Title: 28 Days (02/02)

Rating: R

Spoilers: None

Archive: SJD yes

Details: Sam angst, 3rd Person POV, Long fic

Summary: Jack has just 28 days to find out why Sam is resigning.

Disclaimer: None of the characters or places in this story belong to me, they are the property of MGM Worldwide, Sci Fi channel, Gekko Film Corporation and Brad Wright. No copyright infringement intended - please don't sue me! I'm skint anyhow.

~ 28 Days ~

Copyright (c) 2003 Ruth

**********

Last Time:

"I thought that we made our terms quite clear to you, Major."

The other man pulled Sam off of the chair and pushed her to her knees on the floor.

Sam swallowed as Jack was thrown down on the floor beside her.

"Now you'll both have to die," said the director, standing up and pulling a gun from his drawer.

"Which one of you will go first?" he asked, with an evil smile.

**********

Sam looked in desperation at Jack, her eyes telling him to try and get out.

"I won't leave you," he said under his breath.

**********

Outside, Daniel was waiting. He was dressed in black combat gear, and was nervously holding a zat gun. He heard footsteps coming down the corridor and, without thinking about what he was going to do, he zatted the man approaching him.

"Ow!"

"Oh...uh...Teal'c.... I, I didn't mean.."

"Never mind, Daniel Jackson. Please just help me up."

**********

"I'm getting tired of this," said the director, who began to swing the gun around on his finger.

"That's real dangerous, ya know," said Jack, earning himself a kick in the back.

He tried to hide his pain from Sam but failed miserably.

"It seems that you have chosen for me," the director smiled, pointing his gun down towards Jack's head.

"NO!" Sam screamed.

**********

Another figure, dressed in black but limping slightly, made his way down the corridor towards the director's office. He carried his weapon in his hand, preparing for a fight. When he heard the scream, he quickened his pace to go to the aid of his fellow agent.

**********

Teal'c leant against the wall as he recovered from Daniel's zat blast.

"Teal'c, I...I didn't mean to, I mean...I didn't see you coming."

"Do not let it bother you, Daniel Jackson. I have had worse."

"Oh, well, if you're sure that y..."

"NO!"

Teal'c and Daniel heard Sam's scream and began to run for the director's office. As they were running, they heard two gunshots ring out. Daniel's heart fell to his feet, but Teal'c only quickened his pace, hoping that he would be in time to save his friends.

**********

Janet was sitting in what Daniel had called the 'getaway car.' After going out for a drive with Janet a few days previously (and vowing never to do so again) he had decided that Janet would be the best person to haul their asses out of there. The second choice was Jack, but their asses preferably needed to be hauled out alive.

She heard the muffled gunshots from outside and her blood ran cold. She could do nothing but wait.

**********

Jack instinctively fell forwards over Sam, trying to protect her from the onslaught of bullets. Once the noise had died down, they were both very surprised to find that they were alive.

"Jack," said Sam, sitting up and looking at him, "You're bleeding."

He touched a hand to his face, and it came away smeared with blood. He started to panic, but he could feel no pain. He looked at Sam, touching her cheek with his hand.

"So are you."

"But, I.."

The two of them turned around to see the director's body sliding slowly down the back wall of his office, leaving a large smear of red blood behind him. His right-hand-man was also slumped against a wall, a bullet between his eyes.

"But how?" Jack asked.

"May be a cripple but I can still shoot," said a pleased voice from the doorway.



Sam looked up joyfully to see Agent Barrett standing there, and was amused to see that his hospital gown was still on underneath his black coat.

"I sort of...had to take unofficial leave from the hospital," he smiled, helping Sam and Jack to their feet.

"You get yourself back down there," Jack said, "And thanks. We'd be dead without ya."

"No problem," Barrett said, slipping a piece of paper into Sam's hand as he left.

"Hopefully I'll be seeing you," he smiled.

Sam looked at the bit of paper in her hand.

Level 20, Room 10

"Let's go," said Jack, but they were both interrupted by the sudden arrival of Teal'c and Daniel.

