TITLE: Until the End of the World

AUTHOR: Ruth M.King

E-MAIL : ruth@snowqueen.demon.co.uk

RATING: PG

ARCHIVE: SJD yes

SPOILERS: Up to Season 5

DISCLAIMER: Stargate SG-1 and its characters are the property of Showtime/Viacom, MGM/UA, Double Secret Productions, and Gekko Productions. We have written this story for entertainment purposes only and no money whatsoever has exchanged hands. No copyright infringement is intended. The original characters, situations, and story are the property of the authors. Not to be archived without permission of the author.

NOTES: This story has been a long time in the writing. It started out as an answer to a fic challenge ... but don't ask me which one because I can't remember!!! This is an AU where Sam and Jack don't know how they feel about each other. The revelations in Divide and Conquer never happened. Many thanks to Jo R. and Tina who both looked over the story in it's various stages of writing!!
 
 

How do you decide who lives and who dies?

General George Hammond stared at the paper before him. He had to tell his people and  he wished he could pass the onerous task onto someone else. As far as the SGC was concerned, however, the buck stopped at the general's  desk. If George had had his way, he would have begun shuttling people through the Stargate weeks ago ... when the threat had first been identified.

Somehow, somehow no one had believed it couldn't be stopped, that the destruction of large portions of the Earth's surface was unavoidable. They'd even sent SG-1 to try and halt the inevitable. For probably the first time in their long and illustrious career, the premier team had failed. George checked his list again. He was due to give the briefing in ten minutes ... and it was the most difficult  thing he would ever have to do.

Major Carter came to see him directly the briefing was over. Everyone else was still trying to absorb the news but she went directly to his office. It wasn't much of surprise. He knew why.

"What about Colonel O'Neill, sir?" she demanded the second the door was shut.

"I'm sorry, Major, it's out of my hands," Hammond replied.

"We need him out there. He's had more experience off world than any other officer here."

Hammond didn't really need to be told. He'd presented the same arguments to his superiors.

"Off the record, I agree with you," he told Sam.

"Sir?

"Jack was first in line for command of the Alpha Site, but the appointment was vetoed. I don't know why, no one will give me a reason worth a damn."

"So who has got command?"

Hammond told her, watching as her face fell.

"That's bad news, sir," Sam answered.

"I know, and if you can find a way I will push Colonel O'Neill through the Stargate myself," he finished.

"Find a way?"

He opened his hands, signalling the ball was now in her court.  She nodded to him, then left without waiting to be dismissed. George knew she'd be going straight to the rule book.

The Alpha Site represented the future of the human race. It needed a man like Jack in command, not someone who had his own agenda. The general had heard rumours ... Hammond himself was staying with the SGC. A good captain should go down with his ship, he reminded himself. Besides, he was old, he had nothing to offer a new world.

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

"I'm sorry, sir."

"Yeah ... Jack..."

"I also wish to express my regret ..."

"Will you people stop!!"

Jack's temper was starting to wear a little thin. It was bad enough he was being left behind, he didn't need people apologising for something which had been taken out of their hands. His own feelings on the matter were strangely calm.  As far as he was concerned dying was no big deal. He'd expected to on numerous occasions, it was about time he succeeded. Without the SGC ... well his life didn't hold a whole damn lot. Once they'd gone, he guessed he wouldn't have a lot of time to miss them anyway. He was sure George would leave him a whole pile of pointless tasks to keep him occupied.

They were all looking at him as if he'd got a terminal disease or something. But it wasn't like that. He was going to die doing his duty, which as far as he was concerned was a pretty good way to go. It was just a pity the length of his remaining life could be measured so precisely. Hours, minutes, seconds ... you could see it flashed on compute screens all over the SGC. Which was one of the reasons Jack decided he had to get out for a while.

Hammond had been good enough to give them all time to say their goodbyes, put their affairs in order. Of course most of the populace had no idea what was happening. The powers that be had decided it was better that way. It was only a matter of time before panic gripped the population.  Jack wanted to be locked deep within the mountain when that happened. He didn't want to see civilisation break down, people fighting in the streets. The thought sickened him.

"I'm outta here," he announced suddenly, pushing his chair back and standing up.

His team mates looked at each other. Jack turned away quickly, not wanting to see the pity in their eyes.

"I'll be back tomorrow morning," he told them.

Just one more night at home, drinking beer, watching the game ... a little touch of normality. He'd go up to the roof and look at  the stars for a while.  He'd try and forget.

"Do you want us to come over?" Daniel offered.

"Nah ... I'm good," Jack replied, lightly.

He waved and grinned, before heading topside and home.

It amazed him how peaceful the world looked.   Night had fallen and the lights of Colorado Springs softly illuminated the darkness. His was a beautiful planet. During his life Jack had been witness to much human cruelty ... but he'd seen the beauty too. As he stepped out onto his deck, beer in hand, he realised he was ready for this.

What he wasn't prepared for was, barely half an hour later, the appearance of his team. He groaned inwardly, just knowing they had come to 'cheer him up'. The grins on their faces said as much.

"Sir ... we've got it!" Sam exclaimed.

"Got what?" he asked.

"No time," Daniel added.

"What?"

"We have a plane to catch."

"Have I entered some weird alternate reality, where we're not all gonna die and Hammond has just given us a month's leave?"

"We'll explain on the way, sir," Sam said.

The beer can was removed from his hand, and Jack was barely given enough time to put his coat on and lock up the house, before he was shoved into Carter's car. She was easily the best driver among them and she made it to the airport faster than Jack would have thought possible. Before he really knew what was happening they were on a  flight from Colorado Springs to Las Vegas.

"Okay, Carter spill," he demanded, "what is this about?"

"You're getting married," she grinned at him.

"Okay... have you anyone in mind?"

"Well, given the choice of me, Teal'c or Daniel ..."

"Excuse me?"

He looked at Sam and she had the decency to blush.

"It was the only way. Hammond made allowances for spouses to accompany the selected personnel. If the human race is to continue ..."

"Look, as much as I appreciate all this ..."

"No one gets left behind, sir."

The fierceness of her tone surprised him. She bent forwards in her seat, keeping her voice low.

"That's what you've always told us. We're not going to leave you here."

"We don't have much time," he hissed back.

"The flight back is at midnight. That'll give us a couple of hours to get married."

She was determined, he'd give her that much. It wasn't that he didn't like her. They were friends, but he'd never given much thought to anything else ... okay ... maybe a few mild fantasies, but the regulations had always precluded any kind of relationship. He cast a look at her now, sideways so she wasn't aware of his scrutiny. She was attractive, he realised. At his age, he could certainly do worse, but she had never shown any interest in him. Sure, she laughed at his jokes and even responded to a little mild flirting, but nothing more.

