"You Are Cordially Invited" by Karen

Title: You Are Cordially Invited . . .

Author: Karen

Spoilers: All seasons, 1-3

Sequel: none

Rating: NC-17

Summary: A wedding changes Sam's and Jack's lives.

Archive: Sam and Jack, yes; Heliopolis, yes; anyone else, please ask.

Disclaimer: Stargate SG-1 is owned by Showtime Networks, MGM/UA, Double Secret, Gekko, et.al.

Author's Notes: This story can be considered an alternate universe story, since it's doubtful that it would ever happen in the real SG universe.

*****************************************************************

Samantha Carter picked up the invitation for what had to be the hundredth time. She still had trouble believing what she was seeing. They were getting married. Married! Until they'd announced their engagement, she hadn't even known they'd been seeing each other (which shows how well she kept up with her friends).

"You are cordially invited to join Major Janet Louise Fraiser and Dr. Daniel Nicholas Jackson as they are united in Holy Matrimony, Saturday, December 9, 2000, at 5:00 pm in the afternoon at St. Mark's Church. Reception to follow at the Colorado Springs Country Club. RSVP by November 18, 2000."

According to Janet the relationship had started when Daniel was in the infirmary following his appendectomy. The Asgard ship had crashed into the ocean and everyone was afraid that Sam, Colonel O'Neill, and Teal'c were dead. By the time they'd 'gated back to earth and taken care of the replicator problem, Daniel and Janet were well on their way to falling in love. That had been nearly six months ago.

Sam had noticed that Daniel wasn't spending nearly as much downtime with the team, but she had thought it was because of the new artifacts that the Tok'ra archaeologist, Anise/Freya, had brought for him to study. Not that she worked with him all that much. Whenever she came to earth she spent most of her time chasing Colonel O'Neill, who didn't seem to mind. When Sam told her father about it, Selmac wasn't too pleased, and informed the Tok'ra High Council. They censured her for putting her personal pursuits above her duties, and as a consequence, she hadn't been back to earth in a couple of months. Sam definitely didn't miss her.

Daniel and Janet told their friends that they had decided to get married at Colonel O'Neill's Labor Day weekend cookout. They were both beaming and Cassie was beside herself with joy. She was thrilled that Daniel was going to be her new father, and she'd already started calling him "Dad," which he loved. Sam could remember the day so clearly . . .

Daniel had tapped the barbecue fork against his beer bottle to get everyone's attention. "Everyone, Janet and I have an announcement to make." All eyes turned toward Daniel. He reached for Janet's hand and pulled her up out of her seat. "Janet and I are engaged to be married."

Everyone just stared for a minute, then pandemonium broke loose. San threw her arms around both of them and hugged them tightly. These two wonderful people had found happiness together. The colonel shook Daniel's hand and kissed Janet, as did Teal'c. Everyone was thrilled for them.

Later, Janet took Sam aside. "Sam, you're the best friend I have," she said, "and I'd like for you to be my maid of honor."

Sam couldn't ever remember being so touched. "Oh, Janet, yes," she answered. "I'd love to be your maid of honor." Janet hugged her tightly.

"Thank you, Sam," she said. "Daniel is asking Colonel O'Neill right now to be his best man." They both looked over to where Daniel and the colonel stood near the house. Sam could see his affirmative nod, and she knew that he had agreed to be Daniel's best man.

That had been three months ago. Tonight was the rehearsal and they were having dinner afterwards at the country club where the reception was going to be held. Sam tugged at her dress, and took one more look in the mirror to make sure that it was all right. She and Janet had gone shopping last weekend to buy last minute items for the wedding and honeymoon, and they had both bought new dresses for the rehearsal, and the dinner and dancing afterwards. Sam's was a sapphire blue silk that exactly matched her eyes. From the front, the dress looked really demure, but that impression changed when she turned around. It was low cut in the back, revealing a long expanse of smooth skin, stopping just above the curve of her rear. When Janet had seen it on her, she had insisted that Sam just had to have it. In fact, Janet had bought it for her as her maid of honor gift. So, Sam had to wear it, or offend Janet.

Sam adjusted her earrings, gave her bangs one last flick with the hair brush, then sat down to slip on her high-heeled shoes that had been specially dyed to match the dress. She looked at herself critically in the mirror, then turned around to look at herself from the back. She sighed. 'Janet,' she thought, 'I'm wearing this for you.' As she glanced at the clock, the doorbell rang. She sighed again. 'Of course, he's right on time.' She walked out of her bedroom.

Sam picked up her coat and, feeling a little uncomfortable in the new dress, put it on. Then she walked to the door and opened it. There stood a grinning Colonel O'Neill. Her 'date.'

"Hello, Carter," he said. "All ready to go I see." The colonel had dressed up, too, wearing his dress uniform. Tomorrow for the wedding he would be wearing a tuxedo.

"Yes, sir." She picked up her purse and keys. "All ready."

He escorted her to the car, his hand low on her back. She could almost feel the warmth of his touch through her coat. 'Get a grip,' she told herself.

The colonel helped her into the car, then drove them to the church for the wedding rehearsal. They walked into the church and found Janet, Daniel, Cassie, Teal'c and General Hammond waiting for them. The general was giving the bride away.

"Hi, Jack, Sam," Daniel greeted them. "You guys are right on time."

"Of course," Jack said. "I was in charge of getting us here." Sam started to remove her coat, and Jack, being a gentleman for once, helped her. And almost lost his breath. The first thing he saw was a very long expanse of naked back. Very nice naked back. When she turned around, he noticed that her dress fit her very well, too. 'Down boy,' he thought. 'Geez, Jack, you're in a church, for crying out loud.'

Both Daniel and Janet noticed the glazed look of lust in Jack's eyes as he got a look at Sam in that dress. They smiled knowingly at each other. They were very familiar with that look themselves, having seen it in each other's eyes on more than one occasion.

"Okay." The wedding planner that Janet had hired, Mrs. Phillips, directed everyone to their places, and signaled the musician to begin playing the processional. "Best man and maid of honor, you are taking the place of the bride and groom for the vows at the rehearsal. It's considered bad luck for the bride and groom to participate in that part of wedding rehearsal."

"Yes, it comes from-" Daniel's words were cut off by Janet's hand over his mouth.

"Sweetheart, I don't think we need a lecture now." She smiled sweetly at him, and he kissed the palm of her hand.

The Mrs. Phillips cleared her throat. "Now, best man and maid of honor, you stand here." She positioned them in their places, Daniel at the front of the church near the altar, Jack standing beside him, the best man, and Teal'c standing behind him. Cassie slowly walked down the aisle followed by Sam.

"Now, the bride and her escort walk down the aisle and the bride stands beside the groom," directed. Janet and the general walked slowly down the aisle.

Jack had turned and was watching Sam walk down the aisle. Suddenly in his mind he had a vision of her dressed all in floaty white. He frowned to banish the vision.

Sam saw the frown and sighed inside. He didn't like this, seeing her walk down the aisle toward him. She would have given anything to actually be his bride, but that was something that she knew would never happen. He wanted Anise/Freya (whatever), even though he hadn't seen her in over two months. She squared her shoulders and looked straight ahead, thinking of how lucky Janet and Daniel were. They were so happy. What she wouldn't give to be that happy, too.

Janet stopped by Daniel's side, then they stepped aside and Sam and Jack took their places. The minister went through the vows and the rest of the ceremony briefly. When Jack took Sam's hand, they both felt a little flash of electricity arc between them. 'Probably just static,' Sam thought. As soon as he could, Jack dropped Sam's hand. Then they practiced the recessional, and the rehearsal was over. It was time to head toward the country club where Janet, Daniel, Sam, Jack and the general were having dinner.

