Sam sat beside Cam's bed holding his hand gently, trying to sort through the swell of emotions she'd been feeling since first waking up.

After the discovery of alternate realities she couldn't help but wonder sometimes what different lives she might be leading and right now she couldn't shake the thought that somewhere out there, there was a version of herself that had just lost one of the most important people in her life.

It might be stupid but this time had been close, too close and the outcome could've been so very different.

She wiped her eyes trying not to think about it.

He was here, safe…

Cam started to stir and she cleared her throat trying to keep her emotions in check. She didn't think she'd ever felt so much anger and relief at the same time and when he finally opened his eyes she didn't know whether to slap or kiss him. 'Hey…'

Her voice was neutral, betraying nothing and Cam frowned slightly.

He could see she'd been crying and a sinking feeling settled in the pit of his stomach as he watched her carefully. 'Hey…You okay?'

She nodded, pulling her hand away and taking a deep breath. 'How are you feeling?'

'I've felt better….' He smiled lightly before narrowing his eye, 'What about you? Should you be up?'

'Doctor released me a few hours ago.' She subconsciously layed an arm across her stomach, 'Couple of bruised ribs but I'm fine…'

There was a brief pause and she absently rubbed her hand along the length of her thigh, 'Cam…'

'I know what you're going to say…' He let out a sigh having worked out what the tone of her voice meant.

She was angry.

If he were honest he'd been expecting this conversation ever since he'd made the decision to leave his team behind, although that still hadn't helped him to prepare for it. 'It was the only way to make sure you guys made it back to the gate.'

'It was stupid. How do you think I would've felt if…' She paused, swallowing hard as she raised her head to the ceiling. The thought of losing him still caused her to choke up and she was frustrated that he didn't seem even the slightest bit sorry for his actions.

'Did you even think about the consequences?

'Of course I did.' He closed his eyes, deliberately keeping his voice low. He knew she was looking for an apology but he didn't regret his decision and if he had to make it again he would, in a heartbeat.

'Look Sam…' He reached forward taking her hand back into his own, hoping the gesture would mellow her anger.

'When I found you I thought…' He faltered slightly remembering how terrifying the moment had been, how lifeless her body had felt in his arms… 'I can't lose you. I know I'm being selfish here... but I don't want to be the one waking up everyday knowing there was something I could've done.'

There was nothing but raw honest in his words and she found her fingers subconsciously tightening around his grip.

She wanted to tell him it was okay, that it didn't matter because they were both fine now but truth was they weren't… she wasn't. This same scenario could happen every time they stepped through the gate and while she wasn't prepared to let him go through alone knowing the danger he could get into… she didn't want to be the reason he was being put in danger either. They'd discussed the issue before first getting together but being a hypothetically situation it had been hard to gauge the impact it could have on their relationship.

Now, she only wished she'd been able to foresee the possible consequences more clearly back then, before they had gotten too close.

'I'm so sorry…'

'No, no, no, no.' He knew what was coming next and kept hold of her hand so she couldn't pull away, 'Come on Sam, this is us… we can fix this.'

She smiled weakly, trying to ignore the feeling of nausea rising in the pit of her stomach. Even as she spoke, the words grated against every instinct in her body. 'I just need some time…'

Cam's gaze softened as he searched her eyes. He could see they were filled with doubt but they were also silently pleading with him to understand and as painful as it was, he nodded his head slowly. 'Okay…'

Her heart burned in her chest as she watched him try to conceal the hurt he was feeling. She could tell he wanted to fight till he was blue in the face but he wouldn't because even though she was effectively breaking up with him, he was still trying to protect her.

It was moments like this that she realized just how much she loved him and she pulled her hand away forcefully, feeling herself start to tear up. 'I have to go.'

'Sam. Sam wait!' He called out, slumping back against the bed when she didn't stop.

It was ridiculous.

Less than a week ago they'd been joking about moving in together and now they were breaking up?

He lifted his head, giving a frustrated grunt as he dropped it back on his pillow. Deep down he knew this wasn't what she wanted and he just preyed that by giving her the time she needed, she'd come to the same conclusion.

Sam seated herself in the commissary, ignoring the way her ribs protested at the movement.

