Winter had set in for real on Beta.

The tents set up by the survivors from Earth in the first few desperate weeks since the exodus were nowhere near enough protection from the brutal weather now upon them. Construction on permanent dwellings was proceeding at a snail's pace, when the weather permitted, all around the original research buildings that made up the heart of the Beta colony, buildings that had been built by the air force for scientific study years before the invasion of Earth.

Inventing ways to stay warm, fed and alive were currently the priorities of the new colony.

Jack and Teal'C had come up with a way to double the tents on top of each other to increase their insulation, stuffing the space between the two layers with anything that kept warmth in. This reduced the number of tents actually up and in use, but it didn't matter since a tent without the extra insulation was unlivable anyway. The floor of these tent structures was about two feet lower than the surrounding plain as the colonists had found it warmer to dig a pit and sleep down inside its deep walls. The ground was hard and rocky, difficult to dig but extremely stable once the pit was in place.

The Prometheus had been temporarily pressed into service as a residence and housed a surprisingly large number of grateful Earthlings.

The popular mess tent was not like the residential tents, but more like a huge hall, with chimneyed openings in the roof for the numerous fire pits that burned constantly, warming the eating areas.

Here Jack was huddled in a thick blanket draped over his well-layered body as he nursed a cup of hot tea and tried to fix his jammed handgun in time for the next hunting foray. Outside a strong storm was battering the settlement, and Jack had long ago decided he would remain in the mess until the wind died down.

Sam burst through the mess tent door, fighting to refasten the closure as quickly as possible. Her teeth were chattering and snow flakes clung to her hair. Her hands were so cold even in gloves that she wasn't doing well at the refastening process.

Jack dropped his blanket and hurried over to finish the job for her, then wrapped a strong arm around her shaking form and briskly rubbed her arm and shoulders.

"What are you doing out in this storm?"

"Hungry," Sam chattered.

"Come sit down. Want some bread and tea? They have some fresh that was just baked."

"Sounds great."

Sam was shivering less now and beginning to recover from her brief exposure to the storm outside. She gratefully accepted the food and drink from Jack as he reclaimed his blanket and sat down next to her.

"Hurry up and eat that so we can sit back to back. I need to warm up some more," Jack instructed.

Sam sipped the tea, actually a concoction of local flora that tasted nothing like tea, and wolfed down the bread.

"I'm really more bored than hungry. My tentmates are singing all the summer camp songs they can remember. And they know a lot."

The faint echoes of some very raucus singing could be heard over the howling wind.

She licked her fingers and sucked down more tea. The mess tent wasn't full, but there were a fair number of small groups and couples situated around the room. There was absolutely no privacy anywhere, but being here was better than the crowded sleeping tents. She sighed a contented sigh and stretched her legs out in front of her.

"Okay, you're done, back to back, let's go," O'Neill ordered and swung around to jam his back against hers. He then wrapped his blanket as best he could around both of them so their necks were swathed and their heads were back to back.

Sam began to slowly giggle.

"What?" O'Neill demanded, smiling broadly at their ludicrous position.

She surprised him by worming around under the blanket and wrapping her arms around his torso, her front to his back.

"I like this better," she smiled.

"You're a genius, Sam. This is much warmer."

He turned his head to look at her over his shoulder and raised his eyebrow ala Teal'C, eliciting another giggle.

Sam gave a contented sigh and wrapped her arms tighter around Jack's sturdy frame, relishing the way his body radiated heat.

Since the triumphant and unexpected arrival of the Prometheus just before winter had set in, the mood of the colony had changed. The people seemed to accept that this existence was their life now. Old roles and identities were seeping away as the new reality of who they were on Beta took on form and shape.

The change had affected Sam and Jack's relationship too.

Gradually, imperceptibly, all that had once kept them apart was evaporating and the strength of the emerging connection between them was undeniable. They inevitably found ways to work together on their projects and chores. Jack was constantly fixing something of Sam's or bringing her a bite to eat.

His attentiveness did not go unnoticed in the small, close-knit colony and they were the subject of many speculative discussions.

Sam leaned up against Jack and closed her eyes as she pressed her cheek to his.

"Ready to go back to your tent yet, Carter?"

"I'm thinking this is a better tent."

"This is my tent."

"It is not," Sam snorted.

