Okay, I kinda went overboard with this, but what can I say, it oozed shippiness.
So, for all those that reviewed the last chap thanks again, you guys certainly keep me motivated.
Anyway, enough of the yapping, and it true Scully fashion, for those that need to pee, "GO NOW!" It's a doozy of a chapter, 24 pages of shippiness :O)
Rating: PG 15 – cos there's a lil bit of swearing, not graphic though, and a lil nudity scene ;o) again though there's no mention of any genitalia, I just let your imagination take you there as he's… *ahem* Enough said, go read :O)
Stargate is not mine, *sniff* I'm just having a lil fun, while SG-1 go kick some butt!
Spoilers: Death Knell, Grace, D&C
*Chapter 5 – Moments in Time*
For the last week, Sam and Jacob had worked almost non-stop trying to design a weapon to thwart an attack by Anubis's super soldier. Tired and cranky, they were beginning to bicker on the fifth day. Jacob had been growing more annoying by the minute and Sam was just about reaching her limit with him. What she was tinkering with was not something that you could just throw together. It needed precise engineering and concentration, something she wasn't able to do with her father stomping around the metallic hut; tossing objects from one side of the room to the other with increasing frustration. Sam watched him intently; she'd never seen her father this agitated.
"Where's the matrix crystal?" Jacob asked heatedly checking the glass cabinet for what seemed to be the 100th time.
"Next to the primaries." Sam replied turning back to her new project, pointing in the direction of the metallic cabinet situated behind her.
"I can't find anything! I had a system back at the old Alpha site." Jacob told her waving his arms up in the air, admitting defeat.
"Well the location of the old Alpha site has been compromised, when Anubis used his mind probe on Jonas. You really didn't want to hang around there, did you?" Sam retorted, carrying on with some delicate re-wiring.
"I just want to work as efficiently as possible. The drones are kicking the crap out of the system lords and we're next. This proto-type should have been completed weeks ago!"
"It's done…it's just…not finished." Sam advised her father delicately hoping not to stir up another argument between them.
"Interesting distinction."
"Look!"
Sam advised him sternly, putting her tools down on the workbench in front of
her. "We only got the Telchak's device a month ago, I'm surprised we were able
to come up with something so quickly."
"In it's current configuration, the weapon is only 70% effective in counteracting the re-animation technology."
"That's because the power unit you've been using hasn't been calibrated properly. This one will be better." Sam told him firmly, getting exasperated at his current mood.
"Maybe." Jacob advised her, un-convinced that this new device would help.
"Have you not had your coffee this morning?" Sam enquired, finally exasperated by her father's negative attitude.
"Selmak doesn't like coffee." Jacob advised her, lowering his head. For some reason, feeling embarrassed.
"You gave up coffee for your symbiote?" Sam asked looking directly at her father, a shocked expression showed in her face as her father nodded. "I didn't know that."
"That's because we never talk anymore, Sam."
Sighing in response, Sam couldn't believe he'd said that. Sure they talked; admittedly not as much as they used to do when he'd first joined the Tok'Ra, but it didn't mean that they never spoke to each other anymore. For a moment she felt hurt by his statement, she knew she'd been busy for the last few weeks, and he'd been off doing undercover work, but she'd made time for him when she could. That was typical of her dad, always dramatising things. He'd been worse since he'd blended with Selmak, the most wise of the Tok'Ra. Maybe now would be the best time to tell him that he was being overly dramatic. Before she had a chance to tell him otherwise, Lieutenant Glenn came rushing in advising that the base had been compromised and that they were bugging out.
An intense look fell over Sam and Jacob's face, as they heard the news. The siren was blaring in the background warning everyone to evacuate the base and to head over to the Beta site. If the base was being attacked it meant only one thing; their secret had been leaked to the Goa'uld…possibly Anubis. This meant that Sam and Jacob had very little time to ensure the weapon was fully functional. If they couldn't get it to work properly, they wouldn't stand a chance against the super soldiers, and ultimately they could be wiped out. That was one thing that Sam and Jacob were agreed on; they would do everything in their power to stop the device falling into their enemy's hands, even if it meant giving up their lives to thwart the attack.
********
Preparing himself to head off world to the Alpha site, Jack had heard the news a few minutes earlier when Hammond had called SG-1 into the control room. The General had already advised them that there was more than 90 people were missing, including Sam. He knew the dangers, as did the rest of his team; encroaching on hostile territory was not the sort of decision to be taken lightly. For a brief moment, he thought the General wasn't going to let them go back. He knew though that no matter what the General had said, he would ultimately find a way to bring her and the others home.
As he began fastening his vest, he felt uneasiness form in the pit of his stomach. It was exactly the same feeling he'd had when she'd gone missing aboard the Prometheus. The same thoughts drifted through his mind that he might never see her again, but this time it was different. This time blackness engulfed his thoughts, he knew before he'd got there that there was a chance she might be dead and he felt his throat restrict at the possibility.
Jack was the last one to get ready, which surprised him, normally he'd be the first person standing by the gate, but a part of him felt the need for a few moments of solitude, to prepare himself for what he might find.
Lost in thought, he felt a tap on his shoulder, "O'Neill, are you all right?"
"I'm fine Teal'c, lets get this over with."
"O'Neill, I know that you are concerned for Major Carter…"
"Teal'c, not now." Jack told him plainly, and in no un-certain terms, this wasn't the time or the place for this discussion. "I don't want to think about it. Lets just get our asses going, the sooner we get there, the sooner we find the survivors."
"As you wish." Bowing his head Teal'c watched as his friend slammed the locker door and headed out the room, without so much as looking back at him.
He knew his friend was hurting, but he hoped that one day he would realise that his friends were there for him and that they understood exactly what he was going through. The problem was, his friend had, for so long, been used to coping with life and death situations on his own, that it was more than likely that he would remain stoic until Major Carter was found.
***
After hitting the super soldier in the chest, Sam and Jacob set the self destruct and ran out of the makeshift metallic hut, heading towards their nearest escape route. As they neared the gate, one of the super soldiers spotted them, raising his weapon he fired - the shots coming in quick succession, only narrowly missing their target.
Falling to the ground, Jacob turned to Sam, his eyes reflecting fear that they would die on this planet before they had the opportunity to share their new weapon.
"Sam, you have to get out of here, try heading for the forest. I'll keep the drone occupied. Whatever you do, don't let them get their hands on the chip."
"Dad, I'm not leaving you."
"Sam, there's no time to debate this…get going. I'll try and stall him for as long as I can. The self destruct is due to go off in a couple of minutes, you need to get yourself as far away from the base as possible."
Giving her dad one last look, her eyes brimmed with tears, knowing this might be the last time she'd see him.
