Ch 99

"This is Buffer speaking," the PA woke everyone that night. "I'm sorry to wake up all of your sleeping beauties. But...five, four, three, two, one! Happy New year Hammersley's crew!" he heard some shouts and smiled. "Now you can go back to sleep after this," the new year song was played.

"Happy new year, Nikki." Kate groaned from her pillow.

"Happy new year, Kate," Nikki groaned back. "...I'm so going to kill Buffer in the morning," she said turning in bed. Kate laughed.

"Why?"

"I had a wonderful dream," Nikki sighed.

"You are not the only one, Nav." Kate sighed. "Goodnight… again."

"Goodnight, Kate."

In Washington DC, Jack and Sam attended the White House new year party. They mingled and danced during the evening; they even managed to steal a couple of kisses during their dances.

"Sam?" Jack whispered as he pressed her against his chest on the dance floor. "Let's get out of here," Sam's skin was covered in goosebumps.

"Jack," she whispered back. "If we go away, the President won't be happy with you," she added biting her lower lip.

"Don't do that," He groaned. "And you know I hate these parties! We should be home with our family and friends welcoming the New Year in a way we love."

"Well, the President did give you a choice between Christmas or new year," Sam pointed.

"I know, I should retire. I don't like backstabbing, kiss ass politics and the I.O.A," he sighed.

"Yes, Jack. But you are still needed. The President, the SGC, the Atlantis they all need you, Jack."

"No wonder I'm going gray," Sam smiled and caressed his hair placing her hand on the back of his head, and played with his hair.

"Sam, stop what you are doing," Jack groaned making her smirk.

"How could I? You look sexy with your gray hair. Well, silver...yeah silver fox. It's hot and sexy, three-star general silver fox," she winked. "Besides, haven't you noticed all the ladies eyeing you?"

"Me? It's you the one being looked," he looked around the room. "Besides, if they are looking at me, they should all know that I'm already spoken for, and they can find someone else."

"Don't I know it," Sam grinned, Then, there was a tap on Jack's shoulder. He frowned before he turned to see a woman in her thirties smiling at him.

"General? Can I have this dance?" Jack turned to Sam to save him.

"Just on time, I need to use the ladies room. I'll be right back," Sam said, winking at him before she walked away.

"I guess we can dance," Jack shrugged.

"General, you are a very good dancer," the woman said.

"Thank you, ma'am," Jack nodded.

"I like a military man, especially those who know how to order people around," she said biting her lower lip.

"Really?" He raised his eyebrows at the comment.

"Yes, General. What do you do, General?"

"It's classified."

"Oh, classified?" She chuckled. "Can you give me a hint?"

"Sure, the President knows what I do," Jack affirmed.

"Of course he does! He is the president! He knows everything that's classified, right?" Jack nodded, and she smiled brightly. "You know, General. It's almost midnight," she chuckled.

"Is it really?"

"Yes, it is!" She exclaimed as the song finished.

"Well, ladies and gents, it's that time! Let's count down together!" The announcer said. "Ten, nine, eight, seven, six, five, four, three," Jack felt Sam standing by his side, "two, one!" he turned around and pulled her into his arms and kissed her softly.

"Happy new year, Jack," Sam whispered once they broke the kiss.

"Happy new year, Sam," he said caressing her face. He felt then a tap on his shoulder, and the girl he was dancing before was looking at them with widened eyes. "Happy new year," Jack said to her.

"Happy new year," she grinned and was about to kiss him.

"Hey, what were you trying to do, ma'am?"

"Kiss you?"

"Sorry, ma'am. I don't think so," Jack said firmly.

"Then why let her?" She asked angrily.

"Oh, that's easy. She's my wife, now if you'll excuse us," Jack turned to Sam.

"Let's get something to drink." Sam nodded. They walked to the drinks bar when the President reached it too.

"General, Colonel," he said.

"Mr. President, I love the party but..." Jack leaned closer. "I hate being here, sir," he confessed making the President laugh.

"I know, General."

"Well, we made it to after midnight, sir. So, if you excuse us, Sam and I will head home, sir."

"Not so fast, General."

"Sir?"

"Stay for another hour, please?"

"Do I have to, sir? I hate wearing these things," Jack said, pointing to his dress blues

"Rules are rules, General."

"Don't worry, Jack," Sam said loud enough only for Jack to hear. "When we get home, I'll help you out of it." Jack blushed.

"Sam," he said turning to her. "I know your way of helping me out of it. Remember three months ago after your return from Atlantis?" Sam blushed.

"Yes. I remember that, Jack."

"Should I even ask what are you to whispering about?"

