Author's Note- So sorry everyone! My computer died for about three weeks there and it's finally (almost) fixed. I should be able to update more regularly now.

Please

"What the hell happened?" Jack asked anxiously as the medical team brushed by him. Teal'c gently sat her down on the ramp. "They lied to us sir." Cam said angrily.

"Indeed." The Jaffa said stoically in agreement.

"Explain."

"We were about to dial the stargate when they ambushed us. Came right out of the tree line with no warning. We managed to dial in but Sam was hit." Cam turned concerned eyes on her.

"Is she alright, Doc?" Jack asked Dr. Lam.

"The blast cut right through the vest insert. It's only a flesh wound, but if she wouldn't have had it on…" Dr. Lam didn't need to say what would have happened.

She wouldn't be alive.

"Let's get her to the infirmary." She said as the nurses gently lifted her onto the gurney.

Jack knew he should have listened to his gut. It had saved him, them, on more than one occasion. This time it had been too close.

******

SG-1 stayed near her for most of the day. But when she awoke, he was the first there when she opened her eyes.

"Hey Carter." He said as he walked to her side, his hand resting on the bed by her side.

"Sir." She said wincing.

"You feeling okay?" Jack asked concerned.

"My stomach…and my head…but other then that I think I'm okay." She said honestly.

"Dr. Lam said that the blast sent you flying to the ground and you hit your head. It gave you a slight concussion and you have a second degree burn but she said you'll pull through. And that super smart brain of yours is fine." Jack said trying to joke with her.

"That's good…" She said.

"Yup." Jack said as he shoved his hands in his pockets and shifted awkwardly.

"I better go…" He said pointing to the door.

He turned to leave.

"Sir…can you stay…please?" The soft pleading voice shooting straight into his heart.

For so many years, every time one of them were hurt they stayed by their side. Never venturing too far away. But every time they awoke for one reason or another the other left almost immediately.

But not this time.

She'd asked him to stay. And she had said please. The one word that could make him do just about anything. Even take a Tok'ra symbiote.

"Sure." He said as he pulled his chair up next to her bed.

Jack hand once more lay on the bed by her side. Sam slowly moved her hand over to it, not touching but there all the same.

"How are the Cubs doing this season?" Sam asked brightly.

Jack grinned "I think they have a chance this season…"

And they chatted for a few more minutes before Sam fell asleep once more.

He didn't move his chair. But his thoughts were a million miles away once more.

A movement had startled him awake.

As he slowly opened his eyes and blinked around he found Sam thrashing around in the bed.

He had laid a soothing hand on her shoulder.

"We left him behind…oh God…he's stuck…can't get to him…" Sam mumbled in her sleep, crying.

"Sam…it's okay…you're having a nightmare." He had murmured into her ear.

"Jack…" She had said.

"I'm here…"

Slowly she had opened her eyes, and when she did her arms went around his neck and held on for all she was worth.

"What happened?" Jack had asked softly.

He knew she had seen some pretty bad things in her career, every soldier did. But something had caused her to have nightmares like this.

"I was having a nightmare…of when you were on Edora…and we couldn't get to you." She had whispered.

Jack had blinked at that knowledge. "You've had this nightmare before?"

"Yes…mostly when you were gone and we found you. And it's recently come back again."

"You didn't have feelings for me then…" Jack had said confused.

"It's what made me know I had feelings that were starting to go beyond the professional." She said softly into the dark. "I missed that you didn't come to bother me when I was working on projects. That you weren't there to make me laugh at one of your jokes. I missed…a lot."

He'd had to deal with his own nightmares more than once through the years. Some had included her, some hadn't.

She had still been visibly shaking so he had done the only thing he knew to do.

"C'mere." He said and he had pulled her into a deeper embrace.

Sleep had been a long time coming for either one of them.

******

A few hours later Jack had still remained at his side. Daniel had taken over the negotiation treaty and hadn't questioned when he said he wanted to stay here, by her side, unless there was an emergency.

"General O'Neill?" A voice said from the infirmary doorway.

Jack turned to look and found Aden, the negotiator from the planet of Graden standing at the door.

"Need something?" Jack asked as he walked over to the man.

"We were told that a friend of yours was hurt from an Ori staff weapon." Aden said as he peeked behind the man.

Jack moved out of the way so that the man could see Sam.

"She will be alright?"

"Yes…luckily." Jack said as he folded his arms across his chest.

"These Ori weapons, they are not powerful? She was not gravely hurt?" Aden said confused.

"They are powerful. She had a vest on that protected from her…if she hadn't had it on she wouldn't be alive right now." Jack said refusing to let the emotion show in his voice.

He knew he was failing.

"This could happen to my people…without these vests?" He said.

Jack nodded a yes.

"That could be my daughter….my wife…laying there." Aden said gravely.

"Yes." Jack said softly as he watched Sam sleeping.

Aden glanced at Jack. "This woman…you care about her?"

Jack remained quiet but shifted uncomfortably.

"She means a great deal to you." Aden said with a nod of his head.

And for once, Jack didn't deny it.

He wasn't even sure how much longer he could deny it.

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Author's Note- I should be starting on the next chapter soon, so the wait shouldn't be that much longer! Thanks for reading and let me know if you like it.