Chapter 8 – Small Steps

Jack finished his post-mission physical with his usual grumbling about short people wielding big needles. As he crossed the infirmary to inform Carter that it was now her turn to be at the good doctor's mercy, he couldn't help the yawn that overcame him. It had been quite some time since he had gone out on a mission, and this one had proved to be a doozy. Two firefights against a group of Jaffa who were supposed to be on their side now, meeting up with Ba'al (Jack suppressed a shudder at the thought of the man's name), and of course, their discovery of the village massacre and the rescue of its lone survivor. It was enough to drive a nun to drink, he thought wryly.

Feeling unnaturally tired at only 1600 hours, Jack knew that the day was not even close to being over. Aside from the post mission briefing which would take place in a little more than an hour, he knew that he would have mountains of paper work and several phone calls to make regarding the addition of one small child to the SGC; however temporarily she might be there.

Sighing at the thought of all the work Leorah's visit would entail, Jack drew aside the curtain around the bed in the corner of the infirmary and stopped in his tracks. A slow, crooked grin appeared on his face as he took in the scene before him. Colonel Samantha Carter, genius extraordinaire and one of the finest soldiers he had ever worked with, lay slumped against the headboard of the bed. Her head was tipped to the side and resting lightly on top of a small child's head. The little girl, dressed only in an oversized t-shirt, leaned against the woman's chest and breathed the slow, heavy breath of sleep.

Jack enjoyed just watching the pair for a moment. It wasn't often that he had the opportunity to observe Carter in such an unguarded moment, and he found that he enjoyed it very much. He stepped closer until he was standing right in front of the pair, then slowly reached out a hand. He meant to brush aside a strand of blond hair that had fallen across Sam's face but, at the last moment, redirected his actions to brush aside the dark brown hair instead. It was safer, he reasoned. He had no idea how he'd explain himself if someone saw him doing the former.

Although Jack couldn't allow himself to touch her hair in such an intimate fashion, he felt more than comfortable leaning forward and whispering in Sam's ear. "Rise and shine, sleepy head. Time for your physical." His warm breath caressed her cheek, causing Sam to stir.

Her eyelids fluttered for a moment before she opened them fully; staring directly into a pair of laughing brown eyes. Sam jerked up slightly, her face flushing in embarrassment at being caught sleeping. Jack let the smile in his eyes spread to his mouth. "Sleeping on the job, eh Carter?" he teased gently.

"Sorry, Sir," Sam mumbled apologetically as she straightened even more. "Guess I was a bit tired."

Jack waved aside her apology. "Hey. I've always said that power naps should be a regular part of every day. They do wonders for me," he added with a grin. Sam smiled back, then looked down at the child in her arms.

Frowning, she said quietly, "I hate to wake her. She obviously exhausted." Sam sighed. "I should probably go and get my physical, though. I was hoping to bring her to the commissary before the briefing. Who knows when she last ate" she added with sadness. She wasn't sure where Leorah would go during the briefing, and wondered idly if she could take her along. Sighing again, she returned her gaze to Jack.

Jack met her look steadily for a moment, then glanced down at Leorah. His eyes softened as he stated, "Let me take her for a while." Then he looked back at Sam and waited to see if she would relinquish the child to him. Sam gave him a small smile and nodded in agreement. Leaning forward, Jack gently and carefully put his arms under Leorah's back and legs and lifted her up. He pulled her toward his chest, where she immediately shifted her body and leaned against his warmth. Jack's tender smile at the little girl's action shot fingers of warmth through Sam's body. She found she had to physically restrain herself from touching him, so strong were her feelings at that moment.

Jack looked up and locked his eyes on hers; both of them sharing a wealth of feelings in just one glance. Sam broke the gaze first, getting to her feet and tugging down her slightly wrinkled shirt. "Well, I guess I'll go see Janet, then." She looked down at Leorah and let a small smile form. "Looks like she'll be in good hands for a while."

"Don't worry, Carter. I'll keep her safe." He grinned crookedly at her. "And maybe I'll get in a little nap in the process." Sam chuckled softly, then turned to go find Janet. "Hey Carter," Jack called softly before she could depart. "See if you can scrounge up some appropriate clothes for her. We can't have her running around the place in a t-shirt and underwear…might give the marines ideas." Jack was pleased when his comment brought a huge grin to her face.

Sam shook her head at him and chuckled. "I'll see what I can do, Sir," she replied before leaving him alone with Leorah.