"GO!" Jacob shouted, lying down to avoid getting hit - returning fire when the opportunity presented itself. "I'll cover you."
Nodding in response, Sam waited till her father returned fire and ran as if her life depended on it over the mountains of soil and grit heading for high ground. Glancing back briefly she saw her dad heading in the opposite direction, the edges of the forest concealing him against the enemy. The super soldier began advancing on its prey as he made his way towards the forest.
Within moments a shock wave exploded from the compound causing an energy wave to destroy anything in its path. Shards of metal seemed to be lifted up into the air, as easily as if they were paper bags floating in the wind. Dust and dirt erupted from the ground causing a sandstorm. Trees lining the compound seemed to fall to the ground like twigs, fire engulfing the shrubs and flora that nestled around the tree trunks seemed to light like kindling; the flames becoming more intense and growing exponentially like an apocalypse.
Sam could hear the explosion and knew it wouldn't be long before the shock wave caught up with her. Running with complete determination she felt herself being hit in the back by the explosive force of the self-destruct, causing her to stumble down the sides of the ravines. Rolling down the rocky sides of the countryside, she felt immense pain tearing through her body as snags of rock and tree limbs tore through her leg and arm. Holding her arms out in an effort to stop the falling rocks that tumbled after her, she failed to stop her head connecting with a rock that lay to one side. As she reached the bottom of the ravine her rapid decent finally coming to a stop, she lay back on the soil, her body battered and bruised.
Bringing her hand to her forehead she felt a stickiness flowing down her fingers, trying to get her breath back, she closed her eyes briefly. Whatever happened she knew she was in serious trouble, not only from her injuries, but also from the soldier. Thoughts and feelings bombarded her mind. She had to find a way to let the SGC know what happened, but first though, she had to assess her injuries. Talking to herself in an effort to stay conscious, she worked out how many injuries she'd sustained starting at her head, which felt as if it were being crushed in a vice. "Great, Sam. Janet's going to kick your ass for getting another concussion." Feeling her way down her body, her ribs seemed okay, if not a bit bruised. Before she had the chance to assess the damage to her legs, a sudden wave of nausea erupted, causing her to lose her lunch; her head began protesting at the sudden movement and she felt the edges of her vision fading before lapsing into un-consciousness.
***
Emerging from the pit formed by the explosive wave of the vortex hitting the dirt, SG-1 surveyed their surroundings. Taking in fully the effects of the attack, they watched as billows of smoke rose up from the ground where smouldering fires remained lit. The smoke circulated around their bodies, covering their clothes before rising up into the sky. The smell of burning embers filled their nostrils. Whatever had occurred here was completely evident for all to see; scorched earth littered the pathway from the Stargate to the forest.
At first glance it appeared as if the world had been under heavy attack, but Jack and Teal'c knew different, they'd seen similar effects of devastation on previous missions.
"A single radius blast." Jack advised polishing his sunglasses. To him, this was a good sign, it meant that the Alpha site hadn't been completely over run as they'd first thought, and there might be a chance that Sam was still alive along with other members. First though, if they were going to find the survivors they would need reinforcements.
As the second team came through the gate, Jack clicked the ammunitions cartridge into his P-90 before briefing the team.
"So, we'll split up. Search for survivors."
"Who could've survived this?" Colonel Reynolds said to no one in particular, looking around at the destruction.
Jack couldn't believe his ears. Here they were on a search and rescue mission and this idiot was making stupid remarks and he was pissed. Glaring at the man in front of him, he felt an overwhelming urge to punch him in the face; this wasn't just anyone they would be searching for, this was a member of his team. Not only that, there were other SG units missing out there. If it weren't for the fact that he was in control of this mission he would've decked him there and then. A piercing stare settled in his eyes as he told the man, "Start with the tree line there."
Shifting his glaze downwards he realised he'd ticked the Colonel off, and berated himself for speaking before engaging his brain. "Copy." Lifting his eyes towards the others he realised the Colonel wasn't the only one that was pissed. Stealing a look at the Jaffa warrior, his eyes reflected that he would rip him in two if he ever made a comment like that again. The only thing he could do at that moment was head his team out as quickly as possible; avoiding any more run-ins.
Walking with purpose in his stride, Daniel and Teal'c fell into step behind Jack, their eyes scanning the horizon for any sign of life. Jack remained quiet, his heart racing at what they might find. The further they walked, the more his agitation grew as he weaved in and out of the burning embers. Dark thoughts began creeping towards the surface at the real possibility they might not find anyone alive. He'd seen this amount of destruction before, but rarely found survivors in the midst of this desecration; his hope of finding her alive was failing fast. Berating himself, he knew he should never have left her there with Jacob and the others. It wasn't that he didn't trust the Tok'Ra or the other Jaffa that were based there; he knew he'd had no other alternative. *But* to house them there in the Alpha site so that they could build up their defences once more, was something that he'd regretted from the beginning. Intuition caused his insides to turn cold at the thought that someone had betrayed them; and he was going to do everything in his power to find out who was responsible for the leak.
Teal'c spotted it first, calling Jack over to where he stood. Carefully removing the debris from the object he realised that it was part of the armoury that encased the body of the super soldier.
The radio crackled before a voice connected, "O'Neill."
"Go ahead."
Daniel and Teal'c watched in silence as Jack began receiving information; a deathly silence engulfed them as they waited with baited breath to find out if their friend was one of the casualties.
"We've found 12 survivors, but they're not in good shape. Some can walk, but most need urgent medical treatment."
"Is Major Carter one of them?" Jack asked hopefully, but outwardly showed no emotion.
"No I'm afraid not." Colonel Reynolds advised solemnly, unable to look at his colleagues, finally realising the implications of his previous words.
Jack didn't know what to say, she wasn't with the others so that could only mean three things. They were either searching for her body and would come across it near the clearing, or she had been killed instantaneously in the blast and therefore they might never find her body. Or she was lying injured somewhere and waiting for rescue. They were all possible scenarios, but he was hoping that she'd made it out in one peace, because if she hadn't he was going to seriously kick some Goa'uld ass, and no one would stop him until every single one of those worms were stomped on vehemently. If it took him the rest of his life he would hunt them down one by one, killing them with his bare hands. His whole body tensed in response to his darkened mood and his eyes took on an unfocused steely glaze.
Jack's change in demeanour didn't go un-noticed by Daniel or Teal'c, they knew how hard this was for him, remembering what he'd been like only 4 weeks ago when he'd nearly lost hope at finding Sam.
"Jack, we will find her." Daniel advised him trying in some way to comfort him, but knowing that until she was standing face to face with them, he wouldn't believe him.
"Major Carter is a formidable warrior O'Neill, I am certain that she has managed to elude her enemy." Teal'c continued reaffirming what he'd said earlier.
