Chapter 3: In The Name of Love
When Dr. Werner entered Jack’s office he didn’t look too happy. Jacob Carter wasn’t doing as well as they’d expected him to. In fact, he wasn’t really doing anything at all.
“He’s slipped into a coma, sir,” Werner said in response to Jack’s query on Jacob’s well being.
Jack raised an eyebrow. “A coma? I thought Selmak was going to make sure he’d be ok.”
“I don’t know what happened,” Werner shook his head sadly. “Something went wrong. The Tok’ra seem to think that Jacob will be better once we get a symbiote in him, but the real problem is keeping him alive until that happens.
“Just do your best, Doc.”
“I will, sir.” Werner turned and headed back to the infirmary.
Jack groaned, pressing the heels of his palms against his eyes. The past day had been thoroughly screwed up. Everything from loosing Selmak, to Anubis being a royal pain in the ass, and Daniel still not showing his face…
“I could really use a little help here, Danny!” Jack shouted up at the ceiling. In response the klaxons started blaring. Jack swore rather loudly before getting up and heading down to the control room.
“We’re receiving the Tok’ra IDC, General.” Walter said.
“Open the iris.”
Moran, the Tok’ra who seemed to be in charge of finding Jacob a new symbiote, stepped through the gate. Jack hurried down to the gate room to meet him.
“Moran, old buddy, any good news?”
“No.” Moran walked calmly over to Jack. “In fact, it’s rather unpleasant news. The ship carrying Ahmnen, the new symbiote for Jacob Carter, was forced to make an emergency landing as their hyperdrive malfunctioned. Sadly, the planet was occupied by a goa’uld.”
“Aw crap.” Jack muttered under his breath.
Moran nodded. “As far as we can tell, from what intelligence we’ve gathered, all the Tok’ra aboard the ship have been captured.”
Jack ran a hand through his hair. This day was just getting better and better.
The second that Sam heard what had happened, she was in Jack’s office, leaning on the desk and looking Jack hard in the eye.
“I want to go.”
“I know you do, Carter, but I just don’t know if it’s such a good idea at the moment.” Jack said, folding his hands and looking up at Sam. Of all the things he could be talking to her about right now, it had to be this one… “Look, the Jaffa are busy keeping Anubis in check, the Tok’ra are busy plotting to destroy the weapon, and we’re busy trying to keep some sanity in place…The forces just aren’t there to back you up.”
“Send one of the SG teams with me,” Sam pleaded. “Sir, this is important.”
“I know it is, I want to help Jacob too,” Jack sighed. “But do you realize how guilty I would feel if you got captured?”
“I won’t.”
Famous last words…Jack ran a hand over his face. There was just way too much to be thinking about right now. Finally he looked back at Sam. “Anyway, don’t you have a wedding you’re supposed to be getting ready for?”
Sam’s stomach did an uncomfortable sort of flip flop. She’d been trying not to think about that, at least, not until she could decide for sure what she was going to do. She looked down at the floor. “Sir, saving my father’s life comes first.”
“Okay.” Jack nodded. “But for God’s sake, Carter, watch yourself. Something tells me Jacob wouldn’t be too happy if you got yourself killed trying to get him a symbiote.” Not missing a beat, he added, “I wouldn’t be too happy about that either.”
“I’ll be careful,” Sam reassured him.
Jack flashed a slight smile. “Good. Now go get your team together.”
Pete wouldn’t take it as easily, Sam knew, which is why she called him from the phone in her lab. Though she could still hear the panic in his voice when she told him what she had to do.
“Sam, you can’t do this…”
Sam sighed. “I have to, Pete, this is my dad…he’ll die if I don’t.”
“I know, I know. I just…” There was a long pause, and Sam could hear Pete taking a couple deep breaths. “I just don’t want to lose you.”
“It’s a risk we have to take,” Sam replied. She sincerely hoped that she wasn’t laying on the detached military persona too much…though Pete could use a little indifference himself. “You knew a long time ago that I have to do stuff like this.”
“Yeah. Just be careful, Sam.” Pete’s voice sounded a little choked. “And if this alien does anything to you…I swear I’ll come out there and kick his ass.”
Sam chuckled. “Sorry, I think it would be the other way around.”
