Back To Reality

by Shiaw Mei Mei

should have been faster on the trigger and now someone is suffering.

Title: Back to Reality

Email: Shiawmeimeiyahoo.com

Status: Completed

Category: Hurt/Comfort, Angst, Romance

Pairings: Jack/Sam

Spoilers: Small for Broca Divide, Emancipation, Divide and Conquer

Season: Early seven, pre Heros, pre Chimera (I usually ignore Chimera anyway!)

Sequel: None

Rating: R (Just to be safe, I am so not good at judging this!)

Content Warnings: sex, not graphic

Summary: Sam should have been faster on the trigger and now someone is suffering.

Disclaimer: Stargate Sg-1 and its characters are the property of Stargate (II) Productions, Showtime/Viacom, MGM/UA, Double Secret Productions, and Gekko Productions. This story is for entertainment purposes only and no money exchanged hands. No copyright infringement is intended. The original characters, situations, and story are the property of the author. This story may not be posted elsewhere without the consent of the author.

File Size: 157KB

Archive: If anyone wants to post it, please let me know where!

Author's Note: This is my first try at fanfic of any kind. Other than papers for grades in school, this is my first try at creative writing. Please give feedback, even if it is not glowing praise! Special thanks to Tame and Rural for betaing!

"Back to Reality"

Part One – Just a Walk in the Park

Once more unto the breech... Or unto the wormhole... SG1 headed out to check a world normally of winter white. The SGC had sent a M.A.L.P through to this world several times over the last year. The telemetry sent back showed possible naquada deposits but the planet seemed to be in an ice age. Always snow covered, always cold. This time the probe showed artic tundra beneath only patches of snow, similar to the earth during the end of the last ice age. The day time temperature showed to be a balmy 35 degrees. General Hammond decided that if there was ever going to an opportunity to check out this planet, this was it.

Colonel Jack O'Neill stepped through the gate with the usual bounce that he felt when he entered the wormhole. Wormhole, he smirked to himself. Couldn't these braniac scientists come up with a less disgusting sounding name... "Aghh!", he yelped as his feet slid out from under him due to the ice on the platform. Luckily a small snowdrift on the shaded side of the platform cushioned his unceremonious entrance to this world. He looked up to see the rest of his team pop through the gate. He was going to warn them of the ice until Daniel started laughing at the site of him sitting in the snow. 'Ah, they're big kids; let them figure it out', he thought to himself.

He rose to his feet, brushing the snow off of his artic camouflaged uniform. "Guess what, campers", he grinned, "no trees!" The rest of his team, Major Samantha Carter, Teal'c and Dr. Daniel Jackson slid a little but didn't fall. "Carter, let's make this quick, it's colder than a witch's... Never mind", as he thought better of the rather crass saying regarding a brass bra and a part of the female anatomy. Sometimes he could go too far around Carter. She usually took his really off color remarks pretty well, but sometimes she gave him that very stern look she had on her face right now. Besides, thoughts of Carter, bras and breasts all at the same time was never a good idea. "Start your sample taking. We will start heading away from the gate to start the survey within 30 minutes. Five clicks out and five clicks back. Shouldn't take more than 6 hours with samples. I want to make this quick. Staying over night in this climate is not an option."

Carter grinned through the fur around her parka hood. "Sounds like a plan, sir," she laughed. She started moving around to exposed soil between patches of snow taking samples of the soil. She moved meticulously. He liked to watch her doing these things. She was so thorough. Each sample vial carefully filled, noted on a chart as to where she took the sample and carefully labeled. That's one reason why he was always pestering her in her lab; he simply liked to watch her work. Of course, that wasn't the only reason. The fact that she is beautiful, tall, and graceful and she actually laughed at his jokes didn't hurt. Well, most of them, he thought as he remembered her school marm look when he mentioned how cold it was.

Teal'c carefully surveyed the area. The ultimate warrior. Always on guard; always watchful of his comrades in arms. Always observant. He knew that O'Neill thought that no one noticed his habit of watching Carter. He knew that it was not just the sign of a good leader watching out for his people. He was there when the Colonel and Major Carter were forced to admit feelings for each other during the Za'tarc testing. Feelings that Teal'c felt they should be allowed freedom to explore but the Tau'ri did not allow in their military chain of command. So he watched O'Neill watching Carter and never said anything to anyone.

Daniel was occupied with the unusual symbols on the platform that held the Stargate. They weren't Goa'uld. They weren't like any other he had seen on all the planets that the SCG had visited. He knelt and brushed away the ice and snow that accumulated on the various parts of the base. Daniel stood up and glanced around at his teammates. He wanted Teal'c to look at these and see if he recognized any of the symbols. He noticed Jack, doing what Jack did a lot these days. Watching Sam. He sighed over his friends' impossible situation and called Teal'c over to look at the symbols.

"Yes, Daniel Jackson, how may I be of assistance?"

Daniel smiled at Teal'c's formal phrasing. After all this time you think that he would be used to it. "Teal'c, do you recognize any of these writings."

Teal'c and Daniel knelt beside the gate looking at the strange markings.

"What 'cha doin', Danny Boy." O'Neill had snuck up behind them, making Daniel jump at the sound of his voice. Teal'c was completely unperturbed. "Jack! Why do you take such pleasure in doing that?", Daniel said petulantly.

"Cause I can, Daniel, cause I can." O'Neill smirked as he leaned over Daniel to look at what had fascinated him so much that he could sneak up on him. Daniel still didn't realize that it was his intense concentration when ever he found a new mystery that allowed Jack to sneak up on him.

"It's not really writing. It resembles the drawings that have been found in caves in Europe that are presumed to be by prehistoric people. Usually Cro-Magnon, but possible Neanderthal. However, these drawings appear to be more refined, even elegant compared to those." Daniel started getting that look in his eye, the one that indicated that he about to go on one of his tangents. "This doesn't make sense though. Those forms of man existed long before the ancient Egyptians and everything we know about the Goa'uld started only five to six thousand years ago, not 30,000." He started getting really animated now hands flying, head shaking, and voice tone and volume going up. "This could mean that the Ancients may have relocated people at some point from Earth."

Carter walked over to the men, trying to hear what Daniel is excited over. "What's up, Daniel?"

Before he could start over on his dissertation, O'Neill piped up to remind them that their time is very limited and this will have to wait. "We need to get the soil samples and get back here before the sun starts to set. The M.A.L.P. sent through yesterday indicates that the night time temperature is around 30 below. Daniel, you can play if we get back before dark, if not, then we will just have to come back later."

Daniel starts to object and is on the receiving end of an 'I just gave an order, Doctor' look. Undeterred, Daniel suggests he remain behind while they do their soil samples. "Nope, Danny Boy, we stick together. If anything happens in the God forsaken place, we will need all hands." Ever the cautious soldier, O'Neill turned and headed toward their objective, some hills in the distance to the south.

Part Two – Uh Oh

As they approached the limit of the day's survey, the wind began to blow rather strong. The temperature dropped dangerously low. They covered up every part of exposed skin and put their goggles on to keep their eyes from freezing. O'Neill, in his customary position of point, turned to his team. "Okay, campers, this is not good. We turn around and head straight back for the gate! No sightseeing!"

As he yelled his instructions above the rising howl of the wind, he saw the three of them go tense. Teal'c and Carter immediately raised weapons. Pointed at him!! "What the hell!" Realizing that they are looking behind him, he turned rapidly, weapon at the ready. All he saw was a blinding flash of white fur and some really big teeth!!

The creature that tackled him to the ground looked like a really big cat. O'Neill barely had time to throw his P90 up as a guard against what would have been a lethal bite to the neck. He stared into the yellow eyes of the animal as he felt claws digging into his sides. The cat, almost the length of O'Neill, had him in a bear hug. O'Neill managed to get his weapon in the cat's mouth, but the pain of the claws was rapidly sapping his strength. Then he heard shots ring out. Two measured, carefully aimed shots. He felt warm blood pouring over him, mixing with his own, and then the animal fell limp on his body. The weight pressing on his chest made breathing difficult. He could see blackness start from the edge of his peripheral vision creeping in to the center of his line of sight.

Suddenly, the pressure was gone as Teal'c and Daniel rolled the big animal off of him. His vision hazy from the shock and inability to breathe, he saw a beautiful, blue eyed angel coming to take him somewhere. He would follow her anywhere. The oxygen flowing back into his shocked brain caused Sam to come back into focus. Carter was leaning over him, steam rising from the barrel of her recently fired weapon. "Colonel, sir, can you hear me!" He felt the cold air rushing back into his lungs. He could see the fear in her big blue eyes.

"No problem, Sam, it was just a big puddy tat." She smiled and started checking out his wounds. Her smile faded a little. "Teal'c, Daniel, check around these hills and see if there is anywhere we can get shelter. We are not going to make the gate at the rate this whether is changing and we need to get his wounds cleaned up. I don't know how much of this blood is his and how much the creature's."

Teal'c and Daniel nodded and started toward a cut in the hill. They hoped to find a cave of some sort.

Carter pulled out a sleeping bag and the first aid kit from her pack. She tried checking for any broken bones but the layers of clothes he was wearing didn't make it easy. She desperately wanted to wash the blood off so she could find out exactly how bad his wounds were. Unfortunately, as cold as it is, the water would probably freeze on him, adding more cold to his already shocked system. She did the best she could wiping off the blood before it froze. She wrapped him tightly in his sleeping bag, moving him enough to get him on it instead of the bare ground. She used her bag to put over him for additional warmth. She didn't like the painful sounds he made when she moved him but he didn't say anything. She was relieved he wasn't trying to reassure her. She wasn't in the mood. She searched around in a small circle from the Colonel trying to find something that she could use to start a fire, but there just wasn't anything. She didn't want to get too far away for fear that another predator might be around. She wanted to sit down and cry. This was supposed to be a short trip, no problem. Now, the Colonel is severely injured and they have no shelter in a frozen wasteland. But she's a soldier, a good one, and good soldiers don't cry, even when the person that they love most is severely injured and possible going to freeze to death.

