CODE OF HONOR

 

BY

 

Jen Gafeller

 

 

Category: Angst; Sam/Jack UST/Romance; Hurt/Comfort; Action/Adventure

Content Warnings: Sam/Jack UST/Romance; some language; Violence in the form of a short torture scene involving one of the main characters.  If that sort of thing makes you uncomfortable, you might want to give this story a miss.

Season/Sequel: Season 8 – pre Threads

Spoilers: Pretty much anything that comes before Threads is open game in this one.

Summary:  The team must each in their own way face some of their deepest fears when Ba’al threatens to unleash a fearsome weapon on Earth.

Status: WIP

Rating: Over 13, please, for language and violence.

Disclaimer:  Stargate SG-1 and its characters are the property of Stargate (II) Productions, Showtime / Viacom, MGM/UA, Double Secret Productions, and Gekko Productions. This story is for entertainment purposes only and no money changed hands.  No copyright infringement is intended.  The original characters, situations, and story are the property of the author. Not to be archived without permission. Feedback and constructive criticism welcome through e-mailing me at the above address.  I’m poor and don’t have much but my muse, so please don’t sue me.  =)

Copyright: © 2005 Jen Gafeller

Author’s Notes:  I got a flash one one scene in this story and this is what came of it.  This is by far my most ambitious undertaking to date.  This beast is already nearly 100 pages and I’m not even to the climax of the story yet.  I’ll post here, but not with any regularity.  But eventually I will finish this story.  It’s been plucking at my brain for too long not to finish it.  Heck I’ve actually been writing the darn thing for close to 8 months now.  Finishing it is sort of a pride thing now.  And to my wonderful beta, Renate.  Couldn’t have done this without you, m’dear!  You’re the best!

If you’re interested in reading the complete version of the Code of Conduct, which is the legal guide for the behavior of military members who are captured by hostile forces, you can visit here: http://usmilitary.about.com/od/justicelawlegislation/a/codeofconduct1.htm.  This is a very complete guide with explanations for every article of the CoC.  I had to learn it forwards and backwards in USAF basic training and I always assumed the members of the SGC know it at least as well, if not better.

Dedication:  To my daughter, who left this world long before she deserved.  You are my inspiration and my guardian angel, my Cora Beth.

 

Standing tall and forbidding in its perfect symmetry, the Stargate rolled through the symbols, each a step along the pathway to another world.  Some hostile and barren, some rich and fertile with raw materials for the taking.  Raw materials to be used in the construction of ships and weapons; raw materials to be used as hosts for the Goa’uld.  The Goa’uld who had moved across the galaxy like a fire, sweeping all others away with a flick of their power.  The creatures who had the power to control much of the inhabited galaxy, and yet could not survive without the humans they took as hosts; the humans they controlled from within their own bodies. 

 

For many decades upon decades he had traveled through the Chappa’ai; used it to further his own twisted plans of conquest.  Never had he doubted its power or his destiny in ruling over that power.  He was among the Goa’uld System Lords who ruled the galaxy with iron fists; fighting amongst themselves as easily as amongst their non-Goa’uld enemies.  The System Lords, through their guile and cunning, ruled over the galaxy for centuries, their technology stolen from those they conquered.  Their advancements came at the price of those who fell to their armies of Jaffa foot soldiers.  But now one System Lord was poised to rule over them all.

 

Ba’al.  The System Lord who had dared to conquer all.  The System Lord who dared to bring all other System Lords under his boot.  Until now, his plans for conquest had gone unrealized.  Until now, he had no means by which to subjugate the others; no means to bring them into line and pledge themselves to serve him and only him.  But with his discovery all of that had changed.  The best minds amongst his followers now worked to bring it to life.  It was a weapon, of that he was sure, but what kind of weapon?  Would it be as powerful as he had hoped?

 

They assured him they had unlocked its secrets, but they had to be sure.  They needed to test this weapon before relying on it for their survival in battle.  But time was short.  The other System Lords had been fighting amongst themselves for so long, they had allowed their vigilance to falter.  They allowed the Tok’ra to gain the upper hand once too often, and now that the Tok’ra had allied themselves with the Tau’ri people of Earth, they were even more formidable.  Many had fallen before any among them had truly realized the threat: Ra, Hathor, Apophis, Sokar.  System Lords who had once been thought to be invincible, now as dead as those who had once worshipped them as gods.

 

Those deaths had left a void in the power base of the System Lords.  A void that Ba’al vowed to fill.  While the others bickered and fought, he had built an army of soldiers more powerful than the strongest Jaffa army.  All his army needed now was one swift, powerful strike to pave the way into their strongholds.  This weapon promised to give them that tool, a way to neutralize the Jaffa armies of the other System Lords and leave their worlds ripe for the taking.  However, they would only be distracted by their infighting for so long before they realized their blunder and turned their attention to him.

The test of this new weapon was poised, awaiting his order.  Within hours he would know if his patience would be rewarded; he would know if his conquest of the Goa’uld System Lords could finally begin.

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

Brigadier General Jonathan “Jack” O’Neill sat at his desk skimming through the small mountain of memos and reports that awaited his attention.  He had known going into this job that the administration would be the bane of his existence, but he hadn’t truly comprehended the sheer magnitude of the job.  General Hammond had once commented that if someone sneezed around the Stargate a report was generated, and in that he had not been exaggerating.  Now all of those reports unerringly found their way to Jack’s desk.

 

Jack had begun to develop an appreciation for the reports with short and sweet bullet points that succinctly summarized things for him.  He closed the cover on one such report, written by his former second in command Lieutenant Colonel Samantha Carter, and rubbed his eyes wearily.  He could always count on Carter to make his administrative life easier, and he certainly did appreciate it.  Not that her reports weren’t thorough, she just knew him well enough to summarize the “techno babble” down to a few short phrases that actually made sense.

 

Taking a deep breath and deciding to change gears from mission reports to memos, Jack reached for the stack recently delivered from the Pentagon and opened the top folder.  In his fatigue, he barely registered what he was reading until one name reached out from the page to grab his attention.  Jack straightened up in his chair, turning his full attention back to the beginning of the memo.

 

TO:                  Brig. General Jonathan O’Neill

                                    Commanding Officer, Stargate Command

FROM:            Lt. General Roger Brady

                                    USAF Chief of Personnel

RE:                   Re Assignment, Lt. Colonel Samantha Carter

24 September 2004

 

This is to request the formal reassignment of Lt. Col. S. Carter to the research facility at Area 51.  The USAF Chief of Personnel has tentatively approved this request, made by the Commanding Officer of Research and Development at Area 51, Brig. General R. Greene.

 

Lt. Colonel Carter is to be given command of all research and development activities associated with retrieval of artifacts and alien technologies acquired through Stargate Command.

 

If approved reassignment would be effective ASAP.  Please review the attached proposal and respond no later than 6 October 2004.

 

The memo was signed by the Chief of Personnel and counter signed by General Greene from Area 51.  Jack knew that Area 51 had been after Carter and her expertise for years, but this was the first time he had been in a position to either approve or deny a request to have her reassigned to that facility permanently.  Jack pushed his chair back from his desk and ran his hands through his short hair, sighing deeply.  This was a big step up for Carter, and one that she’d be foolish not to accept.  What the hell would he do if she actually said yes?

 

On the other hand, did she even want to go?  Honestly, Jack could see Carter being very happy getting to play with doohickeys and computers in the labs at Area 51.  Since they were technically “off the books”, and had been around a lot longer than the SGC, Area 51 was at the front lines for all cutting edge technology at the Air Force’s disposal.  Something he knew would appeal to the scientist in Carter.  But since taking over as SG-1’s CO, he had seen a new side to Sam Carter emerging; a side of her he had rarely seen outside her lab. 

 

Carter had become more self assured in the field and among her purely military colleagues and SG-1 had barely missed a step since his promotion and departure from the team.  Jack had been both relieved and a bit unnerved that she had replaced him on the team so easily.  Not that he had wanted her to fail, by any stretch of the imagination, but still it was good to be needed and SG-1 didn’t seem to need him at all.

 

And that would add to his already growing number of headaches; if Carter did decide to take up the offer and leave for Area 51, who in the hell would he get to command SG-1?  There was no way he was going to dodge a decision about the flagship team if they were left with only 2 team members.  The thought gave him pause, and for a fleeting instant he allowed himself to consider life at the SGC without Sam Carter before roughly pushing that thought, and its associated emotions and feelings, aside.

 

Get a grip, O’Neill.  Carter’ll never leave the SGC.  She loves it here just as much, or more, than anyone else in this command.  But as much as he tried to reassure himself, down deep he couldn’t truly be certain of anything.  It’s not like he had ever really discussed her future with her, so for all he knew this was the dream job Carter had been waiting for the last 7 years. 

 

Jack glanced at the last paragraph again then to the calendar on his desk.  30 September 2004 was displayed prominently right on top.  Crap!  The Chief needed his answer by next week, and that left Carter with little time to make her decision.  One of these days he was really going to have to get better at time management.

 

Shaking his head, Jack rose from his chair, the memos and reports now forgotten as he

made his way out into the corridor his feet taking him automatically toward the elevators and Carter’s lab.  It was well after 1700, but lately he had noticed Sam working in her lab later and later into the evenings.  He had been meaning to ask her about it, but simply hadn’t found the time for idle chat with any of SG-1.  He slowed to a stop, just outside her lab doorway, allowing himself a moment of guilty pleasure at just watching her work.

 

Sam was in a word, beautiful.  He had thought so nearly from the first moment he met her, and certainly from the moment she challenged him to arm wrestle.  Jack smiled slightly to himself at the memory of young Captain Samantha Carter, her eyes blazing in fiery determination.  So much had changed about her in the ensuing years, and yet even now if he looked deep enough he could still see that young Captain who had the guts enough to go head to head with him across a briefing table but who could also stand wide eyed at the base of the Stargate and marvel at its existence.  He watched for a moment as she bent forward toward her laptop, her brow furrowing in concentration at whatever was scrolling across her screen.

 

As he watched, Sam’s expression cleared to one of discovery and she suddenly began typing furiously, her fingers flying faster than he could follow.  As a small smile spread slowly across her face, Jack found himself smiling in response, her obvious joy at figuring out whatever she was working on infecting him as well.  He indulged for only a moment longer before he stepped the rest of the way into the doorframe and cleared this throat slightly, catching the Colonel’s attention.

 

“Sir, I’m sorry, I didn’t see you there.”

 

“Not a problem Colonel, you were apparently busy,” Jack replied, waving his hand in the general direction of her desk and laptop.

 

“Yes, sir.  I was actually working on the anti-grav generator SG-6 discovered on P5Y-326 during their last mission.  You see, initially I presumed it worked using a subspace field, not unlike our hyperdrive engines, but that wasn’t working, so I started experimenting with the ratio of…”

“Carter!”

 

“Yes, sir, sorry,” Sam replied somewhat sheepishly, her excitement at figuring out this particular puzzle still shining brightly in her eyes.  Jack would’ve been blind to miss it.

 

“So, you figured it out, yes?”

 

“Yes, sir!  If I’m right and these simulations pan out, we could be looking at a technology that could revolutionize our X-302 and X-303 projects.”

 

“Great, Carter.  Keep me apprised.”

 

“I will, sir,” Sam replied and began to turn back to her laptop, but not before she got a quick look at Jack’s face and was surprised to see an expression that she had come to equate with Jack feeling uncomfortable about something, his eyes crinkling slightly at the corners; his lips pursed into a hard, thin line; his eyes wandering restlessly over her lab, not settling in any one place for long.

 

“Was there something else you wanted to see me about, sir?”

 

Now that look had blossomed into all out panic and Sam found she was suddenly sorry she asked.  Whatever it was, the General wasn’t happy about it.

 

“Ah, actually Carter, I got a memo today.”

 

Sam waited expectantly for several seconds, but when Jack seemed unwilling to elaborate she pushed ahead.  “Yes, sir.  I would imagine you get quite a few memos everyday.”

 

“Yeah.  More than I ever thought possible.  I don’t know how old George ever put up with all of it, to be honest with you.”

Sam smiled at the sentiment.  “No, sir.”

 

The silence stretched again, and Sam was beginning to become a bit nervous.

 

“Sir?”

 

“Huh?”

 

“The memo?”

 

“Oh, yeah.  That,” Jack sighed, shoving his hands deeply into his pockets before continuing.  “It was from the Pentagon.  Chief of Personnel to be exact.  They want me to sign off on a reassignment.”

 

Sam could tell from Jack’s demeanor the last thing he wanted to do was approved the request, but she still wasn’t sure why he was bringing it to her.  “Ah, I see.  So, what’re you going to do?”

 

“See that’s just it, I don’t know,” Jack said exasperatedly, waving his hand in the air for emphasis.  “I mean, it’s a good career move and all, but…”

 

“Sir, who are we talking about, anyway?”

 

“Oh, right.  Um…you actually.”

 

“Me, sir?  The Chief of Personnel sent a memo about me?”

 

“Yeah, actually.  Wants you reassigned to Area 51.  Commanding Officer of Research and Development.”

 

 “Not again,” Sam sighed.

 

Jack didn’t seem to notice her reply and barreled ahead.  “It would be a big step up for you, Carter.  Pretty much guarantee you’d make full bird in the minimum time allowed….wait, again?  What’d you mean “again”?”

 

“Sir, General Greene has been after me to take that command for two years now.  Maybe longer.”

 

“He has?”  Two years?  Why the hell didn’t she take it?

 

“Yes, sir.  And before you ask, I didn’t take it because I’m very happy right where I am, sir.”

 

How does she do that?  “Ah, I see.  Well, I’m not so sure General Greene will be willing to take no for an answer this time.  When the Chief of Personnel endorses an assignment, it generally happens, Carter.”

 

Sam’s nonchalance at the situation suddenly faded as she faced the very real possibility that she might be unwillingly pulled away from the SGC.  The thought of actually having to pack up and move away from her friends and job to the deserts of Nevada seemed less than appealing.

 

“Oh.  Can you get me out of it, sir?”

 

Jack felt a wave of relief crash over him as he realized that Sam hardly wanted to take this assignment, and in fact had been turning it down for two years.  So that eliminated one worry but left another larger one.  The Chief of Air Force Personnel had signed off on this new assignment, and that would be much more difficult to circumvent.  But he had to be one hundred percent sure staying at the SGC was something she wanted because if he went head to head with the Chief of Personnel over this, that bridge would likely be irrevocably destroyed and Carter would have zero chance of ever taking the position.

 

“Are you sure?  Ya know you might not get another chance like this.  Command of a whole legion of eggheads and more doodads to play with than you’d have time for?  Isn’t that at least a bit tempting?”

 

Sam threw him a wry smile.  “Yes, sir, it is tempting.  You know how much I love hanging out with the other eggheads.  But really sir, I’m right where I want to be.”

 

“Alright, if you’re sure, I’ll see what I can do about this whole thing.  I’ll make a few phone calls tomorrow morning.”

 

“Thank you, sir.”

 

“Don’t thank me yet.  We’ll see what happens tomorrow.”

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

Jack slammed the phone receiver down with a resounding crash.  He had been met with one brick wall after another in his quest to keep Sam at the SGC; this last call was to General Hammond asking for his advice.  Unfortunately, the General had reiterated what he had been hearing all morning.  Once the Chief of Personnel signs off on an assignment, that’s it.  Game Over.  It was hardly what Jack had wanted to hear.

 

Deciding he needed a break from his phone marathon, Jack decided to take a break and head down to the commissary for a fresh cup of coffee and if he was lucky a nice freshly baked piece of cake.

 

As he pushed through the double doors, Jack made a beeline for the coffee urn and after filling his cup full and selecting a piece of double chocolate cake turned and looked for a good place to sit and think through what he was going to do next.  As he let his eyes sweep the room he found his gaze pulled inexorably toward one table toward the back wall and discovered his feet moving in that direction of their own accord.

 

Sam looked up as Jack approached, her eyebrows rising.  Jack silently pulled up a chair across from her and sat down, unwrapping his cake and digging in with his fork.  With the bite half way to his mouth he paused and looked over at Sam’s face.  Noting the expectant look in her eyes, he lowered the fork back down to his plate.

 

“No joy yet.  But I’m not through yet.  Got a couple more calls I can make.”

 

Sam’s face fell at the news.  After spending a near sleepless night, she had convinced herself that O’Neill would be able to pull some strings for her so that she could stay at the SGC.  “Nothing?  What about General Hammond?  Can he help?”

 

“Just got off the phone with him.  He pretty much gave me the same song and dance I’ve been listening to all morning.  Once the Chief signs off on a change of station, it is usually a done deal.”

 

Sam’s shoulders slumped, General Hammond had always been her ace in the hole, able to put off General Greene at Area 51 the last couple of times this issue had arisen.  Now it seemed her run of luck had been exhausted and only one option was left to her.  Take the position and leave SG-1 and the SGC behind, however reluctantly.  The needs of the Air Force, Colonel.  It’s all about the needs of the Air Force.

 

“So that’s it.  I start packing?”

 

“Not quite.  General Hammond did have one suggestion.”

 

“And that would be?”

 

“That I call General Greene directly.  Try to work out some sort of compromise with him.”

 

Sam couldn’t help but allow some hopefulness to creep into her voice.  “Do you think he’ll go for that, sir?”

 

“Not sure.  But it’s worth a shot.”

 

Sam nodded. 

 

Digging back into his nearly forgotten cake, “Let’s just hope General Greene is a reasonable man.  I’d hate to have to threaten to send Teal’c down there to use some of his more persuasive Jaffa interrogation techniques on him.”

 

Sam smirked, having seen for herself the effects that even one steely eyed look from the Jaffa could have on someone.

 

“Well sir, if you’ll excuse me, I’ve got a mission briefing to finish up before tomorrow morning,” Sam pushed back her chair and prepared to leave.  “And sir?”

 

Jack looked up from his coffee.  “Yeah?”

 

“Thank you.  I really do appreciate everything you’re trying to do for me.”

 

“Yes well, I have purely selfish reasons for it.”

 

“You do?”  Sam asked, her surprise driving her eyebrows nearly up to her hairline.

 

“Yeah.  Last thing I need is to have to replace another SG team leader.  Most especially the CO of SG-1.”

 

“Of course sir,” Sam replied, her smile reaching all the way to her eyes as she stood and turned toward the doors.

 

“Carter?”

 

“Sir?”

 

“I’ll call you when I get this worked out.  And I will get it worked out.  Count on it.”

 

Sam nodded once, then turned and headed back toward her lab.  She didn’t doubt O’Neill’s willingness to “work this out”, but she wasn’t so sure that General Greene would give up on her, especially after going to such lengths to secure her transfer to Area 51.

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

Sam sat at her laptop, her attention wandering yet again.  Not generally given to distractions, she found she was becoming somewhat annoyed with herself.  Shaking her head, she bent again to her task, determined to finish her briefing and have it ready for the General’s review within the hour.  Just as she was putting the finishing touches on her work, a soft knock pulled at her attention and she looked up expectantly.