Taking a deep breath, Jack wasn't unintentionally ignoring what they were saying, he'd never openly shared his feelings about her with them before and he wasn't about to start now. If he did find her, he wasn't sure what he was going to say. He wanted her to know how much she meant to him, and how lost he felt each time she was hurt or missing. Unfortunately their timing was never right and he honestly didn't know what to do anymore.
"Lets keep moving." Jack told them stoically, pushing his feelings for her to one side.
After searching in silence for the next 20 minutes, Jack led the front with Daniel and Teal'c on his six. Traipsing around the forest without further sign of any more survivors began to weigh heavy on everyone's mind. The silence was only occasional broken by the snapping of branches crunching beneath their feet. Fires, which had torn through the forest hours earlier, began to extinguish themselves; leaving only small plumes of smoke filtering into the atmosphere; leaving a lingering smell on SG-1's uniform. Daniel sneezed as dust kicked up from the ground below wafted through his nasal passages and he mumbled a quiet apology.
Out of the corner of his eyes, Jack was certain he saw something moving under the rubble, stopping suddenly, he knew it wasn't his eyes deceiving him.
"Jacob!" Jack shouted running over to him, as he lay trapped underneath a large log, his legs crushed by the full weight of the object. Teal'c and Daniel quickly followed suit, each of them doing what they did best, taking control of the situation. Thoughts churned round in their minds; if they had found Jacob, then surely Sam would be somewhere near here.
Teal'c began lifting the log from Jacob's leg almost immediately, the strain of the heavy object flickered through his face, his muscles rippling with exertion at removing the log from their friend's trapped body.
"Anubis's drones!" Jacob breathed heavily, trying to remain conscious as the blood spilled onto the ground beneath him.
"We know." Jack told him, trying to calm his fears.
As soon as Jacob's leg was pulled free, Daniel pulled out bandages from the medical kit and began treating his wounds as best he could, Given the field conditions and his limited medical training, he could only help so much, but he hoped it would be enough until they could return through the gate.
"Here take this." Jacob advised holding out the modified TER, that Sam and him had been working on back at the base camp. "It's not 100%, but it's all we've got. It has a few more shots. Sam has fully charged power unit." He continued breathlessly.
"Where is she?" Jack asked concerned.
"I don't know." Jacob replied honestly, feeling as if his whole world was crashing down on him. "I don't even know if she's alive."
For a moment Daniel stopped dressing the wound and looked closely at him, realisation took a hold of him and stopped him cold; he might never see Sam again.
Teal'c was never one to show emotion, but as Daniel glanced over at his Jaffa friend, there was definitely a look of sorrow hiding behind his chocolate brown eyes. Turning back towards Jack, he knew he was hurting. With his eyes covered by his dark sunglasses, he couldn't see how much pain his friend was going through at that moment, but he knew it must have hurt to have heard the words coming from Jacob's mouth; and he didn't know where to look.
"Daniel, I need for you to go back to the SGC with Jacob, try and get as much information then contact me on the radio. I need to know what we're dealing with… if Sam has any chance of surviving."
"Jack…"
"Daniel, please I don't want to get into it now. Lets just get Jacob back." Jack retorted, not allowing Daniel to express his feelings on the matter. He knew that he wanted to help find, Sam, *but* right now he needed information and fast.
Nodding in acceptance, Teal'c helped Daniel lift Jacob off the ground, supporting him as he struggled to gain his balance. The walk back to the Stargate had been long and arduous. The ground was pitted with stones and debris and with Jacob struggling to remain upright; the journey back took them nearly twice as long.
Watching Daniel and the rest of the survivors head towards the gate, Jacks thoughts turned to Sam and the remaining missing SGC personnel, hope was fading as quick as the daylight, and they only had another four hours before night began closing in. If Sam were out there, injured, her chances of survival would be slowly diminishing. The nights around here had a habit of falling below zero and he didn't even want to think of anything more serious.
"Lets get going, Teal'c." Jack advised turning towards his friend.
***
Sam didn't know how long she'd been unconscious, what she did know, was, she was loosing a lot of blood. Trying to clear her head, which seemed to feel like someone had shoved a tonne of cotton wool balls into her brain and she couldn't think properly. "Try and focus, Sam!" She berated herself, ripping off a piece of material from her clothing to stop the flow of blood. Tightening the makeshift tourniquet around her leg to induce clotting, she screamed in agony. Every fibre of her body felt like a torrid of fire ants were crawling inside her and she had to force herself to remain conscious; a cold sweat crept over her as the bile in her stomach began rising up her throat.
After a few minutes, Sam calmed herself down and allowed her military training to kick in. Hell, she'd been in worse situations than this and she wasn't about to start loosing it now. Forcing herself to stand, she pushed herself up from the dirt causing pain to tear through her body, but she was determined she wasn't going to give up, there were too many unresolved issues that she needed to deal with.
***
Lying in the infirmary with Daniel sitting across from him, Jacob knew he needed answers, but more importantly, he wanted to know what happened to Sam. Relaying what happened on the planet was difficult enough, but when it came to telling Daniel about Sam, a lump caught in his throat and he felt his body go tense.
"…Out of all the rooms on the base, why did it come to that lab?" Jacob speculated. Inside he believed that there was a possibility of a Tok'ra or Jaffa spy, but he couldn't bring himself to say it out loud. The Tok'Ra were his family just as Sam was, but now a deep-rooted suspicion settled in the pit of his stomach at the possibility that one of his own could betray them. As for the Jaffa, sure they had their quarrels with them, but with everything they had been through in the past and the fact that they were helping them become free by supplying vast amounts of tretonin, he couldn't understand why they would risk breaking the alliance. His concerns though didn't lie with his comrades, they rested with his daughter's well-being, because he knew that Anubis's drones wouldn't rest until they acquired what they had set out to get; the new weapon, and nothing short of a direct blast was going to stop them killing Sam; and he felt helpless.
"Daniel, it won't stop until it gets the weapon. Sam's in real danger and all I can do is lie here like some…"
"Jacob, you're injured. Give yourself a break."
"You think that the drone will give Sam a break if it catches up with her?" Jacob told him heatedly.
Silence filled the air between them and Daniel bowed his head, "Jacob…I know that things don't look so great now, but Sam's a fighter. I've worked side by side with her for a long time; she's more resourceful than we give her credit for."
"I'm sorry Daniel, sometimes I forget that she's not my little girl anymore, that she's a grown women. I just don't know how I'd cope if I lost her."
"Jacob, I know what it's like to lose someone you love, but…we don't know if Sam's dead and thinking like this isn't going to help either of you. You need to concentrate on getting back on your feet. Jack and Teal'c are out there searching for her as we speak. And you know Jack, he won't leave anyone behind…he'll find her, trust me."
