Storytime with Rachel F Hundred

Chapter 1

It was raining.

Sheets of grey fell from the bleak sky in a never-ending curtain. A dirty stream of water ran down the sidewalk and into the drain. Jack O’Neill barely glanced at the depressing weather as he made his way to the waiting car, far too aware that it matched his mood. He took a moment to wordlessly give a nod of thanks to the young driver before climbing into the warm interior of the vehicle.

Jack removed his cover and threw it to the far side of the back seat. He placed the briefcase on the seat beside him and opened it. Washington traffic was terrible and it would take at least an hour for them to get to where they were going. Jack had learned his lesson on the day he had arrived and in the days since had taken to using the time productively for his paperwork. His stint as the commander of the Stargate programme had served him well in training him into administrative discipline. He knew if he didn’t deal with paperwork with expediency, it would simply multiply like Replicators and there were days when he could swear that the paperwork seemed the more intractable enemy.

The folders in his briefcase bore the stamp of the United States Air Force; the contents were sanitised in case there was an accident mid-transit. They gave no indication of Jack’s current assignment as the Head of Homeworld Security. Jack flipped through six folders quickly enough; the report on the latest space-craft the Odyssey (carefully disguised as a report on a new Air Force stealth bomber in public knowledge), and another five which held the personnel information for the Pentagon’s short list of candidates for the craft’s commanding officer. Jack had it down to two in a heartbeat; Colonels Ellis and Emerson. It was an easy choice; both men came with his former CO’s recommendation. General Hammond had always been a good judge of character and Jack figured the decision was a quick win given some of the other weightier decisions on his shoulders. Still, Jack wrote a note on the file that he wanted to meet with both and he would make a final determination then.

The seventh folder held a brief summary of the next day’s anticipated SGC missions, again carefully disguised as training scenarios; six in total, five being follow-up sessions with various allies, and the sixth being a survey of some ruins. SG1 were scheduled for the latter mission with SG12 as back-up. It would be the last SG1 mission for the remaining members of his former team; Lieutenant Colonel Samantha Carter and Daniel Jackson. Jack scribbled a note to confirm he’d seen the contents and slapped the folder shut as a pang of guilt and anxiety shot through him.

He rubbed a hand over his face and reached for the next folder in the stack. It was not his fault that SG1 was reduced to two, Jack reminded himself briskly. OK, so maybe he should have followed protocol and assigned a fourth member back when he’d been promoted to lead the SGC. In his heart he knew he hadn’t done it because he’d selfishly wanted to keep that fourth spot for himself – just in case he changed his mind. He sighed. Of course, his departure had been followed by Teal’c who had recently left in the wake of the rebel Jaffa’s success at Dakara.

‘I always knew he was going to leave, I just didn’t know know.’

Daniel’s words after Teal’c had stepped through the wormhole came back to Jack. He and Carter had looked at each other in amusement but they’d understood the archaeologist’s words. Teal’c’s departure had been inevitable; they’d all known it. Their former team-mate was the leader of the rebel Jaffa after all. Yet none of them had planned for it – not even Teal’c, Jack mused. It was though all of them had been in some kind of deep mutual denial at the inevitable because to contemplate it was too painful. So, Teal’c had left leaving an impressive Teal’c sized hole in their every day lives. Jack missed his friend and he knew Carter and Daniel felt the same way.

Of course, Teal’c’s departure seemed to have set in motion a chain of events that had turned their worlds upside down, although Jack knew on some level it had more to do with them finally defeating the Replicators and breaking the Goa’uld dominance over the galaxy. The war they had fought for the last eight years was effectively over. Change was in the air. Teal’c’s leaving was just a part of it.

Jack fidgeted with the report on his lap, opening it and flipping through the contents unseeingly. He’d known change was coming but like Daniel, he hadn’t known known it. A couple of months before he’d taken the entire team up to his cabin to spend time together – they’d all needed to take a few days especially Carter who had lost her father. He hadn’t realised at the time that it would be a goodbye trip.

He shifted uncomfortably. The day after they had returned from the cabin, they had received a transmission from the missing Atlantis expedition. Twenty-four hours later, back-up had been sent to the city to prevent it from being taken over by some creatures called the Wraith. A week later, with the Daedalus on its way back to the Milky Way carrying the Atlantis senior staff to debrief, Teal’c departed and Jack had been summoned to Washington.

His meeting with President Hayes had been brief; Hammond had put in for retirement and Jack had been assigned as his successor. Jack had protested; he wasn’t good at diplomacy, he was hopeless at paperwork and he was better deployed right where he was – at the SGC guarding the frontline. Hayes had been resolute. The President needed someone leading Homeworld Security who had experience in the Stargate programme; Jack was the only viable candidate. All of Jack’s half-formed plans for his own retirement had been scuppered in the space of a heartbeat. He’d gone back to the SGC and broken the news to Daniel and Carter.

Total silence.

Jack swallowed the urge to clear his throat and ran a finger down the edge of the workbench. He darted a look at Sam. She looked pale and her blue eyes had dropped to the floor.

‘Really?’ Daniel asked pushing his glasses up his nose. His blue eyes were stunned behind the panes of glass.

‘I know.’ Jack agreed fervently with the disbelief in the single word.

‘Con…congratulations.’ Sam managed finally.

‘I don’t want it.’ Jack blurted out. He shuffled under their shell-shocked gazes. ‘It’s just…’ If he didn’t do it, there was no-one else; no-one else to protect their backs in the political den of inequity that was Washington.

‘We understand.’ Daniel patted him on the back consolingly.

Jack looked over at Sam. Ever since her father’s death, it was as though they had come to some kind of unspoken agreement about them and this was going to screw with that big time. Did she understand?

She nodded at him. ‘Daniel’s right, sir. And, really, it’s a huge honour.’

‘It doesn’t change anything.’ Jack said confidently.

In hindsight, Jack wondered who he had been trying to kid – himself or them. Of course, his new assignment had changed everything. Daniel and Carter had supported him like they had always done; helped him organise his departure, welcomed Jack’s replacement – Hank Landry, and wished Jack goodbye at his farewell party with his favourite cake. He had left comforted by the notion that he might not be there on a day to day basis anymore but they were and at least he knew where they were, knew they were safe and it wasn’t as though they weren’t going to see each other again. It was to be a fleeting comfort.

‘You’ve done what?’ Jack’s hand tightened around the receiver and he glared at the folder on his desk as though it would take back the words Hank had just uttered.

‘I’ve authorised Doctor Weir’s request that Doctor Jackson be assigned to the Atlantis expedition.’

‘This is a joke, right?’ Jack snapped. ‘Tell me you seriously haven’t taken Daniel off SG1.’

‘Colonel Carter has agreed to the transfer, Jack.’ Hank let Jack stew on that fact for a long moment.

Of course Carter would have agreed to it; she knew how badly Daniel had always wanted to go to Atlantis.

‘He’s the foremost expert on the Ancients and the expedition needs someone with his skills and experience.’ Hank continued brusquely. ‘I don’t have a valid argument for keeping him here since Anubis has been neutralised; do you?’

He didn’t.

Jack threw the report into the briefcase. The most he had been able to do was delay the archaeologist’s departure for a month or so, claiming they needed the time to ensure a smooth handover of Daniel’s ongoing work. Luckily, Daniel had agreed to the ruse; Jack suspected he felt guilty at leaving Sam – he’d told Jack that he had only agreed to go because Sam had told him that if he turned down Atlantis because of her she would feel awful. Still, Daniel’s reassignment left Carter metaphorically without a team.

