So tomorrow is Sunday and I actually have to get up earlier than I do on the weekdays which sort of sucks and right now I'm trying to decide whether to just stay up or go to bed, either way I'm not going to be all the responsive anyway, I am really not a morning person.

Anyway this chapter is maybe a little more angsty than the others but I hope you like it.

The next morning everyone but Sam went up to the ship for breakfast and showers. Jack tried to talk Sam into coming but she just wanted to work on her machine. Jack agreed to let her stay on the planet but only after he had seen her open and start to eat one of the cereal bars from her pack, and leave another few in easy reach.

The three of them ate quickly in the mess, Daniel consuming more coffee than actual real food. Once they were done Chakotay, who had greeted them at the transporter and had eaten with them, led them to some empty quarters. After he explained how the showers worked, he left them to it, telling them to tell the guard outside when they were done.

It didn't take them long; a long time ago they had all mastered the art of showering quickly, although they all found the feeling of the sonic showers a little disconcerting. Once they were done they all pulled on the clean clothes that they had brought with them before shoving their dirty stuff into the bag that Teal'c had brought. Since they had been on a lookie loo mission to look at the machine and the ruins they had all brought more changes of clothes than they normally would have so they all still had another set of BDU's in their bags.

They got to the door and told the security officer there that they were done, he nodded and then touched his comm badge and called Chakotay back down to them. They all headed towards the nearest transporter room, since there was nothing they could do on the ship they had decided to go back to the planet and see if there was anything at all they could do to help Sam.

They walked into their camp and saw that B'Elanna and Tom were both there as well. B'Elanna was helping Sam with whatever she was doing while Tom was looking at something. Seven was sat in the same place as the day before, still making notes and calculations.

Tom looked up as they arrived and smiled at them before turning back to whatever was in his hands. As they got closer they could see that he was looking at Sam's digital camera. They had just sat down on the logs when Sam gave a triumphant shout as she and B'Elanna stepped back.

"Done Carter?" Jack asked, looking at the mess of wires and other materials that the two women had just stepped back from.

Sam nodded and headed towards the tent saying, "Now all I need to do is put the naquadah in it and see if it works."

She was only in the tent for a moment, her feet sticking out the entire time, before she stood back up and walked over to where Seven was sat. "How's it going Seven?" she questioned.

Seven nodded, "I think I am nearly there Major Carter."

Sam extended her hand, "May I?"

The blonde woman nodded and handed her the notebook she had been working in, along with the pen. Sam quickly flipped through it and then scribbled something else at the end before smiling at Seven and saying, "Nice work, you were very nearly done."

Seven didn't answer; she just stood and moved towards the back of the group.

Once she had resituated herself Jack asked, "Ready to give it a try?"

Sam nodded hesitantly before moving over to the machine, the vial and the notebook still in her hand. Jack stood and walked over to her. The two crouched by the machine and rested his hand on top of hers, "Whatever happens Sam, we know you did your best." Sam nodded and her movements became more confident as he smiled at her before heading back to where Daniel and the others were sitting.

As he got closer Daniel asked quietly, "What was that about Jack?"

"Last minute encouragement," Jack answered, "She's worried that we'll blame her if this doesn't work."

That put looks of concern on both Daniel and Teal'c's faces. Jack could see that Daniel was going to say something so he shook his head and said, "She knows that we trust her and that we won't blame her Daniel, but it doesn't stop her worrying."

Daniel nodded and all of them all looked back at Sam who was making some last minute adjustments to the machine in front of her. She placed the vial into it and then sat back on her heels. She looked up at them, mainly focusing on Jack, and smiled before touching the comm badge that Jack had left her with this morning. "Captain, it's Major Carter, can you do what we talked about please?"

Jack stood, wondering what was going on but he didn't get far before the Captain gave her affirmative and a ring of light appeared around Sam. Everyone stopped talking and looked at her, the four members of the Voyager crew all knew what a force field looked like and from the looks on their faces Daniel, Jack and Teal'c all guessed what it was too.

"What are you doing Carter?" Jack asked slowly, walking towards her.

Sam looked him in the eye and said, "Protecting you, protecting all of you."

She looked back at the machine and started fiddling with it, not looking at anyone.

"Carter," Jack said, "What do you mean protecting us?"

Sam sighed and looked at him. "There's only a fifty per cent chance this will actually work."

"And the other fifty per cent?" Jack asked, pretty sure he already knew the answer.

"It explodes," Sam said without emotion.

Everyone was still as they processed her words then Jack started forwards, towards Sam and the force field. "Carter, don't you dare," he said, "I said you could do anything as long as you were safe, a fifty per cent chance of blowing up is not safe."

Sam shook her head, "I have to do this sir; you know I do."

Jack looked behind him at Chakotay and said, "Contact the Captain, tell her to take that force field down, now. I will not have Carter risking her life to get us home."

Chakotay moved his hand towards his badge but a shout from Sam stopped him. "Please Commander, don't. I have to do this if we want to get home."

Jack smashed his hand against the field, causing ripples in it. "I am not doing this again Carter. I refuse to be stuck on one side of force field while you're on the other side in danger."

Sam rested her hand against where his fist was now resting. "Please Jack, let me try this," she begged.

Teal'c and Daniel had both by now moved closer and were standing behind Jack, watching Sam, while Chakotay, Tom and B'Elanna were standing behind them, with Seven standing even further back watching what was going on, only partly understanding.

"Sam," Daniel said, "You don't have to do this. We don't want you to risk your life when it is perfectly fine for us to stay here."

"Indeed," came Teal'c's input, "MajorCarter we will be fine here."

Sam shook her head, "I'm doing it and there's nothing you can do to stop me." She could see B'Elanna's hand moving towards her badge. The half Klingon was obviously contemplating asking the Captain to lower the shield to allow Jack to pull Sam away from the machine. "Don't B'Elanna; I have to at least try."

B'Elanna could see the fire in her eyes and let her hand fall back to her side. Sam nodded once in recognition of what she had done before she turned her focus back to Jack once more.

The two of them stared into each other's eyes, speaking in a way that only they could. Eventually Jack whispered, "Why Sam? Why risk it?"

"You know why Jack," Sam said in an equally low voice. "If this doesn't work I'm sorry."

She then turned back to the machine, ignoring Daniel's pleading to stop, and gave it one last check before she turned on the power source, the battery from the FRED, and pushed the button that would either get them one step closer to getting home or kill her.