samandjack.net

Story Notes: SEASON / SEQUEL: Season 6 after 'Abyss'; indirect sequel to 'Queen Vs. Queen' and part of the 'More than a Game' series.

SPOILERS: Slight ones for 'Hathor', 'ItLoD', 'Entity', 'Desperate Measures', 'Proving Ground'. Definite ones for all Tok'ra/Goa'uld mythology episodes. Slight spoilers of season six story-arc rumours up to 'Abyss'.

'ABYSS' DISCLAIMER: At the time of writing this story, I haven't seen 'Abyss'. I had the idea of using Baal as a lead villain before I knew he was the bad guy in that episode so I apologise if anything within this story jumps out as being in direct opposition with the events of the episode. With the help of some friends who have seen the episodes (see Dedications below), I've done my best to include certain issues brought up in the episode. It may, however, be best that those of you who have seen 'Abyss' read this story with the view that it is a slight AU.

AUTHOR'S NOTES: Can be read as a follow-up to 'Queen Vs. Queen' but it can be a standalone - just know there was a change in Sam and Jack's relationship in that story. I started writing after the events of 'Meridian' and haven't seen much/any of season six. Despite that, the story is set after season six's 'Abyss' due to the supposed events of that episode that have ramifications in here. The character of Jonas Quinn doesn't appear much (if at all) even though I think he's a really great addition to the show - the reason for this is because I started the story after only seeing him once in 'Meridian' and didn't feel I knew enough to involve him as much as I'd like. The spelling of 'Baal' used in this story/series is taken from the season 5 DVD subtitles and all the mythology books/websites - I know this might have changed with season 6 but I'm going with the one I know.

DEDICATION: Ruthie AKA Jammy Evil Mole, as ALWAYS, for all of the support and encouragement and help with research. Ruthie, my fellow JJAddict, it's your turn: Write, FCOL, to make me COL. ;) Big thanks also, as usual, to Lynn for her encouragement and suggestions. Thanks also to MK for supplying me with answers and hints on how to write about an episode I haven't seen! Big thanks also to Maz for reading it through and giving me her opinion - another one who saw the episode and read the fic in the right order, unlike me, and did her best to try and talk me through it! Maz, we'll have to 'do lunch' again soon!


Going to sleep was the last thing she remembered. She'd said goodnight to her father and adjourned to the room that had been assigned to her during her stay with the Tok'ra, quickly falling asleep, dreaming of going home.

She was sure she hadn't moved during the night, sure she hadn't done anything to hurt herself so why was she in so much pain? And why did she feel cold? Her stomach, particularly, felt strange - it felt like it was on fire but at the same time, she could feel a cool breeze sweep over her bare skin.

Bare skin?

Trying to sit up, a low agonised groan escaped her lips moments before panic began to well up inside of her. She couldn't move. Why couldn't she move? She could feel her feet and her hands but she couldn't move.

" She is waking."

" It is too early! Quickly! Prepare the symbiote!"

" The symbiote has not yet left the old host.. Doing so will kill her.."

" The old host is damaged. She is unfit for a Goddess. Go, inform her of our progress.. Hurry!"

Symbiote? Goddess? Huh?

Her brow furrowing, she tried to sit up again, only to be pushed back down by strong hands. Opening her mouth to protest, she found the words didn't make it passed her lips as the sound of a zat blast filled the air.

Her eyes flying open, Sam sat up as those keeping her down were distracted. She saw various members of the Tok'ra exchanging weapons fire, surprised when she recognised most of them. Her eyes widened as she saw an obviously injured Anise go up against another female Tok'ra who was unfamiliar to her but obviously in a great deal of pain. Both had fire in their eyes and a zat gun in their hands.

She watched as they appeared to exchange words - she couldn't hear anything over the deafening blasts around her so she was working on assumption. She could see them moving towards her, both on edge and both firmly keeping their zats in plain view of the other.

They got closer to her and that was all she knew.

Her vision swam and her head pounded. With all the confusion rising up inside her, it was all she could do not to sigh contentedly as oblivion sunk in, making the pain momentarily stop.

=*=

Red lights flashed and the klaxons blared for several long minutes. They stopped when the base computers received and recognised the code being sent by those responsible for activating Earth's Stargate. General George Hammond waited in the Control Room for confirmation, heading for the Gateroom when he was told it was the Tok'ra.

He was hoping Major Samantha Carter had chose to return from visiting her father early, saving himself and everyone else from another twenty-four hours of having to put up with a Colonel who was willing to do anything to avoid paperwork and a Jaffa who was getting anxious due to having been on base, and in the company of said Colonel, for several days.

Feeling optimistic, the General made it to the bottom of the ramp just as the visitors stepped through. The Tok'ra Anise came through first, Freya - her host, limping a little as she preceded the others. The others were former General Jacob Carter, host to Selmac, and he was supporting his daughter, Major Carter, as she leaned against him, arms wrapped firmly around her waist on top of the dark cloak she wore.

Something was wrong.

The grave expression Jacob wore, the injuries Freya was suffering from and the shocked expression on Sam's all-too-pale face told him that.

" Jacob..? Major Carter?" His sense of alarm irked, General Hammond took a step closer to father and daughter. He'd only agreed to letting the Major visit her father on Aleris, the new Tok'ra home world, because Anise and Jacob had insisted it would be safe and pose no risk but since that obviously wasn't the case, he began to regret his decision. " What happened?"

" We should get to the infirmary, George. I promise to explain everything there." Wearily, Jacob tightened his hold on his daughter, glancing around at those watching with obvious interest. " Please, George." His eyes implored with his old friend as Sam leaned into him further. " It's important we get Sam there quickly."

" Okay." Unable to refuse despite his curiosity, the General ushered the three newcomers out of the Gateroom and towards the infirmary. With every step, he noticed the shock on the Major's face gave way to pained disbelief, her arms tightening around herself protectively.

Something was wrong. Something was very, very wrong.

=*=

Glancing from the board to his opponent, Teal'c realised something. Whatever move he made, he was confident it would go unnoticed and unchallenged by the man sitting opposite him.

Knowing that was, in a word, disturbing.

Colonel O'Neill usually made for an interesting, not to mention strong, opponent. He was a player full of strategies and skilful techniques, putting to use his years of experience within the US Air Force. Their matches were usually always interesting and never the same as a result of the Colonel's military mind working against Teal'c's experiences as a First Prime fighting against the enemy and as himself, fighting against the Goa'uld he'd served.

This time was different. Teal'c could see Jack's mind was focused elsewhere, his moves illogic and random. Moving his queen to take the Colonel's piece of the same importance, Teal'c sat back and waited for the other man to notice.

Several minutes passed. Teal'c noted O'Neill seemed to be more interested in studying the shape of the bottle of beer in his hand than in their game.

" O'Neill, it is your move." Eventually, his patience began to wear thin and he had to speak up and say something. " Your king is in check."

" It is?" Sounding surprised yet uninterested at the same time, Jack set the bottle down beside the pieces he'd claimed from Teal'c over the course of the game - three pawns and one knight - staring blankly at the board. " Oh, yeah." His queen was gone. When did that happened? " Umm.."

Watching him, Teal'c realised the Colonel had no intention of making his move anytime soon. " If you do not wish to continue our game, we can abandon it until another time."

" Huh?" Lifting his eyes to meet Teal'c's a few minutes after the words had been spoken, Jack managed a half-hearted shrug of apology in response to the raised eyebrow Teal'c wore. " Sorry, Teal'c. I'll concentrate, I promise." Turning his attention back to the game, he made his move, his only remaining rook moving closer to Teal'c's king.

His eyebrow rising higher, Teal'c wasted no time in moving his next piece. Sitting back, a small smug grin played on his lips. " Checkmate. You lose, O'Neill."

" What?" Staring at the board, Jack frowned when he saw his king was cornered by Teal'c's pieces. How hadn't he seen that coming? " Oh. Right." Shrugging again, he leaned back in his chair, picking up a new bottle of beer and twisting off the cap. " Good game, Teal'c."

" You appear most distracted, O'Neill. Is there something you wish to discuss?" Settling himself back in his own chair, Teal'c watched in concern as Jack started drinking his second beer in just under an hour. " You have been ill at ease since Major Carter departed to visit her father. Perhaps you miss her more than you thought?"

His eyes snapping to Teal'c's at the mention, Jack found he had to look away just as quickly. " Carter?" Taking another long swig of beer, he tried to appear nonchalant. " I don't miss Carter, Teal'c. I just wanna get back out there. Why Hammond couldn't get someone else to stand in for her.."

" O'Neill." The tone used, although serious, held a note of amusement. " I feel there is something I must share with you."

" Oh? Sounds interesting." Leaning forward slightly, Jack put the bottle next to the empty one on the table, knowing he'd fidget with it as long as he held it. " What's up, Teal'c?"

Pausing so he could study the other man before continuing, Teal'c decided to get straight to the point. " I have been aware of the true nature of your relationship with Samantha Carter for some time, O'Neill. Daniel Jackson and myself were both aware of the changes that took place."

His jaw agape, Jack stared at his teammate in a surprised stupor. " Wha..? When..?"

" Your relationship with Samantha Carter has been more than professional for several months now. I do not wish for either of you to feel you have to pretend otherwise in my company, especially now Daniel Jackson is no longer with us." In all truth, Teal'c had felt uncomfortable in the months after Daniel had ascended and the team had started spending more time together away from work. He'd always been aware that there was more between the Major and Colonel than they let on and when they pretended otherwise, it made him feel like an outsider. He did not wish for his friends to have to hide anything in his presence.

" How long have you known? I mean, is it that obvious?" Fidgeting with the cushion now the bottle was out of his reach, Jack's gaze flickered from resting on his friend to wandering around the room. He felt bad about having not told Teal'c the truth, and Daniel when he'd been around, but it was something he and Sam had agreed upon - their friends couldn't get into trouble if they didn't know what was going on. " I'm sorry we didn't tell you, Teal'c.. We.."

" I believe I understand why you did not speak of it, O'Neill." Teal'c interrupted, halting the Colonel's rambling before it could begin. " The military frowns on interpersonal relationships between officers in the same chain of command, particularly when one is of a higher rank to the other."

" We were trying to protect you guys.. There's no point in getting you into trouble in case something goes wrong," Jack corrected him quickly. " Honestly, we wanted to tell you but we thought it was best.."

Teal'c lowered his head for a few moments, acknowledging his words. " Then thank you, for trying to protect me. However, I feel it will be best for all three of us if you no longer feel you have to hide the truth from me. I will not betray your confidence, O'Neill. I am very pleased for you and Major Carter."

" Thanks, Teal'c." A ghost of a grin gracing his face, Jack still couldn't contain his concern that perhaps someone else knew the truth. " I've got to ask you though, are we really that obvious? If you and Daniel knew.."

Teal'c allowed himself another small smile. " You are most discreet, you have nothing to fear. If Daniel Jackson and myself did not know you as we do, we would most likely be as oblivious to everyone else."

Shifting in his seat, uncomfortable with the conversation but unable to let it drop, Jack forced himself to meet Teal'c's eyes. " Was Daniel okay with it? He never said anything.."

" Daniel Jackson was as pleased as I am. He wished as I do for you both to be happy." The familiar sadness at the thought of their missing friend was ever constant but not as strong as it once had been. " As long as you are both happy, that is all that matters."

" I think we're happy, yeah." Smiling genuinely, Jack nodded, mostly to himself. " So when did you notice there was something.. different.. about things between Carter and me?"

Tilting his head to the side, Teal'c appeared to be deep in thought. " I believe Daniel Jackson began to think something had changed between you after the training exercise involving Lieutenants Haley and Elliot. I suspected something may have occurred before then but we were never certain."

" You'd be right," was all Jack said on the matter, a sly grin forming on his face.

Both were lost in their thoughts as they sat there in relaxed silence, Teal'c trying to pinpoint the exact time he'd sensed something different between the command team of SG-1 and Jack trying to console himself that even if he didn't get to tell his friends the news, they'd found out for themselves and were apparently happy - even if Teal'c had to say so on Daniel's behalf.

The ringing of the phone sliced through the peace and quietness of the house. Pushing himself up to his feet, Jack picked up the receiver, barely managing to get out a 'hello' before the person on the other side started talking.

Less than five minutes later, he hung up, turning to Teal'c with a concerned yet confused expression. " Better get going, Teal'c. We're needed on base. Some sort of emergency with the Tok'ra."

Without hesitation, Teal'c got to his feet and followed the Colonel outside. Several minutes later, they were on their way to the SGC, each wondering what could have happened in the four hours they'd been away from the base.

All they knew was that it involved the Tok'ra.

" O'Neill." Teal'c spoke up, clinging to the seat as Jack went round a particularly sharp bend a little faster than he needed to. " Major Carter will be well. You need not worry, Jacob Carter would not have let any harm come to her."

" I know, Teal'c." His eyes on the road, Jack kept driving as fast as he could get away with towards Cheyenne Mountain. " I know."

Wanting to believe the sentiment and actually believing it were two separate things. Something was wrong, the General had been the one to make the phone call when usually the job would go to someone else and there'd been something in his voice.. Something odd.

Something was definitely wrong.

=*=

On arriving at the SGC, Jack and Teal'c met Doctor Janet Fraiser, who'd also been paged as they had to return to base and report to General Hammond immediately. She hadn't been told anything more than the Colonel - only that there was some sort of emergency involving the Tok'ra.

" Sirs, Ma'am." Lieutenant Simmons stepped out of the elevator as they waited to get in. " General Hammond sent me to meet you."

When the Lieutenant said nothing more, Janet spoke up to encourage the young man into continuing. " And? What did he tell you to say?"

Simmons blushed and glanced down at his feet for a moment before looking up at them. " Sorry, Ma'am. He said you were all to report to the infirmary immediately. He didn't say why."

" Okay. Thank you, Lieutenant." Ushering Janet and Teal'c into the elevator, Jack managed to give the Lieutenant a small smile of thanks as the doors slowly closed. " So.. Any educated guesses as to what the Tok'ra need us for now?"

" If we're going to the infirmary, I'm guessing there's either some alien technology involved or someone's been injured and for some reason they couldn't stay on Aleris," Janet said after a long pause, needing to fill in the silence with an answer to keep her mind free of the worst case scenarios that she was imagining.

