Changes by not_a

Changes
Chapter One: Since You've Been Gone

She was nervous. Major Samantha Carter of the USAF was nervous. She'd volunteered to work side-by-side with her father on a highly secretive Tok'ra mission, not expecting it to take an entire year to be completed, and now she was returning to her true home, the SGC, to finally reunite with her team, her family, and she was nervous as hell. They'd been out of contact for the entire year Sam had been gone, and she was scared they'd be upset with her, or treat her like a stranger. But she never would have expected what she was about to be told.

Sam and her father were treated with a warm welcome, like relatives that had been away far too long, as soon as they stepped out of the stargate. They were both dressed in the familiar beige attire of the Tok'ra. General Hammond, Daniel, and Teal'c were all there to greet them with hugs and smiling faces, but the one person she really wanted to see wasn't there. Trying to be somewhat subtle and not looking hurt about his absence, Sam turned to Daniel with questioning eyes. "Where's...Colonel O'Neill?" she asked slowly.

The suddenly somber expressions on Teal'c, Daniel, and even General Hammond's faces were enough to have Sam fearing the worst when no one answered her right away. "What?" Her eyes were immediately glassy with tears as she gasped and brought a hand to her face. "Ohgod... Is he-? Did he-?" She couldn't even choke out the words.

"No, no, no," Daniel frantically shook his head as he realized what she was thinking, putting his hands on her shoulders to calm her with a semi-reassuring smile. "Sam, Jack's alive." His voice was quiet now, her blue eyes focused on him, waiting for an explanation. "He's here, on base..." he glanced off to the side where Teal'c stood. He took in a steadying breath. "He just... He couldn't be here, in the gate room for your arrival,"

Jacob's brows creased as he stood beside his daughter, just as curious as she was about the whereabouts of O'Neill.

"Then," Sam began hesitantly. "Where is he? Why couldn't he be here? Is he in the infirmary or something? And where's Janet?" She realized she was probably sounding like a petulant child at this point, and should have been a little less emotional about her questioning of her CO's whereabouts, but right now she didn't care. She just wanted to see him. It had been much too long.

"Come, we can discuss this in the briefing room," Hammond stepped in, tilting his head and waving them from the gate room.

-

"Sam," Daniel started to explain after being prompted by the General. "Jack was injured about a month after you left for the Tok'ra mission. We'd acquired a new Goa'uld weapon to study, and found it to be something like our shrapnel grenades. Teal'c hadn't seen it before so we figured it was something new they learned from us." He grimaced slightly at the thought, took a breath, and continued. "A team of scientists were working on it off-world, and we, SG-1, were supervising to check on their progress." He took a deep breath, watching Sam taking in all the information, then forced himself to go on. "There was an accident. The grenade went off, killed two of the three scientists. Jack was nearby. He got hit with a blast of some kind of energy from inside the grenade, and took some shrapnel to his head and upper body." Daniel paused at the look of shock and fear that washed across Sam's face. "To make a long story short, the shrapnel was removed in surgery with a few other pieces in less critical areas, but that combined with the energy he was hit with had already caused significant damage to his brain."

The entire briefing room was quiet for a long moment before Sam sucked in a breath and looked toward Daniel again. "How bad?"

When Daniel ducked his head, General Hammond spoke up to answer for him. "Major Carter, Jack O'Neill is no longer the same man he was when you left on your mission. His memory seems to be intact, if not entirely at his disposal, but his behavior has been drastically altered."

Sam gasped softly and closed her eyes, fighting back tears. She felt her father place his hand over hers on the briefing table, his eyes settled on her for comfort. The news had obviously disturbed him as well.

Daniel spoke up again to finish telling Sam and Jacob about Jack's condition. "He seems almost catatonic at times, having to be told when to eat, sleep, get dressed, a lot of things. His current mood effects how much he does on his own as well. Jack's very dependent on us and has to pretty much be constantly supervised. Once in a while he'll act out physically, but mostly he's quiet, even robotic. He hasn't really said more than a few short words at a time since the accident, and responses of any kind are usually few and far between. But as far as we can tell, he seems to understand most things we can explain to him." Daniel silently wished Janet was there at that moment to explain this. She did know better than he did, being the doctor and all. But the archaeologist figured he'd heard enough about Jack's condition in the past year to relay information. "Physically, he's mobile, but it took a while to get to where he is now, and he's...not quite as agile as before. Maybe a little clumsy at times,"

"Will he get any better?" Sam choked out, her voice tight with emotion. Her mind was racing. How could all this have happened while I was gone? This doesn't seem real.

"Doctor Fraiser is unable to determine that at this point," Teal'c spoke up, adding his input for the first time since the briefing began.

Sam just nodded, her head down, still taking everything in. She chewed on her lower lip and rose her head to lock eyes with the General. "Where is he now? Can I... Can I see him?"

Hammond nodded slightly, his fingers intertwined over the table top. "Dr. Fraiser's looking after him right now. They're in his quarters."

Sam felt bothered that someone had to be watching Colonel O'Neill, a man she had always envisioned as independent and proud. It made her want to burst into tears.

"I think both you and Jacob should take a little while to rest and clean up first. Get yourselves down to the infirmary for your checks as well." the General looked between Major Carter and her father.

"Yes sir," Sam nodded, rising to her feet automatically. She gave Daniel a brief hug and a wan smile, repeating the process with Teal'c as the Jaffa got up from his chair.

As soon as she made it to the locker room, Sam dropped to her knees and broke down in sobs.

-

After showering and getting her standard medical check down in the infirmary, Sam had composed herself and was now walking down the SGC hallways with Daniel, dressed now in the familiar comfort of her old BDUs. They talked about Jack as they made their way to his quarters so Sam could see him.

"So, he was forced into medical retirement?" Sam asked.

"Yeah, instead of a medical discharge," Daniel nodded slowly. "The General wanted to let him stay around, though. He thinks it might help Jack's chances of recovery, you know, being around things and people that are familiar. I also think that Hammond's afraid what will happen to Jack if he's not here. None of us want him to end up in some kind of special care facility or even a mental hospital, you know?"

"I understand. And I agree with you; I think it's probably best for the Colonel too," Sam agreed quietly. She didn't even want to think of what it would be like if he wasn't around at all.

Daniel smiled a little.

Although it saddened her to hear most of this, Sam wanted to know more. She needed to know what Jack was going through now, what she'd missed. "Does he live here all the time? Did he lose his house?"

"No, he's just on base a lot. The General was given full control of Jack's estate. He uses the retirement and medical pay to keep Jack's house running and everything, pay for all his expenses. Teal'c's actually officially living off-base with him there. Sometimes he stays with me and Janet if Teal'c's off-world or something."

Sam's eyebrows rose and she poked Daniel in the side with a slight smirk. "You and Janet?"

"Yeah," Daniel looked a little bashful, his cheeks flushing faintly. "We, uh, we started dating not long before Jack's accident, and eventually moved in together." He smiled, then turned the conversation back on Jack, feeling a little embarrassed. "He likes being around Cassie. Janet thinks it's good for Jack because Cassie doesn't really treat him like there's something wrong, and she's comfortable around him. It's like he can sense that, like he knows she's okay with him and it puts him at ease or something."

Smiling a little, Sam listened intently to Daniel as he continued to talk to her about Jack.

They walked the halls in silence for a brief moment before the archaeologist spoke up again as he slowed his pace.

"Listen Sam," Daniel said quietly, glancing sideways at her as they turned down another hallway. "I'm not sure how Jack will react to seeing you. We haven't had to...well...re-introduce anyone to him that he hasn't seen since before the accident. I don't want to get your hopes up or anything, but there may be a chance that he doesn't recognize or remember you."

Sam had already thought ahead. She knew that brain injuries could be a difficult thing. "I know, I understand," She took a deep breath, still trying to steel herself for a visit with her commanding officer that she hadn't seen in a year, and just learned that he had brain damage.

"Okay," Daniel nodded as he headed for the VIP suites.

Brows knitting together, Sam reached out to grasp Daniel's arm as he paused just outside one of the doors. "This isn't his quarters,"

Daniel smiled briefly at her. "It is now. Since he's mostly here on base during the day, General Hammond gave him a VIP suite of his own."

"Oh," Sam nodded as he twisted the door handle and pushed it open. She took a deep, steadying breath and followed him inside. Janet was sitting in the desk chair beside the bed while Teal'c sat on the edge of the bed with Jack. For a moment, as Sam stared at him, it looked as though everything was normal like she remembered. Same tousled silver hair, same well-worn BDUs, same lean frame with lanky arms and legs. Then she took a closer look. His expression was mostly rather vacant, his deep brown eyes staring without interest at the chess board on the bed between him and Teal'c.

Daniel moved further into the room to get Jack's attention as Sam waved over at Janet with a wan smile. "Jack," he tapped his friend's shoulder, causing the man to look up at him slowly with his head cocked to the side. "There's someone here to see you. She's an old friend that had to be away for awhile, but she's back now," He pointed over at Sam, watching as Jack's gaze shifted slowly to follow his finger.

Sam was still nervously standing in the doorway. Her stomach was turning in knots, and as the mostly-vacant gaze settled on her, she feared he wouldn't remember. "Hello, Colonel," she waved with a tentative smile, then dropped her arm back at her side self-consciously.

Janet shook her head at Sam and smiled briefly. "Sam, try calling him Jack. He doesn't really respond to Colonel," she suggested gently.

"Oh," Sam tried again, noticing he hadn't reacted and was still staring at her. "Hi...Jack, um..." she struggled for words and smiled hopefully. "It's me-"

"Sam," the softly spoken word held such deep meaning to the other occupants in the room in such a way Jack wasn't even aware of.

Daniel's jaw dropped, his eyes wide with surprise. "That's right Jack, it's Sam," he then said excitedly, giving his friend a gentle shoulder pat.

Sam smiled widely, tears glistening in her eyes with happiness. He was staring at her with more focus now, and she began to step closer as he stood, but Daniel held out a hand to forestall her movements. "What's wrong?" she questioned, suddenly feeling as though he was trying to keep her away from Jack. She didn't even know why that upset her so much.

"Sorry," Daniel sighed softly. "He uh... He doesn't really respond well to strangers touching him," He felt bad as her expression fell.

"I wasn't going to touch him, I was just coming closer," Sam defended herself, looking to the side of Daniel to see if Jack was reacting at all. "And I'm not a stranger Daniel," she added softly with a bit of hurt in her tone.

"I'm sorry Sam, but you are," Daniel told her quietly. "He may know your name, but that doesn't mean he knows you. You've been gone a long time; it may even feel longer to him for all we know what's going on in his head."

Sam just nodded a little sadly and didn't move any closer. There was a space of about four feet between herself and Jack, with Daniel standing almost protectively at the older man's side.

What happened next surprised everyone. Jack touched Daniel's shoulder and lightly pushed him aside, then closed the gap between himself and Sam. He stopped right in front of her and continued to stare, seeming to study her every feature.

Her blue eyes were wide in surprise, but Sam didn't move. She wasn't scared, just a little nervous under his studious gaze. Her eyes locked onto his, and for a moment it seemed like a sadness passed through that deep brown, followed by recognition. She felt her heart suddenly beating furiously in her chest as he suddenly and slowly wrapped his arms around her, embracing her in a gentle hug.

Janet and Teal'c both stood with surprise evident on their faces. Daniel's jaw dropped for the second time in less than five minutes.

Sam felt the tears tracking down her cheeks as Jack continued to hold onto her, leaning his head down on her shoulder in the familiar way he'd hugged her on those rare occasions in the past. It was comforting, just like his hugs always had been, making her feel secure and safe, making her feel loved. When he slowly let go, only to turn around and go back to sitting on the bed and staring at the chess board like nothing had happened, Sam felt cold and unattached. She already missed his arms being around her.

Realizing that Janet, Teal'c, and Daniel were still all staring in shock, she hastily wiped the tears from her cheeks and looked to them with raised eyebrows. "Uh, was that a normal reaction?"

"Uh... No," Daniel responded, shaking his head.

"Indeed, it was not," Teal'c agreed.

"That was just about the completely opposite reaction he's had to meeting other people," Janet added, now turning to look at Jack.

"I'd say," Daniel was nodding now, his arms slowly crossing over his chest. "Usually he either doesn't pay any attention, or shies away completely," he answered Sam's unasked question as to what Jack's opposite reaction to meeting others has been.

"So," Sam took a deep breath. "That was good then?"

Janet was grinning. "That was very good."

"Okay, well," finding herself suddenly fidgeting, Sam waved a hand towards the door and began to fumble for the exit. Her emotions were pouring out in waves now, and she felt unable to remain composed any longer. This was still way too much to take in after being gone for a year. "I'm really tired, I think I'll go... Uh, I just gotta go," Sam mumbled hastily, turning on her heel and fleeing from the room.

Daniel ran a hand through his short hair as he watched her leave. He turned to Janet and Teal'c with a sigh. "Coming back after so long, I really doubt she was prepared for any changes this drastic," he said quietly.

Teal'c gave a nod. "Indeed. Something of this magnitude is difficult to accept."

"Let's give her some time alone, then I'll go talk to her," Janet said softly and somewhat sadly.

-

Changes
Chapter Two: New and Different

It had taken Sam some time, and a few days personal leave to get herself together and come to terms with Jack's current disability. Her father had returned to share the news from their mission with the Tok'ra, and she had spent most of her three days of downtime talking with Janet and catching up on other events since she'd been gone. Before leaving the base, Sam attended a briefing with General Hammond and her father to discuss the important aspects of her mission, and now it was thankfully all behind her.

After a week Sam started spending more time with Jack, with the help of either Daniel or Teal'c. One of them was always around to make sure Jack was still comfortable around her, and it helped her get used to picking up on his behavior whenever he needed something, because he rarely expressed it himself.

Currently walking toward the work-out room with Jack, Teal'c, and Daniel, Sam watched Jack's posture as he slowed his pace before coming to a full stop. There was a peculiar expression on his face, one which Teal'c seemed to immediately pick up on.

"Daniel Jackson," Teal'c gestured toward Jack, and Daniel eyed their charge briefly before waving for him to go. The Jaffa nodded in response and took Jack by the shoulders, steering him quickly down the hall and into the nearest restroom.

Sam stood with a clueless expression. Cocking her head to the side, she stared at Daniel, waiting for an explanation. "What's wrong? What just happened?"

Daniel glanced off down the hall where Teal'c had taken Jack. He looked back over at Sam with a tight smile that quickly faded. "Because of his head injury, Jack occasionally suffers from sudden bouts of nausea. That and blinding headaches. Either of those can, and do, happen unexpectedly at any time."

"Oh," Sam nodded with understanding. She seemed to be learning more about Jack each day, and although it was strange and different, she wanted to know him as he was now. She wanted to be a part of his life as much as Teal'c and Daniel had been in her absence. She needed to feel like she was still part of their family.

Tilting his head to the side, Daniel started walking again, in the direction of the work out room. "C'mon, they'll meet up with us in a few minutes," he assured Sam gently, noticing her rather hesitant look.

"Alright," Sam followed, glancing one more time down the hall where Jack had disappeared with Teal'c.

-

They waited by the ping pong table for a few minutes, then Jack shuffled into the room, Teal'c close behind and urging him to keep moving. Sam looked over and smiled, waving Jack toward her and holding out a ping pong paddle. "Come on Jack, you can be on my team," she said softly with a friendly smile.

Jack reached out very slowly and took the paddle from Sam's outstretched hand. He stared at it for a moment, gripping it awkwardly by the handle and turning to stand at one end of the table.

Teal'c and Daniel watched Jack for a moment, then nodded to each other and went to the other side of the table to take their positions.

Once the friendly game had started, Sam found that she was pretty much on her own. In the first five minutes, she began to notice that Jack was actually paying complete attention to the game. Out of the corner of her eye she could see his head bobbing slightly as he followed the ball back and forth across the table.

Teal'c noticed Jack's focus on the ping pong ball as well, and took the opportunity to deliberately tap the ball toward his side of the table.

Jack's arm struck out with a quick movement that put his normally slow, hesitant actions to shame. He struck the ball with his paddle with much more force than was necessary, and sent it whizzing past Daniel's right ear.

Sam rewarded his participation by lightly patting Jack's shoulder. "Good job! That was very good Jack." She smiled at him, and he tilted his head to look at her, a shaky smile briefly flickering across his face before he set the paddle down on the table and began shuffling over to the punching bag in the corner.

Daniel grinned, pleased with Jack's surprising actions. He noticed his friend had been having more reactions than usual since Sam's return. Following Jack's lead, he set down his ping pong paddle and swiftly went to stand by his friend in the corner.

-

That night Sam found herself sitting on the couch in Jack's room on base. Teal'c was scheduled to go off-world with SG-11 in the morning and was staying at the mountain all night. Janet got stuck being called to an emergency at the Academy Hospital, and Daniel offered to take Jack home with him since he had to get back to Cassie, but Jack had already been fast asleep in his room by 2100 hours. Sam offered to look after him so Daniel wouldn't need to wake him up.

Just sitting there and watching Jack lay there on the bed, curled into an impossibly tight ball, fast asleep, Sam almost believed that nothing had changed since she'd left. But then, she reasoned, she wouldn't be sitting there watching her CO sleep. Standing slowly, she moved closer to the bed and sat down on the edge, leaning over Jack with a soft smile on her face. Tilting her head sideways, Sam squinted and studied the slightly raised scar on the side of his head an inch or so above his right ear. It was about three inches in length, and left a line of vacant space in his silver hair. Sam knew that it wouldn't have been visible if Jack allowed his hair to grow out even just an inch more, but she felt that even now he wouldn't accept anything less than a military regulation cut.

She smiled somewhat sadly, wanting to reach out and trace the scar with her fingers, but refrained from doing so. Her blue eyes shifted slowly to Jack's face, and Sam nearly jumped out of her skin when she realized that his eyes were open and he was watching her. Not wanting to startle him, and hoping she hadn't already by her close, unexpected presence, Sam sent him a comforting smile. "Hey there."

Jack sat up slowly and untangled himself from the blankets, shoving them down by his feet. He was wearing a grey Air Force t-shirt and blue and grey plaid pajama shorts that just reached his knees. He shifted on the bed until he was sitting beside Sam, his legs dangling over the side, right alongside hers.

His expression was rather blank, and Sam hated that she couldn't tell what he was thinking. She remembered a time where they could both communicate so well with just a look, and felt tears spring to her eyes. Shaking her head, she quickly composed herself and looked sideways at Jack. It was 2215 by now, and he'd only been asleep for about an hour, but Sam didn't know whether or not he would go right back to sleep again.

Sam couldn't be sure, but she thought that maybe he wasn't going back to sleep because he had to use the bathroom. Daniel assured her that he could go on his own, but normally needed to be prompted to do so. Getting to her feet, Sam waved him up as well. When he stood without complaint, protest, or any other reaction than to do as she asked, Sam put a hand on his back and urged him toward the door across the room. She realized that a benefit of being in the VIP rooms was that you got your own private bathroom.

Once Jack stepped in, Sam pulled the door closed behind him and waited, leaning against the wall just outside. After hearing the toilet flush, followed by the sound of water running in the sink, the door opened up again and Jack came back out. She watched him shuffle past her and stop by the bed to pull off the blanket, then turn and drag it toward the couch. Not really sure what he was doing, as was often the case, Sam followed and sat down on the small couch next to him. Another thing she had begun to notice was that there was really no rhyme or reason to a lot of things he did. It was strange, but she was beginning to expect it now, the more time she spent with him.

Jack pulled the blanket over his legs, then slowly glanced over at Sam and covered her legs with the blanket as well.

Sam smiled over at him and leaned back into the cushions of the overstuffed couch. She was surprised at how tired she felt. Between trying to leaf through files of research papers on technological advancements she'd missed out on during her year long absence, and finding time to spend with Jack, Sam felt like she'd been run ragged. She yawned and felt her eyelids starting to close, then jerked to alertness when she remembered about Jack. She couldn't just drift off if he was still awake. He had to be looked after constantly, like a young child.

Remembering what Daniel had told her about needing to prompt Jack to do most things, Sam lightly placed a hand on his forearm to gain his attention. "Jack, go back to sleep okay? It's late."

He didn't say anything, just simply tilted sideways on the cushions, drew his legs up and laid his head in Sam's lap.

Surprised, Sam tensed briefly, then forced herself to relax, not wanting Jack to notice that she was uncomfortable. She had to remind herself that he wasn't her commanding officer any longer, and no matter what feelings she had harboured towards him, yet couldn't act on then, circumstances were even more different now. Feeling tears springing to her eyes again, Sam grit her teeth and willed herself not to cry as she thought about how she'd missed out on her chance to ever tell Jack how she truly felt about him.

As Jack's soft snores filled the quiet of the room, Sam brought up her hand and found herself slowly threading her fingers through his short hair. Her eyes shifted to the scar on the side of his head, and very carefully, she traced it lightly with her index finger like she had wanted to do before but hadn't dared something so personal. It was different now, because he had been the one to fall asleep on her lap, and Sam knew he wouldn't have done so if he didn't want her so close. His head twitched faintly when she traced the scar, but he continued to sleep and she moved her hand away to rest on his shoulder.

Within moments, Sam was yawning again, her head lolling back on the couch cushions. Seconds later, she was fast asleep, joining Jack in dreamland.

-

"Hey Janet, good morning." Daniel met her outside Jack's room with a brief kiss early the next morning, having not seen her all night because she'd been stuck at the hospital. He waved a hand at the door and tilted his head sideways. "So, how do you think it went?"

Janet's brows knit together slightly. "What? Sam looking after Jack last night? She knew she could have called you or gotten Teal'c if there was any trouble, so I'm assuming everything was okay."

Daniel nodded a bit unsurely. "Yeah, I know that. But... Jack's been a little less..predictable lately. He seems to have latched onto Sam right away, and he's actually pretty...ah...touchy-feely with her." He shrugged, cheeks reddening slightly in embarrassment.

Smiling, Janet crossed her arms, both brows risen. "It isn't a bad thing you know. It's about time he got attached to something or someone. This could even be a sign, increasing his chances of recovery." She looked pleased.

"Janet," Daniel sighed and ran a hand through his short hair. "What if Jack starts to...uh...act on his feelings for Sam? I mean, we've known for awhile now that they both harbored feelings for one another, but they knew because of their positions in the military that neither could act on them."

"What are you saying?" Janet interrupted his chain of thought. "You think that the way he is now, Jack won't be able to control his feelings like he could before?"

Shrugging, Daniel's gaze drifted to the closed door. Then he shook his head, planting a hand on his forehead with an exasperated sigh. "I don't know! I mean...I don't think he'd do anything. I just think the way he's been acting around her, Jack is just showing his affection...appreciation for her. He already knows he and Sam are friends."

Janet patted Daniel's shoulder and smiled. "You worry too much. And you know Sam would make sure nothing happened. She's not going to take advantage of him." She started to open the door as Daniel nodded at her. "Now let's go and see for ourselves that everything is just-" Her mouth opened slightly as she stepped into the room to find Jack curled up on the couch beside Sam, his head in her lap. "-fine," she finished quietly.

Daniel nudged her elbow and peered at the pair on the couch. They were both fully clothed and still sleeping soundly, with Sam's hand on Jack's shoulder in a very platonic manner.

Sam thought she heard someone talking and opened her eyes, pulling her head up from where it was lolled back against the couch cushions. She yawned softly and opened her eyes, blinking a few times as she focused on the two figures in the room that hadn't been there when she fell asleep. "Daniel? Janet?" She asked, her voice still sounding sleepy.

"Morning," Daniel was grinning much too smugly. "Sleep well?"

Confused by his ridiculous grin, Sam tilted her neck from side to side and grimaced. "Not really. I'm gonna have a stiff neck from falling asleep on the couch," she muttered, then realized that there was something moving on her lap. She looked down and remembered that Jack was on the couch beside her, and his head was still resting on her lap. Her hand moved from his shoulder as he stirred and slowly sat up.

Janet saw Sam's cheeks suddenly flushing as she realized what things must have looked like, and refrained from mentioning anything that would further embarrass her friend. Instead, she focused on Jack, moving close to where he sat on the couch and touching his shoulder. "Come on, let's get you showered and dressed."

Jack stood automatically and allowed Janet to lead him into the bathroom.

All Janet had to do was turn on the water and leave Jack some towels and a new set of clothes. Checking to make sure the water was an acceptable temperature, she left him to undress and get in the shower, closing the door behind her.

Daniel could see that Sam looked a little concerned when Janet came back into the bedroom after leaving Jack his clothes. He was quick to assure her that it was alright. "Don't worry, he can shower on his own," he sent her a small smile to relieve her worries. "It took him almost a month to remember and re-learn how to do things like that. Once those pieces of his memory came back he really freaked out when Janet and a nurse tried to undress him and get him into a bath." Daniel shrugged.

Sam just blinked, glancing over at Janet for confirmation and watching her nod emphatically.

"Oh yes, he put up quite a fight, even while he was still having coordination problems and could barely stand at the time." Janet's gaze flicked toward the closed bathroom door for a moment.

It was still a bit of a shock for Sam to realize how Jack's injury had affected him, and she was still taking it all in. She hadn't even thought that the state he was in now was an improvement on the way he'd been immediately after the accident. It startled her to think about what hardships Jack must have gone through.

While silence enveloped the room, Daniel tugged the blanket off the couch and headed over to Jack's bed to start making it. He noticed Sam move to help him and smiled. "Oh, Sam, I saw the General on my way here, and he wanted me to tell you to let him know when you feel ready to head into the field again. He's not sure if you wanted more time to look at the lab reports or anything."

"Oh god, anything to get me away from those reports," Sam exclaimed with a grateful smile. "I've been leafing through them for over a week!"

Daniel chuckled and Janet laughed. The archaeologist shrugged. "Hey, maybe he'll even let you join Teal'c with SG-11."

"Didn't they leave already?" Sam's brows creased a bit as she adjusted the pillows on the bed.

"Yeah, but they're just there to help the villagers rebuild after a Goa'uld attack from nearly a month ago," Daniel explained. "They'll probably need a team to bring in more supplies like building tools, medicine, and food for the people."

"Ah, I see," Sam nodded her understanding. She gave a slight shrug. "Well, I'll let General Hammond know I'm up for anything right now," she smiled a bit and then sat down on the newly-made bed.

Daniel, Janet, and Sam chatted idly for a little while until Janet heard the water turn off in the bathroom and stood. She moved over to the door and knocked once. "You all done in there?" after getting an answering tap from the other side of the door a moment later, Janet went back to sit on the couch. "That's how he lets me know that he's out and getting dressed," she explained to Sam without being questioned.

Sam didn't say anything. She just accepted that this was another way that Jack communicated, since he very rarely used actual words.

When Daniel excused himself to get some breakfast, saying that he'd see them there once Jack was ready, Sam remembered that she'd need to shower and change into a clean set of BDUs. Janet assured her that she'd stay with Jack and bring him to the commissary, as she had often done nearly every morning before Sam got back. Feeling slightly embarrassed for assuming they couldn't function without her around, Sam hurried off to the locker room for a shower, saying she'd see them for breakfast in a few minutes.

-
When Sam made it to the commissary, she headed over to the corner table where she spotted Janet sitting with a bowl of fruit salad and some yogurt. She glanced toward the food line and strolled in that direction instead after a brief wave to her friend. Daniel was already making his way down the line with Jack shuffling beside him and pushing a tray along the counter. She noticed Daniel pretty much picking out all of Jack's food, but occasionally Jack reached out and put something down on his own tray. Sam smiled at them as she got a tray and decided on a bowl of Cheerios, some orange juice, and a small cup of yogurt.

Now going over to the table again, Sam sat across from Janet, then smiled at her side as she watched Jack take the seat to her right. Daniel patted his shoulder, then headed to the other side of the table next to Janet.

Janet took a few bites of fruit and smiled across the table at Jack, then turned to Sam. "Jack has an appointment with me this morning after breakfast," she told her quietly. "Then he can stay with me for a little while if you're still talking with General Hammond,"

Sam nodded, pausing with her spoon half-way to her mouth. "Oh, right, I nearly forgot about speaking to the General,"

"SG-11's due for a check-in later today. By then we should know if they'll need to send in another team with supplies," Daniel spoke up around the mouthful of waffle he was munching on.

"Great," Sam smiled. She wanted to get off the base and do something besides read through piles of research, but she also didn't want to leave Jack. For reasons she couldn't explain, Sam was worried that if she was gone for more than a day, that maybe Jack would forget about her and not want to be as close. She tried to reason with herself that if he hadn't forgotten her in a year, then he wouldn't forget her now, but the thought still twisted her insides.

Jack stopped eating his Fruit Loops to pick up the toast from his tray. He took a bite, then grasped a strip of bacon and put it on Sam's tray without even shifting his gaze.

Sam looked at the piece of bacon, then at Jack and smiled warmly. "Thank you," she said politely, even though she wasn't very inclined to eat it.

Janet watched Jack inch his chair a little closer to Sam's, and felt an amused smile spread across her face.

-

Changes
Chapter Three: Accidents

It turned out that SG-11 actually did need another team to come through the gate with more supplies, and after speaking with Hammond, he'd allowed her to go. Sam was still worried about leaving Jack, but bringing supplies through wasn't going to take any longer than a day at most. She joined SG-6 to deliver the packed FRED, and was somewhat disappointed not to have seen Jack at all before she went through the gate. In fact, she hadn't seen him around since breakfast.

Once they'd delivered the supplies to the village, SG-6 got permission from Hammond to stay and help SG-11 rebuild. Sam decided not to stay as long and spoke briefly with Teal'c before returning to the gate.

When she'd gotten back to Earth, it was nearly 1900. Sam showered and changed into her civilian clothes, preparing to leave, but she still hadn't seen Jack. Stepping out of the locker room, she ran into Daniel. "Hey," she smiled at him, causing him to stop in the hallway. Thinking about it briefly, she hadn't seen Daniel since she left either.

"Oh, hi Sam," He smiled faintly. "How's the rebuild project going?"

"Good," Sam nodded. "They've made a lot of progress. SG-6 is staying to help, but I decided to come back." She looked past Daniel as though she expected to see Jack standing behind him and had somehow missed seeing him there a second ago. "Where's Jack? I haven't see him."

Daniel ducked his head a bit. "He's in the infirmary."

Sam's brows creased slightly. "I thought he already had his appointment with Janet this morning?"

"Ah, he did," Daniel looked to the side distractedly for a brief second. "Jack's not there because of an appointment." Seeing Sam's suddenly concerned expression, he was quick to explain. "He hurt his knee on the stairs earlier. I picked Cassie up from school so she's keeping him busy right now while Janet gets some work done. I had to help Dr. Lee and a couple of the other scientists for a few hours, so I couldn't stay and look after him. I was just there to visit a couple minutes ago."

With a slight nod, Sam immediately changed directions and headed for the elevators. "I'm gonna go say hi before I head home," she called back to the archaeologist with a wave. "See you tomorrow, Daniel."

-

Sam stepped into the infirmary, immediately noticing that the lights had been dimmed for the night. She took a quick look around until she spotted the only occupied bed at the far left corner of the room near the entrance to Janet's office. Making her way over, she saw Jack laying on the bed, sitting up with his right leg slightly elevated by a pillow. Cassie was sitting beside him, cross-legged on the edge of the bed and playing a Game Boy while Jack watched over her shoulder.

"Hey guys," Sam greeted softly with a wave as she got closer.

"Sam!" Cassie grinned and unfolded her legs with ease, setting the Game Boy down as she went to hug her surrogate big sister. She stopped when Jack shifted on the bed and tried to get up as well. "Jack, no," Cassie said quickly, turning and holding a hand on his left leg. "Stay on the bed," she commanded gently, not wanting him to hurt his already-injured right knee.

"It's okay," Sam assured the young teenager, coming closer still. "I'll come to you." She smiled and pulled Cassie into a hug. "What are you up to?"

"Nothing," Cassie shrugged a little and sat down on the bed once more, by Jack's feet this time to give Sam room to sit. "I'm just waiting for my mom to finish her work so we can go home."

