Jack wasn’t quite sure when they had crossed that magical line with the Guinness. The buzz of warmth and relaxation replaced stress and anxiety with a mellowed inebriation somewhere beyond the memory of that last mission. It felt good after a tough assignment.

 

“So, you were both in Desert Storm? You and Sam?”

 

“And what dark closet of your memory did you pull that outta, Daniel?” Jack felt his hackles rising. ‘Gee, why did the kid feel obligated to dredge up old, not so pleasant memories? Especially when I was just starting to feel good.’

 

Jack knew that beer wasn’t the Space Monkey’s drink of choice but Daniel tolerated it for Jack’s sake. It certainly hadn’t impaired his uncanny way of interjecting pointless facts about remembering Jack’s four months imprisonment in an Iraqi prison. Could this line of questioning be an evil plot to get attention? After all, he and Sam had been rehashing their latest escapade as though Daniel were in another galaxy.

 

“Oh, I don’t know.” Daniel shrugged. He took another swig from his bottle and continued, “Did you have a sobriquet?”

 

“Whaddaya mean, sober? Of course, we had to be sober!” Jack suddenly felt irritated at Daniel’s persistent interruptions. He raised his voice another decibel to prove it, “Damn it, Daniel! You think they’re gonna let you near one of those billion dollar birds, let alone FLY one, drunk? Hell, too much aftershave could ground you!”

 

“No, Sir, that’s not what he meant!” Sam jumped to Daniel’s defense, waving Jack into silence. The look on her face was priceless. It rivaled the cat that ate the canary.

 

Obviously, the Irish brew hadn’t deteriorated her mentally. But then, that was Carter, always sharp as tack. Always ready to rise to the occasion.

 

“Okay, Smarty Pants, translate it for me, would ya? I don’t exactly speak the twenty three languages the archeological wonder boy does!” Jack sassed back.

 

“A sobriquet is a nickname, for example, a pilot’s callsign,” She flashed one of those hundred watt smiles in his direction, “Like,” She paused as if reaching for the right example, “Greywolf, you know, instead of O’Neill, Sir.” Then she winked.

 

There was a pregnant pause as he allowed her words to sink into his foggy brain.

 

“Oh!” He replied still a bit bewildered then tilted his head and squinted at Daniel.

 

“Oy?” Jack stammered, twisting his head back around to give Sam a stunned look. He squirmed in his chair. He didn’t know whether to be shocked or pleased. Was Carter a good guesser or did she really know that Greywolf was his callsign? Whatever the case, he determined to find out and then up the ante. Two can play this game. This was gonna be fun.

 

“Well, that’s certainly appropriate.” Daniel mumbled. He was fading fast. The kid just never could handle much alcohol. Hell, he didn’t even like wine coolers. Jack watched as Daniel’s eyes slowly blinked closed and then opened again. He was making a valiant effort to stay in touch with what was happening in the room but was losing the battle.

 

“Sam?” He managed to get out.

 

“Yes, Daniel?” She answered but Sam’s sparkling confident gaze never left the Colonel.

 

“What was yours?” he slurred.

 

Jack’s eyes were glued to Sam but a quick glance at Daniel on the couch confirmed Danny Boy was down for the count.

 

“Coffee?” Jack blurted before she could answer.

 

The victory smile faded from Sam’s face and was replaced with a ‘deer in the headlights’ look. ‘That’s right, Jack, ole boy, keep the major guessing.’

 

“Sir?”

 

“I mean, could I fix you some coffee? I wouldn’t want you attempting to navigate the streets of Colorado Springs later without a bit of caffeine to clear that razor sharp brain of yours.” He retorted with a wry chuckle.

 

“Sure. Guess I’ll have to drive home sometime tonight.” She looked over at Daniel sleeping, and then sighed, “I may have to be someone’s designated driver too.”

 

“Throw the afghan over him. He can stay there all night if it comes to that. Wouldn’t be the first time.” He rose from his chair and moved in the direction of the kitchen.

 

He hesitated to watch as Sam pulled the light cover off the back of the couch. Daniel stirred as she maneuvered him into a more comfortable position. He was mumbling something about her and sober. Fortunately, it was mostly unintelligible. She patted him affectionately.

 

He motioned with his thumb. “I’ll be in the kitchen. You want the usual?”

 

“Sure,” she called after him.

