Never Too Late

by Countess Ouroboros

Yet another Sam/Jack Threads fic. You can skip the graphic sex bit (chapter 2) without missing anything important. It's a bit ridiculous anyway.

1. The First Bit

Title: Never Too Late

Rating: MA

Category: Romance

Season: 8

Episode: 8.18 – Threads

Summary: Yet another Threads fic. You can skip the graphic sex bit (chapter 2) without missing anything important. It's a bit ridiculous anyway.

Pairing: Sam/Jack

Beta: None

Content warning: Sam/Pete as per canon.

SJSJSJSJSJ

Sam took a deep breath and held it, waiting for her brother to pick up the phone.

"Hey Sam. How are you?" Mark Carter greeting her.

"Dad died." she blurted out, grimacing and closing her eyes. She hadn't meant to break the news so bluntly. She concentrated on her breathing to keep her tears at bay.

The line was silent for what felt like forever before he responded.

"He said the cancer was back when he visited on the weekend. He looked okay. I thought..." he trailed off.

"Me too." Sam sniffed. "He said he was trying to hold on for the wedding."

"God Sam, I'm so sorry," his tone conveyed his sincerity. "I can walk you down the isle if you want."

"Thanks Mark, but there isn't going to be a wedding."

"What? Why not?"

"I... Look can we not talk about it right now? We can discuss it when you're here for the funeral."

"Yeah," he sighed. "0kay."

"How soon can you come?" Sam needed to start making arrangements.

SJSJSJSJSJ

Knocking on the Generals door Sam waited for permission to enter.

"Hey Carter." he said warmly. "What can I do for you?"

'Hold me and never let me go,' her mind supplied.

"I need to start planning the funeral, sir. I have no idea where to start." She confessed.

He nodded, leaning back in his chair. He'd had some experience in this arena. His grandfather, a team member who'd had no family to speak of, Charlie - God rest his soul, and most recently he'd helped Cassie with Janet's.

"I can help if you'd like." He offered. "Or I can get Walter on it." he added, giving her an out. He didn't want to push too much. He'd texted her yesterday afternoon, just a 'hope you're okay, call if you need anything' type of message. He hadn't gotten a reply.

"Would you, sir? Help, that is." her eyes pleading.

As if he would ever deny her!

"Of course, Carter. Take a seat." he gestured to the chair opposite his on the other side of his desk.

A weight seemed to lift from her shoulders as she entered the office and sat down.

"Thank you, sir." she said, looking into his eyes, before ducking her head. "And thank you for texting me yesterday. I'm sorry I didn't reply, sir. It was a bit of a rough day." She had tried replying, a number of times, in fact. A simple 'thank you' didn't seem enough – didn't he know he was her rock? But every time she'd tried to write more, the words just wouldn't come. After all, it wasn't like she could just send 'Hey, I dumped that oaf because it's you that I want'.

"Think nothing of it, Carter. And please don't apologise."

Half an hour later, she left his office. They'd booked the chapel at the Academy for the memorial service the following Saturday, and sorted things with the mortuary. The Tok'ra had removed Selmac from her father's body so there was no security risk. She was somewhat sad that they'd been separated, but it was their custom. The symbiote remained with them and the host was returned to their home planet, where possible. She wondered what they did with their dead but it didn't seem like the time to ask. She'd just been glad that her dad got to stay here.

Now that the funeral arrangements were underway, with assurances from General O'Neill that he'd continue to assist her every step of the way, she headed to her lab and got to work.

JSJSJSJSJ

Sam sat at her kitchen table, staring at a list of names on her laptop. Her side of the guest list for the now non-existent nuptials. It had been a hard conversation, but after it was done she'd felt a great sense of relief. She'd called him immediately after she got off the phone with her brother, then gone straight to the house. She'd gone back to the SGC afterwards. It had been one hell of a day. Anubis's defeat and Daniel's return, a counter balance to her father's passing and the end of her relationship.

Cancelling the wedding was fairly simple task. They'd never actually finalised anything, not even a venue. She'd bailed on every single appointment he'd made. Hadn't once stepped into a bridal store to look for a dress. Shaking her head, 'that alone should have told Pete that it was never going to happen' she thought ruefully. Though in all fairness, it had taken seeing Jack with that CIA agent (she didn't even want to think of her name) to shake her out of her own delusions. She'd gone to his house, hoping to fix her mistake, to finally put her heart on the line, only to have her hopes crushed. She'd missed her chance. Her only solace was that he was still her friend. He was still there for her, always.

She closed her eyes and let the memory wash over her. Being held by him, the tenderness in his eyes, she knew for sure in that moment that she would be forever in love with him. She couldn't marry another man, even if all she had left with Jack was friendship. Her heart, apparently still hanging on to hope by a thread, whispered longingly causing her to look at him. She'd searched his face, saw the genuine promise held there. But beyond that she couldn't tell.

She wondered, not for the first time, if she hadn't started seeing Shanahan, would she have still had a chance with Jack? Or, as her concussed mind aboard the Prometheus had been adamant, did he just never love her in the first place? He'd said he'd cared for her, all those years ago. At the time, she'd been convinced that he felt the same for her that she did for him. And then, under the ice, beneath that dome, he'd confessed 'feeling feelings'.

Sam sighed. She needed to stop torturing herself. He was with someone. That was that.

Focusing on the screen in front of her she made a plan to contact everyone to let them know they could rip up the 'save the date' cards - no official invitations had ever been sent. She would send a letter to extended family, and out of town friends, including General Hammond, that was simple. She had dinner plans with Cassie for tomorrow night, as was their standard arrangement when she was Earth-side, and would tell her then. Teal'c and Daniel she would tell in person as well. But General O'Neill? She so wished that she could just send him a letter, take the easy way out. She dreaded having a conversation with him. Afraid that he would refer back to that day in his back yard.