 

“Daniel, hey,” Sam said, slightly disappointed.

 

“Hey, Sam.  Had lunch yet?”

 

“I grabbed a bite a little while ago, but thanks anyway.”

 

“No problem.  Just thought you’d like to take a break for a while.  We could get a cup of coffee or something if you’d rather.”

 

“Nah.  Last thing I need right now is caffeine.”

 

“Okay, well.  If you’re sure…”  Daniel said, trailing off somewhat as if there were more he wanted than just a friendly cup of coffee.  Standing just to the side of her desk, Daniel stood shifting his feet, looking more than a bit nervous.

 

“So, we heard you’re leaving to take command of the R&D at Area 51,” Daniel blurted.

 

Sam was surprised enough that word had spread so quickly, that for a moment she didn’t reply.  Blinking, she took a breath to reply, but was cut off by Daniel.

 

“God, it’s true isn’t it?  They’re really going to send you to Nevada?  I told Teal’c there was no way, I never thought the rumor mill was right.  How the hell can they do that?”  Daniel ranted on, becoming more agitated by the moment.

 

“Daniel, calm down.  Nothing’s set in stone just yet.  General O’Neill is working on it for me.”

 

“Of course, of course.  Jack’ll never let them take you away from us that easily.”

 

Sam was a bit uncomfortable with the sentiment, but didn’t contradict him either.

 

“Well, hopefully I’ll hear something soon.”

 

Daniel took in the nervous flutter of her hands, the way Sam’s eyes wandered repeatedly over his shoulder to glance out into the hall and then back to him again, and knew her outward calm was a façade, and one that she was working hard to keep in place.  Reaching out to still her restless hands, Daniel sought to reassure her.

 

“Don’t worry, Sam.  I’m sure it’ll be fine.”

 

Sam mustered up a small smile for him.  “Yeah, it will be.”

 

Daniel smiled in return then grasped her hands and pulled Sam to her feet.  “Come on, let’s get out of here.  Waiting in here by yourself would make anyone a bit nuts.”

 

Shaking her head but not resisting either, Sam followed Daniel down the corridor toward the commissary.  Daniel was right about one thing, waiting with friends was always better than waiting alone.

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

It was nearly three hours and two phone calls later that Jack found himself once again standing outside Carter’s lab with what he hoped would be a compromise they all could accept.  It had taken some strong arming on Jack’s part, but in the end General Greene had been more accommodating than he had expected and the final solution had actually been Greene’s suggestion.

 

Sam was once again bent low over her laptop, but her typing seemed half hearted at best compared with her enthusiasm from the day before.  Jack knocked on the door jam, pulling Sam’s attention away from her project.

 

“Sir.  Come in.”

 

Jack strode in, his hands jammed deep into his pockets.  Stopping just short of Sam’s workbench, he met her gaze squarely.

 

“You’ve worked it out,” Sam said matter of factly.

 

Jack squinted his eyes slightly.  “Sort of.  General Greene has agreed to a sort of compromise.  You’ll officially be under his command and will work one week a month out of Area 51.  You’ll be expected to review all alien technology brought back during SGC missions and make out reports to the folks back at Area 51 prioritizing the stuff you think deserves the most attention.”

 

“But the rest of the time, I’m here, right?  I get to keep SG-1?”

 

“Yep.  We’ll work out the details of the mission schedule to be sure you get that week in Nevada every month, but otherwise you’re still here.”

 

Sam’s surprise couldn’t have been more complete.  He really had worked it out.  After seeing the General’s dejection in the commissary earlier that day, she hadn’t held out much hope.

 

“Thank you, sir,” The sincerity in her heart communicated in her voice.

 

“Yeah, well.  Don’t mention it.  Remember, selfish motives.  It’s gonna mean a lot of extra work for you.  But it was the only way I could get Greene to agree.”

 

Sam smiled, “Don’t worry, sir.  I can handle it if it means I can keep SG-1,” The fear that her team could be stripped from her just when she was getting comfortable with command had been enough to strike fear into her heart.  When she had first taken command, it had all seemed a bit overwhelming, but now her life in command of her team seemed as natural to her as her former role as 2IC had been.

 

As Jack turned to head back to his office and the ever growing pile of paperwork on his desk, Sam’s voice caught his attention.

 

“Sir?  The guys and I were going to get together tonight, have dinner and maybe a cheesy sci-fi movie.  Interested?”

 

“Cheesy sci-fi?  Will it have Mary Steenburgen in it?”

 

“Not sure she’s ever done sci-fi, sir, but I’ll see what I can find.  1900, my place?”

 

“Well now that’s the best offer I’ve had in a while.  I’ll be there,” Jack replied, a genuine smile creasing his face for the first time in far too long.  The relief he felt at coming to an agreement with Area 51 was enough by itself to put a smile on his face.  The reasons for his profound relief he chose not to think about.  Much.

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

The evening passed in pleasant companionship as the once and current members of SG-1 spent their night eating and drinking together; something they had not had time to indulge in as a group since the General’s promotion.  Jack found himself more relaxed than he had been in weeks, and was reluctant for it to end.  The meal and company were more than welcome and he appreciated the opportunity to no longer be “The General” and just be “Jack”, even if for a short time.

 

Nursing a cold beer, sitting with his feet stretched out in front of him, Jack only half listened to the debate between Daniel and Teal’c, not really interested in the topic but more content to simply allow their voices to wash over him, a sense of familiarity leaving him feeling pleasantly warm.  He could hear Carter puttering around in the kitchen, then silence as she finished up the cleaning.  Jack expected her to join them in the living room and was somewhat surprised to hear the sliding door open as Sam slipped through to the back deck.  Jack turned slightly to glance over his shoulder and out the back door, catching sight of Sam, her back to him, her face upturned toward the night sky.  Her pensive stance struck him as odd and a bit disconcerting.

 

Pushing himself to his feet, Jack headed out the door Sam had used, closing it quietly behind him.  Coming to stand at the railing at Sam’s side, he followed her gaze up, familiar constellations passing before him like old friends.  They stood in companionable silence, neither immediately inclined to speak.  Finally Jack drew in a deep breath, gave Sam a sidelong look and decided to break the silence.

 

“So.  Whatcha doin’ out here by yourself?”

 

Sam half turned toward him, leaning one elbow on the railing.  “Just needed some air, sir.”

 

Jack nodded at the sentiment, his own need for solitude well known among his former team.  “I can relate to that.  Sure don’t get much of that anymore, do we?”

 

Sam smiled slightly.  “No, sir, we don’t.  Burdens of command.”

 

“Yeah.  So how’s that goin’ anyway?  We haven’t really had much time to talk since you took command of SG-1.”

 

“Fine, sir.  Better than I had imagined, actually.  I expected some period of feeling awkward around the guys, but things have been going very smoothly.”

 

“Well, just be sure you let me know if there’s anything that comes up.”

 

“I’m sure things will go just fine, but thank you for the offer sir.  I’ll keep that in mind.”

 

Jack paused, carefully framing the question still niggling at the back of his mind.  He knew there was something bothering Carter, and had honestly thought it was the newness of command.  But now that she had reassured him things were fine on SG-1, he was at a loss to explain her recent tenseness.  Not that anyone who didn’t know Sam Carter well would have picked up on it, but after serving with the Colonel for just over eight years, Jack could read the subtle signs in her posture and manner.  Not to mention the fact that for several weeks, Carter had been going home more or less on time. 

 

But that had abruptly changed a bit over two weeks ago and she could be counted on to be found in her lab until well into the night.  Not that Jack had been keeping tabs on her, exactly.  Oh hell, who was he kidding?  Of course he was checking up on her; on all of them, truth be told.  He suspected he already knew her reasons for her shortening her usual 70 hour work week to something more respectable, but it wasn’t something he really wanted to dwell on.

 

“So, how’s everything else?”

 

The question quite frankly shocked Sam into speechlessness.  Jack O’Neill was hardly someone who generally indulged in small talk unless he had a good reason.  And it wasn’t as though in the past they hadn’t talked, as friends if nothing else.  But for him to come right out and inquire about her life in general was certainly new territory for both of them.  Sam pursed her lips for a moment, gazing back up toward the heavens that had so fascinated her as a child.  How to answer such a loaded question? 

 

Jack knew he had surprised her and was willing to patiently wait for Sam to reply.  When she turned to look back up into the night sky, he briefly worried he had perhaps pushed a bit too far, into territory they had both implicitly agreed was off limits.  After several quiet moments, she turned to face him again.

 

“Things have been sort of okay.  Maybe.  Or not.”

 

Jack raised his eyebrows at her ambiguous response.  “Just what does that mean?”  He asked softly, genuinely wanting to know.

 

Sam bit her lip, her eyes flitting everywhere but to his.  Her nervousness was almost palpable between them and Jack immediately regretted asking her about any of this.

 

“I’m sorry, it’s none of my business.  Forget I asked,” Jack said, giving Sam a way out of a situation that was becoming increasingly uncomfortable.

 

“Don’t be sorry, sir.  It’s just that I haven’t actually told the guys yet.”

 

Jack looked at Sam quizzically, his mind whirling with the possibilities that sprang unbidden to mind.  They actually set a date?  Pre-wedding jitters?  Avoiding the soon to be in-laws?  Jack froze.  She’s pregnant!?  But before he could speculate further, Sam had drawn in a deep breath and plunged ahead.

 

“Pete and I broke up.”

 

Jack’s mouth popped open.  That had been the furthest thing from his mind.  He had thought they were happy together, engagement rings and talk of houses and all.

 

“What?  When?”  The questions popped out of his mouth before he could pull them back and Jack winced at his tact, or lack thereof.

 

Sam, however, smiled sadly, turning her attention back to the stars above.  “I’m not sure I was all that surprised, really, after that whole thing with Osiris.  I just couldn’t get him to trust me.  Trust that when I said it was classified it truly was classified, no matter what small amount of clearance he had been given to know about the program,” Sam sighed slightly.  “I really did think he could handle it, sir.  Looks like I was wrong.”

 

Jack nodded in sympathy, his own experiences with having to keep classified missions to himself something that had followed him through much of his adult life.  “I really am sorry, Carter.”

 

“It’s alright, sir.  Not the first time this sort of thing has happened to members of our command.  Probably won’t be the last time either.”

 

“Yeah, but it’s the first time it’s happened to you.  And that matters to me.”

 

Sam turned wide, startled eyes to his face, gauging him.  “Thank you, sir.  I appreciate the sentiment.  I’ll be fine.”

 

“Of course you will.  But if you need anything, don’t forget, Daniel’s door is always open,” Jack said, a mischievous smile creeping its way onto his face.

 

Sam’s genuine smile reached all the way to her eyes and she ducked her head, chuckling softly.  “I’ll remember that, sir.”

 

“Well, we should probably head back in before Daniel and Teal’c find the ice cream I brought and eat all of it before we get any.” 

 

“Can’t have that, now can we, sir?”

 

“Hell no.  It’s my favorite too!  Chunky Monkey.”

 

Sam laughed lightly, feeling for the first time in the last couple of weeks as though things were finally getting back to normal.

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

Daniel knocked lightly on the doorway to Jack’s office.

 

O’Neill looked up from his ever growing pile of administrative paperwork.  “Daniel.”

 

“You wanted to see me, Jack?”

 

“Yeah, come on in and close the door, will ya?”

 

Daniel closed the door softly behind him and sat down in one of the chairs just in front of Jack’s desk.  “So, what’s up?”

 

Jack rearranged the memos on his desk a bit, then shifted in his seat to get more comfortable, but it didn’t appear to be working.  Daniel got the distinct impression that Jack was more than a little bit uncomfortable talking about whatever was on his mind, but was resolved to wait him out and let him bring the topic up in his own time.

 

Jack finally looked up, “So, how’s things been going?  On the team, I mean.”

 

Daniel raised his eyebrows at the question.  “Ah, fine, fine.  Why?  Something happen to give you the impression things weren’t okay?”

 

“No, no.  Not really.  Just like to check up on things every now and then.  Ya know, just to be sure.”

 

“Oh, oh.  I see.  Well, no need to worry Jack, we’re doing fine.  We miss you out there of course, but we’re doing good.”

 

“How about Carter?  She settling into command well?”

 

Ah, now I get it.  Daniel realized.  This isn’t about the team, this is about Sam.  “Great.  She’s doing great, Jack.  She’s been ready for this for a while, you know that.”

 

“Has she been talking to you much lately?  You know, about…stuff?”  Jack again shifted in his seat, looking more uncomfortable by the moment.

 

Daniel’s eyebrows again traveled nearly up to his hairline.  “Yeah, we talk quite a lot.  We are friends, ya know.  Is there something in particular she was supposed to talk to me about?”

 

Now Jack knew he was on shaky ground.  He honestly was worried about how the break up of her engagement was affecting Sam, personally rather than professionally since he had the utmost confidence in her abilities at work.  But it was hardly his place to tell Daniel what had happened between Sam and Pete.

 

Daniel, being the perceptive person he was, picked up on the nature of Jack’s discomfort and saved him from having to say something embarrassing.  “This is about Pete, isn’t it?  Sam mentioned she told you Friday night.”

 

Jack’s relief was palpable.  “Yeah.  You think she’s handling that whole….thing okay?”

 

Daniel smiled.  “She’ll be fine Jack.  I got the feeling that she was never as confident in their relationship as Shanahan was.  It almost seemed like it was a relief to her that it was over.”

 

“Ah.  Well, that’s good.  Good,” Jack replied.

 

“So, things all smoothed out with Sam and Area 51?”  Daniel inquired, his expression carefully schooled to be inquisitive but little more.

 

“Huh?  Oh, yeah, that.  Yeah.  Everything’s been taken care of.  Paperwork’s all been submitted.  She officially reports to General Greene as of today.”

 

“Well, that’s good too.  We’d hate to lose Sam from the SGC,” Daniel replied, wondering if Jack had a clue at all where this conversation was going.  Knowing that he likely didn’t.

 

“Too damn true.”  Jack replied.

 

“So, she’s going to report directly to General Greene?”

 

“Well, he will be writing her performance reports, but I’ll still have some input on those.  And day to day she’ll get her direction from me and her superior officers in the SGC.  But yeah, for all practical purposes she reports to…”  Jack trailed off slightly, “Greene now.”

 

Daniel watched as the realization dawned.  Well now, that wasn’t so hard after all.  Good boy, Jack.  The archaeologist smiled as he rose from his chair and turned toward the door.  “Well, that’s good to know, Jack.  I was about to head down to the commissary, get some lunch.  You coming with?”

 

Jack felt as though someone had set off a Jaffa stun grenade in his office.  I’ll be damned.  He thought.  What the hell do I do now?

 

“Come on Jack.  We’ll go have lunch and maybe after work we’ll head over to Joe’s, have a couple of beers and talk over old times.  What’d’ya say?”

 

Jack rose from his chair, operating on autopilot.  “Sure, Danny.  That sounds great.”

Daniel smiled again as he pulled open the door and stepped out into the entryway, feeling that for once, the universe finally seemed to be lining up in favor of two people who so richly deserved it.

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

It had been another crazy couple of months in the life of General O’Neill and the SGC.  Several missions had been launched and recovered, with varying degrees of success and not without a few mishaps along the way.  Jack had found himself running from one crisis to the next with barely enough time to choke down a piece of cake and a cup of coffee.  By the time things had finally gotten back to what the SGC considered to be normal, he was more tired than he would have thought possible working a desk job.  

He hadn’t had time to worry about confronting other new developments in his life, as so eloquently pointed out by the SGC’s resident archaeologist and all around busy body.  Not that he would have been able to do anything about those recent developments.  By the time things had calmed down enough for Jack to ponder having a conversation with Sam, she had gone to Area 51 for an orientation tour.  Jack hadn’t seen her for just over two weeks, and so had been allowed plenty of time to consider what to do, if anything, with his newfound freedom.

 

And certainly this was not his decision alone.  Daniel had, in no uncertain terms, pointed out to him that he was now free to pursue a personal relationship with Sam.  Simply the idea of it had left him feeling lightheaded with the possibilities.  Daniel had also pointed out the fact that Sam’s engagement had only just been called off, and for him to step up and ask her out within a couple of short weeks after that breakup would hardly be the way to approach the situation.  But the thought that had been weighing heavily on his mind ever since that evening was whether or not Sam even wanted any sort of relationship with him.

 

Now, however, just over two months has passed and Jack felt as though it may be now or never.  Sam should have returned from Nevada Thursday afternoon and had actually taken some leave on Friday, much to his surprise.  So here it was, Saturday morning and Jack had the phone in one hand debating whether or not to call.  He had been attempting to work the conversation out in his mind for the better part of the last five days and still didn’t have a clue what he was going to say.  An invitation to dinner seemed to be a given, but how to lead up to the question was the dilemma. 

 

In the end, he simply dialed the phone, hoping that by the time Sam answered, he would think of something, or at least not sound like a complete idiot.  The phone rang twice before it was picked up.

 

“Yeah, hello.”

 

“Ah, mornin’ Carter.”

 

“General.  Good morning, sir.”  Sam answered, the surprise evident in her voice.  “Is there something wrong sir?  Do you need me back at the base?”

 

“No.  No, nothing like that.  Just calling to see how the trip went.”

 

“Oh.  Well, it’s certainly going to be a lot of extra work, but they have a good team put together at Area 51.  Top notch people, sir.  We should be able to do some good and hopefully build some better relations between them and the SGC.”

 

“Them?  Ya know, you are now technically “them”, Carter.”

 

There was a slight pause on the other end of the line.  “Huh.  Never really thought about it that way, sir.  I still feel like I’m a part of the SGC.”

 

“Oh, don’t get me wrong, you definitely are, but you report to them now.”

 

“Kind of like dual citizenship, sir?”

 

Jack chuckled slightly.  “Yeah, kinda.”

 

“So, how’ve things been at the SGC the last couple of weeks?  Did I miss anything fun, sir?”

 

“Well, I managed not to kill Daniel, if that’s what you mean.”

 

Sam laughed lightly.  “Don’t worry, sir.  I’ll be sure to take him off your hands first thing Monday morning.  I brought back a couple of projects from Area 51, one of which I think I can entice Daniel to help me with since it’s got some sort of encryption that appears to be in the Ancient’s language.”

 

“I’d definitely appreciate that, Carter.  I’m not sure how much longer my self control was going to last.”

 

Sam chuckled at the image of General O’Neill actually holding back rather than letting Daniel have an earful, as he would have as SG-1’s CO.  Maybe the new rank and position was truly changing him, something she had never thought possible.

 

“So, ah…there was another question I had for you,” Jack began uncertainly.

 

“Really, sir?  What’s that?”

 

“Well, actually…I was wondering what you were doing for dinner tonight?”

 

“I hadn’t really thought about it yet.  Probably nuke some soup or something.  Why?  You thinking about having the old team over, sir?”

 

“Not exactly, just one little bit of the old team.  And I was thinking something a bit classier than our usual cookout in the backyard.  Like The Olive Branch?  Say around 1900?”

