98 Days:

Disclaimer:  These characters do not belong to me, but to MGM, GEKKO Productions, et.al.

I am only borrowing them for a little while. 

                   

Spoilers:  A Hundred Days (this fic picks up about fifteen minutes before the end of the episode, and asks the question "What would have happened if Jack hadn't left his water bottle at Laira's house on Edora when he went canoeing, which originally allowed Laira to bring it to him.")

Additional Info:  In this alternate ending to A Hundred Days, Sam was able to build the particle beam accelerator more quickly than in the original episode. 

98 Days

 by

TereC

                Jack looked up at the midday sun, beads of sweat gathering on his brow.  He decided it was time to go back.  He'd sat on the lake long enough.  He had paddled out in the handmade canoe to sit alone on the glassy lake often these past few weeks following the fire rain on Edora and the destruction of the Stargate.  This wasn't his fishing lake back home, but he could lean back, close his eyes, and let the gentle rocking of the canoe take him there.  Stranded who knew how many millions of light years away from Earth, his imagination was his only vehicle home.

                Damn, he missed them, his team.  He wondered what they were doing, if SG-1 had been disbanded or reassigned.  He wondered if they were trying to find a way back to Edora, or if they had moved on to other worlds when they failed to reconnect to this one.  Hell, he wondered if they had even made it to Earth.  The heavy meteor shower and resulting firestorm was horrific, like nothing he'd ever seen.  If they had been at the gate waiting for him when . . . Jack shook his head at the thought.  They made it through.  Life couldn't be so cruel as to wipe out his entire team.

Unbidden, an image of Carter flashed in his mind from the last night they were together as a team.  He smiled at the memory of her, technobabbling an explanation for the annual appearance of the fire rain.  "Please, don't suck the fun out of this?" he'd teased.  She'd appeared slightly offended at his brusque statement.  He'd winked at her and she'd smiled self-consciously when she'd realized he was teasing.  God, she was beautiful, the moonlight turning her hair a pale silver blonde. 

He replayed other events in his mind.  The mad dash to evacuate the Edorans, the small throng of villagers who were either too stubborn or too stupid to leave, the worried look on Carter's face when Jack had said he was going to find Garan and his girlfriend.  She tried to cover it, her fear and concern, but he could see it in her eyes.  And he knew that there was a chance that he wouldn't make it back when he ordered her to the gate.  But, Hell, he had to be the hero.  Had to do the right thing.  He'd thought he could live with it when he ran with Laira to the caves.  But, he'd thought that he would get home after the maelstrom was over.  God, how arrogant he had been.  He'd never taken into account that the gate might be destroyed. 

If only Laira's son hadn't been so irresponsible—to hide in the caves when the meteor storm hit—Jack would have made it . . . Well, there was no use going over the "what ifs."  Garan was just a scared kid, what could you expect?  Jack couldn't change what happened, no matter how much he wanted to.  Reality was what he had to deal with, and his reality was he wasn't getting off of this rock any time soon.  With a resigned sigh, he sat up and retrieved the paddle from the floor of the canoe.

As he paddled back to shore, he kept thinking of something Laira said shortly after he discovered the gate had been destroyed.  She said she had mourned for 100 days following her husband's death, staying within her house and speaking to no one. After the days were up, she put her grief aside and hadn't looked back.  In three more days, he will have been stranded for exactly that—100 days.  God knows he'd mourned his loss.  Laira had been a great support to him through all of this.  She provided him shelter, shared her meager possessions and offered friendship when others were fearful.  Laira stood up for him when the remaining Edorans blamed him for the destruction.  And, with her steadfast backing, he'd earned their respect by helping them rebuild their homes, their crops and their lives.  But he'd only been there in body, his spirit had followed Carter, Daniel and Teal'c through the wormhole that fateful day. 

