A/N: This is intended to be a series on One Shots, not linked to each other... possibly an episode tag in there someplace too, who knows?

Disclaimer: I own nothing, no characters, names, nothing. Zilch. Zip. Nada.

This chapter: This is a future fic, set a few years after Continuum but without spoilers for it as I haven't seen the movie yet but is waiting anxiously to do so.

1. Beginnings

His lungs heaved with exhaustion, demanding air. General Jack O'Neill was painstakingly made aware that he wasn't in top shape anymore, not after five years of desk job in Washington, as he ran alongside SG-1 through the thick forest which surrounded them. Behind them echoed shots from various weapons that he was not to keen to have a closer look at, after all, they were trying to get away from the not-so-friendly fire.

Next to Jack, Teal'c ran, and Jack couldn't help but momentarily be envious of the Jaffa who was far from out of breath, especially seeing as Teal'c was well over 100 years.

Still kicking strong for an old dude, Jack thought with a fleeting smirk.

"Alright, people!" Jack heard Mitchell shout from somewhere behind him, followed by cover fire provided from Carter. "Let's pick up our pace, they're gaining on us!"

"D'oh!" Jack breathed and tried to speed up along with the others so that they wouldn't outrun him. His lungs weren't the only things heaving with exhaustion now, his legs were aching and his knees were beginning to act up again.

Jack couldn't for the life of him realize what could have gone so wrong on this trip, it had been a standard mission to honor their long lived alliance with the Tok'ra, though there had been a few rough patches in the past, they were on relatively good terms these days. Technically, it should just have been SG-1 on this, but the Tok'ra had invited Jack too and even though Jack still was unsure what to think of the buggers, he hadn't passed up on an occasion to travel through the Gate.

But when they'd arrived, their little friendly get-together had been brutally interrupted by some enemy to the Tok'ra, at which point SG-1 and Jack had decided to take their leave, unfortunately the enemy hadn't been that willing to let them leave. Actually, when Jack thought about it, it wasn't too odd, now, was it? Having been a part of SG-1 for seven years, Jack was accustomed to missions not going as planned. This one just happened to be one of those missions.

As they kept running across the forest floor, avoiding the occasional branch along the route, Jack glanced back to try and spot their enemy. Suddenly, something gleamed, reflecting the sun, and Jack knew, without a doubt, that it was a weapon and cried out, loud enough for the others to hear him, "Take cover!"

The six of them dove behind a few trees, managing to get out of the way as a round of several shots were fired in their direction. As the shots stopped, Carter, Teal'c, Mitchell and Jack all fired back with their P-90s.

"We have to get back to the Stargate!" Daniel shouted. "It's our only way of escaping!"

Jack shot down one of their enemies - Hah! I still got it! - as he heard Mitchell's voice,"Alright, Jackson's right! We gotta move! Carter, cover fire!"

Carter nodded and fired several rounds while the others got up to run, Jack turned back after a short distance to offer Carter cover fire, giving her a few minutes to catch up to him.

"Carter!" Jack shouted as she reached him, and they sprinted side by side. "Do you have any C-4?"

"Yes, sir!"

"Could you prepare some? We might need it by the Gate!"¨

"Yes, sir!"

The cover of the forest soon began diminishing, the trees coming fewer and fewer, as they came out to the grass covered clearing that surrounded the Gate, Mitchell kneeled in the grass with Teal'c while shouting for Vala and Daniel to get to the DHD and dial home.

Jack and Carter passed Mitchell and Teal'c as Jack called out for Sam to plant the C-4. She immediately kneeled in the grass, placing the explosives in the grass while Jack covered her six.

"Done, sir!" she called and Jack nodded.

"Mitchell!" Jack called out. "Fall back!"

He could see the shadows of the enemies getting closer, Mitchell saw them too and together with Teal'c, ran past Jack and Carter who covered them. Jack could hear the Gate swirl to life behind them and Mitchell's cries for Daniel and Vala to get through.

"Carter, General, let's go!" Mitchell called next.

"You go through, Mitchell! Carter and I'll just stay around long enough to give these nice people a little surprise!" Jack called back as he and Carter began backing towards the Gate.

"Alright, but don't be long!" Mitchell called back, before moving through the Gate with Teal'c. Jack glanced back, he and Carter were still several yards away from the Gate and the enemy was getting closer, firing at them with their weapons.