The humiliation, anger, and jealousy she'd felt flared anew. She knocked back the rest of the wine left in the glass she'd poured earlier and stood up. She contemplated a top up, but thought better about having another drink. It wouldn't change the situation. She put the glass in the sink and sat back down.

45 minutes later, having written her brief letter apologising for the cancelled wedding, she sealed the last printed copy in to its envelope and added it to the pile. She'd stop at the post office in the morning for stamps and send them on their way.

Looking at the stack of mail, she shook her head. She never would have invited half these people if Pete hadn't been so pushy. He'd moaned about how important it was to have a big guest list. If it were up to her, she only really cared about having her immediate family, though that only left Mark now, and her .closest friends there.

A brief vision emerged in her mind of herself walking down a petal covered isle in a small garden. She saw Mark and his family, as well as Daniel and Teal'c in their seats. For the briefest of moments she was confused, until she tuned her head towards the arch at the end of her path and saw him waiting for her. He looked incredibly handsome in his dress blues. And he looked so happy. As happy as she felt in that moment, mere footsteps away from becoming Mrs O'Neill.

Reality came crashing back and she bit her lip, fighting off a sob. Once again reminding herself that torture would get her nowhere, she switched off the lights and headed for bed. Through the night her mind dreamed of honeymooning in Minnesota, but thankfully for Sam's battered psyche, she didn't remember in the morning.

SJSJSJSJSJ

Sam rang the door bell at Cassie's front door. The young woman had decided to stay at Janet's house, though technically now it belonged to Cassie herself. Bequeathed to her in Frazier's will, and fully paid off thanks to life insurance, it gave the girl a solid financial start to her adult life. For a time, Sam had hoped that Cassie would move in with her, but the first (and only) time that Cassie had met Pete, the girl had instantly disliked him. She hadn't talked to Sam for weeks afterwards. Eventually they'd mended fences, but the topic of her relationship was out of bounds from then on.

Cassie opened the door and dragged Sam inside with a hug.

"I'm so sorry about your dad!" At Sam's surprised look, she continued. "Jack told me. Please don't be mad at him. He just wanted to make sure I didn't take it personally if you were out of touch."

"Oh Cass, of course I'm not mad at him." she soothed, stroking the girls hair before pulling away. "And thank you. His funeral is on Saturday if you want to come."

"For sure, I'll be there." She promised. "So, I wasn't sure if you'd even make it tonight." Cassie said as she closed the front door and led Sam further in to the house. "I haven't cooked anything. I figured ordering a pizza would work either way. We can put on a movie, if you want."

"That sounds great!" She smiled, taking a seat on the sofa.

"Excellent! So the usual?" Cassie asked and Sam nodded her agreement. "Cool. I'll call it through while you pick the movie. There's a bunch of DVDs on the coffee table that I thought would be good." She added leaving the room.

Sam looked at the movie options in front of her and settled on The Wizard of Oz. Her decision had absolutely nothing to do with the fact that it reminded her of a certain someone. Nope. No sir-ee. Sir. Damn.

"Yes! To Oz!" Cassie crowed, having come back in to see Sam holding the film case in her hand.

Before Sam could respond, the DVD had been plucked from her grasp taken out of its protective covering, and was being sucked into the player. Too late to change her mind now, she guessed.

"Hey Cass, before we start the movie, there's something I need to tell you. It's about Pete." Despite the scowl she received, she carried on. "We broke up."

"Really?" Cassie about squealed, but quickly looked contrite.

"Yes, really." Sam confirmed. "It's okay, you can be happy about it. I am. We weren't right for each other. I just wish I'd realised it sooner."

"I'm sorry Sam. Well, not sorry that Mr Potato Head is out of the picture, but I am sorry that you had to go through it."

"Mr Potato Head?" Sam raised her eyebrows.

"Oops. Ahh, forget I said that. Kind of an inside joke."

"Inside joke? With whom?"

"No one. No one." But Sam's stern look made Cassie crumble. "Um. Jack... and Daniel. Teal'c never said it but I think he kind of agreed. And, and Mom."

"Oh." At the mention of Janet, the mood sombred.

"Wait," Cassie eyes suddenly lit up, breaking the moment. "You're single again."

"Duh." Sam teased her for the obvious statement.

"Does this mean you and Jack might still happen?" Cassie beamed. Sam looked stricken and Cassie's face fell. "What?"

"He's, ah, he's seeing someone."

"Who?" Cassie demanded.

"It's not important Cassie."

"Surely it's not serious, Sam. I mean come on. I bet once you told him it was over with the spud, he would have broken up with who ever she is."

"I haven't told him yet."

"Why not?" Cassie was looking at Sam like she was crazy for not telling Jack immediately.

"Look, I tried talking to him about us. He was so uncomfortable, you should have seen him. And then SHE came out." She couldn't keep the venom out of her voice. Her heart was shattering all over again. "So, yeah. She's all cosy at his house. I'd say it's serious."

"Oh." was all Cassie could say. Without another word she started the movie and cuddled up next to Sam on the couch. By the time the pizza arrived the mood had lifted somewhat. Once the movie was over, Sam gathered her purse. Cassie walled her to the door.

"I'm sorry I unloaded on you earlier. " Sam apologised.

"No Sam, it's okay. Drive safe."

"Will do. Good night, Cass." Sam said giving the girl a hug before heading out the door.

SJSJSJSJSJ

As promised, Jack was by Sam's side helping her with all the preparations for the funeral. He'd also organised a car to pick up her brother and his family from the airport. Sam was meeting them, but she didn't have room to fit them all.

Mark rode with Sam, while his wife and two children rode in the other car. Once they were on the road, he broached the subject.

"So, Pete said you dumped him."

