Name: Golden Oportunities

Writer: AthenaIceGoddess

( Kate)

Pairing: Jack / Sam

Rating: T

Humor/ Angst/ Romance

Spoilers: Season 8, Moebius parts 1&2

Summary: Sam decides to go to Jack's cabin a day early, and after a few beers, some truths previously hidden come flying to the front. Will this be the push they need to finally get together?

Chapter One

( Sam's POV)

" Oh, God, Sam, what are you thinking, going to the place you've sworn for the last three years not to go? You must be insane. He's your commanding officer, for crying out loud!" Major Samantha Carter laughed aloud, hearing herself use Colonel O'Neill's favorite expression.

Maybe you're finally considering taking the advice everyone has been giving you. Her conscience whispered, and she frowned. Even after her father pretty much telling her to screw the regs and do what made her happy. She had thought she was happy with Pete, but when he showed her the house, talking about dogs and kids, she realized that he wasn't the one for her. It was funny, she didn't have any trouble seeing her with Jack like that...

" No, that is not why I'm going up there early. It really is a charming place, with the trees, and the lake... and the mosquitoes..." She trailed off, and turned up the radio to, for the first time in her life, drown out her thoughts.

The DJ had a soothing voice, and Sam found herself relaxing. " This is Dave, on 102.1, the station that plays only soft rock. It's a cool 65 degrees here in Colorado Springs, and here is Lifehouse with You and Me." The brainy astrophyicist frowned at the radio and quickly changed the station.

The next station was playing a corny love song, as was the one after it. " Holy Hannah! The radio is against me today." She slipped her Nickleback CD into the CD player, and sighed. " There. That's much better." It wasn't that she didn't like a good love song as much as the next girl, it was just that she didn't feel like listening to one right now.

She had decided last night to take a trip up to Minnesota to visit the Colonel, and had packed a weekend bag. Sam hoped that he wouldn't mind her showing up on his doorstep unannounced, but she didn't call in fear that she would chicken out. To help persuade him, she had a six pack of Labatt's Blue in the back.

Her cell phone shrilled in her pocket, and she answered it. " Carter. Hi, Daniel." She grimaced, hoping he wouldn't ask where she was.

" So, what are you doing? Teal'c and I are going to O'Malley's for a bite to eat, and we were wondering if you wanted to join us." He asked.

Sam let out an inaudible sigh. " I have some stuff I have to do, but I'll see you at Colonel O'Neill's cabin tomarrow, right? Should be fun."

" Yep. I just can't get enough of the hayfever and Teal'c just loves fishing in the fishless pond." Daniel said with a chuckle, and Sam laughed with him. " The Colonel says it's relaxing, and I have to say I agree. There's a certain ambiance to the place." She didn't add that the fact that anywhere O'Neill was would have a special quality to her.

" Well, Teal'c looks hungry enough to eat a zebra- Yes Teal'c I know that you would never eat a zebra, it's just an expression- so I had better let you go. Have fun with your project, don't work too hard." He hung up the phone, trying to explain the expression to Teal'c.

An hour later, Sam pulled up the driveway to the cabin, and sat in the car staring at the front door. " Come on, Major, get up there and ring the doorbell." She stared for another minute, and jumped and hit her head on the ceiling when O'Neill knocked on her passenger window.

" Ah! Sir! Um, hi!" She said, flushing with embarrassment. The Colonel grinned at her. " Are you planning on sitting in the car all day, major? The fish are waiting." She smiled at him and got out of the car.

" Oh! I brought beer." She brandished the six pack and he bowed to her. " Carter, you are the love of my life. I ran out last night." He took it out of her hands and they walked up to the cabin in silence.

" I bet you're wondering why I'm here, sir." He turned to her. " First, if you're going to be here, there is going to be no ' sir' or ' colonel'. It's Jack while we're off duty, especially up here." Carter nodded.

" OK, I can deal with that. Jack." She said, feeling weird saying his name, weird, but good.

" Much better. And no, I'm not wondering." He said, really Looking at her. She cleared her throat and looked away, uncomfortable with his intense scrutiny.

" Anyway, you can drop your stuff in the guest room upstairs. Spacemonkey and T can fight over the couch and loveseat." He smirked to himself, and Sam scurried upstairs to put her stuff away.

Author's note: feedback is greatly appreciated! It tells me whether or not I should continue. The next chapter will be longer.

Next Chapter: A foodfight, Sam gets thrown in the lake, and some drunken confessions.