Jack flipped the covers back, then sat down carefully on the bed, still grinning widely. Any day he could make Carter grin like that was a good day indeed. He maneuvered back and took the place that Carter had just vacated, feeling a certain thrill at the warmth that was still on the bed from her body. As he leaned back against the headboard, he sighed in pleasure. "Ah yeah. That's more like it." He pulled the covers up so they were covering both his and Leorah's lower half, then pulled them up higher so the child was covered from the neck down. Finally, he too closed his eyes and let himself relax, the warmth of the small girl's body melting into him and pulling him into a relaxed sleep within minutes.

From across the room, Daniel and Teal'c had watched the interchange between Jack and Sam: Teal'c with a slight smile; Daniel with a perplexed look on his face. When Sam had finally left the cubicle after sharing what appeared to be an intimate look with Jack, Daniel had turned to Teal'c. "Have I missed something?" he asked with true confusion.

"I am unsure to what you are referring, Daniel Jackson," Teal'c replied impassively.

Daniel waved his hand to the now reclining General. "Between Jack and Sam. They seem…different, somehow. It's been different, actually, since that week at the cabin." He turned to scrutinize Teal'c closely. "Is something going on?"

"You know as well as I, Daniel Jackson, that neither Colonel Carter nor General O'Neill would tarnish their reputations by breaching military regulations."

Daniel frowned. "Well, yeah, but…"

"If they have become closer since the untimely demise of General Carter and the termination of Colonel Carter's ill-advised betrothal, that is of no concern to anyone but themselves. Do you not agree, Daniel Jackson?" Teal'c's raised eyebrow told Daniel that he damned well better agree with the big man.

Daniel cleared his throat and looked away. "Uh, yeah Teal'c. I agree with you whole-heartedly."

Teal'c tipped his head to the side and nodded, a smile gracing his lips. "That is most fortuitous, Daniel Jackson," he replied before moving away from the younger man. He made his way purposefully across the infirmary, pulled the curtain closed around the bed, and took up a protective stance just outside the small area where Jack and Leorah now rested. Standing and facing the room with arms crossed over his massive chest, he was indeed an intimidating figure and no one dared go bother the General for the next twenty minutes.

Sam's physical took longer than anyone else's – mostly because she and Janet engaged in a deep discussion concerning Leorah afterwards. Janet made sure to reassure Sam that Leorah was physically healthy; just exhausted and slightly malnourished. Sam inundated Janet with questions; most of which concentrated around Leorah's inability to talk. Janet put a hand to Sam's arm and gently reminded her that it took Cassie quite some time before she felt safe enough to speak as well.

Sam nodded her head at the reminder. "But you do think she will speak eventually, don't you Janet?"

Sighing, Janet replied, "I hope so, Sam. I really do. I don't know a whole lot about it, but I believe Leorah has what is referred to in psychological fields as selective mutism. She has been through an extremely traumatic event. In order to cope with it, she remains quiet. To speak would be to give voice to the terrible things that happened," Janet explained sadly.

Sam let her gaze wander to the other side of the infirmary. Even though she couldn't see her, Sam imagined the traumatized little girl and her heart ached for her. "God Janet, she's hardly more than a baby. For her to witness what she did…and survive…" Sam's breath hitched and she made a concerted effort to calm herself.

Again, Janet placed a calming hand on Sam's arm. "Children are resilient, Sam. And we'll do everything in our power to help Leorah." When Sam turned back to her, Janet gave her a smile of encouragement. "I think you're going to do the most good for her Sam. She's obviously formed an attachment to you. With gentle care and support, she'll come around eventually."

Sam frowned at the words. "But how long will we be able to keep her, Janet? And what will it do to her when…she leaves me?"

Janet tilted her head and eyed Sam curiously. "Who says she has to?" she asked quietly.

The two women looked at each other for several long moments before Sam finally broke the silence. "I don't know, Janet. My life…"

"Is busy, Sam. Just like everyone else's. But it's changing too. Everything is changing around here, and maybe that's not all bad." She held up a hand when Sam opened her mouth to protest the direction Janet was headed. "All I'm saying is, don't rule out the possibility. Keep your options, and your mind, open, Sam." With those final words, Janet left a very confused Sam Carter alone with her thoughts. Her mind churned with the possibilities that Janet had hinted at, but she resolutely pushed them aside. She'd only know the child for a few hours; there was no telling what would happen in the next few days. Sam couldn't take another blow to her heart…this she knew without a second thought. And she certainly couldn't hurt that innocent little girl.

