samandjack.net

Story Notes: STATUS: Complete

ARCHIVE: Heliopolis, Sam and Jack

SPOILERS: None

SEQUEL/SEASON INFO: Season 3, Nemesis

AUTHOR'S NOTES: ~*~ is used to denote a change in scenes. I hope you enjoy the story. Your feedback is appreciated.


The stasis chamber was lying at the bottom steps of the Stargate. Carter was the first of the group to come tumbling out and she hit the chamber as she landed. Next came Teal'c who just barely managed to avoid hitting Carter. Both of them stood up and waited for Colonel O'Neill to come out of the gate but there was nothing. They looked at each other then back at the gate, but still nothing came through the gate. She asked Teal'c where he was, and he said that Colonel O'Neill was right behind him as he went through the Stargate. A few long seconds ticked off when something came through the gate; it was two Replicators.

Carter adjusted her position and immediately fired on them, so they did not travel more than a foot or two from the gate. She fired at them several times, not giving them the opportunity to reform. Teal'c quickly stooped down and scooped up the pieces of the Replicators, throwing them back into the Stargate. He finished throwing the pieces back through the gate and stood up but still Colonel O'Neill has failed to come through.

"Where is he?" Carter said.

"I do not know. He should have come through already," Teal'c replied.

Then something shot out of the Stargate and tumbled down the stairs; it was Colonel O'Neill. He tumbled down the staircase and struck his head on the stasis chamber. The wormhole fluctuated and then shut down.

"Colonel?" Carter said. Carter walked over to Colonel O'Neill and touched his shoulder; he slid off the stasis chamber and rolled onto his back.

"Kel Mek!" was shouted at them.

Carter and Teal'c look up and noticed that there are several Jaffas surrounding them with their weapons aimed directed at them.

"Teal'c!" was said by one of the Jaffas who is walking to the front. Teal'c turned and saw Bra'tac.

"Greetings Master Bra'tac," Teal'c said.

"Welcome Teal'c! What has happened my friend?"

"We have just escaped an Asgard ship that was about to crash land," Teal'c said.

"We were wondering who sent this through the Chaapa'ai," Bra'tac said as he pointed to the stasis chamber. "We were waiting to see who else came out. What was that small machine you fired at?"

"That was a creature called a 'Replicator' and it was what we were escaping from on the Asgard ship," stated Carter. Her face made a slight cringe in anticipation of the remark that Colonel O'Neill usually makes at this time. Bra'tac looked at her with an inquisitive expression about the face that she was making. But all she heard was silence and not the sound of the Colonel's voice.

Carter turned and saw that Colonel O'Neill was still lying on the steps of the Stargate and was bleeding profusely from his head.

"Colonel!" Carter shouted as she bent to see what was wrong with him.

Teal'c looked down, noticed the blood and bent down to assist Major Carter in tending to the Colonel.

"He's out cold," Carter stated. "I guess he must have hit his head pretty hard on the chamber."

Bra'tac touched the chamber where O'Neill had been laying and his fingers were wet with O'Neill's blood. Carter wiped O'Neill's forehead with her fingers, but he was still bleeding. She pulled up the bottom part of her T-shirt and ripped a portion of it off, using it to try and stop the bleeding. The material was quickly soaked with blood. Carter was about to rip another portion of her shirt when Bra'tac offered his cloak.

"Come, we have a place not far from here," Bra'tac said as he directed the group towards the village.

As they walked along Carter thought she recognized the scenery. She asked Teal'c where they were. He told her that they were on a planet that the SGC refers to as P3X234. She made the comment that this was Hathor's planet. Bra'tac advised her that since Colonel O'Neill had destroyed Hathor no Goa'uld had come to the world. He stated that the Jaffa who wanted to be free had taken it as their base. Carter looked around surprised at how many Jaffas there were who wanted freedom.

Bra'tac and several other Jaffas carried the stasis chamber while Teal'c carried an unconscious O'Neill to a building. Teal'c opened the door and walked right in, with Carter following close behind.

"Teal'c?" was said by Drey'ac.

Teal'c walked over to a room and put Colonel O'Neill down on the bed, Carter started tending to O'Neill's wound. Teal'c pulled Drey'ac aside and asked her to get some healing herbs for Colonel O'Neill, and she exited the home in search of some herbs.

Teal'c brought a bowl of water and another cloth for Carter to use to clean Colonel O'Neill's wound.

Many of the Jaffas had gathered around the Asgard stasis chamber so Teal'c went over to the chamber. He advised them that the being inside is an ally of the Tau'ri. They continued to stare at the stasis chamber until Bra'tac advised them that they needed to return to the Chaapa'ai to stand guard. The group then left the room and Teal'c closed the door to the room.

Teal'c entered the room where he left Colonel O'Neill and saw Major Carter still working on Colonel O'Neill. He asked how Colonel O'Neill was doing and Major Carter said that the Colonel probably had a concussion. She continued to clean up the cut on his forehead unit it clotted and stopped bleeding.

