Disclaimer: Still not my characters. Bummer.

Special thanks to wacky-jacqs for her encouragement and suggestions when I was ready to toss this.

Reviews appreciated.

All mistakes are mine and mine alone.

Captain Samantha Carter stepped off the old bus and looked up at the psychedelic paint that covered it. She, and the rest of SG1 had been hitchhiking with little success until Teal'c had stood in the middle of the road, bringing it to stop. Michael and Jenny, the odd hippy couple inside has readily agreed to give them a lift without asking too many questions. It was not the mode of transportation Colonel O'Neill probably would have chosen for their cross-country trek, but even he had to admit that no one in the military would be looking for them on that. It was the best cover they could have found.

Sighing, she looked around and wondered how they were going to get out of the current mess they were in. They'd come through some serious messes before, but this one was a doozy. The worst part was that she knew it was all her fault. She had somehow miscalculated the timing of the gate's dialing sequence, and the solar flare, causing them to walk out right into 1969, peace, love, hippies and all. They were desperately trying to find a way back to 1999, and their only clue was a very cryptic message General Hammond had sent back with her to his younger self, then a mere lieutenant. She hoped she was right in her theory about it giving dates and times for solar flares, which would take them home, or, well… she wasn't sure what 'or' there would be for them. Live out their lives there, wait to find their younger selves and warn them about the timing? That didn't seem smart or probable. Plus there was the fact that they could affect history too much by not leaving, and the future could turn out to be a very different place. Time travel was not something she'd ever wanted to mess with, even when she'd been assigned to work on the theory back when she was at the Pentagon.

Deciding that line of thinking was getting her nowhere fast, Sam decided she needed a bit of physical activity. While the bus they traveled in was actually old school bus, with the seats removed and replaced with long cushioned benches, there wasn't a lot of walking space, and she felt the need to stretch her legs. She looked around the parking lot of the gas station they'd stopped at about one hundred miles outside of Chicago, and decided a few circuits around the building would do. The weather was cool, but the pavement reflected the late summer sun, creating a shimmering wave of heat in the distance, and was just right for a quick walk. Giving the bus one last look, she walked toward the side of the building, her mind whirling with calculations, both of physics and practical natures. The bus was in constant need of fuel, and Sam wondered how on Earth they were going to be able to pay for it all the way to New York. Even with gas at an astonishingly low price of 36 cents a gallon, it was going to cost them a fortune. They'd only gotten 60 dollars from Hammond, and with food, clothing and gas, they were getting stretched pretty thin. She wasn't sure how Michael and Jenny had planned to pay for it on their own, but she was happy SG1 was at least able to help out a little. Thinking about the young couple, she looked around and watched as they walked arm and arm away from the bus chatting softly, and looking happy to just be alive. They were clearly very much in love, and not afraid to let it show in their faces and body language. As far as hippies went, Sam thought they were pretty great. A little strange, yes, but nothing like the unwashed druggies she'd pictured when she'd heard the word hippy before actually meeting some. She'd probably seen too many photos of Woodstock, which skewed her ideals. Since being on the bus Sam thought she had learned a lot about generosity, openness, and kindness. She felt a sharp twang of guilt over how SG1 couldn't be open in return. She knew it couldn't be helped though, and it only served to protect them all and to keep the timeline they were trying to get back to intact. Still, it would have been nice to have another woman to talk to. Sam didn't have a lot of female friends and Jenny seemed like she'd be the perfect confidant for many of the things Sam felt and thought. She smiled at how happy they'd been in helping SG1 get to New York, and buy "authentic" clothing. Looking down at the flowing skirt, top and patterned jacket she was wearing she thought it was quite cute and very comfortable. When she wasn't wearing BDU's or working on her bike, which admittedly wasn't very often, she liked girly clothes, and these fit the bill perfectly. She glanced around at the rest of SG1 and tried not to laugh. Daniel had chosen clothes that gave him the 'eccentric professor' look, while Teal'c had surprised them all with his choice of 'Jimmy Hendrix meets James Brown' ensemble. Then there was Colonel O'Neill. To be honest, he kind of looked the same, only…hotter, if that was even possible. He was the only one of them still wearing his combat boots, which he'd paired with faded jeans, a white t-shirt, and black leather jacket. Sam sighed. He'd probably look good no matter what decade he was in. She could imagine a younger version of him, wearing much the same, but perhaps without the quite-so-confident swagger he had after years of being an Air Force officer, and the caution that came with being special ops. She stopped in her walk and stood to the side of the small gas station, hidden by the late afternoon shadows, and watched as he pumped gas. He was leaning casually against the bus, one booted foot crossed over the other, but she knew behind his dark sunglasses, he was aware of everything around them. He rarely ever let down his guard completely. Sam wondered what he'd been like before his eyes took on the haunted expression that always hovered in their depths; before he'd seen and done things that the military would deny ever happened; before he'd lost his son. Jack O'Neill had seen and done a lot in his 20 plus years in the military, but he'd had a life before then. He hadn't always been a hardened airman, who was always suspicious and constantly on the lookout for danger. At one time he'd been just a boy, whose biggest problem had probably been which of the many girls who admired him he wanted to take out on a date. She sighed again, and shook her head. Sam wondered if she had known him as a teen, if she'd have been one of those girls making a fool of herself, hoping he would notice her. It was silly and she laughed at herself. There is no way a guy like Jack O'Neill would have ever given an awkward, nerdy teenage Samantha Carter a second glance.

