Chapter 6: A Little Shopping

It seemed like no time at all had passed before they were pulling into the lot of the local Target. Jack quickly found a parking spot, and Sam was pulled from her thoughts when the three men of SG-1 got out of the truck. They waited patiently while she extricated herself from the seat, which fortunately was easier than getting in had been. She felt she'd have an easier time with the restraints when they were ready to leave.

Even though the team was in no hurry, Sam found she had to quicken her stride to keep up with the men's longer ones. They didn't seem to realize that she couldn't keep up as easily as she normally did, and she wasn't ready yet to ask them to slow down.

Once inside the store, Teal'c picked up a circular, and Jack grabbed a cart, both men heading down the main aisle together. Sam started to follow but found herself rooted not far inside the entrance, suddenly feeling uneasy. The store was packed with weekend shoppers, most of them heading out on one of the last shopping weekends before school started. Despite many trips to this very store in the past, the place seemed a lot bigger than she remembered, even the low shelves just inside the doorway now taller than her head. Noise assaulted her from the nearby electronics department, competing with the sounds from the busy registers and the din created by what felt like hundreds of people shopping.

A figure stopped next to her, and Sam looked up to find Daniel gazing down at her in concern. After studying her for a moment, he crouched down next to her, so they were more or less on the same eye level. "You ok?" he asked just loud enough for her to hear, as shoppers came and went around the small island they made. While a few people looked at the two curiously, most of them went about their business, many grabbing or returning carts, others heading off on different errands.

Sam blinked, pulling herself out of her reverie, and tried to figure out how to voice what she was feeling in a way he'd understand. "Everything seems so much larger," she confessed. And noisy. And crowded, neither of which she added. Irrational as it felt, for the first time in her adult life she was worried about being on her own, concerned that she could get easily separated from the rest of her team. While the rational part of her mind argued she could handle herself, the rest of her brain was telling her how tiny she was, how insignificant.

How vulnerable.

She wasn't used to feeling that way, had always taken pride in her strength and ability to defend herself or her team. Years of discipline, training, and experience had given her the capacity to take on all sorts of situations, but suddenly, she felt like she was at a major disadvantage. Small stirrings of doubt started to nag at her.

Somehow, Daniel seemed to understand her unvoiced thoughts as well as her spoken words. He gave her a sympathetic look. "Don't worry Sam, we're all in this together."

Before she could reply, they both startled as they heard Jack calling them. Her friend stood and rose up slightly on his toes to wave back in the direction the voice had come from. Sam looked for the rest of her team in the direction he was waving, but all she could see was a sea of legs, clothing racks, and shopping carts. She bumped into something solid and realized she'd run into Daniel's legs. "Sorry," she mumbled still trying to see where the Colonel and Teal'c were.

"Sam?" Daniel asked her worriedly, his forehead crinkled with his concern.

Sam just shook her head. "I can't see them, Daniel," she admitted, trying to keep the anxiety from her voice. It had been different at the SGC. At least there she'd been surrounded by familiar faces. It didn't hurt that she knew the complex like the back of her hand, and the base had been much less crowded. She'd also spent most of the last twenty-four hours in the infirmary, or the well-known haunts of Daniel's office. Whenever she'd left those areas, she'd usually been surrounded by her team. Drowning herself in paperwork had helped some too. She had to admit to herself that she was more than a little overwhelmed by the crowds and just how much bigger everything felt. Maybe this trip so soon had been a bad idea.

Daniel gazed down at her, adjusting his glasses. Then he held out his hand. "I know where they are," he told her. Sam hesitated, biting her lip while embarrassment fought with the desire to take the security Daniel was silently offering her. Good sense finally won out, and she placed her hand in his, instantly reassured when his larger hand warmly enveloped hers in a secure grip. He smiled encouragingly down at her, and then led the way to the rest of the team, unconsciously matching his stride to her much shorter one.