"Hey, Jack have you got a ring or something?" Daniel asked from the seat in front.

Jack put his hand into his jeans pocket and produced the ring pull from his beer can. Sam rolled her eyes a little.

"We'll find something," she said. "Here's yours. Sorry, but it was an emergency."

She handed him a band of gold which was all too familiar. His wedding ring. He'd kept it on the base, in a cigar box at the back of his locker. How the hell had she known it was there? He took it from her, slipping it onto the ring finger of his left hand. It still fit him....wonder of wonders. Jack only let it rest there for a moment, before putting it in his pocket.

"We've got to make this look realistic," Sam went on.
 
His team were enjoying this in a weird sort of way. They really thought they'd found the perfect solution and Jack couldn't bring himself  to burst the bubble. Which was why, a couple of hours later, he found himself in a wedding chapel uttering the words 'I do.'  They'd found Sam a ring ... two in fact ... an engagement and a wedding ring. If the world hadn't have been about to end Jack would have balked at paying for them. Sam had also packed a dress to get married in. For some reason it was important to her and he had to admit she looked pretty nice.  The dress was pale blue and she even held a small bouquet of artificial flowers.

Teal'c took a couple of informal polaroids. A kiss ... which was little more than an embarrassed brush of the lips. A nice photo of them hugging each other, which was a hell of a lot easier than actually kissing her. Then it was time to get back on the plane and go home. They were back at his place by 4 AM and he had just about enough time to pack a couple of bags before heading back to the base. As he locked his door for the last time, he had to wonder where this would all end.  He had deep emotional ties to this world. This was where he had found love for the first time, where his child had been born and died ... it was going to be hard to leave. Part of him certainly rebelled against being one of the selected few ... the ones who had been chosen to live.

"Ready, sir?" Sam asked when they stood outside Hammond's office.

She took his hand, surprising him.

"We don't have to do this," he said.

"Sir, we started out as a team ... we're going to finish that way."

"Sam ... don't you think you should stop calling me, sir? I mean since we're married an' all."

"Right ... Jack."

For the first time she seemed more uncomfortable than he was and somehow it made him feel a little better. With a reassuring smile, Jack knocked on the General's door. He had been planning to let Sam do the talking, but now he was faced with reality, he took the initiative.

"Something I can do for you?" Hammond asked.

He looked harassed. Not surprising really. A look of resignation flashed across his face as he noted their joined hands.

"The truth," he said.

And Jack found he wasn't able to lie to his commanding officer. He counted this man as a friend, one who had been more accommodating than he'd had to.

"We went to Vegas," Jack admitted.

Sam lifted her left hand and wiggled her ring finger. Hammond leaned back in his chair, his shrewd eyes narrowed as he regarded his fellow officers. Jack felt like such a fraud.  Maybe Hammond saw something else in the posture of their bodies and the strength in their twined hands.

"May I be the first to offer my congratulations."
 
He stood to shake their hands, summarily dismissing them.

Once outside the general's office they looked at each other, unsure what to do. Jack twisted the ring on his left hand, wondering how he had ever let himself get talked into this.  He'd tied himself to a woman he didn't love. He guessed, wherever they ended up, getting a divorce was probably out of the question. They could be stuck with each other  for a long, long time.  He'd been married to Sara for over ten years ... but that had been so different. Jack was really starting to think he'd made a big mistake. Even so, two hours later, he found himself in the gate room waiting for the rest of his team. Sam offered him a shy smile and he tried to grin back ... but all he was really aware of, was General Hammond, walking down the line of officers, saying goodbye.  Both Jack and Sam saluted when he drew level.

"It was an honour serving with you, sir," Jack said.

"You too," the general replied. "Good luck to both of you."

"Thank you, sir," Sam smiled.

Before Jack knew what was happening, he was walking up the ramp for the last time. He didn't look back as he stepped out of the SGC, and into the light of a new world.

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

It was raining ... A steady drizzle which was set in for the night.

They were met at the Stargate by a very bedraggled looking Paul Davies. He ticked their names off on his clipboard and directed them down the well-trodden path towards the settlement.

Another officer met them there and directed them to their assigned quarters. Daniel and Teal'c went one way, Jack and Sam were sent another. The reason was clear, they had married quarters. The room wasn't big and a double bed dominated the space. There was a little storage, a very small bathroom ... in other words, they were going to get on each other's nerves really fast.

There wasn't even enough room for Jack to sleep on the floor.

"I want this side," he announced, bouncing on the mattress.

Sam didn't really care. She had been up all night, so where she slept and whom she slept with was not a matter for debate. She crawled onto the other side, kicking off her boots and slipping  under the comforter. What a way to start married life...

She'd spoken to General Hammond, just before they'd been due to leave. He'd actually congratulated her on her ingenuity. One thing had been certain, she hadn't wanted Jack O'Neill to die. Sam wasn't sure why. All she knew was,  SG-1 was more important to her than anything else. They were the family she had never really known.  The thought of one of them being left behind had hurt more than anything ... and the fact it was the colonel ...

She lay there, listening to the rain pour down on the roof of their quarters, pondering the answer to that question.

The bed shifted as he lay down beside her.  He certainly didn't seem to be having any trouble sleeping ... within five minutes he was snoring gently.  She hadn't realised he snored. When they were on a mission, sleeping on the ground, he never did ... why then was he most definitely doing so now?  What was different about sleeping in a bed?

Had this all been a terrible mistake? A marriage of convenience was one thing, but to be instantly shoved into close quarters like this ... it was a recipe for disaster. She turned over to look at the colonel. Again she was struck by the fact she hadn't wanted him to die. He was one of her best friends and that had to be a good basis for any relationship ... but he could also be one of the most annoying men in existence. Of course she could have persuaded him to marry someone else, but she didn't think that would have worked.  Sam knew the colonel liked her. She remembered the night they had spent together in Antarctica ... and the 'side arm'.

Which was an important point. For this to work at all, they were going to have to draw some boundaries. Sam knew she had been living without sex for long enough, a couple more years wasn't going to hurt. After a decent period of time, they could probably go their separate ways, she realised and no one would be any the wiser. That settled, she allowed her mind to drift, heading towards sleep.

Sam awoke stiff and sore. She'd spent so much time trying not to touch her sleeping partner that she'd had minimal rest. As a consequence she was cranky ... very cranky.  This bed wasn't large enough, she realised. The colonel  was already up and out, which was another source of annoyance. She'd wanted to talk to him. Perhaps he'd known that, which was why he'd left so quietly.

She took a shower and changed her clothes before venturing outside. There hadn't been much chance to see the facility last night, what with the rain and all. Now, the sight dampened her spirits considerably. Everything was grey.

