#

Osiris was dead, Jacob explained, her host finally free from her oppression. Anise had been amongst the Tok'ra who received the message asking them to help save Sarah Gardner and, as the mission she'd left to embark on was redundant after the death of the Goa'uld, Anise opted to return to A'hara to let the Tau'ri know in person - and to see To'ran.

No one wanted to dwell on how that had gone, certainly not Sam who carried the lingering guilt at being the one who ended To'ran's life, so when it was suggested that they return to Earth and let the Tok'ra operatives do what needed to be done on A'hara, they jumped at the chance.

Subdued in their victory, the weary command pair of SG-1 changed into their usual attire and followed Jacob and Anise to the Stargate.

"I'll stop by for a visit soon," Jacob promised, giving Sam a hug as Jack pressed the symbols for Earth on the DHD. "Get some rest, Sam. You've earned it."

She smiled and hugged him back, but didn't make any promises. She knew the chances of getting time to rest before the next big adventure for SG-1 were slim but accepted it as part and parcel of the life she lived.

The life she'd chosen.

She'd had the chance to try for normal, after all, and had turned away from it at the first opportunity.

"Take care of our girl, Jack," she heard her father say sternly to Jack, half aware of two of the most important men in her lives shaking hands as Anise sent the Tok'ra IDC code through the active Stargate.

"I will, Dad," she heard Jack promise. And then: "c'mon, Carter. Let's go home."

It felt like a long time since they'd been home, longer than it actually was. And, as much as she longed for the familiarity of Earth, the comfort of home, she couldn't help but feel apprehensive of going back after all that had happened.

#

Daniel was, understandably, preoccupied with Sarah. He wasn't there to welcome them home, but they heard his voice in low murmurs as he comforted the weeping woman behind a curtained off area of the infirmary. Janet and her nursing staff carried out Sam and Jack's post-mission physicals quietly in deference to the couple kept out of sight, and Teal'c stood keeping a silent vigil, guarding the curtained off area after welcoming Sam and Jack home.

It felt like everything had changed, shifted, and Sam found herself wondering when things would right themselves again and if her heart would be as broken as Anise's, as bruised as Sarah's, when it did.

They were careful to maintain a respectful distance while on base, slipping back into the roles of Colonel and Major like a second skin. It was comforting on one level, unsettling on another. During their briefing with General Hammond, Jack's expression had remained closed off to her and she found herself feeling it was more than him just being a better actor than she'd given him credit for.

Finally, free to go, Sam made it to the surface before realising she didn't have a car at the base.

She spotted Jack's truck and realised Daniel or Teal'c must've have driven it back from Peterson for him - a nice gesture but not one that helped her much.

She heard him before she saw him, closing her eyes briefly as he said goodnight to the SF on duty and sauntered away from the checkpoint.

"Need a lift, Carter?" He quirked an eyebrow at her, heading towards his truck without waiting for an answer.

Butterflies took flight in her stomach as she followed him across the darkened parking lot.

#

He glanced at her after taking the turnoff for his place, waiting to see if she objected. If she looked uncomfortable, he promised himself he would've taken the next left and done a small detour to get back on track to go to her house.

Instead of objecting, he noticed her shoulders relax a little and heard a soft sigh he chose to believe was relief.

The drive was made in silence, the tension between them causing the air to grow thick. Jack wondered if she felt the same need he did, and shifted uncomfortably in the driver's seat.

One night wasn't enough. It would never be enough. He wanted more - he wanted everything and even that still wouldn't be enough. He wasn't entirely sure Sam was on the same page but he was determined to find out.

Pulling up outside his house, Jack stared at the darkened windows, unable to believe such a small time has passed since they'd last been inside. He was wondering how to broach the subject when Sam cleared her throat beside him.

"We have a conversation to finish," she said quietly, biting nervously on her bottom lip. "I mean if you want to."

"Yeah." He swallowed reflexively, visions of soft skin under his lips and hands coming back to him. "The conversation might've shifted a little."

The blush that stained her cheeks was unfamiliar but welcome. It made him grin to see her flush, to know he was able to get her flustered no matter how confident and capable she was.

"A little," she admitted, smiling shyly in response.

In silence, they left the truck and walked to the door. He was aware of Sam standing behind him as he unlocked the door and cursed himself as his hands shook like a teenager on his first date. He heard her low, shaky intake of breath and was glad he wasn't the only one feeling unsteady.

"Beer?"

"Please."

He left her to settle onto his sofa and went to fetch them drinks, turning on a few lights here and there as it went to illuminate the room softly. When he returned, she was gazing into space, biting her lip, hands clasped nervously in her lap to keep from fidgeting.

"This feels surprisingly awkward," he murmured, passing her a bottle. "All things considered."

"Awkward enough to not want to have this conversation?" She asked, her blue eyes lowered.

"Never." To prove the point, he sat himself down beside her. "What happened on that planet..."

"Can't happen again," she finished for him, shrugging a shoulder. As he reeled from the blow of thinking she meant it would never happen again, Sam continued quietly. "Not on a mission. We should've had more control than that. I should have —"

"Carter," he interrupted, waiting till she glanced up at him to continue. "You weren't alone in that. You were so not alone. We're both responsible for our actions and, reluctantly, I agree. Not on a mission."

"But when we're not on a mission..." She lifted her gaze to meet his, eyebrow quirked, expression wary but hopeful. "Are we really going to do this?"

It was on the tip of his tongue to ask what she meant; be together, break regulations, act on their feelings. But Jack didn't want to leave any room for misunderstandings, the thought of how close he'd come to losing her to a goddamn cop called Pete spurring him on. "We'll have to set ground rules," he found himself saying instead. "The first being that we keep it professional on missions."

"And at the SGC," she added, quietly but quickly, letting him know she'd been thinking about it, too.

"What about telling Hammond, the guys?"

"The guys, sure. They have a sixth sense about these things and probably know already," she muttered with the roll of her eyes. But she worried her bottom lip between her teeth. "How do you think the General would react?"

He considered it for a moment, gathering all of the thoughts he'd had about since well before she'd chosen to accompany him to his house instead of go on her date with the cop. He thought about Jacob's reaction, about the conversations he'd had with Hammond over the years whenever something had happened to Sam or he'd come close to losing her.

"I don't think he'd be surprised," he told her quietly. "As long as we don't put him in a position where he has to formally acknowledge it, I think he'd happily turn a blind eye to it. Most people on base would."

He expected her to argue but was surprised when she nodded, her cheeks colouring again. "Janet said there's a betting pool," she murmured. "Half of her nurses are in on it, the other half are hoping you'll go after one of them instead."

"Never gonna happen." There was no one who even came close to turning his head at the SGC, or anywhere else, in a very long time. "So..."

"So."

"We're doing this?"

Her smile was shy, her eyes soft, "yeah, we're doing this."

"Well in that case." He grinned, in spite of the nervous fluttering in his chest. He put his bottle down, reached for hers and set that down, too. "Seems we should seal the deal somehow."

"Seems like we should," she murmured, her smile bright and brilliant. She leaned in when he did, her lips parting on a sigh as they met his.

Normal, Sam thought, was very overrated.

Who wanted normal when you could have Jack O'Neill?

#

Thank you for all your support with this story. Thank you for making me feel so welcome in my new-old-fandom, thank you for being lovely. Just thank you. I can't believe it's over, but am really looking forward to getting back to some of the wips I can't wait to share with you soon!