Jacob nodded solemnly, he knew that there was an unspoken bond between Jack and his daughter and every so often when he'd see them together he swore there was something more going on. He knew that Jack cared for her and knowing that helped ease some of the worry he was feeling, but ultimately he wished it were looking for her.
***
Sam began walking through the dense forest, trying to find signs that she wasn't on her own. Willing herself to move forward, she didn't know how long she had been walking when suddenly she felt light-headed from loss of blood and water. She couldn't remember the last time she'd had a drink and her throat felt like the bottom of a sand pit. She knew she had to rest for a few moments, but the fear that the super soldier could be anywhere near by compelled her to continue moving forward heading north east into the hills. After walking for what seemed like eternity she found a little ravine that would provide some shelter and allow herself to catch her breath and fix the bandage on her wounds.
It wasn't long before she heard branches snapping under the weight of something heavy, footsteps echoed in the quietness of the forest; drawing closer to her. Her heart slammed against her chest and she dived under the fauna for cover, her head nestling deep into the dirt as far as she could to stop the predator from seeing her. As her gaze flickered upwards she spotted the figure standing not more than ten feet above her, watching and waiting for signs of movement. A beam of sunlight filtered through the trees settling on her face and she prayed that the soldier couldn't see the reflective shadow that displayed beside her. Holding her breath she waited for signs that he'd passed.
Knowing she couldn't stay there for much longer, she waited until she knew the danger had passed before making her escape out the ravine; heading for high ground.
***
Jack and Teal'c had heard a few moments earlier that General Hammond had arranged for a UAV to be sent through the Stargate. Following the tracks that they'd found earlier, Jack advised him that they were heading for East and requested they send the UAV in that direction in the hope of finding her.
It had been a long and exhausting day for both of them, but they weren't prepared to stop until they found her, each resolute in their objectives to find her and bring her home. An eerie silence befell the forest which had become commonplace since their arrival, the lack of birds chirping in the trees was indicative that something terrible had occurred here. Neither of them felt the need for conversing. They both knew what they had to do, their minds set on achieving their goals.
***
Picking up her pace, Sam began weaving in and out of the trees trying to find a safe place to rest, her hands and face were bloodied from branches snagging on her clothes and flesh as she tried to gain enough distance from her enemy. Hobbling along through the dense forest she caught her foot over a fallen branch and fell to the ground, pain ripping through her body. "Crap!" She cried dragging herself to a nearby tree and steadying herself against it. Frustrated at her failing body, tears began to well in her eyes. "Dam it Sam, pull yourself together." She scolded herself.
The super soldier resolute in its mission crept silently through the forest searching for its prey. Passing through the forest it noticed blood splattered against the leaves of the local flora - indicating that it wouldn't be long before he found her and the device.
Then he saw it a lone figure slumped against a tree; their leg outstretched and it knew that his master would be pleased that he had found the device. Raising his arm he prepared himself to kill the person that lay before him, the weapon activated on his armoury as he crept silently towards the body.
Closing her eyes momentarily, she felt the events of the day catching up with her. Her body was surviving only on pure adrenaline, and she didn't know how much more of this she could take. As her breathing became shallow, she felt herself slip slowly unto unconsciousness.
The armed super soldier came closer to the figure his stance revealing that he would kill the individual without hesitation. Creeping forward he came across the body…it was dead, apparently killed by the blast. Lowering his arm, he continued on his journey.
A sudden sense of foreboding washed over her and she felt as if someone was walking over her grave. She knew then that she was in danger if she stayed a moment longer.
Using the trees as cover, she spotted a small stream of water, knowing that the dehydration could kill her as much as the blood loss, she scanned the horizon; searching for any signs of Anubis's drone. Believing that it was safe she hurried towards the waterfront her thirst suddenly overpowering urging her forward. Scooping the water into her hands, bringing it to her perched lips, she gulped the liquid down as fast as she could, "nothing had ever tasted this good", she thought to herself as the droplets of water ran down the side of her fingers.
With her attention elsewhere, she failed to see a figure standing at the other end of the stream, its arm outstretched preparing to fire at its target. As the soldier fired his weapon, it narrowly missed her body and hitting the thick pile of logs beside her, shaking her out of her silent reverie. Looking up, she spotted him watching her, taking aim once more, ignoring the pain in her body she dived over the logs for protection; shards of wood exploded out of the logs showering the lower half of body with debris as she tried to make her escape.
Sam knew that while she was injured she was a moving target and the best thing she could do at the moment was lie low. Finding a place to hide herself was easier said than done though. It took her almost half an hour to find a secluded area, snapping branches of the trees she tried to camouflage herself, as soon as she realised that she had enough to cover her whole body, she lay down on the ground, gentle manoeuvring the twigs and leaves to ensure that all her body was covered. Closing her eyes in contemplation, her thoughts quickly turned to her friends and her dad and wondered if they were looking for her. She knew Jack wouldn't give up. "Jack." She thought shaking her head softly, proving to herself just how confused she was becoming, remembering the last time she had called him Jack. Sometimes she hated being in the military. Sure it was her choice, but she didn't have any choice at whom she fell in love with…and rightly or wrongly she loved him.
Then there was "Pete!" Sighing she didn't know what she was going to do about him, she certainly didn't love him; it was a casual fling…nothing more. She knew Pete had wanted more, but…her heart belonged to someone else and as soon as she got back home she'd tell him, it wasn't fair to keep him stringing along.
Not knowing how much time had elapsed, since she had sought cover, she felt her eyes drifting close. Before long she heard a gentle humming in the distance. Straining to hear, she removed the branches from her face to get a better view, listening intently to the mysterious noise. As the buzzing got louder, she recognized it a few seconds before she spotted it flying overhead; it was the UAV. Her first thoughts were to get its attention, flashing her watch in the direction of the sun; she hoped the reflective glare of the sun on her glass casing would attract its attention.
Unfortunately she didn't get much of a chance and before it had the opportunity to fly over her, a shot sped into the air and hit the machine catching the wing of the craft. All Sam could do was lie there and watch it spiral downwards towards the ground, feelings of hope at being rescued had been shot down in flames; just like the UAV.
After a few minutes, Sam waited patiently in the undergrowth for the drone to leave, if she was going to do this, she only had one chance. Luckily she spotted a missile attached the UAV before it plummeted, and this would give her the perfect opportunity to balance the stakes, without her T.E.R this was the only means of protecting herself and she was damned if she was going to give up without a fight.
