Sam and her boys

Authors: draco_somnians and wanderingsmith Started Feb 2009 - latest update October 25, 2009 - Summary: three people find their friendship becoming more. OOC (in the verse of draco_somnians's Sex in the city), very sugary sweet [wait.. is any of my stuff NOT??]).  Though it is 'one' story, most chapters also stand alone quite well (there are a few exceptions that are multiparters, but mostly, it's just a collection of short stories that make up a life). Warning: 3some (Sam/Jack/Siler), including slash, and anything goes when it comes to SJS sex, so.. Rating: rated by chapter, PG13 or NC17 Disclaimer: I ain't got no money, and nobody'd be daft enough to pay me for this. As it is thought, so let it be said; you make the toys, I play with 'em. AN: Thought I'd document where this madness originated.. just for the record Saturday January 24, 2009 Me: (in revenge for betaing **Sam/WALTER** of all things, lool!) "then that means I can hand you the prompt that appeared in my head this afternoon: crack. s/j established, Jack is reminded of Siler's crush, only instead of being jealous, remembers he still owes him for throwing him down the stairs....(eg) Sam doesn't object to having *2* slaves..." To which draco_somnians foolishly replied: "Oh...oh yes!!!... I could do that. I could soooo do that. I'm beginning to like this crack!fic thing!! hehe" And the rest, as they say, is history...

Chronology
{if you'd rather use LiveJournal, it starts here and mostly has links at the end of each chapter to guide you along}

draco_somnians's Revving the engine (PG13) {2749 words} posted 30/08/09 Sam and Siler meet outside work (post SG1 01x06)	Balls and sticks (PG13) {1611} 04/08/09 A night in the infirmary (pre SG-1 s6)	Sam-neck (PG13) {633} 02/03/09 Quiet Siler thoughts (post SG-1 s8)
Night out in Washington (PG13) {699} 16/04/09 Two friends 'happen' to meet up in front of a movie screen (pre SGA s4, aka July 2007)	draco_somnians's Sex in the city (NC17) {4016} 03/02/09 3 people end up spending a bit of unplanned time together (post SGA s5, aka March 2009)	Chapter 1: Memories (NC17) {2476} 03/03/09 Sam and Jack discuss some memories
Chapter 2: Dirty (PG13) {1169} 04/03/09 A chance meeting at the SGC	Chapter 3: Two steps forward (PG13) {3551} 12/03/09 The first steps to a deeper friendship	Chapter 4: Air Force husbands (NC17) {7217} 14/03/09 Sam's birthday (May)
Chapter 5a: Baby steps (PG13) {5523} 05/04/09 Little moments getting together	Chapter 5a1: Taken (PG13) {974} 18/09/09 Flowers	Chapter 5b: More baby steps (NC17) {5980} 13/04/09 Jack accepting who he is
Chapter 5c: Learning {PG13) {3804} 23/04/09 Siler's turn to learn	Chapter 5c1: Attachments (PG13) {1439} 09/10/09 Clothes make the man	Chapter 5d: Caveman (PG13) {1363} 28/04/09 Sam tackles what she wants
Chapter 6: I'm home (PG13) {2187} 13/04/09 Cassie comes home for a visit (June - 1 month post b-day)	draco_somnians's Summer wine, Part 1 (NC17) {5511} 25/04/09 Some downtime is called for	Chapter 6a: Summer intermezzo (PG13) {976} 28/04/09 Cassie and Jack time
draco_somnians's Summer wine, Part 2 (NC17) {4951} 13/05/09 Dreams and showers	draco_somnians's Summer wine, Part 3 (NC17) {3178} 20/06/09 Playing, both sweet and hot	Chapter 6b: Innocence (NC17) {7279} 04/05/09 updated 19/08/09 Siler and the key
Chapter 6c: Hogging (PG13) {720} 24/08/09 Si' gets home late	Chapter 7: Hip (NC17) {2999} 16/05/09 Gutter(s)	draco_somnians's Occupied teritory (PG13) {3046} 25/08/09 The things we do for friendship
Chapter 7a: Retirement (PG13) {2119} 08/06/09 updated 14/09/09 Siler had a tough day (July - 2 months PB)	draco_somnians's A little TLC (NC17) {1133} 14/09/09 Siler accepts a little mothering	Chapter 7b: Life (PG13) {1421} 19/10/09 updated 25/10/09 Flowers
Chapter 8: Of home and friendship (PG13) {3040} 08/06/09 Just come home	draco_somnians's It's all in the training (NC17) {2703} 17/04/09 Sam, Jack, Siler...and handcuffs.	Chapter 8a: Training (PG13) {2320} 08/06/09 Jack getting his groove back
Chapter 8b: Family emergency (PG13) {2856} 08/06/09 Siler learns another lesson in family (august - 3 months PB)	Chapter 8c: Little moments like that (PG13) {4848} 07/06/09 updated 19/07/09 Slices of life	draco_somnians's Home safe (NC17) {5608} 19/07/09 Recovering from fear
Chapter 8d: Hit the road, Jack, Part 1 (PG13) {5615} 16/07/09 A bike ride takes grim roads	Chapter 8e: Hit the road, Jack, Part 2 (NC17) {9235} 19/07/09 The ride continues	Chapter 8f: Old friends, like bookends (PG13) {1712} 25/08/09 A chat with Daniel
Chapter 9: Bravery (NC17) {11177} 20/07/09 Siler gets injured (September - 4 months PB)	Chapter 10: It's all in the... genes (PG13) {2010} 20/07/09 Of ATA genes and hurried mornings	Chapter 10a: Intimacy (NC17) {2334} 19/08/09 Jack clicking on links
Chapter 11a: Cats and dogs (PG13) {2662} 31/08/09 Love me, love my kitten (October - 5 months PB)	Chapter 11b: Glow (NC17) {1681} 19/10/09 Glowing

~~Try not to be scared off!  It's just light and fun, no plot to follow.  draco_somnians's word count: 32,895, wanderingsmith's word count: 100,010~~

draco_somnians's Revving the engine (PG13) comes first in the verse
August 30, 2009


Balls and sticks (PG13)
Aug 4, 2009

AN: At some point over the first 5 years of SG-1

"Psst."

Siler blinked, awake but groggy from the morphine that wouldn't let him sleep.

"Hey.  Sergeant."

The cotton ball glancing off his nose had more to do with making him focus than the shaky whisper did, but when he did, he wasn't surprised at the owner of the voice.  The colonel had been driving the nurses crazy all day.

Laying in his own bed, doped to the gills, it'd been a real challenge to keep the smirk off his face.  The man knew how to get under people's skins.  If Doc Fraser wasn't around to threaten him with big needles, Siler knew a couple of the girls well enough to know they would definitely have ended up 'accidentally' injecting sleeping aid into the colonel's IV line.

The second ball bouncing off his forehead reminded him to focus.  "Ye', 'ir?"  Damn, he hated when the lisp got out of control.  Bloody meds and his damned reaction to them.

Turning his head, he watched as O'Neill fumbled his blanket around his shoulders and then tried to move the uncooperative rolling work surface/tray from the foot of his bed closer to both their hands without making a sound in the nighttime infirmary.

"Oh."  Finally surfacing from the haze, Siler sat up, glad his broken foot remained dead to him, and grabbed the edge of the tray, easily lifting it and positioning it silently to bridge the space between them.  Looking up at the dazed-eyed man sitting on the edge of his bed, he tried to quirk a brow; feeling his face muscles a little sluggish, he pretty much gave up on expressions for the duration and whispered, "You have them?"

The colonel didn't dignify the doubt with an answer, reaching under his pillow to pull out the deck of cards with the leather-clad biker chicks on it; almost falling over in the process.  He straightened, catching sight of Siler's hand, outreached in case he started tilting toward the floor.

They'd both spent enough time in this room in such states that even male bravado had taken a backseat to practical gratitude for avoiding breaking ones nose on the cement floor.  So O'Neill's only reaction was a grimace, acknowledging the weakness and his annoyance with it.

As soon as he put the cards down, Siler started shuffling them, ears tuned for Lieutenant Nurse Fay doing a walkabout.  Or anyone else stirring.

"Balls or sticks?"

He looked up from his hands at the question, watched the uncooperative cotton balls and sent a glare at his dope-inserting IV line before answering gruffly, "Wood."  Tongue depressors should be easier to manage when his fingers got drug-shaky.

####

"I'll see your two cotton balls and raise you a wooden stick."

Siler briefly froze with a frown as a sound reached his ears.  A second later, he realized it was Lieutenant Kain's snoring and went back to evaluating his hand and his options.  Since he wasn't getting any sleep even if the colonel somehow had a better hand, he carefully laid his pillow on top of his pile of cotton and wood, "Raise you a pillow."

O'Neill looked at his own pillow consideringly, making Siler mentally snigger at the lack of a poker face tonight, but then the man shook his head, "Can't be bothered to move it."  Siler sat quietly and watched his opponent try to find something to bet, not commenting on the implication.  It took effort but he kept the snort inside with no more than a blink as the man victoriously gripped his blanket.  "How many blankets to a pillow, again?"

Watching him shake with fever, Siler raised a brow, "You're the one with the chills, not me; and we both know you like an extra pillow.  Three."

When the colonel very reluctantly put all but one of his blankets in a pile and sat shivering, Siler resisted the pull of sympathy; he was a grown man, he made his choices and could live with them.

And this was going to be their last hand anyway.

He stopped to think if there was anything else he could barter and, staring absently at the blonde on the back of one of the colonel's cards, he remembered the colonel's pitifully-hidden attempt to get him out of Major Carter's lab yesterday so she'd go home before midnight.  "Raise you my being too tired to work next time Sa-" he swallowed the name with a mental curse at the drugs, "Major Carter needs to be chased away from the base."

Watching the colonel's head jerk and his brows fly up, Siler was just as glad he felt numb and *couldn't* give away anything with a failed poker face.  Had he given anything away with his *tone*??

"..Too *tired*??"

Siler had to admit it wasn't the most imaginative plan ever conceived.. but then, he was doped-up, what the hell did O'Neill expect?  "I can do tir-"

"Gentlemen."

They both jumped as the stealthy night watch-woman managed to sneak up on their sick and drugged selves.

Fay Donovan frowned reprovingly at the two middle-aged men giving her all too similar guilty-little-boy looks.

"Sergeant, you weren't planning on taking those blankets away from my patient, were you?"

Jack, keeping silent and still to avoid getting them both in even more trouble, watched his opponent turn on the charm in the most understated way he'd ever witnessed, not baring his Jaffa teammate.  No grin, no hand casually reaching out.  Just the subtle posture relaxing, an invisible smile that only came out by some weird Jedi mind-trick.  Trick that he could see immediately worked on the pretty blonde lieutenant.

" 'Course not," the man threw Jack an extremely minute look, "He was just.. redecorating."

Biting his tongue and blinking rapidly to refrain from snorting at the ridiculous story -the man was NOT undercover material, sheesh- Jack watched the woman who would have happily strong-armed a big needle into *his* hide.. instead melt and actually smile at the sergeant's **invisible(!!)** grin.

"*You* know I'm too nice to hurt anyone,"  Jack's jaw practically spasmed he clenched it so hard, "Last hand, promise we're almost done."  Breathing very carefully, Jack listened to the even-toned wheedling and rolled his eyes behind the nurse's back as she *patted the sergeant's knee*, for crying out loud!

"It better be.  You need to rest, sergeant," she turned and narrowed her eyes at Jack, "And so do you."

She checked and refilled Siler's drugs and Jack's temperature while they waited patiently, and then with a last soft look at Siler and rolled eye at the pictures on their cards, she walked out, closing the curtain back around them.

They were both still as they listened to her faint footsteps return to the office, and then Siler braced himself as the colonel turned to him with a smirk.

"Fast work.  Didn't she just transfer here?"

He shrugged, used to the envy over his success with nurses, "Few weeks ago."  Just in time for him to get stuck here for a day with a concussion and score himself a new friend.

The colonel snorted, "Between you and Daniel, I just don't get their tastes."

Siler mentally laughed at the barely-hidden jealousy, keeping his face impassive, "I'm told Doctor Jackson is," he wiggled one hand in an inverted comma, " 'Very cute'."  Which he didn't 'get' any more than the man rolling his eyes at him.

" 'Cute'??  Danny-boy??  They should try him when he manages to talk you into a jail-cell with masochistic guards."

Agreeing with an uncaring shrug, Siler waved his cards and nodded to O'Neill's, "You raising?"

Looking down at his hand distractedly, the colonel grinned briefly and looked back at Siler, shivering again, "Sure.  I'll raise ya the reason that Daniel grumbled *you* get ahead."

Siler turned the laugh that escaped him into a cough.  After he'd seen her and the others playing a muffled round of rock, paper, scissor before she'd come to treat him, Linda had told him point-blank that they just enjoyed stripping him.

But it was still very tempting to make O'Neill say it..  "Call."

When the man almost dropped his cards as he shivered again, Siler shook his head at the four of a kind, "Damn.  Fold."  He smoothly took all their cards and tidied the deck, mixing them all and fishing for the elastic without further ado.

The colonel frowned a little at not seeing Siler's hand, possibly suspecting having won by pity, but finally shrugged and hunched hurriedly back into all his blankets, fishing their 'coins' off the table.  When there was the noise of something getting banged, like a desk by a leg, followed by muffled swearing, he nodded toward the office and teased with a straight face, "Bit young isn't she?"

It took a second for the re-descending drug haze to let understand in, but then Siler gapped, freezing in the middle of fumbling his pillow back in place, his composure thrown, "Young??"  Admittedly, you had to *know* that Fay had turned thirty, seeing as she looked younger, but still!!  He barely kept his voice down as he rasped disbelievingly, "She's only a *few* years younger than Major Carter!"  And the colonel was damn near the same few years older than *Siler*!  Of all people to try to lecture him!!

Unable to reply properly without giving credence to rumours, the colonel had to satisfy himself with a glare for the implication.

Glaring right back and refusing to care that he was letting the officer see he'd gotten to him, Siler firmly decided that the next time, he was damn well cleaning out the idiot; sympathy was wasted on him.  What the hell Sam saw in him...


Sam-neck (PG13)
March 2, 2009

AN: This actually makes more sense after you read Sex in the city..
Sam-neck: A rare condition, generally found in older men.  Although repeated instances do happen, the first injury seems to be the worst.  Often accompanied with bruised lips.  The source of the trouble has thus far eluded medical research.

Siler liked the infirmary.  It hummed with attention since the staff was always expecting trouble and ready for it, but it was also good at isolating you into a protected cocoon.  The chaos beyond the curtain around his bed wasn't his to be concerned about; no one here was going to light up at the sight of him and expect him to know how to keep the problem from blowing up until Sam and her men could fix it.  He could lay there and wait for the painkillers to take the edge off the jagged slice in his thigh and just listen distractedly to the other poor sods who came in while he tried to think of what the hell could be wrong with Elevator 3.

"Doc?  Ah, can you check something out for me?"

Siler perked up; speaking of Sam's man.  He followed the sound of the visiting DC general as his voice moved to the next bed over; O'Neill was always fun.  Probably not for the staff when they had to keep him here against his wishes, but for Siler who just had to *listen* to his familiar voice as he tried to escape, it was high entertainment.

"Your neck, I take it, general?"  Siler grinned briefly; by the humour in the doctor's voice, the general's posture must be *interestingly* obvious.

"Yeah, ah, was, ah, working under the truck.  And.. I guess I must have turned my head a little too sharply."  Siler blinked, wondering why the gravely words made a faint bell ring at the back of his mind.

He heard a hiss of pain as the doctor no doubt 'played around' with the sore area to analyze the problem.  "These tendons are strained pretty badly, general.  Are you sure you haven't done anything else lately?"  Siler heard a moan before the doc continued, "This is a lot more like the kind of injury I get from recruits still learning to deal with real soldiers not pulling punches in the training ring..."

The grumpy, obviously lying grumble that followed that leading question faded from the sergeant's mind as that faint bell finally made sense; he remembered now.  Years ago..  a very hot night that had taught him that a woman didn't stop being a soldier because she was in bed and didn't suddenly stop being powerful just because she was off the clock.  He grinned, the hum that appeared in his body making his pain fade very efficiently.

On the one hand, he sympathized with the general; that little 'injury' hurt like bloody hell and took a surprising amount of time to heal.  On the other hand, Siler sighed quietly, the lucky sod was going to get some great TLC.  And for him to have gotten the injury meant that he and Colonel Carter had finally gotten themselves sorted out after all those years.  Which meant he was also going to get some great sex; lucky bastard.  Umph, make that, some *more* great sex; Siler bet last night hadn't ended with his little injury.  Not only did the worst pain not start right away, but the other involved party could be trusted to feel very 'apologetic' for the contretemps.. especially with the way *their* body was feeling at that point...

Oh well, he shrugged, his own life wasn't that bad; though he was really overdue to get himself a sex-buddy, he suddenly realized.

He quirked a grin; and both those stubborn people were going to be a lot of fun to be around for a while. 

Now, should he still leave the man his old treasure trove of pictures of Sam?  In the old days he'd figured it might kick him into action.. but now it just *might* cause trouble.  Maybe he'd better change his will to having them destroyed instead.


Night out in Washington (PG13)
April 16, 2009

Munching contentedly on a handful of very-bad-for-him, buttery popcorn, Jack walked all the way up the stairs, stopping at the end of the last row in surprise.

Curious but happy enough with the seeming coincidence, Jack eased himself to the centre of the row and, with a slight smile, looked at the man sitting there in rarely-seen civilian gear, "Siler?"

The sergeant looked up impassively, nodding a completely casual hello, "General."

Jack took that as acceptance of his presence and sat down next to him, dropping his drink in the holder and shrugging out of his leather jacket one arm at a time as he passed his bag of junk food back and forth, "What are you doing here?"

"Came to watch a movie, sir."

The general rolled his eyes, wondering how George had always managed to keep smiling when *he'd* pulled those comments. "Funny, sergeant. How have you managed never to get written up for insolence?"

If Jack hadn't been giving him a mock-hard look, he'd never have seen his minute quirk of the lips in response, "No idea what you're talking about, sir."

Shaking his head with a genuine smile, Jack looked back at the screen, enjoying the reminder of his old life. A job he could sometimes actually get satisfaction from; people who had a sense of humour.  "So what are you doing in Washington?"

"General Landry lent me with Doc Lee to setup some tech for a presentation to the Joint Chiefs."

Jack could all too easily picture the annoying scientist who found more ways to screw up than Siler did to hurt himself and winced, glad he didn't have to be present.  "..Good luck with that."

"Thank you, sir."

Unsurprised by the laconic tone, Jack huffed a quick laugh, lounging back with a happy sigh. They listened to the crappy music and watched the quiz questions, frowning at the teeny-bopper subject-matters and grunting when they missed the more serious ones they expect themselves to know.

Annoyed at missing one too many, Jack's mind wandered and he frowned in odd thought.  "So Siler."

The sergeant turned his head and raised a brow at the idly leading tone, "Sir."

Jack nodded, still staring at the screen, "I've had the strangest few days."

Siler shrugged, munching more popcorn, "You *do* work with deep-space radar telemetry, sir. Strange seems like the new normal."

"Not *this* kind of strange. I kept encountering experienced, no-nonsense noncoms when I expected to have to deal with annoying two-bit pencil-pushers."

Out the corner of his eyes, Jack saw the sergeant nod seriously, "Really.  Sounds terrible."

He snorted his response to the sarcasm, "So what possible plague could cause all the people I have to deal with to be replaced with men and women who are the soul of efficiency?  To the point that I'm actually *ahead* of my to-do pile..."

"Can't imagine, sir."

A friendly master sergeant mysteriously in Washington and a legion of NCOs apparently at his service. It didn't take an astro-physicist to do the math.  Though the question of *why* Sam's old snarky lead sergeant would do such a thing... could indeed take an astro-physicist to solve for.

Damn.  Jack grinned to himself; he knew he loved that woman for a reason.

By the time the production company clip finally heralded the start of The Simpsons movie, Jack stared at his so-sensibly small but now *empty* popcorn bag in accusation, unaware of the wide grin that flashed over Siler's face and was gone before he wordlessly offered his bucket.

####

The unmarked boxed set of the first 10 seasons of the Simpsons appeared in his mailbox with a D.C. post stamp the same day he got an email from Sam, just returned from a month-long deep-space mission on the Apollo.

~Hey Siler,
I can't thank you enough for running interference for Jack; he's still grinning every time the subject comes up!  I knew you'd get him to that theatre.. but I never imagined you'd put him in such a good mood in the doing!  You never cease to amaze me, my old friend.   I meant what I said, you can ask me for anything and I'll do whatever it takes to get it for you.  For that matter, I'm pretty sure Jack suspects -and is grateful-, so if you ever need anything from him...

Take care of yourself,
Your friend, always.
Sam~


draco_somnians's Sex in the city (NC17) comes next in the verse
February 3, 2009


Chapter one: Memories (NC17)
March 3, 2009

-s-e-x-s-e-x-s-e-x-s-e-x- WARNING -s-e-x-s-e-x-s-e-x-s-e-x-

Jack woke up slowly, remnants of his dream fading.  Then the reality-to-dream ratio swung reality's way.  His eyes popped open and he groaned, shifting uncomfortably. When he felt the woman besides him cuddle up, obviously awake, he turned his head and gave her a pitiful look, "Carter? Can I ask you a favour?"

Sam grinned at the little-boy expression, wondering who he wanted her to have turned into a frog -and *why*, when it was so early in the morning-, "What?"

"Can you give me a blowjob?"

Her mouth dropped for a second before the giggles escaped her control as he continued to look at her with begging puppy eyes. She grabbed the blanket and threw it off him, not surprised to find his cock fully aroused; thick and red and pulled up against his belly. She looked up, grinning and still choking back giggles, "Not that I'm- complaining-" she shifted down, keeping her eyes locked to his, "But why ask?" It wasn't as though he hadn't woken up in the mood for sex every third day of their life together, and he knew very well how to 'convince' her into joining him in the mood...

As she licked her lips to moisten them before slowly running her puckered mouth up the underside of his cock, their eyes were still locked -which wasn't like him...- and he finally answered her in a rapid, moany mumble that she took a second to decipher, "..Ican'tstoprememberinglasttime."

Sam had just closed her lips over the seeping head when she made the connection and she had to raise her mouth to swallow the laugh before she tried to swallow anything else. Looking away from the blush rising up his neck, she leaned back down and flicked her tongue sharply at his very aroused tip, grinning at his gasp and jerk. Sliding her hand tightly around the base, she rested her lips so they were barely touching him and found his eyes again before teasing, "Shall I tell Siler he has a new fan?" Not that she blamed Jack; Siler knew how to use his tools, *all* of them, there was no denying *that*.

She just grinned even more wickedly when he jerked under her, his eyes wide and slightly terrified, "Don't you dare!"

"If you say so."  She leaned over, sliding his little head into her mouth and suckling gently, distracted by wondering why he continued to watch her instead of laying back with his eyes closed the way he usually did.  It was delicious though, sending pleasure pulsing through her as she watched his eyes darken, watched him pant, his hands clenched in the sheet.  When his hips jerked up and he still watched, Sam shifted so he would lift her forearms and her head along with them, keeping herself in charge of depth, finally deciding that he was doing the eye-contact thing to try to make a solid memory against a kink he was having trouble swallowing.

That was alright with her; watching exactly how he grimaced with pleasure as she glided her lips down his shaft, her tongue swirling around, was the best aphrodisiac in the galaxy.  She came back up, sucking steadily, and then slid down the underside as the fingers of her free hand pressed into his pouch and started a slow stroking massage of his balls.  She was ready when he twisted under her, his whole body shuddering, and rode him through the surge of pleasure.  Whatever he'd been dreaming had done a really good job on him; he was already tensing, every muscle hard as he felt pleasure approach, and Sam pulled her lips back for a few seconds, looking her fill at her man, realizing her breath was unsteady as her eyes went from his almost delirious ones, down his still harshly delimited pectorals to his cock, wet from her mouth and literally flexing with need under her gaze.

She grinned, licking her lips and regretfully knowing he was too far gone for her to stretch this out, no matter how much watching him was making her feel alive, making her whole pelvis throb with the instinctive desire to take him.  But a blowjob the man wanted, a blowjob he would get.

"Carter.." The choked groan brought her back to her senses and she leaned down, keeping her eyes to his as she started bobbing on him.  She went slowly at first, ignoring his jerking body and broken swearing.  Ignoring how arousal spiked ever harder through her as he flexed and grew in her mouth; as he pleaded her name, over and over. 

Gradually speeding up, one hand gripping his base flexingly, thumb rubbing a circle on the underside, the other hand playing with his sac; always looking for another touch that drove him crazy.  She remembered with a moan how he'd enjoyed fucking Siler's mouth, but she really didn't like not being in control of a blowjob; and she was a trained soldier, she could do these 'push-ups' for a lot longer than he could take the pleasure. 

And speaking of pleasure..  Sam felt the wave under her thumb before his head jerked back with shout and she lifted her mouth to gently suckle the head, swallowing carefully as her hand smoothed up and down his length, milking his orgasm for every speck of pleasure before he got too sensitive to stand touch on his softening cock.

She felt the pull of his hips 'away' from her before he lifted his now-hazy eyes to say her name softly, to get her to let go, "Samantha."

With a last soft kiss on the tip, she crawled up, trailing a line of kisses along his belly and chest.  Sometimes she just wanted to bury her nose in whatever part of his skin was handy.  After so many years mostly alone, there was soul-deep comfort in the familiarity; *knowing* she was besides Jack, smelling that mix of skin, soap and deodorant that she could ID without trying.  Feeling the pulsing heat of a healthy body; even having to shift her nose to avoid breathing pesky hairs was just a familiar tickle.  And the hands tunnelling lazily through her hair as she rested her head sideways against his calming heartbeat said he didn't mind.  His habit of listening to her stomach make embarrassing noises said he shared the need for closeness.  *And* that he liked finding the things that embarrassed her.

When his hand stroked idly down to her shoulder, though, the gentle touch reminded her that she hadn't exactly had *her* fun yet and she shuddered, unconsciously grinding her clit on his thigh.

"Was that a request, Samantha?" 

She could hear the laughter in his voice and lifted her head to mock-glower at him, "The fact that I'm dripping on your leg wasn't hint enough?"  That he looked happy and well-loved made keeping the glower pretty much impossible, soldierly strength notwithstanding, and Sam was already smiling when he lifted his upper body up and gave her a mollifying kiss.  No matter how horny she felt, that 'good morning' softness and thankful, satiated male thoroughness completely distracted her and she barely noticed at what point of that deep, slow tonguing he flipped their positions.

Only when he pulled away from her lips and started kissing his way to her neck did she open her eyes and realize he was *still* way too good at the physical stuff.  She wasn't complaining though.  Instead, she let her head fall back, closing her eyes again with a low moan as his faintly scratchy cheeks woke her skin on a leisurely track to one of her peaked breast.  Oh yes, her fingers stroked through his always-short hair as he moved on after just a few teasingly arousing suckles, Jack didn't stay up here for long.  When he stopped at the opposite nipple and lifted his head, she opened her eyes to glare at the holdup, only to meet his smirk, "He likes breasts, doesn't he?"

Sam blinked, taking a second to catch up with him, "Siler??"  So much for his trying to get the other man out of his mind; this time she didn't bother hiding her grin.

He rolled his eyes and took a playful bite at the fleshy part of her breast before grumbling, "How many men do you expect me to discuss in bed, exactly?"

Considering the reason he'd asked for a blowjob... but she wasn't going to remind him when it looked like the freakout was passing.  She shrugged in answer to his original question, "Yeah, he does," she raised a teasing brow, "Considering switching?"

He rolled his eyes, his words getting garbled as he rubbed and nibbled his way down to her hip, and past, "Hell no.  Just observing."

Sam half-hoped he would *observe* that her pussy was soaked and really needed his attention, but he followed her leg down with a hum of pleasure, as though it was still the first time, or as though he'd missed his dose of her legs.  She'd giggle, except that it made her feel absolutely womanly powerful to think that he 'appreciated' her so much.  Made her weak with the desire to give him everything he wanted.  Made her vaginal muscles clench with need to come, damn his meandering lips!

Jack knew very well she wanted him to take a shortcut and he *did* feel slightly guilty for not accommodating her since she'd been kind enough to do him.  He grinned at the pun, then nibbled the tender skin on the side of Samantha's knee, feeling her jerk with pleasure.  On the other hand, she wasn't complaining and he had every intention of giving her exactly what she wanted.  Just as soon as he was done kissing the heavy muscles that kept her alive with all the bad guys that liked to chase SG-teams.

He smirked at her growl when he bit her little toe; oh yeah, she was losing patience.  He regretfully gave up the slow return trip and crawled up the bed between her legs until glistening, short, blond curls were in reach.  Feeling her hands slide into his hair again and her legs bend so her feet were flat on the bed and her thighs rose besides his head, he blew a teasing stream of air at her mound, watching it shiver.  He bent hid head until his nose parted the outer lips, flaring at the scent.  Samantha.  *His*.

Jack let her hands pull him close, his tongue finding with familiar ease the flared hood, engorged with blood; then he had to tense his neck to keep her hands from jamming him too tight against her.  As much as he knew she loved it hard, he wanted this to last more than 30 seconds.  And he'd rather not have his air supply cut off, thank you colonel. 

Still, he didn't waste his time, just licked and nibbled once over the flesh around his destination, then gently closed his lips over her clitoris, remembering at the last second to clamp his hands on her hips.  He lifted his eyes to watch her as he slowly traced the hard bud with his tongue, suckling very gently. 

The reward for taking it slow and thorough was listening to her voice lose any semblance of speech, her face tensed and twisting with need and pleasure.  Remembering the expression he'd seen when she turned her head and saw Siler, not to mention the jerk her hips had made in his grip, Jack suckled harder for a second then lifted his lips, watching her eyes come up wildly to see why he'd stopped, "You enjoyed watching him; didn't you?"

She panted for a few seconds before her eyes cleared and he saw understanding replace the lust.  Then she smiled the wickedest smile he'd ever seen -and he'd seen some-, deliberately rocking her hips to brush herself on his lips, "Sexiest damn thing I've watched."  The raspy voice shivered through him and he just had to lower his lips for another hard suckle, listening to the breathy cries of the woman who could reduce him to dazed and confused silence with just a few words, feeling her body wriggle like mad under his hands.  If he'd been susceptible to a God complex...

He lifted his head again, grinning at the animal growl that she threw at him in response, luxuriating in feeling the strength in his own arms as he held her down and away from his lips.  "So tell me Samantha," he drawled the words as huskily as he could since she'd once told him -under duress mind you- that his voice gave her wild shivers in bed, "If watching Siler,"  Oh I so saw that clench, Carter!  "Made you drip with pleasure."

He was tempted to take her down memory lane and see how many more pulses it would take to make her come without even touching her, but he was also very curious about just how far this kink of hers went.  There were, after all, birthdays and other holidays to always be aware of.. and he didn't intend to fail at those with *Samantha*.  Maybe she'd enjoy...

He found her eyes and locked onto them, not letting her look away, "What would you do to watch... *me*?" 

Ohhh, fuck..  Her eyes widened and her whole body seemed to freeze as her mouth dropped open; then he felt the incipient explosion of muscles power under his hand and dragged his tongue over her swollen vulva, licking and breathing heavily in anticipation, waiting for the wave to hit before rising up to the bundle of throbbing nerves at the apex. 

Oh yeah, he was in trouble.  The drawn-out wail of his name as she clenched and fluttered and clenched again made his body think it could perform again.  Made his imagination spark with the beginnings of *ideas*.  Damn, what this woman did to him; after damn near 40 years, to discover he was.. 'OK' with...  Siler??  Damn it, he'd just been looking forward to finally enjoying a quiet retirement, relaxing and watching Samantha reach the heights her abilities held for her, hopefully spending many years enjoying *her*. 

*Not* trying to find his footing in some whole newly laid land.

Once Sam relaxed and fell back on the bed, he rose up to his knees and crawled up until he could kiss her still-panting mouth, nipping at her lips as he slid his half-aroused cock into hot, clenching, wet Carter.  There was no way he'd come again, but damn it felt good.  And the whimper and arch that escaped her before she opened her mouth under his and sucked at his tongue went straight to his ego.. and then lower.  Oh yeah, he could flex into Carter's kinks, and explore his own; he could do just about anything.

Life was *good*.


Chapter two: Dirty (PG13)
March 4, 2009

Jack whistled tunelessly as he watched the elevator numbers change. This trip was getting familiar again, and the energy of the SGC was even more fun when it was just in small doses on his way to picking up his lady from her repeated 'temporary' guardianships of the big chair. He'd even managed to be in time to get caught in quarantine a few weeks ago; the excuse to drive Daniel crazy had been *priceless*.

When the doors slid open, he looked over and felt a jolt of recognition that suddenly made him glad he didn't work here every day anymore; as if he needed *another* reason.

"Sir."

Damn.. déjà vu; he'd finally -almost- gotten *Carter* over that word...  "Siler."

They stood in silence for a minute, and the visions that kept flashing through Jack's mind were *not* the sort he needed to be having in the SGC. In the end, keeping his eyes on the numbers didn't make the pictures stop so Jack stopped fighting himself and looked the man over, "I have to ask, where did Sam make you crawl to get in quite that state?"

"Air ducts sir, apparently there's some concern about contaminants from past mishaps still being around to cause problems."

Jack had to hand it to the sergeant, he had the best poker face he'd seen since his last Black Ops reunion. If Sam had been that good at hiding emotion.. then another thought made him frown; had *he* been that good at hiding? He shrugged the concern off; she'd obviously seen through him. Come to think of it, hadn't she been reading his mind for years? Yeah. It was all good. Back to the present now, Jack.

He made a face at some of the more disgusting-looking stains, "Well, if what's on you is anything to go by.. not entirely unfounded concerns, I'd say."

"No sir. Very much afraid the next job after I report to the colonel is going to be to scrub them..." The sergeant allowed himself to sigh at that and Jack sympathized; Siler wasn't much younger than the *retired* general.

"..Want me to talk to her? She worked *me* around often enough over the years," he grinned in fond memory, "I figure I owe her.."

Siler couldn't stop the brief grin that broke out, remembering listening to Sam keep her then-commanding officer in line more than once. He swallowed the smirk when he caught the wry look being sent his way by the man who could -officially- be a civilian until hell froze over, but whose previous career and high rank no one would ever mistake. "Thank you sir. Appreciate the thought, but I'm alright. I've crawled through smaller places.  Though the part about being soaked to the skin in filthy, soapy, stinking, hot-" He caught his own words and stopped, keeping his reaction to a few blinks. One glance at the general's expression told him he hadn't imagined the unplanned innuendo; and in the SGC no less. Not that they ever saw each other outside some military base or other.

So much for what happened in Atlantis *staying* in Atlantis. He was overdue to get a new fuck-buddy again, wasn't he? Though it was never easy to settle for less than the fun he'd had with Sam; or, now, with the man as red in the face as *he* was getting.

For the rest of the trip, he focused on the remembered disgusting feel of those enclosing metal walls he'd just escaped from, trying to get his head out of the gutter before they encountered anyone.

####

Sam automatically looked up when she heard familiar steps, blinking to keep her expression blank as the two men walked into her borrowed office. The very words were a juxtaposition and she knew it had to be for them too. *Her* office. And the three of *them* in an office... Jack was barely controlling the smirk and she knew what that stiffness in Sly's shoulders meant. But speaking of the sergeant.. "Siler? Was all that from.." She ran her eyes from his dust and unidentifiable filth-filled, uncharacteristically haystack-ed hair, over his grease-smeared jumpsuit, down to even his boots looking ugly and discoloured, torn between work-worry and personal appreciation.

"Yes, ma'am, afraid so." Damn, that barest hint of smirk said he'd caught the intimate appraisal. Sam looked at Jack, suddenly wondering how *he*- But no, of course he didn't object; *he* was *openly* smirking at her, no doubt remembering more than *one* night...

"You know, Walter usually keeps a shit-list that's great for these little jobs."

Getting her own mind back on work, Sam didn't know how to interpret the glance Siler threw at him, or the general's returning smirk, but she agreed with the idea wholeheartedly, "He's right. As a matter of fact there are a few people I'm going to make *sure* make it on your little strike force.  Tell Walter I'll see him in a few minutes and to wait before he assigns your team."

"Thank you, ma'am. *Sir*."

She watched him walk away, noticing his resemblance to Jack now that she lived with the man and he'd started to drop the ober-military posture more often. She finally turned curious eyes on her lover, "What was *that* about?" Umm, and how *had* they ended up coming to her office together?

And could she keep swallowing her teasing grin at the thought?

He shrugged, hands in the pockets of his leather coat, "He was going to play big strong man, or else martyr to your banner, by doing it all himself."

She grinned at the tone, thinking that that friendly affection was usually reserved for Daniel and Teal'c, "Feeling protective, Jack?"  Considering their discussion the other night, this was an interesting concept indeed.

"What? Siler's always gotten those godawful jobs handed to him," she watched him pull that deliberately casual shrug of his, "He's not a kid anymore either, he deserves to watch someone else do the filthy grunt work."

Sam bit her lip, getting up and walking around her desk and behind him to close the door. A quick check to make sure there was no one in the other room and she stepped up to her now-curious lover, sliding her hands to his nape. She let a loving smile sneak out and whispered, "It's OK to admit you might like him, you know," she kissed the embarrassed, little-boy grin on his lips softly before grinning back, "I won't get jealous of Siler."

"Carter." It was supposed to be a bark, but he was still grinning, and she still held him a few inches from her lips, and he just wasn't good at barking at Samantha these days... So it came out as more of a whine.

When she bit the tip of his nose before stepping back to get her coat, he rolled his eyes at himself; he was so whipped.

So, would reducing her to melting, moaning goo be worth having her know just how 'not jealous of Siler' *he* was?

AN: Yes, I'm going to continue to complain as I get **dragged** into these these risqué things.. I will *always* whine... ;)


Chapter three: Two steps forward (PG13)
March 12, 2009

"Hey Siler.  I know I'm being a coward to leave a message, but I've been debating all day and now I have to go and.. you're not answering.  So, yeah.  I'm going to be out with the Phoenix for a few weeks.  If, ah, you had any inkling to, Jack would enjoy the company.  Well.. he might pretend otherwise, but I think you know him well enough to see through that.  Anyway.. take care of yourself, old friend."


The fact that that was the fourth time he'd played the message told Siler more than he needed to know about his feelings for the brilliant woman he'd worked with for so long.

It wasn't that he hadn't been *aware* of his underlying affection, but he'd thought he had it under better control.  They each had their lives and the only place they intersected was at work.  And even there, it was only on occasion that they really worked together.  Occasions getting rarer with every passing year.

He had his memories, he had his job, and a few all-too-neglected hobbies.  Casual friends and a fuck-buddy every so often pretty much completed his quiet life.

The question was, did he want to change that?  Atlantis had been.. a hell of a surprise.  Sure, Sam in a playful mood brought back fond memories, but the general willing to either share, let along 'play'...  had shocked him, however well he'd managed to hide it.  His own body's reaction had been a bit of a surprise too, considering all the years they'd worked together.  And then too, Jack O'Neill was not someone Siler would have ever expected to lend himself to that kink; anymore than *he'd* ever really considered looking at a man that way.

He got up from the deck chair restlessly; it was tricky enough to alter the thought of Sam as being taken -off-limits-, after all those years when it was so obvious that she was, but shifting the general from someone he admired and liked, to... whatever 'more' Sam was implying...

He stood staring into the night in his backyard and admitted that he was pretty much certainly going to step forward and find out anyway.  Even if they were just offering friendship, he wasn't about to refuse.  Sam was a pleasure to be around, and he kinda missed listening to her mind work through problems.  As for the general, Siler grinned in fond memory, he was sure the man was frustrating as hell in the long term, but in small doses, he was a hell of a lot of entertainment, and Siler had always had a soft-spot for dumb jokes -which was one of the reasons Sam had gotten to him all those years ago-.  It was just a good thing that he had a good poker face; Sam may have gotten away with grinning affectionately at her commanding officer, especially with Doctor Jackson and Teal'c's varied reactions to camouflage it, but Siler would have pulled a much more askance reaction for doing the same.

No, spending time in the general's company, especially now that he seemed to be remembering how to enjoy life again after those years as the controlled diplomat, would be a pleasure.  Especially without the risk of being electrocuted, blown up or otherwise severely hurt in the following minute.

Somehow between getting older and working a little too much, Siler'd reached a point where he actually noticed that his life was kind of empty.  Some friends that understood both crazy schedules and a crazy life; and obviously wouldn't be shocked or disgusted when he inevitably slipped and treated a kink as normal.. could be nice.  Could be really nice.

He tried to ignore the pulse of excitement that hinted that he was maybe, just maybe, hoping they were offering that 'more'.  But he'd take whatever they gave him for as long as it lasted.  A few more memories to live on after it ended -whatever 'it' was- one way or another.

####

When Jack opened his front door, he was expecting either neighbourhood kids selling stuff or Daniel back from his dig in Mexico early and come to babysit the lonely Air Force 'widower'.  Finding Siler in jeans and a leather bomber made him straighten in surprise, brows jerking up, "Siler?"

"General.  I, ah.."

Jack watched him blink quickly, impressed by the fact that it was the only tell he could see.  The stalled words and the fact that he was showing a tell at all meant he was seriously nervous, though; Jack knew damned well the sergeant would stare at a horde of replicators with the same bland calm as at a yelling colonel.  So what the heck had him so off-balance?

"DVD player's busted.  I, ah, was kinda in the mood.  Thought we could cooperate."  He pulled a movie case from his pocket as he spoke and Jack briefly saw Marge's blue hair in the spotty porch light.

Holding back a smirk at the transparent excuse, Jack stepped aside in silent invitation, waving at the coat hooks and swiping the Simpsons season five out of the sergeant's paw on his way back to the living room.  He threw an offhand "Beer?" behind him as he headed for the player, deciding with a grin that Siler's babysitting skills were already far superior to Danny-boy's usual pizza and argument sessions.  Teal'c's continuing fascination with cinema made *him* OK; but he was a little hard to come by these days.

The responding "Thanks." bobbed up and down and he heard a pair of boots hit the floor in quick succession.

The sergeant padded silently into the living room as Jack headed for the kitchen, nodding at the couch, "Grab a seat.  Remotes're on the end table."

He heard the TV start up as he took two beers out of the fridge and looked for a bag of chips that was edible; he never *could* understand Carter's tastes in junk food.  The bag of Cheetos he finally found hidden at the very back made him smile a bit wistfully, knowing very well that Sam had bought it as a surprise for the next time he whined about her 'healthy choices'.

"Sir?"

Jack blinked in surprise and turned to look at the man giving him a lightly worried frown from the doorway.

"You OK?"

Jack snorted softly, pulling the junk food out of the cupboard and straightening.  "Sorry.  Thinking about Sam."  The words were out of his mouth before he thought to censor them and he jerked his head up to meet Siler's understanding nod.  Watching him walk over and grab the beers without a comment, Jack realized he didn't feel exposed at having let that out in front of him, even if it was dopey as hell to be missing the woman after just three days when they'd been apart for months on end in the all-too-recent past.

Grabbing the bottle opener and following the other man to the living room, he remembered the faint ideas he'd been throwing around about their old colleague.  But then he tried to beat the thought off; he and Sam had avoided the whole damn awkward getting to know each other thing, the notion that he was going to have to go through it after all... ack!  *Someone* had a cracked sense of humour!

On the other hand, for a second as he started up the cartoon and popped the cap on his beer, he remembered again that look in Samantha's eyes as she turned her head.  Dammit.  He really, really, wished he could deny how much he was willing to do to give her that kind of pleasure.  Never mind the rest.  Never mind it *at all*; dammit, he was too old to change.  Wasn't he?  But Sam going crazy in his grip... He knew change could be good; living with Samantha was even better than he'd ever imagined...  Dammit anyway.

Staring firmly at the large LCD, he waited for a lull in the show to throw out the first conversation gambit that appeared in his head.  "Hey Siler, I always kinda wondered..  What the hell am I doing in your will?"

He reluctantly turned his head to meet the unreadable look the man threw him in response.  "..I.. assume you know Sam and I used to.."

Jack rolled his eyes at the trailing words, smiling self-deprecatingly as he turned back to the show, "Yeah, I got the inkling, thanks."

Siler grinned briefly at the dry tone, "I, ah, took pictures from time to time."

He watched the general's eyes glaze slightly, coming back to him, a slow grin making him look 10 years younger and wicked as any 20 years-old fighter pilot, "Pictures?  Of Samantha?"

The raspy lust in the those words made Siler smile a little at the shared sentiment, splitting his attention between the man and the television, "Yeah."

"..And you were going to.."

Siler shrugged, looking away from the now slightly confused expression, feeling a little abashed, "Watching you two dance around each other and remain alone and miserable so long was kind of annoying sometimes.  So one day when I was.." he glanced at the general briefly, really not sure how much honesty -or bluntness- had really been pre-approved by their adventure on Atlantis, "Browsing through them, I got the idea that maybe a-" Siler blinked to himself before finishing with the kind of language he knew got through to the man, "Kick in the balls might get you moving."  With the words out, he tensed, waiting to either be ordered out, or...

Jack threw the poker-faced sergeant a smirk for the balls behind the disrespect, pretending he didn't see the flash of uncertainty in his expression, then watched the show for a minute, thinking of what he'd have done if he'd had pictures like that left to him years ago.. but then he shrugged it off.  The past was done; he stubbornly lived in the present these days.  He turned to Siler, grinning again, "..Still got the pictures?"

Siler couldn't stop a responding wide smile at the eager tone, relaxing, "Oh yeah."

Though not another word was said, he knew that that had been an invitation, and he couldn't deny that he wanted to watch Jack's reaction to those pictures.  It was a little harder to admit to himself without Sam present as a catalyst, but dammit, the taboo and mental block had both been shattered when she had walked around that desk and pulled her willing general into a hot make out sessions in front of him.  Sam and sex were damned good hammers for any hesitation.  *Naked* Sam could drive him to his knees; or to blow a man, though *that* had had an entirely different feel when she'd joined him.  And remembering her eager response to the whole thing.. probably wasn't a good idea right now, he thought as he turned back to the TV, trying not to shift, knowing it would make it obvious he was fighting arousal.

Jack's mind was swinging between wondering just what new kinks he was going to discover in those pictures.. and wondering about the man sitting on his couch.  Remembering a clean record with a lot of commendations, the mention of a brief marriage.. and none of any remaining family; also remembering that he was another one that he'd had to *order* away from the base so he'd conform to downtime regulations.

Thinking of the fondness in his voice as he spoke of Sam -however well-hidden-, of the ease between them on Atlantis.. *and* during all those years at the SGC, he waited until the end of the first episode before asking quietly, wondering.. if he was responsible.  And not sure how he felt about the idea.  "So why did you and Sam split?"

This time he met the look the man threw him with a calm but serious one.  No, he wasn't jealous, no matter what the answer was, but he did want to know where they all stood if this was going to be more than a.. one-time quirky fuck.

"After Jolinar," Siler nodded at the glare that crossed the general's face, just as pissed about that damned snake's attack, even after all this time and all the undeniable good that had come of the Tok'ra alliance, "Sam needed time to get her head straight.  And then it just.. never started again."  He shrugged, wondering if Jack O'Neill, of all people, would be able to understand Siler's acceptance of that.  Able to understand that *he* hadn't been 'in love', and that as much as he'd missed the hot, playful, relaxed sex, he'd been perfectly content to continue to be her trusted lead hand.

It was a sight better than what he'd gotten out of the last time, after all.  And maybe that needed to be said too, since this was turning into a bit of a heart-to-heart.  "Was married once," he kept his eyes on the TV, ignoring and refusing to interpret the look he felt Jack throw him, "For about 3 months.  Then she decided that somewhere between being an engineer, a soldier -a *noncom*-, and... having kinks.. I wasn't what she wanted and left," he shrugged again, aware that that had probably sounded a little self-pitying; but he'd wanted to be honest, "So, frankly?  I was just glad Sam was still a friend."  The responding grunt made him smile for some reason; maybe the shared discomfort?  Or agreement that that was a pretty good reward for putting up with a crappy hand at life? 

A few seconds of silence were broken by Jack finally spitting out a disbelieving "Having kinks?"

Wincing slightly for even mentioning it, Siler split his attention between screen and general, laconic after all this time, "Made the mistake of saying she could blindfold me any time."

Jack blinked, looking totally confused, "Come again?"

Then Siler snorted, suddenly feeling amused by the whole thing, "We were watching a pirate movie.  The guy was blindfolded to walk the plank.  She said that looked uncomfortable.  I said..." he waved a hand before staring into nothing for a second, losing the humour as quickly as it had come, "I knew she wasn't into kink.  Not sure why I thought I could say that.  Either way, two days later I came home to divorce papers on the kitchen table."  He shrugged off the glum, throwing the general a quick grin to lighten things up, "Guess it's a good thing I wasn't crazy in love with her; life went on, I got to work with Sam and.. then I had those pict-"  He cut off as he heard an odd ring from the unfamiliar device on the table that he'd unobtrusively looked over earlier and decided was Earth-made, if exceedingly advanced.

Jack brightened, just as glad the grim topic could be put aside -at least for now, he though with a mental sigh of resignation-.  "Alright!"  As he reached for the large red button on the widget, Siler must have paused the player because suddenly there wasn't even a low-volumed cartoon noise.  "Hello?"

"Hey Jack!  Guess what?"

He grinned widely, turning his head to see Siler's eyes wide and his fingers twitching toward the gadget with the kind of 'take it apart and see how it works' eagerness that Jack knew all too well.  "Oh, I don't know.  You ran out of gas down the block?"

The excited laugh he got in return made Siler smile too, not an expression Jack had seen very often. "Looks like we're going to be able to communicate with you guys even from the back of beyond.  I can't believe how clear this signal is!  I thought for sure the subspace waves from travelling or else the difference in time due to the distance would-"

Jack automatically winced dramatically, "Ah ah ahhh!  *Carter*!"

He glared at Siler who snickered at him as Sam giggled -stopping her technobabble, but not apologizing!-.  These two were going to be trouble, he just *knew* it.  They both knew he hated thinking about all their tech stuff and he had a feeling they enjoyed watching, or listening, to him lose it;  almost as much as he enjoyed playing out for them...  "You know, Samantha, you really shouldn't use your powers for the evil of ordering poor Siler over to babysit me."

"I didn't order him-"  "She didn't order me!"

Jack rolled his eyes at the synchronized indignant retorts, but Siler beat him to any further punchline by rising and coming to lean his hands on his chair arms to physically crowd him, growling fractionally-seriously, "And I wouldn't take such an order, *general*."

Jack smirked, sitting very still and keeping his misgivings at the game they were suddenly playing in earnest from showing, "Oh yeah?"  He was half-aware that Sam hadn't said anything since Siler had spoken, but most of his attention was on the man standing just a little too close for casualness, let along any military correctness; on the fact that Sam was suddenly, in a way, 'present'.  And that that was obviously having a very noticeable effect on both their inhibitions.

Then Siler made the mistake of teasingly grabbing the tense, retired black ops, soldier's shirtfront as he bent his head another inch, not really thinking about what he was doing.

Sitting in the bunk in her quarters, Sam had started smiling when she heard the sergeant, glad he'd taken her up on her offer and that they'd obviously been getting on well enough.  But when there was a sudden, *particularly* dead silence, followed by a muttered "Shit!", she frowned, calling out in concern, "Guys?"

Siler was the one to answer, in a too-careful tone, "Forgot who he was for a second and grabbed his shirt."

She straightened, wishing she'd set up a camera to go with the communicator, "Shit!  Jaaack.. what did you pull on him?"  It could be anything from a hand-to-hand fighting move to a knife to a gun, unfortunately; and Siler sounding calm didn't actually mean all that much, as she knew from professional experience.

"Just my fist, Sam.  And I did 'pull' it." Jack swallowed, making himself relax and finally let go of Siler's collar, exchanging a wary nod with him, "Sorry Siler."

Siler straightened up and shook his head, starting to laugh at himself as he sat back in his spot, grabbing his beer as adrenaline gave him a better buzz than any booze, "My fault, I *really* should know better."

"You're OK?"

Sam's thin voice filtered through the speakers again and Jack answered for him, "He's fine, Sam; I couldn't actually hurt him.  Any more than I would you."  At least not when he was awake and himself.

Before she could do more than sigh, Siler added softly, "Sam.  It's alright.  We're fine."

"OK.  ..So what were you two doing before I interrupted?"

Siler watched an unfamiliar softness slowly ease over the general's expression at Sam's gentle tease, strongly suspecting, especially after seeing the man's surprise at his own honesty in the kitchen, that not many people were likely to have seen this side of him.  Looking back to the spacephone wistfully, Siler wondered why he'd never felt that close to someone.  Wondered too if he really should be here; interfering, as it were, with two people he'd once tried to matchmake...

"The sergeant's transparent excuse to come watch over me was that he wanted to see the Simpsons and his player was somehow broken beyond his ability to fix.  You sure he should be on the books as an engineer?"

Sam smiled widely when she heard Siler laugh out loud again, knowing how rare it was for him to relax that much with most people.  It would be nice to regularly see him happy again.  As completely different as he was from Jack as far as the persona he gave out, she remembered that once he trusted you, he actually *did* smile a little more in private.  And even joked and teased a bit.

"That's *senior* engineer to you, general.  And I never said I couldn't fix it.  Only that it was broken."

Sam snorted, amused at the games they were playing, "What did you do?  Knock out the power connection with your favourite wrench?"  That was a fairly easy thing to both do and fix, something she might have used as a..

She heard him sigh, "No, unfortunately not.  Crap accumulated in it.  Tried to play Die hard last week and it refused to even acknowledge the disc.  When I blew in it, a bunch of dust flew out.  Still didn't work though.  I'm just debating whether to bother opening it to clean it or just get a new one."

"Dust??  When was the last time you used it??"  Jack sounded exasperated, no doubt fully cognisant that their friend's workaholic habits were responsible for the unnoticed accumulation.

"..Can't remember."

Sam interrupted before Jack could get started on such a laconic answer, "Boys.  I'd better cut this communication.  Try not to fight.. and don't do anything *I* wouldn't do," she wondered how long *that* would take to trickle through their brains, "Love you. Bye."  She cut the line before either had to answer, feeling her heartbeat cranked up from taking yet another risk.  She wondered if Siler had managed to keep the shock at the words under his poker face.  Or if he'd completely, automatically, dismissed the possibility of it applying to him too.


Chapter four: Air Force husbands (NC17)
March 14, 2009

AN: lol, this is kinda feeling like my own private big bang in the making. bloody huge and with a very small reviewing audience.. though quality is definitely better than size! :D

-s-e-x-s-e-x-s-e-x-s-e-x- WARNING -s-e-x-s-e-x-s-e-x-s-e-x-

When he heard the doorbell, Jack swore, taking his hand off his hardening dick.  Shit, it was too late at night to be kids, and considering the timing, he had a bad feeling Danny-boy had finally shown up.  He zipped his pants, looking down with a scowl at the tenting of the light material and grabbing the first magazine on the coffee table to hold in front of himself as he went to unlock the door, assuming the little problem would go away pretty much as soon as Daniel walked in and opened his mouth.

Instead, when he opened the door and saw his visitor, he stiffened, feeling his nostrils flare and hurriedly controlling the unexpected reactions, greeting him with what he hoped was reasonable calm. "Siler!"

"Sir-"  Siler didn't know how to interpret the tense expression on the general's face, or the stiffly hunched posture, but he figured it wasn't welcome and he shifted, coming up with an excuse to leave.  Then Jack jerkily touched his shoulder with his free hand to pull him into the house and the door was closing behind him.  About to say he should have called and could come back some other time, his eyes caught the title of the magazine being held awkwardly and he blinked, raising his eyes.

Jack didn't bother denying the sudden realization in the other man's eyes, "I wasn't expecting company; it'll pass," he shrugged, turning to go back to the living room, "Drink?"

"Scotch?" Siler replied gratefully, moving slowly to get his boots and coat off, thinking his choice of viewing material might be even more appreciated than he'd expected... and feeling twitchy at the excitement playing at his nerve endings in response.  He could identify that look now.  And it might not have been actual welcome, but it was far from dislike.

Stepping into the living room, he stopped as Jack handed him a glass with more than a couple shots of dark amber in it.  The physics magazine was gone, but Siler behaved and kept his eyes on the man's face, passing his DVD over and smirking at the confused response to the homemade disc with only a number written on it.  He raised his glass in a toast and said just one word: "Pictures."

Oh yeah, he definitely liked that look.  And he bet Sam not only loved it but had all sorts of tricks for making it appear...

When Jack swaggered to the player with his own drink in one hand, Siler didn't bother with the restraint, wondering why the sight of Sam stripping him so hungrily had done such a thorough job of making him someone to watch.  It wasn't his tastes that had changed, he thought as he sipped the smooth scotch, no one else was suddenly interesting, no one else made him pay attention.  He eased into the same spot he'd taken before, remembering how quickly he'd forgotten himself with Sam teasing them both, the last time he'd been here.

He hadn't realized his mind was wandering until Jack cleared his throat, drawing his attention to the remote he was offering him.

Taking it without a word, Siler clicked the first slideshow, lowering the small, non-universal plastic form with a little smirk as he heard the choked swearword from the man besides him.  Sam laying back in a lounge chair in the bright sun in his yard.  In a leather, very *mini* skirt, a lace tank top.. and no underwear.  He shifted, feeling the pool of arousal start with a bang and taking a gulp of the smooth booze.  She wasn't doing anything remotely sexy, wasn't posing or even looking at the camera.  But she was smiling, happy and relaxed.  And sexy as fucking sin.  And he knew damned well the general had the same urge to slide his hands under her skirt, flip it up, cover her body with his and kiss that smile until neither of them could breathe...

The picture automatically forwarded at about the time Jack couldn't continue to take the pressure of his pants any more and lowered his zipper back down.  It had been patently obvious once that DVD came out that they'd be doing this before the night was out, even if he hadn't already been horny as hell.  But still, he was usually alone when he did this, or at most with Samantha.  He looked over at the man who'd long ago taken the picture of Sam that was now on his TV.  The memory of Atlantis let him recognize the look of arousal under the automatic poker-face, but he still had to confirm, "OK?"

The passing grin as the sergeant turned back to the TV wasn't half as telling as his reaching for the buttons of his own jeans.  So, obviously OK.  Turning to the screen himself, he blinked in pupil-blowing surprise, rasping, "Honey?"

Out the corner of his eye, Siler shrugged, "I like honey."  Hearing the husk in the words, Jack saw him lounge back, putting the remote aside to hold his drink and shifting his now free hand slowly in his lap.

Stroking himself harder absently, Jack's attention shifted and stuck on the screen; on seeing Samantha looking sexy, dishevelled, playful, aroused.  Anywhere from naked to fully dressed; sleeping innocently to fingering herself.

By the time that first slideshow ended, Jack's drink was gone and he was tensing, severely wishing Sam was within transport distance; he'd be calling in favours so damn fast..  He still had a pair of handcuffs somewhere, and he was sure she wouldn't object once she was done telling him off for misuse of official equipment.  And Si' looked like he'd enjoy her 'company' too.  Not that Jack 'looked' of course!

When the screen went back to the menu, Siler put his drink down to hit 'next', grunting in surprise at the title of the item and muttering to himself, "Uh.  I'd forgotten that was there."

He felt Jack turn to look at him askance when he hesitated to engage it, "What?"

Siler threw him a glance, wondering why he was expecting the man to be bothered by *this* more than Sam swirling Siler's favourite sweet down her belly.  "I'd, ah, forgotten about making a clip once."

Well, there's bothered and bothered; Siler swallowed a surprising urge to laugh at the eager head-jerk toward the remote.  Not to mention the way Jack's hand had tightened on himself.  "Well?  Play it man."

Looking away with a mental grin, he started the video, happy with the moment and trying to remember exactly what had been on that clip, feeling his own penis twitch in anticipation.  Atlantis was a more recent image, but something he could watch.. and with Jack at his side...  He switched back to his drink, taking a satisfying swallow as he pumped his hand slowly.

The opening shot of Sam, a closeup of her, stark naked on her old leather armchair in dim, flickering light, one leg thrown over an arm-rest, was enough to make Jack react with a breathless 'Jesus!', hips jerking in his hand's grip.  Her hair was a damp, spiky mess, as though she'd been sweating and running her hands through it; or someone else had.  There was a dark sensuality in her expression; swollen lips, and a grim need in her eyes that made Jack want to kiss her until the darkness passed and she was once more present and focused on him.

On the screen, she stared at the camera with very obviously aroused passion, bringing her hands to her ribs and slowly and lightly running them up to cup her breasts, to massage, eyes closing and her head falling back.  He could hear rough breathing coming from behind the camera, even before her thumbs swiped over her aroused nipples and Samantha moaned softly.  The achy sound tugged Jack's eyes down her body, smoothing her beautiful legs and licking his lips as her hips shifted with need, bringing his gaze to familiar, swollen flesh, only partially hidden by wet curls in this pose.

Sam's hands slid down her sternum as Jack stared, breath choked and eyes wide, trying to watch both the expression on her face and her fingers, parting her lower lips.  It was his turn to moan as he stared at the light playing on her moist sex, his tight stroke on his dick speeding up, the many memories of her in his mouth; taste and shivering skin and quivering muscles, all adding to the image a hundredfold.  Her fingers glided into the trickling wetness and circled with a slowness that teased the watchers as much as herself.  The camera inched forward until the canvas only stretched from her thighs to her half-closed eyes and Jack panted quietly, listening to her choked cry as she stroked the engorged little nub at the apex of her vulva.

He could feel the streak of pleasure in his own body as her fingers repeated the stroke, her body jerking hard.  His attention flickered for a second when he heard the same groan in stereo, not quite able to manage a grin that Siler obviously hadn't changed tastes in the intervening years; unable not to notice the arousal he was fisting tightly.  For a second, all he could see was Sam's legs wrapping around the other man's waist on an alien-made desk, pulling him into her with pleasure twisting her expression.

The rising pitch of her moans pulled his eyes back to reality and the screen, watching her fingers move with desperation until she suddenly arched back with a choked cry of *Jack's* name, the camera not budging from its focus on the rush of moisture trickling past her fingertips until she started to catch her breath under his burning eyes, his body frozen in harsh arousal and shock.  Then she looked at the man behind the camera with an edgy, dark challenge, bringing her glistening fingers up to plump up her nipples... and the image jagged sideways for a split second; then the clip abruptly ended.

