The Stargate flickered. The team, too occupied with their packing of their gear, didn't see the chevrons light up for a moment and then fade.

"Daniel. Dial us home." Jack said curtly as he packed up the last of the weapons. "Hurry up before the natives decide that we are not innocent travelers after all and really are demons. The prospect of being skewered for crimes we didn't commit don't really appeal to me." Jack's eyes darkened, but didn't say what memories his words had dredged up.

"It was a convincing argument, sir." Carter defended Daniel as the anthropologist veered around the packs on the floor of the stone temple. Outside, the winds were beginning to pick up again. "Daniel was able to argue the case that we weren't evil like the Go'ualds who first came here so long ago."

"By volunteering to walk through the fire trial?" Jack said, remembering his fury as he realized where the natives were taking Daniel. "For crying out loud, if it wasn't a bluff, he would have been roasted. I didn't come here for a team barbecue."

"They were convinced though, Jack." Daniel said as he reached the DHD. "Otherwise they would have done the trials after all." Daniel looked up with a grin. "I didn't have anything to worry about. They liked me. It's you they were offended with. That's what got us started on this mess about us being demons."

"Say one remark about their damn short huts and what I get?"

"Extra crispy Colonel fritters." Daniel quipped as he began punching the symbols for home.

"Ha ha, Daniel."

"What is a fritter?" Teal'c wanted to know.

"Never mind, Teal'c." Jack glared at Daniel.

"You said I needed a sense of humor-" Daniel frowned as two of the symbols faded. "That's weird. They lighted out, Jack."

"Maybe not enough power." Carter suggested. "The temple is crumbling. It could be that. The caves underneath the temple appear to be very old."

Daniel nodded, agreeing. He looked at Jack, silently asking "What now?"

"Great. Anyone got a battery?" Jack bellowed. The team looked at him blankly. He shook his head. "Look, Daniel, try again. A little quicker before they fade and we headtail it out of here before the electricity bill comes."

"Okay, Jack. You're the leader." Daniel quickly punched the symbols again.

"That's what it says on my jacket." Jack quipped as they got the equipment ready. He looked around the temple and muttered "Good riddance."

"Got it!" Daniel announced as the last symbol was punched in.

"Told you." Jack said as he waited for the last chevron to light up on the Stargate and for the telltale hum of an activating Stargate.

There was no light for the seventh chevron.

There was no telltale hum.

What there was...was an abrupt flash of light, followed by a huge boom.

Jack felt his feet lifted up before the boom was heard. Then he was flying.

Actually, he was flung. Across the temple.

As he struggled to throw the blanket of darkness away from his eyes and consciousness, Jack heard the cries of his team members as they were flung back. Then he heard a rumble and a horrible shaking that shook him right down to his teeth. After that, Jack lost the fight and faded into the darkness.

When Jack clawed his way back to awareness, he saw two things.

One, the shattered columns of the temple.

Two, the blood on the DHD.

The explosion had come from near the DHD.

"Daniel-" Jack croaked out. He reached out his hand, trying to grab on to something, ANYTHING that would give him enough leverage to reach over there. "Daniel! Carter! Teal'c!"

"Here, sir."

"Over here, O'Neill. Are you well?"

Daniel. Daniel didn't answer.

"Daniel." Jack croaked, his throat felt dry from the unsettled dust and bruising that Jack couldn't see but definitely felt. "Get to Daniel."

Carter paused. "I-I can't sir. I'm pinned." She sounded calm about her situation. "Can't feel one of my legs. Teal'c, can you reach Daniel?"

"I am also pinned." Teal'c announced after a few grunts, showing that the Jaafa was trying anyway to escape.

"Hang on." Jack groaned as he pulled himself out of the rumble.

"To what?" Teal'c asked, but he didn't wait for a reply as he tried once more to remove the rubble on his chest.

"Daniel!" Jack called out. The colonel stood on unsteady feet. He had to stop until the temple stopped its spinning. When it slowed to a reasonable crawl, Jack staggered over to the DHD. "Daniel? Danny?" Jack coughed at the dust flying around him. It was worst closest to the DHD. Jack extended his arms out to feel for the DHD as the dust began to swirl around even worst from the increasing winds.

Something bumped into Jack's foot. Ignoring the pain it that caused to shoot up, Jack bent down and felt around until he felt the familiar fabric of the uniform.

"Sir? You found Daniel?" Carter asked faintly.

"Hold on." Jack muttered more to Daniel than to Carter. "Danny? Hey, you okay?"

The dust finally settled and Jack's blood ran cold as he got a clear look at Daniel.

"S-sir?" Carter called out again, not hearing the catch in Jack's breath.

"I ...found him, Carter." Jack said, trying to keep his voice steady. He closed his eyes for a moment to calm himself. Now was not a time to start panicking. He was the group leader for god's sake, he can't...

"Is...is he...alright?" Carter called out faintly, her voice tinged with pain from her pinned legs.

Jack didn't answer as he kneeled down besides Daniel and slipped a hand underneath Daniel's jawbone for a pulse. He winced as the blood from Daniel's wounds slicked Jack's fingers until they were red.

"O'Neill?" Teal'c called out. A thud indicated that the Jaafa managed to get some of the rubble off. "Is Daniel Jackson alright?"

The fingers shook so much from the shock and increasing fear that Jack almost lost his position under the jawbone. He waited for a moment; his eyes closed as he listened so that there would be no mistake. Jack opened his eyes and pulled away his fingers slowly.

"Sir?" Carter's voice was high pitched with worry now.

It had felt like Jack had lost all control of his body, the arms suddenly heavy as he sagged. His mouth opened in its own accord to speak.

"He's alive, Carter."

Carter sighed in relief, but that faded as she realized that Jack's voice didn't sound so relieved. It was terse with worry. "Sir?"

"In a minute, Carter. Teal'c, are you freed yet?"

"Almost, O'Neill. Captain Carter, I will assist you shortly."

"Take your time." Carter joked weakly.

Teal'c paused. "That would not be recommended...ah! I understand. It was a...joke."

Carter grinned wanly. She could hear the eyebrow going up. "You're making progress, Teal'c."

"Indeed." was Teal'c's dry reply.

Carter soon realized that Jack hadn't commented on the exchange at all. He was silent the whole time. Carter wished she could see what the colonel was doing or even hear. She barely heard Teal'c over the increasing howl of the winds. The flashes of lightning reminded her of P3X972, Tantalus, where they had found Ernest Littlefeld. Lightning flashed violently there, too, coupled with the pounding of rain and hail. Of all places for it to look like, THIS place had to be a twin of that one.

"Teal'c," Jack's voice was startling loud all of the sudden. "You freed yet?"

"Almost, O'Neill." Teal'c grunted as he tried to remove the last of the rubble.

"Hurry it up, will ya?" Jack said calmly. "Help Carter and then help me out over here."

"Of course, O'Neill."

Carter grew worried. Jack was trying to ask casually, but she knew it must have been bad if he was asking Teal'c to hurry up. "Sir? Is Daniel alright?"

"Don't ask me that yet, Carter." was Jack's short reply.

Oh god.

"Sir?"

"Damn it, Carter. Will you hold on?" Jack nearly shouted before he calmed down. "Sorry. Just wait okay? Wait for Teal'c."

"Okay, sir." Carter said. Inside, she told Teal'c to hurry.

Teal'c tried to shift the last of the stone blocks off his legs but it only made the others slid into the space. He raised an eyebrow towards the pile as he would when he encountered yet another confusing phrase from his human comrades.

Speaking of which...

What Carter couldn't hear, the Jaafa could. His heightened sense of hearing was about to pinpoint where Jack was exactly. He could hear grunts and the hushed counting from the colonel.

Counting?

Teal'c wondered for a moment what the colonel was counting for and then he decided that freedom from the precarious pile of rubble was necessary if he wanted to find out. The Jaafa could hear the steady breathing of Captain Carter a few feet away as the captain waited patiently for rescue. Teal'c could also hear the winds picking up its mad pace. They reminded him of the stories of the jackals screaming at the doors of the homes where bad children lived. The jackals would howl until the fragile doors break and they rush in to devour those children who refuse to pray to the gods.

The winds sounded like they wanted to come in right now.