It had stopped raining, but the clouds were low and heavy, promising a further downpour before the day was out.  This must once have been meadowland, but the grass had been torn up and replaced with concrete. All the buildings were little more than prefabricated shells ... easy to transport through the Stargate but not very pretty to look at. Sam turned around, acquainting herself with the layout of the base.

Living quarters surrounded three sides of the open area. Behind them she could see the bulk of the other buildings; labs, medical facilities, warehouses. Ever since the Stargate had been opened, and the need for an outpost had been identified, work had begun on building this place.  Over the years it had slowly grown into a relatively impressive facility ... large enough for the two hundred men and women who now lived here.

Sam headed towards the commissary, wanting coffee and companionship. She still had to report in to the base commander ... but that could wait. Breakfast first. The colonel was sitting at a table with Daniel and Teal'c. He looked up as he saw her enter the commissary, a wary smile on his face.  She picked up some breakfast and joined them.  Although the room was crowded, the conversation was very subdued. Most people were trying to adjust to finding themselves living on this new world. The murmur of voices seemed to drop as Sam slid into the seat next to the colonel. No doubt the gossip had started ...

Even Daniel and Teal'c had expectant grins on their faces ... as much as Teal'c ever grinned. Sam realised she was going to have  to give some kind of affectionate reply,

"Hey babe," the colonel grinned.

"We're going to have to talk," she hissed  in his ear.

For a start, if he called her babe again she was going to hurt him. Yesterday, he'd seemed as unsure about this as she was, but this morning, he was taking it as one big joke.

"They don't have Froot Loops," he told her. "I mean what kind of idiot is running this place?"

"Sir, the world is about to end. I doubt anyone is going to be worrying about your choice in breakfast cereal."

The last of the supplies and personnel would be coming through in a couple of hours.  And then ... Earth's fate was still in the balance. Predictions seemed to suggest that large parts of the surface would be destroyed along with a significant  proportion of the population. Of course there was always a chance the prediction would be wrong. A chance ...

"Jack," he reminded her.

"Sam," she returned, "never babe."

"Got it."

"Good."

"Sammie?"

"No."

His face was inches away from hers ... and he punctuated the conversation by placing a delicate kiss on her lips. Sam jumped back at the contact, almost sending her coffee flying. She glanced around the room ... as she expected they were pretty much the centre of attention.  Jack was sitting there grinning at her, no doubt pleased by her discomfort. And she just had to sit there and take it... so be it, but she'd get her revenge later. Someone would be sleeping outside tonight.

"We have to report in," she reminded him.

"Be there in a second ... honey."

Grinding her teeth, Sam led the way to the base commander's office.

"General Bauer ..." she said, poking her head around the door.

"For cryin' out loud... they picked you!" Jack exclaimed.

"Colonel O'Neill..." the general said as he shuffled his papers, "I understood you were to be responsible for closing down the SGC?"

"I was... but my wife had other ideas."

It was the first time Jack had referred to her as his wife ... and Sam did take a certain amount of satisfaction from it.

"Major Carter, they need help setting up the lab. Colonel O'Neill ... I'm sure we'll find something for you to do ... eventually."

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

By the time the day had ended, Jack was in a foul mood. Everywhere he'd gone, everywhere he'd tried to help, Bauer had gotten there first and made sure he wasn't needed. So he had nothing to do... and was severely bored.

Jack could spend many pleasant hours doing nothing, when it suited him. But this was different. This time he knew he could make a contribution. Bauer was just being a jerk. Sure they'd had that run in before, but Jack knew setting up the base here should transcend and personal differences. The general clearly thought differently. If he'd been back at the SGC, he would have gone to see Sam, but he had the feeling he wouldn't be particularly welcome right now. So all he could do was sit in their quarters and wait for her to come home. It wasn't a position he relished.

At least they still had an active Stargate. There were places he could go.  Unbidden, the memory of Edora sprung to his mind. Which gave him the first sparks of an idea. It was getting dark, so he couldn't do anything about it tonight ... but tomorrow, he decided, he was going to take a little walk and find out  exactly what this planet had to offer.

Sam didn't get back until the early hours of the morning. Jack had been asleep, but he roused himself the second she walked in the door. Even in the dim light, he could tell she was pissed.

"What's up?" he asked, wondering if he should have said anything. He had no idea whether Sam would want to talk or not.

She sat down on the edge of the bed, running her hands through her hair. Jack moved behind her and started to rub her tired shoulders.

"Don't," she told him.

"Just trying to help," he replied.

"Well, don't."

He sat back on his heels, hoping she'd say something else.

"I'm sorry, sir, but half the lab equipment wasn't  unpacked properly... most of it isn't working... there's glass all over the place because some idiot dropped one of the crates and didn't stay around long enough to clear up."

"Can we get any more?" he asked.

"Not enough time. The order came through thirty minutes ago... no more wormhole contact with Earth."

"Oh."

Jack flopped backwards, contemplating the ceiling. This was it, no more home to go to. Sam had drawn  her knees up to her chest, her head buried in her folded arms. He felt he should comfort her in some way, but he just didn't know how.

It seemed like hours later when they both suddenly became alert. The sound of the Stargate activating was amplified by the stillness of the night. Years of training couldn't be denied  and they both headed out of their quarters without a second thought.

There was a group of soldiers gathered around the DHD and Sam pushed past them, trying to catch a glimpse of the symbols.

"It's an outgoing wormhole," Sam said.  "Who ordered this?"

"General Bauer," one of them answered.

"The stupid son of a ..."

"Carter?" Jack asked, not entirely sure what was happening.

"He's dialled Earth, sir. Look at the wormhole."

It was glowing brighter than normal. Without anything coming through it should have shut down.

"Crap," Jack swore.

"We have to clear the area."

"All right, you heard the major, everyone out of here," Jack ordered.

"But sir, the general..." one of the men protested.

"I said now!"

They didn't wait to be told again. The men scattered, running back towards the settlement. Meanwhile, Carter had started ripping into the DHD.

"Major?" Jack demanded.

"I have to shut it down."

"Bad?"

"Yes, sir."

"Here."

He handed her his Swiss army knife and she used it to lever off the control panel. As she did so Jack's attention returned to the Stargate. The wormhole was still open. Sam was on her hands and knees, ripping out control crystals as fast as she could.

"It won't shut down," she yelled.

But she refused to give up. In the end Jack had to force her to take her own advice.  Picking her up bodily, he dragged her away from the DHD. She struggled briefly, but he was strong enough to persuade her  running away was the best thing to do. He pulled her into a nearby ditch, covering her body with his own as the gate went critical. Time seemed to slow as debris rained down on them ... grass... lumps of rock... and mud... there was lots of mud. As the air finally stilled, Jack felt Sam stir beneath him. He moved off her as they crawled out of the ditch and surveyed the ruin which had once been the Stargate.