Sam perched herself on the bed in the space Cassie left her by Jack's left hip. She smiled when Jack took her hand and held it, his deep brown eyes fixed on her. "And what happened to you?" she asked him gently, not expecting an answer.

Jack's eyes shifted from Sam's eyes to his own knee, which was currently in a brace under the sweats he was wearing. He continued to stare blankly at his knee, then touched it lightly with his right hand and cocked his head to the side. "I fell," he murmured barely audibly, sounding somewhat uncertain about that answer.

Sam was surprised that he'd spoken, actually answered her even, but Cassie was positively grinning from ear to ear. She hadn't heard him say a thing since their re-introduction when he'd actually addressed her by name. Daniel warned her that he hadn't said much since his accident, so this was a bit of a shock. Her grin soon matched Cassie's, and then she and the teen were staring toward the doorway that lead to Janet's office when the doctor arrived in time to hear Jack's reply as well.

"That's right Jack, you fell going up the stairs to the control room earlier today," Janet added, trying not to overreact to Jack's response. She was excited, there was no doubt about that, she just didn't want to make a big deal out of it and possibly cause him to shy away from further reactions in the near future. Janet turned to Sam with a brief smile. "He was pretty anxious to see you before you went off-world, and when I explained that you'd already gone he took off. I haven't seen him move that fast in...well, awhile." She paused briefly in thought, then shook her head a bit and continued with a small smile. "Sgt. Siler was sitting with him on the floor of the control room by the time I'd gotten there because Jack had tripped running up the stairs and twisted his knee." She turned to her patient and lightly patted his shoulder. "Didn't you Jack?"

Jack didn't answer, but Janet hadn't expected him to. Normally the instances where he actually spoke were very few and far between.

Sam's eyes lowered, feeling instantly guilty about how Jack hurt himself trying to see her off, even though she'd already been gone. She cursed herself for not seeking him out before leaving to at least say goodbye and let him know she wouldn't be away for very long. Damn, she thought to herself with sudden realization. I bet that's why Daniel didn't really explain anything when he told me about Jack. He just said that Jack had hurt his knee. Dammit, again she mentally cursed herself, frowning slightly.

"Hey," Janet nudged Sam lightly with her elbow. "Don't worry, it's not your fault," she smiled gently, then gestured toward Jack. "He's fine. He just stretched out his LCL a bit. It's a mild sprain,"

Sighing, Sam sent Janet a grateful look before the doctor turned to her daughter.

"Cassie, I'm just going to get Jack's medicine and then we can go home," Janet started to leave, going around the bed when Sam stopped her.

"Is Jack staying here tonight?" She asked with slightly furrowed brows.

Janet shook her head. "No, he doesn't like staying in the infirmary. He can spend the night at our house and come back in the morning with Daniel while I drop Cassie off at school."

Sam just nodded and stayed sitting on the edge of the bed with Jack while Janet went into her office for a minute. When he let go of her hand, she watched him shift carefully on the bed with a slight wince and sit so that his legs hung over the side between herself and Cassie.

Holding a little plastic container of pills, Janet came back towards the bed and stood at the end by Cassie. She looked between her daughter and her patient. "Come on Jack, it's time to go. You're going to stay overnight at my house, okay?"

Cassie hopped off the bed and started for the door, but Jack hadn't moved. "Come on," the teen turned and waved him over. "We're going home now."

"Jack?" Janet moved to stand in front of him, staring with concern. "We're leaving now, you coming?" she coaxed with a gentle smile.

He still didn't make a move to get off the bed. Instead, Jack turned his head to his left where Sam sat and hooked an arm around hers, holding on tightly.

Janet sighed softly and looked over at her daughter, still standing patiently by the door. "Cass, why don't you head to the surface and I'll meet you at the car alright? One of the SFs will swipe their card so you can get through. This might take a little while."

The teen nodded, waved at Sam with a smile and left.

Sam looked down at the arm wound tightly around hers. She didn't know what to say, just shrugged slightly and shared a look with Janet.

"Jack," Janet tried again, touching his shoulder. "What's wrong?" She eyed their interlocking arms and suppressed a slightly amused smile. "You don't want to leave Sam?"

Shaking his head vehemently, Jack clutched Sam's arm tighter with both arms now and scooted closer on the bed.

Sam made a helpless face and sighed softly. He obviously didn't want to leave her, and her arm was beginning to go numb. "Uh, Janet, couldn't I just take him back to his house? I'll stay, I don't mind. He hasn't been home in a few days now."

Janet seemed thoughtful for a moment. She tilted her head and eyed Sam with concern. "Are you sure you're up to this? I mean, looking after him on base for a night is one thing..." she trailed off and gauged Sam's expression.

Nodding, all Sam could do was look at Jack beside her, his arms so tightly wrapped around her own, and the decision was made for her. "I'm up for it," she smiled reassuringly at Janet.

"Okay," Janet nodded, seeing this as something that Sam had to do. She smiled gently and handed the pills over. "These ones are for his knee. Now he probably won't let you know if he needs them or not, so I want you to give him about one every four hours and before bed."

Sam nodded, taking all the information in.

"At home there's two more pill bottles by the refrigerator. One is for nausea, and the other is a stronger pain reliever for his headaches. They're both clearly labeled. Make sure he takes one of the anti-nausea pills before going to bed, otherwise if he has one of his spells in the night, he probably won't get up on his own and..." she trailed off as Sam made a face. "Well, you get the idea."

Brows creasing, Sam cocked her head thoughtfully. "How come I didn't have to give Jack any pills last night when I stayed with him on base?"

Janet smiled knowingly. "That's because I had already given them to him before I was called off to the Academy Hospital for that emergency."

"Ah," Sam smiled with a slight nod. She noticed Jack had relaxed his hold on her arm, and guessed that he understood that he was going home with her. She looked to him with a gentleness in her eyes. "Alright, so I suppose we'll be leaving now." Her gaze shifted to Janet for approval.

"Oh, just one more thing," Janet held up a finger briefly as Sam slid off the bed. "He's going to need a shave in the morning, and he can't do that on his own," she gestured toward the generous amount of stubble now coating Jack's face. "If you're not comfortable doing it, or don't have time, Daniel or I might have some spare time in the morning if you're coming in early."

"I don't mind, I can take care of it," Sam assured her friend quickly. "Besides, I don't have anything scheduled in the morning, and I've just got some lab work that can be done whenever tomorrow. That way Jack can spend a little more time at home, if that's alright."

Janet nodded. "If everything goes okay then that's just fine. It'll do him some good to be off base for longer than one night." She smiled and lightly patted Jack's shoulder, then eyed Sam once more, fishing a set of keys out of her white coat pocket and handing them to Sam. "Here are the keys to his house. Oh, and he won't use crutches, so I want him to keep the knee brace on and make sure it's elevated while he's resting. There's already a few icepacks at the house if his knee starts to swell again. He can take some Tylenol for that too. Just try not to let him be on his feet much tonight, okay?"

"Got it," Sam pocketed the keys and smiled gently at Jack. "Ready to go?" He didn't answer, just simply slid off the bed, not putting much weight on his right leg. She hooked her arm around his and offered some support as she began walking from the infirmary with Jack limping alongside her.

-

Changes
Chapter Four: Watching Jack

Sam had thought about stopping by her house to pick up some things, but then remembered she had a bag with extra civilian clothes and some other stuff packed away in her locker and grabbed that before heading out. It was 2030 by the time they got to Jack's house, and Sam struggled to the front door with her bag slung over one shoulder, her other arm hooked around Jack's to help him hobble along the walkway.

Inside the house, Sam wasn't really surprised that not much was different. It still looked as she had remembered it, almost as though Jack hadn't changed at all, simply because the state of his home was familiar. When Jack had started in the direction of the long hallway, Sam moved with him since their arms were still linked. She allowed him to lead as he limped on and turned into his bedroom, then detached himself from her and limped further inside on his own.

Standing in Jack's doorway, Sam caught a glimpse of Teal'c's room across the hall, which had been the guest room when she'd last seen it. She noticed the many candles covering the elevated surfaces of the room, and a somewhat tribal-looking decor. Smiling to herself and thinking of how appropriate everything seemed for the Jaffa, Sam stepped more into Jack's room. She watched him sit on the bed, making a face as he held both hands over his right knee. A concerned look on her face, she knelt in front of him. "Does your leg hurt?"

Jack shook his head immediately.

The move was too quick to go unnoticed by Sam and she eyed him critically, inwardly excited that he'd responded to a question again. "Jack," she drew his name out. "Are you lying?"

This time he nodded.

Sam gave a triumphant smile from getting two responses in a row and stood, lightly clapping her hands against her thighs as she did so. "Okay, I'm going to get an icepack and bring your pills over," she told him, pausing for a moment and scratching the back of her head in thought as she continued to study him. Jack was wearing a pair of sweats and a t-shirt, socks on his feet along with the infirmary slippers he'd left the base wearing. She decided he wouldn't need to change into any pajamas, since he was pretty much already wearing them. That would make things easier for her.

Momentarily chewing her bottom lip with indecision, Sam took a deep breath before holding out a halting hand as she moved to the door. "Stay here for a minute, okay? I'll be right back," Jack wasn't even really looking at her, he'd kind of started staring off into space, so she quickly left the room and hurried off to get his pills and some water.

When Sam got back she also had a throw pillow from the couch tucked under one arm to use for elevating his knee. Jack was sitting just where she'd left him, so she moved over to the other side of the bed, setting the pills and water on the side table. Tossing the pillow on the bed, she pulled back the blankets for Jack and waved him over when he turned his head toward her. "Come on over here and lay down,"

Jack moved slowly, using his arms to scoot backwards toward the spot where Sam had drawn the covers back. He sat up with his back against the headboard, pillows in place for a cushion.

Sam sat on the bed by Jack's feet, slowly tugging off his slippers and dropping them on the floor. Next she gently moved the throw pillow under his knee and laid the icepack over it before covering him with the blanket. Handing Jack the glass of water, she uncapped the pill bottles and palmed the ones for him to take before giving those to him as well. "Here you go, Jack. Swallow those and drink." When she was sure the pills were gone, she set the glass back down and gathered up the containers, getting up off the bed. "I'm just going to put these back in the kitchen and change now, alright?" She started to leave the room again, noting that he was watching her this time.

-

Dressed in some light blue pajama bottoms and a darker blue t-shirt, Sam returned with a book in hand, having changed as quickly as she could. Jack was exactly where she'd left him once more, though his eyes seemed a bit droopy like he was fighting off sleep. She smiled gently, coming into the room and just noticing a TV set sitting on the bureau against the wall in front of his bed. There had never been one there in the past. As she moved over to the tv, Jack's head seemed to jerk up slightly in attention. It was still fairly early, around 2115 now. "Do you want me to turn it on?"

Shifting slightly, Jack just slumped down so that he wasn't sitting up so straight any longer.

Sam turned the tv on anyways, lowering the volume to a soft whisper and finding the remote so she could flip through the channels. She stopped on a re-run of The Simpsons when Jack made a noise as she paused on the channel. Turning to look at him, she smiled at the semi-interested look on his face.

Taking the remote with her, Sam sat down on the other side of the bed over the blankets, taking some extra pillows from the floor and setting them against the headboard to lean against. She reached down by the floor where she'd dropped her book, then sat back again. Sam glanced at Jack, saw that he was mesmerized by the tv, and began to read. She planned on waiting until he fell asleep before going to the couch in the lounge.

-

Sam's eyes jerked open with a start and she looked around the darkened room, taking in her surroundings and remembering where she was. Sitting up, she held a hand to her forehead for a moment before running it through her short hair. She cursed herself for having fallen asleep, but relaxed when she noticed Jack was still in bed, his eyes closed in sleep, mouth hanging open slightly as soft snoring sounds escaped. The soft sound and the faint glow from the tv reminded Sam that it was still on. Rolling off the bed carefully, she padded across the floor to the television and turned it off. Going back toward the bed, she picked up her forgotten book, marked her place with a neatly folded page and checked the digital clock by Jack's side of the bed. Seeing that it was 0128, Sam blinked her bleary eyes, casting one more glance at Jack before sneaking toward the door.

On her way out, Sam noticed something with a softly glowing little green light behind the digital clock on the nightstand. Getting a closer look, she realized that it was a baby monitor. Figuring that Teal'c must have used it in case Jack woke and needed something during the night, she headed for the room across the hall to find the receiver, deciding it would be a good idea if she kept it with her.

Feeling a little uncomfortable as though she were snooping around Teal'c's room, Sam was thankful to find the monitor sitting on the bureau near the door in a space not surrounded by candles. Following the wire behind the bureau, she traced it back to the outlet and unplugged it from the wall. Bunching up the cord so it didn't drag on the floor, Sam took the monitor and headed toward the lounge quietly.

After plugging the monitor in and leaving it on the side table, Sam settled down on the couch with some extra pillows and blankets she'd found in the linen closet. Closing her eyes, she quickly drifted back off to sleep, listening to the quiet snores coming from the speaker.

-

A strange sound was the next thing that Sam woke to, a few hours later. Rubbing sleep from her eyes, she sat up groggily and ran a hand through her messy hair, now blinking with confusion at the source of the sound. The monitor on the lamp table beside the couch was shrieking at her. It was a raw, strained cry that made Sam shudder involuntarily.

"Saaaaaammmmm!" the monitor shrieked hoarsely in that strangled voice. "Saaammm!!!"

"Jack," Sam gasped with sudden realization, completely awake and alert now. She jumped to her feet, stumbling slightly as she shook off the blankets wrapped around her ankles on the floor. Blue eyes wide and anxious, Sam dashed into the bedroom and quickly knelt on the bed where Jack was sitting up and screaming her name hoarsely with his hands on either side of his head.

"Whoa, Jack, take it easy. It's okay," Sam tried to calm him, grasping his wrists gently and trying to pull his hands down from his head. He kept shrieking her name, his voice becoming more raw and crackly with each strangled yell. "Jack, look at me!" She pleaded in a soft, comforting tone. "Look at me Jack! I'm right here, everything's okay."

He stopped suddenly, his watery brown eyes locking onto her wide, concerned blue ones. There was such hurt in his eyes, sadness and longing as though he were experiencing emotions from a long ago memory. Sam was still holding his wrists loosely, and he slowly stretched his hands out to gently hold her face between them. Jack continued to stare into her eyes, his heavy breathing slowing, eyelids soon fluttering drowsily before he slumped into her, unconscious.

Panicking at the unexpected change, Sam carefully pulled back from the bed and laid him there on his side so that his upper half was no longer slumped against her. She checked his pulse with concern, then fumbled for the telephone on the night table with a shaking hand. It was 0507, and she didn't want to wake anybody, but she was scared and didn't know what to do. Jack's pulse was just a little fast, but she wasn't entirely sure what had just happened and didn't know if she should be even more concerned than she already was.

Hearing a sleepy, familiar voice coming from the phone in her hand, Sam realized she must have dialed Janet's number without even thinking about it.

"Hello? Is someone there? At five in the morning there had damn well better be a reason for this call!"

Sam had to giggle softly. Janet sure sounded menacing when she'd been woken from a deep sleep. Focusing on the seriousness of the situation, she quickly responded to the increasingly angry voice as her friend threatened to hang up. "Janet, wait! Sorry, it's me, Sam."

"Sam?" Janet sounded more awake now, and less pissed off. "What's wrong?"

Her friend was whispering into the phone now, and Sam realized with a slight blush that it was probably because she didn't want to wake Daniel. "I-" Sam began, chewing her bottom lip hesitantly. "It's just..." she paused again, silently thankful how patient Janet was being with her. Even though she'd been gone a year, it hadn't seemed to create any sense of awkwardness in their close friendship since her return. For that, Sam was eternally grateful. With everything that had changed, she was glad there were still some things that didn't.

"Sam, what happened with Jack?" Janet rephrased coaxingly, hoping to make it easier for Sam to answer. She took a calming breath herself, knowing that if it was something dire then Sam wouldn't hesitate telling her what was wrong.

Sighing into the phone, Sam gathered her thoughts, her eyes flitting over to the inert form on the bed. "I'm not really sure, Janet. I found the baby monitor, so I took the receiver from Teal'c's room and brought it to the lounge when I went to sleep on the couch. I woke up maybe ten minutes ago to the sound of this strangled, hoarse screaming coming from the monitor," Sam forced herself to shake off the memory of Jack's awful shrieking as he called out her name. "Quite frankly, the noise scared the hell outta me. I ran to Jack's room when I came to my senses and realized it was him."

"It sounds to me like he was having a nightmare," Janet said softly. "Sometimes he yells in his sleep. I should have warned you about it," her tone softened more, and even sounded a little sad. "As his doctor, I knew that he'd suffered some pretty bad nightmares before his accident, but he used to be able to prevent himself from screaming in the night and letting them really affect him. Now..." Janet trailed off briefly, "He just isn't able to suppress the emotions assaulting him from the nightmares. Occasionally he screams out, usually nothing coherent, but sometimes he'll get very distraught and it takes a little while to calm him down. Just be careful if you go to wake him. There's still a Special Forces trained soldier lurking in that mind of his."

Sam was quiet as she took in what Janet was telling her. She was unable to prevent the tears welling up in her eyes.

"Sam? Is that what happened? Are you having trouble trying to get him to calm down?" Janet asked, trying to help.

"Uh, no," Sam answered once she'd shook herself from her daze. "That's...not exactly what happened. He..um..he was screaming my name Janet," she murmured tearfully. "When I went to him, he was holding his head with both hands and still screaming. I tried to get him to snap out of it, and after a moment or so he stopped and then passed out." She left out the part where they stared at each other for a long while and Jack held her face in his hands.

Janet was surprised to hear that Jack had been yelling for Sam, but didn't mention it. "Okay, it's more likely he got one of his headaches then, rather than had a nightmare. They're usually pretty bad. Sometimes he blacks out from them."

Sam nodded to herself, relaxing slightly and still staring at Jack where he lay on the bed, unconscious. "Okay, so...what do I do?"

"You'll need to wake him up and give him the pills I told you about, the ones for his headaches. Make sure he takes them, otherwise he might wake up from the residual pain later," Janet instructed gently.

"Okay, thank you Janet," Sam said, feeling a little embarrassed for being so nervous. "I'm sorry I woke you,"

"Don't worry about it," Janet whispered with a lightness to her voice. "Now get some sleep."

"I will, thanks again," Hanging up the phone quietly, Sam left to fetch Jack's medicine from the kitchen.

-

Jack was still unconscious when Sam stepped back in the room. The blankets had been thrown off him to the other side of the bed from his movements earlier, and she bent to retrieve the now-warm icepack that had fallen on the floor. Sitting on the edge of the bed with his pills in her closed palm, Sam reached out to gently lay her hand on his head. "Jack," she began stroking the side of his head with her thumb where her hand lay.

Groggily opening his eyes with a low groan, Jack blinked blearily at Sam. He didn't attempt to raise his head, and seemed to enjoy the comforting feel of her hand there, lightly caressing the close-cropped hair.

Sam smiled at him gently and reached for the glass of water on the nightstand from earlier. She handed him the pills, and when he stuck them in his mouth, she lifted his head slightly and placed the water glass to his lips. After Jack sipped the tepid water to wash down the tablets, Sam put the glass out of the way. As she reached over his body to pull the blankets back over him, Sam heard a soft groan as he shivered briefly and sleepily snuggled into the warmth surrounding him once more.

Exhaustion from having been woken from her peaceful sleep was soon creeping up on her, and Sam found herself crawling on the bed beside Jack instead of shuffling back to the living room. She reached for an extra blanket that had been tossed to the floor and pulled it over herself sleepily before curling up on her side and laying her head on the soft pillow just about where she'd drifted off reading earlier. Her movements had been unthinking and automatic, and Sam thought nothing of it as she allowed her consciousness to fade as sleep took over.

-

When the bright light of the sun filtered through the big window in Jack's room, the curtains not pulled closed enough, Sam opened her eyes slowly before squinting with a quiet groan that revealed how much she really didn't want to be awake just then. Yawning loudly, she slowly sat up and untangled herself from the warm blanket firmly snuggled around her. Smiling in realization at how well she'd slept, Sam's bright blue eyes scanned the other side of the bed, widening in silent alarm when she noticed the rumpled blankets and an absent Jack. Scrambling quickly to her feet, Sam hurried into the adjoining bathroom to check for him there. Coming back into the bedroom with no luck, she felt her heart beating quicker as she raced out into the hall, her bare feet slapping noisily against the wooden floor.

Sam literally skidded to a halt when she caught sight of Jack in the kitchen. He was sitting at the table, staring blankly at the smooth wooded surface, hands resting in his lap. Breathing a sigh of relief, she padded over to him calmly. It was certainly a surprise to her that Jack had gotten up and left the room without need of prompting or an escort, since he'd only moved when someone was with him while at the base, but Sam reasoned that he was probably more comfortable in his home and was able to move about more freely. She also figured that while he was on base, Jack wasn't allowed anywhere on his own accord. Another thing Sam guessed, was that he was just going through the motions of a routine he had developed with Teal'c every morning when at home. A routine she was not yet accustomed to.

"Morning," Sam greeted softly with a warm smile as she stood by the opposite side of the table where Jack was staring. She was pleased when he slowly rose his head and his deep brown eyes lazily met her bright blue ones. "Hungry?" He didn't move, so she just went toward the cupboards and looked through a few before finding a box of cereal and some bowls.

Jack had been staring at the table's surface in front of him again when Sam set the bowl of Fruit Loops down.

"Here you go," Sam slid a spoon toward him and smiled encouragingly. "Eat," When he began to do so, she sat down across the table and contemplatively munched on the toast she'd made for herself.

-

After breakfast, Sam sent Jack to the bathroom, unsure if he'd gone when he'd gotten up. Hell, she didn't even know how long he had been up. She'd just found him there in the kitchen, and knew that he wouldn't turn to her and say something like, "Morning Sleeping Beauty," with a lopsided grin, like she'd almost expected him to do. Sam shook her head to clear her thoughts, somewhat embarrassed as she realized that it had been almost a fantasy of hers, if she could have had what she wanted years ago. To wake up in his house, saunter out to the kitchen and find Jack making breakfast as he waited for her to wake up. Feeling a tear roll down her cheek as she recognized the daydream as something she may have missed out on and could never have now, Sam quickly wiped the evidence of her emotion away as the door opened and Jack emerged from the bathroom.

Sam studied his face for a moment as he stood there, his expression blank, eyes unfocused to a spot somewhere above her left shoulder. The thick stubble coating his face was really noticeable now, and she remembered Janet saying that Jack would need help shaving. Touching his elbow, she turned him back to the bathroom and helped him limp over to sit on the edge of the bathtub. She easily found the razor and shaving cream behind the medicine cabinet and began filling the sink with warm water before turning back to Jack. Lightly, she brushed her fingertips against the stubble on his cheek. "I'm gonna give you a shave okay?"

Jack sat somewhat stiffly, his eyes shifting rapidly from the plastic disposable razor in Sam's hand, to her face.

"Hey," Sam said softly, noticing the wild look in his dark eyes, the nervous quickening of his breathing. She reached behind her and set the razor down on the countertop, then brought her hand back and held it up to him slowly. "Jack, it's okay, I wouldn't hurt you," she assured him in a gentle voice, feeling a little put out that he might think that.

His breathing slowed back to a normal rhythm, and his eyes settled with a glazed sort of focus on Sam.

Seeing that he appeared calm once more, Sam dabbed at his face with a damp towel, then turned and picked up the can of shaving cream, squirting a glob onto her palm before bending slightly and gently applying it to Jack's face. He didn't move, and his gaze never came off her. After lathering the shaving cream over his generous amount of stubble, Sam reached for the razor again and paused, gauging his reaction before she even dared bringing it to his face. The last thing she needed was for him to react badly and slice his chin open or something, trying to jerk away.

Sam carefully began gliding the razor across his face using careful, deliberate strokes and occasionally reaching back to rinse the blade in the water-filled sink. Jack continued to sit very still, his gaze now totally vacant and no longer focusing anywhere but straight ahead. She began talking to him softly, not wanting him to become startled at any point, and unsure if he even would.

-

Changes
Chapter Five: Need

"Coffee?" Janet smiled sweetly, offering Daniel a cup as he stepped into her office that morning. She perched herself on her desk while the caffeine-craving archaeologist sunk into the vacant chair in front of her after accepting the steaming cup.

Sipping the strong brew gratefully, Daniel's eyes rose to look at Janet. "So, is Sam doing okay with Jack this morning?" He sounded a little concerned, but it was only because he and Teal'c had been primarily in charge of Jack's care for almost a year before Sam came back into their lives. Teal'c was still off-world, and normally that would have meant that Daniel was with Jack, but it wasn't the case now.

Janet shrugged a bit and reached for the phone. "I was just about to call," When Daniel nodded and waved her to go ahead, she dialed the number and waited for someone to pick up.

"Carter," Sam's voice sounded from the phone after several rings.

"Hi Sam, it's Janet," the small doctor answered in a friendly tone. "Everything going okay this morning?"

"Oh, hey Janet. Yep, everything's fine. We had breakfast and I gave Jack a shave before he took his shower. He's just come out now." Sam informed Janet, her voice calm, not giving the doctor any reason to believe something was wrong.

"Oh, good," Janet smiled, seeing Daniel relax. "How's his knee looking?"

"A little swollen, but I've given him more Tylenol for it and it doesn't seem to be bothering him too much, as far as I can tell." Sam paused, then added, "Oh, and I'm still making sure his takes the pain medication once every four hours."

"Okay, well as long it doesn't look like the knee's giving him too much trouble, it's alright that he move around more than he was able to yesterday, maybe even excerise it some."

"Alright, maybe we'll go for a little walk around the neighborhood or something."

Janet smiled, then asked, "Do you know when you'll be heading back to base?"

"Not sure yet. I figured Jack could use the away time, you know?"

Janet nodded to herself. "That's fine Sam. In fact, it's an excellent idea. I guess I'll see you later then, just call if you need anything."

"Thanks, I will. Bye Janet." There was silence briefly, then a click signaling the end of the call.

Janet's eyes drifted to Daniel reassuringly. "They're doing fine," she smiled warmly and slid off the desk to reach down and take his hand.

"I know," Daniel sighed softly, hanging his head slightly in shame as he got to his feet, still holding Janet's much smaller hand in his own. "I just worry,"

Leaning into him, Janet smiled and stood on her tip toes to give Daniel a kiss. "We all do. It's okay," she patted his shoulder and lightly shoved him from her office. "Now get going, I've got work to do!" She scolded teasingly, smiling as he turned with a smile of his own and left.

-

Jack limped over to the couch with Sam, and together they sat down for a moment. Sam had picked some clothes out for him to wear after his shower, and he was now dressed in a pair of loose khaki cargo pants and a plain white t-shirt. The loose pants made it easier to get his knee brace on and off, and apply ice when it was needed. She watched him stare out the floor-to-ceiling windows across the lounge, his eyes vacant. Sam had quickly learned that Jack had good days and bad days where it came to his more catatonic-like states, and so far today was proving to be one of his bad days. He'd been very unresponsive all morning, except when he'd first reacted to the razor while Sam was getting ready to help him shave.

Suddenly remembering that she needed to take a shower herself, Sam got up off the couch, taking Jack with her. He limped along at her side until they were back in his bedroom, then sat down on the bed when she gestured for him to do so. Moving over to the tv, Sam turned it on and flipped through the channels to try and find something that could hold his attention for ten minutes or so. Finding nothing but the news and soap operas at this time of day, she went about the room and searched the bookshelf until she found some of The Simpsons on VHS tapes. Pulling one out, she popped it in the VCR and hit 'play'.

Sam went back to the bed to check that Jack was looking. She propped some pillows up behind him and gestured for him to sit back. When it looked like he'd gotten comfortable, she laid a gentle hand over his right knee and looked him in the eyes. "Jack, your leg feeling okay?"

He made eye contact with her briefly before his half-focused stare shifted to the cartoon characters on the tv.

Sighing softly, Sam touched his shoulder and gave a small smile before moving to where her bag sat on the floor by the bed. "Jack, I've gotta get in the shower now. I'll be out in just ten minutes." She started to move away, but he didn't react to her leaving, so she stepped into the adjoining bathroom.

-

Sam showered quickly, not sure whether or not Jack would really be okay while she was gone. She cursed herself for not thinking about taking the monitor in with her, but she'd left the door open a crack so she would hear if something happened.

While the hot spray from the showerhead washed over her, Sam allowed her mind to wander as steam filled the bathroom and crept out the open crack in the heavy wooden door. She tried to think of something to do with Jack today, something to try and break him of the hazy state he seemed to be in.

Emerging from the bathroom in jeans and a very plain looking light blue t-shirt that had three buttons down from the neck, Sam fiddled idly with her still-damp hair and stepped out into Jack's room. He was still lounging on the bed, his lips quirking slightly in almost a smile or a laugh in response to the familiar yellow cartoon characters on the tv. "Hey Jack, I'm done with my shower now," she said softly, stepping over to the bed and sitting down on the edge by his legs.

He reacted to Sam this time, facing her with a slight furrow of his brows before turning his head once more as his attention returned to the tv screen.

Well, it's a start. Sam sighed to herself. She shifted on the bed and began pulling up his pant leg. "I'm just gonna have a look at your knee, alright Jack?" Having not given him any of the pain medication yet this morning, Sam wanted to get a look and see if the swelling had gone down or gotten worse, or if the joint looked badly bruised or something. From what she could see around the soft brace, his knee didn't look too bad.

Jack's attention was still held by the tv as Sam left the room again, but she was gone for only a moment and had quickly returned with a fresh glass of water and his pills. He swallowed the capsules she placed in his hand automatically without her having to tell him to. Sam smiled and set down the water afterwards, gently rubbing her hand on his arm. "C'mon Jack, we're going to go for a little ride," she announced cheerfully, trying to motivate him into motion.

His head eventually swiveled toward her once she'd gotten up and shut the tv off. Jack had a strange, disappointed look on his face, so Sam continued smiling and repeated her announcement just as cheerfully while his attention actually seemed to be on her. "C'mon, we're gonna go for a ride, okay? It'll be fun," She gestured for him to get to his feet, and after a still moment, Jack got up off the bed slowly. Sam noticed that he only had socks and the infirmary slippers from the other night on his feet and placed a finger to her lips. "First, we'll need to get your shoes on."

Jack limped at Sam's side passively, letting her lead him into the hall as she searched for his shoes.

"Okay...shoes.." Sam muttered aloud to herself as she scoured the lounge area. Glancing back at Jack, she noticed him leaning against the wall just before the steps, favoring his right leg. Getting on her hands and knees in front of the coffee table, she spied a pair of work boots and snatched at them with a triumphant exclamation of, "Got 'em!" Jogging back over to Jack, she led him to the dining room table and had him sit down. She slid the boots on his sock-clad feet and laced them up.

Sam then rushed about for the next few minutes, scrambling to make sure she'd taken along everything both she and Jack would need while they were out. After checking for the hundredth time, she finally decided that if she forgot something then that was just too bad. Getting Jack in her car, Sam made sure the house was locked up before they took off.

-
Initially deciding to simply walk with Jack around the neighborhood, Sam instead decided to bring him to the park. She'd been a little worried that there would be too many people around and Jack would be fidgety and uncomfortable, but soon relaxed once they'd arrived and she saw that hardly anyone was there. She was pleased to see that he had gotten more animated once they left the confines of the car and began to walk along the gravel path through the park. He was curiously looking around, taking everything in, or so she assumed. Sam was just happy that he didn't have a blank expression and she wasn't forced to shove him down the path. Jack just walked alongside her easily enough, her right arm hooked around his left, just as a precaution.

Sam had begun to notice the more pronounced limp in Jack's step after a while of walking, and spying a bench a few yards away, thought it might be a good time to stop and let him rest for a little while. "Let's take a break and sit down, okay?" Sam smiled at him gently as she led him over to the old wooden park bench and they sat down together.

