Title: The Three O'clock Appointment
Pairing: Sam/Jack
A/N: Special thanks goes to ziparumpazoo for her beta work and Happy Birthday to mrspollifax!

"General O'Neill." Walter rapped on the doorframe of the general's office. "Sorry to interrupt, sir, but you've got your three o'clock."

Jack ended his signature with a flourish. "See, I can be civil."

"Yes, sir." Walter sounded unconvinced.

Jack handed over the paper he'd just signed. "The people of P96-882 and SG-14 can have their joint little festival after all."

"It's a negotiation, sir, not a festival. But I'm sure they will be relieved to hear the news." Walter took the signed orders and added, "Sir, you also have a call from the Pentagon to return."

"It's three o'clock." Jack stood and eyed the other man carefully. "This is the most important appointment of the day, Walter. You know that."

"Yes, sir." Walter fell in step next to the general as they exited the office.

"And yet you suggest, even in jest, that I return a call to the Pentagon instead?"

"No, sir. Sorry, sir…"

Jack waved off Walter and his stumbling apology when they reached the control room, and kept on walking. This daily appointment was held somewhere that no other appointment on his calendar ever took place, not in the briefing room, not in his office, no conference room or interrogation room. And certainly not in the small copy room on 23 where he once spent an enjoyable half-hour "debriefing" with a certain blonde.

As Jack waited for the elevator, he put his hands in his pockets and his fingers closed around folded paper, reminding him suddenly there was a note there. Carter had handed it to him earlier that morning and he'd forgotten all about it. He unfolded it now, assuming it was a grocery list of things she wanted him to pick up on the way home, or some similar domesticy type thing.

Instead, it read "Tonight" at the top, followed by a description that made his eyebrows jump halfway up to his hairline. A grin spread across his face that he was sure Carter would deem a little too smug for his own good. Hey, if she was going to leave him suggestive notes, he was totally going to be a smug bastard about it.

The note and the plan that it outlined in detail, lots and lots of detail, was probably a form of apology for her being incredibly busy the last two weeks. All her time, both in and out of the mountain, had been absorbed by the research project she was involved in, and as a result, they hadn't had much quality time alone. Not that he'd ever mention that he might have noticed. But as long as she wasn't around, the smug-bastard look was likely to make an appearance every time he stuck his hand in his pocket the rest of the day.

But not right now.

Right now he shoved the note safely back in his pocket and schooled his face to appear normal. The very important person he was about to meet for this three o'clock appointment should never know about such things.

Finally the elevator dinged and the doors slid open. Inside, Daniel was reading with his lips moving slightly along with the words.

"Daniel?"

Daniel's head snapped up. "Hi."

Jack joined him in the elevator and pushed the appropriate button. Daniel noticed which one was chosen and looked at his watch. "It's three o'clock already? Where has my day gone?"

"I'm guessing it might have something to do with that book you're reading."

"Yes, thank you, Jack."

"Just sayin'" But he didn't need to, because Daniel got it already.

Daniel readjusted his glasses absently and transferred the book from one arm to the other. "I was just down a few floors visiting Sam, her and her team have made progress."

Jack replied, "That's what I hear too."

"That is incredible—"

"Daniel."

"And I'm sure you recognize the implications of having a working piece of technology that—"

"Daniel."

"What I mean is that we still need to discuss—"

"Daniel." Jack finally got him to shut up long enough to get a word in. "And discuss it we will. At great length. In the briefing tomorrow. Right now I have a three o'clock that I refuse to be late for."

Daniel sighed, "Right."

The elevator doors slid open and Jack got off on his floor. He finished with, "One more thing, Daniel. You missed your stop."

The doors closed on a confused-looking Daniel glancing at the panel of buttons.

Jack paused at the desk to sign his name. Reggie was working today and he gave the general a smile as he said, "Crosstown classic this weekend."

"Yes it is. Get ready to cry in your beer, Reggie."

"Oh, you've got to be kidding me, man."

"Hey!" Jack gave him a look. "That's 'man, sir' to you."

For a second Reggie was startled, then his characteristic toothy smile came back. "Whatever you say, man. But I'm telling you, the Sox are going to sweep the Cubs."

Jack rolled his eyes as he got on the second elevator. "See you in 10 minutes, Reg."

This time Jack was all alone in the elevator. It seemed appropriate, the symbolic final moments of peace and quiet before his afternoon, or Carter's afternoon, or most likely a combination of both of their afternoons were going be constantly disrupted with noise. It was a good kind of noise though, and it seemed the President hardly noticed it going on in the background of their phone conversations anymore.

When Jack arrived topside, he walked through the parking lot out to the highway. He only had to stand there at the side of the road for a few seconds before the yellow bus came over the hill. He was totally blaming Daniel for the close call.

The bus pulled to a stop a few feet from Jack and the door swung open. She hopped off, and Jack was positive she must've gotten that from Carter, because never in his life had he ever hopped, or skipped, or anything close to it. Not even on the day they'd found out the rules were no longer standing in their way. Not the next morning either.

With an excited "Daddy!" she bounded over to him, arms wide.

Jack bent over a little to return her hug. "How was school?"

"Good."

Her long blonde hair was up in a ponytail. Her backpack had some cartoon character on it—one not found on the Simpsons, but rather from some other cartoon that had rainbows and talking unicorns on it. One he'd also been warned not to make fun of or he would suffer the wrath of Carter.

"What did you do today?" Jack asked, while taking her hand before they turned to walk back toward the mountain.

"Nothing."

"You did nothing? Why do we bother sending you to school if you do nothing while you're there?"

"Daddy." The I don't know why I put up with you tone was a seriously spooky version of her mother's.

He suggested, "How about we get some Jell-O?" Her enthusiastic nodding in response made Jack smile.

Yes, his three o'clock appointment was the best appointment of the day.