Chapter 7

"To hold us 'til the day, when fear will lose its grip and heaven has its way,

Heaven knows no frontiers, and I've seen heaven in your eyes."

Jack quickly looked around to see if anyone else had spotted Carter's "look" and was happy – and rather relieved – to see Daniel engaged in deep conversation with Richard Woolsey and Teal'c concentrating hard on the scattering of dancers in front of him on the dance floor. He was moving slightly along with the music and Jack noted with amusement, that the big man was onto his second fancy schmamcy drink, a fluorescent pink umbrella adorning this one.

He turned back to Carter who was still singing along to the music but hadn't taken her eyes off him and stood, Sam's eyes never left his as he moved around the large circular table, settling in the spot Arleen had vacated moments before.

"Hey," Jack said smiling, but Sam didn't respond. She was fixated on his hand, which was placed flat on the table in front of him.

Jack watched her as she studied it; her lips slightly parted in concentration and then slowly wiggled his fingers to regain her attention. She looked at him, a slow grin spreading over her face and seemed to snap out of her trance.

"Sorry sir," Sam said suddenly, sitting up slightly straighter. "My mind wandered there for a moment."

"I noticed," he said, "Perfectly okay, Carter."

Sam took a deep breath and swallowed another sip, hell, who was she kidding, it was a gulp of wine. It was warm and comforting and wasn't doing her any favors as it seemed to be lowering her inhibitions. She looked up at Jack, who still hadn't taken his eyes off her and smiled.

"So Carter," he said smiling, "Rum and pineapple is one of your favorite drinks?"

"It's the first drink I always have on vacation," she said, "It relaxes me."

"Good to know," Jack said quietly to himself.

"Sorry sir, what was that?" Sam asked.

"Nothing, Carter. I was just saying, it seems to have relaxed T as well," he said, a note of amusement in his voice.

Sam looked over at Teal'c and giggled; the normally stern and straight-faced Jaffa was singing along to a song called "Salute".

Jack sighed. That giggle had the power to melt him into a puddle.

"Colonel Carter, this song appears to have been written about you," Teal'c said, an air of amusement in his voice.

"So, this mushy stuff of Daniel's earlier… you really believe that? Missing pieces and all?" Jack questioned.

"Yeah, kind of," she said. "I mean it makes sense if you think about it. That you can find someone who you think makes you happy, but unless they have that missing piece of your soul, it'll never work."

Jack knew who she was talking about, but refused to ruin the perfect evening they were having by acknowledging it.

She took another sip of her wine and looked at him. "I know, Sir…sappy."

"Not sappy at all Carter, very romantic actually."

She turned to him, unaccustomed to hearing words like 'romantic' come from his lips and crossed her legs, the severity of the split in her dress becoming very apparent. The silky material slid and pooled at her feet, exposing her long legs to him. Jack's eyes instantly flew to her legs and stayed there for a few long seconds.

"Wow, Carter…have I said how amazing that dress is?" he said, unable to tear his eyes away.

He saw the change in her body language and how her eyes twinkled before he registered the first notes of the song. Her song, the song she had been humming all week.

Jack wrenched his eyes away from her legs and declared, "That's it, Carter. I've had enough."

He stood up, removed his jacket and carefully placed it on the back of his chair. He held a hand out to Sam and said, "Come on, we're dancing."

"But sir, I don't dance," she said in a panicked voice, her eyes darting to his.

He leaned down, brought his mouth very close to her ear and very quietly said, "Samantha, if we don't dance, I won't be held responsible for what happens. I can't sit here looking at you in that dress and not touch you any longer. It's too much. This way, we get the best of both worlds. We're dancing. Don't make me make it an order, because I will."

He straightened back up slowly and was surprised to see that her eyes were closed and she had her bottom lip held gently between her teeth. A good sign, he mused, she was as affected as he was.