Just a teeny silly chapter. I may try and do another one tonight.

Jack sat at the table, stirring his coffee and watching the hot liquid swirl around and around in his cup. He was miserable. Sam was away at some geek-fest conference and he was stuck here doing officer evaluations. He hated officer evaluations. And he hated not having Sam here and – he hated officer evaluations. And then there was the fact that Sam was gone. He hated that. He didn't like going home to a cold dark house with no warm, blue-eyed blond with a gorgeous smile and a great sense of humor and a great body – okay, so a great pregnant body – waiting for him.

And did he tell anyone that he hated the fact that she was at a conference with Daniel and Felgar and Lee and all the other geeks. Life was unfair.

So okay – it wasn't that long ago that he always went home to a cold dark house, but that was before he'd gotten used to having her in his life – at least in his life in this new, great, incredible way. He sighed and stirred his coffee again, trying to get some comfort from the swirling liquid. And then Hammond told him that he might as well do the officer evaluations since Daniel was gone and a two-man team wouldn't work.

"Have you not stirred that enough O'Neill?"

He looked up to see his friend – his only friend now", he thought with self pity – Teal'c, standing over him, a tray in hand. "Huh?"

"The coffee. Is it not already well-stirred?"

"Oh." He glanced down and frowned at it. "Yeah, I guess so." He lifted the cup and took a sip. Damn – it was cold. Now he needed to get a new one. "Whatcha doing here Teal'c?" he asked as the other man sat across from him.

Teal'c simply bent his head and peered at the full plate of food in front of him and then lifted his eyes – and his eyebrow.

"Oh – yeah – breakfast."

"It is noon O'Neill", Teal'c informed him. "I partook of breakfast many hours ago."

"You did?"

"Indeed. I was with you at the time."

"Oh – yeah", he laughed and stirred the cold coffee. "I forgot."

"Are you unwell O'Neill?" Teal'c tilted his head and looked suitably concerned.

"I'm fine", he sighed heavily.

"You do not sound 'fine'. In fact, you sound as if something bad has happened. Has there been an accident or a problem that is affecting you?"

"No – yes – not really."

Again the eyebrow went up. Jack squirmed, wondering when the 'BROW' had become an interrogation tool. Whatever - it worked. He squirmed again and began his confession. "Okay – so maybe it's because I hate doing officer evaluations."

"Has General Hammond asked you to do them again?"

"Yes", Jack frowned. "And everyone instantly starts sucking up – except Ferretti and Griff, who go out of their way not to suck up – and end up sucking up anyway. Then, when I do the evaluations, if I don't give everyone high marks they get mad at me and I start finding disgusting things in my locker and my stuff begins to disappear and my uniforms suddenly seem to get smaller or their sleeves are sown together or something." He sighed and picked up his cup. "I hate officer evaluations."

"Why don't you ask Hammond to have someone else do them?"

"Because I'm second in command. It has to be either him or me – and I think he hates them more than I do."

"But surely no one would dare put disgusting things in his office or make his uniforms shrink?"

"No – probably not – but they have other, more subtle ways of exacting revenge."

Teal'c nodded and bent his head to the task of eating his lunch. Jack put his cup back down – the coffee was no longer drinkable. Instead he stared at his companion, his chin resting in his hand. After a few moments Teal'c put his fork down and again looked at his friend.

"That is very annoying O'Neill."

"What? I'm just sitting here, minding my own business."

"You are staring at me while I eat. It is uncomfortable."

"Well, what do you want me to do? I was here first."

"You were simply sitting here feeling sorry for yourself", his friend pointed out. "Why do you not go and -", Teal'c stopped.

"And what?"

"I – there must be something you wish to accomplish. Do you not have officer evaluations to do?"

"You had to remind me, didn't you?"

This time Teal'c sighed and picked up his fork again and began to eat. "How is Samantha?" he asked, hoping to cheer the other man up. Unfortunately this backfired because, instead of appearing happy, O'Neill looked even more depressed.

"She's in San Diego", he said, sounding peeved.

"Yes, I know", Teal'c nodded. "She is with Daniel Jackson and Dr. Felgar and Dr. Lee and Dr. -"

"I know who she's with Teal'c", Jack interrupted. "She's at a Geek Conference with – other geeks. They're there to learn geek things so that the Air Force and Navy and – and everyone – can counter enemy geek-stuff."