This is all her fault, dammit!! She saw the creature as it leapt. She couldn't get her gloved finger on the trigger fast enough. She walked past the dead animal. She kicked it just because. Then she had an idea.

Carefully, she moved the Colonel closer to the cat. It was starting to get cold but it had some body heat left and it was a wind break of sorts. She opened the sleeping bags enough to squeeze in on the other side of the Colonel for additional body warmth. He hadn't made a sound during her moving him. That couldn't be a good sign. She slipped off one glove and felt for a pulse. It was there; slow but steady, maybe a little shallow. He must be going into shock. She silently cursed herself. As many times as SG1 had gotten into something like this, you would think that she would remember basic medicine better. She resolved to pick Janet's brain and take notes! If they ever made it back!

Part Three – Sam's Favorite Society

Her radio crackled into life. Daniel's voice came through, "Sam, we've found shelter! We've actually found natives!! They are willing to help us but this is one of your favorite societies. I have asked a few questions and I have made up a cover story. I will fill you in when we get there. Be there in 10!"

"Roger that, Daniel." Her favorite societies. That can only mean one thing. Women are treated like property. Ugh. Well, if they will help the Colonel, she will suffer through it.

Fifteen minutes later, Daniel, Teal'c and a group of men came through the small dip in the hills. As Sam slipped out of the sleeping bag, Daniel ran ahead to give Sam the 'cover story'. "I can't get into details, but you are Jack's wife, my sister and Teal'c is your bodyguard due to your high status. I'll give you the details later. Just act normal but don't antagonize anyone!"

"Hmph!" She thought, 'I don't antagonize people. Do I?' She didn't say anything. She was just grateful that the natives came with a litter of sorts and warm furs to wrap her Colonel in. He was unconscious as they secured him on the litter, Daniel, Teal'c and two of their new friends picked it up and started heading back between the hills. Four of the others started strapping the cat to a set of odd looking poles, preparing to take it back with them. Sam packed up their belongings and started after the litter as the wind blew harder and stinging snow joined the fray.

Half an hour later they arrived at what looked like more hills, except these were obviously man-made ones. They were in a circle around a central fire pit. The pit was had the remains of a fire in it. They walked up to one of the 'hills' and pushed through a series of animal skins until they were inside a hut of sorts. A really large hut! She couldn't tell what the frame was constructed from; the roof and walls appeared to be sod or peat, giving it the appearance of a hill from the outside. They entered in the middle and there were doorways covered with skins on each end. There was a central hearth in the middle of the main room but it was barely burning. The feeling of warmth took Sam by surprise. It couldn't all be coming from the small fire in the middle of the room. She couldn't see any other fires though. She murmured a silent prayer of thanks that they had found such shelter.

The litter bearers led Daniel and Teal'c to the doorway on the right. Pushing the skins aside, Sam saw a smaller room with a large bed, a small table with four chairs around it and something that resembled a low couch. There was also a hearth in here. The chimney appeared to be formed by skins in a cone shape leading to a hole in the roof. She didn't notice if the main room had one similar. All she noticed was the Colonel's pale face as they eased the litter down to the floor.

"Daniel", Sam said quietly, "we need to get him out of those clothes and take a close look at his wounds. Can you ask for more water so I can clean them?"

One of the litter bearers glanced at Sam. She hoped she wasn't out of line speaking. She thought that by going through Daniel rather than asking direct, she wouldn't 'antagonize' anyone. The litter bearer smiled, "We will bring water and have our healer attend you. Your concern for your mate is most evident."

Sam dropped her eyes and quietly thanked him. The litter bearers left the room. "Okay, Daniel, spill what you know! I don't want to end up sold again! And please tell me that I don't have to play dress up again!"

Daniel smiled at the memory of Sam in the blue dress the Shavadi made her wear. "No, Sam, this is not that bad. Besides, from what I've seen of their women you wouldn't mind what they wear. But back to what I know. I flat out ask them what their customs were concerning women. I told them that we had trouble in our travels because we had a woman with us and we wanted to make sure that we didn't offend them." Daniel kept talking as he and Teal'c started trying to remove the Colonel's torn uniform. "Women are basically considered to be the property of their father or the male head of their household until they marry, or are joined as they phrase it. Then they are the property of their husband. They are monogamous. They respect their women but feel they must be taken care off. It is not unheard of for women to hunt or to fight should the need arise, but it is unusual." Daniel whistled softly through his teeth as he managed to get the last of Jack's shirt off. "Damn, this is not good! Thank goodness for all the layers of clothes or it would have been much worse."

Sam had stripped out of her parka and had been feeding the fire to take the last of the chill out of the room and to heat some water from her canteen. Someone must have started the fire in here when the men left to go get Jack...the Colonel. She rushed back over to see what Daniel was talking about. She pulled out a flashlight from her pack since the lighting was dim in here. "Crap!" she exclaimed, "No, Daniel, this is not good. I need to clean this as soon as possible."

Sam helped Teal'c continue to remove the Colonel's t-shirt. The bleeding wasn't as bad but the blood had started to dry on it making the removal difficult. She could see the claw marks extended down his right side past his waist through his hip to the top of his thigh. His left side only has a couple of small puncture wounds. Daniel glanced toward the door as Sam heard noises in the outer room. "Daniel, remember, you were the one that told them that I was Jack's wife!"

Daniel turned back to see what she meant by that as he saw Sam began unbuttoning Jack's pants. Sam caught sight of his frown. "Daniel, we have to pretend like I've seen it all before!"

Daniel couldn't say anything else as their hosts entered the smaller room. Sam hoped that her blushing would be misconstrued as exertion and not embarrassment. Teal'c gently lifted the Colonel as she and Daniel gingerly removed his uniform pants. It wouldn't do for a wife to be embarrassed by the sight of her husband's body.

The healer, as it turns out, was an older woman! That pleasantly surprised Sam. She expected to have to deal with some voodoo witch doctor male that wouldn't even talk to her. The healer walked over to Sam's side. "I am Tiana. Healer to the clan Piashe, mate to Arunum." She extended both hands, palms facing out, toward Sam. "I am Samantha. Mate to O'Neill of the clan Tau'ri." She glanced at Daniel hoping that he didn't give them much information as to names so that she wouldn't be contradicting him. He nodded his approval almost imperceptibly. Sam extended her hands in response to Tiana, noticing the bright red blood on them almost as if for the first time. She visibly paled and could feel dizziness threatening to overcome her. The adrenaline rush that had kept her going was rapidly exiting. Gulping air to overcome panic, she felt rather than saw Daniel moving to catch her. 'Oh, great,' she thought, 'now is not the time to pass out!'

Daniel maneuvered her to a chair as Tiana tried to help. "No!" Sam yelled. "Help him first! I am just a little dizzy!" Tiana nodded knowingly and spoke softly, "I understand. The body can only worry so long about a loved one before it gives out. I will see to your mate."

Sam watched her turn, giving a few sharp orders to her companions. They all sprang into action. It was almost like watching Janet and her staff move. They evidently knew what they were doing. Cleaning his wounds, applying an ointment that she desperately hoped had antibiotic principles, even stitching some of the more gaping areas of the cuts with thread. They may appear primitive but evidently they weren't! She couldn't see everything they were doing but felt assured that Teal'c and Daniel were watching carefully.

Someone had brought in hot food. Sam could smell it, making her mouth water. She couldn't believe that she could think about food when the Colonel was so silently laying there. She wondered if they had given him a sedative. As if reading her mind, Tiana started talking out loud to no one in particular. "His wounds are deep but I don't see any muscles torn. We have stitched the wounds to close them. He will be very sore when he awakes, but the medicine I have given him will keep him asleep for a while. We need to keep him warm and watch for rising heat in his body. As soon as he wakes, I will give him medicine to fight the pain and heat."

Tiana turned, looking at Sam, color starting to return to her cheeks. She walked over and felt Sam's head and laid a hand on her wrist, checking her pulse. "You, child, need to eat. And then, you should rest."

"Thank you, Tiana, for your help. I don't know what I, uh, we would do if anything happened to him." Sam spoke softly. She didn't want Daniel and Teal'c to realize just how much she meant that.

"It is difficult to watch someone you love in pain. He will mend. We will show your brother and your friend to the room next door. This building is our common hall. These rooms are for guests. You may stay as long as you need." She glanced down at Sam's damp uniform. "There are sleeping clothes in the bathing room that will fit you. You need to get out of those clothes before you take ill." She indicated another smaller doorway on the other end other the room from the entrance. "I will leave you this vial of medicine in case he awakes in the night. Two drops in some liquid will ease his pain and aid him in sleep."

With that Tiana and her helpers left the room, urging Daniel and Teal'c to follow. "She needs time alone with him. It is difficult for her to watch her mate suffer. She needs to reassure herself that he will live."

Teal'c nodded in his somber Jaffa way and followed, pulling Daniel with him. "You are correct, Tiana. She needs time alone with him." Knowing the intensity of the feelings between the two officers, he completely agreed with her assessment of the situation.

"The other room has been prepared and there is food and dry clothing waiting for you there." Tiana spoke softly as they exited the room.