“Hurry home.”
“I’ll try.”
“Sam? I love you.”
Sam’s heart fluttered, but not in the pleasant way. “Yeah…I…I love you too.” It came out all too quickly, and she hoped that Pete at least had found it convincing.
An hour later Sam stood in the gate room with Major Angela Gosling from SG-7, Captain Dave Beron and Captain Larry Summers both of SG-5. From the Tok’ra they’d received the gate coordinates of the planet where the goa’uld was holding Ahmnen and the others captive. The MALP had shown the gate room on the other side to be deserted; a fact that immediately raised everyone’s suspicions.
Looking up to the window of the control room, Sam could see Jack looking down at her as the gate dialed. He gave her a faint, encouraging smile before leaning forward to the mic.
“Colonel, you have a go.”
Sam nodded, then motioned for the team to follow her through the gate.
The gate room on the other planet looked like it had once been a temple of some sort.
If only Daniel was here… Sam found herself thinking as she and the other three moved to the shadows, listening for any sounds of Jaffa. He’d probably be able to shed some light on what we’re going to be dealing with… Sam signaled for them to move out, keeping low. The corridor was deserted, or so they thought. The team had walked maybe two hundred feet when suddenly something appeared in front of them.
The only way Sam could think to describe the thing was a three dimensional human shadow. It was gray, and faint, and though they could easily see the planes of its face and body, they could also see through it to the end of the corridor.
“Did you come through the Chaapa’ai?” the being demanded. It was hard to tell, but the figure sounded masculine.
Sam kept her P90 raised cautiously. “We did.”
“You are not goa’uld or Fades,” it observed. “You are not supposed to be here.”
“Ma’am.” Major Gosling nudged Sam with her elbow. Sam turned to see more of the shadow people appearing all around them.
“Who are you?” Sam asked the first one.
“I am Nerlok, second in command to Lord Jupiter. We,” he gestured towards the other shadows that surrounded the team, “are the Fades. Loyal army of the God-King Morpheus.”
Sam and Major Gosling exchanged a worried look. Sam took a deep breath. “We’re looking for the Tok’ra that were captured by Jupiter-“
“Silence!” Nerlok raised one hand.
Suddenly something hit Sam hard in the side of the head, knocking her to the ground. She couldn’t see anything but Nerlok standing over her, when something struck her again and everything went black.
Sam awoke to feel someone shaking her and saying worriedly, “Colonel Carter? Colonel Carter…”
Sam sat up. “I’m ok.” She assured Gosling. She looked around; they were in a cell, with other cells on either side. Sam was sitting by the bars and she found herself face to face with someone on the other side who could only be a Tok’ra.
“You are Samantha Carter?” the young man said, his voice the strange harmonic tone of the symbiote. Sam nodded and he looked very relieved. “I am Derrin, my host is Merlow.” He turned and looked back into his cell, where another figure lay on the floor.
“Is that Ahmnen?” Sam asked, craning her neck to see.
“His host is very weak, they cannot travel and Jupiter is making it worse.” Derrin wrinkled his forehead. “They will not make it back to Earth.”
Sam swallowed thickly. Ahmnen had to make it back…that was the whole point of the mission. She bit her lip. “Could he…er…blend with me temporarily? Just to make it back to my dad?”
Derrin seemed to think for a moment. Then he nodded. “That may be our only chance. Here, stay by the bars…” He moved over to pull the limp body of Ahmnen’s host closer. It was an older woman. She opened her eyes and used the bars to pull herself up into a sitting position.
“Thank you, for helping us,” the woman whispered, her eyes half shut. “I’m sorry there isn’t time for a proper blending…”
“It’s only to get Ahmnen back to Jacob Carter,” Derrin explained. “Selmak is dying.”
“Dead.” Sam murmured.
Derrin looked upset. The woman nodded and leaned forward, parting her lips. Sam took a deep breath and leaned forward herself, opening her mouth and bracing herself. She felt something pass into her mouth, and then the jabbing pain in the back of her throat. She fell backwards and Major Gosling caught her.
“Colonel, are you-”
“I’m fine,” Sam coughed, rubbing her neck. Derrin was looking at her expectantly.
