Storytime with Rachel F Hundred

There were worse places to be stranded than P4X718, Jack O’Neill mused as he watched Samantha Carter gazing into the depths of the DHD.  The Stargate resided in the middle of an ornate temple on the edge of a beautiful aquamarine sea with a long, sandy beach.  The tropical forest that surrounded the temple and crept toward the sea provided a bounty of coconuts and bananas along with a rich animal and bird population that seemed devoid of the usual less attractive and harmful specimens.  There were no signs of any local population or the Goa’uld.

The planet had quickly been dubbed ‘Eden’ by SG8 who had done the initial recon and the in-depth analysis of the ruins had been just as quickly snaffled by SG1 as their next mission.  As Jack had proclaimed there were times being the flagship team of the SGC had its advantages.  It also helped that the ruins had been covered in a language only SG1 had intimate knowledge of having just spent their last mission in a time-loop deciphering it so it had been a slam-dunk in terms of assignment.  Hammond had given them five days; SG1 hadn’t complained.  The five days on Eden seemed a nice, easy change in pace for Jack and Teal’c, who had been the only two people unaffected by the time-loop.

 On the first day, they had set up their camp with a large amount of glee, dialled home to confirm they were safe and sound, and Jack had happily declared Eden as his new retirement destination.  For two days they had explored the ruins and generally enjoyed their time on the planet.  On the third day, Jack and Teal’c had gone to dial home for their scheduled mid-mission check-in and that was when the trouble started; the wormhole wouldn’t engage. 

At first, Jack figured Teal’c had dialled incorrectly but when a second successive attempt failed and then a third, he had dispatched the Jaffa to get Sam.  Two hours later, the SGC managed to establish an incoming wormhole as they investigated SG1’s delayed report.  They had immediately sent equipment and supplies through but additional man-power was out.  Jack wouldn’t risk stranding anyone else and besides, Sam was the expert on gate mechanics.  If anyone was going to figure it out, it would be her.  Unfortunately, two days after their initial attempt, and several hypothesised and tested solutions later, the Stargate remained inactive.

‘I don’t understand.’  Sam muttered under her breath as she brushed her fringe away from her eyes and sat back on the dusty ground to stare at the dormant Stargate.  ‘It doesn’t make sense.’  She rubbed the back of her neck

‘I take it there’s no progress to report, Major?’  Jack said dryly.

Sam’s head whipped round to find him.  He could tell she fervently wished she had something – anything – to report but instead she took a deep breath and shook her head.  ‘I’m sorry, sir.’

Jack’s gaze ran over Sam’s downcast expression and her evident disappointment that she didn’t have better news.  He knew she was doing the best she could and he had every confidence she’d work it out eventually.  ‘Let’s pack it up for the night, Carter.’  He said softly.  ‘The sun’s about to go down and a goodnight’s sleep might make all the difference.’

‘But…’

‘It’ll still be here in the morning, Major,’ Jack said waving at the Stargate, ‘and besides; that’s an order.’

He saw the flash in her blue eyes before she turned away to tidy up the mess of tools and equipment she had used trying to diagnose and solve the problem.  He felt his shoulders tense at her reaction to the order and consciously relaxed them again.  If she didn’t like it too bad because it was his responsibility to ensure she rested; he was her CO.  And therein lay the problem, a small voice whispered in his head.  He sighed inwardly.

In relative terms, thanks to the time loop, it had been four months, six days and ten hours since Jack had sat in a lab at the SGC and undergone a za’tarc test where he had declared his feelings, his inappropriate feelings, for Sam.  I would rather die myself than lose Carter.  In actual time it was less than a month.  It helped a little that he knew she felt the same way; he didn’t understand why she did but she did.  Unfortunately, the pleasure of finding out for certain she loved him back had been dulled by the reality of their situation.  They were military officers governed by regulations that prevented them being together.  As long as he remained her CO, that’s all he would be to her.  If he was honest he’d been more than a little disappointed she had been so quick to assure him it wouldn’t be a problem for them to leave their confessions in the room and continue on as usual.  Deep down he knew he would have searched for a solution for them if she had wanted to take it beyond their declarations. 

In the last time loop, with no fear of the consequences, he had kissed her.  His lips curved upwards as they always did at the memory because once she’d gotten over her momentary surprise, Sam had kissed him back.  It had been great and it had wiped any doubts from his mind about the strength of her feelings.  Whatever was holding her back, it wasn’t because she didn’t want to be with him.  She had a lot more to lose, Jack reminded himself.  How could he ask her to give her career up?  She was an excellent officer and they needed her in the fight with the Goa’uld.  Even if they were to somehow solve the regulations issue and openly start a relationship, there was also her reputation to consider.  She had already received one promotion under his command, and as far as he was concerned she had more than earned it but he knew others would question it.  There would be rumours and she so didn’t deserve that.  Nope.  As much as he hated to admit it, he would just have to suck it up, get on with the mission and set his feelings for a certain blonde air force major to one side.

His radio crackled.  ‘Jack?’

