A/N: Sorry for the delay – I'm in the middle of this semester's finals… So here you are and there should be one or two more chapters to go to finish this part. Enjoy and lemme know what you think! :o)

Jack knew that he had been blessed – and forgiven. He had done so many bad things in his life and yet here he was, with this amazing woman in his arms and she was asking him to take her home. He wanted to, he really did, but even more he wanted to stay right where he was with her sitting there, holding him, nuzzling her face to his neck. She was so warm and finally, after many long weeks, he could feel some peace calming down his soul.

"Jack?"

"I just really don't want to get up now…" He admitted and felt her smile against his skin.

"Well, here we can just sit like this… imagine what we can be doing at home…" She said playfully and felt him response – he tensed a bit and then relaxed. She obviously surprised him with her suggestion.

"Now that's evil…" He said, obviously tired but amused.

"Come on, let's go, your driver is waiting for you."

And that did the trick. With one last kiss she got up and waited for him to pick up all his things and follow her out of his office. He locked the door and reached for Sam. He took his hand in hers and kissed her knuckles gently. She smiled at him, thinking he'd let go but he just kept on holding her.

"Jack?"

"Just give me a minute…" And she could do that. She should have been worried about that gesture – in public – but somehow it felt right. They haven't announced their relationship but it wasn't a complete secret either. So… she allowed herself to enjoy the feelings. They walked hand in hand to the elevators and he wouldn't let go even in the elevator. Sam was enjoying it although a bit worried about the reasons.

"I just missed you, Carter." He said – like he could read her mind as well as she could read his sometimes.

"I missed you too…" She answered and leaned into him.

Outside the driver smiled at them, knowingly. Jack just asked him to take them home. The driver, Derek, had no questions about the lack of Sam's luggage. Anne called him of course and explained everything. And he was, as well as Anne, happy for the General.

He liked General O'Neill, he was a good man. Usually the people would be taking advantage of having a private driver but not this guy. He was a decent man – just sad all the time, worn out, tired, trying hard but… However - with this woman he seemed calm and in peace. Derek liked that very much. In his opinion the General deserved that indeed.

"Thank you, Derek."

"You're welcome, Sir. I'll see you on Tuesday."

"No, you won't."

"What? I'm pretty sure you have the meetings on Tuesday, Sir."

"I do. But you won't be taking me there."

"Sir?" Derek asked, not really understanding.

"I'm perfectly capable of doing that myself. And you have your girls back home and your son-in-law and your new baby grandchild. So you're gonna enjoy this week as much as I am and you are going to be with your family."

Jack told the man and heard Sam giggle behind him. She saw Derek's face, pure shock and amusement. She knew from Anne that Derek was a good man. And she hadn't heard Jack complain about him. So she really liked this scene. The driver wanting to come to work and the General telling him not to.

"Sir…" Derek tried.

"Oh come on…"

"Don't worry, Derek, I'll make sure he gets there on time." Sam said. It earned her another shocked look – this time from Jack. But Derek just smiled at her, obviously understanding more than he was letting on. Sam knew that she had crossed a line here now – admitting things, but hopefully it didn't matter and Jack didn't mind.

"Have a nice week, Derek." Sam added, he just nodded as well as did Jack and drove away. After a few more meaningful moments of staring at each other, Sam took his hand in hers and took him home. She thought he would tell her something about talking to Derek but well…

They stopped in the living room. Sam noticed that Jack was obviously exhausted. He hugged her, buried his face into her neck, smelled her hair and she could just hold him. She missed him so so much… even moment like this was a blessing.

"Why don't you go and take a shower, hm?" She offered but there was no answer.

"Come on, Jack, go, take a shower, I'll make some small dinner, we can lie down then, cuddle on the couch…" She was playing with the short hair on his neck while talking to him and she really loved all those warm feelings she was experiencing. Such a calm moment.

"All right." Jack agreed, too happy and too tired to think about anything at all.

Sam knew Jack would use the opportunity to take one of those longer showers, he needed to relax, he seemed so tensed. She watched him walk away, losing his tie and getting rid of his jacket.

Sam took care of things in the kitchen. She made them some tea, sandwiches, chopped some fruit and brought it to the living room. Then she walked into their bedroom – oh yeah, it was their bedroom now! – and took some of her own clothes – actually she took her pajamas – comfortable sweats and t-shirt that wasn't hers. She still loved sleeping in his t-shirt. She would take a shower in the other bathroom in the house.

For a moment she was tempted to join Jack in their bathroom but then decided against it. This was not the time. They were both tired and besides, somehow, for some strange reason, she really was enjoying this – just being together.