"Yes, I did." Sam wasn't keen on having this discussion, but they weren't likely to get another moment alone once they reached the house.

"How come?"

"I wasn't in love with him." She knew that, clear as day now.

"Why did you say yes in the first place, then?" Mark was upset for his friend.

"I guess I thought I had no other choice."

"No other choice?" he didn't get it, unless? "Sam, is there someone else?"

"No!" she denied, then, "Yes. No. It's not relevant. He's not available. I can't be with him."

"So, you'd rather be alone than with Pete? He loves you."

"But I don't love him. So yeah, I'd rather be alone, than trapped with someone who's wrong for me. And you know what, I don't really think Pete does love me. Not for me. He was always trying to change me. Kept telling me I needed to grow my hair, wear more make-up. That I should quit my job. Not talk about science so much. Never cared for my opinion on anything." This was the first time she'd voiced these thoughts out loud. Before, they'd just been niggling doubts. She couldn't believe how much of a huge, collosal mistake she'd been about to make. "Did you know he bought a house with out even talking to me about it?"

"A house?" Mark was stunned. He wouldn't even by a new hockey stick without talking to his wife about it. "0kay, that's nuts."

"Yeah. You know, at first thought it was a beautiful house. I thought I was the crazy one for feeling so pissed off. But the more I looked at it, the more I realised just how off it was. Kind of an allegory for the whole relationship."

"How can a house be off?" he canted his head as he asked.

"For starters, the windows just didn't align. The layout was really strange – alcoves that were basically dead space, a hallway that lead nowhere, and the paint job was atrocious. Pete kept saying that it was my dream house, but it wasn't even close."

"I'm sorry it didn't work out, Sam. All I want is for you to be happy."

"Thanks Mark. That's all dad wanted, too. I'll be okay." She couldn't promise happy yet.

Before long, they'd arrived at her house and she showed them through to the spare room where Mark and his wife would sleep, and the study where the kids would sleep. She'd set up two blow up mattresses on the floor for them. Sam and company had only been inside for a few minutes when the doorbell rang. She left Mark and family to get settled in their rooms and went to see who it was.

"General?" Sam hadn't been expecting to see Jack at her door. He was out of uniform, wearing jeans and a Simpsons themed bowling shirt. "Is something wrong?"

"No, no. Nothing of the sort. I come bearing lunch." he replied, picking up two bags from the porch floor.

"Oh, that's very kind, sir. You didn't need to go to any trouble."

"No trouble at all, Carter." he smiled, beginning to hand over the bags. "Here, take these and I'll get out of your hair."

"You're not staying?" she tried to mask her disappointment, but he caught it all the same.

"Didn't want to intrude." he offered.

"You wouldn't be, sir. And I'd really like you to meet my brother."

"Well then, if you're sure?"

"Yes, please stay." she smiled. Jack's heart skipped a beat. She hadn't smiled at him like that in a while.

She motioned for him to head for the dining area and closed the door. He wasted no time unpacking the boxes of pre-prepared assorted sandwiches and taking off the lids.

"This looks great sir. I really appreciate it." Sam said before moving off. "Let me get the others."

Once they were all gathered around the table, Sam made the introductions.

"General, this is my brother Mark, and his wife Stacey. And these two munchkins are David and Lisa. Everyone, this is my commanding officer, General Jack O'Neill."

"Please, forget the General part. Just call me Jack. So, tell me a little about yourselves." He asked, while offering the boxes around.

"Not a lot to tell," Mark started. "I work in IT and Stace is a teacher. David's in high school, Lisa will be too, next year."

"What do you teach, Stacey?" Jack asked.

"Computer science." She replied. "I was originally studying to go in to IT, but I loved being in the classroom so much that I switched tracks."

"Is that how you two met?"

"We actually met in high school." Mark smiled at his wife. "I was 15 and head over heals."

"Same." Stacey chimed in again. "I was devastated when Mark told me his dad had been transferred again just before our senior year."

"Luckily," Mark took over the story again. "Her dad saw how upset she was and couldn't stand for his princess to be unhappy. He arranged with my dad for me to move in with them so I could stay. Dad and I weren't getting along back then so it was the best thing that could have happened. I think I would have gone off the rails if I'd lost Stace." He looked lovingly at his wife.

"That's quite the love story." Jack praised. "I'm glad you got to reconnect with Jacob before he passed."

"You know dad?" Mark was a little surprised.

"Yes, Mark." Sam joined the conversation. "Before Jack became a General, he was the leader of my team."

Jack couldn't help the smile that formed when he heard his name pass her lips.

"Right, of course." Mark replied, putting two and two together. She had so often just referred to the man as 'the Colonel', he'd forgotten the O'Neill part.

"So what about you, Jack?" Stacey asked. "What do you do for fun? I can tell you like the Simpsons, just like Mark here."

"Oh, mostly I just watch that, and hockey. Nothing too exciting." Jack deflected.

"Ice or field? Which team?" Mark asked.

"Ice. These days, Avalanche mostly. But I'm not picky. I'm hoping to catch tomorrow night's game."

"Looks like the guys will be watching the game tomorrow night, Sam." Stacy joked.

"You don't mind, Sam?" Mark asked. "Jack, you should come back here to watch. The guys I play with at home aren't that in to hanging out, so I don't often get to watch a game with company."

"Hey, I don't count as company?" Stacy groused, good naturedly.

Jack looked to Sam, and she smiled and nodded her head.

"Sounds like a plan!" Jack was extraordinarily pleased that he and Mark were getting along so well. He'd been a little worried that himself being military might have been too off putting. "So you play hockey, you say?"

"Yeah, just for fun. There's a rink not to far from home." Mark was really surprised at how much he had in common with Sam's boss.

"Nice. I'm a little too old for it myself now."

"You are not old, sir!"

