A few hours later Jack was jerked violently awake by Sam's voice yelling out 'Colonel!' across the stillness of the house. "Sam!" he called back to her and was instantly on his feet running full-tilt, gun in hand, down the hallway to his bedroom. Crossing the threshold he saw that Teal'c was already there. He stood a few feet from the bed watching Sam as her arms and legs flailed and her back went rigid. Jack slowed and stood beside him, wide-eyed and searching the room for any sign of trouble.
"She is all right, O'Neill. I believe she is dreaming."
Jack shook his head as Sam cried out "Colonel!" once again and Jack started toward her. As he moved, he realized Daniel had appeared and was standing just behind him, staring silently at Sam.
"She's not all right, Teal'c! Why didn't you wake her?"
"She is calling for you, O'Neill. I did not wish to frighten her."
"For crying out loud!" Jack sat down on the bed beside her and gently grasped her shoulders. "Carter? Come on, wake up."
Suddenly she threw her head back, opened her eyes wide and staring at him in the dim light opened her mouth to scream. Jack felt her terror flow over him and instinctively reached out for her. He pulled her into his arms and held her close against him, his hand stroking her hair as he held her. She immediately pushed him away, fighting to free herself from his arms.
"Sam! You're dreaming…it's me."
"Get away from me!" She spewed the words from her lips with such obvious distaste that Jack recoiled a bit from her tone. She was looking at him but not really seeing, her eyes glazed over, still locked in the dream as she continued to struggle against his hold.
"Sam, stop! You're ok! Wake up!"
"Easy, Jack." Daniel warned from his place beside Teal'c. "Be careful."
Jack suddenly felt Sam go still and turned back to her. She was staring over his shoulder, head cocked to one side listening intently, her eyes searching the darkness around them. Without warning she yelled again. "Daniel!"
"I'm here, Sam." He answered her quietly but she didn't look at him or respond, just continued to search the darkened room with her eyes.
"Daniel, why isn't she waking up?" Jack's voice held a thin thread of panic as he helplessly watched Sam living a nightmare.
"I don't know, Jack. Try calling her rank, the way you do when you're ticked off." Jack looked at him with a heavy scowl as Daniel shrugged his shoulders in mock apology. He focused the menacing glare on Daniel for only a moment then turned back to Sam searching her face for any sign of recognition before he spoke.
"Colonel Carter!"
"Ah, Jack."
"What! You told me to Daniel!"
"I know, I know...but you're the Colonel."
"What?" He looked at Daniel with a puzzled face for a moment and then understood Daniel's meaning. "Major Carter!" He spoke firmly, his voice reverberating around the room. "Carter! Report!"
There was a long silence and although she didn't focus on him, she did respond. "Sir?"
"Carter!"
"Sir, it's so cold! Our sterno's almost gone!"
"Cold?" Jack's brow furrowed deeply as he watched her begin to shiver.
"I should've gotten us out of here by now!"
Daniel and Teal'c watched with puzzled expressions as realization settled over Jack and he pulled Sam close to him again. "It's okay, Carter. We're home now, safe and warm. Daniel and Teal'c found us. We're both ok." He rubbed her back gently, no longer trying to force her awake, just holding her against him. Finally he felt her arms rising to his shoulders as his voice pulled her back to reality and she slowly began to awaken from her dreams. He felt her tense, then relax against him and her hands squeeze his shoulders, although her body still shivered against his.
"Sir?"
"Yeah, it's me. You're ok, Sam, it's just a dream. We're all here. That's it, relax. You're all right." Jack turned to the rest of his team and nodded his head.
Teal'c retreated from the room and Daniel followed a moment later, wiping at his sleepy eyes with one hand. O'Neill was briefly aware of the door closing as they returned to the guest room.
Sam pulled away from him slightly and tried to focus on his face. Jack could see the confusion in her eyes but was unsure if it was caused by the medication or the dream.
"General?" She finally asked through the haze that filled her mind.
"Well," Jack started in his light-hearted manner, "I was sorta getting used to'Jack.'"
"Where are we?"
He narrowed his eyes as he looked at her. "My house. You, ok, Sam?"
"Yeah. I…" She looked slowly around the room, confusion still clinging to her mind as she struggled to fight past the dreams and drugs back to reality. "Oh, God, Pete..."
"Yeah...don't worry, he's in Denver, remember? You were dreaming, Sam. That's all, just a dream." She stared at him silently and without a word raised her arms to encircle his neck and pulled him closer. She laid her head on his shoulder, needing the comfort of his arms around her and the warmth of his body against hers.
"Wanna talk about it?"
"No, it was…just old missions..." She stated flatly as he felt her hand touch the back of his neck and slide up into his hair. "Anubis...Antarctica…you know?"
"I know. All in the past, Sam. You have these nightmares often?"
"Not usually, but lately…" She paused and then spoke again, "How did you know I was having a nightmare?"
"You were yelling." 'Like every Jaffa in the universe was after you!' he thought the words but he didn't speak them.
"Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't realize..."
"It's ok, Sam."
"What…what did I say?" Her eyes held a look of dread as she asked the question.
"Not much."
"What, Jack? What did I say?
"Just 'Colonel'."
"Oh." She paused and looked deeply into his eyes, trying to determine if he was holding anything back. As usual, it was a lesson in futility - Jack could hide most anything. "Well, anyway, I'm sorry I woke you."
"It's ok. Just try to get some sleep and we'll talk about it tomorrow. We'll go to the police. When this is over, your nightmares will go away." He pushed her gently away from him and back down onto the pillow. For a long moment he sat there, just looking at her, they didn't need words, their eyes carried the conversation. Slowly he leaned over and placed a soft kiss on her lips, "Get some rest," he whispered, "I won't be far away." He stood, still holding her hand in his, their fingers lingering at the touch, until he was beyond her reach.
"Night, General."
"Jack. Night, Sam." Daniel listened to Jack's footsteps growing softer as he walked away, paused, and then continued back to the living room. Turning his gaze on Teal'c who sat cross-legged on the floor near the opposite wall, he said, "They really should be together you know."
Teal'c raised steely eyes to his and stated simply, " I am aware."
"I wish I could do something, help them somehow."
"You have helped, Daniel Jackson. You have allowed Colonel Carter to save herself from a man who would do her great harm."
"I hope so, Teal'c, but what is this going to do to Jack. You heard him out there today. I don't think he's even realized it yet, but he won't be happy when he does. He's not good at this kind of thing. He doesn't like to be…. vulnerable."
"He is not vulnerable. He is among friends." Daniel stared at Teal'c for a long moment and realized that he was right. They were a team and they would protect each other. They'd learned that from Jack.
--------------------------
Jack lay completely still staring at the ceiling. He couldn't sleep. His mind was racing, trying every scenario he could image. Trying to understand what was in Pete's mind as he attacked Sam. Was there anything hidden somewhere deep within him that would allow him to hurt Sam the way Pete had? He'd lived a violent life and done what he had to, sometimes it was damned unpleasant, but he couldn't imagine hurting Sam, he just couldn't.
His mind traveled back through the day's events, trying to make sense of all that had happened. She didn't fight back; he knew that as certainly as he knew Sam. But why? Was she just surprised? Maybe she was injured before she had the chance to react or was she protecting him? She allowed herself to be beaten because she wanted to protect him and his career from malicious slander? No, no that couldn't be right. Could it?
One hand worried his brow as he remembered holding her tight in his grasp, shaking her, fury raging in him at the thought of losing her and her gentle touch on his arm that made him stop. He closed his eyes and cursed himself as he remembered her bruised arm and the pain he must have caused her. He was out of control, yelling at her to tell him that she loved Pete; that she didn't love him…Oh, God, Daniel and Teal'c were right there…shit, what was he thinking?
He was thinking that he was losing her, that's what and nothing else had mattered! But she didn't say she loved Pete and she wouldn't say she didn't love him.
Suddenly it was all too clear to him and it both angered and thrilled him. She should have been with him, in his bed, not Pete's. She wouldn't be hurt now if he hadn't been so stupid. And she shouldn't be alone now.
"To hell with it! This stops now!" He muttered quietly as he stood and started quietly down the hallway not wanting to alert Daniel or Teal'c. Well, it would be hard not to alert Teal'c, but he'd try. Besides, he didn't worry what Teal'c would think; they were friends and he understood more about O'Neill than most ever would.
Jack reached the door and stood silently outside listening. The door was slightly ajar and he hesitated, again wondering if this was wise, knowing it was an irreversible decision. Then he heard Sam's muted voice as she cried into her pillow and he pushed his hesitation aside and entered the room. Closing the door silently behind him, he crossed the room and placed a gentle hand on her waist. She was curled up like a child in the center of the bed, sobbing into her pillow, her body shaking with each breath. He felt the familiar ache return to his chest and recognized his need to hold her, to comfort her. He usually buried those feelings but not this time. She needed him and he'd be damned if he'd let her suffer anymore.
"Hey?"
She turned slightly towards his soft voice, "General?"
"No…it's Jack."
She turned completely over to face him hearing a different tone in his voice.
"You trust me, Sam?"
Her eyes widened and then searched his for the reason behind his question. After a long moment she nodded her head. "You know I do."
"Move over then."
She stared at him, trying to interpret the emotion in his eyes. Then she moved slightly and allowed him to slide in beside her.
"Come here." He held out his arms and she cuddled up next to him, burying her face in his shoulder, fitting every curve against his body. "It's ok, Sam, just let it rest for now. Go to sleep, you're safe." He brought his other arm around her and pulled her to him gently, careful not to hurt her. Then he placed a soft kiss on her forehead as she reached her arms around him and settled in allowing the sound of his beating heart to lull her to sleep. The last thing she heard was Jack's voice whispering, "Sleep, Sam, I'll be here when you wake up."
TBC