A Moment in the Life of Sam and Jack by Anakin

The moment she stepped in her house, the telephone started ringing.

She was briefly tempted to let the machine answer, but she picked up the receiver angrily instead.

“What?!” she asked in an aggravated tone.

“Tough mission, I take it?” she heard the unmistakable voice say.

“Jack!” She felt relief flow through her body as she sat on the couch, at the same time removing her shoes.

“That bad, huh?” he asked gently.

“Oh, you wouldn’t believe how pissed off I am!” she said, throwing her free hand up in the air.

“So tell me.”

“It’s Cam…”

“Oh?”

“He’s a damn rookie, and he thinks he owns the galaxy already! I’ve been at it for nine years now, as well as Daniel and Teal'c, but no, Lt. Colonel Mitchell has to patronize everyone! As for me, it’s like I am back at the Academy where I had to fend off prejudices about women in the Air Force in any position other than simple airman or cleaning lady!”

“Again: oh?” she heard, his voice raising a little, indicating his concern.

“I understand why he got command. After all, I was not even there when he arrived at the SGC, but for crying out loud, he could at least show some respect for his peers! We are the same rank, and I’ve got more experience than he does! Just because I’m a woman doesn’t mean I deserve to be treated like a Barbie doll!”

“Sam? Has Mitchell demonstrated sexual discrimination toward you?” she heard him say calmly, too calmly.

She sighed. “No, not really. But I don’t like the way he sometimes talks to me.”

“Tell me more.”

“When we were investigating the kassa issue, Cam insisted we dress as mercenaries. He decided to be the one to talk to the smugglers and not even let Daniel utter a single word, then he pissed them off with his nonsense, and to top it all, he had the nerve to call me Goldie Locks! But when it came to saving the day, who did he turn to? Me! I was the one to recover almost all the gates! I was the one to think of the way to do that! Then I was not Goldie Locks anymore!”

The silence at the other end of the phone was eloquent enough.

“Jack?”

“You want me to call Landry?”

“No!” she exclaimed vehemently. “That’s none of your business!”

“Hey! I’m not the one complaining!” he shot back.

“I’m not complaining to Major General Jack O'Neill; I’m complaining to my husband …” She calmed down. “Jack, I know you’re worried, but I’ll be okay… Hey, after all, I managed to stand up to you for eight years…”

“Nine, Carter… nine…” he smirked.

She chuckled. “You regret it?”

“Not a single second,” he replied.

“Thanks, Jack.”

“For what?”

“For calling me, letting me know you care…”

“That’s my #1 duty, Sam… you got plans for the weekend?”

She smiled. “Oh I think I’m going to hook up with a sexy guy that I know…”

“I see; one minute you’re all into the husband/wife thing, and the next you’re this kick-ass independent woman…”

“Smartass… When’s your plane landing?”

She heard him sigh. “Oh, with the six billion meetings I have tomorrow, I’m afraid you can cancel dinner…”

“Ah, shit!”

“Sam!” She heard false indignation in his voice.

“Sorry… I’ve been hanging around you too much,” she smiled. The doorbell rang. “What now?” she grumbled, hooking the receiver in between her shoulder and her cheek as she fumbled with the knob and security chain.

“Special delivery pizza …” he smirked.

“You ordered for me?!”

“Well I didn’t think you’d stocked your fridge before leaving, and I definitely don’t want to sleep next to a sack of bones, so…”

“Jack!” she finally opened the door and just stood there, gaping. Jack O'Neill in full dress uniform was standing on her front porch, holding two pizza boxes and a paper bag.

“Special delivery pizza, Colonel…” he said, just before kissing her lips…

Author's Notes: Spoilers/season: season 9 - Crusade

Summary: Jack has to come up with an idea to keep the Stargate at the SGCâ€¦

Disclaimers: This is just one way to further the adventure. The new show is good, but my SG1 ended on screen with Moebius 2. Thanks: my husband for suggesting an idea, Barbara for her efficient beta reading and suggesting a word!

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“Yes, here we go again!” Jack mumbled on the phone as Hank Landry told him about the latest prank from the Russians.

“I did what I could, Jack,” Landry replied on his end. “Now, my powers are not infinite as you very well know. I’ve talked to the president, and with the current crisis, he’s not the most available.”

“Don’t you think I know that? Hank, the Russians have been driving me crazy since the beginning of the program, or almost! Not to mention that ‘incident’ with the International Space Station and Anubis! Our hands, ankles and even balls are tied up! And now the Chinese think they should stick their noses into that, too! We have international teams! The Brits have two teams and several other people, the French have one and a special biology unit, the Chinese are mixed with Russian and American teams; what else can we do?!” Jack slammed his hand on the top of his desk in frustration.

“They’ve always wanted complete access…”

“Complete access?” Jack interrupted, “That’s command of the SGC, and it’s not going to happen.”

“I was thinking shared command….”

“Again, NOT gonna happen, Hank! If we grant shared command to the Russians, the Chinese are gonna ask for it, too, as well as the French and the British, and what will we do then in the middle of complete chaos?!”

“Maybe they have some ulterior motives,” Hank resumed.

“Of course they do!” Jack replied, his aggravation rising. He paused. “Look,” he said, his anger suddenly dissipating, in favor of lassitude and worry. “When do you have to give an answer?”

“Three days from now… more or less”, the other man replied.

“I’ll try and consider our options. We might have several within our reach, and I’m not going to relinquish the gate to those power mongers…” He heard a snort on the other end and raised his eyebrows.

“Hank?”

“Yes, Jack… Just when you said ‘power monger’, it made me wonder for a moment what we are exactly. We want full control of the gate and operations, Jack. We were lucky the Russians did not have the technological nor financial means to sustain such a program as the SGC’s.”

