In the months she had been working to get Jack back from the grip of the ancients, she hadn't taken any time to consider what would be next. She could feel Daniel's hand on her arm as they waited for the doctors and nurses to finish examining the colonel. Teal'c stood in front of them. Although his face was passive, she knew he was straining to hear what the medical personnel were saying.

After months of waiting, she found herself very impatient for word from inside the infirmary. He had looked ok when they got him out and the Asgard had said he would be fine but he was unresponsive. Would it just take time? Were the Asgard wrong? Maybe nobody had ever done this twice! What if they didn't really know what effect it would have on him? Maybe it had taken them too long! Maybe she was too late! Her head was spinning and she needed answers.
Finally, the door swung open and the doctor stopped in front of Teal'c. Sam could tell Teal'c still unnerved the doctor a bit. She figured that might have its advantages.

"How is O'Neill?" Teal'c's passive face and deep voice obviously shook the doctor up a bit but she recovered quickly.

"Physically he seems fine. He has not been responding to us in any way. I am deeply concerned about this lack of response. It may just take him time to realize he is free. I will hold him for a few days, but if he doesn't begin to respond I won't have any choice but to commit him for psychological treatment."

"I won't let that happen." Daniel stood up and the doctor turned to face him. "I have been there and done that. Jack will not be committed. If I have to quit in order to care for him then I will."

"We will do it as a team." Sam put her hand on his arm.

"Indeed." Teal'c locked eyes with Sam.

"Well then, I will update General Hammond on his condition and your offer." The doctor gave a polite but strained smile. She had been told this team was particularly close, but she was surprised they would give up their careers to care for a non-responsive virtual vegetable.

Three days passed with no noticeable changes in Jack. Sam, Daniel, and Teal'c had taken turns sitting with him in the infirmary. They each tried to get his attention by talking to him about the past and in Sam's case, she had even discussed a future she hoped they might one day share. She could have sworn a couple of times during that last day she had seen his eyes track her movements, but when she tried to test her theory she couldn't get him to do it again. She chalked it up to her imagination.

SG-1 was called to the briefing room on the afternoon of Jack's third day in the infirmary. Sam stood as the general entered and he waved her to sit down.
"The doctor has informed me of your offer to care for Jack. At this point, I will not accept any resignations. You all have plenty of leave built up and you will have to use it all before I will even consider signing any resignations. Is that clear?"

"Yes, sir." Daniel and Teal'c nodded with Sam's answer.

"The doctor tells me she can teach you all to care for him. Have you decided where you will take him?"

"To his home, sir. It is the largest of all our places. There are spare rooms for our use and we hope the familiarity of home will help him recover."

"That makes sense. Sign me up."

"Sir?"

"I want to help. Sign me up for a few shifts, all right. I'm sure you can teach me what I need to know."

"Thank you, sir."

"The doctor plans on releasing Jack tomorrow. I am ordering you all to spend the rest of today training to care for him. I am taking SG-1 off gate duty until further notice. You are all free to work on base as you see fit, but I will expect you to be using your leave to spend a maximum amount of time helping Jack recover. We all need him back."

"Will do, sir."

"Dismissed." Sam, Daniel, and Teal'c looked at each other. They shared a moment of relief followed by a strange apprehension at the enormity of the job they were accepting.

They spent the afternoon learning how to care for Jack. Sam decided early on that she would let Teal'c and Daniel handle Jack's bathing and toileting. She would take the feeding and hydrating. She knew Jack wasn't going to like knowing he had to be cared for like this, but he would be devastated to find out she had been bathing him. Well, he would at least be devastated to think he hadn't been able to enjoy it. That thought made her grin and that grin earned her an odd look from Daniel.

They spent the night packing their personal items and moved into Jack's home. Daniel and Teal'c shared the spare room and gave Sam the pull out sofa in the study. They all shared a bathroom. Jack's room and bathroom were reserved for his use only. They restocked the kitchen and cleaned up. They went to sleep late, tired but satisfied they were ready to take care of Jack.

Daniel rode with Jack and a couple of medics in an SGC supplied van the next morning. The SGC let them borrow a wheelchair to get Jack in and around the house. Once he was in the house, the medics were dismissed. Daniel pushed Jack out to the back deck. The sun warmed them as they sat looking out on the backyard. Sam and Daniel were discussing the bird varieties common to the area. Teal'c was watching Jack.

"I believe O'Neill already looks more relaxed." Sam and Daniel turned to look at Jack. Sam thought Teal'c was right.

"Maybe home will be just what he needs." Sam smiled at Teal'c.

