Jack stared at the door for the longest time after Sam had left. It was the repeated knocks on that that snapped him out of his daze. He made his way over to the door and opened it and then opened the blinds.

"Are you okay, Jack?" Mrs. Kemper from down the street asked, a worried frown on her face.

"I'm fine," he smiled. "Sorry – it's been a busy day. How can I help you?"

It wasn't until the end of the day, after the store was closed, that he allowed himself to think about Sam. He was incredibly relieved that she was alive, but also heartbroken at her reaction to seeing him.

She hated him, and he didn't blame her. He'd left her to die, and even though – fortunately – she hadn't, she'd been gravely hurt. If they ever did make their way back to Earth, her leg injury would end her career with the Air Force.

And it was all his fault.

He wished, at that moment, that Ethan kept some good hard whiskey in the house, or at least the local alternative. Jack knew that drinking to drown his sorrows would be a bad idea, but at this moment he needed something to numb the guilt.

She hated him. Sam – the person he cared about more than any other person in this universe, hated him.

Jack sighed and plopped down onto his favorite chair. Magrit had left for the day and the boys were both asleep, so he had some time to think. Sam would be back in two days, on the rest day and he'd ask the housekeeper to watch the boys so they could talk.

He hoped it would go okay, but regardless of how she felt about him, the two of them needed to work together to get home.

Sam was a certified genius, and he knew that he could never compete with her brain power, he also knew that he was no idiot. He had often pretended, but that was both to make others underestimate him, and also because he'd enjoyed it.

But the truth was, one of his greatest skills was to bring out the best in others. Sometimes people like Sam got too caught up in their genius, and needed someone like him to help them focus. He also knew that he gave her – and Daniel – the confidence they sometimes lacked in order to find the answers they needed.

This was one of the reasons their team had been so successful. And, he couldn't forget Teal'c. His Jaffa friend was similar to him, in that he could often cut through the noise and get to the point. He also had a way of seeing through Jack – more so than either of the two younger members of their team. Like him, Teal'c had seen the worst the world, or the universe, had to offer but was still able to look forward, doing everything he could to make things better.

So, whatever Sam thought of him, together they could find a way home – if there was a way. It might be that they were well and truly stuck. If that was the case, he didn't know how he would manage if she continued to hate him.

He sighed again and stretched his neck. He was tired. With Ethan away he had to manage the store by himself, at one of the busiest times of the year. That, on top of the emotional turmoil of seeing Sam, had created a deep weariness.

Oh well, to each day its own, he told himself. He got to his feet, deciding he might as well head to bed. Not that he'd sleep, but at least he'd be able to rest his tired body.

The next day was even busier, for which he was grateful. He had no time to think about Sam and instead just concentrated on dealing with all the customers coming into the shop. Ethan would be happy to see how much business they were doing. The popularity of his mercantile was growing every day. Soon they'd have to expand and maybe even open another shop.

And then there were Simon and Jankin. With their grandfather away, and Jack busy, they were feeling somewhat neglected. Oh, Magrit was wonderful with them, but they needed more physical activity and running around outside, something she was unable to provide.

So, rather than being allowed to relax that evening, Jack ended up roughhousing with the boys. They played a rousing game of hide-and-seek before bath and story time.

"I'm too old for this," groaned Jack as he finally plopped himself down on the sofa. Magrit had left for the day, the boys were once more asleep, and Jack was completely and thoroughly exhausted.

And tomorrow loomed.

He was more terrified of seeing Sam again than he would be about meeting a Goa'uld. What should he do, he wondered? Should he ask her outright if she was angry at him? Knowing her, she'd deny it but continue to freeze him out with her professional soldier demeanor.

Or he could ignore things and treat her as always – teasing her and – nope, not a good move, Jack realized. If she is truly angry at him, that would only make things worse. In the past he could have teased her out of her irritation at him – but this went way beyond irritation.

So, the only thing he could really do was be on his best behavior. He'd be pleasant and professional and treat her as the teammate she'd been for years. Together they would have to concentrate on getting back to Earth.

He suddenly frowned. They would also have to figure out something about her present situation. She'd told him it was an hour to wherever she was living. With her leg, that couldn't be good and it didn't look as if she had transportation. And, she had told him she was basically a waitress, which probably didn't pay a lot. He was pretty sure her living conditions were pretty minimal.