Forgetting about the food, Sam stood up and moved to the bed where Jack lay so quietly. She watched his chest rise and fall rhythmically. He appeared to be just sleeping but it was much deeper than she usually saw him, unless, of course, he was injured in the infirmary. Even there she couldn't look at him this closely. She was always afraid that someone would catch her, find her out. That she loved this man, more than she ever thought possible. She reached down and gently ran her fingers down his jaw, lightly brushing across his lips.

She sighed and went into the bathing room, as Tiana had called it. It was smaller than the living area but larger than a normal bathroom. It had all the appropriate facilities and a very large tub in the middle. It also contained storage racks for clothing and bedding. She rummaged through until she found something to sleep in. She looked at the tub. After a few minutes of figuring out how to work the fixtures, she had settled into it with a sigh. She lay there soaking, thinking of the day. She wondered about their hosts. They appeared human; had knowledge of human anatomy and medicine. They had rather modern facilities, hot and cold running water, a heating system of some kind, yet they appear rather primitive. She knew they would be considered overdue shortly. General Hammond was going to be really worried when the M.A.L.P. sent back pictures of the blizzard that was now raging outside. She looked over at her radio, piled on top of her clothes. She hoped the gain on the M.A.L.P. was enough to be able to reassure him.

Reluctantly, she finished her bath and dressed. She would have liked to stay there longer but she needed to make sure that Jack was alright. She silently returned to the living area, taking a couple of blankets with her. She planned on moving the low couch closer to the bed so she could hear if he stirred in the night. She was so tired. The panic, adrenaline rush and bath combined to drain her limbs of all strength. Looking at the couch and then the big bed that Jack was in, she put the blankets down on the foot of the bed and crawled in the bed opposite Jack. Big deal, we sleep closer in our sleeping bags on missions. At least this way she would be able to tell if he was restless in the night. As she drifted off to sleep, she unconsciously slid her hand over to rest on his left arm.

Part Four – What the....?

Jack's eyes opened quickly. Warmth, pain, a hand touching his arm, fire light, smoke, left over food smells, breathing not his own. He turned his head to see where it was coming from. Sam. She lay there, next to him. Her body only inches away. Her hand possessively on his arm. Pain. Oh, yeah, pain. He winced as he tried to move slightly. No Teal'c. No Daniel. Sam stirred as he tried to move. She looked okay. She didn't seem to be in pain. What happened? Where are we? Cat. Really, big honkin' cat. Ouch. Memory started to piece back together. Shots. Sam. P90. Cold. Snow. Really, big honkin' cat! They found shelter. Evidently people. Leave it to his team to take care of everything. He didn't know why he worried about them so much. Other than he cared. They got him out of more scrapes than he got them out of. Bathroom? His bladder was starting to yell at him. He tried moving again and it really hurt. But he could move. Not damaged that bad. Gonna be some serious scars from the way it felt. Really, really, big honkin' cat!

Sam opened her eyes. He was awake. She heard his soft moan. She was closer to him than when she laid down. Her body almost touching him. "Sir?"

"Sam, what happened?"

"Really, big honkin' cat," she replied with a slight smirk. "Glad you are back with us, sir. You were out of it for a while."

She had definitely been hanging out with the wrong people. "Where's Daniel and Teal'c?"

"Next door. They're fine. You were the only one injured."

"Figures. Really big, honkin' cat." He grimaced in pain, trying to sit up.

"Uh, sir, I don't think you should try to get up yet. You may tear your stitches."

"Well, Carter, if I don't get up soon this bed is going to be uncomfortably wet!"

"Oh. Let me help you, sir." Sam got up out of the bed and came around to his side. Slipping her arm under his back she gently pulled him up to a sitting position as he slid his legs off the bed. The blankets still covered his lower half.

"Argh!" He growled with the pain. Why did he get himself into these situations!? Shit, he thought to himself, I don't have any clothes on! "Uh, Carter, where are my clothes?"

Sam reddened as he looked at her. "We had to cut them off, sir, to treat your wounds."

"Well, do ya think I could have something to put on now???" The panicked look in his eyes amused her. She stifled a giggle.

"Just a minute, sir, I will find you something."

"Make it a fast minute, Carter, I really gotta pee! So unless you want to see me streaking, HURRY!"

She came back from the other room with a robe of sorts. She gently slipped his right arm in the sleeve while he fumbled around getting his left arm in. He tugged it around himself, hoping that he wouldn't flash Carter when he stood up. She eased him up from his left, trying to avoid the puncture wounds on that side. She supported him into the bathing room and then disappeared through the curtain, standing just on the other side.

"Thank God," she whispered silently to herself, "if he's that cranky then he will be alright." A really sick O'Neill is too quiet. This one is being loud and obnoxious. His normal post injury self.

His voice drifted through the curtain. "Okay, Carter, would you mind telling me why I woke up naked in bed with you and why aren't the guys taking care of me?"

She stifled another giggle. "Well, sir, these people, as Daniel puts it, are one of my favorite societies. You remember the Shavadi?"

"Yeah. Do I get to see you dressed up?"

"No. However, they are a patriarchal society that believes that women are ruled by first their father, or male head of house and then their husband. Few women have any status in their own right and those are usually healers. Daniel told them that I was your mate, his sister and Teal'c was my bodyguard, due to my high status in our clan. He wanted to cover all bases just in case. They have treated us with respect and have offered their hospitality as long as we need it."

She heard a groan of pain through the curtain. "Sir, are you alright?"

The curtain moved aside. She could see how pale he was in the fire light. "Come on, sir, let's get you back to bed."

"Yes, dear."

She looked at him sharply.

"Well, you did say that these people think you are my wife. Just playing the part."

She laughed as he put his left arm over her shoulder so she could help him back to the bed. She got him settled and went over to the medicine that Tiana had left her. Two drops in a cup of water; she went back and offered him the drink. "There is some pain meds in this. It will help you get back to sleep."

He took it without protest. She went around to the other side of the bed and crawled in. "Good night, sir."

"Good night, wifey."

She snorted, curled up on her side and watched him drift off to sleep. Funny, the whole thing didn't feel as weird as it should. Her playing wife to the Colonel, sleeping in the same bed with him practically undressed. Well, completely undressed earlier. 'Sam,' she told herself as she forced her eyes to close, 'don't go there.'

Part Five – The Morning After

Daniel woke to the muted noise of people in the next room. He looked around for Teal'c. Not seeing him in the room, he assumed he was one of the people in the next room. He rose and used the facilities and then went in search of Teal'c. As he thought, Teal'c was in the next room talking to the man that found them yesterday. His brain still a little foggy from sleep and stress, he vaguely remembered that his name was Arunum.

"Good morning, Arunum, Teal'c." He said as approached where they were talking by the fire.

"Daniel Jackson, our host has been telling me that the death of the creature that attacked O'Neill is most welcome to this clan. It has been terrorizing their village for most of the cold months." Teal'c gave a small smile. He knew that it would help their situation to have their hosts indebted to them in any way.

"I still can't believe that Sam managed that shot with it so close to Jack. Good thing she has good aim. If Jack had rolled that animal over, she could have shot him!"

"It is unlikely that O'Neill would have been able to do that. The animal was much heavier than O'Neill." Teal'c replied calmly.

Arunum's face had a surprised look on it. "You mean that O'Neill's mate actually made the kill?"

Daniel could have shot himself at that point. How could he forget his own cover story! "Uh, yes, Samantha is considered a warrior in our clan. Not many women are, but there are some."

Arunum's expression softened a little. "There was a time when some of our women were warriors also. At least according to our old tales. There was a war with a neighboring clan. The men were all sent to the battle, leaving the women and children behind in what was thought to be safety. Our enemy had anticipated this and attacked the village. Many women were killed, but they fought back with anything they could use. The attackers were surprised at the ferocity they encountered. After that, women trained to fight along side their men so that the village would have protection when the men were gone in battle or the hunt. It has been many, many years since the women stopped training. But it has also been many years since we had anyone to wage war with!"

Daniel nodded somberly. "May it be never again! May your people always live in safety!"

"You seem to understand the senselessness of war, my friend," Arunum said softly.

Daniel nodded again. "My people are in a great war now. We travel to find allies and weapons that can help us defeat out enemy."

"What is the name of the clan you battle?"

"They are called the Goa'uld. They claim to be gods and force people to worship them. We have battled them for many years and aided others in their own fight against them."

"That name is unfamiliar. I will ask our storyteller if he has ever heard the name."

"May you never hear it or encounter them. They are an evil that is much feared." Daniel removed his glasses, rubbing the bridge of his nose, thinking of Sha're. "Have our friends awoken yet?"

"No, Tiana checked your leader earlier and said that he was resting easy. Your sister is still sleeping. Tiana said that she was not taking her mate's injury well. It seems that he did wake in the night. He was clothed in a robe and it appeared that he had taken some of the medicine that had been left for him. She left them to sleep and has tried to keep her helpers from waking them. The clan eats most meals together in here, but they understand the need for quiet.

Daniel and Teal'c walked over to Jack and Sam's room and quietly moved the curtain aside to peer inside. Daniel was surprised to find them sleeping in the bed together. He would have thought that Sam would have taken the couch. He hoped that Sam had filled him in on the situation and that Jack remembered enough for them to keep their cover story going this morning.

Tiana watched their guests peering into the injured man's room. They were an interesting group of people. It was obvious that they were a close knit, albeit unusual, group. Her helpers were bringing food from the cooking area, setting the table for morning meal.

She walked over to their guests and laid a hand on Daniel's arm. "Morning meal is ready. You may come and eat now. We will keep something warm for them. Do not worry, your leader is healing well, there is no evidence of elevated heat in his body. Your sister is simply exhausted. Come, eat."

