Thank you all - so much - for the continuing lovely reviews! This story is a bit different than any other I've done. It's the first without Jack's POV - it's written solely with Sam's POV. It's a bit tricky for me, but nice to try something new. It's also the only story where I've gotten ahead on chapters and haven't posted them immediately. So, you can expect regular updates.

I'm also working on my other stories and will post more chapters tomorrow.

Stay safe, stay well - and remember the 3 rules: wear a mask, wash you hands, stay distant! Let's keep everyone safe!

Sam felt a presence and slowly opened her eyes. Another alien was standing beside the lounge chair. It – no, he smiled at her. At least they seemed like happy people, she thought.

"Uh – hi. What's your name?"

Of course he didn't answer, but instead gestured to something beside her. She sat up and noticed that a small table had been brought out, and on it sat a selection of food and drink. Most of it didn't look familiar, but it also didn't look bad, In fact it looked like a variety of strange fruits and vegetables, with some kind of protein on the side.

"Thank you," she smiled. She found that she was ravenously hungry and hoped that the food didn't make her sick. She was also thirsty and reached out for a glass full of some kind of pale pink liquid.

One sip had her sitting back in awe. It was one of the most delicious things she'd ever tasted. She thought back to Urgo and chuckled. She wondered briefly if the drink really was delicious or if the aliens were controlling her mind and making her think it was. Either way, it didn't matter as she began to eat.

"It's wonderful," she told the alien man, barely stopping eating to say something. She couldn't get over how good everything tasted, although part of that could also have been because she'd barely eaten over the last few weeks.

As she slowed down and neared the end of her meal, she regarded the man who waited patiently for her to finish. It dawned on her that she was starting to be able to see differences in the aliens, and that this one was young. She had no idea what their lifespan was, but she thought he looked like he would be a teenager if he'd been human.

There was a sweetness and innocence to him, a desire to please, that endeared her to this young man.

"I'm going to call you Danny," she told him, "after a friend of mine. You remind me of him when I first got to know him. Of course, now he's a lot older and has a family of his own. So Danny – that was really good. Thank you!" She gestured to the almost empty table and smiled. That drew a huge smile and nod in return. He was pleased she had enjoyed the meal.

"Well, at least we're able to communicate a bit," she said. "Now – I need to find a little girl's room and I have no idea how I'm going to get that across to you. I have a suspicion that this may get very embarrassing for both of us!"

Danny reached over and picked up the tray and gave her another smile and turned and left. Sam sighed and stood up. She really needed to find a bathroom, because right now the bushes were looking awfully appealing.

She'd taken a few steps back to the building, when another alien started walking towards her. When she got closer Sam was convinced it was the one she'd named Marie.

"Marie! So nice to see you. Uh – can I ask you where I can find a bathroom?" She knew the alien didn't understand, but the silence felt strange so Sam found herself talking in spite of the inability of the others to understand.

Marie smiled – of course she did – and gestured for Sam to follow her. They walked back into the building, and stopped two doors before Jack's room. Marie gestured for her to enter.

"Well thank God!" she said. Although the facilities looked different from those on Earth, it was very clearly a bathroom. Marie spent a few moments showing her how things worked, for which she was very grateful – although her bladder was calling to her to cut the conversation short.

At the end the alien woman opened a cupboard and inside were stacks of soft towels and what looked like more of the robes everyone, including Sam, were wearing. She then nodded and headed towards the door, leaving Sam to enjoy the facilities.

Once finished using the alien toilet, Sam chuckled. What a day this had been. She looked longingly at the bathtub – deeper and more luxurious than any she had seen on Earth. Marie had shown her how to get water, so she decided to take a bath. First, however, she had to check on Jack.

She quickly walked to their room and entered. He was in the same place, breathing steadily and evenly. His color seemed to have improved even more. She smiled and nodded. With that, she returned to the bathroom to luxuriate in a long, hot bath.