A hushed curse from Jack caught Teal'c's attention once more. The Jaafa listened for a moment but that was all Jack said. Teal'c frowned, wondering what was Daniel Jackson's situation that would get the colonel so upset. He looked up at the pile and grunted as he tried to shift again. Once more, the pile settled into a tighter pack. Teal'c scanned the nearby area for his staff weapon. Perhaps he could use it as leverage. As he looked about the slowly settling dust, Teal'c got a first look at the Stargate.

"O'Neill!" Teal'c called out. "The Stargate!"

A long pause before Jack responded. He sounded a little breathless. "What?"

"The gate is flickering."

"I can't see from here, Teal'c." Carter called out. "What do you see?"

"I see the symbols are scarred from the explosion. The ring appears cracked."

"Damn." Carter whispered. She spoke up in a louder voice. "What about the DHD? Is it intact?"

That was when Jack responded. "No." he said, volunteering no further explanation.

Oh god, what is happening over there? Carter knew Jack wasn't going to answer her questions so she didn't ask. She wished Jack said something more though. Her imagination was going rampant with the horrific possibilities. It had only been four ...perhaps five minutes at best since the explosion, but it felt like forever. Carter felt like yelling at Teal'c to take his damn staff weapon and just blast all the rubble to hell. Logically speaking, and Carter was always logical of course. The blast would only shake the remaining pieces down on them. If Daniel's situation weren't bad enough, it would be if it began to rain debris on top of them.

"O'Neill! I do not know if the Stargate will work anymore!"

"We could make an alternate power source." Carter shouted back. "We've done it before, sir."

"We'll...figure it out...when we...get to that...point. Damn it!" Jack shouted back, his voice sounded ragged. "Don't talk to me right now!"

Shit. That was all Carter could think of as she promptly shut up.

The temple shook slightly in chorus with the flash of lightning. Carter winced at the sudden burst of light that cut through the haze of dust. She was tempted to call out to the colonel, but decided from the way Jack had abruptly spoke before, that it wouldn't have been a good idea to distract him.

Especially if the situation over there was as bad as she thought it was.

What to do?

You're the astrophysicist, Carter told herself, you figure it out.

The Stargate. She needed to get the Stargate working again. Then they could return home and give Daniel the help he needed. If it wasn't too late at that point.

Now Carter REALLY wanted to hear Jack's voice. Mostly definitely Daniel's too. The vocal reassurances from it would ease the sudden lump in her throat.

A grunt from Teal'c's direction told her that the Jaafa was trying to free himself and she grew envious of his strength. It never bothered her before. Carter knew she could hold her own, but at situations like this one, Carter wished she could just toss the obstacles aside and rush over to see for herself what was going on.

It would be a lot better than waiting for the rare outbursts from the colonel right now.

It struck to Carter that Jack didn't even say if HE was alright. The concern for Daniel overrode his own pain. That meant the situation was bad. Very bad.

Of course, the colonel always put his team members first before himself. That's what made him a good leader.

So the situation might not be so bad then, Carter thought to herself. Of course, all questions would be answered once she get...out...of...here.

Back to the Stargate, Carter thought to herself. Better than thinking about how heavy the stones were on top of her legs. The Stargate was cracked from what Teal'c was telling her. Perhaps it still worked. As long as it remained generally intact, she could charge it up with an alternate power source.

Lightning?

Carter smiled wanly. It's been done before. As always, the try and true methods of trial and error. Carter looked up as far as her position could allow. The lightning flashed again and she noted during the temporary aid of light that the temple had no outside access port so she could link up lightning rods.

"Captain Carter. I will be with you momentary." Teal'c announced, the sounds of rubble being tossed aside punctuated his statement.

"Fine." Carter muttered. She wasn't going anywhere.

Teal'c grunted as he was finally able to push the last of the rubble off. The Jaafa got up, tested his legs and was satisfied that the injuries would not prevent him from going over to Captain Carter to give her assistance. At first Teal'c had wanted to check on O'Neill and Daniel Jackson, but the colonel had told him to help Carter first. Teal'c, despite his worries, was never one to not follow orders. He gave one last look at the Stargate, frowning slightly at the cracks, then stumbled over to where he had heard Captain Carter's voice. He only stopped briefly to pick up his staff weapon.

Carter was pinned under a crumbling slab of stone that had stood as a wall for one of the temple's rooms. He could see the inside of the room, crumbling under the force of the winds. Pretty soon, the entire place would collapse too.

"Captain Carter." Teal'c said as he bend down in one knee to check on her.

The captain smiled weakly at him. "What kept you?"

"My apologies, Captain Carter for being detained." Teal'c went around to the side. "Are you feeling any pain?"

With a smile that mirrored Jack's, Carter replied, "What do you think?"

"You are in great pain." Teal'c told her solemnly.

"Teal'c, you are making progress." Carter quipped, repeating what she said before.

"I can do without this type of progress, Captain Carter." Teal'c informed her as he tried to lift one corner of the slab.

"Why, Teal'c. I believed you made a funny." Carter whispered as she winced. The sharp pain around her hips told her that when she was finally freed, she wasn't going to be running around anytime soon.

"Perhaps O'Neill's humor is contagious." Teal'c said calmly, causing Carter to laugh softly.

"Perhaps." Carter sobered up as she saw Teal'c shook his head. "No good?"

"The stone is too heavy, Captain Carter. I would require assistance." Teal'c informed her gravely.

"Not the colonel." Carter whispered. "Not now. He's trying to help...Daniel."

"Indeed. Perhaps one of the villagers."

"I don't think it is a good idea, Teal'c. We barely got out of there in one piece. They may not like us returning. Especially you." Carter whispered, referring to the golden tattoo on his forehead."

"You, O'Neill and Daniel Jackson required assistance." Teal'c seemed determined. "It is not within my abilities alone to help you."

"Ask the colonel." Carter whispered. She couldn't make that call, with a chance of endangering Teal'c. She knew that the situation was precarious as it was, with possibly no immediate help from SGC. The chance that the natives of this planet angered by the team's remaining here, even if not by choice, could anger them to dangerous actions. But Carter was tempted, driven by the desperation for help for the team and from the worry for the young scientist who was so far away from view right now. "Find out for me...about Daniel."

Teal'c nodded solemnly. He stood up, looking back briefly at the slab of stone and went over to Jack while Carter was saying a silent prayer.

The wind was definitely beginning to piss off Jack. The colonel only looked up briefly from what he was doing, to curse at it. Then he concentrated again on coaxing life back into his friend's body.

"Come on, Danny. Don't be stubborn here with me. Stay with me, buddy." Jack muttered as he started up compressions again. He had thought he had succeeded before when Daniel's breathing faltered once more. Whoever it was doing this, was not going to beat Jack.

No way in hell.

As he muttered the count once more, his mind was playing accuser. Over and over again, Jack's mental self was reminding the colonel how he had told Daniel to dial again.

"Look, Daniel, try again. A little quicker before they fade and we headtail it out of here before the electricity bill comes."

"Stupid, stupid, stupid." Jack gritted his teeth as he forced his aching hands to continue the compressions. "Since when you were an expert on Stargates, O'Neill?"

The colonel stopped to check Daniel's pulse again. He bowed his head as he listened for a heartbeat. Then Jack placed his head on Daniel's chest to hear for it, ignoring the bloody uniform that was staining his short hair to spikes of red. Jack slowly lifted his head and took a deep breath. Despite his steel hold on emotions, Jack felt a tear trying to break out anyway.

"Thank god." Jack whispered, breaking out into a relieved grin. He brushed back Daniel's hair from the forehead. "Good job, Danny. Just keep on hanging in there. Uncle Jack's gonna get you out." He wiped the tear out with a thumb, mentally chiding himself for being foolish. "You're one tough geek, right Danny boy?"

Daniel didn't answer, but Jack was just relieved to hear him breathe at this point.

Jack had to stifle the scream of rage when he had saw all that blood the first time. Daniel was a mess. Jack couldn't even begin counting the numerous lacerations and cuts that riddled the man's body, mostly from the shrapnel of blasted stone and crystal from the DHD. By some miracle that Jack hadn't believed possible until now, the DHD device had shielded Daniel from the worst of the blast.

The blast itself as Jack had discovered as he was frantically searching for the medical supplies before, was between the Stargate and the DHD. The ground between the two strange devices was ripped opened revealing the conduits of crystals that ran between the two devices.

