• WARNINGS: Violence, Rape
• SPOILERS: None SEASON: Future Story
• SUMMARY: Some battles are worth fighting
• R [A] [D] [V]

“How is he?” Sam’s shaky voice called out quietly, the deafening silence of the cell momentarily interrupted. Daniel’s eyes met with her own amidst the unsettling darkness. The grief and pain she found there told her all she needed to know.

“He’s dead…” Daniel’s soft voice trailed off as he removed both his fingers from the other man’s throat. “Oh G-d…” Daniel swiftly turned his head away, his shoulders arched more than usual. Sam diverted her eyes in the other direction…she would allow Daniel that much. It was the least she could do in a situation such as this one. With yet another dead, there were now only five of them left alive. But how much time would have to go by until that very fact would no longer hold true…until they’d all end up lifeless and scattered among the dirt and filth of this rat-infested cell?

Sam closed her eyes…she was tired…too tired. In the darkness of her mind, she tried not to concentrate too much on the wheezing sounds coming from the injured man not two feet in front of her. Roy…his name was Roy. He was a new recruit assigned to SG-4. He couldn’t be more than twenty-five years old. This was his first mission…a mission gone terribly wrong. He was currently suffering from some form of internal injury and she didn’t have the slightest clue as to how much longer he’d survive.

Shifting her body away, she allowed her head to rest on her arms as she coaxed herself to sleep. Despite her efforts, the stench permeating the stale air denied her that convenience. Her nose pressed up against the material of her jacket, Sam tried to maintain her optimistic thoughts. It had been 24 hours since they had last touched base with the SGC. She knew the general well enough to assume that a rescue mission was in the making.

Sam closed her eyes once more, allowing the neglected tears to track down her face. She silently wondered how Teal’c and the colonel were fairing. Had they had a chance to escape or were they slowly dissolving away like Daniel and herself?

Sam bit her lip in an attempt to keep her nervousness from roiling over. While her heart thudded with worry, her mind concentrated on something else…or rather, someone else in a desperate attempt to keep herself from going insane . The face of her CO appeared in her mind and she smiled softly to herself. She really missed him …She needed him now more than ever. In her mind’s eye, she imagined herself engulfed in his arms…his soft hands caressing her face…

Sam’s thoughts were abruptly interrupted by the loud speaker. The flush of heat that was beginning to creep into her cheeks reminded her that she was in a public place. Despite her embarrassment, the people around her didn’t seem to take notice. Fortunately, they were too busy drinking their coffee and reading their newspapers. Taking another sip from her cup, Sam berated herself for the hundredth time. She hated when her thoughts constantly converged back to what had become her last mission through the Stargate. It was the past…behind her now. She had tried her best over the past six months to push exactly those thoughts to the back of her mind…to catalogue them in a mental scrapbook that could be stored away forever. Her cheeks burned with anger as she reprimanded herself once again for thinking about her former CO in that way. She knew now that the hope of any semblance of a relationship between them was long since over.

Sam scanned her surroundings. The Colorado airport was a busy one, people running to catch their flights while others occupied themselves with their latest electronic toy, be it their laptop or cell phone. Sam herself was a good fifteen minutes early. She didn’t mind though. In fact, it gave her the time to sort out her feelings before having to face her past once more. Truth be told, she was nervous. Six months to lose touch with those she saw nearly every day of her life was quite a transformation. Reflecting on that thought, Sam wondered if she had changed over the course of six months. Perhaps, she noted, but if anything, it had been for the better…or at least she hoped.

Putting down her coffee, Sam sighed inwardly. She could have at least picked up the phone a little more often than she had. Once a month was not what she considered “touching base”. As much as she hated admitting it to herself, she knew why her actions had turned out as such. She was protecting herself, trying to take away the pain…the guilt. Even after the six months, she still didn’t blame herself for leaving. It was for the best…not only for her but for the rest of the team as well.

As the minutes passed, Sam’s fingers found themselves ripping what was left of her napkin.

What would they be like after all this time?

Looking down at the mess she had made on her table, Sam quickly interlaced her fingers together in an attempt to hinder their destructive conduct.

Oh G-d…just let me get through the day…let them not be mad…

Glancing at her watch, she knew he would be here any second. Her eyes darting from side to side, Sam searched the area around the coffee shop. Just as she looked to her left, her heart faltered as she spotted a familiar figure walking towards her.

Jack!

A large smile was plastered on his face as he approached her. A sigh of relief escaped Sam’s lips as she got up from her seat. Moving towards him, everyone around her seemed to disappear. Taking in his appearance, she mentally noted how good he looked…and how much she missed seeing him. He was wearing a black sweater with a pair of khaki pants. Yes… good indeed. Before she had the chance to squeeze out a single word, Sam felt herself being pulled into a hug.

“Sam…” The single word escaped his lips, a sigh accompanying its low tone. “It’s good to see you.”

“It’s good to see you too, sir,” Sam responded with an equally relieved voice. “It’s been a long time, hasn’t it?”

Jack pulled her away and smiled. “It sure has,” he said as he pulled her in for another warm embrace. Resting her head lightly on his shoulder, she could hear Jack’s soft voice whispering in her ear. “You look great, Sam…you really do.”

“Thank you...you do too.” Sam closed her eyes and breathed in his scent. He still wore the same after-shave.

Without warning, Sam suddenly found her own throat beginning to clamp up. She fought hard to control the tears threatening their way to the surface. She couldn’t cry…not in front of him…especially not in front of him.

“Come on…let’s sit down. We still have a good 15 minutes before Daniel’s flight arrives. How was yours by the way?”

“Fine.” Sam nodded and followed him back to the table she had temporarily abandoned. Sitting down, they both remained silent as Sam took another sip from her cup.

“So, how’s the new job? Is your new boss as handsome as your former one?” Jack asked smugly. Sam smiled back but it never reached her eyes

“The job’s good, sir. You wouldn’t believe how far I’ve been able to advance with my research in just these last six months. With all this new free time, I’ll soon be finished that book I’ve always been dying to write.”

“That’s great, Carter. Really good to hear…” Jack’s voice trailed off as his smile slowly ebbed away.

The pain…the hurt…they were all there…reflected in his eyes…in his movements. And they all screamed out at her, their noise invading the very center of her mind. Clearing her throat, Sam changed the subject.

“So…how’s Teal’c?”

“Oh…hey…you know Teal’c! He’s still charming the ladies.” Jack mentally patted himself on the back when he received a smile from his former 2IC. When the silence began to drag on once again, Jack shifted uncomfortably. “How’s Daniel been doing these past six months?”

Sam’s eyes darted up at the question, her expression one of confusion and disbelief.

“Sir?”

“How’s he been?” Jack dared not look up as he repeated the question.

“You mean you haven’t spoken to him since…” Sam couldn’t find the words. Jack turned his eyes away from her accusatory glare. Her searching glance was making him squirm, much to his own chagrin.

The lack of response pushed her frustration even further. “You mean you haven’t checked up on him?” There was a tone of faint accusation.

“How could I? ” Jack winced the moment the words escaped his mouth. His tone, far from gentle, had startled Carter. Trying to ignore the stares from the strangers nearby, Jack lowered his voice. “I’m sorry…I’m…” He closed his eyes and continued softly, “Look Carter, I tried…I really did. But …” Jack, seeing Sam’s mouth beginning to open, quickly continued. “Me talking to him wasn’t going to change anything. What’s done is done.”

Sam had neither the will nor the strength to argue back. Maybe he was right. Things could never go back to the way they had been…so what was the point in trying? She just hoped that the upcoming week would pass by as quickly as possible so that she could go back to Washington…go back to work…go back to forgetting.

Sam laughed inwardly at herself.

Who was she kidding?

She could never forget... It followed her like some sort of plague, never letting her escape from its fixed grasp. Even in the privacy of her own home, the screams she still heard were enough to ensure that there was always some form of noise to distract her in the background.

“Carter…HEY!” Sam suddenly snapped out of her reverie only to focus on a pair of brown eyes, worry clearly resonating from them. “You okay?” Jack, still not completely convinced that all was well, examined her more carefully. Sam nodded and turned her eyes away from his scrutiny. “Where were you just now?” Jack asked her, his voice filled with nothing but concern. There was a speculative gleam in his eyes and she had to fight to keep from squirming under his perusal.

Jack watched as Sam quickly grabbed her purse from the table.

“I’m going to get another coffee…do you want anything?” Sam got up.

“Naw, I try to stay away from things that have a longer shelf-life than an M.R.E…” When he didn’t receive a smile, Jack knew something was ‘up’.. or rather… ‘down’ with the former airforce officer. He watched her walk away from him, her gait awkward and tense. As he continued to study her, Jack realised how much she had changed…She seemed more anxious, less sure of herself. The years were in her eyes, in the way she moved, in the things she didn’t say but felt. She had lost too much, and believed too strongly. As much as he tried, he was finding this new realisation rather hard to take in.

Ever since both she and Daniel had left, a wave of silence had seemed to spread over the entire facility. Like a light had suddenly been turned off and nobody could find the switch. Although thankful that he and Teal’c were no longer bombarded by sympathetic gazes six months later, Jack couldn’t ignore the sorrow he still viewed in the general’s eyes. In retrospect, he had lost two brilliant kids and had been stripped of his family as a result. Still, no matter how qualified the two new replacements had turned out, the general could never embrace them in the same way.

Jack stole a glance at his watch. Daniel’s flight would be here any minute. He inspired deeply, something he was doing more and more these last few days.

Geez…six months!

A whole six months he hadn’t seen or spoken to Daniel. His heart pumped wildly with the comprehension that he would soon be stepping into unknown grounds. This would sure be an experience. What lay ahead was anyone’s guess.

“Sir, we should get going…” Jack’s jaw twitched. He still couldn’t understand why Carter insisted on calling him “sir” at this point but he figured she was doing it out of respect…a respect he surely didn’t deserve. Jack quickly shook the thought away. He had promised himself that he would stop thinking like that. Besides, he had other things to worry about right now…that being a certain long lost archaeologist.

“Need help with your bags?” Jack offered, well aware of the steaming hot coffee in her hands.

“Thanks.” Sam smiled briefly. Jack quickly returned the warm gesture. He had missed that smile…those lips…her eyes. Again, he attempted to wash the thoughts away as quickly as they had begun.

“Let’s go…” he exclaimed with an obvious hint of false enthusiasm. Sam merely rolled her eyes in a playful gesture as they both headed towards the gate destination.

Daniel’s hands were beginning to sweat and he knew it had nothing to do with the agonising heat of the airplane that he was currently occupying. The flight had been long and uncomfortable. Daniel sat patiently, waiting for the majority of the other passengers to gather their luggage and join the growing line-up. Daniel’s jet lag was becoming more and more apparent. Although it was merely the evening in Colorado, Daniel had to curb the urge to crawl into a bed and sleep the rest of the night away. Unfortunately, he wouldn’t be so lucky. Sleep, he knew, was a fine blessing for those who were lucky enough to have it and a curse for those who weren’t. Of late, Daniel made it a habit to take a sleeping pill or two when the nights became too much. They allowed him to relax, giving him the extra strength to finally close his eyes and let himself be taken by the darkness…

“I didn’t tell them anything…” A weak hand grasped Daniel on the sleeve.

“I know, David…” Daniel said as he raised the filthy cup to the other man’s mouth. “…But you have to drink something!” Once again, Captain David Olson pursed his lips shut. Even at a third try, he lolled his head from side to side and continued to mumble words that only further depicted the pain he was feeling. Daniel bowed his head in frustration and closed his eyes. The man was dying; it was as simple as that. A man who doesn’t eat in four days is bound to starve to death. Daniel slammed the cup down with obvious anger, unaware that half of its contents had escaped in response to the sudden force.

Daniel was going to go crazy! If not now…then soon. The more time went by, the more death seemed to make its uninvited appearance. Leaning against one of the walls in the corner, Daniel peered into the darkness and squinted. Although there was virtually no detectable movement, he was just barely able to recognize two forms who were still lucky enough to be breathing, albeit weakly. Their motionless nature made it almost impossible to distinguish them from the other two bodies that were now void of life.

Daniel’s heart rate began to quicken its pace when he realized that Sam had still not returned. So far, one by one, each of them were taken out and questioned by their captors. Of course, “questioned” seemed to take on a different definition on this planet. It meant ‘tortured’, ‘abused’…and eventually “killed.” Peering once again at his fallen comrades, he was suddenly overwhelmed by a feeling of respect. These men had contained nothing but fierce loyalty to their cause. He appreciated how hard they had fought, how tireless they had become and how they had never given up until they had died.

For some unknown reason, both he and Sam had been saved for last. Of course, it wasn’t his turn yet but he knew that it would be coming soon. And if not, he would eventually starve to death with the rest of them. But until then, Daniel would take it upon himself to look after the others who had not been so fortunate.

Daniel pinched the bridge of his nose with frustration. It was getting harder and harder to think around here and he knew that it was because of his deteriorating health. Closing his eyes, Daniel’s hands clenched into fists as he remembered waking up only to find that Sam was gone. The bastards had grabbed her while the rest of them had been sleeping! That had been more than four hours ago!

With what energy he had left, Daniel got up and resolved to pacing back and forth in an effort to calm his nerves. Wherever she was, he hoped that she would come back in better condition than the others.

“Sir…uhm…Sir. It’s time to disembark.”

Daniel felt rather than saw someone looming over him. He slowly opened his eyes, his face turning a bright shade of red when he noticed that he was the last one on the plane. An air flight attendant smiled politely at him as she watched him gather his things.

“Sorry about that…guess I’m more tired than I thought.” Daniel offered a sheepish grin as he got up and began to make his way towards the exit of the plane. Daniel limped along slowly, cursing inwardly at how embarrassing this all was. Even if he wanted to run, he couldn’t. An eerie feeling crept into his veins as he felt eyes watching him. Daniel dismissed the action and continued on. He had gotten used to that attention from strangers. He didn’t blame them…the limping was definitely a distracting quality.

Thankful to be off of the plane, Daniel was grateful for a moment’s reprieve from that momentary discomfort. He slowly approached the crowd of people and searched for any sign of his luggage. Standing apart from the other passengers, Daniel waited patiently. He gazed up at the double doors just beyond the security guards. Daniel hoped that what lay beyond the glass would be pleasant. He knew Sam would be there to pick him up but was uncertain if the rest of his former team would accompany her. He had left that decision up to Sam. As far as he was concerned, his job was done once he had given her the flight information.

Taking a deep breath, Daniel turned back to the task at hand. Upon seeing his lone suitcase pass by, Daniel attempted to make his way to it. He struggled to get there on time but his injury prevented him from doing so. Daniel’s grief curled up inside him and took a seat next to his anger. The fact that he still wasn’t used to his new lifestyle was enough to send his nerves over the edge. But before they could do so, Daniel busied his mind with the positive aspects that would follow in the upcoming week. Firstly, it would give him the chance to see those whom he had not seen in a long time. Although he refused to admit it openly to Sam, Daniel missed Jack and Teal’c and the memory of their last conversation still made him cringe. Hopefully, there would be no hard feelings and they would be able to put it all behind them…at least for the coming week.

Finally, upon seeing his bag coming back along the electrical belt for the second time, Daniel had more than enough time to grab it. As he locked a strong grip on its handle, Daniel pulled back, dragging it along with him. His balance compromised momentarily, Daniel nearly fell over. Fortunately, he saved himself the embarrassment when he finally steadied himself against the wall.

Taking another deep breath, Daniel made his way towards the double doors.

Sam glanced over her shoulder and followed Jack out of the corner of her eye. He was currently checking the computers for Daniel’s flight.

“Well, it landed twenty five minutes ago. Let’s just hope that Daniel isn’t the type to wait for every old lady and pregnant woman to-.” Pausing for a moment, Jack shook his head and continued, “Who am I kidding, it’s Daniel we’re talking about here!” They both waited impatiently as each person filed out, none of them being the young linguist. Sam found herself getting more and more agitated as the seconds passed. She missed him so much yet she wasn’t quite sure as to how she would react.

Not two seconds later, a lone figure emerged, dragging a suitcase behind him. Examining the man’s clothing, Sam noted on how similar his style was to Daniel’s. He wore a plaid shirt with a pair of black pants. Her eyes moving up, Sam tried to suppress the gasp that was suddenly caught in her throat. All uncertainty vanished when she caught sight of the man’s clear blue eyes. She could never mistake those eyes.

Frozen in her place, Sam vaguely heard Jack’s quiet exclamation. Daniel definitely looked different. If his loose clothing and long hair didn’t give that fact away, then the bushy beard masking most of his boyish features certainly did. It took her a few seconds to realize that blue eyes were staring back at her until she finally snapped out of her initial shock. Instantly, a large smile spread across Daniel’s face and he began to make his way towards her. Sam watched him approach, her eyes averting from his feet when his limping became too painful to watch. A wave of shame and guilt began to overwhelm her. Why hadn’t she expected it? Was it because she was so damn pre-occupied with her own life that she hadn’t taken the time to consider that even after six months, Daniel still wouldn’t be…well…the same?

“Hey, Sam.”

Sam forced a smile as he came nearer. Upon a closer viewing, Sam allowed her shoulders to relax. Even though he did look quite changed, his eyes still belonged to the same old Daniel she had always loved and cared for. Sam wrapped her arms around him in a close embrace. Warmth exuded from him, but it was his soft voice that eventually brought tears to her eyes. G-d how she loved that voice. Sam pulled herself away in order to examine him once again. He had been through so much in the years that she had known him. Daniel had grown up the hard way, with heartache, grief and bitter disappointment. He had learned all he had wanted to, and the lessons had come dear. And she knew that all he felt now was sadness. Not grief, not pain, not despair…just sadness.

“I’ve missed you so much, Sam,” Daniel eventually whispered into her shoulder. Sam didn’t trust her voice to speak so, instead, she squeezed him closer towards her, as if he were simply an apparition that could disappear at any moment. His proximity bombarded her senses. The thought that she was once again in Daniel’s presence warmed her heart. If anything, he was worth the upcoming week. If things wouldn’t go well, then they would be there for each other regardless, just as it had always been. And she knew he felt the same way…it was a promise, a melding of spirits.

“You’re tanned,” Sam stated. She subconsciously raised her fingers and ran them through Daniel’s exceedingly long hair. She couldn’t hold back her chuckle. Daniel shied away from her touch and ran a couple fingers of his own through the long locks.

“Yeah…got kinda lazy…let it grow a little too long, huh?” Daniel smiled timidly.

“Welcome back, Kentucky Joe!” Jack’s voice beamed out like a harsh foghorn on a peaceful summer day. Daniel spun around to face the older man.

“Jack?”

“Who else?” Jack exclaimed in response. Sam watched both men as they each gave one another a hug. She smiled delightfully when she saw no anger or resentment in their body language.

“Long time no see, Jack. It’s good to see you.”

“It’s good to see you too, Daniel.” When the silence between them surpassed the point of being comfortable, Jack continued, “Come on, kids. What do you say we get out of here and catch up on some old times, huh?” When both Daniel and Sam nodded their heads, Jack began to make his way towards the exiting doors. Sam followed closely, Daniel struggling behind her. Upon noticing Daniel’s troubles, Jack made his way over to the younger man and grabbed hold of the suitcase handle.

“Here, let me take that,” Jack offered, a look of remorse and anguish accompanying his low tone. Almost immediately, Daniel jerked the bag back, taking it away from Jack’s grasp.

“NO!”

Sam stopped walking and turned around the moment she heard Daniel’s cry. The word had shot from his mouth like a flare. Jack simply stood in his spot, a bewildered look planted on his face. Daniel, all too aware of his sudden eruption, lowered his tone and addressed himself to Jack.

“Sorry…I’m…sorry…look, I can take it myself. It’s okay.” His soft tone was a counterpart to the earlier sharp demand.

Sam looked down at a spot on the floor and focused on it.

G-d…Daniel…

Jack stared at the younger man for a few short moments before he patted him on the back and continued walking.

Getting back into Jack’s car from the restaurant was a more difficult task than they had anticipated. It was dark and the snow was falling heavily. The wind had started to murmur as they had just begun to sit down and eat, a clear reminder of the frequent snow storms that often interrupted the peaceful Colorado area. Finally seated inside Jack’s jeep, the three former teammates remained silent as the ignition was started and the vehicle began its trek down the main highway.

“So…” Jack glanced up at his rear-view mirror, interrupting the sluggish silence. “Where are we headed?” He paused momentarily to clear his throat and then continued, “I’ve got the two guestrooms upstairs. You’re always welcome.”

Daniel swallowed heavily. He was at a loss for words. Not only had he not expected the kind offer from Jack, but he was far more tired than he had thought. As much as he appreciated the invitation, he really couldn’t see himself spending the next seven days as Jack’s personal guest.

A hotel room suited him just fine.

He risked a glance at Sam. The look on her face paralleled his own. Daniel nodded inwardly, understanding flowing between them.

“Well?” Jack regarded Daniel once again through the rear-view mirror.

“Well…I already made reservations at the Holiday Inn just before I left….but…thank you.” Daniel refused to look up. He had no intention of seeing the hurt expression he was certain he would encounter.

After yet another unpleasant moment of silence, Sam added her own explanation. “I’m sorry, sir, but both Daniel and I had made reservations earlier. We just thought that it would be less of a hassle for you.” Jack didn’t respond. Instead, his eyes were concentrated on the road, his lips pursed tightly. Betrayal ate at him. For the first time ever, Daniel noted, he looked every year of his age.

The rest of the ride was spent in silence, each one lost in a whirlwind of thoughts. When the car finally came to a stop, Sam and Daniel clambered out of the jeep and Jack followed suit. Once their baggage and belongings were all accounted for, Jack climbed back in and unrolled the window.

“Have a goodnight sleep. Oh…Hammond wants you there up and at ‘em by seven thirty! Teal’c will be there too so don’t be late. You know how he gets when he’s excited…” Jack’s voice trailed off as he flashed one of his famous trademark smiles.

Both scientists thanked him before grabbing their luggage and heading off to the front desk of the hotel. Daniel glimpsed up at Sam only to look away a moment later. The expression that flitted across her face told him enough.

She was hurting.

Instead of voicing his new realisation, Daniel simply squeezed her hand tightly in wordless acknowledgement.

Jack flicked on his windshield wipers when the rain began to obscure his vision. He relaxed his arms, unaware that they had been flexed for most of the night. His easy manner had torn down with some of his wariness.

This would be a long week.

He knew it the moment he saw the looks on their faces when he had offered them his hospitality and they had refused it. Turning on the radio, Jack attempted to clear his thoughts. When there was nothing deemed worthy to listen to, Jack shut it off and sighed deeply. His head swam with mixed feelings of anger and betrayal. What was he to expect from them? Were they just going to simply lay down their barriers for him? Assume that everything had settled down after all this time? Jack exhaled loudly, an attestation of his acceptance of the ever-drowning situation that seemed to have surfaced in the last few hours.

Jack cringed as he recalled the last time he had been with his team. It had also been the last time he had been able to still call them a team, since the next day, he had found out through the general that his two scientists had resigned from the SGC in order to pursue other options.

“Colonel, please… sit down.” General Hammond motioned towards the empty seat facing his desk. Jack silently took a seat, his lips pursed at the sombre expression the general was showcasing.

There was a moment of silence as the general examined the man in front of him. He had a broken look in his eyes, and he was sitting ramrod straight in his chair: a man who had given up everything, or lost it all, or maybe both.

“You’re dismantling SG-1, aren’t you, sir?” Jack retorted, his fingers played with one of the mini flags lined up on the general’s desk, his eyes staring at the grey carpeted floor.

“Jack-“

“General…look… I know my team, more than anybody else on this damn base. I also know that they are one hell of a group. They’ll pull through… A little downtime, a few -“

“Not this time,” the general’s soft voice echoed through the room. Jack remained silent, unable to fathom the fact that his own CO had lost faith. Jack watched in silence as the general pulled out two sheets of paper from his top drawer. He carefully handed them to his fellow officer. Jack scanned through both documents…his eyes refusing to accept the letters written in bold. The words “resignation” and the names of his two scientists were all that stood out as he refused to look up.

“Sir-“

“It’s over, Jack. I’m sorry. I tried everything in my power to dissuade them but-“ The statement remained unfinished as both men sat in silence…their thoughts lost to the world.

Jack pulled up on his driveway and turned off the ignition. Although the car was no longer in motion, he still remained seated, willing his thoughts to disentangle…a task he no longer believed possible.

Daniel and Sam exited the elevator on the same floor. They had requested two rooms that were connected via a door from the inside. As they each neared their assigned room, Daniel put down his luggage and hugged Sam tightly. She returned the act by giving him a soft kiss on the cheek.

“See you tomorrow,” he said as he pulled himself away from her embrace and took out the card given to him to unlock his door. Sam smiled and followed his actions.

When Daniel closed the door behind him, he felt at ease for the first time since he had left Egypt that very morning. It was also the first time that he finally found himself alone. Approaching the bed slowly, Daniel collapsed with a groan that didn’t begin to express what he had felt about the evening. It was all more than a little exhausting.

Lifting his large suitcase onto the bed, Daniel unzipped it and began to lay down its contents. One by one, the clothes were placed inside drawers and hung on closet hangers, neatly and in place. Rubbing his beard roughly, he decided it was time for a nice hot shower to ease the tension in his shoulders. Stripping out of his clothes, he opened the bathroom door and turned on the water. Cold water spurted out from the showerhead at an abnormal angle, hitting Daniel square in the chest. Daniel jumped back in shock as the freezing water jumpstarted every nerve in his body. He stuck his hand inside in a frantic attempt to shut off the continuous assault…

Cold water…Jerking him awake…Oh G-d…it was so damn cold! Sam! Was Sam back yet? Hands…forcing him up, slamming him against the wall of the cell, not letting him move. Fingers running through his hair, his clothes…his chest…

Oh G-d!

What were they doing?

Why were they doing this?

One of the men appeared in front of him… a deformed face…down his cheek a long scar. He was upset.

Hands driving him back against the wall. His head hitting the cement. Pain. Closing his eyes, gray sparks invaded his vision.

Rubbing…rubbing…Something hard rubbing against his thigh.

“JESUS…NO!” Raw realisation slammed into him.

Pain in his stomach. Someone had punched him, ordering him to be quiet. Hands pulling up his shirt. Calloused fingers pinching his nipples roughly, running down his abdomen.

His scar.

The ugly man’s hands now on his appendectomy scar. Anger. All he could see was anger in the man’s eyes. The same fingers retracted, only to touch the scar masking his own face.

“Please…Where are the rest of my team?”

A grunt of rage. An elbow to his face… red-hot fluid spurting from his nose.

A knee to his groin and his arms were released. Hitting the floor hard, feet were now kicking his ribs …hands pulling down his pants and ripping off his T-shirt.

“NO!!!…Oh G-D no!!!!”

His pinned hands could not protect his member from the inevitable invasion. Fingers grabbed hold of his penis, pumping it wildly.

“Oh G-D!”

He arched backward, his whole body retracting from the assault.

Was that him sobbing?

“ Stop…Please!”

Was that his voice? So weak? So powerless?

Twisting helplessly, panic inched its way up his throat, blocking his air, causing him to fear he might choke to death.

An elbow to his face, silencing him as his cheek met with concrete floor. A strong hand on his head, slamming his face to the hard ground over an over again. Blood streaming down, obscuring his vision. Arms forcing him onto his stomach, his face forced onto the floor once again. A heavy weight suddenly on his back…on his legs. A darkness nearly consuming him…

Forcing his eyes to look away…they met with another pair, just as scared as his.

Major Jenkins…Also on the ground.

Injured.

Staring at the men. Staring at the atrocity.

Staring at *him*.

A flush of embarrassment rose to his cheeks. Tears rimming his eyes.

‘Look away…please…just look away.’

But the eyes remained fixed.

Darkness loomed over him. But before being granted that sanctuary, he felt a searing pain as something hard entered into him…

“DANIEL!!!…DANIEL, OPEN THE DOOR!” Daniel heard a distant voice, but as the seconds passed, that voice became considerably clearer.

“Sam?” Daniel tried to respond, but all that came out was a faint whisper. His throat felt raw and his voice didn’t seem to be working properly. Something else was distracting his mind, washing out Sam’s voice. It took Daniel a few moments to realize what it was and when he finally did, he jumped back. Cold water pooled at his feet, drenching the entire floor of the bathroom. Looking back to the bathtub, Daniel swore. It was completely filled and water was continuing to pool over. How long had he been standing there while the entire bathroom was in the midst of drowning? Daniel heard Sam knock on the door as he quickly stuck his hand deep into the tub. Pulling out the plug, Daniel relaxed when he heard the sound of water rushing down the opening.

“I’m here, Sam. Hold on.” His voice was an anguished croak. Daniel grabbed a towel and covered his naked form. Wrapping it around his waist, Daniel noticed the tremors in his hands.

Not again!

Daniel swore under his breath as he clenched his fingers into a fist. Slowly but surely, making his way towards the door, Daniel finally opened it.

“Daniel…what happened?…I’ve been calling you for the past 5 minutes. You weren’t answering,” Sam’s voice was panicked and her eyes stared at him questioningly.

“I don’t…I don’t know what-“ Daniel stopped when he witnessed the state of his hotel room. The carpet right outside the bathroom was completely drenched with water.

“I know...” Sam eyed Daniel’s shocked expression. “I was just about to go to sleep when I realised that the shower had been running for a long time. It was when I decided to check up on you that I noticed this.” She motioned her hands towards the wet floor. “What happened?”

Daniel brought a hand up to his face and pinched the bridge of his nose. The last thing he remembered was standing in the middle of the bathroom, about to step into the shower. He looked up again only to meet a pair of large blue orbs staring back at him, waiting for an answer.

Daniel did not look right in Sam’s eyes. Seeing how pale he had become, Sam took hold of his forearm. “Why don’t you sit down?” She guided him to the bed, ignoring the feel of the wet carpet beneath her feet. Daniel complied.

“I’m not sure what happened, Sam. I mean…”

Silence.

“Daniel?”

“It was so real, Sam.”

“What was?” When she received no response, she tried again. “What was so real, Daniel?”

Daniel looked up at her and for the first time that entire night, she was reminded of the Daniel she had first encountered on Abydos five years earlier. The fear in his eyes nearly brought her own insecurities at bay.

“The flashback.” And there it was…two simple words that had far too much meaning.

Silence seemed to linger in the air as both the former teammates considered the significance of the words. Sam knew all too well what Daniel was taking about. She had spent many nights suffering from the memories…memories that would never leave her alone, that threatened to take her over completely. Of course, she had learned to harness them, to fence them in a place where they couldn’t hurt.

