Disclaimer: Not my characters

Thanks so much for reading and reviewing. I appreciate it so much. There's one more chapter after this one.

This has not been beta'd, so all mistakes are mine and mine alone.

Two months later set during Threads, after Jacob dies, but before cabin trip

Jack knocked on the apartment door and waited. This was not a good idea, but Carter had asked, and so of course he'd agreed. When the door opened he stared straight at himself, considerably younger. "John," he said.

John blinked a few times. Jack O'Neill The Original, stood before him. "Jack," he returned.

They simply stared at each other, neither wanting to speak. Jack rolled his eyes. "So, you gonna invite me in or what?"

Stepping back from the door, John put out his arm, but said nothing as Jack walked in. He shut the door firmly and watched the older man warily. "How did you find me?"

"Excellent question. Oddly it only took one phone call. I have a bit of pull now." Jack looked around the small apartment. There were empty beer bottles, pizza boxes and Chinese food cartons on the coffee table. Old habits, he supposed. A photo of John in front of a small plane caught his eye. "Yours?" he asked. When John nodded, Jack continued his perusal of the room. He came to a halt when he saw a small photo of Charlie on a shelf. He picked it up and looked back at John.

"He was my son, too," John said, daring Jack to say anything.

Somberly, Jack placed the photo back, and noticed there were also a few photos of SG-1, minus himself, and several of just Carter. He raised his eyebrows but didn't say anything.

"So," John said finally, "you gonna tell me why you're here or what? I'm certain you didn't just come to look at my photos, and as you can see," he motioned toward the pizza that looked fresh, and the hockey game on TV, "I have a busy day ahead of me."

Jack turned back to him. "Yes, it looks like it. Got a beer?"

Shaking his head, John crossed into the kitchen, grabbed two bottles from the refrigerator, and flipped the caps onto the counter before walking back to the living room.

Watching him, Jack wondered if he'd ever really been that young. If he'd ever really moved so easily. Taking the beer, he nodded his thanks and took a deep swallow before talking. "Carter told me you'd paid her a little visit."

John shrugged. Carter. Her rejection still stung. He knew Jack was fishing for something, but refused to bite. "Yeah, a while back. What of it?"

Seeing he wasn't going to give anything away, Jack said bluntly, "She told me you were lonely."

John gave a short bark of a laugh. "Hard to imagine for you, I suppose."

"Not so much," Jack replied. He'd felt lonelier this past year than he had in a long time.

John was surprised by Jack's answer, but didn't know how to respond. "I suppose I shouldn't make you stand, what with your knees and all. Sit." John smirked at him.

Jack plopped down on the sofa, used his foot to move some of the empty cartons to make room and placed his feet in the open space. "There's no need to be a smart ass about it."

"Why not?" John asked. "You would."

Nodding his head to acknowledge the comment that was the truth, Jack took another look at the photos placed around the room. He realized there weren't any of anyone other than those of Jack's friends and family. "Listen," Jack said earnestly, "I hadn't realized what kind of position you'd be in. I can't imagine what it would be like to not be able to lead my own life. Must be hard."

"You really have no idea."

Jack shifted uncomfortably. "No, I don't, but I'm here to make you an offer that just might help."

"Yeah? You gonna let me have your job? General! Ha! I'd never have guessed." John snorted. "Scraped the barrel there, didn't they."

"Something like that," Jack agreed. He looked over at the young man. When he was really that age, he didn't think his eyes looked so old. At least he hoped they didn't. "Anyway, the cabin. I'd like to offer you some time at the cabin if you'd like it."

John sat up straight. "Really? You'd do that?"

"Sure. It's not like I'm up there all the time, not much at all lately, and I know what it means to me-you-us. Might help you," Jack waved his hand around, "figure stuff out."

"Huh, that was unexpected. That's, well, that's really nice of you. I don't know what to say."

Leaning forward, Jack looked the younger man in the eyes. "You can start by saying 'thank you.' You can end by leaving Carter alone."

"How is she?" John wanted to know desperately, but tried not to show it. He'd had to stop himself at least once a week from going to see her again.

"It's been a rough couple of months for her. Her dad died."

John looked shocked. "Jacob?" It was hard for Jack to remember that John knew Jacob as well. "The snake couldn't fix him?"

Jack shook his head. "No, the snake, well, to be honest, I don't understand what happened, but they both died. It hit Carter very hard. She broke up with that potato farmer a few days later, and I think that would have made Jacob proud."

John sat quietly, then lifted his beer in salute. "To Jacob."

"To Jacob," Jack repeated and they drank to the memory of the general.

"She's not going to get married, huh?" John asked cutting Jack a look from the side of his eyes.

"Apparently not."

"Huh." John said absently.

