Jack pulled the collar of his jacket tight against his throat and slammed the truck door. The wind had picked up markedly since he left home and headed for the airport. Fat, feathery snowflakes swirled in miniature funnels across the vast parking lot and up on the flat roof of the terminal. He bowed his head and blinked to clear the moisture from his lashes. Beneath the persistent whine of the wind, Jack could hear a muted roar. He hoped it was a plane, and cursed for the umpteenth time that she had insisted on flying home instead of remaining in sunny San Diego.

�I�ll be getting in at about 2 p.m. weather dependent of course.�

He stumbled over the concealed curb and swore softly as pain radiated through his bad right knee.

�Well, our resident weather fanatic has been watching the news again. There�s a really bad storm moving in, I think you should stay put.�

Jack straightened stiffly and moved into the lee of the building. During their brief conversation, he tried to keep anxiety from showing too heavily on his face, or in his voice. She was an adult, perfectly capable of making a logical, intelligent choice. It was a relief of sorts that circumstances did not allow for anything more than companionable concern. Teal�c and Jonas were hovering around his office door when the call came in. Discussing the Christmas story and parallels in non earthbound cultures with a degree of enthusiasm only two aliens could muster. Each of them had valid points and despite his normal disdain for philosophical debate, Jack was intrigued. Unfortunately, the dire forecast blaring out from the radio on top of his filing cabinet proved an inescapable distraction. Jack grimaced anew at the ongoing need for propriety. Oh to be normal and allowed to show how flat out unnerved he was at the prospect of her flying! He shook his head in silent disgust, and pushed back the cuff of his coat. The digital read 1620 hrs. Damn!

�I�ll be fine, Sir. Don�t worry about it.�

Don�t worry. Yeah, easier said than done!

A wave of warm air rolled over Jack as a glut of people exited the building. He shook his head and forced the cloying feelings of unease to the back of his mind. More than likely the flight had been postponed, or cancelled. He knew plenty of pilots and FAA personnel. Most of them were rational human beings, even if Carter was not.

He pushed away from the chilly cement wall and walked into the comforting heat of the terminal. The large, airy facility was quiet for 4 p.m. on Christmas Eve. Knots of waiting family and friends huddled against the wall, anxiously reading the list of flights. Jack looked up and began to scan. Searching for her flight number and hoping it was listed in red as a cancellation. He heard a groan of dismay as someone discovered what he wished to see and was none too happy.

Tough, better safe than� Jack�s draw dropped. American Airlines Flight 146 from San Diego arriving� He looked at his watch and swore vehemently. Ten minutes ago!

The rumble had not been a snowplow or someone�s V-8 idling down, it had been a 747 landing on the snow packed runway. Jack jammed his fists into his pockets and turned to make his way to the American gates. Idiots! What possessed any sane person to fly in a blizzard? Christmas be damned! He took several deep breaths, attempting to banish the emerging inner Scrooge as he waited for a cluster of people to board the escalator. At least the plane was down and judging by the absence of fire and rescue equipment, it was in one piece. Jack ground his teeth and stared numbly at the floor, seeking to control his racing heart.

�Besides, this is Jonas� first Christmas, and you know how much he�s been looking forward to the experience��

Oh yes, we can�t disappoint the Kelownan elf! Never mind that a polar bear would hole up if he�d been listening to the same news broadcasts Jack was treated to on the drive across town.

The end of the escalator snagged his toe, and Jack was hard pressed not to stumble into the back of the man in front of him. The stranger heard the harsh squeak of his boot soles and turned, offering a steadying hand and a cautious smile. �You okay, buddy?�

�Yeah, thanks.� He flashed a plastic grin in return and strode rapidly down the carpeted hallway towards the security stations. At least Jonas was not present to be the victim of his misdirected ire. The younger man had worked hard, proving his worth in countless ways since Jack reluctantly allowed him to join SG-1. Researching the history of Christmas offered a relaxing change from constant peril, and he had embraced the idea with unfettered enthusiasm. Unfortunately for Jonas, his naivet� invited some of Jack�s more maudlin memories to surface. He shook his head as the image of the younger man�s broad smile and twinkling brown eyes flashed through his mind. Not this year� He refused to subject either of them to another round of �This is Your Life�, complete with drunken undertones.

Jack slowed and finally stopped. A small group of hearty souls occupied the room and hallway just outside the gates. He moved to the wall, shunning a scattering of empty seats in favor of the hard surface against his kinked back.

The Christmas party was Jonas� idea. Despite the requisite depression Jack invariable endured during the holidays, he agreed whole-heartedly. This year was different for a lot of reasons, and he fully intended to embrace the best parts of the yuletide spirit. Thanksgiving had fallen during his month long sabbatical with Harry Maybourne. Fish for turkey, it had not mattered until he saw Carter�s face. The fear and lurking joy that shone in her vivid, blue eyes as he limped down the ramp on the arm of one of the Tok�ra agents. It was worth every bug infested, paranoia shrouded second just to feel the warmth of her hand as it slid around his waist in support. When he draped an appreciative arm across her shoulders, Jack discovered she was trembling. No force of will could suppress the tide of relief and gratitude that washed between them as the Tok�ra stepped away and they stood alone. Sharing a brief moment of understanding before Janet Fraiser�s medical staff invaded. Their arrival heralded by the insistent buzz and rumble of the Gateroom door.

Jack scrubbed a hand through his damp hair and let it fall with a slap against his thigh. His anger had nothing to do with Jonas elf and everything to do with not allowing Carter to jeopardize herself again for his or anyone else�s sake. After the experience on Wodan�s planet she asked for leave. The request was a complete shock, and Jack found himself considering a heart to heart with her for the first time in two years. Nirrti and her experiments had come too close to putting an end to something that had never been given room to breathe. Carter was disturbed enough by the experience to want a break from the mountain and some time with her earthbound family, which proved one thing decisively to Jack. She was finally in the mood to reevaluate her life and hopefully his place in it.

A plethora of entirely selfish urges followed in the wake of her announcement to spend the week before Christmas out West. Jack collared them all with iron restraint. The time for frustration, even anger, at her continued reticence was long in the past. He would wait.

�Flight number 146 from San Diego is now debarking at Gate 10. All interested parties please be patient.�

Jack flinched. Interested parties, is that who he was? The irony of the words elicited a frustrated grimace. Interested had never been the problem. The who and the what were always in the way, however. Not even a simple holiday gathering could be free of military protocols.

Jonas had eagerly invited General Hammond to the evening�s festivities. Their CO accepted immediately, apparently as intrigued by the Kelownan�s interpretation of the Christmas mythos as Teal�c and Janet were. Jack released a weary sigh and peeked around the end of the line and into the room beyond. A smattering of passengers bedecked with luggage trickled into view, Carter conspicuously absent. For a brief moment he hoped, prayed, that she had missed her flight. Coping with her absence would be infinitely easier than forcing himself to stand the requisite six inches apart while they danced to Christmas carols in a room full of friends.

A gleaming blond head appeared behind a glut of chattering college kids. Jack swallowed hard, his heart lurching with a combination of relief and dismay. He pushed away from the wall and shuffled forward with the group of well wishers as they made their way into the room. Someone shouted, and a young woman brushed roughly past him. Jack grunted beneath his breath and watched enviously as the two strangers came together and shared a deep kiss. Their cheeks flushed and their fingers intertwined with the pleasure and promise of reunion. He tore his eyes from the painful sight and discovered that Carter was watching the same pair. Her eyes were dark and glassy, and he could see that her hands were chalk white where they gripped the handle of her carry on luggage.