"That's very nice of you to say, Carter. But we both know my knees couldn't handle a real game on the ice." He teased.

After the sandwiches were all gone, Jack pulled the last box from the bag.

"Can't forget dessert." He announced as he put the box on the table.

The kids, who hadn't made so much as a peep through lunch, recognised the branding on the box immediately.

"Donuts!" they exclaimed simultaneously.

"Just one, now." Stacey told the kids.

"Yes, mom." They droned.

In practically no time at all, David and Lisa had demolished their donuts.

"Can we go play now?" David asked.

"Yeah, sure." Mark agreed. "Wash your hands first though."

"Does anyone want coffee?" Sam asked, standing up from her seat.

"Please." Mark never turned down a cup.

"I'm fine, thanks Sam." her sister in law declined.

"Sir?"

"Thank you, but I really should get back to base." Jack really didn't want to leave, but he'd only planned on dropping the food off. That was over an hour ago.

Her smile faltered.

"Of course, sir. Let me walk you out."

"It was lovely to meet you folks. I'll see you tomorrow night, providing there aren't any SNAFUs at work."

"Nice to meet you too. See you then." Mark said an behalf of himself and his wife. Stacey smiled.

"Thanks again for lunch, sir." Sam said as they walked toward the front door.

"It was really no trouble." he turned to face her as she opened the door. "If there's anything you need, anything at all, just let me know."

Sam knew that if she tried to speak right now, she'd probably end up crying. She just nodded at him and tried to smile. This man, kind, and sweet, made her feel so cared for. She looked down and closed her eyes to dispel the moisture.

Seeing her struggle, he offered the only comfort he knew how to.

"Com'ere." He said as he pulled her in to his arms.

She melted in to his embrace. Absorbing the warmth he provided, taking the support he offered with his strength. His scent filling her, calming her like nothing else could. But it was over all too soon.

"See you tomorrow, Carter." He said before slipping out the door.

SJSJSJSJSJ

Thankfully there were no last minute emergencies and Jack was able to make it to Sam's house to watch the hockey game with Mark. He came bearing snacks and beer, as well as a bottle of white wine and sodas for the kids. He'd talked to Carter earlier in the day to check what would be popular. Turns out Mark had fairly similar preferences as himself in the food and drink department. They'd be ordering Pizza for dinner. He'd offered to pay, but she was firm in her denial, citing that he'd brought lunch yesterday, and it wasn't his responsibility to feed her brother's family.

He'd opted to wear khakis and a hockey jersey in line with the reason for him being there. Mark was also wearing a hockey jersey.

"Peas in a pod, these two!" Stacey remarked to Sam, while said men made themselves comfortable on the couch.

"I never really thought about it before, but they do like a lot of the same stuff." Sam agreed. Her heart swelled at the scene. Visions of family holidays popped in to her head, where she and Jack, with a baby in arms, spent time with Mark and his family.

Fighting back against the images that she thought could never be, she moved away to put the drinks in the fridge. The guys had already snagged a beer each, and Sam had poured a glass of wine for Stacey and herself. David and Lisa had retreated to the back yard with a soccer ball, as it was still light outside, not long before the General arrived. She'd call them in when the pizza arrived.

"You know, Mark and I have been talking about a change of scenery." Stacey confided as Sam sat down at the table with her. "The kids have had some issues with bullies at school and the faculty don't seem inclined to do anything about it. Over worked and under paid. Trust me, I know."

"That's a shame." Sam commiserated. "Can't you talk to the PTA, or the school board, or something?"

"That's the problem." Stacey answered. "The biggest bully is the son of the school board president."

"No wonder the teachers don't do anything." Sam realised that they were probably worried about losing their jobs.

"Anyway, it's not just that." Stacey continued. "Mark and I don't have a lot of close friend left in San Diego. People have moved away, gone in different life directions. You know how it is."

Sam nodded. Her only close friends, her only friends period, were work related.

"Even the guys on Mark's hockey team aren't people we'd consider friends." The disappointment in Stacey's tone was apparent. "Our jobs are just jobs, there's nothing really keeping us there."

"Do you have any idea where you'd move to?" Sam asked.

"Well, here, actually. Colorado Springs."

The surprise on Sam's face was almost comical.

"Really?" Sam's voice cracked. "That would be wonderful." The idea of having her brother and his family living in the same city brought her joy.

"I thought you'd approve. The company Mark works for has an office here, they've already agreed to a transfer. I've applied to all the schools in the area, but regardless, I'm finishing out the year and we'll be here before Christmas."

Just then Mark came up to the kitchen to get snacks. He suddenly had an armful of Sam.

"Stacey just told me you're moving here." She gushed.

"Well we were going to tell you at the wedding, but hey." Mark was glad she was so pleased. Originally he'd imagined that he'd be spending a lot of time with Pete once they moved but his friend had informed him that he'd put in for a transfer to Atlanta. Luckily, it looked like he'd have an even better friend in Jack O'Neill. He'd never had that much in common with Pete beyond being fraternity buddies. Giving his sister a pat on the back before releasing her, he picked up the bowl of chips from the bench and headed back to the couch.

"So Jack," he said as he flopped back down on the sofa. "Who's your favourite Simpson's character?"

"Favourite?" Jack pondered briefly. "Tough call. I identify more with Homer and Bart, but if I'd had a daughter, I'd want her to be more like Lisa."

"I know what you mean. I'm just lucky Stacey let me use the name for ours."

"There's no way my ex-wife would have let me call our kid anything from the Simpsons." Jack snorted.

"You've got a kid?" Mark asked.

Jack paused, looking down, then took a long swig of his beer.

"Not anymore. He died. Been gone almost as long as he was alive now."

"I'm sorry I brought it up." Mark apologised.

"S'okay." Jack assumed him. "You weren't to know."