You don’t mind, do you? A thought that most certainly wasn’t Sam’s passed through her mind. I must let them know that I am well.
Go ahead Sam thought back.
Though she remembered it from Jollinar, Sam still found it incredibly strange when Ahmnen spoke through her. She could feel her lips moving, feel her body moving, but she had no control over it. All she could do was think.
“My host has held a symbiote before,” Ahmnen observed absently to Derrin, who nodded.
“Yes, she was the last host of Jollinar.”
“Ah, well,” Ahmnen nodded. “I will let her have control, she most likely will have a better chance of getting us out of here.”
Sam found she had regained control of her limbs once again.
Not so bad, is it? There was a hint of laughter. What I remember about Jollinar, she was a little more manipulative than myself.
Yeah, I’m fine though.
Sam turned and smiled at Major Gosling. “I’m fine.” She said, then looked around at the others. “We’re going to get out of here.”
“Your first priority is to get yourself and Ahmnen out of here,” Derrin said. “Don’t worry about us.”
“We’re all going to get out of here.” Sam said firmly. She looked over when Gosling made a worried noise. Two Fades stood by the door, looking in at them with amused expressions on their shadowy faces.
They do not know I am blended with you, Ahmnen’s voice sounded reassuring. I will keep you alive, Samantha. Do not fear.
<hr>
If Jack thought that things couldn’t get any worse, with Jacob laying in a coma and Sam chasing across the galaxy for a group of Tok’ra, he would soon be proven wrong. He was standing by the window in the briefing room when Teal’c appeared by his side, looking even graver than usual.
“O’Neill, the rebel fleet guarding Dakara has fallen to the forces of Anubis,” Jack turned towards the Jaffa, a wide eyed expression on his face. Teal’c continued. “I’m afraid that Bra’tac and the others won’t arrive in time…Anubis has control of the weapon.”
Great, that’s great…just what I needed! “You know what we do, T? We get the biggest damn nuke we can find and shove it through the gate…”
“The gate will be shielded, O’Niell.” Teal’c replied. “The nuke will not arrive in one piece.”
Jack swore under his breath. Carter, where are you when we need you?! The klaxons started blaring. Jack groaned, wondering what possibly could happen now as he hurried down to the control room.
“What’ve we got, Sergeant?” Jack asked, taking up post behind Walter’s chair.
“I don’t know, sir,” Walter checked a few screens. “Incoming wormhole!” He quickly closed the iris.
“It is the weapon,” Teal’c murmured gravely. “We are too late.”
“Self destruct!” Jack ordered, already bending over one of the consoles. Walter opened his mouth to protest, but the grim looks on everyone’s faces convinced him otherwise.
Then everyone stood back to wait in nervous anticipation. The clock on the self destruct ticked down.
Twenty seconds.
The only thought Jack had was of Sam, who would try to return only to find nowhere to return to. He closed his eyes for a second, picturing her face and feeling a slight ache as he realized he wouldn’t see her again.
Ten seconds.
Oh, Sam, I wish I was there with you…
Suddenly the counter slowed, each fraction of a second taking an age to pass. When it read 1:26 it stopped all together. Everyone stared. A moment later came the sound of the gate shutting down.
“Wormhole disengaged.”
Jack blinked. “What happened?”
“I don’t know, sir,” Walter was rechecking the readouts. “It was probably a system malfunction.”
“Aborting self destruct.” Jack shut down the self-destruct sequence, and everyone in the room visibly relaxed…then tensed again as another wormhole opened. Walter shut the iris, but before Jack had a chance to start the self-destruct sequence, a waivery holographic form of Ba’al appeared, looking up at the control room window with his usual expression of contempt. Jack hurried to the gate room.
“Ba’al…what’s going on?”
“You may think I am here to blame you for my lord’s fall, but I am not,” Ba’al tilted his chin up. “I know it was higher powers than you could possibly comprehend.”
“So what does bring you here on such a fine day, in my gate room?”
Ba’al didn’t seem amused. “I’ve come to warn you.”
“Warn me?” Jack stared disbelievingly. “Since when do you care about me?”
“There’s as much in it for me as you.”
“Ah right.”
