The Things We Demand From Love by Shiaw Mei Mei

The Things We Demand From Love

By Shiaw Mei Mei

Day One

Colonel Jack O’Neill watched as the event horizon opened with its customary ‘kwoosh’. The mission was exploration of P3X-882, another heavily forested planet with potential for scientific research. The planet was not on the cartouche on Abydos; it was from the coordinates entered by yours truly from the knowledge the Ancients dumped in his brain a few years ago. Hopefully, that meant that there wouldn’t be any snakehead Goa’uld to worry them. O’Neill snapped out of his reverie at the familiar sound of General Hammond, “SG-1, you have a go.”

“Let’s go, kids.” O’Neill took point as he glanced back to see the rest of his team following him up the ramp. Dr. Daniel Jackson, archaeologist extraordinaire, and his 2IC, Major Samantha Carter, astrophysics genius, were side by side. Teal’c, the indomitable Jaffa, took their six. As he stepped into the watery looking event horizon, he smiled slightly. They were the best team in the SGC, in his totally non-biased humble opinion. They worked like four parts of a whole. Daniel was their conscious, Carter was their brains and Teal’c was their strength. And O’Neill, well, he was the glue that kept them together.

The team emerged on the other side of the gate to a beautiful sunny day. It was early here, the sun still low in its rise to the sky. The temperature was moderate, mid-70’s, with a cool breeze blowing. The M.A.L.P. had shown signs of a trail off to the east, but was overgrown, as though it hadn’t been used in a long time. After they moved the M.A.L.P. into the nearby brush and camouflaged it, O’Neill headed the direction of the path and the team followed him. Carter fell in line behind O’Neill then Daniel, with Teal’c, bringing up the rear.

“This trail looks like it hasn’t been used in many years,” Carter said to no one in particular, “Of course we don’t know the growth rate of vegetation on this planet, and so it could be deceiving.”

O’Neill nodded his acknowledgment, keeping eyes roaming in search of any unforeseen dangers. About 100 yards from the gate, he paused as the trail split into two separate paths, each equally overgrown as the one they had used to get here. “Okay, anyone want to recommend a direction?”

Carter, Daniel and Teal’c moved up next to him. “O’Neill, we should split up and investigate both paths,” Teal’c replied.

“Okay, Teal’c, you take Daniel; Carter, you’re with me.” Jack indicated the left fork for his Jaffa friend and moved to the right with Carter behind him.

O’Neill and Carter walked in silence, her fiddling with her meter. O’Neill’s eyes moved continuously as he scanned the area.

“Sir, I am getting small reading of naquadah ore in that direction, but nothing significant.” Carter pointed toward the south, slightly at an angle to the trail they had been following for the last 30 minutes. O’Neill stopped to examine the direction she pointed. The underbrush looked very heavy, difficult to travel through.

“Teal’c, come in.” O’Neill thumbed his radio.

“Teal’c here, O’Neill.”

“What direction is your trail taking you? Carter picked up some naquadah readings to the south of here.”

“We are heading north. It appears the trail is circling around and behind the Stargate. We have not found any sign of naquadah or civilization.”

“Okay, head back to the fork in the trail and this direction. We are about two clicks down from there. We’ll wait for you here. O’Neill out.”

O’Neill motioned for them to take cover in the underbrush to wait for their teammates. Carter faded into the bushes on one side of the trail, O’Neill on the other. He sat there watching her play with her equipment. She was an amazing officer and woman. He had feelings for her that he shouldn’t and he knew that she had similar feelings for him. The zatarc incident several years ago had seen to it that they confess those feelings but they never spoke of them after that. There had been times he could see it in her eyes. And he knew that, although he had tried not to show it, his eyes had given him away as well. But they kept things professional and worked well together in spite of it.

His thoughts were interrupted by the sound of his radio crackling in his ear. “O’Neill, we are nearing the fork in the trail and have heard the sound of the Stargate activating. We have taken cover in the brush and will report when possible.” Teal’c’s voice was low and controlled.

O’Neill watched as Carter put away her toys and moved further back into the brush south of the trail, disappearing entirely from his view. He pulled back further on his side of the trail. His first thought was Hammond was trying to contact them, but they had only been gone a little over an hour. Probably Goa’uld, but where had they gotten the gate address from? Most of the addresses from the Ancient had no Goa’uld activity and those that had showed obvious signs of their presence.

His radio crackled into life. “O’Neill, there are 10 Jaffa, headed your direction.” Teal’c’s voice was very low. “Roger that, stay put,” O’Neill replied quietly.

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Teal’c crouched in the brush, every muscle taunt as he watched the Jaffa head in the direction of his comrades. He knew that O’Neill and Carter were accomplished warriors, yet he wanted to follow to insure their safety should they need help. He could only wait for word from them since to do so could further endanger them.

Daniel had heard Jack’s terse reply. He and Teal’c had watched quietly while the Jaffa moved on to the path that Jack and Sam had taken. The M.A.L.P. was hidden in the brush near the gate; he could only pray that the Jaffa hadn’t seen it. Unfortunately, even he knew that there were signs in the high grass on the trails to indicate that someone had passed through here. He only hoped that the Jaffa thought it was from their people or any natives that might live here. He had tried to see the tattoos on the foreheads of the Jaffa, to see if he could recognize the Goa’uld they served. It looked like a snake but vertical instead of the one that horizontally crossed Teal’c’s forehead. He couldn’t be sure. He hoped that Teal’c would know, once it was safe to ask him.

