Disclaimer Stargate Sg-1 and its characters are the property of Stargate (II) Productions, Showtime/Viacom, MGM/UA, Double Secret Productions, and Gekko Productions. This story is for entertainment purposes only and no money exchanged hands. No copyright infringement is intended. The original characters, situations, and story are the property of the author. This story may not be posted elsewhere without the consent of the author.

"Cronus requested my presence." Teal'c said, his normally strong voice slightly weak and gravely. He sounded horrible and looked worse, but Sam knew that he was lucky to be alive. His injuries would have killed a normal human.

"So you went. alone?" Jack asked, the tone of his voice expressing precisely how stupid he thought Teal'c's decision had been.

"It is what he requested. When I arrived, he denied making the request. Before I could leave, we were attacked," Teal'c said, nonplussed by his commander's mood.

"By whom?" Sam asked.

"An invisible force," he answered. She looked up at the other people gathered around their friend's bed. Daniel grimaced and General Hammond raised his eyebrows skeptically.

"Invisible force?" Jack asked.

"A reetou?" Daniel suggested.

"Could one have come through the Gate with the Goa'ulds?" Hammond asked.

Sam shook her head. "Given how they affected Teal'c last time, it doesn't seem likely. But, we could break out the transphase eradication rods and do a sweep of the base."

"I did not sense the presence of a reetou."

"I almost wish you had," Jack said. That would have made things much easier. The enemy of my enemy is my friend, and if they could blame a common enemy, it would go far in easing tensions between the SGC and their three Goa'uld guests.

"Teal'c, are you aware of any of the Goa'uld having some sort of stealth technology?" Daniel asked.

"I am not."

"What?"

"Hathor had the ability to appear and disappear," Daniel explained, answering Sam's questions.

"Okay, she's dead. Right? Please tell me she's dead," Jack requested.

"Yeah," Sam answered, a chill racing down her spine as she remembered the woman's fading scream as she fell to her death in the cryo-vat. The sound had been music to her ears at the time. Her memories were still a little vague, clouded by pain and nausea. Sort of like her memories from another time and place.

A shadowy figure easing into her room, floating like a specter. Warm, orange light bathing her body, at first causing pain, then easing it, replacing it with soothing relief. Fading pain retreating in the wake of a sense of well-being and knowledge that things were set right.

"I did not attack Cronus," Teal'c insisted, his declaration pulling Sam from her memories.

"Well we believe you Teal'c, I just don't think anyone else is going to."

"Certainly not those lying, scheming, no good for nothing, slimy, overdressed style mongers,
Jack ranted.

"Sam? You ok?" Daniel asked, ignoring Jack's diatribe.

Sam blinked, realizing that she'd been spacing out. "Yeah, thanks." She smiled weakly. "Colonel, could I have a minute?" she asked.

"Carter?"

"In private, sir," she insisted.

Jack shrugged and looked to Hammond, who nodded. "I need to inform the president," the general excused. He left the room and Jack tugged on Sam's sleeve, pulling her towards Janet's office.

They retreated, leaving Daniel alone with Teal'c. "What's up?" Jack asked after he'd closed the door.

"A year ago, when I was sick, you…I remember someone standing over me and orange light and…that was you, wasn't it?" she asked.

Jack shook his head slightly. "Carter-"

"Sir, you healed my leg and you used that device that we have down in my lab. The one no one has ever been able to figure out," she insisted.

He huffed, crossing his arms over his chest. "So what if I did," he asked accusingly.

"So you think you can do it again?" she asked softly.

He stared at her for a few seconds, revulsion crossing his face as the meaning of her words sunk in. "No!"

"Sir-"

"Carter, damn it, do you know what'll happen if the NID finds out what I can do?"

"Do you know what'll happen if Cronos dies?" she shot back. He glared at her and turned, pacing the small room. "Colonel, I wouldn't ask if it wasn't important," she said, her tone softening. "But I don't see any other way out of this. We can't keep Nirti and Yu here forever. We'll have to let them go and they'll bring their ships back and we won't be able to stop them."

"Carter, I used that thing once," he said, still facing away from her. "ONCE," he said, spinning to face her. "And I'm still not sure how I did it."

Sam sighed, understanding his reticence. She was asking him to do something that she knew he didn't want to do. His whole possession by Jolinar was a forbidden topic amongst them. Jack refused to talk about it, even tried not to admit that it even happened. She couldn't blame him. She'd tried to think how she would have reacted, how she would have dealt with being possessed by a goa'uld. How she would have managed the physical differences. His whole body chemistry was now different. He had naqahdah in his blood now and a protein marker that Janet didn't understand.

He'd changed in other ways too. Although he'd said that he had no real memories left over from Jolinar, she didn't think that was right. More than once when they'd been off world he seemed to have a deeper, richer picture than she'd expect. She definitely had the idea that he remembered more than he let on.

"Sir, I know you don't want to use it, and I understand why. But I just can't think of another way to keep the System Lords from attacking us. Teal'c's no help. They'll never believe the invisible assailant story. If we let Nirti and Yu go, they'll attack us. If we don't, they'll attack us." She broke off, shrugging. "I just can't think of anything else to try."

He stared at her for a few seconds, his eyes narrowing before he finally sighed, running his fingers through his hair. "Is there any way we can lose the audience?" he said.

"Sir?"

"The fewer witnesses, the better," he said, accepting her idea.

Sam nodded. "I can talk to Janet. Get her to kick everyone else out."

"Do it," he ordered.

"Yes, sir." Sam turned and left the room aware of just how much she'd asked of him and more than a little honored that he'd listened to her idea. She just hoped that it'd work. If not, well they may not live long enough to regret it.