�Carter!� he called sharply, eager to break the spell for her sake and his.

She smiled in evident relief and slung the long strap of the bag across one shoulder before walking towards him. �Thanks for coming.�

�I had a choice?� he quipped as he slid the strap down her arm.

�You don�t have to��

Jack ignored her and gave the case a firm tug. She released it, her chilled fingers briefly sliding over the back of his hand in the process. The breath caught in Jack�s throat and he shook his head. Submerging the errant tingles of pleasure beneath a wash of muttered oaths. �For someone as smart as you are this was pretty stupid, Carter.�

�Sir?� She quirked an eyebrow and tilted her head as they moved through the thinning crowd and into the hallway. �It was sunny when I left.�

�Smartass,� Jack griped as he hefted the luggage. �What have you got in here?�

�Just the usual, hair dryer, curling iron, bottled water, a book��

Jack snorted, �War and Peace?"

�I�ve never read it.�

�Makes a nice doorstop,� he remarked grimly.

They walked to the escalator and descended towards the main floor. �You've got two suitcases, right?�

She nodded, a quirky smile lifting the edges of her pale lips. �You remembered? I�m surprised.�

�I�m not, my back is still out!� Carter made no reply to his grumbling, and Jack stifled a sigh of relief. There was the tiniest of possibilities that they would make it through the twenty minute ride to Jonas� apartment if she would just let him continue to rant and bluster. The only viable alternative to �talking�� Jack squashed the hapless thought and stepped to one side as Carter joined the glut of travelers hovering about the carousels. The image of the reunited lovers flashed through his troubled thoughts, spawning an involuntary groan. A stranger smiled and gestured towards the moving belt. �She�s a heavy packer I take it?�

�Huh?� Jack glanced up and followed the man�s stubby finger. �Oh yeah, sort of,� he answered distantly. Not that I would know.

A pair of suitcases matching the smaller bag on his shoulder spun into view. Carter leaned forward and slid them from the belt, wincing as she pivoted and rejoined him on the edge of the crowd. �I forgot how heavy these are!�

�Everything but the kitchen sink,� he muttered. The stranger laughed loudly, forcing a shudder down Jack�s sweaty back. �Come on let�s get out of here.�

�No arguments here.�

The crowd in the main terminal had increased. As if dusk were some sort of pied piper call to roost. Jack shouldered his way through the milling bodies, bracing for the frigid onslaught lying in wait beyond the sliding doors. After a moment spent navigating around a chattering group of children, they stepped through. The wind descended in a blinding swirl of miniature needles, a bone chilling blast furnace set in reverse. He shivered and clenched his fingers, wishing briefly for the leather gloves tossed haphazardly on the dashboard of the truck. Carter sucked in a stuttering breath and ducked her head against his shoulder as they stumbled off the curb and into the calf deep snow choking the parking lot.

�They really need a garage,� Jack remarked in a vain attempt at distraction. The Christmas party was beginning to feel more like fantasy than reality. He flinched as one suitcase bumped heavily against the back of his leg and Carter released a second startled gasp.

�Sorry about that.�

�No problem, I wasn�t using that one anyway.� He pushed the physical discomfort aside with effort and continued to slog through the gathering drifts. The snow tore through their hair and bit into exposed flesh with unmerciful fury. �Better than any PT course,� Jack remarked blandly when they finally reached the relative shelter of the truck and paused for breath.

�Ya think?� she giggled softly, and he quirked a lip in response. Carter injecting levity into the situation, that had to be a good thing, right? �Keys?� she prompted through chattering teeth.

�Huh? Oh�� Jack fumbled through his pockets, embarrassed at the lapse.

�You okay?�

�Yeah, why do you ask?� He grasped the cold ring in the depths of his jacket pocket and pulled it free. �I�m just cold.�

�If you say so.�

Now what was this about? Jack suppressed the urge to question and grasped the suitcases from their snowy berth. �Get in before you freeze!� Carter dashed around the front of the truck and wrenched open the far door. They climbed in at the same time, nearly knocking heads in the process of straightening jackets and snagging seatbelts. Carter�s teeth clicked loudly in the relative silence of the cab, and Jack shot her a sympathetic smile as he turned the key. �I guess I should have started this first.�

�Big engine, wouldn�t have mattered,� she qualified softly.

He winced. The lighthearted humor vanished like winter sunlight, leaving a billowing curtain of gloom in its place. He concentrated on the task of maneuvering through the drifted lot to the exit. Whatever was bothering Carter would have to wait, though he doubted a safer location would make much difference. She was obviously troubled. An all too familiar tightness blossomed in Jack�s chest and his mouth became instantly dry. Warning signs which long heralded the onset of emotional distress.

They left the vicinity of the terminal and plowed through a series of bumper high drifts en route to the access road. Darkness descended with storm chased rapidity. Amber streetlights cast pale, luminous pools onto the shifting landscape, their light more hindrance than help. Jack blinked and gripped the wheel as they slewed onto the empty road and began a slow crawl towards the invisible city.

�You hungry?� he asked cautiously, casting about for a safe topic of conversation.

�A little,� she admitted.

Jack reached between the seats and pulled a small white bag from beneath a blanket. �Cookie?�

Carter�s sharp laugh caught him by surprise and he dropped the bag. Covering his discomfiture by gripping the wheel and muttering at a passing SUV. �Idiot, see ya� in the ditches.�

She continued to laugh, and he enjoyed a brief, pleasurable tingle at the sound. �I love these.�

�Yeah, I know.� A warm hand fluttered across his elbow and Jack licked his lips. Riveting his eyes to the twin tracks of slush illuminated by the powerful headlights of the truck. The bag rattled and a small, tan oblong drifted into his periphery.

�Open up.�

He opened his mouth and allowed her to rest the cookie on his tongue. Her fingers brushed across his lips, lingering for a moment on the edge before sliding free. Jack swallowed hard. The sweet teetered between his teeth and he spared a hand to shove it into his mouth. Stifling the variety of comments, appropriate and otherwise, gathering on the tip of his suddenly thick tongue.

Carter sighed, a long, low exhalation that seemed to cut through the penetrating rumble of the engine and the lash of the wind. �Jonas told you.�

�What?� He glanced at her. �Told me�?�

�About the cookies.�

So? He bit back the sarcastic retort and refocused on the road. The wheel beneath his fingers was loose, the tires skidding across the packed ice and snow in spite of their deep tread. Did it matter how he knew? Carter shifted in her seat. One pale hand reached forward and stroked the pads that operated the radio. She hit the scan control and adjusted the volume. Christmas carols floated above the white noise of the engine and the hand shifted out of view.

Apparently it did matter.

Jack pushed a hand through his hair and glared out the clouded windshield. If he were honest, then he had to admit that the necessity of asking their newest team member what his 2IC�s favorite dessert was qualified as more than a little pathetic. It was a tidbit that should have been intrinsic after six years together. Embarrassing and painful to admit how little he knew of Carter beyond her attributes as a scientist and soldier.