Daniel sighed and let the curtain drop. He and Teal'c went to join the others at the table. There were about thirty people present. And only four were children, none of them very young. A small group if this was all there was of them. "Arunum, do you mind if I ask some questions? As I don't know your customs, I don't wish to offend."

"Go ahead, my friend. I will not take offense and I will let you know if the subject is forbidden."

"Is this all of your people? There doesn't appear to be many of you here. How do you survive this climate with so few?"

"It is true that we are few. There used to be many clans. We would take mates from other clans to keep our bloodlines from mixing too closely. Unfortunately, our climate has changed rapidly. Only a generation ago we had lush warm seasons that allowed us to travel more and keep our ties with other clans. Since the cold season has become so long it is almost impossible to do this. We are a dying people. We will not be able to survive the cold much longer. Game is scarcer every season and with no real warm seasons, it is difficult to gather or grow enough vegetables for food and medicine. We were hoping that you were from another clan wanting to join as mates. The close ties of all in this clan forbid the joining as the offspring produced would be weak and ill."

Daniel nodded. They understood genetics enough to know that close related persons producing children could have serious repercussions. "How many clans do you believe are left? Maybe we can help you to find solution." His mind was racing to figure out if there were any available planets in the Stargate system that would allow for resettlement of these people. After what they had done for them, this would surely repay their debt.

"Not many. Last time we were able to reach the nearest clans, there were only three of the ten left. We don't know if they tried to move or just died out. There were no signs of bodies or damage. It has been two sunrounds since then. I don't know if even those three are left. I was hoping that we could go while the snow was less to see if they would join us. Our village is the largest and we have many empty shelters that we could provide for them."

Daniel nodded again. He looked at Teal'c and Teal'c nodded back. "There may be a way to take you and any of the other clans that we can find to some place where there are warm seasons. It would mean leaving this place forever but your people would live on and be able to grow." Arunum's eyes lit up. He seemed very excited. Daniel continued, "Do you know about the stone ring about two hours walk north of here?" Arunum nodded. "We came through that ring. The world we are from has many seasons. There are other world's that have many seasons. We could try to find you a world to move to where you could thrive."

"There are very old stories that tell of the stone ring! The forbearers came through it from another place. That is part of the meaning of the etching on the platform. We always thought that is was just an old story for children!" Arunum's excitement grew, from those within hearing distance of the conversation as well. The people closest started passing the information down to others at the long table and soon there was a murmur of happiness from all in the room.

Part Six – Time to Meet the Neighbors

Sam woke to noises in the other room. She started up, looking for her weapon then realized where she was and that the noise was happy and not angry. She glanced over at her Colonel and saw he was still peacefully sleeping, chest falling in a steady rhythm indicating deep sleep, eyes moving quickly under his lids showing him to be dreaming. The slight smile on his face assured her that is was pleasant dreams.

She stretched slowly not wanting to disturb him and moved quietly out of the bed. She checked out her uniform, covered in mud and blood. Nope, don't want to wear that. She went into the bathing room, quietly making use of the facilities, washing her face, brushing her teeth and combing her unruly hair. She quickly found an outfit similar to what Tiana was wearing yesterday and figured it was appropriate. It was a long full skirt that came to her ankles and a tunic that came to her hips. Both seemed to be made of very soft leather and had exquisite designs stitched into them. She smiled, Daniel was right, she didn't mind playing dress up with these people. Exiting the bathing room, she checked on Jack. Still sleeping, still dreaming and still smiling softly. What she would give to know what put that gentle smile on his face! She made her way to the door of the room and stepped through the curtain.

There were many people talking all at once. She spotted Daniel and Teal'c with the leader of this clan. She couldn't remember his name, though she was sure that Daniel had told her. Her memories of yesterday were a little foggy. Her mind had tried to cushion the shock of yesterday by making everything appear dream like.

Daniel spotted her in the doorway and got up quickly, moving to her. He planted a small kiss on her cheek and gently hugged her. He whispered in her ear, "Just playing the part of the concerned big brother." She hugged him back. They walked back over to the table arm in arm. "How is he doing?"

"He's sleeping, must be dreaming good dreams, because he's smiling in his sleep."

Daniel laughed. "He's probably dreaming about you then." They were within hearing range of their hosts. Sam assumed that Daniel was just playing into their story. Daniel wasn't. He knew that most of Jack's dreams were nightmares. He knew him well enough to know there was little in his life that made him smile and Sam was one of them.

Daniel helped Sam over the bench as she adjusted her skirt. She was seated between Daniel and Teal'c, with Arunum at the head of the table on Daniel's right and Tiana on Arunum's right. She smiled across the table at Tiana. "Thank you for everything you did for Jack, Tiana."

Tiana smiled a little confused. "Jack?"

"Oh, our names are complicated. We have more than one and many of us have titles," Daniel interjected. "O'Neill is Jack's clan name; Jack is his familiar name; Colonel is his title. Sometimes Sam calls him 'sir'. That is a form of respect. Sam is short for Samantha, her familiar name; her title is Major." Daniel wasn't sure how to account for Carter. If it is a clan name, then his should be Carter as well or hers Jackson. Teal'c had already used both so... "Carter is the clan name of her father; she and I have the same mother. Jackson is the clan name of my father. Daniel is my familiar name and Doctor is my title. Teal'c, well, he is just Teal'c. His warrior caste discards all names but the warrior name given by his father."

This seemed to impress and please his audience. He was rather pleased himself with the tale that he managed to spin. Sam just smiled as she started in on the plate in front of her. The food was good, although mostly meat. Other than a few seasonings and some type of tuber, like a potato, there were no vegetables.

Sam had tucked her radio in her pocket. She hadn't heard anything last night, although she slept with it next to her pillow. She knew they were at least 10 hours overdue. She had taken off her watch last night when she bathed and forgotten to put it back on. She knew they needed to try to make contact with General Hammond, to let him know they were alive. She hadn't looked outside yet, but howling of the wind didn't sound promising.

"Daniel, have you or Teal'c looked outside this morning? Will we be able to travel? General Hammond is sure to be worried."

Daniel shook his head. Teal'c, however, had. "Major Carter, it will be impossible to travel yet. The snow has reached blizzard levels and the wind is far too strong. We will have to remain here. I, however, was able to get a message to General Hammond early this morning. He has been fully apprised of the situation and understands that we need to stay here for now."

"Thank you, Teal'c. I didn't hear the radio. I must have slept right through it."

"What is this 'radio' that you speak of? And who is General Hammond?" Arunum's question brought them back to reality. They probably should have waited to speak in private.

"General Hammond is the supreme leader of our clans," Daniel jumped in. "And a radio, well, that's a little harder to explain. It is a way of sending messages long distances." Daniel dug his out of his pocket. "This is a radio."

Arunum looked at it with interest. "How far a distance?"

Sam spoke up softly, hoping not to offend. "Depending of the type of radio, great distances."

"Sam is an expert at working with these, and other, types of devices," Daniel said.

Just then they were interrupted by a loud noise in Jack's room.

Part Seven – Is This a Hangover or What?

Jack woke groggily. Pain. Everywhere. Major headache. He vaguely remembered waking up with Carter in the bed. And him with no clothes on. Must have been one hell of a party!

Looking around at the room, memories started filtering back into his foggy brain. He remembered the really big, honkin' cat; Sam asleep beside him, waking; assurances of Daniel and Teal'c's well being; bathroom. Oh, yeah. 'Could use that right now!'

He tried to sit up and grew a little dizzy from the pain. Laid back down to get control. 'Okay, O'Neill, it's either get up or wet the bed.' Here goes! Ugh! Okay, feet on floor, body vertical, head spinning decreased. 'This is good. Man, that bathroom door looks pretty far away.' Sounds finally penetrated his addled brain. People, talking, laughing, low rumbling voice of Teal'c mingled with them. 'Can't pick out Daniel or Sam, but Teal'c sounded calm so all must be right with his team.' But not with his bladder. Yeah, bathroom. Slowly he rose to his feet. Oh, head spinning increased again. 'Walk, O'Neill, just walk.' He saw a chair in the same direction as the bathroom door. Okay, get to the chair and then rest. He stumbled across the room a few feet and fell reaching for the chair, making a loud noise. 'Just lay here a minute... Let head stop spinning again...'

Opening his eyes, he saw Carter looking down at him with her big, beautiful, blue eyes full of worry. "Why didn't you call someone to help you, sir??"

Teal'c and Daniel picked him up off the floor and set him in the chair that had been his recent objective. "Gotta pee," he whined. Hey, he doesn't whine. Daniel laughed at him as he and Teal'c lift him up off the chair and escort him to the bathroom.

Sam watched them go with a silly smile on her face. The Colonel whined? Boy, he must be out of it.

Tiana stood back watching them. She smiled at the smile on Sam's face. "Men are such children when ill," she said to Sam.

Sam laughed. "He is usually not a good patient. Unfortunately, we spend more time with him recuperating from injuries than we care to think about. He is a good warrior but sometimes I am amazed by the abuse his body has taken."

Tiana sympathized. "My mate, Arunum, is the same. Although it was long before he was born that we had any battles to fight, he manages to get hurt hunting often. I think it has to do with their bravery. Although I try to tell him that the creature he is hunting doesn't really care if he is brave or not. It doesn't help."

Arunum laughed at the conversation. "My mate is giving away my secrets! No respect!"

Both women laughed as Arunum touched his mate's shoulder gently and left the room. "I will leave you women folk to talk about your men."

"How long have you and Arunum been mates?"