“Who says they have them now?”

“No one, Jack, but they’re no idiots. You’re too good of a soldier to not know you shouldn’t underestimate our enemies…”

“Well, technically, they’re not our enemies anymore,” Jack smirked, “but yes, you’re right, they’re no idiots, if Dr. Markov was any indication…”

“I’ll leave you to think about it. I’ve given SG-1 their weekend; maybe you can discuss it with Carter?” He heard humor in the other man’s voice.

“As well as I can discuss it with Daniel or T’, Hank… Mitchell, I don’t know him well enough…” Jack smirked.

Landry snorted. “If you say so, Jack… I’ll talk to you on Monday…”

“Maybe I’ll come right down to the SGC and tell Chekov what I think of his blackmail…”

“Then I will have to have you restrained, Jack. No nonsense, I don’t want to have to deal with a diplomatic incident on top of that.”

“You know me, Hank,” Jack said with a touch of humor.

“Rightly so… Goodbye, Jack…”

“Bye.”

Jack hung up the phone and pulled the already loose tie from his collar before putting his head in his hands, sighing. He almost jumped through the ceiling when he felt two slender hands on his shoulders but instantaneously relaxed when he realized to whom they belonged.

He closed his eyes and let her massage his tense shoulders.

“I thought *I* was the workaholic in this relationship…” she chastised gently.

“Managed to catch a ride sooner?” he asked, his eyes still closed.

“Mitchell had to take a 302 for a test flight; he needed a co-pilot…”

“Convenient…”

“Yes… feeling better?” she asked, as he finally raised his eyes to meet hers.

“You know, don’t you?”

“Yes, General Landry told us briefly once the connection with Vala was severed,” she said, rounding his chair to come and sit on his lap, her arms automatically coming around his neck. “They couldn’t have chosen a better moment,” she sighed, giving him a peck on the lips.

“Couldn’t we plead the urgency of the situation with the Ori?”

“Even you know better than that, Jack…”

“What about taking the Odyssey to an uninhabited planet, taking the Stargate, and relinquishing theirs?”

“Jack… there would be huge interferences; it’s impossible for two Stargates to cohabit the same planet. We could gate out from the SGC and potentially come back to the Russian base, or have problems with the wormhole… No, it’s not the right idea…”

“I am loath to suggest this, but I guess it’s our last card…” he said, kissing her hair.

“What?” she said, looking him in the eyes.

“A 304…”

“You want to give them a ship?”

“It’s the only way they’re going to let us get away with this… And I suspect that’s what they have wanted since the beginning of this.”

Sam considered his words for a moment. “You might be right,” she finally approved.

“The more I think about it, the more I think it’s the heart of the problem… To be honest, they have given their share with the expenses on the Gate, and they have never complained, save for the occasional heavy protest now and then. We haven’t exactly been fully cooperative in the meantime. Granted, they have their teams and access to the discoveries, but we still have very tight control even on this.”

“You planning on giving them a fleet of 302s at the same time?”

“No, they have access to the engine specifications of those; they can make their own! I think a 304 is enough of a compensation for a renewal of our Gate rent!”

She chuckled, nuzzling the part of his chest that was revealed by the undone two top buttons.

“You are a wise man, General Jack O'Neill,” she said, kissing the base of his neck.

“Don’t you know that by now?” he asked gently, relaxing as he felt her body starting to conform to the shape of his. His left arm had naturally snuck around her waist when she had come to sit on his lap, but the other one had been busy doodling on a pad then. He left his pen and encircled her waist fully.

“Are you trying to confuzzle me, Carter?” he asked after a moment of feeling her hand drawing slow circles underneath his shirt.

She raised her head, her look quizzical. “Confuzzle?”

“It’s a word…”

She chuckled, her eyes glinting with mischievousness. “You don’t like what I’m doing?”

“Let’s go home, Colonel, and I’ll show you what I like plenty…” he said, raising his eyebrows suggestively.

Hand in hand, they left his office and the Pentagon, hoping to find solace in each other’s arms while they still could…

Author's Notes: Season/Spoilers: season 9 â€“ Camelot; season 10 â€“ Flesh and blood

Summary: The Ori are coming...

Thanks: Again, my beta Barbara.

When the Odyssey finally landed, he was there, waiting for her. He was also there at the debriefing at the SGC, if only to express the concern of the President and the Joint Chiefs, not to mention the international community…

The Ori threat was not to be underestimated. At this point, nothing material could stop them, and they had yet to find Merlin’s weapon.

If Adria was anything like her mother described her, then they were in big trouble. They had found the means to fight the Priors, but an almost ascended being? No. And Daniel’s mind was empty of any useful recollection; his stay with the Ancients had been too short and too focused on SG-1’s problems at the time.

He liked Carter’s optimism —actually he loved her for that—but that was not the point. Yes, the human race had an amazing degree of resilience, but in this precise case, it was more a matter of time than a matter of means. Considering the Ori had literally wiped out of space several ships without a scratch to their own, including an Asgard —the most advanced race in the galaxy— in the latest confrontation, it didn’t bode well for their future. Carter’s brains would be needed, and probably their discoveries in Atlantis, too. He knew two scientists just dying to get there, and maybe his presence there for a while would be required as well…

In the meantime, the weekend was looming, and Jack had always been a man of action. Since nothing could be done at this moment, even if the Ori were to come into their own solar system, there was no need in torturing their minds for nothing.

After the debriefing, Jack went to have a talk with Landry. The man owed him a few favors, and he might as well use them while he still could. Then he went to her lab.

She was there, staring blankly at the screen of her laptop.

“Hey,” he said softly as he entered her lab.