"I've decided you can stay," Jack granted magnanimously.

"Well, I've decided just maybe I will."

She scooted down, pulling the blanket and Jack with her, so that they were lying face to face in their snug cocoon of blankets and coats. Jack's slow, confident smile morphed into a searching, unguarded gaze as if he could see into her heart through her eyes.

Sam could hardly look back at him, the intensity was so overwhelming.

Suddenly uncomfortable with his own feelings, Jack broke eye contact.

"Jack," Sam protested, pulling his chin up with a delicate touch.

Cautiously, tentatively, he looked up again. They leaned in at the same moment and their lips met with such sweetness, tears stung Sam's eyelids.

He pulled back, not quite ready for the wash of emotions he was feeling, hoping she wasn't hurt by his reaction.

"Good night, Jack," Sam whispered, closing her eyes and snuggling against his neck.

Jack smiled.

She could see his hesitancy and accepted him without complication.

He wasn't hesitating because he didn't love her.

He'd loved Sam for years.

He was just so out of practice at this relationship stuff that it scared him.

The fact that she realized that and was okay with it made him love her even more.

"G'night, Sam. Warm enough?"

"Very."

Both were soon fast asleep, safe, warm and at peace in their own secret world.

The next day brought an icy calm, with bright skies and incredibly cold temperatures.

Jack was up already, talking to Daniel and Riley in the corner of the mess tent as they decided where to search for fuel today.

The Betans were getting very creative in their quest to maintain their fuel supply. Besides the generosity of the few worlds that they had allowed to know of their existence, the colonists used anything that burned to stay warm.

In the ironic dichotomy that was beginning to define Beta, they had several naquadah generators and a plentiful supply of naquadah. The Prometheus and the labs ran on these reverse-engineered generators brought through the Stargate from the SGC. But it would take time to rig up an infrastructure that could provide energy for light and heat. The fuel for that came from the daily, backbreaking work of gathering firewood and anything burnable.

The most pressing need right now was food.

Jack was organizing an expedition to hunt game in the mountain range just beyond the lake which bordered the settlement. A large animal that looked like a cross between a mammoth and a rhinoceros was common to this area and was very good eating. Their goal was to track and bring down a few of these animals and then radio Prometheus to come pick them up.

The trip would also provide the small group with welcome relief from the confines of base camp.

"Okay, spread out and circle around that way," O'Neill gestured toward the valley opening where the animals would have to go to escape .

"I'll go spook them."

Jack slipped off to get into position to execute his plan.

Sam climbed a rock outcropping near the mouth of the valley and settled in to wait for the show. Riley was already across the narrow gap hidden by the edge of the cliff opposite Sam, and Daniel was not far from Sam, ready to shoot.

It all happened quickly. Jack shot once into the air and the noise reverberated throughout the canyon, instantly causing the huge animals to startle and begin lumbering their way out towards the rest of the team. Daniel and Riley both easily downed a beast, but the rest were gone before Sam or Jack could fire a shot.

The two beasts lay unmoving on the valley floor, but the four approached with caution, guns still ready. Riley poked one with his foot, then the other.

"I think we did it," he crowed. "Hail the Prometheus, Sam."

Jack walked closer to one of the impressive animals, drawn by its strange appearance.

"This thing has four eyes," he said in amazement, as he poked at it with his foot. Riley, his own curiosity raised, walked to the other one to see for himself.

From further up the valley, a low roar was all the warning he had before another of the creatures unexpectedly charged him from behind a long stretch of tangled brush.

"Look out!" Jack managed to cry out to the others before he jumped mightily to try and throw himself out of the animal's path.

Shots rang out and the animal, hit and now badly wounded, turned and headed for Jack again, this time ramming him full in the chest before finally giving in to its injuries and collapsing, partially trapping Jack underneath.

He had hit his head, hard, and the world was fast graying out around him. He fought to wriggle himself out from under the crushing weight of the dead beast before he lost the battle to remain conscious.

He couldn't breathe.

He couldn't breathe.

Pain exploding in his brain.

Roaring noise.

Warm mouth on his, warm, wonderful air filling his lungs.

"Jack! Wake up! Breathe!"

The warm mouth was back. He knew those lips- if this was dying, it wasn't half bad.

"Come on! Come on!"

Reflexively he gulped air deep into his lungs.