Jack probed the area around Daniel's eyes wincing as he felt the tender bruising and cuts imbedded with shards. Jack didn't dare pull them out yet, but he feared the damage that the shrapnel might have caused. Jack gently pulled Daniel's glasses, what was left of them, off the younger man's face. Judging by the harsh scratches on Daniel's forearms, the younger man must have flung his arms up when he heard the initial boom, thus protecting his eyes from what could have been disaster.

"Still not quite getting the hang of ducking yet, Danny." Jack murmured as he moved his hands down to check the man's limbs.

"O'Neill." Teal'c's deep voice spoke over Jack's head. "How is Daniel Jackson?"

"He's going to be okay." Jack said, wishing he could truly believe that. "Where's Carter?"

"Captain Carter is pinned quite effectively. I can not lift it up by myself." Teal'c paused. "I require assistance."

Jack looked up, concern for Carter and reluctance to leave Daniel right now was evident in his face.

Teal'c saved him the decision. "I wish to return to the villages and ask for assistance, O'Neill."

Stunned, Jack stopped his checking on Daniel's arms. "Are you cra-" Jack shook his head. "Not a good idea, Teal'c. They were very glad to see us go. I don't think they'll be welcoming us back with open arms."

"I believe they will help us." Teal'c nodded his head towards Carter and then to Daniel. "There is no other choice, O'Neill."

Had it been another soldier telling Jack that his decision was wrong, Jack would have slapped him with an insubordination charge, but he respected Teal'c's code of honor and knew Teal'c meant no insult by disagreeing.

That didn't mean that Jack liked Teal'c's idea, though.

Jack looked at Daniel and then across to where Carter was. Guiltily, Jack remembered snapping at Carter as he was frantically trying to revive Daniel. Carter was stuck over there, without any idea on what was going on. Carter was in need of help, too.

Suddenly, Daniel moaned and Jack was reminded how bad the wounds were and a decision, no matter how risky, had to be made here.

"Go." Jack said quietly. "Be careful. At the first sign of trouble, you get the hell out of there. Do you understand this?" Jack looked at Teal'c steadily.

The Jaafa kneed down to touch Daniel briefly on the hair, not grimacing at the blood on his fingertips as he pulled away. "I understand, O'Neill. I will return shortly."

Jack nodded and watched Teal'c as the Jaafa made his way over to the entrance. Jack silently wished Teal'c good luck as he felt the temple began to tremble.

"Sir?" Carter called out faintly when the silence became unbearable again. She had heard Jack's response to Teal'c's query but she hadn't felt reassured. When Jack called out to her, telling her of Teal'c's plan, she was glad to hear his voice. Then he paused and it was silent again. Occasionally, she heard the colonel mutter something, but that could have been her imagination or the wind.

"Hang on a second, Captain." Jack called out.

"To what?" Carter joked. She was relieved to hear Jack chuckle. Maybe things weren't so bad after all. She wished she could see him. The view of the broken stones and rubble piles around her was getting depressing.

"I would volunteer myself, but then you'll have to come over here." Jack called out. Tearing sounds filtered through the wind's rage. "Just wait a second, Carter."

"Alright, but it's not nice to keep a lady waiting, colonel." Carter answered.

"I don't see one around, do you?" Jack said wryly. More tearing sounds.

Carter laughed, then winced as the laughter shook her body, in turn moving her legs. The pain reminded her of her position. Literally.

More tearing sounds.

Bandages. Carter suddenly realized. The colonel must be tearing up something to make bandages. "Sir?" Carter was reluctantly to interrupt his important task. The tearing stopped for a moment. "Our backpacks have medical kits. We're all equipped with them as standard issued. There should be some sterile gauze-"

"I know." Jack abruptly broke in, "Used them all already, Carter."

"Oh." Carter felt her eyes tear as she realized what that meant in concerns with Daniel.

Teal'c would have ran all the way down the rocky slope, through the valley into the village. He refrained himself, however, when he realized that gaining another broken bone would not aid in the rescue of his comrades. The image of Daniel with Jack hovered over protectively, did quicken his pace despite his precautions.

The lightning flashed and Teal'c could see the village at the bottom of the slope. His pace quickened, his mind filled with the images of possible disaster if he were to delay. Teal'c had to get help for his comrades.

He just did not know if that is what he would find there.

Jack automatically flinched when the lightning flashed again and the temple trembled in chorus this time. He paused from his bandaging to look at the ceiling. Particles of dust fell on his head and shoulders.

"Not good." Jack muttered. "Doesn't this remind you too much of another place, Danny?"

Daniel didn't response, but of course, Jack knew that.

Jack sat back, wincing as all the kneeling down he was doing, finally caught up to his own injuries. Jack massaged his aching shoulder. It felt like a muscle was pulled there. He grimaced as he realized that his hands that were stained in Daniel's blood had wiped clean onto his uniform. He pretended that the blood didn't bother him and checked back on Daniel's bandages.

Jack had to splint Daniel's leg. Shards of crystal were pulled out, their tips red with blood. He didn't like the way Daniel's right knee swelled. He figured it twisted and immobilized it with two rods he had found from the blast area. The gauze pads and strips of tent material Jack used to bandaged most of the chest and abdomen wounds were beginning to soak through. He bandaged the arms, bounding the left one to Daniel's side when he had saw the swelling at the shoulder joint. Jack had considered trying to take some of the larger shrapnel out from around his face, but he didn't dare try. They were too close to the eye area.

"Bad enough I got you in this shit the first time, right Danny?" Jack whispered. "Don't want to play doctor and screw you up a second time around."

Jack had grabbed the canteens and used one to rinse out Daniel's eyes to flush out any possible pieces. Then he had loosely bandaged the gash on the left side of Daniel's head. He now eyed Daniel, wondering if this would be enough until he could get him to help.

If you can get him to help.

Jack jerked awake with a grunt. He hadn't even realized he was dozing off. Checking his watch, this by some miracle had not shattered and noted that it was only for a few seconds.

"Sir? Are you okay?" Carter yelled. Her voice sounded hoarse.

The colonel winced as he realized she must have been calling him.

"I'm okay, Carter. I'm fine."

"I was calling you before and you didn't answer." Carter's voice faltered with the mix of relief and doubt. "I thought maybe you...or Da-Daniel."

"We're both fine." Jack called back. "Isn't that right, Danny?" Jack murmured the last past to his unconscious friend.

Daniel didn't respond. Instead, the temple rumbled back to Jack.

"Sir?"

"Just the house settling in, Carter." Jack quipped as he gazed at the ceilings worriedly. Jack looked across to Carter, a bit guilty that she was left back there by herself. Jack eyed Daniel, wondering if it would be safe to move him. Jack needed to keep an eye on both of them until Teal'c returned.

Until Teal'c returned with help, Jack corrected himself. "Stay put, Carter. Me and Danny are coming over." Jack called out, trying to make it sound like they were going for a stroll.

"Not going anywhere, sir." Carter joked weakly. "I like this view too much." She paused. "Are you sure you want to do that, sir? If Dan-"

"It'll be fine." Jack reassured her. He looked around the ground and found the tent material he had left. Double folding into a body length pad, Jack dragged it over parallel to Daniel. After checking to make sure that the bindings were tight and kept Daniel immobilized, Jack dragged Daniel sideways onto the tent material. He took his time, careful to not to jar Daniel, but the younger man still moaned at the gentlest of movement.

"Sir?" Carter had heard the moan. It was low, but it had reached her as clear as if it were a shout.

It made the hair on the back of her neck stand on end.

"What are you doing here, Jaafa?" Nasuz exclaimed. The village elder dropped his weave leaves and stood there in the brewing storm with his eyes flashing as furiously as the lightning did. "You assured us that you all would leave! Why do you still stand before us now?"

Teal'c, stood there, heaving from his run down the slope. Vaguely, he felt surprised at his own exhaustion and surmised that his injuries were probably far worst than he had originally calculated.

"My friends-" Teal'c started.

"No!" one of the villagers interrupted. "This is a trick, elder. The golden haired one was their speaker. He had told us that they were friends, not slaves of this Jaafa. Now only he stands before us. He has killed them."

"It was a trick after all!" another cried out fearfully.

"No!" Teal'c tried once more. "I need...assistance."

Nasuz stared at the Jaafa in amazement. He stroked his white beard thoughtfully. "A Jaafa asking for us former slaves for help? This is truly a great day for us."

