--- 

Sam sat in her kitchen, the warm cup of coffee in her hands and glanced out the window. There was a song flitting through her mind, nothing important but she couldn’t remember the last time she’d had a song stuck in her head.
Even Pete hadn’t made her sing (no! No comments on how that might have been a good thing).
She glanced at the other cup of coffee on the counter, absently wondering before glancing at the time.
“Holy Ha-“

---

“So, what are we doing again?” Vala asked sitting up straighter and looking at Daniel. “Darling? Why are we waiting for Sam?”
“The fact that Colonel Carter has yet to arrive-“
“When she’s usually the first here, yeah I got it,” Cam muttered. “Wait…you two know why she’s late. Both of you. What’s going on?”
“It’s just a hunch,” Daniel shrugged. “Nothing big.”
“Yes, remember I like your hunches, your hunches save my six so what’s going on Daniel-“ Cam stopped and Teal’c watched as comprehension dawned on his CO’s face.  Vala looked at him, waiting for him to share and when he didn’t she muttered under her breath.
They were quiet for a while and Cam looked up from Sam’s object and smirked, “I hear O’Neill’s in town for a couple of days, he staying with you Danny?”
“I don’t know, suppose I’ll talk to him when he gets in.”
“About the same time as Sam?” Daniel’s head snapped around to where Vala was grinning madly.
“Possibly.”

---

“0730 Carter, you’re late.” He smiled that pure O’Neill smile and she felt herself get horribly girly and her knees go weak. Come to your senses Carter, you’re a military Colonel…that and you saw him two minutes ago.
She smiled up at him, “I was unavoidably detained by…”
“Coffee.”
“Yes, coffee.”
“You’ve known the space-monkey too long.”
“Ja- Sir. Come on, we’re late.”
He beamed and nodded, “Yes…back…”
“You’ve only been away two months.”
“Two months of paperwork."
“That all Washington is?”
“There are…perks.” Sam blushed as she swiped her ID shaking her head. “I’ll see you at the briefing sir.”
“Yes…the briefing. I have to go don’t I?”
She nodded and walked towards her lab, leaving him to wander around his base. (Technically Hanks base…)

---

“So how much is it worth?”
Daniel glanced up, “A lot.”
Cam glared, “Come on, how much is it worth?”
“Twelve hundred.”
Nobody said a word.
“You’re kidding me?” Cam’s jaw hit the ground and he stared open-mouthed at Daniel and Teal’c.  “Twelve hundred?”
“It’s been ten years,” Daniel shrugged, “That’s a long time.”

---

“Tell me about it,” Sam leant in the doorway having listened for the past few minutes. “I’ve worked here for ten years. Long time. Maybe we should celebrate…” she shrugged and laughed at their faces. “What’s up?”
“You’re…really late Sam,” Cam started.
“Yeah, sorry. Was a little busy.”
“Busy?”
“Yeah, coffee machine blew up.”
“Any idea where Jack is?” Daniel smiled knowingly at her.
“Nope,” she shrugged. “I guess he’ll be in the briefing.”
She led the way down the hall, Daniel catching up with her and leaving the others far behind. “Sam?”
“Yes.”
“Yes?”
She gave him a smile that could only be described as ‘beautific’ and opened the door.

---

Major General Jonathon “Jack” O’Neill sat at the head of the table and barely registered as SG1 came and sat down around him. “Hello children.” He smiled eventually. “Hank’s gonna be back soon, until then you’re stuck with me.”
“How long have you been in town?” Daniel asked.
“A couple of days?”
“Right.”
“Moving along,” Jack shook his head, “you are going offworld in a couple of hours, apparently you’ve already been briefed so scram. Carter, can I talk to you for a moment?”
“Yes!” Jack stared at Daniel clearly wondering what the hell was going on in his head while Teal’c had one of those miniscule
smiles playing on his lips.
“What?”
“I just won twelve hundred dollars!”
“You are wrong DanielJackson you have yet heard them admit to anything worth of the twelve hundred and if they do not in the next eleven minutes then all that money goes to the next person.”
“You?”
“Yes, that is correct.”
“Carter?” Sam looked up from where she was studying her notes carefully. “Who do you like more? Daniel or Teal’c?”
“That would be like choosing which one of my children I love best,” she laughed.
“Come on Teal’c!” Daniel moaned. “That has to count!”
Vala looked up and shrugged, “It might I suppose. I think he should kiss her.”
“They think I should kiss you.”
Sam nodded, “Yes I heard.”
“I don’t like clichés.”
Sam sighed and turned to Daniel, “There you have it.”
“Jack, do you know what I’m going to ask you?”
“Yup.”
“What would your answer be?”
“Yup.”
Vala was staring at Sam’s dog tags, a grin to light up any replicators heart. She wasn’t sure that replicators had hearts…but if they did, Vala’s smile would make them the error of their ways and she could almost picture them in aprons cooking her breakfast. “Sammy? What is that?”
Sam held up her tags and glanced at the offending object, she watched it glint in the sun for a moment and shrugged, “Just a trinket.”
“Just a trinket my arse,” Jack muttered. “You’re dismissed folks.”
Sam stood, nodded to the others and glanced at the clock before turning to Jack. “Okay, it’s a little more than a trinket.” She lightly kissed him, shocking everybody in the room-including Jack. But true to form, Jack responded pulling her into his lap and they stayed there for a while not noticing anybody around them until Daniel slapped Jack on the back.
“About bloody time. Now Teal’c, tell the others-I won.”
“I believe it has been eleven minutes DanielJackson.”
Sam looked up and smiled, “Teal’c won it seems.”
“Indeed.” Jack said laughing and Daniel scowled.
The ring around Sam’s neck gleamed in the bright lights and Jack ran his fingers over the single diamond. “Like?”
“Love.”
He hugged her and whispered into her hair, “Always.”