On the TV, a particularly good play succeeded in a goal and the tension was broken.

"Oh, did you see that!" Jack exclaimed pointing the mouth of his bottle towards the screen. "Nice!"

"The goalie didn't have a hope of stopping that." Mark agreed.

It was quite late by the time Jack left. Dinner had arrived at half time and the conversation at the table had been lively. David and Lisa even joined in, now that they were recovered from the flight and more used to Jack. He made them laugh, doing silly impressions, and telling corny jokes. Everyone was sad that he had to go.

In the living room, he shook Mark's hand and gave Stacey a hug. He turned to the kids intending only a verbal goodbye but Lisa surprised him with a hug. He had to crouch down in order for her to get her arms around his neck.

"Bye uncle Jack." She said, giving him peck on the cheek before letting him go.

He got a handshake from David, who also called him 'uncle'. Most surprisingly, Sam also gave him a hug and a kiss on the other cheek when saying goodbye. He left with a spring in his step.

SJSJSJSJSJ

In the Academy chapel. Sam sat in the front row of seats with her brother and his family to her right and an empty seat to her left. Extended family and friends filed in, having been greeted by the Chaplain, taking their seats in the rows behind.

Mark had been kind enough to take on the task of contacting family with the funeral details and General Hammond had contacted Jacob's military friends. It looked like a good turn out despite Jacob having not been on Earth for the last four years.

Jack entered the room with Daniel and Teal'c. They made their way down to Sam and Mark to offer their condolences and support. After a round of hugs and hand shakes they moved off to find a seat.

"General, wait." Sam called before he got very far. "I saved you a seat here." She indicated the empty seat on her left.

He'd assumed she'd been saving the seat for her fiancé.

"What about Pete?" he asked.

"No Pete." She said, simply. She still hadn't told him, or the rest of SG-1 about the break up.

He took the proffered seat, wondering what the absence of Shanahan meant, while Teal'c and Daniel found seats further back with Cassie and General Hammond. The young women had graciously agreed to be designated driver, picking up the former commander of the SGC from the airport and would be taking him back again after the service.

Jack and Sam settled in to their seats. The chairs were close enough together that their shoulders touched. Taking advantage of their positions, she leaned in to him slightly. Not enough to be noticeable to an outside observer, but enough for him to notice. He leaned in to her, increasing the contact minutely.

"Thank you, sir." She whispered.

He reached into his left pocket and pulled out a small white rectangle covered in clear plastic.

"I have tissues if you need." He explained.

"That's very thoughtful, sir." She smiled. "Hopefully I'll be okay."

And she was. She made it through the service without breaking down. Though an errant tear or two had escaped every so often.

Afterwards, she and Mark made their rounds, thanking everyone for coming. They listened to stories and anecdotes, reminiscing the man that was their father. Here and there, someone would comment to her that she looked so much like her mother. One time, Mark joked that the only look he had in common with his dad was the receding hair line. Every so often, she'd scan the crowd finding that General O'Neill was never far away. An hour or so later, most of the guests had left. Mark, Stacey, and the children also made their farewells, promising they'd see her back at the house when she was ready. David and Lisa were tired, so they made their way out to the car General O'Neill had provided them. The driver had waited in the car for the duration of the funeral.

Eventually, the remaining guests left, all except Jack, Daniel, and Teal'c. They helped her to carry the flowers, photos, and other memorabilia out to her car.

"Thanks, guys." She said after securing the items in the back seat. "Listen, can we go grab a drink somewhere?"

"Yeah, Sam, anything you need." Daniel readily agreed. "Did you want to go home and change first?"

"No, no. Just a quick drink." She wanted to tell them about her broken engagement before she lost her nerve. "There's a bar around the corner, they're used to people in uniform."

"Alright, well follow you then." The General stated.

A couple of minutes later, three cars pulled into the bar's parking lot. Daniel had picked Teal'c up from base and Jack had driven his truck. They went inside and found a booth after they'd gotten their drinks.

"So there's something I need to tell you all." Sam jumped straight in. "Pete and I broke up." There. She'd said it.

"What, why?" Daniel was the first to respond.

"He just wasn't right for me, Daniel."

"I'm sorry, Sam." He said, pushing up his glasses.

"I, for one, and not sorry you have ended your involvement with Pete Shanahan." Teal'c intoned, shocking the rest of the group.

"Thanks for your honesty, Teal'c." Sam smiled, genuinely. Trust the Jaffa to say what they were all feeling.

"Yeah, what he said." Jack agreed.

"Here, here." Daniel raised his glass. The others mimicked the movement, then took a sip. "So does this mean you're cancelling your leave? I was actually looking forward to having a break."

"I haven't even thought about that." She admitted. "I suppose we all could do with a break."

"Perhaps we should use this opportunity to go somewhere together." Teal'c suggested.

"Yeah that's a great idea." Daniel practically bounced in his seat with enthusiasm. "Oh, I know! We can all go to Jack's cabin. You were planning on going any way, right Jack?"

General O'Neill Iooked like a deer caught in headlights for the briefest of moments.

"Yeah." He drawled.

"Great! So, it's settled." Daniel all but proclaimed.

"Hold your horses, Danny boy. These two haven't agreed yet." Jack pointed out.

"Sam, Teal'c. Come on, you know it's a good idea."

"Uh, I wouldn't want to intrude on the General's plans." Sam hedged. No doubt he was planning on taking his girlfriend away for a romantic holiday, she thought.

"Nonsense, Carter. I've been trying to get you up there for years."

"If you're sure, then yes. I'd love to."

"Teal'c?" Daniel turned to the last member of the team.

"Very well." He agreed, not looking overly impressed. He hated mosquitos, but he was willing to make the sacrifice.

SJSJSJSJSJ

Weeks later...