"A traumatic episode for our colleague's minds." The President's eyes widened. "But we are not disclosing it, sir," Sam said. They still remembered Daniel and Teal'c's expressions when they found them making love.

"It took Daniel and Teal'c a month before they could look at us in the eyes after, sir," Jack explained.

"Then I'll be better out of it. Enjoy yourselves."

"Well, everything will be fine if you don't go ripping my uniform, Sam."

"I can't make any promises on that, Jack."

"I could ask Thor for a device to beam my uniform out of me."

"Jack…"

"Hey, they don't wear clothes! How farfetched it would be?"

"I just can't wait for you or I try to go explaining that one." She shook her head, and Jack chuckled.

"Well, it can't be worse than last month when Thor beamed us up when we were in the shower," Jack said

"Oh man! Talk about bad timing, but yeah, trying to explain why we want a device to get you undress would probably be as awkward than explaining to the whole Asgard council why we were wet, naked and connected with me sitting on you."

As the President ordered, Jack and Sam remained for an hour before leaving the White House in search of the ship and flew back to Colorado Springs.

When they arrived home, Jack held on to Sam's hand as they walked down and into their office. Sam closed the door while Jack went to get the bag of letters out from its hiding spot. He took the bundle of letters and picked the top one with his name and date. He opened before he passed it to her.

"We got one letter to deliver."

"To Australia," she said.

"Yep, to Mike Flynn."

"I guess we help to save a life, " Sam smiled. "Josh Holiday's, a supposed accident. Yet one person believes that it was murder."

"His fiancée, Nikki Caetano," Jack added. "They'll get the murderers."

"But why kill eight divers?"

"I don't know, Sam. But it seems we might need to wait for that answer."

"It seems so, let's go to bed?" Jack nodded and hid the letters bag in the safe place before they turned around and headed to their room. Two days later, Jack and Sam flew to Cairns arriving at the Flynn's home. Sam stood up at the back of the ship with the letter in hand. Jack scanned the house and found there were people inside.

"You will have to run," Jack said, and she nodded a huge grin on her face.

"Now!"

Sam ran off the ship and up to the front door, she slid the letter under the door and rang the doorbell, before she sprinted back to the boat and Jack closed the door behind her.

"Let's head home."

Mike's family was around for a belated New Year's barbeque, the Hammersley was in port for the night, and that made it the perfect moment. In the back, Kate was talking to Bomber, Nav, and Hannah before she excused herself and walked inside the house.

She was about to return to the back when the doorbell rang, she walked to the front and saw the envelope on the floor. Picking it up she opened the door to see if she finally got to see who was delivering them, but the front yard was empty. She closed the door and lowered her eyes to the letter reading Mike's name on it.

"Hey, I heard the doorbell."

"Yeah… I guess it was this one," she said shaking the envelope. "This, it's for you."

"Let's go to the office."

Kate closed the door as Mike sat down and opened the envelope. He pulled out the three-page letter, unfolded it and started reading the contents. Kate leaned against the desk waiting for him to read it or comment on it.

"So?" She asked as he flipped the first page.

"You better read this, Kate," he said passing her the first page.

"Mike, I can't believe this!"

"Me either, Kate."

"You know what are you going to do?"

"Yeah. I'm going to make sure that this Campbell Fulton isn't anywhere near Nav. And he's not going to be left alone with ET."

"Wait, ET's not on the Hammersley."

"Well, Melbourne agreed to let the Hammersley have him temporary until a replacement is found."

"Oh no."

"What's wrong?" Mike looked at Kate with a worried look.

"There might be a problem."

"What problem?"

"Nav"

"What about her?" Kate raised her eyebrows.

"ET and she are together," she winced.

"What?"

"I just found out; they must have started dating after the decommission of the old boat."

"I'll talk to Nav later," Kate put her hand into his.

"No, leave it to me. None of the crew knows about it."

"They are keeping it a secret?"

"Yes, don't worry. I've already spoken to Nav, and she said she misses him," Kate giggled.

"What?" Kate moved from where she was and sat on his lap.

"When Buffer new year's announcement over the PA woke us; she told me about a dream she was having about her and ET on a tropical island. Apparently, it was heating up, so she growled that she was going to kill Buffer. I was going to kill him as well."

"Why did you have an interesting dream?" Kate smiled as she kissed him.

"Oh, yeah! We were naked and made love on the Captain chair on the Hammersley."

"Kate," she laughed, and she walked away. He placed the envelope in the safe and followed her.

"So, tell me about this dream?" He whispered.

"How about I show you later tonight?" She grinned back as they walked outside.