In the sudden silence, Jack looked at the man sitting a couple feet from him with disbelieving surprise, stiff in the wake of coming so close, but his mind forcing him to stop and think.

Siler didn't need to be asked, answering the silent demand roughly, "She didn't do it often.  That.." he thought of the grimness in Sam's eyes, "SG1'd had a rough mission.  I think you were hurt.  She was worried; on edge."  He shrugged, shivering with the sharp need eating at him, wondering at the kind of control that left Jack still sane enough to question him.

"And it didn't bother you?"  The husky question was accompanied by an intense look, part curiosity, part hunger; part a very old pain that made Siler uncomfortable.

"General-"

The man growled at him in response, focus shifting away from the subject as his hand pumped jerkily, "Siler.  For crying out loud, we're watching *porn* together, the name's Jack."

After a quick hesitation, Siler nodded, "Jack.  I didn't love Sam.  Want her, like, admire and enjoy her company; but I didn't love her.  And I knew she loved you from the start." 

He quirked a brow at the shocked look and the physical stillness that that got him, staring back even more firmly in response, "I have a funny feeling she fell in love the first time she laid eyes on you; but either way, I knew she was taken.  I was.." he looked at the screen blindly then, absently stroking himself and remembering those days, "I was happy enough that we had fun together.  Knew from day one that it wouldn't last." he grinned briefly, wickedly, "As for *that*," he nodded at the screen, turning back to the general, "*I* was the one who threw that camera aside to touch, suckle.. *make love* to her all night.  Make her feel *better* about her current crappy life-hand." 

It occurred to him belatedly that that could have been pushing the man's sharing ability just a bit; but he still just got an intense stare, and that distracting, rapidly moving hand.

Jack finally nodded without pushing it any further and Siler swallowed the last of his drink, feeling the hint of a buzz and moving the player on to the next picture collection, half-aware that Jack wasn't going to last much longer.  The new set of pictures made him really grin.  Sam astride her beloved Indian in full riding gear was, really, perfectly innocent.  The smirk on her lips; was most earnestly *not*.  Siler looked at her lover when he moaned softly; yeah, *he* knew this was going to be hot too.

Instead of random pictures, this was obvious a whole set taken together, and Jack didn't even have to think about why.  Samantha, leather, bike; what more needed to be said??  He was sooo getting access to this DVD, no matter what it took; maybe a bottle of his good scotch?  But one way or.. another..

She was in a good mood this time, taking her leathers off a piece at a time, grinning and touching herself.  And so was he.  Any awkwardness at the situation was long gone now, between too much arousal and Samantha and just a bit of booze; his focus was three quarters on Sam slowly getting naked -hot and aroused- and one quarter on his dick, hard, wet and aching as he jerked himself off hard and fast, moaning deep in his throat as Sam fingered herself, his mind seeing flashbacks of that clip.  Of having her sitting on his face, wild with desire.  When the next image had her licking her wet fingers, lounging naked on the old-leather seat, back resting on the handlebars, his jaw clenched on a cry as his balls tightened and pleasure arrowed through him, finally leaving a familiar temporary lull in his mind.

A few breaths and he could think and move enough to automatically reach for a couple of tissues out of the box next to his chair, his body twitching gently.  Even as the thought half-coalesced that he needed to throw the chair-cover in the wash, he also got back the memory of the evening, and his head turned lazily, catching Siler watching him and pumping himself slowly.

Still feeling the rush of adrenaline from his orgasm, Jack looked down at that moving hand, aware that both the grip and the flesh it held stiffened even more.  His half-closed eyes turned to look at the image of the wanton woman paused on his TV, knowing *she* had *no* problems with a little outside-the-norm living; knowing he'd gotten in the habit of following her so-pleasurable lead.

He stomped on his remaining hesitations with years of practise and tried to speak casually, turning back to Siler who was now watching him with an attentive curiosity that was kind of encouraging in its familiarity; not so foreign as.. 'other' things.  He cleared his throat, fighting the instinct to look away, "Sam, ah, really enjoyed.... watching-"  Damn it!  This was even harder that telling Sam he loved her the first time!

"Yeah.  Noticed that."  Siler smiled a bit, wondering where the heck this was going.. and could he please finish himself off first?  Or excuse himself and finish as he remembered that look and felt the responding throb in his balls and tried not to groan...

"Yeah.  I was-" Siler watched a blush cover Jack's neck as the general stuttered, "Thinking.  Her birthday's coming up.."

When the man's eyes dropped to Siler's hand, the sergeant's whole body shuddered, cock getting aching hard.  When they came back up, hesitantly asking, he nodded jerkily, his own a little wide and hand stilled as he watched him get up. It didn't take the years of familiarity to recognize the discomfort in Jack's tension and he tried to control his breathing enough to speak without sounding just *too* obvious, "Can put the clip back on.." A little of Sam around them wouldn't hurt either of them fight conditioning...

There was a noticeable drop of tension to Jack's shoulders at that, an attempt at a smirk crossing his lips before he crouched down in front of Siler, reaching for the remote and looking at the screen.  In the instant that his eyes locked on Sam, Siler saw that soft smile again; and this time it did away with the last of the locked tension that had held the man. Even when Sam's low moaning entered the conversation and he turned around to face the sergeant, all Siler saw was a small remnant of uncertainty.

He tried to keep his anticipation at bay, at least; knowing he couldn't hide what the scenario was doing to his body. He didn't try to separate the excitement caused by the sight of Sam on the edge of his vision from that of getting a blowjob; never mind who by.  Watching Jack's eyes drop from his and then fly back up with a self-deprecating blink before he asked huskily, "How did you-" 

Jack's head-jerk wasn't really necessary to clarify the question.  Siler grinned crookedly, forcibly controlling his breathing, remembering just how much fun that had been, "Watching the arousal on Sam's face.  Made me want to.. be the one licking her.  Looking at the way she was touching you.."  He shrugged stiffly, remembering the need that had taken him, to connect to Sam, even to the general, to give pleasure back; and maybe just a little urge to feel that kind of control over-  Oh fuck.  His eyes widened, wordlessly moving his damp hand aside as Jack bent over.  His whole body stiff as his cock twitched visibly in anticipation, catching brief sight of a smirk on Jack's lips and *knowing* control had just flipped places. 

And then the feel of his dick sliding into a hot mouth sent his head arching back with a choked swearword, trying not to jerk the rest of his body.  God he wasn't going to last long!  Not now; not with this!  When he felt Jack lift his head, keeping up the wet suction, he made himself open his eyes, first seeing Sam and then dropping his eyes with a sharp groan as Jack's tongue circled his head.  Short white hair and wide shoulders that he wasn't sure he could overpower and *knowing* that mouth had barked orders at him and would again without hesitation and he couldn't look away, panting desperately for air and shivering from deep inside.

The firm swirl along his underside on the next downslide and the extra jolt of adrenaline as he felt teeth drift by his aching flesh made his hips jerk, fisting his hands in the couch to keep from grabbing the back of Jack's head.  Especially when it lifted as he grabbed the top of Siler's thighs to hold him down.

Wolfish brown eyes met his wild ones as fingers rolled his balls and Jack muttered with a quick grin, "Jesus!  You're as bad as Carter."

The instant memory-recall was too much as Jack went back down on him and Siler choked on a cry, burning heat wracking his body.

"Jack!"  Sam's high tone was half-drowned by Siler's much deeper voice. 

His concentration relaxing away from the task at hand, Jack breathed through his nose, acknowledging the familiar excitement speeding his heartbeat; the similarities of this time were as distracting as the differences.  The fact that he knew personally how close to pain the pleasure of being touched after orgasm was.  Having come flow into his throat rather than licking it up.

Having a large, rough hand stroke through his hair rather a small elegant one.

When he looked up, it was to meet light hazel eyes staring at him with silent affection, not bright blue shining with love.  But that hardly changed the feeling.  Bringing off oh-so-controlled Sam or laconic Siler had surprising similarities when it came to knowing it was *his* doing.. and enjoying their pleasure.  Maybe this land wasn't so damned unfamiliar.  And maybe he had room for another person close to him.  Close to him and Sam.

####

Beaming down into the SGC after an eventless, on-time, successful mission breaking in the Phoenix's new nav and defence systems, Sam felt thorough satisfaction; able to feel the pride of a job well done un-tinged with the guilt of lost lives after so many years when every missions seemed to include pain and death for friends and colleagues and only partial, stolen victories to counter it all.

A simple debrief and making sure her men had their leave rotations set up and Sam got to go home.  Another thing that was a nice change; home was somewhere she looked forward to.  Jack and sex and love and *joy*.  Everything that made every little annoyance and frustration of the last three weeks OK.  Talking with him the couple times she'd managed to use the subspace telsystem hadn't really been enough; she'd gotten used to so much more.

Getting onto the main road home, Sam wondered where Siler was tonight; a little sad that Jack hadn't mentioned him when she'd called, not quite a week ago.  They'd seemed to be getting along that first night, but she wasn't going to force Jack into something he wasn't comfortable with yet.  Of course, there was always a chance Siler had been the one to hesitate; but it seemed a damn sight less likely to her.  Oh well, she'd find out soon enough; she had every intention of getting the whole story out of Jack, even if it took getting into the good scotch with him.

"I'm home!"  That was still a strange thing to say, even after almost a year sharing a house full-time.  Seeing Jack walk out of the kitchen to come pull her into a passionate kiss, though, was anything but strange.  Was the real home they'd fought for all those years.

The fact that he followed the teasing grief he gave her over being back on-time with an insistence that he was taking her out to supper for the birthday she'd honestly forgotten about was so very Jack O'Neill-bad timing that she couldn't quite fight him out of it.  Or seduce him out of it.  It was nice, sometimes, to be just regular people instead of a couple that spent so much time apart that any time together tended to start with a few hours of touching and sex and making up for it all.

Steaks in an intimate booth at their favourite bar and grill was a familiar pleasure.  Relaxing as Jack, at his cheerful best, made her laugh and giggle the whole meal through, while smiling goofily with every successful dumb joke.  The fact that he was also in a tight white t-shirt, old jeans and old leather jacket was the reason she couldn't wait to be in the house to grab his collar and land him against the door, moaning to finally have him against her after spending supper touching and smelling and staring and-  Feeling his hunger for her as his hands dropped to her ass and his tongue took possession of the kiss and made it his -made *her* his- was *just* what she wanted.

He pulled back with a panting jerk, grinning when she tried to pull him to her again, "Come on, Samantha, inside.  My knees much prefer to lay down, *you* know that."

It was embarrassing how much she wanted to growl like a primitive and ignore that surprising bit of sense.  How much that happy grin and those shining eyes tempted her to strip him and taste every square inch of his skin. 

Reminding herself that she was a United States Air Force Colonel and a Doctor of Astrophysics -and therefor could summon a little control!-, she reached around Jack's waist, keeping her eyes on his, silently promising that he was going to be on the very first flat surface she encountered.  The lust in his wolfish smirk as she unlocked the door said he had no objections.

But once they were in, Sam blinked, hearing music and seeing flickering light in the living room, "What the..."  She wasn't particularly worried; the sound of the fireplace was normal.  It just shouldn't be lit; and as for soft, romantic music... she started to smile.

Aware that Jack followed her silently, Sam left the lights off on her way, catching her breath as she saw the candles sprinkled through the room.  Then the cheery fire and the comforters piled in front of it.  She was aware of a bottle of champagne just out of the light and.. honey?  The brief nudge of memory didn't stick as she turned to look at her lover, catching a soft grin on his face he looked around.  "Jack?  Who-"  She stepped into his arms as she whispered the question, sliding her hands around his jaw, not *really* caring who had set this up for him; more interested in making sure he knew how much she loved it.

This time the kiss was soft and gentle, and Sam knew *this* was as good as life got, losing herself in the slowly rising need for the man she loved.

Maybe because she trusted Jack so implicitly and could feel him remaining calm.. or maybe he'd actually bewitched her that much?  But either way, she didn't react to the presence behind her until she felt lips press to her nape and glide to her ear, sending shivers down her spine that were too pleasantly familiar for her to do more than tense; especially when she felt Jack smile against her lips before a deep voice she knew *very* well whispered in her ear, "Happy birthday, Sam."

Torn between a spike of anticipation and heart-melting pleasure that they'd gotten along after all -never mind conspired against her!- Sam turned her head, unconsciously sighing "Siler".  Meeting his unshielded eyes up close, shimmering in the changing light, she reached a hand up to his nape to pull that gentle smile she hadn't seen in so long down for a kiss.

She felt Jack move gently out of her hold, but then his hands slid under her jacket and tugged hers away to undress her as Siler kept up the slow, sweet hello, smiling as she resisted being moved out of his kiss.  Once free, she slid her hands back into his hair with a grumble and he outright laughed, making her grumble even more at the disturbance to what she wanted, even as he grabbed her hips and pulled her close. 

She was vaguely aware of Jack moving around the room, but his smile against her lips stayed with her so that she found herself completely relaxing into Siler's chest, enjoying the slow, sloppy kiss.  Rediscovering an old intimacy with the man she'd for so long trusted to simply follow her orders at any cost.  The affection that she'd still felt for him after they'd parted ways had long since gone instinctive; something she was aware of but which didn't affect how she behaved, other than to make it so much easier to trust him in any way. 

When Jack snuggled up to her back and reached around to pull her soft sweater out of her slacks, Sam lifted her lips with a sigh, raising her arms obediently for him to tug the sweater up and over, then she moaned as Sly took the opportunity to take a nipple into his mouth for a slow suckle, his hands coming up to cup and fondle both of her lace-covered breasts.  Once free of soft wool, she slid her palms over his jean-clad shoulders, leaning her weight back on Jack.  Turning her head, she raised her lips, puckered for a kiss that he obligingly provided, if briefly; nibbling to her ear as he reached a hand to ruffle Sly's hair, "Much better I not convert.. we'd be fighting over real estate."

She laughed a little breathlessly, stilling as she noticed that they were both obviously physically comfortable with each other; Sly never twitched from his thorough exploration at the touch that was a little too slow and a little too caressing to be casual.  She turned wondering eyes back to Jack, choking back any questions right now; she wasn't up to concentrating on the answers anyway.  Especially not with Jack sliding his hands down to lower her slacks while Siler's snuck back to undo her bra.

She was, quite suddenly, naked; again with these two still fully dressed, *and* staring at her with the kind of appreciation that she couldn't help but stand straight for.  Grinning, she turned and took two sashaying steps to the comforter, laying back, her weight on her elbows, knowing full well the picture she made and shivering under the promise inherent in those powerful, passionate male bodies.  She tilted her head at them, still standing where she'd left them, watching her with lazy intent and heated promise respectfully.

"Do I get a striptease?"

Jack blinked, distracted from watching the play of the soft firelight on Sam's beautifully bare skin.  Hearing the cheerful mutter of "Figures" from next to him, he turned in time to see Siler start to unbutton his jean shirt, all the while smiling indulgently at their audience.  Jack shook his head and met Sam's challenging smirk with a shrug, pulling his t-shirt off and throwing it at her head, grinning as she and Siler both laughed.  Double score!  He wasn't going to win the fitness contest but he wasn't *totally* useless.

Siler caught Jack's eye as the other man put his hands on the button of his jeans and he agreeably stopped with a wink and waited until Siler had dropped his shirt, then they both turned to Sam and unsnapped buttons and slid zippers down.  Old jeans and black slacks dropped and Siler's breath stuttered as Sam's eyes slipped avidly back and forth and up and down, her tongue sneaking out to lick her lips very slowly.

He took about half a second to wonder at the odd tastes of the brilliant, gorgeous blonde reclining in very *open* invitation before he unceremoniously slid his boxer off his slowly thickening cock, stepped over to her and got to his knees, dropping his hands on either side of hers to chase that tempting tongue into her mouth, then deepening the kiss, vaguely wondering if he'd forgotten, or if they used to not do this.  Used to avoid this kind of soft tenderness.  He slowly encouraged her to lay down, following to lay along her side, feeling her jerk and then grab the sides of his head with a distracted moan.

Curious, Siler shifted enough to be able to see down her body, a little surprised to see Jack nibbling at the side of her bent knee, his fingers tracing lazily over her foot.  It wasn't until Sam chuckled under his lax lips that he realized *he*'d gotten distracted.  Turning his attention back to the birthday lady, he grinned self-deprecatingly, well aware that his erection was very obvious against her hip.  His voice was only a bit husky when he looked back at Jack, though, "That's what he meant by converting isn't it?"  Jack met his look with a happy smirk, not bothering to respond other than to nibble higher.

Sam's eyes were half-closed, watching Siler get caught up and feeling arousal slowly rise through her own body.  Then he turned back to her, and then past, to reach over her shoulders to where she now remembered seeing those half-hidden bottles.  Resisting curiosity, she watched the shadows on his obviously recently-shaven throat, trailing her hands down to the warm, enticing hollow above his breastbone, her breath catching as Jack took teasing bites along her inner thigh.  There was no hurry here; only the enjoyment of friends and leisurely mutual pleasure.  Her eyes flew up to Siler when pleasantly warm liquid drizzled over the slopes of her breasts.

Then she remembered why the honey had sparked at her memory.  The glee half-buried in his eyes as Siler circled the fire-warmed sweet around her nipples was a pleasure to see.  Like seeing joy appear in Jack's eyes the first time that they'd kissed and he truly started to believe they would be together; would have their season in the sun.  Then Siler set the bottle aside and leaned over, trailing a finger between her breasts before bringing it to his lips to suck it clean.  He winked at her as she stared hungrily, "Just marking my territory."

Even as she felt Jack chuckle against her belly, Sam pulled a hand back and smacked the back of Siler's head; gently.  Mostly.  But he just grinned unrepentantly and bent down to take a nipple into his mouth.  She tensed at the sudden tightening of arousal as he wrapped his tongue around the hard peak before sliding his mouth over to taste more of the honey; then Jack's fingers parted the lips of her sex and his lips followed and she moaned softly, tension appearing deep inside and hooking into both men's touch.  They were still taking their time with her, licking and sucking gently, Siler's hands tracing half-recognized electrical symbols in the barely-flowing sweetness on the breast he wasn't making love to with his mouth.

Sam's hands found the napes of each of their heads, neat and tidy haircut under one palm, sharp and crinkly one under the other as Jack held her thighs with a caressing touch and Siler rocked his aroused penis against the side of one.  The fire crackled -warmth and soul-safety and peace- behind her head and she fought off the urge to force them to hurry, consciously deciding to enjoy this; to acknowledge and reinforce that what was between them was going to be more than raw, hurried sex.

She closed her eyes to better lose herself, and by the time she felt Jack pull back, she *was* lost; her hand as much on Siler's shoulders as his head, gripping and trying to pull him closer as she shivered and twitched, moaning.  Too aware, too needy now for the slow speed they were still using.  There was a hum in Siler's throat as he licked at her skin, slick with her sweat and the remnants of the honey that had been all cleaned off now.  When Jack's lips and tongue lifted from her throbbing clitoris, though, she jerked with a cry, lifting her head to glare; to find him and grab him-  But what she found him doing made her breath freeze in her throat.  Made pleasure pulse white-hot through her, a rush of simmering wetness trickling out of her.

Jack's hand slid over her thigh and Siler grunted in surprise against her, his body stiffening as Jack made him shift his hips, just enough to give him better access, and then slid all the way down onto him.  The hum in Siler's throat changed into a moan, and between that and his hardened suckle at her breast, Sam shuddered deep inside, hand clenching on the back of his head, aching to come but more determined to watch, to be aware and watch his expression as Siler went over the edge; to watch Jack wrap his lips around his cock and suckle with thorough care...

But still, she *really* needed some relief.  Sam took her hand from Jack's hair reluctantly and brought it to her clit, only stroking gently, keeping the edge of need from biting too deep.  Jack's eyes flashed to hers and he lifted his head, grinning.  The pest knew what he was doing to her; *and* Siler!  She moaned sharply as she watched his tongue wrap back and forth around the glistening head bumping at his lips. 

Siler's mouth was turning sloppy, hesitating every so often as he cried out raggedly, his hips jerking against her side, reminding her of the wild ride he could be.  She'd have warned Jack if it hadn't looked like he already knew -and what a thought *that* was to reflect on!-.

Siler's whole body started tightening and Sam brought her hand back up to pull his lips to hers, sucking his tongue hard as his hands came up to grip the hair at the sides of her head desperately, his breathing a ragged mess.   She stroked a hand down his neck, then over his nipple, coming back to tweak it and feeling his whole body convulse as he groaned deeply, his head jerking down until his teeth closed on her shoulder.

Sam stroked his heavily muscled shoulders as he slowly relaxed against her.  It sent warmth through her to watch and feel him in this momentary haze, no matter how dripping wet fucking *horny* she was; rubbing her nose in his hair and catching her own smell mixed with his sweat, from the fingers she'd grabbed him with.

When Siler shifted to his back besides her, Jack started to crawl up Sam's body, smirking, only getting a second's warning before she moved, flipping him onto his back.  He just had time to grunt from the impact and catch a glimpse of a smirk forming on Siler's face before her lips parted his insistently, her tongue reiterating her oft-stated ownership with a hungry growl as she ground her oh so wet pussy on the underside of his cock and the belly it was pressing against. 

His hands grabbed her waist, hesitating between holding her hard and still or lifting her off so he could slide *into* the well of heat torturing him; tough decision with those little sounds of pleasure she was making as she scoured every trace of Siler from his mouth.  Before he got up the mental drive to do what was necessary to work around Samantha's deplorably bad tactics, he felt Siler's heavy hand slide between them, palm wrapping gently around his dick as he came up to his knees besides them to whisper in Sam's ear. 

She raised her lips a bare inch, smiling a sultry smile at a wide-eyed Jack as she lifted her hips to slide herself onto the aroused flesh Siler helpfully shifted into position.  Jack choked a groan at the shivering, moist, hot grip slowly taking him in, jerking his mouth up to retake Sam's.  She pulled back though, licking her lips teasingly as she lifted her torso up and off him, her hands grabbing his off her hips and bringing them down to the comforter besides his waist.

"Sam.."  Her name was no more than a growl as she barely shifted on him, very slowly grinding herself.  Jack's vengeful glare shifted to Siler when the man laughed from his spot besides them, nibbling Sam's arching neck while his fingers played lazily on Jack's sack.

Still grinning, Siler dropped down besides Jack in response to the look, aware of Sam rocking and moaning happily.  Aware that the sound slid through his satisfied body like the smoothest drink.  There was a lightness growing in him from their company, an ease from old loneliness and tension he hadn't even noticed existed.  There was also fear behind the joy; old knowledge that this would not last.  But for now, his thumb, still sticky with honey, stroked over Jack's parted lips before wrapping around his jaw as he leaned over to cover them with his mouth, licking the sweet firmly away, refusing to spoil the present with wasted fears.

Shuddering as Sam moved more purposefully, Jack tried to deepen the kiss, feeling threads of arousal tug at every last damned part of his body, thrusting his hips into Sam even while he allowed her to hold down his hands.  When Siler pulled back with a bite to the corner of his mouth to smirk at him though, he opened his eyes and growled at her, half teasing, "Is he always like this?"

Sam giggled at the exasperation, watching as Siler chuckled and reached for the honey.  Her voice was edged and breathless when she replied, "Yeah.  He likes to play.  *And* gets a little high on pleasure; umm?"  She wasn't surprised that Sly winked at her teasing rhetorical question; that very pleasure was glittering merrily in his too-often un-readable eyes.  Not surprised either that the sight sent even more arousal pulsing through her.

Jack opened his mouth to retort, only to swallow it as Sam finally sped up.  Then his skin shivered as Si's raspy voice breathed on his ear, "Did you really think either of us would run this, Jack?"

Panting and riding herself steadily closer to climax, Sam couldn't hear what it was that made Jack shake under her, but she did see the light start to reflect off the trail of honey that slickly sticky fingers stroked down his neck and into the dip of his collar bone.  She gripped his hands tight as Siler followed the trail slowly with his lips, clenching deep inside even as she was just barely able to hear that hum in the sergeant's throat.  She moaned, watching Jack's expression tighten and twist; watching Siler's tongue swirl a path in the stickiness.  And shaking, shuddering, so very close as Jack thrust up at random and she ground down jerkily.

Then Jack was arching out of her grip with a wordless shout and Siler rose up, hard against her, his hand sliding to her nape as he trust his tongue hard and fast into her mouth, tasting of Jack and honey and passion, his other hand cupping one of her breast even as the wave finally broke over her and Sam sobbed harshly, hands coming up to clench into his hair.  Her breath was being completely stolen, making her light-headed, and elegant fingers came to stroke her clit when she was shaking too hard to keep reaching for more pleasure; Siler's arm, now around her, the only thing keeping her up.

She felt as weak as a kitten, her skin still shivering a little, when Sly finally carried her down to the comforter to lie between him and Jack, her eyes opening drowsily as their warmth wrapped around her, their arms crossing over her belly.  She could see by his small grin that Sly was still a little hyper, but the hand he was winding through her hair was tender and calm, eyes flicking between her and Jack as his head lay on his bicep. 

Jack on the other hand, was already drowsing, automatically tucking her against his heart.  This time though, there were leftover streaks of sweetness tangling the hairs where her cheeks usually rested, and Sam grinned tiredly, licking at the sticky mess curiously.  The warmth of his skin left the honey smooth and easily cleaned up, his body changing the light flavour into something muskier and half very familiar.  Very addictive.  She mumbled as Jack sighed and shifted even closer, "You might just convert me..."

Siler laughed softly, reaching over her to ruffle Jack's hair before he settled down and his own body finally relaxed against her.  She supposed they should get up, clean up and at least cover up with a sheet, but the fire was warm, and her men even more so.  And she wanted to cherish her birthday present.. lay there and contemplate the new future.

AN: Yes, so,  we went with Sam's b-day in May, to alter it for Entity's December date.. would screw up a lot of already-written story, so.. sorry folks.  this is our AU verse. :)


Chapter 5a: Baby steps (PG13)
April 5, 2009

About to close his eyes, Siler stiffened, remembering that he had duty in the morning.  Spending the night here... would mean getting up at a ridiculous time tomorrow.. today.

"Siler?"

Sam's drowsy question at his stiffening made him sigh, reflecting that just because he knew *they* knew all about crazy schedules... didn't actually make it easier to say he had to fuck and run.  He tucked himself right up to Sam's back for a minute to ease -delay- the separation, his arms around her, pulling her warm, soft skin fully against his, even as Jack cuddled her front, forehead to forehead with her.

Siler sighed very regretfully, unable to avoid the ache at the thought that this could be the last time, "I can't stay.  I have to be at the mountain in 6 hours."

Ignoring his own words, he snuggled his nose into Sam's neck, happily overwhelmed by the smell of sex.  Of Sam and Jack -*and* him- all overlaying a drugging scent he found himself relearning as being Sam's skin.  They all needed another shower, really.  He'd sure as hell have to have one as soon as he got home, never mind waiting 'till the morning, otherwise he'd show up at work still impregnated with the smell... and get distracted all too damned often!

"Relax, Siler, we know how it is."  He felt Jack's hand slide through his hair and opened his drooping eyes reluctantly.  The general smiled at him sleepily as Sam squeezed his hand against her stomach; there was absolutely nothing here to encourage him to be a good sergeant and get his pleasantly-worn-out self out of bed.  He silently gave himself until Jack stopped the stroking and then he *would* move.  Really.

Since when did he like having his hair deliberately turned into a mess, anyway?

But he did; feeling rough fingertips slide over his skull and furrow around, the soft hairs rebounding in their wake, tickling his senses, roots disturbed and sometimes not going back into their place; marking him.  His sweat was still damp and it made them stand up even more, no doubt making him as scarecrow-y as Jack; he smiled to himself -it just wasn't a bad thought at that moment...

When Jack finally let go, Siler groaned softly, making his tired muscles pull away from them.  He dropped a last kiss on Sam's ear, caught and squeezed the hand Jack held out and then got himself out of the warm bed.

"Hey, Si'?"  He blinked at the nickname, turning a raised-brow look at Jack, "There's a key on the dresser.  Don't be a stranger, uh?"

####

It took a lot to make Sam lose it.  More than 20 years as a woman in the Air Force and in physics, including intensified training under Jack O'Neill for 8 years, her ability to swallow her swearwords and keep a smile up was almost legendary.  So when people saw Colonel Carter stalking through the halls of the SGC, they saluted promptly and silently; and tried to make like invisible.

Siler didn't get that option.  His commander for the week stalked right up to the corner where he was wedged on his sore back, his arms stretched up into a live generator, and crouched herself over his greasy, stiffened knees to demand a status report.  He could see the legs of the two airmen who'd been helping him sneak out of the room behind his pissed-off sometime-lover.  If he'd been Jack, he'd probably have grinned and tried to jolly her up.  Though if Jack had had the day Siler'd had.. maybe not so much.

Either way though, Siler didn't flirt.  Not at work.  And he wasn't *quite* tired enough to snark at Sam.

He just gave his status report with sensible calm, keeping an eye on the electrically live metal bits a little too close to his body, knowing that there was nothing she could really complain about other than how bad their luck was and hoping her venting wouldn't last too long.  His arms were well into shaking-tired already and he didn't want to end up in the damned infirmary today.

When he was done, he mostly expected a meaningless grumble to hurry and for her to move on to her next victim.  Instead, Sam, obviously aware that their audience had fled, leaned in as though to look at the work he was doing, making Siler blink and mentally still at the sudden proximity of her lips and breasts and.. "Siler, follow me home tonight.  We've *missed* you, for crying out loud."

His eyes jerked to hers at the grouchy mutter, his breath catching at the intimate, smoldering glance he encountered before she got up and stalked out.  He lay there blinking and trying to control his suddenly short breath for a half-minute before he saw his helpers return and made himself clear his mind of anything but work.  For.. another 2 hours and 34 minutes anyway.

####

Jack faintly heard the sound of a car in the drive and made his way to the front door, wiping the sweat off his bare chest with a grabbed tea towel as he went.  He didn't particularly like doing yard work, but it was good enough exercise that he couldn't turn up his nose.  And his both pretty and verbal housemate tended to snark when it became a serious mess.

Sam opened the door pretty much as he got there and he started to grin a welcome, only to raise surprised brows at her thunderous expression.  He watched her walk right past his offered cheek and stalk to the liquor cabinet, starting to straighten with a frown of worry before he realized she wasn't alone -a second before Siler dropped a kiss on his offered cheek, smirking briefly at the momentary shocked reaction he got.

Still not used to the concept, especially after a week without contact -he mentally rolled his eyes at the double meaning-, Jack stared at their visitor for a few seconds before finding his equilibrium.  Rubbing his chafed cheek, he gave the sergeant a bland look, "..You need a shave."

When he heard the snicker from the living room, he grinned, watching Siler's eyes brighten with the smirk that didn't pass his impassive facade this time; deciding that Sam could use a minute with her drink to unwind a little before he approached to find out what was up.

Siler shrugged in answer to his complaint, toeing his boots off with a grunt of relief, "Sorry; long fucking day.  And I wasn't really given the option to go home."

Throwing his towel over his shoulder and leaning against the stairs' handrail, one eye on the living room and one on Siler, Jack snorted softly, "Thought you didn't follow those kinds of orders?"

Siler took his glasses off and put them away, thinking about the completely pissed-off woman who'd been well within reach of very sensitive parts of his anatomy.  He shook his head with a straight face, "General, there are orders.. and then there are *orders*.  I'm not an idiot."  And that last hot look hadn't *only* been annoyed.

And he'd been thinking about the two of them way too often.

Standing in his silent yard with a fire in front of him that usually settled him, peaceful stars above.. and a key burning in his pocket that he couldn't quite fathom the meaning of.  He was fine at work, had enough practise keeping his thoughts to himself and enough work to keep his mind more than occupied.  But when he got home...

Taking that key and stuffing it in with his passport -away from his eyes, away from his fingers- had helped and he'd started to get his routine sort-of back yesterday.  Still not quite up to facing the memories of that night and accepting that as far as he could see, they were in the past, but he'd known he was going to be fine.  Life was going to be a little emptier, that was all.

Then seeing Sam for the first time since he'd left them together had only reinforced his stubborn will to get himself over it so their friendship wasn't affected; he could admit to having missed her, *that* was nothing new.

He still didn't really know what he was doing here; had worked hard to keep his mind on friendship during the drive over.  But then he'd followed Sam's stalking gait in, a little distracted and wondering how a loose uniform could possibly excuse that, only to walk in and see Jack, half naked and relaxed.  Then the arrested domestic move of Jack offering his lady a cheek to kiss had been too tempting for his doubts and he'd let his too-often neglected sense of fun carry him forward.

Jack tilted his head in sudden thought, hearing Sam slowly walking back to them as Siler hung his coat, "Wait.. if you got here at the same time... Sam!" he looked at her accusingly, "You're going to get him arrested... and I don't think the local cops are likely to appreciate his charms enough to let *him* off the hook."

"Shut up, Jack," Sam grumbled, cuddling up to his shoulder, damp hairs tickling her palm and sweaty Jack-skin making her mind finally stop stomping around in infuriated circles.  His arms wrapped around her automatically even as she field-signalled behind her for Siler to come closer.  She didn't have to pull him up to her though; Jack did it for her, one arm leaving her -and whatever expression going between them over her head; she didn't care at that point-.  As long as Siler pressed himself up to her back where Jack's arm had left her, his cheek against the side of her head and his other arm crossing Jack's to hold her hip, she was content.

She felt Jack jerk his head and smiled a little, waiting and unsurprised when Siler rumbled quietly, "So, what had you terrorizing the base all day?"

Reminded of the bloody damned shift she'd had, she growled, knocking her forehead against Jack's shoulder in frustration, "Not one, not *two*; **three** godamned bastards doubting my ability to command.  *And* implying I've slept my way to my job!  In the middle of that whole bloody power-  Shit!" her head jerked up, turning to Siler with suddenly worried, wide eyes, "I never got your-"

She lost the train of thought when he covered her lips with his, no doubt aiming to simply quiet her, but then she opened her mouth a little more and he shifted the kiss, still utterly gentle and slow.  It was only their lips touching, stroking, and Jack rubbing his face just as slowly in her hair.  But each in their own way, these men were completely competent and trustworthy; if they were both relaxed.. she knew intrinsically that everything was fine.  It didn't matter what her mind thought; her body knew that there was nothing more pressing than feeling Siler's lips play over hers, back and forth, tilting this way and that.  Smiling as he deliberately bumped/stroked her nose.

He *did* need a shave; and if she had duty in the morning she'd have stopped this after the first touch.  But right now, a little edged heat on her skin wasn't so bad.  Male scrub and tender, soft, moist lips, capturing hers one minute, letting her do the same the next.  Even the fact that she'd been achy and sore all day, on top of everything, wasn't so annoying anymore.

Eventually, the awkward angle of her neck was too much and Sam pulled back, reluctant as hell, sighing and leaning her head back against Siler's.  Her eyes were still closed when she felt Jack lean past her ear -and Siler meet him un-hesitantly-, making her smile softly at just how relaxed both men were; at the quiet sound of lips touching just by her ear.  OK, yes, there were definite advantages to relationships.  Going from murderous to languorous in less than half an hour had to be a record.

One of them sighed happily and Jack's forehead came to rest on hers as Siler whispered huskily, "My report is on your desk.  Everything is fixed and fine.  Nothing you need to worry about."

Sam's smile faded; aware, now that she was calmer, that of all things on any world, thinking Siler would leave his work unfinished was the best proof that she'd lost her ability to think clearly today.  "I'm sorry I ordered you to come.  I shouldn't have."

Jack snickered, stroking his thumb where he held her lower back, "Did you even think to mention that we missed him?"

Siler answered for her, albeit in a far too quiet tone, "Yeah, she did."  It was always a shock to find chinks in his armour, and the softness they let her catch a glimpse of.  In the old days it had also scared her, the idea of having the power to hurt someone without noticing making her leap back from any such closeness.  But life with Jack had taught her that she could handle it, that two adults who cared about each other could actually be good for each other.  And maybe three could too...

With a grunt of stiffness, Jack made himself straighten, feeling the sweat drying on his skin and aware that they'd *all* had long days.  "Come on, showers all around; and shaves."  He ran a laughing look down Siler's body, "That uniform is beyond filthy, sergeant.  I'm shocked your commander hasn't reprimanded you for it," he grunted again as Sam poked a finger in his gut for that one, "Luckily for you, I'm sure you'll fit in my clothes, so you won't have to walk around all evening in a towel... unless you want to-"  He agilely ducked the open paw teasingly swiping for his ear over Sam's head, smirking at them both.

####

Climbing the stairs between the two men, Sam felt so tired she was disgruntled with herself.  She'd had tougher *months* not so many years ago and had had more energy left over.  But between the stress of the day, her body's complaints about womanhood and the fact that not only had *she* missed seeing Siler all this week -having to actually *work* to resist the urge to track him down- but on top of that, Jack had been a moody pain.  She should have simply accepted that the sergeant would never step forward on his own, called him and invited him.  Eventually he'd get the drift that he really was welcome...

Wouldn't make her body happier, wouldn't save her from dealing with the assholes at work, or the niggling awareness that she was getting that dreaded 'older'.  But not spending the week with the feeling that she was losing her friend would go a long way to making the rest bearable.  Which was why she'd been all too aware of his stillness when Jack had blithely ordered him to hop in their shower.

*She* was in no mood to appreciate anything more sexual than that kiss they'd shared and she wondered if she'd been unfair to assume that he was interested in less when she invited him.. or that he and Jack were really *that* comfortable with each other.  She looked up when Jack said "Ladies first." and thought that maybe they just needed some time alone...

Siler watched Sam walk to the bathroom without a word; looking worn out, now that he let himself really look at her.  Frowning in concern, he turned back to Jack, watching him quietly from in front of the closet.  "Is she OK?"

Jack nodded, reading the other man as on edge and wondering why.  "She just gets tired more easily at this time of the month."  He quirked a smile at the sudden understanding that that produced.  When he heard the shower start though, he frowned, tensing in memory, "Do you know who the hell was giving her trouble?"

Siler's eyes narrowed, his fists clenching unconsciously as he snarled, "No.  But I'll damn well find out, trust me."  And there were all sorts of nasty ways to make the lives of people like that very unpleasant.  He had no compunction in calling in whatever favours he needed; he'd been in the service long enough to have plenty of connections that could get to even the highest brass in Washington and make them think God and the Devil both had it in for them.

"Why am I suddenly glad I never seriously pissed you off, sergeant?"

Siler blinked, bringing his mind back to the present; after all, there was nothing he could do until he was on base and could do some investigating to get names.  In the meantime, Jack was looking more cheerful; as though he was sure Siler could be trusted to avenge his lady for the both of them.  Considering the man's protective reputation... that was pretty good for Siler's ego and he almost grinned, choking it at the last instant.  "No idea what you're talking about, general."  Neither of them was such a fool as to not be aware that Sam would beat them to a pulp if she found out they'd done anything like this.

"Right."  Jack relaxed, writing off the bastards as taken care of and getting back to an evening at home.  "So. BDUs or civilian?"

Siler looked at him critically, remembering the general's notable preference for loose uniforms but more comfortable with the familiar than with wearing something that really belonged to the other man, "Uniform is fine."

####

When Sam finally dragged herself away from the hot spray of the shower, walking out in a towel, Jack snagged a kiss and went in for his turn.  Looking at Siler, lounging in the armchair by the window, still in his grimy uniform, she shook her head, grinning tiredly, "Get those clothes off, Siler, you really do look a mess."

He hesitated, but then got up and started stripping as she dropped the towel and slipped into bed, ignoring his choked-off gasp and laying down on her side in a self-pitying huddle.  Siler joined her with such *completely* uncharacteristic awkwardness that Sam had to laugh, smiling at him gently, "He told you, didn't he?"

Siler winced, well aware that he was visibly out of his depths, "Ahhh, yeah."

Sam shook her head, un-crunching enough to cuddle into him until his warmth seeped into her belly, "I remember I used to beg off, back in the old days.  In no mood for sex."  And that was all they'd had then; but those words didn't need to be said.  She only hoped he knew this time was more.  Whether by virtue of her having had a few more years of settling down, or their years as friends... or the fact that Jack added his touch to their chemistry.

"Yeah, did figure that."  He let his hands rest instinctively on her lower back, "This OK?"

Hot, dry, large hands felt great on her sore back and she sighed, "If you feel like rubbing lightly..." she literally moaned at the wave of heat he created, "Thaaank you...."  She smiled when he laughed, sounding like a victorious little boy, "I didn't invite you over just to use you as a heating pad.  I hope you know that."

"Sure," he nuzzled her temple, "I bet your heating pad is a damn sight cleaner, for one thing."

Sam shook her head, cuddling even closer as her body loosened up a little under the painkillers she'd taken and the heat he was giving her, "You're not that bad.  Your clothes are the greasy, ozony things.  Your skin just smells of hard-working man..."

####

Stepping out of the bathroom in a towel, Jack stopped, wondering how he could possibly not be jealous to see the woman he loved laying naked in bed, cuddling tenderly with an almost naked man that wasn't him, his hands stroking her with the care of someone who loved her.

The fact that he knew she'd smile lovingly when she noticed him might have to do with it.  The fact that he'd missed the man, knowing he wasn't likely to actually show up of his own choice... might have to do with it.  As calm as Teal'c most of the time, Siler had an edge of playful, easy affection sometimes that was... Crap, Carter had him watching way too many chick flics!

Grumbling under his breath, Jack crawled onto the bed on Sam's other side, wrapping himself around her and slapping Siler's shoulder, "Go on.  Shower, shave; my turn to cuddle."

Siler snickered, rubbing his nose on Sam's temple again without otherwise budging, "I don't think the general likes the smell of hard work, Sam..."

Jack rolled his eyes, hearing Sam giggle, "Siler, seriously, the name's Jack.  Especially when we're practically naked in a bed, for crying out loud."

Siler chuckled without replying and Jack slid his hands to cover Sam's belly when he got up to take his turn in the bathroom.

Sam snuggled back on Jack, sighing as he kissed her shoulder, "You guys don't have to do this, you know.  I was just going to catch a rest.  You could have washed up together."  It was only half a tease; the fact that she wasn't 'in the mood' was all the more reason for them to have their own fun...

Jack didn't answer for a minute, rubbing her soft skin gently, letting his mind stray to the shower.  He didn't realize his body had given him away until Sam giggled softly again and he rolled his eyes, grumbling, "We *used* to shower together -I actually remember once borrowing his shampoo when I ran out-..  and I never *once*-" his hand flopped about as he fished for a word, " 'Looked', or cared or..."

Hearing the hesitant self-doubt in his voice, Sam turned around, not surprised to find a tense expression on his face, his arms wrapping around to her back as she rested her palms on his chest.  He'd missed Siler this week, she was damned sure of it; but maybe half of his temper had been because he didn't really think he should.  "*We* showered together a few times."  All of SG1 had on any number of variously-memorable occasions over their years in the field.

Jack smirked, though the humour didn't quite reach his eyes, "Yeah, and I had to be very careful *not* to look..."

"Jack.  You've been trained -by society, by the Air Force- to see women as people to *want* to look at; and equally trained *not* to look at men.  It doesn't mean you'd be attracted to all women..."  Rather than try to force the rest of the point, Sam just watched him absorb the idea, knowing he had to be OK with this deep-down or they would never have gotten here at all.  She might have instigated Atlantis, but her birthday had to have been Jack's own idea.  And she'd seen him be too comfortable with small intimacies with Siler for this to be anything more than a reactionary freakout.

Jack was still mentally wishy-washy-ing when his eyes tracked to the opening bathroom door and his ability to fool himself took a nosedive and hit the deck at the speed of sound.  So maybe he'd taken blinders off now that he was retired, or maybe Sam's thought patterns were getting imprinted on his; he wasn't going to waste time pretending he could, or even *wanted* to fight it.  He *liked* Siler, that was all there was to it.  Anything else, he'd have to work his mind around because there was no way he could deny what watching water drip off Siler's tags and sparkle down his smooth chest into that wet towel was doing to his palms.  Or the rest of his body.

Seeing Jack's eyes licking fire away behind her, Sam turned in his arms and smiled cheerfully at Siler as he came over and crouched in front of her, "Good shower?"

Eyes flickering between hers and Jack's, Siler grinned, feeling much better than he'd thought he could, just a few hours ago.  "Yeah.  Good shave too."  Touching her reddened skin apologetically with a fingertip, he leaned over to rub his now-soft cheek against hers, eyes locking on Jack, not entirely sure how to interpret his steady look.

Sam's open hand slid over his breastbone to rest on his heart, fingers tangling with his chain, and he covered her hand with his, eyes closing at the strangely innocent caress.  Then Jack's calloused palm slid over his jaw, thumb stroking slowly, and his eyes flickered behind his lids, his whole body stilling as he breathed.

When had he started needing this kind of affection?  Because that was all it was; neither of them was even hinting at anything sexual, no teasing or seducing.  Yet this was more than friendship.

Part of him wanted to run, starting to realize how little like his usual casual light-friendship-with-benefits this was becoming.  They were reaching out to him.. and he was letting them in without even realizing it, letting himself get used to their touches; to *them*.

But another part of him already didn't want to let them go.  He almost wondered if some of these feelings hadn't been silently growing in the years where he'd thought himself safe.  It seemed impossible that he would so quickly accept and even need this.

Sam turning her head to trail her lips to his ear distracted him out of his thoughts even before she whispered.  "I'm going to go get supper on."

He stayed crouching after she'd slithered out from between them, watching curiously as she stole the BDUs Jack had pulled out for him and threw them on before briskly leaving the room.  A little confused at the sudden exit, he turned back to the man lying on his side in bed with a towel, holding his head on his bent arm and staring at the door with a half-hearted smirk.  Siler cleared his throat, putting a hand on the mattress to push himself up, "She's going to cook?"

He moved back to let Jack get up, grinning inside as he ogled the bare flank the shifting towel exposed.  Damn, he was getting hopeless.  Though at least he wasn't tenting his bloody towel.  Yet.

"Hell no.  Pizza out of the freezer.  Still want BDUs?"  Jack leered back at him teasingly, "Towel's fetching..."

His first instinct was to grin and rock his pelvis forward, but when Jack responded with a light-hearted laugh that he'd never heard before, Siler straightened more seriously, watching as Jack fished out another uniform.  He'd been so focused on their effect on him.. he hadn't thought-  But maybe Jack just laughed more at home.  Probably had nothing to do with him.  Shrugging off the strange thought, he nodded to the door, "..So why was she suddenly in such a hurry?"

Handing him the clothes, Jack walked to the chair he'd thrown his clean slacks on yesterday, shrugging with forced casualness, "Think she thinks she's inhibiting us."  He dropped his towel before he realized there was no clean underwear waiting and turned around to go back to the dresser, jerking to a stop at finding a naked man standing in his bedroom.  Unfortunately, Siler chose that moment to straighten, pulling up the very loose pants and tying the drawstring tight at his waist; catching Jack staring at him in almost-surprise.

"Jack?"  Siler blinked, looking down his own body and back up, confused, "Something wrong?"

Jack shook his head, looking away and grumbling under his breath, trying not to feel self-conscious as he walked.  For crying out loud!  After the things they'd done to each other.. Why was seeing Siler stark naked in his and Sam's bedroom such a shock??  Hell, how about after he'd practically drooled when Siler'd walked out of the bathroom!  Damned fucked-up brain.  Though the fact that he'd had Sam in his arms then might have had something to do with it.

He literally shivered when Siler put a hand on his shoulder as he stood staring into his underwear drawer blankly.

"Jack.  Relax.  I-"  They both froze at the sound of a metal pan hitting the floor downstairs, followed with half-heard swearing.   The sound of the same pan being slammed on a counter made them snap out of it and grin at each other, dissipating the tension into nothing.  "I take it you didn't manage the miracle of teaching Sam Carter to cook either?"

Jack laughed again, grabbing and putting on underwear quickly, trying to remember what else they had for supper if the swearing meant the pizza had hit the floor.  "You two are the miracle workers, not me.  I just cover your sixes."

Siler nodded with mock-seriousness, watching his old commander hurriedly get dressed as he buttoned his borrowed shirt, "And you do it well, sir.  I couldn't thank you enough for coming back for me and my men when the replicators locked us in."

Jack, recovered from the awkwardness, threw him a mock-glare as he hurried out, "What did I say about the name, sergeant?"

He heard the other man's long strides following him with a chuckle, "I believe you said it was Jack.  Sir."

He knew there was a shit-eating grin on his face as he took the stairs a little carefully, respecting the knees that weren't as accepting of yard work as he'd like.  Fucked brain or no, he'd never actually denied he liked playing authority figure.  Even if he knew the double-twenty master sergeant wasn't likely to hand him (or anyone else) any respect by default.  The implication was enough fun; right up there with Sam's 'Sir' that sounded more like his mother's 'John J. O'Neill'.

The pizza turned out to be safe and hockey playoffs running on the TV, and when Siler took the food remnants away, Jack didn't bother moving to his chair, staying on the couch with Sam's head in his lap.  She pulled her legs to let Si' back in with fresh beers and Jack didn't even try to pretend he hadn't stuck around so the three of them could be closer.  He really was turning into a sap in his old age.  Although, at least Si' had his teams straight.  Anything else would have been a biiiig problem.  Huge.

When commercials came they threw all disparaging at the crap that was on TV these days, or Sam and Siler chatted about work while Jack just relaxed, smiling as the sergeant got all enthused to hear the geeky details of Sam's new communication system, only to make her squawk in annoyance as he called it a spacephone.  Oh, she was sooo going to hold that over the boy's head for the rest of their lives!

He and Sam had done this a few times in the years since he'd left the SGC; not nearly often enough -their lives still tended to be excitable-, but it was heaven to get to practise the so 'normal' pastime of just relaxing on the couch; watching a bit of TV, but mostly just being together.

When the game ended, Siler shifted, looking regretful under his mask, "I better go."

Sam reached a hand out, frowning, "Siler.  Just because I'm out doesn't mean the two of you can't.."

Jack shook his head at her when she trailed off, grinning at the surprised sergeant, "Did I mention she also gets a little emotional?"

Siler chuckled, grinning as Sam smacked her old commander's bicep for the damned sexist remark.  When he gently lifted her feet, folding her legs to free himself, she looked at him a little sadly.  Hormones or instincts, she really had thought/hoped that they had their own closeness.  For some reason it was important that this not be only about her.  "I just don't want to interfere.  I know you two've spent time alone doing more than watching the Simpsons.  You have to know I don't *mind*..."

Siler smiled softly, the creases around his eyes making her want to take the time to learn every inch of him with her lips and fingertips.  He leaned down and pressed a kiss to each of her bent knees through her pants, more meaning than touch.

"Sam, we're fine," his eyes flicked up to Jack's, remembering that frozen moment she'd interrupted with her attempt at cooking.  Meeting hers again, he winked, "We cheated on the 'alone' bit.  Remember those pictures I used to take?"  When her eyes widened, a blush staining her cheeks as she met Jack's leer, Siler chuckled, "You don't 'interfere'.  I have a half-day's work in the morning.. and I'm just wiped out; it's been a-" he lost the smile, tempted to stop the words that almost escaped but finally resisting.  He was safe with them.. "A crappy week."

"Siler."  He looked back up as Jack spoke warmly, "BBQ tomorrow afternoon."

In the silence while he blinked and mentally flipped through responses, Sam covered his hand on her leg and he caught her silently beseeching look, nodding before he realized he'd made a choice.  So much for getting back to his safe routine.


Chapter 5a1: Taken (PG13)
September 18, 2009


Standing in the long line at the cash, Siler's mind was wandering, flipping from the annoyance at himself for being so distracted at work this morning.. to the *reason* he'd been distracted.

As.. 'pleasant' as yesterday had been, he couldn't quite deny that he wouldn't mind a blowjob.  He'd woken up wanting *them* at least as much as to get off.

And that, right there, nagged him.  It wasn't as though he was in the habit of getting regular sex; he'd been letting entirely too much time elapse between putting the time and effort into even a casual relationship the last few years, and yet it rarely bothered him.  Something about getting old, probably.

And now.. realizing that this was so different..

He was going to have to consciously *not* think about it too hard, simply to avoid scaring himself off.  He was starting to understand those people who stayed away from relationships out of fear, and wondered what a week of silence from them would feel like after the comforting closeness yesterday.

Glancing in slight aggravation at the people holding up the line, he firmly closed that Pandora's box and looked for something else to occupy his mind.  Wrong day for the damn gas pump card network to be down; maybe it would be faster if he offered to fix the damn thing.

He was about to deliberately pull up his work todo list and pick something to try to think through when he saw the flowers.  He *didn't* want to think about work.  But he even less wanted to be in a crappy mood right now.  So when looking at the cheap bouquets in their bucket, saviour of no doubt many a forgetful and/or late husband, made a different work memory surface, he went with it willingly.

Watching Walter walk into the infirmary -.. was it 10 years ago?- he'd been surprised and rather amused that he was going to get to watch the sergeant either woo a nurse or patient.. or embarrass the hell out of a patient.

He'd been a heck of a lot less amused when his buddy had walked up to *him* with a smirk.  Had even started to snark at him until Walt had pulled his First sergeant face and handed him a card.  Siler'd continued to glare right up until he realized the bloody things were neither from Walter, nor some silly Air force convalescence gift.

Heh.  He picked one of the bunches, grinning as he planned all the snarks he could throw.  And how to respond to the returns from the general.

"Sergeant Siler?"

He turned his head, blinking the amusing visions away and hurriedly swallowing the grin to respond to the greeting.  It took a few seconds for the name of the pretty woman in the red tank top and jeans that had appeared next to him to click and he finally nodded politely, "Sergeant Gilligan."

The young staff sergeant preened, obviously pleased he'd remembered the name, and he mentally grinned at the well-developed cleavage that suddenly got pushed forward in the thin, tight, top.  Much as he preferred his women tall, there were advantages to-  He cleared his throat, getting off that track and sweeping his eyes up impassively, hoping she hadn't made more of the reaction than it was.

"Please, call me Wendy," she smiled at him, batting her lashes coquettishly, "It's kinda nice to put the formality aside with the uniform," he blinked at the unapologetic stroll her eyes took down his body before coming back up with an even sultrier look, "Don't you think so?"

Automatically pulling a practised smile, albeit the small one, Siler stepped forward with the line without breaking the conversation, "Yes ma'am.  Settling into the mountain?"

"I guess.  Kind of-" she glanced around and obviously remembered the 'top secret' of their work, turning a bit self-deprecating, "Taking some getting used to," the damned flirty look came back, "Especially the town; I've never lived in a mountain-city.  Really makes the layout of the place weird.  How did *you* learn it all??"

The fact that he didn't think she knew how long he'd lived here, let along whether he was familiar with the city, not to mention the completely over-ingenious for his tastes eyes blatantly asking for an offer of a private tour, made impatience start to rise in him.  Come on, lady, I'm not *that* easy.  Even if he'd been in the market, if she really hadn't spoken to anyone to find out what he went for, then she shouldn't have assumed she could be so forward with him.

"A map and a lot of attentive weekend drives will do it, just like any other place, sergeant," he hadn't meant to snap that quite so much, but he did have a responsibility to make sure junior NCOs understood the customs of the service.  Watching her straighten and lose the foolish posturing, he decided she actually understood and gave her a friendly enough nod, "If you'll excuse me, ma'am?  Looks like I'm up."

Wendy stood quietly as he brought his hand over and handed the clerk a bouquet she hadn't realized he carried, quickly judging that he'd actually paid attention and chosen one of the better ones for his lucky lady.  When he finished paying and turned back to her, stepping out of the line, she'd wiped her expression down to a friendly smile, standing at rest, regretting having made a play when the attractive, well-built, master sergeant was apparently taken, "I apologize, sergeant, I was out of line.  Won't happen again."

He nodded back with what looked like understanding, "I'm sure it won't.  Enjoy your day off, ma'am."

Nodding back, she smiled a bit, enjoying the view as he walked away and wondering who she could ask about him.  Then maybe when his current relationship ended...

AN: snicker :D


Chapter 5b: More baby steps (NC17)
April 13, 2009

-s-e-x-s-e-x-s-e-x-s-e-x- WARNING -s-e-x-s-e-x-s-e-x-s-e-x-

When he heard the doorbell, Jack looked toward it with a glare.  He was suddenly annoyed enough to be tempted to stay silent and see what happened; but he had a suspicion he'd just end up even more ticked off while Siler left, and even *he* realized that that was a dead end.  He just really hated having to be the grown-up one.

The second ring was much shorter and Jack knew he had to act so he yelled "It's open!", hearing the anger in his tone.

Swearing shortly, Jack made himself take a deep breath as he heard the door open and familiar steps shamble toward the kitchen.  As much as he wanted to make a fuss about the knocking, let along about his not using his key, Jack didn't trust his temper and just shut up, looking down at his chopping board.

But he did make himself look up when Siler walked into the kitchen, looking a little too impassive to be comfortable, haphazardly carrying.. flowers??

He must have caught the incredulous look, because Siler smirked at him, putting the gas-station flowers on the island, "For you.  Figured I owed ya.  Do you have any idea how much ribbing I got from the damn things you sent me that time in the infirmary?"

Suddenly not so pissed, Jack grinned at the thought of the sergeant resisting a blush as Walter and Simmons riled him.  Remembering why he'd felt compelled to send him flowers in the first place, though, he winced, feeling more contrite now than his alien-afflicted state had let him be then.  "I really *am* sorry for hurting you."

Blinking at him with curious surprise, Siler shrugged, "You weren't yourself."

He looked around silently and Jack smiled, relaxing a little, "Sam got called in."  He snorted, "Thoroughly pissed about it, too."  As much as he also hated losing any time that they should be spending together, it was still funny to see his old workaholic-Carter suddenly not want to go to work to the point of snarling a blue streak.

Feeling the edge of temper in the general's demeanour, Siler thought about the truth of what he'd told Sam; she was still a large part of the link between them.  Not all of it by a long shot, but enough that he wasn't willing to push things and risk his old hidden friendship with either of them.  He shifted sideways minutely, nodding to the door, "You want me to.."

The question, the choice to go forward or to stop this, lay between them.  And for whole seconds, they were just two old soldiers, too used to standing tall, alone and un-helped, to easily admit, even to themselves, the comfort they found in each other.  Stiff faces used to keeping their emotions hidden from people they were responsible for did not easily ask for affection; nor even company.

But Siler was a survivor and didn't see much use in denying who he was or what he wanted; it didn't matter if you admitted it or not, losing still hurt.  He deliberately relaxed his stance, watching Jack face the kind of epiphany he'd had yesterday, kneeling besides their bed.  They were already *too close*.

It had only been a few seconds, no matter how long it felt, when Jack shook his head as though to clear it, then quirked a half-grin that didn't quite light his eyes, but was still friendly, "Not unless you want to."

Impasse.  Ah well.  Fear said leave, but his instincts said stay.  Instincts had kept all too many accidents from actually killing him; instincts won.  Stepping forward again, Siler picked the flowers back up, "Sam have somewhere she puts these?"

Keeping his breathing steady through force of training, Jack nodded to the top of the cupboards where a vase sat gathering dust, just barely in reach of the tall sergeant.  Hating how close he'd come, more than once tonight, to making a mess of this, he watched Siler shake his head wordlessly at the state of the glass and wash it before unwrapping and dumping the stems in.  Yeah, he should probably buy flowers more often.  Or maybe Si' would take care of it...

When he turned with the crumpled wrapping in his fist and a questioning look, Jack nodded to the cupboard under the sink.  Trying to convince himself that he'd become a fair diplomat, these last few years, he cleared his throat, using prepping veggies for the grill as a reason to look down as he spoke, "Make yourself at home, Siler.  We.." he shrugged, glancing up quickly to meet the sergeant's steady expression, "*I* really meant what I said; don't be a stranger.  Even without the sleeping together.. thing, you'd still be a friend, not a ship passing in the night; the house is the least of things you have the run of."

The tone was too controlled behind the forced humour, making it obvious there were deeper feelings throwing the general.  Siler relaxed a bit more, though Jack, back to staring at his chopping, couldn't see.  He was more than willing to accept that typical O'Neill awkwardness.  Not that he couldn't use a relaxing drink right about now.  Half-tempted to go to the liquor cabinet, he resisted the bad idea and opened the fridge, correctly assuming he'd find beer.  Pulling a bottle out, Siler looked over his shoulder, "You want one?"

Jack looked up at the question and grinned, "Man after my own heart." He turned back to his knife before the heat he felt on his face could show when he heard his own words.  Damned getting to know each other thing.

When the sergeant twisted off both their caps and handed Jack his bottle, he nodded his thanks, taking a grateful swig of the cool drink.  Then he watched him nod to the chopping board, "Want some help?"

Jack raised a surprised brow, "You cook?"

Siler snorted, giving him a dry look, "Jack.  I've been alone for damn near 50 years.  And I haven't always had a base cafeteria handy.  Yeah, I *cook*."

Jack shrugged, reaching for another knife, "Didn't help Sam.."

####

Standing on the deck in the early evening sun, listening to their quiet neighbourhood, Jack closed his eyes, taking another swig of beer as the BBQ slowly warmed up besides him; just enjoying the homey, peaceful feeling.  He opened his eyes when Si' stepped out with the plates and cutlery, watching the way the man moved, slow but smooth, as he got the feel of their house, reminded of Sam when she'd visited him in Washington.  Soldiers and unfamiliar places.  For that matter, soldiers and newcomers in *their* places...

He watched as Siler straightened from the weathered wooden deck table, slowly stretching his arms fully out, his tight white t-shirt almost pulling out of his age-softened blue-jeans as he raised himself to his bare toes and then relaxed, eyes closed and head thrown back in the fading sun.  Looking at ease and happy, the faintest of smiles breaking his impassive mask, Siler wasn't paying him any attention, but Jack's mind still flashed to another evening.  To entirely different circumstances putting a smile on the sergeant's backward-tilted face.

He really wished the heat of the day was the reason he was suddenly feeling hot.  He really did.

Narrowing his eyes and about to stubbornly focus on the meat waiting for the grill, Jack was caught and held when Siler tugged his sweat-damp shirt over his head.  For a minute, he didn't even think about it, just stared and remembered watching Sam's hands first smooth and then dig into those heavy, work-born muscles as Siler lost his mind.  And spilled on Jack's tongue.

