Jack pulls his truck to a stop just behind Sam's car. A beat later he kills the engine and looks over at his sleeping passenger curled into her seat. He's always envied how she pulls her knees into her chest like she does, either to hide behind or seek comfort from, knowing his knees would give him hell if he tried it.

She's spent half the road trip with her feet on his dash or curled beneath her as she explained her new assignment to him without confusing him too much. He's long since stopped trying to look up some of the terms she uses. He remembers the sunset casting its glow over her and as she told him about the apartment she arranged near Cassie's campus. Close enough to be within driving distance, far enough so Cassie won't feel like Sam is hovering. Jack smiles.

She has one week to shut down her lab and pass on her projects. He has a month to handover to the new base commander before reporting to the Pentagon. He'd give anything to join her out in Nevada. He tried to submit his retirement letter but the President wouldn't read it after Hammond gave his in first. Hammond deserves it as much as the rest of them and Jack respected his decision to bow out now. Jack respected Hammond full stop. Jack isn't going begrudge him this no matter the personal cost to himself. At least Hammond spared Jack the sympathetic shoulder pat when they informed him of his new assignment. Area 51 is still under the Pentagon's purview.

Sam took the news in her stride. Or at least that's the front she put on it. He doesn't let his mind dwell on her grief or the failed engagement because the guys reacted to his news more than she did. Not that they have room to argue; Teal'c is off to rebuild his people and Daniel is determined to be on the Daedalus when it leaves even if he has to be a stowaway.

Daniel had whined on Jack's behalf about being forced into moving against his will as they were sat around the dock but was quickly silenced by Sam's reasoned counter that Jack was the best person for the job. They signed up for this and their orders. Teal'c gave them the silent treatment. In short, the big guy sulked.

Jack knows the guys want a happy ending but it is still just out of reach. Not that Sam is acting like she is out of reach.

She didn't call him 'Sir' every two seconds and he eased up on the 'Carter'. She opened up about her father and he told her about the first time he took Charlie to the cabin. She told him she gave the cop his ring back and he told her Kerry dumped him, neither asked why. They already knew.

Despite all the years of teasing, innuendo and anticipation of going fishing together, Jack never found a right time to do anything besides be her friend.

Jack is brought back to the present by a sleepy sigh which reminds him of her humming along with the radio during lulls in their conversation. Sam's fingers grip the sleeves of his black jumper she snagged from the back seat as they were passing through Nebraska before stretching slightly in the cramped space, one of her feet slips down to the floor of his truck, as she slowly opens her eyes and takes in her surroundings.

"Hey, we're here," she rasps, her voice heavy with sleep.

"Just pulled in," Jack confirms and tightens his grip on the wheel so he can't reach out and tuck the unruly strands of hair behind her ear.

Sam blinks a little but doesn't make any move to get out. Jack waits another full second before she drags herself to an upright position. He smirks at the languid movements she makes and wonders if this is what she's like in the mornings on days off or when she's not on a mission; she's usually up and at 'em.

"You know I don't mind if you wanna camp out here Carter, but it's gonna get cold," Jack jokes and she finally wakes up enough to blush.

"Sorry," she mumbles and unclips the seat belt. "I guess I was more tired than I thought I was."

As much as she relaxed at the cabin, to go from planning a wedding one day to planning a funeral the next is exhausting for anyone; never mind dealing with potential planet-wide annihilation in between. Jack has been waiting for the events of the last month to catch up with her.

Her hand is on the handle when she looks at him and bobs her head at her house expectantly, not quite sure how to voice her invitation.

Jack doesn't have to check his watch to know it's not late. They made good time driving back. Leaving in the middle of the night works wonders against traffic. That isn't what makes him pause. He's certain one of them is going to say or do something to burst the happy little bubble surrounding them if he follows her into the house. He knows he's not lucky enough to dodge it. He's not smart enough to turn down her invitation either, simply because he doesn't want to, and finds himself stretching his legs to follow Sam up the path to her front door.

He uses the dozen or so steps to convince himself he's just watching her six as she opens her front door. He tries not to think of what it would be like take her home after a date.

On the porch, Sam pauses under the light and turns to Jack as he steps behind her. With her back against the door, she lets her gaze fall over his face as she pulls her lip between her teeth. "I had a good time this week."

"I hate to say I told you so…"

She huffs happily and bites her lip again, her tongue snakes out to moisten it. "I'd like to go again sometime," Sam admits and catches his eyes deliberately. "If that's okay with you."

"Always," he tries to say the casually but somehow it comes out as a vow; like it did when they were watching over her father in the infirmary. "It may be a while before we can arrange anything…What with the guys taking off, they'll be hard to pin down to make plans."

Sam shrugs thoughtfully. "It could be just us," she suggests throatily, confident in her suggestion.

"That sounds good too," he huffs. Really good. He figures her usual hesitance of being alone with him at the cabin now that the guys have chaperoned them. He rocks on his feet.

"I don't want to say goodbye," Sam admits on a breath after they stand locked in one of their seemingly endless stares. "Or goodnight…I feel like that's all I'm saying lately."

Jack gets that. They have a few more farewells to prepare for; the next time being tomorrow afternoon when everyone gathers in the Gateroom to see Teal'c off. But with everything else happening this doesn't feel like a goodbye or like another missed opportunity for them.