"You doin' okay there?" A voice behind her said quietly.

She hadn't heard anyone coming, and that alone startled her. Turning, Sam saw a young man standing near her, closer than he should have, in her opinion. He was tall, and lanky, with short brown hair; tanned skin and wearing faded jeans, a faded t-shirt with a logo she couldn't quite make out, and a black leather jacket. His eyes were hidden behind a pair of mirrored sunglasses. Despite his close proximity, she decided he wasn't a threat. "Yeah, fine. Thanks," she said before turning back to watch the Colonel. He'd decided to slip off his jacket and she sighed softly when she realized how tight his t-shirt was.

"What's up with the flower power wagon?" The young man asked, not moving away. "You don't look like a hippy. You kind of dress like one, but you certainly don't look like one."

Sam smiled to herself and chuckled. "No, I suppose not." She turned her head toward him. "Just catching a lift."

"If you need a ride, I can take you wherever you need, sweet thing."

Sam choked. Was this kid, he couldn't be more than 18 or 19, really hitting on her? "Um, thanks, but no."

"C'mon," he drawled. He nodded his head, "See that?" Sam turned the direction he indicated. A motorcycle was parked in parking lot at the side of the store. "She might not be cherry, but she can take you anywhere you want to go."

She squinted a little as she looked over at the bike. "Is that an Indian Scout?"

He gave her an appreciative smile that struck a chord deep inside her. "It is. You like bikes?" He tilted his head in a way that made her feel like she somehow knew him, but tossed it aside, as it was clearly impossible. It was likely just a trick of the mind. Still, she couldn't shake the feeling.

Nodding, she turned back to stare at it. "Yeah. What year is it, 1939? 104040?"

"Yes, ma'am, 1940." He took a small step toward her, closing the tiny gap that had been between them until they were only a few inches apart. "Belonged to my granddad, but he gave it to me last year. Ticked my dad off, but what are you gonna do?"

"Military or civilian model?" She asked, noticing his movements though still not feeling threatened. He was well built, but she was pretty sure she could take him if she had to.

He looked over at the bike again, then back at her. "Civilian. One of the last produced before they started producing strictly for the military. Looks like the lady knows her stuff." He seemed impressed.

Sam smiled. If he only knew. "Can I take a closer look?"

"By all means," he swept his arm out toward the bike, following slowly behind her, appreciating the sway of her hips, as she moved.

She stopped to look at the classic bike. Of course in 1969, it was just considered old, but in her time, it would be a classic. "Wow, this is great. I like them better before they started skirting the fenders." The bike had clearly seen better days, but she could tell that someone had been putting work into it. She leaned over to get a better look.

"Very nice. A chick that knows her stuff. I like that." He was taking a moment to get a better look at a few things himself, and admitted he liked what he saw. He usually went for brunettes, but there was something about her short blond hair that made him rethink that position. Perhaps shorthaired blonds were the way to go. "I'm Jay," he said. "And you are?"

"You do the work yourself?" She asked, ignoring his question.

He hunched down beside her on the balls of his feet, with his elbows on his knees, arms dangling casually. It struck her again how familiar that gesture seemed. "Rebuilt the engine last summer. Got into some trouble, and granddad though I needed a project. Set me working on it, and when I finished, said I could have the bike."

She looked at the work and was impressed. "You did a good job. This engine had problems with oil leaks. You have that?" She asked as she ran her hand over the engine.

Jay felt a stirring of his blood as he watched her caress the engine gently, like a lover. He cleared his throat. Damn she was gorgeous. He decided then and there that brunettes were definitely off his list and shorthaired blonds definitely on it. In fact, they now comprised the entire list, with this woman at the top. "Yeah. It's driving me crazy, because I can't seem to find the damn thing. I've checked the solders, gaskets, and all the other places I could think of." He stopped and looked closely at her, though his eyes were still behind his glasses. "Hey, how'd you know about that?"

She grinned up at him, and again had the strange feeling that she knew him. "Let's just say I take an interest. If you can't find it, try using baby powder." When he looked at her like she'd clearly lost her mind, she explained. "Clean the engine really well, and when it's dry, sprinkle baby powder all over it, and rub it in gently. Crank it up and wait. The powder will show you exactly where the leak starts. It could just be a gasket. They may look fine, but I've found that these are tricky and can actually be shot, even if it doesn't look like it to the naked eye. You put it under a scanning probe microscope and boom, there it is."