The surrounding villagers snickered as their bravery grew with the numbers.

"There was a explosion in the old temple. My friends were injured."

"Ah! Yes, the star...gate? Our screams of light must have attacked the door like it did before."

Before? Teal'c realized that Nasuz was referring to the lightning. It struck the Stargate before? Was that what had happened?

"My friends are injured. I wished to help them but I can not free one of them from the temple's ruins."

"You wish to help your friends? A Jaafa with non-slaves." Nasuz said dubiously.

"I am no longer Jaafa." Teal'c repeated what Daniel had said before. "I had turned against Apophis and now fight along besides them to free my people."

"A freedom fighter."

"Yes." Teal'c looked steadily at Nasuz. "Will you help my friends?'

Nasuz looked around at the villagers. Then he studied Teal'c, wondering once again if this was some sort of trick. Then he replied.

"No."

"No?" Teal'c repeated.

"We will not help you, Jaafa." Nasuz sounded regretful as his eyes swept across his people. "We will not endanger ourselves into becoming slaves again."

"You will not become slaves again." Teal'c said to Nasuz. "You are free as am I."

"He lies. He bears the tattoo of evil."

"How can you believe one who bears the gift of the evil gods?"

"He cannot convince us that he is sincere."

The protests of the villagers were loud and overpowering even the loudest clashes of lightning by far. The light flashed, illuminating the villagers' faces into angry, distorted glares of hate and fear.

It reminded Teal'c very much the blind hate Apophis showed his slaves as he watches them behind glowing eyes.

"What can I do to convince you of my allegiances?" Teal'c asked quietly, a startling contrast to their high voices.

The voices stilled at the unexpected question posed by the Jaafa. They looked at Teal'c warily and then to their elder Nasuz.

The village elder closed his eyes briefly, whispering a prayer as he came to a decision. With a last look to Teal'c, he motioned a young man to come forward. With the smallest of whispers, the elder told the man his request. The man's eyes widened and he gaped at the elder for a moment. Then, as if still unsure, the man nodded. He gave Teal'c a look that was almost sympathetic, but surely Teal'c must had been mistaken, and left running for the other side of the village.

"Do you truly wish to prove your allegiances to us, Jaafa? You may leave now. It is not too late."

"If proving it will allow you to help my friends." Teal'c responded without hesitation, "I would gladly go through the trial of fire."

"Ah, but to prove yourself, there would be no trial of fire, Jaafa." Nasuz replied sadly.

Jack had to stop for a moment. It took forever. Jack had to stop every so often to move debris out of the way so it wouldn't jar Daniel as he slid the makeshift stretcher across. He barely got around the broken DHD. Jack was only a few feet away from the Stargate itself and that meant still more than halfway more to where Carter was.

"Sir? You okay?"

"Can't you think of something else to say instead, Carter?" Jack called back tiredly as he rubbed a particular sore spot on his ribs.

"Not really, sir."

"Great. No jokes?"

"That's your department, colonel."

Jack smiled wanly. "Yeah, my department. Not Stargates." He looked at the Stargate, seeing the faint cracks Teal'c was telling him about before. "Damn."

"Sir?"

"Nothing, Carter. Just catching my breath here."

"Very loud catching, sir."

"Yeah, yeah." Jack closed his eyes briefly. He opened them again and sighed. "No, still there. Not a dream. Pretty real. Pretty much sucks." Jack rubbed his leg, telling it to don't quit now and continued to drag the makeshift stretcher across. "Almost there, Danny. We're almost there. Sorry about the accommodations."

As Jack approached the front of the Stargate, Daniel moaned. The younger man shifted painfully and muttered something. Jack stopped to resettle Daniel back in and check on his bandages. As he leaned over, Jack heard Daniel muttered something about the Stargate. The colonel's hands froze over the man. The Stargate. Daniel was dreaming about the Stargate. Jack bowed his head slightly, still remembering how he told Daniel to redial again, not paying attention to Daniel's comments on how the chevron symbols appeared to be malfunctioning.

"Damn, Danny. I'm sorry." Jack murmured as he tightened the binds that were immobilizing Daniel's arm. He got up and continued on.

Carter tried to visualize where the colonel was at right now. Occasionally, she would hear the mutterings of the colonel, followed by the soft sounds of fabric being dragged across the temple. Judging from the lack of response from Daniel, Carter guessed that he was still unconscious. She winced as she thought of the prospect of being dragged across broken stones. Carter thought it was probably better that Daniel WAS unconscious.

A soft moan and the soft dragging sounds stopped. She strained to lift her head a bit higher to see where they are. Over the rubble, she could see the top half of the Stargate. Another moan helped her locate the two men as near the Stargate.

"Damn Danny, I'm so sorry."

Sorry? Carter wondered if she heard correctly. Was the colonel apologizing to Daniel? Maybe her ears were still ringing from the boom. Why would the colonel be apologizing to Daniel? Did he blame himself for some reason?

"Don't think about it right now, Carter." she told herself. "Think science right now. Think of a way home."

The temple rumbled again. Carter gasped as the slab on her legs, shifted. The movement sent a new wave of pain from her toes to her shoulders.

"Shit!" Carter grinds out as she waited for the trembling to cease. At least she knew her legs still had feeling in them. She just wished it would stop feeling pain. She arched her back, what was not under the stone, as the pain rocked her mental hold to consciousness. As she threw her head back, she saw the top of the Stargate upside down.

The temple stilled but the Stargate did not.

Carter screamed, but it wasn't because of her agony.

"Colonel! The Stargate!"

Jack threw himself over Daniel when the temple shook once more. He clenched his fists as small pieces of the temple bounced off his back. Daniel moaned, just underneath Jack as the vibrations alerted Daniel to his own pain.

"Hang in there, Danny. Hang in there...damn!" Jack cursed as a larger piece hit him. He could feel warm moisture on his back. Whatever it was, it had cut him. When the shaking stopped, he sat up and felt his back with a hand stretched behind him. He looked at his fingers with a grunt. It wasn't a lot of blood. It just felt like it should have been. He looked at Daniel and felt his pulse. Jack sighed when he found it again. "Good boy. Just stick around."

"Colonel!" Carter screamed suddenly. "The Stargate!"

Jack whipped his head up and saw the Stargate, shaken unsteady by the temple's vibrations, beginning to fall forward towards them. There was no time to dodge it. The heavy stone ring was diving right for him. Jack looked at Daniel for just a second, then without a moment of hesitation, covered Daniel with his own body, and waited for the crushing blow.

"Colonel!" Carter shouted. She saw the top of the Stargate dip away from her view and then a loud boom that reminded her of the explosion from before. The sound reverberated throughout the temple. Carter could feel its vibrations along her spine and her legs. A cloud of dust rose up and floated above the rubble piles into her view.

And then, it was silent.

"Colonel!" Carter shouted again. She grabbed on to the edge of the stone slab in front of her and tried once more to pull herself out. Carter gasped at the pain and her hands jerked free from its grip on the edge. Her head dropped back on the cold floor and she lay there panting as she struggled to not pass out.

The Stargate's fall had resounded all throughout the temple and Carter could hear the temple shake once more in response. It sounded so painfully loud, so heavy and so final.

"Colonel!"

The man Nasuz had dispatched returned with an object wrapped tightly in cloths. He gave it to Nasuz while looking at Teal'c as if surprised that the Jaafa was still here. Then he slipped back into the crowd as another faceless bystander.

"Jaafa." Nasuz called to Teal'c. "You said you wish for our aid, the former slaves of your masters. We want proof of your changed allegiances."

"Whatever it is you wish for me to do, if it is within my power, I will do it." Teal'c responded immediately.

Nasuz looked at Teal'c steadily. Then, with a deliberate hand, Nasuz removed the cloths that were wrapped around the brought object. Silver webbing, shaped of a glove with a yellow gem nestled in its palm was revealed. Teal'c stared at it without any emotion. He remembered seeing something similar before, but he couldn't remember where.

"It is within your power, Jaafa." Nasuz said slowly as he wiped the gem with the covering cloths, "It is a question on whether or not it is within your desire."

When the boom rang loud, announcing the Stargate's crash to the ground, Jack had thought he was dead. The colonel's back tensed as it waited for the hard stone to snap his back and possibly crushing him. His hands were ready to push Daniel away if Jack could not bear the weight to protect him. But the boom came and not the pain that should have followed.