<><><><><>

Janet stood beside Cronos' bed, hoping that her skepticism didn't show on her face…and that Colonel O'Neill didn't take it personally. In her time with the SGC, she'd seen a lot of unexplainable and fantastic things. And she'd seen just as many horrors. Those dark things were why she wasn't protesting Sam and Colonel O'Neill's idea. If the goa'uld attacked, she knew most of the planet would be decimated. "Are you sure you know what you're doing?" she asked. While she was willing to let them try, she still didn't see what good that odd device could do.

"I've done it before," he said shortly, barely glancing up at her.

"You have?" she asked. "When?"

"Janet, you remember a year ago, when my leg healed so fast?" Sam asked.

"Of course, I-" Janet broke off. She shook her head. "It was just a delayed reaction in the antibiotics," she said.

Sam shook her head. "No. The colonel used the healing device on my leg. He fixed the infection. And he can fix Cronos."

The tone of her voice suggested that her words weren't meant for Janet, but for O'Neill, who was ignoring the two of them, his right hand held out over the goa'uld's battered chest. "You two want to shut up?" he growled. "I'm trying to concentrate here."

Abashed, Sam and Janet fell silent, their gazes riveted on the scene before them. What felt like hours later, the device hummed into life, a warm orangish-yellow light flowing from the round surface and illuminating Cronos' chest. A flicker of movement caught Janet's eye and she glanced over, surprised to meet Cronos' gaze. He stared at her, keeping eye contact as the colonel healed his body.

A few moments later the device snapped off and Janet saw the colonel sway. Instinctively, she reached out her hand, steadying him.

"You have healed me, human. I am sure you spared my life only to prevent your own destruction," Cronos said weakly.

"We didn't hurt you. And we saved you because we want this treaty to happen," Sam said.

"That is not possible now. Nirti and Yu have undoubtedly blamed the Tau'ri for this attack on me?"

"Good catch," O'Neill said. "Look, it's obvious to everybody that one of them did this to you. What if I can prove which one? What's that worth to you?"

"What do you ask in return?" Cronos asked, intrigued.

O'Neill slid the device of his hand, dropping it into Sam's waiting hands. "Not all that much, in the grand scheme of things."

<><><><><>

Daniel stood beside Jack, doing his best to keep his expression bland and even. There was a lot riding on the next few minutes. And while this certainly wasn't the first time that Daniel watched Jack juggle the fate of the world, he found this particular time especially nerve wracking.

"You lied to us about being able to heal Cronus with that hand device," Jack accused.

"I tried honestly and failed," Nirti replied. "I was willing to save Cronus by taking him to a sarcophagus."

Jack shrugged. "Maybe you were, maybe you weren't. But the fact is you are the only Goa'uld here who has the technology to become invisible," he said, cutting right to the chase and playing his trump card.

"That is a lie!" Nirti yelled.

"Who's lying? We called the Tok'ra."

"They say you've been experimenting with phase shifting in order to battle the Reetou," Daniel said, following the script. This was the weak link in their bluff. They were counting on the goa'uld not knowing that their contact with the Tok'ra was tenuous at best and nothing more than a passing knowledge and occasional exchange of information or technology.

"You did not share this technology with the System Lords?" Yu yelled, snagging onto the perceived insult and not looking further.

"They are lying."

"You dare attack Cronus and defile our meeting with the Asgard?" he continued, ignoring her outburst.

"It is not true!" she protested.

"You are the one who opposed this treaty! You have long coveted Cronus' territory."

"Gonach!"

Yu lunged at Nirti and Daniel stepped back, not wanting to get between the two fighting creatures. It looked like Jack had been right. He'd gambled on centuries of enmity to override their common sense and for the two goa'uld to immediately jump to conclusions.

Suddenly, Nirti shimmered and disappeared, going invisible right before his eyes. Yu flew backwards and Jack stepped forward. Daniel ducked as the two SF's guarding the door raised their weapons. Both of them were tossed aside and Daniel saw one of their guns float off the floor. "Watch out!" he yelled. Bullets zinged through the air, hitting the wall with a dull thud.

The door blasted open and Daniel presumed Nirti was running into the hall. He heard a shout and then a short exchange of weapons fire before an eerie silence settled over the group.

"Clear!" a man's voice called.

"Medic!" another yelled.

Daniel struggled to his feet and followed Hammond out into the hall, sensing Jack and Yu behind him.
One of the SF's was standing over Nirti who was lying on the floor, blood staining her dress. Another one was a short distance away, kneeling over Sam who was also lying on the floor.

"Report!" Hammond demanded.

"Carter made her visible with the TER, but she opened fire," the first SF said. "We responded."

"Carter's alive, sir," the second said.

Daniel hurried to her side, kneeling down on the floor. "Sam?" He reached out and gently shook her shoulder, hoping to wake her up. She didn't respond, her eyes remaining stubbornly closed.

"Get medical down here," Hammond ordered as the SF left Sam's side, returning to guard the prisoner. "And escort this creature-"

"She comes with me," Yu interrupted.

"Yu?" Jack asked, staring at the man.

"We shall deal with this hataka," he spat. Daniel heard the tell tale clicking of high heels as Janet hurried down the hall, responding to the call. She looked from Sam to Nirti, torn as to who to help first. "Care for your own, healer," Yu said. "I do not wish for another of my kind to die in your care."

"I am not dead yet," Cronos said, slowly walking down the corridor, joining them.

"You were dying," Yu said, forgetting Nirti to talk to his fellow System Lord.

"The Tau'ri healed me," Cronos said.

"Cronus said he'd support the treaty and we wouldn't have to give up our Stargate. I was kinda hoping we could count on your vote," Jack said.

