It'd been two days since they'd gotten back to Colorado. Jack had of course put them all on leave for the time being, shipping Daniel out to different teams to keep him busy and out of his office while he buried himself in work instead of putting himself on leave, and then there was Teal'c. Stepping out of her bathroom, she bumped right into the larger man.

"Are you ill Samantha Carter?" Busted. She had been in the bathroom for quite some time.

"I'm fine Teal'c. Just needed a minute." Jack had sent him to watch over her the last two days and as much as she hated to admit it, was going a little bonkers. He was everywhere. Always hovering. Always tending to every need. Stopping her from anything she would try to do and stepping in to do it for her. Whether that was to get a drink, grab her crutches, something to eat, anything big or small and tedious. She was getting to a point of unsure if she could handle it anymore. Teal'c was turning into a helicopter mom.

"The Doctor-"

Rolling her eyes, she crutched past him. "Teal'c, I'm fine. Really." Pausing, she turned back to him. "Hey, maybe you should get out of here for a while? Check on things at your place! I appreciate your help, but I'm sure you have things to do too. You don't have to stay and babysit me-" The smile she had plastered on her face, the enthusiasm she was generating trying to convince him to take a break was crumbling down faster than she had imagined.

"O'Neill has instructed me to stay at your residence until you are well." He responded with a straight and oh so serious face.

"I am well Teal'c. I can get around just fine, my meds are keeping the pain under control. My concussion is getting better, I haven't been dizzy since we left the hospital in Minnesota!" Pushing any and every reason out as to why she was better, she knew he wasn't believing it.

"Was it not this morning that I had to assist you off the bedroom floor due to the damaging effects of the concussion?" Busted again. She'd forgotten all about that. This morning when she had woken her body ached, signaling that it was time for another round of medication. Sitting up had sent her entire world sideways as the pain in her body and the concussion made a tornado of a combination. When she had gone to stand up and reach for her crutches, she found herself face down in the carpet. Teal'c had come in immediately after hearing her fall.

"Teal'c-" One last shot.

"I believe it is time for more medication." Opening her mouth to cut him off, she was cut off in return as he walked right past her to the kitchen. Ignoring anything else that may come out of her mouth.

Dropping her chin to her chest, Sam closed her eyes briefly. She loved Teal'c, she really did. He was a great friend, one of the best. But she needed space. She needed time. And his hovering wasn't giving her that space or time. His voice calling her name from the kitchen broke her train of thought. Opening her eyes, she crutched her way into the kitchen to find him closing her pill bottles back up, three pills sitting on the counter, and a glass of water next to them.

Closing the distance, she slid the pills into the palm of her hand before tossing them into her mouth. Picking up the glass, she took a few sips to wash them down. Without a word, she turned back towards the hall and headed for her bedroom. If he wasn't going to leave her house long enough for her to get some space and silence, she was going to lock herself in her room. Even if it was childish. She could feel him following her and watching from the end of the hall as she dipped left into her bedroom. Turning the lock on the handle, she oddly felt at peace. Clearing the space between the door and her bed, she propped her crutches against the wall before she crawled on top of the mattress and under the covers.

The clock on her nightstand read 6:17pm. But she didn't care. An early night sounded good to her. Along with a sleeping in morning or at least laying in silence, alone, for a few hours in the morning. She knew she wouldn't get a lot of sleep tonight, just like she hadn't the last couple of nights. Nightmares woke her regularly. Making it harder and harder to fall back asleep as the night progressed and the nightmares grew more intense. But that was nothing Teal'c could help. The first night home, the nightmares had been so bad he had actually drug a kitchen table chair into her room and sat all night.

As considerate as it had been and as much as she had appreciated the gesture, it didn't keep the nightmares at bay the rest of the night. He just shook her out of them sooner than her waking herself from them. Tears pooled as she pulled her comforter up around her tightly. Tucking a corner under her head. A soft knock on her door had her closing her eyes, trying to block it out as she curled up on her right side.

"I have ordered delivery Samantha Carter. It will arrive within twenty-seven minutes." His voice was loud and clear through the door.

