When Sam arrived to the airport, Daniel and Vala were already waiting for her outside with their carry-ons.
"Sorry, guys" she said while opening the trunk.
Vala hugged her strongly and kissed her with enthusiasm.
"Don't worry, darling. We've just arrived" she lied winking at her husband.
"Yes, Sam, the plane was late. No problem. Thanks for picking us up" he said hugging her too.
Back inside the SUV, Vala was quick to ask "So where's my favorite General? Working?"
Sam blushed a little. "Ah no, Jack is home actually. He had an accident today, nothing serious though" she added.
Daniel looked at her immediately, sensing something wrong.
"Accident?! What king of accident?" he asked with curiosity.
"Hum… he cut himself with a glass at the kitchen. You know how clumsy he can get sometimes" she lied hoping to remember to tell Jack what was the reason of his wrapped hand.
Daniel's face was showing all his incredulity. "And he has to stay home because of a glass cut?"
"Ahh… Actually he had to get some stiches, the cut was a little deep. Clumsy, I know". Sam smiled while looking at Vala through the car mirror.
Vala smiled but stayed silent. The ride from the airport to their home was not very long and was filled with nonsense talk for which Sam was very glad. When they arrived, Jack wasn't in the living room so she suspected he must be sleeping. The morning had been quite busy and physical.
"Ok guys, I think Jack might be resting so let's put your things upstairs and I'll just go see him. You know the way" she said starting to climb the stairs.
Daniel and Vala exchange a silent look and followed her. Sam opened their bedroom door quietly, entered and closed it again. Seconds later Daniel and Vala entered the guest room and closed the door.
"Ok something is definitely not right around here" Vala said as she put the bag on the bed.
Daniel took his coat and sat on the bed.
"Yeah, I have the same feeling" he agreed.
"First Samantha was all strange in the car and now Jack had an accident with a kitchen glass and has to stay home?! The man was tortured with pain sticks and laughed in their faces, for Hammond's sake!" Vala said through her teeth.
"Ok sweetheart let's not jump to conclusions. We haven't seen them in a long while…", he said.
"Daniel, we know them for years. They are our friends. Something's wrong!" Vala insisted.
"I'm not saying you're wrong. I'm just saying to take it easy. Let's wait for them to tell us if they want to. We are guests here, Vala" he tried again.
Vala shook her head.
"Friends, my love, we are their friends" she said slowly.
"Ok but take it easy" he pleaded.
In the other room Jack was indeed deep asleep and didn't heard Sam coming in. Quietly she sat in the bed and look at him. He was now completely dressed, his injured hand in his chest. Sam gently stroked his gray hair. He didn't even stir. Must be really exhausted. Sam then worked one hand under Jack's sweater, trailing her hand teasingly along his ribcage and he started to wake up.
"Hi sleeping beauty" she said giving him a small peck in his forehead.
Jack opened slowly his eyes. His wife was looking at him with a smiling face.
"Sam?" he asked confused.
"Yes, Jack. Good nap?" she asked her hand continuing to tease his chest.
"I just laid down for a second…" he said blinking.
"Well apparently it was more than a second" she said doing small circles in his belly button.
Jack inhaled sharply when he felt her hand there. It was one of his sweet spots.
"Sam" he warned.
"Feeling better?" she asked innocently while her hand remained in the same place.
Jack grabbed her wrist, stopping her.
"Did you pick them?" he asked.
"Yes, they are in their bedroom. Want to say hi?" she asked with a smile.
Slowly Jack sat on the bed still holding her wrist.
"What did you tell them?" he asked curious.
Sam used her other hand to caress his hair and his neck. He looked delicious with that still sleeping face.
"That you cut yourself with a glass in the kitchen and need some stiches. That' you're clumsy and that's why you're staying at home today" she explained.
Jack closed his eyes feeling her hands in his head. He loved her head massages.
"Are you falling asleep again, Jack?" she asked amused while she continued to rub his hair.
"Probably", he said with his eyes still closed.
She took her hand and gave him a small kiss on his lips.
"You can sleep later. Let's go. They're dying to see you, especially Vala", she said giving him a hand to lift him up of the bed.
Resigned he got up.
"Oh I can hardly wait" he said lifting both eyebrows.
When they left the room Vala and Daniel were no longer in their room so they went downstairs. They were in the kitchen. Daniel was waiting for the coffee.
"Hi guys, hope you don't mind but I really need coffee. That crap in the plane is just boiled water", he said.
Jack smiled and the two man gave a quick embrace. Vala put her arms around Jack neck carefully avoiding his hurt hand.
"So nice to see you alive, General! I heard you had a deadly battle with a glass and it almost won" she said teasing.
Sam rolled her eyes and Jack almost smiled.
"Almost but I'm a General and Generals don't lose battles with glasses Vala" he said accepting her tease.
"Good for you, Jack" she said patting him the back.
