Thank you to everyone who read and reviewed the first chapter of Fall From Grace. I hope you enjoy the next installment


"Grace is love that cares and stoops and rescues." -John R. W. Stott

Music filled Jack's ears as he coughed into consciousness. He moaned and tried to make himself black out again. Sleep was far better than whatever new age torture technique was waiting for him in the world of the waking. Sleep was often better than the Sloppy Joes his lunch lady life usually dished out to him, even when he wasn't being tortured, killed, brought back to life and tortured again. Not that his usual life as a Colonel was that bad. Sleep was just better. Sleep usually involved dreams full of long beaches, lots of fish, tap dancing bears and occasionally the odd view of a certain, slightly naked someone.

Yup – sleep was good. Dates with Ba'al? Not so hot.

The mysterious music he could hear swelled like a wave through his ears. It was sweet, sad music, like a lament.

Maybe he was dead. Maybe this was his funeral song. Maybe he had finally died and Ba'al had shipped him back through the gate in a cardboard box. He unsquinted his eyes and looked around, hopefully for some sign that he was dead. An angel or two perhaps, or a set of pearly gates. But what did he see? Beige-orange walls and a floor to match. Not an angel to be seen. Damn. Not dead yet.

Unless of course this was hell. It certainly fit the bill.

Except for that damned music! Jack looked around to find its source. No hidden tape players or surprise Jaffa marching bands. Yep – this was it. He was officially going insane. First there was glowing-Daniel, then there was make-believe-leather-Carter and now some mysterious cello tune? Nope – none of it was real.

"He was real."

Jack jumped back, startled. Standing behind him was the willowy figure of his 2IC, resting her chin on the neck of an old cello.

"Sam," Jack greeted hoarsely. She had been gone for so long.

"Hi Jack," she said with a smile. She looked beautiful. Her hair was passed her shoulders now and she wore a sky blue dress that floated down to the floor.

"Who was real?" he asked.

"Daniel," she said. "He's here, looking after you." She smiled again and rested the cello against the wall.

Jack shook his head. "He can't be," he said. "He's dead."

"He's ascended," Sam corrected. "I promise you Jack, it's him." She approached him and took his hands. "He'll be back again. You'll see." She sat down next to him and held his hand as they rested their backs against the wall.

"You're not real though, are you?" Jack asked.

Sam shook her head. "If I was, do you think I would be wearing this?" she asked, fluffing up her dress around her legs.

"I like it!" Jack defended.

"I know," Sam replied. "Why do you think I'm wearing it?"

"You mean you don't wear that on weekends?' he joked.

Sam merely glared at him, with a very Teal'c-like eyebrow raise.

"It's BDUs or nothing with you, isn't it?" he said with an amused shake of his head.

"Or nothing?" she asked with a wicked grin. Jack's eyes widened.

"I didn't mean…uh…" he stammered as Sam laughed into his shoulder.

"Relax," she teased. "I was only kidding." She kept her head in his shoulder, curling into him. "You're cute when you're embarrassed," she murmured.

"What?"

"You get little dimples right here…and here," she said, tracing his cheeks with her fingers. She looked into his eyes and beamed as his face reddened. She kissed him square on the lips for a second before giggling and nestling into his shoulder again.

"This is familiar," Jack said, unable to contain the smile that was spreading on his face. Hallucination or not, being kissed by Carter would make anyone smile. Sitting there, so comfortable with one another reminded him of their time as Jonah and Thera.

"Except that you're really you this time," Sam said, lacing her hand through his.

"And you're really me too," Jack said wryly.

"True," Sam sighed. "But this will be us one day."

"Right."

"It will!" Sam assured, her eyebrows furrowing in earnest.

Jack nodded and rolled his eyes.

"You don't believe me do you?" Sam accused and pushed herself of his shoulder. "I meant what I said last time," She said.

"Right," Jack mumbled.

"I did!"

"Carter, you're not real!" Jack cried.

"So what?" Sam asked, not backing down. "I was just telling you what you wanted to hear??"

"Well, yeah," Jack said. The Carter he knew would never have told him she loved him, even if they were really talking about Kanan.

"I'm telling you what you know," she corrected. "Not what you want to hear." She shuffled away from him so that she could look him square in the eye. "What do you think I'm doing right now? The real me?"

Jack said nothing for a moment. Sam glared at him. "Trying to bring me home," he said with a sigh.

"You're damn right I am!" Sam said fiercely. Jack's eyes widened at her intensity. "And why do you think that is?" she asked.

Jack looked away from her and shrugged uncomfortably.

"The same reason I almost passed out from exhaustion last time I brought you home!"

"What?" Jack asked. When had she almost passed out? When was he last stranded?

"When you were stuck on Edora," Sam explained distastefully. "I didn't eat for weeks."

Jack sat for a moment, taking in her words. "I didn't know," Jack said quietly, shifting against the wall.

"Yes you did," Sam replied. "You just didn't want to face it."

Jack made a move to retort, but backed down. Was she right?

"Well it's time you faced the fact that I love you, Jack and I always will!"

Jack just shook his head.

"Don't shake your head at me, Jack O'Neill," she said, lifting a finger. "You know I do, somewhere you know it." She looked close to tears. "Jack!"

He grabbed her wrists, without even thinking. She didn't flinch back. She held his gaze as tightly as he held her wrists. He had never seen her so fierce or so vulnerable. Was she right? She couldn't be. She didn't love him; not like he loved her. She was too young, too brilliant, too amazing. He let go of her hands, expecting her to leave. Instead she shot them around his neck and planted her face on his.

Her lips smashed against his. He was so bewildered that he pushed her back, holding her at arm's length. She faltered for a second, her eyes wide with doubt. He pulled her back toward him, pushing the hair out of her face. She was one damned crazy hallucination. He left his hand on her cheek and stroked her lip. It was soft and wet and he was enthralled with the feel of it against his finger. He felt her tremble under his touch. She was so beautiful.

He smiled and kissed her lightly, leaving his lips against hers. She sighed into his embrace and kissed him back, tenderly and lovingly. He felt her moan into him and felt his own triumph growing inside him. She smoothed her fingers around his neck and pushed them through his hair as he did the same to her. She smelt so good; tasted so good.

He was losing control.

Sam was the first to pull back. She looked at him intently, and left her hands around his shoulders.

"I'm sorry," she said lightly, a blush creeping into her cheeks.

"What for?" Jack asked, his voice coming out as a hoarse grumble.

"For not being me," she said.

Jack laughed quietly. "I love you," he half-whispered, not even sure if he could say it to a hallucination.

"Thanks Jack!"

Jack swore. Daniel sat in the corner, his ascended face scrunched up in confusion. "I…love you too…I guess." He grinned uncomfortably.

"Ah, for crying out loud," Jack murmured his hands now full of nothing but air.