Teal’c and Daniel waited breathlessly while the last of the Jaffa passed them. They had no idea if any had been left to guard the Stargate. Daniel felt that waiting was the hardest part of this job. Well, that and the getting shot at, beat up, broken limbs…well, no one said the job would be easy. Taking his lead from Teal’c, Daniel settled in to wait for word from Jack and Sam.

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O’Neill heard the Jaffa approach. He was so still it would be hard for someone to believe he was alive and not a statue. His eyes moved slightly to where he knew Carter was hiding. ‘Can’t see her,’ his mind said with approval. The Jaffa slowed and spoke quietly. O’Neill tried to remember if there had been any signs left on the trail other than some occasionally disturbed grass. There shouldn’t have been. The ground was dry, too hard for boot prints. The grass itself was hard and bounced back quickly. If the Jaffa were here, surely there were others, so the vague marks of someone passing shouldn’t be too unusual. ‘Shit,’ the marks would have disappeared at the point they entered the brush. He knew that Teal’c and Bra’tec were masters at tracking. He only hoped that these Jaffa weren’t as skilled!

The leader of the Jaffa, Kaveh, had noticed small indentions here and there in the grass. His skill at tracking was limited but he saw definite signs of someone passing. He knew that no one was supposed to have used this trail since he left Zagros a week ago. He knew his god, Angra Mainyu, was not expecting anyone here except himself and his warriors. He softly passed instructions to them to be watchful for intruders. His warriors readied their staff weapons for action as he motioned them to move forward slowly, watching the brush on either side for evidence of impending attack.

Jack watched them moving forward, weapons ready. Something had alerted them to their presence. His hands slowly clenched and unclenched the P90 that had been at the ready since Teal’c’s terse message. He still couldn’t see Carter but he knew that she would be alert and ready for trouble. He wished that she were closer, at least on the same side of the path as he was, but strategically their positions were better. If one were spotted, the other would be in a position to help or get help.

The Jaffa were even with his position; Carter was about three feet further up the trail. The first few warriors passed by him. ‘So far, so good,’ he thought. Teal’c has said there were ten so he kept count. Now seven had passed by him. Eight. He didn’t see the last two. Surely, Teal’c had not miscounted. He remained in cover, almost holding his breath, as the eighth Jaffa passed Carter’s position. Still no sign of numbers nine and ten. He hoped Carter was keeping count and wouldn’t reveal her position yet. ‘Dumb thought, O’Neill, of course she was.’

Carter watched from her concealed position as the eighth Jaffa passed her position. Remaining quiet, but ready, she couldn’t see any sign of the last two. She knew where the Colonel was, but couldn’t see him. She could almost feel his tension. They had worked together for so long under so many unusual circumstances it was almost as if they had a psychic connection. She knew instinctively what he would do or say in most situations. Still no more Jaffa. She was afraid they might have backtracked to the gate. She hoped that Daniel and Teal’c had remained under cover. There was nothing they could do so no sense in worrying. Until the last two Jaffa put in an appearance neither she nor Jack could do anything but wait.

Kaveh and his warriors moved on down the trail, keeping alert. He had ordered two of his men to wait for several minutes before proceeding down the trail. If someone was out there, they may assume that it is safe and show themselves. So far, there were no sounds to indicate that there was anyone behind them. Kaveh had noticed that there were no further signs of passage on the trail. Whoever, or whatever, was out there must have left the trail before this spot. He knew that Angra Mainyu expected him, but he needed to insure that no one was following them.

Kaveh motioned for the Jaffa closest to him. “Jamsheed, run ahead and tell our lord that we suspect intruders. We are going to investigate further. Bring reinforcements with you on your return.” The Jaffa nodded and took off at a fast pace. Turning to the other warriors, “I want to return up the trail and search around the brush. If there has been someone here recently, I want them found!” Quickly and quietly, the remaining seven Jaffa headed back up the trail.

Jack was antsy. Something was wrong. Twenty minutes had passed and the last two Jaffa had not yet appeared. He didn’t dare try making radio contact with Daniel and Teal’c for fear the stragglers would show up at that point. He didn’t want to just sit here. He knew the Jaffa were suspicious and might return with reinforcements. Thumbing his radio, he spoke very softly, “Carter, there should be two more but I don’t think it’s safe to stay here any longer. Make your way across the path to me. We’ll try to head back to the gate through the woods.” He was on the north side of the trail, the direction of the gate, and as much as he hated the idea of Carter being exposed, it was the best plan he had at the moment. “Roger,” was the short response he received.

He watched as the brush across the trail began to move slightly. He could see Carter on her stomach crawl out of the cover where she had been concealed. He held his breath as she reached the open area at the edge of the trail. His head moved from side to side, watched both directions for anyone approaching on the trail. He bit his lip to keep from urging her to hurry. She was doing it right - slow, careful, and as quiet as possible, trying not to leave too many traces of her passing. He couldn’t help but be anxious. He didn’t know where the other two Jaffa had gotten off to. He couldn’t believe that Teal’c could have had the body count wrong.

Carter pulled herself up into a low crouch, looking up and down the trail; he could see her legs tensing for the quick run to the other side. Just as she pushed herself off with her right foot, he heard it! “Jaffa, Kree!!” The original group had retraced their steps! Sam stopped as a staff weapon blast landed right in front of her. She swung around quickly and dived for the brush. The Jaffa ran forward, weapons firing into the brush after Carter. Jack waited until the Jaffa were closer and opened fire. Two fell quickly, a third followed. Jack could see four others diving for cover. That was seven, where was the eighth?