The darkness receded a little but the murky soup that was his mind kept him from responding.

"Open your eyes!"

He tried, he really did, because she sounded really ticked off at him, but his eyelids felt like steel plates welded shut.

The world around him reeled as his arms and legs were dragged off the ground. They were carrying him somewhere. Somewhere with ground that clanged loudly as they walked on it.

Pain. Lots of it.

The dark overtook him again.


Sam brushed his forehead lightly with her fingertips.

The Prometheus had long since landed back at base and the meat was being prepared out in the open in spite of the weather by a crowd of merrymakers.

Jack had been carried aboard the Prometheus and, still out cold, was lying on a cushion of blankets off to one side in a cargo bay.

She could imagine the first of the steaks cooking outside and the mere idea was making her stomach growl. It had been a long time since she'd eaten. But she didn't want to leave Jack right now.

"Sam, why don't I get you some food?" Jacob had been standing in the shadows watching her for some time.

"Okay. Thanks, Dad."

Sam smiled but didn't look up as Jacob moved closer to his daughter. His eyes went back and forth from her face, intently focused, to the unconscious man she was watching over.

"How long has this been going on?" Jacob asked quietly.

"What?" She responded distractedly.

"You know what I mean."

"I'm not sure, Dad. I just know I want to be with him."

"You love him."

Sam looked at her father.

"Yeah. I think I've been in love with him for a long time. But it wasn't allowed, so I closed it off. I closed it off so well that I didn't realize Pete was second choice until..."

"...until the rules suddenly didn't apply anymore, and you had a choice again."

Jacob laid a hand on her shoulder, smiling at her when she looked up at him.

"I'll be right back with some roast beast."

Jacob patted her shoulder and walked away.

Sam couldn't stop smiling to herself after Jacob left. She wasn't sure, but that sounded a lot like Jacob approved.

A groan from Jack snapped her into action. She leaned over him as he began slowly coming to.

"Jack? Can you hear me?"

Sam took his hand and nervously rubbed his fingers.

"Jack?"

"Can't breathe," Jack finally spoke.

"What's wrong?"

Sam was suddenly alarmed as she leaned in closer.

"I need some more mouth to mouth," he answered, with a weak grin.

Sam sat back up, laughing with relief.

"You do not. You remember that?"

"You betcha."

Jack started to sit up then, but with a groan he quickly realized that that was a painful proposition.

"I wouldn't move much just yet, Jack. Your chest is one huge bruise. And your head is going to hurt, you went down hard."

"I've got a thick skull."

Jack looked more alert now, and his voice was stronger.

"Everybody else okay?"

"They are, and we got three of the animals. The food should last for several days, at least."

Jacob arrived with two plates of bread and meat. Sam took one of the plates from him and sat down next to Jack on his bed.

"Do you want any?" Sam asked him.

"I don't think so."

He looked pale and his eyes were closed again.

She reached out and pulled the blanket up snug around his neck before beginning her meal. Jacob sat on the floor next to them both as he ate silently, his eyes also on Jack, trying to assess his condition.

"Samantha."

Sam jumped. As much as she liked Selmac it always took her by surprise when she surfaced.

"Selmac!"

"Since Jacob seems reluctant to say anything, I wish to tell you that he admires O'Neill greatly. And that he believes nobody is good enough for you, but he and I are both glad to see an attachment growing between you and O'Neill."

"Selmac, and Dad, 'cause I know you're listening, I'm just taking things one day at a time. I don't think Jack is ready for a serious relationship. I don't know if he'll ever be. But for nowI just like being with him. Please don't go reading more into it, Selmac."

"As you wish, Samantha." His head bowed and Jacob was back.

"I'm going back through the Gate to the Tok'Ra home world tomorrow, Sam. But I'll be back soon."

Jacob wanted to ask her to come along with him for a visit, to get her out of this cold for a few days, but he knew she wouldn't come.

She was committed to Beta.

And to Jack, whether she would admit or not.

Sam ended up spending the night curled up on the metal floor of the Prometheus near Jack, both of them cushioned with an assortment of blankets and pillows. The food was solid and warm inside her and it felt good to be full.

Stay warm.

Stay fed.

Stay alive.

This mantra would govern their lives, reducing them to the simplest terms, for many months and years to come.