"Let me do it."
Major Samantha Carter eyed her CO skeptically right after he said those words. There was something awfully wrong with the offer.
"What?" Jack raised his eyebrows in response to her suspicion. "I know how hard it is for you to tell Jakey-boy. So let me do it."
Armed with fork on the right hand and knife on the left, the major narrowed her eyes. He was up to something. While most of the time she didn't care what it was, this time was different. It concerned her father.
"Besides, Jacob knows better than kill a messenger, right?" he coaxed her while stealing fries from her plate.
She ignored the liberty that he had taken upon her food. The grip on her knife tightened when the potato piece disappeared into the cavern of his mouth. Her stance was downright intimidating.
Unfortunately, Jack O'Neill was not the kind of person who could be intimidated easily. "Come on, Carter. The fact is simple. You *can't* do it. So let me do it instead."
"Why?" Doubt and mistrust filled her voice.
"Hey, do I need to give a reason to help a very good friend?" He advised while stealing another one of her fries.
Her lips had formed a thin line. "I'm sure that there's something you're not telling me."
He shrugged his shoulder. "You asked 'why', I'm just answering your question."
"Yeah, but we both know that you are not *just* a messenger. So give! Why?" she pressed. "And please, Colonel, I know you. Give me a little credit by not lying to me."
"Tsk, tsk, tsk. Don't you trust me?"
"When you ask the question like that, no, I don't," she answered without hesitation.
He raised one eyebrow in typical Teal'c fashion. "Well, you should." He leaned back in his chair and looked thoughtful. "You should have a blind trust in me, even more since we --"
"Alright, alright," she cut him short. She found him to be more incorrigible these days, especially after *the* incident. He always found a way to tease her about it every chance he got, particularly knowing that it made her uncomfortable. She honestly didn't know why it freaked the hell out of her. "Do whatever you want. It's not like you won't do it without my permission anyway," she said curtly.
He grinned devilishly. "Jake won't know what's coming."
She was fighting the urge to kick his shin under the table. Too bad that it was classified under 'attacking a superior officer'. "Please remember that Dad is a Tok'ra representative. Don't do anything that might jeopardize our alliance."
"Don't worry, Carter. I can be diplomatic if I want to."
She muttered under her breath. "That is what I am afraid of."
***
Jacob didn't like the way his daughter nervously twisted the straw of her drink, her eyes were downcast as if she was guilty of something. He didn't like the fact her CO sat next to her either, with a secretive smile on his lips. They had been like that since he arrived on Earth a few hours ago. They said that they had something to say to him, so he let them lead him out of the mountain into one of the restaurants in town.
He was no fool. He knew that there was 'something' between the two officers situated on the other side of the table. He saw them working together, how their eyes always communicate without words, the way he looked at her when he thought that no one was looking, the way she worried about him when he was in trouble, and the deep understanding that they shared. Jacob envied and concerned at the same time.
Therefore, he knew that he wouldn't like whatever coming his way.
'Give them a chance to explain before you jump into any conclusion, Jacob,' Selmac suddenly said inside his head.
'What conclusion?'
The inner snort of his symbiote only fueled his foul mood.
"Jacob, we have something that we want to tell you," Jack started, his eyes flickered briefly to Sam. "We think it's better for you to hear it from us."
If Jack had been so foolish to touch his little girl, he would personally see that the colonel paid for it. Selmac was the only reason Jacob managed to bite back the sharp retort. "What is it?"
"Before I start, please let me tell you first that this is not our fault."
Fault? That implied that there was mistake. And he could only think of one mistake right now.
"Sam," he called his daughter. Her head snapped up to meet his gaze.
"Yes, Dad."
"You're not carrying Jack's child, are you?" He bluntly asked the worst-case scenario.
"*What?*" Sam reacted instinctively.
"*My child?*" Jack's reaction was identical.
Good.
Judging by their response, it was not that.
A few heads turned towards their table.
'Jacob, she's going to hate you for that,' Selmac gently reprimanded her host.
'It was the only way to get a confirmation right away.' He was so relieved that he was actually feeling good about himself.
"Dad, how could you say such thing?" Sam's indignant question almost made him feel guilty about what he had just said. Almost.
"Sweety, what else should I think about? You and Jack have been acting strangely. I just wanted to know that it was not that," he defended his action. "Now I can relax a bit. Surely whatever is coming, it can't be worse than that."
To his surprise, Jack laughed out loud. "I knew there was a reason why I liked you."
Sam glared at the two men. "Sure, gang up on me, why don't you? It's not like it was *your* virtue that he was attacking."
"Calm down, Carter. We haven't told him yet."
"So, what is the big news then?"
Jack cleared his throat. "Well, I think it's better to tell you everything from the beginning so that you can see the whole picture."
Jacob nodded in consent.
Jack continued, "A couple weeks ago, we went to this planet."
"P98 B2X" Sam supplied the address.
"Right, they called themselves Raven."
"Ravan," Sam corrected.
Showing no indifference to the correction, Jack leaned forward, resting his arms on the table. "Anyway, we came during the festival that's held every year. If I'm not mistaken it was to celebrate the first King's coronation or something. They were quite nice bunch of people if I may say so, but they don't speak English. Since the Tok'ra borrowed Daniel at that moment, another geek was assigned to our team. His name is Kiddy."
"Kid. Dr. Trevor Kid," Sam said.
"We didn't realize it then, but we think that he is one of Kinsey's informants. He had the skill, being a geek that he is, not as good as Daniel obviously, but he did what he was paid for. So, we go on our merry way."
"Wait, what does Kinsey want exactly?" Jacob interrupted.