And the other two from Teal’c’s original report, where were they? A ball of fire landed within two feet of Jack. Well, that answered his last question. The two that were waiting behind had pinpointed his location and were firing into the brush. Carter had yet to fire her weapon, which forced him to conclude that she was injured, or worse. Jack thumbed his radio, “Teal’c, Daniel, we are under fire, return to the gate immediately for reinforcements!”

Daniel’s voice came over the radio, “Jack, we can’t leave you and Sam! We can help you!”

Jack fired another volley of bullets at the Jaffa and quickly answered, “Daniel, get to the gate, they will have called for reinforcements. You can’t help! Move now!!!” He released the radio to return fire. “We will follow your orders, O’Neill. Teal’c out.” Relieved that Teal’c understood the foolishness of attempting rescue at this time, Jack continued to lay down fire, alternating between the Jaffa on either side of him. He stopped firing when the Jaffa leader pulled a dazed Carter out of the thicket demanding, “Cease your attack or this one dies!” The Jaffa armed the staff weapon and aimed it, point blank, at Carter’s head.

Jack slowly raised his hands, his weapon in the air. “Okay, I’m coming out. Don’t do anything hasty.”

Kaveh watched the man walk out of the bushes. He and the women were similarly dressed. Their weapons and clothing indicated that they were of the Tau’ri. He had heard of the Tau’ri warriors but had never crossed paths with them before. “What is your purpose on Zagros?” he demanded. His warriors stripped O’Neill of his weapons.

“We were just in the neighborhood and wanted to check it out. Didn’t know anyone lived here. We will be happy to leave.” Jack grimaced as one of the Jaffa guarding him hit him in the ribs with the butt end of a staff weapon.

“We will see how long your insolence will last with my lord, Angra Mainyu. Bring them.” With a curt nod to his warriors, Kaveh turned and headed down the trail. Jack moved abreast of Carter, catching her as she stumbled, still dazed. The Jaffa guarding them did nothing to stop him from helping her so he put his arm around her waist to help her keep up with the fast moving Jaffa.

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General Hammond heard the announcement in his office. “Unscheduled off world activation.” He knew that no one was due back now. He had nine teams off world at the moment and could tell you the exact dates and times each were due back. He hurried down to the control room in time to hear MSG Davis announce that it was SG-1’s IDC. A minute later, Teal’c came through followed by a very irate Dr. Jackson. He was waiting for Colonel O’Neill and Major Carter to appear when the gate shut down. “Where are the Colonel and Major Carter?” he said through the microphone to the embarkation room’s loudspeakers.

“General Hammond, they were attacked by Jaffa. O’Neill ordered Daniel Jackson and myself to return through the gate for reinforcements.”

“Briefing room, now!” was the General’s only response.

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Jack figured they had walked another 10 clicks from the place where they had been captured. The trail, although apparently rarely used, was well marked. As they topped a rise Jack saw a small town below, complete with an ornate looking hall in the center of it. It resembled some of the architecture he had seen in Iraq. He and Carter were herded toward the hall and through an ornate set of double doors and into a large room that looked a little like a throne room. Maybe because there was a throne in it. The Goa’uld sitting on the throne was dressed like something out of Arabian nights. Turbaned, baggy pants gathered at the ankle and a long tunic, heavy with embroidery, which fell to his knees.

“Kaveh! Who are these intruders? How did they find my stronghold?”

Jack and Carter were pushed to their knees a few yards from the throne’s pedestal. The inscriptions on the base looked vaguely Arabic. Jack wished Daniel were here. Strike that, no he didn’t. Bad enough he and Carter were here.

“My Lord,” Kaveh bowed to the Goa’uld. “We have not questioned them yet but from the descriptions that I have heard, they would appear to be of the Tau’ri. They must have come through the Darvaze dar Izad. There was no evidence of any ship in the area or of any other people.”

Angra Mainyu rose from his throne, eyeing the prisoners warily. “Why are you here? Who has sent you?”

Jack looked up at the Goa’uld. “Like I tried to tell your friend here, we were just checking out the place. We didn’t know anyone was here and we will gladly leave if you would just show us back to the Stargate!”

“I don’t believe you! You must have been sent by one of my enemies to seek out my strengths! Kaveh, lock them up! I will question them personally.”

Jack and Sam were roughly manhandled to their feet. Jack was worried about Sam. He didn’t see any blood anywhere but she appeared to be very dazed and confused. She must have hit her head when she dived away from that staff blast. They were escorted at weapons point out of the hall.

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Kaveh stood before his god, head bowed. “My lord, should we plan to leave this place in case we have been compromised?”

Angra Mainyu looked thoughtful. “My power base is not yet strong enough to defend should the System Lords discover my plans, however, if you are correct, and these strangers are of the Tau’ri, they will not be sharing information with the System Lords. They are at war with them as are we. No, I think that moving at this time would be hasty. I will question these prisoners in my own way and time. I will find out their mission. If not, then at least I will have enjoyed watching them suffer!”

Kaveh bowed and turned to leave the room. He knew that his lord enjoyed the suffering he inflicted on those unfortunate enough to incur his wrath. He knew that it was dangerous to question the pleasure that Angra Mainyu derived from the pain of others, even in his mind. He was, after all, a god and he would know. Kaveh shoved the thought of what would happen to the Tau’ri to the back of his mind. It was not his to question a god.

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Jack found him and Sam pushed into a small dark room. One with bars on the doors. There were no windows, only a couple of small slits in the wall about 10 feet up, almost where the walls met the ceiling. The cell didn’t smell very well, the floors were cold and damp, some kind of stone. There was no furniture, no bedding. Only something that resembled a bucket, which, from the smell of it, was the latrine. He watched Sam lean her back against the wall and slide down it. She pulled up her knees, folded her arms across them and put her head on her arms. Jack went over to sit by her. They hadn’t spoken since their capture.