"A what kind of microscope?"

Sam winced as she realized what she'd said. Scanning probe microscopes wouldn't be invented for another decade. "Um, nothing."

"Okaaaay," he drawled, turning so his face was only inches from hers. "Wanna go for a spin?"

Sam stood quickly. "Um, no thanks. I should probably go."

He spread his hands out. "What's the rush?"

She glanced over his shoulder. She could just see the front of the bus. "My friends will be waiting for me." Again she felt no danger, but she knew she shouldn't be interacting with him. They'd talked to as few people as possible since the time jump, unless it was necessary, to keep from accidentally changing their own timeline, and here she was, alone with a stranger, talking like she'd known him forever and mentioning technology that hadn't even been invented yet. Crap.

"Let them wait," he said laconically, waving his hand dismissively, and stepped close enough that she could almost feel his breath. Sam tried not to laugh at his obvious attempts at invading her personal space. He was young though, and seemed like a decent kid, so she held it in. He had confidence she could tell, and was clearly not used to being denied by women, or in his case, girls. He was in for quite a surprise, she thought. "Come on, I finally find a hot mama who likes bikes, and is clearly smart, and she tries to run away. I'd be a fool if I didn't at least try to get her to stick around."

She started laughing. She couldn't help herself. "Did you just call me a 'hot mama'?"

A slow blush spread over his face that she found endearing. "Ah, you know, just trying to impress you with my knowledge of current lingo. I don't think I can pull it off though."

Swallowing her laughter again, she shook her head. "No, I don't think so. Besides, it only serves to remind me how very young you actually are."

He looked affronted and put a hand to his chest. "I'm not that young. I'll be 18 in two months. I'm out on one last hurrah before I head to the Air Force Academy. I'm practically all grown up." The smile that he gave her was pure male youth certainty.

"The Air Force Academy? Really? That's pretty impressive." Even in the late 60's getting into the Academy wasn't something just anyone could do.

He shrugged modestly, like it was no big deal. "I guess. I like planes. I want to fly and see the world. Have a little fun, ya know? Maybe not get killed in 'Nam."

Sam felt a pain of sadness at his words. Would it still be going on when he graduated? Would he make it out? She hoped so. She shook her head to dispel the morose thoughts. "Sounds like you've got it all planned out," she commented, wondering what the world had in store for him. "That's very mature."

He gave her a slight grin. "My mom said I was born old. I got into plenty of trouble as a kid, but she says I have an old soul. I guess that's where it comes from."

Somehow Sam could believe that. She reached out to pat his arm. "Don't be in too much of a hurry to grow up. I hope you get to do everything you want, but don't forget to have some fun along the way." Sam knew from personal experience that being so focused on a career and the future often kept a person from getting the things they really wanted.

"What I'd like to do right now is to take you for that ride. Whadaya say?" Taking his glasses off, he gave her a lopsided grin.

Sam's heart nearly stopped. "Oh my god," she whispered, covering her mouth with a hand. Confused coffee colored eyes met hers as realization slammed through her body. She took an involuntary step back, and sucked in a deep breath.

"What's wrong?" He asked stepping forward to shorten the distance she'd created between them. "You look like you've seen a ghost."

"No," she said softly, her voice barely a whisper. "Not a ghost. It's just…um…look, I really have to go."

When Sam moved to step around him, he moved to block her path. They did this several times, in a parody of a dance. She thought that was almost appropriate. "Really, tell me what's wrong," he said, placing a gentle hand on her shoulder. His voice held concern.

"I believe the lady is trying to leave," Sam heard a familiar voice behind her. She looked up to see Colonel O'Neill standing there, arms crossed over his chest.

Jay turned and looked the Colonel up and down. "Back off, Gramps. This is none of your business."

"Gramps?" Jack repeated, clearly offended. He looked at Sam with a wry smile. "Did he just call me Gramps, Captain?"

She scrunched her face up. Double crap. They had to leave quickly. "We should go, Sir." Stepping around Jay, she grabbed the Colonel by the arm and urged him away.

"Hey, he's a bit old for you, isn't he?" Jay called. Jack came to a complete stop.

"Sir," Sam said quietly. She could suddenly feel anger radiating off him. She wasn't exactly sure why he was he angry, but she knew he was, and the best thing to do would be to get him away. "Let it go, Sir. He's just a kid. Come on, the others will be waiting."

They took two steps when they heard, "When you decide you want something a little younger, let me know."

Damn, damn, damn, she thought. Jack turned back toward the younger man. "You have some sort of problem, kid?"

Bringing himself to his full height, Jay took a few steps toward them. "Yeah, Gramps," he emphasized the word, causing Sam to cringe. "I do. You. You're the problem. I was having a nice chat here with the lovely lady, and then you come along and act like you own her."