And it had hurt her. Jack had seen it in her eyes when he’d stopped by to say goodbye to the Atlantis expedition. All three of her team-mates had effectively deserted her within a space of a few weeks. They hadn’t meant to but that hadn’t stopped it from happening. But maybe it had been fate. A few days after the Atlantis expedition had returned to Pegasus, the head of Stargate R&D out in Nellis had suddenly stepped down following a heart attack. Sam had requested being considered for the position; Hank had immediately put her forward; R&D command had immediately snapped her up. Jack had only known about it after the fact.

‘Are you sure about this, Carter?’ Jack asked. His brown eyes took in her resolute expression.

‘I’m sure, sir.’ Sam replied. ‘I mean, everyone’s moving on. I think, maybe I should too.’

‘You don’t have to.’ Jack pointed out. ‘You could stay. Build a new team.’

‘I don’t want a new team.’

The blunt truth of it had them both looking away. Neither of them wanted a new team; their old team was a hard act to follow.

Sam sighed. ‘I appreciate what you’re trying to do, sir, but I’m fine. Nellis is close to Cassie, I’ll have more time to work on my projects. It’s a good command post for me and I won’t have to worry about anyone shooting at me anymore.’ She tried a smile.

‘There’s that.’ He agreed and tried very hard not to notice how the smile failed to reach her eyes.

Sam would transfer out to Nellis in twenty-four hours, and Jack was suddenly furious; with Hammond, Hank, Daniel, Teal’c and most of all with himself. Jack had promised Carter as her father lay dying that he would always be there for her and where was he? Stuck in traffic in Washington. He reached for the phone.

‘This is General O’Neill. I need a secure line to Lieutenant Colonel Samantha Carter at NORAD.’ He barely acknowledged the operator’s acquiescence to his order. The phone rang at the other end and Jack felt his heartbeat speed up.

‘Carter.’

Her brisk efficient answer brought a reluctant smile to his face. ‘Hey.’

‘Sir.’ Her voice warmed and he relaxed back against the hard cushions of the car seat.

‘So I hear you have an exciting mission scheduled for tomorrow.’ Jack said lightly. He could almost see her rolling her eyes at him.

‘Just some ruins, sir.’ Sam reported.

‘Right. You and Daniel all set for your last mission as SG1?’ Jack asked getting to the heart of his call.

Sam paused as though considering her answer seriously. ‘Actually, Daniel’s not coming along.’

‘What?’ Jack’s eyebrows shot up in the privacy of the car.

‘General Landry has asked him to brief the visiting IOA officials on the Atlantis situation.’ Sam explained.

Jack felt his anger stirring; surely Hank could have chosen a different time for the briefing. It was their last mission, for crying out loud. There was no note of judgement in Carter’s voice though just acceptance; she’d always been better at following orders than he had. He let out a frustrated sigh and let his anger drift away with it.

‘So just you?’ Jack murmured, remembering his thoughts from a few moments before.

‘Just me.’ Sam agreed.

‘Well, I just wanted to…you know.’ Jack stumbled over his words.

‘Wish me good luck and Godspeed?’ Sam joked gently.

‘Something like that.’ Jack said. ‘I wish I could be there.’

The words were out of his mouth before he could recall them. They weren’t usually too emotionally honest with each other. There were too many emotions between them for honesty to be entirely comfortable given their working relationship and military ranks. But they’d had their moments; across a force-shield waiting to die, trapped in a za’tarc test, on a planet where they’d only remembered feeling feelings, in an observation room as Jacob Carter lay dying, on a dock fishing together.

Jack had never spoken to her of his plans for retirement and his hope that they would finally have a chance to be together. Sam would never admit it but she had been fragile on the fishing trip; grieving for her father and coming to terms with her broken engagement. She’d needed a friend; Jack had been a friend. But he had also truly believed they had time to move forward to the promise of something more. Somehow life and duty had gotten in the way again.

‘Me too, sir.’ Sam replied. She cleared her throat awkwardly. ‘How’s Washington?’

‘Good. It’s good.’ Jack muttered. ‘Raining.’ He grimaced.

The internal intercom sounded; his driver’s voice crisply informed him that they were pulling into their destination.

‘I have to go, Carter.’ Jack sighed. ‘Sorry.’

‘I understand, sir.’ Sam said easily. ‘Thank you for the call.’

Jack heard the dial tone and reluctantly hung up the phone. He quickly shoved the folders back into order in his briefcase and closed it. He reached for his cover as the door opened. Jack stepped out and welcomed the protection of the large size umbrella as water fell in rhythmic pitter-patter beats against the nylon. He took a moment to stare at the White House in front of him.

‘Sir.’

Major Paul Davis reached for his briefcase and Jack released it into his XO’s custody as they started forward to the side entrance. ‘Davis.’ The former liaison between the Pentagon and the SGC had accepted the position on Jack’s staff claiming it was an honour and Jack liked working with him.

‘The President is waiting for you in the Oval Office, sir.’ Davis said briskly. ‘There’s a situation in the Gulf he’d like your opinion on. I’ve rescheduled your meeting with General Vidrine.’

‘Right.’ Jack said only half-listening. He turned back as they got to the entrance. He ignored the impressive building behind him and focused on the weather; the rain was still falling from an endlessly grey sky. Yep. He really wished he wasn’t in Washington.

Chapter 2

‘Sam!’

Daniel’s call had Sam turning just at the control room entrance to greet him with a smile.

‘I’m glad I caught you.’ Daniel said with a grin. He was wearing the blue BDUs, the shirt characteristically open to reveal the black t-shirt he wore beneath. He nudged his glasses as they made their way into the familiar room.

‘Come to see me off?’ Sam asked casually as she turned on her boot-clad heel and continued into the room.

The Stargate was already spinning in the gate room. The sounds of metal grating on metal and the chevrons locking was so familiar, neither Sam nor Daniel paid it any attention.

‘I thought it was the least I could do.’ Daniel smiled apologetically, wrinkling his nose. ‘I’m sorry for bailing on you.’

Sam returned his smile and raised her hand from the P90 clipped to her vest. ‘Not your fault. Like you said, Doctor Calliday can handle the ruins and at least one of us will be here for Teal’c’s usual check in.’

Daniel nodded. He sighed and pushed his hands in his pockets. ‘I can’t believe last week’s trip to Cimmeria was my last mission as a member of SG1.’ His lips rose in another half-smile. ‘I always thought the last time would be, you know,’ he shrugged, ‘something big.’

‘Like saving the world?’ Sam teased.

He didn’t respond but he didn’t have to; she felt the same. An examination of some ruins seemed anti-climatic given some of their missions. The wormhole engaged and the vortex settled into the usual blue shimmering puddle.

Daniel nodded at SG12’s leader, Major Green as he joined them before he turned back to Sam. ‘I hear General Landry’s considering Colonel Mitchell to lead SG1.’ He kept his voice low so only Sam could hear what he was saying under the babble of other voices.

‘Yeah.’ Sam said shortly. She really didn’t want to discuss it. It was hard enough leaving without considering who would take their place.

‘That’s a bit unusual, isn’t it?’ Daniel continued anyway. He rocked back on his heels. ‘I mean, he doesn’t have any gate experience.’

‘Maybe not gate experience but he’s done two tours on the Prometheus, Daniel,’ Sam pointed out, ‘and he led the Antarctica squadron; he saved our lives. He has a great record.’

‘Oh I know but,’ Daniel shrugged, ‘you know.’

Sam tilted her head. She did know. Not one of General Landry’s predecessors would have considered handing the leadership of the flagship team to someone without actual gate experience no matter what their record. But she figured Landry’s decision was in part down to keeping the rest of the SG teams in a stable configuration. If he appointed one of the other team leaders it would probably lead to mutters of discontent and it would certainly mean restructuring the teams. By bringing someone new in, Landry avoided all that conflict. And besides, Sam thought silently, the war was over; maybe Landry figured he didn’t need someone so experienced and maybe it gave Landry the opportunity to make something of the SGC his own.