Remembered feeling that smooth skin move against his as he lost his *own* mind. 

It took Siler straightening and turning for Jack to face that he'd been daydreaming about making love with him.

This time when Siler saw Jack's stiff discomfort, he made the connection to the shirt he still held and straightened, watching him steadily.  Sam's worry the night before came back to him and *Jack's* answer was suddenly rather important.  He didn't.. *mind* either way.  He could handle it if everything between the two of them was linked to Sam.  He didn't think he'd misread them so badly as to there being much chance of either going back to a platonic relationship or.. losing them.  But he needed to know where he and Jack stood.  He knew all too well that his morality was looser than most, whereas the general had definitely been raised in the more accepted cultural mainstream.

He opened his mouth and then blinked, momentarily debating just what to say.  Finally picking what he'd been *told* to use rather than the formality automatically trying to trip off his tongue, he asked, utterly calmly, "Jack?  Look, I'm not sure what-"  He clenched his jaw in annoyance as Jack slashed a hand at him and grunted an obvious order for quiet.  As well have used 'general'!

"Siler-" he interrupted himself and took a breath, shrugging his shoulders, "I apologize, ser-" he clenched his teeth, looking like he was swearing a blue streak at himself, "There's a part of me that keeps poking its head up and trying to..." his hand waved in frustration.

"To tell you this is wrong."  And he bet that that 'part' spoke with the general's parents' voice; or his drill sergeant's.

Siler saw Jack's eyes narrow at his calm words.  "Not *this*-" he waved house and base-ward, including Sam in the word; then stared at him, flustered, "Just the.. you and me part."

Siler almost grinned; that 'you and me' thoroughly appealed to his sense of humour.  And the frustrated tone -and the fact that its existence meant Jack at least partially *didn't* want 'them' to end- kept any of this from feeling like rejection.  "There doesn't *have* to be-"

"Ah ah ahhh!  I have no intention of humouring outdated cultural conditioning, Siler.  We have.. fun together, right?"

His control wasn't up to completely controlling the grin that *that* thought put on Siler's lips, but he did manage to choke it down to a reasonably calm, "Yes, sir."

He saw Jack wince at the term of address, but the general let it slide, speaking in a rare, conciliatory tone, giving him a quietly appealing look, "So.  I want this, you want this.  Have a bit of patience for me?  I swear I'm working at the reactions."

Damn it.. *when* had he gone so soft on the man?  He was sure there was a time he treated him just like any other officer, albeit one actually worthy of respect.  Siler shrugged, again ignoring fear's warning that he was stepping far deeper than he ever had before.. here there be dragons and all that jazz.  "I'm a sergeant, Jack, I'm used to having patience with officers."

He grinned when he managed to make Jack laugh with that one.  He liked the sound; real, honest to god, pleasure.  With *him*.  Very nice thought.

He lifted the shirt he'd crumbled in his hands at some point in their discussion, "Want me to put the shirt back on?"  His ego loved the idea that he bothered the general, but he didn't need to rub it in.

Still smiling at the noncom's too-often true jab, Jack leered at him deliberately, kicking the hesitation firmly into the BBQ to burn.  There was *nothing* fucking wrong with wanting Siler; physically or emotionally.  Fuck anyone who thought otherwise.  "..No."

Siler quirked a fast grin, knowing he'd straightened a little too pridefully at that one, and that his pulse had gone up at the honest appreciation.  "..OK," he tilted his head, keeping his face utterly blank as he spoke, "Willing to take yours off?"

Jack froze, breath catching and a pool of heat tensing his gut at the very direct look in Siler's eyes.  Okayyyyy.  He had a hard enough time understanding what *Sam* saw in him, especially these days...  But he *was* determined to get over the barriers between them so he put the beer down and pulled the already half-undone Hawaiian-print shirt over his head.

Refusing to spend any more time thinking about it, Jack threw the shirt on the railing and turned to his BBQ.  He was about to fork up a steak to put on the warming grill when Siler spoke up with a lazy tone, "Does having the run of the house extend to critiquing your cooking?"

Jack looked up in surprise, giving the man now leaning on the railing a couple steps away a curious look, "What's wrong with my cooking?"

Siler swallowed his smirk at the slightly defencive tone and nodded at the not-yet-ready grill, "You put your meat on that, you'll burn supper."

Jack smirked at him, though he did put the fork back down, "Maybe I *like* my meat hot-"

####

Supper finished, Sam's leftovers put away for her and the kitchen cleaned, they'd poured themselves some drinks to sip and put the TV on, relaxing on the couch.

The third time Jack responded to a casual comment with an all-too-familiar barely-moderated snarl, Siler raised a questioning brow at him, "You sure you wouldn't rather be alone, sir?"

Jack's head spun on him, gawking, "..'Sir'?  Am I being that bad?"

He shrugged, not particularly worried about it either way and thinking that Jack really had been on edge all night.  They were all loners, if Jack didn't know how to ask for alone-time from him, he didn't mind doing the talking, -all part of the good-sergeant training, he mentally smirked-, "Sorry.  Yeah, you are."

He watched the general blink a few times and then turn back to the TV, looking a little embarrassed and grumbling, "Ah.  Funny thing; it's not just women who get grouchy during their periods."

"..Oh!" Siler smirked, caught by surprise at the strange idea.  Of all things he'd never had to learn about women...  He tried to keep his voice laconic, aware that his eyes were probably giving away the laughter in his head, "Little horny, Jack?"

The man snorted, hunching lower on the couch and downright mumbling his response, "Yeah.  And the damn phone rang in the middle of my shower this morning."

This time he couldn't help it, Siler laughed sharply before choking it to a grin, "You know," he leaned over, eyeing the tanned skin and white hair showing through Jack's still-open shirt, "We *could* do something about that..." Feeling about 14 for the manoeuvre, he laid a hand high on Jack's thigh, still grinning, and waited for the snarky response he knew had to be incoming.

####

Sam hurried up the steps, smiling that Siler's truck was sitting peacefully in their drive.  One of the many reasons she'd been snarly at being called in had been the lonely feeling that she wasn't going to get to see him tonight.  Between the chances of being stuck at the mountain all night and her suspicion that he and Jack weren't comfortable spending much time alone...  But it seemed she'd misjudged her boys' willingness to admit their own feelings.

Stepping into the house quietly, she heard the baseball going on the TV and rolled her eyes; then again, maybe they'd simply lost track of time in their mutual love of sports.

Oh well, at least she got to spend some time with them.  She was getting downright greedy for any personal time with these men.

Stepping into the living room, Sam froze, eyes widening and feeling a sudden pool of arousal throbbing through her pelvis.  She carefully leaned against the doorway, controlling her breathing; as surprised at just how hot she was getting in the middle of her period as she was at seeing the two of them fooling around on the couch like teenagers.

Whoever had started it, Jack was leaning back in the corner now, shirt wide open, Siler crouching over him, *his* shirt sitting in a pile at her feet, the heavy muscles on his bare back flexing as they mixed not-quite-hesitant kissing with laughing bites at each other's necks and jaw.

Jack had one hand digging in a heavy shoulder blade with strength he rarely let himself use on her, the muscles of his arm standing out, tensed.  Sam could just see the side of his other one, the hand hidden between the two men, moving in a regular motion; the jerky tension in his expression giving her a big hint of just what he was doing.

On the one hand, she didn't want to interrupt for anything, but she also *really* wanted to *touch* them, hear those rough, under-voice murmurs from up close, feel their soldier's power under her itching palms.  When their roughhousing suddenly stilled, one of Siler's hands held Jack's jaw, thumb teasing his lips as he whispered in his ear, his other hand stroking gently over Jack's chest.  And Sam could see the expression on Jack's face getting familiarly tight, his eyes closing.

She stepped forward quietly, feeling literally pulled to them; to the breathless little moan in Jack's throat as he jerked off.  To what she knew would be Siler's raspy aroused mutter.

Jack was preoccupied enough not to hear her, but Siler's eyes lifted to her, smiling as he shifted so that she had access to the man under him.

She slid a hand over Sly's hot, sweat-slick skin, dropping her lips to take her own bite at Jack, finding the red marks Siler had left a very appealing trail to follow as her other hand slid over his ribs.  Soaking up the familiar feel of prickly hair under fingertips until she found the tight bud of a nipple and felt him twitch, not even trying to make out Siler's so-shivery words over Jack's harsh groan as he stiffened, shuddering under their touch.

Smiling against his neck, lazily sampling his salty skin with the tip of her tongue, Sam felt him slowly slouch back, boneless and sighing Siler's name, even as he turned his head to dopily nuzzle for her lips.

She whispered against his cheek, smiling gleefully into Sly's bright eyes, beyond happy to not only be away from work, but to be reassured of them.  "I'm home."

She and Siler continued to stroke him, nibbling and kissing, him and each other, basking in the pleasure they found together, their hands touching and playing over his chest; comforting, soothing, even as she made a point of sliding her other hand down to the back of Siler's waist.  She wriggled her fingers past his belt to stroke the soft skin just below and his hips rocked forward against Jack's thigh, making dark brown eyes pop open to meet hers with a grin as Siler moaned into his neck.  No.  Her boys were perfectly comfortable.  And damn but that made her need attention herself!

Jack turned his head, closing teeth that didn't look all that teasing on Siler's ear and muttering something that made him catch his breath and awkwardly get off Jack to sit back in the middle of the couch.  Stealing a short, hard kiss from her general, Sam left Jack to un-slouch himself and grab Kleenex while she climbed slinkily onto the couch besides Siler; making him grin happily.  Sliding her hands to his nape and feeling him slide his palms along her forearm, eyes locked to hers with a quiet pleasure, she sat on her haunches and grinned at the anticipation in his expression before covering his lips for a sloppy, lazy, playful kiss.  It had always been so easy to play with him...

She felt him moan suddenly, his hand tightening on her forearm, and shivered herself, knowing what she'd see if she turned her head.  She was already throbbing so much...  She didn't realized she'd whimpered until Siler's free hand cupped the crotch of her pants, thumb stroking near her clit with a jerky clumsiness.  She really did need to come, but she could wait a few minutes, especially if she got to watch Siler lose his so-controlled mask and give in to pleasure; let them see the man under the protective shield he gave the world.  Why even the thought of watching Jack blow him would make her so damn desperate that she couldn't quite resist grinding herself against Siler's willing hand...

When his head jerked back onto the couch, panting as his powerful hand pulsingly gripped her arm, Sam followed him down, aiming for an untouched corner of his neck; trying to be gentle and avoid marking him hard enough to last.  Her palm slid down to cop a feel from his breastbone down his sternum; hot, sweaty, soft skin over hard, shivering muscle, finally coming to a stop on his right hip under the flap of his opened jeans, dislodging Jack's tight grip to press Siler's already twitching body down herself.

Power in all its forms was an aphrodisiac; power over him to hold him down, the power in his body.  Power to bite and hear him cry out raggedly; power to change to soothing, gentle, innocent kisses along his lips and feel him shiver.  Listening to his broken moans as he tried to turn and kiss her, feeling the wild jerk of his muscles as he half-tried to get out of hers and Jack's grip.

She was tempted, so tempted, to slow even more, trusting that Jack was watching and would follow.  But Siler had enough presence of mind or body to transfer his desperation to twitching his thumb hard on her.

Sam didn't need a translator; 'Get me off and I'll get you; just *get me off*'.  Ignoring his threatening growl when she lifted her lips from his skin, she looked down, meeting Jack's eyes.  She'd meant to grin and silently tell him to go for it, but she froze, fixing on watching him riling Siler up with obvious enjoyment.  It took seeing his lips twist into a smirk at her fascination to snap her out of it and she turned back to Siler with a quick chuckle at her own expense.

Tracking half-teasing bites to his ear, she blew along the rim gently, feeling his tension ratchet up several notches against her, and whispered, rocking against his hand, "I remember how much fun sucking you off was, Siler; don't ever think I don't.  And one of these days I am going to get to your cock before Jack does and-"  She closed her teeth on his earlobe as he groaned, swearing breathlessly, and she had to strain to hold him down, feeling his fingers digging hard into her arm.  Oh hell yeah, there was nothing like listening and watching these two men lose every bit of their composure to hard pleasure.

His mind just a little fuzzed with bliss, Siler sat and shivered as they soothed him, Sam trailing lips he felt smiling down his chest as Jack gently tucked him back in his pants, stroking his belly with rough cheeks.

Jack's presence disappeared first, and then Sam moaned near his heart and he opened his eyes lazily, not especially surprised to see Jack shift her to the couch besides him and lower her pants.

"Jack..."  Sam reached down and half-heartedly tried to stop him.

Siler grinned when Jack rolled his eyes at her, "Carter, don't be daft."

She didn't have time to argue the definition of 'daft' before he licked a finger and parted her swollen labia, casually shifting the white string out of his way before lowering his lips.

Torn between watching and participating, Siler let his body recover a bit as he took the lazy visual option.  Flickering between Sam's hands, gripping Jack's hair, and the expression on her face, twisting and twitching with slow pleasure.  He was just deciding to at least open her shirt when she shuddered with a breathless cry of 'Jack', her body starting to buck in earnest.  Temptation was too strong and he slid off the couch, shaking Jack's shoulder with a low mutter "Share?"

Sam tried to follow his mouth when Jack raised his head, giving Siler a wink as he pulled her hands from his hair to Siler's and climbed onto the couch besides her, hearing the changed tone in her voice as Siler took his place.  So, different technique, or-  The thought fizzled out for some other day as he held her head and slid his tongue into her mouth, moaning at the starved hunger she responded with, licking at his mouth madly.  He finally remembered he still probably had traces of Siler and chuckled around the hard kiss, understanding that the strange connection between all of them wasn't to be denied.. especially not when you were already about to-  Yeaaahhhh.  The muffled scream he swallowed was a damned rare sound.  He could seriously get addicted to this.

He was nuzzling Sam's neck as she drowsed when he felt Siler climb up behind him and Jack smiled to himself, leaning back against him and pulling Sam to lay on his chest along the couch.  "Not squashing you, are we sergeant?"

He felt the snort shake him slightly as Si' brought one hand on his shoulder, sneaking under his shirt to lay warmly on his skin as the other reached around to touch Sam's side, "Do you have any idea how much I can press, general?"

Jack narrowed his eyes in thought, "..Umph.  Something around 350?"

He grinned at the silence his good memory produced while Sam ignored their posturing and snuggled down on his chest.

The sergeant finally sighed, relaxing and, at a guess, resting his head on the corner of the couch, "Was an easy 400 not so long ago."

Lips twisting in agreement with the sentiment, Jack reached down to pat the thigh at his side.  Numbers were an undeniable and grating reminder of age.  He didn't even want to think how few sit-ups he was managing these days; his old drill sergeant would just kill him, never mind Teal'c.  He'd thought that now that he was free of Washington he'd get himself back into condition, but that old adage about it getting harder with time.. was all too damned true.

Sam, proving that she was paying attention even if she chose not to say anything, turned her head to lazily join in the discussion, "Saying I need to up the mandatory PT, Siler?"

Jack snickered at the idea of the base soldiers all having to hit the gym longer just because the three of them cuddled on the couch.

"You know very well I don't mind working out, Sam.  Just hard to find the time between emergency repair jobs."

"They have you doing light bulbs again, Si'?  Ow!"   Jack threw a wounded look over his shoulder for the playful punch to his arm.

"Master sergeants do not do light bulbs, general."

Jack was ready to continue the discussion, but Sam, giggling softly, crawled up and shut him up, making Siler chuckle as he watched them, stroking them both.

####

Jack leaned against the living room's door sill, watching the sergeant pull his shirt on and tuck it in, thinking about the last week's frustration.

Again silently grumbling at this whole 'getting to know each other' thing, he wished he could just order them all past this and... on to...... umm.  Right; the reason to get to know each other and get to know their relationship.  To figure out where they were going.

Mental snarl, verbal idle tone: "Working tomorrow, Siler?"

He looked up, momentarily uncomfortable-looking, "Err, got Monday-night poker at my place."  It wasn't a direct answer, but it answered the real question well enough: no, not coming over.

Sam got back from taking their glasses to the kitchen and slid under Jack's arm as Jack nodded, "Well, I've got baseball practise on Tuesday, so you kids'll have the house to yourselves."

####

Jack yawned as he unlocked the front door, worn out from chasing and jollying his pack of kids around the field.  It wasn't until he heard the quiet of the house that he remembered Siler was going to be over tonight, his movements slowing as he wondered where they were.  And could he join them...  Though, there hadn't been a truck in the drive.  Damn.  A peek into the living room after he got his coat off reassured him and made him remember that the sergeant owned a bike too; which Jack could have missed in the dark.

He silently toed his shoes off as he watched Samantha sitting at the end of the couch, Siler stretched out on it with his head in her lap; fast asleep as she read the latest issue of her physics magazine.

She looked up and smiled at him suddenly as he stood watching them.  The sergeant looked exhausted, dark circles under his closed eyes as she absently ran her fingers through his hair, the couch afghan thrown over his chest and upper legs haphazardly, showing bits of what looked like another of Jack's uniforms.  Sam looked tired too; but also relaxed, at ease.. and happy to see him as she dropped her magazine on the end table.

Feeling at peace with the suddenly quiet evening with.. his lovers, he walked over to lean a hip on the back of the couch next to her head and collect a kiss before nodding at the silently sleeping man on her lap.  He whispered, not wanting to wake him, "Tough day?"

Sam nodded, glancing at the sergeant herself and whispering back, "Yeah.  We spent the day chasing power spikes that were blowing cabling in the hardest to reach places you could imagine.  He was too shaky to be riding his bike so I 'ordered' him to let me drive him home."  She took a deep breath, looking resigned, "And he's on evenings starting tomorrow."

Jack winced, "Hard to resist doing something about it, isn't it?"

Sam nodded, "Yeah.  I'm not going to see him for a week."

He watched her fingers stroke Siler's temple softly, listening to him snore but otherwise lay unmoving.  "..You can work late; wouldn't exactly be something new."

Sam turned her face up at that, frowning worriedly and bringing her free hand up to cup Jack's cheek, "Jack.."

He grinned softly, "Hey.  I'll have company all day if I play *my* cards right.  I can share.  And I'll have you all night..."  If something as simple as reminding her that he wasn't a needy jerk meant she and Si' got to work together, he was all for it.  It meant she had someone he trusted to watch over her and that Si' got to spend time with her, which Jack had gotten him to reluctantly admit he missed as they did the dishes the other night.

For that matter.. maybe he could arrange for them to have work to do here; and then *he'd* get to spend time *watching* them working.

He blinked when she changed the subject on him, bringing her hand down to rest on Siler's shoulder, "How did the kids do?"

Rather than risk waking the sergeant by shifting his feet, Jack went over to sit in his chair, relaxing, "Good.  A couple good hitters, a few good catchers.  They'll have fun."

Sam grinned, watching the satisfaction under his tiredness; she loved seeing him content with life.  The kids weren't the only ones who would have fun.  "Good.  You eat?"

"Yeah.  Took everyone out for burgers afterwards.  You?"

"Chinese."  She looked down as Siler shifted, as though looking for a more comfortable position, "We should get him to bed."

Jack opened his eyes, nodding and coming to crouch in front of them.  Watching Si' sleep for a few seconds, he looked up to share a grin with Sam.

Neither had to say it out loud.  He was cute when he slept.  And he'd kill them if he knew they'd thought it.

Jack reached over and shook Siler's shoulder gently, watching him blink blearily awake, look at Sam and then turn to him.  He was still blinking sleepily when his hand half lifted toward Jack and he muttered, "Hey."

Jack chuckled, standing up with a wince at the ache in his knees after the energetic evening and holding a hand out, "Come on Si', lets get you to bed."

He pulled at the hand Siler gave him, frowning when the man froze in pain halfway to sitting up, "Siler?"

Sam slid her arms under his back to slowly help him sit all the way up and he mumbled a slurry complaint, "Damn bloody crawl-spaces made for midgets to crawl in and cables located at the end of *my* reach.  Can handle one.  Even five.  But there were a lot more than *that* today."

Jack slung Siler's arm around his neck to pull him all the way upright and hold him until he steadied, "Should tell your boss to go easier on you."  He winked at Sam when she rolled her eyes at him, sliding herself under Si's other arm even as he started to stand on his own; his head still hung as though it was too heavy for his neck.  He remembered feeling like that himself all too often; there was a strange warmth to the thought that this relationship meant they were there to make sure Siler wasn't left to suffer alone.

They all started toward the stairs before Si' got around to answering, "My boss was right in front of me, crawling *backwards* and trying to grab hold of those same cables."

Jack snorted softly, nodding at Sam to get the lights, "Yeah, but she's damn near 15 years younger.  And smaller getting through those crawl-spaces."

Siler nodded wordlessly, then made it up the stairs without falling or falling asleep; but pretty much the second his head hit the pillow, he was back to snoring softly.

Shaking his head, Jack clumsily got him undressed, wondering how the hell he slept through getting rolled and shifted like a sack of potatoes; if anyone tried that with *him*...  The raw scrapes and bruises he found already forming over the sergeant's arms and back told a story of their own and Jack winced; he was going to be so stiff tomorrow he'd have a hell of a time even moving.  Jack made a note to set his better painkillers out on the bedside table.

"He'll be alright, Jack."

He looked up as Sam walked over and slid into his arms for a kiss and a hug.  "I know.  I just hate to see you guys hurt.  You know that."  They'd discussed, several times and at length, the annoyance he caused when he was worried and helpless to do anything about it.

Sam shook her head at him, smiling softly, "Just remember he doesn't have all my years of learning to put up with O'Neill mothering.  He's been alone all his life; you start twitching around him and he'll bite your nose off."

Jack grinned, rubbing said nose on hers, "I'm well aware that Sparky can snark.  He's used *me* as a target for years."

Sam snorted softly, not bothering to respond.  She dropped her head on Jack's shoulder and closed her eyes, relaxing as he held her and stroked her back absently, nuzzling the hair at her temple.  One of her hands came up to touch the side of his neck; he hadn't shaved today and the raspy sensation was one of those little things that short-circuited thinking to really tell her body that she had a good life.  Like hearing someone breathe besides her as she fell asleep and woke up.

"I should wash up," he turned her face up to his for a quick kiss, "Get into bed before you fall asleep on your feet, colonel."

Sam didn't bother denying it, she just watched with a tired grin as he walked to the bathroom, enjoying the view, then stripped and slid into the middle of the bed, pulling the covers over herself and Siler and cuddling into his side, an arm around his waist.  Falling asleep almost immediately to the sound of his blood pumping under one ear and his too-often broken nose rumbling in the other.


Chapter 5c: Learning (PG13)
April 23, 2009

Siler woke up slowly, still exhausted, mind as zoned out as his energy.  The blanket tucked around him felt unfamiliar and there was a presence besides him, making him frown in confusion, starting to turn over; but as soon as he shifted, his back and chest screamed pain at him and he stiffened with a groan.  Oh fuck.  This was *not* going to be one of the good days.

A warm hand landed on his shoulder and a familiar voice soothed him before he could make himself get up, "Don't move, Si'."

In no hurry to hurt more if it was avoidable, Siler stayed on his side, half-remembering now being helped to bed last night, and realizing with a queer mental stutter that he'd slept over.  In Sam and Jack's bed...

He felt Jack shift besides him, and then an arm came carefully over his ribs as the warmth of Jack's body appeared along his back and he opened his eyes to see a familiar open hand offering him a pill.

He hesitated, mumbling, "I have to work tonight-"

"It's just Tylenol 3.  You've got 12 hours to get over the high."

He rolled his eyes at the ironic comment, taking the offered pain-killer with slow movements and seeing a bottle of water on the table by the bed.  He could just reach it without moving his torso and swallowed his meds before laying his head back down in relief.  He blinked at the clock, surprised he'd slept so long.  Turning himself onto his back, slowly and with clenched teeth, he stared in confusion at the fully-dressed man who'd gone back to sitting besides him, wearing rarely-seen glasses as he read a book.

Between the time and the quiet of the house, he unconsciously sighed, "Sam already gone?"

Jack answered quietly without even looking up, seemingly relaxed in the early morning sun, "Yeah.  She didn't want to wake you up, you were wiped out."

*Still* too tired to deny it, Siler sniffed as he got a whiff of Jack's coffee when he lifted it to sip.  "Why are you still in bed?"  The general was not only wide awake but looked like he'd been up for a while...

He couldn't interpret the quick look Jack threw him, but the hunching shoulders and mumbling he read as abashed; which still didn't make sense.

"Can't a retired guy laze in his own bed?"

Looking at his way too uncomfortable-looking to be lazy position, Siler kept frowning.  But too many years' experience with a defencive O'Neill told him to drop it.  Instead, he closed his eyes and relaxed, waiting for the drugs to work so he could get up.  Or at least sit up and steal some of that coffee.

The luxurious idea of having coffee served to him while he sat in bed, and the connected concept of a night in a fancy hotel, 'with someone', finally made his brain click.

He could feel heat start to burn at his cheekbones and had no idea how to take back the words that had put Jack on the spot.  He couldn't remember anyone ever.. just keeping him company.  How the hell was he supposed to have guessed that?  Sam might have stayed in bed and snoozed with him -he thought she might, not that he had much experience at spending the night with anyone- but to get dressed and awake and come back... seemed an entirely different proposition, even to him.

And he had not the least idea how to damn well respond.

Unable to deal with the silence that seemed to him to be stiffening, he clenched his teeth to keep quiet through the pain, rolled over and swung his legs over the side of the bed, wordlessly and sightlessly making his way to the bathroom.

Leaning over under the hot shower, still stiff but at least *starting* to loosen up, he held his weight on his hands against the wall, swearing lowly.  What the hell are you doing here, Siler?  You should have found yourself a *casual* fuck-buddy.  Whether you hurt them or just piss them off you'll still lose two *friends*, damn it.

The thought hurt more than he'd thought it could and he almost wished he could go back to the uncomplicated fun of Atlantis.  Not quite though.  He wasn't so far gone that he didn't remember choosing this with open eyes.  Didn't remember the heart-lightening joy of playing with them.  But he couldn't do this if he was going to hurt them.  He *couldn't*.

As he straightened and started soaping his hair, aware that the shampoo's smell was already too soul-familiar for words, he concentrated on the comfort memories instead, looking for strength.  Hot, sweet sex, cuddling on the couch, watching TV and laughing together; above everything, care and belonging that he barely understood and had no defence against.  Simply surviving was not going to be easy anymore, but he had to believe he would.

Unfortunately, he had no idea how he was supposed to end this without an argument.  And the last thing he wanted to do was argue with them.

Damn it.  His marriage had been simple; now he remembered why he'd fixed it that way.  This was just too complicated; how was he supposed to learn all this relationship magic at his age?

He wasn't aware of the slump in his posture as he stepped out of the shower until Jack spoke from the doorway and he had to straighten to meet his eyes.

"What's going on, sergeant?"

The narrow-eyed look and sharp tone were as familiar as the gate klaxon and he was about to salute when water slipping from his hair into his eyes brought him back to reality and he cut off the move, well aware that Jack had seen and recognized it; and clenched his jaw even further in response.  "Sir-"

"Ah ah ahh," the general's hand waved off the formality, his expression opening up with a wince, showing embarrassment and worry and annoyance, jumbled together into a mess Siler only recognized for having seen it in other circumstances over the years.  "Don't start.  Damn it, Siler. I was sooo not mothering."

Siler frowned, wondering where he'd lost the thread *this* time, "Didn't say you were."

"So why the shutting me out?  Thought *I* was the one with reaction problems?"

What the hell.. "Sleeping with a man is not bothering me."

The narrow-eyed look came back, but this time the tone was soft, ".. Then what is?"

Siler didn't know what he was supposed to answer to that.  Where the hell had mothering come from?  Hadn't he just rebuffed the general's simple *company*?  Why was Jack *worried* about him?

And wasn't that complete confusion even more proof that he shouldn't be here?

The draft that came through the open door to make his bare, wet, skin shiver gave him the excuse to look away, reaching for his-  He froze for a second as he really became emotionally aware of the fact that he had his own towel; in their house.  He snapped out of it and grabbed the thick cotton, towelling himself off.  Yes it was cowardly to not face Jack, but he had no knowledge of how to deal with relationships; taking a breather from the gut-twisting confrontation hadn't seemed like something to refuse.  Facing another of the threads they had settled on him, on the other hand, was its own risk to his ability to end this.

"..Siler-"  He heard the general take a deep breath and felt guilty for causing him problems, "Look.  I just didn't want you waking up alone when I knew you'd be in agony.  Making sure you got some pain-killers in you seemed the least of things a friend would do.  I realize you're not used to company-"

Siler had made himself look up halfway through the stilted speech and finally interrupted, "General-  *Jack*, I know why; now.  But I didn't even *think* of it at the time. I'm not..."  He shook his head, unable to quite stop a bittersweet smile when the action threw water over the general's face and he playfully threw up a hand as though it was poison -damn it, he *didn't* want to let them go-, "I'm no use at relationships, Jack.  Not at anything more than.. casual sex."

The quirk of a grin that that produced wasn't what Siler expected, nor the man suddenly closing the distance between them to lay familiar hands on his still-damp shoulders and lean their foreheads together, still smiling and looking right at him, his voice soft, "I hate to break it to you, Si', but Sam and me?  Didn't start this with any kind of relationship skills.  We wanted- hell, we *needed* each other by then.  That was it.  It literally took us months to figure out how to spend any real time together without ending up in some kind of fight.  You don't go into a relationship being good at it; if you are very, very lucky, you *get* good."

He was quiet for a minute and Siler kept watching, wondering at the faith in him that he saw, torn between wonder and terror. 

"Me and Sam had eight years to get used to each other's sometimes-clingy company and each other's snarly responses to it.  So.  if you still can't take us in eight years, sergeant, we'll see about releasing you. Until then... we're soft officers instead of prickly sergeants, and we enjoy the rewards for good behaviour too much to be tough on you while you learn."

The fingers on his shoulders were stroking as he spoke, calloused skin soothing back and forth on his.  But the eyes were as stubborn as they'd ever been and Siler knew better than to ask to be let go right then.  Anyway, the idea that they really wanted him was enough to overrule the instinct to ease away out of the fear of hurting people.  Was enough to put him back besides their bed; touched and cared for.  Back in front of the fireplace; accepted as he was.  Enough to remind him of those rewards for taking this risk.

He straightened, locking up the fear, hoping he could learn faster than they ran out of patience.

Jack lifted his head, stress Siler hadn't noticed was there now easing out of his features. "For the record, it takes a lot more than not noticing that I cut my hair to hurt my feelings, Siler.  And Sam doesn't notice half the time either so she's not allowed to complain."

As he laughed at the half-non-sequitur, reaching out to drive his still-wet fingers through Jack's for-once neatly combed hair, Siler shied away from the possessive feeling that rose, trying to hold on to casualness by leaning in to kiss Jack quickly.

It was OK to let them make him laugh.

####

"Dammit Carter, you said he'd bite my head off; you *didn't* say he'd run!!"

"Run?  What are you talking about?  What's wrong Jack?"

He took a deep breath, listening to the reassuring sounds of cooking through the open patio door and to Sam breathing in his ear.  "I did not mother.  I just.. took my coffee upstairs.  He didn't.. it didn't occur to him that I was just keeping him company at first, and when it did he freaked out. Started saying things like he couldn't do relationships and dammit Samantha I'm no good at this reassuring stuff!  *You* know that!"

He frowned at the silence on the line, "Sam?"

She sighed before answering quietly, "Sorry.  Remembering.. last time.  I was so careful to keep us on a casual footing that I didn't even notice that he was avoiding any kind of.. real intimacy too," she huffed quietly and he could imagine her sitting back in the big chair, rubbing between her closed eyes, "Guess I wasn't the only fucked-up one."

It was his turn to be quiet and rub his eyes, watching the man moving stiffly through his kitchen and recognizing how he was starting to feel with bittersweet irony.  Again?  He was really going to dive into this deep end *again*?

"Yeah.  We all have a hell of a knack at choosing people, don't we?  Just do me a favour and at least say hi to him before you leave.  I still want him coming over at some point and I don't suppose there's any chance at all he'll do it without a *reminder*..."

####

Having finally escaped her paperwork, albeit with a guilty avoidance of a drawer that used to be empty, Sam was happily up to her ears in electronic parts in Lee's lab, trying out one of Siler's ideas for why harmonics had interfered with the telsystem when they were travelling at lower- "Ouch!" she sucked her thumb, glaring at the source of the electric arc that had bitten her.  That was *not*-

"Are you alright??"

She looked up guiltily as the scientist whose lab she was 'borrowing' hurried into the room, "I'm fine Bill.  I'm sorry to make a mess in your lab, I just had to try this idea for the harmonics we were getting on the spacephone."

He tilted his head in confusion, frowning, "Spacephone?"

Sam's head, already on its way back into the guts of the machine, jerked up, eyes wide, "Shit!" she snarled under her breath, her shoulders hunching defensively, trying to avoid his eyes, "I am so going to make him pay for that..."

Lee obviously overheard her and grinned, gently amused, "The general's pet name, uh?"

Sam's mouth dropped, a blush searing her cheeks, her mind flashing images she *could* NOT believe she was picturing here of all places.  Good god.. what had she done to deserve *two* men who made up embarrassing names for her equipment??

"Y-yes.. pet name.  Y-you know, I'll.. I'd better get back to those requisitions.  I'll-"  she waved jerkily at the device in pieces over his bench, already halfway out the door, "I'll clean up later, I promise."

Growling at her slip, Sam looked at her watch and realized Siler should be in by now; speaking of the devil.  She narrowed her eyes, torn between worry about whatever had happened this afternoon, the reality of not being able to 'talk' to him and her embarrassed annoyance at his renaming the telsystem.

It didn't really matter for her actions which feeling was ascendant.  Their presence just made the change her life had taken, again, stand out rather strongly.  As she made her way to the MALP room where she knew his first assignment was, Sam tried to think of some nicely double-meaning-ed things she could use to get through to him.

Miraculously enough, he was on his own in the room, crawled under a unit that looked like it dated back to the start of the SGC.  Thinking of all the times she'd guided the heavy machines across the horizon to and from another planet, she stepped into the room, closing the door but aware of the surveillance camera in the corner of the ceiling.  Watching Siler, she saw the slight stiffening of his legs as soon as she took a few steps in the room and remembered the years of working side by side, scrambling against a clock or calmly installing improvements.

She had to consciously bite the inside of her lip to keep from smiling; there was something very.. primitively reassuring to having someone, or two someones, who recognized her so easily.  With the door closed and no witnesses to hear, Sam kept her eyes away from the camera while analyzing its sight vector, then walked over to crouch besides the sergeant.  The MALP was just enough shield that she could rest her hand on his thigh unseen; and if she bent her head, for all anyone knew, she was giving him orders or getting a job update.

She could hear him unscrewing the panel on the underbelly and feel the shift of his body as he reached up to do whatever maintenance this particular machine needed.  That he didn't bother speaking as she breathed quietly, hardly shifting her thumb on him, was very much like her silent Si'.  Words weren't always needed, he'd always known that.  He just needed to learn that it applied to relationships too.  That he didn't need to change for them to care for him.

Her inner chrono only gave her a couple minutes to be so still before it would be suspicious and she sighed, telling herself that one day of this week was already done.

With a last squeeze of his muscled thigh, Sam grumbled tiredly, "Don't even think about not going home in the morning."  Even if he worked late, she knew she couldn't keep tracking him down without arousing suspicion, so she had to lay the warning down now.

She shifted back when he rolled the trolley he was laying on out from under the robot to meet her eyes.  Aware that she was on the edge of being visible to that damned camera, Sam kept her face calm as her pulse speeded up.  So she wasn't the only one aware that they wouldn't be able to touch for a week.  And he *was* planning to stay away from Jack; idiot.

She only had time to narrow her eyes warningly at him before he replied softly, "I'm just going to sleep all day, why-"

Sam kept her head bent, speaking in a mutter just because she knew they shouldn't be having this discussion here, "Because you both enjoy company.  When you wake up, and even while you're sleeping; it's.. nice to know there's someone in the house with you.  *Even* if they're snoring in another room."

The uncertainty still tensing his eyes wasn't going to just disappear; he needed time and convincing.  Just getting seasoned at closeness.  And spending a week with Jack, getting used to him coming and going and having a life of his own where Siler could undemandingly fit in, would be a good first step to that.  She doubted it would happen, but maybe he'd sleep over once or twice, and hopefully Jack would come up with an acceptable reason, or commanding tone, to get him to show up for supper before he went to work.  Otherwise she and Jack were both going to be grouchy all week again.  Though come Saturday morning if Siler thought he was sleeping anywhere but within her reach...

####

Thursday morning was bright, a mind-waking chill in the air that would burn off in another hour of sun. 

Siler stared at the quiet, unassuming house.  Sam had crossed his path in front of the coffee urn an hour ago and she'd glared at him accusingly, unable to say anything with the ears all around them.  As much as he wanted to play dumb, he had a feeling he was already pushing his luck. 

He'd actually come over that first morning; had slept through the day, waking up to a quiet house and found Jack reading a file he'd put away with an honestly happy smile when Siler had walked into the living room.

A gentle pat at his still-sore shoulder and Jack had made him sit while he made coffee and small-talk about the condition of his favourite riffle range after the night's rain.

It had been surreal.  He'd had breakfast and then a few hours later watched Jack have supper.  In between, he'd actually snoozed on the couch while Jack went back to his very official-looking file.  And he *had* enjoyed the company. 

But not enough to be willing to take advantage of the hospitality every damned day.  And with the disjointed schedule of his breakfast and Jack's supper, there was really no reason for him to go over in the afternoons.

But though his phone hadn't rung, he'd had a twitchy feeling at the back of his neck that he was asking for trouble.  Sam hadn't said or done anything when she'd joined him to troubleshoot a problem with the gate Tuesday night and he guessed that he was allowed to want a day to himself.. but two without a reason was too obviously trying to keep his respectful distance.

Now, having obeyed her glare, he realized he was either going to have to ring the bell and wake Jack up, break in.. or drive home and fish out that key he still didn't really want to touch.  Before he could decide to see how rusty his B&E skills were, the door opened and Jack stared right at him, sipping his coffee in the doorway in nothing but wrinkled slacks.

Giving in, Siler opened his truck door and stepped out, slamming it and walking impassively to the house.  He refused to let himself feel like he was reporting to the commanding general.  Half-naked Jack was his lover, not his damned commander and he'd said he wouldn't get insulted at Siler's stumbling through this. 

It just made no sense to invade his house only to sleep.  Never mind that showing up with a spare uniform made him feel ridiculous in the first place.  On the other hand, he *had* decided to keep trying; not that Jack had left much choice open.  He could do this.  He had helped defend Earth against un-killable robotic spiders, for crying out loud, how hard could this really be...

So.  No fresh uniform with him, which meant he had a reason to go home when he woke up rather than spend the evening sleeping on Jack's couch.  In the meantime, the general stepped back with an unreadable expression and let him into the house without a word, closing the door behind him. 

Taking the initiative and incidentally getting what he was wanting, he turned and slid his hands to the sides of Jack's neck, leaning in to cover his lips.  His tongue slid into Jack's mouth, entirely aware that he'd missed this.  Missed *them*.  Aware that Jack had responded without hesitation, meeting and returning the invasion with a grunt, his free hand coming up to grip Siler's head.  Stepping closer, Siler slid his hands down, over the hair on Jack's chest, tugging gently before moving on to the waistband of his pants, arousal waking through him at the touch of warm skin and the taste of his lover.

He finally pulled back very slightly, pulse a little too hard and feeling Jack's breath quick against his lips.  His voice was all too obviously raspy when he teased, "Going to join me this time?"

He grinned when Jack rocked his hips against his thigh, lips trailing to his ear to nibble and whisper, "That can be arranged."

He still wasn't sure about just showing up here without invitation, but maybe he wouldn't wait for specific ones.  At least until the day he got a different reaction.  He didn't think he would mistake this for anything but welcome.  Or that Jack or Sam would really lie to him if they wanted to be alone.

He didn't *think*...


Chapter 5c1: Attachment (PG13)
Oct 9, 2009

AN: yes it's self-indulgent sappiness. what of it?

Shrugging his shoulders to settle the too-large shirt, Siler's fingers stilled for a minute as he smiled tiredly to himself.  He had at least a couple of its twins at his place; outdated, much less worn, and two sizes smaller, but otherwise identical.

Except that he didn't breathe them in on the rare occasions that he wore them, or mentally feel as though someone had thrown an arm over his shoulders; or automatically stroke the material... christ, maybe bringing a spare uniform with him wasn't so bad.  Was he really turning into this much of a sap at this late date?  And over **Jack O'Neill** of all people?

Shaking his head, he got back to buttoning up, then looked for the dirty clothes he barely remembered leaving around the room when they'd come upstairs earlier.  Come to think of it... hadn't he left a jumpsuit here that first time Jack had lent him clothes?  And again when... damn, no wonder he was down to his last one.  And that probably meant he needed to gather up Jack's BDUs before they ended up in the wrong hands.

Hearing the sound of the front door opening, he idly headed down the stairs, half-assedly debating what to have for breakfast and studiously ignoring the fact that his fingers were still playing with the shirt-tail he'd left loose.  Sap.

Though he really *had* to grin when he heard Jack actually whistling cheerily -if badly- as he stepped around the kitchen putting groceries away.

Standing in the doorway, unseen, Siler was surprised at the surge of affection that flickered through him as he watched the retired general putter around so cheerfully.  For just a second, before he managed to bury it back away, he *wanted* those years together that Jack had threatened.

Pushing away from both the thought and the wall, Siler strolled into the kitchen with a forcibly casual "Good morn-  err.. afternoon."

That he couldn't manage to resist returning Jack's welcoming grin was something else he buried, instead walking over and reaching one hand up to take advantage of Jack's half-open shirt to slide under and cup his shoulder in a more intimate version of the grasp the two of them seemed to often use for 'hello'.

"Hey.  Sleep well?"

The question passed him unnoticed; the skin contact felt good, too addicting, too necessary, but undeniably *good*.  And Siler's attention wandered even more as his wrist dislodged the shirt away from Jack's shoulder.

"...You enjoyed doing that entirely too much, sergeant."

Siler finally looked up with a distracted hum, fingers making lazy little back and forth sweeps over the deepening bruise he'd exposed, smiling a little.  Catching the sardonic look being aimed at him, he swallowed his incipient grin, trying to keep a straight face, "So did you."

Jack rolled his eyes, shoulder shrugging, though Siler could read laughter under the affronted put-on and grumpy words, "Was just humouring y-"

Siler's crack of disbelieving laughter interrupted him and Jack lost even the *train* of the thought, listening to the rare sound of joy and watching the man's full-out smile with pleasure.  Siler's touch had dropped from his shoulder as the sergeant shook with the guffaws and Jack reached out gently to wrap a palm along the side of his neck, guiding Si's head slightly up, and then closer as his sergeant found his self-control.  At the last minute, Jack shifted away from the kiss and closed his teeth on one of his lover's earlobes, grinning at the gasp he got in return.

####

Glancing at his watch idly as the commercials started, Siler groaned, mentally grumbling: so much for not spending all day here.  He got up from the couch quickly, stopping to stretch his shoulder out, "I gotta go home and get dressed." 

The kitchen sex -minus biting- and subsequent starved snack-out and couch-potatoing had made him forget his earlier mental note about getting his laundry sorted out, but now he glanced at Jack, "Got my dirty jumpsuits somewhere?  Realized earlier that I've left a few here."

Jack sent him a puzzled look, distracted by the return on screen of Uma in The avengers, "Why would you need to go to your place when you have uniforms in the closet?"

"The closet?"  Movements slowed, Siler winced at his own words, hearing how dumb they sounded.

Jack's wry smirk confirmed it.  "The. closet," Siler gave him a flat-eyed look for the slow words and wriggly fingers that called him a child, "That. is. in. our. bedroom."

"Jack."  Not knowing what to say beyond the choked reproof, Siler stood stiffly, watching his lover get up as he tried to silence the small mental voice feeling oddly included in that 'our'.  It was a silly idea...  But it was somehow easier to focus on than the strange concept of his clothes in someone else's closet.

Jack casually covered the distance between them, laying his hands on Siler's shoulders and keeping their eyes locked.  The humour was gone, replaced with a stubborn patience that made Siler wince and feel all of twelve years old as he recognized it from the first morning he woke up here.  Hadn't he said *then* that he was crap at relationships?

Keeping his voice calm and quiet, Jack carefully stepped into the relationship minefield again, knowing he didn't have a choice; the rewards meant too much to him.  "The flightsuits you've left here are clean and hanging in the closet."  He slid his hands along Siler's shoulders to his neck, needing skin contact as he kept what he hoped was a reassuring look in his eyes; too aware of the man's tension and the twitchy uncertainty in his expression.  And he'd thought *Samantha* was nervous when they'd first moved in together...  "Sam uses the left side, I have the right.  I've been putting your stuff in the middle," he grinned a little dopily, "Well, it's more like three-quarters to the right of the space available, but you'll be able to tell where Carter's clothes end."  He watched Siler's tiny smile at the loving tease of their lady, aware that he was still stiff.  "Underthings went to the side of my drawer."  He kept forgetting to clear one of the others to make room, actually, but he had a feeling that that would sound too permanent right now, so he kept the thought to himself, gently tugging on Si's bicep instead to get him moving up the stairs, "Come on, I'll show you."

The traipse to their bedroom was very silent, but Jack consciously refrained from either fussing or trying to fill it.  He and Sam had indeed had *years* to mentally -emotionally- find their footing together; and accept that they *wanted* to share a home.  If Siler had really been that good at keeping all his relationships casual, there was no way he'd just suddenly be fine with the thought of settling down with them.

"Top left drawer."

Following the nod of Jack's head to the tall dresser, Siler still felt weirdly bemused at the situation, aware of Jack opening the closet behind him.  Wearing the general's BDUs when they'd been left out for him... was suddenly very easy to deal with; compared to opening his old commander's underwear drawer and hesitating as he reached in.  Siler pulled out a pair of briefs, realizing he hadn't really noticed what Jack wore.  "Err, these yours or mi-" he swore softly, surprised when he started to turn and found Jack at his shoulder.

Grinning faintly, Jack gave the cotton a cursory glance, "Yours," he reached past Siler's still twitchy form and pulled a pair of boxers from the other end, "Mine."  Old and loose compared to the newer, more stylish and tight-fitting pair in Si's hand, the difference was obvious.  "Your shirts are underneath."

Wincingly meeting Jack's eyes, Siler half-expected to find laughter at his hesitant behaviour.  The flash of.. tenderness? he caught before it vanished just about shocked him.  Thankfully, Jack replaced it with a teasing grin, and Siler scrambled to bury his response to the surprising softness.

"Fancy underwear, sergeant.  Work for you?"

Siler managed a snort, swallowing and hoping his voice wouldn't play up on him, "If you feel you need underwear to do the work, general..."

"Hey, *I'm* the one with the *practical* shorts."

Relaxing in the familiar territory of teasing each other, Siler grinned back, "There's nothing impractical about clothes that actually fit, Jack," he let his eyes cruise down the half-undone, three sizes too large shirt and baggy slacks the man wore, "Should try them sometime."

Jack snickered, "Can't.  Risk causing a riot as you all try to fondle me at the same time."


Chapter 5d: Caveman (PG13)
April 28, 2009

This time, Siler was prepared.

When he'd woken up, too late to do anything but wash and get to work on time, he'd called Jack to apologize for not showing up.  It had felt odd as hell; the idea that someone expected him.. worried about him.  But he'd told Jack he'd come have breakfast with him and since he really *had* meant to stand by his word, courtesy and years of military practice dictated that he call in.

Hearing the concern in Jack's voice had been familiar in a way that had forced his lips to quirk.  Having slept-in was a strange comparison to make to being stuck in a mountain about to explode with mechanical bad guys after you.

Jack had also made a point of mentioning that Sam missed him and he'd sighed, wordlessly agreeing with the sentiment and then smiling to himself when Jack chuckled at his response.

And then later, the colonel herself had stalked by for an end-of-day progress report, managing to get close enough to snarl for his ears only to get his ass straight home when he was done.

He'd never been so glad for all the freak occurrences of the SGC that had given his poker-face such good practise.  He was starting to wonder if Sam didn't just *enjoy* giving him that order.  Though as orders went, he could get all too used to it...

So he stepped out of his truck now, aware that he was swaggering ever so slightly but too damn happy that he was going to get to spend time with Sam after a week without touching her; and with her *and* Jack together.  Heaven only knew when that had become what lit his day.. but it had.

He hurried to the door, reaching in his pocket for the tools he'd borrowed to practice his little legal B&E, but it didn't seem that he was going to get to find out what had become of his lock-picking skills quite yet, because as soon as he got his feet on the stoop, the door opened and Sam reached out, grabbed his collar and pulled him into the house without a word.

He met her descending lips with his, only realizing that he was grinning when he had to stop to let her tongue in.  The door closed behind him and he slid one hand to the back of her head and the other to her ass and tugged her as tight as he could, letting his weight fall on the hard wood at his back, moaning happily as she wriggled against him, her hands digging into his shoulders.

She smelled of her shampoo and shower gel and water-clean and considering the way this was going, he was glad he'd showered before leaving the base rather than wait 'till he got here; he could go straight to enjoying her thoroughly to make up for the separation.

When she growled around his tongue after trying to escape his grip and shift her lips elsewhere, Siler shuddered, aroused and wanting to taste every inch of her skin, make her beg his name breathlessly, make her scream with pleasure.  Damn he'd missed her!  He couldn't claim he was hard-up; the couple days he'd come by had been.. pleasurable for more than company.  But he still missed Sam.  Her company and her body both.  Yeah; God was he ever in trouble.  Lonely after just a week?  What was happening to him?

Not that it mattered.  For right now, the simplest answer to his problem was to get them to bed and spend an hour getting sweaty and desperate and then fucking like rabbits until they both passed out.

Sam couldn't believe how much she'd missed him.  Making love to Jack was as satisfying as it ever was and she loved him to the depth of her soul but.. After a week, she was aware of not having touched Siler.  Of barely talking to him, barely standing besides him.

Jack had even teased her last night as she slowly ground herself on him, close and looking for just that little something extra.  And her lover's breathless voice, saying "You're missing him, aren't you?" had worked entirely too well.  Afterwards, he'd smiled, giving her a sloppy, loving kiss and pulling her hand to the bite she'd teased him mercilessly for, earlier.  Relaxing, she'd taken her time, nibbling the bruise and adoring both the connection to the missing man and the proof that her boys had fun together.

It drove her crazy that she didn't even know *what* it was she missed.  Yes, they *were* different, in behaviour and body, but she wasn't aware of those differences while she missed him.  It was just his presence, *him*, that she wanted.  The ability to touch him, tease him.  Make him smile and laugh.  The three of them together found too much comfort to easily do without it, maybe it was as simple as that.

It was frustrating.  As hell.

And now that she had his mouth and skin and body, she wanted it and him and *now*.  Tripping him to the floor had just occurred to her when Sam felt him pull back sharply.  Before she could react, Siler had his shoulder gently on her stomach and she found herself upside down, staring at his cotton-covered ass as she squawked angrily, "HEY!!"

He didn't answer her as he climbed the stairs, and no matter how pissed she was at the tactic, there was nothing she could do but swear at him under her breath on these stairs without injuring them both.  Even when he got to the top, hurting Siler didn't come naturally enough to actually drive her to freeing herself.  She could torture him other ways, though...

Walking into the bedroom from his shower, Jack turned his head with a happy grin when he heard Siler, glad it was finally his real weekend.  And then he cracked a sharp laugh at the sight that greeted him, "Oh you are so in trouble, sergeant!"

The wink Siler threw him, grinning uncharacteristically brightly, was fearless as he dropped Sam to the bed and followed her down, laying his heavier body to cover her.  Jack knew battle-hardened Sam could have thrown even Si' off if she'd wanted to, but she probably got a little distracted by the hungry kiss he was giving her the second her lips were in reach.

Jack hesitated, more than interested in joining in, but mindful that he knew they'd both missed the other.  In the end, listening to the sounds of the pleasure they were giving each other was too tempting and he sat at the head of the bed on the edge, away from the still-clothed couple writhing back and forth, almost fighting for control.

Hands scrabbled at clothes as he stayed out of the way and stroked himself lazily, more aroused by *them* than by any touch.  Then Jack saw the second the power shifted, grinning in anticipation as Sam flipped Siler on his back, his shirt already ripped off.  The sergeant laughed, not fighting her at all as Sam held his hands pinned above his head and leaned over him with an evil smile.  When she looked up at Jack and flicked her eyes at Si's hands, it was his turn to laugh, willingly scooting over and holding the man in place.  He smiled down affectionately, seeing Sam crawl down his body out of the corner of his eyes, "Told you you were in trouble."

Siler's laughing response choked down to moan and Jack stiffened his hold against his automatic attempt to free himself from what was going to be fast torture, if Jack knew his lovely lady.  He shifted to be able to lean down and kiss him; Si's attention wasn't in it as Sam stripped him naked and then set to teasing him sharply, but it was still satisfying to simply touch and taste and feel him moan into his mouth.  To feel him go a little crazy in Jack's grip as Sam licked and nibbled, teased and incited; but refused to give enough touch at once to even start to satisfy.

That a part of him *wanted* more, wanted them to take their time together and have that intimate contact, had snuck through his guard at some point.  This was already so much more than sex.  One of these days...


Chapter six: I'm home (PG13)
April 13, 2009

"All *night* lonnnng, all niiight."  Cassie stopped humming as she got the back door unlocked.  She'd seen the shadow move in the kitchen through the glass, and since she couldn't feel Sam, she knew it was Jack, unsurprisingly making breakfast.  Still looking down as she fought her key out of the stiff lock, she spoke cheerfully, "Hello lovebirds, I'm home!  Who's truck is that in the drive?"

When she heard metal hit the floor and a strange voice swear though, her head snapped up, eyes widening at the semi-familiar, half-*naked* man bending over to pick up the fallen pot.  When he straightened, staring at her in embarrassment, Cassie ran her eyes up and down his *very* fit, if indoors-pale body again, beginning to grin.   The pale brown -and far too neat for anyone in *this* house- wet hair spoke of a recent shower, the bare feet, lack of shirt when it wasn't that warm and lack of underwear showing above the very low-riding, unbuttoned jeans spoke of extreme comfort in the house.

Knowing her current parents and utterly confident in the relationship they'd finally managed to wriggled into, this man could be a Daniel-type rescued pup who got familiar fast -since she hadn't heard of him yet-, or..  That hickey on his neck... looked awfully like the **stubble-burn**(!) she'd had the other day...  Cassie finally smiled, not sure she wanted to *picture* the mechanics of this relationship, but deciding her gut was right about its definition.

Well, this was.. a little surprising.  Very amusing in its endless possibilities to tease, but a little surprising; of her father especially, somehow.

The man still seemed familiar, but it took the tags resting on his smooth chest to give her the necessary clue to click on a name.

"Siler!  Right?"

The hint of a quiet smile he responded with gave her a good feeling about him; of kind, easy comfort and very calm capability, even before he answered, "Yes, Miss Cass."

She had to bite her lip to keep from giggling at hearing Jack's nickname so formalized; saved from embarrassing the poor man with her adolescent behaviour -*Miss Cass*??   Do *not* think of him as the gardener, do *not*- when she heard her adopted father speak in a very familiar, affectionate tone from down the hall, "Siler?  Did you manage to electrocu-"  This time Cassie could feel her eyes widening and almost tearing up with laughter as Jack froze in the other doorway.  Also half-naked.  And looking pretty damned relaxed and happy, she thought approvingly, having already recognized the loving tone that could still make *Sam* go soft.

He stared at her with his mouth hanging for a second, then pasted on a patently fake grin, tugging his slacks with twitching fingers, "Cass!  You're early!"

She could hear the laughter in her own voice when she answered, "Yeah Jack, I thought I'd come home and spend some time with my 'ageing parents'."  She glanced between the two men staring at her in embarrassment dosed with panic, "But maybe you'd rather I left you alone with your new friend?"

"Cassie."

She looked over Jack's shoulder at the quiet reproof, seeing her -no doubt very *lucky*- mother's laughing expression at the tableau in her kitchen, "Hi Sam!"

She suddenly sniffed, remembering with a salivating swallow that she'd missed breakfast because of her early flight.  She turned to the man putting his unused pot on the stove, "Is that breakfast??"

Siler shrugged as he checked the chrono on his watch, "Ham frittata.  Was hungry for some rea-"

He clenched his jaw, eyes jerking to her as a blush rose from his neck; and this time Cassie couldn't stop the giggle, turning to the other two, both studiously not looking at her suddenly.

"And he can cook too?" 

With a last laugh, she walked up to the man who was practically as tall as her father, standing on tip-toe to kiss his not-yet-shaven cheek with a grin, "Unless you want me to call you sergeant, my name is just Cassie.  Welcome to the family..." she frowned, searching her memory, "What *is* your first name anyway?"

He looked over her shoulder quickly, at a guess getting the OK not to deny the obvious, "Siler's fine, Cassie," his eyes crinkled in a slow, friendly -attractive, if too old for her- grin, "And thank you."

She frowned, unconsciously copying Jack's most intimidating expression for getting what he wants, only to be interrupted by the very man, grumbling as he slapped Siler's shoulder on his way to coffee, "Heeeyyyyy!  Siler, how the hell come she gets called by her name at the first request and *I* still get sirred by both of you more than half the time??"  He jerked his head back at Sam as he spoke.

Biting her lips to keep any comment at the mental scenario that *that* brought to mind from escaping, Cassie watched her new.. 'uncle', she decided, placing him in her, however screwed up, world, turn an understated wry look on her father, "The small matter of more than 10 years' habit maybe, *Jack*?"

She cleared her throat, stepping in to do her part to keep Jack in line, "Not to mention the fact that *you* still use *Carter*," she snickered quietly, "And *Siler*."

Jack handed out coffee cups all around -apparently Siler liked it black, she grinned to herself, wondering why it was so heart-warming to note those small casual signs of a family.  She watched with a queer joy as Sam walked up to them, sliding a hand caressingly over Siler's shoulder, exchanging a gentle smile with him as she passed and then stepping besides Jack, who automatically bent his head for her to kiss his cheek as she took her cup. 

Her family unit seemed to only get stranger with time, but they were all happy.. even when Jack gave her a wounded look, "I do *too* call her *Sam*."

Cassie looked at her mom and they both rolled their eyes.  "What, once a week?"   She grinned, holding up a hand when he opened his mouth to argue again, hearing the other two chuckling, "I'm grungy; I'm going to wash up.  You three can discuss your respective pet names without me."  With a last smirk, she escaped the kitchen for her bedroom as quickly as she could without splashing her coffee.

####

Once she'd cleaned up, had a granola bar and grabbed some rest, Cassie went back downstairs, hearing the Simpsons playing in the living room and going to investigate.

Siler, lounging in Jack's favourite armchair, stood up hurriedly when she walked in, "Sorry-"

She cut him off with a wave, giving him a friendly grin as she stole his bowl of popcorn and sat down, "Why are you apologizing?"

He quirked an obviously rarely-used smile, sitting back down stiffly, "..Not sure.  This is a little uncomfortable."

She snorted at the understatement, though it occurred to her that at least he seemed fine admitting to feelings.  Which neither of her parents could be relied upon for, most of the time.  "Because they've made me a daughter in your mind or because you're not used to anyone else being here?"  She was used to practical strangers taking her under their wing, was aware that even before this relationship, this man, along with dozens of others, had probably known her name and thought of her as another fellow soldier, or soldier's daughter, to watch over at any need.  But since this was the first *she* heard about this relationship.. it was entirely likely that they'd all still been keeping this very quiet and private and personal.  And away from any eyes that might judge.

Something in her words seeming to relax him and he suddenly seemed 5 years younger and much more at ease, "A little of both," he shrugged, "I rarely stay the-"

She rolled her eyes, tired of the pussy-footing as he cut himself off, *again*.  " 'Stay the night'?  Siler, please, I'm not a child.  We'll all get along a lot better if you just accept that."

He raised a curious brow at her, ".. And this," he waved at himself and then in the vague direction of her parents' room, "Doesn't bother you?"

She tilted her head, "That Sam and Jack finally have a sex life?  No.  Look Siler-" she rolled her eyes, "What *is* your name?"

He sounded resigned when he answered, "Some people call me Sly."

"As in Stallone??  Oh dear."  She grinned at his wry sigh, "OK, *Siler*, I've had about as unconventional an upbringing as anyone can have, and between my physician first adoptive mother and Sam's occasional scary openness, trust me, I'm not shocked.  The three of you are obviously happy with each other; that's enough for me."

She calmly held the look he gave her until he nodded silent acceptance.  Not that she expected him to completely relax around her anytime soon, but at least he'd allowed that there was the possibility.  Thinking about the unpractised twitchiness all three of them had displayed, she tilted her head curiously, "What about uncle Daniel and Teal'c?  Haven't they managed to get wind of this?"  Those two usually watched their old comrades with eagle eyes...

He shrugged, looking at the TV, "The general doesn't spend much time on base, and I don't spend that much time here," he glanced at her, "And me and Sam don't flirt."

She split her attention between him and Lisa Simpson for a minute, deciphering that one.  "So.. you weren't going to stay today either, I guess?"  So, *very* early relationship..

"No."

Cassie nodded slowly, knowing her parents, "They didn't want me to think I'd chased you away."

She recognized the beginnings of a fatherly expression in the look he gave her, choking her grin at the thought, "I didn't either."

She nodded, smiling slightly, "Like I said, welcome to the family."

After that, they watched the cartoon for a while in companionable silence.  And then the lack of commentary made Cassie particularly aware that Jack wasn't around and she frowned curiously, "Where are they anyway?"

Siler answered laconically, "Apparently Jack is responsible for fixing all things not electric; and the master bedroom shower is misbehaving."

She grinned, starting to remember old stories that had featured 'Sergeant Siler', "So who gets the electrics *now*?"

She felt the wry look he threw her, "Sam; thank you.  Though since the toaster ended up in *my* lap last night while she argued with his laptop..."

Cassie giggled at the image, easily picturing Jack amusing himself by finding more things broken for his personal slave-geeks to fix and then standing around and annoying them to see how long they'd let him get away with it.  Daniel had pretty much stopped humouring him these days.. she was kinda glad he wasn't going to be alone when Sam left anymore.  And if Siler liked the Simpsons too, no wonder they got along!