Jack visibly bristled. "I do not own her, you little punk. As I recall, the lady dragged me away."

Looking around Jack at Sam, he narrowed his eyes curiously, and asked, "What's he got on you? Are you afraid of him? You in some kind of trouble?"

Sam choked at the absurdity of it all. "What? No, of course not." She could never be afraid of Jack O'Neill, unless, she was beginning to realize, it came to her heart, and that was something she absolutely had to get under control.

"See? The lady has no problem with me. Run along, little boy." Jack gave him a shooing motion.

Taking a step forward, Jay came within a foot of Jack. Sam looked back and forth between them. She couldn't believe Jack didn't see it. "Guys, stop. This is ridiculous."

"It sure is," Jay said. "You're way to young and pretty to be with him."

Jack reached out and grabbed Jay by the collar of his shirt, backing him up until his legs hit the motorcycle. "Knock it off. The lady has made her choice. Hop on your little bike and go home to Mommy." Jack let go of the shirt and turned to walk away. He'd only taken one step when Sam yelled.

"Sir, look out!"

Turning back, Jack ducked just in time to avoid the blow that was coming at him, and catching the balled up fist in his own hand. "Hey!" He yelled. "What the hell?"

"'S the matter, old man?" Jay taunted, trying to pull his fist from Jack's hand. The older man was much stronger than he'd thought and had a tight grip on his fist.

Jack looked over at Sam, confused and irritated. "You got something you want to tell me, Carter? You and hot head here got something going on?"

Sam shook her head, and gave them both an exasperated look. "No, Sir. He's…well, I don't know. I think we should just leave. Please," she added.

Jack squeezed a little harder on the fist he still held. He looked back at the boy, narrowing his eyes. There was something familiar about him, but Jack's anger was clouding his mind, and he couldn't connect it. Who did this kid think he was anyway? Jack had no real reason to be angry, but the boy had hit on the very same thoughts Jack had had about Carter. He was beginning to have…feelings for her, which were completely inappropriate, and he kept tempering them by reminding himself that not only was it against regs, but he was far too old for her. Having some kid who was barely old enough to shave say it out loud though just pissed him off. "Listen, I've had about enough of you and your attitude. Stow it." He pushed Jay away with his other hand, knocking him into the bike, causing it, and Jay to tumble over.

"Dammit!" Jay yelled, as he hit the ground. The motorcycle had fallen under him, causing him to roll slightly, but not before smacking his head on the handlebar.

Sam could see blood running down from his eyebrow as he glared up at Jack. She ran to him and crouched down. "Are you hurt?"

"Only his pride, Captain," Jack said before the younger man could answer.

"Sir, please," she snapped, earning her a look of reproach. She'd deal with that later, but right now she turned her attention to Jay. "Here, let me look at you," she said as she helped him sit up. She wiped the blood from his face and gasped. She knew the gash would make a scar, and exactly what it would look like.

"Can't be that bad," he said. "The old man barely touched me."

"Oh, for crying out loud. The 'old man' is going to beat your ass if you don't quit calling him an old man," Jack ground out.

Sam clenched her jaw. "Sir!"

"Why do you keep calling him that? And why did he call you Captain?" Jay asked looking between them.

Jack rolled his eyes. "Because I'm her commanding officer, and she's a captain in the Air Force. Understand, Junior?"

Jay looked at her in surprise. "You're in the Air Force? You don't…um, you don't look like you're in the Air Force. You're far too pretty."

Sam's head hurt. The whole situation was enough to make her mind whirl. "Let's just say we're doing a covert mission."

"Covert. I like that. Hey, maybe I'll look you up after I graduate from the Academy."

"Wait, you're going to the Academy? You?" Jack asked, irritation in his voice. "Heaven help us all."

"Yeah," Jay said glaring at him

"Well, I suppose if you don't get kicked out, it might knock some sense into you and teach you some respect."

"I'm pretty sure respect is earned Gramps."

"Let's just hope you don't end up in my command. You'll find out pretty quickly how the whole idea of respect works."

Sam decided she was done. "That's it! Sir," she looked up at Jack, "go back to the bus and I'll be along in a moment. Please," she added at the look on his face.

He gave her a long look. He was still unsure what was going on, but he knew he didn't like it. "You have 3 minutes, Captain. If you're not back, I'm going to come haul you back and then we're going to have a long talk about insubordination." Jack turned to walk away, but didn't miss the smirk that crossed the boy's face. He clearly thought he had won something. Jack felt maybe he had.

Jay stood up and looked at Sam. "Why didn't you say anything? About the Air Force, I mean?"

Sam shrugged. There was no way to explain that she was a captain from the future. "Covert, remember?"

"Well then, not much I can say to that, is there?" He leaned over to right his bike. "Son of a bitch," he muttered.