“Hey,” she said, meeting his eyes and smiling gently.

“Ready to go?” he asked nonchalantly.

She raised her eyebrows, not understanding. “Go? Where?” she asked.

“Minnesota….”

She huffed. “Given what’s coming, you want to go up to Minnesota and do what?”

“Well, cuddling seemed like a good idea… at the time,” he said, stepping towards her desk.

“Cuddling? When the entire galaxy is facing either mindless conversion or destruction, you want to cuddle?” she said disbelievingly.

“Might as well use the last moments that we have together,” he shrugged.

She shook her head, not looking at him. “Jack, I…”

“Carter, I can see the steam coming out of your ears. Unfortunately, you can’t do anything right now. Landry has given SG-1 a three-day leave, and you may wanna call me selfish, but I want to spend as much time as I can with the woman I love, even if this is the last weekend I’ll ever be spending with her,” he concluded, his nose practically touching hers.

“I…”

He used the fact that she had just opened her mouth to kiss her. Hard.

She was panting a little when his mouth finally left hers, but her recovery was fast. “Jack!” she hissed. “We’re on base!”

“So what? It’s not as if we’re breaking any regulations here, and I don’t give a damn about the security guard watching us,” he smirked.

“All right, fine, let’s go home…” she finally conceded, exasperated by his cocky attitude.

“That’s my girl!” he grinned.

“I am not… your girl; I am not a girl…”

“Oh, you definitely are, Carter. You might wish you weren’t sometimes, but I bet you cherish the fact that you are one more often than not!” he said, amusement lacing his voice.

She rolled her eyes. “Semantics…”

“Yup! And proud of me, thanks…” he said, planting a short kiss on her cheek as his arm sneaked around her shoulders.

They both headed in the direction of the elevators, Sam slowly relaxing against him. She had to admit he had a certain knack of bottomlining the facts at this point: they were really powerless against the Ori…

As she was about to hit the button to the locker room level, he forestalled her action and took them to the NORAD level. She looked at him questioningly.

“Got my own transport. I needed to reacquaint myself with flying a little bit…” he grinned.

“You want to fly to our house?”

He sighed. “Minnesota… We’re going to Minnesota, Carter!”

They finally reached the surface where a car was awaiting them and drove them to Petersen.
Knowing Jack, Sam was not disappointed. There, in the hangar, was the last prototype fighter she had helped develop when she was based at Area 51.

“Jack!” she said with a look of utter marvel.

“So, Carter? Who’s driving?” he winked.

“You would let me?”

“You want to?”

“You bet!”

“Then gear up, Colonel; I’ll meet you here in 10!”

She planted a kiss on his lips. “Thank you!” she said before hurrying towards the locker rooms, leaving Jack with a dreamy look on his face.

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A few minutes later, Sam appeared in a jumpsuit matching the one Jack had donned while she was changing. He had a bag on his shoulder and his sunglasses on.

“You ready?” he asked with a casual detachment.

“Yes, Sir!” she said beaming.

“Okay then, lead the way, Colonel!”

They strapped themselves into their seats and pulled down the canopy, the fighter slowly rolling towards the runway.

“Don’t forget to activate the stealth…” Jack smirked.

“I helped design it from the Ancient Jumper, remember?” she retorted, the small vessel lurching towards the clouds and disappearing slowly as if merging with the cottony billows.

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An unusual sight would have greeted any visitor who chanced to saunter behind the small cabin: there, barely concealed by a green tarp and vegetation, rested a strange aircraft.

Domestic cutlery noises could be heard coming from the kitchen, and a man was setting deckchairs by a small pier next to the pond with shimmering waters.

“Jack? Where did you put my swimsuit?” Sam came out of the house, in a white tank top and khaki shorts.

He turned towards her with a huge grin on his face. “I didn’t pack it… Who cares? We’re the only ones here!” he said, his brow creasing with mischief.

She rolled her eyes. “Okay, next time I’ll make sure there’s a set staying here permanently!” she said in a slightly exasperated tone.

“Next time? There’s gonna be a next time?” he asked, suddenly serious.

She opened her mouth to start speaking but then shut it before taking a deep breath. “We’re going to beat them, Jack. I don’t care how or when, we’re going to kick their asses and send them to the deepest black hole in the next galaxy!” she said, her resolve steely.

Jack stepped towards her and encircled her waist. Her hands reached for his shoulders.

“You were right, you know?” she said, staring into his eyes.

“About what?” he asked, genuinely surprised.

“About this, us coming here and resting, cuddling, skinny dipping…” she said with a wink.

“Ah, see? I happen to have good ideas in the end…” He stared at her for a moment, his gaze intense. “God, I love you!” he murmured huskily before kissing her ravenously.

His lips finally left hers, leaving her a bit dazed. She buried her face in the warmth of his chest. “You’re my anchor, Jack… I don’t know how, I don’t know why, but you manage to keep me rooted, and always have,” she said, her voice muffled by his sweater.

“Yeah, well… I don’t always understand all the comings and goings of astrophysics, but I do understand the mechanics of Sam Carter,” he grinned.

“It’s so peaceful here; hard to realize there’s a tremendous threat out there that…”

“Ah-ah!” he interrupted. “No Ori, no Goa’uld, no Lucian alliance here… Just Sam and Jack, together. This is where it all started for us, and this is our harbor, our little world, cut from the universe and its troubles. We only have two days, and I intend on making the most out of them. Speaking of which…” he said, stepping back to pull his sweater up over his head before reaching for his belt. “That water is just beckoning for my glorious nakedness to plunge into it!”

And on that note, he quickly shed the last of his clothes before diving underneath the surface, leaving Sam frantically tugging at her own clothing until she finally joined him in the pond.

