Jack went over to where Sam was sitting. She beamed up at him the whole way and he beamed back. When he spoke his mouth was dry, damn, what was wrong with him? Oh, yeah, Carter. He held out his hand and asked, "Care to dance?"

Vala sat there watching the interaction, her eyes switching rapidly between the two; she wanted her friend to be happy, plus being there for the story always helps when you start to spread gossip. Sam's smile grew wider if possible, "Love to," she stood, taking his hand and glancing at Vala who was grinning widely and sent her a wink. Sam wondered if the General noticed the effect the contact between them, even so small, was having on her.

He led her to the center of the dance floor where he gracefully spun her into him, placing his hand on her waist the other still holding onto her hand. They began to dance across the floor, "You dance well, sir," she said, she was a little shocked, though she had just seen him dance with Cassie she had never expected him to be so… perfect.

"So do you, Carter," he said with a sideways smile that always made her go weak at the knees, which admittedly made it harder to dance.

"Where'd you learn?" She asked genuinely curious. He searched her face for a moment before responding.

"My mom," he said, "her and my dad, they used to dance every night." He said with a slight laugh, "No matter how busy they were, they always had time for one dance. They were great together, they really were and they could dance like you've never seen. Fred and Ginger had nothing on those two. I used to sit and just watch them when I was a kid. And then… he died," he said his smile fading slightly.

"I'm sorry," Sam mumbled placing her head on his shoulder; she knew what it was like to lose a parent.

"So was I," he said, "It was a long time before she danced again, then one night she calls me down stairs, the radios on to their song and she says 'It's time you learned how to dance like your father,' and so I learned. The tango, the waltz, the salsa, you name it," He said smiling again, "I danced with her every night until the night I went to the academy," Sam picked her head up off his shoulder and smiled at him.

They remained silent after that and just held each other. Twirling around the floor, both pretending not to notice how he led her slightly closer than as necessary. The warmth of his hand on her waist was driving her crazy. The next song was faster and he spun her out and back, while she threw back her head and laughed. The sound of her tinkling laugh brought a smile to his lips. The next song was slow again and he pulled her in, their bodies flush against each other.

About half way through the song, he twisted his head putting his lips next to her ear before whispering, "Let's get out of her, go for a walk in the garden," his breath tickled her ear and she tried not to shiver, tried and failed. He smiled as he felt her reaction and felt her nod, not trusting her voice at the moment. And he led her through the doors to the garden, thinking back to the item in his pocket and really hoping this would all go well.

Vala sat in her seat, trying very hard not to look at Daniel. She didn't have to try hard for very long though, after Sam got up, it took all over 30 seconds for a group of men to surround her and ask her to dance, she was slightly saddened that Daniel wasn't one of them, but took the hand of the one nearest her and he led her on to the dance floor. She put on her best fake smile and began to dance with the stranger. She closed her eyes and pretended it was Daniel, why was this so hard? She had never found it hard to get a guy to like her before, but no matter how much she flirted with him Daniel just shoved her away, was there something wrong with her? Of course there was, she had fallen for someone, someone who didn't love her back, somone named Daniel.

Daniel watched from his seat as a group of men surrounded Vala. He slammed his drink on the table which didn't go unnoticed by Cam or George. "Sorry," he mumbled. Neither accepted that nothing was wrong but decided that this didn't seem like the best time to press him about it.

Why was it that wherever she went she attracted a following? It's not fair, he should be the one spinning her around the floor. What was he doing? Vala wouldn't ever like him, he was a geek and she was, well very beautiful. Things like that just didn't happen, no matter how much he wanted it too.

Teal'c nodded as Cassie finished describing her plan. He was relieved it was a relatively harmless plot, which was always a good thing with Cassie around. He bowed his head and walked over to Vala who was now on the dance floor looking slightly uncomfortable in some John Doe's arms. He tapped on the man's shoulder and said, "May I cut in?" The man didn't look like he wanted to give up Vala, but no one messes with a man Teal'c's size, he nodded curtly and walked away.

Vala's smile became less forced, "Hey Muscles!" she said, "I didn't figure you for the dancing type."

"I am not," came the simple reply from Teal'c. Regardless of his previous statement they began to dance. Teal'c hoped Casssie would hurry up with her part of the plan, as he said, he wasn't really the dancing type.

Cassie headed straight for the bitter Daniel. She had seen him nearly break his glass on the table when Vala got up to dance with that guy, Dominic's second cousin on his father's side. She had memorized the man's family tree because she had none of her own. She impatiently tapped Daniel's shoulder. He turned and she saw some of the bitterness melt out of his eyes, "Yes Cassie?" he asked, his voice calm, but not overly happy.

"Spare a dance for the bride?" she asked, he actually seemed happy she asked, glad for the distraction.

"Of course," he replied, he put his drink down, more gently this time and headed out to the floor her hand in his.

They began to dance, Cassie held him close, not in a romantic way but in a daughterly way. She looked up at him, "Daniel," she began, the plan was still in place but she wanted to make sure he knew that she loved him before she did anything else. Though he had looked happy when she had asked Jack to give her away, she knew he was a little hurt because she didn't choose him, and also knew he would never say anything about it. "I want you to know, I know how close you were to actually becoming my step father," he tensed a little at her words, "and I want you to know that I do think of you that way, as a father," she said. Hoping he understood that she really did think of him that way, it was all of them, they were all her family.