The archaeologist’s excited voice had Jack sighing.  Daniel had been exploring the ruins ever since they had arrived and the other man had been so immersed in his work, Jack wasn’t sure it had sunk into Daniel’s head that there was an issue with the Stargate.  He reached up to his radio.  ‘Daniel.’

‘I’m in the North East section of the ruins in the artefact room.  You and Sam need to come look at this.’  Daniel said passionately.

Jack looked over to Sam who smiled back at him in amusement at Daniel’s enthusiasm.  ‘We’re on our way, Daniel.’  He waited for Sam to clip her P90 onto her vest and make her way over to him before he pushed off the old stone wall he was leaning on and fell into step beside her.  They made their way through the crumbling structure to a small room filled with intricate murals and a large number of artefacts.  Daniel had determined it was some kind of storage for items brought through the Stargate.

Jack indicated for Sam to precede him through the open square entryway, taking the opportunity to observe the order Daniel was slowly bringing to the chaos of objects that cluttered the space.  He nodded at Teal’c who was stood beside Daniel before he came to a halt next to Sam behind the younger man.  ‘So, Daniel, what have you got?’

Daniel moved aside to reveal his find.

‘Woah!’  Jack automatically took a step back and glared at the familiar metal orb that sat in the wall niche.

Sam took a step forward.  ‘My God, Daniel, that looks exactly like the orb we found on P5C353.’

‘No kidding.’  Jack muttered.  He reached out a hand and gently grasped Sam’s arm to move her back to his side.  ‘I don’t think we should be standing so close it.’  The orb they had recovered from P5C353 had ended up spearing his shoulder with a spike when the organisms within it had made an attempt to communicate.  It had been one of the most painful moments of his time in the Stargate programme; in fact the whole experience had been one of the worst of his time in the programme. 

The organism had invaded his body and he had ended up technically dead in order for it to assume control and communicate.  It had been Sam’s idea and he had trusted her, rightly because it had worked; they had agreed a way forward with the organism and as soon as he had sent the orb through the Stargate to another planet, he had been given control of his body back. 

Daniel’s blue eyes were fixed to the orb as he answered Jack’s question absently.  ‘I think we’re safe, Jack.  I don’t think it’s active and there’s some kind of energy field around it.’

‘Major?’  Jack’s eyes skipped worriedly to Sam for verification.

Sam reached into her pack and pulled out a device that she switched on and pointed at the artefact.  She frowned.  ‘There’s a definite energy field surrounding the orb, sir but it seems to be generated from within the wall itself.’

‘I think whoever found this orb placed it here to contain it.’  Daniel theorised pushing his glasses up his nose as he stared at the intricate wall.

‘Good.  That’s good.’  Jack said with a sigh of relief.

‘Maybe there’s a way to remove it.’  Daniel wondered out loud.

‘What?’  Jack’s question came out more of a yelp than he would have liked but he made up for it by glaring at Daniel’s surprised look of innocence at the archaeologist finally turned to look at him.

‘Well, we know there’s a whole race of aliens inside this orb just waiting for a chance to live again.’  Daniel gestured back at the orb wildly.  ‘We have an opportunity here to free them!’

‘I do not believe that would be wise, Daniel Jackson.’  Teal’c said quietly.  His own memory of feeling completely helpless while he watched Jack suffer wasn’t pleasant and he had no wish to repeat the experience.

‘Don’t we have an obligation here?  Maybe the aliens who built this place didn’t realise what the orb was meant to do but we know!’

‘Yes, we know.’  Jack broke in.  ‘And because we know, I say we leave it right where it is.’  He figured the previous inhabitants had known what they were dealing with and that was why the orb was behind the energy field.

‘The organisms within the orb have a right to live, Jack!’  Daniel argued.  ‘That’s why we sent them through the Stargate.’

‘We sent them through the Stargate so the base didn’t blow up!’  Jack shot back.

‘Daniel,’ Sam caught the archaeologist’s attention before the two men could continue their argument, ‘we don’t even know if this is the same organism that occupied the orb we found before.’

‘Exactly.’  Jack said nodding his head.  ‘Good point, Carter.’

‘I recognise the writing.’  Daniel said stubbornly crossing his arms.  ‘It’s the same race.’

‘How?’  Jack asked.  ‘I thought the orb, our orb, was meant to contain the last of their people…whatever they were.’

‘Maybe this was a colony.’  Daniel said gesturing at the orb behind him again.  ‘And when they raced a similar situation to the original planet, they followed their example.’

‘OK, Daniel, but if we take it out of the containment field, what’s to stop them doing exactly what they did on Earth?’  Sam said.  ‘They basically acted like a virus infecting everything in their path and consuming it.  Do we have any right to do that to this planet?’

‘Not to mention we can’t actually leave ourselves right now.’  Jack pointed out brusquely.  ‘That orb is staying exactly where it is, Daniel.’

Daniel looked from Jack to Sam to Teal’c.  They were all wearing identical looks of resolution.  He wasn’t going to win this argument. He sighed huffily.