"Many, many sunrounds. I was a young girl from a clan distant from here. That was when there were still warm seasons. Men traveled far to find mates so that their bloodlines would not be mixed too closely. I wanted Arunum from the minute I saw him. And I think he felt the same way. I was training to be a healer and was doing a good job of it. My father did not want me to leave our clan, although he knew I needed to take a mate from another clan. After many negotiations, my father finally agreed. I think it had more to do with the fact that he could see the affection between us. Not many have the comfort of a love match. Our clans are too far apart to get to know a potential mate well before the joining."

Sam smiled at the soft look on Tiana's face. Tiana laughed when she saw Sam watching her and smiling. "Ah, I ramble on about long ago times! And speaking of love matches, here comes yours!"

Sam looked up to see Daniel and Teal'c helping Jack out of the bathing room. Their gear had been stored in there and it looked like they had made use of it. Jack had washed up and brushed his teeth. He had a soft leather vest with no sleeves on it. He was also wearing some of the leather breeches, laced down the side seams of the legs, which the men wore here. She hoped it wouldn't aggravate his wounds but she didn't feel like listening to him complain about 'open down the back damn hospital gowns', although, technically, the robe he wore earlier was open in the front. They sat him down in the chair he was in earlier.

"Carter, I feel like I have the biggest hangover in the history of hangovers. What did you make me drink last night?" She was happy he was complaining. A quiet hurt Jack was never a good thing. A complaining hurt Jack meant he was healing.

"Just something Tiana left for you." Turning to the woman next to her, "Jack, this is Tiana, the local healer. Tiana, this cranky whining person is Jack."

"I do not whine!" Jack smiled at his 2IC and her new friend. "Thank you, Tiana, for your help. I don't know what would have happened to us if your people had not found us and offered us shelter." He grinned one of his mischievous little boy grins at Tiana. One that Sam usually saw when he was trying to talk his way out of Janet's infirmary.

"Watch out, Tiana. When he uses that smile he usually wants something."

Tiana laughed. "This one is much like my mate. I know that grin. It means he wants to do more than his healer will allow him to do."

Jack pouted. Hey, Jack doesn't pout!

"Back into your bed, friend Jack. You need rest and I need to examine your injuries. I do not understand hangover, but your headache is from lack of liquids in your system. Sam, would you go fetch some of the broth in the cooking room and a fresh flask of water." She wanted Sam out of the room while she looked at his injuries. Some times wounds starting to heal looked worse than fresh ones. She remembered Sam's near fainting spell last night. Then another thought struck her. Could she be with child? She would have to broach the subject with her.

"Jack, this may hurt but I will give you some more medicine for the pain when I am done. I need to test the pain to gauge the healing."

Jack grimaced as she worked her hands down the slashes on his left side. She leaned over and checked the puncture wounds on his right. Her face was neutral. Great imitation of Doc Frasier, he thought. She put salve on his wounds and bandaged them back up. He was just hoping that she would get him covered back up before Sam got back. He remembered the story that they were 'mates' but he'd prefer not to let that go too far. Although the memory of waking up with Sam was kinda nice. 'Don't go there, don't go there', he reminded himself.

Sam came back in at that moment, bringing food and water. His hip was still exposed but fortunately nothing else. He looked over at Sam and gave her a half grimace, half smile as Tiana finished torturing him with the bandages. Sam walked over just as Tiana finished pulling the open part of his trousers back over his hip. "You need to leave those unlaced. You don't need to have additional pressure on your injuries." He nodded at Tiana, thankful she didn't try to get him to do without them completely.

"You should get some rest. But first, you need some liquids. Sam, please bring some water for him to drink and some of that broth. I want him to take more of the pain medicine but it acts quickly to ease him into sleep. He will need to take one drop with water when he has finished."

Sam nodded. "Last night you had me give him two. Why one now?"

"Last night he would have been in much more pain. One will do. His sleep will not be as deep, but neither will his pain." With a smile at her guests, Tiana left the room.

Part Eight – What Now?

"Okay, gang, sit-rep time!" Jack announced as Daniel helped him sit up in bed and Sam brought him the prescribed broth.

Daniel and Sam filled him in on the situation, explaining that these people are dying off due to severe climactic changes. They appeared initially to be primitive but after looking around at the building they were in they didn't seem quite so much. The bathing rooms were efficient. The heating system was not just the fires. Those appeared to be more for comfort, like a fireplace, than true heating. Sam confirmed that the cooking room was more sophisticated than she expected. She didn't have time to look too closely. Daniel had been told that they had something like a greenhouse to grow a limited amount of food.

Daniel explained that he had told them about the gate and the possibility of moving somewhere that was more hospitable. Teal'c spoke only to confirm his belief that helping these people was the correct thing to do. Jack nodded his agreement as he continued to drink his broth. 'Pretty good stuff,' he thought to himself.

Teal'c then went on to tell them about his conversation with General Hammond and apprise them that they had a radio contact time twice daily, one at 0900 hours and one at 1900 hours earth time. That was a couple hours off of local time, but wouldn't put anyone up in the middle of the night trying wait for radio contact.

Sam was concerned about the M.A.L.P.'s exposure to the intense cold. She was afraid that the relay may be buried in the snow or damaged by the high winds. Jack told them to let the General know this on the next contact. He might have to send another M.A.L.P. through if they lost contact.

Jack ordered Daniel to get as much information from these people as possible. They seemed friendly enough, but he knew how that could go south in a New York minute. He told Teal'c to act in his assumed capacity as bodyguard for Sam. He didn't want anyone getting any ideas about his Major. 'That includes yourself, Colonel', he thought to himself. He told Carter that she needed to play the attentive mate and stay close just in case. About that time Jack, having finished his broth and water, stretched a little and grimaced in pain.

"Okay, if I am to play the attentive mate, then everyone out. He needs to rest." Sam walked over to the table and picked up the vial of medicine, adding one drop to a cup and water in after it.

"Okay, Major, don't take this too far. I don't want to go back to sleep." Jack tried to make his voice authoritative, but he was simply too tired. Maybe he overdid it but he could rest without being drugged.

"Healer's orders, sir." She grinned as she headed toward him with the dreaded cup. "Drink your medicine like a good boy," she said softly, smiling at him.

'Unfair,' he thought. That smile and voice are pretty good weapons.

Daniel laughed as he and Teal'c left the room. "No giggling, Doctor," Jack threw after him. Daniel just started laughing harder. Jack didn't stand a chance against a determined Sam. Too bad they really weren't mates. They matched and complimented each other. With a rueful smile to Teal'c, they let the curtain fall behind them.

Jack felt the medicine start to take effect. "Sam, where ya goin'?" he slurred a little. "Nowhere," she said softly. "Sleep." He watched as she pulled a chair up to his bedside, opening a book that she always carried in her pack for just such occasions. He closed his eyes and drifted off to sleep, knowing she was there and all was safe with her, uh, the team.

Sam tried to concentrate on her book, but was merely starting at while she listened to his breathing level off as he fell asleep. Raising her eyes over top of her book, she studied his features. Not that she didn't know them by heart, but it was rare she got to watch him so closely without an audience. She knew that the grapevine at the base had them in a much more intimate relationship than that of C.O. and 2IC. She wished it were true, but it was impossible given their desire to stay together on the team. She was sure that he felt the same way but the subject was taboo. Left in the room so long ago. There were signs. The way she caught him looking at her with a soft look in his beautiful brown eyes; the way he hugged her when something was so wrong and that was the only way he knew to fix it. She didn't think he realized how much those hugs helped. She drew strength from his touch. Occasionally, he would simply put a hand on her shoulder, whether in comfort or congratulations, and she would feel renewed. 'Bad thoughts, Samantha,' she reminded herself. 'Bad thoughts.'

She felt her eyes heavy and her thoughts drifting groggily as her brain decided it was nap time. It was kind of nice being able to relax and be lazy; it was like having enforced down time. They hadn't had much of that lately. She sighed softly and let sleep take over. Dreaming of a time when regulations wouldn't matter, she smiled softly in her sleep.

Tiana looked in at her invalid to reassure herself that Sam managed to get him to sleep. She saw Sam asleep in the chair, in what could only be a very uncomfortable position. Softly, she walked in to the room and laid a hand on Sam's shoulder. Sam started awake. "Child, you shouldn't try to sleep there. You will give yourself unnecessary pain. You will not disturb him if you sleep next to him. It will give him comfort to have you close."

Trying to think of a valid excuse not to crawl into bed with Jack, Sam groggily let her be led to the other side of the bed and tucked in as one would a child. Tiana smiled as Sam sighed and curled up, almost asleep before she was settled.

Teal'c had seen Tiana looking into the room, hesitating and then entering. He took his duties as Sam's bodyguard seriously. He moved toward the door to peer in. He didn't think that Tiana would harm either of his friends but he didn't want to take any chances. He watched as Tiana led a very sleepy Sam to the bed and tucked her in. Tiana looked up to see Teal'c watching her. She smiled at him and he nodded in understanding.

Tiana exited the room. "You are very loyal to your friends, Teal'c." It was a statement that was almost a question.

"O'Neill and Major Carter have both proven their loyalty to me and my people many times. They are brave warriors that care deeply about others. I would give my life to serve them."

"You are a good man, Teal'c." She walked away amazed at the loyalty of this group. She walked over to where her mate was talking to Daniel. Daniel was full of questions about the past and their society. "Jack is sleeping and I convinced your sister to sleep as well. She seems very tired. I don't mean to offend, but is it possible that she is with child?"

Daniel looked startled at the question. "I guess it is possible although we have been traveling for a long time and there has been little opportunity for, hmm, privacy," he said, trying to maintain the cover story.

