Written for Maddy (aka black widow mistress) as a prompt fic 'Sam/Jack- infirmary'. Tag to The Shroud. The next instalment in the NotSo series, because this is the universe it falls within.

Maddy! I am so sorry it took me this ridiculous amount of time to get this uploaded. It's been sitting on my harddrive for weeks, practically finished. Please forgive me!

And Enjoy!

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He finds her in the infirmary of all places, stocking up on the vitamins that Lam insists they all take while traipsing across the galaxy. Since the Ori plague the doctor's been paranoid about alien infections, and from what Sam's been telling him, Jack figures it's a good thing she's replenishing stocks while she has the chance. A sneeze or couch could lead to a battery of tests that none of them desire, warranted or not.

She's standing by the free-for-all medicine cabinet, filling in the required forms, and there's nobody else around, which makes Jack nervous. In his opinion, if the infirmary is empty it's just asking for trouble.

"I'm off to speak to Daniel" he says from behind her.

She turns her head quickly, her mouth half open, surprised but not shocked to see him. She quickly turns back to the sheet in front of her to check she's filled it in properly.

"Yeah?"

"Hmm"

He sidles up beside her and picks up the pill bottle. There's an unspoken rule that vitamins and mild pain relief can be taken at will, so long as the thief fills in the paperwork properly. Of course she's filled in every part of that form, required and not.

"Well, don't be too shocked when you see him"

"That bad?"

"Eh. More unnerving" she says, shrugging one shoulder and scrunching her nose a little.

"As though he isn't always?" he mutters with a look, twirling the pill bottle in his fingers.

She grins and shoots him a look of mild reprimand, resting her hip against the cabinet in a mirroring pose to his own.

"This is strange..." she starts, ducking her head.

"What, Daniel?"

"You. Being here"

He gives her a look, and she has to grin at the crossing of the wires.

"I mean as my boss. You being here as my boss"

"I've been here as your boss before" he says lightly, a grin tugging at the corner of his mouth. They haven't let the past become an issue any other time he's been at the SGC, and this time is no different, so she grins right back at him with a knowing quirk of her eyebrow.

"Not since I was given a certain ring around my neck" she says lowly.

He downright beams at that, grinning his head off as he tries to make out her dog-tags under her shirt. They watch each other for a minute.

"We knew I'd be back as General McCranky-pants at some point in this relationship, Sam"

"I know. But it's still a little weird" she says with another half shrug, her eyes falling to the clipboard at her fingertips. "I'm not twelve, Jack. I understand what this is and what it isn't"

He jerks his head at that, a crinkle of confusion forming at his brow. "What is that supposed to mean?"

"You know what it means" she replies, giving another meaningful look.

So long as they're both in the military and both so directly involved in the program, their paths are going to cross. They are both well aware that as long as the Ori are a major threat, there will be arenas of their lives where 'Carter' and 'Sir' still dwell. The SGC is no exception. They've managed to keep their personal lives fairly personal, but they knew there would be boundaries the second they began their relationship.

"Yeah. Yeah, I guess I do"

He taps the metal bench with his knuckle before pushing away and swinging his arms rather dramatically, supposedly stretching.

"Well... time to go I guess. Daniel. Prior. End of the world stuff- you know how it is"

She smiles at him softly. "Yes Sir. Have fun"

He gives her a look. "You gonna see me out?"

She grins and falls into step beside him, sliding the vitamin bottle into her pocket as they make their way into the corridor.

"That wasn't an order you know" he says, bending close to her ear as they walk, his hands in his pockets.

"I know" she says with another smile, stopping when they reach the elevators, knowing he's going in one direction and she's heading to her lab. "But sometimes you have some really good ideas"

She turns and walks down the corridor a few steps, then turns back to him, continuing slowly on her way, walking backwards with easy steps.

"Have fun talking to Daniel" she says with a grin.

"Don't I always?"

He hears her chuckle from down the hall. It's not so bad, both of them being part of the program. At least he gets to catch up with her on the job.

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It's late before they get home, and they're both very tired. Daniel is thankfully back to his old self, but with the increased numbers of Ori ships in their galaxy, there is little levity, either on base or off it. Everyone knows Cam is right- that the big step backwards now may end up winning them the war in the future- but that doesn't stop them worrying about the immediate effects of their actions.

She drives, because they're in her car and he hates driving in such a small thing after being in his truck.

She pulls in to her driveway and they meander inside, carelessly dropping their jackets and her bag on the couch, heading for the kitchen before bed.

"Some day" she sighs, opening the fridge and producing the cold water jug.

"Yep" he replies, just as wistfully, leaning against the bench next to where she's placed their two glasses. They both drank a glass in silence, Sam filling their glasses again when they're placed back on the bench.

"It was nice having you back" she says quietly, looking at him through drowsy eyes.

"Not weird?" he asks, a smile playing at the corner of his mouth.

"Oh, it was still weird. But it was also nice"

"Hmmmm. Well, if it's any consolation, it was weird being back" he says flippantly, taking their now empty glasses, spinning in place and leaning over to put them in her dishwasher.

When he turns around she's staring at his hip, unseeing, and he waves his hand in front of her face, dramatically moving his fingers and yoo-hooing her.

"Sorry. I just... stopped thinking there for a second" she says, shaking her head and refocussing her eyes to looking back at him.

"Really?" he asks with a smirk, one hand going to his hip as the other supports his weight, leaning against the bench.

"Yes, really"

"You mean to tell me..."

She can't stop the smirk slowly working its way across her face, or the raising of the eyebrow that speaks to years of friendship with a certain Jaffa.

"... that I... little old me..."

She starts to turn away from him, smirk still firmly in place, slightly shaking her head, her eyes rolling.

"...managed to stall the thoughts of the great and powerful Samantha Carter?"

She's halfway to the hallway by the time he finishes his sentence, and she grins with her back to him before she spins around, one hand clutching the doorframe and her body tilted in what can only be described as a 'sultry pose'.

"No Jack" she says lowly, her smirk turning naughty and her chin tilting down just enough to make his playful smirk turn suggestive. "I'm saying your ass managed to render me speechless"

And with that she saunters from the kitchen, leaving him sitting there, a smug look on his face and a few less-than-decent thoughts in his head.