‘Receiving telemetry.’

Walter Harriman’s quiet words dragged Sam back to the present. She moved over to look at the video imagery from the MALP they had left on the planet forty-eight hours before when the original contact was made.

‘Gate area looks clear.’ Green noted.

‘It’s raining.’ Sam smiled.

Daniel looked at her inquisitively. ‘You’re happy about that?’

‘It’s only rain, Daniel.’ Sam said cheerfully, unwilling to admit that after her conversation with Jack the day before and his mention of rain in Washington, knowing it was raining on the planet made her feel like she was closer somehow to him.

Green exchanged a male look of incomprehension with Daniel.

She rolled her eyes and reached into her pack for a nylon poncho. ‘Green, we’ll need covers.’

‘I’ll inform the guys to cover up.’

Sam nodded in agreement with him as Green left and Daniel helped her into her own poncho as she kept an eye on the video monitor.

A clatter of footsteps down the internal stairs had them turning to greet the new SGC commander. He favoured the formal uniform; blue pants and shirt. It was a contrast to the BDUs usually worn by Jack.

Landry nodded briskly at them. ‘Ready to go, Colonel?’

‘Yes, sir.’ Sam said. ‘Just covering up.’ She pointed at the monitor when he looked at her blankly. ‘It’s raining.’

‘Oh right.’ Landry straightened. ‘Carry on.’

Daniel gave Sam a smile as she turned to head to the gate room. ‘Good luck.’

She flashed him a smile and left the control room. SG12 waited patiently in the gate room. ‘Take point, Major.’ She ordered briskly. ‘Secure the gate.’

Green waved his team up the ramp. ‘Yes, ma’am.’

Sam followed them up the ramp. She paused in front of the wormhole. A dozen emotions skittered through her; the usual excitement, anticipation, regret, a wave of disappointment and loneliness that the rest of SG1 wasn’t lined up beside her. A ripple across the blue focused her attention and she stepped forward.

She was too used to the dizzying journey for it to have much impact when she stepped out on the other side. She took a moment to steady herself as she scanned the tree-line and the clearing in which the Stargate stood. A second later, she moved down the steps, her gun perfectly positioned, her hands holding the weapon firmly. Rain drenched her in moments, skidding off the poncho and dampening the exposed areas of her arms and legs.

‘Area is secure.’ Green reported.

‘Leave two of your men here.’ Sam instructed. ‘You and I can accompany Doctor Calliday to the ruins.’ The ruins were only a short walk away.

‘Grogan! Turner! Hold the gate.’ Green ordered.

A few minutes later and Sam was walking beside Helen Calliday as Green marched ahead. Sam had worked with the other woman a couple of times since Calliday had joined the SGC. She was around Sam’s age; bright, intelligent and tough. Her short red hair and green eyes gave her the look of some kind of Irish warrior queen.

‘It’s a shame Daniel couldn’t make it.’ Calliday murmured. ‘I was looking forward to working with him one last time.’

‘Me too.’ Sam gave a smile to soften the words but the sentiment was heartfelt. She had looked forward to their last mission. She might have wished Teal’c and General O’Neill could have made it too but she and Daniel had always had a special working relationship and she would have settled just for him.

‘Are you looking forward to Area 51?’ Calliday asked.

‘Sure.’ Sam agreed readily, knowing it was the answer everyone expected to hear.

‘Change is a bummer, huh?’ Calliday noted with a sigh.

Sam looked over at her in surprise but found some of her automatic defensiveness melting away at the understanding in the other woman’s eyes. ‘You could say that.’

‘I just want to tell you, I’m disappointed you’re leaving.’ Calliday said as they broke through the trees and saw the remnants of the ruins in front of them. ‘I would have requested SG1 if you’d stayed.’ She grinned. ‘Actually, a few of us were hoping that you might have stayed and formed the first all-female SG1 team. Can you just imagine the guys’ faces?’

Sam smiled at the idea. She could imagine it; even the SGC had its share of male chauvinism. She stopped and surveyed the area as Calliday moved forward and joined Green by the ruins. It looked like a thousand ruins Sam had seen before; the crumbling edifice of an abandoned temple; faded writings on the wall, moss and foliage growing over the building. Another hundred years and it would be completely swallowed by the forest.

Green began a perimeter check and Sam settled into guard Calliday. The rain was lighter, easing off slightly. Sam kept her eyes focused on the trees as Calliday examined the writing.

‘This is odd.’ Calliday muttered. She was brushing at the dirt in the worn letters with some kind of implement Sam had seen Daniel use before. ‘This is a really old dialect of Goa’uld.’

‘How old?’ Sam asked idly.

‘Old.’ Calliday turned and reached for her camera that was on a strap around her neck. She took a few shots and stared up at the continuing downpour before sighing and returning to the writing. ‘The temple belonged to Ra.’

‘Ra?’ Sam’s frown creased in confusion. ‘Aren’t we way out of Ra’s known territory?’

‘Known territory, yes.’ Calliday confirmed. ‘But according to Daniel, at one point, Ra held dominion over most of the galaxy. We believe most of the temples were originally erected to worship Ra but as his offspring and the other Goa’uld gained power then those temples were converted to worship them instead.’

‘OK.’

‘This is interesting.’ Calliday murmured. ‘There’s mention of…something…held in the temple?’

Sam bit her lip. ‘Something?’

‘Something.’ Calliday shrugged. ‘I can’t translate it but I think I have found…’ her hand dug into the stone in the wall.

A grinding noise had Sam on her feet, her gun pointed as the door to the temple stuttered open and stopped half-way.

Calliday grinned. ‘The door.’ She pulled a face. ‘I guess the mechanism is old.’

‘No kidding.’ Sam peered into the dark passageway suspiciously.

‘Hey, perimeter’s secure.’ Green gestured at them. ‘A hidden doorway?’

‘Looks like it.’ Sam checked her watch. ‘Doctor Calliday and I will investigate. We’ll check in every five minutes. You hold position here.’

Green nodded. ‘Yes, ma’am.’

Sam pulled Calliday back as she went to enter the temple. ‘Me first.’ She inched in and switched the light on her P90. She swept it side to side but all that the beam caught was a long, dark tunnel. She saw Calliday’s flashlight brighten the space further and crept forward. The silence of the tunnel seemed deafening after the ceaseless rain outside.

‘This is a hell of a tight fit.’ The archaeologist muttered nervously despite the bravado in her voice.

Sam silently agreed with her; the passageway was narrow. Her blue eyes caught on something and she kept the P90 focused on it. ‘There.’ She moved forward. It was an opening to a stairwell. The steps were worn, faded and they spiralled down. She kept the gun pointed directly at the stairwell and radioed Green. ‘We’ve found a stairwell about two hundred yards from the entrance. We’re going down.’

‘Understood.’ Green’s voice crackled.

Sam hoped the radio signal would hold as they got further into the temple. She carefully placed her foot on the dusty step. She walked down at a steady pace taking her time to make sure her footing was secure. She had too much experience to rush at it and end up breaking a leg or worse. The stairwell ended in another tunnel. The light revealed nothing but tunnel either side.

‘Left or right?’ Calliday asked breathlessly.

Sam considered the question. Right would take them back to the outside wall; any inner chamber was likely to be in the opposite direction further under the temple. ‘Left.’

They moved silently down the space. It ended with a door. The two women looked at each other.

Sam trailed her light down the seams of the doorframe checking for booby traps. ‘It looks clean.’ She frowned at the lack of a handle. ‘I don’t see a way to open it.’