Shaking away the thoughts, Sam made her way back to the little girl she had left in her CO's care. In her arms, she bore a bag of clothing that Lieutenant Severs, one of the nurses in the infirmary, had presented to her just after her physical. Severs had quickly explained that her six year old daughter had outgrown the clothing and she had planned on dropping them off at the thrift store on her way home. She gave Sam a gentle smile as she explained how she would much rather see Leorah put them to good use.

As Sam drew closer to the bed she had left Jack and Leorah at, she was mildly surprised to see Teal'c standing guard just outside of the cubicle. Daniel sat on a chair outside of the curtain, his head bent as he read through a notebook. They both looked up as she approached. "Hi guys. Standing guard?" she offered with a slight smile.

Daniel glanced over at Teal'c. "Well, Teal'c is. I thought I'd wait and see how you were doing." He closed his notebook and got to his feet. He frowned slightly as he looked her over. "So? Janet said things were kind of…tense here for a while. You OK?"

Sam flushed slightly and turned away as she put down the bag she had been carrying. When she straightened up, she replied, "I'm fine, Daniel. It was just kind of hard, you know? Seeing Leorah go through the testing…she was so frightened." Sam's voice trailed off as she relived the moments from not long ago.

Daniel's next words brought her back. "But she's OK, right? Janet told us that the tests all came back fine. Nothing…unusual…about her, right?"

Sam shook her head. "Just exhausted and hungry. Physically, she's fine. Emotionally…well, I guess time will tell," she added sadly.

"I am most certain the child will fully cover from her ordeal, Colonel Carter. I will lend assistance in any way possible," Teal'c offered solemnly.

Sam smiled slightly at him. "Thanks, Teal'c."

Daniel cleared his throat. "Yeah, me too, Sam." He looked down for a moment before meeting her gaze once again. "Look, I'm sorry if I seemed, well, unfeeling back on Tarona. It's just that…"

Sam put her hand to Daniel's arm and smiled reassuringly at him. "It's OK, Daniel. I know that ultimately, the mission has to come first. You were just doing your job." At her own words, Sam frowned, for she realized that she didn't actually know what had occurred once she left. Letting her gaze bounce between the two men, she asked, "So what happened? Did you find the spire?"

Daniel grimaced at her question and shot Teal'c a quick look. "In a manner of speaking. We found the cave, thanks to your device. And the spire. Or what was left of it." Again, Daniel winced in remembrance.

A look of sympathy crossed Sam's face. "Oh Daniel, I'm so sorry. Was anything salvageable?"

"We brought back as many pieces as we could carry. I begged Jack to go back to retrieve more, but he was adamant in his refusal." Daniel's tone took on a slightly petulant note.

From behind the curtain, Jack said. "That's because Jack has no desire to run into Ba'al again. Or his slimy, metal encased lackeys."

Sam's eyes widened at the words. "Ba'al?" She looked to Teal'c for confirmation.

The large man nodded and replied, "O'Neill and I encountered a hologram as we were about to depart the planet. It was, indeed, Ba'al. He wished to propose an alliance to search the planet," Teal'c reported with disdain.

"Oh my God," Sam exclaimed softly, feelings of guilt assailing her. While she had been tending to the little girl, her teammates had once more been in danger. Correctly reading the guilty expression on her face, Daniel said, "You couldn't have done anything, Sam." When she turned to look at him, he added firmly, "We each had a job to do, and yours was just as important as ours."

"Listen to the man, Carter," came the authoritative voice from behind the curtain. " Now, ya think you could keep it down out there? Some of us are trying to sleep." This statement was closely followed by a loud sigh. "Too late." Jack's hand reached out and pulled the curtain away from the bed. The three of them were greeted with the sight of Jack lounging against the bed, cradling Leorah against his chest. Leorah's eyes were open, blinking in confusion. When she spotted Sam a few feet away from her, she sat up quickly and turned to look at the person who was holding her. Jack smiled gently at her. "Hey there, little one. It's all right. We were just taking a nap, you and me. And a refreshing one at that," he grinned.

Leorah blinked at him again but didn't pull away. Slowly, she reached out a hand and touched his cheek. Then she looked up at his hair. She frowned in thought, then raised her hand higher and touched the gray hair. A small smile formed on her lips and a look came into her eyes as if she were remembering something.

Daniel laughed softly. "Yet another female entranced with the gray hair."

Jack shot a look at Daniel. "Can it, Space Monkey."