"Carter! The C-4!" Jack called out as a particular shot got a bit too close to them for his liking.

"Can't, sir! Not yet! We're still too close. If I blow it up now, we'll get caught in the blast too, sir!"

"Well, let's hurry up then. I'd prefer it if we get home in one piece!" Jack called out and glanced back at the Gate, just as the wormhole flickered. Jack frowned, "Carter? What's the Gate doing?"

Jack offered them cover fire as Carter turned back too, it was in that moment that Jack heard the familiar sound of the Gate disconnecting.

"Eh, sir…"

"Ah, for crying out loud!"

Their enemies were now closing in on them, their shots getting closer and closer despite the fact that Jack and Carter had managed to shoot down several of them, the only difference now from before was that Jack and Carter now had nowhere to hide, nowhere to escape, the clearing was void of any objects beside the Gate and Jack heavily doubted that they'd be able to hide behind it.

"Carter, the C-4!"

"But, sir-"

"I don't care, colonel! It's our last chance!"

From the corner of his eye, he saw Carter nod before pressing the button on the small device in her hand. The C-4 exploded and Jack realized that Carter hadn't been kidding when she'd said that they were close. The blast knocked right into everyone on the field, Jack felt himself being thrown backwards from the force of the blast and hitting the ground hard, the wind knocked out of him. He felt his vision darkening.

"Carter…?" he called out but got no response. "…Carter."

Then General Jack O'Neill lost consciousness.

Something smelled burned. Charred. Jack crunched up his nose, he knew that smell. It was the smell of burnt flesh and it was the only smell his nostrils detected. He groaned as a wave of nausea hit him and a throbbing pain made it self aware in his forehead, he reached up a hand to his forehead and as he looked down at it, he saw blood on his fingertips.

"Damn…," he said hoarsely and then let his hand drop to the ground, allowing himself to mentally check for any other injuries. When he couldn't feel pain anywhere else and tested out that he could move all of his limbs, he tried to remember what had happened. He remembered the C-4 exploding, his enemies dying and that Carter and himself had been thrown back.

Jack opened his eyes wide; Carter!

"Carter?" he called out, his voice stronger then before. "Carter!"

When he was met with silence once more, he sat up, leaning on shaking arms. He looked over at the burned hole in the middle of the grassy field and saw the dead bodies of their enemies littered across the makeshift battlefield. At least they'd won, the blast had been strong enough to knock out the last of the bad guys.

Turning to look around, Jack let his hazel eyes search for Carter's form, finally spying her a good few feet away from him, lying motionless and facing away from him.

"Carter," he breathed as he crawled over to her, letting his eyes roam her body for any visible injuries. He felt his heart deflate at her pale skin and mild burn marks, but it was quickly re-pumped as he saw her chest rise and fall with her breaths.

"Carter," he called out again, lifting a hand to her shoulder, shaking it slightly. "Wake up, Carter. Now's not the time for your beauty sleep."

She started at his touch and Jack breathed out in relief to know she'd awaken. Her wide, confused eyes searched for his before her head fell back to the ground again, a look of pain twisting her features.

"G-General?" she asked between shaky breaths.

"Yep, it's me," Jack assured trying to keep his voice light despite his growing worry. Her short breaths were uneven and this bothered him. "How are you doing?"

"Been b-better, sir," she croaked. "I'm c…cold."

Jack pulled off his BDU-jacket and placed it over her body, hoping it would warm her at least a little.

"Better?" Jack asked, trying to smile despite the fact that her breaths were coming shorter. "Relax, Carter. Breath slowly, ok? For me?"

Her eyes locked with his once more, her tongue came out to dampen her cracked, dry lips.

"Are you hurt anywhere?" Jack continued, the guilt starting to descend in his heart, if he hadn't pushed her to... Jack forced himself to not finish the thought. "Any broken bones? Am I going to have to splint any legs, reset any bones?"

"N-no, sir," Carter said, a slight smile on her lips, obviously remembering that time in Antartica, so long ago. "I don't… don't thi-think anything's bro… broken, sir. B-but my stomach hurts."

