A/N: A huge thank you to everyone that reviewed. I am humbled and encourage by your comments. I hope you will not be disappointed in Chapter 2.


Chapter 2: Cold Rain

The trek across boulder field the next morning proved to be as difficult and unforgiving as Sam originally expected. There were a few stumbles along the way but SG-1 managed to get through without incident.

The remaining time spent of P3X-656 also past without incident. Daniel searched for clues to explain the lost civilization of the planet and continued to ponder the placement of the Stargate on the mountain cliff. Teal'c quietly stood guard protecting his friends from harm. Sam, as she had hoped, lost herself in her work. Soil analyses and Naquadah deposits encompassed her and any thoughts of him were filed away in the far recesses of her mind.

On the morning of their return, the weather took a turn for the worse. A light rain began to fall. SG-1 were scheduled to return to the SGC at 1400 hours and it would be difficult to make the return if the rain continued. The already rocky terrain became slippery and unstable the further they journeyed.

As Sam walked, left alone to her thoughts, he began to invade her consciousness again. Her mood deteriorated. She became more preoccupied the closer to the gate, closer to facing him again, she traveled. The weather seemed to sense Sam's thoughts as it appeared to worsen with each step. She could not avoid him forever. They were going to have to work through what happened before…he left. When SG-1 reached the boulder field at the foot of the mountain, the rain had become a cold, steady downpour.

"I'm leaving the SGC." He said quietly.

She stood in front of General O'Neill with a look of utter shock. 'Leaving? Did he just say he was leaving the SGC?'

After what seemed an eternity, she finally spoke. "L…Leaving?"

"Yeah.." He replied simply.

Sam's mind was moving so fast she could not process the thoughts. 'How was this happening? Where was he going? When was he going? Why was he going?'

"I'm going to be the new Head of Homeworld Security" Jack continued. "in Washington, D.C."

"What about General Hammond, sir?"

"Retiring. He personally asked that I take the position and the President agreed."

"What about the SGC?" She questioned him.

"I'm not leaving the SGC, Carter. I'm just going to Washington. I will still know everything that is going on here. Same crap, different place." O'Neill said, pleading his case.

"What about SG-1?" 'What about me?' she thought to herself. 'What about us?'

He looked down at his hands and sighed, "I haven't been apart of SG-1 for awhile. It's your team now, Carter. I'm on the outside looking in."

He looked at her. She thought about when they were trapped on Apophis' ship and he refused to leave her. She thought about sitting with him before her father died, thanking him for being there for her. "Always", he said. 'It was all a lie. He was leaving, leaving her.'

"You could have said, no, sir." She said quietly, almost whispering the words.

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On their first trip through the boulder field the footing had been challenging. It took the utmost concentration to make the trek unscathed. On their return, the footing was treacherous. The pouring rain had turned the boulders into slippery landmines, ready to explode with the first misstep.

Sam had not realized she had fallen behind some distance from Teal'c and Daniel who were almost through the field. She slowly made her way over the jagged rocks deep in thought when her right foot slipped and caused her to lose her balance and hit the hard, unforgiving ground. Her right hand came down hard on the edge of one of the rocks. A sharp pain shot through her arm. She lay of the ground, cursing herself for her lack of concentration.

"Dammit!"

She looked at her hand and grimaced slightly. The rock had cut an approximately 2 inch gash in the palm of her hand. Blood flowed freely. 'Great. Stitches.' .

Her thoughts were interrupted by a low rumbling. She heard her name being frantically shouted.

"Colonel Carter!" Teal'c yelled. Hand forgotten, Sam quickly got to her feet and turned toward Teal'c and Daniel to respond when she saw it. The low rumble was a rock slide caused by the rain tearing down the side of the mountain.

"Colonel Carter, you must run!"

"Run, Sam!" Daniel yelled.

She started to run.

The footing was too slippery.

The low rumble now a freight train heading for her.

Daniel and Teal'c screamed in the background

Sam was not going to make it.

She was going to die.

The rock slide roared to her position and engulfed her dragging her down with stone arms that refused to let go. She was pummeled with rocks hitting her head, her face, her chest, her legs. She rode the wave of rock and mud for eternity. The torture of the rock slide endless. She suddenly came to a jarring halt; her head impacted with hard, unforgiving stone. She could not move as she felt the debris from the slide building up and around her body. The rocks and mud were becoming her coffin; the field her cemetery. Unconsciousness was pulling her into a nether void when she felt a weight settle on her. Agonizing pain unlike anything she had ever experienced ripped through her body. Blackness enveloped her vision; the pain too much to bear.

She gave in to the darkness and slipped away.