A/N Okay, sorry for the long wait, but with the start of the week always comes unexpected stress. Anyway, in this chapter a character that most people dislike, some people hate, and others dream of killing will appear for a short while. Personally I was never really a fan of his, but I needed someone she would recognize. So, please relax, take a deep breath and remember that he will only be here for a chapter! I have no intentions of having him reappear after this, so do not panic. Also, as always please read and review. Thanks! Hope you like it!

Sam had no idea where she was going. All she knew to do was run. Once in the forest she kept running for who knows how long. Eventually, she had to stop before she collapsed from exhaustion. Her wounds were bleeding, which worried Sam because she still couldn't remember anything about how she got them, or her life in general, but she tried not to think about that. All she knew was that she needed to find someone to help her. For some reason her brain was telling her to keep going in the direction she had been, so once Sam had regained her breath she was off again, not in a flat out run like before, but still at a pretty good pace.

After about an hour the trees began to thin. Sam could hear highway noises and people shouting in the distance. After a few more minutes of running Sam found herself at the edge of the forest looking out into a city. She didn't know where she was or how she was able to identify everything she was looking at, but she knew that she needed to find help. She realized, when looking down, that a problem was that she was covered in blood and her clothes were ripped up from the forest. Somehow she knew that if the wrong people saw her like this, bad things might happen. Instead of walking out into the middle of the road and asking for help, which is what she had been considering doing before, Sam decided to stay in the forest and walk around the city until she found a place with no people where she could run from the forest and into an alley or something. Then all she would have to do is find either clothes or someone that will help her.

This plan ended up working out rather well, or at least up until the find clothes and someone to help part. Sam spent another few minutes walking around the edge of the forest until she found an area at the back of a building with an alley just across the street. Sam decided to go for it. But, after running into the alley Sam had no idea what to do next. Crouching down next to a dumpster to stay out of sight, Sam tried to figure out where to start. She had no idea how to get new clothes and no way of knowing who would help her and who would send her back to the men with guns. Sam was so busy trying to hide behind her dumpster and figure out a plan that she didn't notice the police car pulling up at the end of the alley, lights and siren off, in response to a call about a bloody woman running from the forest and into the alley below an apartment building. Sam didn't notice anything until two police men were standing in front of her. One of them asked, "Are you alright? Do you need help? What happened to you?" in a shocked and worried voice.

Sam didn't know what to do. The only thing her mind was saying was run. So she tried, but the officer that hadn't spoken caught her and when she instinctively tried to take a swing at him the other officer grabbed her arms and held them behind her back.

"Easy hun, easy. We just want to help," said the first officer. Then, he turned to his partner, "We should get her back to the station."

"Agreed," said the other man in a much deeper voice. He then began to push Sam, as gently as he could, toward the police car. Sam decided it would be best not to struggle. Somehow she knew that these people were officials meant to help her. She let the men lead her to the car and, just before the first officer opened the back door, she read the wording on the side of the car, "Denver Police Department."

After the officers got Sam into the car it was only a couple minutes drive to the station. The officers kept trying to talk to her, to get her to talk and tell them who she was, but because she didn't know herself she felt it would be easier not to say anything. Upon reaching the station Sam was led out of the car, into the building and then placed in a holding room. The room was a typical police room with a two way mirror on one wall and a barred window on the other. The only other objects in the room were the metal chairs with the matching table. The officers had Sam sit down at one of the chairs and then left.

Immediately, the men went to their supervisor because they had never dealt with a situation quite like this. This unknown woman was so beat up and so damaged, and yet she wouldn't say a word. As soon as the supervisor was informed of the situation he and a doctor went in to talk to the woman. Like the officers said she wouldn't say a word and, despite the fact she was bleeding heavily from several deep wounds across her body, she refused to let the doctor anywhere near her. When the doctor, the supervisor, or even one of the officers tried to approach her, the woman would jump away and try to hide in the corner. The supervisor decided it would be better to let her calm down for a few minutes, maybe take in her surroundings, then maybe she'd be a bit more cooperative, so he ordered the men and the doctor out of the room.