Teal'c gave her a small tilt of his head, acknowledging the idea while Colonel O'Neill remained quiet - and still, were it not for his fingers clenching and unclenching at his sides.

They continued the rest of their journey in silence, needing time to think for themselves and make their own guesses on what was wrong, in some cases preparing for the worst. Had the Goa'uld found the new Tok'ra home world and attacked? Had something happened to Jacob and Sam? Or had the Tok'ra discovered a new threat, one that could destroy them as well as Earth and come with a warning?

Glancing around the infirmary briefly gave them no clues or answers. They could hear General Hammond speaking in low tones but couldn't make out what he was saying or whom he was saying it to. Following the sound of the voice to a curtained area of the infirmary, the three exchanged glances before Jack raised his hand to the curtain, tentatively putting it back.

" Reporting as ordered, General." Jack looked straight at the General as he spoke rather than allowing his eyes to stray, half-afraid of what - or who- he'd see.

" Colonel, Doctor, Teal'c. Thank you all for coming so quickly." General Hammond nodded a greeting to them, his attention slipping back to the woman on the bed. " Thank you for helping shed some light on the matter, Anise." Turning back to the newcomers, he motioned to another bed, this one separated by yet another drawn curtain. " Why don't we leave Anise to rest? I'm sure you're all anxious to know why I brought you here."

Leading them to the curtained area, the General seemed to hesitate. With an obvious intake of breath, he pulled back the curtain a little. After a few seconds, he seemed to get the signal he was waiting for and drew the curtain all the way.

" Jack, Teal'c, Doctor Fraiser." Jacob greeted them from his place seated next to Sam on the bed, his hand clasping his daughters firmly. " Nice of you to come."

" What's going on?" Confused, Jack stared from the two General's to the Major who appeared to be sound asleep on the bed. Both of the older men stared back at him solemnly, Jacob breaking eye contact only to stare at his daughter again. " What's up with Carter?"

Nothing appeared wrong. The only thing that could be classed as being odd was that she was in the infirmary in the first place and that she seemed to be wearing some weird, Tok'ra-influenced clothes, a dark cloak draped over her, unsuccessfully hiding the gauzy blue and purple material.

Bowing his head, Jacob's eyes flashed. When he raised his gaze, Selmac was in control, the host too disturbed to explain. " It is with regret that I have to inform you there were several spies amongst the Tok'ra. We do not know who they serve but we know for certain they are responsible for Major Carter's condition."

" What condition?" Janet took a step forward, walking around the bed to peer at Sam's face. There were no machines connected to her, no drip, nothing that would suggest the woman was in any condition other than sleeping peacefully.

Sighing wearily, Jacob took control and tightened his hold on Sam's hand, leaning over her. " Sam? Sammie.. Wake up, Sweetheart."

Seconds later, she stirred, eyelids fluttering and opening, tired eyes meeting the concerned gaze of her father. " Hi, Dad.." She yawned mid-sentence, closing her eyes again briefly only for them to open a split-second later. " It's real, isn't it?" There was fear in her voice, fear that was rarely heard coming from her. " I hoped.."

" It's gonna be okay, Sam, I promise." As encouragingly as he could, Jacob smiled down on her, bringing a hand up to tenderly touch her face. " We'll make it better, okay?"

Sam's answer was a small, tired smile. Her eyes left her fathers face and she realised they weren't alone any more. Pushing herself up, she managed to sit up with Jacob's help, the cloak slipping down but her hands caught it and kept it at waist level. " General Hammond."

" At ease, Major." His voice soft, the General gave the young woman a sympathetic smile, noticing her discomfort. " I.. ah.. I don't know the best way to explain what's happened here.."

" It's probably easier to show them, George." Swallowing hard, Jacob squeezed Sam's hand reassuringly. " Sam..?"

" If I have to." Shifting, Sam loosened the cloak around her waist and slowly pulled it away from her midriff, trying to decide what she should be most embarrassed about - the outfit she'd been dressed in or the actual problem. Taking a deep breath, she revealed what her father had difficulty believing and what the General had trouble putting into words: a large, round circle of gold coloured metal with a glowing blue crystal-like jewel in the centre.

" Isn't that..?" Jack's voice trailed off as he stared at the object in place of her navel. " Didn't Hathor have one of those.. things..?"

Covering herself back up, Sam sighed as she let her father adjust the pillows behind her so she was more comfortable. Jacob turned to Jack and Teal'c, his eyes full of regret as he answered the question. " It's the same device Hathor had fitted to her stomach, yes. All Queen Goa'uld's have them. It enables them to create new Jaffa.. and new symbiotes."

" How did such a device come to be attached to Major Carter?" Teal'c frowned as he watched the woman in question place a hand over her stomach, her face lined with pain and discomfort. He had heard of these devices but only seen one once - the one the Goa'uld Hathor had worn. Queen Goa'uld were few and far between, only a tiny proportion of all Goa'uld's were capable of creating symbiotes.

" That's a good question, Teal'c." General Hammond answered to save Jacob the trouble, knowing how much trouble his friend was having trying to come to terms with the situation, and the betrayal. " It seems the Tok'ra spies took advantage of Major Carter's wish to visit her father. They planned to prepare her to be a Queen Goa'uld and implant her with a symbiote before escaping the Tok'ra and joining whomever it is they follow. From what I've heard, Major Carter was taken from her room and rendered unconscious while they performed this.. ah.. surgery. Fortunately Jacob and the other Tok'ra learnt of their intentions before the symbiote could be implanted. There was a small fight; several Tok'ra were injured such as Anise, the Tok'ra spies were either killed or detained."

" It's unlikely they'll confess who was giving them their orders," Jacob continued grimly. " We believe the symbiote they planned to give Sam already had a host and it's possible both symbiote and host were killed or detained. Anise witnessed what she thought was a fellow Tok'ra about to give Sam her symbiote so she killed her, a Tok'ra named Laveda, only to be injured herself by another spy. If it were not for Anise, Sam would probably be a host right now."

Slipping easily into her role as Doctor, Janet checked Sam's pulse and frowned when she realised it wasn't as regular as it should have been. " Is there any way we can remove the device?"

" Unfortunately, there is no safe way to do that." Lowering his gaze, Jacob felt Sam squeeze his hand, his guilt at being unable to prevent what had happened to his daughter palatable. " I don't understand exactly how the device works but I know it's attached to both Sam's womb and central nervous system. It has, essentially, become another vital organ in her body."

" And like most vital organs, it can't be removed without proper knowledge because of risk of complication," Janet finished the thought for him. " What happens if we just leave it where it is?"

" I'll die anyway." Her voice quiet but serious, Sam met each of their gazes in turn. " From what Dad's said, the human body alone can't support this.. thing. To create proper balance and make sure it's accepted as being part of the host, a symbiote is needed to complete the procedure. I've already declined the Tok'ra's offer of becoming one of them."

Not for the first time, Jacob tried talk to her around. " It could be the only way.."

" I know, Dad, but no offence, I don't exactly trust the Tok'ra right now. They did this to me in the first place." Taking a deep breath, Sam exhaled slowly, a small wave of pain going through her. " My body's started rejecting it and because of the way it's linked to my brain, it's killing me."

Stunned into silence, Jack could only gape at her. Teal'c stared but couldn't find it in himself to object. He respected her wishes and understood her reasons. If nothing else, the Jaffa felt a surge of anger towards the Tok'ra spies and the Goa'uld they served for doing this to her, vowing to himself that no matter what happened, he would seek retribution for Major Carter.

Feeling his own anger towards the Tok'ra come into play, Jack shut his mouth with an audible snap. Unlike Teal'c, he couldn't separate the spies from the Tok'ra in his mind - he even felt a small twinge of hatred towards Jacob despite knowing how bad the older man was feeling.

" There has to be something.." Looking from the father and daughter on the bed to his Commanding Officer, Jack struggled to keep his feelings in check and hide them behind his well-practised military mask. " You're not suggesting we sit back and watch Carter die, are you?"

No one answered. Sam opened her eyes and gave him a small, understanding smile, knowing how hard it was for him to stand by and do nothing. He hated it, watching someone he cared about slowly slip away and being helpless to prevent it. It had been the same when Daniel was dying and eventually chose to go. Having been through that so recently made it worse; for both Jack and Teal'c, they were losing another friend so soon after losing Daniel.

" There might be a way." Freya surprised them all by speaking, having eased herself from her own bed. Her symbiote was recuperating from healing the host's injuries so Freya had a chance to talk. " We recently came to occupy a planet that was once ruled by the Goa'uld Baal and created a second Tok'ra base. While exploring, we found a sarcophagus that must have been abandoned by Baal. We could take Major Carter there and perform the operation to remove the device. If anything goes wrong, we can revive her.. The sarcophagus should also be able to help in place of a symbiote in repairing the damage once the device has been removed."

" Now that sounds like a plan.." Jack couldn't stop himself from agreeing with the idea, despite the risks and even though he held a deep distrust for the Tok'ra - especially the one standing next to him - but if there was a chance they could save Sam. " Why weren't we told about the sarcophagus before?"

A troubled frown crossed Jacob's face. " I didn't tell you, Jack, because I didn't know. Neither did Selmac. Freya, when did the Tok'ra come into possession of a sarcophagus and why weren't we told about it?"

" We thought you were aware of it, Jacob. The High Council decided not to share the information with too many operatives for fear it would fall into the wrong hands. Perhaps they were going to inform you soon," Freya answered softly. " If you wish, we can depart for Kadia immediately. I know of the coordinates. However, I would need to use the long range communication device to tell them we are coming so they can prepare themselves and so we can be sure that it is safe for us to go to them."

General Hammond nodded at the request, already distracted like everyone else. Feeling their expectant gazes on her face, feeling them burn into her, Sam squirmed a little, averting her gaze to rest on her hands. It was a big decision, one she wasn't sure she could make.. Not without thinking about it and it didn't look like she was going to get the chance to do that.

" Sam?" Jacob looked to his daughter, eyes hopeful. " It's your choice. The removal procedure is risky but the chances of survival dramatically increase with the availability of a sarcophagus."

Hesitating, Sam thought over her options. She could either die because of the incomplete transformation into a Queen Goa'uld, she could agree to a symbiote or she could agree to hazardous surgery that could still result in death. None of the three options appealed to her but looking at her father, at her friends.. They weren't giving up on her so she couldn't give up on them.

" Okay." Smiling weakly, Sam nodded, her fingers entwining tightly with her fathers. " If you're sure it can be done.. or at least attempted.. let's go."

" With your permission, I will send a message to the Tok'ra telling them to expect us," Freya said, expectantly turning to the General.

Nodding, General Hammond motioned to Teal'c. " Teal'c will accompany you to the surface, Freya. Thank you again for your help." He watched Teal'c lead Freya away, watching the young woman limp as she tried to keep up with the Jaffa's long strides. " I thought Anise was supposed to heal all of Freya's injuries from the attack?"

" She did. Freya was injured on another mission several weeks ago." It was Selmac who answered, taking them a little by surprise. " Anise was unable to heal all of her injuries so the damage is unfortunately permanent."

" I thought the symbiote was supposed to be able to heal everything in a host?"

" Not everything, Doctor Fraiser." Selmac responded without reproach. " As a host grows older, the symbiote cannot heal as effectively as before. It is unusual for such damage to occur in one so young but not unheard of. Anise did all she could but there were other injuries that needed repairing, ones that were too serious to leave that took up her strength. By the time she regained enough strength to heal the others injuries, it was too late." His eyes flashed, signalling Jacob was back. " Sam will need her strength for the procedure. You should get some sleep, Sweetheart."

" Right back at you, Dad." Accepting his hug, Sam looked down at herself when he pulled back. " Before I go to sleep, is there any chance I could change my clothes? Again, no offence to the Tok'ra but.. this isn't really my style."

Smiling, General Hammond nodded at the request. " I'm sure Doctor Fraiser can find you something more appropriate. In the meantime, SG-1, I suggest you get some rest. Jacob, I'll show you to the guest quarters."

When her father started to protest Sam spoke up, giving him a reproving look similar to the ones he'd given her when she was small and refused to go to bed. " I'll be fine, Dad. Go get some sleep."

Dropping a kiss on her forehead, Jacob reluctantly let himself be ushered out of the room. Teal'c followed a few moments later but Jack lingered, exchanging a long glance with Sam hoping she knew how he felt even though he couldn't say anything. At her nod, he eventually allowed himself to walk on automatic pilot to his quarters, fighting with himself to keep from going back.

Helping Sam into one of the infirmary gowns, Janet watched in concern as her friend's resolve crumpled and her true exhaustion seeped through the strong façade. She sat by the bed until her patient was sleeping soundly with the occasional grimace flittering across her face as she slept, only retreating to her office to call her daughter to let her know she wouldn't be home before returning to her friend's bedside.

It was going to be a long night, and an even longer day.

=*=

It was always quiet at night. The lights in the corridors were dimmed, there were only a few officers on duty as part of the skeleton crew and those who weren't working usually went home unless they were part of one of the units on stand-by, in which case they slept in their quarters on base.

Night at the SGC was a peaceful time, to Jack anyway. If he couldn't sleep, he could do whatever he wanted. He could go to the commissary and get something to eat without having to endure much - if any - gossip. He could go up to the surface and stargaze if he wanted. He'd taken to checking on his teammates, too, when they were staying on base at night. Teal'c was always in his quarters meditating so Jack did his best to avoid disturbing him. When both Daniel and Sam were there, he'd often go and check they weren't working through the night. On more than one occasion, Jack had had to order them to get some sleep. Recently, it was only Sam he checked on and, more often than not, he'd end up staying with her in the lab, keeping her company until she was ready to call it a night.

Restlessly, Jack found himself wandering through the empty corridors, unsure of where he was going. He ended up in her lab, half-expecting to see her hard at work, studying some notes or a piece of technology he wasn't interested in trying to understand. Instead the lab was empty, dark in places that didn't have a small piece of machinery emitting a small, eerie glow.

Without reaching for the light switch, he walked inside and sat down, staring blankly at the place where she should have been.

He'd tried telling himself it was going to work, that they were going to go to the Tok'ra base and remove the device from Carter with no problems. He couldn't stop himself from worrying, though, that it wasn't going to be easy. What if there were complications with the surgery and the sarcophagus didn't work when they needed it to?