The crowd parted so she could see Teal'c and the Colonel nearby, and she met their inquiring gazes with a slightly defiant lift of her jaw. Teal'c turned to study the items on a nearby end cap, and Jack's eyes slid over hers and Daniel's joined hands, but he said nothing. Instead, once they'd joined up he asked Daniel for the list.

Blinking, Daniel was forced to let go of her hand to rummage around in his pockets. "Here it is," he announced after a brief search, pulling out the slightly crumpled paper. While Jack looked over Daniel's shoulder at the list, Sam reached out and curled her fingers tightly around the side of the cart. If they noticed, no one said anything about it. Once Jack decided where to start, Sam moved as the cart did, finding she was only paying partial attention to the conversation her teammates were having because she was too distracted by all the activity going on around her. She knew she could afford to be preoccupied because her team would watch out for her, and she took comfort in that fact as she tilted her head up taking in her surroundings and trying to absorb the differences, letting her team guide her in the right direction. The group made their way to the back of the store, starting with the back to school section.

Sam soon found she had little interest in the shopping, while the three men were overly enthusiastic as if the make up for her unaccustomed quiet, picking out the things she would need. Mostly she responded when they asked her opinion on things, though she did keep one eye on the things that made it into the cart, peering over the edge of it now and again to make sure they weren't putting too many cutesy kid things in there. For the most part though, the guys seemed to realize she didn't want things that were pink or had cute animals all over them, and if there was a choice, they tended to choose things that had stars or rocket ships and outer space themes. The folders with high test sports cars she wasn't sure who had added to the cart, but the pencils with little gray Asgard-like aliens had Jack's hand stamped all over them. Likewise, the Star Wars erasers had obviously been contributed by Teal'c. When the pencil box with a dessert scene and what looked like a pyramid on the top dropped onto the growing pile in the bottom of the cart, Sam looked up in surprise to meet Daniel's startled eyes. The man flushed and mumbled something about puppies or battle bots being the alternatives and turned hastily away to join Teal'c over at the display of lunch bags.

Uncharacteristically silent and reluctant to let go of the cart, Sam was mostly content to let the guys do the shopping for her. Of course, when Jack tried to add a plastic coated Simpsons themed backpack to the cart, she hastily switched it out with a black canvas one detailed with the Harley Davidson logo. Hey, she only looked five, and the Colonel didn't have to carry the thing! Jack looked disappointed when he noticed her substitution, but didn't comment as he dropped several notebooks into the cart. Daniel dutifully crossed both items off the list. As they finished with the back to school section, they headed over to the clothes and shoe departments. Equally crowded, and with a line for the fitting room, Sam shook her head when Jack asked her if she wanted to try anything on.

"Let's just save the receipt," she asked, a bit more plaintively than she intended, inwardly cursing herself for her weakness. Jack eyed the hand she still had in a death grip on the cart and nodded. Obediently, she held still while Daniel checked the tags on the things she was wearing to get the sizes, and the men let her pick out most of everything, even though they couldn't resist a few suggestions. Jack looked ecstatic when he found a familiar display containing the dark blue and olive drab cargo pants, matching oversized shirts and black t-shirts. She couldn't stop the smile at his excitement, and nodded her agreement as sets in each color were added to the cart. She could always wear the items on base. With the right patches sewn on, they could even pass for uniforms. Not that anyone outside the SGC would believe that she was really an Air Force Major. At least not at the age she looked.

Sam stayed involved enough to choose several packs of socks, underwear, and a jacket. She eschewed sleepwear over the too adorable options in her size, deciding that her own adult sized t-shirts were more than suitable. The one she'd worn last night came down past her knees. She picked out shoes, going for a plain pair in white and blue, despite Jack's trying to tempt her with ones that had little lights. There was a nostalgic look on his face that she couldn't place as he reluctantly replaced the shoes on the shelf. Vaguely, she'd recalled a similar pair in the room at the Colonel's place that had been hers a few months previous. With a little searching, they actually managed to find a pair in her size with laces that didn't have cartoon characters on the sides. Daniel commented that she'd probably be the only kid in the class that could tie her own shoes without assistance.

