A/N: Hey everyone. I know there aren't enough apologies in the world to give you all for how very long it took me to get you all this next chapter. Every time I went back to it, I just couldn't seem to come up with the next steps in the story. But here it finally is, and if it makes anyone feel better, this is attempt number 43 (and I'd had such high hopes for number 42, sigh). I like this one and I think I already know where the next one will go. Huzzah, it finally has a direction.

THANK YOU TO EVERYONE WHO HAS REVIEWED AND BEEN WAITING FOR THIS NEW CHAPTER!!!

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Chapter Two

"You are all ordered off this base for at least 48 hours." Janet's glare beat back any possible argument that Jack, Sam, or Daniel might have been tempted to make. "Teal'c is awake. I can't find any permanent damage. And the three of you have been by his side constantly for days. It is now time for you to leave and stop annoying my medical staff. I will let you know if anything else changes."

Sam and Jack hadn't spoken about that night, both quietly deciding to push it to the background until Teal'c was better. In reality neither had really had time to do anything except worry about their fallen friend.

It had taken nearly a week for Teal'c to come out of his coma and Janet was right: SG-1 had barely left his side during that time. They took turns leaving to get food or sleep, but made sure that at least one person was by his side at all times. Jonas had dropped by frequently, on leave from SG-13, but rarely stayed long, sensing the 'solitary' nature of the vigil the three kept at the Jaffa's bedside.

Both Jack and Daniel had found at least a few hours each day to sleep, but Sam's dreams had been haunted by images of every horrible event from her past; all seemingly brought to the surface by her confrontation with Pete. As such, she had given up even attempting to sleep by the second day of their watch and had managed only a few restless minutes since, a fact that Janet apparently picked up on as they were making their exit from the infirmary and Sam stumbled slightly.

"Hold it right there." The petite woman's uncompromising tone echoed through the room. SG-1 turned back to face the doctor, all simultaneously wondering what they had done this time. Daniel and Jack let out quiet sighs of relief when she addressed Sam and not them. "Major Carter, when was the last time you slept?" Sam opened her mouth to respond, but was cut off. "And I mean more than just ten minutes in a chair next to Teal'c's bed."

Sam looked to the side as though thinking about the question. In reality she knew exactly when it had been; remembered clearly the comfortable feeling of waking snuggled tight in Jack's arms. The scientist in her wanted to analyze why she could sleep undisturbed with him, but couldn't find peaceful sleep on her own. The woman in her already knew the answer. She would always be safe by his side, no matter how much danger the rest of the world presented. Looking back at Janet, she merely shrugged her shoulders in response to the earlier question.

"Well if you can't remember than it's definitely been too long. I want someone else to give you a ride home and you are not to drive anywhere until you've had some sleep." Janet's eyes swept over Jack and Daniel, silently asking which was going to take care of their colleague.

Daniel shifted uneasily and turned his eyes down to his feet. He remembered very clearly finding Jack and Sam snuggled together that night in her quarters and was reasonably certain that they probably needed to have a talk about that. He didn't have to wait in silence very long before Jack chimed in to take responsibility for getting Sam home.

"I can take her. It's pretty much on my way, so…" He shrugged at the doctor before turning to make sure that Sam was okay with the arrangement. She shrugged as well and, having placated Janet's protectiveness, the team once again moved out of the infirmary to gather their things before leaving the base.

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It had taken jack only minutes to swing past Teal'c for one last check on his friend and to assure himself that the big man was in fact okay. Grabbing the few items he knew he would want during their forced down-time, he made his way to sam's lab, where he waited impatiently for her to sort through her own things, jot down notes for her assistants, and shut down her computer.

The drive to sam's place was awkwardly quiet, both officers eager to talk about what had, or hadn't, happened, but neither willing to risk the other's censure by doing so. At various intervals Jack stole glances at the woman in his passenger seat, marvelling that she could appear so entirely beautiful even as she was so obviously tired beyond belief. Truthfully he had gotten only barely more sleep than she; laying awake consumed by thoughts and memories of her in his arms while a wide variety of ideas, each more crazy than the last, for getting her back in them.

Sam, for her part, kept her eyes resolutely pointed out the window, refusing to turn towards the driver's side even as she felt his eyes on her. As they turned down her street, she felt a confusing mix of relief that the tense ride was over and regret that it would be a full two days until she had the opportunity to see him again. Both emotions left her in favor of disgust and a slight amount of fear as they pulled level with her home and she realized that someone was already there, waiting for her.

Pete.

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TBC