TITLE: Missing Link

AUTHORS: Divine Joker and Tricia Byrne

EMAILS: Uh… R… this is an abridged version… If anyone would like the NC17 version, feel free to contact either DJ or Tricia at the emails above.

SUMMARY: Sequel to "Darwinian Theory" by Divine Joker. Sam and Jack have their dinner… and dessert.

SPOILERS: Zilch.

DISCLAIMER: Yeah, not mine. Or Tricia's. Though either of us would like to own them. MGM et al have that privilege.

A/N from Tricia: Thanks to Dee and Aud for pushing me to finish things. Also, loads of thanks to Divine Joker for letting me join in on the fun and take the dinner to a new level.

A/N from Divine Joker: Oy. That's all I can say. This was a lot of fun to write, so I hope that it lives up to what I want for it. Thanks Venom and Tricia for talking with my sorry butt.

(( ))

God, what could have possibly possessed her to say 'yes' earlier this afternoon? What on God's green earth – or maybe the universe – had taken a hold of her senses and thrown them out the window?

She smacked her forehead down on her lab table and glanced at the clock. Two hours before she was supposed to arrive at the Colonel's.

Could she… should she even think of him as the Colonel?

Could she… should she even begin to think of him as Jack?

Was that a line she was willing to cross? Had she already crossed it by accepting his invitation? What was he intending for the evening?

Her mind raced with thoughts as her body sat there, staring at the clock. What would she wear? What should she wear? Was it too late to break something and have to stay late to fix it? Was there anyway she could back out of the whole ordeal gracefully? Did she even want to?

Sam took a deep breath, completely at a loss as to what she was going to do. Looking longingly at the last piece of machinery from the dig on P9R 454 – something she could safely break and put together in just under five hours – Sam left her lab.

Twice she found herself heading back to her office with the intent to mishandle the artifact and hence get out of her evening, but there was something that kept turning her back.

She had to admit, an evening with the Col… Jack?… the Colonel was appealing, even if she was just a little confused.

She stopped at her quarters before taking her purse and keys and heading out of the mountain. She would have enough time to stop off at her house, change, grab a quick shower and head over to… Jack's. She could do this, really.

Her hand trembled slightly as she started the ignition. What was she doing? What was he doing? What were they doing? What would they be doing? Was this really just dinner?

What was she going to wear? She didn't want to over-step any boundaries. She still wasn't sure what he wanted, what he'd meant. At the same time, she wanted to look nice, presentable - not like it was just another team night. At least, not if that's what he wanted it to be. What did she want?

God, she couldn't do this.

She took a solid breath and listened to the motor, hoping that the steady rhythm would soothe her. It didn't and after a few moments, she restlessly pulled out of the parking spot and turned down the mountain.

She sighed. It's not like he was a stranger. They had plenty in common, didn't they? They would have supper, talk, have some coffee and then she'd go home.

That sounded feasible.

But given the tingling in her stomach and the anticipation crawling up her spine, it was highly unlikely.

She parked in front of her house and made her way up the walk. Opening the door she noticed, once again, that her hands were trembling slightly. The feeling of nervous trepidation crawling through her was overwhelming.

Was she reading too much into this? Where had all of his scientific jargon from earlier come from? Was this the culmination of too many years working side by side where each of their lives was threatened on a daily basis?

She entered her house, plopping the keys on the end table by the door and her purse on the island in her kitchen as she stood there trying to collect her thoughts.

She took a deep breath, steadied her heart rate and then started to move to her bedroom before something caught her ear.

She swivelled roughly on her heel and looked behind her.

There, perched forward on one of her chairs was Jack, his chin resting on his steepled hands and a tense look on his face.

"Jesus!" She breathed, her hand coming to dramatically cover her rapidly beating heart. Then she noticed the table and it's adornments; candles and two plates, side-by-side at the small table. Her brow furrowed in confusion as she scanned the roses that sat there…

Anticipation was rapidly and irrevocably turning into arousal.

He was seducing her?

