Notes: Pete does not exist
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Everything was going according to their plan, better in fact, because their two guards had suddenly left. Sam could hear staff weapon explosions in the distance and could only surmise that the SGC had sent in re-enforcements. All she and Kerry had to do now was get the hell out of this room. Kerry was almost done with the lock when the door to their room burst open, knocking Kerry to the ground.

A single Jaffa soldier trained his staff weapon on them. Acting on instinct, Sam spun and kicked him in the stomach. He stumbled back, giving Sam time to grab a hold of his weapon and smash him in the face. She flipped the weapon around and shot him before he could recover. She then bent down and took a shock grenade from his armor.

Sam pulled Kerry from the ground. "Come on, let's move."

As they raced toward the stargate, Sam looked back to see dozens of Jaffa running after them. She knew that the Death Gliders couldn't be far behind. Blasts from zats and staff weapons zinged past them.

"Kerry, you keep heading toward the gate. I'll try and hold them off here. I'll meet up with you as soon as I can."

"Sam, this is insane. You can't hold all of them off on your own."

"Maybe not, but you don't have a weapon and this will buy you some time. Just stay down and move fast. An SG team should be at the gate. If not, find a good hiding spot and wait." Sam moved behind a tree and took aim at the oncoming Jaffa. Kerry took one last look at Sam and made her way quickly toward the gate.

Major Feretti was the first to spot Kerry. He fired his P-90 at the few Jaffa remaining and made his way toward her. "Ms. Johnson, are you injured?" he yelled, ducking with her behind the DHD.

She shook her head.

"Where's Colonel Carter?"

"She told me to head for the stargate while she tried to hold off the Jaffa who were chasing us. She should be coming any minute," Kerry said.

"Alright, I want you to dial the gate while I lay down some cover fire. Then get your ass through. The rest of us will stay behind until we find Colonel Carter. Understand?"

Kerry crawled to the other side of the DHD while Feretti took position. She inputted the address and waited while the major entered the IDC. Then she ran with all the strength that she had left in her after the day's events.

Meanwhile, Sam made a mad dash toward the SGC teams as soon as she tossed the explosive she had taken earlier. Nearing the gate, she was pulled behind a hill by Teal'C.

"Colonel Carter, can you make it to the stargate?"

"Absolutely Teal'C. It's good to see you guys. Did Agent Johnson make it through?" Despite her jealousy of the woman's relationship with Jack, Sam had to be sure that she was OK. Jack couldn't survive the loss. If he had felt that he would rather die than lose Sam at one point, how would he feel about the death of a woman he was sharing his life and bed with?

"Agent Johnson entered the stargate approximately two minutes ago."

Sam's body relaxed slightly. She took Teal'C's radio and instructed all remaining SG teams to head out. She got up and started shooting at the oncoming Jaffa.

She was the last person to reach the gate. Just as she was about to step in, she heard a staff weapon discharge. She tried to move out of the way but it was too late. Sam fell through the gate into the SGC. "Close the iris!" she shouted.

Collapsing onto the ground, she looked up only to see Kerry wrapped safely in Jack's arms. Pain shot through her. I can't do this anymore, she thought, finally allowing herself to surrender to oblivion of unconsciousness.

X X X

The second Jack saw Sam step through the gate, he felt as if the world was right again. Without thinking, he hugged Kerry. He realized what he was doing and loosened his hold so that he could go to Sam.

He watched with horror as her knees buckled. "Carter!" he yelled and ran to her. "Get a medical team in here now!"

X X X

Sam awakened to the sounds of machines beeping. Her whole body ached.

"Hey there," Jack said gently, stroking the hair from her forehead. "How are you feeling?"

Sam didn't want him to touch her - not when he belonged to someone else. She shrank away from him. "I feel like I've been shot in the back with a staff weapon, sir."

"How is Kerry doing sir?"

He leaned back, a slightly uncomfortable look on his face. "She's fine. She said to tell you "thanks" for keeping her safe."

"Kerry's great, sir. She kept calm and levelheaded. I like her." Sam meant it. Even though she disliked the idea of another woman being with Jack, at least Kerry seemed to make him happy.

She shifted her weight, groaning in the process.

"Do you need me to get the doctor?" Jack asked.

Sam saw it as one way to get some space. She needed time to sort things out and having Jack hover wasn't going to help. "Yeah, I think that would be good. I'd like to know when I can go home."

Jack got up. "I'm glad that you're OK Sam. I don't know what I'd do without you," he murmured. His gaze lingered on her.

She felt momentary hope at his intimate words. Maybe…

Sam gave herself a mental shake. He was with Kerry. He was her commanding officer and last, but not least, he didn't love her. That was the most insurmountable problem. She could blow up a sun but making Jack O'Neill fall in love her was damn near impossible.

"I'll come by in a few hours to check on you. Just take it easy, will you?"

Both relief and disappointment coursed through her when he left. When he was around, her personal judgment was skewed. On the battlefield, they were perfectly in sync, but in the real world, things were a whole more complicated. She was about to simplify them.

TO BE CONTINUED...