“How ya’ doin, Carter?”

“Just peachy,” was her mumbled reply, the sound further muffled by the fact that she still had her face buried in her arms.

“Carter, you don’t look so hot. You hurt?”

“My head hurts, I think I hit it or something when that staff blast hit.”

“Anywhere else hurt?”

“My head and neck aches, and my brain is a little foggy.”

“Let me see.” Jack slipped his hand under her chin and pulled her head up. “Where did you hit it?”

She raised a hand to a spot on the right front part of her head, about an inch above her hairline. He ran his hand through her hair looking for knots or cuts. She had a bump the size of a golf ball; she inhaled air quickly as he pressed on it. “Yep, you bumped it good, Major.” He continued to run his hands through her hair as he checked for any other spots. It felt nice. Too bad it wasn’t under better circumstances. Jack moved his hands down to her neck and massaged it a little. Sam moaned slightly as he continued massaging her neck. Jack didn’t think it was from pain. He felt a little self-conscious as he pulled his hands away.

“You must have strained your neck when you hit your head. Let me know if you have any dizziness or nausea or if the headache gets too bad. Try to stay awake for a few hours, just in case you have a concussion.”

She sighed and laid her head back on her crossed arms. “Sorry, sir.”

“For what?”

“For getting us caught. Again.”

“Humph, Carter, it was my idea to move. You were following orders. Once again, my plan A didn’t work. I knew I should have gone to plan B first.”

Carter laughed unconvincingly. “What is it with you and plan B, sir?” Her arms muffled her voice.

“Don’t worry, Carter, we’ll get out of here. We always do.”

“Yes, sir.”

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General Hammond wanted to break something. He didn’t show his frustration. He couldn’t. The M.A.L.P. had been discovered. The view before it was destroyed showed Jaffa guarding the gate on the other end. Rescue at this time was not an option. He would be sending people through to a certain death. He couldn’t risk them on the possibility that Jack and Sam were still alive. He really wanted to break something.

“General Hammond, we can’t just leave them there!” Daniel was upset. They shouldn’t have left them.

“Son, I am as worried as you are. However, I can’t send people through unless we can neutralize the guards at the gate. It would be suicide. I will contact the President and the Pentagon and try get some missiles to take out the guards at the gate on the other side. Other than that there is nothing we can do at this time.” Hammond turned and walked stiffly to his office. Sam was like part of his own family. He had watched her grow up, was friends with her father. How was he going to tell Jacob?

Daniel watched him go. He realized that the General was as frustrated as he was. He just couldn’t handle the fact that he and Teal’c had left them behind. He and Jack completely agreed on that one thing. You didn’t leave your people behind.

Teal’c stood quietly at Daniel’s side watching the interchange between his two friends. He understood the need for retreat, to plan the rescue but he was as concerned as they were. He wanted to take action now. He would wait, but only so long.

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Jack sat with his back against the wall next to Sam. She was still awake, her head still hurt but not as intense. He watched her out of the corner of his eye. He had examined the small room, looking for a way out. It was about 10 by 10 feet. The windows, if you could call the slits in near the ceiling windows, were barely enough to allow some air circulation. There were no windows outside the room. It stayed fairly dark even during daylight, which was fading fast. There was no other illumination. It would get really dark in here after the sun set. The lock on the door appeared to be just a lock, no fancy alien technology working here. But there was no picking it without some tool and there was no way to force it. He let out a long sigh.

“What is it, sir?”

“Oh, just the usual, locked in a Goa’uld prison, endless waiting for the over the top threats…”

Carter stifled a giggle. “So optimistic, sir, as usual.”

“Yeah.”

They sat in silence as the remaining light faded away. The darkness was complete. Nothing but the sound of their breathing. Jack noticed that Sam’s breathing had settled into the soft rhythm of sleep. It had been hours since her head injury. She hadn’t exhibited any symptoms of a concussion, so he let her get what sleep she could. He sat there staring into the darkness, lost in his own thoughts.

He must have drifted off. There was noise outside the cell, light approaching. Jack shaded his eyes against the bright light and nudged Carter awake. “Company coming.”

Kaveh approached the cell with a set of keys and three armed Jaffa. He felt pity on these captives. He had seen his lord’s method of interrogation many times. He enjoyed inflicting pain. He never pushed it so far as to actually kill his victims, or even do permanent damage, until he was ready for them to die. Just never ending pain. It was especially bad for women. The three Jaffa held their staff weapons armed and aimed at their prisoners as Kaveh unlocked the cell. “I am Kaveh, First Prime of Angra Mainyu. You, come with me.” He pointed at Carter.

“Whoa, there, buddy!” Jack exclaimed, jumping up from where he was still sat. “I am the senior officer, if anyone is going with you, it will be me!”

“My lord has commanded the presence of the female. If you interfere, you will both suffer for it.”

“Sir,” Carter said softly, standing up. “It’s okay. I’m sure you will get your turn.” She flashed him a small wry smile as she turned to go with the Jaffa.

Jack watched as Kaveh locked and door. Sam glanced back at him before one of the Jaffas nudged her, none to gently, with a staff weapon to move. He watched as the light and the golden glow of her hair disappeared into the darkness. He leaned his back against the wall and slid down to the floor.

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Sam kept her eyes open. Noting each turn, she made a mental map of the route so that she could retrace her steps back to the Colonel. She hadn’t seen any other Jaffa since they left the cell. There hadn’t been many when they were led into the throne room and from there to the cell. This didn’t appear to be a heavily fortified stronghold. She had never heard of Angra Mainyu. It didn’t sound Egyptian. She wasn’t sure what language it was. The name of the Jaffa was no help either. The symbols on the foreheads of the Jaffa weren’t familiar either. As her mind raced, they rounded a corner and into the throne room. There were two Jaffa with Angra Mainyu, one on either side.

