This is a short chapter but full of angst - don't say I didn't warn you about this story! If you're all really, really nice and send me lots of reviews (and shamelessly beg) - I might be induced to follow this up very quickly with a much last angst-filled chapter!

"Are you sure?" Teal'c rushed over to where Daniel was, kneeling beside their two friends. Teal'c reached over and put his fingers on Sam's neck, attempting to find a pulse.

He drew his hand away and, looking at Daniel simply shook his head.

"No!" Daniel cried. "Not Sam!"

Teal'c then quickly reached to check O'Neill. Again it seemed to take forever. As Daniel watched he could see Teal'c start to shake his head. God no, he thought. Not both of them.

At the last second Teal'c got an intent look on his face and pressed his fingers deeper into Jack's neck.

"I have found a pulse. It is faint, and very slow, but it is there."

"We've got to get him to Thor. He can put him in one of their pods and save his life."

"First we must separate him from Colonel Carter." The two friends looked down, saddened and horrified by what had happened. Somehow it seemed wrong to try and separate these two who had never managed to come together in life but were now together in death – at least the death of one of them.

"I couldn't do it Teal'c. You'll have to try. Jack's grip is just too strong."

Together they attempted to pull apart the two officers. Teal'c reached around and clasped O'Neill's hands and arms to pull them away from around Sam. He had to use all of his strength and even then was struggling to release the General's hold.

Slowly, very slowly, he began to pull Jack's arms from around the woman he loved.

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As Jack's sobs died down Sam had pulled back slightly. She reached up and gently swept her fingers across his cheeks, drying the tears that had fallen.

"It's okay Jack. I'm here, I'm here." He lifted his head and looked at her with terror filled eyes.

"Promise me Sam. Promise me you won't leave."

She reached and pulled him to her again. She wanted to be able to give him that promise but somehow, she knew she couldn't.

He finally calmed down to the point where he was able to sit back, giving her a chance to take a deep breath and relax. He looked at her and sighed.

"What is this all about? Why are we here?"

"I remember dying Jack. I remember being shot by the Asgard's weapon and I remember you holding me until I died. But I don't know what happened to you. I don't know why you're here."

"I must have died too – although I don't remember it. All I remember is I wasn't going to let you go, not again. I promised myself and the universe that we were going to be together."

"Jack."

"What?" He was still feeling terrible, as if something awful was about to happen.

"Jack – I think you're still alive."

"What? No, if I'm here with you then I'm in heaven and we're both dead. How could I possibly still be alive?"

"I don't know; maybe because you wouldn't leave me. I just have this feeling that you're not supposed to be here right now, with me."

"No, you see, you're wrong. If that were the case this wouldn't be my version of heaven. We wouldn't be here on this beach and you wouldn't be wearing that bikini."

She sat still for a minute, trying to get a handle on what was bothering her. Jack's words made sense but she still didn't believe he had died.

Suddenly, as they were sitting on the quiet beach, the sand started to move under her. She glanced down, confused. What was happening?

"Jack!" He saw it too and tried to grab her and scramble back – but the sand started moving too quickly. It was almost as if it were sinking into a hole, pulling her with it. By this time Jack had grabbed her arms and was pulling with all his strength. The force of the sand was too much for him and it ripped her away. He tried to follow but she was moving too quickly. At one point he grabbed her fingers and almost pulled her back – but they slipped and she fell back.

"SAM!" he yelled. He tried as hard as he could to follow her but she continued to move farther and farther away.

"JACK!" she screamed. She struggled to hold on, to pull herself forward, but the ground kept her moving away from him. She looked up in terror at Jack, begging him to help her, to save her. His agonized face returned her look – his arms outstretched.

She watched in horror as he started to fade away. One minute he had been sitting beside her – the next she could see his faint outline move away and grow dimmer. She knew, deep in her heart, that she was to continue the rest of this journey alone, without the man she loved. Her heart cried out to him in anguish.

"NO! Jack – I love you."

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"I almost have him Daniel Jackson." Teal'c was breathing hard in his struggle to pull Jack away. Neither of the men could believe the strength in their friend's arms.

Daniel looked down and could see the horrific wound in Sam's chest. The sight of the bloody hole made him feel sick. He couldn't imagine the pain this would have caused. He hoped, for her sake and Jack's that she had died instantly.

As he continued to look at the body of the woman who was like a sister to him he noticed the pendant around her neck. It was the one she had worn for so many months, the one he believed had come from Jack, although she had never said anything. He was surprised to see that it was glowing faintly. As he watched, he was curious to see it begin to fade.

