"What the hell’s that thing?" the curious airman asked. The Ash’rak took off his hand devise and placed his palm under the light of the print scanner. "It’s a ring," he states dryly. "Want a closer look?" The devise was brainwashing the young officer before the access denied alarm even went off.
"Have a nice day, airman," and that’s when it really went to hell.
***
"Well what have we got so far, Colonel?" General George Hammond asked what appeared to be a very exhausted Col. O’Neill.
Jack unburied his head from his hands and gestured toward Teal’c.
"I recently spoke with the symbiont that has taken over Captain Carter. He claims to be a member of the Tok’ra, a mythical sect of the Goa’uld who fought against Ra to be free from slavery. It is a well known story among the Jaffa that the Tok’ra are hidden away on an unknown planet preparing themselves for an attack on the Goa’uld. Once they commence their attack it is said that they will destroy all of the System Lords and free my people." Teal’c informed the group.
Hammond took a moment to absorb this new information. "Do you think he’s telling the truth?" The General gazed at the Jaffa questioningly.
Teal’c stared blankly in thought for a few seconds trying to compose his answer. "I am uncertain General Hammond. Though it is a well known tale, it is unfortunately not a well known fact. There is also no way of finding out the truth." He turned his head when he heard the Colonel slap his hands against the table top.
"Does...does that bother anyone else?" Jack looked around not really for an answer, but more for some, if any, kind of reaction.
Hammond closed his folder and leaned in. "We will not give up on Captain Carter. We’ll find a way to save her, but until than we need to get as much information out of her as possible. Dismissed." With that, Jack got up and headed toward the elevators.
***
The Ash’rak strolled through the SGC unnoticed. He rounded the corner on his way to the security room when he was stooped by an interesting conversation.
"So how is she doing?" Sgt. Siler asked Dr. Jackson.
"We don’t know. The Goa’uld within her won’t tell us anything. As far as we can tell she’s ok, she’s just...trapped."
The Goa’uld assassin hid behind a corner and grabbed the nearest airmen. "Where does Captain Carter reside?"
"Hey! What are you..." the airman was stopped by the Ash’rak’s hand devise. In moments the information was delivered and the airman was left in a heap on the floor. The assassin was soon on his way to completing his mission.
***
Jack was sitting on Sam’s bed in her room in the SGC. He looked around, each memory with her stabbing through his heart like a thousand Ginsu knives. "We’ll save you Sam," he said to the empty room. "I’m not going to lose you now."
***
The Ash’rak arrived at the room the airman unwillingly informed him of. With his skill he would dispose of Jolinar and make his exit before the Tau’ri even missed their ever-loved Captain. He opened the door only to find he had been terribly misinformed. "You are not Captain Carter," he stated angrily.
"Ya think?" Jack said confused.
"Tell me where she is." He began to power up his hand devise. He would get his information the only way he knew how.
Jack noticed the Goa’uld devise that was glowing in the strangers hand. Years of training activated his quick reflexes which led him to draw his sidearm and fire faster then the enemy could blink. Jack was well prepared and satisfied with his aim. The direct shot to the heart of this innocent man who had probably been long taken over by the evil bastard that came here to kill Sam left Jack standing there waiting for his mind to catch up with his body.
Just to make sure, Jack kicked the man’s leg a few times. He was dead all right. The legs Jack was supposed to be standing on collapsed underneath him. This Jolinar, whoever he was, was telling the truth about one thing.
Sitting about five feet away, Jack propped himself up on his knees and crawled over to the dead man lying on the floor of Sam’s room. He noticed the shimmering devise still humming on the hand that could have killed his best friend. He picked up the limp hand and was slipping the devise off the cold fingers when he heard that unmistakable screech that sent chills up his spine. Caught off guard, Jack had no time to react like he did before. By the time he fully knew what was going on it was too late. The Ash’rak symbiont pierced the side of Jack’s neck in an agonizing merge that lasted for but a moment. In that instant, Jack O’Neill became the one thing he hated most. His eyes shined brightly, then the evil within forced him toward the holding cells.
***
"What happened here?" Dr. Fraiser asked the young airman who brought in her newest patient.
"We found Lt. Simmons passed out in a corridor on level 14." The airman flopped Simmons on the medical bed like a dead fish.
"Be careful," Janet snapped at him. He apologized and quickly left the infirmary. "Great." She sighed and began her usual analysis.
***
"Colonel," the young airman nodded toward the Ash’rak as she strolled by him. ‘Strange customs these humans have’, he thought to himself. Taking over the Colonel’s body made his job much more stress free. No one would question HIM wanting to see the host they call Sam. Yes love is a hazard, but the Tau’ri have been known to base their lives upon it. Always over emotional. The sooner they all become hosts the better.