Calliday cast her flashlight over the decorative stones that surrounded the door. ‘Here.’ She pushed on a stone with the faded picture of a Sun. The door slid open with a groan.

‘It’s amazing any of these mechanisms still work.’ Sam commented. She pushed into the space and came to a halt on a ledge. ‘Woah.’

‘What?’ Calliday stopped beside her with a gasp.

Below them lay a room the size of a large hanger. It was filled with artefacts; gold and jewels glittered as the beams of light hit them. Another steep set of steps led down to the space.

‘Oh my God.’ Calliday took some pictures; the flash bright in the dark space. She grabbed Sam and waved her camera at the object she had caught in the lens of the camera. ‘Is that…’

‘A Stargate.’ Sam muttered in astonishment.

A hard tremor rocked them and Calliday grabbed hold of Sam as they teetered precariously on the edge. Dust and debris from the ancient walls fell into the room below.

Sam thrust them both back through the doorway. ‘Go!’ She ordered.

Her radio crackled. ‘Colonel! The weather’s gone crazy out here!’

‘Green! Get back to the gate and return to the SGC! Don’t wait for us! That’s an order!’ Sam snapped out briskly even as she pushed Calliday back up the stairs. They stumbled up the stones and back through the passageway to the entrance. The daylight was blinding after the darkness of the temple, even dulled by the rain. Lightening streaked across the sky.

Calliday set off at a run and Sam was at her heels. Their boots slid on the mud as the rain pelted down harder than before washing away the ground in front of them. The ground was still shaking. They were both soaked and breathing hard as they stumbled into the Stargate clearing.

Green ran through the waiting wormhole as he spotted them.

The earth shook beneath their feet, throwing Sam to the ground.

‘Go!’ Sam yelled as Calliday hesitated.

Calliday lurched up the steps and threw herself into the blue circle.

Sam staggered to her feet, her hands scrabbling for purchase in the wet mud. The lightening fizzled back across the grey sky as she ran for the wormhole. She looked back over her shoulder and her mouth fell open at the crack in the ground running toward the Stargate…

Chapter 3

Sirens blared loudly as the SGC responded to the off-world activation.

Daniel raced into the control room, coming to a stop and looking out at the Stargate with anxious bemusement. ‘What’s going on?’

Landry looked at the archaeologist in surprise. ‘Shouldn’t you be briefing our guests from the IOA?’

‘I, uh…’ Daniel faltered under Landry’s expectant gaze. Daniel hadn’t stopped to think. As soon as the sirens had started he’d excused himself and ran for the control room, just like he’d done a million times before. Hammond had always appreciated SG1 being around for the unscheduled activations to provide advice and support; Jack had always seemed to just expect them to continue doing it. Obviously Landry had a different view.

‘It’s SG12’s IDC, sir.’ Walter’s words diverted the attention back to the crisis at hand.

Daniel felt his heart seize. The war was over; there was no cause for alarm. The early return could be down to a simple sprained ankle or…he was already half-way to the stairs when he heard Landry order the iris open. The archaeologist arrived in the gate room in time to see the metal slide back and a moment later, Grogan and Turner ran through, their boots clattering onto the ramp.

Landry strode in to stand beside Daniel. ‘Report.’

‘Some kind of earthquake, sir.’ Grogan wrenched his cap off, dripping water onto the floor of the gate room. ‘The Colonel ordered us back.’

The wormhole flickered brightly and a crackle of energy ran around the Stargate.

‘What was that?’ Landry asked, his eyes opening wide.

‘Oh, that’s not good.’ Daniel muttered. His heart beat loudly in his chest…where was Sam?

Green staggered out of the wormhole almost losing his footing on the metal ramp. ‘God, that was rough.’

Another crackle of energy ran over the Stargate; the wormhole flickered ominously.

Come on, Sam, Daniel thought fiercely.

A huddled shape shot out of the wormhole and landed heavily on the metal with a thump. The Stargate sizzled with bolts and energy; sparks flew from the chevrons. Everyone ducked.

Daniel darted through to cover the crumpled form on the steel with his own body. He looked up and his breath stopped as the wormhole flickered out.

The sirens were cut off abruptly; the silence was startling.

Daniel eased back and stroked the cap off the woman he had protected, dimly hearing the order for medics. Calliday lay still; the bump on her forehead gave away the cause. She had been knocked unconscious. He stepped away as Doctor Edwards ran over to his side.

‘What happened?’ The doctor demanded.

‘Rough landing.’ Daniel answered absently, his attention was on the Stargate and more importantly on the woman on the other side of the wormhole which had just winked out of existence; Sam.

‘Sir,’ Green’s voice cut through the fog around Daniel’s brain, ‘Colonel Carter was right behind Calliday.’

Landry looked shocked. ‘We need to redial now.’

‘I wouldn’t, sir.’ Sergeant Siler interrupted. He pointed at the Stargate. ‘There shouldn’t be a problem for incoming although I wouldn’t recommend someone travelling through. Some of the capacitors will need replacing and we’ll definitely need to run a complete diagnostic before dialing out.’ He glanced at his CO who nodded in agreement. The Sergeant ran off to begin his work.

‘What about Colonel Carter?’

Grogan had asked the question at the forefront of Daniel’s mind.

‘Is it possible she was in the wormhole?’ Landry asked bluntly putting voice to all of Daniel’s fears.

Green shrugged helplessly. ‘There’s no way of knowing for certain, sir.’

‘If she was, it’s possible her pattern was stored in the buffers like Teal’c’s was when it happened to him.’ Daniel said quickly.

‘Walter!’ Landry yelled up at the control room.

The Sergeant leaned into the microphone. ‘Nothing in the buffers, sir. Colonel Carter wasn’t in transit.’

‘She must still be on the planet.’ Daniel surmised.

‘Why hasn’t she tried to dial home again?’ Grogan asked.

Daniel waved a hand at the gate. ‘Maybe the DHD was…was affected by the earthquake.’ He swallowed down on the fear that his team-mate was injured.

Landry took a breath and straightened his shoulders. ‘As soon as the gate is repaired, we’ll send a MALP and if everything checks out, a search and rescue team.’

‘Permission to join…’ Daniel barely had the words out of his mouth before Landry nodded.

‘Permission granted.’ Landry nodded sharply. He walked over to where Calliday was being transferred to a gurney. ‘Doctor?’

Edwards spared the SGC commander a brief glance. ‘We need to get her to the infirmary. It looks like a broken wrist and a concussion.’

‘Keep me informed, Doctor.’ Landry turned back to the gathered crowd. ‘Let’s get out of the way, people. The sooner the gate is working, the sooner we can do our jobs.’ His words had an immediate effect on SG12 who followed their unconscious team-mate to the infirmary.

Daniel stared up at the gate, his brow creased. He knew Sam was a survivor. She had probably taken shelter when the wormhole disappeared. She would be fine. He hoped. Prayed. God knew what he was going to tell…

‘Oh God.’ Daniel muttered, pushing a hand through his dark hair.

‘What?’

Landry’s brusque question startled Daniel into an automatic reply.

‘Jack.’ Daniel blurted out. ‘I have to call Jack.’

Landry’s eyebrows shot up. ‘Perhaps we should continue this conversation in my office, Doctor Jackson.’ He walked out before Daniel could formulate a reply. Confused, Daniel followed the General out of the gate room, up the stairs, through the briefing room and into the small office. Daniel barely acknowledged the mess of boxes that filled the space; evidently Landry hadn’t gotten too far in his unpacking.

Landry closed the door behind Daniel as he stepped into the space. ‘Doctor Jackson, I appreciate that this is a difficult situation for you but I would like to make the decision about when this command needs to inform the Head of Homeworld Security about missing personnel…’

‘With all due respect, General, this isn’t missing personnel.’ Daniel interrupted, anger beginning to stir. ‘This is Sam.’