“Feel like talking about it?” Sam had to build up the courage to look at him straight in the eye and ask him that question. The same question countless of SGC psychiatrists had asked her in the past. She was pretty sure the same stood for Daniel. But, maybe Daniel would feel more comfortable talking to a friend rather than some cold-hearted, no-good, know-it-all, in a lab coat who only pretended to give a damn. In retrospect, Sam realized that she and Daniel had never really spoken of their experiences. It had always been unmarked territory, with a large visible sign that read: “NO TRESSPASSERS ALLOWED”. It seemed like there was never a good time to really talk. Either there was something to do or the timing was never right. But tonight…right now, the timing was perfect.

“Not really.”

…or maybe not.

“Are you sure?”

“Yes. I’m fine. I’m just…I’m tired. I just want to take a shower and go to sleep.”

Sam nodded. The look on his face told her that she shouldn’t press it any further.

“How about you take a shower in my room?”

Daniel nodded thankfully and proceeded to follow her to her room.

Teal’c eyed the room speculatively. What he saw was emptiness…what he heard was silence. As much as he tried, Teal’c couldn’t help but feel that he was the cause of it all. If it hadn’t been for him, this entire room would be just as it used to be. His mind wandered back to a time when this space was filled of voices, voices preaching with vigour and passion. His gaze swept passed the briefing room table and rested on the large circular object reflected in the glass window in front of him. The Stargate. Its stark presence belied its simple physical design. Teal’c was very familiar with the device. He had gone through its wormhole more times than he cared to count. However, through the years, his perspective of its existence had changed. When he had still been first prime of Apophis, he had dreaded going through its circular form in fear of what horror he would have to cause on the other side. However, upon joining forces with the Tau’ri, he finally felt obliged to acknowledge its true power, for in his eyes, it would be a means of freedom for himself and for the rest of his people. But now, staring at the chevrons decorating its outer ring, Teal’c wondered once again if the Stargate was in fact only a messenger of evil and nothing more. Not only had it ruined the lives of his friends but it seemed to mock him of it everyday.

A familiar voice from behind him suddenly brought him out of his reverie.

“Good morning, Teal’c. You’re here early,” General Hammond’s voice shot out at him, as he took his seat at the table. There was something eerily familiar about the situation and it suddenly sparked a nerve in their minds…

“Good morning, Teal’c. You’re here early. You still have another 10 minutes before our next briefing.” General Hammond was making his way towards his usual seat at the head of the table, a look of confusion displayed across his features .

“ I have completed my Kelnoreem early this morning, General Hammond,” Teal’c explained, his voice a powerful presence in the early morning hour. The general simply offered a brief smile.

“I’m sure it has more to do with the fact that this may very well be SG-1’s first mission back since I authorised 2 months of downtime.” Hammond gazed at the Stargate from his seated position. He raised his hand and pointed in its direction. “ A little eager to go through it again?” he asked with a slight twinkle in his eye, as if he were expressing his own desires to step through the mysterious device. But before Teal’c could offer his response, the scuffling of feet and the ruffling of papers replaced the sudden silence in the air.

“Good morning.” Samantha Carter took a seat beside the Jaffa as the two other members of SG-1 entered the briefing room. Much to his own displeasure, General Hammond watched as Daniel Jackson fought a battle with the files in his hands, struggling to keep his balance as he wobbled into the room. Thankfully, the loose papers chose to disperse themselves only once their owner had seated himself at the table. The general heard a mumbled curse as the young scientist attempted to organize himself. When the colonel also found his rightful seat, General Hammond chose to begin with the briefing.

“I am well aware that it has been a while since your last mission…” he cleared his throat as if the last word spoken had sparked an irritation in his pharynx. “But I’m more than confident that SG-1 is ready to take on a new mission. Yesterday, at 1400 hours, a MALP was sent through to P3C 833. Major Carter, what data were you able to collect?”

All eyes turned to the blond air force officer. “Well ,sir, MALP data shows that P3C 833 is a suitable planet for SG-1’s next mission. Environmental conditions are similar to those on Earth. Ambient temperature is 59 Fahrenheit and humidity is at 30%.”

“Footage also points to evidence that this planet is indeed occupied,” Daniel chose that moment to jump in. “I’m not yet sure as to what type of civilization it may be but I’m fairly certain that it is one that has instilled within itself a certain level of religious beliefs. Of course, this is all just speculation. But…if you take a look over here… ” Daniel pulled out a photo from his collection and passed it on to the general. “…you can see an altar against the far corner and a few crude drawings decorating the walls surrounding the Stargate.”

“How can you be certain that the planet is currently being occupied, doctor?”

Daniel fished inside his files once again until he clumsily pulled out another image and handed it over to the general.

“As you can see, torches around the chamber were still lit when the MALP went through. The inhabitants were probably startled and ran away…of course that’s just another assumption too. For all we know, they could very well leave the torches lit as a ceremonial…thing. Anyway, the point is, I’m not sure that the Goa’uld haven’t been there before. There are no writings to suggest any Goa’uld presence but we can’t dismiss it as a plausible reason for why the occupants may have run away.”

General Hammond leaned further back into his seat as if to give himself more room to digest the recent discussion. His eyebrows knit closely together, it was obvious to Jack O’Neill that the general was contemplating something serious within the boundaries of his own mind. Jack wished he could be blessed with the power of telepathy if only for this one moment.

Why the hell was it taking him so long?

“Colonel, I’m having reservations about this mission. I was hoping to send SG-1 on a simple recon, preferably to an unoccupied planet.”

“Oh come on, General! It’s been a whole 2 months during which we’ve done nothing but sit on our asses. I think I speak for everyone when I say that its time to get back out there! If it’s the Goa’uld you’re worried about then you might as well close down the Stargate. General, any planet, occupied or not, we run the risk of bumping into those snakeheads. Give us at least a few hours. We’ll stay close to the gate, make nice with the locals, and then head back.” Upon noticing a twitch of doubt filter across the general’s face, Jack leaned forward and laid his hands flat upon the table. His eyes were sullen, pupils dark and concentrated. “General, we need this mission.”

The general took a moment to evaluate the team in front of him. Upon inspection, it was quite apparent to him that they were emotionally worn out. If their sombre moods didn’t give that away, then their expressionless faces did. The 2 months of downtime had allowed them to rest physically but he was not so sure if that was the case mentally. Whatever had truly transpired on the planet was something that perhaps he would never find out. But now, looking into his 2IC’s eyes, he felt as though his heart was shrinking, cold fingers wrapping themselves around the sensitive organ and squeezing it more and more each passing moment. SG-1 needed this mission. Perhaps this planet would provide the link that was so painfully missing among his best team.

“You have a go, Colonel. I’m giving you four hours during which you will check in every hour by radio. Is that clear?”

Suddenly the four faces before him changed demeanour. Although their relief was not orally expressed, the look in their eyes assured him that he had made the right decision.

“You leave at 1500 hours.” As each member of SG-1 began to rise from their seat, the general couldn’t ignore the difficulties Daniel Jackson was having in regards to his co-ordination. Shielding his eyes from the awkward movements, he sighed in frustration. Tapping his fingers nervously on the table, he called out to the others leaving the room. “Dr. Jackson and Colonel O’Neill, if you could wait a moment. I know you’re anxious to leave but I need to speak to the both of you.” Daniel, with a hint of confusion set grimly on his face, grabbed onto the edges of his chair cautiously and slowly lowered himself back down. The general shifted uncomfortably as he watched the other half of SG-1 leave the briefing room..

General Hammond took a moment to gather his thoughts. “Dr. Jackson…I’m afraid I can’t let you go on this mission.” He let the statement out quickly, as though the words themselves were burning the back of his throat. Briefly looking in Daniel’s direction, he wasn’t shocked when he saw the younger man’s entire face twitch.

“What? Why?”

“Doctor…it is part of my duty as head of this command to make sure that every one of my men going through that Stargate is physically fit to take care of himself and his team in the case of unfriendly warfare.”

Apprehension twisted inside Daniel’s stomach, squeezing his organs until he felt they would burst. “So what exactly are you saying? This…” he motioned to his feet, “…is not going to be resolved anytime soon.” The anger in his voice was looming, as if ready to strike at any moment.

“ I’m afraid that I can’t allow you to be a part of a first contact team anymore, Dr. Jackson. The risks are much too high. That’s why I have assigned you to SG-11 for the time being. However, I am not entirely removing you from SG-1. You may accompany them once I have a preliminary report to ensure that the planet in question is a friendly one.” The general paused momentarily. As he did so, he took the opportunity to study the young man seated next to him. If he was hoping to gain insight on his emotional state, then he was sorely disappointed. What he saw was a face that he could hardly recognize. Daniel’s eyes had a queer flat look that made the blood in his veins turn to ice water. He wished he could fathom them, to know what emotions lay behind their cool exterior. But they were as enigmatic as ever. With reluctance, the general continued. “I’m sorry, Doctor, but I can’t have the team’s safety at risk if the Goa’uld decide to attack. As I said before, as long as I get approval from Colonel O’Neill that everything is secure, then I can authorize your joining SG-1. In the meantime, you will continue studying artifacts and evaluating any new civilizations that SG-11 happen to encounter.”

Once again, the general stole a glance at Daniel’s face. Nothing. Not even a twitch. The lack of reaction and the silence that followed did nothing to soothe the general’s anxiousness. He suddenly felt the need to explain himself.

“Need I remind you, Dr. Jackson, that it was exactly two months ago when we nearly lost you! It is nothing short of a miracle that you are sitting here today, alive and well. I wish I could do more but-“ The general was abruptly interrupted. Daniel was on his feet. His eyes were focused on the table when he began to speak.

“If you will excuse me, I have to finish some research in my lab.” His tone was indifferent, lacking in emotion. The words were said matter-of-factly, as if unmoved by General Hammond’s previous announcement. There was a split second in which everything appeared frozen, a scale hanging in the balance, waiting to tip towards one side. But before anyone could utter a sound, Daniel gathered his papers in silence and calmly ripped them up one by one. Without a second glance, he allowed the pieces to fall to the floor at his feet and then quickly proceeded towards the stairs. When Daniel finally disappeared, all he left in his wake were two astonished faces.

“General, request permission to-“

“Granted.” The general didn’t need to hear the rest of Colonel O’Neill’s request. He knew this was something that had to be dealt with as soon as possible. In one swift motion, the airforce colonel evacuated the briefing area and began his trek after Daniel.

“Damnit, Daniel,” Jack managed to mutter under his breath just as he caught sight of Daniel’s figure waiting for the elevator.

“What happened?” Jack spun his head round to see Sam and Teal’c following behind him. “Hammond wants him off the team,” Jack retorted, all the while his feet moving towards the elevators.

The silence that followed told Jack that he was not the only one who knew this was going to happen.

“Where’s he going, sir?”

“I don’t know, Major!” Jack snapped. His anger with the way things were escalating only quickened his pace. Reaching the elevator, Jack slammed his hand against the doors just as they were about to close. He stepped into the elevator despite the annoyed look that appeared on the archaeologist’s face. The rest of the team followed.

“You know, in case you haven’t noticed, I’d really like to be left alone right now.”

“Daniel, I want to talk about this.”

“Leave me alone, Jack!” Daniel leaned back along the wall and pressed one of the buttons on the panel.

“I just want to talk. Why does it have to be so damn hard all the time?”

“What do you want to talk about, Jack? Huh? About what just happened in there?” He raised his hands in the air ungracefully, their jerky movements only further depicting his rage. “ Yes…I’m happy about the fact that I was just thrown off the team! I’m happy knowing I’m going to be stuck in an office indefinitely! Oh…and let’s not forget how especially happy I am that my own commanding officer didn’t stick up for me back there!” Daniel felt his rage ignite, like a fire spreading through his veins.

“Daniel…I knew about this before. Hammond told me yesterday-“ The opening of the elevator doors gave Daniel the opportunity he needed to escape from his previous confines. Pushing past his former teammates, Daniel began to make his way towards his office. Jack felt his own restraint begin to crumble. A wave of fury rose to his cheeks. With a frustrated curse, he caught up with the archaeologist and slammed his hand on the door, preventing the younger man from opening it. Daniel turned to face Jack.

“What? What do you want to say?”

“Daniel, you’re acting like you were the only one who has been suffering these past few months. We-“ he motioned around him, “were all there! We all saw some pretty tough shit. You aren’t the only one!”

“I’m not saying I was! I have a right to be upset, Jack! I’ve just been thrown off the team!”

“Daniel, you almost died-“

“Jesus…I had enough of hearing that. Yes…I did. But I’m fine now. Can’t I just get on with my life?”

“Look-“

“No…you look, Jack-“

“Daniel, will you let me SPEAK?” Jack gave himself a few seconds to breathe calmly before he continued. “These past two months have been hard…for you, for me, for all of us. But Hammond did what he had to do. You and I both know that those sneakheads aren’t going to just go away. There is a WAR out there, Daniel. A war that we’re going to lose unless we know we have the right people with the right state of mind. We need you here, Daniel, and not out on some planet getting killed. Hammond knows that and I know that. You’re just going to have to accept it…”

“’You’re just going to have to accept it?’ Is that your brilliant speech for the day?” Daniel let out a choked laugh. “Well I’m sorry, Jack. But maybe it’s easier for you to say. You didn’t have to deal with this.” Once again, he motioned to his right leg.

“ What the hell kind of a person do you think I am? You think it was easy for me to know that I couldn’t get to you?” Jack was yelling now.

Daniel didn’t respond.

“You know, you can be a real pain in the ass sometimes! Jeez! I’m not your enemy here, Daniel.”

“I didn’t say you were, Jack.”

“Well you’re sure as hell acting like it! Look… you want to get something off your chest? Then say it!”

Daniel remained silent.

“Oh for crying out loud!” Jack was clearly losing his patience.

“Well if we’re all playing therapist here, Jack, then why don’t you tell me what exactly YOUR problem has been these past few weeks? Huh, Jack? Too much ‘cripple’ for you?”

“You’re sick, Daniel!” Jack spat in disgust. Daniel simply brushed off the comment and crossed his arms in a protective stance.

“Jack, you left me behind!” He hurled the words at him like cannonballs, as though he felt the need to protect the fortress of his own soul.

Jack was taken aback for a moment before finally regaining his equilibrium.

“OH, and you think I did that on PURPOSE?”

Daniel could see Sam and Teal’c gazing on in silence and shock. But soon, even their presence seemed to fade and the words that had been held captive in his mind finally escaped.

“…well I don’t think you tried hard enough!”

The silence that followed was about as painful as a blow to the stomach. Both men stood gazing at each other, their chests panting with rage.

“What?” Jack’s voice was barely audible, the fury clearly having an effect on his vocal cords.

“Let me go, Jack!” Daniel motioned to the hand on his office door preventing him from escaping the heated discussion. His voice was soft now, as though tired and worn out from his own words.

Jack’s hand still didn’t move.

“FINE!” Daniel suddenly lurched forward, shoving Jack to the wall.

“You son of a bitch!” Jack recovered quickly and grabbed Daniel’s collar with his right hand. Within seconds, Daniel’s back was pinned firmly against the door to his office.

“What? So you’re going to go back in there and hide like you’ve been doing since you got out of the infirmary?” Jack’s face was close to Daniel’s, allowing the scientist to see every wrinkle that had not been there only months earlier.

“I think it would be wise to end this discussion immediately,” Teal’c’s deep drawl cut the intensity of the moment, not liking the physical escalation in front of him.

“I don’t think you have a right to step in here, Teal’c,” Daniel mumbled from his pinned position, all the while his eyes still concentrated on the face of the man he used to trust.

“He has every right to talk, Daniel. We were all there. We’re a * team *. You still remember what that means, right?” Jack quipped.

“Oh really, Jack? See…that’s what I thought too, but evidently I was wrong.”

“You know what I mean, Daniel!”

“Well maybe I don’t, Jack, because you seem to like some people on this team more than others.” Daniel’s eyes made a subtle twitch in Sam’s direction but Jack caught the movement.

“Daniel, what are you talking about?” Sam jumped in.

“This is bullshit!” Jack finally muttered before he let go of the younger man. “You’re crazy. Just…go the hell back into your little cave.” He motioned towards the office door before he stalked off down the hall, his gait stiff and tense. With a grunt of rage, Daniel pounded his fist against the door in frustration and grabbed for the door knob.

“Daniel…wait.” Sam tried to reach for him but she was too late; her hand met with the closing door instead. Sam looked at Teal’c, their faces sharing the same lost expression. She was about to open her mouth to speak when a loud crash and a muffled curse from behind the door interrupted her.

“DanielJackson-“ Teal’c tried to reach for the doorknob but-

The clanging of feet on steel gratings snapped Teal’c to attention and he could see the general next to him straighten his back in anticipation. Suddenly, two new figures appeared, accompanied by Colonel O’Neill. One of them he recognized as Major Carter while the other’s identity remained doubtful until he could see the man’s eyes more clearly.

Daniel Jackson.

The symbiote within him curled upon itself in response to his anxiousness. It had been so long since he had last seen his two dear friends.

Teal’c shot up from his seat, every muscle stiff with eagerness.

Sam was the first to approach the large Jaffa. “Hey, Teal’c…” she said with a smile on her face as she cautiously moved in closer and wrapped her arms around him.

As Teal’c looked up from the embrace, his eyes met with those of Colonel O’Neill.

The wait was over; his friends were finally home.

The warm body in his arms slipped away suddenly and he watched in silence as she moved towards the general with the same lightened spirit. Even moments after the fact, Teal’c could hardly believe his own eyes.

“Hello, Teal’c.” Daniel’s voice seemed to come out of nowhere, pulling him out of his diverging thoughts. An outstretched hand invaded his vision and he reached for it without hesitation, bowing his head at the same time.

“DanielJackson, it is good to see you again.” There was a slight gasp in his voice and he swallowed heavily to suppress his emotions.

“It’s good to see you too, Teal’c.” Daniel licked his lips and lowered his head, hiding the shy smile that seemed to have escaped his attention.

“Dr. Jackson!” A familiar voice interrupted the awkward moment. General Hammond approached the younger man and shook his hand firmly. “How have you been, son?” His worried eyes gazed deeply into the younger man’s, as though he hoped in some way that he could peak into the soul that was so well guarded by its owner.

“I’m doing okay...” Once again, Daniel looked down and grinned, “…ah…fine, sir.” The general patted him lightly on the back and gave him a smile, albeit a strained one.

When all introductions were finally complete, the present company took their respective seats at the briefing room table.

“Firstly, I’d like to start off by expressing my appreciation to Dr. Jackson and Major Carter for coming all this way. The banquet would not be the same without you.” The general smiled and took a moment to make eye contact with the new arrivals before continuing, “Unfortunately, this isn’t the real reason you’re here.” The general gave them a minute to allow the words to sink in properly. Sam was the first to speak out.

“Sir?”

Even Teal’c looked slightly perplexed.

With a deep intake of air, General Hammond continued, “I didn’t mention anything earlier because I wanted to wait until all four of you were present. Colonel, as you already know, SG-7 has been missing in action for the last month and a half. However, we now have reason to believe that they may have been taken to P3C 255.”

A stunned silence filled the air until a stifled exclamation made its way past numb lips. “Oh G-d…” Sam managed to blurt out, putting both elbows on the table and covering her face with her hands.

“A Tok’ra representative contacted us a while back to inform us of the possibility that five men wearing SGC field uniforms were spotted there. I have been told that this was from a confident source but as you all know the Tok’ra, they refused to tell me anything more.”

“Those sons of bitches…” Jack muttered bitterly.

“So what do you want from us?” Daniel’s ashen face was hidden behind his facial hair but his large blue eyes spoke volumes.

“The SGC is going to plan a retrieval mission.” The general carefully regarded the faces before him for any reaction but was only met with shocked expressions. He knew from their lack of speech that they were aware of the dangers ahead but he also sensed that they understood what he wanted from them. Unfortunately, he had to put their thoughts into words. “A year ago, five good men died on a rescue mission to save SG-1. Any further attempts at rescue were abandoned. Unfortunately, right now we’re in a similar situation. I am not prepared to risk anymore lives unless we can gather sufficient information about the compound to formulate a successful ambush. On that note, if you all are willing, we’re going to need to know everything about the facility. The layout, their defenses, daily routines… We were hoping that you four could provide us with that information and more.” Seeing that nobody was going to speak up, General Hammond added, “I know this is asking for a lot. G-d knows you don’t need to be brought back there, even if it’s only by recounting your experiences. So for now, all I’m asking from you is to think about it.” The general suddenly got up from his seat and addressed Daniel and Sam. “In the meantime, take this opportunity to look around the base; see all the changes we’ve made. Dr. Jackson, I’m sure you’ll be interested in visiting Dr. Green’s lab. He’s made much progress with SG-1. And I hope you both take the time to visit Dr. Fraiser as well. She’s been anxiously waiting to see the both of you.” General Hammond smiled sincerely at his audience and then proceeded to leave the table.

The day passed by quickly as Jack showed both his former teammates the new added features of the base. The conversation was light and amicable, focusing mostly on the present rather than discussions of the past. As they neared a familiar area, Daniel couldn’t help but slow his pace.

“You know, Green is away on a mission with SG-6. Why don’t you go inside and take a look around?” Jack suggested. The younger man’s eyes continued to stare at the old office entrance. “Carter and I will make our way to the infirmary. We’ll meet you there in ten?”

Daniel nodded and waited a few moments for his friends to leave before he entered the large office space. Once inside, he took the opportunity to study the room he had once occupied. To Daniel’s dismay, it looked entirely different; completely void of any artifacts that had once decorated its dark grey walls and there was a surprising lack of any archaeological-related books. Daniel approached the desk only to find the picture of a dog and two small children in place of where Shau’re’s framed photo used to be. ‘It’s been so long,’ he thought as he permitted his fingers to glide over the surface of the desk in front of him. It felt odd sitting in this room, a place that had once been a safe haven for unleashing his thoughts. But now, with the walls bare and the shelves nearly empty, it seemed cold and lifeless. He suddenly felt dizzy, his mind whirling madly, as if he might go insane. And yet, he knew sanity was right here, this desk, this room. Yes…this was what was real. He sat down in his old chair and allowed his aching back to relax.

Browsing through some of the paper work on the desk, he picked up a MALP photograph peeking out of its envelope and unconsciously began to analyze it. Roman civilization. Small temple. Probably 14th century design. Daniel glanced through more and came across a sheet of writings. Reading the first few lines, he concluded them to be translations, probably the ones Dr. Green had been working on before he had left. Underneath the folder, attached by a paper clip, was a corresponding photograph of a series of ancient writings of some kind. Analyzing the odd symbols and comparing them with Dr. Green’s work, Daniel shook his head in disagreement. “No…that’s not right,” he mumbled out loud as he reached for an eraser, his eyes never leaving the ancient scribbles. “Not ‘fight’,” Daniel muttered to himself as he replaced the now empty space with the word ‘attack’ instead. Satisfied, he continued skimming down the translation.

The infirmary reminded Jack too much of a war-zone; nurses running in and out with dirty sheets in one hand and basins filled with G-d knows what in the other. Just before entering the infirmary, Jack and Sam waited impatiently for Daniel’s familiar figure to join them but as time went on, no such figure showed. Glancing at his watch, Jack sighed. “You know, Fraiser thought she’d only be seeing you tonight. Why don’t you go on ahead and surprise the hell out of her? I’ll go find out what hole Daniel fell into this time.” Sam smiled in appreciation and pushed the infirmary doors open.

Once inside, the familiar smell and feel of the infirmary caused a wave of warmth to wash over her. Perusing over the dozen or so staff, it didn’t take long for Sam to find Janet in the far corner next to one of the infirmary beds. She was reading over some files while one of the nurses checked the patient’s blood pressure. Sam’s heart skipped a beat. Suddenly all of those phone conversations she had had with Janet seemed insufficient. Her need for more took control of her motor function and soon she was standing in front of her close friend. For the entire plane ride, she had tried to come up with ways of surprising Janet. But now, just scant feet away, all her preplanned thoughts went out the window and her instincts took over. Before she knew what she was doing, she was calling out to her friend.

“Janet!”

Sam had a huge smile on her face as she watched the petite woman turn her way. The look on her face alone was worth the five hour plane ride.

“Oh my G-d! Sam!” The surprise in her voice was accentuated by the sound of files falling to the ground. Janet and Sam hugged fiercely, holding each other close while unshed tears began to surface. Their reunion caused more of a scene than anticipated but none of them seemed to care. Drying her eyes from the moisture, Janet released her friend and glanced at her watch. “You couldn’t have come at a better time, Sam. I was just about to go on my lunch break. Why don’t we go to the commissary?”

“That sounds great, Janet, only…let’s wait a few more minutes. Daniel’s supposed to be here any second."

“Daniel’s here too?”

“Yeah, Colonel O’Neill is getting him now.”

“Oh my G-d… this is really a shock, Sam. I wasn’t expecting to see you guys until tonight. This is wonderful!” Janet’s eyes were suddenly overtaken with seriousness as a new consideration came to mind. “How is Daniel doing?”

“You haven’t spoken to him?”

“Oh…we’ve talked over the phone if that’s what you mean. But… you know Daniel. He could be hurting inside and yet you would never know it.”

“Yeah…I know. I guess Daniel seems okay, but I doubt he’s dealing with things any better than the rest of us.”

Janet lowered her eyes, trying not to overpass the imaginary boundary of privacy. “How are the migraines?” Janet asked.

“They’re getting better. The new pills you suggested are working well,” Sam responded.

Janet looked down at her watch and frowned. “Well, if Daniel doesn’t get here soon I’m afraid we won’t have time to talk. My break is only for 30 minutes.” Sam nodded, turned to stare at the doors and waited.

“Daniel! What the hell are you doing?!?” Jack wasn’t prepared for the sight he saw as he walked into Green’s lab. Daniel was currently hunched over his old desk scribbling down notes while his other hand occupied itself with holding up a blown up picture of some obscure writings.

Daniel didn’t move.

“Daniel!”

Finally, the younger man stirred and looked around him in confusion, as though he had just been dragged out of a wonderful daydream.

“Jack?”

“Daniel?” Jack motioned towards the desk he was currently occupying with a look on his face that seemed to question his sanity.

Daniel looked down and dropped the pencil he was holding as if it were some toxic substance. He looked back up at Jack.

“You want to tell me what the hell you’re doing?”

Daniel seemed to evaluate the question but instead of answering, he simply got up and moved towards the office door.

“Got a little carried away, did you?” Jack asked him. Daniel didn’t answer. His face was flushed as though he had just been caught robbing a candy store. Jack followed Daniel out into the hall. “Daniel…that was Green’s work. He didn’t ask for a tutor to go over his stuff.”

“I know.”

“You miss it, don’t you?”

There was a slight pause.

“No,” Daniel answered snappily, not inclined to say more.

And that was that. Jack didn’t press the issue any further. They marched that way in silence for the minutes it took to step into the elevator and to get to the infirmary doors.

Daniel entered the infirmary quickly, trying as much as possible to get away from Jack’s presence. He spotted Janet and Sam in the far corner and began to make his way over to them. Reaching the two women, Janet’s back was facing him and he touched her lightly on the shoulder. She turned around abruptly.

Her voice caught in her breath.

“Daniel.”

She brought a hand up and touched his face gently. He smiled, finding her astonished face amusing.

“You look so…”

“Different?”

She nodded slowly and touched his long hair.

“Daniel, on these digs …they *do* have scissors, don’t they? I mean…look…” She grabbed a pair of scissors used for cutting gauze and held it up for all to see. “I can have you done in no time.” She patted a seat on one of the beds motioning for Daniel to sit. Daniel couldn’t help but laugh and so did the others. She put down the scissors.

“So, are you going to hug me or not?!” It was a question as much as a statement.

Daniel leaned down and hugged her tightly, the lines around his eyes creased with warmth. He and Janet had always shared a special bond…a bond he couldn’t quite understand but just accepted. Daniel sometimes wondered about the possibility of something more developing between them if things had been different. But for now, seeing her again was enough.

“We were just about to head over to the commissary and have a bite to eat. You up for joining us?”

Daniel nodded. Janet clasped onto one arm and Sam clasped the other, propelling him forward and out into the hall.

Sam took out the gown from the closet and laid it down on her bed with far more care than was needed. She had bought the dress a long time ago while skimming through the stores on a lazy Saturday evening. Although it was quite expensive, the need to buy it clouded her logic until she had finally brought it home. Knowing that she had nothing to wear it to, the gown had stayed in her closet for months untouched…of course until now. She quickly glanced at her watch.

5:40 p.m

It was still too early but she couldn’t resist the urge to try it on. As she slipped into the gown, Sam heard the shower go on in the room next to hers. ‘Good, he’s finally back’, she thought. She was beginning to think that Daniel was going to be late. Upon leaving the base, Daniel had taken a separate cab explaining that he had a few things to do before heading back to the hotel room.

Sam smoothed out the black material around her thighs. The dress was tight… but it was supposed to be, according to the saleswoman who had sold her the dress. Reaching behind her, Sam began to do up the buttons but finally gave up when she remembered just how many there actually were. Sam stood in front of the long mirror just next to the door and evaluated herself. The corseted gown pushed up her breasts in a way that she wasn’t quite used to and she suddenly felt a flush of heat rise to her cheeks. Maybe this wasn’t such a good idea. Would anybody care if she just stayed in and spent the night in a hot soaking bath instead? Sam inwardly cursed at herself. No. She would go and she would have fun, even if it meant dancing and laughing at all of the bad jokes she was certain she would encounter. Sam grabbed her high heels from the closet and carefully slipped into them. Walking into the bathroom, she proceeded to put on her jewelry and makeup when she heard the shower stop next door.

“Daniel, you better hurry up!” she yelled as she snapped her diamond earring closed.

“I know!” She heard Daniel’s muffled voice respond.

When she was finally made up to her satisfaction, Sam sighed and stared into the mirror. She thought back to what the general had told them earlier that morning. As much as she tried, she couldn’t get it out of her head. For the entire day, it had been nagging at her, sitting at the back of her mind striking out only when she found herself alone. A wave of guilt suddenly swept through her.

She was on her way to a banquet while five innocent human beings were probably rotting away.

How could she possibly enjoy herself while that image implanted itself in her mind?

Sam needed to close her eyes. Taking a seat on the toilet, she leaned back and allowed the back of her head to rest against the wall. A single tear spilled over and she fought to hold back the rest.

How was she going to help those five men when she could barely help herself?

Could she actually recall anything of significance or had her memories chosen to free themselves of her experiences there? And even if hey hadn’t, she wasn’t sure if she could fish them out just yet. No, she had worked too hard on forgetting, so why the hell would she want to reverse that effort? But on the other hand, she knew she had to. If not for the five unfortunate SGC soldiers, then for her own sanity…because she would have hoped someone would have done the same for her.

A knock on the door startled her. Glancing at herself in the mirror, Sam swore inwardly. The stray tear had left a black track down her cheek. Grabbing a tissue, she wiped away at it in earnest.

A second knock rang out.

“Come in!” she called as she threw away the tissue.

