--- --- Shifting Foundations --- ---

Snow crunched under her feet as she made her way towards the front door. Christmas was only weeks away and Colorado Springs was covered by a white blanket. Everyone seemed to enjoy the snow. As did her neighbors' kids. They were involved in a snowball fight, oblivious to the freezing temperatures. She on the other hand, couldn't wait to get out of the cold.

Thoughts of hot chocolate and a crackling fire filled her mind when she finally reached the door of her house. The second she opened the door a steadily ringing phone shook her out of her warm daydreams. Grabbing the assorted bags filled with Christmas presents for her niece and nephew, she headed towards the kitchen. The warmth inside her house left her skin prickling at the sudden change of temperature and sent small shivers through her body.

Still the phone rang, its annoying sound screaming for attention. It had been ringing for some time now, but the caller seemed persistent. Dropping the shopping bags on the table, she finally answered the phone, slightly breathlessly.

"Carter."

"Sam?"

The voice on the other end of the line was familiar, but one she hadn't heard in a very long time. She had always thought that they would stay in contact, close contact, should the SGC ever be shut down but somehow it hadn't turned out that way. Her surprise was obvious when she finally answered.

"Daniel?"

"Yeah, it's me."

His voice was rough and, despite the fact that it had at least been months, years, since the last time they had met, she recognized this particular tone only too well. Cold fingers crept up her back, bringing back memories of Daniel in her arms, crying over Sha're. Yes, she knew him far too well not to notice that he had been crying. Fear started to swell inside of her, her thoughts running through various scenarios of what might have happened.

"Daniel, what...?"

"It's Jack."

Her heart stopped beating. The words had been choked, buried in sobs, telling her that Daniel had started to cry again or had, perhaps, never stopped. Something had happened to Jack. Something that was definitely not good. Something that had made Daniel cry. And though he was a very sensitive man, Daniel seldom cried.

Fear claimed her as she leaned against the wall to steady herself. While pictures of the last time they had seen each other kept flashing before her eyes, she forced herself to pay attention to what Daniel had to say. She didn't even notice her knees buckling under her as his words sunk in. Darkness claimed her and her mind tumbled willingly into it.

--- --- --- --- ---

The house was dark when his car pulled up in the driveway. Opening the door, he called out for his wife, but she was nowhere to be seen. Although he wasn't sure, he thought he had seen her car outside. Switching the lights on, he saw her jacket discarded thoughtlessly on a chair.

When he reached the kitchen, he stopped dead in his tracks. Several bags were tossed on the table, the phone next to them but, still, no Sam. The sight made his police training kick in. Stealthily, he moved over to the living room while his eyes scanned his surroundings for any hint of what was going on.

He pulled to a sudden halt as he heard a movement from above. Unconsciously, his hand started searching for his gun. Weapon in hand, he moved up the stairs and entered the corridor that led to her bedroom. The room was even darker then the rest of the house. He supposed that the curtains had been pulled over the windows, effectively shutting out any light from the setting sun outside. Stifled sobs reached him from next to her bed.

The grip around his gun was steady as he switched on the lights. He found Sam sitting on the floor, her back leaning against the bed. Relief washed over him when he finally saw her. Then he took in her surroundings and expression and the feeling was soon pushed away by another wave of fear.

Next to her was a packed duffel bag. Her eyes were red and puffy. Tears were still streaming down her face. His heart clenched at the sight. Sam was normally so guarded. It was rare that she let the shields, her armor, down. Even after four years of marriage, he could count the occasions he had witnessed her like that on one hand, hell, on one hand with several fingers amputated.

"Sam? What is it?"

He was at her side in no time, kneeling next to her. Yet when he tried to pull her into his arms to comfort her, she pushed him away. A strange feeling of foreboding shot through him and he searched her face for any hint that would explain her behavior or her shattered look but found none.

"Sam?"

She didn't answer, just kept on staring, unseeing, into space. He gripped her by the shoulders and shook her slightly. This had at least some effect. Her eyes found his and he couldn't help the feeling that she had just now noticed that he was here.

"It's Jack."

Fear was mingled with irritation at her choked words. Jack? Racking his brain for a face that might belong to the name, he came up with nothing. His irritation must have been written on his face.

"General O'Neill." Her explanation was choked out between tears.

Jealousy joined the other feelings at the mention of THAT name. This particular feeling was only too familiar when it came to O'Neill. This man had been the thorn in the side of their relationship. Pete was pretty sure that 'the General' had been the reason why Sam had held back for so long, delaying their wedding constantly and why their whole marriage had been doomed.

