Chapter Three

Daniel and Teal'c walked down the corridor on sub-level 19 on their way to Sam's lab.

"I haven't seen Sam since the memorial service," Daniel commented to his friend. "I'm worried about her."

"As am I, Daniel Jackson," Teal'c agreed.

After recovering from the initial shock, Sam had buried herself in her work when she was on base, which was most of the time. She wouldn't leave without an order from Janet or General Hammond. But despite her outward façade, Daniel knew that she wasn't handling Jack's death well. A few days earlier, Daniel had found Sam curled in a ball in a corridor. He had immediately crouched down beside her and took her in his arms.

"Sam!" Daniel had never seen a sadder sight than the woman lying curled up before him with tears streaming down her face. He kneeled down next to her and pulled her into his arms.

"Jack?" She asked looking up at him hope in her eyes. On seeing Daniel instead, she started to sob uncontrollably. "Oh, Daniel! I miss him, so much."

"I know, Sam. I miss him, too." He started to rock her gently. A few tears of his own, trailed slowly down his cheeks.

After that, Sam had busied herself again and seemed all right, but Daniel wondered how she was at home—or if she even went home.

Daniel and Teal'c reached Sam's lab, only to find it empty.

"It would appear that Major Carter is not here," Teal'c intoned.

Daniel could almost hear Jack's voice saying, "Ya think?" He coughed trying to clear the lump that had formed in his throat. "We—" Daniel's voice cracked; he cleared his throat and tried again, "We should find her."

"Indeed."

After searching the entire base, Daniel and Teal'c tried the last place they thought to look; though, Daniel realized, it probably should have been one of the first—Jack's office.

Sam sat curled up in his desk chair, holding his name plaque in her hands, tracing her fingers along the letters—Col. J. O'Neill. She didn't look up when they walked in. It was obvious she was upset again; she wasn't even attempting to hide behind her usual façade.

Daniel opened his mouth to say something, but Sam spoke first, still not looking at them, "I can't do it, Daniel." Sam's voice was heavy with emotion, but her eyes were dry.

"Do what, Sam?" Daniel asked gently.

"Everyone expects us to mourn for a few days and then get over it. General Hammond's planning on replacing him." Sam's voice cracked and tears welled up in her crystal blue eyes.

This was news to Daniel and it was like a slap in the face. He was caught up in his own emotions for a minute.

"I can't do it," Sam repeated, "I can't go on with out him. I can't live with out him, Daniel!" She ducked her head, tears escaping now.

Daniel managed to regain some semblance of control. "Sam, Jack would have wanted you to move on," he told her. "I know what it's like," he said, thinking of Sha're, "He would have wanted you to be happy."

"I can't!" she cried.

"Major Carter, if you do not, O'Neill's sacrifice would have been in vain. You must continue, if only to honor that," Teal'c strong voice cut in. "O'Neill was a great warrior; he would want you to be strong."

Sam shut her eyes. Shaking her head, she said, "We left him behind."

"No, Sam, he was dead, there was nothing we could have done," Daniel said, past the lump in his throat.

"There must have been something!"

"No … We would have died, too."

"O'Neill gave his life for us, Major Carter. We must accept it," Teal'c said, solemnly.

The darkness surrounded him. He was lying on something hard. He felt lost in the great, dark expanse around him. From time to time, he could hear heavy footsteps nearby, and he tried to call to them, but whether they could hear him or not, they never answered. No other sound penetrated the darkness, except those that he knew were in his own head—echoes of the past, the voices of his friends, taunting him from the land of the living. Even so, he couldn't help talking to them.

"Colonel, no!"

"Carter?" he murmured.

"Hello, Jack…Welcome back."

"Daniel?" He knew they weren't real. Their voices were memories, things he'd heard them say.

"Colonel? Sorry, Sir, it's just so dark."

"Yes, it is. Wish you were here, Carter." He sat up and gazed into the dark, straining to see.

"It isn't dark, we're blind, and we've failed."

"Space monkey. Always Mr. Negative." He pressed his hands against his head, trying to stop the voices.

"He's telling you the truth! Please, Jack! No, Jack, please! Don't leave me! Please! Give me a chance! Don't leave me like this! Please!"

"Sam! I won't! I'm not going anywhere." He knew it was crazy of him to talk to them, but they sounded so real, and he wanted them to be. He could remember the day she'd said that. She'd been possessed by Jolinar, the Tok'ra, and had been trying to get him to trust her.

"I offer my knowledge of the Goa'uld. I offer my skills as a warrior to defeat them. I pledge my honor and my life to this world."

"You've already done that, Teal'c. Stop talking. Just get me out of here." He pressed his hands against his eyes. Pain suddenly flared up in them. He pulled his hands away and lay back down. "Ow! Gosh, that hurts!" The pain mixed with the exhaustion and hunger he was already feeling, making him weak and confused, causing him to forget where he was.

"Colonel? Sorry, Sir, it's just so dark."

"Carter? Sam…Don't leave…" He tried to stand up, but stumbled. Luckily, he found one of the walls. His strength spent in that hurried movement, he half-fell half-slid along the wall to the ground. Sitting against it, he shut his eyes. "Sam?"

"I'm here, Jack."

Exhaustion overwhelmed him, and he lay down against the wall. "Sam," he whispered her name.

"It's all right. You can sleep now."

Author's Note: The people who talk to Jack "Is he really dead?" O'Neill in this chapter all say things from episodes of the show; except for Sam's "Colonel, no!" which is from chapter one. Can anyone name the episode for each quote? (Jack's lines don't count). Oh, a little sneak peek for you: Jacob's coming in the next chapter which should be up with this one and the chapter two.