The windshield disappeared beneath a whitewash of snow and ice chips kicked up by a passing semi. Jack swore vehemently and let up on the gas. The truck shifted beneath them as the wheels caught the heavier snow on the sides of the highway. �Hold on,� he hissed through clenched teeth. The world beyond the glass spun violently. Snow swallowed up the headlights of the truck as it skidded sideways down the road. The engine roared as the tires lost their grip and spun uselessly on the black ice beneath the snow pack. A piercing screech of tearing metal overrode the tin-like tones of �White Christmas�. Forward motion ceased abruptly, throwing them against the seatbelts with a teeth-jarring jolt. Inanimate objects took flight via momentum; clothing, CDs, change, and the cookies scattered to the floor and across the dashboard.

Sam coughed harshly and reached towards him. �Are you okay?�

The utter stupidity of the ordinary question struck Jack, and he chuckled in spite of the dull ache radiating through his bruised chest. �Peachy,� he managed finally.

�What�s so funny?� Her hand settled on his arm, gently squeezing the quivering flesh. �You sure?�

Jack grasped her chilled fingers and pivoted in his seat. �I�m fine, you?�

The dull bluish glow of the cab lights reflected off the drawn skin of her chin and cheeks. She smiled hesitantly, her eyes cast in unreadable shadows. Only tone and word gave hint to subdued fright. �Yeah, I�m okay, now.�

He held on. Enjoying the sensation of her shapely fingers in his warm hand. Tingles surged across his frazzled nerves and his pulse quickened. Reaction to the accident faded rapidly beneath the pleasurable high of sitting together, alone. Her hand flexed and gripped his thumb, fingertips tracing fluttery arcs across his palm. Jack exhaled shakily. Outside the wind howled, casting fitful sprays of ice against the battered metal of the cab. He studied their clasped hands, momentarily oblivious to the storm.

The skin glowed in shades of indigo and azure. Shadows undulated across the broad backs as muscles contracted. Wavering lines of color hovered over taut sinew and wildly pulsing veins. He adjusted his grip. Fascinated by the smudgy darkness, which encircled their cuffed wrists and disappeared into the hollow between their palms.

�I�m okay�

�now.�

Jack gently tugged her closer. Waiting, breathlessly hoping that she would not resist. The tension in the slim wrist eased as Carter leaned towards him. Sweet scented air lifted the hair of his temples and bathed his cheek. Jack tilted his head and watched her cautious advance from beneath half closed eyelids.

She smiled shyly at the scrutiny, but did not pull back. Moist lips descended onto his mouth. Her tongue slid across his tingling skin, gently parting the flesh to gain admittance. Jack responded carefully, unwilling to cause regret on either side with haste.

Carter tasted faintly of chocolate and coffee. He explored the tender flesh of her palate and the ridged roof of her mouth. His tongue thrust into the puffed hollow of her cheeks and slid languidly across her teeth. A shudder passed between them and he tensed. Anticipating the inevitable rebuke.

The response was a more penetrating examination of his mouth. Sam eagerly parried his advances, stroking his tongue and suckling the tip. Leaning in and pressing hard on the pliable flesh of his mobile lips. Her increasing aggressive ministrations teased and tantalized Jack�s senses. Spawning tentative warmth, which spread through his aching midriff as she nibbled the edge of his mouth, and the soft skin beneath his jaw.

Jack fought for control. A moan of pleasure crawled up his constricted throat and died without voice. This wasn�t the time, nor the place� but dear Holy God. His body betrayed reason. The blood roared in his ears, blocking out the insistent scream of the wind. His skin tingled and his penis swelled painfully, straining the fabric of his trousers. Slowly, reluctantly, he pulled back.

Sam blinked, her large eyes glassy and unfocused in the milky glare. �I�m sorry�I don�t know what came over me��

He smiled crookedly. �Don�t be sorry, I hope it comes over you more often.�

She blushed and ducked her head. The moment splintered and reality rushed in with the loud blare of a horn and a sudden splash of rotating amber light through the interior of the truck. Someone knocked on the window at his back. Startled, Jack spun in the seat. He squinted in a vain effort to see beyond the reflection in the glass. The stranger knocked again, and he cautiously rolled down the window a couple of inches.

�You okay in there?�

He nodded, recognizing the logo of a local service station embroidered above the stranger�s pocket. �Nothing a new coat of paint and a stiff drink won�t fix.�

The man chuckled at the rejoinder. �Looks like you skidded about 10 feet on the rail, maybe another 20 before that. Do you have far to go?�

Jack waved at the swirl of snow, which accompanied the man�s puffed words into the cab. Jonas lived on the other side of the city from the airport. His own home was located in a development on the outskirts, a good ten miles closer. He cast a futile eye out into the storm. �Which exit are we near?�

�Twelve.�

He turned away and studied Carter�s expectant face. �We�re a lot closer to my place�� The implications were plain and sent a jolt of fire across his already jagged nerves. Could they survive a night in the same house? Did they want to take the chance? Did it matter anymore?

She shrugged and tilted her chin towards the window. �The sooner we get off this road��

Jack nodded, taking control of his rampant emotions with effort. Mother Nature had made her choice, now it was up to them. He shifted in his seat and offered the stranger a weary smile of gratitude. �Thanks for stopping, only one more exit to go.�

�Drive safe, folks.�

Safe? What exactly constituted safe at this juncture? Jack forced the internal speculation to the back of his mind. The truck was still running and he put a hand in front of the vent. Seeking to drive away the inner and outer chill. The blast of warmth seared his flesh, but did nothing for his quaking innards. They had been close, so close� What was to stop them from tipping over the edge?

He put the truck in gear and pulled slowly onto the roadway. Carter moved in her seat. The fabric of her coat rustling faintly as she adjusted her posture and leaned forward to tune the radio. Jack bit his lip and stared fixedly at the unwinding ribbon of highway. Looking away was inadvisable from a purely practical standpoint, and utterly foolish for reasons much more elusive to pinpoint.

They proceeded at a crawl through the haze. His headlights barely illuminated the tracks of salt and sand made by earlier travelers. Jack hunched over the wheel. Adopting the posture of an old man as he strained to see through the volatile mix of snow and ice. His back ached with the stress and his temples began to throb with the beginnings of a headache. Carter remained completely silent. He wondered at her reasons, the whys and wherefores of her reaction to the kiss. The random speculations were a troubling distraction from the task at hand.

The small green exit sign emerged from the gloom quite unexpectedly. He let up on the gas pedal and allowed the truck to drift towards the off ramp, using the motor to slow their momentum. The plows had passed by recently and an inkling of brownish pavement showed through. The vehicle lurched slightly when the tires grabbed and they came to a halt at the bottom of the ramp.

�Almost there,� Jack murmured.

�Good, I think I�ve had enough of snow for one day.�

�It was sunny when you left,� he teased.

She snorted and pointed out the window.

He took the turn and released a brief sigh of relief. The tree shielded secondary lacked the drifts that choked the raised highway. They picked up speed, moving deeper into the residential area. Houses squatted in the passing forest. Christmas lights spattered rainbows across the ice and snow. Delicate prisms enclosed trees and porch poles in sheaves of glass, speckled by intermittent bursts of wind driven snow. �Pretty,� Jack remarked amiably.

Carter nodded stiffly. Her pale face was briefly illuminated as they passed beneath a streetlight, and Jack suppressed a flare of unease at the expression resting there. The full lips were pinched and a deep furrow creased the smooth brpw. He had no illusions that the reaction was all about what happened and what would happen once they stepped through his front door.

Despite better judgment, a maddening spurt of giddiness insisted on coming to the fore. The storm and the minor accident had somehow removed them from reality in a way nothing else had. Perhaps it was a trick of his battered subconscious, but Jack could not shake the hopeful impression that somehow fate had intervened. For one night they would be more than scientist and soldier. He refused to flaunt Karma by considering the morning. He could only assume that she felt the same, and brace for the opposite.

