Within a week of the Joint Chiefs visit Sam had been promoted and everything was arranged for her to take command of the outpost the SGC was setting up on Ba'al's planet, Hadad. An outpost that Jack had teased her about naming after her since the Jaffa loved her so much. In fact the outpost name had been a joint effort. Bra'tac had suggested the meaning should be significant to the occasion and Daniel had suggested Eleftheria, a Greek name that meant freedom and liberty. The Jaffa had liked it immediately; they had practically jumped at the chance to rename the planet that had essentially been named after Ba'al.

Three months later and Sam hadn't visited Earth once. Things had been slow since the Replicators and Ba'al had both been destroyed and Sam's expertise hadn't been needed on missions. She had weekly check-ins with the SGC for supplies and updates from both sides. Every week Janet sent medical and personal supplies for the whole outpost, Hammond sent food supplies, and he had one on one's with Sam. In turn she sent letters on a weekly basis with whoever had the pleasure of taking the supplies to her. She sent letters to everyone, Jack, Daniel, Teal'c, Janet, Cassie, Hammond, Andrew, Mark and family, even Walter, Siler, and Bill got letters. Sometimes they were only a page or two and others were as many as twenty pages.

Cassie, Andrew, and Mark got the shorter letters with the usual life's great, work is hard, and miss you sentiments. Come to think of it though, he didn't know what she wrote to Walter, Siler, and Bill. All three men had been shocked that she had written them letters the first go around. That shock had stayed with them until the forth letter, by then they seemed to accept that she wasn't going to stop writing. She probably wrote to them about science stuff; during her weekly check-ins she checked in with the scientists about Gate operations and walked them through any program or upgrade concerns. She probably stayed on top of that kind of thing with them.

The longer letters went to Hammond for command information, Daniel for translation questions, Teal'c for advice with the Jaffa, Janet for general 'girl' talk, and Jack … No one really knew what she said to him in his letters. He wouldn't even give them a hint. He liked the secret, keeping the information to himself. He didn't want the whole world to know what they were talking about. Especially when their letters to each other were getting longer as the weeks went on.

Today was different though. Today there wouldn't be any letters, not when she was coming home. Despite his best efforts Jack couldn't keep the smile off his face. Hell, the whole base was wearing one big smile. Everyone had missed Sam's bright demeanor, especially after they had just gotten her back. She was only scheduled back for a week but everyone was happy to get what they could.

Jack walked into the control room to find Walter in his usual seat with Siler and Bill close by. "Looks like everybody's a little excited," Jack offered as he moved to the stairs that were closest to the Gate room. The three men offered general waves of their hands as their eyes remained glued to the Gate, wiling it to start spinning. Jack shook his head as he made his way to the group that was gathered at the base of the ramp.

Hammond stood front and center while Janet and Daniel stood to his left and Teal'c to his right. Teal'c moved aside so that Jack could stand next to Hammond and the two men shared a respective nod and smile. "And I thought I was the only one looking forward to this little shindig."

"With all due respect Sir," Janet offered as she looked at him behind Hammond. "Please don't ruin this moment."

"Frasier," Jack mocked. "I'm hurt."

"If it keeps you quiet I'm fine with that."

"Wow Doc," Jack offered with a raised brow. "Wake up on the wrong side of the bed."

"I haven't seen my best friend in three months and you haven't been that happy go lucky yourself Sir." Janet took a deep breath as the Gate began to spin.

"Indeed," Teal'c offered. "Colonel Carter's absence has affected us all."

The group watched in silence as the chevron's locked into place and then the Gate 'swooshed'. There was a moment when nothing happened and then Sam, in her dress blues and flanked by Mal'tec and Ead'ogar, stepped out of the event horizon. She had her mega watt smile in place as she made her way down the ramp and greeted the group brightly. She saluted Hammond first and gratefully accepted the hug he offered before she turned to the rest of the group, hugging Janet, Daniel, and Teal'c in turn. Finally she turned to Jack and she spared him with a smile that she had always reserved for him. He could tell from the crinkle in her nose and her eyes that she was trying not to giggle and/or break into a larger smile. He smiled back, knowing she'd spare him one of her mega watt smiles.

