Sleigh Bells – Part 2.

OoOoO

Jack awoke to the pleasant sensation of Sam snuggled against him, wrapped around him actually, her head buried beneath the cover against his chest. He was warm again, warmer than he had been in days and as he opened his eyes, he blinked against the almost bright light.

"Good morning! Feeling better?"

Jack jumped, visibly startled by the cheery, booming voice as he tried to focus on its owner. He instinctively pulled Sam closer to him and felt, rather than heard, her soft groan. He was still sick, but the fever seemed to be gone and his mind was a bit clearer, except for the fact that he didn't know what day it was or how long he'd been asleep. The stranger stepped into his line of sight and Jack stared back at him from beneath the covers, noticing for the first time the blazing fire.

"Who are you?" He finally managed to get the words out although they sounded weaker than he would've preferred.

"I'm Chris and we need to get some more of this medicine down you, son." Jack's eyes darted to the fire where a steaming kettle was hanging over the flames.

Jack squinted his eyes at the man. "Where did you come from? How'd you find us?"

"Oh, well, just stumbled across you, I suppose. I was looking for shelter from the storm, same as you, I suspect. How long have you been here?"

"Um, I'm not sure…a few days, maybe more." He could feel Sam's hand moving slowly up his chest, alerting him that she was awake. He squeezed her waist in response and her hand stilled.

"Do you think you can sit up? It's easier to drink if you can, Jack."

"Drink what? And how do you know my name?"

"What? Oh, well the little lady there was a bit delirious and calling out for someone when I found you. The way she was wrapped around you, I just figured it had to be you. Am I wrong?"

"Um, no."

"So, when I saw you were both sick, I mixed up a batch of my strongest cure-all tea and I've been feeding it to you for the last 24 hours of so. You should be feeling better! Are you?"

"Yeah….a bit."

"And the missus?"

"Um, she's…still sleeping I think."

"Well, kiss her and wake her up, son! She needs some more of this tea, too! She was a lot worse off than you when I found you."

Jack stared at him in deep confusion. "Kiss her?"

"Well, sure! How do you usually wake her up?"

Jack stared back at the man who obviously thought that he and Sam were married. And he was suddenly thankful that he'd managed to get her dressed before he passed out. "Twenty-four hours? You've been here twenty-four hours…with us?

The man laughed and the cave filled with his joviality. "Yes, I have. Couldn't just leave you now, could I? You've got important things to do back on earth."

Jack felt Sam tense against him and while Chris watched he leaned in and pressed his lips against her forehead. "Sam, honey, time to wake up." She started to move and stretch in his arms, reaching behind him for the handgun that rested there. Then she hugged him, pressing the weapon against his back before she brought it between them. His hand came down over hers and he grasped the gun as he smiled into her eyes.

"Think you can sit up? Chris, here says he has medicine for you."

Sam nodded and slowly began to move away from him, keeping the sleeping bag around her as she sat up beside Jack. She was almost upright when she became dizzy and started to topple over.

"Whoa! Easy! You ok?" Jack's arms were immediately around her, supporting her and the threat of their unknown visitor temporarily forgotten. Suddenly, he was beside them and Jack let go of Sam pulling the gun from its hiding place to aim it at Chris. "That's close enough! What are you up to?"

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to startle you, Jack. I just wanted to help…Sam needs more medicine."

"Right! I suppose I was calling her name out, too? And I thought it was tea?"

"Well, yes and no." He laughed again, completely unaffected by the gun pointing at him. "Actually Sam told me her name. Didn't you, Sam?"

Sam frowned as she looked at Chris and then back towards Jack. She shrugged her shoulders and furrowed her brow as she tried to remember. "I remember…."

"What? You remember what?" Jack asked quickly, hoping for some answers that made sense.

"I'm not sure…something…" She was quiet for a long time, dropping her eyes to the floor as she dug through the clouded memories in her mind. "Bells. I remember sleigh bells."

"Sleigh bells, Carter?" She shook her head in silent answer. "Well, he did say you were delirious!"

"She's right, Jack, it's just outside."

"So you live on this plan…here? You live here?"

"I come this way every year about this time. It's so beautiful here, quiet and peaceful! Don't get many visitors! That was a pleasant surprise! Come on, have some more tea!"

Sam was almost smiling, completely at ease with the man while Jack was still wary. She reached out for the cup he offered and Jack yelled out. "Carter!"

She looked at him in surprise. "Sir? He said he's been giving it to us and I do feel better, don't you?"

"Yes, but…"

"It's all right, Jack. I promise I mean you no harm. Please?"

Jack slowly lowered the gun and accepted the cup offered to him. Sam was already sipping on hers. It tasted of warm cinnamon and seemed to warm their bodies as they swallowed it.

"Now! Isn't that better?"