In the shower Jack took his time. He knew Sam would understand. He was just so damn tired! It was so unfair… but he couldn't wait for being with his lover, cuddling on the couch. God, he missed her so much! When he felt a refreshed and bit better, he dried himself, put on some clothes and went to the living room. There was food on the table but Carter was missing.

He sat down on the couch and took one of the huge cups with tea into his hands. It was nice and warm – oh and sweet! He had to smile – Sam was the only one that knew how much he liked sweet tea in the evenings. He wouldn't tell anyone else. Well – maybe Cassie knew but nobody else.

Sam tried to be quick, really quick, but when she joined Jack in the living room, she found him sleeping on the couch, the big mug in his hand. He was so cute. She fell in love with him all over again. She loved it that he felt so safe and comfortable with her being there that he could fall asleep.

So she came to him, took his mug away and snuggled closer to him on the couch. It woke him up though.

"Hey…"

"Sorry, I didn't want to wake you."

"I didn't mean to fall asleep."

"You're tired."

"Yeah… sorry…"

"Don't be… this is nice you know?"

"Is it now, huh?" He smirked. But also put his arm around her and brought her even closer. He kissed her gently, lovingly, so happy that she was there with him. They just sat there together, not saying anything. Sam noticed that Jack had no dinner. So she reached for the fruit and made him eat some.

"So… what's the plan?"

"Do we need a plan?"

"Actually, no, we don't." She smiled at him.

"I have the meetings on Tuesday and the online conference on Wednesday. Other than that I'm all yours."

"I like the sound of that."

"I bet you do."

And she kissed him – because she wanted to, because she could and because she really liked the idea of spending the week with him with no intergalactic threats and all… it would be just the two of them and she was perfectly fine with that.

"One thing though."

"What is it, Jack?"

He looked at her, once more surprised by being called by his given name – he loved how it sounded, how it rolled from her mouth, those perfect lips… He lost his thoughts for a moment there…

"Jack?"

"Yeah?"

"You wanted to tell me about something…" She smiled – thinking he was cute while being tired.

"Yeah… Well, Wednesday evening – don't make plans."

"Huh?"

"You promised me a date, Sam. Real date. Hope you're not going to dump me now…"

"Of course not!" And with that she kissed him happily. They were really going to do it – they were about to have a date.

"So – Wednesday?" She asked and he could just nod at her.

"And it's gonna be all beautiful and fancy as I promised you."

"All right." She smiled again, feeling really happy – and getting nervous.

"Will you dress up for me?" He asked – almost shyly.

"What color?"

"No, let's do it the other way… you pick a dress and tell me the color so I can buy myself matching tie. Or if you want to – buy the tie."

"All right." She beamed at him – nervous as hell then about this but trying to cover it. However, she knew that he could read her very well – so she did the only thing that would distract him for sure – she kissed him.

Later, while cuddling on the couch, enjoying quiet calm evening, Sam noticed that Jack was slowly falling asleep again. He kept on playing with her hair but his other hand stopped – it was not caressing her skin anymore. He really had to be tired.

"Bedtime, Sir." She whispered into his ear and heard him chuckle.

"You know that the moment I fall on the bed, I will be asleep, right?"

"I know."

"You don't mind?"

"No…" She promised him. "Besides you're falling asleep here anyway."

"I'm an old man!"

"Thor would probably disagree with that... Hell I would disagree with it!"

"All right – so I'm a tired man." He tried a different tactic.

Sam just giggled and got up. She reached for him and he took her hand in his. Then he followed her – into their bedroom. Turning off the lights, closing the door, like any other ordinary couple. It felt really nice – to be doing something normal for once. At first Sam wasn't sure that they would manage to be in the bathroom together while brushing teeth, but luckily the years of serving together taught them well – it was a good training for situations like that.

Jack did as he told her in the end – he climbed in and when his head hit the pillow, he was asleep. Sam was standing there ,watching him, loving every single second – painfully aware of the fact that it would end in a week and she would be gone and without the chance to see him sleeping and hear him snore – for a long time once more. So – determined to be with him as much as possible – she climbed in, snuggled to him, and kissed him good night.

"Good night, Jack. Sweet dreams my love." She wasn't sure where that came from – she was not the one to be saying things like that… but somehow it slipped.

"I love you, Sam. Sweet dreams." He said back and turned his head so he could kiss her head. She felt tears in her eyes then. With one last kiss she closed her eyes and fell asleep. Happy.

I know, short – but don't worry, I'll make it up to you soon!