 

“Get some rest, Daniel.” Jack heard her tell the snoring lump on his couch as he strolled back to the living room with two steaming mugs.

 

“Out here.” He motioned with his head. Handing one mug to Sam, he moved ahead to open the door to the deck off his living room.

 

“Daniel will be fine. We’ll let him sleep it off a bit then we can pour some coffee down him. I kinda thought if we batted around the base gossip out here we wouldn’t disturb him.” Jack looked over to Daniel to make sure he was truly out of it. He was.

 

“I have a feeling I know what the topic will be.” She smiled up at him.

 

“Nothing much gets by you, does it, Carter?” He huffed as she passed.

 

He pulled two of the deck chairs together and motioned her to sit. The sky was clear and dotted with stars.

 

“No, Sir.” She was looking at him through her lashes as she sipped the hot drink although it appeared she was trying her best not to smile.

 

“It’s nice out here tonight, don’cha think?” He slouched in his chair and casually crossed his legs, his ankle balanced on the opposite knee.

 

“So nice it makes me jealous.” He heard her breathe in deeply and release it slowly.

 

“Jealous?” Disbelief evidenced in his reply. ‘There’s a first. She’s jealous of me.’

 

“Yeah, if I had a deck like this, I’d be out here all the time.” She stopped to look up at the expanse of the night sky and smiled. “Well, as long as the weather would allow me anyway. It’s so peaceful, quiet, and beautiful.”

 

He heard her release a soft sigh. Honesty. There was honesty in the tone of her comment and maybe even a bit of nostalgia.

 

“So, what leads you to believe that Greywolf was my so_bree_kay?” he enunciated each syllable for her benefit.

 

She snickered. “I wondered how long it would take for you to ask me that.”

 

“Obviously, not long enough. Just too damn predictable. Gotta work on that.” Jack released a laugh then, regaining his focus, said, “So? Enlighten me, Carter and quit changing the subject!”

 

“Oh, word got around.” She made no move to look at him and continued to sip the hot liquid.

 

“Care to elaborate, Major?”

 

He could tell she was going to make him pull it out of her. As his eyes adjusted to the darkness, he saw that self-satisfied look on her face, a look that gave the challenge, ‘make me tell you, Jack’.

 

“Well, the guys in our squadron got wind of a real daredevil pilot who made some rather unorthodox runs,” she started, quickly glancing at his face.

 

He maintained his blank stare at her. ‘Never let ‘em see you sweat, Jack.’

 

“It seems this guy had a reputation for those kinds of maverick stunts. Funny, it appeared to work for him, too. A rebel with a cause … or, possibly, a death wish.”

 

“Oh really?” he interjected, continuing to force his face into that deadpan expression.

 

“The crazy part is that he got away with it.” She stifled a laugh. “It wasn’t until later on, listening to the base chatter, I caught his call sign: Greywolf. Quite the predator. Drove his CO prematurely gray. Sound familiar at all?” She was still smiling.

 

“So, basically what you’re saying is that it was just an educated guess?”

 

“You could say that, I suppose.” She was still smiling and turned to face him. “All those little snippets of information just sorta fell into place.”

 

“Aha! Well, Major, there were lots of ‘wolves’ in Iraq,” he said with a lecherous gleam in his eye and a smile. He was determined not to validate her guess. It was just too much fun to watch her squirm. He was still a maverick with an unorthodox style.

 

They had finished their coffee and sat silently observing the night sky.

 

“Why don’t we head up to the roof? This weather’s perfect for looking at the stars. Ya know, goin’ to ‘em through the gate has never quite replaced the awe of gazing at them through the telescope.” He stopped to look with boyish wonder at the night’s canopy. “It’s amazing to see them exactly where they ought to be each night. Just confirms my belief in the Creator. No guessing where Orion’s belt will be. A nice sense of order, don’cha think?”

 

‘Crap! Am I running off at the mouth, or what? Shut up, Jack!’

 

“Sir, while it’s true they don’t really move, the earth does. So every month you can find a familiar star in a somewhat different part of the night sky depending upon which hemisphere you’re in. And Orion’s belt will be on Orion.” She smiled shyly at him.

 

“I knew that.” He gave her that scrunched-up, disappointed look that said ‘Duh. You think I was born yesterday, Carter?’ He stood and moved toward the house.

 

She stepped inside while Jack held the door for her, her clean scent wafting past him. “Let me check on Daniel on the way up. Poor kid, it never takes much to put him under the table, does it?”