�Isn�t that your street?�

Sam�s voice overrode the plaintive lyrics of �Silent Night�, startling Jack from his reverie. He shook his head, eminently grateful for the partial concealment of the dimly lit cab. This was not the time or place to be caught napping. He heard her soft chuckle, but bit back the automatic urge to comment. She was entitled to her amusements, who was he to complain?

Chagrined but determined to hide it, Jack slowed the truck and turned into a circular drive. His foot landed forcefully on the accelerator, shooting the truck back onto the road with a spray of gravel heavy ice. Her subdued laughter grew louder at his adolescent antics and Jack reacted instinctively. Taking his turn in a wide arc and intentionally slewing the back end of the truck sideways across the mouth of the street. Her hand brushed his shoulder en route to the seat as she sought to brace her body. �Jingle Bells� blared from the speakers and Carter erupted in a rousing off key accompaniment to the Gene Autry classic. The tires spun on the incline leading to his house, the roar of the racing engine eclipsing the last line of the carol. Jack spun the wheel and jumped on the gas. The nose of the big V-8 blasted through the snowdrift at the end of the driveway and plowed it into the garage door. Glass and metal rattled a fitful warning above the screech of the wind and the nonsensical singsong of a holiday commercial.

Home.

For good or ill.

He reached forward and turned off the key. The roar of the wind swelled immediately, filling the eerie silence with unaccountable whistles and bangs. Jack unclipped his seat belt and rubbed gingerly at his chest. �Damn, that hurts.� He looked up to discover that Carter had already gathered her carry on and the smaller suitcase and was reaching for the door. �Hey, wait a minute. Let me get the house unlocked first.�

Sam pivoted and glanced over shoulder. The streetlight across the road splashed her drawn features with amber light. Painting her mouth in a smudgy frown and hiding her large eyes in shadow. For the briefest moment, he was filled with a banal fear as those deep, unreadable pools fixed on his features. Burning into the flesh of cheek and chin with feverish intensity, they forced a tremor through his chilled soul. There was love and there was hate, fire and ashes in the stricken gaze. Jack swallowed hard and reached for the handle of the door, struck speechless.

He snagged the larger suitcase and stepped out into the blizzard. Ice pellets rained daggers into the top of Jack�s head as he lurched around the back of the truck and through the thickening drifts to the front porch. The truck door slammed heavily and he nearly dropped the key before he could fit it to the lock. Snow spilled onto the mat when Jack pushed the door open and snapped on the entry light. Above the penetrating roar of the storm he could hear a stream of curses. Carter�s voice was high and trembling, phrases of uncommon venom spilling from her lips.

Jack grimaced and started back down the porch, intending to help her with the luggage. What was driving this fury? The volatile swings from happy to melancholy? Carter met him halfway to the steps. Her face was speckled with tiny red dots from the assaulting ice and snowflakes clung to the long lashes, giving her eyes a frosted appearance. Jack reached for the suitcase and raised an eyebrow of surprise when she wrenched it away. �Go inside.�

What? The vitriol in the whispered order bit like an axe. He flinched and stepped aside, allowing her to slog in his tracks up onto the porch and into the house. Where? Jack floundered back to the truck and locked it. How? Questions and concerns tumbled through his pounding skull as he returned to the house and forced the door closed with a heavy sigh.

The suitcases lay in a heap in the center of the landing. He set them on end against the wall and stepped down into the living room. Carter was fiddling with the fireplace. Her back presenting a broad, curved barrier that spoke plainly of a desire for solitude and a need to regroup. Jack bit his lip and gestured unconsciously towards the kitchen. �Coffee?� he mumbled.

�Yeah.� Her voice was thick, muffled by the collar of her sweater. Jack felt his guts twist and suppressed an uneasy sigh as he moved into the kitchen. Wood clinked sharply and the screen scraped the bricks with a resounding rasp as Carter filled the fireplace.

He filled the coffee pot, and as a precaution against power failure he dug out two large kettles and filled them as well. When the coffee started to perk, Jack returned to the living room. Carter had built a large teepee of logs and was adding smaller kindling to the base. Eventually, she straightened and looked around the edges of the hearth. Jack walked forward and snagged the matches from the mantle. �This what you�re looking for?�

She accepted the items in silence and struck one against the bricks. It flared to life, releasing a fitful puff of smoke. Carter ducked, wrinkling her nose at the odor and set the tiny flame to the paper. The remnants of yesterday�s news crinkled and fell to ash without igniting the chips of bark surrounding them.

�Damn!�

Jack jumped at her furious exclamation and took a step back. What the hell? Something had happened out West, something she could not suppress. He pushed a hand through his hair and went into the bathroom. Sounds of renewed fire building floated above the burble of the filling tub. Jack searched for a pail in the linen closet and stuck it beneath the faucet. The power blinked in warning as he flushed the toilet and washed his hands. Giving up the ghost just as he reemerged into the living room. �Well, that�s it.�

�Terrific.� Sam grumbled as she sat back on her heels and surveyed the sputtering flames. �I was looking forward to a hot shower.�

Jack rubbed unconsciously at his bruised chest and nodded. �I know the feeling.�

She turned halfway and ran a cursory glance the length of his tired body. �Are you sure you�re okay?�

�Yes,� he insisted. But you�re not� Jack withheld the observation and indicated her torso with a flick of his fingers. �I think you have more to worry about than I do.� Carter did not rise to good-natured taunt and he turned away, momentarily stymied.

�We should call Jonas.�

Images of the Kelownan slinging garland and tissue bells in the archway of his apartment flittered through the back of Jack�s mind. He grinned, �Yeah, he really got into it.�

�I hate disappointing him,� she whispered bitterly.

�He�ll live.�

The hair on the back of Jack�s neck tingled and he pivoted on his heel. Carter�s expression was pure venom. �What?� he blurted involuntarily.

�Nothing.� She tossed the fireplace poker onto the bricks and rose smoothly to her feet. �Do you have any candles? It�s dark in here and I really have to pee.�

He nodded stiffly, feeling faintly annoyed. �Have a seat, I�ll get them.� She crossed her arms and stared fixedly at the floor. Defying the request with a grim frown. Jack shrugged, attempting nonchalance as he walked carefully into the kitchen. Best intentions were fast falling beneath waves of concern and frustration. To ask what was eating her would open up a Pandora�s box of possibilities. Was he ready for such a confrontation? Especially in light of the kiss that had taken them both by surprise? Jack fished in a drawer and came up with a flashlight and two candles. Obtained at the cost of impaling his finger on a stray needle. Swearing softly he sucked the blood from the tip and stepped back into the living room.

Carter looked up from her examination of the hardwood and raised an eyebrow. �New habit?�

�Huh?� Jack flushed and dropped his throbbing finger. �I need to clean out that drawer.�

She reached for the discarded matches. �Give me one of the candles.�

He deposited the flashlight on the endtable next to his sand garden and handed her a votive. �I�ll put the other one in the bathroom��

�I�ll do it, I have to pee, remember,� Carter snapped sullenly.

