AN: Effing A. Two years, really? Really? Where has time gone? I sincerely apologize to all who have been waiting for a conclusion to this. And I also apologize that it's so short, more of an epilogue really. But I need to cap it off and move on to the next bit. Life has been messy, but I want to start writing again. I am going to start working on the next part of the series, but I think I'll go back to my old style of not posting until its all finished. Last I want is to leave anyone hanging again. To anyone still out there, thanks for reading, and hope you enjoyed.

Sam smiled to herself. Though she was dripping with sweat and still a little breathless, such things couldn't dampen her mood. Cleared for active duty. After nearly a month of recovery she was no less than extatic. She was a woman of action after all.

Not that the time away hadn't been pleasant, and entirely necessary. A goodly chunk she spent with Olivia. Dates, something she had little experience with since the academy. Sight-seeing, tourist spots as well as the places New Yorkers liked to keep for themselves. Talking. Lots of talking. Hashing and Rehashing until neither of them could keep up their guilt in the presence of the other's unwavering conviction.

And, Sam thought with a cheeky smile, almost as much as there had been talk, there had also been sex.

Rifts. Between herself and the others. Within her. She had spent a majority of her time and effort into repairing those than her physical recovery. It left her to wonder how much of her fatigue came from her body, and what was simply emotional exhaustion. But it was all worth it. To keep her team. To keep her sanity.

If she were honest with herself, which she had had no choice but to do a lot over the weeks, most of it stemmed from having to forgive herself. To accept what had happened, and her lack of any real control over it. That had been the most bitter pill to swallow. Sam didn't like to feel powerless.

Remembering it had helped, because she still couldn't explain her drugged reactions to her sober self. There was no real substantive thought behind her actions, proving everyone's claims of her absolution of blame.

Sober reflection quickly checked her brief foray of humor. And, approaching her destination pushed humor further from her mind. While she had come a long way with everything, there was still one thing left to be done before she even thought about stepping foot through the gate again. Mustering her strength, she took a breath and stepped through the open door.

It wasn't often she saw Jack sitting over paperwork. Rarer still to see him so totally engrossed in it. The sight almost made her chuckle, and the brief hiccup of air caught his attention.

"Sir."

He gave a small nod. "Carter."

This rift had been the hardest to fix. And still had the widest gap. Realization into each other's mindset had been uncomfortable. He to know she hadn't a clue of what she had tried to do. And she to know just how profoundly it had affected him. It was difficult for him to reconcile her actions with her mental state.

The matter had effectively been left on the back burner. But that wouldn't do. It could affect things in the field. No, Sam ammended, it would.

She started light, unable to help but smile as she spoke. "Passed the physical."

"Sweet," he said automatically.

"So," she started. Took a breath as she thought. Felt keenly as the wall of discomfort slammed down on both of them. Mulled it over in her had a little more, and then decided on something else entirely. "I never gave up on any of you."

"Sam..." His use of her first name took them both off-guard momentarily.

"I didn't," she said. She remembered the raw emotion when he had thrown that at her. It remained her biggest regret. To have been the cause of such pain. Thank God they were both still alive to talk about it.

"No one thinks that, Carter." There was a brief pause before her name as he gave her an awkward smile.

Though she smiled back, Sam shook her head. "You do. On some level, you do. Sir."

"Maybe," he admitted begrudgingly, "but it's not your problem."

And here she thought people had gotten over trying to protect her. Mostly. Instead of words, she expressed her displeasure with a heavy sigh. Jack had the decency to look at least mildly chagrined.

While perhaps they both knew it practically, she still hadn't put it into words. And probably should have long ago.

"I apologized because of how much I knew how much it hurt you to be there. To go through that. When I actually could think again, I never regretted missing. Not for an instant. I only regret that it happened."

She raised a hand to keep him silent. "And I apologized in the woods because I was the one who failed. Not you. As far as I knew you were all still on that planet, maybe even going through the same thing. And I couldn't figure out how to get free."

Finally, Sam sat down. The silence floated for a time. Jack digested her words, and she waited for a response. And waited.

"You know why I didn't want to talk about it?"

"Sir?"

"When you didn't remember, I hoped you never would. Then when you knew but still didn't remember, I thought maybe that would be enough. But you remembered, and I still thought 'if we don't talk about it or otherwise acknowledge it, then maybe it won't become a big deal'. It can consume you, and I hoped to spare you that."

It had consumed her. Still did to varying degrees. Plagued her waking and sleeping thoughts. Intellectually she knew she was capable of it, anyone was in the right situation. But she had been confronted with the inescapable reality. Shown her own breaking point. Left staggered by it.

And was only just realized how Jack's own brush with the edge had affected him.

"I didn't realize, in my infinite wisdom, that I was probably just making it worse."

He was being perfectly serious, she knew, but still said it with his usual sarcastic tones. Shattering the tension like a sledgehammer. Sam couldn't help but laugh.

"And here I thought you were the serious one," Jack said with a waggle of his eyebrows.

"Yes, sir," Sam said to his mock indignation.

"Beer later," he said. "And pizza. But mostly beer. Good?"

It was his way of saying they'd talk later. Sam nodded. "Good."

"Hey." Sam turned at his call just before she passed through the door. "Welcome back, Carter."

"Thank you, sir."