A/N

Sequel to Operation Storm in the Desert.

Captain Samantha Carter and Colonel Jack O'Neill haven't seen each other for a while, and for her there's a good reason. Two years ago, the only way he would agree to take the mission, was if she wasn't on it.

All AU that occurred in the prequels to this are assumed in this story as well, so if you haven't read the others in this series first then this one won't make sense, so it'd be nice if you wanted to read them too :-)

Usual disclaimers for me not owning Stargate or any of its characters.

Hope you enjoy and I hope I can make it worth the wait :-)

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Cheyenne Mountain. Colorado. 1997.

"Where's Captain Carter?" General Hammond asked as he entered the briefing room.

"Just arriving Sir," Major Samuels replied.

"Carter?" Jack asked, his stomach dropping to his knees.

"I'm assigning Sam Carter to this mission."

Jack looked calm on the outside, inside he was in turmoil. "I'd prefer to put together my own team Sir," Jack said as he pulled a pen from his inside pocket.

"Not on this mission, sorry. Carter's our expert on the Stargate."

Sam stopped in the corridor outside the briefing room to straighten her dress blues when she heard his voice for the first time in over two years. In person anyway. She was nervous as hell about seeing him again...didn't really want to see him again after what he'd done to her, but if being on his team was the only way she could go through the Stargate then she'd suck it up and get on with it.

Jack knew he could derail her involvement easily, just by telling General Hammond that they'd been involved and he didn't think he would be able to keep his job as her commanding officer separate from his personal feelings. But he couldn't do that to her, couldn't risk the damage it could cause her career or her reputation, though they'd done nothing wrong at the time. He thought his only other option was to play dumb and pretend he didn't know her.

"Where's he transferring from?"

She cocked her head at his words. Well if that's the way he wants to play it.

"She is transferring from the pentagon."

Jack looked up to see her silhouetted in the doorway and after a momentary lapse brought his features under control. He couldn't take his eyes from her as she confidently strode towards him. God she looks good...

"I take it you're Colonel O'Neill," she said, hastily raising her hand in a salute that was clearly an afterthought. "Captain Samantha Carter reporting Sir!"

Major Charlie Kawalsky didn't know why Jack wanted to make out he didn't know Sam Carter, but he would follow his lead. "But of course you go by Sam?" he asked with a smirk.

Sam turned to him not surprised he would come down on Jacks side in this. He would follow Jack into hell, had followed Cromwell into hell to get Jack O'Neill back. "You don't have to worry Major, I played with dolls when I was a kid..."

Hammond allowed some banter and then pulled the briefing back into line, however briefly. The Colonel made a snide comment about scientists and George Hammond had to put him in his place.

"Colonel, I was studying the gate technology two years before Daniel Jackson made it work, and before you both went through." She fixed him with a stare. "I should have gone through then," she said pointedly. "Sir, you and your men might as well accept the fact that I am going through this time."

When Jack made a point of addressing her as Doctor instead of Captain she snapped, giving him back just as good as she got.

"Captain Carters assignment to this unit is not an option, it's an order."

"I'm an Air Force Officer just like you are Colonel. And just because my reproductive organs are on the inside instead of the outside, doesn't mean I can't handle whatever you can handle."

Jack stared at her before giving her a faint smile. "Oh this has nothing to do with you being a woman," he said as he sat down. He made sure he looked her in the eye before he continued. "I like women." He paused for a moment as he continued to stare at her. "I've just got a little problem with scientists."

"Colonel, I logged over a hundred hours in enemy airspace during the gulf war," something she knew he was well aware of. "Is that tough enough for you?" They stared at each other for a moment before she continued. "Or are we going to have to arm wrestle."

Jack was aware all eyes were on them and he was struggling to keep his composure, not just with her presence but her words. He gave a little flick of his head letting her know he understood exactly where she was going with this.

Sam looked down and smiled to herself. She'd done exactly want she'd wanted to do. She'd seen him again and not let him intimidate her into silence or submission if, when, he tried to get her taken off his team once again.

Then the business of the briefing interrupted them.

They were given the go ahead and Jack couldn't help but find his eyes back on her and despite her anger with him still being evident, her eyes twinkled with the promise of finally getting to go through the gate.

After the briefing he caught up with her in the corridor. "Carter," he called.

She stopped and turned to face him, only because it would have been insubordination not to.

He stopped in front of her glancing around to be sure they wouldn't be overheard. "We need to talk."

She shook her head slightly. "I don't know what about Colonel," she replied. "I think the General covered everything in the briefing."

He sighed as he gave her an exasperated look. "You know what about."

"I think I know all I need to on that subject Sir," she replied, the epitome of correct subordinate behaviour.

He grabbed her arm as she turned to leave. "No, you don't," he argued.

She looked at his hand until he dropped it. "You're forgetting I have the highest security clearance Sir," she reminded him. "None of your report was redacted when I read it."

"The report wasn't, no," he agreed.

She frowned slightly. "What do you mean?"

He stuck his hands in his pockets and glanced at the grey concrete wall behind her for a moment before he looked back to her. "None of the report was redacted," he repeated. "But the mission parameters were."

"I don't understand," she said.

He glanced around again and leaned in towards her. "We can't talk about this here, that part of the mission is still classified."

"But I have the highest clearance."

He shook his head. "I mean it's eyes only," he admitted. "Only myself, General West and the Joint Chiefs knew what was going on."

Her eyes dropped to the ground. Why hadn't he told her this before? Because you wouldn't speak to him after you got tossed from the mission list. She looked back to him. She didn't know if what he had to say would have changed anything two years ago, whether it would change anything now. But she had to know.

"Where?" she asked.

He smiled faintly as he gave her his address.

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A/N

Well I hope you enjoyed the first chapter. Obviously I used a lot of the dialogue from the actual scene, and also cut a lot out. I didn't want to write out the whole scene, just the bits that I needed to tell the story :-)

I'd love to know what you thought :-) and I hope you enjoy this one as much as you've enjoyed the others so far