TITLE: Can We Talk?

AUTHOR: Liz

EMAIL: any one who wants it

CATEGORY: S/J

SPOILERS: Nope

RATING: G

DISCLAIMER: Characters and anything show related don't belong to me. I
have made no money from this and wrote it for entertainment purposes
only.

AUTHOR'S NOTES: Feedback is always appreciated.

Jack sat on his couch, a beer in his hands, his mind wandering. He was replaying a conversation he'd had with Sam over a month ago.

"Pete gave me this."

Jack's gaze fell to the box. He reached for it, opening the small box with a creak, his eyebrows arching when he saw the ring inside.

"People normally wear these on their fingers . . . "

"I haven't said yes."

He looked down again at the box. "And yet . . . you haven't said no."

"I told him I needed to think about it."

Jack drew a breath. "And . . .?"

He sat the box down on her table.

"That was two weeks ago . . . "

"Ah . . . "

"You know, all these years I've been concentrating on work, I just assumed that one day I would - - "

"Have a life?"

"Yeah . . ."

Sam took a deep breath, her eyes locking on his. "What about you? If things had been different . . . " Jack stared at her, his eyes

unreadable. "I wouldn't be here . . ."

Jack remembered it clearly, each word echoed in his heart. He could still feel her eyes on his, standing there wanting him to give her the reason, wanting him to tell her not to marry Pete. He wanted to, he'd never wanted anything so badly in all his life, but something inside him stopped him, told him that she deserved so much more than he could give her. She was the one woman he couldn't live without and the only woman he couldn't have. Jack sighed heavily and downed the rest of his beer quickly.

Sam lay wide awake in bed next to Pete, fingering her engagement ring absentmindedly. Her mind was far away, in another place, another time. She had known long before that moment. She'd known she was in love with Jack O Neill. But when they had stood on opposite sides of that force shield and he had refused to leave her, that was the exact moment she'd known just how deep her love ran. He had fought so hard to try and save her, knowing there was no way he could. He was the kindest, bravest man she'd ever known, and she loved him more than her own life.

Her heart ached at the memories that stirred within her. And she felt an overwhelming wave of love rush over her. Sam slid out of bed, a tear sliding down her cheek as she looked down at her sleeping fiance, knowing how hard it would be for him when she told him.

Sam crept silently to the living room and picked up the phone, dialing his number. She held her breath as the line began to ring, silently hoping he wouldn't answer, terrified of what he might say.

But he picked up the phone after the second ring. Sam felt her heart skip a beat.

"Hello Sam," Jack said quietly.

Sam let out the breath she had been holding and sat on her couch before speaking.

"Hello Jack. Can we talk?"