"What's wrong?"

Huffing, Jay pointed to the front fender. "It's cracked. I knew it was weak there, but dammit, now it's a full crack."

Sam leaned in to get a closer look and gasped for the second time in less than 15 minutes. A small fissure that she was incredibly familiar with started at the back end of the front fender, and extended about 5 inches toward the front. She knew that crack in the fender. She looked up at Jay who was still bleeding. There was no way, just no way this was possible, and yet it was all right there in front of her. She had to leave, right then, before things got any weirder, or she messed something up for the future. "Um, look, I really have to go. I'm sorry about all this. Good luck at the Academy. You're going to do great. Trust me." She turned and started toward the bus as fast as she could without running, but he was next to her in a second.

"Okay, I get it," he said, blocking her path. "You and Gramps are…whatever. That's cool. You've got to go with him, and I'll never see you again, right?"

She nodded. "Something like that."

He sighed. "I figured. So then, there won't be a problem if I do this." He closed the space between them quickly, and put both hands on the sides of her face before pressing his lips to hers.

His mouth was warm and soft, and insistent without being pressuring. Sam's body softened and she was kissing him back before she could even think about what she was doing. Her lips opened to his, and she felt his tongue sweep in and explore the depths of her mouth. She moaned slightly as he pressed himself closer to her. Of their own volition one of her hands went to his bicep, which was firm beneath her touch, and the other pressed against his chest. She could feel his heart pounding and knew her own heartbeat probably matched the quick rhythm. Holy Hannah! He was only 17 and he already knew how to kiss like this. She knew she had to break it off, but her body refused to listen to her mind. His tongue slid out of her mouth, and he bit softly against her bottom lip, tugging it slightly. She sighed against him, and he moved his hands from her face to wrap them around her and drag her body firmly to his before he deepened the kiss, his tongue tangling with hers in a dance of passion. Sam's mind started screaming, even as her body instinctively pressed further into his. She had to stop this, but she wasn't sure she could. It was like some sort of weird fantasy come true, though she knew she had to put an end to it. She was a grown woman, while he was still really just a kid. A kid whose kiss practically made her knees buckle. It took every ounce of will power she possessed to pull away. "Stop," she gasped.

He looked down at her, his brown eyes dark with desire. "That was…wow. I don't even know what that was, but it was something."

Sam tried to make a sound, but her voice refused to work. She swallowed and cleared her throat, but her voice was still husky. "Um, yeah. Yeah it was." It was incredible. "I, um, I…"

He gave her a sad smile and took a shaky breath. "Gotta go. I got that." Stepping aside, he motioned with his arm for her to go.

On legs that felt like Jell-O, she walked forward, leaving him behind. Her thoughts tumbled in her head faster than normal. What had she just done? Crap and double crap. Just as she came to the edge of the building, she turned and looked back. He was standing there, hands in his pocket, rocking on his heels and grinning at her. He pulled out his right hand and gave her a 2-fingered salute, accompanied by a jaunty grin and a wink. She turned away and rounded the corner, leaving him behind.

Michael was standing by the bus when Jack approached. He was perfectly calm, which Jack found annoying, considering how angry he was. "I get it man. I get it," Michael said, his head bobbing up and down like one of those strange bobble head dolls Jack saw at every hockey game he attended.

"Get what?" Jack asked, in clipped voice.

Michael's head just continued to bob. "The need to fight for your woman. I'm not into the violence, man, but if another dude started grooving on Jenny and trying to take her away? Well, I'd be tempted to fisticuffs, you know? Sometimes you just gotta do things, even if you don't like them."

"First of all," Jack replied, "Carter is not my woman, and second, fisticuffs? Who says that?"

Shrugging, Michael clapped Jack on the shoulder. He started to walk toward the small shop, but turned back tilting his head slightly, a sympathetic look on his face. "You can tell others anything you want man, but you can't lie to yourself. Think about it."

Jack watched as he walked casually toward Jenny and Teal'c who were standing in the shade chatting. Jack could hear Michael start babbling something to Teal'c about freedom and rights, which Teal'c actually seemed to get. Considering he was in his own fight for freedom from the Goa'uld, Teal'c probably understood every word the weirdo said. Sighing, Jack looked over to the side of the building in time to see Carter pull herself from the younger man's embrace. He fought the urge to stay in place, and managed only because Carter was walking toward him and not the other man.

Sam saw the Colonel standing next to the bus exuding impatience. "Thought I was going to have to come give the kid a thorough thrashing and drag you away."

Try as she might, Sam couldn't stop the huge smile that she gave him, which notched Jack's anger up. "No, Sir."

She stepped up on the bus, walked to the back and sat down, waiting for him. He plunked down on the opposite seat, and they were entirely alone.

"Do we need to have a discussion, Carter?" He asked, his manner serious, expression dark.