‘Doctor Jackson…’ Landry leaned on his desk, his eyes intent on Daniel’s.

‘Look, General, this isn’t about politics.’ Daniel hurried out. ‘I’m not calling Jack because I want to make you look bad or win points in some…game.’ He paused, hoping Landry would see his sincerity. ‘And ordinarily I would agree; Jack doesn’t need to know every time someone goes missing. But this isn’t just someone; this is Sam.’ He stressed her name. ‘We all served together for eight years, General. More than that we’re friends, family even. Jack will want to know she’s missing.’

Landry stared at him, his busy eyebrows lowered as he considered Daniel’s words. ‘Very well, Doctor Jackson.’ He said eventually. ‘I assume you want to be the one to make the call?’

‘Thank you.’ Daniel gave him a grateful smile. He jerked a thumb at the door. ‘I’ll go…’

‘Doctor Jackson.’ Landry stopped him as he reached the door. ‘We’ll get her back.’

Daniel nodded. He headed into the control room.

Walter greeted him and pointed at the phone. ‘I have General O’Neill’s office on line one for you, Doctor Jackson.’

‘Thanks.’ Daniel picked up the phone. He swallowed hard as a wave of uncertainty filled him. Maybe Jack wouldn’t want to be disturbed…maybe it would be better if he called when they had news…how did he tell him?

‘Daniel. Sergeant Harriman said you wanted to speak with the General?’ Davis’s calm voice helped ease Daniel’s sudden panic.

‘Hey, Paul. Yes, I need to speak to Jack. It’s urgent.’

‘I’ll put you through.’

Daniel rubbed his head as he heard the click of the connection. ‘Jack.’

‘Daniel.’

Jack sounded guarded as though he knew something was wrong – of course he knew something was wrong, Daniel berated himself. Jack would have known about the mission and Daniel was calling him, demanding to speak with him; even he would be able to deduce something was wrong if their positions were reversed.

‘Jack, Sam’s missing.’ Daniel cleared his throat. ‘There was an earthquake on P2X654. She ordered everyone back; she didn’t make it.’

‘SAR?’ Jack asked gruffly.

‘The, uh, Stargate isn’t working. There was some kind of energy surge and it blew out some…stuff. Siler’s on it.’ Daniel pressed his lips together. ‘We’re going back as soon as it’s up and running.’

‘I’m on my way.’ Jack put the phone down before Daniel could say anything.

Daniel hung up the phone. He stared out at the gate and the bustling team fixing the Stargate. He stuck his hands in his pockets and let the relief he felt at knowing Jack was on his way wash over him. It didn’t matter that Landry had authorised the SAR or had promised Sam’s safe return; Jack was going to be there and Daniel couldn’t help feeling relieved he’d soon have his old friend beside him again.

Chapter 4

Dakara was hot and humid. Teal’c felt the trickle of sweat run down his spine and he ignored it as he focused on the opponent in front of him. Wooden staff weapons clashed in a flurry of moves that had Teal’c side-stepping rapidly before holding his position and switching to an offence. He thrust up with the wooden staff, knocking his opponent’s across the room. The young Jaffa dived but Teal’c anticipated his move; he delivered a sharp slap to the younger man’s head.

It was over.

Teal’c held out a hand and his younger opponent took it.

‘Thank you for the lesson, Master Teal’c.’ The young boy bowed and left the sparring room.

The sound of clapping had Teal’c turning to the source with irritation. Ishta stood there. His irritation melted away and he smiled. He crossed over to greet her with a passionate kiss.

‘Hmmm.’ Ista smiled up into his dark eyes. ‘I have missed you, Teal’c.’

‘I have missed you also.’ Teal’c kissed her again.

They parted reluctantly.

Ishta stepped away to allow Teal’c to pick up a towel from the floor. ‘Karyn and Rya’c send greetings.’ She told him before he could ask, knowing he would want news of his son and daughter-in-law. ‘They are both well; eager to see you.’

He ignored the hint of a rebuke in her voice. He had not paid Rya’c a brief visit despite leaving Earth. There had been a lot to do on Dakara, he reminded himself. ‘You are here for the Council debate tomorrow?’ He inquired as he rubbed the towel over his arms and neck.

Ishta wandered to the far side of the room to look out of the window. She glanced over her shoulder, her blonde hair catching the sun. ‘I should thank you for ensuring our inclusion.’

Teal’c bowed his head. ‘You are a leader.’

‘Not all see as you do.’ Ishta murmured, crossing her arms over her chest. ‘Many of our fellow Jaffa still hold to the old ways.’

Teal’c couldn’t argue with her. He’d had his share of frustration in the weeks since the Jaffa had taken control of Dakara.

‘There are many who believe that a female should not have a voice in Council.’ Ishta continued.

‘Then they are fools.’ Teal’c said softly.

Ishta gave a small humourless laugh. ‘Fools with power, Teal’c.’

Teal’c inclined his head again.

She shifted suddenly, pacing across the floor to stare at a tapestry on the far wall. ‘Merain will represent my people; not I.’

His eyebrows shot up. ‘For what reason?’

‘Many reasons.’ Ishta turned to look at him. ‘I am not popular among the Council as it was I who defied tradition and led women into battle against men. My presence only serves to inflame those who are already ranged against us.’

He couldn’t argue with her logic.

‘More, my people need me on Haktyl not light years away on Dakara.’ Ishta smiled grimly. ‘I can do more for them there than buried away in Council chambers here.’

Teal’c pressed his lips together. ‘And what of us?’ He couldn’t deny that he had been looking forward to her presence as much for her as for the additional support she would bring during Council discussions.

‘What of us, Teal’c?’ Ishta crossed over to him. She laid a palm against his cheek, her eyes searching his.

‘I believe you know how I feel.’ Teal’c said gruffly.

‘What do you propose?’ Ishta prompted, her eyes intent on his.

What was he proposing, Teal’c mused. Indeed, was he proposing? Teal’c remained silent as that thought arrested all others.

Ishta dropped her hand and sighed. ‘Nothing has to change between us.’

And yet it was evident from her expression that she had expected it to change. Perhaps she had a point. He had not proposed a more permanent commitment between them before because he had been only too aware of how difficult it had been to remain married to someone and live among the Tau’ri. But the war was over; he was back among his own kind. Yet still he held back. He wondered why.

‘I should leave.’ Ishta said. ‘I need to return to the Haktyl.’

‘You cannot stay for a visit?’ Teal’c asked. He had anticipated her arrival for days.

‘There is no reason for me to stay.’ Her face softened as she took in his disappointment. ‘You should come with me.’

Teal’c’s features smoothed into impassivity. ‘I am needed on Dakara.’

‘Yet you do not wish to be here, Teal’c.’

He couldn’t deny the truth of her statement.

She sighed and pressed a kiss to his lips. ‘I will see you again, Teal’c.’ She left, leaving behind the scant memory of her scent and the touch of her lips.

Teal’c picked up his robes. He made his way to the rooms he had secured as his quarters and stripped. Ishta had pinpointed the nub of his unease; he didn’t really want to be on Dakara. He had fought for freedom for his people yet on gaining it his own suddenly seemed to disappear. Many Jaffa seemed to expect him to assume the leadership of the provisional Jaffa government even those who didn’t want him to have it.

He shifted uneasily as he washed in the small bathroom, removing the sweat and dust from his skin. He towelled off and dressed in the traditional Jaffa robes. His hand fell on a picture by his bedside. He picked it up. It was a group shot taken at O’Neill’s cabin. Colonel Carter had set the timer on the camera and insisted they all gather for the picture. None of them had been able to deny her request. His eyes lingered on his team-mates – his family.

