A/N: I've edited this to reflect the correct some inadvertant errors. I wrote this originally thinking that Carter didn't know of Charlie O'Neill – basing her knowledge on the order of episodes listed in the DVD sets. However, I've discovered that the DVD sets are out of order, so I had to change the ending of this story.

Set during Brief Candle

Perchance to Dream

What the hell is going on here?

Daniel's words echoed in Carter's head as she sat, her back to the low wall that edged the village well, watching Colonel O'Neill sleep. Together she and Teal'c had built a bed of blankets and cushions purloined from the sleeping Argosians in the tent, certain their occupants wouldn't miss them. They'd built a small fire outside and Teal'c had carried the Colonel to the makeshift bed before moving to the edge of the firelight to Kel'no'reem until his watch. Daniel, too, had moved away, finding a spot in which to curl up and catch a few hours of sleep, leaving Carter to take the first shift.

She shifted again, sliding her feet out before her and adjusting the small pillow behind her back. From here she could see inside of the tent and knew she'd be able to see any threat that came from that venue, although she knew that someone would first have to get past the formidable deterrent of Teal'c.

Her eyes drifted down to O'Neill once again. She'd watched him sleep before, once or twice, while off-world. He always looked younger to her when he slept, his features softened by the light of the glowing embers. Although drug-induced, this time was no different from any other; even in sleep the man was never completely still. Carter watched as his fingers twitched occasionally, as his expressive eyebrows shifted in time with his eyes in response to whatever it was that was chasing his dreams.

A soft hiccup and sigh caught her attention, and Carter glanced through the tent flap to see the baby that Daniel delivered earlier in the day, his new namesake, shift and settle once again. It seemed unusual to her that a newborn would sleep so soundly through the night, but–

"Ungh..."

Carter whipped her head around, startled to find O'Neill trying to sit up. He'd been so heavily drugged that she'd expected him to sleep until dawn. She quickly reached over, supporting him as he slid upright, propping himself up alongside of her.

"Sir?" She kept her voice low so as not to wake the others.

O'Neill was clearly still out of it, his eyes glassy and unfocused. He shook his head and rubbed his eyes, obviously trying to force himself awake.

"St...status?"

"Um, Teal'c's over there, in Kel'no'reem, Daniel's over there, sound asleep. I'm on first watch."

"Dan'l?"

Catching on to his worry right away, Carter laid a hand on his arm, reassuring her CO.

"No, Sir. He's just...asleep. We didn't eat anything."

"Kay." O'Neill gave a soft cough and blinked again, blearily focusing on Carter's face. "You?"

"Me, Sir?"

Frustrated, O'Neill shook his head and tried again. He vaguely gestured to himself, his undressed state, and his new bed. "You?"

"Oh! No, Sir. I...well, Teal'c carried you over here and we put you to bed. Do you remember anything?" At his head shake, Carter continued. "You ate some sort of cake, then you...well, you and a woman named Kynthia, ah..." Carter stopped and ducked her head, not meeting O'Neill's now slightly clearer gaze.

"Ah."

The two were silent for a few minutes, the small fire popping and crackling and providing an accompaniment to the soft night sounds of the village. Occasionally a villager would shift and sigh, breaking the silence. Carter sighed, breathing in the smell of the fire and the slightly musky scent of her still mostly-unclothed commanding officer. She liked his scent, she decided; a slightly spicy hint to it that tickled her senses. He smelled uniquely...Sir to her.

Carter sighed again as she realized where her thoughts were going. He smells Sir to you? What the hell is that, Sam?

Beside her, O'Neill was nodding off again. He grunted as his head fell forward and he began to talk to keep himself awake.

"How 'bout our Daniel today, eh? A baby..."

Leaning her head back against the wall, Carter puffed out a breath and gazed up at the stars. "Yeah, that was something, all right." She closed her eyes for a moment, remembering how calm their archaeologist had been, how...confident. After his first bout of nerves, Daniel had simply snapped to it, giving her orders, calming the young mother, and bringing that beautiful boy into the world.

She felt O'Neill shift next to her and was a bit startled to feel his head slide down and rest upon her shoulder.

"Sir?"

"Sorry. Tired." O'Neill shifted again. "Cute kid, huh?"

Carter smiled into the darkness. "Yes, Sir. He is beautiful."

She paused, wondering if she was crossing a line she shouldn't. Since her encounter with the Lazarus crystal and learning of the death of the Colonel's son, she'd wanted to say express her sympathy. It broke her heart, the thought of her commanding officer losing his son–and with his own service weapon. She'd barely spent any time with the crystaline duplicate of the child, but it had been enough to know that Charlie O'Neill had been a beautiful little boy who had inherited his father's amber eyes.

Carter rubbed her chest, surprised by the intensity of the ache she felt when thinking of O'Neill's loss. She'd never met the real Charlie and had barely met his mother. She couldn't even rightly call the Colonel a friend, but she found herself wishing she could have been there for him. Line or not, she wanted to let him know how sorry she was.

"Sir? I...I wanted to tell you..." Carter trailed off, and when he didn't respond she carefully craned her neck to see if he was awake. She felt his breathing even out, saw his eyes flutter closed once again. Carefully she shifted her position, trying to get the Colonel's head into a position that wouldn't result in him having his neck ache in the morning. She'd get Teal'c to move him...later. For now, he could just relax and dream. She couldn't change the past, but she could be there for him now, in whatever way he'd let her.