"Are you guys okay?"

"Yeah, thanks. You?"

"Daniel Jackson shot me with his zat nik'tel, but I am fine."

"Never had ya down as a grass, Teal'c!" Jack joked.

Teal'c frowned. "O'Neill, I am not a plant."

"Never mind."

**********

They managed to reach level 20 without being spotted, which was somewhat unnerving. When they reached room 10, Sam looked in through the keyhole and gasped - Charlotte was inside!"

"Open the door!" Sam cried desperately, "Charlotte, it's me!"

"Aunt Sammie?" the little girl asked, running up to the door and pounding on it.

"Aunt Sammie, get me out of here!"

"I'm trying, honey, I'm trying," said Sam, trying to pick the lock with her shaking fingers and failing.

"Allow me, Major Carter," said Teal'c, taking the stuff from Sam and unlocking the door within a matter of seconds.

Sam rushed in and pulled the little girl into her arms, holding her tightly.

"I've got you, sweetie."

She looked around the room and a sudden panic filled her. "Where's James?" she asked.

"A man came and took him away. Said that they were going on a little trip," Charlotte sniffed.

Jack suddenly remembered something. "Ah, crap! There was three men in the room, not two!"

"The scheming b...man must have slipped out while we were being t...uh.... anyway, ya know what I'm talking about," said Jack, who'd been attempting to moderate the story for Charlotte's ears.

"That's right," came a silky voice from the doorway.

They all spun around to see a black-clothed man standing in the doorway with a handgun pointed at Sam.

With a small shriek, Daniel quickly zatted him.

"Well done, Danny boy. Less of the shriek next time, though?"

"Teal'c, Daniel, Jack - go! Take Charlotte back home," said Sam, carefully handing the little girl over to Teal'c.

"No," said Jack, "If you go, I'm coming with you."

Sam looked at him, realised that he wasn't going to change his mind, and agreed.

"Please," she said to Teal'c and Daniel, "Take her back home."

"You will need this," Teal'c said, handing Sam his spare handgun.

"Thanks."

**********

Janet saw Teal'c and Daniel running towards the car with a small girl. She started the engine and leant over to open the door for them.

"Haul ass, Janet!" Daniel cried happily, as they made their escape from the headquarters. His happiness quickly changed to nausea, as he and Teal'c discovered that Janet wasn't too keen on using the brake in life-and-death situations.

Charlotte, on the other hand, was enjoying herself. She was going back home, and she was sure that her Aunt Sammie and Jack would bring James back in one piece.

Her nightmare was over.

**********

Jack pulled the unconscious man over to a chair and sat him in it.

"What can I use to tie him up?" Jack asked.

"You could use your belt," Sam smirked.

Jack turned around in amusement. "Didn't think I'd ever hear that from you, Major!"

Before they could argue any more, the man began to come round.

"Aagh!" he shouted, seeing Sam and Jack standing there with guns pointed at him.

"Hi. We'll be your hosts for this afternoon."

"What do you want?" the man asked, squirming in his seat.

"Tell us where your bum chum has taken the little boy," said Jack, holding his weapon in a more aggressive position.

"No!" the man shouted, trying to get up out of the chair.

Sam angrily shoved him back down into it and pointed her weapon at him.

"Where have they taken the boy?" she asked.

"If you're gonna shoot me, then shoot me!" the man cried, covering his face with his arms.

"I'm not going to shoot you," Sam smiled, "I'll just make sure that no woman will be able to call you a man again!"

Jack raised his eyebrows, and made a mental note not to piss Sam off again if he could help it.

The man whimpered. "C...Colorado Springs.." he said, "P..please don't tell the d..d..director."

"He's got a bullet in his head," said Jack, "Thanks for the help, buddy!"

The two of them ran out of the room and headed for the parking lot.

"I'll drive," said Sam.

"No way," Jack argued, "I'm driving."

"Jack..."

"Your hands are shaking too much. Go round the other side - I'll drive."