Author's Notes: Authorâ€™s note: I wasnâ€™t going to write anything more on the subject but heyâ€¦ Who am I to refuse the services of my muse?... And wellâ€¦ That 2 star general was pretty hot, wasnâ€™t he? ;)

A/N 2: since â€˜200â€™ is a huge wink to the Fandom in all its glory, this story includes a few to the reactions to said episodeâ€¦ Iâ€™ll take any bashing PRIVATELY please.

Thanks: My beta, Barbara

After a brief meeting with Landry to catch up on the most recent things SGC-related, Jack went to Sam’s lab, but the room was dark. Next he went to the locker rooms, but no Carter was to be found there, either. A bit disappointed, he checked his watch and realized it was almost 2000 and that she had probably taken his ever-present advice and gone home.

He sighed… Time to make use of his generaldom’s privileges and have an airman drive him to where he was supposed to spend the night…

He put both hands in his pockets, blowing air as he retraced his steps to Landry’s office in order to have him call a driver. The light was still on, as he could see it filtering through the slightly open door into the corridor. He knocked briefly and entered the room, almost colliding into the object of his thoughts.

“Sir!” she exclaimed.

“Carter!” he said, pulling down the jacket of his uniform in embarrassment. “Er… Actually I was just looking for you…”

“Oh?” she answered.

“I was wondering if you could drive me ho… to… my ho-TEL on your way back home…” he said, wincing slightly.

“Oh!... Sure… Er… Give me a minute to change and I’ll… I’ll drive you… to your hotel… Sir…”

There was a tense moment as both stared at each other.

“You want me to leave you two alone, perhaps?” Landry smirked from behind his desk.

Jack looked at him sharply. “No, Hank! Why would we want that?”

“Oh, that’s right… You’re going to share the drive to your ‘hotel’,” he said, amused, making quotation marks with his fingers as he spoke the last word.

“Sir, I’ll… I’ll go change…” Sam said, exiting the office quickly.

Jack looked at Hank questioningly.
Hank rolled his eyes. “You don’t have to act, you know?” he said.

“Oh?”

Once again, Hank rolled his eyes. “He was close to the mark, right? I mean Lloyd?”

Jack sighed. “Okay, so you know. Now what?” he admitted at last.

“Nothing. I’m just surprised that you don’t make it official,” Landry replied sincerely.

“Daniel and T’ know…” Jack said a bit defensively.

“Yeah, and I know, too, and more than three quarters of the whole base suspect it, but no official announcement was ever made,” Hank said in a slightly aggravated tone.

Jack started fidgeting with one button on his jacket “Yeah, well, we both want to enjoy it for ourselves, you know? We’ve been on the grill for so many years, we just want some privacy… We’ll come to that when we think it’s the best moment…”

Landry snorted.

“Did you know Daniel was Sam’s flower girl?” Jack said with a twinkle in his eye.

“Oh, he must have been cute in a purple dress…” Landry deadpanned.

“Not purple… Sam doesn’t like purple…”

Any further silliness was interrupted by a freshly changed Sam. “Ready to go, Sir?” she asked good-naturally.

“Cut the act, Carter; he knows…” Jack said.

“Well, then, cut the ‘Carter’ too, Jack,” she deadpanned.

Landry snorted. “Oh, how I’d like to be a fly on the wall sometimes…” he smirked, earning a deadly look from Jack.

“We’ll get going now, Hank…”

“Have a nice weekend,” Landry smiled.

Sam and Jack exited the general’s office, heading to the elevators.

“You came here empty-handed?” Sam asked as the car began to rise.

“No, I left a small bag with the SF at the entrance.”

Sam repressed a yawn.

“You shouldn’t do that, you know?” he said, amused.

“What?”

“Repress yawns. Yawning is good for your body. Repressing is bad, just like when you try and stifle sneezing…”

She smiled and stepped forward, bumping into his chest as his arms sneaked loosely around her waist. “And you’re an expert, right?”

“At yawning discreetly? Oh yeah! You wouldn’t believe how well I perfected the technique being stationed in D.C.,” he smirked, making her chuckle and bury her nose into his jacket. He kissed the top of her head, smiling to himself and tightening his embrace.

The ping of the elevator signaled they had reached NORAD, and they exited to step into the second car that took them to the surface.

Jack retrieved his carry-on before getting into Sam’s Volvo.

He was tired as they finally reached their house. The noise of the engine stopping also signaled the end of a long day. Even if the special trip to the SGC had gotten him here sooner than he usually did, he was exhausted.

He took his shoes off the minute he stepped into the foyer, loosening and getting rid of his tie at the same time, and then he flopped down heavily on the couch.

Sam came into the living room, cordless phone in hand. “Take out?” she asked.

“Chinese?” he suggested.

She nodded and speed-dialed their favorite Asian take- out.

“Hi. Two Chicken Chop Suey with rice on the side, and two spring rolls…” She paused, listening to the man on the other end. “Yes, that will be all… 541 Cypress Lane… Thanks.”

“That’s all?” came Jack’s almost hurt voice.

“You gained weight, Jack,” was her no-nonsense reply.

“Ah! Well, it’s not as if I’ve had much spare time to work out, have I?” he replied, waving dramatically with his hands.

“All those meetings and meals at the Pentagon’s mess are not good for your figure, Jack.” she replied, amused. “You should exercise more. How about jogging?” she replied, amused.

He huffed. “I’d have to wake up at 0400 for that!” he mumbled. “And on the weekends, I’m either here or you’re up to Washington…” His voice took on a serious tone.

She looked at him quizzically. “Something the matter?” she asked, gently.

He sighed. “I’m tired of this, Sam…”

She frowned in concern.