"We'll explain later. Don't worry," Jack assured him. "Where was I? Oh yeah, the festival. Carter did her usual mineral survey while I had Teal'c watch out for Kiddy. Like Daniel, he was easily excited by the culture and started asking questions. Apparently, the high priest was going to make an appearance the day after. Whoever this guy was, his people really liked him. They talked and talked about him, saying how grateful they were that he was watching over them all the time. I didn't like the sound of it."
"You wondered whether he was a Goa'uld," Jacob whispered.
"Yup. So we decided to stick around and poke our nose in. This high priest guy ... Carter, what was his name again?"
"Sridurka."
"Thanks. This Ska guy has an even greater power than the King, and the people worship him like a god."
"Typical Goa'uld MO," Jacob agreed with the colonel's assessment.
"Right on the money. Since we can't speak the language, Kiddy was the only one who could interact with them. He told us that this Ska guy only showed his face once a year, the rest he spends in his cave to meditate. He'll accept offering from the villager and exchange them with his blessing. In order to get close to him, we had no other choice but to do this offering as well."
Sam added, "The King was pleased to know that we went along with his custom. He said that by doing this, we were one step ahead of understanding his people. In our honor, we were told that we could see the priest right after him. The King is always the first one to do the offering."
"There are two types of blessing. One is the general one, you know, may God bless you with loads of money, health, children and all that crap. The other one is marriage blessing. This guy was the only one on the kingdom that can perform wedding ceremony. Anyway, to indicate which blessing you want, all you have to do is put your offering either in left or right side of his feet."
"Did you manage to meet him? Is he a Goa'uld?" Curiosity piqued, Jacob eagerly asked the question.
Jack ignored him. "I needed Carter to sense the naquada, and Kiddy to translate, so they went in with me. I had Teal'c hiding just outskirt of the village just in case something was wrong. We had the comm open all the time. So, in we go."
"And what happened?"
"That was when Kiddy screwed up. Big time." The grin on Jack's face made Jacob's frown. Usually, when someone under his command made a mistake, Jack would be furious. Selmac was equally puzzled.
"Why are you glad that he screwed up?" Jacob questioned.
Jack turned towards Sam and she looked back at him. "Do you want to tell him, or should I?"
She visibly flinched. "You do it. You said that you wanted to, right?"
"Sam, what's wrong, honey?" Jacob was getting worried about his little girl. "You're not injured or anything, are you?"
"No, Dad, it's not like that," she quickly assured him.
"Then what?"
Jack was positively glowing. "We went in and got closer to him. And we give him the offering, as instructed by the King. Carter was sure that she couldn't sense the naquada in him. I'm convinced as well, because this Ska guy turned out to be very old. Goa'uld is a vain being, he would have kept his host young or move to another host instead of staying in that old man body. He was quite nice as well, we chat for a bit."
"And?" Jacob encouraged.
"We were quite pleased about it, to be honest. Because his people genuinely adored him and it would've been hard for us to help them see the evil that he was, *if* he was a snakehead."
"Jack, don't play around with me. What is it that you want to tell me about," Jacob's patient was gone. "If this story has something to do with my daughter, I want to know about it *now*!"
"Jeez, Jacob. I was getting into that. Like I said in the beginning, it's important for you to know the whole story."
"Go on then."
"Anyway, we were happy that he was not a snakehead. But, after the offering took place, we noticed that Kiddy was acting strange. He was pale and didn't talk much. Not his usual chipper himself. We thought nothing of it at first; he might have had indigestion or constipation for all we cared. So, we went home. A few days later, Carter's sample turns the lab upside down. We found trinium. So, we went back to that planet again. We brought Daniel this time."
"The King was pleased to see us again and when we said that we wanted to trade with them, he gladly accepted." Sam put in.
"And after that, you know how curious Daniel is, right? He wanted to stay there after the negotiation, interacting with the native. I didn't see any reason why not, so I agreed. Because of that, we discover something," Jack said.
"Explain," Jacob ordered.
"Well, we found out why Kiddy was acting strange. Do you remember the priest?"
"Yeah."
"Even though Kiddy's grasp of their language was excellent, he made one big mistake."
"What was it?"
"When concerning the high priest, everything that was said *had* to be in his point of view. For example, the King told Kiddy that the offering had to be laid on the left side. However, the left side of the priest in his perspective is our right." He paused. "Do you follow me, Jake?"
Jacob had a sinking feeling as the realization dawned. "No, it can't be," he shook his head in denial.
It couldn't be. No way. His little girl ...
"Do you remember the two types of blessings that the priest gave?" Jack asked.
He stared at his daughter first. She was trying to hide behind her glass unsuccessfully, and then at the man next to her.
"No," the whisper was so weak.
Jack's brown eyes twinkled with amusement. "Well, what do you say, Jake? Should I call you Dad for real now?"
***
Sam watched her father wearily. He hadn't said anything for a few minutes. The silence was almost unbearable. His face was blank since the colonel dropped the bombshell. His mouth was opened slightly.
"Dad, are you alright?" she called out gently.
"Leave him be for a few moment, Carter. There was a lot to take in. Believe me," the colonel said. "If it took me almost two days to fully understand what was going on, Jacob could have all the time in the world to do the same."
She had to admit that it was a valid point. Besides, it took her almost four days. And truth be told, she hadn't completely gotten over it yet.
She sighed. "At least Dad knows now."
He looked at her father thoughtfully. "We should wait until he completely comes out of it before we tell him the rest."
"You have no objection from this side," she was in agreement.