Supper was the last thing on her mind. And Teal'c was not understanding her needs right now. Eating was not one of them. Grabbing a pillow from behind her, she stole Jack's trick and put it in front of her so her left thigh had more support and comfort. A tear slid past her lashes in her left eye, rolling over the bridge of her nose to join another tear forming among her right eye. Both tears joined to create one and trickled down her temple, disappearing in her hair line. That was just the beginning. More followed one after the other, and before she knew it the sniffling had started.

Pulling her bottom lip under her teeth she cringed as a tooth hit the healing cut in her lip. Choosing to ignore the pain, she kept her lip tight in place as the tears started wracking her body. Turning her face into the comforter, she let the soft material absorb her emotions and reduce the noise emanating from the back of her throat.

This week had been one of the most miserable weeks of her life. She wasn't even sure if her mother's death as a teenager chalked up to this. That point had been the lowest in her life and the falling out with her father for the longest time. All the missions they had been on that put her life in danger, almost killed, severely injured, that was all for the job. She could bounce back from that. Those were all threats outside of her home. Outside of her world. Literally. But this week hit harder than any of that.

Losing her father at the beginning of the week had been a wrecking ball being dropped on her heart. A hole she was still mending. Cutting off her engagement and finding Jack with Kerry Johnson was the cherry on top of her father passing. But being attacked, abused, beaten, held captive on safe grounds. It felt like a terrible nightmare. One she wasn't going to wake from safely because it had been reality. It was her current reality. Yes, the cuts would close, the bruises would fade, the hole in her thigh currently stitched together would heal and probably leave a scar. But comprehending it all was another obstacle in the way.

One she wasn't sure she was ready for yet.

-x-x-x-

Walking up to the house, he glanced down at his watch. It was nearing midnight. Teal'c had called to check in with him around ten while he was still closing up shop in the mountain. Apparently, Carter had locked herself in her bedroom hours ago, which was not a Carter quality or behavior any of them were used to or even experienced before. She was bottling everything up. Hiding. Avoiding. He was a professional in that area. Talking wasn't his strong suit. Expressing his feelings was even lower on that totem pole.

Opening the front door, he shut it and locked it behind him. Dropping his keys on the small side table against the wall, he toed his shoes off. Shouldering his jacket off, he let it slide down his arms before grasping it in one hand.

"Samantha Carter is still in her bedroom O'Neill." Looking up in the darkened entry way he found Teal'c standing where the entry met the kitchen.

"Thanks T." Shuffling past Teal'c to get to the kitchen, he draped his jacket over the back of a chair before he went straight for the drawers.

"The door is locked."

"Yup." Pulling the drawer furthest from them all, in the back of the kitchen, open he smirked at all the junk inside. Shuffling through the odds and ends of materials, he was hopeful he would find what he wanted in this drawer instead of having to go into her basement or out to her garage to find it. A sharp poke on the end of his finger had him smiling on the inside. Grabbing the small tool, he made his way to Carter's bedroom door.

The tiny hole in the middle of her doorknob seemed smaller than any other hole he'd seen on a door, but he knew it was the same size as any other. It just seemed smaller from the concern he was feeling for the person on the other side of this locked door. Pushing the small flathead into the hole, he moved it around to line it up with the indent he knew he would find inside. As soon as it slid into place with hardly any notice, he was turning it smoothly until he heard the click. Pulling it out swiftly, he turned the knob and found himself facing a dark room. The light from the hall now streaming in.

Teal'c hovered over his shoulder and took a step forward to follow him. Pausing, Jack turned back to him holding a hand up. Motioning for him to stay put as he handed the small tool over to him to take back to the kitchen. "I got this Teal'c." The larger man simply bowed his head and went to the kitchen.

As soon as Teal'c was out of his line of vision, Jack moved into the bedroom, shutting the door behind himself. Her blinds were still partially open letting streaks of moonlight in through the room, guiding him to the lump in the middle of the bed. Without a second thought, Jack sat on the bed at her hip. He hadn't even gotten himself settled when she turned onto her back. Eyes wide open albeit red and slightly swollen.