Daniel entered the bathroom and Sam gasped loudly. Not only was his beard completely gone, but his hair was cut short just as she had remembered it. He looked clean cut in his black tuxedo and positively handsome. She smiled at him and he grinned back.

“Sam, you look absolutely stunning!” he said sincerely.

Sam was too shocked to speak. She had almost forgotten just how young Daniel could look; younger than any other 37 year old man she had ever known. She reached out and allowed her hand to run through his short hair.

“Daniel…”

“Yeah…I rented the tux and got myself a haircut.”

She brought the hand back down and touched the newly exposed skin on his face. His skin was soft against her hands. His hand covered her own and rubbed soft circles against her knuckles. That was enough to set her off and she took in a deep breath before a loud sob escaped her.

“Hey…hey…Sam.” He pulled down her hand from his cheek and drew her in close, allowing her head to rest against his chest. Her whole body shook as the tears streamed down her face. “Shh…it’s okay,” he repeated over and over to her. “I’m right here.” Her sobbing soon died down and she was now gasping for breath. Daniel reached over her shoulder to grab a few tissues.

“I know the hair is short…but it’ll grow back. It’s nothing to cry about,” he said with a grin as he began dabbing the soft kleenex against her cheek. Sam offered a strained smile before she took some of the tissues from his hand. She pulled back, her face red with embarrassment.

“I’m sorry…I don’t know why I-“

“I do,” Daniel whispered. Sam looked at him, at his face. She didn’t have to explain herself to Daniel. He understood. He knew.

“I’m nervous too, Sam. But we’ll be there together, okay? Everything is going to be fine.”

Daniel gave her a reassuring squeeze as he forced her to turn around to face the mirror. “And while you fix your make-up, I’ll finish what you started.” Daniel began to work on Sam’s buttons. One by one he fastened them tightly until there were only four or five left. His fingers paused, their tips looming over her skin just under her neck. Careful not to touch her, his fingers followed the crazy patterns of her damaged skin.

Scars.

Daniel had never seen them before although he knew they were there. He had been present when she had received them but never once had he seen the damage. His fingers suddenly shook, and he felt them touch the skin of her back. He clenched his fingers into a fist in a pointless effort to stop the oncoming tremor. Sam, however, didn’t respond to the touch. Finding this odd, Daniel touched her again. No reaction.

Nerve damage?

“You know, Daniel. You really look great!” Sam said as she reapplied the lipstick to her lips.

“Thanks,” Daniel responded but his eyes couldn’t stop staring at her back. He quickly reprimanded himself for stalling and finally fastened the rest of the buttons. When she was finished, Sam turned around, grabbed her purse and headed towards the door.

“Ready?” she asked.

“Yeah,” he answered distantly as he joined her in the hallway.

The hall was beautiful. Dozens of crystal chandeliers decorated the ceiling while hundreds of candles lit the tables scattered around a large dance floor. Everyone was dressed elegantly as people talked and formed large clumps around the large hall.

Teal’c pulled at his neck line, disliking the collar of his tuxedo and the way it constricted his airway.

“Tee, I told you to stop playing with that.”

Teal’c gave Jack a sour look before he brought his hands down close to his sides.

“General.” Jack nodded his head in acknowledgment when the older man joined them, followed closely behind by Dr. Green. Jack had to smile when he realized that his CO was wearing a tuxedo. He looked a lot more plump with the large cummerbund across his belly.

‘He’ll regret it when he sees the pictures,’ Jack thought.

“So Colonel, how do you like the place?”

Jack looked around and scowled. “I feel like I’m going to an opera, sir.” Jack pulled on his collar to emphasize his discomfort with his present garbs but quickly stopped when he received a murderous look from Teal’c.

“Oh come on, Jack. It’s not all that bad,” the older man said, taking an hors d’œuvres from one of the waiters passing by. The general popped the food in his mouth quickly and wiped his hands with the napkin. “If you will all excuse me, the Secretary of Defense has just arrived.” General Hammond headed towards the entrance where a man was taking off his coat and handing it to one of the doormen.

“Any sign of Major Carter or Dr. Jackson? I can’t wait to meet them,” Dr. Green pointed out before he took a sip from his wine glass.

“Not yet, but why don’t we keep ol’ Doc Fraiser company.” Jack pointed to a table right at the front of the dance floor, next to the small stage.

Janet was scanning through the name cards until she found her own and took a seat. Jack suddenly appeared next to her, waving his own card in front of her.

“Well guess who’s sitting next to you tonight?” Jack smiled victoriously.

“Do I even want to know?” Janet mumbled, but the moment she turned away, she allowed her smile to surface.

“You look nice, Doc!” Jack said as he looked at her cleavage.

“Colonel, the dress isn’t on my chest…”

“I know…lucky for me, isn’t it?”

Janet simply rolled her eyes, pulled the dress a little higher and leaned her elbows on the table, hiding anything she possibly could from the grinning colonel sitting next to her.

“Colonel O’Neill does not lie, Dr. Fraiser. You do look elegant this evening.”

“Thank you, Teal’c!” Janet strained her neck to look behind her, taking a peak at the hall entrance. “Wait…I think I see Sam!” Sam was taking off her long coat while a pair of hands helped her from behind. A smile formed on Janet’s lips when she realized to whom those hands belonged. Daniel. His facial hair had disappeared and his handsome face radiated nothing but youth. “Thank G-d”, she whispered, unaware that she had said it out loud.

“Yeah, you’re telling me. I was beginning to have nightmares of him showing up with a guitar and singing Willie Nelson songs all night long.”

Jack watched as Sam made her way to the table they were occupying. He almost forgot to breathe when he realized just how beautiful she looked. The diamond necklace resting on her neck made her look like royalty. She smiled as she spotted her friends looking at her from a distance.

“Wow…is that Major Carter?” Green barely hid the gasp.

Janet was the first to get up and greet the oncoming pair. Teal’c was soon to follow.

“Sam, you look absolutely wonderful!” Janet’s eyes began to tear as she hugged her friend. She had never seen her look so beautiful. It was almost a relief seeing her like this, a confirmation that she had survived the past few months.

“Thanks, Janet.” Sam moved back to take a look at her friend. “I love the red gown!”

“Thanks!” Janet then moved her gaze to Daniel and smiled. “Ah…much better, Dr. Jackson. As I always say: Doctor knows best!” Daniel laughed and leaned in to give her a kiss on the cheek.

Daniel was about to take a seat when a hand suddenly materialized out of nowhere.

“You must be Dr. Jackson,” a taller man said. Daniel shook his hand, a perplexed look present on his face.

“That’s right.”

“Dr. Green. I have sure heard a lot about you. I’ve been looking forward to meeting you for quite some time.”

“Thank you…how have you been enjoying the SGC? I hope Jack hasn’t been too hard on you.”

“This job has been a dream so far. I can’t even imagine going back to an ordinary dig after what I have seen…” Suddenly realizing what he had said, he quickly retracted the comment. “Sorry…I…that’s not what I meant-“

“That’s okay. Wait until you’ve been going through the Stargate as many times as I have. Being on an ‘ordinary’ dig can be quite a relief.”

Dr. Green nodded at the comment, but he couldn’t help but sense that Daniel wasn’t being entirely truthful, that there was more to it than that. When he had first joined the SGC, he had been told about Dr. Jackson and Major Carter…how smart they were and what a great asset they had been to the program. Yet, half a year later, he had still never been told the truth as to why they had left. Colonel O’Neill refused to talk about it and discussions of the past rarely occurred in his company. He was sure something painful had happened between them, but he was entirely clueless as to what.

After a few minutes of compliments and welcomes, everyone took a seat at the table. A stab of jealousy hit Jack straight through the stomach as he watched Sam push her chair closer to Daniel. Why was she avoiding him? Why was she so scared to look him in the eye? Smiling vaguely at something Dr. Green was telling him, he wondered for the millionth time why she had left the team in the first place. No matter how many times Sam had spoken to him over the phone, she had never answered that simple question. And until she would, that question would continue to drill a hole inside his head.

Next to him, Teal’c suddenly got up from his seat.

“Teal’c?”

“O’Neill.”

“Where are you going?”

“I wish to ask Major Carter if she would accompany me on the dance floor.” Teal’c walked to the other side of the table and offered Sam an outstretched hand in a clear invitation to dance. When she nodded, Jack watched both of them as they walked towards the dance floor.

While Teal’c led her into a slow pace, Sam laid her head on his chest gently.

“Major Carter! You must remain conscious!” She heard Teal’c’s urgent voice yell at her. She tried to open her eyes but there was just too much blood. Her head rested on his chest, lolling from one side to the other as her entire body swayed with Teal’c’s long strides. Her CO’s voice seemed to rip through her mind, a burst of crackling noise shattering Sam’s foreboding. It took her a moment to realize that it was coming from the radio Teal’c held.

“Teal’c…report!”

“I have Major Carter, O’Neill, but she is still unconscious!”

“Shit!” A slight pause followed the exclamation. “Get her the hell out of there!”

Sam could hear the gasps in Teal’c’s voice, could feel them reverberate from deep within his chest. She knew he was exhausted by the way his chest heaved to take in more air.

“Major Carter! You must not give up! I will get you to safety-“ Suddenly, an explosion nearby rocked her out of her sleep and then she was falling...

Sam jerked abruptly. She looked around her as if shocked to find herself on a dance floor. She could feel the familiar pounding of her head.

“Major Carter, is there something wrong?”

“No…I-“ She stopped dancing for a moment and looked around in confusion. Trying not to look fanatical, she moved back into Teal’c’s arms and urged him to continue dancing “I’m fine Teal’c, I just have a headache.”

“Would you prefer to-“

“No Teal’c, let’s just keep dancing.”

“That’s it.” Jack put down his wine glass and got up from his seat.

“Jack?” Daniel asked.

Jack pointed to Sam and Teal’c on the dance floor. “Aliens! Pff! Just cause you watch Dirty Dancing doesn’t mean you’re Patrick Swayze. It’s time he learns a few dance moves from a pro!” And with that, Jack took off towards the dancing couple. As more and more people got up to dance, the table was emptied apart from two.

Janet was getting restless. “Daniel, what do you say we go dance for a bit. It’ll be fun, I promise.”

He looked up at her in shock, as if she had just asked him to climb Mount Everest.

“Oh don’t give me that look, Dr. Jackson. You are more than able to dance.” She was about to push her chair back when Daniel stopped her.

“I can’t, Janet.”

“Why?”

“Just…believe me. I can’t!”

“That’s not good enough, Daniel!”

“Janet…I’m not going out there.” But instead of the determined face she was so used to encountering, she saw something that shocked her. He had a look of fear in his eyes…as though he was running away from something he so wished he could embrace.

Janet sighed and pulled her chair back in. ‘Where had this fear of his come from?’ she wondered. Daniel had always been so strong with his beliefs, never second guessing himself. So what had changed? They both sat and watched the dancing couples in silence, allowing their thoughts to unfold…

Daniel struggled to stand up. The need to pee was suddenly so fierce that nothing else mattered. An abrupt noise behind him made him swivel around on his crutches, nearly making him lose his balance. Janet stared at him from a few feet away. She looked much smaller now that he was standing. Her face was stern and angry.

“Daniel, what did I tell you? You’re not strong enough to move around on your own yet,” she said firmly.

“I don’t need a doctor for this. My plumbing was fine the last time I checked!” Daniel said harshly.

“I am so sick of this, Daniel! I’m sick of arguing with you. Why won’t you let us help you? You can’t do it on your own!”

“Don’t tell me what I can or can’t do! You helped me this far and I thank you for that. But I don’t need your help anymore. I can go the rest of the way alone!” Daniel’s voice raised a notch.

“Fine! Let’s see how fast the amazing Dr. Jackson can get to the bathroom on his own. Go ahead…” Janet crossed her arms in front of her and motioned towards the door with her head. “I’m waiting!”

Daniel mumbled something under his breath and moved the crutches forward. He then let his weight fall on the wooden poles as he trusted his arms to hold the rest of him. Finally, his leg hit the floor but not without a bead of perspiration sliding down his forehead. He stopped to take another deep breath before swinging the crutches in front of him again. Grunting in pain, his body swung forward only by a few inches. With his foot once again back on the ground, his chest rose and fell as he panted heavily for breath. His arms quivered with exhaustion, not used to the force being exerted on them after having been bedridden for three weeks. Daniel saw Janet move forward out of the corner of his eye and stop a few steps behind him. She stood and observed anxiously, as though watching a baby take his first steps.

“Look, I told you…I don’t need your help!” he said with exasperation.

“Well I think you do but you’re just too stubborn to admit it!”

“Can this wait? I really need to-“ Suddenly, anger was replaced with panic as he realized that he wasn’t going to make it. He felt something let go deep inside and a warm wetness spread across the front of his cotton pants. He looked down at himself in horror as the stench of his own urine invaded his nostrils. Letting go of the crutches, he dropped boneless to the floor.

“Oh G-d!” he moaned. It was all too much and soon, dry hacking sobs escaped his lips. He pulled his arms over his head and cried aloud. Within seconds, he felt strong arms holding him, engulfing him in their warmth and protection. He let his head drop on her shoulder and allowed the tears to fall. The hot smell of urine reminded him of the shame he felt and he tried to jerk away but those strong hands clutched him close. “It’s okay, Daniel…It’s okay.” Janet stroked his hair and rocked him back and forth until the sobs subsided. “Let’s get you off the floor and have you change into some drier clothes.” This time, he didn’t protest as the nurses helped get him off the cold cement.

Janet looked up at Daniel. Was that the reason why he was so hesitant? Because he was scared he would embarrass himself again? Didn’t he understand that it was okay to fall? That nobody would think any less of him? A rush of determination spread through her as she grabbed Daniel’s hand and got up.

“Come on,” she told him firmly.

“Janet..I-“But before he could protest, he was already out of his chair and heading towards the dance floor.

“I don’t care about your excuses, Daniel. You’re not being a gentleman…letting a lady sit like that. I mean look at the colonel, he doesn’t have any rhythm and look at the fun he’s having.” Daniel glanced up only to see Jack moving robotically to the slow music being played. A laugh broke out from his lips and he immediately moved his head down to hide it from any onlookers. Grabbing one of his hands and putting it on her waist, Janet began to move to the music. “That’s right…you’re going to dance with me whether you like it or not!”

It took time for Daniel’s balance to get accustomed to the swaying motion, almost falling to the side on more than one occasion but Janet pretended not to notice and compensated for any loss of equilibrium. Within minutes, Daniel’s hands unclenched and his shoulders relaxed.

“See, you’re doing great,” Janet said with a smile.

Time seemed to stand still as the song played out to its totality. When the music stopped, Janet took his hand. “ I think they’re serving dinner.” Daniel nodded and followed her back to the table.

Conversation was light and relaxed as they received their salad plates. Sam glanced around the table and frowned. “Sir, when do I get to meet my replacement?”

Jack munched on a piece of lettuce and swallowed. “Who…McGuire? He’s taking some time off. Wife just gave birth. You wouldn’t like him anyway…” Jack took another large bite from his food.

“ Why not?”

“Because he’s nothing like Daniel.”

Sam forgot to breathe, speechless at the iciness of his tone. She watched him chew for a few moments as she tried to sort out her shocked emotions. Not Daniel?

“What the hell is that supposed to mean?” Sam barely moved as she stared at him intently. But before he could respond, a familiar voice beamed out. Sam looked up to see the general on stage, a microphone in his hand.

“I’d like to take this opportunity to welcome everybody. We have here a special guest tonight who is very eager to meet you. Ladies and Gentleman, I’d like to present to you our Secretary of Defense: Mr. Donald Rumsfeld,.”

Applause sounded out as a man with glasses and a crisp suit stepped forward and shook the general’s hand. He waited until the microphone was placed onto the podium stand before he began, “I would first like to begin by thanking you all for having me here tonight. I feel honoured just standing in the presence of such a wonderful group of people. My only regret is that the President could not be here to express his own appreciation. I can only hope that you accept my words as you would the President himself.” The man paused a moment before he continued, “You know, as a child, my mother had always told me, ‘Donald, anything is possible as long as you believe strongly enough.’ Of course, telling that to a young boy of five was something of a danger when he believed he could pilot a spaceship and fly it to other planets. But as I grew up, I had quickly learned the difference between science fiction and reality and I had come to believe that my mother was wrong. Of course, a year and a half ago, I was told of a military base in Colorado by the name of Stargate Command. ‘Stargate? What in G-d’s name was that?’ I thought to myself. And then I had the opportunity to see it with my very own eyes and I was suddenly reminded of that five year old boy I had once been. Looking at its glorious size, I remember thinking, ‘By G-d mom, you were right...anything is possible.’” He smiled to himself in a half dazed way as though the large circular device was standing right before him at that moment. Recovering from his reverie, he went on, “It is hard for me to put into words the pride that your country holds for you. Every day I receive a report of the new discoveries brought back from your excursions through the gate and I am amazed at how much we have already learned. From medicine and physics to new cultures and defenses, we have excelled in all aspects of knowledge. I am convinced that there is still much to be discovered from our vast universe and I have every confidence that you will continue to make your country proud.” The man smiled and stepped back from the podium as the audience broke into applause. It was a few moments later when General Hammond retook his position at the microphone.

“Thank you Mr. Secretary. We are all very honoured by your presence here tonight.” The general turned to face the rest of the audience. “Before I let you all enjoy the evening, I would like to say a few important words.” General Hammond cleared his throat briefly before continuing, “Looking around the room tonight, I am met with many familiar faces, those of you who have been there from the start. From nine SG teams to seventeen, we have grown together like a family. In my eyes, the Stargate program is something of a miracle and it continues to astonish me to this very day. I cannot say that I have ever been as proud of anyone as I am of all of you. You have fought hard for your country and have faced adversary with bravery and courage.” He took a moment to look down and when he continued, his voice quivered with emotion. “Although this benefit was initially to celebrate Stargate Command’s sixth year anniversary, I would be lying if I said it was the only reason we are gathered here tonight. Among you is a very special group of people whom I hold very dear. These individuals have excelled beyond the call of duty and therefore, must be recognized and rewarded for their heroism. Their journey began six years ago, strangers to one another, but through the years, they learned to grow together as a unit and soon became a family of sorts. They have not only risked their lives on numerous occasions to protect our planet, but they have faced tremendous obstacles and fought together to overcome each one. I can honestly say that without these four individuals, the Stargate Program would not be as we know it today.” General Hammond paused to turn and face a table to his left. “I thank you for all that you have done for us. Your journey together as SG-1 may have ended but the map you have left behind will never be forgotten. So, Colonel Jonathan O’Neill, Dr./Major Samantha Carter, Dr. Daniel Jackson and Teal’c, if you would please come up, we have something for you.” The general smiled, tears glistening in his eyes.

Sam couldn’t believe what she was hearing. She looked at her former CO and was surprised to see the same shocked expression. ‘So he hadn’t known either,’ she thought. She remained seated until she felt Janet’s hand on her arm urging her to stand up. Her friend was standing and clapping, a warm smile on her face. Sam finally stood only to realize that everyone around her was standing and clapping as well. Daniel suddenly appeared next to her, an expression on his face mirroring her own. He took her hand in his and pulled her forward towards the stage. She climbed the steps in a daze until she was standing face to face with the Secretary of Defense. He offered his hand out to her and she accepted it blindly. He shook her hand with a firm grip. She wasn’t even aware that he had let go until she felt the general’s hand take its place. “Congratulations, Major. I am honoured to have had you serve under my command.” He addressed her with a tender heart, his eyes alight as he talked. Sam suddenly felt a stinging sensation swell up in her eyes. She looked back to see Jack and the rest of her former team taking their turn to shake the Secretary’s hand as well.

The general spoke into the microphone once again. “On behalf of the United States government and the SGC, we would like to present you this plaque. It is the least we can do to thank you for all that you have done.” He raised a large plaque and handed it to her. She took it and carefully read the front.

We present this plaque to Major Samantha Carter for her excellence and leadership in her duties serving the United States military.

She smiled and watched as Daniel accepted a plaque of his own.

“Because of your outstanding accomplishments under Stargate Command, it was under my recommendation that SG-1’s number be retired. No other SG team will ever hold the name ‘SG-1’ again. It will forever be remembered as your team, Colonel O’Neill,” General Hammond addressed his second in command.

“Thank you, sir.”

General Hammond nodded and continued, “And now, I’d like everyone to enjoy the rest of the night. Thank you!”

“Thank you,” Daniel repeated the words for what felt like the hundredth time. People he recognized and even those he didn’t were approaching him and congratulating him on his award. He couldn’t say he actually liked the attention he was getting. Although he felt honoured by General Hammond’s words, he would have much preferred to have accepted the plaque in a less crowded environment.

In order to avoid further conversation with those around him, Daniel excused himself and walked back to his table. On his way, he heard a slurred voice congratulate him.

“Thank you,” he began as he turned around to face the speaker. Piercing brown eyes stared back at him and Daniel suddenly froze. The man’s face was almost unrecognizable, with facial burns ranging from one cheek to the other. His mouth and neck were marked by large scars while half of his scalp was free of hair only to be replaced by more burns and red blotches. The only part of his face left intact were his eyes…

Those eyes…they looked so familiar…

It took him a while to realize that the man was offering him his hand. Daniel watched as it shook violently, but before he could offer his own, a woman approached them and grabbed the man’s arm.

“What did I tell you about running off? I told you to stay by me the whole night, didn’t I?” She pulled him closer to her as though he were a small child who had just been caught doing something wrong.

“I’m sorry…” The man’s voice was garbled, sounding similar to that of a mentally handicapped person.

“Sometimes he likes to go off on his own even though he knows he shouldn’t.” The woman smiled at Daniel as she urged the impaired man to walk with her towards a table nearby.

Daniel stood alone, feeling wooden from the encounter. Who was that man and why did he look so familiar? He couldn’t think of anyone he knew who was both mentally and physically handicapped. Then why was there still a nagging feeling in his mind that he knew this person? Trying to rid his mind from his thoughts, Daniel made his way back to his table and sat down next to Sam.

“Daniel, is something wrong?” she asked.

“No…I…” Daniel looked up to get another glance of the strange man from across the room. The man’s peculiar brown eyes were fixed on him once again, making him squirm in his chair much to his own chagrin. Even while the woman helped him in his seat, the man’s gaze would not leave Daniel.

“Who is that?” Sam asked, trying her best to avert her eyes away as the woman placed a bib over the handicapped man’s tuxedo.

“I’m not sure but …” Daniel’s voice trailed off.

“Daniel?”

“Oh my G-d!” Daniel felt his muscles go slack, his insides turned to water. Those eyes…he remembered them now…they had stared at him once before in the same exact way... those eyes had watched him as the men…as he…as he was being…

Daniel could feel his hand begin to shake as a new tremor took control of his motor system and he suddenly felt a cold wetness spread along his hand. When he saw Sam jump out of her seat with an exclamation, he looked down to find an overturned glass of water spilling its contents along the table. He quickly grabbed a napkin and began to dab at the mess.

“Damn! I’m sorry,” he said as he dabbed nervously with the napkin.

“Daniel, it’s okay.” Sam’s eyebrows creased as she watched Daniel grab more and more napkins in a panic. “Daniel, don’t worry, it was just a spill.” But Daniel continued to clean, his hands still trembling.

“I need more napkins.” His whispered voice rose to a strained, trembling pitch. He continued in a spurt of words. “I’ll get more napkins.” Daniel got up and quickly left the table. He could hear Sam calling his name but he chose to ignore her.

Passing by the table that was occupied by the disabled man, Daniel craned his head to read the name card.

MAJOR CRAIG JENKINS

The words seemed to wash away any last lingering doubt. It was him. Daniel’s chest felt as though it was full of broken glass, sharp cold splinters digging into his heart. He had always been under the impression that SG-1 had been the only survivors. Why hadn’t anybody told him that Major Jenkins had survived? Anger and frustration quickened Daniel’s pace as he made his way to the bar. Grabbing a dozen or so napkins, he jumped when he heard a voice in front of him.

“Can I get you anything, sir?” The bartender was staring at him curiously. “It looks like you could use a drink.”

Daniel considered the offer, feeling the need to get his emotions in check.

“I’ll have a glass of white wine please.” Daniel was shocked at the sound of his own voice. No matter how much he tried, he couldn’t stop himself from shaking. Taking the glass from the man facing him, he finished its contents in three large gulps. He put down the glass and ordered a scotch.

Jack glanced around the large hall looking for any sign of Daniel. He frowned when he spotted the younger man among a small crowd surrounding the bar. He was holding an alcoholic beverage which Jack recognized to be a glass of scotch. He watched in surprise as Daniel downed the liquid without a second’s delay. This was unlike the Daniel he had known for the last five and a half years. Daniel was a cheap date, always had been and always would be…at least that’s what Jack had always believed. Daniel barely ever drank, and when he did, it was when he had been off-world and had wanted to avoid insulting the natives who were offering him their hospitality.

“Daniel’s being quite the party animal tonight,” he pointed out.

“What do you mean?” Janet asked.

“Look at him go at the bar.”

Jack watched as the bartender put three shots down in front of Daniel.

“Well, I guess he just wants to loosen up.”

“Yeah, let’s just hope he’s not Gumbi by the end of the night.”

“Sir, mind if I take a look?” Janet’s eyes were focused on his plaque sitting on the table. Jack picked it up and handed it to her. He watched her smile in deep thought as she caressed the lettering with her fingers. “It really was something special, wasn’t it?” she asked.

“What?”

“SG-1.” Janet suddenly looked straight at him, her lips quivering slightly.

“Yeah…” Jack felt his heart clench deep inside, pushing forth the hurt that never seemed to want to go away. He couldn’t think about this now. Damn her for bringing it up. With a deep breath, he managed to harness his emotions as he’d harnessed such feelings in the past.

“I miss them so much,” Janet continued.

“Doc…I really don’t want to talk about this right now.” He was clearly getting irritated with the subject of conversation. Jack excused himself, got up and began to head towards the bar. From across the room, he could see Sam’s figure making her way to the same destination.

Daniel lifted yet another glass to his mouth and tilted his head back. He swallowed the liquid in one go, allowing the heat to course down his throat, warming his entire thorax in the process. He slammed the shot glass down onto the wooden surface of the bar.

“Five more of those please,” Daniel said, his eyes still closed from the effects of the alcohol he had just consumed. He shook his head in an attempt to clear his mind.

Daniel opened his eyes to see five more shot glasses lined up in front of him. He reached out for the first one and whipped his head back downing another shot of liquid. He scrunched up his face in an attempt to stave off the burning sensation and reached for another. One by one, he swallowed the contents in each glass until only one remained. He took a big breath allowing himself to wait out the all-consuming dizziness that had suddenly taken him by surprise. Leaning more heavily against the bar, he grasped the last glass. But before he could raise it to his lips, a hand took hold of his wrist.

“Daniel, what are you doing?” Sam’s face suddenly appeared.

“I’m drinking, Sam.”

“Why?”

“Because it’s a party. People drink at a party.” His voice sounded foreign to him, as though his lips refused to form the sounds his brain demanded from them.

“Daniel, you’re drunk.” Sam was frowning at him but Daniel didn’t care. Instead, he looked down at the hand that remained clamped to his wrist.

“Sam, let go.”

“I don’t think you should be drinking anymore, Daniel. You’ve had enough.”

“Sam…” He was getting aggravated now.

“How many drinks has he had already?” Another familiar voice materialized beside him. Daniel’s head felt heavy and he didn’t have the energy to look up but, it didn’t take him long to recognize that the voice belonged to Jack.

“He had a glass of wine, a couple of scotches and about ten or twelve shots.” He heard the bartender answer. Daniel felt a firm hand on his shoulder.

“Alright, Daniel. Time to go. Party’s over.”

“Jack, let go of me.” His voice was slurred slightly.

“Carter, you want to grab him on the other side?” Jack was clearly ignoring him. He felt Sam grab him by the other arm and soon he was being pulled forward. His head began to spin with the sudden movement and he groaned inwardly. He tried to pull his arms free but their hold on him was secure. He felt his legs being dragged along the floor.

“Jack, let me go!” When he got no response, he became more vocal. “Jack… LET GO!” He could suddenly feel the people all around staring at him and a rush of heat rose to his cheeks. He quieted down and allowed himself to be pulled until he felt the cool night air hit his face. Suddenly, a flash of crimson assaulted his vision and he was on his hands and knees. It took him a few seconds to realize that someone was rubbing soft circles on his back.

His lips were wet and a strong stench permeated the air around him. Daniel looked down only to realize that he had thrown up. He tried to push himself away from the mess but Sam held him in place.

“Daniel, you have to let it all out,” he heard her whisper.

He wanted to tell her that he was okay, but a sudden onslaught of bile rose in his throat, and he couldn’t get the words out. More liquid spurted out of his mouth making him choke on the smell.

“That’s it…let it out, Daniel.”

Daniel continued to cough until his lungs burned with the effort and nothing more could come out. He moaned and was about to wipe his mouth with his sleeve until some rational part of his brain reminded him that the tux he was wearing would eventually have to be returned. Instead, he remained still as he panted for breath. When his breathing sounded more regular to his own ears, he began to spit out the bad taste left in his mouth.

“Are you okay?”

Daniel nodded, taking turns breathing and spitting.

“Can you get up?”

Daniel spat one last time and then nodded. Sam held onto his arm and together, they managed to get him back on his feet, albeit with considerable effort. Accepting a handkerchief from Sam, he wiped his mouth and followed Jack’s voice.

“Yeah, it’s a green Ford F-250 truck.” Jack told the young man who was standing next to a rack of keys. Jack glanced behind him to see Sam leaning over Daniel as he vomited in the bushes. “You want to move it?” Jack snapped when he realized that the man was staring at the scene playing out in front of him. The young man jumped at his harsh tone, grabbed a set of keys and hurried off in search of Jack’s vehicle. Jack shook his head and watched as the archaeologist was just starting a second round. Seeing all that spewing liquid coming out, Jack couldn’t believe the amount of alcohol Daniel had consumed in what couldn’t have been more than a span of twenty minutes.

What the hell was wrong with him?

“What is the matter with DanielJackson?” Jack looked up to see Teal’c and Janet jogging towards them.

“Nothing to worry about, Teal’c. Danny just had one too many drinks for the night and he’s leaving now.”

“Jack, I’m fine.” Daniel’s voice was quiet.

“Daniel, you can barely stand. Carter, you want to grab his coat while I wait for the car?” Sam nodded and headed back inside.

“Jack…”

“Don’t argue with me, Daniel. You’re leaving, even if I personally have to see to it. We can do this the civilized way, or the haul-your scrawny-ass-over-my-shoulder-way. Makes no difference to me, either way suits me just fine.” Tension hung in the air as Jack’s green truck pulled to a stop. The young man got out of the car and handed Jack the keys. Jack opened the passenger door and motioned for Daniel to get in. Reluctantly, the younger man sighed and climbed into the back with quite a bit of difficulty.

