SPOILERS: none

RATING: PG.

SUMMARY: Why does Sam leave Colorado Springs? Can Jack convince her to come back?

DISCLAIMER: All publicly recognisable characters and places are the property of MGM, World Gekko Corp and Double Secret Productions. This piece of fan fiction was created for entertainment not monetary purposes and no infringement on copyrights or trademarks was intended. Previously unrecognised characters and places, and this story, are copyrighted to the author. Any similarity to real persons, living or dead, is coincidental and not intended by the author.

FEEDBACK: Please let me know what you think.

She left.

She not only left me, she left the SGC and she left Colorado Springs. I can�t say that I blame her. I still can�t believe what I did. I hit her. It�s not like it was intentional, I would never intentionally hurt her but still... I hit her and she left. It took me over a month to find her. I checked everywhere. I finally found out she had transferred back to the Pentagon. So there I was, sitting on a plane and heading to DC to get my girl back.

I can�t help but let my mind wander back to that day. I know I should have handled things differently but the bastard deserved it. He threatened the one good thing I had. My relationship with Sam. Pretty ironic that by trying to protect it, I ended up ruining things.

It all started when we got a call from the Tokra to meet them on P1X450 for Jacob Carter�s birthday...

****

Jacob stepped forward as the wormhole closed. �Colonel, Daniel, Teal�c,� he said nodding to each of them. �Hey, kid,� he said as he turned to Sam, taking her in his arms for a hug.

�Hi, Dad,� she returned. �Happy birthday.�

�Yeah happy birthday, Dad,� Jack said grinning.

�Hi, Martouf,� Sam said to the man waiting patiently behind her father.

�Hello, Samantha. It is a pleasure to see you again.�

�It�s good to see you,� she replied.

�So,� Jack said, turning to Jacob. �Someone said something about a party happening here. You know we love a good party.�

Jacob laughed and put his arm around his daughter�s shoulders. �Follow me then,� he said, leading them to the Tokra tunnels.

Some time later Sam was standing, watching the Tokra dancing to some *very* interesting music. She felt, rather than heard, someone walk up behind her. �Having fun?� Jack whispered in her ear, his arms circling her waist.

Sam nodded and took a sip of her drink. �Sure am. How �bout you?�

�These guys sure know how to throw a good party.�

Sam laughed, turning in his arms to face him. She put her arms around his neck before whispering to him. �Dance with me.�

�Love to.� Jack pulled her close to him and they started swaying, eyes locked.

The music wasn�t really slow enough but the couple didn�t care. They just danced to their own beat, breaths mingling before their lips joined. They didn�t notice the surprised look on her father�s face or the jealousy that flared in Martouf�s eyes.

�How long has this been going on?� Jacob asked Daniel. He wasn�t sure if he was happy or not that his daughter and O�Neill were together. Sam always did have a soft spot for the emotionally damaged, but that also meant she usually got hurt.

Daniel turned to see what Jack was talking about, spotting Sam and Jack still in each other�s arms. �Oh, that. Almost two months I think.� Daniel shrugged and turned back to his conversation with Teal�c.

As the party wound down, Jack stood watching Sam and her Dad laughing and joking. He couldn�t help the smile that crossed his face.

�Do you really think you can make her happy?� he heard beside him. He turned to see Martouf standing next to him, also looking over at Sam and Jacob.

�Excuse me?�

�Samantha. You cannot make her happy. She is not destined to be with you.�

�Oh and I s�pose you know who she�s destined to be with?� Jack asked sarcastically.

�Yes. She and I are destined to be together. We have been brought together by Jolinar.�

Jack laughed. �Dream on Marty.� He started to walk off, shaking his head.

�You cannot win, O�Neill. She will be mine,� Martouf said, making Jack stop and turn around.

�You listen to me. I don�t know what your problem is but she is *not* interested in you. Leave her alone okay?�

Martouf smiled at him, clearly not intimidated. �I�ll satisfy her mentally, emotionally and physically and then she�ll wonder why she settled for someone like you. We will be together, you can count on it. I�ll pleasure her in ways she�s only dreamed of.�

It was his smile that clenched it for Jack. He just had a sudden urge to wipe that smile off snake boy�s face.

Sam heard a commotion and looked up to see Jack and Martouf fighting. She raced over to the two of them. �Jack, what are you doing?!� she yelled.

Jack didn�t respond, he just continued to throw punches.

�Jack, stop it!� Sam pleaded, grabbing at his arms. She grabbed hold of Martouf and started trying to pull him away. It was then that Jack threw a right hook and Martouf pulled back, escaping the punch.

Sam stumbled back, her hand covering her throbbing jaw. The tears immediately sprung to her eyes and she looked at Jack before she turned and fled.

�Sam!� Jack called out, moving to follow her.

�No!� Jacob growled. �You stay the hell away from my daughter.� He motioned to Daniel, who went scurrying after Sam, before turning back to the two men. �Now one of you tell me what the hell that was about now!� he barked, in his best General�s voice.

Martouf told him. He spoke like it was the most natural thing in the world and was surprised at the anger Jacob directed at him. �I think you better stay away from her, Martouf. She is not Jolinar and you know it. She isn�t interested in you so you will leave it at that. Do you understand me?� His voice was low and threatening.

