Hammond sat back in his chair and rubbed short stubby fingers across his chin, as he considered a spot on the desk blotter. �You�re talking about our nation�s president, Jack�

�I know who I�m talking about.� Jack took several deep breaths. When the throb of his pulse had receded to a manageable roar, he cleared his throat and leaned heavily on the edge of the desk. �I just realized that no one on Earth could prevent my team or you from talking to me, except Kinsey.�

�Just what exactly are you accusing the man of?� Hammond�s gaze drifted to the red phone on the corner of the desk.

Jack slammed his sweaty palms down hard onto the solid oak surface making them both jump. �I�m accusing the slimy son of a bitch of a cover-up. Of what I�m not sure, but everyone on this base has been avoiding my questions. You included.� He added icily.

�You need to slow down, son. Think about what you�re saying.�

�I�ve had nearly seven weeks to do nothing but think!�

�Maybe that�s the problem, you�re seeing conspiracies where none exist.�

Jack shook his head; amazed and horrified at the verbal tap dance his superior was performing. �We�ve been down this road before, General.�

�Have we?� Hammond challenged, his voice deceptively calm. �Just where are you headed?�

�General��

�Colonel, you have just barged into my office and point blank accused your Commander and Chief as well as myself and half the SGC of conspiring in some secret plot, which you cannot even define. How do you expect me to react to this?�

�By telling the truth.� Jack murmured, his tone equally soft and laced with bitterness. �Like you always have.�

�The truth can be a pretty subjective thing,� Hammond retorted.

�Sir, I have served this country for all of my adult life. I have stood side by side with you in defense of this entire planet on more than one occasion. I have never�� He paused and corrected himself with a faint ironic smile. ��Violated your orders without plausible and ultimately provable cause.�

�I know that, Jack. Your loyalty is not in question.� The general sighed wearily and gestured at the closed door. �Lock it, would you?�

�Sir?�

�You wanted to know, God help me I�m going to tell you.�

Jack rose shakily to his feet and crossed to the metal door. The lock fell into place with a resounding snap that shot nervous tingles across his frazzled nerves.

Answers, do I really want to know?

He bit his lip and shook his head. It�s too late for regrets�

As the General folded up his laptop and cleared an assortment of papers from the top of his normally neat desk, Jack noticed for the first time the dark smudges beneath his eyes and the sunken nature of his pasty cheeks, Whatever secrets the General harbored had obviously been eating at him for some time.

�How long?� he ventured gently, stifling his guilt beneath the need for answers.

�Too long. Since your first visit to P2Z-421.�

Jack swallowed hard as fresh sweat trickled down his back. �What did they find?�

�Naquadria.�

�What?� he shook his head and leaned back in the chair. �That stuff is a fluke, it�s not native to any planet except Kelowna.�

�Apparently not. The soil samples that Jonas Quinn and Daniel Jackson were able to retrieve from the planet contained high levels of isotopes indicative of Naquadria.�

�I don�t remember anything about that, Sir.�

�You wouldn�t. Major Carter suspected something and did an analysis after your rescue from the planet.�

�She didn�t tell me�� Jack let the sentence hang in the air between them.

Apparently sensing his discomfort, Hammond raised a hasty hand. �You were in no condition at the time. Major Carter followed the chain of command and informed me. I made a call to the President��

�And things went to hell in a hand basket,� Jack surmised sourly.

�That is a fair assessment.� The general locked gazes with him. �We almost lost you Jack,� he added gruffly.

�I almost lost me,� Jack confirmed. He offered the older man a wry grin and received a pale reserved smile in return. �What happened next?�

Hammond rubbed one colorless hand over his bald head and sighed. �The President decided that the possibility of gaining control of a source of Naquadria was too good of an opportunity, never mind that one of his finest Officers had been held for nearly a month despite repeated rescue attempts��

Repeated? The word stung Jack to the core. �How many?� he queried raggedly. �How many men did you lose trying to get me back?�

�Does it matter?�

He licked his dry lips taken aback by the reply. Of course it mattered! He wanted to rail at Hammond for his insensitivity, but one look at the dull tired eyes of his superior brought Jack up short. The man cared, too much, about what happened to his people. It was a morsel of guilt he wasn�t going to share, no matter how hard Jack pushed.