Finally, they had everything on Daniel's list, except the dreaded but necessary booster seat. Sam trudged reluctantly alongside the cart to the infants department, suddenly finding the floor attractive, as Jack started to point out the features of the various seats.

"Hey, look, this one has a holder for a juice box!" he enthused over one model. While Jack started to play with the adjustable armrests, Daniel crouched down and turned a box around, studying the features of another of the products. Teal'c wandered down the aisle, examining all of the display models closely, as if looking for defects.

"Any preferences Sam?" Daniel asked absently, as he turned around a second box to compare features with the first one.

Looking up at being addressed directly, Sam felt comfortable enough to let go of the cart. They were the only ones in the aisle. Looking over the models on display, Sam shook her head slowly. She really wasn't interested in picking out a booster seat for herself. It just felt too weird. Wrinkling up her nose, she did make one request. "Please, not pink, and not that one," she pointed to one on the end that had a fabric print of adorable animals that looked like they would be perfect on a nursery wall. The rest at least looked like they were designed to be used for several years as the child aged, and while they did not look like they were for infants, the very nature of what it was made them all look childish in her eyes. The men looked amused, but wisely didn't say anything about her disqualifications and were soon involved in a spirited debate about which seat they should purchase. Daniel seemed to have made his choice based on features, while Teal'c had found one that he felt would offer the most protection. Jack seemed fixated on patterns and extras. No one seemed very concerned with price.

Content to let them hash out the final choice, after giving the three runners up a once over and deciding none of them stood out particularly in her mind's eye, Sam wandered away from the cart, walking to the end of the aisle. Unlike the rest of the store, the infant's department was quiet, most of the shoppers out today picking up items for back to school. She felt drawn to the busier center aisle, wanting to get used to the crowds and how small she felt. She was careful not to leave the aisle; the guys were visible a few meters away. Jack had his arms crossed as he watched Daniel waving hands and pointing to something on a box. Teal'c stood with hands behind his back, listening intently to the other two men's arguments. They could just as easily have been in a briefing or off world, discussing a way to do things. Usually, Sam would have joined in, but today, she was too busy trying to get used to her new perspective on the world. The debate behind her faded away as she turned around, finding herself people watching instead, something she hadn't done in a long time.

In front of her, people bustled to and fro, intent on their errands. Most of them paid her no attention, but a few smiled at her, and one tow-headed little boy of about six or seven whose mother was tugging him along gave her an impudent grin and a little wave. Sam smiled tentatively back. She felt a little more comfortable now, but was content to stay where she was, within sight and sound of the rest of her team. Turning to survey the front of the store, Sam was greeted with long lines at the crowded registers. She wasn't looking forward to checking out. The frequent beeps of the scanners were audible even over the general noise in the store. People talking, children laughing, the sound of a sale's associate's walkie chattering all competed to create an overall din, and Sam was finding it fascinating in some odd way. An aisle or two over, a toddler started to cry in the unmistakable sounds of what was building into a full tantrum, the high pitched sound traveling noticeably over the other noises as the unfortunate parent transported the child closer to where she stood.

"Jenny! What are you doing here?" came a sudden loud male voice behind her, clearly heard over the nearby screaming and general noise level of the store. Sam started to turn and investigate when she felt her hand grabbed in an uncompromising grip. She was dragged several steps before she even registered what was happening. Unsuccessfully, she tried to disengage her hand, but the man wasn't even looking at her as he tugged her along, berating her loudly. "I've had just about enough of you wandering off, young lady! I knew we should have put you right in the cart, and as soon as we find your mother that's exactly where you're going!" He continued on in the same vein, seemingly full of righteous parental fury as he hauled her further away from where her teammates shopped.