 

“Yeah well, he was never in the military either.” he whispered. “Amazingly, even college didn’t corrupt him. Musta spent all his free time with his nose in a book reading, studying, and cataloging artifacts. Hell, for all I know he was writing his memoirs at the tender age of thirty. Talk about bored outta your skull!” He rolled his eyes in her direction.

 

“Maybe boring to you, but you have to admit what he knows has been helpful to us.” She made sure he was covered and looked back at Jack.

 

“He’s fine, Carter. C’mon and leave him alone.” He motioned toward the other side of the house.

 

“Yes, Sir.” She moved to follow him.

 

From this deck, there was an unobscured view of the heavens. Jack brought another chair over to set by the telescope. “Have a seat. We should have a good view of Venus tonight.”

 

She moved confidently toward the extra chair.

 

“No, you sit here.” He indicated the chair behind the telescope and with a smirk added, “After all, I heard you are the Star Seeker of the team.”

 

He watched with glee as she whipped her head around, staring at him with wide surprised eyes. He heard her breath catch in her throat and then a barely audible response.

 

“How…?” The look on her face was priceless.

 

He shoots. He scores!

 

Sweet!

“For cryin’ out loud, Carter! Wha—?” I look at her innocently with my confident half smile, raised eyebrows, tilting my head sideways.

 

She has me in her scope and it’s not my telescope either. It’s that ‘If looks could kill you’d be dead, Jack’ look. I’m glad we weren’t examining a piece of advanced weaponry. I can almost hear the wheels turn in that mind of hers. She is attempting to understand how, in heaven’s name, I know her Desert Storm call-sign was Star Seeker.

 

“You know, Major, there’s really no need to keep it a secret. I’ve known for a long time.” I wave my hand at her like it’s no big deal.

 

‘The look’ has now softened into a stunned silence of suspicion. I can’t believe she’s at a loss for words. *My* Major Carter, at a loss for words? Eh! Then an even worse thought tiptoes its way through my fertile brain. Sam is plotting revenge. Crap! A Carter spurned can be a Colonel burned. But, ignorant of any real or imagined danger my 2IC could inflict upon me, I barge onward like a bull in a china store.

 

“I know lots of little secrets about you, Major. I’m your CO. They pay me to know this stuff,” I toss out with my devil may care attitude, and a broad smile as I shove my hands into my pockets and position myself closer to the telescope.

 

I can only hope that whatever revenge she might have in mind is sweet as I attempt to smooth the ruffled feathers.

 

The air has cooled and a gentle breeze rustles the leaves of the nearby trees wafts the scent of the summer night around us. Sam rises from her chair and comes to stand directly in front of me. The moonlight dances off her blond hair and her eyes sparkle as she looks up into my face. Her arms are crossed and she has the ruffled feather look about her. I take delight this vision. If I wasn’t intoxicated before, I am now.

 

“Like what?” She is curious yet cautious, places her hands on her hips, and thumbs in her belt loops. Another puff of the chilly night air whips the heady potpourri of Sam Carter into my nostrils.

 

I wonder if she really wants to know what I know. On the other hand, could it be that she is afraid of what I *might* know? Geez, I don’t think there’s a blemish on this woman’s career. What could she possibly be worried about? She shivers and wraps her arms around herself. I am riveted in place, mesmerized actually, while I anticipate her next move.

 

It would be so easy to pull her close to share my warmth, to wrap my arms around her and nuzzle into her warm neck. Instead, I’m wracking my brain and grabbing at straws to figure out what I’m gonna say.

 

“For starters? Well, I know how much you really wanted to work with NASA so I might have assumed you would pick something with ‘star’ in it. Then, of course, you do love a challenge and a ‘seeker’ is one who is always on a quest for answers.” I plaster a smug smile on my face. ‘Victory! At least for the moment.’

 

“I’m listening.” Her eyes narrow in deep concentration as she prepares to separate truth from fiction.

 

“Then again, it could be as simple as having a basic knowledge of who was serving in Desert Storm. A beautiful and dynamic personality like yours tends to stand out in a crowd. You’re no dumb blond. Not to mention that the crowd is mostly men who like their eye candy.” I sneer as I waggle my brows suggestively. “Take your pick, Sam.”

 

“So what’s the bottom line, Sir?” She is dead serious. I suspect she is weighing all the given facts to see which scenario is really the truth.