He could tell that Teal'c had just about managed to separate his friends from each other completely when he had a strange and terrifying thought.

"Teal'c stop!" The big man looked up at him, just as he was about to reach down to remove Jack's left hand from Sam's waist. It was the last connection between them.

"What is it? We must hurry to save O'Neill." He reached down again when Daniel repeated,

"Teal'c, don't separate them."

"Why not?" The Jaffa looked confused.

"I – don't know but look, her necklace, it's glowing."

"What does that matter?"

"As you were pulling them apart it began to fade. I don't know what it means Teal'c but I just think they need to stay together."

"Colonel Carter has already died and we need to get O'Neill help or he too will die." Teal'c was frustrated at the delay and what he saw as Daniel's imagination.

"Look Teal'c – just trust me okay. We can still ask Thor for help, I just think they need to stay together."

"What if O'Neill dies?"

Daniel didn't like to think of that but a part of him wondered if his friend would prefer to die. He knew that Jack would be destroyed by Sam's death.

"I think they're together Teal'c. I think that maybe that's what Jack wants." Teal'c looked down at the two bodies, one dead, one close to death. He looked up somberly and nodded. Gently he moved them back together and placed O'Neill's arms back around Sam. He stood up and moved to one of the panels.

"I will ask Thor to beam them to a medical pod. Maybe he can still help O'Neill."

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She was crying as she took one last look at Jack. She could barely see him now. The lake, the trees, even the beach had faded. She existed in nothing but dark wilderness with no beginning and no end. She reached out to try and touch him, one final time, hoping yet knowing it was futile.

Her hands touched something warm. The next thing she knew fingers grasped her and she was being pulled forward, forward into a safe and warm refuge. Sobbing, she felt arms circle and hold her. She was home.

"I thought I'd lost you again", his voice said softly, sadly.

She was quivering with the fear and desolation of the last few minutes. "What happened?"

"I think someone was trying to pull me back."

"Back?" she looked at him in confusion.

"I think you were right. I don't think I'm dead. They were trying to bring me back." He held her closer. "I don't want to go."

At that moment she understood. He had refused to let her go as she lay dying in his arms. He'd refused to stay in his world while she moved to the next. Instead, he'd somehow brought her to this place, wherever it was. He'd created a safe haven – a time and place away where they could be together – but it wasn't real, it wasn't 'forever'.

As frightening as it was she knew that he had to return. His life wasn't over, even if hers was. He had more to do. She pulled herself away and sat in front of him.

"You have to go back."

He simply shook his head. There was no way in hell, he thought.

"Yes Jack – you aren't dead. You're still alive. You must go back."

"No, I won't do it. We'll stay right here. This is a nice place." He looked around and realized he could no longer see anything. It was as if they existed in a void.

"Please Jack, you know I'm right. You have more to do. Your life isn't over. You have to go back."

"You're wrong. If you're dead my life is over. I won't live without you – I can't."

She sat there, wanting him with her, wanting him to stay, but she knew it was wrong. She had to convince him that his place was back in the world, not here in this place, wherever it was.

"What about the others? They need you?"

"Who? No one needs me Sam. They'll be fine without me. Oh, I know that Danny and Teal'c will feel bad about losing us both – but they'll know we're together. They're strong, they'll be okay."

"Maybe, although I think this will be harder on them than you think. And what about Molly – and what about Chris?" she said softly. Looking at his face she knew she had hit a tender spot.

"He'll be fine. He's a strong kid", he answered, although she could tell from his voice he doubted what he was saying.

"Jack, he's just lost his family. If you die that'll be another loss. He may be strong but is he strong enough to handle losing you too?"

"That's unfair Sam! He's only known me a little while. And what about me!" the cry was from his heart. He'd spent his whole life giving to others – now he just wanted to stay with Sam and yet he was to be torn from her again.

"Jack, I know you. You could never be happy if you left a little boy devastated by your death. I don't want you with me on those terms. Please, go back. We'll be together again one day, I'm sure of it."

He reached out then and gently pulled her hair back from her cheek and gently caressed her face. He sat quietly then, understanding and finally accepting. He stared into her eyes, memorizing everything about her in this last moment. He could feel his heart begin to shatter, but knew she was right. He had to go back, not for himself, but for his friends and especially for the little boy who needed him.

He knew then that the last few months would seem as nothing compared to what he now faced. He also knew it didn't matter. This was who he was, who Sam was. They could do nothing less.

With a small cry from deep in his soul he reached out and drew her to him for one last kiss.

"I love you Samantha."

"I love you too - always."