By the time she was done she was pink cheeked, prune fingered and relaxed in mind and body. She donned a new robe – they seemed to be all the same although the trim was in different colors – and headed back to the room she shared with Jack.

There was another tray of food on a small table beside her bed. She noticed that the sun was going down outside and that a small warm light had gone on in the room.

"How are you Sir?" she asked, standing beside the still sleeping man. She knew it was her imagination, after a very strange day, but she thought he was looking better. She reached out a hand and held it once more on his chest, hearing and feeling his heart beating steadily.

"You're getting better Jack," she told him softly. "Just be strong and come back to me, okay? I'll be here for you. I'm never going anywhere ever again."

After another wonderful dinner, Sam curled up and was soon fast asleep. For the first time in weeks her dreams were good. For the first time in years, she felt at peace.

The days morphed one into another. She spent most of the time with Jack – talking to him, holding his hand, telling him about the aliens and anything else she could think of.

Each day Marie or Danny, or one of the others, would come in and see Jack. They'd all do the same thing – they'd walk over to him, and hold their hands over his chest, palm flat and down. After a few minutes they'd nod, smile and then leave. It was all very confusing.

One of the things she worried about was the fact that Jack neither ate nor drank – and there didn't seem to be any tubes carrying away bodily waste. He simply lay under the strange light, not moving.

But it was no longer her imagination. He was getting better. His color was much healthier, his breathing soft and regular. The muscles in his face seemed to be returning to normal. His eye no longer drooped and his mouth and cheek seemed much improved. He was looking leaner – but not the thinness of the sickroom but rather the leanness of someone who was young and fit.

She knew also that it was not only Jack that was getting better. She felt stronger and healthier than she had in years. The stress of her job seemed to have melted away. She was able to sleep deeply and she no longer felt anxious about the General. She was sure that he was going to get better.

She tried to ask the aliens, many times, what was happening with him, but all she would ever get was a smile. Sometimes they'd place her hand on his chest, but that told her nothing that she didn't already know. He was alive.

The few times she left their room it was to walk outside. She had discovered the way to the beach and made her way there almost every day. She had even gone swimming a few times, but each time one or more of the aliens had come out to watch her. She didn't know if it was curiosity, or if they were concerned at her swimming on her own. Whichever it was, she'd usually smile and wave. She'd receive the same back from them.

Surprisingly she wasn't bored, although there really wasn't much to do on this world. Communication with the aliens was sparse at best, although they did seem to anticipate her needs. They certainly provided her with anything she required, even if they could give her no information about themselves or their world. She knew that if she was here for too long she'd eventually go crazy. For now she was enjoying the peace and quiet – and watching Jack improve, day by day.

It was on the eighth day since their arrival that it happened. Sam had gone for a walk and returned to sit beside Jack. She held his hand and had closed her eyes and allowed herself to drift. She thought back to her father, and their adventures in the early days of the Stargate.

She still missed him, although she didn't have the sadness she would have if they hadn't had a chance to really get to know and love one another. Selmac had given her the father she had never had.

She also thought about Sg1 – her team. It would always be her team – the only one that really mattered. She thought lovingly of Daniel Jackson – married to a beautiful woman who loved him dearly and who didn't mind discussing archaeology or linguistics with him. He had two lovely children and a great career. He was like a brother to her and she was godmother to his two children. Jack was their godfather, which, at the time, had made her feel both happy and sad.

Teal'c was a leader among the Jaffa and had married Ishta. They too had had two children – plus Ray'ak, who was himself a father now. Sam didn't see them as often, since they lived on another world – but Teal'c too would always be a brother to her.

Bratak was gone – his dreams of victory over the Goa'uld had come true, and he had gone to Keb happy and fulfilled. He was a national hero for the Jaffa and would be remembered for eternity as one who had led them to freedom.

Then there were the others – some long gone, some retired, some still at the SGC. There was General Hammond, who had died of a heart attack. She would always miss him. He was one of the best commanders she'd ever had. In many ways he had been a father figure as much as her own father.