Seeing her worried face, he smiled and opened his arms. “C’mere…”

She stepped forward and sat next to him, letting his arms encircle her lovingly. His head came to rest on her shoulder. He nuzzled her neck, just underneath her ear, where she always put two or three drops of the perfume he had given her once. They just sat, enjoying each other’s proximity, until the doorbell rang.

“The delivery boy…” she said, standing up with regret.

“I’m gonna go and freshen up a little. These clothes itch,” he replied, standing up too and heading for the bathroom.

A while later, having changed into sweat pants and a t-shirt, he joined Sam, who was setting out two plates and wine glasses on the counter. She had arranged the boxes on a round serving tray, and a bottle of Chardonnay was chilling in a bucket.

Jack took a corkscrew and opened the bottle, filling the two glasses and giving one to Sam. He leaned back on the counter as she finished putting the last touches to their dinner.

She looked at him, smiling.

He smiled in return before frowning, suddenly finding the contents of his glass the most interesting thing on Earth.

“What’s on you mind, Jack?” she asked gently, coming in front of him and caressing his forearm.

He looked her in the eyes. “I want to retire,” he simply said.

“Any specific reason?” she asked, still in a gentle tone.

“You.”

“Jack, we both agreed that this relationship would not impair our jobs,” she said in a warning tone.

“It’s not because of that, Sam. I’m not cut out to be the head of Homeworld Security, just like I wasn’t cut out to lead the SGC. I accepted the position so I could be with you. Yet we’re more apart than we are together. And let’s face it: I’m not that young anymore. All those plane trips—along with the late hours, early mornings, stressful meetings—they’re taking their toll. I’m tired, and that’s that. It’s been a year—more than a year—and I really, really want to spend the rest of my life next to you.”

She looked at him and gently kissed him on the lips. “You’re sure about this? I’ll still be going out on missions, you know.”

“It won’t be the same… And I hope they’re still gonna give me access to the SGC, even if it’s visitor only status,” he answered, giving her a small kiss in his turn.

“When are you planning to do this?” she asked, kissing his jaw and starting to work on his neck.

“Oh, give it another six months…” he said, a bit out of breath as she started nibbling his collarbone.

“Okay…” Her hands sneaked underneath his t-shirt and started caressing his back.

“Carter!” he exclaimed as she ground herself against his very sensitive pelvis.

“What?” she grinned mischievously.

He swept her off her feet and started toward the corridor. “Bedroom!”

“And what about our dinner?!” she exclaimed playfully.

“You said I was fat anyway!” he replied, dropping her unceremoniously on the bed.

“I never said that!” she said, offended.

He lay on top of her. “I’ll show you what kind of advantages putting on a little weight presents,” he murmured, before kissing her soundly.

“Oh?” she asked, working on removing his t-shirt when she came up for air.

“More comfortable when you lay your head on my tummy…” He finally managed to unbutton her blouse and pull it from her body.

“What else?” she asked huskily as she pulled the string holding his sweat pants.

“More to grab…” he pulled her jeans down her long legs.

“Is that all?” She discovered he hadn’t bothered to put his underwear back on after his earlier ‘freshening session’.

Finally!

“I have more energy reserves…” he murmured before once again taking possession of her mouth as well as taking possession of her body.

She actually purred. Carter had never purred. Screamed, yes, but purred? ‘This is a first!’ he thought vaguely as he set a languid pace.

“Well, you know what?” she asked with a lazy smile.

“What?” he replied with a smirk.

“You’re still sexy as hell, and if you promise you’ll continue making love to me like you do now, I won’t ever complain about you being a little overweight!”

“Oh, shut up, smartass!” he smiled sexily, kissing her. “No giggling, Carter!” he murmured as he felt the rumbling through her chest.

Author's Notes: Season/Spoilers: Right before Sam takes command in Atlantis

Summary: Sam is pissedâ€¦

DISCLAIMERS: Not mine, never were, never will beâ€¦

A/N: Whatâ€™s to say?... Iâ€™m a sap and the muse is quite an annoying one! Oh and this one's completely unbetaed...

Sam slammed the entrance door behind her and stomped into the living room, finding the man she was looking for with his feet on the coffee table watching a hockey game.

“Is this your way of telling me you want out?!” she asked, fuming.

Jack frowned, picking up the remote and switching the TV off. “Oh welcome home, honey…” he quipped “… out of what?”

“This relationship!” she said, motioning between them both with her index finger.

“What are you talking about?!”

“This!” she replied undeterred, throwing a manila envelope on the coffee table.

Jack bent and extracted a set of papers from the envelope, browsing through them quickly: he kind of knew what they were since he’d been the one to sign the transfer order…

He put the sheets back into the envelope and looked at Sam.

She had not moved one inch, her body tense with her arms crossed in front of her, and her face showing signs of a deep ire, her eyes a deep metallic blue.

“This has nothing to do with us, Sam, and everything to do with you. The soldier, you.”

Sam’s body seemed to relax a bit and she sat next to him in defeat. “Another galaxy, Jack! It’s another freaking galaxy!”

Jack put one arm around her shoulders and pulled her to him, laying a kiss on her head when she let it rest in the crook of his neck. “Well what do you know? I know a brilliant blond scientist –yes, blondes can be the bright ones, sometimes– who’s devised a wonderful thing that’s called “Midway Station” and one can be there in a little less than a couple of days!” he said in a soft voice.

”It’s not the same, Jack….”

“Not the same as what? 3000 miles in a plane? There are some perks, Carter… It’s called ‘extended leave’… It’s not a 2 day weekend, it’s a week’s leave…”

She snorted. “How often?!”