The more he thought about it, the more he didn't like the idea of going ahead with the operation. The only problem was he couldn't think of an alternative source of action to save her. There was the possibility of a Tok'ra symbiote but.. he liked that idea even less than she did.

For starters, she was right: she'd been with the Tok'ra when it had happened to her; in his opinion, they should have paid more attention to her. He wouldn't have let it happen if he'd been there. Then there were the memories of the last time she'd been blended; sure, Jolinar was desperate and turned out to be one of the good guys so-to-speak but knowing that didn't make what she'd gone through any easier to accept. Thirdly, for him, there was the concern that becoming a host would bring a third and maybe fourth party into their still relatively new relationship. The last thing he wanted was for a damn snake to influence and possibly change how she felt. It didn't always happen, he was proof of that, but he knew it was a possibility.

And then there were his own memories of being blended with a Tok'ra. Sure, he'd made that decision mainly to appease Sam, because she'd asked him with that look in her eyes.. The one that told him she needed him to live even if he was ready to die. It wasn't her fault things hadn't gone to plan. It had taken them both a while to realise and agree on it, but they had both eventually come to the conclusion that what had happened had in some way been for the best. If it weren't for Kanan, Jack would've died. Fair enough he almost *did* die.. but she couldn't have known Kanan was going to be inspired by the Colonel's own high moral standard. She couldn't have known asking him to chose a symbiote over death for her would also mean opening up a chapter in his life he was still doing his best to forget.

Pushing himself up he left the lab, his mind racing, the feelings of helplessness threatening to consume him. Once again, he had no set destination in mind. He thought about going to the gym and maybe wearing himself out so he couldn't fight the need to sleep anymore but instead of finding himself outside of the gym, he found himself standing in the still infirmary.

Anise had requested a private room as soon as she'd regained her strength and done all she could for Freya so Sam was the only occupant of the infirmary - in the patient capacity, anyway. Doctor Fraiser was slumped in the chair by her side, her features disturbed even as she slept.

" Doc." Putting a hand on her shoulder, Jack gently shook her awake. He grinned at the befuddled expression on her face, keeping his voice soft so not to disturb Sam. " Why don't you go get some sleep? I'll take over for a while."

" Colonel." Half-yawning, raising a hand to wipe her mouth, it took a few moments for his words to sink into her sleep-addled brain. " You should be sleeping, you've got a mission first thing tomorrow morning.."

He waved away her concerned scolding, his gaze straying to the still woman on the bed. " Can't sleep. Figured I'd come and see how Carter is, maybe sit with her for a while."

" She's sleeping, like you should be." Taking the opportunity to chide him again, Janet got up from the chair despite her words, knowing he wasn't going to leave no matter what she said. " If she wakes up in any pain, or it sounds like there's something wrong, page me okay?"

" Will do." He didn't look at her as she left, didn't notice the way she hesitated in the doorway, too preoccupied with thinking how pale Carter was.

Casting him a speculative glance, Janet's brow creased as she watched him timidly reach out and cover Sam's hand with his. Was it possible there was more going on between her friends that she'd realised? They couldn't be involved, could they? Shaking herself mentally, Janet banished the idea as she left the two alone. If something were going on, she'd know about it. It was her over-active, sleep-demanding imagination that saw more affection behind the gesture than there should be. Still, it wouldn't surprise her..

For a long while, Jack sat in silence, listening to her breathe and watching her sleep. He was close to almost sleeping himself when she stirred, waking under the intensity of his gaze.

" Hey." A sweet smile spread slowly across her face as her fingers tightened around his. Shifting slightly so she could look at him without holding her head at an awkward angle, the smile turned teasing. " Did you forget to bring the chessboard?"

Her grin was matched by one of his own. " Didn't think you'd feel up to it, sorry. I'll remember next time."

" There might not be a next time." Although it was said quietly, there was an underlying tension that wiped the smile from his face.

" There'll always be a next time." Swallowing hard, his voice sounded strained. " As long as you're a member of SG-1, there'll be a next time in the infirmary. Hopefully not so serious but one of us is always gonna end up in here.. every other mission or so. Or maybe the next time we play, we'll be at the cabin, sitting by the fire with a bottle of wine.."

" Jack." Flexing her fingers, the one softly spoken word demanded that he look at her, his eyes finding hers and holding. " We have to face the facts on this one. This is serious.. It's not something that's going to get better and heal with time."

Letting go of her hand, he crossed his arms across his chest defensively, wanting to deny what she was saying, wishing he could refuse to believe what she was saying. " You're going to be fine."

" Hopefully, yes. But you have to accept the possibility that it won't work, that removing this thing won't be a success." Sam reached her hand out to him, hoping he'd take it, relieved when he eventually did. " If something goes wrong.." His hand tightened reflexively around hers, momentarily distracting her.

" You could give the Tok'ra a chance," Jack interrupted quickly, not wanting to know where her current line of thought would take them. " If a symbiote could help, it might be worth giving it a try."

Shaking her head, Sam gave his hand a slightly squeeze. " I've thought about it, Jack, but with everything that's happened recently.. I don't think that's an option. It *isn't* an option. I won't do it."

" Not even if I asked you to?" Their eyes met. He saw guilt flare in her eyes, knowing what she was remembering. It was a valid question, though. He'd agreed to it because she'd asked. Why couldn't she do the same? " It would be quick. Jump in, heal you, jump out. Easy."

" Do you want me to take the risk?" When she spoke, her voice trembled a little, her grip on his hand unconsciously tightening as she awaited his answer. " What if the symbiote they give me doesn't want to leave?"

Understanding her fear more keenly than he wanted to be able to, he lifted her hand to his lips and placed a gentle kiss on her knuckles. " I'd stay with you," he promised quietly, seriously. " I'd stay with you when they put it in and I wouldn't leave until after they took it out. I swear, Sam, I wouldn't let it or them do anything else to you."

Silence fell over them for a few moments. Sam stared into his deep eyes, torn between following her head and agreeing to it, or following her heart and saying no. Eventually, she found she had to look away from his pleading gaze, speaking so quietly he almost missed her words. " Anise said there's a good chance it wouldn't work, that it would result in the symbiotes death. My body might reject it because of this thing.. Apparently only a Queen Goa'uld or Tok'ra would be able to guarantee a successful blending."

A part of him wasn't happy with the answer. A part thought she was possibly making it up to spare herself from going through what he went through. That part, however, was quashed by the bigger part of him that saw the fear and honesty in her eyes. " Okay. So we go for the operation."

" We do." She rewarded him with a small, grateful smile, appearing a little more relaxed but still very much on edge. Her smile faded as seriousness once again set in. " *If* something goes wrong, promise me you'll take care of my father. He already blames himself.."

" Maybe he should."

Wordlessly, Sam stared at him with her mouth agape, disbelief written all over her face. " I can't believe you just said that! This is my father we're talking about.."

" He shouldn't have let it happen in the first place," Jack replied begrudgingly. " He's your father, he's supposed to look after you, make sure stuff like this doesn't happen.."

" Yeah, he did that when I was twelve." Rolling her eyes, she let go of his hand to wrap her arms around herself. " No one knew what was going to happen. No one knew there were spies working among the Tok'ra. Dad had nothing to do with this and it isn't fair of you to blame him when he feels guilty already.. He couldn't have stopped it, Jack. If he'd known and tried, he'd probably be dead right about now."

" Anise went to help and lived to tell the tale." Refusing to budge an inch, he stared at her resolutely. " Besides, I've *always* said the Tok'ra shouldn't be completely trusted, haven't I? I told you before you left to watch out and Dad did promise to take care of you.."

" So now you're blaming me? Do you think you could have done any differently? That you could have stopped it?"

He stared at her in silence, thinking about the question. Was there anything he could have done? If her own father couldn't protect her, what made him think he could? " I don't know.. but I'd have done everything I could to get to you."

" And you would've got yourself killed in the process." Closing her eyes, Sam let her head fall back against the pillows with a sigh. " Not to mention giving everyone the evidence they need that there's something going on. We agreed you wouldn't treat me any differently."

" I'm not treating you differently, I'd do the same for Teal'c and any other member of my team!" Working hard to keep his frustration in check, Jack found he had to purposely lower his voice so their conversation wouldn't be carried out into the hallway. " Speaking of Teal'c, apparently we're not so good at keeping secrets as we thought. He knows about us, and Daniel apparently knew, too."

" What?" Eyes snapping open, Sam stared at him in horror. " Daniel knew? Teal'c knows?" Allowing her eyes to flutter shut again, she swallowed hard, her jaw clenching. " How? I mean, I thought.. No one else knows, right?"

Shrugging, he reached out and covered her hands with his where they rested over her stomach. " I don't think so but that's not what we need to be talking about." He waited until she looked at him before continuing, keeping his eyes locked with hers. " I've been thinking about the operation-thing.. It's going to be dangerous, are you sure you want to risk it?"

" I don't really have a choice, do I? If I don't, I'll die anyway." Her fingers stroked his as she tried to muster a smile. " It'll be okay. There's the sarcophagus in case anything goes wrong and Freya seems to think it'll work fine so there's no point in worrying about it."

" But you are worrying. I can see it in your face." True enough, there was a line of anxiety across her forehead. " If you're sure you're okay with it, why are you frowning?"

Squirming under his gaze, she bit down on her bottom lip and sighed softly. " I'm not worried about what's going to happen tomorrow. I'm.. I think.. I don't think we should keep seeing each other. For a while, anyway."

His expression mirrored the one she'd worn only minutes earlier. " Am I hearing you right? What the..?"

" We've put Teal'c in a position he shouldn't be in. If anyone else finds out, if we're not as discreet as we thought we were, he'd be in almost as much trouble as we would be for not reporting it. And it bothers me that you'd risk your life for mine, I can't pretend it doesn't. Sure, you might do the same thing for anyone else but there are some people who won't see it that way and if they say something to the General.."

" I can't believe you're saying this. Especially now when.."

" When I might die tomorrow." Moving her hands when she felt him trying to move his, she gazed at him as he stood up and took one step away from her. " Please, Jack. When this is over, when Dad's forgiven himself and gone back to the Tok'ra, we'll talk. And this time, we'll talk to Teal'c and give him a chance to have his say. It involves him now, almost as much as it involves us."

Shrugging, a mask of indifference in place to hide the hurt and surprise he was feeling, Jack took another step away from her. " Fine. We'll talk then." Turning, his back to her, he started out of the infirmary, bewildered by her behaviour. They'd been together for several months and she'd not once hinted that maybe they were in danger of coming to an end so soon. They'd gone through a rough patch when Daniel had left because she'd wanted to help him grieve and he'd wanted to deal with it in his own way but he thought that was behind them. " Night, Major. Sleep well."

He left before she could repeat the sentiment.

Inhaling slowly, Sam let her head drop back down to the pillow, a grimace of pain arranging her features. She didn't want to hurt him and she knew she had. The idea of anyone else knowing about their relationship set her on edge, even if it was Teal'c. It wasn't that she didn't trust him, it was as she said - she didn't want to get him in trouble over a decision he had no say in. And if he knew, there was no guarantee that someone else hasn't picked up on it and was just waiting for the right time to let them know, maybe her father. If Jacob Carter was going to find out about them, she wanted to be the one to tell him. Their relationship had always been rocky at best but ever since his blending with Selmac, it'd been improving and she didn't want it to change, especially not now when she had the feeling he'd need her to help him accept what had happened.

As for Jack.. the Colonel.. If something bad were to happen, it might be easier to accept if the relationship was already over. And if the relationship was over, or on hold, Sam was hopeful it might be enough to stop him from doing anything stupid.

Hopeful, but not convinced.

Lying back, breathing slowly as her body fought a painful battle with the device at her stomach, Sam closed her eyes tightly and prayed for the oblivion of slumber to come.

Her nerves felt like they were on fire, the device felt like it was burning her stomach, burying further into her. She couldn't open her eyes; she couldn't open her mouth to call for help.

She couldn't do anything but let it happen.

Ten minutes later, Janet returned to the infirmary. She was surprised to find the Colonel gone. Checking on Sam, she smiled to herself in relief at the way the woman was seemingly at peace, her pulse still uneven but just as strong as before, her breathing calm and deep. Dimming the lights, she left her friend sleeping, waiting for morning to come.

=*=

Blurry-eyed and harbouring a headache the size of a small country, Jack stumbled into the infirmary, surprised to find the room wasn't as empty as he'd expected or hoped. After a never-ending sleepless night, he'd decided he and Sam needed to talk before anything else went wrong. He'd been planning on a quiet, maybe not-so-nice-at-first conversation before they left for the Tok'ra base.

Instead, when he got there, he found she wasn't alone and knew they weren't going to get the chance to put things right before leaving. Anise and Teal'c were standing to one side, both ready to leave immediately. Jacob was sat on Sam's bed, clinging almost desperately to her hand as Janet stood with bright eyes, talking quietly to the two Generals.

" What's goin' on? Thought we weren't leaving for another.." Sparing a quick glance at his watch, Jack frowned. " Two hours?"

" There's been a change in plan, Colonel. Get ready, you're leaving in ten minutes." General Hammond's voice was gruff, prompting him to take a step closer and peer at the bed.

He'd expected to see Sam looking up at the ceiling, bored with being confined to the bed, or getting herself ready to move but her eyes remained closed and the only movement was her chest slowly rising and falling as she breathed. " What's going on?"

" Sam's condition deteriorated through the night." Doctor Fraiser looked at him through sympathetic eyes, her voice soft and calming. " Last night, when I checked on her, I thought she was just sleeping. It appears she's lapsed into a coma, however, as this morning, when I tried to wake her, nothing happened. Her temperature is slightly elevated and her pulse is thready." Glancing at General Hammond, she continued on solemnly. " Sir, I'd recommend she be taken to the Tok'ra as soon as possible. Without knowing more about the technology involved, there's nothing more I can do for her."

" She was fine last night.." Battling to grasp and accept the new information, Jack moved closer to the bed, his eyes focused solely on Sam as he willed her to open her eyes. " She was fine."

Standing, Jacob traded a long look with General Hammond. " You talked to Sam last night? When?"

" Ah.. It was near 0100 hours, I think." Nervously, realising he'd said the wrong thing to the wrong people, he attempted a casual shrug. " I couldn't sleep so I came to check on her and she was fine."