He smiled slightly, catching her eye. "I wasn't entirely convinced that you'd show up tonight. So I thought we could have dinner here." He slowly got up from his perch and carefully approached her.

She felt the heat rising to her face, was her confusion that apparent? Was he so certain of this? If so, she already knew she trusted him with her life, what about her heart?

"Of course, following that theory, you didn't give me enough time to change or anything…"

Could she really shower knowing that he was sitting out here with a lovely romantic table set for dinner?

"Oh, don't mind me." He said, a small smile tugging on his lips.

Suddenly she caught sight of what it was that he was wearing and her breath hitched quietly in her throat. She'd seen him casual before, but not casual with the intent to distract.

And distracting he was. Years she had spent learning to disregard his attire, his stance and his eyes and now that was all shot to hell in three seconds flat. He stood confidently before her, one hand tucked in the pocket of his khakis and the other resting on the counter only a foot from her. His eyes were highlighted by the dark brown of his turtleneck and stared at her intently, causing a flush to reach up into her cheeks.

She swallowed the suddenly excessive amount of saliva in her mouth.

And now, as she looked at him, her tongue slipping out to lightly moisten her extraordinarily dry lips, she decided a shower wasn't such a bad idea. A nice cold shower would do nicely.

If it didn't, the court martial for breaking the fraternization regulations would be nothing when compared to the charges for assaulting a commanding officer, and conduct unbecoming of an officer.

Swallowing hard, she smiled sweetly. "All right, you'll be okay if I grab a quick shower and change then?" She asked, coyly.

Before he could respond, or she did something incredibly stupid - which would only add to the list at this point, she thought - she turned on her heel and headed toward her bedroom.

Shower, she thought. Cold shower and clothes; just shower and clothes.

She was proceeding with her search for clothes just fine and was even heading into her bathroom when another sound caught her ear. Her eyes widened in shock.

Whistling? The damned man was whistling in her kitchen.

For some reason it only made her smile.

Regardless of her intent for a cold and distracting shower, Sam soon turned the water warmer, hoping to relax as much as rid her mind of the person who was currently standing in her kitchen making her supper.

Stepping from the shower, she felt remarkably relaxed and slightly libidinous. She knew the second feeling was only bound to increase as the night went on, and judging from Jack's appearance that was exactly what he'd hoped for.

She dressed casually; and it didn't take long for her to decide on a deep blue skirt with a white and light blue floral pattern, a nice white blouse that showed her figure without too much else, and a deep blue cardigan. Her beige-strapped, heeled sandals finished off the outfit perfectly.

Checking herself over in the mirror one final time, she decided it was now or never and headed back toward her kitchen.

Feeling certain in Jack's presence only served in her own resolve and as she moved down the hardwood hall, she determined to turn the tables on the black-ops trained Colonel.

He'd never know what hit him.

When she finally reached the end of the hall, she could see him standing over the stove and the smell emanating from the three pots made her mouth water in a completely different way. Although the sight of his shoulders moving under the form-hugging sweater was pretty appealing, her stomach lightly rumbled it's own intentions and Sam lamented.

Turning tables could wait for a little bit, she decided.

Besides, she could always use the food to her own advantage.

She quietly approached him, leaning a hand on his shoulder, marking their first real contact since his arrival. "So, what's for dinner? It smells delicious."

His boyish smile over his shoulder, almost made her knees go weak. God, how did she think she could survive this?

"A light serving of shrimp scampi, followed by a special O'Neill family recipe for dessert. Pour the wine, this will be done any minute."

She stepped back and knew her shocked look amused him. "Wine? You brought wine?"

"Yes, wine. It's in there," he indicated the small table, "now go. You're getting in the way of my work."

Then again, how could he not have brought wine? Given the obvious thought he'd put into making this evening, wine would have been crucial. Not to mention that a little alcohol in a seduction made it that much greater to succeed.

She smiled as she poured the white wine, she listened contentedly to the sounds that he was making not ten feet from her. She found herself almost hyper aware of his activities and could almost feel him move up behind her as she straightened after distributing their drinks.

