Who the hell is ringing me in the middle of the night grumbled Jack as he rolled over in bed and reached for his cell.

"What" he answered gruffly.

"If this is a prank call I'm not laughing" still no one at the other end answered. In the end Jack hung up and checked the caller ID, it was Carter. Deciding that she must have misdialled since it was the middle of the night he chucked his cell on the floor and went back to sleep.

Jack strode into the briefing room the next day with a spring in his step, today was a good day. An easy mission on the cards and team night with his favourite people that evening. Sam was already sat at the briefing table, fiddling with her pen.

"Carter" he greeted as he poured some coffee. "You want some?" he asked.

"Carter, you OK?"

"Sorry Sir, I didn't notice you come in" she replied, her eyes looking anywhere but towards him. He sat down in his usual chair next to her and noticed as she flinched when his arm brushed hers.

"You OK?" he asked softly. Before she had a chance to answer Daniel and Teal'c sat down and Daniel began chatting animatedly about their mission. Grateful for the interruption Sam nodded at the Colonel and focused on Daniel and the briefing.

Major Carter was not having a good morning, once again she'd gotten into an argument with Pete the night before and once again he'd hit her, repeatedly. She'd begged him to stop, promising she was sorry for whatever she'd done. Unfortunately she didn't know what she'd done, this time or any of the times he'd beaten her. She promised him time and time again there was nothing going on between her and Colonel O'Neill. Now she was sat in the briefing room preparing for a mission she wasn't even sure he had he strength to see through. She'd let her personal life interfere with work and she hated herself for it. Worst still, Pete had warned her that if she spoke to anyone he'd expose the whole program, he knew she wouldn't compromise her work.

Thankfully the mission itself went off without issue, it wasn't till she was sat in the infirmary waiting for her post mission check that she began to panic, knowing that taking of her jacket would mean that Janet would see her bruises and would want to know how she got them. In a moment of what she could only describe as pure stupidity, she left the infirmary and headed for the surface. Thankfully no one had seen her leave and she signed up and jumped in her car without being challenged.

"You're all done Colonel" said Janet as he jumped off the bed. "Can you send Major Carter in to see me please"

"I thought she was here already? She came down with Daniel" he replied.

"Well unless she's hiding from me she isn't here now, it's protocol to complete a medical straight after a mission Sir"

"I'm well aware of that and I'm pretty sure Carter is too" he replied tersely.

"I'll find her and send her down Doctor"

As she watched the Colonel walk away Janet silently wondered what could have happened that would cause her friend to defy a direct order.

Jack tried the usual places his 2IC would normally be hiding, her lab was his first choice before trying the locker rooms and the commissary. He was just about to report to Hammond when he thought to check if she'd left the mountain. A quick call to the SF's on the gate confirmed she had. Next he needed to find out where she'd gone and why.

Sam pulled up outside her house and tried to compose herself before going in, she could see Pete was in, his car was parked outside. She knew he'd be mad, he'd told her to quit her job on more than one occasion and she'd refused, something he'd punished her for. She opened up her door and immediately came face to face with him.

"Where have you been?" he growled

"Work Pete, I've told you before I'm not going to quit" she replied as she tried to push past him.

"And I've told you you'd be sorry if you didn't" he said as he grabbed her by the throat and threw her into the house.