"Enemy geek-stuff? What is that O'Neill?"

"Hell, how am I supposed to know? I don't do geek stuff Teal'c – you know that."

"You have worked at the SGC for many years O'Neill. Surely you must understand some of the – uh – scientific things that we use here."

"Do you?"

Teal'c stared for a moment and then looked down. "I do not", he admitted. "I leave that to Daniel Jackson and Samantha Carter."

"Yeah well – there ya go – so do I." He sighed again. "She's in San Diego Teal'c. She's staying at some swanky hotel and probably going out in the evening with all the other geeks and talking about – incomprehensible things that no normal person would even be interested in. And she's probably having a great time." He sighed dejectedly.

Teal'c's eyes opened wide and his face registered his sudden understanding. "You are missing Samantha Carter."

Jack didn't reply for a few seconds, instead swirling his coffee, this time with his hand holding the cup. He murmured something softly.

"Pardon me O'Neill?"

"I said that yeah – I miss her."

Teal'c's lips turned up – his face breaking into one of his rare smiles. "Ah, I now understand."

"Understand what?" Jack looked up, his brow furrowed in an irritated frown.

"Why you are so grumpy."

"I'm not grumpy!"

"Indeed you are O'Neill. In fact, if you will notice, no one is 'sucking up to you' today, even though you are doing officer evaluations. The word in the men's locker room is it's best to stay away from you today. You are grumpy."

Jack's frown deepened and he thunked his cup on the table, the coffee sloshing out from over the sides. "Well – can I help it? I've gotten used to having her around Teal'c. I mean – I get up in the morning and the first thing I see is a beautiful woman curled up next to me. And she opens her eyes and looks at me – and you've got to admit that those eyes are pretty spectacular!"

"Samantha Carter does indeed have beautiful eyes."

"Yeah", Jack smiled. "And she's happy Teal'c. I mean, do you know what it's like to be around someone who's happy – and who makes you happy? It's been a long time and – I like it. I don't like living by myself anymore."

"I understand", his friend said gently. "She is a special person."

"Yeah, she is. I miss her", he said softly. He then lifted his head quickly. "Do you think I'm crazy?"

"No – I think you have found love and that is a very good thing. You and Samantha deserve to be happy."

"Thanks Teal'c." Jack smiled at his friend.

"So why then do you not be honest with her?"

"Huh?" Jack was confused. How hadn't he been honest with Sam? "What do you mean? I've been honest. Hell, she knows more about me than probably anyone in this world and I certainly haven't lied to her about anything."

"I do not mean that", Teal'c told him, frowning. "I mean why do you not both make yourselves honest."

"Okay Teal'c – not getting you here."

"Is that not the expression?" his large friend asked. "You are having children together and you are living together. Do you not wish to make it permanent?"

"It is permanent", Jack exclaimed. There was a short pause. "Oh – you mean why don't I make an honest woman of her?" he laughed. "You mean why don't I marry her?"

"Is that not what I said?"

"No, in actual fact -" Jack stopped dead, his throat constricting painfully. Marriage? God – he wasn't ready for marriage – was he? "Yeah", he breathed softly. "I guess you did." He looked at Teal'c with an expression half-way between terror and – longing.

"Do you not love her?"

"Of course I do." Jack said firmly. "I'm crazy about her."

"And do you wish to spend the rest of your life with her."

Jack nodded. "Yes."

"So why don't you ask her to marry you?"

"Uh – what if she says no?"

Teal'c's eyebrow went up again - this time he simply looked at Jack as if he were crazy. He stood slowly and took his tray. "I believe Samantha's absence has affected your brain O'Neill. I expect she is waiting patiently for you to ask."

"Hey – are you leaving me?" Jack said, sounding hurt. He wasn't quite ready to process what Teal'c had just said. He was still feeling terrified by the thought of marriage and the idea that Sam would probably say no.

"I believe you have officer evaluations to do O'Neill. I suggest you start working on them before General Hammond gets upset." With that he left, carrying his tray to the conveyor belt.

"Traitor", Jack called softly. He picked up his spoon and started to stir his stone-cold coffee. He hated officer evaluations -and he hated the fact that Sam was away. He sighed. Life stunk.