Jack dumped the candle into her outstretched palm and swiped a match from the open box. He wasn�t going to dignify her foul temper with a reply. Especially since the only words forthcoming were ones of equal, and useless, blister. She took the proffered match and disappeared into the gloomy rectangle of the bathroom, forcefully closing the door. A decided chill descended over the nearly empty room. Jack absently stirred the fire as he mulled over the events of the last hour. No matter how hard he tried, he could not come up with a reason for Carter�s mood. The kiss had been consensual�oh God had it ever! Each of them explored the forbidden territory with mounting, undeniable ardor. Was his withdrawal the reason she was upset? Could it be as simple as yet another Christmas way-laid by forces beyond control? He sorted through a host of possibilities and came up agonizingly short of explanations.

The sound that interrupted Jack�s reverie was soft, almost too faint to be heard. A low mewl that seeped beneath the bathroom door in fits and starts. Interspersed with shaky exhalations and the occasional splash of water. He placed the poker on the bricks and walked across the room. His fingers clenched painfully, struggling to rise towards the barrier of wood that stood solidly between them.

Carter cried. During the national anthem, and when her father was dying on Earth and on Netu. She shed tears of pain because of the Tok�ra memory device or due to injury or drug-sponsored distress. When she laughed at something Jonas, or Daniel said, tears of mirth frequently filled the luminous blue eyes. Jack�s twitching fingers froze in a tight ball. She never cried like this.

The sounds beyond the door were muffled, mangled sobs. Emotions fighting to break through the iron control they both exerted as a matter of necessity. The woman was stretching the skin of the soldier, rending a bleeding gash in the tough exterior. Fears and sorrows bled onto the cold tile floor and across his aching heart.

Sam�

Jack raised a hand and winced at the tremor that raced from elbow to fist. His resolve stiffened, and the wavering shadow of flesh and bone grew still. He knocked.

A gasp silenced the strains of sorrow abruptly. She sniffed loudly, and he heard the sound of skin and clothing dragging across the tiles as if she had been seated against the wall. The door opened without warning and Carter brushed roughly past. One hand shielded her face and the other rested on her hip as she stalked purposefully towards the wavering light cast by the fireplace.

Jack rolled his eyes. His patience strained and snapped by the apparent dismissal. The leg of his recliner was the closest target and he kicked it forcefully. Savoring the dull ache that spread from his big toe, and the look of shock on Carter�s wan features when she spun around.

�Why did you do that? Isn�t one bruise enough for any given day?�

�What the hell is going on?� he bit out, ignoring the question.

Her back stiffened. �What? I had to pee, were you spying on me?�

Jack bristled at the implication and stepped further into the room. �For cryin� out loud, Carter, this isn�t like you. What happened out there?�

�Why does it have to be out there?� She waved expansively. �Did it occur to you that I might be pissed off about what happened on the ride home?�

�No,� he lied tersely. There was no way she was going to have the simple out of the kiss. Something deeper was at work, and in spite of his misgivings Jack was determined to unearth the truth. �Spill it, Carter.�

�Is that an order?�

�Yes!�

She laughed shortly and crossed her arms. �We�re not on base and this isn�t the SGC��

�No, it�s my living room��

�So therefore you�re in charge?�

Jack strove for a balance between confusion and irritation. Location was immaterial, wasn�t it?

Apparently sensing his indecision, Carter pushed the point with all the subtly of an advancing tank. �You get to decide what we discuss here, is that it? Finally on your turf instead of the lab, the briefing room, some fucking sand covered rock!�

He flinched at the obscenity. Where was this going, more importantly where had it come from?

�I don�t want to discuss anything,� she continued icily. �Just leave me the hell alone!�

The harsh words echoed in the heavy silence. Jack stepped around the shielding bulk of the chair and walked cautiously forward. �Hey��

Carter spun away, hugging her arms tightly to her sides. �Just forget it��

�No, I won�t.� Jack stopped a hairsbreadth from her quivering form. Fury and fears washed his body in cold fire, blocking out the tangible heat of the crackling flames. He rested a hand on one taut shoulder, and hesitantly massaged the warm flesh. What to say? How? Words and phrases gathered and evaporated on the tip of his tongue. He swallowed audibly and gently prodded her to turn. �Sam��

The muscles beneath his fingers tensed, becoming rock hard with objection. He pushed harder and was rewarded with a stuttering sigh. �No�please don�t�� Jack reached forward with his free hand and gathered her close against his chest. She resisted to the last second. Her breathing coming in short, pained gasps as he tightened his grip. Jack ignored the flutters of trepidation that filled his belly and held on. Waiting out the storm of reservations and regrets until only the sorrow remained. Gradually, she turned and sagged against him.

There was no room for questions as she cried silently into his neck. Shapely fingers raked through Jack�s hair and clutched the smooth skin of his nape. He stood still, enduring the minor discomfort of her nails. Vaguely terrified by the unfolding catharsis.

The fire crackled and popped loudly. Offering an eerie background to the chilling quiet of Sam�s distress. Outside the storm continued to lash the walls and windows. The muffled roar of the wind as powerful and relentless as their shared frustrations. Jack stroked her back and cupped her shoulders, at a loss for a means of comfort. The sobs died away so gradually he was unaware until she moved. Slowly pulling back and slipping from his loosened grasp. The flames painted her tear streaked face in hues of gold and bronze. Plunging the puffy eyes into deeper shadow.

Jack squeezed her shoulders and reluctantly dropped his hands. He had hoped for a clue in those cobalt depths, and felt cheated somehow that her motivations would remain hidden unless he forced the issue. �Better?� he murmured.

Sam nodded and wiped self-consciously at her face. �I�m sorry.�

�Don�t be.�

�I know you don�t like tears.�

�I don�t?� he mocked gently.

She grimaced at the attempted levity. �I know you don�t.�

Jack shrugged, conceding the point. �You�re right, but apparently it needed to come out.� He walked away for a moment. Giving them both a chance to breathe before he continued. �Sam, what happened?�

�What happened?� She repeated with a forced chuckle. �What didn�t happen would be closer to the mark.�

�Meaning?� he encouraged.

�Mark asked about Dad.� Sam whispered tiredly.

Jack cringed. Beneath the pain of incessant memory lurked a sliver of gratitude that he had no immediate family left. Excusing the Stargate, the Tok�ra and the innumerable extraordinary activities that complicated their lives in a plausible fashion was no easy task. �What did you tell him?�

�That dad was traveling.� Sam snorted derisively. �Now there�s a galactic understatement.�

�Did he believe you?�

�He�s had doubts ever since Dad�s cancer spontaneously disappeared.� She shook her head and cast a weary eye to the ceiling. �I can�t say as I blame him. As different as we are, Mark and I have always had one thing in common.�

�Curiosity,� Jack concluded.

�It�s what killed the cat. Sir, I swear to God if��

�No, we�re not doing that here.�

�What, more of your rules?� she scoffed, brazenly defying the flare of hurt that glistened in her dark eyes.

�My rules?� He sighed and slumped onto the couch. �I would say the threshold was crossed a few minutes back, wouldn�t you?�

Sam flushed crimson and perched on the edge of the chair opposite. �I suppose.�

�Tell me about Mark,� he prompted gently. An irrational spate of anger rose up at the thought that Carter had been stressed or hurt by her brother�s innocent queries. Jack firmly suppressed the emotion and focused all his attention on her pinched features. Furtively watching as she gathered her thoughts, patiently waiting for the words to spill from her pursed lips.

�I hadn�t been there an hour when the questions started. Where was Dad, when had I seen him last? How does he look, is the cancer really gone? Is he working over in Iraq? The Persian Gulf? Isn�t he too old to still be on the active service list? Is he thinking of retiring?� Sam released a billowing sigh. �Then Sylvie started��

�Sylvie?� Jack raised an eyebrow.