He would follow Laira's lead, he decided.  He couldn't continue to live in the purgatory he had placed himself.  He would put away his Earthly things and commit to his new life, whether he wanted the life or not.  His grandmother had always said, 'When life gives you lemons, make lemonade.'  This was going to be the sourest lemonade he'd ever drank.  He had to do it.  What other choices did he have?  Committed, Jack pulled the canoe up on shore, retrieved his canteen of water, and followed the footpath back to the village.  To his new life.

+ + + + + +

After dinner, Jack picked up a small woven basket that Laira had given him in which to store his few personal items and went outside.  The days were longer now.  They would still have light late into the evening , Laira had said.  He sat on the porch, staring up at the fading sky, placing the basket beside him.  Resigned, he began to sort through the pockets of his utility vest one last time.  He'd keep what was useful, leave what was too painful.  When he was finished, he would weigh the vest down and throw it in the lake.  He didn't want to remember all that he'd lost.  He smiled as he found an MRE.  "Macaroni and Cheese," he read aloud, "Probably tastes like chicken."  He'd heard Daniel say that about the MRE's more times than he'd like.  Daniel hated these things.  He supposed that's why Daniel packed candy bars with him whenever they went off-world.  He set the vest aside and stared absently at the foil package.

Behind him, Laira peeked through the open door.  She watched him sort through his strange possessions.  She wanted to go to him, to tell him so many things.  But, she bided her time.  She knew that her patience had worked miracles with him already.  If she held on a little longer, she knew he would finally give in and truly join her people.  And, she held out hope, that he would stay in her life as her husband.  It was difficult to leave him.  But, she knew he would come to her soon, and she wanted him to come to her of his own free will.  Well, maybe she would give a little push tomorrow.  She had wanted to for weeks.  But, today, something seemed different within Jack.  She could sense it.  And tomorrow . . . tomorrow, maybe he would welcome her into his heart.  Quietly, Laira stepped away from the open door to leave Jack to his thoughts.

Jack rubbed his eyes before attacking the basket again.  Taking a deep breath, he decided he could do this if he went quickly.  He began pulling out items and setting them in two small piles: keep and toss.  The fatigues he had worn to Edora were rolled in a tight bundle. Toss those.  Didn't need them any more.  Extra clips for his gun.  Might need those.  Spare cord for his sunglasses.  Yep.  Keep that, too.  Spare socks, keep—definitely.  He picked the vest up again to retrieve forgotten mementos.

In a hidden pocket inside the lining of the vest, he pulled out a sandwich-sized Ziploc baggie with a few prized photos.  He'd always known it was risky to carry photos, but soldiers had carried renderings of their loved ones into battle for centuries.  He always liked the thought of carrying on the tradition.  Jack opened the bag, took out the pictures and began to thumb through them.  The last picture taken of Charlie.  Bright and shiny in his baseball uniform, bat at the ready.  Jack never went anywhere without that picture.  It was a constant reminder of what he'd had and lost.  A constant reminder of the lack of control anyone really had in life. 

Behind the small wallet of Charlie were four Polaroids from last year's Christmas party at O'Malley's.  First was a group picture of SG-1.  Hammond, himself, Carter, Daniel and Teal'c.  Man, did Teal'c look silly in that Santa hat.  How Daniel had convinced him to wear it was beyond him.  There was Carter standing to his left, smiling gently, tilting her head slightly toward him, her hand on his shoulder.  She looked more like a girl than a soldier, in gold earrings and a holiday green silk blouse (of which she had left the top buttons undone, exposing a small amount of skin usually never seen in her BDUs).  He could still smell her perfume from that night.  Janet had given her Contradiction as a gift, which she had tried it out immediately.  Didn't sit well with Daniel.  He'd nearly sneezed his fool head off.  Jack chuckled at the memory. 

