Sam groaned as she opened the envelope.

Has it been 15 years already?
It has been!
Grads of 1985 get ready for your rockin' reunion!
Place: Mount Benson High gymnasium
Date/Time: July 15th starting at 7:00 pm Bring your husband, bring your wife, just don't bring your dog!
Hope to see you there

Sam sat down with a resounding thud. She hoped that she hadn't inadvertently broken the stool or anything. Considering that she wasn't coming crashing to the ground, she figured that the stool would survive another day. She stared at the invitation. Sam needed a date. Daniel was getting it on with Janet and Teal'c was, well Teal'c was Teal'c so that left Colonel O'Neill. Sam lusted after her CO, so this was a very bad idea.

The next day, Sam arrived at work bright and early. She noticed that the Colonel's truck was already haphazardly parked in its usual spot and she breathed a sigh of relief. She had been hoping that he would be here, she needed to talk to him before the briefing.

Sam found the Colonel in his office. She walked up to him and thrust the invitation at his face. "You will come with me." she said, hoping that she didn't sound too desperate.

Jack looked at his 2IC waving a piece of paper in front of him and wondered why she was suddenly the one giving orders. He shrugged and took the invitation from her.

"15 years Carter? Wow, you're really getting up there."

Sam was not impressed.

"So, you need a date?"

Sam sat down with a thud. The chair groaned. "Well I don't need a date, but I don't want to show up alone. I can't take Daniel, he's busy with Janet and Teal'c would be way too hard to explain. That leaves you, sir."

"Hammond busy?"

Sam glared.

"Carter, this thing is in three days! Where is Mount Benson High anyway??"

"Oregon."

"Do you really think that Hammond will give us the time off?"

"If we ask him nicely."

"Sure, fine, whatever. Let's go talk to Hammond."

~~~~~~~~~~~

Sam safely stowed her luggage in the overhead compartment and sat down in her seat next to Jack. They had arm wrestled for the window seat, but Jack won. General Hammond had been delighted that Sam and Jack wanted some time off and put SG-1 on stand-down for a week. Daniel was last seen creeping into Janet's office wearing nothing but a thong and Teal'c had been given permission to go off the base and was checking out the local jello wrestling scene.

Jack was unhappy about having to fold up into the airplane seat and was thinking that they should have gone first class.

"Comfortable?" Sam asked, stretching her legs out in front of her.

Jack had readied an appropriately sarcastic reply but was stopped from saying anything as the flight attendant checked that he and Sam had buckled up.

"Sir?"

Jack looked up.

"I'm going to have to ask you to please return your seat to its upright position."

Jack pushed the small button and his seat smacked him in the back.

"Thank you sir, you can recline your seat again once the plane has taken off and we have reached a steady altitude."

The plane began to taxi towards the runway and the flight attendants demonstrated how to do up your seatbelt , use the oxygen masks, and pointed towards the emergency exits. They then returned to their seats and the plane took off.

"Sir, ma'am, would you care for some peanuts?"

Sam shook her head and Jack said, "Give me her package as well"

"Would you care for anything to drink?"

Sam asked for a coffee and Jack said, "Got anything with alcohol?"

~~~~~~~~~~~~

Jack staggered slightly as he and Sam entered the hotel lobby.

"Sir? Are you drunk?"

"Course not Carter, why would I be drunk?"

Sam thought back to the wine on the plane and shrugged, "Oh I don't know, must be my imagination. Come on, let's check in."

They approached the reception desk and Jack smacked the bell on the counter. It made a strangled dinging noise. This pleased Jack. He hit it again and grinned. Again and again and again. Sam reached over and took the bell from him.

"Yes, yes, hello."

"Hi, we have reservations."

"And what is your name?"

"Carter and O'Neill, we have two rooms booked."

The clerk flipped through his book, frowning slightly.

"Is there a problem?"

The clerk looked up, "I have a room booked for an S. Carter but I don't have O'Neill."

Jack looked accusingly at Sam, "Carter," he whined, "I thought you said that you booked me a room too! Where am I supposed to sleep now?"

Sam sighed, "Do you have any rooms available?"

The clerk shook his head, "No, I'm sorry. We're all booked up, there's a number of conventions in town not to mention reunions. The best I can do for you is to put a cot in the room."