Jack looked up and stared at the Stargate that was now flat on the ground.

The Stargate...missed him.

The Stargate missed him by only mere inches. Jack was staring at its thin stone edge just a few inches away from him and Daniel's head.

The Stargate missed him.

Jack wanted to laugh all of the sudden. It was like one of those damn movies where the barn wall falls and the hapless intended victim escapes by standing where the window would be when the wall fell.

Scratch that. Jack didn't want to laugh anymore. He felt like he was going to throw up.

"I'm so damn lucky." Jack muttered angrily to himself as he checked Daniel's pulse again. "While everyone else around me suffers."

"Colonel!" Carter screamed out once more.

"Ca-" Jack swallowed. His throat was so dry from the dust that had flew up after the Stargate fell. He hadn't heard her the first time and he barely heard her now. His ears were still ringing.

"Oh god-" Carter's voice broke as she thought the worst. Jack thought he heard quiet sobbing.

Jack grabbed a stone and threw it across until it landed near her.

The stone bounced lightly and the sobbing seemed to have stopped.

"S-sir?" Carter sniffed. Her voice became clearer. "Sir? Is that you?"

"Y-yeah." Jack rasped. Carter didn't hear him. He coughed as the dust choked him.

"Are you okay?" Carter called out, hearing the cough.

"Yeah." Jack said a little louder. "Throat...throat a little sore from the dust. Couldn't answer the first time." Jack paused and then added, "Sorry, Carter."

"Glad you're okay, sir." Carter just said in a relieved voice, ignoring his apology. "Were you near the Stargate when it fell?"

Jack stared at the Stargate edge in front of him and swallowed. "Yeah...yeah, I was...near."

Carter was silent as she read in between the lines of what Jack said. "How's the Stargate, sir?"

"Big." Jack answered dryly.

Choked laughter as Carter corrected herself. "No, I mean, is the Stargate okay? Is it intact?"

"Pretty much. I can see the cracks. They're not deep, not all the way through." Jack sighed. What did he know of the Stargate anyway?

"Then it may still work." Carter said hopefully.

"Maybe." Jack got up, staggering a little as he steadied himself. "Hang on. We're going to try and get on over there again. No more Stargates from the sky to worry about."

Carter just laughed softly. Suddenly she felt like everything was going to be okay. "Nothing to worry about, sir."

Nasuz fingered the glove and looked at Teal'c, who suddenly realized what the object was. Teal'c stiffened as the elder approached.

"See? He is lying? He fears it. He will not agree." one of them cried out when they saw Teal'c's reaction.

"The Jaafa is a liar. He is no friend to them. The golden haired one was forced to lie. They were his slaves!"

"Silence!" Nasuz demanded. The crowds stilled and waited for their elder to speak. "Jaafa, do you know what this is?"

"Yes."

"If I ask you to," Nasuz said softly. "would you agree?"

"Would you help my friends then?" Teal'c asked quietly.

"You have my word as their elder." Nasuz put on the glove. The gem glowed slightly with the contact of a living being. "So you are in agreement?"

Teal'c looked at Nasuz, not saying a word. The crowds are stunned that Teal'c would so readily agree.

"To prove your changed allegiances, you would allow me to remove your god's gift that gives you your life?" Nasuz pointed to Teal'c's stomach where the Go'uald parasite lay within a fold inside him.

Teal'c stood there, looking at the gloved hand. Slowly, he released his grip on his staff weapon. The crowd flinched as the staff dropped to the ground with a loud clang.

"I am in agreement." Teal'c said softly as he kneeled down before Nasuz so that the elder may begin.

"Took you long enough." Carter greeted the colonel in a weary voice as she saw the shadow of the colonel looming over her finally. She turned her head and gasped as she got her first good look at the colonel.

"Sorry," Jack panted as he slowly pulled the stretcher besides him, a few feet away from Carter. He plopped down and lay one hand on Daniel's chest. "But the traffic really sucked." Jack saw Carter's pale face frowning at him. "What?"

"You look like shit, sir." Carter murmured, taking in the bloody uniform, the torn pants that revealed the cuts on his leg and the bruise on his forehead.

"Flattery will get you nowhere, Carter." Jack retorted as he studied Carter. "You look like hell, yourself."

"Always the charmer, sir." Carter replied back. "How's Daniel?"

"Still out." Jack said shortly, his hand still on Daniel's chest.

"Probably for the best, sir." Carter whispered as she turned her head slightly so she could see a little better.

"Probably." Jack glanced down at Daniel, his hand remaining on Daniel's chest for some reason. Carter could see the worry behind the colonel's eyes. "Got any ideas about the Stargate, Carter?"

"We could still activate it with it lying down." Carter whispered; her eyes glued to Jack. "We just need a power-"

"Power source, I know." Jack interrupted. "Benjamin Franklin thing again?" Jack pointed to the sky with his free hand.

"Yeah, sir." Carter chuckled. "Benjamin Franklin thing again." She eyed the light flashing on the walls. "We would need a conductor of some sort to make a link from a rod to the Stargate."

"We could use the pieces of the probe." Jack murmured. Carter nodded her agreement. "But it may not reach high enough for the lightning."

"I'm sure we can find stuff for that, sir." Carter said as her eyes drifted to Daniel. The unspoken question was, whether or not they could find everything they need in time.

"He's going to make it." Jack suddenly said. "He's made it so far."

Suddenly, Daniel moaned. Jack looked at the younger man worriedly. He took in a sharp breath when he began to realize that Daniel was trying to wake up.

The gem glowed yellow, then into gold. Nasuz closed his eyes, trying to remember what he had seen from the Jaafas before they had left this planet. The gem pulsated, then steadied into a beam of golden fire.

Teal'c kneeled before him unflinching as the gem drew closer to him. As the first finger of light came near his abdomen, Teal'c sucked in his breath in a sharp hiss. The beam was stirring up the Go'uald larvae inside him. It never spoke to him vocally or mentally. It was too young for that. But now, Teal'c could feel it's pain as it writhe within him, causing his stomach muscles to clench, his back to curve until he drew into a hunched position.

The crowds hissed as they accused him of breaking his agreement and Teal'c realized that the beam now played over his back. The pain was gone.

"Do you wish me to continue, Jaafa?" Nasuz asked quietly, waiting for Teal'c to respond. He did not motion anyone to straighten him out. The elder waited for Teal'c to make that decision. "I may cease if that is your wish."

"Will you help my friends then?"

"No. We may not."

"Then continue if that must be the way." Teal'c straightened up slowly, willing his back to stiffen, his shoulders back and his eyes staring right at the elder. It was this way Teal'c watched the gem approach once more and the explosion of pain began.

"Daniel." Jack tried to still Daniel as he slowly regained consciousness. "Daniel, just lie back, okay? Don't- just rest, don't try to open-" Jack's voice trailed off as he saw Daniel's face tightened with pain as he slowly returned to awareness. The colonel wished Daniel had remained under. He knew the pain would be hard to bear. It would have been easier if-

Daniel moaned as the first shock of pain alerted to him of his injuries. Jack cursed, gingerly placing his hands on Daniel's shoulders to keep him down as the younger man writhe in pain.

"Daniel." Carter whispered; turning her eyes away as it became unbearable for her to watch. However, Carter could still hear the moans from Daniel, the hushed reassurances from Jack, and the damned wind that kept insisting on blowing against the unstable temple.

"Easy, Danny. Carter and I are right here." Carter could hear Jack murmuring to Daniel. She couldn't bring herself to turn around again to look. She relied on her hearing once more to tell her what was going on.

The soft moans of pain gradually eased to raspy breathing as Jack continued to talk to Daniel. Carter could imagine the colonel stroking Daniel's hair while telling the younger man that everything would be all right. She closed her eyes and just listened to those soothing words, pretending that Jack was telling that to her.

She needed him to tell her everything was going to be all right.

"Carter?" Jack asked her. A soft shuffle told Carter that Jack must have placed Daniel down again. The younger man was quiet now.

"Is he okay, sir?"

"He's sleeping again." Jack said and then became quiet. "Damn."

"Not good." Carter stated, not really asking.

"Should have checked to make sure the Stargate was stable." Jack cursed again. Daniel responded with a moan as if sensing his friend was upset.