The next three pictures were from later that night.  He'd had a few and decided to take the chance to ask Carter to dance.  She surprised him by accepting.  He stared at the snapshot of himself and Carter, her arms wrapped about his neck, her face turned out on his shoulder.  Janet had snuck up on them and snapped the picture.  The next one was a sleepy look of shock on Carter's face as she realized they had been caught in what appeared to be a compromising position.  Then there was a photo of the two of them mugging for the camera while Daniel stood behind them holding up a huge chunk of mistletoe over their heads.  In a mock passionate embrace reminiscent of an old forties' movie, Jack had dipped Carter way back over his arm and kissed her exposed throat when she had thrown back her head in laughter at the stunt.  Teal'c was standing to the side with a perplexed look on his face.  Couldn't get Teal'c to understand the concept of mistletoe.  Man, they just don't know what they're missing on Chulak. 

Wiping unexpected wetness from his eyes, Jack carefully wrapped the pictures back in plastic bag and set them in the keep pile, too.  At this rate, all he'd have to drop in the water was his utility vest.  And his BDUs.  And the radio . . . the radio.  He put the earpiece on, for old time's sake, and flipped on the mike.  The warm familiar crackle of static.  He knew he was just torturing himself, but what the hell.

"Testing.  1, 2. Hellooo." 

"O'Neill?"  a labored whisper responded.

Jack nearly dropped the radio at the unexpected voice.  He looked around to see if there was any way he could be wrong.  He had to be hallucinating.  "Teal'c?  Teal'c, is that you?"

"It is I, O'Neill."  Then static.

Concern furrowed Jack's brow as he jumped to his feet.  "Where the hell are you!" he yelled into the radio. 

"Jack, what?" Laira heard Jack's yell and came running from the house. "What is it?"

Jack waved her away as he listened intently to the radio, his eyes closed.  "Okay, okay.  I'm on it.  I'm coming, Teal'c.  Just hold on.  I'll be right there."  He grabbed his utility vest and strapped it on, placing the radio in its holder.  "Get Garan and the others and send them to where the stone ring stood.  Your people are coming home, Laira." 

"Jack, that doesn't make any sense.  The stone ring, it was destroyed by the fire rain, you said so yourself."

"I know, that's what I thought, what we all thought, but we were wrong.  And now Teal'c needs me, he's running out of air."  Jack grabbed a shovel from the small storage lean-to by her house, then turned to face Laira.  "Go,"  he ordered as he set off running to the meteor field where the Stargate had been buried.

Laira watched him, life suddenly filling him, giving him color and spirit.  He was filled with an energy which had been missing from him during these many weeks on Edora.  She sat down on the porch and looked around her.  His things from Earth were scattered in small piles around her, temporarily forgotten.  Knowing that he would not be getting rid of them now, she began repacking his belongings into the basket.  She stopped when she found the clear bag with pictures.  She pulled the bag open and took the pictures out, marveling at the technology that could take the essence of a body and capture it for all times.  She saw a little boy, a miniature Jack, and wondered why he had not spoken of a son.  She saw the group picture and smiled at the burly Teal'c in a strange red hat.  She saw Jack, relaxed, smiling flanked by Samantha and another older man.  Laira caught her breath when she turned to the next picture.  Jack holding Samantha. Looking very comfortable, at ease with each other.  Laira felt a pang of jealousy in seeing the two of them together.  Scanning the other pictures, she stopped at the last one of Jack and Samantha laughing together as he held her in an awkward position, appearing very much like he was going to drop her.  Daniel Jackson was standing behind them with a large piece of greenery tied with a red ribbon, grinning.  Obviously, they were having a great time at some strange Earth celebration.  Laira swiped at her tears when she realized she was looking at what would always be his family, his home.  Not Edora, not she and Garan. Unless.

Carefully, she placed the pictures back in the clear bag and repacked the basket.  She knew she only had one chance now to convince him to stay.  'Tonight,' she thought, 'Later tonight, I will ask him to stay, not for me, but for what I can give him—for what he can give me.'  Resigned, Laira rose and went inside to send Garan to Jack.  She would let Garan find the help Jack needed to uncover the stone ring. 