“Once every two months… for you… Once every two months…. For me… So we’re actually looking at one week a month of togetherness… think you’re up to that?”

“Except it’s a week when one of us is working!...” she sat up, putting her head in her face.

Jack leant, running his hand down her back. “Hey…”

She looked at him with defeated eyes.

“It comes with a bonus…” he enticed.

Sam snorted. “Don’t tell me you bought a cake to celebrate?”

Jack smiled slowly. “All good things come to those who wait, *Colonel* Carter….”

“So what is it?”

He placed a small velvet square box in front of her. “They’re mine… That way you’ll have a part of me with you…” he said clumsily, answering the silent query she was making with her eyes.

Sam opened the box and frowned as if she were trying to figure out why she was looking at Jack’s Colonel’s insignias.

“You’ve earned them, Carter, and they need a full bird to watch over Sheppard and his teams…”

Sam seemed to absorb the information. “Why me?” she asked softly.

“I had nothing to do with that, Sam. When the IOA reviewed the possible candidates, you were way above the class. The transfer orders were on my desk only for me to sign the approval of the US Air Force… You said it yourself once, Sam: with the Ori mess sorted out once and for all, the Goa’uld gone, it’s really time for you to move on from SG-1, to try something else… You are perfect for the assignment, Sam. Mitchell needs the excitement with a new SG-1, you’re ready for such a command position, ‘have been for a while, but they needed you in the labs and in the field to fight these wackos.” He paused and once again pulled her shoulders to his chest. “It doesn’t change anything, Sam. We knew from the start that what we have was not going to be easy. Look at me, I'm second guessing myself all the time, I still believe Hammond took his revenge on me when he nominated me for the position, and yet, I'm still there...”

Sam sighed. “I guess you’re right, I should be excited… It’s just…”

“I know, It’s the Pegasus galaxy…” he interrupted. “But we’ve faced direst situations together… and besides, it’s only for a year…”

“What?”

“The IOA wants Atlantis to be a civilian outpost eventually, albeit with a military defence force. You’re there to straighten things out after Weir’s disappearance and while the IOA trains someone to take over once you’re done… Although I doubt they will ever find someone with your command skills,” he said, planting a kiss on top of her hair once again.

“So it’s just a”fill in while I’m gone” kind of command then. What about afterwards?”

“Ack! Don’t be so self depreciative, Carter! Afterwards, you can go wherever you want! The labs if you can’t help yourself from touching cool alien machines, Groom Lake but this time as base commander, you can be on a ship, heck! You can even be the SGC commander if you want!”

There was a small silence. “A ship?” Sam asked, her eyes dreamy.

“Well, you helped design the engines and technology of the latest one, right?”

“I guess I did…”

Jack sighed, hugging her tightly. “Carter… I once told you you were a National treasure, and I meant it then… I still mean it!”

Sam smiled against his chest, squeezing his hand.

“Did I ever tell you that the long hair is even sexier than the short one, Carter?” he murmured.

She chuckled. “You’ve got such a one track mind!” she said before pulling out of his embrace, a soft smile lighting her face.

“Hey, I’m a guy, what can I say!” he replied gamely before turning serious again. “We gonna be okay?”

“Yes… Yes we are. You’re right, it’s a wonderful opportunity for me at this stage in my career… besides, I get to be above McKay right?” she wiggled her eyebrows.

Jack chuckled. “Poor guy!”

Sam smiled, watching him intently. “… And I’m taking that picture of when you gave the dog to Cassie…”

“What?! This one’s old!”

“You have *that* grin… and that’s when I realized I was falling for you…”

“Charmed by my good looks, weren’t we?”

Sam looked at him tenderly, their eyes saying more than what their mouths could ever say. “Thank you….” She said softly.

“For what?”

“For being there when I need you most, for annoying the hell out of me when you’re right, for making me feel like I’m something more than just a pretty face in a man’s world, for marrying me… pick one…”

Jack smiled. “That’s because you make all those things easy, Carter…”

She took hold of his hand, playing with his fingers, then looked him in the eyes. “I love you…”

Jack’s eyes darkened. “I love you more,” and he kissed her. Hard.

THE END

Author's Notes: Season/Spoilers: Set after Continuum

DISCLAIMERS: Not mineâ€¦

A/N: Once again, unbetaedâ€¦ Boredom on a â€“very- Windy afternoon spawned thisâ€¦ I also had to take a little leeway with the timelineâ€¦

Once they were back from Ba’al’s symbiote removal, Sam had showered and changed into her blue fatigues. She was now waiting in the briefing room outside General Landry’s Office, where he and Jack were in a phone conference with the President.

Cam, Teal'c, Daniel and Vala had all gone to Daniel’s to wait before going to their traditional meeting point at O’Malley’s, but she had stayed behind? both as Jack’s taxi and because he and Landry wanted to tell her about her new assignment before she left.

Thinking back a few days ago, she remembered the shock she felt at Woolsey’s words as soon as she’d stepped out of the Stargate. She was still outraged. Woolsey taking over had been less than tactful.

She had known from the beginning that Atlantis was just a year’s assignment, but she hadn’t known Woolsey –of all people- would be the one to replace her… He had certainly made himself scarce during the year she was there, probably because he was the one to be “trained”, but still, her dismissal –at least that’s how it had felt at the time- had been more than rough and akin to a slap in the face.

Thankfully, “her team” back there had more than made up for the IOA agent’s lack of tact. Fortunately for her too, her military training had kicked in at once, reminding her that the reason she was back at the SGC was not only for her to have her annual assessment, but also to go to the Tok’ra base and see the last of Ba’al’s clones freed of his Goa’uld… With Jack… Who, while they were heading towards the ceremonial site, had announced he was abducting her for a week’s vacation at the cabin.

