After a long day of being in the office, seeing teams come and go through the gate, sitting through meetings, briefings, debriefings, making calls, receiving calls, Jack was ready to call it a day. He swore the elevator stopped at every floor on his way to the top of the mountain and the drive to Carter's house felt twice as long. It felt like there were more stop signs than usual and that the red lights were playing tricks on him. When her house came into view he felt relieved to finally be done driving. On the other hand, his palms were getting sweaty and his heart rate was starting to increase.

Pulling up to the curb, he jumped out of his truck, locked the doors behind him and headed for the front door. Teal'c met him at the door as he stepped inside.

"Hey T."

"O'Neill. Samantha Carter is in the living room. She is in need of her medications this evening." He could hear the TV playing softly. Most of the lights in the house were off minus the shared space of the kitchen and living room and the hall that led to the bathroom and bedrooms.

Toeing his shoes off he and Teal'c exchanged goodnights and farewells as Teal'c headed out for the night. Brushing his hands down the sides of his jeans he had changed into, he made way down the short walkway to the kitchen. Once he was in the room, he could see the back of Carter's head resting on the back of the couch on the furthest end. Some documentary was playing on the TV before her.

Moving towards the sink, he repeated the process that he had done that morning. Dumping the three pills she needed into his hand, grabbed a glass of water, and brought them to her. Rounding the couch, it now made sense why Teal'c had told him Carter needed her meds. Unsure of whether he just hadn't gotten to it yet or if she was refusing, he smirked. With her knees tucked up and resting against the arm of the couch, her head lulled back into the cushions, a blanket covering her lap and clutched in her hands, Jack found her fast asleep.

Sitting on the edge of the coffee table between the couch and TV, Jack set the glass of water next to him before reaching out with his good hand, the pills held carefully in the hand of his bad arm. Lightly grabbing her knee, he shook it just enough to rouse her. Keeping his hand in place, he squeezed softly as her eyes fluttered open. A frown grew between her brows as two and two fell into place and she realized he wasn't Teal'c. She sat up straighter as she looked around the room for Teal'c.

"He went home. Here, meds." Taking the pills from his left hand he passed them over to her before handing her the glass of water as she tossed the medications back and took a sip.

"I must have fallen asleep." She held the glass out for him to take back. Her hands now pulling the blanket up around her to build herself another cozy cocoon.

"I can't imagine why." He teased setting the glass back on the coffee table again before shifting over to the couch next to her. "How's the leg?"

"It's okay." She muttered from his right.

"Head?"

"Feeling better, still have a few small headaches throughout the day but not consistently." Her head turned towards him. "Teal'c didn't give you a run down before he left?" She smirked.

"Nope." Leaning back into the couch himself, he splayed his good arm across the back.

"Hmm, that's oddly surprising."

"You know Carter, we don't talk all day. I am a busy man."

Her smirk turned into a soft smile. "I'm sure you are."

His fingers fiddled with the seam on the top of the cushion. His eyes flickered briefly to the TV before looking back at Carter to find her looking at him curiously. It was now or never.

Clearing his throat, he mustered up some courage. "This week has been a bit of a nightmare."

Her smile dropped. "It has." Her voice grew low.

Her knees were tilted away from him, presumably to keep pressure and the weight of her right leg off her healing left thigh. But he couldn't help but notice the way she seemed so small in the corner of her couch. The bruises across her neck and face were healing. They were starting to fade from purples and blues to a light black with hints of yellow. The freshness of them starting to wither away. Her bottom lip was no longer scabbing, but he could see the fine red line where the cut was still regrowing tissue.

"I thought you were…" His voice gave out as he pulled his hand down from the back of the couch to land on his thigh. His eyes following the move he made.

"Me too." He could feel her eyes on him. "About you." They were both a mess.

"But weren't not."

"We're not." She reiterated.

They weren't dead that's what they weren't. Shaking his head, he sucked in a breath. It was now or never.