"Fine, we'll take the cot."

"Very good ma'am, now I will need to see two pieces of id and your credit card."

~~~~~~~~~~~~

Sam tipped the bellboy and then shut the door. Jack was investigating the room and was currently enthralled with the mini-bar.

"Sir, you do know the things in there are hideously over priced."

"I know, I was checking what's in there."

"You don't need any more alcohol. I am not taking you to my reunion thoroughly plastered." Sam checked her watch, "Speaking of which, we have three hours, why don't we find a cafe or something. Grab a bite to eat."

"Sounds good, just let me check out the washroom first."

Sam nodded and waited. She waited and waited and waited. Finally she got up and knocked on the door, "Sir? You okay in there?"

"Yeah peachy, why?"

"You've been in there for uh..a pretty long time."

"Almost done Carter, hold on to your horses."

Sam heard the toilet flush, the water run and Jack walked out of the bathroom, tucking in his shirt.

"Ready?" Sam asked, sounding impatient.

"Yeah sure ya betcha."

They left the room and strolled down the hallway.

"This is a nice hotel."

Sam nodded, "Mmmhmm, I think I saw a cafe downstairs."

"Do they have a pool?"

"Yeah, I think so."

"Good thing I remembered to pack my speedos."

Sam stopped, a horrified expression on her face, "Your speedos?" she managed to choke out.

Jack laughed, "Relax Carter, I'm just kidding."

Sam and Jack continued down the hall and into the elevator. The elevator neatly deposited them in the lobby and Sam instantly spotted the cafe.

Sam scanned the small menu given to her by the hostess, "Hmmm..the spinach salad with Greek pita bread sounds good."

"I was thinking more along the lines of the bacon, lettuce and tomato sandwich with plenty of mayo."

"Janet's gonna use your butt as a pincushion if you start eating like that."

Jack shrugged, "I'm on vacation."

"Are you ready to order?" asked a small dark haired waitress.

"Yes, I'll have the spinach salad with the pita bread, and an iced tea."

"And for you sir?"

"I'll have the bacon, lettuce and tomato sandwich, plenty of mayo and an iced tea as well."

The waitress smiled, "Very good, I'll be back with your drinks shortly."

~~~~~~~~~~~~

Sam very carefully slipped a foot into the pantyhose. Putting on pantyhose is a very delicate procedure and cannot be rushed.

"Carter?? Can I come out yet??"

Sam had exiled Jack to the bathroom while she got ready to go out.

"No! I'm not dressed yet."

"Not dressed yet?! I've been in here for nearly ten minutes, I was dressed eight minute ago, and you're still not dressed?!"

Sam slipped her other foot into the pantyhose and began to work it up her legs, "I'll let you know when you can come out!"

With the pantyhose on, Sam reached for her dress. It wasn't a fancy dress, and it wasn't particularly sexy, it was just a black dress. She put it on and then remembered that this dress had a bugger of a zipper. She sighed.

"Okay sir, you can come out now."

The door burst open, "Finally!" Jack said, then he noticed Carter.

Jack's mind registered only that Carter's dress wasn't done up in the back. Black bra, his mind said to him, she's wearing a black bra!

"Sir? Can you zip up the dress for me?"

Black bra, black bra, black bra, black bra.

"Sir?"

"Wha?"

"My dress, can you do it up?"

Jack moved around behind Sam and grasped the tiny zipper between his fingers. He pulled and it moved up, removing the bra black from Jack's sight.

Sam turned around, "Thanks sir."

Jack's mind went blank again. Cleavage, cleavage, cleavage, cleavage, cleavage.

"I just have to put on some makeup and then we're ready to go."

Sam, who was secretly lusting after Jack, noticed that he was particularly handsome. He had on simple black pants, a black sweater over a white t-shirt and a black leather jacket. She loved a man in a leather jacket. She told that to Janet one day, Janet had replied that she liked men in a leather thong.

Sam carefully applied foundation, blush, eyeliner, eyeshadow, and lipstick. Jack watched, fascinated by it. He so rarely saw Carter wear makeup. Sam put down the lipstick and went over to the closet. She grabbed her jacket and purse and said, "Well, I guess we'd better get going."

