Author's Note: OK, the first attempt at this chapter was totally crap as my beta rightly told me and thank goodness i have her or i'm sure you'd all be long gone. I'm working on the next chapter, but don't count on it being updated anytime soon - way too much uni work to do. sorry for being like this, please don't pelt me with olives! (or anything else for that matter!)

Disclaimer: I've sort of given up on these, but the usual rules apply (not mine, yadda, yadda...)

Jack pulled up outside Sam's house. He could do this. It was just a favour from a friend, his Second in Command, nothing more. He could do this! After taking yet another deep breath, he finally climbed out of his truck and headed up the garden path.

Jack O'Neill dumped Carter's mail on the table in the hall and switched on the light. He'd been here a few times before, but usually if there was hanging out for SG-1 to do it was done at his house. This place was, for the most part, unknown. He switched on the light and looked around. Simple yet elegant – very Carter. Sara hadn't been like that much – she'd always gone for the more traditional flowered fabrics and thick woven carpets instead of the plain, practical look Sam had gone for. And yet little things about this place also made it look homely – the dirty dishes in the kitchen sink, the half-read magazines left scattered around...even the quirkily-alphabetised bookshelf and the rugs on the uniform laminate flooring that seemed peculiarly 'her'.

Jack decided he liked it. He tried to watch television for a while but found himself yawning and decided to head to bed. Jack O'Neill wanted at least one good night's sleep if he was going to be dealing with Mark Carter's kids for the rest of the week. He fetched his bag from the truck and got undressed for bed. He locked the door, took out the key and placed it and his gun in a safe place in Sam's bedroom. Next he went to the bathroom, cleaned his teeth and decided Carter wouldn't mind if her Commanding Officer borrowed a couple of aspirin. Ok, took a couple because it was extremely unlikely that she'd be wanting these babies back.

Jack opened the right hand cupboard, and then shut it again swiftly.

Just to be sure, he opened it again, and shut it just as fast.

He so didn't need to see that.

Cautiously, he opened the left hand door and found an array of over-the-counter meds mixed with the usual scattering of half-finished prescriptions so common in the cupboards of his team. In fact, they could probably open a pharmacy between them, never mind the other teams. O'Neill picked out the aspirin, popped a couple replaced the lid and closed the door.

For several seconds he stood in front of the basin staring at the cupboard, daring himself to check again. Testing his mind – and his eyes – just one more time, he opened the door.

Yep, still there.

There was such a thing as too much information when it came to one's 2IC, especially when that 2IC was Samantha Carter. Maybe if he just went to sleep and forgot about the whole thing, it would be gone by morning. OK, probably not – but he could try.

Just a short while later, Jack was lying in bed almost asleep when he inexplicably became aware of the presence of someone in the front hall. Grabbing his gun he got silently out of bed and sneaked across the bedroom. In one swift motion he swung the bedroom door wide and leapt out gun first to face his intruder...coming face to face with the barrel of another gun.

"JACOB!"

"JACK!"

"I just about shot you!"

"What the hell are you doing here, Jack?"

"What're you doing here?"

"I asked first."

"But your gun's empty."

"How do you know?"

"Black ops, Jacob. I just know."

Jacob lowered his gun.

"I still asked first though." Jacob insisted, smirking.

Jack finally put down his gun.

"Its not what it looks like. Sam's looking after Mark's kids this week, I figured she didn't have enough space here so we're doing a house swap."

"I know."

"You know?"

"Daniel told me."

"But I didn't tell him you were here."

"He digs around for a living Jack."

"I guess. So, why're you here if you're supposed to be staying low?" Jack asked as he led his visitor towards the kitchen and put the kettle on.

"Coffee?"

"Please. I heard Sam and the kids were in town and that they were staying at your house. Sam's always said I could use her house when she wasn't here so here I am. Figured I'd give her a call when I arrived. I didn't expect anybody to be here."

Jack poured two cups from the cafetiere. Jacob took a large gulp and let out a sigh.

"Day that bad, huh?"

"I miss this stuff." Jacob said, avoiding the question. "Selmak doesn't like it."

"Yeah, I think Carter might have said something a while back. Didn't believe her – just out of curiosity when said that you didn't expect anybody to be here..."

"You're a big boy Jack. What you do in your own time's none of my business."

"What, no 'if you break her heart I'm gonna kill you' speech?"

"Jack, if you and Sam ever have a fight, if you ever lose her – I know you well enough to know that no one could ever kill you more than yourself." Jack looked down at the table awkwardly. "I know this because I've been through it too Jack. I see the way you look at her; I see the way she looks at you. It's the same way her mother used to look at me. I lost the love of my life Jack and it was my fault. I have to live with that just like you have to live with losing your son. Don't go and lose her too."

"Jacob as much as I...you know we can't." Jack looked up at Jacob, the old general was surprised to see tears in Jack's eyes.

"Just don't wait too long, ok?" Jack nodded; then after a moment the pair hugged – not the manly back-slapping sort of hug, but in an honest, father-son sort of way.

"Thanks Dad."

"Way to make me feel old, Jack. If you're grey what does that make me?"

"Hey, at least I still have hair!"

"I'm going to pretend you didn't just say that Jack. I'd better get back to the mountain. Mind if I grab a couple of aspirin on the way out? My head is killing me!"

"Shouldn't Selmak take care of that?"

"Selmak is the cause of that - I told you he doesn't like coffee."

"Ah."

Jacob exited the kitchen towards the bathroom.

"I'll get it for you, Jacob."

Jacob was now in the bathroom.

"Its ok, Jack. I'm sure she must have some lying around in here."

Jacob moved towards the medicine cupboard's right hand door.

"Left door."

"Huh?"

"Aspirin's in the left."

"Right."

Jacob opened the left door, popped a couple of aspirin, put it back and headed past Jack out the bathroom towards the front door.

"Do me a favour, Jack."

"Sure."

"Don't tell Sam about our talk."

"Jacob, its alright to let her know that you cared about your wife."

"I know Jack, but old habits die hard. Mark still blames me and with the kids here..."

"I won't tell her – for now."

"Thank you. I'll see you in the morning, Jack."

Jack opened the door and watched the man walk towards Sam's car.

"Drive safely."

Jacob waved a hand in acknowledgement, and then he was gone.

As Jack lay awake later that night, it wasn't the caffeine that kept him from falling asleep – it was the thought floating around inside his head wondering just how much of tonight he could really keep from Carter. Jack O'Neill was well practised at hiding things from people. He'd had years of practice – but damn! That woman could read him like a book.

Tomorrow was definitely going to be an interesting day.

A/N: And before you all ask me why Jacob's gun was empty...it just was, ok? I wanted him to have a gun but I wanted Jack to 'win' (without actually shooting Jacob) so if anyone can come up with a better reason than this, be sure to let me know.