Jack helped Sam with her coat, restraining himself from putting his hand on her bare back. The skin looked so soft and inviting, that he had to clench his fists to stop himself. He escorted her to the car and they drove in silence to the country club.

They were the first ones there, and were led to their party's table. Jack held Sam's chair for her, gripping the back tightly. He fervently hoped that the others would arrive soon. They had been there for a few minutes when Sam excused herself to go to the ladies room.

Jack almost breathed a sigh of relief, then he realized that he was facing in the direction of the ladies room. Sam stood and walked off in that direction. He watched her as she walked, noting the graceful movement of her body, the gentle sway of her hips, and the length of her long legs made to appear even longer by the short skirt of the dress and the high heels she wore. He sighed. 'Well, Jack, tonight is going to be a test of your self-restraint.'

Janet, Daniel, Teal'c and General Hammond arrived just a few minutes later. They had dropped Cassie and Teal'c off at Janet's house. Teal'c was going to be staying with Cassie while they were gone on their honeymoon for a week. They were all seated by the time Sam came back. As she crossed the restaurant, she was stopped by a man. She stopped and engaged in conversation with him, laughing at something he said. Then she said goodbye and continued to the table. Again, Jack couldn't take his eyes off her.

"Who was that?" Jack asked when she returend to the table, a twinge of jealousy running through him.

"One of my neighbors," Sam explained, curious as to why he was even interested.

Just then the waiter brought champagne and they all drank a toast to Janet and Daniel. Dinner followed, and afterward they went into the ballroom to dance.

Daniel turned to Janet and asked, "Would you like to dance."

Janet smiled happily, "I'd love to!"

Next, General Hammond asked Sam to dance. Jack sat at their table drinking a scotch and soda, glowering at Sam dancing with the general. As the night had gone on, he had gotten quieter and quieter, drinking a little too much. When Sam and the general came back to the table, he rose.

"Carter, let's dance." He gently took her by the arm and led her to the dance floor. He put his right arm around her waist and took her right hand in his left. Pulling her close, he led her through the dance.

"Loosen up, Sam," he told her. "I'm not going to bite you." 'Yet,' he thought.

After a moment she relaxed in his arms and laid her head on his shoulder. His hand splayed across her bare back and, after a few seconds, started a soft, caressing motion. Several people turned to look at them dancing, noting what an attractive couple they were. All too soon the dance was over, and Jack led Sam back to the table. Janet and Daniel had returned also, but the general was missing.

"Where's General Hammond?" Sam asked.

"He left. Said something about leaving it to the 'young ones,' or something like that," Daniel said. "Janet, how about another dance?"

"I'd love to." They rose and walked out to the dance floor to dance again.

"If you'll excuse me, sir," Sam said, looking somewhat flushed, "it's a little warm in here. I'm going to step outside for a minute." She rose and headed toward the terrace, going out through the french doors.

Jack sat there for a minute. Then, he rose and followed Sam out onto the terrace.

*****************************************************************

"Daniel," Janet said. "Look." She nodded her head in the direction of the terrace. He saw Sam go out the door, followed a few seconds later by Jack. "He's following her."

"Well, Janet, in THAT dress, what did you expect?" he asked, then realized what he'd said. "You did expect that, didn't you?"

Janet shrugged. "I didn't think a little push could hurt."

"You little meddler," Daniel said affectionately, leaning down to kiss her. "I love you."

"I love you, too," Janet sighed, laying her head back on Daniel's shoulder.

*****************************************************************

Sam stood at the edge of the terrace, staring out into the night. A light blanket of snow covered the grass of the golf course, and the breeze was cold, but she didn't mind. The cold helped to clear her head. Dancing with the colonel had almost undone her. The feel of his arms around her, his hand caressing her naked back was almost too much to bear. She stood there lost in thought and didn't hear him approach until he was right beside her.

"You're gonna freeze out here," the colonel said softly. "You shoulda brought your coat."

Sam turned in surprise. She hadn't expected him to follow her out here. "It's all right. The night air feels refreshing." She shrugged her shoulders. "Anyway, I'm not going to be out here that long," she said with a smile.

It was the smile that did him in. Stepping closer, he put his arms around her, wrapping her in his warmth. "Is that better?" he whispered in her ear.

"Yes," she whispered huskily, looking into his eyes.

"Good," he said softly, then he leaned down and kissed her, his hands caressing her back like they'd been wanting to do all night. She leaned in closer and his arms tightened. Her lips parted, inviting his tongue to plunder hers. When they finally parted, they stared into each other's eyes. Jack's hand slid up Sam's back, causing her to shiver in response.

"You're cold," he said. "Let's go back inside." He turned to lead her back inside, keeping his arm around her. They re-entered the ballroom and headed for their table. Janet and Daniel weren't there. A waiter approached them and handed Jack a note, which he read. "They've gone on home," he said. He picked up Sam's coat and helped her with it. She turned and looked at him. He raised his hand to her cheek and caressed if softly. "I'll take you home."

They didn't talk much on the drive to Sam's apartment, but Jack didn't let go of her hand, his thumb caressing her palm. When they arrived, he walked her to the door and waited while she unlocked it.

"Well," she said, standing in the open door, looking at him.

"Well," he said, looking deeply into her eyes. "Can I come in?"

"Yes," she said.

*****************************************************************

Jack woke slowly, a weight resting on his chest. He opened his eyes and looked down. There was tousled blonde head on his chest. He smiled at the memory of the night before. As soon as he'd walked into her apartment and she'd closed the door, they'd been all over each other. It had only taken him seconds to peel that sexy little dress off of her perfect body. He had suspected that she'd had a lot of passion in her, and the night he'd spent in her arms more than proved that. She started to stir, and her head lifted, her eyes staring into his.

"Hi," Sam said huskily, a light blush on her cheeks.

"Hi, yourself," he replied, grinning. "How'd you sleep?"

She smiled and stretched. "Wonderfully well," she answered. His arms tightened around her and he pulled her into a deep kiss. His right hand tangled in her hair while his left hand stroked her back. Then he rolled her over onto her back and thrust into her. The phone began to ring.

"I need to answer the phone," Sam gasped.

"Just let it ring," he told her, then thrust deeper. She gasped again.

"Can't, expecting. . . Janet. . . to call." Jack reached over and picked up the phone, never missing his rhythm, and put it in her hand.

"Hi, Sam," Janet said. "What took you so long? I was beginning to think you weren't there."

"I, uh, was asleep, Janet," Sam answered, trying not to moan as her body involuntarily started responding to Jack's movements. She gasped again.

"Sam, is anything wrong?" Janet asked.

"No. . .mmm. . .Janet, I'm, umm, fine," Sam said, trying to keep her voice steady.

"Good," Janet said. "Let's meet at 10:30 for brunch, if that 's okay?"

"Great, 10:30, sounds good. Bye." Sam dropped the phone and it hit the floor with a bang.

On the other end of the line, Janet stood in the kitchen of her house. She held the phone away from her ear, then put it back. She listened for a minute, then hung up.

"Daniel," she called. "Can you come here?"

"Yes, Janet." Daniel walked into the kitchen. "Did you talk to Sam?"

"Yes," she answered. "We had a most interesting conversation. Did you say that you couldn't reach Jack this morning?"

"Yeah, I got his answering machine but he never answered." Daniel poured himself a cup of coffee.

