A/N: Poopoo, on all of you who read but don't review! You're just lucky that I'm impatient to post the end of this...and that The Walrus and the Carpenter is a long poem!

I know very little about how my military operates in other countries (hense the LACK of information about their location and such)...and I have not a clue what an Iraqi city looks like (except with the news reports, of course), but I'm guessing it looks WAY worse than the utopia Gwena grew up in.

When the plane landed in the US Air Force base, Jack had retreated back into himself despite all of Sam's efforts while Gwena was nearly bursting at the seams to find out why they had traveled half way across Earth. Because of the different mindsets of her two companions, Sam was left to make sure all of their arrangements were set.

Considering she didn't know the real reason why they were there, all Sam was able to do was make sure the base had two rooms available for the three of them (Sam was staying with Gwena to keep a constant eye on the girl).

They settled down for the night, as they arrived at 2200 hours, and the three of them went off to bed to get a 'nice long rest' before Jack revealed the reason why the trio had traveled half way across the planet.

It was nearing midnight when Sam heard a muffled scream coming from Jack's room next to Gwena and hers. She was awake instantly and ran to Jack's room to find out what ailed her commander.

Sam burst through the door to Jack's room to find him thrashing on the bed, wailing as quietly as he could. She may not have been in Iraq with him the first time, and she may not have had much experience with them herself – but Sam recognized a nightmare when she saw one.

Knowing not to come close enough for him to touch her, she racked her mind for something to wake him up. She did the first thing that came to mind: she started to recite her favorite poem from when she was a child:

"The sun was shining on the sea,
Shining with all his might:
He did his very best to make
The billows smooth and bright -
And this was odd, because it was
The middle of the night.

The moon was shining sulkily,
Because she thought the sun
Had got no business to be there
After the day was done -
'It's very rude of him,' she said,
'To come and spoil the fun!'

The sea was wet as wet could be,
The sands were dry as dry.
You could not see a cloud, because
No cloud was in the sky:
No birds were flying overhead -
There were no birds to fly.

The Walrus and the Carpenter
Were walking close at hand;
They wept like anything to see
Such quantities of sand:
'If this were only cleared away,'
They said, 'it would be grand!'

'If seven maids with seven mops
Swept it for half a year,
Do you suppose,' the Walrus said,
'That they could get it clear?'
'I doubt it,' said the Carpenter,
And shed a bitter tear..."

Sam trailed off as Jack began to awaken and sat up in his bed. He was breathing heavily and his eyes weren't focused, but as Sam stepped toward him slowly, she continued to recite the famous rhyme;

"'O Oysters, come and walk with us!'
The Walrus did beseech,
'A pleasant walk, a pleasant talk,
Along the briny beach:
We cannot do with more than four,
To give a hand to each.'

The eldest Oyster looked at him,
But never a word he said:
The eldest Oyster winked his eye,
And shook his heavy head -
Meaning to say he did not choose
To leave the oyster-bed.

But four young Oysters hurried up,
All eager for the treat:
Their coats were brushed, their faces washed,
Their shoes were clean and neat -
And this was odd, because, you know,
They hadn't any feet…"

This time when she faded off with the rhyme, it was because she was standing right beside Jack and he was staring right into her eyes – not through her as he would if he was still stuck in the past, but at her.

Without saying a word she moved closer and he hugged her for all he was worth, burying his head into her stomach. He did a very strange thing that night, with his head so intimately close to Sam's breasts – he started to cry.

"Don't stop," he whispered. Sam nodded, silently and began to recite again The Walrus and the Carpenter…

"Four other Oysters followed them,
And yet another four;
And thick and fast they came at last,
And more, and more, and more -
All hopping through the frothy waves,
And scrambling to the shore.

The Walrus and the Carpenter
Walked on a mile or so,
And then they rested on a rock
Conveniently low:
And all the little Oysters stood
And waited in a row…"

Jack started whispering the next part with Sam,

"'The time has come,' the Walrus said,
'To talk of many things:
Of shoes - and ships - and sealing-wax -
Of cabbages - and kings -
And why the sea is boiling hot -
And whether pigs have wings.'

'But wait a bit,' the Oysters cried,
'Before we have our chat;
For some of us are out of breath,
And all of us are fat!'
'No hurry,' said the Carpenter.
They thanked him much for that.

'A loaf of bread,' the Walrus said,
'Is what we chiefly need:
Pepper and vinegar besides
Are very good indeed -
Now if you're ready, Oysters dear,
We can begin to feed.'

'But not on us!' the Oysters cried,
Turning a little blue.
'After such kindness, that would be
A dismal thing to do!'
'The night is fine,' the Walrus said.
'Do you admire the view?

It was so kind of you to come!
And you are very nice!'
The Carpenter said nothing but
'Cut us another slice:
I wish you were not quite so deaf -
I've had to ask you twice!'"

Sam's voice trailed off as Jack continued the end of the story on his own;

"'It seems a shame,' the Walrus said,
'To play them such a trick,
After we've brought them out so far,
And made them trot so quick!'
The Carpenter said nothing but
'The butter's spread too thick!'

'I weep for you,' the Walrus said:
'I deeply sympathize.'
With sobs and tears he sorted out
Those of the largest size,
Holding his pocket-handkerchief
Before his streaming eyes.

'O Oysters,' said the Carpenter,
'You've had a pleasant run!
Shall we be trotting home again?'
But answer came there none -
And this was scarcely odd, because
They'd eaten every one."

He stopped at the end of the rhyme and the two stood like that for a long while, neither really feeling the time pass, just relishing in the close contact that came with Sam's hands gently stroking Jack's hair and back, while his arms wrapped around her waist to gather there, holding her close.

"Thank you," he whispered. "That was Charlie's favorite story…"

"Shh, it's okay, Jack. It's okay now," Sam cooed as she stroked his head. She was shocked that Jack was so…touchy and open about his thoughts just then. Sam couldn't remember ever seeing him like that before. Frankly, this side of him scared her a little – a lot more than harsh, rude Jack had when he was undercover for the Asgard and the Tollan to uncover that thief a few months back.

Gwena watched the interaction from the doorway. She'd been awoken when Sam had jumped out of bed and ran out of the room into Jack's. Just watching the way the two acted around each other, she wondered how deep their feelings really ran. Having not received much love growing up – most of it at the end of a ten-foot stick, she was shocked to see that there really was love in the universe…and it could be an unselfish love, too.

A/N: A long chapter for all of you who begged for it. Now! Leave me in peace with LOTS AND LOTS of reviews so that I know what you guys want to happen and think will happen.

P.S. I really like The Walrus and the Carpenter. It's a great poem. And Alice in Wonderland is a great story.