Yu looked at Cronos, then down at Nirti, still lying bleeding on the floor. After an eternal few seconds, he nodded. "We will not attack your world. But, if you continue to use your Stargate be warned. Anyone who is caught by one of the System Lords will be shown no mercy. They will suffer greatly," he warned.

"Well that certainly makes life more interesting," Jack said.

"Are we permitted to leave now?" Yu asked pointedly. "Or are we to remain your guests."

Jack looked to Hammond and shrugged. "Fine with me. Don't forget to pack your trash." He motioned towards Nirti. One of the SF's helped the woman to her feet. She swayed slightly, obviously weakened by her injuries.
Uncaring, Cronos stepped forward, harshly taking her arm. He dragged her forward and Daniel knew that her gunshot wound was going to be the least of her worries. Hammond gestured and Jack stepped forward, following the man's silent command to escort the goa'uld off the base.

Daniel watched them go and turned his attention back to Janet, who was still working on Sam. "Jan?" he asked, concerned.

"She'll be ok, Daniel," she promised, motioning for the two orderlies who'd just arrived with a gurney to step forward. Daniel got out of the way and watched as they loaded his friend onto the rolling bed. In just a few seconds, they were pushing Sam towards the infirmary, leaving Daniel alone. He sighed, looking around the aftermath of the fire fight. Jack certainly took negotiating to a whole new level.

<><><><><>

Teal'c heard a soft moan and turned his head, propping himself up on his elbows to see better. In the next bed, Major Carter was stirring slightly, obviously waking up from the anesthetic. She was lying in the bed next to his and had been since Doctor Warner had brought her from the surgical wing. Doctor Frasier said that her injuries, while serious, were not life threatening and that she expected the major to make a full recovery.

Major Carter stirred again and Teal'c sat up, pushing back the covers so that he could get out of bed. He padded over to her, his bare feet making no sound on the tile floor. He leaned against the side of her bed, cursing the weakness that still plagued him. He was unaccustomed to feeling so diminished. "Major Carter?" He took her hand, mindful of the apparatus inserted under her skin, feeding her body fluid and nutrients. "Do you require assistance?"

She groggily opened her eyes, blinking a bit as if she was having troubles focusing. "Teal'c?" she whispered.

"It is I," he said. "Do you wish me to procure Doctor Frasier for you?"

She shook her head slightly. "Thirsty."

She had no water beside her bed, so he returned to his own, pouring a small quantity of water into a cup and returning to her side. Manipulating the straw, he placed it between her lips and waited until she'd sucked up a couple of sips before taking the straw away. He was unsure if it was appropriate for her to have something to drink, but was unable to refuse her request so he kept her intake to a minimum.

"Nirti shot me," she muttered, frowning a bit.

"Yes, she did," he confirmed. "She was captured and has been surrendered to the custody of the System Lords," he said. "Daniel Jackson feels that 'she will get it'," he said, repeating his teammate's words.

"Did I miss anything else?"

"Nothing of consequence," he reported.

"Then I think I'll go back to sleep," she said, closing her eyes.

"That would be a wise idea," he said. He stood beside her bed for several more minutes until he was sure she was asleep. Then he made his way back to his own bed, sighing softly as he sank onto the too hard mattress. She, like most humans, would grow restless as she healed and he knew that soon his spare time would be devoted to amusing his teammate. He would be best served to rest while he could.

<><><><><>

George read over the last of the reports, assuring himself that every detail had been taken care of. "This all looks in order, Colonel," he said, setting the pieces of paper aside to be copied and filed. Given the nature of their negotiations and the presence of the Secretary of Defense, George knew that filing these reports was not much more than a formality.

"Glad to hear that, sir," Jack answered.

"Teal'c?"

"Frasier's already cut him loose. She said Carter can go home in a day or so," Jack answered his question.

George nodded. He'd already read the doctor's report and knew that both Carter and Teal'c would just need time to recover from their injuries. "Ok." Jack made a move to get up. "One more thing, Jack," George said, stilling his movements.

"Sir?"

"I must say that I am…disappointed."

Jack frowned. "General?"

"I would hope, after two years, that you would trust me," George said. To his satisfaction, Jack's face fell and he looked down. "Why didn't you tell me about your new…abilities?"

Jack shook his head. "Sir, I-" He stopped and leaned back, sighing as he ran his fingers through his hair. "I thought it was best if you didn't know."

"I don't like surprises, Colonel," George said, interjecting a tone of chastisement into his voice.

"General, if you knew about the changes, then you'd be honor bound to report them," Jack said.

"I appreciate your attempts to protect me, however you don't get these by being stupid." He motioned towards the stars on his shoulder. "And you also don't get them without learning to watch your back."

"I'm sorry," Jack said.

George nodded, aware that this was probably the most he'd ever get from the man. Jack O'Neill may be more than a little irreverent and, at times, a royal pain in the ass, in his heart, George knew that he was an honorable man. And a man who was going through a very difficult time in his life. Not only with his possession by the Tok'ra Jolinar, but in his personal life as well.

"Is there anything else I need to know?" George asked.

"You mean do I have the overwhelming desire to take over the world or start wearing gold lame? No," Jack responded. George glared and Jack sighed. "The doc says that I have naqahdah in my blood. You have to have that to run the toys," he reported. "I can use the ribbon thingie too, but I can't control it very well, hell I still don't know exactly how I controlled the healing device."

George relaxed a bit, relieved to finally be getting the truth from his officer. "Do you think you can do it again?"

Jack thought and slowly shook his head. "I don't know, sir. I can't say it's something I'm too comfortable with."