"The new General starts Monday. I handed everything over officially today." Her head shot up straighter as his words. Doe eyes met his as he finally mustered up the sensibility to look at her again.

"What? You can't. Jack-"

Waving his hand in the air he interrupted her. "I did. It's done. I don't want this anymore. I finish out this week, will still work with the SGC when they need me and come back whenever it's necessary, but I'm no longer the big man in charge." A frown grew on her face again. "Look Carter, Sam, after everything that's happened this week-I don't think I can go another day like this. Not only did Kerry dump me and remind me of what I really wanted, almost losing you…those men almost killed you Sam."

"But they didn't."

"Just barely!" Unable to stay seated any longer, he pushed to his feet and stepped around the coffee table, pacing the small space between the couch and the wall in front of the dining room doorway that she also used as an office space. "Jesus Carter, look at yourself. The marks, the bruises, the cuts, I watched them almost-that crazy fuck tried to-he almost lit us on fire!"

Jack watched as a frown creased her forehead and her nose scrunched. "But they didn't, he didn't. And I'd like to point out, we didn't die."

Abruptly he stopped in his tracks and felt his voice raise unintentionally. "And we were this close!" With barely a half an inch of space between his right thumb and pointer finger he held the rest of his fisted hand up in front of him to get his point out. "I can't do this anymore! Hell Carter, I don't even know the full details of what actually happened to you out there with those psychotic assholes but seeing what they did to you-what they tried to do you-to us-"

Her own words were cutting him off rather quickly but calmly. "Is that it? The not knowing? I ran into them on the trail. I fell and when I got up and we started parting ways, they shot me with an arrow. One of them kicked me in the head when I tried to scream for help while the other sat on top of me, holding me down with his hands around my throat. When I woke up, I was tied up and hanging from a hook in a small barn. When I finally got down, I had to use the arrow in my thigh to cut the ropes around my wrists." Tears were filling her eyes as her cheeks flared red and he immediately felt like an asshole. This wasn't how their conversation was supposed to go. How had he let it get to this point? "I watched them throw a woman into the fire before I tried making my way back to the cabin. They killed her and I don't even know who she was!" Her voice was rising with every passing sentence. A few tears slid down her cheeks.

"Sam-"

"I led them to you. They almost killed you." And then her voice was soft, and she was staring at her fingers twisting around themselves in her lap.

Damn it. Clearing the distance between them, he sat on the edge of the couch pulling her against him with his good arm. Gripping her shoulder tightly, he felt his own fingers digging into her skin willing himself to loosen his grip. But the only way to convince his brain to do that was to move his hand. Sliding it up the back of her neck to the back of her head, burying his fingers in her hair at the base of her skull. Instantly her face molded into the side of his neck. Her moist heavy breath hitting his skin. The tears rolling off her cheeks, her chin, her nose splashing against the base of his throat and trickling down the side of his own neck. Her own hands came around him and clung to the back of his shirt.

"They almost killed you." She choked on her words as she repeated them. Turning his face into the side of hers, his nose burying itself into her temple and hair where her bangs met her short locks, he couldn't help but close his eyes.

"I'm alive. You're alive." The material of his shirt conformed to the contours of his body as she tightened her fingers in the material of his shirt.

Holding her tightly, he felt a frog settling in his throat. Her hands were like iron grips on his shirt. Her entire body was pressed tightly against his own. Her body shook just slightly enough that he knew she was holding back the sobs with her open mouth now pressed into his shoulder adding to the wet spot her tears had created while pooling. Rubbing his thumb up and down the length of her neck and into her hair, he kept his hand in place.

After a few minutes, he felt her shaking subside. Her hands were still tight in the back of his shirt, but she had adjusted her head to lay her forehead against his shoulder. Sniffles replacing the silent cries.

"I'm sorry." Her entire body tensed against him as he spoke. "I'm sorry you lost your dad. I'm sorry you were hurt. I'm sorry for the things those men did." His heart started beating loudly again and he would be surprised if she couldn't hear it or feel it. Taking a shaky breath of his own, he nudged his nose against her forehead.