His hand on the small of her back as he moved behind her almost shook the bottle from her hands and she was awash in his scent, his presence and the emotions he was evoking. The world suddenly narrowed to the two of them sitting at the table and eating his creations.

There was very little talking over dinner. A brief casual discussion or two, nothing about work, or the SGC, or anyone they knew there. It was just them.

His set-up had been perfect, the meal, the wine, the ambiance all built a very sensual atmosphere. Sam sat there knowing she would never look at this room the same again.

She went to take his plate after he'd finished and he took her hand, stilling it mid-motion. "I'll get those. Besides, I still need to add the final touches to dessert."

Her eyes were glued to him. She couldn't speak at all, only smiled in response, both nervous and excited of what 'dessert' would bring.

As the smell of pasta and seafood disappeared, she could smell what it was that he had planned for dessert and her heart stopped for seconds before she willed it back into motion. She knew that he had this night planned down to the letter.

Chocolate fondue.

He was oozing confidence, and Sam decided that there was little she liked more than a predatory Jack about to pounce on his prey. As he set the platter of fruit down before and regained his seat, her eyes were drawn to his hands and they remained there.

She watched, motion for motion as he grabbed a toothpick, speared a fresh strawberry, proceeded to dip it in the melted chocolate and hold it over his cupped free hand. It was only after she realized he had stopped moving that she brought her eyes up to his and blushed profusely.

"Do you want this?" he asked innocently.

The heat of her cheeks increased as she slowly leaned forward. She smiled, carefully opening her mouth as his hand continued on its path and gently, hesitantly, placed the fruit between her teeth.

She lightly grasped the fruit, seductively looping her tongue around it as she backed away from his hand. Leaving him holding the empty toothpick for a few moments.

Her eyes closed as she savored the wondrous taste of the fresh strawberry combined with the warm sensations of the melted chocolate. An evilly content smile crossed her lips as she reached over, taking the toothpick from his grasp as she swallowed and opened her eyes.

"My turn?"

"Feel free." He smiled and sat waiting expectantly.

She pretended to consider the fruit, her hand moving over the pieces as the smell of the chocolate wafted around them. With a final playful glance at him, she chose a piece of pineapple and dipped it into the confection. She looked at him and smiled coyly, half offering the fruit and making him lean forward to accept the fruit.

Their eyes didn't stray from each other and she watched out of the corner of her eyes as his lips pulled the piece into his mouth and chewed selfishly. A small trail of juice escaped from his mouth and instinctively her hand rose to his face, her thumb reaching out to capture the liquid. The moment her skin touched his, felt his day old stubble and the heat, she froze and swallowed hard.

Boy, had that been a bad idea.

Her breath caught in her throat at the skin to skin contact.

Their eyes never broke the hold they had on each other, yet he managed to turn his head enough to part his lips and pull her thumb between his teeth. Gently licking and suckling every last drip of the offending liquid from the digit, he managed a boyish smile all at the same time.

She knew her mouth was hanging slightly open and willed herself to regain some of her composure. Think of anything else, she told herself. Thumbs. Opposable thumbs - the one thing that separated primates from almost all other mammals. A key factor in evolution. Damn. Evolution. The next step in evolution required procreation. Procreation required sex.. Could her lack of a sex life really be a part of the missing link for the next step in human evolution?

Did they even have the right to think that way? She could see her defense now: It was all for the betterment of mankind, sir.

He released her thumb and her hand trembled the entire way back to her lap, as he picked up the forgotten toothpick and went for his next selection.

She found herself biting her lip in anticipation as she watched his fingers make the second journey through the fruit. Her breathing increased, regardless of her attempts to control it, and her sensitive nose picked up his musk as well as the chocolate and fruit.

Her eyes nearly rolled back at the overload. She came to her senses just as he was about to place the apple to her lips. The fruit went astray – or Jack did – and a trickle of chocolate caught the bottom of her lip and trailed smoothly down her chin. Her hand was halfway to retrieve the offending chocolate when she caught sight of his eyes and froze under his gaze. Dilated pupils darted intently from her lips to her eyes, back again and then he was there.