‘Is there anything else?’  Jack asked mildly sensing Daniel’s grudging acceptance.

‘Not yet.’  Daniel muttered.  He suddenly focused on Sam.  ‘How’s it going with the Stargate?’

Sam winced and shook her head.  ‘Have you found anything here that might explain it?’

Daniel shook his own head in response.  ‘Sorry.’

‘Well, keep at it.’  Jack said.  ‘Carter and I will take care of dinner.’

Daniel gave Sam a sympathetic smile as she followed Jack out of the room and back to their camp in the open courtyard in the centre of the temple that housed the Stargate.

The meal was a simple casserole and they all dug in hungrily as they sat around the camp fire.  There was a comfortable silence while they ate and more as they settled with mugs of hot drinks and stared into the flames, each lost in their own thoughts. 

‘You know it’s strange.’  Daniel commented suddenly.

Jack sighed as Teal’c inevitably took the bait. 

‘What is strange, Daniel Jackson?’

‘All the objects in that room are unique.’  He said.  ‘There’s not a duplicate among them actually in the room.’

‘That’s odd.’  Sam mused as Jack refilled her mug.  She murmured her thanks as she lifted it back up to her lips.

Teal’c frowned.  ‘Why is it odd, Major Carter?’

‘Well, you’d expect to find some duplication.’  Daniel explained before Sam could reply.  ‘I mean if you take a look at our storage rooms on the base, there are lot of things where we’ve accumulated two or three of something.’

‘Or more.’ Jack quipped dryly.  ‘Don’t we have twenty useless blocks of rock in there?’

Daniel ignored him.  ‘My point is that there is no duplication in the room here.’  He shoved a hand through his hair disturbing the short brown strands.  ‘It feels more like it’s someone’s collection.’

‘Like stamps?’  Jack asked idly.

Daniel nodded.

‘So you think whoever inhabited this planet went out through the Stargate, gathered unique objects and stored them in that room?’  Sam expanded.

‘I think so.’  Daniel said.  ‘It’s the only thing that makes sense.’

‘To what purpose would someone do such a thing?’  Teal’c asked.

Daniel blinked.  ‘Well…’ 

‘Some people enjoying collecting stuff.’  Jack asserted before Daniel could get started on an academic explanation for collecting objects.

‘I see.’  Teal’c said raising an eyebrow. 

‘A security system.’  Sam said suddenly.

All three men turned to look at her questioningly.

‘Excuse me, Major?’  Jack asked wondering what leap of thought Carter had made.

‘A security system.’  Sam repeated.  She gestured with her mug.  ‘If Daniel is right and the room contains some kind of valuable collection…’

‘Valuable?’  Jack quipped raising his eyebrows at her description for what seemed to him to be a mish-mash of unimportant minutiae.

She smiled.  ‘It probably had a security system.’

‘So?’  Jack prompted.

‘So that’s why the Stargate isn’t working.’  Daniel said slowly realising where Sam was headed with her theory. 

Jack sighed.  ‘What?’

‘It’s the only explanation, sir.’  Sam said.  ‘The Stargate was working fine when we arrived and when we dialled out for our first check-in later that day.  But it stopped after we discovered the collection room on the morning of the third day.’

‘That’s right.’  Daniel pointed at her.  ‘Just before we were scheduled to check-in again.  I mean, think about it, Jack.  You left Sam and I in the room to start taking inventory when you and Teal’c went to dial home.’

‘So you think we triggered some kind of security system that stops the Stargate from working?’  Jack asked sceptically.

‘It’s perfect.’  Sam waved her coffee mug at him.  ‘Nobody can steal anything from the room because as soon as they entered it, the Stargate was disabled somehow.’

‘It is indeed an ingenious security system.’  Teal’c murmured.

Sam nodded before she turned back to the colonel.  ‘If we can find a control box for the security system, sir, and figure out how it works then we might be able to work out how to reactivate the Stargate.’

‘Sounds like a plan.’  Jack commented, his mood brightening.  Jokes about his retirement aside, he preferred not be stranded on the planet.  His brown eyes flickered to Sam.  He leaned forward and wrapped his hands around his mug.  ‘OK, first thing tomorrow we start looking for this…control box.’ 

o-O-o

Jack wiped his brow as their latest attempt to dial the Stargate failed.  He looked at the despondent faces of the rest of SG1 and took a seat on the wall behind him.  ‘Well, that didn’t work.’

Daniel sighed heavily and took his glasses off to rub at his eyes.  ‘I think we need to look for the control box for the security system again, Jack.’

‘We looked for the control box, Daniel.’  Jack reminded him.  ‘We looked for three whole days and what did we find?’

‘Nothing.’  Daniel admitted.  ‘But…’

‘Ah!’  Jack held up a finger and glared at the archaeologist.  ‘There is no control box.’  He looked at his unhappy team-mates.  ‘We don’t even know that there is a security system.’

‘There must be.’  Sam asserted.  She held his gaze when he glowered at her.  ‘The force field surrounding the orb has to be generated by something.’

