They sold their house in Washington faster than they had expected and for a higher price too. Which was good but also posed a problem. They had to leave the town sooner that they were planning and move to Colorado where they still hadn't found a house that suited their needs and more important, that Sam liked.

So they packed everything and the moving company put everything in several storage units in the Springs. Daniel and Vala offered their house but both Sam and Jack didn't feel comfortable and didn't want to impose their presence there so they decided to stay in one of the city's hotels. The Air Force was paying it anyway until they found a house. So this way they had their space and could move independently.

The Escalade was already there and they were currently seeing three potential houses with Jake asleep in the back seat. He parked the big SUV in front of the first candidate.

Sam looked at the paper in her hand.

"Well it's a 6 bedroom and 5 full bathroom house located in a 2.5 acre's lot. The house has a covered porch to the open great room, featuring beamed 12.5 ceilings, floor to ceiling stone fireplace, and 8 foot doors throughout. The gourmet kitchen includes 36 gas range, pot filler, Italian cabinetry, two kitchen sinks, and a 10 foot's expansive quartz island. The master bedroom has an outdoor deck access, stone gas fireplace, and a spa-like bath complete with soaking tub, deluxe shower and his and her vanities. The walk-in closet connects to the main level laundry/mud room which provides owners retreat access directly from the garage. The main level is finished off with an addition en-suite guest room, a full hall bath, and a third bedroom/study. Oh…".

Sam stopped reading.

"What?", Jack asked.

She looked at him and smiled. "It has an elevator!"

Jack smiled and she continued.

"The lower level continues with a walk-out basement showcases large windows and 9 foot ceilings throughout. The family room space has a third fireplace, double patio doors, and full second kitchen, full second laundry room and powder room. There are three additional bedrooms, each with private baths. It has an oversized garage with 1,526 sqft", she finished reading the property details.

Jack looked at the house.

"A bit big… I really don't feel a vibe from it, honey. I don't think this is it", he said.

"Do you want to check it out?", she asked. She had the same feeling.

He shook his head.

"Why the hell would we need an elevator inside the house?! It would look like we were in SGC!" he said raising an eyebrow.

"Yeah, a bit strange. So let's see house number two", she said taking another paper from her folder.

Jack started the SUV and moved on. He parked in front of a brick unit with white windows and also a white front door.

"Okay, what about this one?", he asked putting the car on park.

Sam took her paper.

"Well, this one has 5 bedrooms and 3 full bathrooms. The main level has a dining room, living room with gas fireplace/mantel, tall ceilings, main level bedroom, plus full bathroom. The large eat-in kitchen has been completely renovated with custom European style cabinetry, double ovens, tin ceilings, crown molding, granite countertops, updated windows, stainless steel appliances. It also says that it has large windows and double doors in the kitchen dining area that open up to the backyard. The upper level has a full bathroom and 3 bedrooms that all have built-ins. Both bathrooms have been restored, updated fixtures, vanities, and flooring. Fully fenced in backyard with a hot tub. Oversized 2 car garage. It is the most expensive in the list", she said.

"Let's take a look", Jack said getting out of the Escalator.

Sam opened the back door and as gently as possible took Jake trying not to waking him up. She gave Jack the keys to the house. He entered and they started the tour. Jack eventually grabbed Jake who luckily continued to sleep. After an extensive tour they returned to the car. Already seated, they decided to share opinions.

"I really like this one", Jack said.

"Yes, it's a very nice house", Sam agreed.

"But…", Jack had already noticed her lack of enthusiasm.

She shrugged her shoulders.

"I don't know. It seems…too finished. Like it lacks our personal touch", she said.

"Honey, do you really want to buy a house and still handle renovations? It will be madness, a chaos…", he warned.

"I know, I know…", she said peeking at the third paper.

Jack knew that look. His wife had already chosen their house. It was the next one.

"Okay, Sam. Let's see our next house. I'm curious", he said with a smile.

She looked at him surprised.

"I didn't say anything, Jack! I too liked this house", she said a bit defensively.

"Sure you did", he said starting to drive to next address in their GPS.

Jack finally stopped the car at a two-story house located on a quiet corner lot. It looked a little under the weather so it was obvious it needed some major renovations.

"So let's hear about our next house", he asked.

Sam blushed.

"It has 5 bedrooms and 4 bathrooms. That need to be restored. It has high ceilings, a living room with a large picture window. There's also a dining room. The kitchen needs some work done but it has lots of potential", she quickly added.

"Okay, what else?", he asked with a smile.

"Next to the kitchen there is a family room with a gas fireplace and large windows. It apparently overlooks the fenced backyard and provides a beautiful view of the surrounding mountains. The first floor also has a bedroom that we can turn into an office", she said biting her lip and giving him side glances.

"Go on", he said looking at the house from his car window.

"So upstairs, we've 5 bedrooms, including the master bedroom with an ensuite bathroom. That also needs an update. The other 4 bedrooms also need some refreshment. We have a big basement that can be used as a playroom. It has large windows and is ready and done. No need for any work there", she said.

"Good", Jack said.

"We also have a close garage that I need to work on, for 2 cars. A laundry room and a large fenced backyard. That's it", she said.

"And the price?", Jack asked curious.

"Well within our budget even after all the renovations done", she said. She had already done all the math.

"And how long do you expect the renovations will take? Give or take?", he asked.

"Ah…that is a little more difficult to predict, Jack. You know how these things go…", she said blushing again.

"Give me a rough estimate", he asked.

"Two months", she said quickly.

He whistled.

"So you definitely have this all figure it out", he said putting his hands on the wheel.

"Well, of course it all depends on your opinion. If you don't like it of course we move on", she said as a matter of fact.

"But you like it?", he asked.

She nodded affirmatively.

"Let's see our house then", he said with a smile.

They repeated the process with Jake but this time he was awake. So Jack decided to take him instead. They moved through the several divisions of the house and Sam excitedly told him what she wanted to do with them. When they were outside again, she was waiting anxiously for his opinion.

"So what do you think? Did you like it?", she asked. Her mouth was very dry right now.

Jack adjusted his son on his hip.

"Yes, honey, I liked it. I liked that you clearly liked the house and already have plans for it. So we've found our house in the Springs. Let's take care of the paperwork and start the several renovations. You realize that you'll be starting to your new job with the construction guys working in our house, right?", he asked.

Sam gave him her mega-watt smile.

"Yeah…I don't really care. I love the house. It will look fantastic in the end. I promise", she said kissing him deeply.

Jake feeling squashed between his parents started to complain and they had to part.

"It's okay buddy. Mom and dad were just having a little talk. Mouth to mouth", Jack said kissing his son.

Sam started to laugh and they got back in the car and back to the hotel. She called the real estate agent and told her they had a deal. The Carter-O'Neill had found their home in Colorado Springs.