Author's Notes: Long time no fic! It's been 10 years since my muse abandoned me (shortly after I left for University). But it's back and I needed to write again. I hope you like the first chapter in the first fic in the first series I'm writing. I plan to follow Sam and Jack's relationship as it develops, from what I consider to be the true start to the characters 'relationship' (or at least where I see them both noticing their potential feelings for one another). This chapter is based on the Season 2 episode, "Out of Mind". It focuses on events within the episode, but delves into the characters' mind a little. It's from Sam's POV. Chapter 2 will be Jack's POV.

Please review and let me know if you want the second chapter!

Cold and wet, she opened her eyes; shaking and gasping for breath.

"It's okay, Dr Carter. You're in the SGC. You're going to be fine."

She didn't feel fine. She felt cold, confused. And she felt a moment of panic as her heart lept; where was she, how had she got here? But the man had said she was in the SGC. This didn't look like the SGC. And if it was, where was her team? The panic gripped her again.

"SG-1?" she whispered.

"I'm afraid they didn't make it Captain."

The panic was gone, replaced with a choking swell of emotion. One of her worst fears had been realised; she was the only one left. The Colonel, Daniel, Teal'c, gone, and she had been left to cope with that loss alone.

"How?" she asked.

"We don't know. You've been in cryogenic stasis for 79 years, Captain. I know this is a shock..."

"Really?" Her devastation turned to anger. Of course it was a shock. Her team were gone and she didn't know why

"But we need your help; we need to find out who was capable of this level of technology. Do you feel up to helping us?" He balked at her cold stare. "I understand this has all been thrown at you suddenly, but any information you can give us is urgently needed."

She snapped back into military mode. She would mourn SG-1 in time. Now, she was at Stargate Command, and they needed her help.

"Ok."

"Thank you."

The technology they used to extract her memories was uncomfortable to say the least, downright intrusive would be more accurate; displaying her thoughts and her past on a screen for others to see. But she realised the necessity. She had to help the SGC, she had to help Earth. But she was being torn. She had pushed thoughts of SG-1 down, focusing on the task at hand. But there was a niggling doubt in her mind that she should not be revealing her memories to these strangers. Because that's what they were. They may be SGC personnel, but she didn't know them. They were strangers. And something the woman had said gave her an uncomfortable feeling. Something about a battle with Apophis, but Sam knew Apophis to be dead. And the woman's defence that she was trying to "stimulate the region of Sam's memory that involved doing battle with the Goa'uld" didn't quite sit right. She supposed it made sense, but there was something about the way the woman had rushed to explain herself that didn't sit right with Sam.

The de-brief, which is the only way Sam could describe it, came to an end, for which she was extremely grateful. It was not only a little intrusive, but having to watch her own memories play out whilst processing the thought that her team was now dead was becoming too painful to suppress.

"Thank you, Captain." The woman said. "We're going to let you rest now."

"Okay." She didn't know what else to say.

The sleep that took her was complete and dreamless, sinking her into a comforting darkness.