He missed them.

Teal’c set aside the photo. He checked his watch. It was almost time for his usual weekly check-in with Earth. He lit some candles and dropped to the floor, cross-legged. He closed his eyes and meditated. He knew some of his Council members disapproved of his maintaining links with Earth yet Teal’c believed they needed the Tau’ri as a valuable ally.

On a personal level, he knew it brought him comfort to speak with Daniel Jackson and Colonel Carter, and very occasionally General O’Neill. Evidently, that comfort would be gone in another two weeks. O’Neill rarely returned to the SGC and Teal’c knew Colonel Carter was scheduled to leave the next day; Daniel Jackson would leave for Atlantis in time. Inwardly, he acknowledged that some of his own unrest was in part knowing he would soon lose that last contact with them.

But it wasn’t the only reason for his unease. Teal’c breathed deeply trying to relax the tension that crept into his shoulder muscles. He was a warrior. He had trained to be one all his life. Leading men into battle; that was his strength. He did not deal well with the every day reality of political manoeuvring that peace had engendered. He wanted the best for his people; he wanted them to have a fair and honest government yet he could hardly stand being the one to ensure it happened.

He was not equipped to tell Jaffa warriors who had idly stood by while their brothers shed blood that they were welcome at the Council table and accept their words of derision for his own achievements and those of leaders such as Ishta. He was not equipped to swallow the words of anger to ensure the Jaffa nation became whole while his blood called for him to crush the life from their throats. He wondered how O’Neill – the brother of his warrior soul – handled such diplomacy. O’Neill had also assumed a role that did not involve him in the heat of battle any longer either. Perhaps he should ask O’Neill the next time they talked.

Teal’c was reminded of his imminent call with Earth and rose from the floor in a graceful move that belied his large frame. He blew out the candles and reached for the small radio and GDO. He got up and headed out to the Stargate.

A small group of Jaffa guarded the gate. Teal’c greeted them and dialled Earth. The chevrons locked in order and he watched the plume of blue blossom with satisfaction. He keyed in his IDC and pressed the button on his radio.

‘Stargate Command, this is Dakara.’

‘Teal’c.’

A small smile lifted Teal’c’s lips. ‘Daniel Jackson.’

‘Teal’c, we’re going to have to do this another time.’ Daniel was apologetic but firm. ‘The gate took some damage on a previous incoming wormhole and it’s pretty urgent we fix it.’

Concern stirred. ‘What has occurred?’

‘Sam’s…she…’

It was rare that the archaeologist was inarticulate and it was rare Teal’c felt anything approaching panic. He stamped down hard on it. ‘Open the iris. I will be with you shortly.’

‘It’ll be a rough journey, Teal’c. Our Stargate isn’t exactly stable.’ Daniel warned.

‘Open the iris.’ Teal’c insisted.

‘The iris is open, Teal’c.’

Teal’c barely registered the relief in his friend’s voice or his own. He turned to the Jaffa beside him. ‘Tell Master Bra’tac that I have returned to Earth to assist in an emergency.’ He didn’t wait for a reply. He strode away and into the waiting blue puddle without hesitation. His friends had need of him; that was all he needed to know.

Chapter 5

‘What the hell happened?’ Jack stepped out of the elevator and ignored the way Daniel winced at his harsh tone. He glared at the younger man. He nodded absently at the Jaffa beside the archaeologist and then did a double take. His eyebrows shot up. ‘Teal’c?’

Teal’c inclined his head. ‘O’Neill.’

‘Teal’c, uh, contacted us for his usual update a couple of hours ago.’ Daniel explained hurriedly.

Jack resisted the urge to hug Teal’c. ‘Good to have you with us.’ He was completely sincere. There was something steadying about the Jaffa’s presence. He turned back to Daniel. ‘So…’

Daniel sighed as they began walking down the corridor. ‘We don’t really know. The MALP picked up no signs of seismic activity either on the initial survey or when they gated out. It was raining but that was it.’

‘Raining?’ Jack questioned.

‘Raining.’ Daniel confirmed. ‘Green said there was no hint that there was any problem when they got there. According to him, Sam ordered two men to hold the gate. Green left Grogan and Turner; he, Sam and Helen, uh, Calliday, went onto the ruins.’

‘OK.’ Jack commented. ‘Seems like a normal mission to me; rain, ruins…’

‘Green said Helen started to translate the writing. She took some pictures – we’re having them developed.’ Daniel informed him. ‘Anyways, Helen found the mechanism to open the temple door. She and Sam went into explore.’ He caught his breath as they entered the briefing room. ‘Green says Sam radioed to say they’d found a stairwell. About two minutes later the ground began to shake. Sam ordered the evacuation.’

‘And?’ Jack prompted as they made their way automatically to the window, watching Siler’s team who were all focused on fixing the gate.

‘And they dialled the gate. Grogan and Turner made it through. Green said he saw Helen and Sam enter the clearing. He made it back and Helen followed.’ Daniel said as they stared out of the window.

‘But Sam didn’t.’ Jack said quietly.

‘But Sam didn’t.’ Daniel agreed in the same quiet tone.

‘It is most unfortunate.’ Teal’c murmured.

For a second, all three men stood united in their fears and worry for their former team-mate as they stared down at the gate.

‘General O’Neill.’

Jack turned to greet Landry with a grimace. He nodded at Daniel. ‘Why don’t you go chase up those photos?’

Daniel and Teal’c had served with him long enough to know when Jack was suggesting a strategic retreat. They made their exit leaving Jack alone with his successor at the SGC.

‘Jack.’

Landry sounded friendly enough; Jack knew better. ‘Hank.’ He followed Hank into his old office and stood awkwardly just inside the doorway.

Landry took position behind the desk; his fingertips rested on the shiny wooden surface.

‘I’m not here to get in your way, Hank.’ Jack said quickly.

‘Glad to hear it, General.’ Landry commented dryly.

The two men looked at each for a long tense moment.

Landry sighed and took a seat, dropping into it. ‘You know that everything that can be done is being done.’

‘I know.’ Jack had just seen the evidence of it; Siler was driving his men hard to fix the gate.

‘Then, what are you doing here, Jack?’

It was a good question.

Jack repressed the urge to sigh but he did unbutton his jacket and shoved his hands in his pants’ pockets. ‘It’s Carter.’ He said simply as though that was the complete and only answer; to Jack it was.

Landry’s bushy eyebrows rose.

Jack flushed seeing the unspoken question in the other man’s eyes. He walked over to the internal window and stared out into the briefing room. ‘We just…we served together a long time.’

Landry sighed. ‘Does the President even know you’re here?’

‘He knows.’ Jack shifted uncomfortably. His conversation with Hayes had gone pretty much the same way as the conversation with Landry…

‘I need you here in Washington, Jack. That’s why I offered you this post.’

‘With respect, Mr President, you ordered me to take the assignment; I didn’t actually want it.’ Jack pointed out.

‘Semantics, Jack.’ Hayes looked at him with exasperation. ‘You picked General Landry as your successor.’

‘I did.’ Jack allowed.

‘You don’t think he can do the job?’

‘That’s not what this is about.’ Jack said forcefully.

Hayes speared him with a look. ‘Then what is it about, General?’

Jack struggled to find a reason that Hayes would accept. He couldn’t exactly tell his Commander-in-Chief that he was in love with Carter; her career would be ruined, he couldn’t do that to her.

‘Colonel Carter and I served together a long time,’ Jack began hesitantly.

‘I know you served with these people a long time, Jack.’ Hayes said leaning back in his chair. ‘But you can’t go running after them every time they break a nail.’