 

Sam was stunned.  Did he just ask me out?  What the hell has gotten into him?  “Ah, well…wow, sir.  Umm….are you sure that’s such a good idea?”

 

“Actually, Sam, I think it’s just about the best idea that’s come along in quite some time,”   Jack replied confidently.  “Considering some recent changes to our command structure, I think it’s a damn fine idea.”

 

That stopped Sam cold.  Changes to our command struct...oh my God.  “I, um…I can’t believe I hadn’t thought of it that way.”

 

“To be honest, neither can I, Carter.  And here I thought you were the smart one,” Jack replied, chuckling.  “So, should I pick you up at 7?”

 

Sam wasn’t sure later if it was the unexpected invitation or the fact that for years she had dreamed of just this moment, but the words were out of her mouth before she could take them back.

 

“Sure, sir.  I’d very much like that.”

 

“Great, Carter.  See you then.  Oh, and one other thing.”

 

“Yes, sir?”

 

“See if you can lose the ‘Sir’ before 7.”

 

“On one condition.”

 

“And that would be?”

 

“You lose the ‘Carter’.”

 

“I’ll see what I can do, Sam.  See you tonight.”

 

The phone disconnected and Sam stood staring at the idle handset clutched in her nerveless fingers.  What did I just do?  Oh hell, face it Sam, you just did what you’ve wanted to do for years.  Enjoy it.

 

“Now the big question.  What am I going to wear?”

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

The Olive Branch had been a Colorado Springs dining spot for over 20 years.  In that time it built a reputation for good food, good atmosphere, and good prices.  Sam and Jack were sitting in a quiet booth near the back of the main dining room, their voices low amongst the murmuring of the dinner crowd.  The meal had passed pleasantly and Sam found herself, after a period of tense nervousness, slowly relaxing and beginning to enjoy the evening.  The feeling that they were doing something wrong was never far from her mind, but as the meal progressed she realized that this truly was okay; that a relationship was finally possible.

 

The night had begun well, Jack appearing on her doorstep promptly at 7 pm.  Sam had gone for a casual look, a low cut stretchy white top over tight black jeans, heeled black boots, and a black leather jacket.  O’Neill’s open mouthed reaction as he stood on Sam’s front porch had validated the choice.  Sam had blushed slightly at the frankly approving stare and had simply stepped out the door and past Jack, heading for the passenger door of the truck.  Following Sam with his gaze, Jack turned to follow, lengthening his stride and reaching the vehicle just in time to open the door and hold it as Sam climbed inside.

 

The meal had been as good as the Olive Branch’s reputation promised and Sam found herself contented, sipping on her second glass of Kendal Jackson chardonnay.  She gazed across the table at her dinner companion.  Sam had seen Jack O’Neill in many states and emotions ranging from silly to enraged, but tonight was different.  Tonight he was more relaxed than she could ever remember, his smile never far from his lips as they chatted about everything imaginable, from politics to sports.  But one topic had been rather elusive, and Sam found herself wondering more and more about it as the night wore on.  Finally, she decided to bite the bullet so to speak, and simply ask.

 

“So.”

 

“So?”

 

“Why tonight?”

 

“Tonight?”  Jack asked, genuinely confused.

 

“Yeah.  Why did you ask me out tonight?  Why not the day my transfer became effective?”

 

“Oh, that.  Ah.  Well… that was sort of Daniel’s idea.”

 

“Daniel?  What’s Daniel got to do with it?”

 

“Well, someone had to knock me over the head and get me to ask.  Certainly wasn’t going to be Teal’c.  He’s more subtle than that.”

 

Sam smiled at the image.  “So Daniel knocked you over the head?”

 

“Figuratively speaking, of course.  This is still Daniel we’re talking about.  He actually took me out for a beer.”

 

“So it was his idea for you to ask me out?”

 

“Well, that was sort of my own idea, but Daniel helped with the timing a bit.  He convinced me it wouldn’t have been such a great idea if I asked you out right after you and Shanahan….you know.”

 

“Broke up?”

 

“Yeah, that.”

 

“Thoughtful of him.”

 

“Yeah, that’s Daniel for ya.  So…are you…you know….?”  Jack gestured aimlessly toward the open air between them.

 

“I’m fine.  Really.  Thank you for asking, though.”

 

“Ah.  Good then.”

 

Sam looked up, their eyes met across the table, and suddenly that warm feeling that had been niggling in the pit of her stomach exploded through her chest, warming her from the inside out, causing her to suck in a startled breath in response.

 

Jack suddenly looked concerned.  “Hey, you okay?”

 

Sam shook herself from her startlement.  “Yeah, yeah,” She replied, pulling in a deep breath and letting out slowly.  “Great in fact.  This was very nice, tonight.  Thank you.”

 

Jack allowed a smile to crawl across his face.  “Anytime, ma’am.  Anytime.  How about we get out of here?”

 

“Sure.”

 

Jack stood up and moved to hold Sam’s chair, then helped her don her jacket before they headed out the doors and back to his truck.  The evening air was crisp, the beginnings of winter turning the nights sharply colder.  Sam pulled the collar of her coat closed as a gust of chill air blew past her.  Jack again moved past her to pull open the passenger door of his truck and hold it as Sam climbed in.  She couldn’t help the small smile that crossed her face as Jack gently closed the door behind her and walked around to enter on the driver’s side.

 

Jack caught Sam smiling at him as he pulled on his seat belt.  “What?”

 

“Nothing.  I just never pictured you as someone who opened doors and all of that.”

 

“Really?  I always thought that kind of came naturally to me.  Why, does it bother you?”

 

“Surprisingly enough, no.  It doesn’t.”

 

“Alright then.”

 

They arrived at Sam’s doorstep a few minutes after ten.  Jack walked Sam up to her front door, pausing while she unlocked the door and pushed it open slightly.

 

“So, would you like to come in for some coffee?”

 

“I think if I come in for coffee, I’m going to want to stay for pancakes.”

 

Sam felt her mouth go dry.  “Oh.”

 

“Yeah.  Sam, I…I’ve wanted this for so long, I just don’t want to do anything to screw it up.”

 

“I know what you mean.”

 

“You do?”

 

“Yeah, I think I’ve probably wanted this at least as long as you have.  Maybe longer.”

 

“You have?  Really?”

 

Sam smiled gently.  “Yes, really.  Jack, I haven’t exactly had the best of luck in relationships and the last thing I want to do is make a mistake with you.  With us.  Not after…”  Sam trailed off.  Jonas.  Pete.  Both mistakes.  Both regrets.

 

“So, we’ll be careful then.  Okay?”

 

“I think I can handle that.”

 

“Good.  So, is dinner at my place tomorrow night careful enough?”

 

“I’m not sure…how careful is it to subject myself to your cooking?”

 

“Oh, now that hurts.  That really hurts!”  Jack said, grinning as his hand clutched his shirt over his heart.

 

Sam smiled at the theatrics.  “So, what can I bring?”

 

“So is that a yes?”

 

“It’s a yes.”

 

“Then you bring the dessert.  Anything chocolate.”

 

They stood, looking at each other for several moments.

 

“So,” Jack said simply.

 

“So.”

 

“I should probably go.”

 

“Yeah, probably.”

 

But rather than turning toward his waiting truck parked on the street, Jack reached out and curled a hand around Sam’s arm, sliding his hand down the butter soft leather until her hand was clasped in his.  Reaching out with his free hand he cupped her cheek, drawing her face nearer to his until they were breathing the same air.  Sam’s breath caught in her throat, her eyes wide and luminous in the evening moonlight.  Jack took a moment to simply look at her, drink in the beauty of her, before he bent his head ever so slowly, his lips hovering just above Sam’s.

 

In a moment that was exquisite in it’s magnificence, Jack’s lips brushed Sam’s, feather light at first, then increasingly demanding in a wave of passion that left them both breathless.  He pulled back, his hand stroking her face.  “You are so beautiful.”

 

Sam’s eyes filled and she blinked hurriedly to keep the tears from falling.

 

Jack grimaced slightly.  “I’m sorry.  That wasn’t really all that careful was it?”

 

“No, no.  It was fine.  More than fine, actually.”

 

“More than fine?”  Jack smiled mischievously.  “I always wanted to be ‘more than fine’.”

Sam grinned, then stepped closer to him again, the smell of soap, cologne, and a scent that would always be Jack O’Neill filling her nostrils as Sam angled her lips toward his, her kiss searing in its intensity.  As they broke apart, Sam moved in to wrap her arms around his waist, allowing herself to sink gratefully into his embrace as Jack enveloped her in his arms, creating a cocoon of warmth against the night chill.

 

“Oh God,” Sam breathed, this perfect moment overwhelming her.

 

They stood there on her front porch for what seemed like an eternity, each warmed by the other.  Jack moved first, pulling back from their embrace and reaching up to brush his hand across her temple and through her hair.  “You okay?”

 

“Yeah.  This just feels so good.  So right.  Caught me a bit off guard.”

 

Jack smiled at that.  “So, I’ll see you tomorrow night?”

 

“Wouldn’t miss it.”

 

“Great, I’ll see you around 6 then.”

 

“Okay,” Sam said simply, reluctantly releasing her hold on Jack as he stepped back from her door and moved slowly toward his truck.  He opened the door and turned back, smiling and giving her a small wave.  Sam returned the gesture as she watched him turn the motor over and pull away from her curb.  She followed the taillights of his truck as he turned the corner before entering her house and closing the door silently behind her.

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

Sam paused just outside Jack’s door to smooth down the hem of her skirt.  Generally she wasn’t a vain person, but then again, how vain could you be when you spend most of your time off world living in the field?  Sam was a bit surprised at herself.  How many years had she known Jack?  7 nearly 8?  And here she was, standing outside his door nervous about how she looked.  Get a grip, Sam. 

 

She reached out and knocked lightly on the door.  A few moments later the door swung open and Jack stood just to one side of the doorway.

 

“Hey there.  Come on in.”

 

“Hey.  I brought New York Super Fudge Chunk.  Hope that’s okay.”

 

“Sounds great.  Let me put that in the freezer.  Unless of course you want to just skip dinner and go straight for the ice cream?”

 

“As good as that sounds, I wouldn’t want your hard work to go to waste.”

 

“Right.  Can I get you something to drink?”  Jack asked, slipping Sam’s jacket from her shoulders and hanging it in the nearby closet.

 

“A beer would be great, thanks,” Sam said, stepping down into the family room and taking a seat on the nearby sofa.  Jack returned with 2 bottles of Guinness, handing one to Sam and settling himself on the couch next to her, their knees not quite touching. 

 

“So.  Dinner should be ready shortly,” Jack began, a sudden awkwardness causing him to feel somewhat self conscious.  Although, for what reason he had no idea.

 

“What’re we having anyway?”

 

“Oh, um…baked chicken, baby carrots, garlic mashed potatoes and a salad.  Hope you came hungry.”

 

“You made all of that?  Yourself?”

 

“Well, yeah.  You didn’t think I sat around here eating pizza and burritos every night, didja?”

 

“To be honest, I sort of had you pegged for the frozen pizza kind of guy.  Are you sure all of that didn’t come out of a box from the freezer?”

 

“Hey now, first you doubt my gentlemanly gestures at dinner, now you’re doubting my cooking skills.  We’re really going to have to work on your image of me.”

 

“I’ve actually been pleasantly surprised so far.  I’m discovering there’s a great deal I don’t know about you.  And I’m looking forward to the chance to find out more.”

Jack smiled.  “I was hoping you’d say that.”

 

The timer sounded from the kitchen and Jack excused himself to put the finishing touches on dinner.  Sam listened to him putter around for a few moments before following, leaning against the doorframe that separated the dining room from the kitchen sipping on her beer.

 

“Anything I can do to help?”

 

“Sure.  You can take the salads to the table.  What kind of dressing do you like?  I’ve got ranch and um….ranch,” Jack frowned at the refrigerator.

 

Sam laughed lightly.  “I guess in that case I’ll take the ranch,” Picking up the salad bowls and bottle of dressing, she headed back into the dining room, setting her burden down on the table.

 

“Go ahead and have a seat, I’ll be right in,” Jack called from the kitchen.

 

Sam pulled out a chair and took her seat, turning to see Jack entering the room carrying two steaming plates.

 

“Wow.  That smells great.”

 

Jack grinned and set a plate in front of Sam.  “Go ahead and dig in.  Hopefully it tastes as good as it smells.”

 

Sam picked up a fork and cut off a small bite of the chicken, tentatively bringing it up to her mouth.  The flavors exploded on her tongue.  “Oh wow.  I think it actually tastes better than it smells.  This is wonderful.”

 

“Ya know what, you’re right.  This is pretty good,” Jack said, a bit incredulously.

 

“You sound surprised.”

 

“I am, a little.  I’ve never tried baking chicken before.  I wasn’t quite sure what to expect.”

 

“Well, for a first timer, you sure did get it right.”

 

They ate in companionable silence until their plates were nearly cleared.

 

Sam sat back in her chair, draining the last of her beer.  “I don’t think I could eat another bite.  That was wonderful, Jack.  Thank you.”

 

“So, no room for New York Super Fudge Chunk huh?  Now that’s just a shame.”

 

“Hey now, I didn’t say that!  Just give me an hour or so and I’ll be ready for round two,” Sam replied, smiling.

 

Jack’s grin widened.  “Far be it for me to keep a woman from her chocolate ice cream,”  He stood, ignoring Sam’s playfully indignant glare, and picked up the empty plates to deposit them in the sink before returning to the table and reclaiming his seat.

 

“So,” Sam said simply.

 

“So?”

 

“What’s tomorrow going to be like?”

 

“It’s going to be different, that’s for sure.”

 

“Yeah.  Different.  But good, I think.”

 

“You know people are going to talk, right?”

 

“Jack, people have been talking for years.  Now they’ll just have something real to talk about.”

 

“Well now, that’s true enough.  But now that there’s something real to talk about, things might get a bit more…intense.  Especially for you.”

 

“I can handle myself.”

 

“I never said you couldn’t.  I’m just sayin’.”

 

“I know.  Really, though, I’ll be fine.  But we should probably set some ground rules for when we’re at work.”

 

“Such as?”

 

“Well, making out in the control room is probably out.”

 

Jack grinned.  “Ah, yeah.  That would be a given.”

 

“I guess we just try to act the way we always have.  I don’t think I’m going to be able to pretend I barely know you, but eyebrows are going to rise if you suddenly start spending all your time in my lab.”

 

“Okay, so no making out in the control room and no spending all my day in your lab.  Anything else?”

 

Sam smiled, but her expression faded to one of utter seriousness.  “Are you sure we can do this?  Are you sure we should?”

 

The questions stopped Jack cold and sent his heart pounding in his chest.  Never had he considered the possibility that Sam wouldn’t want this.  That she would consider a relationship while they were still working together at the SGC to be too difficult.  Arrogant Jack.  Very arrogant.  You never considered that maybe Sam wouldn’t want the headaches that come with dating someone she works with.

 

Jack consciously tried to will himself to calm down before attempting to speak.  “Are you saying you don’t want to do this?”

 

“I’m just giving you one last chance to…reconsider.  If you want.”

 

Jack moved his chair closer to the corner of the table and Sam’s seat, reaching out to pull her hand into his.  He could feel the tremors running through her cold fingers and suddenly realized that this conversation was just as difficult for her as it was for him.

 

“Sam, nothing at the SGC could cause me to reconsider.  Nothing.  But if you don’t want to deal with all the crap…well then, if that’s what you want, okay.”

 

“No.  No that’s not what I want, Jack.  I want this.  Us.  No matter how hard it might be at work.  I just wanted to give you one last chance to say stop.”

 

Jack blew out a breath.  “You realize you just scared the crap outta me, right?”

 

“I’m just glad you didn’t take me up on it.  And I wanted to be sure we both knew what we are getting ourselves into.”

 

“Oh, I think I have a pretty good idea,” Jack replied before leaning across the table and kissing Sam gently, then the kiss deepened to something more passionate.  Jack pulled back slightly to look Sam squarely in the eyes, allowing her to see the depth of his feelings reflected in his gaze.

 

“Sam, I have never wanted anything as much as I want this.  Believe me.”

 

“I do, Jack.  I do believe you.”

 

“Okay then.  So, ready for ice cream now?”

 

Sam’s face broke into a small smile.  “I’ll get the spoons.”

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

As the weeks progressed Jack’s prediction of talk at the SGC proved to be something of an understatement.  At first, the scuttlebutt had been moving through the corridors faster than the Marines during an alert.  But finally talk began to calm and move on to new and more interesting topics and away from the new couple who had given the rumor mill little fodder for their lunchtime gossiping.

 

Through it all, Sam and Jack kept their contact at work strictly professional and left any personal interactions for his home or hers.  It wasn’t as though they didn’t want to go out, but between their work loads and the rumors of favoritism at work, Jack had suggested that perhaps some time out of the public eye, even off duty, might not be a bad idea.

 

On her first day back at the SGC after her trip to Area 51, Sam had pulled Daniel and Teal’c aside and filled them in on all that had happened over the weekend.  Originally, she was going to casually suggest breakfast in the commissary, but scratched that plan when she considered how exuberant Daniel could be sometimes.  Instead, she asked them to join her in town for dinner, seeking to keep her private life as far from the base and its prying eyes and ears as possible.

 

They met at a local pizza parlor and had plowed their way through two large sausage and pepperoni pizzas and a pitcher of beer before Sam felt relaxed enough to broach the subject she had wanted to discuss with her team.  While she was finishing up the last of her dinner, her mind continued to run through possible reactions so she could be ready to respond.  Stop it Sam.  These are your friends.  Just give them the benefit of the doubt, already.

 

After a few moments of companionable silence as they handed over their empty plates to the waiting server Daniel decided to break the ice, having already surmised the true purpose for this “team building dinner”. 

 

“So.  How was your weekend?”

 

Sam looked up, slightly startled.  “Fine.  Yours?”

 

“Sam…”

 

“Daniel.”

 

Teal’c’s eyebrow cocked quizzically.

 

Sam couldn’t suppress a grin.  “You’d think after all these years I’d be used to Daniel being a step ahead of me,”  She paused then, looking at her hands, trying to quickly form her thoughts into a coherent statement.  Seemingly without her control, a steady stream began flowing from her mouth. 

 

“Before the rumor mill on the base gets started, I thought I should inform both of you that Jack and I have decided to see each other outside work … to pursue a personal relationship.  Due to the fact that I am no longer officially under General O’Neill’s command, the fraternization rules no longer apply.  I believe that we’ll both be able to maintain our professional relationship, and maintain the status quo, but if you guys have any objections, or any reason to feel uncomfortable about this, then I think we should discuss this as a team.  I don’t want our relationships in or out of work to be affected and I…”

 

“Sam!” 

 

At his exclamation, Sam’s head jerked up to look at Daniel.

 

The archaeologist was grinning from ear to ear.  “Breathe, Sam.”

 

Teal’c’s face creased into a small, sage smile.  “Indeed.”

 

Sam released the breath she hadn’t realized she’d been holding.  “So, you two are alright with this?”

