in a big way. And they would miss him, terribly. He would miss him, Jack thought sadly. He couldn't quite imagine life at the SGC, couldn't imagine his life without Teal'c's steady and resolute presence in it and he knew Daniel and Sam felt the same. He knew the three of them were all going to have to prepare for the moment Teal'c made his departure official. Another loss for Sam to cope with on top of everything else, he mused, one that left a huge gaping hole in the SG1 team she now commanded…well, at least she would have him and Daniel…

Daniel. He shook his head. He'd lost track at how many times Daniel had 'died' and come back. Was it five…six times now? He had worried that this last time Daniel wouldn't return, more than he would have ever admitted to anyone. Sam had picked up on it; she knew him too well but he'd brushed her off. If he had admitted that Daniel might not come back…well, it just seemed to him that it would have jinxed any possibility of it actually happening. He'd lived through losing him seemingly for real too many times; didn't want to do it again any time soon. If he'd gained one brother in Teal'c, he'd gained another in the young archaeologist. Jack smiled as he considered that his occasional verbal sparring with Daniel was probably similar to that of a couple of siblings poking at each other. Most of their arguments these days were simply because it was expected; most of the banter mixed with a lot of fondness. They'd realised a long time ago that underneath all of their differences they shared a lot of the same values and one of those was loyalty above and beyond to their friends. Jack took another sideways glance at Sam.

He knew Daniel and Sam were close. If he had assumed the role of Daniel's older brother, Sam was definitely the sister Daniel had never had. They had bonded quickly; both of them finding a kinship with each other. It wasn't just that they related to each other as geeks or that they had finally met someone else who could keep up with the speed of their thinking or that they had the same insatiable curiosity about their discoveries although Jack figured that was a part of it. For him, the two of them had simply just got each other right from day one. Maybe because when they'd met, in that first initial meeting, both of them had still been innocent in a lot of ways. Jack couldn't contemplate Daniel being insensitive enough to abandon Sam when she needed them but then he knew Sam was aware of how desperately Daniel wanted to visit Atlantis and now they'd found the ZPM it made the trip a real possibility. Even if Daniel didn't start bugging him to go, Jack knew it was only a matter of time before Sam told Daniel to go. He was going to have to cut that off at the pass, Jack thought as pulled up in front of the cabin.

He jammed the gear into park and turned off the engine as he reviewed Sam's sleeping face and considered his options. He could wake her up or he could carry her inside and risk falling on his ass. So…which did he do? He wondered.