Drey'ac returned with herbs and told Carter to apply them directly to the wound. After applying the herbs to Colonel O'Neill, Carter got up and went into the other room to check on their other gate traveler.

"She is very concerned for Colonel O'Neill," Drey'ac said.

"Yes, she is greatly concerned about him. She is concerned about every member of the team," Teal'c stated.

Drey'ac looked at him and raised one of her eyebrows. As a woman she knew that Carter care more for the Colonel and showed it through her actions. However, she knew that Major Carter would not talk about her feelings for him at this time.

Carter returned to the room where Colonel O'Neill was placed and advised Teal'c that some of the same solvent that had fallen onto his space suite air tank had also fallen onto Thor's stasis chamber. She stated that the chamber was failing and if they could not fix it soon Thor would die. He asked her if she could fix it and she said that it was more complicated and that she needed help. He asked her if she knew how to contact the Asgard and she said she had an idea.

The gate was activated as Teal'c touched the center of the DHD. "I think that I should stay behind in case anything goes wrong," Carter stated.

"I will watch over Colonel O'Neill. You will need to state our case and ask for help. I wish you Good Luck Major Carter," Teal'c said.

Carter looked at the Stargate, to Teal'c, then to Drey'ac. "He will be fine until you return Major Carter," Drey'ac said.

Carter smiled at Drey'ac then turned to Teal'c and said that she would be back as soon as possible and stepped through the Stargate. Drey'ac turned and left the Stargate and walked to their home with Teal'c.

"It is a good that you promised to watch over Colonel O'Neill. I do not think that she would have left if you had not made that promise," Teal'c said. Drey'ac just smiled.

~*~

Carter stepped out of the gate to a very calm world and walked over to the main building. A person at the entrance recognized her, smiled and asked if he could help her. She stated that she needed to speak to Travell. The attendant asked her to come with him and he showed her to a room where she could wait until Travell was free. Carter took a seat by the pool of water in the room and minutes later the door opened. She stood expecting to see to Travell; instead Narim was standing there.

"Samantha! I am happy to see you. They informed me that you had returned. What can I assist you with?" Narim stated.

"I need to speak with Travell please" she replied.

Narim advised that Travell was in session right now but would be free in a short period of time. He asked Samantha how she was doing, and she replied by asking how long it would be before Travell was available. He grimaced at her impatience and said that Travell would be with them shortly. He motioned for her to take a seat and asked her what was the occasion for the visit. Sam sat down and told Narim about the events.

As he listened to her he was not sure if he saw tears in her eyes or if it was the water reflecting in her eyes. He decided that it was the water's reflection. After she finished he stated that they had an interesting dilemma, but warned her that they would be limited in the assistance they could render. Just then the attendant walked in and stated that Travell would see her now. Sam stood and exited the room and Narim followed her.

Carter explained the circumstances to Travell and then made her request for assistance. Travell advised that they might be able to assist her with the stasis chamber, but they could not assist her concerning the life of Asgard. Travell stated that they did not know enough about Asgard physiology to help. Carter asked if they could contact the Asgard for her and Travell stated that they did not know how to contact the Asgard. Carter almost snorted out loud in laughter at that statement. Even they knew how to contact the Asgard. She suddenly realized that she was acting a little like Colonel O'Neill and then it hit her that she had picked up some of his mannerisms.

Carter thought for a moment and then asked for their help in contacting the Nox. Travell advised that they can assist her with this. She gave Carter a slight smile knowing that Major Carter had figured out a way to seek help for the Asgard without causing the Tollans to violate their law.

~*~

General Hammond stared out the control room window as the crew set up the Beta gate. It is obvious to everyone how anxious the General was to have the gate activated; he was almost as anxious as Daniel Jackson was.

Major Davis approached General Hammond and advised that they would be ready to test the gate within the hour. He nodded his head in approval, then walked into his office where he found Dr. Fraiser waiting for him. He closed the door and she took a seat in front of his desk.

Hammond asked her what he could do for her. She said that she figured that it was useless for her to suggest that he get some rest, he just smiled at her. She then told him that she was concerned about Dr. Jackson because he left the infirmary too soon after his surgery. He said that he would try to get Dr. Jackson to slow down. He told her that, as soon as everything was up and running he would get some rest. She then reminded him that he should at least get something to eat so he could keep up his strength.

~*~

The Stargate on P3X234 activated and Carter and Narim stepped out of the gate. Bra'tac signaled for the Jaffa to lower their weapons. Carter and Narim then walked towards the village. Narim tried to make small talk while they walked, but Carter didn't really hear anything he said.

