The Road From Nadir
By Rebecca Preen - Becky@tcp.co.uk


                         *******************

Includes: The Road From Nadir
          Friends in High Places

                         *******************


The Road From Nadir
By Rebecca Preen - Becky@tcp.co.uk


RATING: R

WARNINGS: Violence. This story deals with some fairly adult themes and 
has some graphic descriptions of post traumatic stress, including non-
graphic recollections of the trauma.  If I say anymore it'll give it 
away.

CATEGORY: Angst, Action-Adventure and Drama.  Lots of hurt comfort

SPOILERS: References to lots of episodes.

TIME FRAME: Set after Shades of Grey but before Nemesis (you'll see why!)

SUMMARY: A routine mission goes badly wrong and SG-1 must deal with the 
consequences. (Nadir: the lowest point; the point of greatest adversity 
or deepest despair.)

DISCLAIMER: All publicly recognizable characters and places are the 
property of MGM, World Gekko Corp and Double Secret Productions. This 
piece of fan fiction was created for entertainment not monetary purposes 
and no infringement on copyrights or trademarks was intended. Previously 
unrecognized characters and places, and this story, are copyrighted to 
the author. Any similarity to real persons, living or dead, is 
coincidental and not intended by the author. 

AUTHOR'S NOTES: 

For Mumsey,
You have given me the world. 
Here's a little something back.

This story has been around a bit, after appearing on the net it was won a 
Stargate Fan fiction Award and was then published in IRIS code#3. 

Since it was last on the net, I've had re- edit and corrected some mistakes 
so, thanks to Lems for the re-beta and Denise for her friendship and 
encouragement. I don't know anyone else who can Sam bash like we do! : )


                         *******************

1

The cold seeped into her very bones as the sun began to set again. This 
was the second sunset she'd watched on this planet. SG-1 were well 
overdue now and soon someone would come looking for them. Someone always 
came looking for them.

She shifted her weight slightly, trying to relieve the pressure and pain 
on her ribs. She just moved it to the other side. The cold made her 
shiver again. Beneath her the bed frame creaked. She winced, not from the 
pain but from the thought of what was to come. She lay very, very still 
and almost dared not breathe. 

There was movement outside, a shuffling sound. A sharp snap of metal 
grating against metal. A shaft of light darted through the hatch. 

Like a statue she remained still. A mutter, a murmur and then darkness 
again. She held her breath for a few moments longer. The rattle didn't 
come. She let out the breath, nearly falling into a racking cough. She 
stifled it and slowed her breathing. 

Maybe they wouldn't come for her tonight. Maybe....

                         *******************

Daniel awoke with a start, cursing as he realized he hadn't been 
dreaming. Everything was slightly blurred. He shook his head to clear it 
then realized his glasses were missing. He couldn't remember where they'd 
gone. 

The room was vast and full of people. They were eating, heartily. The 
smell was intoxicating. His stomach had been deprived for so long it 
ached and rumbled. 

His hands were tied behind his back, he'd been thrown in the corner after 
the last beating. Things weren't so busy when he'd passed out. As he 
flexed his left leg, pain arced up through his knee. "Shit," he cursed. 

One of warriors headed towards him. "'Rebarch tu druand,'" he snapped. 

Daniel ducked the punch. The large warrior grabbed his short brown hair 
and slammed his head against the wall. He covered Daniel's mouth. Daniel 
understood. //Keep quiet.// Hell of a way to learn the language. The 
large one went back to his seat and the meal continued uninterrupted. 

Daniel Jackson tried to listen to the many voices and strained to pick 
out anything he understood. He knew so many languages that there had to 
be some connection. They were after all human... At least genetically. 
He'd often thought that this was the best part about the SGC. The 
opportunity to observe different, often ancient, Earth cultures at first 
hand. It was a job many anthropologists would kill for if they knew such 
an opportunity existed. This dinner would have been fun, if only they 
didn't keep hitting him, and he knew where the others were. His stomach 
rumbled again. He listened.

                         *******************

Jack O'Neill was all but sure he was back in Iraq. Nothing was broken 
this time, actually he was in pretty good shape, considering. Besides, it 
didn't smell like Iraq. 

Teal'c, he knew, was in the cell next door. Junior was working overtime, 
the locals didn't take too kindly to resistance. 

Jack's own face was swollen and bloodied. When they came the second time 
he'd limped up and taken what they gave without fighting back. No sense 
in making things worse. Iraq had taught him that much. But this was 
different. In Iraq at least they'd asked him questions. They wanted to 
know everything. Something, *anything*. 

Jack didn't have a clue who his captors were, nor what they wanted. It 
was all very strange. It didn't follow normal interrogation patterns for 
any enemy he'd ever fought. But then they'd not been to this planet 
before and this lot wouldn't have heard of the Geneva Convention anyway. 

He shivered, the temperature was dropping again. Jack O'Neill, Colonel, 
United States Air Force and commander of SG-1 curled up into a fetal 
ball, trying to conserve heat. There were no blankets. He had to think of 
a way out of this. 

He hadn't seen Daniel or Carter since they had surrendered. 
//Surrendered.// In retrospect that still seemed like the worst decision 
he had ever made... ever. Even though it had merit at the time, now he 
wasn't so sure. //No, don't go there.// He'd had this conversation with 
Teal'c twice today already. They were vastly outnumbered and cut off from 
the Stargate. 'I cannot think of an alternative course of action, 
O'Neill, in which we were not killed instantly'. He had a point, dammit. 
But where the hell was Carter, and if they were doing this to them, what 
would they do to her? 

Jack smiled to himself, hoping that this lot had a paradisaical harem, 
then he caught himself and hoped that they hadn't gotten round to trying 
the new girl yet. Carter would be okay, she was a tough cookie, she could 
look after herself. He pushed the other thoughts from his mind. An active 
imagination was not a good thing at times like these. She and Daniel were 
probably enjoying the hospitality and trying to secure their freedom. 

Soon, it wouldn't matter anyway. They were overdue and Hammond had 
probably already sent out a search party. He hoped they came in numbers. 
//Big numbers. Marines, and lots of em...// They might need SG-9. 
Diplomats have their uses and it might be the quickest way to stop the 
tide of bad feeling that was washing over him right now. His team was 
split up and no amount of wishful thinking was going to make that better. 

He was really worried about Carter. These guys weren't very nice and it 
suddenly occurred to him that he had not seen any women except Carter 
since they came through the gate. The harem idea seemed the most 
attractive, but he didn't want to think about it anymore. 

He whispered to Teal'c. There was no reply. //Probably still in 
Kelnoreem,// he figured. He turned over and tried to get comfortable. 
He'd try again later. 

                         *******************

She wasn't entirely sure how she'd got into this state. Normally she 
prided herself in being well turned out. A neat and tidy slender woman, 
who could stand straight in any situation with confidence in herself and 
her team. 

She rubbed the side of her head, it was sore. Her shirt and combat pants 
were also stained with her own blood. A couple of cuts were still oozing. 
She lay awake in the cold, dark cell, desperate to keep still and quiet. 
It was hard not to move from the shivering. 

Suddenly it started deep in her chest and rumbled through her body. Tears 
welled up as she tried to stop the eruption, she failed. The rich red 
blood frothed as her racking cough cut though the silence of the still 
evening. 

The movement was there again, the shaft of light. 

She couldn't keep still, she coughed again and again. 

The keys rattled in the door. They entered the room. 

She squinted against the light, and drew herself back into the corner 
like a frightened animal. Now she couldn't stop shaking. She sniffed, as 
they advanced closer. One was saying something to her, quietly, almost 
comforting but he was grinning. She drew her legs up making herself 
smaller. It hurt to move and she rested her head on her knees, letting 
her blond, blood-matted hair spill over them. 

In one swift move they pulled her roughly from the bed and out into the 
corridor. Her heart raced, this was different. Where were they taking her 
now? Back to the others? She was coughing again, no blood this time, but 
the pain was so intense she tried to speak but couldn't. They led her 
through a darkened corridor, there were lots of doors, most had the cell 
hatches closed. She started to strike up a conversation, but the leading 
guard turned and slapped her face and hissed a command at her she guessed 
was 'Silence!' 

As they picked her up from the heap she'd fallen into, she heard it. 
Quiet and muffled in the distance. "Carter?" 

"COLONEL!" she screamed back. 

They fell upon her, pinning her to the cold stone floor. A gag appeared. 
They stuffed it roughly into her mouth. 

She stared coughing again and had to swallow the blood. Tears welled up 
as she was quickly dragged away. She could hear the shouts in the 
distance calling out to her. So Colonel O'Neill was alive. //Where the 
hell are you taking me?// her mind screamed. 

The men pulled her up some steps. It was getting warmer, she could hear a 
background rumble that grew into a hubbub of noise. The sweet smell of 
roasting meat wafted over her and she suddenly realized she hadn't eaten 
since leaving the SGC. Once in the hall she was overwhelmed by the 
intensity of the smell. She looked around desperately. She couldn't see 
any of SG-1 and she couldn't see another woman at all. 

A sickening feeling settled in her stomach. Yesterday had eclipsed her 
all time bad day record but she didn't think it could get any worse. 
Suddenly she realized it could be. There were worse things than dying.

                         *******************

Jack's head slammed back against the wall. Again. His blood boiled. 
Carter's voice had been cut off, he'd heard her cry out in pain. He 
didn't like it. The men left, shouting obscenities at him. The was 
something about swear words that cut across the language barrier. He 
uselessly hurled a few of his own, and rubbed at his head. Another bump 
was forming. At this rate he'd look like the elephant man by morning. 

Teal'c's voice rumbled from the next cell. "It will do no good to provoke 
them, O'Neill".

"Provoke them? Whadda you mean provoke *them*. They're the ones doing the 
provoking. Teal'c, if they've hurt Carter I'll..."

"You have said many times that Major Carter is capable of looking after 
herself, O'Neill. I believe that she is, and so must you."

"Teal'c," Jack closed his eyes, tiredly, "take a look at us, Teal'c. I 
don't think we're doing a great job of looking after ourselves here. What 
chance does she have? Did you see any women here? I dunno, I..." his 
voice trailed off.

"We will prevail, O'Neill," Teal'c intoned firmly. "Now we must rest and 
grow strong again."

"Yeah," Jack mumbled, "strong enough to kick their sorry little asses 
across the galaxy."

                         *******************

Dr. Daniel Jackson's inquisitive mind had taken over. He was absorbing 
the cacophony of voices and analyzing everything he saw. This was the 
first time he'd seen a social group of these "people". 

They were dressed in a combination of ancient Egyptian and Arabian 
costume. There were no women present in the room, the servers were young 
men. Most of the warriors at the tables were swathed in ponchos of heavy 
cloth, woven in stripes, the colors were muted greens and browns, like 
camouflage. Jack had called them 'Ponchos' when they were captured. It 
was as good a name as any for them. 

Their weapons were mainly hand to hand instruments. During SG-1's capture 
and imprisonment he'd seen only knives, blow pipes - with who-knew-what 
on the darts - and bows and arrows. The Ponchos had played around with 
their weapons, but hadn't figured out the safety catches and had just 
thrown them into the river. 

The conversation was getting interesting at the table closest to him, he 
narrowed his mind and focused on the two voices. They were speaking in a 
low conspiratorial tone, it was like Egyptian, but a dialect so obscure 
he was struggling to catch anything more than the odd word. 
"*Warriors...enemy... strangers...*" They looked over at him, not looking 
pleased. Daniel thought it best to look away. They laughed heartily and 
returned to their meal.

There was a scuffle in the far corner of the room and everyone's 
attention turned in that direction. Daniel stood up to see better. A 
guard pushed him back to the floor. 

The cooing and whistling spread as the entourage picked its way across 
the hall. There were several guards and in the middle they were dragging 
something. His stomach sank as he recognized the matted mop of hair and 
combat fatigues. He stood up again and called across the room, "SAM!" 

The mop snapped round to his direction, his guard was pushing him towards 
her. She was a mess. Her hands were tied behind her and she was gagged. 
"Sam," he was still saying, "Sam. Jesus, what have they done to you?" 

He was beside her now and he could see the desperation in her eyes. She 
coughed, a sickening, guttural cough. Blood leaked out the side of the 
gag. 

"Sam, everything's gonna be okay." He lied, feeling he had to say 
something. 

Someone kicked him in the back and he tumbled onto her. She cried out, 
causing the crowd cheer. Someone hoisted them both to their knees as the 
baying mob fell silent. 

Suddenly he realized they were now in front of the leader. He was 
pointing at them and making a speech. Daniel caught only a few words. 
"*Enemy... spies... justice for the fallen...*" then he looked directly 
at Daniel and spoke softly, "*...Reveal...*" The rest was a garble. 

"I don't understand what he's saying," Daniel muttered to Sam. "It's 
something about revealing something. But what?" 

Daniel looked up, he spoke the Egyptian equivalent of 'I don't 
understand.' This earned him a kick in the small of his back. 

Sam squeaked from behind her gag, pleading with Daniel to make some sense 
of it. 

"Sam I don't get it. It's so obscure I..." 

The leader had advanced towards them and was now standing over them both. 
He spoke several words very slowly and clearly and ended the sentence 
with a gesture at Sam. 

Sam's eyes pleaded for a translation but Daniel didn't have one. He 
shrugged and tried the 'I don't understand' line again. 

The leader barked angrily and signaled a guard, who began to circle Sam 
menacingly. 

Daniel desperately started babbling in the ancient language closest to 
the natives. 

The guard stopped in front of them and cradled Carter's face in his hand. 
She recognized him from before, but there was a deeper recognition too. 
She'd seen this face at the SGC. Her mind was so cloudy she couldn't 
place where. The man gripped her chin and squeezed hard. She forced a 
defiant stare onto her face. Suddenly he slapped her on the already 
growing bruise on her cheek. She reeled under the blow, letting only a 
small noise escape as she doubled over.

Daniel Jackson called out to the leader and was shouting '*NO*!' as loud 
as he could muster. The leader silenced the crowd with a hand. Sam Carter 
straightened herself up. "Please, stop! I just don't understand what you 
want from us." Daniel added.

The leader leaned down over Daniel and repeated his slow sentence. His 
breath was heavy with alcohol. He drew back, Daniel tried another 
language. The leader settled slowly back into his chair, and motioned for 
Sam to be brought forward. She was hoisted to her feet then dumped in 
front of him. He looked her up and down slowly. He reached out and lifted 
up her shirt. Carter held her breath. The leader scowled at the bruising 
and pulled the shirt back into place. "Kritch marr darch megth." The 
guards nodded respectfully and dragged her away. 

"Where are you taking her? Sam? Sam, I'll figure this out! I will!" His 
eyes met with hers as she was dragged away.

                         *******************

Carter and her tormentors headed back down into the dungeon. Now she 
started to feel really alone and empty. This wasn't the way she intended 
for it to end. She didn't know why this was happening. None of it made 
sense. She knew she was badly hurt. If she took another beating she 
probably wouldn't survive it. On the other hand, if they just left her in 
that cold cell overnight she might not wake up. Ever. 

Where the hell was SG-6?  SG-6 always came, like four coming after 
three.... 

//Not this time...//

Considering every mess she and SG-1 had got into and out of over the 
years, it struck her as a useless and really stupid way to die. 

                         *******************

SG-6 were the sneaks. They thrived on sneaking in, looking around and 
making the dramatic rescue. But Parker's wasn't adversed to calling in 
the big guns when necessary, which usually meant SG-3. 

Parker and his team had passed through the gate and reccied the enemy 
stronghold from a ridge. As a covert insertion team they had avoided 
contact with the hostiles and laid low. Parker couldn't get used to the 
idea of turning up on a planet and saying "take me to your leader". That 
was usually how SG-1 operated and, more often than not, how they got into 
trouble. This was probably no different to the dozen other times he'd 
gone looking for this team before when they were overdue.  Parker smiled 
to himself remembering some of the stupid excuses... 

On arrival they hadn't met much resistance and headed towards the town 
lights. They hadn't seen any evidence of SG-1 until they took a shortcut 
across the shallow river where they found SG-1's 9mm sidearms and MP5s. 
The weapons were still loaded, magazines full and safeties on. Very odd. 
SG-1 were obviously here. Somewhere. 

                         *******************

At the base of the main building in the town, there appeared to be small 
barred windows. Using their laser microphones they had established that 
indeed, Jack O'Neill and Teal'c were being held there. The prisoners were 
quietly discussing if they should have surrendered or not. They had been 
outnumbered and tried the take-me-to-your-leader approach. It appeared to 
have backfired. There was no sign of Major Carter or Dr. Jackson... Well, 
two out of four was good enough to go in. SG-3 would have to make up the 
rest themselves. Parker was slowing realising this wasn't going to be one 
of the funny ones to banter about over the next team leaders meeting.  
No, this time SG-1 had really gotten themselves into trouble and for once 
it didn't look like to Goa'uld were responsible. 

Parker gave the signal for SG-6 to fall back to their rendezvous point. 

"Sounded like they're having a party," Parker muttered to his second, 
Croft.

"Yeah, and we're about to crash it." 

They jogged back to the gate slowing only to traverse the river more 
quietly. The two warriors on guard at the gate had been easy to 
neutralize. SG-3 poured through the gate on time. It hissed as the 
wormhole collapsed and then all was quiet again. The plans were 
finalized. SG-3 and SG-6 all formed up and moved out silently to join the 
party.

                         *******************

2

The SG teams were close, they lived and worked at close quarters, in 
alien, and often hostile environments. They looked out for each other, 
they took care of business and kicked butt when necessary. SG-3 
particularly liked the direct, frontal approach. Lots of noise and 
pyrotechnics. But this didn't seem like the right time. Colonel Morgan 
had stepped up to take over SG-3 after the departure of the disgraced 
Colonel Makepeace. It hadn't taken him long to earn the trust and respect 
of his team. Now he led them quietly and invisibly towards the target. 
Parker had his laser mike out again. He was pointing it towards the 
little cell windows on the south side of the building where he had heard 
O'Neill and Teal'c earlier on.

                         *******************

A soft mumble drifted across the open ground and between the trees. In 
his cell, Jack could now hear the raucous laughter. "Seems like we're 
missing the party, Teal'c."

"So it would seem."

"Cassie's birthday tonight, too."

"The celebration will wait for our return."

"Teal'c, kids hate you missing their birthdays, its like the one thing 
you just can't get away with."

"I believe that Cassandra will understand, O'Neill."

"Yeah, maybe. If we ever get to tell her."

"We will."

"Yeah..." Jack's mind wandered for a moment. "Damn," he cursed, "I missed 
the final too."

"Final of what?" Teal'c asked flatly.

"The cup, Teal'c, the Stanley Cup. You remember, we were all going to 
that hockey game?"

"I remember"

"Well it was last night."

"Who triumphed?" Teal'c said evenly.

Jack raised his eyes to the heavens. "That's just what I was thinking."

                         *******************

Parker was smiling, "Definitely O'Neill and Teal'c, Colonel, they're 
talking about hockey."

"Any sign of the others?" Morgan asked.

"No sir, I'll try around the other side." Morgan nodded and waved him 
forward. He signaled to the flank to go around and cover Parker.

"Midge," Morgan called over his second in command, "what do you think 
they're up to, there are hardly any guards."

"Too busy partying sir, maybe we should hang out until there're really 
drunk."

"Mmmn, let's wait here for Parker to report then we'll move. When's sun-
up?"

Midge checked his watch and did the sums, "About 5 hours sir."

"Good, we've got some time then."

                         *******************

O'Neill had dozed off when he heard the hubbub in the corridor. The door 
to his cell rattled open, he stood up ready to charge the entrance but 
something was shoved unceremoniously through the door into a heap in 
front of him. "Carter!" She coughed once and then laid still. He tried to 
rouse her, calling her name and shaking her gently as the door slammed 
shut.

"Colonel O'Neill?" Teal'c inquired.

"Jesus, Teal'c, she's been beaten up. She looks pretty bad." He untied 
her hands then lifted her off the cold, stone floor. She stirred and 
recoiled as he touched her. "It's okay, Sam, its me, Jack, I'm not gonna 
hurt you." 

One side of her face was so swollen she couldn't open her right eye. The 
other blinked open and struggled to see in the dim moonlight. "Colonel?"

"Yeah, Carter, I'm here, you're gonna be okay" he soothed.

"Carter, have you seen Daniel?"

"Yessir.." she muttered distantly.

"Carter?" O'Neill's snap made her eyes widen in terror for an instant. 

"Sir?"

"Carter, where is Daniel?  Is he okay?"

She blinked, letting her dazed mind formulate an answer.  "Main hall..." 
she shuddered. "They keep asking him...  Stuff..."

"What kinda stuff?"

She shook her head "He doesn't know..." 

"Well don't worry, if anyone can talk us out of this it's Daniel."

She shook her head sadly. "He doesn't get it..." she muttered.

Her eyes wandered around the dingy cell. "Teal'c?"

"I am here, Major Carter, in the next cell."

Satisfied, her eyes bobbed shut.  Then a cough rumbled deep in her chest 
and exploded out of her in a frothing mess.

"Jesus Carter!" O'Neill exclaimed. 

"Ribs," Carter managed as the cough subsided. She started to lift up her 
shirt. 

O'Neill pulled it up halfway and winced. 

"Bad?" she asked. 

He pulled the shirt back into place. "Not great, Carter, but you'll be 
just fine." He gently pushed the hair out of her eyes and smiled at her. 
"Don't worry, I won't try and put a splint on 'em." She grimaced a half 
smile and coughed lightly. 

"Look Carter, its gonna get a lot colder in here and we need to rest. 
Slide over and you can hang onto me."

"Just like Antarctica," she wheezed.

"Nothing could be that damn cold, but we haven't got blankets, so snuggle 
up." O'Neill let her drape herself over him. She wriggled a little trying 
to get comfortable then settled, holding him tightly. O'Neill was 
deliciously warm in the chilly air. A similar thought crossed his own 
mind as he wrapped his arm gently around her.

"Try and get some sleep, Major. We'll figure this out in the morning."

"Yessir," she whispered sleepily.

                         *******************

O'Neill had dozed off when scuffling broke out again. They appeared to be 
opening Teal'c's cell.

"Daniel Jackson," Teal'c was saying, "Daniel Jackson, wake up."

"Teal'c?"

"Daniel Jackson is unconscious, O'Neill. But alive. He has also been 
beaten, but I do not believe he is seriously injured."

"Great, so we're back together. Any bright ideas?" 

"I believe your suggested course of action is still valid. We should 
rest, recuperate and attempt an escape in the morning."

"Make sure Danny doesn't get cold, Teal'c, you'll need to share..."

"I will 'snuggle up' as you suggest. Goodnight, O'Neill." 

"Goodnight, Teal'c." Jack O'Neill looked down to his chest. Sam's head 
rested lightly on him, she was breathing shallowly but steadily. He 
brushed her hair out of her eyes again, exposing the black and purple 
eye. "Goodnight, Sam." 

She murmured a reply to him.

"Goodnight, Jim Bob," O'Neill said absentmindedly.

"Colonel O'Neill, you have not yet explained who 'Jim Bob' is."

O'Neill smiled. "Walton, Teal'c. Jim Bob Walton."

"Why do you say goodnight to him, when he is not here."

"It's a TV thing, Teal'c. Like when I called you Lucy that time."

"I still do not understand, O'Neill."

"Another time then, Teal'c. Let's just get some sleep."

                         *******************

Parker switched to his next box of tricks, radar tracking goggles. The 
walls were thick. Too thick to blast from the outside without harming the 
occupants of the cells. But he could still monitor movement of bodies 
from one place to another. He'd already told Morgan that they couldn't 
blast their way in. They had agreed they'd have to go through the doors. 
Parker shifted his position, it looked like there was no one in the cells 
on this side of the building and there were no guards.

                         *******************

Croft was still monitoring the movements of guards on the south side. He 
noticed the movements towards O'Neill's and Teal'c's cells and then the 
guards leaving. Now there were two targets in each cell. 

"Sierra Golf Six-One this is Sierra Golf Six-Four. Packages now together, 
return to RV point."

Parker acknowledged the message, slipped off his goggles and started back 
to Croft. 

"That's some party they're having," Croft muttered to Parker as he slid 
into cover beside him. "Bunch of guards put two more in with O'Neill and 
Teal'c while you were round the other side, look. I couldn't use the 
laser cos a couple of guards were wandering about, but there's definitely 
two of them there," Croft continued. "Probably Carter with O'Neill. 
Sounds like they've both been knocked around, they've settled down for 
the night."

Parker scanned the area himself. "Cozy." 

"If it is Carter, can you blame him?"

"Not really. So we got two next door too." Further away he could make out 
the shades of a couple of people on the other side of the cells. Guards. 
He scanned the rest of the base of the building and couldn't see anything 
else. He weighed up the odds that Carter and Jackson had been returned to 
O'Neill and Teal'c. He liked them. "Whadda you think, Croft?"

"I think they just put all their eggs in one basket," he smiled.

"Yup, and look the guards are moving away too."

"Party animals, I guess. It's probably a good time to hit 'em. Let's get 
back to Morgan." The two of them crawled backwards off the brow of the 
ridge and slipped into the shadows.

                         *******************

Morgan drew a plan in the dirt and the team gathered round for the 
briefing. It appeared that all but five guards on the main entrance had 
now joined the growing party upstairs. That made things easier. Only four 
guards were left outside the target cells.

                         *******************

Everyone had their positions, it was quiet entry and exit.

"Overall," Morgan summed up, "get in, grab our people and get out. 
Quietly, now, no heroics and no fire-fights. Shoot only when you have to 
and keep it damn quiet when you do. They'll be drunk but they can't be 
that stupid. Everyone goes home tonight people, that's what we came here 
to do." He looked around at his men as they nodded in agreement. "Let's 
kick some ass." 

The huddle broke and the men fanned out with expert precision. They 
advanced through the moonlit night, silently, carefully, purposefully.

                         *******************

They were playing cards, or something like cards anyway. They didn't see 
or hear the silenced bullets coming. They fell where they sat. Getting in 
was easy. The team moved on. Parker went first, leading the way through 
the dimly lit hallways. 

Outside, Croft was monitoring their progress. "No one in the area," he 
reported to Parker. "They just went upstairs." 

Morgan halted the team and signaled their next moves. 

                         *******************

Michael "Midge" Clark led half the team in securing the exit. Morgan 
continued with the rest of the team through the hallways.

"*O'Neill and Teal'c should be close by. They look like they're asleep,*" 
Croft's voice in his ear stated softly. "*No sign of hostiles... Stop. 
The next two are the target.*"

Morgan knocked softly on the first door. O'Neill woke up with a start. 
"Colonel? Teal'c?" a voice whispered. 

O'Neill got up. "Morgan? Is that you?" 

"Hold tight, Colonel, just looking for the keys. You got Major Carter and 
Jackson in there?" 

"I've got Carter, Daniel's with Teal'c. They're hurt pretty bad. Who's 
with you?"

"Just SG-3 and SG-6 sir, surgical extraction."

The key turned and the door groaned open. Morgan blinded Jack with his 
flashlight. O'Neill winced. "Sorry, Colonel, you good to go?"

"Anywhere but here... Carter's got broken ribs and God knows what else." 

Parker helped O'Neill lift Carter and sit her on the edge of the bed. She 
awoke with a start. A face, blackened and smeared appeared in front of 
her. "Major Carter?" the face said. 

She squinted. "Oh God." Tears of relief welled up. "Major Parker?"

"Sshhhh," he hissed. "You injured?" 

"Ribs," she nodded. "Hard to breathe."

"Good to go?" 

She nodded vigorously this time. 

Parker dug into his pack, pulling out two heavy camouflage jackets. He 
tossed one to O'Neill and set about helping Carter into the other one. 
"Okay, let's move out." 

Parker helped O'Neill lift the Major to her feet. She winced against the 
searing pain, but boosted by a surge of adrenaline and hope she managed 
to plant her feet solidly.

                         *******************

Franson appeared in the doorway with Teal'c, holding Jackson, still 
unconscious, between them. Teal'c looked pretty good. Jack could feel the 
crusty scabs on his temples and figured he must look pretty bad. 

Teal'c offered them a rare smile. "It is good to see you all."

"Later," Morgan urged. "We have an escape to make."

                         *******************

Morgan and Midge led their charges out across the open ground and to the 
trees, ducking for cover between the bushes. The group was moving more 
slowly towards Croft now. Carter appeared to be struggling to keep up. 
She and Parker were lagging behind. "Come on, Major," Croft whispered. 
Someone dropped back to help them along. They sped up and soon crashed 
into the hollow, breathing heavily. 

Suddenly an alarm sounded in the distance. "Let's move!" Morgan stated. 
"NOW". They picked themselves up and started running. They splashed 
through the river as Morgan signaled Hudson at the Stargate on his radio, 
all was well and the run in was clear. 

Ponchos started pouring out of the entrance to the enemy building. Their 
shouts grew louder and echoed across the open ground. Everyone was 
running now. Teal'c had hoisted Daniel over his shoulder and was getting 
ahead. O'Neill's lungs burned from the sudden exertion and cool night 
air. He was next to Carter now, pulling her along with the tide of 
marines, Parker at her side. She forced air into her lungs as she 
stumbled forwards as fast as she could, every breath racked with pain. 
She was getting dizzy. She could see the gate now. Someone was dialing on 
the DHD.

The Ponchos flooded across the plain and started up the rise. Morgan and 
Midge, covering the rear, let rip a blast of machine gun fire into the 
night sky as the Stargate sputtered into life. The Ponchos scattered. 

Hudson sent the iris code and motioned them forward. SG-3 formed up round 
the gate and fired high in the air, Morgan and Midge turned and dashed 
for the gate. They all paused for a few seconds. 

"Go Go Go" Morgan screamed. 

Parker scrambled up the steps and leapt through with O'Neill and Carter 
in tow. Teal'c followed with Jackson. Moments later the rest of SG-3 and 
SG-6 collapsed in behind them. Morgan took one quick look round to make 
sure everyone was through, then he nodded to Midge. They both jumped. 

                         *******************

3

The klaxon pulled Hammond from his daydream with a start.

"Incoming traveler!" Sergeant Davis announced.

He rushed down the stairs to the control room. "Who is it?" he barked.

"SG-3 signal, sir. Opening iris."

The huge metal cover slid back from the gate revealing the shimmering 
event horizon of the wormhole.

                         *******************

Parker tumbled from it first, rolling halfway down the ramp in a 
controlled fall. "Medics!" he shouted. He leapt back up ready to catch 
the others. O'Neill came next, cradling Carter against him. They stumbled 
down the ramp at Parker's insistence. Teal'c and Franson emerged, Daniel 
slung between them, then the rest of SG-3 and SG-6 poured through, 
tumbling over one another.

"Close the iris!" Morgan ordered as he came through. It hissed closed. 
The wormhole disengaged and the embarkation room fell momentarily silent.

                         *******************

Teal'c deposited the limp body of Daniel Jackson on a trolley which 
disappeared, Dr Fraiser at his side. Franson went with them.

Across the room, Carter coughed and cried out. Jack lifted up her head, 
she was frothing at the mouth, rich bright red blood. Crying, she doubled 
over and collapsed in a heap, covering him with her blood as she 
continued coughing. He'd led her to the side out of way of the incoming 
soldiers. "Over here!" he called out to another medical team entering the 
room. "It's all right, Carter. It's all right. You're gonna be just fine. 
We're home now." She shuddered, more blood came up. "Medic!" he shouted 
again, and they were there. "It's all right, Sam."

"Help me..." she gasped, "Please..." She screamed as someone tried to 
move her to the gurney. She started to fight, then the pain welled up and 
she was washed away. 

Teal'c now leant over Carter, scooped her up in his arms, and set her 
down gently on the gurney. The medics rushed out of the room with O'Neill 
and Teal'c close behind.

                         *******************

"Colonel Morgan!" Hammond barked through the intercom.

Morgan looked up and saluted. "SG-1, 3 and 6 all present, sir!"

Hammond returned the salute. "See to your men, Colonel. We'll de-brief in 
20 minutes!"

"Yes sir!"

"Everyone in one piece?" Several of SG-3 rolled out from the pile on the 
ramp. "SIR, YES SIR!" they barked in unison. 

"Okay, everyone head for the infirmary. Normal post-gate protocols."

"Sir, yes sir" they picked themselves up and moved, chattering softly, en 
masse to the infirmary.

                         *******************

Fraiser hadn't seen the state of Sam when she came through the gate. 
Teal'c had handed Daniel to her, unconscious. She rushed back to the 
infirmary at his bedside barking orders for IV's and monitors. Warner was 
waiting for her. "How many Doctor?" 

"I don't know, SG-3 looked okay." She turned to the marine who had 
accompanied Daniel through the gate. "Franson?" 

"Ma'am, sir. No injuries were sustained by SG-3 or SG-6. We found Dr 
Jackson unconscious and Major Carter didn't look too great but she was 
mobile. I think Colonel O'Neill was beaten up too. Teal'c looked okay."

"Thank you, Captain," Warner said. "Can you wait over there and keep the 
rest of your teams out of the way for a while. Someone will check you out 
as soon as we can."

"Yes sir." Franson wandered out of the way and sat down on the edge of a 
cot. He watched silently as the medics buzzed over their patient like 
honey bees.

                         *******************

She jumped back into consciousness in the elevator. The stark light 
burned at her eyes and she doubled up and cried out. Teal'c and O'Neill 
tried to hold her down to stop her rolling off the gurney. She struggled 
against them, kicking and screaming with a ferocity O'Neill didn't think 
she possessed. One kick landed Teal'c straight in the stomach. He 
stumbled back against the wall. "NOOOO," she was crying, "LEAVE ME 
ALONE!"

"Jesus, Major, calm down!" O'Neill tried to calm her, holding down her 
arms, another man held her legs.

"DON'T TOUCH ME!" she was kicking again, "LEAVE ME ALONE!"

"MAJOR STAND DOWN!" He shook her arms.

She blinked and swallowed.

"Sam, it's okay, it's me, Jack. We're not gonna hurt you, Carter, we're 
trying to help you."

Tears blurred her vision. Through them she could just about recognize the 
face that went with the voice. "Colonel O'Neill?"

"Yeah, Carter, it's me. Teal'c's here too. You're safe now. We're back in 
the SGC."

She sniffed and blinked then rubbed at her good eye. She looked up at 
Jack and then at Teal'c. Her vision blurred in and out. "Teal'c?" She 
tried to focus. It didn't matter, she could feel his presence close by.

"Yes, Major Carter. You have nothing to fear from us."

"Home?" she whispered.

"Yeah, Carter, we're home again. Doc Fraiser's gonna take real good care 
of you and you're gonna be fine."

The doors opened startling her again, she edged backwards away from the 
crowd at the elevator door. Jack waved his hand in front of her eyes to 
get her attention back on him. She flinched, expecting a blow. "It's 
okay, Sam, just the infirmary." He started to inch the gurney forward out 
of the elevator. Her eyes darted maniacally around the room.

"Please clear this area," Teal'c intoned. An orderly motioned them over 
to a spare cot. "We require to see Dr Fraiser. Immediately." 

"Yessir." He skittered away.

                         *******************

"It's okay, Carter, we're home now." O'Neill repeated softly as he helped 
move her to the edge of the bed.

Her breathing slowed, she closed her eyes and rocked back and forth for a 
moment, her arms wrapped around her body "Daniel." She said finally.  
"Where's Daniel? You didn't leave him there did you?"

"No, no one got left behind, Sam, everyone came back. It's okay. Danny's 
with the Doc now."

"He okay?" 

"He'll be fine, Carter. We're all gonna be fine." He gently held her 
hand, she covered it with her own and held on.

Fraiser took one look at her new patient and whispered a few orders to 
the orderly. Then she slowly approached the head of the bed.

"Hello, Sam," she said quietly.

Sam looked up and recognized her friend. "Janet?"

"Yeah, is it okay if I come closer?"

Sam nodded but hadn't released her grip on the Colonel.

"Sam, I want to help you." Fraiser began.  Sam coughed a spluttering, 
guttural cough. "You're hurt, Sam. I want to help you. Will you let me do 
that?"

She sniffed again and nodded slowly. Fraiser took her friend's hand in 
hers. "Okay, Colonel, could you step out for a minute, Sam and I need 
some time."

Sam's head snapped back up to the colonel's gaze. "It's okay, Carter, 
I'll be right outside. You just call if you want me." Slowly she released 
her grip and O'Neill carefully backed away. Someone drew the curtain 
across, blocking his view of her. Then he could hear Fraiser talking 
slowly and softly.

                         *******************

Teal'c and another medic steered O'Neill to the next cot. "Colonel, is 
this blood yours?" 

Jack looked down. "No," he managed, "only the dried stuff. Jesus, Teal'c, 
what the hell did they do to her?"

"I do not know, O'Neill. I have never known Major Carter to conduct 
herself in such a manner." He rested his hand on his stomach.

"Junior okay?"

"My symbiont and I were not expecting such a blow, but we will recover."

                         *******************

"This will help with the pain, Sam," Fraiser unsheathed the needle. It 
was in her arm and out again before she had time to react. The effect was 
immediate. A tide of peace and painlessness swept over her. She relaxed.

"Is that better, Sam?" Fraiser was saying. She nodded. "Can I take a look 
at you now?" She nodded again.

Janet carefully undid the blood soaked jacket and cut away her t-shirt. 
Underneath Sam Carter was several shades of black and blue. Without 
touching her, Janet could see at least one badly misshapen rib. It had 
probably punctured her lung. She steadied herself with a deep breath and 
continued in soft reassuring tones. 

"Cold," Carter moaned softly.

"Are you cold, Sam?"

"Mmmn."

"Here," Fraiser lifted up the sheet to cover her. She turned to the nurse 
beside her. "Set up for some X-rays; head, c-spine and chest. We'll have 
to see what we can get without moving her too much." 

"Ma'am."

"And, Jason, you'd better tell Dr Warner we're gonna have to prep for 
surgery."

The nurse nodded and left quickly.

"It's okay," Fraiser continued softly, "nothing to worry about. We'll 
knock you out and get you fixed up. Okay?"

Sam nodded, her eyes thanking the Doctor. "Hurts," she moaned again.

"I know, just a few minutes, okay? Maxine will stay with you until I get 
back."

She nodded.

"Doctor," Rayner started, "SG Three and Six have reported for post-gate, 
ma'am."

Fraiser glanced from the chart she was making notes in. Around twenty 
Marines and Airmen stood in a tight knot. They'd removed their weapons 
and gear but their faces were still smeared with camouflage paint.

"I need to scrub in, are any of them injured?"

"No, ma'am, just need post-gate."

"Well, have them wash up and come back in an hour. Be ready for them when 
they get back."

"Yes, ma'am."

Fraiser surveyed her domain, deep under the mountain. She watched the men 
drift reluctantly away. They just wanted to be near. She thought about 
calling MacKenzie. It could wait. She had other work to do. She pushed 
those thoughts from her mind and headed for Pre-Op.

                         *******************

4

"Colonel O'Neill?"

"Doc."

Fraiser examined his chart critically. Moderate to severe bruising, no 
fractures, no sign of concussion. "How are you feeling?"

O'Neill stretched his arms out in front of him, and took a deep breath. 
"Stiff. A little tired."

"That's not surprising, Colonel, you've had quite a trip."

"Danny and Carter?"

"Doctor Jackson has a concussion, some bumps and bruises but nothing 
serious. He's gonna have a great headache when he wakes up but he should 
be fine."

"Carter?"

Fraiser hugged her clipboard. "She's in the ICU. She has a couple of 
cracked ribs on the left side and one more serious fracture on the 
right."

"How bad?"

"It happened yesterday, she'd been in a lot of pain for over a day and 
she was almost exhausted." O'Neill stared ahead trying to absorb the 
information. He'd been there himself in Antarctica, he knew how much 
broken ribs hurt. Fraiser was still talking, "You should know we've put 
her on a ventilator."

His head snapped round. "A *ventilator*, you mean she can't breathe?"

"No, no, no," she soothed, "she *is* breathing on her own, the ventilator 
is just helping her." Jack did not look convinced. "Let me explain. One 
of the ribs is broken in two places and it's moving around. As you 
breathe in your chest expands, your ribs move out and pull the air in. 
Sam's broken rib is moving the wrong way. She wasn't getting enough air 
in her lungs. The ventilator recognizes when she's trying to breathe in 
and forces in some extra air to inflate the lungs properly. The rib is 
pushed out with the rest of the ribcage. Sam makes the effort and the 
ventilator does the work for her. Okay?"

"Right." O'Neill rubbed his eyes with the palms of his hands. "Can I see 
her?"

"Not right now, she's sedated. Why don't we see about getting you some 
rest and you can go see her in the morning." Fraiser smiled and gripped 
his hand gently. 

"What time is it anyway?" 

Fraiser checked her watch. "Twenty three hundred hours, Colonel, Tuesday. 
Did you get much sleep off planet?"

"A little." His mind was wandering again.

"Well, I'll give you something to help."

"Okay," he muttered distantly.

Fraiser nodded to a nurse who handed her the syringe. "There," she said, 
"now you just settle down and we'll talk in the morning." Fraiser 
adjusted the older man's pillows and covers. Slowly his eyes bobbed and 
he slipped into a deep sleep.

                         *******************

Fraiser finished talking to General Hammond and stifled a yawn. She'd 
been up for too long herself. It had been a hard day. Cassandra's 
birthday wasn't supposed to end like this. But then, at least she could 
tell the girl that her friends were back on Earth. And alive. Fraiser 
checked the last couple of things on SG-1's charts and left via the ICU. 
Sam was stable and breathing steadily. The ventilator hissed with the ebb 
and flow of air. It was a restful sound, like waves crashing on a beach. 
She held Carter's hand for a few moments and left, smiling at Teal'c who 
had planted himself in the corner of his friend's room. "She'll be fine, 
Teal'c. You should get some rest yourself."

"I will remain," he said stony faced. "Should Major Carter awaken, she 
may require reassurance."

"Okay, Teal'c, I'll see you in the morning." She left glancing back 
momentarily to her charges. //They'll be just fine...//

                         *******************

Up top the sun was shining brightly in the sky. It was a fresh summer 
day. In the mountain it was the regular comfortable 70 degrees but down 
in the infirmary there was no sunlight to brighten the day.

Colonel O'Neill was sitting in a chair at Carter's side. He looked 
terrible. His face was now turning black and purple, his eyes were sunken 
and withdrawn. 

"Good morning, Colonel, Teal'c, and how are we this morning?"

"I am well, Doctor Fraiser," Teal'c supplied. "Colonel O'Neill has just 
joined us."

"Colonel?"

"Uh?" Jack looked up for the first time. "Sorry, Doc, what did you say?"

Fraiser busied herself with 'Carter's charts and adjusted a few knobs on 
the machines. "I asked how you were."

"Oh, I'm okay," he said distantly, "how 'bout Carter?"

"Resting comfortably. Her sats are up."

O'Neill's eyebrows rose in question. "That's good isn't it?"

"Yes, Colonel, it is."

"Good..." his mind wandered and his voice trailed off. His eyes bobbing 
shut sleepily.

Fraiser put her hand gently on his shoulder. "Why don't you go back to 
bed, Colonel. Major Carter will be asleep for a while yet. You can come 
back later."

"No, I should be here when she wakes up."

"Colonel, you need to rest. Teal'c can stay. Now don't make me order 
you."

"But..."

"Please, Jack..."

"I will remain here, O'Neill. I will inform you as soon as Major Carter 
awakens."

"Okay." He let Fraiser lead him away as she quietly reminded herself to 
up his dose of sedative next time. 

Teal'c sat down beside Carter and closed his eyes to meditate.

                         *******************

Daniel Jackson had been restless for some time. His sheets were becoming 
soaked with sweat and he tossed and turned. Soon, his mumbling grew 
louder. Teal'c moved to his side and shook him awake with a start. "SAM!" 
he exclaimed, sitting bolt upright. He ducked back again as a searing 
pain lanced through his head. "Ow!"

"It is all right Daniel Jackson, we have been rescued." Teal'c handed 
Daniel his spare glasses. 

Daniel put them on and everything slid into focus. "But, Teal'c, where's 
Sam, they took her away."

"And delivered her to Colonel O'Neill's cell, shortly before yourself. We 
were later rescued by SG-3 and 6."

"Teal'c, she was hurt really bad."

"As were you, Daniel Jackson."

Jackson rubbed at his head and ribs, they were sore. "I guess..." He 
scanned the immediate area and spotted Colonel O'Neill in the next bed 
but he couldn't see her. "Where is she?"

"Major Carter is in intensive care, she will survive, as will we all."

"Hello there Doctor Jackson, good to have you back with us." Dr Warner's 
bright and cheery voice cut through the quiet. "How are you feeling?"

"How's Sam?"

"She's next door, she has rib fractures, we're helping her with 
breathing, but she should be fine."

"Can I see her?"

"Let's check you out first. Can't have you keeling over on us."

Warner asked him some questions about the date, where he was and his 
name. He shone a light in his eyes and made a few notes. "I'll get a 
chair and you can sit with her for a few minutes."

"Okay."

                         *******************

Martouf stepped through the shimmering gate alone.

"Martouf," General Hammond greeted him solemnly.

"General Hammond."

"I was hoping that Jacob would respond personally to my message," Hammond 
stated.

"My apologies, General, but Jacob and Selmak are away and cannot be 
contacted. I asked the High Council to attend in thier place. Perhaps I 
can be of assistance?"

Martouf looked around the gate room. There were a lot of unhappy faces, 
and no one from SG-1 had come to greet him. "Is SG-1 off world?" he 
asked.

"No, Martouf. Please come with me, I'll explain on the way."

                         *******************

Martouf entered the infirmary and halted as he caught sight of Carter. 
She was surrounded by machines and looked deathly pale against the 
blackening bruises. Dr Fraiser was talking to him, explaining what was 
wrong. 

"I am sorry, Doctor," he interrupted. "I am able to help heal her 
injuries, do you have the healing device?"

"We do," Hammond nodded to an airman who scuttled away to fetch it.

Martouf approached the bed and gently cradled Sam's face in his hands. 
"It will not be long, Samantha," he whispered. Her eyes blinked open. 
Martouf's face slid into focus. "Do not try to talk," he said.

Her face screwed up and a single tear dribbled down her cheek. The 
ventilators alarm went off. "Don't fight it, Sam," Fraiser ordered, "just 
breathe slow and easy." Sam lifted her hand up to the tube down her 
throat. "Leave it alone, Sam." Fraiser moved her hand away.

The airman re-appeared clutching the device and Martouf slipped it on. 
"You may remove the tube, Doctor, she will not need it."

Fraiser looked skeptical, but agreed, She had seen that gadget work in 
the past. Sam was going to be in a lot of pain for weeks. It was worth a 
try. "Okay, Sam, I'm going to take this out, I need you to take a deep 
breath in and when I say, breathe out and cough, okay?"

Sam nodded. 

"Okay," Fraiser disconnected the tube from the ventilator, "Okay, in and 
breathe out."

Carter coughed as Fraiser pulled the tube out, she held her chest and 
winced against the pain.

"Lie still, Samantha." Martouf placed a soothing hand on one shoulder and 
moved her hands to her sides. "It will be uncomfortable for a few 
moments, are you ready?"

She nodded. Martouf held his hand over her chest and channeled energy 
into the device nestled in his palm. Orange light flowed from it making 
her chest glow. She inhaled deeply and held the breath as he continued. 
He moved the beam over her chest, pausing over the fractures. Then the 
light was gone. She exhaled and her chest began to rise and fall softly 
and noiselessly. Her pained expression disappeared and her eyes flickered 
shut. "Thank you," she whispered. 

"Rest now, Samantha." Martouf looked up to Fraiser, "I can do more, 
however she requires to rest first. I am sorry I did not come sooner."

"How long will Jacob be away?"

"We do not know. They have infiltrated a System Lord's court. It is too 
dangerous to attempt to contact them. It may be some time before they 
contact the Tok'ra. I will report to the High Council and then return. 
Please, can you supply the coordinates of this world, so that we may 
avoid it also."

"Of course, we'll give you the details."

"Doctor," Martouf continued, "she should not be in pain, however she will 
be greatly fatigued. I will return in a few hours to complete the 
treatment. Do the others require attention?"

"I think they'll be just fine, but you're welcome to try."

They were not as badly injured and the treatments took seconds. Neither 
man awoke from their sedated states. Fraiser thanked Martouf and he left 
quickly.

                         *******************

True to his word he returned within hours and asked to be taken directly 
to Carter. She was lying on her back, her breathing shallow but steady. 
He began without waking her, sweeping the orange light over her torso and 
then down over the rest of her body. He paused in several places, 
channeling the healing power where it was needed. When he was finished he 
sat silently with her and waited.

It wasn't long before her eyes flickered open. "Samantha," he said, 
sadness clearly in his eyes, "you had many internal injuries. I have done 
my best."

"Thank you," she managed weakly. "Dad?"

"Samantha, I am sorry I could not bring your father to you. It is too 
dangerous to contact him, but I will bring him to you as soon as I can. 
Until then, you must rest."

She nodded sleepily and closed her eyes again drifting into a painless, 
exhausted sleep.

                         *******************

5

The monthly medical review had meandered for most of the morning. Finally 
there was only one more thing for Doctor Fraiser and General Hammond to 
discuss.

"SG-1," he sighed.

"Teal'c is fit and ready. Daniel needs a little more time." He was still 
taking sleeping tablets.

"Carter?"

"Sir, Carter is due to leave the infirmary today, she wants to stay on 
base in case her father arrives."

"Understandable. How is she?"

"Still quite tired, it's the only side effect that the healing device 
seems to have. Physically her injuries have healed. She's lost a little 
weight but I don't think it will take her long to build it back up. She 
needs to rest for a while."

"How about up here?" Hammond tapped his temple.

Fraiser hesitated, "I've offered to set up some appointments with 
MacKenzie but she flatly refused. I've also offered her counseling, she 
says she's fine. It was one of those things. Turn the page. Forget it." 

"Do they need counseling?" 

Janet shrugged. "Sir, they have all coped before, following trauma like 
this. I don't want to force any of them into a situation they are 
uncomfortable with. They have to want to talk. More than anything they 
need to talk to each other. And they are. I don't know what Major Carter 
said to Daniel last week, but he's perked up no end."

"Colonel O'Neill?" Hammond asked.

"Still smarting. He and Carter haven't been around each other much."

"Avoiding each other?" General Hammond asked.

"Possibly. But Major Carter has been sleeping a lot."

"They've all completed their mission reports." Hammond continued, 
flipping open a folder on his desk. "Carter's is quite..."

"Brief." Fraiser supplied. "She did it last week sir, she was still 
pretty tired. Do you want her to expand it?"

"No. It's sufficient for the record," He closed the folder again, "I 
can't help thinking..."

"Sir?"

"Doctor Jackson's assessment of this culture. None of the male SG-1 
members saw a native woman whilst they were there. Where were they?"

"Many cultures segregate their women, especially in combat situations. 
Maybe it was an army barracks?"

"Carter, as far as we know, was the only female on that planet. Doesn't 
that worry you, Doctor?"

She knew where he was going. She'd had that thought herself. Her initial 
examination had turned up so much bruising over Carter's whole body she 
couldn't be sure of anything. When they were alone she had asked her 
directly if there was anything else she wanted to tell her. Sam had said 
no. That was everything. Without evidence to the contrary, she hadn't 
dared push the woman any further.

"I have no evidence to support a hypothesis that anything else happened, 
General. Major Carter has been quite supportive of her team-mates since 
they returned. Despite her obvious exhaustion, she appears to be 
recovering well." Hammond nodded. "However, we've not really been 
demanding anything from her these last two weeks, mostly she's been 
sleeping in the infirmary. I'll keep an eye out for any change when she 
leaves."

"You do that, Doctor, I need SG-1 back in the loop as soon as possible."

"General, we're not looking at a quick solution here. They might need a 
few weeks and some time off before they're ready for off-world duty 
again."

Hammond looked disappointed, but not surprised. "Being cooped up here 
might suit Dr. Jackson and Carter, but you know O'Neill and Teal'c."

"Yes sir, I do."

"Thank you, Doctor." Hammond dismissed her. He flipped open the reports 
folder and read it again. It didn't make him feel any better.

                         *******************

It had been her home for two weeks, mostly she had slept and people had 
stopped by and left, some without her waking, only Teal'c marking their 
comings and goings and filling her in. It was time to move out. Move on. 
As she collected up the few possessions that had made their way here from 
her quarters she silently considered what she would do now. 

                         *******************

They had mentioned nasty stuff in basic, but nothing in training could 
prepare you for when it happened. When it happened to you. They couldn't 
realistically prepare anyone for the stuff that had happened to her, not 
just recently but over the last four years. Torture was such a general 
term. She had been captured and tortured several times since stepping 
through the gate that first, wondrous time. Some methods had been much 
more subtle than others. But she had always coped, even with the invasion 
of her mind. She got past that and she could get past this. 

The whole Jolinar experience had taught her a lot about herself and her 
team-mates. They hurt as she hurt. They had suffered with her as she 
struggled to make sense of it. Now that all seemed to be working out 
nicely. Saving  Dad's life, the alliance with the Tok'ra. But she 
couldn't see how one ounce of good could ever come from the events on 
P4T3DY. No good at all. And she wasn't the only one in pain anyway.

                         *******************

Daniel had been inconsolable. He felt guilty about not figuring out the 
language in time, or at all. He'd been avoiding her, tending to leave 
just as she was waking up and not returning until she was asleep again. 
That had hurt more than anything. So she had started with Daniel. She 
couldn't bear the thought of him beating himself up over it anymore so 
she asked to see him. Teal'c had to frog-march him to her bedside where 
she locked her own pain tightly away and gave him the pep talk of the 
century. 

It had worked. Daniel had started stopping by and chatting to her, even 
reading the newspaper to her when she was tired, keeping her up to date 
on the SGC grapevine. Just like she did when he was sick. But that was 
last week and technically, she wasn't sick anymore. So it was time to go 
home and rest. 

Home, however, wasn't an attractive option. She felt safe down here, 
surrounded by her friends and plenty of armed guards. Nope, her quarters 
would do just fine for now, scratchy blankets, no windows and all. //I 
can do this,// she told herself over and over. //They don't need to know. 
I've been keeping secrets all my life and this is no different. Stay on 
the base and wait for Dad, then figure out the rest.//

                         *******************

Daniel was really sweet. He took her home to collect a few things and 
then came back to the SGC. She kept bumping into him in the corridors 
until she realized he was probably following her, and deliberately doing 
it.

                         *******************

The first night on her own didn't go well. Invaded by hideous nightmares 
she awoke in the early hours overcome with nausea. Crying herself back to 
sleep she was restless and awoke drained and hungry. Instinctively she 
headed to the commissary for breakfast. She didn't make it. The smell of 
bacon cooking wafted down the corridor as she approached. Images flashed 
ferociously through her mind's eye, causing her head to spin and her 
stomach to churn. She fled back to the astrophysics lab, her appetite 
crushed. Numbly she tried to occupy her mind with other things and tried 
to look busy.

                         *******************

Fraiser said she should get more fresh air, so she started going up top 
to the mountain for walks. Long, lonely walks that usually ended in her 
sitting under the trees alone with her thoughts, nightmares and tears.

                         *******************

Sam Carter was definitely not herself. She was quiet and slightly 
withdrawn. Only Daniel seemed to be able to get more than a few sentences 
out of her. Even then, she hardly smiled. It was summer and Fraiser 
brought Cassie into work with her, but even *she* couldn't bring Sam out 
of the depths for long. Sam never seemed to go to the break room or 
commissary to eat. Fraiser wasn't sure what she was eating but when she 
did catch up with her, Sam assured her she was eating okay. Daniel had 
other ideas.

                         *******************

It started with a missed 'date' with SG-1. She'd made an excuse that she 
was tired and going to bed. O'Neill and Teal'c had started to protest, 
but Daniel let her go. He stopped by to pick her up for breakfast but she 
wasn't there. He finally caught up with her around lunch time. He didn't 
bother asking her to join them, just placed a lunch bag on the lab bench 
in front of her, and gave her a half smile. "I know you're busy," he 
started, "I thought you might like some company while you eat." He opened 
the second bag containing his own lunch. "Come on," he said, "just a few 
minutes then I'll leave you alone. Please?"

Hesitantly she opened the bag. She'd been living off a Daniel diet of 
coffee and candy bars, and here he was feeding her good wholesome food. 
The irony of it wasn't lost on her. 

She picked at the food at first, a tuna sandwich, an apple, a candy bar, 
juice and a piece of chocolate brownie. Well that was wholesome for 
Daniel and it was very welcome. It was the first decent thing she'd eaten 
in nearly two days. She watched him watch her eat. He was onto her. The 
cracks were obviously starting to show and she couldn't keep up the act 
that everything was okay. She had to get away from everyone for a while. 

She went home.

                         *******************

They wouldn't go away. None of them.

They were everywhere she was, everywhere she wanted to go, wanted to be.

The smells that forced images and pain into her body like daggers. The 
images that made her sick to her stomach and hate herself. The pain, deep 
inside her, all over her.

She awoke gasping and retching. She made it to the bathroom, just, and 
spilled her meager dinner into the bowl. When she was done she sat back 
against the bath and rubbed her flushed face. Twisting round she turned 
on the faucets and splashed cold water on her face, then sank back 
against the bath and drew her knees up close.

The tears came again, as they stood over her, she pulled her knees closer 
to her body her hands laced protectively over her head.

//Go away!// her mind screamed.

"GO AWAY!"

Shouting it out loud didn't seem to help. She shivered and dissolved into 
tears.

