He approached the door of the guest room cautiously, almost asking permission even to knock. But her back was turned to him, and he wasn't sure that she knew he was there. He knocked twice on the door to alert her of his presence.

She didn't answer him.

"I…I'm sorry if that offended you…I…I guess I'm not good about talking…at least about feelings."

She sniffed in response, and he noticed that she had a box of Kleenex in her hands, periodically getting a dry tissue from the box.

"I can go…if you…"

"I'm sorry." She answered.

"What? Why?" He asked, taking a few steps inside.

"All of these years, I've pushed you away, and now…" She wiped her nose with the Kleenex. "If you don't feel the same way for me…"

"Now, I didn't say that."

She looked at him, a deep pain etched in lines on her face he was sure had suddenly appeared since her encounter with Ba'al. "Then I scared you."

"In more than one way…yes."

"I guess this was kind of a near-death experience. Hell, I was dead." She said as Jack cautiously sat next to her on the bed. "I don't want to make the same mistakes now that I'm here…alive."

"I know." He said, in quiet commiseration.

"So I need to know if this is one of the mistakes I can change…or if I'll have to live with my guilt."

She was finally placing the ball fully in his court. He could screw it up if he wanted to break her heart, or he could take her not-so-subtle hint. "You're sure you want to do this?" He asked, carefully placing a tendril of her blond hair behind her ear, in almost a caress.

She closed her eyes at his touch. "Yes."

"And nothing I can say can stop you?"

She opened her eyes. "Only one thing you can say will stop me."

"I wouldn't do that to you."

Tears filled her eyes again. "I know."

"You know, Hammond's going to flip when you turn in your resignation."

She chuckled. "I know."

"I mean, you're like the smartest person in the world, and you're our EXPERT!"

She didn't respond verbally, but placed her head on his shoulder. He countered accordingly by placing his arm around her shoulder.

"What're you going to tell him?" He asked, his voice low.

"That I'll be reporting to work on Monday."

Jack's look of confusion was priceless. "But…"

"As a civilian scientist."

"Ah…"

"I guess…this is the end of SG-1 as we know it." She said, trying to chuckle. The effort distorted the sound, and made it seem like she had choked on her emotion.

"I know. Kinda sad to realize that, huh?"

She nodded.

"But I hear that Daniel's going to be REALLY happy when we…you know…do this whole relationship thing."

"Really? Why?"

"He's got his whole life savings on the line."

She snorted. "You're kidding."

"I wish I was." They both chuckled, and Jack continued. "And Teal'c! He has some MAJOR betting going on."

"And General Hammond?"

"He's working with the Major Leagues…the Pentagon. And your dad."

"My DAD?" She squeaked.

"Yep."

He allowed his hand to feather through her hair, and he was grateful for the simple pleasure that action initiated. However, it was her laugh that made him the most happy. The laugh that made the lines on her face disappear. The laugh that made him forget the last few days.

As Jacob could attest, he had literally been worried sick. To the point of throwing up once. He had been a prisoner to Ba'al. He knew what that entailed…and he could only imagine how much worse it could get.

"Did he…hurt you…?" He left the question open-ended and Sam quickly caught his meaning.

"No, he didn't take advantage of me. I think…I think he would have wanted to, but…my imagination was too…entertaining for him."

Jack swallowed bile. "We should have gotten to you sooner."

"What?"

"You shouldn't have had to experience this…one or the other of us should have gotten captured…"

"Jack O'Neill, you stop that right now." She said, her eyes flashing. He was so surprised that he did stop. "I might not want to go through that again, but it's given me exactly what I wanted…it taught me that I was caging myself up behind bars that could be bent. It taught me that there are windows that I can open up if a door seems to be closed. Jack, it gave me you."

"But…"

"We'll get through this. As much as I'd hate to admit it…it'll take a few visits to MacKenzie, but overall, it'll be you and me that gets me through this. Daniel, Janet, Cassie and Teal'c will help too."

"Are you sure?"

She looked him straight in the eyes. "I've never been so sure about anything in my entire life."

He saw strength in her eyes, alongside resolve, love and traces of fear. "You're scared."

"A little." She admitted. "It's not everyday that I choose to take the unknown road, leaving the known worlds of science and analysis behind. So, yes…I am a little scared. I'm scared that this might not all be real. I'm scared that even if it is real that it won't last forever."

"Me too."

She knew he spoke from personal experience.

"But I'm willing to let it happen…for better or worse."

He smiled. "Was that a proposal, Samantha?"

She chuckled. "You take it as you will."

The inner recesses of his mind turned her words over and over until he figured out what he wanted to do.