They entered the home and she saw Drey'ac tending to Colonel O'Neill. Drey'ac nodded her head to acknowledge Major Carter's return. Carter took Narim into the room where Thor's stasis chamber was located and Teal'c was standing guard over Thor as they entered. Narim looked at the stasis chamber and said that he could repair it. He told Samantha that she and Teal'c had to leave because the instruments and the methods he needed to use to repair the stasis chamber would expose them to technology that could not be shared at this time. Carter and Teal'c both exited the room, leaving Narim to do his work.

Carter walked to Colonel O'Neill's room and noticed that the Colonel had started to shiver. Drey'ac got up and placed a blanket on top of Colonel O'Neill. Carter sat down in the chair that Drey'ac had gotten up from and took a hold of the Colonel's hand.

"C-c-c-cold. It's cold," he said with his teeth chattering.

"Did he wake up at all while I was gone?" Carter asked.

"No he did not. He just now started to feel cold. Could there be something else wrong with Colonel O'Neill?" Drey'ac asked.

"I don't know," Carter stated. "Teal'c help me check the Colonel."

They started examining him for any type of marks or scars and did not see anything. The Colonel started shivering again and turned onto his side to curl up into a ball.

"Major Carter, what is this?" Teal'c asked.

Carter looked at what Teal'c had pointed out. It was an open wound on the back of Colonel O'Neill's neck and there was a silvery metal substance surrounding the wound. She noticed that the area around the wound was rapidly turning dark as if the skin was being destroyed. She then remembered that this metal substance was exactly like what had fallen on the air tank and the stasis chamber.

"It looks like the substance the Replicators use in dissolving things," she stated.

Teal'c asked Drey'ac to get some more herbs to place on the wound. She left and Carter took another cloth and tried to clean the wound. As she touched the area O'Neill moaned in pain, which caused her to cringe. She was trying to be careful but no matter how gently she touched the area it seemed to cause the Colonel pain. She got most of the area cleaned up when Drey'ac returned with some healing herbs. She gave the ground up herbs to Carter who applied them to the wound and bandaged it up.

"C-c-c-cold!" O'Neill said again.

"I will get more blankets," Drey'ac said.

"Sir, what happened to the back of your neck? Did the Replicators bite you?" Carter asked.

All she heard was the sound of his teeth chattering. Drey'ac returned with another blanket and they covered up O'Neill.

Narim came out of the room and advised that he needed to contact his world to have some things sent here so he could complete his work. Carter asked how Thor was doing. Narim said that once the chamber was fixed, Thor would remain alive until his people came for him. He noticed that Colonel O'Neill was covered in blankets and asked how the Colonel was doing.

Carter stated that O'Neill was infected by the Replicators and that he seemed to be getting worse. She then asked Narim if they could help since the Colonel was human. Narim said that he could not assist in that fashion either. He said that they would have to apply their technological skills to aid him and that was against their laws.

Now she saw red. She motioned to Teal'c and both he and Drey'ac stepped outside. Carter then walked over and stood directly in front of Narim.

"You mean to tell me that you are not going to try and do anything to help him? After all he has done for you and your people? In case you forgot, you are alive because of Colonel O'Neill. You and your planet would have been destroyed if we had not stepped in and saved your world from Goa'uld attack, or have you forgotten that?" Carter said in a controlled hostile tone.

"I am sorry Samantha, but I am forbidden by law to save him. I can only repair the stasis chamber since my technological skill to repair the chamber is applied to a more advanced race, and not a primitive race." He knew that the moment he said primitive it was the wrong word, but it was too late and he could not take it back.

She fought the urge to punch him out right there. She turned around and walked back to where Colonel O'Neill laid and sat down in the chair. Narim came up behind her and put his hands on her shoulders.

"Samantha, I apologize. I did not mean to call you that, I could not think of a better word to use that you would understand," Narim stated.

She leaned forward in the chair so that his hands no longer touched her shoulders. "Thank you for using simple words for me to understand. Now please excuse me while I attend to my friend. Don't you have to signal your world for some supplies?" Carter said in a very icy tone.

Narim turned and left. O'Neill started to shiver and his teeth started to chatter. She touched his forehead and it was cool and clammy to the touch. She touched his neck; then pulled back the blankets and lifted up his shirt to touch his stomach. She became concerned because they were all cool and clammy to the touch. She covered him back up and tucked the blankets tightly around him. She was really concerned now because his body temperature was dropping quickly. She figured that the solvent must have gotten into his blood and it was infecting him.

O'Neill started shivering to the point that he was shaking the blankets off of him. Carter covered him back up but he would not lay still. She then draped herself over him to hold him down into place and to keep the blankets on him.

Teal'c entered and saw Major Carter draped across Colonel O'Neill. He asked if the Colonel's condition had gotten worse and she said it had. He asked if Narim could help and she told him that Narim refused. Teal'c exited the home and stood guard. He asked Drey'ac to assist Carter in any way possible.