Sam pulled harder, trying to twist out of his grasp and dragging her feet in a vain attempt to slow the man down, her sneakers sliding uselessly over the smooth tiles. "Hey! Let go, I'm not…" she protested trying to be heard over the man's constant lecturing, but the man ignored her words, raising his voice to be heard over hers. Meanwhile, the unseen child's wailing rose in pitch as the still out of sight toddler signaled his or her displeasure, and Sam realized with a start that even if she pitched a similar fit, no one would find it amiss. In fact, several people had already eyed the pair, some curious, some slightly disapproving, all of them ignoring what they perceived to be a father disciplining an unwilling child.

"Stop that, Jenny!" the man told her sternly in response to her near worthless attempts at physically slowing their advance, busy surveying the crowds presumably to locate his missing wife. He gave her arm a practiced yank that forced her to stop leaning backward and take several large steps in the man's wake to avoid falling over. "You know the rules," the man continued unabated, "If you can't act like a big girl and be responsible, then your mom or I will hold your hand like a baby. Now, where is your mother? She must be worried sick!"

Desperately, Sam craned her neck, trying to spot one of the guys. The man wouldn't listen to her, wouldn't even look at her, and they were almost out of the infant department. He was too strong and she too small for her to physically break his hold or slow him down. She was just considering what defensive moves she could possibly use on the man to get his attention when a large figure stepped out in front of them, blocking their path, and forcing the man to stop his forward momentum. "Teal'c!" she gasped in relief.

His thick arms crossed sternly over his broad chest, Teal'c delivered a glare that no doubt had left trained Jaffa quaking in their boots. "You will release Samantha now," he stated evenly.

It was not a request.

The man stepped back in shock, tugging her unwillingly with him. "What? Samantha? Who…" his eyes followed the other man's glare, and he dropped Sam's hand as if electrocuted.

"Oh! Oh my gosh! I'm so sorry, this is a mistake, I mean, I saw her standing alone and I thought she was my little girl…" the man stumbled over his own words as Teal'c continued to block his way threateningly. Taking another step back, he jumped as he collided with Daniel, whose posture was not dissimilar to the one Teal'c held.

"Oh really?" Daniel asked quietly. He did not look very impressed.

"Just who are you anyway?" asked Jack, arriving on the scene, his words like steel. Reaching down, he picked up Sam, automatically transferring her to one hip and positioning himself so that his body was between hers and the man's. Instinctively, Sam wrapped her arms and legs around him, too filled with her own conflicting emotions to protest the surprise move.

"Do you always make a habit of running off with kids you don't know?" Daniel asked, his tone mild, but his posture anything but. Teal'c continued to glare silently.

Surrounded, the man looked like he was about to faint. He looked frantically at the three hard faces, the well-muscled bodies, and the unmistakable air of confidence that came with years of training and working together. He held out open hands in supplication. "Look, it was an honest mistake, I really thought she was my little Jenny, they look so much alike. Please, I'm a father!" The man was practically begging.

"I think he's telling the truth, sir," Sam whispered in Jack's ear. Just then, a little girl's voice was heard coming from the back of the store.

"Daddy! There you are Daddy! C'mon, Mommy says I can have a toy because I've been such a good girl!" Everyone turned at the sound of the voice to see a little girl about five or six. Her blond hair was of a length similar to Sam's, and she also wore a pink t-shirt and blue jeans with white tennis shoes. Although the little girl's shirt had butterflies on it while Sam's was plain, the resemblance was striking. A woman with long, equally blond hair stood behind the little girl, her face showing open curiosity and a little concern as she saw the three unfamiliar men surrounding her husband.

The man looked relieved, and pointed to his family. "See? Look, I'm really sorry. I honestly didn't mean to worry any of you, especially your little girl." He looked at each of them, genuinely contrite.

"Daddy?" called the other little girl again. At her call, Teal'c stepped aside, leaving just enough space to let the man slip by. The man wasted no time beating a hasty retreat, and with one last glance over his shoulder, he picked up the pace. "I'm coming sweetie!" he called.