They sat there on the bench for a few minutes, silently gazing at the surrounding trees which were nearly bare now, their colorful leaves decorating the ground. Sam looked up to see a jogger coming down the path and felt Jack tense at her side. She turned to him to see that he was nervously fiddling with the buttons on his jacket, his head tilted deliberately downward to obstruct his view of the jogger as the man passed. "Jack?" she questioned softly. "It's okay, no one's going to hurt you," she tried to reassure him, gently squeezing his arm.

Jack relaxed after a minute, and Sam lightly patted his left leg. "C'mon, let's do s'more walking," she said with a smile, hanging onto his arm and helping him stand. Her brows furrowed in concern as he grimaced faintly and reached down to rub at the side of his right knee. "Jack, are you okay?"

He didn't say anything, just straightened and began walking, leaving Sam no choice but to move with him since their arms were linked. Jack kept at a pace just a bit slower than normal, his limp barely noticeable again.

-

Daniel felt like a worried mother waiting for their teenager to come home after a night out as he paced back and forth in front of Janet's office. The only difference was, he wasn't a mother, the teenager was his best friend, and it was only 1600. He worried about Jack a lot, now more-so since Jack had been spending a lot of time with Sam rather than him ever since she'd returned. Daniel wasn't jealous by any means, just concerned. He often fretted that something would happen that Sam would be unable to deal with. He knew she wasn't quite familiar with all of Jack's behavior yet, even though he'd gone through many changes in the few weeks Sam had been back.

The sound of clicking heels could be heard getting louder as Janet crossed the infirmary to her adjoining office where she found Daniel pacing. She smiled to herself as he came to a stop and glanced at her, his blue eyes seeming frantic behind the lenses of his glasses. "What are you doing?"

He smiled sheepishly at her as she came closer. "Waiting," Daniel answered vaguely.

Janet smirked knowingly, very aware that it wasn't her that he'd been waiting anxiously for. "Daniel," she sighed in mock exasperation. "I'll have you know that Sam is very capable of handling Jack, in case you haven't noticed recently."

Hanging his head, Daniel shrugged helplessly. "Yeah," he sighed.

Janet just nodded and changed the subject. "So, Teal'c just got back. He's going home after a short debriefing with General Hammond. Sam called a few minutes ago to say that she'd be bringing Jack in, but I asked her to just wait a while longer and she can leave when Teal'c gets there instead." She watched an emotion she couldn't quite pick out flitter across Daniel's face.

"Oh," Daniel tried looking happy, but failed.

Now knowing what that previous emotion was, Janet smiled and pulled him into a hug, resting her head on Daniel's chest as he slowly wrapped his arms around her. "We'll go stop by later with Cassie and bring dinner, okay? And I'll see if Sam can come back to eat with us,"

Daniel grinned and kissed the top of her head. "Okay."

-

Unfortunately, Sam had to get to the mountain to do her lab work when Teal'c got there, and regretted being unable to have dinner with them once Teal'c explained that Janet and Daniel were stopping by with food.

Jack had been indifferent when Sam left, but did seem a little happy to see Teal'c again.

The Jaffa had taken O'Neill's usual lack of responses and indifferent attitude towards him in stride. He had expected as much, after all. Sitting on the armchair while his friend sat on the couch, watching a hockey game on tv, Teal'c took the time to notice the slight change in Jack. It had occurred to him that O'Neill had been different ever since Major Carter's return. A bit of the light had returned to O'Neill's eyes, and when he expressed himself, however rarely, he seemed more animated than he had been. Teal'c allowed himself a faint, pleased grin at the thought that O'Neill's condition was improving for the better.

An hour later, Daniel, Janet, and Cassie showed up with some homemade lasagna. They all sat around the table, enjoying each other’s company, chatting and eating.

"So Teal'c," Daniel spoke around a mouthful of food, waving his fork in the air. "How's the village reconstruction going?"

Teal'c raised his head and smiled partly with a hint of pride. "It is going very well, Daniel Jackson. We completed the foundations for several buildings and shall return in a few more days with a greater amount of supplies and volunteers from the other SG teams."

"That's great Teal'c," Janet nodded interestedly. She glanced across the table where Cassie sat next to Jack. He was eating a little fast, so she reached out and gently tapped his hand to gain his attention. "Jack, slow down," she instructed softly, silently wondering why he felt the need to wolf down his food, and not wanting him to choke or get sick.

Cassie laughed at Jack and patted his shoulder as her mother told him to stop eating so fast. "It's not a race Jack," she laughed again, cocking her head to the side. "You hungry or something?"

Jack looked at the teenager briefly, blinked twice slowly, then continued eating at a normal pace.

For the next several minutes, conversation happened around Jack while he finished his food and then just sat there, staring at his empty plate once he was done. Neither Cassie, Janet, Daniel, or Teal'c thought anything was amiss when he suddenly slid his chair back and stood, leaving the kitchen. Because Jack's surrogate family was used to his movements occasionally being more independent when he was in his own home, no one thought anything of it.

Cassie paused for a second to turn and watch him go, but her attention quickly returned to the conversation at the table and she guessed that Jack was just going back to the lounge to watch tv like he often did after dinner.

It was only after clean up had been completed that Janet noticed Jack was not on the couch in the lounge where they had expected him to be. "Jack?" Janet called for him out of habit, even though there was a very slim chance he'd respond. "Jack, come out here," she tried again. Still, there were no footsteps to indicate he was on his way.

Teal'c rose an eyebrow, expressing his concern. "I will check O'Neill's room," he gave a nod toward Daniel, Cassie, and Janet before striding purposefully down the hall.

"I'll check the bathroom," Daniel declared, parting to look for Jack as well.

Cassie started for the front door. "I'll look outside, just in case." Despite the fact the teenager was quite certain they would have heard the door if Jack had left the house, she wasn't taking any chances.

The search didn't last long though, because a low bellow from Teal'c had them all rushing toward the master bedroom.

Janet strode over beside the Jaffa, discovering Jack sitting on the floor, wedged between his bed and the far wall, his knees close to his chest, hands grasping at his head in silent agony. She touched a hand to Teal'c's shoulder, and as he stepped back to give her room, the small doctor knelt down in front of O'Neill. "Jack, what's wrong? Does your head hurt?" she asked him gently. It wasn't unusual for him to retreat to a 'hiding spot' when he got one of his headaches if no one was there to catch the change in his behavior right away, but it normally didn't take much to coax him out of the spot afterwards. This time it seemed different.

Jack's eyes opened and he peered at the doctor knelt in front of him, his brown depths looking pained and confused.

Daniel stepped in behind Janet and bent over slightly with his hands on his knees. "Why don't you come outta there Jack. We'll go sit down on the couch and give you your pills to help you feel better, okay buddy?"

Clenching his eyes shut, it was clear that Jack wasn't going to move. His face scrunched up and his fingers curled even tighter as he continued to grasp at his head. "Saaaammmm!!" He screeched suddenly, causing all but Teal'c to jump.

Janet shared a brief, concerned look with Daniel, then turned back to Jack and softly questioned, "You want Sam? Is that it?"

"Saaaaaaaaammm!!" Jack screamed again as he began rocking back and forth where he sat, his eyes clenched shut.

"Okay, okay," Janet soothed, standing from her crouch. "We'll get Sam," she assured Jack calmly, though his behavior didn't change and she was certain he wouldn't calm down until Sam was there in person. She glanced over to Cassie, who was hovering worriedly in the doorway. "Cassandra?"

"I'll go call her," the teenager answered, already knowing what her mother was about to say. "She's probably still at the SGC," Cassie smiled tightly and hurried down the hall to find the portable phone.

Daniel sighed and took a seat on the edge of the bed, seeing that it was obvious Jack wouldn't be budging for some time. He glanced at Teal'c with a helpless shrug.

"I shall prepare some coffee," The Jaffa gave a slight bow, sparing one more look toward O'Neill before retreating from the room.

-

Sam had been speaking with Hammond in his office when the call from Cassie came through. The General had instantly dismissed her with a request that she give him a call once everything was settled. It was 2012 now, and already very dark outside. Once she'd pulled into the driveway to Jack's place, she hurried up the steps to the front door and let herself in. Janet rushed to greet her with a relieved look on her face. "How's he doing?" Sam asked tentatively with concern.

Janet shook her head and pulled her friend down the hall. "He's got one of his bad headaches, but he won't come out from his corner beside the bed and he just screams for you if any one of us touches him. We've tried to give him his pills, but he won't have it." The doctor gestured with her thumb and forefinger as she brought Sam into the bedroom. "I was this close to getting a sedative from my kit," she sighed and shook her head slowly. "If bringing you to him doesn't help, it just might resort to that. He needs his medicine."

Putting on a brave smile, Sam padded around the bed where Daniel sat, watching Jack silently. He sent her a quick nod in greeting, which she returned before kneeling on the floor before Jack. He was still rocking back and forth with his knees to his chest, clutching at his head. "Jack?" Sam called to him softly, "Jack, it's me, Sam. I'm here,"

At the sound of her voice, Jack opened his eyes, but his hands never dropped from his head. He slowly stropped rocking back and forth as he stared back at Sam.

"Hey," she smiled warmly at him when their eyes locked. Sam sat on the floor so that she was now perpendicular to Jack, her back against the wall, legs stretching out under the bed. "I hear you're not feeling too good," Her head tilted as he blinked at her.

"Sam," he murmured so softly that it was barely audible, his voice raspy from screaming. Jack shifted slowly, dropping one hand from his head to place on the floor as he moved to sit side by side with Sam. He stretched his long legs out next to hers and slumped so that he could lean his head on her shoulder, his right hand still pressed to his head.

Sam peered sideways at Jack's much more relaxed form, then glanced up at Daniel and Janet, who were now both sitting on the edge of the bed. They were staring at her with amazement in their eyes, silently wondering, and at the same time not wanting to think about, what it was about Sam that put Jack at ease. "Janet, maybe I should try giving him his pills now?"

"Sure, they're right here," Janet nodded with a small smile and picked up the pills and water glass she'd had on the nightstand from when she tried giving them to Jack earlier. She handed them off to Sam, then both she and Daniel waited patiently.

Gently taking Jack's free hand, Sam put the pills in his palm. "Swallow those now, okay?" When he put them in his mouth, she held the glass to his lips and he drank some of the water before pushing it away. Sam smiled with satisfaction.

Daniel took the glass from Sam and set it back on the nightstand. Both he and Janet got up off the bed, Daniel hovering nearby while Janet headed for the door slowly.

Pausing at the door, Janet caught Daniel's eye and waved for him to join her. "Sam," she called out quietly, "See if you can get him to lie down. Then, why don't you join us in the kitchen for some coffee? Teal'c's already made some. We'll all stick around for a while longer."

"Sure," Sam smiled faintly and somewhat distractedly, her focus entirely on Jack for the moment. She heaved a soft sigh as Janet left the room, letting her thoughts wander. She'd been so worried when Cassie had called her at the base, frantically insisting that she come by Jack's because he was inconsolable and crying out for her by name. Now that she was here with him, she even felt a little better herself. After leaving him with Teal'c earlier, Sam felt so suddenly alone when she'd returned to base, and it had been hard getting into her lab work. Being there with Jack made her feel just as calmed as he seemed to be now, with her presence.

A few minutes went by, and Jack slowly dropped his hand from his head as the pills took effect. He was blinking drowsily and leaning more into Sam's shoulder, his cheekbone starting to dig into her arm.

Sam moved slowly, and without a second thought, gently leaned over to kiss the top of his head. "Let's put you to bed, okay?" She whispered gently, getting to her knees and then gently tugging on his arm as they stood together. She held on to his arm tightly for a second as he wobbled slightly, noticeably putting more weight on his left knee. She guessed that his bad knee was stiff from being in the same position for so long.

Sitting down on the bed with him, Sam had been about to get up and find him some pajamas when he suddenly laid down and put his head in her lap. "Jack," she began, sighing and resigning herself to sit there and be a human pillow for a little while. Sam reached over to grab another pillow, sticking it behind her back so she could sit up comfortably.

-

Changes
Chapter Six: Reasons

Sam had gently stroked Jack's hair until he fell asleep, then managed to extricate herself and crawl off the bed without waking him. She covered him with the extra blanket that had fallen on the floor and stepped out of the room, pausing in Teal'c's room to grab the receiver for the monitor in Jack's room. Taking it with her into the kitchen, Sam accidently walked in on a conversation she wasn't sure she should be hearing.

"It makes sense of his behavior toward her, don't you think?" Janet said, looking around the table at Daniel and Teal'c. Cassie had left the kitchen to sit on the couch with a cup of hot chocolate and watch tv.

"We should tell her," Daniel added quietly, his head bowed.

"Tell who, what?" she asked quietly, moving over to the table to make her presence known. The question was innocent, but Sam knew they were talking about her.

Janet was chewing her lip, brows knit together as she fiddled with the coffee mug on the table in front of her. She gestured toward the empty chair across from her and next to Teal'c, waiting patiently as Sam cautiously sat down. "Sam," she began softly with a hesitant breath. "We think we have an idea why Jack has gotten so close to you since you've been back, and why he seeks you out for comfort most of all."

Sam could already feel her cheeks reddening slightly. She was a bit embarrassed that the others had noticed how Jack seemed to be paying extra attention to her in particular. Not speaking, Sam gave a faint nod and waited for the rest of what Janet had to say. Her gaze shifted briefly to Daniel and Teal'c, who looked like they were trying hard not to add their input before Janet got the chance to explain.

"Colonel O'Neill didn't take your leaving very well. He never said anything directly to any of us, but we got the distinct impression that he was blaming himself for you taking that mission. It seemed like he felt as though there was something he did that caused you to take the assignment."

"No," Sam denied, shaking her head and feeling a sudden lump in her throat. "It wasn't anything he did that made me leave, it was just something I had to do. I needed to spend more time with my father, and he asked for my help. He needed someone with my expertise. There were people's lives at stake. I couldn't just say no," She ran a hand through her short hair and leaned back in the chair. "We didn't know that the mission would take so long, only that we'd be out of contact for the whole thing. I wanted-" Sam trailed off, unable to finish her train of thought.

"It's okay Sam," Daniel was quick to reassure her with a gentle smile as Janet did the same. "None of this is your fault. His behavior before the accident didn't contribute to it, it just gives us an idea of why he's acting the way he has been lately around you."

"Jack missed you Sam, we could all tell," Janet said boldly in a soft voice. "He missed you a lot..." she took in a slow breath. "A lot more than he should have given your military positions, if you see what I'm getting at."

Sam felt her chest tighten, and realized that her friends were laying it all out on the line for Jack, since he couldn't do so on his own. She couldn't hold back now, and it didn't matter anyway, Jack was retired now, and they couldn't pursue a relationship given his current condition anyway. Because of that realization, she wanted to break down and cry right in front of everybody, but instead, she spoke up in a tremulous voice, "I missed him too. A lot."

Janet and Daniel shared a glance with small, tight smiles, while Teal'c gave a slight bow of his head. It was out now, and they all seemed to relax a bit because of that.

Hearing a soft, muffled murmur from the monitor she'd left on the kitchen counter before taking a seat, Sam slid back in her chair and got up. It was only twenty minutes since Jack had fallen asleep, but from the sounds emitting from the monitor, it seemed like he was waking up. "I'm gonna go check on him," she said softly, excusing herself and heading out of the kitchen and down the hall.

Nodding, Janet glanced down at the table and sipped her coffee. She leaned into Daniel gratefully as he scooted his chair closer to her side and put an arm around her shoulders.

-

Quietly entering Jack's room, Sam sat down on the bed beside him, her hand reaching out to gently stroke his hair once more. Soft, incoherent mumbles escaped his lips before he groaned softly and his eyelids started fluttering. She was trying hard not to cry when his dark eyes locked onto her and she remembered what Janet had told her. It was hard not to think about what could have been, now that things were out in the open. Smiling a little, Sam realized she had to confess her feelings to the one person it would matter most to, despite the circumstances. It would make her feel better saying it to him anyhow.

"Jack?" Sam began softly, still stroking his hair as he watched her with his dark, naturally expressive eyes. "I know you might not understand now, but I have to tell you anyway... Jack, I... I love you."

He sat up slowly, her hand dropping back from his head to settle in her lap. Jack's brows furrowed and he rubbed at the right side of his head, over the scar.

Sam smiled tightly, hanging her head and sighing regrettably as she crawled toward the edge of the bed to let her legs hang over the side. Movement behind her caught Sam's attention a moment later, and Jack was shifting to sit beside her. When he suddenly wrapped his arms around her, Sam couldn't do anything but hug him back, twisting into his embrace and burying her face in the crook of his neck.

"Love..Sam," Jack murmured softly as he continued to hold her.

Hearing the barely audible words, Sam could no longer hold back her tears. They streaked down her face hotly and she openly cried against him, clinging to him desperately. "God, why did this have to happen to you Jack. I'm so, so sorry. I wish I'd never left. Maybe things would have been different..." she choked out between sobs.

-

Janet felt tears stinging her eyes as she, Daniel, and Teal'c heard the entire conversation through the baby monitor Sam had left on the kitchen counter. Daniel squeezed her a little tighter, and she could even see a somber expression on the face of their stony Jaffa friend as he lowered his head.

Ultimately deciding to leave Sam alone with Jack to get control of her emotions, Janet turned the volume on the monitor down, then wrapped up the remainders of dinner a few minutes later and left it in the fridge for Teal'c. She wanted to stick around a little while longer just in case Sam came out and wanted to talk, but after nearly forty-five minutes, Janet realized her friend wouldn't be coming out. Getting up from the table, Janet stepped down into the lounge where Cassie was still sitting on the couch watching tv. "Cass?" She called to her daughter softly, standing beside the couch.

Having nearly fallen asleep, Cassie swung her gaze over tiredly and blinked. "Yeah?"

Janet smiled gently. "We're gonna get going now, alright sweetie?"

"Mm-hm," Cassie murmured, leaning forward to grab her mug off the coffee and get up, slowly shuffling off to take it to the kitchen.

Standing by Daniel and the door a few minutes later, and saying goodbye to Teal'c, Cassie pulled away from hugging him and turned to her mother with slightly furrowed brows. "Mom? Is Jack okay?"

Janet nodded with a small smile. "Yes sweetie, he's okay, Sam's with him."

Cassie smiled with a satisfied nod. "Good."

"We'll see you tomorrow then Teal'c," Daniel said, patting his friend on the shoulder.

"Indeed," Teal'c gave a slight bow. "I shall contact you if the need arises," he added, answering their unasked question. Closing the door behind them, the Jaffa paused briefly in the hallway before deciding to turn down towards the lounge.

Almost another hour later, when Sam still hadn't emerged from the room with Jack, Teal'c went to go poke his head in to check on them. He found them both fast asleep, Jack laying on his back with Sam curled up to his side, her head against his chest. The Jaffa covered them up with a blanket and silently went off to his own room to perform kelno'reem and rest until morning.

-

Slowly peeling her eyes open the next morning, Sam's face felt tight with the dried tears, and she remembered that she'd been crying the previous night and why. Her heart clenched painfully, and she fought with herself trying not to think about what had her so upset. Suddenly realizing that she was curled into Jack's side, Sam slowly lifted her head off his chest and sat up next to him. I can't do this to him, she thought to herself with a frown. His mind must be so fragile right now. He can't possibly understand.

When Jack had softly said he loved her last night after her own confession, that was the last thing to finally break down the protective wall around her heart. Now she tried telling herself that he didn't understand the emotions he was feeling, or he was just saying words that he didn't know the meaning of, but deep down, she silently hoped that he did, that there was still much of the old Jack O'Neill in there somewhere, locked up inside his damaged brain. Right now she had to keep hoping that his condition would continue to improve, and some day they would be able to share the love they each harbored for one another for so long. That thought was the only thing that could keep her going right now.

Noticing that Jack had begun to stir, Sam shifted sideways and hung her legs over the side of the bed. She wanted to leave before he woke, to try and make it easier on herself when she left to go to work, but she also knew that distancing herself from him at this point wouldn't help him to recover any. He's probably going back to the SGC with Teal'c today anyway, she reasoned somewhat lamely.

Teal'c! Her mind screamed suddenly as she remembered that he had come home the other day and she was not alone with Jack in the house. Holy Hannah, I can't believe I slept here again, the whole night, she muttered internally, silently wondering what the Jaffa thought of all this. Sam tried not to think about it too much as she felt Jack moving around more on the bed.

When Jack sat up, fully awake, Sam was a little surprised that he didn't automatically go out to the kitchen like he had the previous morning she'd spent with him. She wondered if maybe he was waiting for her this time. Turning to find he was staring at her now, Sam sent him a calm, gentle smile and reached to take his hand. "C'mon, let's go see if Teal'c's up and get some breakfast, okay?"

Jack squeezed her hand and got off the bed with her. He was still staring intently at Sam as she led him from the room, their hands still intertwined.

Sam felt a lump in her throat and willed herself not to start crying again. She loved this man with all her heart, no matter what. And so help her, she believed he was getting better, that the brain damage that had cost him so much of himself would not be permanent. She may have been foolhardy to think such a thing, but if she was a fool, than so be it. Sam realized she loved Jack way too much not to have faith.

-

Changes
Chapter Seven: The Cabin

Two months had gone by, and December was upon them. In those two months, Jack's condition had improved remarkably. He was now reacting to his environment nearly all the time, responding with more gestures and even speaking in simple, short sentences on occasion. Sometimes the words were broken, maybe a little scrambled and hard to distinguish, but at least he was speaking. He'd become more able to do things on his own, and although his abilities were limited, there was always someone around to help him out if needed.

Many new tests had been performed to determine how Jack had begun recovering from the damage done to his brain, and with Daniel's help, Janet and Sam had discovered that it was Jack's Ancient gene nudging his recovery along. Daniel had discovered that the Ancient's possessed an amazing regenerative ability as well as the ability to heal others. They figured that since Jack wasn't fully an Ancient, his gene helped his natural healing capabilities so he had a better chance of bouncing back from injuries or sicknesses that would have different effects on an average human being. Jack's own particular injury was a good example of that. Daniel had explained, that if a person without the Ancient gene had been injured the way Jack had, the brain damage would most likely be irreversible. He had a suspicion that when Jack first had the Ancient Repository downloaded into his brain, and then later removed with the Asgard's help, the effects of the download strengthened the power of his unique gene.

Although Jack was coming back to them, little by little, Janet tried not to get Sam's hopes up, not knowing whether he would be able to fully return to his old self. Despite the miracle Jack's Ancient gene was performing, the doctor had an inkling that he would still end up suffering some effects from the injury. Sam had assured Janet that it wouldn't matter though, because when the time came, she would know when he was back.

Sam had recently moved in with Jack to take Teal'c's place as his roommate and at-home caretaker, but only after Teal'c argued that she spent enough time on the couch she should just move in. The Jaffa had also expressed his desire to live back on the base, which had initially surprised just about everyone. He'd said that he felt more comfortable there, and would have liked to be close whenever Bra'tac and his son, Rya'c, managed to stop by.

-

Sam paused atop the few steps leading down into the lounge where Jack sat in front of the tv trying to play a game on his PlayStation. He wasn't quite mentally coordinated, or dexterous enough yet to be able to really play any of the games, but he still tried, and it usually kept him entertained for a little while. She went over to him, smiling faintly at the look of concentration on his face as he tried to work out looking at the screen and pressing buttons at the same time on the controller held awkwardly in his hands. "Jack," she called to get his attention. When he didn't respond, too focused on the cars racing on screen, Sam bent down and touched his shoulder. "Jack,"

He turned his head to the side and looked up at her from his spot on the floor. His brows were furrowed, as if asking 'What?', but he didn't say it.

"C'mon, you've got to get in the shower and get dressed, okay? You're due for a check-up with Janet on base this morning before we go on our trip." Sam smiled when he nodded and set the game controller on the floor before getting to his feet. She started to follow him as he shuffled off toward the master bedroom, already pulling his t-shirt over his head as he went. Rolling her eyes and laughing quietly to herself, Sam picked up the trail of discarded clothes in his wake.

-

"So, the General tells me you're all cleared to leave for your little vacation in Minnesota," Daniel spoke up conversationally as he and Sam idly chatted in the commissary while she waited for Jack to finish up his med check with Janet.

"Yep," Sam smiled and stuck a spoonful of blue Jell-O in her mouth. "Jack's really excited about it, as far as I can tell."

Daniel nodded and sipped his coffee. "Yeah, well it's his first time being back there since before his accident."

Sam mimicked the nod and smiled tightly. "Jack seems to remember things about the cabin. He's mentioned fishing on the dock without me having ever spoken of it. The other day he also said something about using the fireplace in winter." She shrugged.

"That's good," Daniel was smiling, "He'll love it, just like he always has," he trailed off quietly, smile fading slightly. He knew Jack's mental capacity was expanding as he was slowly recovering, but he couldn't help be a little pessimistic in his fears that his friend wouldn't recover enough to be the 'old' Jack O'Neill they all knew and loved. Not that he wasn't loveable the way he was now. Jack would always be like a brother to Daniel, no matter what. He knew Teal'c felt the same way too.

The click of heels alerted Sam to Janet's arrival and she looked up with a smile for the doctor, and for Jack, who was slowly walking along the small woman's side. "Hey," she greeted happily, "Is everything all set? Are we good to go?"

"Mm-hm," Janet smiled and held out two pill bottles for Sam. "I've refilled his prescription for the anti-nausea medicine and the painkillers for his headaches. Everything else looks good."

"Thanks Janet," Sam took the bottles and tucked them away in her purse. She'd come on to base in her civvies this morning, since they were only there for Jack's medical and then they were leaving for Minnesota.

Jack stood beside Sam's chair and lightly tapped her shoulder. "Sam. Go..now?" he asked softly.

She craned her neck and smiled up at him. "Yes, we can go now Jack." Sliding her chair back, Sam stood, thinking nothing of it as Jack reached out and took her hand. She smiled and waved back at Janet and Daniel with her free hand while Jack tugged her toward the door. "I guess we're off. I'll call you guys once we get there," she called back to them.

"Bye Sam, drive safely!" Janet called after her with a laugh as she watched Jack pull her away.

-

It was dark and very late when they finally made it out to the cabin. Sam had needed to make a few stops along the way because of Jack. He wasn't used to such a long drive, and they'd needed to take a break and spend the night at a hotel anyways, to rest and prepare for another exhausting day of endless driving. She'd forgotten how far Minnesota was from Colorado.

Grateful that they'd finally arrived, Sam got a tired Jack into the cabin after she'd needed his help to bring in some of their things. Since Jack's truck had been parked at his house unused since his injury, Daniel had suggested they use it for their trip, assuring Sam that if the weather turned, it would be good to have the four-wheel drive that the big Ford offered. They'd gotten it tuned up a few days before the trip just to make sure it would run alright. Sam wasn't used to driving such a big vehicle, and much preferred her Volvo, but soon grew accustomed to the enormous truck during the long drive up to Minnesota.

Sam herded Jack into the single bedroom, and after kicking off his boots, he immediately flopped down on the bed and curled up on his side. She smiled at him and laughed softly. "Tired?"

Jack gave an incoherent murmur in response and hugged the nearest pillow, shoving his face into it.

A loud yawn escaped Sam and she blinked tiredly with a nod. "Yeah, sleep sound's like a good idea right about now," she yawned again and started to leave the room. "I'm just going to pull out the couch bed and find some sheets and blankets," Sam told Jack unnecessarily as she stepped out, unsure if he was even still awake and listening. She reminded herself of the tasks ahead; giving Janet a call, no matter the time, and putting the groceries away.

The cabin was cold, and although Sam had turned on the boiler, gas, and electricity, it was taking awhile for the little place to warm up. She was certain the reason for the fireplace was because the heat didn't work quite as well as it should. Too tired to attempt to get the fire going, Sam was grateful for the multitude of heavy blankets and quilts she'd found. Buried under a pile of blankets on the pull-out, she soon drifted off to sleep.

Sam woke up shivering and sat up from under the many blankets piled on top of her. She squinted, the light of the moon casting a bluish glow about the cabin. It was so cold that she swore she could see her own breath. Teeth chattering as she pried herself from the little bit of warmth the many blankets provided, Sam chose one of them and wrapped it around her shoulders, then padded across the freezing wooden floor toward the bedroom to check and see if Jack was still sleeping. That was when she realized she hadn't brought his monitor. There hadn't been any incidents where they really needed it lately, and Sam just completely forgot all about it.

When she stepped into the room, Sam was surprised to see Jack still fast asleep despite the cold, though he was curled up tightly on his left side, shivering. He was still dressed in his jeans and black, long-sleeved shirt that he'd worn all day, since he'd been too tired to change when they finally made it to the cabin. Sam wondered if he'd be warmer in some pajamas. Crawling up onto the bed and over to him, she laid a hand on his shoulder and shook him gently. "Jack?"

He shivered and grumbled something incoherently, lifting a hand to sleepily rub at the side of his head.

"Jack, c'mon and wake up," Sam shook his shoulder again and waited patiently as he rolled over and squinted at her before slowly sitting up. It was much too cold, and she decided that they really needed to get a fire going in the hearth. She idly wondered if the furnace was broken.

When she realized that Jack was still staring at her in confusion, she smiled gently at him. "It's really cold in here, so I want you to get dressed in some warm, comfortable clothes and we'll start up the fireplace okay?" she told him softly.

Nodding silently, Jack crawled out from beneath his blanket and froze in place, brows knit together as he peered about the room without recognition.

Seeing Jack tense, Sam could tell right away that he was on the verge of panic. He hadn't realized where they were. It had happened once at the hotel room when he'd gotten up in the night. "It's okay," she was quick to assure him with a gentle hand on his arm. "We're at the cabin remember?"

Jack blinked and turned his gaze on her, nodding slowly. His entire body had started trembling once more from the cold.

Sam smiled softly with relief and gestured for him to come out of the room with her. "Your duffel bag with your clothes is out here, c'mon," She waited patiently for him to follow, tugging the blanket tighter around her shoulders.

After fumbling to pull some flannel pajama pants, a t-shirt, and sweatshirt from Jack's duffel, Sam handed him the clothes and sat on the edge of her pull-out bed in the sitting room. She expected him to go into the bathroom and change, but he just set his things down on the back of the sofa and struggled to pull his shirt over his head. He was shaking worse than before, teeth chattering loudly. Sam took a few steps closer and touched his arm. "Do you want some help?"

When Jack nodded and bent over at the waist, sticking his arms out in front of him, Sam smiled to herself and tugged his shirt over his head. Even in the dim, bluish light coming from the moon outside, Sam could still see the map of jagged scars on his right side. She'd asked Janet about them once, after the first time she'd seen Jack with his shirt off since the accident. Sam had been picking him up in the infirmary after one of his check-ups with Janet, and he'd been sitting on the bed, still getting dressed. She remembered Janet telling her that the scars had been caused by bits of shrapnel from the same grenade that lodged a piece of metal in Jack's skull.

Shaking herself from the memory, Sam realized that Jack was shifting from foot to foot in front of her, teeth chattering and shivering as he waited for her to help him get the other shirt on. "Oh, Jack, I'm sorry!" she apologized quickly, tugging the t-shirt and sweatshirt over his head.

"Cooold," Jack murmured softly as Sam handed him the flannel pajama pants once he'd undone his jeans and hurriedly kicked them off, standing there before her in his boxer shorts. He pulled the flannels on gratefully and his shaking ceased a little as his body heated up with the warmer clothes.

"Don't worry, I'll get the fire going and it'll be nice and toasty in here," Sam told him with a smile as she bent down to pile up Jack's discarded clothes. She headed for the front door and glanced back to find him rooted to the spot and staring at her with furrowed brows. "I think I saw a wood pile on the front porch, do you want to help me bring some in?"

Jack nodded and followed after her. He made a face as Sam opened the front door and a blast of frigid air washed in, but stepped outside anyways. The cold floorboards of the porch immediately seeped every bit of heat from his sock-clad feet, and he shifted from foot to foot uncomfortably.

