A/N: Three chapters in a weekend!! How exciting!! I hope you all enjoy them!

As Jack continued to stare at Carter, his mind went over Hammond's unofficial findings as to what had caused the explosion.

She had prevented the explosion from being much worse and more destructive. If not for her, there probably would have been more casualties and more serious injuries. But Carter had saved the day for a lot of people that day, and now here she was laying on a hospital bed fighting for her life while a machine breathed on her behalf.

He quietly spoke to the unconscious form, "We should have been there with you Carter."

Teal'c and Daniel looked at each other. It was Teal'c who finally spoke gently, "O'Neill, there is nothing we could have done to prevent this situation."

"I know," he resigned himself to that fact. "But she shouldn't have to be going through this alone…"

"She's not Jack… She's got us… And she's going to make it," he confidently told him.

"How do you know?" Jack asked him, hoping to receive some of the hope that his best friend had.

Daniel stared affectionately at the woman he considered to be his sister, "She doesn't know how to give up."

"Indeed."

Jack turned his attention back to Sam and stared at her. "Yeah..." He stood up to stretch his aching muscles and leaned over her form and whispered so only she could hear him, "You better not give up on me Carter… Not now," he pleaded with her.

As he stood back he thought of his last words. Things were different now, at least in his heart. He couldn't imagine losing her from his life. And while she wasn't the sole reason for him coming into work everyday, she was the primary reason why he would have a smile on his face after visiting her in her lab, or eating lunch with her and the rest of the team, or watching her give a presentation, or seeing her coming back from a mission in one piece.

He'd already lost one important person in his life over eleven years ago… He didn't want to let it happen again… Especially with her not knowing how much she meant to him.

He knew things would change and would have to. He just didn't know how.

He knew that he couldn't retire because that would mean he couldn't be here at the SGC while she continued to work. And that not knowing of where she was would make him worry too much.

She couldn't retire because she was too important to the program. Unfortunately, that didn't leave him with many options.

"I'll be right back," he told his friends as he decided to head to the restroom and splash some water on his face.

As he re-entered the infirmary he thought he saw her hand move ever so slightly. Not sure if it was real, he rushed to her bedside, "Did you see that?" he asked as he pointed at her hand.

Both men looked at him, "What?" as they followed his hand to her hand.

They stared at her hand waiting for any sign for several moments. Resigning himself that he had seen nothing Jack went to sit down and as he sat he looked at her face.

And there it was.

One intelligent, but tired, blue eye staring right at him.

"Carter!" he quietly whispered as he felt a weight lifted off his heart and soul.

"Sam!"

"Colonel Carter!"

As they all neared her side one of them called out, "Doc! Get over here!! She's awake!"

Dr. Brightman rushed out of her office and towards the last bed in the infirmary. "Gentlemen, I need to get in there," she told them as she pushed her way through.

Her voice softened and a smile graced her face when she saw Sam staring at her teammates. "Welcome back Sam!"

She tried to smile around the intubation tube protruding from her mouth. "You really worried us there for awhile… Do you remember what happened?" she asked her cautiously.

Sam nodded her head.

"Good…" Nancy Brightman turned to the three men who were crowding the bed with relieved smiles on their faces. "Gentlemen, I need you to give us a few minutes while I examine her."

Both humans were about to protest when they saw the pointed stare from the doctor. They looked to Sam who smiled at them letting them know she was going to be okay. "We'll be right over there," Jack told Nancy as he pointed to the entrance of the infirmary.

"Thank you gentlemen."

When they were out of earshot she turned to Sam and began checking her vitals and explaining to her what had happened.

"Sam, I want to keep you on the ventilator for the next few hours just to be sure, before removing it. I'm going to have do it under sedation." Sam's eyes went wide.

"I know, I know… But it's the safest way to remove it after having open heart surgery and a thoracotomy. I don't want to give you any more anesthetics and I can't risk you coughing and tearing any of the stitching," she explained. "I want you to rest the next few hours Sam, your body has been through a lot the past 18 hours and rest is the best advice for recuperation."

Sam nodded her head.

"Sam, I need to ask you something… Do you mind if I order those three to rest?" she asked as she pointed at the three men waiting impatiently at the door. "They've been by your side since they got back and they haven't slept."

Sam looked tenderly at her teammates. What else was there to expect from her family? She turned back to the doctor and gave her consent.

"Thanks… You're going to have to promise them that you won't scare them anymore or there won't be any changes in your health other than in the positive," she told her with a warm smile.

Both women smiled at each other. Nancy then turned to the door and motioned them over before turning back to her patient, "I'm really glad you're awake!"

"So how is she Doc?" O'Neill asked.

"She's going to be fine General. A few weeks and she'll be good as new!"

"I knew you'd pull through this Sam!" Daniel told her as he took hold of her uninjured hand.

"I am most pleased to see you awake and doing well," Teal'c stoically informed her.