"Stomach?" Jack asked, his frown returning and eyes traveled down her body. Was there anything her clothes was covering? A punctured lung could explain her difficulty breathing, he reminded himself. Maybe a handful broken ribs too…

"Carter," Jack said, his voice lower. "I'm going to have to check your stomach for any wounds, alright?"

Her only response was a nod and Jack dreaded that it was because she was hurting too much to speak. Jack pulled back his jacket from her body and unzipped Carter's before pulling up her shirt to a respectable distance below her breasts. Her stomach was bruised and Jack did his best to avoid flinching at the sight, not wanting his face to betray any feelings.

"I'm gonna have to check for any broken ribs, this might hurt," Jack said, aware that her eyes were following his movements closely. Another nod was his response and Jack placed his hands gently on her stomach to begin his inspection.

"So, Carter," Jack said as she drew a sharp intake of breath as he pressed down atop of one rib. "What do you reckon happened to the ol' Gate?"

"I don't k-know, s-sir… I be-believe there's some-… something wrong w-with Earth's Gate. I don't know wh-what though, si-ir."

"Ah, so there is something you don't know," Jack joked as she gasped in pain again. He quickly finished his prodding and pulled down her shirt gently, and then placed his jacket atop of her again.

"You have a few broken ribs, one might have punctured you lung too, but I can't be sure," Jack said, his eyes looking into hers. Her blue eyes searches his for a second, trying to determine the severity of the situation before she nodded. Jack turned his gaze away, keeping it on his BDU-jacket, all the while feeling Carter's eyes on him. He slowly turned his head back up, meeting her gaze. He saw her gaze travel over his face as if she was trying to map every part of it, as if not wanting to forget any part of him. Dreading the answer, Jack asked in a soft voice, "…What?"

"G-General, I…," Carter began, her uncertainty and fear written plainly in her eyes, her breaths still short. Jack saw something else pass her eyes, something unreadable, before she closed her eyes, breathing out as evenly as she could, "I'm t-tired…"

Another pang of fear hit Jack and he put both his hands on either one of her cheeks, at his touch her eyes shot open in surprise, swiftly connecting with his own. Jack was unsure what to say, he'd never been good with words, especially not in moments like these. There was so much he wanted to say, to reassure her, to reassure himself… but he just couldn't find the words. Instead he let his eyes do all the talking, allowing his true emotions for his former 2IC to shine through, she evidently saw what he was trying to convey as a small smile formed on her lips, her own eyes softening.

"Don't give in," Jack said eventually, noting that his voice was cracking slightly. "They'll figure out how to fix the Gate, even without you there to help them, and they'll be here in no time. No worries."

"N-no… worries," she repeated but as she did, Jack could see her eyes closing slowly, and she mumbled something incoherent. Jack squeezed one hand on her cheek, hoping to keep her conscious.

"Stay with me, Carter."

"C-can't. T-tired," was her short response.

"Yes, you can!" Jack said, more forcefully then he'd intended. "Don't you leave me. Don't you dare."

"S-sorry… Need sle-sleep."

"Not yet, Carter," Jack said, aware that he was almost begging for her to stay with him. "I need you to stay awake for me right now. That's an order. Do you hear me?"

"H-hear you," she said distantly, her words slurring a bit and her eyes were still closed.

"Carter?" Jack asked, his voice quivering again as his thumb stroked her cheek.

"T-tired," she whispered. "L-love you."

Jack's heart stopped beating for a second, "What?"

Her head lulled to the side and she remained motionless, Jack's thumb stroked her cheek again while his other shaking hand searched for a pulse on her neck.

"Carter? Wake up, Carter," still no response. "Come on, Sam, wake up! Sam!"

Jack sat leaned back in an uncomfortable chair in the SGC's infirmary, his eyes intently staring at the bed where a certain blond-haired colonel lay, still unconscious. Jack considered himself lucky, an hour after Sam had fallen unconscious, the Gate had swirled alive and SG-1 had stepped through, there had been few greetings as they'd quickly gotten Sam back and in to the capable hands of the doctors at the SGC.

Jack drew a shaking breath, he'd come real close to losing her this day, dr. Lam had told him Sam had flat lined for a few startling minutes before they'd managed to get her back. Dr. Lam had assured him though that Sam would be fine, she just needed her rest. After having heard that, Jack had settled into the chair closest to her bed, not having left her side once in the past five hours, and he wasn't planning on leaving any time soon either.

