It's the Little Things, by Julie Fortune (PG-13/R)

Rec Category: Samantha Carter

Pairing: none
Categories: Samantha Carter, Jack O'Neill, Daniel Jackson, Jack and Janet friendship, team, gen, friendship, drama, angst, character study
Warnings: extreme violence; Jack and Daniel whumping, extreme Sam whumping
Author on LJ: juliefortune
Author's Website: Fanfic for the Fearless
Link: It's the Little Things, parts One and Two

Why This Must Be Read: Yet another amazing Julie Fortune fic that will blow the reader away, It's the Little Things is a story of courage, and recovery, and self-determination, and fierce loyalty, and friendship, and…

Well, lots of things, really.

The story opens somewhere towards the end, when Sam returns from what has apparently been extended leave to greet the current SG-1 on their return though the Stargate. Julie proceeds to use an excellent frame to tell the backstory, as Janet and Jack retreat to a bar so he can tell her, off the record, exactly what happened to bring Sam nearly to the point of death three months before.

From there, the story flashes back and forth between the frame of the bar (Janet's insight into Jack's "dialling home" will awe you) and the horror of the events on PX9-332, complete with violent natives, Goa'uld trickery, and near-fatal sacrifices – and yet that horror is tempered with the astonishing courage and teamy goodness that keep the three members of SG-1 (no Teal'c there, sad to say) struggling to survive in the face of nearly impossible odds.

The fic concludes with a good look at the inside of Sam's head: her stubborn determination to be at 110%, her fear of failure and isolation, her anxiety about fitting in all over again. And at last, a confrontation between Sam and Jack, where the colonel has to prove to the captain that she's truly ready to go through the Gate once again... and that she already knew.

Like any trip through the Gate with Julie, It's the Little Things is truly a keeper.

( Snippet of fic... )