Finding the wood pile, Sam took a few logs and passed them off to Jack, who was holding out his arms to receive the firewood. Once his arms looked pretty full, Sam grabbed some logs herself and turned back to the door. "Alright, you got it?" Jack nodded and she smiled at him. "Okay, go on back inside now."

Grateful for the starter log she'd found in one of the utility closets, Sam got the fire going with relative ease. Still kneeling in front of the fireplace, Sam slid the protective grate in place and held out her hands to warm them. "Jack, come on over here and get warmed up," she called out without turning around. When he didn't come, she stood and turned around. "Jack?"

Movement on the pull-out bed caught her attention, and she shifted over slowly to find Jack curled up under the piled blankets she'd left, just the top of his head sticking out from the covers. A warm smile crept over her face as she sat down on the edge of the pull-out next to him and gently ran her fingers through the mussed-up silver strands that poked out from the blankets.

Although he'd technically stolen her bed, Sam wouldn't let that deter her. She wasn't spending a cold night away from the fire, that was for sure. Tugging the blanket still around her shoulders a bit tighter, Sam walked around the pull-out before crawling onto the opposite side and snuggling close to Jack to share some of the blankets over him. He was nice and warm, and she was easily lulled into a comfortable sleep just by the nearness of him.

-

When Sam reluctantly opened her eyes the next morning, she wasn't all that surprised when she noticed that Jack was gone from under the pile of blankets. She sat up and sleepily rubbed at her eyes, ran a hand through her messy hair and stretched before crawling off the pull-out. She shivered from the lack of warmth in the room, her gaze swinging toward the fireplace where the embers were still glowing faintly, though the fire itself had long-since died. From her vantage point, Sam could see into the kitchen where Jack was standing by the counter looking confused and staring at the cupboards.

Sam padded over to him in time to hear the sudden rumbling of his stomach. She smiled faintly, realized that he was probably looking so confused because he had no idea where anything was, and gently touched his arm. Having stopped at a grocery store on their way to the cabin, Sam had picked up a few things and quickly stored everything away on the night of their arrival. She didn't remember much where she'd put everything herself; she'd been half asleep when she did it. "Let's find you something for breakfast, okay?" Sam smiled at Jack when he turned in her direction. Digging through the cupboards, she fished out a box of cereal and held it out to him. "Fruit Loops?"

Jack nodded and grabbed the milk out as Sam pointed to the fridge in the corner. He set the carton on the counter while Sam found a glass bowl and rinsed it in the sink first to get rid of the thin layer of dust.

-

After breakfast, once Sam and Jack had each taken quick showers (since Sam wasn't confident the hot water would last), Sam had gotten Jack to go out and shovel the layer of snow that had accumulated overnight on the walkway while she tidied up the cabin a little. The place hadn't been used in a year and it was quite dusty.

Sam had peeked out the window to check on Jack every five minutes while she cleaned up and he finished shoveling the snow outside. She'd gotten the fire roaring up again and checked down in the basement to assure herself the heat was working. It was, but not too well. She sighed, thankful for the warm layers of clothes she'd put on, then set some water to boil on the stove before she went to call Jack back inside.

When Sam opened up the front door, she could see that all the snow had been shoveled off the porch, though a little sloppily, and the walkway had been cleared as well. She had to admit that she hadn't really expected him to get much done, but after she'd explained to him what he needed to do, he'd quickly gone to work, eager to help. Sam spotted Jack just off the walkway, grabbing handfuls of white powder in the small snow drift. "Hey, Jack," she called, getting his attention and smiling warmly as he turned her way. She waved him over where she stood on the porch. "C'mon inside, it's freezing out here!"

Jack dropped the pile of snow in his gloved hands and stood up straight, turning toward Sam. He shuffled his booted feet, making his way toward her and stomped up the frozen porch steps.

When Sam ushered him inside, she instructed him to take off his snow-encrusted boots first. Once he'd managed to get them off, Sam set them on the stone by the fireplace to dry, along with his gloves. After helping Jack shrug out of his jacket, she hung it up on the coat rack by the door and tugged on his arm to pull him to stand by the warm fire. As he tugged off his hat and dropped it by the gloves and boots, Sam turned to him and smiled. He was rosy-cheeked and red-eared from the bitter cold outside.

Suddenly remembering the water she'd left to boil, Sam gasped and patted Jack on the arm. "I'll be right back with some hot chocolate," she told him hurriedly and dashed into the kitchen.

Sitting down on the floor in front of the fireplace, Jack stared down at his damp socks and made a face, wiggling his cold-stiffened toes. He bent forward and began tugging the socks off to slap them down on the warm stone where his hat, gloves, and boots were drying.

Carrying two mugs of steaming hot chocolate, Sam found Jack sitting on the floor with his knees bent, as close as he could possibly get to the grate in front of the fire. Setting their drinks down on the coffee table, she went over to him and cocked her head to the side. "Jack, what are you doing?" she asked him with a small smile.

He tilted his head back and looked up at her, wiggling his bare toes and quietly answering, "M'cold."

Sam just shook her head and knelt down next to him, just noticing his pant legs that were soaked up to his knees. "Well, it's no wonder! Your pants are all wet!" she exclaimed, taking hold of his arm and tugging him to his feet. Sam pointed toward the bedroom where she'd stuck his duffel under the bed. "Go and change before you catch cold," She suddenly felt like an overbearing mother scolding her child and immediately scratched out those thoughts. This was no child, this was Jack; and although he sometimes had a childish way about him these days, he was still an adult, the man she loved buried deep in that mind somewhere.

Jack shuffled to the room without protest and went to put on some dry pants.

Watching him enter the bedroom, Sam flopped down on the couch and reached for her mug of hot cocoa. She sipped it slowly, twisting in the worn sunken cushions so that she was mostly facing the fire. Within minutes she heard Jack shuffling back toward her, and as he appeared in her peripheral vision she tilted her head and smiled towards him as he came to sink into the couch beside her.

Jack reached for his hot chocolate, cupping the mug in both hands and sipping it slowly. He soon set the mug back on the table and leaned back into the cushions with a soft sigh, his eyelids fluttering.

Sam smiled over at him and laid a hand on his leg, causing Jack to swing his gaze toward her lazily. "Tired?" When he stared back at her without responding, she patted his knee. "It's okay, I could use a nap myself after all that cleaning. Let's rest for a little while, okay? Then we'll have some lunch."

Nodding, Jack twisted around and tugged the blanket down that hung over the back of the couch. He pulled it over himself and slumped sideways on the couch, drawing his legs up and curling into a ball to leave Sam room.

She smiled at his thoughtfulness, whether it was intentional or not. Getting up for a moment to retrieve another blanket, Sam then sunk back into the comfy couch, slouching at an angle so she could lie comfortably without disturbing Jack.

-

Changes
Chapter Eight: Hockey

"Jack?" Sam murmured aloud, waking from her brief slumber. She could have sworn she'd heard him. Maybe she was just dreaming? Sitting up, Sam blearily swung her gaze around to her left where he'd claimed that corner of the couch for his nap. Her eyebrows rose curiously when she discovered a rumpled blanket, but no Jack. Getting up off the couch and scanning what rooms of the cabin she could see from her vantage point, Sam critically eyed the door to the big walk-in storage closet that was suspiciously wide open.

She padded across the floor and stepped inside the closet, half expecting to see Jack huddled on the floor with his hands on his head, suffering one of his headaches. He still sometimes found a place to hide and endure the pain alone when he suffered particularly bad episodes. Sam's concern grew when she didn't find him there, even after checking behind a row of hanging quilts and overcoats. Turning to step out of the closet, Sam tripped over something strewn across the floor and glanced down to see what it was. A pair of hockey skates laid on the floor along with an old worn helmet and some gloves.

A thought suddenly occurred to Sam as she bent down to find a big hockey bag stuffed under a small shelf that was built into the wall. The bag had been opened and obviously dug through. "Jack," she surmised, getting to her feet and suddenly gasping at the implications. "Oh God, the pond!" Sam exclaimed, already dashing for the back door, hastily shoving her feet into her boots and throwing on her coat.

Sam ran through the snow clumsily as she dashed toward the little dock, freezing in her steps when she spotted Jack out on the frozen pond. He was standing very still with his back to her, but from what she could see he was awkwardly holding a hockey stick in one hand. Jack wasn't too far out, but Sam wasn't sure how thick the ice was, and feared that he may fall in. Her heart thudded loudly in her chest as she reached the dock. Sam's eyes were on him as he carefully shuffled on the ice, moving further out until there was a loud crack. "Jack!" She screamed involuntarily.

Jack started at the sudden sound of her voice and spun in place too quickly, his booted feet losing their precarious grip on the ice and flying out from under him. He fell fast and landed hard, the back of his head cracking down on the ice with a resounding 'thwack!'. He wasn't moving.

"OhGod!" Sam's hand flew to her mouth and she hurried out onto the ice, carefully stepping across the slick surface. Several more cracks sounded as she neared Jack's prone form, and she prayed the ice would hold. Thankfully it hadn't broken when he landed, and that was a small blessing in itself. She didn't know what she would have done if he'd fallen through.

Dropping to her knees beside him, Sam gently moved her hand beneath Jack's head to carefully lift it from the ice. His eyes were closed and the knock to his head seemed to have caused him to black out. Laying her free hand on his chest, Sam tried to wake him, her heart in her throat. She thought his head to be so fragile and wasn't sure he could recover easily from such a blow since his accident. "C'mon Jack, please wake up," she pleaded, tears springing to her eyes.

His face scrunched up in pain after a moment and he opened his eyes, the dark brown orbs fixing on Sam with confusion.

Sighing with relief, Sam lifted his head a little more and helped him to sit up. He was still making faces like he was in pain, and she knew his head must have hurt. Even though she was aware that it might not be a good idea to move him right now, she wanted to get him off the ice. Sam wasn't very confident that it would hold much longer as she nervously watched spider-web cracks spreading out from beneath their bodies.

As Jack shifted a little more, Sam noticed his pained expression change quickly. Before she had a chance to do anything to move out of the way, Jack let out a moan and threw up on her. She grimaced, more out of sympathy than disgust, moving her hand behind him and soothingly rubbing his back. The hit to Jack's head must have triggered his nausea, and she instantly felt guilty. If I hadn't freaked out and yelled his name he wouldn't have fallen.

Raising his eyes to Sam and looking ashamed and miserable, Jack ducked his head and murmured a soft, apologetic, "Sorry."

"No, no, it's okay," she was quick to reassure him, continuing to rub his back. "It's not your fault," Sam smiled warmly at him. "Think you can get up now?" When Jack slowly nodded, Sam carefully got to her feet, bracing herself on the slippery ice and ignoring the vomit over both hers and Jack's coats as she gently pulled him up with her.

While they made their way off the ice and stepped up onto the dock, Jack stopped and glanced longingly back out on the frozen pond.

Sam turned her head to see that it was the abandoned hockey stick he was staring at. "Don't worry, I'll go and get it after, okay?" she told him coaxingly, wanting to get him inside as soon as possible so she could assess his injuries.

Instead of nodding, Jack simply turned in the direction of the cabin once more and slowly continued shuffling through the snow.

-

Sam shoved a few more logs in the fire and got to her feet, turning to the couch behind her. She'd pulled out the bed after bringing Jack inside and getting them both cleaned up. After having Jack lay down, Sam brought him some Advil for his head, not wanting to use the stronger medications unless it was really necessary. However, after he'd thrown up again when she first took him in the bathroom to clean off the earlier vomit, Sam had him take the anti-nausea pills.

Kneeling on the couch bed beside him, Sam gently instructed Jack to lean forward, and she examined the back of his head where he'd struck the ice. Feeling a small bump with her gently probing fingers and getting a wince from Jack, she had him lie back again. "How's your head?" she asked him softly, seeing that he was still making a face like he was uncomfortable.

Jack touched a hand lightly to the side of his head where the scar was over his right ear. He gave her a confused look, then tapped the scar twice and murmured, "O..kay,"

Smiling, Sam shook her head. "No, not there," she reached a hand behind his head and gently touched the bump under his short hair, "There," she pointed out, softly.

Grimacing slightly and squinting one eye, Jack frowned. "Hurt," he told her in a low murmur. He recalled slipping on the ice when she yelled his name and his brows furrowed slightly. "Sam...start..l'd....me," stumbling a bit over the words, he shifted on the bed and leaned his head back into the soft pile of pillows to keep him propped up.

Sam lowered her eyes guiltily. "I know Jack, I'm sorry I startled you. I didn't mean to," she apologized softly. Her hand went out to rest on his arm. She took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "You scared me, that's all. I didn't know where you were, and when I found you out on the ice..." Her heart thudded as her earlier emotions washed over her, "I-I was scared you'd fall in. I heard a crack.." Sam trailed off, her voice beginning to tremble.

"Sorry.." he whispered, slouching sideways and leaning into her shoulder. Jack didn't totally understand what had scared her, but he knew she was feeling bad and he didn't want her to feel that way. He tilted his head and smiled crookedly up at Sam. "Still...love..me?"

A choked laugh escaped Sam's lips and she smiled back at him, reaching an arm behind him and lightly stroking his hair, careful to avoid the bump. "Yes Jack," she assured him in a heartfelt voice, keeping the tears at bay. "I still love you... No matter what," she promised in a whisper. Her other arm found it's way around him and she pulled him close.

Jack leaned into her embrace as she held him tightly and gently stroked his hair. Her loving ministrations were soothing to him, and when he was unable to fight the exhaustion any longer, finally succumbed to sleep.

When she was certain that Jack was in a deep, restful sleep, Sam carefully eased him out of her arms and shifted the pillows behind him so he could lay on his side. Squirming slowly toward the edge of the couch bed, she draped a blanket over him and went to tend to the fire. It wasn't late, but the cloud cover was rather heavy and it was getting dark already, the temperature outside dropping significantly.

Sam was tempted to get her cell phone and give Janet a call, but the doctor had planned on visiting with Cassie, and by her accounts, should have been arriving in the morning anyway. Confident enough that Jack would be alright, Sam promised herself she'd keep a very close eye on him and tell Janet of his little incident when she arrived.

Getting a strong rumbling from her stomach, Sam cast one more glance over at Jack on the couch bed before heading into the little kitchen area. She took out some canned soup from the cupboard and turned on the gas stove. It wasn't a gourmet meal or anything, but she admitted that she couldn't really cook, and food was food. Luckily, Janet knew how to cook and promised to bring stuff along.

-

Late that afternoon Jack had woken and gone with Sam to the kitchen to eat some soup. Sam had to reheat it for him, but he finished off an entire bowl before going back to the couch, claiming he was tired. The cabin was very chilly again as the night progressed, and Sam didn't bother waking Jack to send him to the bedroom. She kept the fire going strong, and laid several blankets down on the area rug in front of the fireplace for her bed.

After contemplating crawling onto the couch beside Jack as she'd done the other night when he'd stolen her bed, Sam decided against it and snuggled down into the blankets by the fire. She wasn't sure what time Janet would be arriving the next day, and if it was really early, Sam thought it might be a little awkward if her friend found she and Jack in bed together, even if it was innocent enough.

-

Pulling up to the cabin in her Jeep very early the next morning, Janet gathered up some things with her over-tired daughter and headed for the front porch, slogging through a fresh layer of snow.

"Man, it's cold up here!" Cassie exclaimed with a shiver, shrugging her pack over her shoulder and following her mom up the steps.

Janet smiled to herself and pulled out the key Sam had given her before they left. She turned back to Cassie and put a finger to her lips. "I'm not sure if they're sleeping; it's still pretty early, so let's stay quiet, okay?"

"'kay," Cassie nodded as Janet pushed open the door and stepped inside. The sun hadn't fully shone yet, and it was pretty dark inside, a warm orangey glow coming from the fireplace. The cabin was warm and smelled of wilderness and burnt wood, in a good way. It made the place feel comfortable and homey. Cassie smiled, liking the old familiar atmosphere instantly. She remembered Jack taking her up to the cabin when she was younger, and teaching her how to fish. There hadn't been too many opportunities to visit up there with him, but she'd enjoyed and cherished every one of them.

Peering around the open space, Janet carefully set her things aside, out of the way of the door, and gestured that Cassie do the same. She then took a grocery bag filled with plastic food containers and tip-toed toward the small kitchen to store them away in the refrigerator. Once that was done, she quietly returned to where her daughter now stood in the sitting room, squinting at the lump of blankets on the pull-out. "Cassie, is that Jack sleeping there?" she whispered.

Cassie shrugged, moving around the couch and noticing the rumpled blankets laid out in front of the fireplace as well. That pile was obviously unoccupied. The lump on the pull-out couch shifted slightly, alerting the teen that it was indeed occupied, though whether it was Sam or Jack she couldn't tell. "Might be Jack," she mumbled quietly in response to her mother. Cassie shrugged again. "Or it could be Sam. I dunno."

Janet glanced around the dim space. "Whoever it is, there's still someone missing," Gesturing for her daughter to wait there, she made her way to the small hallway where the bathroom and bedroom were. The light under the bathroom door got her attention first, but before she could knock or speak into the door, it swung open and she jumped back, startled.

"Janet!" Sam shrieked in a hushed exclamation of surprise. She flung her hand over her mouth and grimaced. "Sorry, you scared me," she whispered, smiling. "I didn't think you'd be here this early."

Recovering from her own surprise, Janet relaxed and smiled. "Sorry. We were trying to keep quiet so as not to wake you or Jack. I have to say, I'm surprised you're up at this hour," she stated, taking in her friend's freshly-showered appearance.

Sam smiled tightly and zipped her sweatshirt up more. It was still pretty chilly in the cabin this early in the morning when the sun had yet to rise. She moved out into the hall with Janet, waved over at Cassie, and gestured that they go to the kitchen. Sam sat down in one of the old wooden chairs heavily after offering Janet some coffee, which she readily agreed to. "Jack's been up on and off all night. He's just gotten back to sleep again, and since I was up, decided I might as well make some coffee and have a shower now so there's still hot water left for him later."

Janet's brows furrowed slightly. "Something bothering him? Headaches, nausea, nightmares?" She listed off the usual suspects.

"No," Sam shook her head, then had a thought and added, "Well, I suppose it's mostly headache related, but not the usual cause." She frowned slightly as Janet eyed her quizzically. "Jack slipped out on the ice yesterday and hit his head," a grimace flitted across her face at the memory. "I think he may have a minor concussion, and planned on having you take a look at him when you got here."

Appearing a little concerned, Janet smiled at Sam reassuringly. "Insomnia can be a delayed symptom of a concussion. Did he lose consciousness?"

Sam nodded worriedly. "Briefly, yes. When I knelt down beside him, his eyes were closed, but I rubbed my hand against his chest and he woke. He threw up shortly after that."

"Probably caused by the trauma and disruption to his equilibrium. His original head injury has probably made him sensitive to things like that." Janet's eyes shifted thoughtfully. There was no doubt in either Sam or Cassie's minds that she was completely in doctor mode at the moment. "We've had theories about this, but he hasn't had another head injury since the accident to go by."

Again nodding in understanding, Sam found her gaze shifting past where Cassie sat and staring toward the couch where Jack still slept. "You can wait until Jack wakes up before checking him over, right Janet?" she questioned softly. "I mean, if it's urgent, by all means... But I think he needs rest more than anything right now."

Janet smiled warmly at Sam's show of concern. She nodded in agreement. "Yes, it sound's like he definitely could use the rest. I wouldn't worry too much Sam, so long as he doesn't suffer anything out of the ordinary for a simple concussion." Janet lightly and reassuringly touched Sam's arm. "He'll be fine."

"I'm hungry," Cassie announced with a hand on her rumbling stomach. "Sam, you got any cereal?"

Sam smiled, grateful for the teen's perfectly timed subject change. "Fruit Loops okay?"

The teen nodded. "I wouldn't expect any less with Jack around."

Laughing softly, Sam got up and went to snatch the cereal out of the cupboards.

-

Sitting around the table and chatting softly while Cassie finished her breakfast, Sam explained what had happened for Jack to be out on the ice in the first place. Sam had felt horrible for not thinking about securely locking the doors when she'd taken her little nap. She knew that Jack still wasn't quite dexterous enough to figure out the lock mechanisms and that simply locking the doors would prevent him from taking any unsupervised jaunts outside. Janet had been quick to reassure Sam that she shouldn't lay guilt on herself.

The three women kept quiet and ate some breakfast as Jack continued to sleep for the next two hours. Cassie was the first to notice him waking, as she'd been folding up the blankets that were piled on the floor by the pull-out. The teen set the neat pile on the armchair and headed swiftly into the kitchen where Sam and her mother were still talking. "Hey Sam, I think Jack's waking up."

"Alright, thanks Cass," Rising from her chair, Sam nodded and went into the small living room to sit on the edge of the couch bed. She gently laid her hand on the lump of blankets. "Jack? You gonna get up?"

The lump emitted a muffled groan before Jack's head came free of the blankets and he blinked sleepily at her, his hair standing up every which way. He grumbled again and Sam smiled lovingly as he squirmed toward her and laid his head on her lap. She couldn't resist gently stroking her hand through his hair, simultaneously checking the lump on the back of his head. Jack didn't seem to notice as she lightly ran her fingers over the slight bump. It was much less pronounced than it had been, and Sam gave a satisfied nod.

"Janet and Cassie got here while you sleeping," Sam told him softly, still stroking his hair. She twisted slightly so she could see behind the couch into the kitchen. Janet and Cassie were sitting at the table once more, waiting for her to get Jack up. Sam wanted to make sure he was fully awake before seeing them. She stopped stroking his hair to pat his shoulder. "C'mon, sit up now."

Jack tilted his head so that he was looking up at her. He looked like he was still pretty tired, and Sam knew he probably hadn't gotten enough sleep throughout the night since he'd been awake every few hours, moving around on the bed restlessly. Sighing softly, he pushed himself to a sitting position, throwing the pile of blankets out of the way and scooting toward the edge of the bed. His legs flopped over the side and he sat somewhat hunched over with his hands in his lap.

"You feeling okay, Jack?" Sam asked him softly and reached behind him to soothingly rub his back. When he nodded slowly, her gaze flicked to the kitchen before returning to him. "Wanna go and say hi to Janet and Cassie now?"

With a small smile Jack nodded again and stood as Sam helped him straighten out his rumpled t-shirt that had gotten all twisted during the night. He shuffled after her toward the kitchen, still blinking a bit sleepily and running a hand through his messy hair.

Cassie smiled, standing up as Jack stopped by the table. "Hey Jack, I missed you," she told him, wrapping her arms around his waist and leaning her head on his chest as she gave him a big hug.

Jack slowly wrapped his arms around the teenager and briefly rested his cheek on the top of her head. "Hi..Cassie," he mumbled softly in greeting.

Janet got up and gave Jack a quick hug when Cassie stepped back. "Hi Jack, it's good to see you."

Smiling slightly, Jack murmured a quick, "Doc," before shuffling toward the counter where he spied his box of cereal.

Sam followed him to the cupboards, taking out a bowl for him and then opening the fridge to retrieve the milk. She kept an eye on Jack as he carefully shook the box of Fruit Loops over the bowl, then handed him the carton of milk and gently guided his hands as he tried to pour it over the cereal. "Good job," she praised lovingly, putting everything away and making sure he had a spoon as he took his breakfast over to the table.

Sitting at the table again, Janet tilted her head and smiled at Sam. "I brought chicken pot pie for dinner."

"Mm, sound's good." Sam smiled. "Anything's better than more canned soup or my own cooking," she laughed softly.

Cassie looked at Jack for a moment, then turned to Sam. "We brought a little tv with a built-in VCR for Jack if you ever need to keep him busy while you're here," she smiled tightly.

"It should keep him from wandering out onto the frozen pond again too," Janet added lowly.

Sam grimaced and turned to watch Jack, making sure he wasn't suffering any effects from the head trauma. He seemed fine; maybe a bit sluggish and tired, but otherwise fine. She felt the tiredness had more to do with the fact that he hadn't slept very well rather than the whack to his head. At least he had an appetite, which was always a good sign.

Janet was watching Jack guardedly as well. She noticed that Sam had let him get away without shaving for the past couple of days, seeing that he had a good amount of salt and pepper scruff on his face. She smiled a little as Jack finished eating and got up to put the bowl in the sink.

Cassie got up from her seat and moved toward the front door, waving at Sam and her mom. "I'll go and get the tv out of the car," she told them, glancing briefly at Jack and getting a nod from her mom. "We brought some of Jack's videos that he had at our house, too."

"That was very thoughtful of you Cassie," Sam smiled at the teen. As the door close behind her, Sam turned to find Jack standing beside her chair. He tapped her shoulder lightly and his eyes moved in the direction of the bathroom down the hall.

"Shower now?" Jack asked in a soft voice, raising an arm to point in the direction his eyes kept going.

Rising from her seat, Sam nodded at him. "You want to take your shower now?" When he nodded back, she smiled gently. "Okay, go on and get your clothes then. I'll turn on the water."

Turning, Jack shuffled from the small kitchen and made his way down the hall to the bedroom.

Sam automatically got up to follow him in case he needed help, telling Janet to make herself at home and relax for a little bit while Cassie came back inside and worked on getting the television set up for later.

-

Changes
Chapter Nine: Dorothy

Staring out the window out the back of the cabin, Cassie's gaze drifted toward the clear path the led into the woods, the layer of snow clean and untouched. She glanced behind her where her mom and Sam chatted on the couch while Jack sat on the floor in front of the tv, a blanket over his shoulders as he watched The Wizard of Oz. He'd watched the movie countless times whenever he stayed over with her, Daniel, and her mom, and Cassie had seen it at least half the number of times with him. Smiling to herself, the young teen padded across the floor and stood at the end of the couch to gain her mother's attention. "Hey Mom?"

Janet glanced up, pausing in her conversation with Sam and looking to her daughter. "What is it, sweetie?"

Cassie's attention shifted briefly behind her toward the window. "Do you think it'd be okay if I took Jack with me for a walk on the path?" She asked innocently, hoping Sam and her mom wouldn't object. With the sun shining, it had gotten a fraction or so warmer out, and she'd been getting bored just hanging around inside the cabin all afternoon and longed for something to do.

Sighing thoughtfully, Janet glanced from Jack to Sam, a silent question in her mind.

Sam shrugged. "I don't see why not. I'm sure Jack will enjoy the time outside," She smiled at the teen when a big grin lit Cassie's face.

"But it's still really cold out and I don't want either of you out there for long, got it?" Janet added, receiving an exasperated sigh from her daughter. "I want you to bundle up good, and you've got to keep a close eye on him, and stay on the path."

Cassie rolled her eyes this time. "I know Mom."

Janet narrowed her eyes slightly at her daughter, "I'm serious Cassie. You can't let him wander off. In these near-freezing conditions it could be very dangerous out there."

"I know," Cassie reiterated, smiling reassuringly at her mother and Sam. "I won't let Jack out of my sight. Promise," she told them confidently. There was no way she'd let anything happen to him, and was always very responsible whenever she was with Jack alone, no matter how short of a time it may be.

Sam smiled at Cassie and got up off the couch, laying a hand on the girl's shoulder. "Don't worry, we trust you," she smiled again and turned to Jack as the ending credits of the movie rolled across the screen. "Jack, you want to go outside with Cassie?" she asked him gently.

Turning where he sat, Jack stared from Sam to the young girl for a moment and nodded. He tossed the blanket from his shoulders and climbed to his feet.

"Cass, I still want to keep an eye on him for any signs from the concussion, so if Jack looks like he's getting dizzy or nauseas I want you to bring him right back, okay?" Janet instructed her daughter calmly. She had her own reservations about letting Cassie take him outside, but she knew her daughter wouldn't take him far and had to remind herself that the teen was very responsible, especially when it came to Jack.

"Okay Mom," she looked up at Jack and smiled, taking his hand as she and Sam led him over to the coat closet. "C'mon Jack, we've got to get all dressed up nice and warm before we go out," Cassie told him cheerfully.

-

After taking nearly fifteen minutes to get decked out in two layers of pants, wool socks, boots, fleece pull-over, heavy jacket, hat, and gloves, Jack was finally outside and heading toward the snow-covered path with Cassie leading the way. He took in the beauty of the untouched snow on the path before them, enjoying the feel of being the first to step into the fluffy white powder.

"I'm so glad it's snowed here the past few days," Cassie commented as they trudged along the path. "There was barely any snow in Colorado when we left," she kept up the chatter as they walked, keeping aware of Jack at all times. He moved steadily along at her right side, about a step behind, but not far enough away that she couldn't see him there. The teen knew the paths in the woods fairly well, and was intent on keeping to the one that simply circled the pond and not straying much farther than that. She figured that should give them enough time for a nice walk without freezing their butts off.

They'd gotten nearly half way around the pond when Jack came to an abrupt halt, causing Cassie to stop and back up a few steps to reach him. Despite the warmth of her boots, her toes were already starting to get cold, and she just wanted to keep moving. "Jack?" she tried to get his attention, standing directly in front of him and looking up into his face. His eyes were shifting from side to side. "What's the ma-"

"Shh," he shushed her, turning toward the trees off the path to the right as he seemed to be listening for something Cassie hadn't heard the first time.

The teen got quiet, almost certain that Jack was probably hearing squirrels or deer in the distance or something, making their way through the trees. She remained still along with Jack for the next several seconds, and was about to insist they keep moving when she heard it. It sounded like a whine, high pitched and not too far away. As Jack straightened up and headed through the trees, following the sound, Cassie scrambled to follow him after a second's hesitation. "Jack, wait!" she called after him, but it was no use.

Following Jack closely through the thickening brush, Cassie was just thankful that no matter how far out he took her, they'd be able to follow their footsteps back. She nearly collided into his back when he stopped, but she couldn't see why because he was blocking her view. Pushing some frail saplings out of the way, Cassie stepped around him and finally spied the source of the high-pitched whine. A big dog, German Sheppard by the looks of it, was curled up in a ball beneath some snow-covered branches of a big pine tree, shivering and looking downright miserable and lost.

Jack cocked his head to the side and fearlessly took a step closer to the animal, intent on comforting the creature when Cassie grabbed his arm and tried to jerk him back.

Cassie knew she couldn't effectively stop him. Jack was still much stronger than she was, but he did give pause and turn to her with a puzzled frown on his face. "Jack wait, it might be dangerous," she warned him, the look in her eyes pleading with him to listen. "It could bite you."

Turning again, he pointed at the animal with his free hand. The dog had raised it's head in interest, cocking it's head at them and staring with wide, hopeful amber eyes. Bits of frost dusted the tips of the poor dog's ears and nose. "Dog...s'cold," Jack tried to explain to Cassie, his voice soft and imploring her to understand.

Chewing her bottom lip nervously, Cassie was helpless to stop him as he moved closer to the dog, crouching down on the snow in front of the big animal. She watched nervously, making sure the dog didn't look as though it were going to attack him. But the dog didn't look vicious at all. It looked tired and cold, and starved for the love and comfort a human friend could provide. Watching tentatively, she could see that Jack hadn't lost his touch with animals. He was holding out his hand, palm up, for the dog to sniff, before gently stroking the animal's head when he'd gained the approval of a friendly lick.

Jack shifted closer to the dog, continuing to stroke her head and body in a gentle manner. He looked over at Cassie and smiled. "Take home," he said softly, wrapping his arms around the dog and lifting the animal as he stood.

Cassie made a face; an uncertain grimace. "Ah, Jack... I don't know if this is such a good idea.." she trailed off as Jack stopped in front of her, the big dog in his arms, waiting for her to lead them back to the cabin. Heaving a sigh, she hung her head and nodded, turning around and following their footsteps back through the snow. "Okay, let's go."

-

Janet was pre-heating the oven to put in the chicken pot pie while Sam added more logs to the fire when Cassie and Jack returned. She looked toward the back door as it swung open, her teenage daughter coming through off the back porch. Janet paused as she watched Cassie hold the door open wide and wave Jack inside. Surprise lit her face as she realized that the former Colonel had brought in a souvenir. "Sam, I think you'd better come and see this!" Janet immediately called to her friend.