Jack pulled his truck up in front of Sam's house at 18:30 on the dot to find her already waiting on the porch. Daniel and Teal'c would be driving up separately but they weren't leaving until tomorrow, and they planned to stay overnight somewhere to break up the journey. He got out to help carry her bags and load them in the back. Once they were secured, he handed her the keys.

"You still good to do the first leg?" he checked.

"Absolutely, sir. But I still can't believe you're letting me drive your vehicle." She teased.

"Like I said," he humoured her. "We'll get there sooner if we share the driving. I'm too old to make the trip straight through on my own."

They both climbed in and secured their belts.

"There's coffee in the thermos here." He said, pointing to the large travel mug sitting in the cup holder. "This baby will keep it hot for hours. And there's chocolate bars in the driver's side door pocket, too. That should keep you going." They'd eaten an early dinner before leaving the base so they wouldn't have to stop.

"That's very thoughtful, sir." She beamed at him.

"Alright, just follow the interstate signs. I'm gonna get some shut-eye." He declared, leaning his seat back to get comfortable.

"Sir, yes sir!" she joked, and snapped or a sloppy salute.

"Smartass." he grumbled before shutting his eyes.

She giggled lightly, pulling out on the street. The stereo played softly in the back ground. Something classical, though she didn't know what or who it was composed by. He had one of those multi-stacker CD players which meant she wouldn't have to change disks. As the hours passed she marvelled at the eclectic music selection, many of her own favourites included.

It was almost midnight when Jack stirred.

"Hey there sleepy head." She grinned. He looked so cute, she thought, in that hazy state between being asleep and awake.

"That's General sleepy head, thank you very much."

She responded by giggling and he couldn't help the broad smile that spread across his whole face.

"Stop at the next gas station. We can top up the tank and swap out."

"Might be a little while, we passed through a town just before you woke up. You can close your eyes. I'll let you when we stop."

"A few more minutes wouldn't hurt." He agreed, laying his head back down. He was back asleep in an instant.

HaIf an hour later, they'd re-gassed and taken a bathroom break. He'd topped up the travel mug with fresh coffee from the gas station and thrown out the wrappers from the chocolate bars she'd eaten.

"Here," he said, pulling a blanket from behind the seat once they were back in the truck. "In case you get cold."

"Thanks." She said, unfolding it and laying it over her lap.

"Get some rest. We've till got a ways to go." He said, pulling back on to the interstate.

"What time do you think we'll get there?" She asked as she pulled up the blanket and closed her eyes. The smell of him lingered on the seat, she breathed it in and her entire body relaxed.

"Probably around ten. There's a great diner in town that does brunch. Do you think you'll be okay with chocolate until then?"

When no response was forth coming, he looked over to find that she was already asleep. In the intimate atmosphere of the dark and cozy cab, it was easy to imagine that they were an ordinary couple and not members of a top secret military organisation with a wall of regulations in between them.

The rest of the drive was uneventful. He'd stopped to refill the tank and his coffee again, careful not to wake her. He actually had to gently shake her before she roused. She blinked a few times, her expression adorably confused.

"Where are we?" She asked, looking around.

"At the Silver Creek diner. I hope you're hungry. They do the best brunch buffet around."

"Brunch?" She asked, looking at her watch. Her eyes went wide. It was past 10:00!

"Come on. Let's get inside. Some coffee will help you wake up."

She just nodded dumbly, struggling for a moment to get herself untangled from the blanket. Thankfully, Jack had come around and opened her door. He tossed the blanket aside and undid her seat belt. She steadied her self with a hand on his shoulder as she got down from the cab. Once she was safely on the ground, he closed the door and hit the lock button on the key fob, then guided her towards the diner with his hand on the small of her back.

They were quickly seated at a booth and the waitress poured them coffee.

"Morning folks, I'm Beth. The buffet is just over there, so help yourselves when you're ready." She smiled. "If you need more coffee, just wave me down."

"Thanks." Jack smiled and the waitress left.

Sam already had her face buried in her mug. After downing half the liquid, she sat back and sighed.

"Oh, that's good."

Jack chuckled at the look of satisfaction on her face.

"Stay here. I'll get us some food."

By the time he returned, with two large plates piled high with all manner of delicious goods, she was looking much more alert. He put the plates down in the middle of the table. One was loaded with pancakes, waffles, bacon, and scrambled eggs. The other held various fruits, a couple of tubs of yogurt, and a few different cheeses.

"Wow!" Sam was impressed.

"There's plenty more options up there, but I figured this would start us off." Jack said, picking up a small jug from the end of the table against the wall. "Syrup?" He asked.

"Sure, why not." She wouldn't normally indulge this much but hey. "We're on holiday, right."

They were both pretty hungry so they quickly got stuck into the food. Sharing plates resulted in the occasional clashing of cutlery, each time it happened they'd look at each other and laugh. They ended up with another three plates after the first two, and topped up their coffee twice. The food was almost gone when Sam picked up a particularly juicy looking strawberry, and from the look on her face it tasted even better. It was the most erotic thing he'd seen in a long time.

"Okay, I'm done." She conceded, laying both hands on her belly. "I've never eaten so much in my life!"

"It's a good thing I don't live here all year round." Jack joked. "I'd be as big as a house."

Sam snorted.

"You might need to roll me out to the car. I don't think I can move."

Jack laughed and pulled out a bunch of bills, enough to cover their meals as well as a generous tip, and left them in the table. The stood up and got Beth's attention before helping Sam to her feet.

"Come on. Let's walk it off." He suggested as they headed for the door.

They strolled down the main street, periodically stopping to look at window displays. Commenting here and there on the wares. It only took them about 20 minutes to do both sides of the street before they made it back to the diner.