The others of SG-1 had all come too, to see how their friend was doing, but they had other work to do and so they'd left Jack alone with her. Jack figured that was the best thing about someone close to retirement, he only had to worry about a bunch of paperwork, all which was coming to a close within a week. He was soon going to be a retired man again, and this time he'd remain in retirement.

Jack and Sam had a silent agreement that they'd never spoken about, when he retired they'd finally get their happily ever after, they'd finally get a chance to be together as Sam and Jack, not 'Carter' and 'sir'. They were so close now and Jack still had difficulty believing that he'd almost lost her forever, before happily ever after had a chance to begin.

"Hey…," a soft voice broke through his reverie and Jack lifted his head, his eyes meeting tired blue ones.

"Hey," he smiled back. "How are you doing?"

"Been better," Sam croaked, but smiled at him. "You?"

"I'm fine. Now," Jack began. "if you're wondering, you're safe and sound in the SGC. Believe it or not, they actually did manage to figure out their Gate-problem without you."

"What was wrong?"

"You thought I actually listened to their technobabble?" Jack asked and was rewarded by a chuckle.

Sam smiled at Jack and Jack smiled back, thankful to see that smile again.

"I'm really glad you're okay," he said then, echoing words she'd once told him after dr. Frasier's death.

"Me too," Sam whispered. Jack looked around for any sneaking nurses and then moved his chair closer to her bed, lifting his hand to cover hers but then let it drop to the covers next to her hand on the bed.

"So, you're going to be left out of the loop for awhile, no more 'gating' for you in awhile, missy, you've been assigned to rest."

"Aw, do I have to?" Sam asked with one of the cutest pouts Jack had ever seen.

"Oh, yes, you do. You need to recover. And it's going to be a slow healing process too," Jack said, trying to keep the smile from his face.

Sam frowned back at him, "What? I've been through worse, I'll be back in the game within a few weeks."

"No," Jack shook his head. "I think you need to rest for at least a month, this kind of injury needs the proper treatment. You know what you need? You need to get away from all the stress here, you need to go somewhere completely… stress free. Preferably by a lake, strictly for relaxing purposes, of course."

Sam's frown disappeared, and in it's place a knowing look was beginning to descend. Playing along, she asked, "Oh? And I suppose you know of a good place?"

"I might know of a few," Jack shrugged innocently, his smile now evident on his face too. "There's one place in particular I'm thinking of though."

"Oh?"

"Yes, see… there's this cabin up in Minnesota, has got a lovely pond of fish and everything."

"Fish? I do love fishing, sir."

"Well then, great!" Jack said. "It's settled then. You'll relax in the cabin."

"…Alone, sir?"

"Sure," Jack smiled. "Unless, of course, you'd want company?"

"I wouldn't say no to that…"

"Well then, I'll ask Daniel and Vala to join you for awhile, though I'm sure they won't be too social with you, they just can't seem to stop making eyes at each-"

"Sir," Sam interrupted.

"Jack," Jack corrected and Sam tilted her head slightly.

"Jack," she corrected herself. "I don't think I want Daniel and Vala up in Minnesota."

"Oh?" Jack asked. "And why's that, Sam?"

Sam signed for him to lean closer before whispering, "They don't understand the art of fishing."

Jack chuckled and wasn't surprised as Sam's hand came to rest above his on top of the covers, though he was pleased.

"Well, we can't have that," Jack said. "You'll need someone else up there then, someone with a lot of free time on their hands who'll be able to serve your every need…"

"Thinking of anyone in particular?"

"Well, I suppose… I could always do it," Jack shrugged again, stroking his thumb across her knuckles. "That is, if you'll have me?"

Sam smiled in response, "You know I will."

"Good," Jack said, looking down at their joined hands and leaned back slightly in his chair to be more comfortable. "It's a plan then?"

"Yes, it's a plan, s-… Jack."

"Oh, and, Sam?"

"Yes, Jack?"

"Love you too."

A/N: For the sake of fluff, there you have chapter 1!

As this is going to be a story filled with One Shots of different kinds, and the fact that I don't have a particular journey for this story to take, I suppose I might be able to take some requests...

Please review and let me know what you thought about this! :).