George nodded, accepting his words. In a way, he agreed with him. He wasn't too comfortable with the thought of one of his officers able to use the alien devices. On the other hand, however, Jack's abilities could prove to be a fantastic strategic advantage for them. Just as much as Teal'c's presence and knowledge was. "Very well." George leaned forward. "How are you doing, Jack?" he asked.

"Sir?"

"At home," he prodded.

"Yeah, I was meaning to talk to you about that," Jack said softly. "Sara's pretty adamant, she doesn't want to keep
Cassie, just Charlie," he said.

"Have you been able to work anything out?"

Jack shook his head. "She wants to get moved to Denver in the next couple of weeks since school starts next month. Cassie's still staying with her, but it's just a matter of time."

"Have you thought about any sort of child care?" George asked. "This is presuming you wish to keep custody of Cassandra."

"Mrs. Howell, she lives in the apartment complex, has offered to keep an eye on her while I'm at work but…sir, I can't do this job and take care of her," he said.

George nodded. He'd been expecting this ever since Jack had told him about his impending divorce. It was his experience that some men, and women, threw themselves into their jobs when their personal lives took a turn for the worse. But when those same people had children, sometimes the opposite happened. In a way, George didn't mind it. Family was important, and he'd missed enough family moments during his life to begrudge anyone that time.

But the officer in him mourned the loss of those very same people, and the skills and knowledge they took with them.

"Would you like me to find her another home?" George asked.

Jack shook his head. "I don't want to do that to her. She was just settling in with us."

"Ok. Then what can I do?" George offered.

"We're going to be out of the rotation for a bit until Carter gets back on her feet. I just may need a little more time," he said.

"And beyond the near future?" George prodded. He had a pretty good idea what Jack needed, it was something George himself had wanted more than once over the years.

"You still got that retirement paperwork in your desk drawer?" he asked.

George sighed. "If you're sure that's what you want to do, we'll see what we can work out. Maybe something that takes you out of the off-world rotation and into a more administrative role."

"Paperwork?" Jack asked. "Sir, we both know just how good I am at paperwork."

George shrugged. "Or maybe training. Jack, this command is just going to keep growing. We added three teams a month ago, funding will probably come through to add three more by the end of the year. All those new people will have to be trained."

"By me?" Jack asked, raising his eyebrows skeptically.

"Who better than one of the most experienced officers of this base?" George said. "Anyway, it's an option. And there are others where that came from. Don't give up on us, Jack. Cause we're not ready to give up on you." Jack nodded solemnly. "Now go. I'm sure you have something better to do than sit here."

Jack got up and George watched him go, sighing softly as the colonel stepped out into the hall. He hated the thought of losing one of his officers, but he knew he'd hate it more if the man was destined to end up alone. Jack was too good of a man to suffer that fate.

<><><><><>

Jack sank down in his office chair, surprised to discover that he actually felt better after his little chat with Hammond. He didn't realize just how stressful it'd been to keep his secret. Fortunately and surprisingly, Daniel had kept his mouth shut about his healing of Carter. Maybe their little run-ins with Maybourne and Kennedy had finally taught him something, that your best defense was the ignorance of your opponents.

And it wasn't just the Tok'ra left overs he felt better sharing. It comforted him in a way that Hammond knew about Sara and Cassie. Jack had told him about his impending divorce, Sara's knowledge of the program necessitated that disclosure. But he hadn't said anything about Cassie simply because he hoped that Sara would relent and agree to keep the girl.

Unfortunately, she was adamant. She didn't want to deal with Cassie and Jack almost hated her for it.

He honestly didn't know what he was going to do. He wanted to keep her. It would be cruel to uproot her and hand Cassie off like some traveling trophy. The poor kid deserved better. But he also had no idea how to handle a teenage girl. His apartment certainly wasn't big enough, although that wouldn't be a problem once Sara moved to Denver. Generous woman that she was, she was allowing him to keep the house. Unless, of course, she decided that she wanted to buy one of her own. Then Jack would have to sell his home to give her half the money.

Compared to what some of his friends had been through, Jack knew he was getting off easy. But it wasn't the stuff that mattered, it was the fact that Sara was taking his son to another city.

His son. Jack snorted at the thought. Technically, no, Charlie wasn't his son, no matter what the boy's birth certificate said. But as far as Jack was concerned, the boy was. It had taken him several one on one sessions with the boy to convince him that the divorce was not his fault. And it wasn't Cassie's either.

Could he make it work? Do the whole single parent thing? Giving up field work wasn't that horrible of an idea. He was getting old enough that sleeping on the ground was not something he looked forward to. And forty plus years of abuse were taking its toll on his body. Things were getting harder, joints creakier. He knew it was just a matter of time before he flunked a physical. It may be a few years down the line, but it would eventually happen.

If he was medically removed from the field, he knew he'd never be able to go back. But if it was his choice, then it would be easier to take the occasional day trip.

The easy solution would be to retire, but Jack also knew that he'd go stir crazy if he didn't have anything to do. And, while his retirement would provide enough for his personal needs, he had Cassie to think of. She'd need to go to school, buy clothes, all that unexpected paraphernalia that came with a kid.

Which meant, he sort of needed to work. But he had to balance that need with Cassandra's. And Cassandra was a young lady who'd have a lot of needs.

Someone knocked at his door and Jack jumped, caught off guard. "Colonel O'Neill?"

Jack looked up, frowning. An SF stood at his door. "Sergeant?"

"Sir, I have someone who wanted to speak with you," he said.

"Sure." Jack waved him in. The SF stood aside and a civilian walked in. "Shanahan, what brings you here?" Jack asked, standing up to shake the man's hand.