Tiana nodded knowingly. "Maybe they will have time for privacy, as you put it, here. It is not good for mates to go so long without it." She was amused by the look in Daniel's eyes and the blush that rose to his cheeks. Evidently, he found it difficult to discuss his sister's intimate relations. "I apologize if I have offended."

"No," Daniel quickly said. "I just, well, I mean, she is my sister! I try not to think about, uh, that aspect."

Tiana laughed and left her mate and his new friend to their discussions.

Part Nine – Dreaming Again, Jack, Old Man

Jack roused groggily from his sleep. His eyes went to the chair beside his bed. With a sigh, he saw she was gone. 'She said she wasn't going anywhere,' he thought to himself petulantly. 'Man, I must be bad or these drugs are messing me up. That sounded childish even to me.'

His back was aching and he really wanted to turn over on his side. He didn't know if his injuries would allow for that. Slowly, he carefully maneuvered his body on to his left side, eyes closed against the pain. Exhaling at the relief of having reached his objective, he slowly opened his eyes. 'Ooops, must still be asleep,' he thought as he caught sight of the ruffled blonde hair on the bed next to him. 'Okay, maybe not.' Dreams of her in his bed didn't usually involve her asleep and him in pain.

She was on her right side, facing him. The covers pulled up far enough to just show her closed eyes and the top of her head. That's the normal way she slept in the field. He always tried to sleep on her right so he would be able to see her face. He wondered if the left side of the bed was her normal preference. His was the right so that would be cool with him. 'Silly thoughts, Jack,' he told himself.

He lay there watching her for several minutes, wondering how she ended up in bed with him. Oh, he knew the cover story, but he also knew that she would do what she could in this situation to maintain military propriety. Not that he minded waking up with her next to him.

Sam felt someone watching her. She didn't know how, but she knew someone was. She kept her breathing steady, listening for signs of danger, trying not to tense up. She barely opened her eyes enough to see through her lashes. "Jack, I mean, Colonel, sir," she stammered, "You are awake."

"Good observation, Major. You are in my bed again."

She giggled, "Good observation, Colonel."

"I don't think we can start making a habit of this," he said softly, giving her a look that her whole body felt.

"Tiana insisted, sir. She found me asleep in the chair and said that it would do me no good to be uncomfortable and you no harm for me to sleep beside you. I was so tired I couldn't think of an objection." She really didn't want to if she was honest with herself.

"Sam, you might as well call me Jack. We are supposed to be married."

She giggled again. She was sort of surprised that he didn't tell her to stop. He smiled at her, and as if he could read her thoughts he said, "Giggling is allowed in bed, as long as it is not giggling and pointing."

She turned beet red to her hairline and started laughing out loud. Sometimes he could be so outrageous. He tried laughing with her, only to catch his breath in pain. "Don't make me laugh, Sam, it hurts."

Her laughing was gone immediately. She reached out to touch his face. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, laughing with big honkin' cat marks across your ribs can be painful."

He saw a shadow of something, pain, guilt, something, cross her face. "What's wrong, Sam?" he said gently, placing his hand on the one of hers that still caressed his face.

"I am so sorry, sir. I should have reacted faster. I should have shot that animal before it attacked you." Her face serious and sad, he looked confused.

"Sam, from my understanding you were the one that killed that animal. You saved me. Once again. My hero." The first part said forcefully; the last softly.

She smiled at him, at his jokes, they always made her smile, even when she felt like crap! "I saw it crouched, ready to pounce. I just didn't react fast enough. I could have gotten it before you were injured if I had reacted faster, sir."

"It's Jack, remember. And from what Teal'c told me this morning, he had a better line of sight than you and he couldn't get to it either. He said that you very calmly aimed your weapon and put two bullets in its brain before he or Daniel could react to the whole attack. He assured me that I would be critter bait if it hadn't been for you. He said his staff weapon would probably hit me as well as the cat."

Sam laughed. "I can't imagine Teal'c using the term 'critter bait'."

"I am paraphrasing, Sam." Her hand still rested on his face; his hand still on hers. He gently moved her hand down to his lips and kissed her palm. He watched a multitude of emotions play through her eyes and across her face before she closed her eyes. "Thanks," he said quietly, his breath on her hand.

She closed her eyes and took a deep, ragged breath at the feel of his lips, of his breath. She could barely recognize what he was saying, much less respond. Oh, her body was responding, but she knew she needed to say something. "You're welcome," she breathed, opening her eyes.

The look in her eyes was now guarded. He knew that simple kiss affected her. He also knew that he was playing with fire. He placed her hand between them on the bed, leaving his hand on top of hers.

A slight groan of pain from him brought her back to reality. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I guess turning over hurt more than I thought it would."

"Do you want some more medicine?" She knew he would say no. He hated being drugged, the feeling of loss of control.

"No, I think I will try to get some more sleep without it."

Sam nodded, "Okay, but promise me that you will let me know if you need it." Jack nodded back, smiling softly. Sam ran her hand across his face, fingers leaving feathery traces. "Sleep now, Jack," she whispered. As he started to close his eyes, Sam started to move from the bed.

Jack's eyes opened swiftly. "Don't go," he said softly. "Stay with me." His eyes were soft and full of tenderness. "I, well, just stay, at least until I'm asleep."

Sam looked at him with longing. "Sir, this could be a, uh, bad idea..."

Jack cut her off, "Just stay for a little while." He tried not to sound pathetic but he rarely had any alone time with Sam. They were too busy trying to deny their feelings.

Sam nodded slightly, like she could ever deny him anything, well, anything except a real relationship. She lay back down facing him. His hand moved over to grasp hers tightly. He smiled again, a smile that made her insides weak. "Sleep, Jack, now," she said sternly. She watched as he obediently closed his eyes and listened to his breathing grow steady with sleep. Tears filled her eyes at what could never be.

Part Ten – Saddle Up

Teal'c was watching the snow as it started to lighten up. It would be dark soon. It had been three days since they had found this haven from the storm. He checked regularly to see if they would be able to try for the Stargate any time soon. O'Neill was healing well. He was able to get up and move around the main room. He tired easily but agreed to rest when ever Major Carter insisted. Teal'c felt the lack of resistance was due to the fact that Major Carter would accompany him. He knew the sorrow his friends felt at their inability to further develop their relationship. He could read their pained looks better than they realized.

Arunum joined him at the opening. "The winds are dying down. The snow will be high, but we should be able to make it to the stone ring in about half a day."

Teal'c acknowledged his comment with a nod. "That will not leave you much time to return before dark. You should travel with us through the Stargate and stay the night with us. I have spoken with O'Neill and General Hammond, they are in agreement. We have much to discuss if we are to move your people to a safer world."

Arunum slowly shook his head. This whole situation is so confusing, but the possibility of the safety of his people is worth the strangeness of the situation. "Agreed. I would like to see your world."

Tiana opened the curtain just enough for Teal'c to hear her, "Jack wishes to see you and Daniel." He nodded acknowledgement and returned through the curtain to the warmth inside.

Teal'c arrived in Jack's room, Jack and Sam's room, to see Daniel seated at the small table with them. Jack nodded an invitation to sit and Teal'c complied.

"Okay, campers, Tiana, our host's version of our own Napoleonic Power Monger Doc Frasier, refuses to let me try for the gate tomorrow although the weather is clearing. Carter and I will stay here. You and Daniel will return to the SGC. I spoke with General Hammond this morning and he said that Frasier agrees with Tiana and ordered me to stay."

"Arunum has agreed to stay with us at the SGC to avoid trying to make it back before dark tomorrow. He is curious to see the wonders of which we speak," Teal'c interjected.

"Good. That takes care of that worry. General Hammond has appropriated several snowmobiles that you will bring through the gate so that you can try to reach the remaining villages to relocate them. SG5 has been scouting planets for relocation. The people of the Land of Light have agreed to host our refugees once again until we find an appropriate place. They are turning out to be real good at that. That all said and done, you guys need to get a good night's sleep before you try that hike tomorrow. And, please, Teal'c, keep Daniel out of trouble!"

"Me!" Daniel replied shocked. "You were the one that got injured this time!"

Jack smirked at him. "Ya know I love aggravating you, Danny Boy!"

Sam hid a smile behind her hand. Daniel had invented the cover story for her safety, but it fit so well. It was hardly a story at all. Daniel was like a brother to her. Jack, well, the mate thing was kind of true. Team mate, soul mate, just unable to do anything about it. And Teal'c, ever present strength, always watching out for all of us.

Daniel laughed and he and Teal'c headed for the door, making their way to the main room for evening meal. Jack stood up and offered a hand to a laughing Sam as they followed them.

The sunrise came and with it Daniel and Teal'c left with Arunum and three of his hunters. Tiana stood watching them leave, a little unsure of this outing. Everything that Daniel had told them seemed so far fetched but Sam assured her that it was true. Sam and Jack now stood next to her watching them go. Sam laid a hand on Tiana's arm and squeezed it gently. "They will be fine. Teal'c has come to respect your mate very much. He will protect them all."

"Between your friend and my mate, any danger is to others not to them," Tiana laughed as they walked back into the warmth of the main hall.

Part Eleven – Down Time

Sam looked at Jack with a critical eye. He looked tired. She wished he hadn't insisted on seeing them off. He needed more rest. She laid a hand on his arm. "Jack, why don't you go lay back down? You look tired."

He smiled at her softly. "Only if you come with me. You look like you could use a few more hours of rest yourself."