She sighed happily. Vacation… A week’s vacation for both of them at the same time… She didn’t know yet where she was going to be after that, but she knew she was going to be making the most out of this time with him.

The click of the door opening made her turn around to see Jack coming out of Landry’s office with a cocky smile on his face.

She knew that smile.

She looked at him questioningly and frowned when she saw Landry’s blank face as he came into the briefing room after Jack.

:¤:¤:¤:¤:¤:¤:¤:¤:¤:¤:¤:¤:¤:¤:¤

Jack was blissfully happy. He was looking at a full uninterrupted week with Sam –something that hadn’t happened ever since they had started their relationship – and said woman was comfortably leaning her back on his side and chest as both he and she were basking in their friend’s animated discussion. Even the ever stoic Teal'c was dropping a line from time to time.

He felt Sam giggle at something Cameron said, and warm fuzzies crept up his stomach. This felt good. Friends, Sam, a good dinner, he was not a complicated man.

He sat straighter, causing Sam to do the same and leaving her spot on his chest.

He debated quickly whether or not forcing her to lean back, but decided instead to casually wrap his arm around her shoulder.

He cleared his throat to draw attention. “Kids…”

Daniel laughed after Vala murmured something in his ear, apparently not having heard Jack.

The latter frowned. Mitchell coughed slightly, having noticed his superior’s annoyance and Teal'c raised an eyebrow, while Daniel and Vala continued their obviously funny conversation.

“Daniel…” Jack growled.

The harsh tone got the archaeologist’s attention. “Yes, Jack?”

Jack smiled, leaning back on his seat, drawing Sam with him.

“I’m retiring…”

“Again?” Daniel quipped.

“For good this time.”

“Hmmm… like last time…” Daniel replied.

Jack sighed. “Daniel!”

“I believe O'Neill will stay true to his word, Daniel Jackson.” Teal'c said in his gravely voice, as he observed Jack’s relaxed face. “Contrary to the previous time, he does have an excellent reason,” he concluded, bowing his head slightly, his lips curving upwards.

“And who’s going to deal with Homeworld Security?” Cameron asked.

“General Landry. He was notified by the president prior to our departure for the Tok’ra home world.”

Oh… Well then who’s going to be at the SGC?!” Cameron resumed.

“Right now, Hank Landry. Then Colonel Sam Carter as well as Colonel Reynolds for some time, and then… Well… I haven’t the faintest clue. Landry made his recs, I made mine. It’s all in the President’s hands now.”

“Wait, Sam is going to lead the SGC for some time *only*?” Daniel asked.

“It may be on and off for a while actually… Sam?” he enticed.

“I’ve been given command of the next Daedalus class vessel, Daniel. Since it’s not ready yet, I’m probably going to spend half my time at the SGC as temporary base commander with Colonel Reynolds, and half my time at Area 51 to finish the designs of the new ship before taking command…”

“And I’m hitching a ride as flight and strategy consultant,” Jack interrupted, beaming and very proud of himself.

“I thought you were retiring,” Vala chimed in.

“I am. I’ll be there in a civilian capacity. It’s a military ship with civilian personnel attached to the Air Force on board.”

“Isn’t that against Air Force regulations?” Daniel frowned.

“Nope, we’re married, it’s irrelevant,” he squeezed Sam’s shoulder.

“I guess this is it, then…” Daniel, frowned again. “We’re all going our different paths…”

“We have been for a while, Daniel,” Sam noted.

“Indeed,” Teal'c said.

“So what about SG-1?” Cameron asked.

“It’s up to you, Mitchell… And to your present and/or future team-mates,” Jack replied.

“I meant that SG-1 used to be on the frontline. Whatever its structure is now, there’s no need for a combat unit,” he said with a trace of disappointment in his voice.

“There’s still so much to do, Cameron,” Sam said. “There are many partnerships to develop, many technologies to discover, many worlds to explore… That’s what SG-1 was set out to do in the first place: explore.”

“I know, I know… It’s just that I feel a little bit left out…”

“You’ve done well, Mitchell, despite rocky beginnings. You’ll do fine, don’t sell yourself short.” Jack dismissed. He grabbed his glass and raised it for a toast. “To SG-1, past, present and future!”

“To SG-1” the others imitated him.

“And to retirement!” he murmured before kissing Sam soundly.

Author's Notes: From time to time the ole muse strikes me with a story idea in that story arc. Supposedly canon, or largely inspired from canon, ASSUMING Sam and Jack DID get together sometimes around or after “Threads”. Unbetaed, all mistakes are mine.

“Son of a bitch!” Jack cursed under his breath as he browsed through the mail at his Washington apartment upon their return from their latest Minnesota vacation.

“What’s up?” came Sam’s gentle voice from behind him.

He showed her the envelope bearing the very official logo of the USAF.

She came up to his level, dropping the bag she was carrying, and took the envelope, turning it in her hand. “It may be the official notice of your retirement?” she said in a hopeful voice.

He finished opening the entrance door and showed his bag inside. “Somehow I doubt it,” He said in a somber tone.

They let themselves in and Jack threw the rest of the mail on the bar counter top, before ripping the offending envelope open. “Dammit, I knew it! I just KNEW IT!” he exclaimed.

“What?”

He waved the letter in front of her face.

‘Retirement postponed’

She sighed and he took back the letter, browsing through its contents, before collapsing on the worn out sofa dejectedly.

“What does it say?” she asked gently.

“That Landry’s still needed at the SGC, that with you taking command on the Hammond and the new egg heads Icarus base offworld, blah blah blah… and that they can’t do anything without me because of clearance…”

“The Hammond?”

“That’s probably what the other official envelope is about…”

“Jack….”