Carter's eyes flew open in surprise. "How would you have known, sir?" Carter turned her head slightly to look at Jack. The colonel was slouched over besides Daniel, one hand over the man's chest again. The other arm was propped up on top of his knee and the hand covering Jack's eyes, hiding them from Carter's view.

"Daniel said that two of the symbols-"

"I didn't even realize something was wrong and I spent the last two years before SG-1 on the Stargate." Carter told Jack. "Of all people, I should have realized something was wrong." Carter turned away and looked at the ceiling. "If there was to be any blame, you could put it on me, instead, sir."

"I don't blame you, Carter." Jack said tiredly.

"And I know Daniel doesn't blame you." Carter added softly.

Jack was silent as he lowered his hand from his eyes. Carter tried not to flinch at the sight of his bleak eyes.

"Ja'k?"

Carter nearly yelped as she heard a pained whisper coming out of Daniel. She could see the colonel staring at Daniel in shock.

"Daniel. Danny." Jack leaned closer to hear him better. "Just go back to sleep."

"Hu...hurts."

"I know." Jack's eyes darkened with guilt. "I know. I'm sorry. Christ, Danny, I really am sorry. Just lie still and rest, okay?"

"S-sam?"

"Over here, Daniel." Carter spoke up, trying to keep her voice cheerful and free of pain. Jack threw her a grateful look.

"'k?"

"She's okay, Danny." Jack raised an eyebrow at her. Carter nodded and gave thumbs up. Jack nodded, his eyes looking at her with concern, as he continued. "We're just sitting here waiting for Teal'c to dial us home."

"'K, Ja'k?"

"Just swell, Danny. Just swell." Jack said stiffly.

"The..." Daniel's eyes were shut tightly as the pain returned with his awareness. "The...Stargate, Ja'k."

"It's okay. We're just getting ready to leave. Just go to sleep." Jack shrugged off his jacket, wincing at what the movement had cost him and draped it over Daniel. The younger man muttered something, but Jack couldn't hear him. Jack leaned closer to hear.

"L-liar." Daniel whispered. He winced and began to open his eyes.

"Keep them closed, Danny." Jack placed a hand gingerly over the eyes. They were beginning to swell. They were puffy red against Daniel's pale skin.

"Stargate...an...ex...explosion." Daniel whispered. He tried to move a hand to get Jack's hand out of the way. Daniel gasped as his shoulder screamed in protest.

"Had to bind it up. Don't move. Just keep your eyes closed and lie still." Jack sighed in exasperation when Daniel tried to shift his head from Jack's hand so he could open his eyes.

"Wha' wrong wi' eyes, Ja'k?" Daniel whispered as he realized that Jack was determined not to let him open them.

"Nothing, Daniel." Carter said quickly, wincing as her legs reminded her again of her situation. "The colonel just-"

"They look pretty bad, Daniel." Jack interrupted quietly, ignoring Carter's warning look. "Some scratches and bruising."

Daniel swallowed, licking his lips nervously as he thought of what Jack said. "...Blind?"

"I don't know, Danny." Jack admitted quietly.

"Might...s...'ell...find out...now." Daniel whispered, trying once more to move away from Jack's hand. "'et me open...Ja'k."

Jack looked at Carter, who nodded her head. He reluctantly pulled his hand away.

"Okay, Danny. First sight of pain and you close them again, you hear?"

"'K." Daniel winced as he made his first attempt. Jack had washed some of the cuts surrounding his eyes but blood had still clotted around them. Jack was almost tempted to change his mind and tell Daniel to keep them closed.

The younger scientist scrunched his eyes for a moment and then slowly opened them.

Teal'c remembered when he gave up his Go'uald larvae to his son, so that his son may live. The sensation of utter pain as the larvae left him was endurable. But the emptiness that followed after its departure had left him feeling very vulnerable and very strange. It was like nothing he had ever felt before. In the many years he was Jaafa, Teal'c had always felt in control, in balance, and secure. Despite how he had hated the larvae that was placed within him when he was a child; which labeled him as Jaafa and slave to Apophis as much as the golden tattoo on his forehead did, Teal'c had accepted the larvae as his necessity to live.

Teal'c had accepted the larvae as part of himself.

And now, the same strange feeling had returned.

Teal'c had not been afraid when they had confronted his former lord Apophis on the NOX planet. He had not been afraid when the DHD on the Tantalus planet had fell to the ocean below, rendering their only way to dial home impossible. Teal'c had not been afraid when he was put on trial at Cor-ai and was threatened to be put to death.

But this....

As Teal'c felt the larvae writhe once again, he remembered that feeling of emptiness and knew that soon he would die. He would never see his wife and son again. Mentally, Teal'c wished he could see his son once last time, to explain the choice he was making right now, but then he remembered that his old master Bra'tak would be watching over his son.

He would understand. There was no need for explanations.

The emptiness was coming again. Teal'c could felt the larvae departing his pouch, being pulled forcefully by the beam of the yellow gem nestled within Nasuz's palm. As the last of the tendrils that held the larvae in place tear, Teal'c felt the last of his strength ebb away with it.

The larvae was out and Teal'c was freed from his burden.

But now Teal'c was dying.

"Daniel?" Jack asked quietly as the younger man opened his eyes fully.

Daniel blinked, biting back a moan at the pain it elicited. He took a deep breath. Then he did moan as the sharp pain in his chest doubled.

"Daniel?" Carter called out worriedly.

When the man didn't immediately answer, Jack leaned forward to Daniel. The younger man lay there with his eyes opened pupils unmoving. Jack felt a chill as the thought of the worst came to him. "Daniel." Jack touched Daniel's good shoulder lightly, ready with his lines of assurances again.

Daniel turned his head slightly towards Jack and smiled weakly. He blinked slowly and then nodded.

"You...look like hell, Ja'k."

"Well, shit!" Jack grinned as he realized Daniel was looking at him with clarity. Daniel smiled wider now as he saw Jack's shadowed eyes visibly lighten. Then he turned to where he had heard Carter and his smile faded.

"Sam!" Daniel cried out as he saw the stone slab on top of her. "Are you 'k?"

"Just fine, Daniel." Carter grinned tiredly as she gave him a weak wave. "Just lying around and letting the colonel do all the work."

"Where's..." Daniel coughed. "Where's Teal'c?" Daniel repeated. He groaned and tried to shift around more comfortably. Jack placed his hand on Daniel's shoulder again to stop him.

"Lie still." Jack frowned as Daniel didn't argue and just nodded. "Teal'c went to get help for Carter."

"Why..." Daniel paused a moment. He looked at Jack's face and realized that the worry that lined the colonel's face was not just for him and Carter. He turned his head slightly and realized that he didn't see the top of the Stargate, as he should have. "Oh."

"It's intact, Daniel." Carter reassured him, "We just need to power it up since the explosion-"

"DHD doesn't work anymore, Daniel." Jack spoke up abruptly.

"I see." Daniel just said. He felt so tired, everything hurt and his mind was fuzzy on what the two were saying to him. "Bad?"

"Just having a bad day, Danny." Jack's hand rested on top of Daniel's hair. "Don't worry about it, Daniel."

"What..." Daniel struggled to stay awake. "What happened...ex'ctly, Ja'k?"

The two soldiers exchanged worried looks above Daniel's head.

"You don't remember?" Carter asked cautiously.

"Just...Ja'k asking me to...redial." Daniel murmured, not seeing Jack's eyes darken with the memory. Suddenly Daniel cried out as pain racked his body. Jack tried to keep Daniel down but the younger man convulsed in pain. Carter called out Daniel's name helplessly. What seemed like a long time, but couldn't have been more than a few seconds, Daniel shuddered and grew still.

"Daniel?" Jack whispered, reaching out a hand to check Daniel's pulse.

The lightning flashed, revealing the pale almost peaceful like face of the scientist. But before Jack could check, the temple rumbled louder than before.

"Colonel!" Carter cried out as the ceiling above and around them began to bend inwards.

Jack could have sworn things were already bad enough, but apparently some higher power didn't agree.

As the ceiling cracked into spidery lines all around them, the rumbling that had been occurring before now escalated to a roar that drowned out Jack's angry shouts. As the colonel tried to drag Daniel closer to Carter and cover them both, the temple shook. Jack could see Carter shouting, but he couldn't hear what she was saying. He spared a concerned glance down to Daniel, but had no chance to check his vitals when the ground suddenly...vanished.