" What did you talk about?" Reining in his suspicion, Jacob quashed the feeling that there was something going on between his daughter and her CO. He'd noticed when she was staying with him that she was easily distracted and had caught her with a wistful expression on her face on more than one occasion but had dismissed the thought that maybe she was involved with someone. Surely she would have said something.. And she wasn't stupid; she knew a relationship with her CO could ruin her career, he couldn't see her risking that so..

Uncomfortable at the direction the conversation was taking - and at the answer that sprung immediately to mind, Jack shoved his hands into his pockets and shuffled on the spot. " We talked about removing that thing from her stomach. She'd decided she wanted to go through with it despite the risks.. Hey, Jacob, can't you try using the healing device? See if it brings her around?"

" We could try it, I suppose.." He both appeared and sounded defeated, shrugging his shoulders as he took a step away from his daughter's prone form. " George, you do have a healing device around here, don't you?"

" Of course. I'll arrange for it to be brought to the infirmary." With a curt nod, the General motioned to the Lieutenant he'd assigned to keep guard over the infirmary, one of his methods of keeping the situation under control. He knew the Major would want to keep her condition between as few people as possible, understanding her fear that were the NID to find out, it would give them another reason to use her as a lab rat in their single-minded exploits. The guard at the door knew only what he had to - that he was to stop anyone from going near Major Carter unless they were authorised to do so by either himself or Doctor Fraiser. " Lieutenant, please bring the Goa'uld healing device to the infirmary."

" Yes, Sir."

" Colonel, you should go and get ready." General Hammond's tone left no room for arguments.

Almost reluctantly, Jack left the infirmary, resisting the need to glance back over his shoulder as he did so. Teal'c followed the Colonel without so much as a word to anyone, determined to show his support of his team in some way even if not verbally.

" I do not believe your attempts will be successful," Anise said suddenly, her voice that of the symbiote and not of the host. " I believe the best thing for Major Carter would be to take her to the Tok'ra immediately."

" There's no harm in trying, Anise." It was Selmac who spoke, firmly but at the same time calmly. " And there is time; we cannot move Samantha until Colonel O'Neill has prepared himself to leave."

" If you say so, Selmac. But I do not want anyone to get their hopes up in case using the healing device does nothing for her condition." Bowing her head, Anise relinquished control to Freya, the young woman swaying a little on her feet. " Forgive Anise for her impatience. Her anxiety to help Major Carter stems partly from her inability to help me."

Selmac approached her and helped Freya take a seat on one of the empty beds, gratitude, concern and sympathy visible in the expression on Jacob's face. " You are still in a great deal of pain and discomfort."

" I am well, Selmac. Anise controls the pain and lessens it for me." Freya smiled weakly, her features pale as her hands shook.

" Still, I can't thank you enough for what you did to help Sam." Jacob was in control once more, the affection in his eyes that of a father. " I know it wasn't easy for either of you to confront and fight those you thought of as friends."

Lowering her head to hide the flush in her cheeks and the coy smile on her lips, Freya kept her gaze averted even as she raised her head. " Thank you, Jacob. But please, know it was not easy but also was not something we had to question. They didn't just betray you, they betrayed all true Tok'ra, Anise and myself included. I still cannot believe they would betray us to the Goa'uld. Laveda was a friend, or so I thought."

" I'm sorry, Freya. I didn't know you knew Laveda personally." Taking hold of her hand, Jacob saw the regret in the young woman's eyes and felt his heart ache for her. He wasn't the only one having a hard time accepting the situation.

" She came from my home planet. We joined the Tok'ra together." The confession was softly said as she glanced away, unable to meet his eyes. " I regret losing my friend but I do not regret doing all I could do for Samantha. She has been a great help to the Tok'ra in the past, it is only fair we return her help when she needed it."

No more was said between the two of them as the Lieutenant returned, healing device in hand. He eagerly surrendered the device to Jacob, the gadget unfamiliar to him and therefore more than a little scary.

Inhaling deeply to steady his own nerves, Jacob slid it onto his hand, moving to stand by Janet and General Hammond where they were stood talking quietly beside Sam.

" Let's hope this works." He held his hand over Sam, closing his eyes as both he and Selmac concentrated, his hand moving in a slow circular motion in the air above her as the device glowed softly.

He was about to give up when a groan escaped her lips. Shutting the device off, he got closer to her side as Sam's eyelids began to open, a grimace on her face. " Sam?"

" Dad?" Barely managing to croak the word, Sam felt a bead of cold sweat break out on her hairline and run down her face. Agony didn't come close to describing how she felt. Every nerve was screaming out, burning, feeling as if they could explode at any moment. " God.." She couldn't lift a hand to her temple to wipe her brow, her limbs ached and refused to co-operate. " *Dad*."

" I'm here, Honey." He tenderly stroked her face, pushing the hair from her eyes. " I know you're probably in a lot of pain right now but it's going to be over soon. We're going through the Stargate to Kadia and you're going to have that thing removed."

" Kadia?"

" The planet Baal used to rule, the one the Tok'ra control now." Gratefully taking the offered cup of water from Doctor Fraiser, Jacob eased Sam up so she could sip it, smiling encouragingly at her as she struggled. " They replied to Anise's message so everything should be ready by the time we get there."

The only response she could manage was a nod, her whole body trembling with the effort it took to stay conscious. She bit down on her lip, hard, attempting to hold back a whimper as slivers of sharp pain travelled up and down her body, all either heading from or going to the jewel at her stomach.

" General Carter." Quietly, Janet moved to stand at his side, putting a gentle hand on his arm. " If Sam's going to be leaving soon, I should help her get ready."

" Yeah, okay." He leaned in to press a kiss to his daughter's forehead, guilt making itself known as he looked down on her, feeling responsible for her condition. " I'll be back soon, Sam, I promise."

Closing her eyes, Sam forced a small smile as he left her, the mask cracking as Janet pulled the curtains around the bed. Not knowing what words to say, Janet chose to say none. Instead, she did her duty as a doctor and friend, helping Sam to sit up and change from the infirmary gown to loose fitting fatigues.

After the change was complete, Sam slumped back down onto the bed, exhaustion clear in her face. Reaching out, Janet took her friend's hand and squeezed it lightly, staying that way for a few moments, silently sharing her strength as Sam shared her pain.

=*=

Five minutes later, her father and Teal'c were escorting Sam to the Gateroom. She noticed the Colonel was keeping his distance physically although he walked slower than usual, leading the way, glancing back every now and then to make sure they were following him.

The Stargate was already active by the time they got there and on seeing so many people in the Control Room watching, Sam turned to her father and insisted that she was going to walk up the ramp and through the Gate on her own. " I don't want everyone to know there's something wrong, Dad. They're expecting me to be able to walk on my own.."

" Does it matter what anyone else thinks or expects?" Rolling his eyes in exasperation, Jacob stood at the base of the ramp, staring at her in disbelief. " Won't it look stranger if you get halfway and fall over?"

" I won't fall over." She eyed the distance between where she was standing and the top of the ramp, briefly wondering if she could do it by herself. " Please, Dad, I need to do this."

Pleading blue eyes met his and Jacob knew he had to admit defeat. " Fine, you win. But I'm walking right beside you the whole time."

" Thanks, Dad." Breathing in deeply, Sam chewed on her bottom lip as her father let go of her and Teal'c backed off.

" Let's go, Campers." Exchanging a look with General Hammond, Jack started up the ramp with Teal'c behind him, both deliberately keeping their pace slow and steady. Jacob and Sam followed, every step painful and challenging but Sam was determined to do it.

Reaching to top of the ramp as Jack and Teal'c stepped through, Sam breathed a sign of relief and reached out for her father, wishing she didn't feel so pleased when he took her arm, supporting her as they walked through the Event Horizon, Freya following without hesitation.

General Hammond watched with Doctor Fraiser from the control room. They both wore identical expressions and were both thinking the same thing, hoping all of their friends would make it back.

Feeling helpless and tired, Janet excused herself and headed to her office for some time to reflect, relax and hope. After a while, the General followed her lead, heading to his office to be alone, to sit and to wait.

=*=

On the other side of the Stargate, there was no time to sit or wait for anything. Sam and Jacob stumbled through and tripped over the two prone bodies at the base of the Gate, prompting them to groan and wake up as father and daughter fell to their knees.

" Jack? What the..?" Jacob couldn't finish his sentence as he, too, suffered the same fate Teal'c and the Colonel had done and was hit by a zat blast.

" Dad!" Pushing herself up, her eyes blurring, Sam touched her father's face blindly as he slowly began to stir. She looked quickly to Jack and Teal'c, about to ask what was going on when she realised.

They were surrounded by Jaffa. And they weren't on a planet, they were on a ship.

Roughly dragged to their feet, the five of them stood unsteadily in front of the Jaffa, standing close. Freya's eyes flashed and Anise took over, the Tok'ra staring in what seemed to be confusion at the Jaffa aiming staff weapons and zat guns at them.

" Move aside!" A loud, unmistakeably Goa'uld voice ordered. The Jaffa parted and the Goa'uld walked through them, grinning slyly at his captives. " Welcome to Kadia, I am most pleased you could join us." His grin widened as his eyes fell on Sam, the woman struggling to stay upright. " And I see you brought my new Queen with you. How thoughtful."

" You're not going anywhere near her." Jacob wrapped his arms around his daughter protectively as Teal'c and Jack stepped in front of her, both men glaring at the Goa'uld as his smirk turned into a cackle. Jack found himself struggling to hold his ground, the sight of the Goa'uld he'd hoped was dead causing dozens of memories he'd rather not have or acknowledge to crash over him. He was relieved to have Teal'c standing beside him, taking comfort in not being alone with Baal.

Shaking his head, Baal's eyes glowed. " I think you'll find you're mistaken about that, Jacob Carter." He tilted his head to the side. " Or should I call you Selmac?" Laughing at the surprised look on Jacob's face, Baal motioned to his Jaffa to come closer. " You, take our guests to the holding cells, I want them alive for now. And you, bring the woman to my chambers. I think it's time my Queen and I got acquainted."

" Which woman, my Lord?" The Jaffa who spoke bowed his head as though he were expecting to be punished for not knowing.

Instead, to his surprise, Baal chuckled and lifted his shoulders in a casual shrug. " Bring them both to me. I'm sure between the two of them they can amuse me for a while."

The Jaffa approached. Teal'c and Jack protested and tried to fight, only to be knocked unconscious by being hit over the head with the blunt end of a Staff. Sam was pried from her father's arms, too weak to really do anything but make it difficult for the Jaffa who grabbed her to carry her away.

Two other Jaffa led Anise after her and the three men were taken in the other direction. Managing to look back, Sam's eyes met the worried ones of her father as he struggled and tried to free himself to get to her.

Their eyes locked and time slowed. She pleaded with him not to fight, trying to tell him she would be okay.

Unfortunately, the message didn't get through.

As Jacob fought with the Jaffa holding him back, another approached him from behind and struck his head with a zat gun, rendering him unconscious.

Hope fading, the last thing Sam saw before she was taken around a corner and led down a separate corridor was her father falling unconscious, joining Teal'c and Jack in oblivion.

She knew as she was pushed roughly into a room, the private chambers of Baal, that she had lied to her father when she'd tried to communicate silently with him.

She wasn't going to be okay.

She was going to be far from okay.

=*=

They were pushed roughly to their knees as Baal entered, Anise going down with as much grace as she could muster and Sam half-gratefully sinking to the floor as Baal took his seat - one of two - in front of them.

" You were chosen wisely." His voice grated on her nerves but Sam managed to raise her head to defiantly meet his eyes. The act only succeeded in making him chuckle. " Do not think you will escape, Samantha. Do not think I can be convinced to let you go. Our plan has taken a long time to come to fruition, I will not allow anything to prevent its completion."

" You've been planning this?" Her hands clenching at her sides, Sam fought the urge to double over and wrap her arms around her waist, the pain and burning sensation increasing with every passing minute. She wouldn't be surprised if he had been planning it, she'd seen first hand what he did to others he captured - Jack included. That was another reason she hated the man sitting in front of her. The *main* reason. " To do *this* to me?"

Baal stood, a pleased grin curving his lips. " Do not sound so surprised, my Queen. You are the perfect host for my beloved. Many, many System Lords have said so but none of them have thus far succeeded. Now, we will."

" Perfect?" The word came out through gritted teeth as she leaned heavily on one shaking arm, the hand resting against the floor white.

" Why, of course." He approached her, pulling her up by the arm she was leaning on. He stared at her intensely, the sly grin on his face making her stomach churn. " You are a beautiful woman, your intelligence and courage and strength has made you well known among the Goa'uld. You have the memories of the Tok'ra Jolinar and you have the ability to destroy the Tau'ri with the knowledge you have of their technology and strategies.."

" You've had spies within the Tok'ra for God knows how long.. Why would Jolinar's memories be important?" Trying to pull her arm out from his hold, Sam only succeeded in almost falling over. It if hadn't been for his strong grip, she would've collapsed to the floor.

" They're not so important to me as they will be to the other System Lords," Baal smiled evilly, his eyes gleaming. " They will not know how my love came to control you so they shall not know how much knowledge we possess of the Tok'ra. We plan to offer to share the information, in exchange for increasing our standing among the System Lords." He moved closer still, his breath warm and heavy on her face even as she tried to twist away. " Using the knowledge of the Tok'ra is only one small benefit of your future blending. Personally, there are many, many benefits we can look forward to exploring together.."

Narrowing her eyes, Sam tried again to pull away. " I will never be your Queen and I will never help you destroy Earth."

Grabbing her jaw with a bruising hand, Baal held her still as he kissed her roughly, grinning sadistically at the expression of disgusted horror she wore when he moved away. " You will have no say in the matter, I assure you." He headed back to his throne, smiling as he sat down and addressed two of the Jaffa in the room. " Take my Queen-to-be to the pit and leave her there over night." Addressing Sam, his smile turned sickly sweet. " You will learn to respect and obey your Lord, Samantha. Just as you will learn to submit to my love when she possesses you."

Keeping her silence, Sam barely had the strength to attempt a protest as she was carried away. She was quickly losing her will to stay conscious but as soon as she was thrown into the pit of ice-cold water, consciousness flooded back full-force.

Gasping for breath, she struggled and fought to break the surface of the murky water as the lid above her was sealed. Spluttering and choking, her arms flailed wildly as she attempted to catch hold of something to keep her afloat. Finally, her grasping hands came into contact with a metal bar a few feet above her head and her hands held onto it for all she was worth.

