Title: Sacrificial Confessions
Author: Jemma
Story Status: Complete
Series/Sequel Info: None
Season: Seven onwards
Spoilers: None
Categories: Romance, H/C, hmm...
Pairings: Sam and Jack
Rating: T
Content Warnings: Little bit of violence.
Summary: A near miss on an alien planet causes Sam to get something off her chest that's bugging her.
Archive Permissions: Please ask
Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters relating to Stargate. They belong to MGM and any of their associates. I'm just playing around with them for a little while!
Authors Note: Well...it's short and kinda pointless!! Dedicated to everyone that I know and everyone I don't - wishing you all a very happy Christmas and New Year!!

SGSGSGSGSGSGSG

Darkness fell early on P57 291.
Myself, Daniel, Teal'c and the Colonel were camped out in a cave between the nearest village and the Stargate, the poor weather making it impossible for us to complete the journey tonight.

A lot had happened in the past two days.
Including the Colonel...saving my life.
Yep. You guessed it.

Somehow we had gated to another planet with hostile inhabitants.
The Ganarians had appeared friendly when we first arrived through the Stargate two days ago. They greeted us and immediately invited us back to their village. The first thing I noticed was how far behind they were technologically and culturally. They appeared to be less advanced that Neanderthal humans on earth. Their social behaviour was far more advanced though. Or...so we had thought.

Turns out they had been waiting for a sacrifice to come thorough the gate to give to their God.
Yep...a Goa'uld.
It also turned out that they were looking for a female sacrifice.
Well...that's just bloody typical.

So...come the evening meal, I was dragged off with the protests of my team-mates ringing in my ears. A few minutes later I was deposited in a rather rank smelling cell, with only the hope that the Colonel could do something to stop them before midnight - that's when I was apparently going to save them from damnation.

Daniel tried the diplomatic approach.
Teal'c tried the silent, threatening approach.
Eventually the Colonel had had enough. That close by I could hear the sounds of Zat fire, and a lot of it.

Moments later the Colonel had appeared in front of the door to my cage, and his eyes had widened in shock. Turns out the friendly natives of this planet had beaten me unconscious and I hadn't even comprehended it.

Anyway, to cut a long story short, the Colonel had had to half carry me as far as this cave, Daniel and Teal'c covering our sixes just in case our friends decided to come after us. Turns out they hadn't bothered. The Zat blasts must have a prolonged effect on their bodies.
Oh well.

It's now about four in the morning. Teal'c is on watch, Daniel is exhausted and asleep against the back wall, and the Colonel...he's watching me.

'Sir, you don't have to watch me all night you know.'
He takes a deep breath but doesn't avert his eyes from my position propped up against the wall, covered in his and Teal'cs jackets.
'I know,' he replies quietly.

I smile weakly, wincing as the movement of the muscles in my face stretched the cuts on my cheeks.
He frowns a little.
'I'm fine,' I whisper.
'Not from where I'm sitting.'

Silence reins once more, except for the sounds of the rain pelting down on the ground outside, the rumble of thunder far in the distance, and the occasional call of an animal.
There's something playing on my mind though; something that won't go away until I tell someone about it.

'Sir?'
'Yeah?'
'I'm sorry.'
He looks puzzled.
'What for Carter?'
'For letting the team down today.'
He laughs a little.
'Carter,' he chides. 'You didn't let anyone down.'
'I did though. Over seven years of this and I still can't look after myself.'
'Hey,' he says, almost roughly as he sits up to face me properly. 'You didn't let anyone down today. None of that was your fault.'
'Then why does it feel like that?' I reply.

I see him take a deep breath before replying.
'Carter, I once heard someone refer to you as an artist. And that's what you are.'
There's a pause as realisation dawns. That's what Mackay called me in the infirmary after Anubis attacked the SGC. My eyes widen as he continues.

'Artists have to have everything done in a specific way, and they're perfectionists. But you've got to realise that no one ever does anything perfectly. Don't ask the impossible of yourself.'
'I'm not. I'm just asking that for once you wouldn't have to put your life on the line for me.'
He smiles slowly.
'You're part of my team Carter, I'm always going to, get used to it.'

There's silence once more, but instead of the uncomfortable kind that would normally be there given a confession such as that, it's easy. Calm. Genuine.
'Thank you,' I say slowly as I extend my hand out and lay it on the ground near to him.
'You're welcome,' he replies, covering my hand with his own and joining our fingers together.

Somehow, the physical pain inflicted on me isn't quite so bad anymore.

SGSGSGSGSGSGSG

24/12/2002