A/N: So I've been re-watching, and I am at the end of Season 5, so this is my take on how Sam/Jack may have started a relationship after Daniel's death. Obviously, AU, This is just a short one-shot hope you enjoy it.

Jack knows he has been a total ass since Daniel died. It had been his way to cope. He knew in his heart Daniel wanted to let go. He refused to believe what he saw was a hallucination. They all saw his spirit lift to disappear into the unknown, and that had given Jack small hope that he was floating around out there. Sam's doses of reality hadn't helped much, and he was tired of the constant reminder of his heath. When it was just the three of them out, and about or with another team, he could imagine Daniel on extended leave for an injury or helping another SG team reading all the mumbo jumbo on some old tablet on another planet, then Sam would chime in.

Jack had enough of her sulking as she sat in the commissary one day.

"Daniel's favorite," Sam said, sighing, looking at her plate, picking at it.

"Will you get over it?" Jack asked.

"I'm sorry, sir, I thought he was your friend," Sam said in a biting voice.

"He was, Carter, he is. He's out there somewhere. He wants to be, so just let him go." Jack stated.

"I'm trying. It's only been a couple of weeks." Sam stated.

"Long enough, I don't want to hear his name out of your lips again, Major!" Jack stated.

Sam got up and left, leaving her tray and practically running towards her lab.

Jack rolled his eyes. If he didn't, he would be crying himself for the loss of his friend.

He continued to eat in peace, people eyeing him as if he should go after Sam, but of course, he wouldn't and finished his meal without another word.

While sitting at a briefing, Sam sat on the opposite side of the table far away from Jack O'Neill and kept her eyes straight ahead, not once glancing in his direction. As General Hammond sat and gave the reasoning as to why SG-1 was going, one of the reasons was that they were a man down, and this was a known friendly planet. Their job was to make sure that this planet still wanted to trade; they had large gold deposits and had needed farming equipment and medical supplies.

Sam didn't care if they went or not, but couldn't help thinking that Daniel would think the place was beautiful. She has hated the fact Jack had already buried his name. She hated the fact that everything was moving along as though nothing happened. She knew they lost men regularly, and she had witnessed many of them. She knew that SGC as a whole had to move on. She knew that it was needed to function, but Jack refused to take a break to mourn, and Sam hadn't been able to either.

They had 3 days before this mission, the longest amount of time she would have off since his death. She was beyond the brink and felt that she would totally lose it if someone had said or done anything else today.

"Major Carter?" General Hammond asked.

She blinked, confused. Apparently, he had been asking her a question that she didn't answer, and she blushed slightly, asking him to repeat it.

"I need you to make sure that the mineral deposits are what we're used to on Earth." General Hammond claimed.

"Of course, sir," Sam claimed.

General Hammond hadn't said much else and ended the briefing.

"Major Carter, I want you in my office." General Hammond claimed.

Sam nodded before Jack and Teal'c exited the room, quickly leaving Sam to what she assumed was a chewing out for not listening.

"Listen, Major; I know you've read the report probably know more about this place than I do. I've noticed since Doctor Jackson's death you've been distant." General Hammond claimed.

"ME! Distant?" Sam asked.

General Hammond looked at her, surprised.

"I'm sorry, General, but I seem to be the only one around here who wanted a day to mourn. What I get is Colonel O'Neill telling me not to say his name. Teal'c telling me it was a great honor he has ascended and everyone around me going on as Daniel, was just a notch in their damn bedpost." Sam stated.

As soon as she heard the silence after her words, she closed her eyes and apologized.

"No apology necessary. I know you're upset, Major. I am too. He was and is a great man. You know we know who he is with, just not where he is. I know this is hard, and I have been grieving. I can't force Jack or Teal'c to do the same, and nor can you. You have to understand Sam. Jack is Black Ops. I know you're fully aware of that, but that is what he is trained to do. Off the record, he needs someone to talk to, and I think you might be the only one to get through." General Hammond stated.

Sam sighed. "I'm sorry, sir, but that ship has sailed, I thought I knew him, but I don't. I've come to realize I really don't." Sam claimed walking out of the room before being dismissed, staying in the lab late into the night. Sam didn't even know what time it was when Teal'c knocked on her lab door.

"You have missed dinner, Major Carter," Teal'c claimed.

"I'm fine, Teal'c," Sam claimed.

"You do not look fine," Teal'c claimed.

Sam smiled.

"I, Colonel O'Neill, and I had an argument about Daniel. He told me not to speak his name any longer." Sam claimed.

Teal'c raised his eyebrow.

"You mustn't be surprised. Colonel O'Neill is a great warrior, and to let his guard down, even to mourn a friend, is a great sign of weakness." Teal'c claimed.

"To who Teal'c?" Sam asked.

Teal'c thought about the question for a long time.

"I do not know, Samantha," Teal'c claimed.

Sam looked up at him, "Do you think he's doing the right thing?" Sam asked.

"Colonel O'Neill believes it will hurt less, the less he thinks of Daniel Jackson. When close friends die, I've found that it feels better to remember and not bury your feelings. They have a way of coming back in the most inopportune times." Teal'c claimed.

"Thanks, Teal'c. You know what? I think I'm going to go home. I have the weekend. I'll see you for that mission Monday." Sam claimed.

"Be safe, Major Carter. I will see you for our mission." Teal'c claimed.

Sam smiled, shutting down her laptop and walking out to the elevators.

Sam had driven the long way home. She had finally gotten home an hour later than she normally would have. She walked into her house and closed her eyes, wishing for the feeling of emptiness to go away. She had to admit she knew not all of her feelings were from Daniel's death. A lot of it was from the way Jack was acting. She wasn't sure what the hell he was thinking, but whatever it was, it wasn't right.