He'd have to get her to move in with them.

He grimaced, sure that wasn't going to go down well. He couldn't imagine her wanting to live with him, or at least in the same house as him, with how she felt.

His thoughts kept going around and around in circles, until he finally made himself stop. He'd just have to wait and see before making any plans in his head. If he knew Carter – and he knew Carter – he had his work cut out for him.

He spoke with Magrit the next day and explained that a friend – the friend he'd been looking for – was coming to see him. He'd gotten a hug and a kiss from her at that, and he'd felt himself squirm inside. She most likely assumed that things would be great now. If she only knew!

She'd agreed to stay and watch the boys as soon as Sam arrived. Until then, Jack played with them outside, hoping to exhaust them by the time she got here.

"Hey you two!" he called, running up behind the two little boys who screeched and tried to run away. He growled and scooped them up into his arms and swung them around. They continued to laugh and screech, saying "more, more."

"Looks like you kids are having fun." Sam's voice interrupted his swinging and he stopped suddenly, almost launching both boys into the backyard.

"Uncle Jack!" Simon laughed. "You almost dropped us!"

"Yus dwopped us!" Jankin cried.

"I did not!" Jack told him sternly, his eyes twinkling. "I wouldn't drop two ragamuffins like you!" He put the laughing boys down and took a deep breath then glanced over to see Sam grinning.

"Why doesn't it surprise me that the kids found you, Sir!" she laughed.

"Dat's Uncow Jack!" Jankin mumbled around the thumb in his mouth, his hand firmly grasping the leg of Jack's pants.

"Uncle Jack, is it?" Sam said to him seriously. "I see. And what's your name?"

The little boy shrugged, but his big brother stepped in. "He's Jankin – he's my little brother. I'm Simon and this is our Uncle Jack!" Simon wasn't quite sure what to make of the woman, but he was slightly worried. He instinctively knew this person would bring changes to their young lives. He took hold of Jack's leg and stared up at the tall, golden-haired woman.

"These two imps are the grandsons of the man who saved me," Jack explained. "Ethan Koopman owns the store," he pointed at the closed mercantile.

"I see," Sam smiled at the two boys, who continued to look at her suspiciously, although Jankin seemed to be warming up slightly, as he gave her a crooked grin around his thumb. "And their parents?" she asked.

Jack mouthed "killed," and Sam nodded. "Well Simon and Jankin – it looks like you were having fun with Uncle Jack. Does he swing you around like that all the time?"

Jankin nodded yes, but Simon frowned and shook his head. "He reads to us and teaches us our letters and numbers," he said. "He's ours."

"I – see," Sam said, giving the Colonel a quick glance. "Another youthful fan club Colonel?"

This time he shrugged. "Ethan was busy at the store, so I've been helping with these two," he tousled both of their heads. "It's a lot of work, but someone had to keep them in line!"

That caused giggles to erupt and the boys rounded on Jack and tried to wrestle with him. He let them for a moment, and then stopped them by picking them both up. "Now, I think it's time for some snacks!" That drew cheers from the boys. "Nanny Magrit has something in the kitchen for you. You run up and have a snack and then it's time for a rest." This brought groans, but the growing bodies were starving, so off they ran. Jack watched until the house door slammed behind them.

"They're lovely little boys," Sam commented, her face becoming more serious.

"Yes, they are," he nodded. "Would you like to sit in the garden?" he nodded to the back of the house where he'd helped Ethan set up a sitting area, under a small gazebo. "We can talk."

She nodded and began to walk as he gestured for her to go first. "I've asked Magrit – she's the housekeeper – to bring us some drinks and snacks."

"I don't need –"

"I do," he grinned at her. "The kids are exhausting!"

"You looked like you were holding your own."

His grin slowly faded, and his eyes moved towards the house. "I was lucky," he said softly. "Ethan is a kind and honorable man, and the boys – well, they're a joy. I don't know what I would have done -". He stopped abruptly and looked at her, his lips twisted in a crooked smile. "Sorry."

"No need to apologize. I'm glad you landed with nice people."

Just then they arrived at the small seating area and Jack noticed that Magrit had already brought out a pitcher of cold drinks and some pastries. "Here we go," he said, pulling out a chair for Sam.

"This is lovely," she said, looking around the small but lush little garden. "It's smells as wonderful as it looks."

