Sam sat at the table trying to make sense to what had just happened. Hearing footsteps she looked up and saw Daniel approaching. He stopped a couple of meters away clearly assessing the situation. He glanced at Teal'c who said nothing, saw Pete who was holding Sam's hand but was clearly calmer now and focused his attention to Sam.

"Um. We're leaving." he said tentatively. "Unless you want us to stay?" he continued looking at Sam carefully.' Are you all right?' his eyes asked. Sam nodded.

"No, it's all right. It's getting late and I know you've had a long day." She waved tiredly. ' I'll be fine' her eyes said.

"Well. Goodnight, Sam. Pete." Daniel nodded to him.

"Good night, Colonel Carter. Mr. Shanahan." Teal'c and Daniel turned to leave. After a couple of steps Teal'c turned back and glared at Pete for a moment. He didn't say a word but the message was clear. Pete gulped. Then he turned and followed Daniel who fished car keys from his pocket and handed them to Teal'c. Jack's car keys, Sam noted.


A hour later Sam was heading home. She was exhausted. Soon after her friends had left other guests had started to leave too and the party started to be over. Couple of Pete's friends had asked them to join them in their hotel room for a little after party but she had declined. Pete hadn't been happy but seeing how tired she was he had let go. So she had left kissing him on the cheek and promising to call the next day.

She pulled on her driveway, killed the engine and went inside. She took a quick shower and slid under the covers expecting to fall asleep instantly. Only that didn't happen. She had managed to put the little "incident" at the back of her head but now in the quiet of her bedroom it surfaced with a force. He had said he loved her. And the he had said goodbye. And it clearly wasn't just because he was leaving the party. 'What the hell did he mean by that?' she tossed and turned in her bed for nearly an hour.

Suddenly she made a decision, threw the covers away, hurried downstairs grabbing a jacket and keys on her way out. It didn't take long before she pulled her car on his driveway. She startled when she noticed his car wasn't there. Then she remembered. Teal'c had been driving so he probably had dropped off Jack and Daniel first and driven to base. Or stayed at Daniel's place. She sat in her car for a while, eyeing the dark and silent house. Jack was probably fast asleep . Or drunk. Jack didn't drink that much but when he'd downed his drink at the party he'd looked very much like a man who'd like to get seriously wasted. Gathering her courage she climbed out of the car and headed to the front door. She banged it quite loudly expecting it would take while to wake him up. She startled when the door opened immediately and she met her CO's intense gaze. A very sober gaze. A gaze that once again showed everything he felt; love, warmth, loss, sadness and a maybe a little hope too.

This time it was no accident. They looked at each other for a long moment. Then she shivered.

He tore his eyes off of hers and noticed her attire. A thin silky, knee high night gown, a leather jacket and no socks.

"For crying out loud, Carter!" he snapped grabbing her elbow and pulling her inside. "Are you crazy!? Come in before you catch a cold!" He ushered her to the living room, placed her on a sofa near the fire place and busied himself lighting it up. Soon she could feel the warmth of a burning fire warming her. Jack grabbed a wool blanket from a nearby chair and tossed it at her direction on his way to the kitchen. Sam smiled. That was so Jack. He knew she didn't need pampering. Not too much anyway. Pete would have fussed around, tugging the blanket around until he'd be satisfied, babbling all the time while doing it. She removed her jacket and draped the blanket around her bare shoulders. She took off her shoes and stretched her legs into the warmth of the fire. She was quite content at the moment. She startled. Just how inappropriate it was to get comfortable in one's nighties in one's CO's house at the wee hours of the night? Probably not more than what that said CO had done earlier. Not much anyway.