Chapter 3

At Jack's admission, complete silence fell over the camp. The only sound to be heard was the crackling of the fire. Holding his breath, the colonel risked a glance at Carter to find her staring at him. Her shock was evident and he noticed another emotion flash in her eyes, but before he could decide whether it was hope, anger, or something else entirely, he forced himself to look away.

"You did what?!"

He grimaced at Sam's tone as he scrambled to his feet and mirrored her stance and slowly held his hands in front of him in a placating gesture.

"Just… take it easy," he warned as his second-in-command started to make her way around the campfire towards him.

"You – you kissed me?" It was almost a whisper, but he heard the indignation and his jaw tightened.

"Yeah," he finally whispered.

He waited as Sam tried to think of a response but the words never came. Instead, she shook her head and sat down heavily. A few more seconds passed before Jack took one slow step closer.

"Carter –"

"Don't sir," she interrupted as she turned wide eyes on him. "Please."

As the silence returned, Jack ran a hand along the back of his neck but he was stopped from saying anything when Daniel and Teal'c started to move around camp, suggesting their dinner was well and truly over. He also pretended not to notice the tension mount with every moment that passed. Just when he felt like he couldn't take it anymore, Sam got to her feet.

"With all due respect, sir, you're unbelievable," she uttered in amazement before she turned and walked out of camp.

She lifted her vest and zat gun as she went and Jack dragged a hand through his hair as he watched her leave.

"Crap," he muttered.

"O'Neill."

Jack spared Teal'c a glance as he stood and brushed some dust from his uniform.

"Yeah, I know," he sighed. "Keep an eye on camp."

He didn't wait for an answer. By the time he caught up with Sam she was standing at the edge of a lake they had found close to camp that morning. Her back was to him, but even in the darkness he could tell that she was angry. He swallowed hard at what this could mean for him in the near future and suddenly wished that he was back in the time loop. He moved towards her slowly, making just enough noise so she wouldn't be startled by his presence. He didn't need to worry though, as he'd barely taken two steps when her voice drifted across their quiet surroundings.

"Permission to speak freely, sir?"

"Granted."

"Why?"

He hesitated. "Why... what?"

"Why did you do it?"

"Ah." He hooked his index finger inside the collar of his black regulation t-shirt in discomfort as he came to a stop beside her and when Sam glanced at him out of the corner of her eye, he shrugged.

"That's it?" she snorted, mirroring his shrug.

"No," he answered brusquely, causing Sam to straighten.

"I'm sorry, sir. I didn't –"

He sighed softly and tried again. "No, I – ah hell, Carter."

Minutes passed in silence before he spoke again.

"You remember what Daniel said about the whole 'no consequences' thing," Jack hedged as he drew air quotes around the phrase. "Well, he was right. All those times Teal'c and I played golf through the gate; the food fights in the Commissary; the loops we took off... there were no consequences when time reset."

Sam turned to face him, a look of genuine interest softening the edges of her annoyance and Jack took a breath.

"So that's when I got the idea."

"To kiss me?"

He nodded, not quite trusting his voice.

"Because you knew I couldn't bring you up on charges, or –"

"What? God, no!" Jack took a step back at her words and the direction her thoughts had taken. Then realization dawned. Was that why she was annoyed? He closed his eyes and sighed. When he spoke, his voice was barely a whisper.

"Carter – Sam. We went to '639 a week after the whole Za'tarc thing. I guess I was still high from those freakin' armbands or something," he trailed off. "When we – when Ikissed you... I only did it because I knew there'd be no consequences to doing it."

A look of alarm appeared in Sam's eyes, but Jack quickly shook his head.

"I mean, I wanted to do it, but I knew that once the loop reset, I couldn't be brought up on charges by mysuperiors."

"Yoursuperiors, sir?"

"Yeah."

"Why –"

"When I kissed you, it was in the Gate Room just seconds before the loop reset. I did resign first – General Hammond was there and everything," he added with a wistful smile as he remembered the look of shock on the Texan's face. "Anyway, I – I knew that no one – besides me – would remember it, so –"

"So, you thought it would be okay?"

"Yes. No! I –"

"How many times did you – ah – we kiss?"

"Once."

Sam arched a brow in disbelief at his quick answer.