The cool water was at first a welcome balm to the searing heat emanating from her stomach but it rapidly became just as unwelcome as the warmth itself. Shivering form head to toe, she closed her eyes tightly, praying for the ability to hold on.

Praying help would come.

=*=

In the dimly lit holding cell, Teal'c sat with his back to the wall, waiting for the others to wake up. He had explored the small room and had been disheartened to find neither Anise nor Samantha Carter had joined them while he had been unconscious.

He didn't want to think about what that meant but he couldn't help himself from fearing the worst. Samantha Carter would die if the device was not removed - unless she was give a symbiote as was Baal's obvious intention. The thought sickened him for more than one reason. He feared for his companions if she was turned into a host, knowing how distraught Jacob would be at losing his daughter to the enemy, knowing how the Colonel would feel at losing the woman he loved to the Goa'uld - and being unable to tell people what she meant to him.

He feared for Samantha. She had gone through so much over the years with SG-1 and he knew from their late night chats while off world that she still viewed her experience with Jolinar to be the most traumatic. If she was made a Goa'uld, if she survived, he couldn't imagine how she would deal with the violation of her being once more.

Teal'c feared also for his friendships and wondered how it would affect him. He didn't want to lose another friend, especially not to the Goa'uld. He knew he would do all he could to free her of her symbiote, even if he had to use the same method he'd used on Sha're and that scared him. He didn't want to be responsible for killing her but at the same time, he'd be saving her. He remembered the guilt he'd felt at killing Sha're and knew it would be increased ten-fold if he had to do the same to Samantha.

Then there was O'Neill. It had taken Teal'c a long time to accept that Daniel Jackson no longer blamed him and resented him for Sha're's death, it had taken him a long time to believe he'd been forgiven by his friend.. If he had to do the same thing with Major Carter, would O'Neill be as forgiving and understanding? Would Jacob Carter or Doctor Fraiser or Cassandra or General Hammond?

If he destroyed her at the same time as her symbiote, could he forgive himself?

Closing his eyes, Teal'c tried to slip into the state of Kel'No'Reem and failed, for the third time. Sighing to himself, he was going to try it again but a groan from one direction and a muttered curse from another alerted him to the fact his companions were awake.

" O'Neill, Jacob Carter." Standing, Teal'c checked first on the Colonel before moving to assist Jacob.

" Hey, Teal'c." Rubbing the back of his head, Jack frowned as he looked around, trying to remember how they'd got there. " Where's Carter?" He was proud that only a marginal amount of the panic he felt was visible in his voice. " And Anise?"

Groaning, Jacob gave in willingly to Selmac's insistence that he should rest and let himself calm down. Selmac was concerned he was getting too worked up, and was struggling to regulate Jacob's heartbeat. " Samantha and Anise were taken to Baal's private chambers."

" Baal.. Oh how I hoped I'd never see him again." Struggling to sit up and keep his eyes open, Jack eventually settled for leaning against the wall with his eyes shut. Thinking of Baal brought back nothing but painful recollections. Memories of being tortured repeatedly, of being so close to death and dying more than once only to be brought back again for another round of agony.. Thoughts of never seeing home, of never seeing Sam.. Memories of being broken down by the Goa'uld Jack hated and feared the most.

" He has become one of the more powerful System Lords who joined Osiris in obeying Anubis. However, he has his own agenda and Tok'ra intelligence suggests he has been gathering his forces in secret, perhaps in order to take up the position as Anubis' right hand man." Selmac continued speaking even as Jacob fought the symbiote's attempts at getting him to calm down. " It is the belief of the Tok'ra that Baal wishes to defeat the other System Lords so that he and Anubis share the power and control throughout the universe. If he did succeeded, he would be a strong ally to Anubis as their forces would be equal and together, they would be invincible."

" Tok'ra intelligence, right." Scowling, Jack opened his eyes to half-glare at the Tok'ra. " I don't really feel like trusting Tok'ra intelligence right now. How much of what you know is fact and how much is make believe?"

Reluctantly, Selmac let Jacob answer the question, both symbiote and host of the opinion that the retired General had more chance of soothing the other man. " I understand your anger, Jack, but our gathered intelligence is all we have to go on concerning Baal and his plans."

" If the Tok'ra are so good at gathering intelligence, why didn't they know what Baal or whoever was planning for Sa-Carter?"

" I know how you feel but the Tok'ra had no idea what as going on.. We didn't know there were undercover operatives.." Jacob was cut off by a disproving snort from the Colonel's direction.

" You have no idea how I feel." For once, the words weren't drenched in sarcasm although Teal'c thought he heard a note of defeat in Jack's voice as he answered.

Hands clenching into fists at his side, Jacob fought with Selmac as the Tok'ra tried to control his reaction. " She's my daughter, Jack. Do you really think I'd let something like this happen to her?"

Jack shrugged, opening his eyes so he could match Jacob's even stare. " I honestly don't know. Guess it depends what kind of mood you're in, whether you're feeling more Tok'ra than Tau'ri, doesn't it?"

" What does that mean?" Jacob was as surprised as Teal'c was at the Colonel's outburst, his eyes wide and round.

" It means the longer you spend with the Tok'ra without coming to visit Carter, the more like them you get. The more condescending, self-centred, self-serving, single-minded you become." His gaze unflinching, Jack dealt the final blow, too caught up in his own emotions to spare a thought for what Jacob was going through. " Sam said it herself. The longer she goes without seeing you, the more unfamiliar you get and because you keep changing and act more like a stranger, the more she thinks the Tok'ra maybe aren't so different to the Goa'uld."

" Sam said that?" Silence was Jack's only answer but it was all Jacob needed. It was true, she'd said it at some point and it hurt. God, it hurt so badly.. Closing his eyes tightly, Jacob tried to shut out the pain and concentrated instead on the anger. Just who the hell was Jack to be prying into his relationship with Sam? What business of Jack's was it that maybe there *were* some problems that needed to be sorted out that he hadn't noticed? Why had Sam told Jack and not him?

He was her father - Jack was just her CO, for crying out loud! A sudden thought struck him abruptly. He knew Sam, she was his daughter, and he couldn't see her ever admitting how she felt to someone easily, especially not her CO so.. " When did she tell you that? *Why* would she tell you?"

It was either the dangerously calm voice Jacob used or Jack had realised what he'd actually said because the Colonel's eyes started flittering around the room, never settling in one place for long. " Why wouldn't she tell me? I'm her friend, friends talk about stuff.."

" Why did she tell you and not Doctor Fraiser?" He refused to back down despite Selmac encouraging him to do so. " And *when* did she tell you?"

" You'll have to ask her that.." Jack wasn't about to answer those questions, knowing the answers would only prompt more questions. Such as - what was Sam doing with him at his cabin in the first place - and that was one question he was sure Jacob would be better off not knowing the answer to. " Oh, wait. You can't ask her because she's not here, is she? No, she's not. She's probably being made into some Snakehead's prized possession as we speak because of what *you* and your precious Tok'ra did to her!"

" O'Neill, Jacob Carter!" Raising his voice louder than necessary, Teal'c silenced them both. " Arguing will not change the situation nor will it help Major Carter." They looked to him in startled surprise. " We must concentrate on freeing ourselves from this place and find Major Carter and Anise before Baal can do as he plans."

Neither Jacob nor Jack would meet Teal'c's gaze, nor could they look away from their hands and the walls respectively. As Selmac soothed Jacob, Jack was left to calm himself, eventually bringing his eyes to rest on the Jaffa's stern expression.

" You're right, Teal'c. Sorry."

" Me too."

Satisfied, Teal'c accepted the apologies with a nod. He got to his feet and began pacing the length of the small cell, trying to think of a plan to get out of the prison and save their absent friends before it was too late.

" Do not worry for Samantha," Selmac broke the somewhat awkward silence that had fallen over them. " I know it is hard not to but she is with Anise. She will be safe, Anise will do all she can to protect her."

" Like I trust a Tok'ra.." The muttered comment wasn't quiet enough. Selmac scowled in his direction but Jack's only response was a casual shrug. " Especially knowing what Baal is capable of, knowing some so-called Tok'ra were working for him." There was a small pause as Selmac kept Jacob from making a retort. " So anyone know how we can get out of here? I don't see an exit sign anywhere.."

Still on his feet, Teal'c wandered closer to the door area, the slight difference in shade and shape the only thing separating this wall from the other walls. The door panel was a lighter shade of gold with darker gold trimmings at the edges. He started pushing at the panels around the door in random places. He wasn't expecting anything to happen but the door suddenly opened, sliding to the side with a loud metallic groan.

" What'd you press?" Jack started getting to his feet, Jacob starting to do the same thing as the door opened fully and came to a stop.

" I do not think I pressed anything, O'Neill."

Teal'c's suspicions were confirmed as another person entered the cell, pushed roughly by a Jaffa. Fortunately for Anise, Teal'c was there to steady her. Gaining her balance, she managed to glare at the Jaffa who'd pushed her before the doors slid shut, the scowl still present on her face as the others approached, questions in their eyes.

" Anise? Where's Sam? What's happening?" Jacob got to her first, Selmac busily trying to tone down his frantic movements. " Where's my daughter?"

" Major Carter has been chosen by Baal to be his Queen." Anise answered matter-of-factly, her arms crossed over her chest as she continued scowling. " Implantation of the symbiote will take place first thing in the morning."

" Where is she now? Why didn't they bring her here with you?" It was Jack's turn to ask questions - or demand answers - and for the first time in what seemed like a long time, Jacob agreed with him.

Her eyes flashed before she answered. " I am sorry, Colonel O'Neill. Samantha is being punished for disrespecting Baal. He has ordered her to be taken to the pit, where she will be left until morning." Freya seemed sympathetic and Jack backed off, remembering another experience with the woman, realising she knew the real reason behind his concern for Carter.

" The pit?" Resuming Teal'c's early position of pacing, Jack couldn't decide what to do with his hands. At first he shoved them into his pockets, then he took them out and swung them a little at his sides. " Tell me that's not what I think it is."

" It's a deep pit of freezing cold water with a sealed top." Jacob replied, obviously sickened. " It's used to weaken prisoners to make them more susceptible to interrogation techniques."

" That's what I thought it was." Jack sighed heavily, briefly contemplating the idea of testing the thickness of the wall with his fist.

Easing himself to the ground, Jacob couldn't keep the look of surprise from flitting across his face. " You've had experience with them before?"

" The first mission to Abydos. Ra used one.. Spent a very uncomfortable night in there with the surviving members of my team." He said it with a shrug, as though it wasn't a big deal. " Wouldn't recommend the place, room service was terrible."

Closing his eyes, Jacob clenched his jaw, fighting the mental images conjured by his imagination. " And now Sam's going through the same thing. Alone."

" Major Carter cannot be expected to survive the night." Teal'c voiced his own concern as he took his seat near the door, studying both Jacob and Jack as they absorbed the information Anise had brought with her. " Her condition is worsening, is it not?"

" That won't concern Baal," Jacob grimly predicted. " If she doesn't survive the night he'll use his sarcophagus to revive her in the morning."

All grudgingly admitting to themselves that Jacob spoke the truth, silence descended over them. Anise joined Teal'c and Jacob in sitting but Jack stayed on his feet, needing to keep moving, needing to do something to keep his mind off what was happening to Sam.

His attempts were unsuccessful even as he started thinking of a way to help her. He couldn't break out and rescue her; they didn't have the resources or the manpower for that.

So what else was left?

=*=

Moving around would help to keep her warm but her limbs refused to cooperate. They felt heavy and detached, quickly growing numb as the water seemed to get colder and colder as the minutes dragged on. The muscles in her arms were protesting at the dead weight they had to support and she'd long since lost all feeling in her fingers.

Her skin above the water stung where the cold air hit. Her lips were blue and bloodless, her eyelashes feeling unusually heavy on her eyelids as she fought to stay awake.

It was an unending struggle. God, she was cold.

In Antarctica, she remembered, it hadn't been so bad. She'd had thick fatigues on and the blankets from their packs, and of course the Colonel was there to cuddle up to and share body heat with.

God, she was using memories of *Antarctica* in an attempt at keeping herself warm. There was something wrong with that.

The Colonel. Jack.

She wondered where he was, whether he was okay. Whether he was with her father and Teal'c.. Whether they were all alive.. Closing her eyes tightly, she brought that line of thought to an end. She didn't want to think like that, she needed to be positive.. Anything else would make holding on even harder.

" Think.. of something.. good.." Her breath escaped her mouth as a cloud of cold air. Her arms shook with the exertion of holding her head above the water. Was it her imagination or was the water level rising?

Even breathing was becoming difficult. All she really wanted to do was give in and go to sleep.. dream of being at home.. safe and warm.. feeling the gentle heat of the suns warmth on her skin..

" No!" Eyes snapping open, Sam inwardly scolded herself for almost falling asleep. Falling asleep would result in death, she knew that. There was no way she could hold on and try to tread water if she gave in to the exhaustion, she'd end up slipping beneath the surface and drowning before she could even think about reacting.

No. She had to stay awake. She had to think of something nice; something pleasant that would help the time go by just a little bit faster.

Minnesota sprang immediately to mind. Her first trip to the cabin where the fishing was renowned for being nonexistent. It was near the beginning of their relationship so they were both nervous about going away together. Somehow, Jack had talked Daniel and Teal'c into going for the weekend, telling them she needed a break and the only way she'd go to the cabin was if they had a chaperone or two. Daniel had been the one to decide that after the weekend was over, he and Teal'c would leave them alone. She didn't know if it was because he knew about them, or he was attempting to play matchmaker but whatever his motives, she and Jack were both grateful to him for it.

It had been perfect; she remembered thinking the cabin was a pleasant surprise with a beautiful view all around. He hadn't exaggerated when he said she'd love it. She'd fallen in love with it almost immediately and as the week wore on, the cabin became just as special to her as it was to Jack.

After Teal'c and Daniel left, Jack had taken her around the area surrounding the cabin on day trips. They spent their days walking in the woodlands and fishing, sunbathing in Sam's case as she watched him through her sunglasses, and swimming.