She looked down at her hands and saw that yes, they were shaking quite madly.

She went around the other side of the car and jumped in, just as the truck's engine roared into life and they squealed out of the parking lot.

**********

Mark heard a knock on his front door and opened it slowly.

"Daddy!"

"Charlotte? LINDA! LINDA, COME HERE!" he shouted over his shoulder, pulling his daughter into his arms.

Linda ran down the stairs and dissolved into tears as she held her daughter close to her.

"W...where's James?" Mark asked.

"Sam and Jack have gone after him," said Daniel.

"Oh, god...come in, please!" said Mark, opening the door wider to let them all in.

"My baby," Linda whispered softly, still hugging her daughter, "My baby, I love you."

"I love you too, momma," she cried.

Janet was very moved by what was going on in front of her.

Mark sat down in an armchair, his entire body trembling.

"Mark?" Janet asked, "Are you okay? You look like you're in shock...I'm a doctor, try to relax."

Mark nodded and waited for the trembling to go away.

"Don't worry, momma. Aunt Sammie will bring Jamie back! She never leaves anybody behind."

Linda finally managed to regain control of herself and looked at her visitors.

"Thank you all, so much. I don't know how we can ever repay you!"

"Don't worry," said Daniel, "Like Charlotte said, we never leave anybody behind."

**********

Jack sped down the interstate. It seemed like it was going to take them years to get to Colorado Springs. He cast a look over at Sam, who was staring out of the window. She looked like she was about to be sick.

"Hey," he whispered, taking one hand off of the wheel and taking hers in it, "We'll bring him back. I promise."

She turned to look at him and managed a weak smile. "Thanks, Jack."

"I mean it. We're gonna kick some serious NID butt!"

Sam smiled again.

"Oh yeah - you know that 'no woman will ever call you a man again?' thing?"

Sam nodded, and Jack gave her a small grin.

"Ya have to do that to me, sometime. I hate to admit it, but it did something for me."

Sam smiled an even bigger smile. "All in due time, Colonel."

Ooh, I could do naughty things to that woman, Jack thought happily, before increasing his speed to try and get to Colorado Springs faster.

**********

General Hammond leant back in his chair and tried to relax. They'd found the girl, at least, but the boy was still missing. Still, he knew that if anybody was going to find him, it would be Sam and Jack.

He was glad that everything was out in the open, that he no longer had to worry about Carter's state of mind. He remembered McKenzie's comment to him about getting his head bitten off before he'd even sat down and smiled.

Just as he was thinking this, there was a knock at the door and McKenzie entered, sporting a black eye.

"General! Your officers are completely non-appreciative and downright dangerous! I am disgusted at their behaviour, I mean, none of them even pretend to like me..."

"That's because you're a miserable, sarcastic bastard, doctor," Hammond smiled as he walked out behind the shocked man, "Goodnight."

**********

As darkness began to fall, Jack looked over at Sam again. She looked exhausted.

He slowly pulled over into a lay-by and looked at her.

"What are you doing?" she asked.

"You need to sleep, and I need to pee."

"Jack.."

He leant over and stroked a strand of hair away from her face, placing a light kiss on her cheek.

"Sleep," he ordered.

Sam reluctantly obliged. Once he was certain that she was asleep, he got out of the truck to do his business.

A moment later, he got back in and started the engine, driving at a slower pace so as not to wake Sam.

**********

James felt himself being pulled out of the car and he heard the heavy door shut behind him.

"Move, you little bastard!" the man spat, pushing him spitefully in the back.

"Ow!" James cried.

"Shut yer fucking mouth!" said the man, grabbing James by the collar and practically throwing him into a dark room.

James whimpered quietly as the man lit a cigarette.

"Now, we wait for your auntie and her fuckbuddy to turn up and save you," he said mockingly.

James buried his head in his arms to hide the tears that were now flowing freely down his cheeks.

**********

Linda gently tucked her daughter in for the night and kissed her forehead. Mark came in behind her and did the same, before putting his arms around his wife.

"God bless your sister," Linda said softly.

