Extra long chapter for you guys to say thanks for putting up with the late entries for the past couple of weeks. You're all wonderful. Thanks to SG-Fan for the speedy beta that made it possible for this to come out today! Big round of applause for her. I want to hear you guys clapping from England!

BookWorm37: I hope you're happy. I've gone and put pie in now. atlantis sg1: thanks for being such a brilliant alarm clock. Don't hesitate to give me nudges when I forget things. Lord knows, I'll probably do it again.

I can't believe you guys think I'm writing in character! You don't know how happy that makes me feel when you say stuff about my writing. Seriously, it's like I'm drugs or something. Do you think getting reviews is dangerous, maybe fanfiction net should put a sign up. 'May be hazardous to your health' I could live with that.

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The pair sat in a cold and detached silence as the perched uncomfortably on a hard, plastic chair positioned against the concrete station wall. Even though there was no noise, Jack had never been so deafened in his life; the things Pete weren't saying were ringing through the quiet like an organ in a large church. Jack couldn't recall a silence more awkward. Wait…yes, he could. He'd had several with Sam. He supposed those didn't feel so bad now, he had gotten used to the glancing looks and shifting of weight in their respective seats. He had become an expert at ignoring all those tell-tale signs.

This silence just seemed worse because it was rather hard to ignore something that was in your own head…or his own head. He was even getting confused as to whose emotions they were. Pete's emotions were coming through as strongly as Jack was feeling them himself. The only thing that was keeping them separate was the undeniable logic that Jack hadn't done anything recently that would make him so angry with himself. One mind bared a lot of hate for him and while, arguably, he had felt this for himself in the past, he didn't think his feelings were the one's that were dominating the arena at that particular moment.

Pete was definitely taking this worse than Jack was, which was understandable. Getting the truth shouted in his face, metaphorically speaking, was not the way Jack would like his feelings for Sam to come to light but that was how it had happened. Something told him he should at least be slightly shocked to discover the depth of his feelings and that someone who hardly knew him could see it so easily, however, for some reason, Jack wasn't surprised at all. He'd always known he'd loved Sam. Sure. It was obvious. But, in love? He didn't know whether he should be moved to do something about it or be quite indifferent and let Sam choose for herself. Or dismiss the preposterous idea that Jack O'Neill still had the capacity for love. It was laughable really, considering everything he had lost and been through in these little muddle of years that someone decided would be called a lifetime.

There was an ominous thought, however, that clawed and tugged at the back of his mind that would not leave him alone. Much like a small child pulling on his parent's sleeve in a desperate call for attention. Constantly yanking and stretching and whining ever since Pete uttered the words, "She doesn't love you."

Maybe Pete's right. Maybe she doesn't. Maybe she's moved on. Completely past all those pestering feelings that she may have harboured all those years ago. Maybe she was that unattainable, distant Goddess. Luring the poor, clueless mortal into her heart with secret smiles and crystal stares only to be eventually discarded when she grew older and wiser and saw him for what he really was. A grumpy, old man with bad knees.

As if on cue, the Goddess came drifting through the station doors with that natural confidence and unwavering grace. By some stroke of luck, Jack had somehow managed to procure control of the eyes. What Jack didn't understand was how he hadn't managed to get control of any other facial features. Although, he did suspect he had control of the ears, but without anyway to test that assumption they were of no use to him.

He watched as she talked with the desk sergeant and the plump woman pointed in the direction of the disheartened 'men'. Sam smiled, paid the bail and sauntered over to Pete/Jack, swaying those very feminine hips with each step.

"Her face is higher up, asshole," Pete muttered.

Jack immediately snapped the eyes to look up at Sam's concerned yet annoyed face as she came to stand in front of them.

"Pete?" she asked, slightly unsure.

"Yes," Pete answered. "Who else would it be?"

Sam narrowed her eyes and tilted her head. She didn't like being messed around with more than she didn't like being confused.

"Come on, get up, we'll talk in the car," Sam said; she sighed and made a move to go.

"I can't," Pete said quickly.

"Why not?" she asked, genuinely concerned.