 

Daniel nodded.  “Sam, it’s been obvious for a long time how you and Jack feel about each other.  I’m happy for both of you that you can finally do something about it.”

 

Sam looked over at Teal’c for further assurance.  “Teal’c?”

 

Teal’c was looking at her now with such seriousness, that she began to worry.  “Samantha, I have been aware of your feelings for General O’Neill, and his feelings for you, for some time.  I am extremely pleased that you will now have the freedom to express those feelings.”

 

Sam felt as though a boulder has been lifted off her shoulders.  She wasn’t sure why she had been worried.  These were her best friends in the world.  Hell, her best friends in the universe.  She should have known they would be as supportive in this as in every other endeavor.  “Okay, then,” Sam looked from Daniel to Teal’c, a smile playing over her face.  Daniel smiled, nodded and reached out to pick up his drink raising it up in front of him.

 

“To Sam and Jack, and many happy years together.”

 

Teal’c followed suit and Sam’s smiled broadened as she lifted her glass.  “And to good friends.”

 

“Indeed.”

 

Drinking from their respective glasses, Sam felt as though all was finally right with her world.

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

The discovery of each other as their relationship began to take shape came as something of a surprise to Jack.  He found himself pleasantly surprised at the side of Sam Carter that was slowly emerging.  This was the side of Sam who could be shyly uncertain of herself in their new found closeness.  The side to her that enjoyed a good romantic movie versus a technical journal; the side who could relax and smile and laugh over a comfortable dinner by soft candlelight.  The side of Sam that wasn’t at all afraid to simply sit on the couch and be held.

 

If he hadn’t been in love with her before this discovery, he certainly was now, not that he had actually said the words out loud yet.  This Sam could be feminine without losing any of the strength of character that had attracted him in the first place.  Not that Sam wasn’t feminine already, he could hardly count himself a man if he had missed that little detail.  Hell, let’s face it, she’s HOT.  But this part of Sam endeared her to him even further.  It was almost as if he she was allowing him to take control, to be a protector; a role he had become rather accustomed to in his previous relationships, but hadn’t expected to find with Sam.  A role that made him feel wanted and needed and he was surprised to find just how good it made him feel.

 

However, this role of protector had its downside as well, especially when they were on base.  Jack found it increasingly on his mind the dangers Sam faced in their day to day work environment and had to consciously pull himself back from those feelings of protection.  Something that Sam neither wanted nor needed at work.  So when a mission came up and SG-1 was next in the rotation Jack didn’t hesitate to assign them, but it was never far from his mind what could happen at any time when they stepped through the ‘gate.

 

They had in fact discussed just that fear not long ago over a quiet dinner at Sam’s after a particularly difficult week for the both of them. 

 

Jack had been under the usual pressures from the President and the Pentagon, but for some reason this week seemed to wear on him more than usual.  Sam had been under pressure from Jack to complete a key analysis of some pieces of Goa’uld technology that had recently been acquired by other SG teams.  They hadn’t seen each other outside work for the entire week and by Friday evening, they were both worn down by the stress and long hours of the week that they agreed to meet that evening for dinner to get a head start on what they hoped would be a relaxing weekend.

 

The conversation during dinner had been light, about everything and nothing.  Cassie’s school work, her latest change in major, the early change in the weather this year, whether or not to watch the Simpsons or King of the Hill.  Sam wasn’t sure later who had brought it up, but the conversation suddenly took on a much more serious tenor.

 

“Jack, are you telling me you’ve thought about pulling us from a mission?  You would seriously do that?”

 

“Hey, I only said I’d thought about it, not that I’d actually do it.  I’m sorry, Sam, I can’t help but think about it.  I can’t stop thinking about it some days when you’re out there and I’m stuck back here, not knowing what’s going on.”

 

Sam’s expression softened from indignation to understanding.  “I know it’s hard for you, Jack.  I really do.  But this is what I do, it’s what I love.  I’m not likely to give it up willingly anytime soon.”

 

“I know.  And I would never ask you to.  But I can’t help it.  I want to keep you out of harm’s way.  It’s the over-controlling alpha male in me.  It’s genetics.  Unavoidable,” Jack shrugged, attempting to throw off his concern.  But Sam wasn’t so easily put off.

 

Sam reached out to take Jack’s hand in her own, absently rubbing her thumb along the backs of his knuckles.  “I kind of like that ‘over-controlling alpha male’ side of you, ya know.”

 

Jack’s surprise must have shown on his face and had Sam laughing in response.

 

“Don’t look so surprised.  I’m not that different from other women, am I?  We all like to be taken care of, at least some of the time.  But so help me, if you breathe a word of that to Teal’c or Daniel...you’ll regret it.”

 

That brought an answering smile to Jack’s face.  “No, of course you’re not different.  But I’m still figuring that out.  You’re usually...I dunno...more assertive than that.  I just wasn’t expecting it.” 

 

Sam’s smiled widened as she released Jack’s hand to reach for her coffee mug.  “We both know what we do is dangerous.  But if we don’t take on that danger, who should?  All the times we’ve saved the world, even if no one outside the mountain knows about it, that means something to me.”

 

“Even the times when things didn’t work out?  The times when the end of the mission means a bed in the infirmary?  It’s not the times we saved the world that worry me, Sam.  It’s the times things went wrong.”

 

“Jack, there’s no way to protect me from everything.  You know that.  I could die tomorrow driving to work.  When it’s fated to happen, it’ll happen, and nothing we do or say can stop it.”

 

“Do you really believe that?”

 

“What, in fate?  After all we’ve seen, all we’ve been through, it’s the only thing that makes sense.  Why else am I even still here, still alive if not for fate?  Or just pure dumb luck.”

 

“Yeah, luck.  Eventually luck runs out though.  It always does,” Jack murmured quietly, his gaze skittering away from Sam’s.

 

Sam’s smile faded, her expression becoming concerned.  “Jack look at me.”

 

Jack knew he was caught; he knew the look in his eyes would give him away, but he couldn’t deny her and slowly turned his head so that their gazes met.

 

The look Sam saw in his eyes surprised and shocked her.  He was afraid; a fear that went deeper than she realized.  “I’m not going anywhere.  I’m right here and I’m going to always be right here.”

 

“You can’t know that, Sam.  You can’t promise me that.  Damn it, I’ve seen you die.  I just don’t think I can handle that happening again.  Not now.”

 

Sam paused for a moment, unsure what to say.  She then pushed back her chair, got up and came to kneel at Jack’s side, looking at him directly.  “You’re right.  I don’t know that for sure.  No one ever does.  But what I do know is that I care about you, very much, and there is nothing in this universe that will stop me from doing everything in my power to come home to you.”

 

Jack stared deep into Sam’s eyes, measuring her resolve; measuring his own.

 

“Do you believe me?”  Sam prompted.

 

Jack seriously considered her question before answering.  “Yes, I do.  It’s not about belief or trust Sam.  You’ll always have that from me.  It’s just going to take me some time to get comfortable with this.”

 

Sam smiled and leaned in to place a gentle, loving kiss on his lips.  “You can have all the time you need, Jack.”

 

He nodded in reply, reaching up to pull Sam’s head back down to kiss her forehead.  “Thank you.”

 

“For what?”

 

“Everything,” Jack replied simply, meaning it in every sense of the word.

 

Thinking back on that conversation now, Jack felt a bit foolish.  He knew Sam was right, but he also knew that those fears would be with him as long as Sam remained an active member of SG-1, stepping out of the ‘gate into unknown situations on a fairly regular basis.

 

Gazing across the conference table at her as she attempted to explain why they needed to visit P7X-035, Jack felt the weight of his duty pressing down over the knowledge that he would do almost anything to keep her safe.  In the end, as always, his dedication to his duty prevailed.

 

“Okay campers, go for it.  You ship out at 0900 tomorrow morning.”

 

Jack kept his eyes on the mission outline in front of him as SG-1 pushed back from the table and headed out into the corridor.  It wasn’t until he looked back up that he realized he wasn’t alone.

 

“Something I can do for you, Colonel?”

 

Sam pursed her lips and narrowed her eyes briefly before replying.  She could feel his unease as if it were a living thing standing between them, and she wanted to know what she had done to cause it before she left on this mission.

 

“Everything okay, sir?”

 

Sam watched as surprised rippled ever so fleetingly across his face before Jack closed it off, his eyes taking on the cool veneer of command.

 

“Sure.  Everything’s fine.”

 

“You sure, sir?  You seemed a bit…distracted, during the briefing.”

 

“I heard every word, Carter.  You’re going to P7X-035.  Daniel’s going to go dig up his bits of stuff, you and Teal’c will hopefully keep him from falling into another sink hole,” Jack replied, a smirk gracing his mouth.

 

“Now, sir.  You know that only happened once and Teal’c was standing right next to him when he did and he still couldn’t keep Daniel from going over into the hole.”

 

“My point exactly.”

 

Sam realized she was being gently but firmly steered away from her original question and decided to let it go, for now.  “Yes, sir.  Of course.  You busy tonight?  I was going to make Thai peanut stir fry, about 1900, if you’re interested.”

 

“That sounds great, Carter.  I’ll be there.”

 

“Great, see you then, sir.  Have a good afternoon.”

 

“Oh yeah, like that’s gonna happen.  I’ve got Doctors Lee and Felger in here right after lunch.  That’ll probably last at least until quitting time tonight,” Jack replied, grimacing.

 

“Now, sir, it can’t be that bad.”

 

“Easy for you to say, you understand what they’re saying.”

Laughing lightly Sam turned and headed toward the stairs to the control room.  “See you tonight, sir.”

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

Ba’al stood, his head held high to look down upon those arrayed before him.  They had all served him loyally for many years, a dozen of his best and brightest, and now he would put that loyalty to the ultimate test.  He paced slowly in front of them, their eyes never leaving him as they waited expectantly for him to speak.  Ever the master of anticipation he waited, perhaps for a few moments longer than some of them would have expected, before opening his mouth to speak.

 

“My loyal servants, I have need of your services in a quest that will lead to the ultimate conquest of the galaxy.  My operatives have discovered a weapon that will shift the balance of power in my favor and place me as the sole System Lord to rule over all!”  Ba’al paused, allowing the weight of his words to sink in.

 

“You will be charged with further developing this weapon to serve our needs.  This weapon must be ready to use against the Tok’ra and their Tau’ri lackeys before the next meeting of the System Lords.  They must know the power I possess and my willingness to use it against any of them who would dare challenge me!  You will depart immediately for the planet known as Kianon.  There you will succeed!  You will unleash this weapon to our enemies before the completion of the next Kianon lunar cycle.  Your mission must be held in the utmost secrecy.  Leave no trace of your presence on the planet.  Leave no marker of your arrival or departure.  Kianon is a remote and backward world where you should remain undetected for the duration of your work there.”

 

Ba’al paused again, gazing into the eager and expectant faces of the best and most brilliant scientific minds he had available within his ranks.  He had no doubts they would work day and night to have the weapon ready in time to please their god and master.  His only worry was whether or not the weapon would be as powerful as he had been led to believe.

 

“Go now!  For the glory of your god, Ba’al!”

 

Snapping smartly to attention, heels clicking, arms straight at their sides, Ba’al’s minions bowed together at the waist and then turned to file silently from the room.

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

It was 0700 when Sam entered the locker room to gear up for their mission.  She had spent a relaxing evening with Jack, mainly curled up on the couch watching some mindless sci fi television.  She knew there was still something bothering him, something down deep, but every time she had tried to get close to whatever it was, the conversation had been steered in another direction.  He had left early, with the excuse that she needed to get to sleep early.  ‘Don’t wantcha nodding off during the mission tomorrow.’  He had said, his usual bravado masking anything else he might have been feeling.

 

But she was learning to read him better as their time together grew, and her sleep was hardly what had been dragging at his attention.  Sam bent down to lace up her boots, pushing her personal worries aside.  Now wasn’t the time to dwell on them; now she needed to be focused and prepared.  She knew that the minute she started taking what seemed to be routine missions through the ‘gate lightly would be the day she or one of her team might not come back.  And that simply wasn’t an option.

 

By the time she finished up or shut down several projects she had working in her lab and drew her gear from the quartermaster and weapon’s officer it was nearly 0845 and time to meet the guys.  She strode through the doorway to the ‘gateroom, unsurprised to find Teal’c already kitted up and waiting for her.  And as equally unsurprised to see that Daniel had yet to arrive.  Throwing Teal’c an exasperated smile, she was about to have Daniel paged when he skidded to halt at the base of the ramp just as the wormhole was established.

 

“Sorry,” He at least had the manners to look as though he meant it.

 

“Yeah, yeah, yeah.  That’s what you always say,” Sam replied before turning toward the control room and catching Jack’s eye.  “SG-1 all present and accounted for, sir.  Ready to embark.”

 

The General leaned over to grasp the microphone.  “You have a go, kids.  Be good.  Don’t forget, home by 11.”

 

Sam smiled, “Will do, sir.  Keep the light on for us.”

 

Jack nodded, stuffing his hands down into his pockets as he watched them climb the ramp and one by one disappear through the event horizon.  The niggling feeling he’d had since Daniel had first briefed them on this mission hadn’t diminished, but he didn’t have any solid reason not to authorize the trip.  He normally wouldn’t have ignored such intuitions, but this time it seemed as though his usual instincts were being clouded by his personal feelings for Sam and that was something he couldn’t allow.

 

And so, he watched them go, and knew that the next two days would be long and difficult and he expected sleepless as well, but it couldn’t be helped.  He still had a base to command and other teams to see to.  As the wormhole closed he finally turned away from the windows and returned to his office and the responsibilities that lay within.

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

Daniel shook off the lingering cold and vertigo as he stepped through the event horizon onto P7X-035.  The briefing he had delivered the day before had outlined the ruins and Goa’uld technology they hoped to find on the planet.  The archaeologist was cautiously optimistic, having learned of this planet from the Tok’ra shortly before the dissolution of the alliance.  Things had been so chaotic after the partnership between the Tau’ri, Rebel Jaffa, and Tok’ra failed that now several months later they were getting their first look at the planet.

 

Once a remote part of Ra’s influence, the Tok’ra were reasonably sure the planet was no longer under any direct control of any one System Lord.  Jack had scoffed at Daniel’s mention of those assurances, having been on the wrong end of a Tok’ra surety one too many times over the last eight years.  However, he had allowed the mission to proceed, also admitting that no matter how suspect their intel may be, they needed to be sure.  If there was Goa’uld technology to be found on this planet, Jack wanted to be sure it was the SGC and not the Tok’ra or Goa’uld that got to it first.  Jack had admitted the whole thing made him uneasy; the fact that there may be Goa’uld technology on this planet waiting for someone to come along and scoop it up and that the Tok’ra had known about it but done nothing was disturbing to say the least.

 

Sam and Teal’c had preceded him through the ‘gate and were now standing on either side of a short flight of stone steps, scanning the tree line ahead of them.  Daniel stood at the base of the stairs, waiting for his teammates to signal the all clear so they could move on.  Daniel had learned over the years that it did him little good to gripe about the waiting ritual he was forced to endure each time they ‘gated to an unknown planet.  Too often this caution had saved their lives.

 

After several moments, Sam turned to catch Teal’c’s eye and at his slight nod she gave the order to move out.

 

“How far is it to the ruins from here?”

 

“According to the Tok’ra surveys, just over a kilometer from here.  Shouldn’t take us long to get there, not much between us and the temple but some stands of trees,” Daniel replied.

 

Sam nodded in reply.  “Okay, we head to the temple, take a look around.  Get inside if we can.  When we get there Teal’c, you’ll take perimeter while Daniel and I go inside.  Stay sharp guys, I don’t want any surprises while we’re here.  No way to know for sure if the Goa’uld have really abandoned this place or not.”

 

“Understood, Colonel Carter.”

 

Moving as silently as possible across the leaf strewn forest floor, it took them less than twenty minutes to reach a large clearing; at its center stood the temple to Ra, just as the Tok’ra had described it.  Throwing her hand up to call for a halt, Sam approached the edge of the tree line and knelt down on one knee, pulling out her binoculars to get a closer look.

 

Scanning the outer surface of the temple and the surrounding open ground, Sam saw nothing to indicate that anyone had been there in decades if not hundreds of years.

 

“Teal’c, see anything I’m missing?”

 

“I do not.  It appears to be deserted.”

 

“Okay, single file.  I’ll go first then Daniel, Teal’c you bring up the rear.  Keep your spacing out there.  I don’t want us to get caught bunched up and in the open.”

 

“Okay, Sam.”

 

“Understood.”

 

With a nod, Sam stood and cautiously eased out and into the open, her eyes restlessly scanning the trees surrounding them along with the temple itself.  She had learned a hard lesson long ago that just because things seemed innocent enough, didn’t mean they were truly safe.  Ring transporters rarely left any traces behind, especially if they dropped enemy Jaffa inside a structure; like a temple.  Sam was nearly half way across the clearing when she felt the hairs on the back of her neck raise.  Slowing her steps, she did a quick 360, searching for whatever had set her senses on edge.  Seeing nothing, but still feeling as though she were being watched, Sam picked up her pace again, quickly reaching the temple wall and crouching down at its base.

 

Daniel waited until Sam was several feet in front of him to make his way across.  The archaeologist moved swiftly, reaching the wall and taking a knee next to his teammate.  A few moments later, Teal’c also reached the temple wall safely and took up his position at the corner where two of the temple’s walls came together, giving him a vantage point where he could cover two directions nearly simultaneously.

 

Relieved that they had made it this far, but still feeling uneasy, Sam motioned for Daniel to join her as they began to search for an entrance.  Daniel began a thorough scan of the temple walls, searching for any markings or writings to indicate a doorway of any type.  Sam, meanwhile was working her way in the other direction, running her hands along the rough stones hoping to find some seam or chink to indicate the presence of a door.

 

After several minutes of fruitless searching, Sam was about to call Daniel back to regroup when she heard him call out.

 

“Hey, come here, I think I found something.”

 

Turning back the way she had come, Sam found Daniel staring intently at a small section of the temple wall, the stone there a slightly different shade than the rest of the structure and that appeared to be covered in tiny scratches that to her untrained eyes looking nothing like Goa’uld.

 

“What’ve you got?”

 

“Well, it’s writing of some sort, kind of like Sanskrit, but not exactly.  But I think I can decipher it.  Just give me a couple of minutes here.”

 

“I’m gonna go check on Teal’c.  I’ll be right back.”

 

“Okay,” Daniel replied, his attention already fully focused on the task at hand.

Sam knelt next to Teal’c, her eyes never leaving the area around them.  “See anything yet?”

 

“I have not.”

 

“There’s something out there.  Something watching us.  I’m sure of it.”

 

“As am I.  We should not remain here long, Colonel Carter.”

 

“Agreed,” Sam said, then rose to rejoin Daniel.

 

“Anything?”

 

“Uh…what?  Oh, um, yeah actually.  If I’m reading this right, this is the control panel that opens the portal.”

 

“Do you know how it works?”