Narim returned from the Stargate with supplies in hand. He went to the entrance of the home and Teal'c blocked his passage. He told Narim that he must enter through another door to aid the Asgard. He stated that Major Carter was very upset and he did not think it would be wise if Major Carter were to see him now. Narim acknowledged this and Teal'c showed him to a side entrance so he could attend to the stasis chamber.

Inside O'Neill finally stopped shivering. Carter scooted her chair even closer and held onto O'Neill's hand. "Please hold on sir. Help will be here soon," she said in a hopeful tone. She continued holding his hand until she fell asleep.

She had been asleep for a while when she felt his hand move. He was shivering; again she draped her body over him to hold him down and to keep the blankets on him.

"C-c-c-cold!" he said barely above a whisper.

"I know sir. You have to hang on a little longer. You have to get better. Who else is going to take me fishing?" she said with a smile on her lips and tears in her eyes. She could not longer control her feelings; she was too exhausted to try and conceal them any longer.

A pair of eyes watched her from the door that was left ajar. The eyes watched as her tears fell onto the blanket. She put her head on the Colonel's chest, still holding onto his hand. The door was closed and he returned to his work at the stasis chamber. He knew that despite Samantha's earlier protests there was someone else in her life. He just saw the proof with his own eyes.

~*~

"We're ready for the first test sir," Major Davis said.

"Let's proceed then Major," Hammond replied back.

One by one the Chevrons locked into the place. The fifth Chevron locked into place and the room began to shake like it did the first time they opened the Stargate. The shaking increased as Chevron six locked into place.

"Chevron seven..." was all the Sergeant was able to say before the system overloaded.

"What happened?" General Hammond asked.

The Sergeant advised that there was a problem with the program concerning the different Earth symbol. Hammond shook his head in disgust.

"Let me know when everything is fixed. Can we received incoming travelers?" Hammond asked.

"Yes sir, but we can close the newly installed Iris to assure our safety," he stated.

"No, I want that Iris to remain open. I want more security assigned to the embarkation room and all doors to the room are to remain closed until we get this system up and running. The Iris will remain open in case SG-1 attempts to come home, " Hammond stated.

Everyone in the room stated, "Yes sir," to the General as he was walked out of the control room. He walked to his office and noticed that Dr. Jackson standing at the doorway. By the look on Dr. Jackson's face he realized that Jackson had overheard him when he said that SG-1 was out there, but Dr. Jackson was here. He knew that Jackson was taking it hard because he was not with his team.

Hammond looked at his desk and saw that Dr. Jackson had brought up some food and drinks.

"General Hammond sir, I thought you could use some lunch, so I brought you something to eat and drink."

General Hammond smiled and asked Daniel to join him as he closed the door to his office. They made small talk about anything and everything but the Stargate. Daniel said that he was going to try and get some rest and made a comment about the bags under General Hammond's eyes. He suggested that the General shut his eyes for a few minutes so he would be fresh when they were ready for the next test. He smiled at Jackson and said he would take it under advisement.

After Daniel left Hammond went to his private quarters on base and sat at the table in his quarters. The next thing he knew it was three hours later and Major Davis was knocking on the door saying that they were ready for a test again.

Hammond went into the control room for start of the test run. Chevron six had locked into place, everyone in the control and embarkation room held their breath. Chevron seven locked into place and a wormhole was established.

"Sir, permission to go with a rescue team to find SG-1," Daniel said. He was standing at attention like he was a soldier under General Hammond's command.

"Dr. Jackson I really don't..." was all Hammond managed to say.

"Sir, I have to be there when they go and get them. I have to bring them back," Daniel said almost pleading.

Hammond told Daniel that he was going to start sending out teams and that he could join SG-6 if he got permission from Dr. Fraiser to return to active duty. Daniel thanked the General. Daniel was half way out of the room when he turned around to talk to the General. He suggested that they try Tollana. He stated that he believes that they might have gated to that planet to wait until they were rescued. Hammond advised that it was a good place to start. Daniel then turned and practically sprinted out of the General's office to the infirmary. He thought that was rather odd considering Dr. Jackson recently had surgery.

~*~

The Stargate on P3X234 engaged and a lone figure exited the gate; it was Lya. Teal'c had been at the Stargate talking to Bra'tac when she came through. He greeted her then advised her of the situation including Colonel O'Neill's failing health. He took her in the back entrance first to look at Thor. She held the crook of her elbow in one hand and waved her other arm slowly over the stasis chamber. She advised that the Asgard was still alive but was very ill. She said that she needed to take him back to the Nox world and they would try to heal him there.

Teal'c then walked her to Colonel O'Neill's room. Major Carter had fallen asleep with her head on the Colonel's chest and was holding onto his hand. Teal'c touched Major Carter's shoulder and she woke up. She looked up and noticed that Lya was standing at the other side of O'Neill's bed.

"Can you help him?" was all Carter said.

Again Lya held the crook of her elbow in one hand and slowly waved her arm over Colonel O'Neill. She kept her eyes closed after she finished and slowly lowered her arm.