"I think I know where he is," Janet told him, walking over to him and putting her arms around him. "I think he's at Sam's."

"Sam's?" Daniel looked surprised. "You're kidding!"

"Well, unless she was having a really great fantasy about him, I think 'Oh, Jack, don't stop' is a pretty good clue," Janet said.

Daniel put his arms around his fiancee. "I think that dress worked better than you hoped it would."

Janet pulled his head down to hers. "I think you're right." They kissed.

*****************************************************************

The musicians began playing the wedding march processional, and the guests in the church rose. Most of the SGC was there, at least everyone who was on earth. Cassie started down the aisle, followed by Sam, then Janet. Daniel's face lit up when he saw her in her beautiful wedding gown. He thought she looked like a doll.

Jack watched Sam precede Janet down the aisle. She looked so beautiful in that dark green dress. He thought back to how beautiful she had looked in his arms this morning. He grinned at her, and she smiled back.

Sam looked at Jack at the front of the church with Daniel, Teal'c standing right behind him. He looked so handsome in the black tuxedo. She doubted if he felt very comfortable, though. She knew how he hated to dress up.

Sam walked to her place at the front of the church and stopped, turning to watch Janet walk down the aisle on General Hammond's arm. She smiled at her friend. Janet was so lucky to be marrying the man she loved.

Janet reached the front of the church and took her place by Daniel's side. They took each other's hands and the ceremony began.

*****************************************************************

The reception was going full swing. The champagne was flowing, everyone was eating, and the dancing had begun. Daniel and Janet had started the dancing, with everyone joining in. Sam and Jack stood over to the side, watching.

"Would you like to dance, Sam?" he asked, wanting an excuse to hold her in his arms.

"I'd love to," she answered. He took her hand and led her onto the dance floor. Taking her into his arms, he led her around the dance floor. He held her closely, smelling her perfume, feeling her beautiful body close to him. It made him think of that morning in her arms.

"You are the most beautiful woman in the place," Jack said, holding her a little tighter.

"No, Jack, the bride is the most beautiful woman in the place on her wedding day." Sam smiled at little bemusedly at his compliment.

Jack held her just a little bit closer. "Then on your wedding day you'll be gorgeous," he told her. Sam's arms tightened around him.

The music ended, and Jack drew her out of the ballroom. Pulling her after him, he led her to an empty meeting room. Then he took her into his arms and kissed her breathless.

"I've been wanting to do that since I saw you in the church," Jack said when he finally released her. "You look so beautiful. Let's get out of here. We'll go to your place."

"Okay, but we need to tell Daniel and Janet we're leaving," Sam said breathlessly.

"All right, but let's hurry." He hustled her out of the room and they went in search of Janet and Daniel. When they found them, Jack pulled Daniel to the side, while Sam talked to Janet.

"Janet," she said, "we're leaving. I just wanted to say what a beautiful wedding it was and tell you goodbye."

Janet looked over at Jack talking to Daniel, probably saying much the same thing. "Okay, Sam." Janet stopped her just as she was about to leave. "Have fun," she said, and winked.

"You, too." Sam gave her friend a hug then went to the door to wait for Jack. They managed to slip out without attracting any attention and hurried to their cars. Thirty minutes later Sam was unlocking her apartment door, Jack standing right behind her. As soon as she had the door open, Jack swept her up in his arms and carried her in.

*****************************************************************

The phone was ringing. The two bodies entwined in the bed started at the noise and stirred. Sam sat up, reaching over Jack to pick up the phone beside the bed.

"Hello," she said, yawning.

"Major Carter, sorry to wake you, but General Hammond needs you to report to the base ASAP," the voice on the other end of the line said.

"Okay," she said. "Thank you." She hung up the phone and shook Jack awake. "Jack, that was the base. I need to come in ASAP."

Jack sat up and stretched. "I'd better check my answering machine then." Sam handed him the phone. A couple of minutes later, he handed it back to her. "I got a call, too." He leaned over and kissed her. "This is not what I had planned for this morning," he said, cupping her breast and gently stroking his thumb over the nipple.

"And what did you have in mind?" she asked breathlessly, leaning toward him.

"I'll show you tonight," he answered, then he pulled her close and kissed her. They finally separated and showered together, to save time they both said. It ended up taking them twice as long, but they didn't care. Then they quickly dressed and left in separate cars for the base.

Little did they know that things were about to change.

*****************************************************************

Jack and Sam arrived within minutes of each other and entered the base together. They rode down to the SGC, laughing and talking, then they reported to the briefing room as requested. The general was already there, as well as someone else. It was the Tok'ra, Freya.

A huge smile spread over Jack's face, and he went forward and took her hands. Sam just stood there, a feeling of dread in the pit of her stomach. From Jack's reaction, he was very pleased to see her.

The General told Sam and Jack that Freya would be joining SG-1 for the next few weeks, accompanying them on missions, looking for technology. Sam smiled and nodded, doing these things automatically. Jack hadn't looked at her since they'd entered the conference room. When the General's briefing was over, Jack and Freya left together. Sam went to the lab. She had a terrible feeling.

*****************************************************************

Sam received a report on an artifact that one of the researchers had been looking at. It warranted the colonel's attention, so she went looking for him. He wasn't in his usual places, so the went to the lounge that the teams used when they were on stand-by. The door was closed, but that wasn't unusual. She opened the door and walked in, then she gasped at what she saw. It was Jack and Freya locked in a very passionate kiss. She just stood there for a moment in shock, then the two broke apart, and turned to look at her.

Sam found her voice. "Sorry to interrupt. This report came and I thought you might like to see it." She put it down on the table. "Excuse me, sir." She turned and left, carefully closing the door behind herself. She pulled her keys out of her pocket and left the base as quickly as she could.

*****************************************************************

Sam was curled up in her robe on her sofa. She'd been home about an hour and in that time she'd taken a shower, packed the things Jack had left in a bag, and stripped the bed putting clean sheets on it. Now she was just sitting there dry-eyed, her arms wrapped around herself. She'd been a fool to think that he could possibly care about her, could possibly love her. It had just been sex.

The doorbell rang and she sighed. Who could it be now? She walked over to the door and peeked through the peephole. It was Jack. 'Probably here to pick up his things,' she thought. She opened the door.

"Hi, Sam," he said. "Can I come in?"

"Yes, sir," she said expressionlessly, and stood back for him to enter. When he was inside, she closed the door and leaned against it. "What can I do for you, sir?"

Jack looked at her leaning against the door. She was a very beautiful woman, and she really didn't realize it. "Sam, about the last few days. . ..they've been great, but. . ." He shrugged his shoulders.

"Just one of those things?" she finished for him.

"Yeah." He shoved his hands in his pockets, looking uncomfortable. "I'm sorry-"

"There's nothing to be sorry about," she interrupted abruptly. "It was fun, now it's over." She crossed her arms in front of her and walked past him, carefully keeping her back to him.

"It was more than that, Sam," Jack said. "You're a good friend, and I don't want to lose you." He walked up behind her and put his hands on her shoulders, drawing her back against him. He leaned over and kissed her hair, his hands lightly kneading her shoulders. Sam squeezed her eyes shut. She definitely didn't want to cry in front of him. When he got no response from her, he turned her around. He put a finger under her chin and tilted her head back. She opened her eyes and looked at him. She even managed a little smile. "Now, there's my Sam," he said, leaning forward to lightly kiss her lips. Her hand came up and rested on his chest. He ended the kiss and looked into her face, then he leaned forward and kissed her again, harder this time. Her arms came up around him. Oh, it felt so good to be held by him again. She parted her lips, kissing him back, and they both were lost. They stumbled to her bedroom, falling on the bed, pulling each other's clothes off.