�No, I guess it doesn�t� he conceded grimly. �A month, eh?�

�Yes.�

�Felt like a goddamn year.�

Hammond nodded sympathetically. �I tried to reason with the President. Told him the costs outweighed the risks. He demanded to see the UAV footage that we took while trying to formulate a rescue plan. The footage detailed mining operations in the mountains not far from the city where you were being held. The native population appears to function under a feudal system of government. Laborers produce crops, maintain roadways and mine the ore, all serving a sort of landed gentry. At least that was Doctor Jackson�s conclusion after living with the locals for several weeks and viewing hours of taped footage.�

�He would know.�

�Yes he would,� Hammond confirmed with a soft chuckle. �Initially we weren�t able to retrieve any of the raw material, but we did witness a mining accident.� He shifted in his seat. �Do you remember any seismic disturbance while you were being held?�

Jack shook his head, at a loss. �I barely remembered whether it was night or day in that place��

The general ducked his head, one meaty fist clenching tightly on the desk blotter. �It should never have taken so long to get you out of there. The inhabitants blocked us at every turn. We tried sending in a surgical strike force consisting of Major Carter and SG-3. They were turned back only a few hundred yards from the Gate. We sent in rockets to take out artillery nests. As fast as we cleared an obstacle, another was thrown up in its place. It was as if they knew every move we would make��

Jack repressed the urge to mention Osiris, hating himself for using Hammond�s sense of guilt against him. Watching the General struggling with his remorse made Jack almost physically sick. �You mentioned an earthquake, Sir?� he pressed, desperate to spare both of them the pain of regret.

�Yes.� The general�s face brightened visibly at the change of subject. �Apparently the natives do not refine the ore. As you know, Naquadria in its raw state is highly unstable. While the UAV performed its sweep something happened inside one of the mines. The pictures are a bit grainy due to shockwave interference but you can clearly see a flash of light and waves of smoke being expelled from a mineshaft. Tremors appeared to rock the surrounding area for several hours, perhaps the result of secondary explosions beneath the surface.�

�So Kinsey saw stars did he? Finally a chance to justify the 7 billion dollar price tag on our happy little purgatory? �

�Apparently. He ordered that the SGC begin preliminary negotiations with the natives on P2Z-421 about a week after your return. He also assigned Jonas Quinn, Dr. Jackson and Teal�c to the negotiating team. Without consulting me.� Hammond shrugged. �Kinsey�s personnel recommendations were the only part of the operation that made any sense.�

�Jonas has experience with Naquadria, Daniel is a cultural expert and Teal�c is�well he�s Teal�c� Jack commented with a cynical frown. �That�s why I didn�t see hide nor hair of them for so long.� His words were lost in the creaking of Hammond�s chair as the older man rose to his feet and walked to the file cabinet in the corner.

�They were off world, attempting to blend in with the culture and determine how best to approach the natives.� Hammond sorted through the open drawer, after a moment he removed a thick file. P2Z-421 was typed neatly on the orange tab. He handed the folder to Jack. �This was the only report I couldn�t give you to work on while you were recuperating, I�m sure you can understand why.�

�I�m beginning to, Sir.� He took the proffered documents and began to slowly thumb through them. �What about Major Carter? What was she doing while all this was going on?�

�Studying the samples your team sent back and generally pacing the floor. The President was adamant that she remain on this base and speak to no one.�

�Why?� Jack tore his gaze from the drawings he had discovered. �For what reason?� he demanded angrily. He was torn between irrational gratitude that Sam had not been exposed to the dangers on the planet, and bone numbing guilt that the rest of his friends had been forced into an ultimately pointless mission.

�As you are aware, Major Carter was involved in the exposure of the NID last year. While revealing their illegal operations ultimately benefited the President�s election campaign, he viewed the Major as too great of an obstacle to his plans for P2Z-421. He couldn�t get rid of her, but he could tie her hands.�

�Like he tied yours.� Jack concluded dismally. He tossed the thick folder on the desk and regarded Hammond beneath half closed eyelids. �What did Kinsey say to her and the rest of my team? What did he threaten you with?�

�You will have to ask Major Carter for the details as well as the rest of SG-1. As for me, I am certain you can guess. Similar to my past experiences with the NID and Kinsey himself, my family, my job. I couldn�t walk away from the SGC knowing that good people were out there risking their lives in a fruitless exercise at the behest of some sycophant in the oval office.�

�So you kept things quiet. General, why didn�t you come to me? When Kinsey had us by the balls before we prevailed because we worked together��

�Jack, you weren�t yourself.� Hammond protested with a sharp gesture of his hand. �You still aren�t anywhere near a hundred percent, what could you have done?�

He bowed his head in mute acceptance of the obvious. �I see your point.�

The General reseated himself with a grunt. �I could only watch and hope. At first, Lieutenant Colonel Griffin sent back fairly regular reports. They were being accepted as travelers come to trade from the outlying regions. Apparently, physical appearance varies widely from area to area. Some prosthetics and heavy makeup were sufficient for disguise. Teal�c had joined a mining unit as a way to blend in while Daniel and Jonas worked on defining the central government. Sorting out who to approach and how. � Hammond shook his head, confusion darkening his eyes. �I�ve yet to figure out what turned things sour. I found out they were in trouble the day you came to the Control room. Which is part of the reason I didn�t want you there.� He chuckled at the memory. �Besides the fact that you looked like death on a plate.�

�I felt even worse,� Jack admitted with a grimace. He considered the information Hammond had imparted for a long time. The silence that settled between them was surprisingly free of tension. He reveled in it, knowing that the guilt and anger that had kept the General from visiting him over the last few weeks was finally gone. It was time he shared his own piece of the puzzle. �I think I know why things went south on Karen and the rest of SG-1.�

�Oh?�

�Osiris.�

Hammond gasped, unable to completely hide his shock. �We never saw any evidence of a Goa�uld on the planet��

�I saw her, before they dragged me away into that damn tower.� He rubbed his arms against the instant chill that prickled the flesh. �I think she�s the reason that you weren�t able to negotiate successfully with these people. That, and the fact that they are sadistic bastards.�

�How does she tie into all of this?�

�I haven�t figured that part out yet. I didn�t remember her at all, until recently.�

�How recently?�

�This morning,� he admitted reluctantly.

�Are you sure the memory is�genuine?�

Hammond was looking for holes and Jack couldn�t blame him. �To be honest, Sir, I wasn�t completely sure until you just asked me.�

The General frowned, clearly puzzled. �I don�t understand, is this memory real or not?�

�It�s real.� An icy shiver crawled up Jack�s suddenly sweaty back. �She told them to put me in that place�She made sure I knew what would happen�� The world fell away as the searing visage of the System Lord rose from the fractured depths of memory. He could hear the words she had spoken in dream and waking nightmare, echoing in the small silent office.

�Colonel O�Neill. You have plagued me for far too long. I condemn you to the tender mercies of the Pellans. In their care you will discover new worlds of pain and endless misery as they revel in your agony. They will fill your every moment with darkness, they will pose endless fruitless inquiries and you will answer because it is who you are. You will answer and the sessions will begin anew. May your body not fail you for many weeks, months, years to come!�

�Jack?�

He snapped free of the nightmare to the feel of Hammond gently shaking his arm. �Sir?�

�Are you okay, where were you just now?�

�Back there, with her,� he clarified without hesitation. Drifting between reality and nightmare would not help his credibility, neither would lying, �I�m alright, sometimes things still get to me��

�I can see that, maybe you should take a break��

Jack grimaced hearing McKenzie�s voice in the subtle suggestion. �No thanks.� He ran a hand across his neck, considering his next statement. �When did Kinsey find out I had been captured?�

�I would have to check the date, not more than a few days after I�m sure.�

�What was his reaction?� It was a fair question. SG-1 was the flagship team of the SGC, the imprisonment of the team leader was certainly worthy of some kind of official response.

�No comment, which I found damned peculiar�� Hammond replied.

�Given our history, I don�t.�

�Touch�, Colonel. However, given the duration of your captivity I admit to being very surprised at the White House�s continued apathy. We had no idea who or what we were dealing with. The creatures on P2Z-421��

�Pellans� Jack interrupted, shaking his head at the now familiar term. �Osiris called them Pellans.�

Hammond nodded. �Yes, I remember now from the reports. These Pellans had fairly primitive weapons except for the pain sticks that we observed in the ore yards.�

�I know what they are,� Jack murmured more to himself. He saw the General blanch in silent sympathy before continuing.

�There were devices of more advanced designs scattered throughout the culture, incongruities that Dr. Jackson could not explain. It was clear that the Pellans knew how to use them, but were at a loss to explain how or why they worked. Whenever something broke it was tossed aside. Sometimes a new item of similar design would appear to take its place, more often than not manpower replaced ingenuity.�

�Osiris supplying her minions with a helping hand?� Jack suggested grimly.