"Colonel. I needed to talk to you."

"Ok." Jack motioned for the SF to leave them. The man stepped out, closing the door, but not leaving. Jack knew that he wouldn't leave until Shanahan did. The detective may know some of their secrets, but he also wasn't cleared to have free run of the base. He motioned towards the chair and sat down himself. "What can I do for you?"

"I need to ask a bit of a favor. I just came from visiting Sam and the doctor said she'd be going home in a day or so."

"Yeah. The gunshot wound wasn't too bad," Jack said, reliving a moment of gratefulness that his second hadn't been more severely injured. A couple inches either way and she could have died. But Nirti's bullet had missed all her organs and was little more than a literal flesh wound.

"That's what the doctor said. My problem is, I just got assigned to a Federal case and I need to be in Denver by the end of the day."

"Federal case?" Jack asked.

Shanahan smiled. "Which I can't tell you the details of, but it's a big deal. Something we busted locally is leading to something big and I have to be there."

Jack nodded. "So…what? You need me to water your plants?" Jack said, trying to figure out why the man was telling him all this. He knew that the man was a detective with the Colorado Springs Police Department, and that he lived with Carter, but anything beyond that, Jack really didn't care about. Shanahan seemed a nice enough fellow.

"Actually, I was thinking more of you watching Sam for a few days," he said.

Jack raised his eyebrows. "Excuse me?"

"I already asked Doctor Jackson, but he and Doctor Frasier have plans for this weekend and, from what Sam has told me, Teal'c really isn't allowed out so-"

"So what?" Jack asked. "She's a big girl, she can take care of herself," Jack said, slightly taken aback by the man's request.

"You know Sam as well as I do. She hates being sick, and she doesn't like to admit that she doesn't feel good. Which means, if she's home alone, she'll push herself too far and probably end up back here," Shanahan said. "Besides, she trusts you. She knows you."

"What's Carter say about this?" Jack asked.

"She's fine with it," Shanahan said quickly.

"You haven't told her, have you?" Jack accused, recognizing the look on the man's face. He'd been there himself a time or two.

"I was sorta thinking that you could-"

"Detective," Jack interrupted.

"Colonel. You know her. I tell her that she needs a keeper, she'll balk and throw a fit. I figure if you do it, the worst she'll do is tell you to go home. Best case scenario, it's for a few days at the most."

"And the worst case?"

"I get shot and you're stuck with her forever," he quipped. Jack shook his head at the man's irreverent attitude. "It's probably just for a couple of days, just enough to let her get her legs back under her."

"Fine," Jack agreed, spitting the word out quickly, before he could change his mind.

"Really?"

"Yeah, really," he said, ignoring the niggling voice in the back of his head that was screaming a warning. Carter was his second in command, his female second in command. Technically, he shouldn't be doing anything for her that even hinted at favoritism. But he'd done the same for Daniel and Teal'c, assisting both of them when they'd been injured. And he was doing so at the behest of her boyfriend. How much more on the up and up could he be? And besides, she'd been shot carrying out his plan. Spending a few hours helping her out seemed to be the least he could do. And it wasn't like he had a full social calendar.

"Great," Shanahan said, getting to his feet. He pulled a key ring out of his pocket. "There's the spare key. I don't think I'll have time to hit the grocery store and I have no idea what you'll want to eat anyway." Jack took the key from him. "I got Sam's car keys, I thought I'd have a friend of mine help me get her car home."

"Which serves the dual purpose of making her get a ride with me," Jack said.

"That too," Shanahan agreed. "Thank you, Colonel. I really appreciate this."

Jack nodded. "Good luck with your case," he said.

Shanahan left the room and Jack looked down at the key in his hand. What in the hell had he just gotten himself into?

<><><><><>

Sam sat in the passenger seat of the truck, one hand stiffly digging into the arm rest on the door and the other held close to her side. True, she knew she'd been lucky and that the bullet had sort of grazed her ribs, settling against but not puncturing her lung. One of the main reasons Janet had kept her for a few days, other than the minor surgery to remove the bullet was the nice concussion she'd picked up when she, oh so gracefully, whacked her head soundly on the concrete floor.

Sam she knew that it was nice to be relatively up and around just a few days after being shot. And it felt good to be going home where she could be comfortable. She just wished she had a different way home than the man driving the truck right now.

She could shoot Pete. How dare he run off and do something silly like his job. There were hundreds of cops in Colorado Springs, but he was the only one who could do this job? What about sick leave? What about loyalty? What about being a nice guy and not deserting her when she was definitely down?

"You need me to hit the store?" he asked, breaking into her mental plans to do serious bodily damage to a certain cop.

"Sir?"

"Pete mentioned groceries," he said, glancing over at her as he slowed for a red light.

"We do take out a lot," she said, grimacing a bit. Both of them did seem to live off frozen food or take out grabbed on the way home. With her hours being unpredictable at best and his following course, it was actually quite normal for them to go days without catching more than a passing glimpse of each other.

"Yeah, so do I," he agreed. "Sometimes it's too much of a pain to cook for one." The light turned green and he accelerated. "Do you have a preference of stores?"

She shook her head. "I aah, really don't feel like tackling the super market. I'm sure there's enough in the freezer to keep me going for a couple of days." She wasn't quite sure what food she had in the house, but that really didn't matter at the moment. She just wanted to do anything she could to hurry this trip along.

It was a warm and muggy day, which made her grateful for the air conditioning in the truck, but still the bright sunlight hurt her eyes. Her sunglasses were in her car, and thanks to Pete's super efficiency, her car was in front of her house. Right where it didn't do her much good at the moment.