Sam chuckled and moved to sit on the end of the bed. She placed her hand gently on the little girl's back and spoke softly. "Hey sweetheart. Looks like you're feeling a little better. I've got some clothes for you. We'll get you changed and then go get something to eat. How does that sound?"

Leorah dropped her hand from Jack's hair and turned to Sam. Daniel reached behind him and grabbed a small container off the table. "Janet thought maybe a little juice first. Get some sugar into her blood." Sam nodded in understanding and took the proffered cup. She held it out to Leorah.

"Here you go, honey. Try some juice."

Leorah blinked, a look of puzzlement on her face. She looked back at Jack, then over toward Daniel. When they both smiled in encouragement, she slowly reached out her hand to take the cup. Her motions froze, however, when from the corner of her eye she spied the large man standing just at the end of the bed. Although he wasn't looking directly at her, his mere presence caused her to shrink back against Jack's chest in fear.

Sam turned around to see what had frightened Leorah, her eyes alighting on the concerned face of Teal'c. She quickly turned back to Leorah. "It's OK, honey. You remember Teal'c. He's our friend. He won't hurt you," she tried to reassure the child.

When Leorah just kept staring at him in alarm, Teal'c stated quietly, "Perhaps I should leave, Colonel Carter."

Sam rose to her feet. "No Teal'c." She held out her hand, grabbed his wrist lightly, and pulled him forward, all the while carefully watching Leorah. The little girl lay still, her eyes watching Teal'c warily, but she didn't turn and hide her face. Jack gently rubbed her back, offering comfort and safety as the child started to face her fear of the Jaffa warrior.

Still holding Teal'c lightly by the wrist, Sam stepped a bit closer. "Teal'c is my friend, Leorah," she explained softly. "He's helped me many, many times. All of us," she included Jack and Daniel with her words. "He would never hurt one of us, and he would never, ever hurt you either. If you let him, he can be your friend too." Sam then turned and passed the cup of juice into Teal'c's hands. He took it rather reluctantly, raising his eyebrow at her apparent plan. Sam stood her ground; her meaning quite clear.

Teal'c bobbed his head slightly, then turned toward the bed. The two eyed each other carefully; the small girl and the large Jaffa. Slowly, Teal'c moved his hand toward her, offering the cup to her silently. Leorah's eyes went from the cup, to Teal'c, over to Sam, then back to the cup. Her thirst drove her to very slowly pull away from Jack and reach for the cup. When her small fingers touched Teal'c's much larger ones, she froze and looked up at him with unblinking eyes. Teal'c smiled gently down at her. "I have no wish to harm you, little one," he assured her quietly. Leorah regarded him for several long moments, then curled her hands around the cup and took it from him.

Leorah raised the cup to her mouth and drank greedily of its contents, continuing to keep a wary eye on Teal'c the entire time. This did not bother the man in the least; in fact, he rather admired the bravery this wisp of a girl was displaying. The other three grown-ups heaved silent sighs of relief and smiled at one another. They all realized what a huge step the little girl had just taken.

"Well, much as I'd love to lie in bed all day, there is work to be done," Jack announced, breaking the spell of silence. "And a briefing in," he looked at his watch, "Forty-five minutes." He took the now empty cup from Leorah's hands and handed it over to Daniel. "All right, Carter. Get this little imp dressed and bring her to the commissary. We'll meet you down there in ten." Jack lifted the child from his lap and placed her on the bed. She finally tore her gaze from Teal'c and watched them all with curious interest. Jack smiled at her and chucked her gently under the chin before turning to his team.

Daniel cleared his throat. "Uh, I'd like to join you guys, but I really should get to my lab and start trying to assemble those pieces of the spire, Jack. It's going to take me…"

Jack turned to him and held up a hand. "It's not going anywhere, Danny. Eat, debrief, then you can work on your puzzle. Come on." He looked back at Sam as he pulled Daniel toward the door. "Ten minutes Carter. Or no blue Jell-O."

Sam smiled over at him. "Yes Sir."

The two men walked away, arguing quietly about Daniel's need to get to his lab. Teal'c, who had also risen to his feet, turned to Sam. When she looked up at him, he slowly bowed his head and stated quietly, "Thank you, Colonel Carter."

Knowing exactly what he was thanking her for, she put her hand on his arm and smiled up at him. "You're more than welcome, Teal'c."

"She is most fortunate to have found you, Colonel Carter," he added with feeling. Sam flushed and turned away, thinking to herself that they were all fortunate to have found Leorah.

TBC