The coffee was mercifully ready and Daniel poured a mug for everyone. The talk was normal and they decided on take out for dinner because Sam said she was tired to go out to dinner. Jack silently thank her with his eyes. After several pizzas and a little TV everyone decided for early bedtime.
Jack was in the bathroom washing his hands.
"So tomorrow you'll get back to office?" she asked while arranging the pillows in the bed.
"Yes. This day off has already cause may hem in my schedule" he said getting into the bed.
"I'll probably go shopping with Vala and drag Daniel with us" she said turning to him.
Jack gently caressed her face.
"Do you want to talk, Sam?" he asked looking at her.
She took a deep breath.
"I'm still very hurt, Jack. It's hard for me to process what happened. You've always been my rock, even before we got married. Do you even image how betrayed do I feel with what you've done to me?" she asked feeling her eyes getting full of tear again.
Jack gently clear her eyes with his thumb, continuing to caress her face.
"Imagine if it was the opposite I would be going stir crazy, so yes I have a degree of what you must be feeling" he admitted.
Sam moved looking at the ceiling.
"I would never cheat on you Jack. After everything we have been through all these years, I wouldn't do that to us. I was certain that you wouldn't either. But I was obviously wrong" she said biting her lower lip.
Jack hid his head in her shoulder.
"I know, Sam and I'm so sorry, so very sorry" he said his voice cracking.
"I do want our marriage to work, Jack but it will take time to trust you again. Do you realize even how difficult is for me to say that?" Trust you back? I've trust you with my life years on, in prisons, in God-forsaken planets, when I couldn't hold you or kiss you like I can now and…" her voice was suddenly too emotional and Sam couldn't continue.
Jack grab her in an embrace and hold her while she cried.
"I know, honey, I know", he said time after time while she cried.
"Of all the women it had to be Kerry" she asked through her sobs.
Jack knew that that was one of the biggest problems of his betrayal. That he cheated Sam with his former lover Kerry Johnson.
"I'm so sorry" he repeated while holding her tightly.
Eventually Sam's tears and sobs subsided and stopped but they continued in each other's arms.
"I'll do anything necessary to make this right, Sam, anything" he whispered in her ear.
Sam didn't reply but hold to him tighter. Their legs were tangled and it was difficult to tell where one body begin from the other but that's how tight they fall asleep.
In the other room Vala and Daniel were also in bed talking.
"I'm telling Sam is crying, I can hear it", Vala said with her head in her husband chest.
Daniel was caressing her wife's dark long hair pensively. He also had her the sobs coming from the other room and was profoundly disturbed.
"I know" he said.
"Why? They seemed so happy, Daniel… I know she was never at the Hammond for such a long time but they have done this thing of long distance before and they never had any problems, right? Vala asked drawing small circles in his tight.
"Well we don't know. They might have and never told us" Daniel said.
"I think I would have noticed if Samantha was having problems in her marriage, darling!" Vala's tone was a little indignant.
"Well, let's see if we can find out more tomorrow. Know I'm worried too. Sam doesn't cry unless there's a very strong reason for it. I'll be dam if I won't find out" he said kissing his wife in the head.
"Ok let's worry about them tomorrow then. We can still enjoy the nigh" Vala said looking at him with a low seductively voice while starting to take his pants out.
Next morning when Daniel and Vala went downstairs they only found Sam in the kitchen.
"Where's Jack?" asked Daniel looking around.
"He already left, tons of things to do. He apologizes" she said putting more coffee on the machine.
"Well, good then, so you can tell us what the heck is going on" he said taking one of the kitchen's chairs.
Sam's face reddened.
"What do you mean?" she asked trying to play dumb.
"Samantha darling, it is us. Your friends. We heard you cry last night", Vala said taking Sam's hand.
Earing that, Sam's face turned even redder.
"Oh that was nothing", she tried again.
Daniel started to put fresh coffee in the mugs.
"Sam, please. You only cry when Jack is dying or dead. Is he sick?" he asked calmly.
"No, of course not" she answered quickly.
"So…" Daniel continue to look at her.
Vala holding her mug of coffee was also looking at her and Sam knew that there was no way to avoid the conversation.
"It's really a thing between the two of us, guys" she continued to try.
"We've figure that much already, darling", Vala said sipping her coffee.
"Like a marriage thing, private one", Sam tried every exit she could find.
"Well we never had issues discussing our affairs between us before. We're family, Sam", Daniel said drinking the rest of coffee and going for a refill.
Sam sighted heavily and looked at her hands. Her look showed defeat.
"Ok but you have to promise not to tell Teal'c. He will kill Jack", she said looking at both of them.
"Teal'c?!", Daniel was confused. "What has Teal'c got to do with your crying? he asked.
"If Teal'c finds the reason why I was crying he will kill Jack, I'm certain. So before I say a word, you will swear no word to Teal'c" she ordered.
