Jack went across to the damaged MALP and then tossed his hand at the mess it had become. He retrieved some salvageable items, like the camera and such to be used on a replacement vehicle, then he indicated for the team to follow him.

Despite there being nothing within the atmosphere he still found himself squinting, his mind telling him that air that dark needed to be dirty. His lungs, however, told him it was fine.

"Okay, campers. Let's do this and get home!"

They walked solidly for four hours then the leader called for a break. Grouping around and sipping at their water canteens, Jack sketched a plan into the dirt before them. All peered closely through the dark air to see the faint sketch.

"Carter, you say that the readings are coming from this direction?" He pointed to the left side of the map he'd just drawn.

She gave a sharp nod. "It would seem that they are, yes Sir."

"Okay, you and Daniel can go that way." There were two paths to go down to reach that point, according to the readings from the scans. "Teal'c - you're with me!" He said, standinng up out of his crouch and readjusting his pack. Sam rose to her feet slowly, then shot Daniel a quick look.

"Ready?"

"Yeah," the younger man sighed. "Let's get this over and done with!"

Jack didn't say anything as he checked his watch. "Meet up at the rendezvous site at 1830."

The captain checked her watch then nodded. "Yes sir!" With a pat on his arm as she past him, she let Daniel know to follow her. The anthropologist shot his friend a quick look, one that Jack returned as he lifted his sun glasses up, ready to blow them clean before putting them on. It didn't help with his squint, so he dropped them onto his chest again.

He stood watching as Daniel headed off after Sam, through the long grass and finally, out of sight. Snapping back to full awareness, Jack turned and saw Teal'c beside him.

"Ready?"

"I am," the Jaffa said, his head cocked slightly to see where Daniel had disappeared from view. Jack gave the area one last quick glance before indicating with a nod of his head to follow him.

***

It was just after 1900 when Sam and Daniel stumbled into the rendezvous site, the young anthropologist draped across her shoulders and his feet dragging in the dirt. Jack heard them before seeing them, and he leapt to his feet as soon as she was visible. He saw Daniel was hurt and ran to her side and she gladly relinquished her heavy load into his arms.

"What the hell happened?" He asked his disheveled Captain. She was covered in dirt, her face scratched up and her lip swollen. Teal'c got up to see if he could help her at all, and assisted to ease her by the fire.

She grimaced when she spoke, lightly pressing the back of her hand against her fat lip. "We were heading along that ridge back there and suddenly my ankle gave out. I guess it must have still been weak from when I twisted it the other day. I started to topple over the edge and Daniel reached for me.."

She looked at the unconscious man, lying against Jack's stomach and chest now beside the fire. After foraging through his pack, Jack pulled out the First Aid kit, and was about to wipe the blood from a gaping wound when he looked down at his hand. Without a word he reached into his pack and withdrew a surgical glove from the kit, tugging it on, then he gently pressed the gauze swab into the wound. The unconscious man didn't even flinch.

"In the fall I dragged him over with me," she said through a cough. "It was hard to tell how far we fell but I managed to land face down on a ledge. I felt around for him in the dark but I realized he went over the edge. I called to him, and I could faintly hear his cry. He was a long way down so I.."

"Jesus! Why didn't you radio for help?" Jack interrupted her, seeing the size of the gash on Daniel's forehead and the scratches all over his cheek and throat.

She unclipped her vest pocket and brought out the crumpled radio. "I tried, Sir!" She dropped the mess onto the dirt before her. He nodded then sighed as he grabbed another gauze and continued to mop the seeping wound.

Sam sighed then accepted the hot cup of tea Teal'c had made for her. Clasping it between both hands she sat huddled forward, staring at the flames.

"I had to climb down and get him. It was quite a way but I managed to slip most of the distance, cutting the time considerably. When I reached him he was on his back." She lifted watery blue eyes up and looked at Jack. "I thought he was dead."

Jack nodded, then looked at Teal'c, indicating with his head for the Jaffa to go and sit with her. The other man did as instructed, sitting beside her and wrapping her shoulders in a blanket. She smiled gratefully at him. Then he set about cleaning up some of her scrapes and scratches with another gauze pad.

