Disclaimer: I don't own Stargate SG-1, I'm not associated with those who do, and I'm making absolutely no money off of this.

Rating: K+

A/N: Okay, here it is... the first part of my sequel to Chosen. I wasn't actually going to post this until I had the whole thing written, but I need some more motivation and I'm hoping that starting to post might give me a swift kick in the mikta.

Oh, in case you're wondering if it's vital for you to read Chosen first to understand this story... maybe not, but it would probably make more sense.

And this isn't a romance but there'll be some J/S comfort eventually.

I had such a great time receiving all your reviews for Chosen... I hope I don't let you down!

Thanks to Lilly for checking this part over for me.

Falling - Chapter 1:

It was dark.

Pitch black dark. And so cold.

She couldn't get away, couldn't move. Something -- some unseen force -- was pinning her down, trapping her.

Fear swept over her, seeping through her skin and into her very core. She couldn't breathe. She was suffocating.

A flash of light. And with it, horror spilled forth, gripping at her heart. Gripping, squeezing, crushing...

OoOoOoOoOoOoO

Samantha Carter awoke with a gasp, her body covered in perspiration and her heart racing. Raggedly drawing air into her lungs, she sat up, blinking against the light from the lamp she had never turned off.

A dream. Just another dream.

Annoyance, along with a flicker of anger, quickly replaced her fear. Flinging away the tangled sheet, Sam got out of bed and pulled on her robe. She left her bedroom, heading for the kitchen, flicking on lights as she went. She filled the kettle and set it to boil before turning on the TV for background noise.

Then she grabbed her laptop settled down on the couch, propping up her still-healing feet. She wouldn't be getting any more sleep tonight, she knew that for certain. Knew from experience. All her nights seemed to end up like this lately. It was getting to be a bad habit. One that Sam despised but had no idea how to break.

OoOoOoOoOoOoO

Monday morning. A morning that most people weren't overly keen on, but one that Sam had been impatiently awaiting for the past few days. Because this Monday morning she was returning to the base for the first time since Janet had discharged her from the infirmary after her experience with the psychotic Marvin Garrett.

Showered and dressed, Sam was in her kitchen enjoying a final few sips of coffee and looking forward to finally getting out of her house.

Just as she was about to set her mug down on the counter, something made contact with her front door with a loud thump. Sam jumped, nearly spilling coffee all down the front of her shirt. She cursed under her breath, angered by her reaction and her still-racing heart.

Just the weekly paper, she chided herself harshly.

Memories of her recent abduction threatened to creep to the front of her mind, but Sam pushed them firmly away. That was something she'd been doing a lot lately -- trying not to think about the fear she'd felt, trying not to remember. But despite all her efforts, the memories somehow managed to always be lurking at the edge of her thoughts, never quite letting her be free of them. They were always there waiting for her to let her guard down.

But that was going to change now, Sam was sure. Now that she was going to get out of the house and get back to work. The past few days she just hadn't had enough to do, sitting around the house on her own most of the time while her injuries healed. Once she got back to work and had other things to focus on, she was sure her unpleasant memories and lingering fears would quickly fade away. And the nightmares would stop, too. At least, she hoped they would.

Dumping the remains of her coffee down the sink, Sam grabbed her keys and her laptop and headed for the door. It was time to get back to work. It was time to get back to normal.

OoOoOoOoOoOoO

As Sam walked through the corridors of the SGC she was by far feeling the best that she had since before her abduction. It was so good to be out of her house and around other people. People were distracting, and these days distraction was something Sam craved.

She nodded at a passing Marine and then stopped in her tracks when she heard a very familiar voice call out from behind her.

"Carter!"

Sam turned around and smiled as she waited for Colonel O'Neill to catch up with her. "Good morning, sir," she greeted as he approached. It was good to see him. Really good.

He stopped in front of her and stuck his hands in the pockets of his BDUs. "So, back at work, huh? That's good."

Sam felt her smile widen. "Yes, sir. It is."

"And you look good," he commented.

"Thank you, sir. I feel good." And that wasn't a lie. Now that she was back at work, everything would be fine. She was sure of that.

"How's the arm?" He nodded at the one that had been slashed open with her abductor's knife.

Sam glanced down, even though the wound was hidden by her sleeve. "Getting better," she replied. "Actually, I'm just on my way to get checked out by Janet."

"Ah, well, I won't keep you then. Wouldn't want to upset the Doc."

Sam grinned. "No, sir."

The nearby elevator doors opened and as two Airmen stepped off, Jack stepped on. "I'll catch you later, Carter. Maybe for lunch?" He thought about that for a second. "Or dessert." The elevator doors started to close. "Jell-O?"

Sam was still grinning. "That sounds great, sir," she replied, just as the doors closed, cutting him off from view.

Starting on her way again, Sam was filled with a warm contentment. Yes, everything was going to be just fine.

Or so she thought.

OoOoOoOoOoOoO

As the elevator doors closed fully and cut Carter off from view, all traces of cheerfulness faded quickly from Jack's face. It was good to see Carter looking stronger, looking like her old self again, it really was. But despite having her back safe and sound, Jack still found himself battling an array of tumultuous emotions.

It had been a close call this time. Way too close. And Jack hadn't yet recovered from the intense fear he'd felt during her disappearance. Not knowing if they would find her in time, not knowing if they would ever find her at all, had almost been too much for him. And on top of it all, Jack had felt so helpless, so useless.

But they had found her. And she was safe. But was she really doing as well as her outward appearance would have most people believe? Jack doubted it. How could she be after what she'd been through? After what that psychotic bastard had put her through.

As soon as she'd been strong enough, Carter had gone over the details of what had happened to her. From her abduction from her bedroom in the middle of the night to her escape into the forest, she'd carefully relayed every event she could remember. She'd struggled at some points, but for the most part she'd remained remarkably composed, although Jack knew that underneath there was no way she could feel that calm.

And he knew that everything she'd told them was really only just the beginning. He knew that she'd suffered far more than she was letting on. He knew because he'd seen the pictures that creep had taken of her.

Jack had to swallow back a sudden surge of anger. Every time he remembered those pictures, every time he saw the images in his head, Jack was filled with white hot fury. Rage. It made him wish Garrett was still alive just so he could put his hands around his throat and choke the life out of him. Slowly.

Realizing that his fists were clenched almost painfully at his sides, Jack forced himself to calm down. But even though his hands were relaxed at his sides by the time he stepped off the elevator, his jaw was still tense and his eyes were still dark with suppressed emotion.

TBC…