She dreaded her father's reaction of the news, but she had to admit that the colonel had handled it amicably - because Jacob was neither shouting, swearing, or trying to kill the colonel. Or should she have said, her *husband*.
Admitting that freaked her out.
She didn't know whether to laugh or cry. Fortunately, their friendship didn't appear to be affected by the newest development of their relationship. It still didn't change the fact that she was now his *wife* though. It was true that they hadn't said 'I do' to each other, but it didn't seemed to matter much.
She better stop thinking about this. She'd spent enough time pondering about it and always ended up more confused than before.
Thankfully, only a handful people knew about this. Daniel and Teal'c for sure, they couldn't keep a secret that big from them. Dr. Kid obviously, because he was the one who got them into this mess. Then General Hammond, because they *had* to report this to him. Janet because Sam couldn't keep this to herself, thus by default, Cassie knew too. And then the President, because the general also *had* to report this to him. The Joint Chief, because the President *had* to consult this 'delicate' matter with them. Probably the Supreme Judge too, because the President might need his legal advice regarding this. Major Davis knew as well, because they would need him if the sh*t hit the fan. That scum Kinsey might know about this too, if Kid was foolish enough to tell him. And *now* her father.
Wow, if she made a list like that, actually, more than a handful of people knew about this.
Ugh.
Headache.
Better stop thinking.
See, she was running around in circle. No conclusion could be drawn from this.
A warm hand enclosed hers from under the table.
"You okay?"
She titled her head. "Could've been worse. But yeah, I'm okay."
He chuckled softly. "At least Jacob listened to the whole story, so he knows that we're innocent."
"He hasn't gone berserk yet." She shrugged lightly. "Just wait for a moment."
"Hey, everything is going to be alright," he assured her, squeezing her hand firmly.
"Thank you."
"Besides, I figure if he's going to go nuts, he's going to blame me, not you."
Her eyes narrowed again. "That's why you wanted to be the one who let him know, wasn't it?"
"What do you mean?" He had the face of an innocent child.
"You wanted to do this to him as a down payment for whatever Dad's going to do to you, don't you?" she accused while her finger pointed at the direction of her stunned father.
He grinned unrepentantly.
"Carter, your Dad -- ahem, *our* Dad, is not the kind of man who can't see reason, but you must admit that he was going to rip me apart for letting this happened to you. Maybe throw me a punch or two just to vent his anger. Besides, how can this be worse than me impregnating you?"
Unable to resist his charm for much longer, she chuckled. "You're right. I don't where he got that idea from."
He smiled at her. "You haven't laughed like that for a long time." His hand flew to cup her cheek. "You should do it more often."
The show of affection surprised her, but she didn't flinch from the touch. In fact, she leaned towards it, wanting more than what was offered.
"Don't. Touch. Her." Livid and yet controlled voice broke the moment.
She felt his thumb stroke her skin before the hand withdrew. Her Dad sure picked the right moment to snap out of his reverie. In fact, like the colonel suspected, Jacob was openly hostile towards him. If the dead glare was any indication.
"You. Me. Outside. Now." Jacob grabbed the collar of the younger man and half-dragged him from his chair. The restaurant was full; Jacob didn't want to make a scene.
"See you in a bit, Carter."
Knowing for sure that the colonel could take care of himself, she was not worried. Besides, Selmac would interfere before things get out of hand. "Sure."
She picked up the menu and started browsing, hoping to find blue Jell-O in it.
Around ten minutes later, the colonel came inside and joined her, minus her furious father.
"Jacob went for a walk. He said that he needed to cool down for a bit," he explained as he sat down.
She understood that. "What about you? Are you alright?"
He winced slightly. "My ears are still ringing from all the shouting. But hey, he didn't punch me. That's good, right?"
"Yeah." She was distracted by her father's behavior. "Are you sure that he was okay?"
"Selmac will take care of him. Don't worry."
She pinched the bridge of her nose. Suddenly, she felt so weary. "Do you think he'll be able to accept this?"
"Why not? You do. I do. Hammond does. He just needs some time."
"I know. I just wished that it could have been different. More than anything, I fear his reaction."
"He loves you, Carter. He has not shouted at you yet, has he?"
"That's because you are here." That had made him the more likely recipient of Jacob's anger than her. "Thanks."
"No problem. I made him speechless for quite sometime. It was worth it." He took her hand again.
"What about the rest? Do you think he could take it?"
"He's your father. He should know what to expect from you. So to answer your question, yes, he'll deal with it."
"I hope you're right." She let out a big sigh.
Without word, he put his arms around her and held her close.
***
Jack listened in fascination while he kept his eyes on the road.
"Can you annul the marriage?" Jacob asked.
"No, Dad, we can't," Carter answered.
"Why not? You haven't consummated the marriage yet, have you?"
She frowned at her father disapprovingly. "Are you really sure that you want to hear the answer?"
Jacob had progressed from denial to salvaging stage. Which meant he had accepted the fact, but would do anything to fix it. Desperately grasping for bits and pieces, and hoped that he could build something out of it. And, it started to annoy Carter immensely. Jacob had mentioned every possible scenario to make the problem (i.e. the wedding) go away during the drive to her house.
"Look Jacob. We thought long and hard about it as well. But, you should be aware that there are circumstances surrounding this marriage," Jack finally took pity on her and came to her rescue.
"And what is that?" Jacob snapped at him. He was still not forgiven, not that Jack cared. Carter senior would come around, sooner or later.
"Do you remember when I say that Kiddy might be Kinsey's man?"
The mention of the senator's name sobered up the solemn father. "What does it have to do with him?"