"Well, that was interesting," commented Daniel, his brows furrowed as he watched the other man join his family and hustle them out of sight. His stiff posture relaxed marginally.

Jack just grunted, and when Sam squirmed trying to get him to put her back down, he tightened his grip and stalked back to the cart. With one hand, he started grabbing the items in the top of the cart and tossing them in the back. Sam realized his intent immediately.

Eyes on the now empty child seat, Sam tried to wriggle out of the Colonel's grasp but he was too quick and too determined. As he swung her into the seat, all protests died on her lips as she caught a glimpse of his face. His features were a mask of stone, his jaw clenched and his eyes dark. He didn't even look at her as he let her go.

"Teal'c, push the cart, I'll get us a place in line," he ordered gruffly, moving off, his body stiff. Instinctively, Sam knew the anger wasn't directed at her. She knew, because underneath the anger, she had seen fear. What had just happened, what could have been had it not been a simple honest mistake, had given the man a terrible scare. In fact, if she admitted it to herself, it had frightened all of them, including her. Knowing on some level she would be less independent and able to take care of herself in the form of a child, and suddenly being confronted with a situation that really drove it home was quite another thing. All of the little doubts she'd somehow managed to suppress earlier came rushing back at her. She slumped in the seat with a resigned sigh, not moving even when Teal'c placed his large hands on either side of her, surrounding and protecting her with his bulk. Daniel caught her eye as he fell into step beside them, giving her a sympathetic smile and a helpless shrug. He dropped one hand on the cart, near, but not touching. Sam felt all her irritation at the three men's overprotective actions dissolving away, replaced by a feeling of helplessness. She sighed again, watching the floor several feet below her small shoes pass by.

They met up with Jack at the checkout line as promised. As he and Daniel unloaded the cart Jack seemed to be recovering his usual confidence and earlier cheerful mood and traded jokes with the cashier and snarky comments with Daniel. Teal'c remained in front of her, his quiet presence comforting. Looking up, she found the man staring down at her, his gaze measuring.

"It was most disturbing to all of us to find you unwillingly going with a man we did not know," he told her quietly. "You must forgive us Samantha, if we have overreacted."

Sam glanced behind her, watching for a moment as Daniel loaded bags into the cart, and Jack swiped the credit card Hammond had given him. Somehow, knowing her team was looking out for her helped at least a little bit. She turned back to the large warrior and smiled ruefully. "It's ok, Teal'c, I understand," she told him, and then added, "Thank you." Teal'c nodded, looking relieved, and as soon the last bag was loaded, he pushed the cart outside.

Sitting back in the seat, Sam looked around her. Everything still seemed bigger than normal, but her vantage from the cart seat at least gave her a better-known point of view. After pushing the cart out to the car, Teal'c lifted her down while Jack opened up the truck and Daniel started grabbing bags. Deciding the three men had loading up well in hand, Sam decided to get a jumpstart on getting herself strapped in.

She had to reach up to grab the handle, and the door was a lot heavier than she remembered. Climbing up was easier now that she had the knack of it, but it took both hands to pull the door shut behind her. Looking up over the back of the seat, she caught sight of Daniel grinning at her as he pushed something inside through the open hatch, and the Colonel gave her a broad wink before he turned back around to grab another bag, but no one said anything. Sam turned her attention to the annoying harness.

The second time was much easier, and she was strapped in in half the time. By the time she was buckled in, the guys had just about finished loading up, and Sam grinned in amusement at the snatches of conversation she heard.

"I'm telling you Daniel, that cashier was checking you out," Jack was saying teasingly.

Daniel protested automatically. "She was not!"

