Cheyenne Moutain, 1997

Seated in the back of the dark-tinted sedan, Sam watched the landscape pass by, momentarily lost in contemplation of the sky, her mind drifting to the old times she had spent here.

The car passed through the first security checkpoint, and she smoothed the skirt of her uniform with the flat of her hand in a final attempt to hide her nervousness. The Stargate program had called her back to resume service with them, and she suspected they had called him back too. If he was still alive, that is.

She was not the same now; so much had changed in three years. She had changed. Sam thanked the driver as she exited the sedan and headed toward the final checkpoint before plunging into the mountain. A quick glance at her watch showed she was running late. Perfect, she had the element of surprise in her favor.

Greeting several people on her way, she arrived just in time to hear General Hammond announce to the men in the room that he was assigning Captain Hansen to the mission.

"And may we know where he's coming from?" she heard someone ask.

Sam paused slightly at the sound of his voice. She took a deep breath and entered the room without hesitation. Her military training allowed her to maintain the smile she had worked to put on before entering the room, but a closer look would reveal the sudden tremor in her hands. Her former lover, Jack O'Neill, the man who had left her without a word overnight, was standing right in front of her. She knew she would see him again, had suspected they had called the entire team back.

"She's coming from the Pentagon," she replied, coming to attention. "Captain Samantha Hansen reporting, Colonel!" Pretending not to know him too well was the best strategy; Sam was too concerned about risking her place in the team if their past relationship became known. Their three-year-old relationship. Which meant nothing to him, given that he had been able to end it so abruptly.

They had never made any promises, anyway. Never labeled it either.

She took a moment to examine the man before her. The uniform suited him perfectly, and she quickly guessed the muscles hidden beneath his jacket; retirement had changed nothing about his charisma. His hair had slightly grayed, and a few wrinkles had formed around his eyes, but it was definitely him. A sudden wave of desire overtook her, and she felt wetness dampening her panties. Great. She had spent the entire trip convincing herself that it wouldn't affect her, and just seeing him sent a wave of desire stronger than anything she had felt in years.

When their eyes met, a fraction of a second seemed to stretch into eternity. Jack scrutinized her. She had cut her hair short. He quickly took in her appearance, and his gaze settled on the ring adorning her left ring finger. Sam flashed a smile, proud of the surprise she could read in his eyes.

The atmosphere suddenly grew heavy; they might have almost forgotten where they were if Kawalsky hadn't had the good sense to clear his throat to wish her a welcome back, happy to see a familiar face.

Sam took a seat on the vacant chair next to Jack and listened as he outlined the upcoming mission. But when Ferretti hinted at how they had found themselves completely frozen on the other side of the gate, she quickly provided a scientific explanation, only interrupted by Jack grumbling to the General.

"Ah, here we go, another scientist. General, for crying out loud!" he said, gesturing towards Sam with his hands.

Sam looked up at him, feeling both rage and desire, and the sensation was quite strange to manage.

"I'm an Air Force officer, just like you, Colonel, but I also hold a PhD in astrophysics with in-depth knowledge of quantum mechanics," she announced in a cold voice. "And the fact that my reproductive organs are inside my body doesn't mean that I am inferior to you, sir."

Her words, but especially her gaze, had an immediate effect on Jack, who quickly sat down to hide what she guessed was a growing erection.

"Oh, but I have absolutely nothing against women, Captain," he cleared his throat, and she couldn't help but smirk, aware of the effect she still had on him. "I love women; I just have a slight issue with scientists."

Sam placed her hands flat on the table, smiling inwardly as she saw his gaze settle once more on her wedding ring.

"Sir, you might not remember but I returned on the same terms as the rest of your team from our first mission to Abydos. I also completed my PhD while working at the Pentagon when we went back and, above all, I flew over a hundred hours in Iraqi airspace during the war. Is that enough to reassure you?" Sam immediately felt the tension settle between them again, the same as they had experienced for months in their hotel room. "Or do you want to arm wrestle?"

The room filled again with sexual tension as they got lost in each other's gaze. Sam realized she still couldn't break through his shell and see beyond the mask he wore. Yet his eyes betrayed him, and she guessed he wanted just as much as she did to finish this conversation in a more private place. A place without an audience, at least.

The General resumed control of the briefing, and they both remained strangely silent, Sam sitting next to him. Yet, driven by a boldness that was new to her, Sam slowly pressed her knee against Jack's, lightly pressing her leg against his. He didn't respond, but he didn't withdraw his leg either.

The briefing ended, and they lingered, watching the others leave the room. Eventually, Sam stood up and walked through the base corridors until she found Jack's office. She entered without hesitation and closed the door behind her.

She had just finished disabling the cameras when he entered. She turned to watch him, feeling a new wave of wetness taking over her, and slowly raised her blue eyes to meet his. Without a word, they threw themselves at each other.

It was brutal, intense, and completely forbidden.

Jack turned them around and pressed her against the door, claiming her mouth almost immediately.

"Hansen?" he asked as he unceremoniously slid his hand under the skirt of her uniform.

"Pending divorce," she moaned as Jack's fingers found her already wet panties. She could have asked him, at that moment, why he had left. Asked him to justify his actions, to give an explanation, but she did nothing.

Jack groaned in response to what his fingers had discovered or to the divorce of a union he had never known; they would never know.

"Not the perfect soldier anymore?" he asked again as she pulled down his pants to reveal his already hard cock.

"My transfer hasn't been approved yet. Technically, we're not in the same chain of command yet," she replied with a moan as he plunged into her without further preparation. Their movements were jerky, driven by the urgency to be together.

Her orgasm came faster than she would have liked, and they both found themselves out of breath, their bodies still pressed against the door. She would have preferred to cross a sea of fire rather than admit that she hadn't climaxed in over three years, since he left. For a moment, she resented her body for still reacting so strongly to a man who had caused her so many emotions.

Sam caught her breath, ran a hand through her short hair, and adjusted her skirt, already feeling the evidence of their encounter running down her thighs. She smoothed out her uniform with the flat of her hand. Without further ceremony, she stepped away from him and left his office, restarting the cameras as she did so.

Jack remained momentarily stunned, watching her walk away with a slight sway of her hips. The innocent young woman he had left behind no longer existed.

She had just won the arm wrestle.