�That would be my opinion as well. But until this moment only you knew she was there. The President was operating under the assumption that the Pellans were the dominant force on this planet.�

�In numbers I have no doubt that they are, Sir.�

�Agreed. The President sent Lieutenant Colonel Griffin and the remainder of SG-1 to negotiate with the equivalent of children. He risked the capture of SGC personnel without having all the facts.� As the enormity of Kinsey�s errors coalesced, Hammond�s voice became strident with rage. �He jeopardized this entire planet. The capture and interrogation of additional personnel could have revealed all sorts of sensitive information to Osiris. We should have known that there was more going on by the way the Pellans were able to thwart our repeated rescue attempts. It makes sense now, but at the time�� He sputtered to a stop, his face gone a deep red.

�It doesn�t sound like you had much of a choice.� Jack pointed out.

�There are always options. I couldn�t see the forest for the trees, Colonel.�

He let the matter drop. Hammond was no different than himself when it came to self recrimination. Neither of them could accept that blame could and often should lay elsewhere. �What happened with Jonas?� he murmured.

The General swallowed audibly, his features rapidly evolving from anger to bitter sadness. �Ironically, Jonas was attempting to meet with the council of Lords. Lt. Colonel Griffin�s last transmission before they came under attack stated that he had been invited to meet with the Council�s high Advisor.�

�Osiris,� Jack predicted cryptically.

�Given your experiences on the planet, I agree.� Hammond fell silent, a puzzled expression darkening his features. �Why would Osiris hand you over to the Pellans without interrogating you herself?�

�I don�t know.� Jack shook his head mystified. Osiris� reasoning was just another question that had no answer. He shoved the thought aside, concentrating on the present with effort. �Why was Karen attacked?�

�I have no idea. I told her to take a day to collect herself and report back for a briefing at 0800 tomorrow morning.�

�I would like to be there, Sir.�

�Jack, you should be there.�

�Thank you, Sir.�

Hammond leaned back in his chair and scrubbed tiredly at his face. �Osiris, I can�t believe it.�

�Kinsey�what recourse do we have?� Jack ventured, he felt as exhausted as the General looked. �There has to be something we can do��

�There is, Jack. Let me make a few phone calls.� A smug smile tugged at his thin lips. �As awful as this was for you, there is one bright spot.�

�Oh?� Jack climbed wearily to his feet. The world tilted dangerously, but he managed to keep from leaning on the heavy oak desk. �What would that be, Sir?�

�You missed Thor�s little appearance during the summit last year?�

�Don�t remind me,� Jack snorted derisively. �The look on Kinsey�s face��

�Was quite something to see.� Hammond finished for him, the smile growing wider by the second. �This time you get a front row seat.�

Jack stood uncertainly outside the half open door of Sam�s lab, torn between leaving her to her frustrations and tossing her over his shoulder. He should have been sleeping, but visions of Osiris and the dismal emptiness of the tower cell had jolted him awake, drenched in sweat and suffering a nasty bout of the shakes. He took a hot shower to calm his nerves and then called the Infirmary. After a rather lengthy conversation with Janet, which had involved more begging than any grown man should have to do, she finally gave him a reprieve from his USAF shadow. Armed with his new found freedom, it had been a toss up between escaping the bowels of Cheyenne mountain or tracking down Sam and clearing the air. He had decided to compromise, and headed for the lab with the express purpose of dragging her outside with him.

Now leaning on the wall listening to her mutter incoherently amid the hum of hidden machinery and the loud clatter of metal against metal; he wondered anew whether plan B was a wise course of action. She usually resented his interference, which was the last emotion he wanted to deal with at the moment. He looked at his watch and turned to walk back towards the elevators. Two steps, three, and he was back to holding up the gray walls.

No time like the present?

The old clich� tumbled through Jack�s fuzzy brain and he smirked in silent disgust. With a firm nod to cement his shaky inner resolve, he reached for the door handle. The musical tinkle of glass followed quickly by an ominous hiss, brought him up short for the second time in as many minutes. A blinding arc of electricity shot across the gap between door and jam. Filling the air with static and setting the fine hairs on the nape of his neck on end.