                         *******************

Somewhere something stirred within her, as her conscious mind tried to 
shut out the world and turned inwards, in on itself to the one that could 
be relied on, herself. But she wasn't alone and there were other memories 
pushed forward. //From despair can come joy...//

They had quite literally saved the world, but at a cost she didn't think 
she could live with, he was gone, her friend. It was like losing a 
brother. He was so sweet, how could she cope without his smile to 
brighten her day. Without him, the colonel would have no one to argue 
with in that not always good natured way they had. The gathered SGC 
personnel erupted in applause as they entered the room, it was a 
bittersweet pill that she desperately wanted to swallow. They almost 
hadn't made it themselves. She needed not to be here, she needed to think 
about this, and she needed to grieve for him. Probably on her own. She 
had to come to terms with it herself before she could help the others, 
before she could help Jack. Jack had left him behind and she had let him 
do it.

General Hammond was saying something now, but she couldn't help thinking 
how incomplete she felt standing next to her team-mates. It wasn't 
registering as Bra'tac was led away. The crowd had parted to let him go 
then reformed seamlessly. She looked from one familiar face to another, 
getting smiles and nods of recognition. //But we left him, guys, don't 
you get that. He's not coming back, he's gone.//

Her head drooped and she couldn't understand why but Hammond was smiling 
at her. //You don't get it...//

They moved, just a little, just enough. From between the green uniforms 
and serious military haircuts his blond hair flopped in front of his 
eyes, he pushed it back and squeezed into the space in front of the ramp. 
Jack was moving forward now, a broad smile spreading across his face, his 
arms uncharacteristically spread out to grasp the man in a bear hug.

"Daniel!" The joy overflowed and she moved forward to hug him herself. 
But as Jack released him his face changed. The blond hair was now dark 
and short, his blue eyes were a hard, dark brown and his middle aged face 
was grinning at her. It was him again.

"NOO!" She screamed so loud she woke herself from the nightmare and 
slumped back on the floor of her bathroom, holding her head in her hands. 
She pushed the image of her tormentor away. //No, Daniel didn't do that, 
Daniel didn't hurt me. It was him, them. Get a grip Carter, you're going 
nuts. Daniel's your friend...//

Slowly she regained control, her breathing slowed and everything started 
to make sense again. The floor was hard. She hoisted herself up using the 
edge of the bath. Resting wearily on its rim she ran her hands through 
her sweat soaked hair. It was light out and the sun was starting to 
stream through the frosted glass window. She wasn't wearing her watch 
again. Knowing the time was depressing. Knowing she hadn't slept properly 
in days was depressing. She wasn't even sure what day it was, and really 
didn't care.

Her mouth felt like it had been stuffed with cotton for a week. She 
twisted round to the sink and caught a glimpse of herself in the mirror. 
The dark circles under haunted, bloodshot eyes, her skin pale from too 
many days underground and inside. This wasn't working. She splashed water 
on her face and brushed her teeth slowly, scrubbing out the taste from 
last night. Trying to make herself clean again. Then she padded back into 
her bedroom and slumped on the edge of the bed. She was alone. So very 
alone. Even her own father had abandoned her. Where was he, why didn't he 
come, she needed him so much.

The desperation grew. It was in her backpack, the one the colonel had 
bought her for her birthday last year. Kept promising her that SG-1 would 
go on a camping trip on Earth some day. Just for the fun of it. Roasting 
marshmallows and not worrying who might creep up on them, not an MRE 
insight. They hadn't got round to it. 

She pulled the bag onto the bed beside her and tipped the contents onto 
the coverlet. The quilt her mom had given her for her 13th birthday, a 
teenager, her little girl all grown up. She'd had to grow up quickly when 
her mom was killed.

                         *******************

The black pouch landed heavily on the soft materials, nestling into the 
folds of plaid fabric. She fingered the press stud holding it closed, and 
turned the object over in her hands. It seemed to have 'WAY OUT' 
plastered over it in large friendly letters. 

She pulled the stud open, and eased out the metal from its sheath. The 
slide slipped back easily under her grasp. It was loaded, like it always 
was. Deftly she pulled the slide back again and ejected the magazine, 
automatically she checked the barrel and in seconds it was in pieces in 
front of her. Part of her didn't think it was a good idea to be home 
without it all together, part of her wanted it in pieces, didn't she 
trust herself? She wasn't sure. A car sped past her window and screeched 
round the corner. She shuddered and cursed for staying here at all. The 
colonel and Daniel were right, this wasn't a great part of town anymore. 

Deftly without much of a thought the gun was back together again, she 
turned it over in her hands... thinking... what if? The way out sign 
seemed to have faded and in its place was the word 'peace.' Strange thing 
to seem to appear on a gun but there it was and for some reason 'peace' 
sounded pretty good right now. Peace from nightmares, peace from the 
nagging pains in her stomach every time she went near food cooking. Every 
time someone stood too close to her in the line or brushed past her in 
the corridor. Only Jack, Daniel and Teal'c could stand that close without 
her flinching, and only if she knew they were there in the first place. 
Insecurity didn't describe it. Paranoia got closer. Mostly it was dread. 

Who would care? Who would find her? Jack. She couldn't bear the thought 
of him having to find her. Especially like that. It would destroy him 
completely. She didn't want to hurt any of them, that's why she was doing 
this. To protect them. 

                         *******************

She was still turning it over in her hands, she didn't feel safe here. 
Didn't even feel safe in her own place. She had to get out, go somewhere 
else and be safe. Go somewhere and not be alone. Go somewhere where 
people thought they understood why she was unhappy, even if they couldn't 
help. She could just be safe.

                         *******************

Pulling on her clothes and shoving everything back into her back-pack she 
headed for the door. She paused and pulled the gun from the pack. 
Removing it from the pouch, she nestled it in the back of her jeans. She 
checked the peephole and after taking a quick glance around the 
apartment, headed out. 

Her car started first time, a miracle, and she was soon heading on 
automatic pilot out to the base. The radio was on and the morning news 
was droning about the threat from a middle eastern fundamentalist group 
she hadn't even heard of. 

The world had no idea, and for the first time, in a long time, she wanted 
to tell them. She wanted to tell them everything, just so someone might 
understand why she wanted to stay so much and why it was so hard for it 
to be that way. 

Her eyes blurred as the cool rushing air dried the forming tears. She 
rubbed them with the back of her hand. As she stopped at a light, she 
caught a glimpse of herself in the rear view mirror. She looked a mess 
and for some reason it didn't immediately occur to her that there was 
anything wrong with that, except, that wasn't how she did things. That 
wasn't the ultra-efficient Sam Carter and she had to keep up that front 
for their sakes. She pulled into a gas station and availed herself of its 
facilities, wetting down her hair and combing it into place. It would do 
until she could get to the locker room and shower. It would do until she 
was somewhere safer than here or her place. 

The colonel had talked to her before, about getting a new apartment. She 
hadn't had time to look or time to think about moving before, maybe now 
would be a good time. A good time to move on.

Pulling up to the front gate the guard greeted her by name, everyone on 
the base knew Carter. There weren't that many women assigned here so it 
was easy for all the women to know each other, but all the guys just made 
it their business to know her by name. She didn't stand a hope in hell of 
knowing all of them, but she did a pretty good job with the SGC guys. 
Some were more attentive than others. She handled it professionally and 
just got on with things. 

That hadn't been so easy recently, especially with Simmonds. He was 
starting to get on her nerves. He always seemed to be around when she was 
trying to get a little job done, something that she could handle without 
thinking too much. That wasn't going to put anyone in danger if she 
screwed it up... those little jobs, the notes, the experiments. People 
would leave her alone if she looked busy. Even if she did stop and stare 
into space for minutes on end when no one was looking. It didn't matter, 
it was getting by. 

Everything would be okay when Dad came. She knew he would just hold her 
and tell her everything was going to be all right and she'd believe him 
and it would be. And the colonel would stop avoiding her gaze, and asking 
her if she was all right. She hated lying to him, but she always said 
yes, she was fine. Just tired. And Daniel, how he was always nearby and 
smiling at her, trying to cheer her up when she didn't want to be happy, 
she had no right to be happy about any of this. They wouldn't understand. 
They would get angry and that would fall on her. They would hate her for 
what she had done and she couldn't stand the thought of them finding out. 
She was strong, and she could do this. The nightmares would fade and she 
would be able to sleep soon. //Soon, I just have to tough this out for a 
while longer...//

She parked her car and headed down to the entrance. Planting her best and 
brightest smile across her face she passed through the security 
checkpoint and headed into the bowels of the mountain. 

The bright sun's rays didn't penetrate here and the familiar whir of the 
air-conditioning system filled her ears. That constant noise was 
comforting. The lift sped downwards, she changed lifts then went the rest 
of the way to the SGC. Her face was sullen until the doors opened, then 
the smile was back on her face as she headed for the locker room. Despite 
greeting several people on the way the smile never managed to make it to 
her eyes. They stayed dark and troubled. 

She slid into the relative privacy of SG1's locker room, pulled the door 
closed and checked it was empty before locking herself inside. 

                         *******************

All their stuff was hanging up in the cubby-holes, her favorite green 
jacket, the webbing, her cap. She pulled at the jacket and spread it over 
her lap. Wondering aimlessly that if it hadn't got Daniel's blood over it 
the day before they shipped out to Poncholand, she would have been 
wearing it, not the stiff new one that had appeared with her stuff that 
morning. She fingered the collar of her old friend, it was starting to 
fray. She'd have to fix that before someone decided it was beyond repair 
and replaced it with another one. 

Her eyes drifted to her friends' lockers, their gear had been hanging 
here for weeks. Unused. Held back on this world because of her. Because 
she wasn't ready.

They had talked about it soon after they got back. The colonel had called 
them all to Sam's bedside and explained that they would be standing down 
for a while. Until she got better. 

Daniel was going to catch up on all those artifacts he and Nyan had been 
hoarding and he and Teal'c were going to... He'd never actually explained 
what it was they were going to do. Teal'c would probably be reading or 
helping Daniel. Maybe the colonel was clearing his paperwork backlog. He 
had to have one, he always had one. Harriman was always pushing him for 
bits of paper about this or that. It made her wonder if she wanted to 
make colonel or second in command on a base like this. Too much personnel 
stuff and not enough science for her liking. But even the science didn't 
seem to cut it any more.

She wanted to be with her friends and she wanted to be left alone.

She wanted to be here where it was safe and she wanted to be far away 
across the galaxy.

She didn't know what she wanted anymore and it was starting to scare her. 

Everything was starting to scare her.

                         *******************

Her stomach rumbled with hunger, her instinct to go to the commissary for 
breakfast was overwhelmed by a feeling of impending nausea. Instead she 
reached into her pack and pulled out one of the score of candy bars she'd 
bought at the gas station. She opened the wrapper and forced herself to 
eat it. //Now shut up,// she told her stomach.

She stashed a couple of bars in her locker and took a long hot shower. 
Then she dressed in her blue uniform pants and shirt, dried off her hair 
and combed it neatly into place. She checked her costume, and feeling 
ready to face her audience unlocked the door and headed out into the drab 
corridors, not really sure where she was heading. 

                         *******************

"Hey, you're back," Daniel greeted her, not noticing how she jumped at 
the sudden intrusion.

"Yeah," she said, "trying to catch up."

Daniel nodded. "Hey, you wanna go get something to eat?"

"I ate already, thanks."

"Okay, how about we have dinner later?"

//Just go away, Danny, please?// "Sure," she found herself saying. Daniel 
left. Before one of the others caught up with her she headed up top for a 
walk. Maybe making herself tired would help her sleep. 

It was a long walk, but on returning to her quarters for a nap she 
couldn't sleep. Bowing to the inevitable she went back to the lab and 
started reviewing MALP data.

Daniel bustled in at 7:30 sharp. "Hey," he said, "you ready to go?"

"No, Daniel, I can't right now."

"Why?" he asked innocently.

//Because it makes me feel sick, because I hate myself and I don't want 
you to get hurt.//

"I've got three weeks of MALP data to get through, I'm too busy," she 
snapped.

"Someone else can do it Sam."

"Why? You think I'm not up to it. Dammit Daniel I'm fine. Will you guys 
just stop harassing me all the time?"

Daniel sensed he had crossed a line.  He spread his arms and backed away 
from her. "Hey, I'm sorry Sam, I was just saying..."

"You were saying that I can't do my job." She threw the book in her hand 
down on the bench, making Daniel jump.

"No," he said carefully, "I was just..."

"You were just leaving."

Daniel eyed her for a split second, her eyes were burning with anger. "I 
was just leaving," he agreed. He backed away. When he was out of reach, 
he turned and headed for Jack's office. This was getting stupid.

                         *******************

"Daniel said you had a little disagreement."

"He's overreacting, it was nothing."

O'Neill raised his eyebrows. "He's pretty upset you know. Didn't sound 
like nothing."

"It was nothing. Now am I the only one trying to get some work done 
around here?"

"Carter," he started.

"Yes sir!" she spat.

"Major, just get a grip. Whatever you said to Daniel is..."

"Is, with respect, sir, none of your business." She turned and left, 
leaving O'Neill in her lab, open-mouthed.

"I didn't say dismissed," he muttered to thin air.

                         *******************

She went to her quarters, grabbed a jacket and headed up top. She emerged 
into the light and took a deep breath of the fresh mountain air.

"Evening, ma'am."

"Hi, Belland?" She came up so often she knew all the sentries by name.

"Nice evening for a walk," he added, rummaging in the guard post and 
pulling out a map of the mountain.

"Yeah," she said. "Number three, I think."

"Gonna get dark in an hour, ma'am. You wanna borrow a flashlight?"

She checked her watch. "No, let's make it number two."

Belland nodded, two was a much shorter route. "See you in an hour, 
ma'am."

                         *******************

O'Neill went back to Fraiser's office.

"Something's wrong with Carter," he said simply. "I thought it was just 
me, but now she's started snapping at Daniel."

Fraiser bit her lower lip. "Did you try talking to her?" 

O'Neill slumped back in his chair exasperated. "Talking to her? Have you 
had anything *close* to something you could call a conversation with her 
lately?"

Fraiser considered this. //Yes and no.// "What set her off on Daniel?" 
she asked.

"I dunno, Doc, something about MALP data and a backlog. Hell, she should 
be at home resting. Why the Hell did she come back?"

"What do you think?"

"She's waiting for her Dad? Four weeks she's been waiting for him. I 
dunno why she came back Doc."

"Have you asked her?"

O'Neill threw her a look.

"She won't talk to you." Fraiser supplied.

"So, what do we do?"

"Do you know where she is now?"

"Yeah, up top for a walk. I checked with the sentries, she should be back 
in less than an hour."

"Doc," he started again, "something is wrong with her and its been 
getting worse for a while. She's really jumpy and quiet. I don't think 
she's sleeping. I figured going home would help her sort it out but it 
hasn't, and now she's back she's worse than when she left. We have to do 
something."

"What do you suggest, Colonel?"

He huffed. "Shine a bright light in her eyes until she talks?" 

"I think that would be counter-productive, don't you?" Fraiser managed a 
half smile.

He waved his arms defeated. "I'm desperate." Fraiser raised her eyebrows. 
"Okay, so I'm getting stir crazy down here."

"You need a hobby."

"I have hobbies, Doc, just not ones I can do underground. My team's 
falling apart and I don't know why. Doc, you have to help me here. I'm 
losing them."

"Okay, so she won't talk to me and she won't talk to you. She's started 
getting aggressive with Daniel. That leaves Teal'c. How are they getting 
on?"

"Okay, I guess. You know Teal'c, he doesn't say much."

Janet considered her next move for a moment. This had gone far enough. 
"Colonel, I've been worried about Sam for a while now. I was hoping that 
she would confide in her team-mates but that's not happening. She is 
getting worse. We might have to force things."

"How?"

"Being more persistent. I don't want to push her into a corner, she could 
bolt, but you're right, something is wrong and I think we have to get to 
the bottom of it."

"Well I tried, she just ran. Daniel's moping like a smacked puppy. He's 
not in a persistent mood right now."

"What about Teal'c? With a little coaching, he could be just the 
counselor she needs."

"I like the way you think, Doc. Outside the chain of command, sensible, 
solid."  The colonel rose, "I'll go get him."

                         *******************

Teal'c settled to parade rest in front of Fraiser's desk. "I agree with 
your assessment of the situation. Major Carter's behavior has become 
quite erratic. She has also become self depreciating. However, I did not 
previously feel it appropriate to challenge her regarding it."

"Oh, I think *challenge* is too strong a word, Teal'c," Fraiser warned, 
"just be inquisitive and concerned."

"Yeah, " Jack agreed, "but don't let her blow you off. Be persistent."

Teal'c raised an eyebrow to his CO. "I will be persistent O'Neill."

                         *******************

6

Sam Carter felt tired, but for the umpteenth night in a row she couldn't 
sleep. The walk hadn't helped and she had settled laying face down on her 
bunk, fully clothed, hugging her pillows and staring into space. When 
someone shattered the silence with a knock at her door, she jumped, 
cursed at herself for jumping and snapped, "Go away!".

"Major Carter, I wish to speak with you, may I enter?"

"What do you want?" she moaned.

Teal'c opened the door and entered the room, closing it firmly behind 
him. "I wish to speak with you regarding a matter of great concern to 
me."

Sam turned to the door. "Looks like you're in already, you might as well 
sit down." She lowered her weary body back down onto the pillows.

Teal'c pulled up a chair and settled himself stiffly next to her bunk. 
The silence hung in the air for a few moments. Sam broke first, turning 
toward him skeptically. "Spit it out Teal'c. I'm tired and I just can't 
be bothered right now."

"That is why I have come. We have noticed a change in your behavior since 
our last mission. It is beginning to concern us." 

"Who's us?" she said through the pillow, knowing full well who.

"Colonel O'Neill, Daniel Jackson, Dr Fraiser and myself."

"You get the short straw this time?"

Teal'c inclined his head. "I would not entrust such an act of chance with 
a matter of this importance. I am aware of the tension that exists 
between the you and the others. I therefore wish to offer you my direct 
assistance." 

"Why?"

"We have fought together side by side in many battles. We have had 
success and failure, but on this occasion something has deeply affected 
you. I wish to understand and therefore to assist." 

"You have no idea, Teal'c," she muttered to herself.

"It has been a difficult time. However, SG-1 will soon re-enter mission 
rotation."

"Great."

Teal'c inclined his head quizzically. "Your response to this notion is 
part of what concerns me, Major Carter. I do not believe that you are 
looking forward to returning to active duty."

"So?" 

"This is not a feeling shared by the rest of SG-1. It is also out of 
character for you. This is of great concern to me."

"I don't want to talk about it right now, Teal'c. I'm tired."

"You have been experiencing difficulty in sleeping," he stated.

"It's nothing, Teal'c. Please, can you just leave me alone."

"I cannot do that."

"Teal'c, I have a problem and I'm dealing with it, can't you just respect 
that?"

"I have known you to solve problems much more complex than this one with 
enthusiasm and drive."

"Yeah, right." 

"In a few short months you were able to design and construct a particle 
beam generator. This was successful in facilitating the re-activation of 
the Edorran Stargate and the rescue of Colonel O'Neill. Are you not proud 
of such achievements?"

"Not sure sometimes he wanted to be rescued," she moped. 

"I can assure you that he was very pleased to see me."

"Yeah, maybe."

"There have been other occasions I can recall."

"You're trying to make me feel good."

"I am trying to demonstrate the high regard in which you are held by your 
colleagues and friends at this facility. You seem to have forgotten that 
they have offered their support."

"I've not forgotten, Teal'c. This is something I have to figure out and 
get through on my own."

"I do not understand why you feel this way. Daniel Jackson and Colonel 
O'Neill have turned to each other and myself for support. I would like to 
be of assistance to you also."

Carter rose from the bed and gathered up her jacket.

"Thank you, Teal'c," she said quietly, "but I have to do this on my own. 
Please excuse me I have some work to do." She left him in her quarters 
and fled to the security of the astrophysics lab. There she sat staring 
blankly into space.

                         *******************

O'Neill slowly opened the door to the small astrophysics lab. There she 
was, slumped over the desk, fast asleep. //Cute// he thought, //bang goes 
the not sleeping theory.// "Major," he said softly as he reached out and 
touched her arm.

Suddenly she whirled around. Something struck him in the face so fast he 
didn't have time to cry out. He fell away, tumbling against the banks of 
equipment and into darkness.

"Oh my God," Carter whispered, her hands covering her face. She was wide 
awake, breathing hard. "Colonel?" she couldn't bear to look at him, she 
couldn't believe what she'd done. "No," she tried to tell herself, "No, I 
didn't... Oh God, I didn't know..." she whimpered. "Oh God, no!" She 
pushed the door, and ran.

                         *******************

Jack O'Neill stirred, his eyes blinking open. He struggled to his feet, 
hit the alarm button then slumped back onto the floor in a heap and held 
his head. "Jesus, Carter..." he muttered to no one.

                         *******************

Like the rest of SG-1, Daniel Jackson had been spending a lot of time in 
the mountain. His quarters were crammed full of books and journals. Every 
spare nook and cranny had something stashed in it. He was a natural 
hoarder. He liked to have things to hand. Artifacts were his lifeblood, 
his inspiration. But he was having trouble getting inspired tonight. 

Sam's outburst had cut into him like a knife. All his guilt had returned 
in a flood. Even though he and Sam had talked about it for hours in the 
infirmary. She had said she didn't blame him. She didn't blame any of 
them. It was just one of those things. Daniel didn't always understand 
how Sam's military mind took over, but she seemed to have come to terms 
with it. But that conversation seemed like a very long time ago. 

Jackson reflected on her odd behavior the few days before she went home. 
She was on edge and jittery. She'd been in her lab a lot, but she never 
really seemed to be doing anything. They'd tried, in vain, to get her to 
go to the commissary for dinner with them. She made excuses. Lots of 
excuses. Too many for his liking. There was something else going on but 
he couldn't put his finger on it. Then when she was home she wouldn't 
always answer the phone, didn't want them to come round or stay long if 
they did. Now she was back on the base and she didn't seem any better. In 
fact she was worse. He desperately wanted to help her but he had to admit 
he was slightly scared of her when she was angry. //Let Jack try...//

                         *******************

Jackson checked his watch. It was late and he should turn in. He shut 
down his computer and reached over to the small bottle of pills Fraiser 
had given him. //Twenty minutes and I'm outta here,// he thought. He 
wrestled with the cap. //Twenty minutes to open the damn thing more 
like.//

"Daniel!" She burst into the room, tears flooding down her cheeks. She 
slammed and locked the door behind her.

"Sam?"

"Daniel," she cried, "please, you have to help me."

"Sam, what's wrong?"

She collapsed onto the edge of his bed and held her head in her hands. "I 
didn't mean it, Daniel. You have to tell them that, I didn't know. I was 
asleep and I..."

"Sam, what's the matter? What are you talking about?"

She looked up eyes wide and petrified at the thought that had just 
occurred to her. "They're gonna lock me up, Danny."

"What? Who, Sam?"

"There're gonna court-martial me and lock me up. Danny, I didn't mean it, 
I swear I'd never hurt him. I..."

Daniel knelt beside her and took her arms. "Sam, what did you do?"

"I didn't mean it..." she whimpered. "Oh God, now I've really screwed up 
my life."

"Sam," he lifted up her head and gently pushed some stray hair out of her 
eyes. "Sam, you're not making any sense, just calm down and tell me what 
happened."

"I hit him, Daniel. I think he's dead."

"Dead? Sam? Who did you hit?"

She shuddered. "He scared me, I just lashed out. He hit his head when he 
fell. I didn't mean to hurt him!"

"Sam, it's okay," he soothed. "Who scared you?"

"Colonel O'Neill. I am so screwed up Danny. They're gonna throw me out. I 
didn't mean it!" She collapsed in sobs again. 

"Where Sam? Where were you?"

"My lab. Daniel, please, don't let them lock me up. I couldn't stand 
that. Please, I didn't mean to hurt him..."

"Sam, its okay, we'll sort this out."

Daniel grabbed the phone and dialed the infirmary. Fraiser answered. 
"Doc, it's Daniel, Jack's..." he started.

"He's right here," Fraiser interrupted. "Please tell me Sam's with you."

"Yeah, she is. Is Jack okay?" 

Carter looked desperately at him, Daniel muttered an affirmative to 
Fraiser and hung up.

"Daniel?"

Daniel Jackson sat on his bed beside her and wrapped his arm around his 
friend. "He's just fine, Sam, no harm done." 

She relaxed for a split second as relief washed over her. Then she was 
tense again. 

"Sam," he soothed, "it's okay."

She shook him off. "You don't understand, they'll court-martial me for 
just hitting him. I'll go to jail then they'll discharge me. I'll lose 
everything!" She became more agitated. "Danny, I can't take this any 
more, please don't let them lock me up." 

"My god, Sam, what's wrong with you? No one's gonna lock you up."

She rose and pulled away from him. "You don't get it do you?" her eyes 
darted around the room desperately. "They will Danny. They will. I'm 
sorry, I just... I didn't mean to hurt him." She rubbed at her eyes then 
cradled her right hand against her body. It was starting to hurt. "I 
didn't mean to hurt any of you."

Daniel approached her cautiously, she backed away and fetched up against 
a book case.

"Sam, tell me exactly what happened. Just take your time."

She bolted for the door. "They know where I am, I have to get outta 
here." 

Daniel blocked her way. He knew if she really wanted to get past him he 
wouldn't stand a chance. She didn't force it.

"Please, Daniel. Let me go."

"Just tell me what happened, Sam. I'll talk to them, everything will be 
okay."

She thought about it, he led her back to the bed and sat her down. He 
knelt in front of her and took her arms. He gripped them softly, noticing 
for the first time how thin she looked and felt. "You were in the lab. 
What happened?"

She sniffed. "I think I fell asleep. Someone, Colonel O'Neill, grabbed me 
and I was scared and I lashed out."

"So you punched him?"

She nodded the tears welling up into her eyes again. "He fell against the 
monitors and he wasn't moving, Daniel, I didn't know it was him. He 
scared me, I..." 

Daniel pulled her into his arms and let her cry. "It's okay, Sam. He's 
fine. Doc's got him all fixed up already."

"But, Daniel," she started. 

He silenced her with a finger on her lips. "Sam, why were you sleeping in 
the lab?"

"I was working, I was tired. I thought I'd just shut my eyes for few 
minutes."

"You should have gone to bed."

She shook her head. "I can't sleep, Daniel. I keep waking up all the 
time. Having nightmares. I'm so tired, I wanna sleep but I just can't. I 
don't know what to do anymore. Please, you have to help me. I can't do 
this anymore!"

"It's all right, Sam, I'll help you. You know I will."

"I'm so messed up, Danny, I dunno what I'm doing. I just wanna sleep. I 
hurt all over and I can't sleep."

"Have you asked Janet for something?"

"What, you mean pills?" 

He nodded.

"Daniel, I don't need drugs, I need sleep."

"I know, Sam, I know what it's like. After a while it starts messing with 
your head. It's okay to take sleeping pills, Sam. I've been taking them 
for the last couple of weeks, They've really helped. Look." He held up 
the bottle from his desk. 

She looked at him, eyes glistening in the dim light. She took a couple of 
deep breaths. "I've been so stupid."

"No, just wrong to think you have to try and get through this on your 
own. Sam, I'm your friend, we're all your friends here. We want to help 
you but you have to let us."

"I just want things back the way they were," she stated.

"So do I. Let's go see Janet, right now."

"I dunno," she started warily, pulling away. He took her hand and 
squeezed it gently. "Ouch!" She ripped it from his grasp and cradled it 
against her body rocking slightly back and forth.

"Sam, did you hurt your hand?" She was crying again, silently she nodded. 
"Can I see?" She held it out. The knuckles were red and starting to 
swell. "You need to get that looked at." Daniel stood, "Come on, let's go 
to the infirmary."

"No, they'll arrest me and lock me up. They'll call MacKenzie and he'll 
take me away." She skittered into the corner and hunched down. Her eyes 
darting around the room behind him again.

"No, Sam, I promise that's not gonna happen. Janet wants to help you. 
We'll go right now. She'll look at your hand and give you something to 
help you sleep. We can sort the rest out in the morning." He approached 
her. She was rocking back and forth again. 

"Danny, please help me."

"I will, now come on, let's go."

He helped her to stand and supported her as she shuffled across the room. 
He opened the door. Teal'c blocked the way, five armed guards behind him.

"Major Carter, Daniel Jackson." Teal'c intoned. Sam hid behind Daniel. 

"I told you Daniel.." she whispered.

"It's all right, Teal'c, Sam and I have had a chat and we're going to the 
infirmary. We don't need the goons."

"They are here by General Hammond's order. We are to escort you."

"Danny, they'll..."

Daniel turned to Sam. "It's okay." He turned around again. "Teal'c will 
escort us to the infirmary and these guys are gonna hang out here." An 
understanding passed between Teal'c and Daniel. 

"That will satisfy General Hammond's orders." He turned to the armed men. 
"Please holster your weapons, your presence is no longer required." The 
men lowered their guns slowly. Teal'c stepped between the men and 
motioned Daniel and Sam out. "You may proceed." 

Daniel wrapped his arm firmly around Carter's waist and led her away, her 
eyes darting back over her shoulder. 

"They will not harm you, Major Carter," Teal'c reassured as the men 
followed at a discrete but noticeable distance. 

                         *******************

"She's a mess, Jack. She just disintegrated right in front of me." 
Hammond and Jackson stood around O'Neill's cot. He had some strips 
closing a wound on his forehead and a growing bruise on the side of his 
face. O'Neill fingered the bruise tentatively. 

"She still packs a punch, huh." Daniel teased until O'Neill glared at him 
silently.

"General," Daniel went on, "she's terrified about being court-martialed 
and thrown in jail."

Hammond looked at O'Neill. "I need a complaining officer to even consider 
a court-martial."

"Don't look at me, General, I had a fight with a computer," O'Neill said 
sourly.

"That's what I thought. Doctor Jackson, Major Carter obviously needs help 
and she's going to get it." Hammond looked over to the curtained-off area 
where Fraiser was with her. "A court-martial will serve no purpose in 
this situation. I don't like losing a good officer, especially like this. 
Hopefully we've caught her in time."

"Carter's a good kid, General, she'll get through this." O'Neill said 
trying to convince himself.

                         *******************

Fraiser pulled back the curtain and stepped towards them. Carter was 
lying on her side facing away from them, curled in a fetal ball.

"How is she, Doctor?" Hammond asked quietly.

Fraiser took a deep breath. "She's completely exhausted, sir. Mentally 
and physically. I guess it was just a matter of time before something 
like this happened."

"But how'd she get this bad?"

"Lack of sleep, Colonel. That and she hasn't been eating much. It's all 
just mounted up. This," she motioned to O'Neill's face, "is probably the 
best thing that could have happened."

"How'd you figure that?" O'Neill moped.

"Striking a superior officer is a serious court-martial offence, 
Colonel."

"Not gonna happen, Doc," he dismissed the notion flatly.

"I should hope not. But still, it made her realize she wasn't in control 
anymore. If you hadn't woken her up like that, this could have gone on 
for weeks."

"We would have noticed," O'Neill insisted.

"Maybe, Colonel, maybe not. She managed pretty well to fool us all this 
past week. She's hardly slept or eaten anything since leaving the 
infirmary. Hadn't any of you noticed she was losing weight?"

O'Neill shook his head.

"I did, tonight," Jackson offered.

"She's worn herself out. She needs to rest."

"Can I talk to her now?" Hammond asked.

"Sorry sir, I've given her a hefty sedative, she'll be out for at least 
ten hours."

"Please call me when she's awake, Doctor," Hammond requested.

"Yes sir. In the meantime, Doctor Jackson, I need to have a little chat 
with you about something."

"Okay..." He followed her back to her office . Hammond made his excuses . 
O'Neill stared silently at Carter's back and wished he could talk to her, 
even though he didn't know what to say.

                         *******************

"Daniel, Sam wanted me to ask you something about P4T3DY."

"What about it?"

"It doesn't make much sense but it has something to do with Doctor 
MacKenzie."

"I dunno, Doc, she was babbling about a lot of things. She said something 
about not wanting to see MacKenzie but I dunno what that has to do with 
me."

"She said you would know why."

Daniel thought about it for a few moments. "Maybe she thinks I saw 
something. My glasses were gone everything was blurry. Wait, I know. Geez 
he must have looked just like him." 

"Who?"

"Their leader, I bet he looked just like MacKenzie. No wonder she doesn't 
want anything to do with him."

"That makes sense now."

"Does she have to see him?"

"No, Daniel, I'll find someone else. Later it might be useful for him to 
be involved but not right now. Daniel, I wanted to thank you for what you 
did tonight. She was in a very fragile state. You got her here in one 
piece. Thank you."

"Is she going be okay, Janet?"

"I'm sure she'll be fine, Daniel, it's just going to take a little more 
time. She's gonna need all the help and support we can give her." Daniel 
nodded. "You should get some sleep yourself, Daniel. I'm sure she'd like 
to see you in the morning."

"Yeah, thanks, Janet." Daniel rose and left.

                         *******************

7

It was hard to tell it was morning 16 floors underground but there was a 
buzz in the infirmary when she awoke. She lay still, very still for a 
while. Just listening. It was the normal daily stuff. SG-4 had just 
returned from their mission and were being checked out. It was a normal 
day. But not for her.

                         *******************

Sam Carter lay still and thought about her life. Where she was, how she 
got there and where she wanted to be. She wanted to be at the SGC and 
that hadn't changed. She wanted to figure out all there was to figure out 
about the Stargate. She wanted to discover something else every day and 
still know there was more to do. More places to go and more things to 
see. She didn't want to leave. She wanted to go back out.

Major Carter listened to the banter between the members of SG-4. They 
were a lot like her team, and she missed them. They'd all been walking 
around each other on eggshells since they got back and she was finally 
sick of it. 

Sick of hiding from them. Sick of lying to them, and herself.

                         *******************

Fraiser had been right about a lot of things, including that everything 
would be clearer when she'd got some decent sleep. She did feel a little 
better. Yesterday was as low as she'd let herself get. She had reached 
her nadir, now it was time to start the long climb back to normality. She 
knew she couldn't do it alone, she needed help. She made her decision and 
rolled over.

Fraiser spotted the movement and came over. Sam rubbed her eyes and 
smiled.

"Hey," Fraiser cooed, "how you feeling?"

"Pretty stupid actually, but better, thanks."

"Good, you know I was just thinking about waking you up. You've been 
asleep for over 14 hours."

"Really? What time is it?"

"A little after 12."

"Geez, I guess I needed it." Her eyes and mind wandered.

"Uhuh." Fraiser hugged her clipboard and eyed her patient, her friend. 
There was a strength in her eyes she hadn't seen for a while but also a 
darkness. "Something's on you mind, Sam. Care to share?"

Carter half smiled. "I do need to talk to you, about a lot of stuff, but 
not out here."

"My office?" 

Sam nodded and sat up. She leaned on her hand. "Ow!"

"Careful, it's not broken but it'll be sore for a couple of days."

She flexed her fingers gingerly. "No kidding. Damn." She looked around. 
"Is he still here?"

"Nope, he escaped first thing this morning. He's fine though, no harm 
done."

"Yeah, right." Carter swung her legs out from under the covers and 
realized she wasn't exactly fully dressed. She pulled at the gown 
disapprovingly.

"Do you wanna get washed up and dressed first? Maybe a bite to eat?"

She thought about that last bit. Actually she was hungry, which she knew 
had to be a good sign.

"Yeah," she said, "but just a sandwich or something."

"Coming right up. You know where the showers are and I'll get you some 
clean clothes."

"Thanks, Doc."

"No problem."

Carter looked around, as if looking for something.

"Sam?"

"Where's Teal'c? He's always here."

"I thought you would prefer some privacy. I can get him if you want."

"Oh, no, you're right. Just seems strange waking up without him there."

"You had a full house this morning, even General Hammond stopped by for a 
while."

"Oh." Her mind wandered. "I guess I'd better get moving..." Sam slipped 
slowly off the edge of the bed and wandered towards the shower room, 
pausing once to rearrange the gown. 

Fraiser watched her go. She had expected Carter to handle her capture 
better than she had. It had occurred to her that there could be more to 
this than met the eye and now she was sure. Walking back to her office 
she had a feeling she wasn't going to like what Sam was going to tell 
her.

                         *******************

It was a tuna sandwich, one of Sam's favorites. Fraiser had also rustled 
up a couple of blueberry muffins from the commissary along with a pot of 
fresh coffee and the almond flavoring Sam liked. A tempting feast, she 
hoped.

Sam Carter appeared at her door looking a lot more like herself than she 
had in a month. She'd taken the trouble to dry her hair properly and put 
on a little makeup. But there was a darkness behind her eyes, and she 
moved with the weight of the world on her shoulders.

"Come in, Sam, have a seat." Fraiser poured the coffee and revealed her 
acquisitions. 

Sam smiled and started munching on the sandwich. She was hungrier than 
she thought. She let Fraiser talk about Cassandra's latest exploits at 
Summer Camp. Fraiser killing the time whilst Sam was eating. Carter 
finished the muffins and took a long swig of coffee. The conversation 
died a little as she poured another cup and added the powder. She stirred 
it, watching the vortices flow around with the spoon, the steam rise in a 
swirl above the rim.

"I've had a chat with Colonel O'Neill and General Hammond," Fraiser 
interrupted her thoughts. "There won't be any charges over last night. 
They would, however, like some reassurances that it won't be happening 
again."

"It won't," she said simply and sipped the coffee.

"Good. So, you wanted to chat."

"Yeah." She put the cup down and took a deep, calming breath. "I need to 
tell you something and I know you're going to have to report it, which 
means I'm gonna have to tell the guys as well because I don't want them 
to read about it in a report. I can't do that to them. I owe them too 
much for that." It was a carefully considered speech. She'd thought this 
through in the shower. Rehearsed it to herself to get it right. To say 
what she wanted to. How she wanted to. Already, the edge in her voice was 
building. She was starting to crumble underneath. She took another deep 
breath and rubbed the bridge of her nose and forehead, composing herself 
again.

"What is it, Sam?" Fraiser asked quietly.

Sam struggled to stay on her script, but it dissolved in her tears and 
she just poured everything out in an untidy jumble. 

                         *******************

They decided to both go to General Hammond's office together. Sam waited 
in the briefing room whilst Fraiser delivered the bad news. 

He asked the same questions Fraiser had and she explained Sam's answers. 
It was harder for him to understand the *why* and he wrestled with it for 
a few minutes. 

Sam got restless and poured herself some coffee, slumping back into the 
chair facing away from the window. She stared out at the Stargate and 
shuffled her feet and wondered what she would tell her father about this. 
If he ever showed up. Martouf had warned her it could be weeks before he 
was contactable. It had been four already.

                         *******************

Hammond called O'Neill, Jackson and Teal'c to his office. Then quietly 
opened the door and motioned the guards away. Carter bolted to attention, 
nearly spilling her coffee. "As you were, Major."

"Yes sir," she replied, but remained standing.

"Doctor Fraiser has explained the situation to me, Major." 

"Yes sir."

"There are some secrets not meant to be kept, Major, and this is one of 
them." He avoided using the standard 'I'm disappointed in you,' phrase. 
Fraiser had specifically warned him against it. But Sam could see it in 
his eyes. She fought to stay in control. 

"Yes sir," she managed.

"This situation nearly got out of hand, Major. I don't want it to happen 
again."

"No sir."

The general's face softened. "You are a fine officer Major Carter, one of 
the best I've had the pleasure to command. A credit to your family and 
this facility. I hope that you can trust us all to help you through this 
difficult time."

"Yes sir."

"Sam!" Daniel called brightly as he entered the room with O'Neill and 
Teal'c following in his wake. "General."

"Gentleman, please wait in my office." Hammond said without turning 
towards them.

"Sure," O'Neill smiled and waved at Sam as he walked past her, she half 
smiled back.

Fraiser let them into the office and shut the door. 

"Courage is a quality I value greatly, Major, along with honesty. Your 
team members will appreciate your honesty in this situation. And the 
courage you have mustered to deliver it to them." He paused, she was 
crumbling. "Carry on, Major."

She saluted him automatically. He returned it and walked quietly away. He 
had a call to make. A *very* long distance call.

                         *******************

Sam's head dropped as she closed her eyes and breathed deeply. Fraiser 
approached her. "You okay?"

Sam ruffled her own hair, stood up straight and looked at the closed door 
to Hammond's office. The blinds were closed and someone was peeking 
through them. They snapped shut when she looked his way.

She sighed. "They deserve to hear this from me." She said.  " I should 
have done this weeks ago."

Fraiser let her hand linger on her friend's arm. "Do you want me to wait, 
Sam?" she asked supportively.

"Yeah, thanks." Carter said quietly

"Okay, I'll be right here." 

                         *******************

Sam Carter opened the door to the general's office and closed it behind 
her. 

"Where'd Hammond go?" Daniel asked. "I thought he wanted to talk to us."

"No," she said evenly. "I wanted to talk to all of you together. Just the 
four of us."

"What's up, Major?" O'Neill had been lounging on the couch next to 
Daniel. But he sat forward and suddenly had an uneasy feeling.

She slid into the chair in front of them, taking a few moments to compose 
the words in her head. "There's something I need to tell you and I need 
you to just listen."

"Okay," O'Neill said lightly, "we can do that. We can listen."

"No wisecracks, no interruptions, you don't say a word until I've 
finished."

"Okay," Daniel said warily. 

She looked at O'Neill. "Sir?" 

"Okay."

Teal'c tilted his head in agreement.

"Okay," she took another deep breath, "I have to tell you something that 
I didn't think you would need to know. But it's messing with my head so 
I'm gonna have to tell you."

O'Neill screwed up his face in a 'Tell us what?' expression.

"First of all I need to make you understand why I didn't tell you about 
this before, because I know you're gonna be mad at me."

O'Neill broke. "Takes a lot to make me mad, Carter. Is this about last 
night, cos you know..."

"It's not about last night, sir, and I am sorry about that but, no, this 
is something else. Well it's kinda to do with last night, but will you 
just let me finish?"

Daniel elbowed him quiet. "Go on, Sam."

She rubbed her still puffy eyes and spoke through her hands. "I didn't 
tell you on the planet because I knew it'd make you mad and I thought you 
might do something stupid."

O'Neill definitely didn't like where this was going and opened his mouth. 
Daniel silenced him with a wave. She looked up at them. "It wouldn't have 
made a difference if you'd known then anyway so I didn't tell you. Then I 
didn't say anything when we got back cos I figured it didn't matter 
anymore, and I could handle it myself." Her eyes flickered around the 
room gauging their reactions.

All three men were looking decidedly uncomfortable. "I've been having 
some problems and well I guess I worked myself into the state I was in 
yesterday which made me realize I was losing it." She stopped, her eyes 
closed.

"Sam," Daniel said slowly, "what happened to you?"

She bit her lower lip as a sob tried to escape. She covered her mouth for 
an instant until it was gone. //Spit it out you idiot!//

"It was the first night, they'd split us up. After they took you from the 
cell next to me, up to the hall I guess, cos that's where I saw you 
later" Daniel nodded. "Well, they'd already knocked me around a bit right 
after they captured us." She paused, not able to look at them anymore. 
"There were four of them." She continued slowly.  "They came in and 
started kicking me and then... then they took off my uniform and..." She 
couldn't finish the sentence. She didn't have to.

"Oh, Sam, no," Daniel whispered. She looked up, tears streaming down her 
cheeks.

"I'm sorry," she blurted, "I tried to fight 'em off but they just held me 
down and took turns." Daniel shifted in his seat. "I didn't want you to 
know because I knew you'd get mad and..."

Jack O'Neill did not want to believe his eyes and ears, but just looking 
at her he knew it was true. He buried his head in his hands. "Jesus, 
Carter."

"I'm sorry," she pleaded, "I didn't want them to use me against you. When 
they'd finished they left me alone for a while," She offered it as a 
consolation. O'Neill looked up. "After that they just kicked me around."

Anger welled within O'Neill. He fought to control it before he exploded. 
He'd gone through this possibility at the time. Here it was again. This 
time a sickening reality. Daniel sat in shock.

Sam looked up at Teal'c for some response. He inclined his head and said 
softly, "I agree with Major Carter's assessment of the situation on the 
planet. It would not have been beneficial to reveal the circumstances of 
her injuries. I believe this would have clouded our judgment."

O'Neill's, head bolted upright. "Teal'c," O'Neill warned. Teal'c tilted 
his head again, as O'Neill simmered. 

"From your reaction now, it is simple to extrapolate what your reaction 
would have been at the time. However," he continued, looking down at 
Carter, "I am disappointed that you did not feel able to share this with 
us when the danger had passed. We are your friends and would not wish you 
to carry this burden alone."

Her head sank. " I know I let you guys down, I'm sorry..." She stood up 
to leave.

O'Neill fought his way out of the steaming, boiling pot churning in his 
head. He couldn't let her walk away with out saying something. "Just a 
minute, Major. I have something to say here." He stood in front of her 
and looked directly into her eyes. "You haven't let anyone down, Carter. 
Especially not us. You made a hard decision to protect the rest of your 
team and that took guts. But when we got back..."

"I know, sir. I should have said something but I just couldn't."

"Sam," O'Neill said taking her arms, "promise me you'll never keep 
something like this from us again."

She nodded, fighting back the tears.

"Come here," he pulled her into his arms. She wrapped herself into him 
and cried.

"We'll get through this, Carter," he soothed. "Everything will be just 
fine."

Daniel sat for a moment dumbfounded then he rose and hugged her himself.

                         *******************

O'Neill quietly left the office with Teal'c and leaned wearily against 
the wall. "Tell me you didn't know about this."

"I always suspected but she didn't say anything until this morning."

"She didn't tell anyone?"

Fraiser shook her head. He absorbed the information and rubbed his eyes 
again. "She gonna be all right?" He glanced back at Daniel and Carter. 
They were leaning on each other, both crying.

"Might take some time, Colonel. She's gonna need a lot of support for a 
while."

"We will provide for her needs, Doctor," Teal'c intoned.

"I know you will Teal'c, but you all need to come to terms with this. 
Colonel, she doesn't need your anger."

"I know." He rubbed the bridge of his nose. "You gonna stick around for 
Carter?" Fraiser nodded. "Good, I have a feeling I'm not going to be a 
nice person to be around for a while. I think I'll hit the range. 
Teal'c?"

"I shall remain also. Daniel Jackson may require my presence."

"Great." O'Neill forced himself to walk slowly to the door. Inside his 
blood boiled. 

A few hundred rounds later it was still simmering.

                         *******************

8

Teal'c took Daniel back to his quarters and stayed with him until the 
pills kicked in and he was asleep. Fraiser didn't want him left alone for 
a while. 

Sam didn't want to go to her quarters, too claustrophobic, so Fraiser 
took her back to the infirmary and set her up in the corner cot.

"Do you want a sedative?" she asked the curled-up form in front of her. 

Sam shook her head. "Not right now, maybe later. I got some stuff to 
think about."

"Holler if you need anything, okay?"

She nodded, pulling the pillows tightly around her. As Fraiser pulled the 
curtain round the bed Sam closed her eyes. She could see their faces, 
disbelieving, horrified, knowing. A lump started to form in her throat 
and she buried her head in the pillow.

                         *******************

Up top the sun was starting its daily arc downwards. Jack O'Neill had 
found a quiet clearing amongst the great trees and watched it set. He'd 
seen so many suns set in his lifetime, in these few short years, but this 
was his own. Alone in the clearing, far from anyone who might care, he 
sat and considered if it was worth it after all. What they had achieved, 
where they had gone. What they had done and how they had done it. They'd 
done it together. //Always together.//

When he'd first met Carter at the SGC he hadn't liked her much. Well, no, 
that wasn't quite right, he hadn't liked the thought of having another 
smartass scientist on his team. Things had changed a lot since then, and 
Carter had been right. He did like her once he got to know her. But still 
she managed to annoy him. That enthusiasm for all things technical and 
her joy in sharing that knowledge, even when he didn't need or want to 
know. 

He half laughed at himself. That annoying habit was the one thing he'd 
missed most since they returned from that planet. It was so much a part 
of who and what she was. She thought a lot and liked to share those 
thoughts. She hadn't been like that in a long time. That spark had been 
extinguished and now he knew why. He'd missed her. Somehow what he'd said 
to her didn't seem anything like enough. He wanted to say more but he 
didn't know what or how to say it. Silently he sat alone and shivering in 
the chilly night air, searching the stars for inspiration. 

Quietly from the forest, Teal'c emerged carrying a large jacket. He 
placed it around Jack's shoulders and sat down without saying a word. The 
silence lasted a few minutes longer, each man alone with his thoughts and 
together under the stars.

"Damned crazy galaxy, Teal'c." O'Neill said finally.

"It is the only one we have. We must make the best of it," Teal'c said 
quietly.

"We get knocked out and banged up all the time, Teal'c, and we've lost 
some good people, but nothing like this has ever happened."

"We cannot change our past, O'Neill. And there is much I would not wish 
to." Teal'c looked at O'Neill for the first time. "We must rebuild. The 
Goa'uld will not stop even if we do. We must continue our search for 
allies, continue to help those enslaved or in need. However, we must 
start by rebuilding SG-1." He looked away again. "You must not second-
guess your decisions on the planet, Colonel O'Neill. It will serve no 
useful purpose."

"I know."

"We must allow Major Carter to reenter her position as and when she 
wishes to do so." He looked at O'Neill again. He was holding his head in 
his hands, knees drawn up close to his body. "She has been burdened by 
this secret for many weeks. Now she has passed it to us and we must bear 
it with her."

"A problem shared is a problem halved."

"Or quartered, O'Neill. It has weighed heavily on her soul. We do not 
have the right to darken it further with our own anger."

"I hear you, Teal'c." He rubbed his eyes. "I know you're right. I've been 
up here thinking about all the good stuff we've done out there."

"There is much to think about."

"Yeah, there is. We've done some pretty wonderful stuff for this world, 
this galaxy, and for each other. I think we forget that sometimes. I know 
I have, and I think she has too."

"The people we have helped have not. It is a dangerous existence, 
O'Neill, but the benefits are great. We cannot stop. The evil is still 
there. We are warriors, and we must fight to defend ourselves and those 
who cannot defend themselves. I know no other way."

O'Neill listened to his friend's words carefully and he sighed. "I don't 
know another way either, Teal'c. I guess we better start gluing the 
pieces back together."

"We must."

Jack stuffed his arms into the jacket and stood. "Let's go back inside, I 
gotta few things to do."

Teal'c nodded, rose, and together they started the walk back through the 
forest to the mountain entrance. 

                         *******************

It wasn't that late. She'd stopped crying hours ago and started thinking 
again. Crying wasn't getting her anywhere anyway. So, now what? Now 
where? 

The infirmary was quiet, just a couple of airmen with minor bumps and 
scrapes. Nothing major. 

Someone walked in and quietly approached her bed. She knew it was him 
even before he spoke. She wasn't sure she wanted to speak to anyone, 
especially him. Maybe if he thought she was asleep he'd go away. She 
closed her eyes and lay still. 

He pulled up a chair and sat down. He was glad she was asleep, it made it 
easier for him to say what he had to say. "I thought it was a good time 
for us to have a chat," he started. "I have some stuff I need to tell 
you." He looked at her, she was breathing slowly and evenly, apparently 
deeply asleep. "Sometimes I don't tell the people I care about how 
important they are to me. I lost Sarah because of that."  He paused 
processing that thought and gathering the next.  "I just wanted to tell 
you how important you are to us here. But especially to me. I've been 
thinking about a few things, well a lot of things actually. Mostly about 
what we've done for each other over the years. 

"We've never given up on each other before, Carter. You know, Danny and 
that Babylon fish guy, us in Antarctica, Teal'c with the Bursa and those 
yucky bug things." He shuddered. "Anyway, there's other stuff too." He 
paused, waiting for a reaction that didn't come.

He sighed and continued. "We didn't really talk about it much but I need 
to tell you what happened to me on Edorra. I lost everything, Carter. My 
home, what was left of my family. All the friends I ever had. In fact, my 
entire life. There were just memories and a lot of work to do. The crater 
where the gate was, it was literally just a great hole in the ground. I 
started to dig but then after a while we had to rebuild, harvest the 
crops and just get on with living. Every day I was there, I thought about 
home. I thought about you. But you weren't there. Just me and the 
Edorrans." He could still remember chopping wood, the smell of the open 
fire.

"Fraiser says you worked yourself half to death in those three months. 
Nothing else mattered to you. I could have got picked up in a few more 
months by the Tollans, they wouldda had me home in time for the playoffs, 
but you couldn't sit around and wait that long. You wouldn't give up. I 
thought there was no way home, Carter. I thought I'd never see any of you 
again. And I was just getting used to the idea. I was settling down and 
then on the exact same day I let go, Laira heard a voice on the radio. 
When she told me it was like my whole life was handed back to me.

"Carter, I'd given up on ever going home, I'd given up on you. I'm not 
gonna make that mistake twice. If you *ever* wanted to get me outta your 
hair, there was your chance, right there. So I guess you're stuck with 
me. Stuck with all of us." He siged again trying to regroup.

"We're a team, Sam. We help each other. We live together, we get tranqued 
together, hell we've even died together. I can't imagine this place or 
SG-1 without you, Sam. I mean who else am I gonna find who's just as 
happy planting a line of claymores as they are messing with soil samples 
or playing with MALPs and UAVs." That made her smile, but he couldn't 
see.

He shifted in his seat as he re-gained is momentum. "We've done a lot of 
good out there, Carter. There are a lot of people who owe their lives to 
you and the rest of us because we go out there and do what we have to do 
to get the job done. To make this world, this whole damned galaxy, a 
better place. Better for Ry'ac, for Cassie, the kids on Orban, for 
thousands of others. Not to mention saving this rock a few times."

He paused, rubbing the tiredness from his eyes. "What I'm trying to say 
is that we're in over our heads in a war here, Carter, and we don't know 
who half the bad guys are. Sometimes things are gonna go wrong. But we 
have to keep going. We have to keep trying.

"I've lost a lot of good friends over the years, Carter, and so have you. 
This is the most important thing we've ever done. That we'll ever do. We 
can't stop." Her feet moved under the covers as he struggled for the 
words. He realized she was awake. He wondered for how long then decided 
it didn't matter. He still meant what he'd said.

"I've really missed you, Sam," he said quietly. "I've missed you trying 
to tell me stuff I don't wanna know. That look you get every time you 
find out something new. How you're bursting to tell someone, to share it, 
think it through.

"I know it's been really hard for you and I want you to know that I'm 
sorry. If I could go back and change things, you know I would, but I 
can't. I couldn't protect you from this and I know I'll never be able to 
promise it won't happen again, or worse, because I don't know and that 
really sucks." It was a hard admission. Not just to her but to himself.

"I know you're gonna need some time, Sam, but I want you know we're all 
here for you. If there's anything you need you just have to ask and we'll 
be there." He was done. She was still trying to play asleep. He leaned 
over and kissed her gently on the head. He paused for a few moments 
watching his second play possum.

"One last thing, Sam. If you wanna make me think you're asleep, don't 
wiggle your toes so much, it's a dead giveaway." She felt him move away.

Slowly she turned over to face him, eyes red and glistening. He was 
halfway across the room when she called out, "Colonel?" He kept going. 
"Jack?"

He turned around. Their eyes met. "Thanks," she said.

He smiled at her, his best 'everything's right in the world' smile. 
"We'll talk in the morning kid. See ya!" 

She waved and he waved back. 

Fraiser watched him leave and Sam turn over again. When she checked on 
her a few minutes later, she was deeply asleep.

                         *******************

9

//Today is the first day of the rest of my life,// she told herself. //I 
am a good and decent person. I'm still the same person I was. I liked 
myself before and I am still me.// She was still lying in the infirmary 
cot having slept through the night on her own. No drugs. Well she'd have 
to check they hadn't stuck her with anything whilst she was out, but she 
felt good. Still a little tired, but good. The Colonel knew how to push 
her buttons. Last night he practically poured his heart out. He wasn't 
usually much for pep talks like that but it was just what she needed. She 
didn't want him to feel guilty and she knew she'd have to have a similar 
conversation to the one she'd had with Daniel with them both again, just 
to make sure they understood 

//Rape,// she told herself, //is a form of torture. I was captured and 
tortured. We did nothing wrong, we couldn't have changed anything to make 
it better. It's over, I'm home. It will not change me. I will not let it 
change me. That's it. That's the end of it.//

A sense of peace had settled over her. Just telling them had been hard 
but the relief at not having to keep up the act was so immense it 
eclipsed her recent dark moods. She was thinking more clearly and 
suddenly the conversation in the infirmary was getting interesting.

                         *******************

SG-12 were returning from PBH 2T3. Max King, the science officer was 
rambling about naquadah. There was something else going on too. Fraiser 
suddenly called all the medics together and gave a little pep talk then 
they scattered and all hell broke loose. Things were getting noisy, 
medics were running around and grabbing things from all over. 

Sam sat up in bed and watched, dumbfounded. It looked like they were 
packing things up to leave. Across the room she spotted Max. Their eyes 
met. His dark brown eyes lit up and he escaped the nurse and navigated 
his way over to her.

"What the hell's going on, Max?" she said before he reached her.

"You will not believe this, Sam," he said excitedly. "We just came back 
from Hladan, you 'won't believe this but..."

"Hladan?" she asked.

"That's what the locals call PBH2T3. Anyway we were wandering about, well 
skiing, and this great big bear thing lurches out and tried to eat 
Vince!"

"What?"