"My leg's gone numb," he replied as he shifted uneasily and indicated to the leg Jack had control of.

"Gone numb, my ass!" Jack barked and kicked out the leg just to spite him.

"It looks fine to me," Sam said with a growl. "Just try walking as best as you can and we'll discuss your…leg…problem in the car."

"I don't have a problem!" Pete cried with a short, sharp laugh. "You didn't believe that phone call, did you?" Pete threw his head back and gave a large shout of laughter, which would have been fine if Jack hadn't been concentrating on Sam making it so Pete looked very weird trying to laugh and look at the irritated woman at the same time. Pete composed himself. "I had to say something to get you away from that stupid base."

Sam looked sternly at Pete for a few minutes, looking betrayed and hurt if not slightly disappointed. She brought her hand to her forehead and rubbed at the skin as though she was trying to wipe away the lines of stress creasing her face. She sniffed and brought herself to look at her boyfriend again with an apologetic smile painted on her face. "I'm sorry, Pete," she said sadly. "You're right, I've been spending too much time there. I'll come home with you now."

"If you don't tell her I'm in here, you'll be sorry!" Jack yelled. "Do you want to spend the rest of your life with me in your head?"

Pete displayed a sardonic smile and stood up taking back control of the leg with a forceful mental push. After all, it was his body and he had primary control over it. Pete next tried to reclaim his arm and his eyes but only managed his fingers and wrist.

"Thank you," he said to Sam. "I love you,"

"I love you too, Pete," Sam said with a smile.

Jack took comfort in the fact that the smile wasn't the same quality as some of the ones Jack had received but it still hurt to hear the carefree manner that Pete uttered those words. It made Jack jealous as Pete knew it would.

On their way out Jack temporarily averted their gaze from looking where they were going and Pete promptly walked into a post.

"Pete!" Sam started. "Are you okay?" She took Pete's shoulder to steady him and brought her head up and brushed his hair away from his forehead to check for injury.

"I'm fine!" Pete said quickly and over-cheerfully. "I really must look where I'm going," he growled and Jack wondered if that statement was directed at him or not. Probably.

Sam looked flustered and led him out of the station by the hand to a nearby bench over-looking a park. She sat him down and crouched in front of him with a worried look on her face. Jack was quite confused with her forceful behaviour; after all, she would never act this way around him in fear of a reprimand. With Pete, it seemed, things were quite different.

"I wonder who wears the pants in this relationship." Jack sniggered sarcastically. He was massively relieved Sam couldn't hear that comment for she only glare at him and not talk to him until he apologised. Let's face it. Sam could wrap any guy around her little finger. Even her CO.

But Pete didn't know that.

Pete fumed silently while Jack tried not to look directly at Sam. It wasn't that he didn't want to look at her rather that she was very close to Pete's face and, quite frankly, if Jack were to look at her, the proximity would probably give him a heart attack and Pete would surely notice.

"Pete?" she started again, a bit put off that he wasn't looking at her. She let out a frustrated sigh and moved into line of sight only to have Jack flick the eyes away from her. She moved again and the same thing happened. "Pete, look at me!" her patience was running out.

"I'm not a child, Sam," Pete said haughtily "Let's just go home,"

"Why don't you just look at me?" Sam countered.

"I wouldn't know," Pete gritted through his clenched teeth.

Jack decided that this was actually quite a fun game. He could already hear a suspicious tone seeping into Sam's speech, telling him she hadn't believed a word of what Pete had told her about the phone call.

"Look at me," Sam ordered angrily, "I want to talk to you."

Pete became agitated with anger and tried taking back control only to have Jack laugh at him from inside his head.

"You better tell her, she'll only just get angry…"

"Pete?" Sam called him. "Pete!"

"What?" Pete snapped.

"Why can't you look at me?"

"Why do you need me to look at you?"

"Pete, just stop being an ass," she said and Jack snorted with laughter. "Jack!" she shouted.

The eyes suddenly focused on her in surprise and delight and Jack was figuratively dancing for joy inside a very pissed off cop.