The Ash’rak reached into Jack’s pocket and pulled out a little plastic card. The sorry excuse for security measures taken by the humans made him chuckle. Pathetic. He swiped the card and a green light flashed. He would soon be done and on his way home.
***
"Where’s jack," Daniel asked Teal’c. They were supposed to meet at 1700 hours at the elevators on level 8 section 6.
"Perhaps Colonel O’Neill did not wish to wait for us." Teal’c watched as Daniel paced back and forth, fidgeting more and more with every turn.
Daniel looked at his watch. He’d scheduled this meeting so Jack would go see Sam alone. He didn’t want him to give that Goa’uld any advantage over him. Daniel knew how broken up Jack was about this and he had been doing everything in his power to not let the situation be compromised any more then it already was. The last thing they needed now was a lovesick, heartbroken leader telling the Goa’uld how to bring down SG-1.
"Well that’s just too damn bad." Daniel shot Teal’c a desperate look and then bolted down the hall to the stairs.
***
"What do you want?" Jolinar hissed at the Colonel. She just couldn’t figure out what her host saw in him. Him. It wasn’t him at all, it was..."you," she whispered intensely. The loyal servant sent to kill her steeped slowly toward the cell bars.
"Kreshak, Jolinar. By decree of the Goa’uld System Lords you will die with dishonor by the power of the Hara Kash."
Jolinar knew it was a long shot, but the Colonel was a strong man, and if he felt for her what Sam felt for him, it just might work. Besides, she was running out of options and if she ever wanted to see Martouf again she had better do something. Her head dipped for a second and then she was silenced.
"Jack? Jack!" Sam screamed as she came into consciousness. "Jack, snap out of it please!" Sam noticed he was raising his hand. The glowing devise fastened to his palm was a sheer sing that she wasn’t getting through. She bowed her head. She could feel Jolinar urging her to do it. She knew it was the only way they could both survive this. "Jack, I...," The devise was shining in her eyes. "I...," the assassin paused his mission as if waiting to hear her thoughts. It was now or never. "I love you." A single tear streamed down her cheek. I love you," she whispered again.
The Ash’rak lowered his hand and stared Sam in the eyes. His face softened. "What a shame." he grabbed he by the throat and continued his attack.
The beam had barely begun to penetrate Sam’s skull when the staff blast pummeled into the back of the Ash’rak. He fell into Sam and together they hit the floor with a loud thud.
"Teal’c, what the hell is going on here?" Daniel’s voice rang from the door way.
Jack stood up and turned toward his attacker. With the flashing glow of his eyes he received another shot which knocked him off his feet. He lay there on the cold, concrete floor, still and almost lifeless.
Sam rose to her knees and crawled over to Jack’s side. She nudged his shoulder to try and wake him. "Colonel?" She nudged harder. "Colonel, open your eyes. I need to see if you’re ok." She waited a few seconds for a response. Nothing. "Please," she whispered as the tears began to fall. "Jack," Sam laid her head down on his chest. "Don’t leave me." She closed her eyes and immediately opened them again. She sat up and looked at the man lying beside her. "She loves this man," Jolinar commented.
"Yes she does," Daniel broke threw. "And now because of you, he’s going to die." He took a step forward. "But you probably don’t understand that. You saved your own neck, that’s all that matters, right?"
Visions of Martouf ran through her mind. She knew when she arrived in Netu that she would never see him again. Why should it be different now?
Dr. Fraiser and her team thundered into the cell. Jolinar watched as the man that just tried to kill her was loaded onto gurney and rushed out of the room. She sat there for a few minutes contemplating the thought’s that ran threw Samantha’s mind. S loved that man, just like Jolinar loved Martouf. ‘Maybe I’ll never see my love again,’ she thought, ‘but at least I can do everything in my power to make sure Samantha does.’ She stood up and headed toward the door. The large arms of the sholva Teal stopped her. "Let me go." She said calmly.
"I can not." His grip on her wrists grew tighter.
"I can help him," she looked in Daniel’s direction. "It’s not certain, but I believe I can save his life if you let me." The desperate expression on Dr. Jackson’s face was a sure indication that she would get the chance to prove herself. Teal’c stepped aside and they proceeded to the infirmary.
***
"The symbiont is dead." Janet paused. She knew General Hammond gave her a direct order, but when the order involves killing one of you close friends, it’s kind of hard to obey. But orders were orders and who was she to ignore them. She pushed away all the doubts in her mind and began to carry out the General’s wishes. "Let’s take it out." The med. techs helped flip Jack over and Dr. Fraiser initiated the procedure. She asked for the scalpel and placed her index finger on the back side of the blade for support. The sharp edge lowered down toward the Colonel’s neck. The blade had just pierced the top layer of skin when Dr. Fraiser was stopped be a loud voice behind her.