"Oh, she was definitely looking, you man you." There was a sound of flesh meeting fabric-clad flesh, as Jack no doubt slapped the other man playfully. "You don't believe me, ask Teal'c. T-buddy, was she or was she not watching Daniel's six?" Sam couldn't see around the wings of the seat, but she didn't need to see to know that Jack was grinning madly and Daniel was probably shooting a desperate "Save me" glance at Teal'c.

There was a pause behind her as bags were shifted, and then Teal'c replied, his deep rumble unmistakable. "I believe Mindy was indeed most interested in inspecting Daniel Jackson," he said, without a hint of humor, but Sam imagined she could see a gleam in his eye. The back hatch slamming shut drowned out Daniel's inevitable protest, and Jack's gleeful reaction that Teal'c not only supported him, but also had picked up on the girl's name.

Around her, the other three doors opened and the men climbed in. "I'm not going back in there, Jack. Don't you think we've bought enough stuff for one day?" Daniel announced firmly in answer to something Jack had said that she'd missed but could easily guess.

"You're no fun," Jack whined, as he started the truck. "I'm sure Carter wouldn't mind if you went back in, right Carter?" he asked, momentarily forgetting the first name only rule.

Sam couldn't resist, and grinned while she shook her head. She laughed as Jack whooped, pounding the steering wheel and Daniel looked stricken. "Sam!" he protested, "I thought you'd be on my side!"

After some more good-natured teasing, everyone's spirits were lifted, and Jack finally changed the subject, to Daniel's relief. "Where to next?" he asked, twisting around to catch the other three in his sights.

Surprised, Sam looked up. "We're not going back to base?" she asked, the words slipping out before she could stop them.

Jack frowned. "We could, if that's what you want, but I was thinking we could stop and get something to eat first," he suggested, eyebrow raised and inviting comment.

"That is most agreeable," approved Teal'c immediately.

"I could eat," added Daniel. The three looked at Sam.

"Sounds good to me," she said with a shrug. Thinking about it, she was glad their little scare today hadn't made the three men hustle her right back to the mountain. She also felt she could not only stand a little more exposure out and in public, but that she needed a little more time away from those places of security. At least in a restaurant, they would be seated, and she wouldn't have to worry about getting lost or separated in the crowds. She knew she'd have to get used to being small, but the day had been tiring so far and she was ready to sit down and relax for a little while.

Beating a little tattoo on the steering wheel, Jack looked around as he asked, "Pizza ok? I've heard this sweet little shop opened not far from base, good food, relaxed dining, and reasonable prices."

After another round of affirmatives, they were on their way.

Soon, they pulled up at the restaurant, and Sam realized she'd heard of the place as well. Like the Colonel, she too had wanted to try it out. She got out of the truck and walked with her team, the three men circling her but including her in their gentle banter. It was familiar, SG-1 familiar, and like a balm, soothing on her psyche. Muscles she hadn't even known were tense started to relax.

Walking in the big double doors, the team was greeted by the delicious smells of baking pizza. Deep booths lined the walls, and tables were set in the middle under warm ambient lighting. As a further touch, candles glowed from tabletops and tasteful posters adorned the walls. Popular music played softly from hidden speakers.

"Party of four?" a woman wearing an apron greeted them as they walked in.

"Please," Daniel replied, with a smile that the hostess returned. As the woman walked ahead, carrying their menus, Jack elbowed the younger man in the ribs. "Don't start Jack," Daniel hissed warningly.

"Start?" Jack asked innocently, "I'm not starting anything," he denied. Sam giggled and Daniel rolled his eyes as they arrived at their table, the woman placing their menus on the table as they sat down.

"'I'll be right back to get your drink orders," she told them as she turned away.

Sam realized that the woman had placed a child's menu in front of her, the colorful paper placemat covered in games mixed with pictures of kid-friendly menu items, coming complete with a packet of crayons. She turned in her seat to ask for a regular menu, but the waitress was already at another table.

"You ok, Sam?" Daniel asked from her left, looking up from his own menu.

She sighed, turning back around in her chair. "She gave me a kids' menu."