"Sir."

"So Carter," Jack offered as he tossed an arm around her shoulder and turned her around leading her away from the group. "Did ya miss me?"

Sure enough he got the bigger smile and the giggles as he led her towards the briefing room. They stopped in the control room and immediately Siler, Walter, and Bill surrounded her. Without hesitation she hugged them all and gave them each a warm greeting. Finally she took Bill's arm and led the way to the briefing room as she chatted happily with him.

The rest of the group finally joined the two of them at the briefing table and Sam expectantly smiled at Hammond. "With all due respect Sir, you owe me an explanation."

"That's not how the command structure works Colonel," Hammond offered but, if Jack didn't know any better he'd think Hammond was a little worried.

"Normally I'd agree with you Sir," she smiled that knowing smile. "But, as I am under orders to analyze the technology on Eleftheria as quickly as possible our situation is a little different. In order to do so means that I need competent staff and I know who the most competent staff is."

"We're short staffed Colonel. I can't just let you take my scientists for god knows how long. We still have technology here to go through you know."

"Of course I do," she offered easily. "And I promise not to go after any of your other scientists. But I want Dr. Lee."

Bill's eyes grew large as he looked from Hammond to Sam; he tried not to smile, really. "You mean you do want me on Eleftheria?"

Sam smiled at him before she looked to Hammond. "You haven't even told him that I offered, have you?" When Hammond didn't respond she looked back to Bill. "I've been trying to get you reassigned since the second day of my command."

"Really?"

"We work well together Bill," Sam offered calmly at his disbelief. "And I don't have to monitor you as you work. There's a reason the General won't give you up while others are getting sent to Eleftheria."

"Because you're there to supervise them," Bill said with understanding.

Sam just smiled. She was good at this already. She knew how to get her point across without actually saying the words so they couldn't be held against her later. Jack eyed her with laughter in his eyes and smiled when she caught his eye and returned the look. He'd missed her; he was also a little surprised and rather impressed by the ease in which she'd seemed to settle into the command role. It suited her.

"I was thinking we might settle upon a compromise." Hammond raised his brow as he studied her quietly. "We're ready to start sending things back. I want Bill in charge of what we send back. That may mean he needs to come a few days in advance to know what we're sending and to actually make the transport himself."

"I'll take that into consideration," Hammond said.

Sam continued to smile at Hammond before she looked behind her to Mal'tec and Ead'ogar. "Bill, would you mind escorting Mal'tec and Ead'ogar to the infirmary?"

"Sure thing Sam," Bill practically jumped out of his seat with a smile. He moved to the Jaffa who eyed Sam.

"I'll meet you afterwards; I'll have to come down for my own check up after this meeting." With those words the Jaffa followed Bill. Once they were out of ear shot Jack and the group watched as Sam sank into her chair. He hadn't noticed before the extra weight that she carried until it had fallen away just then. Apparently the others had noticed too.

"Sam," Janet started concerned.

"I'm alright Janet, just tired. I don't get much alone time at the outpost."

"Ah the mask of command," Jack started. "Always smiles and confidence for the subordinates."

Sam shook her head gently with a soft chuckle. "Something like that Sir."

The briefing went quickly as Sam had kept Hammond up to date with her letters. She had only had to give a recap of the last three months versus great details, meaning that the meeting was a lot shorter than it was supposed to be, much to Jack's relief. He had wanted to steal her away then but Janet had already started to drag her off to the infirmary the moment Hammond had dismissed them. The rest of SG-1 had taken off to follow but Hammond had asked for a word with Jack.

They moved into Hammond's office and both took their seats. "Jack, there's something we need to talk about."

"Sir?"

Hammond opened a desk drawer and pulled out an envelope that Jack knew held the letters Sam had written. Hammond opened it up and pulled out a single piece of paper that had been marked with a tab. "I don't know what your letters to the Colonel have been about but I need you to seriously consider whatever it is the two of you have discussed, as well as what it means for this to be hand written, understood?"

Jack nodded his head and hesitantly took the offered piece of paper in his own hand. Sure enough the paper had Sam's neat writing upon the page and he read the half page of hand written words at least half a dozen times before he looked back up to Hammond.