‘Perhaps the control box is in a location we have yet to discover.’  Teal’c suggested.

‘Exactly.’  Daniel gestured emphatically at the Jaffa.

‘Sir, we’ve tried everything else.’  Sam said quietly.  ‘According to everything I know about the Stargate, there is no reason why it isn’t working.’

She was right; they had tried everything else, Jack mused.  After failing to find the control box, they had spent another fruitless two days attempting other solutions, dialling a plethora of other addresses in case the problem was Earth.  Nothing had worked including their latest attempt which had included moving every object in the room they had found back into their original location in case hidden sensors were monitoring their position.  He rubbed a hand through his short grey hair.  ‘Suggestions?’  He asked crisply.

‘Well, it’s likely the control box is located nearby.’  Sam began.

‘Within walking distance.’  Daniel added. 

‘So we’re talking within twelve hours of here?’  Jack asked.

Daniel nodded.  ‘It’s probably held within a small structure or a monument of some kind.’

‘It is unlikely that such a device would be located within the forest.’  Teal’c added.  ‘There are no paths leading into the forest from the temple.’

‘The only two paths lead down to the beach.  One to the East and one to the West.’  Sam agreed.

‘OK.  We split up.’  Jack said.  ‘Teal’c and Daniel, you go East; Carter and I will head West.  We walk for twelve hours.  If either of us spots it, we can radio the other while we’re still within range otherwise we’ll meet back here tomorrow night regardless ready for the next check-in with the SGC the day after.  If either party fails to make it back, we’ll assume an emergency and come after them.’  He looked at the position of the sun in the sky.  ‘We’re going to be camped out overnight.’  He stood up.  ‘Let’s gear up.’

A few minutes later, with their packs stocked and weapons back in place, they set off in opposite directions down the beach. 

Jack let Sam set the pace.  She was walking at a steady march, not too fast and not too slow.  They didn’t talk as they walked, both at ease with each other.  The sound of the surf breaking on the shore as they followed the winding path along the edge of the forest was almost hypnotic and Jack had to consciously pull his thoughts back to the job at hand checking their surroundings for any sign of a structure that could house a control box.  They had been walking for an hour when he signalled for them to stop for a break.

The sun was warm on their backs and skin.  Jack could feel his black t-shirt sticking to him as he slipped the pack off his back and rested it on the ground.  He accepted the canteen Sam offered him and sipped from it despite his desire to drink thirstily.  He handed it back to her and reached for his radio.  ‘Daniel, Teal’c; come in.’

‘We’re here, Jack.’  Daniel’s slightly annoyed tone had Jack raising his eyebrows.

‘Just checking in.’ Jack said shortly.  ‘You guys OK?’

‘We are both well, O’Neill.’  Teal’c’s reply reassured Jack.

‘Good.  Next check-in is in one hour.  O’Neill out.’  Jack snapped off the radio and accepted the energy bar Sam held out to him.  ‘I guess they haven’t found anything either yet.’  He said glibly taking a bite.

‘You don’t really think there is a control box, do you, sir?’  Sam said as she sat down beside him on the weathered lavender-coloured boulder. 

‘I think you think there’s a control box and that’s good enough for me.’  Jack answered.

Sam searched his gaze for a moment and nodded slowly as though she was taking in his sincerity.  She chewed on her energy bar.  Jack pulled out a tube of sun-cream and lathered his exposed arms.  He’d chosen to fasten his jacket around his waist, leaving his torso covered by the t-shirt and protective vest.  Sam had followed his example but whereas his arms were going a deep bronze, hers were heading for a decidedly pink tone.  He threw the tube in her direction as she finished eating and was impressed when she caught it one-handed.  She applied the lotion liberally and put it away in her pack as they got back to their feet without discussion.

It set a predictable pattern for the rest of the day and it was with some surprise as they reached a rather solid dead end in the shape of a steep cliff that extended into the sea that Jack realised they had been walking for ten hours.

Sam looked up at the vast edifice dismayed.  They had seen it in the distance and had wondered whether the path would continue up the cliff face; it didn’t.  It ended abruptly at the wall.

Jack nudged her.  ‘I don’t think our control box is in this direction, Carter.’

‘No, sir.’  She agreed.  ‘If they had placed it somewhere in this direction, we would have found it before we reached here.’ 

‘It’s quite something.’  Jack commented squinting up at the height of it; he figured it was about as tall as the Empire State building.  It looked like it was constructed from lava rock, maybe granite or something similar.  It felt dark and foreboding.  Jack shivered.

Sam frowned and reached out a hand to touch the smooth surface.  ‘Sir, when we were walking towards the cliff, did it seem to resemble something?  Like a sleeping dog or cat?’

Jack looked over at her and thought about her question seriously.  ‘Maybe.’  He admitted.  ‘What are you thinking, Major?’

Sam’s gaze shifted to the colonel.  ‘The walls appear to have been carved, sir.  I think we might be looking at a monument similar to the Sphinx in Egypt.’