"And her friends," Mark added.

"She will bring Jamie home, won't she?" Linda asked.

"Of course she will," Mark smiled, holding his wife in the quiet darkness of his daughter's room. "Of course she will."

**********

18 days to go...

Sam woke up to find herself still in the truck, but in a totally different place. She looked over at the driver's seat and saw Jack sleeping, with an occasional snore.

She almost cried with relief - the wonderful man had driven by night to get her to Colorado Springs for the morning! With that problem out of her mind, she faced the second - she was bursting for the toilet.

She leant over Jack and smiled as he snored again, giving him a light kiss on his lips to wake him up.

He grunted and tried to turn over, hitting the horn with his hand. It went off with a loud blare, startling Sam and definitely waking him up.

"Shi - what? Oh, hi!" he smiled awkwardly as Sam giggled.

"Oh...stop...it! I...have to pee!" she laughed, leaning against the window.

"Sorry - you go now, I promise I won't look."

She gave him a warning glare.

"Promise!"

As Sam stepped out of the vehicle into the morning sun, she smiled at the beauty around her. When she saw a pervy colonel adjusting his wing mirror, she took off her jacket and threw it at him, getting a muffled curse for a reply.

**********

Jack got out of the truck to join Sam and gave her back her coat. Then, the two of them walked over to the only building that could be seen for miles.

They both waited outside for a tense second, but then Jack went in first.

"Clear!" he said softly, walking over to the only inhabitant of the room - a small boy, curled up into a ball.

"James," Sam whispered softly, "James, wake up."

The little boy opened his eyes and squealed with relief as he saw his auntie, leaping into her arms and clutching hold of her shirt.

"It's okay, Jamie. We're going to take you home now," Sam said.

Jack watched as she soothed the child. Although Sam said that she wouldn't make a good mother, children loved her. First Cassie, and now Charlotte and James.

Every time they'd met a child on a mission, he or she had instantly warmed to her. Except for the Harsesis child, but he was just weird, Jack thought with a small smile.

"I don't think so," said a voice from the doorway.

Sam and Jack turned around in time to see a single man standing there, again dressed in black, brandishing a gun. Before she could do anything, the man aimed low with his gun and shot Jack in the knee.

Sam moved quickly. James had automatically buried his head in her shoulder so she took aim and fired at the man, hitting him between his eyes. The man fell dead to the ground.

Sam gently unwrapped James from her and scrambled over to Jack, who was cursing at the pain.

"Jack!" she said, "Oh, god, I...I'm sorry..."

"Calm down," he said with a grimace, "Just a little scratch."

"Can you walk?" Sam asked.

"Probably," Jack grunted, as Sam hauled him up off of the floor and supported his weight in her arms.

"It's always amazed me how you can haul my fat ass off of the ground," Jack smiled.

James clung hold of Sam's leg and hung off of her hip as she began to walk Jack back to the car.

"You mind riding in the back with me, buddy?" Jack asked James.

He looked up at him nervously.

"He won't hurt you," Sam smiled, "He knows lots of jokes that he could tell you. Rude ones."

James brightened a little, and Jack smirked.

"Men. We're all the same."

"Tell me about it," Sam smiled, as she gently put him in the back seat. She pulled James into her arms and sat him beside Jack, putting the belt securely around him.

"Nearly home, darling," she smiled, giving him a kiss on his forehead.

"Aww...don't I get one?" Jack asked.

Sam gave him a playful smack on the protruding bit of his butt.

"Later," she smiled, putting her hand into her pocket and pulling out a couple of handkerchiefs.

"James?" she asked, "Could you hold this on Jack's leg for me? Don't let go, honey."

James took the handkerchiefs from her and gently applied pressure to Jack's wound.

"Ah!"

"You gonna make it?" Sam asked.

"Get drivin', woman!" Jack smiled.

**********

So she drove.

They'd been going for a few hours when James fell asleep, his little head resting on Jack's shoulder.

"He's a cute kid," Jack said suddenly, breaking Sam from the silence.

