'You wanna get up?'

Carter shook her head, her limp body sliding further down the wall of rocks.

'Just need to rest for a minute,' she said. Head down, eyes closed. Defeated. A soldier who'd pushed herself too far, for too long. She wasn't going to be moving anytime soon and nothing Jack could say would change that. Teal'c was staring in the opposite direction, his eyes fixed on the corpse of their fallen enemy. They were safe... for now.

Jack eased himself down beside her and slid an arm across her shoulders.

'C'mere,' he said.

She huddled against him. Her head dropping onto his shoulder.

'Just a minute,' she repeated.

'Take all the time you need.'

'It's dead, isn't it?'

'Yeah, it's dead.'

He brushed his free hand through her dirty hair, pushing it back to reveal the wound on her forehead. His fingers gently probed the wound and she winced.

'Looks like you've got yourself a little bit of a concussion there, Carter.'

'When the base blew ... hit my head ... Dad?'

'He's fine. Broken leg but Selmac's taking care of it.'

'Good ... good.'

Her eyes closed again.

'Dad's okay?'

'He's okay.'

Carter wasn't soft. The body that curled into his was all angles and muscles. Even now, at her weakest, she was still his strength.

'You did good today,' Jack said.

He felt her press closer.

'And Dad?'

Jack placed a hand on her cheek, tilting her face so that he could get a good look at her eyes. Yep, definitely a concussion.

'C'mon Carter,' he said as he tried to help her up. But she wasn't moving. There was no way that she was walking out of here by herself.

'Teal'c,' Jack called. The Jaffa turned his head.

'I'm going to take Carter back to base. Keep an eye on our friend here?'

The drone was dead but Jack wanted to make sure that it stayed that way and that the right people found the corpse.

'I will stay,' Teal'c said.

Jack hauled Carter to her feet. She stumbled forwards.

'That's right, Carter, one step at a time.'

'I'm tired, Sir.'

'I know.'

He gave her a push, just a little one. She took a step and then another. Her injured leg dragged behind her and Jack wondered how the hell she had managed to run so far, for so long. She tripped and he put out a steadying hand.

'I don't think I can make it, sir.'

'Yes you can.'

Jack could have called for the medics, but he knew they were preoccupied with the dead and those who were injured far more severely than Carter. The ones who probably wouldn't be making it back through the Stargate. He gave Carter another nudge.

'Unless you want me to carry you?'

Carter glared at him but picked up the pace. Jack followed, ready to catch her if she fell.

She limped back to the Stargate on her own, walking into the clearing to cheers and applause from the men and women who were gathered there. Jack stood back, letting her have this moment. She deserved it. It was only when Carter turned her head and looked at him did he step up beside her.

'Ready to go home?' he asked.

'Yes, sir.'

He steadied her during their trip through the gate, holding onto her arm as they stepped onto the ramp. She managed to walk out of the gateroom and then vomited on his boots as soon as they were alone in the corridor.

'Okay Carter, I've got you ... I've got you...'

Jack scooped her up in his arms and carried her to the infirmary.

Carter had been crying. Her nose was a little red and snotty. Her hand fluttered to her face as she rubbed her eyes. Some might had mistaken her distraction for fatigue, but Jack knew better. A tired Carter was a cranky Carter. Her mind spun so fast that it was difficult to get her to stop. She would argue with him almost to the point of insubordination. Cranky Carter certainly wouldn't let him help her into his truck without a word of protest. She lent against the window, her eyes not quite focussed on the road ahead.

'Okay?' he asked.

The light at the junction switched to red and Jack shifted the truck into neutral.

'Just a bad day,' she said.

'Which one?'

She smiled a little at that, shifting in her seat as she stretched her leg out.

'Your leg?'

'I've had worse, sir.'

But he could tell she was making light of the injury. She'd chosen a loose floaty skirt instead of the skin tight jeans that she usually favoured. Her hands kept picking at the fabric, moving it away from the tender flesh.

'There'll be a scar,' she said.

'We've all got a few of those.'

But he was sensing something else here. Physical injuries would, over time, heal. The light switched to green and Jack made to turn left. Carter stopped him.

'Could we not go there?' she said.

'Your house is that way.'

'I know.'

She pressed her lips together. Behind them an irate driver blasted his horn. Jack switched the truck into drive and turned right. Carter relaxed, the tension draining from her body.

'It's stupid,' she said. 'Pete wants to come over. I don't want him to see me like this.'