The DHD was no more, having been flattened by the 'gate ... which was now horizontal.

"At least it's still in one piece," Jack said.

But Sam looked as if she was about to cry. There were footsteps behind them. The base had been roused by the explosion, General Bauer at the fore.

"Major, Colonel... what the hell happened here?" he demanded.

Jack was suddenly struck by how beautiful Sam looked at that moment. Even thought she was covered head to foot in mud and slime. He also realised she was about to do something stupid, like hit a superior officer... As the situation was right now, Jack didn't have much to lose ... so he said what he was certain was going through her mind.

"You know damn well what happened!" he snapped. "It's what she told you would happen if the Stargate was active when the SGC got hit!"

Sam looked at him as if she thought he'd lost his mind. Maybe he had, but if anyone was going to get the Stargate working again, it was Sam. She couldn't do that if she was cleaning latrines with her toothbrush. He, on the other hand, was disposable.

"Colonel O'Neill, you are way out of line!" Bauer exclaimed.

The general had turned a strange shade of puce ... and Jack didn't care. Maybe if the guy had a heart attack they could get rid of the bumbling idiot.

"I'm not the one who destroyed our only way off this rock!" Jack spat back. "Were you born an idiot or have you practised?"

"You are confined to quarters until further notice," the general ordered. "Major Carter you will start working on restoring the Stargate at first light. Do I make myself understood?"

Sam looked as if she was about to protest, but Jack glared at her.

"Yes sir," she answered, for both of them.

"Very well, escort Colonel O'Neill back to his quarters."

Several of the SF's who had been gathered around the 'gate, came to Jack's side.

"I know the way," he told them.

Without waiting for his escort, he headed back towards the living quarters. Sam hurrying to catch up with him.

"What the hell was that about?" she hissed.

"Saving you from yourself," he returned.

"I don't need you to protect me!"

"Yes, you do."

Her mouth narrowed to a thin, hard line and Jack knew, from her point of view, he had screwed up. But he didn't really care. He had so wanted to break Bauer's nose! How that guy had made general was a mystery ... almost a big a one as how he had managed to get this command.
 
"I need a shower," Sam announced, when they got back to their quarters.

"I'll fight you for it," Jack returned.

They were both covered in slime from the ditch, which, quite frankly didn't smell too good.

"Or we could share?"

It wasn't really a serious suggestion, but Carter wasn't the one confined to quarters.

"You take the shower, I'll go across the road."

She picked up her kit and disappeared, leaving Jack alone.

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

As the days went by, the weather changed noticeably. Rain and grey skies gave way to long, hot, summer days. But there was still no joy with regard to the Stargate. It remained stubbornly inoperable. Even without the DHD, they should have been able to dial the 'gate manually. They had a naquadah reactor to provide the power... it should have been easy.  Should have been... but Sam had been working 24-7 for the past month and she hadn't gotten any further than setting the Stargate upright again.

Janet could tell her friend was frustrated... frustrated and overworked. Bauer was continually on her back, but he wasn't the real problem. Every member of this community was struggling with the knowledge they could be stuck on this world for the rest of their lives, and everyone was looking to Sam to provide an answer. She was the only one who could allow them to break free of this isolation. She was under a great deal of pressure, so it was no wonder she was getting headaches. They had to be pretty bad for Sam to come and see her doctor.

She checked her friend over, noticing the loss of weight, the dark circles under her eyes ... and she made the only recommendation she could.

"Take a break," she said.

"Janet ... I can't"

"Sam, you have to. Honey, you're exhausted. You are not going to get the Stargate working again if you're too tired to see straight. Take a couple of days off, I'll clear it with the general and ..."

"But what am I supposed to do?"

Janet looked at her in surprise. She understood that, previously, Sam didn't have much of a personal life, but her friend had only been married a month. Surely she'd relish the opportunity to spend time with her husband.

"You know, you and Colonel O'Neill never had a proper honeymoon ... I'm sure something could be arranged."

If anything Sam tensed even more.

"Everything is okay between you and the colonel?" she asked carefully. Janet didn't really want to sound as if she were intruding on their privacy, but if there was something wrong ... To her surprise Sam laughed.

"Can I tell you something?" she asked.

"Anything," Janet reassured her. "You know that."

"The whole things a sham. We got married so Jack wouldn't be left behind."

"Oh."

Janet felt nothing but pity for her friend. Trapped in a loveless marriage... she knew how Sam must feel. If her own experience was anything to go by... But Janet had loved her husband once. She'd always thought Sam had some kind of feelings for her commanding officer. They certainly flirted enough.

"Whose idea was it?" she asked.

"General Hammond's. He wanted Jack here ... And I think Bauer was the reason. He knew the guy was a jerk."

"Does Jack know?"

"No. He thinks it was all my idea  ... Oh God Janet... I mean Jack's a good man, and he's really trying. I feel so bad about this."

"It's not your fault."

"I thought I could handle it."

"Sam ... whatever else he might be, the colonel is still your friend. Talk to him about this. Chances are he's as tense as you are."

"Maybe I should."

"And soon ... tell you what, we'll go over now."

"Now?"

"Yes, now."

Janet didn't give Sam time to argue. She led the way out of the infirmary and down towards the area of the base where the colonel had been assigned.

During the initial planning of the off-world facility, the possibility of Stargate malfunction had been debated. At the time, it had been thought unlikely. After all, experience had shown the Stargates were pretty indestructible. Even so, the contingency had been provided for. The men and women assigned to the base had to be self supporting. Native species were not suitable for domestication, so earth livestock had been imported along with specimens of edible plant life. Jack spent his days working in the fields, tending to the livestock. No doubt, General Bauer had seen the colonel's assignment as some kind of punishment, but Janet had never seen Jack so relaxed. He seemed to enjoy the manual work and he definitely had a rapport with the animals.

"Oh my ..." Janet breathed as the two women rounded a corner of the animal pens and came across Colonel O'Neill tossing hay over a fence. It was a warm day and he had stripped to the waist, wearing nothing but a pair of cut off fatigue pants and his boots. His body was tanned deep brown, and any surplus weight he might have been carried had long since burnt away as a result of his physical labours.  And he was sweaty ... very sweaty.

"Janet!" Sam hissed back, a touch of jealousy in her tone.

"Sam ... if you don't want ..."

But Janet really didn't have any designs on Jack O'Neill's body. Nice to look at, but a pain in the ass as far as she was concerned.

"Sir," she called out, alerting the man to their presence.