Jack felt his anger rising. "She said you wanted her to go away with you."

"Like you don't?" John shot back.

Jack stood quickly, pointing a finger at John. "Listen, what happens or doesn't happen between me and Carter isn't your business."

"The hell it isn't!" John was on his feet too. He was tired of feeling like a child. "I love her. Hell, you know that. You love her, but you're not willing to do anything about it. She knows you love her. How do you think it makes her feel to know you won't acknowledge your feelings for her?"

Before he could form a coherent thought, Jack reached out and grabbed John by the collar. "What do you mean she knows? What did you tell her?"

"You don't know?" John laughed. It was just like Carter not to say anything. "Everything. I told her everything. Everything you've ever wanted to say but didn't. She's known since she last saw me. We even kissed. It was even better than that time loop kiss, because this time she remembers it. She remembers. She knows what it feels like to kiss me. Me, not you. What do you think about that?"

Jack pushed him against the wall. "You son of a bitch. You had no right! No right to tell her anything, and certainly no right to kiss her."

He knew he could fight back, but John chose not to. He was rather enjoying watching Jack get mad. "Why not? It's not like you're planning on making a grand gesture is it, General?" He paused when Jack flinched. "Maybe she'll have me now that she knows you're never going to do anything."

John didn't see the fist until it was too late. The blow landed squarely on his jaw, and the force of it shocked him. He tried to hit back, but Jack was stronger than John thought. He realized while Jack had still been working out at the gym on base, he'd been merely jogging and counting on his high metabolism to keep him slim, giving the older man an advantage.

A knock at the door brought them up short. Jack cursed under his breath and released John. He had to admit that it felt good to hit the younger man, but he knew there would be hell to pay later from Carter.

John straightened his clothes as he crossed the room jaw throbbing. He knew he'd probably have one hell of a bruise. He opened the door. "Sam," he breathed. Seeing her made him forget all about the ache in his jaw. She was wearing jeans, a light blue t-shirt that almost matched her eyes, and a floral scarf wrapped around her neck. She looked gorgeous. He had to remind himself to breathe. He'd thought of their kiss every day since he'd last seen her and wondered what he could do to convince her that he could be the man she loved.

"John," she smiled in greeting and then looked behind him to where Jack stood looking like he was about to zat someone. "You two having some sort of a party in here? It seemed rather loud in the hall."

John looked back at Jack. "Did you know she was coming?" Jack nodded. "And you didn't think to tell me?"

"Didn't get a chance. Surprise. Carter, get in here."

Sam scooted past John. The tension in the room was palpable. "What's going on?"

The both said "Nothing," at the same moment in the same tone. Sam gave them both a skeptical look. "Uh-huh." She sat and waited for them to do the same. John sat in the recliner near her while Jack perched on the arm of the sofa as far away from her as possible. Sam found this odd. They'd grown closer since her dad died, and she hoped things would progress, but other than a few hugs, touches and meaningful glances, nothing had really happened. "So," she addressed Jack first. "Did you tell him?"

John responded before Jack could. "About the cabin? Yeah. I appreciate it. Thanks, Sam."

"What are you thanking her for?" Jack wanted to know. "It's my cabin, for crying out loud."

John shot him a heated look. "Like you would ever have thought of it if she hadn't asked."

Sam put her hands out. "Good grief. Knock it off. Both of you."

"Sorry," John said quietly. Jack remained stubbornly silent.

She looked at Jack briefly. "So, you haven't told him the rest?"

Looking between the two, John became suspicious. He also noticed that Jack wouldn't hold eye contact with Sam. He grinned. Perhaps he still had a chance. "The rest of what?"

Jack looked Sam solidly in the eyes for the first time and John saw an entire conversation pass between them in an instant. He used to have those conversations with Carter. They knew each other's minds. Or at least they used to. Even though Jack was too much of a dumb ass to say anything, his eyes told John everything he needed to know. Sam's eyes positively glowed, and not in a freaky Goa'uldish way, as she looked into Jack's. It was simple. Sam loved Jack. The real Jack, not the knock off version. Jack nodded to Sam, apparently letting her know that she should tell John whatever it was. When she turned to face him, her eyes, while still gorgeous, had lost the glow.

Sam took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "I've been thinking very hard since the night we, um, talked."

John noticed that Jack shifted uneasily, and took a small amount of satisfaction in it. Jack was thinking about John kissing her. "And?" he prompted.

Sam cleared her throat. "Um, yeah. I, well, I made a decision. I don't want you to be alone."

He glanced between Sam and Jack. Neither was looking at each other. He was confused. The looks they had just given each other and the fact that Jack had clocked him for kissing her, didn't make sense given what she had just said. Had be been wrong about them? Was Jack still that stupid? "Does this mean you…want to be with me?" he asked hopefully.