Afterward, Jack lay with his arms around Sam, feeling guilty. He hadn't meant for this to happen, but it did.

"I'm sorry, Sam. I didn't mean for this to happen." He pulled away from her, sitting up on the side of the bed. "It was wrong." He stood up and pulled on his clothes. Sam sat up in the bed, the sheet clutched to her, saying nothing. He stopped at the bedroom door and turned to look at her. "I'm leaving for a couple of days."

"Is Freya going with you?" Sam asked tightly, trying to keep her voice under control.

"Yes, she is." He hesitated then continued. "We want to spend some time alone."

"Your things you left here are in a bag beside the door. I was going to return them to you tomorrow. You can take them now." Sam said stiltedly, reaching over and picking up her robe from the floor, intending to put it on, but he stopped her.

"That's okay," Jack said quickly. "Don't get up. I'll let myself out." He signed inwardly, sorry that he had handled things so badly. "Goodbye, Sam." He turned and left. She heard the front door open and close again.

"Goodbye, Jack," she whispered.

*****************************************************************

Sam rose early after a sleepless night and went to the base. Since she knew that Jack wasn't going to be there, she didn't actively avoid the places he frequented. But she did avoid them unconsciously. She went to the control room to check on the computers. General Hammond came in looking disturbed.

"What's wrong, sir?" Sam asked.

"You remember Captain Brady who was supposed to be our exchange person with the Tok'ra?" At Sam's nod, he continued. "She had to cancel. She's pregnant."

"Oh," Sam said. "Who have you selected to take her place?"

"No one as of yet, Major," the general told her. "Do you have a suggestion?" he asked hopefully.

"No, sir," Sam said, then she stopped, a thought coming to mind. "Yes, sir, yes I do."

"Well, who, Major?" he asked.

"Me."

*****************************************************************

Sam didn't have much time to prepare for her six weeks sojourn with the Tok'ra. She rushed home, took care of the business end of things, and packed what she would need for six weeks living underground on a desert planet. She rushed back to the SGC and finished up some paperwork, then she was ready to go. Early the next morning she left earth for six weeks off planet.

The surprise on the face of the person sent to meet her was priceless.

"Hello, Martouf."

*****************************************************************

Jack and Freya returned from their getaway a little earlier than planned. It had been a disaster. Everytime he kissed Freya, he saw Sam's face. Then, he had called Freya by Sam's name. That had put an end to their little vacation. Freya had been angry to say the least, so angry that Anise had taken control, freaking Jack out a bit. Anise usually stayed under wraps when he was with Freya.

He had taken Freya back to the SGC, intending for her to stay in the VIP quarters rather than his house, which had been the original plan. When they got there, General Hammond informed them that Major Carter had stepped in at the last minute to take Captain Brady's place in the Tok'ra exchange. Jack was shocked, to say the least. Freya had found it amusing.

"Well, now Martouf gets his chance." She was laughing heartily.

"What do you mean by that?" Jack asked angrily, knowing what the answer was before he'd even asked.

"Martouf is in love with Major Carter," she said with a satisfied smirk. "He has been for a long time. Now is his chance to win her love."

*****************************************************************

Daniel and Janet arrived back from their honeymoon on Saturday. They were greeted by Teal'c and Cassie who were very glad to see them. Janet tried to call Sam to see how things were going, but all she got was her answering machine. She tried her cell phone, but she was told it was no longer in service. She had Daniel call Jack, but all he could get there was his answering machine, and he wasn't answering his cell phone. They were all very worried, so Janet and Daniel trekked out to the base to see what was up. When they got there, they found out that Sam was off-world for six weeks and Jack was somewhere on base.

Daniel went in search of Jack and after searching most of Jack's usual haunts, finally found him in Sam's lab. He was just sitting there by Sam's naquada reactor, rubbing it gently.

"Jack," Daniel said quietly.

"Daniel, you're back?" Jack looked surprised. "Is it Saturday?"

"Yes, Jack, it's Saturday." Daniel looked at him worriedly. He didn't look like he'd slept in days. "Jack, why is Sam off-world? What happened while we were gone?"

"It's a long story, Daniel." Jack stood up and shoved his hands in his pockets. "Let's just say that I screwed up royally and leave it at that." At that moment, Janet peeked around the door.

"Daniel?" She smiled when she saw him. "I was wondering where you'd gotten to." She nodded toward Jack. "I see you've found our wayward colonel."

"I've been trying to get Jack to tell me what happened between him and Sam that caused her to go to the Tok'ra for six weeks," Daniel told her with a significant look.

"Yeah, I am kind of curious about that myself." Janet folded her arms in front of her. "What about that? What happened, Jack?" When they left things were looking promising, now things looked pretty bleak.

"Freya came back." Jack's face was blank and unreadable, but his fists were clenched so tightly that his knuckles were white.

"So you chose Tok'ra Barbie over Sam, huh?" Janet put her hands on her hips and advanced on him. "You know what, Colonel O'Neill? You are an idiot!" She poked her finger in his chest with each word for emphasis.

Jack stepped back from the angry little woman. He was clearly not a happy camper. "You don't have to remind me of that Dr. Fraiser," he said sullenly, "I'm doin' a pretty good job of that on my own."

"How could you do that to her?" Janet questioned, very angry with him. If looks could kill, he'd be dead. "Don't you know how much she loves you?"

Jack looked at her in amazement. "She loves me?" Obviously that possibility had never crossed his mind. No wonder she'd left when he'd thrown Freya in her face, especially after having sex with her and telling her it was wrong.

"Why the hell do you think she slept with you? Sam's not the kind of woman who sleeps around. Unlike some others I could name," Janet said angrily. "She's loved you for years, you blockhead." Now they knew she was furious when she called a superior officer a blockhead.

"I. . .I didn't know." Jack looked so lost that even Janet, in her state of anger over her friend's hurt and betrayal, kind of felt sorry for him.

"And knowing Sam, she didn't tell you." Janet shook her head. "You know, sometimes I wonder about you people." She looked at Daniel. "Daniel, I'll be in the infirmary when you're ready to go." She turned and stalked out of the lab.

"Jack, you're going to have to decide who and what you want," Daniel said quietly, reading the distress in his friend's face. "When Sam comes back she deserves at least that much."

"If she comes back," Jack said morosely.

"What do you mean?" Daniel asked curious as to his reasons for saying that.

"She might decide to stay. Her dad is there. . .and Martouf." Jack hesitated before saying the Tok'ra's name.

"Why would she stay with Martouf, Jack?"

"Because he's in love with her." With that Jack turned and walked out of the lab.

*****************************************************************

"Samantha, I am very glad it was you who came for the exchange," Martouf said, smiling happily.

"Well, the general was in a bind, and I needed to get away for a while. Besides," she smiled over at her father, "I get to spend some time with my dad."

"I'm always glad to see you, Sammy," he told her, smiling back at her.

<But you are worried about her,> Selmac said to her host.

<Yes, but she'll tell me when she's ready,> Jacob told his symbiote.

<She has been here for several days now. If you do not ask her, I will,> Selmac threatened.

<Okay, okay, I'll ask her tonight.> What a pushy broad, he thought.

<I heard that!> Selmac said to him, with a chuckle.

<Yeah, you would!> Jacob shot back with a chuckle.