"Gardenias," he said.

"What?"

"It reminds me of gardenias," he told her. "When I first woke up the smell of the flowers made me think of my grandmother's house. She grew gardenias. They aren't really," he said, pointing to some beautiful pink and red flowers, "but they smell similar."

"Well, whatever they are, they're beautiful. It really looks as if you landed in a good place."

"I did." He stopped and watched her for a moment. "Tell me - " he paused. "Tell me what happened."

He watched as her eyes became unfocused, as if she was remembering back to that time, which he supposed she was. She took a deep breath and began to talk.

"After you left, I was – scared – but I knew you'd be back, that I just had to hold on." She stopped and continued to look off in the distance. "As the time went on – as the days went on – I began to lose hope. I knew I was going to die.'

"Sam - " he reached out, but she ignored, or didn't see, his hand.

"The pain was bad at first, but then I guess I just grew numb. The drugs ran out, and then the water. I think I started to hallucinate." She chuckled softly, although there was no humor in it. "I did start to hallucinate. I saw Teal'c and Daniel, General Hammond, my father." She stopped again, and then turned and looked at him. "But I didn't see you."

He closed his eyes briefly and then opened them to look at her. "Sam – I'm so sorry, so very sorry."

"I hated you near the end. You'd promised. You'd always told us you'd never leave anyone behind – but you did."

"Sam, I -"

"You don't need to say anything, Sir. I know you didn't do it intentionally. I was just – I was in shock and dying. I know it wasn't really your fault."

But did she, Jack wondered to himself? She was trying to be fair, he could see that, but he could also tell that she was angry, or maybe bitter was a better word.

"I don't blame you for being angry at me," he told her. "In fact, I don't blame you for never forgiving me. I don't forgive myself."

"Sir!" she said sharply. "That's – of course – I'm not angry," she lied. "I told you – I know you didn't have a choice. I was just – sick."

They didn't speak for a few seconds. Jack wasn't sure what to say. He knew she was lying, but saw no purpose in forcing her to say the truth. They were at an impasse and he was unsure of their next steps.

"What happened then?" he finally asked.

"I don't really remember," she told him, "although the people who found me told me what happened. I was unconscious, and I guess almost dead, when a couple found me. They had let their hound out for a run and – I guess he was the one who actually discovered me. They told me that he let out a terrible howl and they ran to see what he'd found."

"Thank goodness he had," Jack said softly. His words were simple, but he'd never meant anything more in his life.

"At first they thought I was dead, but I guess Bram – he was the husband – realized I was still alive. He and Iulianna, his wife, got me into their cart and took me into the city. They took me to a small local hospital. The doctor who worked there, and his wife, nursed me until I was on my feet." She gave bitter sounding chuckle at that. "At least I had both feet, although my leg had been shattered."

"I'm s –"

"Stop!" she said sharply. "It wasn't your fault and you don't need to continue to apologize. It – doesn't matter."

He nodded but knew that it did matter. It mattered that he had left her to die and a result her life would never be the same.

"Once I was – on my feet – the doctor helped me find a job and a room. I've been there ever since."

He didn't know what to say. He wanted to apologize again, to tell her how sorry he was for what she'd been through, but she didn't want that. He swallowed, desperately trying to think of something to say. It was Sam who next spoke.

"So, you landed in a good place. That's – uh – good. What happened to you? You were captured?"

He nodded, not wanting to talk about it – hell, not wanting to think about it. "Yes," was all he said.

"So, what did they want?" she asked. "The people who captured you," she clarified when he didn't immediately answer.

He'd been caught and held many times throughout his career, including with Sg1. He could tell she thought it was probably no big deal. He took a deep breath, knowing he'd have to tell her something.

"Uh – I'm not really sure," he said, not totally truthfully. "They were – well, I guess you could call them bandits. They had been terrorizing the countryside for months. I was just unlucky enough to get captured, but lucky not to be killed."

"How long did they have you?" she asked. She sounded like it really didn't matter, but he knew that she was trying to understand why he hadn't returned to her.

"I'm not quite sure," he told her, seeing her frown in confusion. "I was – uh – hurt, and so lost track of time. I did manage to get away from them eventually, and went back to find you, but by that time you'd been rescued."

"And then you came here?" she said.