"I swear," he said. "I could only do it the once," he added but when he caught the hurt look on Sam's face, he realized how his words sounded. "Ah, crap. I didn't mean it like that, Carter. I mean, you're not – it's not…" He sucked in a breath before letting it go slowly. "I only trusted myself to do it the once."

"Oh."

Jack tilted his head and regarded his second-in-command carefully when she didn't say anything else.

"So..."

"So?"

"So, we didn't – we didn't do anything else?" she asked quietly, avoiding his gaze.

"No. I'd never do that, Sam."

She sighed heavily, and Jack wasn't sure if it was down to relief or disappointment.

"I know," she sighed, then smiled slightly. "I always wondered, you know. About the loops and what you and Teal'c really got up to," she added when Jack frowned in confusion. "I mean – no offence, sir – but you're not the most patient of men. I knew there was no way you used every single loop to try and find, then fix, the problem – especially when it involved learning an Ancient language."

Jack pulled a face and he noticed Sam's smile disappear and her curiosity return as she continued: "So then I thought there was more to it. And when you smiled at me… I knew. I didn't know what it was, but I knew it was something, because you'd never smiled at me like that before."

She blushed suddenly and Jack tried not to let his disappointment show as Sam turned away from him to look out towards the lake. When a few minutes of silence passed between them, Jack cleared his throat.

"Does this mean we're okay?"

"No. I'm still mad at you, sir," she admitted. "Or rather the circumstances – or time loop – whatever."

"I am sorry, Carter."

"Don't be," she offered with a wry smile.

Her response surprised him. "Uh –"

"Do you know what the most annoying thing is?"

Jack shrugged but waited until Sam turned fully to face him.

"You're the only one who remembers what it was like," she whispered.

"Carter –" He glanced up at the night sky and took a deep breath before he let his gaze return to the woman standing by his side.

She was now staring at the ground, refusing to meet his eye, no matter how many times he said her name. Finally, he removed his baseball cap and let it fall to the ground as he stepped forward.

"To hell with it," he muttered as he suddenly grabbed Sam just like he had in the gate room. His lips crashed onto hers and he felt her tense for a moment before she responded, just like she had in the time loop. As he dipped her, her arms snaked around his neck. The only difference this time, however, was that time didn't reset – and the kiss went on for a lot longer than it had during the loop.

As certain parts of Jack's anatomy started to respond to the way Sam melted against him and the way she moaned into his mouth, he used every shred of self-restraint he had left to pull back. He rested his forehead against hers.

"Holy Hannah," she whispered breathlessly after a minute, making Jack grin smugly.

"Now the two of us can remember what it was like."

Sam's fingers played idly with the hair at the nape of his neck, sending currents of desire through him, while Jack's arms remained looped around the small of Sam's back, his fingers splayed and drawing soft, random patterns across the base of her spine. His eyes darted to Sam's lips and back to her eyes. He inched closer, but stopped and growled quietly. Reluctantly, he straightened and loosened his grip around Sam. He tried to ignore the soft whimper that elicited from her as he put some distance between them and as they stood and stared at each other, Jack shoved one hand in his pocket, the other rubbing at the back of his neck where it still tingled from her touch. He cleared his throat as the thoughts sent his blood rushing south again.

"So, ah, are we okay now?"

Sam pulled her bottom lip between her teeth as she considered the question and Jack had to bite down on his own lip to stop a moan from escaping.

"Is that how it happened during the loop?"

"Yep."

"Even my reaction?"

"Oh yeah."

She ducked her chin at his smug answer. "We're okay."

He let his gaze roam over her face once more before he gestured towards their camp. "Shall we – before a search party arrives?"

With a soft chuckle, Sam nodded and they started to make their way back in contented silence. Just as the first signs of camp came into view though, Jack reached out, his fingers gently wrapping around Sam's upper arm.

"Sir?"

"Are you sure we're good?"

"Permission to speak freely again, colonel?"

He squeezed her arm lightly, letting her know it was fine. Without warning, Sam stepped into his personal space and rested a hand on his chest as she brushed her lips lightly against his.

"We're okay," she whispered, "but next time don't wait three years to tell me."

With that, she smiled and turned back to camp, leaving Jack to stare after her in surprise. When he snapped back to reality, he had to jog if he wanted to catch her in time.

"Hey Carter," he grinned, "wait up!".

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