"Hi." He cursed the sling on his left arm wishing he could reach out and run his fingers through her hair, massage the swelling out of her face from crying, and hold her with both arms. As frowned upon as all of that was. He didn't care anymore. Not after the last few days they just had. Hell, he started his week wrapping an arm around her to comfort her as her father prepared to take his last breaths. Holding her hand at the funeral and putting her to bed after the long day of mourning and too many people giving their condolences to try and make her feel better. Seeing how lost she felt around the remaining members of her family; her brother, his wife, and their two kids. To finding her beaten and trying to find her way back to the cabin in the woods. And the two of them fighting for their lives. "Heard you locked yourself away."

A shuttered breath came and went from her mouth. "See you found a way in."

"I always will." Using his right hand, perched above her, to brush a few of her bangs out of her eyes, he smiled tenderly down at her. "Wanta talk about it?" Slowly her head shook from side to side. "You know, you almost gave Teal'c a heart attack. He called me."

"He did?" Her voice was soft, timid even.

Chuckling, he nodded. "Oh yeah. He had no idea what to do. With the locked door, the leftover pizza, you. At one point he talked about kicking the door down." Her eyes grew wide with his last statement. "Told him that probably wasn't a great idea and just to let you be."

Her lips grew tight with a small thankful smile. "Thank you. He's been…" Her voice trailed off.

"A bit overbearing?" Sharp blue eyes shot up to make eye contact with him. "Mother hen-ish? A worry wart?"

"A little." A sheepish look crossed her face, and he couldn't help but laugh.

"He means well." Her head nodded in understanding. "How much sleep did you get last night?" He could see the exhaustion in her eyes. Knowing the first night was awful, Teal'c spilled the beans on that one. That he had sat with her all night. But he hadn't heard anything about last night.

"I'm fine."

"You're not fine." Hell, I'm not fine. But he wasn't going to let her keep using that as an excuse. At least to a certain extent. "Go to bed." His tone was soft and caring as he moved to lay beside her, his arm partially under his own head as he continued to lay on his side facing her. Within seconds of settling, he found her shuffling closer to him. Using his elbow and surrounding small space of his arm, mostly his bicep, as a pillow. He assumed she would roll back onto her side much like they had been the other night in the hospital when he crawled into bed with her. But this time, she stayed on her back and turned her face into his chest. Her hands remained clutched in the comforter as her eyes closed.

This damn sling was really in the way.

-x-x-x-

Sunlight streamed through the window, hitting her closed eyelids just right that they weren't keeping the light out very well. Groaning at the annoyance, Sam rolled to her left side away from the window. Which was an immediate mistake. Pain shot through her leg and she found herself rolling right onto her back faster than she thought possible. Cradling each side of her thigh delicately with her hands, she sucked in a deep breath. Releasing slowly as she shut her eyes, holding the tears at bay.

Not the best way to wake in the morning. Pain meds sounded right up her alley. The ones she took early last night had more than worn off. Turning her head to the left towards the door, she found it a few inches cracked open. There was nothing but silence coming from the hall. Eying the pillow next to her, she closed her eyes again briefly as Jack's cologne hit her. It hadn't been a dream. He really had come over last night.

With a soft smile bracing her lips, she looked over at the nightstand and found it empty. Odd. The last few days home, Teal'c had her pills and a glass of water settled there for when she woke in the morning. Not today. Shuffling to the edge of the bed, Sam reached out for the crutches, pulling one onto each side of her. Her thigh had a consistent dull throb coursing through it. Gripping each crutch and nudging them up under her armpits, she let the two sticks take her body weight as she stood.

Making her way across the room, she opened the door and hobbled out into the hall. Where was Teal'c? She wasn't sure if she felt relief or concern that Teal'c wasn't making his presence known. Maybe she had taken his help for granted the last few days. Feeling guilt creep into her gut she continued on her way to the kitchen where she knew he had been storing her pills. Feeling the pull of the medical tape on her thigh and wrists, she knew that was the next obstacle she would have to figure out. Replacing the bandages.

Ding dong.

Groaning as the doorbell signaled someone's arrival at her door, Sam froze in the hall. Her back to the door. Ding dong. And they apparently weren't going away until she acknowledged them. Turning in place, she crutched her way to the front door instead. Unlocking it and opening the door just as the person on the other side hit the bell for a third time.

"Sam!" Pete. Her stomach dropped and her breath caught in her throat. "I-I heard what happened! Are you okay?" And then he was in her space, his hands coming up to cradle her face. Cold hands. "Of course you're not okay. That was stupid of me."