Her mom came down a few minutes later and gave Siler a pitiful look, "Would you go and make sure he doesn't destroy anything?  I'm about to strangle him."

Cassie watched as he wordlessly got up, smiling slightly and dropping a kiss on her forehead on his way up the stairs.  Then watched as Sam stared after him, seeing the fondness the older woman didn't try to hide.  "Do you love him?"

Sam turned to her in surprise, coming to sit on the couch as she thought her answer through, staring blindly at the television.  She finally looked at Cassie and answered very quietly, "I.. would be heartbroken if anything happened to him," she shrugged, smiling, "The only real difference between him and, say, Daniel, is that I never wanted to have sex with Daniel."

Cassie grinned, remembering Janet laughing about betting pools for those two, "But you do with Siler."

Sam bit her lip, looking a little shy -as odd as the thought was, all things considered- but also a lot wicked, "Yeah," she winked, "He's good too."

Cassie nodded, refusing to be unsettled by the comment, "What about Jack?"

Sam raised a brow, smirking silently in silent answer to her interpretation of the question.

Cassie rolled her eyes, "How does Jack *feel about Siler*?"

That sobered Sam and she turned to sit sideways on the couch, taking a handful of popcorn for herself as she stared at the younger woman with silent assessment.  "Does it matter?"

Cassi rolled her eyes again, "Sam, I just want to know that they're happy."

Another few seconds of contemplation and Sam relaxed, almost smiling, "He has a soft-spot for accident-prone people.  And I think he admired Siler over the years.  He's completely cool in any crisis, which is a heavenly characteristic in the SGC.  Snarky, when he lets it show; which Jack can't help but love.  Self-confident and smart as a whip but manages to hide it; and you *know* how much Jack admires *that*."

Cassie grinned in agreement.  Jack's favourite game was *still* to play dumb. 

None of that had said a word about sex, but Cassie wasn't going to pry that far.  Some things even a *pseudo*-daughter didn't want to know.


draco_somnians's Summer wine, Part 1 (NC17) comes next in the verse
April 25, 2009


Chapter 6a: Summer intermezzo (PG13)
April 28, 2009

AN: This fits inside Summer wine, Part 1, starts toward the end of the first scene and then continues after the second scene.

Absently thinking about her boyfriend, wishfully wondering if she was imagining the idea that their relationship might just be a lasting one, Cassie took a last look at the meat smoking away on the grill and decided she wanted a fresh drink.  Now that Jack had his partners back, she should probably head back home.  *She* was rather missing-  When she took a step across the patio door, she froze, shocked. 

It was one thing to be aware of what they did in private, to see them affectionate and caring for each other.  It was another thing entirely to watch Siler walk through the kitchen doorway, fix his eyes on Jack at the sink with a grin and hurry up to him.  And gently turn his head to start a kiss.

She hurriedly stepped back out, hoping they were too busy to notice the movement.

Staring at the slowly cooking supper, Cassie tried very hard not to strain her ears to listen through the door.

She remembered the first time she'd walked in on her roommate and her boyfriend that first year in college.  Or, for that matter, the first time she'd caught Sam and Jack kissing.  That moment of embarrassment at seeing two people with their masks dropped.  Seeing emotions that weren't meant for anyone's eyes but their own. 

This shouldn't be different.  She didn't want it to be.  Her father was happy and she didn't want to take anything away from that.  She knew, and knew *they* had to know, that sooner of later the world would try to force its opinions on them, but she didn't want them to ever feel defencive around *her*.

When Jack stepped back out onto the deck, whistling and carrying the last veggies to be warmed up, with Sam smiling cheerfully behind him, Cassie took a second to really pay attention to their body language, ignoring the polite instinct not to.

Jack, who'd been on edge, tensely jumpy and generally grouchy all week was now so relaxed that Cassie just had to grin.  And there was a soft smile easing his eyes as he redistributed the food around the heat, proof that his mind was definitely on something other than the mundane task.  But watching him respond to Sam asking about his week was even more telling.

That thread that had always stretched so visibly between them was still there, but now they both had a shift in their stance; some minute trick of the mind that made her see them reaching back inside with another thread.

It didn't take away from the love between them; Sam still smiled as indulgently, still leaned on his shoulder with relief as she started quizzing Cassie about the progress of her masters, his arm wrapped around her shoulders as tightly as ever.

But when Siler came out a few minutes later, Jack's head turned to give him a warm smile and his hand and wrist lifted toward him, their hands clasping for a second that *could* have been casual.  Except that the looks that passed between all three of them was as intimate as a hug.

When the sergeant's eyes shifted to her, Cassie smiled back at his nod hello.  Yes, it was strange for her to see two men kiss.  It was stranger to see her father be one of them.

But it had also been strange to see him start to laugh and smile when he and Sam had gotten their act together.  This wasn't any different.  She liked Siler, he was calm and friendly and kept Jack in line; and he was good for both of their excitable personalities in a way that Cassie could clearly see every moment she spent with them.

She'd get used to seeing Jack and Siler touching intimately.  For that matter, she'd have to get used to *Sam* kissing him too!

Ha.  Yeah, she definitely had a strange family unit...

####

Jack dragged her out of the house the next morning before either of his partners got their exhausted selves out of bed.

Shivering in the unusually chilly June morning, Cassie hopped into his truck, grumbling for the sake of it, "Why do you need a new bed?"

He snorted, looking disgruntled, "Because they damn near kicked me out of our queen-size last night!"

"T M I, **dad**!" she stressed the word, knowing from his sudden teasing grin that he knew why he'd squigged her out.

"TMI?"

"Too much information," she ignored his sudden smirk, "Why isn't Sam the one to pick it?"

"Because your *mom* is exhausted and doesn't like furniture shopping with me."  His teasing smirk faded and turned into that sappy look she always loved seeing, "And I kinda want to surprise th-"

Cassie saw the suddenly self-conscious look he flashed her but didn't react, commenting instead, "I really do think of you guys that way, you know."

He smiled a bit, still looking on edge and she decided that her earlier teasing must have wormed in too far and she softened her voice and grin, trying to convey that everything really *was* OK, "How do you think Siler would feel about being thought of as an uncle?"

He didn't say anything at first, but she'd seen the tension ease from his shoulders and knew that he was processing.  When they got to the store, he stepped out of the truck and walked to her and pulled her into a tight hug, speaking quietly, "You are one great daughter, you know that?"

She pulled back and grinned at him affectionately, "Yup, I do."

Jack laughed and slung an arm around her shoulders to walk into the store.  "And I think.. Siler would be stunned at the idea.  Make sure I'm around to watch if you decide to call him that, will ya?"

Cassie smirked, shaking her head at the unholy glee in Jack's eyes.  It was a good thing Siler knew what he was getting himself into.  "So, you realize this whole dragging me shopping means you can't complain when *I* drag you to-"


draco_somnians's
Summer wine, Part 2 (NC17) May 13, 2009
and Summer wine, Part 3 (NC17) Jun 20, 2009
come next in the verse



Chapter 6b: Innocence (NC17)
May 4, 2009 - drastically updated Aug 19, 2009

AN: Aug 19, 2009 - added the morning at Si's and the shop list

This comes AFTER Summer wine.

-s-e-x-s-e-x-s-e-x-s-e-x- WARNING -s-e-x-s-e-x-s-e-x-s-e-x-

Sam grinned, watching Siler's head start to droop sideways again.  Jack was still wide awake after sleeping the last several hours of the drive and she'd drowsed enough to still have energy; but Siler'd driven the last 6 hours and she'd watched his wakedness vanishing with every bite of Chinese he'd taken.

When he jerked his head up for the second time, she laughed softly, getting up from the armchair and stepping over to put a knee on the couch besides his thigh.  Jack turned away from the TV to look at her in surprise and then followed her eyes to Siler and grinned in understanding, cheerfully reaching for the remote.

She put her hands on Siler's shoulders and leaned over to nibble at the corner of his lips, "Time for bed, Sparky, you're losing your spark."

His hands came up to her ribs, warm and comforting, his thumb absently stroking the side of her breasts, a smile just barely shifting his lips.  She trailed more nibbles along his skin, tracing the wrinkles around his eyes and lips, the stubbled skin of his cheeks and jaw as he let his head fall back, eyes closed in contentment.

The best part of their little holiday hadn't been the relaxation that Jack had wanted them to have; it had been spending enough consecutive time together to start to settle into this relationship.  To spend time calmly and gently rather than feel pressed, knowing how often they were apart, even if only by professionalism.  Siler, especially, had lost the edge of separation he'd kept between himself and the two of them.  And he was getting used to sustained simple affection without trying to shift away.

He hadn't even tried to hint about going to his house tonight.

She could feel Jack walking around, shutting the house down as she enjoyed herself, and then he came up besides her and stroked a hand up her back.  Lifting her lips regretfully from their travels, she smiled up at him and stood up, stepping back so that Siler could join them.

Still with that faint smile, he laid a heavy hand on each of their shoulders.  He still tended to keep the emotions off his face, but she'd noticed over the week that his eyes were starting to betray him, letting them see the man inside so much more often now.  See an affection growing there that sometimes made her want to slide right into his arms and cover his face with giddy kisses and hear him laugh out loud in joy.

Jack wrapped an arm around his shoulders in one of his *playful* hugs as she watched, tugging him momentarily close, rough affection showing in the teasing jostling that followed between them.  Jack's version of settling was to not joke as much, letting more of the serious emotions stay in his expression for Siler to catch.  It made for more quiet moments among them, even when they *weren't* tired, and this was one; the peace of the cabin still present even after the 2-day car-trip back.

How they'd put up with Jack being bored was a bit of a mystery, but she had a vague impression of a lot of children's games and heavy, snarky, teasing from Siler.  And making him be the first driver each day had ensured he was at least a little tired.

She wasn't sure how the change was showing in her, but she knew it did.  She'd caught Jack giving her quietly bemused looks a few times.  *Something* was different. 

Different was good.

####

He was getting used to waking to a warm body, or two, around him.  Even to fingers running through his hair.  But when he opened his eyes, smiling unwillingly at the comforting feeling, Siler blinked, seeing the clock over Jack's ear.  "Shit! Didn't set the alarm."

Jack frowned at him in response, fingers tightening on his skull, "Aw, come on, you've got a few minutes."

Momentarily lured by the continued stroking, Siler jerked his head back when he felt Sam jump up with a yelp behind him.  He growled, more annoyed at having to get up than at the man for encouraging him to be late, "Cut it out, Jack."

Sam slapped the general's shoulder on her way to grabbing her BDUs, evading the hand he tried to wrap around her bare thigh, "Don't make my sergeant late!"

Ignoring Jack's continued grumbling and missed grab for his shoulder, Siler rolled over, mercilessly dislodging the covers from the other man as he went, and got off on Sam's side, following her to the bathroom.

She hopped in the shower as he closed the door and stepped in front of the sink, using Jack's razor to shave hurriedly, frowning at the tug on dry whiskers and aware that he was going to look a right hobo by the end of the day.  When he was done and splashing water on his face, his eyes strayed to the feminine shape moving quickly but sinuously through the frosted glass door and his adrenaline-waked body somehow convinced him that he should save time and just hop in there right now.

When he slid the door open, Sam's head was bent under the water as she ran her fingers through her hair to encourage the soap to run out and his eyes were trailing along her backbone before he realized the danger of this little idea.

Stepping into the shower anyway, he grinned, bringing his body flush to her back and his hands around her to skim over her belly; and then lower.

"Siler-!"

He chuckled at the exasperation in her tone, well aware that she was lumping him in the same category of horny old men as the general who'd tried to keep them both in bed.  "Can't tell me you don't want it."  Not with his fingers sliding on already swollen lips; she'd been having a nice dream too.

With the shampoo all gone from the stream of clean water pouring down her muscled, scared shoulders, he leaned his head and nibbled at her neck, waiting for a signal from her to actually stop.  When instead, her legs parted slightly and she leaned forward, resting her palms on the wall, Siler moaned softly, bringing one hand to adjust his aroused cock to slide between her folds.  Rocking his hips back and forth as he urgently stroked her clit, he closed his eyes, concentrating on the body under his fingers as the friction stiffened him and sent need tightening through his body.

Nibbling at her shoulder again, he muttered, "Going to fuck you so good, Sam.  You have to admit Jack has good ideas sometimes.  Could have had us both-"

It only took a couple more minutes, touching and talking dirty before her muscles started clenching and he pulled back, breathing heavily and ignoring Sam's ragged complaint for the two second it took to shift angles and slide into her.  She groaned and he grabbed her hips to thrust hard, whimpering as she tightened on him.

Knowing her arms could handle it, he braced his feet on sections of floor with non-slip material, pulled almost all the way out and then pumped in firmly, trying to keep his finger moving the right way but aware his concentration was on finding his own pleasure.  He'd have worried more if he didn't feel the slow clamping of her internal muscles on his invading cock.  He just needed to get there himself, and fast.  Time really was flying and if he was too tired to finish now, he was going to be so fucking horny all damned-

Sam suddenly jerking back against him with a sob damn near made him slip, but it also was more than enough to kick him over the ledge into orgasm, crying out as pleasure streaked through him.

Jack watched the shapes moving behind the foggy glass, grinning that he was going to be able to tease the hell out of them for their lack of self-control when they were supposed to be hurrying to work.

Listening to them in abandon was worlds better than just imagining it and he tightened his fist, stroking his dick hard and fast and grunting with pleasure as he managed to avoid making a mess on the floor again with a cloth shakily held in the path of the semen.  Way better way to start the day than a lonely shower.

By the time his partners stepped out, a little shaky but clean, Jack was leaning calmly in the doorway and laughed at them, "Can't blame *me* now!"

Sam snorted, only a little breathless, "Yes, we can.  It's your fault we were late *before*."

Siler just grinned, happy even if he *was* going to be late for the first time in years.  They both dried themselves half-assedly, kissed Jack's cheek and ran off, Siler putting on the clean jumpsuit that Jack had fished out for him.

####

When Siler left work, his mental agenda was empty and all he thought about was the stubborn iris backup computer, trying to think of anything that could in any roundabout way cause the damned thing to shut down.  He still didn't have any idea when he opened his front door and suddenly froze.  The closed-in smell of the place suddenly making him remember that he.. had another life now...

They hadn't made plans for tonight, though.  A small part of him tried to tell him to turn around and go to his 'real home', but the time spent with Cass didn't suddenly make them a family.  No matter what she said.  And a week up north didn't make them... whatever.  He wasn't about to butt in between Sam and Jack.  And with all the time they'd been spending together... they probably needed some private time.  Yeah, that was it.  They needed time alone with each other.

He nodded firmly, refusing with a mental stomping to even consider anything beyond tonight.  Tomorrow they'd-  No!  Backup computer Sly, what the hell's wrong with the backup computer.  He stuck to the mantra as he opened windows to air the place out and went to get showered and changed.  He still hadn't fixed that DVD player either-

####

Looking up from the local news as Sam came down from her shower, Jack frowned, glancing at the door before catching her eye, "Where's Siler?  Working late?"

Sam helped herself to a swallow of his beer on the coffee table, trying to remember if there was something going on that he might have needed to stay for.  "No... he should be here."  They didn't make a habit of leaving together, wordlessly knowing that would be asking for trouble.  But neither of them was really tempted to stay late at work these days either.

Jack watched her indulgently, wondering if she'd automatically get him a fresh beer in payment or if he'd have to beg.  Watching her wet hair spike wildly from what had likely been a half-hearted finger-comb after her shower, he frowned, straightening with a sudden memory.  ".. Shit...  We didn't make plans this morning."

Sam's eyes met his, at first surprised and then narrowing, "He..!  Oh for crying out loud-"

####

Siler grabbed a beer and put the TV on, dropping on the couch.  He should think of making some food, or ordering some, but the silence of the house was getting to him.  He kept waiting to hear footsteps, or grumbling or a questioning shout.

The stupid Nintendo DS Rhythm Heaven ad (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WuU0vti_PhA) came on and he almost called out to Sam that her favourite rant topic was on before he stiffened, his eyes spasming closed for a second, stubbornly trying to deny the fear crowding his chest.

Cranking up the sound, he told himself he'd think of an excuse to drop by tomorrow; everything was fine.

For one thing, he needed to get his uniforms back to his place.  Yeah, that was enough truth.  Everything was fine.

####

Sam stared at the TV-lit house through the windshield, exceedingly glad for how much her life had improved in the four years since she'd last been in this position.  "He *might* have had something tonight."

Jack didn't look away from his own hard stare, "It's not Monday and he would have called if he couldn't make it.  He's home.  And no one else is."  Or no other vehicle was.

"He might *want* to be alone.  We just spent a lot of time together."  And he was a loner.  As they both knew.

This time Jack turned to her with a small frown, all too easily remembering the sergeant's reaction to minor mothering, "..Did he look like he was feeling crowded?"

"..No."  He hadn't.  He'd looked happy; *was* happy, she'd have sworn to it.  Rather than keep trying to guess, she tightened her jaw, picked up the pizza and wings and opened the truck door.  She'd keep her eyes open; if Siler looked like he really didn't want company, she'd get them out of here as soon as she could.

When he opened the door, though, his usual mask dropped and, for a few seconds, it was blatantly obvious that he hadn't stayed away out of any need for peace.  The only thing that stopped her from stepping up, handing Jack the food and *shaking* him was seeing him scramble to rein back the relief and find his footing again.  She glanced at Jack, seeing his eye twitch in annoyance even while he also stayed quiet.

Refraining from making a fuss to avoid making him even more self-conscious in a situation they'd both faced themselves wasn't the same as pretending they didn't know damned well what had crossed the sergeant's mind, though; they didn't try to excuse their presence.  Siler stepped back and they walked in without a word.  He knew, and they knew, that there was going to be a 'discussion' at some point.  But not on the doorstep and not when everyone was already on edge.  Much safer for them to relax a bit and get their footings with each other back.

####

Jack didn't realize what was happening at first.  He'd just looked up as part of their now almost-relaxed conversation... but Siler licking and sucking his finger had locked his attention.  He could feel his dick twitching in his pants by the time he was caught at it, the lips he was watching suddenly curling into a smirk and Sam giggling off to his side.

It didn't matter that they all knew they wanted each other, it was still a little embarrassing to be caught getting turned on out of the bloody blue.  He could feel the heat creeping up his cheeks and mock-glared at Sam, lounging on Siler's couch with the two of them in armchairs at either end, "No giggling, colonel."

The order didn't have nearly the usual bite with the breathless edge in his voice and Sam just smirked, pushing her chest out and saluting with a leer.  "Yes *sir*."

The way she smirked even wider and positively licked her lips at him told him she'd caught the flare of his nostrils at the word.  Damn; he was in so much trouble.  He turned back to Siler, who was still chuckling at him, looking entirely too uncharacteristically smug, "You did that deliberately!"  Bastard.

Siler just grinned, waggling his brows and slowly getting up, "Did what, *general*?  I was sitting here, *innocently* eating the food *you* brought.."

When Siler went to walk by her, Sam stretched a bare leg to bar his way, aware that they both stopped and zoomed in on the opening of her very naughty jean miniskirt.  Staring at Jack with a smirk, she brought her bare foot to stroke Siler's half-aroused cock trough his trousers, feeling it jump under her touch and licking her widening grin as Jack's eyes flickered between the two of them.  Nope, none of them were 'innocent' here.  Finally turning back to the man unabashedly staring right between her legs, -parted only to accommodate the position of course- she puckered her lips and said commandingly, "Pay toll."  She heard Jack laugh off to the side and her grin softened, still not used to that happy, carefree sound from the man who'd spent so many years quietly lonely.

Siler leaned over obediently, laying his hands on the couch-back besides her face, paying his toll with a soft kiss that belied both the arousal in his body and the teasing they'd been doing.  Yeah, he'd known Jack all those years too.  And knew first-hand about loneliness...

Deepening the kiss slowly, Sam reached out and undid his zipper, sympathizing with Jack's distraction when she felt oh so aroused flesh jump under her touch as she was very thoroughly kissed.  She was throbbing as she reluctantly pulled back with a last squeeze on his freed penis, gently letting it come to rest against the bottom of his shirt, his open jeans just staying up on lean hips.  "OK, you can pass."

The torn look he threw at Jack made the general laugh again, leaning back and grinning, "Hey, don't let me disturb you, Sparky, I'm perfectly happy watching."

When Siler looked back at Sam, she winked, mouthing "So am I.", then catching her breath when he bent his head back down, driving his tongue into her mouth with clear intent, his body pushing her into the couch for a minute before getting off her and stalking the few steps to Jack's chair.

A little breathless and crumbled haphazardly into the cushions, Sam watched Jack eye him hotly every step of the way.  Then Siler dropped to his knees and gently palmed Jack through his jeans, leering as he undid the buttons, "OK, maybe not so innocent."

Jack's muttered "Knew it." as he stared at the rough, crooked fingers undoing his slacks wasn't so much smug as tight with anticipation. And watching him get tighter and tenser with every button released made it damned hard for Sam to catch her breath, never mind the picture of Siler on his knees, staring up at that same expression just as fiercely.  She was just close enough to see his eyes narrow with arousal as he got Jack out of his pants, wrapping his fist around him and stroking with an obviously too light, teasing, touch.

When he bent down slowly, she moaned softly, sliding her hand between her legs to ease the ache as she watched her men, well aware that he grinned in response, even as he slid his lips along Jack's penis, looking entirely too content for a man with his own cock standing at lonely attention.  When he finally gave in to the demand inherent in the thrust of Jack's hips and took him deep into his mouth in one shot, Sam felt the sudden moisture on her fingertips and the coil of heat in her belly and had enough.  She stripped off her leather tank top and tight skirt, smiling temptingly at Jack as he watched her, almost forgetting himself and actually jerking his hips, moaning sharply when she dropped down to the floor besides Siler and shimmied herself forward between the front of the sergeant's thighs and the armchair with military precision.

*That* move Siler noticed, moaning himself as he pulled back to watch her pull his aroused cock into her mouth.  His shuddery groan as she sucked gently made Jack laugh, no doubt glad to see the other man a little less in control, and then he slid lower on the chair, nearer the edge.  Easier for Siler; and a hint for him to get back to it.

When he did -slowly-, Sam wrapped an arm tight around his hip, her hand squeezing the cheek of his ass through his jeans as she slowly fucked herself on him, feeling him shudder as she swirled her tongue along the way.  Feeling her inner muscles clench with need as he twitched and grew in her mouth, her clit throbbing as he moaned.  His abs flexed besides her as he moved on Jack and she could hear the *almost* mutter from *him* as he got closer, quite obviously driven crazy by the unsteady blow job.  Sam grinned, pausing to suckle at the head as she reflected that even multi-tasking Siler wasn't quite up to this.

Jack could *just* fucking feel the edge of orgasm when Siler jerked his head up with a gasp and leaned over to glare at him, stating only a little breathlessly, "Just so you know, you call me Sparky so much as *once* and I'm leaving you like this."

Jack glared back, panting and stretched tight as a board, ignoring the choked giggle he heard and the way Siler was practically panting through the firm stare he was pointedly giving Jack, "Don't you *dare*-" there was a barely noticeable pause as he gauged the sergeant's poker-face, "*Siler*."

Barely hanging on to his control, Siler leaned back down, feeling Jack's under-voiced whimper shiver down into his own body, leaving a trail of fire through him as Sam picked up the pace to make up for giving him a break as he threatened their too-often smug buddy.  He couldn't concentrate enough anymore so he took as much of Jack as he could and sucked hard once, breaking off on a ragged moan as he got too close to his own edge and dropping a hand to randomly fondle at Jack's balls, loosening his mouth and letting him find his own pleasure.

As Jack took the opportunity and thrust quick and shallow, Siler let himself get taken by his own body, not bothering to choke his moans as Sam took him to the edge; she kept up the teasing, humming so happily on his tender skin as she licked that he couldn't quite stop.  Not that he tried very hard, managing to remember that Jack loved it.  But when he felt Jack pulse into his mouth, he had to reach down and slide his fingers into Sam's hair, slowing her movement as he tried to keep enough sanity to swallow without choking, listening to Jack cry out raggedly.

He usually enjoyed this moment, lingering in closeness and teasing, but he'd barely held himself back to stay with Jack.  Was wound so fucking tight and hot and-  He lifted his head when Jack softened, panting desperately, both hands coming to grip the man's thighs as Sam resumed and he tried not to jerk his hips *too* hard, just barely aware that he was already not managing to control himself.  Then the lightning shot through him, wrenching a low cry out of his throat as his body stiffened out, jerking over and over as Sam stayed with him stubbornly.

When he finally got some thinking ability back, it was to feel so boneless that he really did start to crumble, catching himself before Jack reached out and grabbed his upper arms.  "Easy Si', no falling at home.  Be a little hard to explain to Doc Lam."

Siler's eyes crawled open, smiling as he heard Sam chuckle, feeling her untangle herself and come to slide her beautifully naked self under one of his arms.

"I think you need to lay down, sergeant."

She helped him up as Jack closed his pants back up and for a second he was back standing up in a small shower and wondered what this lovely younger woman was doing with a wreck like him, but he was a little too distracted by all the delightful bare skin so near to bother with the thought.  Bringing his free hand up to appreciatively fondle a pale, hard-tipped breast, he let her shuffle them to the couch without argument.

He was just going to sit for a minute to catch his breath before doing something more constructive than half-assed touching, but Sam shoved him into laying down on the couch, ignoring his amused raised brow.  As much as he didn't doubt she could take him down if she actually fought him, there was also no way she could *make* him move with less than violent will guiding her actions.  Which she knew.  Which didn't stop her acting as though she expected him to obey her silent orders and make like she could do whatever she wanted with him...

Then again, he wasn't exactly resisting her, was he?  "Sam?  What about you?"

Sam chuckled at the raspy question, barely waiting for him to rest his head on the couch arm before carefully throwing a leg over his shoulders, shifting to sit on her knees, her very wet, still-bare vulva mere inches from his grinning lips, one knee between him and the couch-back and the other just on the edge of the cushion.  Looking up as Jack stepped in front of her, smirking at her tactics, she grinned at him before looking back down, holding herself still as Siler shifted his arms to wrap around her thighs, giving her knees more space while allowing him to hold her securely.  Her grin faded on a hum of anticipation as he pulled her down to his mouth, nuzzling his way past her swollen outer lips to run a slow tongue around the entrance to her vagina.

Jack pulled her chin back up to himself and she slid her fingers into his hair caressingly.  Taking advantage of the moan parting her lips, he thrust his tongue in and then hummed, happily tasting Siler on her.  She'd felt that often enough herself and understood the bone-deep connection that it rode on, enjoying his stubborn hunt for every last hint, his hands stroking her back and making her shiveringly aware of her nakedness to their still-dressed selves.

Rocking her hips against Siler, suckling her oh-so-slowly, and breathing through her nose as Jack kept hold of her lips, Sam resisted the urge to speed either of them up.  It wasn't often that any of them had had the patience for slow, one way or the other, but she was in the mood right now.  Arousal ever so slowly growing to to the point of ache as Siler only let her hips move so much within his grip.  Jack's fingers sneaking to her breasts to cup and fondle and stroke fingers gently across the very hard beads of her nipples.

Eventually though, however much she liked slow, the need got too sharp and she ground down against Siler, wishing he had a finger or two free to slide inside her as she clenched hard, tightening on herself.  She distractedly felt one of Jack's hands vanish, but so long as the other continued its rough massage she didn't have the attention to care.

At least not until Siler tilted his head back, his lips leaving her.  Panting for breath, she looked down to see him shake his head, dislodging Jack's riffling fingers and glaring up at him, "Would you quit with the hair, Jack?  You're distracting me!"

Jack pulled back a little too to blink down at him, "Distracting you?  I-"

"Boys!" They both looked at her with guileless expressions, making Sam roll her eyes and growl with a heavy hint, "Horny woman here..."

"Sorry Sam."

"Sorry Carter."

Jack's hand got back to her, sliding down to fondle he cheek of her ass, his fingers wandering teasingly as he nibbled at her neck, making her shudder even before Sly shifted his mouth back to her almost-pulsing body.

It only took another minute then and she froze, nails clenching in Jack's scalp and crying out breathlessly into his mouth as the pleasure flashed-fired through her, blanking her awareness.  When she came back to herself, she was lolling in his arms, head dropped on his shoulder and his stubbly neck under her lips.  She could feel Siler trailing soft kisses, soothing and caring, along her inner thighs, the same tender affection in the touch as in Jack's gentle stroking on her sweaty shoulders.

Sighing lethargically, Sam shifted back, the boys supporting her wordlessly until she collapsed, laying down full length on Siler's jean-clad form, her thigh brushing against his softened cock, still resting outside his jeans, head coming to rest on his shoulder and kissing him softly, sloppily, as Jack crouched down at the head of the couch, nuzzling the top of both their heads, a hand on Si's shoulder until the sergeant reached up to clasp it.

Gripping the offered hand, Jack cleared his throat, "So.  Sparky," Sam grinned as Siler lifted his lips from her to give Jack a taciturn look, "That key?  Let me explain how it works."  This time Siler tried to get up and she and Jack both held him down with firm looks that only got to him in combination.

"Look, I just don't want to butt in-"

"Siler," Sam shot Jack a look at the commanding tone and he moderated it with a wince, remembering a lecture about bringing the chain of command home.  "Being the first of our little circle to retire, I spend most of my days pretty damn alone.  By the time you come home, I *want* company.  If for some reason I really need peace, I'll step out to the bar until I unwind.  When *Sam* has enough of humanity, she takes a detour after work."  He leaned in, sliding a hand to cup the edge of Siler's clenched jaw and the other to rest between Sam's head and his shoulder, "*We*-" Jack stumbled, looking like he was fishing for words, and Sam took over the lecture.

"You're *part* of 'us', Siler.  I know, *we* know, you're not used to that, and whatever you need to do to satisfy *your* need for time on your own is fine; is part and parcel of relationships.  If we know that when you come here it's to have some breathing space, we won't say anything.  But never, *ever* think that we would *ever* not want you with us."

Siler stared at her, the years-old faith between them obviously trying to make him believe her.

"Ever."

She watched his eyes shift to Jack at the quietly firm reinforcement.  Stroking her own hands along his neck, she thought she felt him relax under her, thought she saw acceptance of his place when his eyes came back to hers.  He was a smart man and they'd never lied to him; there was every reason for him to believe, and only fear to lead him away from them.

She smiled, hoping he could read in her eyes how much he meant to her, "*Ever*, Siler."

When he leaned over and kissed her oh-so-softly, the tenderness took her breath and they both stared at each other with a bit of wonder, his and Jack's hands once again holding tight to each other besides his head.

Yeah; he was starting to believe.

####

Waking up to his own alarm actually made Siler blink in momentary confusion.  Feeling the numbness where his left arm should be and Sam's hair tickling his face, on the other hand, calmed him back down.

Shifting just enough to swing his free arm back and hit the snooze, he squinted at the time before turning back to re-snuggle the woman waking with a sigh.

"What time is it?"

He slipped his nose back in her nape, his hand brushing her hip before reaching past it to stroke Jack's side, " 'Nother half hour."

Jack chuckled drowsily, "That's not what she asked, sergeant."

Not budging his nose, Siler smiled, stretching into the hand the general was stroking through his hair, "It's the only answer I'm giving."  And they knew *he* wouldn't let them be late.

Jack's hand had come to rest on his flank and he could hear the two of them kissing, feel Sam's head shift as they did, but he was too pleasantly lazy to even bother doing anything about the hard-on snuggled tight against her ass.  For once, he was content to just snooze along, mostly awake but grabbing every last second of skin contact that he could in the middle of the workweek.

Maybe it was because he was getting enough sex that his body was perfectly happy, or because he actually believed that.. 'this'.. would last, so that he knew he'd get more tonight.  But either way, he didn't feel the need to tempt fate and time with any kind of quickie.  A week of almost constant touching had completely addicted him to the simple pleasure; and cuddling was friendlier to avoiding being late again.

He finally had to shift when Sam turned over in his arms, his eyes briefly meeting Jack's sleepy ones before Sam distracted him with good-morning nibbles.  When the alarm rang again, his nine minutes of snooze exhausted, he pulled away regretfully, resisting the urge to hit it again.  That way lay more lateness.  Instead, he gave Sam a last deep kiss, ran a hand down to pat Jack's ass and dragged himself up to have the first shower.

####

Sliding his wallet, change and keys into his pockets, Siler's breath stuttered slightly, remembering the whole reason that they were all waking up in his house.  He *did* believe them.  ..He'd just never had a long enough, deep enough, relationship to be given a key to his lover's house.  Even his marriage had happened quickly, going from living alone, to both of them living in one house.

Jerking himself out of the stillness he'd fallen into, he growled under his breath, reached in his drawer and pulled out his passport pouch.

Inserting the key onto his ring, Siler turned around, meeting Jack's eyes as he got out of bed and took Sam's place in the bathroom.  Not surprised at the very small pleased smile quirking the general's lips.

Silently dropping a kiss on Sam's forehead as she stood drying herself, he headed downstairs to put the coffee on, frowning as he realized that between the time he'd been spending at their place and the week away, there was no food in the house.

Sam came down as he was thinning out some canned milk to go with the cereal he'd found and she walked over to pour them coffee.  He had to grin that she'd managed to find one of his rare BDU shirts; still half exasperated with himself for the way he reacted to wearing Jack's.

By the time the man himself made his way down, wearing an almost-Hawaiian shirt that Siler wasn't sure he wanted to admit to still owning, the two of them were hurriedly washing up their bowls and it belatedly occurred to him that he'd never given *them* keys.  "Damn," he muttered, eyes skipping around the kitchen, trying to think where he'd have thrown the spare, all those years ago.

"Siler?"

He patted Jack's shoulder distractedly as he stepped over to his odd-sod crap drawer, "Just.. looking for something.  Coffee's made, cereal and milk over there."  It only took a few second of quick pawing through the accumulated junk to spot the bit of copper stuck in a corner, "Ahha!  Gotcha!"

Turning around to face the dual looks of curiosity aimed his way, he shrugged off the discomfort at the awkward-feeling situation and handed Jack the key, "Here, take your time eating," he grinned briefly, including Sam in both the look and the words, "Don't be strangers,"  This time he looked at Sam apologetically, "I'll make you a copy on the way home from work."

Already smiling at the gesture, Sam walked up to him and pulled his head down gently for a kiss, ignoring how tight they were pushing the time, "Unless you've changed it, I already have one."  Siler blinked at her in surprise, barely reacting to Jack patting his rear in passing.  "You gave me one.. way back when."

Sipping the leftover of one of their coffees, Jack could see the moment Siler realized what her keeping it all this time meant; the reality of the affection she'd had for him very obviously giving him a shock.  "Hey," he tapped his lover's shoulder, smiling gently when Siler turned his head to look at him, still wide-eyed, "You're going to be late, sergeant."

That seemed to snap them both out of their interlocked intimacy and they started to move fast to get out of the house before they were irredeemably late.

Jack watched the hurry with mixed feelings.  Getting oddly used to the dual, distracted, quick kisses to his cheeks and the militarily calm double-time out of the house.  It wasn't exactly safe for Sam to claim to have taken a cab and then chosen to walk the last bit to work, but they'd been insistent and Jack didn't argue over her life choices anymore; he wasn't going to insists on driving up if she really thought it was OK to drive with Si'.

Staring around the unfamiliar house that was quiet now, he reminded himself that he did like being retired.  These incidental moments of loneliness were only that.  They passed.

Thinking about the key hidden in Sam's mock-Gameboy, he was kind of proud of how quickly he got over the instants of doubt that attacked him whenever he realized that Siler had been as much in Sam's heart as he'd been, all those years.  It might have taken a while, but he really did *know* that she loved him, these days.  That she also loved Siler didn't change that any more than the fact that *he* was coming to care for the sergeant did.

Shaking off the introspection with rolled eyes, Jack poured himself a fresh cup of coffee and looked over the selection of cereal.

####

Moving slowly, as much from tiredness as from hesitation, Siler unlocked the front door, stepping into the house without escort and feeling like it was unfamiliar territory, even though he'd spent enough time here that he could already navigate it in the dark.

Hearing the quiet, he walked through to the back of the house, trying not to feel like a skulking thief.  He got to the half-open patio door and hesitated, seeing the couple cuddling sweetly on the deck, watching the stars.

He fought off the instinct to leave them in peace and stepped forward quietly, holding tight to the memory that he belonged with them.  At the last, Jack turned his head with a smile, unwinding one arm from Sam to hold out to him, his voice soft in the peaceful night, "Thought you might not show."

Dropping a kiss on Sam's offered lips and sliding under Jack's arm, his own going around his waist, Siler couldn't find any hint of accusation in the words and felt himself relax into the two of them, answering laconically, "Working late on the secondary generator in Lee's lab.  Cutting out under load."

Jack didn't bother answering the technobabble, rubbing his temple on Siler's companionably, but Sam looked up with a frown, "Is it fixed?"

He sighed, grumbling as he wrapped an arm around her, feeling her shift so she leaned partly on both of them, "For now.  Don't trust it though, the power was fluctuating every time I turned my head.  Have to tackle it again with a fresh brain tomorrow."

She nodded, the crinkle in her brows a dead giveaway that he'd have company in his hunt.

"You eat?"

Siler shook his head gently to not dislodge the man still leaning his head on his, "No.  Rather stay out here a bit though."

Quirking a smile, Jack shifted his hand from Siler's shoulder to his jaw and turned his head enough to sneak in a soft kiss before relaxing again and going back to looking at the stars, "That can be arranged."

####

Finishing off the leftovers Sam had warmed up for him, Siler listened to her tease Jack for apparently letting Vala rile him when he'd gone to pick Sam up from the base.  They sounded like they'd been over the lines before, their tones very similar to the ones the colonel and major had used to banter, or, more to the point, flirt with.  And Siler mentally grinned, happy with the memory; even happier with the present.  He took his dishes to the sink, the sound of their voices flowing over his tired mind until Jack's cut through the descending haze.

"Siler?"

"Umm?"  He looked over his shoulder with faint curiosity at the no-nonsense tone.

Jack had slipped his glasses on and was frowning down at a paper on the table while Sam poured them all some juice.  "Anything you want me to get the next time I'm at the store?"

Before Siler could do more than drop his jaw, the phone rang and Jack hurried to the living room where it had apparently been left at some point.

"Siler?"

He blinked, refocusing at Sam's nearby voice and realizing he'd dripped suds all over the counter as he'd stood frozen, "Aw crap."  It only took a second to wipe it up, and then he straightened, knowing he had to face the music.

Sam was watching him calmly, tilting her head with an encouraging look, "We just want you to be happy here, Siler.  Is that still so surprising?"

Wiping his hands dry, he reached out and tugged her against his chest, resting his back against the sink.  Leaning their foreheads together as she wrapped her arms around his neck, he kept his eyes closed, speaking quietly, "Not.. surprising, maybe.  But I've never had anyone do my shopping for me.  Not since I was... twelve, I think.  The.. fosterers I was with.. allowed the older kids to... set up their own lives; if we chose and as long as we stayed out of trouble.  Buy your own clothes and food, cook for yourself..."

Trailing off, Siler couldn't remember, off the bat, when he'd last told anyone about his childhood.  When Jack's hand came to rest on the back of his head gently, he opened his eyes and met their gazes, feeling damnably exposed; in their house, in their arms.. in their life.  He knew he couldn't take any of it back; couldn't make himself safe again behind that nice thick shield of isolation he'd used as long as he could remember.  They'd let him into their life, let him see them without their masks.  The fair price was that he had to return the favour and give them rights over parts of *his* life, no matter how foreign the feeling was.

He smiled, muttering self-consciously, "Golden grahams and chocolate protein shakes.  And you're almost out of honey."

Sam nestled wordlessly on one shoulder, giving Jack the option to take his other side.  Which he did, leaning against Siler's arm and grinning victoriously, "Noticed you had the first two at your place and already got 'em," he rolled his eyes at Siler before sliding a hand to his jaw to slide it over and nip his earlobe, "And I take it I'm going to have to check the honey inventory regularly?"

Sam snickered before Siler could answer, "If you're complaining, Jack.."

It was Siler's turn to laugh, holding Sam close and grinning at the mock-glare Jack was sending her.  They were hilarious when they were in this mood; playful and affectionate.  The joy of having them in his arms and being a *part* of the teasing added itself to the old pleasure of just listening to them and knowing they were, at least momentarily, happy.

And the fact that Jack had snooped to find out what he liked only made him feel bound even tighter to them.


Chapter 6c: Hogging (PG13)
Aug 24, 2009

"Siler??"

Shifting back so his head came out from under the mainframe, Siler frowned up at the sergeant staring at him in surprise, "What is it, Walter?"

The other sergeant's brows flew up at the exhausted question, "It's.. 2300 hours?  What are you still doing here; thought you had the morning shift?"

It took a few seconds for the information to compute, but then Siler blinked in surprise, pulling his sleeve back to look at his watch and groaning at the time, "No wonder I was starving earlier."

Shaking his head with a disbelieving laugh, Walter chided gently, "If you were hungry, why didn't you check the clock *then*?"  As if he couldn't guess after all these years playing conscience for the engineer.

Siler sighed, staring up at the seemingly normal wires and junctions he was going through.  "Was busy.  This thing has been cutting out on and off all day."

"Isn't that the backup for the secondary?"

"Yeah."

"..So.. we still have two working systems?"

Siler rolled his eyes, reaching up with arms that he could feel were tired, now.  "That's not the point, Walter.  You know as well as I do how close we've come to apocalypse even when we start the day with everything running.  I'm pretty sure I know what the problem is, now, anyway."

Walter debated arguing, aware that he was dealing with a workaholic; and that he couldn't actually deny that backups of backups got entirely too much use around here.

"It's Friday night, at least for another hour; would you just call it quits and go home, Siler?  If it'll make you sleep better, I'll get the night maintenance shift to concentrate on it."

Out of sight, Siler winced at the reminder.  Jack was no doubt going to give him a lecture for working late.  And not calling.  And Sam was going to growl about his not telling her about the problem, even though it wasn't her job anymore on the days that she wasn't running the base..  Damn.  "I'm almost done, Walter.  Quit nagging."   When he heard the harsh tone, he winced, "Sorry, Walt.  Tired."

Giving up with a shrug, Walter turned to get back to his rounds, throwing behind him a casual, "Just don't crash on the way home."

####

It was 0100 by the time Siler stepped into their bedroom and stopped in his tracks.  Staring at the two bodies entwined *right* smack-dab in the middle of the bed, he frowned, uncomfortable.  Too tired to seriously consider that he should have just gone home, he headed for the shower instead, hoping they'd make room for him.

When he got out and found them unmoved, he took a deep breath, reminded himself that they'd insisted he was a part of their relationship, and padded to Sam's side.  He started to reach over the one foot gap to touch her shoulder carefully but pulled back when hers and Jack's eyes both popped open.  He tried to smile but had to stop for a wide yawn.  "Sorry.  You two are hogging the bed." And he'd have gotten yelled at for sure if he'd slept on the couch...

Sam looked willing enough to shift back, but Jack's eyes narrowed at him and he knew that that lecture he'd anticipated was on its way.. *before* he got to lay down, damn it.

"Funny you should say that," Sam turned to join Siler in giving the general a look for his tone, "It just so happens there's going to be a delivery some time tomorrow morning, hopefully before we start working so we don't get interrupted."

The silence stretched out as neither Sam nor Siler chose to humour him by asking the obvious question and he finally gave in with a mock-glare at them, "King-size bed.  You two have almost drop-kicked me out a *few* times in the middle of the night so I got Cass to help me pick one as a surprise before we left."

When Sam tackled the general to the bed with a grin, Siler took advantage of the freed space and crawled on, snagging a sheet to cover them from the annoying chill that had appeared in the air at some point.  Listening to Sam quiz Jack about the new furniture, he wondered if he should point out that the cabin needed one too.


Chapter seven: Hip (NC17)
May 16, 2009

AN: I blame this entirely pointless PWP smut on my current obsession with this pic, courtesy of piccies from VancouverCreationCon2009 at Gateworld. lol, those who know me, know that it is always dangerous to introduce me to drooly pictures.. I can get very annoyingly stuck on them...


-s-e-x-s-e-x-s-e-x-s-e-x- WARNING -s-e-x-s-e-x-s-e-x-s-e-x-

"You didn't mention I'd have to work for my keep."

Jack snorted at the laconic complaint, having to squint as he looked up, even with baseball cap and sunglasses on, "Hey, you get a nice big bed to play in, isn't that worth a bit of sweat?"

Siler didn't bother to take the bait, concentrating on keeping his centre balanced as he stretched his body out over the edge of the roof to reach the stubborn piece of gutter.  He really didn't mind the work; it was easy, mindless physical labour.  Hot sun on his back, fresh air in his lungs.

Good company scampering along besides him.

Sam took the piece of aluminum out of his hand so he could get himself back up without it unbalancing him and he thanked her softly, wondering how it could feel so comfortable, easy, reassuring and instinctive to work with a person, "Thanks, Sam."

"That's the last piece," she dropped the old, twisted metal over the edge for Jack to take to the scrap pile, watching with a smile as Siler carefully shifted himself back to the upright crouch they worked in, "Getting the new ones on shouldn't take too long."

He shook his head at the soft encouragement, not needing it.  The last thing either of them had wanted was Jack's bad knees on a roof.  Luckily he hadn't decided to think with the wrong head about this little job; arguing him down would have left bad feelings to ruin this beautiful day.  But it was just too much fun to tease the general, even now that he knew the man couldn't reprimand him no matter what he said.

He grinned at his fellow roof-rat, silently appreciating the sight of Sam's very thin tank top and short shorts; not to mention her tanned skin glistening in the sun.  They'd both opted for the risk of a bit of shingle-burn over getting heatstroke on the roof. 

His voice was low, keeping it from reaching their helper, "I'm fine, Sam.  Was just riling him."

She snickered, shaking her head as she turned to get to the corner where they were going to start installing the fresh pipes, "You two are such five-year-olds, sometimes."

He laughed out loud, aware that Jack was watching them with relaxed pleasure as he passed up the first length, "Five-year-olds who can make you scream with pleasure, colonel-ma'am."

She threw him back a grin before getting to work, "It *is* a nice big bed, isn't it?"

####

Three hours later, Siler leaned back against the kitchen counter, glugging cold lemonade from the container in relief.  Watching some of the drink trickle out the sides of his mouth and down his throat, Sam stepped forward on silent feet.  No matter how tired she was and how much they both needed a shower, she'd spent the day keeping her eyes from straying *too* long to avoid the kind of distraction that would be deadly 30 feet up on a sloped surface.  And now there was no reason whatsoever not to drool to her heart's content.  Grinning, she decided that they really needed to convince Jack to feel less self-conscious; this whole ogling thing was just *too* pleasurable.

Bare skin shiny with sweat, and that trickle of sweetness was running a trail down his right pectoral now, sliding easily over the bare, heavy muscle that had just spent unforgiving hours holding, hauling and nailing.  Like her, he'd ditched his shoes and socks outside and hosed his legs and feet to cool down, splashing the ragged edge of the cutoffs that only came a couple inches down his muscled thighs.

And now that tempting trail of runaway liquid was creating matching wet spots in the ancient denim at his waist, running in the valleys between ab muscles -just deep enough to act as guides.

"Are you trying to undress me with those eyes, colonel?"

Sam lifted those eyes with a grin at the gravely words, meeting the laughter in his and aware that he'd straightened slightly.  Considering how self-effacing he could be, that bit of pride in the shape he was in was not only well-earned, but downright adorable.  She stepped all the way up to him and took the plastic container from him to take a few swallows of her own, letting her belly come to rest against his fly and feeling his hands cup her hips loosely as he smiled at her; tired and happy in the late afternoon light.

His body still radiated heat from the sun and the work, and the musky smell of physical labour was sticking to both of them after the long day.  Nonetheless, Sam set the empty container aside and bypassed his reaching lips to suckle at the corner of his mouth, humming at the lemony sweetness mixed with salty sweat and stubble, hearing him chuckle, his hands stealthily sneaking under her top.  Nudging his head a little sideways and up with hers, she followed the trail down his throat, her hands, resting on his ribs, feeling the shudder that went through him and the tension it left behind as she deliberately teased his sensitive skin.

Jack must have decided to setup and try out their new bed after his shower because the house was so quiet that Siler's breathing filled her ears; their own little intimate world of sensation. 

His hands stilled as she bent to continue the trail, slow and languid, licking smooth skin and getting high on the taste of sweat, Siler and sugar; and especially on the soft moan in his throat.

Though the trail had bypassed the hollow of his throat, Sam had no qualms about cheating.  Seducing Siler was the point; not conducting a science experiment.  And seducing herself with the feel of him was a happy by-product, she thought, need pooling heat through her lower body as he shivered, his hands clenching where they held her.

"Sam."

Strange that Siler's quiet raspy lisp of the shortened form of her name had the same shiver-causing emotional effect as Jack's tender use of 'Samantha'.

Letting her eyes close momentarily as she very gently kissed the side of his tight nipple, her hands slid slowly down his sweaty, dirt-grainy back to his waistband, gliding her palms over his ass to dislodge the dirt she'd picked up and then coming back up to tease her fingers into the tight space between the material and his hot skin.

Hearing his breath catch in anticipation, she kept her eyes closed, simply revelling in her other senses as she traced the edge of his pectoral with her stiffened tongue.  Salt, musk and lemonade, Siler's and her own unsteady breath, smooth skin, stretched over hard muscle; arousal was making her a little too sensitive for her tight shorts, but she shifted her hips to rearrange the fit and carried on.  Lowering to a crouch, her hands followed the ragged material around his waist until they met at his fly, her teeth scraping over his abs to the tune of his choked groans.

Her lips took a last detour to his hip as his hands slid into her hair and hers carefully undid his buttons, working around the twitch of his pelvis and the way his aroused cock distended the fabric.  Every lick and nibble at the little hollow under her lips caused the man she was torturing to jerk with increasing power, choking out swearwords mixed with her name; and made hunger shiver through her, dampness leaving her increasingly aware of her own shivery body.

With a last, mostly-teasing, bite, Sam sat back on her heels for a second to appreciate the view, smirking at him when his eyes popped open and he squawked 'Hey!' at her no longer kissing him.  He really *was* addicted to touch.

The sheepish look that appeared as she smiled affectionately at him was entirely too boyish for the experienced man he was, lighting his eyes with such open emotion that she was very tempted to stand up and just kiss him for an hour or two.

But her hand was wrapped around very hard flesh that flexed under her slightly shifting grip and she was even *more* inclined to drive him a little crazy; right now.  With a last visual sweep of all the enticing, sweaty, muscle-y, freely offered skin, Sam shifted forward, ignoring the thrust of his hips and his moan of anticipation.  Unerringly finding the last of the lemonade and sucking it off the skin wrinkled by the waistband of his shorts.  She should call him commando-Siler, considering how often he skipped underwear...

Then she stopped teasing, sliding her lips onto his cock and slowly down his length, sucking as she slid her palms under his shorts, encouraging them to slide down his legs as she stroked and squeezed the tight cheeks of his ass.

Her hands had just enough control this way to keep his hips from jerking him too deep and she could slide up and down his cock with simple, unimpeded pleasure.  Though his hands clenched in her hair repeatedly, she easily ignored the occasional attempted tug, listening to his ragged gasps instead and feeling him pulse between her lips.  Swirling her tongue around him as she sucked more firmly and deeper made him cry out roughly, shuddering, and her clit responded with sharp throbbing of its own; an ache for him growing deep inside.

Sam could just see Siler's expression from this position, and watched, letting the knowledge of his pleasure skid through her and add to the need to be taken.  She knew he was getting close when she had to shift her hands to his hips to hold him steady and, however much she wanted his cock hard inside her body, she'd wanted to do *this* since the first time she'd watched him and Jack so comfortably cooking together and was about to speed up her movements to get him there when his arms tensed and he pulled her firmly away from his cock and upright until he could kiss her, stabbing his tongue into her mouth and demanding surrender.

Lost in the possessive kiss, the edge of the table hitting the back of her thighs was the only thing that forced her to pay attention to the new state of affairs, just in time to feel her shorts glide down her legs.  Before she could react further than with a gasp of surprise, there was a tug at her shoulders and the rip of fabric; shortly followed by her arms getting pulled away from their grip on Siler's shoulders for the remnant of her top to come off.  Only then, when she was as naked as he was, did the suddenly wild man making love to her pull back.

His hands slid to her thighs as he stared fiercely into her eyes, "Want you. Want to *fuck* you.  Now."

Sam's teasing pout of disappointment smeared into a moan when he lifted her legs around his waist and drove into her with a shaky growl against her lips, taking the step so her ass edged onto the table.  Focused on feeling the much-needed pressure inside her needy body, she let him shift her until she was laying back on the chilly wood and her feet brushed his ears, giving him total control and total access.  Both of which he took full advantage of, holding her hips and thrusting hard.

She could feel his every muscle hard under her legs, watched with wide eyes and short breath as his face tightened, thrown back to drive harder.

Twisting on the table as much as she could within his steely grip, Sam brought her hands up, cupping her breast and stroking her nipples just right, feeling the resulting pull meet the quickly-rising wall of pleasure as he hit right on her G-spot over and over.  Then she was tensing, unable to breathe as the orgasm exploded through her, barely seeing his expression change with the harsh pleasure as she dragged him over.

Coming back to her senses to the feel of her body twitching with the last aftershocks, she smiled lazily, looking with content pleasure at the man leaning his weight on the table on either side of her hips, head hanging between his locked-straight arms.  She had to look wanton as hell with her legs up and around his head, the two of them buck naked in the late-afternoon shadows of their kitchen.  Not that she was inclined to do anything to change it; the heat still soaking her body and the sweet intimacy of watching and feeling his body slowly softening was peaceful heaven.

Seeing Jack round the table, though, showered and changed into clean house-slacks and shirt, wearing an intense look that she knew very well, sent a fresh pulse of anticipation through her previously sated body, watching with once again shortening breath as he slid a hand up Siler's throat to his jaw, raising his face to meet his for a hard, deep kiss.

Just as she saw Jack's other hand splay over the back of Siler's head, trying to deepen the kiss as Sam watched appreciatively, the sergeant pulled back with a small grin, turning to wink at her as he gently lowered her legs before pulling his softened cock out of her unconsciously resisting body and stepping away.

Now she *really* was wanton, laying there without a word as Jack took Siler's place with a tight grin. 

Noticing that he had his slacks open and likely been watching them for a while, by the evidence of his cock, hard and wet up against his belly, she grinned, wordlessly bringing her legs up to his waist, blinking away a wince at her sore muscles, "Enjoyed the show, mon general?"

His eyes very reluctantly rose from her very wet crotch to her eyes, his grin relaxing as he brought one hand to stroke a finger gently along her still-tight clit, idly smoothing the come coating her over her swollen vulva.  "Yeah."  His other hand smoothed up and down her thigh a bit as he blatantly leered at her naked body.  Then he looked to the side and she followed his eyes to where Si' was fishing in a cupboard, uncaring of his nudity.  "Very good show."

Jack turned back to her, taking his hand from her thigh to his cock and guiding himself into her without further ado.  She arched up, moaning softly at the easy, wet glide into her willing body.  Then his earlier intensity came back full-force, his gentleness morphing into quick, shallow thrusts.

Leaning on the counter and drizzling honey on his finger to lick it up, Siler watched appreciatively as Jack let himself go; watched Sam enjoy another slow climb into need.  Smiling happily, he brought his energy-snack and ambled over to them, loving how good he felt.  It really *had* been a long day's work, but they'd done it calmly and slowly and all he felt was pleasantly tired. 

And then hot lovemaking to unwind his worked-up muscles, and eye-candy to unwind his mind.. yeah, life was damned good.

Sucking his finger clean, he teasingly squeezed one hard cheek of Jack's ass, sliding the hand up his tensed back to his shoulder and leaning in to close his teeth on his neck, finding that little spot right under his ear.  Nice Jack-soapy-clean skin, rough with stubble, and the harsh groan of his lover responding to him; he grinned, feeling warmth that wasn't really about sex grow with every bit of contact.

Slipping into a chair besides them, Siler drizzled more of his treat on his finger before putting the little plastic bear aside.   Sam had turned to watch him and eagerly met his lips, needing *something* and settling for stroking and sucking on his tongue.  He slid his sticky finger down her sternum gently, the sugary sweet making his finger slide even more on her sweat-slicked skin, listening to Jack getting closer, the table shivering with every hard thrust.  When his finger reached her mound, dislodging hers, he eased it between her lips carefully, laying just the pad on her clit, getting used to Jack's rhythm.

Then, returning her suckling roughly, Siler's free hand went into her hair, cuddling her head close as his finger took up a stroke along her clitoris, rapidly increasing the speed of the movement and feeling her start to tense.

"Thanks Si'."

Siler tilted his head toward Jack, quirking a smile at the breathless words but concentrating on the woman between them.  A few more minutes of straining together and Jack stiffened with a harsh cry.  Siler lifted his mouth from Sam's frustrated whimper, tracing his tongue lightly down her neck as his finger flickered quickly.  When he reached the joint to her shoulder, he bit down on the tender skin, scraping his teeth and moaning in pleasure as he felt her jerk sharply and pulse under his touch and heard her cry out breathlessly right into his ear.

Kissing her shoulder soothingly as she continued to shake, it was his turn to shudder when she randomly nibbled at his neck, working her way into reach of his lips and then taking more half-wild nibbles at *them*.

He was way too tired for another round.. but damn she was finding every sensitive spot and making *him* shake.  Witch-woman.

He heard Jack laugh softly and felt Sam's legs shift apart, half-reasoning out that the general had stepped back, but too occupied to care.  When Sam finally let him go, he lifted his head, almost self-conscious that she had his breath short again.  Almost.  Mostly happy that they all had such a strong affect on each other.

Idly retracing the faint trail of honey he'd left and bringing his finger to his lips, his nostrils flaring at the taste of Sam, sex and honey, Siler grinned lazily up at Jack when he laid a caressing hand on his shoulder, fully dressed and smiling at Siler's distraction as he relaxed from his own high.  Siler stood up slowly, sliding his arms under Sam's neck and knees to lift her rather than let her fight with sweaty skin sticking to a shaky table.  Sitting back down with her cuddling on his lap with an accepting yawn, he looked at Jack with a tired smirk, "That big bed?  Maybe a heavier table would be a good idea too.."


draco_somnians's Occupied territory (PG13) comes next in the verse
August 25, 2009


Chapter 7a: Retirement (PG13)
June 8, 2009

AN: This chapter may be altered at some future date, should its past change.. (eg)
but I'll warn ya when that happens by the by,
***if you are reading this endlessly bunnied saga that has eaten my brain, feel free to drop even the shortest word, you'd be amazed how it makes me grin.. well.. if you could see you would be.. lol - OK, no more begging for today, on to making room in my WIP file

Siler felt like hell.  Watching the red light in front of him, every breath ached, every shift of his body was pain.  He wanted to be home; wanted to fall -make that, 'gingerly lay down'- into bed and not move for a week.

The light changed and he turned automatically, wondering if it'd be worth the teasing from Jack to talk about retirement.  Spending those few days in Minnesota a couple of weeks ago had been.. beyond relaxing.  And fun.  Even fishing in a pond with only one fish had been restful; though he did feel a little silly at first.

Listening to Sam tease Jack.  Sitting in his chair quietly as the man replied in kind; somehow feeling included in their bond.  Having Sam stop and scratch his head as she walked by him on the dock, with the hot sun beating down on his all-too work-pale face.  Tiny things; but added to the emotional intimacy that had also crept in amongst the sex, it had pretty much cemented him to them.

Even then he couldn't have denied anymore that the thought of losing them was enough to almost terrify him when he made the mistake of letting himself contemplate it.  With the last couple of weeks of even tighter intimacy...

He parked the truck, staring at the gutters he put up last weekend.  Damn.  Sleep-driving was *not* a good thing.  He should turn around and go to *his* house as he'd planned.

But he was so fucking sore.

It wasn't as though he didn't think he'd be welcome; as much as he still felt a little like he was butting in sometimes, the shape he was in, he wasn't going to be getting between anyone tonight.  He'd planned to go home for no better reason than to avoid needlessly dealing with their sympathy and mothering.

But it looked like deep down, it didn't matter that he'd spent the last couple of decades with nothing but his job and his hobbies; he obviously liked this whole, sometimes stressful, family bit.  Maybe it was even time to admit that he was, for all intents of purpose, living with them...  The momentary panic that that thought brought out made him hurriedly bury it.  OK, maybe not quite ready for that.

Too tired to run, he finally made himself get out, stumbling around to the front of the house from where he parked out of sight.

Siler's head hung and he watched the ground under his feet, every painful step making the 'R' word seem less and less scary.  It wasn't as though he'd be bored; he'd have Jack for company.  Wouldn't have to do without Sam every few weeks because of conflicting schedules...

He found the right key on his ring and opened the door, stepping through with an unconscious sigh of ease, remembering with a strange feeling of time dragging him along how much he'd resisted using that innocent piece of metal.

Slowly and painfully getting his boots off, he called out tiredly, "It's just me."

"So it is SergeantSiler."

Siler's head jerked up, painfully, eyes widening as he met Teal'c's curiously raised brow, "Teal'c."  He very reluctantly looked besides the smirking warrior, "Doctor Jackson."

Daniel's reply had a very practised blandness that made Siler wince even more than the invisible Jaffa-smirk, "Sergeant."

The three of them stared at each other for a few seconds before Siler saw Sam shoulder her way through her teammates with a blush-defying scowl, "Siler, what the hell did you do to yourself??"

Reminded of the condition of his body -as well as the expected sympathy-, he winced, making himself stand still as she very carefully touched the bruising around his eye, "Testing that new impact suit," he flinched when she touched his arm on a bruise, "It needs some work."

"I *told* you to ask for a slave for these damn things, *you* don't need to be getting beaten up like this."

"Yes ma'am.  Even *I* thought it was ready."

Siler could see her teammates grinning behind her as he stood quietly and took the lecture and mothering until Jack spoke from between his friends, smirking at the woman they would both die for, "Carter, at least pour him into a hot bath before you start the nagging."

Sam glared over her shoulder for a second but then she grumbled something under her breath and gently -unnecessarily- guided Siler up the stairs and toward their bedroom, ignoring the Jaffa and the archaeologist watching with interested smirks and her old commanding officer, fooling no one by hiding his concern under teasing.