"Hey Doc," he grinned. "How's Cassie settling in?"

"Fine, thanks."

"Sam ..."

He came towards them, greeting his wife by draping his arm over her shoulders. Sam shrugged it off,

"It's okay, Jack," she told him, "Janet knows."

The  disappointment in the colonel's eyes was clear to anyone who cared to look. But he did as Sam said and backed away.

"What's up?" he asked.

"I want you to take Sam away from all this," Janet told him.

"Working too hard again?"

"I think so."

"Do I get a say in this?" Sam demanded.

"No. I'm going to arrange for you to have some leave tomorrow."

"Tomorrow?"

Sam seemed to think it was too soon, but Janet knew the two of them had to work out their problems now rather than later.

"Cool," the colonel grinned, "you pack the picnic, Sam and I'll bring the transport."

"Enjoy," Janet said and left them with a wave of her hand.

She had intended to go straight to the general, but she decided to take a detour.  Sam and Jack were going to need some help, she realised and there were a couple of people she needed to talk to. First and foremost, Daniel Jackson.

The archaeologist was cooling his heels. In the original plan, the exploration role of the SGC had been expected to continue ... in which case Dr. Jackson's input would have been invaluable. However, with the situation as it stood currently, there wasn't a great deal he could do. Still, he'd managed to bring enough books and manuscripts with him to keep himself occupied for a while. Janet wondered if he'd actually brought any clothes with him or whether he was washing his underwear every night.

"Hi, Janet," Daniel said to her, sounding slightly distracted.

Janet took the book out of his hands, forcing him to look at her.

"What?" he asked.

"Did you know about Sam and the colonel?"

"I was Jack's best man ... we tried to make Teal'c maid of honour but he wouldn't put on the taffeta."

"I'm being serious."

"What do you want me to say?"

"Do they ... I mean ... do they actually care about each other."

"They're friends."

"I know ... but is there more to it?"

Daniel sat back in his chair, taking his glasses off as he pondered Janet's question.

"Maybe," he said. "I've never seen Sam look at anyone the same way she looks at Jack."

There was a trace of resignation in Daniel's tone, which Janet chose to ignore.

"That's what I thought, I think they need some help."

"Help?"

Janet just smiled.

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

It was the perfect day. Although there had been some rain during the night, Sam awoke to a cloudless sky... and an empty bed. This wasn't exactly unusual. Jack was usually up at sunrise and came back at dusk. She didn't know if this was in order to get as much work done as possible, or to avoid spending time with her. They seemed to have solved the sleeping problem anyway. By the time night fell, they were both too exhausted to care much about who they were sharing a bed with. The only proviso Sam had made was that Jack shower before he came to bed . Since he spent most of the day with animals, this was obligatory.

For some unaccountable reason, Sam was feeling nervous. Thanks to Janet's untimely intervention, she and Jack were going to be forced into each other's presence for a whole day. It was almost like a date. Which probably dictated Sam's choice of wardrobe. She pulled out some of the clothes she had brought from Earth. Jeans and a button down shirt. Nothing fancy, but at least it wasn't fatigues. Recalling Jack's instructions, she made her way over to the commissary to pick up some breakfast and lunch for both of them. Knowing Jack they would be gone all day.

If she were honest with herself, she did need to take a break. Her mind was tired. If there was a simple solution to the problem she probably wouldn't see it. Sometimes, annoying as it might seem, Janet was right.
Food and water duly collected, Sam headed around to the animal pens to find out exactly what Jack had meant by transport.

He was waiting for her, along with two of the horses which had been donated to the project by the Shavadi

"These are broken?" she asked.

"Yeah, and someone had the foresight to bring some tack ... so we're all set," he grinned.

For a second Sam thought about telling him she couldn't ride, but he'd know she'd be lying. Besides, they were beautiful horses. Jack swung himself easily into the saddle, perfectly at home.

"You coming?" he teased.

Knowing there was no way she was getting out of this, Sam followed suit. She soon found herself relaxing. She hadn't had much time to explore the area around the base and it was nice to just amble over the ground, gradually getting used to her horse's pace.

"Do they have names?" she asked him.

"Homer and Marge," he answered promptly. "You've got Marge."

She rolled her eyes.

"Do we have the entire cast of the Simpsons?"

"Pretty much... apart from Ned Flanders. Couldn't quite place him...maybe one of the chickens...?"

She laughed as she pushed Marge into a canter. Not one to be left behind, Jack  followed. If nothing else, she realised, they were getting a good idea of the lay of the land around the base.

They stopped for lunch by a stream some miles from the base. Apart from the sound of the horse cropping grass, there was no other sign of life. If she didn't know better, Sam could have believed they were the only animal life on the entire planet.  The fresh air and exercise were working wonders on her spirit. Even the commissary food tasted good out here. After eating she and Jack took their boots and socks off and went wading in the stream. It was probably a dumb thing to do, they had no idea what could be living in the water. They slipped and slid over the rocks, laughing at each other. Jack got more than a light soaking when he stepped into a pool which was a lot deeper than it looked.  While he went looking for fish, Sam stretched out on the bank, enjoying the feeling of the sun on her face.

She didn't mean to sleep, but the hand shaking her shoulder and the position of the sun in the sky told her she'd been out for a couple of hours. Jack was grinning down at her.

"Hey sleepy," he said, "it's time to head back."

"What time is it?" she asked, rubbing the sleep from her eyes.

"A little after 1700, it's going to take us a couple of hours to get back."

"I'm sorry."

"What for?"

"Going to sleep."

"I had a little power nap myself. I guess we both needed it."

He was sitting beside her, his eyes hidden behind his sunglasses. She had the feeling he didn't want to go back, that he just wanted to keep on riding.

They caught the horses and slowly made their way back towards the base. Sam noticed Jack was taking a slightly different route than before. She didn't have any qualms about his sense of direction, but she did wonder why. When she asked him about it, he just shrugged  and told her  there was something he wanted her to see. He wouldn't say anymore.

"This way," he told her eventually, directing Homer through a stand of trees.

Curious, Sam followed.  He drew to a halt by a small lake ... so clear and still she could see all the way to the bottom. By her estimation, they weren't that far from the  base. Their living quarters were just over the hill. Still, she couldn't help feeling a sense of isolation.

"Beautiful, isn't it?" Jack said.

"Yes," Sam admitted.

It was that, but she couldn't shake the feeling Jack desperately wanted her to approve.

"I thought it would be a good place to build a house," he went on.

"A what?"
 
"A house ... nothing fancy ... but we should be able to build something with a couple of rooms, maybe some loft space. The ground's cleared already so we'd just have to bring in the lumber and ..."