"Did you just call me 'Jack'?" Pete asked angrily. "Who's Jack?" His tone was accusing now.

Sam only smiled. "You seemed to know perfectly well who Jack was on the phone,"

Pete was stumped; Jack could feel his speechlessness all the way over on his side of the brain.

"Ha!" Jack piped up triumphantly.

"I was just… testing you."

Sam raised one eyebrow in a very Teal'c like fashion. "I can't help until you tell me what's wrong, Pete," she said sternly as she stood up. "You have until the end of the car journey to tell me what's happening or we won't be seeing very much of each other in the near future." Sam reached her hand into the pocket of her jeans and produced the car keys. Pete was starting to sulk at being treated like a child but obediently began to follow his girlfriend her car.

"Come on! Just tell her! The damage is done! She thinks you're insane. You have nothing to gain from keeping me a secret anymore," Jack yelled at him.

"You are not getting out of this head," Pete muttered quietly.

"You can't tell me you like having me in here?"

"No, but as long as you're in here, you're not out there and nowhere near my girlfriend,"

"So, I'm like a prisoner!" Jack barked, outraged at the audacity of this guy.

Pete smirked but kept silent as he clambered into Sam's car and shut the door. The Major gave Pete an odd look as she started the drive off towards home.

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With the turn of her keys, Sam shut the engine down and stared resolutely at Pete, waiting for something. Pete knew what it was and was even tempted to tell her truth after a whole journey listening to renditions of '9999 bottles of beer on the wall' and 'I am Henry the Eighth, I am' as Jack was determined not to be a submissive prisoner. However, for Sam's sake, Pete would endure. He knew if he let the Colonel go, he'd end up losing Sam and Sam would end up losing her job because the guy was obviously a loon and probably would try something with her. Pete didn't even want to think about it. It was better for everyone that the Colonel is locked up. Even if it meant Pete had to make this sacrifice, it was for Sam, for public safety.

"Pete," Sam said in a warning tone.

"I have been acting strange recently and I'm sorry," Pete murmured sincerely, "I'm going through something that I need you to support me with. It's kind of like a mid-life crisis."

"Pete, you're thirty-five."

"I didn't say it was a mid-life crisis," Pete said with indignation, "I said it was like a mid-life crisis,"

"Well, what is it then?" Sam asked.

"Constipation," Jack snidely remarked.

"I don't know, I just have a few things about my life I need to deal with," Pete said, ignoring his captive.

"Like what? Maybe I can help?"

"In-grown toenail, it looks ugly, Sam. You better have a look at it."

"No!" Pete said quickly. "I just need you to spend more time with me. You're always at work, it's unhealthy," He pulled what he supposed was a puppy dogface at Sam.

"If you just talk to me, maybe I can help you sort through some things?" Sam said, "I'll spend time with you but a friend of mine is very ill at the moment and I need to be there for him."

"It looks like some other guy is getting all of her attention," Jack mused. Of course, he knew exactly who that other guy was; he just wanted to ruffle some feathers.

"It seems like you care more for this friend then you do your own boyfriend," Pete said grumpily.

Jack was elated and Sam paused briefly with a thoughtful and clouded expression littering her features then she frowned and regarded Pete sadly.

"You know that's not true, Pete," she said but didn't sound so certain herself.

"You know it's true, Pete."

"How do I know that? You never spend any time with me anymore!" Pete said angrily, "I had to pretend to be someone else to even get you down here!"

Sam's eyes flashed in anger at the mention of the phone call. "I never want you to do that again, Pete. That was a cruel thing to do."

"Yes, how could ever do such a thing? Hang your head in shame."

"I know, I'm sorry," Pete apologised. "It was stupid but I didn't see any other way of getting you off that base," he lied promptly.

"Let's just go inside and have some lunch," Sam said resignedly as she opened the car door and unbuckled her seat belt.

"Pie?" Jack asked hopefully and was shocked to hear it come out loud. Pete hastily shoved Jack back and gained control of both mouth and eyes again.

Sam turned back to him. "What did you just say?"

"I didn't say anything," Pete said and speedily exited the car.

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