A few minutes later, they were on the road. As they drove to his place, the silence was heavy between them. He didn't want to push her into talking about what happened until she was ready. But he couldn't help feeling guilty for not being there when she needed him most.

Sam looked through the window and felt exhausted. Emotionally and physically drained. Since the loss of Janet, she never got a moment to catch her breath. The pain of losing her friend was still fresh in her mind, and it felt like a part of her had died with her. She couldn't believe that she was gone, that she would never see her again.

She thought back to that night of the funeral when she went to Jack's house, seeking comfort only he could give her. They spent a beautiful night together, wrapped in each other's arms. It was the first time she felt truly alive since Janet's death, and it was all thanks to him. The next morning, she escaped silently, afraid of what it all meant.

A week after, she was determined to talk about it and that's when SG-1 got kidnapped on a mission and spent eight weeks in captivity. The memory of those long weeks still haunted her, and she couldn't help but wonder what would have happened if they had talked about their feelings earlier.

She curled up on her side and quickly fell asleep, exhausted from all the emotions and memories flooding her mind. She dreamed of Janet and all the good times they shared together. She dreamed of Jack and all the moments they had together, both good and bad.

Sam woke up only when he was carrying her through his doorstep. She felt safe in his arms, like nothing could hurt her as long as he was there. She looked up at him, and for a moment, everything else faded away. All she could see was him, his face etched with concern and love.

"Hey," he said softly, "welcome home."

She smiled weakly, grateful to be back in his arms. ""Hmm sorry," she said sleepily.

"This can't be good for your knees. Let me down I'll walk," she whispered.

"Nope. I'm putting you to bed." He carried her to his bed and gently laid her down. He sat next to her, holding her hand in his. They didn't need words to communicate, not when they had each other.