"That scumbag has been trying to discredit SG-1 by any means. Even suggesting to the President that Carter and I are fraternizing. The President didn't believe it of course, so he discussed this with Hammond. We think that Kiddy was planted in the SGC to gather up evidence. Knowing him, he'll make something up. With Daniel's expertise often needed by other teams, Kiddy could be in a mission with SG-1 quite easily."
Jacob closed his eyes and cursed. "So, by staying married, even if Kinsey managed to come up with something, he couldn't use it against you."
"Yes. The President and the Joint Chief acknowledged that we haven't actually broken any rules. Therefore, there will be no court martial, and they're not breaking up the team either. We are under the 'join-spouse' condition and Carter reports directly to Hammond now."
"You've been busy, huh?"
"You have no idea, Dad," Carter muttered. "There are other reasons, of course."
"Other reasons?"
"Yeah. The Ravan's King knew about the misunderstanding and actually felt a little bit guilty about it. But there was nothing that he could do. The priest's word is as good as the law there and if we don't honor the blessing, that means we insult the priest. If that happens, he couldn't in his good conscience continue trading with us," she elaborated further.
"Politics," Jacob spat in disgust.
***
Jacob watched Jack drove away from the house.
What a mess, he thought. And his baby girl was right in the middle of it.
He felt Sam hugging him from behind.
"It's okay, Dad. Really. It wasn't that bad. At least we have something to throw at Kinsey's face. Come to think of, it was kind of his fault."
"I'm sorry, Kiddo. It's hard to accept this, you know. I always imagined that when you got married, it would be for love. Not this." His face was full of sorrow. "And, I wanted to be there for you."
"Dad, please," she pleads. "I'm sorry that this has upset you. And I'm sorry that you couldn't be there."
He turned around to wrap his arms around her. "No, Sam. You have nothing to be sorry about. It's not your fault. I just want the best for you."
"Are you saying that he's not good enough for me?"
"No one is good enough for you. I'm not angry about him, Sam, I'm angry about what happened. You weren't even allowed to choose."
Her heart agreed with him. She had been thinking about that too. Strangely enough, she was not feeling trapped by it, in fact, she saw it as a way out.
"Dad, the colonel and I have little choice in this matter, but we decided to make the best out of it."
He pulled away and held her at an arm-length. "What do you mean?"
She steered him to the living room. "Come, sit. Let me tell you about something."
So he sat at the sofa and listen to her telling him the plan of her future.
***
"So, Jacob," Jack started.
"Yes, Jack?"
"Can I call you Dad now?"
Jacob threw him a dirty look. "In your dreams. You might be married to my daughter, but, no, you can't call me Dad. It makes me feel old."
"You are old." Jack was content; Jacob had recognized him as his son-in-law.
"Don't push it," Jacob gritted his teeth. "What do you want anyway? Sam is in the SGC if you're looking for her. She left something in the lab."
"I am actually looking for you," he admitted. "There's some unfinished business that we need to take care of."
Jacob's curiosity was roused. "What kind of business?"
"You're an ambassador, right?" Jack said conspiratorially.
"Yes," confirmed Jacob.
"Therefore, you have certain privileges, right?"
"Uh-huh."
Jack paused a few second before he asked his last question. "You can get away with any crime, right?"
Jacob's attention was focused solely on the man in front of him. "Probably. Why?" he fished for more information.
"Good. Let me tell you what I have in mind."
***
Dr. Trevor Kid had never been so scared in his life.
He was shaking like a leaf at the sight of SG-1 plus a Tok'ra in front of him. They were inside his bedroom, surrounding his bed. Wearing black clothing like professional thieves. The moonlight showered the room; providing enough illumination in the middle of the night.
"What ... what do ... you want?" he stuttered.
"Can't you tell?" Dr. Jackson asked innocently. He was by far the least threatening being out of the five figures.
"So, this is the man?" Jacob Carter asked. Even though Kid had never seen the man personally, he recognized him from various photograph and footage.
"Yes, it is," Teal'c verified.
Jacob's hand then reached the Trevor easily and hauled him off his feet. He brought his face closer; there was murder in his eyes. "You're the one who messed with my daughter?"
Fear gripped him like never before. His mind just went blank as the general kept on holding him.
And suddenly, the world turned black.
***
"He's fainted," Jacob stated disappointedly, he hadn't even started yet. The limp body was supported by his grip only. "We don't even use the chloroform."
"What do you want me to say? You scared him," Jack said. "T, bring him to the van."
The Jaffa complied, taking the doctor's body from Jacob and flung it over his shoulder in a fireman's lift.
"Come on, we'd better go now."
***
The splash of cold water woke him up from his nightmare. However, it was a perfect example of 'Out of frying pan into the fire' cliché.
In other words, he's better off sleeping.
Trevor found himself tied to a chair inside an unknown basement. The five capturers were looking at him like he was a piece of meat. Colonel O'Neill was holding an empty bucket.
"Welcome back," Dr. Jackson welcomed him.
Jacob Carter's eye pierced him like a knife, while Major Carter and Colonel O'Neill settled for a glare. Meanwhile, Teal'c observed impassively. But, Trevor knew better. SG-1 was famously known for their 'One for all, all for one' attitude.
Jacob took a step forward.
His panic resurfaced.
And everything went black once again.
***
"For crying out loud," Jack exclaimed.
"He fainted again," Jacob said in despair. "How can I make him pay if he can't even be conscious for more than a minute?"
"Er... you could try not to be in the same room as him when he wakes up," Daniel suggested. "He's frightened of the sight of you alone, Jacob. Add Jack, Sam and Teal'c into the mix ... well, I can't blame him for fainting, to be honest."