"Oh, it didn't get too close to him. Mickey shot it and killed it." 
Anyway we took a bunch of rock samples and Sam, hold on..." He rushed 
back to the cot he'd been at and grabbed a file, then swerved his way 
back to her. "Look at these."

"The naquadah ore is 50% pure, Sam. We've never seen it that pure before, 
never." 

"Are you sure?"

"Oh yeah, I checked it twice already. Sam you know what this means?"

"Yeah, but..." A nurse crashed into her cot with a trolley loaded with 
supplies. She apologized and carried on. "Jesus, Max, what the hell is 
going on in here?"

"Oh, well after we shot the bear this whole bunch of people emerged from 
a cave near the gate. They've been going through a rough winter and we're 
launching a humanitarian effort. Like now. Medics, and food mainly. 
There's about 500 Hladans shacked up in this cave and their food stores 
have almost run out. Anyway, they dragged the bear inside and had it 
roasting within half an hour! It tasted pretty good too!"

That didn't sound appetizing and the sour look on her face showed. "Hey 
Sam, what you doing in here anyway?"

"Oh, I just wasn't feeling well last night, kinda crashed out. I'm fine."

"How's your hand?" he knew her too well. She was holding something back.

She flexed it slowly and half smiled. "Guess that's all round the base, 
huh?"

"'Fraid so. So what did he do? How'd he get you that mad? And how'd you 
get away with it?"

She shrugged. "There's some stuff going on I'd rather not discuss right 
now."

"Okay, but did it feel good?"

"No," she said distantly, "it felt terrible." She wasn't lying and he 
could see that. "Max, please?"

"Okay I'll drop it. But only if you help me with the mineral survey."

She looked around at the organized chaos surrounding her. "I'm not on 
active duty, Max. I'll have to talk to Fraiser, I'm not cleared yet."

"He got you grounded?"

"Not quite, Max. Look, I gotta get dressed and find Fraiser. I'll meet 
you in the lab?"

"Great, half an hour?"

"I'll try, okay."

"Ah, Carter, " he said in his best Jedi master voice, "do, or do not, 
there is no try." She laughed as he slipped away.

She looked around, she couldn't see Fraiser or Warner anywhere, no one 
seemed bothered she was awake so she decided to get herself moving  and 
pulled herself out of bed. 

                         *******************

"Carter!" O'Neill's voice called through the opened door to the shower 
room. "Carter, you in here?"

She pulled a large towel round her and turned the shower off. "Sir?"

"Geez, Sam. Don't just wander off like that. Fraiser's been looking for 
you." She came round to the door. He stepped back, suddenly embarrassed.

"Sorry sir, I was just taking a shower. They looked busy, I got out of 
the way." She stood there dripping and didn't seemed concerned about 
anything.

"Well you'd better get some clothes on," he said, embarrassed. "We're 
having an emergency meeting in half an hour, main briefing room. Thought 
you might like to tag along." She was rubbing her hair with a second 
towel now. 

"This Hladan thing?"

"How'd you know?"

She smiled "I don't miss much round here sir, I'll be there. Could you 
shut the door?" She stepped back into the room.

"Sure," he said. "See you in half an hour."

"Yes sir!" she called out.

That was such a normal Sam-Jack exchange that he couldn't quite believe 
it. Sure he'd given her one hell of a pep talk last night but she was 
just so... normal.

He stood for a few moments outside the closed door and considered the 
transformation in her attitude that had literally taken place overnight. 
He smiled, letting himself think it was all his doing and that everything 
was normal again. Deep down he knew it wasn't and wouldn't be for a 
while. Still Hladan could be a very welcome distraction and there was 
plenty to keep everyone occupied at the SGC and on the planet. Hammond 
was recalling teams from leave and ordering supplies like there was no 
tomorrow. They had to act quickly to stop the Hladans from starving to 
death. This was going to be big, and though he hadn't mentioned it to 
Sam, it was going to be damned cold. Hladan was an ice planet. He 
shivered at the thought of the Antarctic temperatures and made a mental 
note to wear an extra sweater under his uniform. 

He spotted Fraiser amongst the heaving masses in the infirmary. He waved 
to her and pointed to the shower room. She gave him a thumbs up, she 
understood. He waved good-bye and left before he got run down by a 
supply-laden trolley.

                         *******************

Sam stopped by the geology lab on her way to the briefing, King was going 
there anyway so they went together. Sam's stomach rumbled as they walked 
down the hall, dodging airmen shifting boxes. "I'll grab something in a 
while," she said as King looked at her.

"Maybe there'll be donuts?" he said optimistically. She didn't normally 
partake of donuts but Fraiser said she had lost some weight and needed to 
build herself up again. It sounded like a great idea.

Their route went past Daniel's office. The door was ajar and the light 
on. She stopped. "I'll catch you up, Max," she said. She waited for him 
to round the corner and then knocked on the door.

"Dammit Jack, I said I'm coming!" She pushed the door open, Daniel was 
fussing with a pile of books in a dark corner, under a table.

"Daniel," she said quietly, "it's me."

He stood up and banged his head on the underside of the table. "Ouch! 
Sam?" he said slowly crawling out, rubbing his head.

"What are you doing under there?" she asked.

He lifted up a book and waved it in the air. "This," he said, "Croatian-
English dictionary. I knew I had one round here somewhere."

"Oh. That's the Hladans language, huh?"

"Its roots, yeah."

A silence settled, he clutched the book to his chest and shifted from one 
foot to the other. He didn't know what to say.

"Are you okay?" she asked.

He raised his eyebrows in surprise. "Am I okay? Sam, it's me that should 
be asking you that."

"I'm okay now, Daniel. Really. It was keeping it secret that got me into 
trouble. I've been acting pretty stupid for a couple of weeks. But I know 
what's wrong and I'm gonna fix it. You're not still mad at me are you?"

"No," he said, "I was never mad at you, Sam." Then he was going to say 
something else but stopped. He didn't think he could get the words out 
without blubbering. 

"I did mean what I said in the infirmary, Daniel," She spoke slowly. "I 
don't blame any of you for what happened, and I don't want you to beat 
yourself up about it. I think I did a good enough job of that by myself." 

He looked at her. "You could have told me, Sam."

She pushed back the tears welling up and nodded. "I know. You know, I'm 
making a list of all the stupid things I've done this week so I can fix 
them. It's on my list."

Daniel smiled, crossed the room and hugged her. "Cross it off, Sam. It's 
fixed."

She smiled a thank you at him and reached for a Kleenex from the ever-
present box on the desk. She wiped her eyes and nose.

"Come on, we'd better get going or we'll be late." They walked for a 
while with his arm gently draped round her. It fell away naturally as 
they entered the public confines of the briefing room.

                         *******************

Sergeant Straw had done himself proud, there were pots of hot, fresh, 
strong coffee, and a myriad of donuts and muffins. It was the one perk of 
early morning briefings. Straw didn't like people going hungry on his 
watch in the commissary, and the whole base was his to cater for. The SGC 
ate a lot of muffins and donuts. It was compensation for all those 
nutritionally balanced field rations they ate whilst off world.

Teal'c and O'Neill were already in the briefing room when they arrived. 
Teal'c greeted her first with a nod and a "Good morning, Major Carter." 
He handed her a steaming mug of coffee. 

"Morning, Teal'c. Thanks." She took the mug and smiled easily.

"Good morning, Major." O'Neill was looking at her strangely.

"Morning, sir" She took a sip of the coffee Teal'c had already put the 
almond flavoring in, she smiled to thank him. He smiled back and nodded 
regally. 

"*Sleep* okay, Major?" O'Neill asked smirking knowingly.

"Yes, thank you, sir. You?" She replied innocently, refusing to take the 
bait.

"Like the proverbial log.  Mind you, my feet were a little restless"  his 
eyebrows bounced as he caught Hammond's eye and started over towards him.

Daniel looked puzzled and steered her to a seat near the front. "What was 
that all about?" he whispered. 

"Nothing," she said innocently, watching O'Neill shuffle into his seat at 
the front. She caught herself. She'd just lied to him. She turned to 
Daniel and finished the sentence. "He came to talk to me last night, I 
pretended to be asleep but he rumbled me."

"What did he say?" Daniel was ever curious, Jack wasn't known for his 
oratory talents. And he was mad at him for walking out of the office when 
he did. He hadn't had a chance to talk to Jack about that yet.

"All the right things, Daniel. He said everything I needed to hear him 
say." She sipped on her coffee again. Someone passed around a tray of 
muffins and donuts she took one of each and passed the tray to Daniel. He 
looked surprised. "Doctors orders," she whispered.

The room filled up and Hammond called them to order.

                         *******************

10

Fraiser looked busy but Sam had to ask now. She had to get her on her 
side if this was going to work.

Carter tapped on the office door and entered before Fraiser beckoned her 
in. As she suspected, Fraiser didn't want to push her away.

"Hi, Sam," she said wearily. "Everything okay?"

"I was wondering if you had a minute. I wanted to ask you about 
something."

Fraiser didn't really have the time but she knew Sam needed to talk.

"Sure, Sam, but we might get interrupted. Have a seat."

"That's okay, I was thinking about this Hladan mission."

Fraiser sat back in her chair.  "No," she said. 

Sam hung her head. "Not subtle enough, huh?"

"Nope." //Fight for it Sam.//

"But Janet, I have a plan, okay. Please, will you just listen, then you 
can say no if I'm wrong."

Fraiser raised her eyebrows. This girl was dangerous when she thought 
about things. It was a good sign she was returning to normal. "Okay, give 
me your reasons why I should clear you to go to Hladan and they better be 
good."

"Okay, I know I've got some problems, but I know what they are and I have 
a plan to fix them. Hladan's perfect Janet." She started to tick the 
reasons off on her fingers. "It's secondary contact, the locals are 
friendly and grateful to us. No cultural problems, no Goa'uld. Max King 
and I could double-team on the naquadah survey so I wouldn't be working 
alone. There'll be a ton of SGC personnel there as well as SG-1. And 
you'll be there too so you can keep an eye on me. Besides, this place 
will be like a ghost town and I'd rather be with my team. This is 
perfect. I need to go Janet. I've been rattling around this place for too 
long."

"Major," Fraiser started formally, "you forgot the bears and the fact 
that the temperature is subzero."

"I passed my fitness test last week, the range just now, and I'll wear an 
extra sweater."

Fraiser pushed her chair back from the desk and eyed her patient 
carefully. 

"Only just; I know; and you'll need two." The major's face brightened. 
"But," Fraiser watched her face fall again. "I will only clear you for an 
excursion with the day units. You come back with me to the SGC tonight 
and you have to get Colonel O'Neill to agree." 

"No problem." Carter rose from her seat.

"Major," Fraiser warned, "stay out of trouble, no heroics."

Sam snapped to attention, "Yes ma'am."

"Go on then."

Sam Carter visibly bounced out of the door and down the corridor. Fraiser 
watched her go. The same thought had crossed her mind during the 
briefing. But she would have preferred it was happening a week from now. 
Sam was right, it was a good first mission back for all of them. How much 
trouble could they get into?

                         *******************

As she rounded the corner she pumped the air with her fist and full of 
herself scuttled off to the locker room where Colonel O'Neill and the 
rest of SG-1 would be gearing up. 

Almost out of breath, she paused at the door and knocked softly. "Hi 
guys, you decent?"

"Come in, Sam!" Daniel called. She pushed the door and wandered in. 
O'Neill wasn't there. "Where's the Colonel?"

"Right here Major, what can I do for you?"

"Say yes?"

O'Neill squinted at her. "To what?"

Carter stood up straight. "Permission to rejoin SG-1 for the Hladan 
mission, sir." Daniel and Teal'c both turned to O'Neill wide-eyed.

Jack's shoulders slumped. "Carter, as much as I'd like to, you know I 
can't override Fraiser." It hurt him to turn her down. But her face 
beamed a cheeky grin instead of gloom.

"You don't have to sir, I've been cleared by Fraiser to help Major King 
with the naquadah survey and return to the SGC tonight. But only if you 
agree."

Jack's eyebrows rose in surprise.

"How the hell did you talk her into that?" Daniel asked.

"I..."

"AH!" O'Neill silenced her with his usual cry. Her face fell until the 
broad grin spread across his face. He took the few steps towards her. 
"Good to have you back, Major." He clapped her on the shoulders.

She positively bubbled with excitement as she exchanged looks with the 
team.

"Teal'c, go get Carter some winter gear. , Major, you'd better hurry up, 
we're due out in 30 minutes."

She saluted. "Yes sir!" He returned it, and turned away to continue 
getting dressed himself.

"I just gotta grab some stuff from my quarters sir, I'll be back." She 
bounced out of the room again. Daniel stole a look at O'Neill. 

"Well I was hardly gonna say no. Look at her, Danny. If she thinks she's 
ready for this I gotta give her a chance."

"That call, it was Fraiser, wasn't it."

"Uh huh."

"This was a set up."

"Strong words, Danny-boy. More like a dangled opportunity. She took the 
bait." 

"But..."

"Daniel, she could do the survey with King when he gets back and she 
knows it. She also knows we don't get many all hands missions like this. 
Friendly locals, secure environment plenty of on hand back-up. Daniel 
this is first time out for all of us. It's a perfect way to get back into 
things. She knows that, and she wants in. The day pass was the compromise 
Fraiser needed to clinch it."

Daniel sank down onto the bench and shook his head. 

"She needs this Daniel. We need this."

"You did set her up. Right from the briefing this morning you and Doc 
have been planning this."

"Just dangling a carrot Danny... Dangling a carrot."

Daniel smiled. "I could have helped you know." 

"Naa, she wouldda prised it outta you. You're not sneaky enough."

Daniel looked hurt. "I can be sneaky, Jack."

"Good, cos you're gonna keep an eye on her and make sure she stays outta 
trouble. Be subtle."

"I can do subtle."

The two men smiled at each other as Teal'c returned loaded with the 
winter gear. He looked at O'Neill and raised an eyebrow. "He's in. Sam's 
gone to get something." 

"Your plan was successful, O'Neill," he inclined his head approvingly. 

"You mean Teal'c knew as well?" Daniel said feeling even more left out.

"Look, I did try and tell you about it this morning but you were digging 
for books."

Daniel shifted in his seat and waved the book at them. "Important for the 
mission," he said sourly.

"Daniel, cheer up will you. She'll get suspicious. I'm sorry, okay, we 
didn't have a lotta time." He squeezed his shoulder. Daniel brightened. 

"You're a sneaky bastard, Jack O'Neill."

"Why Daniel, what a compliment." They both laughed as she swept back in 
the door. 

"What did I miss?" she was burrowing in her locker sorting through the 
gear Teal'c had brought.

They all exchanged looks. "Nothing really, and you haven't answered my 
question about Fraiser." Daniel prompted.

She smiled and chattered easily as she got changed. The men listened and 
prompted in all the right places until she was ready.

"Okay kids, let's get moving, we've got a gate to catch!"

O'Neill watched them file out, smiling at each of them as they passed. 
Sam paused. "Thank you, sir. I won't let you down."

"I know, Major." He squeezed her shoulder. "This is gonna be fun," he 
said. "Cold, but fun." Her smile reached her eyes and his heart melted. 
"Let's go."

                         *******************

The embarkation room was bustling with personnel and FREDs loaded with 
supplies. Sam waved at Max King when she spotted him. He gave her the 
thumbs up. He'd got the stuff she asked him for. O'Neill winked at him 
from across the room. His enthusiasm in the infirmary had been genuine, 
but it had been King who had given them the idea. He'd planted the seeds 
in her mind. //Teamwork.// King didn't know all the details, that wasn't 
for O'Neill to say, but Max knew a friend in need and was happy to 
conspire with them and make her think it was all her own idea.

                         *******************

11

The network of caves was vast and had been used for generations by the 
Hladans for shelter and protection. They were a constant 5 degrees 
Celsius, just enough above freezing to make them habitable. The Hladans 
had welcomed the extra shelter of tents and were happily huddled together 
in them. The SG teams were going about their duties. Doc Fraiser had a 
busy medical station set up. She was selecting the most needy who would 
be returned to Earth for treatment. The rest were mainly malnourished and 
a few SGC provided meals, even military rations, supplemented by 
barbecued blago, were doing wonders for the colony's morale. Teal'c who 
had dispatched today's kill with a shot from his staff weapon was 
practically a national hero. He took it with good grace, as he would.

                         *******************

The smell wafted throughout the cave complex. It reached Daniel first, 
then he saw it register with her. She pulled a face as her stomach 
twisted. A memory pushed itself to the surface. He saw her shudder.

"You okay?"

"Yeah," she replied automatically. A soft tune drifted from the main 
cavern with the smell.

"Sounds like a little party," Daniel said distantly.

"Why don't you go, Daniel, I'll be fine here."

Daniel shook his head. Normally he would have been off like a shot but 
not today. "They're really grateful, Sam. It'll be interesting, fun."

She looked over to the corridor leading to the cavern. She didn't look 
sure. "I'll be right with you, Sam, nothing's gonna happen, it's a 
party."

"I'm not here to party, Daniel, I'm here to do some work." She looked 
down at her laptop again. The conversation was over.

"You got that list handy, Sam?" He was sailing close to the wind.

She glared at him.

"Come on, you can eat the MREs if you like, just come and sit with us." 
She wasn't biting. "Please, Sam?"

He had that sweet, sweet, //I'll be terribly hurt if you don't,// 
expression. He was pushing her buttons. It was probably the Colonel's 
idea anyway. //Nothing bad is gonna happen, it's just lunch. I'm safe 
here. Safe.//

She tapped a few keys and closed the computer. "Come on, before I change 
my mind." Daniel's face lit up. He leapt up enthusiastically and led her 
from the tent towards the noise and that lovely intoxicating, 
*terrifying* smell.

                         *******************

It was completely irrational and she knew it. Off world they got invited 
to dinner all the time and it was something she would have to get 
comfortable with again. //No time like the present.// A wave of nausea 
swept over her as they emerged into the cavern.

                         *******************

There were several large tents erected in the cavern. Fraiser's medical 
tent was the biggest. engineering and the science team had also picked 
their spots. Dotted between them the smaller, three-man tents housed the 
SGC personnel. In the center of the cave a large fire had been built, and 
around the perimeter smaller knots of Hladans and SGC people gathered 
around smaller fires. Some of the Hladans were dancing in a small group 
and an airman from SG-2 was playing a tune on a harmonica. It was a 
festive atmosphere. But there was that damned smell.

SG-11 had built a huge barbecue from crates and grills. They were burning 
wood from the nearby forest. It crackled and smoked beneath the meat. 
Over on the other side of the barbecue the Hladans were stripping the 
carcass of the blago. Some of the women were already stretching the hide 
on a large frame. Others cut portions of meat and passed them along for 
cooking. Several airmen had given up their knives for the effort and the 
Hladans were making light work of it. The first batch was almost ready. 
One of the Hladans carried a plate to a small knot of people seated 
around a fire. 

"That's the leader, Jovic," Daniel supplied. 

Jovic was an old man easily in his sixties. His long gray hair and beard 
made him look like Santa Claus. 

Seated next to him, Colonel Jack O'Neill was waiting patiently for the 
ceremony to play its course. He was getting hungry and that stuff smelt 
great. 

The plate was handed to Teal'c who was seated on Jovic's other side. They 
insisted he eat first. He took a bite of the steak presented and chewed. 
"It is good!" he declared. 

A cheer erupted from the Hladans and more plates were brought to the "top 
fire". The rest of the colony slowly formed an orderly queue, taking 
portions back into the complex to their relatives huddled in their tents. 
There was no panic, no huge sense of urgency. There was plenty to go 
around. By the time they returned the next batch was ready, now everyone 
was sitting around their fires and singing or chatting easily.

                         *******************

She hadn't made it any further into the cavern. Gripped by an unconscious 
and irrational terror she had leaned against the wall and refused to 
move. She watched them come and go to the barbecue, her heart racing, her 
head swimming. She was turning whiter, though Daniel didn't think that 
was possible. She wanted to run. She wanted to throw up. Oh God she 
wanted to be anywhere but here.

"Sam," Daniel whispered, taking her arm. "You can do this, Sam. Just come 
and sit with us, okay?"

"I feel sick," she said, holding herself round the middle.

"It's just a smell, Sam. Look, Jack and Teal'c are over there, and I'm 
here too. Nothing's gonna happen. We're safe here, and look I brought the 
dictionary!" He dug the book out of his pocket and waved it at her. She 
didn't smile at his joke. "It's okay, come on." He urged again.

She straightened up slowly, and rubbed her hands over her face. She was 
getting hot. She pulled off her woolly hat and stuffed it in her pocket. 
Slowly she ruffled her hair and scanned the cavern again. //Get a grip, 
Carter// she told herself. //It's only lunch.// She looked at Daniel, he 
was patiently waiting for her to compose herself. He smiled at her and 
beckoned her to follow him. He reached out and took her sleeve. She let 
him lead her deeper into the cavern. She couldn't help it as her eyes 
darted around looking for trouble, for threat, another way out. Daniel 
steered her to the top fire and introduced her to the chief. 

"Jovic," Daniel bowed deeply and Jovic returned it. "May I introduce 
another member of SG-1, this is Major Samantha Carter. Sam, this is 
Jovic, the Hladans' Chieftain."

Still a little distracted she managed a polite smile and following 
Daniel's lead bowed slightly.

"You are most beautiful," the Chief stood up. Sam tried to take a 
defensive step backwards but Daniel was right behind her. Jovic reached 
out and took her hand, gently raising to his lips. Daniel whispered 
something soothing to her and held her shoulders. Jovic released her 
hand. "Please join us."

Sam opened her mouth to make an excuse, but O'Neill pulled up a box and 
tapped it. "Take a seat, Major."

"It is a joyous day of deliverance and we must celebrate," Jovic called 
out.

"Yes, we must." O'Neill tapped the box again. Daniel sat down across form 
Jovic and looked at Sam. She hesitated. 

"Major?" O'Neill pressed. 

Daniel flinched, //Don't push her Jack, she'll bolt.//

"Carter?" he tapped the box again and she started to sink down onto it. 
Teal'c smiled at her warmly, she smiled back. Daniel let out the breath 
he didn't realize he was holding. She pulled her knees up and wrapped her 
arms round them protectively. She felt dizzy and tried to take some deep, 
cleansing breaths. Unconsciously she was rocking back and forth her body 
stiff with tension. 

"Carter," O'Neill tried to bring her out of it. "Jovic was telling us 
about the ventilation system in the cavern."

"Sir?" She glanced over at him, her eyes dark and glistening.

"Later!" Jovic boomed, making her jump. "Now it is time to eat!" He 
passed her a plate. "You must try some blago. Killed by your friend, the 
great Teal'c!" Teal'c inclined his head accepting the compliment. It sat 
on her lap, her hands lightly touching the rim of the plate. She stared 
at the meat and swallowed hard. It didn't smell as strong as she had 
thought it would.

"It is delicious, Major Carter," Teal'c offered.

"Eat!" the chief almost pleaded. She felt dizzy, she felt guilty. They 
were starving and sharing their meal with them. She looked up at Daniel 
and Jack, they popped pieces into their mouths and started chewing. Danny 
raised his eyebrows at her. 'It's easy' his eyes said. She glanced at 
Jovic. The chief looked like he would be offended if she didn't eat some 
so slowly she forced her fingers to move. Fighting back one last wave of 
nausea, she bit into the hot steak and started chewing.

Daniel relaxed and O'Neill smirked at her. Once it was in her mouth her 
stomach took over. The nausea subsided and her stomach rumbled for more. 
It was the first roast meat she'd eaten in over a month. It tasted like 
lamb and beef at the same time. Teal'c was right, it was delicious. 

She smiled at them. Not a strained 'I'm eating this but I hate it' smile. 
More of a 'Holy Hannah, I don't believe that I'm actually doing this.' 
"It's really good, Jovic," she smiled. "Thank you." She took another 
bite. Jovic looked pleased and turned to Daniel and started asking 
questions about Earth culture.

Jack let himself watch her for a few moments as she listened to Daniel 
and Jovic talk. Suddenly she was aware of his eyes on her. She made eye 
contact with him, he smiled and patted her arm, winking at her. The 
tension in her body was gone.

"Maybe you can answer that, Sam." Daniel suddenly pulled them from their 
private exchange. 

"Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't hear, Daniel. Answer what?"

"I am curious, you are the only female warrior here, Samantha. It is 
unusual for our women to be warriors unless they have lost their husband. 
Have you had such a loss?"

"No, sir, I chose to be a warrior. In our culture both men and women are 
free to choose their career path regardless of their family situation."

"Ah," Jovic nodded. "But I have also seen you in the caves with the boxes 
of light."

"Daniel?" she asked.

"You mean a computer, Jovic. You've seem Major Carter using a computer."

"Yes, Com-pu-teer. These are not weapons, but boxes of knowledge."

Sam smiled. "You're right Jovic, I'm not just a warrior. I'm a scholar 
too. I'm working with the science team on the geology of the planet."

Jovic nodded slowly. "O'Neill, you are also a scholar?"

Daniel and Sam stifled a snigger. He shot them both a look and replied 
evenly, "I am a warrior and a leader, Jovic. I leave the science to these 
two. We work as a team."

Jovic nodded wisely. "A wise man knows his limits and uses the best of 
those around him. You are a wise man, O'Neill." Jovic bowed and O'Neill 
bowed back, giving the two smirking scientists a 'there you go,' look. 
Sam was now popping pieces of meat into her mouth like there was never 
anything wrong. Mostly she listened to Daniel and Jovic chatter and 
watched some of the dancing. She was starting to relax.

                         *******************

Fraiser let out a long and slow breath. She had watched Daniel bring Sam 
into the cavern. Watched her fight through the fear and join her friends. 
"Well done, Sam," she whispered, "cross it off the list." She slipped 
back into the tent and back to her patients.

                         *******************

12

Major Sam Carter was happy again. She was glad she'd convinced Doc 
Fraiser to let her come on this mission. Okay, so she was going back to 
the SGC tonight, unlike the rest of SG-1 but at least she was here and 
she could come back in the morning. Lunch had been a great milestone. The 
smell of cooking meat was still wafting round the cave system. It didn't 
bother her in the slightest anymore.

Max King was right. The naquadah deposits on this planet were rich and 
plentiful. Together they had checked their tests twice. They came back 
the same. "This is just amazing..." she muttered again.

"Coffee?"

Carter looked up, Daniel Jackson stood over her clutching a flask in his 
hand and some cups.

"Thanks, Daniel."

"So," he started, "you think this is for real then?"

"Yup," she smiled, "we've checked it so many times now it must be true."

"I told you, Major," King smirked, "but I knew you'd have to see it for 
yourself." 

Sam smiled at him and tapped a few keys on her computer. She took the 
offered cup.

Jackson pulled up a box to the small table they were sitting around. The 
laptop was churning away on a calculation, scrolling numbers across the 
screen. Sam and Max watched it intently and sipped their coffee. Daniel 
felt left out.

"So," he said, "having fun?"

"Sorry?" she hadn't been listening.

"Silly question, I'll come back later. Just don't forget you're due to 
leave in a couple of hours. Day pass, remember?"

She smiled and nodded, then the screen stopped scrolling they started 
reading, intently.

Daniel rose and wandered away. "She's fine," he muttered to himself.

                         *******************

John Whitney was very much the new kid on the block. Most airmen waited 
over six months before getting their first mission. He just happened to 
be on duty at the right time, and he was an expert skier. Ferretti had 
liked that when he told him. Now, after just a few short months he was on 
his first new world. He was dizzy with the enormity of it all. The beauty 
of the mountain. //Mmmn, that mountain looks just like...// Then he 
started to worry. He hadn't realized how much the ground shook when the 
gate activated. He'd not felt it on Earth. Whilst he was outside helping 
move supplies he'd got a really good look at that mountain, and he didn't 
like what he saw. But who should he tell? Who would believe him?

The rest of the special detachment to SG-2 were eating and relaxing. 
Whitney wanted to take another look at the snow, but the sentries had 
told him that without orders he'd have to go back inside the complex. 
There were animals out there, blago; bigger and nastier than polar bears. 
He wandered back and tried to think. Was he just worrying? No. 

At that point, Daniel Jackson brushed past him revealing Major Carter and 
Major King. Carter was fiddling with her computer. She'd listen. 
//Wouldn't she?//

He knew he had to say something. He took a deep breath and walked over. 
"Major Carter?" he half whispered.

Carter looked up. "Yes, Airman?"

"Excuse me, ma'am, I was wondering if you could spare me a few minutes."

"What for?"

"I think we might have a problem." 

She sipped her coffee. "What kinda problem?"

"I can't be sure without taking a closer look at the pack, but I think 
that the snow on the mountain slope might be unstable."

She raised her eyebrows. "What makes you think that?"

"There's a slope just like it in Aspen, ma'am. I was on Ski Patrol there 
for four years. It's not a classic av. slope but it went big time a 
couple of seasons ago. No one thought it would go, but it did."

"I'm sure SG-7 have thought about it, Airman?" she asked realizing she 
didn't know his name.

"Whitney, ma'am. And I don't think so, otherwise they would have looked 
at the layers. You can tell just by walking on the lower slope that 
there's soft layer under the crust. If it's like that further up we could 
have a real problem."

Sam looked at King. "Know anything about snow, Max?" she asked.

"Nope, and no one's mentioned it to me."

Carter looked at the young man before her, he couldn't be older than 20. 
He looked agitated, worried and at the same time sure of himself and what 
he was saying.

"What unit are you with?"

"Special detachment to SG-2, ma'am."

"Okay, grab your coat, let's go."

"Sam?" King questioned.

"I need some air, Max. Whitney here is gonna escort me."

                         *******************

On the way out they passed Major Ferretti. "Major? Mind if I borrow one 
of your men?"

Ferretti glanced up. "Sure, Carter," he waved them away and went back to 
what he was doing.

"Come on, let's go." Sam led the young man back through the tunnels to 
the outside. The SGC guards didn't question her as they donned their skis 
and sunglasses and headed out into the valley.

                         *******************

O'Neill hadn't been able to find her. Eventually he found Major King, who 
reluctantly told him where she'd gone. He headed straight for the cave 
entrance, steam coming out of his ears. Okay so she was feeling better, 
now she was getting cocky. He'd deal with King later. The guards 
confirmed they were outside. One of them had had the presence of mind to 
keep an eye on them and pointed to two small dots in the distance.

                         *******************

The slope started at the top of the mountain that towered above the gate. 
Beyond it, a third of the way up the mountain, the two figures had 
stopped. O'Neill pulled out his binoculars. They were cutting blocks of 
snow with their skis.

"What the hell are they doing?"

Daniel took the glasses. "Building an igloo?" he offered.

"Sierra Golf One-Two, this is Sierra Golf Niner."

The voice squawked in her ear piece. She turned, O'Neill waved. "Major 
Carter?"

"Here, sir," she waved back.

"What are you doing out there, Major?" O'Neill asked sarcastically.

"Sir, just checking something out." She sounded out of breath.

"This is an unauthorized excursion, Major." he growled. "Get your butts 
back here. Now!" 

"But sir..."

"Major," he warned, "what part of *now* don't you understand?"

"Yes, sir." She didn't need to see his face to know he was mad at her. 
She turned off her mike. "We've gotta head back, Whitney."

"Just a minute, ma'am, I'm nearly done."

"The Colonel wants us back now." She leant over and fiddled with her Ski 
boots, stalling. "Hurry up."

Whitney finished the last cut into the pack and levered the block of snow 
with his ski. It fractured just where he expected. "Shit," he said. "Oh, 
sorry ma'am."

"Forget it. Were you right?" she asked.

"Yes, ma'am. We gotta stop them from activating the gate again, look." He 
pointed up to the mountain and traced a path with his hand. "It'll 
probably start up there on that ridge. The ice will flow on top of the 
soft stuff right down the slope and into the valley." His arm traced the 
path and he ended up pointing at the Stargate.

"Major!" O'Neill's voice barked in her ear piece causing her to flinch.

"Coming, sir," she called sweetly into her mike. She turned to Whitney. 
"We're in trouble here, right?"

"Yes, ma'am. It would probably be going fast enough to bury or even wash 
away the gate."

"Get your gear, Whitney, we've gotta get back." //Before I get grounded 
for ever.//

Whitney expertly clicked his skis back on and gathered up his pack. They 
started down the mountain.

                         *******************

Carter managed a passable stop in front of O'Neill. She was more tired 
than she dared admit, even to herself. It had been a long time since 
she'd been skiing and she was out of shape. "Sir," she started, taking 
off her sunglasses.

"Major, nice little field trip?" His voice was laden with sarcasm. He 
eyed Whitney carefully. "And who's your new friend."

"Sir, this is Airman Whitney, he's part of the SG-2 detachment."

"Really," he didn't want to tell Carter off in front of a junior rank so 
he pulled her to one side and lowered his voice to a harsh whisper. "Just 
what the hell did you think you were doing out there? Don't you remember 
the part in the briefing about the bears?"

"With respect, sir, the guards were watching us, we were armed and well, 
Whitney here, might have something. You should at least listen to him."

O'Neill glanced over at the young airman. He looked terrified. "Where'd 
you find him anyway?"

"He found me, sir."

"Budding scientist trying to impress you?" he asked with a hint of 
disgust.

"No, sir. Ex-Ski Patrol who thinks we have a problem with that mountain." 
She didn't mean to snap but she wasn't sorry it came out like that. 

O'Neill eyed him again. "Well," he said starting back toward Whitney and 
Daniel, "Anything that will drag Major Carter from naquadah samples must 
be important. Whitney?"

Whitney stood to attention. "Sir."

"Well, spit it out, Airman. What's the problem?" Whitney's eyes darted to 
Carter. She threw him a 'tell him' look. Whitney resumed his stance: "The 
mountain, sir. It's an avalanche waiting to happen."

"Really?" he raised his eyebrows. "And what makes you think that?"

"Experience, sir. The pack's unstable underneath with a crusty layer on 
top. Probably right from the top of the ridge down to the lower slope. 
The whole lot could go any time, sir"

"Really," he said skeptically.

"Sir," Carter interjected, "if it does go, the Stargate is in the way." 

O'Neill looked up at the ridge. There did seem to be a lot of snow up 
there. He looked from one to the other. Carter seemed to think there was 
something in it. Maybe the kid had something and maybe he didn't but it 
wouldn't hurt to check it out. "Okay, we got four hours before the day 
units are due home, get everyone inside. Whitney, I want a reasoned risk 
assessment in five minutes. We'll meet in the main tent. Go." He motioned 
Sam to go with Whitney. "Carter, keep yourself and him outta trouble," he 
whispered to her. Fraiser would have his hide when she found out. Carter 
nodded and they slid off into the cave entrance. 

O'Neill took one last look at the mountain before trudging back to the 
cave. "Danny, Teal'c, gather up the unit commanders for me. I'm calling a 
pow-wow."

                         *******************

"Now don't panic, Whitney, just take a few seconds to think it through."

"Ma'am." He was flustered, she had to calm him down.

"Just tell him what you think might happen and how. What you said outside 
was great, keep it simple." She placed a calming hand on his shoulder. 
"Just relax. He doesn't really bite!" Whitney didn't look convinced of 
that. O'Neill had a reputation on base.

"I'm sorry if I got you into trouble, ma'am." He really looked like he 
meant it.

She placed a comforting hand on his arm, "I've been in worse trouble 
before, Whitney, and I'm sure I will again. Let's just concentrate on 
that slope, okay?"

"Yes, ma'am." He took a couple of deep breaths and looked intently at 
Carter's computer screen showing the ' UAV's video of the mountain. He 
made a few notes on his pad and drew another picture. "Okay," he said, "I 
think I'm ready."

"Then let's go." Carter led the young airman into the large main tent, 
already present were the team leaders of all the planet-side SG teams, 
and a few extras. 

"Okay, folks," O'Neill started, "Airman Whitney here thinks we have a 
problem." He waved Whitney forward. "Airman?"

"Yes, sir." He fumbled his notebook, recovered and took a deep breath 
whilst stealing a look from Carter who urged him on. "I believe that the 
Stargate is in the direct path of an avalanche zone."

That raised a few eyebrows. "What makes you think that?" Major Daziel 
asked, glancing quickly at his weatherman, Little, who shrugged. 

"Well, sir, I'm from Aspen and I grew up in the mountains, the slope out 
there is just like one that went in '98. It's not really a classical av. 
zone, but I just knew there was something wrong. You see the angle's 
right and Major Carter and I had a quick look at the snow layers on the 
lower slope and there's an unstable layer beneath the crust." Fraiser 
darted an annoyed glance at Sam. //Thank you, Airman Whitney.// Carter 
half smiled and shrugged as Whitney continued. "If it collapses the whole 
lot could come down the mountain at 100 miles an hour plus, sweep down 
through the valley and bury or even dislodge the gate."

There were some muffled curses. "What could set it off?" Major Carter 
prompted him. 

"Ma'am, anything. I mean most avs are caused by the vibration from 
skiers, but earthquakes, loud noise, gun shots, bad weather, even an 
animal or bird landing on the wrong part of the pack and whoosh."

"Did you say vibration?" Daziel asked.

"Yes sir. This is my first trip through, sir, and I didn't realize the 
Stargate caused so much vibration. And yes sir, that could set it off 
too."

"Wait a minute, I hate to be a cynic, 'cos that's really your job, Jack," 
Daniel started, "but we've already activated the gate several times from 
both ends to get us and all this stuff here. Nothing's happened so far."

Sam shot Daniel a 'Give the kid a break' look that could have killed. 
O'Neill gestured his agreement with Daniel's argument, handing the floor 
back to Whitney. 

"I said, *it could*, sir, and the triggers depend on other stuff like the 
weather. That messes with the layers and what was a stable pack this 
morning becomes unstable. Every time the gate's been activating, the 
layers are reacting to it. It's moving, settling. It's a time bomb, sir."

"Who's unit are you with?"

"SG-2 detachment, Major Daziel. Special duty." Which meant he happened to 
be on duty when they were rounding up bodies for the humanitarian effort. 
Stackers and packers. 

Daziel looked at Ferretti. "He's yours if you want him," Ferretti 
offered.

"Colonel, we don't have anyone with avalanche experience on SG-7."

"Really?"  O'Neill watched Daziel squirm.  "Whitney, you just joined the 
science corps."  Jack huffed and shook his head.  "So we have a problem, 
what do we do about it?"

"Don't activate the gate until we check out those snow layers," was 
Daziel's simple answer. 

"Okay, but what if Hammond calls us," Ferretti asked blackly.

"Move the gate?" Daniel suggested. "I mean we're sheltered in here right, 
so maybe we could move the gate inside."

"Carter?"

"Possible, sir, but it's pretty heavy. We'd need a lot of men to move it. 
It's a fairly long way and the snow's pretty deep. We should move the DHD 
inside ASAP."

"Okay, engineering, have a think about that. Anything else?"

"Sir," Little offered, "I'm picking up a weather front that looks like it 
could cause a blizzard. It was heading away from us but it changed 
direction about ten minutes ago."

"Great. When will that hit us?"

"It's moving pretty fast, sir, maybe in a few hours."

O'Neill considered the options. "Doc," he said, "how many personnel do we 
have on planet?"

"44 SGC personnel, Colonel. Twenty were due to return tonight with 100 of 
the most serious Hladans."

"How many we got stashed in here?" 

"Over 500, Colonel."

"Supplies?"

"Medical supplies for probably two days. Not quite enough blankets for 
everyone but we should double up anyway. As for food, we have maybe a day 
of MREs if we all stay. But we seem to be more efficient at killing those 
blagos, so we can easily go two days."

"Okay, let's get prepped for a long night in. Daziel, Whitney, Little and 
Carter, get your heads together. I want to know how likely it is to go 
before we think about moving the gate. We've got just under four hours 
before we're due to start sending personnel back. Hammond will be 
expecting us to call. If we don't, he might call us anytime after that. 
Meet back here in an hour."

"Sir," Whitney piped up, "it might help if one of the Hladans could help 
us. Local knowledge is real important in av. predictions. Someone who 
knows the mountain, even just what the weather's been like over the last 
couple of weeks."

"Daniel, see if you can find the local snow expert and take them to SG-
7."

"On my way, Jack." He left.

"Doc, looks like we've got us a sleep over. Is there anything else you 
need?"

"I'll get my team right on it, Colonel."

"Okay people, vacation's over, let's batten down those hatches, start 
saving fuel, and have everyone who's got them fit their suppressers. Just 
in case one of those bear things pops up, no unsuppressed weapons 
outside... Dismissed."

They all filed out until only Fraiser, O'Neill and Teal'c remained.

"Something on your mind, Doc?" He braced himself for the onslaught.

"Yes," she said, carefully considering what she was about to say. "This 
mission just changed tack in a big way, Colonel. I'd prefer if you could 
keep a *closer* eye on Major Carter. She's not 100 percent yet." He took 
the admonishment. He needed Carter to help SG-7 and the kid sort this 
out. Besides he wasn't done with her himself yet.

"She'll be fine, Doc, this is just the sort of thing she thrives on."

"Don't push her, Colonel. That's an order."

His face softened. "Yes, ma'am."

                         *******************

Daziel trooped back to the SG-7 station with Whitney and Carter in his 
wake.

"Nice job, Airman," Carter said quietly. 

"Thank you, ma'am."

"Now you've got their attention, you gotta follow through."

"Ma'am?" Whitney was looking nervous again.

"Whitney," she stopped him. "Just relax, you've done the hard part. 
Daziel and his team will listen to you. Just tell 'em what you know and 
do your job."

"What if I'm wrong?"

She hung her head in exasperation, and a little tiredness. "Whitney, if 
you are wrong, we all get to go home as planned and everyone will be 
happy. If you're not, you've probably saved a lot of lives already. It's 
called a win-win situation." He considered that.

"Come on," she said, "time to teach SG-7 something about avalanches."

                         *******************

It didn't take long for SG-7 to welcome Whitney into their circle. A 
whole team of just scientists was Jack O'Neill's nightmare command. Sam 
enjoyed double teaming him when they were working with them as much as 
she and Daniel did on regular missions. He usually shouted 'Ah!' at them 
and let them get on with it. 

Whitney settled in nicely. His father's experience as the ski patrol's 
search and rescue team leader had been passed on faithfully to the young 
man. He recounted the technical details with fluidity and poise. Every 
now and then he'd look over to her for guidance, support. She always 
managed to smile and he'd carry on. Daziel and Little got their heads 
together, Daniel brought the local mountain guide and they delved deeply 
into the history of the mountain. 

It had happened several times in the past that this one man could 
remember. At similar times of year and triggered by unknown forces. Not 
much to go on but enough for Daziel to give O'Neill the bad news before 
his time was up. Daziel wanted to look at the layers himself, so he could 
really see what was going on. They started towards the cave entrance, but 
Sam held back and whispered to Daziel. "I'd better stay here," she said. 
"Be nice to Whitney."

"Sure. Are you okay, Carter?" Daziel asked. She looked a little pale to 
him but it could be the light.

"Fine," she lied, "I'm not sure the Doc or Colonel would be too pleased 
if I go outside again. I'll hold the fort until you get back."

"You can make us a fresh pot of coffee then. See ya later." Daziel smiled 
and walked away.

Sam went back into the tent and flopped down in the only proper chair in 
the place. She was exhausted and she knew it. Teal'c entered the tent and 
stood solemnly in front of her. "Hi Teal'c," she managed brightly. "What 
can I do for you?"

Teal'c produced a rations pack and flask. He didn't say anything. 
"Fraiser?" she asked. He smiled and set the packages down on the table in 
front of her. She started to open the box. "Are you joining me?" 

"Thank you, no, I have eaten already."

"Oh. Coffee?"

"It was not Doctor Fraiser's intention that you share this meal with 
anyone. You require the full quota of nutrition for yourself."

"Geez, Teal'c, I was trying to be polite. Are you just gonna stand there 
and watch me?"

"I am."

She peeled off the top of one of the containers and stuck a fork into it. 
"Well, can you make yourself useful then, make a fresh pot of coffee for 
SG-7?" He nodded and set about the task keeping one eye firmly fixed on 
every mouthful she took. 

Field rations didn't really taste that bad, once you got used to eating 
them every week. Fraiser had managed to select one of the least obnoxious 
combinations of dinners and it was hot. She was tired and hungry so the 
food and coffee hit the spot. 

By the time SG-7 got back she was refreshed. Teal'c silently cleared away 
the wrappers and served the coffee as SG-7 shivered their way into the 
tent, peeling off their outdoor gear. None of them looked happy.

"So guys," she said, "what have we got?"

"A god damned time bomb." Daziel spluttered. "There," he pointed to the 
cornice of the mountain on the UAV pictures. "That's what'll go. We're 
gonna have to move the gate. Now."

                         *******************

13

It was only thirty minutes since O'Neill's pow-wow had ended. Daziel was 
back in the main tent, Carter, Little and Whitney behind him. "We're 
gonna have to move it, and before Hammond dials us up."

"Danny..."

"Engineering, I'm on it." He scuttled out. Being Jack's runner in times 
like these at least kept him busy. SG-11 had set up shop in the great 
main cavern, it was a bit of a trek so he jogged, wondering if someone 
was thinking about modifying the radios so that they would work 
throughout the cave complex. Least of their worries at the moment though.

                         *******************

The team leaders were soon all back in the main tent. O'Neill confirmed 
the bad news on the snow pack.

"So, let's think about this, people. Hammond is gonna dial up and we 
can't stop him, so we wait and we plan. When Earth calls us we have a 
wish list ready, anything you think we have on the base, that they can 
move through in that one 38 minute opening, that we'll need and don't 
have. We may only get this one chance so get your list to Doctor Jackson 
ASAP. Give stuff priorities 'cos we might not be able to get everything 
we want in time. And everything's gonna have to come through without 
personnel. I'm not prepared to put any more lives at risk right now."

"We could deliberately set it off, sir." Whitney said suddenly.

O'Neill glanced at Whitney in surprise. "Deliberately set it off?"

"Yes sir, it's the best way to stop a big problem forming. You set off 
little snow flows regularly, and then big flows don't get a chance to 
form."

"I thought you said we had a big problem here."

"Sir, we do, but if we moved the gate and then set it off, we could be 
reasonably sure it was safe outside."

"Okay, let's worry about that when we've got ready. Lists people.... 
Now!"

Ten minutes later Daniel had finished compiling the lists on his laptop. 
O'Neill scanned the list carefully... All the expected stuff, food, a 
bunch of fairly specific medical supplies, some gadgets for the 
engineers, more fuel for the UAV, - he'd have to check up how much they 
had left � and...

"Who put ketchup on the list?" he exclaimed aloud. Daniel smirked. 
"Dammit, Daniel, this is serious!"

"I know, Jack, but several teams requested it so I thought I should put 
it down. Besides, if we're gonna be eating a lot of blago, something to 
go with it will be a morale boost."

Carter sniggered in the corner. O'Neill glared at her before adding, 
"Personally I think a little mustard would go..."

They all smiled. "Okay Danny. You'll need to be ready with this when 
Hammond calls."

"Shouldn't be for a few more hours."

"Let's check on SG-11 and the DHD, then get something to eat," O'Neill 
added. Carter looked at her watch. "Yes, it is that time already. Aren't 
you hungry?" he asked.

"Not really, sir, I only ate an hour ago."

"Major Carter had an MRE," Teal'c supplied, lest O'Neill not believe her.

"Well, you'll not put on any weight eating those things, come on."

She opened her mouth to protest, but the look on his face said he wasn't 
taking no for an answer. She followed him out of the tent. "Colonel," she 
called to his back.

"What is it, Major?" he stopped suddenly and she almost ran into the back 
of him.

"Sir," she started, "I..."

"Spit it out, Carter."

"Sir, I appreciate what you're trying to do, but you don't have to treat 
me like a child."

He shifted his weight, and eyed his second in command carefully. "Sorry, 
kid," he said finally, then realized what he'd said. He waved his arms 
defensively. "Sorry, Carter. I didn't mean to say that. I just, well I 
know *I'm* having a hard time staying warm. You burn a lot of energy and 
you need to eat nearly the whole time."

"I know, sir."

"So what's the problem?"

Sam hung her head, exasperated.

"Sam," Daniel interrupted, "I know you've eaten already, but would you 
join us for a little supplemental snack? Maybe dessert?"

"Dessert?"

"Well, I think we have blago, blago or MREs on the dessert menu tonight." 
He smiled sweetly.

"I'm sure I could rustle up a real snow cone." O'Neill quipped, waggling 
his eyebrows at her.

"Okay, but I'm really not hungry." She moved off towards the cavern and 
the barbecue. They followed in her wake, Jack and Daniel exchanging 
glances.

"You need to refine your Sam management skills, Jack."

"Sam Management?"

"Jack, you have to let her be responsible for herself."

"I'm her CO, I give her orders, she obeys them."

Daniel shook his head. In front of them, Sam had stopped dead in her 
tracks, her hand on her stomach. "You guys go on, I'll handle this."

Sam leaned against the wall, tilting her head back and breathing deeply.

"Sam?" Daniel approached her slowly as Jack and Teal'c slipped past them.

"It's strong..." she managed.

"Yeah. The smell is pretty strong."

"Feel sick."

"You did it today already, Sam, you pushed it away... It wasn't so bad 
was it?"

"No," she muttered trying to remember how nice it felt to sit with her 
team-mates round the fire again. "Not so bad."

//Carter you're making a fool of yourself. Just go eat for crying out 
loud.//

Daniel had his hand round her shoulder. She rubbed her face. "This is 
ridiculous," she muttered, chiding herself.

"Come on," Daniel tugged lightly on her sleeve, she followed him slowly.

//Did it this morning, can do it again... No big deal, it's dinner.//

Fraiser was sitting by one of the fires, eating. Daniel guided Sam over 
to her.

"Hi, Sam!" she greeted.

"Hi," Sam managed.

"You sit here, I'll be back." Daniel scuttled away.

"Sure." Sam crumpled onto a box and drew her knees up, wrapping her arms 
around them. She glanced at Janet. "Before you ask, I feel sick. I know I 
shouldn't, but I do."

"Take some deep breaths, through your mouth. Here," she handed her a 
canteen, "sip some water."

"It's not like I haven't eaten already..." she complained. "They're 
intent on fattening me up."

"You do need to put some weight back on, Sam.  We talked about that, 
didn't we?"

"I don't need to put it all on today, do I?"

Janet smiled. "I'll have a chat with them. They're only trying to help."

"I know, but they're trying too hard!"

Daniel had joined Jack and Teal'c in line for the barbecue, he was 
stealing nervous glances in her direction. Sam blew out a long, slow 
breath. "Look at 'em." Fraiser did. "This isn't gonna go on forever is 
it?"

"Sam, just roll with it, talk to them.  Tell them if they're making you 
uncomfortable." Daniel smiled at her from across the cavern. She smiled 
back.

"Aw shit, this is the exact opposite of what I thought would happen. I 
thought they'd be so mad they'd never speak to me again. But they just 
won't leave me alone. I can't sneeze without one of them asking if I'm 
okay, like I'm gonna shatter into a million pieces or something."

"You gave them quite a scare, Sam, they're being cautious."

"Being pains in the ass, more like." 

Fraiser smirked.

"What?"

"Still feel sick?"

"No," she replied without thinking. Then she smiled a thin smile, and 
shook her head. "They make me so mad sometimes."

Fraiser smiled. "The feeling's mutual. Now, here they come."

"Sam, you okay?" Daniel asked insistently.

Sam threw up her arms.

"Sam?"

"Daniel, stop panicking and sit down," Fraiser ordered.

"Sorry." He squatted down with the two plates.

"I � am � fine! *F* � *I* � *N* � *E* *FINE*!"

"Oh," Daniel managed, holding out one of the plates. She took it, and not 
quite knowing how, demolished the lot. They looked on approvingly, until 
she glared at each one in turn.

The conversation turned to whether mustard or ketchup would go better 
with blago. As they sipped their coffee, Sam wondered quietly to herself 
if she was pleased about the potential of having to stay here. She wasn't 
sure her current sleeping patterns would be sociable enough, and it was 
cold. Her nice warm bed back at the SGC was calling her. This was going 
to be a long day.

                         *******************

14

Everyone was inside. The DHD had been moved to the cave entrance. It 
still worked. Carter had insisted they try and lock a chevron to make 
sure. Now all they had to do was wait.

                         *******************

Hammond paced his office and looked out over the gate room. It had been a 
busy time preparing for the influx of Hladan refugees, but everything was 
nearly ready and the off world SG teams were not due back for another 
hour. They would be ready.

The klaxon sounded. "Off world activation!" Sergeant Davis called out.

Hammond bolted down the stairs into the control room.

"Who is it, Sergeant?" he barked. "The day units aren't due back yet."

"We're getting an iris code now, sir. It's the Tok'ra!"

"Open the iris."

The metal iris slid open revealing the shimmering event horizon. Through 
it stepped two figures. A broad smile spread across Hammond's face and he 
bolted for the gate room.

                         *******************

A light snow was starting to fall. The wind had picked up a little, 
Paxman shivered against it. It was going to be a long watch. He tried not 
to just stare out at the gate, the sun hadn't lost any of its intensity 
and he was glad of his sunglasses. The Stargate was the only feature in 
the valley. He had to stay alert, those blago were still about. The 
Hladans insisted that there were many blago in the area. They blended so 
well with the snow it was difficult to see them from a long way off.

                         *******************

"Jimmy," he started, "When is your wife due?"

"Three days..." James Taylor let his mind wander to back home. Sally had 
had a rough time the last few weeks. If he didn't make it back for the 
big event his mother-in-law would never, ever, forgive him.

"First kid, huh?" 

"Yeah," Jimmy let himself smile, he was looking forward to being a dad. 
"I was supposed to go on leave," he looked at his watch, "two hours ago." 
He shook his head sadly. "How the hell am I gonna explain this to her 
mother. Even if I could tell her the truth, she wouldn't believe me! I'm 
toast."

"We'll have to think about that one, maybe Ferretti can come up with 
something, he's used to doing stuff like this." His friend nodded, 
unconvinced. "Hey, we were lucky to get picked, Jimmy. Some guys have 
been on base for years and never gated."

"I know, but right now I could just be happy standing post in the 
briefing room. Nice and warm, no wildlife and home time almost 
guaranteed. Man this is a crazy posting."

"Nothing like it on Earth, Jimmy." They both laughed. 

"'To explore strange new worlds...'"

"'Seek out new life forms and civilizations...'"

"'To boldly go...'" Their chorus was interrupted by the distinct rumble 
and clank of the gate. The chevrons started glowing. 

"Jimmy!" Paxman screamed, "it's activating!" His partner bolted back into 
the cave to get O'Neill.

Paxman brought his binoculars to his eyes and his radio to his mouth. The 
ground shook, the vortex splurted from the gate and collapsed back 
leaving the shimmering event horizon. He started talking into the radio 
as instructed. The rumble from the gate was replaced by another more 
sinister sound. He glanced up. The snow pack was cracking.

"Do not, repeat, do not send any personnel through the gate," he paused. 
Two figures clad in SGC parkas stepped through. "Oh shit!"

O'Neill skidded to a halt at the entrance.

"Dammit! I said..." he froze. The cracks were widening. The rest of SG-1 
and SG-7 bumped up behind him and watched, horrified, as the pack 
suddenly lost its cohesion and started the long slip down the mountain.

O'Neill grabbed the radio. "Hammond, this is O'Neill, do not, repeat, do 
not send through any more personnel. The area is not secure. We are in an 
avalanche zone."

The two figures, oblivious to the danger, waved jauntily to the gathered 
knot of SG personnel and started over towards them down the path one of 
them almost running.

"O'Neill, this is Hammond, we just sent through General Carter and 
Martouf." O'Neill glanced back at Carter as she broke from the knot and 
ran out into the valley screaming at her father and pointing upwards. 
Martouf stopped and turned first.

It was flowing down the mountain, picking up speed. The roar was 
increasing. Martouf called out to Jacob, but they were already twenty 
yards apart. He turned, looked at Martouf, the mountain and then back at 
Sam. Martouf started looking for the DHD.

Carter turned and screamed. "SEND THEM BACK!" 

"General shut down the gate we need to re-dial!"

The gate hissed shut, Martouf looked back to the cave entrance, confused.

Daniel frantically slapped the DHD symbols. The vortex spluttered from 
the gate as Martouf bolted back towards it, pointing the GDO and sending 
the iris code.

Jacob hesitated, the curtain of white was getting closer, he knew he 
wasn't going to make it back to the gate in time. He looked back at his 
daughter.

"DAD!" she screamed. Teal'c was beside her now, he tried to lead her back 
to the shelter of the entrance, she shrugged him off and started forwards 
instead. He plucked her off her feet and hoisted her over his shoulder as 
she screamed out.

O'Neill was barking down the radio, "We're trying to get them back to 
you, leave the iris open." 

Martouf paused in front of the gate looking back at Jacob. They were only 
fifty yards apart now. The rumble was getting louder. He stole a look 
behind the gate, the snow nearly upon him, the noise was deafening, but 
against it he heard Jacob shout "GO!" He took one last look and jumped 
back through. The snow hit the base of the gate and flowed relentlessly 
around the edges. Jacob resumed running along the well trodden path to 
the cave, stealing glances over his shoulder.

"General," O'Neill shouted over the increasing noise, "Don't call us, 
we'll call you!"

The base of the gate gave way to the tons of snow pressing against it and 
started shifting down the valley. The snow and ice flow continued its 
relentless hammering. Slowly, it tipped backwards and flopped down. The 
snow poured over it like it wasn't there, some of it funneling though the 
open portal.

