Author Note: This is the final part of the story. I won't be writing another ship fic for a very long time, so I won't be upset if you S/J only readers leave me. Not upset much anyway - lol. I hope you all enjoyed my little excursion into the more romantic side of SG. Don't forget - I'm uploading Jackie's fic "What Fate Decrees" for her. Check it out and enjoy the great S/J story. Oh - it's no good asking her to hurry with the posting of parts. It's me you should be complaining to. This is one BIG fic, and I'm making some tiny corrections as I post it. But she has been enjoying the reviews she's got so far. Please send her more. Speaking of reviews - thanks for all your great ones for this fic. Now how about you go read my two General Jack series? It may not be S/J, but there are some team moments you may enjoy. Flatkatsi

Wives and Other Follies – the Fluffy Version Part 4C

"Who is that woman?"

General Ritson flinched at the shrill tone and took an involuntary step back as his wife and her partner in crime appeared in front of him, their expressions a curious mixture of indignation and jealousy. He looked in the direction Beatrice indicated.

Jack O'Neill was walking across the room, arm in arm with the same lovely woman Oliver had been surreptitiously watching all evening.

"I have no idea, but I assume she's O'Neill's wife." Jack had always attracted the ladies, but Oliver remembered him as a one woman man, totally devoted to his wife and child. Yes, there was no way the Jack O'Neill he knew would be showing so much obvious affection to anyone other than the woman he married.

"Wife? I thought General O'Neill's wife was a scientist." Angela Greenburgh glowered at the couple.

"Yes" He decided to share some of the information he had just heard about the new Mrs O'Neill, "She is. She's one of the Air Force's top researchers. Came first in her class in the Academy and even served as a pilot in the Gulf. She was promoted to Colonel over a year ago and looks to be on a fast track to general. Pretty impressive record." Oliver watched the pair stop to talk to a man he recognised as Major Davis, and found himself envying the other general. A beautiful, intelligent wife, a position that kept him in the view of the President – everything that Oliver himself didn't have.

"I didn't expect her to look like that."

Oliver didn't even look at Angela as she spoke, preferring to concentrate on the large whiskey in his hand. He let the women's conversation wash over him as his wife replied.

"No, neither did I. I thought General O'Neill's wife was meant to be much younger than him. She looks to be in her late thirties at least."

"Yes, exactly. And the hair. . . "

"Bottle blonde?"

"Definitely."

Oliver shut his eyes momentarily, wishing he was anywhere but where he was. Somewhere nice and quiet – another planet would be good. He sighed.

He should have joined NASA.

xoxoxoxoxoxo

Jack could hear the whispers as they passed, and for a second he wondered if he had done the wrong thing. The Air Force was a conservative organisation with conservative views, and two senior officers embracing in public wouldn't be on the top of the list of things expected at a function such as this.

"Sorry." He muttered the apology, worried that Sam's silence was caused by embarrassment.

"What for?" Her hand tightened on his.

"I've put you in an awkward position with the other wives. Did you see the look on the faces of those two women we just walked by? They're Angela Greenburgh and Beatrice Ritson, Oliver Ritson's wife. They won't be inviting us to any dinner parties in the near future."

"I don't care what they think, Jack. Their opinion isn't really important." He looked at her, to find her smiling back. "It isn't like either of us have time to socialise, and I was never going to be the typical military wife anyway."

Jack smiled back, pulling her closer as he realised she was right. It was funny how saving the planet several times put everything else into perspective.

"There's Paul Davis. Why don't we go find out all the gossip while everyone else gossips about us?" He steered them towards the Pentagon liaison, happy to see a friendly face.

xoxoxoxoxoxo

Jessica had found herself gasping at the sight of her normally staid boss kissing a woman so publicly, but as soon as the embrace ended she compared notes with Linda and gave the kiss a rating of ten out of ten on the scale they had developed over the years while movie watching. It almost rivalled Rhett and Scarlett for first place in their opinion.

"Wow, I wish I was her." Jessica had that dreamy look she normally reserved for Hugh Jackman.

"Hey – that's my boss you're talking about." Jessica started laughing, then stopped as a sudden thought hit her. "Ewww. He's old enough to be your father."

"So - he's obviously had lots of practice. And not just in kissing"

Jessica screwed her face into an expression of distaste. "And again, ewww. Thanks for that thought, I'm the one who has to work with him you know. I won't be able to look him in the eye."

"It wouldn't be his eyes I'd be looking at."

"Will you shush." Jessica felt herself blushing with embarrassment. "Anyway, that must be Mrs O'Neill. At least I can put a face to the voice now."

"That's so sweet - that two people can still be so affectionate even at their age." Linda whispered to her friend as the General and his wife walked past them, hand in hand.

"Isn't it." Jessica nodded, making a mental note of everything she saw so she could report back the tiniest details to the girls who hadn't been on the invitation list.

Then something much more interested caught her attention - the group of civilians the general's wife had been sitting with. "You know, some of those guys don't look half bad."

"Um . . ." Linda nodded her agreement, ". . .but they're scientists."

"Come on, Linda – don't be a snob." Jessica pulled her friend after her, heading for a particularly attractive young man. "What's good for the general is good for the secretary."

The End