�Son of a bitch!�

The sound of Sam�s husky voice growling in obvious rage was enough to put his feet in motion. He eased open the door and peered into the brightly lit room, gasping in surprise and trying not to smile. �Excuse me, Doctor Frankenstein I presume?�

She whirled at the sound of his voice and scowled. �Aren�t you supposed to be asleep?�

�Just had my nap, mom, thought I would come down and see how you were doing.� He took a cautious step into the smoky room. �Breaking up housekeeping I see.�

�Really, Sir, I�m not in the mood.�

Jack put up his hands allowing the smile to break free. She glared as he waved away the smoke and fought the urge to laugh with every fiber of his being.

She was covered with fine ash, a particularly dark smudge shadowed one flushed cheek. Her short blond hair stood straight out, spiked and slightly crisp at the ends. A variety of colors stained her lab coat in muted rainbow tones, as a puddle slowly congealed at her feet. The liquid, a muddy mix of purple and green, clung gum-like to her shoes and squelched each time she shifted her weight.

�Please don�t say a word,� she cautioned. His mouth opened fishlike and her finger shot up, quivering slightly. �Not one word.�

�Oh come on, that�s not fair,� he protested weakly. She shook her head and stared at the mess with a disgusted scowl, it was too much. A deep chuckle crawled up his throat and erupted into a full forceful laugh. He rode the sheer exhilaration of the moment, feeling tears come to his eyes and spill unchecked down his flushed cheeks. He ducked his head and leaned on his knees trying to get control. Each time he glanced up her face seem to darken with even greater embarrassment and annoyance. Sending him into new fits of mirth. The humor of the situation eventually reached through Sam�s exasperation, and she offered him a pale smile and a chair as he slowly contained himself.

�Feel better now,� she quipped, still irritated but finally smiling in earnest.

He swiped a hand across his moist eyes and nodded as she passed him a glass of water. �Should I check this for lightning bolts?�

�No!� Swatting him playfully on the arm, she found a stool and sat down opposite. �It�s good to see you smile.�

�Afraid I had forgotten how?�

�Yes.�

�Yeah, so was I.� He drained the glass and set it carefully on the edge of the desk. �I haven�t seen you in a while.�

�Yeah, I�m sorry about that.�

He shook his head, the last thing he wanted was guilt or pity from her. �Don�t, Carter. You have nothing to apologize for.�

�Oh, I think I do.� The smile faded from her soft features taking the light from her eyes in the process.

No, don�t� Jack felt something too familiar grip his heart and spread icy tendrils through his chest. She was closing up, again! �What happened the other day, it wasn�t your fault.�

�Fault? I�m not looking to blame anyone, are you?�

�Well no�� he fumbled. Why the hell does everything have to be so damn difficult! �It�s just that�Oh for Christ sakes�Carter�It was my idea��

�You didn�t see me objecting, did you?�

�No, but that�s not the point�I did it because I had to prove something to you and to myself��

�What? That you are still a man?�

He sucked in a startled breath completely nonplussed by her blunt statement. She had hit the nail on the head, as always.

�I never doubted that for a second. How could you think so little of me or yourself for that matter?� She was glaring at him, drilling cobalt fire into his hot cheeks. �Jack, I stayed because I wanted to, not because I needed you to prove your virility.� Her eyes searched his face, drawing him in until he fell headlong into their dark depths. �I stayed because I love you.�

�I don�t know what to say,� he admitted sheepishly.

�How about you love me too?� She ducked her head blushing slightly. �It�s been a while since we talked about us.�

Jack nodded, his mind still groping for a way to respond to her assessment. She knew him too well. �Is there an us?�

She replied by leaning forward and brushing his lips with a tender kiss. �Do you want there to be?�

Gods yes! His mind was screaming but his heart held back. For three years they had kept the thing between them repressed so deeply that neither of them seemed to remember how it happened. Stolen glances, a touch, a murmured word, were the only indications that something more than friendship existed between them. Had he been waiting for her to take the next step all this time?

Jack shook his head and climbed to his feet. In truth he had lost all control of the situation that day in the Observation Room. He was foolish to think he had ever held any sort of rein on his heart or hers. He looked up and found that she was watching him, the slight quiver in her chin the only outward sign of her apprehension.