 

“Let’s see,” Daniel replied, pressing a series of inscriptions lightly but firmly.  As he pressed and released the final character, a section of the wall retracted from the surface and slid open to reveal a long, dark corridor.

 

“Whoa.  I didn’t see the door there at all.  We could’ve searched for days and not found it,” Daniel said excitedly.

 

“Yeah.  Okay, we’ll take it slow.  Let me go first, you see or hear anything you let me know okay?  If things go to hell, get yourself out.  Don’t wait for me.”

 

“Sam…”

 

“Daniel, I’m not kidding.  If things go south I want you on your way out,” Sam held his gaze for several beats before Daniel let his eyes drop and she knew she had won this round.

 

Reaching for her radio, Sam keyed the mic.  “Teal’c, come in.”

 

“Go ahead, Colonel Carter.”

 

“Daniel’s found the entry.  We’re headed inside.  Stay sharp.  Call out if you see anything.  We’ll check in every fifteen minutes.”

 

“Understood.”

 

Sam switched on the small flashlight mounted to her P-90 and proceeded into the darkened entryway, Daniel following a few paces behind.  They worked their way slowly down the dank hallway, Sam’s flashlight the only illumination to be seen.  Sam moved cautiously, stopping every few feet to listen carefully for any signs that they were not alone.  The feeling of being watched had only intensified now that they were inside the structure, putting Sam on edge.

 

As they neared the end of the corridor, they found themselves at a crossway and had to make a decision to go either right, left, or straight ahead.  Gazing in each direction, Daniel could see no markings or writings to indicate a probable direction for them to take.  Sam reached out to lightly touch his arm, drawing his attention down the left hand corridor.

 

“What?”

 

“Do you see that?”  Sam whispered.

 

“See what?”  Daniel softly replied.

 

“I think I see a bit of a glow coming from down there.”

 

“A glow?  Like a light?”

 

“Or a power source.”

 

“Okay then, left it is.”

 

Sam again took the lead, keeping herself close to the walls as she moved slowly and deliberately down the corridor and toward the steadily growing light at its end.  They were within several feet of what appeared to be another doorway along the smooth corridor walls when Sam suddenly froze and pressed herself into the wall, throwing her arm across Daniel’s chest and pressing him against the wall behind her.  Daniel raised his eyebrows in silent question, but Sam merely placed a finger to her lips then motioned for him to stay put.

 

Daniel did as he had been instructed, watching as Sam drew closer to the opening, then paused just before reaching it, cocking her head to listen.  That’s when Daniel heard what had alerted his teammate, the low voices coming from inside the room were speaking Goa’uld.  The archaeologist could only make out one word in three, but what he could hear chilled him.  Earth…Tau’ri…weapon…Ba’al.  Risking detection and Sam’s irritation at disobeying her orders, Daniel moved closer, straining to hear more.  Sam urgently motioned him to stay where he was, but he ignored her as the voices from inside the room became more distinct.

 

“Lord Ba’al will be pleased.  We are well ahead of schedule.  We will be ready to use the weapon on the Tau’ri by  the end of the lunar cycle.”

 

“Beware your overconfidence.  We still have much to do before that day comes.  I care not to displease our Lord if this should fail.”

 

“Yes, of course, Master.”

 

“Have you prepared the device for tomorrow’s test?”

 

“Yes, Master.  All is in readiness.  What do you hope it will do, sir?”

 

“If our Lord’s informants are correct and this weapon works as they claim, it has the power to wipe out every living animal, be it man or beast, in moments.  The Tau’ri and Tok’ra have nothing that can defend against it.  But it leaves the structures and vegetation in tact.”

 

“A brilliant weapon, sir!  With this we can wipe out anyone in our way and appropriate their bases and technology for our own purposes.”

 

“Yes.  If it works.”

 

Daniel’s eyes widened.  Test it?  On us?  Earth?  Oh my God, we’ve got to warn Jack!  He knew he had to let Sam know what he had heard, but they were too close to the enemy Jaffa to risk speaking.  Reaching out, he tugged at her sleeve, jerking his thumb over his shoulder back down the corridor.  Sam nodded and waved him on, keeping herself between him and the open doorway.  Once they were down the hall and around the nearest corner Daniel stopped.

 

“What?  What did you hear?”  Sam whispered urgently.

 

“They’re Ba’al’s Jaffa.  They have some sort of weapon they are set to test on Earth by the end of some lunar cycle.”

 

“What kind of weapon?”

 

“I’m not sure, and it sounds like they aren’t sure either.”

 

“What do you mean?”

 

“They’re not sure it will work.  But if it does, it has the power to wipe out living beings in seconds, leaving the infrastructure and technology completely intact.”

 

“Oh my God.”

 

“Yeah.”

 

“We have to warn the General.  Let’s get out of here, we’ll meet up with Teal’c and get back to the ‘gate ASAP,”  Turning away from Daniel, Sam led the way back toward the outer doorway they had come through only minutes before, moving much more quickly now that they knew they were not alone in the temple.  As they neared the doorway Sam heard two brief clicks come through her vest radio and slid to an abrupt stop as Daniel nearly crashed into her from behind.

 

“What?  Why’re we stopping?”  Daniel asked breathlessly, only to have Sam thrust her hand over his mouth to silence him, her eyes wide.  Two clicks of the radios had been their pre-arranged danger signal.  If any of them spotted trouble but either couldn’t call on the radio or couldn’t risk the sound of the radio being heard on the other end, two clicks would let the entire team know there was trouble.

 

Sam dropped her hand from Daniel’s face and mouthed, “Teal’c.  Trouble,” It was all he needed to see.  Gently he eased his 9mm out of its holster and nodded; he was ready to follow Sam wherever she led him.  They began to move again and as they neared the doorway Sam slowed, raising her weapon to her shoulder and leaning out slightly to get a better look outside.  A glimpse of motion, just to the right of the door, caught her eye and she quickly yanked her head back inside.  Listening intently for sounds of the Jaffa she suspected was just outside.  But how many, she couldn’t be sure.

 

Hearing nothing, she motioned to Daniel to stay behind her and then squared her shoulders and approached the opening her weapon raised and ready.  Not knowing the situation worried her, but they had little choice.  They couldn’t stay inside the temple without risking detection, they couldn’t go outside without risking the same.  Stepping out into the sunlight, Sam trained her weapon first to the right and seeing nothing turned back to the left.  The Jaffa were no longer in sight and she motioned for Daniel to follow her out.

 

Moving deliberately, Sam led Daniel into the open and using hand signals ordered him to make for the trees.  Daniel shook his head adamantly, but Sam was insistent, signaling toward the trees again.  Daniel glared defiantly at her, refusing to budge.  Sam blew out a frustrated breath and began moving toward where they had left Teal’c.  Not expecting to find him still in his original position, the corner of the temple was closest to the tree line and would give them the shortest open distance to cross.

 

They hadn’t taken more than two steps when the wall next to them erupted in a shower of flying stone chips.  The staff blast came from nearly behind them and Sam whirled around to face it, reaching out to shove Daniel behind her.

 

“Daniel, move!  Run for the trees!”  Sam shouted over her shoulder as she trained her weapon on the advancing Jaffa and squeezed the trigger.  There were only three of them and Sam managed to take out one of them before they returned fire and forced her to duck under their blasts, the back of her head and neck showered with razor sharp shards of stone.  She could feel the blood begin to trickle down under her shirt, but she ignored it and the pain, focusing entirely on the enemy in front of her.

 

She was peripherally aware of Daniel as he headed for the trees, returning fire of his own as he reached for his radio to signal Teal’c.  With all the weapons fire, there was no longer any need for stealth.  Any Jaffa within earshot would be able to hear the battle and would come running.

 

“Teal’c!  Teal’c where are you?  We’re under fire!”

 

Only seconds later his radio crackled to life.  “Daniel Jackson, what is your position?”

 

“We’re at the corner of the temple.  Sam’s pinned down!”

 

“I will be there momentarily.”

 

Daniel didn’t take the time to reply and as he gained the safety of the trees, turned toward the Jaffa advancing on Sam’s position and opened fire.  It was just enough to draw their attention away from Sam, giving her the opportunity she needed to take more careful aim at the Jaffa and fire, felling them both.  She didn’t give the act another thought, later she would have time to regret their deaths and her role in killing them.  But right now her job was to get her team out of there and safely back to the SGC.  They had intel that had to be passed on up the chain of command.

 

Sam swept her eyes across the open ground between her and Daniel; seeing nothing she ran full out for the trees.  Sliding to a stop at the younger man’s side, Sam looked up at him.  “Thanks.  And don’t ever disobey one of my orders in the field again, Daniel.  Ever.”

 

Daniel dropped his gaze, saying nothing, simply nodding his head in reply.  Sam’s radio sprang to life.  “Colonel Carter, what is your situation?”

 

“Teal’c, we’re just inside the tree line opposite your previous position.  We are secure for the moment.  What about you?”

 

“I was forced to move away from the temple to avoid Jaffa patrols.  I will rejoin you momentarily.”

 

“Acknowledged.  We’ll start to head for the ‘gate, catch up to us on the way.  We’ll be on a heading of 226, copy?”

 

“Copy.  Teal’c out.”

 

“Come on, let’s get the hell out of here before those guy’s buddies show up wondering what happened to them,”  Sam said tersely, the tension in her voice the only indication of her worry.  Waving Daniel to precede her, Sam covered their retreat, looking back behind them every few moments looking for pursuit.  At first she saw nothing and she began to relax minutely, praying that the uncanny SG-1 luck held for one more mission.

 

Sam had just turned her head back toward Daniel when a flash of armor caught her eye; realizing that the Jaffa had followed them into the forest with an unknown size force, Sam didn’t take any chances.  Doubling her pace she caught up with Daniel quickly and put out a hand to push him from behind just as a staff blast rocked the trees just behind them, nearly knocking them from their feet.

 

“Move it!  Go!  Go!  Go!”  Sam cried, swiveling to return fire.  A blast of staff weapon fire arched over her head and she ducked instinctively.  Looking behind her Sam was utterly relieved to see Teal’c standing perhaps fifty yards from her position, covering their withdrawal.  Surging to her feet she ran toward him, pulling Daniel with her.  Racing past Teal’c they beat a hasty retreat, hoping to put as much distance between them and the advancing Jaffa as possible.

 

Sam could hear Teal’c firing several more blasts before his running feet were right behind them.  They ran for all they were worth, knowing that their only hope now would be to make it through the Stargate and home.  The last thing Sam wanted to do was attempt to stand and fight.  There was no way to know how many Jaffa were chasing them, or what kind of weapons they had with them.  For all she knew they were outnumbered by a much larger force who only needed them to slow down even for a moment in order to surround them.

 

Daniel ran harder than he thought he possibly could, his breath coming in short gasps as he navigated the uneven forest floor.  He stumbled slightly, his foot catching on a protruding tree root and would have fallen had it not been for Sam’s steadying hand pulling him back upright again. 

 

Finally the trees began to thin and the Stargate peeked from between the trunks.  Daniel allowed his pace to slow when they reached the edge of the trees as a high pitched whine reached his ears.  He knew that sound, had heard it before, more times than he cared to remember.  It was the sound of a death glider beginning a strafing run.  He opened his mouth to shout a warning, but was pushed roughly to the ground before he could utter a sound, Teal’c’s body landing next to his as the tops of the trees over their heads exploded in a shower of limbs and leaves.

 

As the firing ceased, Daniel raised his head to look around, seeking out his teammates.  Teal’c sat up next to him, raising his staff weapon across his body as he searched the trees and then the skies seeking their enemy.  Automatic weapons fire from the clearing drew his attention, pushing himself to his feet Daniel stumbled into the open.  Sam was standing just past the edge of the tree line firing her P-90 at the retreating death glider.  Her attention focused on her target as it turned for a second pass, Sam hadn’t heard the approach of a second glider.

 

Teal’c raced into the open, raising his staff weapon to fire at the approaching glider even as the pilot opened fire on them, strafing the ground near them with superheated blasts from his canons.  The concussion knocked Sam backwards and into the trees, forcing the air from her lungs as she landed painfully at the base of a large evergreen.  Daniel saw Sam go down and raced to her side as she was pulling herself upright.

 

“Sam!  You okay?”

 

“Yeah…”  Sam wheezed, attempting to draw in a decent breath.  “Fine.  Just…got the…breath knocked outta me.”

 

Daniel breathed a sigh of relief, but he knew they were far from safe.  They still had to cross the clearing and make it to the DHD to dial home, all before the Jaffa foot patrol and the death gliders returned.

 

Sam ran a shaking hand through her hair as she attempted to slow her breathing and get herself under control.  She still had a responsibility; to her team and to Earth.  They needed to get at least one of them through the ‘gate and back home with what they knew.  She knew that person had to be Daniel.  He had understood what they had overheard inside Ba’al’s temple, he had a better chance of explaining it to the General and the staff at the SGC.  Daniel could get them back inside the temple again when they returned with a strike force to level the facility and could decipher the writings on the temple walls.  Daniel was the key.

 

In the end, it was one of the easiest decisions she had ever made, and one of the hardest.  Grief washed over her at the thought of never making it home again, of never seeing Jack again.  Just the thought brought hot tears to her eyes, but she roughly pushed them away.  She had a duty to perform, and she’d be damned if she wasn’t going to carry it out, no matter the personal cost.

 

“Daniel!  I’ll stay behind and cover you.  I want you to run for the ‘gate!”

 

Daniel’s shocked expression would have been comical had the situation not been so dire.  “No!  Either we all go, or none of us go!”

 

Teal’c came to kneel at Sam’s side.  “The patrol was not far behind us and the gliders will be back over this position in moments.  We must go now, Colonel Carter.”

 

Sam knew Daniel and Teal’c wouldn’t hesitate to stay behind, just as she was willing to do, but this time it was different.  This time the fate of the world rested on the knowledge Daniel carried with him.  “Teal’c, I’m giving you a direct order.  Get yourself and Daniel through that ‘gate!”

 

“Colonel Carter, I do not believe that is a wise course of action.”

 

“Teal’c, please.  Daniel and I overheard the Jaffa inside the temple.  They have a weapon and they plan to use it against Earth.  The SGC must be warned!”

 

Teal’c’s eyes widened at the news, his mouth set in a hard grim line.  He knew that in her position as team leader it was up to her to ensure the safety of the members of her team and to ensure the safe delivery of such critical intelligence, but he didn’t have to like her decision.  The arrival of the Jaffa patrol made further discussion impossible and Sam knew they were wasting precious seconds arguing.

 

“Daniel, for once in your life, just follow orders!”  Sam shouted, the anguish in her voice carrying over the din of the staff fire blasting over their heads.

 

“Sam, we’re not leaving you behind!”

 

“Daniel, don’t argue with me!  The only way we are going to have a chance at defeating this damn weapon is if you get back through the ‘gate with what we found out!”  Sam reached forward and tangled her free hand in Daniel’s jacket lapel, pulling him roughly around, forcing him to meet her gaze.  “Daniel, I mean it!  Move your ass!  I’ll cover you.”

 

Daniel opened his mouth to protest but stopped short at the look in her eyes.  He had seen Sam Carter in many moods and many states, but never before had he seen the fire and determination that now shone brightly in her steely gaze.  He nodded mutely, resigned to following her directives, at least for now.

 

“Ok, ok.  We’re going.  Just don’t make me regret this, ok?  You’ll be just behind us, right?  Promise?”

 

“Yes, I promise.  Now go!  Go!  Before those Jaffa have a chance to swing around and cut you off from the ‘gate!”

 

“Colonel Carter, I will accompany Daniel Jackson to the ‘gate and then return to cover your escape.”

 

“Teal’c just get yourselves through!  Don’t wait for me!”

 

Teal’c inclined his head in acquiescence.  The last thing he wanted to do was leave his commanding officer behind, but he could hardly argue with her reasoning.  At least one of them had to report back if they were to have any hope of defending against the coming attack.  Pulling Daniel roughly to his feet, they both fled toward the ‘gate.  They were less than 50 yards from the DHD when the ground suddenly bucked and rolled beneath their feet, knocking them both to their knees.  Daniel recovered first, covering the remaining distance to the DHD in record time to begin dialing out.  By the time he had punched the seventh symbol to open the wormhole Teal’c was at his side.

 

Daniel paused to turn back toward Sam’s position raising his sidearm to return fire, “Sam, come on!  Come on!” he screamed, panic beginning to course through his veins when he realized she was no longer in her sheltered position but had moved out and into the open to give them as much cover from the advancing Jaffa infantry as she was able. 

 

Sam half turned at his shouts, her guard dropping momentarily as she drew a breath to reply, “Daniel, get outta here now!”  She turned her attention back to the Jaffa in her sights, squeezing off several bursts from her P-90.

 

Daniel pursed his lips into a hard, thin line before reluctantly turning back toward the open ‘gate and sending through his GDO code.  He had just reached the edge of the event horizon when he risked one last look back at where Sam had been standing, fiercely defending their only path of retreat.  In that last glance he watched, horrified, as a blast from a nearby Jaffa staff weapon lifted Sam neatly up off her feet and sent her crashing to the ground in a crumpled, tangled heap, the ground where she had stood smoking slightly in her wake.

 

“No!  Sam!”  Daniel cried, his voice hoarse with fear.  He turned to head back down toward his fallen teammate when the Jaffa still advancing on the ‘gate turned their weapons on him and opened fire.  He awkwardly ducked the haphazard blast aimed at his head and dropped down to one knee just in front of the ‘gate, squeezing off several rounds from his 9mm as he dropped. 

 

Teal’c’s warrior heart cried out in agony as he watched as his teammate was felled where she stood.  In that split second the choices laid before him seemed impossibly cruel.  He could head back down the steps and try to pull Sam to safety, disobeying the last order she had given him, or he could retreat through the ‘gate and leave her to almost certain death or capture.  That second stretched out before him like a lifetime and he realized that to go back would likely mean death for both of them.  To retreat would mean life for him and a possibility that he could return for her.  And he would be back for her. 

 

The betrayal of his decision caught in his throat, choking him, but he truly had no other choices.  Teal’c gained his feet as the Jaffa continued to advance toward him.  Reaching down to pull Daniel up by the back of his vest they stumbled through the ‘gate and were swept up and into the cold arms of the wormhole.

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

Carried along, the trip seemed nearly instantaneous, and as they tumbled through to the other side they became aware of hands and voices as the security forces in the ‘gate room advanced toward them slightly, weapons raised in challenge.

 

Teal’c somehow found his voice and called out a warning.  “Close the iris!  There were Jaffa right behind us!”

 

Daniel sat up dazedly and looked back at the ‘gate, expecting half a dozen armed Jaffa to come barreling through at any moment.  But as the iris slid smoothly closed, he realized there could be no pursuit.  The seconds stretched on and still nothing from the ‘gate; ten, fifteen, twenty seconds with no tell tale thuds of an impact and he slowly he let out the breath he had been holding as he became aware that they were not going to pursue them. 