Sam sighed. "Daniel's right. Why don't the three of you wait outside? Daniel and I could try and talk to him first."
Jacob grunted but didn't disagree with her. Jack and Teal'c exchanged a look before they turned around and left the room as well.
"Well, Daniel," Sam said after the door was closed. "I hope you're right. Because one way or the other, we have to get him to talk."
"Easy, Sam. We could always threatened to let Jacob have his way with him," Daniel reasoned.
She grinned. "You read my mind."
He grinned back. "So, how should we wake him up?"
"We could always try throwing another bucket of cold water," Sam replied. "Or, we could try putting something smelly right under his nose."
There was only a second of silence before he said, "Would my sock do?"
***
He was jerked out of the dream world roughly, briefly wondered what the repugnant smell that lingered on his nose was.
"Put it away, Daniel. He's awake already."
"Okay."
Trevor recognized those voices. When his vision had finally focused, he could see Major Carter and Doctor Jackson standing in front of him. Holding a deep breath, his head swirled around wildly to see whether the others are also there with him.
"They're not here," the Major's tone was calm, clear, and contained a certain promise. "But they will be if you don't tell me what I want to know."
"Please," he gasped. "I'm so sorry for everything. But I didn't mean it to happen. I *swear*."
"We're not talking about the wedding," Daniel clarified. "We're talking about you and Kinsey. What did he want from you?"
"I don't know what you're talking about," Trevor denied. "I admit that it was wrong of me to keep the wedding a secret, but I was afraid, and I didn't think that you would find out. Major Carter, please, you have to believe me," he appealed. "I figured what you don't know won't hurt you."
"I *do* believe that what happened in that planet was an accident, but I do *not* believe that you don't have anything to do with Kinsey," the major said icily. "Do you think that we won't figure it out? We trace your phone call to his office the day after we came back from the planet. Did you report your blunder to him then, huh?"
"There's nothing going on between me and Senator Kinsey." He shook his head firmly.
"Daniel, call in Teal'c."
"Teal'c? Are you sure? Don't you think it's better to call in Jack or Jacob?" Daniel asked.
"I need Teal'c for this."
"You're the boss."
Cold sweat began to assault him. Teal'c was famous for his dislike of anyone who harmed his friends.
***
Teal'c entered the room steadily. MajorCarter had asked for his help, and he would make sure that she got it.
"Do you require my assistance?" he offered.
"Yes. Dr. Kid denied any knowledge of his involvement with Kinsey," the major told him. "Can you make sure that he wasn't lying to me?"
"Certainly." He bowed slightly at her as a curtsey.
The Jaffa walked towards the captive and stopped when he was just a step away from him. He looked down on him and saw the fear in Doctor Kid's eyes. His big hands clasped the doctor's head on both sides firmly and held it so that their eyes meet.
"Look into my eyes and tell me that you have not lied to MajorCarter!" Teal'c commanded briskly.
The only response that he got was the doctor's eyes rolling upwards. He let go of the head slowly and turned towards his comrades.
"I must apologize, MajorCarter. It appears that DoctorKid had lost his consciousness. Again."
***
"Are you sure that he doesn't have any heart disease? Or low blood pressure? He sure faints easily. It's the third time already," Sam asked Daniel once Teal'c left the room.
"Janet said he was 100% fit. There was nothing wrong with him," answered the linguist.
"But all this fainting won't affect his health, will it?"
"Don't look at me, I'm not an MD."
"Neither am I."
They looked at each other for a moment.
"So..."
"So..."
"We really should get on with this. It's kinda late already," Daniel, said.
"You're right. Let's move on," she agreed.
"It's my turn, right?" he asked for confirmation.
"Yeah, your turn."
"Good."
They both looked at the unconscious man.
"So ..."
"So ..."
"How should we wake him now?" Daniel wondered.
"Well, we have the cold water and the smell. It's kind of redundant to do the same thing again," Sam replied.
"Yeah. What are you suggesting?"
"A little pain should do," she said lightly.
"A little?" Daniel's eyes widened.
She nodded. "Yes. A little."
"How little?"
"Enough to wake him up but not to inflict permanent damage."
The glint in Sam's eyes did not go unnoticed by her friend. "I take it that you have something in mind."
"Sure do."
He watched her fished out a duck tape from one of their supply bag and cut out a small piece.
"Are you sure you have enough?" he asked doubtfully.
"Watch," was all she said.
So, he did. He watched her put on the tape on top of one of Kid's eyebrows and patted it down. Without further warning, she yanked it off.
***
"*Owwwww*," he screamed as he woke up. There was a stinging pain on his left eyebrow.
"Told you it was enough."
"Should I warn Jack about your sadistic nature?"
"He knows already."
"I can't believe I actually pity him."
"Don't let him hear you said that."
Trevor knew those voices. He swallowed a nervous gulp as he realized that he was still inside his worst nightmare.
"Hello," Doctor Jackson greeted him for the n-th time. "Are you alright?"
He did not trust himself to answer, so he stared at the doctor instead. His brain was a jumbled of hazy memory.
"Do you want something to drink?" Doctor Jackson asked politely.
He nodded eagerly. His throat was dry from all the fright.
The archaeologist opened a water bottle and held it for him to drink. Trevor sipped the water slowly, enjoying the refreshing effect in his mouth. When he had enough, Jackson put the bottle away.
"Ready to talk now?"
"Please." Trevor almost didn't recognize his own voice. It was hoarse and weak. "I don't have anything to do with Senator Kinsey."
"You want us to believe that?"
"Yes. That's the truth."
