A/N: This was inspired by my own experience this week. It's a little angsty and a lot relatable. I just wondered if it had happened ever for Sam on a mission.. kind of like how I really want to know where the hell people were supposed to pee in a jumper, especially after Sheppard and the others got trapped for a week until the Daedalus rescued them.

Disclaimer: Stargate isn't mine, etc.

"Sam," whispered Daniel, currently on her six, Teal'C behind him, and the colonel on point. Sam, frowning heavily with an atrocious headache and the most god-awful cramps imaginable, was in no mood for chit chat. She hoped if she ignored him that he would stop. No such luck. Sam heard him shuffle step to catch up to her.

"Sam," whispered Daniel again. "I think, er... You're bleeding, through your pants."

Sam froze for a moment, stunned and a little humiliated. Why did she have to be the only woman on this team? Why? Couldn't she be on an all female team? There were plenty of all-male teams and no one batted an eye at those. Well, the jury was still out on women's roles in combat, but for now, Sam had an overwhelming urge to cry.

"I... Didn't think you would want to get all the way back to base like that," Daniel said gently. Sam grimaced in a half sort of smile, wondering how to do this.

"Sir! I need a quick break," Sam called out. They were on a very safe planet, having been exploring some ruins spotted by the uav several clicks from the gate. The ruins had said a whole lot about the Ancients, all of which had Daniel very excited. Colonel O'Neill froze, foot in mid air, shocked.

"You what?" Asked the incredulous colonel.

"I need to relieve myself," explained Sam.

"Hey, me too," Daniel chimed in, raising a hand, "come to think of it..."

"As do I," added Teal'C. All three of the humans turned in surprise to Teal'C, who rarely ever voiced such needs, or anything really.

"All right," O'Neill said, removing his cap to run his fingers through his short, graying hair in thought. "If I recall correctly... There was a clearing and a nice stream that we just passed... Let's drop back for a lunch break. We've been going awhile anyway."

The others nodded and quickly journeyed back the few minute trek up a narrow dirt track. A small clearing that could have comfortably accommodated their four single-man tents opened up on a broad, shallow stream and a short waterfall.

"Perfect spot for lunch," the colonel said cheerfully, dropping his pack. Sam sighed as she scanned the clearing, spotting a decent path on the other side leasing away from the water. She set off as quickly as she could without arousing suspicion. Or so she thought.

Behind her, unbeknownst to her, Jack opened his mouth to ask her why she had her pack but Daniel caught sight of his face and hastily waved to him making a slicing motion across his throat. Jack gave him a quizzical look as Daniel made several wild gestures. Carter had vanished into the trees. Jack stared after his second for a moment...

"Ohhhhhhhh," he said stupidly. It all made sense now. She had looked paler than normal the last few days... And the fact she had had pizza for lunch and a burger for dinner...? She did eat those things but usually only when they all went out or had team night. Daniel had once told him as much. And she had willingly come with to get some chocolate cake... She rarely ate that badly except...

"O'Neill?" Asked Teal'C, raising his eyebrow while fishing his MRE out of his pack.

"I just realized Carter-" he broke off, realizing what he'd been about to say. He looked at Daniel's face which clearly stated Daniel knew... Jack glanced back at Teal'C, unaware that he looked like a goldfish just then.

"That Major Carter is undergoing her women's cycle?" Teal'C stated matter of factly. Jack felt his jaw drop open. It sounded so... Poetic, not to mention strange, to hear Teal'C say that... Like that. "I have noticed her normal routine vary the last few days," the Jaffa said as he shook the self heating packet for his noodles 'n cheese. "She has consumed far more chocolate rather than her favored jello, she has been sleeping poorly, and her complexion has been far more pale than usual. That and she has not laughed as often as she normally does on this mission, even though both of you attempted to draw her into conversation many times."

Teal'C finished shaking his packet and tore it open to add his noodles and water from his canteen. He glanced up from stirring his noodles to see his male teammates gaping at him, completely agog. The two humans glanced at each other and then back to him.

"Teal'C, that's-" Jack didn't even know what to say. He hadn't even been so aware of his ex-wife.

"An educated observation," Teal'C finished for his young Tauri friend. He pulled out his "spork" and dug into his noodles and cheese. "My wife was much the same, particularly in the first few days."

"Sha're did always eat extra dates during hers," Daniel said with a faraway smile.