Once they were back on the road it was only around 30 minutes to the cabin. Jack pulled the truck up to the front porch so they could unload the back, before moving the vehicle further down the driveway and parking in front of the shed. They left the larger of two coolers, the one containing the drinks, on the porch and carried the second one and their bags inside.

Leaving the cooler on the kitchen bench, Jack showed Sam to her room. He opened the door on the opposite side of the hallway.

"This is my room. It's got a fireplace. If you get too cold, we can switch. It gets pretty chilly at night."

"I spend half my nights in a tent. I'm sure I'll be fine." She assured.

They left their bags in their respective rooms before heading into the kitchen to unpack the food. Then he proceeded to give Sam the grand tour, ending at the dock in front of the pond.

"It's beautiful here." Sam sighed.

"Told ya." He grinned. "So if you're up for it, we can go on a bit of a hike and see more of the property.

"Sure. Just give me a minute to put sunscreen on."

They headed back inside and while Sam went to her room, Jack filled up a canteen with water and clipped it to his belt behind his hip. Sam came back out and they headed to the trail that would take them around the wooded area surrounding the cabin. They set a leisurely pace, hands brushing a little more than strictly by accident. Jack occasionally pointed out places of interest, such as an old hunting blind, a couple of animal dens, more than a few man made bird houses installed in the trees – his grandmother loved birds, and, by pure luck, a stag. Every couple of stops they shared sips from the bottle of water.

He cracked bad jokes too, revelling in her laughter. She hadn't called him 'sir' or 'General' since he'd woken up in the truck the night before. He was hoping it was a sign that she wanted things to change, wanted to give them a chance at something more.

It was late afternoon by the time they got back, and they were both a little bit warm. It was only natural to crack open a couple of beers and put their feet up. They sat next to each other on the small sofa, speculating on what the Furling may have looked like, getting more and more ridiculous in each iteration.

"Snuffleupagus. Snuffleupagus was a Furling." Jack exclaimed, and Sam fell against him in tears of laughter. Jack couldn't remember the last time he felt this happy. He was just about to tell her so when his phone rang. Being a General now, he couldn't just ignore it. Sam pulled back, trying to pull herself together, while he fished it out of his pocket and checked the screen to see who was calling.

"Sorry, I've got to take this." He apologised, getting up and heading to his room, closing the door before picking up.

"Hi mom."

"Jackie, what's this I hear about you and a young lady have brunch at Aggie's diner?"

Jack groaned.

"How are you?" he tried just ignoring the question.

"Don't try to change the subject. Aggie's granddaughter, Beth, told her ma you showed up with a very pretty blonde. Said for sure it wasn't Sara."

"Oh for- ." he bit his tongue and sighed. "She's a friend from work, okay."

"Don't lie to me, Jackie."

"I'm not! She's just a friend. For now." Oi. He should not have said those last two words.

"Well, I suppose I ought to let you get back to wooing her then."

Jack baulked.

"You better not leave town without bringing her to meet me, you hear."

"Looking forward to seeing you, too." Jack shook his head with a smile.

"I know you don't always think so, but you deserve to be happy, baby." She sighed. "I love you Jackie boy. See you later."

"Love you, too." He said before hanging up. Looking out the window and noticing that it was slightly overcast, he opened the trunk at the foot of the bed and pulled out a quilt. It would start to cool off soon and snuggling under a blanket with Carter seemed like a brilliant idea.

Sam stood frozen outside the door. She'd gotten up to use the bathroom and had been passing his door when she heard him taIking. His voice warm and affectionate, clearly a personal call. His words swirled around in her head, 'Iooking forward to seeing you', 'love you'. There was only one explanation, as far as she knew. He was talking to that CIA agent. Clamping her hand over her mouth, she turned around and staggered back to the living room. She flopped down on the sofa, feeling sick. Suddenly, he was there beside her, she hadn't even heard his door open.

"Hey, you don't look so good." He said, taking in her pale face and far away stare.

"I think I need to get some air, sir." She pushed herself up, and practically bolted for the back door, but not before adding. "Alone."

Jack sat there wondering what had happened. They'd only had a couple of beers, and she could hold her liquor well. All he could do was wait for her to come back. He picked up the quilt he'd dropped an the floor when he'd realised something was wrong and draped it over the back of the sofa for later. He also put the empty beer bottles in the recycling. When she eventually returned, she had a bit more colour in her face but still looked a little off.

"I'm sorry, sir, I guess all that food earlier must have upset my stomach." She lied. "I'm just going to go rest in my room for a bit. Read a book or something." She didn't wait for a reply before heading down the hall.

"Sure. Go. Rest." He said to the empty room.

Jack was playing chess against himself when she emerged an hour and a half later, taking a seat in the armchair on the other side of the fireplace.

"Hey, feeling okay?" he asked.

"Yes, sir. Thank you."

Damn. She was back to calling him sir. He'd hoped it was just reverting to habit before when she wasn't feeling well. Things had been going so great up until then.

"Think you could manage to eat something? Just something simple. Grilled cheese, maybe?"

"Grilled cheese sounds good, sir."

He nodded before standing and heading into the kitchen. When the toasted sandwiches were ready, he served them on to two plates and took them out to the living room, handing one to her before placing his on the coffee table.

"I can start a fire if you want." He offered.

"No need on my account, sir. I'll probably turn in after this." She turned her attention back to her food, mostly just picking at it rather than actually eating it.

He decided against building a fire, he was pretty tired, having been awake for so long. He'd probably just go to bed too. By the time he'd finished eating, he was somewhat satisfied to see that she'd eaten most of hers as well. He figured she was done seeing as she was really just toying with a bit of crust.

"Here, I'll take that it you're done." Sticking out a hand, he took the plate from her. "Go on, get to bed. I'll be heading that way myself in a minute."

She looked up at him.

"I didn't even think sir, you must be exhausted. I can take care of the dishes if you want to go to bed."