She had assured him that they had never been involved but he wasn't stupid. He had seen the looks this guy had thrown in her direction. At the time, he had tried to convince himself that she didn't reciprocate O'Neill's feelings but, as time passed, he started wondering whether this was really the case.

It would have been better for everyone if he had noticed earlier, Pete supposed. To be honest, he had had a strange feeling about this right from the beginning. He had always thought that, maybe, she didn't feel as much for him as he felt for her. But he had chosen to cast a blind eye, afraid of the alternatives.

In the end, the retired general had left Colorado seven years ago and she had stayed here. He had been able to convince himself that she really loved him, that he had just been playing devil's advocate. Pete had thought that she hadn't had contact with O'Neill but, obviously, he had been wrong. The sobbing woman in front of him was all proof he needed.

Of course, he had known for some time now that their marriage was not worth the document that confirmed it. She hadn't even shared a bed with him in over a year. The signs had been there from the beginning and, if he hadn't been so damn willing to make this work, to make her stay, he would have known. After all, he had already lived through one shattered marriage and should've been able to read the warnings. And it wasn't only O'Neill, although Pete preferred to believe it was, especially after too many beers.

Sam had always loved her independence and Pete had been way too protective and mistrusting. He guessed, in both cases, these things came with their jobs. Unfortunately, these particular character traits didn't go along too well. But there was more.

Both of them liked to be in control, another thing that broke the neck of their relationship, as well as all the other tiny little problems he hadn't thought important at first. And now the day he had dreaded for so long had finally arrived. She was leaving him for 'Jack'. Since when did she call him 'Jack', by the way? A stab of betrayal rushed through him when her voice shook him out of his brooding.

"He's dead. Daniel, Cassie, and Teal'c will be here in a couple of minutes and then we'll go up to Minnesota."

Ashamed at his thoughts of just a moment ago, he couldn't stand her look and his eyes dropped to where his hand fidgeted nervously with her jeans. There was nothing he could say to comfort her and probably she didn't even want him to. There was just one thing he could offer. His presence. Again, he tried to comfort her and, again, she shook his hands off.

Determined, he stood up and walked over to the spare room - his room - pulling a bag out of the closet. She followed him and he could feel her confusion, but he wouldn't let her go on her own. She would need someone and he would be that someone, whether she wanted him or not.

"Pete, what are you doing?"

Her voice was rough from what had probably been hours of crying.

"Packing. I won't let you go alone."

He turned again to retrieve some pants but stopped when he felt her hand on his shoulder. The grip was steady and the sobs seemed to have died down.

"I won't be alone. Daniel, Cassie, and Teal'c will be there."

"Sam, I..."

"Pete, please."

The tone in her voice silenced him immediately. He could identify determination and anger but there was also something else he couldn't name. He knew that he couldn't win this fight, that he had lost it a long, long time ago. Surrendering, he closed his eyes and took a deep breath. She didn't want him to come along. And, although he knew that it was totally inappropriate, he felt jealousy rush through him again.

Suddenly, she stepped around him until they were face to face, her hand never leaving his shoulder. Shock shot through him as he realized what the other feeling in her voice had been. It was clearly reflected in her eyes and it shook him to the core. The silent plea was too much for him to handle. He had never seen her beg for anything. The thought was disturbing and he couldn't help listening to the small voice in his head that asked whether he, Pete Shanahan, had ever been able to move her that much.

"Yeah. Go." Even to his ears, his voice sounded defeated.

A couple of minutes later, he watched her get into the car, protected by Daniel and Teal'c and comforted by Cassie. And, finally he started to see more clearly. He loved her, God knew he did. Love had never been a problem, at least not on his part. But they wouldn't, couldn't, work it out. She didn't even trust him enough to help her now. She was going alone to meet him. Even if he was dead, she couldn't stand to have Pete there. People say love blinds you but he had never known just how true that saying was until now.

Both of them had been blinded, had wanted this so badly. He had loved being a husband again, had loved waking up with someone, coming home to someone. Maybe he had loved the feeling more than he'd loved her. Maybe they both had married for the wrong reasons. Too many maybes and just one solution.

As the car drove down the street, he saw her outline in the backseat. Her face was buried in Cassie's shoulder and he could nearly hear their connection snap. Then and there, he realized that, after everything they had been through together, their time was finally over. Sighing, he returned into the warmth of the house. He would start packing tomorrow.

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