The smile was still on her face, and she knew she had to look slightly insane. She tried to contain it, but the smile simply wouldn't go away. "No, Sir."

He narrowed his eyes at her. Her grinning made him want to hit something. He wasn't sure why, except maybe the fact that it was someone else who made her smile like that. "What happened to not interacting with people? I thought that was a no-no."

She shrugged. Jack thought people had been doing a lot of that lately, and he was tired of it. "Well, yes, it is, but I'm pretty sure talking to him didn't affect anything in our timeline." She looked outside and saw Jay standing there, watching the bus. She knew he couldn't see her, but knowing he was looking made her ridiculously happy.

Jack turned around and followed her line of sight. The boy was standing there, looking young and virile, and all the things he wasn't anymore. He suddenly wished he'd actually hit the kid instead of just pushing him over. "How do you know?"

"I just do. Trust me," she told him as the others climbed on board and Teal'c slid into the driver's seat. She watched Jay as they pulled away, only bringing her eyes back to the Colonel when she could no longer even see the gas station.

His eyebrow shot up when she turned back to him. "Trust you? You've been spouting off all this 'we'll change the timeline' crap, and off you go with some guy you've never even met before, and start-" Jack managed to keep the rest of what he'd been about to say in, but barely.

"Actually, I have met him before," she said, causing both eyebrows to shoot up almost into his hairline. She giggled slightly, all sense of military bearing gone. "I'm sorry, Sir. I just wish you could see your face."

Jack wasn't sure he'd want to see his face at that exact moment. "And how do you know him, Carter? You couldn't have met him when you were really in 1969, as you were what 4? 5?"

"One, Sir. Or almost one. I'll be one in December."

Jack raked his hands through his short spikey hair. It had grayed quickly over the last several months, and Sam decided she liked it far more that way. "Christ," he mumbled. "You were still an infant. Do you know how old I was?"

"Seventeen, almost eighteen."

Jack let out stifled a groan and ran a hand over his face. "Jesus, Carter, you make me feel old."

A warm sparkle crept into Sam's eyes. "Sir, you're not old. I don't know a single person who thinks of you as old." It wasn't a platitude. Sam meant it sincerely. She could never think of Jack as old. Yes, he was older, but he was also vibrant and powerful, and a force all on his own. He was decidedly not old.

"Except for Junior, back there. I was 17, just like him, almost 18. Getting ready for the Academy, just like..." he trailed off, giving her a suspicious look. "Crap, did I go to the Academy with him? Is that how I know him?"

"Sort of," she said as another big grin spread across her face. "Did you ever go by anything other than Jack, Sir?"

"I'm sorry, what?"

She looked back out the window, but could only see land. "Did you ever go by anything-"

"I heard the question, Carter, I just don't know what that has to do with anything."

"Just curious. Every go by John, Johnny, Jay?"

He was beginning to wonder if the whole time travel thing hadn't started to affect is 2IC's mind. Heaven help them all if it did, because she was the only one who could get them home. If they lost her, they'd all be deep in plan F. "My mother called my Jonathan when I was in trouble, but other than that, it was Jack."

Sam tilted her head at him. "Never anything else?"

"No, I…oh, wait, there was a summer I tried to go by Jay, but it didn't work out."

"Why not?"

Jack gave her a lopsided grin. "I forgot to answer to it. People would call me Jay, and I had no idea who they were taking to. I finally went back to Jack after a month or so. Okay, enough, Carter. Just explain what the hell this, me, my name, whatever has to do with, well, this?" He circled both hands in the air, a clear sign of frustration.

Staring at him, her blue eyes twinkling, Sam through him for another loop. "Tell me about your first motorcycle."

The second change in topic confused Jack. He tried to figure out what she was up to, but decided trying to figure out what went on in Carter's mind was a problem for someone way smarter than he was. Hell, there probably wasn't anyone smart enough to figure her brain out. He decided to just go with it. "It was old. I got it from my granddad. My dad was pretty pissed about it, but it gave me something to work on, and kept me out of trouble. You may not believe it, Carter, but I was quite the trouble maker when I was young."

Remembering the kiss, Sam said, "Believe me, Sir, I can absolutely imagine it. So, what model was it?"

"A 1940 Indian. Why the questions about my motorcycle, Captain? I'm pretty sure we-"

She held up a hand, cutting him off. "What happened to it?"

"What happened...? I sold it after I graduated from the Academy. I got sent to 'Nam and figured I wouldn't come back, so I sold it to a guy I knew. Why is this important again?"

"It had a cracked fender, didn't it?" She said, wondering how long it would take him to put the pieces together.

"How did you know?" He looked at her suspiciously.

"Mine has the same crack, in the same place. I've been thinking about replacing the fender, because it's too difficult to repair."

He looked startled, meeting her eyes with questions in his own. "Are you telling me that you…?" Sam had his bike? That was…well, he wasn't sure.