‘Oh for crying out loud this is hardly a broken nail!’ Jack snapped, forgetting for a moment that he was stood in the Oval Office, talking to his boss. ‘She’s missing off-world.’

Hayes looked at him a long time. ‘You know there are some who think you and Colonel Carter…’

‘We’re friends.’ Jack said forcefully, his dark eyes flashing in anger. ‘If this were Daniel or…or Teal’c, I’d still be stood here requesting permission to go.’

Hayes steepled his fingers. ‘I believe you would and honestly, Jack, I don’t know if that’s a good thing or a bad thing.’

Jack resisted the urge to fidget.

‘I also have this feeling that if I don’t give you permission, you’d find a way to do what you want anyway.’ Hayes noted.

Jack didn’t dispute it. He would.

‘Fine.’ Hayes said finally. ‘You can go.’

‘Thank you, sir.’ Jack turned to leave.

‘Jack.’

He turned back to Hayes impatiently, eager to leave and get to the SGC.

‘Bring her back.’

‘Yes, sir.’ Jack nodded firmly. He would get her back; he had to get her back. The alternative didn’t bear thinking about.

‘I’ve read the mission reports; I know you and your team achieved great things.’ Landry said honestly. ‘But I can’t say I’m pleased Doctor Jackson was going to call you without asking, or that Teal’c stepped through without permission, or that you’re here in person.’

‘I understand that.’ Jack replied and he did.

‘If our positions were reversed, what would you do?’ Landry continued relentlessly.

Jack visibly winced as he turned to meet Landry’s gaze. ‘Kick my butt out of here.’ He admitted. He held the other man’s eyes pleadingly. ‘But then you’re not me.’

Landry didn’t relax an iota. ‘It’s difficult enough getting everyone used to the idea that you’re not around anymore without you…’

‘Turning up to remind them all the time?’ Jack concluded dryly. ‘I’m not here to make you look bad, Hank, or to suggest you can’t do the job. This is your base; your operation. Just consider me another volunteer for the SAR.’

Landry clasped his hands on the desk. ‘A volunteer?’

‘Yes.’ Jack nodded.

The General sighed. ‘Sergeant Siler says it’ll be another couple of hours before the gate is operational. You might want to get some rest.’

Jack nodded. ‘Thanks.’ He headed for the door; Landry was a good man but Jack wasn’t going to push his luck. He figured Daniel and Teal’c would have gone to the archaeologist’s office and he made his way there.

His prediction was correct. They were both gathered around the central workbench; the surface covered with glossy prints. He rapped harshly on the doorframe before he entered.

‘Jack.’ Daniel waved him over. ‘Photos.’

‘So I see.’ Jack said. He yanked at his tie. ‘What have you got?’

‘Not much.’ Daniel admitted. He nudged his glasses up his nose. ‘The temple belonged to Ra.’

‘Ra?’ Jack pulled a face. ‘Ra as in…’

‘The one we blew up. Yes.’

‘Just checking.’ Jack said. ‘So?’

‘So, there was something in the temple.’ Daniel frowned and picked up the photo. ‘I can’t make out the writing. It’s fairly blurry.’

‘Perhaps it refers to this.’ Teal’c selected a picture from the stack and handed it to the other two men.

Daniel snatched it before Jack could take it. ‘That’s a Stargate.’

‘Are you sure?’ Jack plucked it from Daniel’s grasp. ‘OK. That’s a Stargate.’

‘Wow.’ Daniel blinked.

Jack tossed the picture onto the workbench. ‘I’m confused. I didn’t think the Stargate was in the temple.’

‘It isn’t.’ Daniel murmured without thinking. He caught Jack’s exasperated look. ‘The Stargate is in a clearing in the forest. The ruins of the temple were a short walk from it.’

‘Well, there’s a surprise.’ Jack picked up another photo. ‘Why the two Stargates?’

‘Maybe he was storing one there.’ Daniel theorised. ‘I mean, we know Ra transported gates to planets if they didn’t have one. He brought one here.’

‘The gate discovered at Giza.’ Teal’c commented.

‘Maybe…’ Daniel stopped suddenly.

‘Maybe?’ Jack prompted impatiently.

‘If the temple held something as valuable as a Stargate, it’s possible it was booby-trapped.’

‘You believe the seismic activity may have been caused by Colonel Carter and Doctor Calliday entering the temple.’ Teal’c realised.

Daniel shrugged. ‘It’s possible.’

‘How does this help Carter?’ Jack asked brusquely.

‘I don’t know.’ Daniel admitted.

Jack sighed and looked down at the photos again. He gaze caught on one. He slid it towards him. His fingers rested over Carter’s image. Calliday must have caught her unawares at the beginning of the mission. She was standing; alert, watchful, rain pouring down on her. Her eyes were on the tree-line looking for dangers. His heart clenched painfully in his chest; pride and love all mixed up with worry. Where was she now, he wondered. She hadn’t tried the gate again…was it too dangerous? Was she injured? Was she safe?

‘Landry said it would be a couple of hours.’ Jack bit out, his eyes were on the photo and oblivious to Daniel’s and Teal’c’s compassionate expressions. ‘I’m going to go change; get some rest. You should both do the same.’ He spun on his heel and walked away.

The safety of the locker room beckoned and it wasn’t until he was inside it that Jack remembered he didn’t have a locker there anymore. He sank wearily onto the bench and stared at the floor. He should get up; find an Airman to get him BDUs and find some quarters. He heard the door open. He turned his head and found Teal’c standing just inside the door.

The Jaffa clasped his hands behind his back. ‘O’Neill.’

‘Don’t, Teal’c.’ Jack looked away from his friend. He shook his head. ‘Damn.’ He rubbed his hands over his face and stared at the floor.

The door opened again and Daniel entered carrying a stack of clean clothes. He walked over and placed them on the bench beside Jack. He handed the military man his locker key. ‘You can use my stuff.’

‘Thanks.’ Jack didn’t move.

Daniel and Teal’c exchanged a concerned look.

‘Colonel Carter has been in worse situations and prevailed.’ Teal’c said firmly.

‘I should have been with her.’ Jack’s words echoed harshly around the tiled room.

Teal’c moved slowly and sat beside him. He placed a hand on Jack’s shoulder.

Daniel shoved the clothes aside and sat on the other side of the military man. ‘We should have been with her, Jack.’

The sense of shared guilt eased Jack’s. He sighed. ‘Change sucks.’

Teal’c bowed his head. ‘Indeed.’

Chapter 6

Sam coughed weakly. She groaned and opened her eyes. Her body ached everywhere. Everywhere. She moved into a sitting position and leaned against the wall tiredly. Her eyes drifted back to the entrance of the temple. She could barely remember how she’d gotten back to the ruins.

She remembered seeing the crack in the ground…the DHD in its path…she had paused fortuitously as a lightening strike zig-zagged across the sky and hit the Stargate. She had dived off the steps as energy had crackled over the naquadah ring and she had hit her head on the steps, she remembered foggily.

She winced and reached up tentatively to touch the bump on the side of her head. ‘Ow.’ Just once could she be stranded somewhere on her own without a concussion, she thought with resigned amusement.

The pain brought focus. She had passed out, she remembered; she had woken up by the side of the Stargate with her face in the dirt, rain falling on her. The DHD had been wrecked; half in the ground, half out; the orange centre smashed. She knew the SGC would send a search party eventually but she’d needed shelter. The temple had been the first thing that had come to mind.