"I'm not the one who looked ready to yak only a couple hours ago." He pointed out. "Go."

She hesitated for only a few seconds before getting up.

"Good night, sir."

"Night, Carter."

He took the plates to the kitchen and made short work of the clean up. There wasn't much to wash up. He visited the bathroom before heading to his bedroom. He built a fire, it wasn't exactly cold right now, but the temperature would drop over night. It was more a pot belly stove than an open fireplace, so it was relatively safe to use while sleeping. Once he was sure that the flames wouldn't go out, he latched the cover. He changed in to his pyjamas, crawled in to bed, and was asleep before his head hit the pillow.

Sam tossed and turned for hours. She hadn't really been tired, but she wasn't sure that she could have handled spending the evening with him. She'd been enjoying being with him, having so much fun, in a little world of their own, that she'd forgotten that he wasn't hers. Flashes of him here with HER invaded her mind. The numbness that had overtaken her earlier began to recede, and a tremendous ache spread through her chest. She felt like the walls were closing in on her. Tossing back the covers, not able to stay in bed, she got up and opened the bedroom door as quietly as she could. Tip-toeing down the hall, she slipped out the back door and made her way to the end of the dock. She sank down to her knees, heaving in deep breaths. Trying to clear her mind, she squeezed her eyes shut and started to recite the periodic table in her head. She was up to Polonium before she felt like her breath was returning to normal. Lifting her head, she opened her eyes and looked around. The moon hung low and large in the night sky, and the stars glittered, she could see so many out here without all the light pollution to disrupt the view. The still surface of the pond reflected the glorious heavens, creating the most romantic scenery that Sam had ever been witness to. It broke her. It was all she wanted and all she couldn't have. Jack O'Neill. She'd been in love with him from almost the moment she met him and she'd love him until the day that she died. Her anguished cry ripped through the night, momentarily silencing the frogs, crickets, and other wildlife nearby.

Jack sat bolt upright in bed before he was even fully awake. It didn't take him long to identify the noise that had woken him. He could hear wailing. Carter. He scrambled out of bed and flung his door open. Her room was open, her bed empty. He followed the sound outside and ran to the dock.

"Carter!" he yelled as he got closer. He dropped to his knees and gathered her in to his arms. "Carter, I'm here, I've got you."

She shook violently as she sobbed, not giving any outward sign that she realised he was there.

"Jesus, you're freezing." Jack looked down at her and wondered just how long she'd been out here. She didn't have any shoes, her pyjama pants were only thin, and her top was sleeveless. He needed to get her inside fast. He stood up and pulled her to her feet, then got one arm behind her knees, scooping her off the ground before she could fall down. He carried her inside, into his bedroom. It was currently the warmest room in the house. He briefly considered sticking her in the shower but it would take forever for the water to get hot at this time of night.

Placing her down on the bed, he quickly added some kindling and another log to the stove, gently blowing on the red hot coals left over from earlier. The kindling caught quickly so he latched the cover closed. Returning to the bed, he pulled off Sam's pyjama pants and top, leaving her in panties and a soft sports bra. She still didn't seem aware of him. Taking off his own pyjamas and now clad in only his boxer-briefs, he got into bed and pulled up the covers. Holding her flush against his chest and tangling his legs with hers, he did all he could to provide as much skin to skin contact as possible. Her nose, fingers, and toes were as cold as ice. She was still crying, but not as much as before. Ten minutes later she was only whimpering. Her toes where still really cold but her fingers, trapped between her body and his as they were, almost felt normal. Her nose was somewhere in-between. There was a rather gross wet patch where her face met his chest. He'd deal with that once she was responsive. He continued to hold her close, one hand in her hair cradling her head, and the other rubbing soothing circles across her back.

Eventually Sam stopped whimpering and her breathing returned to normal, she'd become aware of her surroundings a little while ago but was currently to mortified to say anything. She felt Jack shift back and look down at her.

"Let's get you cleaned up a little, huh?"

She sniffed and nodded. Her face felt puffy, and it was covered in tears, shot, and drool. Flat out disgusting. Crap. Her face had been pressed up against him, which meant he was also covered in her bodily fluids. She didn't think the situation could be any more humiliating. At least the light in the room was dim, just the soft glow from the fire.

"I'll be back in just a second." Jack said before letting her go and getting out of bed.

Sam felt bereft and cold. Her bottom lip trembled.

He came back in and handed her a role of toilet paper and bucket.

"Sorry, I don't have any tissues." He apologised. "Just throw the used stuff in the bucket. I'll get you a damp cloth." While he was at the sink, he wiped off his chest with a bit of body wash on a moistened washcloth, then got a fresh one out for Sam. He ran it under the faucet and wrung out most of the water. Back in the bedroom he held it in front of the fire for a minute to warm it up.

Sam had blown her nose and wiped away as much as she could with the toilet paper.

He came over and sat on the bed facing her. With one hand he put a finger under her chin and lifted her face up, then slid his fingers down her jaw and around to support the back of her head. Then he lifted the other hand and gently ran the washcloth over her brow. She closed her eyes, felt the cloth glide over the delicate skin of her lids then across her lash line. Down the ridge of her nose before travelling along one cheek, her jaw line, and finally her other cheek. For good measure he passed the cloth under her chin and down her neck. When he was done, he placed the cloth into the bucket she'd left on the nightstand along with the toilet roll.

Her eyes fluttered open and she found herself looking directly into his. This was by far the most sensual experience she'd ever had, better than any encounter she'd had, and he'd barely touched her. She lay back down on the bed at his encouragement, and he followed, once again pulling the covers around them and holding her tight. She desperately tried to stay awake, wanting to savour every single second in his embrace, but her energy was sapped by grief and she found it impossible to keep her eyes open.