As the adrenaline surged through her body, she crept slowly and cautiously towards the crash site. Mounting the missile onto the rock, she began tinkering with the controls in the hope of reactivating it. Her fingers and hands were torn and bloody and wouldn't co-operate with the fines tuning of the wires. Forcing herself to concentrate, she began re-wiring the controls, while keeping a careful watch on her surroundings. It wasn't long before she spotted him, his heavy boots kicked up a pile of dirt as he walked casually through the gravel. "Crap!" She shouted inwardly, as she huddled underneath the mass of stones, unfortunately, it spotted her. Heading towards her with calmness and serenity the drone raised it arm in preparation to fire upon its victim. Knowing she only had a couple of seconds to connect the remaining wires, she aimed the missile at the direction of Anubis's soldier, she knew that this was her only chance of survival. With her body battered, bleeding and bruised, she hoped that this would work, and if not, then she would die trying.
Aiming the weapon towards its target, the soldier fired off several rounds; fire and energy blasts hit the rocks beside her, and narrowly missed as the last blast flew directly over her head.
"It's now or never!" Sam thought as she fired off the missile.
As the missile exploded from its casing it sped off towards the drone hitting it just beside its legs. A fireball erupted from the impact. Rocks and debris shot up from the ground like fireworks. Flames, consumed by oxygen in the atmosphere hurtled upwards towards the clouds. Dust particles shot off in every angle, rocks came tumbling down the side of quarry like meteorites hit the ground with such force that Sam felt the earth shake beneath her feet…it was over. The drone was dead.
***
Jack and Teal'c heard the explosive force before they saw the effects of the fireball consume the skyline. Running in the direction of the explosion, they didn't have time to think, their main concern was finding out what the hell had happened.
Jack's thoughts were for his 2IC, wondering if she was still alive, or if she had been caught up in another blast, his chest heaved with exertion as he made his way through the trees, hoping that he wasn't too late.
***
Walking slowly over to where the blast had been, the flames had dissipated; all that remained was smoke and debris littering the mountainside. Finding no evidence that the drone was still alive, Sam lowered herself to the ground, her energy reserves depleted. It had taken all of her strength and willpower to get her to this point and she honestly didn't think that there was anything left in her. Closing her eyes in quiet contemplation she allowed herself to relax for a moment, her exhaustive efforts over the last few hours had paid off. Now all she had to do was wait.
Taking in a long breath, she exhaled slowly trying to belay the pain that ravished her body. Only a few seconds had gone by before she heard the ground rustling beside her, pebbles and stones seemed to flowing down the small mound of dirt as a hand began appearing beneath the sand; slowly at first, but within a few seconds it gathered momentum. The drone broke through the thin layers of grit, like a phoenix rising from the ashes…reborn and ready to take its prey.
Sam's eyes grew wider in shock, her face becoming paler at the sight that lay before her as she watched the drone come to a standing position. A lump in her throat formed and she gulped, the end of her life came into focus, there was no way she could escape this time. Sadness and fear filtered through her mind as she realised that everything her and her father had done… was for nothing. Without the chip they'd been working on, neither Earth nor its allies would have a chance. Knowing she only had a few seconds to live, her thoughts turned to Jack and the fact that he'd never know how much she loved him.
***
Seeing that she was in danger, Jack and Teal'c headed off in different directions, Jack's primary goal was to get Sam as far away from the drone as possible and killed the son of a bitch once and for all. Armed with his T.E.R that Jacob had given him he sped off into the undergrowth towards her direction, leaving Teal'c to stand on higher ground.
Everything happened instantaneously Teal'c fired his weapon; distracting it for a moment allowing Sam to run for cover. Narrowly missing its target, Teal'c took aim once more as the soldier turned round and returned fire, shots careering through the sky like a paper airplane whizzed past the Jaffa's body as he dived for cover.
Sam seizing the chance, hobbled towards the pile of stones. If nothing, it would only protect her for so long. *But* knowing her friends, a few minutes would be all that was needed. They wouldn't give her up without a fight.
Jack fired the T.E.R directly at the drone and hit it squarely in the chest. For a moment it looked like something was working as the soldier lost its balance momentarily. Not giving it a second chance to recover, Jack fired again. The soldier was un-relentless in its quest and continued firing. Jack took cover as the shots smashed into the boulders.
"Carter! I need the…" O'Neill demanded, looking at her worriedly, but knowing there wasn't time to find out how badly injured she was. "…Thanks!" He continued taking the chip out of her bloodied hand.
Inserting the device into the weapon, Jack watched as the first shot hit the suit of armour, a blue bolt of light erupted around the soldier's armoured casing, causing it to stumble slightly. As a second shot exploded out of his weapon, Jack watched as the bolt of energy tore through the drones suit expanding itself across the soldier's chest. The impact of the blast tore through the armour and the drone fell to the ground, then taking its last breath it landed in a heap on the dirt, its energy completely drained from its body.
Running towards his comrades, Jack threw Teal'c his weapon so that he could concentrate on Sam, "Cover him!"
Peering over the top of the boulders, she didn't have any energy left to finish her sentence, "Is it…?"
"Yeah, it's dead!" Jack replied solemnly.
Sighing in relief Sam closed her eyes, finally she could rest.
"Right Teal'c, he's dead?" Jack checked…just to be on the safe side.
Kicking the soldier with his boot to make sure, Teal'c turned round and nodded.
"Yeah, he's dead!" Jack reaffirmed to her.
As soon as she heard those words, her body decided to give up on her and all the pain over the last few hours came crashing down on her, and she didn't have the strength to move. Sinking slowly into the dirt, she nodded…it was finally over.
Jack just watched as his 2IC lowered herself onto the gravel. He'd never seen her like this before and it scared the shit out of him. Hell they'd been in dire situations before, but he'd never seen her so fragile, and he didn't know how to deal with it. Raw emotions came flooding towards the surface, and for a moment the only thing he could do, was do what he did best; be her Commanding Officer, "You want to get up?" He broached casually, not quite sure what else to say.
"I just need to rest for a minute." Sam replied breathlessly shock completely taking over her body.
Standing over her, he shuffled his feet as if wrestling with inner thoughts and emotions. He wanted to hold her in arms, and whisper to her that he was here and he would never leave her side again. The thought of her having to go through this on her own was tearing him up in side. He loved her with all his heart and soul and he couldn't do anything to take away her pain…and it hurt him in more ways than he could express.
Moving over to sit beside her, she didn't look at him at first; her head was hung low as if gathering every ounce of strength to stay conscious. His chest tightened in response to the shock that flickered across her pale face, her eyes once bright and full of life looked listless and unfocussed. Her hands clasped in her lap shook with the excess adrenaline leaving her body. Opening his mouth to say something to her, the realisation hit him that he didn't know what to say. For so long he had been harbouring these feelings for her, that they threatened to overwhelm him; and in her weakened state, he didn't think she could handle anything right now. At this moment in time, he felt like it was just him and Sam, nothing in the world mattered more to him at that moment than to have her close to him. He needed the reassurance that she was still breathing and he did the only thing that he could…take her in his arms.