 

“I read your file.” I flash a self-satisfied smile and rock back on my heels.

 

I watch as her eyes squint while her eyebrows knit together in concerned contemplation. The silence hangs between us, as she appears to consider all her options. I’m not sure whether to expect a laugh or a well-placed kick. Then, decisively, she steps into my personal space and begins to fiddle with a thread hanging from a button on my shirt.

 

“And what other little tidbits did you pick up reading my file?” She sure puts a focused effort into distracting me from my mission. ‘Hoo boy!’ Mission? Did I have a mission? Suddenly, I can’t remember.

 

“Wouldn’t you like to know?” I retort. ‘For me to know and for you to find out, Carter.’

 

“Yes, I would.” I note a definite change in her tone. Her words flow smoothly like fluid; her actions, calculated. Maybe the Guinness has gotten to her more than I had first anticipated. I am bewitched.

 

She eliminates the button-thread problem and her hands move to straighten my shirt, to do up those buttons on the button-down collar and brush invisible fluff off my shoulders. I have a keen sense that I may be losing control of the situation. Her touch is like an electrical current charging its way through my entire body.

 

“Carter?” I am barely maintaining control of my voice as she runs her finger nails down the front of my shirt slowly, deliberately and provocatively. Her interrogation style fascinates and, er, stimulates me. I scrub my hand through my hair nervously.

 

“Yes, Sir?” Sam studies my face. Then, not in the least unnerved, she continues to execute her plan to get more information from me with new determination.

 

“Would this be a new form of military interrogation?” My breath hitches in my throat. “Because I’m sure this isn’t mentioned in the Geneva Convention.” I manage to snag her wrists before her hands roam to where they don’t belong. Only then do I notice that she has backed me up against the railing. She lifts her head and I search her bright eyes hoping to determine where all this is headed.

 

“Maybe” Did I catch a glint of mischief in that look? She certainly is up on her tactical advantage strategies.

 

“Major, I’d never believe that you would stoop to seduction just to gain information.” Remember, Jack, denial is not a river in Egypt. Deny everything.

 

She shoots me an evil glare but it melts as our eyes meet.

 

“Then you may not know me as well as you thought.”

 

Her hands, free again, have found their way to my face where her thumbs stroke my jaw- line. “Obviously, it’s not suitable in every situation but one must evaluate each scenario on its own merit and choose the appropriate tactic. You, of all people understand that.”

 

Her index finger traces the scar on my eyebrow. She trails her hands across my face and ears then find themselves on the back of my neck.

 

“And I do, yes, indeed.” Only those occasions were never as, shall we say, delectable as this. Is that my voice, I wonder? Can’t be . . . it’s shaking. Would not be a good sign to drool here, Jack. Geez, maybe she’s been rereading mission notes from our entanglement with Hathor. I swallow. Hard.

 

“So what brings all this on? What highly classified information could I possibly be withholding?” I’m really holding onto the edge here. I’m playing hard to get but the truth be known I’m just getting hard! My level of self-control is in a spiraling dive, taking my breath away with it as it plunges downward. ‘Didn’t take much, did it, Jack, ole boy, you really ought to get out more.’

 

“You seem to know so much about me, Jack. I’m impressed,” she coos.

 

“Jack?” I squeak. Even in the moonlight I see the hint of a sly smile.

 

Her arms drape languidly around my neck. “It’s time you clear something up for me. I know how much you care about me.” I realize that she has just felt the proof of that statement as she leans her whole body into mine.

 

“Yes, and you care for me too, but . . . .” My voice trails off as the hands on the end of those arms are now playing with the hair on the back of my head. Sam goes on as if she hasn’t notice my, um, pelvic enhancement.

 

“Thanks to the Za’tarc incident . . .” She pauses, dragging her fingers gently over my neck and circling my ear. . . “Thing is, it seems there was more after that . . .  perhaps something that left the room . . .” She leans in further. I’m not sure I can breathe. Sam can; I can feel her words as she speaks, the puffs of air setting my neck on fire. “. . . Care to elaborate . . . like what I missed out on that you didn't.” She gazes up soulfully into my eyes and I suspect, despite her nonchalance, she longs to find agreement deep inside me.

 

“And that would be when, Major?” Her hand trickles down my chest and I am helpless to stop her. No, now I’m sure I can’t breathe.