It had been nearly a week since she'd been cleared by the doctor but little rest and the strain of the past few days were all starting to take it's toll on her body. She was feeling run down and though she really ought to keep her strength up, the pancakes remained uneaten as she pushed them around the plate with her fork.

'Hey…'

She looked up as Daniel sat his tray down on the table, taking a seat opposite her. 'You look like hell, did you sleep at all last night?'

She smiled lightly, returning her gaze to the mess in front of her. 'Some…'

'Going to tell me what's wrong?' He raised an eyebrow, taking a bite from his toast.

It didn't take a genius to figure out something from their last mission was bothering her and if he had to hazard a guess he'd bet it had something to do with the fact they hadn't returned home as a whole team.

'Have you spoken to Cam yet?'

Her body tensed and he knew immediately he'd hit a soft spot.

'We talked...' A sigh escaped as she let her fork fall to the side of her plate, 'Then we broke up.'

His toast paused halfway to his mouth. 'I'm sorry, what?'

Although he'd felt a subtle tension between them at the briefing and a few other encounters this week, there had been no indication that there was a problem between them. In fact if anything their actions had been overly friendly but certainly not forced. 'When?'

She shrugged her shoulders, twisting her fingers awkwardly in her lap. 'Just after he got back.'

Daniel dropped his toast and leant back in his chair, eyeing her carefully. If they'd broken up it was no wonder she looked so miserable but he just couldn't believe he hadn't noticed.

'You obviously didn't part on too bad a terms then?'

'We're friends Daniel.' She shifted her gaze, lowering her voice softly. 'Nothings going to change that.'

He frowned slightly in confusion. Clearly their feelings for each other were still there and he wondered what had prompted the sudden transition from lovers back to friends again.

'Can I ask why?'

Her head tilted to the side not really sure how to explain it, not sure she understood it herself. 'It's complicated.'

A small smirk appeared on his lips. Complicated was the story of his life...

'Try me.'

She picked up her fork again, fidgeting with the smooth metal. It was hardly a distraction but it at least created somewhere else for her gaze to be drawn to. 'I don't want to be the reason he winds up hurt, or worse. You know what he's like, you saw the way he reacted when…'

She faltered not wanting to go into the details. Although this was Daniel, she was still a very private person and discussing what she and Cam felt for each other was hard enough when it was just the two of them.

'So let me get this straight,' He held up his hands mentally accessing the situation, 'You broke up because you don't want to lose him… Isn't that a bit of a catch twenty-two?'

She shrugged her shoulders and he let out a sigh dropping his fingers back to the top of the table. 'Look Sam… risking our lives for each other, it's part of being a team and it doesn't matter if your not technically together… he cares about you so he's going to want to protect you either way.'

His eyes found her wandering gaze and he smiled gently. 'Besides this is Cam we're talking about, doing stupid things is in his blood.'

She gave a half hearted laugh, nodding her head slowly. It was true he had a penchants for acting first and thinking later, it was one of the main reasons she didn't just transfer and be done with it. Because whether he realized or not, he needed protecting to.

Leaning forward she rubbed her temples trying to ease the tension building. 'I really screwed this up didn't I?'

He shook his head sympathetically. 'You can work it out, you just need to find him and talk to him.'

'Yeah…' She sighed, sliding her chair back hesitantly. 'Thanks Daniel. '

He frowned slightly when he noticed her wince as she stood up. 'Ribs still bothering you?'

She dropped her hand that lay protectively over the area, indicating it wasn't a big deal. 'It's nothing.'

He shot her a dubious look but eventually decided to let it drop. She was far too stubborn to actually admit if she were in any pain, so it would be more productive to just casually let it slip to the doctor next time he saw her.

'Let me know how it goes with Cam okay?'

She smiled slightly, genuinely appreciating the concern.

It was comforting to know that whatever happened she had his support.

Daniel picked up his cold slice of toast as she left, silently hoping she followed his advice. Although it hadn't initially been a turn he'd seen coming, his friends deserved a little happiness and he would be there if they needed a gentle shove… or forceful push, in the right direction.

Just wanted to say thanks to everyone for all the lovely reviews! It makes me feel less guilty for posting chapters when i should be cleaning my house :P