"You're here!" exclaimed a rather over exuberant teenager as she ran to greet Sam who was walking up the path to their house
"Hey Cassie" she replied as the teenager practically flung herself at Sam.
"So are you going to come hiking with us this weekend? Mom said you would?"
"Woah, way to lay on the guilt trip" laughed Sam, as she wrapped an arm around her and together they walked into the house.
"Well are you?!" she asked impatiently.
"I am, just need to sort a few things out so I'll probably meet you guys there"
"Excellent!" replied Cassie as she punched the air. "When you say sort a few things out, do you mean Uncle Jack?" she asked, trying her best to hide her grin from Sam.
"You madam are pushing your luck" replied Sam, trying and failing to look angry at her, "go get ready, you Mom should be back any minute" she told her, "and get that idea out of your head" she yelled as she watched her head off to get ready.
Sam only had to wait a few minutes before Janet walked in, looking thoroughly stressed out.
"I'm sure those Marines know when I have something planned and get themselves into trouble on purpose" she grumbled, dropping her bag on the floor beside the front door.
"Well at least you can't blame SG1 this time" replied Sam, "Colonel O'Neill has been safely stuck on the base for the last few weeks training new recruits"
"Maybe, but instead of you guys I end up patching up the newbies who thought they could take on Teal'c" laughed Janet. "Quick glass of wine before we leave?"
"Definitely" replied Sam, as she took a seat at the breakfast bar in Janet's kitchen. Just as Janet was about to hand Sam her glass, a piercing scream rang out. Both Sam and Janet looked at each other in shock before rushing towards Cassie's bedroom.
"Cassie, what happened?" asked Janet, taking her daughter in her arms.
"There's someone at the window" she replied trembling, "I saw him looking in as I closed the curtain"
"Are you sure?" Janet asked her, looking at Sam in concern. Cassie could only nod in response, her face buried in her Mom's shoulder.
"I'll take a look," Sam told them, turning to leave. Just as she did, the sound of smashing glass filled the room and the three of them dived for cover.
"What the hell was that?" asked Janet as she went to stand up.
"Don't move" grunted Sam, "that was a gunshot"
"Sam, are you hurt?" asked Janet.
"I'm fine, let's just concentrate on getting out of here" she replied, subtly indicating to Janet that she didn't want Cassie to start panicking anymore than she already was.
"What do we do?" whispered Janet.
"I've got my phone" said Sam, biting down on her lip to keep from crying out as she reached over for her phone that had fallen on the floor. She dialed his number and hoped he would pick up quickly.
"O'Neill"
"Sir, it's me…. just listen. I'm at Janet's, there's someone outside her house. Cassie and Janet are trapped in here with me" She listened intently for a few moments before hanging up.
"Help is on the way, just stay down OK?" Cassie nodded and wrapped her arms tightly around Janet who hadn't taken her eyes off Sam since she realised she was hurt. Moving as carefully as she could to the corner of the room out of sight from the window, Sam took a deep breath and pressed her hand against her gunshot wound in the hope of slowing down the bleeding, feeling herself beginning to lose consciousness she looked around the room in the hope of finding something they could use in defence if it came to it.
"Sam," whispered Janet, "stay still" she ordered as she gave Cassie a tight hug before grabbing a towel from her bed and crawling across to Sam.
"I told you to stay where you were" gasped Sam, the pain becoming more and more intense.
"And I'm not sitting here watching you bleed out so let me take a look" replied the Doctor, as she laid Sam down and pressed the towel against her shoulder.
"This looks like it went straight through, I need to get you back to the infirmary ASAP, what did the Colonel say? Not getting a response, Janet gently shook her, "Sam, come on, stay with me. What did Colonel O'Neill say?" she asked again.
"That he's on his way with half the SGC I should imagine" replied Sam weakly, albeit with a slight grin on her face.
"Good and he won't want to see you passed out on the floor so stay with me OK?" asked Janet, gently pressing harder on Sam's shoulder.
"Perhaps" she grimaced, "it would be easier if you didn't press so hard" she told Janet who didn't look in the least bit sorry.
"Sam, are you OK?" asked Cassie, who was still nervously crouched in the corner of her room by her bed.
"I'm fine" replied Sam, trying her best to keep the pain out of her voice. "Just stay there and Uncle Jack will be here soon OK?"
"O'Neill, how do you wish to proceed?" Jack, Daniel and Teal'c had pulled up in Jack's truck round the corner from Janet's house.
"Teal'c, you and Daniel take a look round, if you see anything suspicious, have Hammond send the cavalry in" ordered Jack, "I'll head straight to the house like nothings wrong"
"What is the cavalry?" enquired Teal'c.
"I'll explain later" replied Daniel as he climbed out of Jack's truck.
"Did you bring radios?" asked Jack, slipping his gun in the waistband of his pants. Daniel handed both him and Teal'c a radio each before setting off in search of the intruder.
Jack walked up Janet's path wondering how to play his next move, did he go straight in or knock and wait as he usually would. Deciding that if anyone was watching, keeping it normal would be the best course of action. Coming to a stop outside her front door, he rapped his knuckles loudly before yelling out.
"Hey Janet, you going to let me in or what?" Hoping that would be enough to bring her to the door without raising too much suspicion he cautiously eyed his surroundings, unsure what to expect. Hearing footsteps approaching the door, he turned back to face it and tried his best to maintain his composure.
Janet opened her door slowly, both her and Sam had heard the Colonel knocking and then calling out but wary that it was a trap, she had carefully opened the door enough to peer round.
"Colonel, thank god you're here"
"Hey Doc" replied Jack, trying his best to silently communicate for her to play it cool. He was relieved when she realised what he was trying to do.
"Come in Sir" as she opened the door fully, allowing him to step inside. Closing the door swiftly behind him, she quickly headed back towards Sam.
"Colonel, Sam's been shot and I need to get her back to the SGC as soon as possible, please tell me whoever was out there is either gone or captured?" Jack stopped following her as she explained the situation.
"Wait, how the hell did Carter get shot? I thought Cassie saw someone at the window?" he asked, struggling to control his anger. Janet spun around to face him and for a brief moment he thought she was about to slap him.
"Sir, whoever Cassie saw fired at the house and Sam got hit, standing here yelling at me as to how it might have happened is not helping right now" replied Janet as coolly as she could manage. "So I'd be grateful if we could have this discussion when we're all safely back on base, Sir" Wincing at her tone, he swiftly apologised before following her down the hallway towards Cassies room.