“There is a goa’uld, Jupiter. He is not from this galaxy, he’s not a system lord. He serves the god-king Morpheus.” Ba’al tilted his head to one side. “It would be to both our advantages if you destroy this Jupiter.”
Jack made a face. “What’s in it for me?”
“He’s holding your Samantha Carter hostage.” The goa’uld smirked. “And he will most definitely be having a lot of fun with her.”
“Like hell he will!” Jack’s eyes flashed dangerously.
Ba’al smirked again.
“You will kneel before your god!” The Fade jabbed something sharp and painful into Sam’s back, causing her to fall to her knees.
Sorry, Sam, I’m working on it… The pain dulled a little as Ahmnen healed her.
Sam looked up slowly. Sitting on a chair before her was a hansom, clean-shaven middle-aged man dressed in flowing robes. His dark hair was curly, his skin lightly bronzed.
“Very interesting, such a pretty thing.” He stood and walked over to Sam, who scrambled to her feet. “And one of the rebels as well. Tell me, Tok’ra, who is your symbiote?”
“I’m not telling you anything.” Sam growled.
Jupiter stepped closer, reaching out and taking her chin in one hand. She jerked away from him and he chuckled. “Come now, I will not hurt you. You are pretty, I do not like hurting pretty things.” His voice momentarily became menacing. “Unless, of course, they disobey me.”
Sam gritted her teeth.
Just hang on, you can make it through this. Ahmnen was certainly encouraging. Sam’s first impression of him was that he was the type who was normally cheerful and joking, but could become very serious and level headed in an emergency.
I know, I know…I’ve been through worse…
Good girl. If you are anything like your father, I’m sure I’ll get along marvelously with him.
Jupiter was running his fingers lightly over Sam’s face and through her hair in an appreciative gesture. When she couldn’t take it anymore, Sam reached up and grabbed Jupiter by the wrist, her jaw tightening. The goa’uld’s eyes flashed and he chuckled.
“You’ve got spirit, Tok’ra, I admire that!” Jupiter suddenly turned Sam around and wrapped an arm about her stomach, holding her tightly to him. She felt him hold something against the back of her neck. “But I’m afraid I will have to drive that from you…”
It felt like someone had driven an ice pick through the back of Sam’s skull. She tried hard not to give in, not to make a sound, but a scream broke forth anyway. Not just from her, but from Ahmnen as well. Her symbiote’s pain seemed to rebound inside Sam. Her vision clouded and she felt her knees hit the stone floor before she finally fell into blissful unconsciousness.
When she awoke the haze of pain was still with her. She was alone, now, in a tiny, dark cell.
You’re not alone, Sam.
She smiled slightly. Ahmnen was trying to repair what damage was done, whatever it was.
It was some sort of advanced hand device, from what I could tell.
I just want to get home! Sam thought desperately.
I know, I know… Ahmnen’s tone was soothing. But we must be strong, Sam. Very strong.
“I think we can only assume that Anubis was vanquished by some being,” Bra’tac said. He, Teal’c and Jack were sitting around the briefing room table, discussing the strange events of the previous day. “Did Ba’al not say anything?”
“Nope,” Jack shook his head. “All Ba’al said was that Carter’s captured by some Goa’uld…I’m still trying to decide whether or not to believe him. Especially after the last time he told me my people were captured. But I’ve got my own ideas on who stopped old Anubis.”
“Of what do you speak?” Bra’tac gave Jack a questioning look.
“O’Neill believes that Daniel Jackson is somehow responsible.” Teal’c said.
“Nope, it wasn’t me.”
Jack frowned. “Did anyone else hear that?”
“I did not.” Teal’c arched one eyebrow, looking at Jack curiously.
“They can’t hear me, Jack,” came Daniel’s voice from Jack’s office. “Come in here a sec.”
“Excuse me…” Jack got to his feet. Walking into his office he spotted Daniel sitting on the desk. “Danny boy! Good of you to drop in…” He looked at Daniel suspiciously. “Wait…why do I have the feeling if I threw a shoe at you, it would hit the wall behind you?”
Daniel rolled his eyes. “There’s actually a good reason I’m still like this. Because I could have just fully ‘de-ascended’ if I’d wanted to.”
“Ok, so what’s this reason?”
“Sam’s in trouble…I can help her a lot more in this form.”