"Pete, I'm okay." Pulling her head back, she tried to get out of his grasp. His hands on her, his touch, wasn't something she was currently comfortable with after the last few days.

"How rude of me, come on, let's get you sat down." Before she could object, he was letting himself into her house. "Here, let me help." Her crutches were gone in a flash and he was against her side, an arm around her waist as he quickly started walking her towards the kitchen.

"Pete, stop. Please. I'm fine!" His pace was too fast, she was having a hard time keeping up. The dull ache she had felt earlier now back to a sharp fire shooting through her leg. Gritting her teeth, she tried to control her breathing.

"Here, sit." And then his hands were on her arms from behind, moving her towards one of the chairs at her kitchen table.

"Pete stop!" Throwing her hands out against the table to counter act his quick moves, she wasn't fast enough. Her thigh hit the edge of the table within seconds, and she was crying out.

"I'm sorry! What'd I do?" Yet his hands were still on her arms and trying to get her to sit. The skin around the stitches in her thigh were pulling tight. Her body jerked as she plopped down harshly into the wooden chair.

Pete's hands were instantly running down her arms, looking for injuries. Pausing at the bandages on her wrists. "Pete-"

"Shannon! Long time no see." Jack. Letting a shaky breath of relief out, she found his gaze over Pete's shoulder who was leaning over her. Abruptly, Pete stood upright and turned to face the General.

"O'Neill." She could see the sag in Pete's shoulders as the two men stood across from each other.

"Comin to check in on Carter?" The words coming out Jack's mouth were genuine and kind, but Sam could see the anger he was keeping in check through his eyes and the way he gripped his hands at his sides. His bare sides at that.

How had she missed the shower running? Drops of water glistened in his damp hair, his jeans hung around his hips. His feet and chest bare. He must have been in the process of getting dressed when Pete showed up.

"Uh yeah. I-uh was. But I see she's being taken care of." If Pete hadn't had his back to her, she could have seen the way his lips pursed tightly.

"Yup." Jack nodded with a tight smile. "Our good buddy Murray's been watching out for her. I took last night's shift to give him a break." Sam could only imagine the thoughts and feelings going through Pete's head right now. She had only broken off their engagement a few days ago. She had crushed his heart. She was sure it was very similar to how uncomfortable and intrusive she had felt going to Jack's house and finding him with Miss Johnson.

"Right." And then Pete was turning back to her. "Sorry, I didn't-let me know if you need anything." His hand squeezed her shoulder lightly before he was excusing himself out of the house leaving her with a half-dressed Jack in her kitchen.

Before the front door had even closed, Jack was moving towards the counters silently. His hands swiping up her pill bottles before grabbing a glass from the cupboard and filling it just enough with water to help her get the pills down. The glass was placed in front of her on the table as he popped open the three small pill bottles, taking one from each and dropping them in her hand. His fingers were warm as they skimmed her palm. He turned and walked away as she tossed the pills back, taking a drink from the glass.

But he wasn't gone long. He may have disappeared around the corner briefly, but he was already walking back towards her, a hand full of bandages and the cream the doctor had sent her home with, along with a hand towel draped over his arm. He crouched in front of her after laying the materials out on the table, pushing her pill bottles and the glass of only a few sips of water left out of the way.

Without a word, he was lifting her right wrist and unwrapping the bandages there. "We should probably leave these off for a bit, skins looking better." Glancing down at the skin she realized he was right. The tears in her skin weren't open and raw anymore, just red and bruised with a few small scabs. Not much bandaging was going to do for the healing process. His thumb skimmed delicately over the tender skin for just a second before moving to her left wrist and repeating the process.

"Sir…" Realizing he would need to check her thigh, she suddenly felt uncomfortable.

"I've seen worse Carter." And of course, he knew exactly how she was feeling. "Stand up."

Pulling her bottom lip under her teeth, she leaned heavily on the table as she stood. He scooted back just enough but remained kneeling in front of her. Her cheeks flushed as she pulled her pajama pants down just far enough so he could access the wound there. Trying but failing miserably to ignore the fact that he had a front row seat to see the white cotton cheeky underwear she wore.

