Again, many thanks for all the lovely reviews. The angst continues.. there are just some issues in the story that need resolving before I can head in the direction I want to go. As always reviews, opinions and criticisms are welcomed. Now, on to Chapter Two-

Chapter Two

Her house held the scent of a weeks dull emptiness, as Daniel put the kettle on and she lowered herself onto the sofa.

The first day home was always the worst.

Her eyelids tapped shut, and the radio blared from the kitchen. Soon Daniel would leave. Soon Pete would call over.

The only time she hated her empty house was when she was injured. Somehow the quietness always seemed amplified when she couldn't stand or move and the lonely silence always tricked her into questioning those life-details that she usually brushed aside–

Children. Family. The past.

She wasn't getting any younger, but she couldn't help but feel that she was rushing head first into something that she was unsure of.

'After effects,' she had told herself plainly. She liked having a man around. She was happy with Pete. He made her smile, gave her something other than the latest scientific journal to look forward to.

It was just so unexpected, and she still didn't know how to react. She'd sworn to take things slowly after the events of her first engagement, but at that time she hadn't counted on being single for years.

Then he came from out of the blue, and suddenly everything was moving so fast, too fast. She could feel the carpet being pulled out from under her and her control of her emotions slipping away into oblivion.

She'd only known him a year. Sometimes she felt as though she barely knew him at all. And then there were those chilling times when she couldn't help the mixture of old fear and new wonder that ran through her body when he referred to her as "his girl."

It dragged back memories of her first diamond ring.

>>>>>>>>

"Daniel!" Pete greeted him armed with a huge display of flowers and a bottle of wine. "How's my favourite girl?"

"Uh, she's resting," he said, eyeing the bottle of wine, "I don't think that'll go too well with her meds."

To his surprise Pete blushed.

"It's for next week.. I'm thinking of staying here for a while. Just until she's back in fighting form."

"Ah," Daniel nodded. Funny. Sam hadn't mentioned anything about that to him. In fact when he'd offered to come over later with Chinese, she'd seemed grateful for the company.

He took the flowers from Pete. "I'll go put these in water and leave you two to it."

Pete pushed open the door. She'd moved to a chair in the corner and was peacefully rocking to and fro, bundled up in blankets. She was pale, he thought, and the black circles under her eyes made her look burnt out and fragile.

She never sat properly on the rocking chair. She always sat sideways, curled up with her hands wrapped around her knees. She was taller than him, but looking at her now she seemed so small, delicate. He was almost afraid to reach out and take her hand, lest she'd shatter to pieces before his eyes.

The door slammed as Daniel left, and he pulled the stool from the corner over in front of her. She wasn't asleep, just dozing a little, and so she sensed the jagged movement and wakened slowly to stare at him.

"Hey." He spoke with tenderness, trailing a finger down the side of her face.

"Hey yourself," she whispered back.

"Can we talk?" he asked moving himself closer.

She sighed wearily. They had to talk eventually, but just.. She wanted – she didn't know what she wanted. Him to hold her, perhaps. Let her lean against him. The journey home had taken a lot out of her. She lacked the energy to say anything, to really listen to him, to give her own opinion.

She didn't want to think. She wanted so badly to feel safe, secure for a fleeting while, to sleep without dreading she'd wake up feeling alone.

She didn't want to argue with him. She had no strength to argue with him. She felt drained, as though little by little her life was being sucked away.

He didn't wait for an answer.

"Look Sam, I'm serious about this. Every time you come home bandaged like nobody's business.. it scares me. I don't want to lose you. I don't want our children to lose their mother."

'Children!!' She thought frantically.

There was an unnatural silence. He looked at her expectantly.

"Pete," she finally said. "I don't know what to say to you. I mean, this, my job has been my life for the past eight years. It's what I do. I can't just let it go overnight. I'd miss it…. I'd miss the guys. You can only imagine the type of technology I study – hell – you've even seen some of it. I can't find work like that anywhere else."

"With your qualifications you could get a job anywhere else on Earth," he argued, "Surely there must be something else that you've thought about doing?"

Maybe there was,once upon a time, she thought. But not now. Her gaze drifted down to her hands. She wasn't getting through to him. This was one issue he'd always been relentless about. At first he'd only asked her to consider spending less time off-world. Now he not only wanted her with her feet firmly on this planet, but he also seemed alarmingly keen for her to leave the base altogether.

"I'll think about it," she murmured, sinking back into the comfort of the cushion.

"It'll be for the best," he replied. "I'm sorry I'm being so pushy, but I have a suggestion. My family have a summerhouse about an hours drive away. Why don't we head up there when you're feeling up to it? You must have some leave due?"

"Yeah.." She looked at him dubiously.

"Look. You need a break. And at the very least we can make a try at leading a normal life, even if it is only for a short while. You owe it to yourself, Sam to see what life is like outside of that mountain. You might even like it."

She thought for a moment. Maybe she did deserve some time away. And if it meant he'd leave her be for a while..

"A summerhouse, eh," she queried.

He grinned.

"Pete, it's the middle of winter," she commented cheekily.

"I know that, Smartass," he retorted, "Now, I think you could do withsome rest.."

>>>>>>>>

General O'Neill stared at the request in his hand. Samantha Carter in pursuit of some time off. Now there was something he'd thought he'd never see.

He gave it to her, of course, without question. He'd been trying to get her to have some real time to herself for months. Obviously Pete had managed to persuade her.

C'mon Jack, at least he's looking out for her.

It didn't mean that he was going to stop, though. She always seemed so strong, even when she was completely overwhelmed. He'd made a vow years ago on his return from Edora, that as long as he was able, he would never let her suffer or hurt herself over anyone or anything – especially not over himself.

It was a bone of contention whether or not leave should be granted at such short notice, and though he was tempted to rag her about it ("Pulling in special favours, are we Carter?"), he had thought better of it.

For one thing, it had been two weeks since he last talked to her.

For another, he didn't want to strain their relationship any further, or worse still, send her off upset and angry to wherever it was that she was going.

Besides, it meant that he got to spend some quality time with Cassie. Apart from sharing a similar sense of humour – Sam had once claimed he gave her lessons every time she and Janet looked away – the young woman cared about Sam as much as he did and in her incredibly blunt way, would probably tell him exactly what it was that he had done to Sam and how he should fix it.

Or, he wondered as pessimism descended, if they could salvage anything from the situation at all.

TBC