“Welcome to my palace,” Angra Mainyu said in a tone so sinister that it sent shivers down her spine. Kaveh pushed Sam to her knees in front of his lord, keeping his pity carefully off his face. He knew that tone. She was in for a bad time.

Day Two

Jack sat and watched the daylight slowly seep through the narrow windows. It had been hours since Sam had been taken. He had sat there in the dark, waiting, his mind flashing through a slide show of her face. Her smile, her laughter, her tears, her pain. He felt a lump in his throat. Fear that he may never see her again made his chest hurt. He had let her walk out of this cell without doing anything about it. She could be dead already. ‘Was that a noise?’

Kaveh had two warriors half dragged the woman by her arms. She moaned softly at the pain that engulfed her with every movement, every touch. Her strength impressed him. She had rarely cried out as his lord had tortured her slowly. He had seen strong men reduced to whimpering after suffering what she had been through.

Jack watched as the light came closer. His face tightened into a grimace as he saw Sam being half supported, half dragged by two Jaffa. Two other Jaffa aimed their weapons at him as Kaveh opened the door. They unceremoniously dropped Sam into the floor and retreated. As Kaveh closed and locked the door, Jack saw what could be described as sorrow flash across his face and then it was gone. Jack filed it in the back of his mind as he knelt at Sam’s side.

She moaned as he rolled her over. He couldn’t see any bruises or lacerations. He didn’t know what they had done to her but every time he touched her, it elicited a gasp or moan of pain. “Sam, talk to me, Sam.”

“Hurts, sir,” she whispered, “please don’t touch me.” She tried to control her breathing. Almost Lamaze like, pain control. He sat next to her, not touching, just there and felt totally helpless. What had they done to her? It was obvious that it was either a hand ribbon or some other technology. She had no obvious bruises or marks. He knew how strong she was. To be in that much pain, it had to have been bad. He sat quietly, knowing there was nothing he could do, and not liking the feeling. “Sam, I just want to help!”

Sam watched him through her eyelashes as she slowed her breathing. She could see the feeling of helplessness on his face. She knew that he hated that. Not being able to do something. It always showed in the way he fidgeted with anything in sight. “Sir, it helps just having you here,” she whispered.

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Daniel was pacing General Hammond’s office. The General was on the phone with the President, again. They were being stonewalled by the Pentagon. The damn military minds were “weighing” the risks. It had been 24 hours since they had left Sam and Jack on that planet. They needed to do something now! They had contacted the Tok’ra but Jacob was out of touch, on a mission. The Tok’ra, as usual, had been very closed mouth as to what that mission was. He was beginning to see Jack’s point about their so-called allies. They were allies only when it suited them.

Teal’c stood near the door, watching the frantic Daniel Jackson. He felt a similar frustration but pacing was a waste of energy. He preferred to contain his energy for when action was required. He waited patiently for the General to complete his conversation.

“Yes, sir, I understand, sir. Thank you.” Hammond hung up the phone. He wanted to slam it down but it was extremely bad protocol the slam the phone in the President’s ear.

“What did he say?” Daniel jumped in as soon as the receiver hit the cradle.

“He says he needs to talk to the Joint Chiefs. I don’t know what else to do.” Hammond was obviously irritated. Something Daniel rarely saw. “Okay, we need an alternate plan. I can’t leave them there. Teal’c, do you think that Bra’tec and the rebel Jaffa could help us? It’s obvious the Tok’ra aren’t going to help. Or maybe, the Asgard.”

Teal’c nodded slightly. “I have contacted Bra’tec. They are willing to help but they do not have a way around the guards at the gate nor do they have access to a ship. If we could neutralize them, they would be willing to assist us.”

Hammond nodded. “Okay, then we need a plan to neutralize the guards. So we are back to square one.”

“General Hammond,” Daniel said, “when we saw the guards through the M.A.L.P. there were only two. Could we send a UAV through to see if that is all? It might distract them enough to get several people through the gate. I know we have some of those here. We wouldn’t need approval for a recon. I would be willing to try to get through.”

“As would I, General Hammond,” Teal’c added.

Hammond nodded curtly, “Okay, I will ask for volunteers.”

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Jack never left Sam’s side. He didn’t touch her, didn’t say a word. Just sat there for hours, watching her. She had kept up her pain control techniques for about an hour after she was returned to the cell, then she fell into a fitful sleep. She murmured in her sleep, sometimes speaking, mostly a word or two. “Stop” “Please” “No” Once she said his name. Not Colonel or O’Neill. “Jack.” He had reached for her then but held back. He didn’t want to wake her and he definitely didn’t want to hurt her.

He heard noises coming from the hallway. Whatever it took, he would not let her be taken again. She couldn’t go through that again. Three Jaffa rounded the corner; one carried what appeared to be a tray. He shoved a bowl and a flask, both metal, through a slit in the bars that was evidently for that purpose. He scowled at Jack and retreated down the hall.

There was still some light left coming through the windows. Not much, he hadn’t realized how long he had been sitting there on the cold, damp floor until he tried to stand up. His knees protested as he stood and walked over to what was supposed to be food. It looked like a watery mess of white gruel. He hoped that there were at least a few nutrients in it. Neither of them had eaten in 24 hours. He picked up the flask, opened it and sniffed the contents. Water. He took them over to where Sam lay. Her eyes were open. She still appeared to be in a lot of pain.