"Well – sort of." He grimaced slightly at her sharp look. "Uh, I was injured too. When I got to the place I'd – left you – I kind of – well, collapsed. Ethan found me and brought me back here."

"That's right, she nodded, you said he'd saved your life. But you're okay now?"

"Yes, I'm fine. Sam, as soon as I was better, I started to look for you. I kept looking everywhere I could think of but couldn't find you. "I'm so – " he closed his eyes. "You don't want to hear that, I know, but I do want you to know that I didn't give up and that I'll never forgive myself for leaving you."

"It wasn't your fault," she answered, although her voice lacked the conviction it would have held if she truly believed that. "So, what's next?"

He sighed and reached down for the glass that Magrit had left and took a long drink. He wasn't thirsty, but he needed a moment to settle his thoughts.

"Well, we need to work together to see if we can make it back to Earth."

"I told you Colonel, I've tried to find the Stargate but have found no evidence of it," she replied, almost angrily.

"I know. I've tried as well. I've even looked through books to see if there's anything written about it but couldn't find anything. But Sam, this world – it's obvious that the people must have been brought from Earth at some time. The parallels are too stark. There must be a Stargate."

"What if the people were brought by ship?" she asked.

He let out a deep breath and stretched out his legs. This conversation was even more stressful than he'd imagined.

"Then we're probably stuck here," he admitted. "But I'm not ready to give up quite yet," he said firmly. "We have more chance together of finding out if there's a gate than we did by ourselves. You know we've always been a great team, Carter.

It gave him a quick stab to the heart to see how little response he got to that, but eventually she nodded.

"You're right, Sir. So, how do we start?"

"Well, first we need to get you better situated."

"What do you mean," she asked sharply.

"I mean you need to be closer. You said you're an hour away from here and you're working in a café. You could stay here and -"

"No!" she said, sounding angry. "Absolutely not."

"But Sam – why not?"

"I am not going to live with – in the same house as – no," she repeated. She stopped and took a deep breath, suddenly seeming to realize how she sounded. "I'm sorry," she apologized this time, although she didn't sound too regretful. "I just – I don't think it's wise. I'll just have to travel here when I have time off."

"No." This time he was the one to sound angry. "I know you hate me Carter." He held up his hand when she went to speak. "At least I know you blame me, and that's okay, since I deserve it. But if we're going to make our way home, we have to be sensible. If you don't want to live in this house, that's fine, but we'll find you something closer. As for work – you can work in the store. We need the help and that way we'll have more opportunities to work together."

For a moment she looked as if she was going to refuse, but then he could see Major Carter snap into place. She knew what he was saying was right. "Okay, but I still don't – think it's wise to stay here. If we can find a place close by then that would be best. Also, I don't know about working at the store. Maybe I can find something else."

He just nodded, although he knew there probably wasn't much for her in the way of a job in the vicinity. He'd start asking his friends about a place for her to stay. He would pay for it since the store was doing so well.

"Sounds good," he told her. "I'll ask around. In the meantime, you need to let your employer and your landlord or landlady know you'll be leaving. I can come and help you bring your things here."

"I can do it, Sir. I don't have much."

"That's okay Carter – I'll come and get you with the cart. How much notice do you think you'll have to give?"

"A few days should be fine," she told him. "They have enough staff to cover at the café, and I've paid the room until the end of the month."

"Good," he said, slipping suddenly into Colonel mode. He'd decided that was best. If they had to work together, then they'd be professional about it. Feelings had no place in their dealings, not if they wanted to get home.

Sam finally looked up at him and gave him a small smile. "I'm sorry Sir. I know I've been – well, it's been hard and this is all so sudden. I am glad we'll be working to find a way home."

He answered her with a small smile of his own. "We'll find a way, Carter," he told her.

"Do you really believe that, Colonel?" she asked hopefully.

He wanted to lie to her and tell her yes, he did. But the fact was, he knew it was a longshot. "I don't know, Sam," he admitted gently, "but we have to have hope and we have to keep trying."

She looked sad at that, but then he could see her pull herself together. She nodded. "We'll keep trying Sir - together. And if we don't find a way – well, at least we've landed on a peaceful planet."

He nodded and smiled – but inside couldn't help but remember his time being held by Meron, Alid and Donar. It wasn't totally peaceful.

"Let's find a way home Carter," he said, lifting his glass in a toast. After a moment she nodded and then lifted her own glass.

"To home."