"Good morning General" Walter said handing Jack the obligatory coffee mug.

"Good morning Walter" he answered. "What do we have for this beautiful Monday morning?" Walter looked up. There was a slight bounce in the General's step and he sounded a lot happier than last week.

"Yes. Well, there's SG-6's briefing at 0900, the IOA is waiting for their report. You need to review it first. Major Davis is waiting for you to call him in the Pentagon. That's quite urgent." he listed. "Oh, and Colonel Carter has requested an appointment, as soon as you are available." Jack smiled inwardly.

"Send her in. Right away." Seeing Walter was about say something he pointed his finger at him. "THAT is priority."

"Yes, sir." Walter nodded. Jack hopped away leaving Walter to find Carter. Except that Generals don't hop so he slowed his pace trying to hide his excitement.


About ten minutes later he spotted Carter at his open doorway. He waved her and she stepped in and slumped in the chair. That was very uncharacteristic for Colonel Carter. Sam however did that all the time. Mostly when she was hunched over the table in her lab working on some doohickey or half asleep in the commissary. Usually when she thought he didn't see.

She straightened up.

"Sir" she began. "About that wedding invitation." The use of the forbidden word didn't go unnoticed by Jack. She looked up smiling. "Tear it." A wide smile spread across his face.

"I take it you've made your choice?" he asked for confirmation flipping a pen in his hands nervously.

"Yes. I called it off." she said. They stared at each other, grinning like idiots. They seemed to do that a lot lately. Then she ducked her head. "What are we going to do now?" she asked. There still were those damn regulations.

"Sam" he said affectionally. "There's going to be some changes here and I think we have an opportunity. But you need to be quick." She looked at him baffled. He fumbled the papers on his desk and finding the right one handed it to her. She studied it carefully.

"Area 51?" she said looking up to him. He wanted her to leave SGC?

"Hammond's retiring" he blurted. "I've been offered his job. But if we make the right choices there might be time for us to sort things out. " He continued staring at her meaningfully. "Think about it."

She stared back, dumbfounded. Suddenly she started to realize what he had actually said. She nodded slightly.

"In the mean time" he said happily clasping his hands together. "Why don't we have a good old fashioned team night? My place, six o'clock? I'll invite the guys." he said holding up five fingers. She got the message.


At five o'clock sharp she was standing on his porch a pink sweater folded on her arm. He opened the door and invited her in.

"Come in ma'am" he said formally and she giggled. She walked to the living room and sat on the couch while Jack went to kitchen to get a couple of beers.

When he walked into the living room she stood up.

"YES" she breathed unable to hold it in any longer. He put the beers down and stepped closer.

"Yes to what?" he wanted clarification.

"All of it." He stepped closer and pulled her into a tight embrace. He nuzzled her neck gently before pulling back and kissing her, allowing himself this breach of regulations. Of course it wasn't the first time but this time it felt it really meant something.

"So we're really doing this?" she asked when he let her go. "We are getting married as soon as possible?"

"Yes, I guess we are" he said softly. They sat on the couch and Jack handed her a beer. "What a proposal, huh?" He grinned but there was something unreadable in his eyes. Like he'd just realized something important. Sam giggled. Again.

"I can't wait to tell Daniel!" Sam exclaimed happily.

"Um. Well. He might already know" Jack confessed sheepishly.

"Huh?"

"After I ignored a couple of thousands of his calls he stopped by Saturday. I might have told him. Of course, your opinion was unknown yet."

"At least we get to tell Teal'c." Sam giggled.

"Right. Like Daniel hasn't already told him." Jack huffed. "You know, it might take a couple of months to get things official." he said getting serious again.

"Nah, after eight years, what's a couple of months?" she said waving it off. They looked at each other.

"Nothing." they said in unison. Jack stared at her. Unable to resist he lifted his hand to her cheek and caressed it softly.

"You know, on of these days I am going to propose to you properly" he said huskily.

" I don't care about that. You know that." she leaned in his touch.

"I know. But still..." He was interrupted by a doorbell. He dropped his hand.

"I guess the guys are early." Sam said a little disappointed.

"Of course they are." he grinned getting up. "It's Daniel, after all."