Her breath hitched in her throat and a soft moan of surprise escaped as his lips surrounded the chocolate and sucked it into his mouth. He lingered momentarily and Sam could have sworn that his tongue had traveled the same distance, making sure that he hadn't missed any of the sugar. Then, just her hands were on the move to make sure that he stayed there, his touch disappeared and Sam opened eyes that had slid closed.

Her disappointed sigh had been unable to suppress and Jack seemed quite proud of himself as he sat back in his chair. Not a word had been spoken since before her last turn. Honestly, she didn't trust her voice to not betray her.

She examined the fruit, carefully deciding what would be 'best'. Ultimately, she discarded the toothpick. Using her fingers, she delicately picked up a slice of apple. Dipping it generously into the chocolate she then brought it to her lips, slipping on half between them and leaning closer to Jack.

Her right hand cupped under her chin to catch any run-away fluids, her eyes locked on his. Her blue ones twinkling as she watched him shift slightly nervously, his mouth agape.

He closed his lips, licking them carefully, before leaning forward to meet her.

She balanced herself by grasping his knees and held herself still as he slowly took the slice between his teeth. A brief moment of disappointment fluttered in her chest as she felt him bite of his half and begin to chew, his eyes still glued on to hers. Then she felt his fingers wrap around hers and tug her gently to him, her loss of balance nearly sending him straight into his chest.

She reached up and her palms settled flat on his chest, her face still a scant inch from his with a quarter of the apple still gripped firmly in her teeth. As soon as she was no longer compensating for the move, he moved forward and his lips captured the remaining fruit and her lips.

The sharp contrast between the cool fruit and his heated lips sent a shudder down her spine where it pooled in her abdomen and set her fingers on fire. Reflexively they clutched at the thick cotton beneath her palms and tugged herself closer to his heat.

Her blinded and overwhelmed senses didn't know what he was doing until the warmth of chocolate appeared to travel down her neck.

She started slightly at the sensation, pushing back a bit, relinquishing his lips. His hands held her close though, not letting her get away as his mouth descended on her neck.

Her eyes fluttered shut and she was only vaguely aware of the movement of his hands as they expertly unbuttoned the top three buttons of her blouse, moving it out of the way of the flowing stream of chocolate.

His mouth and tongue covered every millimeter of her neck and throat. Pausing only briefly to flick over her pulse point, allowing her to feel him smile as she let forth a small mew of consent.

Jack released a harsh breath against her skin and nipped at her collarbone, slowly moving down into the recently revealed V of skin. A shudder wracked her frame as his now active hand released the cardigan from her shoulders and then wound their way to her back, tugging to release the shirt from her waist.

The touch of his hands at her bare back brought her own lack of movement to the fore. Then, suddenly she found her nails digging into his shoulders as he knelt before her and held her firm. They dragged down his back, her head falling forward to bury her nose in the crown on his head as he kissed her breastbone with expert touches.

She reached the hem of his sweater and ducked in under the edge, her fingers traveling up the back of his pants to the waistline and dipping neatly just beneath the edge. She smiled triumphantly at the goose bumps rising in her path.

Moving her hands up his back she let her neat, short nails make a light trail across his skin. His nips becoming increasingly more like small bites as her nails increased their pressure against his skin. She reached his shoulders and looped his hands under his arms to reveal his chest.

His mouth broke contact with her skin long enough for her to remove the sweater, before her right hand made its way to the back of his neck and pulled him to meet her, while it ran through the wonderful, short hair there.

Their mouths met with bruising force, her tongue quickly requesting and accepting entrance to his mouth. She relished in the light taste of fruit and chocolate that remained there, as well as the taste that she knew was distinctly him.

She felt his hand rise up and lock into her own hair, tugging her that much closer to him. His other, unoccupied hand traveled down her leg to the hem of her skirt and gently clasped her ankle before beginning its journey, taking the light material with it. Her nerves preceded his fingers and sent bolts of fire racing along her veins; throwing them haphazardly out into the rest of her body. Instinctively feeling like she was loosing a grasp on reality, her nails dug into his neck and he hissed.