Sam had heard the back door open, but hadn't bothered getting up from where she knelt in front of the fireplace, adding more logs to keep it going strong. But at Janet's call, she hastily got to her feet and hurried over, coming to a halt with wide eyes when she noticed the large animal held carefully in Jack's arms. "Holy Hannah," she breathed, taking in the sight.

"I told him I didn't think this was a good idea," Cassie murmured quietly with a grimace, ducking her head sheepishly. She was really hoping to avoid some kind of lecture from Sam and/or her mother.

"Found her," Jack announced, eyes drifting briefly to the big German Sheppard in his arms. "Was..cold," he added more softly.

Sam sighed and glanced over at Janet, but the doctor shrugged, not knowing what to say. Tilting her head to the side, Sam raised an inquisitive eyebrow as she studied the dog that seemed very content being held in Jack's arms. "How do you know it's a her?"

Jack offered a half shrug and shifted his tiring arms. "Her," he said plainly, stepping around Sam with the dog and gently lowering the animal to the area rug in front of the fireplace. "Warm..up now," He was speaking quietly to the animal, patting her head as she gratefully curled her large frame up in a ball, the heat of the fire working slowly to drive out the chill.

"You think she's a stray?" Janet asked, still carefully watching Jack with the dog out of the corner of her eye.

"Gotta be," Sam answered absently, crossing her arms over her stomach, "There's no other signs of civilization for twenty miles."

"She's been pretty friendly," Cassie added helpfully, silently hoping, for Jack's sake, that they didn't have to send the beautiful dog off to a shelter. He seemed quite attached to the animal already. When neither of the adults commented, she spoke again. "I don't think she's hurt either. Probably just stiff from being half-frozen out there," the teen tried playing on the adults' sympathy.

Sam smiled tightly at the teen and wandered toward Jack and the dog, getting down on one knee. She was hesitant to pet the animal, so instead, she laid a hand on Jack's shoulder. She smiled gently when he looked her way, and right then made the decision that they were keeping the dog. "So," she whispered conversationally to him, "What are you going to name her?"

Jack's head tilted as he stared down at the dog, scratching gently at the scruffy fur along her neck. A faint smile twitched across his face and he said, "Dor'thy."

"Dorothy, huh?" Sam couldn't help the laugh the escaped. "That's a perfect name," she smiled at him. Leave it to Jack to name a dog after a character from The Wizard of Oz. She suspected it was either that or someone from The Simpsons.

Seeing that Jack was still dressed in his coat, hat, gloves, and all the extra layers she'd made him put on before going outside, Sam gently tugged him to his feet. "Why don't you take off some of these extra clothes and get ready for dinner, okay?"

Nodding in reply, Jack pulled his hat off, making his hair fluffy from static electricity, sticking up in all directions. He dropped the hat on the stone by the fireplace and fumbled with the zipper of his jacket, the thick gloves impeding his efforts.

Giggling softly, Sam reached out to still his hands. "Here, let me help," she tugged down the zipper of his coat and then pulled the gloves from his hands.

Janet watched Sam get Jack out of the extra layers while Cassie shucked her gloves and hat, doing the same. She helped her daughter hang up her extra things by the fire, then put a hand on her shoulder and smiled. "Cass, why don't you dig around the cupboards and see if there's some plastic bowls under there that we can use for Dorothy's food and water?"

"Okay," Cassie nodded with a smile and headed to the little kitchen, suddenly missing her own dog at home. Teddy, she'd called him. Jack had given her that dog shortly after her arrival on Earth, and she loved him to death. She mentally reminded herself to give the loveable pooch a big hug when she returned to Colorado, and knew that Daniel would be taking good care of him for her.

-

Sam was incredibly touched as she watched Jack interacting with the half-frozen dog he'd carried in from the snow. The big German Sheppard’s tail thumped against the floor in front of the fire as he sat there beside her, stroking her fur and giving her a good belly rub as she rolled over submissively. Apparently Dorothy had thawed out rather well. When they'd been eating supper she'd gotten up and wandered tentatively toward them to sniff at the food and water bowls Cassie had set down at the end of the counter on the floor. They'd poured some microwave-warmed canned soup into her food bowl, and the big dog had lapped it up hungrily. After eating she'd sat herself on the floor by Jack's chair, then followed him back into the sitting room once he'd finished.

While Sam and Cassie sat on the floor around the coffee table playing cards, Janet noticed that Jack looked like he was getting tired. His head kept drooping where he sat on the rug with Dorothy, his hand slowing as he continued to lightly scratch her behind the ears. Setting down her tea, she jerked her head in Jack's direction when Sam glanced over at her, then nodded.

"Hey Jack, we're all getting tired. You about ready for bed?" Janet called to him softly. Cassie looked up, taking the hint and began packing up the cards as Sam got to her feet and went over by the fire.

Jack turned and blinked sleepily at Sam and Janet. He rubbed at his fluttering eyelids and yawned.

"C'mon," Sam coaxed gently with a warm smile, grasping his arm. "I'll go get your medicine and you go put on some pajamas, okay?" When he got to his feet, she grimaced at the sound of his knees cracking as his legs uncurled. He'd been sitting in front of the fire with the dog for a while, his face scrunching up slightly in discomfort as he stretched.

To Janet's surprise, Dorothy uncurled from the floor, stretched, and followed Jack to the bedroom. "That dog is quickly becoming his shadow," she commented softly with a smile, hands on her hips.

Sam smiled and tried not to laugh, "Hero worship?"

Janet let her own laugh escape and shook her head with a shrug. Cassie was already moving the coffee table out of the way and tossing the cushions off the couch to pull the bed out for Jack. The doctor went to help as Sam left to fetch more blankets and pillows along with Jack's pills.

Sam returned to the sitting room before Jack had finished changing, tossing the extra pillows and blankets on the nearby armchair. With a contemplative expression on her face, she stared at the fireplace a moment, then looked to Janet and Cassie. "You know, the bedroom gets pretty cold at night. We could all camp out in here if you want. It'll stay warm as long as we keep the fire going," she suggested, adding a few more logs and setting the grate back in place.

Cassie looked at the remaining floor space. "I don't think there's enough space."

"It's okay," Sam assured her with a smile. "We'll just fold the couch back up and make more room on the floor."

Janet laughed, "There's our genius, always thinking," she commented, earning an eye roll from Sam as they went to put the couch back, first making sure to steal the blankets.

Sam, Cassie, and Janet had set up four sleeping spaces on the floor for each of them, dividing up the many blankets and pillows that had been pulled out of storage. Suddenly wondering what was taking Jack so long, Sam had started to get up when she heard a bark from the bedroom. Eyes widening anxiously, she hurried down the hall, afraid that Dorothy might've turned on Jack and attacked him. Her heart was beating wildly in her chest until she stepped into the room.

Jack was standing by the bed in some flannel pants and a sweatshirt, leaning slightly to his right and hanging onto the German Sheppard’s scruffy fur. The dog's ears were back, her tail down and swishing slightly behind her. "Jack, are you okay?" Sam asked him softly with concern.

Jack gave a brief nod before squeezing his eyes shut and scrunching up his face in discomfort.

Sam couldn't help but notice that Jack's grip tightened on Dorothy and he leaned a little more into her sturdy frame. She knew something was wrong. "Jack, do you have a headache?"

"Uh-uh," he murmured in denial, thinking better of moving his head this time.

"Alright," Sam went over a quick mental list in her head, factoring in effects of concussions to the list of things that usually bugged him. She also took in the way he was standing, or more like leaning, against Dorothy. The dog whined and nudged her head against his leg. "Dizzy then?"

"Mrm," with a faint grunt, Jack made another face and opened his eyes, taking a few steps toward the door with Dorothy remaining steadfast at his side.

Taking his arm gently, Sam slowly guided him back to the sitting room where everyone was gathered, noticing that even though he'd released his hold on the dog, Dorothy was carefully walking with him, her side brushing up against Jack's leg as he moved. "Let's get you settled. I've got your pills and some water all ready."

Janet looked over with concern as Sam and Jack appeared, with Dorothy tagging along. "Everything okay?" she asked carefully, studying the expressions on both Sam's and Jack's faces.

"Yeah," Sam nodded as she brought Jack over to the heavy pile of blankets in front of the couch and had him sit down. "Jack's just a little dizzy, that's all," she assured the worried doctor with a small smile. After pulling some blankets up around him, she handed him a glass of water and his medicine.

Nodding with understanding, and aware that the dizziness was just from his concussion, Janet sat down amongst her own blanket pile near Cassie and relaxed. Her daughter was already curled up in a tight ball, fast asleep. She smiled and glanced toward Sam, who was now making her way around the cabin to secure locks and turn off lights. The comforting glow from the fireplace was enough to see as well as they needed if anyone had to get up in the night to use the bathroom or something without stepping on each other.

"Goodnight Janet," Sam whispered, seeing that Cassie was asleep as she stepped around them to get to her spot near Jack. He was laying on his side with Dorothy curled close to his back.

"'Night," Janet whispered back, laying her head down as she yawned.

Sam laid down, facing Jack and pulling her blankets up around her shoulders. She mentally reminded herself to look up the nearest vet when they were back in Colorado so she could have Dorothy properly checked out and get the animal's shots up to date. It was already determined that there was no chance the German Sheppard would end up in a shelter. No, she was definitely coming home with them.

-

With the sun peeking through the windows and annoyingly shining on her face, Sam snuggled closer to the warmth next to her. As the knowledge sunk in that she was cuddled close to Jack with Cassie and Janet sleeping in the same room, her eyes snapped open. She found herself curled up to Jack's side, one arm draped over his chest. Lifting her head when she noticed something fuzzy in her line of vision, Sam could see Dorothy lying at Jack's other side, her head on Jack's stomach, pointed ears up and amber eyes staring back at her.

The dog's head lifted as Jack stirred, and Sam rolled away from him and sat up. Her head whipped around to where Janet and Cassie had been, and she heaved a thankful sigh as she noticed they were both still asleep. Turning her attention back to Jack, she saw his dark eyes blink open as he smiled tiredly, first at Sam, then at Dorothy as he lifted his left hand to pat the dog's head.

"Good morning," Sam whispered to him with a smile.

Jack slowly sat up without a word, pushing the heavily piled blankets off himself. He climbed to his feet with some protest from his knees and back from lying on the floor, made a face, and stretched. Dorothy quickly bounded to her feet at his side, eager to go wherever he was going.

Yawning, Sam figured now was as good a time as any to start the day, so she got up as well. She wanted to keep quiet and let Janet and Cassie sleep, knowing that they had to have gotten up really early the previous day to make it to the cabin that morning. As Jack shuffled off toward the bathroom, Sam gently grabbed the scruff at the back of Dorothy's neck when the dog went to follow. When the German Sheppard turned her head to look at Sam, ears up in a curious manner, Sam smiled and shook her head, pointing to the back door. "Dogs use the bathroom outside," she said softly, patting her thigh for Dorothy to follow her as she made her way to the door.

Since they didn't have a leash for the dog, Sam pulled on a coat and slipped her feet into the nearest boots, which happened to be Jack's. She opened the door, and Dorothy immediately trotted out across the snow to find a spot to do her business. Closing the door behind her, she wandered out to the edge of the deck to watch the dog somewhat anxiously, a little nervous that she wouldn't come back and Jack would get really upset. She could already see how attached he was to the dog.

After a few minutes Sam was fighting off the shivers and began calling Dorothy back. She stepped down off the deck when the dog didn't come, beginning to feel a little worried. Dorothy had headed into the trees and she couldn't see her anymore. "Dorothy! Please come back!" Sam yelled, stamping one foot and turning back to the door for some reinforcements. She hated to have to wake Janet, but this was an emergency. Pulling the door open, she nearly gasped as Jack stood there on the step, blinking at her.

"Jack," Sam grimaced and glanced back toward where the dog had run off. "I let Dorothy out to go to the bathroom... I...I think she needs a few more minutes," she hated that she was lying, but didn't have the heart to tell him that the dog might not be coming back.

Tilting his head a little, Jack stepped down onto the snowy back deck in his sock-clad feet. He passed Sam and looked off toward the trees, spotting some movement in the bushes. "Dor'thy?" he murmured so softly that Sam had barely heard, and she was a few feet away.

Sam's eyes widened as the German Sheppard poked her snowy head out from some underbrush. She heaved a sigh of relief when Jack patted his leg and the dog bounded toward him with her tongue hanging out. Dorothy looked like she was grinning. Sam smiled. It seemed like this dog was just as attached to Jack as he was to her.

Jack had a small grin on his face as Dorothy reached him, jumping up with her big paws on his chest so she could lick his face. He laughed softly and ruffled the fur atop her head before she dropped back to all fours, tail wagging back and forth happily.

As her eyes drifted downwards, Sam noticed that Jack had no coat on and was standing in the snow without shoes. "Jack, get inside right now before you catch cold! Your socks are soaking wet and it's freezing out!" She hurriedly shooed him back into the cabin, Dorothy trailing directly behind him.

Back within the warmth of the cabin, Sam had Jack sit down in the kitchen to take off his wet socks as she dug out some leftovers to feed Dorothy and refilled her water bowl. Cassie had found some old plastic bowls they were now using for the dog. "How's your head feel today?" She asked Jack absently, setting down the food dish against the wall by the other bowl.

Jack's expression was thoughtful as he idly watched Dorothy wolf down her food, taking a short break to lap at the water.

When Jack didn't answer, Sam looked up to see that he'd gotten distracted staring at the dog. She stood in front of him where he sat at the table and touched his shoulder. "Jack? Does your head hurt at all?" She lightly ran her hand through his hair, her fingers gently probing the back of his skull to find that the bump from his fall had nearly gone. He didn't show any signs of pain when she touched it either. "Jack?" she asked again.

"Nn..no," he answered with a slight shake of his head.

"Good," Sam smiled, and without even realizing it, she bent down and kissed the top of his head.

Jack looked up at Sam, his attention immediately diverting from the dog with the contact. He smiled crookedly back at her and got to his feet when Sam leaned back. "Hungry," he murmured, heading for the cupboards.

"Me too," came a voice from behind.

Sam turned to see Janet standing there with a sleepy-looking Cassie shuffling into the kitchen behind her. She smiled warmly at them. "Good morning,"

"Morning. What's for breakfast?" Janet asked teasingly with a laugh. Jack wasn't paying any attention to them, already pulling out his usual cereal.

"Can we make pancakes?" Cassie asked with a yawn.

"Sure can," Sam nodded at the young teen and pointed in the direction of the cupboards under the sink. "See if there's a mixing bowl under there. I know I bought some pancake mix. It's probably with the cereal and stuff,"

"Okay," Stretching with another yawn, Cassie went for the cupboards, pausing when Jack pulled out the carton of milk from the fridge. She took a second to help him pour it into his cereal without spilling, guiding his hand like Sam usually did. When she handed him a spoon, he took the bowl and went over to the table.

"Jack, save some room. We're gonna make pancakes," Sam told him as he sat down and began eating his Fruit Loops.

He nodded slightly and leaned sideways for a moment, peering under the table. Dorothy had finished her own food and was now laying on the floor over Jack's bare feet. He smiled and wiggled his toes a little, tickling the dog's belly. When Dorothy gave a snort and looked at him, he sat up again and went back to eating his cereal as the dog continued to lay there and keep his feet warm.

-

Changes
Chapter Ten: Visitor

After some cajoling from Sam and Cassie, Jack joined in making the pancakes too, and by the time they were done, they had several stacks of misshapen, somewhat circular pancakes, and the three of them were liberally spattered with both wet and dry batter. Jack had powdered mix in his hair and on the tip of his nose, along with gooey slop down the front of his sweatshirt and all over his fingers. Even poor Dorothy hadn't been able to escape the mess. The dog had been laying under the table until Jack tempted her out with a somewhat-burnt pancake and unintentionally smeared her fur with batter when he gave her a pat on the head.

Sam and Cassie had been keeping things fairly clean the entire time, at least until Jack pulled open the mix bag and nearly a quarter of the powder went flying out all over the place. Janet had been drinking her coffee and reading an old magazine to avoid the chaos, but couldn't help laughing at the sight of the three of them.

Dragging Jack toward the kitchen sink to at least wash off his hands before they ate, Sam grabbed a cloth and shooed Cassie off to the bathroom. "Try not to touch anything!" She called after the teen.

"How do you expect me to turn on the faucet?!" Cassie shouted back somewhat sarcastically.

"Well..." Sam paused in thought and looked at Janet, who was simply smiling because she was perfectly untouched by the mess. "Touch as little as you can!" Sam finished with a sigh, shaking her head with a laugh and helping Jack to wash the sticky batter off his hands while doing the same for herself.

When everything and everyone was relatively clean, they all sat around the table having their fill of the misshapen pancakes.

The rest of the afternoon was spent making a snowman out back, baking cookies and drinking hot cocoa afterwards. They watched movies when it got too cold to be outside, and played board games and cards. It was a relaxing get-away for Cassie and Janet, and Sam and Jack both enjoyed their friend's company. By mid-afternoon Janet and Cassie had packed up and were on their way for a long trip home. Soon Jack and Sam's own little vacation would be over, and they'd be returning to Colorado Springs with their new companion, Dorothy.

-

They'd been back in Colorado for nearly a week, and Sam had gotten back to work. There had really been nothing scheduled for SG-1 in the several months Sam had been home from her Tok'ra mission, but she didn't mind. The team had pretty much been using their time for R&D stuff, and helping out with Jack. Teal'c actually spent more time going off-world as a temporary addition to other SG teams than Sam or Daniel did. They knew that General Hammond had been very easy-going with the team since Jack's injury, and basically let them choose their own assignments unless they were urgently needed. All of them were grateful for that, glad that Hammond understood how much Jack needed his friends - his family - around.

Sam was busy in her lab working on a three-dimensional computer model of an artifact brought back by one of the SG teams when Teal'c came in with Jack. She swiveled on her stool and smiled at them. "Hey guys,"

"Major Carter." Teal'c smiled a little and bowed his head. He stood in his customary pose, hands clasped behind his back. "O'Neill requested that we come see you,"

"Oh?" Sam smiled over at Jack.

He gave a small grin and rocked back on his heels. "Sam...get lunch?" Jack asked, his head tilting slightly, a somewhat hopeful-looking expression on his face.

Glancing toward her laptop, Sam shut it down and slid off her stool. "Sure," She lightly touched the Jaffa's arm. "Coming, Teal'c?"

"Indeed," Teal'c nodded, and the three of them left the lab for the commissary.

When they got there, Sam was surprised at the visitor that awaited her, sitting at SG-1's customary table. "Dad!" She gasped in surprise, her mouth gaping open in shock. Sam looked sideways at Jack who was grinning broadly at her right. Laughing, she lightly swatted his arm. "You knew, didn't you?" she accused teasingly.

"Uh-huh," Jack murmured with a nod, positively beaming at Sam. It made him feel good seeing her so happy.

Without even thinking anything of it, Sam gave Jack a hug and kissed his cheek, right there in the middle of the commissary. Several looks went their way, but were quickly diverted with Teal'c's warning stare. Sam was inwardly grateful for the Jaffa's intimidating presence at that moment. She hurried over to her father and gave him a hug before sitting down across from him at the table.

"Hey Sam, how are you?" Jacob greeted his daughter with a grin. He hadn't seen her in the past two months, and had to go by brief radio transmissions from a Tok'ra communication device that only worked when he wasn't too far away. Jacob didn't expect to be able to visit for at least another month, but the High Council meetings he'd been involved in had smoothed out much quicker than anticipated, and he got lucky.

"I'm good Dad," Sam smiled widely, "I'm really good." She reached across the table and took one of his hands.

Teal'c took Jack over to the table and nodded to Jacob. They'd seen him earlier, and that was why Jack had wanted to retrieve Sam. The Jaffa explained to Jacob on Jack's behalf, being used to reading O'Neill's gestures and fractured speech, therefore able to get his friend's point across to Jacob. They had him wait there in the commissary while they went to get Sam, hoping to surprise her. It had worked, and Teal'c could see that Jack was pleased with the results.

Jack tugged on Teal'c's sleeve and pointed over to the food line.

"I believe O'Neill now requires nourishment," Teal'c explained to Jacob and Sam, giving them a slight bow and following after Jack as the man wandered toward the line.

Sam turned her head, watching Teal'c catch up with Jack for a moment before her gaze strayed back to her father.

"George tells me that Colonel O'Neill's doing better," Jacob commented quietly. The last he'd seen of Jack, the man wasn't really talking at all and had a dazed look about him nearly all the time. The difference was quite obvious now.

"It's just Jack now Dad," Sam corrected, earning her a brief, narrow-eyed stare from her father before she answered. "And yes, he is doing better," she smiled and found herself looking for Jack and Teal'c in the food line again. "He still has his good days and his bad days," she added a little more soberly.

Jacob's eyebrows rose a little and he slowly slid his hand away from his daughter's. "But I take it that today is a good day?"

Sam turned and smiled at him, almost a proud or hopeful twinkle in her deep blue eyes. "Yep, today's a good Jack day."

"Sam," Jacob began in a gentle, fatherly tone, his voice low. "Listen, I'm sorry the Tok'ra couldn't help Jack before. George told me he contacted them when it first happened. You know we tried. They tried. The healing device just isn't capable of repairing that type of damage, and you know we don't use a sarcophagus."

She couldn't help but duck her head slightly and sigh. "I know Dad," she whispered sincerely, "It's okay."

Jacob bowed his head, his voice changing as he relinquished control to his symbiote, Selmak, for the moment. "Jacob and I both understand that O'Neill means a great deal to you, Samantha."

If Sam was shocked at the sudden change, she didn't show it. Instead, she gave a small, almost sad smile as her gaze shifted sideways and to the floor. "He does. He means a lot," she murmured, more to herself than anything. When she looked up again, she could tell just by the expression on her father's face that it was him, and Selmak had taken a back seat again.

With a small smile, Jacob nodded and looked past Sam where Teal'c was returning with Jack, each carrying trays of food. The Jaffa's stride was sure and casual, while Jack's was a little slow and hesitant as he moved deliberately, seemingly trying hard not to drop or spill his food. "Bring any for us?" He joked.

Sam looked over her shoulder and pulled out the chair next to her as Jack carefully set his tray down on the table and sat.

Jack shook his head at Jacob before taking a sip from his glass of juice. "Not...for you," he said firmly, picking up half his sandwich and placing it carefully on a napkin in front of Sam with a faint smile. "Sam eat," he said quietly, then reached for the other half of his sandwich and took a small bite.

"Thank you," She smiled at Jack and gently patted his hand, then looked up at her dad and tried not to laugh at the look on his face.

"Wow, shot down," he muttered jokingly, his eyebrows going up and down before he slid his chair back and stood. "I guess I'd better go get something to eat then."

"That is unnecessary," Teal'c took a cup of soup and a plate of turkey with gravy off his heavily laden tray and slid it over to Jacob as he took the seat beside him. "There is plenty of food here."

Jacob snorted with mild amusement and sat down again with a grateful smile for the Jaffa. "Thank you, Teal'c," he gazed down at the unappetizing dish before him, then quietly added, "I think.."

With a slight bow of his head, Teal'c dug his fork into his meatloaf and took a big bite.

-

Jacob met Sam in her lab later that evening, to find she was just finishing up her work to head home for the night. Jack was nowhere to be seen, but he knew that the man would have been looked after, whether he was with Daniel, Teal'c, Janet, or someone else. Jacob smiled at his daughter as he leaned in the doorframe. "Hey Sam."

"Hey Dad," Sam closed her laptop and put away some papers before turning to him. Her brows furrowed slightly when she noticed he was in civvies, carrying a duffel bag at his side. "Going topside?" she asked him curiously.

"Actually," he took a step into the lab, "I was hoping you'd let me stay with you tonight. I haven't got to spend enough time with you, and I'd rather not stay the night on base,"

Sam ducked her chin, grimacing slightly. "Dad..." she hesitated, "I told you I'm not at my place anymore, remember? I moved in with Jack at his house." She hoped he recalled the conversations they'd had several weeks ago through radio transmissions.

"I know, I remember," Jacob nodded, the look in his eyes telling her that he didn't care. "Think Jack would mind having an extra roommate?" He grinned.

Smiling, Sam tilted her head and walked with her father out of the lab, shutting down equipment and lights and swiping her card to lock the door behind them. "I don't think he'd mind," she paused. "But are you sure you'd be okay with it?"

"Yeah," Jacob smiled reassuringly at her. He cocked his head to the side and chuckled softly to himself. "Hey, and I'll even treat for dinner. Pizza?"

Sam laughed and nodded. "Sure, pizza sounds great Dad," They began walking together toward the elevator. "Jack should be in the rec room with Teal'c about now. We just have to stop by and get him,"

"Alright," Jacob nodded, coming to a stop in front of the elevator as Sam fished out her card and swiped it quickly, "Let's go get him then."

-

Sam paused at the front door with the key turned in the lock when the sound of loud barking was heard. She glanced over at her dad. "Sorry, I should have warned you."

Jacob's eyebrows rose. "I didn't know Jack had a dog."

"Yeah," she laughed softly and smiled, looking at Jack for a brief second. He was waiting impatiently, looking unsure as to why Sam hadn't opened the door yet. "Since about a week ago," she answered her father before carefully opening the door, just a few inches at first.

Shrugging, Jacob stood back a little from the sound of the intimidating barks and allowed Jack to go in ahead of him, after Sam.

"It's just us, Dorothy," Sam called soothingly as she stepped into the house, Jack close behind her. The barking stopped almost immediately as the dog took a good look at her humans and Sam bent down to pet her on the head.

"Dor'thy!" Jack called happily, spreading his arms as the dog bounded toward him. The German Sheppard’s big paws landed square on his chest as she jumped up to lick his face, knocking Jack backward on his butt as he landed on the floor.

"Dorothy! Take it easy!" Sam scoldingly shouted with a gasp of concern.

Jacob had stepped sideways in surprise when the big dog bowled over her owner, but he could see that Jack was smiling where he sat with the animal practically in his lap, licking his face like crazy, her tail thumping excitedly.

Sam heaved a sigh, part relief, and part exasperation. "Alright Dorothy, that's enough," she tugged at the Sheppard’s collar and tried to tug her back a bit. "Jeeze, you're acting like you haven't seen him in days!"

The dog whined in protest.

Jacob bent a little and grasped Jack by his upper arms to haul the younger man to his feet. He found himself freezing in place when the dog made a lunge and growled at him. Thanking his lucky stars that Sam was holding her back, Jacob immediately released Jack's arms once he was standing upright on his own. He held his hands out in a non-threatening manner. "Whoa, easy girl, I wasn't hurting him," Jacob coaxed gently.

"Dor'thy, no." Jack pointed at the dog in a less-than-commanding tone. He patted her on the head soothingly before turning sideways and grabbing Jacob's arm. "Good," he said, his voice softening slightly. "Jacob...good."

"Sorry Dad," Sam quickly apologized with a grimace. "She gets very protective of Jack, and she doesn't know you yet," she explained, still holding onto Dorothy's collar.

"It's okay," Jacob nodded with a brief smile, "I understand."

Jack's soft words to the dog seemed to cause her to relax with the stranger's presence, and he pulled on Jacob's arm, having him hold out his hand for Dorothy to sniff. "Ja..cob good," he reiterated, his speech fracturing a little more.

Jacob forced himself not to tense as the German Sheppard stared up at him with wary amber eyes while sniffing his hand. Then, seemingly satisfied that he was a friend and had Jack's approval, Dorothy gave Jacob's hand a friendly lick, then turned and casually walked away as Sam released her. He'd almost been afraid the dog would sense his symbiote, and not understanding the strange scent, would become confused and attack.

When Jack moved down to the lounge with Dorothy turning to lope after him, Sam smiled at her dad and took his bag, "You can stay in my room, I'll take the couch."

Jacob lightly grabbed her wrist as she turned to go down the hall. "Sam, I didn't ask to stay so I could take your bed."

"It's okay Dad," Sam insisted. "I'll be fine on the couch," she gave him a look that said there would be no more arguing, then left to bring her father's bag into her room.

Jacob was sitting down in the leather armchair when Sam returned, Jack lounging on the couch with Dorothy laying on the rug by his feet. He got up as Sam came in and turned on the tv. "How 'bout I order that pizza now?"

Sam nodded with a smile and pointed toward the phone in the kitchen. "Number's on the cork board by the phone," she told him, going over to the couch and plopping down beside Jack.

-

Changes
Chapter Eleven: A Little Help From Dad

Having a good time chowing down on pizza and watching movies in the lounge until pretty late, Sam had finally called it a night so everyone could get some sleep. She'd set up the couch for herself, carefully explaining to Jack that she'd be there instead of her room in case he needed anything, because her dad would be staying in her room. Once Sam made sure Jack was settled in his bed, with Dorothy taking up a lower corner near his feet, she slipped out of the room and said goodnight to her dad. Remembering to take the baby monitor's receiver from her room, so it wouldn't disturb her father, Sam set it up on the lamp table by the couch and went to sleep.

Not getting much rest on the couch, Sam rolled onto her side to try and get comfortable and fall back asleep. Closing her eyes once more to try and find rest, she heard a noise from the monitor on the lamp table, close to her head. Blinking with furrowed brows, Sam sat up to listen, trying to discern what was going on in Jack's room. He wasn't screaming or anything, which served to relieve her a bit, but there was definite noise from the monitor. Slowing her breathing, she listened carefully. There was a lot of rustling of blankets, like Jack was twisting around in bed or something, then she heard Dorothy's quiet whimper, followed by a sharp sigh and muffled groan.

Kicking away her blankets, Sam got up off the couch and headed down the dark hall to Jack's room. The door had been left open as always, so the light from the hall could get in. She padded into the room quietly and looked toward the bed. Jack was sitting there with his legs dangling over the side of the bed, Dorothy laying at his side with her head resting on her paws. "Hey, you okay?" she whispered, trying not to startle him.

Jack looked up, and Dorothy raised her head to look at Sam at the same time. He didn't answer. There was an uncomfortable look on his face as Sam came over and sat down on his other side.

"Does your stomach hurt?" Sam tested carefully, settling a soothing hand between his shoulder blades. "Jack, do you feel like you're gonna throw-up?" She remembered giving him the anti-nausea medication before bed, but there was always a small chance he could get sick anyways, and he didn't appear to be suffering a headache.

"No," Jack finally murmured with a sigh, his shoulders sagging. He rubbed at his forehead and glanced sideways at her. "Can't..sleep...Sam."

"Okay." Sam nodded and stood. He'd been having trouble staying asleep through the night since his fall on the ice at the cabin. This had her a little concerned, but she'd expressed her worries to Janet, and the doctor had assured her it was probably lingering affects from the concussion. Janet had even run an MRI and CT scan when he'd returned home to be sure nothing else was wrong.

Sam gently ran her fingers through Jack's hair and smiled at him comfortingly. "How 'bout I turn on the tv then? We'll see if that helps you get back to sleep," she suggested, already going toward the tv on the dresser and turning it on. She grabbed for the remote nearby and set the volume down very low as she switched over to the Discovery Channel. There was a special about the migration of salmon on, and she figured it would work to put Jack back to sleep.

After having him lay down once more, Sam sat up beside him on the bed, leaning against the headboard with an extra blanket tossed over her. Dorothy finally settled between their feet after a few minutes. She stayed with Jack, knowing that if she left he wouldn't get back to sleep. She was pretty tired herself, and hoped that he would drift off again soon.

To Sam's dismay, Jack had only fallen asleep half-way through the Discovery Channel special to wake up again nearly an hour later. It was close to 0300, and Sam was even more tired now than she had been. Jack had been moving around restlessly for the past fifteen minutes; sitting up, laying down, curling up in the middle of the bed, putting his head on her lap, and even laying down on the floor for a short time. Nothing was working to put him back to sleep for any significant amount of time. Sam couldn't even envy Dorothy. The poor dog had been awake at each of Jack's movements, unable to lie still and rest.

