Disclaimer: Just borrowing them for a bit. I promise to give them back when I'm done (if I have to).

Timing: After the season 9 episode "Off the Grid"

A/N: Thanks again for all of the wonderful reviews! I love hearing what you think. Sorry it took me so long to get this chapter up. Things have been pretty busy for me recently and finding time to write has been a bit of a challenge.

Chapter 2: Too Close

Sam let out a small groan as the hot water of the shower washed over the cuts and bruises covering her body. Now that the adrenaline caused by the events of the past few days was finally wearing off she was exhausted and her entire body ached. All she could think about was getting through the upcoming debriefing as fast as possible and then heading home. Normally Sam got bored quickly at home unless Jack was around; but after being captured, beaten, and nearly killed twice in less than 48 hours she was ready for some rest and relaxation.

Sam let out a sigh as she rested her head against the tiles of the shower when she suddenly remembered what day it was. It was Friday and she was scheduled to catch a 7pm flight to Washington, D.C. to visit Jack. She didn't think she would be able to stay awake that long, much less deal with the hassle of travel. To make matters worse she was supposed to accompany him to a formal political reception on Saturday. Somehow she didn't think that the cuts on her left cheek combined with her split lip would match her dress blues very well. Sam knew that Jack had been looking forward to having her company for the event and she had been looking forward to spending some time with him as well; but as much as she loved the man, he would have to learn to live with disappointment. Tonight she had a date with Chinese food, her pajamas, a good book, and a comfy couch; everything else could wait until later.

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Later that evening…

Jack grinned as he quietly opened the door to Sam's house in Colorado Springs. He was glad they had decided to exchange keys a few months ago; it made surprises so much easier when you didn't need to use a lock pick. He knew he should have stayed in Washington to attend the political function the next evening, but when had he ever done exactly what he was supposed to? When he had finished with his afternoon meetings he had found a message on his phone from Sam. She let him know that SG-1 had had just gotten back from a rough mission and that she didn't have it in her to make the trip. That news combined with the strain he could hear in her voice prompted him to find an evening flight to Colorado Springs. Jack hated spending most of the week away from Sam under normal circumstances and he was going to make sure he was there for her when she needed him; formal receptions be damned.

As he made his way into the living room his heart skipped a beat at the sight before him. Sam hadn't managed to make it to her bedroom. She was sprawled on the couch under her favorite blanket with an open book collapsed on her chest. She was beautiful. Jack quietly approached her and reached down to carefully remove the book before he paused with a grimace making out the gash and bruising on her cheek that had been hidden from him by the way she was facing. He hated seeing her banged up. Placing the book on the end table, Jack leaned over her and gently placed kisses on her forehead, damaged cheek, and finally lips. He hadn't intended to wake her up, but as he began to pull away he felt Sam's hands come to the sides of his face as she pulled him back in for another kiss. When they broke apart her eyes fluttered open and she looked at him in surprise as if she had expected him to disappear when she fully awoke.

"You're really here?" Sam questioned sleepily, looking slightly confused. "I thought I was dreaming."

"Surprise." Jack replied with a smug grin. Sam was cute when she was confused and it happened so rarely he was extremely proud of himself for being the one to cause it.

"I thought you had to stay in Washington this weekend."

"I'm playing hooky. I heard a rumor that my favorite Lt. Colonel had a rough day, so I decided she was due some pampering." He brushed a stray strand of hair out of her eyes before gently tracing the wound on her face. "And from the looks of this you definitely need some."

"What about the reception, won't you be missed?" Sam tried to reason. She was excited to see Jack, but didn't want him to get in trouble on her account.

"They'll get over it. Considering they refused to let me retire after we defeated Anubis and the replicators I seriously doubt they will get rid of me because I missed some boring social event." Jack gave her an unconcerned shrug as he answered.

"Well, as much as I appreciate it, you didn't have to change your plans just because SG-1 had a rough mission."

"I know I didn't have to, but I wanted to. Only seeing you on the weekends doesn't seem like enough time together to begin with; I wasn't about to give one up if I didn't have to. Of course if you don't want me here I can always go visit Daniel." Jack responded with a look of mock hurt and began to rise from the edge of the couch where he was sitting.

"Don't you dare." Sam reached out to grab his hand as she spoke. "If you even think about going anywhere I'll let Daniel and Teal'c know what a softy you become around me. You have your reputation to consider here General." She teased.

"You win, you win!" Jack raised his free hand in a gesture of surrender as they both started laughing. Unfortunately Sam's laughter was cut short by a wince as she was reminded of the bruised ribs she had received thanks to the Lucian Alliance.

