Three months later:

Dressed in sharply pressed dress blues, Sam walked into her husband's office.

"Colonel Carter," Marcie Johnson greeted from her desk just inside the door, quickly snapping to attention.

"At ease, Lieutenant," Sam said with a small smile. "Is my husband in?"

"Yes, but he's in a meeting with someone."

"Oh." Sam said, nodding. "Do you know if he'll be much longer? I have some things I should be finishing..."

The door opened, and Sam turned her attention to her husband's office door.

"Well, Hank, it's nice to know I'll be leaving the office in good hands."

Hank Landry stepped out of Jack's office as the two shook hands. Sam coughed slightly to attract their attention, and both men looked over. Hank grinned as he walked over and offered his hand. "Colonel Carter."

"General Landry," she greeted with a sincere smile. "It's nice to see you again."

"And you. How are you?"

"I'm fine." She said, seriously. "Thank you for asking. How are you?"

"Oh...sad to leave the SGC, but excited to see this knucklehead settling down."

Sam followed Landry's gaze to her husband who had chosen to study his dark loafers.

"Settling down?" She asked, confused. "I thought we did that when we finally tied the knot and then when we adopted Grace..."

Landry laughed. "Retirement is for the lucky these days!"

Sam swallowed in surprise as she looked back at Jack. "Retirement..."

Landry caught her surprise and quickly quieted.

She looked over at Marcie, who had bowed her head. Obviously, she'd known about Jack's retirement. Sam turned an expectant look to her husband, who motioned for her to enter his office. "Uh, Lieutenant...hold all my calls and...tell Ted that I'll try to be there for our two o' clock, but..."

She nodded in understanding. "Yes, sir."

He swallowed before walking back into his office and closing the door.

"Wow...never realized I'd be the last to hear about that one!" Sam said, coldly. "When did you decide to retire? And when did you decide not to tell me?"

He sighed softly. It hadn't been a conscious decision not to tell her. Just a sad consequence of the way things had turned out. "Didn't really decide not to tell you…"

"Oh?" She asked, skeptically.

"Look, I…I've been thinking about this for a long time. Since about the time we got married, in fact."

"I know."

"But when we lost the baby, I…" He paused for a moment. "I came back to work and filled out the papers."

She inhaled softly. "And I wasn't particularly supportive during that whole time…"

"You had a lot on your mind."

"So did you," she reminded, gently.

"I know."

She swallowed as they lapsed into silence. "So…how long before you're, uh, retired?"

"Three weeks. Then, Landry takes over while I go on terminal leave."

She nodded slowly. "Right…"

"So…what'd you need?"

"Hm?" She asked, curiously.

"As much as I love to see you at the office, it doesn't happen much since you report directly to the Joint Chiefs…what'd you come to see me about?"

"Oh." She said, snapping out of her reverie. "Right. Uh…well, your retirement kind of makes my thought a little…late. I should probably talk to Landry about it, I guess."

"I've still got three weeks here."

She bit her lip. "I…I don't think you need me here. My position is a joke, really, because Major Davis still knows more about what's going on at Area 51 than I do, but…"

"Stop right there," he said, raising a hand.

She looked at him, surprised, as he retrieved an envelope from his desk.

He handed it to her, and she opened it cautiously. She let her eyes look from her task back to him for a moment before they flickered back to the envelope in her hands. She pulled a piece of paper from it before inhaling sharply. "I'm being reassigned."

He nodded. "Yep."

"Stargate Command."

He nodded again.

"Three weeks."

"Perfect timing."

"There's no specific assignment written here…"

"There'll be a new commander – Landry will be here."

She was silent as she nodded slowly. "Guess that's a…good thing…"

"You don't want to go back?"

"To SG-1? To the science teams? Sure, but…"

"Maybe you'll do something else."

She raised an eyebrow. "Like?"

"Who knows?"

She sighed softly. "What about the house?"

"We'll sell it."

"What about Grace?"

"We'll bring her."

Sam inhaled. "She's not going to want to leave her friends."

"She'll be fine, Sam."

"I know, but I just…"

"Worry." Jack said with a small smile. "I know. You're a mother."

She swallowed. "What if…what if I don't want to go back?"

"And miss hanging out with Daniel and Vala and Teal'c?"

She swallowed. "That's not what I mean…"

"I know."

"If I go back, there's a higher likelihood that I go on a mission and just not come home. Is that fair to put you and Grace through that?"

"We're survivors. I think we can handle it."

"And what about Cassie? I mean, she comes over…"

"I think she can live her own life, Sam." Jack said, softly. "She is a legal adult."

Sam exhaled slowly. "Stargate Command. For the hundred and seventy-fifth time…"

He laughed softly. "Not quite that many."

"It feels like it's been a lifetime since I was last there."

"It has been," he said, seriously.

"It's safe. Secure."

"Nothing wrong with either."

"You want me to go, don't you?" She asked, studying him closely.

He put his hands on her arms as he stepped toward her. "I think it would be very good for you. I think Colorado would be good for Grace. And I can't think of a reason that it wouldn't be good for me to visit with my friends…my family…like we used to in the "good, old days"."

"What if we get another general like Bauer?"

"We won't."

"But what if we do?"

"We won't." He assured.

"How do you know?"

"Because I trust Hank Landry to make the right decision."

She looked pensive, with troubled eyes and pursed lips. "You're not making the decision?"

"It was Hank's post, and he'll be in charge. I might end up making the actual face-to-face invitation, but it'll be his decision."

She nodded slowly.

"Hey…"

"Hm?" She asked, looking back up at him.

"You can do this. You've done it before, and if I know you, you'll do it again."

She chuckled softly. "All right…I guess we're moving to Colorado."

He nodded with a faint smile. "Wanna come with me this weekend to see if we can find a place before we get there?"

"Just the two of us? Or Grace too?"

"Just the two of us this time," he murmured. "Then, we'll bring Grace out when we're ready to move."

"I'll call Cassie," she said, nodding slowly as she turned to leave.

"Hey," he called after her.

She turned back. "Hm?"

"I love you."

She smiled softly. "Love you too, Jack."

"You can do this."

"Thanks."