"Hey…" he warned against her skin, but she could feel the smile lurking under his lips.

It was the first word that either of them had spoken in a while, but it did nothing to detract from her attention on his wandering hand. It travelled up passed her knee and continued up her thigh, his lightly calloused fingers eliciting a small moan from the back of her throat.

Her mind was reeling. She needed a solid grasp on something. This shouldn't be happening, couldn't be happening, yet she was at a loss for how to stop it. Not that she wanted to stop it.

His lips left hers to travel down her neck, carefully moving her blouse aside as he licked, nipped, and suckled at her sensitive skin. He right hand carefully massaged her thigh while his left came up to further release the buttons of her blouse.

The feel of his hand brushing against her breast was almost too much.

"Stop." It was so quiet she wasn't even positive she'd said it.

"Stop?" he asked just as quietly, his hands frozen in place.

She bit her lips in frustration. She couldn't handle this much so soon and took a deep breath to calm her heart. Her hands still rest on his body, the tips of her fingers over-aware of the heat from his skin and it was just enough to tilt the balance.

Sam rose gracefully from her chair and looked down on him, kneeling half-naked at the chair and couldn't help the appreciative smile appearing on her lips. Only slightly aware that that position was horrible on his knees, she held out her hand to help him up.

He was still looking at her questioningly and she cupped his cheek with her palm. "Not stop," she clarified, "just slow down."

He carefully wrapped his arms around her waist, resting his palms at the small of her back, "I think I can manage that."

She gently pulled his head closer to hers, delicately kissing him. "Besides, this isn't exactly the best location that I can think of." Her left hand trailed down to join with his right as she elegantly twirled out of his embrace and guided him down the hallway to her bedroom door.

(( ))

The comfortable silence developed as they lay there, recovering together. Finally his arms nearly collapsed and he rolled off to the side, tugging her along with him so they lay on their sides facing each other.

"Jeez…" he commented in complete awe.

She allowed a contented sigh to escape before she softly replied, "Yeah…."

Snuggling closer to him, she tenderly kissed his shoulder, running her lips and tongue across his skin till she was nuzzling his neck. Her hand circled his chest lazily, her fingers running through the patch of hair there.

Her left leg looped over to entangle itself with his. She wanted contact with him, needed to feel the warmth of him. Almost as though she felt he would vanish like the hundreds of times that she had dreamt of this and awoken alone.

"Can someone remind me why we didn't do this years ago?"

"Do I have to?" he sighed and Sam closed her eyes. There were serious issues with what they had just done, but there was nothing in her heart that was screaming at her to get up and leave – or get him to leave, seeing as this was her house.

She felt as she did before they had even begun this intimate journey.

"I'm not sorry." She said with conviction.

"Oh, hell no. Me either." His own fingers had begun to journey her skin and Sam felt herself beginning to drift. His soft touches relaxed her awareness and she melted closer into his embrace.

She didn't want to think about this now. Didn't want to deal with any of this now. All she wanted to do was curl up in his arms, get some of the best sleep she thought she would ever get in her entire life, and wake up wonderfully rejuvenated for round two.

She shifted slightly, moving the covers beneath her she moved him over so that they both could slip beneath the warm cocoon of her comforter. Then snuggled back into his embrace.

"I don't want to move," she sighed, "I want to stay here, like this, forever."

His hold on her tightened. "So, do I." He sighed, kissing her forehead softly, "What do you think they'll look like?"

"They?" She asked, surprised but secretly pleased.

More that one child with Jack had a certain appeal – even if it greatly rested upon the making of those children.

She lightly kissed his chest and hummed in contentment. "Your looks and my brains." She smiled.

"Hey… I was thinking more along the lines of your looks and your brains." He ran a gentle finger down the side of her face and then leaned in to give her a soft kiss. He settled again cocked his head at her. "They? How many?"

Her smile turned mischievous, "Well, they say practice makes perfect…" she started her reply as she moved in to kiss him deeply, "And I've always been more of a hands-on learner…"