"It's not your fault."

"I should have come looking sooner. I-"

Her head came up off his shoulder with confusion written all over her face. "And done what? What if you had come sooner and didn't check the barn? What if you didn't even see it? Or hear them? Or see them? What if-"

"But what if I had?" Bringing his hand up from behind her head, he delicately wiped the tears from her cheeks.

"No more what ifs Jack. What happened, happened. It's not your fault, it's not mine. There are too many what ifs that we could question and at the end of the day we won't know if one of them was right or if they would just lead to the same conclusion with different events leading up. Or if none of it would have happened at all."

"This isn't supposed to happen on Earth." He grumbled.

He watched as her head dipped low. "Unfortunately, it happens all the time. We're just never here to see the horrible truth of our own world." A sniffled escaped as she looked up at him, bloodshot blue eyes meeting sad brown ones.

"Sam…I don't want to keep this locked in the room anymore. I can't." His words were barely coming out as he stumbled over them. A confused frown reflected in front of him. "We've been doing a terrible job keeping us locked in that room for almost a decade. We've had more than enough close calls out there, but here. Now. On our own planet…Jesus. I can't. I don't want to anymore." Taking a deep breath, he continued. "As of today, we're no longer in the same chain of command. Well technically as of Monday. But it's up to you. If you want to see where this could go, so do I. And if you don't-Sam-"

Without warning soft lips pressing against his own had him swallowing his words. Was Carter kissing him? Bringing his hand up to grip her chin, he smiled against her mouth. Her grip moved up to his shoulder blades as she leaned into him more than before. Careful of his wound. Tilting her head to the side, he deepened the kiss, his hand moving with her jaw as she opened her mouth to him. Sucking at her bottom lip, careful of the healing cut, he dove his tongue into her waiting mouth. The moan that vibrated from the back of her throat had him letting go of her chin and moving his hand back to behind her head.

Their tongues receded back into their own mouths as they tussled over who was able to get a hold on the other's lips. And as much as he didn't want this moment to end, the need for a proper breath of air took hold and he pulled back. Pressing his forehead against hers as her eyes remained shut, he grinned cheekily.

"So…does this mean…?" Pulling back, he noted how puckered and red her lips were and the flushed cheeks.

"I don't want to keep it in the room either." Her voice was husky.

"Sweet." Leaning back down her kissed her sensually this time. Short and sweet.

Separating for a second time, he pulled her back into his embrace again. He could get used to this.

-x-x-x-

The thought of having this conversation at the base had been the so called better playout in Jack's head, the easy way out. Short, sweet, and simple. Then they would have to go their own ways and leave it behind more locked doors. Under a securely guarded base to be exact. After talking sense into him, he had finally agreed to have the conversation at her house. Within minutes he had been calling Teal'c and Daniel to set up a time. Which all took place yesterday afternoon, after Jack had come to her house from the base, after they both had had a meltdown, she had cried, Jack had held her, and they had decided to unlock their room and try this so-called thing of life and relationships. Nonprofessionally of course.

The entire day dragged on as Jack went to the base to work, she on the other hand had to spend the entire day with Teal'c. Feeling more than uncomfortable. Uneasy. Unsure. And that was all easily picked up on by Teal'c. And she wasn't sure how much longer she could handle it. Jack should be walking through her front door any minute with Daniel and that couldn't come soon enough.

Opening the bathroom door where she had been hiding for the last thirteen minutes, Sam jumped as she came face to face with Teal'c. "Teal'c, you scared me."

"My apologies Samantha Carter. It is time for your next dose of medication." His much larger hand sat open in front of her with her pills, while his other hand held a glass of water.

"Thank you." Taking them warily, she slid them past her lips taking the glass of water at the same time. Taking a few sips, she swallowed them before handing the glass back and adjusting the crutches under her arms.

