A/N

this is the longest chapter so far. I have a good idea of where this story is heading so I think I'll be able to continue to update fairly regularly.

as usual thanks for all of you that continue to read and all that take the time to review and let me know what you think. I really appreciate the feedback and it sometimes gives me ideas for future chapters and even sometimes future stories :) so keep up the good work ;-D

xxxxxxxxxx

Sam was excited when she woke up the next day. It was pretty much a free day for them to revisit any of the stuff that they'd done through the week, except the actual flying of course. She grinned up at the ceiling when she thought about the dance tonight. She had originally asked her dad to pick her up from the camp this afternoon, not at all interested in attending a dance at the end of the week. But then she got the camp information in the mail and found out that Jack would be an instructor and that had changed her mind. Her best friends mom had taken her to buy a special dress for the occasion and she couldn't wait for Jack to see her in it. He'll just have to dance with me then...

Sam was out early for breakfast and was a little disappointed that Jack wasn't there. Actually, she realised as she looked around there was pretty much no one there but her which wasn't really surprising. With no set schedule today they'd had no reveille this morning. Although she wanted to spend some time with the astrophysics professor, she knew that the combat simulators would be really popular later on in the day so she decided to go there first.

"Hey sergeant Thoms," she said as she entered the building the simulators were in.

"Hi Sam," the man greeted.

"Are there any simulators free?"

He smiled at her. "You can just about take your pick kid," he replied. "I've only got one in use and I'm not expecting your classmates anytime soon."

Sam smiled at him, briefly wondering why it didn't bother her when he called her 'kid'. "Thanks," she replied and moved off towards the machines.

"You might want to check out the viewing window of number three," he called to her. "If you want to see how it's done."

She raised a hand in acknowledgement and moved to simulator 3.

"Jack," she breathed, captivated by what she was seeing.

"Not bad huh?" Sergeant Thoms asked from beside her.

Sam glanced at him, then back to Jack. "I've never seen anything like it."

"Me neither," he agreed. Smiling he continued. "You wanna know a secret?"

"What?"

"Fifteen years ago, Jack O'Neill was right where you are now."

"Really?" Sam asked looking back through the viewing window. "Captain O'Neill actually came here?"

"Yep," replied the sergeant. "And you wanna know something else?"

Sam smiled at the man. "What?"

"You can't tell him I told you," he warned.

Sam sketched a cross over her heart with her fingers. "Promise."

"Your combat sim scores are higher than his were back then."

Sam's jaw dropped. "You're kidding me aren't you?" She asked after a moment.

The sergeant repeated her 'crossing' motion and just smiled as he walked away.

"Wow," she murmured as she watched Jack take out another enemy fighter, wondering if she could ever be that good.

After a few more minutes Sam moved off to another simulator to start her own run.

xxxxxxxxxx

"Jacob!" Colonel Ben Hanson said rising from his chair to greet his old friend. "I wasn't expecting to see you until tomorrow."

"Hi Ben," Brigadier General Jacob Carter replied shaking the Colonels hand.

"So what brings you here a day early?"

"Well I was originally coming this afternoon anyway," Jacob replied. "And then Sam, out of the blue, decides she wants to go to this dance tonight."

"And?"

"She's never shown any interest in going to a dance before."

Ben raised his eyebrows. "And?" He asked a little more gently.

Jacob shrugged. "She's my little girl Ben," he replied a small smile coming to his lips. "Is it such a crime that I might want to see her at her very first dance?"

Ben laughed and clapped his friend on the shoulder. "No crime at all Jacob."

"So you can find me a room for the night?" Jacob asked smiling.

"I think we can manage something," replied Ben.

"You know the funny thing though?" Jacob asked.

"What?"

"I can't figure out what changed her mind about tonight," Jacob said. "I mean one minute I'm trying to talk her into staying and the next..." He finished with a shrug.

Ben sighed and walked over to his office window that overlooked part of the training yard. He looked around for a moment until he found what he was searching for. "I think maybe I could shed some light on that one," he said glancing back at Jacob.

"Oh," Jacob replied sighing. "Don't tell me...some boy right?"

Bens eyebrows rose a little. "Ahh, well, not...exactly..."

Jacob frowned at his friends response as he moved to stand next to him at the window. He followed Bens gaze and smiled when he saw his daughter. Then he noticed who she was with. More importantly he noticed how they were acting and his mouth tightened into a hard line. He turned to Ben and pointed out the window. "Who the hell is that Ben?"