"Let's hope so. I just can't imagine Jack being stuck like this." Daniel face was grim. "Sorry, it's just so hard to stay upbeat."

"I know, Daniel, but Jack needs our support, not our sorrow." Sam kneeled down in front of Daniel. She took both of his hands in hers and looked into his eyes. "I know it's hard, but we're here for each other as much as we are here for the colonel." Daniel nodded and smiled at Sam.

"I know. I know. My moment has passed. What should we do for lunch?"

"How about chili dogs?"

"Sounds good." Sam got up and went inside. Teal'c followed.

"Major Carter?"

"Yes, Teal'c?"

"I believe O'Neill was watching you talk to Daniel Jackson."

"Why do you think that?"

"I saw his eyes move in your direction and they stayed put." Sam's face lit up.

"I thought I saw his eyes follow me the other day in the infirmary. He's really is in there, Teal'c. This will work." Teal'c moved close to Sam and put his arms around her.

"I also believe he is in there. We will help him find his way back." In his mind, Teal'c knew Sam needed Jack more than as her CO. His loyalty to both Jack and Sam meant he had to help them be reunited.

After lunch, Daniel and Teal'c gave Jack a bath and put him in fresh sweats and a t-shirt. They brought him into the living room, where Sam had curled up on the sofa to read. They put Jack on the sofa, beside Sam, and turned on a Simpsons DVD. Teal'c was sitting on the floor in front of the sofa and Daniel was sitting at the kitchen table working on his laptop. Sam kept glancing at Jack out of the corner of her eye.

"Hey guys, look at Jack." Teal'c turned around and Daniel came into the room. Jack's lips were curved up in a small grin and his eyes were locked on the television.

"I believe this indicates progress."

"Yeah, Teal'c. Things are looking up." Daniel forgot about his work and sat down to watch Jack smile. This seemed like such a big move and he wanted to enjoy it with the rest of the team.

After watching Jack for several minutes, Sam couldn't stop her hand from reaching up to caress his cheek. As her fingers trailed down his cheek, she saw his eyes move to her face. The smile on his lips remained. For a few moments, Sam forgot Teal'c and Daniel were in the room. She kept her hand on his face and rubbed her thumb back and forth along his cheek.

"I think he recognizes you." Daniel's voice broke her out of her reverie and she dropped her hand.

"I think you're right. Bringing him home was the right move." Jack turned back to the television when Teal'c began a quiet chuckle.

Dinner for the three friends was quiet. Sam gave Jack some ice cream to eat and he swallowed it easily, an improvement over his time in the infirmary. They played cards after dinner. Sam held Jack's cards and played for him. He won twice, better than he usually did on team poker nights.

Daniel and Teal'c got Jack cleaned up for bed while Sam got his bed ready. Daniel and Sam got Jack into bed. Sam sat beside Jack and ran her hand through his hair. Daniel stepped out, he knew this moment was private and he wanted her to have it.

"Sleep well, sir. One of us will check on you every couple of hours." Her smile was warm and full of love. As she began to stand, she felt his hand on hers. She looked down at his hand and then to his face.

"You moved! That is amazing. Great work, sir." His brow crinkled as she spoke and the grip on her hand tightened.

"Do you want me to stay for a while?" The grip on her hand momentarily tightened again. Sam sat down beside him and rubbed his hand. Her eyes locked on his face. The feelings within her were steadily rising to the surface and she knew he could see them on her face. She wasn't interested in trying to hide them.

"Sam." The word was so quite she almost missed it.

"You said my name!" Sam slid off the edge of the bed and knelt beside the bed so she was on his eye level. "Do it again." His lips curved into a grin.

"Sam."

"I've got to tell the guys." He held her hand tight, which made her stop moving.

"Us."

"I don't understand, sir."

"Jack."

"Jack. I don't understand why you wouldn't want me to tell them."

"Stay."

"What do you mean?"

"Stay." She looked in his eyes and knew what he meant. She only thought about it for a moment before moving back the covers. She laid down next to him and put her arm over his stomach and her head on his chest. She helped him put his arm around her waist.

"No giggling, I promise." She felt the muscles of his jaw move and figured that meant he was smiling.

"Love." Her throat tightened and her heart stopped.

"I love you too, Jack." His grip around her waist tightened slightly. She fell asleep with her body wrapped around his. Daniel and Teal'c looked in a couple of hours later. They turned off the lights and closed the door.

"I think he's going to be fine, Teal'c."

"I think they will both be all right, Daniel Jackson."