 

His shoulders slumped in relief and then tensed again in sickening dread.  The Jaffa appeared to be holding the ‘gate open on the other side.  They were going to prevent them from returning for at least the next 38 minutes by holding the ‘gate open.  An eternity in which they could do what they liked to Sam or they could be half way across the galaxy with her before they would be able to dial back out and get to her.

 

Jack had watched the scene unfold from the confines of the control room and had ordered the iris closed once Teal’c had shouted his warning.  He had barely acknowledged that Sam hadn’t followed them before he headed down the stairs and into the ‘gateroom.  He was determined to discover how a recon mission could have gone so horribly wrong that they had been pursued back through the ‘gate by Jaffa and minus their CO.

 

“Teal’c, what the hell happened out there?!”  Jack’s strained voice carried through the cavernous room.  “Where’s Carter?  And why the hell isn’t that ‘gate closing?”

 

Daniel pulled himself shakily to his feet, his heart still thundering in his ears as he turned to face Jack.  What could he say?  Before he could form any sort of coherent answer, Jack was spinning on his heel barking orders to the SF’s who held defensive positions around the ‘gate.

 

“Lieutenant Jacobs, take your element and stand by this area.  Expect hostile forces, they could attempt come through that ‘gate at any time and you’d damn well better be ready for them, just in case that iris doesn’t hold,”  Jack didn’t pause long enough to hear the ‘Yes, sir’s’ uttered by the moving officers before he turned on his heel and strode toward the remaining members of SG-1.

 

Daniel stood gaping at the open wormhole.  “They’re holding it open.  Damn them, they’re holding it open.”

 

Jack’s patience was beginning to wear thin, but he realized that the middle of the ‘gateroom was no place for a debriefing.  “Briefing room, now.”

 

Jack led the way up the stairs, taking them two at a time.  Once they were all inside, he turned to face them again, preferring to stand to one side of the conference table.  “Alright, who’s holding the ‘gate open?  Damn it Daniel, what the hell happened?”

 

“Jack…” Daniel began, but broke off unsure of what to say, his eyes dropping to study his boots.  ‘Sorry Jack, we got ambushed?  Sam ordered me to leave her behind and so like a good little soldier I did?  And now it looks like Ba’al’s forces have control of the only way back to her?’  Probably not the best way to answer any of those questions, Dr Jackson.  His gaze drifted up to Jack’s face and he took a deep breath before continuing.  “It started off well enough.  Everything was right where the Tok’ra said it would be.  We discovered the ruins not far from the ‘gate.  What we didn’t know until we were inside was that the temple was camouflaging…one of Ba’al’s research facilities.” 

 

Daniel paused watching Jack’s eyes widen in surprise then harden in anger.  “Daniel, what happened to Carter?”  He asked through clenched teeth.  Jack wasn’t really sure he wanted to hear the answer to that question, but he had to hear it.  Flicking his eyes between Daniel and Teal’c his heart began to sink at the expressions on their faces.

 

“We were under fire, Jack.  She did the best she could.  Got us all the way back to the ‘gate.  We took cover, tried to fight them off.  There were too many of them, we didn’t stand a chance.  There was no way we were going to all make it to the ‘gate, Jack.  No way.”

 

Jack closed the distance between himself and Daniel in one long stride, bringing their faces within inches of each other.  “Daniel, where is she?”  He hissed.

 

Daniel instinctively stepped backwards, attempting to put some distance between them before he drew in a breath to answer.  “She ordered us Jack…” he began lamely.  It sounded even more pathetic now that he had actually said it out loud.  “She ordered us to get back.  She covered us while we dialed the ‘gate,” Daniel paused, that last horrible moment before he stepped through the event horizon flashing before his eyes and he felt a now familiar lump choking him again.

 

Up until that moment, Teal’c had remained stoically silent, but now he felt the need to report what had happened himself, warrior to warrior.  He owed it to her.  “General O’Neill, we followed Colonel Carter’s orders to return through the Stargate.  There was no other way.  Had we not, we all would surely have been killed.”

 

Mustering his courage, Daniel looked up and right into Jack’s eyes, knowing his emotions were written all over his face.  “I tried to go back for her, but there were too many of them.  I couldn’t get to her.  She was hit.  She went down, Jack.  I didn’t see her get back up,” Daniel’s voice trailed off to barely more than a whisper.

 

The world seemed to close in around him as Jack struggled to comprehend what he was hearing.  His heart rate doubled and his breath came short in his chest, his heart pounding so loud in his ears it drowned out everything else.  Carter had been hit?  They just left her there to die?  They left her?!  He stood, barely controlled fury causing him to shake slightly as he tried to take it all in.

 

“You just left her there?”  His voice a harsh whisper, full of accusations.

 

“Jack, we had no choice!  We’d all be dead right now if I hadn’t!”  Daniel raged, his blue eyes snapping with anger and remorse.

 

“You haven’t learned a damned thing have you?  We don’t leave our people behind!”

 

“If it had been you in her place, you would’ve done exactly the same thing, Jack!  You taught her well.”

 

Teal’c’s soft baritone carried through the nearly empty room.  “O’Neill, I too left Colonel Carter behind.  But Daniel Jackson is correct, we would certainly have died had we stayed.  And we had to return, O’Neill.  While inside Ba’al’s fortress Daniel Jackson and Colonel Carter overheard Ba’al’s Jaffa discussing a new weapon they plan to use against Earth.  That was why Colonel Carter ordered us to return.”

 

Jack stood rooted to the spot, quietly seething in anger and frustration.  Daniel hadn’t been wrong, he would have ordered them to do exactly the same thing, especially if the safety of Earth was at stake.  But it still didn’t make it any easier to hear.  Slowly, his tactical mind began to take over, working out the details of what had happened and just how they were going to get back there.  The silence stretched on for several moments, until Daniel had begun to fidget uncomfortably.

 

Jack took a deep breath, attempting to at least project calm as he looked up into each of their faces.  “You did the right thing, reporting back here.  Carter was right, we needed to know.”  He turned and paced to the head of the table, pulling out his chair and sinking into it.  Daniel and Teal’c followed suit, each taking up a seat.

 

“Teal’c, where would they take her?”

 

“Jack, we don’t even know if…”  Daniel began before he was roughly cut off.

 

“No, Daniel.  She’s alive.  And until I see a body, we’re going to assume as much.  Got me?”

 

Daniel merely nodded in reply.  He knew in Jack’s mind there would always be a chance, always would be hope.  He had seen them come out of situations so dire it seemed as though no one on Earth would survive.  But this time, knowing what they had seen on the other side of that ‘gate, he wasn’t so sure that their luck hadn’t finally run out.

 

“We saw no evidence of a Mothership or Tel’tak, but one may be summoned to take her to Ba’al for interrogation.  Or Ba’al may arrive on the planet to question her.  Which, we cannot be sure.”

 

Jack winced at the implication, but remained silent.  The idea that Sam might suffer the same cruelties he had once experienced at Ba’al’s hands left him cold.

 

“Ok.  We need to know everything you know about this weapon.  What it does.  When and where they intend to use it and anything you can remember about the inside of that temple.  I’ll be damned if we’re going to leave her there one moment longer than necessary.”

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

From the moment she pried open her eyes to the dank gloom of the Goa’uld holding cell, Sam knew she was in deep trouble.  She had spent the first few moments of consciousness simply attempting to keep the room from spinning crazily.  As the dizziness quelled Sam was able to make a cursory sweep of the room and was relieved to find herself alone.  She could only hope that meant Teal’c and Daniel had made it through the ‘gate and back to the SGC.

 

So.  Here you are.  Alone.  Great job, Sam.  She groused silently.  Sighing, Sam rolled over onto her side and pushed herself to sit upright, taking inventory of her injuries.  All in all she considered herself incredibly lucky; she had a bump on her head she suspected might be a slight concussion and a nasty staff wound on her right calf that while painful, if she could get it treated soon wouldn’t cause her any long term difficulties.  She stood slowly, allowing her head to slow its incessant throbbing before limping around the perimeter of the room.  Roughly square, it offered little in the way of comforts aside from a hard pallet extending from one wall.  She could find only one door and no windows, the only illumination came from two small fixtures hung on either side of the door that barely provided enough light to make out the pallet.

 

Sitting down on the makeshift bed, Sam pulled up the leg of her trousers to get a better look at her leg wound.  The edges had been neatly cauterized, so the bleeding had been kept to a minimum, but the open burn was extremely painful and needed to be treated soon.  Searching her pockets, Sam found she had little with which to give herself first aid so untucking her shirt and first tearing off one sleeve and then a length from the tail, she fashioned a crude bandage that she hoped would keep the worst of the dirt and debris out of the wound.  Infection would set in eventually, she knew, and she had to be on her way out of here before that happened.  Otherwise it was unlikely she’d have the strength to escape.

 

As Sam completed her first aid the door burst inward, a Jaffa bearing Ba’al’s mark on his forehead stood in the hallway, his staff weapon clasped in his hands.

 

“Come.”

 

Sam stood rooted in place, her instincts screaming to fight back, attempt escape.  But the more rational side of her mind insisted she bide her time; taking on a Jaffa unarmed and single handed was hardly a wise tactical move.  Right now it was all about survival, taking huge risks wouldn’t improve her odds of making it out alive.

 

“Move, Tau’ri!”

 

Sam did as she was instructed, moving out into the hallway.  The Jaffa grabbed at her arm and roughly propelled her down corridor. 

 

“Where are we going?”

 

“Silence!”  The Jaffa shouted, cuffing the side of her head to emphasize his point.  Sam whirled to face him, her face set in anger, but she held her tongue.  She stared defiantly into the Jaffa’s eyes, never blinking or backing down.  The Jaffa’s gaze skittered away from her face and Sam knew she had won a small but significant victory.  But her triumph was short-lived as he grabbed her arm once again and sent her careening down the hallway.

 

They made several turns, the corridors twisting and turning back on itself several times.  As they approached a large entryway, Sam could hear low voices coming from inside but couldn’t make out what they were saying.  The Jaffa escorting her guided Sam into the room and shoved her toward a low chair at its center.

 

There were two Jaffa standing near the center of the room who moved to flank her on each side.  Sam had read reports about Jaffa interrogation techniques that could break the strongest and best trained of any SGC field personnel.  She had been through the survival training at several points during her Air Force career, beginning with her first summer at the Academy.  She learned lessons during that training that had stuck with her throughout the subsequent years.  Those lessons would now be put to the test.

 

Her escort spoke first.  “Sit, Tau’ri.”

 

Sam turned toward him, her chin raised to look at him directly, her gaze never wavering.  Every Air Force Academy cadet was taught the Code of Conduct for captured personnel; that training had been drilled into her over and over that first year and then again during her survival training while in flight school.  Almost automatically, the articles of the Code of Conduct flashed through her mind, she knew her duty and what was expected of her as a prisoner.  If I am captured, I will continue to resist by all means available.

 

“Sit!”  The Jaffa bellowed, lashing out with his staff weapon to sweep her feet from under her, collapsing her onto the hard chair.  Reigning in her temper, Sam pulled herself upright then pushed herself back to her feet.  I am an American, fighting in the forces which guard my country and our way of life.  I am prepared to give my life in their defense.

 

“You will sit!”  The Jaffa to her right swept up his staff weapon into both hands, swinging it in a short arc he brought it around to connect solidly with her midsection, driving the breath from her lungs and folding her legs beneath her, landing her unceremoniously onto the chair again.

 

Sam sat, doubled over, gasping for air.  One lesson the survival instructors had pounded into them over and over again, always know when to resist and when to give in, finding that balance could determine if you lived or died. 

 

“That’s better, Tau’ri.  Now, you will answer some questions for us.”  The Jaffa to her left began speaking, by his voice and manner Sam decided he was most likely the one in charge of her interrogation.

 

Sam raised her head, again looking at her questioner directly, never once showing her fear no matter how deep it ran.

 

“You have spirit, Tau’ri.  You would have made an excellent Jaffa had you been born on Chulak.  How many were with you?  How many more are still hiding among the shadows on this planet?”

 

When questioned, should I become a prisoner of war, I am required to give name, rank, serial number, and date of birth.  I will evade answering further questions to the best of my ability.  “Carter, Samantha.  Lieutenant Colonel.  43-412-6775-320. 12-29-68.”  She never saw the blow that knocked her from the seat and onto the floor.  Shaking her head to clear the stars that danced in her vision, Sam drew in a deep breath then pulled herself up and retook her seated position in the chair.  Her eyes leveled with her questioner, she silently vowed not to give him the satisfaction of seeing her break.

 

“I will ask you again.  How many were with you?  What did you see inside this facility?  What is the code that will allow us to penetrate your defensive iris?”

 

I will make no oral or written statements disloyal to my country and its allies or harmful to their cause.  “Carter, Samantha.  Lieutenant Colonel.  43-412…”  Sam again found herself staring up at her captors from the floor, the blow this time catching her just under her ear, causing her head to ring painfully.  And again, she pulled herself upright, reclaiming her chair, sitting up straight, her hands folded in her lap.

 

“Make no mistake, Tau’ri, I will kill you if you do not answer.  How many were with you?  What are the codes to your defensive systems?”

 

“Carter, Samantha.  Lieutenant Colonel.  43-412-6775-320. 12-29-68.”  Sam tensed for the blow she expected to come and was surprised when the Jaffa held their ground.  The questioning went on like that for several more minutes, all revolving around the same things.  How many had been with her?  What had she seen?  What was her GDO code?  Each time she gave them the same answers, name, rank serial number and date of birth.  Each time tensing, waiting for the blow; and surprised when it didn’t come.  What was their game?  She expected to be physically tortured for the information she had.  She hadn’t expected that the torture would also include withholding that abuse at times.  Waiting, tensed for the blows that never came was almost as bad as receiving them.

 

The interrogation went on for some time, how long Sam couldn’t be sure.  For the duration of that time she refused to give them any information; At times the punishment for her refusal to give the Jaffa what they wanted was physical, other times she was left alone.  She was never sure which response she would receive. 

 

“You will give us what we desire, Tau’ri.  It is only a matter of time.  Take her back to the cell.  Perhaps if given some time to consider your situation, you will realize you have no other options.”

 

Two of the Jaffa each took one of her arms and drug her roughly to her feet, half walking and half dragging her down the corridors and back to her cell.  Sam watched closely as the Jaffa reached out to trigger the door’s mechanism to open the cell.  It was technology she had seen before and if given enough time she thought maybe she could hot wire it.  Once the door had slid fully open, the Jaffa released her arms and brought the flat end of his staff weapon down over her shoulders, sending her sprawling into the room.  Sam blinked away the tears the blow had brought to her eyes, but wasted no time pulling herself back upright and regained her feet.  Never let them see weakness.  They’ll exploit it just as sure as they’ll exploit any other opportunities you give them.  Don’t give them that to work with.

 

The Jaffa standing at the entrance to her cell snorted in disgust, then activated the door and they both turned and marched down the hallway.  Sam listened until she could no longer hear their footfalls before she allowed herself to sink gratefully down onto the cold, hard pallet.

 

Sighing, she took inventory of herself.  All in all, she was relatively pleased that she had come through her first interrogation session with Ba’al’s Jaffa in rather good shape.  They had stuck to blows that while painful, hadn’t done any lasting damage.  She was more than slightly surprised that they hadn’t taken advantage of her pre-existing wounds.  It wasn’t like the Jaffa to fail to take advantage of an opportunity like that; it didn’t bode well for future sessions with her captors.

 

As she sat attempting to regain some of her strength, Sam realized that she hadn’t eaten or had anything to drink for several hours now.  She would need something soon if she were to hold out for long under the Jaffa questioning, but she didn’t hold out much hope that the Jaffa would be forthcoming with either food or water.  That realization spurred Sam to climb wearily to her feet and moved to inspect the wall opposite the keypad that activated her door.  If she could just rig the door to open, even if it was just a little, she could hopefully force the door open far enough to allow her to escape.

 

Sam thought back to her survival training from the Academy, somewhat surprised at how much she still remembered from those days of drilling the Articles of the Code of Conduct as a Doolie during her first year there.  If I am captured I will continue to resist by all means available.  I will make every effort to escape and aid others to escape.  I will accept neither parole nor special favors from the enemy.  Shaking her head slightly at the bit of nostalgic reminiscing, Sam set to work on the wall.

 

She spent several long minutes inspecting the wall and was unsuccessful in finding any easy access to the back side of the keypad, not that she expected the Goa’uld to be that forthcoming.  Deciding that she wasn’t going to gain anything by continuing to search for access that most likely didn’t exist, Sam set about searching for anything she could use to pry at the wall to fashion her own access.  Taking stock of her room, she found nothing that would be useful so Sam turned her attention to her pockets.  The Jaffa had been most thorough during her capture, removing everything she had been carrying with her.  All she had was her clothing and boots, thankfully that still included her belt.

 

Well, you didn’t spend all those hours watching MacGyver for nothing.  Figure it out, girl.  Get yourself outta here.  This won’t be the first time you’ve pried open a control panel with your belt buckle.

 

Sam sighed softly, remembering that mission that had nearly cost them Teal’c, if not in body then in mind.  Thankfully that time she’d had her Dad, Daniel and Jack with her.  Now she had only herself to rely upon.  Pulling her belt free of its loops, Sam went to work on the small seam she could feel between the wall plates that, as near as she could tell, should be at the opposite side of the control panel that opened the cell.  Working persistently, Sam slowly opened the seam, widening it until she could fit the entire edge of her buckle into it and pry upwards giving herself just enough room to fit her fingers beneath the panel and pull.  It came free inch by inch until finally she felt something give way and the panel swung open, hinged on points hidden within the wall.

 

Peering inside, the dim light didn’t allow her to see too far into the wall, but Sam could make out a small latching mechanism that had given way as she had pried on it.  Fingering the latch, she hoped it would hold the panel closed well enough that her captors wouldn’t notice her tampering.  Pulling the panel open fully, Sam tried to focus on what was behind it.  The fact that the panel had a latch and was hinged gave her hope that it was some sort of hidden maintenance access panel that would allow her to override the mechanism for the door.

 

Gingerly feeling inside, Sam could identify the back sides of the control crystals by touch.  After failing to hotwire the door during that fateful mission that took them up against Apophis and the Replicators, Sam had set about learning everything she could about the doors and how they worked, pulling on the Tok’ra specs for Goa’uld ships of all types.  She only hoped that their land bases used the same or similar technology.

 

Feeling her way through the control panel, Sam carefully pried and manipulated the crystals within her grasp, closing her eyes in concentration as she pictured the schematics in her mind’s eye and worked from that memory.  Slowly she pulled loose the key crystal, the master control that regulated the power flow through the latching mechanism.  She then reinserted the crystal into an open maintenance slot, essentially overriding the power flow and enabling the door’s mechanism. 