There was Siler and Walter, Reynolds and Griff, Dixon – and the many, many others who had helped them explore the galaxy. And now younger ones had come through the ranks and were now off exploring new worlds, leaving the older ones to stay behind and sit at desks.

Their time – that of Sg1 – had come to an end. Yes, she was still commander of the SGC, but the glory days were gone. The Ori were gone, as were the Wraith. Atlantis was firmly settled and the galaxy was at peace. Small skirmishes would break out, but nothing that threatened the safety of Earth. Suddenly, Sam felt redundant. She wondered if that had been how Jack had felt the past few years.

She realized then, as she hadn't in all the years before, that none of them were indispensable. There would always be new people, coming up behind them, who could and were filling their boots nicely. She's spent her life feeling like she couldn't let Earth down, so instead she'd let down the man she loved more than any other.

And in the end, it hadn't made a difference, except to them.

So deep was she in her thoughts, in her regrets, that she didn't notice at first. But then she felt something – different.

Her eyes opened and she looked at Jack. He was sleeping, his eyes still closed. So what had happened?

Then she realized. His hand had moved.

"Jack?" she breathed. She sat up, his hand still clasped in hers. "Are you awake?"

There was a pause, and then once more she felt it. His hand had moved. It was weak and faint, but she had felt it.

"Can you squeeze my hand?" she asked. Again a pause and then – a tiny pressure as he tried to squeeze.

"That's it, Jack! You're doing it!" She could feel the tears streak down her face and wanted to laugh and cry at the same time. He was getting better. She just wished Daniel and Teal'c were here to see him.

She reached out and gently stroked his forehead, moving his ever errant hair off his face.

She felt another soft squeeze and this time she did laugh. She was pretty sure that Jack was making his presence known any way he could. "You want to know what's going on, don't you?"

Another small pressure and this time she squeezed right back. "Okay – just relax and I'll tell you what's going on. The main thing you have to know is that you were sick but now you're getting better and you're going to be just fine. It may take a little while because you were really sick." She thought for a moment, wondering how and what to tell him.

She didn't think he needed to know he'd had a stroke. That could wait until he was better. What she was struggling with was whether to tell him about the aliens.

"Daniel and Teal'c were with you for the first little while, but now I'm staying with you as you recuperate. You're going to be weak for a while, so don't try and talk. Just rest and I'll be here the whole time. I'm not going to leave you Jack – never again."

He lay still after that, although for some reason she knew he was awake, even if his eyes weren't open. She could imagine him trying to sort everything out in his mind. She just hoped he didn't panic.

The next thing she knew, his eyes began to open, slowly. It looked like he was finding it hard – which he probably was. After more than a month unconscious his body had to be having difficulty working properly.

After a few tense minutes, she saw that his eyes were almost fully open, although he was staring straight up at the ceiling. She noticed that his right eye – once drooping horribly, now looked almost normal.

His eyes slowly turned until he was looking at her.

"Hi," she said softly. "It's good to see you."

His mouth opened, but no sound came out. She almost giggled, thinking that the planet must have gotten to him. But he licked his lips and tried again.

"Sam?" he managed to get out, although it was faint and raspy.

"I'm here Jack," she answered. "It's me, Sam."

"You – left," he said.

She frowned, wondering what he was talking about. It had been almost fifteen years since they'd broken their engagement, so surely he wasn't talking about that.

"No – I'm here Jack. I won't leave."

"They – always leave," he replied, his voice so faint she almost didn't hear. She wasn't sure what he was talking about, although his words broke her heart.

"Well I'm not going to leave, so you just sleep. I'll be here when you wake up."

He nodded slightly, squeezed her hand, and within seconds was back to sleep. Although his words had disturbed her, she was still thrilled. He had been able to speak, to respond to a command, and seemed relatively lucid. He was on the mend.

She refused to leave her room after that, except to use the bathroom. Her hosts tried to get her to go outside, but she refused. She'd promised Jack she wouldn't leave him - and she planned to keep that promise.