�My sister-in-law. In some ways answering her was harder because she didn�t pull any punches.� Sam considered her clasped hands for a long moment. �She never has cut me any slack. She asked if I were worried about him, did I see him often and has he asked about the kids��

She trailed into silence, and Jack was left with the impression that there was more to the story and he wouldn�t like it. Still, release was necessary if not altogether comfortable. �Go on,� he prodded.

Sam resumed the narrative in a stilted whisper. �She asked if I were alone and why I had decided to come out this year after three years of saying no. She wanted to know if I had been hurt and who had done it��

�Oh,� Jack rose and paced restlessly to the fireplace. He stirred the dying flames and added wood, searching frantically for answers that did not exist.

�Yeah, oh,� Sam replied.

I�m sorry�the words froze on the tip of his tongue. Sorry for being a soldier? For wanting a career that had ultimately proven more fulfilling than any recruitment poster could have ever promised? Sorry for being human, and therefore susceptible to the wants and desires inhumed in the consciousness of every man and woman? Jack ground his teeth and jammed the poker through the side of a crumbling log. Should he apologize for laughing with and loving a woman simply because a scrawl of black ink deemed it inappropriate? He looked up. Seeking and holding her wavering gaze with feverish intensity as he prodded the log. Apologies� They were inane, useless phrases that held no succor for either of them. Jack shrugged helplessly. �I don�t know what to say.�

�Neither did I.� Sam rubbed her arms and stood. Her eyes had turned glassy and they slid away, unfocused as errant thoughts struggled to find voice. �She got me thinking I guess� About Maybourne and you and Nirrti and what happened on the planet.�

�It scared you, didn�t it?� he asked quietly.

�Yeah, it did.� She shivered visibly and reached for the tattered throw on the back of the couch. �I didn�t think we would ever find you��

�And I thought for sure I would lose you�� Jack completed. He was aware of her attempt to impersonalise the conversation, to succumb to the overwhelming urge to inset we for I, but he refused to give in. Vaguely surprised by his own candor, Jack placed the poker in its rack and turned. Was he ready to confront her fears and his? He took a deep breath and hoped for strength in tone and word. �When Wodan took you I didn�t expect to see you again, and then you were back and I knew things were bad but I couldn�t face it. It was easier to pretend��

�For me too,� she empathized.

The words were nearly inaudible beneath his thudding pulse. Jack licked his lips and took a step forward. Watching the flight reflex bloom and fade in the deep, blue eyes. �When you rested your head on my shoulder I wanted to turn and hold you. To make you know that you were the only reason I didn�t kill Harry Maybourne on that God forsaken mudball and then kill myself. I knew you were looking and I knew you would find us� And then suddenly it was my turn and I failed you. You should have died��

�But I didn�t��

Jack took another step, fighting the urge to seek comfort in her words. �That had nothing to do with me. It was Eggar that read her mind, and Wodan who worked the machine. I just stood there��

Sam closed her eyes and tilted her head. �You would have killed her��

�And you would have died,� he finished as he took the final step into her personal space.

She looked up suddenly, and the fresh tears glistening in her eyes took Jack by surprise. �I know you and I know you would have done anything to stop her and to free Wodan�s people. It was enough for me.�

�It shouldn�t have to be,� he flared angrily. �Its not enough for Mark that he doesn�t know where his father is.� A part of Jack ached for the forgotten son and the relationship that floundered out of anyone�s control. �It�s not enough to wait and wonder every time something happens. To ask myself, does she know? Does she understand how important she is?� The words stumbled past his dry lips. A naked admission neither of them were prepared for. Jack trailed into silence, wondering at his audacity and the fallout that would ensue.

Sam�s jaw dropped and she closed it with a click. Emotions flickered across her face. Fear and fire, hurt and hope; a cascade of feelings that left her lips quivering and her eyes brilliant, glassy windows.

Jack touched her cheek and gently plucked a strand of hair from her damp lashes. �It�s not enough,� he reiterated forcefully.

She tossed the throw aside and moved into his arms. Reaching for, and grazing his waiting lips with a tender kiss. Warm tingles thrilled across Jack�s nerves. He shivered with their intensity and bent towards her open mouth. Trembling flesh met his touch. Soft, pliant lobes melded with his, moving, searching, quivering with sensation as she twisted in his arms. Jack deepened the kiss. Inserting his tongue between those malleable lips, seeking and tasting the sweetness of her desires.

Sam�s hands trailed across his back and clasped the back of his neck. Inquisitive fingers examined the flesh and tugged fitfully at his hair. Jack thrust eagerly at the roof of her mouth and smiled inwardly when the wayward hands jerked in response. His manipulations disturbed her control and he enjoyed the wicked pleasure of the accomplishment. She retorted by nipping playfully at his lower lip before assaulting his mouth with bruising force.

Jack stepped back and felt the soft edge of the couch cushions against his calves. He gathered the pliable warmth of her lean body against him and descended slowly backwards. Sinking into the cushions, willingly suffocated by the mounting frenzy of her attentions. He parried her eager examination point for point. Tasting, touching, probing the warm hollows of her cheeks and the tender flesh beneath her tongue. Sam writhed in his grasp. Eager hands snaked behind his back and clenched his shoulder blades. He stifled a moan of protest as her mouth tore free of his and trailed fire across his jaw before capturing his earlobe.

Turning carefully, Jack urged her to lie back against the cushions. There was time, they had waited too long for it be over so quickly. He could feel the urgency deep in his groin. The frenetic beat of his pulse painted the world in a washy haze of stars. A blaze of warning that denied the conscious desire to stop, heeding only the ceaseless urge to finally obtain what had been so longed for. He fought it with patience. Depending on the subconscious awareness of consideration to nurture the emerging bud of orgasm.

She arched beneath him. Seeking his mouth and failing that the soft skin at the base of his throat. Jack released a guttural sigh and captured her earlobe. Suckling and nipping the sensitive flesh before drifting down the side of her neck and into the tender juncture at her shoulder. Sam shifted, releasing a soft mewl of protest. He nudged playfully and kissed her throat. Lingering over the steady throb of her pulse. She twisted suddenly and Jack slid to the floor.

Sam laughed out loud and leaned over the edge of the couch. Her eyes were glistening orbs in the wavering firelight, brimming with a mischief that matched the droll smile lifting the full lips. �Sorry.�

�Yeah, I believe that,� Jack murmured huskily. �That�s okay, the floor works fine�� He reached up and pulled her willing body on top of his. Enclosing the shocked "o" of her parted lips with a fervent kiss. She smiled against his mouth and he laughed softly into hers. Tasting and touching with languid ease as they adjusted their bodies on the warm hardwood.

Jack worked his hands beneath her sweater. Caressing the smooth skin of her back with a feathery touch. She shivered and nuzzled his neck. Licking a warm trail over his Adam�s apple and nosing forcefully against the concealing ribs of his collar. Jack closed his eyes and savored the fiery warmth radiating through his chest. Her lips drifted up to the point of his jaw and moved to nibble the edge of his mouth. Sucking the stubble of fresh beard before enclosing him in a moist mobile embrace.