"I checked he was alright--he was able to talk to me for a while--but I think the walking was too much for him. He collapsed about ten minutes ago and I had to drag him to here. I thought of putting him down, but I really wasn't that sure how far away this camp was. I should have put him down," she said, looking at the unconscious man in Jack's lap. A stain of red blood was appearing on Jack's thigh from the leakage. He kept dabbing at Daniel's wound, his other hand curled and the back of his fingers slightly rubbing Daniel's cheek.

Sam noted the action. "He'll be alright, Sir," she assured him. Jack nodded then looked at her.

"You did good, Captain."

She gave a small smile then nodded, allowing Teal'c to tighten the blanket around her again. "Are you hungry Capt'n Carter?"

She nodded. "Ravenous."

Silently the Jaffa moved off to get her some food. She looked at Jack, seeing the body tangled between his legs, the hand still gently touching the side of Daniel's cheek. She cast a quick look at the other man on the opposite side of the fire then leaned over and whispered to Jack, "Daniel said you were working things out?"

"He did?"

She nodded. "He said that you'd admitted to being jealous?"

The colonel rolled his eyes then shrugged as he glanced up at Teal'c, sitting beside her again. With another sigh he decided to let Teal'c in on the secret.

Jack looked down at the pale face in his lap. "He thinks I was jealous as a friend.."

Sam wet her lips quickly. "Why is that?"

"Because Hammond burst into the room before I could tell him otherwise."

Teal'c tilted his head but said nothing.

"Oh," she said, sounding disappointed.

Jack titled his face a little, to see Daniel's a bit better. Again, his hand stroked the soft cheek.

"He told me that he didn't think of me in any other way, other than a friend..." Jack said flatly. Sam nodded. Jack flashed a look at Teal'c then figured he had nothing to lose, so he looked back at her, "I was about to tell him I *had* feelings for him...." he said honestly. Sam caught her breath and nodded. Teal'c raised his brow and looked between the two friends.

"You have feelings for DanielJackson?" he asked Jack quietly. The officer took a moment before confirming it with a swift shrug. Sam looked up in time to see the reaction in Teal'c's face.

"Teal'c, are you alright with this?" she asked. He looked at her then nodded.

"I am alright with this," he said. Sam gave a small smile then looked back at Jack, who was eyeing their dark friend carefully.

"Sorry, did you say *had* feelings?"

Jack lowered his face again, still stroking Daniel's cheek.

"Things have changed dramatically for me in the past 72 hours, Sam," he admitted candidly.

"How?" She frowned.

Suddenly Daniel coughed, his whole body shaking as he became wracked with a fit of convulsions. Jack helped to roll him onto his side and the young scientist leaned over and started spitting out blood.

"Jesus!" Jack ran his hand through his short hair. Sam inched off the log she was sitting on and onto her knees, her hand touching lightly to Daniel's shoulder. The weary man slowly ran the back of his hand across his mouth as he looked up.

"Daniel?" Sam touched her hand to his cheek. He looked at her with drowsy eyes.

"Sam?"

"You're okay," she said, shooting a quick look at Jack. "We're with the Colonel and Teal'c."

He coughed again then spat up more blood. Jack grimaced.

"Okay, Carter - You and Teal'c head back to the gate. Teal'c take her the way we came to avoid that ravine in the dark. I'll stay here and I want you to bring the Doc and some medical equipment back with you," he ordered. The others leapt to their feet. "Teal'c don't forget that road, it's a neck-breaker if you're not careful! It's got to be worse in the dark than it was.. in the dark!"

The Jaffa nodded then turned to see that Sam was already beside him.

Daniel spat out more blood and Jack looked up at the team members. "Hurry!"

They nodded then took off, soon being enveloped in the dark. Jack looked at Daniel, half sitting on his side, weary arms holding him up as he coughed and spat out more blood. The Colonel crawled onto his knees beside him, wrapping an arm across his shoulders as he brushed back some of Daniel's hair off his face.

The blue eyes looked up at him, flickering in the fire light, then they rolled and he slumped into Jack's arms again. The colonel held his friend in an upright position, gently cradling him until help could arrive.

Soon, he hoped!

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