"Worry does good for no one. O'Neill will be home soon and I shall depart shortly after." Looking up at him sharply, she couldn't stop her eyes from widening in shock. Does he know? "O'Neill is a formidable warrior and protects all he holds close. What has transpired is unfortunate and has caused harm and pain, for that I am sorry. Although, it has brought two of the strongest warriors I have fought beside closer and has solidified an unbreakable bond. I wish you nothing but peace and happiness Samantha Carter." And with that, he was walking towards the kitchen with her glass.

Trying to swallow her dry mouth away, Sam could only watch frozen in place as his silhouette disappeared around the corner. Her heart was racing, and her breathing had quickened. Instead of following in his footsteps, she headed straight into her bedroom. Shutting the door behind herself, she took a deep breath trying to calm her heart. Closing her eyes, she couldn't help but shake her head a little as a soft smirk lifted her lips.

Of course, Teal'c knew. Of course, he had figured it out already. How many times she had cried in his arms alone in the base whenever Jack was in danger or missing, relying on her, them, to bring him home. Feeling like a failure only to have Teal'c lift her back up and reassure her that they would bring him back. She had been an open book to him all these years without realizing how much she was actually bringing to the surface for him to pick up on.

A small chuckle rattled her throat before a knock vibrated against her forehead. With a shocked gasp, she lifted her head up off the door. How long had she been standing here thinking all this over? Taking a step to the side, she cracked the door open to find brown eyes on the other side. Dropping her head a little to the side, the left side of her mouth quirked up into a smile as she opened the door enough for him to come in. When had he gotten here? She really must have been lost in her head if she hadn't heard him and Daniel come through the front door.

"You okay? What's going on?" Always the worrier.

"I'm fine. Just needed a minute." Giving him a full smile this time she realized that still didn't reassure him as a crease still stood strong across his forehead. "Teal'c knows."

Jack's eyebrows nearly went through the roof. "He knows?" He reiterated slowly. Questioning.

"Yes. At least I think he knows."

"You think?" She smirked as he caught himself talking loudly, rashly, before bringing his voice back down to a soft one.

"And he's okay with it. Happy actually." His frown only increased in creases across his forehead at her words.

"Right…" Crutching past him she shook her head and lead the way to the kitchen with Jack in tow.

"Sam, hey! How are you?" Daniel immediately came up to her and gave her a cautious hug. She had just seen him yesterday morning and early afternoon and here he was acting like they hadn't seen each other in months.

"Doing better." His warm hands squeezed her shoulders as he stepped back out of her space.

"Alright, so now that we're all here." And cue Jack to jump right in. Daniel adjusted his glasses, pushing them up his nose as he crossed his arms over his chest. Teal'c remained stoic looking as if he was waiting for someone to strike in battle. Jack cleared his throat uncertainly before continuing. "I uh-I resigned. Starting Monday a new General will be coming in and taking over."

"What? Jack! No,!" Daniel immediately cried out, making Sam flinch. Jack and Teal'c, however, had no reaction.

"Well I did Daniel. General Landry is more than qualified to take my position-I-"

"Bu-but you've worked so hard for this! You're just throwing in the towel now? B-Because of a hard week?"

Dropping her eyes, Sam knew Daniel didn't mean for his words to inflict pain, but they did. She shouldn't be taking his words personally, but she was. She couldn't help it. Especially after the week she's just had. Everything was all out of sorts, including her emotions. She was an emotional wreck and had cried more this week than she could remember doing her entire life.

"Yeah I am. If 'throwing in the towel' is what you wanta call it. Sure Daniel! That's exactly what it is. Giving up on my friends, my team, my career. Yep, exactly."

"Jack, that's not-" She could see the regret on Daniels face. Jack was not going easy on him, and she almost felt bad.

"If throwing in the towel and giving all that up means I get what I've wanted for years to create a life I didn't realize I still wanted since I lost Charlie. Lost Sara. Then I should have done it sooner." Sharply Sam turned to look at him as she felt his right hand intertwine with her left, his fingers creating space for his own between hers. "If putting a successful career and some of my darkest days behind me to have a second chance of being happy, I'm throwing every towel I own in and burning them." Dark loving eyes met hers as his fingers tightened. She felt a lump growing in her throat as the room grew silent.