She had thought about making hot tea, but the bottle of wine on her kitchen island kept calling to her. Sam was never the one to drown her sorrows in a drink; she had seen one too many of her fellow air force officers in rehab because of it. She grabbed the bottle opener and drilled into the cork, popping and grabbing a class before walking into the living room, looking down at her latest read. She felt guilty for taking it and reading it, but it was Daniel's personal diary. He had let her delve into it before while he was still alive so that she could understand Abydos. He hadn't hidden much of anything from Sam. She felt she knew him almost better than anyone. She, too, shared secrets with him that he had always kept. They had become best friends over the years. God, she missed him, wished she could call him, and complain about how big of an ass Jack was right now.

She pulled the diary to her chest, took a deep breath in, and pulled the ribbon bookmark from the spot, beginning to read again. This was something from before SG-1 and the arguments he had about his thoughts of the pyramids. Sam had enjoyed reading it, wishing that this younger Daniel could know what he would find out 3 years after this entry was written. Sam felt closer to Daniel this way, and it was funny to read stories she had already heard from his mouth.

Soon, Sam found herself unable to read the words on the pages realizing the wine in her bottle was gone, and the words looked blurry.

She hadn't intended on drinking the whole bottle of wine, and she knew there would be hell to pay come morning. She closed her eyes a few seconds, knowing the best thing to do was drink some water, but she wasn't sure if she could stand up, let alone walk the short space to get there. She attempted and, more easily than she thought, made it get a glass of water. It wasn't too late approaching 9 pm, and Sam thought it might be best to just go lay down. She went back to the living room to grab the bottle and the glass when the doorbell rang, causing her to drop the bottle and glass to shatter.

"Carter?" She heard Jack say loudly.

"Coming." She claimed.

She realized her voice sounded funny. She could tell although she thought she was doing well, she was drunk, and based on the events of earlier today, Jack O'Neill was the last person she wanted to see.

She let the door open and attempted a grimace but couldn't as he looked into her eyes and her body betrayed her giving a small smile instead.

"I thought I heard glass breaking," Jack claimed.

"You did. A wine bottle all over my floor," Sam said glumly. Jack closed his eyes.

"Maybe this is a bad time," Jack suggested.

"You think?" Sam asked.

"I just… "Jack walked in without being invites and saw the shards of glass all over the kitchen and hallway.

"Christ, you're not wearing any shoes! Jack said and immediately picked her up and plopped her on the couch unceremoniously.

"I'm not a child, Jack!" Sam claimed he looked at her, surprised she had used his given name.

That's when Sam realized how drunk she was.

"Just let me get this for you. It was my fault I shouldn't have come in barging in." Jack claimed.

Sam huffed. Through the years, they had visited each other's house, and Jack knew well enough where the broom and dustpan were kept, sweeping the whole area, and then some just to be sure. He then grabbed a wad of paper towels, dampened them, picked up any smaller shards of glass, and threw them in the trash can.

Sam had her head between her knees. The earth was spinning very fast, and it had little to do with the alcohol.

Jack stepped into her living room.

"What are you doing here, Colonel?" Sam asked.

I came to apologize.

Sam looked up at him.

"I know how close the two of you were. Hell, I'll be the first to admit I was jealous," Jack stated.

"Jealous of Daniel?" Sam asked.

"Face it, Carter. You wouldn't spend that much time with me given a chance." Jack claimed.

Sam looked at him, honesty seeping through her due to the alcohol.

"We both know why," she claimed.

Jack just nodded.

"I, what I said earlier was wrong, you asked me how I could just keep going, and it's because if I don't I…" Jack stopped, and Sam looked up at him realizing his face was red, and there was a tear threatening to fall.

Sam looked at him and patted the seat next to her. He didn't refuse and sat next to her. She pulled him in close, and he let go. Tears came fast from the man's face, refusing to breathe, to make the anguished noises threatening to escape, but Sam told him the magic words.

"It's okay to cry, Jack."

The flood gate opened, and he couldn't breathe, and he was holding onto her like there was nothing else left.

"I can't do this, Sam, I, god, I love Daniel, but I just kept thinking, what if it was you," Jack claimed.

Sam looked him in the eyes, no longer feeling the effects of the alcohol, and pushed her lips onto his.

Her heart quickened, and she couldn't quite believe Jack O'Neill was allowing this to happen.

When they finally stopped, both of them tears in their eyes.

"I'm sorry," Sam claimed.

"Never be sorry for that, Samantha Carter." He stated and kissed her back with just as much emotion.

They shouldn't be doing this; she knew it, but she couldn't stop it if she tried. The two grief-stricken friends are holding on for the hope of each other one day. Jack starts talking about Daniel.

"He told me I should have quit, asked you to be with me something anything. I told him he didn't understand, but he did." Jack claimed.

"He told me the same thing. I thought about it." Sam admitted.

"You would have left SG-1?" Jack asked.

"For a shot with you, of course, but just when I had found the courage, the nerve, someone was knocking on the door, and you can't deny the four of us were better together," Sam stated.

"You're right, and now there are only 3. Maybe it's time we retire number 1…" Jack stated.

Sam sighed, wishing that dream would come true.

"There's a lot more to do," Sam claimed.

"Always is," Sam claimed.

"One day," Sam stated.

"One day." Jack agreed.

He kissed her lips once more, and Sam leads him to her bedroom, the two of them holding each other close, mourning the loss of their best friend.