After leaving her alone in the room they all went to the other side of the mirror and watched. After a minute of being alone in the room the woman pulled herself out of the corner and sat back down in the chair. The doctor had just begun to propose that they sedate the woman so that they can at least treat those wounds and see exactly what kind of damage has been done to this woman when Detective Pete Shanahan walked by and overheard the conversation. He stopped and turned to look through the glass saying, "What are you guy's- oohhh my god! Sam!"

The supervisor, officers, and doctor all turned to look at him, "You know this woman?" asked the supervisor eagerly.

"Know her? She was my fiancé." Then, without asking permission or thinking about it, Pete went running into the room. "Sam! What happened? Are you alright?" he asked, trying to approach her.

Sam stood up sharply but did not back away. The name he called her, it sounded familiar, and something about the way he looked, she trusted him, she knew him somehow. Though all of these thoughts were going through Sam's mind, when the man reached out to touch her she backed away quickly, knocking over the chair in the process.

Pete didn't know what to think. Sure they had broken up, but that was a year ago and they were still on good terms, right? "Sam? What's wrong?"

Sam was still backing away, but the tone of familiarity and concern in his voice made her stop and look at him curiously.

"Sam… Sam you know who I am, don't you?" asked Pete after taking another look at the extent of her wounds and remembering what she did for a living. What she did next made the bottom drop out of his heart, she shook her head slightly. "No? No, okay, umm," Pete wasn't sure what to do; he paused and looked toward the two sided mirror. Honestly he was surprised his supervisor had let him stay in here this long. He looked back at Sam who was looking intensely at him, "Okay what do you remember? Anything? Do you know who you are?" Another shake of the head. "Right, okay Sam. My name is Pete, we know each other really well. You can relax you are safe here. Now if you'll give me a few minutes I'm gonna call the base and see if I can't get General O'Neill or Daniel down here to help you alright? Those are your friends, remember?"

All Sam did was shake her head about knowing who those people were, but in actuality something about one of those names had bothered her. While she considered it she righted her chair and sat back down. Then, just as the man named Pete was about to leave the room something sparked as she was considering the name that had bothered her. General O'Neill? General O'Neill? General Jack O'Neill. "Jack," Sam blurted out without thinking.

Pete whipped around on the spot at the sound of her hoarse, dry, weak, and cracked voice. She had spoken. She had said his name. She had said his name? Of course he had always suspected, but her only remembering him confirmed it.

Sam was looking at Pete curiously. The name she had accidently blurted out seemed to mean something to him. He was now staring at her with a mixture of emotion in his eyes. Sam decided that now that she had already spoken a few more words wouldn't hurt, "That is his name?"

Pete was still shocked and bit angry and jealous, but he managed to get out in an even voice, "Yeah, that's the General's first name. Just wait here, I'll see if I can't get him to come get you." With that he left the room. Immediately, his supervisor and the others met him outside the door. Pete kept walking; he had a phone call to make.

The supervisor, falling in step next to him, began speaking, "Who is she?"

Pete decided to keep it short and simple, "Military."

"What does she do?"

"Classified."

"Your ex?"

"Yes?"

"What are you doing now?"

"I need to call her boss to come get her. She has some sort of memory loss probably as a result of those injuries."

"How did she get here? And looking like that?"

"I don't know." By now they had reached a phone and Pete was dialing the only number he could think of, at first he was surprised he still had it memorized, but then again he had called the base dozens of times when he was worried about Sam while she was on away missions.

A man's voice answered the phone. "Cheyenne Mountain."

Pete began to talk very quickly because he knew his supervisor was still breathing down his neck, "This is Pete Shanahan and I need to speak to General O'Neill, Dr. Jackson, or Teal'c immediately."

There was a pause on the other end, "I am sorry but-"

Pete didn't let the man finish giving him the runaround, "Just tell them that this is Pete and I found Sam Carter and have her at the Denver Police Station."

The other line was silent for only a second, "Understood."

When Jack received the call about Pete's call he had already been searching the forest with about two hundred other men for several hours. As soon as Dr. Lam's call had come in earlier that day teams of searchers had immediately been dispatched. Walter called with the good news sometime late in the afternoon and Jack told Daniel, Teal'c, Cam, and Dr. Lam and then they all piled in a base car and told the driver to head for Denver. Woolsey tried to pile in with them once he heard what was going on, but Jack threatened to punch him in the face if he tried. Woolsey apparently believed him.