Carter gestured to her face and the one eye that was still slightly swollen, the scab of dried blood that wasn't quite hidden by her hair. Jack chose his next words carefully.

'Pete's a cop. I'm sure he's seen worse.'

'I'm not a victim!'

She wouldn't look at him. This wasn't about vanity, he realised. She just needed a place to lie low until she was ready to face the world. Jack could understand that. What he couldn't accept was Carter's perception that her house wasn't the safe space she badly needed it to be. Or that she couldn't just tell her new boyfriend that she didn't want to see him. Then again, maybe it wasn't that surprising. Jack barely knew Pete but he got the feeling that the man wouldn't be the type to stay away even if Carter wanted him to.

'You hungry?' he asked. 'I know a place that does the best kung po chicken.'

'I could go for some of that, sir.'

Jack called the restaurant en route and the order was ready by the time he pulled up outside. Carter waited in the truck.

She was quiet for the rest of their journey. Not even reacting when Jack swore at some asshole in a grey sedan who thought it was a good idea to block the driveway. The guy drove off eventually, but only after Jack had leaned on his horn.

'Sorry about the mess,' Jack said when he let them into the house.

It wasn't untidy. Jack had been a soldier for far too long for that but he hadn't been home in a while and the place smelt stale. He threw open the doors that led out onto the deck. The night air was chilly but he figured he could light the fire in a bit and ward of the worst of the cold.

Carter's cell phone rang whilst he was plating up their food.

'Hey Pete,' he heard her say. 'I'm fine... really... no I'm not home yet... I don't know when... I'll call you? Okay ... okay ... No it'll be a while yet.'

Jack set the plate of chicken and rice down in front of her. She snapped the phone shut.

'I didn't lie,' she said.

He handed her a beer.

'No you didn't.'

'You think I should have told him?'

Jack twisted the cap from his bottle and sent it spinning into the fireplace.

'Thinking's not really my thing.'

She gave a bitter little laugh and pushed the food around her plate for a while. The occasional grain of egg fried rice made it past her lips. Jack cleaned his plate.

'You mind if I switch on the TV?' he asked.

'Sure.'

Jack wanted the background noise, the touch of normality. He flicked through the channels, unable to settle on anything. It was at moments like this that the world they inhabited didn't seem real. Carter set her plate down on the table and pushed it in his direction. He speared a piece of chicken and lifted it to his lips. Carter lent back and took a long pull at her beer.

'Dad's gone,' she said. 'He doesn't know when he's coming back.'

'Shit.'

A few tears caught on her eyelashes.

'He said goodbye.'

'Carter...'

'It's fine. I mean I know he had to go... He waited long enough to make sure I was okay.'

But that wasn't really the point and Carter knew it. She'd needed her Dad and the man had just walked away. Jack stabbed at another piece of chicken, channelling his anger into the fried food. Carter picked up her own fork and started on the rice.

'It's fine,' she repeated.

'No it's not.'

She curled against him, wincing as she drew her knees up to her chest. Jack shifted the plate onto his lap so they could both reach it.

'I mean I took out that drone, for crying out loud...'

Jack flinched.

'I shouldn't be crying because my Dad doesn't want to hang around and play dress up with me.'

The tears were slipping down her cheeks now. She drained her beer and tossed the empty bottle across the room towards. It landed neatly inside the trash basket.

'You want another one of those?'

'You won't be able to drive,' she said.

'Guest room's yours if you want it. Although Teal'c was the last one to use it so you might want to crack a window...'

She giggled, turning her face into his shoulder. He could feel the slight moisture from her tears soaking into his t-shirt as her body shook. Jack no longer knew whether she was laughing or crying, he just let her carry on. When she finally raised her head her eyes were red.

'Another beer would be good, sir,' she said.

Her phone rang again. Jack caught a glimpse of the caller ID. It was Pete.

'Do you want me to get that?' he offered.

Carter shook her head and switched her phone off. Hauling himself of the couch, Jack headed to the kitchen. He snagged another couple of bottles from the fridge. Pausing by the front door, he peered through the blinds. The grey sedan was now parked across the street but it was too dark to see if there was anyone inside.

She was eating by the time he got back to the living room. The TV was switched to the Discovery Channel. She'd found a pen and a scrap of paper from God only knew where and was scribbling notes with one hand. Jack sat down and handed over the bottle.

'It can't last,' he said. 'Not like this.'

His choice of words was deliberate. She stopped writing. Her smile was brittle.

'What other choice do I have?' she said.

Jack couldn't answer. Carter returned her head to his shoulder and opened her beer.