“Do you want me to come with you?”

“No thanks, Doc. No point in cutting the party short for everybody.” Janet nodded. Not two seconds later, Sam reappeared from the building with Daniel’s coat. Spotting him sitting in the back of the truck, she automatically climbed in next to her friend.

“O’Neill, I would like to leave as well.”

“Teal’c…,” but before Jack could finish, the Jaffa was already opening the car door and getting into the front seat. “…never mind…I wasn’t going to say anything important anyway.” Jack waved at Janet and got into the driver’s seat.

Jack pressed harder on the gas and looked at the rear view mirror. Daniel’s head was lolling from side to side as the car made its way down the highway. His eyes were half closed and his head flopped around along with the car’s movements.

“Yup…shouldn’t have said that Gumbi comment,” Jack mumbled to himself tartly.

“Jack, where are we going?” Daniel asked wearily.

“My house.” Seeing Daniel’s lips about to move, Jack was quick to jump back in. “Ah! I don’t want to hear it, Daniel. You’re going to sleep in my guest room. And don’t worry about clothes…” Jack quickly added, knowing his friend’s next question. “…you’ll borrow.” Jack watched smugly as Daniel’s mouth closed in defeat.

“So Carter…you comin’ over too?”

“Well..sir…I-“

“Oh come on, it’ll be fine. I’ll lend you some clothes to sleep in. And besides, Teal’c’s going to sleep over too, right?”

Teal’c merely raised an eyebrow.

“Good!” Jack said before Teal’c’s expression could be interpreted as something other than an acceptance to the invitation.

“But sir, what about the hotel?”

“Forget about it for tonight. I mean, look at Daniel!” Both pairs of eyes focused on the archaeologist who was slumped to the side, his face pressed up against the car window, sound asleep. Sam frowned at the sight.

“Good…it’s settled then. Sleep over at my place.” Jack smiled to himself.

Sam heard Jack grunt under Daniel’s weight as he and Teal’c assisted the barely conscious archaeologist to the guest room upstairs. Sam cleared away any obstacles on the way as the three behind her slowly made their way up the stairs step by step. Looking back, she could tell that Daniel was trying his best to help them out, but in her opinion, he wasn’t helping much.

“Daniel, how much did you drink?” Sam mumbled bitterly under her breath. She really didn’t want an answer and she didn’t get one. Sam couldn’t help but feel a tinge of anger. Daniel had been irresponsible tonight. He had promised her that he would be there for her and if getting drunk and throwing up was his way of showing his support, then she didn’t want to have anything to do with it.

When they finally made it to the guest room, they eased Daniel into a sitting position on the bed.

“Daniel…are you capable of getting ready for bed or do you need our help with that too?” Sam winced at her own tone, her words coming out as though she was addressing a wayward child. Daniel seemed to catch onto the anger in her voice and he looked up at her with a surprised expression.

The sound of footsteps from outside grew louder until the door opened to reveal her former CO. Jack stepped inside holding a pair of boxers and a white T-shirt. “Special delivery for a drunk and confused Dr. Jackson.” He threw the clothes onto Daniel’s lap, his expression that of annoyance. Sam could tell he was none too pleased with Daniel’s performance tonight either. “Carter, Teal’c…why don’t we give the man some privacy while I get you both settled for the night?”

Sam nodded and followed Teal’c into the hallway, closing the door behind her. Jack brought them to another door leading to a second guest room.

“Carter, this is your room so make yourself comfortable. There’s a bathroom just across the hall. I’ll get you a change of clothes to sleep in. Teal’c…with me.” He motioned with his hand for Teal’c to follow. Sam smiled in gratitude and turned to glance at the room. It was quite large and there was a single bed close to the far wall. Sam sighed aloud. Why had she agreed to spend the night here when all of her stuff was sitting comfortably inside her hotel room? Leaning down, one by one she took off her high heels and wiggled her toes. It felt good to be rid of the stiletto heels. A knock on the door startled her. She rose to her feet and opened the door. Jack stood in the hall holding a large T-shirt and a pair of sweatpants. A nice smile occupied his face.

“I hope these are okay. Just let me know if they’re too big.” He handed her the clothes and she accepted them gratefully. As he gave them to her, their fingers lightly brushed one another. Instead of ignoring the intimate contact, Jack continued to brush one of her fingers with his thumb, his eyes focused on her the entire time. “You know…I’m really glad you’re here tonight. I’ve been meaning to talk to you about-“

“Sir…” Sam interrupted him before he could say anything more. She couldn’t bring herself to play their game anymore, the game of frozen feelings and constant restraint. “…I really think I need to get some sleep.” She watched as his hand retracted from her own. He smiled, but even that simple gesture seemed strained to her.

“Goodnight, Carter. Don’t sleep too late…don’t want to miss my famous pancakes in the morning, now do you?”

Sam smiled and shook her head. “I guess not, sir,” she said. “Thank you, sir.”

Sam closed the door after him and sighed. She could feel her heart thumping heavily inside her chest, like a prisoner pounding on his cage. She wished she could talk to him again…like they used to…but tonight was not a good time. Too many things were on her mind and she needed to sleep it off.

Tomorrow, they would talk.

Suppressing a yawn, Sam reached behind her. Her fingers brushed against her scars and a shudder suddenly made its way down her body. Trying to ignore the bumpy terrain that was her skin, Sam reached for her buttons. When the first eight were undone, she slipped the gown down her body and stepped out of it cautiously. Finding a hanger, she hung it up in the empty closet. Sam put on the sweatpants and T-shirt and made her way to the bathroom across the hall. Taking the soap in her hands, she washed her face thoroughly rubbing her eyes with extra care to make sure she got rid of all the mascara. When she was satisfied with her task, she rinsed her mouth and went back to bed.

Sam glanced nervously to her left, trying her hardest to forget about the hand that was roughly shoving her forward. The darkness accompanying them that night was making it harder for her to see the source of the whimpering beside her. A scrawny looking man in his mid seventies was crying and shouting words in a dialect that she could not recognize. His voice wavered as his skinny frame quivered with anxiety. For each sob, the man would receive a blow to the head. But even so, he continued to struggle against the guard holding him. The look of fear on the stranger’s face told her all she needed to know: wherever it was they were headed was not going to be any place pleasant.

Sam’s eyes moved to her right where they met with Daniel’s. He too had noticed the panic-stricken man next to her. Despite the darkness, Sam could tell that Daniel was frightened. She could see it in his eyes. He probably knew where they were going. He probably knew what was going to happen. Daniel understood the Goa’uld language spoken by the people on this G-d forsaken planet. However, there was something else she saw in his eyes.

Guilt.

Daniel was feeling guilty.

But how could she tell him that it was not his fault that they had gotten caught…that there was nothing wrong in simply wanting to survive?! ?

Sam looked ahead and still saw nothing. It was too dark to identify anything other than a few scarce trees. However, she *did* notice the bitter cold surrounding her body and in response, wrapped her arms around herself to provide further warmth. Through the darkness, Sam could vaguely see that they were nearing a body of water of some kind. A hand on her shoulder suddenly forced her to stop walking.

//Greit’ak!//

The order was said harshly by one of the guards. Still unable to understand the dialect, Sam looked to Daniel for help.

//Greit’ak!//

The guard repeated the order once again, moving forward menacingly as if that simple act would make them comply. The sick man was the first to take action. With hands shaking violently, he took off his thin top and shivered in the cold. Daniel looked at her and mouthed the translation slowly so that she could understand.

‘Strip’.

Sam’s heart sank. She watched in horror as Daniel began to take off his own clothes. The guard, seeing that she still hadn’t moved, yelled the order to her once again. A wave of anger crashed over her heart. They had already violated her once, she sure as hell wasn’t going to let that happen again! With all her determination, Sam shook her head defiantly.

“Sam-“ Daniel’s plea was interrupted by a cry of pain. She looked in his direction only to see Daniel on his knees, his hands supporting his stomach.

Within seconds, she felt a crashing pain in the pit of her stomach too and soon she was on the ground next to Daniel, panting in pain.

//GREIT’AK!!!// Fingers grabbed hold of her hair and pulled her up until she was on her feet again. When she still didn’t comply, the fingers pulled her head back even more violently. With no alternate solution, Sam started to undress. When she began pulling off her top, the fingers in her hair thankfully let go and she was free to pull the thin material over her head. Within minutes, Sam was only in her bra, now worn out and brown with dirt due to overuse. Glancing at Daniel, she could see that he was already nude, his hands covering his groin. Sam immediately looked away and reached behind her to undo the clasp on her bra. She felt her breasts fall and threw the bra to the ground. When her underwear joined the rest of her clothes, Sam felt her cheeks grow red with heat despite the cold wind. She hated feeling so exposed…so vulnerable. She could see that Daniel was averting his eyes away from her…giving her the privacy she needed. She smiled inwardly with gratitude.

The sick man was whimpering even more now, his entire body trembling.

//Ralt’ak!// The same hand on her back was now shoving her forward and soon her feet were touching the lake water. She jumped back with dread when she realized just how cold it was. They would surely freeze to death! But the guard wouldn’t have any of it and with a grunt, he pushed her so hard she lost her balance and fell forward. She landed in the water with a splash, surprised that it was not shallow. An involuntary gasp left her lips as the cold water seeped into her skin. She could hear two similar splashes next to her. Her teeth chattered violently as she struggled to keep her head afloat.

Sam treaded water, forcing her limbs to move despite the freezing cold. She knew if they didn’t get out soon, they would surely die of hypothermia. But the weapons aimed at their heads were reason enough to believe that they were not going anywhere. Daniel’s eyes were fixed on hers in silent encouragement. She let her lips curve into a faint smile as she refused to break eye contact with him. He was all she had right now. Whether they would die that night or not, she was glad she had him by her side.

Sam was finding it harder and harder to breathe. Even though she knew she was still treading water, she was unaware of her legs moving under her. Her limbs were growing numb and she was soon conscious of the fact that her teeth were clicking together even louder now. ‘Not good,’ she thought.

After approximately five minutes, she began to hear panicked splashes from her left and she watched in horror as the sick man was in the midst of drowning. His head bobbed in and out of the water as his hands thrashed out in an attempt to grab hold of anything that could serve as support.

Soon, the man’s head no longer broke the surface and there was nothing but calm water.

Before she could do anything, Daniel was already there, taking a deep breath and immersing himself under water. The moment his head disappeared, she could hear the guards yelling orders at each other. Sam tried to ignore them as she desperately searched for Daniel through the black water. Finally, Daniel re-emerged holding the weak man who was still alive but barely so. Sam’s moment of relief was short-lived. One of the guards pointed his weapon at her head and addressed Daniel.

//Gelt’an kree!// When Daniel didn’t obey, Sam could hear the staff weapon next to her ear activate. With dread, she watched as Daniel reluctantly let go of the man. She could see Daniel close his eyes in dismay as the old man sank into the black liquid without a struggle.

Daniel’s face was strained as he swam to the shore and got out of the water, his entire body trembling from the cold. The moment his feet touched solid ground, a fist contacted Daniel’s face. Daniel’s head whipped back, his footing altered slightly by the blow. When Daniel regained his balance, he stared back at the Jaffa with rage burning in his eyes.

“You son of a bitch! That man did nothing to you!” Daniel spat in English, knowing the Jaffa would not understand him.

“Daniel, don’t!” Sam yelled at her friend. Now was not the time to toy with their captors.

The Jaffa facing Daniel nodded his head at the two other Jaffa. They moved forward at his command and grabbed Daniel’s arms, pulling them back at a painful angle.

“Oh yeah…I didn’t see that one coming,” Daniel said, the anger lacing his words.

Sam turned away when she heard the sound of a fist contacting bone and the grunt of pain that followed. When she looked back, Daniel was still upright and struggling against the guards holding him. There was a trail of blood marking its way down from his nose.

“He was drowning!” Daniel continued.

“Daniel!” Sam pleaded again with him, her lips still trembling from the freezing cold water.

Another hit.

“Sam…get out of here!!!” Daniel croaked in pain. When he saw that she hadn’t moved he yelled again. “SAM, GO!”

The Jaffa, who did not understand what Daniel had said, payed no attention to her.

“GO!!!” Daniel repeated desperately.

Sam began to swim away, forcing her arms to pull her forward despite the fact that they were dead weights in the water. She was careful not to attract any attention to herself as she continued to gain distance. Thankfully, no one had noticed her escape.

When she was far enough from shore, Sam couldn’t help but glance back at her friend in concern. The Jaffa now had him by the shoulders as he brought up a metal clad knee, catching Daniel directly in the face with its impact. It was the most frightening thing to see the effect the blow had on Daniel’s body. He went down hard, his limbs taking on a rag doll quality. Helpless against the onslaught, Daniel was lifted upright between the two Jaffa. His head hung forward lifelessly, red blood spurting down his bare chest.

It was the last image Sam saw of her friend before she forced her body to swim away…

Sam jerked awake, her eyes burning with tears. A hand was on her shoulder.

“Carter…Carter, look at me!”

Sam’s head turned to face the voice. It was Jack. His face was filled with worry. She looked around and a moment of panic hit her as she could not recognize where she was.

“It’s okay…you’re in my guest room, remember? You were having a nightmare.” Sam could feel her heart rate begin to slow and her shoulders relax. “You okay?”

“Yeah,” she answered softly. “What time is it?”

“Time to go back to sleep. It’s two-thirty in the morning. You want to tell me what that was all about?”

“I guess I was having a nightmare.”

“About…?”

“I can’t remember.” She lied. She could tell by his face that he didn’t believe her but was thankful when he didn’t press the issue any further.

“ ’Night, Carter.”

“Goodnight, sir.”

Jack turned off the lights and closed the door behind him. When she found herself alone again, Sam rolled over and sighed. A single tear had escaped her eye without her noticing. She brushed it away quickly, ashamed that a stupid flashback taking the form of a dream could spook her out so immensely.

Sam sighed again and sat up in bed. This was not going to work. She needed a glass of water. Getting up, Sam quietly left her room until her eyes fell upon the door adjacent to her own. For some reason, her feet took her in its direction, apparently intent on checking on Daniel. She softly approached the door and turned the doorknob gently. The room was dark and it took a few moments for her eyes to adjust. Tiptoeing inside, Sam stood next to the bed and examined her friend. Taking a step forward, she felt her leg hit something solid. When she saw what it was she had tripped on, she bent down and touched it gently. Sam allowed her fingers to trace the contours of the object. The rubber was smooth under her caress. She examined it with awe, amazed at how real it looked. A feeling of guilt robbed her of her rational judgement and she pulled her hand away at once. She had no right to touch it. ‘It should have been me,’ she thought as she felt her eyes begin to burn. She looked at Daniel again and took another step towards him. She wanted to see for the first time the damage that had been done to him. It wasn’t that she hadn’t seen the injury before, but it would be the first time she would see it without any bandages or gauze covering the evidence.

Sam reached hesitantly for the comforter and pulled it down slowly. Daniel didn’t move as she uncovered more and more of his body. Finally, when she reached his waist, she pulled the cover down with one final swoop. Her knees suddenly weak, Sam had to sit down on the edge of the bed, her heart playing catch with her stomach. Her eyes would never get used to the sight. She stared at the rounded edge of skin that stopped at his thigh, the only proof that a leg had once occupied the space. Unable to stop herself, Sam reached out and brushed her fingertips lightly over the skin, taking in Janet’s craftsmanship that had left Daniel with minimal scarring. Her fingers then outlined the indentations on his thigh. The marks were red and deep and she wondered if Daniel’s prosthetic limb was fitted too tight. Picking up the rubber leg from where she had examined it, Sam felt the rough outline on the top that was made to fit around Daniel’s thigh. In the morning, she’d ask him about it but in the meantime, she just wanted to watch him sleep.

Sam opened heavy eyelids in response to the commotion next to her. She caught a quick glimpse at the clock on the wall. 2:20 a.m. This was going to be her third day in the infirmary and her second night being awoken by doctors yelling orders and machines beeping their facts. ‘Probably a new patient,’ she thought. Her mind still not sharp due to the drugs she had been given, it took Sam a few moments to take in her last thought. ‘A new patient… Could it be Daniel? Could he have escaped?’ Sam’s heart thudded with excitement as she used both her hands to push her body forward. She groaned inwardly when she felt shooting needles fly down her back despite the morphine. Lying on her stomach, Sam was finding it hard to see with half her face hidden in her pillow. She craned her neck further but was disappointed to find that the curtain was surrounding most of the source of the hubbub. From her angle, she could only catch a slight glimpse at the patient’s lower body. Her heart sank when she realized that it wasn’t Daniel. The man next to her was missing a leg. Although Sam knew she should feel for the patient whose life would probably change forever, frustration at the fact that it was not her missing friend seemed to take priority.

Sam closed her eyes and tried to block out the noises around her.

“He’s burning up, Dr. Fraiser”

“What’s his temp?”

“105.8 degrees.”

“BP?”

“90 over 60.”

Sam could see the man’s entire body shaking

“He’s going into septic shock!”

Sam turned her head to the other side and squeezed her eyes even tighter.

‘Too much blood and death,’ Sam thought miserably to herself. In fact, she was getting sick of it all. She just wanted nothing more than to get out of this place.

Although Sam knew she should try and fall back asleep, sleep would not come.

Sam felt helpless here knowing that Daniel was still out there on the planet. It wasn’t that she didn’t trust General Hammond to make the right decision but she had a feeling that a rescue mission for one man was highly irrational. In the meantime, she had to focus on the positive…like the fact that her own CO had gone against the odds and had survived despite both Janet and Dr. Warner telling her it was highly unlikely he’d make it through the night. Teal’c, on the other hand, was fairing much better than herself and Colonel O’Neill…all thanks to his symbiote of course. He had come to see her many times between her bouts of unconsciousness. He had also been optimistic about Daniel, reminding her that he was a survivor. She had simply nodded her head at the comment, but her mind *knew* the truth. It was impossible to survive there.

Noises brought her out of her reverie. She turned her head to the side. The occupant on the bed was still shaking, his body wet from the sponge bath they had no doubt given him in. Sam felt for him.

Sam forced herself to close her eyes. However, not two seconds later, they shot open again, a scream caught at the back of her throat… Janet’s next words would haunt her forever:

“Don’t you give up on me, Daniel!”

Daniel!

Sam’s eyes snapped open when she felt a firm pressure on her shoulder. Confusion settled in when she focused on familiar blue eyes.

“Daniel?”

“Yeah…you were having a nightmare.”

“What are you doing in my bed?”

“Ah…Sam, shouldn’t I be asking you that question?”

Sam looked around only to find that she was not in the room Jack had assigned her. She was currently in Daniel’s bed, her body under the covers along with his. It took a few seconds until she remembered her little field trip the night before.

Sam looked at Daniel and relaxed herself. She was pleased to note that he didn’t seem the least bit uncomfortable despite the fact that he wasn’t wearing his prosthetic limb.

“I don’t remember falling asleep here,” Sam muttered more to herself than to her friend.

Daniel smiled. “Well you can imagine my shock when I woke up to someone snoring in my bed.”

“I don’t snore!”

“Sam, you’ve been living in denial for six years now. It’s time to face the …Hey!” Daniel laughed when he received a playful hit to his chest. Stilling suddenly, he closed his eyes and sniffed loudly. “Hey, do you smell that?”

“What?”

“Does that smell like pancakes to you?”

Sam’s stomach grumbled in agreement.

“I guess that’s a yes…” Daniel laughed. “You ready to get up?”

“Not yet.” Sam yawned and moved her body closer to Daniel’s, revelling in the warmth of his friendship. Sam was shocked when she felt his arms embrace her and hold her close. The Daniel she had known for the last six years had never been one to offer physical comfort. She had always dated that back to his childhood. With no parents, Daniel had probably never been exposed to much physical contact in his early years. Either way, she was glad that he was opening up, even if it was only through action rather than talk.

“I’m so sorry about last night, Sam. I don’t know what got into me.”

“Daniel-“

“No, hear me out, Sam. I guess I was just a little overwhelmed. I guess being there, among all those familiar faces made me feel… insecure.”

“Daniel, it’s normal to feel like that after what we have gone through. But-“

“Yes, I know I was wrong to turn to the alcohol. But the truth is, I have no idea what came over me. I don’t even like scotch!” Sam remained silent, unsure of what to tell him. She didn’t know why he had acted that way either. “There’s more…” The tone in Daniel’s voice told her that what he was about to say was important. She turned her body around so that she was now facing him. “Sam, why didn’t anybody tell me that Jenkins made it out?”

“Major Jenkins? Daniel, he didn’t make it out.”

“Yes he did, Sam. He was there last night…at the banquet.” Sam paused and creased her eyebrows in concentration. She couldn’t remember seeing him there. “He was hardly recognizable, Sam. It was terrible. I don’t know how he survived. His face was marred by burns.”

“Oh my G-d…that was Jenkins?!” Sam remembered seeing the injured man from across the room.

“How did he get out, Sam? And why didn’t anybody tell us?”

“I don’t know.” Suddenly, everything seemed to make sense about Daniel’s behaviour.

A sudden knock on the door caught their attention.

“Come in!” Daniel called.

Teal’c opened the door and poked his head in. It seemed to take him a moment to acknowledge the sight of Sam in Daniel’s bed before he spoke.

“O’Neill has prepared pancakes for breakfast.”

“Thanks, Teal’c. We’ll be right down.” Teal’c nodded and left, closing the door behind him. “I hope he doesn’t think we were-“ Daniel began.

“Daniel!” Sam exclaimed in shock.

“What?”

“How could you suggest that?”

“Never mind. Come on, let’s get downstairs.” Sam nodded and got up. Daniel pushed himself to the edge of the bed and looked up at his friend.

“Um, Sam…do you think you can pass me my-“ Daniel’s voice was quiet as he motioned for his prosthetic limb. She picked up the leg and handed it to him, making sure she looked away as he prepared to put it on.

“I’ll meet you downstairs, Daniel.”

“Wait, Sam…” She looked back at him. “Can you possibly ask Jack for a pair of sweat pants?” Sam looked down at the pair of boxers that he was presently showcasing.

“Sure, Daniel.”

“Thanks!”

Daniel waited a few minutes until Sam came back with a pair of pants for him to wear. He thanked her again and waited until she left the room before he proceeded to put them on.

Sam smiled as she stared at the table in front of her. The kitchen table was set for four. A plate of hot pancakes sat in the middle of it all, their aroma permeating the entire house.

“Smells great, sir.” She took a seat next to Teal’c.

“Did you expect anything less of me, Carter?” Jack smiled and put another plate piled with more pancakes on the table. “So… is Daniel going to bless us with his presence this morning?”

“I’m here, Jack.” Daniel’s voice was accompanied by heavy footsteps down the stairs.

“Take a seat and eat up.”

Daniel sat down at the table and reached for one of the plates.

“So, how’s the hangover, Daniel?”

“Actually, it’s pretty much non-existent. I guess my little bout of nausea last night wasn’t such a bad deal after all.”

Jack finally joined them at the table. He watched his teammates eat in silence, only the occasional compliment regarding the pancakes muttered here and there. Jack’s mind wandered back to a time when he couldn’t get his team to shut up. The camaraderie among the four of them had been special: his constant banters with Daniel, Carter’s intellectual discussions with Teal’c…he missed it all. Looking at the people around him that morning, they seemed to be mostly strangers to him now. In addition to his current thoughts, there was still something nibbling away at the back of his mind. Although he didn’t want to, he knew he had to bring it up for discussion. They didn’t have the time to ignore the subject any further. With all of his resolve, Jack brought forth the matter at hand.

“So…has anyone given thought yet to Hammond’s request?” Three pairs of eyes suddenly looked up from their plates, apparently the subject matter had taken them by surprise. Just as he had expected, nobody said a word. Instead, he heard Sam’s fork fall on her plate.

“I’ll do it, sir,” she announced aloud.

“Good,” Jack said.

“I will take part as well,” Teal’c said.

All eyes suddenly turned to Daniel.

“Five people’s lives are at stake, right?”

“Right,” Jack answered.

“Then we don’t really have much of a choice here, do we? I’m in.”

Jack smiled. For a second, it felt as though he was back in the company of his old team again. Another moment of silence passed until he continued. “Look, this is going to be a little different from before. As much as I love a geek with a PhD, no offense Daniel, I didn’t let those shrinks in on everything that went down on 255. We’re going to have to be really specific this time round. They’ll need everything: descriptions of people, places, the surrounding perimeters. Teal’c, do you still remember how you got around that night?”

“I do, O’Neill.”

“Good.” Jack turned to the younger man beside him. “Daniel, you’re good with faces…you’re going to need to tell them as much as you can about the regulars…their daily routines, their mannerisms…everything. You got that?” Daniel nodded.

“Carter…you got a good look at those underground…things. I want both you and Daniel to remember as much as you can about them.”

“Yes, sir.”

“Good, I’ll make the call to Hammond as soon as we’re done here.”

“Sir, maybe we can contact my dad. He may still have access to some memory devices. As much as I hate to admit it, they’re our best shot at giving all the facts in raw form. It’s worth a try, sir.”

“Fine…” Jack cringed and unconsciously rubbed a hand on his temple. “G-d I hate those things. They should really come with a warning.”

“Take your time, Colonel.”

Jack closed his eyes and sighed. This was going to take a long time. He knew that now. It seemed as though she had a question for every word that came out of his mouth and, frankly, it was distracting the hell out of him. Opening his eyes, he began again. “So Teal’c and I were scouting ahead. We-“

“What were your coordinates at the time you separated from SG- 4 and the rest of your team?”

Jack could feel his anger surfacing. “Look…I can’t do this with you yapping away every two syllables!”

Doctor Watters looked up from her papers, her eyes wide open, her mouth agape. Regret immediately coursed through Jack’s veins.

“Sorry…I’m…” Jack leaned forward and ran his hands through his hair. “It’s been a while and, to tell you the truth, my attention span isn’t… spanning very well.”

The doctor simply nodded and took off her glasses. “I understand, Colonel. I’ll try and refrain from asking the less important questions. Instead, I can just write those down and we’ll go through them once you’re done. How’s that sound?” Doctor Watters’ voice remained calm, understanding. If she was mad at Jack, she didn’t show it. Jack nodded. “Continue, Colonel.”

“…Anyway…so we were scouting ahead. I remember talking to Teal’c…”

“…So the rabbi says to the priest: ‘It’s a good thing we’re not brothers!’…Teal’c, you still with me?” Teal’c’s face was a mask of concentration as he gazed out into the wooded area surrounding them. “You know…if you didn’t understand it I could always- “

“O’Neill…we are being watched.” Jack followed Teal’c’s gaze and tightened his grip on his P90. Peering into the forest, Jack couldn’t see anybody, but experience had taught him not to underestimate Teal’c’s ability at sensing danger.

“How many, Teal’c?”

“I am unsure, O’Neill. I believe…!” Teal’c went down hard, his eyes were screwed tightly shut as though in pain.

“Teal’c! What the hell-“ Suddenly a pain so severe invaded his mind. It seemed to take over his body, making his legs collapse from beneath him. He wanted to scream but his teeth were too busy grinding together. A pained gurgle seemed to erupt from his throat and fear suddenly clamped down on his heart. His head would surely explode soon, the pressure unbearable. It was almost as if his brain were being crushed. All his functions seemed to stop; he could feel no more, he could move no more and soon, he could see no more…

“Whatever weapon they used, it worked long range.”

“What kind of weapon do you suppose it was, Colonel?”

“Didn’t see it. But whatever it was, it was damn painful. Felt like my head was going to explode.”

“So what happened next?”

“I passed out.”

“What was the next thing you remember?”

“I came to in some room. I had been disarmed…”

“Shit!”

That was the first word that came out of Jack’s mouth when he noticed from his position on the ground the large men clad in Goa’uld military garb. He could count four Jaffa. Analyzing their uniforms and the symbols on their foreheads, Jack couldn’t tell which Goa’uld they served. ‘Damn, where’s Daniel when you need him?’ Jack thought bitterly to himself.

//Rot’ an, kree!// A foot nudged him none too gently.

“Yeah, yeah…give an old guy a second to get his bearings-“ Jack’s breath was stolen from him when he received a hard blow to the stomach. “Okay…getting up now.” Jack slowly rose to his feet, his head felt heavy and his stomach churned at the slightest of movements. The room he was in was small and there was no sign of Teal’c anywhere.

“Definitely NOT a good day,” he mumbled to himself.

//Mokta La’an, kree!// The Jaffa who had kicked him before was now addressing him again.

“Don’t speak much English, do you?” Jack squinted at him. “Damn! I knew I should have packed that Goa’uld - English dictionary. But, you know how it is when it comes to travelling. I always say: ‘You’ve gotta pack light -‘ Jack grunted in pain when he received a heavy fist to his ribs. “Shutting up now,” he croaked as he bent over and cradled his abdomen. A swift shove sent him tumbling forward until he was staring at the boots of another Jaffa. Looking up, he assumed by the man’s demeanour that he was not to be messed with.

//Rat’el!// The Jaffa pointed to a device that Jack had not noticed upon regaining consciousness. It looked like a simple metal container, no larger than a shoebox. On the top, lights flashed on and off and it gave Jack an eerie reminder that he was dealing with Goa’uld technology. Jack stared at it suspiciously until another shove from behind threw him forward.

“What?”

//Rat’el!//

Jack could already feel the frustration crawling up his chest. “Okay…I have no idea what the hell ‘rat tail’ means!!!”

The Jaffa in front of him didn’t seem the least bit swayed by Jack’s frustration. Instead, he calmly motioned with his hands that Jack was to pick up the box. “I guess the words ‘BITE ME’ mean nothing to you guys?” The Jaffa around him seemed to sense the sarcasm in his voice. Within seconds, Jack could count the sound of three staff weapons activating, all of them trained on him. From the corner of his eye, he could also see one of the Jaffa take out a remote with matching flashing lights.

‘Bomb,’ his mind screamed as his sympathetic system suddenly kicked in.

Once again, the Jaffa repeated the order. Without any alternative, Jack reluctantly moved forward and reached for the device. When he finally picked it up, the staffs that were aimed at him were swiftly lowered. As he stood there, he eyed the Jaffa with the remote carefully. Jack’s heart started up a staccato beat of its own when he saw the man’s fingers begin to turn a knob.

If this thing really was a bomb, then why the hell would the Jaffa stay in the room with him?

But before he could expand on his thoughts, he suddenly had to contract his arm muscles to keep them from dropping the device. The box was getting *heavier* in his hands and he suspected it had something to do with the knob the Jaffa was turning. The damn remote was controlling the weight of the object.

Minutes passed and a bead of perspiration was already running down his face as he continued to struggle against the weight in his hand. If at any time he felt like letting go, he was encouraged not to by the three staff weapons pointed in his direction. But despite his grunts of exertion, the Jaffa continued to turn the knob, making the box heavier and heavier.