Sam hesitated. She was tired. She had spent most of the night watching Jack sleep. The intimacy that they had here was almost over. Of course, intimacy in a non-sexual way. With Daniel and Teal'c there as chaperones she didn't feel like things would get out of hand. Daniel had told her of the conversation he had with Tiana regarding their 'privacy'. Tiana would make sure they weren't disturbed. And the temptation would be... well, almost unbearable.

Jack could read her face like an open book. Yeah, he could read a book, and he didn't need pictures. He saw the confusion, hesitation, desire and reluctance flash in sequence. "I said rest, Carter. I just don't want you out of my sight without Teal'c and Danny here."

She blushed and nodded and let herself be led away.

Jack climbed in one side of the bed and Sam in the other. Both ended up on their side facing each other. Jack smiled and closed his eyes. He was really tired. Sam watched him drift off to sleep. She blushed that her thoughts had been that obvious. She should have known better. Jack seems to know her better than she knows herself. She lay there staring at him while he slept. Finally, knowing she wouldn't fall asleep watching him, she turned over on her other side and got comfortable. Well, as comfortable as she could in the same bed with Jack. Her eyelids got heavy and she dreamed sweet dreams of the man next to her.

Sam had no idea how long she had been asleep. She only knew that Jack was firmly ensconced behind her with his arm around her waist. She could tell by his breathing he was still asleep. Who would have pegged the Colonel for a cuddler? Not her. Last night he had done the same thing. Evidently the two nights before he had been too drugged or in too much pain to move that far over on the bed. Sam didn't mind. It felt safe. Lord knows, that was a huge statement in their line of work. Rarely did you feel completely safe. There were too many things out there to worry about. The whole time her mind had been wandering, so had her hand. She lazily traces circles on his hand and arm. Lost in thought she didn't realize that he was awake until he nuzzled his face in closer to her neck. "Good morning, sir, or afternoon. I don't know how long we slept."

"Don't know, don't care." His face came out of her neck for that short comment. She had long ago decided the Colonel was a neck man. You could tell the way he hugged. His head always dipped into the 'hugees' neck. Was that a word? She really didn't think of the way he hugged as sexual. She actually tried to avoid thinking of anything sexual and the Colonel in the same thought. Even that time they thought Daniel was lost on Klorel's ship and he magically showed up in the gate room, Jack hugged him and did that face-in-the-neck thing. She continued to make lazy tracing on his hand and arm.

"Are you hungry," she asked, absentmindedly still tracing lazy circles on his arm.

"Sure, you betcha," he replied, although it wasn't necessarily the truth. Laying there with his face in her neck, her in his arms and that damned tracing thing she was doing to his hand, if he didn't get up soon he might do something he really, really wanted to, but shouldn't. He expected her to snap to, jump up and find food. She didn't move.

"Hungry for what?"

Her question took him a minute. He couldn't answer that one honestly. That would definitely be a no-no. She was still doing that circle thing on his arm. He started to wonder what it would feel like on his chest. 'Don't go there!!!' His silence prompted her to ask, "Breakfast or lunch?"

He released his breath. Didn't even know he was holding it. She giggled slipped out of his arms and ran. She was laughing out loud by the time she reached the fireplace. He groaned loudly. Evidently that was payback for his earlier assumption. When he got well he was going to make her pay for that one!

She laughed as she left the room. While laying there she could feel his obvious, um, increasing attraction to her with every motion she made on his hand. He was rather close. That attraction jumped with her question about what he was hungry for. She couldn't resist torturing him. He deserved for earlier.

Tiana watched Sam enter the main area. The table had been cleared of the remains of the mid-day meal. Everyone except Tiana had left the common building. "Sam, I have left food for you and Jack in the warmer. Enjoy." Sam voiced her thanks and waved as Tiana left the building. Tiana thought it would be good for the couple to have some time alone.

Sam was coming out of the cooking area with food and drink when Jack walked out of their room. "Where is everyone?"

"Mid-day meal is over and I would imagine most people are packing their belongings to get ready for the move." Sam replied as she set the food and drink on the table. "So we are left to our own devices until evening meal."

This time Jack was the one trying to control the blush. Good thing he was a great deal tanner than Sam. Easier to hide.

"Well, Danny Boy and Teal'c should be back early in the morning. Those snowmobiles will make short work of five clicks. General Hammond said they had trailer attachments that should help us move the kids and older folks and all the gear."

Jack sat down and starting eating. Sam was watching him eat when he looked up. "What?"

"I am just glad to see your appetite returning. You weren't eating much."

"Don't mother hen me."

"I'm not. If I were I would have insisted you eat more the last two days. I just need to be able to report to Janet that you are back to eating normally." She picked up her own fork and began to eat. They talked of inconsequential things while they finished their meal.

"Hey, Carter, did you bring any cards? I am tired of resting."

"Of course, what'cha wanna play?"

"Gin, I still owe you from poker last week. Besides two handed poker is no fun."

Sam laughed and went to get the cards. Jack followed her into their room. "Let's play in here." Sam nodded agreement and started shuffling.

They spent the afternoon playing cards, talking and finally Jack was tired enough to rest again. Carter was sitting by the fire reading her book when she heard sounds of people coming in to prepare the evening meal. She got up to go help. When the meal was almost ready she went to wake Jack.

Jack lay in the bed, awake already, thinking about the events of the last few days. He actually enjoyed their time here. Well, not the honkin' big cat attack part but the time spent with Sam in a casual atmosphere. They associated outside the SGC but never alone. Daniel, Teal'c or Janet was always with them. They never had the time to let down their guard as they had the last few days. He had known for years how he felt about Sam. He knew she had similar feelings. But they both had been able to handle them, not give into them. The past few days seemed like a dream. And he didn't want to wake up! He wasn't sure he wanted to go back to the way things were before.

Sam pulled the curtain aside expecting to see Jack still sleeping. He wasn't. He was staring at the ceiling lost in thought. The look on his face was sad. She didn't know if she should disturb him or not. She was surprised that he didn't notice the curtain moving. He was usually so sensitive to his surroundings. As if reading her thoughts, he glanced at the door.

His face changed from sadness to delight as he saw her standing there looking at him with tenderness in her eyes. "Sir, evening meal is ready. Are you hungry?" Her face grew guarded and her eyes returned to normal mode.

"Sure." He sat up and swung his long legs off the bed. "Be there in a minute." He headed for the bathing room.

Sam retreated back to the main hall with a sigh.

Part Twelve – Last Night

The evening meal had been cleared and the cooking room had been cleaned. Sam helped the women while Jack sat and talked with a few of the men. Darkness was complete outside and the hour was growing late. Jack had spoken with General Hammond earlier. Daniel, Teal'c and Arunum had reached the SGC without incident. Hammond was impressed with their new friend and Arunum reciprocated that feeling. People started drifting out of the hall headed to their own homes leaving Jack, Sam and Tiana sitting by the fire talking quietly.

"Your radio device is most impressive. I was relieved to talk to my mate. I trust you and your people but this is all so strange," Tiana said softly.

"A lot of what we see and do is strange to us, Tiana. You get used to it after awhile," Sam replied.

Jack just sat staring into the fire. Tiana glanced at him and back to Sam. "Well, tomorrow will be an interesting day, I should get some rest. And so should you both." With that Tiana rose and left the common hall.

"Jack, you heard the healer. Rest."

He shook himself out of his reverie. He wasn't even sure where his thoughts had been. Rising stiffly, he headed toward their room as she banked the fire in the hearth.

Jack was in the bathing room when she reached their room. She heard sounds of a bath being run. Tiana had checked his wounds earlier and agreed that a bath would not harm him. She stoked the fire on the hearth and sat down with her book. Good thing they were probably leaving tomorrow, she had almost finished this one. She always brought a book with her on missions. It was something to do in the quiet times. If this mission had been scheduled for longer she would have brought more than one.

She listened to the sounds of splashing in the other room. Sam's mind pushed the vision of Jack naked in the bath out of her head. Not something to dwell on! She had bathed earlier while he was sleeping. Tiana had explained that the hot water was from underground springs. Their forefathers had tapped into them years ago and they still supplied them with plenty of water. Tiana had been afraid that the water would start to cool as their world had, but so far it hadn't. And now, thanks to a honkin' big cat, these people were leaving here to settle on a new world that would have plenty of warm weather and a guarantee of continued survival.

Funny how that works. If the Colonel hadn't been injured, they might have never met these people. They could have died out without anyone ever knowing that they were here. Every cloud has a silver lining. She laughed softly.

"What's so funny?" She looked up. His hair was still damp and his skin redden by the heat of the water. He had his trousers on, no shirt and a towel over his shoulders. He looked positively edible. 'Bad, Sam, bad,' she thought.

She hadn't heard him come out the bathing room. "Nothing, really. It's more ironic than funny."

"What is?"

"Well, if you hadn't been injured, we probably would have never found these people. If we hadn't found them, then they would have probably become extinct without anyone ever knowing they were here."

"Ironic, isn't it?" He smiled at her. "Guess the big honkin' cat was a blessing in disguise!"

She watched as he slipped into bed. She got up and went into the bathing room.

Jack watched her go. Man, he loved that woman! This would be the last night he would get to sleep next to her; wake up with her hair in his face, his mouth close to her neck. Gotta love that neck! He wanted so badly to say something, do something, to show her how he felt, to reassure her that their waiting would not be in vain. He didn't want to hurt her career, but felt he couldn't leave the SGC with all that was going on. Transferring her to another team wouldn't work since he was 2IC of the SGC she would still be in his chain of command. His mind fretted over the situation so much he didn't notice her until she was pulling the covers back next to him and climbing into bed.

