The Virus

Chapter 4

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Jack assured her everything he had brought with him from Earth was in the large pack on his back. It saddened her to think of all they had left behind. She knew somewhere in that pack there would be a photo of his son, Charlie. She wondered if he had brought along any other sentimental items the way she had. She supposed she and Cassie had the luxury of at least thirty minutes of packing at home before leaving, Jack would have been in a rush and he had been at his cabin not home.

"I'll see you guys tomorrow, I'll just need the rest of the afternoon to get my things together." Daniel told them. He gave her another hug and a peck on the check before heading back to the camp.

"Everyone ready?" Jack stood beside her and her team not far behind stood talking to each other. She suddenly wondered when she had begun thinking of him as Jack and whether she would keep doing so. Normally even in her mind he was Colonel or Sir. She decided she could worry about that later, they had more pressing issues. She used the DHD to dial their temporary home, Palla. She had been gone a few hours now and she was anxious to get back to Cassie and reassure her they were fine.

As soon as she walked through the wormhole she saw Cassie. The girl had clearly been waiting and the smile on her face almost brought Sam to tears.

"Cassie!" She opened her arms and the girl ran so fast into them she almost knocked them both backwards.

"I am so happy to see you." Cassie stepped back and looked over at Jack. "Jack!" She yelled and ran full-tilt into him next. He was more prepared though and didn't even wobble when the girl threw herself at him.

"Long time no see Cass." He smiled over the girls head at Sam. She smiled back and her heart suddenly felt full. For the first time in a long time she felt like things might just be okay. Jack, Daniel, Teal'c and Cassie were fine. She refused to think about the rest of the people she cared about that had been left on Earth. There was a time to grieve, and now was not it. Now was the time to celebrate what little they had going for them.

General Hammond arrived next and she saw the pure relief written all over his face. She nudged Cassie and they both headed away while the General spoke to Jack.

"How does it feel?" Cassie threw a cheeky grin up at Sam. "Did he kiss you?"

"Cassie!" She admonished. "He's still my CO." She let out a little laugh. "It feels really, really good. Daniel is okay too and he will arrive here tomorrow."

"I bet you wanted to kiss him." Sam rolled her eyes. Teenagers! She thought ruefully.

"So anything exciting happen while I was gone?" They chattered their way down to their tent and Sam dumped her pack and gun inside. Cassie put the kettle over the fire they had made outside their tent and sat down on the hard ground beside it.

"We need logs like the General has." Sam mused aloud. Cassie looked up at her like she was crazy.

"Do you know how heavy they are?"

"Between the two of us we should manage." She found her eyes drawn to the other end of the camp where General Hammond and the Colonel were still talking. Back to the Colonel, not Jack. She realized that the moment they had returned and she had seen General Hammond the little bubble she had been in while on the other planet had popped. She couldn't call him Jack, she couldn't hug him or kiss him or do any of the things that she wanted to because technically he was still her superior. She sighed internally and turned to look at the forest a few feet from their position. Cassie groaned from her spot by the fire.

"I don't want to move any logs!" The girls tone was whiney and Sam decided to give up while she was ahead. Maybe the Colonel would help her move a log or two when he came to visit them. "Coffee?" Cassie's voice was back to normal and she had a slightly apologetic smile on her face so Sam nodded gratefully and headed to their tent to get their coffee. She dreaded to think what would happen when they ran out, she was definitely going to go through caffeine withdrawal.

..

"Hello ladies," the hello was drawn out and she felt a smile tug at the corners of her mouth. The Colonel had clearly finished speaking to General Hammond and had decided to come see them. She looked up and another wave of relief flooded through her. She couldn't believe she had him back already. The past two weeks had felt more like months – but really… her first venture off the planet and she found him! Well, technically he found her… She couldn't have wished for more.

"Hey Jack," Cassie patted the ground between herself and Sam. "Coffee?" Sam wondered how many times Cassie was going to ask that in one day.

