First and foremost, I want to thank those who reviewed chapter 8, I really was unsure about writing this particular story line and so I am now both relieved and happy that received so positively. 

While feedback can't quite reduce the amount of work I have to do at the moment (unfortunate isn't it!!), it can encourage me to find some time to write. Feedback = (hopefully quicker) update. So you know what to do, press the pretty purple button at the bottom!! (Is this blackmail??  ;-)  ) 

Another big thank you to Naliza, my wonderful beta and a great friend!

Mara Jade, how about computer chocolate fudge cake or even computer chocolate covered Jack's (mmmm…Jack *drool*) as an idea for your diversification (now that's a big word, for 2am anyway), there has to be money in this somewhere!!! :D

I haven't said this in I don't know how long so I should say it now.  The Stargate isn't mine, neither is SG-1, they belong to…some…other people.  They will never be mine, unless someone wants to swap them for some chewing gum and a tissue (the contents of my pockets) or wants to buy them for me for my birthday (It's not going to happen is it?).  The only thing I own (and I'm using that term loosely) is the story and original characters, meaning the baddies.  Why do I always end up owning the baddies in a story???

This has to be the last time I write author notes at 2am, while sleep deprived and hyped on coffee.  Computer chocolate to anyone who has actually read all of my ramblings here.

Onto the story now (finally…)

*~*~*

Jack and Sam walked slowly through the open field.  After a while he reached out and took hold of her hand.  They had been walking for almost an hour when Jack noticed that Sam was beginning to get tired.

Jack stopped and they both sat down in the short grass, looking out towards the horizon.  He proceeded to gently wrap his arms around her but she tensed up and pulled away as his arm crossed her neck.  A shiver raced down her spine as she momentarily saw Blue's leering face.  On realising what she had done Sam sighed deeply and ran a hand through her hair

"I'm sorry, Jack," she sighed, nervously fidgeting with her cast.

"What for?"

"For this.  I know it's you but…but I keep seeing him."

"Oh Sam.  I'm sorry too."

"What do you have to be sorry about?" she asked, almost in a whisper, looking over at him.

"I wasn't there to protect you.  I didn't do anything to help you or the rest of the team."

"You still get guilty over things you can't change?  You've retired Jack, there was nothing you could have done," Sam said with disbelief.  She knew that as commander of both SG-1 and the SGC, Jack had felt guilty every time something bad had happened to those under his command.

"I care about you Sam and Daniel and Teal'c, just in a different way." he added with a slight smile.  "I don't want anything bad to happen to you - any of you.  I hate the fact that I know what's out there but can't do anything.  I'll always feel like this.  I can tell you one thing though.  You have no reason to feel guilty about what happened to Harris.  You couldn't have changed anything, just like you can't change what happened to you," Jack admitted.

"Harris was under my command, he's dead now and that's my fault.  I didn't even bring his body back so he could have a proper funeral.  He's just been left to rot on some godforsaken planet," Sam barely managed to prevent herself from shouting.  She was close to tears but doing her best not to cry.

"Sam, you told me yourself there was no way that you could have gone back for Harris, you would have just got yourself killed.  Now how would that have helped anybody?  Besides you got Daniel and Teal'c out.  You even 'took care' of Blue and Green.  The way that I see it is that you did the best you could have given your circumstances at the time."

"When did you get so rational?" she asked quietly but with a trace of humour.

"You're obviously a good influence on me…or should that be a bad influence?" Jack joked in return.

He could see her relax slightly, which brought a smile to his face.  He had been on edge ever since he had found out what happened.  Seeing Sam relaxed, even if it was just for a second, was enough to calm him.

"Do you still regret telling me?" Jack asked, looking closely at her reaction.

"No…yes…a bit," Sam finally admitted.  "I know that it is probably a good thing I told you, it just doesn't seem like that right now." 

"It'll get better," he said, knowingly.

"I know but I hate feeling like this.  I just don't feel in control right now."

"Control of what?"

"Of what I'm thinking, what I'm feeling.  It's stupid; I've been in much worse situations.  I've been tortured.  I've died.  I've seen people I love, people I care about, die and I can't cope when someone…" Sam trailed off, tears pricking the corners of her eyes.

"When someone tries to rape you," Jack supplied with the gravity the situation warranted.  "It's not stupid, it's a big deal, you have to understand that.  What happened back on that planet was really tough.  I'm not just talking about the fact that the guy tried to rape you.  Harris' death, what happened in that cell, it all adds up to a really bad mission.  You must have noticed that Daniel's been pretty quiet and even Teal'c's been more stoic than his usual self."

"Sure.  Have you spoken to Daniel?" Sam asked, thinking of her injured friend.  Internally she was cursing herself for temporarily forgetting about him and his wounds.

"Yeah, I called him this morning, he's finally escaped the infirmary.  He's already bored also.  Considering how much practice he's had at being hurt you'd think he'd be used to it by now," Jack observed wryly in an attempt to introduce some levity into the conversation. 

"He is okay though, right?" Sam asked seriously.

"He's fine.  Except maybe missing having two working arms," Jack replied with a slight smile.

"I shouldn't have come out here, not with Daniel still injured."

"You needed to get away Sam.  Daniel understands that.  He's worried about you Sam and I really think you should tell him and Teal'c.  It doesn't have to be official.  You don't have to tell General Stone.  This is about trusting Daniel and Teal'c to have your best interest at heart."