"Come here." He told her softly wrapping her in a warm embrace, wrapping his arm loosely around her shoulder; drawing her into his body.
Reciprocating at his touch, Sam leant into him, feeling the softness of his breath against her skin, the traumas of the day swept over her and she felt her body relaxing against his soft caress on her hands. As his fingers merged with hers, this was something they both needed. Words weren't necessary, the simple act of holding each other close was all that needed to be said. *And* for a few brief moments in time, they were no ranks or barricades holding them back; they were simply Jack and Sam, torn between love and honour.
Jack felt her relax in his embrace as he let his head rest lightly on hers. In the quietness of the ruins he whispered, "Alright…alright."
Within minutes, Sam felt the edge of unconsciousness filter over her vision and she could fight no more. Giving in to the depths of sleep, her body became slack and Jack felt the weight of her body collapse against him. His heart rate increased, "Sam…Sam." Jack shouted, shaking her slightly, but her body was limp; like a rag doll. "Shit! Teal'c, give me a hand here, Carter's unconscious, we have to get her back to the gate now."
Teal'c noticed the blood oozing out of her leg, "She has lost a lot of blood, O'Neill."
"Stating the obvious there, aren't we 'T'!" Jack remarked with slight annoyance, removing himself from her so he could check her pulse, her skin felt cold and clammy. Placing his two fingers against the side of her neck his heart sank, her pulse was weak and rapid and her breathing was becoming decidedly shallow, never a good sign. It was too late to contact Janet, by the time she arrived it could be too late, and he knew then that he had no alternative, but to get her home as quickly as possible, he'd never forgive himself if he lost her now.
Knowing Teal'c was stronger, he gathered her into his arms; her body lay lifeless in his grasp. "Teal'c, take her. We need to get her out of here now."
With time of the essence, Teal'c took hold of her and the two men with all the strength they could muster ran as fast as they could towards the Stargate. Radioing the base he alerted them to the fact they had Sam, but that she was badly injured. Black thoughts crept through Jack's mind, what if they didn't get her back in time? Supposing she had internal injuries…and they were making it worse? There was no alternative though, it was either this or wait, and patience was not one of his strong points.
It took them nearly 30 minutes to get back to the gate; thankfully Janet was waiting for them at the other side. With his face ashen, Jack watched as Teal'c placed her on a gurney. Teal'c barely had time to remove his arm from the small of Sam's back before Janet descended upon her, barking out orders to the nurses.
Hammond watched, as his subordinate lay limp and lifeless on the gurney before him, her face pale from bloodless, dried blood caked her once fresh face. He didn't know what had exactly taken place, but he knew it must've been one hell of a battle judging from the look on his 2IC's face.
"Colonel, why don't you and Teal'c clean up and I'll meet you in the infirmary."
"Sir, if it's all the same with you, I'll get cleaned up later." Jack advised stoically, putting his mask firmly back into place.
"Fine, Colonel. I have to inform the president, I'll meet you there, then." George responded, knowing fully well where he was headed.
***
It had been nearly 3 hours since she'd been rushed into the operating theatre, and Colonel O'Neill was starting to wear a hole in the floor. While they waited for Janet to come out of surgery, Jack had debriefed the General on what had happened, but with his agitation increasing. General Hammond knew that a more in-depth report could wait until later.
"What's taking them so long?" Jack replied to no one in particular.
"Major Carter's injuries must've been worse than we believed." Teal'c responded honestly.
"You're not helping, Teal'c." Jack answered flopping down on the hard plastic chairs that adorned the infirmary.
"May I ask a personal question O'Neill?" Teal'c asked turning towards his friend. Teal'c was fully aware that his friend was anxious over Major Carter; indeed he had seen him act this way on several occasions when her life appeared to be in jeopardy and he wasn't there to assist her. On the last occasion she had gone missing he'd tried to tell his friend that Major Carter had the same feelings for him as he had for her. In his own mind he couldn't contemplate how two people who obviously cared about each other deeply could push their feelings to one side. Jaffa warriors were very passionate when it came to those that they loved and he found it difficult to accept that humans did not express the feelings of their hearts when it came to loving someone, particularly when the person you loved was seriously ill. It was something that had been on his mind for a long time now, and believed that this was the most opportune time to confide in his friend what he believed.
"Depends on what it is." Jack replied distracted.
"Your relationship with Major Carter is somewhat complex, is it not?"
"No, I'm her CO and she's my 2IC. It's not complicated at all." Jack replied non-committal, like a scene rehearsed in a play. He knew what his friend was implying; he'd tried it before when Sam had gone missing aboard the Prometheus. He remembered what Teal'c had said about Sam being upset when he'd been lost with Harry…and it surprised him.
Over the last few months, her life had been placed in danger so frequently; he'd found the rules and regulations regarding CO's and their 2IC's more difficult to abide by. He'd tried to push his feelings so far into the back off his mind that, particularly after the whole "zantax" incident, that their relationship had gone back to being more professional. Unfortunately feelings had a way of coming back and biting you in the butt. During the last few months, particularly when she was injured, he'd had to gather every ounce of willpower not to hold her in his arms and tell her how he felt. He was through pretending that he didn't have feelings for her, but he didn't know how she felt now.
"Have your feelings for Major Carter changed?"
For a moment Jack had forgotten that him and Sam weren't the only people in the room that day, and it felt weird to be discussing it with Teal'c. Sure Teal'c was one of his best friends, but he'd never actually discussed the feelings he'd had about Sam with anyone, let alone the people he worked with…it was just something you never did, it could get both of them into trouble, their careers could be ruined or worse they could be court martialled…or split up if anyone found out. *And* he wasn't prepared to take the risk of losing not only SG-1, but Sam as well.
"Teal'c, this is sooo not the time to be having this conversation." Jack replied uncomfortably.
"O'Neill, you and Major Carter are both my friends."
Jack rolled his eyes at Teal'c's incessantness on the subject… this was not going well. "Teal'c, just drop it okay?"
"As you wish." Teal'c replied, knowing his friend would say no more on the subject.
Sitting in silence gave Jack the opportunity to try and think things through rationally, he knew he loved her, that wasn't the issue. When he'd met her he'd never expected her to slip under his defences like this, but she had and now as he waited for her to come out of theatre he wondered what his life would be like if she wasn't with him. He'd lost too many people in his life and it had been a long time since he'd loved anyone like this and it frightened the shit out of him.
Thankfully though he didn't have much more time alone with his thoughts as Janet emerged from the operating room. Both Jack and Teal'c rushed towards her, their faces reflecting concern as Janet walked towards them tiredly.