�I came down here thinking that I owed you an explanation.� He favored her with a tender smile, hoping to put himself and her at ease. �You�ve blown that whole idea out of the water��

�You don�t owe me anything, you never have.� Sam shook her head, accepting his silent comfort. �God, you�re such a man sometimes!�

Jack chuckled beneath his breath, knowing what she meant and accepting it easily. His mind drifted back to their heated tryst and he dropped his eyes to the floor suddenly unsure. �How long did you stay?�

�Until you were sleeping.� She reached out and caressed the back of one hand with hesitant fingers. �I had to go or I would never have left. I guess I wasn�t ready to face the questions if Shaffer�s relief came on duty.�

�What about Shaffer?� he pointed out.

�She�s an old friend, but you owe her big time!�

�I would say.� His gaze drifted to the congealed puddle on the floor beneath her stool. �Care to take a walk?�

�I really should clean this up��

�Sam.� Jack knew it was a cheap shot, using her name to grab her attention. He saw it in the way she flinched and pulled back, closing her eyes and tilting her head as she warred with her feelings. For once he didn�t care. They were talking and he couldn�t bare the thought of her slipping away. He craved the warmth of her presence and the touch of her hand on his skin. �Walk with me�please.�

She stayed silent for a long time. Slowly rotating the tip of her foot on the concrete floor. When she finally looked up he saw tears glistening in her dark eyes. Sniffing, she brushed a hand across her face and slid off the stool. �Give me five minutes, okay?�

�Okay.�

Five minutes became ten. He spent the time pacing the length of the hallway around the corner from the women�s locker room. There were no conscious thoughts to distract his spinning mind. Only the pounding of his pulse and the frenetic hum of his frazzled nerves held his attention. When Sam emerged freshly showered and dressed in civvies, he thought for sure his heart would stop completely.

What was I thinking when I asked her to take a walk? He wondered as she proceeded down the hall to the elevators a step ahead of him. It was clear by the way his pulse had begun to race that he wasn�t thinking at all. In fact, coherent thought had fled the scene sometime between her lab and the locker room and had yet to reappear. They rode up to sublevel 11 in silence. He couldn�t spare her more than a furtive glance because he knew without question that if he looked at her full on he would be undone completely�

�Sir, I need your signature.� The OD was looking at him patiently and holding out a felt tip pen.

When did we get to level 11? Shrugging away his confusion, Jack took the proffered pen. He heard Sam shift next to him, felt her eyes on his back as he leaned forward and signed his name with an uncharacteristic flourish.

�Getting some fresh air, Sir?�

Jack cleared his throat and nodded, not trusting his voice.

�Nice to see you up and around again.�

�Thanks,� he managed gruffly. Sam was waiting at the elevator bank, smiling mischievously at his discomfiture. �It�s all your fault,� he mumbled. Her smile widened to a grin, as they stepped into the empty car.

The lobby was its usual bustle of activity. The press of people seeking access to the mountain separated them, and Jack reached the main checkpoint several minutes after Sam had exited the building. Cursing beneath his breath at the delay, he bid the guard a clipped �Have a nice day.� And strode rapidly out into the bright sunshine.

Sam was standing at the trailhead that led up behind the Cheyenne facility. Personnel were encouraged to explore the network of paths that cut through the thick pine forest. A way of letting off steam, getting in touch with the planet they all called home, and getting some physical exercise. The trails were monitored for security and safety reasons, a fact that ordinarily would have deterred him from the actions his body had begun to contemplate sometime during their long elevator ride. However, one of the reports he had perused during his recuperation was a detailed account of activity on the mountain over the last month. It mentioned the fact that one of the security cameras had developed a glitch, possibly due to the attentions of a squirrel or raccoon. Maintenance was efficient, but Jack was willing to bank on the fact that they hadn�t been topside in the last week. He grinned wolfishly as he walked across the lot. �Let�s try trail C, leads up towards the Firetower,� he suggested quietly as he brushed a hand across her elbow.

Sam nodded and took the lead up the winding pathway. They took the first right and then a sharp left, climbing higher towards the clearing where the tower was located. Jack�s breathing came in short, painful gasps as they skirted tree roots and rocks that dotted the pathway. He pushed on, determined to reach his goal despite the stars that flickered across his vision. More than once he caught Sam altering her normally fluid pace, allowing him to catch up without commenting on his flushed face and trembling limbs. She would chastise him for his pride he was sure, but for the duration of the walk she kept silent. They emerged rather suddenly into the dazzling brilliance of a mountain glen awash in Daises and Queen Ann�s Lace. Indian Paintbrush and the miniature bobbing heads of Buttercups mingled with the long waving grass. White and yellow moths flitted from flower to flower, drifting on the light breeze that trembled the tops of the pines.