"Teal'c can you arrange for Colonel O'Neill to be carried to the Stargate? We need to take him back to the Nox world as soon as possible," Lya said.

"Is it that bad?" Teal'c and Major Carter said in unison.

"His life force is quickly draining out of him and I fear he will soon die," Lya said.

"I will have a stretcher ready for him in a minute and then we can leave," Teal'c replied.

Teal'c told Narim that he should guide the stasis chamber since the anti-gravity mode was working again. Teal'c picked up one end of the stretcher and Carter picked up the other end of the stretcher. Narim started to offer but Carter gave him a look that made him a step back. Bra'tac then put his hands over Carter's hands and told her that he would carry O'Neill to the Chaapa'ai. She started to object but Bra'tac insisted that it was the least he could do.

The group went to the Stargate and activated it so they could go to the Nox home world. Carter then took the stretcher from Bra'tac since he was to remain on the planet. She thanked him for all of his help and kissed him on the cheek. He looked in her eyes and could see the sincerity behind her words. The group then stepped through the Stargate.

~*~

Dr. Fraiser had just finished examining Daniel and was writing down her findings when her pen gave out. She grabbed a pencil and finished writing her findings on the chart.

"So will you release me so I can join SG-6?" Daniel asked.

Dr. Fraiser then told Daniel that she preferred it if he would stay there and rest. She said he had just had surgery and his body needed time to heal. He told her that he had to be there when they found SG-1. She frowned and told Daniel that she was sorry, but he was not well enough to go on a rescue mission. She told him to get dressed and to come by her office for some more antibiotics. She then left the examination room so Daniel could dress.

After dressing he stepped into her office and she gave him some antibiotics. She was called to the cafeteria; it seems that someone had gotten hurt in the cafeteria. She left her office with Daniel still there. He looked over and saw his chart on her desk. He looked very carefully and noticed that the part about him not being fit to return to active duty was written in pencil. He picked up the chart, made his adjustments then made a photocopy of his chart. He then he corrected the chart so that it reflected what Dr. Fraiser had written, then placed it back on her desk and left her office.

Daniel walked in on the debriefing of SG-6. General Hammond questioned him as to whether or not he had been released by Dr. Fraiser. He said that he even brought a copy of her releasing him for active duty. General Hammond looked it over and approved. General Hammond dismissed the team, advising them that they had half an hour to gear up for their trip through the gate. He asked Daniel if he felt up to it and Daniel said he was ready.

Twenty minutes later Daniel was standing in the embarkation room waiting for the rest of SG-6 to show up. SG-6 entered the embarkation room a couple of minutes later. General Hammond said that since they were all ready to go now, he was going to send them through the Stargate a few minutes early.

The familiar whoosh of the Stargate was heard and the Major Moore signaled for SG-6 to enter the gate. Dr. Fraiser walked into the control room as the team was departing, expecting to see Daniel in the control room. She was surprised that he was not there watching the team's departure. She figured he was upset that he couldn't go with them and did not want to watch SG-6 leave.

Dr. Fraiser walked up to the window to watch SG-6 depart. Suddenly she spotted a very familiar backside that did not belong on SG-6.

"Dr. Jackson" she said over the microphone.

Daniel turned, looked up at her and saluted her and General Hammond, then stepped through the Stargate.

"Damn that man!" Dr. Fraiser said under her breath. "General Hammond what was Dr. Jackson doing leaving with SG-6. I gave him specific orders that he was to rest. He was not cleared for active duty."

General Hammond walked into his office and handed Dr. Fraiser the form that Dr. Jackson had given to him earlier. She could plainly see that it was her handwriting and suddenly she realized that he had changed "UNFIT" for active duty to "FIT" for active duty. She pointed out to General Hammond where Dr. Jackson had adjusted the sheet from her original writings.

"General Hammond I think that Dr. Jackson has been hanging around Colonel O'Neill too much. This is a stunt that Colonel O'Neill would pull, not Dr. Jackson" Dr. Fraiser said in a curt tone.

General Hammond tried his best not to crack a smile. He reassured her that he would have a talk with Dr. Jackson the moment he returned. She sighed and walked out of the General's office, then he let his smile show. He didn't think that Dr. Jackson had it in him to pull a stunt like that. This stunt reaffirmed his belief that SG-1 would move heaven and earth to rescue one another.

~*~

SG-6 stepped through the gate onto Tollana and asked to speak with Travell. They were asked to wait since she was busy with other business. She finally was able to see them late that afternoon. She advised them of the events that had occurred, and asked them to stay the night and rest before continuing their search. That night Daniel did not have much of an appetite and retired early. Major Moore spoke to his second in command, Captain Knight. He told Knight to keep an eye out for Dr. Jackson because he was still weak from his surgery. Captain Knight agreed to do so and the team bedded down for the night.