Over the next few days he would have brief moments of consciousness, although he didn't say very much. She didn't think it was because he couldn't but rather that it took a lot of energy for him – and he was trying to conserve as much as possible.

It was on the fifth day after first waking up, that he finally seemed to be more alert and ready to talk to her.

She'd first noticed when she'd finished eating her breakfast. She had looked up to see him staring at her. She'd smiled, which had caused him to blink. She'd then wanted to cry when she saw him try and smile back.

"Hey you," she said softly, standing up and walking to his bedside. "Are you awake?"

He'd given her a disgusted look, as if to say "ya think?" That had caused her to grin. "Stupid question, right Sir?"

His lip had lifted in one corner and he'd given a small nod. He'd then looked around the room and back to her, one eyebrow slightly raised.

"You want to know where we are?"

He'd nodded at that and tried opening his eyes wider. He looked as if he was falling asleep again, while trying desperately to stay awake.

"Let me grab a chair and I'll tell you all I know."

She got herself settled and then sat quietly, thinking again about what to tell the General. She decided that simply telling him the truth would be best although she'd leave out what had happened to him, simply telling him he'd gotten sick.

"So, I woke up here, with you in the bed and me over there," she finished. "I had absolutely no memory of what had happened and I still don't know where we are. The people are friendly, but a bit strange. They don't talk."

He frowned at that and looked at her curiously.

"I mean it. They don't speak at all. Somehow I don't think they can. They may be deaf as well, although that's a little harder to figure out."

"How?" he struggled to say.

"How do we communicate?" He nodded, letting her know she'd understood his question.

"Not very well, I'm afraid. They're nice enough and they provide everything we need. I'm not a prisoner – I can go out anytime I want and I've done some exploring. But I have no idea where we are or who these people are. All I can think of is that Teal'c somehow found someone and they came to help."

"Did – they?"

"Did they help?" Again he nodded. "Yes, they helped tremendously. I have no idea how, but you're much better. I know you're still feeling weak, but you'll soon be up and around."

"Bad?"

"Bad? What Sir?" Sam figured she knew what he was saying, but hoped that he didn't want full details.

"Me – bad?"

"Yes, it was bad, Sir," she said. "We didn't think you were going to survive. But like I told you, you're on the mend and you won't even know you had …", she stopped suddenly, wondering if it was a good idea to tell him. He was still weak and sick.

"Had – what?"

Damn – she knew she'd have to tell him. Knowing Jack O'Neill, she realized that not telling him would be worse. "Uh – you had a stroke Sir," she said softly. "But you're getting better. In a few days or weeks you're going to be like new!"

She could tell he was shocked. He didn't say anything, but his eyes got wider. For a moment he looked distressed as he probably realized why it was so difficult for him to move.

"Sir – listen!" It took a few seconds, but finally his eyes swiveled back to her. "Don't get discouraged. You're doing amazingly well and we'll have you walking around soon. You've healed really well, and you're getting better every day. I think the aliens know what they're doing."

At that his eyes turned and he looked up at the strange contraption over his head. He then looked at her.

"Yes, I think that's some kind of healing device. It's not as quick as a Goa'uld device, and certainly not like a sarcophagus, but I do think it's helping you. And the good thing is there are no side-effects." Of course she didn't know if that was true or not – but he didn't need to worry about anything else, not now.

Jack continued to spend most of his time sleeping and healing. He still spoke very little, but when he was awake his eyes followed her constantly. She didn't know quite what it meant, although she was grateful he seemed aware of what was going on around him.

Today she was sitting quietly by his bed, her mind wandering back to the days of Sg1. Since being with Jack she'd spent more time thinking of the old days, then she had in years. She missed those years, with an ache that surprised her in its intensity. Since Jack had gotten sick, all the regrets had welled up inside her. How she wished she could live her life over again.

So caught up was she in her thoughts, she missed that Jack was awake and staring at her. She didn't notice him sigh and briefly close his eyes. She didn't see him take a deep breath and prepare to speak.

But she did hear what he asked.

"Why are you here?"