Hearing the door open across the hall, Sam sat straighter, hoping that they hadn't woken her dad.

"Sam?" Jacob whispered from the doorway, leaning in cautiously.

Sam turned. The light from the tv illuminated her father's face. "Hi Dad," she returned quietly. "I'm sorry, did we wake you?"

"Ah, no, not really," Jacob answered, taking a slow step into the room. He scratched at his bald head as his eyes trailed from the big German Sheppard curled up by his daughter's side, then to Jack, who was lying on his back at the end of the bed and staring up at the ceiling. "Everything okay?"

Heaving a tired sigh, Sam raised her eyes to her dad helplessly. "Jack's having trouble staying asleep. Nothing that usually helps is working tonight."

Jacob's brows furrowed and he moved closer to the bed, looking down at Jack when the younger man lazily swung his gaze toward him and stopped staring at the ceiling. "Hi Jack," he said quietly.

Blinking, Jack rolled to his side before sitting up and spinning around with his legs folded, facing Jacob. He just looked plain tired. There were dark circles already forming under his eyes and his face was a little drawn.

"I've got something we could try," Jacob suggested, turning to glance at his daughter when she looked at him questioningly.

-

Half an hour later, Sam sat down on the edge of Jack's bed where he was laying on his stomach with a microwave-warmed towel over the back of his neck. She rubbed his back soothingly in big, slow circles over his t-shirt. Looking over at her dad, where he was sitting at the end of the bed petting Dorothy, she asked, "How long should I keep this up?" Sam continued to gently rub Jack's back as she spoke.

"Just a few more minutes should do it," Jacob answered softly with a small smile. "I think he's pretty far gone already," He scratched Dorothy behind the ears until she got up and paced in a circle atop the mattress a few times before curling up in a ball against Jack's legs.

Sam was smiling back at her father. "How did you know this would work?" a bit of surprise showed in her quiet voice.

Jacob grinned back knowingly. "It's the same method your mother and I used to get you back to sleep when you were little." He tilted his head as she raised her eyebrows.

"Really? I...don't remember," she shrugged, slowly stopping the motion of the circles and just resting her hand on Jack's back to see if he'd stir. He didn't, so she dragged her hand away carefully and settled it in her lap.

"I didn't expect you to," Jacob stood after lovingly reaching over to pat her hand, "You were really young. You got over the sleeping issues pretty quick," he smiled again.

Sam just gave a nod, not knowing what to say. Her father hardly ever spoke of her mom, and she was glad he'd brought up something happy for her to think about. She yawned then, blinking tiredly and deciding she really needed more rest. "Sorry for keeping you up like this, Dad," she apologized softly. "You should get back to bed, there's still a few more hours 'till daylight," Sam offered with a shrug.

Jacob smiled and waved a finger at her as he headed toward the door. "That goes for you too young lady."

Nodding at his exit, Sam turned her attention back to Jack. He was still laying on his stomach with the towel over the back of his neck. When he shifted a little with an incoherent murmur, Sam placed her hand on his back and took up rubbing in slow circles once more. Jack was laying still again within moments. Too tired to risk another round of insomnia with him, Sam pulled the extra blanket over herself and laid next to him on her side, a hand still on his back.

-

Jacob was up, showered, and dressed by 0500. Having Selmak meant that he really didn't need much sleep, so waking up in the middle of the night and helping out Sam with Jack hadn't tired him at all. He wasn't really surprised to find that his daughter hadn't returned to the couch, but didn't quite know what to think when he found her on Jack's bed, cozily snuggled up beside him.

She loves him Jacob, Selmak spoke to him in his head. But nothing has happened between them physically. I can sense that concerns you.

Jacob scrubbed a hand across his face and went to the living room, his face reddening slightly. I REALLY don't want to be talking about this right now. Not to you, not to anyone. This is my daughter we're talking about!

Jacob, Selmak argued. In basic terms, O'Neill has been mentally handicapped since his accident. Samantha is not going to try to pursue a relationship with him until she believes he has recovered enough to understand what they would be doing, and he can truly comprehend that he loves her. And she DOES believe he will recover efficiently enough. She must believe it.

Yeah, Jacob heaved a sigh. I figured that too. I know my daughter. But I don't want her getting her heart broken if Jack doesn't get much better.

He will, Selmak insisted. And I believe we can be of some help.

Jacob was interested now. This was the first time Selmak had mentioned these private thoughts, when nothing was usually kept quiet between them. He sat down on the couch and proceeded to think between himself and Selmak, listening to the Tok'ra's ideas and plans to help O'Neill.

-
Almost fifteen minutes later, some noise from the monitor still sitting on the lamp table by the couch got Jacob's attention. He got up and went to Jack's bedroom, leaning into the open door. Jack was awake, turning on his side while Sam slept on, curling into a ball and tugging the blanket around herself tighter. Figuring Jack wouldn't be falling back to sleep again this time, Jacob lightly snapped his fingers to get the younger man's attention without waking his daughter.

Jack sat up, brows furrowed as he blinked curiously at Jacob. Dorothy had sat up now too, and was staring at him as well.

"Shh," Jacob put a finger to his lips and waved Jack over. "C'mon. Try not to wake Sam," he whispered.

Glancing down at Sam as if first noticing her, Jack tilted his head and gently stroked her cheek with the tip of his finger. He sat there gazing at her for a few more seconds before slowly and carefully crawling off the bed and padding across the floor where Jacob stood in the doorway, Dorothy on his heels after hopping off the bed.

Jacob smiled at him with a friendly pat on the shoulder as they turned from the bedroom. He slowly closed the door behind them to ensure any noise they'd make wouldn't be heard by Sam. It was quarter past five and she had finally been able to go back to sleep only a few short hours ago.

As Jacob headed to the kitchen to start brewing some coffee, Jack went to go use the main bathroom with Dorothy waiting outside in the hall. If you insist on drinking coffee, than would you please not make it too strong. You know I really detest the stuff, Selmak was telling him as he prepared the coffee-maker. "Yeah, yeah," Jacob muttered softly aloud.

Fixing his coffee, Jacob looked up when Dorothy came into the kitchen, cocked her head at him and went over to the door, scratching at it with her front paw and whining. "Need to go out?" He asked, looking around for Jack. Not seeing him, Jacob shrugged with a sigh and got up, opening the back door for the dog. Dorothy dashed outside, jumping down the back porch steps and tromping through the yard to go do her business.

Jack came up beside Jacob, where he stood in front of the glass door, looking out into the snowy backyard. He pressed a finger against the glass and quietly said, "Dor'thy..out?"

Jacob looked at him. "Does she need to go out, or did I let her out?" He asked, trying to understand what Jack was trying to tell him. When Jack tapped on the glass again and repeated his words, Jacob took a chance and told him, "She's out there. I let her out."

Nodding, Jack turned and shuffled toward the dog's bowls that were on the floor next to the counter. He bent and picked up the water dish before slowly going over to the sink. Turning on the water, he filled the bowl and set it back in it's place, only spilling a little, next taking the food bowl and moving to the food storage closet.

Sitting back down at the table, Jacob sipped at his coffee as he watched Jack take a scoop of dog food from the big container on the floor of the closet and dump it into the bowl. After Jack returned it to its place by the water dish, Jacob continued to keep an eye on him while he opened the door and let Dorothy back in. Jack's easy, practiced movements told Jacob that he was going through a familiar routine.

Reaching for the old newspaper laid across the kitchen table, Jacob idly scanned over the pages. It really didn't matter how old the paper was, he hadn't been on Earth in awhile and the care packages Sam had been sending him when she could didn't usually contain newspapers. He made a mental note to ask her for next time. Lifting his head a moment, Jacob noticed Jack filling a bowl with colorful cereal before opening the fridge door and pulling out a carton of milk. "Jack!" Jacob barked suddenly when Jack struggled to pour the milk into the bowl, sloshing the liquid over the side onto the counter before it dribbled to the floor.

"Jack, hang on a second," came Sam's gentle voice from the kitchen entrance. "He needs help with stuff like that," she glanced at her father somewhat sternly before hurrying to Jack's side as he made a face and stared at the mess, struggling with what to do about it. She had to push Dorothy away to keep the dog from lapping up the milk. Sam could tell that her father's sudden shout had startled Jack, even though she knew he hadn't meant to sound harsh.

"I'm sorry Sam," Jacob apologized as he got to his feet, "I didn't know," he said quietly. "I didn't mean to yell either. Just a reaction, sorry." Wetting a kitchen rag in the sink, he helped her clean up the spill.

"I know," she paused and looked up to smile at him a little. "Thanks," Sam nodded at her father and turned back to Jack. "It's okay Jack," she smiled reassuringly at him as he continued to stand there indecisively, getting out a spoon and taking his cereal as she led him over to the table. She pulled out a chair and sat down beside him, watching him frown and jam the heels of his hands into his forehead. He seemed frustrated. Sam's eyes widened in curiosity as she watched him, placing a comforting hand between his shoulder blades. "Don't worry Jack, it's okay."

"Can't," Jack muttered, shaking his head and hitting his forehead with the heels of his hands. "Can't do...myself.. Can't," he mumbled, still shaking his head.

"Hey, hey, shh," Sam coaxed, rubbing his back. "It's alright Jack, we'll work on it." It was the first time he'd shown any sort of emotion like this concerning his progress, or lack thereof in some situations. This in itself was progress.

Heaving a sigh, Jack lightly thumped a fist against the table and stared, almost thoughtfully, at his cereal before he started eating. The former frustration was seemingly forgotten or dismissed quickly.

Jacob moved back over to the table after putting the milk and cereal away. He handed Sam a cup of coffee, which she gratefully accepted. "You're off work today?" He asked conversationally, taking a seat across from her and Jack.

"Yeah," Sam nodded, sipping at her coffee as she absently watched Jack eating his cereal out of the corner of her eye.

"Do you have plans for the day?" Jacob wanted to spend more time with Sam, away from the base, while he could. He hoped she didn't have other things in mind. It seemed like it had been much too long since they'd last seen each other.

"No," she answered somewhat distractedly, then raised her head and smiled at him. "Why? Have something in mind?"

Jacob grinned with a shrug. "Just want to be around my daughter, that's all."

Sam nodded. She'd missed her dad as well. "It's actually pretty nice out today; the snow has even started melting. Depending what you're feeling up to, we could go for a walk in the park, go the mall or something, maybe out to lunch?" she shrugged, offering up ideas.

"Sound's good," Jacob smiled and nodded at her, folding his hands over the table.

"Alright," Sam glanced sideways at Jack again. "But first I'd really like to take Jack to see Janet. Maybe she could prescribe some sleeping pills, help him get through the night."

"Sure, that's fine," Jacob was reminded of something important at Selmak's sudden mental nudging. His eyebrows raised momentarily. "Ah, actually I need to have a little chat with George. I'll do that while you take Jack to see Fraiser,"

Sam's brows knit together in curiosity, but she let it go, guessing that maybe he just wanted a casual chat with an old friend, however unlikely that may be. She let it go. "Okay, that's settled then," she smiled briefly and took a few more sips of coffee, hoping for the caffeine to wake her up a bit more.

Jack had gotten up and wandered toward the lounge with Dorothy on his heels while Sam finished off her coffee and went for another cup.

-

Sam still had yet to convince Hammond to allow them to bring Dorothy on base, even after telling him she'd noticed Jack got a little antsy and had a harder time paying attention if the dog wasn't around. Both Jack and Dorothy acted different when the other wasn't there, though she knew that the dog worried more about Jack than he did for her. Jack was more dependant on Sam in that way.

She kept catching Jack looking down and at his side as they walked to the infirmary, as though expecting Dorothy to be there. She took his arm and squeezed it gently, smiling at him. "Come on Jack, you'll see Dorothy when we get home. Maybe we can take her out for a walk, okay?" she offered as they continued down the hallway before stepping through the infirmary doors.

Jack looked up and nodded slowly, with a soft, "Okay."

Satisfied that he was a little more focused now, Sam guided him over to a nearby, vacant bed and had him sit down as she went to the office to fetch Janet.

-

Hammond sat down in the comfortable chair behind his desk and gesture at the empty chair on the other side. "Have a seat Jacob. What can I do for you?" He asked with a genuine smile.

Jacob sat down, but it was obvious he wasn't really relaxed. "Actually George, it's what I can do for Jack." He smiled a little, having obviously peaked the General's curiosity. Leaning back a little, he folded and intertwined his hands in his lap. "Well, it's also what the Tok'ra can do," he added.

George sighed, brows knitting together. "I'd hope you would know better than to even suggest implanting Jack with a symbiote."

"No, no, it's not that at all," Jacob waved a hand, shaking his head. He looked up to meet George's grey-blue eyes, smiling somberly. "It probably wouldn't work anyway," He sighed. "Since the symbiote directly attaches itself to the host's brain, and Jack's is already damaged, it would take too much of the symbiote's effort just to repair the damaged portions of the brain enough to blend successfully. There's no guarantee the symbiote would even be able to function after that."

Nodding in sad understanding, even though he hadn't been considering making Jack a host at all, Hammond clasped his hands over the smooth surface of his desk. "Jacob, I don't know what you're thinking of doing, but you need to know this," the General took a steady breath, "We've already tried a healing device, and it just wasn't enough. And we've been out of contact with the Asgard and other allies with advanced healing technologies for nearly over a year."

"Yes, I figured that you would have tried that. And the Asgard are having troubles of their own; even the Tok'ra have been unable to reach them. I'm not sure about the others though," Jacob ran a hand over his mostly-bald head. "But we've got our hands on some medical technology that may be of help."

The General's chin lifted and his wise old eyes sparked with hope.

"The Tok'ra have acquired a medical pod reminiscent of the ones the Asgard have. We've been doing some testing over the past several months, and I believe that used in small increments, it may be able to help Jack's natural healing along. With his Ancient gene already speeding up the process, it should work. The only thing is that it can't be used more than once to work on such a significant brain injury,"

Brows knit together slightly, Hammond leaned forward and asked, "What would happen?"

Jacob hesitated briefly. "By speeding up the healing process too much, we've found that there's a risk the device will reverse the healing and cause more damage,"

"And you know this, how?"

"We've tested it," Jacob admitted, a flash of regret flitting across his features. "One of our Tok'ra operatives was badly injured during an undercover mission. She was near death. The symbiote within was badly damaged, as was the host body. She'd fallen from a great height and there was a significant injury to her brain. We went slow at first, using the pod once and repairing some of the brain damage in hopes that the symbiote would have been healed enough to deal with the rest," he sighed, lowering his head and allowing Selmak to continue. "Once able to breathe on her own, Del'ma was placed back in the pod for another round of treatment a few days later. She seemed well afterwards, but within a day her condition had deteriorated, and her brain could no longer function. She and her symbiote died shortly after."

Hammond was taken by surprise at the unexpected switch from Jacob to Selmak, but made no mention of it and listened to what they were telling him. "So this could be dangerous."

"Yes," Jacob returned with slight nod. "But the risk is minimal with only one treatment. We've gotten better results that way, and none of the patients' conditions have worsened since. The pod has been used on a human with no host also, and it's worked well."

Leaning back in his chair, George briefly put a hand to his forehead, then looked across the desk at his friend seriously. "You know I've got to speak with Sam, Dr. Fraiser, and the rest of SG-1 about this. But ultimately, Sam is going to have the final say."

Jacob nodded, looking slightly puzzled.

George smiled a little. "It's been written in Jack's living will. Long before his accident he'd given Sam permission to make important medical decisions on his behalf if he was unable to do so."

"Ah," smiling slightly in understanding, Jacob clapped his hands down on his thighs and stood.

"No matter what's decided, I want to thank you for the effort Jake," Hammond came around his desk and patted his old friend on the shoulder.

"Hey, I'm pretty fond of O'Neill myself, George," Jacob grinned wryly at him as he made his way to the door. "So, let me know when we'll be briefing the team on this, okay? If they wanna give it a go, then I've got to give the Tok'ra a heads-up so arrangements can be made."

"I understand," Hammond nodded. "I've got some thinking to do on this, but I figure we'll have a talk with SG-1 tomorrow. Enjoy the rest of your daughter's day off," he smiled and waved at Jacob as the man left, then leaned back in his chair, deep in thought.

-

"He was up a few times again last night," Sam was explaining to the doctor after Fraiser had finished her brief examination of Jack. "It took a while to get him back to sleep, and even then he was still up pretty early this morning,"

Nodding absently, Janet continued to study her patient. He was definitely showing signs of lacking sleep. Finally, she sighed and looked over at Sam. "Alright, I'll give you some sleeping pills for him, but I don't want him becoming dependent on them, so not every night, okay?"

Sam nodded her agreement.

"His sleeping patterns have been a little odd since the accident, as I'm sure you're aware, so I'm trusting you to be able to tell when he's sleeping normally, and when he needs the pills," Janet added, eyeing her friend seriously.

"I know," Sam was used to Jack waking in the night, sometimes getting up and moving around before going back to sleep, and she could tell when he was unusually restless, even for him.

Jack began impatiently swinging his legs against the bed.

"Okay Jack, we're going soon," she assured him with a gentle smile, moving beside the bed he sat on as Janet nodded to her and went to get the pills.

Tilting his head, Jack rubbed the back of his neck and looked at Sam. "Walk Dor'thy...a-at home?"

"Yep," she smiled at him and patted his leg, "We'll take Dorothy for a walk when we get home," Sam knew he was already getting antsy. She really needed to ask the General about taking the dog on base when Jack was around. Sam leaned against the bed and sighed, crossing her arms. "First I gotta find where Dad's gone off to," she said aloud to herself.

Jack slid off the bed and began rocking back on his heels impatiently.

-

Changes
Chapter Twelve: Not a Good Day

Dorothy was ecstatic when Jack finally came home, her tail thumping at a million miles an hour as she jumped up with her massive paws on his chest while she licked his face.

Jack grinned, turning his head away from the German Sheppard’s slobbering and patting her on the head affectionately. "Mm-missed me...huh?" He chuckled softly as she dropped her front paws back to the ground.

Sam gave the dog a friendly pat as she stepped around Jack, her father following behind and gently scratching Dorothy behind the ears. At least she wasn't growling at him anymore. Jacob got the feeling that the animal was getting used to him already.

Eager to go out and take Dorothy for a walk, Jack headed for the closet where her leash hung on the door and brought it over to Sam.

She couldn't help but smile at him. The dog was now eager to go as well, standing by Jack's right side, her tail swishing back and forth, ears perked and ready to go. "Okay Jack," she laughed a little and glanced at her father. "In a minute we'll go, I promise."

Jacob had started taking off his coat, but decided to leave it on when he realized they were going out again. "I suppose I should be grateful it's not freezing out today," he said lightly with a lopsided smile.

Sam flashed him an apologetic grin. "Sorry Dad, I already promised Jack we'd take Dorothy for a walk. You don't have to come if you just wanna stay inside," she told him, heading toward the kitchen and setting down her purse and car keys. Jack had taken a seat on the couch to wait, Dorothy sitting on the floor and leaning against his legs as he fumbled to clip the leash to her collar.

"Oh, I don't really mind. I'll come along for a walk. Could use some exercise," Jacob joked, stuffing his hands in the pockets of his heavy winter jacket.

"We'll just take a walk around the neighborhood, that's all." Sam left the kitchen and went back to the lounge. Jack was still struggling to clip on Dorothy's leash, so she helped him with that before they went to the door. He hadn't bothered to take his coat off, so they were ready to go.

-

They'd made it half way around the block, walking casually at a steady pace, Sam taking turns with Jack walking Dorothy. Sam was chatting with her father when Jack was pulled toward some trees by the big German Sheppard. "Jack, hold her tight," she called after him a little worriedly.

Jacob followed his daughter as she went after Jack and the dog.

Jack came to a stop before the big German Sheppard could pull him into the snow. He stretched out his arm and held the leash tightly as Dorothy sniffed around the base of a pine tree, her nose digging slightly into the white powder.

Sam relaxed when Jack held the leash firmly and didn't allow Dorothy to drag him wherever she wanted to go. When the dog had finished sniffing, Sam persuaded Jack to lead her back toward the street so they could continue their walk.

Jacob had gotten pretty quiet as they kept walking, contemplating what was to be said at the briefing tomorrow. Part of him just wanted to talk to Sam about it now, but he didn't want to spoil the rest of their day together, because he knew she wouldn't be able to think of anything else for a while after he explained his proposal to help Jack.

After walking for another five minutes, Sam noticed Jack slowing down and suddenly relax his grip on Dorothy's leash before he let it fall to the ground. "Jack," she called after him, quickly picking up the leash, although the dog didn't look like she was about to take off. Jack had put his hands to his head and shuffled into the snow off the side of the street. Passing the leash off to her father, Sam hurried over to Jack as he leaned up against a tree and slid to the ground.

Holding tightly onto Dorothy's leash as the dog tried to get to where her owner was, Jacob waited on the side of the road as his daughter went after Jack.

"Hey," Sam crouched beside him and put a hand on his shoulder. "Jack?" she tried to pull his hands down from his head, but he wouldn't let her. "Your head hurt?" she asked gently, already knowing he had one of his bad headaches right now. When he nodded slowly and gripped his head tighter, Sam stood from her crouch, a hand still lightly touching his shoulder. "It's okay, we'll go home and get your pills."

Jacob firmly held onto the big dog's leash and leaned back for balance as Dorothy made another lunge to get to where Jack and Sam were. "Sam, is he okay?" he called with concern.

"It's one of his headaches," she answered, sending her dad a thin smile. "I gotta get him home." Sam managed to pull Jack to his feet, and she stumbled with him back to the roadside, not wanting him to get all wet sitting in the snow.

Dorothy finally stopped trying to drag Jacob when Sam moved beside them with Jack. Jacob held onto Jack's other arm to help hold him upright when he saw them struggling.

"Dad, could you stay with him while I run back to the house and get my car?" Sam's focus was on Jack as he tried to remain on his feet, still holding tightly onto either side of his head, eyes firmly clenched shut. There was no way he would make the walk back to the house.

"Sure, I'll stay with him," Jacob assured her with a small smile.

Dorothy sat down, leaning against Jack's leg and not budging.

Sam let go of Jack's arm slowly and turned. "I'll be right back," she assured him softly, unsure whether or not he was even listening. She knew his head was probably hurting a hell of a lot, and wouldn't have been surprised if he didn't pay any attention.

Sensing Sam leaving his side and not wanting her to go, Jack's eyes flew open and an arm shakily struck out to grasp the sleeve of her jacket. "No!" he cried in a pleading croak.

She stopped and turned back to him. "Jack, it's okay," she tried, but her words didn't console him and he tugged her sleeve so she'd move closer.

Jacob let go of Jack's other arm. "Sam, I can get the car." It was obvious that Jack needed her then, and he wasn't going to take her away from him.

Sighing softly, Sam nodded. "Thanks Dad," she fished in her coat pocket and pulled out her key chain, handing it to her father. "The silver one is the house key," she explained, not bothering to point out that the key with 'Volvo' on it was for her car.

"Got it," Jacob smiled with a nod and tucked the keys away in his own pocket before heading back down the street at a brisk pace.

Jack was still clutching onto Sam's jacket sleeve with one hand, the other on his head. "It's alright Jack, I'm not leaving you," she promised, gently prying his hand from her sleeve and taking hold of his elbow to steady him. "Dad went to get my car and he's gonna come pick us up, okay?"

"Home? Suh-Sam... Go home n-now?" Jack asked shakily with a grunt, still in a lot of pain from the headache.

"Yeah, we're going home as soon as my dad comes and gets us," Sam smiled gently at him and briefly looked down at the dog, loyally sitting by his side. She wished there were park benches around so that she could have Jack at least sit down while they waited. He was leaning heavily against her now as though his legs might give out. "It's okay," she whispered soothingly, gently running a hand through his hair.

Jack groaned and started to slump further to the ground. Dorothy whined at his side.

"Okay, okay, easy," Sam had no choice but to let him sit down by the side of the road in a high snow pile. He would have fallen otherwise. She knew this headache was a bad one, and just hoped that he didn't black out on her. Dorothy was fidgeting and whining anxiously beside Jack, sensing that something was wrong.

Sam sat in the snow pile beside him, wrapping her arm around his shoulders as his hands went back up to hold onto his head as though it might fall off.

It took a few minutes for Jacob to walk all the way back to the house and drive the car over, but he was finally there. He spied Sam sitting with Jack on the side of the road in a snow bank and pulled over, watching them with concern and getting out of the car. "Sam, you need some help?" When his daughter nodded, he went around the car and helped her get Jack to his feet. The younger man was groaning in pain and could barely stand, his legs shaky as they brought him to the car.

Sam hadn't even realized that she'd accidently let go of Dorothy's leash, but the dog remained with her and Jack, climbing into the back seat of the car with them.

Jack had leaned up against Sam on the short ride home, and she held him against her side, gently stroking his head.

Jacob smoothly pulled into the driveway and started helping Sam get Jack back out of the car. The dog immediately jumped out first, standing by the car and waiting patiently for her owners. Jacob paused when Sam went to help Jack. He held up a hand to still her for a moment. "Wait here, let me go and get the door open so I can help you get him inside."

Nodding, Sam sent her father a thin smile. "Thanks Dad," She waited for her father to return to the car before trying to move Jack any further. He was listless at her side, moaning softly and trying to hold his head again. "Hang in there Jack, we'll be in the house in a minute and you can lie down."

-

Sam thanked her father for helping, then took Jack to his room on her own and sat him down on the edge of the bed while Dorothy laid on the floor at their feet. She'd given him his pills already, for the headache, and was now working on getting his jacket and shoes off. Crouched in front of Jack and tugging at the cloth of his jeans, Sam smiled gently up at him, trying to get him to focus on her. "I think we oughtta get you out of these jeans. They're all wet from sitting in the snow," she said softly. Her jeans were pretty wet and cold too, and she planned on changing right away after Jack was settled.

Getting up, Sam went to find Jack some sweats while he started to get out of his jeans. "Does your head feel any better now?" she asked him softly, turning to see him kicking the jeans off his feet.

Jack sat in his boxers and sweatshirt, hunched forward with both hands to his head again. "No," he murmured miserably in response.

Sam frowned in sympathy as she brought his sweats over. "Here, put these on okay?"

Groaning, Jack dropped the sweatpants to the floor when she handed them to him. Instead of getting dressed, he pulled up his legs and rolled over, slumping to his side on the bed.

When Dorothy jumped up and laid down by Jack's feet, Sam picked the pants up off the floor and sat on the edge of the bed. She sighed and touched his shoulder. "Jack, are you gonna put these on?"

"Rr...mrm.." he murmured incoherently and curled up in a ball, pulling a pillow over his head.

"Alright, fine. But you're gonna get cold." Sam sighed again when he didn't move and got off the bed, pulling the extra blanket over him. Tossing his pants on the chair in the corner of the room, Sam paused beside Jack's bed once more. For the moment as she stood there, she almost wished she could sit down and talk to him like old times, before his accident. But she knew things couldn't be that way, and although she wanted him better, Sam didn't want to go back to being just Colonel O'Neill and Carter. Choking on a sob, Sam pushed her emotions down, composing herself and leaving the room, turning on Jack's monitor as she left.

Jacob was sitting on the couch when his daughter walked in. He could tell she seemed upset about something. "Sammy?" he tried in a low, fatherly tone, "What's the matter?"

Sam just smiled tightly at him and sighed softly. "Nothing," she tried to assure him, "Today's just not been one of Jack's better days." Her blue eyes dropped to the floor as she came around the couch, checking to see that the monitor receiver she'd left on the table from the other night was still on.

"Oh," Jacob nodded, and even though he doubted that was what really was on her mind, he didn't push the issue. "He's resting now?"

"Yeah," Sam was about to sit down when she stopped, placed a hand on her hip and waved toward the kitchen, changing the subject. "Hey, you want some lunch or something?"

"Sure," he agreed, knowing it would make her happy to get her mind off whatever had bothered her.

-

Sitting around the kitchen, Sam and her father had made a couple sandwiches and ate their lunch chatting quietly for awhile. Sam set a sandwich aside for Jack and went to the refrigerator for more iced tea. "Dad, you want a refill?"

"Yeah, please," Jacob nodded, finishing off the last bit of his sandwich.

Sam sat back down at the table, pouring her dad another glass of iced tea from the pitcher. Pausing in casual conversation with her father, she thought she heard a noise from down the hall.

Jacob reached across the table and touched Sam's arm when she didn't start speaking again. "What is it?"

Her brows furrowed slightly. "I thought I heard something from Jack's room," Sam glanced toward the lounge where she'd left the monitor. She listened carefully again, but didn't hear anything. "I'm gonna go check on him, I'll be right back," she assured her dad, getting up and heading to Jack's room.

Dorothy had her head resting on Jack's thigh when Sam walked into the room. He was hunched over at the edge of the bed, looking rather haggard. She immediately knelt in front of him with concern and touched a hand to his knee. "Hey, what's wrong?"

Jack groaned and shook his head. He'd pulled off his sweatshirt, and was sitting there in his boxers and a white undershirt.

"Jack?" Sam moved to sit beside him, gently nudging a reluctant Dorothy off the bed. "Tell me what you feel so I can help," she encouraged softly.

He shook his head again and rubbed at his scar, then the back of his neck.

"Jack?" she tried again, gently.

"Feel...fuh-funny," Jack groaned, his eyelids fluttering before his dark eyes completely rolled back into his head. He suddenly slumped to the side and began convulsing violently, sliding off the mattress and to the floor.

Sam supported him as he fell, body wracked with convulsions. "Dad!" she cried out in alarm, eyes nervously fixed on Jack as she carefully lowered him and rolled him onto his side, dragging a pillow from the bed and wedging it under his head.

"Sam?!" Jacob yelled back, worried, before he came to a halting stop in the doorway.

Dorothy was pacing behind Sam, her head hung low as she whined, knowing something was wrong with her master.

Jack's body finally stopped seizing as Jacob approached and went down on one knee. He noticed tears in his daughter's eyes as she looked over at him. "Sam...?" He wasn't quite sure what to say, but he suddenly got the feeling that SG-1 should be informed of his proposal to help Jack immediately. The Ancient gene Jack had helping the healing process along just wasn't going to be enough.

"He just had a seizure," Sam breathed, her words barely audible as her shocked blue eyes strayed along Jack's face. She sniffed, a hand tentatively stroking the side of his head. His eyes were open and he was blinking at her with pain and confusion in his dark brown orbs.

"Has this happened before?" Jacob asked carefully, glancing at the German Sheppard that had moved to stand by Jack's head.

"No," Sam's head shook as she shifted on the floor beside Jack. "Dad," she swallowed, her eyes closing and opening again slowly, "Could you get me the phone? I need to call Janet right away,"

"Sure," Jacob glanced down at Jack, who was seemingly out of it, before he silently slipped out the door.

-

Jack had been alright to move after a few minutes laying on the floor. He was confused, not really remembering what happened, only knowing that he felt very sleepy and weak. When he gestured for a drink after Sam helped him get his pants and some sneakers on, she asked her father to get him a water bottle from the fridge while she took him out to the car.

On the ride to the mountain, Sam stayed in the back seat with Jack while her father drove. She was worried he may have another seizure, though he seemed to be doing better, and didn't look as though he was feeling as badly as before. But he was exhausted, so Sam put an arm around him and he automatically leaned into her. She lightly stroked her thumb against his neck, and he fell asleep.

"How's he doing?" Jacob asked softly from up front, briefly glancing in his rear-view mirror so he could see his daughter's face. He could just make out Jack's head resting against Sam's shoulder before his gaze flicked back to the road. Selmak was a little nervous about the driving thing, and kept reminding Jacob to keep his eyes on the road.

"He's asleep," Sam whispered in return, not really answering her father's question. Her thumb continued to stroke back and forth along Jack's neck, the motion soothing her as well as him.

Jacob just nodded slowly and continued to focus on the road. Dorothy was sitting in the front passenger seat beside him, her chin resting against the back of the seat as she watched over Jack and Sam as if guarding them. They had to take the dog with them because Sam insisted she would freak out if left at the house, because the animal could sense something was wrong and wanted to be with Jack.