~*~

Carter the Teal'c had carried the Stretcher quite a distance before they reached the hut they previously visited on the Nox world. Lya directed them where to place Colonel O'Neill and then excused herself and disappeared.

Carter stepped out of the hut stating she was going to check on Thor. Narim was looking over the chamber as she walked up.

"Is everything working okay?" Carter asked.

"Everything is working fine Samantha. How is Colonel O'Neill?" Narim asked

"I really don't know. He hasn't regained consciousness. I'm a little concerned because Lya insisted we come here so quickly. I think that Colonel O'Neill is in bad shape."

Narim took a step towards Samantha and she stood still, then he took another step to stand directly in front of her. As he did this she took several steps backwards away from him and towards the hut.

"I need to check on Colonel O'Neill," she said as she quickly entered the hut.

Narim was now certain that he had upset Samantha because he would not offer to heal Colonel O'Neill or do anything else for the Asgard.

Teal'c came out of the hut and walked up to Narim. "I thank you for repairing the stasis chamber of the Asgard," Teal'c said in his usual calm tone.

"You are welcome Teal'c. I am sorry that I could not do more" Narim responded.

Teal'c took a position of guarding the hut and Narim kept his distance from the hut. He wanted to go in and see how Samantha was doing. He knew that she was very upset, but he did not think that Teal'c would allow him to do that. He took a step towards the hut and Teal'c looked at him and raised an eyebrow. Narim had just confirmed his beliefs.

Lya returned with Anteaus and Olfeur, whom they had met on their previous trip to the Nox world. All three Nox then entered the hut and soon Carter came out of the hut. Carter, Teal'c and Narim all took a seat just outside the entrance of the hut and waited.

It had been over an hour when Carter stood up and started to pace. Each minute seemed to make her pace around even more, then Nufreau appeared before her. He smiled at her and reached out and took her hand. Together the two of them walked into the forest away from the hut.

~*~

The Stargate activated and SG-6 stepped out of the gate onto the rebel Jaffa planet. Everyone had their weapons aimed at each other and was ready to fire until Bra'tac signaled for everyone to lower their weapons. Bra'tac greeted the humans and explained to Daniel why SG-1 was no longer on their world. SG-6 got reorganized and soon they were on their way to the Nox home world.

~*~

SG-6 arrived on the Nox world and Daniel told Major Moore that they needed to travel the rest of the way without their weapons. He objected and Daniel said that the Nox did not allow weapons on their world. Daniel said that he knew where SG-1 might be located and said that he would go unarmed. Major Moore raised an eyebrow at Captain Knight and the Captain then volunteered to go with Daniel. He removed his weapons but retained the rest of his pack.

An hour later Daniel and Captain Knight arrived at the hut. Teal'c stood up and greeted the two. Daniel looked around and asked where Sam and Jack Teal'c advised that the Nox were in with Colonel O'Neill and that Nufreau had taken Major Carter into the forest.

Daniel sat down and asked Teal'c what happened since they were beamed onto the Asgard ship. Teal'c had been talking for a while when Daniel went pale and passed out. Captain Knight caught Daniel and Teal'c asked what was wrong. Knight advised that Daniel was still weak from his surgery and that he needed to rest. Teal'c asked why had Dr. Jackson been allowed on the mission if he was not well. Captain Knight advised that they could not keep Daniel away. He said that Daniel kept on insisting that he could go on. Captain Knight advised Teal'c that Daniel was very determined to find SG-1.

A few minutes later Daniel came to and asked what had happened. Teal'c advised that he was too ill to travel and should not have come. Daniel looked at Teal'c and said that he had to find them.

Then Olfeur and Anteaus came out of the hut and noticed Daniel's pale face as he stood to greet them.

"You are not well Daniel? Come eat, you need to get back your strength," Anteaus said.

Anteaus made a motion and the group looked behind them and there was food in the clearing behind them. The group moved to the area and started to eat. Teal'c then asked about Colonel O'Neill.

"Your Colonel O'Neill is a strong man, with a strong desire to live. He will be fine. He just needs to rest for now," Olfeur stated.

"Yes and we too must rest before we try to heal the Asgard. It took a lot of energy for us to heal Colonel O'Neill, so we must prepare ourselves before healing the Asgard," Anteaus said.

"What of the Asgards? Were you able to contact them concerning Thor?" Teal'c asked.

"We have and it will be some time before they arrive" Olfeur stated.

Lya then walked up to the group and greeted them. She looked at Daniel and asked why he traveled here when he should be healing. He looked at her and the expression on his face said more than words could express about his concern for his teammates. She nodded her head and said that she understood. She sat down and joined them.

"Where is Samantha?" Narim asked.

"She is fine. She is with Nufreau and he will bring her back when she is ready and when Colonel O'Neill is awake" Olfeur stated.

