A/N: As I said at the beginning, this part is my episode tag for "Grace". Colonel O'Neill's reaction when Carter called him "Jack" when she woke up in the infirmary always bugged me. So, the incident with the stones from the tropical planet made Sam and Jack more aware of their feelings and this is how I think the ending of "Grace" should have played out.

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Daniel Jackson jogged the last few stepped and slid into the elevator beside Jack O'Neill just before the door closed.

Daniel glanced sideways at his friend, unsure whether he should say anything or not. "You, um, hear about Sam?" He finally asked.

"Yeah," Jack replied.

"It doesn't sound good."

"18 hours past due for a contact, yeah, I'd say something went wrong." Jack said, anger and sarcasm mingling equally in his voice.

The two stood in uncomfortable silence for a moment before Daniel spoke. "Well, anyway I put together a list of planets with Stargates that are in range of the Prometheus' route. General Hammond agreed to send SG teams to all of them, including us."

"Why?" O'Neill asked.

"Well, if something went wrong maybe they would have been able to get to a planet with a stargate."

"At which time they would have gated home!" Jack said angrily.

"Well, not necessarily, Jack. I mean they may not know where the stargate is, it may be buried, it may take them awhile to get to the gate, any number of things..."

"Sounds like a long shot," Jack said miserably.

"Well, at least its..."

"What? What is it, Daniel?"

"Well at least its something. Instead of just hanging around here, at least we would be doing something."

Jack looked at Daniel for a moment and then nodded slightly. The archeologist was right, at least he would be doing something instead sitting here helplessly wondering what happened to Carter.

After four days of searching for the Promethius, or from Jack's perspective, searching for Carter, the ship made it back to Earth and within a short time of their arrival, Major Carter was in the infirmary deep within Cheyenne Mountain.

After several hours of unconsciousness, Major Carter opened her eyes and blinked several times. She was unsure whether she was really home or this was another hallucination.

"Hey," Colonel O'Neill said as he realized she was awake.

"Jack?"

Jack stood up and walked over to Sam's bed. He took her hand in both of his. "I'm here, Sam." He said softly.

"How long was I out there?"

"It's all relative Carter, that whole time-space continuum thing."

"Sir..."

"Four days."

"It felt like weeks."

"Yeah, well, it kinda felt like weeks to me too." He let go of her hand as he realized he was still holding it. Feeling a little awkward, he tried to change the subject.

"Um, Teal'c and Daniel say hi, uh, they're planning a little bit of a shindig for when you're up and around. There's talk of cake."

"Cake?" She said with a weak smile.

"My idea."

"Can't wait."

"Need anything? Magazine, yo-yo?"

"Some water."

Jack moved to the tray that was near Sam's bed and picked up the plastic glass filled with water and held the bendable straw to her mouth. After a couple sips she thanked him and he replaced the water glass.

"Anything else?" He asked.

"I'm fine."

"Yes, you are." Jack looked at Sam for a moment. "I'm just gonna go... um..,"

"Sir? Stay, please?"

Jack pulled his chair up closer to Sam's bed and sat down. He could see her visibly relax as he sat down near her bed.

Sam heard a little girl's voice singing "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star"...just before she drifted off to sleep.

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