This was all moving far too fast for Sam. A house? What did he want to build a house for?  He'd obviously thought about this a lot. He was serious, which meant he wanted this sham  of a marriage to continue.

"The land around here's not bad, and there's fish in the lake..."

"Stop!" she told him.

"What?"

"This is wrong ... we can't ... I mean I can't ..."

They would get off this world. She'd get the Stargate working again, whatever Jack might think.

"The Stargate will be operational soon," she told him.

"I'm sure if anyone can fix it, you can ... but we have to face the fact this may be our home for a while," he said in what was a reasonable tone of voice.

"I will not accept that."

Pulling her horse around, Sam headed back towards the base as fast as she could.

"Sam!"

The sound of galloping hooves told her that Jack was coming after her. But Sam had gotten a good head start and Marge lived up to the Shavadi boast of breeding the fastest horses. She didn't know what it was about Jack's words that had unsettled her so much. Maybe it was the finality. First a house, then what? Kids?  If they made a life for themselves, it would be almost impossible to leave. Somehow Sam couldn't see herself spending the rest of her life here.

There seemed to be a great deal of activity around the base, but Sam didn't take any notice. She took Marge straight around to her paddock. Jack was right behind her and there was no way to avoid him as she rubbed down her horse and got her settled for the night.

"What's so bad about staying here?" he demanded.

"You want to give up, don't you?" she accused him

"Not like that."

"I'd be about right. It's what you did on Edora."

"Edora ...? That was three years ago!"

"While I was working my ass off, you just gave up and started playing happy families with Laira!"

"For cryin' out loud Carter, I slept with her one time ... and I was outta my skull. I wasn't even that good."

"And that makes all the difference?"
 
"What was I supposed to do? Laira wasn't the spawn of Satan, you know!"

It was a question  Sam couldn't answer. If she took time to think about it, she would raise too many disturbing questions. So she decided to ignore him. Giving Marge a last pat on the nose, she started back towards the living quarters....almost running into Janet as she did.

"Have a good day?" Janet asked.

"Super," Sam replied.

She could hear Jack coming up the path behind her.

"Come on," Janet said.

"Why?" Jack snapped.

"They're waiting for you?"

For a second Sam felt her gaze meet Jack's. What the hell was Janet up to? They had no choice but to follow. The central square was seething with people. A large fire had been lit and several tables had been dragged out of the commissary and surrounded the edge of the square.

"What is all this for?" Sam asked, now totally confused.

"It's your wedding reception," the doctor explained. "Since you denied us all by sneaking off to Vegas...."

"Um...Janet this may not be such a good idea," Jack ventured.

"Sir, the people here need something to celebrate, and until something better comes along, you two are it. So sit back and enjoy.....doctors orders."

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

Jack was a little drunk....a fact which he would be the first to admit. For the supposedly happily married couple, he and Sam had been avoiding each other all evening. He was sitting watching, as she moved effortlessly from group to group. Jack couldn't actually bring himself to move. He let people come to him.
Janet had been right about one thing. The morale of the group had definitely improved. Jack feared some kind of RSI in his wrist, so many people had shaken his hand.

He glanced around the crowd of people, seeking out his friends....Daniel was surrounded by pretty girls, as usual. At one time he might have been jealous, but as he'd gotten older he'd settled down to the idea of one guy, one girl. Speaking of guys and girls, Cassandra seemed to be very interested in a conversation she was having with Lieutenant Grogan. Seemed she had gotten over leaving Dominic behind. He was glad the kid was here. She'd been through a lot in her brief life. No doubt Janet had done some fast talking to get her daughter included in the list of personnel. Then again the General Hammond  had been a soft touch....and Janet was vital to the success of the colony.

It had come as no surprise to find out that someone had brought beer....or had found time to brew some. It didn't taste that great, but Jack was beyond caring. He really hadn't expected Sam to react so badly to his suggestion.

"What's so wrong about wanting to build a house?" he demanded.

"Nothing O'Neill," came the calm response.

"Then why's Sam mad at me?"

Okay, maybe he was more than a little drunk. Jack realised he should probably shut up now and not pour out his problems to Teal'c but then again the big jaffa was the only person who was willing to listen. Everyone else was too busy having a good time.

"I mean, I'm really trying my best here, T. I thought if maybe we had more space...."

"Indeed the living quarters here are cramped."

"But nooooo....she thinks I'm giving up. Whatever that meant.....?"

"Perhaps she is annoyed for some other reason. Have you been leaving your garments on the floor of your domicile?"

"No."

"Emitting noxious gases in your bed?"

"No....well....not intentionally."

"Are you deficient sexually?"

"What? No...I mean....we're sleeping together...but we're not...sleeping together, if you know what I mean?"

"I do not."

"There's no horizontal action."

"Your meaning is unclear to me O'Neill."

Teal'c was a great friend, but sometimes he took things too damn literally. Jack took another swallow of his beer....only to realise that the glass was empty. He decided to get some more beer. However, before he could reach the much needed beverage, Jack's arm was grabbed by Janet who dragged him into the centre of the crowd. To his acute embarrassment,  Sam had been similarly accosted by Daniel.

"Could I have some quiet here!" Janet yelled.

Man, but her voice could carry. Gradually, conversation came to a halt, and Jack found himself, and Sam, were the centre of attention.

"Ladies and gentlemen, I ask you to raise your glasses to the happy couple!" she went on.

All around the square, people were echoing the toast. Jack didn't know where to look, especially not at Sam.

"Speech," someone shouted. Jack suspected it was Daniel, but he couldn't be certain.

"Speech!" the chant was taken up by the rest of the crowd.

Janet elbowed him in the ribs and Jack realised he was going to have to say something. He had no idea what, but he opened his mouth and hoped words would come out.

"Thanks," he said.

Everyone laughed.

"Usually I'm a man of few words...."

Unfortunately, there was no flash of light and he didn't find himself standing on Thor's ship.

"I'd just like to say....I'm a lucky man to have someone as smart and beautiful as Sam in my life."

There was a cheer. He was about to say something else, but luckily Janet stepped in.

"Cassie, turn the music on.....Jack and Sam....you have the honour of the first dance."

Crap! Jack thought. He snuck a look at Sam, who looked similarly unenthralled by the idea. Still it was just one dance. Maybe afterwards they could make their excuses and leave. No one would question them wanting to get an 'early night' so to speak. Sam must have had the same idea, because when he held out his arms, she didn't hesitate and stepped into his loose embrace.

The music was some ballad Jack couldn't place, he didn't particularly care. He just wanted it to be short.

"Sorry," he whispered in Sam's ear as they started to move.

"Not your fault," she told him.

"Aren't you going to kiss her, colonel?" A voice yelled. Siler ... who sounded like he'd had more beer than was good for him.