"It's ok." Jack mumbled, still questioning everything the man had told them. "How'd you get here? The Stargate's broken. You couldn't have come through it. The chevrons were locked in place by the lightening!"

"Such a skeptic, Jack! Can't you just accept my help and the fact that I am here?"

Sam's head jerked up to look at Jack as he finished his statement and then interrupting Chris, she questioned Jack almost angrily. "What? You didn't tell me that…"

Jack's tone softened. "You were sick, Sam. There was nothing you could do, the DHD was busted and we were…"

Sam looked back into Jack's eyes, tears threatening their boundaries, "…dying. We were dying." She held his gaze locked with hers until he reached a hand out to her and held on. "You said not to let go."

"And you didn't. You're going to be ok. We both are." Suddenly the light in Sam's eyes started to fade and her hands began to shake. She dropped the cup, spilling the last few drops of Chris' tea and then slumped limply to the ground.

"Sam!" Jack tried to jump to his feet but found his legs wouldn't hold him up. As his large frame came crashing back to the ground he reached out to Sam and then looked towards Chris. He was smiling, his eyes were practically dancing with delight and his long beard reflected the glow of the fire. "What'd you do to us?" Jack mumbled the last words as he slipped toward unconsciousness.

"I found you, Jack, that's all…" He lifted their cups from the ground and emptied the kettle that was hanging over the fire, speaking quietly as he moved away. "…found you and saved you. You deserve another chance and I intend to see that you get it. Don't waste it this time, Jack, there may never be another!"

Jack's eyes closed and as he drifted away he could've sworn he heard sleigh bells.

OoOoO

The next thing Jack knew he was being shaken and jostled. Someone was yelling his name. His mind was struggling to function but he was so tired. Was it Sam? Strong hands grabbed his shoulders rolling him over and he suddenly felt the intense cold surround him. "Sam?" He whispered.

"Oh, God! Teal'c! I need blankets! Hurry!"

Something soft surrounded him and he thought he heard Sam groaning. He had to open his eyes and see if she was all right. He struggled against the million tons of weight that rested on his eyes and when he heard her call his name, he pushed harder. Finally, with tears slipping from beneath his lids at the effort, they opened. "Sam?"

"We've got her, Jack! She's going to be all right! And so are you!"

"Daniel?"

"Yeah, it's me, Jack. We're taking you home right now!"

"Daniel Jackson, step aside so that I may carry O'Neill." Teal'c lifted Jack into his arms as if he weighed no more than a child as Jacob lifted Sam and they headed for the cave entrance.

"How the hell did they survive, Teal'c? They should've been frozen long ago!"

"I do not know, but they are alive and we must get them home."

Jacob handed Sam to a waiting Marine and they all started to run. Three hundred yards down the snow-covered path they stopped and gathered in a circle. Jacob pressed a control on his wrist and the light consumed them as the rings activated and transported them to his ship.

OoOoO

Two days later, Jack was again struggling to open his eyes. There were voices and sounds all around him. He was warm and the pain in his chest was gone. "Daniel?"

"Jack! Hey, welcome back! How do you feel?"

"Back?" Jack was obviously still a bit confused. Daniel was rattling off conversation too fast for him to comprehend but he could hear Teal'c speaking softly beside him.

"Open your eyes, O'Neill. We are here."

Slowly his eyelids fluttered and then opened, blinking at the brilliant light of the infirmary. Daniel reached across him and he heard the click of a switch behind him.

"Try it now, Jack. I dimmed the lights."

Jack's eyes opened and a half crooked smile lit his face. "Hey, guys."

"It is good to see you, O'Neill."

"Thanks, T, you, too." Jack blinked and suddenly his mind cleared. Sam wasn't with him. His eyes flew open again, panic clearly evident as he tried to sit up. "Sam! Where's Sam?"

Daniel's hands were pressing on his shoulders as he stared down at him. "Easy, Jack! She's ok. She's right there, sleeping. See?" Daniel pointed to the bed next to him and Jack turned towards her motionless form. Daniel released Jack as he felt him relax and then exchanged a pointed look with Teal'c.

"Is she ok?"

"Yeah. Seems to be. She's just sleeping. What happened, Jack?"

"How did you find us?" Jack demanded.

"Um, Jacob brought us in on an Al'kesh from a nearby planet. Then we just searched until we found you. It's a miracle you're alive, Jack. No fire, no food! Just curled up together in those sleeping bags! How did you survive?"

Jack turned a confused stare on Daniel and then looked back at Sam. "I don't know, Daniel. I don't know." He watched her for a few more moments and then spoke again. "Where's the Doc? Why isn't Sam awake? And where's Jacob? Was he with you when you found us?"

"Yeah. He went down to see Hammond."

"He should be here. Sam almost died!" Anger was pouring out of him now, as he watched Sam sleeping peacefully in the next bed. He felt the helpless feelings returning as he watched her, willing her to open her eyes.