Jack poured himself a drink when he walked back into the living room, bracing for he-didn't-quite-know-what.  He wasn't ashamed of his relationship.  He really wasn't.  But T' and Danny boy were his closest friends, and if they had a problem with it...  It would hurt Siler to know Jack had had to make a choice.

He finally turned and faced them, a little surprised at their casual positions; right back on the couch, relaxing with their drinks as though there hadn't been a door opening without a knock.  As though Sam hadn't just turned into the typical worried girlfriend and wasn't upstairs with another man.  He sat in his chair and looked at them, unable to see anything but mild amusement.  "T'?  Somehow I kinda expected you to have something to say.."  Or *ask*...

Teal'c's brow raised, head tilting with what a stranger would have called impassivity but he recognized as laughter, "Did you O'Neill?  On the contrary.  It is not unheard of on Chulak for a woman to have two husbands.  It can be a source of much reassurance to know your family is not unprotected when your duties call you away from your home."

Seeing Daniel blink at their alien friend in surprise made Jack feel better; for once he wasn't the last to hear about weird Jaffa traditions.  "And you, Danny-boy?"  No matter how accepting of cultures SG-1's diplomat might be, Daniel had still been raised to the North American standard...

The no-longer-young archaeologist that had been a part of saving his suicidal hide so many years ago gave him an innocent look and then a grin that had gotten rarer with the years, "Hey, I'm with Teal'c.  I'm sure Sam feels much better knowing you're not alone when she goes to war."

It figured.  "Shut *up*, Daniel."  But he was smiling hesitantly as he said it, deeply grateful for his friends.

####

draco_somnians's A little TLC (NC17) comes next in the verse
September 14, 2009

####

When Sam came back down to join them a little while later, Jack wondered at the mixed feelings that that very large hand print, so intimately high on her thigh, sent through him.  Siler was such a part of *him* these days that a hell of lot more than half his reaction was pleasure at the public proprietary mark that might as well be his.  That there was a tiny, quark-esque even, hint of.. not jealousy, per say, but.. maybe just a small, childish wish for her to carry *his* mark too...  Well, they'd had the 'jealousy' discussion just a few days ago; he wasn't going to have it brought back.

He squashed the foolishness as she picked up her glass of wine from the table, but when she went to move around to the free armchair, Jack took the opportunity and pulled her onto his lap with forced casualness, "How is he?"

She looked at her friendlily smiling teammates, curious about the conversation she'd missed and impressed with their self-control at not even glancing at her leg.  "Very black and blue and feeling old.  He should have been kept in the infirmary with some happy-drugs.  I'm going to bet he insisted on being allowed to go home; you're a bad influence on him."  She ignored the proud smirk that that put on the retired general's face, content to lean back on his chest and relax, a little amused at the way his fingers were tracing the wet patch on her thigh. 

His sudden physical possessiveness in front of their friends also made her smirk a little; they'd had such a strange 'courtship', and now relationship, that there weren't all that many opportunities to lay claim to each other publicly.  In small doses, it was nice to know she was wanted; the jealous idiot that Jack could become, sometimes, was a different matter of course.  But then this was a strange enough situation that she could easily forgive the slip.  "He just crashed into bed," she frowned to herself, "I should have made him grab some pills."

"So he lives here?"

Daniel's casual tone didn't *seem* faked, though she still looked at him askance.  Glancing at Jack and accepting his almost unnoticeable nod as meaning everything was fine, she stumbled through the grey area for a reply.  "He.. spends most of his time here, these days."  It was very strange to realize that only a couple of months had passed since the three of them had started this relationship; sometimes she felt as though they'd all been 'together' for a decade.  But then she also remembered that even after getting back from the closeness they'd shared in Minnesota, Siler had still assumed he needed an invitation.  She shrugged, "But he has his own home."

"I don't know, seems to me *this*-"  They all looked up at the slow footsteps coming down the stairs.

Siler winced at the attention, but he'd felt guilty leaving them to take what he suspected would be a pile of teasing alone, and when he'd laid down, he'd realized he was starving.  "Err, just a little hungry," he muttered tiredly, making a small wave toward the kitchen, not sure, suddenly, that he should interrupt the gathering of the original SG-1, "Didn't mean to-"

But Sam was already up and making him sit in the other armchair with a carefully-placed but firm push, "Sit down before you *fall* down.  I'll get you something to eat."

Jack snickered out loud at the badly-hidden wince that crossed the sergeant's face before he spoke hurriedly, waking slightly, "That's OK, you really *don't* have-"

Sam rolled her eyes, glaring all around as even Daniel smirked, "There's *pizza*.  Unless you don't trust my dishing that out?"  She ended with her hands on her hips, glaring down into Siler's very bruised face, trying not to melt with the need to take care of him; her cooking wasn't *that* bad, she was very tired of the implication!

"Sorry, Sam."

The boys all watched as she snorted and walked away, obviously still miffed at all of them. 

"That was not a wise move SergeantSiler."

Siler turned to the Jaffa, tense at the dive into an unfamiliar situation but forcing himself to act friendly with the people his lovers had been friends with for so long, "Yeah," he tried to grin, but ended up wincing as the cuts on his lip cracked and burned, voice dropping as the good the bath had done to his body's aches and to his energy faded, "I'd blame the painkillers if I thought it'd help."

Jack shook his head, getting up with a growing worried frown, "Don't bother.  Just skip straight to making sad eyes.  Especially with that shiner you've got, should work like a charm."

"Well technically it *is* charm."

Crouching in front of Siler, Jack muttered "Shut *up* Danny boy" as a practised aside.

Refraining from reacting, Daniel watched the same tells he'd seen for years as his buddy self-consciously choked back his instinct to touch, instead frowning as though annoyed, trying to hide his very real care and worry.  Even the tense, snarky mutter was the same as Daniel'd had heard aimed at every member of SG-1 for years.

"You taken your pills?"

Daniel's eyes shifted to the sergeant that had always been at the periphery of their lives, noticing that the unaccustomed BDUs looked an awful lot like they were borrowed, by their fit.  Especially with the tear on the epaulet that made Daniel picture a star being ripped off in a hurry.

"Not yet," the man's voice was definitely fading, his eyes drooping, "Wanted to eat, and you know how they knock me for a loop."

The implication of familiarity in the words were as much of a giveaway as Jack touching his forehead would have been.  As Jack carefully handing him his own drink *was*.

"Just a sip, Sparky."

Daniel choked a snigger at the glare that that mothering got the retired general.  "I'm not a child, or a fool.  Lay *off*, general."

He shared a laughing glance with Teal'c's amused raised brow, seeing a smirk cross the Jaffa's face.  Yeah, *they* didn't have to worry about Jack either now.


Chapter 7b: Life (PG13)
Oct 19, 2009

Strolling into the bedroom while listening to Sam and Jack chit chat downstairs, Siler saw the red roses on two of the pillows and his breath caught just slightly for a second before a grin broke out on his lips, more than a little surprised at his own reaction.  Sam had walked through the door just as Siler started up the stairs; there was only one person who could have put the flowers there.

Although even *he* hadn't thought to buy any bouquets since that first time, several *months* ago now.  Wincing and making a mental note to rectify that, soon, Siler nonetheless was quite sure the dustiness he'd encountered on that vase meant that Jack was even worse at that particular romantic gesture.  And yet, there those perfect buds were.  Sitting, not quite on 'his and Sam's' pillows, but that was only because somehow they were all as likely to end up in the centre of that bed; no pillow belonged to anyone.  For that matter, going to the bathroom in the middle of the night often meant finding his previous spot taken.  Luckily he was just as happy sleeping between them as wrapped around one or the other.

His eyes wandered to the rest of the room; the side tables that held a reflective mix of Sam's hand cream, Jack's heat rub, *his* painkillers -and that only by virtue of his needing them more often-.  Two alarms that he and Sam went back and forth on, wallets, keys, change, pocket pens, watches, jewelry...  All mixed up on the assorted surfaces.

Slowly stripping out of his smelly work clothes, Siler kept staring, unable to remember the details of the room as it had been when he'd first set foot in it, thinking that he was just a friendly guest.  Had, just *maybe*, found some friends with benefits with whom the friendship was as important as the benefits.  But *never*, for even one second, considering that he'd soon have a toothbrush next to the sink and his college ring in a peanut tin with a pair of Jack's cuff links and some wire nuts he'd found in his pocket one night and never remembered to take with him in the morning.

He hadn't noticed *when* it had changed; when they'd, wordlessly and unobtrusively, made an easy place for him in their already complicated life.  Staring in the closet, where a noticeable sprinkling of blue jumpsuits broke up the mostly plain-coloured, simple-cut male shirts, still well held at bay by the multi-hued, multi-shaped apparent chaos that was Sam's personal apparel and uniforms, he had no hesitation -didn't even think about- reaching in and taking a random shirt.  Hell, he was so used to Jack's larger ones lately that he had to stop and pay attention before he could call this one his.  He'd even grabbed boxers often enough by accident that Jack had stopped separating them in the now *two* drawers they shared...

He had hidden stashes in the kitchen of his emergency rations -that Jack would steal, given a chance-, the general had actually switched to Siler's shaving gel, and the smell of Jack's shampoo was as familiar as his own.  More so.  He'd even been known to borrow the electric shaver, especially after a Friday or two when Sam had given away her appreciation of the not-so-close shave, at least when she didn't have to go to work the next day...

Huh.  The reality wasn't half as scary as the words 'living with them' had been, just a few days ago.

He was downright smiling as he gave the hand-razor's blades a wipe with the old toothbrush he kept out of the way behind the tightly-arrayed bottles of mystery Sam-things; since Jack had the annoying habit of leaving it filled with hairs.  Siler'd cut himself with it all of *once* before he started checking it before use.  He supposed it should piss him off.. and it did, some days.  Especially when he'd discovered the state the lawnmower's engine was in; he'd almost blown up at *both* of them for that one.  But he also knew damn well that Jack wished he'd take mothering better, and that Sam wanted to smack him for leaving his boots laying haphazardly all the time.

Sly Siler in a real relationship.  There were people who'd kill themselves laughing at the idea.  Including his younger self.

None of that mattered when, most of the time, what he remembered was just about always falling asleep so fucking satisfied that he couldn't even make himself think about planning the next day's work.  Not to mention getting to tease the hell out of both of them any time he had the urge.

And morning cuddles.  Those two had seriously addicted him to cuddling.  Taking a couple seconds to brush the razor clean just wasn't a big deal compared to the hours that they spent together.  And one of his favourite memories was the afternoon he'd rebuilt that poor old two-stroke engine with Sam; sitting on a tarp in the driveway under the warm sun, with Jack safely off to the side, watching them as his fingers played with some twisted pieces of metal Sam apparently kept around for the purpose.  The smell of grease, gasoline and some neighbour cutting *his* grass had soaked into him right along with Sam's laughter and Jack's needling.  Heaven by any other name, even though he'd never have conceived of it on his own.

Cleaned, dressed and about to go back downstairs, he gave the nearest flower a twisted grin and gave into the temptation to pick it up.

Walking into the kitchen, he found the reason Sam hadn't come upstairs: she'd weaselled fresh coffee out of their houseman.  Which had no doubt been terribly painful; Siler smirked to himself at the thought.  He dropped a nuzzle on the crown of her head where she sat at the table watching Jack pulling the makings of supper onto the counter.

"Hey."

Her welcoming smile made Siler rethink his itinerary; he kept his hand down by his thigh and took the offered puckered lips, grinning at the gritty dust he got from the corner of her mouth, "You need a shower, colonel-ma'am."  He stole another kiss from her pout before winking and continuing on his way.

Instead of going straight for a much-anticipated cold beer, he stopped by the man prepping wings.  Ignoring both the distracted grunt of acknowledgement and the questioning look for his stopping, he leaned over and snuck a hand to Jack's pant-zipper for a fondle.  Siler grinned into the responding raised brow, bringing the rose out of hiding and up to slide the soft petals from the hollow of the now fully-attentive general's throat to his lips.  Jack's breath caught and Siler muttered into his ear a teasing 'Sap', hearing Sam hum appreciatively behind him.

The twitch of the general's shoulders made Siler think of an aborted hunch as the man cleared his throat with a slightly defencive glower.

Then he suddenly smirked, eyes clearing as he obviously came up with a good cover story, and Siler's smile widened, waiting patiently as he continued to stroke Jack's throat and cheeks lightly.

"What?  You've been coming home so wiped you're not even in the mood," he shrugged elaborately as Siler gapped at him and Sam failed to choke back giggles, "I read somewhere that flowers and food are supposed to help-"  Siler had finally recovered from the unexpected blandishment and wrapped his hand around the general's jaw, pulling his lips over with a growl.  The kiss hardly merited the name since they were both chuckling within seconds and couldn't get a proper lock on each other, in the end giving in and simply leaning forehead to forehead and smirking at each other.

"Five-year-olds."

The tenderness in Sam's voice as she suddenly appeared besides them was matched by her touch as she peeled back Siler's hand to take the thorny stem away and kiss the light scratches it left on Jack's cheek and Siler's palm.  Siler pulled his hand back to wrap it around her waist, just to touch; sliding his other from Jack's crotch to his lower back.  Listening as Sam teasingly congratulated Jack for following Siler's good romance example; the needling deflected by her using the rose herself to make him shiver, standing tightly close in the circle of their bodies.

Yeah.  Cuddles.  And teasing and sex.  If *this* was 'living together'... maybe he'd been missing something all these years after all.


Chapter 8: Of home and friendship (PG13)
June 8, 2009

AN: This chapter may be altered at some future date, should its past change.. (eg) but I'll warn ya when that happens

Focused on the acres of long-winded garbage out of which he was trying to fish the one pertinent phrase, Jack was sub-consciously aware that Siler had come home, and even tilted his head up in automatic, vague welcome when he felt the sergeant walk by his chair.

It wasn't until Si's glasses clinked with his that Jack really focused on the present, though, resettling the frames on his nose and ears and blinking at the man grumbling tiredly in apology as he straightened.  Watching the slow, stiff, fumbling movements of Siler's hands, Jack shook his head, exasperated, "Siler.."  He reached up and took the skewed glasses carefully off his friend's nose, batting away the sergeant's own hands to fold and tuck away the lenses.

"Thanks."  Siler's fingers stroked his lover's shoulder before he continued on his shambly way to the sink.

Narrowing his eyes and getting up as his -*again*- exhausted housemate sucked back a glass of water, Jack walked up and laid careful hands on his shoulder joints, rubbing very gently, mostly just conveying heat into the still-healing bruises he knew were under the dirty jumpsuit.

Leaning his head against the back of Siler's, he breathed in quietly, realizing for the first time that he 'recognized' him, now, at the back of his mind.  That this simple closeness was enough to make tension that he hadn't even noticed ease out of his body -damned bureaucratic word-playing when he was supposed to be retired-.  "Sam still working?"

The reply was slow in coming as the sergeant sighed, relaxing into the touch with a faint moan of relief at the offered comfort, "..Yeah, think so.  Heard something about unexpected visitors."

Nodding to himself, Jack added conversationally, "Siler, I know you're used to being alone.  Wearing yourself out every day, passing out and doing it all over again.  Trust me, been there."  He shifted back and lifted his hands long enough for Siler to turn around, then laid them back down, all too familiar with aching joints, never mind a beat-up body.

Ignoring Siler's automatic defencive frown, he leaned forward, distracted by the shine of water left on his lips.  Neither lecture nor frown took away from the tenderness in the slow kiss he started, determined to replace the hello he'd gotten used to receiving and that was routed by their glasses.  Lips parted and touching lightly, shifting to touch again; soft and gentle beyond anything anyone but Sam would have expected of either of them.

Finally pulling back, Jack shivered at the puff of air that brushed his now-damp lips and stubble-burned cheek when Si' sighed, leaning back on the counter.  He looked the tired man in the eye, continuing his speech gently, "But you have a life now; you have a family.  You don't have to push yourself to the breaking point to avoid the silence; just come home."

Siler watched him quietly, held in place by the softness in Jack's usually-protected eyes.  Until they'd started.. spending time together, he wouldn't have thought his old commander would ever open up like this to anyone.  Though seeing how much even the *thought* of Sam affected him had been less surprising than it could have been if he didn't have the personal knowledge of the effect Sam could have on a man.  But that wasn't the same as acknowledging that same look directed at *him*.

A life.  A **family**.

Partners.

No, he'd never had that.  And he'd never really stopped to think about how hard he worked.  He didn't consciously set out to wear himself out... did he?

Back when he'd joined, he'd just been glad to find a place where he felt like he belonged, a job that he felt satisfaction from and was good at.  And the years since he'd been assigned to the SGC had had a tendency to be necessarily hectic; there was no question of working his ass off when lives or the planet or the galaxy were at stake.

But he supposed he *could* take it a little more easily when all he had to do was routine maintenance; could delegate some of the more pain-inducing jobs to those younger and more able to recover.  The general was right: he'd never had any reason to want to have energy left when he got home, never cared if he simply fell into bed, sore and tired.

He lifted his hands slowly, glad Jack didn't move his palms away from his aching shoulders.  Cupping the general's jaw, he essayed a smile, aware that he really *was* exhausted, and that it showed.  "I'll.. try to remember that."

The quirk of Jack's grin under his fingers made resisting the temptation to glide his thumb over his lips impossible; which made the man's response a little smeary-sounding.

"Good.  And we're well aware it takes a while to break the habit.  Hell, I still have to remind Sam, every so often."

Chuckling in agreement, Siler pulled until he could return that kiss with a more exploratory one, tongue sliding between handily parted lips, smiling a little as he felt Jack's glasses brush his cheek, hearing in his mind the grumble he'd make before he pulled them off in disgust and cleaned them, glaring at the silver-rimmed proofs of age's effect.

When he finally raised his head, Siler's eyes met Sam's over Jack's shoulder and he smiled, lifting a hand from Jack to reach out to her.

Sam grinned softly, stepping forward as Jack turned his head toward her, "You boys like the kitchen, don't you?"

Siler snorted, straightening to pull her between him and Jack for a hug, "*You* like the kitchen too, Sam."

Jack's quick laugh of agreement was a little muffled by Sam's hair as he copped a snuggle, and Siler closed his eyes in contentment, wrapped around them both.  Partners; who'd have thought he could manage *that*...

####

Idly wondering when Jack was going to get home from his supposedly *quick* Saturday phone conference with the Pentagon and thinking ironically about a lecture on overworking that *he'd* gotten just a few days ago, Siler fished through the mess of DVDs, starting to frown as he reached the last of them and calling out to the woman working at her laptop in the kitchen, "Hey Sam?"

"Ummm?"

"Where do you guys keep your Simpsons DVDs?"  There was, after all, no way Jack could *not* have them.. was there??

"Errr, not sure," the vague, attention-less tone made him smile as he waited for more info, "Jack takes care of the DVDs."

Right.  Siler stared ironically at the chaos he'd just filtered through, "..Well do you know if you have any?"

"Of course he does.  Think I even helped him buy them.  Though I have to admit, it's been a while since I've seen them.  Actually.. yeah, was definitely before Jack moved back..."

####

Jack stopped whistling when he walked in the door, brightening as he listened, "Hey!  I haven't seen that episode in ages!"  Hurrying to toe off his runners and haphazardly throwing his raincoat toward the hooks, he quick-stepped over and dropped besides Siler on the couch.

He didn't notice how quiet the sergeant was until the lack of commercials registered and he gave him a grin, "One of... Yours?"  His voice slowed and he started to frown at the tension in Si's posture, "Siler?"

The Simpsons suddenly went quiet and Siler turned uncomprehending eyes on him, speaking huskily, "They were yours, weren't they?"

Jack frowned worriedly, wondering what the hell he'd done *now*.  "What was?"

"The discs."

Jack stared at his almost accusing eyes and tried to think of any disc of his that.. What??  "Siler, I *know* you can use full sentences.  Just give it to me straight, will you?"

"You gave me *your* disks.  Your *Simpsons* discs."

Ah.  Busted.  Jack grimaced, letting himself fall back in the corner of the couch, staring at Siler and trying to read his all too frozen expression.  He wasn't sure what he was in trouble for, but obviously he *was*, and he'd learned it was safer to stay quiet until he knew what the accusation was.  Guessing only seemed to bring about *more* accusations...

"Why?"

He shrugged, still watching his friend carefully.  No.  Not accusation.  Only Silerese relationship confusion; OK, he could deal with this...  He cleared his throat, taking a minute to actually think about his answer and glad that Siler was, among many other things, patient.  "Siler-  do you have any idea of much I hated being stuck in that job?  That city?"  The nod and attentive need to know in Siler's eyes encouraged him to keep talking better than Daniel's prodding ever could, "On top of that, for Sam to be out of even Stargate-reach on one of the extremely rare occasions when I *wanted* to go to the movies.." he shook his head, remembering those days, "I was *pissed*.  The couple of weeks before you showed up were hellish; every damned person around me was bent on driving me crazy and I knew damned well there was no way I'd get an evening to myself."

When Siler seemed to relax a bit, Jack closed his eyes, laying his head back on the couch, sighing and shaking his head, "I'm surprised I didn't have a heart attack; or kill someone."  Still with his eyes closed, he smiled slowly, "When the first of your minions appeared, I damn near handcuffed him to that damned car.  *Good* coffee waiting for me?  And blue jell-o??" he laughed, remembering just how absolutely shocked and delighted he'd been, "I didn't even care that it meant someone knew about me and Sam; it just cheered me right up."

Opening his eyes, still grinning, he looked at Siler, humour softening to affection, "I don't know how many favours you had to call in, but you saved my life, Si'.  Not to mention that of every person I had to deal with.  And then.. well hell, I actually had *fun* instead of spending the night glumly missing Sam," and wasn't *that* something to think about in view of their new life?  "I just.. wanted to show my appreciation.  Wasn't as though I got to watch those discs anyway."

"Sam asked me to do it."

Jack smiled at the quiet, uncomfortable words, shaking his head, "I know.  Figured it back then.  But I seriously doubt she asked you to make my life easier; I bet she just asked you to lay covering fire while I got to the theatre."  He waited for the reluctant nod of acknowledgement, "Right.  I owed you, Siler.  Hell, everybody owes you for all the times you helped save the day, one way or another.  Pass on a few DVDs?  No hesitation involved."

"..OK."

Watching Si's body slowly relax, Jack frowned, curious now that the danger seemed past.  "Why the hell'd you freak out, Si'?"  This was, after all, about as far from emotional *anything*...

The sergeant shrugged, impassive mask in place, "..If you'd done that today, I wouldn't have blinked; would have teased you for being a romantic.  Couldn't.. figure out why you'd have done it back then."

Jack laughed softly, refusing to *touch* the first statement -*who* brought flowers home first??-, "Now who's having problems with a man in his life?"

He took a reassured breath when Siler smiled shyly at the point before snarking quietly, "You weren't in my life."

Jack grinned, teasing, "No. I wasn't.  But the idea that I might have considered you in mine threw you for a loop."

Si's humour faded into a slightly defencive shrug, "..Being crap at relationships does *not* mean I care to hurt people by not noticing how they feel.  You *know* that."

Jack straightened, reaching over with an arm around Si's neck to drag him closer with minimal -it *was too* minimal- roughhousing, awkwardly laying back after a hesitation so Si' could lay on him.  It was an odd thought to realize his too-competent friend needed the reassurance as much as Jack often did; so much easier to remember that Sam needed him.  But that was just the damned cultural indoctrination again, wasn't it?

They slowly settled into each other and Jack was just relaxing when Siler spoke again.

"Brought some of my discs over."

He followed Siler's casually waved arm toward the shelves, seeing the rest of the cartoon series; torn between frowning at the implied 'returned gift' and cheering at even the *possibility* that the sergeant was finally accepting their home as his.  Then he saw several unmarked, home-made discs next to them and his eyes widened, "Are those-"

"Yeah."

Grinning and belatedly looking around for Sam, Jack mentioned idly, "Better keep those in the bedroom; between the boys and Cassie, it's probably not a good idea to leave them out."

He nuzzled the neat hair under his chin as Si's laughed softly, putting the show back on and relaxing into Jack's hold comfortably, his feet hanging off the end of the couch.  "Sam's upstairs having a bath, Jack.  She needed some time to think.  The new transporters aren't interfacing with-"

"Ah ahah!"  Jack shook his head wryly as Siler snickered; yeah, he'd known he was going to be outnumbered, hadn't he?  "Does she know what you brought over?"

"..No.  We were each distracted when I came back."

Jack tried to focus on the Simpsons but his eyes kept drifting to those special DVDs, wondering what was on them and aware that a part of his anatomy was stiffening even before Si' chuckled, stroking a hand own the side of Jack's thigh.  "Distracted, general?"

Huffing a self-deprecating snort, Jack didn't bother answering, sliding a hand inside the neck of Si's shirt and then settling back.  Sam would come down sooner or later; in the meantime, he had episodes he hadn't seen in ages and the warm skin of his lover under his palm.

When the ep ended and Sam still hadn't come down though, Jack got restless, shifting and looking up the stairs, wondering if she was done 'thinking'.

"Trying to tell me something, Jack?"

"Just wondering if Sam went to bed..."

"..We *could* go check.  Wouldn't want her to have gotten hurt..."

Jack grinned as Siler clambered up, "Love the way you think, Si'."  He pretended to ignore the sergeant's slight stiffening at the innocent expression; he needed to get used to it sooner or later.

####

The warm water had thoroughly relaxed her and Sam had come up with a couple of ideas to try out before the Phoenix left port in a few days.  In the meantime, she'd decided to take advantage of her tub while she could; shipboard showers were.. scarce, to put it mildly.  She also had a feeling the boys had some hashing out to do.

It would be funny to watch the two of them slowly 'getting to know each other', considering that Jack had avoided most of that with her.  Except that she cared about them and couldn't enjoy knowing they were hurting. 

At least up to now they'd managed to get through the rough patches speedily. Conversely, she was *trying* not to feel jealous, remembering her own all-too-long rough times with Jack over the many years.

And however much she loved Jack and the life they'd settled into, they *still* tended to get into arguments... Watching him and Siler be so easy with each other, especially when she knew she'd have to leave them *both*... made a kernel of shameful envy grate at her nerves.  It made *no* sense; she and Jack were as close as ever, she and *Siler* were closer than she'd ever thought she could be to the quiet, self-controlled sergeant.  There was nothing for her to envy except the uncertainty and dramatic highs and lows of a new relationship.  Wasn't established affection with hot sex better?

Dropping her head below the water and holding herself in the resulting utterly isolating, peaceful, dead silence, Sam called herself a fool ten times over for being ungrateful.  No one in their right mind *wanted* trouble.  And not even military adrenaline junkies asked for troubled relationships.

Maybe she could blame this stupidity on the time of the month.

She should get out of this no-longer-helpful bath, go downstairs, seduce her men and spend the rest of the night having crazy monkey sex.  No one could be anything but ecstatically thankful with those two bent on making you happy.

Raising her head out of the water and taking a deep breath, Sam started to smile, remembering-  She blinked as she suddenly focused on her surroundings and came face to face with the very expressions she'd just been daydreaming of.

Crouched besides her tub side by side, her lovers quite obviously had 'ideas' that rivalled hers.  And likely had been staring at her naked self through the clear water.

Not that she minded.  Sam grinned, forgetting the gloomy thoughts in favour of the zip of arousal and lounging back, deliberately rippling her body and thoroughly satisfied with the matching eye-zooms away from her face.  Idly stroking her fingers over her breasts, hearing Siler's breath catch, she teased, "Yes?  Are you boys going to stay there all night or are you going to join me?"  When they stayed unmoving for another second, she bent one knee up and slid one hand down, teasingly slowly.

The only warning she had of the coming change was the raised-browed glance they shared; and then they reached under her and she found herself carried between their grinning selves toward the bed.  Laughing, she didn't try to get free; how could she feel envy when they both made it so plain they wanted her??  "Which of you is sleeping the body-sized wet spot you're about to make in our bed?"

Watching Jack's expression as they stopped and he looked over her head at Siler, she laughed even harder.  Even if they were getting away with acting like Neanderthals; she was just waiting to hear them grunt rock/paper/scissor at each other in Morse.

"King size..." she felt Siler's accompanying shrug as a ripple, his hold under her shoulders making her feel eerily as though she were 5 and getting birthday lifts.

And the man who negotiated intergalactic treaties did indeed *grunt* in response.


draco_somnians's It's all in the training (NC17) comes next in the verse
April 17, 2009


Chapter 8a: Training (PG13)
June 8, 2009

"S-so going.. to beat.. the crap out of you."

"That's beat the crap out of you *sir*, recruit.  And you'll have to get in shape before you can manage it."  Siler tried not to smirk too widely at the man puffing along besides him.  He was *trying* to keep the pace at something that Jack would accept as 'real', but without pushing him too hard on his first day, but that was a tough line to thread.  "Come on son, is that the best threat you can come up with?  Talking is part of the exercise, you know.  The miles are going to get mighty boring with just puffing to listen to."

"Thought.. had to.. sing."

Siler snorted, "Sorry, I've heard you sing.  Rather you talk."

"Kill you.. *painfully*."

Siler slowed a little as he saw Jack start to stumble over his own feet, jaw clenching at how red he was; he was going to have to slow them down soon if the man didn't cry uncle and smarten up, "Come on *general*, lift the feet.  You're lucky I'm not commenting on your form."

"Ha!..  You.. drool over.. my *form*... sergeant."

"*Drill*-sergeant, recruit.  Get it right."

"That's it."  Jack stopped, his heart feeling like it was going to blow out of his ears, bending to rest his hands on his thighs and just pant, his muscles desperate for oxygen.  He was already too flushed from the workout to feel the blush at having let himself get so damned out of condition.

"Walk around, Jack, you know suddenly stopping's not good."

He grimaced at the soft tone, hating the need to be babied but unable to deny it as he grunted himself -already stiff, damn it!- upright and walked as ordered.

"And talk."

"How many swearwords do you know?"

Siler grinned at the barely-breathless threat, "A lot.  Come on, you've got your breath back, let's jog a bit."

"Can't believe you.. made me go.. to Doc Lam."

Rolling his eyes at the oft-repeated whine and insulted tone, Siler replied blandly, "Yeah, I'm going to put a retired 60-"

"59!!"

Snorting, he ignored the bark, "60 year-old in training without making sure he was up to it?  Come on Jack."

He kept the pace low, glad the out-of-shape general wasn't fussing about it, now.  A hell of a lot healthier to keep it at a point where he wasn't pushing himself so much.

"Why am I letting you.. do this to me?"

Siler laughed, head thrown back in the bright early morning sunshine, feeling good at the park's fresh air.  They'd needed to get out more anyway.  "Because you asked for it.  No one to blame but yourself."

####

Since Jack had recovered with the speed-walk home from the park, Siler closed the backyard's gate and immediately nodded down at a patch of nice thick grass, "Drop and give me fifty, soldier."

Blinking impassively at the general's automatic glare, he waited for him to do a couple of pushups, obviously without effort, then laid down carefully, full length, on him.

"What?!  You can't be serious!"

Siler just grinned, holding himself tensely, ready to roll off if Jack really had a problem.  The squawk had sounded more reflex than serious complaint though, and he was still pumping away, albeit more slowly.  It wasn't the arms that had lost their tone fastest, sitting at those desks.

Holding his chin from touching Jack's shoulder blade, he smirked to himself, having a lot more fun than he'd expected, "You want to fuck the sergeant?  First you have to obey the sergeant."

"The sergeant thinks.. a little highly of his own appeal."

Siler choked on a laugh, trying not to jostle the man he was weighing down, "The sergeant knows exactly what his appeal is.  Tighten those abs and thigh muscles, general, no girly pushups if you want a reward..."

"Give all your recruits.. 'rewards', sergeant?"

Sliding a hand gently down and around, Siler laid his palm over Jack's crotch, "You're the first and last of my recruits, general."  With a quick, teasing squeeze, he pulled his hand back so Jack could lower himself down to catch his breath.  Rolling off, he gave him a minute before slapping his ass, "Time to give that stomach you're so worried about a *real* workout."

He ignored the groan he got in response, laying down himself, knees bent, opposite his red-faced and definitely tired lover so that their runner-clad toes were a few inches apart.  Sitting up easily, he grinned, "Come on Jack, straighten out that form or I'll come over there and do it for you."

"Fuck off."

This time he outright laughed, continuing to do sit-ups smoothly, "Language, general!"

"Bite.. me."

Sitting up again, Siler waited until Jack was almost at apogee to shift his balance onto his feet, and then leaned over to nip at the general's upper lip when Jack was all the way up, his mouth open to pant softly.

"See?"  he took another nibble in response to Jack's happily closed eyes, "Reward as promised."

Pulling back, he shifted into a crunch and got back into sit-up position to the sound of Jack's slightly wheezing laughter.

On his next rise, though, he frowned, "Use your abs, general.  No pulling yourself up by your neck; your arms don't remotely need the work."

"Ha!.. Like.. the arms.. do you.. sergeant?"

Siler shook his head, siting still for a minute to watch his friend with hopefully-hidden concern, finally responding quietly, "..I like all of it, Jack."

"Yeah?"

Siler again shifted himself all the way to his feet, settling for stealing brief, salty kisses since Jack needed to breathe, muttering quietly, "You know damn well I do."  When Jack nodded silently, dark eyes serious, Siler nodded with a hesitant smile, "Thirty more, then I get another free ride."

####

"I'm not 20 anymore, you know.  You're going to kill me."

Siler rolled his eyes at the complaint, ignoring the moans of pain as he continued the slow massage up onto Jack's bare abs, "If you were 20, we'd still be out there and I'd let you find out about pain all on your own."  He was quiet for a few minutes, feeling the muscles under his fingers gradually stop spasming and seeing Jack's expression finally relax.  "Why are you suddenly so concerned about getting in shape, Jack?"

"..It isn't sudden.  I've been trying to since I got out of DC," brown eyes opened and met his seriously, "I've worked out and stayed in military condition since I was 17, Siler.  *This* is *not* who I am.  It bothers me.  Has since..  Since I realized it was happening."

Straightening his back, stiffened from holding a crouch over Jack's thighs, Siler shook his head, silently noting the way Jack's eyes had wandered for a second there, uncharacteristically showing the lie, "Like you said, we're not 20 anymore Jack.  We're not even 40.  You know you can't expect your body not to change."

"..*You're* still in shape."

Siler huffed a laugh at the hint of envy in the soft words, "Give me a few years.  And throw in a desk-job while you're at it."

The rolled eyes and half-smile that that got him didn't fool him into thinking Jack was anything but still achingly self-conscious, even before he spoke, "Come on Siler, you'd find a way to work out."

He shook his head slowly, sighing at the undeniably gloomy thought, "Maybe.  Maybe not.  Maybe it wouldn't be enough to 'work out' if the job didn't work me too," he shrugged, "I spend most of the day with my body tensed in strange positions; my muscles are always at work.  Get rid of that... and no way could I spend enough hours in the gym to make it up."

Jack glared at him, looking annoyed now, "Telling me I can't get in shape, no matter what I do?"

"No.  Telling you that having me put you through boot camp isn't going to take you back 10 years."

"...I know that even running five miles without losing my breath won't mean I can do 20 miles a day for a week; or sprint away from an army of Jaffa.  I don't *want* to go back to 10 years ago; I'm not remotely willing to give you and Sam up just to have a six-pack again.  But there is a midpoint.  One where I'm not so damn self-conscious taking my bloody shirt off."

A part of him wanted to convince Jack that there was nothing wrong with the way he looked, because there wasn't.  But on the other hand, he *knew* that the day he found himself in the same position... It would bug the hell out of him to have changed.  And nothing anyone said was going to make him less grumpy about how quickly he *was* losing his strength.  No, he couldn't blame Jack.  But still, if *he* had to put up with mothering...

Rather than continue to argue with words, he shifted backwards until he could lean over, hearing Jack's breath stutter as his lips came down on the edge of his ribcage.  When he trailed down, though, hands rose to his nape, "Siler-"

Siler lifted his head, smiling indulgently, "Don't be daft, Jack."

Not so incidentally, to his thinking, Sam had left the day before.  And on top of the sudden request to work out together, it was strange just how much reticence had suddenly reappeared between the two of them.

As though Sam being *away* made her less a part of them than when she was at work.  Made the two of them suddenly too real.  Maybe it was only stubbornness talking, but Siler was damned if he was bending to society's judgement *now*.  He'd finally convinced himself that they wanted him here, and Jack seemed to have accepted himself.  The fact that Sam wasn't on the planet for a few weeks had no business affecting the intimacy between them.

Siler leaned back down, ignoring the hands still holding his neck uncertainly; if nothing else, this body-consciousness of Jack's was likely making him completely forget any other uncertainties.  Which was a good thing since convincing him he was attractive was a damn sight easier than fighting rear-guard action against all-too-frequent news coverage highlighting their society's spasms against anything but love between one man and one woman.

Feeling the hot July afternoon heat their shower-cooled skins, he took his time, using that sheen of sweat to glide his lips along the soft fold of flesh that was bothering Jack so much.  The fool man still had the arms of a 20 year-old and legs that would be running 5 miles easily as soon as his lungs came back from their holidays.  Even the gut that bothered him so much had plenty of muscle under the offending padding.  If his knees weren't shot he'd be passing physicals again in a month.  Well, now that he was actually training he would.

Rather than have that be the point though, today's reality was what he needed Jack to know he was happy with.  Because even in the very *best* of worlds, one of these years -god, was he really contemplating years?-, they'd all go downhill more permanently.

The hands at his nape were finally relaxing, smoothing into his hair; and that sigh of ease made Siler smile as Jack's body stretched out, arching into his touch.  He shifted to lay down, his weight on his forearms and his arousal pressed against Jack's leg as he continued to make his point.

"If that's supposed to convince me of something, Si'," Jack's voice was quiet, more sigh than articulation, giving away the pleasure he was feeling, "I hate to break it to you, but I happen to know that you just like sex a little too much."

Raising his lips, Siler laughed self-deprecatingly, resting his forehead on the left of Jack's diaphragm, breathing in the familiar scent, "Give me a break, Jack," with his weight on his left elbow, he could spread his free hand and smooth it over his lover's warm skin from thigh to sternum, "And anyway.. that *is* the point.  *You* damn well turn me on, not a six-pack.  Going to turn *your* back on *me* if I get permanently injured?"

The question had been rhetorical, but Siler looked up when Jack's grip stiffened and he lifted his head to growl, "You know *damned* well we wouldn't!"

"Hey!"  Siler sat up hurriedly, frowning and reaching for Jack's cheek, "Of course I know," grimacing at the hurt in the man's eyes, Siler leaned his forehead on Jack's, his voice soft with apology, "I was just making a point."  Jack's hand coming up to grip his shoulder tightly made him swallow painfully, tensing and trying to edge off the fear he'd just been congratulating himself for beating.  Damn he felt cold suddenly.  "Told you I was crap at this."

The gravelly mutter sounded so miserable that Jack made himself take a breath and let go of the tension cranking him; with Sam away, they couldn't afford to *both* lose their way.  What the hell had started this anyway??

He tugged, jerking Siler down on the bed and then turned to his side so they faced each other, a hand on his throat feeling the sergeant's runaway pulse betraying his impassive expression, "Take it easy.  My fault for being on edge."  He rolled his eyes at the lack of reaction that got, "Come on, Si', I was being an idiot; you were even *dealing* with that..."

"Not well."

Wincing, since that particular fact was due to *his* stubbornness, Jack grabbed his bicep with mock-roughness, glad to feel him return the jostle, seeing the will to hear in the eyes he kept trained on Jack, "Cut it out, sergeant.  There *was* no right way.  Just be glad I didn't ask if my ass looked fat."  He grinned when that made Siler actually laugh a little.

*And* grab his ass.


Chapter 8b: Family emergency (PG13)
June 8, 2009

Siler swore as sparks flew up in front of his face, "Turn it off!!"  What the hell was wrong with the damned power supply??  This was the second module it had literally blown up in his face!

"Sergeant!  Phone."

He banged his shoulder with a grunt as he hurriedly shifted out of the greasy, dusty and cramped mainframe's enclosure, creaking himself up to grab the phone the airman had left unhooked for him, "Siler here, how can I help you?"

"Outside call, sergeant, transferring it."  He heard the click as the line switched and then unsteady breaths, as though the person on the other end had been.. crying??

"Siler?  Where's Jack?"

He blinked, tensing in worry at the tear-choked voice, "Cassie??"  He hurriedly turned away from the room, hunching to mumble into his chest, "He had to go to Washington.  Are you OK?"  It was patently obvious she wasn't; but on the other hand, it wasn't really his place to pry if she didn't want to tell him.  No matter how hard it would be to keep working without knowing-

"..No."

The pitiful sniff that followed that cracked word made his shoulders tighten another notch, just-born instincts making the decision for him.  He looked around, planning what orders to leave and who he had to get permission from, "Where are you?"

"At the house."

He nodded, trying to sound reassuring, "I'll be there in less than forty minutes, OK?"

She sniffed again, just about making his heart clench, "..'K."

####

Hank looked up when the sergeant walked in, straightening when he saw him looking worried and in a hurry, "Sergeant?"

"Sir," the man came to attention rather than starting a rapid explanation, making Hank wonder what was up *now*, "Sir, I.. have a family emergency.  Is it alright if I.."

The general waved the obviously worried sergeant away, relaxing that his base wasn't wasn't about to blow up, "Of course, of course.  Nothing serious I hope?"

"I don't know yet, sir."

"Go.  Go take care of your family."  He returned the man's salute casually, watching him jog away and not surprised when Walter walked in a second later.  ".. Did *you* know he had a family?"

The sergeant shrugged, looking very curious, "No, sir.  Hasn't changed his next-of-kin that I know of..."

####

Siler hurried into the house, letting the door slam behind him.  He was about to call out when he saw the young woman hugging a cushion on the couch, surrounded in used tissues.  For a second he just about panicked at the unfamiliar scene; but he was a trained soldier who'd faced so many terrifying things he should be immune to fear, right?

He caught himself with a wince and hurried forward.  "Cassie?  Sweetheart,"  sweeping a spot clear of junk, he pulled her into his arms, feeling her wrap herself around his neck and sob into his dirty shoulder, "What's wrong?"

"I'm.. I think I'm pregnant."

####

When Jack walked through the door and stared at the two of them in surprise, Siler shifted Cassie's sleeping body gently over on the couch and took the older man to the kitchen.

"What's going on??" Jack whispered, worried about his tear-stained little girl but automatically responding to Siler's relaxed posture with diminished alarm; whatever was up was under control.  A good sergeant was worth his weight in gold, even at home.

Siler grinned wryly, feeling strange at being in the middle of such family drama and keeping his voice low too, "Luckily, I have permission to brief you.  She said she assumed you were aware of her boyfriend?"

Jack glared reflexively, nodding, "Yeah.  Do I finally get to beat him up?"

Siler shook his head, taking a precautionary restraining grip on the other man's shoulder "No.  But she thinks she's pregnant*don't*shout." He tensed, knowing there was going to be an explosion.

"WHAT??"

Siler grabbed the other shoulder, staring his friend down, "I'm pretty sure you're supposed to keep pregnant women calm, Jack.  Settle down before you wake her up."

Jack breathed quickly through clenched teeth, *really* wanting to find his daughter's lover and KILL him slowly.  He knew damned well no one was going to let him, but the daydream helped keep him from taking his fury out on the wrong man. He finally nodded, "She needs to get to the SGC and get tested properly."

Siler nodded, glad to see the man thinking clearly and pulling him into a half-hesitant hug.  The afternoon had been just a little stressful; Siler was *not* used to comforting young women.  Or grown women for that matter.  But Sam and Jack really had made Cassie feel like a daughter and he'd done what he could to listen and comfort. Hoping he at least wasn't screwing things up worse.  He sighed, thumping his head on Jack's shoulder, feeling him hug him back and glad to get some support and comfort of his own, "We're going to wish Sam was here, aren't we?"

Cassie smiled at the scene from the doorway, seeing Jack wince in agreement and bend his head against Siler's.

"It's OK guys, I just want to be held a bit; I can handle the rest." Ignoring the way they sprang apart, flustered, she walked over to her father and snuggled into the arms he opened for her; grabbing Siler's shirtfront before he could escape and tugging him into holding her too before dropping her head on Jack's shoulder.

Then she tilted her head up, wrinkling her no-longer-clogged nose with a frown, "Why do I smell burnt hair??"

Siler swallowed his grin when Jack rolled his eyes, exaggerating for their amusement, "Siler probably tried to electrocute himself again."

"Heyyy!" Siler complained but he didn't say anything else as Jack ran a careful hand through his hair.  He couldn't believe he was getting used to fussing...  From *General O'Neill*, of all people.  Though he really should have known, after all those years catching him sneaking in to watch over his injured team members in the infirmary, trying to stare them well as they slept.

"I don't suppose you went to the infirmary?"

"I'm fine."

Jack muttered in response to the blithe reassurance, looking put-upon, "If I believed every time you and Carter said you were 'fine', you'd both be dead." He found the singed section of hair and gently touched the scalp underneath, turning the sergeant's head so he could see, unaware of the wink the man gave Cassie, "Doesn't look like it reached the skin."  He smoothed the hair back absently before bringing his hand back to hold a mistily smiling Cassie.  Some days she really loved watching Jack take care of people.

Then she frowned up at Siler as he straightened, arms loosely around her, "You're not in trouble for coming home to me are you?"

"Nah.  Landry seemed fine with my needing the time off," he winced, "Walter answered the phone though.. knowing him, he almost certainly recognized your voice..." he shrugged, his hand stroking jerkily up and down her arm, "But don't worry about it sweetheart."

She nodded, trusting that he was more than capable; unaware of the fond grin Jack threw him over her head for taking care of his little girl.  She sighed, cuddling back into her father, "I wish you could come to the SGC with us."

####

The next morning, Siler found a requisition for maintenance to one of the infirmary scanners and picked the menial job for himself, taking his time and chatting up the nurses until he heard the surface checkpoint call down about visitors.  A few extra tweaks and cleans to the temperamental machine and he got up to go as Cassie sat herself on a bed, Jack standing by her as a nurse took her vitals.

It was nothing at all for the fidgeting general to just *happen* to stop him so they could chat over old times.  And if Siler happened to call her 'Miss Cass' a few times, well, he was known for being a little odd, and it made the nervous young woman giggle; which made the nurse smile approvingly.

He managed to hang around until the doc came back, then stopped to tie his boot laces within hearing of the drawn curtain, smiling before he could stop himself when he heard Cass sound awed and happy at the test results.  He made himself get serious before he stood up.  Catching Jack's choked-up voice congratulating her, he decided he needed to make a stop before he went to revisit Lee's generator.

####

"-So you'll be back in a week, colonel?"

Listening patiently, Walter made a mental note to get the general a snack; that tone was getting short.

"Yes sir," hearing Colonel Carter's voice break up again, he frowned with annoyance, tweaking the audio filter again, trying to make up for the interference still showing up on the Phoenix's telsystem.  "We're about a day behind schedule but I have high hopes that we can make it up as soon as the engine cooling is fixed."

"Alright, well, if there's anything else..?"

Walter lifted a hand quickly, "Actually sir, Siler requested a moment to pick the colonel's brains if it was possible."

Landry's brows rose in curiosity, "Oh?"

"Something about Doctor Lee's generator I think."

"Umph.  That man destroys more generators.."

"Yes sir.  Permission?"

The general was already walking away when he waved a hand in vague disavowal of care so Walter shrugged, rerouted the call and paged the sergeant.

####

"Sergeant Siler, call on three."

"Thanks Walter."  Clicking off the radio, Siler distractedly reached over to the phone besides the surveillance-room computer.  "Sergeant Siler speaking."

"Siler?"

"S- Colonel!"  It was times like this, when he had to consciously control his reactions to the sound of Sam's voice, that he was forced to realize just how much his life was changing.  Taking stock of the people around him, Siler kept his voice even, knowing that dropping it would immediately arouse suspicion, "Colonel, was.. trying to fix something.. not sure how.  Thought you dealt with something similar, years ago...  Something to do with a call to a home function?..  Had to do with one of Miss Fraiser's misadventures?"  Damn.  He should have found a way to send a coded data stream instead; coming up with bullshit was *not* his strong point.

"The home function?  Err.. yes, of course," he could almost hear her frowning in concentration, trying to guess what he'd meant, "Tricky code, that.  Err.. there's a unit in the top left drawer of the desk I've been using in Lee's lab.  Retina scan access, you're already coded in.  Hook it up and it might help."

Wondering if she'd really understood what he was trying to say, Siler settled for nodding seriously, "Thank you ma'am.  I'll try that.  Hopefully it'll fix everything."

####

When the phone rang just as he threw the shepherd's pie in the oven, Siler grabbed the handset automatically, walking back to the counter with it on his ear.  They were out of potatoes *and* onion all of a.. "O'Neill residence."

"Siler?  What's going on??"

He winced at the strained worry in Sam's tone, looking up gratefully at the newest spacephone adaptor he'd found in her desk and installed on the base unit for the house, "Nothing's wrong, sorry, should have found a way to tell you that earlier.  Just hang on a sec," he covered the mouthpiece to shout to the living room, "Sam's on the phone!"  He heard footsteps hurrying over and uncovered the phone, "Cassie just really needs to talk to you.  And here she is."  He handed the young woman the receiver with a pat on the shoulder, watching her walk to the living room and hoping he was concealing his worry better than Jack had been doing.

"Cassie?  What's wrong?"

Cassie sighed, hunching into the corner of the couch, "Not.. 'wrong'.  I'm.. pregnant."  She wasn't surprised at the silence that that blunt announcement caused on the other end, imagining Sam sitting in her quarters with her mouth open and eyes blinking in shock.

"Pregnant.  Are you OK?"  Cassie sighed in relief at the hesitant mothering.  At the lack of accusation or-  Starting to feel once again as warm and cared for as she had with the boys holding her, she straightened, breathing more easily at the confirmation of the support she suddenly really needed.  She could feel the future opening up now, could let herself actually acknowledge what was happening, was about to happen...

"Yeah, I'm fine.  A little.. freaked.  We really did use condoms every t-time."

"I know.  Accidents happen Cassie.  It's going to be OK.  Have you told him yet?"

"No. I.. I needed to-"

"Be sure?"

"..Yeah.  And.. I needed you guys to be OK with it."

Sam laughed a little raggedly in her ear, for a moment almost drowned out by the static on the line, "How are the boys taking it?  Siler's work-mask seemed intact over audio.."

Cassie smiled softly, remembering, "He was great.  Jack was in Washington when I got here and Siler actually came home to take care of me.."

"He's a good man."

"Yeah," she giggled, "You should have seen them jump apart when I walked into the kitchen and they were hugging though."

"Cassie!"  The reproof would have had more effect if Sam weren't giggling right along with her.  "..Are you.. OK with that too?"

Remembering her first shock, all those weeks ago, Cassie didn't hesitate now, "I'm fine, Sam.  I don't suppose it'll make much difference, but you can tell them that..."

"Probably not.  Even Siler's aware that it's not the most accepted thing."

Cassie snickered at the wry humour in the colonel's tone, "El-oh-el!  'Even Siler' really didn't sound good, Sam!"

Her mother groaned, "**Please** don't say that Cassie.  Writing it is fine, but if we're talking you can *actually* 'laugh'!"

Cassie giggled, "Sorry.  Slipped out."

"As for Siler... it's.. the honest truth.  He's not one to pretend to be anything but himself."

Cassie's grin softened, "Sam, it's OK.  I like him.  He's a good uncle."

"..Uncle??"

"Ummhumm."

She could almost hear the sappy smile through the light years when her mom finally replied softly, "...I love you, Cassie."

"Love you too."

####

When she heard the cell ring, Cassie looked up from her book with a frown.  She spotted the forgotten item among other male pocket inhabitants and picked it up quickly, answering as she hurried to the master bedroom, "Just a moment please."  It wasn't like Jack to forget his phone, even now that he was supposed to be retired, but she knew her news had thrown him a bit loopy so it wasn't *that* shocking.  She knocked quickly at the door, carefully covering the mic, "Guys?  Cell phone!"

It only took a few seconds for Jack to open the door, frowning grumpily and holding his pants in place awkwardly.  As she handed him the cell though, he swore, cutting himself off as he covered the mic and stepped back to the rumpled bed with a hiss, "Shit!  It's yours."  Cassie winced, hoping Jack's voice hadn't been recognized -or *hers*!-, staying in the doorway to find out if something was wrong as Siler sat up with the blanket pooling at his waist and cleared his throat to answer formally.

"Sergeant Siler, sir.  ...  Yes sir, of course sir, shouldn't take more than forty minutes sir.  Yes sir."  She *just* turned around in time to avoid seeing a lot more than she wanted as he pretty much jumped out of bed, throwing the phone on the comforter and rattling off quickly, "SG-13's having MALP problems, gotta-  oops, *sorry* Cass!!"

Cassie laughed at the sudden mortified tone as he no doubt looked up from dressing and noticed her still in the room, "That's alright Siler, I have good reflexes.  I'm the one who's sorry, I didn't even think that it might not be Jack's."  She jumped as he suddenly appeared besides her, barely halting his quick jog out to drop a kiss on her forehead.

"I'll see you later!"

She watched him hurry away bemusedly, sure the BDUs weren't fitting him right.  When Jack came to stand besides her, his pants fastened and an old BDU shirt of his own on, she looked at him and blinked, making the connection, "He's wearing one of your old uniforms, isn't he?"

Jack shrugged, smirking, "He does it pretty often.  Throws his jumpsuit on as soon as he get to the mountain.  Less obvious on him than on Sam, anyway.  Also less obvious than showing up wearing the filthy uniform he had on earlier.  Have to remind him to bring them back though, the JJO stitched in the tag could be a mite hard to explain."

Cassie nodded, remembering lazy Saturdays early in their relationship when she'd seen Sam dive into his uniforms for comfort clothes.  She could understand; there was something about a loose shirt and knowing it belonged to your man that was just.. very weirdly comforting.  She grinned, wondering if Siler got the same feeling.  She'd have to ask. Or not; Jack was the one who needed teasing, Siler was too nice...


Chapter 8c: Little moments like that (PG13)
July 7, 2009

Cassie glared at the alarm clock.

She was going home today; the cuddling was not worth getting woken up before the sun anymore!!  She'd had to bite her tongue a few times to keep from foolishly using the 'pregnant' card.  The *last* thing she wanted was to have them start to treat her like an invalid.  That they'd somehow avoided diving into that stereotypical behaviour was a lovely surprise that she didn't trust to last; and refused to foolishly trigger.

No matter what time of day they thought it was reasonable to start bantering down the stairs.

Knowing better after three days than to even try to get back to sleep, she got up, grumbling about crazy soldiers as she got in the shower.

####

"Come on chubby, who said you could stop?"

"*Chubby*??  Wh-who are you calling 'ch-chubby', Stubby."

Cassie groaned out loud, gently knocking her head on the cupboard in front of where she stood sipping her coffee.  Oh god, name-calling now??  How old *were* they??

Hearing the ruckus coming toward the kitchen now, she looked up, unsurprised to see Siler just losing a headlock on her father.  She cringed as the resulting mock-fight came a little too close to the oven.

"Boys!"

She stood glaring at them as they froze, Jack with an arm just settling around Siler's throat and the other tickling his ribs.  The guilty expressions they turned on her would have been a lot funnier if it wasn't the middle of the night.

They slowly disengaged, patting and outright stroking each other as they went, the adrenaline that had made them so hyper obviously passing and leaving them a little sorry at handling each other so roughly.  She shook her head;  men!

"Sorry, Cass."  Jack dropped a kiss on her forehead on his sweaty way to the fridge.

"Sorry, Cass."  Siler, on the other hand, threw the words at her as he headed up the stairs to shower and get ready for the early shift that was causing the pre-dawn workouts.

Turing back to the retired Air Force major general glugging down a glass of OJ, she shook her head, "*Stubby*??"

Jack gave her a too-innocent look, "What?  He's two inches shorter than I am."

Oh that was tooo easy!  Feeling wicked, Cassie shuddered ostensibly, scrunching her nose at him, "Wayyy T M I, Jack!!"  When he actually choked on the start of his second glass, she only *hoped* she was keeping the laughter out of her expression.

"Cassandra Fraiser!!" he sputtered for another second, "In **height**!  As you *well* knew, missy!  I can't believe you even *said* that!!  Even *thought* it!"

Unable to choke it any more as he shuddered dramatically, Cassie snickered, lifting her coffee cup for a sip, "Suuuure you did."  Her first adoptive mom had been so right; teasing the teasers was the most fun.

Apparently at a loss for words, he shook his finger at her, mumbling about kids and respect as he went up the stairs too.  Thoroughly pleased, Cassie went back to the table to continue reading her book, looking up ten minutes later when Siler came back down, wet-haired and jumpsuit-dressed and bee-lining for the coffee.

"Hey, Siler."

"Cass."

Cassie smiled, amused at how different he could be; from hyper and freely teasing Jack, to the most gentle-voiced of strong silent types.

Watching him stare around the kitchen with a frown as he sipped the strong brew, Cassie waited until he made his decision and opened the cupboard where he hid his breakfast bars, then she got up and walked over.  "Siler?"

"Umm?"

She took the coffee out of his hand and laid it on the counter before pulling him into a quick hug, stepping back before he could freeze self-consciously, "I just wanted to say goodbye; going to catch a flight home today."

Slowly reaching for his coffee again, he watched her carefully, at a guess trying to see how she felt, "Had enough of the mothering?"

Since that sounded a lot better than 'I'm tired of playing mother to the two of you toddlers', she nodded, smiling a little.  It wasn't a complete lie, anyway.  The two of them *had* been very mothery.  She just didn't *mind* that.  Especially when it had helped make the sudden change in her life feel so much less terrifying.

He smiled back a little shyly, and she wondered just how rare the expression was, considering how stiff it looked, "Sorry.  They're a bad influence on me."

Remembering the unhesitating way he'd flown to her rescue that first day, Cassie laughed, refraining from pointing out that there hadn't been any occasion for them to influence him.  It was obvious he didn't want to think of himself as the mothering sort.

Even though he so was.

####

Looking up with a glare when the door to his borrowed office opened, Jack frowned even more at seeing Paul Davis' worried look.  Damn it, he wanted to get *out* of here, not have *more* crap delay him.

"General, I'm afraid we've just received news of a possible threat to your family-"

"What??"

Wincing at his all-too familiar shout, Davis nonetheless continued smoothly, ignoring the threat inherent in the man who'd risen to a hulking stance, "I've already put Miss Fraiser under guard; I have confirmation that she's fine.  And we do *not* judge the threat to extend to the Phoenix."

Right.  And *he* was in the Pentagon and had a large, lethally-trained lackey for his supposed only 3-day stay.  "What about the-"  Shit!  Jack clenched his teeth, swallowing the word 'house'.  "Davis, I need to make a call *right* now."  He watched the lieutenant colonel blink in surprise but turn and leave obediently as he reached for his cell; praying it wasn't monitored.  Praying nothing was wrong-

When the ringing of the land-line to his house finally stopped and a sleep-grumpy voice answered "Yes?", Jack's exhaled in a rush of relief.

"Get away from the house.  Now.  Someone is apparently threatening my 'family'.  I'll be having some people come guard the place, but-"

"Shit."  Siler hopped out of bed, senses jerking awake and alert for anything threatening; and suddenly wishing *he* carried a gun, too.  "What about-" he stopped, aware that Jack had been trying to be circumspect, "Umm, the little one?"

"Already under protection.  Just get *yourself* to safety."

Hanging up, Jack swore under his breath, getting up and stalking to the door to get Davis back, torn between worrying about the danger to Cass -and her BABY, shit!  AND her boyfriend, double shit!- and the one they'd brought to *Siler*.  Fuck fuck fuck.

####

Hearing through the rumour mill that Sam was going to be several days late due to a recurrence of the bug in the Phoenix's engine-cooling plant, Siler found himself with mixed feelings.  He missed her, he admitted that nowadays, and wanted her *home*.  A feeling exacerbated by missing Jack too, for the last couple of days.  But having his family in danger left him leery of any additional members of said family coming back to Earth.

He was working as long as he could just to avoid going home to the silence and his thoughts, stuck in a mucky sea of anxiety.  Jack had contacted his cell from a pay phone that first day to let him know that someone had gotten an interest in Cass's baby.  Colonel Davis had gotten her under protection before the bad guys had gotten their act together and he and Jack were hot on their trail, but Siler could read the worry in the general's tone when he asked that Siler stay on the base if he could find a reason.  And if Jack was worried about *him*, then Sam would sure as hell not be safe.

And he remembered enough stories of SG-1's escapades to know that Jack *was* in danger.  And there was *shit* he could do about it!   Dammit!

He turned his cell on as soon as he stepped out of the mountain, aware of the old Beretta that he'd pulled out of his safe and that now rested at the small of his back, making time feel disjointed; the small gun dated back to the dark and alone days of his teenage years, but wearing it in an Air Force Special Ops concealed waist holster.. felt like a tight link to Jack every time he touched the stiff leather.  He was also aware that he was too obviously wary; there was no real way to hide circling his truck, and he could only hope that it wasn't obvious he was staring at the seemingly random grease marks he'd carefully put in assorted spots; trying to make it hard to tamper with his vehicle without leaving a trace.

By the time the sleep had worn off and he'd started driving home that first day, he'd already realized that he was going to have to demand/ weasel/ browbeat Jack into training him properly.  There was no way he was going to be a dependant every time some fucking bastards came gunning for his family.  And the Beretta and amateur trap-laying definitely left him a dependent against the kind of people that he knew all too often went after SG-1 and their hangers-on.

Hearing the 'incoming message' beep and seeing the words 'All clear; come home.' might have made him collapse against his door in relief, but nothing could take back the reminder of the danger his partners, and now he, lived under.

####

draco_somnians's Home safe (NC17) comes next in the verse
July 19, 2009

####

Laying bonelessly with her head on Jack's belly, listening to the reassuring sound of his once-again steady breathing and staring at Siler, laying besides them with his head at a level with hers and his hand twitching slightly where it rested possessively on her rear, Sam was utterly content and not the slightest little bit inclined to move.  She had a feeling the smile on her face was even dopier than Siler's. 

And she wouldn't give this up for anything short of the planet's very survival.

She unfolded her arm, reaching out a lazy hand to come to rest just touching Siler's upper chest, and her eyes closed, nuzzling lazily at the sweat-slick skin she was resting on, feeling Jack's hand stroke through her hair a bit before going still again.  Very hazy with thoroughly pleasured tiredness and not inclined to start thinking about grim reality just yet, it took a minute for the feeling of 'something different' to seriously register.  Nuzzling more firmly, she confirmed the sensory information and made the difficult decision to actually follow this inquiry, making the effort to raise her head.