Jack looked at Sam, who shrugged. There was just enough alcohol in his system to make him do something a little more than a brief brush of the lips. Taking Sam more firmly in his arms, he dipped her, pressing his mouth against hers in a long lingering kiss. He could feel the tension in her body, and he knew she'd be mad at him, but he was past caring. The whoops and cheers from the crowd finally brought him back to his senses. Sam was trembling, probably with anger. Under any other circumstances she would have hit him....would definitely hit him, once they got away from this circus. He gently set her upright again, keeping hold of one of her hands.

"And on that note," he announced, "we wish you goodnight."

Still holding Sam's hand, he led her towards the living quarters.

He was lucky, she didn't explode until they had safely shut the door behind them.

"Ow!" he protested when she hit him.  "I thought I did well under the circumstances."

"You took advantage of me! Do you know how embarrassing that was?"

"Well, it wasn't a lot of fun for me either."

"Right and you didn't enjoy that kiss at all."

"That wasn't a kiss.....this is a kiss...."

Jack took her face in his hands and, very gently, brushed his lips against hers with all the tenderness he could muster. He felt her body melt against his for a second before she tore herself  away and  disappeared into the bathroom.

He sat back on the bed, suddenly realising the irrevocable truth.

He was in love with Samantha Carter ... deeply and hopelessly in love with her.....

And she hated him.

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

She hated Jack O'Neill.

Sam sat in the bathroom for well over an hour. Thinking about all the ways she hated Jack.....and waiting for him to go to bed. After the requisite amount of time had passed, she slipped silently back into the room. Sure enough Jack was asleep. He was on his side, curled up slightly, his head pillowed on his hands. Sam felt a trace of pity stir in her breast. She pulled the blanket a little tighter about his shoulders, tucking him in and smoothing the hair back from his forehead.

The party was still going on outside. Sam could hear music, laughter. No doubt many were speculating as to exactly what she and Jack would be doing right about now. How wrong they'd be. Sighing to herself, Sam crawled under the covers next to him. There was little else she could do. Sleeping on the floor had proved too uncomfortable. On the occasion she had tried it , Jack had trodden on her on his way to the bathroom ... and on the way back.

Jack never  mentioned the house again. It had become another of those subjects they couldn't discuss. A list which was becoming far too long for Sam's liking. And Jack was spending even more time away from her ... as were Daniel and Teal'c. She hadn't thought her other friends would avoid her in this way ... but she guessed this was what happened when any kind of relationship ended. Sam was pretty certain it was at an end. Not just their sham of a marriage, but their friendship too. It didn't help that Jack had managed to alienate General Bauer again. Sam cringed at the memory.

It had been during one of the staff briefings. Sam accepted that, given their current situation, most of what the general had to say was fairly pointless.  Jack usually sat at the back of the room, whispering comments to whoever would listen. He rarely spoke up. For some time, Sam had wondered why. She knew he wasn't usually one to stay so quiet. Eventually, she should have known, he would snap.

Bauer had seemed to accept that the Stargate wasn't going to be operational any time soon. But, in his infinite wisdom, the general had found another task for Sam and her team.

"Weapons! You want them to build weapons!"

Jack's voice had been heavy with derision. The room stilled, waiting with bated breath to hear what the colonel would say next.

"For cryin' out loud ... we could be stuck here for the rest of our lives. We should be building homes not guns! We have to clear more land, plant more crops ... unless we do that we are going to be royally screwed."

"Colonel O'Neill you will stand down!" Bauer snapped.

"Am I the only one who's noticed it's getting cold at night?" Jack ignored the general. "Am I? Think how much worse it's going to get. Sure we could maybe make it through one winter ... but what about next year or the year after that?"

"The colonel has a point!" Sam had heard herself say, in support of her husband. But her words were lost in the shouts of the crowd. She doubted that Jack had even heard her.  Sam felt she should have said more, done more, but her path towards Jack was blocked by several SF's and she could do nothing but watch as Bauer summoned guards to drag Jack to the holding cells.

He'd been incarcerated for two days. Bauer would have court martialled him if it weren't for the fact that every man and woman on this base had a job to do. Even though he seemed to spend most of his days shovelling animal excrement, Jack was vital to the success of failure of the colony.  After his release, Jack seemed to have withdrawn into himself ... taking Daniel and Teal'c with him.

At least Janet still gave her the time of day. Sam found herself spending a lot of time in the doctor's company, but in a strange kind of way she missed Jack ... more than she would have thought possible.

Jack's angry words were reinforced some days later when Sam went to meet Janet for breakfast. She noticed a definite chill in the air as she crossed from the living quarters to the infirmary. Jack hadn't come home that night and she'd definitely been cold in bed. However, her own depression was put on hold when Cassandra pushed past her, the girl's face streaked with tears.

"What's wrong with Cassie?" Sam asked sitting down to coffee and toast.

"I have no idea," the doctor admitted, "hormones probably ... either that or Grogan hasn't spoken to her today....or he has spoken to her today ... remember when you had nothing else to worry about apart from boys?"

"Isn't he a little old for her?" Sam wondered.

"Sam ... pot ... kettle ... black.."

"It's hardly the same."

For start, Sam wasn't sleeping with Jack ... had never slept with Jack ... and was probably never going to sleep with Jack.

"If she is sleeping with him, I'm pretty certain he's not the first," Janet sighed.

"Really?"

"I found condoms."

Janet rolled her eyes and Sam found herself laughing.

"Maybe I should go talk to her?" she suggested.

"Would you mind? She won't speak to me ... I'm just her mom after all."

"Sure."

After breakfast, Sam went to find Cassandra. She didn't actually have anything more pressing to take care of. The experiment she had been running wouldn't be finished for another couple of hours, so there was plenty of time to find out what was bothering the girl.

She found Cassandra sitting by herself in an out of the way part of the base. Sam realised how lonely the girl must be. There was no one here her own age. At best, she usually hung around with the recent academy graduates; Hailey, Grogan, to name just two. Even so ... she was just sixteen ... and had been ripped away from her home and friends for the second time in her life.

"Hey Cassie," Sam smiled ... sitting down next to her in the dust.

Cassandra didn't answer. Her face was dirty and Sam could see traces of tears on her cheeks.

"Mom send you?" Cassie said eventually.

"No, I sent myself," Sam replied.

"Right."

"What's up?"

"Nothing."

"Nothing? Whatever it is, your Mom's going to find out sometime. Wouldn't it be better to tell me first. I may be able to help."

"You can't fix this, Sam. No one can."

"What?"

The girl sighed, knowing she had to say something or be bugged for the rest of her life.

"I skipped a period," she admitted.

"Ah."