Jack leaned on his knees trying to steady his breathing. The blood was pounding heavily in his ears and he felt vaguely nauseous. Not the best way to impress someone, he mused irritably. To her credit, Sam didn�t ask if he was okay. She settled for rubbing his sweaty back with soothing hands, her touch exciting his heart in a different and far more pleasant fashion.

�It�s beautiful up here. I haven�t been in a long time,� she murmured, her voice nearly lost beneath the sigh of the wind.

Jack straightened and slipped the light jacket he wore from his shoulders. Folding it over one arm, he gestured to the tower. It was overly large compared to many of its counterparts. Made to accommodate security personnel and equipment when needed as well as monitor the forest for telltale smoke. Currently it was unmanned, fire danger was minimal and the base was at its lowest state of alert. A welcome reprieve for the people stationed in and around the facility. �Care to take a look?�

She looked him over carefully and he winced. What are you thinking? Much to his frustration, Sam offered no hints as she proceeded through the tall grass to the stairwell and began to climb.

Jack gritted his teeth in silent resolve and followed her. The stairs twisted and turned back on themselves in tighter arcs as they approached the observation deck. He paused on the landings, forcing himself to rest, hating the fatigue that gripped his limbs in painful spasms. He felt weak and shaky and he couldn�t hide it from her or himself. Sam paused each time he did and waited one deck up, pretending to admire the view. He could feel her watching him, with the same concerned gaze that flickered over him whenever she was on watch duty off-world. She knew when he slept and when the aches and pains he hated to admit to kept him from more than a fitful doze. He was guilty of the same sorts of observations. Always there were moments when his eyes would wander from the outward perimeter to her still form, curled tightly into her sleeping bag. Deeply asleep until some sixth sense awoke her. Sometimes they would catch one another staring and both would look away, pleased and dismayed at having been caught.

Sam was leaning on one of the counters attached to the railing when he finally reached the roofed observation platform. She glanced down at the charts beneath the glass and ran her fingers over the East facing camera. An absent smile tugged at her lips as she gazed towards the surrounding mountains. Jack knew she heard his arrival by the stiffening of her long legs and the shift of her shoulders. He swallowed loudly, forcing himself to breath in measured exhalations. The world settled into sharp focus as she turned around.

�Are you sure this is what you really want?� she asked cautiously.

Jack leaned on the counter and licked his dry lips. �You have to ask?�

�Yes, I do.�

�Why?� he rasped in exasperation.

�Because this isn�t and shouldn�t be about proving anything to anyone��

�Sam��

�It doesn�t matter to me that you aren�t a hundred percent, it wouldn�t matter if you never were again��

He crossed the short space between them. Cupping her face between his hands, he silenced her words with a tender butterfly kiss. �This is not a physical thing, it�s�� he trailed off as she reached for him

�I know what it is,� she breathed into his mouth.

He shivered as her tongue nudged playfully at the edges of his lips and along the smooth surface of his teeth. She withdrew, teasing, urging him to reach for her. He obliged, leaning forward he put his hand between the center of her back and the sharp edge of the counter. His tongue slid between her lips and caressed hers in rapid strokes as his free hand moved up her back. Her hands trailed down his sides and slid beneath his T Shirt. Nails raked lightly across his back as her hands moved to cradle his shoulder blades. She pushed away from the counter with a single thrust of her hips freeing his hand. He responded by tracing his fingers across her waist and over one firm cheek, slowly kneading the flesh as she moved towards him.

Jack swallowed a low moan as she rubbed against him. The friction of denim against his hot flesh spread icy tendrils from his groin to the very tips of his fingers. He kissed her deeply, tasting the sweetness of the tender flesh beneath her tongue and along the inside of her cheeks. The world tilted as they eased one another to the floor with her on top. She extended herself across the length of his body nibbling his earlobe and trailing strings of kisses along his jaw line and into the V of his collarbone.