-

Changes
Chapter Thirteen: Decisions

Janet, Daniel, and Teal'c stood just outside the infirmary, awaiting their arrival. Daniel had been with Janet when she received the call from Sam, and then he had gone to find Teal'c before meeting up again where they now all stood. Daniel was pacing, arms wrapped around his chest, Teal'c stood not-quite leaning against the wall, hands clasped in front of him, and Janet was standing still in the doorway, a medical chart in hand, mentally going over a check list of tests that would need to be done when Jack arrived.

Hearing the approach of footsteps, Janet lowered the chart in front of her as Sam and her father came around the corner, Jack moving slowly between them, and Dorothy trotting along at the rear. Her eyes widened briefly at the sight of the dog, but then her gaze swiftly moved over to Jack. Janet's small hands came to rest on either side of his face as they came to a stop in front of her. "Jack, look at me," she instructed gently, checking his reaction time carefully.

Jack's groggily shifting eyes fixed on the doctor's, and she gave a pleased sort of nod.

"How has he been since the seizure?" Janet turned to Sam, waving them into the infirmary. Daniel and Teal'c silently followed everyone in, including the dog.

"Quiet, tired, a little weak," Sam softly listed off Jack's recent behavior as she guided him over to a bed. "Before it happened he had one of his headaches. It was a bad one. After I gave him his pills and he rested for a little while, I went to check on him and he was sitting up in bed. He told me that he felt funny just before the convulsions started." She sat beside Jack on the bed, then absently put an arm behind him and began to soothingly stroke the back of his neck.

Janet lifted her chart and began penciling things in. "How long did the seizure last?"

Taking a steady breath, Sam thought for a moment before she answered. It had felt like a terrifying eternity. "About thirty seconds, give or take,"

Jack's eyes closed with the feel of Sam's fingers lightly stroking the back of his neck. His chin lowered and he winced slightly as the headache flared briefly.

"Janet?" Daniel moved closer to her while Teal'c stood stock still at the foot of the bed.

The doctor sent him a soft, silencing look, then pulled out her penlight and stepped in front of Jack. She gently lifted his chin and shined the light in each of his eyes, grimacing in sympathy as he jerked back from the bright light. "I had to Jack, I'm sorry," she told him with a soothing pat on his shoulder.

Jack groaned softly and leaned into Sam as she resumed stroking the back of his neck at his hairline. He closed his eyes tightly.

Jacob had slipped out of the room unnoticed.

Janet's kind gaze shifted slowly. "I've got to take him to run some tests now," she waved over an orderly and a nurse that had been keeping out of the way. Her kind expression went out to Sam, who appeared lost in thought as Jack leaned against her. Janet could tell her friend was seriously worried and would be reluctant to leave Jack. "Sam," she said in a soft, coaxing voice.

Snapping back to focus, Sam smiled tightly and nodded. Her hand moved from Jack's neck to his back, patting it gently. She slid off the bed as he reluctantly pulled away from her and sat up. "You have to go with Janet now, alright?"

Jack frowned, looking about to protest. His eyes shifted to the dog sitting patiently on the floor beside the bed, and he pointed at her.

Sam's eyebrows rose, suddenly remembering that Dorothy was there. She smiled up at Jack, leaning down a little to pat the dog's head. "I know she's not supposed to be here, I'll talk to the General, it's okay," she said with understanding. When he nodded slowly, Sam left the infirmary with Daniel and Teal'c so Janet could take Jack for some tests, having to tug the dog along with her as Dorothy was extremely reluctant to leave her human.

They ran into Hammond in the corridor, and Sam came to a halting stop. "Sir," she stood straight, hoping futilely that he did not notice the big German Sheppard she'd been tugging along at her side.

"Major, Dr. Jackson, Teal'c," The General looked between the three of them, making no mention of the dog or even acknowledging that she was there. His arms hung stiffly at his sides. "Jacob has brought something to my attention this morning, that I think you all need to be aware of. A decision has to be made involving Jack's medical treatment, and I'd like all of you to be briefed on this."

Sam stared back at the General quizzically, suddenly realizing that her father wasn't around. "Right now, sir?" She was surprised her father hadn't mentioned anything to her beforehand.

The General glanced toward the infirmary door. "I'd like Dr. Fraiser to be there as well, so I'll inform her now about the briefing, and have her see me in my office afterwards, with Jack. Then I'll call the rest of you up,"

Sam and Daniel each nodded, while Teal'c gave a slight bow, hands clasped behind his back in a familiar pose.

Daniel stepped beside Sam after the General had entered the infirmary. He placed a comforting hand on her shoulder, seeing that she appeared a little shell-shocked. "You okay?"

Her head turned slightly in his direction, looking past him to see that Teal'c had moved closer as well, and was eyeing her with quiet concern. She smiled tightly at each of them. "Yeah, I'll be fine," slowly she pulled away from her teammates and friends to stride down the hall on her own.

-

Sitting anxiously at the briefing table beside her father, Sam looked over at him and smiled tightly as he grabbed her hand beneath the table and squeezed it comfortingly before pulling away. She was reminded that Dorothy was sitting by her feet under the table when the dog rested her head on Sam's knee. She glanced toward the door to Hammond's office as the General came out, following Janet with Jack close by. Dorothy immediately darted out from beneath the table to get to Jack, and Sam cringed, awaiting an admonishing remark from General Hammond. To her surprise, he said nothing.

The General glanced down at the dog, then dismissively strode past and took his seat at the head of the briefing table. Janet sat with a reserved smile at his right, and Jack slowly shuffled beside Sam and took a seat.

Sam eyed him carefully, checking to see if he was alright. She had expected him to be resting in the infirmary with one of the nurses looking after him, but she supposed he was feeling insecure at the moment and would want to be near her like he usually did when he felt anxious or in pain. She gently took his hand as he scooted the wheeling chair closer.

Hammond cleared his throat, gaining everyone's attention as he prepared to start the briefing. He opened up with a brief explanation of Jacob's proposal to help Jack, then handed the briefing over to the Tok'ra.

-

When everything Jacob was offering had been explained, questions answered, and concerns addressed, the team sat around quietly, all deep in thought over the matter at hand.

Sam was most pensive, having to make the final decision. The others were respectfully silent until she chose to bring it up, and she was grateful for that. She took Jack's hand and squeezed it briefly, then sent a soft "Thank you" to Hammond when he dismissed everyone from the briefing room, giving her a moment alone to decide. They all retreated to the General's office, but her father stayed behind.

Jacob moved his chair over to his daughter and smiled at her comfortingly. "Sam, listen," his voice was low, gentle, "I know you're worried that this might not work, but you can't be afraid of trying to help him, and I know you want to."

She smiled tightly, eyes watery. Jack was still sitting quietly beside her. She pulled his hand gently into her lap and gave it another squeeze. "I know Dad, it's just..."

Touching her shoulder soothingly, Jacob nodded. "It's alright," he whispered.

Sam took in a slow, shaky breath and nodded, pursing her lips. "Okay," she breathed, glancing from Jack to her father, "Let's do it,"

Jacob nodded, squeezing her shoulder with a smile as he got up from his chair to bring the others back into the room. When they were all seated again, he told them. "Sam's willing to allow us to use the pod on Jack to try and speed up the healing process a bit more,"

Dr. Fraiser nodded, looking to Sam, and seeing the mixed emotions on her friend's face. She smiled with a nod of approval regarding Sam's decision, knowing, that like everyone else, Sam just wanted what was best for Jack.

"So, when do we do this?" Daniel asked bluntly, his eyes betraying his wariness of the idea.

Hammond folded his hands on the table and turned to Jacob. "I assume you'll be needing to make arrangements with the other Tok'ra about now?"

"Yes," Jacob nodded with a small smile. His eyes captured everyone around the table. "I want you to know that Jack's going to have to come with me through the gate for this. Due to the complex and severely integrated power system the pod needs, it can't be moved from the lab where it resides."

"I'm going with him," Sam spoke up immediately, catching the General's eye. "Ah... With your permission, sir,"

The old General lowered his chin slightly in agreement. "Permission granted, Major,"

"Thank you sir," Sam smiled tightly, rubbing her thumb slowly over Jack's hand. She felt Dorothy shift on the floor at their feet, and had almost forgotten the dog was even there.

Jacob looked over at Fraiser. "Before we can put Jack in the pod, he'll need to stay off any medication for the next six hours, at least,"

Janet nodded, though she was a little concerned, and could see the worry flash across Sam's features as well.

Looking thoughtful, Teal'c tilted his head slightly. "Is it safe for O'Neill to be without any medication for that length of time?"

Janet smiled tightly with a small sigh. "Well, he'll be uncomfortable if he has one of his headaches again, or gets nauseas, but I'm most concerned if he has another seizure. I would have liked to get him on an anti-convulsant."

Jacob was shaking his head somberly. "Sorry Doctor, no heavy medication. A mild sedative will be alright if he needs it to sleep, but nothing stronger than that,"

Janet nodded, her eyes flicking toward Jack. Sam was still holding onto his hand, and he was now leaning his head on her shoulder, their chairs as close as possible. Jack was still looking exhausted, and hadn't been able to sleep any since his seizure, besides the brief nap in the car. "General, Jack should really be resting now. With your permission, I'd like to get him back to the infirmary, or to his quarters."

Hammond glanced around the briefing room table and nodded. "Go ahead Doctor. You're all dismissed," his grey eyes flicked over to his old friend. "Jacob, if you'll join me in the gate room so you can contact the other Tok'ra, we can get this in motion."

Standing in acquiescence, Jacob comfortingly squeezed his daughter's shoulder and smiled at her gently before leaving with the General.

Sam stood slowly, pulling Jack up along with her gingerly as Janet came around to his other side to help. He wasn't very steady on his feet, and that clearly told Sam how exhausted he really was. "C'mon Jack, we're gonna take you to go lay down for awhile okay?"

"Kay," he murmured softly, patting at his left thigh for the German Sheppard under the briefing table to come to his side. Dorothy immediately complied, eager to go wherever he was going.

Sharing a look with Janet, both she and Sam silently agreed to take Jack to his VIP room rather than the infirmary. For one thing, they knew he'd be more likely to actually sleep in his quarters, and other than that, Sam was very aware that Janet preferred to keep her infirmary sterile and clear of dog hair. There'd be no convincing Dorothy that she couldn't be with Jack anyway.

Daniel and Teal'c followed the two women leading Jack into his room. Making his way over to the armchair in the corner, Daniel sank into the cushions heavily while Janet and Sam swiftly arranged the bed covers and got Jack to lay down. He watched Dorothy hop onto the bed and make herself comfortable, sprawling out at Jack's feet. "I think I'll stay and keep an eye on him for awhile," he announced quietly, eyes flitting between Janet, Sam, and Teal'c.

Sam nodded slowly with a tight smile. "I'm not going anywhere either," she confirmed, taking a seat on the edge of Jack's bed. He'd curled up on his side and was still awake, eyes trained on her drowsily. She reached out a hand and gently stroked his hair.

"I will remain with O'Neill as well," Teal'c added, standing sentinel at the foot of the bed, hands clasped behind his back.

Janet could easily see they were all worried about him, and so was she. She wanted to support Sam in her decision to let the Tok'ra help Jack, but she still had her own reservations about it. Smiling tightly, the doctor glanced down at Jack before her eyes reached those of his team. "I would stay too, but I've got an infirmary to run," she sighed softly and headed for the door, receiving understanding looks from the others. "I'll be back in a couple hours when Dr. Warner takes over, though," Janet insisted, leaving the room with a nod.

"Jack, we need you to tell us if you get that funny feeling again, or if you start to feel sick or your head hurts, okay?" Sam told him gently, shifting where she sat on the edge of his bed and folding one leg up while she continued to stroke his hair. He'd have to be taken to the bathroom quickly if he woke from one of his nauseas episodes, and they would need to call Janet back if he had another seizure.

"Mm-hm," Jack murmured tiredly in response, nodding slightly. From the talks in the briefing room with General Hammond and Sam's dad, he'd gathered that something important was to happen soon, and he was feeling a bit scared. What managed to put him slightly at ease, was the knowledge that Sam, Teal'c, and Daniel were all with him now, and Jack knew he was safe.

"Good, now try and get to sleep," Sam coaxed soothingly.

Shifting closer to her on the bed, Jack rested his head in Sam's lap before closing his eyes and finally allowing sleep to claim him.

-

It was late afternoon, and a few hours later when Jack woke from his nap. Teal'c and Daniel had gone to retrieve some dinner from the commissary to bring down, and Sam was alone, sitting on the bed with Jack's head still in her lap, and Dorothy lying at the end of the bed. When he groaned lowly and started to sit up, Sam was immediately alert. She'd started to doze a few minutes ago after sitting there for so long. When he nearly fell in his haste to get off the bed, Sam put an arm out to grasp his shoulder lightly. "Hey, you okay?" she asked softly.

Jack grunted, blinked blearily, and pointed to the bathroom.

"Feel sick?" she asked, now concerned that he was about to vomit. Sam climbed off the bed, grimacing at the pins and needles sensation in her legs. They'd fallen asleep the way she'd been sitting with Jack's head in her lap.

"N-no..." Shaking his head slowly, Jack started to shuffle to the bathroom with Sam's hand still on his arm. "Gotta go," he murmured as she guided him quickly to the door.

"Oh, okay," Sam nearly sighed with relief. She found herself smiling a little as he went into the bathroom and she closed the door for him, waiting patiently outside, leaning against the wall. A minute or so passed, and she heard the toilet flush, followed by the sound of running water from the faucet, but Jack didn't come out. After waiting for a moment longer, Sam went to the door and knocked once. "Jack?"

Being curious now, Dorothy hopped down off the bed and trotted over by Sam.

Jack didn't answer or come to the door. Now Sam was worried.

Slowly turning the handle and pushing the door open, she stuck her head in, eyes quickly scanning inside. Sam found Jack sitting on the floor with his back against the wall, arms hugging his knees to his chest. Immediately thinking that he had a headache, or was getting another weird feeling like the one he got before the seizure, Sam quickly closed the space between them and crouched down, studying him carefully. "Jack, what's wrong?"

His brows furrowed and he made a face, shaking his head and thumping the heel of one hand against his forehead twice. "Me," he said softly, shaking his head again. "Me," he repeated, barely audible this time.

Frowning in sympathy, Sam shifted from her crouch so she was now kneeling beside him. She gently laid a hand on his shoulder, and he went back to hugging his knees to his chest. Still, she wasn't quite sure what he was talking about, even though a feeling in the pit of her stomach said otherwise.

Dorothy had followed her in and was patiently sitting in front of the two of them.

Jack leaned back against the wall and pointed a thumb at his chest, slowly swinging his gaze over to Sam. "Me," he said quietly again, his expression calmer now. "Wrong..."

Sam's eyes closed briefly and she hung her head. She knew what he meant. But how did he know? Just like Janet had said, bits and pieces of things were coming back to him. Like at breakfast when he had briefly showed frustration at his inability to pour his milk without spilling it, Jack seemed a little more aware of himself emotionally. She took a moment to wonder if this pod the Tok'ra had would improve on that, but then she forced herself to focus. Jack knew there was something wrong with him, and he needed her comfort right now.

"It's gonna be okay," she soothed gently, hoping that he would get over this quickly like he had gotten over his frustration from earlier. "You'll get better Jack, I promise. It's okay," Sam rubbed his back comfortingly, offering a reassuring smile when his dark eyes flicked to hers. She had to will her own eyes not to start tearing up.

He nodded after a moment, rubbing the heels of his hands into his eyes, then jerked his head up at the sound of someone entering his room.

Daniel and Teal'c were back with the food, Sam realized. She looked to Dorothy, seeing the German Sheppard sit up straight with her ears perked.

"Sam?" Daniel's concerned voice called out when he obviously didn't see them in the room.

"We're in here," she replied, waiting for him to pull open the partially-closed bathroom door. Sam looked up to see Daniel standing in the doorway with a worried look on his face. Teal'c was right behind him, seemingly stoic, though he, too, looked worried if you knew him enough to tell.

The dog got up and sniffed at the newcomers, wagging her tail before returning to her seat on the floor in front of Sam and Jack.

"What happened?" Daniel blurted with worry.

Sam just shook her head and sent the two worried men a tight, disarming smile. "It's alright, he's okay," she assured them, lightly bringing her hand up to stroke the back of Jack's head, her fingers trailing through his short, silver hair.

Fully trusting Sam's judgment, and knowing she would tell them the whole story later on, both Daniel and Teal'c nodded in acceptance and stepped back from the door as Sam got up, pulling Jack to his feet with her.

Leading Jack over to the card table set up in the corner of the suite, Sam sat down with Jack as Daniel passed the food around.

Dorothy circled the small table, waiting hopefully for someone to drop something edible.

Jack was quiet as they ate, slowly picking at his food and occasionally taking a bite. Sam watched him guardedly, afraid that he wasn't feeling well, or concerned that he was experiencing more feelings he wasn't fully capable of dealing with again. She nudged him gently with her elbow after he finished a forkful of mixed rice and began picking at the chicken on his plate. "Doin' okay?" she asked quietly.

Daniel didn't miss the private interaction going on between Sam and Jack, but continued eating and did his best not to pay much attention. He knew Sam had a way of talking with Jack, getting him to open up a little more when he normally wouldn't.

Looking sideways at Sam and nodding slowly after a moment, Jack went back to picking at his food without a word.

-

Changes
Chapter Fourteen: Good Different

It was morning when it came to be time to take Jack to the gate room. Jacob had arranged things with the Tok'ra at the base where the pod was, and they were all just about ready to ship out. Janet had given Jack a check-up before he was to leave, and she insisted being contacted if there were any problems, since the General wouldn't allow her to go with them. Standing at the bottom of the ramp with Daniel, Teal'c, and General Hammond behind her, Janet handed Sam an ampoule filled with sedative. "Just in case he gets overly anxious," she explained softly, concern in her dark eyes.

Sam nodded with a small, grateful smile as she tucked the ampoule away in her pack. She turned to Jack, who was standing at her side, dressed up in the familiar olive drab BDUs. It was obvious to her how tense he was, still not quite certain what was going on. He'd latched onto her arm, and her father stood at Jack's other side, a hand on his shoulder to keep the younger man steady.

Daniel and Teal'c stepped up to Jack. The archaeologist forced a smile as he patted his friend lightly on the shoulder. "Take care Jack, we'll see you soon, okay?"

"'Kay," brows furrowed a little in confusion, Jack nodded absently, his eyes flicking toward Teal'c as Daniel backed away.

Teal'c bowed his head regally and clasped Jack's arm. "My thoughts are with you, O'Neill,"

Glancing briefly up into the control room, General Hammond nodded to the technician, his gaze sweeping across the people at the bottom of the ramp who had become his family over the years. With an encouraging smile, he waved Sam, Jacob, and Jack through the gate as it activated with a kawoosh and a bright flash. "Godspeed,"

Jack had stiffened a little more as the gate activated, and Sam felt him grip her arm tighter. She gently patted his hand in an encouraging manner, then turned to look back as they started up the ramp. "We'll be back," she assured them with a steadying smile, turning once more to face the gate as they approached the event horizon. "Okay Jack," she took in a deep breath, urging him forward still. "Let's do this,"

The three were swept away into the wormhole, then a moment later the energy fizzled out and the gate shut down. Dorothy could be heard barking from where she was being held by one of the SFs in the control room. Silence descended upon the room briefly, then activity returned and Daniel, Teal'c, Janet, and Hammond were forced to turn away and continue with their duties, thoughts of their friend filtering through their minds.

-

The Tok'ra lab where the medical pod was housed was not at all what Sam expected. She thought there would have been the underground crystal tunnels she was so used to the Tok'ra having. Instead, the lab was somewhat underground, concealed inside a grassy hill. However, there was more security protecting that hill that she originally would have thought. It was entirely encased within a protective shield, in which only the Tok'ra carried remote devices to deactivate it. They didn't even have to use transportation rings, which also surprised her.

Jack had been clutching onto her arm ever since they'd gone through the stargate. Much to Sam's surprise, he hadn't thrown up when they made it to the other side, but he did look a bit queasy. She guessed it might have been due to nerves. He seemed really anxious, and as they walked with her father through the underground corridors of the maze-like base, she continued trying to convince him that everything would be okay.

Sam glanced at her father questioningly as he led them into the lab room. There was a flat, metallic table in the center of the room, surrounded on either side by what appeared to be two large, connecting consoles. One of them had a screen with some symbols of text on it, and the other had leads and wires, with another screen that seemed blank for the moment. "Is that it?"

Jacob nodded at her, guessing that it wasn't quite the 'pod' she'd been expecting. He gestured toward a Tok'ra standing beside the table. "This is Tel'vak. She'll be operating the pod for us,"

Smiling tightly at the Tok'ra, Sam gave a short, appreciative nod. "Thanks for your help."

Surprisingly, the woman seemed very personable and friendly for the normally-reserved Tok'ra. "I am pleased to meet you, Samantha, and honored that you would accept my help. Jacob has told me much about you," she smiled warmly, her hazel eyes twinkling with genuine warmth in an oval face that was framed by wavy, shoulder-length locks of auburn hair.

Sam's eyes shifted to her father curiously for a brief moment, then she gave Jack's hand a reassuring squeeze as she felt him tense at her side. "It's okay, Jack," she soothed in a gentle voice. "She's here to help,"

Tel'vak waved a hand at the table. "If you could get him to lie down here and remove his shirt, we can begin right away."

"Sure," Sam nodded somewhat-tentatively, guiding Jack closer to the table. Now that the time had come for the procedure, she realized that she was way more nervous about putting Jack through this than she cared to admit. "Okay Jack, would you sit down for me?" she asked him gently with a smile, patting a hand on the table.

Jacob moved off toward a concealed cabinet in the corner of the room, then brought over a blanket to lay across the cold metal surface of the table. He could see Jack tensing up more as he sat and warily eyed the machines on either side of him, as well as the unfamiliar Tok'ra woman. "Sam," he began softly, waving a hand at the pack she carried. "I think you might need to give him the-"

"I know," she nodded in agreement, cutting him off. Slipping her pack off her shoulders, Sam pulled the ampoule of sedative from a side pocket and set the bag on the floor. She waited until Jack had taken his shirt off and dropped it to the floor, then held the needle out to him. Telling Jack what she was going to do before sticking him would make things a whole lot easier. She already knew that he wouldn't react well if she just injected him. "Jack, listen," she sighed, taking in a nervous breath. "I need to give you this to help you relax, alright?"

His brows furrowed slightly, eyes shifting warily to the unfamiliar Tok'ra standing close by, but he nodded, completely trusting in Sam.

Trying hard not to let her unease show, Sam slowly brought the ampoule to Jack's upper arm and injected the measured amount of sedative. She grimaced in sympathy when he flinched as the needle pierced his skin. "I'm sorry," she whispered, bringing up a hand and smoothing back his unruly hair. "Will you lay down for me now?" When Jack slowly complied, Sam took his hand and squeezed it reassuringly as Tel'vak began attaching leads and wires that connected at either of his temples and on his chest, going back to the machines. "Just close your eyes, and try to sleep," she soothed, still holding onto his hand.

When Jack was all hooked up to the machines, Tel'vak pressed a button and the equipment whirred to life. A plastic-looking shelf-like thing emerged from the machine over Jack's head and began to glow.

"I'm going to begin now," Tel'vak announced in a calm, almost-motherly voice.

Sam chewed on her lower lip and her eyes flicked hesitantly toward her father, who had moved to her side. "Is it going to hurt him?" she asked with concern.

"He may experience some discomfort," Tel'vak explained, pressing more buttons on the machine, "But the procedure is very quick, I assure you."

Nodding, Sam looked down at Jack, gently rubbing her thumb over his hand and watching his eyes moving beneath closed lids. If the sedative hadn't been taking effect, she doubted he would have even closed his eyes. She knew the reassuring contact of her hand on his was relaxing him as well.

"Here we go," Tel'vak adjusted some knobs, then flicked another switch, and the glowing part that hovered over Jack's head began to pulse, multi-colored beams of light flickering over his face.

Sam tightened her hold on his hand as his face twisted with discomfort, chin jerking upward as his head started to thrash from side to side. Her eyes shot to her father, somewhat alarmed. "Dad, is this normal?"

He nodded slowly, placing a hand on her shoulder. "It's okay Sam, just try and keep him still," Jacob moved around the table to the other side, placing firm hands on Jack's shoulders to keep him from moving too much.

Sam kept squeezing Jack's hand, her gaze fastened suddenly on the screens of the machine that displayed readings and something in a language she couldn't determine, which suddenly made her wish Daniel was there so she'd know more of what was going on. The pulsing light slowed, and she watched Tel'vak carefully reading the monitor before switching a few more dials as the humming of the machine quieted. Suddenly, the machine seemed to be shut down, all that was left on being the screen that appeared to be taking readings from Jack's heart and brainwave patterns. Sam turned to the Tok'ra sharply. "Is it all done?"

Tel'vak nodded at her with a comforting smile. "It is."

Realizing that Jack's hand was totally slack in her own, Sam's brows furrowed worriedly. "He's okay, right?"

The Tok'ra checked him over, reading the monitor again and then detaching leads and wires. She nodded again. "He'll rest for awhile now." Her friendly green eyes traveled over to Jacob. "We can take him somewhere more comfortable until he wakes."

Jacob nodded, knowing what she meant. Carefully sliding his arms beneath Jack's shoulders and under his knees, the Tok'ra easily lifted the younger man. He'll be alright Jacob, came Selmak's voice inside his head. Glancing briefly at his daughter, he assured her with his eyes that he was fine taking Jack's weight, and began carrying him from the lab with Sam right by his side. I know, Jacob mentally conversed with his symbiote. But will he be any better? That's what I'm worried about.

Selmak didn't respond to his thoughts for a moment, and Jacob had to wonder at the Tok'ra's hesitance. Then he spoke again. I cannot be certain Jacob, you know this takes time. Any changes in his recovery may not seem apparent until later.

Nodding as he turned into a room, Jacob tilted his head towards his daughter as the artificial light flicked on in the room. "He can rest in here, Sam. When he's awake and feeling up to it, I'll go with you back to the SGC and you, Fraiser, and the others can monitor the changes in his condition from there."

"Okay." Sam nodded slowly as she observed the room they'd entered. There was something of a cot in the corner, and not much else. She watched her father carefully lay Jack on the cot, still finding it a little strange that he could lift her friend with such ease, knowing that Selmak was the one that gave him the strength to do so.

Turning slightly, Sam thanked Tel'vak for all her help as the Tok'ra went to make a retreat from the room, giving them some privacy. Sitting down on the edge of the cot, she took Jack's hand again and gently smoothed back his hair.

Knowing that Sam would want to stay with Jack until he woke, Jacob didn't even bother asking his daughter if she wanted to leave him alone to rest for awhile.

-

Jack didn't wake for a few more hours, and when he finally did, Sam had snapped to alertness, having dozed off while sitting with him. She realized, suddenly, that she'd wound up laying down beside him on the narrow bed, still holding onto his hand. There was a blanket covering them, which could only have been her father's doing. Offering a tentative smile as he opened his eyes and looked at her, Sam slowly sat up, hanging her feet over the side of the bed and moving the blanket so that it still covered his bare chest.

Watching his eyelids flutter as confusion flashed across his face, Sam could tell he was disoriented. "Jack?" She hadn't really expected him to immediately show signs of improvement, because Tel'vak and her father had both assured her that changes in his condition may not be apparent right away, but she did expect something.

His brows creased even more, and Jack opened his mouth to speak, but only a croak came out. When he cleared his throat and tried again, his voice was barely audible. "I'm here," he said slowly and softly. "I'm...here."

Sam felt herself smile. His voice actually sounded clearer, and he seemed more confident as he spoke, but she couldn't be certain anything was really different at the moment. However, she had a strong feeling that his condition was already improved. Feeling a surge of hope, tears of joy sprung to her eyes, and she reached out a hand slowly so brush back his unruly hair. "That's good, Jack," she sniffed, feeling all choked up with emotion, "That's really good."

His lips twisted into a crooked smile, and he dragged his free hand up to his forehead, his other still holding Sam's. Jack's eyes closed and he moaned softly. He felt a rush of memories and feelings that had been locked to him before, only emerging previously at random times, and suddenly felt overwhelmed.

"Jack?" Sam called to him with concern, squeezing his hand. "What is it? Are you okay?"

"Mm," he murmured with a slow nod. "Head...hurts... I-"

Smoothing his hair back gently again as he tried to sit up, Sam eased him back down coaxingly. "It's alright, you just rest."

Jack shook his head slowly and went to sit up again, shoving the blanket aside. "I'm d-done..resting," he murmured, smiling a little as she gave in and helped him up. "Don't..wanna sleep..anymore."

"Okay," Sam smiled back at him, pleased with how much he was talking to her. He already seemed a bit different than before, in a good way, and it made her hopeful and happy. Her hand moved to his bare back and began rubbing in slow, soothing circles.

With his legs hanging over the side of the bed, Jack began swinging his feet back and forth slowly. It felt good having Sam's warm hand rubbing his back, and as emotions and memories came to him, Jack felt a surge of love toward the woman at his side. He blinked, eyes clenching shut as memories of her resurfaced in his mind.

His eyebrows widened in shock as Samantha Carter yanked him away from his locker to pull him to her fiercely, claiming his lips with her own.

Cocking his head to the side, Jack studied Sam with mixed feelings of yearning and confusion.

"Jack? Are you okay?" She dropped her hand from his back and grasped his hand gently in her own, rubbing slow circles with her thumb.

His eyes clenched shut once more as another memory came to him.

Sam was there, holding his hand in that exact same way. He was pinned in the gate room, some weird alien rod pierced through his shoulder and into the wall behind him. Jack felt hot and weak. Really, really hot. And he hurt. A lot. Sam had explained something to him; a way to get him free, but it was all hazy. All he knew was that he trusted Sam, and knew she wouldn't let any harm come to him if she could help it.

Sam's eyes widened in concern as Jack started, his dark eyes snapping open as his head jerked up. She felt his hand grip hers tightly as he swung his gaze toward her. Brows furrowed in confusion as she watched him turn to look at his left shoulder, poking at it with his free hand as though he expected something to be there, or to feel something different. "Jack?" she tried again, gently.

Eyes drifting up to hers once more, Jack nodded slowly and somewhat distantly. "I'm okay..." he murmured distractedly.

Brushing a hand through his hair, Sam leaned into him and affectionately kissed his cheek. "Think you're ready to head back home now, to the SGC?"

"Yeah," his lips quirked into a hesitant smile. He started to get off the bed, but his legs felt weak and didn't want to hold him right away. Jack clutched at the bed to keep himself up, but Sam already had a good hold on him, one arm wrapped firmly about his waist.

"It's okay," she assured him quickly, helping him stand. "Just take it easy Jack, go slow. I've got you."

"I'm fine," Jack said softly, getting his feet under him again. "I got it," he reassured her confidently, his legs feeling able to take his weight now.

He had sounded so much like his old self just then, that Sam's mouth gaped open. Then she smiled, not allowing herself to get her hopes up yet. He still had a lot of recovering to do, she knew that. The procedure he'd just had wasn't a cure-all, it was just a boost to his system to help things along. Forcing her mouth shut, she relaxed her hold on his waist, but didn't let go just yet. Together, they took a tentative step forward and slowly headed out of the room.

Jacob wasn't hard to find, having just been sitting patiently in the lab room just down the hall. He'd been going over things involving Jack's procedure with Tel'vak and another Tok'ra, but the other two were gone now. He got up from his chair and offered a smile when Sam came into the room with Jack, her arm still around his waist. "Hey, look who's up," he said cheerfully, grinning at Jack.

"Hey...J-Jake," the younger man returned the friendly greeting with a slow-spreading smile and a wave.