"How is she, Doc?"
"She's stable, but she's not out of the woods yet, Colonel. It took us a long time to stabilize her vitals and she'd lost nearly 4 pints of blood." Lowering her head in sadness she continued, "We nearly lost her a couple of times, but I'm more concerned about something else. Sam suffered a massive concussion, and it's the second time in as many months that she's sustained a severe head trauma."
Jack was finding it hard to keep up with what she was saying, "What do you mean, Doc."
"What I mean, Colonel, is that Sam is in a coma." Janet replied sadly.
Jack felt as if he'd been physically slapped across the face, "When will she…wake up?"
"I don't know. It could be hours or it could be days. We'll have to wait and see."
"Isn't there anything that you can do? Does Jacob know?"
"I'm sorry, Colonel, but it's just a waiting game at the moment. I'm just going down to the briefing room to let Jacob know. Sam will be coming back up soon, if you want to sit with her. I'm sure if you talk with her, it'll help. Talking to someone who's in a coma has been known to have a positive effect." Janet said with a hint of optimism.
"Thanks, Doc." Jack replied sadly, unsure of what else to say.
***
For nearly 24 hours Jack sat by her side, watching and waiting for any sign of movement. Holding her hand as he'd done in the battlefield reassured him that she was still here and breathing, there was so much he wanted to say to her. With no one else in the room with him, he spoke gently, his voice barely above a whisper.
"I don't know where to start, Sam. I don't even know if you can hear me or not. There's something I've been wanting to say to you, but…" Clearing his throat, he felt his heart restrict in his chest, "I can't believe how hard this is for me to say, so I'm just going to come out and say it." Jack continued struggling internally to find the right words.
Opening his mouth to let the words fall out, but the only thing that followed was a slow growl of frustration. "Samantha Carter, you must be the only women in the world to turn me into a gibbering wreck. I love you, but you'll never know how much. It hurts me to see you like this, not knowing if you'll ever wake up. *And* you know the worst part…I can't tell anyone." Jack finished solemnly.
Janet watched quietly from her office as the Colonel sat quietly beside her best friend. The tray of food she'd left for him earlier lay untouched on the side. He had refused to leave her side stating categorically that whenever any of his team had been injured, they'd never wake up alone. It was something that he'd done from the very beginning and no matter how much Janet had argued with him; he'd remained stoic in his resolve that he'd be there when she woke up.
Walking towards him, she lightly touched his shoulder; he seemed a million miles away. "Colonel, you've been here for nearly 24 hours, why don't you let someone else sit with her for a bit, while you grab something to eat?"
"I will, Doc… soon." Jack replied distractedly.
"Okay, don't leave it too long, we don't want you getting sick to." Janet replied in all earnest before heading back to her office.
Jacob walked solemnly into the infirmary, his eyes transfixed on the still form of his daughter, her body pale and lifeless. Cuts and bruises marred her once clear complexion, deep gashes on her face reflected how close he'd come to losing her. A grim expression filtered in his eyes as he watched her CO sit listlessly by her bedside, his refusal to leave her alone had not gone un-noticed.
"Jack!"
"Hey, Jacob. Everything sorted?"
"More or less. How's she doing?" Jacob enquired sitting on the edge of her bed, taking her hand in his.
"She's strong, she'll pull through." Jack replied with quiet confidence.
"How are you doing?" Jacob asked noticing the dark circles under his eyes.
"I'm fine, why?"
"Because you look like crap, Jack. Why don't you hit the showers…?"
"Are you suggesting I smell, Jacob?" Jack asked teasingly.
"Well, I didn't like to say, but…"
"In other words, you want me to go."
"And there's me thinking that you'd never get the subtle hint."
"Subtlety was never one of your strong suits, Jacob." Getting up from his seat, he arched his back trying to rid himself of the knots and kinks that had been caused from sitting in the same position for too long.
"If she wakes up, when I'm gone…"
"I'll get someone to fetch you, *but* I don't want you back here for at least 4 hours…understand?"
"Jacob, you're getting bossy in your old age."
"What can I say, it's part of my charm."
Jack rolled his eyes, and took one last longing look at her before leaving her in her dad's capable hands. The stresses of the day finally catching up with him, he headed for the showers.
Holding her hand more firmly he leant forward whispering softly to her. "Hey, Sam. I just wanted you to know that you're not alone, and we're all here waiting for you to wake up… when you're ready. Colonel O'Neill's' just left…he's been here all night. He's very worried about you…we all are. So wherever you are in there, it's time to come back to us." He broached gently, pushing a lock of hair that had fallen over her eyes. It had been a long time since he'd done that. He remembered when she was little and she'd woken up from nightmares; it had been the only thing that seemed to comfort her. Hoping that the simple gesture would help, he left his hand resting on her forehead smoothing back her hair in the hopes that she would waken from her deep sleep. The quiet hum of the strobe lights and the slow bleeps from the heart monitor were the only sound that could be heard in the dimly lit room. Closing his eyes in quiet contemplation he willed her to wake up.
***
Opening his locker he pulled out a clean towel before stripping off. Wrapping the towel around his waist he placed his clothes in a neat pile before walking towards the shower cubicle and turning it on. Stepping in, he allowed the water to cascade down the back of his body, the heat of the water easing his tense muscles. Turning round to face the nozzle, the gentle spray of water filtered down from his head down to his face masking the quiet falling tears that rolled down his cheeks. Finally letting his guard down, his raw emotions flooded through him like a tidal wave. Placing his head against the wall he allowed the gentle flow of water to cover him like a blanket falling of the soft contours of his body. He didn't know how long he'd stayed there, but it was certainly long enough to cause his fingertips to wrinkle. Snapping himself out of his silent reverie, he grabbed his towel and headed for the mirror; staring at his reflection he realised that Jacob was right; he looked like shit, but he didn't care, his only concern was for Sam and when she'd wake up.
***
It had been several hours since Jack had left the infirmary; Jacob watched the gentle rise and fall of his daughter's chest, it had been nearly 30 hours since she'd been brought back and his worry that she'd never wake up was increasing with every hour that she lay there. With his agitation increasing, he didn't know how Jack had been able to stay there so quietly and diligently; Jack never was known for his patience, but he had new respect for him now. Turning round he watched as Doctor Frasier approach him. "Janet."
"How did you manage to get him to leave?"
"I told him he smelled."
Janet let out a small chuckle, "I'll remember that one." Moving over to check Sam's vitals she let out a small sigh at the pain her friends were going through.
"It's never easy is it?" Jacob said lightly.
"No, especially when they're your friends. I just wish there was something I could do, but unfortunately it's just a waiting game." Janet replied honestly. Sam was her best friend and she felt frustrated at her own inadequacies.