Jack sighed heavily. Ba’al had been right… “So she is captured by this goa’uld Jupiter?”
“Yeah,” Daniel bit his lip. “Jack…in Roman mythology the god Jupiter was known for lusting after beautiful maidens and when they refused him, taking them by force. The goa’uld Jupiter doesn’t use Jaffa…he uses creatures called Fades.”
“Well, whatever those are I’m sure Carter can handle herself against them.”
“Jack,” Daniel looked very seriously up at the general. “Fades aren’t like anything we’ve run into so far…they…they’re four dimensional…It doesn’t matter how smart or strong Sam is, they can still move and she won’t be able to see them until they’ve got her.”
“Crap.” Jack closed his eyes, kneading the heel of his hand against his forehead.
Daniel’s blue eyes were wide and concerned. “We have to help her, Jack, before its too late.”
Chapter 4: Saving Me
It was against most people’s, including the president’s, better judgment that the head of the SGC leave to go rescue a missing team on the chance that they were captured by the enemy. Apparently the word of a former goa’uld system lord and a slightly ascended archaeologist didn’t hold much reliability in the minds of the Pentagon.
But if Ba’al and Daniel told Jack that Sam was in danger, you could bet your bottom dollar he’d be out the gate in a flash to go save her. It was the least he could do to pay her back for all the times she saved his ass.
“O’Neill, I do not think this is a wise idea,” Teal’c said as they pulled their BDU’s on.
Jack sighed, fidgeting with the zipper of his vest. “Not a lot of people do, T. But we never leave a man behind…or woman, for that matter.”
“I merely meant that arriving on Jupiter’s planet by way of the Stargate may not be the best tactical approach.”
“Look, I talked to Thor about this,” Jack said. “Apparently Jupiter’s got the planet surrounded with his fleet. I think gating over is the only way we’ll get in.”
“Is it not possible we will be captured ourselves?”
“That’s always a possibility.” Jack finished getting his gear together and headed down to the gate room. As he was standing in the elevator, a familiar voice sounded in his ear.
“Bit hard to convince people, isn’t it?”
“Jesus, Danny!” Jack had jumped slightly. “Don’t just sneak up on me like that! How’s Carter doing?”
“Sorry,” Daniel was leaning against one of the walls, his hands in his pockets. “She’s not doing horribly…not doing good, either, but Ahmnen’s keeping her alive and fairly healthy.”
“Who?”
“The symbiote they’re supposed to give to Jacob. He blended with Sam because they didn’t think his host would make it back to Earth.”
Jack gave Daniel a confused look then shook his head. “Wait…I thought you ascended beings weren’t allowed to interfere?”
“Heh,” Daniel looked sheepish. “Well…right now the ancients are all too busy watching Oma and Anubis fight it out, so I’m sorta slipping in under the radar.”
“Or it could be that you just care about Carter more than me.”
“No…Jack, more lives than just Sam’s hang in the balance here…Jacob’s, Ahmnen’s, the other members of Sam’s team…Ok, well…only Major Gosling…she’s the only one that’s still alive…”
“Danny.” Jack stared at Daniel. “Get your ass back over there and do whatever you can to keep Carter and Gosling alive, ok?”
“I can’t… Oh, ok, fine, I’m going.”
When Jack stepped out of the elevator into the hall, he was alone.
“Sam.”
Sam looked up as a voice that wasn’t hers or Ahmnen’s filtered through the throbbing pain in her head. A faint glow was filling her previously darkened cell, and when her eyes managed to focus, she recognized the figure standing over her to be Daniel.
“Daniel?” She whispered.
Daniel knelt by her, giving her a pitying look. “Help’s on the way, Sam, you just have to hang on.”
“Major Gosling…” Sam’s voice trailed off.
“Yeah,” Daniel winced. “I saw what happened to her…I’m sorry.”
Sam shook her head. Now that she was actually awake she was beginning to feel slightly better. Part of her realized that if it wasn’t for Ahmnen she would have ended up the same way Major Gosling and the others did…dead.
“We’re going to make it, Sam.” Ahmnen’s voice was weak, and Sam knew that all this was taking as much a toll on him as it was on her.