"Shit! Close the iris!" O'Neill barked down the radio. He didn't get a 
reply. The gate disappeared completely from view in the billowing clouds 
of snow. The noise was deafening.

Teal'c dumped Carter back on her feet and kept a tight hold of her as she 
spun round, trying to head back up the trail. "DAD!" she screamed again. 

It was moving even faster now, and he couldn't run fast enough. The roar 
grew in his ears until the leading edge caught up with him 50 yards from 
the safety of the cave entrance.

"NOOOO!" her scream echoed as the flow washed over him. It pushed onwards 
funneling itself through the valley. As Whitney had predicted the flow 
coursed past them, sweeping everything a mile onto the valley floor. 

Suddenly the rumble subsided and everything fell silent.

"LET ME GO!" she fought in  Teal'c's grasp. He released her and climbed 
up the edge of the flow after her, quickly followed by the gathered SG 
teams. Whitney shouted at Paxman to fetch poles from Engineering and get 
Fraiser, then he climbed up onto the flow and looked around. The 
landscape was completely white. There were no landmarks, no sign of the 
gate and no sign of Jacob.

                         *******************

15

Carter was running as best she could, sinking to her knees with every 
step. She didn't know how but she knew he was out there, she knew she 
could find him, she would feel him if only she could get close enough.

"Dad!" she called hopefully, "DAD!".

Suddenly she stopped, and looked around.

"Major Carter!" Teal'c was beside her.

"He's here," she said, "I don't know how, but I know he's here." She 
could feel him calling out to her in her mind he was... "Over there!" she 
started moving again, further down the valley. She stopped again, moved a 
few yards away and fell to her knees, digging desperately into the snow.

                         *******************

O'Neill, Daniel and Teal'c slipped in beside her. "He's here, I can feel 
it," she gasped.  They started pulling at the compacted snow with their 
hands, digging down, throwing the snow over their shoulders and between 
their own legs. "Dad, we're coming," she was shouting. Whitney dropped 
shovels into the hole, they grabbed them and carried on digging. They 
worked in silence except for Sam's constant calling. Her hands were 
starting to hurt, but she kept going, desperate, driven, determined.

The white gave way to the dark gray-blue of an SGC parka. "DAD!" she 
called again.

They cleared the snow from around him, pulling back the hood of the 
parka, his face was bloodied. He looked dead. Carter slumped back against 
the little mountain they'd built themselves. Held her head in her arms 
and screamed in anguish.

"He's alive Sam!" O'Neill could feel a pulse. "Let's get the rest of him 
out."

There were men all around now. Pulling at the snow and tugging Jacob from 
his icy tomb. Fraiser appeared in the middle and started barking orders.

Daniel went to Sam's side and wrapped his arm round her to stop her 
falling over. She was crying openly, tears flooding down her pink cheeks. 
"Dad?" she half whispered.

Daniel pulled her closer and held her tightly. "We've got him Sam, we've 
got him."

She was shaking, her teeth started chattering. She seemed frozen stiff as 
the men pulled Jacob out and placed him on a stretcher. Teal'c took one 
end with O'Neill and Whitney on the other, Fraiser hovered beside it as 
they headed back to the cave. Daniel helped pull Sam out of the hole and 
led her after the others. 

Suddenly she felt dizzy, sick and everything blurred. She stumbled and 
fell, Daniel hoisted her up and tried to drag her back. Two more airmen 
appeared with Ferretti, who pulled her over his shoulder and carried her 
back to the caves. 

Daniel picked his way after them, breathing hard and brushing the fallen 
snow from his hair. He wrapped his arms around his body and shivered as 
he walked. Neither of them had had time to put on their extra coats. The 
wind bit into him and the snow had started to fall harder. He glanced 
back and couldn't see the hole, just white. Pure, bright, blinding white. 
An airman pulled on his sleeve urging him onwards. Behind he heard the 
roar of a blago. His legs found an extra speed. A few seconds later he 
heard a blood curdling roar and muffled gunshots as he crashed back into 
the relative warmth and safety of the cave. 

                         *******************

"Dammit, why didn't you put your coats on!" Fraiser snapped as Ferretti 
carried in Carter. Her clothes were dark and obviously wet from melted 
snow.

"Wasn't time, Doc, we just ran," O'Neill defended his team. 

"Ran yourselves into a whole lotta trouble. Get those wet clothes off, 
right now. Jason, temps."

"I am able to compensate for the temperature, Doctor Fraiser. I will have 
no ill effects," Teal'c informed her. 

Fraiser leant over Jacob and listened to his chest. She wasn't sure what 
she should do for him. Selmak should be able to handle whatever had 
happened inside, but he clearly needed warming up. Jason read the 
thermometer after it beeped. "92, ma'am."

"Teal'c, get over here," Fraiser ordered, "I need you to warm up Jacob."

"Yes, Doctor." He peeled off his outer clothing as Fraiser maneuvered 
Jacob into a sleeping bag.

"Ferretti," O'Neill barked, "make sure everyone's still inside. I don't 
wanna find out we've lost someone in that mess out there." 

The nurse stuffed the thermometer in O'Neill's ear. *Beep.* "97-8" he 
called out.

"Sam, you okay over there?" Fraiser asked. She was sitting on a box in 
the corner, too cold to shiver, her teeth chattered as she spoke. "Dad... 
I'm cold."

"Hold still, Major." Jason inserted the probe in her ear.

O'Neill knelt in front of her. "It's okay, Carter. We've got to get this 
wet stuff off you, that's why you're cold." 

*Beep.* "93-6!" 

"Jason, I need you over here. Colonel, she needs to get warm and dry, 
now." 

"Carter? Can you help me get this stuff off you?" Her hand moved slowly 
to the zipper on her light jacket. Her hands were numb and she couldn't 
grip. Jack reached up and pulled it down. "All right Carter, I'll help, 
okay?"

She nodded slowly, her eyes clouding over and bobbing shut. "Dad," she 
whispered.

"Your dad's gonna be fine, let's get you nice and warm again, huh?" He 
pulled off the jacket and was relieved to find her top was dry. He draped 
a blanket round her shoulders and stooped to undo her boots. "Carter, 
you're gonna have to stand up, kid." He half pulled her to her feet. He 
hesitated. "Doc?" he didn't want to go any further. 

"Sam," Fraiser called, "you need to take your fatigues off, honey, we'll 
get you some dry ones. Sammy! Can you do that?"

She nodded slowly, her hands moving to the belt and buttons, but she 
couldn't grip. "Too cold, sir..." she said weakly.

"Is it okay if I do it?" At her nod, he unclipped her belt and released 
the buttons and zipper. He had to stoop to pull the fatigues down. She 
rested her hands on his back as he helped her step out of them. 

She stared distantly at her father. "Dad..." she murmured.

"All right, Carter, nearly done." 

Fraiser appeared at her side. "Turn around, Colonel, and get that stuff 
off as well." 

"Oh, I'm dry under here," he assured her, "nice and toasty warm."

"Then you're just the man she needs. Get your outside gear off and get in 
that bag over there." Fraiser pulled off Sam's wet thermals and dried her 
off with a towel. Jason returned with dry replacements and helped support 
the bewildered woman as Fraiser dressed her, complete with woolly hat. 
Then she steered Sam to the bag with O'Neill. Sam climbed in without 
hesitation. "Oh, sir," she said sleepily, "you're so warm..."

O'Neill wrapped his arms around her in the bag as she wriggled into him. 
"Sweet." He paused as her body leeched heat from him. "Major, you're an 
ice cube."

"Sorry sir," she mumbled.

Fraiser took her temperature again. She examined the readout critically 
just as Paxman brought in a shivering Daniel Jackson. "Found him outside, 
ma'am."

Fraiser threw up her arms. "Do you guys have any brain cells between 
you?" Daniel looked drenched from head to foot. His glasses had steamed 
up so he had to look over them at her as he stood shaking, his arms 
wrapped tightly round himself. 

"Oops."

"I'll give you *oops*. It's not like I don't have enough to do here 
already." Fraiser shook her head. "Jason, sorry." Jason unzipped his own 
jacket as Fraiser advanced on Daniel. 

Within minutes of coming off the flow, they were all snuggled up in her 
medical tent. 

Teal'c reported Jacob's temperature was rising steadily. O'Neill and 
Carter looked very comfortable and Sam was dozing peacefully. Daniel and 
Jason managed to get a little aquainted before Daniel nodded off as well.

Fraiser sat on a box in the middle of the tent and just looked at them. 
No one else on the flow had managed to get themselves that cold and wet. 
//What the hell did they think they were doing?// Her eyes fell on Jacob 
and then his daughter sleeping sounding in the arms of her CO. //No time. 
Now there's plenty of time.//

                         *******************

Martouf was caught in his own mini avalanche. After jumping through the 
gate and arriving safely in the embarkation room, he was swept down the 
ramp by a funnel of snow and ice.

Hammond had been torn as to if he should close the iris. Where was Jacob? 
Then he heard O'Neill shout and gave the order. Jacob must still be 
there. Medics were called and the marines on guard starting digging in 
the snow.

                         *******************

Ferretti came back and reported everyone was inside during the avalanche. 
No further casualties. The sun was setting and the blizzard had gotten 
worse. Jimmy and Paxman had shot another blago which they had brought 
inside to the main cavern. //Breakfast,// O'Neill mused. He wanted to 
call a meeting with the unit commanders but Fraiser wouldn't let him 
leave, so they came to the medical tent and discussed their options.

                         *******************

"There's no sign of the gate at all, we're gonna have to find where it is 
before we try and dig it out," Daziel informed him. "The blizzard's gonna 
make everything look different and could add a few extra feet of snow by 
morning. We'll have to wait and see. Whitney's put out some pole markers 
so we'll be able to tell how deep the fresh layer is."

"Are we at risk of another avalanche any time soon?"

Whitney shook his head. "I doubt it ,sir. Maybe in a couple more days, or 
if the blizzard gets worse but it wouldn't go so far. We're safe on the 
flow for the moment."

"How deep is it right now?"

"'About twenty feet, sir," Whitney said quietly.

"And the gate's at the bottom?"

"Probably."

"Okay, so, bright ideas for finding it?"

"Sir," Max King spoke up, "we might be able to find it with the survey 
instruments, they pick up the EM field of the naquadah."

The body in his arms shifted and a whisper escaped. "No, Max."

"Carter?" O'Neill shook her a little. "Why, no?"

She didn't open her eyes, just buried herself deeper into him. "Ore," she 
whispered. 

King understood. "She's right, the ore is too pure, it'd be like looking 
for a needle in a pile of pins with a magnet. Too much interference."

She nodded. 

"Sam, you got any bright ideas?" O'Neill asked her.

"Dial up. Like Eddora."

O'Neill looked confused. "Yes, Carter," Daziel agreed, "that'll probably 
work."

Jack shot Daziel the look he normally reserved for Sam. //How?//

"Sir, when the Eddoran gate was buried the molten naquadah formed an iris 
over the gate. The particle beam generator Major Carter built super 
heated some of the naquadah and formed a tiny cavity of gas just big 
enough to let the vortex form. When we re-dialed real quick the gas let 
the vortex expand and that formed the cavity Teal'c went into."

"Okay," O'Neill got most of that. 

"Well, sir, snow's not solid, there should be enough space for the vortex 
to start forming and  this time the gate's not that deep so the vortex 
should punch through the surface. All we have to do then is dig it out, 
and that's your problem, Gilbert." 

Major Gilbert smiled. "We're working on a plan for righting the gate now, 
sir. We're gonna need to get some trees and build some sort of lift but 
we can do it. We'll need bodies to help, but it's do-able."

O'Neill relaxed. So they had a plan, the area was fairly safe and no one 
was seriously hurt.

"Okay so we dial up, and see where that gets us." His officers nodded in 
agreement.

Fraiser jumped in before they could further their plans. "We can't do 
much in this storm, Gentlemen, and I am not prepared to risk more 
hypothermia cases or injuries from those blago. It's been a long and 
trying day, I suggest we all settle down and get some rest." It wasn't a 
suggestion, and her stare at O'Neill indicated she'd pull medical rank on 
him if he didn't go along.

"Doc's right, we got a lot to do tomorrow, there's no immediate rush so 
let's hunker down. Ferretti, can you organize the watches, make sure 
everyone gets a good six hours sleep. Leave SG-7 and 11 off the rota. I 
want your guys clear headed tomorrow." Daziel and Gilbert nodded.

"Good job today, people. We're not in bad shape. Dismissed." They started 
to leave. Whitney hovered by the door. "Whitney?" O'Neill called him 
over.

"Sir?"

"Come here, son. We need to have a chat. Pull up a box." 

Whitney did as he was told and sat stiffly, looking at Carter's sleeping 
face. "You saved a lot of lives today kid. We couldda had hundreds out 
there."

Whitney nodded. "Sir," he paused. He was looking at his second in 
command. 

"She'll be fine in the morning, Whitney, she just got a little cold."

"Sir, Major Carter shouldn't have got hypothermia so quickly, is she 
still sick?"

"She's just tired, Airman," Fraiser interrupted, "she needs some rest."

"Yes, ma'am."

"Whitney, you did good son, you spoke up and made us listen. I like that 
in a man."

Whitney managed a half smile. "Thank you, sir, but it was Major Carter 
who you listened to."

He was right. "Somehow you don't strike me as the kinda guy who would 
have taken no for an answer, Whitney."

Whitney smiled. "With this, sir? Probably not."

"Well we all lucked out then. You're gonna have to check that slope in 
the morning, so clear off and get some shuteye."

"Yes sir." Whitney rose and left.

Fraiser flopped into a chair she had scrounged from SG-11. "Doc?"

"Yes, Colonel," she replied tiredly. 

"You got yourself a sleeping buddy yet?"

"Yes, Colonel, I do."

"They must be lonely, Doc." He smiled at her. "I'll keep an eye on things 
in here for you, get some rest."

She rose from the chair checked all their temperatures one last time and 
left the tent. 

                         *******************

She was laying in his arms facing away from him. It started slowly just 
odd movements. She moaned once or twice, so quietly he would have hardly 
noticed if she wasn't so close.

He knew what was happening. He removed his arms to see if that would 
help, but it didn't. The movements became jerkier. Suddenly she twisted 
completely around, thrashing in the bag. There wasn't room with two 
inside and she was kicking him. Kicking him pretty hard. The moaning was 
getting louder. Fearing she'd wake the whole tent and do some serious 
damage to him he gently shook her awake.

She gasped as he brought her back to consciousness.

"Carter," he whispered, "it's okay, just a nightmare."

He rubbed her arms reassuringly as she took some deep breaths trying to 
push the images from her mind. She was losing. She turned over and 
covered her face with her arm. 

"Carter?"

"Sir?" she breathed.

"Do you wanna talk about it?"

She shook her head under her arm.

"Okay," he felt awkward, in the way. He figured she wanted to be alone 
for a while. Not easy when you're sharing a sleeping bag with your CO. "I 
should go check on things," he whispered. "You be okay here for half an 
hour?" She nodded, still under her arm. "Okay."

He got out and piled the blankets back over her. She hardly moved. She 
was hiding from him.

"You want anything? Coffee? Drink? Midnight snack?" he asked, putting his 
outside clothes back on. She sniffed and shook her head again.

"Okay, I'll be back in about half an hour." 

He moved to the door and glanced back. She curled into a tight ball 
burying her head under the blankets. She was shaking, crying. But she 
didn't want him to see her like that and he had no right to loiter. He 
checked his watch and left.

                         *******************

Ferretti was still up. He was keeping the troops occupied, alert. 

"Morning, Major, how's the weather?"

"Been getting worse, sir. Take a look if you like, but there's not much 
to see."

O'Neill zipped up his jacket and popped his head out the cave entrance. 
The snow was falling heavily and a strong wind was blowing the loose snow 
around in an impenetrable blizzard. He went back inside and brushed the 
snow from his hair. "Sweet."

"I was just about to turn in, Colonel. These guys are the new watch." 
O'Neill nodded to them. "Stay sharp, kids, those blago might be looking 
for shelter." 

"Yes sir," they replied, in unison.

O'Neill signaled Ferretti to follow him back into the complex. "How's 
everyone holding up?" 

"Good, sir, we've got another watch planned for four hours time, they 
should see the sun rise. Everyone else is tucked up snug as a bug."

"Good work, Louis," he noticed the lights were off in SG-11's and SG-7's 
tents. "You even got the techies to bed." 

Ferretti smiled. "Except for Whitney, sir." Ferretti pointed to a small 
fire still burning in the center of the cave. Two men were huddled around 
it, they were kneeling on the floor, clearly working on something. 

"What the hell? I told him to get some sleep. He's gonna have to check 
the flow in the morning and..."

Ferretti laid a hand on his CO's arm. "Aren't you gonna ask what they're 
making?" 

"Making?"

"Come on, I'll introduce you to Whitney's new friend."

The two officers made their way through the debris of lifeless fires to 
the two hunched figures. Whitney was laughing. The other man was slightly 
older, his hair long, face thin and drawn with a scrawny beard. "One of 
the Hladans?" Jack asked.

"Yes sir, Jovic's son, Jannik. You met him this afternoon."

As the two officers approached, Jack noticed there were bones and pieces 
of hide lying in odd piles around them. Whitney held up his effort. 
Jannik laughed. "It is better than the first and they will do the job, 
John, but..."

"Jannik, Whitney?" Ferretti said.  The young man bolted to attention as 
Jannik bowed slightly to O'Neill.

O'Neill waved Whitney down. "As you were Whitney. Whatcha doing?"

"Sir, making a pair of snow shoes, sir." He held them up. "Well trying 
to..." What looked like blago rib bones had been tied together with blago 
hide stretched over the frame and laced tight. One looked less rickety 
than the other.

Jannik smiled. "This one requires more work."

"Thought I told you to get some sleep, Whitney."

"Sorry sir, couldn't sleep. Figured I might as well do something useful. 
These will come in handy out there, sir. I was thinking, that's why Major 
Carter got so wet. The snow was too soft, she just sunk in. We should 
probably all make some, sir. Jannik here showed me their bone store. They 
don't take long."

Whitney handed his second effort to O'Neill. 

"You've probably got something there, Whitney, but right now it's sack 
time. And this time I'm making it a direct order. Got that?"

"Yes, sir." He turned to Jannik and bowed slightly. "Thank you, Jannik, 
can we continue in the morning?"

Jannik returned the bow. "We shall." He nodded to the two officers and 
started back to his family's tent. Whitney acknowledged the officers 
himself and went back to his own tent, taking his newly constructed snow 
shoes with him.

O'Neill sank down onto a box and warmed his hands on the fire. Ferretti 
joined him. "Where did you find that kid, Louis?"

"Just hanging out at the SGC, sir, like most of em."

"How are they doing?" Ferretti considered his CO's question. The special 
detachment had been assembled at very short notice. They had all been at 
the SGC for a few months, but none of them had gated and, had 
circumstances not necessitated their quick deployment, most of them 
probably never would have. 

"Good, sir, they're all taking it pretty well."

"Any problems?"

Ferretti shook his head. "Not right now, but I have a storm brewing for 
when we get back."

Jack raised his eyebrows. "How so?"

"Taylor, sir. He has what can best be described as a domestic disaster 
waiting to happen. I assigned him to the day unit because his wife's just 
coming to term and he has the mother-in-law from hell. Thinks he and the 
Air Force are not good enough for her daughter. She's had a rough time 
with the baby, been in hospital for a while. He's supposed to be on leave 
for the birth, like now."

"Oops."

"Yeah, he asked me if I could come up with a plausible cover story for 
him."

Jack smiled despite himself. "Sounds like the type that wouldn't believe 
the truth even if he could tell her."

"Something like that."

"Okay, we'll deal with that when we get back. Anything else?"

"Nope, everyone's pulling together. We got ourselves a pretty good set up 
here."

"Good..." O'Neill's eyes drifted back to the medical tent.

"Sir?"

"Yeah?"

"Is Major Carter okay?"

"Sure, Louis, she just got a little cold, she'll be fine."

"That's not what I meant, sir. She's been kinda distant lately." Ferretti 
gazed at his CO who shook his head. //Don't ask me that!//

"Sorry, sir, none of my business. If you'll excuse me I'll turn in." 
O'Neill nodded and Ferretti slipped away. 

                         *******************

O'Neill remained at the fire staring deeply into the flames. He checked 
his watch, it was two a.m., he'd been away for twenty five minutes. 
Slowly he wandered back to the tent. Daniel and Jason were soundly 
asleep. Teal'c and Jacob were both out for the count. She turned as he 
entered the tent. He smiled and squatted down by the cot. "Okay, Major?" 
her eyes were red and puffy, she nodded.

"Yes, sir. Thanks."

"The blizzard's gotten worse, we can't do anything until the morning. You 
should get some sleep."

"You too, sir. Sorry if I kicked you, I..."

"It's okay, Carter, no harm done." He bounced on his heels. "You want me 
to find another buddy?"

She shook her head, smiling. "No sir, I'm freezing already." She started 
moving the blankets off the top of her and unzipping the bag.

"Okey dokey." He peeled off the thick thermal gear and slipped back into 
the bag with her. She immediately snuggled her back into his warm body.

"Sorry I woke you earlier, sir," she whispered. 

"Not your fault, Major. I know what it's like. Do you wanna talk about 
it?"

She shrugged and the silence settled. They could hear Daniel snoring 
softly, the crackle from the fire in the cavern. He thought she'd drifted 
off to sleep when she started whispering, "They kept shouting at me, sir, 
like they wanted to know something. I just didn't know what it was. Then 
they got really mad. When I figured out what they were up to I tried to 
fight them. They just kept on at me. The harder I fought the harder they 
kicked. It hurt so bad I thought I wasn't gonna make it. So I stopped. I 
just stopped fighting and let them do what they wanted to do."

"Carter?"

"I *let* them rape me," her voice was breaking. "I just gave in and let 
them do that to me. I could have kept fighting, but I just gave in."

O'Neill fought the wave of nausea and disgust that surfaced again. She 
had been right, he would have done something stupid. The anger burned 
deeply within him. She didn't need that. Not now. "If you had kept 
fighting, Carter, what do you think would have happened?"

She shrugged, wiping her eyes again on the blanket.

"They probably would have beaten you to death, Major. I've watched men 
die like that and I don't recommend it."

"Sir?"

He rubbed her arms gently. "Iraq, Carter. I lost some good friends like 
that and I almost lost myself. They're all the same, Major, they'll try 
and get to you anyway they can, try and break you."

"I know, sir." 

"You're a survivor, Carter. You did what you had to do to survive that 
place. Just like the rest of us. And we won, cos we all came home. We all 
survived." She nodded considering his words.

"I can't tell Daniel," she whispered, "I don't think he'd understand."

"Danny's a survivor too, Carter. He's had more than his fair share of 
lousy experiences but he keeps going. He's still with us. He's a survivor 
too, don't write him off. He cares about you a lot. We all do."

"I know."

There were a few moments of silence.

"Thank you, sir"

He squeezed her gently. "You're welcome, Major." 

"Good night, sir." She pulled the blankets tightly around them.

"Good night, Major," he said, closing his eyes. "Sweet dreams."

                         *******************

16

She drifted awake, aware of the dim light and soft warmth behind her. She 
turned slowly, coming face to face with her CO. The memories came 
flooding back and she leaned over to see if her father was awake too. Her 
eyes met in the darkness with the burly Jaffa.

"Hey, Teal'c," she said sleepily, "is he still asleep?"

Teal'c nodded. "He is, Major Carter, though he woke briefly in the night. 
Selmak is quite weak and his recovery may take some time."

Carter wanted to get up and go to him, but Jack had wrapped his arms 
round her and she didn't think she could extract herself without waking 
him up. Besides, it was warm in here and she liked being warm.

"Did he say much?"

"Only that our welcome was 'a little excessive.'" There was a glint in 
his eyes and Carter smiled despite herself. 

"Sounds like he'll be okay," she said almost to herself.

"Your father apologized for his tardiness, however he asked me not to 
wake you."

"That's okay, Teal'c, we can talk later, thanks."

O'Neill stirred behind her and tightened his grip on her. "Err, sir," she 
started, feeling the breath being pushed out of her. "Colonel?"

He spluttered awake, apologizing and rubbing his eyes.

"It's okay, really sir."

"You sleep okay?" he asked.

She nodded. "Better, thanks."

"Anytime, Carter. Now, shall we discuss your reckless behavior in the 
snow yesterday?"

"Sorry, I should have put my outside gear on."

O'Neill agreed with her. "Don't do it again, Carter. Fraiser will have 
your hide."

"Mine too I guess." Daniel had stirred and was rubbing his eyes. He 
fumbled around looking for his glasses. Fraiser had hung them on a loop 
above him. He slipped them on letting the world slide back into focus. 
"Still, all in one piece?"

They agreed. "What time is it?" Sam couldn't be bothered to extract her 
arm from the warmth of the bag. 

O'Neill squinted at the dial of his watch and sighed. "Oh-Five hundred." 

Daniel moaned. "I'm going back to sleep, Jack."

"I'd better check on the troops." He started moving out. 

"I do not require further rest, Major Carter, perhaps you could take over 
from me here and I will assist Colonel O'Neill."

"Good idea, Teal'c." She waited for Teal'c to get out, then hopped from 
one bag to the other. 

"Hi, Dad," she said settling in, wrapping her arms around him. Teal'c 
piled the blankets back on top of them and tucked them in gently.

"Get some more sleep kids, I'm not rousing the troops till at least 0700. 
Catch some more ZZs."

"Yes, sir."

"Sure, Jack," Daniel was almost asleep again anyway.

                         *******************

The blizzard hadn't stopped yet and if anything it had gotten worse. 
There were two new sentries and O'Neill realized he hadn't been on a 
mission with them before. They were SG-2 special detachment. Alert kids, 
but kids all the same. They'd been talking when he arrived.

"Any more blago?"

"No sir, just the one last night Paxman got."

"Breakfast," O'Neill informed them. "Stay sharp."

"Yes, sir." 

O'Neill and Teal'c wandered back to the main cavern and settled round the 
fire. Someone had built it up again and it was burning nicely. 

"General Carter does not know about his daughter's ordeal, O'Neill." 
Teal'c said finally.  "There is no doubt he will not take the news well."

"Ya think?"

                         *******************

The older man stirred slightly as she tightened her grasp and tried not 
to show she was crying. She wasn't sure why she was crying, only that she 
didn't want him disturbed by it. He'd start asking questions. Ones she 
didn't want to answer. His arm moved around her waist and she snuggled 
into his body. "It's okay, Dad, you can sleep now. We don't have to get 
up yet."

"Sammy?" he said sleepily. She looked up into his eyes. "Hi," he said. 
"Been a while."

She laughed a little. "Yeah, over two months, Dad. Where the hell have 
you been?"

He coughed. She bolted upright and leaned over him protectively. "Dad? 
Are you okay?"

The cough subsided and he nodded, smiling. "Saving the galaxy kinda takes 
it outta you."

She laid back down and rested her head on his chest again. "I'm sorry we 
didn't come sooner Sam. We couldn't. You understand? Martouf told me as 
soon as we returned to the Tok'ra. We came straight away."

She felt something else in his words. "You were sick when you came." 

He nodded. "Selmak's been working on it. Wasn't quite expecting a 
welcoming committee like that."

She smiled. "Sorry dad, we weren't expecting anyone to come straight 
through. Wasn't in the plan."

Her father raised his eyebrows. "You knew it was gonna happen?"

"We knew it might. And it did. You okay now?"

"Still got a lot of work to do but we'll be fine in a couple of days."

Her eyes were bobbing closed, she was still tired. "Let's get some sleep, 
Dad. We can talk later."

Jacob reached out to his daughter with his mind, he felt an overwhelming 
sense of exhaustion and something else. 

"Is everything okay, Sam?" he asked.

"Yeah, Dad.  Let's just rest for a while."

Selmak agreed with Sam that they should rest and Jacob succumbed to the 
drowsiness, holding tightly to his daughter.

A single tear escaped her eye and was absorbed by the blankets. She 
closed them, lest more escape, and wondered if she could bring herself to 
tell him the truth. She would, but not now.

                         *******************

The lights came on in SG-11's tent first. Gilbert emerged a few minutes 
later with the breakfast barbecue lighting crew. They built the fire up 
under their grills. Slowly the cavern drifted into life. The Hladan women 
set about preparing the meat for the BBQ. The little fires were rebuilt 
and life returned.

                         *******************

O'Neill called the morning meeting in the medical tent. Fraiser was 
tending Jacob and wouldn't budge. She let Sam get up. Her temperature was 
back to normal and she seemed alert enough. Daniel had volunteered to 
warm Jacob for a while. For some reason he couldn't keep his eyes open. 
O'Neill couldn't think of a reason to make him get up yet, and he needed 
Carter to work with the techies.

                         *******************

Carter was now fully in control of her faculties and immediately put the 
dampers on their plan formulated the night before. "On Edorra the 
Naquadah was superheated by the meteor, it formed an iris just above the 
event horizon because the gate was open. We shut the gate down before it 
was buried. Unless there's enough space between the snow and ice 
particles the vortex won't form." It was obvious and a crushing blow. 

"The snow will compact as soon as it stops flowing. It hardens," Whitney 
added glumly.

"Like a cover stone. Shit," Ferretti muttered.

"Okay, so what do we do, Carter?"

"Well it's worth a try sir. If nothing else, locking the chevrons will 
make a noise we can use to home in."

"Right, okay. That storm's still dumping snow out there. Little, any news 
on that?"

Little shook his head. "Can't say, sir, could last two more minutes or 
two more days. Can't launch the UAV right now, wouldn't be able to see 
enough to fly it. Sorry, sir."

"Okay, SG-7, your mission is to find that gate. SG-11, you need a plan of 
how to get it out of the snow and working. Ferretti, SG-2 is on survival 
duties, I wanna know what we need and where you think you can get it. 
Then we'll assign units for scrounging. We're probably gonna be here for 
another night so we need to get organized. Anyone else not doing 
something, get them making those snow shoes... I think we're gonna need 
them."

                         *******************

17

The tent was really only big enough for three to sleep comfortably but 
Fraiser wanted people to buddy up and save heat, it was going to be 
another long and cold night. Carter didn't want to be cold. She *hated* 
being cold. She'd made two pairs of snow shoes today, it had become a 
competition. Her sewing was better than most, but all that sitting around 
hadn't done much to help keep her warm, and now she had three hot water 
bottles in her sights.

                         *******************

Daniel and Jack were already inside, settling themselves. She stuck her 
head in the entrance.

"Hi, guys," she said brightly. "Mind if I bunk with you? Dad doesn't need 
a buddy."

O'Neill waved her in. "Sure Major, always room for you." She pushed in 
her sleeping bag. Daniel took the extra blankets from her whilst she 
crawled into the bag, settling between them. Together they arranged the 
blankets over the top.

Teal'c popped his head through the door. "Over here, Teal'c." He picked 
his way over them to the side and crawled into his bag. 

"Goodnight, Jim Bob." Teal'c said solemnly, bypassing the normal routine. 
They all cracked up, wished each other goodnight and settled down.

A couple of hours later, Teal'c was deep in Kel-no-reem and O'Neill was 
snoring softly. Sam was lying on her back, staring up at the roof of the 
tent. 

"You okay, Sam?" Daniel asked.

She turned and shook her head. "Can't sleep," she whispered, "I'm 
freezing." 

"Doesn't bring back great memories for me either," O'Neill muttered. He 
was awake too.

Sam looked over to him. He was lying on his side facing away from her. 

"Thought you were asleep, sir. Sorry if I woke you."

He turned over to face her. "Two can play at that game, Carter. So, feel 
like talking?"

She shrugged. "I'm just cold. I hate being cold."

"Me too," O'Neill agreed, but his eyes pressed her to keep talking.

She shivered and wriggled pulling the sleeping bag tighter round her.

"Hey, Danny, shuffle over here." O'Neill twisted himself round and 
wrapped his arms around Carter. "Let's make us a Carter sandwich." She 
laughed as Daniel snuggled in on the other side just resting his arm over 
her body under the blankets. 

She wriggled again, snuggling into them both. "How come you guys are so 
warm?" she whispered. 

"Must be our glowing personalities."

She stifled a giggle, rested her head on Jack's chest, and closed her 
eyes contentedly as the heat seeped into her. She felt at peace and was 
so tired. But there was one more thing. Did she want to talk?

"Dad still doesn't know what happened." 

"Do you want to tell him?" Daniel asked.

She sniffed in the darkness and a small, "I don't know," escaped from her 
lips in a half whisper.

Daniel's arms found their way to her face, he wiped the tears away. "It's 
all right, Sam."

She shook her head. "Telling you guys was just so hard, I don't know if 
I'm ready..." her voice trailed off.

Jack rubbed her arm. "I'll do it, Carter. He's gonna have a lot of 
questions. I'll handle it."

She thought about it. "He's gonna be mad at you, sir, even though he 
shouldn't." It was a warning he didn't need. 

"However he finds out, kid, he's not gonna like it. It might be better 
coming from me. Besides, you shouldn't have to keep reliving this. I can 
tell him," he offered.

She fought back the tears, pulling his arm around her. "Thanks." 

He squeezed her gently. "No problem. Now we got a busy day tomorrow, 
let's get some sleep."

She wriggled again between Daniel and Jack and settled under the covers 
between them. It was warm and cozy. She felt so safe sandwiched between 
them, and she could feel that Teal'c was close by too. The tiredness and 
exhaustion nipped at her consciousness and she was soon soundly asleep. 
Daniel's and Jack's eyes met in the darkness. Jack gave him a thin smile 
and closed his eyes. His mind drifting.

                         *******************

She awoke suddenly, aware that there were two people lying so close she 
was almost being crushed. Her heart was pounding in her head. She had a 
sudden sensation of claustrophobia. She gasped trying to catch her 
breath. It was very dark, she could feel Teal'c was there though she 
couldn't see him. She pushed one of the men gently, he flopped away. She 
recognized the mop of hair as Daniel moaned softly. She clamped her hand 
over her mouth and tried to slow her breathing as waves of nausea swept 
over her. She couldn't hold it.  Gasping, she bolted for the exit and 
emerged into the cooler cave air. She fell to her knees in a corner, 
retching.

"Sam?" Daniel whispered from behind her, he rubbed his eyes sleepily. 
"Sam, you okay?"

She turned slowly to face him and shook her head silently then turned 
away and carried on throwing up. Daniel knelt down and put his arm around 
her, and pulled her hair back from her face. "It's okay, Sam," he 
whispered reassuringly. "It's okay."

When she had nothing left, she hung her head and wiped her mouth with the 
back of her hand, disgusted with herself. She cursed and took several 
deep breaths. Her spinning head slowed, she forced a calmness over 
herself, regaining control.

Finally she looked up at her friend. "Nightmare," she said simply. "Okay 
now."

Daniel smiled at her and offered her a canteen of water. As she washed 
out her mouth and sipped the warm liquid as Daniel ducked back into the 
tent and grabbed their coats. He nodded at the awake Teal'c and O'Neill. 
"I got it," he said simply then he was gone.

When he came back Sam was sitting on the floor, cross-legged, her head 
drooping.

"Hey, you'd better sit on this." He shoved a box beside her. 

She lifted herself onto it and held her head. "This is stupid," she 
muttered.

Daniel draped her coat around her shoulders. "It's okay," he said. "It's 
not stupid, you've got a lot on your mind." He pulled up his own box.

She nodded. "This was supposed to be a simple mission, nice and easy."

Daniel smiled. "Nothing's ever simple at the SGC, Sam, you know that. 
We're making it up as we go along. This is just another little 
adventure."

She glared at him. "I wasn't looking for adventure, Daniel. I was looking 
for easy."

Daniel raised his eyebrows. "Doesn't sound like you, Sam."

"Not been myself recently. Hadn't you noticed?" Her voice was so heavily 
laced with sarcasm, it could have been Jack talking.

"I had, actually," Daniel replied as innocently as possible.

Sam shivered.

"You gonna come back to bed? It's cold out here."

She shook her head. "I need a few minutes Daniel, you go ahead. I'll be 
right in."

"You're sure?"

"Yeah."

"If you're not back in 10 minutes I'll send out a search party."

Sam shrugged. "Where the hell am I gonna go?"

"See you in a while." Letting his hand linger on her shoulder for a few 
seconds, their eyes met and she smiled weakly. He left her there alone 
and crawled back into the tent.

Jack's eyes shone in the darkness. "She all right?"

Daniel nodded as he got back into his sleeping bag. "She just needs a few 
minutes."

They lay awake, listening to the fire crackle softly, almost drowning out 
the muffled sobs. Just when Jack couldn't stand it any longer they 
subsided.

Carter blew her nose softly, downed the rest of the water and headed back 
to the tent. As she crawled back in the men moved to make room between 
them.

"Sorry guys," she said quietly, as she zipped herself in.

"Carter," O'Neill began.

"It was a nightmare sir, the whole thing was a god damned nightmare." She 
rolled onto her side and pulled the jacket she was using as a pillow 
down, tucking her arm under it. 

The silence hung in the darkness as O'Neill struggled for something to 
say. "Carter," he started again.

"I'm tired and I'm cold. Can we just go back to sleep, please?" Her voice 
broke halfway through. Daniel reached out and pulled her into his arms, 
she didn't resist. "Thanks," she whispered. 

                         *******************

Fraiser was wandering the complex partly taking a mental break, partly 
returning to a former worry. The complex wasn't so big you could get lost 
that easily, especially the section where the SGC had set up shop. Her 
patient had to be round here somewhere...

After last night, Daniel and Teal'c had been hovering protectively all 
morning. They had brought her breakfast in their tent. They all ate the 
MREs together. Sam had picked at the food unenthusiastically until 
O'Neill threatened to confine her to the medical tent if she didn't eat 
up. He also made it an order. It didn't change the speed she ate, only 
her persistence. She was tired and despite that didn't want to be cooped 
up anywhere. She knew she had to eat. She was having trouble staying 
warm. After finishing breakfast she cleaned herself up, brushed her teeth 
and downed a second large mug of coffee. It was 10:00 hrs and she was 
starting to feel human again. 

Fraiser slid down in front of the fire next to Sam.

"Hey," she said lightly, "how you doing?"

Sam shrugged wondering if Daniel had told her. "I was sick last night," 
she admitted. "Damned nightmares."

Fraiser warmed her hands at the fire. "Get much sleep?"

Sam nodded. "Few hours each side. The guys were great about it." She 
smiled wistfully. "Even got breakfast in bed this morning."

Fraiser smiled. "Better not get used to that, Sam."

She nodded. "I know."

"Sam, are you always sick with the nightmares?"

Carter stifled a shudder and nodded. "Pretty much."

"Why don't you try and eat your three meals earlier in the day, don't 
have anything heavy after about 6, just a little snack if you're hungry." 
Fraiser shrugged. "See if that helps."

Carter nodded. "I hate throwing up. It's hard enough to eat in the first 
place right now. I should at least get something from it."

"Well, try that and we'll see how you go. Little and often might work 
too, but we'll save that for when we get back home."

Sam nodded and looked the doctor in the eye. "I am okay, Janet," she 
answered. "The guys are really looking after me. Colonel O'Neill even 
ordered me to finish my breakfast this morning, then made me have a lie-
in."

Fraiser smiled. A silence hung in the air.

"Dad still asleep?" Carter changed the subject.

Fraiser nodded. "Out like a light. He woke up, asked for some water, 
drank a couple of pints and crashed out again. He said, 'Hi', by the 
way."

Sam nodded. "He also said he would probably be out for another twenty-
four hours." Sam nodded again. "He's gonna be okay Sam, he and Selmak 
just need to rest some more."

"I've missed him..."

Janet patted her leg gently. "I know, he's missed you too." Carter gave 
the doctor a thin smile. "You know, when we get home, you two should take 
a vacation."

Sam smiled. "Some place warm!" They both laughed.

"Well, how 'bout I check you out?"

Sam shrugged. "Better ask my minder." She indicated to Teal'c who was 
meditating nearby.

Fraiser called out to him, he acknowledged her with a nod as the women 
rose.

"That blizzard is starting to get on my nerves," Fraiser began as they 
walked back to the main cave.

Sam shrugged. "Might go on for a while yet, how's things at the 4077?" 
Sam pointed to Fraiser's medical tent as it came into view. Fraiser 
smiled, SG-11 had put the sign up yesterday "4077MSGCH".

"Give them much more down time, they'll have a sign with SGC 50,000 Light 
years, Chulak, 40." 

Sam smiled knowingly. Gilbert had checked with her this morning. 
"Actually it's 15 and 28."

"You would know that though wouldn't you? Come on in." Fraiser let the 
woman into the tent. There were a couple of empty cots. "Why don't you 
hop in there to keep warm while I get ready."

Sam started undoing zips and fasteners. Once she was in, Fraiser started 
her exam, just exposing the part she needed. She finished with blood 
pressure. She frowned as she pulled off the cuff. Sam poked her arm back 
under the covers.

"What's wrong?"

Fraiser made some notes on her chart. "BP's a little high Sam, I'd like 
to do it again when you've been resting for a while."

"Okay."

"I'll give you 10-15 minutes, just try and relax, think happy thoughts. 
I'll be back."

Sam lay still in the quiet tent for a minute or two. It wasn't bright, 
actually Fraiser had turned out the main light when she left. There was 
an eerie glow from the lights rigged in the cavern. It was quiet and 
peaceful. Her eyes started to droop. She shifted, rolling onto her side 
and pulling the pillow down, almost hugging it.

//Just a little doze.//

Her eyes flicked open as she heard Fraiser come almost creeping back in. 
Fraiser looked carefully at the cot and tried to make out if Carter was 
asleep yet.

"Janet?" 

Her shoulders visibly slumped. //Rumbled!// "Hi, Sam," she said gently.

"Wasn't anything wrong with my blood pressure was there?" Carter 
challenged.

"Sam?" Fraiser began innocently, squatting down beside the cot.

"Janet, I am trying to be sensible about this, you don't have to trick me 
into taking care of myself. A simple 'Sam, you look like shit, take a 
nap' would work."

"Sam, you look like shit, take a nap.".

"I asked for that."

"Yes, you did."

"I'll get cold in here, can I nap with Dad?"

"Sure, he's next door, just run round and hop in. I'll bring the rest of 
your gear over in a minute."

Carter extracted herself, stepped into her boots, picked up one of the 
blankets and wrapped it around her shoulders. Her light jacket and 
fatigues were no comfort against the chill, even for a short hop. When 
Fraiser delivered Sam's extra clothes, she was nestled against her 
father, already asleep.

Fraiser smiled to herself. She'd wake her up for something to eat in a 
couple of hours. Turning out all the lights, she left and placed a 'Do 
Not Disturb' sign on the entrance.

//Mission accomplished!//

Then she was distracted by a loud banging noise. She turned towards it. 
SG-11 were hammering a post into the ground.

"What the hell?"

"Just putting up a sign, ma'am." Gilbert informed her brightly.

"Do you have to be so loud? I've got patients trying to sleep."

"All done, ma'am" one of the soldiers reported. They parted so she could 
see their handiwork.

The arrows were pointing straight up.

"It's symbolic," Gilbert supplied, "because the actual directions will 
change with the planet's rotations and orbits." His arms whirled around 
each other chaotically.

"You've been talking to Carter, haven't you?"

Gilbert grinned. Fraiser shook her head and walked away smiling.

                         *******************

Inside the tent, Sam had stirred at the banging. Hearing the muffled 
exchange, including her name, she smiled and closed her eyes, settling 
back to sleep.

                         *******************

18

"Sir, Major King and I would like to join SG-2 on their trip to the 
woods, so we can complete the mineral survey."

"Carter." He was going to say no.

"We're gonna have to do it sooner or later, SG-2 are going anyway. We 
could just tag along. We won't get in the way." She persisted.

"Carter, you're tired."

"With respect, sir, no, I'm not. I've been asleep all morning. I'm wide 
awake. I'm not tired, I'm not sick. I want to get this job finished. It 
won't take long."

"Check it with Fraiser. She says you're okay you can go." She didn't 
move, glaring at him.  "Go see Fraiser." O'Neill shooed her away.

Sam skulked off annoyed. "Maybe I should just get a note from my Dad," 
she muttered to herself. 

Fraiser only warned her to take it easy and be careful. If she felt 
tired, she should say something. Sam pulled her note pad out of her pants 
thigh pocket and handed it to Fraiser with a pen.

"You want me to write you a note?"

"He might not believe me."

"Sam he's only trying..."

"I know he's trying to help, trying to protect me... smothering and 
annoying the hell out of me, more like." Janet wrote a few lines. She 
tore off the page and folded it a few times, and wrote 'Col. O'Neill' on 
the outside.

"Don't read it. That's an order."

Sam took the note and stomped back to the rest of SG-1. She thrust the 
paper into his hand and glared at him  triumphantly as he opened the 
paper.

'Colonel O'Neill. Major Carter is okay to do the survey. Keep an eye on 
her, but be subtle, you're starting to piss her off.'

Jack's eyebrows rose. He glanced at Carter. Well it didn't take much to 
see she was annoyed.

'Let Daniel and Teal'c supervise. Take care. Fraiser.'

"Daniel, Teal'c, we're going on a field trip... We're gonna help the 
majors with some rocks." He smiled at her, but she wasn't going for it. 
"You'd better pack your gear," he said finally.

"Yes sir," she bit out, then turned and left him.

Jack scratched his head. "We leave in 20 minutes," he called after her. 
"Don't be late," he added in a whisper.

"He doesn't trust me any more," she muttered to no one.

"That is not correct." The voice behind her made her jump.

"Jeez, Teal'c, don't sneak up on me like that!"

He inclined his head slightly. "I apologize." Sam continued packing her 
rucksack. "You have become increasingly agitated this morning. Is our 
behavior the cause of this?"

"Yes," she said, "it is."

"Then I will attempt to rectify it." He nodded to her and disappeared as 
quickly as he had appeared.

Sam returned to Max King and together they finalized plans for the 
survey. They met up with SG-2, who were going to the woods to harvest a 
couple of tall trees for the lifting A-frame. Prepared for the short 
trip, but also for if they got stuck, SG-2, SG-1 and Max King headed out 
over the flow.

                         *******************

When they entered the forest SG-2 had started felling trees. Max stayed 
in their area and collected samples. Carter suggested that SG-1 go a 
little further into the forest so she could collect plant materials too. 
O'Neill had agreed, SG-2 were quite capable of getting on with the 
lumbering under Ferretti's watchful gaze. They hadn't wandered far when 
they entered a small clearing. Carter and Daniel set about collecting 
samples whilst Teal'c and O'Neill looked on. Bored.

"Teal'c, keep an eye on those two." Teal'c nodded, returning his gaze to 
the two scientists. "I'm gonna check on SG-2 and take a leak."

Teal'c's eyebrow rose. Jack waved the question away and wandered off 
alone. 

                         *******************

SG-2 were making great progress. The trees were straight and tall with 
few extra branches. Satisfied, Jack returned to his team, pausing for a 
few moments to relieve himself.

                         *******************

Teal'c had a feeling that they were being watched. The forest was too 
thick for blago, so it had to be something, or someone else. He stood 
still, listening.

"What is it, Teal'c?" Sam knew that stance all too well, something was 
wrong. He motioned her to stay silent. She rose slowly from where she was 
crouched, taking rock samples, trying not to make any more noise.

"We should return to the others," he intoned.

Daniel was a few feet away, scrabbling in the snow. "Sam, look at this!" 
He brushed away more snow from a rock and started translating the 
inscription, muttering softly to himself, his mind forming the words 
quicker than his mouth could voice them.

                         *******************

They heard a twig snap. Teal'c and Sam whirled around in the direction of 
the noise. Teal'c pointed his staff weapon into the trees and slowly 
turned towards Carter.

"Major Carter, do not move."

She froze and swallowed hard. "Why?" she breathed.

"Divvut," Daniel supplied, standing up.

"What?"

"Turn slowly, Major Carter."

She swiveled slowly at the hips. A few feet away the huge white-gray 
furry animal stood staring at her. It looked like a cross between a wolf 
and a lion, its haunches coming up to her thighs. It was big, it was 
drooling, and it looked hungry. Its face screwed up into a snarl. She 
knew she couldn't outrun it. She knew Teal'c could blast it before it got 
to her so she forced herself to calm down and started breathing slowly 
and evenly.

                         *******************

"Daniel Jackson, please come this way." Daniel stood slowly. Out of the 
corner of his eye he spotted movement. "Teal'c, he's not alone." There 
were actually several of them, now closing in on them from all sides.

"They look hungry guys and I really don't wanna be lunch," Sam managed 
lightly. She started to ease her sidearm from its holster. Teal'c lined 
up the closest animal to her with his staff weapon.

                         *******************

"Carter! TEAL'C!"

She turned towards her CO's voice. The first one lunged. Teal'c fired. 
Sam started moving but there was a second divvut behind the first. Teal'c 
couldn't fire again as Sam was now in the way. Daniel froze for an 
instant then drew his sidearm and fired twice at the divvut jumping at 
him. It fell to the ground, pinning him underneath.

Carter turned and managed to fire a single shot as the divvut pounced. It 
fell at her feet. Teal'c whirled around, felling three other animals who 
bolted from the trees. But none of them saw the last one coming.

                         *******************

Jack heard the shots and staff blasts and started running, calling their 
names even louder. Then he heard a scream followed by the distinct 
discharge of a Zat. A few seconds later he skidded into the clearing his 
MP5 leveled and ready. Daniel was crawling out from under a lump of fur, 
Teal'c pulled another lump off Carter and zatted it again. 

"Carter!" he called sliding in beside Teal'c. The blood spurted 
rhythmically from the bloody mess on the back of her thigh. Instinctively 
he forced his gloved hand over the fountain.

"She was caught by the Zat," Teal'c informed him. "There may be more."

"Check it out. Get some help."

Carter started to moan softly.

"Stay still Carter, stay still!" He pulled off his rucksack one handed 
and fumbled for the med. kit. "Daniel? Daniel, are you all right?"

The archeologist shook his head to clear it, checked his limbs and 
managed an "I think so."

"Then get over here, dammit, Carter's hurt."

Daniel regained his senses and scrambled over to them.

The blood seeped through Jack's fingers. "It's gotta be the artery, 
Daniel, here." He grabbed Daniel's hand and slapped it on the wound. 
"Press real hard," he ordered as he rummaged in the medical kit. "Daniel, 
what the hell happened?" 

Daniel tried to explain quickly... he'd noticed these inscriptions and...

"Dammit, Daniel, I told you to be careful!" He was angry. He was scared. 
If they couldn't stop the bleeding she would die, quickly. 

O'Neill pulled a string from the bottom of his jacket and threaded it 
around the top of her leg. He tied it off and inserted a small twig which 
he started turning. She screamed herself awake. She hurt all over like... 
she remembered Teal'c pointing the Zat at the creature, it must have got 
her too. But her leg suddenly lanced with pain. She tried to roll over.

"Lie still!" O'Neill shouted at her.

Carter twisted round as he turned the twig. Her hand leapt to the site of 
the pain. He shoved it away.

"Sir?" she gasped. "Oh, shit." She muttered as she saw the blood covering 
her hand.

"Major, just lie still, okay?" She stared into O'Neill's blue eyes. 
Intensity and worry their only emotions as he called on the radio for 
Fraiser. 

"Where the hell is Teal'c?"

"He went for help," Daniel supplied weakly.

"Dammit, Daniel, you were supposed to be watching her."

"I was!" Daniel started. "Jack, it's not my...."

"Sir?" she managed again, her head was clearing. They ignored her, the 
older man laying into the young man mercilessly, still turning the 
tourniquet.

"Will you two cut it out!" she shouted thumping the snow. "Dammit, it's 
tight enough!" 

O'Neill regained a little composure. "Carter, you've been bitten."

"No shit!" She rolled onto her side despite their protests.

"I think I've stopped the bleeding..."

Carter took some deep breaths, assimilating what her eyes and body were 
telling her.

"Artery?" she asked quietly. O'Neill just nodded.

She wiped her brow, smearing it with her own blood. "Shit."

O'Neill's ear-piece crackled.

"*Fraiser here, Colonel, what's the problem?*"

"Carter's been bitten by a wolf type thing, but bigger." He paused. "I 
think it's got the artery."

"*Have you stopped the bleeding?*"

"Yeah, tourniquet right at the top of her leg, its pretty high up, back 
of her thigh."

"*Is she conscious?*"

Sam nodded, her faced screwed up in pain. 

"Yeah, we got it stopped pretty quick."

"*Get her back here ASAP, Colonel, and keep an eye on it. Release 
the...*"

"I know, Doc, got it covered."

Teal'c came from the trees, SG-2 behind him.

"Shit," Ferretti exclaimed. " What the hell..."

Someone knelt by her head, lifting it onto his lap. She looked up.

"Hi, Major." The familiar brown eyes of Captain Conner stared down at 
her. "Still with us?"

She nodded, her head started to get fuzzy. "Conner?"

"Yes, ma'am, hang in there."

"Sam," Daniel started, "Sam , its gonna be okay."

That almost made her laugh but she had another problem. "I'm getting cold 
guys."

Conner gently brushed the loose snow off her and ruffled her hair. "We'll 
get you back to the Doc real soon."

"You're all lousy liars." She knew it was a good half hour's ski. She 
couldn't ski, not like this.

O'Neill finished tying off the bandages over the puncture wounds they 
didn't seem so bad but she gasped as he finished, pulling it tight.

"Sorry, Carter."

                         *******************

Whitney surveyed the situation, they would have to get her out of this 
forest and back to the caves. He rummaged in his pack, pulling out a 
tightly rolled sleeping bag. He unfurled it and shouted at Paxman and 
Jimmy to find a couple of trees for poles. "Stay close!" Ferretti added 
to those orders. "Whitney? You gotta plan?"

"Sir, we build a sledge, load up and get the hell outta here before their 
friends come back."

Ferretti patted him on the back. "Whadda you need kid?"

Whitney reeled of a list and threw some rope out of his pack for the logs 
to be tied with. "We can use some of the logs we've cut already."

Whitney threw the sleeping bag over to Conner. "Cover her with that, 
we'll get her in it later. Try not to get any snow inside." The three men 
laid the thick fabric out over her.

"Shit, Shit, Shit." She thumped at the snow in frustration.

"Calm down, Major." O'Neill spoke calmly. "Don't get worked up, it won't 
help."

"This was gonna be such a good day," she almost cried. 

O'Neill rubbed her arm supportively. "Day's not over yet Carter, just 
hang in there."

                         *******************

Teal'c hovered, not sure how best to help and cursing himself for not 
being quick enough to prevent this occurring. He snapped round as someone 
called his name.

Paxman pointed to the base of a small tree. Teal'c nodded. Paxman 
skittered back as Teal'c fired his staff weapon. Paxman and Jimmy pulled 
off the weedy branches and dragged it over to Whitney. They felled three 
more trees and took them to Whitney who was winding rope around the logs, 
making them into a raft.

                         *******************

Conner and Daniel were talking to Sam. "I don't need this right now," she 
was saying, "I got enough problems." Conner glanced at Daniel but he 
ignored the unvoiced question and carried on in reassuring tones.

"Whitney!" O'Neill called, "We gotta get outta here!"

"Nearly there, sir."

"Come on," he growled.  "We haven't got all day!"

Ferretti came up behind O'Neill and placed a hand on his shoulder. 
"They've nearly finished, sir," he said quietly. O'Neill glanced up. 
"They know, okay?" Ferretti assured him.

Jack let out a breath. His watch beeped at him, pulling  him back to his 
task. "Carter, I gotta let this off for a minute. You might start 
bleeding again."

"I don't wanna loose my leg, sir." Her eyes met his.

"I know, here we go." He undid the tourniquet a few turns. Blood started 
leaking through the bandages. Daniel pressed his hands tighter around the 
wound. She moaned softly. Daniel apologized.

"Is it getting through?" O'Neill asked.

She nodded, the sensation was returning, pins and needles and an odd 
warmth. But her head was getting fuzzy too. She cried out as O'Neill 
clamped his hands round the bandages as well.

"Major?" Conner shook her slightly. "She's drifting, sir."

Jack cursed, re-tightened the tourniquet and reset his watch. 

                         *******************

Whitney told Paxman and Jimmy to copy his binding at the other end of the 
logs. It took only minutes to bind and cross-strengthen the raft. Two 
reigns were left dangling at the top and the narrow outer poles made 
perfect handles. They would have to carry her a few hundred yards out of 
the forest before skiing the rest of the way.

"Done!" Whitney proclaimed. The five men hoisted up the raft and took it 
over to where Carter was lying.

"Hey, Major," Whitney's face slid into focus in front of her.

"Whitney?"

He smiled. "We're gonna get you onto this, ma'am, and get you back to the 
cave. Might be a little bumpy."

"I can handle bumpy," she replied softly.

Whitney took the sleeping bag off the top of her and laid it out on the 
raft. He opened it up. "We're gonna stand you up for a second." The men 
lifted her up and stood her on her good leg. The sudden change in 
altitude made her head spin.

"Brush the snow off her," Whitney ordered. She was so numb the many hands 
battering her felt like gentle rain. She closed her eyes. Conner shook 
her awake again. 

"Stay with us, Carter," O'Neill ordered, seeing her head droop.

"Okay, get her in." 

Teal'c wrapped his arms around her waist and lifted her gently over the 
raft, planting her feet in the bottom of the bag. Many hands guided her 
down and Whitney zipped her up.

Paxman unfurled another bag from his pack and they laid this out on top.

"Let's go," O'Neill ordered. They gathered around the stretcher and on 
O'Neill's count lifted her into the air. Jack glanced back at the carnage 
they left behind. The snow was stained red and pink with her blood. In 
contrast her face had turned as white as the fresh clean snow that had 
started to fall.