“Hey, there. Get your beauty sleep?”

Sam smiled slightly and tried to move. Her smile turned to a grimace of pain.

“Ho, there, don’t try to move. Let me help you.”

“No, that would hurt worse,” she said softly. “I don’t know how but it seems to hurt worse now than before.”

“What did they do to you?” He knew she really didn’t want to talk about it, but he needed to know.

“It’s…uh…kinda like the Goa’uld cattle prod.” He nodded, having had a few run ins with the bad end of one of those. “Except when they pull it away, the pain doesn’t diminish. It didn’t hurt that much at first but I almost wished they would leave it on once they pulled it away. A burning sensation spreads from the point of contact. It feels like I have second degree burns over most of my body.” She looked in his eyes and could see understanding.

“Here, try to drink some of this. It’s just water. I am not sure what the ‘food’ is, but we need to keep up our strength.” She nodded as he held the water to her lips. She sipped slowly, even the inside of her mouth hurt. After getting some water down her, he held to bowl of gruel to her mouth. She sipped a little and then started choking on it. He set the bowl down quickly and reached for her.

“NO!” Sam yelled sharply. “DON’T TOUCH ME!!”

Her coughing subsided. She looked at him apologetically. He looked like he had been slapped. “I’m sorry, sir. It hurts just to come into contact with the floor. I don’t think I could take anymore.”

“It’s okay, Sam,” he said quietly, “I understand.” He picked up the bowl again and tried to get her to take more. She managed to get about a quarter of it down before she waved him off.

“Enough. It hurts to eat.” He nodded and reached for the water again. She forced down some more until she signaled that she had enough. She lay back down and stared at the ceiling in the fading light.

“They will be coming for you next, sir.”

“Yeah. I figured.”

“There are not many Jaffa. The route to the throne room is long but I didn’t see any other guards. Angra Mainyu is the name of the Goa’uld. I don’t recognize the name or if there is any relation to any Earth civilization. The Jaffa tattoo is a new one.”

“Okay, what does he want?”

“He kept asking what I knew about his defenses. He wanted to know what the Tau’ri wanted from this planet. I told him we were just exploring and that we didn’t even know he was here, much less what his defenses were. After a while he just stopped asking questions.” She paused, and then added hesitantly, “I think he enjoyed watching my reactions to the pain. Sir, I think he really enjoyed it.” She looked up at him. She could see the sadness in his eyes. She tried to move her hand to his, but groaned in pain. He saw her intention and lightly touched the little finger on her hand with his index finger.

“It’s okay, Sam. We will get out of here. Get some sleep.”

“Yes, sir.”

Jack watched her as she slept. The dim light seemed to soften her features, making her look almost like a child. He wanted to reach out to her, to hold her and keep her safe. His jaw clenched as he thought of what that damn Goa’uld had done to her! Sam didn’t deserve this! She deserved so much! He longed to tell her how he felt, to try to have some kind of a personal relationship with her, but it wasn’t meant to be. Besides, what did a vibrant young woman like her need with a worn out old soldier like him. She had a promising career and he would never do anything to jeopardize that. Unconsciously, Jack reached out to stroke her face, stopping just before touching her. He sighed and dropped his hand in his lap. He would have to be content to just watch her.

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Daniel and Teal’c were in the control room watching as the UAV was prepped for launch. SG-3 and SG-5 stood waiting outside the embarkation room. There had been so many volunteers that General Hammond thought he would burst with pride at his people’s reaction.

“Chevron seven is locked.” The gate kwooshed open. “Activating UAV ignition.” The engine on the UAV flamed and rapidly launched through the gate. “UAV will reach its destination in 5, 4, 3, 2, 1. Receiving telemetry.”

The computer screen in front of them lost its static as it received the telemetry. And just as quickly lost it.

“Damn!!” Daniel exclaimed.

“Sir, the UAV appeared to have been hit by enemy fire.” MSG Davis reported.

“Shut down the gate, Sergeant.” Hammond’s frustration showed through his terse command.

Teal’c lowered his head. Daniel continued venting his fury verbally, “Damn!! Damn!! Damn!!”

“SG-3 and SG-5 stand down.” Hammond announced over the loud speaker. “Sergeant, replay the telemetry received.”

Daniel quieted down as he and Teal’c drew closer to the monitor. The playback was in slow motion. It showed that there were at least two guards, they couldn’t see if there were any staff cannons. It looked like one of the Jaffa just got a lucky shot with his staff weapon.

“General Hammond, we have to try again. There were only two of them and it was a lucky shot,” Daniel exclaimed.

“Maybe so, son, but they are warned now. We need those missiles. I am going to talk to the President again.”

Daniel watched as General Hammond strode away, the tension and frustration showing in the muscles in his neck. Daniel knew he should apologize to him. He knew how the General felt about Jack and Sam. He knew this was hard on him.

------------

Jack heard noise in the hallway shortly after dark. Seems like this Angra Mainyu is a night owl. Kaveh and his guards appeared at the door. As the door opened, he motioned Jack to follow him. Jack could feel relief wash over his body that they didn’t try to take Sam. She was still asleep. He moved quietly not wanting to wake her. He didn’t want her to sit up all night worrying, knowing what would be happening to him. He glanced back at her as Kaveh locked the door. Too late, he saw her eyes fixed on him, full of sorrow.

As the light faded away, Sam allowed the tears she had held back to run down her cheeks. She hurt too much to even wipe them away. Even her tears hurt as they were exposed to her skin. It felt like trails of fire running down her face. But she couldn’t stop, she sobbed softly, quietly and painfully.