The door opened and two Fades walked in, grabbing Sam without really touching her and hauling her to her feet. She looked around for Daniel, but her friend seemed to have vanished. The Fades dragged her down the hall to the room where Jupiter sat on a throne. He got to his feet as Sam was tossed to the floor before him.
“Let’s try this again, shall we?” he said, bearing down on her with the strange hand device that was similar to the one Sam was familiar with, and yet more complex. “Perhaps you will be more cooperative.” He pulled Sam to him, her back against his chest, and held the hand device to the back of her neck. Pain shot down her spine. “I will ask you again, Tok’ra, what is the address of the rebel’s hiding place?”
“I...don’t…know-!” Sam snarled. “I’m not a Tok’ra!”
“Do not lie!” Jupiter turned her around, pushing her up against a wall and glaring at her hard in the eye. “I can sense the symbiote within you…and how else would you have survived so much unless you had something healing you?”
“I don’t know the address,” Sam forced herself to stay strong, to tilt her chin up and look the goa’uld straight in the eye. “And if I did, I wouldn’t tell you.”
Jupiter shrugged, raising the strange hand device once again. “Your loss…”
“My friends will rescue me.”
“Hmmm…” Jupiter chuckled. “They will, will they? Tell me, Tok’ra, do you have a lover who’s waiting for you? A mate that would brave uncountable dangers to find you?”
Unconsciously, Sam’s eyes widened.
Jack…
That small, flash of emotion turned out to be a mistake. Jupiter’s eyes glowed and he let out another deep chuckle. “Then I think I’ve been going about this all the wrong way.”
“Oh no…Sam…Let me take over, please, let me spare you this…” Ahmnen’s voice was panicked inside Sam’s head.
“No, I need to do this.”
Sam struggled against Jupiter’s hold on her; he’d shifted, pinning her to the wall with one strong arm across her shoulders, holding her there with all the force of his body while his free hand came up to lightly stroke her face. Her feet were still free, though, and she kicked him with all her strength, knocking him backwards.
“Meretrix!” he grunted, glaring at Sam before raising the hand device. A bolt of energy threw Sam against the wall. Her head slammed against the hard stone and she crumpled to the ground, feeling blood running down her chin but not having the strength to wipe it away.
Jupiter strode over to her then reached down, pulling Sam up by the collar of her shirt. Her head was throbbing almost unbearably, and she couldn’t even hear Ahmnen anymore. But still she forced herself to stand, to not show any weakness. Just like a good soldier.
A wicked smile twisted Jupiter’s face as he once again pushed Sam against the wall. He leaned closer and she found she didn’t have the strength to struggle against him, even as his lips grazed over hers and his tongue licked at the blood on the corner of her mouth.
“Ahmnen…”
Her body tensed suddenly, and Jupiter looked up just in time to see her eyes glow briefly. A second later Ahmnen shoved Jupiter away, quickly wiping the blood off her face.
“So you’ve decided to finally show yourself,” Jupiter said, chortling. “You’re host too weak to go on?”
“Samantha Carter is a strong woman,” Ahmnen replied, glaring at Jupiter. “I simply will not tolerate any more disrespect towards her.”
Jupiter raised his hand that had the hand device wrapped around it, flattening his palm and making the stone in the center glow. “As you see, Tok’ra, I have the advantage.”
Ahmnen drew herself up defiantly, continuing to glare at Jupiter. The hand device began to glow brighter, energy building up around it. Jupiter’s eyes flashed.
Several things happened simultaneously in the following moments. Jupiter released the bolt of energy, slamming Ahmnen into the wall just as Jack and the others burst through the door. In the ensuing chaos Jupiter let loose some sort of flash bomb, and by the time everyone had regained their senses, the goa’uld had vanished.
Jack ran over to Sam’s limp form, gently putting his hand behind her head to get her into a sitting position. He felt something wet on his fingers and looked to see blood matting Sam’s short blond hair. “Carter?”
It was Ahmnen, however, who looked up at Jack through the clouded blue eyes. “Samantha Carter is gravely injured,” the Tok’ra said, her voice weak and breathing labored. “I’m afraid that to heal her I must…must…” her eyes drooped shut and body went limp.