Usually they started out on opposite sides of the bed. The snuggling was unconscious, their bodies seem to attract and they'd end up in the middle. Tonight he simply moved closer and pulled her to him. She didn't object. She knew they would end up that way eventually. It was nice waking up in his arms; would be nice going to sleep that way. She snuggled down with her back to him, in his arms, his arm across her waist, her hand under his hand. Man, she could spend the rest of her life doing this.

Jack was thinking the same thing. He nuzzled his face down into her neck, loving the soft feel of her skin on his face.

"Night, Jack."

"Night, Sam."

He didn't even think about what he was doing when he softly kissed her neck. Didn't even dawn on him that it was the wrong thing to do. Surprised him when he realized what he had done. He tensed up, waiting for her response to his most inappropriate action. She didn't tense up, move away, smack him, sir him. Nothing. Then her hand from moved under his. 'Here it comes, she's gonna smack me.' Her hand moved on top of his and laced her fingers through his, gently squeezing his hand.

"Sleep well, Jack."

Jack felt the tension release from his body. He relaxed and closed his eyes. All's right with Carter, all's right with the world.

He didn't know how long he had slept. There was no noise that woke him. He wasn't sure what had. Lack of a warm body next to his; that must be it. Sam wasn't there. He looked around. Sam wasn't anywhere. Slight panic. Bathing room? No light behind the curtain. Splashing. She was taking a bath in the dark? No the sink. She must be washing her hands. Panic leaves. Sigh. She must have left the light off not wanting to wake him. He lay there quietly, feigning sleep, keeping watch for her through his eyelashes.

Sam silently came out of the other room. She went over and stoked the fire a little, just standing there watching it. She looked sad. Hell, she looked like she had been crying! He tried not to jump from the bed to run to her side; find out what was wrong, what made her so sad. He resisted the impulse and waited.

Slowly Sam realized that Jack was watching her. She knew he did that a lot when he thought she wasn't looking. Problem was she was always looking. What an impossible situation! To be so in love with someone that was so off limits! The worse part of it was that she knew he felt the same way. If he didn't it would be so much easier to deal with. Unrequited love wasn't as bad as love that was returned but unavailable. She knew he wanted her to think he was asleep so she didn't say anything.

She turned and headed to the bed. She should probably sleep on the couch, but this would all be over tomorrow and she wanted what little time she had left with him. Stupid girl! It will just be that much harder tomorrow.

It was that tender kiss on her neck that brought on the tears. It had been all she could do to keep from rolling over and kissing him. Then, once he had fallen asleep, the tears started in earnest. She was so afraid that he would know. She was scared to go for fear of waking him; scared to stay for fear of waking him. She finally slipped out of the bed and went to the bathing room. She sat on the floor silently crying for a long time.

She calmed down enough to examine the last few days. She finally realized why she was so upset at the sight of his blood on that first day; why she lost control. He's been injured and missing so many times and, although she was anxious and upset, it didn't affect her that way. It finally dawned on her that she didn't want one of them dying before they were able to talk about this thing that was riding them both; their feelings. She felt that if they could discuss it, give into it at least once, if something happened to one of them, there would be fewer regrets. At least they would know how the other truly felt. All she wanted was a break from reality. She made a decision. She didn't know what he would think of her idea, but she wasn't planning on giving him much choice.

She crawled back into the bed and lay there facing him. 'Okay, it's now or never,' she told herself. She edged closer to him, still facing him. She knew he was watching her through his eyelashes.

'What's she up to?' he thought to himself. She snuggled in close facing him, her body melded close to his, her face buried in his throat. He realized that she must know he was awake.

"What's up, Carter."

"Sshhh."

"Sshhh, what, Carter?"

"It means 'be quiet', Jack."

"I know what it..." his voice trailed off as her lips gently touched his throat. His heart skipped a beat. "Uh, Carter?"

"Shut up, Jack."

Her lips trailed from his throat to his neck and back down his chest. His heart was beating so fast it sounded like a drum solo. His arms tightened around her as a soft moan left his lips.

'So far, so good,' thought Sam. She knew this was wrong, but as the song goes, if this is wrong, I don't want to be right! She placed her hand on his chest, her fingers tracing lazy circles like she had this afternoon on his arm. Her mouth trailed kisses up to his jaw line.

He gasped for air. The sensation of her touching him was getting to be too much. He needed to stop her, to bring them back to harsh reality. Her mouth moved on up his jaw line to his ear. Gently sucking his earlobe, she bit gently on it. His body was on fire. Her every touch was like a brand moving across his skin. What reality? This was every dream he had ever had about her coming true.

She left his ear and continued her way across his face to his eyes. Kissing each eye gently, her mouth trailed down the bridge of his nose, stopping a mere fraction of an inch from his lips. She looked in his confused eyes. She could see the love and lust mixed with wonder. Wonder at what she was doing and why.

Her lips lightly touched his. Barely a breath of a kiss. Then she pressed a little harder and he kissed back. Her tongue ran lightly across his mouth; he groaned softly. Taking advantage of his slightly opened mouth, she started tentatively exploring his mouth with her tongue.

He gave up. Reality be damned! He wanted this! He wanted her! His mouth explored back. His hands, freed from the strange stasis he had been in, ran down her back, pulling her closer as their kiss became more passionate, more frantic, more desperate.

She felt his will give in to her. She moaned loudly as his hands began exploring her body searching out what made her shiver. She started her own exploration, running her hands over his shoulders, down his chest. She could feel his arousal; she pressed her body into it, eliciting another moan from him. She had never wanted anyone as much in her life. She could feel the heat rising off her body. She was on fire, she burned. Her brain had lost all reason. All she wanted was to feel him making love to her. As if he could hear her thoughts, he rolled her on to her back and pressed his body on hers. 'Too many clothes,' she thought. She wanted nothing between them. She moved to pull the tunic she was wearing up and over her head, hands shaking. Seeing her intention, he helped her.

'Oh, God,' he thought, 'this can't be happening!' But he couldn't stop now if he wanted to. The sight of her breasts inflamed him, engulfed his brain in a fire to match his body. He tugged at belt of her skirt as she pulled at the laces on the side of the trousers he wore.

Soon, their bodies were free of all barriers; they explored each others body until their passion had built up to the point of exquisite pain. Pleading for release, Sam welcomed him into her body. Pleasure exploded in her almost immediately, driving his release over the edge. Holding his shaking body tightly, she relished his weight on her, the feel of his skin, the smell of his body. Hungry for more contact, she slipped her hand behind his neck, pulling him into a slow passionate kiss.

He pulled away to look into her eyes. His confusion was gone. Her blue eyes were full of love and sadness. He knew the sadness meant that this wouldn't happen again. Not once they left this world. They would be Colonel and Major. CO and 2IC. Not Jack and Sam. Not lovers. But for tonight, they could be anything they wanted.

Jack woke to the sounds of activity in the other room. Sam's face was nuzzled up to his chest, her arm across his waist, her leg across his. Memory of the night before flooded his mind. They had finally done it. Broke every fraternization rule the military ever thought about. But he didn't care. He knew there was no going back and there was no going forward. It steeled his resolve to settle this with the Goa'uld once and for all. He wanted to retire so he and Sam could have many more nights like last night. It was the only way. He was almost too old and beat up for much more field duty. Sam still had a promising career ahead of her. She needed to stay and fulfill that promise.

Gently he kissed her forehead. "Wake up, sleepy head. We need to get up before Daniel and Teal'c get back." He knew Tiana and her people would leave them to their 'privacy' but he had no doubt Daniel would barge through the curtains as soon as he got back. Not a good way to be found. Naked limbs tangled up in bed.

Sam stirred, stretching slightly. She looked up at him to see him smiling gently. "Guess we can't have Daniel popping in for a visit like this!" she grinned. She knew Daniel as well as he did. She kissed him gently before sitting up. No embarrassment, no regrets. "Come on. Let's take advantage of that tub before we go. Daniel will radio from the gate when they get here. That will give us enough warning!"

'Man, I really like the way she thinks!' He got up and followed her to the bathing room.

Part Thirteen – Reality

Tiana's helpers moved efficiently setting the morning meal. She had looked in on Jack and Sam earlier. She smiled at the memory. It appeared as if they had plenty of 'privacy' last night. She had resolved to let them sleep as long as possible but it seems that the noise or the smell of food had awakened them. They came out of the room smiling, still damp from their baths. Jack had one arm possessively over her shoulder. They looked good together. It is always good when a love match can be found. These two were definitely that.

Jack's radio crackled with static half way through their meal. Daniel's voice came over it. "Yeah, Danny Boy, welcome back."

"We will be there shortly. We are finishing getting the snowmobiles through the gate. Probably an hour."

"Roger that, Daniel."

Jack's look at Sam simply said 'back to reality'. Sam nodded her agreement.

They hadn't talked much last night. Besides the obvious reasons of being otherwise occupied, they knew there wasn't much to talk about. This was a dream. One that they both hoped would come true someday, but for now it was a dream to hold on to until then. They had said they loved each other, although it had been understood for years. They had said they could wait until their world was out of danger. It wouldn't be easy but they were trained in discipline and they would succeed. As long as they were together on the team they could derive comfort from that.

By mid-meal the entire group of SG personnel was there. Sam and Jack were to head back to the gate with most of the women and children. Tiana and the men would stay behind to contact the other villages and help with their evacuation. Several SG teams would also stay to operate the snowmobiles.

Sam hugged Tiana before climbing up on the snowmobile behind Jack. Her last chance at close contact with him before true reality returned, she held on tight, squeezing harder than necessary. He squeezed her hand in return before he started maneuvering the vehicle back toward the gate.

Welcome back to reality.