It has been nearly two and a half months by now and she's working herself towards exhaustion.

The Colonel is stuck on Edora if he's still alive and she's missing him like crazy. Of course she can't admit it to anyone. Nobody can know how she feels. One night Janet brought her a coffee and asked her if she was ok, she figured out that Sam missed him and asked her if this is a problem. It wasn't, it couldn't be, the regulations are there for a reason.

So she kept smiling and hiding her feelings deep down inside of her.

She focused on her work and on bringing him back, which took most of the days and even most of the nights. No time to think about feelings that even shouldn't be there.

Knowing that she couldn't keep the pace up working like this she decided to take her friends advice and ate at least the food they brought her. That would help her body to keep going for a little longer.

Daniel, Teal'c and Janet regularly stopped by to make sure she would eat or rest for a bit. She appreciated her friends for looking after her and not talking her into stopping what she needed to do.

However occasionally they asked her to go to bed and take a good night's sleep. But it took time she didn't have. Every minute she took for herself to rest was another minute he had to wait for them.

He shouldn't have to wait that long. She knew he had waited in an Iraqi prison for much too long without rescue, she didn't want him to have to experience that wait again. They wouldn't leave him behind. She wouldn't leave him behind. Even when that means to defy the rules of physics. She had to build this damn particle accelerator to bring him back and she would do it.

Teal'c found her collapsed on her table face buried on some calculations.

"Major Carter?" he carefully approached her and placed his big hand on her shoulder.

"Teal'c?" she asked, confused. "What happened?"

"I think your body is telling you it's time to stop for some time to regain strength. I should escort you to your room and make sure you get a whole night of sleep."

"No!" She said scared that he was going to talk to Janet and make her leave her lab.

"I'm ok. Look Teal'c, I... I just need to be here. I feel like giving up on him if I'm not here working on bringing him back. I'm the only one who knows how long it can take because I'm the only one knowing what to do to build that damn thing."

"I know how you feel, Major Carter. But I also know that a human body can only take as much until it gives up. You're no use if you keep going like this."

She opened her mouth to contradict.

"Can I give you a suggestion? Join me everyday for my Kelno'reem. It will help you calm down, relax and regain your strength."

"One hour? And then I can go back to my work?"

"One hour and I'll watch out for you for the rest of the day. And I want you to know that you can talk to me, no matter what's bothering you."

"Okay, show me."

They went to his quarters and Sam felt uncomfortable not knowing what to do.

"Take a seat Major Carter, get comfortable, straighten your back and put your hands on your knees. Take a deep breath, hold it for a few seconds and breathe out again. Repeat that with your eyes closed and you'll see how your strength will come back slowly."

They did it for half an hour and Sam really felt better. But she wasn't able to keep going.

"You did good for the first time Samantha. I recommend we do this every day at the same time. I'll come to get you tomorrow again."

"Thank you Teal'c, I do feel better."

But she didn't make the effort to stand up and leave.

"Do you want to talk about something with me?" Teal'c asked carefully, sensing her hesitation.

"I'm not sure..I just... I like your company."

"And I like to be in your company. You will bring him back, of that I'm sure." he told her with confidence.

"I'm just afraid that I'm too late."

"Too late for what? Are you afraid he could be dead by now or that he could have moved on thinking we weren't coming anymore?"

"A little bit of both I guess." she looked him deep in his eyes. Making sure he knows that's nothing he can talk about to anyone else.

"We will find him. And then you have to decide what to do!"

"There's really nothing to decide. I'm not even sure he is aware that I could be something else than his second in command. And even if, it's against regulation."

"Believe me Major Carter, he is aware of you! In a much different manner than he should." and for the first time since she knew him she saw Teal'c smile and she smiled back.

She stood up, as he did, and he hugged him close. "Thank you for everything! I needed this. Thank you for being my friend."

"I am the one who is lucky to have you as his friend! It will all work out. You'll see."

They kept meeting once a day, to sit and Kelnoreem or just to talk.

And as they made it work and were able to get the Colonel back Teal'c was the one volunteering to take the risk to get to Edora.

The time he spent on that planet until they had put up the gate again he sensed Jack's uneasiness around him and around that woman he lived with.

It was again Teal'c supporting Sam after she saw Jack O'Neill talking to Laira, telling her he wasn't happy to go home.

Sam's world fell apart. Back home she found herself again in Teal'cs quarter after their debrief.

"You don't have to feel bad, Major Carter. This woman isn't the one O'Neills heart belongs to. He just felt responsible for her as she gave him a home when he didn't have one. You will see, he will be himself again in no time."

"Thank you Teal'c. It shouldn't even bother me. It's stupid."

"Love is never stupid Samantha! Don't believe otherwise!"

He put his hand over hers to show his support.

It soon became their thing. Being back on the mission track made them cut back to a meeting once a week, but they always found time for it.

Two friends. One hour. Once a week.