A/N: There are no TWs for this chapter.
The ride to her house was more exhausting than Sam expected. By the time Jack had parked, she didn't even feel like putting up a fight when he didn't wait for Daniel or Teal'c. Instead, he simply lifted her into his arms and strode into the house. She did protest when he settled her onto the couch and reached to take off her shoes.
"I'm not that much of an invalid," she grumbled, batting his hands away.
He chuckled lightly before going to help Daniel and Teal'c carry in her things. Janet had sent a wheelchair, along with a pair of crutches for when Sam was up to putting weight on her leg. She was under strict orders to finish letting her wrist heal before attempting to use them. Sam might have pushed herself before, but right now she hurt too much to even think about trying them. Janet had weaned her off the IV narcotics a few days ago, and the last shot of Torodol was quickly fading.
"You need a pain pill?" Jack asked, obviously noticing her grimace.
Sam thought about playing the hero, then decided against it. Staying ahead of the pain meant her body could heal faster, so she nodded and gratefully accepted the medicine and a glass of water when he handed it to her a minute later.
"Looks like you need groceries," Daniel mused as he opened her refrigerator and cabinets. "Teal'c and I can pick some stuff up. Anything specific you want?"
"Fruit, granola bars, and Diet Coke," she told him with a smile. "Oh, and a pint of mint chocolate chip."
"Got it," Daniel scribbled the list out onto a piece of paper and added a few more items. "I'll grab some snacks for us, too. Jack, you want anything?"
"I'm good," Jack responded from the kitchen. "I just need to grab my bag out of the truck before you leave."
"We'll be back in a while," Daniel told her. He paused, his eyes looking over her from head to toe before he added, "I'm so glad you're okay, Sam." Emotion made his voice shake the tiniest amount.
"Me too," Sam responded, her own tone gruff with emotion. These men were her family. Her strength.
Teal'c inclined his head deeply. The look on his face conveying his emotions more than words ever could.
Once they left, Jack continued putting things away. Sam was a little shocked at how he knew where everything belonged without asking, but then she realized someone had to have been watering her plants and picking up the mail. In fact, all of the things she had bought with Janet and Cassie were put up. She'd also bet her new bed was put together and waiting for her. She had been letting Cassie unbox stuff when—Sam sucked in a sharp breath at the memory.
"Carter? You okay?" Jack called from the back.
"Yes," she forced the word past her lips, not wanting to alarm him. Taking a calming breath, she reminded herself that she was safe now. Cassie was safe.
"I put your clothes away," Jack told her as he walked into the living room. "Sorry if they're not in the right drawers."
"Thanks," she smiled despite the turmoil rolling through her. Since waking up after the attack, everyone had been careful not to say anything that would upset her. Sam had been fine with not talking about what had happened because she was frustrated by all the sympathy and pity from the nursing staff, but suddenly she wanted to know. She needed to know.
"What happened to him?" She blurted out the question. "I remember he ran," she added as Jack turned around slowly to face her. She didn't need to explain who she meant.
"We don't have to talk about it right now," Jack hedged. "You just got home. Let's get you settled in."
"No," she shook her head, assuming it wasn't good news. If Pete had been arrested, Jack would simply tell her. Since he was avoiding the question, she could only assume the worst. "I need to know."
Jack sighed. "He's in the wind. After the bastard ran away, he went into hiding and we couldn't find him." The look on his face sent chills down her spine. She knew exactly what would have happened if Jack had been able to find Pete.
"He has connections," Sam mused out loud, remembering how he'd brag about the associations he made while undercover in Denver. "He probably called in a few favors and went to ground."
Jack nodded. "Hammond sent a team to sniff around in Denver, but they didn't find anything useful. The police aren't being very forthcoming and haven't been inclined to help much." Despite rushing to alert O'Neill of Pete's plans for Sam, Hyme hadn't escaped punishment. He and the chief of police had been suspended without pay, pending an internal investigation.
"You mean domestic violence isn't high on their list of priorities," Sam countered, knowing Hammond would keep the full extent of the attack classified for now.
"He attacked an officer in the United States Air Force," Jack sat down in the chair adjacent to the couch. "Trust me, that counts for something. But the police don't have any credible leads and we don't have a way to scan the entire Earth and locate his sorry ass. I'd ask Thor, but…" Jack made a motion with his hands.
Sam snorted. She knew if Hammond would authorize it, Jack would make good on contacting the Asgard. She also knew he was the only man on the planet capable of pulling something like that off. That he'd be willing to do it for her spoke volumes.
"There's something else I wanted to ask you," Sam told him cautiously to gauge his demeanor. She wanted to finally talk to him about what had happened. Specifically, what had been said while they'd been held captive. It was a conversation she'd been eagerly awaiting, but now that they were alone and could talk, she was suddenly nervous. She remembered the moment they shared vividly, but her own insecurities came flooding back as her inner voice warned that she may have misinterpreted what transpired between them.
Jack nodded once, his face giving nothing away as to his thoughts, so she gathered up her courage and tried to put her question into words. "When he—" she shook her head and tried again. "When the acid—" she stammered, memories of what she'd endured tore through her mind. "He made you say—"
"I meant it," Jack interrupted her.
Sam's entire world crumbled at the memory of Jack saying he didn't love her. He would never love her.