‘Really?’  Jack glanced back at the cliff and took in the sheer size of it.  ‘It’s big.’

‘So is the Sphinx, sir.’  Sam commented wryly.  ‘If I’m right…’

‘Then this is a monument.’  Jack concluded.  He waved a hand at it.  ‘You think our control box is somewhere inside this thing in a hidden room or something?’

‘Maybe, sir.’  Sam said.

Jack looked up at the sky.  ‘It’s going to get dark soon.  Let’s set up camp.  We’ll go over the wall and look for an opening first thing in the morning before we head back.’     

‘Yes, sir.’  Sam agreed tiredly.  As much as she wanted to start trying she knew it made more sense to get the camp completed before dark and once it got dark it was going to be next to impossible to actually see anything on the black rock of the cliff.

They organised everything quickly; their shared military training and over three years of working with each other meant there was an almost telepathic understanding for what needed to be done.  It seemed like no time at all before Sam took first watch. 

o-O-o

She sat with her back to the cliff, her P90 in her lap.  Her eyes warily scanned the surroundings that were lit dimly by the fire they had built.  The fire cast strange shadows across the camp site and Sam felt a frisson of unease.  She shrugged it away determinedly, her hand tightening on the gun she held.  Jack stirred in his sleeping bag and her eyes drifted towards him before they returned to the duty she had been assigned. 

This was the first time since the za’tarc incident that he’d teamed them together on a mission.  The two missions straight afterwards Sam had found herself teamed first with Teal’c and then with Daniel.  A part of her knew he’d done it for her protection; Hammond had warned them both in the aftermath of the za’tarc fiasco that as keen as he was to keep SG1 together and as much as he knew neither of them had acted on their feelings, any hint of impropriety and he would have no option but to reassign one of them.  She felt her cheeks heat again at the memory.  It had been one of the most humiliating discussions of her career.  Yes, General, I have fallen in love with my CO. 

Sam sighed gently and shifted position transferring her weight a little to get more comfortable.  The general had actually been very kind to her; she had a feeling he’d been tougher on the colonel given he was the senior officer and in some respects the burden of ensuring they didn’t cross the line rested on him.  She figured that was why he hadn’t teamed them up straight after the za’tarc incident but while it had only happened a month before for her, she knew it had been more than four months ago for Jack.  Maybe the time loop had given him the distance he needed to move on from his feelings.

There was a dull ache of disappointment that Sam refused to acknowledge although her lips twisted wryly as she continued to monitor the undergrowth and sea for any sign of movement.  She had been so naïve when she had made the offer to Jack to leave it in the room and continue on as before, she considered ruefully.  She’d had no idea how hard it would be.  How did you fall out of love with someone?  Especially when you were with them every day and every day reminded why you fell in love with them in the first place. 

Her fingers absently stroked the metal weapon she held as she allowed herself to briefly wonder what would have happened if she hadn’t said anything; if she’d never made the suggestion.  One of them wouldn’t be on the mission, Sam mused.  One of them would have been reassigned probably her.  Would that have been so bad, she wondered.  She’d worked hard for her place on SG1 but realistically field assignments didn’t usually last as long as she had served in the team.  She and the colonel had discussed her moving onto lead her own team once she had more time as a major under her belt.  Maybe a move wouldn’t have been so bad…it was all academic anyway, Sam told herself sternly.  Jack had immediately accepted her proposition to disregard what had happened with the za’tarc tests. 

But.

But there had been a moment; a split second when she’d thought she’d seen a flash of disappointment, regret maybe.  She had been about to admit she’d only said what she had because she thought it was what he wanted when they had been interrupted and the conversation had moved back to the issue of who was the za’tarc given they were not.  And then events had escalated and there had been no time before they’d both found themselves called individually and together before General Hammond to discuss the situation.

Even if Jack had momentarily wanted them not to ignore their feelings, he had certainly seemed wedded to the idea when they faced the SGC commander.  Jack had been resolute and so had she.  So, they had to move on, Sam reminded herself firmly, they couldn’t have a relationship and it was pointless waiting on the hope of one day – who knew when their fight with the Goa’uld would be over?  One of them would meet someone eventually, fall in love again.  Obviously the time loop had allowed the colonel to move on a little ahead of her; she would just have to catch up.  Her chest tightened at the thought; the ache was too great to be ignored and shrugged away.  

She got to her feet restlessly to do a patrol and to try and forget her tumultuous thoughts.  She frowned at a sudden sharp gust of wind.  The fire flickered brightly as the flames stretched and the embers shifted.  Something was wrong.  She raised her eyes to the sky; clouds were gathering, blocking out the winking lights of the distant stars.  There was an ominous silence and it occurred to her that she could no longer hear the breaking surf.  Her gaze dropped and searched the darkness in vain for the thin white line of the ocean.  It wasn’t there; something had pulled the water from the shore.  Her mind tumbled over the variables and without making a conscious decision, she crossed the camp and shook the colonel awake.

‘Huh?’  Jack’s eyes snapped to Sam immediately alert. 