Eyebrows raised slightly at the surprising greeting he received, Jacob was forced to wipe the shock off his face when Selmak gave him a gentle, inward nudge. He saw the happy expression on his daughter’s face, and immediately knew that things were well. "So, I suppose you two are all set to head back home?"

Sam nodded happily while Jack was being quiet. She felt him shiver, and her eyes went back to her father. "Dad, could you get Jack something to wear?"

"Oh, of course," Jacob could see the half-naked younger man trembling slightly in his daughter's arms. Finding Jack's previously discarded shirt and a blanket, he brought the items over to his daughter, handing them to her.

"Thanks," Sam smiled gratefully, then awkwardly helped Jack into his t-shirt before draping the blanket over his shoulders. "Better?" she asked Jack softly.

"Mrm-hrm," he murmured, apparently feeling less talkative again. Jack pulled the blanket tighter around himself.

Leaving Jack's side for a moment, Sam picked up her pack and other gear, grabbing Jack's jacket as well. She turned to her dad, ready to get going. Jack seemed like he was getting tired again, and figured that he'd be more compliant to rest once they were home. Janet would surely want to check him over, so they wouldn't be able to go straight to his house, though she figured if Jack stayed on base and rested in his quarters, then the doctor would examine him later and then send him home.

-

Their return to the SGC had been met with a small group of their 'family', keeping the crowd of well-wishers and concerned co-workers to a minimum. Hammond was there of course, along with Janet, Teal'c, and Daniel, who was holding back an eager Dorothy.

Jack remained at Sam's side as they descended the gate ramp, her arm hooked around his. He'd lost the blanket, and had gone through with his jacket on instead, savoring the warmth it provided. Managing a small smile for the familiar faces that greeted him, Jack slowed with Sam as they came to a stop at the bottom of the ramp.

"Welcome back," Daniel greeted his friend with a warm, welcoming grin. Janet was at his side, holding onto his arm. It was for his comfort, not her own, he knew. The archaeologist was well aware that she could tell how anxious he was, his worry for Jack not unnoticed by the doctor.

Daniel released Dorothy before she yanked his arm off, and the German Shepherd strode right up to Jack and nudged his hand with her big head before giving it a lick.

Sam stayed beside Jack as he reached down at patted the dog's head, gently scratching her behind the ears. She was surprised that Dorothy hadn't jumped on him like she had so many times whenever they returned home from somewhere, but thought that maybe Dorothy got the sense that she needed to be gentle with him right now.

With a hesitant, unsure smile, Jack's eyes flickered around to each familiar face.

Unable to hold back any longer, Daniel was the first to step forward and engulf Jack in a warm embrace, Janet following suit, along with Teal'c and even General Hammond, though in a more sedate manner.

Dorothy sat back as her owner was swamped with hugs, patiently waiting and wagging her tail. She knew these people well, and she wasn't afraid that they'd hurt him.

"I am glad you are well O'Neill," Teal'c said lowly, giving his brother-in-arms a pat on the back before removing himself from the group hug.

Slightly taken aback by the sudden embrace by everyone, Jack's eyes immediately sought out Sam until the others pulled away. Seeing their smiling, comforting faces put him ease, and he felt loved, relaxing again. This felt right.

Sam's hand went to his back, and her eyes sought out Janet's for a moment, seeking permission to get Jack out of there. It was very late now, and he was still tired from the procedure.

Janet smiled encouragingly back at her. "It's alright Sam, go on and take Jack to his quarters. I can give him the once-over later, or even tomorrow."

"Thanks," Sam sent her a tight smile in return, then nodded toward the General, sent a look toward her father, and left the gate room with her hand on Jack's lower back, guiding him.

Dorothy loped after them without hesitation, and no one stopped her.

"Jacob?" Hammond addressed the Tok'ra, "Debrief in my office?" he suggested in a quiet, kindly voice.

Jacob nodded and followed him out, smiling back at the rest of SG-1 and Dr. Fraiser.

-

Changes
Chapter Fifteen: Remember

Back in Jack's comfortable quarters, he had changed into some sweats and a t-shirt before Sam managed to get him to crawl into bed. He was still insisting that he wasn't tired and didn't want to sleep, making Sam smile at the way he was acting. Jack was showing signs that he was already different than he was before the procedure, and that was definitely a good thing.

Dorothy had hopped onto the bed and curled up contently at her master's feet.

Jack was watching Sam as she at on the edge of his bed when another memory struck him.

He had woken up to find her sitting beside him on his bed, her hand gently stroking his hair.

"Jack?" Her voice was soft as she continued to brush her hand through his hair. "I know you might not understand now, but I have to tell you anyway... Jack, I... I love you."

His gaze sharpened as he broke out of the memory. Sam was looking at him with concern in her sparkling blue eyes. Slowly, Jack reached up a hand to trace the scar above his right ear, brow furrowing slightly. He rolled slowly to his left, still watching her. The right side of his mouth quirked up into a little smile. "You love me," he said quietly in an almost-dreamy tone. There was no questioning in his voice. He knew.

Sam's mouth gaped open. She hadn't expected he would address this right now, or even remember it. "I - Um.." she spluttered, not knowing what to say or how he would react.

"It's okay...Sam," he murmured, his eyelids drooping now even as he obviously tried to fight sleep. "I love..you too," Jack's voice was soft and whispered, and within seconds he had lost his battle with sleep and quickly drifted off.

Still somewhat shocked by his words, spoken truthfully and confidently, Sam couldn't help but smile a little to herself. Jack was remembering more easily now. Maybe things really were looking up.

-

Finding herself waking when she didn't realize she'd fallen asleep, Sam jerked to an upright position from her slump in the armchair she'd apparently fallen asleep on in Jack's quarters. Searching blearily for what had woken her, Sam found that Jack was thrashing in bed, wailing softly. The sound made her heart clench in her chest, and she got out of her chair, swiftly moving beside the bed but remaining cautiously out of reach. She knew from experience that Jack having a nightmare could be a dangerous thing. He'd never accidently hurt her while in the throes of a bad dream, but Teal'c had taken a few knocks trying to wake him before, and Daniel had once received a black eye for his troubles.

Dorothy had hopped off the bed to avoid her master's flailing arms and legs, and was pacing anxiously, soft, concerned whines escaping every once and a while.

"Jack?" Sam called to him tentatively, gingerly sitting on the corner of his bed when the thrashing ceased a little.

His dark eyes opened slowly. Remnants of his dream/memory fading, Jack didn't really understand what he was recalling, but he remembered Sam leaving for a long time, and it hurt when she was gone. Things had changed when she wasn't there. He had felt lonely and guilty, and then something happened; something bad. He got hurt, and then he wasn't right anymore. He wasn't the same. All Jack knew at that moment was that he didn't want her gone ever again.

"Sam," Jack whispered hoarsely, sitting up and shoving the covers down around his waist.

"It's okay, I'm right here," Sam shifted closer now that she was sure he was awake, pulling her legs up onto the bed as she kicked off her shoes. As soon as she'd moved beside him, Jack twisted sideways, wrapping his arms around her waist and clinging to her tightly. She was a little surprised, but put her arms around him anyway and held him comfortingly.

"Don't go," came Jack's soft, desperate murmur, "D-Don't go Sam," his arms held her tighter as though he were afraid of letting go.

Brows furrowing worriedly, she craned her neck to look down at him, and with what little lighting remained in the room, she could see his eyes were clenched shut, and his lips continued moving as he murmured the same thing over and over. "Jack, it's alright," Sam tried to assure him, her hand reaching up to gently stroke the side of his head as she often did to calm him. "I'm here, and I'm not going anywhere, I promise."

Jack didn't let go, his fingers frantically grasping at the fabric of her shirt where his arms were wound around her.

Sam couldn't be certain that he was fully awake any longer, but she continued to let him hold her, holding him in return as she kept stroking the side of his head calmingly.

He seemed to drift into an easier sleep after a while, but she hadn't managed to pry herself from his arms. She wiggled back, allowing herself to lean against the headboard, Jack now resting his head on her stomach, his arms loosened slightly around her waist. Dorothy had hopped back up onto the bed and was now lying pressed up against Jack's other side.

-

Daniel leaned into Janet's office and lightly tapped on the doorframe. She was busy at her filing cabinet, putting folders away. He smiled affectionately as she turned to him. "Hey Janet, you about ready to head home? Cassie's probably wondering where we are."

She smiled back at him and nodded. "Yeah, I'm almost done here. I just want to check in on Jack quickly before I go. And I called Cassie about an hour ago, saying that we might be late. I had to explain what Jack went through today."

"Okay," Daniel gave a slight nod, stepping into the office and taking Janet into his arms. He hugged her tightly, and she wrapped her arms around his neck. "Think Jack's already doing better?"

"Mm-hm," she smiled up at him. "He was already showing signs of improvement when he stepped out of the gate, I could tell."

"Good. I thought so too." Sticking his hands in his pockets after they parted, he tilted his head, watching Janet packing her office up in preparation to leave. "Want me to wait for you?"

"No, it's alright. Go on home and make sure Cassie gets to bed if she's still trying to wait up for us. She's got school in the morning," Janet shooed him from her office, following him out and locking the door behind her.

-

Sam stayed awake as Jack slept against her, his head still on her stomach as her fingers gently danced across his scalp, lightly playing with the tufts of unruly silver hair. She looked up, her eyes moving toward the door in the dim lighting when she heard it opening slowly. Smiling with relief as Janet poked her head in before quietly stepping into the room, Sam started to untangle herself from Jack as her friend's eyes traced toward her.

Janet waved her hands, gesturing for Sam to stay put. "It's alright, don't get up," she whispered with a smile, seeing that Jack's arms were wound tightly around Sam's waist, and he seemed to be resting peacefully where he was. "I just wanted to make sure everything was alright before I went home."

Sam relaxed, her hand automatically stroking the side of Jack's head again. She found herself looking down at him, his shoulders rising and falling in time with her own breathing. She smiled tightly back up at the doctor. "I think he's doing okay," she began in a whisper, "He was just having a nightmare."

Moving a little closer to the bed, Janet nodded, studying Jack's sleeping form as best as she could given the dim lighting. For the first time Janet noticed that Dorothy was lying against Jack's other side, and she could actually hear the dog snoring. She smiled, then waved a finger in warning. "Make sure you get to sleep too, Sam."

Laughing softly, Sam rose a hand in a half-hearted salute; a very Jack-like gesture. "Yes Ma'am."

Janet shook her head at her, waving and heading for the door. "I'll see you in the morning."

-

Jack really surprised Sam the next morning. She knew he was already different, but hadn't expected to already notice the small, seemingly insignificant changes that were taking place with him. For instance, he'd started to shave on his own after taking his shower. Sam stood in the bathroom doorway, watching him carefully shave along his stubbly chin. She could already see that his dexterity had improved, by the way his hand hardly shook as he shaved himself, and the ease in which he did it, like it had always been that way.

Before leaving Jack's VIP suite for the commissary that morning, Sam had him practicing simple tasks that he was unable to do before, such as locking and unlocking the door. She could see the annoyance clearly on his face when he fumbled in the beginning, but was very pleased when he got the hang of it and even joked if she wanted him to try his hand at the rest of the doors on their floor before breakfast.

There were still fractures and a few stutters in Jack's speech, but the more he talked, the less noticeable it was. Sam found herself grinning like an idiot as they sat down at a table with Daniel and Teal'c in the commissary.

Jack sat quietly after greeting his friends, not even noticing the ridiculous grin on Sam's face beside him.

Sam knew that Jack was determined to improve as she got the feeling that he was now more aware of the things he hadn't been able to do on his own before. She was so proud of his efforts already, and it made her love him even more.

"Are you guys heading home today?" Daniel asked conversationally, looking up from eating his waffles and eggs.

Sam glanced at Jack, seeing him lift his head with interest at the mention of going home. She smiled gently at him and turned her attention back to Daniel. "Well, Janet wanted to run a few tests, then I suppose we'll be able to get out of here. Dad's already gone back with the Tok'ra, but he said he should be able to come back and visit in a few days, and to check on Jack's progress."

"That's good," Daniel smiled with a nod, regarding Jack momentarily before his attention returned to his food.

Teal'c looked at Sam across the table. "Would you and O'Neill like some company this evening, Major Carter?" He could see the uneasiness in her eyes, knew she was unsure of how Jack would cope once they were home.

Sam smiled gratefully back at them, as both Teal'c and Daniel awaited her response. "Sure guys," she nodded, peering sideways at Jack. "Why don't you come over for dinner tonight; around six? I'll see if Janet can come by with Cassie, too."

Daniel and Teal'c both agreed. Each of them wanted to help look after Jack like they'd been doing the past year when Sam wasn't around, just to make sure he was alright with these changes he was experiencing already.

Noticing that Jack had no cereal or anything in front of him, Daniel questioned his friend with furrowed brows. "Not hungry this morning?" he asked Jack a little worriedly.

Jack blinked and shook his head.

Sam spoke up. "He can't eat anything because Janet's scheduled him for a PET scan this morning," she explained, gently laying a hand on Jack's arm.

"Oh," Daniel nodded and stopped wolfing down his waffles, suddenly feeling guilty for eating in front of Jack.

Finished with her bagel and coffee, Sam stood and put her hand on Jack's shoulder. "You ready to go now, Jack?" she asked him softly, seeing that he was getting fidgety with nothing to do, and looking hungrily at everyone else's food.

"Yeah," he said quietly after a moment, getting up with a sigh. Jack was already getting sick of doctors. He just wanted to go home. He hated the fact that he could suddenly be bowled over by his own turbulent emotions, and it made him just want to curl up under a pile of blankets and hide away from the world. The new memories Jack were receiving off and on left him reeling, and he found himself longing to be normal again, to be back the way he was. He was becoming more aware that this was not the way he was supposed to be.

"Jack?" Sam gently touched his arm as they walked, noticing that he seemed to have zoned out, and was moving on autopilot.

He blinked slowly, suddenly realizing that they had already gone in the elevator and were now walking down the infirmary corridor. His head hurt from all the new memories, and he just managed to mask the sudden grimace on his face, hopefully before Sam had noticed.

"Are you okay?" her voice was soft, caring. Sam kept her hand on his arm. She knew Janet would want her keeping a close eye on him, and she planned to do just that.

"Where's Dorothy?" Jack asked abruptly, suddenly aware that the dog wasn't around.

"Sergeant Siler took her topside this morning while you were in the shower. He's going to look after her for a bit," she reassured him, placing a hand on his arm again. Sam saw his accepting nod as they stepped into the infirmary.

"Hey guys," Janet was already there to greet them, setting up an instrument tray with one of her nurses and pulling on a pair of gloves. She smiled, turning her attention to Jack. "How are you feeling today?"

Jack returned the smile, albeit a crooked one, and answered with the usual Jack O'Neill, "Fine."

Sam shook her head with a smile, patting his shoulder lightly as Janet waved him over to a bed. She noticed Jack cringe slightly when Janet received a needle from the nurse, Lieutenant Waters, and moved closer, her hand resting calmingly on his knee. She knew the doctor could have easily let the nurse take care of all this, but Janet was doing it for Jack's benefit. Sam also knew he felt more comfortable around Janet with anything medical, and that was alright with her.

Janet took Jack's left arm, swabbing the underside of his elbow as she held up the needle and prepared a vein for injection. She felt him tense as she held his wrist steady. "This is the radiotracer that will be absorbed by your organs so that they show up during the scan," she explained to him carefully. Jack was familiar with having MRIs or CAT scans since his injury, neither of which involved any sort of injection beforehand, so the PET scan was new to him, and she wanted him to understand why a needle was involved. "It won't hurt you Jack, I promise," Janet insisted gently, seeing that he was still a little apprehensive. She knew how much he hated needles.

He nodded slowly, fighting the urge to wince as Janet injected the radioactive chemical into his bloodstream.

"Now, listen," the doctor went on, "It'll take about an hour for the radiotracer to be absorbed by your organs, so I'll begin the regular exam now," she explained to both Jack and Sam.

Sam rubbed at Jack's knee reassuringly, and watched Nurse Waters fasten a blood pressure cuff on his arm while Janet picked up a thermometer to check his temperature.

-

It took a few hours for Jack's complete exam to be over with, and then Janet assured them that the results for the PET scan would be in tomorrow, while the blood work would be in within the next couple of hours. Deciding not to wait around, Sam reported to the General to explain that they were leaving. Afterwards, she and Jack met Sergeant Siler topside to get Dorothy and went home.

When they were finally within the comforting surroundings of home, Sam tiredly sunk into the sofa in the lounge, leaning back into the comfortable cushions and closing her eyes. She smiled when she felt the couch sink with Jack's weight as he settled close beside her, and she languidly turned her head to smile warmly at him. Dorothy had laid herself on the area rug by their feet, the animal's thick fur brushing her right ankle.

After all the emotional ups and downs of what they'd been through recently, Sam felt almost as though a weight had lifted off her. She just wanted to relax, here with Jack, now fully confident that he was going to be alright. She knew it would take more time, but deep in her heart she felt that he would be okay; that they would be okay.

"C'mere," Jack suddenly grinned at Sam lopsidedly and pulled her into his arms, gently dragging her to lay across the couch cushions with him.

She shrieked softly with surprise and offered him a bright smile, finding herself gently kissing his slightly-stubbly chin before resting her head on his chest. Her left arm crossed over his stomach while Jack's left wrapped around her back, their legs intertwined. Sam knew that he loved her; he had told her as much after all, but until now, she hadn't been so sure that he knew what he'd been feeling. Now she was absolutely sure. Despite the occasional lapses Jack had been experiencing since his session with the medical pod, he was becoming more and more like his old self.

"This is nice," Sam whispered against his chest, yawning softly. She hadn't realized how exhausted she was until now. The both of them had just tossed off their shoes and headed straight for the lounge once they were inside the house. Even Dorothy had followed their lead, and was now snoring softly on the floor in front of the couch.

"Mrm," Jack murmured sleepily in agreement, wrapping both arms around Sam as he drifted away into a peaceful slumber.

Sam followed him seconds later, the warmth of Jack's body and the steady rise and fall of his chest beneath her lulling her to sleep.

-

Changes
Chapter Sixteen: Progress

It was hours later before Sam woke, smiling and snuggling closer to the warmth of Jack's body. He was breathing with a slow, steady rhythm, and she knew he was still asleep. Slowly dragging her left arm from his stomach, she lifted her wrist and peered blearily at the face of her watch. It was close to seventeen-hundred-hours, and her eyes widened as she suddenly remembered that everyone was supposed to be coming over for dinner. Sam had no meal prepared, and besides that, she didn't feel much like moving. She just wanted to stay on the couch with Jack for as long as possible.

Sam suddenly felt foolish for worrying how Jack would react once they'd gotten back home, and decided that he seemed more comfortable being with her when no one else was around, and more comfortable expressing the new emotions he was experiencing from memories once lost.

Hearing a knock at the door, Sam cursed under her breath and tried to quickly and carefully disentangle herself from Jack and climb off the sofa. She cursed aloud when Dorothy sprang up from the floor, running to the front door and barking, instantly waking Jack. Sam quickly put a calming hand on Jack's chest when she took in his startled expression. "It's okay, it's just the guys, Janet, and Cassie," she assured him calmly, leaving him to run and get the door.

Daniel was a little surprised at the disheveled looking Sam that answered the door, and was nearly bowled over by an excited Dorothy, who bullied her way between everyone to soak up every bit of attention she could get. "Hey Sam," he leaned over to ruffle the German Sheppard’s fur. "Dorothy."

"Hey," Sam ushered everyone inside, grabbing Dorothy by the collar and dragging her back in as well.

Teal'c was the last to come in, closing the door behind him.

"I'm sorry guys," Sam apologized, running a hand through her mussy blonde hair, "I fell asleep and completely forgot about dinner."

Janet smiled reassuringly. "Don't worry about it, we'll just order in."

Sam heaved a sigh and nodded gratefully. Daniel, Teal'c, and Cassie were already heading down to the lounge where Jack was, Dorothy trotting after them. "Jack just got up too, so he might be a little groggy," she warned.

Reaching for Sam's arm to get her attention before they went into the lounge with everyone, Janet pulled two bottles of pills from her purse and held them out to her. "I had to adjust Jack's medication slightly. Oh, and his blood work all checked out too,"

"Good, good," Sam nodded and took the pills, then went into the lounge with Janet.

"Okay," Janet sat down on the arm of the chair Daniel was sitting in. "What does everyone want for take-out? Pizza? Chinese? Italian?"

Cassie sat on the floor, petting Dorothy. "I could go for Chinese,"

"Yeah, sure, me too," Daniel nodded, smiling at Janet.

"I, as well," Teal'c agreed.

Sam noticed that everyone was looking expectantly at Jack. She swiftly sat beside him on the couch and laid a hand on his knee. "Is Chinese alright with you, Jack?" Suddenly, Sam realized that he hadn't eaten all day and that he must have been starving. He was still looking pretty groggy and a little confused as well. She gently rubbed at his knee, trying to get him to focus. "Jack?"

He blinked dazedly, then shook his head as if to clear it and nodded with a small smile. "Yeah, sure, Chinese."

Janet handed Daniel the phone, "Here, you order for everyone. Sam, is Mr. Chung's still on speed-dial seven?"

"Yeah," Sam answered distractedly, more focused on Jack. He had her a little concerned at the moment. "You alright?" she whispered to him privately while Daniel was busy ordering their food, and Cassie and Teal'c watched television.

"Uh-huh," Jack got up unexpectedly and walked into the kitchen with Dorothy getting up from where she laid on the floor and following, wagging her tail eagerly.

Still holding Jack's pills, Sam shared a brief look with Janet and went after him. She found him refilling Dorothy's water bowl and getting out the kibble from the kitchen closet. "Jack," she began, unsure what to say to him.

"Yeah?" Jack patted Dorothy on the head as he set her bowl of food down beside the water dish.

She went over to him where he was crouched by the dog's bowls, scratching Dorothy's neck when she came over to eat. Sam put her hand on his shoulder. Suddenly sensing that he was unsure of himself and what he'd been feeling and remembering, she boldly decided to talk to him as though he were a hundred percent back to his usual self. She decided he needed some normalcy; needed them to treat him like he was as he'd always been. "Jack... I do love you, you know."

He lifted his head and looked up at her, a smile spreading across his face. Getting to his feet, he pulled Sam into his arms and kissed her.

Sam's eyes were wide with surprise, but she found her arms winding around his back as he held her. It hadn't been a mind-blowing, can't-catch-your-breath, sparks-are-flying type of kiss, but it was sweet and full of affection and love. Smiling back at him, she raked her fingers through his hair and reluctantly stepped out of his embrace, remembering the others were all down in the lounge. She felt a pleasant tingle as he ran a hand down her arm. "C'mon, let's go down to the living room with everyone, okay?"

"Yeah, okay," Jack quirked a brief, crooked little smile. He lightly entwined their fingers, and together they walked hand in hand down to the lounge.

If any of the others noticed the cozy way Jack and Sam strolled into the lounge, hand in hand, no one said anything. They all went back to what they were doing, chatting amicably amongst themselves and watching tv.

"They said the food should be here in about forty-five minutes," Daniel announced, suddenly pulling Janet down from the armrest and into the chair beside him. He smiled when she shrieked and playfully swatted his shoulder.

Having finished off her evening meal, Dorothy trotted back down to the lounge and made her way around the room, gathering her share of attention from all of their guests before finally curling up on the rug in front of the fireplace.

Cassie turned to look at the mantle. "Hey Sam, can we light the fire?" she asked eagerly.

"Sure," Sam nodded in agreement. It was getting really cold outside, and the house had a slight chill which would be chased out by the inviting warmth of a nice fire.

Daniel and Teal'c each got up to gather the wood from the back porch while Sam went to get a lighter and the starter log in the basement.

Dorothy sat up by Jack's feet and he bent over to scratch her neck. Sitting up again, he watched his friends curiously as Daniel and Teal'c helped Sam get the fire going. Scooting toward the end of the couch closest to the fireplace, Jack leaned over to be next to the heat, the German Sheppard at his feet crawling over along the floor to do the same.

With the fire blazing and a comfortable warmth spreading throughout the house, everyone was later seated around the kitchen eating Chinese food and chatting easily with one another. Things seemed more like old times, and Sam was just glad that Jack seemed genuinely happy with everyone around now. Everything was going well tonight, even as they were all adjusting to Jack's recent changes, with him adapting more socially again, and physically doing things he hadn't been capable of months or even weeks ago.

Throughout the evening, Janet seemed to be the one most aware of the closeness of her two friends. Jack seemed more in tune with his memories and emotions, and Sam appeared to be more willing to open up to him as well. She was happy for them, trusting that Sam would be the one to know whether Jack was ready to start a real relationship with her or not, and if he was mentally capable of understanding and participating emotionally now.

As Teal'c finished cleaning up the take-out containers in the kitchen with Cassie, he returned to the lounge and gazed at all his friends relaxing on the comfortable chairs and couch. The Jaffa shared a brief smile with the teenager at his side, also looking upon their family with a heartwarming smile. There was a movie playing on the tv, but no one in the room seemed to be paying any attention.

Janet was snuggled up tightly next to Daniel on the armchair, the both of them asleep with a blanket covering them. Sam laid sprawled on her side on the couch, her head resting comfortably on a pillow in Jack's lap as she dozed, and Jack was slouched on the cushions, one hand resting on Sam's shoulder, his eyelids heavy as he looked ready to fall asleep himself. And curled up cozily in front of the fire was Dorothy, not quiet sleeping, but keeping a watchful eye on her family and their guests.

"I believe it is time to depart," Teal'c rumbled lowly, turned sideways toward Cassie again.

"Yeah, I think so too," the teen giggled softly and trotted down the steps into the lounge. "I'll go wake Mom and Daniel." She smiled and went over to them, careful not to bother Sam or Jack in the process.

Daniel and Janet slowly woke to someone shaking their shoulders, and they both yawned and stretched on the armchair, opening their eyes to find Cassie trying to nudge them awake. "What time is it?" Daniel mumbled sleepily.

Cassie briefly glanced at her watch, "Almost nine-thirty," she told them quietly.

Janet hummed softly and got up from the chair, disentangling herself from Daniel and yawning again. "Okay." She stretched and smiled over at the two on the couch. Sam was still fast asleep and Jack was getting there. "Time to go home."

The four guests said their goodbyes to Jack without waking Sam and all quietly made their way out the door. Teal'c was the last one out, casting a parting glance at the pair on the couch and allowing a smile to appear briefly on his lips. The Jaffa then locked the door behind himself and closed it quietly before leaving.

Jack had nearly dropped off to sleep when everyone had left, but his right knee was cramping, and despite his best intentions to remain still so that he wouldn't bother Sam, Jack had begun to squirm, trying to stretch his leg a little to ease the discomfort.

"Jack?" Sam questioned sleepily in a soft, groggy voice, lifting her head from the pillow against his lap and blinking tiredly up at him. Her eyes shifted to look around the dark lounge, brows furrowing briefly in confusion. "Where is everybody?"

"Went home," Jack told her with a slight shrug and a crooked little smile. "Everyone was fallin'...asleep." He cocked his head to the side for a moment, then added, "'Cept Teal'c...an' Cassie."

Sam nodded, still feeling tired like she wanted to crawl right into bed and go back to sleep. However comfy the couch could be as she laid there with her head in Jack's lap, a bed would have still been more welcoming. Sitting up and stretching with a yawn, she glanced down at the floor for a moment, seeing Dorothy curled up on the rug. Her blue eyes shifted back to Jack when she noticed he started rubbing at his right leg. "Hey, what's the matter with your leg?"

Jack blinked and looked over at Sam, sensing the concern in her tone and managing to smile in a way that he hoped was reassuring. "Just..stiff," he informed her, flexing his knee a few times and sitting a little straighter on the couch.

"C'mon." Sam smiled warmly at him, standing and gently gripping his forearms. "Let's get you to bed. Tomorrow we've got to go see Janet to get the test results from your PET scan."

Yawning with a slow nod, Jack leaned forward and let Sam help pull him to his feet. It had been a long day, and he was really tired. He hadn't had any memories from before popping up in his mind today, and he was a little grateful for that. The flashes confused him when they didn't connect, and it was hard dealing with the sudden emotions they often provoked.

Releasing Jack's arms, Sam moved to the fireplace to make sure the screen was safely closed and turned to see Jack slowly ascending the steps with Dorothy at his heels. When he paused to glance back at Sam questioningly, as if waiting for her, she sent him a reassuring smile. "Go on and get changed for bed. I'll shut off all the lights and bring your pills," she told him softly.

Sam had gone to her room and changed quickly into her own nightwear before going to Jack's room with his medicine and a glass of water. He was sitting on his bed having dressed in some sweats and a long-sleeved shirt, gently scratching Dorothy behind the ears where she laid on the mattress beside him. "Here you go." She held out the tablets and water for him, waiting patiently as he swallowed the pills.

"Thanks," Jack said quietly with a slight smile quirking on his lips.

Standing back, Sam hesitated awkwardly for a moment before finally giving in and leaning forward to wrap her arms around Jack and give him a brief kiss on the lips. "Goodnight Jack."

Jack lifted his head and grinned as Sam slowly pulled back. "'Night," he murmured at her retreating form, feeling as though he didn't want to let her go. They'd often shared a sleeping space at some point during the night since Sam's return from her year-long absence, and as he laid down in bed with Dorothy curled up at his feet, Jack realized that he really didn't like being so far away from her.

Heaving a sigh, Jack laid down, but didn't get under the covers. He stared up at the ceiling while Dorothy shifted around on the bed by his feet.

-

Sam got into bed and closed her eyes, laying on her side. She found that it wasn't so easy getting back to sleep after she'd been resting so comfortably with Jack on the couch. She missed his warmth. Heaving a sigh, she opened her eyes for a moment and peered in the dark toward the baby monitor receiver on her night stand. The dot of red light on it reminded her that she hadn't turned Jack's monitor on. Blinking slowly, her brows furrowed in thought as she continued to stare at the red light, contemplating whether or not to go to Jack's room to turn the monitor on. She wasn't so sure that he would need it anymore, but was worried about taking any chances.

Disconcerting thoughts flittered across her mind as she laid there. The Tok'ra's machine had obviously been helpful already with Jack's mental faculties, but what if he had another seizure and she wasn't there because she hadn't heard him? What if he had a nightmare without her there to soothe him? What if he got one of his bad headaches and was forced to suffer alone?

Suddenly making up her mind about the monitor, Sam sat up in the dark and was about to get up when her bedroom door opened. Faint light from the hallway flooded her room, and silhouetted the tall form now standing in her doorway. She squinted, turning and letting her feet hang over the side of the bed. "Jack?"

He nodded and stepped into the room almost hesitantly.

Worried that something was wrong, Sam stood and rushed to meet him as he took another step in the room. Her hands grasped gently at his forearms. "Jack, are you okay?"

Slowly, he smiled crookedly at her and whispered, "Can I stay?"

Sam's brows furrowed for a moment, then smiled gently in understanding. This was certainly different. Usually she was the one to go to his room because of one reason or another, not the other way around. Nodding, Sam dropped a hand down to his wrist and lightly pulled him over to the bed with a nod. "Yeah, you can stay."

Jack waited until Sam got back in bed before slowly crawling under the covers and snuggling up to her back, tentatively draping an arm over her waist. This felt right to him, and he really liked it.

Closing her eyes as she felt Jack nuzzle into the back of her neck, Sam heard sudden footsteps approaching the bed before a weight made the mattress dip down behind her and Jack. It was unmistakably Dorothy. The big dog circled a few times before laying down at their feet, and Sam smiled, now completely content. Her Jack was definitely coming back to her. He wouldn't ever be the same Jack she'd always known, and she knew that, because he was now free with his feelings, and admitted that he loved her. They could be together now, and happy that way without fear of repercussions.

She loved him enough to wait as long as it took, however long he needed. For now, just having him with her was more than enough. She could've lost him a little over a year ago, and that fear of losing him was enough to make her truly realize the important things in life, things that meant more to her than anything. These were things she would forever cherish and hold on to, because that was what made all their hardships worth it.

-The End-