"Ok" Daniel said.
"Fine", Vala said taking care to cross her fingers behind her back.
"Jack cheat on me with Kerry Johnson while I was on the Hammond", Sam said bluntly.
Daniel spit all his coffee and start chocking so much that Vala had to give him a spat on the back.
"Breath slowly, honey", she said while she took his mug away and gave him a napkin to clean himself.
"Are you ok, Daniel?" Sam asked concerned at the flushed archeologist.
"HE DID WHAT?!" Daniel yelled.
"Calm down, Daniel", Sam asked.
"Well, he is right, Samantha. If I had a zat General Jack would already been on the floor" Vala said very seriously.
Sam put her hands in her head and hide it.
"I knew it was a bad idea to tell you" she mumbled.
"You don't have to worry about Teal'c because I will personally kill him myself" said Daniel starting to get up.
Sam grab his arm.
"Don't Daniel, please", she asked.
"How can you be like this, Sam? He cheated on you?" he asked in disbelief.
"Oh I know he cheat on me; I was the one who caught them. Believe me I know", she clarified.
Vala decided that the conversation was escalading to quickly and she needed more facts. One thing Sam was right, if Teal'c found out that Jack had cheat Colonel Carter, the Jaffa would kill him without mercy.
"So why don't we take this talk to the couch?" she asked nicely.
"Fine whatever. But I want to know what happened" Daniel said with a furrow brow.
Sam sat in one end of the couch while her two friends sat on the middle.
"Where did you caught them" Vala asked curious.
"I arrived a day earlier and went to his office. He wasn't expecting me. They we both there. Surprise!" Sam exclaimed with no trace of smile in her face.
"Dear God!" Daniel closed his eyes.
"Yeah" Sam agreed biting her lip.
"So…the evil bitch?" Vala asked digging in.
San rolled her eyes.
"According to Jack it was a bad case of loneliness on his part and good case of opportunity on hers. He says that she's out of the picture for good" Sam said in a low voice.
"Oh she's definitely is", Vala guaranteed.
"I already talked to her", Sam said a little afraid of the reactions.
Vala smiled.
"I wouldn't expect anything less from you, Samantha darling", she said with a proud voice.
"She's convinced that Jack is going to divorce me", Sam told them.
Vala smiled was gone in a second.
"Excuse me?" The bitch said what?"
"Is Jack talked about divorce, Sam?" Daniel asked very slowly.
"No. He has guarantee me that he has no intention to see her again and wants our marriage to work. That is very sorry for the pain that he has caused me", Sam said biting her cheeks and fidgeting with her hands.
"He's better hell do it!" Daniel exclaimed angrily.
"So how can we help, darling?" Vala asked in a sweater tone.
"Well for once we have the White House gala and I need a dress", Sam said.
"Goody, so shopping it is", Vala said smiling.
"Then…" Sam looked at Daniel and he started shaking his head immediately.
"No Sam, don't ask me to be his friend right now. Not after what he has done to you" he said shaking his head repeatedly.
"Daniel, listen to me", she asked taking his hand.
"One of Jack's problems in D.C is that is very lonely when I'm away. Only now I understood how he really feels…" she started to say.
Daniel interrupted her immediately.
"And because of that he jumped Kerry Johnson?! Because poor Jack is lonely? Come on Sam, he is not five years old…" he said disgusted.
"He's not forgiven, Daniel, we are working on this. It is something that will require time but in less than two months I'll be leaving again with the Hammond unless I resign" Sam said that for the first time aloud.
The thought of resigning her commission had been taking form in her brain for the last days but until now it only had been a last resort solution.
"Are you crazy?! Daniel glasses almost fell from his face.
"Samantha, darling, I thing you are jumping the gun, like you use to say here" Vala said a little surprised Sam was even considering that option.
"I'm not saying that I'll resign, I'm just saying it's a possibility" she said.
"Well it shouldn't!" Daniel said forcefully.
"I agree, Sam" Vala took her hand and squeeze.
"He should be the one resigning" said Daniel taking his glasses and cleaning them.
"You know the brass will never accept" Sam said putting her head on the couch.
"They won't accept yours either" Vala said wisely.
Sam they were both right.
"Ok so resignations aside right now I need a dress and I would like very much that you're stay here wouldn't turn in WWIII. You're free to talk to Jack of course but please keep it civil as best you can" she asked.
"I can't guarantee that, Sam, I'm sorry" Daniel apologized in advance".
"Darling, I'll have a small talk with the General. The only promise I can make is that I won't zat him simply because I didn't bring mine with me. That's all", Vala said with a bright smile.
Sam shook her head and smile despite all. They were her friends for better and worst.
"Ok, do whatever you think you have to do" she finally said.
"Right, so now we both are going shopping. Bye Daniel" Vala said picking Sam and disappearing.