"Yup." Jack said as he watched Carter's cleavage disappear into her coat.

~~~~~~~~~~~

"Sir, I was thinking. Maybe you should call me Sam, it would seem a little strange if you called me Carter."

Jack leant back into the taxi seat, "Then maybe you should call me Jack."

"Okay, Jack." Sam smiled.

"Okay, Sam." Jack smiled.

The taxi pulled up along side the curb outside the school.

"$15.25" said the taxi driver.

Sam reached for her purse but Jack stopped her, "Let me take this one."

Sam nodded and Jack reached into his jacket for his wallet. He took out a ten and a two. "Keep the change."

They hopped out and Sam stood on the sidewalk, staring at the school, "It's been a long time" she whispered.

"Hmm?"

"Oh nothing," Sam said, "Just talking to myself. Let's go in."

Sam led Jack up the steps and through the big glass doors. They were greeted by a woman sitting at a table, "Name?"

"Carter, Samantha Carter."

The woman found Sam's nametag and handed it to her, "And your guest?"

"Jack."

The woman wrote Jack on a blank tag and handed it to Jack, "The coat check is over there, to your right, have a good time!"

Sam and Jack checked their coats and Jack gave Sam his wallet to put in her purse.

"You okay Sam? You look a little green around the gills."

"Just a bit nervous, I haven't been back here since I graduated."

Jack offered her his arm and together they went into the gym.

"Oh my God, Sammy is that you?!"

"Caro!"

Jack watched as 'Sammy' was mobbed by 'Caro'.

"God, it's been too long, how have you been?"

"I've been good."

"What do you do now? Oh I know, you're probably an astronaut or something fantastic like that!"

"Air Force actually, I'm with the Air Force, working with deep space radar telemetry."

Caro frowned, "Oh, well that sounds exciting!"

"It's very challenging work."

"Sammy, who is that delicious man you came in with? Is he your husband?"

Jack did not like being referred to as if he were something to be eaten and scowled a bit.

"He's a friend, we work together. Jack this is my old friend Caroline aka Caro, Caro this is Jack O'Neill."

Caro sidled up to Jack, "Hello there."

"Er, hello."

"So, you're air force too?"

"Yes, I am."

"What rank are you? I bet you're a captain or something."

"Colonel actually."

Caro looked pleased, "Wow, Colonel's pretty high ranking isn't it?"

"Yes, I suppose it is."

Sam watched with amusement as Jack started to sweat. She would have thought that the poor man would be used to getting hit on, after all those alien women.

"I'll bet you look mighty fine in your dress blues."

Jack coughed and gave Sam a pleading look. Sam took a hint and stepped in, "It's been nice talking to you again Caro, but we just got here. I'd better go see who else is here."

Caro grinned, "Okay Sammy, but promise me that Colonel Jack here will be available for a dance later."

"I'm sure he will be."

Sam took Jack's arm and led him away from Caro who was already yelling at the next couple who entered the room.

"She was your friend?"

"Not my best friend, but yes, she was my friend."

"Has she always been so exuberant?"

"Only when she sees something she likes."

Jack groaned and wondered if there was any alcohol nearby.

"Spam!"

Jack looked to his left and saw a woman waving her arms around wildly. He vaguely wondered why she was yelling out the name of luncheon meat.

"Tuna!"

Jack gave Sam a weird look as she yelled out the name of a fish.

The Spam woman ran up to them and grabbed Sam for a big hug. Jack was lost.

"Spam, I haven't heard from you a few years, I didn't know if you were even alive!"

Spam? Jack decided that maybe he didn't even want to know.

"Oh Tuna, I'm so sorry, I've been so busy for the last few years."

Tuna? Her name was Tuna? What an unfortunate name for a person.

Sam turned to him, "Jack this is my friend Tina, everyone called her Tuna."

Oh Tina, that made more sense.

Tuna giggled, "And everyone called Sam here, Spam. She hated it though."

"I can't imagine why." Jack said under his breath. Out loud he simply said, "It's nice to meet you Tuna."

"Spam, you have to come and meet my husband."

Jack felt an urge to giggle but curbed it. Sam looked at him questioningly. Jack gave her a smile, "You go ahead Spam, I'm going to find something to drink." Lord knows he'd need it.