A fond smile curled up her lips even as the water around her continued to freeze her skin. She remembered the surprised look on his face when he actually succeeded in catching something. It was the first time he'd caught anything in all the years he'd been going to the cabin and the memory of his reaction never failed to bring a smile to her face.

Later that same day, he decided he'd put up with enough of her teasing. They'd been sitting on the dock, waiting for it to get dark enough to stargaze. She'd said something - she couldn't remember what - and he'd retaliated by tickling her and chasing her and eventually 'treating' her to an early not-so-warm bath.

Opening her eyes again, she wished she were back in the lake with his arms holding her up. It had been cold but not as freezing as the water she was in now. And Jack had been there, to hold her and support her and make her smile.

Unlike now.

Her legs were refusing to participate in helping her stay upright. Her grip on the bar above her head was weakening and her entire body was wracked with violent shivers.

She couldn't hold on any longer. God, she wanted so badly for Jack to be with her again. Being alone and drowning was a thousand times worse in some ways than drowning with someone special at her side. In other ways, it was better, but right there and then, it was worse.

She was so cold and so tired and the pain was reasserting itself and spreading relentlessly throughout her body.

One hand came free, the arm dropping down, heavily slapping the water and stinging with the harsh contact. The second hand slipped a little and although she tried to dig her fingernails in, it hurt too much and she had to let the inevitable happen. The second arm made contact with the water moments before she went under.

Using what little strength she had left, Sam pushed herself up to the surface, managing to fill her lungs with air one last time before sinking beneath without putting up any sort of struggle.

She couldn't do it anymore; she couldn't fight. She just wanted to sleep.

As the bitter water consumed her whole, she allowed her eyes to drift shut, a blanket of icy calm embracing her, silence her only companion.

=*=

The night brought them no rest or comfort. At least he assumed it was night - there were no windows to the outside world but even if there had been, they probably wouldn't have helped. They were on a Goa'uld ship after all, and there was no way of knowing where the ship was: in space, or on the planet they should have arrived on.

It didn't matter, anyway. The Stargate was on board and that was the important thing.

The second most important thing.

" How long do you think Carter's been..?" Grinding his teeth together, Jack resumed his pacing. He was as exhausted as everyone else but he refused to rest and stay still for long. That wasn't his style. He was beyond tired, too tired to sleep, and that was how he liked it. Moving made it feel like he was doing something, as if he could get somewhere by pacing restlessly.

" We have been in here for several hours, O'Neill." Teal'c chose to fill the silence when no one else did, knowing the Colonel better than anyone and understanding his behaviour.

Scowling, Jack kicked at the wall. " You think she'll be okay? With that thing in her stomach.."

" She was weak.. It was killing her, Jack." Without opening his eyes, Jacob spoke solemnly, grief lining his face. " She.. She probably lost consciousness a while ago.. She's probably already.."

'Dead.'

The word hung unsaid in the air between them. Jacob grimaced, his brow furrowed. He knew in all likelihood that she wouldn't have been able to last long, that although she was strong she had been dying before Baal had decided to punish her. But like any father, he didn't want to believe it. He didn't want to have to say aloud and be forced to acknowledge the fact that his daughter was more than likely..

" Why would he go to so much trouble?" Still thinking aloud, Jack was only half aware that he voiced his thoughts. " Baal. What's so special about Sam that he'd plan all of this..?"

" She's a valuable member of SG-1, of the Tau'ri," Anise said quietly, her eyes closed as she tried to gather her strength. " Major Carter is well known amongst the System Lords, as are you all, because she is a threat. You all are, you've defeated various Goa'uld and that makes them fear you. Baal is trying to strengthen his position therefore it makes sense to impress Anubis by taking Major Carter as a host and offering the rest of us as gifts."

Lifting one shoulder in response, Jack continued to frown. " There has to be more to it than that. No one else has thought to take Carter before now so why is Baal so determined? He can't be the only one who's thought of it.."

" He isn't, Jack." Reluctantly opening his eyes, Jacob prepared himself for the accusation he was sure to find in the Colonel's face. " The Tok'ra have been monitoring the Goa'uld carefully as you know. Baal isn't the only one to voice the opinion. Apophis thought about it when Ammonet was killed." In his corner of the room, Teal'c flinched. " Sokar was another who had said Sam could be used in battle against Earth. Fortunately none of them were given the chance.."

" And you don't think it was worth mentioning that your daughter's on the Goa'uld most wanted for Christmas list?" The anger was there as expected, his voice low and dangerous.

" The Tok'ra saw no point in mentioning it, Colonel." Anise opened her eyes and stared evenly at him as she came to Jacob and Selmac's defence. " We did not believe the risk was high enough to warrant such a warning. Although SG-1 has a reputation for finding yourselves in the presence of the Goa'uld, your reputation for escaping unscathed is formidable. And, as Jacob said, very few Goa'uld have had the opportunity to do such a thing. Were we aware that there were special spies among the Tok'ra who could get close to Major Carter, we could have informed you immediately."

Grudgingly biting back a retort, Jack reminded himself anger wouldn't help them improve their situation. Instead, he took a deep breath and reluctantly stopped pacing, sliding to the floor. " But why go to all this trouble to make Carter a host and not another member of a unit? There are other women working for the SGC and there's plenty of men so.."

" Not all of them can offer what Major Carter can," Anise sighed as she spoke, her host's exhaustion catching up with her. " She has the knowledge of the Tau'ri, and that of the Tok'ra."

" Because she was Jolinar's host? You think Baal wants her memories?" Jack's voice took on a thoughtful note. " Even though he's had the Tok'ra - some of the Tok'ra -working for him?"

" Jolinar was a well-known member of the Tok'ra. She was one of our best operatives." Selmac answered sadly, memories of the Tok'ra in question coming back to her with startling clarity. " Her knowledge of the Tok'ra was far greater than many of our existing operatives."

" What about Kanan? How long had he been a Tok'ra?" Frowning again, Jack struggled to remember what he knew about his symbiote of a short period of time. He'd tried on more than one occasion to access the part of his mind that Kanan had occupied but it seemed he'd been left with very little to go on. The Tok'ra hadn't died inside him, hadn't left him the memories of his long life. All Jack had were the things he'd learnt himself by prying into Kanan's mind and the things the symbiote had been willing to share. " I vaguely remembering Kanan telling me he knew Jolinar and Martouf."

" Kanan worked with them on more than one occasion. They were friends as well as colleagues.." Selmac trailed off mid-sentence.

" Don't get any ideas, Jack." Jacob warned him quietly. " The only way you can help Sam is by concentrating on getting out of here alive, on all of us getting out of here alive."

Shrugging casually, Jack refused to answer. His mind whirled as he pushed himself up onto his feet, heading over to the door. Hesitating for only a fraction of a second, he raised his fist and started pounding on the door. " Hey, guards?! Jaffa! Kree!"

Concerned and a little worried, Teal'c stood and walked over to him quickly, raising an eyebrow at the sound of approaching Jaffa. " What are you doing, O'Neill?"

" What I have to do." Muttering grimly, Jack took a step backwards as the door began to move. " Making a deal with the devil." His shoulders squared as two Jaffa glared at him menacingly, clasping staff weapons pointed in his direction. " Take me to Baal. I have some information for him, I want to make a deal."

The Jaffa exchanged glances. One of them took a step back; the other reached out for Jack and grabbed him viciously, dragging him out of the cell.

All they could do was watch as the door slid shut. Jacob closed his eyes with a resigned sigh, Anise failed to react at all as she gave into her hosts demands to rest. Teal'c stood at the door, staring at it intently as his fists clenched at his sides.

He stood, and waited.

There was little else he could do.

=*=

Death was only a hairbreadth away. She could feel it. She could practically taste and smell it. Yet something kept her back, something inside her held on and refused to let her submit to it.

There was something else there, too. She could sense the presence of something.

She wasn't alone.

Her eyes still shut, her lungs straining for air, Sam found herself floating back to the surface. Inhaling took a great deal of effort, her ribs aching at the pressure.

She wasn't alone, and she wasn't dead.

Slipping back under the water, Sam was too numb to move. Her limbs felt like heavy rocks, pulling her down, further down.. She was sinking right to the bottom and knew she'd taken her last breath.

Her mind refused to shut down like the rest of her body. It conjured the most disturbing images; giving the presence she sensed a physical form.

Maybe it was a new method of torture. Maybe in the darkest, deepest depths of the pit there was something lurking, some vile creature just waiting for her to approach its lair. Maybe some creature out of a trashy b-movie, some indescribably disgusting sea creature with viciously sharp teeth and long, spiky tentacles. Or maybe it was more like a shark, smooth and agile with powerful jaws that would hungrily devour her, severing limb from limb.

She probably wouldn't feel anything, anyway. Her arms and legs hung motionless, suspended by the liquid as she continued her journey down.

It was unlikely there'd be anything so destructive waiting to meet her at the bottom. She distantly realised that as her thoughts slowed along with every other function of her body. With some regret, she knew Baal would want her in one piece. She couldn't be his Goddess if she'd been chewed up and spat out.

Rapidly losing the ability to care, Sam didn't know which she'd prefer.

Something moved at the side of her. The pressure of water against her stomach increased as if she'd been hit by a small wave and she found she couldn't hold her breath anymore.

Choking, her arms flailed futilely at her sides as water filled her mouth, her body instinctively launching a desperate battle to keep it from filling her lungs as well. Reluctantly, refusing to give into the panic threatening to overwhelm her and sensing the presence of *something* yet again, she allowed her eyes to flutter open.

For a few seconds, her vision was painfully blurred, her eyes stinging. Then it cleared and she could see through the water surrounding her.

Nothing.

Through the murky darkness, she could see the walls of the pit but her perception of distance failed her and she couldn't hazard a guess as to whether she was anywhere near them. She couldn't bring herself to move and find out, either. It would take too much effort and she needed what little strength she had left to twist her head to the side and look around.

Still nothing.

It looked like she was alone but she definitely sensed something.

Closing her eyes again as a wave of dizziness swept over her, Sam felt her lungs suddenly fill with oxygen, her body beginning to rise back to the surface.

Startling, and odd.

She hadn't done anything to encourage or initiate the movement. She couldn't kick her legs because she couldn't feel them.

But still, she had somehow changed direction and was going upwards.

Back to the surface.

=*=

Without hesitation, the guards took him through the maze of corridors, pushing him down before Baal as soon as they reached the Goa'uld. Hands clenching at the sides, Jack glared up at Baal, his memories of their last encounter fuelling his determination to prevent the monster in front of him from doing what he wished to Sam. His fear tried to hold him back, the voice inside his head telling him he was being stupid and should have stayed in the relative safety of the cell with the others but he ruthlessly quashed his fear. If confronting Baal for Sam's sake didn't conquer his fear of the Goa'uld, nothing ever would.

" Colonel O'Neill." Baal grinned with mock sincerity, a devious gleam in his eyes as he stared down at the scowling human. " How nice of you to join us again. I understand you wish to make a deal?"

" That's right." Jack made an attempt at getting to his feet, only to be stopped when a Jaffa put a hand on his shoulder and gave him a shove. He turned his head to glare at the guard in question, a small twinge of satisfaction going through him as Baal motioned it was okay for him to stand. " You want the knowledge of the Tok'ra, right? That's why you want Carter?"

Tilting his head to the side, Baal's grin turned sly. " It is one of the reasons I believe she would make an excellent Queen, yes."

" What if there was another way you could get the information?" Jack moved from one foot to the other, needing to move but unwilling to risk aggravating either Baal or the guard behind him - at least not more than he usually did. " Without using Carter?"

" You would be willing to impart this information in order to save Samantha?" There was something in Baal's tone that told Jack it was more than just common sense not to trust anything the Goa'uld said. At his silent answer and obvious displeasure at the use of Sam's given name, Baal's grin widened. " Very well. I will entertain the idea. Jaffa, kree!" Speaking quietly to the guard he had summoned, Baal stood as the Jaffa left hurriedly. " If you provide us with what we need, I will decide whether Major Carter will be spared."

Even as early as then, Jack started to get the feeling he'd made a mistake.

Several minutes later, Jack found himself hooked up to what he recognised as a Tok'ra memory recall device. Squirming uncomfortably, Jack watched as the Jaffa set up the screen and connected it to the metal implant embedded in his temple.

" What's this for?" Touching the implant, Jack frowned as the screen flickered. " Why use this?"

" To ensure what you tell us is the absolute truth. You insisted that your symbiote had not left you with any memories on our last meeting. I need to be sure what you tell me is real and not something made up in an attempt at saving Samantha." Baal made himself comfortable as the Jaffa stepped back to observe silently. " Now. Tell us what you know of the Tok'ra Kanan. That was the name of your symbiote, wasn't it?"

" Yes." The screen flickered and an image appeared. It was Kanan's previous host, an injured Tok'ra. Jack watched, reliving the horror and fear he'd felt as the symbiote was removed. The image changed to one of himself receiving Kanan, too ill to protest. He felt the repulsion, and the relief, as the Tok'ra began healing his body. " Kanan needed a host, I was dying." Squeezing his eyes shut, Jack tried to remember something that would be remotely useful. *Anything* that Baal might find interesting - but not too interesting - that could help Sam. " He was working on something with Jolinar.. Some kind of technology.." The screen was full of hazy images - of Kanan working in a Tok'ra lab with Jolinar, Martouf hovering in the background as they discussed something that looked like one of Sam's experiments. The screen went black as he failed to remember anything else, frustration welling up inside of him. 'Damn it,' he cursed himself inwardly, 'should've searched the snakes mind when he was searching mine.'

Baal didn't look impressed but he didn't seem disappointed either. One side of his mouth curled up as he stood and walked around, staring intently at the Colonel. " What was Major Carter's reaction to your blending?"

" Carter?" Eyes flying open, Jack's frown deepened as an image of Sam appeared on screen, despite his attempts at stopping it. " What about her?"

Smirking, Baal retook his seat. " Perhaps you cannot recall what you shared with me when we last met. I suppose you weren't thinking straight. You had died once or twice. Or was it three or four times? I forget." Eyes glowing evilly, Baal leaned back in his throne-like chair. " Taking Samantha as my Queen will do more than impress Anubis. If I remember correctly, you shared with us a secret not many know. Concerning yourself and Samantha." Grinning at the expression of surprise on Jack's face, Baal stared attentively at the screen. " There is another reason I believe she will make an excellent host to my beloved.. She will bring the destruction of the Tau'ri race.. and your downfall."