When she'd gotten home, her priority hadn't extended beyond making sure her family was healthy and happy and at home.

And *safe*, considering the events Siler and Jack had hinted at over the spa- *telsystem* and that Landry had added to at the end of her debrief.

But pushing herself up with a hand on Jack's belly, creating no more than a grumble, she shoved away the grim thought for now and started to grin instead, seeing now not only the tightening of his skin over his cheeks and belly, but a light of self-confident pride in his eyes that not even his recent brooding could bury and that had been missing for a while. 

Very deliberately looking him over from thighs to shoulders, by the time she reached his face, there was a pleased smirk curling his lips.

"Changed workout, general?"  Sam raised her brows with a smirk of her own, watching Jack's ease into an abashed smile, his eyes sliding to Siler, still laying besides them.

Ahha!  She looked down and the sergeant winked at her with that smile that was starting to make more frequent appearances with their time together; also looking a lot more tanned, now that she was paying attention to physical appearances.  She looked back at Jack, chuckling quietly, pleased he'd found something to feel better about himself but not about to comment about *that*.  "The sergeant been riding your ass, has he?"

She was going to lean down and get a kiss but stopped at the sudden wide-eyed look she got in response to her tease.  Blinking in confusion at the blush rising up his neck and glancing at Siler for a clue, only to find him choking and starting to laugh, she replayed her words and then gaped at them for a few seconds before dissolving into giggles of her own, falling besides Jack, unable to stop the laughter bubbling through her.

Jack recovered first, tackling her and starting to tickle her ribs with a teasing growl to her neck.

That he easily avoided her lethal reaction drove home the point and managed to take care of her no doubt partially adrenaline-fed giggle-fit, kneeling face-to-face with him on the big bed and catching her breath as Siler watched them with a quizzical look.

"Just how much do you have to control yourselves to keep from killing me, anyway?"

They both turned to him with curious expressions, but Sam got her thoughts organized first.  "You don't generally go out of your way to hit our trigger points, Siler.  If you did..." she looked at Jack, taking the silent request to finish it, "You learn control at the same time as the moves.  As long as we're awake and thinking straight.." she grimaced at assorted memories, "And are 'ourselves', we control the reflexes with the awareness of the people around us.  You, Daniel, Cassie are to be careful with.  Teal'c, less so.  Everyone else is.. a judgement call." 

*Everyone* was a judgement call, but she didn't need to remind Siler that even she and Jack should always be taken with an awareness of alien dangers; *he* was all too aware of that already.

Siler nodded, watching them steadily and deciding that this was as good a time as any to open the debate.  "You need to train me."

The confused blinks he got didn't surprise him and he elaborated carefully, hoping against hope that they'd be reasonable about this, "This kind of shit is going to happen again.  I'm sure Cass can take care of herself generally; but not pregnant," his head jerked at them, "For that matter, I damn well have to be able to cover either of *your* sixes if you're hurt."  And maybe it would help Jack worry less about *him* and concentrate on Cass.

He watched them look at each other, not surprised at their reticence; he remembered the bleakness in Sam's eyes after some missions. 

He'd never had any wish to be able to kill easily; but now...  He wondered just how much having him, comparatively, a civilian was a part of the what they.. 'liked' about him; at least during the peaceful times. 

They were watching him with more pain than hesitation than he'd expected.  It wasn't just the idea of training him that was bothering them; it was the idea of him trained.

Jack was the one to finally speak, sounding half-resigned even as his brooding of the last few days made a reappearance, "*We* shouldn't be the ones-"

But Siler shook his head calmly, "No way is the Air Force going to field-train me at my age."  And in any case, the last thing he wanted was to get sent in the field afterwards; Jack had enough worrying with *Sam* being in the field.

At least he knew they wouldn't try to argue that anyone else should personally train him, wouldn't trust anyone else to teach him well enough to keep him safe the next time some ex-Black ops bastards threatened them all.

####

Hunting through the living room and wondering if Cassie had borrowed her rarely-used purse and left it in the spare bedroom before leaving that morning, Sam yelled toward the kitchen where the boys were getting their supper ready, "Jack?  Are you going to insist I use your card again?"

Accepting the beer Siler passed him, Jack rolled his eyes, watching the grin that flickered over his friend's face in curiosity as he yelled back, " 'Course I am.  'S the only way I can guaranty you'll model for me."  Hearing a faint grunt in reply before she went back to her grumbling, he shook his head, pushing the onion to the side of the board and starting to chop the mushrooms before he loudly grumbled right back, "How the hell come Vala gets to kidnap you when you just got back?  Doesn't she know we get first dibs on you?"

"You'll have me for the whole weekend while we ride next week.  She only knows about *you* and I think she sees it as rescuing me from stifling cuddl-  Siler!?  Why is *your* card in my handbag??"

Jack's brows flew up, mouth closing on his planned reply to Vala's comments as he looked at the smirking sergeant waiting for him to finish his part of the prep, hearing Sam's heels clipping toward them.

"What?" Siler took a sip of his beer before calling out idly, "I just want you to buy me someth-"

Glaring in exasperation as she walked into the kitchen, Sam caught Siler's eyes just before he took a swallow of his beer, only to watch as he choked on the mouthful when he saw her, eyes staring fixedly at her as Jack hurriedly went to pound his back.

Frowning from Sam to the man choking besides him, Jack took another look at Sam and then asked curiously, "Si'?  I'll admit that's a.." he took yet another look, leering into her raised brow and smirk, "*Very* lovely dress, but you've not only seen her naked, you've painted her with honey and taken pictures.. what the hell's wrong with you, man?"

Catching his breath but still staring at her -or more specifically, at her cleavage- avidly, Siler answered with a cough-roughened voice, "Yeah, well, the *first* time I saw her in it, we were at work and I had to make a fast retreat or I'd have made.. an even *bigger* fool of myself."

It was Jack's turn to gawk at her, "You wore *that* in the SGC??"

Sam rolled her eyes, refraining from agreeing that it really wasn't appropriate, instead turning patient eyes on Siler, "Tell him whose fault it was."

But Siler barely blinked up at her before refocusing again, "Fault?  How would I know, ma'am?"

She raised teasing brows at the slip, trying to resist a giggle at his reaction, "The person who was standing next to me..?"

"Err.. was there someone next to you?"

Now Sam grinned outright, absolutely loving the appreciative attention.  Not that the boys weren't always appreciative, but it took a lot to make Siler go gaga; outside of sex anyway -*that* was always a good way to rewire his brain.

"Sammm?"

"Ummm?" Sam absently replied to Jack's suspicious tone, delighted at the way Siler was still freely relishing her outfit while slowly raising his beer back to his mouth.  She should dress up more often...

"..You didn't wear the stuff from *Vic secrets* to the SGC did you??"

####

"I tell you she must have recognized me from TV." .. "You didn't see the look she gave me when she scanned it.  And then when she handed me the bag she made a *point* of calling me 'general'; with a smirk!  Next time Si's getting it!"

Sam laughed in his ear, "I'm pretty sure he just gets a box from the 'net."

Jack gapped, mind agog, "A *box*??"

"Jack.  He's been single for a long time.  He uses, *used*, it for.. independent work."

He grinned briefly, imagining her rolled eyes at having to come up with code that would pass in the SGC.  "...You mean when he jerks off?"

"Yes.  Jack, you've bought it before; this is in your head.  Look, I have to go."

Sam growled at the handset and the sometimes exasperating man beyond it before swallowing her annoyance and lifting her eyes.

Daniel raised a brow, smirking, "Do I want to know what you were talking about?"

Trying not to blush and just as glad to be distracted from thinking of home right now, Sam blinked innocently, "..Probably not."

"..Right," his humour vanishing, Daniel's shoulders hunched a little as he started looking put-upon, "So Vala wants to invite you two for supper."

Sam blinked in surprise, "What.. why?"

"She's been watching TV too much.  Decided that we don't 'entertain'," his fingers drew the apostrophes, his eyes rolling with exasperation, "Enough."

About to automatically agree, Sam's jaw clenched and she frowned.  She and Jack *had* occasionally done the 'couples' thing, over the years.  But... just how did that work, now?  "I'll... talk about it with.. him."

She saw Daniel's eyes suddenly lock on hers and understanding wince across his expression.  When he shrugged a silent apology for not thinking, Sam nodded, lips twisting ruefully at life's little quirks.

####

Still smirking at Jack turning into a prude over buying KY, Siler opened the bathroom storage cupboard.  For some reason he'd expected to find a box-sized space having appeared on some nice convenient shelf.

Instead, he faced linen mountains and quasi chaos.

Holding his box on one forearm, the other hand came up slowly, stiff from the training they'd slowly started him on, to scratch his skull and then hold his nape as he shook his head, trying to decide if his curiosity was stronger than his wariness; did he want to know what all those bottles, jars, tubes and boxes were supposed to do??  He'd been around enough and been through enough fashion fads in his day; but there was a very shallow limit to what products he'd really let himself get exposed to.  And this... was way beyond.  Since the bathroom didn't hold a fraction so many mysteries, he had to assume that these were remnants of past attempts to interest Sam.

Looking back toward the stairs longingly, he finally gave up the hope of any rescue and faced the job at hand.  Leaving the neatly stacked sheets and towels alone, he set his box down and looked at the chaos-shelf.  Making the educated guess that the dusty things were *not* in some invisible order, he started reorganizing, tallest at the back and shorter things at the front, no empty gaps between.  Studiously strangling the curiosity urging him reading labels; it was hard to resist curiosity, it really was.

Right up until he found, hidden way at the back on its side, one box that even *he* recognized.  Starting to laugh, Siler put the last couple of jars in their new close-knit order and slid his stock into the space he'd created.

Still chuckling uncontrollably, he opened his dusty treasure as he slowly walked out of the room.  Finding the bottle inside opened and half-used, he had to stop at the top of the stairs, leaning on the railing and laughing so hard he didn't trust himself to even try the steps.

"Siler??"

He looked at Sam through the tears streaking his vision.  He couldn't remember the last time he'd let himself go and laughed like this, couldn't remember feeling this rush of good endorphins tingling through his whole body.  Controlling himself just enough to speak, he shakily held up his evidence, "H-he actually u-u-used this?!?"

Sam watched with wide eyes as their sergeant slid down to the floor, leaning back on the railing with tears rolling down his cheeks and the widest smile utterly changing his face, his eyes shining glee at her.  It was impossible not to smile with him, even as she felt her chest squeeze with feelings so strong that she felt almost paralysed.

It didn't even occur to her to look away at what had done him in.  Instead, she crouched down and gently touched her lips to the deep wrinkle that had suddenly appeared at the corner of his eye.

Cherishing the intimacy; cherishing *him*.

His hilarity momentarily distracted, Siler reached up to her nape and tugged her down for soft kiss; but then he started laughing again and she pulled back from his bouncing touch, grinning and hearing Jack trail her up the stairs to investigate.

Finally getting curious, she glanced at what Siler held and burst out in giggles, turning to Jack with an evil smirk, "Gr-Grecian Formula f-for men??  You didn't!!"  Watching the chagrin in her lover's expression as he stared at the ancient hair colouring and the two people killing themselves laughing, Sam could feel hiccoughs threatening and tried to choke herself down to snickers, standing up and running her fingers through his now definitely *white* hair.  "Jaaack... you mean you could have flashed grey at me when we first met?"

Hunching his shoulders defensively, Jack glared down at the man still chuckling and staring up at him with the promise of endless mayhem.  Wondering what had possessed him to forget to throw that bottle away during at least *one* of his moves, he muttered, "I didn't *know* you liked-" Then his eyes widened, hearing the unfortunate admission come slipping out of his mouth.

Sam's grin actually found more real estate to expand to and Si' went back to laughing, though he did manage to spit out a taut, no doubt the first of many, "Trying to im-impress the pr-pretty blonde captain, Jack?"  The sergeant pulled himself upright to smirk right at Jack, reaching out and joining Sam in messing with his hair while he stood with commendable stoicism.  Really; very commendable.  "Heck, even *I* figured out she liked the grey," he dropped a kiss in Sam's neck, laughter finally under control, "Luckily for me."

Glaring at him in frustration, Jack pointed out acidly, "Siler, you hardly have any grey *now*."

The younger man snorted, still smiling, "Had just as much then though."

"Were you really trying to impress me?"

Jack made himself face Samantha's far-too-sweet smile.  Samantha was not sweet.  Sweet meant evil; almost always aimed at *him*.

"No?  Maybe it was Siler you were trying to impress?"

Jack closed his eyes, sighing in resignation as that made the sergeant crack up again.

Siler leaned his head briefly on Jack's shoulder, his voice raspy from the hilarity, "God I love you guys."

Still chuckling, he patted Jack's ass familiarly and turned, starting down the stairs, shaking his head and wiping the tears off his face while throwing saucily behind him, "And just for your information, I like the white too, Jack."

Sam and Jack both stood frozen and a little wide-eyed.  It was obvious he hadn't even heard himself and they stared at each other helplessly.

Sam knew there was no question that they loved him back; she had for years, and finally being together had made her face and accept it.  And Jack.. she knew him well enough these days to recognize the way he watched their partner; and she rather thought he was aware of it.

But there was every question as to whether Siler was ready to hear it.  And even if he was, how to say it without spooking him...

####

Sighing softly at the duelling thoughts disturbing her, Sam realized just how quiet and banter-less their game of monopoly was when Siler and Jack both responded with concerned frowns.  It wasn't like any of them to play games together so mechanically.

"Sam?"

Careful not to look at Jack, too conscious that he was also worrying over at least one of her concerns, Sam rolled her eyes, annoyed at herself, "Sorry.  I'm fine, Siler."  Knowing they had to deal with at least one of the situations, she gave Jack a warning glance, then looked back at Siler, somewhere between uncomfortable and amused, "Daniel and Vala have 'invited us for supper'."

When Jack snorted, Siler gave him a confused look, to which he grumbled, "You wouldn't *believe* Vala's ideas of 'entertaining'," he met Sam's laughing reproof and whined, "Please tell me you said no?"

Unable to deny his claim about the likely outcome of the evening, she nonetheless gave him a dirty look for expecting her to be the one to say 'no' to Daniel, "I said I'd ask."  Her eyes turned to Siler as she finished and he blinked, seeming to only now get *why* she'd hesitated.

Though he shook his head at her, his eyes were soft and the whisper of a smile crooked his lips, the expression just about shouting those little words he'd let slip.  He gave Jack a dose of the same look and spoke reprovingly, "You and Whitey," he play-ducked Jack's miles-off teasing swipe, "Go and enjoy Lady Vala's hospitality.  I haven't dragged Walter out to the pub in a while; he's probably forgotten the taste of *good* beer."

"..." She'd been about to hesitate at going out without him, but the sudden thought that *they* were interfering with *his* life made her close her mouth and blink, reassessing assumptions with a mental slap at herself.

Reminded that the man claimed not to know how relationships worked, Jack frowned, "Hey, Si'?" he waiting until Siler looked at him, "We don't mean to monopolize your *whole* life, you know.  There's nothing wrong with wanting to do stuff on your own."

Siler looked down, staring at the game's board as he answered quietly, "Maybe I like being monopolized," he looked back up, hesitantly, "I like... our life."  Not giving them a chance to comment, he shrugged, "But I probably *do* need to spend some time with the guys."


Chapter 8d: Hit the road, Jack, Part 1 (PG13)
July 16, 2009

Their bikes


"How have I never seen your bike??"

Siler glanced up from checking the air-intake valve, frowning at the general's honest confusion.  "Well.. I almost never ride it to work; as wiped out as I tend to be, it wouldn't be safe for me to ride home," he shrugged, moving on to the rear break that had felt wrong as he'd ridden over, "And as busy as we are, I rarely ride these days in any case."

He took his time babying the twitchy calliper of his rebuilt Fat Boy, not paying mind to Jack's continued surveillance.

"..But you would."

The quiet implied question made him shrug, frowning at the rust starting on a fuel pump clamp, "Yeah, I guess.  Some.  Not seeing the bike, I never think about it.  But I hardly go to the house anymore; what would I do?  Somehow remember to deliberately stop there on Friday -*tired*-, bring it over, and then ride it back to change to the truck on Sunday?"  He shrugged, knowing the riding lull was just that.  Sooner or later the bug would bite him again.  Wouldn't be the first year that the insurance went to practical waste.

"Siler..."  He looked back up, distracted by the suddenly decided tone in Jack's voice before the general was interrupted.

"There's room in the garage for another bike." Siler turned his head to look at Sam, standing behind him for who knew how long.  "Or two."

"Two?"

Sam smiled gently at Jack's avid curiosity, watching their sergeant slowly deal with the idea of his babies moving to their house too.  "Shall I tell him?"

Smiling a little, an edge of uncertainty in his eyes that was making fewer appearances with every passing week, Siler nodded, standing up and absently wiping his hands on his jeans.

She grinned at Jack, knowing he was going to get a kick out of this, "A 1950 Thunderbird."

"Seriously??"

Siler laughed a little at the eager response; he could almost see drool on the corner of Jack's lips!  "Yeah, seriously.  Sergeant out at Fort Bragg heard of some poor old machine, abandoned in a shed by the widow of a pilot who died in Desert Storm.  Made a holiday of it and went and trailered it up here back in '98."  He smiled at the woman who'd sidled up to cuddle with Jack, "And Sam helped me fix it up, when she had time."

Sam rolled her eyes at him, leaning back on Jack and beckoning Siler to come closer, "I just passed you tools and lent you company.  When *you* had time."

Ignoring the correction, he stepped up to close the circle around her, his hands on Jack's hips.  The chaste kiss he brushed on her forehead made her growl and grip his ears to bring his grinning lips to hers while Jack chuckled at their antics.

When Sam let him up, the general stared at him for a minute before asking teasingly, "How's the hangover?"

Wincing slightly at the reminder, he shrugged, abashed, "Getting better.  I'm out of practise; and Walter's obviously been getting way too much."

"You OK riding?"

Since Sam elbowed the general in the gut for the mothering, Siler only answered with a mild "Yes." before staring at the bikes already parked in the driveway.  "When did you get the Ninja?"

Sam looked fondly over at the red and black sport bike, "Last year.  We got them at the same time," she jerked her chin at the Road King, already half-packed for their weekend escape, "We wanted to start taking more rides together, and having to be so careful with the Indian wasn't conducive to spontaneous travelling.  So when we were shopping for a new bike for Jack," she smiled gently over her shoulder, "I figured I'd get something lower maintenance."

Looking at Sam instead of the bike, Siler teased, "Sexy piece."

She just grinned right back, "*I* certainly think so."

"Ahh, Siler?" Jack's voice was so hesitant that both Siler and Sam turned their heads to look at him curiously, "About last night," Siler's brows raised in curious worry when he saw Sam wince and avoid his glance, "We kinda ended up telling Vala," he nodded at Sam, standing between the two of them, and Siler's eyes widened as he realized Jack meant 'about the three of them', "Yeah.  So.  Don't be surprised if she accosts you at some point.."

Sam patted his back in sympathy when he moaned and dropped his forehead on hers.  Siler did *not* particularly like the overpowering woman at the best of times.  He could just imagine what she'd come up with *now* to torture him.  Damn it.  Dammit dammit damn it.

"Come on, it'll all seem better with the wind blowing by your ears."

Giving Sam a pitifully dubious look, Siler nonetheless straightened with a martyred sigh.  Too bad there was no way to pretend she was attacking him with her pestering.  He was sure no one would really *mind* if he defended himself with a Vulcan nerve pinch.. or the Tau'ri equivalent...

Oh well.  He'd dealt with worse... he'd have to think to pick a particular occasion.. but there had to have been worse things.  Had to.

Going through the bags still waiting to be strapped-in, they split the travelling gear and their baggage between the three bikes with minimal discussion, meshing their differing habits together without particular hiccoughs, and then, last checks done, headed into the house to get changed.

####

Hearing his partners chatting outside, Siler gave the house a last once-over as he hurried to the door, still shaking himself every few steps to settle into his riding boots.  He should have changed at his place and taken the extra time to get them softened up, but he'd known he'd be crawling around the bike after the short test-ride over, and riding gear only made that harder.

"Chaps??"

Looking up from locking the door, he started to give Jack a rolled-eyed look for the snobbery, but then got a little sidetracked.  Between Sam walking over and Jack standing there, both in full leathers, he was reminded of one reason why he liked jeans better.  Leather did *not* forgive a mind that slid a little too often into the gutter.

Not that jeans were *that* much better.  He cleared his throat, firmly reigning his reaction; and shifting his eyes away.  They were leaving for a long weekend bike ride. *Now*.

No matter how many fantasies of stripping the two of them, not to mention of just *opening* those leathers and then worshipping them as they deserved, he was developing; that's what nightly stops were for...

####

The open road was heaven.  Bright sun, only a little warm -for now at least- and Sam rode, free to feel the pressure of the wind on her skin, with nothing but her clothes to buffer it; the flow of the road under her wheels...  No starship canning her in, no car to absorb away the world around her.  A wall of soothingly smooth sound isolating her with her thoughts and the beauty of the panorama.

It was a quiet road, hardly any cars to break the view from this mountain.  Like the small green valley below them right now.  And the perfect road conditions left her attention free to roam.  Including to the man riding in front of her.  She'd somehow forgotten that he wore chaps; if she'd ever known.  She had a feeling that the year they'd been together had been another bad one for rides; both of them scrambling to settle into their new and very hectic jobs.  Both of them the frequent guests of the infirmary, the reasons for which didn't really encourage long bike rides even after being released.

She did remember hearing the story of where he'd gotten the Fat Boy though, one night when he was on talkative meds.  Listening to the story of a chopper crash in the Gulf War that only he'd walked away from.  Except he hadn't walked; thrown barely far enough on impact to avoid the deadly explosion, his left femur broken cleanly, his left tibia with a compound break that picked up a nasty infection before they cleared his system up.  The full leg cast had made a mess of the rest of his body before it came off and, all in all, he'd spent six months out of both physical and mental commission.  A friend who knew of his mechanic's skills and understood the rocky road to recovering from such injuries had kindly found him the wrecked bike early on.

Terminator 2 had just come out a year before and Siler had admitted to her that he'd liked the association, at the time.  Not to mention the idea of owning the bike he couldn't have afforded new.  So he'd spent the months of rehab crawling, literally and sometimes very slowly, around the destroyed Harley, rebuilding the engine and body one piece at a time.  She suspected he'd probably kicked the machine a hell of a lot as he worked his way through the rough period.  Probably even smashed it a few times himself.  But he'd finally gotten his body back on its literal feet, his survivor's guilt buried far enough to move on; and a shiny bike ready to be ridden.

She had to get him to tell Jack that story, and maybe some of the other crap he'd overcome over the years.

Maybe realizing that Siler was as much a survivor as the two of them would help the tension that had crept between them since they'd started training him.

Leaning into a sharper turn and kicking up the power, all the while appreciatively watching Siler's handling ahead of her, she quietly worried about the man who was riding behind her.

They'd only managed a few sessions with Siler, had basically only freshened up the skills he already had, up to now.  But Jack was already going quiet and stiff.  And she could see Siler getting annoyed, aware that Jack wasn't using his full abilities on him.

She understood how hard it was.  The first time she'd had to throw Siler to the pile of comforter on the floor that they were using as minimal padding, simulating some of the real-world conditions that were part of *this* training, she'd flinched, feeling the pain herself and questioning the path they'd just started on.  This was *not* something you should be trying to teach someone you loved.

She was all too aware that Jack had avoided joining her on a mat since shortly after SG-1 was formed.  He'd trained Daniel hesitantly, but he'd left Teal'c to polish *her* skills.  Had watched them work out, no doubt catching every nuance of her abilities, but hadn't come close.

And now.. some moves were simply more easily taught if the student watched them enacted.  And so Jack was not only having to teach -hurt- Siler, he was facing *her*; with moves that they'd both used to kill.  After all these years, she'd accepted that his refusing to fight her wasn't an insult of her ability to defend herself or take him down; it was simply avoiding the unnecessary chance of being the one to hurt her.

Siler would take a while to reach that same conclusion, let along give it sympathy.  If Jack could be made to accept their partner's strengths, maybe things would go smoother.

And maybe an anonymous hotel room would also help, avoid destroying the safe sanctuary of their home with combat where there should only be caring.

####

"For fuck's sake, Jack, I'm not *that* much of an incompetent!"  Standing over his unaccountably fallen -AGAIN!- supposed-trainer, Siler's fists were clenching with his choked fury, "Hell, Teal'c says I box *better* than you!"

Then, staring at his old commander, realization kicked him in the gut and he deflated, anger suddenly replaced with cold numbness, "Christ...  do you.. really think so little of me?"  Shaking his head and not waiting for an answer, he turned and took the few steps to get out of the room, automatically grabbing his keys and wallet from besides the door and letting it swing behind him.

Trying to catch his breath from the unrestrained slam on the floor and the shock of the sudden argument that followed, Jack heard Siler's Harley roar to life and tear out of the empty motel lot before he even got himself into a sitting position.

And before Sam stepped out of the bathroom with a confused frown.

"Did I just hear Siler's bike??"  When her eyes met his, he knew he must look as stunned as he felt and she swore under her breath, hurrying over to help him up, "What happened??"

Not quite sure himself, he shook his head gently, feeling a little rung from the wrestling.  "He-"  His voice choked as the completely uncharacteristic injured-little-boy expression that had appeared in their partner's eyes wouldn't leave his vision.  The sick feeling of having taken something from a man he admired all to hell, never mind of having hurt the man he loved, made it hard to breathe.

"Jack!"  Too familiar with the way his expression was closing up, Sam snarled, shaking him with a deliberately sharp grip on his sweat-slick bare shoulders, "Where. Is. *Siler*?"

She was about to shake him again when he took an obviously painful breath and stuttered huskily, letting the dawning grief show as he looked at her pleadingly, "He.. left.  He-"  Another breath and he stiffened in her grip, straightening, just like he'd always done after getting kicked in the balls by something, "Was pissed that I.. wasn't beating the shit out of him."

Wincing as her prediction came unfortunately true, Sam helped him up without another word, a little annoyed at Jack for not talking this out with Siler before it blew up.  He had to have known this wouldn't be easy for him; letting Siler know that *before* he got pissed would have done a world of good.  Unless he'd really believed he'd be able to treat Siler as a casual enough friend to do this.  Could bury his feelings somehow.

"Then he went off on some crazy idea that I-"

She frowned at the lost look he sent her as he trailed off.  Uho, now what?

Jack dropped to the edge of the bed, feeling weak and chilled, staring at the door that hadn't closed as Siler walked out with slumped shoulders and such a lost, confused expression... "That I don't..  That I.."

Torn between the worry for Siler that made her want to chase him down, and the worry for the man collapsing in front of her, Sam threw a helpless look at the door herself.  She had to accept that Siler needed time to clear his mind, and that chasing him would take actual detective work at this point; Jack, on the other hand, needed her *now*.

Awkwardly sitting in his lap in her wet towel, she wrapped her arms around him gently, wary in case he was in one of his 'don't touch' moods.  When, instead, his arms came up stiffly, she relaxed a little, laying her head on his shoulder in relief,  "That you don't respect him?"  She felt his head turn, no doubt looking at her in surprise for her brilliant deduction, and she smiled sadly, wishing she'd been wrong.  "It's not exactly surprising, Jack.  He *is* a soldier, and you've been pulling your punches like he's a child," she shook her head when he tried to interject, "I *know* why you're doing it.  You have to know I understand," she stroked a hand up his bare shoulder to his jaw and cheek, softening her voice, the memory of the moment she'd shifted her weight and felt Siler go flying like so many enemies had in the past coming back to her with a shiver of pain, "I don't enjoy hurting him either, you know."

It took a minute, but she felt him nod slowly, his arms, his whole body, tightening around her.

She wanted to talk to him, wanted to explain why Siler had reacted the way he had.  But he felt breakable somehow.  Holding her stiffly, an edge of fear in his unsteady breath.  *If* she'd needed any confirmation of how he felt about Siler, she wouldn't anymore.  As much as she was beyond grateful that he was letting her hold him, that they were close enough these days.. she *knew* this side of Jack.  They'd spent entirely too much time on the knife's edge of pain, desperation and breakup that first year.   She knew his usually steady strength got uncertain and ragged-edged when his heart was breaking.

Losing Siler would cripple him.

Cripple them both.

An insidious voice tried to sneak in and follow the thought to its logical conclusion, but she shuddered away from it convulsively, unable and refusing to even consider the idea of being left standing between them as they walked away from each other.

She *had* to believe that she could keep that from happening; could keep the two men from ripping each other to pieces.  Jack had learned to let her in in the end.  She only hoped that Siler's love was strong enough to keep him from simply locking them back out.  Having finally understood just how far away he'd kept her all those years ago, she knew how high the risk was that he'd push that distance back into existence.  He was definitely as much a survivor as she and Jack; as defencive and instinctively scared of closeness.

She wondered what the chances were that *she* and Siler could continue to avoid clashing.

But right now, Jack and Siler were the ones with a problem.  They were the ones who needed caring.  Borrowing more trouble was a waste of time.

Getting chilled, she finally tugged Jack to lay down, letting him take off his runners but ignoring the sweat slicking him.  Covering them with a blanket and holding him tightly, she knew both their ears were straining to hear a motorcycle coming back to them.

Instead, after almost an hour, they heard the rain start with a sudden, heavy, downpour, and wordlessly got up, getting dressed with a lot of little touches to each other as they moved around the small room, a silent vigil reflected in their stiff movements and constant glances toward the stubbornly empty parking lot.

Stepping through the door to stand under the short overhang, staring at the gravel leading out to the country road they'd been following, Sam was glad that the dilapidated old motel was empty except for them.  The quiet of the falling sheets of rain was unbroken, shrouding their pain as she and Jack leaned on the wall, side by side.  The air was warm enough, but this rain made the roads traitorous for a motorcycle, even one not driven by someone with his mind elsewhere.

"How did you know?"

Sam's head jerked slightly, no matter how quiet Jack's voice had been.  He looked much calmer now, not so shell-shocked; a little more up to dealing with her words.  Looking out at the road, she thought back to the days when she'd just been finding her place; with the hard, silent, Colonel O'Neill, with SG-1 and with the SGC.  In the field in the middle of a war that only seemed to get more hopeless with every mission.

"We both admire you, you know."  She wasn't looking at him, but she still felt the look he sent her, though he didn't say anything; could imagine the mixed feelings in it.  "Your leadership, your fighting ability.  Having you refuse to spar with me.. kind of implied that you didn't think I could take it.  That I wasn't strong enough, skilled enough, to stand up to you and learn."

"Carter-"

Now she did turn to him, smiling into his worried expression and touching his shoulder reassuringly, "It's OK, Jack.  I understood, eventually.  And so will Siler.  But we're going to have to *explain* to him."  Figuring it out alone had taken far longer than they could expect from Siler.  He didn't have near the obligation that she'd had to see it through.

"*If* he-"

"We. Will. Explain to him."  Jack was still shaken if he seriously thought for one instant that Siler would actually leave them without a word like this.  "How often have we told him it's OK to need time to himself?  Come on Jack, he just needs to clear his head."  That he'd been caught on the road without gear in the middle of a nasty rainstorm wasn't remotely that bad in the late august heat; Siler was a fine rider *and* a skilled mechanic.  They were only worrying because the two men had fought and now everyone was on edge.

Nonetheless, Sam felt a weight lift from her shoulders when she heard the familiar roar in the distance.  She took one last stab at peacekeeping by giving Jack a sharp look, "Do *not* start lecturing him."  Mothering at this point would be like throwing a lit match in jet fuel; they'd both go up in flames.

The look he threw back had enough of a guilty edge that she had some hope that she'd made him conscious of the danger and he'd avoid it.

The only problem with understandably not lecturing, was that Jack had no idea what to say to the man shutting down his bike in the dirt parking lot that was turning into a mud wallow.

He was unaccountably set on following Sam's lead; to try to avoid more trouble, but also because he had not the first idea what to say or do himself.  So when she stepped off the porch and walked to Siler where he still sat, watching them with an unreadable expression, Jack followed silently, feeling twitchy and on edge.

Siler watched them walk up, seeming not even to notice the pouring rain that had already soaked their shirts and pants.  But then, SG-1 had marched through so much worse, hadn't they?  Was it reasonable to expect them to think anything of his un-warlike skills?

The open road had unfocused his mind enough that he could momentarily zone out the feeling of hurt and see past it.  Part of him accepted that he just wasn't a warrior, and that he couldn't expect Jack to treat him like one; any more than anyone would expect him to fill Sam's brilliant shoes with any great accomplishment.

The oh-so reasonable reasoning didn't miraculously make him feel fine about not having his lovers' admiration, but at least he knew it was his own foolishness causing the hurt.

He'd get over it.  He knew that.

He *did*.

He just wasn't sure about this in-between time.  He still wanted to hit the road and let the wind lick his wounds, but the valley they were in was ridiculously boring.  He'd stared at the ramp back onto the mountain road for 5 minutes as the rain started, tempted; yearning to lean into the curves and feel the empty space near his knee, feel the high air like the purest freedom.  Sharp rock and scraggly trees filling his vision...

The chill on his bare back as evening started to fall was stronger than his self-pity, though, and he'd grimaced, turning back.

He was cold and he was hungry and at the least their room had a warm shower.  He wasn't sure he could be bothered to go out for food; then again, he wasn't sure if he was up to sleeping in the same room with them either.  He almost flinched when Sam touched his arm with a worried expression.  Seeing them had zoned him out again.  Damned mess.  Even if it was his own fault.

"Siler?  Come inside."

Wordlessly getting off the bike, he met and immediately avoided Jack's eyes, keeping his expression blank with effort he didn't ever remember needing to use to control himself.  Yeah, he understood the reasoning.  But it still killed his pride right now, and that alone wasn't something he was used to.  Never mind the shivering hurt he was trying to bury behind that.  It wasn't Jack's *fault*, but looking at him was too much right now.  It was hard enough to face Sam, momentarily taken back to wondering what he thought he was doing between the two of them.

Maybe he should grab his things and go.  A day or two on his own felt like a good idea; time to get his head on straight, stop feeling as though he was inferior somehow.  Time to miss them enough for that to replace the hurt that hit when he looked at them.  To once again remember the good times.

Jack stiffened when Siler wouldn't meet his eyes.  Watching him turn to follow Sam, the two of them walking away from his frozen self, he felt a stabbing chill flow down his back that had nothing to do with the rain.  Oh fuck, no.  No way!  Adrenaline hit his bloodstream and his breathing cranked up, the fight or flight response overruling his plan to let Sam lead them out of the mess he'd helped create.

He could feel Siler sliding away from them -feel his hold on *both* of them slipping-, and the last time he'd felt this way he'd lost Sam for years.  *That* had been out of his control, but this time he wasn't going to be the nice guy.  There was *no* reason he shouldn't fight for what he wanted.

His hand flew out to grab Siler's forearm with a desperate grip, yelling and as afraid of what words were going to come flying out of his mouth as he was of the consequences of staying silent.  "Dammit, Siler!  I *never* said or implied you were ANYTHING but a damn good soldier!"

"Jack-"  Sam's warning was drowned in an apropos crash of thunder, but the glare she was sending him was clear enough to almost make him calm himse-

"A soldier who's only good for staying behind your safe back."

But then Siler's defeated tone finished pissing Jack off all to hell and he shoved the other man's shoulders, palms half-sliding on frozen, water-slick skin, "I NEVER said that!  Never *thought* that!  *You* asked for training!"

It didn't escape his notice that Siler barely budged from the shove, even though *he* suddenly found himself sliding in the mud, ridiculously grateful to see the sergeant's eyes blaze with renewed fury as he returned the shove, absolutely no holds barred for once.

"I didn't ask to be treating like a fucking *child*, 'general'!"  When Jack reached up to grab his shoulders, Siler's arm whipped up, elbow breaking the hold before Jack could even land it on his slippery, bare, skin.  "All you had to do was say no if you didn't think I could handle it!"  When Jack intercepted the next shove, Siler switched it to an uppercut that Jack's unsteady footing barely let him avoid, "There was no fucking reason to humour me like an imbecile!"

Watching Jack twist badly to get a headlock on Siler, Sam winced, knowing his back had just gone out.  Emotionally, she wanted to kick both of them in the ass until they broke it up, but she made herself stay on the sidelines, simply watching that they stayed away from bikes, building or rocks.  Resigned that they needed this.

Talking *should* have been better, but she knew that Jack, at least, was still pretty lousy at it, most of the time.  And she was learning that Siler was almost as bad, now that his heart was engaged.  If beating on each other was the only way they could communicate for now, she'd act as referee.  And hope they never did this *without* a guardian; and that they learned saner coping mechanisms.

"I was NOT humouring you-" Jack's yell and hold were broken at the same time when Siler wriggled his arm loose enough to elbow Jack's diaphragm.

"The HELL you weren't!  You put me on the mat all of TWICE.  In-"

It was Siler's turn to cut off as he windmilled to keep from landing on his ass; though the rumbling sky would have drowned him anyway.  And Sam groaned as Jack didn't follow the move through, letting Siler catch his footing.  Didn't he understand he couldn't do this halfway??

Though she had to admit that Siler mad as hell -at Jack- loosened the knot that having him quiet and distant had put in her gut.  If he was fighting, then he wasn't giving up on them; she couldn't deny that math.

"I don't happen to know what you can do, for crying out loud!  If you've sparred with Teal'c then you sure as hell aren't just a behind the lines soldier.  You expect me to see that with you lying on a ma-"

Jack ducked clumsily to avoid a flurry of roundhouse punches.  It really *was* hard to place Siler; between the strength and endurance he had and the not-quite-there instincts.  He'd be deadly if.. *once* he learned to actually try to kill rather than simply use the moves to work out.

"I EXPECTED you to actually *try* to make me black and blue and then TEACH me to avoid anyone else doing it!"

Sam winced at the flash of pain that crossed Jack's face, wondering if Siler was paying enough attention to notice it.

"Goddammit Siler!  I don't happen to enjoy hurting you."

"*Enjoy*??"  Sam's head tilted in sudden professional interest as Siler shifted to a threatening stance, actually triggering warning signals in her trained body, "How do you think *I* ENJOYED knowing you and Cass were in danger and I'd only be in your way if I tried to help!!!!!  You could have both *died*!"

She could see that Jack was wary, but he didn't actually do anything to resist when Siler slid his hands to his jaw and kissed him, barely leashed violence in every line of the sergeant's body, the rain splashing past their tightly clashing lips for the half-minute that they held the furious kiss, both their mouths shifting and trying to grind together any and every way, tongues flashing between.  As much as the call to sex made heat flash through her, Sam was all too aware that aggression was still present in Siler's posture.  He was still angry.  Even if he'd reached the point where he no longer wanted to get away from them, thank any god that actually existed.  The anguish in his voice had been crystal clear; he didn't want to lose them any more than they, him.  But he could still decide to take the simpler path.  He had to know life in this family would never be easy, for a world of reasons that they couldn't change.

She was watching carefully enough to catch when his footing changed.

If Sam hadn't been taught the same move, she'd never have been able to follow as he suddenly pulled back, kicked, spun, went right through Jack's very real -this time- defences to drop him flat on his back with a painful-sounding splat.  Yeah, Jaffa moves were handy.  Even against Black ops major generals.

The geyser of mud that surrounded Jack for a second seemed to make Siler's fury flash away long enough for him to straighten back into a stance that Sam more readily identified as her sergeant and she slowly approached them as she felt the worst of the fight easing away with the perfectly executed shot.  She touched Siler's shoulder carefully, wary in case he was still in fight mode, automatically respectful of any soldier coming off an adrenaline high.

She was still watching Siler for danger signs and sighed in relief, ignoring the storm getting worse around them as she saw the unwilling start of a smile on his lips when Jack complained breathlessly, "You know.  *This* is one of the reasons I was sorta glad to get *out* of the field..."

She nodded her head toward the fallen man when Siler hesitated, an edge of hurt to his reluctance.  She understood how hard it was to call off an argument just because Jack was feeling sorry for himself; but words like that were more than you got from a lot of people.  Ignoring the general's continued low-voiced muttering, she brought her hand up to Siler's cheek, glad to feel the strength in the grip he took on her wrist; *holding* her, not pushing her away.

She made her voice loud enough to cover the rain and distant thunder, loud enough that Jack would hear and be quiet.  "He *did* teach Daniel.  But I watched him once when Daniel was having an off day, missing every grip and landing on the mat every single time.  When Daniel finally limped out, he," she nodded at the man frowning at her from his cold bed of mud as though trying to remember, "Sat down on the bench."  She stared at Siler, willing him to understand, "His hands were *shaking*, Siler.  Training Daniel was a necessity for his own safety as well as ours, but there aren't a lot of ways to get trained properly that don't include the trainee hitting the mat a lot of times, and getting bruised as hell.  And doing that to someone you.. care about... Just *hurts*."

And when he'd looked up and caught her watching him that day, she'd finally understood that he cared about *her*.  And she'd been glad that she and Teal'c got on well enough and that he didn't mind being her sparring partner.

Now, she watched Siler absorb the same idea, knowing that he was smart enough, honest enough with himself -most of the time-, to understand that doing that to *him* would hurt Jack far worse than whooping the butt of the archaeologist who too often tweaked his temper *ever* had.

When he finally moved out from under her touch, Sam's eyes closed in relief to see him reach a helping hand to Jack.


Chapter 8e: Hit the road, Jack (NC17)
July 19, 2009

-s-e-x-s-e-x-s-e-x-s-e-x- WARNING -s-e-x-s-e-x-s-e-x-s-e-x-

She didn't trust them enough to go back to their room and let them follow on their own; instead, she stood quietly and watched them stare at each other.  Soaked to the skin and no doubt cold enough to shiver, two feet of space and a world of hurt, love -however unspoken-, and challenge standing between them. They weren't entirely past this yet.

And when Jack's leg whipped out and tried to sweep Siler's knees down, she swore under her breath.  Yes, Siler avoided the move.  And yes, she saw the lightening in his expression that was his old smile as he swung at Jack.

Watching the suddenly very real combat training tensely, ready to call a halt if she saw either of them about to be seriously injured, Sam didn't like their starting in on the fighting when they hadn't taken the time to heal the breech between them properly.  But the point was to heal Siler, really, and if Jack could maintain this fighting spirit, she knew it would go far to making up for the last week of hesitations.

For almost ten minutes, she stood, getting frozen in the drizzling night, occasionally calling hold when one of them started a move that she could see the other wasn't ready for; would be actually injured by.  Or when Siler almost dragged Jack to the edge between the mud and the gravel.  Then Jack was the one to call a halt as they were about to grapple.

"That's not a good enough counter..  Carter."

Automatically responding to the order, albeit with a raised brow, Sam stepped forward.  Rolling her neck and running her legs muscles through some very small warm-ups, she took a second to look the two panting men over.  They were covered in mud from the toes of the runners they'd had on to train to the tops of their spiky-haired heads.  Front, back, noses to zippers; they looked like mud monsters.

*Smiling* mud monsters.

She shook her head.  As often as they'd both hit the ground, there was no question that they were sore.  And yet they smiled.  Men!

Getting into the better position to respond to Jack's attack, she nodded for Siler to move further back, "Just keep an eye on my legs."

"She means the way she's using them, not just standing there and drooling, sergeant."

She snickered and Siler rolled his eyes at the not-quite-natural tease as he found a safe spot to watch from as she countered the move and sent Jack sprawling.  If there'd been a way to do it gently, she would have.  As it was, she followed him down to stroke his cheek while he caught his breath and until he held his hand out to be helped up.  They redid the demonstration twice before she went back to the sidelines, thoroughly splashed with mud, and with more rubbed off on her from touching Jack.

Siler tried for ten minutes to repeat the counter, but when she saw Jack shiver, she called a halt.  "That's it.  You're both worn out.  Enough for today.  We all need to get warm and fed before we end up sicker than dogs."

When they didn't argue, Sam rolled her eyes, not even bothering to wonder how sore that meant they were.  They might be hers, and she might love them with her whole heart.. but they were still idiots.

####

They took turns at the hot shower and avoided facing the rain again by ordering Chinese in; and when they were done, no one bothered to deny how worn out, physically and mentally, they all were.  They just killed the lights and got ready to crawl into bed.

Making sure she was the last to take her turn in the bathroom was the final chance Sam was giving them to settle their differences like adults.  When she stepped out and found an empty space between them just her size, she literally growled, glaring at both of their impassive expressions, "Siler.  Move over.  Now."  She was definitely not letting them get away with pretending to still be mad at each other.  This was *not* going to be the time they went to bed angry.

She didn't say another word as they refused to snuggle, laying stiffly side by side.  If they wanted to play silly buggers: fine.  She knew the two of them; by morning they'd be wrapped around each other like puppies.

That she'd be wrapped around Siler's back just as tight had nothing to do with anything.

When she woke in the middle of the night, though, Siler was a few inches away from her.

He *was*, on the other hand, wrapped tight around Jack.  It wasn't until she heard Jack mutter "Hell yes." that her brain bothered to wake up though.  Wake and realize that Siler's muscles were stiff with tension.  Laying as relaxed as she could to not attract notice, trying to control her increasingly quick breathing, Sam felt the bed shift near her bent knees as she lay on her side.  Siler caught his breath and Jack choked a groan into almost silence, and she knew.  A quick glance at the bed table on Jack's side showed a haphazardly laying tube of KY that she'd last seen innocently standing with the bottle of pain meds they'd brought in expectation of training.

The surge of arousal she felt only got stronger as she listened to their very quiet union, watching Siler's bruised and abraded back flex and shiver as they swallowed moans and whimpers, every sound reassuring her.  She could just see the back of Jack's head as Siler's snapped forward suddenly and she shivered as they tried to keep their cries soft, making herself close her eyes and re-relaxing the muscles that had tensed as she got aroused.

It was going to take a while for her to get back to sleep, but they were together; in the *real* sense of the word now.  That was all that mattered to her.

She listened happily as they whispered back and forth, however hesitant and stilted the tone, as they settled back down, and Jack must have turned around at some point because she could hear the soft, slurpy sound of sleepy kisses and tender chuckles.  She was glad to be behind Siler's back; she could smile as mistily as she wanted and not make either of them feel self-conscious for dropping the strong, silent and *of course not* tender romantic facades that they both took such pride in cultivating.

It was strange to realize that they mixed military camaraderie and tenderness as much with each other as they did with her.  She'd never really stopped to notice that Jack still sometimes treated her like one of the boys; though seeing it now made it easier to understand how they'd so quickly found a way to act with each other within these new feelings.  They'd already had practise with the double vision, and feelings meant more than gender.

When they quieted, she gave in to her need for them and snuggled up to Siler, feeling the hand Jack had on his lower back brush her crotch and opening her eyes to meet the general's over Siler's shoulder as both men tensed slightly.

Siler didn't turn his head fully, but it tilted slightly so that his hair brushed her nose; casual greeting and affection.  Automatic, relaxed inclusion in their intimacy.  She gave Jack a soft smile, glad to see him relax, forehead back against Siler's as his fingers lazily teased the short hairs of her pussy.  She sighed contentedly and nuzzled Siler's nape, holding him tightly as she let sleep over-power arousal.

####

When Sam opened her eyes again, the room had that dim brightness of sun though heavy, cheap drapes.  And Siler was on his side, watching her with that very faint smile of his.  Sam smiled back, tender and relieved after yesterday's pain, "Good morning."

"Morning."

More memories of the previous evening started to crowd her mind and Sam reached over to cup his cheek, the warmth of his skin and the sharp prickle of his beard intensely reassuring, "We were worried."  She hadn't really meant to whisper that, but she remembered too well the fear that had hit as she held Jack.

When he looked down, lips twisting a little, Sam cuddled her body closer, needing to know that he was *here*.

"I'm sorry.  I didn't mean to hurt you."

She was shaking her head and raising Siler's chin before he even finished the husky words, "No.  You had every right to clear your head, Siler.  Trust me, it's how *I* react, and how Jack reacts too.  I wasn't trying to make you feel guilty," he was watching her so seriously that Sam touched a soft kiss to both corners of his lips, glad to feel them twitch into a smile, "I just wanted you to know we- care about you."  He didn't seem to notice the stutter on the word 'care' and Sam wondered how much longer the real word was going to stay out of their mouths.  Especially if life was going to keep worrying them like it had the last little while.

The soft wonder in his eyes at even *that* word made her ache, too aware of how alone he'd been for so long, and she wasn't surprised that rather than try to speak, he tugged her closer and slowly teased her lips into parting for his.

Jack continued to snore at Siler's back as they kissed softly, holding each other tight, both burying the fear and distance that had appeared between them in the wake of the fight.

####

When they stopped for gas later that day, Siler decided he didn't like the state of a clamp on his bike and insisted on changing it before they moved on.  Which, with Sam browsing the tourist shop attached to the gas station, left Jack to his own thoughts.

Sitting sideways on his bike and staring into the trees around them, he felt out of sync.  Siler had been friendly enough this morning, and they'd all taken the riding order of the day before without comment.

But something was still off.  Not that he had a right to be surprised about it.

When they'd settled into the motel last night, they'd all been throwing leers, only half-teasing, at each other; promises of leather-loving in the air.  But this morning, they'd been quiet.  Calm, collected.  No teasing, no leering.  No playing.

No, he couldn't expect them to be.  Not really.  But it still nagged at him.

And so did that last sight of Siler before he walked out of their room; it still sent pain lancing through him and fear gibbering through the back of his mind.  He was so fucking frustrated at himself for not being able to get past his feelings for the man and do what was necessary to train him.  Siler *did* need the training; Jack understood *that* perfectly.  Helplessness was the worst hell.

The worst.

Turning to stare at the man crouched besides his old Harley, Jack really wished he could go back and undo this mess.  Would it really have been so hard for him to admit he was screwing up??  That he was just too out of practise at wiping his opponent's face at need to manage it even partially on someone he loved.  Even though objectively, he knew that having Siler trained would, in the end, make him feel at least a little better the next time he was in danger.

Growling at the unchangeability of the past, he gave in to the need for contact, standing up slowly and waiting for his lower back to accept the change and adjust.  Mentally snarling at the stupid move that had thrown it out, he covered the distance to Siler and crouched down himself, ignoring the way his knees popped and ached, unforgiving after the long ride.

Just besides and behind the sergeant, he was out of his way.. but he could -*would*, if things had been different- trail fingers on his back or shoulder.  Feeling half-crippled from holding himself away, he cleared his throat and mumbled inanely instead, "When did you start playing with bikes?"

Siler gave him a guarded -damn, that *hurt*- look before replying, "When I was 12.  Did something for someone and they gave me a busted Suzuki 750; fixed it up."

Jack whistled, impressed in spite of himself, "Must have been *some*.. thing."  *And* a smart 12 year old; not that *that* surprised him.

It was beyond a stupid joke, but Siler's lips still quirked, and Jack barely held back a sigh of relief.  If Siler still laughed at his dumb jokes, then he still had a chance to fix this.

Staying crouched and watching silently for a while, Jack finally tried the one thing he'd realized he'd forgotten last night.

"I'm sorry."

Siler froze and Jack saw his lashes drop as he stared at his profile, grumbling, "I should have told you why I was hesitating to fight back.  Should have admitted it to *myself*, for that matter."  Sam was right;  he *was* an idiot.

Siler finally nodded; just one quick head-tilt before going back to finishing off the job and putting his road kit away.  It wasn't much, and Jack was still wondering where he stood when Siler.. *stood* up.

Looking up at him, Jack was never more grateful to be offered a hand.  Although the view wasn't bad...  But then, once he got his knees straightened, Siler pulled him into a lightening-quick hug with a muttered "It's OK.  We're OK."

Almost shocked by the public affection, Jack took a second to process the realization that he'd been forgiven.  Trying to unobtrusively catch his breath and watching Siler repack his bike, he tested the waters hesitantly, "So...  Want to tackle Sam straight to bed when we stop tonight?"

The sudden bright smile that that got him was a memory he made a point to polish and frame and promise himself never to forget.  The man needed to smile more.

####

Stepping off the old wooden stairs of the shop, Sam looked up at the bright sun and slid her sunglasses on with a happy smile.  No matter how hot it got, she still preferred to ride in the sun.

Looking back down and automatically tracking her boys, she watched Siler stand up at the edge of the gravel lot, trailing her eyes up his even-taller-than-usual-in-boots very attractive body, and offer Jack a hand.  She wasn't sure what had gotten into the general to mistreat his knees into such a position, let alone while wearing his leathers.  Though she could guess; Jack always *was* touchy-feely, and the fight with Siler no doubt made him downright *itch* for contact.  If proximity was the facsimile available, she knew he'd take it at any cost.

The sudden hug made her eyes widen in surprise as she stopped.  Siler was *not* in the habit of touching people; most earnestly not in public.  And the few times the two men had been out together, Sam hadn't missed the careful distance they kept, or the neutral way they looked at each other.  That quick, 'manly' -almost back-slapping-, hug would be a dead give-away of intimacy to anyone who knew the very reserved engineer.  That he did it anyway made her want to go over there and jump on him.

Walking over casually, ogling both of their tall, leather-clad bodies as they stood chatting, the idea kept looking better and better.  And when they both turned to watch her, she added a little sway to her hips and grinned; cheered, as usual, by the appreciative attention from her men.

Siler actually grunted and fell back a step when she threw herself on him, wrapping her arms around his neck and covering his lips with hers as she giggled, hearing Jack's laughter behind her.

The erstwhile sergeant caught his balance and pulled his head back, arms around her automatically and smiling through his confusion, "What-"

"You're cute."

The gawk that that produced from their sergeant only made Jack laugh harder, slapping Siler's back and sneaking a caress into his hair, "She's right about *that* too."

####

Jack's brilliant notion had spent entirely too much of the afternoon's ride at the forefront of Siler's mind, and when he heard the door close behind Sam, he sent the general a wink, dropped the bags he was carrying and stepped back to their lady where she was just starting to undo her jacket.  It was one thing to deliberately sit on a bike and rev it for a bit of kinky sex, but spending the afternoon on a purring machine with his cock half-hard was playing hell with his self-control.

Sam's head lifted curiously when he stepped up to her, a moment of combative wariness vanishing when she met his eyes -he really needed to pick up that instinct, didn't he?-.  He wrapped his arms around her and kissed her with every bit of the starving hunger making him shiver where he stood.  When she slid her hands into his hair and returned the hunger wholeheartedly, he reached down to cover her ass and ground her against him, groaning at the much-needed contact.

Breaking off the kiss enough to chuckle, Sam teased, rocking herself against him, "My sergeant a little horny?"

Before Siler could respond, Jack stepped up behind her, pulling her M9 out of its waist holster and into his jacket pocket before reaching between her and Siler to undo her belt and pants, just *happening* to run his knuckles along Siler's zipper, making him jerk and moan.  Jack chuckled, leaning in to breathe in Sam's hair, "I'd say our sergeant is *very* horny, Samantha," he blew gently in her ear, his hands sliding into her skin-tight leathers as he snuggled her shuddering back so that their jackets slid against each other, "What about you, my colonel?  Tempted to ride the boy in chaps?"

Seeing as the 'boy' had enough of the teasing and insistently slid his tongue into her mouth to stroke and tangle with hers, Sam didn't have an answer other than to try to undo his jacket with shaky fingers as the pure hunger attacking her sent heat skidding through her pelvis.

By the time she got a grip and pulled hard enough to undo all the snaps, Jack's fingers were dipping gently into her and then slicking over her clit, the movements slow and tight as her pants and Siler's grinding closeness restricted him.  The resulting slow clench of need distracted her so that she didn't notice Siler undoing his zipper before pulling back and crouching until she felt her pants tugged down past her hips.

Leaning back on Jack with a moan, Sam could feel his freed erection rubbing on her now bare ass as Siler's tongue slid between her lips, tight from her pants still so high, and stroked her clit with the stiffened tip.  Her fingers gripped Jack's skull as his palms slid under her opened jacket and up to her breasts as he rasped in her ear, "You are so beautiful, Samantha.  Even more so with his head between your legs."  He held her close as she moaned, "Sexy and sleek in all that smooth leather.  Want to run my hands all over you," he bit her earlobe, growling lowly, "Both of you.  Stroke and squeeze and listen to you moan."

Trying to keep enough calm not to completely embarrass himself, Siler looked up from his crouch, unconsciously dropping a hand to squeeze his cock for relief and restraint, both.  The very thin white shirt Sam wore had ridden up well past her belly button and he could see her abs flexing as he and Jack had their fun.  Could see Jack's long tanned fingers flexing on her breasts, so obvious against the white cotton and black leather.  Could see the needy pleasure tensing her expression and Jack's dark eyes glittering at him as he whispered in her ear.

The taste of her arousal slicking his tongue was finally too much and he knew he didn't have to wait any longer, reaching down to clumsily tug off her half-boots before pulling her skin-tight leather pants down her smooth legs.  Raising one of her knees over his shoulder for a last suckle, he finally rose with a growl, palms wrapping around her butt-cheeks and pulling her up and onto him without waiting another second.

"Siler!"

He didn't need the breathless cry to spur him to move, but Jack catching his jaw and fitting their mouths together to lick the taste of Sam off his lips gave her the time to wrap her legs around his waist, pulling him even deeper and tighter.  Her arms were tight around his neck, holding her up as she rocked gently on him, her lips vibrating with moans under his ear and sending him into deep shudders that finally gave him the strength to pull away from Jack and take the shambly step back needed to land on the bed with half-naked Sam astride his still fully-clad body.

Grabbing her hips with a choked cry, he tried to catch his control too, half aware of Jack watching them from besides the bed and of Sam watching him with lust fully waked in her eyes.  Thrusting his hips up sharply, Siler licked his lips, traces of her taste still hiding in the short whiskers of his upper lip and and making his breath catch and his hips jerk tight against her.

"Lift her shirt."

They both looked to the side distractedly at the order and Siler moaned sharply when he saw Jack, one hand stroking himself lazily, but the other holding his cellphone open and the camera lens aimed at the two of them, his glases allowed out for the occasion.  Reaching up without thinking about it to raise Sam's shirt the last few inches for her breasts to rest naked in the light, glowing pale against black leather, he gave up and grabbed Sam's hips, grinding her down onto him as she gasped, head jerking back around to him from her open-mouthed stare at the man who *did* have a habit of playing the innocent.

He muttered raggedly to the woman starting to more than willingly fuck him out of his mind, "Sorry.  'll make it up to you."  No way could he hold on long enough to bring her off, not with the driving tension he could already feel low in his spine.  Between his mind and his body, way too much tension in him today.

Grinning at him, Sam took his hands forcefully off her hips and held them to the bed at his side, bending just enough to reach the surface and then speeding the ride of her hips as he panted, eyes wide and fixed on the slopes of her breasts, swaying inches away even as his head tilted back, his whole body tensing up, lost in the fire she was building with every fucking tight, *hot* glide on his cock.  He couldn't feel her skin on him anywhere else, jeans covered in leather on his legs, jean shirt and leather jacket still on his back; his skin breaking out in sweat and prickly with the heat.  Later.  Later they'd all roll round naked and get their temporary fill of skin...

And then the tension finally blew its top and he cried out raggedly, bucking under the expert grip of Sam's thighs, unable to escape the fire she kept tightly clamped on him as his body pulsed over and over with orgasm.

He was laying utterly boneless, mind slowly drifting back awake, his head drooped sideways; and now he could feel feather-light touches on his rough skin.  Sam's soft lips along his neck, ear, cheek.  Eyelids and nose.  Gentle as her fingers tracking down the buttons of his shirt, undoing them and bringing cool air to his overheated skin.

He made his heavy lids lift when she disappeared, reality coming back to him with the faintest thud and a kink in his back from the Beretta.  He tracked Jack and wasn't surprised to find him backing Sam into the door, their lips locked in passion.  Siler dragged himself onto his elbows as Sam wrapped her long, naked legs around the black-leather-clad general, her head banging back on the door as she cried out "Jack!"  Siler grinned, unable to stop the burst of pride; she was close, no matter how out of it he'd been...

Watching as Jack's lips -and teeth, no doubt- closed on her long, pale, arched neck, Siler glanced around quickly, looking for that phone.  Finding it thrown haphazardly near his knees, he sat up with a wince and grabbed it, eyes on his partners as Jack's hips rocked against Sam, the door at her back solid enough not to make a sound.  At least not one louder than their breathing and Sam's rising cries.

Glancing down quickly, Siler was glad to see the picture app was still up and all he had to do was shift his viewing to be through the display, as unsatisfying as that was, and take his shots.

He really did prefer reality, but he was inclined to encourage Jack in pretty much anything, and if he had a hankering for pictures.. Siler was the last man who'd say no.

It was just that he'd rather *watch* his lovers live than squint tightly at a tiny screen and take single frames of them.  Damn, he wanted to go over and *touch* them...  But at least he could listen, and the night was young.  And he owed Sam some pleasure.

Standing up shakily, he stepped closer, learning the new camera and trying to dust off old instincts to figure out what shots would translate onto a picture the feelings he knew he'd get if only he could look up and watch.  He *did* look up, his nose flaring as a shiver of arousal flashed down his spine when Jack turned his head and looked at him, eyes black and wide on the phone even as he gasped with obviously cranked up arousal.  Sam objected to her lover's inattention and pulled Jack's lips back to hers with a growl, much to Siler's amusement, his eyes dropping back to the phone display.  God Sam was so damn perfect to take pictures of; never more than wild with ecstasy.

Oh yeah, he definitely was going to hear that scream again before he went to sleep; and this time, Sam would come right in his mouth -damned failed self-control-.

He could barely hold back from grabbing them and getting in his shorted quota of touch when Jack followed her into orgasm with a shout choked on her neck.

He *did* move when the general's knees collapsed though, catching Jack's hips just in time to slow their impact with the floor.  The phone got jabbed into one hip but Jack still muttered a panting "Thanks, Si'." as Sam giggled breathlessly, holding on to the general's neck and lucky to still have her jacket to protect her back.

Shaking his head in sympathy, Siler kept one hand stroking through Jack's hair as he hurriedly reset the camera for just a few more shots of them coming down from the high, making faint plans to come up with encoding for any of these pictures.  Speaking of safety hazards in their lives...

