Hey there, my lovely shippers! I've missed you all! I couldn't sleep last night, so I got up and wrote yet another post-Threads oneshot for Jack and Sam. Please review if you like it...you know how I love you for it!

I don't own any of these characters. All rights go to MGM.

Enjoy! :)

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Here we are again.

Sam lifted one foot and took the last step up onto General O'Neill's front porch. She felt like she'd been taking them one at a time for hours, stopping on each one to rethink what she was about to do. She tapped one finger nervously against the cell phone pressed against her palm and glanced down at it again.

Oh, what the hell.

She pressed one of the keys on the pad and held the phone to her ear, anxiously watching the inside of the house for movement. All was quiet, and she was just about to give up and lower her phone when it cut off mid-ring and a familiar voice answered.

"Yeah?"

Sam couldn't help the wide grin that broke out across her face, and she peeked into the windows around her, keeping an eye out for the General inside.

"Uh…hi!" she said awkwardly. "I was just wondering if you were home…sir."

She squeezed her eyes shut and winced, wishing for the millionth time that she didn't always make such a fool out of herself when it came to Jack O'Neill. There was a slight pause on the line, and then he answered distractedly.

"Yeah, hang on. I think there's somebody at my door."

Sam opened her mouth to reply, when suddenly the front door in front of her swung open and she blinked her eyes in surprise. Jack looked at her with a confused expression, his cell phone pressed against his ear.

"Hi," he said calmly into the phone, grinning a bit as Sam dropped hers and bounced on her heels in front of him.

"Hi, sir," she said again, suddenly feeling like an absolute idiot. "Actually, I was calling because…" Sam paused and glanced behind the General into his living room, looking for any would-be intruders. She couldn't imagine the humiliation of Ms. Johnson interrupting them a second time. Still looking puzzled, Jack turned around and scanned the room behind him, turning back to Sam and finally lowering his phone as he spoke with a blank look on his face.

"What?"

Sam smiled sheepishly and crossed her arms in front of her.

"I was just wondering if you were home alone…sir."

The General's eyebrows shot up in understanding and he stepped back, holding the door open and gesturing for Sam to step inside.

"Ah. Just me. Come on in."

She stepped past him and stood uneasily in the hallway as Jack closed the door. He nodded her in the direction of the living room, and she wandered in slowly, taking in the familiar scent of O'Neill's house as she glanced around at the various empty beer bottles and dirty dishes lying around. Jack picked up a small garbage can and started making his way around the room slowly, dropping the bottles and garbage into the basket with a clatter. Sam waited for him to speak, but finally she decided that he wasn't going to break the ice, so she jumped in with the first thought that was in her head.

"So, how's that going anyway?"

Jack raised his head and frowned.

"What?"

Realizing that they hadn't actually spoken about Kerry Johnson out loud, Sam blushed a bit and flashed an embarrassed smile.

"I meant with you and Ms. Johnson…" She stopped and clamped her mouth shut at Jack's darkened expression, and he returned to his cleaning up as she squeezed her arms a bit tighter.

"Oh," she said, a little too cheerfully. "Sorry."

This is ridiculous.

Sam sighed loudly as O'Neill tossed the last piece of trash into the garbage and stood up straight, peering questioningly at her.

"So…what's up, Carter?"

Deciding to get it over with, Sam took a deep breath and held up her left hand, turning her palm toward her with her fingers towards the ceiling. She raised her eyes nervously to meet his, a knowing look on her face as the General stared at the empty space on her ring finger. There was an uncertain expression written across his features, but he said nothing as she lowered her hand uneasily. The room was silent, and Sam was almost certain she could hear the gears spinning in his mind as he kept his eyes on her fingers. When he finally spoke, the words seemed to echo loudly around the room.

"What happened?"

Sam frowned a bit, not sure how to explain. Jack's head tilted sideways curiously, and she opened and closed her mouth a few times before she finally answered.