"Dad, what's so funny?" Sam asked. She was starting to get used to her father breaking out in laughter at seemingly nothing.

"Just something Selmac said," he replied. "She cracks me up sometimes." <That's not hard, Jacob, you're already cracked.>

"Speak for yourself, Selmac," he said out loud. Sam looked at her father a little strangely. She still had to get used to her father being two beings instead of one.

"I must leave now," Martouf said. "I will see you tomorrow, Samantha." Martouf took Sam's hands briefly, then nodded to Jacob and left.

"So, Sam, what's the real story?" Jacob asked knowingly. He had grown to know his daughter well enough to know when she was upset and unhappy.

"The real story?" Sam looked at him surprised. She thought she'd been hiding her feelings pretty well from him. Selmac had really increased his perception of others' feelings.

"Sam, I can tell when something's wrong." He sat down beside her and took her hands in his. "Tell me."

"I had to get away. I couldn't stay and watch-" she broke off what she was going to say, biting her lip.

"Watch what, Sammy?"

She looked down at her hands in his. "Watch them together."

"A man you care about?" her father asked quietly.

"Yes, Daddy." She still wouldn't look up at him.

"Do you love him?" He reached over and tilted her up her chin so he could see her eyes. She nodded in response, and he gathered her into his arms. "Oh, baby, I'm sorry. Jack O'Neill has a lot to answer for." Sam pulled back from her father.

"Dad, I never said-" she started but he interrupted her.

"You didn't have to. I've seen how you look at him. I've seen how he looks at you, too," he said. "I don't think you're doing the right thing by running away," he raised his hand at her protest, "but it's your life."

"Thanks, Dad." She put her arms around her father and hugged him closely. "I love you."

"I love you, too, Sammy." Jacob was still worried, but he felt better knowing at least a little of what had happened.

*****************************************************************

Sam entered the Tok'ra's work area early the next morning, and Martouf was already there, waiting for her.

"Good morning, Samantha," he greeted her. "I hope you slept well."

"Yes, thank you, Martouf," she smiled at him. That little part of Jolinar that was still inside of her was always thrilled to see Martouf, but Sam knew that those feelings were not her own. She liked Martouf as a dear friend, but that was all. 'Too bad,' she thought. 'Then this thing with Jack wouldn't hurt so bad.' Aloud she said, "Well, what are we working on today?"

*****************************************************************

Sam and Martouf worked together on several projects over the next few weeks. They worked well together, and Sam enjoyed the time they spent together. Her heart, however, was another story. She missed Jack terribly. Not a day passed that she didn't ache to see him, but it didn't do much good. He wasn't hers and never would be, even if regulations didn't stand in their way. She'd followed her heart and gotten it trampled on.

The time with the Tok'ra was busy, and that made it seem to fly by fast. She'd been there four weeks when Martouf asked to talk to her privately. They walked up onto the surface of the planet and sat in the sand, looking up at the stars. Martouf pointed out where earth was. It seemed so small and far away. 'What are you doing, Jack?' she thought. 'You're probably with her.' She sighed.

"Samantha, I asked you here because I wanted to talk to somewhere where we wouldn't be interrupted," Martouf said taking her hand.

She focused her attention on him. "Yes, Martouf?"

"I wanted to tell you that I love you, Samantha." He looked into her eyes. "I would like it if you would stay."

"Oh, Martouf." Sam looked back up at the stars and, pulling her hand from his, wrapped her arms around her knees. "I'm so flattered. But, I don't feel that way about you. I came here to escape a broken love affair, and I don't want to get into something else right now." She reached out and grasped his hand. "I care for you very much, as a dear friend, but I don't love you."

"It is O'Neill, isn't it?" he asked solemnly.

"Yes, it is," she admitted to him, sorry that she was hurting him.

"He does not deserve your love if he can willingly hurt you so much." Martouf tightened his hold on her hand. "Samantha, I am here for you, always." He looked her intently, conveying his feelings to her.

"Thank you, Martouf." She smiled at him sadly. They sat there for a while longer, then they went inside.

*****************************************************************

When SG-1 wasn't out on missions, Jack was wandering around the SGC like a lost soul. After the first week of Sam's absence, he missed her so badly that he even moved into her apartment. He didn't care if she got mad or not, she was already upset with him, it couldn't get much worse. At night he slept in her bed with his arms around her pillow because it smelled like her. Every day he kicked himself for being so stupid as to be blinded by what Janet called "Tok'ra Barbie." Christmas came and went, making him feel sadder than ever. When Janet's and Daniel's wedding pictures came back from the photographer, Daniel brought them for him to see. As he looked through them, he focused on the pictures of Sam. She had been so beautiful and happy that day. It saddened him to realize that he had crushed that happiness. He came to one of the two of them together, dancing. He'd give anything to have her look at him like that again.

*****************************************************************

Because of the difference in time, Sam arrived back at the SGC from the Tok'ra base in the wee hours of the morning. Instead of driving back home, she spent the night in her own quarters on base. Martouf, who had escorted her home, was shown to VIP quarters. As Sam fell asleep in her quarters, she felt strange to be there, but it was still nice to be home. The hot shower she took the next morning also felt very good. The Tok'ra had been hospitable to her, but nothing could beat a nice hot shower in the morning.

Once she was dressed, she headed for the briefing room. She'd woken up to a message from the general saying he wanted her to meet with him and the rest of SG-1 to debrief on her time with the Tok'ra. Martouf and Freya were also to be there. Sam was dreading it, but there was nothing she could do, other than disobey a direct order. So, she went.

She was the first one there, and she sat in her usual seat. Daniel came in next, his face lighting up with a smile when he saw her.

"Sam!" he exclaimed happily. "Welcome home. It's so good to see you." She rose and went around the table to hug him. "They told us you were here when we arrived on base this morning. Janet wants to see you after the meeting."

"It's good to see you, too, Daniel." Sam looked at him speculatively. "Seems like being married to Janet agrees with you." He looked very contented, more so than at any time since she had known him.

Daniel smiled happily. "Best thing I could have done for myself." They both looked toward the door as Teal'c entered the room.

"Major Carter, it is good to see you," he said in his usual stoic way, but the twinkle in his eye told her that he was glad she was back.

"Thanks, Teal'c, it's good to see you, too," Sam said sincerely, putting her hand on his arm. "It's good to be home and see my friends."

"I hope that includes all of your friends, major," Jack said as he entered the room.

Sam looked up and blue eyes met brown. "Yes, sir, it does." Her heart started thumping very hard, and her stomach felt funny. Inwardly, she snorted at her reaction. 'Same old feeling,' she thought.

He smiled and went to his seat. "I was just with the general. He should be here in a few minutes." Freya came in and, after looking from Jack to Sam, she moved to the seat beside Jack and sat down. Jack glanced over at her, but said nothing.

It was very hard for Sam to sit across from the two of them. She could feel her heart breaking again inside her chest. 'Great,' she thought, feeling miserable. 'I thought I could handle this, now I find out that I can't. Please, don't let this last a long time,' she begged silently. At that moment Martouf came in and smiled at Sam. She smiled back and indicated the chair next to hers. He came around the table and sat down beside her.

Jack's eyes narrowed with jealousy. "Hello, Marty. Long time, no see."

"Hello, O'Neill." Martouf inclined his head. He addressed the other Tok'ra. "Freya, you are looking well."

"Thank you, Martouf, as are you." Freya looked from Martouf to Sam and then to Jack as if to say, "See, what did I tell you."