+ + + + + +

Jack ripped the comm. out of his ear and threw off his vest.  He didn't need it any longer anyway.  The radio's batteries were shot.  It had only been an hour since that first contact and digging Teal'c out was taking longer than he had anticipated.  Knowing that Teal'c's supply of oxygen was running out, his first concern was getting ventilation to his friend.  He'd been able to punch a small hole through to the cavern in which Teal'c was trapped.  Jack and Garan were working feverishly to enlarge the ventilation hole without causing a cave-in that would crush Teal'c.

Jack wiped his sweaty face on his sleeve and then eased back into the small pit they had created.  "Garan, hand me that spade," he ordered, already snapping back into his military stance.  Garan complied, kneeling nearby. 

"You might want to move back a little." Jack suggested a little less harsh.  "I don't know how much of this is going to crater when I make this next punch."  Jack carefully plunged the end of the long-handled spade into the dry earth.  The spade sank deeply and Jack felt the resistance finally give.  "I'm in!" he hollered excitedly.  As Jack slowly twisted the spade, the dirt began to tumble into a hidden crater beneath him.  Jack removed the spade and threw it to the side. Peering into the hole, he saw the tired, dirty, smiling face of his friend.  Jack beamed as he reached in to clasp Teal'c's arm.

"Teal'c, you stubborn son of a bitch, it's good to see you!"

"And I you, O'Neill," Teal'c answered with his usual flair for understatement.  Teal'c was hanging near the opening from repelling gear. 

"Just hold still, we'll have you out in a jiff."

"I am not going anywhere, O'Neill." Teal'c paused, breathing in deeply of the fresh air. "It will be well to have the ground under me again, instead of over me."

Jack smiled, only letting go of his friend to take the rope that Garan was holding.  Within a few minutes, they had secured Teal'c with the rope and enlarged the hole. With Jack taking the lead, the two were able to pull Teal'c free from the pit with minimal collapse of the surrounding area.  Teal'c had barely cleared the hole when Jack grabbed him in an exuberant embrace.  At first Teal'c was taken aback, but then returned his friend's bear hug. 

"Teal'c . . ." Jack's voice was choked with emotion, and he held on to his friend tightly, as if to let him go would make him disappear. 

"I understand, O'Neill," Teal'c pulled free of the hug and put his arm around Jack as they walked back to the village in the deepening dusk.

+ + + + + +

Later that evening, Teal'c and Jack sat on Laira's porch, where earlier Jack had been contemplating his future.  Now everything had changed.  He was going home.  He'd missed so much these past few months.  He pried Teal'c to tell him everything.

"So, you and Carter dove into the wormhole when you realized the meteor was coming straight at you?"

"That is correct, O'Neill.  We were lucky to have escaped.  General Hammond said the wormhole was collapsing as we came through."

"So what happened after you got back?"

"I wanted to return immediately.  I did not know if you would survive the storm."

"I'm surprised Hammond would agree to that."

"He did not.  Both Major Carter and General Hammond dissuaded me from that idea.  Major Carter suggested trying to reconnect to the planet the next day.  We did not know if the gate survived the impact.  When the connection was established, Major Carter knew we could get back.  General Hammond ordered a MALP to be sent through.  It was destroyed immediately."

"And why was that?" Jack's brow furrowed in thought.

"Major Carter theorized that since the gate was impacted by the meteor while the wormhole was engaged, that the superheated naquadah in the soil formed a protective barrier over the event horizon."

"Like our iris."

"Exactly."

"So, how did you break through?  It would have been solid, I take it?"

"Major Carter recalled the time Sokar attacked our Stargate with . . ."

Jack interrupted, "The particle weapon that almost melted the iris."

"That is correct, O'Neill.  Major Carter theorized she could build a particle beam generator to melt the . . ."