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Jack tried to keep his feet under him as his guards dragged him back to the cell. He couldn’t believe how much he hurt. Oh, he had been tortured before, far too many times. Iraq, Baal, various Goa’uld. He seemed to be a magnet for people wanting to serious inflict pain on him. He groaned as they dumped him in the floor next to Carter. She didn’t appear to have moved since he left. After his experience with their host’s hospitality, he could understand why. Every nerve ending seemed to have its own pain shooting through it. He tried to control his breathing as Carter had earlier. It seemed to help. He started to push the pain into that little corner of his mind reserved for situations like this. Special Ops had taught him many ways to skirt the pain but he wasn’t sure that it prepared him for this.

Sam voice penetrated his mind. “Sir, talk to me, sir.”

“Sam,” his voice cracked over her name. “I’m here, Sam. I’ll live.”

“Yeah, me too. I’m just not sure I want too.”

They laid there in silence, side by side, not moving, taking what little comfort they could from just knowing the other one was near. They watched as the sun started coming through the windows high in the ceiling.

Day Three

Daniel was once again pacing in General Hammond’s office. Hammond sat and watched him. He understood the boy’s frustration, felt it himself. He couldn’t risk more people without more intel or a better plan of getting through the gate. He had tried to convince the President to let them use Prometheus but was firmly, sorrowfully, told no. His only hope now was the Tok’ra. They had contacted them again this morning to find out that Jacob was on his way back from his mission. He had been informed and was on route to a safe Stargate near P3X-882 in a Goa’uld cargo ship. It would take him two days to reach there. He would pick up two SG teams, Daniel, and Teal’c. It would take them another two days to reach 882. Four days. He only hoped that Jack and Sam would still be alive when they got there. They would continue to attempt access through the gate using UAV’s and M.A.L.P.’s in hope that they could get through before then.

“Son, you are wearing out the carpet in here. I understand how you feel but I have some things to do, so please, go pace somewhere else.”

Daniel stopped and looked him for a moment; a rather sheepish look crossed his face. “Sorry, General. I just…you know.”

“Yeah, I know.”

He watched Daniel walk out of the office and head down the stairs from the briefing room. He sighed and pulled his computer toward him.

Teal’c was in his room. Kelno’reem was his only outlet. That and using the punching bag in gym. He knew he needed to control his frustration. Daniel Jackson had irritated everyone on base with his outbursts and constant pacing. Teal’c sat quietly, tried to get into a deeper state to let the tension release from his body. It did not work. A quiet tap on the door interrupted him. “Come.”

Daniel poked his head in the door. “Teal’c, sorry to interrupt, I was headed to the commissary and I thought you might want to join me.”

“I will, Daniel Jackson. Kelno’reem is not coming easy today.” He rose and blew out the candles that lit his room and then exited with Daniel.

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Jack opened his eyes. ‘Ouch’. Just dragging his eyelids over his eyes hurt. He cut his eyes over to where Sam had last been. She wasn’t there! “Sam!”

“I’m still here, sir. Trying to make use of the ‘facilities’, if you don’t mind.”

He tried to laugh but it hurt too much. He closed his eyes to give her a little privacy. He heard her groan as she made her way back over to him. She slowly sat down next to him. “You need to try to eat and drink something. You’ve been out of it all day.” She didn’t say that she had sat and watched him all day. She didn’t tell him of the tears she saw him shed in his sleep, or the times she heard him call her name. Not Carter, Sam and once, Samantha. She didn’t tell him that she sat and cried for him and the pain he felt. She simply tried to help him with the food and water, the same as he had.

He closed his eyes after he managed to get some more water down. He opened his eyes again. “Does it get any better?”

She knew what he meant. She simply shook her head. “No, sir, it doesn’t, but I really didn’t want to compound my ‘discomfort’ with wet clothes.” She smiled slightly. “It’s almost dark. Our friend seems to like to play after dark.”

Jack watched the expression on her pained face. “Maybe he’ll take the night off,” he groaned.

They both looked toward the door as the sound of people coming reached them.

“Guess not,” she sighed.

Jack tried to get to his feet. ‘They couldn’t take Sam again. She couldn’t go through that again!’ The pain engulfed conscious thought. Bile rose in his throat. He saw Sam painfully stand through eyes fogged over in pain. “No!” He had barely heard himself. He didn’t think that she heard him. He watched as Kaveh opened the door and motioned for her to follow. “Sam!” She turned to look at him and he saw the slight curve of a fond smile. “It’s okay, sir.” And she was gone.

He lay there and wallowed in the pain and bile. Tears streamed down his cheeks leaving trails of fire. “Sam,” he said weakly. “Please come back.” It was too dark to notice that his vision darkened as unconsciousness claimed him.

Sam didn’t think that she could hurt more than she already did. She didn’t think that anyone could survive this much pain and live. The Jaffa carried her. There was no way she could walk. Every fiber in her being hurt. All she wanted to do was lay down and die! ‘NO!’ the thought came forcefully through her pain. She couldn’t give up! She wouldn’t give up! That damned snake headed bastard was not going to beat her! Rescue would come! It had to! ‘Please let it be before dark!’ she silently prayed.

Day Four

Jack thought he heard noises. He slowly opened his eyes. It was still dark. ‘Was that light in the hall?’ His thoughts were almost coherent again. He still hurt like hell but he could control it better. ‘Please let Sam be okay, please let her be coming back!’ It was light! The noise was louder! It looked like the sun was rising outside. He saw the Jaffa leader moving to the door then was blinded as the torch came into full view. He heard the sound of Sam’s body as it dropped next to him. He winced at the pain that must have caused. His eyes opened as he heard the lock in the door being turned. He caught the eye of the Jaffa leader. He was sure there was sorrow in his expression. It was quickly masked.