General Hammond entered the briefing room. "Welcome back, Major Carter. I hope you have some interesting things to tell us." With that opening, Sam launched into what she had studied while with the Tok'ra, Martouf contributing here and there. The meeting lasted the better part of two hours. When it finally broke up, Sam and Martouf went to the lab, not giving Jack a chance to talk to her. When he had walked into the conference room and seen her sitting there, he'd wanted to go over and take her into his arms, never letting her go. When Martouf had sat down beside her, he could have eaten broken glass he was so jealous. It was clear that Sam and Marty had gotten closer, but how close?

Seeing Jack's frustration with the situation, Freya smiled cattily. She went to him and said tauntingly, "It looks as if Martouf has wasted no time with Major Carter. They are very close now."

Jack said nothing. He just turned and stalked off. A few hours later, he learned that both Martouf and Freya had left for the Tok'ra base and that Sam had gone home.

*****************************************************************

After she had finished in the lab with Martouf, Sam tried to see Janet, but she was in surgery all day. It seemed that the natives on P1J-296 didn't want diplomatic relations with earth and SG-10 got shot up with arrows. There were no casualties, but the team would be out of commission for a while. Sam left her a message, and finally, after having put in a full day in the lab with Martouf to finish up a few things before he left, she said goodbye to him, saw him and Freya off through the stargate, and then she went home.

When she walked into her apartment, she noticed something different about it. Walking around the living room, she observed that a few things weren't in their usual places. She went into the bedroom. The bed was unmade, but since she had left it that way, she wasn't surprised. The surprise came when she walked into the bathroom. A man had been there. Picking up the after shave that was sitting on the vanity, she smelled it. Jack. Jack had been here.

"Why?" she asked herself, looking at the things he had left there, toiletries and even clothes. "Why did Jack come here and leave his things?" She thought for a minute. "Surely he'd have no reason to come here. It looks as if he's been living here."

At that moment the doorbell rang. Putting down the bottle of after shave, she went to answer it, looking through the peephole to see who is was. It was a very nervous looking Jack O'Neill, wearing his leather jacket and holding a brown paper bag. Sam unlocked the door and opened it.

"Hi," he said, smiling at her. "Can I come in?"

Sam said nothing. She just stepped back and opened the door wider. He walked in and headed for the kitchen, while she closed the door and followed him. He placed the bag down on the kitchen table, shrugged off his jacket, and started taking containers out of the bag.

"I hope Chinese is all right. I got your favorites, shrimp fried rice, sweet-and-sour chicken, dim-sum, vegetable lo mein." He paused and looked at her. "I hope that's all right."

"Sure, fine." She bit her lip and looked at him a little warily. "Why have you been staying here?" She needed to know the answer to that question desperately.

Jack put down the container he was holding and sighed. He walked to the cupboard and took out two plates, keeping his back to her. "I missed you. I wanted to be near you." He turned and looked at her, still holding the plates. "I stayed here because it made me feel closer to you." Not knowing what else to do, he walked over to the table and put the two plates on either side, then he went to the silverware drawer and took out two place settings.

"Looks like you made yourself at home," Sam said watching him set the table for two, uncertainty still gnawing at her.

"Now that you're here, it feels like it," he said, looking at her with hope in his eyes. She hadn't sent him packing yet. "Come on, let's eat." He pulled out her chair and seated her, then sat down himself across the table from her.

While they ate, Jack filled her in on what had gone on while she'd been with the Tok'ra. She knew that he was avoiding the real issue, but after they had finished dinner she was going to pin him down. He told a few really bad jokes that she couldn't help but laugh at. Still, she needed some answers to her questions.

After they finished eating and had cleaned up the dishes and put the leftovers in the refrigerator, they went into the living room and sat down. They were going to talk, whether he wanted to or not..

"So, tell me what happened to make you change your mind about our relationship," Sam said abruptly. "I'd really like to know. The last I heard from you that night you were here, you and Freya were going on a little getaway," she said sarcastically, not trying to hide the hurt she'd felt.

Jack picked up a throw pillow and started pulling the fringe off of it. "Sam, I can't tell you how sorry I am about that night-" She interrupted him sharply. He had hurt her more than she had ever been hurt that night.

"Sorry you had sex with me?" she asked a little coldly. "You said it was wrong, that it shouldn't have happened."

"No, I'm not sorry we made love. I am sorry that I left you. I'd never felt like that before. I started kissing you and I couldn't stop. I kept thinking how good I felt when I was with you and I down for the count." Jack looked her in the eye. "When I came here I didn't mean for that to happen, I honestly didn't, but when I touched you, you felt so good, the reasons for not making love to you just flew out of my head. Hell, I didn't WANT to stop myself. Afterward, when I was with Freya," he paused, then continued, "I couldn't do anything," he finished, looking embarrassed.

"You couldn't?" she asked, surprised. That's the last thing she thought Jack wouldn't be able to do. "Why? Guilt?"

"Maybe, partly." He slid over next to her and took her hands. She tried to pull them away, but he held onto them firmly. "Mostly, though, everytime I tried to kiss her all I could see was you." He released one of her hands and stroked her cheek. "The way you looked when we were together." He got up and started pacing in frustration, running his hands through his hair. "Damn, this isn't coming out right." Jack stopped his pacing and looked at Sam. "I missed you so much," he said with pain in his voice. He went over and picked up his jacket, which he'd brought in from the kitchen. "I have a Christmas present for you." He took a small, beautifully wrapped box out of the inner pocket. He handed it to her and hoped she would take it, not throw it back in his face like he deserved.

Sam unwrapped the present and opened the box. Inside was a beautiful gold necklace and a pendant shaped like the infinity sign. "This is beautiful." She took it out of the box. It looked old too, antique old. She held the delicate thing in her hands, looking at it.

"It belonged to my maternal grandmother. My grandfather gave it to her before they left Sweden to come to America." He smiled ruefully. "He was a mathematician." Sam couldn't help but be surprised. What a concept, Jack's grandfather a mathematician! "May I," he said, taking the pendant from her hands. Moving around the sofa to stand behind her, he put the necklace around her neck and fastened it. When he came back around, he knelt before her. "I love you, Sam." He looked deeply into her eyes, willing her to believe him.

Sam just looked at him with a confused expression on her face. "You love me?" she asked. "When did you start to love me?"

"I don't know, Sam, it's been years as far as I can tell," he answered her. "I realized it when I was with Freya. I called her by your name. That's when I knew that you were the one I wanted. Please forgive me, Sam," he asked quietly, looking deeply into her eyes. "Please give us another chance."

"Oh, Jack, I don't know," Sam said miserably. "I do know that I can't take being pushed aside for another pretty face again." She looked at him with wariness in her eyes. "I don't know if I can trust you again. I did before, and look what happened." She shrugged. "Jack, I trust you with my life, but I don't know if I can trust you with my heart."

Jack rose from his knees and sat down beside her taking her hands in his. She didn't try to pull away this time. "Just let me try, Sam. That's all I ask. I swear to you, that I will never hurt you ever again." Jack looked pleadingly into her eyes.

"Don't make a promise you can't keep, Jack," Sam said wryly, smiling a sad little smile. "That last one you're sure to break."

"Then I'll try to never hurt you again," he amended, a grin on his face.

"I'll need to think about this, you know." She wasn't going to give in against her better judgment. She loved him, but she wasn't going to leave herself open for that kind of pain again.

"Sure, I understand," he said. "We can still see each other, can't we?" he asked hopefully.

"We see each other everyday at work," she said, smiling gently at him.

