A/N: Just a short update to explain what happened to the gang after the events of Lost City. Thinking this maybe has two or three more chapters and an epilogue in this story. Thank you too all the guests who have read and reviewed. I wish I could thank you all directly :)

'Sam?' Daniel asked watching as she stepped up to the barrier that suddenly appeared, freezing Jack right in front of their eyes. She remained quiet as she touched the glassy surface.

'Sam.' he said softly.

She turned to him.

'Are you okay?'

He watched as she took a breath to steal herself.

'I'm fine, Daniel. We can't just leave him like this. There has to be a way to reverse the process. The answer has to be here somewhere.'

He highly doubted that she was okay but indulged her, obviously assessing Jack's condition came first. 'I don't think this is it, Sam.' he responded.

'What do you mean?'

'The dome's too small.' Daniel explained. 'It's like Taonas. It's obviously not a city, it's just an outpost of some kind.'

'This isn't Atlantis?'

'I don't think so.'

'If this is not the lost city, then where is it?' Teal'c sat asking the question that they were all thinking.

They barely had a moment to contemplate the question before a voice sounded through their radios. 'SG-1, this is Hammond. Come in.'

'Major Carter here Sir.' she said automatically.

'Major, report.'

She gave a brief run down on the state of things in the cavern.

'Very well, Major. Stay put while we put together a team to ring down and ensure that Colonel O'Neill and the cavern remains secure. Once the team is in place we'll rendezvous back at Area 51 in order to report back to the President. You have 15 minutes, Major. You and Daniel figure out as much about that cavern as you can in that time.'

'Yes, Sir.' She replied swiftly. She removed her hand from the radio and looked over at Daniel. 'We should get to work.'

'No, Sam, please. Jack said... he called you...'

'I know.' She said simply.

'Sam...'

'Daniel, I promise I will explain. To both of you.' she said glancing at Teal'c,' she'd been able to feel his stare burning a hole in the side of her head. 'But right now we don't have time. Right now we do our jobs so we can get him back as fast a possible. Okay?'

He regarded her for a long moment, then nodded getting to work.

Once they were back on the cargo ship, the three gathered in the rear compartment while Bre'tac sped them away to the Nevada desert.

Sam unclipped her P90 and slid off her tac vest, setting it on one of the many boxes that littered the hold. She stretched enjoying the freedom of movement as she turned to what was left of her team.

'After you guys left Jack's house the other day I stayed. Until Monday morning.'

'I guess you two...um...'

'Yes, Daniel, we had sex.'

'And you hadn't before?' he asked tentatively, well aware of the connection between his two team mates.

She gave him a steely glare to rival Teal'c's. 'No, of course not. And I don't think anything would have happened if General Hammond hadn't came by and said they were shutting down the program. It all just seemed so hopeless at that point, I figured what do we have to loose.'

'Before Jack froze he said, my love.' Daniel's tone of voice seemed to suggest that it was said as a statement, but truly it was another of his questions.

Sam smiled sadly. 'We talked. Said I love you. Wished that we could do more than just spend a day together.'

'Such as?' enquired Teal'c.

'His exact words were go fishing, get married, have kids and live happily ever after.' she said with a grin, those were words she'd carry with her forever regardless of whether they could bring him back.

'Sam.' he sighed, his heart breaking for her.

'I'm okay, Daniel. Really. There's a lot of risk with what we do, I'm just glad I got the chance to spend that time with him, just us. And there's still hope. This gives the Asgard more time to respond to our communications.'

'Indeed.' murmured Teal'c.

'We'll help you any way we can.' Daniel said softly.

Teal'c bowed gently in agreement.

'Thanks guys.'

'We have arrived.' Bre'tac announced over the comms.

Sam nodded. 'I know it's a big ask but...'

'You do not have to make such a request.' Teal'c interrupted her. 'We shall not betray the confidence you have bestowed in us.'

'Indeed.' Daniel said with a warm smile.

Sam unlocked the door and rushed inside quickly to get out of the rain.

Without knowing when Jack might come back some things had to be set in order around his home, something they'd each done for the other in the past. Daniel and Teal'c offered to help, when she replied no they each smiled knowing this would be the case.

She rattled through the routine.

Sort mail.

She put the important looking letters aside and put the junk in the trash. The can had been freshly lined with a new bag. One less job to do. She sighed softly wondering what else he'd done around the house to make this easier for her.

Check laundry.

There was a load in the dryer ready to be folded. She set it on the dinning room table, folding and stacking each item carefully ready for him to put away when he arrived home. She put aside the grey t-shirt and blue sweatshirt that she wore the other day, sure in the knowledge that he wouldn't mind if she borrowed them.

Check fridge, throw out anything perishable.

It was empty. Almost empty. Three bottles of Guinness nestled in the door. An unopened six pack of diet coke was placed strategically in the middle shelf. She smiled, he could still surprise her, after all these years he made her smile when she least expected it. Just one of the many reasons why she was hopelessly in love with him.

Check electrics.

Everything was unplugged bar the fridge, the dryer and a few lights dotted around the house on timer switches. She also came across his telescope in the guest bedroom. Just as well, she couldn't imagine bringing that thing down from the roof by herself. Come to think of it she couldn't quite be sure how Jack moved it on his own either.

That was the end of the list.

But she didn't want to leave. She sat on the freshly made bed and smoothed out the sheets at her side. Reaching for a pillow she brought it to her nose. The sheets were different those she saw at the weekend, he could only have slept in them once or twice, but the pillow still held his scent.

She closed her eyes and let herself let go; tears streamed down her face and wracking sobs echoed from her lips but nothing lifted the tremendous ache from her chest.