Jack stood up. "I told you about this. Carter isn't yours!"

John stood as well. He wasn't going to let Jack get the better of him this time, especially not with Sam in the room. "It's not like she's yours either, is it? It doesn't look like you've asked her to run away with you." John looked back at Sam. "Has he even asked you to the cabin again? You know he quit asking because he could only handle your rejection so many times."

Jack started toward him. "Okay, I've had enough! You leave Carter-"

Sam jumped between the two of them. "NO!" She shouted. "I've had enough. This isn't some contest, and I'm not a prize to be fought over. What the hell is wrong with you two?" Sam didn't want to admit it, but John's taunt to Jack had hit her hard. Jack had stopped asking her to go to the cabin long before she met Pete, and he hadn't asked again even after she called off the wedding, until they'd decided to have a team week there. They wouldn't be alone though. He'd stopped asking her to come up by herself. If he had, she probably would have tossed her life and her career behind, just to be with him. "You," she pointed a finger at Jack, "sit down. And you," she turned to John, "stop being such an ass."

When both men had sat with identical scowls on their faces, she pulled her phone out of her pocket and dialed it. When the other line was picked up, she said, "I think you should go ahead and come up." She clicked the phone shut and stared between the two of them.

Jack spoke first. His voice was calm and softer, his eyes concerned. "Are you sure about this?"

She turned to him, still clearly irritated. "It's a little late for that now, don't you think?"

Shrugging, he shifted his eyes to John. "I want you to know that I was against this, but Carter somehow convinced me it was a good idea. If you do anything to make me regret this, I will personally kill you."

John was confused. "Against what?" Another knock at the door caught his attention. "Who the hell is it now? You bring Teal'c and Daniel along too? Perhaps a few back up singers? I think I've had my fill of visitors for the day."

"Just answer the damn door," Jack said. While John crossed the room, Jack looked over at Sam. He was worried. He wanted her to assure him again that this was the right thing to do. A small nod of her head told him it was.

John pulled the door open, and for the third time that day, was completely shocked. In front of him stood a slightly younger Samantha Carter. He looked at her, then back at the Sam standing in his living room. "Wh-wh-what the hell is going on? Have I finally lost my mind?" He turned confused eyes to Jack. "You'd tell me if I had, wouldn't you?"

"Let the lady in," Jack said in a gentler voice than Sam had heard him use since she'd been there.

John moved back and watched Samantha enter. He was still certain someone was playing a trick on him. "Can someone please explain to me what's happening? In small words."

Samantha, the younger version, smiled at him. "Isn't it obvious?"

John shook his head. "Um, no, I'm afraid not."

"Is there someplace we can go and talk for a few minutes?" Samantha waved her hands around to indicate that someone might be listening in. John looked back over at Sam and Jack. He was still dumbfounded. "I don't know," he said slowly.

"I had the place swept yesterday, it's safe," Jack said. When John looked startled, Jack just shrugged.

Sam touched Jack on the arm. "Why don't you and I go sit on the balcony for a few minutes and let them talk." He didn't say anything, but followed her out the door and closed it behind them.

John was still staring at her. "It's okay," Samantha assured him. I'm real. Well, as real as you are."

He shook his head, as if trying to clear it. "You're a…"

"Clone," she finished for him. "We, that is, Sam decided this was the only way we could be together, so she convinced, cajoled really, the general to get in touch with Thor. After a bit of haggling and explaining, Thor agreed to duplicate me-her, wow, this is confusing. He set the aging process to put me around the same as you." When he continued to stare in silence, Samantha became nervous. "Is-is that okay? I mean, if you don't want me here, I can-" Her words were cut off midstream when he gathered her into his arms and pulled her close. She willingly wrapped her arms around him, feeling complete joy. While the Air Force and a million other things kept Sam and Jack apart, Samantha knew there was nothing standing between her and John.

"Sam," he whispered into her hair. "How could you ever think I don't want you?" Pulling away to look at her, he gave her a typical Jack smile. "You sure you want a grumpy old guy like me?"

She laughed, causing her eyes to crinkle lightly, in a way John adored. "I hate to break it to you, but you're not exactly old. To me though, you were never old, but you're certainly not now." She gave him an appraising look and lifted her eyebrows suggestively. John O'Neill was incredibly handsome, and she couldn't wait to see more of him.

"Ah, Sam, you have no idea how much I love you." He leaned down and kissed her gently. "I'm hoping you'll let me try to show you every day though."

"Every day? I like the sound of that." She tilted her head up as he kissed her again, this time with all the passion that had been stored up almost from the day Jack and Sam met.

TBC