Part Two

It has been nearly two weeks since Detective Shannahan, I can't bring myself to call him by his first name was in the wrong place at the wrong time and got himself a free pass into the workings of Cheyenne Mountain and what we really do there.

Funny I never considered the impact my decision to let him in on the secret would make in my life hindsight is a bitch. So now Carter is dating Pete and I am second thinking my decision to let her go. I just got word that he tried to do a background check on her and it is killing me that I can't tell her.

I keep reminding myself that in the big future my future hell, hopefully our future this slight bump in the road will be worth it.

Of course the fact that current said bump is feeling like an avalanche of major proportions spinning out of control shouldn't matter, right? I watch as she leaves on time again and find myself feeling the slightest bit jealous.

I could never seem to drag her away from her doohickeys but suddenly he arrives on the scene and she is leaving early and not confusing me during briefings, I am starting to have a bad feeling my brilliant plan is backfiring in a major way.

I put on my soldier face and start on my mountain of paperwork. One thing I have noticed is the tension between us has lessened to the point of almost feeling comfortable around each other again. Before the zartaccy thing ,before everything had to be hidden and flirting became non-existent replaced by a general uneasiness.

Hell, I was afraid to hug her for fear everyone would know how I felt about her. That is just wrong on so many levels I am hugger and I like to think they kinda make up for me not always being able to say what I am feeling.

Sam I can call her that since she is not here right now, just left for the Alpha site to spend some quality time with her Dad the Tok'ra Selmac. I still have trouble imagining a goa'uld inside the father of my 21C who is so much more to me. Still I am glad that her father is alive and sometimes I think he is the only Tok'ra I can trust.

With Carter working on the super soldiers weapon maybe the threat from them will lessen. Also, the benefit of not having her here seeing her face light up and knowing that I am not the one causing it even though I miss her terribly.

I know that I would not be able to face this place or go off world without her. My instincts was telling me something was wrong I just couldn't figure out what . Bad news came in the form of General Hammond just hours later.

Oh God the Alpha where Carter was supposed to be relatively safe was being attacked.

"Approximately 20 minutes ago, the approach of Goa'uld ships prompted the evacuation of the Alpha site," he calmly stated but I could see the sadness in his eyes. Carter was like a daughter to him and I could tell he was worried way more than he let on.

It took every bit of my training not to beg Hammond to let me go immediately to rescue Carter but I knew our chance of succeeding would be much better with a good plan and Intel.

"How many people got out?" secretly hoping and praying Carter was one of the lucky ones.

Hammond's news was dire, "casualty reports are still coming from the Beta site but at least 90 people are still missing including Riley the base commander.

Trying not to dwell on the obvious, I blurted out, "I thought the Alpha site was secret?"

Daniel replied, "They'd get there in a Tok'ra ship, it's a completely new address.

Hmm, so not on the Abydos cartouche but we had Tok'ra spies before so…

"Yet evidently, somehow the Goa'uld had discovered our presence"

Leave it to T'man to state the obvious.

It turns out the Malp is on its side somehow so there is the perfect hiding place when we come through the gate.

As we exit the hole, Daniel say's "Wow".

My thoughts exactly, try not to dwell on the utter destruction I see but rely on my training. That's it shut off all emotions I can't afford to think about Sam right now.

Teal'c mentions that it doesn't look like an aerial blast no they did this deliberately, I can tell I have seen it before. My black op days flash before me.

We are definitely on the same page as Teal'c surmises what my guy was telling me they set off the self destruct to ensure the Alpha Site would not fall into enemy hands.

Reynolds says, "

Who could have survived this?"

I don't bother with any answer. "Need to split up and look for survivors" but in reality I figured retrieval of the bodies, still in denial and desperately hoping to be wrong just this once please God let me be wrong. As my heart clutched, I was painfully aware that if I had to bring her home in a body bag my life would be over.

Pushing those morbid thoughts aside, I issue the order to move out.

Some time later we do manage to find twelve people injured but still alive and my joy at finding them alive dims when I realize Carter is not part of this group.

As my team continues to search, we find Jacob but to my surprise he has no idea where Carter is either. He hands us a weapon to use against the super soldiers and informs us that Sam has the fully charged one.

Oh God they would be certainly be hunting her if she survived the initial blast. Time was definitely not on our side.

We arrange transport of Jacob and the other wounded including Major Green back to the SGC and continue our search.

Teal'c spots what he thinks could be Carter's boot print.

Please let her be alive I think silently.

My radio is suddenly informing that the UAV has been shot down.

We head in the direction of the shots, and find Carter injured but very much alive. I cannot help myself saying" c'mere. "

Right now I could care less who sees us and what they think the women I love more than anything almost died and dammit I am going to give her what she needs right now and damm the consequences.

As she rests her head on my shoulders I forget about Pete and our problems and relish in the closeness and unique smell of Carter.

For just a little while all is right with the world and I get a silly grin on my face. Carter is almost passed out so she doesn't notice and I find myself wishing that things were different and I could kiss her right now but I settle for touching her shoulder and thigh and putting my arm around her thinking even now she is the possibly the sexiest woman alive.

Soon we will have to go back to the SGC and try to salvage relations with the Jaffa and Tok'ra but for now this little piece of heaven, I am going to enjoy it. I snuggle in closer and relish the feeling of skin to skin contact. As I look into her eyes and see a woman who survived impossible odds I am reminded of just how special she is. I wish I could tell her how much she means to me and my dreams for the future. Now is not the time, and she is barely coherent so I bide my time and hope the waiting will not be for much longer.