"You know what I mean," Jack said, hoping beyond hope she'd say yes.

"I do. There have to be a few ground rules," Sam told him, wanting him to understand that it wasn't going to be easy.

"Sure. Shoot." He just sat there smiling at her, happy that he was going to get a second chance..

"First, no sex." She looked at him and raised her eyebrows. He opened his mouth to protest, then he closed it and nodded. "Second, we date. Real, regular, old-fashioned dates." He nodded in acquiesence to that one too. "Third," she smiled at him, "kissing is allowed." He grinned at her and nodded enthusiastically at that one. "That's it. Can you follow those rules?"

"Yeah, absolutely, you betcha," he answered, nodding his head eagerly. "Well, when do we start?"

"Now." Sam leaned forward and put her hand behind his head, pulling him to her and kissing him. He put his arms around her and drew her close to him. She felt wonderful, his Sam, and he was lucky that she was a forgiving woman. Jack became lost in the kiss, and his hands automatically started sliding up under her sweatshirt. Sam broke off the kiss, breathing heavily. "Remember the rules," she reminded him.

"I've got the feeling these rules are gonna to get harder and harder to follow," he said, and Sam chuckled, then leaned forward and kissed his lips.

"Hopefully, it won't be forever, Jack," she said when the kiss was over, her hand stroking his hair. He tightened his arms around her and kissed her again. He wasn't about to quibble, after all, he had his Sam back, didn't he?

*****************************************************************

Jack arrived at Sam's apartment a little early for their date. She answered the door in her robe.

"Hi, Jack, you're early," she said, kissing him briefly. He hugged her tightly, then released her.

"Just a little. Go ahead and get ready."

She smiled that smile at him and headed back to the bedroom. It was their first "official" date, and he was taking her to the ballet. It had been Janet's suggestion, because Sam loved the ballet. Well, it wasn't his favorite thing, but he could stand it for Sam. He really didn't like wearing this monkey suit, though, and he tugged on the collar of the tuxedo shirt. He forgot all about his discomfort when Sam came back out.

"Wow!" He felt like giving a wolf whistle, but wasn't sure how Sam would react. "That was worth the wait." She was wearing a black evening dress. It had a low cut v-neck in the front going down between her breasts, and the back was cut very low, too, down to her waist, with little spaghetti straps criscrossing the back. "You look great." He swallowed hard. How was he supposed to keep his hands off of her tonight, dressed like that?

"Thank you," she said, blushing a little. "You look very handsome yourself."

"Well, thanks," he said, uncomfortable with the compliment. She laughed at the look on his face. Jack picked up her coat and held it for her. "Shall we go, Madam?"

"Oh, yes, let's go, dear sir." She batted her eyelashes at him, then slid her arms into the coat sleeves, and he couldn't help but laugh. Oh, but he loved her. He must, to put on this instrument of torture called a tuxedo and go to the ballet of all places. 'The things we do for love,' he thought.

*****************************************************************

The ballet hadn't been too bad. The women had been cute dancing around up on the stage, but those guys in the tights! He still couldn't see the attraction, but different strokes, that was his motto. Sam had loved it, and that was all that mattered.

When they'd arrived back at Sam's apartment, she had invited him in for a drink. One thing had led to another, and before he knew it, they'd been necking on the sofa like two teenagers. When his hands started roaming a little too far, trying to take advantage of the skin she was showing in that sexy dress, she'd slapped at his hands and sent him on home with a kiss. When he got home, he tried the cold shower cure, but it didn't work. It looked like at least the next few weeks were gonna be rough sailing for Jack.

Their second date was to the Museum of Science. When Daniel suggested it, Jack had said, "No way am I going to the Museum of Science." Then Daniel told him it was one of Sam's favorite places, so he agreed that he should take her.

"Make her realize just how much I care," Jack had told Daniel. Daniel just nodded, and later laughed about it with Janet.

The trip to the museum hadn't been half bad until everyone started crowding around Sam as she explained the exhibits to everyone, not just to him. And it seemed that everyone except him understood what she was saying. But the kisses she gave him when he took her home more than made up for it. He had to go home and take another cold shower, which didn't help much that time either.

Their next date was to the opening of an art gallery. Janet had suggested this one because Sam had told her she'd really like to go, so Jack had to promise nearly everyone in town, from the mayor to his dog, a favor to get tickets. Janet and Daniel had a good laugh about that one, too.

So, Jack had to stand around for a good three hours listening to pretentious people talking about stuff he knew absolutely nothing about. To him the pictures looked like someone had stood about five feet away and thrown paint at a canvas. Sam had enjoyed it, though, and he had gotten another really good kiss when he took her home. And he had taken another cold shower when HE got home. Jack was beginning to think he couldn't take many more cold showers.

*****************************************************************

SG-1's mission to P1C-885 was dirty. Not dangerous, just dirty. As in dirt, sand, and mud. Dirt and sand to begin with, then, when the monsoon-like rains started, mud. Because of the time difference, they returned through the stargate at 1:00 a.m., a time when the base was quiet and peaceful. General Hammond was waiting for them as usual (Daniel said later that he didn't think the man ever slept). They trudged through the event horizon, all four of them covered in mud. It was in their shoes, in their pants, in their hair (except for Teal'c), and Jack claimed it was clogging up his ears. After reminding them of the briefing at 1100, the general dismissed them. They all trudged to the infirmary for the post-mission physical, then to the showers. The guys got there first, and Sam had to wait until they were finished to take hers. When she saw Daniel and Teal'c come out she was relieved, then curious.

"Where's the colonel?" she asked looking behind them as if he might be hiding there.

"He cleaned up and left. Said he had something to do," Daniel answered, anxious to get home to his wife.

"Yes, O'Neill seemed to be in a great hurry," Teal'c added.

"Oh." Sam shrugged, successfully hiding her disappointment that Jack had left without her. "Well, guys, I guess I'll go ahead and shower. See you two later."

"Bye, Sam," said Daniel and Teal'c echoed with, "Goodbye, Major Carter." The two men went off to their respective homes.

A little disappointed that she didn't get to see Jack, she went into the locker room and stripped off her mud covered clothes. Catching a glimpse of herself in the mirror, she shuddered. Her hair was sticking up in all directions, stiff with mud, and her face was so dirty, all she could see were the whites of her eyes.

"I'm glad he didn't see me, it looks worse dried." After stripping off her dirty clothes, she threw them down the laundry chute, then she gathered her soap, shampoo, and towel, and headed for the showers.

Standing under the shower, she worked as much of the mud out of her hair as she could before she shampooed. As she was applying the shampoo to her hair, she heard a sound from behind her and felt familiar, long-fingered hands on her shoulders.

"Need some help, major?" Jack asked silkily. His hands moved up to lather the shampoo into her hair, tenderly massaging her scalp.

"Jack, what are you doing in here?" Sam squeaked, turning around quickly to face him. "What if somebody catches you?"

"Sam, it's two-thirty in the morning, who's gonna catch me? Besides, I locked the doors." He gently pushed her head under the nozzle and rinsed her hair until its familiar golden color reappeared. "There. Much better." Picking up the soap, he turned her around again to face the wall, and lathered his hands. Using his hands, he spread the rich lather over her body, starting with her back and shoulders, then her arms, working his way down to her bottom and legs.

"This is so against the rules, you know," she said, enjoying the feel of his hands on her body.