At least, that was what that felt like to Jack as he felt the ground drop from under his feet.

Jack didn't have time to shout as he fell into darkness. He felt his fingers, in his shock, loosen his grip on Daniel. It was probably for the best because Jack might have dragged Daniel down into what seemed like an endless drop. Jack tried to grab on to something, but his fingers just scraped harshly on rough rock as he fell. Before his head made contact with the ground, he could have sworn he heard Carter shouting but when the pain came, it no longer mattered.

The pain that took over Teal'c's senses faded just a bit, enough for the Jaafa to be aware of shouting. Vaguely, he wondered if the villagers had decided to take advantage of his weakness and kill him here right now. But then the gem was pulled back and Teal'c, to his surprise, felt strong hands supporting his back as they lowered him to the ground.

Someone was saying something, but for the moment, Teal'c couldn't hear anything except for the blood rushing up to his ears. Then he felt a hand on his abdomen and he tensed. A moment passed and suddenly he felt the Go'uald larvae slipping back inside him!

As the familiar feeling of occupation returned, Teal'c felt his strength increasing slowly. He opened his eyes and found himself surrounded by Nasuz and a few of his men.

"I-" Teal'c managed to say. "I do not understand."

"We are convinced, Jaafa." Nasuz said as one of the men helped Teal'c up, "Of your allegiances now. You were willing to release your gift from your god, in order to save those your gods once enslaved."

"They are my friends." Teal'c said slowly as he tried to stand. To his dismay, his knees wobbled as they sought stability.

Nasuz saw this and bowed his head slightly in regret. "I am sorry for that pain. We had to be sure. We had tasted freedom only a generation ago. We do not wish to be tricked into returning to slavery again."

"What had happened to your people before?"

"The screaming of light was too strong. Constantly it struck the gods' doorway, killing many of their kind and mine. We fought during one of those strikes and they decided we were not worth the trouble and...left." Nasuz tilted his head towards the sky thoughtfully. "I had often wondered if they would return or if the screams of light would be enough to keep them away."

Teal'c nodded. He suddenly remembered the bright light that flashed before the loud explosion. "I believe this is what has happened when we tried to depart from here. I saw a great light before the Stargate room exploded. I do not know if it will work any longer." Teal'c turned to face the direction where the temple lay ahead. "My friends are injured. They are in great need of assistance."

"The doorway may still work." Nasuz said. He pulled the glove off his hand and handed it over to Teal'c. "I had seen the gods use this to repair the doorway. It can take energy and give out energy. I had seen the gods use it to heal crystal."

Teal'c nodded, remembering the ruined crystal conduits. "This may help us return home then."

"We will come with you, Jaafa." Nasuz told him solemnly. "We know now of one Jaafa who does not enslave. It is a sign that we must help."

"My thanks to you." Teal'c said. He cocked his eyebrow at the elder, who did the same in return. "Then this was a ...test?"

"No, had you reacted differently or denied us in taking your gift, we would have attacked and take it from you anyway to prevent your report to your gods." Nasuz motioned to some of the villagers to come with him to the temple.

"Ah!" Teal'c nodded, remembering what Jack had called it. "Then it was a ...bluff."

"Bluff?" Nasuz echoed as an eyebrow went up again at the unfamiliar term.

"An Earth saying to my understanding." Teal'c tried to explain, even though he didn't really understand it himself.

The elder nodded wisely. "You have learned much from these humans?"

"I had been told I was making...progress. Yes, I believe I had learned much." Teal'c retrieved his staff weapon from one of the men and started to leave with some of the men following. "I would like the opportunity to learn more."

When the temple began to rain debris around her, Carter thought at first all was lost. She saw Jack pulling Daniel closer to her with the intentions of covering them both. But then he abruptly dropped out of her sight. Shocked, it took Carter a moment to realize that the ground gave way under Jack.

"Colonel!" Carter screamed as she reached out her hands helplessly in some desperate hope that she would be able to reach out and catch him before he fell. It was, of course, no good since she was pinned, but that reason now didn't seem good enough to explain her failure to save him.

Carter wanted to curse the temple, curse the lightning, anything at this point. She pulled once more in hopes of getting free but all it brought her was screams from the back of her throat as the pain erupted again.

Then, the slab that was imprisoning her cracked.

Carter stared in disbelief as she felt the stone shifted painfully on top of her legs. With a bit of hope returning, she pulled and felt herself moved a bit.

"Come on, come on, Sam." Carter muttered to herself as she tried once more. She pulled once more and her legs were freed a few more inches. Carter turned around frantically, looking for something to lift the slab a bit for more room. She spied Daniel lying a few feet away from her. The younger man moaned, a sound Carter never thought she would be glad to hear, and then he opened his eyes blearily.

"Daniel!" Carter shouted, stretching out her hand but unable to reach him.

"S-sam?"

"Daniel, I need your help." Carter said anxiously as she cast a worried look around the temple and the gaping holes that it now had from the shaking.

"H-help?" Daniel's eyes widened a bit more at the word.

"I need something to get me free from here." Carter didn't see how, but she needed just a bit more leverage to get free. Carter couldn't just lay here any longer while the colonel- "I need to get free and help the colonel."

"Ja'k?" Daniel struggled to sit up, but only to plop back down with a gasp. "Ja'k? Wha' happened?"

"He fell." Carter swallowed, trying not to remember the awful feeling she felt as she saw the colonel disappear from her sight. "Daniel-"

"My...splint." Daniel's voice slurred. "Ja'k used a metal rod to tie it up. It...it might be strong enough, S-sam."

"Can you pull it out of your bindings?" Carter hated to ask him, but the longer the wait for help, the shorter Carter feared were Jack's chances.

"'K." Daniel gasped as he tried to sit up once more. Finally he succeeded but it drained what strength he had left. Daniel leaned against some rubble, panting from the effort. Everything hurt.

"I'm sorry, Daniel." Carter murmured. It broke her heart to see him suffering like this while all she could do was watch.

Daniel just shook his head and fought the urge to scream as he yanked his bindings loose. The rod, freed, rolled away from his leg. Daniel wasn't able to suppress the groan as he tried to reach for the rod.

"Daniel?" Carter asked anxiously as she watched Daniel slump against the rubble suddenly.

"G...got it." Daniel said breathlessly as she breathed a sigh of relief. Carter reached out for the rod Daniel stretched out towards her, hoping that it would be enough.

The headache that pounded in Jack's head, told the colonel that he was still alive.

"So damn lucky." Jack groaned as he tried to sit up and regain his bearings. He cradled the back of his head and winced at the lump he found there. "I got a hard head." Jack muttered. "Can't get rid of me that easily."

Jack looked up at the hole that had opened up and cursed as he saw the impossible height. This had to be one of the caves Carter was mentioning before.

"Great. Just great." Jack muttered. His eyes darkened as he remembered that Daniel was next to him when he fell. Jack couldn't see around him in the murky darkness so he felt around the ground with his hands. He breathed a sigh of relief as he realized there was no broken body besides him. That meant Daniel didn't fall with him. Daniel was still up there. Jack looked up at the hole once more. He never had a chance to check if Daniel was still-

"He's alive, O'Neill." Jack muttered. "And so is Carter." Jack added to himself as he remembered Carter screaming. Jack painfully got up on his feet and tried to gauge the height. No good. It was too high. Jack stepped back and wondered about his chances of being able to make the climb. The sounds of Carter screaming and the image of Daniel somewhere up there, reminded the colonel that even the smallest chance had to be taken.

"Going up, O'Neill." Jack muttered. He began what he knew would be an aching climb back up. He flexed his fingers, surprised to feel them at all. "At least something works still." Jack muttered as he began his climb, grabbing for any crack on the surface for a hold. He was almost there when Jack felt the place shaking again. Jack gritted his teeth as he tried to ride the vibrations out, but to his horror, Jack felt his fingers slip.

There were many words Jack wanted to say right now, but for some reason he couldn't find the air to say them as his fingers lost its hold on one particular crack. He braced for the painful inevitable when he felt a slender hand grab his right wrist. He yelped; startled as the hand squeezed tightly around his wrist when his fingers lost its grip on the crack. Now he just hung there, suspended by the grasp of that one hand.

"Colonel?" Carter's face loomed over the opening, white-faced. "Are you alright?"