 

Sam worked steadily for an hour before her vision began to blur and the muscles in her arms began to cramp painfully.  Sam realized she had been awake and on her feet for well over 24 hours and reluctantly acknowledged that she needed to get some sleep and soon, since she had no way of knowing how long the Jaffa would leave her in her cell before retrieving her for another round of interrogation.  Pulling her hands out of the wall she inspected her work.  What she had done so far wouldn’t affect the mechanism’s functioning and she hoped wouldn’t be visible to them if they entered her cell.  Pushing the access panel closed firmly until it was flush against the wall Sam pulled her hands away and was pleased when it appeared to hold in place.

 

Sam dusted her hands off on her trousers and massaged her aching arms and shoulders as she walked across the bare metal floor to sink gratefully down on the small pallet.  Pulling off her jacket and draping it over her arms and shoulders Sam pillowed her head on her arm and sank into a restless sleep.

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

The nervous energy that he often felt before a mission seemed to multiply ten fold until the tingling crawling up his spine sent Jack out of his office to pace in front of the briefing room windows.  It had been nearly 12 hours since Daniel and Teal’c had returned through the ‘gate; 12 hours since he had been given the terrifying news that Sam was now in the hands of Ba’al and his Jaffa.  His first instinct had been to grab a vest, a P-90 and dive back through the ‘gate after her, but the tactician in him knew that was far from the ideal course of action.  Jack’s heart, however, cried out in frustration and grief.

 

He had thought that the quiet and solitude of his office would allow him to concentrate on the task at hand, mainly to pull Sam out of that god forsaken hell hole she was in, but it hadn’t quite worked out that way.  Rather than calming him, his mind seemed to race at ever increasing speeds, conjuring for him images of Sam at Ba’al’s mercy, crying out to him, begging him to help her, to rescue her.  Digging his palms into his eyes, Jack’s effort to drive the images from his mind met with little success and so he reviewed their battle plans again, looking for any weaknesses he hadn’t caught before.

 

Just two hours earlier he had called a briefing of the remaining members of SG-1 along with Colonel Reynolds and the members of SG-3.  Long relied upon for their search and rescue operations, the SG-3 Marines had earned a well deserved reputation amongst the other SG teams that no one would ever be left behind in enemy hands.  So far, they had yet to fail in that mission, even if they had to bring back only the bodies of those who had been lost.

 

In the briefing Teal’c had described the layout of Ba’al’s temple and the defenses they had encountered outside while Daniel had outlined the inside of the structure and where he and Sam had first encountered the Jaffa.

 

“Well, General, the way I see it we have two options,” Reynolds began.  “First we could put together a force of at least four SG teams supported with RPG’s, M-60’s, and enough C-4 to blow a hole in the side of that temple wide enough to fit an Abrams through.”

 

“What’re the chances Sam would get blown up right along with the Jaffa?”  Daniel interrupted hotly.

 

“Since we don’t know her precise location, those odds would be higher than I’m comfortable with, Doctor Jackson.  Which is why I think option two is a more viable plan.  We go in, just SG-1 and SG-3.  Surgical strike team small enough to get inside the temple without being detected.  We then use Doctor Jackson’s knowledge of Goa’uld to pin point Colonel Carter’s location, extract her, make it back to the ‘gate before we’re discovered.”

 

Jack looked up from his notes.  “And exactly what’re the chances of us getting in and out without detection?”

 

“Slim, General.  But the odds of getting Colonel Carter out alive are much better with option two.”

 

Jack nodded solemnly, having already reached that conclusion himself, but it was always prudent to listen to other options.  “Okay, we go in with a small team, SG-3, Daniel and Teal’c.  If it all goes to hell and back and you’re discovered, leave one man at the ‘gate and report back.  If we need to, we’ll mobilize a larger SG team force to come pull all your asses out of there.”

 

Daniel’s eyebrows raised in surprise, but he said nothing.  He had expected Jack to accompany them on this mission and to hear his name conspicuously missing from the mission roster was surprising to say the least.  He could only assume that Jack had his reasons for staying behind, he only hoped they were the right ones.

 

General O’Neill surveyed the faces of the men surrounding the table.  He knew they would all go anywhere he ordered them, but this mission seemed to go above and beyond their normal duties and he intended to give them all an option to get out, if they wanted it. 

 

“This isn’t going to be your usual search and rescue, gentlemen.  As such, I’m not going to order any of you to be a part of this team.  This will be an all volunteer operation, so anyone who wants out, speak up now.”

 

In the silence that ensued, only the breathing of those in the room could be heard before Colonel Reynolds drew a breath to speak.  “Sir, I believe I speak for all here when I say that I’ll be damned if I’m going to back out of this one.  Colonel Carter has saved our collective asses more than once and it’s about time we returned the favor.  Sir.”

 

Jack nodded then pressed his hands flat on the table and pushed himself to his feet, the others quickly following suit.

 

“Get some sleep.  I know Daniel and Teal’c have been at it for over 20 hours now and SG-3 just got back from a mission this morning.  The last thing we need is you slowing down or screwing up because of fatigue.  6 hours sleep minimum, be back here ready to ship out at 0430.  Dismissed.”

 

Jack now grudgingly admitted he needed to take his own advice and try to get some sleep since he was damn sure he wouldn’t sleep much at all once the mission was underway.  Sighing deeply and shoving his hands deep into his pockets he headed toward his quarters just down the corridor from the control room.  Opening the door he clicked on the small light next to his bed and sank down onto it wearily, bending down to unlace his boots. 

He had gotten one boot off when he heard a soft knock on his door.  Wincing and scrubbing a hand over his face and up through his hair he stood and crossed the room to answer it.

 

Pulling the door open he was startled to see Colonel Reynolds standing in the corridor looking slightly uncomfortable.  “Reynolds?  Shouldn’t you be getting some sleep right now, Colonel?”

 

“Yes, sir.  But I needed to speak with you.  Would you mind if I came in?”

 

Surprised but also intrigued, Jack gestured the Marine in waving him toward a chair at the corner of the room.  “What can I do for you?”

 

The Colonel bypassed the offered chair, preferring to stand with his hands clasped behind his back.  He shifted his feet slightly, an indication of just how nervous the usually spit and polish Marine was at the moment.  Jack chose to sit on the edge of his bunk, eyeing his officer curiously.  In the end, Reynolds decided to simply spit out what was on his mind, figuring at worst the General would simply chew him out and throw him out of his quarters.

 

“Sir, may I ask why you didn’t assign yourself to this mission?”

 

Jack was stunned at the question.  Certainly he wanted with all his heart and soul to lead this mission, but at the same time he knew that he had a duty to fulfill at the SGC and Generals rarely led rescue missions into enemy territory.  Then there was the problem of favoritism.  How could he, in good conscience, go on this mission when he didn’t head up every other rescue mission for missing SGC team members?  He had spent so many years living by the regulations that the idea of showing any sort of favoritism for Sam because of his personal feelings for her had rankled him.  “Colonel, I…um…”

 

“General, we all know your skills in the field and it seems to me that with your intimate knowledge of our enemy in this case that your presence would be key to our success.”

 

“Colonel, I think you know there’s more to it than that.”

 

“Yes, sir, I do.  But if I might speak freely sir?”

 

“By all means.”

 

“That’s bullshit.  Sir.”

 

Jacks eyebrows raised and he smirked slightly.  “Ya think so, Colonel?”

 

“Yes, sir, I do.  Your relationship with Colonel Carter is of course your own business, sir.  But I can’t think of anyone more motivated than you to complete this mission and get everyone home alive and well.”  Reynolds took a step closer, relaxing his shoulders and allowing his arms to drop to his sides.  “Sir, no one will think any less of you for wanting to lead this mission yourself.  No one.”

 

Jack sighed softly before rising to his feet.  “I appreciate your input, John.  Really.  Thank you.”

 

“Yes, sir.  Good night, General.”

 

As the door closed quietly behind him, Reynolds paused in the hallway, knowing that his message had been received, loud and clear.

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

Sam felt as though she had barely closed her eyes when she felt herself being pulled roughly to her feet and propelled out into the corridor.  Stumbling slightly as her sleep muddied brain attempted to catch up with her feet, Sam limped along the hall, prodded from behind by two impatient Jaffa.

 

Entering the room she had been held in the day prior, Sam recognized her interrogators and resigned herself to another painful and difficult session with them.  Motioning to the chair placed in the middle of the room, Sam was herded toward it much less gently than she had been before.  She wasn’t given the option to stand this time, but was struck at the knees from behind, dumping her on her stomach on top of the chair bottom.

 

“Sit, Tau’ri!”

 

Clamping down her jaw on the wave of pain and nausea that threatened to overwhelm her, Sam shakily pushed herself upright to stand with her feet planted far enough apart to give her the balance she needed should they try that maneuver again.  She then turned toward her jailers and keeping her gaze firmly on theirs, stood for a moment toe to toe with them.  The act of defiance was not unrewarded as the Jaffa put his staff weapon to good use and brought the flat end hard against her wounded calf.  Sam was only partially successful at muffling her cry of pain as she was dumped again into the chair.

 

Okay, so, no more Mister Nice Jaffa.

 

“You were less than accommodating before.  We will not be as patient today, Tau’ri.”

 

“Yeah, I didn’t figure you would be,” Sam retorted sarcastically.  The Jaffa to her left pulled back his hand and sent it crashing into her mouth, drawing blood.  Sam spat the blood pooling in her mouth at his feet and pulled herself upright again, sitting ramrod straight, her hands folded neatly in her lap.  Her smoldering gaze never once leaving her interrogator’s face.

 

“Insolence such as that will not be tolerated, Tau’ri.  You would do well to remember that.  Now, how many others were with you?  Where are they now?”

 

“Carter, Samantha.  Lieutenant Colo…”  Sam had been tensed, ready for the blow, but the ferocity of the attack took her by surprise and dumped her unceremoniously on the deck at the Jaffa’s feet.  Wiping the blood from her already bruised mouth, Sam picked herself up as slowly as she could, attempting to give herself as much time as possible before they set to work on her again.  Sitting up straight once again, she met the eyes of her interrogators, refusing to allow them the satisfaction of seeing her break.  Carters don’t cry Sam.  Carters don’t give up.  Carters do their duty, always.

 

“Where are your companions?  You accomplish nothing by refusing to answer, Tau’ri.  We will find them, eventually.  This only serves to prolong your agony.”

 

Sam met the Jaffa’s gaze, pursing her lips into a thin hard line. 

 

“Where are they?  What are your numbers?”  The Jaffa’s demeanor had become more and more impatient as the questions were fired from his mouth, his face contorting in rage at her silence.  As he continued to thunder at her, Sam held her ground, choosing to answer with her silence until finally his temper snapped.

 

“My Lord requires your answers, Tau’ri!  I will not fail to acquire them from you!” 

Raising his hand, Sam turned her head away from the expected blow only to have her head forced back toward him by the Jaffa at her side.

 

Sam wasn’t sure later how long he had railed on her weakening body, knowing that she was likely seriously injured and realizing her miscalculation of her adversary much too late.  But if he beat her to death there in that dank room at least she would be sure she hadn’t betrayed her country or her oath.  She was certain that at the end they had been forced to hold her upright while he took out his frustrations on her already battered body until finally his temper had cooled and he had ordered them to return her to the small dark cell.

 

Wheezing with pain that shot through her with every breath, Sam wasn’t sure just how much damage had been done.  She could feel the swelling around her eyes and mouth, the bruised flesh surely turning spectacular shades already.  Her calf throbbed painfully, the heat radiating from the wound indicating that the infection she had feared was now a reality. 

 

She lay on the cool floor, allowing the cold to sooth some of the worst of the aches before she marshaled her strength and pushed herself up to sit against the wall.  Her body felt as though she had just gone 10 rounds with Teal’c, and most certainly had lost.  Rolling over onto her hands and knees, Sam used the wall to pull herself up to her feet, the abused muscles of her stomach groaning in protest.  If there was something seriously busted up inside her, she wouldn’t have time to worry about another session with her captors.  She had to get the door open and get out of there.  Now.

 

Pulling open the panel she had worked on the day before, Sam set her mind to the task, tuning out any physical pain she was experiencing and focusing solely on the job at hand.  Survival, that’s the name of the game.  If you believe you’ll survive, you’ll find a way.  Never stop believing.  Pulling and tugging at the crystals by touch alone after nearly an hour of painstaking work Sam finally slid the final crystal home and heard the distinctive snick of the latching mechanism releasing and the hiss of the door as it slid open.

 

Holding her breath and tensing for the surge of Jaffa guards she was sure was headed into her cell at any moment, Sam was shocked when it didn’t materialize and peered out into the corridor only to find it empty.  Where the hell did everyone go?  Not one to look a gift horse in the mouth, Sam closed her eyes in relief and edged out of the door. 

 

Ok Carter, you’re out.  Now what?  She looked both ways before leaning against the doorway briefly as a wave of dizziness threatened to swamp her.  Time was of the essence and Sam knew her time was short, and growing shorter every moment.  She started off toward the right, praying that she was headed in the direction of an exit, any exit.  All she knew was that when they came for her they always headed down the left corridor, and that way only held pain and torture.

 

Moving as quickly as her injured leg would allow, Sam made her way past several cross corridors.  Had she been aboard a Mothership or Tel’tak the layout would have followed a familiar pattern she had committed to memory years earlier.  She could only hope that the seemingly familiar landmarks inside the temple followed a similar floor plan. 

 

Sam had been moving for nearly 5 minutes when the sound of booted feet reached her ears.  Flattening herself against the wall she waited, listening intently.  The footsteps echoed in the empty hallway, but seemed to be drawing nearer to her position.  Seeking refuge of any kind, Sam spotted a nearby doorway and quickly keyed the sequence of symbols that would allow her entry.

 

As the door hissed open, Sam slipped inside and quickly keyed it closed again, praying that she wouldn’t run into something worse inside.  The room was dimly lit and seemed to be some sort of storage facility.  Sam took a moment to survey her surroundings to be sure she was alone before turning her attention to the nearing sounds of Jaffa armored feet.  As they drew nearer and seemed to slow she sucked in a nervous breath, holding it as the sounds slowed but did not stop, finally receding down the corridor.  Breathing an intense sigh of relief, Sam was about to open the door again when a familiar shape caught her eye and she turned in surprise.

 

There, atop a rack holding what appeared to be spare Jaffa armor lay her SGC vest and P-90.  What is it they say, better lucky than good?  Damned if they aren’t right.  Snagging the vest and slipping into it, Sam checked the pockets for her survival gear and spare magazines for her weapon.  The Jaffa rarely allowed any usable material to slip through their fingers and this time had kept most of her gear together and intact.  A mistake she was surprised they had made. 

 

Picking up her weapon, Sam cleared the chamber and checked the clip and finding it still half full slapped it back home, locking and loading it.  Searching for her radio, she was disappointed to find it missing, but would take what she could get; in this case a weapon that may well get her out of the temple and back to the ‘gate.

 

Suddenly feeling much better about her chances of getting off this rock alive, Sam silently sent out a thanks to whoever was looking out for her and paused to take a couple of deep, steadying breaths to calm her shaking limbs before heading back out into the corridor.  Resuming her original path, Sam worked her way methodically down the hallway, knowing that at any moment another Jaffa patrol could be around the next turn and knowing that she would have to use deadly force to get past them or risk being sent back into the arms of her torturers.  That was something she vowed would not happen again; should it come down to it, she would take as many of them with her as she could, but Sam knew she wouldn’t allow herself to be take alive again.

 

Sam crossed over another cross corridor that this time was labeled with one of the few symbols she recognized, “air lock”.  Praying that the symbol on a land based facility would also mean “exit”, Sam detoured in its direction, finding herself in a hallway that looked vaguely familiar from her trip into the structure with Daniel.  About halfway down the corridor Sam found a doorway similarly labeled with the characters for an air lock.  Taking a moment to settle herself, Sam repositioned her weapon so that she could aim it out the doorway, just in case the Jaffa had decided to place guards outside the structure after SG-1 had been able to gain entrance through it.

 

Pressing the symbols in sequence, Sam paused over the last key and taking in one last deep breath punched it.  As the door slid open, Sam cautiously poked her head out into the still morning air.  The sun was just rising above the tree line, casting enough light over the forest to allow her to make out the surroundings.  Crouching low, Sam eased past the doorframe and out of the temple, her eyes and ears trained for any signs that she had been detected.  When she neither saw nor heard anything, Sam moved the rest of the way out the door and after a cautious breath, made for the trees and the safety that could be found in their covering depths.

 

Breathing heavily from even the small amount of exertion, Sam paused several feet into the tree line to glance back over her shoulder.  She as yet couldn’t see any sort of pursuit, but knew that one would not be far behind.  Marshalling her strength, Sam pushed off from the tree she had leaned against and moved further into the forest, praying she could reach the ‘gate before the Jaffa reached her.

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

The mood in the ‘gateroom was somber and tense.  It wasn’t the first time the SGC had sent out a search and rescue mission, and it certainly wouldn’t be the last, and the men and women geared up and ready to depart took their duty to go through the ‘gate into hostile territory to bring home an SG team member very seriously.  There was no chatter, no jokes or laughter, only steely eyed looks that spoke of their determination and resolve.

 

The mood became noticeably more charged when General O’Neill, fully outfitted and armed with his own P-90, entered the room.  Facing his team, he met their eyes one at a time. 

 

“As of now I’m assuming command of this mission.  This is no reflection on Colonel Reynolds, but as some of you may not know, I was held in one of Ba’al’s prisons once and escaped.  As the Colonel pointed out to me I’m more likely to be able to guide you all through this mission to a successful outcome.  And we will have a successful outcome, understood?”

 

A resounding “Yes, Sir!” sounded through the cavernous room.

 

“Alright then, let’s go.  Sergeant Harriman, dial the ‘gate,” Jack ordered.  Turning to face the ‘gate as it began to spin and each chevron lit in succession, Jack attempted to reign in his emotions.  He knew he could trust the members of his team, knew he could trust them with his life.  But this wasn’t just his life, it was Sam’s, and that upped the ante significantly.  Jack had spent the better part of the night attempting to sleep, but every time he had closed his eyes his imagination had taken over until he couldn’t bear the image of Sam, bound to the gravity wall as he had been, bleeding from dozens of knife wounds or burned horribly by acid. 

 

Squeezing his eyes tightly closed as he listened to the final chevrons locking into place, Jack banished those images from his mind.  Dwelling on them wouldn’t help him, and most definitely wouldn’t help Sam.  Finding her, getting her home, that was his sole mission now.  After that, he’d deal with the aftermath.  Just hang on, Sam.  Hang on.  We’re coming for you.

 

The ‘gate opened with its customary kawhoosh and without hesitation Jack stepped up onto the ramp and headed toward the event horizon.  Stepping out on the other side of the wormhole, Jack methodically scanned the surrounding meadow and tree line, searching for any welcoming party that may be waiting for them.  Satisfied that for the moment they weren’t about to be attacked by a Jaffa patrol, Jack walked down the stone steps to take up a position to the left of the ‘gate.

 

Sinking down to one knee, Jack covered the area as the remaining members of his team exited the ‘gate and took up defensive positions of their own.  Out of habit, Teal’c knelt at Jack’s side, the position he had taken on so many missions before.  Catching the General’s eye, the former First Prime nodded once and then moved off toward the trees, leading the way toward the temple.