                         *******************

It took several minutes to emerge from the forest. They located their 
skis again easily. Whitney laid his out at the head of the raft then 
pulled on the ropes and tied them round his waist. The weight of the raft 
rested on his hips. He clipped on his skis and without a word started 
pulling his burden across the snow.  O'Neill's watch beeped again. He 
made them stop and released the tourniquet. Carter started drifting 
again. The blood seeped through the dressing again but she could feel the 
pins and needles. They wrapped another dressing on top of the sodden ones 
and re-tightened. 

Teal'c took the opportunity to relieve Whitney. The kid looked tired. 
Teal'c was a stronger man and when they started moving again, Teal'c 
channeled his self-hate and recrimination into his movements. Their pace 
quickened. They called ahead to Fraiser to give her an update. She was 
ready for them, as ready as she could be.

                         *******************

Fraiser wasn't equipped to do surgery. Apart from the fact that she 
wasn't a surgeon, that was Warner's specialty, they hadn't brought much 
in the way of surgical equipment. All she'd managed to gather were a 
bunch of suture packs - complete with local anesthetic- IV packs, 
antibiotics and pain killers. She hoped it wouldn't come to that but from 
the description she had she would have to do something. She hoped she had 
enough of what she needed and that she had the skill to carry it off. 

Mercifully, Jacob was still fast asleep. Fraiser wasn't prepared to wake 
him until she was sure what she was dealing with. She dispatched a group 
of airmen to the cave entrance with a stretcher to collect her patient. 
As they waited the snow began to fall even harder.

                         *******************

It was worse than it looked. The four puncture wounds were very deep and 
one had found the femoral artery. The other three were still oozing. Sam 
herself was pale and cold. Despite her team-mates efforts she was fast 
slipping into hypothermia. The tourniquet was doing its job in stopping 
the bleeding, but it was also cutting off the circulation to her leg. 
Fraiser knew if she didn't do something, Carter would bleed to death, 
lose her leg to frostbite, or both. 

"Colonel, please?" She needed him out of the way. He stepped back and 
hung around the edge of the tent with the others. Daniel was stroking her 
hair and talking in that reassuring tone he could ramble in for hours. 
Fraiser and her medics buzzed. They stripped off her outer clothes, cut 
off her blood soaked fatigues and threaded another pair onto her good 
leg. Jason clipped off the free leg at the crotch and threaded it up to 
the wound site. The thermometer beeped. "91.6"

"Daniel," Fraiser said, "she needs warming up."

"Oh, okay." He started peeling off his outer clothes. 

Fraiser dug for the major's dog tags. She'd lost a lost of blood and 
needed a transfusion. "B neg.," O'Neill said sadly. He made it a point to 
know those kind of things about his team.

//Rare blood group and weird biochemistry, you don't make things easy do 
you Sam? Fraiser mused. "Annie, I need B neg. and O neg. Start with two 
and take names of the rest for later." 

Whitney stepped forward and unzipped his jacket. "I'm O neg. ma'am." 
O'Neill glanced at him incredulously, as Fraiser checked his tags. 

"Annie, set him up. Can someone go look for more?" Ferretti went hunting.

"Whitney?" O'Neill started, "What do you normally do at the SGC?"

"Guard duty, sir. I'm new." He shrugged, that was the way things worked. 
There was a lot to guard at the SGC.

O'Neill ruffled the kid's hair as the nurse inserted the needle in his 
arm. "Waste of talent.  We're gonna have to do something about that."

                         *******************

Fraiser stepped back from her patient as Daniel settled in wrappingd his 
arms protectively round her. Jason folded the sleeping bag shut around 
them, leaving the wound exposed. The doctor considered her options. Jason 
was a competent nurse used to assisting in surgery. Annie was young but 
bearing up well under the pressure. Sam was stabilizing. She was replying 
to Daniel now. The blood would help and would also help bring her 
temperature up. But her leg was still cold and there wasn't much of a 
pulse. //Decision time.//

"Colonel?" Fraiser called him over to one side and explained her 
predicament.

Sam could hear the low voices, Fraiser was stealing glances at her. 
"Janet?" she called, "my leg's cold. I can't feel it anymore. I'm 
screwed, right?"

Daniel started to deny it but Fraiser stopped him.

"We can stop the bleeding with the tourniquet but you'll probably loose 
your leg."

"Can't you fix it?" she asked innocently.

"I'm not a surgeon, Sam..."

"Can't you try?" The accusation in her voice cut into Fraiser like a 
knife. She paused before answering, but O'Neill jumped in to explain.

"Carter we haven't got the right equipment here, including anesthetic."

"I don't wanna lose my leg," she said clearly, the tears welling up into 
her eyes. "I can't, not now. I just got myself back together..." she 
broke out sobbing.

Whitney squeezed her hand instinctively, though he didn't have a clue 
what she was talking about. 

"Sam, honey. I can try, but it's really gonna hurt and it might not work 
anyway."

"I can take it, Janet. Please, you have to try."

"Okay, Sam. Here's what we'll do..." She explained the problems and 
offered to wake Jacob but Sam refused. He'd just get in the way. They 
agreed if it wasn't working Fraiser would clamp it off and stop the 
bleeding. Losing a leg was better than dying. Sam wasn't sure but at 
least she would have time to think about it.

Fraiser used the lidocaine from the suture packs to numb up the wound and 
gave her a shot of morphine. Her blood pressure was coming back up. 
Whitney's eyes bobbed shut. He was obviously pumping more into her than 
Fraiser expected. She let O'Neill and Teal'c tend to him when he fainted. 
Fraiser asked for the next one. Conner rolled up his sleeve. "B neg. 
ma'am," he reported. Annie hooked him up.   

"Okay, I think we're ready." Fraiser reported. Daniel nodded and held Sam 
tightly to his chest. She was lying on her right side, the damaged left 
leg bent up at the knee. Fraiser, scrubbed as best she could, nestled 
herself between her legs. Everyone round the edge of the tent was warming 
bottles of fluids or drugs inside their jackets, ready for use. Carter 
drifted in and out of consciousness dopey from drugs, the cold and loss 
of blood. Fraiser took a last and steadying deep breath. She prodded the 
wound a few times to check the lidocaine was working. Getting no reaction 
from her patient she started to cut.

//That,// she thought, //is the problem with puncture wounds. You have to 
cut muscle to see what you are doing.//

                         *******************

It seemed to take forever, but finally she found the artery. Daniel undid 
the tourniquet. A jet of blood spurted from the exposed vessel a foot in 
the air. "That's it, close it off Daniel." The fountain subsided. They 
cleaned up and she set to work.

                         *******************

It was all the wrong kind of stuff for a job like this. The suture thread 
was really too thin but it was all she had and would have to do. It 
didn't have to be pretty. It didn't have to last her for ever. It just 
had to hold long enough to get them back to the SGC so Warner could fix 
it properly. Hell maybe Martouf could help with the healing device. 
Fraiser directed Teal'c, who was holding a torch, to shine it directly 
onto her repair job. "Okay Daniel, let it off slowly."

The vessel visibly swelled and a little blood oozed out then stopped. 
"Okay," she breathed, "let it go all the way." The vessel quivered with 
the pulsating liquid within. It held, no more leaks.

"Annie?" The nurse checked Sam's left leg for a foot pulse. She smiled, 
"Good pulse, ma'am, and the leg's pinking up."

A collective sigh of relief was exhaled, Daniel squeezed her gently. 
"You're gonna be all right Sam. It worked."

Fraiser still had a worried look on her face, that part worked but Carter 
wasn't out of the woods yet by any means. Okay so she wasn't going to 
bleed to death but this wasn't an ideal, sterile, environment and animal 
bites nearly always got some degree of infection. Fraiser closed up the 
wound and injected Carter with the strongest antibiotics she had. She 
could only hope Carter wouldn't develop blood poising from a foreign 
bacteria resistant to Earth drugs.

                         *******************

Sam had been vaguely aware of what was going on during the operation, she 
was so numb that she hardly felt anything physically. But Fraiser's warm 
and optimistic face appearing in front of her muttering nice words lifted 
the fear. She was exhausted, groggy, cold. Fraiser was smiling and 
stroking her hair. She didn't hear what she had been saying, just that it 
was okay to go to sleep. That sounded like a good idea. She nodded, 
closed her eyes and gave up the consciousness fight.

                         *******************

O'Neill found himself a small fire off to one side. He sat down and his 
body language exuded a 'leave me alone' message. It was something Jovic 
understood. It was tough at the top. O'Neill was a wise leader, but in 
time of crisis the leader was a lonely man. Jovic understood that.

The old man rose from his place and waving away his normal escort, he 
tottered over to O'Neill.

"It has been a difficult day, O'Neill," he said. O'Neill stood up, his 
face contorted with mixed emotions.

"Jovic." O'Neill managed a bow. The old man returned it.

"May I join you?" Jovic asked.

"Sure, sorry." Jack extended his hand inviting the man to sit down.

The old man settled himself as Jack re-took his own seat.

"Will your Major Carter live?"

Jack nodded. "Yes." He paused. "But she was badly injured, there could 
be...complications."

"Fever is common after divvut attacks. She is a strong woman, O'Neill."

"Yes, she is." The silence hung for a moment, Jack lost in the shimmering 
flames.

The chief nodded thoughtfully. "I'm sorry, O'Neill, but I must know."

"Know what, sir?" Jack asked innocently.

"Major Carter," Jovic began, "is she the mate of yourself or Doctor 
Jackson?"

O'Neill's eyes widened. "Mate, sir?"

"Yes," the old man asked, "she is very dear to you both and that 
affection is returned." A sudden thought passed through his mind. 
"Perhaps on your world women take more than one mate at a time. Well you 
are both lucky men!"

O'Neill couldn't help smiling, but it was bittersweet.

"Jovic, Carter, Daniel, Teal'c and I are a team. Daniel's more like a 
brother to Sam and well, me?" His disappointment was clear. "She's not my 
mate either."

Jovic was bemused. "Such a wonderful woman has no mate!" It was an 
impossible concept. Jovic leaned over to whisper to him. "You are the 
leader, you should insist she becomes your mate."

O'Neill shook his head. "Doesn't work like that, sir, she's free to 
choose who she wants, if she wants."

Jovic shook his head. "I do not understand, O'Neill, your customs are 
strange."

"You should talk to Daniel Jackson, sir, he's better at explaining stuff 
like this."

Jovic nodded, indeed.

"I do know O'Neill that yours are a kind, resourceful and generous 
people. I look forward to seeing your world. It is only a matter of time, 
I assure you."

//God, I hope we all get to show it to you.//

Jovic let the silence hang in the air.

"Her father is here, is he not?"

O'Neill nodded.

"I should like to meet him."

"He's not too well right now, but I'll be sure and introduce you when 
he's better."

Jovic nodded, satisfied. "Your Doctor Fraiser is a very good healer, 
O'Neill." 

Jack met his gaze. "They're all the best at what they do, but we're 
making this up as we go along. It's gonna take some time."

Jovic nodded. "You have plucked us from the edge, O'Neill. We waited for 
salvation with no hope for many months. Then you came." He shrugged. "So, 
we must wait a little longer. Now, we have hope and we have your weapons 
and men. Now, we can hunt more easily. We can show your men the best 
hunting grounds for blago. We will have plenty to eat."

O'Neill didn't quite realize what the man was telling him. "You normally 
hunt the blago?"

"Oh yes, O'Neill, but they have grown stronger over the generations. The 
cost of hunting a single blago was often great, and took many days. First 
we would have to wound it, then track it for a few days until it was weak 
enough to kill. But your weapons, it is so quick, we can probably survive 
the rest of the winter, no one will go hungry."

Blago tasted better than MREs anyway, so this wasn't a food problem any 
more. It was a medical problem. Fraiser's supplies were dwindling. He 
wasn't sure how long Carter would need painkillers or antibiotics. The 
urgency still remained in his mind, if only for her sake.

"I will leave you, O'Neill." Jovic rose, his aides appeared and led the 
old man away. Jack was left standing over the fire.

Ferretti hovered. O'Neill beckoned him over.

"Sorry sir, thought you should know."

"What is it, Louis?"

"Blizzard, sir, it's back."

O'Neill raised is eyebrows. "Great. Everyone..."

"Is inside, all secure, watches organized and SG-11 reports dinner will 
be ready in half an hour."

O'Neill glanced over, they were getting ready to start cooking.

"Sir," Ferretti continued, "everyone's asking about Major Carter."

O'Neill patted him on his arm. "Let's go check on her, then we can spread 
the word." They walked together back to the medical tent.

                         *******************

Daniel had her cradled in his arms, he was stroking her hair as she 
slept. As they came in, Daniel managed a smile. "She's warming up, Jack. 
Her leg's holding up too."

Jack squatted down and brushed some hair out of her eyes. "She looks 
good, Danny." He nodded.

"So, Doc?"

"So?"

"So, how's she doing?"

"I've fixed the artery, the rest of the bleeding has stopped, but she's 
not out of the woods yet. The artery could get blocked, it'll be a 
miracle if it doesn't get infected, and..." O'Neill silenced her with one 
of his glares. He took her shoulders in his hands.

"You did a good job, Doc. Let's cross those other bridges when we come to 
them, okay?"

She nodded. "She's stable for now. She lost a lot of blood, but the 
transfusions have helped. She needs rest, warmth and food. I'll try and 
get her to eat something later."

"How's Whitney?"

She smiled, and waved at the young man, huddled in blankets his feet 
propped up on a crate. He waved back. "He's fine," she said, "apparently 
hates needles. Doesn't normally give blood. He's a brave kid."

"He'll have to get used to needles at the SGC, Doc."

"That's what I told him. I think he'll cope."

"You keeping him in?"

"No, just needs someone to keep an eye on him for a while."

"Ma'am." Ferretti took responsibility instantly.

"Make sure he has plenty of hot, sweet, drinks, and stays in tonight." 
The doctor added.

Ferretti nodded. "Come on, Whitney, you're being rescued." 

"We're all staying in, Doc. The blizzard's back," O'Neill informed her.

She sighed as Whitney extracted himself, dressed and left.

"You're about to tell me we could be here for a while. How long?"

He shrugged. "SG-7 didn't have much luck today. Could be they're looking 
in the wrong place, but..." his voice trailed off and he shrugged. "When 
you gonna run out of supplies?"

"We're getting through antibiotics at an alarming rate, but that's mostly 
on the Hladans. Three days. The IV stuff? If it's just Sam, ten. But I 
don't want to leave it that long, and I might have to up the dose. I'd 
say we have five days max before we start getting into trouble." She 
looked back at Sam. "If it doesn't hold..."

"It'll hold, and we're going home � soon, Doc."

"Please," she implored, "make them be more careful, Colonel. We can't 
afford any more serious injuries."

He nodded. "I will. Look, I'm gonna call a pow-wow again, can you come?" 
She nodded. "Fifteen minutes, main tent."

                         *******************

Ferretti brought Whitney with him. Parked him in the corner with a cup of 
coffee and his dinner (blago of course) and told him to eat. He was 
hungry, so it was an easy order to obey.

O'Neill looked round to check everybody was there.

"Where the hell's Teal'c?"

Fraiser answered. "He's with Jacob and Sam, Colonel." //He needs to be 
alone,// her eyes added.

"Oh." He'd see about that in a minute. "So, kids, we're still here. 
What's going on?"

Max King shrugged, Daziel answered for him. "Dialing up didn't work. 
Nothing. No sound, no vibration, no vortex, no nothing."

"King?"

"Too much interference from the base rocks, like Carter said there'd be."

"Are we looking in the right place?" Gilbert asked. "I mean how far could 
it have gone? Maybe the DHD's too far away from the gate."

Daziel and King nodded. "But if that's the case, it's got to be somewhere 
over here." Daziel had scribbled a drawing of the valley floor showing 
the position of the gate before the avalanche and the cave entrance with 
the DHD. He drew an arc. "It worked at this distance, so it must be 
beyond this arc. That means it would have moved nearly a half mile from 
its original position."

"Is that possible?" O'Neill asked their avalanche expert.

Whitney was chewing. "Just nod, kid." 

He did, swallowed and added "The whole thing's about one and a half miles 
long from the front edge to the base of the mountain. If it's there, 
that'll narrow our search and the snow's thinner near the leading edge."

"So we move the DHD down that way, and try again?"

"Yes, Colonel," Daziel answered sounding more positive. "But..."

"Now why do I get the feeling I'm not going to like this 'but'?"

"Sorry, sir, Little got the UAV up again and he's been watching this 
front. It's bigger than the last one."

"How long?"

"Two maybe three days before it clears."

Gilbert chimed in. "We killed three more blago while you were out, 
Colonel, we have plenty of food and power to last at least six days in 
here."

"So we sit it out again?"

"Yes, sir," Gilbert offered. "Once we find the gate, my guys will have it 
out and up in hours, sir. We'll be able to get some supplies from Earth 
and even maybe send a few people back straight away."

Fraiser visibly relaxed.

"Okay, review your wish lists. Doc, you get priority." She nodded.

"Everyone else let's rest. I'll brief the troops over dinner." The smell 
was wafting round the complex again. O'Neill's stomach rumbled. "I'm 
hungry...let's eat!"

Fraiser approached O'Neill as the others left. "Colonel?"

"He's in 'guilt' mode, right?"

She nodded. "He thinks he failed her."

"It was an accident, Doc. He shot six of 'em!"

"Just talk to him, Colonel. I've tried already."

"Sure Doc."

                         *******************

19

Drifting, she seemed to be doing a lot of that recently. Drifting from 
one crisis to the next. One deep, dark, hole in her mind to another.

It wasn't cold here, that was something and she didn't feel alone. It was 
dark. She opened her eyes slowly, trying to orientate herself again. 
There was someone behind her, arms wrapped round her, she froze, suddenly 
terrified. The body moved and moaned softly. She exhaled. //Daniel,// she 
knew that noise anywhere. She stole a glance over her shoulder just to 
make sure. The movement hurt.

As her mind awoke the pain drifted into her consciousness, searing, 
jabbing pain. She flexed her leg. //Ow!// the pain arced up through her 
entire body.

"Shit," she muttered, her hand moved to the site of the pain. The back of 
her thigh was heavily bandaged.

"Hi, Sam." Her father's face appeared at her bedside.

"Hi, Dad." Her voice was almost horse. Her throat dry.

Jacob squatted down on a box and folded his arms in front of him. "Are 
you avoiding me?" he asked flatly, "or just trying to get yourself 
killed?"

She wasn't quite with it enough to understand what he was talking about. 
She hurt, she was tired, why the hell was her father starting on her too?

She blinked groggily. "Dad? I don't..."

"Never mind, kid, you're probably still strung out on morphine."

She shook her head, "hurts, Dad." She rubbed at her leg under the 
sleeping bag.

Daniel stirred and rubbed his eyes. "Sam?"

"She's awake, Daniel."

"How you doing, Sam?"

"Hurts..." She drifted again. Fraiser entered the tent.

"Good timing as ever, Doctor," Jacob said brightly. "Sam's awake."

Fraiser smiled. "Is she now?" She knelt by the cot and smiled. "Hi, Sam, 
how are you feeling?" Fraiser fiddled with her stethoscope, warming the 
end up before listening to her chest.

Sam started to say something but couldn't form the words. "It's all 
right, Sam. Are you thirsty?" She nodded. "I'll get you some water. You 
need to drink as much as you can."

"My leg?"

Fraiser nodded. "So far so good," she said brightly. "Does it hurt much?" 
Sam nodded. "Okay, I'll get you some more morphine. Do you think you 
could try and eat some soup?"

She shrugged. That depended on if she could keep her eyes open. "Well, 
we'll try. Daniel, could you go get some, please. And make sure you get 
something to eat for yourself." 

Daniel yawned and extracted himself from the sleeping bag. Fraiser threw 
a look at Jacob. "I'll go with you," he said, "let the ladies sort 
themselves out."

Fraiser smiled a thank you as the men left.

"They're gone, Sam. Drop the groggy act."

She closed her eyes and rubbed her face. "It does hurt, Janet."

"I'll bet it does, but you can't avoid him for ever. He's a lot better 
now. He wants to spend some time with you. Dammit, that's why he came." 
She offered her a canteen of water. "Drink it slowly," she ordered as she 
started to check her over. "Temps back up, Sam, that's good." Sam nodded 
okay, sipping from the canteen.

"Can I sit up?"

"You can try, but it might pull your stitches, just go easy."

                         *******************

"Daniel, General, everything okay?" O'Neill asked as the two men exited 
the tent.

"Sam's awake," Daniel reported brightly.

"How about you?" Jack asked cheekily.

Daniel half smiled and cringed. He was still half a sleep himself. Sam 
had woken up several times in the night crying. She'd kicked him a few 
times too. He was feeling a little worse for wear. He yawned. "She was 
pretty restless." 

Jack nodded understandingly. "Doc sorting her out?"

Daniel nodded. "I'm getting us breakfast, you had some yet?"

"No, I'll join you. General have you sampled the local fayre yet?"

"No, we've been a little preoccupied. Which reminds me, where are the 
facilities?"

"Just down there, sir. We'll meet you at the barbecue."

Jacob wandered off.

"Where's Teal'c?" Daniel hadn't really seen him since the operation.

"He's avoiding me. I had to bunk with Ferretti last night," O'Neill 
informed him. "I think he's helping SG-11 with their plans for the 
lifting gear."

"It wasn't his fault, Jack, they completely surrounded us, we nearly got 
them all."

"Yeah, well you didn't get them all in time." O'Neill waved away his own 
temper. "This whole damned mission is a complete screw-up. We really did 
not do our homework on this one, Daniel. There's a lesson to be learned 
there."

Daniel nodded silently. Lessons indeed. The debriefing was going to be a 
long one.

"Too busy trying to stop a people from becoming extinct," Daniel supplied 
matter of factly. "We couldn't have waited much longer than we did to 
help these people, Jack. It's only now they're starting to brighten up 
themselves."

"Yeah. Look, I'll talk to him, Danny, but let's eat first." Jack and 
Daniel reached the now familiar barbecue and waited for Jacob. 

"Could be worse, Jack," Daniel offered as they made their way back. "We 
could have just MREs to eat." 

That forced a smile onto Jack's face. "Don't you miss my MRE stew?"

"Nope." They both laughed a little.

"MRE Stew?" Jacob wondered. "Now there's a concept."

"You must try it some one day, General, its great."

Daniel made a sour face and shook his head from behind O'Neill.

"Daniel?" Jack didn't turn his head but knew what was going on from the 
smirk in Jacob's eyes.

"Hey, I gotta get some soup for Sam." Daniel changed the subject quickly. 
They stopped off and then headed back to the medical tent.

Stopping at the door, Jack knocked dramatically. "Rrrroom service!"

It made them both smile, even though Sam's was colored by the pain that 
lanced through her leg as Fraiser helped her sit up. "Just a minute!" 
Fraiser called. 

Sam was in a slight state of undress. She zipped up her jacket and 
finished folding the sleeping bag over her lap. "How's my hair look?" she 
asked. Fraiser smiled sympathetically and popped the woolly hat back on. 

"That bad, huh?" Carter shifted her weight uncomfortably.

"Sam?"

"It's fine, just sore."

"Okay, ready for the influx?"

Sam nodded. "You can come in now guys."

"Goooood morning campers!" Jack exclaimed in his usual bright and cheery 
voice. "Breakfast is served!"

"Morning, Colonel," they both replied together. 

The first waft of the blago turned her stomach but she forced it away. 
//Irrational. Go away.// It went. She hardly missed a beat. None of them 
noticed anything and Carter surprised everyone with how hungry she was, 
even herself.

Fraiser ushered them out soon after they had finished eating. She settled 
Carter back down in the cot and moved the tent's heater closer to her. 
"Nap time," she said simply. Carter's eyes were bobbing shut anyway, she 
stopped trying to keep them open and slipped away.

                         *******************

O'Neill caught up with Teal'c in the engineering tent. "Teal'c?" he asked 
quietly, "Could I have a word?"

Teal'c nodded reluctantly and followed his CO out of the tent.

"Not seen you for a while, Teal'c," he started as they wandered across 
the cavern floor.

"I have been assisting SG-11, O'Neill," Teal'c stated.

"How's it going?"

"The A-frame is ready for assembly. The plan is a sound one."

"Good," Jack said. He stopped by a small fire off from the main groups. 
"Let's sit."

Teal'c sunk down, remaining stiff.

Jack squinted at the man. "It wasn't your fault, Teal'c."

"Major Carter was under my supervision. She was my responsibility and she 
was injured."

"It was an accident, Teal'c."

"Still, I was responsible..."

"Oh crap!" he barked. "Daniel's told me what happened, there were too 
many of them. I'm the one who should be feeling guilty, dammit, I was off 
wandering."

"You were checking on SG-2. As their Commanding Officer, it is part of 
your responsibility to do this."

O'Neill grabbed his head in his hands. "Teal'c, don't start beating 
yourself up over this. It's done, it's happened, now we have to get home. 
Carter doesn't need us doing the guilt thing, okay?"

"I must apologize," he said simply, his head bowed slightly.

"Well I know she'll forgive you but she's asleep right now. So, it'll 
have to wait."

Teal'c raised his head in that regal manner he had. "Major Carter has a 
high capacity for forgiveness."

"Yes, she does."

"I will speak with her when she awakens."

"You do that."

O'Neill spotted Jacob across the cavern. He had been putting this off. It 
couldn't wait any longer. He had a promise to keep. "Look, I have to tell 
Jacob about ... you know...."

"I will accompany you."

O'Neill's hand rested on the larger mans shoulder as he rose. "Thanks, 
Teal'c."

                         *******************

20

"Jacob, can I talk to you for a minute?" O'Neill's voice was soft and 
cautious. 

"Sure, Jack, what can I do for you?" O'Neill motioned that he wanted to 
go somewhere else. They needed privacy for this. It wasn't common 
knowledge and he wanted it to stay that way.

Jacob reluctantly rose to follow him.

They found a quiet branch of the caves and Teal'c stood guard some way 
off to ensure they were not disturbed.

"General," O'Neill began, "I have something that I need to tell you, 
about Sam."

Jacob eyed the officer skeptically. "What?"

"There isn't really an easy way to tell you this but Sam's asked me to 
fill you in on what happened on P4T3DY."

Jacob folded his arms in front of him. "Martouf told me you were captured 
and that Sam was beaten up like the rest of you. He fixed her up. She was 
fine."

Jack shifted from one foot to another. "That's not the whole story."

Jacob drew himself up to his full height. "Then what is the whole story?"

O'Neill hesitated.

"Colonel?"

"We were split up soon after we were captured," he started, "we didn't 
see Sam for a couple of days. When we did, she'd been beaten up pretty 
bad. SG-3 and 6 rescued us that night."

Jacob was solider, he knew the risks. Jack saw the horror pop into his 
mind. Selmak reached out and comforted it, calmed it.

"What happened?" he managed. "What did they do to her?"

O'Neill blinked and flinched as he said the words. "They tortured her, 
General, and..." he paused. "She was raped."

Jacob's eyes shone with disbelief, he was about to lash out at Jack when 
Selmak stepped in. Jacobs' eyes glowed and his voice changed.

"*Please, O'Neill, we have been here for two days, tell us why we were 
not told of this before.*"

"Sam was going to tell you herself, but she's been having some problems 
talking about it. I mean she didn't even tell us at the time, she was 
worried we'd do something stupid. She was right, I probably would have. 
Anyway, she only told us about it a few days ago, she kept it a secret. 
It was messing with her head. But she's, well she's got enough to worry 
about right now and I know you're gonna have a lot of questions that she 
doesn't need to be asked so I offered to tell you for her," he blurted. 
Strangely it was easier to say all that to Selmak than it would have been 
to Jacob. 

"*We thank you for your candor. Please leave us, so that we may 
assimilate this information.*"

"Okay, I'll be in the cavern if you want me." O'Neill left quickly, 
asking Teal'c to stay and make sure they were not disturbed. He hadn't 
counted on Selmak smoothing the way for him, but those questions were 
sure to come. He had the answers ready anyway.

                         *******************

They were so closely linked they knew what the other was thinking and 
feeling. Selmak was doing the thinking, Jacob the feeling.

//She is still your daughter and she needs your love and support. Not 
accusations or questions. What she must say she will say when she can. 
Her recovery will take time. Do not try to assign blame to any except 
those who committed the atrocity. Release the anger you hold within us.//

Jacob regained control of his emotions and rose from where he had sunk 
down the wall.

"We were gone too long, Selmak."

//Do not blame us either, Jacob! We have responsibilities and we did not 
know what had happened. You cannot be with her all the time.//

"I can't protect her."

//No one can, Jacob. It is the way of the universe. Evil is a constant 
danger. We, as warriors, are placing ourselves in that danger every 
day.// Selmak had seen enough of the galaxy to know what people were 
like. She had been on the receiving end of some of it herself. Those 
memories were normally hidden She shared them with Jacob, and an 
understanding settled on him. It didn't detract from the horror, the 
sickness, but he drew strength from Selmak's resolve...

"Oh Jesus."

//You must grieve for this Jacob, but you must be strong for her.//

Jacob rubbed at his eyes, blotting the few tears that had escaped. It was 
a father's worst nightmare.

//She is a strong woman, Jacob, you have raised her well. She will 
prevail. Let us go to her now.//

He composed himself and headed back to the cavern calmly. He passed 
Teal'c without a word and headed straight for the medical tent. 

                         *******************

He settled back in the seat beside her cot. Daniel had gone, they were 
alone. She looked so peaceful, so young, like she was still a teenager... 
His mind wandered back to the day she joined the air force. He was proud, 
he was worried, but how could he deny her her dream of being an 
astronaut, her dream that involved an organization he'd dedicated his own 
life to. The situation had been reversed a year ago. She had asked him 
into her world, her galaxy. It had saved his life and moved him into a 
whole new way of living. 'Whiz satellite geek', he always knew there was 
more to this child of his. //To this woman...// Selmak corrected, //She 
is a woman in her own right, Jacob.//

He couldn't help the tears from forming at his eyes. Selmak reached out 
and comforted him again. 

//She is strong, like you, Jacob. She will be fine.//

Jacob shook his head sadly. "I understand Selmak, but I don't have to 
like it, do I?"

//No you do not.//

They sat there for a while, just being together. 

When she awoke, he stared into her eyes and smiled. "Hi, Sammy."

The sadness in his eyes betrayed him. "He told you?"

Jacob nodded, she seemed relieved. "It doesn't matter, Sam, you're still 
my kid. I still love you. I'm just so sorry I wasn't here for you."

She started to cry. "That's okay, Dad." They looked at each other for a 
few seconds. "Can I have a hug?"

"Sure." He held her and as he did the tap turned on. She told him 
everything, more than even Jack knew. Jacob let her talk until she was 
done. He comforted her as Selmak silently comforted him.

The pain was deep. The frustration clear. But the wounds were closing, 
the healing had begun.

                         *******************

"You are troubled, O'Neill." It was Jovic. 

//How does he manage to keep appearing like that?// O'Neill rose 
respectfully. "Good day, Jovic. I am fine, Thank you sir."

Jovic tottered over to a box and sat down. "You do not look fine." He 
smiled. "It is your Major again. Did her father refuse your request for 
her hand?"

//Oh I wish that was it Jovic. I wish.// "No sir, as I explained..."

Jovic waved him silent. "I am only playing, O'Neill. Your spirit is heavy 
with responsibility, you need to lighten it."

"I have a responsible job, sir. All these people follow my orders, it's 
my job to get them home safely."

"And you will, O'Neill. We have hope, we have faith. And we have you." 
Jovic jabbed a finger at him as he rose and tottered away, pausing to 
talk to his people as he made his way back to his tent.

Ferretti cautiously wandered over.

"Sir?"

O'Neill looked up and then back down at his feet. "What is it, Major?"

"Sir, I was thinking that we've got a lot of time on our hands here, and 
well the men are getting a little stir crazy." 

"Idle hands..."

"Something like that. Maybe we should organize something."

"Like what? More snow shoes?"

"No sir, everyone's got a pair, some guys two."

"So, what are you suggesting?"

"I dunno sir, something fun but useful. I couldn't actually come up with 
much myself, I was hoping you'd have some ideas."

"Ideas... let me think about it. I'll get back to you." //Go away.//

Ferretti knew that look. "Yessir." He muttered and left.

                         *******************

Jacob settled round the fire with Daniel, Jack and Teal'c. The silence 
hung in the air for a few minutes. "She's a survivor, Jack." Jacob said 
simply.

"She told you everything?"

Jacob nodded. Then he half smiled. Jack thought it inappropriate but who 
was he to say. "She asked me to tell you something."

"What?"

"That Martouf found out when he healed her."

"Martouf knew and didn't say anything?" Daniel was clearly furious, 
voicing the same question that popped into Jack's head. His expression 
said it all.

Jacob patted Jack's knee soothingly. "Don't worry, I'll be having words. 
But they have history, Jack, and she made him promise not to tell. 
Martouf is very loyal to his friends."

"But if he'd said something we could have helped her sooner," Daniel 
complained.

"But she didn't want to be helped, did she, Daniel? She's stubborn. Look, 
the right and wrong can be debated, and don't worry it will." //We'll see 
about that Jacob...// He fiddled with a stick poking it in the fire 
absentmindedly as Selmak lectured him.

He capitulated. 

"This was supposed to be an easy mission wasn't it." Jacob commented.

"Yup."

"Kinda messed that up, didn't we?"

O'Neill shrugged. "Hammond would have dialed up in a couple hours anyway. 
At least you made it through. You're here. That means a lot to Sam, sir."

He nodded. "So, when are we blowing this joint?"

"When the blizzard stops we'll start looking for the gate. SG-11 are 
working on a plan to get her through ASAP. Fraiser wants that leg seen 
to."

"Martouf had the healing device. We should have brought one each. I could 
have fixed it straight away."

 "There's a lot of stuff we *could* have brought with us, Jacob. A hell 
of a lot of stuff..." The thought lingered in his mind for a moment and a 
plan formed. 

"Jaack?" Daniel could see something processing behind those eyes. "What 
are you thinking?"

"I just had an idea, Daniel." Jack climbed to his feet.  "Where's 
Ferretti?"

                         *******************

"Listen up, kids!" O'Neill called the gathered SG teams to order.

"Welcome to Day Four of the 'SGC Hladan Summer Excursion'. Hope 
everyone's having a good time so far." He smirked and silenced the few 
dissenting voices. "Just thought I'd give you all a little update on our 
*situation*. It's still snowing."

"No shit!"

"Now, now, kids, things are not as bad as you think. We've got plenty of 
food in here to last us a few more days. When the blizzard stops we'll be 
out there like a shot, dial up and whoosh. Find the gate." God, he hoped 
it would be that simple.

"Now, I know for a lot of you this is your first gate trip, and things 
probably haven't gone the way you expected..."

"Welcome to the SGC!" a veteran from SG-11 chortled. His fellow veterans 
smiled.

"Yeah, yeah, I know. Believe me *I know*. So far we've scraped through 
with just one pretty serious injury. But you'll all be pleased to know 
that Major Carter is doing just fine. A small cheer erupted.

"Now, kids, there's a fair amount gone wrong on this mission and part of 
that is our lack of experience in exploring polar environments. So I 
gotta little task for you all. We're gonna write a training manual, guys: 
'The SGC guide to exploring polar planets!'"

There was a slight groan.

"I thought you'd react that way, so, here's the thing. We're gonna have a 
competition. In your SG teams, I want to know what - with the benefit of 
hindsight - you would have brought with you and what you'd have left 
behind. It can be anything: objects, supplies, personnel, but please, 
keep it clean, we are in mixed company." He smiled at the only female 
officer present in the cavern.  Annie grinned back.

"I want to know what you wish you knew before you came and how you would 
have found it out. I don't want to be making the same mistakes next ice 
planet, guys, so let's get our heads together and make something positive 
outta this." The crowd rumbled.

"PRIZES," he silenced them, "will be awarded at the 'Hladan reunion 
barbecue' to be held at my place, date to be confirmed. They will be 
awarded for innovation, practicality, wit and, no doubt, stupidity." That 
raised a laugh. "The judge's decision will be final, and I am the judge." 
He paused. "You have three hours, submit your lists to Daniel, don't 
forget to put your names on the top. Otherwise you can't win." He smiled.

He waved them to begin. The cavern dissolved into knots of discussion. 
There were smiles, serious expressions and lots of scribbling. Daziel and 
Ferretti were having a terse discussion. Whitney stood beside Ferretti 
looking very agitated, glancing at his SG-2 friends.

"Hey, Daziel!" O'Neill called out. "You didn't bring him, he's SG-2 for 
this exercise."

The rest of SG-2 cheered and Whitney happily settled in with his buddies. 
They had a real chance of getting somewhere with this one. 

                         *******************

"So what do we do, Jack?" 

"Make a list, Daniel. We just can't win a prize. Might be seen as 
favoritism."

Fraiser appeared at the door to her tent, she beckoned them over, all of 
them.

"Sam's fed up, she wants to play too." 

"Can she?"

"She's a lot better." //She's driving me nuts.// "You can take the cot 
out and park her by the fire. No getting up, keep her warm and try and 
get her to eat something."

"Cool!" Daniel brushed past her. "Hey, Sam, wanna come out and play?"

She laughed. "Sounded like you guys were having too much fun without me."

"Not true, Major! How could we. You ready to rumble?" O'Neill led the 
count. They lifted the cot as was and carried it out to their fire, they 
started to lower it but she stopped them. 

"Turn it the other way round, then I can see everyone." They did as they 
were told. Settled her with a pad and pencil and started on their own 
lists.

                         *******************

Carter wriggled on the cot, trying to get into a more comfortable 
position. It didn't really work, only earning her a stabbing pain and 
several concerned looks from SG-1 and her father.

Her list was pretty short, just a few things she would have brought if 
she had known she was going to be staying for a day or two. But top of 
her list was the same as Jacob's � 'Healing Device � 1'. //Wonderful 
thing hindsight.//

"Snap!" Jacob said, leaning over to peek. She managed a smile.

The lunch barbecue started up. Teal'c retrieved some MREs and started to 
heat them on their fire. Carter found her mind wandering as she stared 
into the yellow-orange flames. A sudden flashback of Daniel being 
consumed by fire started her back to reality. She twisted to check the 
voice arguing with O'Neill about the ketchup-mustard-blago issue was 
really him. Reassured, she pulled off her cap. It was warm down here so 
close to the fire. Who cared what her hair looked like?

"Put that back on, Major," O'Neill ordered.

"I'm too hot," she moaned.

O'Neill rocked off his box and knelt beside her. He grabbed the cap and 
unceremoniously pushed it back onto her head. Her fringe stuck out over 
her eyes.

"You need a haircut, Major," he started, pushing the wayward bits under 
her hat. She squirmed away from him. His fingers brushed her face as she 
moved.

"Jesus, Carter," he exclaimed, pulling off his glove and feeling her 
forehead. "You're burning up!"

Her hand shot out and pulled the hat off again. "I said, I was hot!" She 
slapped his hand away.

"Teal'c, get Fraiser."

"What? I'm fine, it's just sitting close to the fire."

O'Neill repositioned his hand on the forehead, then felt the side of her 
face. "No, Carter, you've got a fever."

Daniel now leant over her. "Sam?"

"I'm fine guys, just warm," she almost gasped.

Daniel grabbed her wrist and felt for her pulse. His eyes widened.

"What?" Jack asked

"It's really fast."

Sam wrenched her hand away. "Cut it out!"

Fraiser practically ran across the cavern and skidded to a halt.

"Sam?"

"She's got a fever. Heartbeat's fast too," O'Neill supplied.

Fraiser laid her hand on her patient. She cursed inwardly. "Get her back 
in the medical tent." Carter protested uselessly as they lifted her cot 
and carried her back across the cavern. 

                         *******************

Everything Fraiser had been praying wouldn't happen, was. Over the next 
few hours, Carter's temperature rose even higher and her blood pressure 
dropped � both steadily. As Sam become more incoherent, Fraiser gave her 
another massive dose of antibiotics and hooked up an IV. It was all she 
could do, and deep down she knew it wasn't going to be enough. She'd used 
every trick available to her. They had to get her home, or at least get 
some supplies here. 

And they had to do it quickly ... very quickly.

                         *******************

21

O'Neill didn't need to ask the obvious question. Fraiser's face said it 
all. "How long has she got?" he asked instead.

Fraiser shrugged. "It came on very quickly, her BP seems to be 
stabilizing, but..."

"But?" Daniel pressed.

"Whatever is causing the infection isn't very susceptible to the drugs I 
have here."

"How long?" O'Neill forced.

Fraiser's heart sank. "Twenty-four hours, maybe. I don't know."

"What if we get her home?"

"She has a chance, but, Colonel, that's not possible right now is it?"

"The hell it isn't!" O'Neill stomped away, followed by Teal'c. Daniel 
hovered, not sure which way to turn.

"Daniel, until the snow lets up, you can't let them go out there, it's 
too dangerous."

"I can't just sit here and wait for her to die, Janet. I won't." His 
decision made, he bolted after Jack.

"General," she pleaded. "Sam wouldn't want anyone else getting hurt 
trying to help her."

"We'll be careful," he said as he followed them.

Their outdoor gear on, SG-1 and Jacob Carter gathered at the cave 
entrance. It was still snowing lightly, but the sentry noted the wind had 
eased off. The blizzard was subsiding. You could almost see across the 
flow to the slowly setting sun..

"A break at last," O'Neill muttered.

Ferretti skidded into O'Neill. "Sir," he said breathlessly, "what's going 
on?"

"We're gonna find the gate." O'Neill stated.

"But sir?"

"The sun's going down, so I'm not ordering anyone to help us, but 
Carter's run out of time. It's easing off."

"Sir," Ferretti started, "the blago could still get close."

"Anything happens, you're in charge, Louis."

"But, Colonel?"

"I have to try." He turned and was gone. Teal'c, Daniel and Jacob 
followed him.

"Daniel!" Ferretti called out, waving a small black remote. "You'll need 
this."

He tossed it over. "The DHD's on the FRED. Give me a minute. We'll be on 
your six!" 

                         *******************

Daniel drove the FRED out, down-flow as they had planned. O'Neill, Jacob 
and Teal'c fanned out, MP5s at the ready, scanning the area. The blago 
were hard to spot, but not impossible. They were ready.

"This should do, Jack!" Daniel stopped and jumped up onto the FRED. 
Flexing his fingers, he slapped the first symbol.

They listened. Nothing.

Just as O'Neill realized he didn't know what to listen for, Ferretti 
called out from the cave entrance. The SGC personnel were behind him all 
plodding along in their home made snow shoes. O'Neill started back to 
them. "Major!"

"Sir, I figure we got an hour of light left, it's worth a try. It could 
start snowing again any time!"

Daniel slapped the point of origin, prayed to every deity he knew and 
pressed the central red plate.

They heard a faint rumble, the ground shook gently beneath them and a few 
meters from where O'Neill had been standing, the snow mushroomed several 
feet above the surface and collapsed back on itself, leaving the 
shimmering event horizon of the wormhole at the bottom of a twenty-foot 
hole. A huge cheer erupted from the SG teams.

"Daniel!" he called, "where'd you dial?"

"HOME!" Daniel punched in the iris code.

"*This is General Hammond.*" O'Neill's radio squawked.

"General, this is O'Neill."

"*Good to hear from you again, is Jacob with you, he didn't make it back 
with Martouf.*"

"He's here, sir. Safe and well. Got buried in the avalanche but he's 
okay, we got other problems though, sir." 

"*What's your situation?*"

"Gate's horizontal, General. We need supplies. Carter's been seriously 
injured, we need to get her home. We're setting up for that now."

"*Give us your list, Colonel, we'll start getting it together.*"

O'Neill looked around. Daniel had disappeared. Teal'c, Jacob and SG-2 
were helping SG-12 move the logs for the A-frame. Little and Daziel were 
launching the UAV.

"Where's Daniel?"

"He went to inform Doctor Fraiser." Teal'c supplied.

"O'Neill to Fraiser," he tried.

"*I read you, Colonel. We're on our way.*"

"I need Daniel out here with the list."

"*On my way, Jack,*" Daniel's voice replied.

"Sir," Gilbert started, "we need to move Carter through, right?"

"Yes. Now."

"Okay, we'll leave the A-frame for now. It'll take a couple of hours to 
assemble..."

O'Neill placed a hand on the engineer's shoulder. "I don't need to know 
how, just tell me what you need us to do, and we'll do it."

"Yes sir. That's an out-going 'hole, right?"

"Sure is."

"Good." Gilbert bounded off and briefed the log bearers. 

"We're moving Major Carter though now?" Whitney asked Gilbert.

"That's the plan, you'd better help them prep her for a bumpy trip."

"Yes, sir," Whitney broke from the group and dashed back into the cave.

"General, we're going to be a little busy. Keep the front door open."

"*Will do, Colonel, good luck.*"

Gilbert had them lay the logs over the 20-foot hole, so that they would 
be able to run ropes over them.

"We just lower her through?" O'Neill asked.

Gilbert shrugged. "Might not have a soft landing on the other side, but 
if we lower her slowly, someone should be able to catch her on the other 
side."

"Mats!" O'Neill exclaimed. "General Hammond, this is O'Neill."

"*Go ahead, Colonel.*"

"Sir, we need crash mats on the ramp, from the gym. As many as you can, 
and quickly."

"*We're on it. What's the plan, Colonel?*"

"Sir, we're gonna lower Carter through. You'll need to catch her. She's 
unconscious, running a fever."

"*Back up, Colonel, what happened?*"

"She was bitten by a wolf type thing. Got her femoral artery. Doc's tried 
to fix it but now the wound's infected. Fraiser's thrown everything we 
have at it sir, but Carter's dying."

"*What do you need?*" 

"Is Martouf there?"

"*No, son, he had to return to Vorash.*"

"Break out the healing device, General, Jacob's gonna need it. We'll send 
them both back."

"*Carry on, Colonel.*"

He saw them picking their way through the tracks of the FRED and the pole 
bearers. Whitney ran ahead to O'Neill, nearly tripping over his own 
shoes. "Sir, we should probably lower someone through first to get an 
idea of how she's gonna come through the other side."

"I need you here, Whitney."

"I know, sir, I was thinking about Jimmy Taylor."

"Taylor?  Oh, mother-in-law from hell?"

"Yes, sir."

"Rig him up." O'Neill checked his watch. "We haven't got much time, 
Whitney. Just 20 minutes to get them all through. Step on it." 

"Yes, sir." Whitney bounded off calling out to Taylor. The two men had a 
brief exchange during which Taylor hugged his team-mate, then Whitney 
started rigging a rope harness around his friend.

O'Neill heard his radio crackle, Fraiser was jabbering to Warner in medic 
speak. He didn't understand what half of it meant but it didn't sound 
positive.

"No, I tried that, Bill, 1000 milligrams every four hours, hasn't touched 
it. You'll have to do cultures, mean time, Jacob's her only hope."

"*We'll take good care of her, Doctor Fraiser,*" the voice crackled.

"I know... Fraiser out." She knelt down beside her patient again and 
checked her pulse. It was weak but stable.

"Okay, General, here we go, lowering Taylor, now."

Taylor shimmied off the edge of the snow, as the men took the strain on 
the ropes. Many Hladans had joined their new allies and Jovic was slowly 
making his way out to them as well. Whitney directed the teams as Jimmy 
swung free from the side and hung suspended over the shimmering event 
horizon. 

"Give Sally a hug from us!" Whitney called, as the airman's feet slowly 
disappeared.

                         *******************

General Hammond watched from the base of the ramp. Marines crouched on 
the piled up mats watching the event horizon for any signs of someone 
coming through. The soles of his boots appeared first and before he knew 
it, he was being supported by many hands. Once he left the grip of the 
wormhole, his full weight bore down on them, he dipped and they placed 
him lightly on the mats.

"O'Neill, we have him safe and sound, send them through just like that: 
feet first."

                         *******************

Jack glanced at Whitney. They had planned to lower Carter on the cot, not 
feet first. 

"Standby, General."

"Get her out of the cot and the bag." Whitney was fumbling with a length 
of rope, turning it into a large loop. Jacob was waiting in a harness 
similar to Taylor's, but that would cut across Carter's injured leg. 
"Under the shoulders?" Jacob asked.

"Yes sir, we'll clip her to you."

"General, we gotta send Jacob and Carter through together, can you guys 
handle that?"

"*Will do, Jack. We're ready.*"

The sun had dipped halfway behind the horizon casting an orange glow over 
the snow and ice. Shimmering blue light shone from the hole as Jacob held 
his daughter close to him and lifted her over the edge. He clambered over 
as they took the strain on the ropes. Her head flopped back as she hung 
limp and lifeless, he cradled it next to his chest. Slowly they 
disappeared into the blue light.

"*We have them!*" Hammond's voice barked over the radio. They cheered and 
clapped each other on the back until their celebrations were drowned out 
by a blago roaring in the distance. The silence that fell on the humans 
clattered as many MP5s were cocked ready.

"General! We're losing the light here. We'll dial up at dawn and give you 
an update."

"*Jacob's working on Sam now, Jack. We'll get the supplies you've 
requested together and start moving it through tomorrow.*"

"We gotta get back inside now, sir, the wildlife is getting restless. 
O'Neill out"

"*Good Luck Colonel. Hammond out*"

Gilbert ordered them to move the poles off the hole so they wouldn't get 
vaporized when they dialed up again. That done, the teams and their 
Hladan helpers fell back into the safety of the cave taking the DHD laden 
FRED with them.

                         *******************

The sun finally disappeared behind the mountain casting the flow into 
darkness and bitter cold. O'Neill lingered by the entrance to the cave 
and stared at the hole in the snow. It was going to take a while to dig 
it out. At least she was home, he mused. They couldn't do any more for 
her than they had. It was up to Jacob now.

"I'm sure she'll be all right, Jack." Daniel stood just behind him 
hugging himself. Jack turned to the young man slowly and half smiled. 
"It'll take more than a few bugs and a wolf to kill Carter, Daniel. She's 
too damn stubborn to die."

They smiled at each other reassuringly and, walking back to the cavern, 
hoped against hope they were both right.

                         *******************

Jacob worked the device over his daughter's body as it lay limp and 
almost lifeless at the bottom of the ramp.

For several minutes, Warner could do little but monitor her vitals as 
Jacob worked.

Finally, the light from the device faded, Jacob rocked back on his heals 
and sighed.

"Jacob?" Hammond asked.

"That's all she can take for now. Doctor, if you have any antibiotics 
different to Fraiser's, I'd use them. She's very weak. She needs all the 
help she can get."

Warner nodded. "We have a few things to try, but she's stabilized. Let's 
get her to the infirmary."

Jacob rose and watched them wheel Sam away on a gurney. "Gentlemen," 
Hammond started, looking from Jacob to Taylor and back again. "Can 
someone tell me what the hell has been going on over the last few days?"

"George, it's a long story. I'll fill you in, but this guy has an 
appointment."

"An appointment? With who?"

"My wife's having our first kid, sir."

"So you're Airman Taylor?"

"Yes, sir." 

"I've had a Mrs. Fraczek calling me every day, demanding I tell her where 
the hell you are."

"She's gonna kill me... Has Sally had it yet?"

"No, Son." Taylor looked relieved then was about to ask a question when 
Hammond cut him off. "Your wife's still at the academy hospital. Get 
yourself through post-gate. I'll have someone drive you over there. 
Dismissed."

"Thank you, sir." Jimmy snapped off a salute and bolted from the gate 
room.

The two generals watched the youth go. "So, how about that long story, 
Jacob?" They were alone in the gate room now.

"Let's start with a nice hot shower and some decent food." Jacob turned 
to his old friend. "We have a lot to talk about, George. And not much of 
it to do with Hladan."

                         *******************

Jack settled the teams back to their list task before flopping back in 
front of his own team's fire. Daniel was still hugging himself, rocking 
gently back and forth, staring blankly into the flames. Teal'c sat 
stiffly, his eyes open, deep in thought. 

Jack looked from one man to the other and wished he'd just jumped through 
the hole after the Carters, damn the hard landing. He didn't want to be 
here. He wanted to be there. Looking at his two team-mates he knew they 
were thinking the same thing. SG-1 without Sam wasn't really SG-1. Carter 
left a big hole. All that science, with the instant solider switch. 
//Sometimes I wish Daniel had one of those...// He glanced over again to 
the young scientist who looked on the verge of losing it completely and 
bursting into tears. O'Neill caught himself mid thought... //Don't you 
ever change, Daniel... I need you just the way you are.//

Jack rose from his seat by the fire and let his hand linger on Daniel's 
shoulder. He pulled at him, beckoning him to follow. They wandered across 
the cavern to the medical tent. Inside, Janet was alone. She glanced up 
as they entered and wiped her face guiltily.

Once the door was closed, Jack wrapped his arm around Daniel and let him 
cry into his shoulder. "She'll pull thorough, Danny." He rubbed at the 
man's back as his own unshed tears made his eyes glisten. "She'll pull 
through..." Jack met Janet's red puffy eyes as he hugged his friend. "She 
will be okay, Doc," he stated. He couldn't imagine it any other way. 
"She'll be okay..."

                         *******************

The monitors beeped soft and steady. She had fewer tubes than Hammond had 
expected but she was pale and looked really small and thin. "She's still 
a little warm, sir, but everything else is stable. We'll keep her on the 
antibiotic cocktail and fluids for now and see how she goes. In the 
meantime, I'll run some tests on her leg later today."

"Fraiser did a pretty good job, Doctor, it should be okay." Jacob 
supplied. "The healing device will make her very tired, it does that when 
there is no symbiont. She'll be exhausted for days..." 

He settled in a chair beside her and took her warm, limp hand in his. "Hi 
Sammy..." he soothed. "We got you home, so you just rest honey... you 
need to sleep." She stirred slightly and squeezed his hand weakly. "Just 
go to sleep, Sam. Don't worry about a thing, just rest. You're gonna be 
fine."

                         *******************

22

The sky turned from black to blue. As it lightened, the wails of a blago 
nearby subsided. It had been a very long night. Paxman heaved a sigh of 
relief when the wailing stopped. Colonel O'Neill strode purposefully up 
to the cave entrance.

"If you tell me it's snowing again, I'll put you on report!"

Paxman smiled. "Not snowed all night sir, been a blago nearby though and 
he didn't seem happy."

Jack popped his head out the entrance. The sky was turning from dark to a 
misty light blue.

"Oh yes!" he celebrated, "We are so getting outta here!"

He trotted back into the cave and despite it being 05.00 hours, woke 
everyone up. Not surprisingly few complained when confronted with the 
prospect of going home.

"Come on. Quick breakfasts everyone. Team leaders, bring yours to the 
main tent. Pow-wow in 15 minutes."

Jack had finished his MRE before the last leader had arrived.

"Right. We got a horizontal gate, at the bottom of a 20-foot hole in the 
snow, and I want to go home! Gilbert, what's the plan?"

"We'll have to dig down the sides so we can lift the gate out. We can 
scrape the sides and dial up to vaporize the snow � save us hauling it 
out."

O'Neill sipped his coffee. "Sweet."

"Then, sir, we erect the A-frame, and haul up an end."

"Lemme guess, dial up again and let the vortex hollow out a trench?"

Gilbert smiled. "Exactly. We don't have to get it out of the hole to get 
it vertical and accessible. We'll be able to walk right down to it. Once 
we get some gear from Earth, we can do something a little more 
permanent."

"Okay, so what are we waiting for?"

"Orders, sir."

"Let's get out there and give Hammond an update, then we'll shut it down 
and get going."

"Sir?" Little started, "aren't you going to ask about the weather today?"

O'Neill glared at him "No."

"Well, sir..."

"Ah!" he silenced him.

"Shame, sir, it should be a nice day." Little muttered absent-mindedly.

"No snow?"

Little shook his head and smiled. "Probably not for a couple of days."

Jack's grin widened. "Yes! Okay, Daniel, Teal'c with me, we're gonna call 
home, the rest of you get your teams ready for a briefing. Thirty 
minutes. Dismissed."

The meeting broke up. Everyone except SG-1 and Fraiser left.

"Come on Doc, we'll go see how Carter is." 

The four headed out of the complex.

                         *******************

The first thing Carter noticed as she awoke was how warm it was. Not 
unpleasant, but cozy, secure and safe. Then there was a presence nearby, 
silhouetted in the dim light.

"Dad?" she wheezed from beneath the mask over her face.

The figure approached her bed, coming into the light. "Hi, Sam," he said 
softly, squeezing her hand. "How you feeling?"

She closed her eyes, taking stock. "Numb. I'm so tired, Dad."

"I know, Sam, it's the healing device. It'll pass."

Her eyes were open again, she looked around at the all too familiar room.

"SGC?" she asked.

"Yeah, Sam. We're back on Earth. You're gonna be okay."

"All home?"

"SG-1 are still on Hladan, Sam. You were really sick, we had to get you 
home."

"Hladan...."

"Yeah," he brushed her hair away from her face, "but they'll be back 
soon. You just go back to sleep Sammy, you need to rest."

Her eyes closed slowly. "Okay Dad..."

                         *******************

The four colleagues trudged out over the flow, the morning sun had made 
the top layer crispy. Suddenly a blago roared.

"That's close," Daniel stated, stopping the laden FRED. Teal'c and Jack 
readied their weapons.

"I don't see anything, Teal'c, you?"

"I do not, O'Neill. Yet I also think it is close by."

They all scanned the flow, right to the mountain slope and horizon. It 
roared again. They whirled towards the sound. A few hundred yards away, a 
hole in the snow marked the location of the gate.