 

“I recall a rather smug commanding officer sitting across from me at the final briefing after we finally broke the time loop from P4X-639. He had this goofy grin on his face.” Her probe for specifics has become intense and determined.

 

“Oh, that!” I toss off a nervous chuckle. “Yes, convenient for you to have memory loss, wasn’t it? Actually, convenient for the entire base.”

 

“Care to elaborate on what happened to put such an expression on your face?” She reiterates, smiling up at me in return and waits, her fingers working their magic while I ponder the answer.

 

“Well, I resigned in that last loop.” I manage to spit out. “That was one thing.” A quick glance over my shoulder confirms that I have no way out of this except to leap over the railing. I know I’m in good shape but I ain’t jumping the equivalent distance of two floors. My knees would not be happy campers. Need Plan B, Jack, buddy.

 

“And?” She continues to tantalize my body, pushing me to the edge of sensual meltdown.

 

“What leads you to believe there was anything else?” My face affects an incredulous expression, my eyebrows creeping toward my hairline, desperately trying to pull off my ‘who me?’ attitude. Only three words you have to remember buddy, deceive, inveigle and obfuscate.

 

“Something Daniel said, or really just hinted at, about loops, actions, memory and consequences. Do share.”

 

Daniel? Oh, really? Just wait until I get a hold of him! This is all his fault. Just had to go and throw out some of those theories of his regarding those loops. And, oh, God, would she stop with the hands.

 

She continues. With the hands.

 

I attempt to explain. “I believe his exact words to me at the time were something like if we knew in advance that no one was going to remember the previous loop we could do anything for as long as we wanted and not have to worry about consequences.” A roguish smile plasters my face and I make another vain attempt at throttling her busy hands.

 

She presses. “What exactly did you do? It must have been . . . fun?”

 

“Fun?” That roguish smile dissolves into a goofy grin as I remember those loops.

 

“Well, yeah, you’re smiling! Guilt is written all over your face and there is a distinct gleam in those dark brown eyes?” She tilts her head and gazes up at me with that engaging smile of hers. “Surely you knew I might press to find out one way or another. You should be glad I didn’t get some cock and bull story from someone else first. You know how the SGC grapevine can be . . .  a really bad game of Telephone.” She wrinkles up her nose and curls her delectable lips in a look of horror.

 

Hell, don’t I know about the stupid gossip on base! The last choice tidbit to get around the base that way ended up as some sordid tale about Siler and some floozy down at O’Malley’s. Hardly a tale to be believed knowing Siler the way I do. He’s just not the type. Loyal, steady, reliable Siler would have never been caught smuggling some hot babe on base only to be caught with her in one of those little used closets that line the corridors. Not that he wouldn’t do it. He just wouldn’t get caught. Besides, Jack O’Neill would damn well know not to brag about an offense that could get him in some really hot water. At least with those on up the chain of command.

 

 “So, that’s a blessing in disguise, I suppose.” I ponder aloud. “But, on the other hand, who’d remember anything to start a rumor?”

 

“Well, no one I guess but I do see the nurses down in the infirmary clam up as soon as they see me.” Briefly distracted, she huffs a sigh at the thought of being fodder for the gossip mill. “That combined with Daniel’s enlightened loop theories after the fact led me to believe there may be more to this little fiasco than first meets the naked eye.”

 

Naked? Oh, I am so not going there. “Wait! Whatever those nurses know has nothing to do with Daniel’s so-called enlightened musings or my time loops. So, now you still expect me to have a session of true confessions? My guess is that they’re all jealous.” My eyebrows lift in question, hoping I can project a verdict of innocent on all charges.

 

“Spill the beans, Sir.” Sir, ouch. How could she use ‘sir’ while those hands keep working their devilish magic? “Prove to me beyond the shadow of a doubt that none of your little antics involved me in any way, I’ll feel vindicated.”

 

“Nothing to admit! Except maybe a bit of pottery throwing and a tad of practicing my back swing on the gate ramp.” I rattle off the top of my head, and then remember, “Oh, and I taught Teal’c to juggle.” I smile victoriously, gloating over the memory of it all. “And that was just the easy stuff.”

 

“The easy stuff, huh?” Sam says slowly. Her eyebrows rise in mock understanding and complete disbelief, even as she nods her head in affirmation. “Sure.”

 

I don’t think you’re out of the woods yet, buddy. She shifts her weight slightly, brushing all those wired nerve endings.