“You know, if I needed a personal trainer I would have asked for one.” Jack took an exaggerated sniff and continued, “But, just between the both of us, I think I’m ready to hit the showers-ARGH…” Jack gritted his teeth as the Jaffa turned the knob a few inches more. Jack bit back his next quip, concentrating on conserving his energy. He watched again as the Jaffa turned the knob even further. “Oh COME ON!!!” Jack growled.

Despite its small size, the box felt like it weighed close to 100 lbs now. He was sweating profusely and he could feel his muscles burning. His fingers were losing their grip as he grunted with exertion. “I can’t…” he began to plea but before he could finish, he dropped the box on the ground, his chest panting as he fell onto his hands and knees. Jack closed his eyes, expecting to hear the fire of the staff weapons but was pleasantly surprised when he didn’t. He opened his eyes only to see the Jaffa with the remote point out something on the panel to the leader. The larger Jaffa nodded in understanding and then exchanged a few words with the Jaffa behind him. Jack suddenly felt rough hands cajole him to his feet. He was propelled forward into another small room adjacent to the one they had just occupied. There, a single wooden chair awaited him. The chair was bolted to the floor along with straps that were no doubt meant for his wrists and ankles. “You know…I appreciate the workout and all…” he pointed his finger to the other room. “…but I really don’t need to rest. You can’t let these wrinkles fool you-“ Jack didn’t feel the impact of knuckles to his jaw until the world around him suddenly turned upside down and he was staring at someone’s feet. The men lifted him up from the floor and shoved him into the chair. There, they proceeded to strap him into the seat.

The moment he was strapped in place, one of the Jaffa left the room only to come back a few moments later holding a steaming hot metal rod. At its base, Jack could see that the metal was bent into a shape that formed a symbol of some kind.

His heart skipped a beat with this new realization: they were branding him.

Jack swallowed heavily as he watched the man approach him with the burning hot iron. “I always wanted a tattoo…” Jack said anxiously as he watched the Jaffa grab hold of his forearm tightly. He could already feel the heat emanating from the metal. “You got any Simpsons characters back there?” The Jaffa didn’t answer. “No one ever wants the cartoons…ARGH!” Jack clamped his mouth closed. The metal pressed into his skin as the pain conquered his body with no remorse. He struggled against his bonds, the vein in his neck bulging out of his skin. It was only when the smell of his own burning flesh reached his nostrils that Jack allowed himself to let go. The screams escaped his throat, his nails scratching at the wood. But just before he was sure he would choke from the pain, unconsciousness made its welcomed appearance...

Jack suddenly stopped talking, his voice lost in his thoughts. “I’m sorry, I don’t quite understand about the box.” Jack’s head snapped up at the sound of the female voice, almost forgetting that he wasn’t alone in the room.

“They determined how much weight I was able to lift and then classified me according to my strength.”

“May I?”

Following her eyes, Jack noticed that Dr. Watters was staring at his arm. Jack nodded as he began to take off his uniform jacket. He presented his arm to her as if it were the most natural thing in the world. Jack glanced down at his arm and looked at the scar as he had done thousands of times in the past. Above his wrist, his skin was puffed out into a particular pattern: two circles connected at their centers.

“So what exactly is this…I mean, why did they-“

“Bar code.”

“Excuse me?”

“It was my bar code. Everyone in my faction had the same marking. It’s how those bastards classified us.”

Dr. Watters stayed silent, her mind still trying to accept what she had just heard.

Jack groaned inwardly. If there was one specific thing he hated most about this, it would have to be the pity. He hated the pity. Losing his patience with her, he got up. “You think we could take a break?”

She cleared her throat. “Sure…we’ll continue this tomorrow. I’d like to get a little bit from all of you today. Please send one of the others in. Thank you, Colonel.” Jack nodded and exited the room. Jack quickly made his way to the commissary where he immediately spotted his friends. When he took a seat, three pairs of eyes stared at him questioningly. Daniel glanced at his watch and asked, “What happened?”

“Nothing.”

“That was fast.”

Jack sighed. “The woman just won’t stop asking questions.” Jack ran his hands through his hair, an attestation of his weariness.

“Sir, she’s only doing her job.”

“You don’t think I know that, Carter?” he snapped back. “It’s just hard to remember all the details.”

“Well, sir, we sent out a message to my dad today. Hopefully he’ll get back to us soon about those memory devices.”

“Well anyway…I’m done for today. She asked me to send one of you next” He looked up. “So which one of you wants to go?”

“I’ll go,” Sam offered as she stood up. She gave them all a brief smile as she left the commissary.

“Hello, Major Carter. As you already know, my name is Dr. Angela Watters.” Angela offered her hand and Sam shook it readily. She took a seat at the table and waited for the doctor to continue. “Today, we’re just going to dip our feet…nothing too heavy. We’ll stop after an hour or so and continue tomorrow from wherever we leave off today. As you can see, all of my sessions are taped.” She pointed to a small voice recorder on the table in front of her. “If you feel like you want to take a break, you can do so at anytime. Just let me know and I’ll turn off the recorder.” Angela smiled politely.

Sam returned the warm gesture and shifted in her seat nervously. “My memory might be a little hazy. As I’m sure you can understand, I try not to make it a point to remember the events that transpired on P3C 255.”

Angela Watters smiled again. “I don’t want you to worry about that now. I just want you to relax. The memories are there, it’s just a matter of fishing them out. Just tell me whatever you can remember and we’ll work from there. As the sessions continue, you’ll start to notice yourself remembering more and more.” Sam nodded. “Okay, let’s begin right away, shall we?” Dr. Watters leaned forward and pressed record. “Major, why don’t we begin with the day of your capture? What do you remember about that?”

Sam intertwined her fingers together in front of her and swallowed before beginning. “SG-1 and SG-4 arrived on P3C 255 late in the afternoon. Colonel O’Neill and Teal’c had gone ahead to do some reconnaissance. When they didn’t return, we tried to call them over their radios but we didn’t get a response. Colonel McLoud ordered us to stay put and lay down camp for the night. He didn’t want us to go out and search for them in the dark. I offered to take first watch while the others went to sleep. Once again, I attempted to make contact with Colonel O’Neill but was unsuccessful.”

“What time would you say that was?” Angela interrupted.

“I’d say around twenty two hundred hours.”

“Thank you…go ahead.”

“When my watch was over, I had to wake up Colonel McLoud who was supposed to take second watch….

“Colonel,” Sam whispered as she stood outside the green military tent. Her hands were freezing and her heart was pounding twice as fast as usual. She was clearly worried about her two missing teammates and yet frustrated at the fact that McLoud would not allow for any search party until morning.

“Colonel!” she whispered again but got no reply. Sighing, Sam unzipped the tent and stuck her head inside. “Colonel…sir, you’re up for second watch.” When she saw no sign of him waking, she entered the tent, knelt down and nudged him. Nothing. “Damn…” Sam hated heavy sleepers. She normally dealt with them by pouring a canteen of cold water over their heads until they mumbled something unintelligible. But somehow, she didn’t think a higher ranking officer would appreciate that too much and neither would her career. Sighing aloud, Sam left the tent and zipped it back up. Daniel would just have to take second watch.

Sam marched back to her own tent that she was sharing with Daniel. She bent down and entered the cramped space. “Daniel,” she said aloud, not bothering to whisper anymore. “Daniel, wake up!” The archaeologist continued to sleep. Sam nudged him like she had done with the colonel. Nothing. “Daniel, wake up!” Sam frowned. She leaned in closer until her ear was above Daniel’s mouth. Daniel’s breaths were slow and shallow and barely audible.

Just as Sam reached out to check his pulse, she felt a painful sting at the back of her neck. Touching the sore area, Sam couldn’t feel anything protruding from her skin, however, when she pulled back her hand, blood painted the ends of her fingertips. Rubbing her fingers together, Sam felt a wave of exhaustion suddenly conquer her body. Sleep pulled on her eyelids as she struggled to keep them open. She felt her body go slack and her head hit something soft as she fell forward. She only had a few moments to recognize Daniel’s stomach cushioning her head before she lost the battle and her eyes closed altogether.

“So they weren’t just sleeping, were they?” Angela asked as she offered Sam a glass of water.

Sam accepted the glass and responded, “I’m assuming they were sedated somehow. I have no idea how I didn’t hear any of it.”

“Maybe you were distracted, worried about the whereabouts of the rest of your team?”

“It’s possible but still, to be so distracted as to not notice an intruder enter each tent one by one and sedate Daniel and all of SG-4? I don’t know if I can buy that.”

Angela nodded and urged her to continue with her recap.

“When I woke up, I was in some kind of cell. Daniel and the rest of SG-4 were also there. Everything was gone.”

“I’m sorry…what do you mean by everything?”

“Our weapons, our radios...”

“Did you get a glimpse of your captors?”

“No. I was knocked out completely. I asked Daniel when I came to and he hadn’t seen anything either.”

“Colonel O’Neill and Teal’c?”

“No sign of them. Like I said, only SG-4, Daniel and myself were in the cell.”

“Okay…go on, “ Angela said as she pushed her glasses higher up on her nose and proceeded to write something down on the pad in front of her.

“Well…for the next few days, all we did was sit around and do nothing until somebody would show up, take a member of SG-4, and then return him to us injured and unconscious a few hours later. “

“Just SG-4?” Angela looked up from her pad with curiosity.

“Yes. Daniel and I couldn’t understand it either. They were being tortured for information.”

“And your captors?”

“What about them?”

“Did you get a look at them?”

“Well…if you’re talking about the men who were taking our soldiers away to be questioned…then I don’t know if you could really call them our ‘captors’. As far as I can tell, they were just slaves working for someone else.”

“How so?”

“Well at the time, like you, I thought they were the ones in charge. But, later on, it became obvious that that wasn’t the case.” Sam paused and took a sip from her water before continuing. “They were branded.”

“Branded? You mean like Colonel O’Neill?” Angela pointed to her forearm, just above her wrist.

“Yes.”

“Did you try and communicate.”

Sam shook her head. “Daniel tried, but they refused to talk. I don’t think they understood English. And besides, attaining communication wasn’t exactly foremost on our minds when our men were coming back barely alive.” Sam’s voice hit an edgy tone.

“Please go on.”

“By the third day, two members of SG-4 had already died. A mixture of starvation, dehydration and infection was the prominent cause of death.”

“You weren’t given anything to sustain yourselves?”

“No. We only received one jug of dirty water to share among the six of us. Still, their injuries were too severe,” she pointed out.

“They were beaten?”

Sam nodded.

“Did they ever come for you or Dr. Jackson?” Dr. Watters asked.

“They came for me on the fourth day. Daniel and the rest of them were sleeping. They blindfolded me and took me to a small room where they ordered me to get undressed. I thought they were going to question me like the others but-”

“But they didn’t,” Dr. Watters finished her sentence.

“No, they didn’t,” Sam whispered as she reached for her glass, but never took a sip. Her fingers simply shook whilst they grasped the cup.

“Major Carter, what did they do to you?”

Sam remained quiet as she continued to stare through the table.

Dr. Watters’ voice suddenly became urgent. “Major Carer, I’m a psychologist. I’m here to help you.” She paused and then turned off the tape in front of her. “Major, did they rape you?”

Sam looked up, her eyes were moist with unshed tears and nodded. Her lips trembled momentarily until she gained control again.

“Major, did you tell anyone about this?”

“Yes. I told Dr. Fraiser,” Sam responded.

“Did you tell the rest of your team?”

“No I didn’t, Doctor. And I’d rather not have them know.”

“That’s understandable, Major. However, when this is all done, I’d like to talk to you about it if you’d let me.”

“I’m fine,” Sam offered.

“I’d like to know for sure.”

“Really, I’m okay-“

“Major, please.” Dr. Watters’ voice was pleading rather than stern and Sam felt she had to give in.

“Fine… after this is all over.”

Dr. Watters nodded. A moment of silence passed before either one said anything. “Okay…why don’t we continue from right after the sexual assault?”

Sam nodded and watched as the doctor pressed down on the record button once again. “They gave me a uniform to wear.”

“Can you describe it for me?”

“It was a pair of pants and a long-sleeved shirt, both cream-coloured. After I put on the uniform we were transported outside by Goa’uld rings and I finally got a visual of what would be my home for the next six months.” Sam smiled but it was visibly forced. The painful emotions behind the facade were as clear as day.

“Can you describe the compound?”

Sam nodded.

She could never forget what that place looked like.

Sam took a breath before she went on to describe it aloud. “I’d say the dimensions were about 100 square kilometers in area. The entire compound was surrounded by a Goa’uld force field, nearly impenetrable. Do you mind?” Sam pointed to the pad the doctor held.

“Go ahead,” she said, ripping off a fresh piece of paper and offering it and a pen to her.

Sam took the pad and drew out a large square. “There were three large buildings here and here. Two of them were the factories where most of the prisoners worked and the other was the commissary. All along here were the sleeping quarters. They were organized into factions, a total of five. Mine was over here-“

“Sorry to interrupt…“

“No, go ahead,” Sam said as she looked up from her drawing.

“I noticed that you don’t have a scar on your forearm. From what Colonel O’Neill has told me, the scars were to represent specific factions.”

“Well that’s true but I never got one. All females were placed in a bloc of their own.” The sudden pop of the tape recorder announcing the end of the tape interrupted the two women.

Dr. Watters glanced at her watch. “Why don’t we stop for today?”

“Sure,” Sam said.

“Can I keep this?” Angela pointed at the drawing.

“By all means,” Sam said.

“Thank you! I appreciate your co-operation!”

Sam smiled. By the tone in Angela’s voice, she knew that Colonel O’Neill had probably given her a hard time. Before she left, she made it a point to defend her CO. “It takes the Colonel a bit of time to open up. He’s really a teddy bear once you get to know him.”

“Yeah…he’s adorable.” Dr. Watters’ words were filled with sarcasm. She continued, “Could you send one of the others down?”

“Sure,” Sam responded and exited the room.

“I haven’t done this in a long time,” Sam said, stuffing a big piece of her muffin in her mouth.

“What…shop?” Janet asked.

“No…this.” She pointed to the muffin in her hand. “ I always used to buy a blueberry muffin whenever I came to this mall. G-d, they have nothing like Beth’s Muffin Store in any Washington malls.”

“Oh Sam…let’s go there.” Janet pulled Sam toward a store. Sam stuffed the remaining piece of muffin in her mouth as she followed her friend. Janet took a sweater off the first rack and held it out in front of her. Sam watched her in appreciation. Janet was probably the only person in the whole world to whom she could tell absolutely anything. When she had come to her earlier that day in distress, it was Janet who had suggested going shopping.

“Thank you, Janet,” Sam said, her eyes beginning to burn with emotion.

“For what?” Janet still didn’t look up as she rubbed the material between her fingers. “Do you think this is real wool?”

“Janet, I’m trying to tell you something here.”

Janet finally turned to face Sam, momentarily forgetting the material in her hands.

“I want to thank you for coming with me today. I just had to get my mind off of everything.”

Janet smiled sympathetically. “Bad day, huh?”

“Well, not really. We didn’t really get into the nitty gritty but still…just talking about it again feels a little…I don’t know…weird.”

“How did the others find it?”

“I’m not really sure. Colonel O’Neill wasn’t too pleased after his session. I left right after mine. I just didn’t want to stick around.” A moment of silence passed between both women until Sam reached out and touched the sweater Janet was holding.

“You know, Sam, you really should try this on.” Janet held out the sweater. Sam took the material and examined it.

“You’re right…this is nice.” Sam walked to the closest changing room and went inside.

“So…how are things between the four of you?” Janet asked cautiously, careful not to overstep any boundaries.

“Well, Daniel and I are fine but sometimes it feels really strained between Daniel and the Colonel. I don’t know if you’ve noticed but Daniel hardly even talks to Teal’c anymore,” Sam’s muffled voice called back.

“What about you and the Colonel?”

Sam sighed. “I don’t know. I mean it’s hard for me to look at him in the same way as I did before. He’s changed so much. G-d, I really wish he and Daniel could work out their differences but I don’t think that’s going to happen, “Sam said as she emerged from the changing room wearing the sweater Janet had picked out for her.

“Sam…it’s beautiful on you.”

Sam looked in the mirror and smiled slightly. “Yeah, it is cute. How much is it?”

“Never mind that.”

“What do you mean ‘never mind that’?”

“It’s on me. Let’s just say it’s an early birthday gift.”

“Janet-“ Sam started to protest.

“No argument, Sam. Let me buy it. I want you to have something to remember me by when you go back. Please.”

Sam gave in and sighed aloud. She pulled Janet into a hug and whispered a quick thank you to her friend before going back inside the small cubicle. Janet smiled, pleased with herself that she had won over Sam.

Once they proceeded to leave the store, Janet continued to interrogate her friend.

“What did you mean by things being strained between Daniel and the Colonel?”

“I don’t know…It seems as if Daniel still blames him for what happened on 255. He just can’t let it go. Like just this morning, the Colonel made one of his quips and instead of shrugging it off as he used to, Daniel got into a heated discussion over nothing.” Sam’s voice quivered as she continued, “Janet, I just feel like I’m losing my family and everyone expects me to take their side…especially the Colonel. I mean, you should see how he looks at me whenever I support something that Daniel says.”

“I have an idea. You know how Cassie is serious about her photography, right? Well, she put together an entire album with pictures from our various outings. She even put together beautiful shots of when we all went up to the Colonel’s cabin. Why don’t we all have dinner at my house this Friday night? Cassie can’t wait to see both you and Daniel and it will give us all a chance to sit back and reminisce. And besides, you and Daniel need to pick up your plaques that you both left at the banquet.”

“Oh my G-d, I completely forgot about them.”

“So what do you say?”

“It sounds good, Janet.” Sam smiled. “How do you manage to always make me feel better?”

“I’m your friend, Sam. It’s my job.”

They walked a little more in silence. They passed by a window where a male mannequin modelled a pair of kakhi pants and a black long sleeved top. Both women stopped to admire the fine clothing. “You know, Daniel is the only person I know who has such potential and yet he still dresses like he’s got no fashion sense. I mean, something like this would really look great on him,” Janet pointed out.

“Yeah…it would give him a break from those plaid shirts. Didn’t he look great at the benefit?”

Janet nodded. “Yes. He looked wonderful.”

Sam began to make her way into the store.

“Where are you going?” Janet asked, following behind.

“Going to see how much the set is.”

Sam found the shirt and pants and checked their prices. “The pants are eighty dollars and the top is thirty.” Sam turned to Janet and asked, “What size do you think Daniel is?”

Janet thought for a moment. “Whatever he is, he’s a size too thin. I put him on the scale just the other day. Janet took a moment to think. “Try a size thirty two. If they don’t fit, you can always return them.”

Sam took the pants off of the shelf while Janet reached for the black shirt. Both women proceeded to the cashier in silence. As the saleswoman passed through the credit card, Sam spoke up, “He eats, Janet. So far, I’ve been with him for every meal and he eats.”

“Yeah, well then tell me why he’s the only one who hasn’t regained enough weight back?”

Sam didn’t answer as she collected the bag of clothes from the cashier and followed Janet out of the store.

“Daniel,” Sam whispered as she sat down quietly on the bed. The archaeologist was currently sound asleep in his hotel room. Sam put down the bag of clothes as she leaned in closer and whispered his name again. Moments later, Daniel’s eyes drew open lazily and then closed again in exhaustion.

“Hey, Sam,” he said groggily.

“Daniel, it’s four thirty in the afternoon. Are you feeling alright?” Sam asked noticing that Daniel was still fully clothed and currently laying on top of his blankets.

“Yeah, I’m fine.” He opened his eyes now to look at his friend. “Where did you go?”

“I went to the mall with Janet. We had to pick up a few things. How was your day?”

“Fine, I guess. My session was pretty brief. How was yours?”

“Same. “ Sam grabbed the bag next to her and lifted it up. “I got something for you.”

Daniel sat up and examined the bag she was holding. “You got me clothes?”

“Janet and I thought you could use a new outfit.”

“Sam, I don’t know what to say.” He smiled shyly. “No one has ever bought me clothes before.” He took the bag and pulled out the pants and shirt.

Sam watched for his reaction with bated breath. She was not disappointed.

“Wow…Sam, this is really nice. This must have been expensive.”

“Forget about the money, Daniel. Now don’t keep a girl waiting. Try it on!”

Daniel took the clothes into the bathroom where he closed the door and proceeded to change.

“Janet invited us for dinner on Friday night. Cass wants to see us. The Colonel and Teal’c are invited too.”

“That’s fine,” Daniel called back.

“Did you call the airport about delaying your flight?”

“Not yet.”

Daniel finally stepped out of the bathroom a few minutes later. The clothes he wore fit him well and it took Sam a moment to recognize Daniel in them.

“Daniel, you look so…” Sam was amazed at how many years the clothes had taken off from his look. “How does it feel?”

“It feels…I don’t know…tight,” Daniel responded as he pulled on the front of his black shirt in an attempt to offer more breathing room to his upper torso. The cloth hugged his chest in a way that Sam had never seen before. She laughed at his embarrassment. “Daniel, you really look great. I’m not returning it. I don’t care what you say.”

Sam’s giddiness disappeared the moment she caught sight of the skin on his wrist. “You never told me about the day you got that. Neither did the Colonel or Teal’c.”

Daniel sat next to her on the bed. “What do you want to know?”

“Whatever you feel like telling me,” Sam offered.

Daniel sighed and leaned back against a pillow. “There really isn’t much to tell. They measured my strength and then stabbed me with a steaming hot iron.”

Sam remained silent. She couldn’t even imagine the pain he must have gone through when receiving the mark. G-d knows Daniel didn’t need another reminder of that place in addition to his already obvious handicap. She reached out carefully and touched the rough contours of his skin. Daniel allowed her to trace the triangular shape of the symbol. All four of them had been placed in separate factions, apparently each one had different physical endurance. She was sure that the marking Teal’c had received was of the highest order but as for Daniel and the Colonel, she wasn’t sure who held the higher rank. Of course, she had never repeated that thought aloud in the fear that Colonel O’Neill would kill her for even considering Daniel overpowering him where strength was concerned.

“So, what do you want to do tonight?” Daniel asked.

“I don’t know. I thought maybe we could just relax here and maybe watch some T.V or something,” Sam suggested.

“Were you always able to read my mind or is this something new you acquired while in Washington? Thank you for the clothes by the way,” Daniel said with a grin.

“No problem.” Sam picked up the remote control and turned on the T.V. After flipping through a few channels, Sam finally settled on one. “It’s ‘When Harry Met Sally’!”

“Actually, I’ve never seen it before,” Daniel pointed out.

Sam got up and made her way to her own hotel room through the connecting door. “Where are you going?” Daniel called.

“You’ll see!” Sam yelled back from the other room. Not two seconds later, two bags of chips fell onto the bed he was occupying. He took them in his hands. “BarBQ…my favourite! When did you get this?”

“Today…I thought we might do nothing tonight so I planned ahead. Oh…this is such a good scene!” Sam said pointing to the television. She climbed onto the bed and grabbed one of the pillows. She placed it at the foot of the bed and lay down on her stomach. She soon felt Daniel’s presence next to her in the same position. He opened one of the bags of chips and placed it between them. They laid like that in silence, watching, eating and laughing together until they both eventually fell asleep.

Janet yawned and pulled her robe closer to her body. It was cold in the house, especially at three o’clock in the morning. Janet trudged to the kitchen and opened the fridge. Pulling out a few carrots and peppers, she made her way to the cutting board and took out a large knife from its holder. As she washed the vegetables, her mind began to wander off…

“Come in,” she heard the general call out. Janet took a deep breath and clenched her fist in an attempt to keep herself from crying right then and there. She opened the door and stepped into the office. General Hammond put down his pen when he saw her walk in. “Doctor,” he acknowledged her presence.

“Sir, I’ve come to update you on SG-1’s condition.”

“Go ahead, Doctor.”

Janet could tell by the look on his face that he was not looking forward to any more bad news. “Teal’c is doing well, sir. His side wound is almost completely healed and the deep laceration on his forehead is almost non-existent. The honor goes to his symbiote. Right now, I’m keeping him hydrated and on an IV drip.”

“What about Colonel O’Neill and Major Carter?”

“Colonel O’Neill is extremely lucky, General. If he had waited any longer, he would not have made it. Fortunately, Dr. Warner was able to stop the internal bleeding. His head injury was not a minor one, but he should come out of it with no damage. In fact, it was a miracle that he was aware and functioning throughout their escape.

“Major Carter has numerous deep lacerations on her back, possibly caused by a whipping of some kind. She has already lost feeling in the upper two thirds of her back. Unfortunately, the nerve damage seems to be permanent but we are doing our best to reduce the scarring. We put her on an IV drip as well…” Janet was interrupted by the sound of papers fluttering to the floor. It took her a moment to realize that the files in her hands were now scattered on the ground. She quickly dropped to her knees, her hands shaking as she struggled to gather the papers in her embarrassment. The general got up from his seat and bent down to help her. Threatening tears began to invade her vision. Within moments, Janet lost the battle and a painful sob escaped her lips. “They’re so skinny, General. I can hardly recognize them. Even Teal’c, sir. G-d, they look like Holocaust survivors.”

“Doctor…”

“…And what kills me the most is that Daniel is still out there somewhere in the same condition and I can’t do anything to help him. He’ll die of starvation, sir.”

“Doctor, you know we are trying everything we can to gain information about Dr. Jackson’s whereabouts.” Janet simply nodded, not trusting herself to speak. The past twenty-four hours had been crazy. She still remembered her shock when she had been called into the Gateroom the moment the technician had received SG-1’s GDO code. Her heart had nearly leapt out of her throat when three scrawny figures jumped out of the wormhole. She hadn’t even had time to inquire about the missing fourth, her mind already too busy worrying about the here and now. Twenty-four hours later, she had still not slept and the only person from whom she could gather any information was in a state of Kalno’reem. It killed her to see her friends in such a state.

“Doctor, I’d like you to get some sleep. You are not any good to me or SG-1 in your current state.”

“Yes, sir,” Janet said, grabbing hold of the general’s desk as she pulled herself to her feet.

“Mom?” Janet jumped at the sound of her daughter’s voice. She turned around to see Cassandra squinting in exhaustion. Exhaustion soon turned to alarm as her daughter lifted her finger and pointed to a spot on the floor. Janet looked down only to see red drops forming a crazy pattern all along the white tiles. “Mom, you’re bleeding.” Janet swore when she saw the blood cover her left hand. She quickly thrust her arm over the sink and turned on the water, allowing the blood to run down the drain. “Are you okay?” Cassandra grabbed a kitchen towel and offered it to her mother.

Janet wrapped the material around her finger and squeezed hard. "I'm fine," she said.

"I'm sorry I scared you," Cassandra told her as she pulled a seat out for her mother.

Janet sat down.

"It's okay, Cassandra."

"What are you doing up at this hour?"

"I couldn't sleep so I thought I'd start cooking for Friday night."

"You're kidding, right?" When her mother didn't answer, she continued, "Mom, it's three o'clock in the morning!"

"I already told you, I couldn't sleep. Damn, I'm going to need stitches," Janet muttered to herself as she removed the cloth from her finger.

"Teal'c, why don't we continue from where we left off. I think you were telling me about your first view of the camp," Dr. Watters said as she leafed through her note pad in front of her.

Teal'c nodded. "It was night when I was taken to the barrack for the first time...

//Get in,// the Jaffa holding Teal'c's bicep ordered as he shoved him through the door. Teal'c immediately caught his balance but before he could turn around, the metal door shut behind him. Teal'c looked up only to be met with dozens of faces glaring at him. There were bunk beds made of metal lined up in rows. Men were lying on the beds or leaning against the posts as they continued to stare. Teal’c examined the room for a spare cot and when he spotted one, he made his way towards it. The barrack remained silent, only the echo of his feet against the metal could be heard. Teal’c passed thirty or so bunks until he finally reached the empty one. He soon heard footsteps behind him and when he turned around, he could see a dozen or more men surrounding him. All the men were large, most were Teal’c’s size and some even bigger.

//This bed is taken,// one of the men said, anger burning in his eyes.

//It appears to be empty.// Teal’c’s neck muscles tensed as he watched more men surround his bunk area.

//No, you see…this bed is saved for the rats. You are just going to have to find another,// a second man explained.

Teal’c, knowing better than to start a fight, walked to the next empty bunk. Once again, the same group of men followed him.

//You cannot have that bed either, Jaffa. We like to keep this place clean and your kind would just dirty it. I think *that* would be a suitable place for you to sleep.// The man pointed to a door at the end of the hall where the lavatories were located.

Teal’c gritted his teeth. He knew these men hated him, not because he was a new addition, but because he bore the symbol of a Goa’uld on his forehead.

//I no longer serve the Goa’uld. It is for this reason I am here,// Teal’c yelled so that all the men in the barrack could hear him.

//Lies…you are here because Apophis is dead and you no longer have him to serve,// one of the men yelled back. This one was older, a greying beard covered his face.

Suddenly, the metal door on the side of the barrack opened and the large guard that had brought Teal’c just minutes before entered into the quarters. Teal’c watched as all the men rushed to their beds, lining up like trained soldiers, fear apparent in their eyes.

//What is all the noise about?// the guard yelled. He took out a zatnikatel and began to walk down the row of men, stopping from time to time and pointing the weapon at random men. //I demand an answer!//

//It was him.// One of the slaves pointed in Teal’c’s direction. The guard looked at Teal’c and laughed.

//Not even two minutes and you already start trouble.// The guard slowly made his way towards Teal’c. The zat gun he held was nothing like Teal’c had ever seen before. An extra metal piece protruded from the handle.

The guard raised the weapon in Teal’c’s direction. //You will learn soon enough, Sholva.// Teal’c saw red electricity fire from the zat. But before he could react properly, electric tendrils encircled his body. Although Teal’c had been shot with a zat gun many times throughout his life, it had never felt anything like this. The pain was much worse, his nerves tangling with each other, making him scream in agony. His body kept convulsing, seconds turning into minutes and still his muscles twitched in pain. It didn’t take much longer for Teal’c to lose the battle as unconsciousness conquered his body.

“When I regained consciousness, I realized that I had been moved to the latrine area.”

“And these were the men that you were to work with for the rest of your stay there?” Angela asked.

“Yes. These were the men in my faction.”

“How many men were in the barrack with you?”

“Sixty three men.”

Angela wrote down a few notes. “Teal’c, can you describe to me your first day in the camp from the moment you awoke.”

“My first day was no different from every other day, Dr. Watters. The moment the sun rose, we would rise and line up outside our barrack. One of the guards would count us to be certain nobody had escaped. From there, we were sent to work.”

“What kind of work did you do, Teal’c?”

“Much of the work consisted of building heavy Goa’uld machinery. My job was to transport the heavy metal to other workers in the other factions.”

“So you had some contact with the other workers?”

Teal’c considered the question.