"Look, O'Neill." Teal'c pointed to some tracks on the other side leading 
from the edge of the forest."

"What are those?" Jack asked.

"They appear to be blago tracks, O'Neill."

"Thought so."

"They lead to the gate," Fraiser added.

The roar grew louder as they approached the edge of the hole.

"Stand back, Doc."

O'Neill shuffled slowly to the edge and peeked over. He stumbled back as 
the white ball of fur and teeth leapt up at him. The snow gave way under 
him.

"Holy shit, Teal'c!" Jack jumped back from the edge. Teal'c grabbed 
O'Neill's jacket and yanked him clear. The snow fell into the hole, 
annoying the animal even more. It screamed with rage.

"Are you all right, O'Neill?"

"Yeah," he managed, breathless. "Thanks, Teal'c."

Daniel and Fraiser came forward and helped Jack to his feet.

"So, now what do we do?" Janet asked, brushing the loose snow from his 
clothes.

"Colonel?" O'Neill's radio squawked. "Sir, are you okay?"

"Fine, Paxman, we got guests."

"O'Neill!" Teal'c's barked warning was followed by the discharge of a Zat 
gun. The blago had clawed its way half out of the hole. It fell back, 
landing at the bottom with a thud. Teal'c cautiously approached the edge 
and fired a second shot to ensure the animal was dead.

" Vaporize or breakfast?" Jack considered.

Daniel shrugged. "Waste not, want not."

"We will need assistance."

"Paxman, this is O'Neill."

"Go ahead, sir."

"We need some help lifting this blago outta the hole. Have Major Ferretti 
round us up some bodies."

"On it, sir."

It didn't really take that long, but it did delay his call home. The team 
of Hladan and SGC personnel dragged the dead animal back to the cave, 
leaving them alone again.

"Daniel."

Daniel clambered up onto the FRED and dialed home, praying.

                         *******************

23

"Off world activation!"

Hammond bolted from his office.

"Sir, SG-1 signal."

"Thank god. Open the iris."

"Receiving audio, sir." The technician put it on speaker.

"This is Colonel O'Neill, please come in."

"Jack, Hammond. How are you?"

"We're fine. How's Carter?"

"Jacob has cleared the infection. She's very weak, but Dr. Warner assures 
me she'll recover." Daniel let out the breath he hadn't realized he'd 
been holding and hugged Fraiser. They quietly celebrated.

"That's great news, General." For the first time in a couple of days, a 
genuine smile spread across O'Neill's face and made it all the way to his 
eyes.

"We've got a plan. We should have the gate out in a few hours. We'd 
appreciate a relief team."

"They'll be standing by. We're ready with those supplies, and we're ready 
for the Hladan refugees too."

"General, this is Dr. Fraiser. I'd like to send back the day units as we 
originally planned, but the new medical team will need three medics. 
There's too much here for one or two."

"I'll inform Doctor Warner."

"General, I have to brief the troops. We'll call you back."

"Good luck, people. Come on home soon."

"Thank you, sir. O'Neill - out. Okay Daniel, let it shut down."

The shimmering light hissed out.

"Let's get outta here, kids." Together they trudged back to the cave.

                         *******************

A few hours made all the difference. After seemingly days of being numb; 
numb from the cold, the influence of the drugs and more cold, she was 
feeling everything again. Her head hurt. Dehydration. Well that made 
sense because she was thirsty. Oh and while she was thinking about that, 
she was desperately hungry too. Warner had seen this pattern before, when 
Martouf had used the healing device on Sam. She'd woken up, eaten and 
drank enough to feed three, and then been overcome with exhaustion again.

Sam joked with Warner that it was like a stable wormhole, you could only 
keep it open for about 40 minutes before it shut down. Then she had to 
sleep for a couple more hours before doing it all again.

"This is so weird," she said, shoveling another mouthful onto her fork. 
"Dad, why do I get like this?" She chewed. Jacob watched his daughter 
demolish the second plate of pasta and bolognaise sauce. 

Selmak answered. "*The healing process requires energy. When it is 
accelerated, the demands are great.*"

"So why do I feel so good now, and then crash out?"

"*Your body requires time to heal and absorb the energy you have 
consumed. In hosts, individuals would require similar cycles but these 
are consciously controlled by the symbionts.*"

"So I'm cycling feast and heal," she said with her mouth full.

"Something like that," Jacob answered. "Here, don't forget to drink." He 
handed her a glass of water. She downed it.

"Dad," she started, "could you do me a favor?"

"Like what?" he said suspiciously.

"Send the guys a care package.... Nothing fancy just one of those huge 
tubs of ketchup with the pump thing."

Jacob laughed. "I'll see what I can do."

"Oh," she added quickly swallowing. "And some mustard for the Colonel."

"Okay. Anything else?"

She shook her head as she chewed the last mouthful and pushed the plate 
away.

"That was great, Dad, thanks."

"No problem. Now, before you shut down again, how's the leg feel?"

She flexed it under the covers. "It's really sore and stiff too. She 
rubbed at the bandages and yawned. 

Jacob glanced at the clock. "Thirty-five minutes. Lay down Sam."

She yawned and rubbed her eyes. "You sure they're not sneaking sedatives 
in this?" she said sleepily as her father settled her down, careful not 
to disturb the IVs still pumping her with antibiotics.

"What, in little capsules timed to go off every few hours? Just go to 
sleep Sam, stop asking so many questions."

"You'll send the guys that stuff?" she muttered distantly.

"Sure I will. Just as soon as you're asleep."

"Okay, Dad..." Her head flopped to one side. Warner picked up her chart 
and made a few notes. 

"That was shorter."

"Got the food on board, not much point in staying up." Jacob stroked her 
hair, arranging it a little more neatly round her face. "Jack's right, 
Sam, you do need a haircut."

                         *******************

The relief crew was due for a three-hour hand over. The day units would 
then return first with the Hladans who required medical attention. SG 
teams 7 and 11 volunteered to stay a few days extra. Little and Daziel 
were keen to keep an eye on things personally. Jack on the other hand, 
felt very surplus to requirements. He was glad to be leaving Ferretti in 
charge with his SG-2 detachment. But before then there were supplies to 
unload and every pair of hands was needed.

The path from the gate was now well trodden. Most of the original 
strandees had foregone their snowshoes, preferring to trudge back and 
forth without them.

It was getting on for lunchtime. Jack was hungry, so when the gate was 
due to shut down, he called a break. Ferretti found his CO with Jovic, 
discussing the mountains on Earth.

"Er, excuse me, sir, this seems to be for you." Ferretti put the casket 
down. Jack shrugged and fiddled with the catch. It popped open. Daniel 
leaned over as Jack pulled out the giant tub of ketchup. "Hey!" he 
laughed, "I thought you took this off the list!"

Daniel reached in the box and pulled out a folded sheet of paper. He 
opened it and read, "Dear Jack. Present from Sam � Enjoy!"

Jack fumbled in the box and pulled out the pump top. "Hey, she even sent 
a pump."

"It's from Jacob." Daniel rummaged in the packing material as Jack 
wrestled with the jar's lid. He grinned. "Look Jack." He held up the 
second jar and pump.

"Oh yes! Now we'll know. The Great Ketchup/Mustard Debate ends here!"

They struggled with the caps. Removing their gloves didn't help.

"If I may." Teal'c took the jar from O'Neill, effortlessly twisting off 
the cap first time. 

Grumbling quietly, Jack affixed the pump cap. "Only cos I loosened it."

"Thanks, Teal'c," Daniel managed more graciously.

"You are both welcome," he replied with a smug nod.

                         *******************

Fraiser handed over to the new medics and went back ahead of her new 
patients to smooth the way.

After a quick shower, she escaped Warner's post-gate intentions and found 
Sam. She checked her chart carefully and found a similar wake/sleep 
pattern they'd seen before. Carter was sleeping.

"Doctor."

"I know, Bill. I'll be right there."

Warner came into the room and stood beside her. "It was close Janet. 
Without Jacob..."

"I know."

"You did a great job on her leg though, pretty fancy stitching." He 
paused. "You used suture packs?"

"All I had."

"Saved her life, she would have bled to death. And you must know with an 
injury like that, it was always gonna get infected."

Fraiser nodded. "Did you send blood for cultures?"

"I got some whilst Jacob was working on her. They're doing the 
sensitivities now."

"Penicillin doesn't work," she said simply. "Let's hope they find 
something that will. Hammond's determined to make a base there for 
mining."

"She's responded to the gentamycin. The residual infection's gone."

"Is that the healing device or the drug?"

Warner shrugged. "Not the time to take a chance to find out."

"She's in H-DISC?"

"Yes, it's the same, 40 minutes waking, 2-3 hours sleeping cycle we saw 
induced by the healing device before."

Fraiser shook her head and shrugged. "That's interesting. Different 
injury, same cycle. We're gonna have to look at this, Bill."

"Yes, Doctor, but right now I could use an extra pair of medical hands 
out there."

Warner placed his hand on her shoulder. "We'll figure it out later," he 
said steering her to the door. "Now let's get you checked out. Then you 
can give us a hand with the Hladans."

"I want to talk to her when she wakes up."

"We'll let the nurses know. Come on, we've got a full house."

Fraiser let Warner lead her away. The noise in the infirmary hit her, 
snapping her back into automatic doctor mode. After a quick check by 
Warner, she launched herself back into organizing the masses.

                         *******************

Evening had come quickly to the Hladan sky. True to Little's word, it 
hadn't snowed all day. The relief crew was enjoying their first taste of 
blago and those who weren't staying were packing up their possessions. 
The ketchup and mustard had proved popular with the Hladans and Tau'ri 
alike. So far, ketchup was winning (according to the voting form by the 
pumps). The atmosphere was light. Jovic was to go to Earth the next day, 
once his people were settled. Jack was bursting to get back to Earth. 
He'd never quite felt that way before. He knew she was alive, had been 
sitting up eating and drinking, but he still needed to see it for 
himself. Only then could he believe it.

Finally, with the sun almost gone, only SG-1 remained to go through.

"Take care of 'em, Ferretti."

"I will, sir."

"Keep an eye on that mountain," he told Whitney.

"Yes, sir, I will."

The gate was shimmering before him. He waved to the men staying behind, 
and collecting Daniel and Teal'c on the way down the trench he muttered, 
"If Warner can't muster the fastest post-gate in history, I'll kill him!"

"I think we should shower before we see Sam, Jack."

Jack shrugged. "Ya think?"

They disappeared through the event horizon.

                         *******************

O'Neill timed Warner. Not quite a record but damned close. The shower, 
however, was a personal best. Daniel was still drying his hair when Jack 
slammed his locker door shut. "She's not gonna care if your hair's wet, 
Daniel, come on."

Daniel grumbled, put his glasses on and having shoved everything back in 
his locker, followed Jack and Teal'c out the door.

                         *******************

The monitors were on, but the sound had been turned off. The lines arced 
rhythmically and steadily across the screen. The readouts looked good. 
Heart rate 80, a little fast for Sam, but not worrying. BP okay. Oxygen 
saturation a little low. That was normal towards the end of the cycle. 
//Maybe a trigger?// Fraiser was making notes when they came in.

"Hey, Doc."

"Hello, gentlemen."

"How's she doing?"

"She's just fine. In H-DISC, but..."

"H-DISC?" Jack asked.

"Healing Device Induced Sleep Cycles."

"Oh." Daniel had gone round to the other side of the bed, pulled up a 
chair and sat down, taking her hand.

"She's sleeping for a couple of hours, then waking to eat and drink. 
About 40 minutes, then she'll crash out again."

"When will she wake up?" Jack was on the opposite side to Daniel now, 
Teal'c planted firmly at the end of the bed at parade rest.

Fraiser checked her watch. "Any time now. Gentlemen, once she wakes up 
she'll seem normal and then deteriorate quickly."

"I remember, Doc," Jack said quietly. "She's okay though?"

"The infection's gone, but her leg was very badly injured. Even with 
Jacob's help, it's going to take a long time to heal."

"She won't lose it though," Daniel blurted.

Fraiser shook her head. "Not if I have anything to do with it." She 
patted Daniel on the shoulder. "It's not going to be plain sailing, but 
she'll live."

Jacob wandered in with General Hammond close behind him.

"Welcome home, SG-1."

"Thank you, sir," Jack managed politely. "Good to be back."

                         *******************

Someone was holding her hand, actually squeezing it pretty hard. She 
pulled away as she awoke. Everything was blurry. Muffled voices, quiet 
and reassuring, reached her ears. Slowly her eyes cleared, the voices 
clarified. One face was leaning over her now. She blinked refocusing her 
eyes.

"Sir?" she croaked.

The face smirked. "Hi, Carter."

She looked round the bed. Daniel was holding her hand gently, a relieved 
grin spreading across his face. "Hey, Sam."

Her father, cool and calm. No, there was worry in those eyes. "Hey, 
Sammy. You hungry?"

She nodded, her eyes falling on Teal'c.

"It is good to see you, Major Carter." He inclined his head.

"You too, Teal'c." Her eyes darted back to her dad. "Chocolate," she said 
absentmindedly, "and is there any more of that pasta I had last time?"

"I'll see what we can do, Sam, you need to drink some water."

Daniel fussed over the jug and offered her the cup. She missed as he 
handed it to her.

"Major," Hammond said, "take your time."

"Yes sir." She gripped the cup and squeezed her eyes shut. When they 
opened the world was one again. Her stomach rumbled.

"Hey, guys." She said brightly, as if she hadn't spoken to them before. 
"When did you get back?"

The straw was in her mouth and the cup empty before Jack had finished 
saying "Less than an hour."

"Janet," she said. "I'm hungry again, could I..."

"We're working on it, Sam. Pasta and chocolate?"

Sam scowled. "I did it again?"

"It's okay, Sam." Fraiser patted her shoulder and helped her sit up.

"Did what?" asked Daniel.

"Sam's a little forgetful when she comes round."

"Then she eats us out of house and home and goes back to sleep," Jacob 
added.

"Dad," she moaned, "please?"

"I'm just teasing you, Sam. It's not your fault."

Hammond hovered for a few seconds. "Gentlemen, I'd like to see you all 
for debriefing, in an hour."

"Yes, sir," Jack said, his eyes not leaving his second in command.

Hammond slipped away, smiling at Sam.

"Did you get the ketchup?" she asked conspiratorially, starting on 
another cup of water.

"You betcha!"

"Good." She finished the water.

"But the mustard was better!"

"Er, Janet? I, er, kinda need a pit stop."

"Okay, gentlemen, everyone out for a minute. Shoo!" They rose 
reluctantly. "Now gentlemen. You can come back in a minute."

"Janet," Sam began as she and a nurse helped her. "Are they okay?"

"Just worried 'bout you, Sam."

"Not hurt?"

"No."

They settled her back, just in time for the arrival of food. She'd 
already started when Fraiser let the men back in.

"This is great, guys. You should get some later," she said, her mouth 
full.

Daniel shook his head. "Ten hours ago, you were more dead than alive. Now 
you're stuffing yourself like there's no tomorrow!"

"Give her a break, Danny, she's hungry."

"Hey, did I miss anything on Hladan?"

"Nope."

"Just Jack nearly getting eaten by a blago," Daniel offered.

"Really?"

"Yeah. It was in the hole with the gate," Jack explained.

"Wow. How'd it get in there?"

"It fell, I guess."

She was nearing the end of the plate.

"Janet? Did you..."

Fraiser uncovered the second plate and set it down in front of her. "You 
were in luck," she said, handing her a fork. "It was the last piece."

"Doc? How come I never get fed like this?" Jack complained. "Danny, when 
was the last time you got chocolate cake in here?"

"Chocolate *fudge* cake," Sam corrected, mopping up some sauce from 
around the plate, "with hot chocolate sauce." 

"Don't think I have." Daniel thought about it. "Ever."

"You know, Doc, this is favoritism."

Fraiser smiled sweetly.

"Sam is a very well behaved patient which is more than I can say for the 
three of you!"

Jacob grinned. "Well brought up." He threw in, ruffling his daughter's 
hair.

"Dad!" she batted his hand away.

"Next time � I want chocolate cake!" Jack moaned. "I'm a colonel."

"I'm a colonel." Daniel mimicked in a high pitched voice.

Jack slapped playfully at him across the bed.

"Gentlemen!" Fraiser warned. "See what I mean?"

"Sorry, Doc." Jack looked chastened.

"And you can wipe that stupid grin off your face, Carter." She added.

"Who me?" she asked finishing the last morsel.

"How's the leg feel?" Jacob asked, seriously

"Numb again."

Jacob frowned. His eyes glowed. "*Doctor, the healing device is not fully 
effective on injuries with such neurological damage. We must assess their 
extent.*"

"Can't you zap me again?"

"*I am afraid not. Beyond what we have already done it may only serve to 
make the situation worse.*"

"Oh," Sam managed.

"So what does that mean exactly?" Daniel asked.

"*There may be loss of sensation and muscle weakness. Rehabilitation will 
take some time.*"

"How long?" Jack asked, before Sam could.

"*It is not certain,*" Selmak responded.

"Sam," Fraiser interrupted, "with an injury like this, it's going to be 
weeks, if not months before you'll be back to normal, and even then, 
there might be some residual effects." The color drained from Sam's face.

"*It's too soon to be sure Samantha,*" Selmak reassured her. "*We will 
assist the process further if it is appropriate. For now, you must 
rest.*"

"Okay..." Daniel squeezed her hand as an uneasy silence settled.

"Thanks for dropping in, guys, but I'm a little tired," she said finally. 

Fraiser glanced at her watch. "Gentlemen, please? You can come back 
later."

They said their good-byes and headed off to eat before the debriefing.

"Sam?" Fraiser pressed.

"This isn't over yet, is it?"

Fraiser shook her head. "No, but it's too soon to worry too much, Sam." 
She helped her lay down, and rearranged her pillows. "It's going to take 
time. We'll get you sorted out in the end."

"Yeah," she said distantly. "In the end."

Fraiser flipped off the main light. Sam lay staring into space for a few 
minutes before her time expired and she fell into a deep, healing sleep.

                         *******************

24

She said goodbye quickly and the line went dead before he had a chance to 
ask her if there was something wrong. Of course they were still coming 
over to see her tonight. Daniel replaced the handset on its cradle and 
stared at it for a few moments.

"Did you talk to Sam today?" he asked Jack.

"Nope, she was in rehab when I called." Jack sensed a problem. "Something 
wrong?"

Daniel let his thoughts process... "Jack, do you think she's doing okay? 
At the hospital, I mean?"

Jack shrugged. "Doc says she's working hard at her rehab."

"Yeah, but is she *okay*?" Daniel slumped into his chair as he asked 
himself the question again. Not satisfied with any answer he could give 
himself, he reached for the phone.

                         *******************

Now she was mad at herself; very mad. Not only had she screwed up on the 
fitness test so badly, she had hurt her knee when she fell off the bike. 
In a moment of weakness she'd called Daniel to talk, wimped out, and now 
he was probably thinking she'd lost her marbles. //Why couldn't I keep my 
mouth shut?// Sam hauled her body over and pulled the pillow down to hug 
it. She switched off the lights using the bed remote, and pulled the 
covers over her.

The light from the corridor streamed in as Fraiser opened the door to her 
room. "Sam?"

Carter huffed.

"Sam?" Fraiser repeated, standing just inside the door. "Isn't it a 
little early for your afternoon nap?"

"Daniel called you, didn't he?" sh mumbled into her pillow

Fraiser walked slowly to the bed. "He said you sounded upset..."

"Why would I be upset?"

Janet pulled up a chair and rested her arms on the side of the bed. 
"Cindy told me about your test today... How's the knee?"

Carter pulled the covers tighter, shifting uncomfortably and shrugging. 
"Sore, and I was just checking what time they were coming. That's all. I 
wanted to take a nap."

Fraiser inclined her head. "I thought we made a promise to each other, 
Sam. 'No secrets'."

"It's no secret I want to get out of here. I want to be back at work, not 
lying around like a cripple. There's nothing wrong with me except my damn 
leg won't work. I'm not even getting tired like I was."

"We knew it was gonna take time, Sam."

"I've been here for three weeks, Janet. I just don't feel like I'm 
getting anywhere."

"But you are, Sam," Fraiser encouraged. "Cindy says you're working really 
hard."

"But I still can't walk. I can't go anywhere or do anything without help 
or that damn chair!" She bit off what she was going to say next, then 
composed herself. "I know I need to be here because I can't look after 
myself, rehab's here and that's what I need to be doing... But..."

"But you're bored? Unhappy? Lonely?" Fraiser supplied the words.

"Yeah, but not in that order."

Fraiser sat back in her char. "How long have you felt like this, or am I 
just catching you at a bad moment?"

She didn't answer immediately. "A few days, a week. Oh, I don't know."

Fraiser laced her fingers together in her lap. A week ago Jacob had had 
to return to the Tok'ra. A few days later, SG-1 had gone off world for 48 
hours. They'd been late back.

"You probably have caught me at a bad time. I'm due."

"Hormones. Get you every time. But Sam, they tend to make you express 
things you're already feeling."

"More like make 'em think I'm falling apart. I can't believe I called 
him!"

Fraiser patted the woman's hand. "You called because you needed to. Now, 
let me see what I can do about the lonely and bored issues, hopefully the 
happy will work itself out, huh?"

"Okay."

Fraiser stood. "Now you get some rest."

Sam wriggled in the bed, settling. "Janet, could you call Daniel and tell 
him I'm okay?"

Fraiser smiled. "Sure. Now get some sleep."

Fraiser shut Sam's door behind her, and formed a plan on the way back to 
her office. She had three calls to make; Cindy, Daniel and General 
Hammond.

                         *******************

The three men waited nervously outside Hammond's office. They couldn't 
tell whom he was talking to. Daniel was looking at his watch.

Jack caught him. "He's a general, he's allowed to keep us waiting."

"I don't care what Janet said, I wanna go see Sam. I was going to knock 
off early..."

"You have found your conversation with Major Carter most disturbing, 
Daniel Jackson?"

"Yes, Teal'c. I'm sure there's something wrong."

"Hey, Fraiser said she talked to her, right?"

"Jack, she didn't tell Janet about 3DY did she?" Daniel got to his feet 
and paced nervously. "Look how that turned out."

"Daniel Jackson is correct. We must have no secrets. I will discuss it 
with her."

Jack glanced at Daniel and was about to agree when Fraiser opened 
Hammond's door. She still had her coat on.

"Doc?"

"Come in please, gentlemen." She ushered them in.

"So, I guess this is about Sam," Daniel started.

"Yes." Fraiser said.

"You said she was okay on the phone."

"And she is, for now...."

"For now?" Jack didn't like the way she'd said that.

Fraiser glanced at Hammond who motioned for her to continue. "Gentleman, 
Major Carter is an extremely dedicated and intelligent woman."

"Tell us something we don't know."

"The rehab program isn't going as fast as she expected. Physically she 
has a few problems."

"But mentally she's okay?"

"In most respects. But she is not thriving at the Academy Hospital as she 
should. It's affecting her whole outlook and recovery. She needs 
something more than nursing and rehab."

"What?"

"Stimulation, inspiration, company. A reason to get up in the morning 
other than because someone tells her."

"We've been over there as much as we can, Doc, and it's you that keeps 
throwing us out."

Fraiser waved his jibe away. "I know, and she's been living from one 
visit to the next." Fraiser paused. "So far we've kept her at the academy 
because the facilities for rehab are better at the hospital than here. 
But it's not physical therapy that she needs so much as mental 
stimulation and that's not easy when everything that interests her is 
classified. So, Doctor Warner, Sergeant Harris and I are prepared to do 
her rehab."

"You'll move her back here?" Daniel exclaimed.

Hammond nodded. "We're hoping coming back will kick start her progress 
again, but we'd like to involve the rest of SG-1."

"More than anything right now, she needs to stay in the loop. She's 
getting cut off from everything and it's got to stop. We'll need your 
help to keep her on track."

"Whatever you require of us will be accomplished," Teal'c stated.

"How can we help?"

"Yeah, when do we start? I'm free right now." Jack rubbed his hands 
together enthusiastically.

Fraiser smiled and glanced at Hammond.

"Gentlemen, you have a new assignment. I have a wormhole physics expert 
who I need back on the duty roster ASAP. Now, you'll still have other 
duties, and I can't postpone all your missions, but I'd appreciate it if 
you could stay on the base for a while until she's up and about."

"Infirmary or quarters?" Daniel asked.

"Infirmary at first, the side room. Harris will sort out the physio 
program, but she'll be able to work out if she wants to as long as one of 
you is with her."

"How are you planning on keeping her out of the lab?" Jack asked.

Janet smiled. "I'm not. That's the whole point, Colonel. She needs to be 
around people she can talk to. She needs to do normal things. Soon she'll 
be moving around and walking without knowing it."

"Siler's been pestering me for weeks to know when she's coming back," 
Daniel muttered.

Fraiser raised a hand of caution. "The first couple of days'll be rough. 
I don't want her exhausting herself, but a little light duty, exercising 
the mind, will do her good."

"She will not exhaust herself," Teal'c intoned, drawing himself up to his 
full height. "I will not allow it."

"No," Daniel agreed. "We'll keep an eye on her, Doc."

"Yeah," O'Neill added. "She'll be fine."

"I don't just want her to stay here," Fraiser added. "She needs to get 
out a bit as well, and that's where I need your help tonight..."

"Tonight?"

"Yes. I'd like you to move her tonight."

"Does she know about all this yet?" Daniel asked.

"No."

Jack grinned, a plan forming in his mind. "Doc, could we stage a 
breakout?"

"A breakout? Of where?"

"General. Request permission to extract Major Carter from the hospital. 
Shouldn't take much, sir. A few water guns, super-soakers, just in case 
any marines are around."

Hammond chuckled. "Very well, Colonel. Doctor, please ensure Major Carter 
is ready for extraction at 19.00 hours."

"No. Make it 18.30, then we can take her to dinner," Daniel suggested.

They all looked at Fraiser. "18.30 it is. You take her to dinner, maybe a 
movie, and bring her back here. I'm on call here tonight anyway."

O'Neill checked his watch. "We've got three hours, kids. Daniel, you book 
a table at O'Malley's. I'll draw the weapons from Teal'c's armory and 
we'll need our black ops gear." Teal'c flashed a rare smile.

"I'll leave you people to it. Dismissed."

The three men left, chattering, planning, and scheming.

Fraiser lingered in the doorway of Hammond's office.

"You know what, Doctor, I think they need this as much as Carter does."

Fraiser agreed. "Let's hope they don't drown any of my nurses in the 
process."

Hammond chuckled. "Black ops gear with fluorescent super-soakers... Save 
me the security tapes, Doctor. This I *have* to see..."

"I'd better get back sir, thank you."

"Not at all," Hammond said. "Haven't seen Jack or any of them that buzzed 
about a mission in a long time. Let's hope it works. I'll stop by in the 
morning and lay out the ground rules."

"Yes sir. Good night."

                         *******************

Fraiser was back at the hospital by 17.30. Sam was still lying in the 
dark.

"So," Fraiser said, flipping on the light. Carter flinched and hid her 
eyes. "Skipped lunch, huh?"

"Wasn't hungry... Can you turn that off?"

"Nope." Fraiser pulled the drapes open. It was still light out. "Hungry 
now?"

"Depends what's on the menu, you know the food here really is terrible."

"I can do an apple and a bag of potato chips to tide you over. You'll 
have to ask Jack or Daniel about dinner, they said they'd organize 
something."

"Pizza probably." That's usually what they brought, anything was better 
than the usual slop.

"Bath time," Fraiser ordered, "and I brought you some clean clothes. 
Can't have you sitting around all evening in sweats. Not with handsome 
male company," she called out from the bathroom over the noise of the 
running water. Carter's eyes had adjusted now to the bright light, she 
stretched her arms and yawned.

"Handsome? So SG-1 aren't coming tonight."

"I'll forget you said that," she said coming back into the room. "Now 
come on, they'll be here at 18.30." 

Fraiser chatted easily with Carter about nothing of any importance, she 
checked her watch � almost time.

                         *******************

O'Neill jogged out of the hospital entrance his black jacket hanging open 
showing his bright green T-shirt. He zipped it up as he re-joined his 
friends outside. "She's still in room 278. Second floor." He motioned to 
the back seat of his jeep. "Weapons."

Teal'c reached into the back and pulled out the Super-soakers one by one. 
Securing the tanks on their backs, Daniel and Teal'c zipped up their own 
jackets over their bright shirts. Jack pushed Daniel's woolly hat onto 
his head and secured his own. Teal'c swapped his baseball cap for one 
also and they were ready. Well almost.

"Remember," O'Neill whispered. "Shoot only if necessary. We shouldn't 
meet any resistance." He nodded to his companions. "Noses!" he ordered. 
They each reached into a pocket and retrieved and secured a bright red 
nose.

"Ready?"

"Ready!"

"I am prepared, O'Neill."

"Then let's go!"

                         *******************

25

In the security control room, Lieutenant Quinn spotted them on the front 
entrance camera. "Here they come guys, let's follow them up to the second 
floor." One of the all in black clad men turned to the camera and waved.

"Holy Shit!" Quinn exclaimed. "That really is O'Neill." 

The sergeant in the room with him leaned over the monitor and stifled a 
laugh. "Is that a clown nose?"

Quinn shook his head. "Make sure you're getting this on tape, Sergeant, 
General Hammond wants it." 

"We'll have them all the way, sir." He played with the joystick, tracking 
one of the cameras down the hall as the figures hugged the walls.

They moved down the corridor, stealthily � well as stealthily as you can 
with a serious super-soaker with water tanks strapped to your back.

"The children's ward is back that way, sir," a nurse offered helpfully.

Jack held a finger up to his lips and whispered: "We know where we're 
going, thank you." They moved on smiling and waving at the nurses as they 
went.

"Jack, you did tell security what we're up to didn't you?"

"Oh yes!" O'Neill paused. "Smile Daniel, you're on 'Candid Camera'." He 
pointed to a CCTV camera in the corner, it waggled up and down as he 
waved at it. Daniel's head dropped in embarrassment. "I can't believe you 
talked me into this."

"Daniel, this is serious. Pay attention." He pinched Daniel's nose making 
a beep, beep noise and darted off down the corridor.

Daniel followed his CO further into the hospital complex. "Serious," he 
muttered, "is not the word I would use." 

Once on the second floor, things got a little more complicated, except 
that the airmen on guard in the restricted wing were expecting them and 
just raised their hands in surrender and let them pass. One of them 
laughed, earning himself a squirt in the face.

Sam's room was opposite the nurses station. As they approached the head 
nurse stood up in surprise. "Colonel?" she enquired. "Er, can I help 
you?"

Jack slid his back along the wall and whispered conspiratorially in her 
ear. "Is Major Carter alone?"

"No sir, Doctor Fraiser is with her." 

He looked disappointed. "Better knock then. Please stand back." He nodded 
to his team-mates and signaled with his hands as they formed up around 
Carter's door. O'Neill knocked softly.

Fraiser got up and went to the door. As she opened it she raised her 
hands and tried desperately not to laugh. "Oh, sir," she said meekly, 
"please don't shoot me."

"Turn around." 

She did as she was told and with a fluorescent pink barrel nestled in her 
back, walked slowly into the room. "You have visitors."

Sam couldn't control herself. She dissolved in a fit of the giggles, 
slapping the bed hysterically. Jack, Daniel and Teal'c exchanged glances.

"I indicated that the noses were not necessary, O'Neill."

"Oh no, Teal'c," Carter disagreed, "they are just � just so you!"

"Daniel. Chair!" Jack ordered.

Daniel lowered his bright green weapon. Letting it dangle from its string 
he grabbed the wheel chair, and steered it to the bed.

"Hey what's going on, guys?"

"You're being Carternapped," O'Neill started. "We are the galaxy's best 
Carternappers."

"Hop in, Sam," Daniel ordered, "we're going out to dinner."

Sam shuffled to the edge of the bed. "Really? Like for real food?"

"Oh, yes!"

Sam looked at Janet for permission. 

"I seem to be at a disadvantage." She shrugged.

"Daniel, I need some help."

Daniel scooped her off the edge of the bed and placed her in the chair. 
"Package secured, Jack," He reported.

"Let's move out. Teal'c, you take point." 

Teal'c went to the door and opened it a crack with the barrel of his 
water gun. "The area is not clear," he reported solemnly.

"Fire a warning shot!" Jack ordered. Teal'c's eyes flashed a grin as he 
carried out the order. 

Fraiser rolled her eyes as a fine spray sent the curious nurses 
scattering and screaming. 

Teal'c looked out again. "The area is now clear of personnel," he 
reported smiling.

Carter smiled at Fraiser as Daniel pushed the chair from the room after 
Teal'c. Jack followed after them. "Colonel?" Fraiser called as they 
darted from the room. O'Neill whirled on her, weapon poised. "You've 
forgotten something."

"What? Major � One." He ticked her off on his fingers. "Doc we only got 
reservations for four..."

Fraiser fished in her pocket and tossed a small bottle to him. "Just in 
case," she said, "instructions on the label."

He glanced at it. "Pain meds?"

Fraiser shrugged. "Go easy on her."

O'Neill threw and re-caught the bottle and shoved it in his fatigues 
pocket. "Will do. See you later."

He skittered away after his team.

Fraiser wandered out into the corridor and surveyed the damage. They'd 
all dry out in no time.

"I take it Major Carter's being transferred tonight, then," the head 
nurse supplied.

"Yes, she is."

"We'd best pack up her gear then, before the commandos get back."

                         *******************

"Hey!" Sam called, gripping the chair's arm rest. "Slow down, Daniel, 
you'll tip me out of this thing."

"Can't stop!" They charged down the corridors and burst through a side 
exit door where Jack's Jeep stood waiting. "We got a table booked for 
seven."

"Your chariot awaits!" Jack said with a flourish.

"You guys..."

Teal'c removed his nose before scooping her out of the chair, placing her 
gently in the front seat.

"Thanks, Teal'c."

They loaded up the chair and climbed aboard, swapping their black jackets 
for casual ones and revealing their colored shirts. Teal'c swapped back 
to his baseball cap and Daniel ruffled his hair back into some semblance 
of order.

"So," Sam asked, clipping on her seat belt, "where are we going?"

"O'Malley's, okay?" Jack asked.

"Cool, you know the food in there is lousy." She paused as another 
thought occurred to her. "Beer, am I allowed beer?"

"You're over 21 aren't you?" Jack asked cheekily.

"But Janet didn't say..."

"If the lady wants beer, the lady gets beer. Teal'c you're designated 
driver for the way home."

"Indeed, O'Neill."

"So what time you gotta have me back?"

Jack shrugged. "She didn't say."

"Oh." Sam suddenly looked uncomfortable, her hand instinctively rubbing 
her knee.

"She did give me these." He handed her the bottle.

"They're due at 10," she said, relieved.

"You still need those?"

"I pulled my knee again this morning."

"Ouch!"

Daniel leaned over from the back. "So, should you be thinking about beer 
with those?"

"Actually, with beer, I probably won't need 'em." She smiled and pocketed 
the bottle.

"That's the spirit!" With that Jack gunned the gas and took off into the 
night.

                         *******************

26

"Have they been starving you or something?" O'Neill exclaimed.

Sam dropped the long handled spoon back into the glass. "I skipped lunch. 
Not worth waking up for."

"I've never seen you eat so much," Daniel added. "Didn't think you'd 
finish that."

The sundae dish was huge and given she'd eaten a good size main course he 
couldn't believe she'd scoured it clean.

Sam leaned back and patted her stomach. "Always got room for a chocolate 
fudge sundae. Besides, it's therapy."

Teal'c moved his own dish across the table. His was almost clean too. "I 
must agree, Major Carter. Most therapeutic." 

"Told you you'd like it. You know, guys, we should do this more often."

"Okay, but give me a week's notice so I can starve myself." Daniel downed 
the last of his beer. He checked his watch. "So, do you wanna catch a 
movie?"

Sam shrugged. "Can we just hang out here for a while?"

"Sure, want another beer?" Jack asked.

"If you insist."

"He does not," Teal'c intoned. Jack threw him a look.

"Oh. Well, I'll have one any way, thanks!"

"Let's move to the bar."

                         *******************

"No, that's all right Airman, I am expecting them." Fraiser raised her 
eyes to the ceiling. "Yes, an escort might be a good idea. I'll be 
waiting."

The three men entered the infirmary. Fraiser dismissed their escort and 
beckoned them in. O'Neill swayed, Daniel clung to the empty wheel chair 
like a crutch and Teal'c strode in solemnly, cradling the fast asleep 
Major in his arms. Fraiser greeted them, hands on hips. 

O'Neill flashed a cheeky grin. "Mishun accomplished, Doctor!" he said, 
slightly slurred, tossing her a salute.

"Teal'c, please tell me *you* drove them here."

"I did indeed, Doctor Fraiser. Both Colonel O'Neill and Daniel Jackson 
have consumed too much alcohol to operate a vehicle safely."

"Who us?" Daniel asked innocently. The two men collapsed on each other in 
a fit of giggles.

"Okay, they are definitely drunk, so how much has she had?"

"Oh," Daniel started, furrowing his brow, thinking.

"Er," O'Neill hesitated. "Just a couple?" he tried.

"Or three..." Daniel added.

"Judging by your condition, several. Teal'c?"

"I would rather not answer, Doctor."

"She's on medication, gentleman, she shouldn't...."

"She didn't take it." Jack stated clearly.

"But she's supposed to take them. You were supposed to be looking out for 
her."

Jack and Daniel looked sheepish.

"She was having fun," Daniel moped.

"We were celebrating," Jack added. "She got so excited when we told her, 
Doc. She started making plans right away, babbling about stuff like a 
kid, like Sam!"

"I think it's worn off." Fraiser motioned for Teal'c to follow her. "Come 
on, let's get her settled. You two, bed! And don't forget to drink some 
water. It might stop you getting a hangover."

Teal'c followed Fraiser to the side room. Daniel and Jack exchanged 
glances.

"Gimme a hug, Danny-Boy." They folded into each other's arms. "We're 
back!!" They separated and leaning on each other headed for their 
quarters.

                         *******************

Fraiser had a quiet night on call. After settling Sam she'd managed to go 
to sleep straight away. Her alarm woke her at 06.00. Refreshed, she rose, 
washed and changed and headed off to wake her new admission. She stopped 
off at the drug trolley.

"Morning, Teal'c," she said brightly making no effort to remain quiet.

"Good morning, Doctor Fraiser."

"How's our patient this morning?"

"Major Carter is still sleeping."

The curled up body moaned from under the covers. "No, I'm not!" She tried 
to sit up. "Aw shit, my head hurts." She held her head in her hands and 
sank back onto the pillows.

Fraiser rattled the pills in the container making Sam wince. "Take these. 
It's all the sympathy you're going to get from me!"

Carter steeled herself against her spinning head as she eased herself up.

"You do not look well, Major Carter," Teal'c stated.

"Thanks, Teal'c, don't feel too great."

Fraiser poured her some water and handed it to her. "Drink up, it'll help 
the dehydration." She folded her arms and rocked on her heels. "Good 
evening was it?"

Carter sipped the water and smiled. "It was great ... Look, Janet, don't 
get mad at the guys. I did this to myself. No one forced me to drink."

"How many did you have?"

She shrugged, still sipping, then rubbed the bridge of her nose slowly. 
"Teal'c, you're gonna have to help me out here..."

"Colonel O'Neill ordered me not to disclose such information to Doctor 
Fraiser."

"Did he now. Well I outrank him in this case, so spill it!"

"Spill what?"

"It's okay Teal'c, I'll take the flack � how many?"

Teal'c leaned over and whispered in Sam's ear.

Sam closed her eyes and leaned back. "Feels about right."

"Teal'c?"

"Five pints, four shots," Sam muttered. "Was the beer low alcohol?"

"It was not," Teal'c informed them, then he continued before Janet could 
explode. "You did not stipulate Major Carter's alcohol consumption, 
Doctor. It would assist me greatly in my supervisory role if you were 
more specific in future."

"I'm not getting into this..." Fraiser threw up her hands. "Sam you 
should know better. I want you to have some breakfast and get washed up 
by ten hundred. General Hammond wants to see you."

"Oh, what for?"

"Welcome you back and set the ground rules, which you obviously all 
need."

"Oh, okay."

"Teal'c, I suggest you make sure the rest of SG-1 are ready too."

Teal'c rose from his seat at the foot of Sam's bed. "As you wish, 
Doctor." He paused, placing a hand on Sam's. "It is good to have you back 
with us." He paused again. "Sam." He bowed slightly, then he turned and 
left the two dumbfounded women.

"He called me Sam," she breathed. "He never calls me Sam..."

                         *******************

27

It was good to be back in uniform, even though it took ages to dress 
herself. The top half was okay, but the bottom half took some wriggling 
and a balancing act that the circus would be proud of. Things were 
settling down. Getting from place to place required planning and an 
allowance of time. Skittering about in her wheelchair was very effective, 
but the stairs from the gate room to the control and conference rooms 
were beyond her good leg's knee. Not good at being the helpless female, 
she shimmied up on her backside unless Jack or Teal'c caught her, in 
which case she was over their shoulder and where she was going before she 
could protest.

"You'll get stepped on," Jack had insisted. It was more of a pride thing 
than anything else.

Getting down was easier, hopping step by step, leaning her weight on the 
guard rail to lessen the impact on her knee. 

Then, finally, she'd slipped halfway down the last flight. The knee had 
buckled and she landed in a heap at the foot of the stairs.

"Those are your options, Major," Fraiser lectured. "You stay in that 
chair and let someone carry you up and down stairs if need be, or you 
stay right where you are. Two weeks!"

"But?"

"No buts! You're lucky you didn't break anything, or hurt someone else."

Carter rubbed her head, the strips closing the cut on her forehead were 
itching. "Just lost my balance," she muttered.

"You must rest your knee, Sam. It's under a lot of strain."

"I know."

Jack bustled in. "Carter, I leave you for five minutes and..."

"I'm okay, sir," she insisted.

Fraiser glared at the colonel. "I'm restricting her to the chair for a 
couple of weeks. If she needs to go to the briefing room, she gets a 
lift. No weight on it except during physio sessions with Harris. No 
weights. Are we clear?"

"Yes, ma'am," Sam muttered.

"And be gracious about it for God's sake."

"Yes, ma'am." She said.

"Okay, now get out of here before I change my mind!"

Jack steered the chair beside the bed. She lifted her legs over the edge, 
bending the brace on her good leg's knee. Jack scooped her up and placed 
her on the chair. "Thanks," she muttered.

"Where are you supposed to be?" he asked, securing the foot plates.

"Lab, sir. MALP data review."

"Okey dokey." He released the brake and pushed her from the infirmary. 
Fraiser watched them go, torn between wanting to ring her neck and 
knowing that she needed to work. And they needed her too.

They entered the elevator alone. The doors closed.

"Carter?"

"Sorry, sir, I screwed up."

"I don't think I've ever seen Doc mad at you like that. She's been that 
mad at me lots of times."

"I just lost my balance, sir, my knee gave out. I only fell a couple of 
steps."

"Sore?"

"No, not really." Now it was braced and with no weight on it, the pain 
had gone. The doors opened, he wheeled her out into the corridor.

"She'll calm down, Carter. Just stay outta trouble."

"Yes sir, but I'm still confined to this chair for two weeks."

He steered her into the lab where the science officers from SG-5 and 14 
were already reviewing the MALP data tapes. They jumped to their feet as 
Jack wheeled her in. "As you were, gentleman."

"Sorry I'm late," Sam said, "had to take a detour."

Max King moved a stool out of the way. "You okay, Carter?" He pointed to 
her head.

"Yeah, she's fine, King. Just don't let her outta this chair."

"Sir."

O'Neill squeezed her shoulder. "I'll get Teal'c to pop down later."

"Okay, sir."

"Have fun, kids," he said as he disappeared round the corner.

Sam rubbed her face.

"Sam?" Max asked, "what the hell happened?"

"Fell down the stairs."

"You hurt?"

"Just my good knee and my pride... Come on, what have you got here 
anyway?"

"This is P384HMG; interesting solar activity..."

                         *******************

Teal'c arrived shortly before they were due to break for lunch.

"Major Carter."

"Hi, Teal'c." She turned her chair to face him. He inclined his head.

"Your presence has been requested for the debriefing of SG-4. I am to 
assist you."

"Okay." She twirled herself round. "You guys okay to finish up without 
me?"

"Think so."

"Okay." She started rolling the chair backwards.

"We must proceed quickly." Teal'c noted, taking control.

"Wheel off, Teal'c."

                         *******************

Daniel was waiting at the foot of the stairs. Teal'c scooped her up in 
his arms and let Daniel fold the chair and go up ahead. They replaced her 
in the chair at the top.

"Thanks, guys."

"Glad you could join us, Major." Hammond waved Teal'c to the open spot at 
the table. He parked her, secured the brake and went to the side to pour 
her some coffee.

Fraiser eyed her from across the table.

"Sorry if I kept you waiting."

"Not at all, we'd just taken a break."

Teal'c placed the coffee beside her. "Thanks."

"Captain, can you summarize for Major Carter, then continue."

"Yes, sir." Captain Gowan rose and began.

Sam flipped open the folder in front of her and started taking notes.

Fraiser let her eyes wander round the room as he summarized the 
debriefing for her. Jack looked bored, hearing it all again. He was 
watching Sam too. Teal'c stared ahead, stood at parade rest a few steps 
behind her chair. Daniel was studying Sam's head.

She snapped them all back from their musings when she interrupted Gowan 
with a question about gravitational fluxes on the surface. They diverted 
onto the train of thought losing the rest of them completely.

"Carter!" Jack stopped her mid-flurry. "Why don't you and Gowan get 
together later and talk gravity."

"Yes, sir. Sorry, sir, got carried away."

"Please, Captain," Hammond pushed them on, "continue."

"Yes, sir. Gravity variations aside, the readings of seismic activity 
show the core to be stable. We didn't seem to be in an earthquake or 
fault zone."

"The UAV pictures indicate a stable area, medium vegetation, nice forest 
to the east."

"Trees," Jack muttered. "More trees."

"Do you have something against trees, Colonel?" Janet had to ask.

"Not really Doc, just things have a habit of hiding behind them."

"Nature's air filters," Daniel added.

"I know," he muttered. "So what's the plan?"

"Sir, I recommend we set up a small research post to collect more data on 
the gravitational conditions. and conduct a long range UAV mission to 
search further afield for signs of intelligent life."

"Very well, Captain," Hammond said. "Discuss your plans with Major 
Carter, and submit your recommendations for the follow-up mission."

"Yes, sir."

"That's it people. You're dismissed."

Sam finished making some notes in her folder.

"Major?" Hammond stood by the door to his office.

"Yes, sir?"

He motioned for her to go in. She released her brakes.

"I've got it Teal'c, thanks." She pushed back from the table and twisting 
round propelled herself to her destination. He closed the door behind 
her.

"Major?"

"Yes, sir?" //Okay, let's try the innocent approach.//

"I need you on the duty roster, Major. I know you're mentally capable of 
completing your duties, but you must understand, Fraiser has the right to 
pull the plug at any time. Ultimately I want you walking up that ramp 
with the rest of your team."

"Me too, sir."

"So how come I'm scooping you off the floor this morning?"

Her head dipped slightly. "I lost my balance, sir."

"Carter, Fraiser is this close to grounding you completely." His fingers 
were almost touching.

She hung her head. "Yes, sir."

"Consider yourself on probation."

"Yes sir."

"Now go on, and try and stay out of trouble!"

"Yes sir." He got up and opened the door for her.

"Thank you, sir." She pushed herself out where her porters were waiting.

                         *******************

28

It was a very long two weeks. SG-1 left with SG-4 a week into her 
probation. She waved them good bye as they walked up the ramp to set up 
the research post and explore the forest to the east. Carter had been 
momentarily extracted from the gloom of missing yet another mission when 
Hammond had mentioned the forest. It was all she could do to hold herself 
together at the thought of Jack and those trees. Daniel and Teal'c knew 
they were in for a long and complaint filled trip.

She'd thought with her minders away, she'd have a little more freedom, 
but Fraiser had the SFs watching her and any time she tried anything 
there was a large SF offering assistance, or a polite "Major Carter!" to 
stop her in her tracks. The frustration built up steadily.

The one bright spot was things did seem to be improving on the leg front. 
Fraiser sent her to the Academy Hospital for a few sessions in the pool. 
The feeling was returning and with it some semblance of control.

                         *******************

By the time SG-1 returned, she could just bend it a little and her other 
knee would take her weight again. She'd begged Fraiser for crutches, but 
to no avail. So, she met them in the gate room in her chair, consoled 
Daniel for having to put up with Jack's dislike of trees, and bubbled 
with her progress.

                         *******************

It had been two months since the Hladan mission had begun. The research 
and mining station was now well established and they had even managed to 
have a section of the cave complex centrally heated. Sam grinned as 
Gilbert enthused about the performance of one of the naquadah reactors 
she had modified for him. Jack smiled as she quietly lapped up the 
praise. Hammond was smiling too.

"Good job, people..." he said. "Doctor?"

"We have just two Hladans still on Earth with their spouses, and they 
will be fit enough to go home in a couple of weeks. I have just one SGC 
concern, General, and that's Airman John Whitney. He's been there since 
Day One. I think he could use a break."

Jack sat forward. Whitney's continuing tenure on Hladan had delayed his 
barbeque plans. As it was, it would have to be a mostly indoor affair.

"Can we spare him, Daziel?"

"Sir, SG-7 can cope for a couple of days without him."

"At least a week," Fraiser insisted.

Daziel mulled it over. "We have some projections to finish up, might take 
a couple of days. After that we're pretty well set up."

"Please don't say that," Daniel muttered.

"Seriously, sir, we set off a mini avalanche yesterday. Whitney reckons 
we're okay unless there's more snowfall. We've got the gate inside now, 
anyway. Even if the cave got blocked in..."

Daniel placed his hands over his ears, shaking his head. "Please, don't 
say stuff like that!"

Sam giggled and pulled his hands away. "Relax, Daniel."

"General?" Fraiser wasn't going to be distracted.

"Very well, Doctor. Major, inform Airman Whitney he's being ordered to 
take some leave. He'll return by next Wednesday at the latest, and stay 
Earth-side for at least a week. Is that acceptable Doctor?"

"Yes sir," Fraiser agreed.

"Very well, thank you everyone, you're..."

"Er, sir?" Jack interrupted. "Just one more thing? With Whitney coming 
back we can do the reunion. How about Saturday?"

Those eligible nodded their assent.

"Great. I'll spread the word." Jack rubbed his hands together.

"Okay. Dismissed."

Everyone but Sam rose as the general left. They started to move off, like 
a well-oiled machine. Sam propelled herself to the stairs, Teal'c carried 
her down and Daniel took care of her chair. Before you could blink, she 
was all back together and skittering towards to the elevator.

"At last. Thanks Doc," Jack bubbled. 

"He needs a break, Colonel, that was my only motivation."

"Yeah, right! You just miss my barbecued chicken."

"I have a special request though, Colonel."

"What's that?"

"Cassie?"

"Cassie's welcome at my place any time. Just don't forget Jack."

Fraiser followed him down the corridor. "Jack won't let us forget him, 
Jack. Dogs are like that."

Sam was holding the elevator for them, shifting impatiently in her seat.

"When you gonna let her have crutches?" Jack whispered. "Those two weeks 
were up days ago."

"Today's rehab." Fraiser checked her watch. "In a few hours time, you'll 
be able to catch her again." Fraiser smiled sweetly. Jack had been 
complaining how fast she was getting. Especially if she didn't want to 
talk to him. They joined her in the elevator.

"You going to 16 too, sir?"

"No, 14." Sam pushed the button for him.

"How's the leg today, Sam?" Fraiser asked lightly

"Okay," she said brightly.

"Any pain in the knee?"

"Nope, it's all just peachy."

"Good, rehab in half an hour then."

"Yup, just enough time to get changed." 

The doors opened.

"Ladies first."

Fraiser stepped around him and Sam pushed herself out.

"See you ladies later." The doors closed again.

                         *******************

"Need some help?" Janet asked.

"Yeah, thanks." Sam rolled into her room, it was one of the isolation 
cells but Daniel had helped her make it a little more livable. It was 
closer to the infirmary and the help she needed day to day.

"First order � pit stop. Then I need my sweats."

"You want to try by yourself?"

Sam looked at the doctor suspiciously.

"Harris tells me everything, Sam. You can move just fine if there's 
enough to hold onto."

"I haven't..."

"I know you haven't. Go on."

Fraiser sat on the bed. "Holler if you need me."

Sam looked from the doctor to the door to the bathroom. Slowly she rolled 
towards the door, pulled it open and backed herself in.

"Don't forget to put your brakes on!" Fraiser called out.

"Got it!"

There was a lot to hold onto, pull and brace herself against. Propped 
against the wall, she got herself undressed enough and had a brain wave. 
"Can you pass me my shorts, Janet?"

Janet opened the door a crack and pushed her arm in. The shorts were 
snatched from her hand "Thanks."

It was a satisfaction she hadn't experienced in too long. That most 
private and intimate of actions hadn't been so, until now.

She slipped off her boots and fatigues, made her bottom half decent, and 
landed back in the chair in a controlled fall.

"YES!"

Outside, Janet smiled and as the flush washed away the evidence of her 
success, Sam rolled back out, grinning from ear to ear.

"Well done."

"All I need now is sneakers," she said wriggling her feet, "and my top 
and sweats."

Fraiser stood and extended her arm. "Well, go on then, Miss Independent."

"Janet." Sam pushed her gently out of the way, rolled round, collected 
the items and dressed herself.

"See, didn't need my help at all. Let's go."

"You coming with me?"

"Just for a while. Then I have some other patients to see. I do have 
other patients, you know."

                         *******************

When they entered the room, Harris was adjusting the weights for his next 
session.

"Hi, John."

"Hi, Sam," he said without turning.

"Hello, Sergeant."

He turned and rose. "Doctor Fraiser. Hi, anything wrong?"

"No way," Sam said flopping out of the chair onto the mats for warm up. 
"Everything's great."

Harris glanced at Fraiser.

"Oh, you guys just go ahead. I'll just watch."

"Okay." Harris slid onto the floor beside Sam and together they stretched 
out.

"Okay, what's first today?" Sam sat on the mats, the soles of her feet 
together, hands in her lap.

"Today," Harris said getting up and going over to a hidden corner, 
"You're getting a new friend." He plucked the contraption from its hiding 
place. "Barney," he said. "Barney the Brace."

"Oh Goodeee," Sam said.

"Oh, but he has friends too." Harris pulled them out one by one. "Chocky 
and Chip."

Sam's gaze darted to Fraiser. "Crutches! Yes!"

Fraiser smirked. "See, this is a two-man fitting crew. Let's get you 
geared up." 

They adjusted the crutches.

"I'll leave you two to it then."

"Bye, Doc," they chorused.

"Okay, Sam, what do you want to do first?"

"Stairs." She said waggling Chocky at the small practice steps in the 
corner. "I have to do stairs."

"Okay. These are pretty shallow, but let's just work on the technique..."

                         *******************

29

Slowly Jack scanned the gathered men and women. This was a good idea. The 
awards had gone well and now everyone had eaten, they were settling in 
each other's company. Now the music was playing gently in the background, 
dance partners had become limited to Janet, her nurse, Annie, Cassandra 
and Carter. 

                         *******************

Carter. Apart from the brace on her leg he wouldn't have been able to 
tell she had a care in the world. Much less that she had been piecing her 
life back together for the last few months. Things hadn't been normal 
since they went to Poncholand. He shivered and took another swig of his 
beer. //Not a care in the world.// He thought. Over just the last week 
she'd bounded ahead in the recovery stakes. Her injured leg was painful 
but that was good. Strength and co-ordination were returning. She'd moved 
easily around the house since she arrived. So easily that when the music 
changed and a harmonica rang out across the living room, Daniel had 
suggested they dance and she'd accepted, setting aside her crutches. It 
was an appropriate song for them, he thought quietly to himself.

                         *******************

The road is long,
With many a winding turn,
That leads us to who knows where,
Who knows where...

She had to lean, but with her arms draped round Daniel's shoulders and 
his hands resting lightly on her hips they swayed gently with the music.

But I'm strong, strong enough to care, oh yeah,
He ain't heavy, he's my brother...

She'd rested her head on Daniel's shoulder now and her eyes wandered and 
settled on Jack. Jack waved his beer and smiled. She flashed a smile 
back.

So on we go, his welfare is my concern,
No burden is he to bear, we'll get there 
For I know he would not encumber me 
He ain't heavy, he's my brother...

Jack looked on from the kitchen letting the words of the song wash over 
him. She was smiling now, sharing a joke with her adopted brother.

If I'm laden at all, 
I'm laden with sadness, 
That everyone's heart isn't filled with the gladness of love
For one another 

It's a long, long road from which there is no return
While we're on the way to there, why not share
And the load doesn't weigh me down at all 
He ain't heavy, he's my brother...

The harmonica interlude wafted across the living room. "Jack, you know 
how to throw a party," Janet said.

"Thanks," he replied distantly. He wandered over to the CD player, and 
ran his finger down the edge of the stack of CD's in their cases. Pulling 
one he examined the listing, and loaded up the second deck as The Hollies 
played out... 

He's my brother...
He ain't heavy, 
He's my brother...

The last lines faded and Jack was behind Daniel. "May I?"

Daniel stepped away, for an instant she hesitated.

"Don't fall over," Daniel quipped.

"The host and the guest of honor always get to dance," Jack justified his 
cutting in.

"I thought Whitney was the guest of honor."