 

Using hand signals, Jack motioned to the rest of the strike team and they fanned out into a wedge formation leaving Jack and Daniel near the center.  They traveled silently through the trees for several minutes when Teal’c raised his hand to call a halt.  The team immediately dropped into a defensive perimeter, each member taking a position to keep their backs to each other, their weapons trained outward on the surrounding forest.  Jack dropped as well, and signaling to Daniel to stay put, made his way to Teal’c’s side.

 

Getting down on one knee Jack scanned the trees, seeing nothing he turned to raise an eyebrow in question.  Teal’c motioned toward his ears then off to his left.  He had heard something moving off in that direction, but couldn’t be sure who or what it was.  Jack nodded once, then motioned for Reynolds to move up to his position.

 

Keeping his voice low, Jack issued his orders.  “Reynolds, take your squad and head back the way we came.  Try to circle around behind whoever’s out there.  Teal’c, Daniel, and I will move on ahead and take them from the other side.  Understood?”

 

“Roger that, sir,” Colonel Reynolds replied, then turned and signaled his team to head back in the direction of the gate.

 

Motioning toward Daniel, Jack followed Teal’c as they set off again.  Moving as silently as possible, they stuck together until they were within several hundred yards of the area where Teal’c had narrowed down the sounds he had heard before Jack called another stop.

 

Unable to see any Jaffa nearby, Jack risked whispering a few final instructions.  “Teal’c, you take the right.  Watch out for Reynolds’ patrol, we don’t want them blasting away at you thinking you’re Ba’al’s Jaffa.  Danny and I will head to the left.  Keep your distance Daniel.  I don’t want them to catch us all bunched up in a neat little package.”

 

Receiving nods of assent from both men, they moved out in their assigned directions, ready to take on whatever lay in front of them.  Jack prayed it was Ba’al’s Jaffa.  Ever since he learned of Sam’s capture, the desire to take out some retribution on Ba’al had been nearly overwhelming.  Now that he was actually out here his trigger finger was itching, even if all he could do is take out a few of Ba’al’s Jaffa.

 

Jack could no longer hear Teal’c, but knew instinctively where he was.  Keeping Daniel in sight, he moved as quickly as he was able, anticipation coiling in his gut like a cobra ready to strike.

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

Sam was hidden in the underbrush, the sound of booted Jaffa feet seemingly all around her position.  Her stamina had given out early into her flight through the trees and she now sat, concealed as completely as possible, waiting for the hunters to find her.  And they would find her, of that she was certain.  It was just a matter of time.  The clank of the Jaffa armor began to fade and Sam let out a shaking breath, lowering her weapon to rest on her legs.  She knew she couldn’t stay hidden forever, but could only hope that if she could hold out until darkness fell, she might be able to make her way to the ‘gate cloaked from the eyes of her pursuers. 

 

Her heart racing, blood pounding in her ears, Sam consciously tried to calm herself.  Keeping her weapon at the ready, she took a moment to cover herself more completely.  Camouflaging her position with what was available, Sam settled back down, grasping her weapon with both hands ready to swing it up and into position with as little wasted motion as possible.  She could feel the fever running through her body, still centered on the wound in her calf, but the chills she had felt previously had become a flame that seemed to fire her from within.  Sam wasn’t sure she was going to have the energy to make it to the ‘gate if she waited much longer, but getting captured by the Jaffa if she attempted to move during the daylight wasn’t any better.

 

The stillness was suddenly broken once again, only this time the booted feet were much closer than before.  Tensing, Sam raised her weapon slightly, gently flicking off the safety as she prepared to defend her position.  The Jaffa slowly moved toward her, their precise movements and scanning eyes sure to locate her position in a matter of moments.  Sam knew if she were to have any chance of surviving the next few minutes, she needed to act fast and fire first.

 

Sam suddenly burst from her cover, squeezing off several bursts from her weapon before the Jaffa had time to react.  Swinging it around, Sam took down three of the four Jaffa in the first pass before turning it on the last man standing.  She realized almost too late that she wouldn’t have time to get off a round and brought up her P-90 to parry the staff weapon that was arching toward her unprotected head.  The shock of the impact against her arms jarred her very bones, but Sam gritted her teeth and forced herself to shove back against it, staggering the Jaffa slightly as she half rose to her knees and brought her weapon back down into firing position.

 

Sam squeezed the trigger once, the round catching the Jaffa in the center of his body and sending him flying back through the thick brush.  Shaking now as much from the adrenaline as from the fever, Sam pushed herself unsteadily to her feet and checked her ammunition before turning to run in the direction of the ‘gate.  The sounds of her weapons fire were sure to bring other Jaffa patrols down on her and Sam pushed herself to run harder that she thought possible. 

 

Past her limits of endurance, and still she ran on, crashing through the brush and clinging branches that ripped at her hair and clothing.  Finally, with nothing left but sheer raw will, Sam dropped, spent, to the forest floor and sat panting, then gathering herself she searched again for a defensible position from which she might hold up for a few minutes before continuing her flight.

 

Finding a towering tree a few feet from where she now sat, its trunk at least four feet wide at the base, Sam crawled over to sit under its branches.  She had only been seated for a few precious moments when the sound of booted feet through the underbrush had her surging back to her feet and bringing her weapon back up.  Eyes stinging from the salty sweat that had dripped down into them, Sam blinked to clear them as she searched frantically for the pursuit she was sure had already discovered her position.

 

The first glimpse of her pursuer was a bit of dappled sunlight glinting off a golden emblem that adorned his forehead and Sam nearly squeezed the trigger an instant before she caught herself as the rest of his face and body slowly came into focus.

 

“Teal’c?”  Sam whispered, disbelief coloring her voice.

 

“Colonel Carter.  It is I.”

 

Sam sagged in relief, her weapon slowly lowering toward the leaf strewn ground.  The adrenaline leaching from her muscles, her heart rate began to slow its thunderous tattoo.  “Thank God.  Thank God.”  She breathed as her legs suddenly threatened to give out beneath her and she pulled one hand away from her weapon to grasp the nearest tree, using its solid bulk to steady herself.  Teal’c was at her side in an instant, his arm winding around her waist and easing her down to sit at the base of the tree.  Lowering himself to one knee, he reached up to key his radio twice, signaling the rest of the team.

 

Hearing an answering click, Teal’c spoke softly into the microphone.  “O’Neill, I have Colonel Carter.”

 

The response was nearly immediate.  “We’re on our way.”

 

Sam allowed the tension in her arms and shoulders to slowly ebb, only to be replaced by a shaking that she couldn’t seem to control.  Teeth chattering in response, she could feel the exhaustion she had valiantly held at bay slowly steal up to sap her strength, leaving her pale and weak.  She became aware of the steady beat of booted feet coming up through the trees behind them, and her heart rate picked up once again as she shakily raised her weapon to meet what she was sure to be a renewed Jaffa attack.

 

Daniel and Jack drew to a halt just in front of them, surprised to find themselves staring down the barrel of Sam’s P-90.  Teal’c raised his hand to gently press down on Sam’s weapon, lowering it away from their teammates.  Recognition slowly dawned on Sam’s face and relief passed through her, renewing the tremors that now shook her entire body.  She was so exhausted, it hadn’t even occurred to her to question why Jack was off planet leading a rescue mission.

 

“Carter?  You okay?”  Jack asked uncertainly, dropping to one knee at her side.

 

Sam found that she didn’t have the energy to speak and simply nodded in reply, her fingers curling and uncurling reflexively around the pistol grip of her weapon.  The pain in her leg that had been barely manageable now flared to an all out assault on her.  She could feel the heat radiating from the cauterized staff wound and she was certain that the infection was spreading.  Beads of sweat rolled down the sides of her face at the same time chills coursed through her, raising the hairs on her arms in response.

 

Teal’c pulled the weapon from her restless fingers and set it aside.  “O’Neill, we should not stay here.  The Jaffa are most certainly patrolling these woods and will locate our position soon.”

 

“Yeah, right,” Jack replied before reaching for his radio.  “Reynolds, this is O’Neill, come in.”

 

“Reynolds here, sir, go ahead.”

 

“We’ve got Carter.  Head back toward the ‘gate, tell your men there if we’re not there in 15, send the cavalry to come find us.  We’re about 1 klic south of the ‘gate now.”

“Copy that, sir.  We’ll keep the light on.”

 

Jack pushed himself up, reaching a hand down to help Sam up.  When she didn’t make any attempt to stand, he bent down to gently take her arm and draw her to her feet.  She swayed unsteadily and he tightened his grip on her arm, sure she was headed right back down again.  Her silence up until now had unnerved him and to see her barely able to stand quite frankly scared the hell out of him.  But there wasn’t time to dwell on it.  They needed to get her home.

 

“Carter, you gonna be able to make it?”

 

Sam took a couple of slow, deep breaths before finding the strength to answer.  “Yessir.  I’ll be fine.”

 

Jack nodded, but didn’t release his hold on Sam’s arm.  She sure as hell didn’t look fine and he was determined to give her as much support as she needed to get back to the ‘gate in one piece.

 

“Alright, kids, let’s get home.  Teal’c, take point.  Daniel, you watch our six.”

 

Dropping easily into their assigned roles, they moved off as silently and quickly as possible toward the waiting Stargate and the SGC beyond.  Jack took up position at Sam’s elbow, lessening his grip on her arm, but not letting it go completely.

 

They had been moving for barely five minutes before Sam slowed perceptibly, her steps shuffling in the dirt and undergrowth.  Jack quickly adjusted his pace to her slower strides, tightening his grip on her.

 

“Whoa,” Sam wheezed, bringing a shaking hand up to cover her face as she slowly came to a halt, her feet seemingly no longer willing to continue their flight through the trees.

 

“Carter?  Hey, you okay?”  God, he seemed to be asking her that a lot lately.  When an answer wasn’t immediately forthcoming, Jack turned toward the head of their little column.  “Teal’c, hold up a minute.”

 

The former First Prime stopped and turned back, his eyes restlessly scanning the surrounding trees for any signs of pursuit.  Daniel took a couple of steps to stand just behind Jack and Sam, his eyes back down the path they had traveled, his weapon at the ready.

 

“Dizzy, sir,” Sam gasped as she continued to breathe deeply, furiously attempting to keep the world from spinning.  But rather than slow it’s sickening pace, her vision began to tunnel rapidly.

 

“Ah…sir…?”

 

Sam suddenly slumped against Jack’s side as her consciousness fled and her legs gave way beneath her.  Jack had just enough time to pull her arm over his shoulders as she collapsed into him, her body hanging limply across his.  He staggered sideways slightly as he attempted to support her sagging form.

 

“Damn it.  Daniel, get over here.”

 

The archaeologist moved quickly, allowing his P-90 to dangle loosely from his harness, Daniel supported Sam’s head and shoulders as he and Jack together gently lowered her to the forest floor.  Daniel was shocked at the heat he could feel emanating from his teammate as he swiftly searched for a pulse.  It took several long moments before he could finally feel the weak beat thrumming beneath his fingertips.  He pulled his hand up toward her mouth and nose, gratified to feel a feather light breath on his skin.

 

Breathing a sigh of relief he looked up into Jack’s worried eyes.  “She’s breathing and she’s got a pulse, but it’s weak and she’s burning up, Jack.  We’ve got to get her to the infirmary.  Now.”

 

Jack pressed his lips into a thin, hard line.  Damn.  “Teal’c stay on point.  Daniel, help me get her up.  We’ve gotta get outta here.  Those Jaffa are gonna be on our asses any minute.”

 

Each taking an arm, they pulled Sam up between them.  Looping a hand through her belt, Jack steered them down the path and toward the waiting ‘gate.  Moving as quickly as they could, considering their burden, they reached the edge of the clearing just as Colonel Reynolds was ordering his team to set off to look for them.

 

They had barely stepped past the cover of the trees when the world seemed to erupt around them.  Several Jaffa came spilling out of the trees, firing their staff weapons as they ran.  Jack didn’t need to see them to know the Jaffa were rapidly gaining on them and he put all his strength into quickening his pace.  Daniel picked up his pace as well, breathing heavily from the exertion he focused solely on his goal, getting Sam to the ‘gate and home.  He had left her behind once before, he’d be damned if he was going to do it again.

 

Teal’c whirled as he heard the first tell tale blasts from the staff weapons and brought his own weapon around to fire into the advancing Jaffa.  He was not more than 10 feet in front of Jack and Daniel, but it was enough to allow him to give them adequate cover from their pursuers.

 

Jack never slowed, taking in a deep breath he shouted to the Marines stationed at the steps leading up to the Stargate.  “Reynolds!  Get that damn ‘gate open!”

 

The Marine waved to his man standing at the DHD who immediately began dialing home.  “Connors, Evans, fan out!  Covering fire!”

 

Jack had never been so happy to hear the distinct kawhoosh of a forming wormhole in all his life.  Reynolds lowered his weapon momentarily to send the Code Red GDO code, alerting those on the other side that they were coming in hot and with casualties. 

 

Staff blasts continued to strike all around them as Jack and Daniel drug Sam up the stone steps and through the event horizon into the welcoming arms of the wormhole beyond. 

 

Stumbling to a halt upon exiting the wormhole, Daniel and Jack fought for balance as they gently lowered Sam’s limp body to the cold metal ramp.  Before Jack could draw a breath to speak, Sergeant Harriman’s voice burst through the loudspeakers.

 

“Medical team is on the way, General.  Should be here momentarily.”

 

Jack nodded before turning his attention to Sam’s prone form, lying unmoving at his feet.  “Daniel?”

 

The archaeologist raised his eyes to Jack’s briefly before answering.  “I don’t know, Jack.  I just don’t know,” he replied solemnly.  Skinned knees and paper cuts he could deal with, but Daniel was well out of his depth here, and he knew it.  Not for the first time in the past year, Daniel fervently wished Janet was still alive; not that he didn’t think Doctor Brightman wasn’t a capable physician, but no one held his trust in the way Janet had.  Especially where the health and well being of his friends was concerned.

 

The remaining members of the rescue team slipped through the ‘gate as the doors to the ‘gateroom burst open to admit Doctor Brightman and her team.  Well trained and, unfortunately, well versed in dealing with injured SG Team members, they wasted no time breaking out their equipment and getting to work.  Teal’c and the SG-3 Marines filed silently past the med techs, but not without several sidelong glances at the officer lying prone on the ramp.  They had done their jobs, and done them well, they only prayed now that they had been in time. 

 

Teal’c paused at the base of the ramp, looking back over his shoulder.  Colonel Carter was an exceptional warrior, someone he genuinely respected and knowing what she had likely endured in the day she had been in Ba’al’s clutches saddened him.  Risking a glance at the General, the Jaffa watched as literally before his eyes he seemed to pull on the mantel of command, leaving a grieving lover behind.  She does not deserve this, he thought, neither of them do.

 

Doctor Brightman knelt down on the ramp, reaching out to grasp Sam’s wrist she measured her pulse with a practiced touch, alarmed at the rapid beats she felt thrumming beneath the cold and clammy skin.

 

“What can you tell me about her injuries, Sir?”

 

Jack’s head came up at the question, his mouth coming open only to snap closed again.  He hadn’t been there; he didn’t know.  The thought sickened him.  I wasn’t there.  Dear God.  She needed me, and I wasn’t there.  Sensing his hesitation, Daniel answered the Doctor’s question.

 

“Um, I know she got hit with a staff blast that knocked her out, but I’m not sure for how long.  Other than that, we…ah…don’t know.  We found her outside the temple.  She said she was okay, but didn’t make it far before she collapsed.”

 

“How long was she in there?”

 

Finding his voice, Jack answered quietly, “Just over 24 hours.”

 

“Okay, we’ll take care of her from here, Sir.  We’ll handle your post mission physicals as soon as we have Colonel Carter stabilized.”

 

Jack nodded, his eyes never leaving Sam’s pale face, his guilt threatening to overtake him.  Shaking his head to dispel his dark thoughts, Jack firmly pulled himself together.  Now was not the time to dwell on what had happened.  Now he had to be “The General”, his troops needed to see him in control of himself and the situation.  There would be time enough for self-recriminations later.  Much later.  Watching as the medical technicians loaded Sam on the gurney and hustled her from the room, followed closely by Daniel and Teal’c, Jack felt a twinge of envy that they were able to go with her.  But that too was not allowed of “The General” and again he pushed the emotion aside. 

 

Looking up, Jack caught Reynolds’ eye, the Colonel loitering just inside the doors to the ‘gateroom.  “We’ll debrief at 1700.  That should give you and your team time to get checked out by the Docs.”

 

“Aye, sir.  I’ll inform the rest of the team.”

 

“Go ahead and get cleaned up first.  They’re probably going to be a while with Carter.”

 

“Will do, sir.  See you in the infirmary.”

 

Handing his P-90 off to the weapon’s sergeant, Jack set off for the control room to get an update from Harriman.  Every instinct in his body was screaming at him to get himself down to the infirmary; to be with Sam.  But he had other responsibilities too. 

Responsibilities that he couldn’t simply throw off when he didn’t feel like dealing with them.  The men and women of the SGC deserved better than that, and he knew Sam would expect that of him.

 

As he reached the top of the stairs, Jack found Walter already waiting for him, a clipboard in one hand, his headset dangling from his ear.  Harriman fell into step with Jack as he made his way up the winding staircase toward his office.

 

“I’m sure you’ll want a quick rundown so you can get to the infirmary, Sir,” Sergeant Harriman began before Jack could even open his mouth.  “I have your schedule cleared for the next several hours.  The conference room is reserved for your 1700 debrief with Colonel Reynolds, SG-3 and SG-1.  Your 1400 meeting with Doctor Felger has been postponed, I told him you would clear some time for him next week at the earliest.  The requisitions for office supplies and the commissary are on your desk just waiting for your signature.  The two briefings for SG-11 and SG-15’s upcoming missions I passed on to Colonel Reynolds.”

 

“Walter,”  Jack interrupted.

 

“Yes, sir?”

 

“Thank you.”

 

“You’re welcome, Sir.”

 

“Just leave the rest of that on my desk.  I’ll take a look at all of it before the debrief.  And don’t worry about the briefings with SG’s 11 and 15, I’ll take care of them.  Just reschedule them for first thing tomorrow morning.  We can afford to put off those missions for one more day.”

 

“Yes, Sir.  I hope I didn’t overstep my bounds.  I just thought…”

 

“I know you did, and I appreciate it, Sergeant.”

 

“Yes, Sir.  Well…I’d better get back down to the control room.”  Walter paused momentarily.  “Sir, if you need anything from us, you know we’re here for you, right?”

 

“I know, Sergeant.  And thank you.  Dismissed.”

 

“Yes, Sir,” Walter replied before turning and heading back down to the control room.

 

Sighing, Jack stripped off his vest and jacket and dropped them into the visitor’s chair before lowering himself down into his chair, uncapping a pen he set about clearing his desk so he could join the others in the infirmary just as soon as possible.

 

To Be Continued…..

 

Part Two