A N: I've edited this now! I know things are mentioned that we did not explicitly see in the episode, but I don't think it is too far fetched.

Anyways, enjoy! Let me know what you think!

Emancipation

The inner shock of watching Carter get fixed up by the new doctor, who he thinks name is Frasier, was still dwelling in the depths of his stomach. He reckoned getting drilled by General Hammond about leaving Carter while they all partied round the fire was going to be the worst consequence of coming home. He was wrong.

He tries to shake the memory of SG1 walking back to the gate. Despite his years of military experience, he didn't seem to clock the fact that his second in command was experiencing extreme discomfort, it took an hour into their walk back to the gate for him to realise. He was annoyed at himself, oddly frustrated with Carter but also pretty damn impressed. However, he could see that this whole 'brave solider' thing is going to be an issue. Once he noticed her winces, he ordered a break, pulled her aside and did what he could do for her. The experience of seeing to her injuries tore him up inside, he forgot she was only human because within the past few months that he'd known her she seemed like this invincible form of brilliance. In every sense of the word. But seeing her bruised, cut, and infected flesh told him he needed a slap of reality. The rest of the journey back to the gate was humbling as he supported her, he noticed Daniel and Teal'c tailing at a respectable distance but clearly ready to be of assistance if necessary. As soon as they arrived on Earth, Jack ensured that she was taken to the infirmary and seen by Doctor Frasier immediately. He gave Carter some privacy and went to go face the fury of General Hammond, the address made him feel like an incompetent cadet who hadn't ironed his uniform. Apart from this situation was worse. Far worse.

She spent the first night in the infirmary which meant Jack did too, he took a mental note of getting some chairs that are built for real people to sit in.

Days had passed and everybody faced consequences that followed from what Hammond called 'negligence'. Jack knew he had let her down and made a huge mistake, Daniel was eating away at himself for telling her to go along with their culture and Teal'c felt unworthy of her trust. Sam did not blame them though, sadly she accepted this came with the territory. Her forgiving nature made the team feel worse. But from day 1 they quickly learnt that Carter is not one to hold a grudge. Jack didn't expect to warm up to his team in the way that he had. Daniel and Teal'c, though literally coming from two different worlds, had become easy to get along with and relate to. Carter was still trying to prove herself to him, he wondered when she'd come to the realisation that she doesn't need to prove anything. Oh and she laughs at his jokes, what more could you ask for?

It was 21:00 hours, Jack rubbed his eyes as he exited his meeting with Hammond about his upcoming mission. He was pleased to have been informed that Captain Carter was now cleared for active duty. Jack made his way across the base, he arrived at level 25 and yawned. Though his brain was making it's way to sleep, he suddenly heard a sound and instantly paused and pivoted at full alert. The sound was familiar, he'd heard that short cry when he was treating Captain Carter for her wounds on the way back to the gate. He walked up to her door and placed his ear to it, he could hear mumbling but couldn't quite make out what was going on there.

He knocked on the door. "Carter you in there?" Stupid question, she obviously was.

"Hey Captain, you alright?" he knocks again. She moans and begins to murmur again, but he still had no idea of what is going on. He could make out that she was distressed and he had an idea what about. The airmen stood seemed to be quite nonchalant, 'oh screw it' he says to himself.

"I'm coming in." Jack announced and opened the door to Carter's room. He saw her and winced in sympathy. Her hair, rinsed sweat, was mopping around her bedsheets as she tossed and turned. Evidently, she was having a nightmare. He closed the door behind him and made his way over to her bed.

'No stop please' she begged the air. He placed a hand on her shoulder but she began to panic.

"Hey Carter" he gently nudges. She continued to tremble, a drop of liquid landed on his arm: tears or sweat, he was unsure. "Hey wake up." He lightly shook her. Her breathing became erratic, and her body was fighting the air above her again.

"Sam it's me, it's just a dream." Suddenly, her hand clasped onto his arm with a grip he intends to congratulate her on later, her then body bounced up as she panted.

"Hey, you alright?" He asks, her hand still grasping his arm as his hand supported her shoulder.

Confused, she turned to him bewildered she gasps. "Colonel O'Neill?!" She squinted and studied his face as if she was expecting him to become somebody else.

"The one and only." He replied with half a smile.

"S-s-" He stopped her and reached for the bottle of water on the chair opposite her bed, she drinks three quarters of the bottle in a matter of seconds. "Thank you. Sir, what's going on? Is everything alright?"

"Yeah everything's fine, I was just checking on you."

"Why? I'm alright sir."

He looked at her doubtfully, his eyes darted to her soaked bedding. She looked down and turned her face ashamed.

