Sam spent the next week, trying to continue working on her experiments, but her thoughts kept returning to General Hammond's comments. She had lost count of the numbers of times she had picked up the phone, about to call Jack to see how he was doing, but hung up the phone before she finished dialing his number.

At the end of the leave drew closer, she found her heart beat faster in anticipation. She was sleeping less and less while being more and more preoccupied. Then, the fateful day arrived. Sam was on her thousandth cup of coffee, and as she stared at the reactor, she was unable to even process what it was.

"Carter…"

She spilled her coffee all over the reactor as she jumped at the sound of Jack's voice.

"Yes sir?" She asked, standing rigidly upright.

Jack chuckled despite his fairly solemn demeanor. "Careful, Carter…you're going to ruin your doohickey."

She groaned and rubbed her fingers in a circular motion on her temples. "This is not happening." She muttered under her breath.

"Yeah, it is, Carter."

She turned to him and saluted. "Welcome back, sir."

He clasped his hands behind his back. "I don't know if Daniel told you…"

She nodded. "He did."

"Sam," He began, taking a deep breath. "You deserve someone who isn't using you…"

She sat down, faintly. "Jack…"

"I've been gathering up the courage to say this for a week, Carter…" Jack said, his voice rising.

She sat still, silenced by Jack's slight rebuke.

"Sam, General Hammond has been on my back for years about the fact that he's gotten the regulations suspended for the SGC, and yet hasn't had the satisfaction of seeing…well, anyway, what I really wanted to know is whether or not you'd come to dinner with me tonight."

Sam blinked. "Huh?"

Jack took another deep breath. "Do you want to go to dinner with me tonight?"

"Jack…I have to tell you…"

He reached in his pocket. "Oh, and I forgot…"

He produced the jewelry box that contained the locket he had bough for her birthday, but hadn't yet given to her. She gasped, and he quickly continued. "I really did get you a birthday present…I just didn't know how to give it to you."

She opened the velvet box and found the locket. Then, she turned it over to find the inscription. "To the best and brightest…" There was also a tiny star underneath the inscription and she began to cry. She looked at him, and then returned her gaze to the locket and caressed the top. Then, wordlessly, she placed the locket back and returned it to him.

"What? Don't you like it?" Jack asked, confused.

"I…love…it, Jack, but I can't take it until I tell you what I need to." He looked at her, seemingly aging ten years in the space that it took her to continue. "Jack, I haven't dated anyone seriously since the second Abydos mission."

He blinked. "You mean you and Pete…"

"Haven't seen each other since I left for the Gulf." She finished.

"So, he was telling the truth?" Jack asked, still disbelieving.

She nodded, ashamed.

"Wow…I am such an idiot!"

"Jack, I'm…it's just that…I'm sorry." She finished, lamely.

"Sorry? Sorry doesn't cut it, sweetie." Jack said, turning around so that he wasn't facing her anymore.

"I know…"

"You know?" He yelled. "Sam, where were you when I was sitting in jail overnight for assaulting a frickin' police officer?"

She winced.

"For that matter, why did you do it? Was it just too much fun to watch me suffer?"

She looked up, a sense of deep anger stirring in her bosom. "How dare you suggest that I would enjoy watching you suffer…I would never want to see you hurt."

"Yeah, well you and Pete has certainly made me hurt, Carter!"

She stood. "I had to know…"

"Know what, Carter? Was this just another experiment? See how far the charade can go? Dammit, Sam…in the closet, I was going to…" He stopped and caught his breath from his raving.

"What were you going to do?" She asked. "Kiss me? Make love to me? All of those things I've wanted but could never have?"

"Stop messing with my head, Sam!"

Sam now had tears of embarrassment and anger running down her cheeks. "Well, if you must know," she spat. "I did it because I needed to know if you loved me."

"What!" He shouted. "Apparently, you were the only one on the base who didn't know."

"Likewise! I wouldn't be surprised if everyone else on the base knew that my relationship with Pete was non-e…"

"Daniel and Teal'c were just as ignorant as I was." Jack sneered.

"Then maybe you're all just…"

She was so frustrated that she couldn't find an adequate adjective for the men.

"Well, I don't need to take this anymore…Major!" He yelled, turning on his heel and leaving her lab, slamming the door behind him. For once in his life, he actually left her behind.