Light streamed in through the window as Jack jerked awake, his mind not immediately recognizing the surroundings. Sam shifted in his arms, causing last night to come flooding back. Her head was pillowed against his shoulder with her hand resting over his heart, exactly where she would always belong.

Burying his nose in her hair, he breathed in her scent, grounding himself and convincing his brain that this wasn't a dream. He was in Samantha Carter's bed; she was really curled up in his arms.

He'd spent most of the night worshipping her body; taking his time with her. She'd insisted on being an equal participant this time, enthusiastic in her freedom to explore his body, too.

"Mornin' beautiful," he kissed the tip of her nose.

"Hi," she breathed softly, a smile brightening her face. "So that happened," she snuggled further into him.

"Yes it did," he chuckled, "and I'm glad."

"Me too," her pale blue eyes sparkled.

"Hammond ordered us off duty for 72 hours," Jack said, "I want to spend every one of them right here with you."

Panic clouded her gaze as she quickly sat up.

"What?" Alarm and confusion filled him at her reaction.

"Oh my god, Hammond," Sam grabbed his hand. "Jack, what are we going to do?"

"Sam," relief filled him as he understood her unease and train of thought. "Don't worry about it."

"Don't worry?! We could be—"

"Hammond knows," Jack couldn't hide his smile at the horror on her face upon hearing that piece of information. "He just said to be discrete."

"Oh god," she covered her face with her hands, causing him to laugh at her reaction.

"It'll be okay," He pulled her back down onto his chest and kissed her forehead. "I'm not sure how to make any of this work, but I can't go back to ignoring my feelings for you. I won't. If you're willing to give us a shot—."

"Of course I am," she said leaning upward to seal their agreement with a quick kiss. Relaxing against him, she traced random shapes onto his chest. Out of nowhere, a loud, persistent banging sounded from the front of the house.

"Is that someone at your front door?" Jack raised an eyebrow in question.

"I have no clue who would be here this early after a winter storm," Sam shrugged on a pair of shorts and a snug-fitting t-shirt.

"I'll give you two guesses," Jack drawled as he pulled on his jeans, still slightly damp from the sleet last night. He left the button undone so the material rested loosely against his hips and followed Sam to the living room.

"Sam, open up it's me," Daniel's voice penetrated her front door. "We just want to talk, make sure you're alright."

"We?" Sam mouthed silently at Jack before looking through the peephole.

"Might as well let them in," Jack said. "I'm gonna make some coffee."

———POV———

"Sam—" Daniel stopped mid sentence as she pulled open the door just slightly.

"Hey guys," she blocked the doorway, debating on what to tell them. She wanted to keep Jack her own sexy secret for now, but also didn't want to cause her friends undue worry.

"You look well Major Carter," Teal'c told her, his eyes narrowed a minuscule amount as he studied her face.

"Are you alright, Sam?" Daniel asked, worry evident in his expression. "Janet said you left in a hurry yesterday. We'd have come sooner, but it took them a while to clear the roads."

"I'm fine," she inwardly cringed remembering what Jack had said about the use of the word. "I'm good," she corrected.

"We both know that's not exactly true," Daniel pushed on the door, but she held it in place. "Can we come in?"

"Now's not the best time," she hedged.

"Look, Sam, I know Jack hurt you, but that doesn't mean you need to hide from us, too," he placed a hand on her shoulder.

"Daniel—" she tried to interrupt him as she felt Jack's presence as he walked up behind her.

"Jack can be a real pain in the ass sometimes—okay most of the time; but that's not news to either Teal'c or me. Just don't feel like you need to face any of this alone," he implored as Sam heard Jack's wry chuckle.

Realizing they really weren't going away until they'd fully checked on her, she took a step back and opened the door wide, revealing Jack.

"Good morning O'Neill," Teal'c inclined his head as Daniel's mouth formed a big O. Sam bit the inside of her cheek to keep from smiling as his mind connected the dots to what he was seeing. Daniel systematically took in the sight of a shirtless and barefoot Jack, standing in Sam's foyer with two cups of coffee.

"Here you go," Jack passed her a cup, before saying, "don't just stand there Danny, you're letting the cold in."

———POV———

Jack quickly pulled the borrowed t-shirt over his head, glad that Sam kept a change of clothes for her father on hand. Jacob was a little smaller than him, but it was better than staying shirtless.

Walking back into the living room, he watched as Sam handed Daniel and Teal'c each a mug. Plopping down on the couch, he saw her look at the cushion next to him longingly before shifting her eyes back to their teammates. Without waiting for her to make a decision, Jack reached up to her elbow and lightly tugged her down beside him. She stiffened for a second, but he just grabbed her hand and intertwined their fingers.

"This is a thing now," Daniel stated with a nod toward them.

"It is," Jack answered. "Don't make a big fuss."

"I don't fuss," Daniel bristled.

"You do indeed fuss, Daniel Jackson," Teal'c replied before taking a drink, causing both Jack and Sam to laugh at Daniel's disgruntled expression.

"Fine. I fuss when something needs fussed about," he paused to replay that sentence in his head, then shook his head. "You know what I mean! This is fuss worthy!"

"Calm down," Jack laughed at his friend's indignation. "Carter and I are figuring out things as we go."

"What does that mean?"

"It means we keep us," Jack gestured between him and Sam, "on a strict need to know basis. Understand?" He looked straight at Daniel.

"I'm not going to tell anybody," he grumbled.

"I will not divulge your relationship even under the threat of death," Teal'c inclined his head with his vow.

"Thanks buddy," Jack smiled at his sincerity.

"It also means nothing changes when we're at the SGC or off-world," Sam added. "Jack and I may be choosing to break the regs privately, but we are also choosing to keep our relationship secondary to protecting Earth. It's the only way we stay a team."

"She's right," Jack said as their teammates looked ready to argue. "Hammond may know, but he can't know. Any indication that Carter or I have been emotionally compromised and he's obligated to take action."

The weight of the situation settled over the group as they all silently agreed to the terms Jack and Sam had laid out. Despite the limitations they were self-imposing upon themselves, Jack felt a lightheartedness he hadn't in a long time as he looked into a pair of pale blue eyes. One day, he vowed, when the Earth was safe and the Goa'uld defeated, he'd make it official. One day, he was going to marry the love of his life.

OoooOoooOoooO

So there you have it, the official start to my Sacrifice AU. I've got several stories in my head revolving around how our favorite couple (and team) learns to deal with the new status quo. As you might have noticed, neither Sam nor Jack uttered those three little words to each other. They also aren't the best at communicating feelings...What are the odds that their decision to keep it all away from the SGC and off-world is a realistic goal. *evil grin*

(If you haven't checked out my story "Team Weekend", it's set about 5 years after the events in Sacrifice. My one-shot "O'Neill" is also set in this AU and takes place about 10 years down the road).

My story (Auction), which has formed a life of its own, is a separate AU and does not relate to Sacrifice in any way. I'm returning my focus to finishing it up.

Thanks for all the wonderful reviews and words of encouragement! I appreciate each and every one of you!!