"Wait, wait, wait.  I thought she said we didn't have the technology to do one of those.  You mean to tell me she figured out how to build it in less than three months?"

"Major Carter is very stubborn and resourceful, O'Neill.  She worked long hours and ate sparingly.  Daniel Jackson and Dr. Fraiser were concerned about her health.  The Major did not rest until she was successful."

"Wow."  Jack was stunned.  He knew once Carter got an idea in her head, she wouldn't let go until she solved it.  But this, this went above and beyond the call of duty.  The men sat silently in the dark.  Each exhausted beyond belief, each not wanting to leave the other's company. 

Laira stepped out of the house clad in her nightgown and wrapped in a shawl against the night air.  "You need to get your sleep.  Morning will come soon and you both will want to be fresh to dig out the stone ring."  The men turned to look at her, her curls haloed in the firelight behind her.  "Teal'c, Garan is staying with friends tonight.  You may sleep in his room."

Teal'c stood to speak to Laira, "Thank you for your hospitality, Laira, but that will not be necessary.  I have been enclosed for many hours today.  I will rest out here tonight."

"You sure, Teal'c?  It gets pretty nippy out here after dark."  Jack rose and stretched, working the kinks out of his back.

"I am certain, O'Neill.  I will be fine."

"I'll get some blankets for you.," Laira offered and disappeared through the open door.

Before leaving his friend, Jack hugged him again.  "Teal'c, really, I don't know how to thank you."

"I think, O'Neill, by limiting the number of your embraces.  I know you are pleased to see me.  I do not plan to leave here without you again," Teal'c smiled as he returned the hug.

Laira returned with the blankets, interrupting the moment.  With a sheepish grin, Jack let go of his friend.  "Get some sleep, Teal'c.  We have a busy day tomorrow."  With that, Jack followed Laira (went) inside, closing the door behind him.

+ + + + + +

"Where's Garan?" Jack asked as he shut the door behind him. 

"Paylan's son and a few other boys wanted to make camp outside tonight.  Garan asked to join him."  Laira said as she began blowing out the many candles that lit the room.

"Oh."  Jack crossed to his cot that was set up in the main living area.  He turned down the sheets then reached to remove his homespun tunic.  He sensed Laira's presence behind him, felt her place her hand on his shoulder.  He closed his eyes in thought as she whispered his name.  Afraid of hurting this woman whom he had grown to care about during his time on Edora, Jack breathed deeply and turned to hear her out.

Somewhat shyly, but determined, Laira began, "I had hoped we would have more time together.  I think that you . . . we. . . "

"Laira, don't do . . ." She cut off his statement by kissing him, lightly at first, and then more insistently, wrapping her arms around his neck.  Gently, Jack reached up to disentangle himself from her grasp. 

"Laira, I don't think this is wise.  I'm going home soon, maybe even tomorrow."

"You don't have to.  You could stay . . . with me."

"I could, but you know I don't belong here, Laira.  My home is with SG-1."

"I have tried to make this your home.  It would feel like your home if you had family here."  She paused before dropping her bombshell.  He stared intently at her.  "Jack, if you do not want to stay here, I understand.  But, I want a child, Jack, your child.  Lay with me and at least leave me a part of you."

Jack felt like he had been stomach-punched.  All of the air was driven out of his lungs by her request.  A baby—his baby, then leave?  "Laira, I've been a parent before.  I know what its like."  He turned away from her and walked over to look out the window into the dark night.  "I wasn't around much with my son.  He paid the price.  Don't you understand?"  He turned back to look at Laira.  "If I were lucky enough to be . . . blessed with a child again, I couldn't turn my back on him.  I couldn't leave." 

"Then don't, Jack.  Stay with me."

"I can't stay either, Laira.  It wouldn't be fair to either of us.  You would only have half of me.  The rest of me, my spirit, would be with SG-1.  I'm sorry."