Kaveh turned away. He knew that it was within his god’s right to punish non-believers. He knew that he shouldn’t feel anything for the prisoners but, well, the woman was so strong, so defiant, so much a warrior. Even with all the pain that was inflicted on her body, she still was in control of her mind. She said nothing different tonight than she had before. She insisted that they had no idea that anyone was on this planet and that they had no interest in his lord’s plans. All they wanted was to go home. He didn’t know if he could take that much pain without breaking.

Jack painfully crawled to Sam’s side, trying to mask his groans. She was on her right side, facing away from him. ‘Please, God, let her be alive!’ He was afraid to touch her. He knew the pain that would cause her would be intense. He continued to crawl around her to try and see her eyes. They were closed. He very gently reached to feel the carotid artery in her neck. A pulse! ‘Thank you!’ She moaned softly at his touch. Her eyelids fluttered a little and opened. He moved his hand away as quickly as his pain would allow. “Sam?”

“Yeah,” she sighed quietly.

“It’s okay. You’re here. I’m here. Rescue should be coming soon. Hang in there.”

“Yeah.” She closed her eyes. He wanted to touch her again, to reassure himself that she was still alive. He had to settle for the soft shallow breaths she was taking. He painfully got up to relieve his bladder. Neither one of them had had enough to drink to make it necessary often. He finished and walked over to where Sam was and laid down where he could watch her face in the dim light. Her left hand was palm down on the floor. He gently touched the tip of her index finger with his. He needed some contact, however insubstantial. He closed his eyes to the tears that threatened. His physical pain was bad enough, but the emotional pain of watching Sam slowly tortured to death was beyond words. He heard her soft moans and opened his eyes. She was awake.

Sam could feel the slight touch on her finger. His finger was tip to tip with hers. It hurt but it felt reassuring. She opened her eyes to see his staring at her intently. His soft brown eyes were brimming with unshed tears. She felt tears come to her own eyes. She understood. It was bad enough being tortured but to have to watch him die was worse. She could have endured anything but that. She moved her finger slightly against his. He smiled softly and whispered, “Sleep, Sam.” She obediently closed her eyes and let unconsciousness take away some of the pain.

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Daniel and Teal’c came at a dead run to the paging over the loudspeaker. They took the stairs to the briefing room two and three at a time. General Hammond stood there looking a little more relieved than the last time they saw him. “Some good news… Jacob pushed his engines. He will make the rendezvous point this afternoon instead of tomorrow. You need to gear up. You will be leaving in an hour. SG-3 and 5 will accompany you.”

“Yes!!” Daniel said elatedly, as he pounded Teal’c’s back with his open palm. Teal’c winced slightly at the onslaught. “We will be ready, General Hammond,” he said to the smiling General.

“Good luck and good hunting!” With that, General Hammond headed for his office as Daniel and Teal’c hurried to the locker room to change.

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Sam groaned as she slowly came up out of her sleep. The nightmares were bad but not as bad as the pain that whorled into her consciousness. She heard Jack speaking softly in her ear. She could feel his breath on her cheek and even that hurt, although it was more emotional than physical. “Sam, wake up. You have to eat something.” He wanted to touch her but knew from personal experience that it wasn’t a good idea. “Sam!” His voice was a little louder.

She finally opened her eyes. “What!” she growled. “Leave me alone!”

“Hey, that’s insubordination!”

“Bite me!”

“Wow, who’s the bad patient now!! I never told my nurses to bite me. Of course, as much as I pissed them off, they might have!”

That finally brought a slight smile to her face. “Don’t make me laugh, it hurts too much.”

“Come on, Sam. Please eat and drink something. It’s not much but you need your strength.”

She painfully pulled herself up to a sitting position. “Sir, it’s getting dark.”

“I know. Don’t worry, if he follows his pattern, it will be my turn. He won’t take you tonight.”

“Jack,” His head jerked up, she never called him by his given name. “I don’t know which hurts more, the torture or watching you in pain,” she continued, not looking at him. “I don’t know if I can continue doing either.”

“Sam, please don’t give up! We will get out of here! You know that General Hammond will do whatever it takes. Not to mention your father! Between the two of them and Danny and Teal’c, they’ll move half the galaxy to get us back! You can’t quit, Carter. Remember, Carters don’t quit.”

“Rah, rah, rah,” Sam finally met his eyes. “Good cheerleading there, sir.” She raised one arm slowly and lightly touched his cheek with one finger. She could do with one of his ‘it’ll be all right’ hugs about now, but she’d probably pass out from the pain. He smiled at her as if he knew what she was thinking.

He carefully helped her eat and drink, although she couldn’t get much down. It hurt too much. ‘Great,’ she thought, ‘if we don’t die of torture, we die of starvation!’ Dying almost sounded good to her. She banished the thought again. She couldn’t give up yet. Jack, the Colonel, was still here. She heard the pleading in his voice earlier. She wouldn’t give up. Yet.

Jack tried to finish off the food she couldn’t eat. They weren’t giving them enough for two people but it didn’t really matter. Neither one of them had much of an appetite. He noticed the darkness settling into the room. He looked over at Sam. She had lain back down and was drifting in and out of sleep. She was mumbling a little as she slept. He could hear different words at different times. “Dad.” “Momma.” “Jack.” He thought that at first she was awake and calling to him. He moved closer and realized she was still asleep. “Jack,” she said again softly. “Why?”

‘Why?’ he thought. “Why what, Sam?” he said softly in her ear.