~~~~~~~~~

Sam wanted to sigh as she felt Jack's hand resting on her waist. They were finally dancing together. Jack had spent a good part of the night hiding from Sam's single school pals and being chased by Caro. In the end, he'd reluctantly danced with her. Caro would have kept dancing all night long with him if Sam hadn't cut in.

Jack bent his head down and sniffed Sam's hair. She always smelled so nice. He so rarely had the opportunity to smell her hair so he was taking advantage of their close proximity.

The gym was starting to empty as people were leaving. Jack was starting to feel a bit a tired after having five cocktails. He'd seen Sam with at least three margaritas. Neither one of them was flat out drunk, they were just maybe a little happier than usual.

"Are you almost ready to go?" Jack murmured into Sam's ear.

"Yeah, I just have to say goodbye to Caro and Tuna."

Jack snorted a bit, trying to laugh at the name Tuna. He had wondered, as Sam had met up with various people, if any of them would be named Herring or Salmon. He was glad that he'd come with Sam, as it gave them an opportunity to be themselves. It wasn't often that they could be just Sam and Jack. Jack snorted again, Salmon Jack.

The song ended and Sam left him in search of her friends. Jack decided he'd wait for her outside the gym. He used a pay phone to call a cab and then noticed there was a huge line up at the coat check. Jack decided that he might as well get in line. After five minutes he was joined by Sam.

"Did you find them?"

"I found Caro but I think Tuna might have already left."

Sam shivered slightly as a breeze from the opening doors drifted through. "Cold?" Jack asked.

"It's a little chilly out here compared to the gym. Did you call a cab?"

"Yup, there should be one out there with our name on it soon."

Sam and Jack retrieved their coats and Sam gave Jack back his wallet. Stepping outside, they noticed a large selection of taxis, "Well," Sam said, "Which one should we take?"

Jack guided her to the nearest one and they got in. Jack told the driver where they were going and then he leaned back.

"Did you have a good time?"

Sam nodded, "I missed seeing my friends. What about you? It looked like you were having fun with Caro."

"She was chasing me."

Sam laughed, "I know. Sorry about that, if I had known that she was going to be there, I would have warned you."

They were silent for the remainder of the trip. The taxi pulled up at the hotel and this time Sam paid the driver. They walked into the lobby and Sam yawned.

"So, who gets the bed and gets the cot?"

"You take the bed Sam, it was your room. I'll take the cot."

"Are you sure? I would fit better on the cot than you would."

"I'm sure."

"Sure you don't want to arm wrestle for it?" Sam asked with a cheeky grin.

"You know I'd win."

They entered the elevator, "I know that you would."

~~~~~~~~~~

Sam reached for the towel on the rack and wiped off her face. She looked beat. It had been a long day. She enjoyed seeing her old friends again, but wished that she could have spent more time with Jack. Sam picked up her toothbrush and searched her kit for toothpaste. Her search revealed nothing.

"Sir?"

"Yeah?"

"Can I borrow your toothpaste? I forgot to bring mine."

"Yeah, go ahead."

Sam rummaged through Jack's shaving kit and located a squashed tube of toothpaste. She put a dab on her toothbrush and began to scrub away at her teeth.

"So Sam, what are we doing tomorrow?"

Sam spat in the sink, "I don't know, was there something that you wanted to do?"

"I really don't know what's hot in the Portland area"

Sam rinsed her mouth with water and then exited the bathroom. Jack was propped up on the bed flicking tv channels. "I thought you were taking the cot." Sam said.

"I am, I was just sitting here so I could see the tv. Now that you're done in the bathroom, we can turn off the lights and go to sleep. I'll move over to my cot."

Jack turned off the tv and moved over to his cot. Sam turned off the light on the nightstand and pulled the covers up over herself.

"Night Carter."

"Night sir."

~~~~~~~~~~~

Sam awoke the next morning with her head on something that did not feel like her pillow. She rolled over onto her back and looked at the bed with alarm.

"Sir!" Sam said, nudging him in the ribs.

Jack, for his part, didn't really seem to care.

"Jack, wake up!"

That got his attention, "What?"

"Why are you here?"

Jack looked confused, "Because you invited me."

"I did not invite you into my bed."

"Oh you mean in the bed. Turns out you were right, that cot is very uncomfortable. It looked like there was plenty of room in the bed, so I joined you."

