AT THE END OF ALL THINGS
Light engulfed the small chamber in which SG-1 stood. Anubis' new Jaffa fell swiftly to the power of the ancients. Suddenly, it was all over. Sam turned to see the Colonel slump in his chair. Her heart leapt into her mouth at the sight of her CO's weakened state. Glancing back at Daniel, she ran to his side, checking for a pulse.
"Colonel...don't you dare leave us now, we won." She took his chin in her hand, forcing him to look at her. His gaze passed through her. Her thumb gently rubbed the side of his face. "Please, Jack..."
Into those words, Sam poured every ounce of her strength, pleading with him to return to them.
'Please', she whispered silently, 'don't let him die here, now, without me.…'
He whispered something to her, faint but he was still with them. She frowned and turned to Daniel.
"That thing we saw earlier." Unwillingly, Carter retreated to allow the tall Jaffa to lift the Colonel and take him to the alcove which had some connection to 'sleep'. Teal'c gently placed him into the alien device.
"Now what?" Her eyes darted around frantically.
'Will this help? Please, Jack come back to us.'
A sudden burst of light within the alcove drew her attention. They stood, frozen to the spot in amazement. When it ceased, a solid barrier of ice stood between the team and their leader. Sam choked and forced the words from her mouth.
"So what now? We can't just leave him there!" She laughed ironically, "the answer must be here somewhere."
"I don't think this is it Sam." Daniel's whispered.
"What?", she snapped.
"The dome's too small, it's like Tayonas..." Sam's mind filtered out Daniel's words. She understood what he was trying to tell her.
He wasn't coming back.
This wasn't Atlantis, this wasn't The Lost City, there were no answers here. Tears filled her eyes. She raised a shaking hand to the cool glass substance. In that moment, when all was lost, Sam finally realised her true feelings for her CO. She had told herself that she thought of him only because she had feared to be hurt by someone else. She had found Pete, she had proven to herself and to him that this was not the case. She did not care for him in that way, that is what she had told herself but she had known, in her heart, that she was deceiving herself. When O'Neill had fallen in battle, she had shattered like glass. It was not only the death of her friend which had made Samantha Carter weep uncontrollably. The thought of losing him had been too much to bear. She had tried to tell him that, in the infirmary and she knew that he had understood the words which she had not uttered.
'Sir, when you were lying there I...' Her gaze met his, Sam's eyes filling with tears, Jack's with understanding. 'I'm really glad you're OK', she blurted. She couldn't look at him and he couldn't look away. Slowly, he moved towards her, her CO, her friend, a man whose love for her was etched into every line of his face. His gaze shifted from her eyes to her mouth and for a breathless instant, she thought that he would lower his mouth to hers. 'Come here', he whispered, pulling her into his embrace. She clung to him, her mind reeling from the emotions warring within her. She felt his breath on her neck and she held him tighter, never wishing the moment to end...but it did.
She had returned to work, never saying what needed to be said, what had remained unsaid between them too long. When the ancients' depository had been downloaded into O'Neill's brain, she had been sure that they would find some way to remove it and save him. She had tried to dismiss all thoughts of losing him. Now, she stood, having never spoken the words which rose in her throat now.
'I love you Jack, please don't leave me', she whispered silently. At the end of all things, she secretly vowed that, one day, she would say those words aloud to her CO, no matter the consequences.