"I've never been one to follow the rules." He worked his way back up her legs to her torso and covered her breasts with his hands. She inhaled, a sharp gasp. Jack smiled. He gently caressed her breasts with his soapy hands, enjoying the feel of them. He hadn't touched her like this in months, and he'd missed it. He slid his hands down over her flat stomach and lower. She took a deep breath and leaned back against him, her head on his shoulder, her eyes closed. When he broke the rules, he REALLY broke the rules. She felt his lips on her neck, and she turned her head to capture them with her own, her tongue caressing his. She turned in his arms, and held him as closely as she could, kissing him deeply.

"I think we need a change in the ground rules," she said when their lips finally parted. "Rule number one, sex is allowed." She wound her arms around his neck and kissed him again, the movements of her tongue against his sensual and erotic, her body pressed tightly to his.

"Sounds pretty good to me," he said a little breathlessly when she finally let him breathe. "That's a rule I'll have no trouble following," and he proceeded to show her just how well he could follow it, with the water from the shower pouring down around them.

*****************************************************************

Nine months later. . .

Sam had a feeling of deja vu as she looked at the wedding invitation in her hand. She really couldn't believe everything that had happened in the last year, Janet and Daniel married, and her own relationship with Jack. Oh, that had made things hairy around the SGC for a while. General Hammond had not been pleased when he heard his two best officers had fallen in love.

"What do you mean, you're in love?" The general, not a normally or easily flustered man, paced back and forth after they had told him. "Don't you know how many regulations you're breaking?" He clutched his head as if he feared it would blow up at any second. His face got so red that she was afraid he'd have a stroke. "Jack, I'd expect something like this from you, but Sam, you know better."

Jack had reached over and taken Sam's hand. "Well, sir, then I'll re-retire again."

Sam had looked at him in shock. "Oh, no, you won't!" she exclaimed yanking her hand away from him. She got that steely look in her eye that let anyone who knew her know that they were in trouble now. "I'll resign." She nodded her head once to emphasize that decision.

"Oh, no you won't Samantha Carter," Jack said adamantly with an impatient wave of his hand. "Your career's just starting-"

"And your skills and knowledge are needed here at the SGC!" She was starting to get angry with him.

"Like yours aren't?" he thundered, bringing his fist down furiously on Hammond's desk.

"Colonel, Major!" Hammond had to raise his voice to get their attention. Two pairs of eyes, one brown and one blue, turned toward him. "Remember where and who you are!"

"Yes, sir," they chorused, subsiding into their seats.

"That's better," he said, and he sighed. "I don't want to lose either one of you." He gestured to them. "Are you sure this isn't just a temporary infatuation?" He addressed the next question to the colonel. "Jack, if I remember correctly, you were romantically involved with that Tok'ra woman, Freya." Hammond looked hopefully at him. "Don't you have any feelings for the woman now?"

"Oh, yeah," Jack said, a smirk on his handsome face. "I have feelings for her." Sam turned to him in surprise, hurt written on her face. Jack relented at that, not wanting to hurt her any more. "I feel that if I never see her again, it'll be too soon!" He smiled at Sam and taking her hand, raised it to his lips. "I love you, Sam, and no one else." They both leaned in and kissed right there in front of the general. Seeing that, he threw up his hands in surrender.

"All right," he said grudgingly, "I get the picture." Jack and Sam broke off the kiss and turned to look at him. "We'll work something out." He looked at the red phone on his desk and sighed, reaching for it. "The President's not going to be too happy about this, but I'm sure he doesn't want to lose our best team any more than I do." He paused, his hand on the phone. "You two are dismissed. I'll contact you with the President's decision."

"Thank you, sir," Jack said, and he rose pulling Sam to her feet and all but dragging her out of Hammond's office. They heard him sigh and then chuckle as they closed the door. Once they were in the hallway, Jack checked for prying eyes and gave her a quick kiss. "Let's go home. Hammond'll call us when he hears anything."

"Okay." Sam smiled up at him and let him lead her to the locker room where they both retrieved their belongings. They went to Jack's house in their separate cars, where, after dinner, they cuddled on the sofa watching an old movie on television. They were both half-asleep when the call came from Hammond. Jack answered the phone with trepidation.

"The President has discussed this with his advisors and the joint chiefs." Hammond paused, giving the statement to come a more dramatic effect. It had an effect all right. Jack's hand gripped the phone so hard that he cracked the plastic of the receiver. Finally Hammond put him out of his misery. "He doesn't want to lose either of you. You're much too valuable to the Stargate Program, therefore, you have permission to pursue this relationship, providing it doesn't interfere with your work."

"Thank you, sir, we appreciate all you've done." Jack spoke to the general a few more minutes, then hung up the phone. Sam stood at his side staring at him. He still had a grim look on his face.

"Well," she said expectantly. "What did he say?" Her eyes were so wide, they looked like they were about to pop out of her head. Jack looked at her grimly, then a huge grin broke out on his face.

"We're good to go!" He'd grabbed her and swung her around, kissing her soundly when he stopped. "We have, and I quote 'permission to pursue this relationship.'" He kissed her again, and hugged her so tightly she thought her ribs would crack.

"So, everything's okay?" she'd asked breathlessly, once he had let her go enough TO breathe.

"Yes, yes, and yes," he answered happily. He swung her up into his arms, carrying her into the bedroom. "Let's celebrate!" And they celebrated all night long.

Now, months later, Sam smiled at the memory. She looked at the invitation one more time, then there was a knock on the door. Her father poked his head in at her request to "Come in."

"You decent, Sammy?" he asked humorously. "Because whether you are or not, I'm coming in." Jacob came into the room and looked at his daughter. "Oh, Sammy, you look just like your mother did on our wedding day!" The sight made tears come to his eyes.

Sam turned and looked at herself in the full-length mirror. The long, white dress was simple, but very elegant, with a short veil that covered her blonde hair and touched her shoulders. She turned around and smiled at her father. "You look rather handsome yourself, Dad." Her father was clad in his formal dress uniform, looking very stately and regal, and much different than he looked in his Tok'ra garb.

He walked over to her and hugged her closely. His baby girl was getting married today, and he was so happy for her! All those months ago, when she'd been so unhappy, he'd been unsure about her future. Now, she had a chance at the happiness she wanted, maybe even a family of her own in time.

<Family is a wonderful thing, Jacob,> Selmac said inside his head.

<Yes, it is,> Jacob replied, very satisfied with the way things were going today. Aloud he said, "Come on, Sammy, you're groom is waiting at the altar." He offered his arm to his daughter, and she put down the invitation she'd been reading. The invitation that read:

"You are cordially invited to witness the joining of Major Samantha Carter and Colonel Jonathan (Jack) O'Neill by the bonds of Holy Matrimony, the 23rd of November, in the year of our Lord 2001."

At the sound of the processional, all eyes turned to watch Cassandra Fraiser, the bridesmaid, and Janet Fraiser-Jackson, the matron-of-honor, glide slowly down the aisle, then the opening strains of the wedding march sounded, and everyone stood, all eyes turning to the back of the church to watch the bride, escorted by her father, walk down the aisle to the man who loved her. As that man, who stood there flanked by his friends, watched her coming toward him, he remembered that day almost a year ago when he'd had a vision of her coming down the aisle toward him dressed very similarly. He smiled lovingly at her, and she smiled back. When she reached him, her father placed her hand in her groom's, and Jack and Sam pledged themselves to each other, through sickness and in health, in good times and in bad, forsaking all others. Then the priest pronounced them husband and wife.

After so much pain and misunderstandng, Sam and Jack had prevailed, and their relationship had prospered.

They were married.

*****************************************************************

The End