Author's Notes: I can't believe its been almost 5 years since I wrote the initial 3 chapters of this story. And almost 4 years since I last posted something.

I have a lot of spare time on my hands right now, so we'll see how this writing thing goes!

No beta – all mistakes are my own.

Always

"For the love of God, Carter, be careful," Jack worried as he watched his Second expertly scale the cliff in front of him.

"I will, Colonel," she replied as she quickly made her way to her destination.

She had noticed something unusual on her scans shortly after gating the the planet. Jack had let her lead the way, all the while keeping his head on a swivel. He knew better than to let his guard down on a seemingly deserted planet.

He looked around at his two other team mates. Teal'c was patrolling the area around the cliff, his staff held high, a look of concentration on his face. He never let his guard down off world. Jack had always known him to be alert at all times.

Daniel was at the base of the cliff, dusting at a section with his fingertips with growing interest. Jack signed. Of course he had found something.

"Daniel?" Jack asked, knowing he would regret it.

"It's a warning of some kind," he mused.

"What kind of warning?" Jack asked, his hackles rising.

"I don't know," he said as he wrapped his hand in his jacket and brushed off a larger section hurriedly.

"Daniel?" Jack asked again, his hands grabbing his gun as he watched Teal'c prepare his staff.

"Saying my name every two seconds isn't going to make me translate any faster," Daniel replied, a hint of frantic worry lacing his voice.

Jack stared at his friends head as the younger man cleared yet another section of barely legible text. Tense moments crawled by.

"SAM!" Daniel yelled as he backed up from the wall and stared up at his friend. She had just made the ledge she was aiming for and was disappearing from sight as she made her way into the small cave. "Sam! Don't go in there!"

"Daniel?!" Jack grabbed his jacket in his fist and turned the younger man to face him.

"There's a force shield there. A very powerful one. If she hits it, there's a good chance she'll die."

"The hell she is," Jack said hurriedly as he unclipped his pack and gun and ran towards the cliff. Within seconds he was scaling the wall and making his way up to his blonde team member,

"CARTER!" he yelled as he neared the opening. Two more steps Jack, and you'll be there, he thought to himself.

He hauled himself up onto the ledge and walked into the small cave as fast as he could.

"Christ," he swore as he ran towards her, her body slumped against the wall. He grabbed her by the shoulders and dragged her a few feet closer to the edge of the cliff. He quickly found her faint pulse on her neck.

"Sir?" she moaned quietly.

"Not today, Carter," he told her, as he checked her over for injuries.

"Sir," she slurred, her eyes fluttering closed.

"Not, today, Carter," he repeated forcefully as he looked her in the eyes.

"Sir," her voice no more than a breath.

"Ah! Stay with me Carter, you're gonna get through this," he held her gaze as she began to fade away in front of him. "Sam... please... stay with me," he whispered as he cupped her cheek and stroked her fair skin.

"Sir... I..."

"Sam," his breath caught in his throat. "Please, don't leave me. I love you."

"Jack!" Daniel said as he crawled into the small cave, Teal'c at his heels, as Sam's head fell to the side. "Oh no."

"We must hurry O'Neill," Teal'c said as he picked his fallen team member and made his way back to the mouth of the cave.

"Teal'c... it's too late... she's..."

"No," the Jaffa replied sternly, before quickly making a harness out of rope and securing his friend within it.

The journey back to the gate was a blur for Jack. He wasn't sure how they made it back or how long it took. He woke from his daze only when Doctor Fraiser placed a hand on his arm.

"I watched her die," he whispered from his bed in the infirmary.

"No, you didn't," Janet told him softly.

"What?" his head snapped up and he looked at the petite doctor.

"She slipped into a coma. But we're hoping she'll wake up soon. She's in isolation room two if you want to see her."

"Yeah," he said before jumping off the bed and quickly made his way to his Second in Command.

He slowly sat down in the chair beside her bed and heaved a sigh of relief. She was alive.