Jack placed his hands gently on her hips. "He's not my type."

The next track started playing, Jack smirked as she recognized the cords 
and Bill Withers started humming...

Sometimes in our lives, we all have pain 
We all have sorrow,
But, if we are wise,
We know that there's always tomorrow.

She shifted her weight and stumbled, falling into his arms. She 
straightened up, smiling, shooing the concerned Janet away with her eyes. 
She tightened her grip on him.

Lean on me,
When you're not strong,
And I'll be your friend
Somebody to lean on

Please swallow your pride
If I have things you need to borrow
For no one can fill those of your needs
That you don't let show.
Lean on me...

"There's a lesson there, Sam." 

"I know," she smiled sheepishly. "I'm a quick study." 

If there is a load you have bear,
That you can't carry 
I'm right up the road,
I'll share your load if you just call me...

They had twisted round so that Sam was now facing Daniel and Teal'c 
sitting side by side on the couch.

Daniel smiled at her, Teal'c inclined his head regally.

You just call on me brother, when you need a friend.
We all need somebody to lean on.
I just might have a problem that you'll  understand
We all need somebody to lean on...

"Thanks for everything," she said quietly, tightening her grip into an 
imperceptible hug. They all heard or saw her say the words of thanks. 
Jack returned the grasp and Daniel flashed his winning smile.

"You are most welcome," Teal'c said softly with a nod of his head.

                         *******************

EPILOGUE

It was Monday morning. The first Monday of the new year. She had drawn a 
very thick line under the last six months. The briefing was over, they 
were all geared up and ready to go.

"So what are we waiting for?" Jack asked impatiently.

"Sam had to go to her locker for something," Daniel supplied.

Jack started to mumble something.

"Give her a break, Jack. She's out of practice at packing."

"Packing? How can she not be good at packing? She had so much stuff in 
that apartment of hers my back hurts just thinking about it."

"It was your idea for us to help her to move. Besides it's a nice place 
and she likes it."

"I know. It's in a better neighborhood too." He checked his watch.

Daniel looked at his own. "She's not late, Jack."

"Not yet."

She skidded round the corner and slowed to a walking pace as she entered 
the gate room. Purposeful but not hurried.

"Carter!" O'Neill called. "We nearly forgot you were coming with us on 
this one," he teased as Daniel elbowed him.

"Sorry sir, had to pick up some supplies."

"Supplies?" 

The gate ring started to rotate and the chevrons locked one by one. The 
vortex splashed into the gate room and receded leaving the shimmering 
event horizon to cast a rippling blue glow on their faces. She stared for 
a few seconds at the water effect.

"SG-1, you have a go." Hammond's voice over the tannoy disturbed her 
musings.

"With pleasure, General," O'Neill called out. "Carter, you wanna lead 
on?" he gestured up the ramp.

She looked at the three men waiting at the foot of the steps for her. 
//This is it...// Her eyes drifted up to the control room. Janet, 
standing beside Hammond, met her gaze and smiled as Carter mouthed: 'THE 
END.' 

"Carter? Ladies first."

"Yes sir." She started up the ramp.

"Those supplies, Carter?" he pressed again, following a few steps behind 
her. She stopped just before the event horizon and turned towards him. 
"Nothing vital, sir. Just thought it must be my turn to bring the 
marshmallows." She grinned and disappeared through the event horizon. 

Daniel and Teal'c stepped after her smirking at him.

Jack let his head drop for an instant. "We're back..." he whispered to 
himself as he stepped forward letting the wormhole drag him halfway 
across the galaxy.

//We are so back...//

<end>


                         *******************

Friends In High Places
By Rebecca Preen - Becky@tcp.co.uk


DISCLAIMER: All publicly recognisable characters and places are the 
property of MGM, World Gekko Corp and Double Secret Productions. This 
piece of fan fiction was created for entertainment not monetary purposes 
and no infringement on copyrights or trademarks was intended. Previously 
unrecognised characters and places, and this story, are copyrighted to 
the author. Any similarity to real persons, living or dead, is 
coincidental and not intended by the author.

AUTHOR'S NOTES:  Thanks first and always to my Mum, Kay aka Mumsey, who 
types what I scribble even when it doesn't make any sense.  She has 
always been there when I needed her and continues to bask in my glory at 
every opportunity. Here's another, Mum... get the sun cream out!

Thanks also to Denise and Pam for reading this when it didn't make a lot 
of sense and pointing me in the right direction.  Rowan for her 
encyclopaedic knowledge of military rations, and Denise again for 
pointing out I didn't really mean biscuits. 

This story contains some glancing reference to my first epic, "The Road 
From Nadir".  You don't have to have read it, but it might help!  Its on 
Heliopolis2.

Feed back (please, Mumsey loves it!) Becky@tcp.co.uk


                         *******************

1

"Carter!" O'Neill, screamed, "Are you crazy?"

"You have to go, Sir."

"If you think I'm leaving you here, you're wrong.  No one gets left 
behind, Carter."

"I have to stay."

"No! Unacceptable!"

"I'll be okay, Sir," she tried.

Jack took a step towards her again, he was pushed back by the guards. 
Their spears jabbing at his vest menacingly.

Sam Carter's eyes darted from the prone figure lying on the ground in 
front of the Stargate.  His chest was stained a sickly dark colour.  
Captain Conner leant over his fallen friend. "Colonel, Harris doesn't 
have much longer, we've gotta get him home."

"We're not leaving without her, Buckallister,"

"If he will not leave you, none shall go." the prince commented absently. 
"So be it." The prince waved a hand and the guards stepped towards the 
group of SG personnel.

"Stand your ground!" Jack ordered.

"Wait!" Carter jumped from her seat. The guards stopped and from a signal 
from the prince held fast.  Carter turned back to the prince her robe 
glistening in the reflected light from the event horizon. "Just let me 
talk to him."

"As you wish my love."

Stifling a cringe, Carter turned and stepped from the carriage, slowly 
she approached her CO.

"Hold them!" the prince ordered.

Several guards grabbed members of SG2 around the throat and held knives 
to them.

"Just in case... My love..." he grinned.

Carter looked back to Jack. His eyes were burning angrily.

"I'm not leaving you here with him, Carter. No way."

"You have to, Sir."

"The hell I do!" he reached out for her arm and pulled her close to him. 
As she regained her footing they were surrounded on all sides.

"Wait!" she shouted again. Her eyes met his. "You're gonna have to trust 
me on this one, Sir."

"No."

"Harris doesn't have any more time Sir."

Jack shook his head again. Slowly, she reached out and detached the Zat 
from its' holster.  His eyes widened as he thought she had a plan. "I'll 
be fine..." she was saying, " you just have to trust me."

"Carter," he began, "you don't have a GDO."

"Spoil the outfit, Sir." She smiled.  "I'm sorry."

Suddenly Jack saw a flash of something in her eyes, he started to 
question it.

She took a step back from him, levelling the weapon as it hissed open.  
The single shot whistled across the short distance enveloping his body.

"Carter!"

"Sam!"

A guard tried to snatch the weapon from her hand, she sent him flying 
over her shoulder and the weapon arching back to Connors feet.  It wasn't 
enough time to distract them all.  

"Stop!" Carter screamed.  They all froze.

"Just go."

Daniel stepped forward from behind Teal'c. "Sam, we can't just leave you 
here."

"How many do I have to Zat before you get it, Daniel. Harris needs a 
doctor. Go home.  I'll be fine"

Daniel glanced from Harris to the crumpled Jack O'Neill and back at his 
friend.

"Please, Daniel, just take him and go.  You have to let me work this out.  
He doesn't have any more time."

"Major," Conner looked around realising he was the highest rank apart 
from her. "Colonel O'Neill."

"Is unconscious and unable to give you orders.  I am though, and I am 
ordering you to take the rest of the teams and leave me here.  Do you 
understand?"

Conner shook his head, "Ma'am?"

"God dammit he can court-martial me to death if he wants.  Just GO!"

"I tire of this spectacle, my dear." The Prince called out tiredly.  "Are 
they to remain our guests, or not."

She swivelled round. "No, they're going."

//I have to do this, Daniel// she mouthed //Please go.//

Jack started to stir, moaning softly.

"Daniel, Teal'c if he wakes up..."

Teal'c assessed their chances of leaving without further bloodshed.  They 
were very slim to none.

He bent down and hoisted Jack over his shoulder.

"Captain Conner," he began. "I do believe that we should return home and 
seek further assistance."

Sam stepped away from the group and back to the carriage.

"See you round the galaxy, Daniel" she promised.

Teal'c took the first few steps towards the gate, SG2 raised their 
wounded team-mate between them.

"Do not return for her," the prince called out.  "We will not be so 
hospitable if you do."

The Tau'ri stopped for a second.  Carter's eyes locked with Conners, the 
order loud and clear.

"Let's go," Conner decided.

"Wha... Sam! Conner, you can't..." Daniel protested. Conner pulled the 
archaeologist towards the gate.  He resisted. "We have to, we won't win 
this fight, Doctor Jackson."  Daniel's eyes rested on her again as she 
urged him home with her eyes. 'I promise I'll get home...' she mouthed to 
him.

'You better...' he mouthed back.

Teal'c paused at the event horizon and turned towards her as SG2 took 
Harris through, Conner pulled Daniel up the steps the guards moving and 
reforming as they moved. They paused inches from the shimmering pool. The 
light dancing across their worried faces. 

'Go!'

Teal'c inclined his head to the side, as Conner pushed Daniel through the 
gate. Their eyes not leaving her gaze, they both stepped backwards and 
were grabbed by the wormhole.

                         *******************

The light hissed out, casting the group into semi-darkness.  The twin 
moons shining brightly.  The guards cheered and Carter's heart sank. 
Someone gently pulled at her sleeve, motioning her to go back to the 
carriage. The prince waved her in.  She slumped into the seat, their 
desperate faces etched in her mind.

"You are a courageous woman, my princess.  You will make a wonderful 
Queen."

"I don't want to be a Queen, Buckko, or didn't I mention that before?"

He leaned forward smiling, "Ahh, but in time you will learn." His hand 
arched across her face, knocking her sideways, she slowly righted 
herself, holding the stinging flesh with one hand. He sat back as the 
horses started the long walk back to the palace. "Respect for your 
husband and your future king.  Let that be your first lesson, my dear." 

"You are not my husband." She said flatly.

"But you were given to me by your colonel. We have been joined and now 
you have agreed to stay."

"Samantha, my dear, if they return, they will be killed.  It is just us 
now.  You, me and the kingdom to reign." He waved his arms with a 
flourish.

The sharp stinging of her face crushed the biting quip that sprung to 
mind. "My friend was dying," she muttered instead. "You didn't give me a 
lot of choice."

The prince smiled at her sweetly. "No, I didn't, did I?  But your attack 
on your Colonel, now that, my love, was inspiring..."

//Yeah, if I make it back alive he'll have me busted back to Sargeant.  
That's if he doesn't kill me first...// Carter took in a deep breath and 
exhaled in an ironic huff.   She wrapped her arms around her body, 
suddenly aware of how cold it had become once the sun set.  Her 
adrenaline waning, the mild wind fluttered her thin robe and she shivered 
in the moonlight.

"Are you cold, my dear," he sounded concerned.

"I'm fine," she spat, shifting back in the seat further from him.

"Very well," the royal leant back and gazed up at the few stars still 
visible. "But you will learn..."

Sam's eyes never left the dark ring now shrinking in the distance.

"You cannot escape that way, unless you were lying about those devices 
and the, what was it called?"

"Iris," she supplied bitterly. "And I can't go home without a GDO."

"Then you will live here in luxury and with good grace."

She glared at him, holding her bitter retort in check.

"You will begin the purification at sunrise." He informed her.  "Do not 
worry, it is very pleasant."

"Don't I have a say in this?"

"You do not. Once the purification is complete, we will begin the mating 
ritual."

Her stomach turned but she held her face passive. 

"We will have many sons, my dear... "

"Always wanted girls myself," she shot back.

The prince leaned closer to her taking her face in his hand.  "If they 
are as beautiful as you we will have many."

She pulled away from his grasp. "In your dreams buddy, if you think 
I'm..." She should have seen it coming, expected it, but somehow the blow 
reached her face again, slamming down on stinging flesh. A soft cry 
escaped her mouth before she could subdue it.

"I have seen you in my dreams, Samantha, and you are destined to be my 
Queen... the mother of my children.  It is a shame we cannot begin 
immediately, but the ritual takes many days.  No matter," he smiled at 
her. "We have all the time in the world.  And you will quickly learn, my 
dear, that you cannot escape your destiny." his eyes wandered up to the 
stars again.

Her eyes hardened at the challenge, //No escape huh?  Just watch me.//

                         *******************

2

Harris was rushed out, Fraiser at his side.  The rest of SG2 and SG1 
stood dumbfounded staring at the event horizon as the wormhole collapsed.

"Shit," one of them muttered.

"Captain Conner, Teal'c?" Hammond questioned. "Where is Major Carter?"

"Our mission was not successful, General Hammond.  We were unable to 
retrieve Major Carter."

"She ordered us to leave Sir, before anyone else got hurt," Conner 
offered.

Jack was squirming in Teal'cs arms, moaning incoherently. "What happened 
to O'Neill."

Conner glanced at Daniel, who hadn't turned from the now empty gate. 
"Major Carter Zatted him Sir."

"What?!  Why?!" he demanded.

"Lieutenant Harris required urgent medical attention, General.  The 
prince would only allow the rest of us to leave if Major Carter remained. 
Colonel O'Neill refused..."

"So she shot O'Neill?"

"Yes Sir." Conner confirmed.

"What the hell was she thinking?" Hammond exploded as Teal'c set the 
stirring colonel down on the ramp.

"She's thinking of a way home without a GDO..." Daniel muttered. "Sam, I 
hope you know what you've done..." 

                         *******************

It was days like this when Warner was glad he was the surgeon and Fraiser 
the physician.  Swathed in blue he worked systematically rebuilding 
Harris's internal organs.  The knife cuts were clean and were knitting 
back together easily.  The blade had found the spleen and he had had to 
remove it quickly.   Harris was stabilising.  A loud crash and angry 
shout erupted outside the operating room.  One of the nurses flinched.

"I guess Colonel O'Neill is awake..." Warner commented.  

"Do you think Major Carter will be all right Doctor?"

"I'm sure she'll handle herself as well as ever, Annie.  Let's just 
concentrate on making sure it was worth it."

"Yes Doctor..." Another crash made her eyes dart to the door, then she 
recovered.

                         *******************

"I'll!" he wrung his hands, "What the hell were you thinking Teal'c!?  No 
one gets left behind, you remember that one?  No one!"

"Lieutenant Harris did not have time for us to formulate a second plan of 
our own.  We must therefore trust Major Carter to escape as she has 
promised."

"Oh and how the hell is she gonna do that, locked up in Bucckasses Harem, 
no GDO!  Do you want her to be an iris pancake? Huh?"

"She'll find a way, Jack." Daniel tried to sound convincing.

"I'm going back." He slid off the cot and stumbled as his legs gave way 
under him. "Shit"

"You're not going anywhere."  Hammond's voice cut through the thick 
atmosphere.

"But Sir, Carter's."

"Jack, we tried it your way and it didn't work.  I can't risk any more 
personnel until we can start a dialogue with these people."

"Dialogue?" Jack exploded, "they got her so crazed out she shot me for 
crying out loud!"

"She'll find a way, Jack.  I know she will." Daniel pleaded with him to 
calm down.

"She can gate to another planet and send us a message.  All we have to do 
is keep in regular contact with our allies and she'll turn up."

"She'll 'Turn up'?" he sneered.  "Are you serious?  That asshole thinks 
he's married to her, how long do ya think it'll be before he tries to 
consummate the marriage?  Huh? Or didn't you pick up that little culture 
thing either?"

"That's not fair, Jack."

"The hell it isn't.  Culture's your thing Daniel and 'cos you screwed up, 
I got one officer on the OR table and one stranded on a rock a million 
miles from home with the local prince regent making eyes at her."

Fraiser edged towards him.

"Don't you dare tell me to calm down, Doc" he warned, waggling his finger 
at her, "I'm way past that."

Fraiser stopped in her tracks and folded her arms.  "I have patients who 
are trying to sleep Colonel, please keep your voice down."

"Dammit, this is Sam we're talking about here!"

"Major Carter appeared to have thought her actions through, O'Neill.  I 
believe she has a realistic plan of escape.  We must trust her," Teal'c 
added

"Am I the only one who..."

"Colonel, if you cannot control yourself I am going to have to sedate 
you."

"Control myself? You're all crazy!"

"Colonel O'Neill," Hammond snapped. "Stand down."  The order snapped Jack 
back into silence.  

"Colonel, Captain, Doctor Jackson, Teal'c, report to the conference room 
in 30 minutes for a full debriefing."

"Yes Sir," Conner and Daniel chorused.

"As you wish."

"Colonel?" Hammond was still waiting for a response.

Jack huffed, "Yes Sir." He glared at Daniel.  Hammond turned and left, 
the three men taking the opportunity to shift away from Jack's wrath. He 
grabbed at his head, massaging his scalp.

"Headache?" Fraiser asked.

"Not as big as Carter's gonna have when I get my hands on her.  I can't 
believe she Zatted me."

Fraiser attached the blood pressure cuff and started to inflate it. "She 
must have felt she had no choice, Colonel,"

"We just needed a little more time and we wouldda had them."

"Harris didn't have any more time, Colonel. You knew that, and so did 
she."

Jack rubbed his eyes tiredly with his spare hand.  "She probably saved 
his life," Fraiser went on.

"Yeah, but at what cost?"

"She knows the risks, Colonel."

"And she still did it. What the hell was she thinking?"

"Trying to regain control of the situation, reducing the risk of 
bloodshed."

Jack couldn't get one thing out of his head. "If that bastard touches her 
I'll..." He cut himself off, seeing the worry etched in Janet's eyes. His 
anger subsiding, the worry gripped him. "Ah, crap!" He slumped down onto 
the cot and thumped the pillow. Then laced his fingers over the back of 
his head. "Daniel's supposed to give me grey hairs, Doc, not Sam. I swear 
I'll kill her myself for this."

Janet rubbed his shoulder sympathetically.  

"When we get her back, I think there'll be a line."

"I'm first,"

"Oh I think General Hammond will pull rank on you there."

"She didn't Zat him."

"No," Fraiser conceded, "but he's going to have to tell Jacob." She 
managed a thin smile and needing to get away from his churning emotions, 
offered: "I'll get you something for that headache."

                         *******************

3

The journey back to the palace wasn't as long as she thought.  The sky 
finished its shading from dark blue to black.  Someone lit some torches 
and placed them along the edge of the carriage, lighting their way 
forward. It was ruining her night vision.

//Purification ritual...// Sam's mind wandered from the gate and how she 
would get home.  That part was relatively easy.  Dial up a friendly world 
and get a message to the SGC, they would just have to come and pick her 
up.  Now the hard part would be getting to the gate and dialling up.  
Buckallister had left a heavy guard, with strict instructions to kill 
anyone attempting to come through.  It wasn't easy to sneak through a 
Stargate; it kinda announced your presence.  This was going to take some 
time.  The prince was starting to doze in his seat, but he met her steely 
gaze and smiled.

It turned her stomach over.  She tightened her grip on herself and 
shifted in her seat. //Purification ritual... Okay, Sam... survival 101- 
alien cultures.... Blend in, ask questions. Knowledge is power.  Oh, and 
mental note to self: Daniel needs a refresher course in how not to get me 
married off.//

"So what's this purification ritual?" she asked lightly.

"Ah, Samantha it is most pleasurable, if somewhat time-consuming."

"Pleasurable, for you or me?"

"For us both," he brightened, "It pains me that we must be separated for 
so long but it is the tradition."

"Really..." //Separated... That's a bonus...// "So how long does it 
take?"

"That my dear, depends on you."

"It does?"

"Oh yes, it is governed by your natural cycle, you must complete the 
purge before we can begin the mating. Now that is the most pleasurable."

"The purge..." she repeated slowly, //Okay, periods?// Mentally she 
counted back, trying to work out when she was due. //Four days a couple 
more and that's it.//

"That part I understand is not pleasurable, is that the same in your 
world?  The women here complain bitterly about the discomfort but I am 
sure you will show them the proper way to bear it, my Princess."

A flash of anger whipped across her eyes.  //You have no idea, do you?//

Carter let her eyes wander to the road.  She had travelled this path to 
the palace a few times now, but only once on foot.  It was well made, but 
long.  About four miles.  Mentally she calculated how long it would take 
her to run that far.  Then she added the circuitous route she might have 
to take through the woods to the east.  She sighed, running in the 
strappy sandals and flowing robes she'd acquired wouldn't be easy either. 
Carefully, she pulled the flimsy fabric tighter round her legs; she was 
showing too much flesh.  Buckallister smiled in the torchlight.  Avoiding 
his gaze she wrapped her arms back around herself and stared back up the 
path to the gate, now invisible in the shadows.  

//Four days... that's plenty of time,// she told herself.  //I'll be out 
of here in two... See you soon guys...//  A small smile worked its way to 
her eyes and disappeared again as she realised she really might not see 
them again.  //Oh, think positive,// she told herself //I'll get 
home....// He smiled at her again.  Her stomach turned. //Or die 
trying.//

                         *******************

Jack rubbed his eyes with his palms, his fingers wrapping around his 
increasingly aching head.  Fraiser entered the room, letting her hand 
touch his shoulder.

"How's your head?" she asked, taking the seat beside him.

"Damn pills aren't working," he muttered, as his arms slipped to the 
table.  He leaned back in his seat tiredly, raising only an eyebrow as 
Conner, Daniel and Teal'c took their seats.  

Hammond rose from the chair in his office and entered the briefing room.  
Connor and Fraiser stood up and Jack started to heave himself out of the 
chair, but Hammond waved him down.  "As you were."

They sat, shifted uncomfortably in their seats and examined their 
knuckles.

"Okay Gentlemen," he began.  "I want to know exactly how this happened.  
From the beginning.  How Carter got 'married'."

"She's not married to that asshole." Jack interrupted.

"Colonel!"  Hammond issued a warning.

Jack waved his hands at Daniel.  "Daniel?" he asked his voice tinged with 
sarcastic anger.  "Just how did Carter get married?"

Daniel let the reproachful jibe pass.  "Well, it's all very simple when 
you look back..."

**

"Hey," Jack admired, "Nice place."

"Wow," Carter whispered, pulling off her helmet and ruffling her hair 
back into shape.  She arched her back over to stare up at the ornate 
ceiling. "It's beautiful!"

"As are you."

The man's comment snapped her back from her musings.  Her eyes met his 
and he smiled warmly at her.  She could not help but smile back.

"Your highness," their young escort bowed.  "These are the travellers 
that came through the ring."

The prince's eyes had not left the major.  "Indeed,"

Daniel stepped forward, blocking the prince's line of sight.  "We are 
peaceful travellers," he began.  "I'm Daniel Jackson, this is Colonel 
Jack O'Neill, Major Samantha Carter and Teal'c."  They all gave token 
bows.

"And I am Prince Buckallister."  He returned their bows with a curt nod.  
"You are welcome here."

"Thank you your highness."  Daniel bowed again.

"Come," the prince called them forward,  "we are about to eat.  You must 
join us."

Daniel snapped a glance at Jack who nodded his assent.  The prince turned 
his back and signalled the servants.  He called one to his side, 
whispering to him.  The servant eyed the guests critically and nodded.  
Then he too scurried away.

"You, Daniel Jackson," the prince sat down on his throne. "You are the 
leader?"

"Uh.  That would be me, Sir." Jack supplied.

"Then you will answer.  What is your purpose here?"

"We come in peace," Jack managed.  "We're explorers from far away."  He 
was struggling.

"Those, those are weapons?"

Jack's arms rested on top of his MP5.  "Yes Sir.  We carry weapons so 
that we can defend ourselves."

                         *******************

"That is wise," the prince added, his eyes had wandered back to Sam.  She 
was looking upwards again, wondering how they had built such a structure 
with their limited technology.

Daniel stepped forward again, "We would like to become allies with your 
people, establish trade."

The prince's eyebrows rose.  "You travel through the ring, carry weapons 
far in advance of our own, what do we have that you could possibly want?"

"Carter?"

"Yes Sir," she stepped forward.  "There's a mineral in your soil that we 
don't have on our planet.  It's very important to us."

"Really?"  He had sat forward, hanging on her every word.  "And what 
would you wish to exchange for such treasures?"

"We could help with technology, medicines, it depends on what you need."  
She smiled.  His eyes sent an age-old message.  She looked away. 

"We must discuss this.  The meal will be prepared shortly.  Please, come 
and sit.  We will begin."

He rose from his throne and led them through a set of ornate double 
doors.  Daniel saw the servants scurry away from the hastily laid table.

"My father, the King will return this evening.  Until then we will 
discuss your proposition."

**

"So we sat down and we talked," Daniel continued.  "We offered medical 
assistance and Buckallister was interested in power generation for the 
city."

"Probably only 'cos Carter was explaining it." Jack muttered sourly.

"Anyway, the king came home and we were invited to the homecoming feast.  
They were really polite.

"And this is when the *marriage* took place?" Hammond waggled his fingers 
in quotes.

"Yes Sir," Daniel replied as Jack held his head again.

"It was all very innocent."

**

Sam had gravitated to a seat next to the colonel, but Buckallister had 
motioned her to another seat next to him.  She looked to Jack for 
permission.  He waved her on and followed, settling into a seat on her 
right.  The King, seated at the head of the table had his son to his 
right and Daniel to his left.  They were deep in conversation, Teal'c 
noticed as he shifted in his seat next to him.  Various other natives had 
taken the spare places at the table.  The first course was served and the 
meal began.

**

"The meal was kinda done when this little band started playing." Daniel 
continued.  "Then someone handed Buckallister a platter.  He offered it 
to Sam.  She took a piece of whatever it was and everyone smiled.  The 
dish disappeared."

**

The king nodded to his son who rose from his seat.  He turned to Carter 
and held out his hand.  "Would you do me the honour of joining me, 
Samantha?"  He motioned to the dance floor.  Carter glanced at her CO.

"Go ahead," he smiled.

Sam took the offered hand and rose.  Buckallister drew her hand to his 
lips and kissed it gently.  As he led her to the dance floor, he 
murmured, "My dear, we must see you properly attired for your role."

"Your highness, my uniform is very practical."

"But not very attractive, my dear."

He took her in his arms, and they began to move with the music.  The king 
smiled at his son and the woman in his arms.

"It is a great gift that you bring Colonel."

"Well," Jack began, "we like to help out where we can."

"Our alliance will be strong.  She will make a wonderful Queen."

"Queen?" the three men chorused.

**

"That's when we realised what had happened, and by then it was too late."

"She was married?"

"No." Jack muttered

"Yes," Daniel countered. "The exchange of food and the dance are the only 
requisites in   Bellisian law, Jack."

"She didn't say 'I do'."

"That's not required," Daniel countered.

"So what happened next?" Hammond pushed.

"Things kinda went downhill from there Sir," Jack supplied.  "They said I 
had 'given' her to them, the ceremony was complete, so that was it.  They 
bundled her off.  We were kinda outnumbered, Daniel said we should try 
and talk our way out."

"And that didn't work?"

"It did not," Teal'c said.  "Colonel O'Neill ordered me to return to 
report and bring reinforcements."

"Bucky wasn't interested in talking.  They brought Sam back in.  They'd 
dressed her in these robes."

"Robes?"  Fraiser asked.

"Yeah," Jack's eyes flickered at the memory, "Kinda see-through," he 
muttered.  Jack pulled himself up in his seat,  "So Bucky says we can 
have all the naquada we want in exchange for Carter."

"And you declined?" Hammond asked.

"Yeah, and we withdrew our offer, not that I had offered Carter for 
anything."

"That's when Teal'c and SG-2 arrived and things got nasty." Daniel added 
regretfully.

Hammond shook his head.  "How did Harris get injured?"

"One of the guards holding Carter.  Harris tried to grab him on the way 
back to the gate."

"And Harris was stabbed?"

"Yes Sir," Jack muttered. "Bastard wouldn't let us help him either."

"We were considerably outnumbered General," Teal'c added.  "It was 
unlikely that we would have been able to extract Major Carter without 
heavy losses."

"That's when Sam asked if he would let us go if she stayed." Daniel said 
quietly.  "He agreed."

"Carter suggested it?"

"Yes Sir," Daniel said, "and she knew she didn't have a GDO to get home, 
s-so she must have another plan.  M-maybe she'll gate to somewhere else 
and contact us.  I'm sure she'll..."

"Major Carter is very resourceful," Teal'c added.  "She will escape.  I 
am sure of it."

"Colonel?"  Fraiser placed a hand on his back.  His head was resting on 
his hands, flat on the table.

"We shouldn't have left her there alone," he muttered.  "No one gets left 
behind..."

"Jack," Hammond tried to rouse the man.

His head slowly rose. "Sorry Sir," he shrugged off Fraiser's concerned 
look.

"Why did she zat you, Colonel?"

"Wouldn't leave, Sir."

"Major Carter believed that leaving her would afford us all a safe 
escape.  Lieutenant Harris's condition was deteriorating."  Teal'c stated 
matter-of-factly.

"How is he Doctor?" Hammond asked.

"He lost a lot of blood.  Dr. Warner had to remove his spleen, but he 
should pull through."

Jack continued staring off at the gate, hoping it would activate and 
she'd walk through.

Fraiser noticed his distant stare and added. "If you hadn't got him home 
when you did, he would have died."

"This was Major Carter's opinion also," Teal'c informed them.

"Sorry Sir," Jack began, "We had to leave her behind," his head was in 
his hands again, "with *him*."

"Er, Sir," Daniel started.  "I don't think he'll hurt her." He absorbed 
the doubtful stares, and continued; "When this happened, I asked about 
their marriage rituals."

"Isn't that like closing the door after the horse has bolted?" Jack 
drawled sarcastically.

Daniel ignored him and carried on.  "Once the ceremony is complete, the 
couple must complete the purification ritual.  It's basically a lot of 
baths and pampering."

Jack raised his head and eyebrows.  "Pampering?"

"Yeah, and the couple are separated during this, only to be reunited at 
the start of the mating ritual."

"So how long has she got?"  Jack asked.

"That depends on when she finishes her next cycle."  Daniel glanced at 
Fraiser. "I make that about 8 days."  

Fraiser's eyes flickered a question.  

Daniel managed a rye smile "I keep an eye on that sorta thing.  Sam's 
been getting snappy."  Jack nodded his agreement.  

Fraiser flicked through the charts in front of her, and counted forward.  
"I make it 7 to start."

"So we got 7 days to get there and bust her out.  Did you contact Jacob?  
We'll need his ship."

"I have," Hammond confirmed.  "The Tok'ra are hopeful they'll contact him 
today."

"We can't use the gate?" Fraiser asked.

"Prince Buckallister has left a heavy guard.  It would be impossible to 
go through without heavy losses."  Teal'c sounded disappointed.  "We must 
wait."

"What if we can't get there in time?" Fraiser pressed.

"The mating ritual lasts a week, Sir." Daniel added.

"Sex, sex and more sex," Conner muttered disgustedly.

"Make that rape, captain."  Unable to contain himself any more, O'Neill 
shoved back from the table and made for the side table to pour himself a 
glass of water.  He stared out at the gate, the atmosphere thick with 
tension.  Slowly he raised the glass to his lips.

//Sam, don't fight him, just hang on.  We're coming.//  He drained the 
glass, setting it on the table with a heavy crack.  //And Jacob, for 
once, just once, be in the neighbourhood!//

                         *******************

4

"Asses milk, asses milk, I tire of asses milk..." Sam laughed at her own 
joke, splashing the surface of the milky bath absently.

"I am sorry, Your Highness."  The servant girl apologised for the 
hundredth time.  "It is the rit..."

"Ritual," Sam completed.  "I know.  It's a line from a movie."

"Movie?"

Sam eyed the girl carefully.  "Like a play, but recorded."

"You enjoy the plays on your world, Your Highness?"

"Yeah, and can you quit the *Highness* bit, please?"

The girl bowed.  "As you wish."  Her head slowly rose, meeting Sam's 
gaze.  "But what should I call you?"

"How about Sam?"  She offered.

The girl shook her head.  "Only the prince may use your given name."

Carter sighed.

"Okay, how about..." She thought for a moment.  "Ma'am?"

"Ma'am."

"Yeah, it's like Sir, but for women."

"Ma'am."  The girl tried it out.

"Great.  Now what's your name?"

"Susanna," she paused, "Ma'am."

"Well Susanna, this stuff is getting cold.  When can I get out?"

"When you wish, Ma'am."

"Well I wish now."

Susanna scurried to the corner and collected a large thick cloth.

Sam stood up letting the milky fluid drip off her.  Susanna wrapped the 
cloth around her as she stepped out of the bath.

She let the girl fuss round her for a few seconds.

"Suzy," she started, "What happens now?"

"I must prepare you for your audience with the Queen, Ma'am."

"The Queen?"

"Yes.  She has returned from the tour this evening.  She is well loved by 
the people, for her kindness."

"Right."  Sam was dry, and though she hated to admit it, her skin was 
feeling pretty soft.

She shook her head, pulling herself back to the reality of her situation.

"I'm not going like this am I?"  She was still wrapped in the cloth.

Susanna smiled and indicated a closet.  "We have many choices Ma'am.  You 
may choose."

Sam wandered over to the closet and pulled it open.  "No fatigues?"

Susanna screwed up her nose.  "Prince Buckallister ordered them 
destroyed, and good riddance!"

Sam flicked through the garments on offer.  Each one was see-through.

"Shame," she muttered absently.  "I'm told green suits me . . . . . Any 
sensible shoes?"

The girl indicated the sandals.

"Nope, didn't think so . . .  "

                         *******************

Jacob stepped through the gate, the scowl clearly etched on his face.

"Where is she?"

Jack handed him the co-ordinates.  "We tried dialling it an hour ago.  
The MALP was attacked and destroyed by the guards.

"We'll go in my ship."  Jacob started the walk to the control room.  
"Meet me here."  He indicated an address he'd programmed into the 
computer.  "In four hours."

"Jacob," Hammond began.

"That's if your C.O. is allowing you to help me retrieve my daughter."

Jack glanced at Hammond.

"It's not an order, Colonel."

Jack met Jacob's gaze.  "Need any ordinance?"

"You know the territory.  Brief me on the way."

"How long to get there?" Daniel asked.

"Four days from when you meet me."  

Daniel almost gasped aloud.  

"It's not a small galaxy, Daniel."

"We'll be there."  Jack assured him.

"I also will accompany you, O'Neill."

"Four hours."  Jacob tapped in his destination, and with a curt not to 
Hammond, left the control room.  As he rounded the door, the vortex 
collapsed back on itself.  Without turning, he strode up the ramp and 
disappeared.

"He looks pretty mad," Daniel said obviously.

"Wouldn't you be?"  Jack asked no one in particular.

"I would," Hammond said.  "And I am."

The four men exchanged glances.

"You have a mission to plan for Colonel.  I suggest you get to it."

"Yes Sir."  O'Neill nodded and the remaining members of SG-1 filed out, 
O'Neill barking orders.

                         *******************

The throne room was set for a banquet again.  Susanna had reluctantly let 
her dress herself in the least see-through garment she could find.  
Apparently she wasn't wearing it quite right, but right meant more flesh 
showing, and at the moment too much was on show already.

As she was shown into the room, the gathered courtiers bowed low.  The 
King and Buckallister stood also, so they could see over the crowd.

"Isn't she beautiful, my Mother?"  The Prince whispered proudly to the 
Queen.

"Indeed," the Queen agreed.  "But by the gods, who dressed her?"

The courtiers had fallen silent so Sam heard the Queen's comment.

Carter saw Susanna wince.  "I did it myself Ma'am," she said quickly.  
"Your clothes are a lot different to what I'm used to."

The Queen glanced at her son.  "Oh they were dreadful, Mother," his nose 
screwed up.  "She was dressed as a soldier, like the other men."

Sam hitched her hands on her hips.  "Hey!  I am a soldier, and I *like* 
wearing fatigues."

"Silence!" Buckallister snapped.  Sam fell silent, planning a retort. She 
opened her mouth to speak.

Buckallister moved quickly towards her.  "You will be silent!" He 
snapped.

"Bug off!"

The slap caused the courtiers to gasp.  Sam straightened her head up, 
forcing herself not to retaliate or nurse her stinging cheek.

"She has a foul tongue," the Queen observed.

Buckallister turned to his mother.  "She will learn respect, mother."

"Respect has to be earned."  Sam managed to be out of reach.

"She is correct, my son."  The King intervened before Buckallister could 
recoil for a second blow.

"Present yourself!" The Queen ordered.

"No."  Sam folded her arms defiantly.

Buckallister motioned the guards.  Four men grabbed at her arms, pushing 
her forward on to her knees.

"Let me go!"  Sam struggled, wriggling and kicking.  One kick landed a 
guard in the groin. //One down . . . three . . .// Another man took his 
place.

"Let me go!"

"You will be silent!"

"In your dreams, asshole!"

Buckallister finished turning crimson and stalked towards her angrily.  
The blow sent her and her captors spinning to the ground.  Her head 
landed on the edge of a step with a thud.

She felt the blow, then pain, falling and nothingness.

                         *******************

*"Ma'am, Ma'am.  *Please* wake up. . . "*

//What was that noise?//

"Ma'am, please, you must wake up!"

She was being shaken now.  Slowly the feeling was returning to her.  Her 
head hurt, and she felt sick.

She groaned as her eyes fluttered open.  The young girl's face flickered 
with relief. 

"Tell the Queen she is awake."  She said to someone else.

"Wha. ..?"  Sam tried to sit up, but the wave of nausea and pain that 
swept over her made her sink back onto the pillows.

"Oh shit . . ." Her hands made it to her head, she found the cut on her 
forehead and its accompanying bruise.

"Ma'am, you must drink this," Susanna urged.

"Wha?  What is it?"

"Medicine, drink."

Sam pushed the cup away and rolled over, trying to push herself to her 
hands and knees.  She collapsed back on the bed, hugging a pillow and 
groaned again.

"Your Highness," Susanna's voice again from across the room.

"Leave us!" The older voice snapped.

"Yes Your Highness."  Sam heard the door clunk closed.  The noise hurt. 
Everything hurt.  The Queen approached the bed.  Sam managed to raise one 
eye from the pillow to meet the woman's gaze.

"Hi," she said

"You are to be punished for your insolence."  The Queen informed her.

To be honest her head hurt enough she didn't care.  "Okay," she muttered.

"You will remain here, alone for one day.  No food will be allowed.  Only 
water," the Queen re-affirmed.

"Great . . . Whatever . . ." She massaged the back of her head with her 
fingers, trying to make the pain dissipate.

"Got any aspirin?"

"Only water."

Sam let her head loll back onto the pillow.  She wasn't hungry anyway.  
"Okay . . ."

The Queen stood and left, blowing out the candles as she went.

"You may wish to consider co-operating."

"Whatever. . " Her muffled voice trailed off as sleep claimed her.  Her 
last thought was of missing Jack's head injury twenty questions ritual.  
The door clanked shut and the lock turned noisily.  "Oh shit . . ." A 
tear forced its way out of her clenched eyes.  "I'm in so much trouble, 
guys.  Where are you?"

                         *******************

They needed a FRED in the end.  Daniel guided it up the ramp after 
getting the all clear from Jack and Teal'c.

Jacob was waiting for them; his ship parked 20 yards from the gate.

They loaded up without much conversation.  Jacob was a closed book, his 
face etched with anger, but unwavering in his determination.

                         *******************

5

"May I speak with you?"

Sam raised her head from her hands and met the older woman's gaze.

"Your son said I was to speak to no one."  She said sourly.

The Queen entered the room, signalling the guards behind her to close the 
door.

"I am the Queen, and his mother."

Carter rolled off the bed and sat on the edge, pulling the skirt back to 
cover her legs.  It was cold in here.

"What do you want?"  Sam coughed, and pulled a blanket round her 
shoulders.  "I'm tired."

The Queen sat solemnly and organised her own robes.  "You have no fire."

"No wood." She sniffed.

"You did try to burn the palace down."

Carter shrugged, That diversion attempt had failed miserably.  She hadn't 
even made it out of the palace.  The Prince had been furious.  Another 
few back-handers and confined to cold quarters.  That was three days ago, 
and she was still coughing.  Slowly she pulled her legs up to sit cross-
legged and arranged the blanket like a tent.

"So now you are cold"

Carter shrugged again.  "Been colder."  Another cough rumbled from her 
chest.

The Queen looked genuinely concerned.  "You are unwell."

Carter's bruised face rose again.  "Well, that kinda happens when you 
don't eat properly and are locked in a draughty, cold palace . . ." 
//Smoke didn't help either...//

"You must accept your punishment."  She was back in regal mode.

"Look, if you've come to talk me into behaving then you're wasting your 
time."

"Being chosen to join the royal family is a great honour."

"So find someone who would be *honoured*.  You must have 'em lining up."

"My son has already made his choice.  He has chosen you, and you are 
joined.  When the ritual has ended you will mate and bear his children."

Sam Carter shook her head.  "You still don't get it do you?"

The Queen's eyebrow rose.

"I'm not bearing anyone's kids.  You got that?"

"It is your duty."

"No it isn't!"

"But he his your husband."

"No!"  Sam stood up, an act that made her head spin.  "He tricked me into 
dancing with him."

The Queen smiled.  "The Pairing.  It is beautiful is it not?"

"It's a dance, nothing else.  It's not a basis for marriage."  She 
slumped again and coughed, cursing softly.

"How do you mate in your world?"  The Queen asked quietly.

Sam looked at her.  Her gaze had softened.

"We get to know the person first.  Spend time together.  Then when you're 
sure you love them, you make promises to each other, usually in front of 
all your friends and family."

"Would having the ceremony benefit your acceptance of your position?"

"No, you see, you're missing the point.  You make promises to your 
husband freely.  You can decide not to go ahead.  I didn't have a 
choice."

"Then choose."

"What?"

"Would you not choose the Prince Regent?"

"No."  She ran her fingers through her hair � exasperated.  "I don't want 
to marry him.  I want to go home!"

"You have no family there.  We are your family now."

"I have a brother back on earth.  He's got kids.  And my friends.  I'm 
not lonely.  I was happy there."  The way her eyes wandered piqued the 
Queen's interest.

"You already have a mate there?"

"Kinda."

"Then there is one you are 'getting to know'?"

Carter managed a smile.  "We're working on it."

A silence settled on the room as the two women left each other to their 
own thoughts.

"You will not submit to the mating."  The Queen's resigned statement drew 
Carter back.

"No Ma'am.  Where I come from it's called rape.  Been there, done 
that..." A pang of fear racked her into a coughing fit.

The Queen's eyes widened.  "Then you are not pure?"

Sam laughed as the cough subsided.

"Er, no."

"I was not aware of this."

"Your son is."  Sam started to stir the pot.

"This is very unusual."

"Look, I don't wanna be married to your son.  Can't you talk to him?  Try 
and get him to let me go home?"

"I will try.  You are unsuitable."

The Queen rose sharply from her seat and rapped at the door.  The little 
hatch popped open, then the door.  She breezed out with a flourish.

//I am not pure.  Jeez can it be that easy?//

The coughing returned.  Sam crawled up the bed and piled the pillows up 
so she could sleep mostly upright.   She was tired, hungry and getting 
sicker.  Drawing the blankets around her she closed her eyes.  

//Plan 'Q'.// She smiled to herself. //Get Queen on my side.  At last a 
taboo I can use!//

She settled herself, stifling another cough and tried to sleep.

                         *******************

"She is my chosen!"  The Prince shouted angrily.

"She is not pure."  The Queen responded with equal anger.

"It does not matter."

"She is disobedient, and unworthy of the position you offer her."

"She will learn obedience, Mother, as you learned to obey father."

The King and Queen exchanged looks.  That had been a very long time ago.

"She does not wish to learn, my son.  She has no love for our people, no 
sense of duty to them, or you."

The prince shifted in his seat regally.  "She will learn or she will 
suffer the consequences."

"You will have her beaten again?"

"If necessary."

"She is unwell."  The Queen added, trying to change tack.

"I am aware.  She is a strong woman.  She will recover."

"She is weak from cold and lack of food."

"Her choices, not mine.  She must accept the punishment for her actions."

"What will you do if her people return for her?"

"They will be killed.  Now leave us, Mother.  I will not discuss this 
further."  He waved her out of the chamber with a flick of his wrist.  
The Queen glanced to her own husband, but found no support.  She sighed 
angrily and swept away.

"Your princess reminds me a little of your mother, my son."  The king 
said softly.  "She was a little easier to tame though."

"She will obey me, Father."

The King rose from his throne.  "I am sure she will.  Now, the hour is 
late."

"Goodnight Father."

"Goodnight my son."

                         *******************

She hadn't really slept.  The cough kept waking her up.  She longed for 
some of Fraiser's foul tasting cough mixture.  It could kill a cough at 
ten paces.  It did knock you out for 8 hours, but right now that was just 
what she needed.

The room's only window cast barred shadows of moonlight.  The door lock 
rattled open, waking her from her dozing.

"Samantha."

The Queen entered the room, followed by another man.  Both carried candle 
lamps, casting the room in a warm orange glow.

"Did it work?" she asked.

The Queen shook her head.  "My son is stubborn."  She said sourly.

"Figures."

"This is my Healer."  She introduced.

"Doctor?"  She coughed again.

The man advanced on her, pulled something similar to a stethoscope from 
his bag and listened to her chest.

"She has a fever, Your Highness, and her breathing is bad."

Sam coughed again, as the man rummaged in his bag.  He looked around the 
room.

"She must be moved to a warm room, with a fire."  He got busy pouring 
liquids from small bottles.

"Drink this, Your Highness."  He offered her the glass.

"What is it?"  She croaked.

"Medicine.  I am sure not as good as your own, but it will help.  Drink."

"No."  She said firmly, pushing the glass away.  "I'd rather die than 
stay here and be Bukko's sex slave."

"I am trying to help you, Samantha." The Queen exclaimed

"I want to go home!"

"You cannot.  We have no way to contact your people.  You said yourself 
you would be killed if you went through the ring."

"Iris pancake."  She muttered to herself.  "I can think of worse ways to 
die."

"You are very ill, Your Highness.  Please let me help you," the medic 
pleaded.

Carter wriggled away from him.  "No.  You let me go!"

"Leave us."  The Queen ordered the doctor.  He left the glass on the 
table.

"As you wish."  He bowed to them both and retreated.

The two women stared at each other determinedly.

"I do not see a resolution to this."  The Queen folded herself into a 
chair.  "You will not submit.  Either you will die from your illness or 
my son will kill you in anger."

She shrugged.

"Why did you try to reach the ring if you cannot go home.  Did you wish 
to kill yourself?"

Sam considered her position, buying time with a few more coughs.  She 
needed help.

"There's other places I can go," she confided.  "  I can contact my 
friends so they can pick me up.  I have lots of places I can go."  
Mentally she listed them, the address symbols popping into her head.

The queen sat quietly for moment.  "Come," she said, "We will go for a 
ride to get you some fresh air."

She spoke quickly and quietly to small woman Sam had seen with the Queen 
on several occasions, who nodded and scurried away.

"Fresh air?"  She coughed.

"Yes, now please drink the healer's preparation."

Sam pushed the glass further away from her.  "Er, I'll pass thanks all 
the same."

"I am trying to help you."  She gasped.

"You sure that's a good idea?"  Sam indicated her bruises.

The Queen spoke quietly.  "My son is blinded by your beauty.  You are not 
of willing mind to submit to him.  I do not believe you ever will."

"My friends will come back for me."  Sam offered.  "They can come in a 
ship.  They don't need to use the gate."

"Then why are they not here.  It has been days."

"It's a long way."  She said quietly.

"You are close to the end.  Once the purge is over he will have no 
boundary."

Sam nodded quietly.  She had started that morning. //Running out of 
time.//

"If you help me, what will they do to you?"

The Queen smiled.  "My husband will see the light.  He is letting my son 
have his head, but he will see you two had no future."  She paused, the 
question still in Sam's eyes.  "I will be fine, Samantha."

The lady-in-waiting returned, clutching two heavy cloaks.

"Come, my dear.  It is time to leave."

                         *******************

6

"At the risk of quoting a cliche," Jack began nervously, "Just how much 
further have we got to go?"

Jacob kept his eyes forward, looking out at the streaming stars whizzing 
by. Selmak calmed the angry explosion brewing within him.  After the 
briefest of pauses he replied. "Less than last time you asked, Jack."

Jack nodded, raising his eyebrows. "Okay," he said slinking away from the 
man. " Daniel? What are you doing then?"

Daniel Jackson lifted his head up from the thick volume he was reading.

"Jack, didn't you bring something with you to do?"

Jack O'Neill slid into sit beside his friend. Well I had other things on 
my mind, I forgot. "  The silence settled on them again, like it had a 
hundred times already during the trip.  Jack glanced at the page Daniel 
was reading.  He tilted his head trying to get the symbols into a 
recognisable form.  He couldn't.  Shrugging he settled back against the 
bulkhead and absently started flicking his watch cap up and down.

                         *******************

Daniel looked skyward.  Teal'c, sitting opposite the colonel fixed him 
with a steely stare.  Jack flicked the watch closed and settled back his 
hands firmly clenched in his lap.  Daniel went back to his book.  Teal'c 
returned to his.

                         *******************

Jack's eyes wandered to the streaming star-field ahead and silently 
wondered if they could see the right one yet.

                         *******************

The cold night air snatched at her throat as the two women emerged from 
the palace.  Her hood up, Sam had nipped ahead of the Queen as directed 
and opened the carriage door for her.  Stepping in behind the royal, a 
footman closed the door.  "Drive on!" the queen ordered.  Slowly the 
carriage began to move out of the courtyard.  

"Sit back," the queen said as they approached the gates, "Say nothing."

"Good evening, Your Highness," the guard greeted her with a small bow.

"Let us pass," the queen ordered.

"But your highness, the hour is late"

"Indeed, it is and I wish to take a ride in the fresh evening air."

Sam stifled a cough.

The guard's head turned.  

"My lady in waiting is becoming unwell my healer has prescribed some 
clean, night air. Now, out of my way!"

"Drive on!"

The guard slipped back to the side of the road. The gates opened and the 
carriage edged out into the cold murky blackness of night.

                         *******************

A few hundred yards from the palace Sam couldn't hold the cough back any 
longer.  

"You should have taken the healers brew," the queen spoke softly.  "You 
are stubborn"

"Some would call that a bonus."

"Not with my son."  

Sam shrugged.  "Is it gonna be that easy?  You just drive us up to the 
gate..."

"I will drop you close to the ring and attract the guards attention.  Can 
you manage to run a short distance."

Sam nodded, "Any distance home is short."  

"Then home you shall go, my dear.  My son will be angry but he will find 
another."

"Just as long as it isn't me."

"You would have made a good princess you know.  You have spirit and 
compassion."

Sam's eyebrows popped up.  "Thanks." She managed.

"I would have liked to get to know you better," the Queen said 
regretfully.  

"I wish our peoples could have been friends too."

"But that is out of the question now."

"My CO.'s don't take kindly to their officers being kidnapped and held 
against their will.  Let alone coming back like this."

"May I apologise on their behalf.  He is blinded."

"We'll probably just lock out the co-ordinates, no one will try and visit 
you from Earth again.

"A missed opportunity."

"Yeah, we could have had a good alliance."

The regret hung in the chilly air between them.  Sam shivered 
vigourously, and stifled the coughing that rumbled inside her. 

"Your people will be able to help you?"

Sam nodded, "And I know a place I can go get help right away."

"Very well."  The carriage drew to a stop. The queen looked out.  

"We are here your highness," the driver informed her.

"It is time for us to depart company Samantha. Go in peace and be safe."

Sam glanced out of the window up the trail to the gate.  A few torches 
glowed in the distance. Time to go.

She sloughed off the heavy cloak.  "It'll slow me down," she informed the 
bemused woman.

"Thank you."

The Queen nodded, "I will make an inspection of the guard, but once you 
start to make noise..."

Sam hopped down from the far side of the carriage and paused. "Move them 
as far from the gate as you can.  I won't need long"

Their eyes met for an instant.

"Thanks."  Sam said then slipped quietly into the trees.

The footman closed the door and made a point of examining the wheels of 
the carriage and the horses. Then he re-mounted and urged them on towards 
the ring.

                         *******************

//Click, click...//  Daniel closed his eyes stifling a sharp comment.  
//Click, Click...//

"Dammit Jack will you just go back to sleep!"

"I'm not tired"

"Well we are.  Tired of hearing that little click, click click.!!" An 
idea occurred to him. 

"Gimme the watch!" Daniel waggled his hands beckoning Jack to toss him 
the watch.

Jack cradled it against his body protectively. 

"No," he said.

"Then shut up and read a book, play cards with yourself, do something but 
do something quietly."

"Amen," Jacob's voice emanated from the cockpit.

Jack took the book that Daniel shoved across the floor to him.  He picked 
it up sceptically.  "What's it about?" he asked leafing through the 
pages.

"Read it and find out." Daniel snapped.  His eyes settled back to the 
words in front of him.  Jack fell silent.  Daniel had to reread from the 
beginning of the page.  He hadn't been concentrating.  He was thinking 
about Sam.  Stealing a glance at his brothers in arms Daniel could see 
they were doing the same.  Jack was just the worst at hiding it.  He 
checked his own watch.  Still 24 hours to go.  //Hang in there Sam.// He 
thought, looking out the front portal. //We're coming.//

                         *******************

7

She stopped for the third time to catch her breath, abate a coughing fit 
and pull the tiny stones and twigs from her sandals.   The Queen was 
almost to the guards now and she was in just the right position.

The Queen's head emerged from the carriage and a muffled voice ordered 
the guards to present them selves for inspection.  Despite the lead 
guard's questions, the Queen silenced him with a stare.  Then he flicked 
his hands to the men around the gate.  They slipped out of range and had 
their backs to her.  Slowly she moved towards the DHD, crouching behind 
rocks and bushes.

                         *******************

The Queen was making a meal of it all right; she had the men's weapons in 
pieces in front of them by the time Sam reached the DHD.  It was ten-yard 
dash from the DHD to the gate.  Slowly she took in some deep steady 
breaths.  A cough started to rumble she sank down to crush it.  The queen 
coughed aloud to mask the noise then asked a guard a question about a 
part of his weapon.  Sam waved she was okay, and stood up.

                         *******************

Mentally she fixed the symbols she needed to dial.  One last look back to 
the Queen.

'Go!' She urged with her eyes.

Sam nodded.  Her hand hovered over the first symbol.

//No busy signal,// she urged //no busy signal...//

Her fingers settled.  She pushed. //One two three four five six seven and 
boom!//

Startled first by the noise of the chevrons locking then the water splash 
the men turned and started running towards the glowing ring, Sam was up 
the steps and through before they passed the DHD.

                         *******************

The Queen watched the girl of her son's dreams disappear.

"Good Luck, Samantha.  I wish you well."

One of the guards stood in front of the DHD, looking at the glowing 
plates as three of his friends disappeared after the princess.  Suddenly 
the glow hissed out and threw them into darkness.  The lead guard looked 
blankly at the Queen.

"She has returned to her own kind."

"But my men?"

"They are a compassionate people, I am sure they will be returned."  The 
Queen turned and re-entered her carriage. Which rumbled down the track 
leaving the men gaping in disbelief.

                         *******************

It was daytime on Tollana; Sam burst through the shimmering pool, and 
shielded her eyes against the glare. She collapsed at the feet of a 
passing Tolon. "Help me... I'm Major Samantha Carter from Earth.  Please 
help me..." The man knelt beside her as she coughed herself unconscious.

                         *******************

"Unscheduled incoming traveller"!

The alarm hooter rang out across the control room, as the iris slid 
closed over the wormhole and Hammond bolted from his seat. "Any Iris 
code?"

"Not yet Sir." Davis reported solemnly.

A squad of soldiers scrambled into the gate room, their loaded weapons 
cocked and ready.  Every one of them praying that it would be Carter.  
They'd even discussed how she could send Morse code by tossing stones 
against the iris.  Siler had some up with that one... It had been a long 
few days.

"Anything?" Hammond pressed.

"No Sir. Sorry, Sir. Wait, look!"

The iris shimmered and rippled, Hammond's eyes fell to the base of the 
ramp.

"Schr�dinger!"

The little ginger cat emerged from the ripple. "Hold your fire" Hammond 
barked over the tannoy.

Narim stepped though. Schr�dinger trotted back to him. Narim scooped him 
up.

"General Hammond." He directed his voice to the control room. 

"Major Carter?" Hammond couldn't stop himself from prompting the man.

"She is with the Tolon, she is safe."

Everyone in the gate and control rooms exhaled collectively.

Hammond bolted from the control room and bounded to the end of the ramp.  
He was joined by a whirlwind Fraiser. "Is she okay?" Fraiser asked.

Narim looked sorry. " I regret she was not well enough to accompany me, 
she is being treated by our medical staff."

"What's wrong?"  Fraiser had asked before Hammond could.

"She has a serious infection in her lungs.  She is weak and has other 
injures requiring treatment.  She asked that I contact you and assure you 
she was being well cared for.  You may visit her if you wish."

"Sir, Request.." Fraiser's question was cut off.

"Granted, " he said.  "And contact the Tok'ra," he called out. "We need 
to tell Jacob and the rest of SG-1."

                         *******************

8

Daniel entered the Tolon infirmary his excitement building.  He wouldn't 
believe it until he saw her.  His heart buoyed and dropped as he 
recognised her on a medical couch and caught sight of her face.  He 
managed a warm smile as he approached.  "Hey, Sam," he said quietly.

