* One week later *

Sam was sleeping in the infirmary, her head resting on Jack's chest, when Jack woke up. He blinked a few times before his blurred vision cleared. Feeling something heavy on his chest, he looked down, and saw a mass of blond hair. "Carter?" he said, his voice a little hoarse.

Suddenly Jack found himself gazing into a pair of sparkling blue eyes. "Carter, why is it, that I'm always waking up to find you using my chest as a pillow?" Jack was smirking.

Sam blushed, "sorry sir," she said unable to keep the smile off her face.

Jack held up his hands, his eyes twinkling. "Hey I don't mind. But does it always have to cut off my airway?"

Sam's blush deepened and she looked down mumbling something about listening to his heartbeat. Jack's lips twitched in humour, "that's why we have these," he said tilting his head towards the EKG, "or so they tell me. But I like you're way better."

Sam smiled. "How do you feel sir?"

"Like I've been hit by a bus….a very big bus, with big guns."

Sam smiled and they fell silent for a few minutes. Then Jack's eyes fell on their joined hands, which Sam ha been holding the whole time. "Hmmmmmm" said Jack and Sam's eyes followed his gaze to their hands. Again they were silent for a few minutes, just enjoying each other's company, softly rubbing their fingers over each others hands.

Then Sam blushed again. "I'd better go and find Dr. Fraiser," but she didn't let go.

Jack squeezed her hands gently. "Okay."

Sam's heart was beating a mile-a-minute and there was a fluttering deep inside her chest, and all because she woke up to find a pair of deep hazel eyes staring at her. "Okay," she breathed, and took her hands from him, and left the room, throwing a quick glance at him over her shoulder.

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Dr. Fraiser shone a small light into Jack's eyes, watching the pupils react. "Well sir, despite the fact that you've been unconscious for four weeks, remarkably you look pretty good."

"Thanks Doc."

"But I want to keep you in bed for another twenty four hours, and I'm keeping you off active duty for two weeks." Dr. Fraiser turned to the rest of SG1 and General Hammond. "You need to give him some rest now."

"Rest?" Said Jack. "Come on doc. I've been sleeping for a month!"

"Exactly. So if everyone wouldn't mind giving him some quiet." She looked at all of them, giving Sam an especially you look.

Daniel, Teal'c, and General Hammond said their goodbyes then let. Sam remained behind for just a moment, giving Jack a warm smile, unspoken relief in her eyes. Then she followed Daniel and Teal'c out of the door.

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* A few days later *

Almost a week after Jack's miraculous recovery, he and Daniel sat in the mess hall eating lunch. Daniel coughed nervously, "Uhh have you talked to Sam recently?"

Jack took another spoonful of Jello, "about what?" he said non-chalantly, although he gave Daniel a flare that suggested he not continue with his thought.

Daniel got the hint and shrugged, both men going back to their food. Daniel was quiet for a few minutes before he tried a different approach. "Your injury it us all hard…especially Sam." Jack looked up at Daniel and then back down at his food. When Daniel spoke his voice was quieter. "Jack, Sam never left your side the entire time you were in a coma. She didn't work on any of her projects, barely ate, and rarely slept. And the few hours that she did, was in a small chair next to your bed."

Daniel's speech stabbed at Jack. He assumed that now that he was well, everything would return back to normal. He hadn't thought about the pain that he had caused them….caused Sam. That would explain her distance, these past few days. Hell he thought, if our roles had been reversed, who knows the state I would've been in, watching Carter dying, when I could do nothing.

Jack looked up, and Daniel could see the realization in his eyes. "Go."

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When Jack got to Sam's quarters, he knocked, and used his swipe card to open the door, without waiting for a reply.

Sam was sitting at her desk on her laptop, when she heard someone enter. Thinking that it was Daniel, she waved him off. "I'm not hungry Daniel." Then she heard a cough from someone who was definitely not Daniel. Sam looked up surprised. "Sir what-"

"I'm sorry," he said huskily. Sam looked at him confused. "I never meant to hurt you."

Understanding dawned on Sam and she looked down at her feet, avoiding Jack's gaze. They were both quiet for a few minutes. Then Jack walked over, closing some of the distance between them. "Daniel told me that you never left."

Sam looked up at him with watery eyes. "I was so scared," she whispered. "I thought you were going to leave me."

"Come here." Jack pulled her into a hug, and wrapped his arms around her protectively. Sam's fists clenched around Jack's shirt as she cried, finally letting all of her emotions over the past few weeks surface. Jack held Sam close, rubbing her back softly until he felt her breathing even out. He then pulled back and wiped her remaining tears away with his thumbs.

"Sir, it was all my fault."

"No Carter. It was my decision to go back for you. You saved me remember?"

"But sir…."

"Carter, Daniel told me about your Dad. You never gave up."

"Sir, if I had been more careful on the planet then –"

"Sam," said Jack stopping her rambling. "It's okay….I'm okay."

Sam looked up at him, and before he knew what he was doing, Jack closed the distance between them, brushing his lips across hers.

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