Title: If Things Were Different

Author: MTS

Summary: My "Affinity sucked. Wah" unabashed wank fic. Sam& Jack and the Pete Ring of Doom.

A/N: This fic makes me feel better. ::sigh::

If you haven't seen "Affinity," don't bother reading this.

SJSJSJSJSJ

She remembered the picture of Sara and Charlie still predominately shown in his house. Before she knew it, she was asking. "What about you." Now that she had said that, she couldn't just..."...if things had been different?"

As the words came out she wished she could snatch them out of the air...or at least zat Jack and hope he didn't remember when he woke up...Shit shit shit.

She thought she had meant if Charlie O'Neill was alive. Not the same question she asked her subconscious!Jack on the Prometheus.

But now her eyes were fixed on his, unbroken gaze of shameful curiosity if he was going to respond in a way that would make saying no to Pete so easy. So simple.

Jack was looking at her in such a way that made her heart ... oh god, she didn't even know how to describe the way Jack's gaze was making her feel.

The look in his eye was suddenly unreadable. "I wouldn't be here."

Now Sam really knew she was fucked. What the hell did he mean. If he answered how she meant the question, yes, he wouldn't be Brigadier General O'Neill if Charlie was alive and Sara hadn't...

If he answered the question she realized she was really asking, then he was smarter than she took him for. What a way to make a statement and not make a statement at the same time. He was letting her know that he was here, in this room, worried about her and answering her pertinent question as a patient man in love with his junior officer.

The other, legal way was letting her know that he was simply concerned for her. It wasn't "I'm a safe bet." It was nothing definitive. Simply that he existed in this room for one purpose. To support her. In whatever way she needed.

By the time she processed this however. He had moved closer to her, his hand reaching out, covering hers.

That was certainly a more definitive statement.

"Samantha."

It was surreal that he pronounced it the same way as he had on the Prometheus...

"Spit it out." He squeezed her hand.

She laughed in spite of herself. And said it. Fast. "I don't want to marry him."

"Why." It was a simple word said simply. But she knew he was smart enough to understand a simple answer.

"You know why."

They didn't flinch as the alarm bells rang. "Unauthorized Gate Activation. Unauthorized - "

She was kissing him before she realized what she was doing. And he was kissing back. No hesitation. None of this cloak and dagger flirtation.

But only for a brief moment.

As they ran to the gate room, his hand brushed the small of her back.