"How much longer to you think it'll be?"
"I don't know, Jacob. I wish I could tell you that it'll be soon, but I can't. It's up to Sam now."
Jacob nodded sadly before lapsing into silence once more. Teal'c and Daniel had been in several times over the last few hours, talking to her softly about every day things, but she hadn't even stirred.
***
Allowing Jacob some time with his daughter, Jack grabbed the opportunity to fill in his mission report to General Hammond before settling himself down in the commissary. Staring at the plate in front of him, he moved the food back and forth around his plate; his stomach grumbled in protest at the lack of sustenance. Completely distracted, he failed to hear his friends approaching.
"Is it that bad?" Daniel asked quietly taking up a seat next to his friend.
"It's okay. I'm just not hungry at the moment." Jack replied pushing the plate further away from his body.
"She will be okay, Jack."
"I know. Look I have to get back to the infirmary. See you guys later." Jack replied hurriedly, not wanting to discuss the situation any further.
Daniel and Teal'c watched sadly at their friend's agitation, they both knew that his feeling for her went deeper than simple friendship, but ultimately it was up to them to decide the path their future would take, and Daniel hoped for their friend's happiness that that they chose the right one.
***
Relieving Jacob for a few hours was easier than Jack had anticipated; since he'd left she hadn't stirred at all and he wondered how much longer she'd be like this. As the hours passed, he waited patiently as he'd done the day before, nothing they'd tried seemed to be working, and his frustration was increasing.
"Okay, Sam. Enough of the sleeping! Time to haul your ass back to the land of the living. Come on! There's work to be done, and we're not going to get it finished while you're fast asleep." Jack told her trying a different approach. "Carter, I'm ordering you to wake up! Open your eyes, Major!" He demanded looking closely for a sign that she was listening. Squeezing her hand tightly, he leaned into her, whispering, "Sam, I know where you are may seem nice and safe, but there are people here that need you…I need you, Sam. Do you hear me?"
Jack suddenly felt a flutter in his hand as Sam moved a couple of fingers in his, and he watched hopefully as her hand began gripping his. Jack let a small smile escape from his lips.
Sam felt someone talking to her, softly at first, but then the voice had become louder, more aggressive. The concussion was clouding her thoughts, but she recognized who was talking to her. As she floated back to reality, she felt the comforting touch of someone holding her hand. Feeling safe and secure she struggled to open her eyes, but all she could manage was moving her fingers. It took a few minutes before she heard his voice more clearly and she opened her eyes. At first they were unfocused, but gradually his face came into vision.
"Hey, welcome back." Jack smiled his eyes twinkling.
"Where..." Sam whispered, unable to finish the rest of her sentence.
"You're home."
Sam nodded slowly, "Dad?"
"He's okay, worried about you, but he's fine."
Sam smiled softly, her eyes drifting closed once more.
"Sam. You need to stay awake for a little while longer, while I go get the doc, okay?"
Struggling to keep her eyes open for a minute longer, the last thing she heard was Jack's voice talking to someone…Janet? Before she fell back to sleep once more.
Janet saw the improvement in her friend's vitals and smiled in relief, turning round to Colonel O'Neill, she advised, "It's a good sign. She'll probably sleep for a few more hours, but I'd say she's out of the woods."
"I'll go tell the others." Jack told her with a permanent smile. Giving his 2IC one last look before leaving he sighed in relief. This had been one of the worst couple of his days of his life and he was glad it was over. She was back and he was going to make sure that in the future he'd never leave her side again.
***
Caught between the sleeping and waking world, Sam felt the presence of someone near by. Opening her eyes, her lips felt cracked and sore, moistening them she felt someone sit at the edge of her bed, turning her head she saw it was her dad.
"Hiya kid." Jacob said softly, "You were asleep for a long time. You gave me quite a scare."
"Sorry." Sam whispered taking in everything he was saying.
"Jack told me what had happened, I'm proud of you."
Sam smiled at her father's praise; it wasn't often that he spoke honestly about her accomplishments, so when he praised her, it made everything seem worthwhile.
Grasping her right arm taking care not to injure her further, he continued sadly, "Look, Sam. I may not be able to come round for a little while." Jacob's eyes glistened, he felt like he'd only just got her back and he was leaving again, but while he loved his daughter very much, he knew that Jack would take care of her, and if things were to continue with the alliance he had to do this, whether he like it or not, he'd run out of options.
"What do you mean?" Sam asked confused, everything was still a little hazy and she didn't have a clue what he was talking about.
"Things kinda got screwed up while you were out there…the alliance is in trouble."
"I don't understand." Sam continued shaking her head lightly against the pillow.
"You don't need to know details right now, lets just say we'll be going our separate ways for a while.
Struggling to comprehend what he was talking about, her eyes glazed over, what was he saying, that they'd never see each other again?
"…If I stay with the Tok'Ra, I can at least try to mend some fences."
"You're sure?" Sam replied sadly not wanting to lose her father.
"I'm not ready to give up on us just yet." Getting up from the bed, he kissed her forehead finishing, "Don't worry, I'll be back eventually."
Sam's eyes filled with unshed tears; her voice breaking as she told him, "I'll miss you."
"I'll miss you to."
Watching her Dad walk away tore her heart in two, and she allowed the tears to spill down her cheeks as the news finally sunk in.
Jack, watching quietly from the doorway told Jacob as he walked towards him, his hand outstretched in gesture. "Take care of yourself, Jacob."
Shaking
his hand in friendship, he looked back at his daughter one last time, "Take
good care of my daughter, Jack."
"I will, I promise you."
Nodding his head solemnly, Jacob headed towards the gateroom, preparing to face whatever lay ahead.
Walking towards her, he picked up a box of tissues and cradled them in his arms, "Thought you might need these."
Sam took them from his hand and wiped the tears that refused to abate. "He's really gone?"
Jack nodded sadly, "He didn't have any choice, Sam. He wanted things to turn out differently, but there was nothing he could do. I'm sorry."
Sam felt as her emotions had been run through the treadmill, and for the first time in her life she didn't want to fall asleep alone.
As if picking up on her emotions, Jack held her hand, "Want me to stay with you for a while?"
Sam nodded her face pleading with her eyes for him to hold her once more. Jack didn't need for her to say anything. Rising up from his chair he sat at the edge of her bed and watched as she moved towards him, wrapping her arms around his body, her head nestled on his shoulders as he soothed her calming fears. Small sobs escaped from her lips and her tears fell onto his shirt, as they held each other close, Jack waited until she'd fallen asleep once more before lying her back against the pillows.
Thoughts and conversations filtered through his mind, and he knew one thing was certain; he was going to keep his promise to Jacob.
The End :O)