If either of them would have looked away for even a second, they would have seen the disappointment and confusion covering Daniel's face turn into shock and clarity.

"Does this mean-?" Both of them finally looked over at Daniel to see he had dropped his arms from over his chest to now pointing between the two of them.

"I guess it does." Jack smirked taking a small step towards her. Sam glanced over at Teal'c to see a soft smile on his lips.

"Wow. Okay." Sam could tell Daniel's head was spinning. "So you guys are-? Good. Finally!" And then he was smiling.

"Finally." Jack nodded in agreement with a chuckle before turning to kiss her temple.

"I'm happy for you guys."

"Thank you Daniel." Finding her voice, she gave him her own smile in return.

The rest of the evening went well. The four of them ordering pizza, watching terrible movies, spending time together. Having a night of 'normal'. Granted the circumstances. It was nice. It was calm. It was what they all needed. Even with their extra tribute of their newly exploring relationship between the two of them. It all felt the same, as if nothing had ever changed among the four of them. The only difference being she and Jack could touch each other, sit by each other, interact with each other on a more personal level and not feel ashamed, or have the lurking fear of being court martialed weighing over them.

It all felt right.

-x-x-x-

Startling awake, Sam looked around the room wildly. She didn't remember crawling into bed or it being this dark out. Her chest heaved heavily with each breath she took. Her eyes were adjusting to the darkness of the room as she wiped a bead of sweat from her forehead. Phantom hands pressed heavily against her throat, where her hand had redirected its touch from wiping her forehead to rubbing the tender bruised skin instead.

"Sam?" Jack's hand pressed against her back bringing a sense of security almost instantly.

"Fine, fine. I'm fine. Just a nightmare." Trying to reassure him, she lightly grasped his right thigh with her left hand.

"You sure?" By now he was sitting up next to her, his hand rubbing circular motions between her shoulder blades.

"Yeah." Feeling her heart calming and her breathing evening out she took in a deep breath.

"Want to talk about it?" She could hear the uncertainty in his voice as he asked her those words. He wasn't much of one to talk about these types of things and that was something he was working on. Jack was the master of bottling things up and she was too, to an extent.

Realizing she needed to talk about it, scared her. Especially to him. Although Jack had been there, he hadn't been there through everything. She'd have to talk about it eventually. The two of them would have to move on, move past it. And if that meant talking about it, then that's what she would do. In the end, it could only bring them closer. Right?

Nodding in response to his question she turned to him and gave him a soft kiss.

"Come'ere." Just as he had shuffled up to sit back against the pillows propped against the headboard, she scooted closer to him and leaned back into him, resting in the crook of his arm and shoulder.

Taking a shaky breath she started from the beginning, going into detail of what happened and how everything transpired. Confidently she spoke as he reassured her with touches of his hand squeezing her arm, rubbing it, along kisses to her temple. Caresses of his nose in her hair, against the side of her head. He didn't speak until she was done. As much as she could tell he wanted to. Instead, he just listened and let her speak.

Thankful for his silence, she found herself much calmer and thanked him for listening. Eventually her heart would release its tension, her mind would calm itself, and this would be a mere moment of the past. But for now, she had to get through it, process it, and learn to trust her home world again. Thankfully she would have Jack by her side through it. And she would be there for him in return. He had just as much processing to do himself.

Leaning her head back further into his shoulder, she kissed the side of his jaw. A soft smile graced his lips as he tilted his head down and kissed her back properly before they both snuggled down into the bed. Again, both of them on their right sides, his good arm under her. Her own hands wrapped tightly around his as she shuffled back into him. Both of them getting comfortable as he buried his face in the back of her head out of habit. This was good, this was nice. The two of them could be better, but for now this was perfect.

And within time they would get there. To an even better, healthier place. Together.

END PART 7