She nodded. "Yep."

"Son of a bitch," he said. "What are the chances of that? No, wait; I'm sure you can figure it out. Don't tell me."

Sam chuckled again. Jack loved the low, husky sound. "I'm not even sure I could figure that one out, Sir."

"Again, Carter, as flattered as I am at your interest in my life, I'm not sure what this has to do with anything."

She was quiet for a moment, looking down at the table. "How'd the fender get cracked?"

Jack waved a hand and rolled his eyes. "I got into a fight with some crazy old guy, and he knocked me along, with the bike, over causing it to crack." He stopped, his eyes widening.

"You get that scar then too?"

He lifted his hand to his eyebrow. It had yet another gash in it. He couldn't tell how many times he'd been hurt in nearly the exact same spot. He'd begun to wonder if the universe wasn't pleased with that eyebrow and was out to get rid of it. "Yes," he said quietly. "I did. I hit it on the handlebars when I fell over." He shook his head, as realization dawned on him. "Wait, wait, wait. This…wait, I can kind of see you having my motorcycle, improbably as it is, maybe, but this isn't possible. Is it?"

Sam gave him a huge grin. "I'm afraid it is, Sir. You gave yourself the scar. And you called yourself old."

He squinched his eyes tight and scratched the back of his head. His mind was working far harder than he preferred. "Old man. Ha! If I only knew then! Old! Jeez, what a warped view I had then. I just remember thinking he, looked so old. Carter, that was me back there," he said, as though she didn't already know. "That was the young, arrogant, cock sure me. And I didn't even recognize myself!"

"Did you think he looked familiar at all?" She asked. She couldn't believe she hadn't seen it either, but then again, she'd never seen a photo of a young Jack O'Neill.

"I-I guess so. I wasn't really paying attention to him. I was too irritated to take in more than his attitude. Holy crap." He shook his head. "Of all the weird things I've seen and done since I've led SG-1, this has to be one of the weirdest. Now that I think about it, I can clearly remember that day. 'Gramps,'" he air quoted the word, "pissed me off so much, telling me I'd likely be tossed out of the Academy, I decided then and there to prove him wrong. Christ, Carter, I can even manage to piss myself off. We were fighting over…" He stopped and looked at her, then spoke in a softer voice. "You. We were fighting over you. Damn, my head hurts. How did I not recognize you when we met?"
Sam cocked her head to the side, looking for the younger man in the face he carried now. The skin was more tan, and the stress of the past 30 years showed, and while his smile, was the same, it was a bit tighter and less easy, but his eyes, those chocolate brown eyes she feared she could drown in, were still the same. It had been the eyes that had given him away. "Well, it had been almost 30 years, and you know, your brain probably wasn't what it used to be," she teased. She was used to the Colonel acting confused, though she rarely bought it, but this time, she was sure it wasn't an act.

"True," he agreed after a long moment. "I'm not even sure I knew her, your, name. I remember trying to find out about her…you…whatever, when I got out of the Academy, but I had nothing to go on other than a rank blond hair and blue eyes. I figured it was just one of those chance encounters, and let it go. I still had a crush on her for years." He ducked his head, realizing what he'd just said, and Sam would have sworn she saw a blush steal up his cheeks.

Interesting, she thought. She was more than a little flattered that he'd remembered her four years later. "So…" she said slowly. "Do you remember-"

"Sam," Daniel called from the front of the bus. "Can you come here for a second?"

She stood with a sigh. "Sure, Daniel. I'm coming." Turning back to the Colonel she said, "Do you remember what happened after 'Gramps' left?"

Jack's eyes grew round. "Yes, I…she…you…we…didn't we?"

The smile she gave him was almost blinding. "We did." She turned and sauntered off towards Daniel, biting her bottom lip, trying to cut off a smile at the look on the Colonel's face.

He sat back and stared at her as she sat next to Daniel and started talking animatedly, probably about some geeky stuff that would make little sense to anyone else but the two of them.

He tried to remember that day from his younger perspective. He'd been headed out to meet up with some friends when he stopped to grab a cold drink, and saw the most gorgeous woman he'd ever laid eyes on. He hadn't been nearly as confident as he tried to look. In fact, while he remained calm on the outside, his insides were practically quaking with nerves. It had been the first time since he stole his first kiss from Jenny Wilkins in the 6th grade, that he'd felt nervous around a girl…a woman, he corrected himself. Carter was certainly a woman, and not a girl. He'd been so eager to impress the gorgeous blond, and felt it had been going well until the 'old man,' he shook his head at that, interrupted them, and had taken her away. Jack remembered feeling instantly attracted to her, and couldn't let her leave without knowing what her lips tasted like. He'd been bold and kissed her before she'd had the chance to say anything. He'd been shocked by the sheer force of the feelings that swept through him when she responded. Wait, she responded, Jack thought as realization hit. She responded, and she'd already known it was me. What the hell does that mean? He thought back to the kiss again, and could still remember how she'd responded, her hands clutching at him, he firm curves pressed up against him, her hands sliding across her back and down he swell of her hips. It had been the most sensual kiss of his life up to that point, and probably one of the top five of his life. It was certainly one of the only ones he remembered. He wondered if he instinctively knew Carter the first time he met her at the SGC. He certainly didn't want her on his team, only because he had a strong dislike of scientists at the time, but he'd felt and instant attraction to her. It had been annoying and embarrassing at the time, and he tried to cover it up with far too much macho old-boy-military crap. He'd felt bad for it later, but had tried to make it up to her in subtle ways since. He wondered if she'd ever really forgiven him or just put on a good show.