Teal’c looked around to be sure none of the guards were watching. He had been working here for three days. So far, there was no sign of O’Neill although he was sure he was here somewhere.

Teal’c wiped the sweat from his face. It was hot. The building in which they worked was more like a factory. Hundreds of men laboured among the fire and hot punishing steam.

Teal’c pushed the cart containing the heavy Naquadah towards its destination. When he stopped in front of another worker, he emptied his cart and began to speak, //I wish to inquire about my friend. Do you know of a man by the name of O’Neill?” The man stopped working for only a moment but then he continued as if Teal’c were not present. Teal’c’s anger grew and so did his desperation for information about his friend. //Why do you not answer me?//

//Talk to me no more, Jaffa!// the man growled coldly.

“Teal’c?” Dr. Watters asked with concern when he did not answer her question.

“Yes, I did attempt contact with the other workers. However, most were unwilling to communicate. I did endeavour to locate the whereabouts of Colonel O’Neill, but I was unsuccessful. At the time, I did not know that Major Carter and Daniel Jackson had been captured as well.”

Dr. Watters and Teal’c continued to go over the daily routines in the camp until a knock on the door interrupted their discussion. Angela pressed ‘stop’ on her recorder and invited the visitor to open the door. Daniel appeared in the doorway.

“Sorry. I was told to come for noon.”

Dr. Watters checked her watch. “Oh, I’m so sorry. I guess we lost track of time.” She turned to Teal’c. “That will be all for today, Teal’c.” Teal’c rose from his seat and bowed his head. She smiled and watched him leave.

“Take a seat, Dr. Jackson,” she said as she popped open her tape recorder and changed tapes. “So, how are you today?”

“Fine. And you?” Daniel sat down and took a sip from his coffee mug.

“Oh, I’m fine. Thank you. Well, if you’re ready, why don’t we start?” She waited for him to nod before she continued, “Let me see…I think we were last talking about the people in your barrack.” Angela pushed her glasses up with her index finger. “What was your relationship with the other men?”

It took Daniel a moment to answer. “I don’t know. I mean, nobody really talked to each other. We would work all day and by the time we got back to our barrack, we were just too exhausted to do anything other than sleep. We all pretty much kept to ourselves.”

“Did you ever see any of the others from your team?”

Daniel swallowed. “Actually, I only got to see Sam throughout the entire time. She was the center of everything over there…my connection to the others.”

“How do you mean, Dr. Jackson?”

“I guess you didn’t get there yet with Sam?” When Daniel saw Dr. Watters shake her head, he explained, “Sam’s job in the camp was to serve the daily meal.”

“Meal…in singular?”

“Yes. We only received supper.”

“Go on…”

“Well, after working the entire day, each faction was let out at a different time to eat. It was probably the third or fourth night when I saw Sam…

Daniel grabbed a bowl from the ones strewn on the main table next to the door. He approached the back of the line and waited. Though the line moved fairly quickly, the silence in the air offset any feelings of relief. Daniel stared down at his hands, at the stained metal bowl that was dented and rusted. His stomach ached. He was hungry. The factory had been hot that day and he was already beginning to feel dizzy and weak. ‘Must be dehydration,’ his mind warned. Daniel waited another few minutes. As he neared the front of the line, a sight nearly caused him to drop his bowl.

Sam.

There she was, not two feet away, serving food next to three other women. The sight of her caused his heart to jump as if a streak of electricity had just sparked it back to life.

//Keep moving!// a Jaffa yelled when Daniel failed to follow the line. Daniel took a few steps forward until he was directly in front of his teammate. Sam’s head was down as she collected food from a large pot with a ladle.

“Sam,” he whispered. Sam’s head popped up at the sound of his voice. She gasped his name in disbelief. There was a moment of shock during which they both stared at each other, evaluating one another’s physical status. There were so many questions he wanted to ask. Was she alright? Had they hurt her? Had she seen Jack or Teal’c? Knowing that time was precious and that he would get into trouble if he stalled any longer, he whispered four simple words: “Nishte means ‘no’, Sam”

Sam’s eyes, at first, seemed confused, as though they were trying to figure out why of all things to say, he had chosen those words. But then, as understanding sunk in, she nodded her head and emptied the ladle’s meagre contents into his bowl. Daniel walked away, giving her one last gaze. He kept eye contact as long as possible, hoping that it wouldn’t be the last time he would see his friend.

“I’m assuming Major Carter didn’t know Goa’uld at the time.”

“No. Only Teal’c and I knew the language.”

“So you taught her the language during your brief encounters?”

“Well…I could only get a few words out at a time so I concentrated on the basic ones that would allow her to get by.”

“And you did this everyday? Taught her the language?”

“Yes. She also relayed everything I taught her to Jack in the same way.”

“So you never saw Colonel O`Neill or Teal`c at all?” Dr. Watters inquired.

“No. They were probably working in the other factory.”

Daniel suddenly felt a sharp tingle in his right hand. He clenched his hand tightly into a fist and waited until the tremor passed.

“Dr. Jackson…”

“Sorry…it happens sometimes.”

“You are still experiencing tremors?”

“Sometimes, when I…” Daniel trailed off.

“When you what, Dr. Jackson?”

“It’s nothing. Can we move on?” Daniel asked impatiently.

“Certainly,” Dr. Watters said as she fixed her glasses. But Daniel could see from her expression that the wheels in her head had not ceased their turning.

“Farley!” Jack yelled. “Farley, where the hell are you?!?” Jack slammed the door behind him, shaking the entire fence in the process. Jack stepped into his backyard only to be met by an empty green patch of land…there was no mutt to be seen. “Farley!” Jack yelled again, this time with agitation in his voice. Jack made a full 180 degree turn until his eyes caught sight of his back porch.

Jack sighed. At first, a few months back, when he had originally felt the need to alleviate his loneliness, he had thought that getting a dog would be a good thing to do. Now, at this very moment, he was starting to doubt that. Not only did the dog scratch up his carpets and sofa, but he was also in the habit of eating his shoes, and dirtying himself in the mud.

Jack slowly got down on his knees and peered under the wooden porch. It took his eyes a few moments to get used to the darkness but when they did, they found a dirty brown dog digging earnestly in the mud. “Oh, for crying out loud!” Jack muttered. “Farley, get over here!” The dog stopped his digging only for a moment but then continued, as though it recognized that he was being called but didn’t feel the cause was important enough for his continued attention. Several swear words later, Jack finally gave up and began to crawl under the porch…

"I'm too old for this shit!" Jack muttered as his knees made contact with a few jagged rocks. He coughed and quickly pressed his nose to his bare arm, concentrating on the slow breathing that would allow the contents in his stomach to stay where they were.

The smell was horrendous.

He looked up at the hole through which he had squeezed himself and hoped nobody had heard him. Jack's body barely had room to manoeuvre now that he was cramped underneath the large barrack. In addition, the thick darkness that surrounded him was making it impossible for him to make out anything beyond a two-feet radius.

Jack shivered harshly, his military-issue boxers provided him with nearly zero protection from the cold.

Never in a million years would he have imagined himself half naked, pressed to the muddy ground underneath a barrack with the smell of human waste invading his sensitive nostrils. The truth of the matter was, Jack had no choice. He had to escape from this hell hole, even if it meant crawling in human shit to do so.

Earlier that night, when all the men had fallen asleep, Jack had done some reconnaissance in an attempt to find a means of escape. The metal door of the barrack was jarred shut and there were no windows of which to speak. The metal floor didn't leave him with many options either. Jack had eventually wandered into the lavatory section of the barrack where several holes in the metal floor served as makeshift toilets. Jack had approached one and glanced down only to be pleasantly surprised when he could make out mud and earth about four feet below. Without a second thought, Jack had begun to take off his clothes knowing fully well that in the event his plan of escape didn't work, he wouldn't want to have to explain to the guards why he was covered head to toe in human...he didn't even want to finish that thought.

Jack began to crawl forward slowly, his hands sinking deeply into the rancid mud. He coughed again violently as he put one hand in front of the other, his gag reflex beginning to take effect. As the seconds passed, Jack could begin to see the light of the moon streaking through the sides. This was his chance, he thought as a boost of adrenaline pushed him forward. As he neared the end of the barrack, he could already see the outlines of the various buildings in his crouched position. For several minutes, he searched for any sign of Jaffa in his field of vision. When he saw none, he advanced a few feet.

A shooting pain suddenly engulfed his upper torso as his entire body was thrown back by an invisible force. Jack's head hit the solid metal surface above him. Despite the painful throbbing of his head, Jack refrained from crying out. He looked up a moment later only to see red electric energy fluctuate wildly.

Damn!

The barrack was surrounded by a damn Goa’uld force field too, making escape impossible.

When the force field finally settled, Jack peered out again to glance at a freedom he knew he couldn’t have. Adding insult to injury, Jack noticed that his barrack couldn’t be more than thirty feet away from the closing perimeter of the camp where a large forest spread its glorious wings, a perfect escape if the opportunity ever presented itself.

A crunch of boot on rocks penetrated his thoughts and Jack quietly retracted from his nearly exposed position. He waited until the armed soldier passed before he turned himself around and began crawling back to the point from which he had come.

Jack suddenly stopped, an idea forming within the confines of his mind.

He pushed his hand hard into the ground and it gave easily.

What if he dug himself out?

He figured it would take him a few months if he dedicated two to three hours a night. Even so, he knew it would be a great risk considering the fact that he didn’t exactly have a shower to wash off the smell. The water in the barrack provided to them by the Goa’uld would have to be enough.

Satisfied for the moment with his plan, Jack continued on until he could make out the row of holes above him.

Tomorrow night, he would come back.

Jack positioned himself under one of the holes, reached out his hands to grasp the sides and lifted himself up…

Jack jerked back when he heard a loud yelp. It took him a moment to realize that the sound had come from his dog. It took him another moment to figure out why the dog had made that noise. Jack’s hand was tightly wrapped around the dog’s paw, hurting the dog with his powerful grip. Jack immediately let go, unaware that he had taken the paw in the first place. The moment Farley was released, the dog took off at a run, leaving Jack alone in the dirt.

“Shit!” Jack muttered to himself. But instead of crawling out, he stayed there, crouched under his porch until his knees begged him mercy.

General Hammond leafed through yet another mission report. This was number thirty. George sighed and rubbed at his eyes, hoping to rid them of their weariness. Putting the report on top of the stack of papers to his left, George stretched his back. Feeling the urge to walk around and renew the circulation in his legs, he got out of his seat and made his way to the briefing room. The window facing the stargate seemed to call his name…

General Hammond stared at the stargate as he had done many times previously, revelling in its glorious size. But somehow, today, it didn’t look quite as large as it once did. Knowing he still had much work to do, the general turned around just as the alarms began to blare out.

“What in G-d’s name…” George muttered as he spun around to face the stargate for a second time. Instead of the serene atmosphere that had greeted him not two seconds earlier, he now watched as the outer ring of the stargate spun and half a dozen soldiers burst through the blast doors.

There were no teams scheduled to return.

General Hammond jogged towards the stairs leading to the control room. The moment he got there, he was informed of the situation.

“We have no IDC coming through as of yet, sir.”

General Hammond nodded as he watched the seventh chevron lock into place. “Keep the iris closed, Sergeant.”

“Yes, sir.”

General Hammond despised this part of his job. He hated not knowing what was out there, who was knocking on their proverbial door.

Soldiers continued to move in on the stargate, their weapons raised despite the fact that the iris was still in place. Everyone waited with bated breath as the wormhole established. Seconds went by until they heard the unmistakable noise of four consecutive impacts upon the metal iris.

Hammond lowered his eyes.

Yes, this indeed was the worst part of his job.

“General, there are still travelers on route, sir!” the technician informed.

After another twenty seconds or so, another thud echoed out. The wormhole still did not disengage, leaving the general and everyone else deeply perplexed.

“What the hell is going on?” the general asked no one in particular. He stared in silence, his heart thumping loudly against his chest.

There was another soft impact with the iris.

General Hammond grounded his teeth. Again, the wormhole did not disengage.

“Sir, there’s still something coming through.”

General Hammond didn’t bother to hide his frustration this time. “Sergeant!” General Hammond wanted an explanation. Three more quick dull thuds filled the air until finally, the wormhole deactivated. “General!” one of the technicians called out.

“Go ahead, Sergeant.”

“These energy readings clearly show that those hits were not humans, sir.” Sergeant Davis pointed to an area on his computer screen. “They were small objects.”

“Sergeant, could these objects be weapons of some kind?”

“I can’t tell, sir.” The sergeant continued to analyze the data from the computer in front of him. General Hammond stared at the stargate as if ready for it to engage again.

It didn’t.

A few minutes passed until Davis’ voice called out, “Sir, take a look at this. I think it’s an SOS .”

“What?” Hammond stared at the screen.

“This is a sample of the recording of the impacts on the iris.”

General Hammond listened as the computer played out the events.

Thud, thud, thud, thud..thud..thud.. thud,thud, thud

“There it is, sir. It’s definitely a distress signal, sir.”

General Hammond could hardly believe it. Could it be one of his teams in trouble? Perhaps they had lost their GDOs? But before he could ponder on it any longer, the stargate had chosen that moment to come to life once again. The sound of the alarms going off interrupted his next words. General Hammond looked up to see the stargate activate once again.

“Sir, another incoming wormhole.”

Hammond watched as the wormhole established for the second time since his arrival in the control room.

“There may be a traveller on route this time, sir. Awaiting your command!”

General Hammond clenched his sweaty palms into fists. His mind was racked with questions, the predominant one being: Was it possible that an off-world opponent knew an Earth-based distress signal? His judgement told him it couldn’t be so…this was not an enemy.

“Open the iris!” the general yelled above the blaring alarms. He leaned in and grabbed the microphone, pressing down on the side button at the same time. “Stand at attention,” he ordered the guards in the embarkation room. Immediately, they lined up around the stargate, pointing their weapons at the retracting iris. General Hammond moved to a side panel where he pressed another button that would alert the base of possible danger. He watched as ten more recruits ran into the embarkation room to line up with the rest.

The shimmering wormhole remained stable for a few minutes and still nothing came out. General Hammond stared steadfastly at the stargate, preparing for the worst. A trickle of sweat glided down his forehead.

“What’s taking so long, Sergeant?”

“I’m not sure, sir. It may be-“General Hammond followed the sergeant’s gaze as his words trailed off.

A lone figure spurted out of the stargate, falling to the ramp in a crumpled heap.

“My G-d!” he gawked. His motor function seemed to slow as it took him a few seconds to reach for the phone on the wall. He picked up the receiver with a shaking hand. When he heard the familiar female voice respond on the other line, he suddenly seemed to find his voice again. “We need a medical team to the embarkation room immediately. It’s Dr. Jackson!”

Footsteps on metal stairs invaded his thoughts. He pushed away from the window, a silent shiver moving down his torso. He hated when his mind drifted off. Maybe what he hated even more was the realization that this ordeal with SG-1 may have affected him more than he liked to admit.

Maybe it was time for retirement.

He seemed to ponder on that thought until a person emerged from the stairwell.

“Sir, I gave Dr. Watters the message. She’ll see you once she has finished up her session with Colonel O’Neill.”

“Thank you, Airman.” General Hammond gave the stargate one last glance before he walked back to his office and resumed his work.

Jack knocked. He could feel Teal’c’s presence behind him as he waited for any signs of the life on the other side of the door. Seconds later, he heard footsteps. Daniel opened the door, a look of surprise on his face.

“Jack…Teal’c-“

“Daniel,” Jack said peering over his friend’s shoulder to get a look at his hotel room.

“What are you guys doing here?”

“Isn’t it rude to let your friends wait out in the hall?” Jack asked.

Daniel stepped aside and watched as both his former teammates entered his room.

“Looks like my room,” Jack commented, amused at the sight of Daniel’s clothes thrown all over the floor and bed. Teal’c’s eyebrow shot up when he spotted a pair of Daniel’s boxers next to his feet. Daniel’s face grew red as he bent down to pick it up.

“Well, I wasn’t exactly expecting visitors. What are you guys doing here?”

“Teal’c wanted to see a movie and thought maybe you and Carter wanted to join us. Where is she anyway?”

“She’s in the room next to mine.” He pointed to the connecting door.

Jack noted the book that was open and upside down on Daniel’s bed. “So what do ya say you leave all ‘this’ alone-“ Jack motioned to the open book with his hand, “- and join Teal’c and I for a wonderful entertaining night at the movies?”

“I don’t know, Jack.”

“Daniel, what’s a night with your two old buddies? And you can’t honestly tell me that -“ Jack picked up the book and turned it over to read the cover. “-‘Ancient Civilizations of Africa and Near East’ can get your heart pumping like a good ol’ Hollywood thriller?”

“Actually-“

“That was a rhetorical question, Daniel,” Jack stated as he neared the connecting door to Sam’s room. Jack knocked on it. “Carter, you in there?”

Moments later, Sam opened the door, a look of confusion etched on her face. “Sir?”

“Come on, Carter. We’re going to a movie tonight. Close that laptop, put on your shoes and off we go.” He swept his hands to the door.

“Sir, I would love to except-“

“Oh come on, Carter. You don’t want to disappoint Daniel. I mean look at his face. Can’t you see how much he’s dying to go?” Sam looked up at Daniel’s annoyed expression. She couldn’t hold back her laugh.

“You win, sir.”

“That’s the spirit, Carter!”

Sam looked to Daniel who was sitting next to her. She was sure that Daniel wished he hadn’t broken his date with his books; the scowl he wore told her all she needed to know.

The sound of an explosion drew her attention back to the big screen in front of her. A car chase on a bridge had just ended abruptly when a collision with one of the bridge’s posts effectively demolished the black BMW.

Sam snorted inwardly.

‘Typical,’ she thought. Purely testosterone driven. She looked over to the colonel and smiled at his amused face. Teal’c was also deeply engrossed by the high strung action of this no plot thriller. A sudden movement beside her jolted her out of her thoughts. Daniel was walking away, heading towards the exit of the theatre. Something told her that Daniel hadn’t left because he desperately needed to use the washroom. His back was stiff and his strides were swift. Her gut told her something was wrong.

Daniel kept his head down as he walked towards the bathroom. His chest was hurting, as if his heart was breaking his ribs with its powerful strokes.

Daniel pushed open the door to the men’s washroom. He quickly made his way to the first stall he saw and slammed the door shut, his shaking fingers locking it tightly. Daniel sat on the toilet and tried to calm himself down.

It was a panic attack. It seemed to have come out of nowhere, as though his body thought it fun to suddenly jumpstart his sympathetic system without warning him.

This had happened a few times before, however, it never lasted this long.

What the hell was happening to him?

How had this just come about?

Daniel closed his eyes and tried to still his hands. It was getting harder and harder to breathe, as if his lungs were filling up with water rather than oxygen…

Daniel’s eyes suddenly flew open. His first instinct was to take a breath, an action he surely regretted. Instead of a mouthful of air, he got a mouthful of water...

Water.

He was underwater.

Daniel’s eyes darted around.

Every muscle of his being wanted to scream at the sight that assailed him.

Bodies.

Hundreds of dead bodies all around him, some floating near his feet, others piled on the sand below.

An adrenaline boost forced his legs to kick with all their strength. A sharp pain radiated down his right leg but he ignored it. His hands desperately reached for the surface above him. His injured leg was working against him, acting like an anchor, slowing down his ascent. His heart pounded as pure panic forced his hands to claw through the water in a frantic attempt to pull his body forward. Daniel’s throat was beginning to burn, the air in his lungs quickly getting more and more scarce. He kicked even harder, his hands getting caught in some sort of netting. Trying to untangle himself, he suppressed the urge to scream when he came away with human hair wrapped between his fingers. Not two feet away, the lifeless eyes of a young woman stared back at him. Daniel tore his eyes away and looked up desperately. He could see that he was close now; he could make out the sun’s reflection through the water. With all his resolve, he kicked even harder until finally, his head broke the surface.

The moment he felt the cool air against his skin, Daniel tried to breathe and was unprepared for the coughing fit that followed. Water spurted out of his mouth as his throat convulsed painfully. At the same time, his stomach joined in, his abdominal muscles violently contracting. Finally, when most of the water was free of his trachea, he took a deep breath. He refused to move, treading water with considerable difficulty as his mouth starved for more air.

A piercing pain suddenly rolled into him with its ruthless force, causing him to cry out loud. He clutched his thigh with one hand, as his other hand struggled to keep him afloat. The pain was unbearable.

The cobwebs in his mind suddenly cleared. He remembered what had happened to his leg.

Knowing if he didn’t do something now, he would surely drown, Daniel studied his surroundings. He tried to stifle an exclamation of delight when his eyes spotted the most unexpected sight.

A stargate…Right there in front of him, on the shore not 100 feet away!

The next logical question that entered his mind was how the hell he had gotten here…wherever “here” was. He was obviously not in the Goa’uld camp anymore but on another planet somewhere. And if that was so, then how was it that he was in an ocean while the stargate was on land?

Another stargate… There must have been another stargate somewhere.

He peered down into the depths of the ocean. Through the shimmering water, he could clearly make out the reflection of the large ring.

So there were two stargates on this planet!

Why?

Realization suddenly dawned on him. This planet was a human graveyard. The Goa’uld probably submerged another stargate purely for the purpose of discarding their dead.

If he was here, then it probably meant the Goa’uld had thought him dead. His stomach turned at the idea.

Daniel knew he would have to move soon if he wanted to keep warm. He began to swim, his face constricting with pain every time he moved his leg. He tried to ignore the pain, focusing on the stargate instead. After a few strokes, his arms began to fail him. Without the support of both his legs, his arms were taking the brunt of his weight. As he continued to struggle, he succeeded only in taking in a mouthful of water, his body being pulled under by the powerful waves. He coughed violently as a wave sucked him down below the surface.

He was weak.

He could feel his body giving up, slowly shutting down.

He kicked his legs, crying out again in pain. As another wave washed over him, he noticed it was tinged red.

He was bleeding.

Panic surged, forcing him to push on forward again. He listened to the voice in his head convincing him not to give up.

Seconds soon turned into minutes. His movements became mechanical. He continued to put one arm in front of the other, despite the pain, despite his fatigue. He knew he was swimming now not only for his freedom but for his life.

When he was still thirty yards away from shore, a cramp struck his left leg. He rolled sideways trying to reach the bunched muscle. More water poured down his throat. He tried to cough it out but went under instead, his stomach still trying to heave, his fingers reaching for the surface.

‘I’m drowning,’ he thought. ‘I’m really drowning.’

Then, he felt the strangest sensation, as though a hand had seized his arm and had pulled him upward. It was better than an epinephrine shot. His head broke the surface and he began to swim again.

When he felt his feet touch something hard, he weakly opened his eyes, unaware that he had closed them.

Daniel plunged forward, falling boneless to the sand. He felt cold, and thought this was what being dead would be like if you could feel it. He stayed like that for several minutes, giving his body a chance to recuperate. When he could feel some of his strength returning, he tried to get up but fell right back down. He clutched at his thigh, gritting his teeth as he waited for the pain to ease. He lifted up his pant leg and groaned at the sight. His leg was badly infected, green puss covering his wound. Knowing he couldn’t walk, Daniel leaned forward and began to crawl.

When he reached the DHD, he grasped its base and pulled himself up until he was standing on one leg. His heart pounded as he reached out a hand, about to dial Earth’s address when a sudden thought struck him.

The GDO code. How could he get through if he didn’t have the GDO device?

His mind ran in circles until he thought back to his survival training he had received his first year at the SGC.

An idea suddenly formed in his mind. Daniel searched around for anything that he could throw. He thanked G-d when he spotted a few dozen rocks scattered all along the sand. He struggled to remain conscious as he collected as many as he could and then began dialling for Earth. As soon as the stargate established, Daniel crawled closer to the event horizon and weakly threw the rocks into the shimmering wormhole in a quick pattern. When he re-established the wormhole for the second time, he knew that he was taking a chance if he stepped through it. He had no idea if the general had recognized the distress signal. Daniel crawled forward anyhow, prepared to meet his fate, even if it meant death. It took him several minutes to crawl to the wormhole and when he found himself in front of it, he hardly had the energy to pull himself through…

“Daniel…you okay?”

Daniel lifted his head at the sound of Jack’s voice.

“Daniel?” He heard a knock on his bathroom stall door.

“I’m okay, Jack!” Daniel got up from his seat on the toilet and opened the stall door. Jack was standing in front of him with a worried expression.

“Carter was worried about you…asked me to check on you.”

“I’m fine,” Daniel responded.

“Good.” But Jack knew better. He could see the thin sheet of perspiration on his friend’s face. Trying to lighten up the situation, Jack continued. “You know Daniel, it shouldn’t hurt that much. You should add some prunes to your diet.”

Daniel gave him an annoyed look.

“It was a joke, Daniel.” Jack paused. “Sure you’re okay?”

“I’m fine.”

“Dr. Jackson was telling me that you were able to communicate with your teammates individually.”

“Yes,” Sam responded.

“As I can see here,” Dr. Watters started as she scanned a piece of paper on the table, “your job was to distribute the food to the various workers. Is this how you were able to communicate?”

“Yes.”

“I see. Dr Jackson told me that he was able to teach you the Goa’uld language as well.” Sam nodded.

“Why don’t you tell me a little bit about your communication with your teammates?”

“Well, I was lucky enough to see them once everyday. Whenever Daniel collected his food, he would teach me several words in Goa’uld.”

“What kind of words, Major?”

“The basic ones: Yes. No.” Sam took a sip from her water. “He also taught me words that would pertain to some of their orders like ‘stop’ or ‘work’.”

“And this went on for the entire 6 months?”

Sam lowered her eyes. “It was all very risky. We were forbidden to talk to any of the other workers. Daniel was very good at hiding it though. We were successfully able to maintain a constant line of communication for about three months.”

“Why only the three months?”

“We were caught. I assume one of the guards had suspected something because he had been watching me very carefully that day. When I saw Daniel, I tried to warn him but it was too late.” Sam’s eyes were cast downwards.

“What happened?” Dr. Watters didn’t want to hear the answer.

“It was the middle of the night when a few guards took Daniel, myself and an older man out of our barracks. They brought us to a lake and forced us into the water.”

“Was this lake inside the camp?”

“Yes. It was behind the factories. I didn’t know about it until that night.”

“Major, you don’t have to continue-“ Dr. Watters began, knowing that all she was going to hear was more torture and pain.

“No, doctor. I think I need to tell you this.” Sam waited for confirmation before she continued. “The old man was having trouble treading water. At one point, the man went under. Daniel saved him. Of course, as you might imagine, the Jaffa got upset and ordered Daniel to let go of him and get out of the water. When Daniel got out, he created a distraction that allowed me to escape.”

“How?”

“He lashed out at the Jaffa. It gave me the opportunity to swim away undetected.” Sam played nervously with the glass of water on the table. It took her a few more moments to continue. “After swimming for about 10 minutes, I knew I was suffering from hypothermia. I started to swim to shore when I suddenly realised that I had swum farther than the perimeters of the camp and there was no Goa’uld force field to stop me. Still…I couldn’t escape. I was too tired. I would have died trying,” Sam explained.

“So you were caught again?” Dr. Watters asked, her voice full of sympathy

“Yes, a few Jaffa were able to track me down. I was eventually caught.”

“What happened after that?”

“I was sent to solitary confinement for a week or so.”

“And Dr. Jackson?”

“I don’t know…” Sam’s voice drifted off. “He was beaten for lashing out but after that…I don’t know.”

Silence filled the room. Dr. Watters cleared her throat and pulled out the map of the camp that Sam had drawn for her.

“Do you think you can point out the lake on the map?”

Sam analyzed the map and pointed her index finger to a certain spot. Dr. Watters marked the spot with her pen.

“Thank you. I think that’s all for now,” Dr. Watters said as she noticed the lack of colour in Sam’s cheeks. “Please send Colonel O’Neill.”

Sam nodded and left the room as quickly as she could.

“So, you started to dig a way out, am I right, Colonel?”

“That’s right.”

“What else can you remember?”

“Do we really have to get into this? I don’t see what this has to do with anything.”

“Colonel. My job is to find out about your experiences in the camp. Whether it helps us or not, is not the issue at the moment. Please, Colonel.” Dr. Watters seemed exasperated, on the verge of losing it all together. Jack was proving to be a very difficult patient.

Jack sighed and began, “Like I told you last time, I found a potential means of escape by digging a tunnel under the barrack. Each night, after curfew, I would sneak under the barrack and dig…

Jack grunted with exertion. This was the fourth night and things were not going smoothly. Although the tunnel was quite deep, he wasn’t getting as far as he would have liked. He would often have to climb back up and dump the extra dirt, costing him both his time and energy in the process. His escape would have to be delayed.

Jack clawed at more of the dirt and mud. He pushed aside the rocks and cursed when he felt a stinging pain in his fingertips. Jack looked down at his hands. They were stained with dried and fresh blood.

Jack continued to dig until a noise froze him in his spot. He sat quietly as he strained to listen. He could hear muffled footsteps from above his head. The footsteps were getting closer until he heard them no more. Curious, Jack inched his way down the tunnel until he was able to look up and see the floor of the barrack. When he did, he jerked his head back immediately. A man was there, looking down through the hole in the floor. The man had seen him, their eyes had met briefly.

Shit.

The guy was going to report this.

//Who’s there?//

Jack didn’t know what the man was saying. Jack listened as he heard the man grunt a few times. Jack closed his eyes and cursed. The man was squeezing through the hole. A few seconds later, Jack saw his butt as the man climbed into his tunnel.

//You are trying to escape?//

Jack creased his eyebrows. “Look buddy, I have no idea what you’re saying but this…” he motioned around him,”…is going to be just between you and me, you got that?”

The man stared back at him, his face blank.

“YOU…” Jack pointed at the man, “…and ME.” Jack pointed at himself.

The man mimicked Jack’s actions.

“Yes…You and me. What are you doing?” Jack watched as the man smiled and began to dig. Jack reached out and grabbed the man by the shoulder. “What are you doing?”

“Yu an mee,” the man mimicked Jack’s earlier actions again and continued to dig. Jack sat for a moment or two before he began to dig as well. Together they worked in silence until the early morning hours.

“You befriended the man?”

“Actually, I would say he befriended me if you really want to get into semantics.”

“And both of you would assist each other?”

“Yeah…things went a lot faster that way.”

“I-“ Dr. Watters was cut off by the sound of the alarms blaring in the hall. She looked up to see Jack nearing the door. “Colonel-“ Dr. Watters began but Jack was already out of the room.

Jack ran into the control room seeking out the general immediately.

“Why the wake up call, sir?” He stood and stared at the stargate as the last chevron locked into place.

“We’re getting an unscheduled incoming wormhole, Colonel.”

“Receiving Tok’ra IDC, sir!” the technician called out.

“Open the iris!”