Jack knew that there were only some many times he could try and talk her into telling Daniel and Teal'c without pushing her away and that was the last thing that he wanted.  He had decided that if Sam was still reluctant to tell them, he would drop the subject, temporarily at least.

"I really don't know what to say to them but I know how they'll react.  Daniel will just get worried about me and won't understand why I didn't say anything before.  Teal'c will just be Teal'c," she finished with the slightest indication of a smile.

"You should try them.  What if we get Daniel up here for a couple of days?  Stop him from going crazy at home," Jack offered, hoping that by making it seem beneficial to Daniel, Sam would be more likely to accept.  In fact it was just as much for Sam as it was for Daniel.

"Yeah, why not.  Who knows what he's getting up to without someone to keep an eye on him," she said with a small laugh.

"Great, I'll try to find a way to get him out here," he said.  He knew it would not be the easiest journey to organise, especially with Daniel's injury.

"You ready to head back?" Sam asked.

"Yeah," Jack replied.  He stood and went to help Sam to her feet but she waved him away and slowly righted herself.  A slight grimace flashed across her face as she stood.  The expression of pain was not lost on Jack but he chose not to mention it. 

*~*

Once back at the cabin Sam phoned Daniel and after a short conversation managed to persuade him to visit them in Minnesota.  It took some convincing to assure Daniel that he would not be in the way. 

Sam had decided that to tell Daniel what had happened and was planning to tell Teal'c as soon as he was back on Earth.  She chose not to mention anything at that moment, it would just make them worry.

Once she had finished on the phone she sat next to Jack on the large couch.

"Daniel's said he'd come, he'll be here on Thursday."

"Great, that was a little easy though wasn't it?" Jack asked.  He had expected to have to fight the Archaeologist to get him up there.

"Apparently, because he's only got one working arm you can't force him to fish all day," Sam admitted.  She could not help but laugh at remembering what Daniel had said but she had wisely decided to give Jack the abbreviated version.

"Fishing...What a great idea Sam!" Jack said with obvious enthusiasm and a trace of mischief in his voice.

Sam held up her injured left arm in a bid to excuse herself from the whole fishing idea.  She did not really understand Jack's fascination with it, not that she would ever tell him directly in his face.

"You'll be fine, we're not going shark fishing ya know," Jack observed, overruling any excuses she might have.

"Lets get set up then," Sam replied, trying to keep the resignation out of her voice.  She figured that if she got really bored she could plead tiredness and head back inside.

*~*

Although she hated to admit it, Sam enjoyed the fishing.  Obviously, they did not catch anything; he was pretty sure there was nothing in the lake to catch.  Trust Jack to pick the only lake in Minnesota that does not actually have any fish.  As he explained it, it was about the act of 'fishing'.  Not that Sam really understood the logic of that particular argument.

Jack was in an especially good mood following their time fishing.  He even offered to cook, which was a rarity for him.  Although he could cook quite well he often chose to rely on takeaways.  Sam had to admit that she did the same a lot of the time but the long hours she worked at the SGC and the fact that she really could not cook, gave her good reason.

As Jack started on dinner, Sam thought of how she would tell Daniel what had happened.  She knew that it would not be an easy conversation but she hoped that it would be at least easier than telling Jack.  She had a couple of days to think about it anyway.

*~*

Sam had fallen asleep on the couch but awoke as she heard a car pull up outside.  She sat up slowly, her ribs were still painful but considerably less so than before.  The bruises across her body were beginning to fade; though still vivid, lighter shades of purple and green had replaced the black and deep purples that had originally marred her pale skin.

Jack opened the door, carrying a large canvas bag, from the way he was carrying it, it appeared to be very heavy, obviously weighed down by the books that Daniel seemed to be unable to travel without.  Daniel followed him in; his right arm immobilised in a sling. He smiled broadly at Sam, before sitting in the armchair by the fireplace.  He looked around the room with an appreciative and slightly relieved look on his face.  Just like Sam, he had been unsure about what to expect from the cabin

"How are you Daniel?" Sam asked, with concern as she noted his pale features.

"I'm fine, a bit tired that's all.  How are you doing?" he asked with equal concern.  He knew that there had been something weighing heavily on her mind since their return, something that he knew nothing about.

"Okay," she replied quickly.  How was the flight?" she asked in a bid to change the topic of conversation, if only briefly.  She could imagine that it was the best journey he had ever had.  Her own trip up here had been a difficult one and she was not including the looks she had received every time they had stopped on the way.  She knew that she did not look at her best but those around her were used to seeing people with injuries, such was their work and therefore they tended not to look twice.

"Not too bad," Daniel replied but Sam could see that his statement was not wholly accurate.

"Um, do you want to have a sleep or anything?" Sam asked nervously.  She was almost hoping for him to say yes, now that he was here, the task seemed much harder than it had before.

"No, I'm fine.  Are you sure you're okay Sam?"

"I've got something to tell you Daniel and I just need you to listen, okay?" she started after taking a deep, shuddering breath.

"What's wrong, what's happened?" he asked slightly frantically.

"I never told you everything that happened back on P4Y-543," she began as Daniel looked intently at her.

*~*~*

So, that was chapter 9.  Let me know what you all think, please!

To anyone who is a) interested and b) still reading my crazed, caffeine induced ramblings chapter two of 'Do You Believe?' is now off with my beta and so should be appearing on a computer near you soon!