She jumped as his fingertips peeled away the Coban self-adherent wrap around her thigh keeping the gauze on the entry and exit wounds from the arrow in place. He tossed the used wrap and gauze on the table before reaching for new gauze and the cream. The stitches looked healthy as they held her skin in place. She didn't miss the small streak of blood coming from one, presumably from just hitting it on the table a few minutes ago. But thankfully it was nothing concerning.

She couldn't help but feel her heart swell as she watched Jack smear some of the cream on the new sets of gauze before he put them in place. "Hold those please." His words were soft, caring. And if she wasn't mistaken, she heard a hint of sorrow. Letting go of the table, she let her right hip take most of her weight as she reached down to hold both pieces of gauze in place while he wrapped a new piece of Coban wrap around her thigh. Moving her hands out of his way as he secured the wrap in place, she didn't waste time pulling her pants back up when he was done.

"Thank you." She barely heard the words come out of her mouth anymore than he had as she sat back down.

He simply nodded as he got back to his own feet and went about cleaning up the mess he had just made on the counter with the medical supplies and used ones he just took off her. She could only watch as he moved about her kitchen with ease, throwing the old bandages, making a neat pile of the still good materials on the counter, setting her pills back by the sink before setting her empty glass inside the sink. Her heart was racing, she subconsciously licked her lips as her eyes followed the ripples of his muscles across his shoulders. The angry red patch suddenly caught her eye.

"Jack." Suddenly wishing she had her crutches that were propped in the entry way, it had just hit her now that he wasn't wearing his sling and that he hadn't cleaned up his own wound to his shoulder after getting out of the shower. He had come straight to the kitchen to find her and figure out what was going on.

"Hmm?" He turned back to her, completely oblivious to it as his arm lay gently across his midsection out of habit. Pointing at his shoulder and his own stitches keeping his skin together, front and back, she frowned slightly. "Oh. Forgot all about that."

"I couldn't tell." Smirking she shook her head. "You helped me, the least I can do is return the favor." Tilting her head to the side slightly, she waited with anticipation to see if he was going to accept her help or not.

He eyed the materials he had just set down on the counter before giving in with a sigh. He swiped up the cream, gauze, and medical tape he had grabbed out of habit of his own injury when helping her and moved towards her. The legs of another kitchen chair drug across the floor as he set it in front of her sideways before he plopped himself in it.

"Here ya go Doc." Taking the cream and gauze from him she did the same as he had, smearing some of it on the gauze.

"Lean forward." Tackling the stitched opening on the back of his shoulder first, she lightly placed the gauze over the wound. Reaching for the medical tape in his hand, her fingers skimmed his as she took it tearing just enough off to put a single strip on all four sides of the gauze to keep it in place.

Setting the tape on the table next to her, she repeated the process with the gauze and cream. "Face me." And within seconds he was turning in his seat to give her better access to his chest and shoulder where the bullet had entered. Setting the gauze in place she ripped four pieces of tape from the roll and placed them around the gauze one by one. Slowly she ran the pads of her thumbs from the middle of each piece of tape to the ends making sure they were all secured in place.

Her breath caught in her throat as his good hand came up to grab one of hers. Glancing down at her enclosed hand for just a second, she found herself looking up into his brown depths. Her eyes flickered back and forth between his. Neither of them uttering a word or sound. So many emotions were going through her head and heart. So many feelings.

She wasn't sure what to feel or what to think. Scared, confused, happy, safe, heartbroken. How was it possible to feel that many things at once?

Feeling his breath against her face, she found her nose bumping into his. Closing her eyes, a tear slid past her lashes and down her cheek. His hand came up to rest against the side of her face, his thumb wiping the tear away before it could get to her chin and drop. Reaching up with the hand he had let go, she wrapped it around his forearm as she leaned into his touch. Still staying nose to nose, she took in a shaky breath as he pressed his forehead against hers.

"Jack-" His name was broken on her tongue as it suddenly became thick.

"Sam? Jack?" The front door opening, and keys being dropped on the small narrow table she had next to the front door had her pushing out a sharp puff of breath. Her heart dropped.

"Impeccable timing as always." Jack's voice was just above a whisper so only she could hear him. With a soft smile she squeezed his forearm lightly before they both sat upright and away from each other.