Across the table, Jack narrowed his eyes at her. "That's because you are a kid," he reminded her pointedly.

Sam flushed, looking down at the table and fiddling with her silverware packet. "You can look at my menu if you want," Daniel offered, and Sam gave him a smile, more than a little preoccupied.

"Actually, I was thinking we could just get a pizza for all of us," Jack suggested instead.

"An extra large with additional pepperoni?" asked Teal'c.

"Sounds good," agreed Daniel quickly.

"Yeah, ok," sighed Sam, still focused on the tabletop.

"You know, if you aren't going to use that menu, I'll use it," Jack told her, a hint of a smile lurking at the corners of his lips.

Sam looked up skeptically. "Really?" she asked in disbelief.

"Yes really," he replied cheerfully, spearing the paper placemat with his forefinger and turning it around so he could read the words printed on it. "I mean, who wouldn't want to help Jane find the right spaghetti noodle to lead her to the meatball?" he asked teasingly.

With a snicker, Sam slid the crayon packet across the table. "Knock your self out," she told him.

By the time the waitress returned to take their orders, Jack had managed to cajole Teal'c into a game of tic-tac-toe. The woman looked only mildly surprised at Sam's request for a diet cola, and promised to be back soon with their pizza.

"She likes you, Daniel," Jack announced, marking an X in the grid he'd drawn on the back of the menu. He groaned, as Teal'c marked his move, drawing a line through three neat O's.

Daniel ignored the dig, and instead observed, "You know, I thought it was impossible to lose at a game of tic-tac-toe."

"I let him win," Jack defended himself. When Teal'c looked disbelieving, doubtfully raising one eyebrow, he added, "It was his first game." Sam giggled, and Jack pointed a finger at her. "Ah! No giggling!"

She was saved from a response as their drinks arrived. Their pizza was not far behind. It was hot, filling and delicious. Sam found herself full before she'd finished her second, albeit large, slice even though normally she was able to eat more, especially after a busy day like today had been. No one seemed to find it unusual though as she pushed her less than empty plate away.

After they'd paid the bill and were getting up to leave, the waitress stopped by one last time. "I hope you enjoyed your meal," she told them with a smile. Everyone offered his or her thanks for the good meal and friendly service, including Sam. Then the woman surprised her by leaning over quickly and smiling broadly. "Ooh, you are just too cute. And so polite! I'd love to take you home with me, you could teach my little boy some manners!"

Sam was too startled to make a reply. It had been a long time since someone had told her how adorable she was! She made no protest when Jack guided her out ahead of him, one hand on her back.

Above her head, she heard Daniel tell Jack, "See, it was really all about Sam."

"Chicks dig guys with kids," Jack countered.

Daniel threw his hands up. "I give up! You're hopeless!" he complained. Sam laughed, but her laugh was interrupted by a huge yawn. Luckily, they had reached the truck, and Jack pulled the door open as he passed, as if sensing her fatigue. Another huge yawn felt like it was splitting her face in two as tired fingers fumbled with the still unfamiliar connections. She still managed to get situated though as the rest of the guys buckled up.

As the truck pulled out of the parking lot Sam reflected on the events of the day, laying her head tiredly back against the headrest. Despite her earlier doubts and worries, she had been able to grow more comfortable with the major changes she'd undergone. She was more confident that with the help of her team, she'd be able to take on her role in the upcoming mission. Night had fallen while they'd eaten, and idly, Sam watched the passing flashes of light from storefront, streetlamp and headlight. The motion of the vehicle was hypnotic and soothing combined with the familiar rise and fall of her teammate's voices. After a brief battle to stay alert, Sam gave in to the demands of her body, her eyes sliding closed. Just for a minute, she promised herself. It was her last coherent thought that night.

A/N: Sorry for the long delay, but life's been hectic. I've been trying to find the time to post this chapter for days now. As always, thanks for your comments. I love to hear from all of you.