Clenching his fists at his sides, Jack's eyes narrowed. " She'll never help you, Baal. She'll fight for all she's worth.."

" But she will eventually submit to me and my Queen or she will die. She will be broken as you were."

He purposely chose and forced himself to ignore the latter half of Baals comment but the other words brought another image to mind and Jack found himself re-watching Sam as she lay motionless in the infirmary, the machines around her beeping as Doctor Fraiser reminded him of her living will.

Baal arched an eyebrow as he gazed with interest as the scene played out. His delight grew when Jack shifted uncomfortably as his grief was displayed on screen. " Interesting.. I wonder if this is the event that signified the beginning of your relationship with Samantha or if there was something else.."

Again, the screen flickered. The game of chess that had changed their relationship started. Jack ground his teeth together, refusing to look at the changing images and give Baal the pleasure of knowing how much the intrusion of privacy bothered him.

" How disappointing," Baal commented as the picture faded to black. " You used a game to decide whether to pursue a relationship with her? How.. immature. A real man would not have been so childish, nor would he have waited so long.. Tell me, Jack." Smirking again, Baal raised a hand to his chin, an expression of curiosity arranging his features. " Did you find that, as your relationship with Samantha deepened and developed, that she made you happy? Could you forget the horrors you've seen when lying in her arms at night?"

The answer was obviously 'yes' as the device became active again no matter how much Jack fought it and his panic at what it could reveal. Unable to resist, he lifted his head and saw what Baal saw, swallowing hard.

Predictably, Sam was there. They were together at his house from what he could see, and she was holding him as she spoke softly. His breath caught in his throat as he realised what he was watching and prayed Baal didn't do the same.

It was his first night away from the infirmary after their last incident with Baal. Sam had taken him home under the guise of being the concerned Second, following Janet's orders at not letting him drive himself. Unbeknown to everyone else, however, she hadn't left after making sure he got home safe. She had taken care of him, even when he'd done his best to shut her out and she'd held him that night, encouraging him to talk about what had happened to him while in captivity under Baal's 'care'.

He wasn't used to talking about his feelings and although it had been difficult, and hadn't made the nightmares go away completely, it had helped. Baal was right, being in Sam's arms did help the horrors of their job fade and help him forget for a short time..

.. And now his enemy knew that, and would no doubt exploit it.

He couldn't look away as the Sam on screen gently wiped away the lone tear that slid down his cheek, the look in her eyes tender as she cuddled closer. He felt the swell of love he'd felt for her then build up inside him again as she leaned in and kissed him softly, murmuring that everything was going to be okay as long as they had each other. It was one of the aspects of their relationship that had brought them comfort - that they finally had someone they could talk to about what they went through, that they didn't have to hide behind cover stories and lies.

" Perfect." Baal's chuckle echoed around the room, tormenting him. " I wonder, Colonel, what would happen if she was taken away from you?" Again his grin grew as the screen wavered. " By me."

She was back in the infirmary again, with machines beeping in every direction. Doctor Fraiser announced the symbiote was dead but he felt no joy at the news. Sam was still dying. He remembered refusing to move, staring intently at the Doctor as she tried to save Sam.

Shuddering, Jack recalled what they'd all gone through during and after Jolinar had taken Sam as an unwilling host. They'd come close to losing her then and he knew what it felt like to see her as a host - but that was before they'd become involved, a long time before. Now it was worse, and it felt like they were closer to losing her than they had been when her heart had stopped.

" We, my Queen and I, will enjoy being witnesses to your pain at seeing the one you love become the wife and lover of someone else." Baal lifted a hand and motioned to the Jaffa standing in the corner. " Take this prisoner back to his cell and bring me the Tok'ra woman. I will see if she can supply me with the information we will need."

" No!" Struggling against the guards, Jack couldn't stop himself from crying out as the device was removed from his temple with no regard for his well-being. " Leave Carter alone, Baal, or I swear I'll.."

" You will do nothing but watch and suffer. We have no deal."

The self-satisfied smile Baal wore was the last thing Jack saw as he was dragged from the room. He felt sick knowing what Baal had planned for Sam, and couldn't keep from loathing himself at knowing there was nothing he could do to stop it.

He had lost this round, Baal had won, and Sam was the unwilling prize.

=*=

Bewildered at the change in situation but too grateful to question it further, Sam took one greedy breath after another, coughing up the water she'd inhaled and replacing it with much needed air. She tried to reach up and take hold of the bar above her once more but her unfeeling fingers couldn't grip the metal and she slipped under again.

Her arms felt so heavy, too heavy to try again as she fought the wave of unconsciousness that threatened to crash over her, trying to get back to the surface, to where the oxygen was waiting for her..

Another calm embraced her but it wasn't one of icy regret this time. It was comforting in a way, and stilled her almost frantic actions. Allowing the water to support her, Sam obeyed the voice in her head that screamed at her and started searching the water surrounding her again.

Noth--. Oh! Something.

Something from the bottom of the pit was approaching. Something bright, something travelling extremely fast towards her. She made no attempt at getting out of its way, and it didn't register with her mind that she was going to need to take another breath soon.

The bright ball expanded as it got nearer and she felt its warmth through the cocoon of ice she'd been encased in ever since she entered the pit. It continued growing as she watched in amazement, the light changing from being golden in colour to being white.

Only when it became too bright did she close her eyes. She gasped when she felt arms go around her waist so was relieved when she was lifted higher and could replace the water in her mouth with air.

Spluttering and coughing, she opened her eyes and gasped again, eyes growing rounder with surprise as she was turned to face her companion. " Daniel!"

" Hey, Sam." Securing her to him with one arm, Daniel Jackson reached up and held firmly onto the bar with the other, keeping them both above the surface. " You have to hold on, Sam. You have to fight.. You can't let Baal win."

" How are you..? You're not really here.." Sam stared at him incredulously; her body wracked with shivers as she felt herself slowly begin to slip into shock. " I'm dead, aren't I? Or dying and hallucinating.."

" Funny, that's what Jack said." Rolling his eyes, Daniel marvelled at how he wasn't feeling remotely cold or affected by the water around them in any way. Ascending to a higher plane of existence definitely had its advantages. " I'm here, Sam. *Really* here. I'm not going anywhere."

Deciding she liked the company and support too much to bother debating whether he was real or if she *was* hallucinating, she nodded tiredly and let her head fall to rest against his shoulder, whimpering a little as the pain from her stomach reasserted itself now her mind was free of distracting thoughts about drowning and water creatures. " It hurts, Daniel."

" I know." Closing his eyes, he tightened his hold on her, wishing he could do something to take away the pain she was experiencing. He wondered if he'd done the right thing by revealing himself to her. The worst thing about his new status was being able to watch his friends but not always being able to help them or talk to them.. He felt like he should be able to do something more for her, something to take away the agony because he wasn't human anymore but there was nothing he could do. Nothing but watch, and that was sometimes the hardest thing. He missed them although he didn't regret his decision; he still really missed his friends. " You have to fight it, Sam. I know you want to give in but you can't. You're stronger than that.. I'll stay with you until Jack and Teal'c come to help.."

" No." Using what little energy she had, Sam lifted her head and managed to shake it from side to side resolutely. " You have to warn them.. Tell them to leave.. There's nothing.."

Gazing down at her, concerned at the purple hue her deathly white features had adopted, Daniel did his best to discourage her ideas of wanting to be left alone. " They're not going to leave without you, Sam. There'd be no point."

" Tell them.." The urgency in her voice and pleading expression she wore stung him. " Please, Daniel.."

" I could tell them till I was as blue as you are; it won't do any good." Seeing the defeat flare in her eyes, he tried to make her as comfortable as possible as she slumped against him in resignation. " Jack and Teal'c won't leave you here." He held her close even as he felt and heard her breathing become raspy and uneven, feeling the sting of tears in his eyes when her body became limp in the water beside him. Her arms fell lifelessly to her sides, no longer attempting to clutch at him desperately. " I won't leave you either, Sam. I promise."

Even as her breathing slowed and eventually stopped, Daniel refused to leave. He refused to believe it was over, certain the others would have a plan, certain they'd rescue her and use the sarcophagus to bring her back.

All he had to do, all he could do, was wait with her and keep her from sinking too far out of reach. All he could do was keep the promise he'd made, to her and to himself, and stay with her in some shape or form until their friends could take her home and make things right.

=*=

Anise was taken from the cell as soon as Jack was returned to it. She didn't put up much of a fight, resigned to her fate. She had promised Jacob she would say nothing of the Tok'ra's plan and that she would do all she could to make sure Sam was okay. Jacob watched with mixed feelings as she was taken. He wanted to help her, wanted her to be safe but he also wanted to know what was happening to his daughter.

" Damn it!" Jack landed in a heap on the hard floor of the cell, gritting his teeth as the landing aggravated his age-old knee injury. He lifted his head to glare at the Jaffa only to find the door was almost closed and the guards were gone, taking Anise with them. " God damn son of a bitch!"

" O'Neill." Teal'c moved to his side, helping him up. " Your attempt at making a deal with Baal did not go well?"

" No, it didn't," he replied with a scowl, brushing down his fatigue pants as he stood. " The bastard set me up. He wanted to make sure I knew what he was planning to do to Carter."

Also getting to his feet, Jacob walked around a little, trying to get the feeling back in his legs. " Did you give him any information about the Tok'ra?"

" Is that the only thing you care about?" The scowl darkened as he rubbed his temple where the implant had been. " No, I didn't. I couldn't remember anything he'd be interested in knowing. Only that Kanan was working on something with Jolinar." Shrugging, Jack eased himself down to the floor, resting his head against the wall. " He wasn't all that interested in the Tok'ra."

" Then what was he interested in? You've been gone for quite a while." Jacob gazed at him with suspicion. " What did you talk about for so long if it wasn't the Tok'ra?"

His jaw tightened as his mind raced to find an answer. He ended up settling for a version of the truth, seeing no point in lying anymore. If Baal managed to make Sam a host, it didn't matter whether they were found out or not. A court martial couldn't hurt or punish Carter any more than being a host would. Nothing the Air Force could throw at him could be worse than knowing and seeing what she was going through, either. He'd choose a court martial any day over what they were facing night. " We talked about Carter. He wanted to make sure it would hurt me to do this to her. It's kind of a Goa'uld revenge thing."

Still eyeing him suspiciously, Jacob sat down opposite the Colonel. " So you talked about Sam for over an hour? What kind of things did you say? What did Baal want to know?"

" Just stuff." Giving him a one-shouldered shrug, Jack let his eyes slide shut. " He asked questions and watched to see what memories came up on screen. That's all it took to keep the slimy, rotten, obnoxious, two-faced snakehead happy for however long it was."

" I see." Jacob's imagination started working overtime but for once he was grateful for Selmac's intervention, convinced he was better off not knowing what scenes and images his mind could create.

Opening his eyes, Jack studied the older man's noncommittal face in an attempt at finding out if Jacob really did see. There was nothing there to say he did but Jack still felt on edge. He risked a glance at Teal'c as his teammate sat down beside him, their eyes locking. It was obvious Teal'c knew even if Jacob didn't from the expression on his face. " Don't raise your eyebrow at me," Jack muttered, only to get a knowing half-smile from the Jaffa.

" Did Baal tell you anything about the Goa'uld he wishes to put in Major Carter?" Seeing something akin to realisation cross Jacob Carter's face, Teal'c chose to change the subject to something safer and less complicated. " We discussed the possibilities while you were gone but neither Selmac, Anise or myself could remember any Goa'uld it could be."

" Mythology on Baal is often conflicted and confusing. He's a God in many different cultures," Jacob explained, silently agreeing with Teal'c over the change of topic. " Depending on the religion, there are a number of Goddesses this mystery Goa'uld could take on the guise of. Astaroth, Asherah, Astarte, Anat and Shachar are a few of the names we could come up with. On the other hand, few of those Goa'uld have been heard from for hundreds, maybe thousands of years. Asherah was killed in battle with Ra two hundred years ago. Astaroth is said to have betrayed Baal by siding with Mot and has been quietly occupying a handful of planets in a small system elsewhere in the galaxy for many, many years. Selmac believes there were reports of Anat and Astarte being destroyed during a conflict with the Tok'ra and we've never heard of Shachar but it's possible she does exist."

" Astarte did indeed perish in a conflict against the Tok'ra," Teal'c supplied. " Many of her Jaffa chose to serve Apophis after she died. Those that did not were otherwise disposed of."

" Then that leaves Anat and Shachar unaccounted for, although it is still possible one of the others survived." Selmac nodded thoughtfully, trying to remember all she could about the Goddesses linked with Baal, both in mythological terms and in historical fact. " Asherah was the Goa'uld Queen who gave birth to Baal, amongst other Goa'uld. There were rumours at the time of her death that she passed the gift of being a Mother Goa'uld down to one of her daughters but it was never made clear whom."

Teal'c took over the explanation; using what information Anise had supplied to supplement what he himself had learnt while serving Apophis. " Out of all of the Goa'uld it could be, Asherah, Baalat and Anat would be the worst. Asherah had a great deal of power over the System Lords until her apparent defeat, Baalat is a quiet but manipulative Goddess. She has been trying to increase her standing for some time now. Anat has a reputation for being somewhat bloodthirsty in her conquests; both Tok'ra and Goa'uld alike breathed a sigh of relief when news spread of her death."

Sighing, feeling the beginnings of a headache approach, Jack spoken when he realised they were staring at him expectantly. " He didn't say anything specific to me. Baal just kept calling her his Queen or beloved. That's all he said about her."

" Whoever she is, she must indeed be a powerful Goddess," Selmac said suddenly, trying to solve the mystery and failing. " She must also be a trustworthy consort of Baal's if he plans on helping her achieve a high standing among the System Lords also."

" Well whoever she is, she can't be the one he originally planned to use."

" Why do you say that, O'Neill?" Curious, Teal'c stared at the Colonel, the other man shrugging casually.

" Anise killed her, didn't she? Back on Aleris?" Looking to Selmac for confirmation, Jack grimaced at the thought. " Didn't she get into a fight with the Tok'ra she thought was going to remove her sna-symbiote?"

Selmac and Jacob frowned both on the inside and out. " That is correct, Colonel. Anise believes she destroyed the Tok'ra who was host to Baal's Queen, Laveda." A worried expression crossed his face. " If Baal knows Anise is responsible for it, she will be made to greatly suffer."