"I understand," Laira stated flatly.  "I will not keep you.  Good night, Jack."  She left to go to her bedroom.

Jack blew out the final candle then sat down on his cot.  Damn, he thought.  He knew she was interested in him, could tell that from the start, but he could never have guessed this.  He hated to hurt her that way, but he had no choice.  He stripped off his homespun shirt and laid it across a chair within easy reach for the next day.  Trying to get comfortable, he punched the pillow a few times before finally settling.  He needed sleep.  Tomorrow, hopefully, they would be able to recover the Stargate.  And then, maybe he'd be able to go home.

+ + + + + +

On the second day after Teal'c's arrival, following what seemed to be an eternity of digging, they finally uncovered the dial home device.  They had managed to retrieve the Stargate the previous day.  Jack organized a number of strong men from the village and instructed them on how to set up the gate.  But finding the DHD had been another story.  The impact had sent it flying several dozen meters away from where the gate had been buried.  After numerous attempts and empty craters, they lucked out.  And now, hours later, Teal'c and Jack were trying to reconnect the device to the gate.  Both men were sitting on the ground beside the unit, looking at the spaghetti of wires inside. 

"I wish Carter were here, she'd have had this thing hooked up in no time flat." Jack's frustration was beginning to show.  "Did you check that thingie?  The silver one there."

Teal'c shot him that look.  He thought to himself that Carter was not the only person who knew how to do this job.  But he wisely kept his thoughts to himself.  He knew O'Neill was just anxious to get back.  "I think that I have finished, O'Neill."

"Ya think?"  Jack excitedly jumped to his feet.  He extended a hand to assist Teal'c, "Well, Teal'c, what are we waiting for?  Let's do it."

Teal'c retrieved his comm. and inserted the earpiece.  "If we can make a connection, I am to relay our status back.  It may take some time before they are ready to send the Edorans back.  Daniel Jackson did not want to upset the villagers if I were not successful.  So, we did not inform them of this mission.  They do not know that they will be coming home."

Teal'c began to select the symbols on the round device.  After he entered the last coordinate, he placed his hand on the red stone in the center of the DHD.  It glowed brightly and activated the Stargate.

"Yes," Jack quietly cheered as he let out breath that he had been holding.

The wormhole expanded outward, like a liquid explosion, then pulled inward creating a shimmering blue pool that was the wormhole.  Teal'c activated his GDO, the device that sent a code identifying SG-1, and waited.  Jack watched expectantly for Teal'c to acknowledge the presence of someone on the other end. 

"General Hammond," Teal'c spoke, "I have been successful."  He paused listening intently.  "Colonel O'Neill and most of the remaining Edorans survived the fire rain."  He grimaced and then spoke to Jack, "They are cheering . . . loudly."  Turning his attention back to the radio, Teal'c answered, "I understand.  We will stand by."  With that the wormhole disengaged.

"Well?"

" I would suggest, O'Neill, that we notify the Edorans that the refugees will be returning shortly," Teal'c replied.

About an hour later, Jack paced expectantly near the Stargate. 

"Please be patient, O'Neill, they will be here shortly."

"I know, I know." He continued to fidget, watching the gate for the familiar liquid blue vortex to flash out of the stone circle.  His diligence was finally rewarded.  He grinned at Teal'c and then stood, holding his breath, waiting for the first people to arrive.  Daniel Jackson and several villagers stepped through the gate. 

"Daniel!"  Jack rushed the younger man, embracing him exuberantly.

Stunned, Daniel returned Jack's hug. "I missed you, too, Jack.  Teal'c, it took so long to hear from you.  We were worried." Daniel looked at Teal'c over Jack's shoulder.

"I am fine, Daniel Jackson.  Thanks to O'Neill.  He was able to locate me shortly before I ran out of oxygen."

Jack released Daniel and searched the growing crowd.  People continued to emerge from the wormhole to meet their loved ones  "Where's Carter?  I thought she'd be coming through."