‘I think we’re about to be hit with a storm, sir.’  Sam said swiftly.  ‘A big one.  I think we need to get to higher ground and under shelter immediately.’

Jack didn’t argue with her assessment, he shoved the sleeping bag away and reached for his boots.  He pushed his feet into them not bothering to tie up the laces.  Sam was already stuffing as much as she could back into their packs; they would need the supplies if they were to survive.  They had almost finished when a harsh gust of wind lifted the sand around and blew out the fire.

‘Let’s move, Major.’  Jack yelled as the first drops of rain started to pelt down from the sky.  He pushed her back towards the path, towards the forest.

‘We need to climb, sir.’  Sam shouted as the downpour began in earnest.  Her hair was plastered to her head within seconds, her BDU soaked through. 

‘We’ll get under the cover of the trees.’  Jack grabbed her arm and started to pull her as they battled against the strong opposing wind.

‘No, sir.’  Sam pulled him closer so he could hear her.  She gestured behind her.  ‘I think there’s a tsunami, sir.  We need to climb.’

They were almost at the path but Jack nodded grimly and changed direction, heading directly for the cliff where the path ended.  Sam followed him hurriedly. 

Suddenly, the rain stopped as fast as it had started. 

Jack looked at Sam questioningly and she shook her head unsure at the reason.  She glanced back at the sea and froze.  Her eyes widened and her mouth opened a little in horror as her hand clutched at Jack. 

There was a wall of water headed for them and there was nowhere for them to go.

o-O-o

Jack yanked Sam towards the cliff wall; a single desperate thought raced through his head that if he could place her between the rock and himself that somehow she might be safe against the approaching tidal wave.  His hand hit the wall beside her head and went through it before the wall behind Sam disappeared altogether.  Their momentum had them falling backwards through the opening.

Sam gave a cry as her foot landed on nothing but air; her balance was completely out from the sudden lack of support behind her and Jack’s weight pushing against her at the front.  She was helpless to stop her fall and took Jack with her…

They tumbled blindly down a set of steps to land with a thump at the bottom; Jack sprawled on top of Sam.  He shook himself and swore hurriedly lifting himself from her prone, still body to kneel beside it.

‘Carter?’  His hands searched in the darkness for his pack and he pulled out a torch switching it on.  His heart dropped into his stomach. 

She was unconscious.

His trembling fingers searched her neck for a pulse and his eyes closed briefly on a prayer of thanks when he found one.  He swept the light back up the flight of worn stone stairs they had fallen down and frowned.  The top of the stairs showed nothing but a wall.  What the hell was that?  Jack wondered.  A hologram?  A force field?  Both?  He sighed and dragged a hand through his wet hair as he looked back down at Sam.  The woman who could have probably told him wasn’t answering.  It didn’t matter what it was, Jack told himself; whatever it was it had allowed them in and was keeping the weather and the flood outside.  That was good enough for him.  His priority was looking after Sam. 

He shrugged out of his wet jacket and felt her limbs for any sign of a break.  Her right ankle was swollen but he thought it was a bad sprain rather than an actual broken bone.  He frowned as he lifted her sodden t-shirt to examine her ribs.  There was an angry red slash across her left rib.  He scowled.  That was where he had fallen on top of her. He listened to her breathing and was relieved when it appeared unaffected.  His examination moved to her neck and head, and his hand came away bloody.  He shifted around, easing to one side so he could examine the damage.  It was a bad graze but it looked worse than it was.    

She groaned.

‘Carter?’  Jack said immediately cupping her cheek with one hand. 

Her eyes fluttered open and stared at him blankly.  ‘Colonel?’

‘You had a fall.’  Jack explained shortly.

She winced and a low moan escaped her as she tried to move.

‘Easy, Carter.’  Jack said.  ‘I need you to tell me if you can move your legs.’

Sam registered the request and her legs moved imperceptibly.  She cried out.  ‘Hurts.’  She gasped before she lost consciousness again on a wave of pain.

He sighed in relief.  It looked like Sam had escaped with a blow to the head, a sprained ankle and some bad bruising.  His hand pulled unconsciously at his own wet uniform.  They were soaked.  They both needed to get out of their clothing or they would end up chilled.  He pressed his lips together.  At least the packs were waterproof; their contents should be dry and safe.

He cast the torch light around.  The beam hit immaculately carved walls that formed a circle.  Ahead of him he could see a niche in the wall and some kind of dull crystals placed in a sequence inside of it.  It looked like they had found their control box, Jack thought grimly.  He turned his attention back to the matter at hand; survival.

He quickly realised that he had nothing to use for firewood and in the absence of knowing whether the room had ventilation he decided against building one.  If they only had the oxygen left within the space, he’d prefer to use it for breathing.  Jack settled Sam on a makeshift bed; a groundsheet covered the dirt of the cavern floor and he stripped Sam as gently and efficiently as he could down to her underwear.  He strapped her ankle and cleaned her head wound.  She stirred a couple of times during the process but didn’t wake again.  He propped one soft rolled up sleeping bag under her injured head while he covered her with the other, thankful they’d taken the time to pack them. 