"I thought I wanted a normal life," she began, trying to keep the words from coming out too quickly. "But when Pete showed me that house…our house…he was talking about this life he expected us to have, as if it actually could happen." She cringed at the thought. "That's what he was trying to give me: a normal life. With a normal house, and kids, and a husband with a normal job…but I won't ever have a normal life, and the more I thought about it, the more I realized, I don't want normal." Pausing, Sam glanced up at Jack and lowered her voice slightly, hoping he could read the meaning in her words.

"I want extraordinary."

The General blinked his eyes a few times and furrowed his eyebrows, giving his usual confused expression.

"Carter, what's so bad about having something normal in your life?" His tone was slightly scolding, but Sam waited patiently as he went on. "The things you do at the SGC every day…the work you've been a part of…" Jack looked almost irritated, dropping the trash can and stuffing his hands into his pockets. "Everything about you is extraordinary. Your military career, your work at the SGC, your team…your knowledge of the universe, for crying out loud! How much more extraordinary do you want?"

The question hung in the air, and Sam could tell that he realized the meaning in his words. His expression changed slightly, and he pressed his lips together as Sam answered with a quiet, level voice.

"You are extraordinary."

Jack raised his eyebrows, and Sam quickly added, "…sir." For a moment, she thought he might laugh, but instead he swallowed and leaned back against the doorway, his eyes on his shoes.

"Carter…"

He paused and looked up sharply, as if he expected her to interrupt him, but she kept her mouth clamped shut. This seemed to throw him off a bit, and he blinked again before continuing.

"Carter, I'm not sure what you're trying to say here…" He stopped again, and looked as if he didn't know how to continue. Sam felt embarrassment creeping back up into her cheeks, and she jumped in, speaking quickly.

"Sir, I finally know what it is that I want, and what I want is not Pete." She fought to keep her voice even as she spoke the words she'd been dreading. "But if you don't want me, I'll turn right around and leave, and I swear, I won't ever bring this up again. Just say the word, sir."

Sam held her breath, trying not to look as terrified as she felt. She watched Jack stare at her with a strange glint in his eyes, and she chanted silently in her head as she waited.

Don't say it, don't say it, don't say it…

Jack shook his head and smiled slightly, pulling his hands out of his pockets as he raised his chin at her.

"C'mere."

Sam nearly laughed out loud, relief flooding through her at the hands reaching out her direction. She crossed the space between them in two quick steps, throwing her arms around Jack's middle and pressing her face against his chest. She felt his arms settle around her back and his chin rest on top of her head, and Sam sighed quietly, never ever wanting to let go.

"Thank you, sir," she mumbled into his t-shirt, and she squeezed tightly as Jack gave a small laugh, the vibration traveling from his chest to Sam's shoulders.

"For what?"

Letting her hands slide around to his sides, Sam leaned back just enough to look up into Jack's eyes. The amused sparkled faded and his expression turned serious, his breathing sounding less steady as Sam smiled up at him. She ran one hand up over his chest, feeling his heartbeat quicken beneath her fingers. It was odd to be this close to the man she'd felt so distant from for so long, and she was loving every second of it.

"For giving us a chance," she finally replied, but Jack didn't appear to be listening. She could read what was going to happen next in his eyes, and Sam closed her eyes and tried to remember to breathe as he leaned down slowly and brushed his lips over hers. She couldn't help the shiver that ran through her body at his touch, and Jack shifted his hands to rest them on her waist, giving her a small smile as he pulled her closer. Sam slipped her arms up to gently grip his shoulders, tugging slightly and eagerly pressing her lips to his. She wondered fleetingly what had taken them so long, and she couldn't seem to remember why they had never done this before. Not bothering to wait for Jack's lead, Sam parted her lips and gave a quiet moan as he deepened his kiss, running one hand behind her neck and pulling her tight against him with the other. The world spun around her and she felt herself dissolving into his warmth, every lost moment and missed chance fading away as she finally tasted everything she had ever wanted.

It was extraordinary.