He relaxed beneath her touch. Allowing his mind to drift as he slowly pulled the sweater up Sam�s back and onto her shoulders. She sucked hard on his lower lip before separating and allowing the clothing to be pulled over her head. He shivered and recaptured her mouth. A moment was too long. A dull ache suffused every sense at the loss of her touch. He stroked the heated arch of her back with increasing vigor. She writhed with the attention. Moving up and down over the length of his taut form. Massaging his eager penis with the material of their trousers. He ached from the pressure. Yearned for release and fought the desire with every stuttering breath.

It would happen too quickly�they had to wait�

Sam�s mouth drifted over his cheek. Mobile lips played across his eyebrows and up into his hairline. Feather kisses that spoke of understanding and shared promise. He swallowed hard. Could she feel the flutter of his pulse? Hear the slamming of his heart? Surely the overtaxed organ with burst free at any moment!

Sam�I want�I need�.

His arms rose of their own volition. Long fingers pushed the hair from her temples and cupped her cheeks. His back arched as he pulled her down onto his mouth. Kissing frantically, inhaling the heady scent of her salt slick skin. Their tongues twisted and parried. Becoming hard and sharp with urgency as the clothing between them grew damp with arousal.

I�feel�

Jack�s hands flew to her waist and pulled clumsily at her belt buckle. Her fingers settled over his. Guiding the errant digits until the prong popped free of the leather and the strap hung loose. He groaned into her open mouth as he forced the restraining material over her hips. She wriggled and the pants slid over her tight cheeks. He followed their progress. Molding the flesh with his fingers and enjoying the pants of pleasure that resulted.

Sam sat back and raked her nails over his ribs. A droll smile teased the edges of her full lips. Jack captured the bright blue eyes with his. Basking in the fire that emanated from those cobalt depths. She shivered beneath the scrutiny and reached forward. Cool fingers stroked over his eyelids and urged them to close. He did not resist. Slipping easily into a pulsing darkness as she shifted her weight across his pelvis.

The fingers slid down his cheek, pausing to cup his jaw before joining their mates at his waist. Jack stroked the warm skin of her thighs as her hands moved to his belt. She tugged gently and pushed the open buckle aside. His body stilled in anticipation of her attentions. The button popped free and the material gradually released its strangle hold on his genitals as the zipper slid down.

She parted the material of his fly and he felt the hot pressure of her body move and diminish as her posture shifted. The embrace of her lips was unexpected fire. A tremor jolted through his rigid frame and Jack gasped involuntarily as her mouth enveloped his length. She sucked hard. Razing the ridges of his cock with her teeth as she rose and fell in rhythmic strokes. His back arched and he moaned nonsensically. Her hands cupped his rear end and squeezed hard. Her speed increased as the rushing fingers eased around to his chest. Forcing their way beneath his sweater rising to tease his hardened nipples. Jack rocked his head from side to side. Lost in the swirls of crimson rippling across his closed eyelids.

He reached blindly forward. Slipping his hands between her arms and caressing the soft skin of her cleavage. Her nipples were hard against his upper thighs. The puckered flesh moved jerkily as the fervor of her attentions increased. His skin burned and tingled with pleasure and exquisite pain. A dull roar began to eclipse the rasp of their shared breathing. Orgasm building in a demanding, undeniable tide. Jack swallowed hard and grasped the damp hair of her bowed head.

I�hurt�

Her lips slid free of his length and she stretched out across his aching body. Her smooth, flat stomach rode up over his throbbing penis and Jack moaned desperately. Her slit dragged across his leg, leaving a moist, salted trail on his quivering flesh. He sucked in a steadying breath, praying for the strength to hold out just a little longer. Denying the inevitable surge sent sparks shooting beneath his clamped eyelids and forced the air from his throat in short, ragged gasps.

Sam descended on his mouth with bruising force. Jack�s eyes snapped open and he stared into her penetrating gaze. A multitude of emotions screamed behind those glassy windows. She blinked rapidly, covering them with a milky sheen of tears. He parried the now frantic thrusts of her tongue. Eager to share his hunger, to reassure them both that this was as right as it felt and always would be.

I�love�

The admission stuck in his throat and captured the world in a shadowy bubble. Filled to capacity with the force of their desires and the heat of their fears. He willed the moment into an eternity.

Now�here�always�

She moved, settling onto his pelvis and enclosing him. The bubble shattered into a million glassy shards, splintering the mist that shrouded her vision. Jack rolled them to the side. Shoving the coffee table roughly away as he sat up. She lay beneath him, her face gone incredibly still. The hint of a smile painted the slightly parted lips. Softness lightened her eyes, and slivers of firelight danced beneath the lashes. She guided his hips with firm fingers. Grasping the hard flesh, kneading and raking the muscles as he moved. The urgency for release retreated slightly in the face of wonder. Jack bent and tasted the warm skin of her abdomen. He licked a trail between her breasts and encircled one nipple with deliberate care. Suckling and nudging, enjoying the spasms that rippled beneath him. Her hands moved to his back as he stretched out and sought her lips. Nimble fingers probed his spine and worked across the stiff muscles of neck and shoulders, finally slipping into the short, silver strands of hair plastered to his skull.

Jack nibbled her jaw and moved to her mouth. She let him explore. Gasping audibly as a firm thrust of his hips accompanied the manipulations of his tongue. He withdrew and nuzzled her soft cheek, smiling against her neck. A low murmur rattled the skin beneath his ear. An audible sign of pleasure and want that she saw no need to camouflage.

The sound was the trigger and the urgency returned. Jack suckled hard on the tender juncture of neck and shoulder. Her hands dug into his scalp, responding to the vigorous motion of his hips. He rode her fast and hard. Plunging forcefully into her willing depths. Shuddering with each withdrawal, nearly choking as the sensation of reentry wracked his weary frame.

Sam rocked with him. Her movements served to slow and synchronize their rhythms. The flame spattered world of the living room dimmed to a single gleaming pinpoint. He closed his eyes and bowed his head. Inhaling the sharp scent of their lovemaking and the hint of roses that tainted her creamy skin. Her nails dragged the length of his trembling arms and captured his chilled fingers. Heated, grasping digits enclosed his own, securing his grip. Jack grunted harshly, riding the wave. His mind skittered into the primal. All considerations lost in the fire of imminent climax. He stiffened and heard her low keen of release.

Sam�

Her name screamed across his shattering nerves. Repeating and reverberating as sensation rippled through his quivering limbs. Her fingers dug into his. She bucked and released a rattling sigh as orgasm shuddered between them. When he could finally draw breath, Jack cautiously opened his eyes and met her rising mouth. Melting into a lingering kiss as he slowly descended. They adjusted in silence. He wished it were possible to enclose her warm eager body within his own, but settled for carefully distributing his weight to allow them both to breathe comfortably.

Words of wonder, of comfort and reassurance flittered at the back of his thoughts. Jack groped for coherency, his mind helplessly spinning from the storm of erotica that had overtaken them.

�It hurt so much�� Sam whispered thickly.

Jack leaned back onto his elbow and stroked her chin. What�who� He struggled to understand and prayed she would elaborate.

She chuckled and cleared her throat. The warm, blue eyes wandered across his face and settled on his mouth. �I wanted to tell Mark everything. I wanted Sylvie to leave me alone. So many secrets�I just couldn�t take one more second��

�That�s why you came home,� he concluded softly.

�Yeah, and that�s why��

�The tears.� Jack bent and brushed her lips with a tender kiss, sealing them temporarily in a healing silence. There were always reasons, just as there was always pain.

