Author's Note: This is my first Stargate fic ever, so I hope it's alright. No flames, please. This takes place right after 'Threads.' Also, as a personal disclaimer, I don't know if all of the flashbacks happened in this particular room, but let's just pretend that they did.

Disclaimer: Don't own it.

Too many things have happened in this room. Samantha Carter had been on both sides of the observation glass, and she couldn't say that she enjoyed the majority of those times.

She bit her lip and leaned against the wall, looking at the now empty bed in the middle of the room. She sighed and ran her hand through her hair as she looked away from the bed.

The most recent event that had taken place in this room had torn her heart apart. It was not the first time it had happened in this room. She closed her eyes as the unbidden memories washed over her.

"There's no brain activity of any kind, no brain wave from either Sam or the entity. She's being kept alive entirely on life support. I think it's time to let her go, Sir."

"Just give it a minute, huh?"

"Sir, I don't know if you can hear me. The Tok'ra have offered you a deal. There's a symbiote that needs a host. They think it could cure you. Now, it may be your only chance. It would only be temporary. It would come out of you as soon as they found another host. Sir, are you getting any of this?"

"Carter?"

"Yeah, I'm right here."

"Over my dead body."

"Sir, the symbiote's host died when they were on a mission. The Tok'ra have strong reason to believe that the symbiote has vital information to reveal and this would give him that chance. Now, they promised that if no other host was found within a reasonable amount of time, the symbiote would sacrifice itself rather than stay in an unwilling host. Sir, please."

"I can't believe there is nothing they can do. They can remove a Goa'uld. In the last few years you've almost perfected the process of saving the host."

"That process instantly kills the symbiote before it releases toxins. It's too late for that, Sam. I'm sorry. I hate to do this to you, but I should have been dead four years ago. Since then, I've been all over the galaxy. I've done things most men never dream of."

"I've heard that before."

"I just want to know you're gonna be happy."

"I am."

"Don't let the rules stand in your way."

"What are you talking about?"

"You joined the Air Force because of me."

"I love my job."

"You can still have everything you want."

"I do, Dad. Really."

"You okay?"

"Actually, I'm fine. Good, even, strange as that sounds. I thought I lost him four years ago. Since then we've been closer than we ever were my whole life. In a way, Selmak gave me the father I never thought I'd know."

"Come here."

"Thank you, Sir."

"For what?"

"For being here for me."

"Always."

"I didn't leave… because I'd have rather died myself than lose Carter."

"Why?"

"Because I care about her. A lot more than I'm supposed to."

Her eyes snapped open as the door opened. Sam looked up as Jack O'Neill walked into the room. He put his hands in his pockets and looked at her tear-filled eyes.

"Hey," he said. "Are you okay?"

Sam nodded her head. "Yeah," she muttered as she fisted away her tears.

Jack gave her a skeptical look but said nothing more on the matter. "So," he said, rocking back onto his heels. "Daniel has already packed, and Teal'c is waiting in the truck. It's just you that has to pack now."

"Sure," Sam said. "Just give me a minute, and I'll drive home."
Jack threw his arm out, stopping Sam as she tried to walk through the door. "I don't think so," he said. "I'm driving you there to make sure you pack."

When Sam didn't even smile at his antics, Jack lowered his arm to her shoulder and gently turned her to face him.

"You okay?" he repeated.

Sam tried to blink away the newly formed tears once again. Just as she was about to nod her head, she found herself pulled into his arms. She wrapped her arms around his neck and buried her face in his chest as she let a few tears roll down her cheeks. She felt his cheek on top of her head and his hand in her hair as he made little soothing noises.

Jack pulled back and looked at her. Then he bent forward and brushed his lips across hers. When he pulled away, Sam looked up at him in shock, but he smiled easily at her and ran a hand through his messy hair.

"You ready to go?"

Sam found herself smiling at him. "Yeah."

Jack put his hands back in his pockets as they walked out of the room.

"So," Sam said as they walked. "There are no fish?"

Jack grinned at her. "No fish."

Sam laughed as she glanced over her shoulder at the room. She sighed to herself.

It was just one more thing to be locked in that room.

And then she smiled. That room would be unlocked soon.

Sooner than she thought.

Author's Note: I hope it wasn't too horrible. Going back over it, I felt that the ending was just a little too angsty for my taste. So I fixed it.