SGC - 1997

Closing the door to Cassandra's assigned room, Sam ran a hand over her face. She felt exhausted but still had far too much to manage. And the question of Cassandra's future was still hanging over her. A question that filled her with anxiety. For the first time in her life, Sam hadn't anticipated every aspect of her own life.

She was used to controlling everything, especially when it came to her emotions, yet now she found herself attached to a child to the point of disobeying a direct order.

She needed to regain control of the entire situation, and for that, she had to figure out how to adopt Cassie. Because at that moment, all she wanted was to share the rest of her life with the little girl.

Walking through the hallways, Sam's goal was to head to the infirmary to discuss the possibilities with Janet and see what she thought might be feasible. However, as she turned a corner, a hand suddenly gripped her wrist, and she found herself pulled into a storage closet in a split second. Reacting immediately, she slammed her assailant against the wall, her forearm pressing into their throat, ready to take a life if necessary. But a calm hand rested on her arm, and the light flicked on, revealing Jack's face in front of her.

Sam instantly released her grip and stepped back. "Sir," she said, clearly surprised.

"We need to talk," he whispered.

Sam frowned and glanced around. If they were going to talk, it had to be in a professional capacity. And clearly, this wasn't the place for that. "And the supply closet is the best place for that?" she asked, pushing the boundaries of insubordination now that she wasn't the perfect soldier anymore.

Jack looked around and seemed to consider it. "This is a conversation that doesn't belong in front of the cameras, Sam."

Carter immediately tensed. "With all due respect, Sir," she began.

But Jack didn't let her finish. "You disobeyed a direct order," he interrupted calmly.

It was probably the first time in her life that Sam had been reprimanded by a superior without being yelled at, and definitely the first time it happened in a storage closet. It was disconcerting. Once again, she couldn't read the man standing in front of her, and suddenly Sam felt truly exhausted.

"I wouldn't have left her," she responded, no longer trying to make sense of their situation. "I..." Sam relaxed slightly in her posture. "If I had to do it again, I would."

This seemed to irritate Jack, who took a step closer. "A direct order," he growled. Despite their attempts to keep their voices low, she could clearly hear the frustration in his tone.

"An order that asked me to leave a little girl to die alone in a bunker." Sam ran a hand through her hair in anger, "Sir," she added, flirting so hard with insubordination she could already imagine applying to NASA to pay her rent.

Jack clenched his jaw. "A direct," he repeated, "order." He took a deep breath, as if trying to calm himself, before continuing. "An order meant to save your life." 'An order meant to save me,' he thought at the same time, as he wasn't ready to lose her.

Sam shrugged. "Put it in your report, make it a mark on my record, I don't care." She suddenly seemed to carry the weight of the world on her shoulders.

"Dammit, Sam!" He seemed to lose all control. He had thought he'd lost her, thought he'd have to leave that place without her.

She opened her mouth to respond, but he didn't give her the chance. He stepped toward her with a determined look and claimed her lips in a fierce kiss.

A kiss that wasn't gentle or caring but one that conveyed everything he couldn't verbalize.

Sam responded immediately, almost instinctively.

They engaged in a battle, each trying to assert their dominance, but just as she was about to slide her hands under his uniform and he buried his face in her neck to bite her savagely, Sam snapped back to reality.

It was as if she'd been doused with a bucket of cold water. She was truly losing control of her life if she found herself making out with a superior officer in a supply closet. Disobeying a direct order was one thing, but throwing her entire career away for a moment of weakness... that was too much.

She pushed him away suddenly, her palms flat against his chest. "No," she said firmly. "Do what you want, put it in your report, make it show up on my record, I don't care." Sam stepped back, putting a reasonable distance between them. "But this, absolutely not."

Especially since she refused to play the role of his mistress again, even if they had never labeled anything or made any promises.

Jack stepped back immediately. He had been so terrified of losing her that he'd messed up by jumping on her like a wild man, despite being her superior officer. "Damn," he muttered. "I'm sorry, Carter, I... don't know what came over me." He looked around and ran a hand through his hair. "Report me for harassment, I'd understand," he stammered, shoving his hands in his pockets and staring at the ceiling for a moment, trying to regain his composure.

"Jack," she murmured softly, realizing how much he was falling apart in front of her. "I responded to your kiss." He nodded, uncertain, and she continued, "I'm just as guilty as you. But this can't happen. Now I'm going to walk out of this closet, and we won't talk about it again, okay?"

Taking a deep breath, he stepped back slightly and nodded in agreement. Even though he had been scared of losing her, even though he felt what he felt right now, their careers came first. Always.

Sam turned to open the door and added before leaving, "Cassie? You should get to know her. That child is amazing."

Jack watched her leave and sighed deeply. If he'd been in her place with Cassandra, he would have made the same decision, and he knew it. Sam left the closet, relieved to not run into anyone and thankful to realize they were in a blind spot for the security cameras. The last thing she needed was the threat of a court martial now.

She resumed her search for Janet but quickly realized she couldn't find her. A sergeant passing by the infirmary briefly informed her that Dr. Fraser had been called to an emergency operation for a member of SG-5.

Thinking briefly about her remaining options, Sam headed for the General's office, ready to request special permission to keep Cassandra until her future was decided.

The door opened just as she arrived in front of the office, and Sam froze suddenly as General Hammond stepped out, accompanied by another man.

"Dad?!"