A/N: Sorry, I'm going to do these in a random order... I was watching Grace just now (it's 1am) and I felt like something needed to be spoken about, and also that the oh-so-dreaded episode of Chimera is very soon after so I thought I'd tie everything in, as I find the whole Pete thing a little random so I might as well try and make some sense of the disastrous idea. THANK YOU for my reviews as always they make my day! I've written this in the early hours of the morning half asleep so I will come back to edit it... sorry for any typos, I'm going to get some shut eye now, enjoy! xx

Grace

Absolutely exhausted from a lot of rest, she walks up her driveway with the knowledge of her team in her house. She touches the door, to ensure it's not her imagination, and slowly opens it to Daniel smiling.

"Welcome home Sam." he hugs her. She thanks him and continues to walk into her kitchen to find more than her team there, her eyes swing open with surprise and she can see the smug look on Colonel O'Neill's face.

"I did say they were planning a little bit of a shindig Carter."

There was 20 more people in her house than normal, it was all very relaxed- just a little full. Needing a moment to herself after including herself in 3 hours worth of small talk she went over to grab a drink and something to eat. She scans the table to see snacks, and then some chocolate cake which looked like it had only had 3 helpings taken out of it, she smiled, she knew that gap had all been consumed by one person. And that very person was back for more.

"This is good cake." He says.

"I haven't had any yet sir." He looks up and places the piece of cake he just picked up onto her plate. "Thank you sir."

"This all a little too much?" He asks waving his fork around.

"I mean it's nice, I just think… well it's a lot."

"Yes well you know what Teal'c is like when you're away for a couple of days." She laughs at his comment. "Don't worry, look- people are starting to leave."

"Would it be rude to say I'm relieved."

"No, it would be normal."

"I've thanked everyone for coming so I'm going to go and sit down, you wanna join me sir?" He nods and they both go over to the living room and sit next to each other on her couch, a beer each. O'Neill starts to laugh randomly, "Sir?"

"I just find it funny, we always end up sitting somewhere drinking beer when it comes to these things."

"The only way to do it."

"Cheers to that." He taps her bottle with his and they lock eyes, then they drink. "So, your report mentioned something about you hallucinating?"

"You read my report?" She says surprised. "I only handed it earlier."

"It is my job Carter."

"Oh, yeah."

"So?" He edges on.

"Just hallucinations, not much to it really."

"What did you hallucinate?"

"Family, friends and a little girl."

"Sounds like quite the party."

"Yeah. I mean when I say friends, I only mean SG1 sir."

"Ah, so did I make an appearance?" She blushes at the question and his mouth corners into a smile. "I'll take that as yes." He drinks. "So, what happened in these hallucinations?"

Trying to seem casual she answers, "Just conversations sir."

"Ah. Can't imagine that, having to deal with Daniel when he's not really there."

"I thought he visited you when he was ascended?"

"oh yeah, there's that."

"He talked a lot. But kept my brain stimulated at least"

"I can imagine Teal'c being good, just standing there doing his Teal'c thing, right?"

"Well no he talked actually, he was the one who ensured I stayed conscious."

"So Daniel gave you a headache, Teal'c made sure you didn't get any shut eye, what job did I have?"

"Um. Well you did tell them to let me figure it out myself."

"Is that all I had to offer?" He teases.

"No sir. We had a talk."

"Talk?"

"A talk. The talk we try and avoid…"

"Ah."

"Yeah." There's a silence. "More beer sir?" She stands up to escape the room.

"What did I say?" He quietly asks, she turns around and looks at him cautiously. "Nobody can hear us here."

"Sir, it was all in my head."

"What did I say?"

"You said you agreed with my dad and wanted me to be happy." She sits.

"Your dad was there?"

"No I saw him earlier." She flushes, thinking how embarrassing it is to discuss her hallucinations as if they were real life.

"What else did I say?"

"Sir, this isn't the time to-" Daniel walks in.

"Sorry, I'm not disturbing anything am I?"

"Would it even matter." Jack replied.

"Um, everyone has left so me and Teal'c will clear up and then get out of your hands."

"Oh no Daniel you don't have to, I can do it."

Sam and Jack both go and join the rest of their team in cleaning up. After an hour a lot of garbage was being gathered so she took it upon herself to take it out, Teal'c followed her outside with a bag.

"Oh you don't have to do that, I can handle it."

"I know you can, I wish to help."

"You have helped! and thrown this, it was lovely."

"We did miss you Major Carter."

"I missed you guys too."

"Your absence was very concerning, however I had faith that you would return home."

"I'm glad you did."

"Have you had much time to talk to Daniel Jackson or O'Neill?"

"No not really. Well, a little with the Colonel."

"He was truly effected by your disappearance."

"Had to think about replacing me, I bet that would be a pain in the ass job for him." She jokes.

"On the contrary, he did not think of replacing you. That is something O'Neill could never do, you are someone he cares for deeply, that I can tell you."

"Hm yeah, well thanks Teal'c." He nods.

"I know you and O'Neill are now reunited back into your ways of avoiding the subject in which you avoid, but be wary of him at this time as you know the impact of the belief that you have lost somebody that you are close to."