Jack leaned back into the weirdly cushioned, wildly patterned seat and closed his eyes. He wasn't quite sure how to process all this. He and Carter had kissed, and it had taken him 30 years to remember it. How could he have forgotten the feel her body against his, and the taste of her lips? He let out a heavy sigh of frustration. His life was seriously screwed up.

Jack's eyes opened when the bench gave a little from the weight of another person. Jenny was sitting next to him, with a compassionate smile on her face. He gave her a brief nod but stayed silent. Sweet as she was, she made him a bit uneasy with her openness and childlike view of the world.

"She's quite beautiful," Jenny said smiling at him.

Jack knew whom she was talking about, but played dumb. He'd found when he didn't want to talk, playing dumb usually deterred conversation. "Samantha, I mean. She's beautiful. Don't you agree?" Apparently dumb didn't deter Jenny. "It's clear you care about her very much."

He tried not to roll his eyes. This was not shaping up to be his best week. "Carter is lovely, I agree, but I only care about her as a member of my team." If lightening struck liars, Jack knew he'd suddenly burst into flame.

Jenny's soft eyes bore into his. "Jack, we only have a short time to live. Denying yourself love is almost a sin."

Jack sat straight up irritably. "For cryin' out loud. I'm not denying myself love. Look, Carter and I work together, that's all."

Glancing up to the front of the bus, Jenny shook her head. "That's what Michael said you'd say. He sees it too. You and Samantha are like magnets drawn to each other. It's clear you belong together."

"Yeah, well, that's not gonna happen," Jack said grumpily. Why couldn't people just leave him the hell alone? He and Carter were teammates and nothing more. No matter what he may feel, and he was still unsure what he actually felt, that was all they could ever be. Aside from the fact that it was strictly prohibited, he was, as 'the kid' had said, far too old for her. He tried not to think about how that caused an uncomfortable weight in the pit of his stomach.

"I'm sorry to have bothered you, Jack, but we're only here for a finite period, and then there are nothing but regrets. Don't let Samantha be a regret. Think about it, okay?"

"Sure," he told her, "I'll do nothing but."

Jenny gave him a smile that held pity. "Your aura is almost blinding. You have a tortured soul, Jack O'Neill, but under the pain is a remarkable man who only wants someone to love him. We all need love, Jack."

"Yeah, well, they do say it's all we need," Jack quipped. "Of course, I would also add pizza and beer to that, but it probably wouldn't make that great of a song."

Jenny shook her head at him. When she stood, Jack instinctively put out a hand to steady her in the moving bus. She looked up at Sam, then back to him. "Find your peace. It dwells with her."

Jack watched her walk away and shook his head. Hippies, he thought and rolled his eyes. He involuntarily looked up to see Carter still engrossed in conversation with Daniel. They were easy together, in a way that made him jealous. Not because he thought there was anything going on with them, Daniel was still desperately in love with Sha're, and everything he did was in hopes of finding her, but because they could hands, and lean over each other or give a conciliatory hug without worrying that it might be misconstrued. There had been so many times he'd just wanted to reach out and put an arm around her in congratulations or in sympathy, but had to hold himself back. It sucked to be perfectly honest. Still, Carter had kissed him, and even thought it wasn't the him of today, she'd known who he was, and it gave him a little bit of hope. He leaned back again, propped his feet up and hummed quietly to himself.

From the front of the bus, Sam stole quick looks at the Colonel. She wondered what Jenny had said to make him so irritable, not that it took much, and quirked a small smile when he reached up automatically to steady her when she stood. No matter how irritated he might be, he was always a gentleman. It made Sam oddly proud.

When she and Daniel finished, she walked toward the back of the bus, but stopped and sat down before she reached the Colonel. His eyes were closed, his weird little skullcap pulled partially down, and she thought she detected a small smile on his face. She turned to lay down on the long cushioned bench, and in the quiet thought she caught the notes of All You Need is Love coming from his direction.

Fin

I hope you enjoyed it. I chose to use 1952 for Jack's birthday, putting him about 16 years older than Sam. The props dept apparently couldn't make up their minds, and it was listed as both 1950 and 1952.