For the past couple of months, she'd done everything she could to keep her distance from her commanding officer. It wasn't that she was mad at him, or annoyed. It was because one little moment in an observatory thirty years and a thousand miles away still haunted her. She was falling for him, falling hard and it was the worst thing that could happen.

He'd been more open with her since their return from the past, seeming less of a superior officer and more of a friend. He'd even asked her suggestions in what to get Cassie for the girl's recent birthday.

In a way, Sam liked it. His acceptance made her feel more at ease around the other members of her team as well. The four of them occasionally went out socially, taking in dinner or a movie or even something simple like pizza at Daniel's.

She knew his divorce was proceeding as well as it could, with custody of Cassie the only real sticking point. But it was that same divorce that was contributing to her feelings of unease with him. When he was married, he was safe.
She knew that he respected his vows and that they'd never be more than friends. But now that that marriage was ending, that obstacle was gone. And Sam didn't know if it was a good thing or a bad thing. All she knew was that she was feeling more and more aware of his presence and it scared her. The last time she'd felt this way about a man had been with Jonas and that thought was enough to make her pause and seriously think things out.

She wanted to say something to him, but also didn't want to. If she spoke up, then it was real and real things had to be dealt with. The easiest way would be for her to transfer, but then she'd have to start all over again with a new commanding officer and team and she was loathe to give up the friendship of her teammates.

She did know that she needed to deal with things herself, one way or the other, and soon. The last thing she needed was to have the reputation of inappropriate actions to dog her for the rest of her career. And there was his divorce to consider. Some ex wives would love nothing more than to have ammunition to use against their husbands.

"If you're sure," he said, pulling her from her contemplations.

"Yeah, I'm sure," she answered. "Honestly, I just want to go home and relax."

"Ok." He turned off the main street and drove towards her house. She closed her eyes, the scenery flashing by was starting to give her a headache. In just a few minutes, the truck pulled to the curb and she opened her eyes. Her hands fumbled for her seat belt and she pulled on the door handle. Sliding carefully to the ground, she stood there for a second, making sure her knees were indeed going to behave themselves. The last thing she needed to do was fall over or something. That would probably convince him that he needed to hang around, and she didn't want that. She wanted some peace and quiet and solitude so that she could think and relax.

He came around to her side, carrying her bag and Sam shut the door, stepping up the walk before he felt the need to offer to help her. She pulled her key out of her pocket and unlocked the door, pausing just inside the threshold. "I'm sorry that Pete imposed on your time off, sir," she said, reaching out for her bag. "And I appreciate the ride home."

"You're not getting rid of me that easily, so you may as well just get in there and settle in," he said, gently pushing her to the side.

"Colonel-"

"Carter, for pity's sake, give me a break. I've been shot a time or two before and I have an idea how you feel." He reached around her and shut the front door. "Now, why don't you go get into something more comfortable and I'll see what I can find in your kitchen." He handed her bag to her and then walked down the short hall, making his way to her kitchen.

She frowned, wondering precisely when she'd lost control of the situation. "Peter Shanahan, I am going to kick your ass to next week," she muttered, laying the blame for her impromptu house guest precisely where it belonged. Resigning herself to the situation, she headed back to her bedroom. He was right about one thing, she desperately wanted to get into something a lot more comfortable.

<><><><><>

Jack sat in the chair, fighting a yawn as the scenes from some movie flickered on the TV screen. Carter was stretched out on the couch, snoring softly. He now knew why Shanahan wanted him here. Sam Carter was a light weight when it came to drugs. Soon after she'd emerged from her bedroom, now wearing a pair of sweats and a t-shirt, he'd given her the pain pills Frasier had prescribed. Within half an hour, she was distinctly loopy and crashed on the couch.

In a way, it scared him that she would have been here alone. He knew that she'd face two choices. Take the drugs and be dead to the world or not take them and deal with the pain.

Both alternatives Jack found unacceptable.

Despite his earlier misgivings, Captain, now Major Samantha Carter was a damn fine officer. He'd watched her deal with a lot in the past year and a half and, in some cases, she'd handled it better than him.

He found that he enjoyed her presence at various team get togethers and outings. Her quiet humor was a welcome break from Daniel's chatter and Teal'c's silence.

She definitely had a wicked sense of humor and wasn't afraid to use it. At the same time, she also had a good feel for when not to act and her ability to almost read his mind in the field sometimes scared Jack.

It had really been a long time since he'd been so in tune with another person. Lately, he found himself paying attention to her more. He was usually aware of when she was in a room. More than once, he'd caught himself watching her, just like he was doing now.

He could fall for her, he knew that. If he just let himself, he could fall hard. It was déjà vu all over again and emotions were surfacing that he hadn't felt in years. Emotions that were startlingly like the ones he'd had the first time he met Sara, his popcorn cascading into her lap when she bumped into him at a hockey game.

There was one huge obstacle in his way and it took shape in a 5'8" man who carried a gun and knew how to use it, even if he was a civilian. Jack had done a lot of 'distasteful' things in his life, but poaching wasn't one of them. She liked Pete, liked him enough to move with her from California and live together. That was as good as married in Jack's book.

In a way, it made it easier for Jack. He knew that she was off limits so there wasn't that awkward awareness that might have been had she been nicely single. He knew he could keep his hands to himself and keep it professional, he just had to make sure that she never realized how he was starting to feel. That could just make things too uncomfortable for both of them.

He heard a dull rumble and frowned, getting to his feet. He made his way over to the window and pushed the curtain aside. Much to his surprise, the brilliant sun of earlier in the day was gone, replaced by ominous looking grayish green clouds. A gust of wind rattled the windows and Jack cursed under his breath, recognizing the signs for what they were.