"He is," she agreed.

"Are we there yet?" Jack asked.

"No," she said, another smile playing at her lips, "We've got about another hour to go."

A minute later, Jack asked:

"Are we there yet?"

**********

17 days to go...

Sam eventually pulled up outside of Mark's house at 6:00am. It was no surprise to her that the door opened almost immediately and Mark came rushing out.

"Oh my god! Oh, Sam, do you have him?"

She carefully leant across Jack in the back seat and pulled the sleeping James out. Then, she put him in his father's arms.

"I'll be back, Mark - I've gotta get Jack to the hospital."

"Please come back - oh, thank you, sis!"

"No problem," she smiled weakly, and drove Jack to the hospital.

**********

After Jack had woken up, grouched at ten nurses, had a pee and had his leg fixed up, it was eleven o'clock in the morning. Sam hadn't slept in over 24 hours, but she didn't care. She was so happy - her nightmare was over, the children were back with Mark and Linda and Jack was fixed up.

"Mark told us to go back," she said, as she helped Jack into the front seat.

"Will there be food?" Jack asked, trying to be serious.

Sam smiled. "I'm sure it's the least they could do."

**********

Sam was right. When they got back, they found the two children bathed and clothed, eating their way through what looked like the contents of an entire fridge.

"Please," said Linda happily, "Help yourself!"

Jack was more than happy to oblige. He sat down with James, who grinned up at him, offering him a half-chewed chicken nugget.

"Thanks!" Jack replied, taking the nugget and eating it. Linda smiled as she watched him - the man was really good with children.

Sam, meanwhile, made her way over to the comfiest chair and collapsed into it, falling asleep almost instantly.

"Your sister is an amazing woman," Jack told Mark.

"I know," he smiled, gently covering her with a blanket.

"If there's ever anything you need," said Mark, "It would be our pleasure to help you."

"Well, now you mention it..." Jack smiled, looking over at his sleeping angel, "There is something you could help me with."

"Yes?" Linda asked.

The two children looked at him intently.

**********

"You can't tell your Aunt Sammie - it's gonna be a surprise."

James and Charlotte nodded.

Jack reached a hand into his pocket and pulled out a small box. He opened it, revealing its contents to Mark and Linda.

"Will she like it?" he asked.

Linda smiled, and Mark nodded. "She'll love it."

He gently lowered the ring to show the children.

"It's really pretty," Charlotte breathed.

"Now, I'm sure that we'll be needing a bridesmaid somewhere..." Jack began.

Charlotte's eyes widened in delight.

"And, I'll need another guy there to even up the numbers," Jack finished, looking at James.

The two children whooped happily.

**********

16 days to go...

They drove up to Jack's cabin the minute they left Mark and Linda's. (That was, after they went back to their places and packed, which took a little while.)

Jack walked outside to where she was standing by the water. It was a perfect night. A perfect night for a proposal.

"Sam?" he asked, standing opposite her.

"Hm?" she asked, turning around to face him.

Jack got down on one knee - unfortunately, it was the wrong knee, and it hurt like a bitch.

"Aaagh! Ah, well, now I'm down here.... Samantha Carter, will you make me the happiest man in the world, and marry me?" he asked, pulling the ring from his pocket (with considerable difficulty) and showing it to her.

She started to cry. "Yes," she smiled, "Yes, I'll marry you."

"Great," Jack smiled, "Now, could ya help haul my old, crippled ass back up off of the floor?"

Sam giggled and pulled him up to his feet again. Then, they kissed together by the sunset, as he slid the ring onto her finger.

"Oh - Charlotte and James have agreed to come," Jack smiled.

"You told them before me?" Sam asked.

"I thought it would cheer them up - Linda nearly stole the ring off of me!"

"I love you, Jack O'Neill," Sam smiled.

"I love you too, Samantha Carter," he replied.

THE END

Author's Note: Hope the last bit wasn't too smutty! Did you enjoy? Please send feedback to samcarterusaf@yahoo.co.uk