Year Five

The 'We Saved the World Again' party Jack had held was over. Jack had determined a celebration was in order after saving Earth from the near fatal meteor collision. A few hours earlier his house had been filled with people; the disco music loud and competing with the chattering voices of the SGC personnel and their families.

Jack waved Daniel and Teal'c away and stood in his driveway watching the rear lights of their car disappear into the night. They had stayed until the last of the SGC staff had drifted away; as the night eased into early morning. Jack was trying to ignore the tug of disappointment that Carter hadn't stayed around until it was over too. She had disappeared into the crowd half-way through and he hadn't caught a glimpse of her since. Which was unusual, he admitted to himself; usually she would have searched him out to say goodbye.

He shrugged the thought away. He couldn't blame her. Things had improved between them since she had been kidnapped but he couldn't deny it had been a difficult year trying to find a new path given the decision to put aside their love and move on.

He had allowed them both to get too close over the first few years; had allowed their feelings to become more than they should and the year before it had almost cost Carter her life. He believed an alien entity had chosen to possess her because it had known Jack loved her and he had believed for a time that he had killed the woman he loved. No, he couldn't go through that again; couldn't risk her life because of his feelings. He wouldn't let it happen again, Jack told himself brusquely, sticking his hands in his pockets.

The months following the entity had been hell. He had tried to be completely professional; had tried to simply be her CO. He had ignored the jealousy that he'd felt with every man who showed her some attention; tried to convince himself it was for the best that she moved on with someone else, someone who could love her like she deserved and would make her happy in a way he doubted he ever could, never mind the barriers that were between them. All he had done though was to have pushed Carter so far away that he had almost lost her because he hadn't known she was missing until it was too late - and almost losing her had scared the life out of him and made him reassess the distance he had placed between them.

He had stopped trying to pretend to himself that he didn't care about her since Carter had gotten abducted. He had realised that he didn't want to lose their friendship in trying to keep their feelings professional and in trying to protect Sam. Friendship, Jack determined. He just had to rebuild their friendship, get them back on an even keel. It was what he had focused on since the kidnapping and it seemed to be working. Mostly. It wasn't easy though. He still loved her despite his efforts to move on and he suspected that Sam still cared for him. But he couldn't go there again; not for her safety and his sanity.

Jack breathed in deeply, enjoying the faint burnt charcoal smell that lingered from the barbeque. He didn't want to go to bed. He wasn't tired. The sky was just turning from black into purple; that first hint of the night giving way to the morning. He headed into the house and grabbed a beer along with his jacket. He climbed the ladder at the side of his house and hauled himself onto his roof where he had set up his look-out with the telescope pointed at the stars. He headed for the large comfy chair he had set out and stopped at the unexpected sight of Carter curled up in it.

For a long moment, Jack drank in the sight of her. She had tucked her legs underneath her, and her body was angled into the cushions, her head rested at an awkward angle against the top of the chair. Half of her face was smushed into the brown cushion, the other half was relaxed in sleep. Her short hair barely moved in the breeze.

Jack struggled against the urge to simply cup her cheek, trace her lips with his fingers…kiss her, wake her up and make love to her. He shook the fantasy away. He crouched beside the chair and gently shook her.

'Carter.' He whispered. 'Your watch.'

Sam came awake with a startled gasp. Her eyes focused on his and looked away sharply as she looked around and got her bearings. She blushed. He could see the redness fill her cheeks even though the only light around was the moon shining down on them.

'I'm so sorry…' she began as she uncurled her legs and made to stand up.

'Forget it, Carter.' Jack said gruffly.

'What time is it, sir?' Sam looked at her watch and winced visibly.

'Late.' Jack said succinctly. 'Everyone's gone home.'

'Everyone?' Sam's eyes widened.

Jack felt her panic and realised he hadn't seen her car or bike out front. 'You miss your ride?'

She nodded sheepishly. 'Janet was supposed to be giving me a lift.' She rubbed her upper arms and he guessed she was cold despite the denim jacket. 'I guess she must have thought I left with someone else when she couldn't find me.'

'Probably.' Jack murmured. His thumb worried the label on the beer bottle he held. 'I didn't realise you'd come up here.'

Sam pointed at the telescope ruefully. 'I was thinking about the guy who found the meteor. You know how he was just an ordinary astronomer and I just…' she smiled a little, 'wanted to take a look for myself.'

'Check we'd got rid of the thing?' Jack commented dryly.

'Something like that.' Sam admitted.

They fell silent.

'I, uh, I should call a cab.' Sam said, politely. 'You probably want to get to bed.'

Jack shook his head without thinking. He gestured at her with the beer bottle. 'Look, you're not going to get a cab at this hour. Why don't I exchange this for some coffee and I'll give you a ride home in a little while?'

'I don't want to put you out, sir.' Sam said stiffly.

'It's coffee and a ride home, Carter.' Jack shrugged. 'It's not like I'm saving the world or anything.'

Sam bit her lip and nodded.

Jack didn't hesitate; he headed back down the ladder and made his way into the kitchen. Five minutes later, he leaned on the counter and wondered what the hell he was doing. He should have called her a cab or called Teal'c. The Jaffa didn't drink he could have come back and taken Carter home. Heck, why didn't he just offer to lend her his truck?

He ignored the voice in his head, telling him what a bad idea it was and concentrated on making two cups of coffee. He picked them up with one hand and went back out. He managed to get most of the way up the ladder one-handed and without spilling a great deal of the coffee.

Sam met him as he got to the top and he handed the mugs to her. She took them and he stepped onto the roof. He waved her back into the chair and indicated she should shuffle up so he could fit too. She handed him one of the mugs and they settled back.

'Did you see it?' Jack asked, motioning with his mug at the telescope.

'No.' Sam blew on the hot liquid. 'I can't make it out.'

He leaned over and took a look through the scope. He froze at the constellation in the lens; the dog constellation that he and Carter usually joked around about; the one he had come to think of as theirs. He straightened. Sam looked away from him and he could tell that she was hoping he wouldn't call her on it and the fact that the meteor they had manoeuvred away from Earth was in an altogether different part of the sky.

'Poor kid.' Jack mused out loud, deliberately choosing another subject.

'Sir?' Sam asked confused.

'The astronomer who found our meteor.' Jack explained. 'He's probably searched night after night for something like that and when he finds something he can't tell anyone about it.'

Sam relaxed beside him. 'What about you, sir? Are you hoping to discover a meteor?'

'I think I've had enough of meteors.' Jack said lightly. 'There's something about seeing them up close and personal that just takes away all the magic.'

Sam grinned. 'I know what you mean, sir.' She rested against the cushions and turned her face up to the lightening sky.

He'd missed it, Jack realised. Missed her and the small moments they'd stolen together where they would simply sit and watch the stars. It was good to get that back and he resolved he wouldn't allow them to lose it again. After all, there was nothing wrong with two colleagues – friends – watching the stars together.

Nothing wrong at all.

Nothing.

To be continued in Year Six