He cleaned off his own wounds – a scrape along one arm and a grazed knee before he stripped off his own wet clothing and lay it out by Sam’s to dry before he climbed into the bed beside her, shivering.  They had to share body heat or they’d die, and skin to skin contact would be best.  He reiterated the survival training mentally as he carefully inched to lie behind her, his body curving against hers as he kept his hand glued to his own side.  He was close enough to smell the faint scent of her shampoo; the scent of her skin.  It was his last thought before exhaustion hit him and he slipped into sleep unwillingly.

It was the sound of moaning that woke him.

His brown eyes snapped open and landed on Sam.  She was crying in her sleep, her body shaking.  They had shifted in their sleep to lie side by side, face to face, hip to hip.  She moved restlessly, her brow creased and her lower lip caught between her teeth as another sob escaped her.

‘Sam?’  He said her name softly, gently as his hand shifted from where it had rested on her hip to smooth the hair away from her flushed face. 

She didn’t wake caught up in her nightmare.

He inched forward and rested his hand along her neck, his thumb tracing over her jaw-line.  ‘Sam, wake up.  You’re safe.’  He stroked her shoulder, rubbing it gently.  ‘I’m here.  You’re safe now.’

Sam hiccupped.  Her eyes opened slowly to blink at him unfocused.  ‘Jack?’

‘That’s right.  It’s me, Sam.  You’re OK.’  Jack said aware that his hand was cupping her bare shoulder and that their bodies were pressed intimately close.  His body remained tense and his heart pounded as he waited for her reaction.  Trust filled her blue eyes.  She moved and to his astonishment moved toward him, her body relaxing against his.  He started to breathe again as she rested her head in the crook of his neck, her hair brushing his rough chin. 

‘I dreamt you went away.’  Sam murmured sleepily as her arm slid around his chest and she settled against him.  ‘I was so sad.’ 

She probably thought she was dreaming, he realised with a tug of regret.

‘Don’t leave me.’  She whispered.  ‘Love you, Jack.’

He tightened his hold on her and tucked the sleeping bag around their bodies again.  He waited until her breathing had deepened again before he mouthed the words silently in the darkness; ‘I love you too.’

o-O-o

Sam woke slowly.  Her eyes adjusted to the darkness as she registered the multitude of aches and pains that had shattered her sleep and pulled her to consciousness.  God, she hurt.  The sharp pain in her head competed with her ankle and a dull ache in the side of her ribs.  That was being eased by the warmth of the hard body she was curled up against.  Her brow creased in confusion.  Jack.  She was on top of Jack.  She tensed and the slight pull of her muscles had her aches increasing in protest.  How had she fallen asleep on Jack?  She blinked past her pain and tried to remember…

The search for the control box and the walk…taking watch…the tidal wave and the cliff wall giving way behind her…the sensation of falling…

She had been injured from the fall, she realised.  It didn’t explain the lack of clothes, a voice whispered in her head.  Both she and Jack had been soaked through by the rainstorm, she responded stubbornly, he had removed their clothes to prevent them getting chilled or hypothermic.  He’d slept next to her for body heat.  She would have done the same.  The thought didn’t prevent a blush from spreading over her whole body.  Damn, she mused.  It would have to be the day she wore a black bra with white panties.  She sighed, her fingers unconsciously tracing back and forth along Jack’s lower left rib.

‘You know that tickles.’

Sam snatched her hand away as though burned.  She tried to move the rest of her just as quickly and stopped with a frustrated groan.

‘Easy, Carter.  You had a fall.’  Jack shifted into a sitting position, keeping hold of Sam so she could use him for support as she did the same.

‘So what’s the damage, sir?’  Sam asked tiredly holding the sleeping bag up against her chest. 

‘First things first.’  Jack said firmly.  ‘How many fingers am I holding up?’

‘Three.’

‘Really?  I am?’  Jack looked at the three fingers of his right hand as Sam smiled wanly at his joking.  ‘OK.  So you got that one.’  He teased lightly.  His expression sobered.  ‘Headache?’

‘Yes, sir.’  Sam’s hand crept to the back of her head and he caught it pulling it away.

‘You have a bad graze back there, Carter.  You don’t want to go playing with it.’  Jack remonstrated gently. 

‘The rest of the damage, sir?’  She pressed.

‘You tell me.’  Jack encouraged. 

Sam took a personal inventory of her aches and pains.  ‘My ankle and it hurts a little when I breathe.’

Jack nodded.  ‘Your ribs are bruised and I think the ankle’s just sprained but you won’t be walking on it for a few days.’  He gestured at her.  ‘Anything else?’

She began to shake her head before she stopped at the sudden sharp pain the move caused.  ‘No, sir.  I just generally hurt all over.’

‘I’ll get you some painkillers.’  Jack said.  He eased out of the bed and grabbed the torch switching it on and rooting through the first aid kit.  He returned with aspirin and water.  ‘We have some morphine but I don’t want to risk it with your head injury.’

