A/N

as always thanks for all the reviews and everyone that is following the story. It always gives encouragement to write faster when you know people are enjoying it. It has turned out to be much longer than I had first planned but I'm finding these two such fun to write that I just can't rush them :) hope you continue to enjoy.

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The next few days of the camp flew by and Sam loved every minute of it. There was a bit more time spent in the classroom, and some time spent on combat simulators. As much as she loved the science involved Sam had to admit that flying was her true love. Today was their last chance to get up in a plane before the end of the camp so they were all on their best behaviour. Since they'd been censured and missed out on flying once already, the guys in her group had quietened down a lot and she was happy that she hadn't had to hit anyone else.

Jack knew he had let his guard down a bit around Carter the last few days, and he found he had to keep reminding himself to keep his distance from her, finding it too easy to give her a friendly nudge or indulge in her brainiac explanations of just about everything. He was worried that people would start to notice that he took more of an interest in her than he probably should, and even though she was seventeen and he wouldn't be doing anything untoward in the eyes of the law, the eyes of the military saw things very differently.

So today he was all business when he fastened her harness. He noticed her face fall a little when he didn't interact with her as much so he made sure to give her a smile before he climbed in behind her.

Sam was a little downhearted when they took off, but once they were airborne all her cares dropped away and there was only the blue sky stretched out before her. "How could anyone ever want to do anything else?" She murmured.

Jack heard Carters mumbled words and a small smile came to his lips. You're going to be doing so much more than this some day Carter...

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"You know," Jack started as he dropped his fork on his half empty dinner plate. "The one thing you can always be sure of no matter where you get stationed in this world..."

Sam grinned at him as she finished the last of her dinner. "The food is always so good?"

Jack regarded her dubiously. "You're a sick woman Carter!"

Woman...Sam's stomach did the flippy thing...

"But," he continued as he switched plates. "Pie always makes things better."

"Maybe you should just skip straight to the pie," Sam suggested as she tucked into her own desert.

Jack pointed his fork at her. "Genius!"

They finished their pie and walked out into the balmy evening.

"Last day tomorrow," Sam commented quietly as they walked along the path heading nowhere in particular.

"Yep."

"And the dance is tomorrow night," she added.

"Yep," he agreed again, deliberately not looking at her.

"Are you going?"

"All the instructors are expected to attend," he replied.

Sam nodded. "Right. Of course. So...umm...well I was...thinking, that maybe..."

Please God don't let the next words out of her mouth be 'we could go together'...short of faking a brain haemorrhage I really don't know how the hell I'd handle replying to that...

Spit it out Carter! She ordered herself. Feeling herself blush hotly she continued. "Well I thought that maybe, if it's okay, that you might want to dance with me?" The last few words coming out as little more than a squeak.

Jack did glance at her then.

"Just once I mean," Sam added quickly.

Jack let a hesitant smile reach his lips. "I think your dance card will be full enough without me on it Carter."

I don't want anyone on it but you Jack. "That's unlikely," she replied instead.

Jack stopped and looked at her. "What's that supposed to mean?"

Sam shrugged. "In case you haven't noticed I'm not exactly popular around here."

He regarded her a moment before shaking his head, a slight quirk reaching his lips. "You really don't see it do you?"

Sam frowned. "See what?"

"What other people see when they look at you."

Sam huffed and crossed her arms over her chest. "Yeah! A big geeky know-it-all who's a goody two shoes to boot!"

Jack chuckled. "Carter the guys might give you a bit of a hard time to your face, but believe me, they are all making serious goo-goo eyes at you behind your back."

"Very funny!" She scowled.

"I'm serious!" Jack replied, incredulous that she didn't believe him.

Sam considered this for a moment. "Then why do they act like that?" She demanded. "Why don't they just say what they really think?"

"They're teenage boys Carter," he replied as if that should explain everything. "Not that I'm saying that there's not exceptions to the rule, but we're pretty much all jerks at that age." Jack recalled with trepidation some of his less than stellar teenage moments. "And when there's a whole bunch of em..." He shrugged not really knowing what else to tell her.

She exhaled loudly. "Well even if what you're saying is true...why would I want to dance with a bunch of jerks anyway?"

"Cause that's life Carter," he replied simply. "To get to the good guys, unfortunately you'll probably have to go through a few jerks first."

They started back along the path and after a while Sam broke the silence.

"Jack?"

"Hmm?"

"Can't I just skip straight to the pie?"

Jack laughed at her reference to their earlier conversation. Knowing he probably shouldn't, but not really caring right now he slung an arm around her shoulders and pulled her into his side as they walked. "Who knows...maybe you can Carter."