when you're standing in deep water
and you're bailing yourself out with a straw
and you're drowning in deep water
and you wake up making love to a wall
well it's these little times that help to remind
it's nothing without love

Comfort(able)
In the first year of the Stargate program, Cam comes to visit an old friend, only to discover that her new assignment is rougher than he thought it was. She can't talk to him about it, but they've never quite needed to talk after all.

[ "Holy shit, baby," he says, before he can help himself, because she looks like the fourth day of a three-day pass. Her face is bruised and swollen, she's got a double shiner, her lip's split, and even in the dark and the streetlights he can tell the bruises aren't just confined to her face; she's wearing long sleeves against the winter chill, but he can see dusky marks along her wrists. ]

Tender
In the second year of the Stargate program, Sam comes home to Cameron's family for Christmas, and the chaos is a good cover for the fact that she's totally falling apart. But Cam knows better.

[ She has a sweet smile and pretty words for Aunt Annabeth and Uncle Lou and Uncle Fred and all the cousins, Mary Frances and Little Jerry all the way down to Sara Nell, who's seven and calls Sam "Auntie Sam" with the lisp of two missing front teeth. But she's got her back to the wall and a line-of-sight to both doors, and he can't help but notice she puts down the peeler or the knife so she can have her hands free any time someone else comes bursting in. ]

Bound To
Actually, Christmas is nothing like hell. Sam knows for sure now.

[ Wouldn't be the first time something came up last minute, but she should have at least called. ]

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