He turned and picked up the remote from the table, turning the TV to a local station. Weather warnings flashed across the screen accompanied by a radar image that was garishly painted in reds, oranges and yellows. Quickly identifying the county they were in as the literal center of the storm, with a large red blotch hanging over their heads.
Another gust shook the house and Jack sprang into action. Sometimes retreat was the better part of valor and there was nothing wrong with seeking shelter. He quickly checked the house, making sure that the windows were closed as the rain began to sheet down, punctuated with a shattering crack of thunder.

He went back into the living room, surprised to find that Carter was sitting up, obviously wakened by the storm. "What's going on?"

"Thunderstorm," he answered.

She rubbed her hands over her face. "Noisy," she muttered.

Jack heard a tinging sound and hurried to the window. "Crap," he moaned.

"Colonel?"

"Hail," he answered, watching as the balls of ice fell from the sky, pulling leaves off the trees and, he was sure, denting the hood of his truck.

"It gets worse," she said.

He turned to face her just as a weak whine filtered inside. "Tornado?" he asked.

"Yeah," she answered.

"Ok, that's it. Basement," he said, shutting the front door.

She shook her head, not moving off the couch. "No, it'll be fine."

"In a tornado you go to the basement," he said, crossing over to her. "So let's go."

She shook her head again, scooting away from him. "No."

He reached out and grabbed her hand, pulling her to her feet. "Carter. Basement. Now," he ordered.

"No!" she yelled, pulling her hand free. "I don't-" Her words were cut short by a loud crash. Jack looked out the window to see a large branch off her tree lying across her driveway.

"You will if I have to throw you over my shoulder and carry you," he said, grabbing her arm again and pulling her behind him. He made his way to the door to her basement and pulled open the door. Flipping the light on, he led her down the stairs, belatedly remembering that she was fresh out of the infirmary and likely not up to walking too fast.

The basement was finished, but not furnished and consisted of little more than a work bench and some boxes in one small room, her furnace in the other. It was chilly and Jack was suddenly reminded of Carter's stocking feet. "Here," he said, pushing her to sit on a high stool sitting in front of a cluttered work bench.

Much to his surprise, she meekly sat down, her arms wrapped over her stomach. "It'll probably be over in a few minutes," he said. She still remained silent and Jack looked at her, frowning when he took in her pale face. She was literally shaking and looked like she was seconds from passing out. "Carter?" He moved to her side, laying his hand on her shoulder. "You ok?" She ignored him, her eyes fixated on the far wall. "Carter?" He gave her a small shake.
She started to gasp, obviously hyperventilating. "Hey." He moved to stand in front of her. "Hey," he repeated, tucking his finger under her chin to tilt her head up. "What's wrong?"

"Can't breathe," she muttered.

"Ok, ok," he said, wondering exactly what was wrong. It looked like a panic attack but he didn't see why…

"He aah, he hit me and tossed me down the basement stairs and locked me in," she said evenly. "He then proceeded to frame me for his embezzlement and let my CO think I was AWOL."

"You've never been down here, have you?" he asked, suddenly realizing what her problem was. Her husband had locked her in a basement for a week before he'd been killed. She slowly shook her head. "Ok," he said, giving her a smile. "Ok. You'll be ok," he reassured her. "I'll be right back."

He hurried from the room, quickly climbing the stairs and dashing back to her bedroom. He yanked the quilt off her bed, pausing for a second to glance out the window. The storm hadn't lessened in intensity, if anything, it'd gotten worse. He hurried back down to the basement, taking the steps two at a time. He went over to her and wrapped the quilt around her shoulders. "Still going strong out there," he said. She nodded absently, her fingers digging into the quilt.

He stood beside her, annoyed by how helpless he felt. He didn't know what to do. If he was at the mountain, he'd be calling Daniel about now. Not only did that boy know how to grovel, he knew how to comfort and reassure like it was nobody's business.

"How the hell do you manage to work under a mountain if you don't like basements?" he asked, grabbing for the first topic that came to hand.

"The SGC isn't a basement," she said, looking like she was working on controlling her breathing. "It's just a base."

"That's twenty-eight stories under a mountain."

She slowly shook her head. "It's not the same," she insisted.

"Ok." He nodded. "I can buy that."

He stood there for a few more minutes, glad to finally see some color creeping back into her cheeks as her breathing slowed a bit more. "So aah, what? Pete do all the laundry?"

She chuckled. "Actually, yes," she confessed. "Or I go to a Laundromat."

"You got yourself a good boyfriend there. Sara never trained me to do it. At least, not on a regular basis," he said. "I've gotten a bit better but, well that whole colors/whites thing is a bit of a mystery. Where do you put your gray sweat pants?"

"Boyfriend?" she said, turning her head and raising her eyebrows.

"Should I call him something else?" he asked, wondering what faux pas he'd just committed. "You're not married but there is this whole cohabiting thing. Don't tell me you go for this whole significant other bit?" he asked.

Much to his surprise, she started to laugh, the chuckles quickly turned into outright laughter. "You…you think Pete is my boyfriend?" He stared, not understanding what she found quite so amusing. "Pete is gay," she said.

"Umm, gay? As in-"

"As in gay. He likes guys. Thinks Daniel is hot and-"

"Carter," he interrupted. "Pete's gay?"

She nodded. "That's why he moved from California. Because he helped me, Jonas' friends were going to out him. They actually did and despite what you might think, it didn't turn out well so when General Hammond got me the posting here, I had him ask if the Colorado Springs PD needed someone. They did, Pete came with me and the rest is
history," she explained.

"Then why are you living with him?" Jack asked, curious.