 

Hmmm. If I play my cards right, I could turn this around, and instead of her holding me captive over the railing, I could have her in the same position. My inability to escape this sweet torture isn’t really the problem. I’m loving it but the control issue . . . that is another matter altogether. I need the upper hand to give Carter a taste of her own heady medicine.

 

“Actually, you should be really impressed and proud of me for all the Latin I translated.” I boast, and then admit, “Of course, it took me several loops to finally get it all together.”

 

“Really? Is that so?” She smiles proudly the mega-watt smile as if she herself were responsible for my latest acquisition of extended knowledge.

 

“Yeah, and, as a matter of fact, when Teal’c and I discovered that we couldn’t tape Daniel’s lessons, we had to bite the bullet and actually *learn* Latin. What a fiasco that turned out to be!” I rub the back of my neck in frustration.

 

“Couldn’t tape them?” A frown clouds her usually bright face. Gee, you’d think she, of all people, would understand why!

 

“Nope, got us a nice little tape recorder so we could tape our research and in the next loop there was nothing on the tape.” I roll my eyes at her and heave a disappointed sigh.

 “Just for the record, indelible ink didn’t work either.”

 

“Frankly, I never doubted for a minute that you could learn that stuff. The trick is have you remembered any?” Sam is smiling again, actually half laughing at me. I think I may have her a bit distracted and on the intellectual level. Perhaps that will stall the sweet torment I have been enduring for this game of twenty questions and give me time to turn the tables on her.

 

Using stealth tactics, I move quickly. “Totus est Justus in diligo quod bellum*,” I quote. Grabbing Sam’s left hand, I turn her to face the same direction as I am. I wrap my free hand and arm around her waist pulling her close. The bewildered look on her face is priceless as I continue without hesitation.

 

“You weren’t impressed with all the techno-babble I picked up during your portion of the briefings in every loop?” I smile confidently, squeezing her closer.

 

“Sir?” She shivers at my touch, then, shaking her discomfiture, agrees. “Of course I was.”

 

Clearly, she becomes uncomfortable again as my hand slides down her hip and around her rear until returning to dip under her top to caress the warm flesh of her abdomen beneath. The shoe is on the other foot now, Carter. Two can play this game! I guide her across the deck corralling her into an outside corner of the railing.

 

“Yes?” I answer, my voice now oozing with renewed sexual excitement, every nerve in my body on high alert.

 

“What are you doing?” Sam gives me a worried look. I’m thinking it’s mostly for show. She knows exactly what I’m up to.

 

“Finishing what you started, Samantha Carter.” I place each of my hands on the railings on either side of her creating a barrier she can’t easily escape. As I lean into her I say, “You know what they say? If you can’t take the heat, then get outta the kitchen.”

 

“I thought you hated clichés,” she says, smiling up at me engagingly. 

 

“Well, in this case, I’m making an exception.” I smirk.

 

Hoping she’s caught me off guard with her comment, Sam makes a move to duck under my arms but resistance is futile. I block her escape with my body and I capture her almost losing my balance in the process. 

 

“Ah, ah, ah!” I chide, wrapping my arms around her tightly allowing my eager hands access to her back. “You aren’t going to get away that easily.”

 

“I guess not.” She laughs nervously.

 

I can’t resist this woman any longer. Moving in, I begin nibbling at her neck and ear. I drop soft kisses on her shoulder before returning to her neck, working my way across her jaw line to her face. Her body shivers with excitement and I hear her gasp in the cool night air. My hands reach under the edge of her shirt to caress her back. She rewards me for my efforts as she releases a sigh that escapes into my chest.

 

Almost as if we had been reading one another’s minds, we pull back and stare at one another in the silver shadows of the moon. I think the stars even approve of this stolen moment. Sam is amazing. I cradle her face in my hands and stare down at her, searching for her approval to continue. I think perhaps that I’m drowning in a sea of blue. She gives me a wistful smile. Permission granted.

 

Without hesitation, I dip my head to kiss her waiting lips – willing myself to go lightly at first not wanting to put her off with more than she is prepared to handle. But then, surely, when she started playing this little game, she knew she was playing with fire. She just didn’t know how hot it was or how much hotter it could get. Sam responds by kissing me back. No regrets.

 

It seems like it’s been forever since I felt like this about a woman. I continue to drop feathery kisses on her lips and face until neither of us can stand it any longer. Finally, she releases a sigh and takes aim for my lips with serious intentions.