"Yeah, I know…" She pauses to the sound of Daniel calling her name, she rolls her eyes, why is it always him.

After they cleared up a little more, the four of them chilled out talking and eating the rest of the food for a couple of hours. It felt so good to be surrounded by her team, something she had missed. To them it can't have been a big deal, but to her she felt like she had been away for months so she was treasuring every moment, laughing at every joke and listening to every word. It got very late so they all decided to call it a night, Sam walked them all to the door.

"Thank you for this, it was thoughtful."

"Sorry if it was too much." Daniel adds.

"No, it was perfect." She hugs him, "Have a safe journey" She hugs Teal'c and turns to bid goodbye to the Colonel, he nods at her and stokes her arm as he wishes her a good night. She closes the door with a weird feeling in her stomach, the feeling she gets when there's so much she can't say out loud. She got a little nervous around him after her conversation with Teal'c, she wondered what he was like when she was missing and didn't expect for him to miss her the way she did him. But closing that door felt like closing a chapter, closing the conversation that didn't happen. Her back lent against the door she takes in a deep breath to gather herself together, she tells herself she's only thinking this way because it's late- she's told herself that for the past 7 years. As she's pondering her floor her body shakes as a knock is made on her door, confused she turns to open it, and before she gets a word in he speaks.

"I do want you to be happy."

"Sir, you don't have to do this."

"I'm not doing anything."

"Do you wanna come in?" she leans back and he slips past her going straight to the spot in which he was sat in earlier, she closes the door and calculates every movement she makes and plans a scripted scenario on what may possibly happen in her head. She sees him and resumes where she was sat earlier in the evening.

"I never asked you tonight, how you doing?" He asks.

"I'm a little tired, but good."

"Good."

"You?"

"Yeah Carter I'm fine." he brushes off. He rubs his forehead and then looks at her intensely, she's put at ease by the look in his eyes and gazes back.

"What?" She quietly asks.

"Good to have you back."

"Good to be back." She smiles.

"I-um, we all were worried."

"Yeah Teal'c mentioned that."

"Did he now." There's a little pause. "You know, when we had that conversation about what we want out of life, I- ah, I just think you deserve it all. And so much more."

"Sir."

"No, let me finish." She nods. "If you ever need me, no matter what it is, I am here- in whatever way you want. You just, I'm worried if we're stuck in this bubble of something may happen one day and that's stopping you from getting what you want."

"You're not."

"I missed you Carter. The way I felt I shouldn't have felt, it happens too often you know."

"These risks, we, Daniel and Teal'c, all take… they're hard, trust me I know but you can't just decide to… to… give up because you felt something?"

"I'm not giving up, I just want you to be happy. I know I'm holding you back, you don't think I know that guys find you attractive and wanna well… you know, just think if you took one up on that offer… I don't know."

"What about you?"

"I'm an old guy, I'll be fine."

"So what… what are we saying?"

"That I will always care for you Carter, but maybe you should give life outside the SGC a shot- it's your dream after all."

"I- I don't know. I wouldn't know where to begin."

"Well I for one have no clue, ask your brother or something."

"All this time…"

"It's always going to be between us Carter, I just think you should try to be happy."

"I am."

"Please don't make this harder than it already is." There's a silence, they had avoided eye contact since looking at each other earlier, he catches her eye and holds it but stands up, "I should go."

"Okay" she whispers, a little shell shocked.

"I'm glad you're back Carter." He's only seen Carter cry for solid good reasons and he was looking at her now, he couldn't be one of them. "Come here." He embraces her into his arms and she tucks her head in her usual spot so his head can lean into his usual spot. "It'll all work out. Give it time." He quietly says into her ear. They stand there hugging for an unknown amount of time and then she pulls away.

"Okay. I'll do it. You're right."

"Good."

"It's a separate world out there anyway."

"Just a shot, give it one shot. And if it doesn't work out, come back to the bubble."

"Thank you." He nods and they head for the door.

"G'night Carter."

"Night sir." She says as she watches him get into his car. She closes the door to allow all pain to enter her body, she felt like she was being punched repeatedly in the stomach, she was ready to collapse. She didn't expect her heart to outweigh her body, she slides onto the ground and tears escape her eyes. She didn't know why she was in so much pain, it's not like they were together, but him telling her to go find somebody hurt. Why would he do that? Either way it had been done, and it wouldn't do any harm just to attempt a life on the outside world that she's never been connected with. She didn't know what to do next, but all she knew was she needed to climb into the caress of her bed- and call Mark in the morning.

He drove. Every word he said hurt, it was like when Baal tortured him, but worse because Baal avoided his heart. 7 years on and he still loved her and would always love her, and he knew she would him. But he also knew he got the shot of trying to be happy outside the military, and their not so relationship was stopping her from having her dreams. She deserved every ounce of it and hoped that would would be happy. Daniel and Jacob had encouraged him to say this to her, each in their own way. Daniel has not shut up about how he wishes Sam could meet a great guy and Jacob has mentioned he wished her priorities could be put on hold and that she'd look for a man- so Jack had clearly gotten the message that he was holding her back, he knew it anyway. He knew the moment he'd meet the punk that he'll regret telling her to do this, but it was the right thing, and the team make sacrifices all the time. Just some bigger than others.