Captain Knight excused himself and stepped off to the side. He radioed SG-6 to update them on the progress. He said that he had not seen Major Carter or Colonel O'Neill yet, but he was assured that they were okay. Major Moore advised him to keep them updated and that they would remain at the gate. Captain Knight returned to the group and took his seat as Nufreau and Carter appeared.

"Daniel!" Carter said as she rushed to hug him.

Daniel stood up and hugged Sam, holding her a little longer and tighter than usual. She was shocked by his enthusiasm. She looked at him and saw that he was pale. She asked him what he was doing here. He told her that he had to come, no matter what. She saw the look in his eyes and understood the meaning behind his words, they were his family.

"If you will excuse me, I want to go check on Colonel O'Neill," Carter said.

"They say that he is resting at this time Samantha" Narim stated.

"I know, Nufreau told me that they had finished with the Colonel. We returned because he should be waking up soon," Carter said. She then walked inside the hut.

Teal'c asked Daniel Jackson why Dr. Fraiser released him in a weakened condition. He then told Teal'c what he had done, and Teal'c asked why he would risk his health to find them. Daniel told him that they were all the family he had. Teal'c nodded his head to show that he understood.

Carter took a seat on the side of the pallet that Colonel O'Neill was laid out on. She knew that he was alive because she could see him breathing. She took his hand and held it in hers. It was warm to the touch and not clammy as it was the last time she touched him. She touched his forehead and he seemed to feel fine. She knew that he was healed, but she wished that he would wake up.

Anteaus then said that they needed to leave to go to their city. He advised that it would take many more of the Nox to help heal the Asgard as his condition was much worse. Then Anteaus and Olfeur vanished as did the Asgard stasis chamber. Lya remained and put her hand on Daniel's abdomen area. She closed her eyes and Daniel closed his eyes too, then he felt warm all over. He opened his eyes and saw Lya smiling at him, and he felt refreshed.

"Do you feel better?" Lya asked.

"Yes, thank you," Daniel said in a soft tone.

Lya smiled and told Daniel that she needed to go and assist them with the Asgard. He thanked her again for everything. She looked at Narim and thanked him for helping with the chamber. He nodded his head and asked if he could do more. She advised that they would take care of the Asgard and that he was free to leave for Tollana. He thanked her and Lya disappeared.

He stood and said that he needed to return to Tollana, but he wanted to say Good-bye to Samantha. Teal'c went into the hut and retrieved Major Carter. Narim motioned for her to walk with him out of earshot of the others.

"Samantha, I must depart at this time. It was good to see you again," Narim stated.

"Thank you for helping with the stasis chamber, and for contacting the Nox. We appreciate all that you did," she said.

He smiled at her and she gave a partial smile to him. She turned and walked back towards the hut. Captain Knight walked past Major Carter and stated that with her permission he would escort Narim to the Stargate. She advised that it was a good idea. Captain Knight was a smart man and knew that SG-1 needed some time alone especially after what they had been through.

She returned to where Daniel and Teal'c were waiting and she again hugged Daniel. She was so happy that he had found them, now they were a team again. She excused herself and went back into the hut to be with Colonel O'Neill. She said that someone should be there when he woke up.

She entered the hut and saw that he was still asleep. She sat beside him and held his hand to assure that he was still warm. She felt confident that he would be fine now because the Nox had healed him. She was struggling to keep her eyes open, but exhaustion finally won out and she fell asleep.

Nufreau then appeared before Daniel and Teal'c advising them that Carter was sleeping now as was O'Neill. He suggested that they too try to rest and that soon everyone would feel better. Daniel smiled at Nufreau and thanked him for his advice. Daniel sat down, leaned against a tree and almost fell asleep instantly. Teal'c also sat against a tree but just watched Daniel Jackson. Nufreau asked Teal'c why he did not sleep and he said that he would sleep later. Nufreau smiled and said that he would return later then vanished. Teal'c then closed his eyes to meditate.

He felt something on his chest and instinctively reached out to touch it with his right hand. He felt a head of hair, and started to reach up to touch it with his left hand when he realized that he was holding onto someone else's hand with his left hand. He opened his eyes and saw a head of blonde hair and the face of his second in command, Major Samantha Carter. He took in a deep breath and this woke up his sleeping Major.

"Jack...Sir, you're awake! I'm glad you're feeling better," she said. She then drew his left hand up and placed it on his chest as she released his hand. She gave him a big smile and he gave her a smile back.

"Sorry to wake you Sam, but I'm an early riser you know" O'Neill said with a touch of witticism.

"Yes sir" was all she said with a big smile on her face.

O'Neill slowly sat up and looked around trying to get his bearings. He asked where they were and she told him that they were on the Nox home world. He asked how they got there, and then he realized that Thor was not there. He asked where Thor was. Carter explained the circumstances of what had happened since he had been knocked out and that the Nox were now healing Thor. She offered him something to eat and drink, saying that he needed to regain his strength. He ate a little bit and then exited the hut. The sun was just rising when he spotted his other team members. Teal'c opened his eyes and nodded a greeting to Colonel O'Neill.

