Hey there ! :)

This is my very first english fanfic. I usually write only in french as my english is a bit awful, but I tried anyway. And here's the result.
I wrote this story for the Penguin Challenge no1 (see link on my profile if you're interested in meeting other Sam/Jack fans) : you had to write something Sam and Jack based on these lyrics :

Can I hold you one last time
To fight the feeling that is growing in my mind
I know I did us both all so wrong
I know I'm not always all that strong

The Kooks, One last time

Thanks to my beta reader, Mélissa !
And please feel free to tell me what you think, it will help me improve my english ! Thank you :)

"Keep running, Carter! Don't look back!"

She barely heard him shout the order. Her ears were humming with the unceasing firing of staff weapons; the smell of burning wood almost choked her. But she kept running, even though her lungs were on fire and her legs begged her to stop. She could feel him just behind her, breathing hard. Were they going to make it to the gate? She couldn't tell. She estimated the distance to be approximately nine hundred feet, maybe more; the Jaffas were still in the woods, but following them closely. It was only a matter of time before they turned up in the clearing and killed them both.

Finally they caught sight of the Gate, immovable in the cloudless blue sky of the afternoon. Its glowing surface was shedding blue glints on the grass. Just a few more feet and they could jump into the shining pool, away from danger, safe. A wave of hope erupted in Sam despite the heat of the staff blasts she could feel were brushing her. Her radio crackled and Daniel yelled something she couldn't understand; their friend was already on the other side, keeping the gate active. Teal'c reluctantly followed the archeologist as ordered by Colonel O'Neill, though the Jaffa insisted until the last second to stay with them to cover their back.

They were almost at the gate – almost – when Sam heard a staff blast; too close, she thought, and one second later Jack howled with pain. She abruptly stopped running and turned back. Her superior's face was distorted by suffering, and before she could react he collapsed on her. They both fell and Sam's head hit the ground; pain burst in her head, leaving her stunned and unable to think straight.

"Carter…"

She felt his breath on her ear as he whispered her name in a hoarse voice; the weight of his body on hers was not the worst thing they have to deal with right now. Sam ran her fingers on his back and finally found what she was looking for; her hand got sticky with blood pouring from his wound.

"Carter, listen to me."

She couldn't find the strength to move him away from her; her mind was in such a mess she had to make a huge effort to concentrate on his words.

"You have to keep running. Leave me here, Carter. I'm already dead."

"I'm not going to, Sir. We're gonna make it home…"

"No. Save yourself, for crying out loud…"

Jack managed to raise his head a little and looked straight in her eyes.

"I can't move, Carter. Get rid of me and run."

He was silently begging her to leave, she was sure of that. His eyes started to fill with tears; the pain must have been unbearable.

"I am not going to leave you behind, Sir."

She opened a channel on her radio and said:

"SGC, this is Carter. We are unable to get back home. Shut the gate, we'll find a way. Carter out."

Breathless, Jack considered her for a moment.

"Why did you do that?"

"Never leave anyone behind, remember?"

He didn't pick up the lack of "sir".

Sam could hear the Jaffas running toward them, their shouts of anger, their boots hammering the ground. In a few seconds, they would be there.

At least they were together.