He shifted until both his hands grasped the hem of her shirt. With a quick tug, the soft white cotton came free and he eased it over her head. Aching when her lips left his skin for the brief moments it took to shed the clothing. He arched his back and ran his fingers through her hair, gasping into her open mouth as she bent towards him. Kisses, bruising in their intensity covered his lips and cheeks and left a trail of fire down his neck to his chest. A low, irritated moan sounded in her throat as she moved towards his waist. Grasping his T Shirt between her teeth she pulled it loose. Jack cradled her head as she nudged his abdomen and ran her teeth across his ribs. Using his free hand he yanked the shirt over his head and tossed into the corner. She shifted her focus to his nipples, teasing them with rapid flicks of her tongue as he fumbled with her bra clasp. She shivered as he succeeded in freeing her breasts and ran his fingers over the smooth skin of her back. He slid one hand around to her chest. Teasing one hardened nipple, enjoying her sharp inhalation and the crushing pressure of her lips descending on his.

Sam moved across him rubbing her body over his pulsing groin. There was no denying the groan of exquisite pleasure that escaped his lips. She increased the pressure and he felt the material between them grow damp as her arousal deepened. He gripped her hips and gently restrained her before he reached for the fly of her jeans. She responded in kind, undoing his belt in one efficient motion. Leaning forward, she kissed him deeply as he slid her pants from her waist. She kicked them free and he shed his with a quick twist of his hips. Instantly she was back, lying across his body, rubbing her abdomen over his penis. He trembled and cupped her buttocks, massaging the warm flesh, eliciting a strangled gasp from her parted lips.

He rolled her effortlessly onto her back, running his tongue around one nipple before trailing urgent kisses across the hollow of her throat. Capturing her lips, he parried the frenzied thrusts of her tongue and then moved on to her cheeks and the soft skin where neck met shoulder. She murmured nonsensically in his ear, nipping the lobe as he suckled the tender flesh beneath her jaw. The heat was building between them. His body ached to feel her embrace. He rose up on trembling arms, letting his eyes travel the length of her from waist to breasts to slender neck. Caressing her with his eyes and enjoying the shiver of her skin and the fresh sheen of sweat that glistened in the stray sunlight. His errant gaze reached her face. Full, sensuous lips moistened by the languid stroke of her tongue. Flushed cheeks that lifted slightly as she caught him staring. Finally, the liquid depths of her sparkling blue eyes. Holding him transfixed as her hands guided his erection between her taut thighs.

Jack released a tremulous breath as he melted into her warmth. For a moment they froze. She lay beneath him, her muscles holding him in an endless embrace. The urgency that had driven him, days, weeks, before was gone. There was only light now. Flickering flames that bathed them in shared peace, urged them to reach forward as one. He didn�t want to move, could have been happy to live in the single moment that enveloped them. The world fell away, leaving an aura of incandescent beauty in its wake. More than her fluid grace, the soft curves of her body or the touch of her hands on his tense shoulders; there was Sam. The woman who had never left him in spirit, who held him close by the lilt of her laugh and the tenderness in her eyes. He drank her in, inhaled the smell of them mingled with the odors of earth and sky.

She shivered and stroked his cheek with cool fingers. He kissed her palm and began to rock his hips in a circular motion. They moved together. He felt her growing closer to release, saw it as she gasped and raked her nails through the fine silver hair on his chest. Waves of erotic fire spread from his groin through his entire body. His fingers tingled, and he dug his nails into the floorboards as their rhythm increased. She arched her back and guided his head until she captured his lips between her teeth. A strangled cry erupted from deep within and she kissed him, shivering and thrusting against him as orgasm enveloped her. He tore free, tasting the iron tang of blood as he buried his face in her neck. Tears stung his eyes and a sob choked in his throat as he moved rapidly towards release.

Sam, oh God!

He screamed her name in silent gratitude and shuddered as orgasm overcame all. Dimming the world to a tunnel with her damp, smiling face as the sole source of light.

As the last of the shudders coursed through his exhausted body, he rolled to one side. Gasping for air, he stared sightlessly at the gray ceiling, lost in the fevered joy of what had transpired.

We made love!

Not frantic sex driven by the need to prove his worth, or by her desire to comfort and shield him from the pain she could not prevent�

But love.

Jack closed his eyes and listened to the returning sounds of the forest. A cool breeze ruffled his hair and fanned the sweat from his skin. The shriek of a hunting hawk sent an involuntary tremor up his back. He felt Sam shift closer. She rolled onto her side, one firm breast coming to rest against his ribs as she nestled her head on his chest. She trailed a feather touch across his stomach and laughed beneath her breath as he caught her fingers.

�No giggling,� he whispered.

The statement had the desired effect and she laughed aloud. �Good thing we�re not in Antarctica, isn�t it?� she teased.

�Good thing.�

Continued in Part Seven No Regrets

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