"It's better than living alone," she replied simply.

He shrugged, unable to disagree with her simple words. So, Pete was literally nothing more than her roommate.
"You know, it might be settling down up there," he said, cocking his head slightly.

"Maybe," she agreed, just as the lights went out, plunging them into darkness. "Or maybe not," she said wryly.

Jack blinked, trying to clear his vision despite the total darkness surrounding them. "Flashlight?"

"I don't know," she answered.

"Right, you've never been down here before."

"Sorry."

"That's ok," he dismissed. "So aah, maybe I should see if I can find the stairs and-"

Her fingers dug into his arm. "Why don't we just stay put for a bit and wait for the lights to come on?" He felt her slide off the stool and he stood back a bit, not wanting to cause her to trip. He heard a slight flumping sound then felt her tug on his sleeve, pulling him down. He sat on the floor and realized that she'd laid the quilt out for them to sit on. "It beats standing," she said.

She sank down beside him and he could feel her arm brush his. They sat there for a few more minutes until the silence started to get on Jack's nerves. "Say something," he requested.

"Something?"

He mock slapped at her. "Smart ass."

She laughed. "Ok, Colonel, what do you want to talk about?"

"Carter, we're sitting in the dark, in your basement and you're in your jammies. You can drop the title," he said.

"Only if you call me Sam," she replied.

"Deal, Sam. So…Pete has the hots for Daniel?"

<><><><><>

Sara pulled her car to the curb, Charlie barely waiting for her to turn off the ignition before undoing his seatbelt. "Come on, Mom," he urged, opening his door. "Dad's waiting."

"You go ahead," she said, getting out of the car. He hurried up the walk and she followed at a slower pace, burdened by his bag. Jack had the next week off and Charlie was going to stay with him.

Sara made her way around to the back yard, her eyes picking out a few changes that had been made in the past several months since she'd moved to Denver and Jack moved back into their house. A few of the flower beds were different and she was pretty sure the curtains in the kitchen window were new.

Charlie yelled and Sara watched him hurry over to Cassie, the two children hugging each other in a touching display of sibling affection that hadn't diminished in the year since Charlie and she had been separated. Jack was hosting a barbeque today and his yard was filled with guests. Doctor Jackson sat beside Doctor Frasier, her swollen belly just visible under a loose fitting top. She remembered Charlie telling her about their impromptu wedding, necessitated by the baby the woman was due to have in a few months.

Teal'c sat on another bench, chatting with a woman Sara thought was Detective Shanahan's partner, while Shanahan and a dark haired officer were across the yard, tossing a football between them.

Jack was manning the grill, a station he deserted, handing the spatula over to Carter so that he could give Charlie a hug. She saw her son point, directing Jack over to her. Feeling a bit awkward, Sara just stood there, clutching Charlie's bag.

"Sara," Jack said, standing in front of her. "Let me take that."

"I hope I packed everything," shed said. "He didn't know for sure what you guys were doing so…"

"We'll be fine," Jack interrupted. "Lunch is about ready. Why don't you join us?"

Sara shook her head. "No. I aah, I need to get back."

"Ok," he agreed. "Oh, wait." He reached into his back pocket and pulled out a small envelope. He carefully ushered her around the corner of the house, out of sight of the others. "We're going to tell the kids this weekend but I wanted to tell you first and I didn't want to do it over the phone," he rambled.

"You're getting married," she interrupted, still not taking the envelope.

"In the fall," he confirmed.

"I'm aah, I'm happy for you."

"We'd like you to be there, if you want to be."

"So that's why she quit," Sara said.

"Huh?"

"Charlie told me last time that you had a new person on your team. That Sam was working in the lab," Sara remembered, her son's inconsequential banter having new importance now.

"Yeah," Jack said. "She's working mainly in the labs now. Major Davis, the guy tossing the football, he transferred here and took her spot."

"And Charlie?" she asked, voicing the question that was foremost in her mind, not really caring about his duty roster.

Jack shook his head, knowing what she was asking. "Charlie can stay wherever he wants. If he wants to move here, we'll make room, but I'm not going to suggest it."

"Good."

"But if he asks, I'll tell him it's a possibility," Jack warned. "I'm not going to take him away from you and Frank, but I'm not going to have him thinking he's not wanted either."

"Frank's gone," Sara blurted out.

"What?"

"Apparently, he wasn't too fond of fatherhood," she said, knowing that she was being a bit unfair but not in the mood to be totally honest. Frank was gone. However his newfound fatherhood had less to do with it than his anger with her for her not telling him the truth in the first place.

"I'm sorry to hear that," Jack said sincerely.

"Yeah." Sara pasted a smile on her face, gamely taking the envelope. "I've got a lot of things going on this fall, but Charlie will be there," she promised.

"Thank you," Jack said. He reached forward and surprised her by wrapping his arms around her. "I will always be there for you," he promised.

She hugged him back, knowing that he meant what he said, but that it was a promise she'd never collect on. He was happy. Really and truly happy and she wouldn't get in the way of that. "I gotta go," she said, pulling back. "Mike and I are doing dinner."

"Drive careful."

"I will. I'll pick Charlie up next Saturday. I'll call before I come."

"Later," he said, turning and going back to his guests.

Sara peeked around the corner, smiling as Jack ruffled Charlie's hair before taking a plate of food from Sam, sitting beside her. They were a family-they just weren't her family - not anymore.

Turning on her heel, she walked back to her car, getting in and shoving the key into the ignition. She glanced up at the house and husband that used to be hers and felt a moment of regret for the one little decision that had cost her so much.

Putting the car in gear, she drove home, acknowledging that she had no one to blame but herself.

~Fin~

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