Martouf bowed his head and walked away.

Jacob turned to Jack. �As for you... I trusted you with my daughter. And now I find out that you�ve been sleeping with her!�

�Jacob, I love Sam...�

�Love her?! You just hit her!�

�I didn�t...I mean, she...�

�I don�t want to hear you�re excuses. Get out of my sight. If you ever hurt Sam again I�ll kill you. You understand me?�

�Yes, sir,� Jack said, shoulders hunched.

Jacob glared at him a final time before storming off in the direction that Sam and Daniel had gone.

Half an hour later the three of them returned and Jack couldn�t help but wince at the large bruise that was already forming on Sam�s jaw. She didn�t even look at him as Jacob informed both Jack and Teal�c that they would be returning home now. Even Daniel kept throwing icy glares across at Jack, his arm protectively around Sam�s shoulders.

They returned to the SGC and Daniel took Sam straight to see Janet, Teal�c refusing to let Jack go after them. By the time he had finished with General Hammond�s questions, Janet had already taken Sam home and the next thing he knew, she had left town.

*******

I walked along the corridor, looking for Sam�s office. I finally found the right door and stood there, suddenly scared to death. What if she wouldn�t talk to me? Would she be able to take me back after what I did? I heard voices then and strained to hear what they were saying.

�I don�t know, Lauren. I�m not really in the mood to go out,� I heard Sam say. Even though I couldn�t see her I could tell she was tired. I could hear it in her voice. I heard another woman�s voice.

�Samantha Carter, as your superior officer, I�m not above ordering you to come out with me.�

Sam�s soft laughter floated through the closed door and I took a deep breath before knocking.

�Come in,� she called.

I opened the door and walked inside. Two heads turned to look at me and I heard Sam gasp. �Hi Sam,� I said quietly, not really sure of what to say now I was here.

Sam swallowed hard. �What are you doing here?� She looked pale compared to the large black chair she was sitting in.

I shrugged. �How could I stay away?�

She shook her head. �You shouldn�t have come here, Jack.�

�Is everything all right, Sam? Do you want me to call security?� the other woman asked, looking from me to Sam and back again.

�No, Lauren. That won�t be necessary. The Colonel was just leaving.�

When I didn�t leave Lauren stood up and walked over to me. �Would you like me to show you the way?�

I ignored her, looking at Sam with pleading eyes. �Sam, come on. We�ve gotta talk. We can�t just leave it like this.�

Sam sighed. �All right. Lauren, can you excuse us please.�

�Are you sure, Sam?� Lauren looked at me with utter distaste.

�Yeah. I�ll talk to you later,� Sam assured her.

Lauren relented, although I could tell she was not too pleased about it. �Okay. I�ll be just down the hall if you need me.� She walked out the door and shut it behind her.

Sam gestured to the now vacant seat and I sat down in front of her. �You�re a hard woman to find when you want to be,� I told her, trying to break the ice.

�Obviously not hard enough. Maybe I should have taken that post in Australia,� Sam replied. She hadn�t looked at me since Lauren left the room.

I got up and walked in front of her, kneeling at her feet. �I would have followed you to the end of the earth Sam... and beyond.�

�Jack...�

�No, Sam, just listen to me� I interrupted. �I�m sorry that I hit you... more sorry than I could ever tell you. I know that I should have handled things differently but when that guy started talking about what he wanted to do to you... I just lost it. You are the most important thing in my life, the only good thing I have and I... I didn�t want to lose you.�

It was probably one of the longest speeches I�d ever given (I really am a man of few words) and one of the few times I�d dropped the sarcasm and spoken straight from the heart. I could see that it had effected her, the tears were flowing freely down her cheeks. Her voice was choked when she spoke. �Why couldn�t you have faith in me, Jack? Why couldn�t you have faith in us? I chose to be with you. Not because you were the only choice available but because it�s *you* that I�m in love with. Jolinar may have felt that way for Martouf but I don�t.�

�I�m sorry. I... I don�t know what else I can say. Except I love you and I want you to come home... where you belong.�

Sam shook her head, as if trying to clear her mind. �I know you didn�t mean to hit me but you lost control, Jack, and I can�t help but think that maybe one day it�d happen again but this time it would be with me. I can�t go through that again, not after Jonas.�

�Sam, I�d never hurt you. Ever. I�d rather die than cause you any pain. Please, Sam, I need you.�

She looked into my eyes then and I could see the myriad of emotions there. �I�m so confused. I love you, don�t think for a second that I don�t, but what you did scared the hell out of me and I can�t just forget it.�

I grasped her hand in mine, bringing it up to my lips and kissing it. �I know. We have a lot of things to work through. Please, come home so we can work them out together.� I held my breath, desperately willing her to come back with me.

�Okay,� she whispered finally.

I couldn�t help it. That one word made my heart soar and the tears started falling. I pulled her to me, holding her tightly and vowing never to let her go. �I love you, Sam.�

I felt the sobs wracking her body as she whispered that she loved me too. My heart soared. If our relationship could survive this then I felt sure we could survive anything.

THE END