GOING HOME
The gate had finally engaged. They had been holding their breaths for what seemed like much too long. Teal'c braced Daniel against his right side, using his leg as a crutch for both of them, his right arm wrapped around Daniel's back and holding securely under the Archeologist's rib cage. As protective as Teal'c was now, none of them could have protected Daniel from getting hit. Daniel was lucky that the staff blast was not just a little bit higher and a little more to the left.
'Lucky' just didn't seem to be the word to use in the same sentence with 'staff blast' but they knew that he was. They all were. This was the closest call they had had in a while, so 'lucky' was definitely the word to use.
The Jaffa disappeared behind the event horizon with his friend in tow. Jack then turned to Carter and said calmly 'Let's get out of here." He noticed that he didn't hear her footsteps following behind him as he began to walk towards the steps. When he turned to see what was keeping her, knowing that they'd all be grateful to get the hell off this planet, he saw her, standing still, as though she was attached to the DHD.
"Carter?' His concern not hidden, he called her out. She continued to look down and remained stagnant, as though her mind couldn't process the order to move.
Jack took several steps towards her 'Carter!" he insisted. As though transporting her from her daze, she shook her head slightly and looked up at him.
"Come on Carter, let's go." She just looked at him and now he was really worried. The look on her face said more was wrong than just the physical battering her body had taken on this mission. Closer still, he moved towards her until he was a breath away. "Sam what's…"
"Hold me." The words seemed to spit themselves out of her, as though her body had to get them out. Finally she focused on his face, she saw him again and he saw her. Her emotions cut to the bone with the sharp edge of possibility that almost took him away from her, again. He knew what she needed, but before he could react she begged, "Please Jack."
The next second she was in his arms, with him holding her tighter than he knew would be comfortable for her, but he also knew she needed to feel the pain of his embrace to be able to shake off the almost unbearable ache she felt at the very core of her. Knowing that once they walked though the Gate to Earth, any emotion would have to be buried, not being ministered to, but hidden. He held her until he heard her take a shaky breath of stability back in, and she came to herself.
He released her slowly and gently, like a loving parent weaning a child from a bottle, he looked her in the eyes again, just to make sure. She held his eyes and after a few seconds nodded to him. She would be ok now, at least ok enough to make it back though the Gate in one emotional piece. He knew this ritual well. He had been though it too many times, when she was the one who had had the close call, when she was the one that was almost lost to him, not to know exactly what was happening to her.
Taking a step back, Jack took her hand and entwined his fingers into hers, almost marveling at the fact that such a simple gesture spoke so much about them. Over the years they had become woven together, if not completely physically yet, definitely in spirit and soul, joining and releasing whenever it was necessary. He looked at their hands before gently tugging her forward. "I'm here Sam. Let's go home."
END