Jackson circled his chair slowly. "Then, how do explain the phone call?"
"There was no phone call."
"What about the money in your bank account?" he asked again.
"What money?"
"The extra $40,000 that was transferred out of nowhere a few months ago to your overseas bank account."
"I don't have an overseas bank account."
The doctor sighed. "What am I going to do with you?" He shook his head regretfully. "I thought I could make you speak without actually hurting you. But alas, desperate measures have to be taken. What do you think, Sam? Should I call Jack or Jacob?"
He couldn't see the major because Dr. Jackson's body was blocking his view. But he could hear her answer plainly. "It's up to you. It's your turn after all."
"Jack it is then. Can you call him for me?"
"Anything for you, Daniel."
"Have I told you lately how much I love you?"
"If you dare, say it in front of the colonel's face."
"Sam, I still want to live another day."
Trevor ignored their banter as his face grew pale.
***
Jack crackled his knuckles at the sight of Kiddy. He was going to enjoy scaring the shit out of the kid.
"Daniel. Something I can help you with?"
"Stay where you are for a now," Daniel instructed him.
"Whatever you say."
Daniel turned to face Kiddy. "Now, I'm going to ask you the same question again. If I don't like the answer, Jack will take one step forward. And once he reaches you ..."
Jack felt a momentary pride; Daniel was an excellent student. He mastered the art of blackmail to a 'T'.
"So, let's start again, shall we? Tell me what Kinsey wants from you." Daniel voice was level and indifferent.
"I don't know what you're talking about."
Jack took a step forward. Kiddy went paler.
"I see. What about the $40,000 in your account?" Daniel continued the questioning.
"It was inheritance from a distance aunt. I swear."
Jack took another step forward.
"Oh. Why the secrecy?" Daniel kept on going smoothly.
"I'm doing it to avoid tax."
Jack reduced his distance again. There were only around a couple steps left before he could actually reach the scared kid. He had to admit that the kid was quite resilient. He hadn't spilled anything yet. However, Jack knew that it was partly because of SG-1's reputation, and their unquestionable honor. Kiddy relied on SG-1's conscience. He knew that they wouldn't do anything damaging to him. Well, at least not physically. The kid might be witless, but he was smart. Too damn smart.
With the evidence that they had in their hand SG-1 could send Kiddy to jail, but it wouldn't do them any good. They needed to know what kind of intelligence Kiddy had been feeding to Kinsey so that they could prepare themselves when the senator decided to use the information. That was why Jack arranged for this 'unofficial' interrogation.
Daniel looked at him and smiled. "If I'm judging correctly, you have two questions left before Jack gets his hands on you. Don't you know that he could inflict pain just by pressing certain point in your body? Knowing how impatient Jack is, I wouldn't put it beyond him to get to you in one step. I know how much he wants to teach you a lesson."
"Please, I know nothing."
Casually, Jack took another step forward.
"Why did you do that for?" Kiddy watched in disbelief. "Doctor Jackson hasn't even asked a question yet."
He ignored the young man.
"Now, like I said," Daniel interrupted. "One more step and that's it. This is your last chance, Kid. What does Kinsey want from you?"
"I don't know."
Daniel took off his glasses and wiped it with the tail of his shirt. "Wrong answer.'" He put it on again and walked away from him. "Have fun, Jack."
"Oh, don't worry. I will."
Jack stared down at the man on the chair. Oh, the endless possibilities of the things that he could do to him.
"So," he said in his most dangerous voice. "You think you can mess with us and get away with it, do you? Think again kid."
Jack pulled out something from his pocket, a small clear bottle with white powder in it. "Do you know what *this* is?"
"No." Kiddy's high pitch voice was the answer.
"This is what's going to make you suffer beyond reason." Jack's eyes went cold.
He took out a latex glove from his other pocket and put it on. Luckily for him, Kiddy only wore sweatpants. He pulled the elastic band on the waist from the front.
"Jack!"
"Sir!"
He ignored the shock horror exclamation of his teammates. "When will the two of you learn to trust me?" he grunted in a mock disappointment.
He looked down and was grateful to find that Kiddy went commando tonight. Opening the bottled skillfully with the hand that hold it, he sprinkled the content inside the sweatpants generously and let go of the elastic band almost immediately.
"It'll take a few minutes for the stuff to work. Come on guys, let's go outside. Teal'c has some donuts to share." He took of the latex glove and carefully wrapped the empty bottle with it.
"Are you sure that he'll be alright?" Daniel asked carefully.
"Yup. Let him suffer alone."
***
"Do you think it's some kind of self-defense mechanism? After all, if he was out cold, there wasn't much that we could do to him."
"Probably."
Daniel and Sam went back inside the room to find out that their prisoner was once again in la-la land.
"I could understand him fainting out for the first three, but how can he faint from this one?" Daniel was baffled.
"How would I know?" Sam was equally bewildered. "It was only an itch powder and we were only gone for an hour."
"Only Jack could use itch powder as a torture tool." His voice was full of admiration.
"And to think that we doubt him earlier." The respect was clear.
"Anyhow. Do you know how we'll wake him up this time?"
"Let's see. Cold water, smell, and pain," Sam recited the past technique. "Did we miss anything?"
"Taste?"
"Too complicated."
"Sight?"
"His eyes are closed, Daniel."
"Sound?"
"Sound is good."
"What kind of sound?"
"Loud, annoying sound."
"How loud and how annoying?"
"Loud enough to wake the dead and annoying enough to make you scream."
"Okay. What about the neighbors?"
"We're in the middle of nowhere. There are no neighbors. Besides, I think this basement is insulated. Although it's not 100% soundproof, it'll dampen down any noise considerably."
