A Sam/Jack story based on 100 Days. It's the same idea as the episode, but a different situation.

For someone who is supposed to be studying, I seem to be doing a lot of fanfictioning as well… hmmm.

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Jack had never fancied himself a coward.

But standing there in that crater, watching her dig desperately, all he wanted to do was run. Run from this place, from the mess they'd gotten into, from his fear of never going home. But most of all, run from her. Because he knew if she turned around and he saw the tears he knew were falling, all he'd want to do is hug her until they dried.

And he knew she might just let him.

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100 days ago

The rocks rained down, unrelenting, threatening everyone and everything in their path. He felt the earth shudder just as his radio crackled to life.

"Sir, we have to move now!"

Jack looked briefly at his radio, then around the small cave, over the faces of the children in front of him. In the corner of his eye he could see their teacher resting where he'd left her, a knock to the head her worst injury. With a sigh he made up his mind.

"You go, Carter. These kids still need help"

"But sir…"

"Go! Come back later with reinforcements once it's over. We'll be fine here. Go"

"Sir, if I go, I might not be able to get back! One hit to the gate could bury it, or worse"

"Carter, I won't say it again…"

"I won't go without you, Sir"

Though there was a hint of desperation in her voice, mostly all he could hear was her loyalty- her goddamn unwavering loyalty, which he had instilled in them all… Never leave a man behind.

And there was a part of him- a small, selfish part of him- that was glad for that loyalty. If he was going to be trapped here, he didn't want to be alone. So with another sigh he clicked his radio again.

"Then you better get your ass in this cave before those rocks kill you"

"Yes sir" she replied. There was a hesitation to her voice that told him she had been running, and he swore he could hear her mouth curl into the faintest of smiles. She was never going to listen to anything different anyway, he realised.

Damn her and her loyalty.

A few minutes later she came through the entrance of the cave, breathing heavily. She must have sprinted to get there so quickly. He was holding the youngest of the children, barely two years old, while the others sat in the back of the cave clinging to each other.

"Sir?"

A thousand questions in just one word.

"We're all okay. Their teacher took a knock to the head, she's out cold. Some of the parents are in a cave about two clicks away"

His tone was hushed, reassuring, as he rubbed small circles on the child's back while he slept. She nodded, still catching her breath, and moved to check on the teacher, more out of training than out of necessity. The woman didn't move, but her head was the worst of her injuries. She would be fine. Sam stood and looked over the children. Aside from the small boy in Jack's arms, they all looked between four and eight. She was thankful that there was only a small group of them- just over a half dozen.

She looked back up to Jack and realized just how bizarre the sight was- her hardened commanding officer was carrying a toddler, swaying slightly as if it were the most natural thing in the world. Then she was painfully reminded that there was a reason why he was so familiar with the gesture, and she diverted her gaze to the boy.

"He okay?" she asked, lacking a better conversation starter.

"Scared. Tired…" he said, shifting. "Heavy"

She grinned and went and sat next to the other children. A small girl, no older than five, huddled into Sam's side, and her arm instinctively went around her. Another came and sat next to her, burying her head in Sam's shoulder. Meanwhile, Jack had settled himself against the wall of the cave; the toddler nestled under his chin.

"It's gonna be a looong night" he sighed.