Jack lifted the limp form, then nodded to Teal’c. “Lets check for the others, then get the hell out of here…”
Usually when someone wakes up, they have a sense of how long they have been asleep. When Sam awoke she had the distinct feeling that she had been asleep; she just couldn’t figure out how long. The first thing she noticed upon regaining consciousness was that Ahmnen’s presence was gone from her mind. The second thing, that she had a horribly sore throat.
Opening her eyes, she was grateful to see her father sitting by her bed. “Hey, dad,” her voice was rough.
“Hello, sweetheart.” Jacob smiled, smoothing a hand over her forehead. “How’s my little girl feeling?” It was almost like when Sam was a young girl and home sick in bed, on one of those rare days that her father had off.
“Horrible,” Sam grinned, then gave Jacob a questioning look. “Is Ahmnen…?”
“He says hello,” Jacob reported. “He’d also like to thank you for getting him back here, and to apologize for the sore throat. The blending process was difficult with you so out of it.”
“You two getting along?”
Jacob nodded. “I’m honored to be a host for any Tok’ra who saved my daughter’s life.”
Sam smiled, reaching for her father’s hand and giving it a gentle squeeze. Jacob looked up to the observation window and beckoned to someone on the other side who Sam couldn’t see.
“There’s someone here whose been waiting to see you,” Jacob said, his voice strangely flat and devoid of emotion. He stood up and patted Sam’s hand before leaving the room.
For a brief second Sam’s hope flared that it would be Jack who entered; but instead it was Pete. He walked over and kissed Sam lightly before sitting down in the chair next to the bed.
“Hey, Sam,” he said, taking her hand in his. “How’re you doing?”
Sam shrugged. “Drowsy and sore…how long was I out?”
“A couple days…” Pete’s brow furrowed, and he rubbed his thumb over the back of her hand. “I was so worried…when they contacted me and told me you were injured…” his voice trailed off.
“I’m going to be fine, though,” Sam tried to sound and look reassuring.
Pete smiled. “Good, because I’d hate to lose you right before our wedding.”
Yeah…about that….
As if he had read her mind, Pete quickly added, “Of course, we can wait until you’re recovered. I wouldn’t want to cause more damage.”
Sam managed a weak smile. “Thanks.”
Jack folded his arms over his chest as he looked down into the room at Sam and Pete. Sam was looking a lot better, and she even smiled a couple times at something Pete said. Jack felt his heart give an involuntary twinge at this.
He’d spent so much of the past seven years forcing himself to not care, forcing his emotions to stop racing around and his heart to stop pounding each time she looked at him. Nights off-world could be the worst; they were often the times when his resolve was pushed to the limits. Sometimes when ice-cold wind and rain were lashing their tent, it became almost unbearable as they were forced to huddle together for mere survival’s sake.
But the most he’d ever done was slip an arm around her waist, or nuzzle his face against her soft neck. And neither ever mentioned it the next morning.
You’re making a very big mistake…
Kerry’s words echoed in his head. Yeah, he was making a big mistake. He knew it. But so long as Pete Shanahan was in the picture, there wasn’t really anything he could do about it.
Jack sighed, giving the couple down in the observation room one last look before turning and walking away.
It wasn’t until well after Pete had left that Sam looked up and was surprised to see Daniel walking in. for a few minutes she just stared at him, trying to discern if he was really there or she was just having some sort of hallucination.
“Daniel?” She said finally.
“Yep, it’s really me…” Daniel smiled, walking over. “Fully corporeal again, so before you throw a shoe at me…” he chuckled, pulling up a chair and sitting down next to the bed.
Sam frowned, reaching out to touch his cheek. Satisfied, she nodded. “Good, I thought I was going crazy…er…crazier.”
“Nope, not crazy,” Daniel replied. “Jack might be going crazy though, specially after I descended naked in the middle of his office…” the archaeologist got an uncharacteristically cheeky expression on his face.
“Oh God…” Sam rolled her eyes.
“Anyway, it’s getting late, I should let you sleep.” Daniel stood up and put a hand on Sam’s shoulder. “I just wanted to make sure you were doing ok.”
Sam nodded, giving her friend a grateful smile. She watched him leave, then closed her eyes and sunk down into the pillow, finally able to drift into a peaceful sleep.