####

Laying naked on the king-size bed -and hadn't it been a laugh to listen to Jack snark at the night auditor that yes, he wanted one king room.  Yes, three people, you have a problem with that?-, Sam watched Siler massage Jack's lower back.  The general's smirking strut after getting their room from the gawking clerk had to have hurt like hell with the shape his back had been in after last night.  She should have remembered he needed it looked at *then*.

Tonight's door games had been far too much for the old fool.  Though Siler's grumbles had been a touch more diplomatic than her thoughts when he'd started stripping their injured man and ordered him to bed.  Jack had been in enough pain to actually obey and Siler had tracked down the massage oil and pain killers while she threw all their clothes out of the way.

Taking the time to fish her weapon back out of Jack's pocket, she'd put it, his holster and Siler's aged M1951 next to the bed, along with their cells.  She was almost used to seeing the two Air Force M9s side by side -it wasn't the first time she and Jack had felt the need to stay armed even on holiday- but she was still not over the idea of Siler in danger.  Let along the feeling that that pistol hadn't come from a pawn shop.  He'd never been delirious enough to go into his younger years, but the complete lack of any sign or word of a family,  or of any other marks of childhood, had struck her, even all those years ago.  That she'd never seen that Beretta, never known of it, seemed an odd message considering how fondly he handled it.

Giving up the grim thought, she joined her men on the bed, cuddling up to Jack's side and kissing the ball of his shoulder as he lay with his head on his crossed wrists, and reaching over to run a hand slowly up and down Siler's flank where he was kneeling at Jack's waist.  Warm skin and slow, tender touch.  Being apart, Cassie's danger and now the stress from training Siler; they all deserved some closeness.  *She* needed to be close to them just as much as Jack ever did; for that matter, Siler was developing the habit of dropping casual touches whenever he was near either of them and in private.

Looking at the relaxed, smooth, skilled, strokes he was currently using on Jack's lower back, Sam asked idly, "How *is* Cindi these days?"

She smirked a little at the red that appeared on Siler's cheekbones as he stared at her accusingly.  He knew she knew he'd had plenty of light 'friends' over the years.  And she knew he'd needed a therapist more than once.  No way would he have resisted seducing the friendly blonde that she and the rest of SG-1 had also needed the services of.

"She was reassigned to Buckley."

Sam's brows lifted in surprise and she could see Siler giving the general the same look.

Jack opened his eyes, hearing an odd note to the silence and aware that Siler's hands had stilled.  Faced with Sam's very.. 'curious' expression, he blinked, "What??  I remember signing for the fruit basket."

Sam's expression cleared and he felt Siler start stroking again even as he snorted, commenting mildly, "You and those fruit baskets."

Unable to turn or otherwise give him the evil eye, Jack settled for snarking, "Hey!  They worke-  ow!"

Halting his hands, Siler asked worriedly, looking at the area under his touch in concern, "What?"

Jack grumbled back, shifting his head on his crossed arms, "Little bruised; you kicked me there.  Go easy."

"..Sorry."  Siler stroked softly over the area, trying to ignore the pulse of discomfort at the idea of hurting Jack, before going back to his massage.

Once he'd finished making his way down Jack's legs, Siler finally dropped down to the bed.  On Sam's other side.  Which made her frown faintly and open her mouth.

Shaking his head, Siler laid a finger across her lips, "I'm not avoiding Jack.  We happen to like snuggling you."

Responding to Jack's chuckle behind her as he did indeed cuddle up, Sam relaxed, accepting that they'd really made up and that she should stop worrying about them.  Turning to lay on her back so she could look at them both, she remembered the pictures Jack -*and* Siler- had just taken; and that made other pictures come to mind.  Flicking her eyes between them, she asked curiously,  "Did you two really look at naked pictures of me on your first date?"

She had to smirk at the matching evil looks they responded with, but Siler finally muttered a gruff "Second."

Giggling at the admission of both the word and..  "And?"

Jack just stared right back into her challenge, "And what?"

Giving up on the Black Ops general, Sam turned to Siler, deciding he was more likely to break, and sidled up to his wary self to kiss his lips, his nose, his cheek, trailing her way up his jaw to his ear, "Did you play 'Who can last longer'?"

His breath caught very satisfyingly before he rasped "..No."

Intrigued by the little grin she saw on his lips, Sam glanced at her now abashed general, who obviously realized she was going to find out, before tilting her head at Siler with batted lashes to indicate she was listening.  And wouldn't drop the subject.

"He sucked me off."

The image that those husky words produced sent heat rolling through Sam and she had to clear her throat to respond, turning to Jack with affection, knowing he'd tackled a lot of conditioning to do that.  No doubt telling himself it was for *her*, "No wonder you knew you had to hold him."

Jack snorted agreement, remembering the nights she was talking about with a soft, fond grin he split between her and Siler, only losing it with a gasp when Sam leaned over to whisper in his ear, "Did you also figure out he loves to be in charge?"

####

He didn't know how much longer he could do this.  He'd stopped counting the times he'd sent Siler sprawling, and every time he heard the thump on the carpeted floor and the sergeant's grunt as he lost his breath, Jack's gut tightened and he had to clench his jaw to keep his eyes from fooling him; keep his mind from changing what he saw into some hellish memory of death and pain.

He watched Siler get up -so much more slowly that he had when they started-, firmly ignoring the scratches riddling the man's back from carpet friction, Jack settled himself into position again and felt half-distant from the combat, and half, far, far too close.  Desperate to reach out and hold Siler.  Stop this nonsense and just promise to always be there to protect him.  It was a bad day when the pain in his body was a *welcome* distraction..

"Enough.  My turn."

Sam watched Jack blink, only slowly coming fully back to himself.  She softened her voice, trying not to look at the way his hands trembled as he straightened, "You come play spotter."

She didn't move until he took the first step to the sidelines, but then she glanced at Siler, catching a glimpse of the regret he hurried to hide from their general.  She was glad that he finally understood how hard this was for them, too.

Taking the jacket off of her gym clothes, she took the time to stretch fully as Siler drank some water and took a breather.  He was getting a lot better at fighting all-out, meaning they were all pretty sore and bruised.  He needed to get the knack for feeling a threat coming though.  They could still all too easily sneak under his guard, and his instincts didn't automatically kick in.

In point of fact, she smoothly shifted from stretching to kicking out and knew long before she connected with his hip that he hadn't seen it in time.  Wincing at the choked yelp he gave, she didn't say anything; he knew the counter to that, and going to him as she would to Jack was counter to teaching him to react correctly.  He had to get up fast and he knew they were going to have to repeat it a few times now.  Trying to program it into his body.

It wasn't much easier being on the sidelines watching than it was to actually be the one hitting.  He still wanted to step in and protect Siler.  Hell, he wanted to protect *Carter*.. and she would thank him even less.

He finally found that making himself be objective and judging every shift as though they were cadets helped a little.  Especially when he caught Sam doing a move entirely incorrectly!  "Hey!  Hold.  What the hell was *that*, Carter??"

OK, yes, he knew that had been a little too drill-sergeant-ish.

But still!  "That move was so badly done, colonel, that I'm surprised you didn't fall over all on your own," he jerked his head to the sidelines, coming to stand in front of a grinning Siler, giving Sam an almost insulted look.  *How* could she have known him all those years and still do such a thing?  "Your turn to pay attention, I think."

He took his time and ran Siler through every step of the grab, pointing out where Sam had gone wrong and idly wondering how she could possibly have.. mangled..

He almost screwed up the counter when his brain decided to realize he'd been hand-led at the same time as Siler attacked.

Aching from the badly done return, he turned to glare at the woman watching them entirely innocently.  "Carter?"

"Umm?"

".."  What the hell was he supposed to say?  Why did you trick me?  He already knew.  Why are you mothering?  He knew that too; *and* was the last person in this room allowed to complain about it.  He settled for whining; after all, she needed some playfulness too... "Was that really *necessary*?"

Sam grinned, the light of *cheerful* revenge in his eyes more than worth being lectured like a rookie.  "Yes, general, I think it was."  Siler's grin as he recognized their antics was just icing on the chocolate cake.  And hopefully both of them were going to *stay* cheerful when she laid down the law and dictated they all needed a couple days off.  This wasn't actually boot camp and they all needed some uninterrupted cuddling time, in her unbiased opinion.  Different accommodations and a day strolling in town like carefree tourists, or better yet, like lovers on a getaway, was what they needed.

####

"Stretch 'em, general."

When Jack hesitantly lifted his arms above his head, body laid out in offering, Siler grinned, crawling on his knees until his half-stiff cock was waving inches from Jack's mouth and then leaning over to run the handcuffs through a rung of the hotel headboard.

He was staring down as he clicked the second cuff closed on Jack's wrist and he saw the general's eyes jerk up to his from his stare at Siler's crotch, pupils suddenly widening, even as Siler felt arousal stab through his belly.

Reaching down to slide his fingers thought the short white hair of his lover, he smiled, a tenderness softening his posture that was at odds with the scenario.  He really *did* believe that Jack was fine with this as he'd claimed when he pulled the handcuffs out of his bag and offered them to Siler.  But it couldn't be easy to dismiss his hellish history and trust Siler this completely, most especially not after the painful disagreement they'd had on the first day of this trip.  No matter how they'd all made up and grabbed their intimacy back from the cliff, there were still remnants of the tension present.

But this was their fourth and last night, and the hotel they'd picked was roomy and comfortable, luxury compared to the shacky motels they'd used up till now.  Down to a hot tub to make sore bodies forget their worries and feel more than up to a little make-up kink.  As long as minds and hearts were up to it too.  Sam was right, again; they did need some time just as lovers.

"This OK?"

Jack's eyes cleared at the word, tension that had crept in now easing from his shoulders.  His gaze dropped back to Siler's crotch and he quirked a forced grin; Siler winced a bit, *well* aware that it was entirely obvious that *he* was looking forward to this.

"Why don't you come a little bit closer and I can show you just how OK I am?"

Laughing softly at the line, Siler crawled backward instead, hearing Sam chuckle off to the side.  When he leaned over, Jack automatically tilted his head for a kiss, but Siler nosed him aside and bit softly at the underside of his jaw.  Why biting Jack appealed so much when he rarely felt anything like even *that* violence toward Sam...  Just didn't matter when he could listen to that groan of pleasure from his lover.

####

He could feel the muscles of Jack's belly and thighs tightening, hear his breath getting short and jerky, and on the next upward slide, he kept going and pulled back, licking his lips and watching Jack's cock rebound up against his tensed stomach.  Thick and red and wet from saliva and pre-cum and entirely too arousing.

"Siler!"

Jack's head had jerked up as he shouted and Siler smirked at him, not remotely intimidated.  Breathing a little too deeply himself and feeling the pounding of his pulse making a layer of sweat break out over his skin.  Sliding his palm down a hairy leg, he shook his head, "Forget it, Jack.  My turn to torture."  *They* enjoyed driving *him* completely crazy often enough!

He could hear Sam breathing heavily in her chair, a moan in her throat, and licked at the side of Jack's knee, trailing lower, wondering vaguely if they'd really let him finish this without taking control.  He took a last bite at an all-too-elegant ankle and grinned at the growl he got in payment, turning to look at Sam, lounging naked in the armchair he'd ordered her to, watching her stroking herself slowly.  She was staring at them longingly, shuddering, and Siler winked, reminding her roughly, "Not until I say, colonel."  He grinned at the role reversal, knowing he was being too easily, and dangerously, amused.  But it did feel good.  Having them willing to let him run roughshod over ranks really did ease the self-inflicted sting of thinking he wasn't good enough.

She raised a challenging brow at him and slid one hand up to cup a breast, thumbing the distended peak slowly, not trying to stifle her moan.

The crack of Jack's laughter was accompanied by his toe gently prodding Siler's unconsciously parted lips and he huffed at himself for falling for the trick, sending Sam a mock-glare as he tried to slow his breathing, "*My* turn.  No making the sergeant break tonight."

"Told you she was trouble."

Pouting prettily at Jack's taut, Sam lifted her thigh right over the arm of the chair and traced the now exposed lips of her vulva.

Satisfied with the resumption of Jack's visual torture and his absorption with it, Siler made himself turn away, anticipating the moment he wouldn't; would hold and touch her, kiss her until neither of them could breathe. Giving his attention back to his primary victim tonight, he sucked the impudent toe into his mouth, feeling Jack's leg tense sharply as he gasped.

Sam's giggle only intensified the ache running through Siler and he slowly trailed his lips and fingers back up until he could nibble at a hip that had made a reappearance after a month of boot camp; and would no doubt get even trimmer with the combat training that had them all sporting bruises and abrasions.  Blowing a teasing stream of air over the inside of the general's thigh, he refused to again touch the one place where he *knew* Jack was throbbing and aching.  Just as much as *he* was.

Instead, he leisurely -and carefully- licked and sucked his way up sensitive, soft-skinned -bruised- side of ribs that still had some padding, the shivering of Jack's not so tough hide under his lips an addicting power.  The twisting of that strong body as the man tried to choke back moans; all drawing him to want this.  Want the knowledge that Jack was going utterly crazy from, and for, *his* touch.  That Siler controlled when he would be released; how much pleasure he would be made to stand.

The arms stretched up to the headboard, on the other hand, were hard.  A few weeks of serious workout, and the adrenaline-fed need to reach for *something* that was riding Jack, had the veins standing out on those biceps, the triceps flexing as the tender skin over them was treated to wet lips and a teasingly tracing tongue.  The sharp clink of metal on luckily *strong* wood drew Siler's attention, but only for an instant.  The choked whimper Jack made as he shuddered was something he simply couldn't resist.  He sent one hot look at Sam, panting and tensing, and rasped, "*Not* until *I* say, Sam."  She glared at him with evil promise, but she did stop, pulling back from the edge.  Yeah, he'd willingly pay any price for this.

Nodding approval, he looked back down and laid himself full length on top of the man panting on the bed, their cocks brushing until he shifted back and slotted below Jack's crotch, his breath catching as the head of his penis rubbed on Jack's balls, the general's cock pressing back on Siler's belly as he leaned down and kissed Jack hard.

The growling and jerking of the body under his, the quasi-violence in the bites Jack was taking at his lip and neck drove him crazy somehow and he had to pull back to catch his breath and control his shaking.  Jack was twisting under him, bucking against him without any of his usual control as he glared a fierce challenge into Siler's eyes, and it was all he could do to clench his muscles and not move, needing the friction on his aching erection just as much.  Needing-

He forced himself up to his knees, turning his head to the woman keeping her hands clenched in her chair and staring fire at them, her hips jerking even without any exterior contact.  "Sam," the bark in his tone made her sit up in surprise, "Get over here."

A few stiff steps and she was besides him on the bed, giving him a playfully challenging look.  Keeping himself steady on his knees below Jack's ribs, he cupped her jaw, trying to be gentle but aware that his touch was a little harsh.  Leaning in and kissing her hard and deep but pulling back quickly to take her hips, lift her and help her shift to her knees, carefully, besides Jack's ears; the general's stretched arms in the way now, but none of them quite willing to end the game.

Bending forward to grip Jack's bound hands with hers, she cried out breathlessly as he closed his lips on her clitoris with a growl that Siler could feel the shiver of against the inside of his thighs as he crept up to close the distance until his cock brushed the cheeks of Sam's ass.  Resisting the temptation to shorten this, as well as the offer inherent in her gasp and small hip-tilt, he shifted to slide himself up the valley between until he could cuddle up, his abs touching her lower back.

His turn to whimper a little at the friction, his fingers spasming on Sam's hips, unable to stop from rubbing himself a little, dropping his lips to her shoulder.  His teeth were closed on her skin before he caught himself and let go, laving the area with stiff tenderness, feeling her shudder convulsively against him.  Wishing he could see them, he shifted one hand to her belly and slid upward, lips trailing to her ear, "Come rest up against me; want to watch."  His palm cupped a breast as she whimpered, slowly rising to lay her head back against him.  "Want to touch you," he moaned, teeth aching to close on her earlobe, looking down her front and watching Jack slide his tongue between her lips, expression lost in quasi-bliss.

Sam reached around and dug her fingers into his thighs, the breathy little cries she was making next to his ear sending shivers dancing over his skin.  He had to hold at least one hip or she'd buck and hurt Jack, which left him only one hand to stroke at the soft skin of her stomach and fondle her so beautiful, swollen breasts.  With his eyes meeting Jack's, his teeth touched the joint to her neck, the tension to bite almost unstoppable, almost distracting him from the way Sam was stiffening, grinding on Jack's mouth, all too happy to feel the bite of teeth...

Growling harshly, both of his hands went to her hips and lifted her up.

"*Fuck*, Siler!"

Siler bared his teeth in the imitation of a smile at the shaking yell, "Not today, Jack."  Even though he felt a deeper pulse of need snake through his gut at the thought.

"Siler!"  Sam's control was almost gone and she twisted in his grip, snarling, the halted wrestling moves -that he easily recognized now- as dangerous for Jack as him.

"*Easy* Sam!  Just let me-"  He swung one of his legs back until his knees were together besides Jack, the momentum and his steely grip bringing her with him, whether she could decipher his damn tension-lisped words or not.

Tugging her backwards until her back was flush against him, her legs spread around his, he didn't have to say a word and she reached between her legs and guided him into herself, her body clutching at him with a sob.

Panting, he pulled her tight onto him, clenching his teeth to stay in control as rippling, tight, fire tried to pull him over the edge.  He shifted his hold to the front of her hips, stretching his middle fingers to her clit and taking a deep breath before lifting her up slightly and then back down, fingers stroking.  "Arms around my neck, colonel."  He just about cried out as he felt her internal shiver at his harsh words.

His eyes burning into Jack's over her shoulder, the general watching them as he twisted in his bonds, a gravelly moan in his throat, Siler kept up the small, sharp movements, jaw hard as steel in restraint, feeling the woman in his arms tensing desperately as he thrust.

Then every muscle in her contracted as her breath caught and he pulled her down hard, unprepared when she turned her head and bit his neck as she convulsed, a definite scream chocked on his skin, leaving him moaning in agony at resisting the friction on his cock, at desperately resisting the tug of orgasm as Sam thrashed in his arms, riding out her pleasure.

Jack was beyond words, watching them and shivering, panting, a trail of pre-cum glistening past his needily bucking hip.

Finally feeling Sam crash against him, Siler lifted her up as gently as he could, kissing her ear with tight control and whispering so only she would hear.  When she nodded and moved aside, slow and shaky, Jack watched her with the promise of a hard fuck in his eyes.

Those eyes locked back on him when Siler moved, stiff with control.  They flashed dark threats when the sergeant came to crouch around his shoulders.  But he parted his teeth when Siler leaned over him, hands closing with Jack's; palm to palm.  The bite of the general's punishing nails didn't stop him slowly thrusting his wet cock past Jack's lips, a strangled shout escaping him as the man greedily sucked him in, dizzily aware that he had the same response to the taste of Sam on Jack.

He had to control himself, *had* to-  He pulled slightly back with a sob as Jack moaned, knowing Sam had taken advantage of the general's distraction and taken *him*.  His blowjob got stuttery and broken as Jack shook and moaned, and that gave Siler enough of a chance that he still had his control; if not his sanity, a constant low moan in his throat reflecting the strength he had to apply to keep from jerking his hips.  Then Jack's head snapped back with a drawn-out cry of 'Fuuuuuck!' and Siler watched his face twist and shatter with pleasure, the blood rushing in his ears so hard he barely heard Sam whimpering behind him.

He was shaking, too close and too tight to think or move or-  Jack finally opened his eyes, drowsy with satisfaction.  He blinked once before smiling gently and leaning his head forward.  This time Siler closed his eyes; he had no intention of controlling the need to come anymore, but with Jack's hands tied he had to keep his hips-

Or not.

Sam's hands gripped him hard and the bite of slightly-too-long nails only made the pleasure deeper.  His throat felt raw when he cried out, giving in completely as he greedily focused on the feel of heat and wet and suction and friction, a tongue flicking and distracting, delaying the inevitable.  The pinprick pain of nails digging in, the relief of at long last letting himself go, letting every muscle thrust and tighten as it wanted, the control that Sam enforced providing a sneaking mental pleasure of its own.

Fire was finally streaking out of his balls and right through his cock when he felt teeth bite down hard on his shoulder, the instant feeling of possession throwing him right past overload.

He might have screamed, or just shouted or even choked as too much tension released at once.

He was flopped back, leaning on Sam, her breasts pressing a message of femininity and softness into his back, her hands soothing across his belly, nails teasing over his chest, as she left soft kisses along the top of his shoulder.  His knees were stretched too sharply and starting to send stabbing pain through his thighs, and he had to be putting too much weight on Jack's upper chest, even as Jack licked gently at his softened cock, affection and caring a better heaven than he'd looked for, for most of his life.

His eyes opened lazily, the off-throwing, unfamiliar painting of an English garden making him shake his head with a twist of his lips.  Jack's chuckle drew his eyes down and made him straighten with a wince, quickly reaching for the key on the bedside table.

"Siler?"

He shrugged off Jack's concern, far too many endorphins in his system to care about a little pain, "Knees stiff."  He might not get in the same agony that tended to hit Jack, but he should have shifted position earlier.

Nonetheless, he didn't complain when Jack reached his newly freed hands down and wrapped them on the sore joints, moving gently, injecting heat to soothe as Siler smiled gratefully, stroking his fingers though short, sweaty, hair even as he looked besides him where Sam had come to stand.  Looking thoroughly satisfied and happy, she leaned her head on his shoulder, a hand reaching down to twine with his in the spiky white strands.


Chapter 8f: Old friends, like bookends (PG13)
Aug 25, 2009

AN: eheh, this pic always represents their relationship for me.. :D

Watching Jack stepping around his kitchen, Daniel frowned in checked worry, "So Cassie's OK, then?"

Jack flashed him a guarded look before he shrugged and reached for two mugs, "As well as can be expected.  Hard enough on the emotions to be pregnant, but having to deal with that damn shit..."

Daniel took the coffee he was offered and nodded, "Yeah.  Is.." he stopped and took a sip, rethinking the statement as Jack remained standing, staring out the window over the sink with a glum, pissed-at-the-world expression that Daniel was all too familiar with.  Though it had gotten at least a little rarer in the last few years.  "I assume you have security on her?"

Jack nodded, "Yeah.  And on her boyfriend.  As discreet security as I could make happen; trying not to force her to constantly be reminded of things."

"I should visit her.  If I'd been on the planet, I'd have helped.."

Jack nodded again, turning to lean back on the counter and face Daniel, though he still looked grim, "Yeah,  I know.  It all.. worked out."

Daniel frowned, "That.. didn't sound convincing, Jack.  I thought you said everything was settled?"

He watched as his old friend grimaced, staring down into his mug as though it held the meaning of life, "The bastards are out of circulation and Cass is as safe as I can make her."

The lack of anything else forthcoming and the increase in glumness and jaw tension made Daniel change tack, hoping to find access to the problem, "What happened to your back?"  Come to think of it.. that looked like a hell of a bruise on his arm too.. and another above his... abs?   Daniel slid his eyes back to his friend's downcast face, mentally trying to remember if he'd just imagined that the general had put on some weight.

No.  No, Daniel definitely remembered Jack taking his shirt off after spilling beer on it one afternoon.  And he'd definitely been a little padded; not to mention that he'd grumbled about how he couldn't seem to get back in shape.

Jack's head shot up now at the question, eyes blinking in surprise as he rotated a shoulder, probably just in automatic response to the reminder.  Then the grimness popped back and he stared back into his cup, his voice getting quiet, "Siler," he looked up, meeting Daniel's eyes with a painful tension around his, "The whole thing with Cass.. was a reminder of the danger of.. being a part of our family.  And Siler was never really trained to be a field op, let along to defend himself in the kind of situation-" Daniel watched his friend flinch and go back to staring blankly, his voice falling to a snarl, "Where he'd be fighting for his damned life.  Or someone else's."

"..So you're training him."  Daniel remembered well enough what had happened when he'd been the one thrown unprepared into the middle of military operations.  If Siler's training had really been that different, then he imagined his friends would be at least as protective of the sergeant.  And as reluctantly determined to train him up to their standards.

Confirming Daniel's memory of how little he enjoyed such training, Jack's shoulders hunched at the simple words, "Yeah.  We're training him."

Still, there was no way that he'd gotten the stomach back in just a couple weeks of combat-training Siler; though being reminded of the other man made Daniel suspect *he* probably had something to do with it.  One way or the other.  And he wasn't going to risk making Jack self-conscious with the mood he was already in by asking specifically.  Some other day he could sneak a tease in at least.

On the other hand, *Siler* was one topic he'd been itching to find a way into ever since he and Teal'c had met the flustered sergeant at their friends' front door.  "So," he watched Jack's eyes fly up and sharpen at his over-casual tone, "You and Siler."  Yup, snapping posture, closing expression.  He'd known this wasn't going to be easy.

"What *about* me and Siler?"

Daniel rolled his eyes at the silently threatening words, "Come on, Jack, I asked you the same thing when you and Sam got together," he blinked to himself, grinning a bit at his buddy, "Come to think of it, I think you responded the same way *then*."  Not that he'd have changed the question even if he'd remembered that.  There was only so far he was willing to humour Jack's sensibilities.  Friends were *supposed* to weasel private details out of each other.

The acknowledgement that the two relationships were equal, not to mention the memory of just how crazy-happy he'd been feeling the last time Daniel had dropped that question, finally made Jack relax a bit.  He almost smiled as he managed to set aside the maudlin mood that had ambushed him when Sam and Siler had vanished to go to work and he'd found himself alone after a week of their constant company; even with the stress and pain that had been a part of their trip, he couldn't help but relish any time with them.  And hate its end; let along the free time to think.

He shrugged now at the question, not surprised it had come up and knowing he'd have to give the man who'd been his friend for so long *something*.  "What do you want me to say, Danny-boy?"

Grinning at the unspoken offer to actually *talk*, Daniel tried to think of the least nosey thing he might get an answer to.  "How about.. When or where exactly...  I mean, I knew that you and Sam loved each other for years, so your finally getting together was hardly surprising.  But I never though you.." he trailed off, feeling for a way to explain himself without getting Jack's military back up.

Flipping a hand up in 'stop' position, Jack grimaced, "Don't finish that thought, please Spacemonkey?"

"No, seriously, Jack.  If.. I don't know," Daniel's hands waved, his cup cooling precariously at his elbow, "If.. say Paul Davis had 'come out'," he shook his head, ignoring Jack covering his eyes, "I'd barely have blinked.  Hell," Daniel snorted, remembering the transparent mannerisms, "I've half expected the man to make a pass at me since we first met!" this time Jack outright groaned, "But of all people, *you*..."  Daniel wound down there; he'd really meant not to bring that up.  Really.  Had even lectured Vala not to say anything to either men after she'd been let in on the secret.

"I *can't* believe you just said.. *any* of that, Daniel."

The mumble was almost incomprehensible since Jack was still covering his eyes.  But he hadn't snarled.  Or stalked out of the room.  Maybe he'd known he'd be asked eventually.  "I'm just.. *curious*, Jack.  You're my oldest friend and.. your life just changed pretty drastically and.. you have my support, you know that, but.. I'm *curious*."

After a minute, during which Daniel remembered his cup and took a sip, waiting to see where the conversation was going to go, Jack finally sighed, straightening and looking at Daniel like a prisoner facing the executioner.

"I don't suppose giving you when and where will *end* this conversation?"

"It.." Daniel knew he'd still be curious, but he also knew that pushing rarely got him far with Jack, "It *can*.  If you insist."  There was always another day.

Jack nodded, not bothering for a stronger promise, "Atlantis."

Daniel blinked, cup motionless as he quickly went through everything he knew about the city of the Ancients, "You and Siler were never on Atlantis."

The retired general nodded again, "We were.  In San Francisco.  Sam took a contingent from the SGC down and drafted me along."

He hadn't thought about the city in its *new* home.. and that also answered the when then.  "OK..."  A little odd that either Sam *or* Jack... or **Siler**, had somehow ended up.. well, however they'd ended up to have started this, while essentially on duty, but he wasn't sure he wanted details about *that*.  There were other things, though, that Jack *might* volunteer with a little push, "I know you loved Sam; did you..."  This time Daniel stopped himself from making a point that Jack was obviously not comfortable with yet.

Jack didn't refuse to answer, but he looked away, staring through the doorway to the living room, lost in thought.  It wasn't a simple question and Daniel wasn't surprised Jack needed a minute to think it through.  For that matter, his very private friend could choose to interpret it in a totally different way and Daniel wouldn't make a fuss.

Which was why he was surprised at the quiet words he finally got.  "I always liked him.  He's a good man and a good soldier.  Someone I trusted with.. a great deal.  Someone I spent entirely too many long days and nights chatting with in the infirmary."

Daniel nodded to each statement, agreeing wholeheartedly.  "I know."  He'd spent more time watching the nurses fall over themselves around the man than chatting to him, but he didn't think the sergeant would thank him for reminding his lover of the past.

Rather than answer the implied question, Jack shrugged, giving Daniel a stilted grin, "The rest.. just happened.  I wasn't paying attention, and suddenly..." he shrugged again, a tinge of red starting to darken his cheeks as Daniel watched, delighted for his friend.  Both his friends.  And the SGC's accident-prone, Jack of all trades, master sergeant.

"Suddenly you loved him."  This time it wasn't a question.  Jack's grimness when he'd spoken of danger to the man, the almost unconscious intimacy between them, even with Daniel and Teal'c present, said it louder than words.

"..Yeah."

Though he went back to staring into his drink, Daniel watched the bit of a smile ghost across the retired general's face and realized he was going to need to get to know the sergeant better.  Even aside from the simple math that he was obviously going to be a part of any time Daniel spent with his friends, there was the consideration that with their positions, he suspected there would come a time that they'd have a use for a go-between that didn't raise questions.


Chapter nine: Bravery (NC17)
July 20, 2009

AN: Chapter 8c: Little moments like that has changed if you'd care to give it another look

-s-e-x-s-e-x-s-e-x-s-e-x- WARNING -s-e-x-s-e-x-s-e-x-s-e-x-

"I missed them."

Daniel looked at the man barely keeping his head upright besides him, brows jerking up at the unprecedented disclosure, "Meds really *do* get to you, don't they?"

Siler frowned as though just realizing what he'd admitted to this half-stranger, "Yeah."

Watching the neighbourhood become more familiar, Daniel cleared his throat, "Listen, you remember P3X 666?"

Siler blinked at him like *he* was the drugged one, "Of course I damn well do."

Daniel nodded apologetically for the implied slur -no one at the SGC could actually forget that day-, "Well, Teal'c once told me that when Jack was hit, his chest was a charred mess with a trail of smoke literally trailing-"

He looked besides him in worry when he heard the injured man catch his breath, blinking in realization when he saw his sudden pallor, "Oh shit," he put a comforting hand on the sergeant's forearm, "Sorry.  Wasn't thinking."

Wide awake suddenly, Siler tried to breathe calmly through the slash of pain bypassing the meds to make his chest hurt... worse than hell.  The fact that he knew Jack was fine, had seen the *healed* injury.. just didn't cut it *at all* with that vicious image crowding his mind's eye.

Daniel sped up, wishing he'd done this differently, "Look, I'm sorry Siler; the only reason I mentioned this is that Sam was the one who ran to cover him that day.  And when that electrical arc hit you a week ago.. you had a char mark over half your chest, and smoke... and Sam was right there."  Running from the control room into the still sparking gateroom, crying out his name and dropping to her knees besides him for the 10 seconds it took her command training to reassert itself and for her to start shouting orders at everyone that was hurrying back into the evacuated room, her face turning to very Jack-like expressionless stone.  But in those 10 seconds, Daniel had recognized the heart-terror he'd felt a bare few times in his own life.

"Shit."

Daniel nodded at the sick knowledge in the sergeant's expression, "Yeah.  And she had a whole base to take care of.  She couldn't stay with you in the infirmary; had to be careful not to particularly ask after you.  She's been turning into more of a mess every day.  Obviously not sleeping enough."  Or at all; she'd looked as old as Jack when he'd seen her a few hours ago.

Siler swallowed, wondering how he'd feel if Sam was hurt now, with him still utterly unable to go near her...

Avoiding the still-scary thought that there were people who cared that much about *him*.

"Thanks for bringing me home, Doctor Jackson."

Daniel quirked a grin at the word 'home', "Hey, I was just glad Doctor Lam was willing to let you out under supervision."

"Yeah," Siler sighed, head falling back, half-asleep again, "Was kinda surprised..."

Daniel didn't mention his suspicion that the doc knew there was someone who would take care of the sergeant.  She'd admitted that he wasn't really ready to leave, considering his pulse had only stabilized the day before and his body, weak from too little sleep before the accident, was fighting infection in the deep chest burn, but she also worried that he was too 'restless' in the infirmary.

When Daniel had volunteered to take the man home and keep an eye on him, she'd stared hard at him, and then wordlessly made a written list of instructions rather than simply instructing Daniel right there.  No, he was pretty sure she knew that 'restless' translated as the drugs making him miss a partner that he simply couldn't admit to and be released to.

When his friends hurried out of their front door, he winced to see just how rough Jack looked; not surprised, but still worried at the strain on his too-often hurt friend.  There had been no excuse for *him* to come to the mountain and just happen to visit the infirmary either.  And he'd have been the one listening to Sam have nightmares all week, unable to do anything *at all*...  Yeah, he was damned glad the doc had let the sergeant out.

Siler woke from his drowse when his door was opened, blinking to try to clear something of his mind.  "Sam."

"Siler-"

He frowned at the choked tone and far too tired expression, letting her slide under one of his arms to help him out of the car, only to frown even more when he got a look at Jack before *he* slid silently under his other arm, both being extra careful where they touched him as they helped him into the house.

Daniel grabbed the bag of meds and instructions and followed at a discreet distance, glad that Jack saw him and stayed behind as Sam took Siler into the ground-floor bedroom.

Siler was exhausted by the time he saw the spare room's bed, but he could feel Sam stiff under his arm and he couldn't take it any longer.  He stopped and carefully shifted until he could see her face; could see for himself the wreck the week had done.  "Sam, I'm OK.  I'm going to be just fine.  I swear."  The silent nod but continued grim expression didn't particularly reassure him and he frowned, wishing his head wasn't such a drugged mess, "I promise; I'm not leaving you."  At least not this time; he couldn't deny that he'd taken a risk, necessary though it had been.  And would again if it was necessary.

Another jerky nod, this time followed with a stiff, too-careful, hug, forehead to forehead with him.  Not bothering with pride, Siler leaned on her so he could stay upright, waiting out the emotions choking her.

"God I love you, Siler."

It took a few seconds for the words to work their way through his resisting and drugged mind, leaving him breathless with a strange surge of emotion rising to jam his throat as he felt Sam start to soften, holding him tighter and closer.

Watching from the doorway, Jack swallowed, not surprised that Siler looked shocked.  He'd been pretty shocked the first time Samantha had broken like that too.

Giving them a second to just hold each other tight, Jack went to pull back the covers before stepping up to them to kiss Sam's nape and slide an arm around Siler's waist, "Come on, let's get him to bed before he drops."

Reluctantly letting Siler go, Sam followed them to the bed, reaching to undo Siler's pants as Jack held him steady.

"Hey, I can-"

Jack rolled his tired eyes at the groggy complaint, "Quiet Si'.  We haven't even *seen* you all week, let us take care of you, already."

Reminded that he wasn't the only one suffering, one way or another, Siler let himself get seated on the edge of the bed so Jack could carefully get his shirt off, having to hold him to keep him upright.  He stared silently at Sam getting his boots and pants off; he really *was* too old for this kind of abuse, wasn't he?

Once they had him down to his briefs, Jack held an arm across his back to lower him to the bed gently and Sam wordlessly laid down besides him.

"Do we need to change that?" her chin pointed at the bandage over half his chest, looking at Jack, since he'd spoken to Daniel.

"No," Jack helped Siler roll to his side so he could wrap Sam in a hug, speaking softly, "Doc said he's fine for today unless there's bleeding."  He watched with relief as she burrowed as close to Siler as she dared, hoping she'd finally get some real sleep, "I'll just go make-" Before he could stand up, Siler's arm swung out, not quite coordinated, but obviously aimed at him, palm open.  Stay.

He'd gotten so used to holding the fear back that he stared, frozen for a minute before he hesitantly took the hand, laying down against Siler's back.  Resting his face tight against his hair and shifting his grip to hold Siler's wrist, his eyes closing with a spasm as he felt the steady pulse, tightening himself against his lover's warm, *alive* body as the pain of the last week demanded its pay.

####

Jack watched Siler's eyes open slowly, continuing to stroke his uncharacteristically messy hair, "Hey."

The injured man's eyes drooped with the meds he was on, nonetheless looking around for Sam as he woke to her absence.

"Convinced her to go eat something."

"..thh-eee OK?"

Jack had to strain to catch the drowned-sounding, mangled words, helping Siler roll gently to his side to face him, grateful for a hug of his own, "She will be.  A lot of time holding you, some sleep, and she'll be back to her old self before you know it."

He felt Siler's lips move in a smile against his cheek, " 'nd you?"

Jack carefully tightened the hug, "Yeah, holding you and some sleep would be good for me too."

Hearing the weak laugh against him did a world of good in itself.

When Sam came back, spooning tightly against Siler, he started to turn to face her but she just wrapped herself around him, burying her nose against his neck.  "I'm fine," she fumbled for his wrist, eyes flicking gratefully to Jack's when he helped, "You're home.. and you even smell like home now."

"What ' home thmell like?"

Half of what she heard was the resonance of the words through his chest, smiling as she soaked up his warmth, and his pulse, and his voice... "Like Jack on your skin."

####

Daniel was about to get in his car and go to work the next day when he realized he couldn't and swore silently, getting back into his already-empty apartment and looking around in frustration.

He finally grabbed his cell and hit speed-dial. "Vala?" .. "Yeah, I'm fine, just ran a little late.  Listen can you do me a favour?  Get me the pile of books on my workbench?" .. He sighed, "Because I'm supposed to be watching over Siler.  If I show up at the mountain, sans Siler, people will be forced to ask questions that everyone would rather not." .. "Oh, I'm sure he's being downright *mothered*." .. He snorted, "I know she doesn't, but Jack does."

####

After changing Siler's dressing the next morning, Jack walked to the bathroom without a word, taking the excuse of putting the medical supplies away.  Instead, he dropped unsteadily to the edge of tub, covering his eyes and getting himself under control.  If he'd thought, he'd have realized Sam would read his state of mind and follow.  As it was, he looked up in surprise when she sat besides him, wordlessly pulling him into a hug.

It didn't seem to matter if his eyes were open or closed, the same images crowded his thoughts, even with Sam holding him.  Even knowing everything was going to be OK.

"We could have lost him."

His whispered words were nothing new, he'd been aware of the fact from the moment that Daniel had called him, gently breaking the news while Sam was still running around trying to keep her base from blowing up, taking his sanity with it.

But he couldn't let himself feel it then.  Had to be strong for Sam.  Couldn't lose it when there was nowhere for the terror to go but to feed on itself.  He could *do* nothing.  Nothing but wait and be there for Sam.  And wonder if this was further punishment for his mistakes.  And how would he survive...

He still couldn't break.  Couldn't let himself.  Holding on to Sam was-

He raised his head from her shoulder when she swore under her breath, seeing Siler push himself up from resting on the door sill and walk unsteadily up to him with an understanding that Jack wished he could deny.  He really, really wished he could deny how much being pulled to Siler's bare stomach helped steady his mind.

The skin was already chilled, even in the small amount of time while they'd treated him, and he smelled of coppery blood, disinfectant; infirmary.  But he was alive.  There was blood flowing under the skin, the hands shakily running through Jack's hair were warm; and he could hear Siler breathe, even if it was a little too quick.

"You should be in bed."

Jack nodded his forehead gently against Si' in agreement with Sam's admonition, letting her be the one to get the injured man to behave, allowing himself the weakness of being held for a brief moment.  Remembering with a mental stutter being in the mirror of this position a while back; holding Siler as memories of *his* once being hurt had hit home.

They *all* lived dangerous lives; it seemed impossible that they wouldn't lose each other sooner rather than later, even without stupid mistakes.

"Need to pee."

Sam laughed softly as she got up from besides Jack, "Alright, I suppose that's allowed," he heard her stop besides Si' for a second, likely dropping a kiss, "Just don't fall down on your way back to bed, OK?"

A part of him wanted to continue being weak, continue being petted and reassured; but that wasn't who he was, no matter what hell the future held.  He carefully put his hands on Siler's hips and encouraged him to step back.  Standing up and meeting affectionate hazel eyes that were all too hazy with drugs, Jack took a tight breath, nodding, "Better listen to the lady, she's got a mean left hook."

Siler tried to grin at him, but it came out pretty smeared and Jack hung in the doorway as Siler fumbled with the flap of a pair of Jack's boxers, watching, tense and quiet, until Siler swayed and then quickly stepping forward to grip his shoulders and steady him, "Siler?"

His head hung, swaying, for a second and then he took a breath and lifted it, nodding vaguely, "I'm done anyway, just need to wash up."

At least his mind was up to pulling more than three words together, and he seemed to steady with the touch of cool water on his hands and Jack took a half-step back, still feeling shackled by the aching fear stiffening his muscles, and let him stand alone, watching again, finally choking out the words that had been squeezing him alive for the last week, "You know I love you too, right?"

Siler raised his eyes to look at him through the mirror, smiling gently as he twisted the tap to off and then carefully turned around, "Yeah," he raised his hands shakily to Jack's shoulders, staring right into his eyes, "*You* know I'm going to be OK; right?"

Trying to ignore the memory of the wounds hidden by those so-clean bandages, Jack nodded, silently shifting the two of them until he had his arm around the injured man's waist, slowly helping him back to bed where Sam waited for them.

Helped down to his back, Siler sighed in relief, closing his eyes; waiting until they both cuddled up and wrapped their arms over his belly.  Remembering the events of the day that had landed him in such a weakened state.

Three days chasing power failures, and then suddenly the gate capacitors started charging and didn't stop.  Reaching and passing their normal levels and creating panic as all the power they could hold threatened to create a horrific explosion deep in Cheyenne Mountain.  Doc Lee and Sam had fought with the computers to shut things down as he and his team tried all the mechanical failsafes and then tried to insert makeshift ones. Unfortunately, nothing had worked.

Shifting his hands to hold theirs, he spoke quietly, hyper aware of their continued stillness; continued fear.  "I actually.. was actually afraid of dying that day."

Jack interrupted, voice with a hard edge that Siler interpreted as choked-off emotions, "Seems like that was fairly intelligent."

He frowned, eyes still closed tiredly, wishing he could explain himself better, "No.  Remember how you said I worked too hard?  This is the same.  I never used to much care either way.  Seemed a better thing that I take a risk than to have someone with a family waiting for them be in danger.  But now..."

Sam turned her hand to grip his, " 'S OK, Siler.  We understand."

He opened his eyes and looked at each of them, blinking at the calm aknowledgement in their expressions, "You guys.. already know?"

Sam laughed very softly, her hand coming up to stroke his cheek, and Jack shook his head with a smile, "Sorry Si', your subconscious let it slip a while ago."

It was strange to think that something so unknown to him, and so life-altering, could have been there without his noticing.  And even stranger that he wasn't terrified of *this*.  Maybe the drugs were dulling his awareness of the danger, or maybe it really had been there so long that only his consciousness was left to adjust to it.  His voice to admit to it.  "..Love you too."

####

Siler sipped his coffee appreciatively.  Smiling with sheer joy at the strong drink on his tongue, hot sun on his closed eyes and Jack's arm brushing his.  God was he glad to be home!  He was even greedy enough to regret that Sam had had to go to work this morning, but she'd had breakfast with them and would be home tonight. And in the meantime he didn't have to go in for at least another day and could wear off his drugged haze in the peace of his lovers' yard.

"Whatcha thinking about?"

He felt his lips curl at Jack's quiet voice.  Just hearing the familiar intonations made him feel so damn much better it wasn't funny.  "Atlantis."

Surprised, Jack turned his head, "Oh?"  Watching the wordless nod and peaceful smile, Jack thought back to that fateful March day himself.  Christ.. had it really been 6 months already?  "How long were you watching?"

Siler chuckled shallowly, holding back the wince as it jostled his painful chest.  He grinned at Jack, opening his eyes, "Who, me?"

Jack just looked at him with a smirk and a raised brow until he caved with a smile, "Not that long.  The technology that built that city is so amazing, I was gawking like a country boy in New York.  Didn't even look toward the office until I started on the walkway."

Jack didn't bother to disguise the affection that the admission pulled from him.  Not seeing Siler at work anymore made it easier to forget that he was as much a wunderkind as Daniel and Samantha.  Love from Siler meant, as much as anything, that he and Sam meant more to him than technotoys.

"*Then*, I did stare a bit."  Staring out to the trees behind the enclosed yard, lost in his memories for a minute, Siler sighed softly before looking back at the man besides him.  "I really don't know anymore if I loved Sam all those years or not," Jack only watched him, obviously unsurprised at the idea, "All I'm sure of is that I was happy that the two of you were together; that Sam was happy."  He nodded firmly, "*That* I remember feeling," remembering the scene he'd caught as he looked toward Sam's office, he grinned, eyes stroking down Jack's body and taking another sip of coffee, "And yeah, I did watch the two of you seduce each other," not having to hide the pleasure he'd gotten staring avidly at them still sometimes filled him with wonder, "Would have loved to continue to do so, but the fact that the others had enough work to keep them busy for hours didn't actually mean they wouldn't find a reason to need to interrupt."

He slid a hand to Jack's thigh, squeezing only lightly in his weakness, "Thought you might prefer it was me than Doc Lee."

Wincing even while he laughed, Jack covered his hand, "Good guess, sergeant, very good guess."

Siler waited a minute to see if the general would speak out loud the question that he could see in his smile.  Rewarded when he, for once, caved and muttered, "..What did you.. 'think' when Sam.."

"That I was the luckiest bastard in the galaxy," Siler snorted, albeit gently in respect for his chest, "And that there must be an actual god somewhere."

"And that you'd have me at your mercy?"

Remembering the strangled cry the general had made wasn't enough to beat back the drugs and arouse his body, but his mind loved the trip and Siler laid his head back, eyes closed to better see the past.  "Yeah.  That.. definitely had an appeal, Jack."  The sheer sexiness factor of feeling Jack twitch between his and Sam's lips...  "And.. Sam."  His eyes opened, momentarily blinded by the sun and the past, "Watching her.  Touching her..."

Jack raised his arm around their partner's shoulders, sidling up so they were as close as they could be, "You *did* love her, Si'," he shook his head at the uncertain look that that got him, "You weren't possessive and you're not jealous, but that didn't stop you loving her."  Needing her so he could feel whole.

There was an all too simple way to make a person accept their feelings, but he wasn't going to put Siler through memories of Sam hurt and/or dying.  It didn't really matter if he believed the past or not; the man accepted the present, *that* was the most important.

Siler went back to letting the sun warm his face, "Maybe I did.  And maybe you got.. under my skin through the fact that you were hers.  Couldn't quite dismiss you as just my old commander when Sam loved you.  Couldn't quite.. dismiss sex with you when it.. made me horny as hell."  And watching him kiss and fondle Sam had had as much to do with finishing him off as feeling Sam intimately gripping his cock.

Laughing out loud and feeling it ease knots all through his chest, Jack leaned his head on Siler's and simply relaxed, so fucking grateful for the quiet moment in a life that never seemed to fully settle down...

####

"Hey."

Jack looked up and smiled at the quiet greeting, putting the stirring spoon down and reaching to wrap Sam in a tight hug.  She was finally starting to look like herself again.  Still tired, but not on the edge of collapse.

Nuzzling her temple and cheek, making his way to her lips for a kiss, he knew *he* had to be feeling better too since he could feel himself stiffening, actually found himself thinking about making love for the first time since Siler had been injured.

Reminding himself that he couldn't afford the distraction right now, he lifted his lips with a sigh, giving her grin a last kiss before straightening and jerking his chin toward the patio door, "Si's catching some of that warm sun."

Sam smiled, tired and still needing to see Siler.  It was far easier to work knowing that Jack was taking care of him, but... nothing was as reassuring as seeing and touching him.  Giving her general a last kiss, she quietly made her way outside, not surprised to find Siler asleep on the swing.  She just sat down besides him and laid her head on his shoulder, listening to him snore softly.

He woke up a few minutes later and automatically lifted his arm around her shoulders, giving her a sleepy, still-drugged smile, "Sam."

They snuggled for a while in silence, and then Jack came out and gave Sam a drink, stroking Si's hair absently.

"Come sit."

Jack looked at the reinforced steel frame dubiously, "Are you sure those little alterations you made are enough for the three of us on there?"

Siler rolled his eyes at him, "Jack, I'm an engineer.  Come.  Here."

Finally shrugging, Jack sat down carefully, shifting to lay sideways and tugging Sam to lie on him, letting her help Si' up to rest on her.  Sliding his fingers to Siler's shoulders and relaxing, enjoying the quiet and the warmth.  And knowing his partners were both safe.

####

A month later, Siler winced as he moved the wrong way to get his jumpsuit on, swearing under his breath at how long it was taking him to heal.

"Siler?"

He didn't bother looking up at Jack's barely-hidden concern, "I'm fine.  Just moved wrong."   With his uniform finally on and buttoned, he gave the general a firm look, rather proud at how good he was getting at dealing with the mothering, "Coffee on?"

"Yeah, Sam's almost ready to go."

Siler nodded, following him to the kitchen and firmly ignoring the fact that the general was moving slower than he needed to, just to keep Siler from hurrying; yeah, he was getting better with this mothering.

They intercepted Sam as she hurried toward the door and she stopped to drop kisses on their cheeks, already frowning, preoccupied with the day ahead.  Just before she crossed the threshold though, she turned and frowned at Siler sharply, even going so far as to wag a finger, "Sergeant, you had better not even *think* of finding an excuse to work until the last minute and show up this afternoon in your jumpsuit!"

Siler stared bemusedly at the closed door until Jack snickered besides him, "Dare I hope you'll be following orders?"

Siler gave him a dry look, "Think I better.  A mean *left* hook, wasn't it?"

Turning to the kitchen, the general sighed, "Yeah, but she's even more likely to withhold sex, so *you* really shouldn't disobey her."

####

Swearing under his breath, Siler hurried into the gateroom, just finishing the buttons on his bloody dress jacket and catching his breath when he pulled at his sore chest again in his hurry.

He really *had* meant to be on time; it was Lab #2's mainframe that had other plans.

At least he wasn't late.  And his damned uniform was in his locker as it was supposed to be and still fit and wasn't ripped and didn't have any mustard spilled on it.

He'd even managed to get into it without needing to dip into the painkillers he still had to carry with him.

Lifting his head and tugging his clothes to sit properly, he let his eyes check out the room, hearing the low babble of a crowd waiting.  A crowd of soldiers and techs, most of whom fidgeted in their dress blues as much as he did.  He nodded to Walter, currently held captive by a gesturing General Landry.

Scanning further as he slowly walked in, looking for a wall to lean on, he reminded himself to avoid drooling when he laid eyes on Sam in that beautiful skirt and tailored jacket.  For that matter to avoid *staring* would probably be even smarter.  Quick eye-flicks only serg-

Heat flashed through his body and he distantly felt his nose flare when instead of Sam, he clapped eyes on one Major General Jack O'Neill.  In figure *hugging* dress uniform.  He'd been cornered by Dr. Jackson, but his attention was obviously elsewhere because his eyes were only a bare fractions of a degree off from Siler's.  And the sneaky blither had obviously caught his hopefully-hidden-from-everyone-else reaction; and was smirking ever so slightly.  Bastard.  Siler looked away firmly, lungs a little too tight.  Damn it.

What was the retired general doing at a routine awards ceremony?  And even more to the point, why the HELL hadn't they warned him???

The smirk on Jack's lips, and Siler's many years of observation of the man, gave the likely answer as 'just for the fun of screwing with the master sergeant'.

For which he would *pay*.  Sam wasn't the only one who believed in revenge.

He found an unused corner and practised his invisible-guardsman pose.  Eyes on a circuit around the room.  Scanning for that missed sight of his lady-colonel.  Throwing micro-glares at the white-haired fellow he could swear was deliberately staying right in his sight.

Finally finding Sam when the crowd shifted, he gave himself one full-body eye-candy collection as reward for surviving Jack's shenanigans and then went back to looking around without seeming to.  Oh yeah, Sam definitely looked dangerously edible in that uniform.

The sudden thought that he would actually get to peel her out of it this time just about made him groan, though.

Not safe!  Definitely not safe thought, Si'!

Relieved to catch sight of Simmons just about drooling, he followed the man's wide eyes to a recently-minted Captain Cadman.  Siler mentally shook his head; yes, the marine had a fine figure, but hardly worth acting like a twelve-year-old.  Eyes taking another pass by a couple particular spots in the room, Siler frowned and found a blank piece of wall to fix on and remembered, just a few months ago, having a moment or three of doubting his sense of self.  At the time, he'd shrugged off his nascent identity-crisis when he'd seen that none of his daily reactions had changed; only his view of one man.

Now, with everyone wearing the Air Force's best effort to showcase health and fitness, he wanted to smile.  He could appreciate that the people around him were in tip-top physical condition.  Wasn't blind or stupid and could recognize Cadman's good looks compared to poor Sergeant Jacobson.  But he had interest in neither of them.  He'd take Cadman over the sergeant for unspeaking company, but the sergeant liked The Simpsons, which made him better conversation.

Sam and Jack on the other hand, he'd probably want to fuck even if they were covered in swamp mud....

####

Unobtrusively watching the doors, Jack wondered if Siler was actually going to risk-  Aha!  Seeing the familiar gait between a couple of hurrying airmen, he kept a sneaking eye on the glimpses of tall, well-built form, just as glad that Daniel had monopolized him since it meant that.. if.. he....

Oh crap.

Even expecting it, he still almost gaped when he finally got a full-body view before dragging his public mask back in place.  How in the hell had Siler managed all these years without ever being caught in dress blues??

And would he ever have had a chance with Sam if she'd caught sight of the other man in that outfit?

He didn't even *need* his knowledge of the oh so perfectly shaped body underneath the stiff material.  The wrong combination of trim and built for the off-the-rack option, Siler's suit was as tailored as Jack's and the result made Jack want to strip him slowly.. or watch from a close vantage point as Sam did.

He'd never been so grateful for the way things had gone down in his reality.

When he shifted around Daniel to keep the sergeant in the edge of his vision, the obviously way too smart for his own good archaeologist smirked at him and continued to wax poetic on.. something.  Jack had been bored by the third phrase, but hearing the burbling was worth the safety of someone who wouldn't be curious about his inattention.

Like that caused by an injured sergeant still not standing fully straight who finally caught sight of him.  And gave Jack his favourite compliment from the man; the closest Siler would let himself come, in public, to ogling.

Was there a better compliment from a lover?

A few minutes later, tired of fighting the crowd and Daniel's deliberate side-steps to keep his mutinously glaring lover in sight, Jack looked around, saw Sam out of reach in Landry's clutches and waited until he was hidden from his target before ditching his old teammate to circle around until he could slot in besides his favourite master sergeant.

"Sergeant." He nodded casually, taking a retiring stance similar to Si's.  He blinked away a grin when he saw the minute jump Siler made at his voice.  Gotcha!  Who da man, uh?  Who da maaan!

Nodding back with an *almost* bland look, Siler hissed quietly, barely understandable over the room noise, especially with his lisp cranked up by stress -and by arousal?-, "Christ *general*!  Of all the stupid stunts.  Don't *do* this to me."

He didn't get the chance to respond as he intercepted a 'form on me' sign from Sam and had to hurry over to her and her commander with only a smirk for his erstwhile companion.

####

As he stood at parade rest at the back of the room, watching and listening as the line of SGC officers and soldiers received medals and commendations, Siler wondered why he'd gotten such a lecture about wearing his damned dress uniform.  It wasn't as though anyone noticed him; monkey-suit or no strangling military monkey-suit.

Practising his inscrutable look and watching Jack and Sam tag-team their way through the awards presentations, with Landry standing off to the side, he wondered if it was as simple as his housemates insisting on his sharing the grief they were forced by *their* jobs to endure.

When the youngest airman on the base to think fast on his feet survived the public reading of his bravery with stoic calmness, Siler signed inside, figuring they, at worst, had a speech or two to listen to before he could get out of-

"Master Sergeant Sylvester Siler.  Front and *centre*."

He almost froze at the call in a feminine voice that had rarely been aimed at him with such military snap in it.  It wasn't until he was standing in front of them, raising his hand carefully but sharply in salute that he got a suspicion of just what was coming down.  "Sergeant Siler, reporting as ordered, *ma'am*."

General O'Neill didn't crack a smile, returning his salute formally, Colonel Carter, with her calm commander's smile in place, standing at his side and General Landry now besides her and smirking.

Sam called "Attention to orders!" and Siler's chin jerked even higher as he heard the stomp of feet as the friends behind him obviously straightened sharply; offering their own accolade.  Shit; he hated this kind of spotlight.

Then, speaking in a carrying, commanding voice that Siler felt echoing off more than 8 years of memories that he'd though were more faded, his old commander and now lover proceeded to just about break his composure and make him blush, though he pulled on his damn near 40 years of service and kept his face impassive, eyes fixed over the general's shoulders, standing at stiff parade rest and mentally swearing sulfurously.

"You all know I take every opportunity to break protocol," Jack grinned briefly at Landry, "Even retired and a guest on someone else's base."  He turned back to the crowd, "Keeping this last minute addition of one more award to be given out today quiet seemed like a fun way to shake things up."  He turned back to face Siler directly, deadly serious now, "Master Sergeant Sylvester Siler, for your many years of unhesitating, selfless service to your country, this base, and your fellow soldiers.  For uncommon bravery in the face of repeated personal risk to your life and limbs.  For your actions a month ago in this room, choosing to save the lives of your comrades with full knowledge of the unlikeliness of your own survival.  It is my *honour*, in the name of the president of the United States of America, to present you with the Airman's medal."

Eyes still steady, Siler could just see Sam moving, out the corner of his eye, knowing from watching them for the last half-hour that she'd just passed Jack the medal.  'Concentrate Siler, concentrate.  Expressionless.  Steady breathing.  You are a master sergeant in the Air Force, for crying out loud.'

Intimately familiar fingers pinned a new piece of metal to his chest as he stood very still, and then a piece of paper was put in his hand, also familiar smaller fingers brushing his, then they all exchanged salutes before he about-faced and chose to return to his place in the clapping crowd rather than try to shuffle among the other victims.

Having made his way to the very back, out of the public eye, Siler started planning just how he was going to make those two pay for that little shock.  Where they got off thinking his self-control was endless...

####

"Hey Sly!  Joining us for drinks after this shindig?"

Siler's jaw clenched as Walter walked up to him with a grin; it wasn't the first time he'd begged off from a night with the boys, but he'd *just* been getting back to spending time with them when he got hurt.  He really needed to get back to it again, now that he was better; otherwise, questions were going to get pressing.

But not tonight.  "Sorry, Walter.  I'll buy the first couple 'rounds Friday, though."

Watching his friend nod acceptance, he looked around and decided that no one was going to miss him at this little 'celebration'.  He wanted to be the first one home; and luckily, unlike him, Sam and Jack were both far too public figures to get away without comments.

####

Jack was just starting to undo his tie in relief, barely resisting the temptation to throw his hat up the stairs and let it fall as it would, watching Sam close the door and wondering where Siler had gotten to, when he felt the presence come out of the living room.  The man's large hand easily shoved his chest, sending him back against the door, but then pulled back out of his and Sam's reach before they actually reacted.

Glaring at them, Siler uncharacteristically snarled, "You two set me up!"

Sam relaxed the fists that had come within an inch of grabbing their still-recovering friend and grinned, taking the opportunity to openly stare at the extremely-rarely seen dress uniform fitted to his powerful body without having to fight off her own response.  Those uniforms were just *designed* for these men...

"Do you have *any* idea how close I came to.. to-"  Sam chuckled as he stuttered, well aware of what it was that had thrown him, gratefully remembering how jet-lagged and high on confrontational adrenaline *she'd* been on her first encounter, "I bloody damn near-"

Jack was smirking proudly when he interrupted the sergeant's stuttering, "Gasped at my hot bod?"  He grunted at Siler's barely-pulled punch at his shoulder, "Actually, I think you *did*-"

"I did *not*!!"  Though the flush rising up his neck as he crossed his arms, albeit gently, made it damned obvious how close it had been, "Dammit Jack!"

Shaking her head, Sam refused to let the promise inherent in having her two *gorgeous* men in dress blues go to waste just because one of them couldn't stop himself from acting like a strutting braggart.

Taking Jack's hat out of his dangerously fidgeting hand, she smiled at the man still looking put-upon and tense, stepping into the arms Siler's automatically opened for her.  Sliding her hands behind his head, hat and all, she met his willingly descending lips.  Barely resisting crawling right into him, she contented herself with a hungry, thorough, open-mouth and lip-nibbling kiss as his hands slid down and gripped handfuls of her skirt tightly, trying to pull her closer.

Not letting the needy moan in his throat distract her, she pulled back with a last hungry bite at his lower lip, a last lick at so soft inner lip...

Ignoring his growl at her stopping, she grinned and carefully tugged Jack's hat onto his head, taking advantage of his surprise-loosened arms to step back.

"Jack?"

When he didn't respond to her, admittedly very husky, question, she tore her eyes away from ogling Siler in *full* dress uniform, absently licking her lips, well aware that she wanted to fuck them, both of them, and right damn now.

Catching Jack in the middle of flicking his eyes from her to Siler, she smirked, deliberately dropping her eyes to his crotch and not the least surprised to find his slacks giving away his mood.  "Jaaa-aaack.." Yes, a fuck was *definitely* in the cards.. or two...

He finally dragged his eyes away from a now-grinning Siler, leaning against the newel post and enjoying the dual admiration enough to get over his annoyance.  "What?"

She lounged back on the wall comfortably and nodded firmly at Siler, "You had your fun.  I think General Siler here deserves a blowjob; general."  She raised a challenging brow at the still-automatic glare at being ordered around, but they both heard the catch in Siler's breathing, and *that* was far harder to resist.

Turning back to the man giving him an equally challenging look -didn't he *ever* get a break?-, Jack tilted his head in apparent thought.  "You really think so, colonel?  Seems a bit insubordinate, to me."

Sam outright snorted besides him and Si' grinned, rocking his hips forward and wriggling ever so slightly, hampered by the uniform and, Jack suspected, his still-healing injuries.  There was a definite give-away rasp in his voice when he commented, "I like the sound of *General Siler*."