"Hey, it's just a little sweat, it's not I've never been in wrestling match with you before." She was still hiding her face. "Nothing to hide here Sam, I didn't come in to check out your bed sheets anyways." She revealed her tired face, she wasn't as flustered anymore.

"It was just a dream sir, really nothing to be concerned about."

"It wasn't just a dream though was it? Look, you don't have to tell me the details Captain because we both know these dreams are normal for somebody in our line of work, but if you need anyone to talk to… I'm here."

"This doesn't usually happen you know; I do sleep fine."

"You don't have to do this now, it's late, you can cut the act."

"What act sir?"

"Your… you know, your act. I know it's a defense, but you don't have to justify anything to me. I've trespassed into your personal quarters in the middle of the night, if anything I should be trying to impress you." She laughed, he got up and passed her a hand towel.

"You know you might want to wash your face, it helps."

"I know."

"Sometimes I take a cold shower, but then I can't get back to sleep."

"A lot of the time I don't want to."

"What shower?" He asks confused, she laughed shaking her head as she dabbed her neck with the towel.

"No sir, I meant sleep." He grimaced in acknowledgement. There was a silence between them, there had been a heavy sense of uncertainly within Jack. She knew what about. "He didn't rape me sir."

"So you and your medical records say."

"So I'm okay." She said, with feigned encouragement.

"Sam. Just because he didn't completely exploit you, doesn't mean you have to be okay." He carefully replied. They both were concentrating on their own hands. Unsure of what to say, they looked up in unison and he apologetically asked, "What exactly happened between you both?"

"It's in my mission report sir."

"I've been around long enough to know that when women are POW or captured, when it comes to mission reports they just say what is necessary. Speaking as your CO, I need to know that you're okay."

"Thank you sir, but I am okay sir." He observed her for a couple of seconds. Their were eyes locked, on the 3rd second he could see something drop. As if he had just unlocked a level, a level of vulnerability.

Sam swallowed her pride and quietly continued. "Well as you know, he kissed me."

"How many times?"

"I don't think that matters sir."

"It does to me."

"A few." She looked down shamefully. He shuffled a little closer, but kept a res[ectable distance. She hugged her legs up to her chest, he sat opposite her, his legs hanging off the side of the bed.

"Did he do anything else?"

"He was going to do everything else that evening, but you guys came and got me."

"Did he assault you?"

"Sir?"

"I'm not going to file anything Captain, I just need to know what happened. But I'm not going to force you so if you want me to leave just say the word."

"He groped me once."

Son of a bitch he thought but knew better not to say. In fact, there was not really anything he could say.

"I'm so sorry that I let you down Sam. Trust is key in a team, I should have had one of us around for back up, I don't know what I was thinking."

"Sir you have nothing to apologise for, you had no idea that any of that was going to happen. It was bad luck."

"You can say that again." He ran his hands through his hair and examined her quarters, they were in immaculate condition as expected, however she had a little bit of the Carter touch here and there. "You know there's ice cream on base."

"Yes sir, I had some the other day after lunch."

"They don't ever lock up the kitchen properly at night because they're fed up of officers breaking in to steal the ice cream." She looks at him perplexed. "When I have one of these nights, I find eating ice cream helps, we both know after I order you to get some sleep that you won't be able to get back to sleep, and if you do this may happen again. So yeah… ice cream."

"Are you suggesting that I sneak into the commissary and steal the SGC's ice cream sir?"

"Hey, you try going there, I'll bet you a dime you won't be the only one in there."

"Well thank you for the suggestion Colonel."

"Anytime Captain, anytime." He stands up and smiles at her. "Now go wash your face and get some rest, and if you can't do that…"

"Steal some ice cream?"

"You're a fast learner."

"So I'm told sir."

"Night Captain."

"Night sir." He walks over to open the door, "Oh, Colonel?

"Yeah?"

"Thank you." He nodded at her. He paused and felt a rush of compassion for her as he studied her features.

"You gonna be okay?"

She nods, then shoots him a grin, "Colonel I had 100 hours in enemy air airspace during the Golf War remember, I think I'm gonna be okay for the night."

He laughs, "Oh I remember." They take a moment as their smiles fade down, "G'night Carter."

"Night sir."

After Jack left she pondered for a few minutes, this wasn't her first or worst nightmare and it certainly wouldn't be the last, not with her job. But moments like that seemed to always temporarily erase all the pain, sleepless nights, doubts, fear of never coming home again. All of that is put away in a little box because she wasn't the only one who had those problems, they all did. For all she knew Daniel could have just woken up in a sweaty mess. But that's okay, because it was always okay for as long as you had a reason to keep going.

With a sigh of relief she blinked, and by the time she had opened her eyes it was 0600 hours. She had slept blissfully for a few hours.