"Now Jacob, don't go overreacting..."

"Ben..."

Ben raised his hands. "He's the flight instructor this year..." At Jacobs look he continued. "Captain Jack O'Neill."

Jacob had been hearing about Jack O'Neill for the last seven years and if he were honest, he'd even been kind of jealous of the hero worship his daughter seemed to have when it came to the guy. Jacob looked back down to the yard to see Sam shove O'Neill in the chest, him grabbing her hand and pulling her off balance so that she stumbled into him, the resulting contact lasting way too long for Jacobs liking. He turned back to the Colonel.

"Get O'Neill up here Ben. Now!"

Ben turned away from Jacob and blew out a silent breath wishing he'd kept his mouth shut about O'Neill.

Jack knocked briefly on the CO's doorjamb before walking in. "You wanted to see me Sir? Ah, Sirs?" He corrected standing to attention when he noticed the General standing there.

Ben Hanson stood from behind his desk. "Captain, this is Brigadier General Jacob Carter."

Jack glanced briefly at the stern faced officer wondering what dumbass thing he'd done this time to get him noticed by a Brigadier General. After an uncomfortable moment of silence his gaze slowly returned to the man, sick realisation dawning. Oh for cryin out loud! Carter!

Jacob took a step towards Jack O'Neill and was gratified to notice the man stiffen slightly though he didn't move away. "I've heard a lot about you."

Jack looked the man in the eye determined not to be intimidated. I haven't done anything wrong. "Sir?"

Jacob smiled. "You made quite the impression on my little girl a few years back at space camp."

"Carter...Samantha is quite a young woman Sir," Jack replied. "You should be very proud." He could see the General rankle at his referring to his daughter as a young woman and thought that probably wasn't his smartest move ever.

Smartass little prick, Jacob thought as he moved closer to the younger man. "I am very proud of my daughter," Jacob replied. "Sam may be, as you say, a young woman Jack..."

Oh this cannot be leading anywhere good, Jack thought as the man stopped less than foot from him.

"And she's smart as hell..."

Jack was about to reply, but at the look on General Carters face thought better of it.

"But she's also naive in a lot of ways," Jacob placed a hand on O'Neill's shoulder. "Do you get where I'm going with this Jack?"

Jack focussed his eyes forward. "I think so Sir."

"You think so?" Jacob asked dropping his hand from O'Neill's shoulder and moving back to Hanson's desk. "Well I'm glad we understand each other here Jack. She's looked up to you since she was this high," he said holding his hand about chest height. "And you'll never know how relieved I am to finally have met you. Do you know why Jack?"

"No Sir," Jack replied wishing this would hurry the hell up and be over.

"Because I can tell that you're the kind of guy who would never...ever...even think of taking advantage of a young girl who looks up to you the way my little girl does."

Jacks eyes focussed on the older man's and he made sure the General was equally focussed on him. There were a lot of things he wanted to say right now, but he knew when to keep his mouth shut. Most of the time. Okay, sometimes. But he knew this was one of those times. He trained his eyes back on Hanson.

Jacob looked to Hanson as well.

"Dismissed Captain."

Jack snapped to attention, saluted and performed a textbook turn and left Colonel Hanson's office. Arrogant son of a bitch! he thought as he entered the hallway.

Ben Hanson sat down behind his desk. "Kinda hard on the guy weren't you Jake?"

Jacob Carter looked at his old friend. "Sam's my baby Ben and O'Neill must be at least thirty."

Thirty-two. But he wasn't about to tell Jacob that. "I've been keeping an eye on things the last few days Jake, and, yes I will admit Sam seems pretty hung up on the guy. But I would have told you if I thought there was anything going on."

Jacob raised his eyebrows.

"Believe me, O'Neill is one of the good ones. He wouldn't do anything to hurt Sam, I'm sure of it."

Jacob sighed. "Yeah well Ben, if she's as hung up on the guy as you say...she's going to get hurt either way."

Ben smiled ruefully and clapped Jacob on the back. "Hazards of having teenage daughters my friend."

Jacob looked with some empathy at his friend who had two teenage daughters of his own.

"She's growing up, and you need to trust that she'll make the right decisions."

Jacob sighed. "It's not her decisions I'm worried about."

xxxxxxxx

well I hope you enjoyed. I love Jacob and think its a shame we never got to see more of him, especially as the kickass Air Force General he would have been before he got sick.