"I was terrified you'd only hear my words," his hands were suddenly on hers as he leaned forward, looking into her eyes. "But I promised a long time ago that I'd never lose faith in you again. And at that moment, I gambled that you'd never lose faith in me."
Sam breathed out, feeling her entire world shift into a new orbit.
"But I'll understand if you don't feel the same way," he looked away and started to pull back and Sam could see his walls rising in defense.
Sam's hands tightened on his, refusing to let him pull away. At the soft tug, his eyes snapped to hers. She tugged on him again, urging him forward until she could frame his face with her hands. Guiding him forward, she brought him close, pausing to allow their lips to hover without quite touching.
"Jack," she breathed out, searching his gaze and allowing him to finally see the depth of her love. She felt his smile as she closed the distance between them.
It was a first, Sam realized as electricity sparked between them in a new way. Their first kiss with no doubts hanging between them. Just acceptance that the bond they shared was deeper than anything she had ever experienced.
She felt his tongue trace her lips and eagerly welcomed his sensual invasion. One hand dropped from his face to snake under the back of his shirt. The feel of his bare skin made them both moan as she urged him closer still. He pivoted up, pressing her back into the soft cushions of the couch and Sam longed for his familiar weight as he moved over her. Her legs automatically widened to accommodate his hips, but as he settled against her, the sudden compression of her wound made her whimper and try to shift her hips away from him.
"Ah," she winced when there was no escape from the pressure.
"Oh, hell," Jack was off of her instantly, pulling her shirt up to inspect the damage. "Carter, I'm sorry."
Sam glanced down, thankful to see her large bandage was still in place, preventing him from seeing the permanent damage to her skin. And with Jack's weight gone, the discomfort subsided almost instantly. But at the look on his face, combined with the way his hair was standing every which way, she couldn't help but giggle. He looked on the verge of being well-ravished and it filled her with feminine joy to know she was the reason for it.
Jack raised his eyebrow at her reaction, which only made her giggle harder.
"Oww," she groaned as the laughter made her abdominal muscles tighten. She clasped a hand over her bandage, trying to stabilize her core as the giggles slowly subsided.
"Are you okay?" One of Jack's hands covered hers on her abdomen. The action was incredibly tender, but she couldn't help her involuntary flinch away from his touch. Jack pulled back immediately, giving her an understanding smile.
Sam knew he assumed he'd caused her discomfort, but also knew he had no clue it wasn't the physical kind. The idea of Jack seeing the evidence of her torture made Sam uneasy. The thought of him touching it, made her sick. Logically, she knew Jack had already seen Pete's name branded into her skin. Hell, he'd watched as the word had been slowly etched into her.
But Sam had been careful not to allow anyone other than Janet and the nurses to see the disfigurement; and then only when a dressing change was necessary. She was having a hard time coming to terms with the physical reminder of what had happened. It disgusted her. Her weakness disgusted her. And the idea that Jack would be reminded of how stupid she had been, made her want to run and hide.
"We're back!" Daniel's voice called cheerily, followed by his knock on the front door.
Jack smirked at Sam, unaware of the turmoil rolling through her. Shaking off her own insecurity, she rolled her eyes at their friend's actions. They both knew the reason for Danny's caution.
"You can come in!" Sam called with a rueful shake of her head. Had it not been for her injuries, she and Jack would have been making out on the couch.
The door eased open a bit and Daniel stuck his head through and looked around. "Just checking," he winked before opening it fully and carrying a few bags of groceries inside. Teal'c followed, his own arms overflowing with shopping bags, but he too sported a rare smile.
The guys quickly put away groceries and fixed dinner, falling back into their regular team dynamics without so much as a hiccup. No one mentioned Sam's physical limitations and, for a while, she was actually able to forget about them. It also allowed Jack a chance to relax. Having been on edge for the better part of a month was slowly taking its toll. But he'd actually been able to genuinely smile most of the afternoon. His team was together, Sam was safe, and he knew they were finally on the same page. There were still loose ends to tie up, namely one, but Jack wasn't overly worried. It was only a matter of time.
When Sam stifled her third yawn in less than fifteen minutes, he knew it was time they called it a night. It was understandable that Danny and T wanted to linger; they'd been almost as frantic as Jack while Sam was recovering in the infirmary. However, after having dinner and filling her in on the most recent SGC gossip, Jack decided it was time for them to make a quick exit.
"Carter needs her rest," Jack declared, not willing to count on Daniel taking a less subtle hint.
"I'm fine," Sam said, ruining her weak protest by yawning again. At Jack's slightly raised eyebrow, she laughed and waved him off. "Alright, alright, I am tired."
"It is good to see you happy once again," Teal'c told her as he rose from the chair.
"Thanks Teal'c," Sam smiled brightly up at him. "It's good to feel happy again."
"You had us worried there for a while," Daniel leaned down and pulled her into a gentle hug. "Try not to do it again. Okay?" He whispered into her ear.
"I'll try," Sam hugged him back as tightly as she could.
Once they left, Jack locked her front door. He also took the time to double check each window and door. With Pete still on the run, he couldn't be too careful. He seriously doubted the guy was still in Colorado, but then he'd also underestimated the level of depravity the man had been capable of. Jack did not want to underestimate him again.
"Hey," Sam called to him, sensing the shift in him from relaxed to on guard. "You okay?"
"Yah," he replied, coming to stand before her. "Just old habits. Let's get you ready for bed."