"Sara once ate an entire chocolate cake," Jack said with a chuckle. He dug through his pack to fish out his own MRE.

Sam could hear them talking softly through the trees, but couldn't make out what they were saying. She was grateful this had been a three day mission as she had an extra set of BDUs with her. She stripped her soiled clothes and found her tampon had leaked. EVERYWHERE. God dammit. She wasn't even supposed to get her period this month! Or was this the third month? She had lost track of the days and suddenly felt tears spring into her eyes. Damn, damn, damn.

Sam sniffled, wondering if she had been gone too long. Daniel might fill them in if it came to it... God, she hoped not. Shaking a little she pulled out several wet wipes and cleaned herself up the best she could, wishing this day would just be over already. Sam changed into a heavier tampon and rolled her soiled clothing into a small, tight ball before pulling on the uniform she had worn the first day of the mission. It smelled slightly, but so did everything else at this point.

Sam cleaned up her small latrine area and walked several paces back towards the guys before flopping down on a fallen tree. She promptly burst into tears. This day felt like too much. This year had been too much: all the fights they had been through, almost losing the colonel, almost losing her father on Netu... Teal'C's brainwashing... God. Would it ever end? She just needed to let it all out for a minute before she went back to the guys. She suddenly wished her mom was there. Or maybe Janet and a bottle of wine. Or several bottles of wine. After a minute of letting her tears fall, the tightness in her chest finally eased. She pulled out another wet wipe and scrubbed her face.

Sam took a deep breath, trying to will herself to move. She tried everything to get herself to stand again, though her tears had long since dried. Her whole body ached on a bone deep level. A cracking branch alerted her to someone else, startling her out of her staring contest with a nearby fern.

The colonel.

How long had he been observing her? He could have been there the whole time for all she knew. She jumped to her feet, glad she hadn't gotten the oomph to put her pack on yet.

"At ease, Carter," he said, waving her back. Sam stayed at parade rest anyway, willing herself not to collapse again. "Are you... Okay?" He asked so gently that Sam felt tears spring into her eyes again.

"Dammit," she swore as she wiped them away.

"Hey, c'mere," he said softly. He opened his arms wide and she gratefully accepted. The hug enveloped her, easing the remaining tightness in her chest, loosening knots in her stomach she hadn't known she had been holding. Sam breathed in deeply, counted to five and slowly released her breath again. She became vaguely aware the colonel was gently rubbing small circles on her back as he held her. This had to be the greatest hug she had ever had.

"Sorry, sir," she muttered into his shirt.

"For what?" he asked, sounding bewildered. She felt a small sob break from her and his arms tightened reflexively around her.

"This," she whispered. The colonel rested his head atop hers and gently swayed in place with her.

"Never apologize for this," he whispered. And so gently, she couldn't even be sure, it felt as though he pressed a kiss to the top of her head. She pulled away slightly to look up at him. It hadn't been even a full year since they had stood in that roo. She could see so much in his eyes, completely unguarded, caring and... Something deeper, something more than he was supposed to. Jack's eyes flicked down to her lips and her stomach leapt, her heart stopped. Sam's whole body went tense.

Jack sighed and gently ran the back of his hand against her cheek. "We should get back to the guys," he whispered. "We were worried about you."

Sam nodded, not trusting herself to speak. She picked up her pack and as she re-tightened the straps the colonel placed a hand on her elbow. Sam felt more than heard a gasp escape from her lips. He reached up and ever so gently brushed away a few tears from her cheek.

"There," he said gently, "They'll never know."

Sam gave him a sad smile. The other two would know but they would never say anything. She took a final deep, slightly ragged breath and followed the colonel back to the clearing.

"All right campers!" exclaimed the colonel, rubbing his hands together. "It takes about four more hours of hiking to get back to the gate, but we are ahead of schedule. So let's hang out here for about twenty more minutes. Is that enough for you, Carter? To eat lunch?"

"Yes, sir," Sam replied with a grateful smile. "That will be plenty."

XOXO

Sam finally got home that night and sank gratefully onto her couch with a bowl of popcorn and a glass of white wine and a huge box of tissues. The colonel hadn't said anything after they'd returned to base except to wish her a good night off, rather indirectly ordering her out of the mountain. For once she hadn't needed to be told twice. She clicked on a chick flick, Sleepless in Seattle, and happily settled into her snack, glad to finally rest after one of the most mortifying missions she could remember.