"Sure," he dropped his back with a thud and then slowly lowered himself to the ground with a groan. He took the mug the girl held out to him and raised it to his lips his eyes peering over the mug at Sam. A long moment passed and she again felt like everything around them was fading. He had always been able to do that to her and it sent a shiver up her spine.

"Can you two stop making eyes at each other and listen to me?" She and the Colonel's heads turned simultaneously to the teen. "Good, now you are listening…" Cassie rolled her eyes and let out a little laugh. It was the first time Sam had heard her laugh in two weeks and it made her heart swell. "Now that Jack's here, he can help you get a log or two to put around our fire."

"Can't a guy catch a break? I only just arrived and you are already putting me to work!" He grumbled.

"It's okay Cass, I can probably drag one over by myself later." She stared daggers at her. The Colonel looked exhausted, there was no way she was making him help her with such a small task.

"I'll help once I've set up my new… home." He patted his pack next to him.

"Sam will help you set it up." Cassie told him and bounced to her feet. "I'm going to go down to the stream with Sophie and Tara to wash." She patted Sam on the head like she would a dog and then headed off. She and the Colonel watched her go.

"I'm perfectly capable of putting up my own tent." He told her. He stretched out his long legs and placed his hands behind him, rolling his shoulders and tilting his head back. She watched his every move as discreetly as she could but he seemed to feel her eyes on him and he looked down at her with an amused expression on his face. "Did ya' miss me much?" She tried to find a funny response but her sense of humor seemed to have all but disappeared.

"Yes…" She answered sincerely, and then added a quiet 'sir' to the end just to make it a little less meaningful. He sat forward a little at her response and opened his mouth as if to say something before closing it again and pressing his lips together. Nervously, she bit her lip. Maybe she shouldn't have said anything at all.

"You can drop the Sir for the moment." He shrugged. "I don't think we will be working together in the same capacity again."

"Okay," she agreed and tipped her mug back and drained the last of her coffee licking her lips appreciatively. As with her thoughts earlier, she had better make the most of every coffee she had before they ran out.

"How did you get out?" She wasn't sure she was ready to talk about Earth but he had started the ball rolling really - by bringing up the fact that SG-1 was no longer. Something in her stirred but she pushed it away, she couldn't dwell on the past right now.

"I managed to get Walter to let me in." He grinned. "I have my ways, you know me." She blanched.

"Are you serious? They let you in after the lockdown had been put in place?" She couldn't believe it.

"Well I didn't exactly walk through the front door."

"You snuck in?"

"Yup." He seemed proud and she should have been appalled but she couldn't help but smile. She didn't care how he did it to be honest, she was just too happy to have him here next to her.

"When Walter found me he nearly had a heart attack." The Colonel had a faraway look in his eyes for a moment as if he were looking back at his memories. "He ended up letting me go to the infirmary to be tested. I think I made it to the gate room with about three seconds to spare." They were quiet for a moment while Sam digested his story and he finished his coffee. "I told you I would make it… didn't I?" He put his empty mug down.

"Yes you did. Didn't doubt you for a moment." She quipped. I only spent the past two weeks fretting you had died, or that I would never find out which planet you ended up on if you had escaped.

"You look tired." He commented his eyes tracing her face.

"I haven't been sleeping all that well." She admitted.

"Well I'm going to set up my tent. Any place you can recommend?" He looked around at the tents around them.

"That's our tent." She pointed to her and Cassie's tent. "You could set up near us… uh… so you can share our fire… and Cassie will be pleased to have you near." And so will I. She finished silently. He looked at her for a moment as if reading her mind but she managed to keep a straight face.

"Okie dokie, sounds good." He rose to his feet and swung his heavy pack up from the ground and onto his back with a grunt. "You should nap, Sam." She looked up in surprise at both the concerned tone of voice and also the use of her first name.

"I'm going to sleep fine from now on." She smiled up at him.

"Me too." He told her before heading away to set up his tent.

TBC.

Authors Note: Okay, I really should head back to reality now. This will be the last chapter for tonight!