Bringing her own hand up this time she swiped quickly under each eye that had pools in them. Jack was standing before her and turning his back to her as he faced not only Daniel, but Teal'c who were entering the kitchen.

"Mornin' guys."

"Uh-hi. Morning!" A frown immediately crossed Daniels face. "Where's your shirt?"

"Bathroom. Shower got interrupted." Daniels eyebrows immediately rose.

"Pete stopped by." Speaking up on Jack's behalf, she found her voice.

"Oh. He did?"

"He did. And left shortly after." Moving Jack's chair back to the table Sam looked past Daniel at Teal'c. "Teal'c could you please hand me my crutches? They're just behind you."

"Well what did Pete want?" Daniel's curiosity got the best of him and Sam chose to ignore him as she waited for Teal'c to cross the room with her crutches.

"Stopped in to see how Carter was doing after finding out she was hurt. Saw she was doing fine and left. Nothing really." Jack spoke putting the conversation to an end. "So, bring any donuts? Coffee?"

Reaching for her crutches and taking them from Teal'c, she could only smile as he produced a small box of donuts from behind his back. "Only donuts O'Neill." Within seconds Jack was taking the box from Teal'c and opening it, pulling out the biggest glazed knot she'd seen in her life.

"If you guys will excuse me, I'm going to change out of my pajamas and brush my teeth." Securing a crutch under each arm, she smiled at the three men in her kitchen and made her way out of the room.

Heading straight for the bathroom first she paused briefly as she pushed the door open. There on the edge of the counter was a small dark blue bag. Jack's things. Careful not to knock it over as she crutched into the small space, she reached over the bag to grab her toothbrush and the toothpaste he had left laying on the counter. Pushing the door shut with one of her crutches, she brushed her teeth swiftly.

He had almost kissed her. Closing her eyes as she paused from brushing her teeth at the thought, she shook her head. What were they doing? What were they thinking?

All week he has been there for her. Supporting her. Checking on her. Keeping her going. Keeping her safe. Or at least trying to. And here she was…allowing it. Giving into the gestures. Returning them even. Although they shouldn't be, legally or not. She was still under his direct chain of command. They could be court martialed within seconds if someone reported them or otherwise.

Laughing at herself, she shook her head. That should be the last thing she was concerned about. She should-

Turning towards the bathroom door at the soft knock that caught her attention, she set her toothbrush down and spit the little bit of paste out she still had in her mouth. Jack's silvering hair caught her eye before he looked up and they made eye contact. Wiping the smudge of mixed toothpaste and saliva from under her lip with the back of her hand, she unconsciously rubbed the back of her hand against the side of her shirt. Letting the material there absorb the small mess.

"Everything alright?" Frowning, she eyed him as he shut the door behind him.

"Fine, fine. Everything's fine. Danny took the trash out and T is cleaning up his dishes from the last two days." Her heart thumped viciously within her chest, threatening to rise into her throat. "I just uh-I wanted-are you okay?"

Silently she nodded just barely enough for him to notice as her eyes widened in confusion and anticipation. "I-yeah." Clearing her throat, she gripped the hand bars of her crutches.

"Good." He gave her his own curt nod with a straight face. She couldn't read his emotions. Making her even more anxious. "I-uhm-I know this isn't-I think we should talk. Later. I have to get back to the SGC. The guys are going to stay with you today. Daniel doesn't have to head out again until this afternoon and Teal'c will be here until tonight."

Flexing her grip, she could only find herself nodding at his words. Unable to form her own as he looked everywhere but into her eyes. "Get some rest today okay?" Nodding again, she chuckled.

He rose an eyebrow of question in her direction at the sound of her laugh. Finally make eye contact since coming into the small space. "All I've been doing is resting." She smirked.

"And you're doing a great job." A smile of his own graced his lips. "I'll be back later." He nodded shortly once more before turning back to the door, his hand on the knob. "And don't worry, I'll talk to Teal'c about space and hovering before I leave." He casually threw over his shoulder before letting himself out into the hall, shutting the door again behind him.

Letting out a heavy breath, Sam's chin dropped to her chest. Talk? Later? That could mean anything.

It was going to be a long day.

END CHAPTER 6