‘This is fine, sir.’  Sam said taking the pills.  She took the medication and swallowed the gulp of water thirstily.  Her eyes caught on the bandage on his arm.  ‘What about you, sir?’

‘I’m fine.  I had something break my fall.’  Jack said dryly.

‘What?’ Sam asked wondering what could have cushioned his fall that hadn’t cushioned hers.

‘You.’

Her eyes shot back to his.  For a second, they held each other’s gaze before Sam dropped hers.

Jack cleared his throat.  ‘About our clothes, Carter…’

‘You had to remove them, sir.  I understand.’  Sam said hurriedly. 

Jack nodded, grateful for the simple trust and acceptance in her eyes.  He turned away and tested the clothes he had laid out the night before.  They were still damp.  He gestured at the packs.  ‘Want some clothes?’

‘Yes, sir.’  Sam started to climb out of the covers continuing to hold the sleeping bag tightly against her. 

‘Ah, ah.’  Jack waved her back.  ‘You stay exactly where you are.’

‘I’m fine, sir.’  Sam said stubbornly.

‘You have a head injury, Major.’  Jack said crisply.  ‘You’re staying put; that’s an order.’

Sam would have protested but a sharp jab of pain had her reconsidering.  Maybe staying put for a while wouldn’t hurt.  Jack rooted in her pack and pulled out her spare clothes.  He left her to change under the cover of the sleeping bag while he dressed in a corner of the cavern.

‘You decent?’  He called when he had finished.

‘Yes, sir.’  Sam said breathlessly.  She was exhausted but clothed again she felt a little more assured; less vulnerable.  He handed her an energy bar and sat down beside her to eat his.  She let her eyes travel around the dark space that surrounded them while she ate.

‘I take it we’re inside the monument.’  She commented.

‘I think so.’  Jack agreed.  ‘Saved our butts.’

‘How did we get in?’  Sam wondered out loud.  ‘It must be some kind of force field projecting the illusion of the cliff wall.’  She frowned.  ‘But how does it know to keep the water out and let us in?’

Jack waved his food at her.  ‘I don’t know but there’s a section of wall that seems to disappear when I touch it.  You can take a look at it when you’re feeling better.’  He gestured again.  ‘There must be ventilation or we’d both be suffering oxygen deprivation by now.  We’ve got enough food and water for another couple of days; plenty of batteries for the torches, so we’re good for the moment.’

‘That must be the control panel.’  Sam said her eyes fastening on the crystals. 

He recognised the determined glint in her eye.  ‘No, Major.  You’re staying put.’

‘But…’

‘There’ll be plenty of time to look at it when your head eases up a bit.’  Jack said softly.

Sam sighed heavily but settled back into the bed.  ‘We should conserve torch-light if we’re simply resting, sir.’

He reached over and switched the torch off, plunging them into darkness.  He stretched out next to her on top of the sleeping bag, lying on his back and pillowing his head on his still damp jacket.

‘Colonel?’

‘Hmmm?’

‘Do you think Daniel and Teal’c made it through the storm OK?’  Sam asked.

He heard the tremor in her voice and ignored it.  ‘They’re OK, Carter.’  

‘Good.’ She slipped into sleep. 

o-O-o

Jack looked over at her huddled form in the dark before he stared up into the black nothingness, his thoughts churning.

He had wondered about Daniel and Teal’c as he had waited for Sam to wake up.  The tidal wave had been huge and he couldn’t believe that the storm had been localised to him and Sam.  He took a deep breath.  Teal’c was an experienced warrior and Daniel wasn’t the same naïve academic who had stepped through the Stargate to Abydos; as much as Jack hated to admit it at times, Daniel could take care of himself.  They would have set a watch and headed for shelter when they realised there was a storm, Jack reassured himself.  He hoped.

He was going to have to distract Sam, he realised.  If she had too much time on her hands, she’d start thinking too much about Daniel and Teal’c.  He’d get her started on the control thingy, Jack mused.  Figuring out how to get the Stargate working again would keep her occupied until Daniel and Teal’c showed up or her ankle healed enough for them to attempt the walk back, he decided.

He turned over towards her wincing at the myriad of aches the movement produced and resolutely ignored the pain.  Sam would need the painkillers more than him. 

‘Love you, Jack.’

Her words repeated in his head.

She loved him and he loved her.

Duty.

They had a duty and a responsibility to fight the Goa’uld.  They couldn’t let their personal feelings interfere with that.

But.

They loved each other anyway.

Jack sighed.  He felt they were stuck in the no-win scenario on their relationship as they had been the day before on the planet.  They needed to find a way out because leaving it in the room wasn’t working for him anymore, and he wasn’t sure it was working for Carter either.

They’d talk about it, Jack determined.  They’d leave the ranks out of it and talk about them, the potential of a them, when Carter woke up before she started looking at the controls.  They’d find a way to make it work together or to leave it in another room if that was truly what Carter wanted.

Jack let his own eyes close.  Hope trickled through him.  Maybe they wouldn’t be stuck for much longer.

fin.