"Oh. Alright."
"Do you have anything in mind?"
"Why don't we check our supply bag, see if we can find something."
They searched the bag, and in a few minutes they found something that neither one of them could believe was there.
Daniel whistled in appreciation. "Jack was prepared, wasn't he?" His eyes approving the item that Sam held in her hand.
"I couldn't even imagine what he had in mind when he bought this."
"Well, one thing that he's not is predictable."
"True."
"On the other hand, he's like a boy scout. Always prepared for anything."
"Whatever works. I'm not complaining."
"Neither am I."
Sam rummaged though the bag again and found a lighter. "Do you want to do the honor?" She threw it to Daniel, who caught it straight away.
"I'm so exited. I haven't done this in a long time."
"Daniel, stop being so dramatic. Lighting up a firecracker is like riding a bike. You never forget how."
***
The rapid and loud crackling noise woke him up from his deep slumber.
"What the..." Trevor automatic response was overpowered by the sound. He wished to protect his ears but he couldn't move his hands. A few second passed before he could finally hear silence. His eardrums were in pain.
"That was loud. Even though I covered my ears, I could still hear it noticeably."
"Have to ask Jack where he got that stuff. Might need that someday."
"Knowing him, the colonel probably got it from somewhere dodgy."
"You know what? I think you have a valid point."
Trevor groaned as he heard the voices of a man and a woman who had been playing the lead role in his nightmare as well as the real world tonight.
"Dr. Kid," Major Carter called him. "Aren't you tired of this game?"
Dr. Jackson backed her up. "Tell us everything. And we'll let you go. We have no real interest in you."
"I know nothing," Trevor denied relentlessly.
"You know what?" the major asked him. "This is way passed my bed time. I bet my Dad won't be happy to know that you're the reason why I'm not sleeping yet. What do you think, Daniel?"
"I think Jacob will be so pissed that Selmac will have to take over completely."
"Do you think so?"
Dr. Jackson nodded. Trevor watched the by-play with dread. Jacob/Selmac was a force to be recon with. And, he was in completely different league than SG-1. But, so far, he had survived their ordeal; surely it couldn't get any worse.
Right?
"Last chance, Kid. And I mean it." Major Carter crossed her arms in front of her chest and tapped her foot on the floor impatiently.
"If you don't talk now, we're just going to leave you to Jacob's mercy," Jackson clued him up further. He had no doubt that the two doctors in front of him would do just that. He needed some time to think of a plan so that he could survive this trial in one piece.
"Jeez, I didn't think that you would be so stubborn," Carter said when he didn't say a word. "That's it. I'm done here. Come on, Daniel. Let Dad finish this. I can't be bothered anymore."
"You have no objection from me," Jackson agreed whole-heartedly.
***
"Dad, your turn," Sam said as soon as she exited the basement. Daniel followed closely behind her.
"Jacob, remember not to attack him like a bulldozer. He faints easily," Daniel warned. "Warm him up little by little, make sure that he gets used to the idea first before you actually do anything to him."
Jacob snorted. "Daniel, don't mind me. I know exactly what I'm going to do." With that, he disappeared into the room.
Unwillingly, Sam yawned. Her hand covered her open mouth. "Sorry," she apologized. "I'm tired."
"Working hard again, are you?" The colonel warned her, "What did I say about spending hours in your lab?"
She replied with her smile.
"Do you think he'll talk?" Daniel popped out the question.
Sam shrugged her shoulder and sauntered to the direction of the colonel, dumping her tired body on the sofa right next to him. "Dad knows how to deal with this kind of thing. He'll sing like a canary."
"Indeed," Teal'c concurred. "JacobCarter is a man of experience. He will prevail."
"Jacob has a leverage that none of us have." The colonel smiled.
"What is it?" Daniel asked.
"He has Selmac."
She stared at her CO dubiously. "What have you done?" She didn't make any attempt to cover her accusation. "Sir," she added after an after thought.
"Me?" His innocent look only confirmed her doubt.
"Give it up, Jack." Daniel laughed. "We know that you're up to something."
"That is true, O'Neill. I too, have observed that you are concealing something." Teal'c supported his other teammates.
"You guys need to learn to trust me more, you know that."
"It is not a matter of trust. We have a full confidence in you," Teal'c stated. "We only wish that you are willing to disclose your plan to us."
"Come on, Sir. You know that you can't win against an argument like that." Sam chuckled at him. Teal'c's little speech had left him wordless.
"That's right, Jack. Tell us," Daniel encouraged.
Colonel O'Neill sighed. "Very well. I'll let you guys in on a little secret. I didn't actually say anything to Jacob. I merely pointed out the fact that Jacob *is* an ambassador."
"And?"
"What is it got to do with this?"
He continued. "I might have suggested, well, not actually suggesting, more like implying really. Maybe implying is not the accurate description, I was just --"
"Sir," she cut his tirade.
"Yes?"
"You're stalling," she told him.
"I am not."
"Yes, you are," Daniel joined the disagreement.
"Am not."
"Are too."
"I'm not," the colonel insisted.
"Teal'c, tell him that he is stalling."
"Indeed you are, O'Neill."
"Thank you, Teal'c."
"You are most welcome, DanielJackson."
The colonel only glared at the two culprits who teamed up against him.
"Fine. Fine. I only said to Jacob that in *his* position, he could get away with murder if he wanted to."
Sam jumped to her father's defense straight away. "Dad wouldn't do something like that."