She had staggered back. The ground had been shaking with after tremors. She figured she had fallen once or twice. There were some impressive scratches on her hands, she realised, squinting at them. She had a vague recollection of crawling inside the temple and no idea how long she had been unconscious. She took an inventory. She was damp in places; soaked to the skin in others. Her gun was attached to her vest; her pack was on her back. She eased the pack off and pushed herself off the floor using the wall as leverage. She hobbled to the entrance and looked out on the darkening planet.

It was still raining.

Sam sighed. Her head ached; her body ached. Her bladder prompted her into a quick visit outdoors despite the weather. She was exhausted when she returned to the temple. She just had to hang in and the SGC would send a rescue team, she reminded herself. She leaned heavily on the stones. She really, really needed to sit down. She walked back to her pack and slid back down the wall. She should change into something drier; she had spare clothing in her pack; painkillers. She should check her injuries, clean them. She was just so tired.

Her spine stiffened. She was a Carter. She was a soldier. She could get herself dry and see to her wounds. Her mind set, she began to remove the poncho. She unclipped the gun and set it aside in easy reach. She took her vest off and gasped as her ribs protested. It took a long while to untangle the knots of her boots and pull them off. She reached into her pack and pulled out her fresh clothing.

Ten frustrating minutes later, Sam refastened her boots. She was dry. She had looked at the bruising on her ribs; she didn’t think they were broken. She had cleaned up the scrape on her knee, the one on her elbow and the scratches on her hands. Her head wound she had cleaned the best she could. She slumped back against the wall. She took some sips from her water canteen and swallowed some painkillers. She had enough rations to last forty-eight hours. She frowned.

Sam wondered why there was a delay. She checked her watch. It had been over fourteen hours since they had arrived on the planet. By her reckoning, they’d been on the planet barely an hour when the earthquake had started. SG12 must have been back at the SGC for hours. What was taking the time for them to send a rescue party? She frowned.

The lightening strike.

It had hit the gate when the wormhole had been outgoing to Earth. The energy would have translated through the wormhole, she mused. The last time that had happened, the SGC had taken heavy damage by all accounts. OK, Sam considered tiredly, if the same thing had happened, the SGC was probably repairing the gate. That was the delay.

She hoped.

She reached up and rubbed her head, trying to ease the sharp pain. She couldn’t help wishing General O’Neill was still in charge at the SGC. Not that she had anything against Landry. He seemed OK if a bit more formal than her former CO or even General Hammond. But she could not help wondering if everything was happening back at the SGC as it should. Landry was finding his feet…Sam sighed.

Well, General O’Neill wasn’t in charge at the SGC any longer. Teal’c was gone and Daniel would be soon headed to Atlantis. She shifted on the hard ground at a flicker of resentment. She was due to leave for Nellis herself in twenty-four hours but she knew she would never have requested the R&D assignment if it hadn’t been for the guys moving on. It just didn’t feel right staying at the SGC without them.

She wondered again how it had happened. One minute they had been celebrating winning the war; the next, all the men in her life had gone. She had lost them all. She pulled a face at her morose thought. She hadn’t lost any of them with maybe the exception of her father. The thought of him brought a wave of sadness. She and her father had gotten close in the years before his death and she missed him.

As for the other men in her life; she really should have expected Teal’c’s departure to Dakara, she mused ruefully. The Jaffa was the leader of the Free Jaffa but somehow she had missed the fact that when they finally won he would leave. She had known she would miss him but she hadn’t appreciated how much. Teal’c had been such a fixed, steady presence in her life.

Daniel’s departure she had anticipated; she congratulated herself on that. As soon as she had received the data burst from Atlantis she had known it was only a matter of time. So she had been prepared when Landry had told her of Doctor Weir’s request and she had been able to give her blessing without showing how much she hated the idea. Daniel had initially tried to pretend he didn’t want to go anymore but she knew he was only saying it out of some kind of responsibility to her and she wouldn’t let him – couldn’t let him give up on his dream. Daniel being Daniel had then suggested she should come with him but…Atlantis was so far away.

SG1 had been slated to go out on the Daedalus’s maiden voyage and she figured that would have been enjoyable; time in space with her team, a brief visit to the city and back again. But the need for the Daedalus to urgently deliver a ZPM to the besieged city had wiped out any possibility of SG1 going with it and in truth, she wasn’t keen on doing an extended tour there. She made another face. Maybe it was just the possibility of being isolated with Rodney McKay for so long…or maybe it was the idea of what she would be leaving behind, Cassie and the last of the men in her life; Jack O’Neill.

She sighed. She had made the decision to break up with Pete Shanahan because she had never resolved her feelings for the General – Jack. Pete had loved her; she had never doubted that, and she had loved him in a way but not enough. Not enough to continue deluding herself that she could marry him. Not that breaking up with Pete had led to her resolving her feelings for Jack.

Nope.

Her feelings were still hanging out there. She gave a small laugh at the image she provoked with the thought and winced. There had been a time when she had known how Jack felt about her; when every time he had looked at her she had known how much she was loved and admired despite the rules and regulations that kept them apart. But they had left their feelings buried in a room and she had thought he had moved on; that he only saw her as a friend, a team-mate. Someone who loved her but who wasn’t in love with her the way she was with him. Yet, there had been a moment just before her father had died when he had come to her and she had believed he had felt the same way she did again; had believed that they had come to some sort of unspoken agreement.

They had certainly been closer since that moment but until his transfer he had still been her CO, so Sam had not expected anything to openly change between them. When Jack had invited her fishing, she had accepted, hoping he would realise what her acceptance had meant after so many times of refusing him even if they had gone as a team. The trip had been great; chilled out and relaxed. It had been exactly what she needed. But, again, it hadn’t been what she had expected.

What had she expected, Sam thought crossly. Jack was hardly going to seduce her. He would never compromise her like that. It wasn’t like she intended to seduce him either but she hadn’t even tried discussing the situation with him. She had thought they had time. She rested her head on the cool stone and gave into the urge to close her eyes.

Jack’s promotion had been a shock. Not, she thought hastily, that he didn’t deserve it. He did. He was a brilliant leader. He deserved to be recognised for his achievements even if he downplayed them. When he had left for Washington she had comforted herself with the knowledge that maybe the move opened up some options for them. Homeworld Security had oversight of all things Stargate related but the SGC reported into the Pentagon. He was for the first time technically out of her chain of command even if Jack would still have some sway over her work. When she moved to Nellis there would be even more command distance between them. But Jack didn’t look as though he was going to take advantage of a technicality to request the Air Force give them some leeway. Maybe she had read him wrong in the turmoil of her father’s death. Maybe he did really only love her as a friend; maybe that’s all he wanted. Maybe he had met someone in Washington or reconnected with Kerry Johnson.

The harsh churn of jealousy turned her stomach and Sam reached clumsily for her water bottle. She sipped some water. She couldn’t blame him if he had found someone else…someone easier to be with…less complicated. She sighed deeply. She would hate it if he had though. Her mind drifted back to their conversation the day before. He had sounded like he cared about her…

‘You’re an idiot.’ Sam told herself out loud. Of course Jack cared about her; the problem was that she didn’t know if he still cared about her a lot more than he should.

Enough, she thought firmly. What was it about being stuck alone with a concussion that caused her to question her life and her choices? She should focus on survival. She just needed to stay warm, dry and alive until Landry sent a rescue team. That was all. At least she didn’t have a ship of missing personnel to worry about nor that same ship imploding.

Sam pulled a blanket out of her pack and wrapped it around her.

Warm.

Dry.

Alive.

She could do that. She closed her eyes.

‘Hello.’

Her eyes snapped open.

A young girl with curly brown hair looked back at her from the end of the tunnel.

Sam’s mouth went dry; her blue dazed eyes wide with shock. ‘Grace?’ She blinked.

The child was gone; the tunnel was empty.

Next: Let Go and Hold On: Chapters 7-12