Slowly stepping forward and wondering how that damned hat could make the man seem both taller and wider-shouldered than he already was, Jack reached for the buttons to his jacket, only to freeze and turn to Sam along with the man he'd been about to undress when she called out.

"Leave it,"  the husky tone and steamy look she dragged down both of their bodies made his dick twitch in his now unpleasantly tight pants; he definitely needed to get into that skirt.  The unyielding smirk in her eyes said he wasn't going to until he provided her little fantasy, though.

Turning to the challenging hazel eyes six inches from his, Jack stared back at Siler, debating whether he could stand the hard-on long enough to wait him out, but then remembering who he was trying to make break down and make the first move.  Not a chance he'd outlast his sergeant.

Plan A it was.

Very carefully patting Si's jacket back into its perfect position for Sam to feast upon, he reached up and tilted the hat just so, grinning at the eyes shining out of the shadow of the bill.  Yeah, Carter's genius really knew no bounds; the scrambled eggs definitely suited their boy to a tee.

Looking at the dirty entrance-floor ruefully, he tugged his pant legs up to get enough slack to bend his knees, not sure if the stiff pants were more annoying, or his crappy knees.  Didn't they know he had a sex life??

Shrugging off the distraction, he looked up at Si', briefly meeting eyes that were much more serious now then they'd been a minute ago, and then focusing forward.  Raising a hand to stroke teasingly along the outline of the column of flesh distending the dark blue fabric and watching it twitch made him forget playing around, feeling familiar hunger flare even hotter.  Leaning forward to press his lips on Si's cock and send a stream a warm air to soak through the heavy material, he was aware of the choked moan from the woman watching them play out her kink; and of the rough hands coming to rest gently on his head.

Slowly and carefully lowering the zipper in his way, part of his mind slipped to memories of the first time he and Sam'd been in the same room in dress uniforms after they'd finally gotten together.

And the soaked, swollen and so fucking aroused woman he'd found under her skirt when she'd pulled his truck over into an unused track off the road on the way home.

Slipping his hand into the flap of Si's slacks to ease him out, he could feel the tension in his lower body crank up all to hell.  He didn't know if it was the anticipation of watching Si' make the same discovery soon, or rediscovering it himself; or the man moaning with pleasure and gripping his head tightly as he wrapped his lips around hard flesh already starting to weep.  However long Siler had been waiting for them, his mind had definitely spent *some* time somewhere hot; annoyed or not.

Sucking him in softly, gradually tightening his lips on the hot skin sliding over hard cock, he heard Siler gasp and hurriedly gripped his hips when they jerked him deep in Jack's throat.  OK, not slow.  Pulling back into his comfort zone, he looked up, just catching the wince that crossed Siler's face as he arched slightly.

Suddenly jerked to reality, he lifted his lips with a frown, "Si'?"

Siler's eyes popped open with renewed fury, "Don't you *dare* stop!  I'm more than *fine*, John J-  ummm."

Sam had to laugh a little as the threat of exposing his middle name convinced Jack to quit mothering and get back to lovering.  Still, Siler couldn't deny he'd been in pain there.  There was a good reason they'd all kept the lovemaking gentle and *in bed* since he'd been well enough to participate.  Even the independent sergeant hadn't been eager to court unnecessary pain.  Though he'd already gone back to jogging with Jack, he hadn't said a word about training.

But if he was feeling stubborn, *she* knew better than to argue.  Instead, she covered the distance between them, standing besides him and sliding an arm behind his upper back; supporting him as she tilted her head to bypass that very sexy hat-brim making his eyes so dark and mysterious, and cover his mouth with hers.

She didn't even get a chance to seduce him; the moment their lips touched, his tongue was in her mouth, one hand at the back of her head to hold her tight and a low growl in his throat that spoke to her of frustration at the weeks of restraint.  There was no slowing this down.

She let herself get lost in his unapologetic possession with only half a thought to slide her other hand down to hold one of his hips through the several layers of heavy material in the way, freeing one of Jack's to play.  And play he definitely did, causing the body under their grip to stiffen, head tilting back as Siler strained to breathe, groans choking at the back of his throat.  Sam was breathing just as hard, barely resisting grinding herself on his leg as she watched need twist the planes of his face.

Driven by the heat firing through her, she bit her way to his ear, grinning in feral anticipation, " 'General Siler' enjoys fucking Jack's mouth, doesn't he?"  She *just* managed to support his back as he jerked at that.  When she heard the low moan from Jack, she added, "I am sooo going to drag you between my legs in a-"

They'd known by now that he was going to go crazy, and she and Jack had solid holds on him, but he still almost bucked loose, the pitch of his cry almost a scream before it cut down to whimpers as he jerked into Jack's mouth repeatedly.

Gentling him with kisses along his jaw, Sam lifted her hand from his hip to slide through Jack's hair where he still knelt, no doubt resettling Siler's clothes.  However much she needed some satisfaction of her own, not only did she want Siler, she also needed *this*.  Needed to really know Siler was *OK*; would really heal and be his old self.  Needed to bring closure to the horror of his being so hurt and weak.  To his almost slipping away from them.

Siler turned his head, a lot more tired than he wanted to admit from the body-wrenching experience.  Kissing Sam gently was about the right speed for him right now, then looking down and smiling at Jack.  The image of the intimidatingly-dressed general on his knees in front of him and grinning..  something he was going to think about *often*.  This was pleasure; this was his home.  Poems and prayers and promises; the things he believed in.

He took his hand out of Jack's nicely spiked hair to offer it to him, helping him up without a word.  Then they both looked at the woman still trying to support his back discretely.  It probably wasn't fair that he didn't snap at Sam for mothering, but she usually managed to keep it from being obvious and that was enough for his pride to accept it.

Now though, it was most definitely *her* turn.

He caught Jack's eye, interpreted the grin and small head-tilt as 'you first' and turned back to Sam.  Running his eyes over her perfectly-hugged figure to his heart's content.  "Did I ever mention how much self-control you demand of a man?"

Snickering, she grinned at both of them, incidentally taking his place against the handy post to arch her torso ever so slightly forward.

Grinning, he stepped back and slowly loosened his tie, nodding at hers in hint and hearing Jack chuckle besides him.  He wasn't going to strip naked, but there was no way *he* could get on his knees with the uniform fastened, not without too much pain even for his tastes.

Pulling the strip of silk off, he winked at Sam and turned to wrap it around Jack's neck, using it to pull him close for a laughing kiss, only to catch his breath at the taste of his own semen in his mouth, sharply reminded of just how good his touch had felt, glad to finally be off the damned dulling meds and feel his body react with familiar strength.

Reluctantly pulling back with a sigh from Jack's eager response, he left the tie where it was and undid his jacket, turning back to his colonel.  Her hand was hanging forgotten from her undone collar and she was watching them with soft lust, eyes half-closed and expression languid.  Affection mixed with desire, and he gently stepped up to finish undoing her jacket, slow and attentive and remembering daydreams he'd had, in his lonely living room, after he'd seen her dressed up in the past.

"Siler?"

His eyes raised to hers, feeling Jack's hand come to rest on his shoulder.  He'd been a little too quiet, too long, lost in the joy he'd never known he was missing.  The physical warmth of standing between them was nothing compared to *knowing* they.. loved him.  Mothering and all.

Shaking his head to throw off the introspective mood, he grinned and made short, if careful, work of sliding her jacket off and finished undoing his shirt.

Thinking about the logistics, he tugged the stiff material up enough to loosen the fit, but then saw Sam's eager eyes and laughed a little, tugging again until it hung half out of his pants, knowing he had to be starting to look suitably debauched for her tastes.  His last step was to take the hat off and throw it to the top of the stairs; that brim would be getting in the way in a minute.

"Hey!  That's *my* hat!"

Snorting at the grump, Siler tugged his pant-legs up and carefully got down on his knees right in front of Sam -ignoring the hands on his shoulders that wordlessly helped him-, "I'll buy you another one."

Luckily for him, Sam's waist wasn't high enough that raising his arms made his chest ache; shoving Jack earlier had been just a little too much, deny it though he *would*.  He got her skirt zipper lowered, lifting his hands and giving her a raised brow, "Belly dance, colonel-ma'am?"

Sam giggled, willingly raising her hands in proper form and doing a *very* credible hip wriggle that made both his and Jack's breath catch.  The knowing smirk that that set on her lips was earned, Siler thought as the skirt dropped down and exposed a *very*.  Small.  Red.  Hot.  Silk.  Bikini.

He was stroking the skimpy, slick material before he even thought about it.  Arousal trying to jag through him at the smell of aroused Sam, even before his fingertips found the crotch.  Soaked, and hot, and he was bending to taste without bothering to lower the excuse for underwear, his tongue running from the source of the musky wetness right up to where he knew she had to be absolutely shiveringly sensitive.

He could feel Jack right behind him, and when Sam jerked under his touch, the protective general reached around Siler's shoulders and held her hips, which he had to admit was very handy.  Free hands to slip under the fabric.. and slide on downright *wet* flesh.  He moaned sharply, suddenly way too impatient to tease.  He didn't even feel Sam's hands come to grip his head as he grabbed the thin sides of her panties and pulled them apart, barely feeling the twinge in his chest from the recoil.

Breathing hard as he ran his tongue eagerly between her outer lips, one finger circling and dipping into her, sliding on the syrupy wetness to stroke around it and further back as his tongue took its place.  Feeling the hard clench of muscles as he teased past her perineum, he felt drunk on the power to make her cry out and the pure pleasure of feeling, tasting, arousal.  It was going to be beyond hell the next time he saw her in dress uniform, wondering if she was aroused like this.  Ha!  And if wearing *his* uniform helped...

He could barely feel her nails digging into his scalp, his senses completely on the tension he actually *felt* ratcheting up under his lips and tongue. He had one hand wrapped around her thigh, stroking, the other running a track between getting lubed along her vulva and sliding back to the edge of the ring of muscle that made her grind herself on his lips at every light touch.

The tension of holding off her hands' attempt to pull him too close to breathe finally started to make his wound ache and he took the hand from her thigh to pull one of hers off his skull and grip it tight against her leg as he licked his way to the engorged, stiffened nub that she was trying to bring relief to.  Stopping one last time, he shuddered to hear the moaned "Silerrr-" she gave and closed his lips on her clitoris, suckling hard before flicking his tongue, and then repeating.

He didn't really notice *when* he slid his wet finger through the tight, hardly resisting ring, only paying attention when he felt the clenching of her orgasm ripple over his finger even as she pulsed under his lips.  Jack held her utterly still, as well as kissing her, swallowing most of her breathless cries, leaving Siler to enjoy the intimacy his injury had made too hard to have for the last month.  His thumb eased the last of her orgasm, stroking the smooth skin of her perineum as he very gently slid back out, still licking slowly at her clitoris, drawing out her pleasure.

When he felt her body relax, going limp except for the hands holding her up, he regretfully took a last sweep of his tongue over the swollen folds before pulling back to look at her.

The utterly pleased smiled on her lips as she leaned back with her eyes closed made him grin proudly.  Jack was still just behind him and moving his head back brought him in contact with *his* zipper, complete with very aroused cock behind it.  Hearing the quick catch of his breath, he deliberately repeated the move.

"*Si*ler."

The growl had a threat in it that Siler knew very well was a bluff; Jack wouldn't even touch his tags for a little light control play with his recovering injuries.

But he wanted to get up anyway.

The threat was *proved* false when Jack helped him rise with hands at his ribs, Sam watching now, waiting until he was up to kiss him, deep and thorough, possession and surrender all in one.

When she pulled back, her hands buried in his hair, she glanced behind his shoulder, then back at him with a grin.  Thinking that the entryway floor had seen more than enough action for an afternoon, he shifted his eyes to the living and back to hers.  Plan adjusted and accepted, she nodded and they separated, turning to the man staring at them with a waiting stillness, still fully dressed.

Though he was closer, Siler stepped back and gave Sam access to lay a hand on Jack's chest and push gently, guiding the general's willing self to the living room and then toward the fire Siler had lit while he waited.

Walking besides Sam, Siler grinned, eyes split between the formally dressed dressed general and the colonel with only a dress shirt playing tease around her thighs; wondering how much longer he'd have to keep being careful of what he did and paying for the slightest movement of his arms with pain.

At least he'd been able to do his part up to now.

When Sam brought the 'forced' march to an end, Siler stepped forward and followed her example, stroking a hand up one of Jack's lapels until they held his nape.

They both *looked* so obviously happy, and Jack was just starting to realize how much more often he felt the same since they'd gotten together.  How much sex and comfort and simple affection the three of them engendered in each other; even among the occasional hurt.  How much lighter the playing was, even in the midst of worrying about Siler.  How getting lost in a deep, sweet kiss with Samantha didn't mean that he was one iota less aware of Siler nibbling along the edge of his jaw.

Both of them touching him.  Finally life was getting back to 'normal'.

Even when Siler closed his teeth on his earlobe and growled seriously, "If you *ever* try to make me drool, in public, without warning, again, I am going to tie you up again, and this time I'll blow your mind, over and over, without letting you come until you damn well *beg* me, Jack O'Neill."

Sam grinned, their kiss broken anyway by the deep groan Siler's threat/promise pulled from Jack.  This would be interesting: Siler's self-control against Jack's inventiveness?  And she would get to watch?  And lick up the hunger they raised in each other?  She really couldn't help but love them; childish stunts and all.

She finished undoing Jack's jacket and let him shrug it off with Siler's help as she undid his tie and left it loose around his neck along with Siler's, reaching down to clamp a hand on his penis, pressed, no doubt painfully tight, against the restriction of his pants.  Squeezing gently, she watched the pleasure-absorbed expression on his face as Siler went back to muttering threats into his ear and she responded to every twitch under her palm with another squeeze, arousal reawakening with a slow throb of anticipation, clenching at the thought of feeling him fill her.

Obviously getting impatient, one of his hands came up to grab a handful of her bare behind and the other gently rested on Siler's nape; not actually moving him, just touching, the way they'd both been doing to their injured man, every chance they had.  Getting back on track as Siler reached up and turned Jack's jaw to kiss him, teasingly lightly, Sam carefully undid his zipper, feeling him freeze in anticipation.

Watching Jack's pants slide down his legs, she took a second to pull her shirt and bra off, amused at the way they both seemed to notice at the same time and tilted their heads to watch her until their own kiss was all but broken off.  Men!

It *did* make it easier to undo Jack's shirt though.  She nodded at Siler as she did, "You might want to take that jacket off, sergeant."  And if seeing his darker garment land haphazardly on top of Jack's lighter blue, equally casually dropped one, made a little romantic voice in her mind sigh, well, that was only for her to know.  They *were* hers and she was allowed to be both possessive and happy that they loved each other.

Keeping a grip on the ties, she slid the shirt off his shoulders, taking the time to appreciate the flame-shadowed view.  He started to grumble at the delay, but Siler laughed and tugged him into another kiss, his hand dropping to wrap tight around his cock, standing hard against his belly now that his pants were no longer restraining him.  He stroked slowly as Sam ogled the results of a couple of months of boot camp, ignoring the reappearance of those flexing fingers on her ass.

When they stroked between her cheeks though, she gasped a little, memory of all too rare occasions making heat swell through her.  The general was getting impatient.  Maybe she'd reschedule the ogling for later when they were both lying in bed and drowsy and she could take her time playing with them.

She pulled on the ties around Jack's neck until Siler let him go and he got to his knees on the rug that stayed in front of the fire nowadays, eyes burning up at her.  She heard his breath catch when she turned and dropped in front of him on all fours, though he didn't hesitate for a second, rough hands sliding to her hips to tug her parted knees besides his.  He leaned over her quickly to drop a kiss on her shoulder blade, but then guided himself to her slick entrance and slid in with a relieved groan.

Sam's eyes closed as she pressed back, meeting his thrust.  After watching them both, he was far too far gone to last and she concentrated on bringing him off rather than teasing either of them with further playing.

On his back under his distracted colonel, Siler carefully shifted himself forward, hating his chest and refusing to listen to it, knowing that Jack was aware of him and had deliberately slowed his thrusts and shifted his grip on Sam to give him space to crawl.  Was aware enough even now that he lowered their hips, bringing her within easier reach of Siler's lips.

The surprised cry she gave when he licked hard at her clit told him *she* actually hadn't been aware of his move, and he grinned briefly, proven right that her body was more than ready for another round if she was that out of it.  Her starting to undo his zipper stilled the hand he'd lifted, though, making him pant in anticipation, his tongue jerky as it tried to follow their shifting bodies, sliding as often along Jack as on-  Oh fuck!   Anticipation answered by the moist heat wrapping around his hardening cock, his hand finished its journey, clamping on Jack's scrotum to massage -as well as keep out of Siler's way-, trying to convince himself that he couldn't come again so soon, that this was just for them, but getting distracted by the tension tightening in his belly.

He tried to concentrate on what he was doing with his mouth, but *that* wasn't especially conducive to keeping his wits; Sam, wet and swollen, and Jack, hard and hot and slippery, both of their arousal and pleasure coating them.  The taste and smell of sex, and the wet sound of bodies pounding into and around each other.  And he'd been on short rations for a month, and Sam was moaning with pleasure around him as much as she was sucking him.

He heard Jack growl and his eyes opened automatically; and that was the final straw.  The close visual sent his blood pounding south and suddenly he could feel another orgasm building.

He almost missed the tell-tale change in the tension of the balls he was jerkily playing with, but then he heard Jack cry out and sucked at the base of his cock as he came.  Licking in passing at the juice seeping from their joining with a growl, he latched onto Sam's clit, feeling her still the rocking she'd been doing on Jack; feeling her slide her mouth onto him and suck in time with him.

With his hand still haphazardly stroking him, he was just feeling Jack soften when Sam clenched, lips dropping him to cry out, her forehead dropping to his thigh.  Wondering if he'd have to get *himself* off, he stayed with her, hungrier with every lap at hers and Jack's come.  But after just a few breaths, Sam raised her head, lowered her mouth over him loosely and left it there, offering him control.

With a strangled groan, his head dropped to the floor, hips thrusting up shallowly, unable to judge travel properly and trusting that she'd take over before he went too far, lost in the growing, jagged wall of pleasure.  His hands gripped Jack's thighs and his head turned to hold his mouth against the hard muscle, tasting salty skin that shivered under his panting breath.  It didn't take long before he cried out, teeth closing on his lover's skin as pleasure needled though him sharply.

Left feeling a glowing weakness, he didn't try to move beyond gently releasing his grip on Jack.  Letting his more mobile lovers take care of disentangling them; instead laying there catching his breath and relaxing his muscles in the hope that they'd stop aching soon.  Then there were two warm bodies around him, hands reaching to undo his shirt and then gently massaging the tendons that connected the shoulder muscles to his mangled chest.

"Happy to be off those meds, my sergeant?"

Sam's teasing words were accompanied with lazy kisses to his shoulder-joint, bared as she held his shirt pushed off, and then quiet teasing from Jack on his other side, "You two *do* realize there's a bed upstairs?"

Listening to Sam giggle, Siler just grinned, beyond content with the dopey afterglow of sex, his lovers around him and the smell of a homey fire permeating the room.

He could never dismiss the terror he'd seen in Sam's eyes as he shot her a last look before reaching for the discharge-path breakers.  There was no safe way to engage them with the caps fully charged and no guarantee he'd manage the two-step lock-in before being fried.  But the macro they hoped would stop this wasn't ready and time was running out.

He was aware that his dying would hurt Sam.  That his taking such a risk when there were still seconds to go would not fall under her version of acceptable.  But he couldn't *not* make the choice.  He had to do whatever he could to give them more time.

If Sam lived, Jack lived.  His home would survive. Cass would have her parents and Earth its heroes.

...But he was grateful for a more merciful fate.  Understood better now, the gift he'd been given.  He'd still do anything to keep them safe; but he'd fight to the last to stay *with* them.

AN: many thanks to southernred's help with awards protocol. I just wasn't willing to alter it enough to really fit, so.. figured O'Neill playing games wasn't *that* farfetched.. lol
and to petitestar for the medical OK :D


Chapter ten: It's all in the... genes? (PG13)
July 20, 2009

Jack woke to his cell ringing and shifted to pick it off his night table, grunting as Siler's arms tightened around him in his sleep.  As casual as he was when he was awake, they'd discovered that every so often, their master sergeant got stubbornly possessive in his sleep.  When that happened, getting him to let go tended to equal waking him up.

Which was why the cell was near the edge of the table; so that Jack could reach it from the bed.  Simpler.

When the connection finally shut down, he closed his eyes with an annoyed growl;  not *again*!  Not thinking about it, he went to get up, and this time Siler grumbled awake, "Jack?"

The arms that had held him released wordlessly and he turned over to drop a kiss on the sleepy man's forehead, "Go back to sleep.  I have to go to Washington."

When Siler dragged himself up to a sitting position, blinking tiredly, Jack shook his head with exasperation, "Go back to sleep, Siler.  There's no reason for you to be up."

Siler just groaned as he pushed himself to his feet shakily, "I have to be up in an hour anyway."

Swallowing any further wasted arguments, Jack teased instead, "You just want to join me in the shower."

Siler's lips barely twitched, eyes still three-quarters closed with grubby sleepiness, "*I'm* not the one with a hard-on, general."

"You will be."

Standing under the warm spray, Jack watched him clumsily grab the shampoo and shook his head, taking it from him, "Just why did you have to insist on getting up, Sparky?"

Siler didn't answer, concentrating on standing as Jack soaped his hair.  All too aware that he was being babied but too wiped out to argue.  He'd wake up soon enough; and Jack knew perfectly well why he'd gotten up.  None of them enjoyed separations; Jack was as silently clingy when he or Sam had to leave for any length of time.  They were all too experienced and too old to not know the value of every minute.

Nothing would make possible loss more bearable.. but these moments helped make the actual time apart easier.  Mostly.

####

Eating cereal and sipping coffee in the kitchen, the too-early morning darkness making everything more quiet and close, Jack shifted for the hundredth time, trying to get comfortable in his dress uniform.  "You'll tell Sam I had to go?  It's just a few hours, I'll be back before you are."

"Yeah."

The tired mutter made Jack frown, annoyed at how worn down his partners were, "How much longer are those upgrades going to take you two?"

"Couple days."

####

Glad that Jack had gotten home last night after his two-day long supposed 'few hours', but still tired from the heavy load of upgrades they'd barely finished, Siler's concentration was crap.

"Do that again, Siler!"

"Uh?"  Siler looked up from his clipboard of test results, absently licking his lips as he tried hard to think up another angle to take to the beyond-old, apparent 'mechanism' with the Ancient scribbling on it.

"Didn't you hear it screech??"

Siler blinked impassively at Lee, turning his head to the other two scientists trying to silence another doohickey on the other side of the room, "Sorry, my ears have lost their dept perception.  Assumed it was theirs."

Bill winced at a particularly annoying pitch from the corner, "Point taken," he brightened as he turned to their assignment again, "However, this thing definitely made a screech when you touched it.  What did you do??"

Curious himself, Siler carefully thought back.  All he'd done was turn the thing to see the side referenced in this particular surface test.  Blanking his mind, he reached for the two-piece gadget and gently laid his hand in what he thought was the position he'd used.

And the object, which had up until now only ever reacted to carriers of the ATA gene, emitted a low-volumed screech.

Jerking his hand back in surprise, not to mention years of bad experiences, Siler watched with interest as Bill carefully copied his action without getting any response.

Another 10 minutes and the other two scientists had joined them, all intensely curious about Siler's apparent new gift, since none of them had been able to replicate it.

"Look, I *don't* have the ATA gene, alright?  And genes don't magically... OK, forget I said that part."  Siler winced, reminded that saying 'never' was something he **really** should know better than to try in this job.

They'd established it didn't matter where he or anyone else touched the two weird-shaped and enmeshed pieces of alien material; any time Siler touched them, a screech seemed to come out of the contact points between the pieces.  And any time the other three touched it, it stayed quiet as a lump of clay.

Running his tongue over his teeth as he stared at the thing, mentally swearing at the attention from the theoretical PhD-ers and wishing he'd had time for coffee this morning, he suddenly stiffened, his breath catching and his eyes starting to widen before he caught himself.

He could feel a wave of heat climb up his neck and over his face as he desperately prayed he was letting fancy carry him away.  It couldn't be!  No one had ever reported such a thing....  Of course, who *would*?

"Siler?  You OK??"

He jerked back as Doc Lee reached for him in concern and then blinked at him, trying to pretend he'd simply been deep in thought, "What?  Sorry Doctor Lee, just trying to come up with some idea."

Bill frowned at him, "You looked terrified for a second.  You should go to the infirmary.  As a matter of fact, magic or no, you need a fresh gene scan."

####

"Ma'am?  Sergeant Siler here."

Sam grinned a little at the formal tone, leaning back in the big chair with the phone tucked to her ear, grateful for the chance to stretch her requisition-signing fingers and wondering how such a commonplace thing as his *tone*, for crying out loud!, could be so endearing, "Sergeant?"

"I need your help."

This time she frowned, straightening as she noticed how muffled his voice was.  Seeing an airman walk by her door, she got up and closed it before asking, "Siler?  What's wrong?"

"..What do you think the chances are that the presence of ATA gene not.. native to the host could allow someone to control Ancient technology?"

"Not.. what??"

"One of the damned widgets we've been trying to figure out decided to start responding to *me* this morning!"

Sam's brows rose, her curiosity piqued at the possibilities this opened up, considering the only partial success of Beckett's gene therapy.  She leaned on the corner of her desk, happy to have something technical to focus on, "What do you mean by not being native to the host?"

".."  Sam strained to hear as he muttered a few choice swearwords before downright whispering, "I was too late to have breakfast this morning because we-" his voice suddenly shifted to a normal register, "Yes sir, the generator is on my list this afternoon, sir," his voice shifted, speaking to someone else, "Excuse me, I'll be there in a few minutes, Doctor Lee."

Absently listening to him fake their conversation, Sam pieced together his coded words with the situation and his reaction and bit her lip to keep from grinning unkindly.  When the sound shifted back to muffled, she cleared her throat, trying to sound severe, "You mean he made you late by asking for a-"

"No!... *I* was-"

Sam's mouth dropped, unholy glee filling her.  No matter how much she *wanted* to be sympathetic, this was just too funny!  "You-?!"  She lost it before she could make a full sentence.

"..As much as I adore to hear you giggle, this isn't funny!  The whole time the damn doc was handing me bloody cups I was sitting there praying she wouldn't decide to take a mouth-swab for some crazy damned reason!"  Banging his head lightly against on the wall next to the phone as he held his hand around his mouth and the speaker, Siler listened to Sam giggle helplessly in his ear.  It wasn't that he didn't understand; hell, he shuddered to think what Jack's reaction was going to be.  He was *never* going to live this down!

"S-" he choked back the name as too dangerous to say out loud in the SGC, "I just need some wild theory for why I can suddenly activate Ancient technology.  *Please*."

She was sputtering, choking on the laughter as she finally answered, "Y- you seriously th-th-th-think it's because you.. you.. you-"

Siler groaned, wishing there wasn't still the ghost of a taste in his mouth making the memory crystal clear at a time when he really didn't need it.  "Yes!  My DNA hasn't changed, I'm no more Ancient than I ever was," he perked up suddenly, "Wait.. haven't *you* ever-"

Sam seemed to finally have herself under some control and answered with no more than a chuckle, "No, I haven't actually had that much occasion to play with Ancient gadgets since I starting having occasions to-"

"Damn, I really have to go.  *Any* ideas?"

Smiling helplessly at the despairing tone, Sam threw out a whimsical "..It's broken?"

"And detecting only me?"

"Have a coke on your way back to the lab?  Should break down the last of-" she choked, a last giggle escaping, "Anyway, then this can all be chalked up to a total mystery.."  At least until everyone forgot *this* incident.. then she'd have to manufacture the means to investigate this.  In an emergency, if it worked on the newer Ancient equipment too, it could seriously increase their force of people who could help defend Earth...

####

Sam watched affectionately as Jack leaned against the wall weakly, laughing so hard there were tears streaming down his face.  She'd debated letting Siler break it to him; or even *not*.  But this way Siler was at least saved the laughter, if not the teasing that would follow.  And there was no way, with as often as Jack visited the mountain, that he could avoid hearing about such an unprecedented event.  Especially not with what a big deal his gene had been.

Still, she had to at least *try* to protect Siler a *little*, "You wouldn't be laughing if it was you getting the big needles."  And he might yet if someone decided to compare the device's reaction to *his* gene...

It took a minute for even that silent threat to have any effect, but then Jack finally toned down to chuckles, wiping his eyes and grinning like a loon.  "Oh god.."  he sputtered, trying to control more laughter, "I just can't believe that of all mornings to go and touch an ancient doohickey without washing his mouth, it fell on a day that it's his own fault!"

"Jaaaack..."  She knew too well how frustrated *she* felt on this damned schedule where she didn't get to see Siler; 'fault' was pushing it.

His eyes widened at her warning tone and he started shaking his head and shaking his finger at her, "Oh no!  Nonono!  If *I*'d been the one to ask this morning, you'd both be *growling* at me.  I'm soooo allowed to gloat that Sergeant always-in-control Siler was horny from missing half his dose of sex and chose to end up with my DNA in his mouth!"

####

"I'm never getting a blowjob before work again, am I?"

"No."

"Aw come on, I hardly teased at all..."

"No."

"I'd do it for you.."

"Yeah?  You can go volunteer for some injections anytime you want."

####

"..So it looks like the Ancients figured out that their sensors were letting their alien girlfriends run their technology when they got a blowjob and tightened their protocols.  If we find a very ancient Ancient powerful weapon though..."  Sam grinned at her boys across the supper table; Siler was practising his taciturn look, but Jack pouted at her pronouncement.

"Awww!  You mean I can't order him to-"


Chapter 10a: Intimacy (NC17)
Aug 19, 2009

AN: Chapter 6b: Innocence has drastically changed (aug 19, 2009), might want to give it a reread :D

...still not so sure about posting this.. let along **writing it**. but I'm picking up this bad habit of collecting 'mostly-finished' chapters in stead of posting them...
so. WARNING: in case you didn't already know, anything goes in SAHB sex... -soo wish I could blame draco_somnians for this one.. but I can't. book was reading. don't ask.

-s-e-x-s-e-x-s-e-x-s-e-x- WARNING -s-e-x-s-e-x-s-e-x-s-e-x-

Siler's breath jammed at the unexpected touch as his body shivered from deep inside, fists clenching in the chair-pillow he'd slid under his head.  He finally had to release the air in a harsh gasp, his shoulders arching upward as his forehead pushed into the cotton-covered cushion, feeling the urgent need to come shift into deeper arousal at the intensely intimate stroke of a soft tongue where he'd expected blunt pressure.

"OK?"

Jerking his hips back for more, vaguely feeling the scrape of the carpet on his knees and elbows as he shifted, he shivered at the stroke of fingers on his thighs, however casual.  His brain was far too blasted by sensation for real speech, reducing him to a garbled moan, "*Fuck* yes."

Jack's chuckle didn't faze him, he was actually getting used to, and attached to, hearing the man happy; whatever the reason.  As long as he damn well- oh hell yeah.  He'd been panting and more than ready when he'd slipped to his knees in front of the bathroom, the thick carpet padding his knees, and Jack right behind him; now, the so-intimate wet swipes teasing at his ass were flooding a different, deeper, tension into a tight pool low in his gut.  Christ, why hadn't he done this before?

Too close, now.  He was too close; could feel himself twitching in mid-air with every lick and breath along his skin.  The groan that pulled up through his chest was harsh enough to make him feel raw, and when Jack pulled back, Siler was moving without a thought.

Rising up and around on his knees and tackling a surprised, but unresisting, Jack to the floor, he kissed him, open-mouthed and fierce, one hand wrapped around his jaw, the other holding one of his hands to the deep carpet, Siler's weight squarely on his chest.

The ravaging kiss only lasted a few moments before Jack took it over and rolled them, but the tension that had drawn Siler tight was still there, unable to let him be still.  He needed control, couldn't take any more teasing.  Even if that meant a desperate grapple across the floor, the intensity of contact and applied power, the stroking and kissing any time they got in reach of each other, giving a bare measure of sanity until he got the upper hand and got Jack laying face down.  Trying to catch his breath and still feeling half-mad with shivery need, he sat on Jack's thighs, shuddering and grinding himself against his lover, and leaned down to take a bite at his shoulder before growling, "Where'd you put it?"

Jack laughed breathlessly, pointing at the bedside table, "Never had it."

Siler growled again in frustration, "Don't even think of moving."  He reached down and slapped the man on the ass for good measure, fingers lingering for just one second with the temptation to return the earlier favour.  But the mere thought was enough to make his cock twitch painfully and he moaned and scrambled up for the tube of KY.

Half-tempted to tackle him to the bed just to push his luck, Jack lifted his head, watching his lover move quickly the few feet away, muscles flexing constantly, no moment still; power and agility and smooth skin that he hadn't really wanted to stop stroking.  Yeah, at least *some* of Samantha's tastes were undeniably good.

When he saw the already-red scratches on Siler's shins, he nodded to them, even though his eyes were drawn rather higher almost immediately, his voice gravelly, "Sure carpet's better than bathroom?"

Eyes flickering to his on his way past, Siler shrugged, "Easier on *my* knees."  Jack felt him settle on the back of his legs, the anticipation clenching through him.  "*You* OK?"

Immediately annoyed at the tense hesitation he heard, he shifted up slightly and swung his open palm back, aiming his silent response at one of the muscled thighs straddling him.

He connected solidly and heard Siler chuckle as a cap snapped closed, his breath catching at the slick touch he still wasn't used to.

Feeling the too-controlled stiffness in the palm that smoothed along his back in reassurance made him appreciate the calming stroke even more.  He didn't think this was ever going to be casual for him, and the fact that Siler remembered that when Jack could *feel* how tightly wound he was was just one reason that they loved him.

The fact that it felt so fucking good when the gentle, if shaky, petting finally made him relax was one reason the two of them had agreed to make time for this.  He didn't need the fingers spasming on his hips to rock smoothly back into the shallow thrust, groaning with his own rising need.

"Fuck-!  Jack.. I.."

The mixed desperation and embarrassment behind the words took a few seconds to register with his body hogging most of the blood far from his brain, but Jack finally caught the meaning as Siler's movements got far more jerky and demanding than his lover had ever let himself be in this position.

Laughing breathlessly, Jack reached back and patted Siler's thigh, shuddering at the tingle spreading through his nerves, " 'Sokay.  Little too good?"

"I-" Deliberately tightening on him wasn't something Jack would care to do for long, lube or no lube, but making Si' moan like that... "Yea-  Hel-!"  The swearing broke off into a so-familiar low cry that made Jack shiver with pleasure, loving the sound.  Relaxing around Si's pulsing body, he mentally winced at the regret he couldn't deny feeling at not getting to feel that deep, smooth satisfaction he still sometimes would rather deny wanting.

The feeling of warmth that stayed behind as Siler pulled out kicked up the arousal at the intimacy and made him shiver again.  He shifted to his side carefully, reaching out a hand to steady the quietly panting man lifting himself from Jack's legs shakily, and then letting Siler pull him upright and close.  Jack grinned at the still slightly out-of-it eyes meeting his, his hand hungrily curving around Siler's jaw and feeling the freshly-shaved skin shift on his palm as the man smiled dopily.

Trying to get his brain running again, Siler nodded to the bed besides him, not bothering trying to pronounce anything as Jack willingly took the silent hint and laid down on his back, hand reaching to stroke himself with obvious relief.

Wincing at the reminder of his lack of self-control, Siler followed him down, laying behind him and encouraging him to turn on his side, away from Siler, with a kiss to the ball of his shoulder.

"Si'?"

The rough question and accompanying look made him roll his eyes; did the bloody man seriously think he was so selfish??  Blood must really not be feeding his brain...  Rather than answer, he trailed quick kisses down Jack's spine, the hand not holding his body off the bed stroking gently over the cheek of Jack's ass.  He felt the moment Jack stiffened, knew his dirty mind had been correctly read and grinned, "OK?"  He'd be pretty surprised if the answer was no, but Jack wasn't Sam; asking tended to relax him.

"Yeah- but only if.."

Shaking his head slightly, his nose rubbing teasingly on Jack's coccyx, he stroked his hand along his flank, speaking gently, "When have I ever said no to anything in bed, Jack?"

"You said no to Sparky."

Siler snorted a laugh at the whine, nipping at Jack's hip to emphasize the point before trailing his lips over and down, "And don't forget it."

"I- wouldn't-" he heard the gasp Jack tried to smother, slowing his tongue to give him time to adjust as he gently licked off the leftover lube, stealthily reaching for the tube he'd thrown on the bed earlier, listening with satisfaction to Jack's breathing speeding up, even as he tried to speak casually, "Wouldn't.. dream of it."

When his gel-coated palm reached over Jack's hip and displaced the general's hand to wrap itself around his erection, he had to smile at the almost surprised exclamation he got, refraining from commenting about the uses of KY and instead speeding up his tongue.

"Fuckin'  'ell; *Siler*.."

Tightening and speeding his hand in response to the panting need in Jack's voice, he lifted his lips slightly, "This OK, or-"

"Harder."

As he obeyed the unhesitating request, Jack tensed, every muscle shuddering as he gasped out Siler's name and then called it again and again as Siler kept up the long, smooth hand-strokes.  When the ring of muscle under his shifting tongue quivered, he pressed firmly in curiosity and suddenly slid the tip in without restriction, feeling Jack stiffen, Siler's name broken as his breath jammed and his body arched back slightly.

A few shallow dips and he pulled out as he recognized the suddenly sharp stillness in the body he held, going back to quick licks as his own come trickled out with the powerful contractions, listening to Jack try to swallow the shout of his name.

His hand was a sticky mess, but it did fine at keeping up a gentle glide as he carefully shifted himself up to cuddle along Jack's back and nuzzle his nape.  He finally brought his hand up, wiping it on the bed with a mental note to change the sheets, and then laid it on Jack's chest, rising and falling with his slowing breaths.

Feeling the call of a snooze himself, he shifted his leg slightly to get off a bruised-feeling spot, idly thinking about the moments they'd mock-fought across the floor and muttering curiously, "You could have easily overpowered me earlier..."  Much as they'd gone back to training, Jack could still easily take him down...

He'd almost given up on an answer when Jack's mostly drowsy, but mildly grumpy, voice spoke up, "Siler, as long as I'm awake and myself, and unless we're training, you can pretty much do anything you want to m-" a yawn interrupted him, his voice dropping, "-Me, and I'm only going to fight back.. on principle."

Laughing softly at the sleepy man shifting himself as tightly against him as he could get, Siler's eyes closed, happy and content but not quite able to sleep yet, still a little blasted from the sexy game, "Where did you get the idea, anyway?"

"..One of those emails that are the scourge of modern communication."

Siler laughed again at the slightly abashed tone, "Hasn't Sam explained that you should never click on those things??"

Jack shrugged, bringing Siler's palm up to nuzzle before resting it back over his now calmly beating heart, "She's got a," his fingers wriggled, "'Military-grade router/firewall' on the internet and top virus scanner and firewall on the computer."

"Ummm," Siler nuzzled into the patch of sweat-damp hair behind Jack's ear, "Love it when you talk dirty."

Jack choked an affectionate laugh, "Dork."

Fingers combing lazily through the chest hair under his hand, Siler grinned to himself, "You realize that that means she can see every site you go to?"

Jack shrugged, "So?"

" 'Nuthin'.  They selling anything interesting?"

Jack chuckled quietly, "Didn't notice, was someone else advertising on their site; so I was off it almost immediately."

"Off, uh?"

"Shut *up*."

"Yes *sir*."

####

Walking through the quiet house on her way to the bedroom, Sam yawned, annoyed at the conclusion she'd had to come to as she analyzed the personnel schedule.  There was no way around it and she'd already wasted far more time than she should by trying to deny the simple truth.  It was only a week, at most..

Stepping into the bedroom, she stopped, smiling softly.  There weren't a lot of people with wide enough shoulders to wrap protectively around Jack and seem natural.  But somehow, that was how they'd fallen asleep; without sheet or blanket over their very bare, and tightly cuddled, bodies.  Walking up to them, she blinked in surprise when Jack didn't react to her movements.  His head remained where it rested on Siler's forearm; lips relaxed and parted in deep sleep, Siler's nose nestled behind his ear.

It wasn't like her ex-Black ops lover not to snap awake as soon as she stepped into the room and she was a little wary of getting too close to him so deeply asleep; but Siler would eventually have to move.

The choice was taken out of her hands when Siler popped awake, his eyes meeting hers immediately and a welcoming grin peaking past the edge of Jack's neck.  Carefully closing the distance to crouch at Jack's side, Sam watched him blink awake too, giving her a drowsy smile but otherwise unmoving from his safe enclosure.

She grinned at Siler, speaking softly, "You make a good bodyguard, my sergeant."  That seemed to make Jack at least aware of their position, maybe even of the fact that he'd relinquished his safety into Siler's hand, but he only turned his head up to give the man a bemused look before shrugging and settling back down. 

Stroking fingertip down his cheek as his eyes closed, Sam leaned in to drop a kiss on his forehead, glad to see him so relaxed.

Siler was still watching her, still holding Jack unselfconsciously with the arm the general was snoozing on, but his other hand reached out to play with the collar of her permanently 'borrowed' BDU shirt and he shook his head, "I'm not even sure how you managed to find this buried in my closet; let along keep getting your hands on it through you guys' laundry."

Frowning slightly at the choice of wording, Sam swallowed the urge to start an argument when it was so late and she was already stressed.  Instead, she leaned in to get a kiss, smirking as she got the sudden whiff of sex, "You two wear each other out?"

His abashed grin and nuzzling at Jack's nape were too cute for words and Sam giggled, patting his shoulder, "I'll go wash up and you can wake sleeping beauty up slowly and take your turn."


Chapter 11a: Cats and dogs (PG13)
August 31, 2009

"I'll be at your place around 1600, I guess."

Jack grunted non-committedly, hanging up the phone with a growing frown.

"Jack?"

He turned at Sam's curious question, jaw clenching as the anger continued rising in him, " 'Your' place."

She blinked at him in confusion, eyes flickering to the phone and back, "What?"

"He keeps calling this *our* damned place.  As in Us and Him."

Grimacing a little, well aware of the same thing, Sam watched him steadily, not bothering to comment, and Jack's eyes narrowed, obviously planning the best way to get some light into the sometimes very thick skull of the stubborn, late-working, man they both loved.

####

It was late, again, by the time he got his key in the lock, and Siler was a little surprised that Jack's truck was missing from the drive.  He *could* have found something missing for supper, he supposed, though it was late even for that.

He called into the only dimly-lit house, "I'm home."

When Sam didn't answer, he frowned, movements slowing as he hung up his coat.  What the hell?  Pulling out his phone to make sure it was on and that he hadn't missed any calls, he hurried into the kitchen, figuring if they'd left him a note that's where it would be.  One of them going for a drive was normal enough, but for both not to be home by now without having left word would be out of character.  Even if they *had* been a little moody the last few days...

When he saw the stack of papers on the table, he didn't even look at them, searching for something more note-like, but when there was nothing else, and the answering machine was empty too, his eyes were drawn by default, finally noticing that there *was* a note on *them*.

--Sign here

He was about to again dismiss it as none of his business and dial Sam's cell when he caught sight of his name under the post-it note.  Instincts froze his body for a minute and he stiffly put away his phone, eyes fixed on those official papers on which he could see Sam's and Jack's names and signatures.  And his name.  Waiting for its own signature.

He slowly looked around at the silent house, unable to explain why he felt on the edge of something.  Why his lungs felt tight.

Eyes sliding back to the papers, Siler swallowed, turning away to get a beer without touching them.

The reassuringly commonplace action settled him enough to snap at himself for reacting so strongly when he had no idea what was even going on and he straightened, clenching his jaw with stubbornness as he marched back to the stack.  How bad could it be?  It wasn't as though they were married...

Familiar enough with legal documents, he undid the fold someone had put in the thick pile of papers and flipped back to stare at the first page.  And stare some more.  The deed to their house???

Putting his beer aside, he sat down and pushed his glasses higher, frowning fiercely as he read the details.

####

Sam broke the thick silence, "Relax, Jack.  He probably got held up at work."  It had been his idea to not be there when Siler got home, but as time passed without a word, she could see the tension accumulating.  There was no real doubt about Siler's commitment to them, but doing this without discussing it had been one of those things Jack got stubborn about.  Even though he knew Siler had his own temper and stubbornness.

Sometimes it was fun to watch them spark off each other, but other times, she wanted to bang their heads together until they saw sense.  Watching Jack swallow too much of his beer for it to be enjoyment, she sipped her pop, glancing at the TV in the corner of the bar, thinking that Siler was probably-  Sam exhaled in visible relief when his cell rang.

"O'Neill."

She shook her head at the almost-snarl, smirking wryly when his shoulders suddenly dropped visibly, relaxing, his eyes closing in relief.

He put his phone away without saying another word, his lips quirking as his eyes opened and met hers with that softness that would always steal her breath.  The tone was just as heart-catching.  "He said 'Come home'."

####

Sam smelled the fire as she got out of the driver's seat of the truck and they walked down the side of the house rather than go through the front door.  Siler was sitting in one of the folding chairs, head thrown back and a glass on his knee.  Two more chairs were lined on either side of him in front of the fire and the bottle of scotch and two glasses on the ground besides him.

Taking the wordless offer, she poured herself a shot and dropped a kiss on his forehead on her way to the chair on his far side.  He waited until both she and Jack had taken a sip before speaking quietly, "I can't change my address."

Not letting Jack jump in, Sam responded calmly, "Whenever you retire-"

"Whenever *you* retire," his head lifted, eyes opening to frown at her, "I am *not* putting your career at further risk.  Not a chance, Sam."

It wasn't often that they talked about the dangers their relationship posed to both their jobs.  Of course, Siler retiring had also not made the table before as anything but chaff at being injured.  Or Jack whining about their absence.

"We wasted a lot of years on 'careers' and 'duty' Siler, I'm not-"  Her eyes narrowed and her jaw clenched as he shook his head, interrupting.

"I'm not-" his eyes flickered the house, obviously still unsettled at the thought of the added link between them, "I'm not volunteering to.. *end* this, Sam.  If I leave my stats the way they are, keep having Monday night poker at my place; no one has any reason to probe.  Where I sleep, where most of my clothes are," he shrugged, catching Jack's steady gaze, "You both know this is.. home."

"So call it that."

Sam rolled her eyes at Jack's grumpy order, knowing she was about to get one of the 'funny' versions of them clashing.

" 'Call' it??"  Siler blinked, confused but responding to the bossiness by stiffening, obviously already too tense to take it in his usually accepting stride.

"You keep saying 'your place'."

"..*That*'s what this about??  Damn it Jack..!  It's a reference point.  A figure of speech for crying out loud!"

Sam choked a snicker as she thought of just how often Siler used *that* 'figure of speech' these days.  Jack was a terrible influence on everyone around him, he really was.

"What's wrong with 'home'?"  hearing that plaintive edge in the general's voice made her want to go to him and hug him though.

".."  Siler deflated, the angry tension leaving him to a more normal mellow impassivity as he shrugged, "Nothing.  Habit, I guess."

"Well.. make a habit of thinking of *us* as home, would you?"

This time she did get up, silently seating herself on the cold grass in front of Siler's chair and leaning on his legs, adding her own version of asking for his attention, feeling his free hand come to rest on her shoulder as he spoke softly, "I do.  I will."

They sat quietly for a while, watching the fire and letting go of the tension.  When the flames started going down, Siler stirred in his seat and added matter-of-factly, "My military will's empty, it just refers to a secondary one kept by a lawyer.  Used to have most of it go to charity," he grinned at Jack, "Except for a few things," Jack watched the grin fade into a serious look, "I switched it to you a while back, with a comment about your saving my ass and my promising to put you in my will."

Part of him was ashamed for the fit at casual word-use, but he suspected they'd all needed this wake-up call.  Cruising along on assumptions only worked for so long and he didn't want this relationship messed up any more than was inevitable.  He'd lost his marriage and damned near lost Sam because of lack of action.  It had taken damn near 60 years, but he'd finally learned that sometimes dreaded conversations really were better than the hellish alternatives.

####

She almost didn't recognize him with that openly tender expression, even though he'd hardly changed otherwise.  Slowly reaching to undo her gas-cap, Fay smiled, genuinely pleased at the happenchance meeting, and called out, "Siler?"

Pausing in the act of opening his old leather jacket to hide the kitten he'd just picked up, the sergeant looked toward her with a frown that cleared into something closer to his old taciturn mask when he tracked her down and recognized her.

Watching him walk over, she wondered if she was imagining how different he looked, or if her memory was simply skewed.  She remembered the man as reserved at a deep level; even when he'd smiled and teased, those lovely eyes had been shuttered tight.

As great as the sex had been, eventually she'd had to admit to herself that she wanted to look for more.  His perfectly calm acceptance had been proof that she was doing the right thing; as was the casual friendship they'd settled into until she was reassigned a year later.

"Lieutenant Donovan?"

She laughed, shivering as the freezing wind rose up, "I'd forgotten how much you liked to be formal; sergeant Siler."

No.  No, those eyes were definitely different.  Fay was sadly sure that she wouldn't have given up if he'd ever smiled quite like that.  It only lasted an instant, but it made the happy peace in his eyes utterly unmistakable.

"It's not a bad habit for a mere sergeant to have with so many officers about, ma'am.  Are you back at the mountain?"

Reaching out to pet the gaunt little furball clinging to him under the protective leather, Fay pulled back when she saw him shift away instantly.  Blinking in slight surprise, she gave him a bemused look, "Sorry." nodding to it instead, she asked, still a little thrown, "You taking it home?"  He nodded, looking abashed; she *really* had to wonder at the strange reaction. "And no; I'm at the academy.  And it's Major Donovan," she rolled her eyes at herself, "Although so recently I'm still getting used to it."

The bit of a self-deprecating smile was all the comment she was likely to get to the sudden physical distance from a man she remembered as willing enough to be touched, even if platonically.  She'd heard rumours that people thought he was in a 'real' relationship, but hadn't really given it any credence until now...  She had to bite her lip to keep from quizzing him.  His eyes might be more open, but she'd be shocked if he was suddenly less private.

The hand he held out to shake hers would have once swung out to offer a hug -and more, even after they'd downgraded to friendship-, but she shook it as he spoke warmly, "Congratulations, Fay," his head tilted, looking lost in thought for a few seconds, "Uh.  The years fly by sometimes.."

"Thanks, and yeah, sometimes," she nodded her chin at the kitten, "I better let you get it home."  Yup, there was that little smile, again.  He was definitely taken.  "What are you calling it?"

He looked down at the dirty grey creature for a second before nodding decisively, "Leonardo."

"Da Vinci?" she laughed at the sheepish nod, "You always were a bit of a dork, Siler."

He froze for a second before shrugging, looking amused at some private joke, "Guess so.  It was nice seeing you again," he winked, a hint of the old teasing sergeant, "*Major*."

Grinning, Fay watched him strut to his truck, the very image of a man on top of the world.

She wondered who the woman was.  And how they'd kept it quiet enough that no one else knew either...

####

On her way to relax on the couch with her coffee, Sam smiled when Siler finally walked through the door.  The way he was hunched and cupping something against his chest made her head tilt in curiosity though.  "Siler?"

He looked over at her and grinned, carefully opening his jacket, "You'll never guess what I found."  Unaware of Jack just stepping out of the kitchen, he gently pulled a very small ball of fur away from where it clung to his jumpsuit.

"Awww!"  Sam smiled widely, getting back up and hurrying over to cuddle the small, bedraggled kitten, "Where did you find him??"

Siler smiled goofily at the baby noises Sam was making to the tiny creature clinging stiffly in his palm, feeling himself turn to complete mush.

"And more to the point, where are you *taking* him?"

Siler looked up at the grumpy snark, frowning at the man glowering from the entrance to the kitchen.  "What??"

"A cat??"

Aware that Sam had shifted to stand besides him in physical solidarity, they both glared at the man giving the kitten the evil eye.  Stroking the defenceless creature, Siler growled, "What's wrong with a cat?"

Jack looked between the two of them and then down to the cat they were, between them, shielding protectively.  When he looked back up, there was a grumpy, but half-resigned, expression in his eyes.

"You seriously want a cat?"

The very slight emphasis on 'you' made Siler blink and suddenly start to grin, amused as hell at his man's prejudices, "You want it to be *my* house too, and I happen to like cats.  They're cuddly, purring is good for your health, and if you're stuck on base for a week they just give you an accusing look when you get home."  Very like the one Jack was currently sending him, come to think of it.

Dropping a kiss on Sam's nose, he brought the new member of their family up to cling to his collar trustingly and ambled over to the grumpy general.

Bringing both hands up to cup Jack's jaw, he leaned over and pressed a soft kiss on his lips before puling his head back to whisper gently, "Love me, love my kitten."

He watched Jack's eyes drop to the tiny creature and then roll in exasperation, though his voice was a lot less harsh, "Beg to differ.  Love you; *tolerate* the furball."

####

Home early for once, Siler ambled through the empty house, listening to the cold wind howling outside.  Sam wasn't going to escape for a while and Jack was probably out shopping, but his days of feeling like an interloper here had passed long before they'd offered to add his name to the deed.  Instead, he got the fire started, leaving most of the lights off to enjoy the flickering flames.  In a good mood, he even took the time to pick some CDs and throw them in the player on random before he went to pour himself a tall glass of juice.

On the way, he stopped by the improvised enclosure where the little grey-stripped kitten was chasing a balled-up post-it note, laughing at how huge its tummy had gotten in just two days.  It looked like a swaying beer barrel and Siler couldn't quite figure out why.  Sure, they were feeding it, but only a reasonable amount.  And yet-  His eyes narrowed in sudden suspicion, shifting one of the newspapers covering the floor.  Picking up the mystery item, he looked at it up close and sniffed.

And started laughing in earnest, snagging Leo to come cling to his chest and purr loudly.  Jack was still professing to hate the newcomer, but a haphazardly cut piece of steak in his pen?  No wonder the little tyke he'd found abandoned next to the stairs at the gas station was all at once catching up on the weight he'd been short of!


Chapter 11b: Glow (NC17)
Oct 19, 2009

-s-e-x-s-e-x-s-e-x-s-e-x- WARNING -s-e-x-s-e-x-s-e-x-s-e-x-

"What??"

Cam jerked as his friend snapped at him, slamming her fork on the mess table.  "Uh?"

"What the hell are you staring at, Mitchell?"

"Oh," Cam twitched under the sudden attention, "Err, just.. wondering how come you're looking so.... glowy lately."

Sam's mouth dropped, "Glowy??"

Unfortunately, she and Daniel both missed Vala's eyes widening from across the table, "Oh my god!!  You're pregnant!"

Sam's fork was already down so there was no noise to hide Siler choking a few tables over.

Sam gapped at the triumphantly smiling alien woman, turning red as what seemed like half of her base froze in the middle of lunch and stared at her.  Including *one of* her lovers; though Siler was deliberately *not* looking at her in the glance she ran over him, Walter and Simmons.  She finally took a deep breath, knowing she didn't have a choice but to respond at full damned public voice.  "I am *not* pregnant.  Not even a chance, *Vala*."  She followed the words with a glare that she passed around the room until everyone finally found something more interesting to stare at.  The only one that missed the heat was Siler, staring at his plate with a poker-face that she was too far away to see through.

When she turned back to the table, she very nearly threw her plate at Vala, who still didn't get the message to drop it.

"Fine, so why *are* you glowing then?"

What could she answer?  Vala, of *all* people should be able to guess why she might be looking a little.. extra cheerful.  Daniel was staring at her helplessly, obviously having made the connection.  He turned to his girlfriend with a bright, slightly fake smile, "Err, where did you say you wanted to go shopping later?"

Wincing in grateful sympathy for the sacrifice he'd just made, Sam escaped the table as soon as she could swallow her food, giving up on manners for the need to escape *fast*.  And when she saw Walter and Simmons leave, she made a point of stopping next to Siler, leaning over to hiss for his ears only as though she was passing him an order, "I am *not*!  I swear to god, Siler."

####

Jack looked up from the hockey team's paperwork when the front door opened.  About to greet his lovers, he blinked in shock when Siler no sooner got in the door than he pushed Sam against it, kissing her as though he were a starving man.  Watching his hands scrabble to rip her clothes off as he ground his crotch against her, Jack got up, feeling a very odd shakiness in his limbs at the raw passion having shockingly taken centre stage.

Sam was moaning softly and obviously as taken by surprise as Jack by the attack, though her desperate grip at Si's neck wasn't complaining.  By the time Jack got to the door, Siler had her naked from the waist up and finally pulled back, burying his lips in her neck as he tried to catch his breath.

Jack slid a hand to the man's neck, feeling the muscles quivering, "Si'?"  His eyes met Sam's half-shocked, half-aroused ones, seeing no clues there.

"Sorry," Siler's voice was ragged and breathless, "I just really, really need to," Jack stepped back when the sergeant did, wordlessly helping his shaking hands undo Sam's pants, "Need to have you.  Could barely keep my head straight since lunch.."  He laid another hard kiss on Sam's already bruised lips, and Jack, feeling the draw himself, tugged at his neck gently, wanting to get his own dose of hard 'hello' kiss as he slid a hand to cup Sam's ass.

Though he very willingly treated him to the same possessive hunger, for a long minute uncharacteristically demanding surrender, Siler finally pulled away, panting, and starting a fast track down Sam's chest with kisses.  She dropped her head on the hardwood door with a moan, her eyes closing, her fingers sliding into his hair, and Jack brought his hands up to cup her jaw and turn her face toward him.  Sam opened her eyes and he smiled, both of them well aware that she was soon going to lose the ability to speak, "So.  Good lunch?"

Sam laughed breathlessly, ending on a moan as Siler's tongue slid down to touch her clit.  "Not real--ly.  Cam- ohhh, made a-" her nails dug into Siler's scalp, "Com-*ment* about me glowing...." Jack was grinning at her broken explanation and started nibbling at her neck, sliding a hand down to hold one of her hips to the door for Si', more than willing to help drive her crazy, no matter what the reason, "And Vala, oh god please! Got the.  *Notion*.  I was-" She lost the thread for good then, and Jack gave up on knowing the story for now, tugging her head just over enough so he could take her mouth for himself as she shook and shivered, crying out under Si's determined lips.

Jack was just undoing his jeans' zipper with one hand, feeling Sam stretched tight as a bowstring under his other hand's grip, when the sergeant got up with a grunt.  Still thinking clearly enough, Jack got out of the way, watching Siler, his own fatigues undone at some point, slide a hand to Sam's bare thigh to help her hitch it around his hips, sliding his aroused cock into her with a broken cry that wasn't like him any more than this desperation to possess was.

They were both obviously so close that he knew they'd be done long before he was, so Jack didn't try.  Just rested back on the wall and stroked himself lazily as he watched Sam dig her nails into Siler's back, arching and rocking as crazily as she could with him fucking her hard against the door.

At the last second, as Sam stiffened, her head literally knocking back on the door, Jack had a flash of memory of the last time he'd pulled that stunt and stepped forward.  When Siler jerked hard and froze, drowning his cry in Sam's shoulder, Jack gently grabbed his hips, grunting when he was suddenly holding their combined weight up, "Easy Si', knees are for holding you up man, trust me."  Sam must have heard his mutter and gingerly lowered her legs to take her own weight, still leaning back on the door, fingers stroking Siler's nape as she caught her breath.  Si' finally got his legs to work again but stayed leaning back on Jack, body a little too loose for Jack to trust him to stand on his own.

Sam got her breath back first and straightened a little, tilting her very obviously well-devoured lips at their wiped-out friend, "As I was saying, Vala got the crazy," she met Jack's curious eyes firmly, "*Incorrect* idea, that I'm pregnant."  Even wiped-out, Siler still jerked, grunting and knocking his head gently and repeatedly against Jack's.  "She then proceeded to state this theory at her usual full volume to the whole cafeteria."

Siler could *hear* the curiosity in her tone and knew he had to explain himself, no matter how damned embarrassing it was.  He made himself straighten to stand fully on his own, his eyes meeting Sam's, "Sorry Sam.  The.. idea just..." he shook his head, hearing Jack chuckle in understanding behind him, "I had to concentrate like hell just to keep from having a hard-on all damned afternoon!  The drive home..."  Had been uncomfortable.  Radio off left his thoughts free to torture him... the bloody radio on, of course, was equally set to torture him with song after song about sex and kids and-

He choked off the thought when he saw the brief flash of pain in Sam's expression before she started closing off and he hurriedly stepped up to her to cup her cheeks, shaking his head, "No!  Sam don't.  This isn't-"  he dropped his forehead to hers, grateful to feel Jack's hands on his shoulders, "I don't suddenly want kids, Sam.  Just for one thing, I'm too bloody old to raise one.  It's just the idea of you pregnant..."

When he groaned, body shivering and head rocking against Sam as the image obviously hit him again, Jack squeezed his shoulders, sliding one hand to Sam's to catch her attention, "It's a possession thing.  Your woman, belly round with your child.  Feeds all those caveman instincts to mark her as yours,"  he grinned at Sam's slow understanding, "Damned hard to resist those instincts."  Turning his head to catch Si's grateful glance, he added a little wistfully, "Just as hard to resist them when you're not actually allowed to touch her, trust me."  The understanding in the man's eyes was clear, just like Sam's palm curving around his cheek.

"Jack?"

He shook his head at her softly worried question, "No, I don't regret the past. I told you the day we got together, Sam, I live for today.  You, me and Si'," he looked at both of them, utterly serious for once, "We have Cass for a semi-legal daughter and I have a pack of kids to teach hockey and baseball to.  If I have the odd daydream of being 25 again and carrying you over a threshold, pregnant with twins...," he shrugged, hiding his grin when they both laughed, if raggedly, "Hey, I also daydream about flying X-302s against the Goa'uld again.  And even *I* know that just wasn't half as fun as I choose to remember."

####

When Sam left them alone for a minute in the living room after supper, Jack leaned over to Siler and muttered, "Sergeant, do me a favour,"  Siler gave him a raised brow for the official tone, "Use some of those non-com powers of yours to make Cam and Vala pay?"  He grinned back at the thoroughly evil look that appeared in Si's eyes then, thinking that he'd have to come to the base and bring Sam lunch tomorrow... Maybe he'd be lucky enough to be present to see some of the revenge those two were sooo in for.


--


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