"But she needs her rest. I'm going to give you fifteen minutes and then the Colonel's really going to need some rest… And so do you gentlemen-"

"We're no-" Daniel interrupted her.

"Gentlemen, you will rest for the next four hours and not be allowed back into the infirmary."

O'Neill pleaded, "Doc…"

"With all due respect sir, but I will speak with General Hammond and the President if I have to." O'Neill scrunched his face at the prospect of being ordered to stay away. She continued softly, "I assure you sir, she's going to be fine and not doing anything more than sleeping."

"Thanks Doc," he told her before returning his attention to their favorite scientist.

She nodded her head before returning to her office to make a few phone calls.

Ten minutes later Hammond joined the trio in the infirmary, just as relieved as they were.

"A lot of people are glad to know that you're going to pull through," he told her warmly. "We've tried getting a hold of the Tok'ra but with no luck. We sent a team through to their last known location but they had already cleared out of their base."

She stared at him quizzically.

Hammond noticed the doctor out of the corner of her eye and knew that she was about to kick them out. "We'll explain it to you later Colonel… I'm glad to see you awake!" he smiled at her. He then turned to SG-1, "And now Gentlemen, it's time for us to let the Colonel rest."

The three men grudgingly left the infirmary to catch a few hours of much needed sleep.

---

When SG-1 returned to the infirmary they saw a small crowd standing around her bed, consisting of the First Lady, the Vice President and Dr. Brightman.

Sam was the first one to see them enter the infirmary and made a comment to those around them, "And right on time!"

The three looked up and laughed at her remark.

"What's so funny?" Jack asked as they neared her bed. "Hey you can talk!" he happily pointed out.

"Yes sir," she told him warmly. "Dr. Brightman removed the tube half an hour ago."

"Why weren't we informed?" Daniel asked.

"Because you were resting," the doctor informed them.

"Yeah but-" Daniel began to protest.

Sam chuckled, "Relax guys, I'm okay!"

"We are most relieved," Teal'c informed them.

Everyone around the bed nodded their heads in agreement.

"A lot of people owe their lives to you Colonel," Robbie stated.

Sam looked down embarrassed at the praise, "I was just doing my job, sir."

"I think we need to change her job title, to Life Saver," Jack teased.

Sam laughed, "I was just following your orders sir."

He looked at her confused, "I didn't tell you to get yourself injured!"

She shook her head, "No. But you told me to make sure that the Alpha Site doesn't get blown up, sir," she reminded him with a smile.

A wide grin appeared on his face, "Oh yeah! I gave some pretty good orders didn't I?" he stated playfully.

"I only had a problem with one of them sir," she stated seriously.

They all stared at her. Only the Vice President smiled with his eyes, knowing where she was going with that statement.

"Huh?"

"I didn't mind you giving me the apple, sir, it was very tasty," she began, "But asking the Vice President to make sure I ate a meal?"

"Jack?" Daniel asked his friend as he stared at their scientist in horror.

"You didn't…" Cathy warned him.

Jack looked at the Vice President, "You told her sir?"

"I didn't think it was classified," he replied off-handedly.

He then turned back to Sam, "Look Carter… You know I was just watching out for you! You know how you get when you're playing with your doohickeys!"

She continued to glare at her commanding officer. She watched him squirm momentarily before the corner's of her lips turned up, "I know sir. It's alright, I actually had a very engaging talk with the Vice President… He actually understood what I was talking about… Sir."

O'Neill couldn't help but smile upon seeing the twinkle in her one eye.

---

Later that afternoon a small group of people was gathered in the conference room. "I'm glad I got to see this place," President Ryan told the pair of General's before him.

"I'm sorry about the deception-" Hammond began.

Ryan waved it off, "It's okay… I understand… Just make sure that this place runs smoothly!"

"We will sir."

"And if you guys need anything, just let me know!"

O'Neill grinned, "Well…"

"Jack!" Daniel stopped him.

He turned on his heels and asked innocently, "What?"

Daniel and Teal'c merely glared at him knowing that any request he would make would be a joke.

"Oh alright!"

"Sir, we need to leave soon," Agent Price informed him quietly.

He nodded his head and began saying his goodbye's, "Jack it was good seeing you… Don't lose touch!"

"Are you kidding? That little red phone on my desk only connects with you!"

Ryan turned to Hammond, "Is there anyway I can screen those calls?"

"Ha ha!" Jack mocked. "You guys can come back anytime!"

Ryan leaned over to Jack, "I don't think Andrea will let me! Too many unknown variables!"

"That's what makes it fun!" he pointed as he leaned away. "Oh and if you ever want to take over Daniel's job…'

Daniel shook his head in exasperation as he walked over to the First Lady.

TBC

Hallelujah!! She's alive!! But the ship hasn't sailed yet... maybe in a few more chapters... Oh and please let me know how much ship you would actually like to see...