"Well, I have nowhere else to be right now," he offers. They both have to report for duty by zero nine hundred tomorrow.

"Right," Sam echoes. Without another word she turns and unlocks her door.

Apart from the muted porch light filtering through the frosted glass, her house is shrouded in darkness. Instinct makes them do a visual sweep and listen for anything out of the ordinary before they move any further into the house. When they're satisfied, Jack goes for the light switch while Sam goes for the blinking answering machine. It kicks to life and her brother's voice comes through after the pre-recorded message.

"Hey Sam, you're probably away or working." There is an awkward pause and a distinctly female voice mumbling, probably Sam's sister-in-law, on Mark's end. "Look, I wanted to apologise for what I said. I was an ass. It's not your fault you got to be with Dad at the end, I'm glad one of us was. Give me a call when you get this message. Time doesn't matter." Another pause. "And I know whatever happened between you and Pete is none of my business. I just wanted you to know, I, uh, wanted you to be happy. I'm sorry things didn't work out."

Sam sighs and they listen to two other messages, one a reminder for a dental check-up, the other the dial tone when someone hung up after the machine connected.

Jack studies Sam as she stares at the phone, her mouth twisting nervously.

"I can go if you wanna call him back," he offers quietly gesturing at the door with his thumb.

Immediately she shakes her head.

"No, it can wait till tomorrow." She notices his wince and explains. "I expected Mark to be angry. After the funeral, he got upset and I was the nearest target." She shrugs it off yet her averted gaze belies the casualness of her easy acceptance. "He just needed some time to calm down."

Sam starts to make a move to go further into the house only for him to hold out a hand to her. She stops and turns back to him without shrugging off his hand and cants her head to the side.

"If you wanna talk about it, you know I'm here," Jack nods his head at the answering machine while taking half a step toward her.

"I know." Instead of moving back to keep a respectable distance, she counters by stepping into him. Her chin tilts up as her eyes darken. "I wanted to thank you for being there for me for the last few weeks."

"I didn't do much."

Sam waves him off, her hand skimming the front of his shirt. "You've done more than you know," she assures him. "Just being you."

Jack looks down and tries to think of something else to say. He's never been good at talking, never sure of the right words. Her fingers catch a thread of cotton coming loose around a button.

As much as he doesn't want to take the risk of asking the question out of fear of the answer, he has to, "Is there any chance you and Shanahan will work things out?"

"No," Sam shakes her head again, her eyes widening in realisation before she pauses to eye him hesitantly. "Is there any chance you and Agent Johnson..?"

"No." He's certain. Kerry was nice but they both knew it was over the second she saw him with Sam.

Sam bobs her head thoughtfully, absorbing the information. "I thought maybe with moving to DC that you might…"

"No," Jack tells her again leaving no room for interpretation in his tone. "You know how much I hate DC. I plan on making as many excursions to as many bases as possible. I've even gotten a head start on my first reprieve."

"You have, Sir?" Sam indulges him with a smile.

"Think about it, Carter, I visit Area 51 on Friday, then me and you head down to Vegas on Saturday and see if you're any good at counting cards. Help boost Cassie's college fund?" He adds with a waggle of his eyebrows.

"Is that plan B?" She asks wistfully, sobering his mood.

"Plan A is screwed," Jack replies carefully after a moment. "This isn't how…" Jack starts gently only for her to look at him with that imploring look of hers. "If I had a choice…"

"I know," Sam sighs as she steadies her gaze on him. "I was just thinking about something Dad said before he died."

In his head, Jack silently curses Jacob's loose tongue in his last days and if it left Sam with any lingering regrets on top of her grief.

"He told me not to let rules stand in the way of being happy," she continues meaningfully. "That I can have everything I want; my job, the life I want, who I want to live it with." Sam pulls her lower lip between her teeth. "I think it's time I followed his advice."

It's one hell of a risk.

Scratch that.

He's one hell of a risk.

"Sam," Jack says with a quiet warning, needing her to be a hundred per cent sure this is what she wants, yet she doesn't falter under his caution. If anything he sees the determination solidify in her eyes.

"I know there are risks," she pauses and tilts her head to the side, adding quietly, "Dad thought it was worth it."

Finally giving in to the urge to holding her, his hands come to rest on her waist. Her eyes close as she sways into him till their foreheads meet. He breathes her in, relishing the moment. "What do you think? Is this what you want? Is it because of your dad..?"

"No!" Sam cuts in, her voice rising an octave as she rushes to reassure him. Her hands rest on his forearms, comforting them both. "No," she repeats calmly. "I think we need to figure out what 'this' is if we're not going to be in the same city let alone the same state. What about you?" She adds.

Damn him, he wants this too. Always.

"Give me till the end of the week," Jack urges her with a breath. He sees the questions in her eyes. "You won't be in my command."

Sam quirks an eyebrow.

"That's not going to make much difference to the rumours," she counters and it does something to his insides which has him almost giving in to her. But he stays strong.

"Probably not, but it makes a difference to me," Jack tells her. "And I know it makes a difference to you."

Sam huffs a little as she drops her eyes to the floor and his chest tightens with the knowledge that he knows her. From his vantage point, he sees her nose twitch before she meets his eyes again.

"One week," she agrees.