“Save it, Carter… All odds are against me, my fishing rod, my cabin and that pond up in Minnesota.”

She sat down beside him and rested her head against this shoulder, draping her arm around the other. “We’ve still got each other…”

He sighed and took her hand in his own. “Sometimes I wish I were Mr. nobody…”

She chuckled. “You’d be bored to death.”

“You think I party everyday in that sterile office at the Pentagon?” he sulked. “Ya think they’d have found another ‘lucky’ son of a bitch to replace me in all the time I said I was gonna retire!... And Hayes… Well let’s say the President knows how to make people do what they don’t want to…”

“So okay, life’s a bitch and all your plans are down because the country you vowed you’d serve is asking for you once more… Planning on going AWOL?” she said, in an annoyed voice.

His anger abated a bit. “Of course not.”

“Then there’s no use in complaining. Let us enjoy the rest of the time we have until you and I report to wherever it is they have us posted.”

He sighed and looked at her. “Yes Ma’am,” he murmured before kissing her lips lightly. “You check out that other envelope?”

Sam giggled. “Curious, huh?”

He shrugged. “They pretty much blew it in their reasons to want to keep me around…”

“Yes,” she said, sitting up straight. She grabbed the envelope and tore it open, reading the contents quickly. “Yup! I’m in charge of the Hammond!” she said in an excited voice.

“You deserve it…”

“Well after the way they ended it with Atlantis, I doubted it, but I’ll accept this kind of an excuse.”

“You be careful out there, ‘kay?”

She smiled and gave him a peck on the lips. “I was careful in that other galaxy, I’ll be careful on that ship. And just because it’s the Hammond,” her eyes clouded for a second. “Well…. I’m going to take extra care. I want him to be proud of me… of us…”

“I’m proud of you…”

“And I’m proud of you too, Jack. You always doubted yourself and this is proof that you shouldn’t. They trust you, Jack. Yes, I know it’s a pain in the neck in regards to our plans, but when has it been easy for us? I’ll take what I can get, every second of it.”

He drew her close. “You’ve always been the brains of this relationship, Carter. I love you.”

She looked at him, beaming. “I knew you’d see my point, eventually.”

He stood up and went to grab their duffle-bags, carrying them to the bedroom. “It’s lucky I haven’t revoked my lease yet, God knows what kind of a utility apartment they’d have found again…” he said, coming back into the main room.

“And this is not a utility apartment?” she teased.

“It is, but it has your touch now… and a bit of our history…” he started opening the freezer to peer around it for something edible. “It’s not the cabin,” he resumed, “but it feels homey to me… ‘sides, it’s a good size, not too small, not too big…”

“Now that we’re at it, Daniel wants to rent my house in the Springs…”

“Very generous of him, but what about you?!” he asked, stopping what he was doing to look at her.

“Well… I’m not there that much anymore… I was actually thinking of selling it…”

“You want to sell your house?!” he closed the freezer’s door.

“I… I wanted to put the money somewhere else like in… like in ‘our’ house…”

He stepped around the counter. “Our house? Minnesota not good for you?”

Sam sighed. “I love it there, but… It’s ‘your’ place… not really ‘ours’…”

“’Has been ‘yours’ too ever since we got married…”

“You know what I mean…” she stood up, frustrated and raised a hand to her forehead “You know what? Forget it…”

“Sam…”

“No, forget it… this was a stupid idea…”

Jack stood up and encircled her waist, pulling her so that her head rested on his chest. “I doubt anything stupid could ever come out of that cute head of yours, Carter…” he kissed her hair.

“I could list a few…” she mumbled.

“Tsk!... Look… If you want to sell your house, then sell it. Or if you want to rent it to Danny, then do it too… Like you said, we’re not there that much anymore. Now I’m all for buying a house with you, but where are we going to do that?”

“I know… It’s just something I thought I would do… I wanted to save that money for when the time comes…”

He kissed her lips softly, interrupting her de facto. “You want all of Danny’s old stuff in your house?” he teased.

She giggled. “It’s not ‘my’ house anymore, that’s the point… I haven’t been there long enough to fill in the fridge in more than a year.

“What you’re gonna do with your furniture?”

“Leave it there for Daniel, I guess… There are a few things I’d like to take up here, since I suppose this is where I’m going to stay when I’m on Earth, and we could use some of my bed linens and terry cloths at the cabin…”

“Wow Carter! Planning on moving already?!”

“I was supposed to say yes or no to Daniel by the end of the week, his apartment is too small for two now, and he wants to move out.”

“When are you scheduled to report?”

“On Monday…”

“This is going to be tough…”

“I can ask Daniel to organize the move for me… I don’t think he has anything important coming up.”

“He’s gonna gloat.”

“For what?”

“Hello?... He’d predicted my retirement plans wouldn’t hold!”

“Daniel knows you, Jack… And he knows how valued you are…”

“Nah, he just wants to be annoyingly right about everything…”

Sam snorted. “So? What was in the freezer?”

“Ice.”

“That all?”

“Yup…”

“Pizza?”

“Augusto’s?”

“Closest and good pizzas…”

He let her go to pick the cordless phone. “Pepperoni?”

“… and cheese.”

“Yes Ma’am!” Jack ordered the pizzas and went to open a pair of beers, offering one to Sam and sitting next to her on the sofa.

“We’re gonna be fine?” he asked, clinking his bottle with hers and taking a gulp.

“Aren’t we always?” she smiled tenderly.

Jack didn’t reply at once, looking pensive for a second. “You know what, Carter?... I wouldn’t change any of it… The years we had to wait, the distance, the unplanned stuff…”

She cuddled by his side. “Me neither,” she replied with a contented smile.