Author's Note: I still blame napoleonicpowerqueen for this. She asked for this and my muse, being the amazing beast that she is, agreed immediately because it's cruel and painful and such a fun prompt.

Disclaimer: I own nothing recognizable.

There's a storm brewing in the distance, thunder and lightening rolling through the dark clouds along the horizon. The large group gathered graveside is a somber sea of dress blues and there's hardly a dry eye to be found. Sitting rigidly in the front row, her back ramrod straight and her eyes firmly forward, Janet is expressionless. She doesn't move, not when Hammond gives an emotional eulogy about how proud he was of his goddaughter, not when Jack and Daniel and Teal'c speak about Sam's bravery and intelligence as a scientist and warrior, not even when Cassie slips a hand into hers and startles when the 3-volley rifle salute sounds. It's only when an officer drops to one knee in front of her and extends Sam's flag to her that she responds to her surroundings; her hands come up to cradle the folded flag and a quiet whimper in the back of her throat betrays her emotional distress.

"On behalf of the President of the United States, the Department of the Air Force, and a grateful nation, we offer this flag for the faithful and dedicated service of Major Samantha Carter," the officer says softly. Janet stares down at the blue and white triangle in her hands and purses her lips, unwilling to truly believe that she's expected to go on after this; she's expected to put on a brave face and function as a normal human being even though half of her soul is gone and the thought is absolutely inconceivable. How can she face the thought of living day in and day out without Sam? How can she go on without her heart?

Mourners come to shake her hand and offer their condolences after the service but Janet, caught in a private storm of unending grief, doesn't really pay attention to who's talking or what they're saying. Cassie steps in at some point, acting as a middleman and accepting the kind words. Daniel and Teal'c sit by Janet, one on each side, and offer their silent support.

"Doctor Fraiser, I'm so sorry for your loss." The words, gently spoken, pull Janet from her staring contest with the flowers on Sam's temporary grave marker. The man standing just to the right of her chair is tall - though everyone's tall compared to the tiny doctor - and is entirely unremarkable in his appearance. He holds out a business card and Janet automatically takes it, her hand falling back into her lap as she swallows and nods her thanks. The man smiles faintly at her and then blends into the crowd. Daniel pries the card from Janet's fist and tucks it into the pocket of her uniform jacket as Teal'c leans over and rests his hand lightly on her shoulder.

"Doctor Fraiser, are you ready to go home?" he asks but Janet doesn't reply. She's staring at the flower arrangement resting on the temporary marker again, her eyes locked on the red roses; they remind her of Sam's shy offering on their first date. Daniel wraps his arm around Janet's shoulders and gives her a soft squeeze.

"Janet, we're going to take you home," he says softly but Janet shakes her head slightly, making Daniel frown. "No?"

Jack appears in front of them and squats down to bring himself to Janet's level. His kind eyes are sad but he offers her a small smile and says, "You and Cassie are welcome to come stay with me, Doc. I have the room and you'll have nothin' to worry about."

She nods and lets Jack take her hand to pull her from her chair. The crowd of mourners is almost gone, a few stragglers left to watch SG-1 form a tight circle of support around Janet and Cassie, and the group quickly makes their way to the line of black sedans and airmen waiting for them. Cassie guides her mother into the backseat and climbs in after her. Janet sighs softly and leans against her daughter, letting her head rest against the young woman's shoulder.

"I miss her, Mom," Cassie whispers as she slides her arm around Janet's shoulders and pulls her close. "I miss her so much."

Janet is silent on the ride to Jack's house. Her head is pounding and her chest hurts like she's having a heart attack, though she knows that's not possible. 'I don't have a heart anymore,' she thinks. 'It died five days ago.'

Jack makes sure she's comfortable when they get to his house. Janet sits on the edge of the guest room's bed and stares at the wall; she's not sure what to do with herself anymore. She knows she needs to eat - 'When was the last time I actually ate?' - but she can't bring herself to really care. Cassie sits with her, holding her hand, and Janet feels horrible that she's withdrawing when her daughter needs her most. Janet isn't the only one who lost a part of herself; Cassie's lost a mother and if she's not careful, Janet knows her daughter is going to lose both parents.

"I miss her too," she finally whispers, speaking for the first time since finalizing Sam's funeral arrangements. "I don't know how I can live without her, Cass."

"I don't know," Cassie replies sadly, tears gathering in her eyes as she looks over at her mother. "I don't know how either."

"We always knew that there was a chance she wouldn't come home one day. It's the nature of the job," Janet sighs. "But I always thought it'd be off-world. I always thought she'd go down in a blaze of glory, taking goa'uld and jaffa with her. I never thought it'd be on earth, taken by a stupid fucking piece of stone."

She trembles violently as the pain she's been trying to repress surges forth. Her arms wrap around her middle in an attempt to stem the flow of pain but she can't stop the tears that slip down her cheeks. The sobs, when they come, are harsh and she feels like she's drowning in her anguish. Just when she's certain she's going to die, overwhelmed by the horror of her reality, Cassie's arms wrap around her and hold her tight. Janet turns and sobs into her daughter's shoulder, crying for the first time since she lost her wife.

She's not sure how long she cries but when she finally manages to calm herself down, the shadows in the room stretch from the window to the bed. Cassie's whispering soothingly, gentle words of comfort. Janet pulls away and sniffles, wiping at her eyes as she turns to look up at her daughter's tear-stained face.

"I'm sorry," she whispers, the tears making her voice rough. "I didn't mean to cry all over you."

"It's okay, Mom." Cassie laughs weakly and presses a soft kiss to Janet's cheek. "You needed it."

Janet grunts a jagged laugh and leans back into her embrace and they sit in silence, each lost in their own grief as they listen to the crickets outside the window.