The men watched as the titanium iris swirled open. The familiar figure of Jacob soon emerged onto the ramp. General Hammond and Jack made their way down the stairs the moment they recognized their visitor.

“Jacob, long time no see!” Jack called out.

“Hi, Jack.” Jacob turned to the larger man. “George.”

“Good to see you, Jacob,” the General greeted.

“Is Sam around?”

“She took off just over an hour ago,” Jack said as he noticed the box in Jacob’s hand. “So, what did Santa bring?”

“It’s the memory device that Sam requested,” he said as he handed Jack the box.

Jack opened the metal container and stared at the small circular device inside. “Ho, ho, ho,” he muttered to himself.

Eyes.

In all his years of combat, Teal’c had learned much from looking in a man’s eyes. It was due to this ability to read others that Teal’c had taken that first big step and had joined forces with the people of the Tau’ri. Now, as he looked into the eyes of his younger friend, all he could see was hurt and pain.

Daniel was sitting across from him in the commissary, quietly drinking his coffee. There was nobody else at the table and still, not a word was said. Teal’c knew why things could never be the same between them. In the first few months back, he had blamed himself for his younger friend’s suffering. It had been because of him that Daniel was no longer physically whole. Anytime Daniel had looked at him, he had felt distressed, as if his friend had been scrutinizing him for a telltale sign, proof of his crime. However, in retrospect, Teal’c knew that he had been choiceless that night.

Teal’c peered into Daniel’s eyes once again in the hope that he could see what his ears couldn’t hear…

Eyes

Teal’c could see the flicker of doubt…the hesitancy in his eyes. The guard was easy to read. Over the last six months, Teal’c had watched him carefully. The man was different from the other Jaffa. He seemed to have a hidden compassion that forced him to stand out from the rest. Though escape was futile, Teal’c wondered if this man…this Jaffa would be the key to his survival. If he could perhaps feed the man’s doubt, make him realize that the Goa’ulds were not G-ds, then perhaps the impossible would be attainable.

Teal’c watched the Jaffa as he circulated, monitoring the progress of the workers around him. It was only a matter of time until Teal’c would approach the man himself and attempt to convert his views.

Teal’c was momentarily distracted by a strange noise coming from his right. One of the machines next to him was humming a strange tune and vibrating, as if ready to erupt.

//Step away from the machine,// Teal’c quickly warned the others around him.

A sudden explosion caused him to lose his footing. He hit the ground hard as chaos ensued all around him. The other workers were yelling, some in obvious pain, others in confusion. Teal’c tried to open his eyes but the heat scorching his skin forced them to remain shut.

Fire.

He could feel it all around him.

Teal’c backed away from the heat, his face still stinging in pain. When he was far enough from the smoke, he finally opened his eyes. In front of him, one of the metal purification machines was burning maliciously. A dozen or so Jaffa were running in from all directions, buckets of water in their hands, their only weapon against the gruesome heat.

It took many minutes until the fire finally dwindled down. Of the ten or so men lying motionless on the floor, Teal’c could recognize five who had belonged to his faction. Their bodies were scorched, their charcoal skin still sizzling. Teal’c watched as one of the Jaffa approached the mess.

//Who did this?//

The silence that followed was almost piercing.

//WHO DID THIS?!?!// the Jaffa yelled again, this time, he raised his staff weapon and aimed it at a group of workers.

//It was no man’s fault, Man’uk.// The Jaffa whom Teal’c had been eyeing for the last few months stepped forward. Man’uk turned to face the smaller guard. Teal’c could clearly see the rage in his eyes.

Man’uk raised the staff weapon and aimed it at his chest. //Since this area is under your surveillance, I am holding you personally responsible for this. Because of your foolishness, ten men are dead and production will be slowed for the next week. As I have told you before, one more blunder and not only will you suffer, but your family as well. When I am through today, I will personally go to your home.” Man’uk gave an evil smile and promptly continued, //First I will ravage your wife. Then I will ravage your daughter. And once I have finished with them, I will choke them myself until their lips no longer pass breath.//

//You would not!// Shal’ak said, his voice filled with panic.

Teal’c watched the exchange anxiously. This was his chance.

He stepped forward. //I was the one.//

Both Man’uk and Shal’ak turned to face him. //What did you say?// Man’uk demanded.

//I am the one at fault!// Teal’c repeated, his words strengthened by his resolve.

//SEIZE HIM!// the large Jaffa yelled. Teal’c remained still as two guards marched his way. They grabbed his arms and violently wrenched them behind his back. Man’uk, using his gloved hand, slowly picked up a metal shard still smoking of heat. He approached Teal’c with it and smiled. //So Jaffa, you like to play with fire, do you?// he asked as he forcefully pressed the burning hot metal to Teal’c’s bare torso. Teal’c felt his skin singe under the heat of the metal rod. He screamed in agony, his muscles contracting, attempting to pull away from his constraints.

After a minute or so, the pain finally eased. //Release him!// Man’uk ordered. Teal’c fell to the floor, his mind hardly functioning from the pain. He was barely aware of the footsteps approaching him or of the sound of the staff weapon activating. His vision went blank only seconds after an intense pain conquered his left shoulder…

Teal’c opened his eyes, unaware that he had closed them. His arm was suspended in mid-air, a spoon full of soup mere inches from his face. Daniel stared at him with a look of question on his face.

“Teal’c, you okay?” Daniel asked, his eyebrows creased together. “You’ve been holding that spoon like that for the past two minutes.

“I am fine, DanielJackson,” Teal’c responded, lowering his arm and allowing his spoon to settle back into the bowl.

“Right,” Daniel said, still eyeing Teal’c suspiciously.

“Are you going to be present in Dr. Fraiser’s home this Friday night, DanielJackson?”

“Yes. It’s the night before I fly out so I won’t be staying long.”

Silence settled between both men.

“What’s taking her so long?”

“To whom are you referring, DanielJackson?” Teal’c asked with innocent fervour in his eyes.

“Sam. She’s been in there for the past twenty minutes.”

“She is attempting to calibrate the machinery,” Teal’c explained.

“I guess I’m not looking forward too much to using that memory device,” Daniel explained.

“It is your choice, DanielJackson. You are not being forced to do so.”

“I know. It’s just… I’d rather do that than have to sit there in an office and vocalize my experiences out loud.” Daniel took another sip of his coffee.

Another moment of silence established itself before Teal’c continued, “Are you and O’Neill no longer friends, DanielJackson?”

Daniel’s head popped up at the question, apparently not expecting Teal’c do address the subject so openly.

“Teal’c…”

“You no longer speak with him. This is not the way two friends should behave, DanielJackson.”

“A lot of things have been on my mind lately, Teal’c. I haven’t even had the chance to really talk to Jack since I’ve been here.”

“On the contrary, DanielJackson. There have been many opportunities -“

“Teal’c,” Daniel interrupted, his blue eyes imploring him to stop. “I’m going to check on Sam.” Teal’c remained seated, his mind pondering as Daniel got up and left the commissary.

“STOP!”

They were hurting her. She was screaming…crying. He had never seen her cry in such a way before.

“Stop!” he pleaded again.

He could hear the sound of another whip hitting its target accompanied by his friend’s distressed cry.

Daniel pulled on his chains.

“Sam, you have to hold on!” he yelled through the tears of frustration.

Another crack.

And another.

Blood…all over her back.

He felt a shudder roll through his body. “Why don’t you come after me?!?” Daniel yelled, the words knotted in his gut. He swung his feet out, the effort sent hammers of pain smashing into him, causing him to cry out. The chains burrowed painfully into his wrists. His feet hardly met their target, his toes still inches away from the Jaffa standing next to Sam. Sam was motionless now, her head hung limply.

Something cool and hard smacked his cheekbone. Pain rolled through him like a distant thunder. Daniel screamed…

“Daniel! Daniel, wake up!” Sam stared in horror as her friend moaned in his sleep. Daniel was tightly clutching his thigh.

“Oh G-d!” he shouted.

“Daniel, wake up!” Sam turned on the lamp by his bed and grasped his shoulders tightly. Only moments earlier she had been fast asleep in her bed when Daniel’s desperate screams had woken her.

Daniel’s eyes flew open. “Sam…G-d my leg is killing me.” The vein in his neck was jutting out.

“What’s going on, Daniel?” Sam sat on his bed next to him, not knowing where to put her hands.

Daniel gritted his teeth and groaned in pain.

“Daniel… take deep breaths.”

“Sam…my leg.”

“Daniel...” Sam paused, not knowing how to continue.

“Oh G-d!”

“Daniel, I’m going to call Janet. Just try and relax!”

Sam grabbed the phone next to his bed. She quickly dialled the number to Janet’s house.

“Hello?” a tired voice answered on the other line.

“Janet? It’s Sam.”

“Sam, what’s wrong?”

“It’s Daniel. Something’s wrong. He’s in pain. He’s claiming that his right ‘leg’ is hurting.”

“Phantom pain,” Janet stated immediately.

“What?”

“He’s probably feeling phantom pain. It’s a malfunction of the pain message unit in the brain. His nervous system is probably fighting back the trauma,” Janet explained.

“How did this just come on?” Sam asked.

“Anything can trigger it. Where is he now?”

“He’s still in bed.” Sam paused.

“Go soak a towel in warm water and then wrap it around his thigh. The hot water should increase the circulation. Sam, can I speak to Daniel?”

“Okay, hold on.” Sam put a hand on Daniel’s arm. “Daniel, Janet wants to talk to you. Do you think you can take the phone?” Daniel acknowledged her with a nod, too exhausted to speak. With considerable effort, Daniel removed one hand from his thigh and took the receiver.

“Hello?” Daniel groaned.

“Daniel…what you’re experiencing is called phantom pain. It’s something pretty common. Sam is going to try and ease the pain with some hot water. In the meantime, what I need you to do is relax as much as you can. The pain is going to pass; it just takes a bit of time. Okay, Daniel?”

“Okay.” Daniel dropped the phone onto the bed, unable to hold it any longer and grasped at his thigh once again.

A minute later, Sam was back with the towel. She quietly sat down next to him.

“Daniel, you need to move your hands,” she said patiently.

Daniel’s hands shifted to grasp the sheets instead. “I think I’m going to pass out, Sam,” he whispered, his eyes still closed, his hair soaked with perspiration.

Sam carefully wrapped his thigh with the hot towel and began to massage the area with her fingers. “Has this ever happened before?”

“Never this bad,” Daniel croaked.

Sam spent the next five minutes massaging his thigh until eventually, Daniel’s hands loosened their grip on the sheets, and his breathing began to return to normal. “It’s going away.” Daniel sighed. He draped his arm across his forehead in exhaustion.

Sam smiled, allowing herself to join in on the relief.

“Thanks, Sam.”

Sam studied her friend. He looked half-dead, as though he could sleep for a year. She patted his shoulder. “Get some sleep, Daniel. I’ll leave the towel on for a bit longer.” Daniel nodded and allowed his head to sink into his pillow. Sam hung up the phone and closed the lamp next to his bed. Just as she was about to open the door to her hotel room, she heard him say, “It was a nightmare. Actually, more like a flashback.”

Sam remained silent, urging him to continue.

“They were whipping you,” Daniel’s voice rattled to a halt.

“Daniel, it’s normal.”

“G-d, am I the only one?”

“No…” Sam bowed her head. “I get them too. I guess I’m just lucky that pain doesn’t accompany mine,” she said sympathetically.

“Yeah,” Daniel said. “Hopefully that won’t happen again.”

“I hope so too.”

“Let’s go, Carter,” Jack said impatiently.

“I’m just about done, sir.” Sam fiddled with a few more buttons before finally looking up at her CO who was sitting on one of the hospital beds. “I’m just making sure that we’ll be able to record the output from the memory device.”

“Sweet,” Jack muttered. His temple was hurting now that a metal disk was currently occupying its space. Dr. Watters and Dr. Fraiser sat next to Sam, listening to her explain the various controls.

“Okay, we’re done.” Sam stood up and handed Angela a remote. “All you have to do is pass this over the disk to activate it and then you can start asking your questions. A screen should pop up and you’ll be able to see exactly what Colonel O’Neill is seeing in his mind.”

“Thank you, Major.” Angela smiled.

Sam nodded and began to make her way to the door.

“Carter, where are you going?”

Sam paused. “Sir?”

“Why don’t you stay? It’s not everyday you get to catch a free viewing of the O’Neill network. Hey, no commercials…you can’t beat that, can you?”

“Are you sure, sir?”

“Take a seat, Carter… Please,” Jack insisted, the words seemed to rise, not from his throat, but from the aching hollow of his stomach.

Sam took a seat next to Janet in the back of the room where she could watch the proceedings from a distance. Dr. Watters approached Jack. She awkwardly passed the device she held over the memory device and then sat down in a chair next to him.

“Alright, Colonel, why don’t you lie down and make yourself comfortable. Good. Let’s talk more about your attempt at escape in the Goa’uld camp-“ Angela jumped when a large screen suddenly materialized in front of her.

“It’s okay, Doctor. It’s supposed to happen,” Sam explained as she looked over at Jack who was lying on his back, his eyes closed.

A noise suddenly caught the attention of both women. The screen hovering in mid-air was no longer blank. Sam could easily recognize Jack’s image, despite the dim light of his surroundings. She continued to gaze on, her curiosity increasing two fold…

Jack was crouched on his stomach while his hands used a ceramic bowl as a makeshift shovel. He was digging earnestly. He craned his neck so he could see Kalem, the man who had offered Jack his aid only months before. “We’re almost there,” he stated and then returned his attention back to his task. “Not like you can understand what I just said.”

Kalem sat at attention, waiting to carry the next load of dirt out of the tunnel they had created together over the last four months. Although communication was difficult, both men were still able to set up an organized distribution of work.

Jack blinked away the stinging sweat. He could feel his heart racing. Despite the calluses on his fingers, he continued to dig and claw at the earth. Jack touched the many roots hanging from the dirt above him. They had begun to appear more consistently, a sure sign that he was approaching the forest. “Come on, come on…come on,” Jack prayed as he dropped the bowl and began digging with his bare hands.

“Here,” Jack said to the other man as he shoved more dirt his way. Kalem eagerly scooped it up with his own bowl and began to make his trek all the way back to the beginning of the tunnel.

“You know-“ Jack’s sentence was cut off when he felt a sharp zap of electricity throw him back. His hand sent shooting pains down his arm. A fluctuating red Goa’uld energy field blocked his field of vision.

“NO! G-d damnit!!!” Jack’s insides turned to scalding water as shock waves travelled up to the pit of his stomach. “FUCK NO!” Jack yelled. An entire four months of digging only to be stopped again, ten feet underground, by another fucking energy field! Jack could hear his partner crawling back towards him, obviously curious to know the cause of the outburst.

“SHIT!” Jack slammed his fist down against the energy field again.

“Shh…” Kalem warned.

The warning came too late.

Jack could hear the sound of multiple footsteps directly above him no doubt heading towards his barrack. They probably had sensors monitoring the external energy field…

The screen began to flicker wildly.

“What’s going on?” Angela rose from her seat.

Sam ran to the controls and looked at one of the screens. “I don’t know!”

Dozens of images flashed one after another.

“Don’t touch him!” Jack pulled against his human restraints. He closed his eyes when he heard the shot from the Jaffa’s staff. He reopened them only to see Kalem lying motionless on the ground, his chest smoking.

“I think he’s going into some sort of shock.” Janet’s hands worriedly assessed Jack’s condition.

“We may need to deactivate the machine,” Sam yelled.

Jack felt his head contact stone. He was lying on a cold floor in a room that couldn’t have been larger than a walk- in closet. His captors had followed him in. Jack grunted when he received a boot to the chest.

Jack began to shake, his face screwed up as if in pain. His hands cradled his belly.

Blood sprouted from his face as another boot contacted bone. Jack tried to shield himself from the onslaught but his muscles no longer obeyed him.

“Janet, what’s going on?” Sam cried out.

“I don’t know.” Janet held down Jack’s shoulder with one hand as the other zoned in on his temple.

Jack yelled when he heard a crack, his chest was suddenly on fire. But before he could assess the situation, another forceful kick to his head allowed the blessed darkness to settle in.

“The screen just went blank!” Angela cried, her mouth wide open in shock.

“He’s convulsing!” Janet yelled.

Sam ran to the bed.

“No…don’t touch him!” Janet ordered.

For minutes, the three women stared in silence until Jack’s body finally settled down.

“What the hell was that?” Sam’s shaken voice emerged amidst the silent room.

“Colonel, can you hear me?”

Jack’s eyes opened weakly. “Doc?”

“You had a small seizure, Colonel,” Janet informed.

“Oh G-d…” Jack muttered.

“How are you feeling?” Janet asked.

“That was a little too real.” Jack ignored Janet’s question, his mind still feeling the after affects of the alien technology.

Janet turned around to face the two other women. “I don’t want you to continue using the memory device until I can find out what the hell just happened here. In the meantime, I want to check on Colonel O’Neill.”

Sam nodded. Dr. Watters seemed a bit dazed by the whole experience. Before Sam left, she retrieved the CD from the machine she had set up. Dr. Watters followed her out of the room. “Let’s find out if it worked,” Sam said, but even her face seemed to have lost its colour.

”What of Colonel O’Neill?” Teal’c inquired.

“He’s fine, Teal’c. The memory device might not be the best option right now,” Dr. Watters explained.

“Were you able to retrieve the information from the machine that Major Carter has designed?”

“Ah…actually, yes. Colonel O’Neill’s memories were successfully copied.”

“Then I would like to be the next to offer my experiences,” Teal’c stated.

“Thank you, Teal’c, but Dr. Fraiser doesn’t feel it is safe yet. She says that because the memories that SG-1 hold are so powerful, the memory device could actually have a physical affect on your bodies.”

“My symbiote may protect me from such a threat.”

“I don’t think your symbiote can protect you from mental anguish, Teal’c. Please, sit down.” Dr. Watters pointed to the chair across from her. “Teal’c, why don’t you continue explaining to me about the Jaffa that you were following?”

“As I have explained, I was placed into solitary confinement. It was Shal’ak who came to see me in my confines.”

Dr. Watters leafed through her notes quickly until she found the page she was looking for. “So Shal’ak was the Jaffa whose family you saved by taking the blame for the factory incident?”

“That is correct, Dr. Watters.”

“Please continue, Teal’c.”

Teal’c’s entire body jumped when he heard the sound of a bolt being unlocked. The darkness made it impossible to see his visitor. Teal’c remained silent as he listened to the heavy footsteps walk towards his feeble body.

//You must remain silent. They must not know you have a visitor.//

Teal’c opened his eyes when he detected fear in the voice addressing him.

/ /I am Shal’ak. I am here to understand why a prisoner such as yourself would save my family from harm. //

Teal’c tried to open his mouth but the dried blood and the swelling around his lips nearly made it impossible. Teal’c suddenly felt something solid touch his lips.

// Drink this. You must keep up your strength.//

Teal’c drank greedily. Throughout the many days he had been in this solitary cell, he had hardly received any nourishment.

//My daughter is sick. My wife tends to her. She may not live much longer…//

Teal’c could hear the man in front of him begin to lose control, his voice containing the slightest of quivers.

//I know you did not sabotage that machine for it was broken even before you had arrived in this camp. // He paused momentarily. // Why did you protect me? //

Teal’c had no strength to speak so Shal’ak continued instead,

//I owe you my life, Jaffa. I will carry out any duty you desire of me. //

The words hit Teal’c like a cold splash of water, reviving him from a terrible nightmare.

//Please…my friends…they are here as well. // Teal’c coughed weakly.

The Jaffa knelt close to his face. //Then they too will benefit from your kindness.//

//The lake… help us escape.//

Teal’c could hear the man pause, as if he were contemplating the decision, weighing its risk. //Yes, I know of this escape route. I will carry out your wish. How many friends shall share your fate?//

//There are three others.//

A sound from the outside hallway forced both men to lower their voices.

// Tell me their names. //

//They are known as O’Neill, DanielJackson and Major Carter.//

//I swear to you on my father’s name that in one week from today, you and your friends will be summoned. You will be brought to this lake where freedom will await you. // Shal’ak allowed Teal’c to drink one more time from his water before he stood and left the cell. Teal’c closed his eyes once more to ponder whether the encounter was a dream or not.

“Teal’c, how did you know about the lake?” Dr. Watters asked.

“Major Carter was able to communicate this message to me one evening.”

“So this man…this Jaffa…was going to save you and the rest of SG-1?”

“That is correct, Dr. Watters. He held his word. One week from that day, he extricated me from my confinement and then proceeded to gather O’Neill, DanielJackon and Major Carter from their barracks with two other Jaffa,” Teal’c explained.

“I’m sensing that we are coming to an end, aren’t we?” Dr. Watters inquired.

“That is correct.”

“I think the next session will be our last. Thank you, Teal’c.” Angela gave him a warm smile.

Teal’c bowed his head and proceeded to leave the room.

“Are you sure, Sam?”

“Daniel, I need you,” Sam implored. “The Colonel and Teal’c are already there.”

“I thought Janet didn’t want you to go through with it?” Daniel asked.

“I need to do this, Daniel. This is what it all comes down to. If we can actually record our escape, it would make all the difference.”

Daniel sighed in defeat and said, “After you.” Sam nodded and walked into the observation room where Dr. Watters and Janet were waiting. Daniel followed promptly. As Sam pushed herself up and onto the infirmary bed, Janet approached her with the memory device.

“Are you sure you want to do this, Sam?” Janet asked, the concern clearly radiating from her.

“Yes,” Sam said though her voice faltered slightly.

Janet reached out and pressed the device to Sam’s temple. Sam cringed, the device clearly painful.

“Are you ready?” Janet asked.

“Yes,” Sam said, trying to relay her confidence to her friend. She looked around the room for Daniel and spotted him sitting close to the wall.

Dr. Watters pulled her chair closer to Sam. “Okay, Major, were nearing the end here. You’ve done wonderfully so far.” She smiled momentarily. “Let’s just finish this up, shall we?”

Sam nodded.

“Okay, you last left off when the Jaffa showed up at your barrack in the middle of the night. Teal’c, Dr. Jackson and Colonel O’Neill were there as well, correct?”

Once again, the large alien screen appeared to hover in mid air.

//Do NOT speak!!// the Jaffa warned, his eyes addressing Sam. The Jaffa had come without explanation and had singled her out from the rest of her barrack, asking her to join him outside only to be reunited with her friends.

The moment Sam saw her friends, a trembling excitement reverberated inside her like the beginning rumblings of an earthquake. She was close enough to touch them if she wanted to. However, this excitement was short-lived and was quickly overshadowed by the concern she suddenly felt when she saw her CO. Jack looked like he was about to collapse. His face was drawn and ghastly white with eyes sunken like thumbprint impressions in a crude clay sculpture. He looked older, a face inlaid with wrinkled trails. In fact, they all looked dead on their feet. Teal’c was cradling his belly as gingerly as if it were a bomb about to explode. Daniel was also pale and hallow-eyed from lack of sleep. His dark expression was quizzical but guarded. She wanted to talk to them, touch them. But the fear in her heart stopped her from doing so. //March!// Sam felt a strong shove pushing her forward cruelly. She remained quiet as they walked, fear of the destination evident in her breathing pattern. When the familiar lake appeared before her, Sam wanted to stop. She couldn’t go through that again.

Ever.

The way they marched, Sam didn’t have a chance to see her friends’ faces but she knew that Daniel was probably feeling the same panic inside.

//Stop!// the Jaffa ordered. Sam watched as one of the Jaffa stepped in front of Teal’c.

//You must leave now! // He scanned the area quickly. //You will not have much time. Go now! //

//Thank you, Shal’ak! // Teal’c grabbed the Jaffa’s arm and bowed his head.

//GO!//

Teal’c turned to his friends, “Quickly… get into the water!”

Sam watched as the Jaffa who had escorted them were quickly retreating. “Teal’c what’s going on?”

“Major Carter, you must get into the water!” Teal’c was already submerging his body. “It is our only chance at escape!” he said, his drawl deep.

At that moment, Sam watched in horror as her commanding officer suddenly collapsed.

“Jack!” Daniel ran to his fallen friend. “His pulse is weak!”

“Daniel…go! Get out of here!” Jack’s eyes were closed but his lips moved nonetheless.

“We’re not leaving you here, Jack!” Daniel said fervently. It was the first time he had spoken to his friend in half a year.

“Sir, we’re going to get you into the water,” Sam whispered, the words knotted in her gut. She knew what death looked like and she was staring at it right now.

Teal’c had already made his way back to them, helping his other teammates carry Jack into the water. “O’Neill…you must stay conscious!” Teal’c urged.

When they finally submerged themselves, Teal’c held onto the collar of Jack’s uniform and began to swim. Daniel and Sam followed suit.

As the minutes passed, Sam’s breathing began to falter. Her arms were tired and there were still several miles left to swim. She couldn’t shut off the cold seeping through her, as if her heart were pumping ice water instead of blood. She looked up to see Teal’c at least a kilometer ahead, his grip on the colonel as firm as ever. Daniel’s heavy breathing close by echoed in her ears.

Sam suddenly stopped swimming, her despair evident. “Daniel, I don’t think I can make it!” Hot tears rose in her throat, choking off her words.

“Sam, look at me!” Daniel’s eyes penetrated her very being, their vivacious tenacity shining forth. “You have to keep going! Sam…just put one arm in front of the other!” he persisted.

Noises suddenly emerged behind them. Sam could clearly make out ten or so guards getting into the water.

“They made our position!” Sam’s whispered voice rose to a strained, trembling pitch.

Sam pushed herself to swim harder. Each breath she took caused her throat to constrict painfully. Every now and then, Sam glanced behind her only to see that the guards were quickly gaining distance. Daniel swam next to her, refusing to leave her side.

Minutes passed and Sam was exhausted, no longer finding the energy to look behind her. Everything appeared to be in slow motion, and Daniel’s urgent voice seemed to come from a great distance, barely filtering through the roaring of blood in her ears.

Sam’s entire head nearly submerged underwater when she felt a strong hand grip her ankle. The last comforting sight she saw was the disappearing figures of her other two teammates who were too far ahead to be spotted…

Sam gasped, her entire body heaved backward.

“Sam?” Janet ran forward. The large screen before them suddenly went blank. “Sam? Talk to me!”

“I’m okay,” Sam began, blinking her eyes rapidly in an attempt to be rid of the after affects of the device. “G-d, I almost forgot how real this thing feels.” Sam rubbed her temple gently.

“Okay, I think you’ve had enough of that for today,” Janet chided.

“No wait, Janet. I can do more…”

“Sam-“

“Janet, please! I need to do this. Just a few minutes more.”

A moment of silence passed between both women. Janet soon broke eye contact and took a step backward in defeat. Sam closed her eyes and the familiar screen appeared once again.

Sam opened her eyes.

Grass.

Movement. Her body was moving. Sam was being dragged by her feet.

Daniel!

Her eyes searched for him amidst the confusion. Instead, they locked onto another sight. The Jaffa that had helped them escape not a half hour earlier were on their knees facing three guards, staff weapons pointed at their heads. Sam forced her eyes closed when she heard the sound of the weapons activating.

“NO!!!”

Daniel’s cry tore into her. His plea for justice was too late, all three Jaffa fell lifeless to the ground. Sam suddenly felt a chill pass over her, trying to contemplate what lay ahead.

Death.

Death was what lay ahead.

Sam closed her eyes again, hoping that this time, it would be for good.

“It’s jumping again!” Angela stood up as she stared at the screen.

“Sam, try and control it!” Janet shouted.

When Sam felt her legs fall to the grass, she allowed herself to open her eyes again. The guard above her had let her go. Sam examined her surroundings, recognizing the large stones of the factory wall next to her. Relief crashed through Sam’s heart when she spotted Daniel on the ground too, his eyes refusing to let her go. Sam’s entire body jerked in surprise when a set of familiar Goa’uld rings descended around her.

“Sam…Sam open your eyes,” Janet begged.

Sam shook her head, refusing to lose her concentration.

Sam was forced onto her feet. She studied the underground compound as the guard behind her shoved her forward none too gently.

Five steps forward.

Turn left.

Twenty steps forward.

Turn left.

“She’s leading us through the underground tunnels,” Angela pointed out in amazement.

Twelve steps forward.

Turn right.

Ten steps forward.

Stop.

//Get inside!// Sam understood the order and staggered into the small cell. The bricks that made up its walls were so blackened with grime it made her think of an oven, one that hadn’t been cleared in years. She felt her stomach knot in dismay. The guards followed promptly and slammed her back against the wall. One of the guards leaned his body against her, rocking his hips into her pelvis as he grabbed her wrists and lifted them into the air. His eyes seemed to caress her, giving her a look of intense approval. Sam gritted her teeth and turned her head away as the Jaffa smelled her hair.

Sam felt cold metal enclose her wrist.

Shackles. Daniel was close by, locked in the same position.

The Jaffa in front of her took a step back towards the doorway, dangling the keys in his hand in a mocking fashion. The slam of the door left her and Daniel alone in complete darkness.

“Sam…you okay?” Daniel’s voice warmed the chill inside her.

“Yeah…you?”

“Yeah. So…I guess we can safely say we won’t be back for the welcome home party,” Daniel mumbled bitterly. Sam heard the sound of chains clanking together and knew that Daniel was probably pulling on his restraints. His voice suddenly turned serious. “We’re going to have to keep each other alive, Sam.”

Sam nodded. She knew he could not see her do so but she was unable to say more. In fact, she was grateful for the absolution. She wished the tears would come to wash away her pain, but after the initial anger, all she felt now were hatred and resentment.

The screen flickered again. Jack stood up from his seat when he saw Janet tense. “Let her finish,” he told her.

Sam woke from her fitful sleep. The metal door to their cell was open and the feeble light it provided allowed her to make out the faint outline of three Jaffa. One of them approached her slowly, smiling at an image that only his head could conjure. He lifted his hand and placed it on her thigh. Slowly, he allowed his fingertips to follow the smooth curves of her feminine body. Sam jerked back against her chains.

“Get off of her!” Daniel yelled.

The Jaffa ignored him and concentrated on his task instead. When his fingers reached her shoulders, he slid his entire hand down her uniform top until it rested on one of her breasts. Sam struggled to pull away but it was to no avail. Instead, she received a vicious blow to the face for her efforts.

//STOP IT!// Daniel yelled in Goa’uld hoping that maybe this time, the Jaffa would listen. He didn’t. With all his resolve, Daniel lifted his feet, forcing his arms to support his weight, and kicked out at his victim. The Jaffa staggered back from the blow to his side, his hands freeing Sam. Angry orders were given out and suddenly, the guards were no longer interested in her.

“Daniel don’t…” she warned, fear lacing her words.

The three guards surrounded Daniel on all sides. One of them took out a set of keys and unlocked the shackles around his wrists. The moment Daniel’s arms fell to his side, the guard in the middle forced his forearm against Daniel’s throat and pushed up until Daniel was choking for air. The force of the other man’s arm lifted Daniel off of the ground. Daniel’s face turned red instantly, his feet kicked out in despair. The more Daniel struggled, the more the Jaffa pushed against his Adam’s apple.