"I know.  Oh God ... what am I going to do Sam?"

"Tell your Mom."

"No!"

"Cass ... in this case, she really is the only person who can help you."

"She'll be mad at me."

"Yeah ... but she'll get over it."

"Will you tell her?"

"No, but I'll come with you if you want."

"You think I'm stupid."

"Oh honey... "

Sam gathered the girl into her arms, not quite sure what to say. She couldn't find it in her heart to scold. If she was pregnant, Cass was going to get enough harsh judgement, what she really needed was support.

"Come on," she said eventually, "let's go an see your Mom ... she'll be able to tell you for sure. Then you can decide what you want to do."

The interview with Janet went better than expected. The doctor was very businesslike ... and Sam had the feeling Janet pretty much knew what was wrong with her daughter.

"She won't be the last," Janet admitted, when Cassie had settled a little.

"What do you mean?" Sam asked.

"I'm not exactly flush with contraceptives here, once I run out everybody's going to have to start using the rhythm method."

"Oh."

"So you and Jack had better be careful."

"I don't think that's going to be a problem."

"You two still aren't...?"

"No."

"I'm sorry."

"Why does everyone think I should be with Jack O'Neill!!"

"Because ..."

It was the only answer Janet would give her.

Her afternoon in the labs seemed to crawl past. Sam spent most of her time staring out of the window. Unless there was something she had missed, the Stargate would never work again. She didn't want to give up, but Sam wondered if she had any other choice.

Janet was right about one thing. Human nature being what it was, children were going to be an integral part of life here. For possibly the first time, Sam realised that this base would inevitably become a colony. Realistically, even if one of their allies came, the nearest ship could be years away. This planet had been chosen as an offworld base because it was so remote. It was light-years from anywhere, and the Goa'uld had no idea it existed.

Her work finished for the day, Sam decided to leave the base and go for a ride. She'd loved horseback riding when she had been a child, and she was surprised she still enjoyed the sport. There was something very liberating about riding across the hills of this new world. Marge was free, and Sam quickly saddled her favourite mount. Homer was missing, she noticed, which meant Jack was out somewhere. Sam set off in the direction he was likely to have taken.

She needed to talk to him, she realised. They couldn't carry on this way. They should end it, quickly and cleanly, so the didn't hurt each other any more. Maybe then, they could go back to the way they'd been  before ... the best of friends.

Sam pushed her horse into a canter and then into a gallop. She needed to feel the wind in her hair. The ground was good ... even a little hard maybe. Despite the fact the weather was getting colder, it hadn't rained for weeks. As much as she hated to do so, Sam eventually had to check her mount. Marge protested a little but eventually dropped back to a walk. It took Sam some time to realise where they were. She hadn't ridden in this direction since that day with Jack, she was overlooking the small valley and the lake where he'd wanted to build his house.

A small smile touched her features. There, sure enough, was Jack along with Daniel and Teal'c ... they were working on a building set back from the edge of the water. It was, by no means finished, but Sam was amazed they had managed to do so much in a relatively short space of time. Four walls, the timbers of the roof, chimney ...

Marge saw Homer and whinnied a greeting, drawing the attention of the three men below. Daniel waved at her,

"Hey Sam!" he called, gesturing that she should join them.

Knowing what she had to do, Sam turned Marge and rode slowly towards them.

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

Jack knew Sam had come to find him. There was something about the expression on her face which told him he wasn't going to like what she had to say.

"What do you think?" Daniel asked.

"I'm amazed," Sam replied. "You did all this?"

"Pretty much," Jack admitted. "Some of the other guys helped out."

"Wow."

"Want to look around?"

"Sure."

He led her into the shell of the house, expecting Teal'c and Daniel to follow. However, his friends held back.

"We've got some ... er ... stuff  to do," Daniel said.

"No we have not," Teal'c added.

"Yes we do ... for Janet ... remember?"

"I do not."

"If you want to go, go!" Jack snapped, not having the patience for an elaborate charade.

"Right, we'll just ..."

Daniel made several pointing type gestures before he and Teal'c sidled away.

"Alone at last," Jack joked.

Sam looked less than amused. She wandered away from him, pretending to be interested in the stones which made up the fire place. He didn't know what to say to her, he knew she hated the idea of settling down here, but Jack had needed something to work towards ... something to make life more bearable. This kind of work wasn't completely alien to him. He'd learnt a lot during his time on Edora, and it was amazing how many people here had been willing to help him. Seemed he wasn't the only one who recognised the potential of this place. It was a just a pity he couldn't make Bauer see sense.

"It'll be a while before it's liveable," he admitted. "I'm hoping we'll get the roof on before winter, but it may be spring before we can live here."

Sam gestured to the sleeping bag in one corner,

"It looks like you've pretty much been doing that," she said.

Jack was silent. He knew he should have gone home last night but it had gotten too difficult to share the bed with Sam. He'd needed some time by himself to get his head round what was happening.

"Sorry, I left a message with Cassie," he explained.

"Cass has her own set of problems right now."

"What? Is she okay?"

"I hope so."

"Sam, you're not making much sense here."

"She's pregnant."

"What!"

He was going to kill Grogan ... hell he should have taken the opportunity to put a bullet in him during training.

"Calm down, Jack," Sam told him, "it's between them ... and Janet."

"I hope she shoves a needle in his butt and leaves it there!"

She offered him a weak smile, but there was something else on her mind.

"Why have you done this, Jack?" she asked.

He was confused. She knew why ... didn't she?

"For us?" she pushed.

"Kind of."

He stared at his boots, embarrassed.

"Jack, we have to face facts..."

"I like being married to you," he blurted out.

"What?"

"Being married, I like it. I like having someone to come home to... someone there at night... and I like the fact it's you."

She stared at him, her blue eyes wide. This time it was Jack who pretended to be interested in something else.

"Are you coming home tonight?" she asked.

"I thought I'd stay here ... wanna join me?"

Sam nodded, almost shyly and Jack's heart leapt. He was pretty certain this wasn't what she had come here to do, but he didn't care.

As night fell, he lit a fire for them, to ward off the worst of the chill. Sam hadn't said much and Jack didn't know if it was a good idea to start a conversation. So they sat in silence, eating the meal he had brought with him.

"Clear skies," he said eventually.

"What?"

"No light pollution."

"Oh."

"Look at the stars."

This planet was situated in a more densely populated part of the galaxy than Earth and the stars were especially brilliant. Jack had never really studied the stars on another world. He'd never had the time, until now. And he wanted to share it with Sam. His wife. He lay a blanket on the ground, then opened up the sleeping bag so it would cover both of them . Without prompting Sam crawled into the makeshift bed. Jack settled beside her, both of them staring up at the night sky.