"She's still on the other side.  She wanted to wait until all of the refugees had left." 

"Oh," Jack sounded disappointed.  The three men stood together silently for a few minutes, watching the refugees.  Unexpectedly, Jack grabbed Daniel into another bear hug.  Daniel glanced at Teal'c, who raised his eyebrow at him.  Amused, Teal'c watched the two men, "I am glad you are here now, Daniel Jackson.  He has been doing that often since I arrived."

"Thank you, Daniel," he said as he tightened his hold on his friend.

"Don't thank me, I only kept the coffee hot.  Carter did it all.  You should have seen her, Jack.  I don't know how she did it," Daniel stated, "but she was determined."  Jack abruptly let him go.  Daniel turned around in time to see what caught Jack's attention.  Or rather, who.

Sam, wearing her green BDU's and baseball cap, emerged from the gates assisting a young very pregnant Edoran woman.  She pushed back her cap slightly when she saw Jack coming toward her.  She smiled at the man whom she worked so hard to reach.  Jack stopped in front of Sam and stood close enough to her to make her tilt her face up to see him.  He stared deeply into her blue eyes, his own misting just slightly. 

They stood that way, quietly for a few moments.  He reached up to lightly touch her cheek.  'Hell,' he thought as they looked at each other and he threw all caution to the wind.  He gently cupped her face in his hand as he leaned in to kiss her.  His lips lightly brushed over hers, hesitating ever so slightly.  'She's not pulling away,' he thought.  He felt her lips open under his and he caught his breath as their kiss deepened.  He gave in completely and wrapped his free arm around her, pulling her in closer.  Sam clutched at his back as her knees weakened, oblivious to all who stood around them watching. 

Daniel looked at Teal'c, grinned and stated rather loudly,  "Wow, I'm jealous.  I didn't get one of those."  Still kissing, Jack and Sam both began to giggle and pulled away from each other.  Sam blushed to her roots when she saw the other two men and a sudden look of panic washed over her at the realization of what had just occurred.

Jack reacted quickly, "Come here, Daniel, I have plenty to spare."  He came toward the younger man with his face screwed up in a pucker. 

"No, no.  That's okay, Jack.  Really."  Daniel yelped, his hands held up defensively as he backed away from Jack.

Jack caught Daniel and, instead of planting one on him, playfully ruffled his hair. They all were laughing at the antics.  Turning serious and at loss for words, Jack looked helplessly from the two men to Sam.  Daniel knew what they had witnessed was not allowed.  He knew the two of them needed some time.  Turning to Teal'c, he said, "Why don't you and I see about retrieving Jack's things so we can get him the hell off this planet."  With that, he and Teal'c headed toward the village, leaving Jack and Sam alone.

 Jack looked deeply into his second's eyes and his silence conveyed a wealth of emotions, most of which he shouldn't be feeling.  When he finally spoke, he surprised Sam.

"I understand I have you to thank for this."

Still speechless from the passionate kiss, Sam stared back and nodded slightly.

"Thank you for not giving up on me," Jack's voice was husky as he briefly embraced her again.  Then, awkwardly he stammered, "Now, um, about that kiss, Carter."

"What kiss, Sir?" she answered innocently, then smiled. 

'She understood', he thought.  They stood quietly there for a moment longer, wanting to say more, but constrained by their military offices. 

"Why don't you tell me all about your particle zapper," he began as he began to lead her toward the village.

"Particle beam generator, Sir."  She looked suspiciously at her CO.  Jack truly appeared interested, for a change. 

"Well?" he encouraged.

"Well, Sir, I just kept replaying the angle of trajectory of the meteor that took out the gate and theorized that the gate . . ."

Side by side, they slowly walked together toward the village with Jack listening to her prattle on about energy streams and ion something or others.  It was good to have her back.  It was good to be back. 

~fin~