//No!// Sam yelled.

When one of Daniel’s feet hit its mark, the Jaffa growled something feral, his forearm still not easing off of Daniel’s throat. Instead, the guard brought his iron-clad knee up in a painful blow. When the arm finally retracted, Daniel fell to the floor, his hands immediately covered his groin, the pain intense. The guards laughed as they left, locking the door behind them. When the darkness returned, all Sam could hear were Daniel’s groans of pain between bouts of fitful coughing. She had seen where the guard had hit him and she grimaced with sympathy.

“Daniel…are you okay?” Sam listened for a response but got none. “Daniel, how bad did they hurt you?” When she still heard nothing, Sam continued softly, “Thank you, Daniel.” She bowed her head, the shock of the event finally settling in. “Thank you,” she whispered.

The screen shut down. Sam opened her eyes. “I’m sorry, I don’t think I can do anymore today.” Sam’s voice seemed distant, almost mechanical. She sat up slowly, her body felt depleted, but whether it was from the alien device or the memories themselves, she wasn’t sure. The entire room remained quiet as Janet approached her.

“You did great, Sam.” Janet carefully pulled the disk free from her temple. “I think this will make a big difference.”

Dr. Watters stood. “Thank you, Major. As Dr. Fraiser already stated, this will be of great help.” She ejected the CD from the machine. “Dr. Jackson, let me know if you’d like to postpone-“ Dr. Watters stopped when she couldn’t find the linguist anywhere in the infirmary room. Somewhere along the line, Daniel had probably taken off.

“I’ll find him,” Jack said and left the room. It didn’t take him long to find the younger man.

Daniel was sitting on the floor outside in the hall.

“Hey,” Jack offered.

“Hey,” Daniel responded.

Jack sat down next to his friend. He looked up at the wall that Daniel seemed to be so absorbed in. “Nice view.”

“Well that was embarrassing,” Daniel confessed bluntly.

“What?”

“Back there.” Daniel’s eyes didn’t falter from their examination of the grey wall before him.

“Daniel…there’s nothing embarrassing about trying to prevent the rape of a friend.”

Daniel remained silent.

“Look, you’re up next. The doc wants to know if you want to postpone or not. It’s up to you,” Jack explained.

“I’m leaving tomorrow. I don’t think I could postpone this even if I wanted to.”

“Then let’s get you up.”

Daniel followed Jack back into the infirmary.

“Dr. Jackson, I know this can be extremely emotional. Did you want to postpone for a few hours?” Dr. Watters asked.

“No…that won’t be necessary.”

“You then have two options, Doctor. We can continue as we have been doing thus far, that is without the alien device or you can choose to use it for this session.”

“I’ll use the memory device,” Daniel said, his voice almost wooden. Daniel sat on one of the beds and waited for Janet to finish cleaning off the device.

“Did you want this to be done one on one or would you rather have everyone stay?” Dr. Watters asked.

“I don’t care,” Daniel answered. Nobody in the room moved from their spot.

“Okay, Daniel. You know the drill,” Janet said as she approached him with the device. Daniel nodded and lay down on his back. The moment the device attached itself to his skin, Dr. Watters didn’t even have a chance to ask her question before the screen appeared, his memories already playing out.

The moment Daniel heard the metal door slam shut, he tried to muster all of his energy. “Sam?”

Nothing.

“Sam, talk to me!” Daniel coughed violently. It was a constant strain on him to use his voice.

The guards had come in and whipped her for the third time without an explanation…without a word. Daniel couldn’t tell if Sam was breathing or not. Her entire body hung limply from her chains and with the tiny amount of light that seeped in, Daniel could see blood through her torn uniform. Why hadn’t they done anything to him? Why were they just targeting Sam?

They had been there for two days and still they had received nothing to eat or drink. Daniel gritted his teeth when he felt a painful burning sensation in his armpits. His arms were on fire now that they were supporting his entire weight. He could feel the blood glide down from his wrists where the skin was torn and decaying. Daniel moved his feet slowly, trying to get them under him so that he could stand and take some of the weight off of his arms. He carefully examined his feet. They were filthy, bloody and numb. Without his boots, the rats had taken the liberty to bite at his skin. Sometimes the sensation was comforting, the sharp pain reminding him that he was still alive.

Daniel tried to stand. He cried out in pain when his feet failed him. He suddenly felt disjointed, like a marionette with its strings tangled, his arms jerking at odd angles, his legs buckling out of control.

Dr. Watters closed her eyes, the nausea too much. She didn’t want to see this. She cleared her throat in an attempt to keep the nausea at bay. She looked up at the screen when a new scene began to play out.

Voices.

Daniel heard voices approaching. He no longer had the energy to lift his head. His body hung weakly from his chains. Sam seemed to be doing the same thing. They hadn’t spoken in many hours, Sam’s wounds obviously keeping her unconscious, allowing her body to conserve whatever energy was left.

// Bring me the items found on them when they were first brought here. I would like to interrogate the prisoners alone. //

The slam of the door broke into his thoughts and he listened as a large Jaffa entered. Daniel opened his eyes briefly. The darkness made it impossible to see his intruder clearly. In the light that filtered through, the Jaffa’s face was all contours and shadows. Exhaustion soon overpowered Daniel’s body and his eyes closed on their own accord.

Daniel heard the sound of a helmet retracting.

“DanielJackson…Major Carter?”

The man’s voice caused Daniel’s heart to skip a beat and he nearly choked from shock.

Teal’c!

Relief crashed through Daniel, leaving him trembling.

“DanielJackson, can you hear me?” Teal’c’s voice sounded closer now, so close he could reach out and touch his friend if only his body would allow. Daniel tried to answer but he couldn’t form the words. His mouth felt stuffed full of cotton.

Daniel could sense a ray of light hit him square in the face.

A flashlight.

Daniel could feel fingers touching him…kind fingers…fingers that belonged to a friend. They assessed him, searching for injury. Even when they passed over his arms, Daniel couldn’t find the energy to cry out. Soon, he could no longer feel their comforting presence and he knew that Teal’c had probably gone on to assess Sam’s situation as well.

“O’Neill, they are both unconscious and gravely injured.” Daniel heard the familiar crackling of the SGC radio.

“Shit!” Jack paused. “How bad, Teal’c?” Jack’s voice filtered through the radio. He had counted on them both being conscious and mobile to pull off the rescue.

“They have both been beaten. Major Carter has sustained numerous injuries to her back and -” Teal’c paused when he heard footsteps just outside the cell. He turned off the radio. A guard returned carrying various objects, among them was a P90, a handgun and two GDOs. Just as he was about to take the items, Teal’c suddenly heard a loud alarm go off. The guard in front of him tightened his grip on his staff weapon, his eyes darting back and forth anxiously. Soon another guard appeared in the doorway of the cell. He stared at Teal’c maliciously.

//There were no orders to retrieve the Tau’ri prisoners! He is an infiltrator within our ranks!// the guard yelled, lifting his staff weapon. Teal’c reached for his zat gun first and fired at the two Jaffa before him. The moment they lost consciousness, Teal’c bent down and grabbed a GDO and a large set of keys from one of the guards. Teal’c took out his radio and turned it on again.

“O’Neill, I have been found out.”

“Damnit!” Jack’s voice yelled back.

“I cannot carry both of them, O’Neill.” Teal’c paused, the emotion of the situation too much to process at once.

“I know, Teal’c.”

“There is not much time, O’Neill! You must make a decision.”

There was only silence on the other end.

“O’Neill!” Teal’c urged, knowing that dozens of guards would be there any second.

“Give me a second here!” Jack yelled back.

Seconds went by and still Daniel could not find the power to speak. He soon heard footsteps in the hallway.

“O’Neill, they are approaching. Make your decision!”

“Carter…” A slight pause. “Grab Carter and get the hell out of there,” Jack ordered.

The silence in the room was deafening as everybody tried to take in everything they had just witnessed. Teal’c was unnaturally rigid. The screen flickered off yet did not disappear. Daniel remained motionless on the infirmary bed, his eyes still closed in concentration.

“Daniel?” Janet asked.

The screen came to life once again, this time, the images were choppy, flashing violently.

//This will be the last time he’s going to kick me!// the guard sneered.

The guard unlocked Daniel’s shackles and kicked him as he fell boneless to the ground.

//Grab him!// the guard ordered.

Daniel was dragged to another cell where he was forced to lie down on a wooden contraption.

Daniel could hardly struggle when he felt his arms and legs restrained. In the privacy of his own mind, Daniel thanked G-d that Sam was out…free of this hellhole.

An ugly face reared its head and he was soon staring into the glaring eyes of an angry Jaffa. //So, your friends left you here to die, Tau’ri?// The Jaffa smiled broadly. //You’re going to wish you were dead once we’re through with you!//

The man held up a metal hammer, the same as the ones used in the factory to forge metal. //Hold down his chest!//

Daniel felt his insides funnelling down like sand through an hour glass. His breathing began to quicken, the panic slowly rising into his throat.

The guard raised the hammer and then turned to Daniel with an evil smirk. //I would close my eyes if I were you.// A horrible thickness clogged Daniel’s throat, his nostrils, each panicked breath sending a spurt of pain into his lungs. The seconds seemed to turn into minutes as the hand that held the heavy tool swung down forcefully.

There was a flash of crimson behind his eyes then pain, mushrooming, up his leg, in dull pounding waves.

Daniel’s leg felt as though it had been ripped off from his body.

He screamed, unable to hold back the roaring agony inside him.

Pain.

All he knew was pain.

He yelled until his throat was hoarse from overuse.

Soon his entire body rippled with great thundering waves.

Daniel struggled to look down his body only to be assailed by a sight that sent his stomach roiling. His right leg looked as if it were snapped in half, a broken bone jutted out of his skin.

//Put him back in his cell,// the main guard ordered, dropping the hammer to the ground.

In that moment Daniel understood…he knew death was on its way.

“Jesus Christ…what’s happening to him?” Dr. Watters stood.

Daniel was seizing violently, his entire body arching off the bed.

“Okay, I want everyone out of here. Now!” Janet yelled.

Sam waited outside the infirmary while she tried to piece together everything she could. From what she had understood from the others, Teal’c and Jack had managed to make it back to their campsite that night. There, they had found a couple of SGC radios. Apparently, the Goa’uld were not interested in such ‘primitive technology’. Since the stargate was still much too far, Teal’c had taken matters into his own hands. Determined to save his friends, Teal’c had managed to capture and kill a guard on the way. In doing so, he had taken the man’s uniform along with a special device that would allow him to pass through the Goa’uld forcefield. Posing as a guard, Teal’c had successfully convinced the other Jaffa that he needed to take the Tau’ri back to one of the guards in the factory.

The whole thing had been very risky.

Daniel.

She couldn’t even imagine what it had felt like to know that your friends were leaving you behind. She thanked G-d that she hadn’t been conscious for the entire exchange between Teal’c and Jack. However, what she couldn’t be thankful for was the guilt she still felt. Although she understood that there was no way she could have changed the outcome; her unconsciousness that night preventing her from doing anything remotely helpful, she still felt guilty, like it was somehow her doing that Jack had chosen her over Daniel.

And the way they had injured his leg…

She had never seen anything so horrendous in her life.

She had been waiting fifteen minutes and still there was no sign of Dr. Fraiser or Daniel for that matter. Sam straightened up when she sensed company and quickly wiped away any evidence of tears.

“Carter, how you doing?”

“I don’t know, sir. I mean…that was…” Sam shook her head in a renewal of disbelief.

“Yeah…I know.” Jack’s face seemed to have lost some of its colour as well.

The two remained silent after that.

Jack sighed. Teal’c had told him that Daniel had been unconscious at the time of Sam’s rescue. He had had no idea that Daniel had witnessed the entire conversation between himself and Teal’c. This made things even more complex.

“He’s fine.” Janet finally appeared before them. “You can both come in and see him now.” Jack and Sam wasted no time in following Janet into the infirmary. Daniel was sitting at the edge of the bed, putting on his shoes.

Janet held up the alien disk and examined it. “It seems the energy being emitted from the memory device intensifies whenever the host gets agitated. The cumulative effects probably stimulate the brain’s neurons to fire, resulting in a seizure,” Janet explained. “Like the Colonel, Daniel should be fine with a little sleep.” She turned to her patient. “Which means you’ll be well enough to come over for dinner tonight, right?”

“Right,” Daniel smiled.

“Come on, I’ll drive you two to the hotel.” Jack patted Daniel’s shoulder. Daniel nodded. “Sir, where’s Teal’c?” Sam asked.

“Give him time, Carter. I think today was hard enough for everybody, don’t you think?”

Sam knew Teal’c. She knew that he was probably feeling guilty, especially after seeing the entire event from Daniel’s point of view. Sam waited for Daniel to grab his glasses and then followed Jack out of the infirmary.

Daniel stuck his hands in his coat pocket as he and Sam waited for Janet to open the door. “Damn, it’s cold,” Daniel muttered.

The door suddenly swung open, allowing the aroma of a warm home cooked meal to permeate the air.

“Come in, “Janet urged. Daniel and Sam stepped inside. Sam handed Janet a bottle of wine. “Thanks.” Janet smiled. “Coats go in the closet.”

Daniel grabbed Sam’s jacket and hung it up along with his own.

“Cassandra’s in the living room with the Colonel and Teal’c. Why don’t you guys go and say hello while I warm up the soup?”

Daniel followed Sam into the living room where Cassandra sat on the couch facing the fireplace. She stood up the moment she saw her two new guests.

“Hi Cass!” Sam smiled brightly as she wrapped her arms around the younger woman. Cassandra was tall now. Sam figured she must have grown a couple of inches since she had last seen her. She also looked more demure, her face maturing into that of a beautiful young woman. “I’ve missed you!”

Cassandra then went on to greet Daniel. The hug was quick and almost forced. Their relationship had always been special. Daniel had always been there for her whenever she had needed him. However, in the last year, things had started to change. Daniel had become more withdrawn and too serious at times.

“Hi, Cass,” he said.

“Hi.” She smiled back politely.

Daniel and Sam sat down on the sofa. “So, how’s school, Cass?” Sam asked.

“I hate it.” Her response was short and to the point.

“Okay…” Sam smiled. “Mind telling me why?”

“The teachers really suck. I mean, they assign us way too much homework. I hardly even have time to see my friends anymore,” she complained.

“You mean Dominic,” Janet’s voice called out from the kitchen.

“Good ears, “Jack stated.

Cassandra rolled her eyes.

“So, Janet says you’ve been dabbling in photography.” Daniel tried to change the subject.

“Yeah, but someone won’t buy me the camera I want!” Cassandra stated a little too loud, obviously hoping her mother would hear her.

Janet’s head popped out of the kitchen. “Well if someone got a job…”

Cassandra rolled her eyes again.

“Careful, Cass. They say you could go blind like that,” Jack joked.

“Dinner’s ready!” Janet called.

As they each took a seat at the table, Jack asked, “So, you both packed up?”

“Pretty much, sir. My flight leaves at seven thirty a.m. and Daniel’s leaves at eight.”

Janet began to collect all the soup bowls. “I’ll help.” Sam got up from her seat and made her way into the kitchen with her friend. “How’s the finger?” Sam inquired.

“It’s fine.” Janet began to fill each bowl with soup. She suddenly put down the bowl she held and looked at her friend. “Sam, after seeing what happened to you, I’m starting to wonder if maybe you should still talk to someone.”

“Janet, I’m fine.” Sam played with the bowl she held. “I’ll probably never forget it but I know I can live with it.”

Janet nodded. But the question that remained unanswered was whether Daniel, Jack and Teal’c could live with their own experiences. Both she and Janet knew that what had transpired in that cell was between the three of them yet it hurt to think about it nonetheless.

Both women returned passing the soup bowls around to everyone at the table. As everyone ate, discussion was light, talking about the latest world news and whether the Colorado Avalanche would have a chance at the playoffs.

“Cass, why don’t you show them the pictures?” Janet asked.

When Cassandra ran upstairs to retrieve the album, all company moved to the living room where Jack began to start a fire.

Cassandra handed the album to Sam and began to make her way back upstairs.

“Where are you going?” Janet asked.

“Upstairs,” she answered nonchalantly.

“Why?” Janet’s voice was tinged with anger. “We have guests.”

“I’m just going to call back one of my friends.” And with that, Cassandra disappeared up the stairs.

“Sorry,” Janet apologized. “I guess we aren’t as exciting to her as we used to be.”

“Teenagers will be teenagers,” Sam laughed as she looked down and opened the picture album. A smile immediately appeared on her face. Janet squeezed in next to her. She pointed at a picture.

“Remember that? That was after the snow fight we had. Cassandra was so young then.” Her fingers brushed over her daughter’s face.

Sam turned the page and laughed aloud again. Daniel and Teal’c’s curiosity summoned them over. “I totally forgot about this picture. This was when we helped you move in to your new apartment after Nem’s planet,” Sam said to Daniel. All four of them were covered in paint except for the Colonel who had been the instigator. Soon even Jack left what he was doing and joined them on the couch.

As the night moved along, they each revelled in the five years worth of memories…of friendship…of love. Sam caught herself wiping away moisture from her eye once or twice throughout the night.

“You know, Christmas is coming up in a few weeks. Why don’t you all come over to my place,” Jack suggested.

“I’d like that, sir,” Sam remarked.

“Daniel?” Jack asked.

“I don’t think I’ll be able to make it,” he responded curtly.

Sam closed her eyes, knowing his comment would hurt Jack immensely.

“Have a date with your rocks, do ya?” Jack asked sarcastically, his tone reproachful.

“Colonel-“ Janet began but was interrupted.

“Does everything have to be sarcastic with you?” Daniel challenged.

“No.” Jack’s voice raised a notch. “But it seems you bring it out of me.”

Daniel got up and walked a few feet away. “Jack, can’t you just leave this alone?”

“That seems to be your answer to everything lately, doesn’t it?” Jack got up as well.

“Okay…that’s enough!” Janet got to her feet. “OUT!” Her finger pointed to the front door. When both men didn’t move, she continued. “I want the both of you out of here until you cool off.”

“We’re fine, Janet,” Daniel said.

“I think you have a lot more to discuss than you think!” Janet stood frozen in her spot, her finger still pointed at the front entrance. “Out!”

Jack was the first to move towards the front door. Daniel followed in silence. Jack handed Daniel his jacket before he grabbed his own and left the house. The moment the door slammed shut, Sam stared up at her friend from her seated position. “Wow, you’re good.”

“Indeed,” Teal’c added.

Janet brushed her hair back with an evil smirk and sat back down. “I know.”

“Boy…I think the whole ‘mom’ thing went straight to her head.” Jack tried to lighten the mood.

It didn’t work.

Both men walked down the driveway in silence.

Jack stopped.

“Daniel, we need to talk.”

“I agree. I just don’t know what to say.” Daniel didn’t want to lie to him, but he didn’t want to stir anything up either.

“Fine. Why don’t you start by telling me the real reason why you won’t come down for Christmas?”

“Because I can’t do this.”

“Do what?”

“I can’t be here like this.”

“You’re gonna have to be a little more specific, Daniel,” Jack remarked.

“Because things will never be the same. We can’t keep pretending, Jack.”

“I’m not pretending, Daniel. You’re the one that’s hiding from something.”

“I’m not hiding from anything, Jack,” Daniel added.

“Oh I beg to differ,” Jack’s voice contained a hint of irritation.

Daniel held out his hand as if to ward off Jack’s solicitousness and began to walk away, his steps uncommonly stiff.

“See, you’re doing it right now!” Jack pointed out. “You’re hiding…running away.”

Daniel stopped in his tracks and turned around. “Well if I’m running away, it’s because of you!” Daniel’s tone raised a notch.

“Why?” Jack walked up to him until they were only a foot apart. “I want to hear it from your mouth!”

“I’m happy, Jack. I like what I’m doing now. I don’t want to come back.” His statement was blunt but, there seemed to be no substance, no truth, no conviction in it.

“Bullshit! I saw the way you were in your office the other day.”

“You saw nothing, Jack.” Daniel regarded him with that sad, faintly bewildered expression he always seemed to wear whenever they disagreed about something.

“Well I’m not buying it!”

“I’m not asking you to. I’m asking you to accept it,” Daniel spoke softly, but each word hit Jack like a hammer against an iron anvil.

“I didn’t make it this far by just accepting things, Daniel. I want my answer!” He was bitterly persistent.

“Fine! You want to know why I can’t stand being here? Because it reminds me too much of my life before all this!” He waved his arms around vigorously. “It reminds me of everything I lost!” Daniel felt his anger humming and crackling like electricity seeking a ground.

“Daniel, there are worse things in life than losing a leg!”

“That wasn’t what I was referring to, Jack!” Daniel’s blue eyes blazed with sullen defiance.

Silence.

Both men respired heavily, their breaths visible amidst the cold air.

“Look Daniel, I can’t help you if I don’t understand what it is you’re talking about or how it involves me.”

Daniel turned so that his back now faced Jack.

“I was left for dead, Jack.” Daniel’s voice was almost completely toneless, resentment shimmering inside him.

Jack felt the air squeeze from his lungs, as if a large boulder were sitting on his chest, pressing down on him, yet he feigned only mild surprise. Jack knew this was bound to come up. No matter how much he wished to avoid this topic, he knew he couldn’t.

“Do you honestly think I wanted to leave you there?” Jack said with a tone of icy annoyance, eyeing Daniel speculatively, trying to catch a glimpse into his heart that lay beneath his tough brittle shell.

Daniel shook his head in answer.

“Are you suggesting I should have left Carter there? Is that what you’re saying?!?” Jack couldn’t resist asking him in the intensity of the moment.

“I never said that!” Daniel’s voice dismissed his friend with something like contempt. But somewhere deep inside, he knew that he was being irrational. Daniel knew he would have been even angrier if the situation had reversed itself and Sam had been left behind.

“I had to make a decision, Daniel. Hardest decision of my life, believe me, but someone had to do it! It comes with the territory!” Jack was spluttering he was so angry but he knew his rage was misguided; Daniel was not to blame…he was. He could feel all the guilt, all the frustration, flowing down his veins like a landslide and he was too weak to stop it.

“Jack-“ Daniel began.

“You want to blame me, Daniel? Fine! Why don’t you have a swing at me?!? Maybe that would make you feel better! Come on!”

Daniel ignored him.

Jack closed his eyes and presented Daniel with his cheek. “Come on! Let’s go!”

Before he knew what had hit him, Jack was on his back in the snow, his cheek stinging unmercifully. Jack’s gaze travelled upward where Daniel stood above him, cradling his hand.

“OW!” Jack rubbed his face and sat up. “I can’t believe you hit me!”

“Actually, that didn’t make me feel any better,” Daniel said trying to rub away the pain from his knuckles.

A beat of silence passed between both men.

“You know, you should really put some ice on that.” Jack pointed to Daniel’s hand.

“You too,” Daniel said, pointing to Jack’s cheek.

Daniel took a seat next to Jack and collected a ball of snow to rub on his knuckles. “You did it ‘cause you care for her, don’t you?”

Jack shook his head in answer. “Look, Daniel. Carter and I are in the Air Force. Even if I did care for her, I couldn’t do anything about that.” Jack cleared his throat, trying to relieve some of the tension. “That’s not why I had to choose Carter,” Jack explained calmly. “Carter’s way too valuable to this program. Something goes wrong with the stargate and we’re finished without her.” Jack kicked at the snow with his boot.

Daniel nodded in agreement.

Jack felt his chest clench. “What would you have done had you been in my position? Who would you have picked, Carter or me?”

“I can’t answer that, Jack.”

“Well I had to, Daniel! I’m sorry Teal’c couldn’t get the both of you out. I’m sorry you had to go through all that shit because you got left behind.” Jack turned to face Daniel. “We never stopped trying, Daniel. Even when we were back, we never stopped trying.” They were words of gentle reproach, but the look in his eyes told Daniel that he cared more than he had ever expected.

Daniel nodded wordlessly. His eyes were glistening with emotion. “I guess it’s just hard.” Daniel took a deep breath to hold back the onslaught of tears. “Sometimes I feel so lost, Jack. Like I don’t even know who I am anymore.” Jack looked at his friend and was reminded of a snowflake that would melt if he touched it.

“We all feel like that, Daniel. You have to get passed it. Otherwise, it’ll eat you up.” Jack patted Daniel on the back. “Come on, why don’t we go back inside before my buns decide they like their current frozen yet firm state?”

Daniel stood and helped Jack up.

“So, are we good?” Jack asked.

“Yeah, we’re good!” Daniel smiled.

“Good.”

The night had come to an end when all the dishes were cleaned and neatly placed back in their respective cabinets. It was eleven o’clock when Janet and Cassandra bid their guests farewell. Jack and Teal’c drove their two teammates to their hotel. Jack parked the car next to the hotel entrance and got out. Teal’c followed.

“So, I guess it’s goodbye.” Jack smiled.

“Who knows…maybe we’ll be here for Christmas,” Daniel said.

“That’s right! And you better buy me a damn big present to make up for that big honkin’ shiner I’m gonna have!”

Sam and Teal’c stared at them, an expression of confusion etched across their faces.

“Long story,” both men responded in unison.

“Wasn’t going to ask.” Sam turned to Jack. “Bye, sir. It was really nice seeing you again.”

“Likewise, Carter.” He pulled her into an embrace.

“Bye, Teal’c.” Sam approached him and hugged him as well.

“Daniel.” Jack held out his hand.

“Jack.” Daniel accepted. They both shook hands until finally, Jack pulled the smaller man into a hug. “Take care of yourself out there,” Daniel added.

“Always do!” Jack responded. Once released, Daniel sought out Teal’c.

“Bye, Teal’c.”

Teal’c bowed his head and shook Daniel’s hand.

When all ‘goodbyes’ were in order, Jack and Teal’c got into the car and drove away.

Jack stared at the event horizon. It had been three months since he had seen his former teammates and yet, not a week had gone by when they had not spoken over the phone. A lot had been discussed and cleared up over that time giving Jack a feeling of peaceful resolution. When he’d get back from this mission, Jack would suggest going somewhere for the weekend, as a team.

“Colonel, are you ready?” General Hammond stood beside Jack in the gateroom.

Jack turned to greet his CO. “Yes, sir. It shouldn’t take more than three hours to close up the deal, sir. Home in time for the game.”

“And the Karishans have agreed to everything?”

“Yes, sir.”

Both men were distracted by the ‘kawoosh’ of the stargate coming to life.

“Good luck, Colonel.”

“Thank you, sir.” Jack watched as his commanding officer left the gateroom. “Green, McGuire…you ready?”

“Yes, sir,” both responded.

“Good. Let’s move out!” Jack followed Teal’c up the ramp and stepped through the shimmering wormhole.

The planet on the other side was warm and sunny. The clearing where the stargate stood was surrounded by hundreds of trees. Jack began to scout around.

As the seconds passed, the wormhole remained activated.

“Where are they?” Jack complained.

“I am unsure, O’Neill.”

Both men stared at the wormhole and waited. There was still no sign of the other two men.

Jack turned to Teal’c. “I swear, if I’m late for that game-“ Jack stopped when he heard a voice interrupt him.

“I don’t know, Daniel. I don’t think they’ll have much of a chance against the New York Rangers.”

Sam and Daniel stepped out of the stargate dressed in SGC field uniforms.

“Well try telling that to Jack.”

“Holy shit…” Jack whispered to himself, a wide smile appearing on his face. He shook his head with disbelief.

Jack and Teal’c approached their two friends.

“You’re back?” Jack asked.

“We’re back.” Daniel smiled.

“What about the whole…?” Jack gestured at Daniel’s leg.

Daniel bent down and pulled up the material of his pants.

“Whoa!” Jack exclaimed and stepped back. Teal’c also seemed relatively surprised. “What the hell is that?”

“Actually, sir, it’s the Asgard’s version of a prosthetic limb only far more advanced than anything on Earth,” Sam explained. The leg was made of various metal parts, dozens of wires wrapped themselves around the limb behind a protective casing.

“Watch.” Daniel rotated the section of the mechanical limb that resembled an ankle.

“The device is actually connected to Daniel’s central nervous system. It responds like a real leg,” Sam explained. She could hardly contain her excitement.

“Then why the hell did they wait so long to give it to him?” Jack asked.

“I got a call from General Hammond last week. It turns out he had contacted Thor with a request for help about five or six months ago. Since the Asgard have no need for prosthetic limbs, they actually invented this.” Daniel motioned to the mechanical leg. “When I told you I was at a dig last week, I was really trying this thing out, learning how it works.” Daniel rotated the ankle again, apparently still fascinated by its design.

“Hey, you gotta love Thor!” Jack stated.

“Indeed,” Teal’c smiled.

“I’m still not on the team yet. They’re only letting me join SG-1 offworld under the condition that the planet is a secure one. Janet’s going to monitor me for the next few months to see how everything goes with this.” Daniel looked down at his new leg. “If everything goes well, then…” Daniel glanced up hopefully.

“And how about you, Major? Are you onboard?” Jack asked.

“Yes, sir.” Sam smiled broadly.

“It’s great to have you both back,” Jack said softly, the words sincere. He reached out to hug both of his friends.

“It’s good to be back, sir,” Sam said. “I really missed it.”

“So, where’s that village?” Daniel finally asked, his blue eyes overly bright.

“Just a few clicks East from here,” Jack announced. “Let’s move out, kids!” He patted Daniel on the shoulder.

All four members of SG-1 fell into step, a comfortable pace that they each knew well. It came from years of friendship, years of understanding and years of love. “Hardly a limp,” Jack pointed out to Daniel as they walked.

“Yeah. I’m really starting to get the hang of it. Janet says the limp should go away in a week or two.” Jack nodded. “Listen, Jack. I know there are still lots of…issues… that need to be discussed.” Daniel had a hard time getting the words out. “I mean, I know we’ve been speaking over the phone but-“

“Tonight…my place. We’ll talk, we’ll drink. How does that sound?”

“Sounds good.” Daniel felt relieved. And for the first time in a year, he actually believed that things would work out. This was his family. The bad memories would always be there, that lingering sting of a blister that simply won’t go away. Anger came and went, changing places, changing hands, but family would always remain family.

© March 9, 2003. The characters mentioned in this story are the property of Showtime and Gekko Film Corp. The Stargate, SG-I, the Goa'uld and all other characters who have appeared in the series STARGATE SG-1 together with the names, titles and backstory are the sole copyright property of MGM-UA Worldwide Television, Gekko Film Corp, Glassner/Wright Double Secret Productions and Stargate SG-I Prod. Ltd. Partnership. This fanfic is not intended as an infringement upon those rights and solely meant for entertainment. All other characters, the story idea and the story itself are the sole property of the author.