"What..." Jack gritted out, "do...you...think?" He tried once more to find some hold on the wall. His boots were too big and awkward to stand firm on anything.

"I think..." Carter panted at the exertion. "That you need a hand...sir."

"Maybe...two." Jack managed.

"May...maybe." Carter gasped as she reached out her other hand.

Jack grimaced as he reached out his left hand. The twinge on his arm told him of another injury he hadn't realized yet. He grunted as he felt Carter pulled him up so slowly. Jack knew his weight must have been pulling her down.

Lightning flashed behind Carter and the captain yelped. She could feel the heat on that one.

"Carter?"

"Sorry, sir." Carter grinds out as she told her arms to not give up yet. "Lightning. Struck...right behind...me."

Jack grunted, wincing as he heard another clash of light. That sounded pretty close, too.

Carter pulled harder and got Jack closer to the surface when she felt his wrist slipping from her grasp. Both hands were sweating from the effort. Jack tried to tighten grasp but felt his fingers loosen.

"Shi-" Jack started to say as his fingers slip through Carter's grip. Here we go again, Jack thought to himself as his last finger slipped through.

"No!" Carter shouted as she lunged forward to grab him once more.

Suddenly a hand from behind her surged forward and grabbed Jack by the back of his shirt. She looked up and grinned when she saw who it was.

"Teal'c!" Carter greeted as she sighed in relief.

"Captain Carter, it is good to see you are freed from the rubble." Teal'c greeted in return as he stood up, pulling Jack out safely with one hand. "O'Neill." Teal'c greeted the colonel dangling from his hand.

"Nice catch." Jack gasped as Teal'c set him down gently on the ground.

"Indeed." Teal'c motioned to a small group of villagers behind him. "They had come to assist us with the Stargate."

Jack nodded numbly as he frantically looked around. "Daniel-"

"Here, Ja'k." Daniel was sitting up across from Jack, weakly waving.

A surge of relief swept over Jack when he saw Daniel's eyes were opened and looking right at them. Then Jack noticed that the splint was gone. "Daniel-"

"Had to use it, sir." Carter pointed to the rod next to her, "To free myself. That last tremor loosened the stones and made it light enough for me to pull out. Just needed a little boost."

"I see." That was all Jack could think of as he eyed the two with a concerned eye. Teal'c was talking with the villagers now, their attention back to the Stargate now. But occasionally, Nasuz caught the Jaafa stealing a concerned glance back at the rest of the team. The elder smiled to himself.

"We look like how you do, sir." Carter quipped as Jack struggled to his feet and made his way over to Daniel. She watched, amused as the colonel checked Daniel's wrist for a pulse. Carter wondered if Jack was even aware of how mother hen he looked.

"Well, I bet you two feel worst." Jack retorted, relaxing as he found a good steady beat. Daniel pulled his wrist away from Jack and sighed. "Just rest, Daniel."

"Bed's...kind of...h'rd, Ja'k." Daniel murmured. Seeing that Jack was okay, Daniel felt the anxiety that was feeding his strength slowing draining. Everything was starting to look fuzzy again. Daniel wearily closed his eyes, wondering to himself once more why Jack looked so...worried.

"O'Neill." Teal'c came back to Jack. "We can return to the Stargate with this device. Nasuz," the elder bowed his head slightly at the mention of his name. "He has shown me a way to repair the crystals before the lightning strikes again."

"Great, finally some good news-" Jack started. "What do you mean lightning?"

"Lightning has struck the gods' doorway before, Jack O'Neill." Nasuz spoke up, his hand sweeping across the broken ceiling of the temple. "It was what driven the gods away before."

"That's why the explosion!" Carter leaned forward, but stopped when her legs protested. "The lightning must have struck when Daniel punched in the symbols for home."

"L-lucky...me." Daniel spoke up in a slurred voice.

"Lightning..." Jack repeated slowly. "Not some malfunction?"

"Mal...function?" Daniel repeated; he opened his eyes again to look at Jack. "That's...that's...what you thought...had...h'ppened, Ja'k?"

"Teal'c, you can get the Stargate to work?" Jack said, ignoring Daniel's question.

"Ja'k..."

"I believe so." Teal'c handed the gloved device. Jack looked at the yellow gem and grimaced.

"Looks like one of those ribbon things." Jack made a face and handed it back to Teal'c.

"Similar." Teal'c agreed as he returned the device to the elder. "We will try to repair the Stargate." The Jaafa looked at Carter then at Daniel. Teal'c corrected himself. "We will get the Stargate working soon."

Carter was intrigued with the idea of repair crystals. "I would love to see that, Teal'c. Wish I could go over there."

Nasuz smiled, motioning two of his people over. "If you would allow me, friend of Teal'c, we would be most happy to assist you over."

"Have fun." Jack said as he wearily sat down besides Daniel in a huff. "We'll be right here." The colonel watched Carter being assisted over to the Stargate. Already, he could hear Carter exclaiming over the crystal conduits exposed from the explosion. The explosion. Jack winced as he remembered that huge flash. It wasn't something he would like to experience again.

"Ja'k?" Daniel asked sleepily. He was watching Jack's relieved grin at the good news faded into the same frown Jack was carrying before. "Ja'k? What's...wrong?"

"Go to sleep, Danny." Jack said absently, his mind still mulling over the day's events.

"Ja'k." Daniel insisted, trying to shuffle over closer to the colonel.

Jack caught the movement out of the corner of his eye and cursed as he caught Daniel before he slid sideways into him. "Damn it, Daniel! Stay put, okay?"

"S'rry." Daniel mumbled as he shifted away again.

"Don't go scaring the shit out of me again." Jack muttered as he went back to checking Daniel's pulse. He then realized that Daniel was looking at him curiously.

"Died?" Daniel asked. Jack looked away for a moment. After a short pause, Jack reluctantly nodded.

"Twice." Jack said quietly. "Scared the hell out of all of us, Danny."

"S'rry." Daniel mumbled again.

"Not your fault." Jack sighed very low, but Daniel caught it. The younger man soon understood.

"Not...yours...e'ther." Daniel whispered, reaching over his good hand to tug at Jack's sleeve. "That's...that's wh't bothering...you."

Jack looked at Daniel sharply, a word of wit ready on his lips, but he didn't say it when he saw Daniel's earnest face. The man looked genuinely worried. Jack shook his head, remembering what the village elder said.

"Thought it was." Jack admitted finally. "Should have waited to check on the Stargate before having you dial home."

"Didn't...think...it...exploded, Ja'k."

"No." Jack realized as he watched the villagers right the Stargate up once more. He winced, remembering how it loomed over him just minutes before. "No, I didn't."

"So...not...f'ult, Ja'k."

"Not my fault." Jack agreed. He turned to Daniel, grinning crookedly. "No guilt trip here, Danny."

Daniel studied Jack's face for a moment then nodded, relaxing as he saw the darkness gone from Jack's eyes. The colonel, sensing his weariness, whispered to Daniel to go to sleep and draped his jacket over the man as his eyes closed. The face lax into sleep almost immediately.

"Sir?" Carter was hobbling back with the help of one of the villagers. "We think we got the Stargate ready."

"Dial us home then, Captain." Jack said, his eyes glued to Daniel. Out of habit, he checked Daniel's pulse again.

"Are you alright, sir?"

Jack looked at Carter. He slowly nodded, his mouth forming a grin again that stayed. "Yeah, I'm okay, Carter. We're all okay."

Just then, the Stargate light up against the flashes of lightning as Teal'c shouted across the temple to tell them they were going home.

"So tell me Teal'c." Jack said casually as the team said their good-byes to the villagers. Teal'c was carrying a sleeping Daniel, while Jack was helping Carter to the activated Stargate. "How did you get them to help us? They weren't exactly thrilled when we first arrived here."

Teal'c paused in front of the glistening pool of light. He cocked his head towards Jack and replied, "I...asked."

"You...asked?" Jack repeated dubiously. "Just like that?"

Teal'c nodded, readjusted his hold on Daniel as he added, "I called their...bluff."

Before Jack could even ask, the team reached the wormhole. The Stargate swallowed up anything he was going to say as they stepped completely through. After a few moments, the Stargate flashed and shutdown, sending the team back home.

This is for Bastet and Steph, who got me started on this idea while they were tormenting me, dangling stories yet to be finished. One word...argh.=)

© 1998 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.