"No!" Jolinar yelled through the machines violent beeping.
"What the hell do you think you’re doing?" Janet turned to see Daniel and Teal’c following the intruder. "Is someone going to explain?" She stood facing the figure that once belonged to Sam.
"I can save his life," she said matter-of-factly.
"How," Janet sat the scalpel down on the instrument tray.
"I have to at first leave Captain Carter safely, then I can enter the Colonel’s body and extract the Ash’rak symbiont. Once I’ve done that it’s just a matter of me healing the Colonel."
Janet thought for a moment about everything that could go wrong. "Why would you risk your own life to save him?"
Jolinar turned and faced Teal’c. "You saved my life at the risk of your friend. You have pledged your allegiance to these who would fight against the Goa’uld. You are everything the Tok’ra stand for and for that I owe you my life. Please," she turned back to Janet. "Let me save him."
Teal’c looked in Dr. Fraiser’s direction and nodded.
"Alright then." Janet stepped forward. "Let’s get you ready."
***
Once Jolinar pierced the base of Jack’s neck she started her procedure. The devise the humans called "life support" helped her tremendously. She wrapped herself around the carcass of the Ash’rak symbiont. Being this close to the guy who’s soul purpose in life was killing was very disconcerting. She set her fears aside and with a swift jerk loosened the grip of the dead Goa’uld and was soon able to push him out through the opening at which she entered. Once she was alone, Jolinar coiled herself aro d Jack’s brain stem and soon became aware of his thoughts. ‘How sad’ she thought. ‘They love each other dearly, yet they refuse to admit it.’ She knew saving this man would take all of her energy. She would eventually die inside him.
"Love is a precious thing," she told herself. "Too precious to be wasted."
***
"Her pulse is rising," Dr. Fraiser announced to the room. "She’ll be dead within minutes if we don’t do something." She looked in Sam’s direction. "Any suggestions?"
Sam shook her head. "She knows what she’s doing," she paused and glanced over at Jack’s limp body. "Let her...," she was cut off.
Jack moaned softly, his eyes remained closed. "Sam," he whispered.
Sam carefully hopped off her bed and walked over to Jack’s side. She picked up his hand and held it between her’s. "I’m here , Sir."
"I...," he moaned again.
"It’s ok, Colonel," she said. "I’m listening."
"I lo...love..." he tried.
His voice was so hoarse, Sam could barely make out what he was saying, but the tears in her eyes made it known that she heard every word. She squeezed his hand tighter as he finally spoke the words that were so difficult for her to hear.
"I love you too."
Sam’s tears flowed down her face like a river. Tears of joy and love for her CO gushing down and soaking him. Sam brought Jack’s hand to her cheek. "Come on Jack. Come back." She looked at his flinching eyelids longingly. She wrapped her mind around every memory of every moment they had ever spent together. It seemed as no one else was in the room with them until...
Sam’s heart jumped at the unmistakable noise. The high-pitched tone and the flat line on the monitor made her tears of love transform into those of fear and anguish.
"No!" She screamed at the machines. She covered her face in her hands and sobbed. "No," she whispered. Sam heard the flick of a switch and the horrendous monotone was gone. She lowered her hands, her brow furrowed in confusion of the sound that remained. "What?"
Janet walked up behind her and put a comforting hand on her shoulder. "Jolinal’s dead."
Sam turned toward Janet. She was so overwhelmed at all the heart pumping events unfolding around her. She was confused, she couldn’t think, she...
"Sam," a faint groan came from behind her. She jerked around to see Jack’s beautiful eyes open. He was looking all around the room. "I don’t feel so good," he managed to croak out.
With a giggle Sam bent down and gently kissed his forehead. Regulations be damned.
He stared back up at her with wide eyes. "I feel better now," he smiled and held her gaze for as long as he could.
Sam sighed in relief. Things were finally back to normal...well sort of. The only thing that mattered now was that she had her Colonel back and she was never letting him go.
The End
Story Notes: Email: wild-horses@visto.com
Rating: PG (for violence)
Spoilers: In the line of duty
Archive: On the Sam and Jack, anywhere else, just tell me where.
Feedback: Anything constructive, or if ya just wanna tell me ya liked it that works too :)
Rating: PG (for violence)
Spoilers: In the line of duty
Archive: On the Sam and Jack, anywhere else, just tell me where.
Feedback: Anything constructive, or if ya just wanna tell me ya liked it that works too :)
DISCLAIMER: All publicly recognisable characters, settings, etc, are the property of their respective owners. Any original characters and plots are the property of the author. No money is being made from this work. No copyright infringement is intended. ... [ read more ]