"I know that. You know that. But, Kiddy doesn't know that, does he? For all he cares, Jacob is your overprotective father," he explained. "He's a smart kid. He knew that we couldn't and wouldn't do too much damage to him. But your father is a different story. And, he has Selmac by his side too."
"I see." Daniel seemed to see through his plan. "You knew from the start that Kid wouldn't give us any information. But Jacob could get it from him."
The colonel didn't correct Daniel's assessment.
"Then, why didn't you just send Jacob in from the start?" Daniel inquired.
"And miss all this fun?" she replied in his behalf. "You know the colonel as well as I do. He wouldn't miss the chance to inflict pain on others just like that."
He glanced at her. "Anything wrong with that?"
***
Jack found her sitting on the patio.
"Hey." He moved closer and sat next to her. "Something on your mind?"
She titled her head slightly. "Just need the fresh air, that's all."
"Teal'c checked on Jacob just now. He said Kiddy's breaking down as we speak. He's telling Jacob everything at this moment," he updated her with the most recent development. His eyes scanned the wood around them instinctively, looking for any sign of danger. Located deep inside a mountain, isolated from the civilization, the house that they were at belonged to one of his old friends.. That was why he chose it on the first place.
She was not surprised. "That's good."
"Yeah, it's good."
The sound of crickets filled the night as the moon hid shyly behind a thin cloud. Having her around him did funny things to him, Jack mused. He knew she was still uncomfortable with the fact that they were now married, not that he could blame her. It spooked him too, the simple truth that now he could actually *did* something about his feeling.
He dealt it the best that he could. By treating her like usual, without any indifference. Even though he wanted more, he knew that he should wait until the time is right. Not that it stopped him from teasing her about it. Because that was what Colonel O'Neill would do to Major Carter.
"Carter."
Distracted, she turned her head to face him. "Yes?"
"I have something for you." He pulled something out from his jacket's pocket and handed it to her; a small black velvet box that warmed the palm of his hand.
He saw her finger trembled slightly as she took it from his hand, he couldn't judge whether it was from the cold or something else. Her face was unreadable when she opened the box and saw what was inside.
"It's beautiful," she praised the piece of jewelry.
He knew that it was now or never. "I know it's nothing much. But, I'd be honored if you would have it." Her face was back to facing him again. "It's the least that I could do."
He was temporarily stunned when she embraced him unexpectedly, wrapping her arms around him tightly. He returned the hug without hesitation.
"Thank you," she whispered.
He replied by kissing the top of her head. It felt so right to hold her in his arm like this, and he found himself feeling optimistic about the future. *Their* future.
When he first found out about their marriage, he was terrified of losing her; fearing that this would create a rift between them. But, to his relief, she was as scared as he was; and for the same reason too. So, he did something, which he hated to do.
He sat down and talked about it with her; trying to combine their heads together to come up with the best solution. And, he was glad that he did it, because he discovered that he could move forward now. They decided that it was best not to rush thing and let it progress on its own speed. There were no declaration of love, and yet he couldn't be more contented.
There was why he gave her the ring, as a promise and a reminder that there are more to come.
***
"Jacob."
"Jack."
The two men stood face to face to each other, the wormhole shimmering behind them. Jacob was on his way back to the Tok'ra's current base. His daughter and Hammond were standing down the ramp.
"Thanks for all your help," Jack said.
"I didn't do it for you," he coolly replied. He might have accepted him, but it didn't mean that he was happy about it.
They managed to get everything out of Kid; including everything that he had been feeding Kinsey. That was all that mattered for now.
"That's okay. I'll take it as my wedding present anyway." Jack smirked.
He resisted the urge to punch the other man squarely on the jaw. "I'm not amused."
Jack shrugged. "I didn't expect you to be."
Accepting defeat, Jacob did what he did best. Intimidate. "Do something to her that I don't like, and I'll make sure that you'll be sorry you were ever born."
The smile on Jack's face was gone, replaced by something intense. "Jacob, I won't let her go." He was serious. "Not even if I have to fight you for it."
Ironically, he found himself admiring the man in front of him.
"Good. Take care of her for me," he asked reluctantly. Selmac had been lecturing him about his attitude towards the colonel.
"You know I will," Jack answered as a matter of fact.
He nodded and started to walk into the wormhole.
'Don't sulk, Jacob,' his symbiote chided him gently.
'I do not sulk,' he disagreed.
'Yes, you do. Think about the grandchildren that Samantha will be able to give you now.'
Jacob shuddered inwardly. 'That's what I am afraid of.'
'What are you afraid of?' Selmac inquired.
'Imagine a kid with Sam's look and Jack's personality. I don't think I could survive that. The child will kill me faster than any Goa'uld.'
'Ah.' His symbiote was sympathetic to the fate that awaited them.
As he stepped inside the blue puddle of horizontal water, Jacob muttered, 'And knowing those two, I don't think I'll have to wait for long.'
* The End *
Story Notes: Note: This is for Thal. A bribing material *g*. Thanks to Scully who beta-read the story. Enjoy ...
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URL of this story (for better formatting): http://www.geocities.com/bluetopazfiction/poetic.htm
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URL of this story (for better formatting): http://www.geocities.com/bluetopazfiction/poetic.htm
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End Notes: Note: If everything goes smoothly, this story will be the first installment of my new series, titled 'Love and Marriage'. I think there are limitless potential and plot bunnies to be explored from Sam and Jack unexpected marriage. What do you think? *g*
Any review or feedback are greatly appreciated.
blue-topaz@lycos.com
http://fly.to/bluetopazfic/
Any review or feedback are greatly appreciated.
blue-topaz@lycos.com
http://fly.to/bluetopazfic/
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 ]