It only took about twenty minutes to reach the highway and then another ten to get to Denver. As they cut through the forest Jack wondered how long it must have taken for Sam to reach Denver the way she must have run headed, she had certainly taken the long way through the forest. After about forty minutes total in the car they pulled up in front of the Denver Police Station and all piled back out again. Though it was a big car it was really not big enough for all of them and Jack was very relieved when he got out and saw that the medical truck, they had brought to the forest in case they had found Sam there, had followed them to the station. As the group began to walk toward the station doors an officer came out to meet them. "General O'Neill?" The man asked.

"That's me," Jack replied, "Where is she?"

The officer led the group into the station where they were met by Pete. "Hey guys," was Pete's greeting.

"Where is she?" Jack repeated.

"In here. She is very badly injured, appears to have memory loss, and won't let anybody near her."

Dr. Lam interjected from the back of the group, "I told them not to move her."

"I know Doc. But do you think the memory loss will be permanent?" asked Jack concernedly.

"I don't know yet, I will have to examine her, but right now I think our main problem is getting her back to the base if she doesn't remember anything and won't let anyone near her."

"I don't think it will be permanent and I don't think you'll have a problem getting her to go with you," said Pete in a slightly defeated voice.

"Why?" was all Jack could think to say.

"When she first saw me there was a flicker of recognition in her eyes and then later, when I said I was going to contact General O'Neill, she remembered your first name. I think she will recognize you. You should know why."

"That is good news. Very promising," said Dr. Lam, not noticing the extreme tension and discomfort that had suddenly formed between Jack and Pete.

Pete was still staring at Jack and Jack knew he was waiting for a response so he looked him directly in the eye and said, "Good. We have been through a lot together, now where is she?"

Pete just nodded before leading them all to the room where Sam was being held. Jack walked in immediately and the others went to watch from the other side of the mirror. As soon as he walked through the door his heart broke. Sam was covered in blood, she had apparently taken off her bandages and all of her running and fighting earlier had opened up all of her wounds, her clothes were ripped up and she looked more tired and scared than Jack had ever seen her before, and that is saying something. Carefully he stopped a few feet away from her because she was now looking at him intensely he asked in a gentle voice, "Carter? You alright? Do you know who I am?"

From the moment this man walked into the room Sam trusted him. She knew she knew him from somewhere. That is why she didn't stand up or back away as he slowly approached her. But, when he spoke she wasn't sure if she should respond. After several seconds of staring into his brown, concern-filled eyes she decided to trust him completely because as she looked into those eyes one word came to mind, Jack. "I don't- I'm not- Who are you?"

"Okay Carter, my name is Jack O'Neill, we are friends. Your name is Samantha Carter. We need to go, we need to go get you fixed up," as he stopped talking he motioned toward Sam's blood soaked clothes.

Sam followed his gaze for a second before locking her sight on his face. She saw no deception and for some reason she still trusted him for no apparent reason. Finally, all she did was nod.

As soon as she nodded her consent Jack crossed the last few feet between them as quickly and yet non threateningly as he could. She stood up to let him lead her out of the room. Once in the hallway they were joined by Daniel, Cam, Teal'c, and the Dr. Lam. Quietly, Teal'c told Jack that Pete had gone back to his office. Jack understood how Pete felt, after all that is how Jack had felt when Sam was about to marry Pete.

After the group exited the station they proceeded to the medical truck. Carefully, Jack helped load Sam into the back with Dr. Lam. He had intended to ride back to the base in the other car, but when he went to leave Sam shot out her hand to stop him. No words were exchanged between them because none were needed; Jack simply nodded at her before looking at the others. "You guys head back in the other car, I'm going to stay here."

They all nodded and Cam and Teal'c left, but Daniel stayed behind. "Jack," he said quietly, with a tone of warning in his voice, "I know it is great that we found her, but don't get too excited. We still have to deal with that toxin and Woolsey."

"I know Daniel." The thought had crossed Jack's mind. He still had no idea what he was going to do about any of it. Daniel left and Jack watched as the back doors of the truck were closed and then he heard the door to the car slam as Daniel got inside. A few seconds later the truck engine roared to life. The truck started moving and all Jack could think about was how on earth he was going to keep Sam safe once they got back to the SGC and encountered the wrath of Woolsey.