"You okay, Sam?" Jack asked in concern as he saw the brief look of pain cross her face. He was suddenly furious that someone had hurt his Sam, as he had taken to thinking of her. It was probably a good thing the frat rules had been in place when they were on SG-1 together. Since taking their relationship to the next level, Jack had been feeling even more protective of Sam than he had in the past. If he was still going into the field with her he was pretty sure he would have to suppress the urge to pummel anyone who even looked at her funny; which in turn would likely get the team into even more trouble than they usually managed on their own.

"I'll be fine; my ribs are just a little tender." She replied as she slowly pushed herself up into a sitting position next to Jack. Unfortunately all of her muscles had stiffened up and the movement caused another wince. She was obviously not fine, Jack decided, no matter how much she tried to convince him otherwise.

"Let me see, Sam." Jack stated as he reached for the hem of the t-shirt she was wearing. She started to protest, but fell silent realizing it was a losing battle. Jack's breath caught as he gently pulled her shirt over her head leaving her clad in a sports bra and pajama bottoms. Her entire right side was covered in a mass of purple bruises and her left shoulder was badly bruised as well. He'd been held prisoner enough through the years to guess that the bruise on her shoulder was due to being roughly shoved to the ground with her hands bound behind her. And he knew that the mass of bruises on her ribs was likely a result of being repeatedly kicked while on the ground; it was a wonder they weren't actually broken. When Jack had first seen the cuts on her face he had hoped they were the result of a fight, but now it was clear SG-1 hadn't been so lucky. Even though he had been side by side with her in many similar situations the thought of her being bound and beaten sickened him.

"It looks worse than it feels. I'm okay, really, just a little sore." Sam attempted to reassure him.

"You weren't kidding when you said you had a rough mission." Jack stated with a shake of his head. "What happened anyway?" He was somewhat annoyed that Hank hadn't let him know that SG-1 was in trouble, but he knew deep down that it was for the best. As the head of the Department of Homeworld Security he couldn't show favoritism towards his former team, and asking to be called each time they missed a check in would definitely be bad for appearances.

"We were sent to investigate a corn-like crop that is highly addictive. Mitchell attempted to pose as a smuggler to gather more information. Let's just say that plan failed miserably and we were captured by the Lucian Alliance. Although we would have been fine if Ba'al hadn't stolen the planet's stargate moments before we managed to dial out."

"I see SG-1 hasn't lost its touch. Who else could manage to combine addictive corn, an Air Force officer posing as a drug dealer, and a goa'uld stealing stargates all in one mission?" Jack joked attempting to lighten the mood a bit. Sam had visibly tensed when she spoke of being captured. "So, how'd you guys manage to escape?" Jack didn't want to upset her by making her relive the mission, but he felt a need to know what had happened to her. She seemed slightly shaken and he hoped getting her talking about it would help.

"We didn't." Sam mumbled quietly dropping her gaze to stare into her lap.

"The fact that you're sitting here, with me, in your living room begs to differ." Jack stated reaching out to take her hands in his.

"We didn't escape… we got lucky. The Odyssey showed up just in time to beam us out."

"Just in time?" Jack prodded. He could tell she didn't want to talk about it, but knew from personal experience that bottling up feelings didn't accomplish anything; although he wasn't about to admit that to anyone else.

"They were about to execute us. It was close, Jack, too close." She looked up at him with tears in her eyes before leaning forward and resting her head on his chest while wrapping her arms around his sides.

"How close, Sam?" Jack whispered into her hair. He wasn't sure he wanted to know the answer, but she needed to say it and he needed to hear it. She took a deep breath before responding; her voice shaking slightly.

"The guns went off at the same moment we were beamed out. I heard the shots and saw the muzzle flashes. If the Odyssey had shown up even a half second later I'd be dead." As Sam finished speaking the stress of the past few days finally caught up with her. With Jack holding her in his arms she allowed herself to drop the strong soldier routine and let her emotions loose, pressing her face into the solid wall of his chest as her tears began to flow. Jack rested his head on top of hers and gently rubbed circles on her back, taking care to avoid her injured right side. The thought of how easily he could be planning her memorial service instead of comforting her nearly broke his heart. She was right, SG-1's rescue had been entirely too close.

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A/N: Although SG-1 managed to carry out the mission to retrieve the stolen stargates, I imagine they were pretty beat up (as I portrayed Sam in this story) but that they had enough adrenaline going to ignore the discomfort long enough to get the job done.