Notes and disclaimer in Part 1...

~&O&~

The vista stretched out for miles, the snow-covered Rockies twinkling in the early morning light. Sam stood in a small clearing on the other side of the mountain from the main entrance, wrapped in a parka, taking in the beauty.

She'd woken up alone that morning, which wasn't unusual. Whenever Jack turned up on her doorstep, he'd usually slip out in the early morning hours. When she woke, she'd find a fresh pot of coffee in the kitchen, and no sign of Jack O'Neill in the house. And when she'd arrived in her office, she'd found one of her travel mugs, washed out, with a note that simply said "Thanks", with no signature or other elaboration.

And then, she'd wander up to this spot, trying to clear her head. She knew she deserved more—her father would have told her that had he still been alive—but she just couldn't help herself where he was concerned. She'd wanted him for so long, that even a small piece of him was better than nothing.

Which was ridiculous, really, because she knew deep down that she didn't have him at all. He was what her grandmother would call a "rambling man". He hadn't always been the love 'em and leave 'em type, but life had conspired to beat him down until that was his only refuge.

She tolerated it because she truly did love him, and wanted to be there for him as much as she could. But in the early morning light, with the memory of his touch still lingering on her skin, she could let her battered heart bleed for what might have been, if he hadn't been so broken when they'd first met.

"Are you well, Colonel Carter?" a deep baritone voice quietly asked.

She tilted her head towards him. "Teal'c," she said, acknowledging his presence with a sigh. He always came to find her on these mornings. She was fairly certain that he'd figured out what was going on, but she'd never actually asked, and he'd never said for sure.

He stepped up beside her, hands clasped behind his back. "I ate breakfast with O'Neill this morning."

So, he knew. "You did?" she asked, and was surprised that her voice sounded so normal. "And how is the General this morning?"

"He is…" he paused, probably searching for the right word. "He is melancholy. Though he would not admit it."

Sam pursed her lips. "I'm sure he's just got a lot on his mind."

"As do you, I believe," he said.

"Yeah," she admitted, running her hands through her hair.

They stood in silence, watching as the sun peeked through the Rockies on its daily journey. Finally, Sam broke the silence.

"It's foolish, I know," she said quietly, "to wait for something I know isn't ever going to happen."

"I have lived many years," he said equally quietly. "One thing I know: hope is never foolish."

She ghosted a smile as she glanced at him. "Thanks, but I know it's not going to change, no matter how much I might want it to."

"And yet he returns to you, and only you," he said. "He could find what he needs in another's arms, but he does not."

"I suppose I should take comfort in that," she said, turning to face him. "But then I wake up alone."

"You could simply refuse him," Teal'c suggested, looking down into pain-filled eyes.

Sam cringed. "Not likely. I love him too much to ever say no."

"As I believe he loves you," he said. She shook her head, but before she could say anything, he went on. "He is lost, but he will not always be so. One day, he will find his way. What you must ask yourself is whether you have the patience to wait for him."

"How could I not?" she asked as the tears began to fall. "It's just so hard."

Teal'c reached out and pulled her to him, enfolding her in his arms as he sought to comfort her. She accepted the embrace, taking strength from their long friendship. It was in moments like this that she was grateful that he wasn't a talker. She didn't need the words—there wasn't anything anyone could say to change the way things were, anyway.

She knew she was a fool for hoping he'd change, and she knew he was a bastard for taking advantage of her. It was what it was, and they were both trapped by it, unable to stop and unable to move forward.

"When did it all get so complicated?" she whispered into Teal'c's chest.

"The day you accepted appointment to the Stargate Program," came his easy reply.

Sam pulled back and looked up at her friend. His face was a mask of seriousness, but the glimmer in his eyes told her he'd just cracked a joke. She chuckled, pulling him into a tight hug.

"Thanks, Teal'c," she said as she pulled away and took a step back, wiping the tears from her cheeks.

"You are welcome," he said, bowing his head slightly. "You are my friend. I will always be here, for whatever you need."

Sam smiled as she watched her old friend walk back toward the entrance. She turned back to the rising sun, giving a heavy sigh. She hadn't settled anything, and she didn't think she ever would, at least where Jack was concerned. But he'd be gone by the end of the day, and she'd have another month to find some balance before it started all over again.

~Finis