Daniel was still a little tense from the mention of Janet; he tried not to think about her. It was like Sha're all over again, whenever he heard her name he froze, and a thousand memories would come flooding back. He looked into her eyes before he regained his memories, knowing there was something so important about the woman in front of him. They were at a park 'supervising' Cassie and Dominic, sitting on the bench next to her, just a little too close as she laced her fingers with his. His fingers locked in her hair as they kissed hidden from view in a broom closet at the SGC. He stopped at a jewelry store, looking for the perfect ring, he never did find it.

But as he listened to what she had just said he looked at her with a sort of sad smile. "And you're like a daughter to me Cassie," he looked at her and kissed her forehead. He had loved Sha're and he had loved Janet, and now he loved Vala, the one woman he couldn't have. Cassie felt a tear coming down her cheek as she looked up at Daniel, he brushed it away and hugged her close not really dancing but just swaying back and forth where they stood, and just for a moment the schemer forgot her plan, then she thought about how this was her wedding day and knew her mom would have scolded her for being upset about anything. She smiled and snorted, Daniel looked at her and she said, "Look at me crying on my wedding day, mom would have hated to see me like this over her," Daniel smiled at her, knowing it was true. He wanted her to be happy and hell, he deserved to be happy too.

"Come on," he said slightly cheery again, "let's dance!" She looked at him questioningly, then the song changed to a much faster song, and Daniel started to move her faster, the sappiness of the previous moment not forgotten but celebrated as they danced and laughed together.

Suddenly she remembered her plan and realized she was leaving Teal'c hanging. Cassie nodded her head at some unknown benefactor and suddenly Teal'c and the Vala were dancing next to them. Teal'c looked at Cassie and she saw him give her a slight nod, she turned her attention back to Daniel he twirled her out and as he did her hand left his and a millisecond later Teal'c had spun Vala out letting her go and after a couple of crafty maneuvers they had changed partners.

"Opfhh," Daniel cried out when Vala came into him rather hard and out of instinct he wrapped his arms around her waist. Cassie and Teal'c smiled at each other and danced away. As Daniel and Vala looked at each other for a moment in shocked silence and then turned their heads to the direction of their previous partners and shouted, "Cassie!" and "Muscles!"

They walked out to the garden in silence, him holding her hand to lead her out and both savoring the touch. They reached the spectacular garden and stopped for a minute to take in their surroundings. The garden was beautiful, the path they were on was surrounded by trees and flowers, all intertwined with white lights that in the darkness of the night seemed to glow as if by magic. Jack began to think of how much this reminded him of the Garden of Eden, and was just about to voice his thought but then he remembered how little Adam and Eve wore and decided that this was a thought better kept to himself. They walked along the path until they came to a fountain. Sam let go of his hand and sat on the edge of the pool of water and looked at him, making her dress slide up her legs not far enough to be revealing but just far enough to keep him staring… and staring.

"Uh, sir?" Sam asked looking at him and blushing slightly.

He shook his head to clear his thoughts and began loosening his tie, damn, when had it gotten so hot out? "Uh, sorry… um… I have something I want to talk to you about, well two somethings actually." He was going to do this.

"Yes?" she asked searching his face for an answer.

"I'm retiring," he said.

Her eyes widened with shock and… was that hope he saw? "Jack," she breathed, he smiled at the use of his first name rather than sir or general or some other ridiculous title he had, "why?" She thought she knew why, she really hoped she knew why, but she had to ask, to know for sure. She continued searching his face for the answer she wanted… no, needed to find there.

"Well, not to put too fine a point on it, because of you," he said, trying to stay as nonchalant as possible in the situation. But his voice betrayed him, cracking on the word you and she heard her answer rather than saw. He brushed over this break in bravado by clearing his throat a bit before stepping over to the fountain where she sat. He sank down next to her taking her hand in his and said, "That is, if you still want me to." He was never good with saying what he felt, he wasn't sure how else to tell her.

She knew what he was asking; his retirement would mean a relationship for them. Because of the frat regulations this hadn't been possible before. Even now it was still illegal because technically he was still working for the SGC just a higher position. Most would have missed the slight desperation in his voice but Sam didn't, she knew him far too well. If she walked away from him now, he would break and there would be no putting him back together.

She grabbed his chin with her free hand forcing their eyes to meet, "Of course I want you too, Jack, in fact, I can't think of anything I want more," she said sincerity and love dripping from each of the words, "but do you really want to do this?" She couldn't ask him to do this for her.

"Carter," he said gaining back his bravado with her admission, "I'm pencil-pushing for the Pentagon. Trust me, I'm sure," pulling on her hand he put it to his lips and kissed it, she closed her eyes savoring the feel of his lips on her skin. "I'll hand in my papers tomorrow,"

She opened her eyes again and met his, and she smiled at him, his smile, and he grinned at her, her smile. And for a moment, nothing else existed. Then Sam realized something and asked, "Uh… what was the second something?" and then his smile grew wider.

A/N: so who thinks they know what the second something is? haha, i wont keep you waiting for long, i don't think. i hope to get it up soon (thats what he said) sorry couldn't resist that one. hope you all liked Cassie's little plot!

okay so there was a bit more sappiness and stuff in this one. haha i had to bring up Janet b/c i love her and daniel together almost as much as i love daniel with vala.