Sam sat up and stretched a bit, "You want me to take the cot tonight?"

Jack also sat up and looked down at his shirt, "Carter, were you drooling on me?"

Sam felt her face flush, "Uh, sorry about that sir. Do you want me to take the cot or not?"

"Why can't we both just sleep in the bed? It's a big bed and honestly Carter, I don't care if you drool on me."

Try as she might, Sam couldn't bring herself to say no to Jack. They showered and dressed and before they headed downstairs to breakfast, Sam left a note for housekeeping to remove the cot.

They returned to the same cafe for breakfast where Jack ordered a large plate of Belgian waffles. Sam ordered scrambled eggs with a few sausages and toast. When the meals arrived, Sam gazed longingly at Jack's waffles.

"Like the look of my waffles do you?"

Sam popped a forkful of eggs into her mouth, "They look more like dessert to me. Janet's gonna use you as her guinea pig."

"Well, my butt is already her pincushion anyway. Want a bite?"

Sam shook her head but Jack's fork was already making a beeline for her mouth. "Open up." he said, waving the fork laden with waffle, whipped cream and strawberries in her face. Sam could do nothing but oblige.

"Mmmmmm.." she said softly, closing her eyes.

Jack tugged at his collar wondering if someone had turned up the heat.

~~~~~~~~~~

Jack sat down at the picnic table, "It's beautiful here. I'll bet there's good fishing in that lake."

"I used to come here all the time, but I never fished. I'm surprised that no one is fishing right now, usually there's at least five people casting their lines."

"Maybe it's not allowed any more, some places are doing that. Trying to preserve the fish stocks or something like that."

Sam scoffed, "It's not as if five men are going to deplete the lake of its fish."

Jack took off his sunglasses and rubbed his eyes. Sam stood with her arms crossed surveying the scene. She spun around slowly, taking it all in, recalling the past to life again. Jack watched her, as she looked around. The sunlight glinted off her hair, highlighting the golden streaks. Stop it, Jack berated himself, this shouldn't even be happening. He shouldn't be in love with her.

"Sir?"

"Can't we still be just Sam and Jack?"

Sam raised an eyebrow, "Well, I guess we could but it really wouldn't be appropriate."

"I've had enough of this crap!"

Sam was startled by Jack's sudden outburst. "Had enough of what crap?" she asked gently.

"All this commanding officer and second in command crap. We're friends Sam, none of my other friends call me sir."

"I think there's more to it than just that."

"How do you mean?"

"We're not just friends, it's more complicated than that. I know that and you know that."

"Yeah, I know that. I hate the way things have been since that whole Zarc incident and the memory stamping thing."

"I don't like it either sir, but it's not as if we can throw protocol aside and indulge our feelings."

Jack stood up and went over to Sam, "Who's saying we can't?"

"Everyone! The military, you, myself."

"Am I saying that we can't?"

"I don't know what you're saying sir."

Jack grabbed Sam and pulled her forward, "I'm saying this." He kissed her then, hard. Sam tried to push away but stopped. Instead she kissed him back, not caring if everyone was watching. At that moment she wouldn't have cared if General Hammond himself had been sitting at the table.

"Wow." was all Sam could say once they broke apart.

Jack shoved his hands in his pocket, "I'm sorry about that Sam. I realize that it wasn't appropriate.."

"With all due respect sir, shut up!"

Jack looked her. She was smiling almost shyly. "Aye ma'am, shutting up."

Sam kissed Jack. And Jack kissed Sam.

They broke apart again and Sam started laughing. "What's so funny?" Jack asked, feeling slightly insecure. It was never a good thing when a lady started laughing after you kissed her.

"What are we going to tell General Hammond?"

Jack shrugged, "I'll bet you anything that ol' Georgie Boy is willing to turn a blind eye as long as we're discrete."

Sam laughed again, "So that means that you won't be sneaking into my lab wearing nothing but a thong anytime soon?"

Jack looked horrified, "You want me to wear a thong?"

Sam grinned, "Well maybe not a thong..."

Jack groaned, wondering what he'd gotten himself into. He wrapped his arms around Sam and pulled her in for a hug. He bent his head down and rested his cheek on her hair. He no longer had to have an excuse to smell her hair.