DISCLAIMER: Nope. Not mine. But I can dream can't I?

SUMMARY: Daniel has met and brought back to Earth a young woman and her twin brother. Sam's discovered a different side of Pete which took her running to the SGC for shelter.

SPOILERS: Up through Affinity. When Sam told Pete that she'd marry him, it was something that I really didn't like.

Sam didn't want to leave the base. However, when Daniel told her that she needed clothes on base as did Cassie, she agreed to go home on the condition that she be accompanied by Daniel and some of the SFs on base. She was almost afraid that Pete would show up while she had to protect Cassie.

On the way back through the gate, Daniel left instructions that Pete was not to be allowed on base.

Inside, Sam went straight back to her quarters. Cassie watched her go with tears in her eyes. "What has he done to her?"

Daniel put his arm around her shoulders. "We'll take care of her, Cassie. I promise."

Jack woke up to the phone in his hotel room ringing. He hadn't planned on falling asleep after the briefing but, then again, he hadn't planned on boring himself into a coma either. But then he had received the invitation to a reception at the White House that night. That was when he decided to take a nap. After all, he had to at least look awake when he showed up tonight.

"O'Neill."

"Jack, it's Daniel. We need you to come back to base. Quick. Something's happened to Sam. Cassie came home the other night from study group and found her unconcious on her bedroom floor. Jack, it looks like she's been hit. One side of her face is all swollen and bruised and she's favoring some of her ribs. She won't talk to anyone but I think Pete did it."

"I'll be back in six hours. She'll talk to me. Even if I have to make it an order."

"Be careful with her, Jack. She won't even let Cassie close to her. I stopped by her door a few minutes ago to take her to lunch in the commissary and she wouldn't even open the door. I even tried to bribe her with blue jello but nothing would get her to open the door. I took over command for her. She's not in any shape mentally to take care of this base."

"Don't worry, Danny. I'll take care of this. No one hits MY Sam and gets away with it."

He hung up the phone and immediately called General Hammond. He briefed the General on what was going on and asked him to make his apologies to the President for missing the reception that night. Then, he called the air field to have the plane readied to fly him back immediately. He barely remembered packing but suddenly his suitcase was at his feet and he was waiting out in front of the hotel for the car to take him to the plane.

'MY Sam? Where in the hell did that come from?'

Sam was doing everything in her power to stay awake. She knew that, the minute she fell asleep, the nightmares would come. She knew it. She also knew that, right now, anyone trying to comfort her would probably get themselves a black eye for their trouble.

She had walked around her room for the past two hours. Sam had done so many situps and pushups that she actually lost count. She was looking around the room for something else to occupy her mind for a while when she spotted the canvas bag in the corner.

Picking it up, she smiled sadly. Her grandmother had given this bag to her mother who had left it to her. She remembered all the times that she, her mother, and grandmother had sat on the front porch knitting or crocheting for hours on weekends or vacations. It was always a tension reliever.

She sat back with her back against the wall and pulled out the ball of yarn and the needles. She started crocheting, no plans in mind just doing it. She just wanted to calm down.

Two hours after sitting down to start, Sam's head drooped to her chest. She was asleep. A deep sleep. But how long before the nightmares began to haunt her sleep?

Pete stood at the gate to the base. "I want to see Colonel Carter."

"I'm sorry, Detective Shanahan. I'm under orders to not allow you on base." The guard was aware that Pete was emotionally unstable and he was also aware that it was, in all likelihood, this man that had put Colonel Carter into the infirmary late last night. He had no sympathy for the man and would pay for the privilege of watching General O'Neill make him pay for what he had done to the Colonel.

"You will let me in to see her."

"No, sir. I will not. I'm under orders."

Just then, Jack pulled up to the gate. The guard snapped a salute. Jack opened the door to the car. He stepped out and up to Pete. "Hello, Pete."

"Jack, the guard won't let me on base. He says he's under orders."

"That's because we have a clue as to who left the bruise on her face that has half of her face swollen up." Jack leaned in to Pete. "If I find out that you've been harrassing Sam again, I'll take great pride in beating the ever living hell out of you. And, in case your wondering, no one will ever even wonder where you went."

Just then, Jack got back into his car and proceeded into the base. Pete was left standing outside the gate to consider Jack's words.

Daniel met Jack at the beginning level of the SGC. "She's still in her room. Jack, I don't know what to do. I've never seen Sam like this."

Jack nodded. Sam was scared. She needed someone to take care of her.

He turned away from Daniel and stalked down the hallway toward the elevator. He was going straight to Sam's room. And no one had better get in his way.

Cassie was relieved to see Jack coming down the hall. Maybe he could snap Sam out of this funk. She was whimpering in her sleep in the room. Cassie could hear her but couldn't get in to help her. Sam had locked the door.

"Jack!" The nineteen-year-old threw herself into the General's arms sobbing. "I can't help her! She won't let me!"

"It's ok, Cassie. I'll take care of her now. She'll be alright. Our Sam's a fighter. She won't let this keep her down for long." He stroked the young woman's hair. He wanted to comfort her but he could hear Sam's cries getting louder. "Let me go, Cass. She's starting to cry."

Cassie let go of Jack and stepped back. She sniffled and wiped her eyes. Jack stepped to the door and used his pass key to open Sam's door.

A/N: Hahahahaha!!!!!!! What a cliffhanger!