"What happened, Jack? Can you tell us what happened?"

Jack glanced at him for only a moment before returning his watchful gaze to Sam. His mind wandered over the latest memories. Lightening, rain, cold and finally snow. The cave was dark and cold around them with no wood for the fire. Sam was so sick and then he was sick, too. They were both dying and he couldn't stop it. Curling up next to her, waiting, just waiting to die. Total darkness. Peace. And then, Chris. Again, he met Daniel's eyes and studied the concerned look on his friend's face. He wouldn't tell them. Not all of it anyway, just what they needed to know.

"Lightening. Lightening struck the gate and the DHD. Carter was sick…I went back for her. The wormhole shut down before I could get us through."

"That's it?" Daniel asked in amazement.

"Pretty much."

"Jack, you were gone ten days. Ten days! How are you alive?"

"You sound disappointed, Daniel."

"No, of course not! Just…it's just hard to figure out…how. Jacob is gonna have some questions, too, Jack. The way we found you."

Jack tilted his head and crunched his eyebrows down towards his eyes. "What?"

Daniel glanced at Teal'c for help but the big Jaffa was silent. "You were…well, all your clothes were spread out around where the fire had been and you and Sam…were sort of…tangled up together. We had to pull you apart."

Jack was still for a long, uncomfortable moment as he stared at Daniel, almost daring him to draw his own conclusions. Finally, he answered angrily. "I told you Sam was sick. We were wet, Daniel and freezing. We were trying to stay warm and…alive."

"Ok, Jack. I just thought I'd warn you about Jacob."

Suddenly, Jack was moving, pulling IV's out of his arm and getting out of bed. Alarms sounded as the fluids spilled out onto the bed and floor. "Do you think I give a rat's ass what Jacob has to say? Daniel, shut that off!"

"Where are you going, Jack?"

"I wanna see Sam."

"But Jack, she's right there!"

"I need to be closer, Daniel. Either help me or get out of my way!" The two men steadied him as he placed wobbly legs onto the floor and took tentative steps toward Sam's bed. When he reached her, he grasped her wrist and then slid one hand softly along her arm. She was warm and breathing but he still wanted her to wake up. "Sam? Can you hear me? Time to wake up." She didn't move and Daniel finally convinced him to get back in bed.

"She probably just needs the rest, Jack. Her body needs to recover. You said she was sick."

"Yeah, she was. Very sick."

"Well, I think we should let you both rest. We'll come back later, ok?"

"Ok, guys and thanks." The two men nodded and left the infirmary. Jack settled in, turning on his side to watch Sam.

There were other visitors before the day was over. Each one inquiring how they'd managed to survive and expressing their happiness that they had made it back, safe and mostly sound. Finally, the infirmary lights dimmed and the noise lessened as everyone either left for the day or settled in for the night. Jack lay still in his bed waiting until he could hear no one moving and then he climbed out and crossed the distance to Sam's bed.

He took her hand in his and squeezed it gently. "Sam? Come on, Sam, wake up!" He whispered only loud enough for her to hear. Then he suddenly remembered Chris and the tea. He wasn't even sure it was real. He didn't know what had happened to them, how they had survived, maybe Sam did. As he watched her, he remembered the question Chris had asked, "How do you usually wake her?" Jack stared at her for a few minutes and then leaned in to kiss her forehead. She was warm and soft, not hot the way she'd been in the cave. He didn't pull away but kept spreading warm kisses over all her face, her eyelids, her nose and cheeks, finally brushing lightly against her lips and whispering. "Sam? Come on, honey, time to wake up."

His lips were pressed against her temple when she opened her eyes. "Jack?"

"Hey!" He pulled back and let her see his grinning face.

"We were…" She stopped and stared into his eyes, panic rising in the blue depths of her own.

"No." He shook his head as he spoke. "We're ok. We're home, Sam. Everything's ok, I just wanted you to wake up. I wanted to be sure."

She nodded her head in understanding and squeezed his hand. "Chris?"

"Uh, no. I wasn't sure that was real. I'm still not actually. Your Dad and the guys found us. No one else was there."

Confusion spread across her face. "But he helped us, he saved us…."

"I didn't tell them, Sam and I'm not going to. I don't think it was real."

"But we both…"

"Just rest, ok. We'll talk when we get out of here." He raised a hand indicating the infirmary. "Are you warm?"

"Yeah, feels good."

Jack laughed. "I know. Go back to sleep. I'm sorry for waking you." He pressed his lips against her forehead again and started to move away but her eyes didn't leave him.

"Jack?" She whispered and he turned back towards her. "Don't leave me."

"Never." He patted the mattress of his bed. "I'll be right here, Sam." Then he smiled warmly at her.

"Too far." She whispered.

"I know. Try to sleep." She nodded her head and turned to watch as he crawled into bed and turned to face her. "Night, Carter."

"Night…Sir."

TBC