Her darkened eyes fluttered open and he solidified in front of her.  "I'm 
not sure if I wanna hug you or deck you," she murmured.

Daniel smiled, "I'd prefer the hug if that's worth anything." She 
hesitated a moment.  "Jack was definitely erring on the punch side," he 
rambled, half turning away. "Do I need to hide behind Teal'c again?"

She shook her head slowly.  "I'll take the hug," she said, opening her 
arms.  

Daniel slipped off his black vest, letting it drop to the floor.  He 
pulled her close.  She squeezed back, but weakly.

"I'll get you when I'm feeling better," she muttered into his chest.

Daniel stroked her hair.  "Look forward to it."

They separated, Sam lowering herself back onto the bed slowly.  "So," she 
said, "has he calmed down yet?"

"Jack?  Oh, he's still mad at us, I'm afraid."

"Us?"

"You for the zat, me for the marriage thing."  He shrugged. "But Sam, we 
have other problems."

"I know, Janet said."

"Where is Colonel O'Neill?" Fraiser asked.

"He's just finishing up with the High Councillor.  Teal'c's supervising."

"Are *they* still here?" Sam asked.

"Yeah, but the Tollons aren't gonna let them take you back.  They're 
trying to get them to go home."

"Good riddance."  Sam spluttered before coughing.

"Sam?"

"Pneumonia," Fraiser supplied, "Not too bad.  They've been treating it."

"Draughty palace."  She murmured, turning onto her side.

"Smoke inhalation," Janet offered.

Daniel rubbed her back as she coughed some more.

"Carter?"

She looked up at the sound of his voice, and saw the concern etched on 
his face as she coughed a few more times. "Yes Sir."  She started to sit 
up.

"Stay where you are, Major," he ordered, gently pushing her back down.

"Yes Sir."

They looked at each other for an instant.

"I don't need to tell you how much trouble you're in Carter."

"No Sir."

"Buckallister's men have gone back to never-never land with a flea in 
thier ear.  Teal'c's making sure."

She heaved a sigh of relief that made her cough again.

"Carter?  You okay?"  The brusque tone faded.

"Pneumonia," Fraiser supplied.  "Not too serious."

"Oh.  Well, where was I?"

"Bucky's men have gone."  Daniel prompted.

"Right, and you're coming home with us."

"Yes Sir."

"Good."  The silence hung.

"Janet, Daniel, could you give us a minute, please?"

Janet glanced at O'Neill, and left taking Daniel with her.

"I'm sorry Sir."

"Why Sam?  Why the hell did you do it?  Look at you!"

"I needed to get you guys out of there.  Harris was gonna die, He's got 
three kids..."

"I don't care how many kids he's got, Carter, that doesn't make his life 
worth more than yours."

"That's my choice."

"No it isn't, dammit.  You're forgetting you're an officer in the U.S. 
Airforce.  You don't have the right to give yourself up like that.  For 
crying out loud, Carter, the SGC doesn't work the same without you."

"Everyone's expendable Sir."

"But some are more expendable than others.  I know that sounds harsh, 
Carter, but it's true.  We could no more replace you than we could 
Teal'c"

"Well, I'm okay, so no more problem?"  She said hopefully.

"I wish!"

"I know I'm gonna have to face a Court Martial, Sir, I'm, prepared to 
defend my actions and accept the consequences."

Jack slumped, resting his hands on the edge of the bed.

"Carter, you have no idea how much trouble you're in."

"I do, Sir, I..."

"Oh, no."  He waved her quiet.  "Okay, we get you back; I'm willing to 
accept mitigating circumstances; Hammond opts for a big grey smudge next 
to the commendation for saving Harris; you stay a Major, just, and a 
month confined to the base, all leave cancelled, yadda yadda yadda."

She sensed the but in his voice,  "But?"

"But, someone up high is trying to throw not just the book, but the whole 
goddamned Library of Congress at you!"

"Oh," she managed, "Who?"

"Wouldn't that be nice to know!"

"Oh."

"Oh."

"I'm in real trouble then."

"Yeah."  He confirmed.  "Someone's been waiting for you to screw up, 
Carter, and they've not been disappointed."

He looked like there was something else he wanted her to say.

"Sorry Sir," she managed as her chest rumbled.

"Aw crap!"  He slid into a seat he hadn't noticed before, rested his 
elbows on the bed and buried his head in his hands.

"So, we're talking a dishonourable discharge?"

"After jail time."  He added.  

She gazed up at the ceiling. "Oh."

 "Like I said, Library of Congress."

 "Oh."

"Sam, who the hell have you pissed off enough to make them hate you so 
much?"

"I don't know Sir."

"Well think dammit!  Whoever it is wants you in the stockade.  God knows 
what'll happen.  You might not make it to a discharge."

Sam's pale features drained of what little colour they had.  Then a 
thought occurred to her.  Her hands leaped to her face.  "Oh shit, 
Maybourne."

"Maybourne?  He's in jail.  Besides he likes you."

"I turned NID down."

Jack didn't look at her  "I know.  He told me."

"But surely he wouldn't..."

"You turned him down, stayed at the SGC.  Now you're in jail, long 
stretch ahead.  Makes the offer harder to refuse, doesn't it?"

"Oh shit."  She coughed again.  Then she couldn't stop.

"Aw, Carter," he turned round and called for Fraiser.  She bustled in, 
Daniel and Teal'c in tow.

One of the Tollon medics pressed some buttons, raising the head of the 
bed.  Then he reprogrammed the computer.  "I have increased the level of 
antibiotic."  He informed them.  "The treatment will be completed in 
three of your hours."

The cough subsided.  Carter let her head loll back against the built-in 
pillow as a familiar face approached her.

"Hey, Teal'c."  Sam managed brightly.

"It is good to see you, Major Carter."

"Good to see you too."

"She reckons Maybourne."  Jack muttered.  Sam glanced over at him.  He 
was still holding his head.

'He okay?' She mouthed to Fraiser.

'Headache' Janet mouthed back.

"He's in jail," Daniel stated.  "Isn't he?"

"Maybe, maybe not... Someone else at NID?"

Jack took a deep breath and looked up.  "There is another possibility I 
didn't want to mention on the base..."

"What?"  Daniel asked.

"Someone or some group of someones could be after all of us.  Sam just 
happened to screw up first."

"Can we find another description, please?"  Sam asked.

"Screw-up, cock-up, balls-up...   Daniel you're the linguist, you come up 
with something."

"Colonel," Fraiser warned.

Jack bolted upright and started pacing.  "Okay, so Maybourne's a 
possibility, but let's think about this.  We've not been in much in the 
way of trouble, military wise for a while.  So who would want to break us 
up?"

"Kinsey," Sam whispered.

"He's more likely to want to close down the whole SGC though," Daniel 
suggested.

"SG-1 might be his first move," Fraiser added.

"I am so sorry, guys."  Carter bit her lower lip, fighting back the tears 
that were making her eyes glisten. Daniel took her pale hand as Jack gaze 
softened.

"It's my fault for letting you get married," he soothed.

"And mine for not leaving and trusting."  Jack capitulated.

"None of us is at fault," Teal'c intoned.  "Whomever has sought to take 
advantage of these unfortunate events is the guilty party."

"How does that help us though, Teal'c?"  Jack asked.

"Part of their plan may be to turn us against each other.  In this they 
will not be successful."

"Might not be as easy as that." Jack moped.

A silence settled on the group.

"Sam needs to rest, gentlemen." Janet beckoned them out.

"We're not going home?"

"Not yet, we're gonna stay the night.  You're not strong enough," Fraiser 
informed her.

"You mean, when we get back you might not be able to keep me on the 
base..."

"Exactly.  We gotta stall for time so we can figure this out.  Draw them 
out of the woodwork," Jack said

"But I'm not that sick."  Sam stated.

"Oh yes you are!"  Fraiser snapped.  "And until we say otherwise, you're 
gonna act sick."

"But..."

"That's an order Carter," O'Neill snapped making her jump.  His voice 
softened.  "We need to buy some time.  As long as you're sick, we can 
keep an eye on you.  Besides, you'll get stronger and if we do have to 
let you go..."

"I'll be able to take care of myself."

"Something like that."

"We'll talk about it in the morning, Sam.  You need to rest."

Fraiser settled her, turning out the light overhead, casting her bruised 
face into shadows.  Daniel and Teal'c said their goodnights, but Jack 
lingered.

"Just a couple of minutes, Doc."

"Okay, but I'll be back to check."

Fraiser smiled and left.

"Carter."

"Yes Sir?"

He fumbled for the words.  "Bucky did that, right?"

"Yes Sir."

He nodded, stalling again.

"That was it Sir, he didn't touch me otherwise."

"Carter."

"You know it's taboo to have sex before the first period of the marriage.  
Lucky huh?"  Her voice broke.

"That's what Daniel said."

"That's why I couldn't wait any more Sir.  I was early.  Had to get out 
before...."

He squeezed her hand again.  "We'd gated to PX4-239 to meet your Dad.  We 
were gonna bust you out with his ship, but it was gonna take a few 
days.."

She let that thought process.  "Plan Y " She said.

"Y?"

"Dad comes in a ship and rescues me."  Her eyes darkened.

"Did you start with A?"

She nodded.

"Which one got you out?"

"X" she half laughed, "run like hell and screw the consequences."

"Do I wanna know what Z was?"

"Let's just say I don't like being a punch-bag and I'm too stubborn to go 
quietly."

His lips pressed into an ironic thin smile.  "All you had to do was 
survive, Sam..."

"Don't think I could live like that though."

"Y was always gonna happen, Sam.  You know that."

"Yeah, but how long would I have to wait?  I'm sorry.  I couldn't go 
through all that again!"

The tears she'd been holding at bay burst through her defences.

"Hey!"

Jack took her shoulders and pulled her into his arms.  "It's all right 
Sam," he soothed.  "We'll figure this all out."

Suddenly she got angry with him.  "If you'd just gone in the first place, 
we wouldn't be in this mess!" she snapped, pulling away from him.  "You 
should have trusted me!"

She curled away as he leaned back.  "Yeah," he muttered.  "Great thing, 
hindsight."

She didn't say anything, another cough rumbling in her chest.

"You'd better get some sleep, Major.  Tomorrow could be a long day."

                         *******************

9

By the time they were ready to leave, Carter had to quietly admit she was 
feeling better.  A good night's rest the nutrient and drug infusion had 
worked wonders.  Dressed in the uniform they had brought her, she was 
able to walk up the steps to the gate under her own power.  Jack hovered 
close by as she leaned on Teal'c.  She turned back from the event horizon 
and waved a last goodbye to Narim.

"Ready Carter?"  Jack asked, as Fraiser and Daniel disappeared.

"Yes Sir," she said.

He stood in front of her.  "Now remember Carter, you feel awful.  It's 
difficult to breathe."

"Yes Sir."

"Doc's gonna run every test she can think of, and some of 'em twice, 
trying to figure it out.  Okay?"

"Okay."

"Okay, let's go home."

They stepped through the shimmering pool, and tumbled through space.

She stumbled as they emerged.  Teal'c propped her up, her head spun 
wildly.  Jack turned around.  Her hand bolted to her face as she fought a 
wave of nausea.  Fraiser bounded up the ramp, gathered her into her arms, 
and led her down the ramp to a waiting gurney.  Sam glanced around; 
taking in the familiar faces who'd gravitated to the gate room to see her 
home.  But there were three very unfamiliar uniforms.  They didn't have 
much call for MPs down here.  A pair of them stood together at parade 
rest behind their C.O.  The C.O. stepped forward,  "Major Samantha 
Carter," he began,  "You are under arrest."

"Not now, Lieutenant."  Fraiser barked, pushing him aside so Sam could 
get to the gurney.

"Ma'am, Major Carter is facing a Court Martial..."

"She's not going anywhere, can't you see how ill she is?"

Carter flopped onto the trolley; someone lifted up her legs.  Fraiser 
drew a blanket over her.  Sam coughed for effect.  Fraiser fussed over 
her.

"These are serious charges Doctor!"

"Stand down lieutenant!"  Hammond barked.

"Sir, I have orders to detain Major Carter for Court Martial proceeding."

"Well, right now she needs medical attention.  So you can just *detain* 
her in the infirmary."

"But Sir?"  The lieutenant took a step forward, his handcuffs ready in 
one hand,  "She should be restrained."  

Jack held out his hand to stop him getting any closer to the two women.

"No." he said clearly.  "She doesn't need restraining.  She needs a 
doctor.  Now back off!"

Teal'c had worked his way around to the other side of the MPs.  They 
glanced at Hammond and got no support.

"Doc."  Jack motioned for her to leave.  The MPs stepped forward to 
follow.

"No cuffs."  He ordered.  "She's not dangerous, for crying out loud!"  He 
lifted his hand away, Teal'c stepped in front and followed the trolley 
out of the gate room, keeping himself between the MPs and his friend.

                         *******************

Fraiser scooted Sam straight into a side room.  Teal'c stopped at the 
door letting the MPs bump into him.  He scowled at them.  The doctor 
returned to close the door, peeking round Teal'c, she snapped, "You can 
wait out here."  The door clicked shut.

"Jason?"  Fraiser asked the nurse.  Carter heard the door close.  

"We're clear in here Ma'am.  But your office isn't."

"Bugged?"  Sam gasped.  "Where they hell did they come from?"

Fraiser peeled off her outer uniform jacket and busied herself with 
Carter.  "Like we said, Sam, someone's trying to throw the book at you."

"Library of Congress...." She muttered, starting to undo her uniform top.

"What?"

"Oh, just something the colonel said."

"Let's get you settled in."

                         *******************

Hammond waved O'Neill to join him in his office.  Daniel, feeling a 
little spare, tagged onto his heels and followed him up the stairs 
through the control room.  Sergeant Davies, seated at a console, welcomed 
them home.

"When'd the goons arrive?"  Jack paused to ask.

"Last night Sir.  They've been throwing their weight around too.  Sir, 
how's Major Carter?"

Jack patted the man on the shoulder.  "Chest infection," he said.  
"Pretty nasty."

"Oh."

Jack moved away "Gonna take some time to get over. "  He was halfway up 
the stairs and gone before Davies could ask anything else.  He left their 
regulation pre-post gate escort at Hammond's door.

"Have a seat, gentlemen."  They sat.

"How is she?"

"Cuts and bruises, bastard hit her a few times, starved her when she 
didn't behave.  Doc says she's got a bad chest infection."  He waggled 
his eyebrows, telling the general it wasn't really that bad.  "Doc really 
didn't want to move her.  When'd the MPs get here?"

"Last night.  There are two more in the detail.  They were expecting to 
arrest Carter right away and remove her to a holding facility."

"Where?"

"Apparently that's 'need to know'."

"And we don't need to..."

Hammond nodded.  "You need to have your post-gates, gentlemen.  I'll meet 
you in the infirmary.  Dismissed."

"Yes Sir."  Jack rose, Daniel followed.

"Bugged?" the Archaeologist whispered as they walked down the corridor to 
the elevators.

"Oh yes.... This is serious, Daniel.  Very serious.  The infirmary must 
be clean.  Lets get cleaned up and cleared."

                         *******************

10

It had come with the inevitability of the sun setting.  Despite numerous 
time-wasting tests, including 3 MRIs, Sam was getting better.  She 
couldn't hide the reduction in cough.  The return of pallor that had 
eluded her for so long.  She slept a lot.  That helped throw the 
omnipresent MPs off a little, but slowly Sam was going mad.  The MPs 
wouldn't let anyone in except the medics, and for the last few days she 
felt so isolated she might have well been locked up somewhere else.  
Reaching the end of her tether coincided with some disturbing news.

"You're being transferred."  Janet said worriedly.

"Where?"

"They're not being specific.  What worries me is you still need medical 
treatment."

Sam shrugged.  "Most places have an infirmary."

"I've called the local bases.  Informed them they might get a transfer.  
They'll keep an eye out for you."

Neither woman liked like the uncertainty of it all.

"They won't tell you where they're taking me, will they?"  Sam said 
throwing a deadly look at the guard at the door.

"No. I guess they think we'll try and bust you out."

"And get everyone in more trouble than I'm in myself.  Please...."

Fraiser's eyebrows bounced.

"Okay.  When?"

"This afternoon."

"Oh.  That soon..."

Fraiser tried to ease the blow.  "General Hammond has been on the phone 
all morning, but..."

"But no one's answering."

"No...."

"President?" she asked hopefully.

"Unavailable."

"Hammonds's being blocked."

Fraiser nodded silently.

"Well, I'll have the Comissary special for lunch and a couple of muffins 
for the road."  She managed bravely.

Fraiser patted her friend's arm.  "Coming right up."

"Oh and a real cup of coffee?"

"Sure."

"Couldn't hide my penknife in one of the muffins could you?"  Sam called 
out as Fraiser left.

Janet turned, smiling, as the guard's face turned red.  "Doctor.."  he 
warned.

"Oh get a sense of humour Lieutenant, " she spat out before stalking out 
of the room.

Sam managed a half smile despite the guard's steely glare.

                         *******************

11

Despite Fraiser's reassurances, this was not where she had expected to 
end up.  Not that she knew exactly where that was supposed to have been.  
It just couldn't be here.  And then there was the actual, 'where the hell 
am I ' question.  The answer was unfortunately someone's grey and green 
hell.  She caught sight of the arms of her jump suit.  Make that *orange* 
and grey hell.

Through the fuzziness in her head she had lost track of time completely.  
As she bent and straightened her arms again, they protested.  The next 
number popped out of her mouth and the motion was repeated.

Now, on any given day Sam liked to take a two-mile run, whether out 
through the park or on the base treadmill.  Two miles a day, every day 
she was on Earth.  She wouldn't call it fun, especially but she liked to 
keep fit and running was a mindless exercise that allowed her to unwind, 
or wind up.  She could think when she ran.  Start working on that next 
item for mental agility.

She'd always hated push-ups.

Always.

She hadn't been for a run in forever, and for however long she had been 
here she'd been doing push ups, several times a day everyday.  She'd lost 
count of how many times they had let her sleep.  She'd stopped counting 
meal times and dividing by three a long time ago.  She hadn't seen a 
window since she woke up here.  Wherever here was.  She couldn't even 
remember how she got here. Somehow she didn't think this was the holding 
facility she was meant to end up in.  Or maybe it was...

Her mind was circling now she recognised.  It was getting hard to process 
a linear thought.  

Time, how much time?

The first few days had been easy to keep track of.  Fraiser had sent her 
off with the remaining tablets of her antibiotic course.  The guards had 
made sure she took them.  Okay.  Three times a day, three days before 
food.    Point one to discuss with Janet.  'Before food' implied that 
some would follow.  The new guards here didn't agree.  At one point, 
she'd gone four tablets without any food at all.

Next course was with food.

Someone wanted her to finish the course.  She had stopped coughing back 
at the SGC.  They weren't trying to kill her.  They were pushing her to 
the edge, and she'd figured that out.  Playing tough got her more 
punishment.  Playing broken, at least physically, seemed to gain some 
respite.  What she needed now was water, food and a good night's sleep in 
a warm bed.  For some reason this place was constantly chilly.  Maybe 
underground?

Underground where?

Actually a hot bath was high on her wish list, but it was a luxury she 
had no hope of realising.

//Okay.  Water plus food...//

She finished counting out the third hundred of this session, and, 
lowering herself down, slumped for an instant, feigning exhaustion.  She 
still had something left but they were not to know that.

"Get up!" the sharp voice snapped.

She gathered her knees beneath her and rose.  She couldn't be sure if 
they ached or trembled the most.  Probably both.

"MOVE IT!"

The rough hand of another man wrapped itself round the top of her arm and 
yanked her to her feet.

"You're a disgrace, Carter," the first man shouted in her sweat-soaked 
face.  Her legs jellied beneath her, her head heavy 

The man grabbed her hair, hoisting her head up.  Her fringe stuck to her 
forehead, falling in her eyes, stinging.

He planted his face inches from hers.  "I said, you're a ******* 
disgrace!"  The foul smelling breath wafted over her, making her empty 
stomach turn.

"Yes Sir," she managed to whisper.

He shook her head back and forth.  "I can't hear you." He sang.

"YES SIR!"  She croaked.

"Yes Sir what?"

"Yes Sir, I'm a disgrace Sir!" she barked automatically.

He released her head.  It lolled forward before she could collect herself 
enough to raise it again.

"That's right, an insolent, insubordinate disgrace to the uniform."   She 
forewent her usual defiant stare.  She was too tired to care any more.  
She knew where this was going.  No dinner again tonight.  //Eyes down.  
Play broken.//

The man circled them slowly  "Get her out of my sight!"  He spat.  "Back 
to ISO."

//Yup.  No dinner.//  Her stomach rumbled in protest as the guard cuffed 
her hands behind her back and pushed her out of the room, grinning.

"Via the mess hall!"  He called out to the guard.  "Let the others see 
what insubordination gets them."

For the briefest flash she thought she might be wrong about dinner, but 
his added comment made the thought vanish.  This was going to be a long 
evening.

                         *******************

Jack O'Neill rubbed his eyes tiredly.  "Maybourne doesn't know anything."

"What about Jacob?"  Hammond asked.

"Left him in Washington, turning over stones."

"Major King?"

"Sir, we tried to trace the transport from the base holding area.  Seems 
it never left there and they have no record of her either.  Could care 
less, too.  Can't believe she's got a pardon and now we can't find her."

"She has to be somewhere!"  Daniel exclaimed.

"Any news from the Asgard yet?"  Jack asked.  Teal'c shook his head.

"Dammit, they owe her!  I'm gonna call Thor again..." Jack stood up

"Colonel," Hammond started.  Jack's head turned.  "When you're done, get 
some sleep.  We'll keep looking."

"Yes Sir," he muttered as he left.

"How can the Asgard help?"  King asked.

"Sam has Naquada in her body.  The Asgard should be able to scan for it." 
Janet suggested.

"But that'll also pick up anywhere NID or military."  King countered.  
Daniel sank his head in his hands. 

"I think we could all use some sleep people." Hammond suggested.  "We'll 
be no good to her if we can't keep our eyes open."

Janet and King managed muffled yes Sirs.  Teal'c rose placing his hand on 
Daniel's shoulder.  

"The search will continue." He reassured them all.  "I will assist 
O'Neill."

                         *******************

12

The mess hall was crowded, and the first sitting was in full swing.  The 
guard pulled her over to a post and using his own cuffs clipped her to a 
large ring.

"Enjoy dinner, honey." He sneered and walked away leaving her standing in 
the middle of the room

Slowly the prisoners returned to their meals, the noise level rising 
again.  Sam leant against the post, her legs starting to tremble.  A jug 
of water sat a tantalising few feet away.  She couldn't reach it, and 
they knew it, and worse, they didn't care.  Carter shifted her arm up to 
mop her brow.  Her vision blurred as she got salty sweat in her eyes.  
She screwed them shut and tried to blink it away.

"Not so smug now Carter, are ya?"  A familiar voice sneered from her seat 
nearby.

//Tobias.//

Opening her eyes her vision cleared enough to see the disgraced 
lieutenant happily shovelling food into her mouth.  The black/purple 
bruise on her cheek made Carter smile.  "Let you outta the infirmary, 
huh?" she managed cockily

Tobias fingered the bruise lightly, her eyes darting to the guard who had 
brought Carter in.  He smiled at her and waved her from her seat.  Tobias 
smiled and rose slowly.

Carter forced herself not to react to the advancing traitor.  Feeling 
more than a little worse for wear, she wished she'd kept her mouth shut.

"You look like shit Carter," Tobias grinned.

"Yeah, well I didn't get a chance to do my hair this morning."

Tobias reached out and cradled Carter's face in her hand.  She turned it 
from one side to the other.  Sam also had a black/purple bruise over her 
right cheekbone.

"Nice handiwork Sir," Tobias called out to the guard.  He nodded at the 
compliment.  Tobias let Sam's face go.  "Oh, if O'Neill could see you 
now!"

//He'd be breaking heads � yours first!//

"Shame, cos you'll probably never see any of 'em again." Tobias laughed 
triumphantly.

//Oh I don't think so.//  "They will find me, Tobias," Sam said finally.

Tobias threw her head back and laughed.  "This place doesn't exist, 
Carter.  No one'll find you."  She took a step closer.  "No one cares."

The sucker punch finally came, forcing her to double over as all the air 
in her lungs was forced out.

Tobias laughed as the other prisoners cheered.  Sam straightened up, 
shaking her hair out of her eyes.

"Oh brave, Tobias.  You wanna piece of me?"

Tobias grabbed at her hair. //Guess that's why they haven't cut it yet,// 
Sam mused.

"You ruined my life, Carter, you and your precious Colonel O'Neill.  I'm 
gonna make your life hell."

That made Sam laugh.  "Get in line."

Tobias backhanded her across the other cheek.  Carter's tormentor 
released her head, twisted round and kicked her legs out from beneath 
her.  A small moan escaped Carter's mouth as her shoulders snapped back, 
holding her up to the post.  Tobias pulled her upright and roughly 
pressed her back against it. 

"Thirsty?" she asked, reaching for the jug.

Sam's head swam as she tried to raise it up to meet Tobias' gaze.  She 
just about made it as Tobias threw the contents of the jug in her face.   
Instinctively she lapped up what she could as it dribbled over her, 
soaking into the orange jump suit.  The crowd laughed and Tobias 
approached her again.

"Gonna be cold tonight, Carter," she sneered.  "No one to snuggle up to 
either."

"Tobias."  It was the guard.  "You've had your fun, back off."

"Later Carter," she added returning to her seat.  "One thing we got 
plenty of in this place is time..."

"Come on ladies, settle down."  The guard silenced the group.  "Eat up."

He lifted up Carter's chin.  "I think you've had enough," he said softly.

"Yes Sir," she managed.  "In all the wrong places."

The guard unclipped her and pushed her forward.

"Sleep tight, Sammy!"  Tobias chortled.

Outside the mess hall the temperature of the corridor dropped a few 
degrees.  Still soaked in sweat and now water, she felt the chill air 
seeping into her.  She shuddered and stumbled.

"Stand up!" the guard barked.

"Yes Sir."  He paused while she steadied herself

"Move!" he said finally.

She started forward again.  

After what seemed an age, he stopped her in front of a door.  The 
electronic lock clanked loudly and the door swung outwards.  He pushed 
her forward into the tiny room.

"You know the drill."

She did.  Slowly she lowered herself down on her knees.  He pulled her 
hands back, fiddling with the handcuffs.  He tugged them a little too 
far.  A searing pain lanced through her tired, sore shoulders.  She 
gasped and slumped forward, putting out her first released hand to steady 
herself.  The second was released with contempt.  Slowly, she sat back on 
her heels and rubbed at the welts on her wrists.  The front of the wet 
jump suit clung to her skin.  As the door slammed shut behind her, she 
shivered in the cool air and rubbed her arms.

There wasn't much in the room, a chair, and a single bed, with a very 
thin mattress and a single scrawny blanket.

"This has to be against the law," she muttered, hoisting herself up onto 
the edge of the bed.  She pulled the wet fabric away from her body and 
sighed, "Oh well."  She pulled the zipper down, revealing the bare goose 
bumped flesh underneath.  She turned her back to the camera blinking in 
the corner of the cell, and stepped out of the wet suit.  She pulled the 
blanket from the bed and wrapped it round her, like a towel.

Slowly she tried to wring the water out but nothing dripped out.  "Damn" 
she muttered.

The legs were still dry.  She ruffled them over her hair and laid the 
suit over the chair to dry then wandered back to the bed.

The cell's door lock rumbled.

"Not already.  I just got here."

The guard blocked the doorway and smiled at her state of undress.  But 
suddenly, his expression changed. It was like he was frightened to 
progress it.

//So, I'm being watched.//

"Drink this" the man ordered, passing her a litre bottle of water.  
"Now."

Sam's eyebrows rose.  She took the bottle, muttering some thanks, and 
started to drink.

Halfway through she paused, wiping her mouth.

"Had enough?"  He reached out for the bottle.

"Can't I hang onto it?"

"No." he said flatly.  "Hurry up."

He hopped from one foot to the other as she drank the rest down.  Just as 
she finished he snatched the bottle away and left muttering.  The door 
clanged shut and she was alone again.

//So you don't want me dead yet.//

//Number one achieved.//

She glanced at the camera.  Didn't look like two would happen, but she 
had had something this morning.  Oh yeah, one of those damn sawdust 
survival bars.  Someone was keeping track of her calorie intake. //Who?//

//Okay two... out of my control.   Let's see about three.  -  sleep.//

                         *******************

Naked, apart from the tennis shoes on her feet, she pulled the blanket 
free and carefully folded it in half.  She lay down on the bed; curled 
into the tightest ball she could make and arranged the doubled material 
over the top.  There was a gap at the back.  She got angry.  Angry at the 
world.  The futility of it all surfaced again.  If she was lucky they'd 
let her sleep through the night.  She heaved herself off the bed and, her 
modesty forgotten, let the blanket slip to the floor as she shifted the 
mattress to one side so it lined the wall.  Then she snagged the blanket 
again and re arranged herself.

With one arm tucked under her head as a pillow, she settled.  The cold, 
tiredness, dehydration and lack of food lulled her mind away from feeling 
sorry for herself.  The only thought she could muster before 
unconsciousness claimed her was that whoever wanted to break her couldn't 
be far away.  A string of questions started to form, but dissolved as she 
slipped away into peaceful oblivion.

                         *******************

"She's sleeping, colonel."  The guard reported, tapping the screen.  "Did 
a nice strip tease too."  The guard's smirk faded as the ageing colonel's 
glare penetrated the man. "Err, Tobias threw some water over her in the 
mess hall.  Got her suit wet, she took it off."

"Leave her tonight."  He ordered, "No one's to disturb her until I call 
for her."

"Yes Sir."  The colonel turned and left.

"Good night, Juliet." He whispered casting one last glance at the screen.  
"Tomorrow."

                         *******************

13

Jack strode out into the dark forest, working out the kinks from the long 
flight back from Washington.  Apart from getting the pardon, it had been 
a fruitless trip.  He reached the clearing and set up the small 
transmitter.

"Thor, this is O'Neill.  Dunno if you got my last message but here's an 
update....  We got the President to let Carter off, but she's 
disappeared.  Whoever has her wants her real bad, otherwise they wouldn't 
have gone this far."  He rubbed his palms in this eye sockets.  "Dammit 
Thor, she needs you!  She saved your whole damn planet and now she needs 
you.  If we don't find her soon, I dunno what could happen to her.  We're 
not dealing with NID here.  It's someone else.  You have to help me, 
Thor."

The silence hung in the mountain air.  Teal'c slipped into place beside 
him.

"We will find her, O'Neill."

"Yeah, but will it be in time?  Who knows what this person or group 
wants.  It could be about Jolinaar; anything!"

"Major Carter has often rejected proposals for research into the 
blending."

"Exactly.  So if NID don't have her, who the hell does!  They're 
dangerous Teal'c, we have to find them, all of them.  Otherwise who the 
hell will they try and get next?"

Teal'c inclined his head.  "Probably I will be their next target.  I have 
also refused to submit to such experimentation."

"Don't blame you."  He glanced up at the stars.  "Where the hell are you 
Sam?"

                         *******************

The bright lighting in the grey cell disguised the faint shimmer as the 
device materialised.  Smaller than a grain of rice, it sat on top of the 
less sophisticated closed circuit camera.

Thor examined the biosensor readouts scrolling across his screen.  Body 
temperature was low, and generally she was in worse physical condition 
than her previous visit with him.  She was injured.  Minor injuries 
consistent with a fight a few days ago, and some fresh bruising.  The 
figure in the bed was asleep.  "Major Carter," he breathed sadly. He 
leaned over the panel in front of him, moving the stones.  The mattress 
quivered as something was beamed into it.  The temperature started to 
rise steadily.

"Rest Major." He said, and disappeared.

                         *******************

"O'Neill."  Thor materialised in front of him.

"About time.  Where the hell?"

Thor raised his hand to silence him.  "I have been monitoring you for 
some time, O'Neill.  I have located Major Carter."

Jack skidded to his knees in front of the alien.

"For crying out loud, where?  Is she okay?"

"She is alive, O'Neill," Thor reassured. "However she has not been well 
treated.  She is sleeping."

"Well, where is she? Is she okay? Can't you beam her out?"

"Please, we must discuss our next course of action.  She is not currently 
in danger."

The night sky faded and they re-materialised in the conference room.  
Hammond, King and Fraiser had not yet left.

"Thor!"  They exclaimed as the three appeared.

"I have located Major Carter as you requested."  Thor began,  "she is 
alive."

Fraiser's head dropped in relief.

"They've been knocking her around."  Jack added.

"Is she badly hurt?"  Fraiser asked.

"The injuries are not life-threatening.  She was, however, cold.  I have 
arranged for her to be warmed slowly."

"Where is she?" King asked.

"Who has her?" Daniel added.

"I do not know.  It is an underground military installation in the area 
you know as Death Valley."

"Death Valley?"  Hammond, King and O'Neill exchanged puzzled looks.

"It appears to be a prison facility.  Were you not aware of it?"

"No."  Hammond responded.  "I was not."

"Well, what are we waiting for?"  Daniel asked.  "We've got to get her 
out of there."

"That may be premature," Thor began.

"Excuse me?" Daniel asked amazed.

"Earlier you were correct in your assessment of the danger to Major 
Carter, O'Neill.  It is not clear who is responsible for her 
mistreatment."

"Does it matter?  We should just get her out of there." Daniel started.

"Then the perpetrator may go free."

"Does she know who's behind it?" Hammond asked the grey alien.

"I do not know.  She was sleeping when I found her.  I have made her more 
comfortable.  However, I did not wake her."

"Can we talk to her?" Jack asked.

"You may.  I need a few moments to ensure your presence is not detected.  
She is being monitored." He paused.  "You may see her now."

The air shimmered in the corner of the briefing room.

"Oh my God," Fraiser breathed.  Sam turned in her sleep, the blanket 
pulling away exposing her bare, bruise mottled skin.  Her hand came out 
from the bundle, batting the blanket back in place.  Fraiser could see 
the angry welts on her wrists.  "Thor..."

"Her condition is stable.  I assure you.  I can remove her in an instant 
should it become necessary.  You may visit her now, I have fooled their 
surveillance equipment."

"I should go," Jack said.  "See what she knows."

"I believe she would appreciate these items."  A survival bar joined the 
glass of water on the table.  "These will provide energy?"  Thor asked

"Yes," Fraiser agreed," but I should..."

O'Neill, Thor and the supplies disappeared from the briefing room before 
she could finish her argument.

On the image, Jack appeared holding the food and water.  He set them down 
on the floor and approached her slowly.

"Aw shit, Carter," he mumbled as the shadows moved away revealing her 
discoloured face.

"Oh Shit."

Slowly he reached out a hand to touch her.  "Sam," he called softly.  
"Carter, wake up kid..." He shook her gently.  The air around her was 
much warmer than the rest of the cell. She murmured softly.

"Sam?"

"Jack?"  Her blackened eyes fluttered open.

"Hey."  He said lightly.

"Hey."  She blinked and rubbed her eyes.  "Great.  I'm so messed up, I'm 
hallucinating."  She said to herself.  Jack gently reached out and pulled 
her hands away.

"Not this time, kid.  I'm very real."

She blinked, felt the side of her head.  //No memory recall device.//

"Sam," Jack started again.  "We need to talk." 

Suddenly she realised he was really there.  "You're real."  She said 
quietly.

"Ya sure you betcha," he grinned.

She launched herself at him, the blanket fell away but she didn't care.  
He enveloped her in a bear hug.  Her bare back felt bony under his 
fingers.

"I'm freezing, Sir," she whispered burrowing deeper into his arms.  "It's 
so cold in here."

"I know."

"I knew you'd find me."

"Hey.  Not gonna let you disappear on me."

"I don't know where I am. I just woke up in this hole."

"Don't worry, Carter," he soothed.

"Haven't eaten properly in days, Sir.  I'm so tired,"  she babbled.  He 
rubbed her arms, and closed his shirt over her back.

"Why, Sir?"  She was crying now. "Why are they doing this to me?"

"They beat you up?" he asked.

"Couple of back-handers.  You should see Tobias... I kicked her ass."

"Tobias?"  He started to pull back.  She gripped him tighter.  "Sir, I'm 
not decent," she explained.

"Yeah.  Wanna borrow my shirt?"

She nodded, still in his chest.

"Okay, I got my eyes shut," he said.  She leaned back; he pulled off his 
shirt.  She took the warm fabric and slipped it on.  "Okay," she said. 

*"You can look now," Janet told the men in the briefing room.*

Casting her eyes down to do up some of the buttons, Sam spotted the 
glass.  Her hands fell away.  "Is that for me?"

He glanced where her eyes fell.  "Oh yeah," he hopped off the bed.  Sam 
reached out to take the glass, her tongue brushing her dry lips.  Her 
hands shook as she gripped the glass.  Jack kept hold of the base, taking 
the weight as she guided it to her lips.

"Just sip it, Carter. Easy!"

"I'm so thirsty," she managed before the glass met her lips.  She sipped 
one mouthful.  The rest was gone in a few gulps.

"Hey! Slow down, Carter."

She wiped her mouth with the back of her hand as he took the glass away 
and tore open the bar's wrapper.  "Here, don't get crumbs in the bed."

"I need more than that, can I..."

A shimmer in the glass and it was full again.

"Shit.  We're.. They're watching us."  She mumbled pointing to behind 
Jack, up at the camera.

"Thor's making 'em watch a loop.  They can't see or hear us, but Janet, 
Hammond, Daniel and Teal'c are watching Thor's transmission.  He turned 
round.  "Wave," he said.

"Hi guys," she managed.  Then she frowned as she chewed and took another 
swallow of the water.  "Hey, this mattress is really warm."

"Thor." He said by way of explanation.  "Look, I talked to the President.  
He's taken care of all the charges."

Her hand slipped away from her mouth.  "So, why am I still here?  You 
can't get me out, can you?" She shifted nervously.

He took her arms in his hands.  "Eat and I'll explain."

She took another bite and chewed.

"Do you have any idea who's behind this." Jack asked.  

She almost choked.  "You mean you don't?  How'd you find me?"

"Cashed in a few Saved-Your-World chips.  Your dad's still in Washington 
turning over stones.  We know it's not NID."

"But Tobias and the other girls from their black ops thing are here."

"Here?"

"Yeah.  I'm not very popular with them, as you can imagine."  She 
indicated the fresh bruise.

"So, no one's been nice to you yet?  Tried to get you to do anything?  
Offered you an out?"

She shook her head, pushing a few escaping crumbs back into her mouth.

"I'm just having a ball here, Sir.  It's a great vacation spot. 
Accommodation's a little ropey but you know..."

"Yeah. Look, there's a jump suit over there. Why aren't you wearing it?"

"Tobias decided I needed a shower.  I'd have agreed with her but the 
water was cold and she didn't let me get undressed." She ranted.

"Carter," he said softly.

"It's soaking wet, Sir." She added more softly. "I was trying to dry it."

"Oh"

"So if it's not NID..."

"Sam, I'm gonna be honest with you.  We have no leads nothing.  Whoever 
this is, they're buried pretty deep." His expression said it all.

"My God, you want me to stay!" she gasped.  "Are you crazy?!"

"Sam, if this person is close by he must think he's got you right where 
he wants you..."

"Are you blind?"  She snapped.

"Carter, just listen."

"No, you listen.  I have had two meals since I got here, Sir. Two. I've 
been in two fights and done twice as many push-ups and sit-ups as I did 
in basic.  I don't even know how I got here in the first place, let alone 
how long!"

"They staged an escape, but we didn't buy it. We lost track of you six 
days ago."

"Six days.." she mumbled.  "They must have drugged me."

"Sam, listen.  If we pull you out now, they'll just slip away.  We'll 
never find them.  I know you're tired Sam, but you have to stay a little 
longer."

"Well whose damn stupid idea was that?"

Jack smiled, "Thor's," he paused to gauge her reaction. "Guess he's 
returning a favour"

Carter eyed her CO carefully.  She trusted him, didn't she?

"But what if.."

"Sam, if things get rough, we can pull you out.  Just like that.  I won't 
let them hurt you.  We'll get you warmed up.  Thor can dry out the suit."  
A shimmering and small hiss enveloped the orange suit.  A second scrawny 
blanket materialised over the top of the first.

"They probably won't notice that."

"They're not feeding me, Sir.  I'm exhausted." She pleaded.

"I know, but if you don't stay, we have no way to get to this guy."

She bit her bottom lip, her eyes filling up.

"I know what I'm asking of you Carter, but you understand what's at stake 
here.  Next time you screw up..."

"Next time?"  She gasped.  "What do you mean 'next time I screw up'?  I 
didn't screw up, you idiot.  You should have just left, then none of this 
would have happened!"  She pulled free from his gentle grasp.

He hung his head and sighed, letting the blatant insubordination pass.  
"I know, but this guy, or whoever was gonna pop up some time, Sam.  We 
have to find him.  *You* have to find him.  He won't just go away."

The bar finished, she let the wrapper fall from her hand.

"Sam, you've got the advantage now.  You have an ace in the hole.  We'll 
watch you Twenty-four-seven.  Any time you need it, we can pull the plug.  
So you can play broken and feed them shit.  If he's not coming out of the 
woodwork and you've had enough, we can pull you out..."

She considered his words. "Any time I want?"

"Any time."

"What do I say?" she asked staring resolutely at the door.

"What do you say?"

"To let you know I want out.  What do I say?"

"Err.  How about 'beam me up Scotty'?"

Her eyes flashed an amused smile, which faded into a tough resolve.

"Okay," she said, meeting his gaze.  "I'll need more of those bars.  I'm 
still hungry."  They appeared in her lap.  She tore open one of the 
wrappers and started to chew.  "You owe me dinner." She said, waving it 
at him. "A very large dinner."

"Okay Major, you're on."  He brushed a strand of hair from her eyes.

"Can he dry off my hair too?" she asked.

She wriggled as the hissing and shimmering enveloped her hair.  Taking 
another bite she ruffled her hair, pulling it down into place.

"Much better," Jack smiled.

She waved her fingers at the glass again.  "Any time I'm alone, bring me 
water.  It's rationed round here and I don't get much."

He handed her the glass.  "You got it."

"I'll give it two days, max. Sir.  I've had enough already."

"Okay.  Just remember that you're in control.  You can pull the plug 
anytime."

"Yeah."  She finished one bar and opened up another one.  "What time is 
it?"  

Jack checked his watch.  "Just after midnight.  You should get some 
sleep."

Another shimmer.  "Thanks Janet," Sam said to the camera, as Jack picked 
up the glass and handed it to her.  "Warm milk always helps me sleep," 
she explained.

He smiled, "I know that.  Okay, when I go, you stay still for a couple of 
minutes.  Then get out and put your suit back on.  Thor'll keep the temp 
up. Okay?"

"Okay."

"Let's get you settled."

"What about the shirt?"  She asked as he covered her up.

"Thor can beam it out when I'm gone."  He finished arranging the blankets 
over her.  "There."

"Can't believe I let you talk me into this."

"It's the only way, Carter."

"I know.  'Night Sir."

"Good night Carter."

"'Night guys!" she called out to the camera.

"We'll try and send you a snack in the morning, before you get company, 
okay?"

She smiled and nodded.   He let his hand linger on her arm.

"Just go..." she said.

He nodded.  "Chinese food?"

"Look forward to it."

"Me too."  He rocked back on his heels and stood.

"Okay, Thor."  He disappeared in a burst of light, along with his shirt, 
the empty glasses and all the wrappers.  She lay still for a minute, then 
shifted slightly.  'Waking up' she rubbed her naked arms under the 
blankets and sighed.

"She's making a show of it," Daniel said quietly.  She started to move 
from under the blankets.

"Gentlemen," Janet warned.  They turned away, closed or hid their eyes.  
Sam pulled on the warm, dry suit and zipped it up.  Then she crawled back 
into bed.  She arranged the blankets over her warm pad and closed her 
eyes again.  She settled quickly and within minutes was fast asleep.

"I will take the first watch, O'Neill.  I do not currently require rest."

"We should all get some sleep," Hammond offered.

"Yes Sir," the men agreed.

"Dismissed Gentlemen."

"What about Jacob?" O'Neill asked.  "I gave him Sam's cell phone.  We 
should let him know."

"I'll call him, Jack.  You get some rest.  He'll want an explanation."

"Yes Sir."  Their eyes lingered on the hologram in the briefing room as 
they filed out to their beds.

                         *******************

14

"Sam?"  The voice was so quiet she thought she was dreaming.  "Sam, you 
need to wake up."  She stirred at the woman's voice.

"Janet?"  Her eyes blinked open.

Janet smiled and waved a glass of water at her.

"Breakfast," she said.  "We should hurry.  You drink and eat.  I need to 
check you over."

The MRE bar was already open, the water gone, as Fraiser advanced on her 
with her stethoscope.  Passing her patient another glass that had 
appeared on the floor, Fraiser rummaged in her medical bag and extracted 
a couple of pots.

"I should have insisted on coming last night..." She muttered.  "You've 
got some fluid on your chest, residual infection probably.  Take these."

"What are they?"

"Vitamins and antibiotics.  Pain killers, you must have a headache."

She muttered affirmative as she downed the pills and drained the glass.

"How you feeling?"

Sam shrugged.  "In the circumstances, not bad.  Accommodation's not up to 
much but at least the bed's warm."

"We're gonna have to switch that off now, in case your friends up there 
get a whiff of something."

"Right.  So what time is it?"

"About 05.00.  You still want to go through with this?"

Carter shifted on the bed and shrugged.  "I was thinking about it last 
night," she began, speaking with her mouth full.  "Someone's trying to 
soften me up.  If I pull out now, who's to say whoever it is won't try 
again.  I don't wanna be looking over my shoulder the rest of my life.  
This is personal."  The next bite she took with conviction.

Fraiser eyed her colleague carefully.  "You're sure, Sam?"

The woman nodded as she chewed and took another drink.

"I'll be watching.  We all will.  Thor can track you through the complex.  
We'll pull you out if things get rough."

"No."  She said flatly.

"Sam?"

"You don't pull me out until I say."

"Sam..."

"Look at me Janet.  These people are serious.  I can take it.  I have 
to."

"Sam, you..."

"I know what I'm dealing with, Janet.  They treat animals better than I 
have."

"I know, that's.."

"No. You don't know, Janet.  Someone really has it in for me.  I wanna 
know who and why."

"Sam, if you're getting beaten..."

"Beaten up.  Well I've had that over and over already.  Just cos I'm 
getting knocked around, no one pulls the plug but me.  Agreed?"

"Sam, if,"

"If nothing.  It's my problem, my decision."

Janet hung her head.  "Not completely."

"That's why you're here?"

"Yes, to assess how much more punishment you can take."

"I can take it."  She said defiantly.

"I know you can, Sam.  But if you get into a situation where you can't 
make that decision, we will beam you out. Okay?"

"Just don't get trigger happy."

"Thor's on the trigger."

"Is that good or bad?"

Janet smiled.  "Better than one of the guys."

The corners of Sam's mouth perked up.  "Were they worried?"  She 
whispered.

"We all were, and that mic. can hear you breathe."

"Oh."

"Yeah, and we're still worried.  Sam you're malnourished and exhausted."

"A few more bars?  A couple hours' sleep?"

Fraiser smiled despite herself.  "I'll get Straw to bake you a fudge 
cake."

"Mmmmmmmnnn.  I'll take you up on that."  She munched on the bar again.  
"Any chance of a proper MRE? I'm desperate."

"Don't think your stomach can take it.  Let's see if you can keep those 
down."

Janet's bag squawked.  "Damn. Someone's coming... I have to go."

Janet gathered up the wrappers, Sam lay down and pulled the blankets into 
place.

"See you later."  Sam called as Fraiser shimmered and disappeared with 
all the debris.

Sam cradled her head and played asleep.  The door's electronic lock 
clanked open.

"Carter!" A guard's voice snapped.  "UP!"

She stirred and swung out of bed before he got close enough to notice how 
warm her bed was.

"Down!"

"Up, down, make up your mind..." She was already sinking to the floor 
when he assisted her descent with a knee in her back and her head pulled 
back.

"Watch your mouth!"  He snapped, shoving her forward to her knees.

"Hands!"

She placed her hands behind her back and let the weasel cuff her.  He 
pulled her roughly to her feet.  "You're gonna meet the Colonel, honey.  
He'll cure you of that smart mouth."

This time she kept her mouth shut, stifling the retort.  //God. I've been 
around Jack too much// she told herself, //no wonder he has bad knees.//

The guard pushed her ahead of him, down a corridor she didn't remember.  
//Meet the colonel, huh?  So maybe this is it.//  Strengthened by the 
food, water and knowing she wasn't alone, Sam invisibly straightened up.  
The cold, damp air seeped into her as the heat leached out.  By the time 
they stopped, she was almost shivering.

"What's the matter, honey?  Cold?"  He sneered.

"Yes Sir."  She let her teeth chatter.

"Tough."  The guard leaned over her and knocked on a door labelled 'Col. 
Winterbourne'.

"Come!"

The guard turned the handle, opened the door and pushed Sam ahead of him.  
She kept her head low.

"Colonel Winterbourne, Sir."

"Yes Bourke?"

"The prisoner Carter, as you requested, Sir."

"Keys?"  The older man asked.

The guard tossed them into his open hand.

"Dismissed.  We're not to be disturbed."

"Yes Sir."

The guard turned and left, she heard the door lock.

"It's a combination lock, so don't get any ideas.  Besides the cameras in 
the hall will pick you up."  He started to circle her, jangling the keys 
in his fingers.  "Head up."

She lifted her head, slowly.

"Here's how this works, my dear.  You are in a whole lot of trouble.  
This is the deepest darkest hole in these United States.  And no one who 
ever cared about you knows where you are.  You're stuck here."

Keeping her face neutral, her mind spat back //Don't be so sure.//

"They'll find me." She managed. "I have friends in some very high 
places."

He pulled her hair back forcing her to arch her back.

"This is not a high place.  This place doesn't even officially exist.  
But the scum has to go somewhere now, doesn't it?"

He pulled harder, her eyes creased up.  "Doesn't it?"

"Yes Sir," she cried.  He threw her head forward.

"Yes it does."  He wandered across the room slowly.   Straightening up 
she risked a small look around.  It wasn't a large room, but it was 
obviously living quarters.  His living quarters.  There was a small desk; 
a door, which she could see, led to a bathroom, and a bed, immaculately 
made.  A computer sat idle on the desk, the screen showing what looked 
like her cell.  The creep had been watching her

//This is it...//

"Which is why you're so out of place here my sweet.  So out of place.  
You deserve better, much better."

He was standing in front of her now, he smelled of BO. The thought 
crossed her mind that she probably didn't smell too great herself.

"I've been watching you since you arrived.  Very impressive.  Thought you 
might actually kill Tobias, but you stopped short."

"Not her fault we were set up."

"Yes," he paused, "on both counts.  But you can handle yourself.  I like 
that."

//Oh, get on with it!//

"Thank you Sir," she managed.

"I understand you're old friends..." he was trying to lead her.

"Never friends, Sir," she said.  "But our paths have crossed."

"Indeed.  However, I can't see how someone working on deep space radar 
telemetry gets an Air Medal and would run into the likes of Tobias."

Sam shrugged, "It's important work, Sir."

"Indeed it is."  He sat at his desk.  "Do you miss it yet?"

She frowned. "Yes Sir.  I'd like to return to it ASAP."

"Unfortunately, that won't be possible.  Not for a while anyway."

He clicked on his computer, pulling up an image from his files.  He 
looked from the image to his captive and smiled.  He rose slowly.  Sam 
studied his face carefully.  He had a chiselled square jaw, his face was 
thin, his hair thinner and greying.

"You don't recognise me, do you?"

"No Sir," she had to admit.  "I don't think so."

"Well," he said approaching her again.  "You were very young."

"Do....  Do you know my father?"

He smiled, and she didn't like how.

"Yes I did, a long time ago.  Before you were born, in fact."

"Oh."

Sam shifted her weight, twisting her hands behind her.

"Where are my manners?"  He came towards her.  "On your honour, Major?  
There is no way out of here.  Should you try to escape, your life would 
be so much more uncomfortable."

"Does my honour count down here Sir?"

"It does."

"Then on my honour Sir."

He clicked the keys and let the cuffs fall away.  She rubbed her wrists.  
"Thank you."

"You are so smart Samantha, just like..." He stopped himself.

"Just like?"

"No matter." He paused and looked her up and down.  "You must be 
uncomfortable in that awful suit."  

The way he ran his hand down her arm made her skin crawl.

"Yes Sir," she managed.

"In here," he indicated the bathroom, "if you'd like, you can take a 
shower."

She didn't look sure. "There's a clean set of clothes, towels etc."

She stayed rooted to the spot.  "Get yourself cleaned up Samantha," he 
ordered.  "We have lots to talk about."

She wasn't desperately hungry or thirsty but he wasn't to know that. 
//Keep him talking...// "Have I missed breakfast, Sir?"

"No dear, I'm having something brought down.  You get cleaned up.  You 
must be cold."

"Yes Sir."  She took a few steps forward, then turned back. "The water is 
drinkable, my dear.  You may quench your thirst."

"Thank you," she muttered again and practically fled to the tiny room.  

                         *******************

15

Closing the door, she took a quick look around.  There was a shower 
stall, a toilet and a sink.  Hanging on the back of the door was a floral 
dress.  It looked old, but not worn.  She didn't want to say anything.

She felt something in her ear.

*"Hi, Sam."*  Daniel's voice.  Her hand shot to the earpiece.

*"It's okay, Sam.  Thor says there's no surveillance equipment in there.  
You can whisper back."*

"Who the hell?"

*"Sam, Sam, start getting cleaned up." Fraiser urged.*

"Are you...?"

*"No, we're on audio only.  We're looking this guy up.  Nothing yet.  
Hang in there."*

*Fraiser's voice overrode Daniel's.  "Get cleaned up Sam, have something 
to drink."*

"He says he knew Dad.  Where is he?"

*"He's on his way back from Washington.  We're trying to contact him.  
He's on a commercial flight."*

"Okay, but this guy is giving me the creeps. "

*"It's got to be him, we just need to know why, Major."*

"It's like he knows me, General."

*"We're working on it, Carter."  It was Jack's voice.  "Just play 
along."*

"What's he doing?"

*Jack glanced at Fraiser seated opposite him in the briefing room.  She 
shrugged.*

*"He's turning down the bed."*

"Shit!"

*"It's not gonna get that far, Carter." Jack reassured.*

"This is about me, Sir. Not SG-1. Me.  It was never the SGC."

*"Sam, you need to get started," Janet prompted again.*

"Okay..."

                         *******************

They heard the zipper being pulled down and a rustling.  The three men 
shifted in their seats and cast their eyes down, embarrassed.  Sam turned 
on the water and let it run for a while.  As she waited, she pulled her 
fingers through her hair, de tangling a week's worth of knots.  There 
were little bottles of shower gel and shampoo on the counter; she took 
them into the shower with her.  The hot water stung her many bruises but 
she let it wash over her, until it soothed instead.  She washed her hair, 
twice, letting the grime rinse away.  She squeezed the excess water out 
of her hair and leaned against the wall, her hands laced round the back 
of her head.

*"You okay?"  Daniel's voice was soft.*

"Yeah, how's loverboy?"

*"He's getting restless."*

She turned off the shower and snagged the large thick towel.  "Let the 
weasel wait."

 She stepped out and started to dry herself off.  Rubbing her skin was 
painful, so she wrapped the towel around her body and snagged a smaller 
one for her hair.  Standing in front of the small mirror unit above the 
sink, she spotted the items she hadn't expected.

"He's thought of everything."  She muttered, pulling the new toothbrush 
from its packing.

Cleaning her teeth for the first time in over a week felt better than the 
shower.  There was even a hair dryer, but no brush she could use to tame 
her locks.  She rough-dried her hair, pulling it into some semblance of 
order with her fingers.  Then she turned to the dress.  She pulled at the 
hem and checked the room again.

"Great," she muttered, "no underwear.  Subtle huh?"

"Major!"  The voice came from outside the room.

"Nearly done, Sir."

"Hurry dear, breakfast is here."

"I'll be right out" She pulled the dress from its hanger.  It smelled 
like it had been hanging in a closet for a long time.    She put it on 
and buttoned it up.  It had an open neck collar, and the very top button 
was missing.  Coupled with the fact that it was a little too small, she 
seriously considered putting the jump suit back on.  But a memory 
stirred.  She remembered her Mom wearing a dress like this.  She was 
upset...  Crying, clutching the front.....Holding the top together.

Sam's fingers clenched around the top of the dress � her heart racing.  
It had been a favourite dress;  one that never saw the light of day 
again.  Sam's eyes darted to the closed door.

//But how could he have Mom's dress?//

Carter shook her head, leaning on the sink.  "This is too sick."  She 
muttered.

"Sam?" it was Daniel again.  "You okay?"

"No, but I gotta get this over with.  -  Listen up......." she whispered.

*"We're listening."*

"Don't get trigger-happy. I know what to say.  I'm calling this."

*They exchanged looks around the room.*

*"It's your call, Major."  Hammond's voice intoned in her ear.  "We're 
right here."*

"Yes Sir."  

She took a couple of deep breaths, little aches pulling at her ribs. One 
last look in the mirror, one last glass of water. Then she twisted the 
door handle and pulled it open.

                         *******************

16

The room was dimmer, several candles littered shelves casting a table 
with orange