�Jack?�

His name fell heavily between them. As if the last, hardest barrier had been felled with a whisper. He inhaled a steadying, taken aback by her anxious tone. �What?�

�Where do we go from here?�

�Does it matter?� he replied, slightly exasperated. �Can�t we live in the moment?�

�But��

�No buts,� he denied vehemently. �No what happens when or what will so and so have to say. I don�t give a tinker�s damn right now.�

�I can�t live like that,� she murmured as she made to sit up.

Jack relented and sat back with a weary sigh. �I�m not suggesting we should,� he said, carefully and succinctly inserting the plurality. �But for now, right now, this is what we have.�

�Tonight? And what happens later��

�Is later,� he affirmed.

�Not a very sound strategy, Airman.� Sam teased.

Jack repressed the myriad of quips crowding his mouth. He couldn�t admit that the last half hour went far beyond any expectations he had harbored. Nor could he take credit for the blizzard, though the urge to do so was nearly overpowering. A true strategist would have planned for every contingency. He was at an utter loss and wondered idly if the quandary showed openly on his slack features. Sam�s moist lips touched his cheek, drawing Jack from reverie with a jolt. He grinned and refocused on her face. Gratified that the fresh tension had retreated somewhat from those beautiful eyes. �I have something for you,� he teased quietly.

Sam frowned. �I�m afraid your gift is at my house��

�S�okay.� Jack grinned and reached for his pants. �I can wait.� Sam�s eyes dropped to his waist and followed the long bent arc of his leg. Jack flushed beneath the observation but dressed slowly, enjoying the wan smile that graced her sensuous mouth. �You like?�

�You have to ask?� she replied huskily.

�Not really.� He returned the visual caress as she gathered her clothes and began to dress.

�I think I still need that shower��

Jack snorted and climbed stiffly to his feet. �Ask and ye shall receive, I think that�s how it goes,� he retorted as the light in the kitchen suddenly spilled over the bar between rooms.

Sam chuckled softly at the rejoinder and stood up. �So��

He blinked distractedly, lost in the study of her luscious curves beneath the soft folds of her sweater. Sam swatted playfully at his arm. �Huh?�

�The gift, flyboy,� she reminded.

�Oh that,� he ducked from a second swat and walked to the mantle. �The fire is getting low.�

�I didn�t notice.�

Jack grinned as he reached into a niche in the stonework. �Neither did I.� He pulled out the small, silver wrapped package and deposited it in her slightly cupped fingers. �I�ve had this for a while, just never seemed like the right time to give it to you.�

Sam fingered the red ribbon encircling the box. �Is now the right time?� she wondered distantly.

�It�s perfect,� Jack assured. He felt nervous and vaguely giddy. The idea of the gift had, at first seemed like childish, adolescent prattle. Unworthy of the intelligent, extraordinary woman it was meant for. But time and further consideration gave the notion a deeper meaning. It was simple, elegant, and bespoke a truth he had struggled to contain for two long years. He could only hope that their recent activities were just another indication that she felt the same. �Open it,� he encouraged softly.

She pulled on the ribbon and the bow slid free. Pocketing the glittery scrap, Sam flipped the box and pried the tape from the flaps with her thumbnail. Jack fidgeted as she methodically unwrapped the gift. Grumbling beneath his breath when he caught her sly smile.

�Enjoying yourself?� he muttered petulantly.

�Immensely.�

Jack rolled his eyes. �You still want coffee? I probably have time to brew it before you get into that thing��

Sam ignored the petulant remark. After a moment, the paper slipped free in a neat square revealing a white box. �Just what I always wanted��

�Smartass.� He grinned and stretched out a hand to pat her taut rear end.

She giggled and twitched away. The sound of the lid popping was loud above the fitful crackle of the dying fire. �I thought you were going to stir that,� she admonished with a shiver.

�Cold?�

�Yes!�

�We can cure that you know��

Sam tilted her head and closed her eyes, uttering a sigh. �Give the man an inch��

He refused to rise to the jibe, though other parts of his anatomy weren�t quite as considerate. Flushing slightly, Jack slid his hand up to her waist and pulled her close for a quick kiss. �Later,� he growled.

She flashed a lecherous smile as she slid a dark velvet case from the box. �I�ll hold you to that.�

�God I hope so.�

Sam pivoted and stepped back into his arms. The broad, slightly rounded form of her back pressed against his chest as she raised the box to eye level and cracked the lid.

The band nestled inside was a simple silver hoop. Set within a niche was a pair of gemstone chips, an emerald and a ruby. Sam gasped audibly and removed the ring with trembling fingers. The case snapped shut and fell to the floor unnoticed. She tilted the ring, catching and holding the dying embers in its burnished surface. �It�s beautiful.�

The stones were specific, and Jack knew she accepted their meaning by the way she leaned against him and tilted her head. Moist lips nibbled his chin and he bent to meet them. Licking the slight rise before parting the skin with his tongue and tasting her gratitude with long, lingering strokes. They pulled apart after a breathless moment and her eyes slid away to study the band again. �I don�t know what to say.�

Jack swallowed hard, overwhelmed by the warmth in her low tones. �All I wanted for Christmas��

�Was your two front teeth?� she teased gently, offering him relief.

He chuckled into her hair. She knew him so well� �All I wanted was a chance,� he murmured. �A chance to show you how it can be if we try.� Jack cupped her trembling hand in his and tilted it. The inside of the ring caught a sudden flare from the fireplace, flashing a brilliant gold. As the flames receded, words appeared. Delicate loops and arcs etched deep into the silver. Sam�s breath caught as they read the inscription.

Yours Now and Always J. O.

�I don�t know what to��

�Nothing,� he whispered. �There is nothing to be said or done. Let�s just take things as they come, see what happens, where it goes��

�But there is more here than what if, isn�t there?� she protested. �There�s a promise, a pledge I�m not sure I can live up to.�

Jack sighed heavily and turned her until they were face to face. He took the ring and slid it onto her finger. The digit flexed unconsciously as she released a shaky breath. Jack pushed the hair from her eyes and cupped the stiffened shoulders. �You have nothing to prove, and no matter where you go you will always have me by your side. That�s what this means. Don�t take it for anything more and by God for nothing less.� He leaned forward and captured her parted lips. Gently kissing the quivering flesh as he enfolded her in a fierce embrace. �I love you, Sam. No matter what, that will never change and I needed you to know it.�

There was more and he ached to say it. But she was warm and pliable in his arms. The strength of her grasp spoke of a desperate need for reassurance and the release of expectations. In truth, he had held out the vaguest hope that something more would come of the gift. Somehow she would see how hard he was fighting to stay a part of her world. It would be so easy to walk away. The demands of the job had worn his aging body to a frazzle, and there had been a subtle change in his thinking. A slipping in his ability to remained detached. He wasn�t sure how much longer he could stay focused and remain human at the same time. Feelings and furies could only be suppressed for so long before they exploded in a savage vortex that had the capacity to destroy those closest to him. When would the soldier take over what remained of the man?

Still, her hesitation was on par and Jack bowed inwardly, accepting the reaction and seeking the silver lining of hope. She had been a willing partner and, despite some initial discomfort, seemed open to further exploration. Perhaps it would be enough to keep the demons at bay.

Sam twisted in his grasp and he stepped back reluctantly. She raised her hand and studied the ring for a long moment. The light from the kitchen played green and crimson fire over the gemstones and tinted the band and surrounding flesh with Christmas hues. �I did,� she murmured, �And I do.�

*THE*END*