Jack then walked over to Daniel and shook his shoulders. "Wakey, Wakey Danny boy!"

Daniel slowly responded and then looked up and saw that it was Jack who woke him up.

"Jack!" Daniel said as he stood up and hugged him tightly.

"Whoa, good to see you too Daniel," Jack responded.

Just then Nufreau appeared with a big smile on his lips. "It is good that everyone is now rested. I have returned to tell you that the Asgard you call Thor is healing. We contacted the Asgard and they are sending someone to retrieve Thor."

O'Neill asked if he could see Thor but Nufreau said that it would be some time until Thor was able to talk to them. Nufreau said that many of the Nox had to help heal Thor and that they were all resting now.

Just then Lya appeared. She apprised the team of Thor's condition, saying that he will need a few days to fully recover. She then asked Daniel how he felt and he told her that he felt much better, and thanked her for what she did for him. She then told them that they would take care of Thor until the Asgard came for him and not to worry. She told Colonel O'Neill that he had the gratitude of the Asgard for saving the life of Thor. She then told O'Neill that they had learned much and she was glad to see them again.

She said she agreed with the Asgard, believing that they were on their way to becoming the Fifth Race. She smiled at them and then vanished. Nufreau waved to the group and he too vanished. Sam, Daniel and Teal'c all looked at Jack and noticed that he had a big smile on his face, for only he knew what was meant by becoming the Fifth Race.

The team then turned and started their walk back to the Stargate. Daniel radioed to the awaiting SG-6 team that SG-1 was on their way.

~*~

"General Hammond, sir" Major Davis stated. Hammond turned and looked at Davis.

"Sir we have located some of the wreckage from the Asgard ship and we have clean up crews on the way to pick up the debris. We also located the Stargate, but it is very deep water. It will take some time, but we will be able to recover it" Major Davis stated.

"Very good Major. The moment they recover the Stargate I want a Special Forces team from the SGC to escort the Stargate back to the SGC. That gate is property of the SGC and no one else is to handle it. Understood Major!" Hammond stated.

"Yes sir. Understood!" Major Davis said smiling in agreement while giving a sharp salute to General Hammond.

The Klaxon alarm sounded, signaling off world activation. The security forces armed their weapons and focused their attention on the wormhole that had just been engaged. General Hammond rushed into the control room. The Iris had not been engaged because they were missing SG-1 and they did not have a remote transmitter with them. He could not risk them trying to gate back into a closed Iris.

"Sir, we have a signal. It's SG-6" the Sergeant stated in an excited tone.

General Hammond immediately went down to the embarkation, and was soon joined by Dr. Fraiser. She heard the alarm go off and was hoping that her friends were returning home.

SG-6 came out of the gate first with smiles on their faces. They were down the ramp before they turned around to await the arrival of the rest of the group. Everyone silently held their breath awaiting their missing companions to step through the Stargate.

Colonel Jack O'Neill, still dressed in his civilian clothes, was first through the gate and quickly followed by the rest of his team. A cheer went up in the embarkation room as they strolled down the ramp. General Hammond stood at the bottom of the ramp awaiting the team. O'Neill walked to the bottom of the ramp and stopped directly in front of General Hammond.

"General Hammond sir!" O'Neill said saluting General Hammond with a smile on his face. "SG-1 returning for duty sir."

"Welcome Home Son! Well done." General Hammond stated as he returned the salute. "Welcome home all of you," he said as he turned to include SG-6 in his welcome. "Colonel O'Neill briefing in three hours." "Yes sir," Colonel O'Neill responded with a smile.

SG-1 then filed out of the embarkation room on their way to the infirmary for an examination.

"So sir, is that invitation for fishing still open?" Carter said hesitantly.

Jack turned to her a little surprised and smiled at her. "Sure is Sam. Want to go? I thought you wanted to play with your reactor thingy?" he said.

"Well things have changed. Besides it's a woman's right to change her mind" she said with a smile.

"Ah, Jack? Now that I'm feeling better do you mind if I come too?" Daniel said.

Jack put his hand on Daniel's head and mussed up his hair. "Sure thing Danny boy, only don't expect me to bait your hook. What do you say Teal'c, up for a little bit of communing with nature?" Jack said lifting his eyebrows up as he spoke to Teal'c.

"This fishing sounds very intriguing Colonel O'Neill. Thank you I would like to accompany you all on this trip you call a vacation" Teal'c responded.

Jack put his arm on Daniel's shoulder and around Sam's waist, she put her arm around his waist, and Daniel put his arm behind Teal'c back as they all walked arm and arm down the hallway. "Look out fishies, here we come" Jack said as they walked to the infirmary with smiles on their faces.

~*~

Thanks for reading it. Let me know what you think.




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