 

I deepen her kiss, running my tongue lightly over her lips teasing them open to touch her tongue. We are fanning the flame into a blaze of what can only be called wanton lust. Oh, there’s feeling behind it, don’t get me wrong . . . but there is, first and foremost, at this moment, searing, scorching heat.

 

She presses closer, as if we could get any closer, while her hands continue their litany of worship beneath my shirt. Duty, rank, and Air Force are a distant memory. We have recreated a naquadah reactor meltdown here on my deck!

 

I surface long enough to catch my breath. I am dizzy and my head is spinning as I realize what we’re doing. Crap! So much for restraint! Reality bites my ass like a well-placed zat blast.

 

“Sam?” I looked into her wide eyes and search her flushed face, cradling it between my hands I drop gentle kisses on her cheeks and mouth.

 

“Yes,” She manages to whisper.

 

“You wanted to know about what happened during the loops. Everything I told you *did* happen in those loops except I left out one little thing.”

 

“And that would be--- ?”

 

“When I handed Hammond my resignation,” Pressing my lips into a firm line, I continue, “he wanted to know why I was resigning. You stood up to see what all the fuss was over I did this.” I take her in my arms, dip her and kiss her soundly. “And yes, there were a coupla other people standing around as witnesses . . . just so you know, although I can’t imagine they would remember anything.”

 

“Oh!” Sam exclaims as I stand her upright again. She snakes her arms around my neck to start again.

 

“And that’s exactly how you reacted. You kissed me back but we gotta stop … NOW!”  Her look of disappointment fades as we hear the noise of someone climbing the stairs to the deck. I scrub my hand through my hair and straighten my shirt, hoping it covers the ‘evidence’.

 

I turn my head to see Daniel stumble across the deck toward us. Thankfully, he isn’t as on top of it as he could be, had he not been drinking or sleeping.

 

“I woke up needing to pee and then realized you two had disappeared.” He manages, looking confused, disheveled and shoeless. “So, what’s going on? Did I miss anything important? Jack? Sam?”

 

“Nope, nada, not at all, Danny Boy.” Smiling brightly at him, while keeping Carter from his direct line of vision. I hear her taking deep breaths to calm herself, adjusting her clothing, and finger combing her hair. “Just doin’ a bit of stargazing tonight, is all. Great night for it too, I might add.” I smile at him and cross my arms.

 

“Sounded like an awful lot of scuffling up here.”

 

“Just me and Carter trying to get the best view of Orion’s Belt, weren’t we, Carter?” I turn to see the self-controlled Carter we know.

 

“Yes, Sir!” Sam agrees readily, smiling at Daniel.

 

“Well, I think it’s time I got home.” He rubs his eyes and checks his watch. “Sam, can you give me a ride?”

 

“Sure, Daniel, go grab your shoes and I’ll help the colonel tidy up here. Where did we sit those coffee mugs, Sir?” She looks at me, smiling, and then around the chair and telescope.

 

Daniel turns to go back down the stairs and into the house. I call after him. “We’ll be right down.” Then I turn to look at Sam, still glowing from our encounter.

 

She acknowledges my look with a loving smile. “Thanks for your honesty, Sir.”

 

“For you, Carter, anything. I do it all for you.” I wrap my arm around her neck as we walk towards the steps and offer one more kiss.

 

~*~*~

 

**All’s fair in love and war

 

~*~*~

 

When it all goes crazy and the thrill is gone

The days get rainy and the nights are long

You get that feeling you were born to lose

Staring at your ceiling thinking of your blues

 

When there’s so much trouble that you want to cry

The world has crumbled and you don’t know why

When your hopes are fading and they can’t be found

Dreams have left you waiting and friends have let you down

 

Just remember I love you and it will be all right

Just remember I love you more than I can say

Just remember I love you and it will be all right

Maybe then your blues will fade away.

 

When you need a lover and you’re down so low

You start to wonder but you never know

When it feels like sorrow is your only friend

Knowing that tomorrow you’ll feel this way again.

 

When the blues come calling at the break of dawn

The rain keeps falling but the rainbow’s gone

When you feel like crying but the tears won’t come

Then your dreams are dying and you’re on the run.

 

Just remember I love you and it will be all right

Just remember I love you more than I can say

Just remember I love you and it will be all right

 

 

~Fire fall

 

~*~