" How would he know?" A bewildered look arranged Jack's features as he tried to get everything straight in his head. " And if his first choice is gone, who's he going to put in Carter?"

" If Baal uses the recall device on Anise, he will discover the truth." Selmac's concern for her colleague was only surpassed by her concern for Jacob's daughter. " Perhaps Anise was mistaken about Laveda or the symbiote in questioned could have jumped host from Laveda to someone else who was working on this planet for the Tok'ra? It's possible the Goa'uld could have come here in the body of a Tok'ra while we were on Earth so she would be able to take Sam as her new host when we arrived."

" Another unaccounted Tok'ra spy?" Jack let his eyes close again, his head hurting with all the information it was failing to process. " I'm sure Anise will be fine, Selmac. She's not the one Baal wants to use; she's not the person he wants to hurt, either."

Jacob was the one to acknowledge him with a grim nod. " No, she's not. Sam's the one he wants." A sidelong glance was thrown in his direction. " You're the one he wants to hurt."

" I'm not the only one he's going to hurt by doing this." Jack met Jacob's gaze calmly, a peace offering in his eyes. " Carter's gonna get the worse end of the deal, and all of us are going to suffer in some way."

Silence fell momentarily. No one could deny the truth. They would all suffer in different ways; all of them were suffering all ready.

" Unless we can prevent Major Carter from being taken as a host." Somewhat optimistically, Teal'c felt it was his place to instil some ideal of hope in his companions. His words prompted another shrug from Jack and a small grateful smile from Jacob.

They'd all but given up and there seemed to be nothing that could or would change their minds.

Lapsing again into silence, they all became lost in their thoughts and in their fears.

=*=

Loud reverberating footsteps were the first indication that something was going to happen. Reluctantly, Daniel let Sam go and relinquished his human appearance. When the guards lifted the lid on the pit, they couldn't see him but he was still there. Although he could physically hold her and wrap his arms around her, he was still keeping her above the surface, hovering under the water out of sight.

They were puzzled at the position of her body. Two Jaffa exchanged puzzled glances at how she managed to stay above the water, floating on her back instead of on her front in the way they were accustomed to finding Baal's prisoners. The third grunted as he leaned in and grabbed her wrists, pulling her up with brutal force.

" She is dead like our Lord predicted."

" Anyone would be dead after spending a night in there."

They gathered around her, studying the woman who was to become their Goddess. One of them busied himself with sealing the pit, the other two discussed their future queen.

" She is as beautiful as Baal said."

" She will be more so when she is blessed with the presence of our Queen."

" Lord Baal believes she will help him become more successful in his aim to rise above the System Lords."

" If Lord Baal believes it, it must be so."

Straightening as the hatch on the pit was closed and locked, the third Jaffa stared down at them and Sam. " Come. Bring the woman. It is time she fulfilled the role Baal has chosen for her."

In complete agreement, the two Jaffa stood, one of them hoisting Sam's body up into his arms. Flanked by his colleagues, they started back down the corridor towards Baal.

Daniel watched them go, his head sinking. He'd done all he could; it was now his friends turn to save Sam.

=*=

The doors opened again with a metallic creak. Getting to his feet as quickly as he could, Jack saw Teal'c help Jacob up from the corner of his eye. They waited, expecting the guards to bring back Anise or, worse case scenario, take one of them.

One Jaffa stepped in, warning them from trying anything by pointing his staff weapon at them. Another stepped in carrying a motionless body covered by a blanket and set it down not so gently on the floor of the cell. Turning on his heel, he strode from the room, followed by his companion as the doors started closing.

In silence, the three of them gathered around the covered body, dread building in their air around them. Teal'c knelt down beside it, reaching out to take the corner of the cloth in one hand. Steadying himself with the other, he pulled it back, getting his first glimpse of the woman beneath, inhaling sharply.

Swallowing hard, Jack forced himself to look down at the body. A myriad of emotions coursed through him on seeing who it was. Turning away, he moved to the other end of the room and slid down the wall to the floor.

Jacob got to his knees, taking Teal'c's place at her side, a lump in his throat as he stared at her still form. He reached out a trembling hand and touched her cold cheek, the first tear falling from his eyes as he and Selmac grieved.

" Is she definitely.. dead?" He asked the question from the other side of the room, refusing to look at her again in fear he'd see someone else in her place.

" I am afraid so, O'Neill." Teal'c recovered the body as Jacob sat back on his heels, rubbing his face.

Shaking his head, Jacob pushed himself to his feet and moved away from her. He stood with his back against the wall, eyes closed as he spoke silently to Selmac. He couldn't believe.. Didn't want to believe..

Sounds from outside floated through to them. Teal'c stood with his ear to the door, listening as a battalion of guards went by. He frowned as he tried to hear which direction they were going in. " I believe something is happening."

" What?" Standing, Jack approached him, listening carefully to see if he could hear what Teal'c was hearing. " What's going on?" " I believe the Jaffa are to be addressed by Baal." Teal'c appeared troubled as he took a step away from the door. " He is to make an announcement."

Screams stopped him from guessing further. Cries for help, terrified shouts. More screams that cut through to the core of their being.

Jacob joined them at the door, his expression one of terrified anguish as the screams eventually stopped. Baal spoke, addressing his army but the words were muffled by the time they reached the prison. Whatever he said was met with a huge cheer from his Jaffa.

Pale and shaking, Jacob felt sick, his stomach churning as his legs folded beneath him. He grabbed onto Jack's arm as the Colonel gently lowered him to the ground, crouching beside him in concern.

" Jacob?" Trading a look with Teal'c, Jack touched the older mans arm to get his attention. " What is it? What's wrong?"

" We're too late," Jacob gasped, his eyes full of so much pain it hurt to look at him. " The cheering.. Baal summoning them all.. We're too late."

" Too late for what?" When Jacob remained quiet, Jack looked up at Teal'c for the answer. " What am I missing?"

Teal'c stared down on him with troubled eyes. " The Jaffa are celebrating, O'Neill. It is likely they are welcoming and worshipping Baal's new Queen."

The colour drained from Jack's face. " You mean..? Those screams..?"

" That was Sam," Jacob said brokenly, raising his head up to watch realisation sink in. " That was Sam fighting the symbiote and by the sounds of it, the symbiote won. Sam.. My daughter is now a Goa'uld."

=*=

Retiring to her private chambers, the body of Samantha Carter stared intently at her reflection in the long, full-length mirror, studying the woman staring back at her. A twisted snarl curled up one corner of her mouth as the host and symbiote exchanged words in an internal struggle. A struggle the Goa'uld took great satisfaction in winning.

" Does she please you as much as you thought she would, my love?" Baal slipped quietly into the room, the Jaffa Priestess who would tend to his queen closing the door behind him.

" Greatly, Baal." Turning, she graced him with a dazzling smile, holding her hand out for him. Inside, she felt Sam's surprise when Baal got down on one knee and kissed her knuckles. " She protests as I knew she would and speaks to me using some.. colourful language." A pleased expression crossed her face. " She is an excellent vessel. In time, she will serve me well." Taking a step closer to him as he stood, she let a hand raised to cup his cheek. " In time, she will come to serve us both."

He leaned in to kiss her but she turned her face, his lips coming into contact with her cheek and not her mouth. She moved away, her laughter at his disgruntled expression floating towards him.

" I need to conserve my strength, Baal." Settling herself on the bed of cushions in exotic colours and fabrics, she smiled sweetly at him. " It will take time to complete the process and repair the damage created by her body rejecting the device."

" Then I will leave you to rest." He bowed to her and started for the door, stopping suddenly and facing her. " What shall we do with the others?"

Her eyes drifting shut after she arranged her robes, she gave him a one-shouldered shrug. " Leave them where they are. There is little they can do to change what has been done. We have succeeded in our plans; we need nothing more from them. Anubis is welcome to them."

" What about Colonel O'Neill or the Tok'ra Selmac?" Baal hesitated. " You are aware your host had a.. special.. relationship with the Colonel? And Selmac's host is her father.."

A lazy smile curved her lips. " We have not yet contacted Anubis.. When I am stronger I will summon them both, individually. I will see what information I can get from them and I'm sure I will enjoy it." Chuckling softly at the protests in her mind, she sunk further into the cushions. " Thank you for suggesting it, Baal. You can go now."

" As you wish." Baal bowed slightly and resumed his original course out of the room, gruffly ordering the Priestess who hovered outside to ensure his Queen was comfortable and had all she desired.

His infatuation with her had increased while they were apart. He would do everything and anything in his power to keep her happy, just as he always had done.

Lounging on her bed, she laughed out loud in the empty room, stretching languidly as she stared up at the ceiling. Baal was just as loyal as she remembered, and just as predictable, following her without question, doing her bidding whenever she asked..

She was back, back where she belonged, back in control. Life had never looked better.

=*=

Carter was a Goa'uld.

*Sam* was a Goa'uld.

Freya was dead, Sam was a Goa'uld and they were stuck in some Godforsaken cell on a mothership with no way of getting out. Great. Everything was just peachy.

Sam was a Goa'uld.

Jacob's daughter, Teal'c's friend and teammate, his.. his friend and teammate and lover and partner in all things for what he'd hoped would be always.. She was a Goa'uld. She was one of the enemy. She was lost to them. For the time being, anyway.

He stared at the other faces in the room, noticing the blank expression on Teal'c's face and the anguish on Jacobs. Neither of his companions looked like they were going to say anything and although he wanted to fill the silence, he couldn't think of the right thing to say.. Was there even a 'right' thing to say?

No one moved when they heard heavy footsteps heading towards them. They didn't even move as a conversation went on in Goa'uld outside the door, assuming the Jaffa guarding them were changing shifts. They only started moving when the door was activated and started to open, getting closer to each other, determined not to let another of them be taken away.

A lone Jaffa entered the room, glancing briefly over his shoulder. " I am here to help you," he spoke quietly and quickly, almost nervously, glancing between them and the empty corridor behind him. " I am a Tok'ra who pretended to defect to the Goa'uld on the High Council's orders. My mission was to discover what they were planning. Unfortunately, by the time I had established myself here their plans had already been put in motion."

" Why should we believe you?" Jack narrowed his eyes warily at the newcomer. For all they knew, it could be a trap or one of Baal's mind games.

" Please, Colonel O'Neill. I speak the truth." Anxious to leave, the stranger took a small step towards the door. " We must hurry.."

Studying him intensely, Jacob also took a step forwards. There was something familiar about the man standing in front of them. The face he knew, it was the name that caused him trouble. Thankfully, Selmac managed to pull their scrambled thoughts together and make sense of them all. " Sabir? Is that who you are?"

" It is I, Selmac. Please, you have to believe me," Sabir lowered his head earnestly, speaking urgently. " We have little time left.."

Jacob started forward, only to be stopped by Jack putting an arm in his way. " Jacob?"

" General Carter?" Teal'c frowned a little as Jacob moved Jacks arm from his way.

Meeting their confused gazes, Jacob smiled what he hoped was encouragingly at them both, taking another step towards Sabir. " I trust him, Jack." Following Sabir nearer to the door, he hesitated when he realised they weren't following. " We should do as he says."

Jack and Teal'c still weren't convinced. They shared a long look before Jack eventually shrugged, taking a grudging step forward. " Okay." Getting almost to the door, a thought struck him. If they were going to escape, there was someone missing from their group.. " Wait. What about Carter?"

Sabir stepped back into the room, his face full of sympathy for the men staring expectantly at him, knowing he was going to confirm their fears. " I am sorry, Jacob, Colonel. It is too late for Samantha Carter. She is now a Goa'uld."

" Which Goa'uld possesses her?" Teal'c asked the question as Jacob and Jack stood in stunned silence. He knew his companions had wanted to believe they were wrong, that there was still a chance to save her. To know that without a doubt they were too late was crushing to the spirit.

" The Goa'uld Anat." Sabir glanced nervously at Jacob as he spoke, waiting for - and seeing - the expected reaction play upon the old mans face.

The colour draining from his face, Jacob didn't want to believe it. He didn't want to know his daughter was effectively a prisoner of the Goa'uld he knew Selmac was holding back information on. " Oh, God."

" That's a really bad thing, isn't it?" Rubbing his eyes, Jack didn't want to see the expression of revulsion on Jacobs face but at the same time couldn't ignore it. If Jacob thought it was bad, it was going be worse.

" It explains what happened to Sam on Aleris." Oblivious to the Colonel's question, Jacob mumbled to himself, leaning against the wall for support, shaking his head incredulously, wanting so much to be woken up by Selmac and told it was his subconscious playing devious tricks on him.

" Hello?" Frowning, Jack waved his hands in front of the General's face, both concerned at the pallor of his skin and annoyed at being ignored. He had to stop and remind himself it was Sam's father, telling himself Jacob had every right to react in the way he did, that he was allowed to show his devastation at losing his daughter. He, however, didn't have the luxury. To him, Sam was only supposed to be a damn good Second and a close friend to boot. Nothing more. " What?"

" It means that Anat is not only alive, Asherah gave her the gift of being a Mother Goa'uld, O'Neill," Teal'c said solemnly, his dark eyes holding a glint of something Jack rarely - if ever - saw from Teal'c: fear. " It would explain why Major Carter was fitted with the device on Aleris; it would be most convenient for Anat to have a host with the equipment she needs to populate a new generation of Jaffa before the blending."

" So she's going to start her own army?" An expression of loathing arranged his features as he remembered the way Hathor had done that, the methods the Goa'uld used in her attempt at taking over the base. " Using Carter?"

" Yes."

Sabir bit on his lip as he paused just inside the room, wondering whether it was the right time to break the news he had discovered to Jacob and Selmac, news of the ultimate betrayal. " There is more." Deciding it was best to get it over with and knowing there was a chance he would die before being given the opportunity again

" More?" Balking, Jack moved to stand beside Jacob, partly to give the other man his support and partly to prop himself up against the wall, unsure how many more surprises he could cope with. " What else?"

"Anat's original host.." Sabir glanced nervously around the room, his gaze landing everywhere but on the faces of the men listening to him intently. " The host and the symbiote worked together to deceive us. Anat went by another name and joined the Tok'ra. We have been working with her for many years, Selmac, and we did not know it."

Lowering his head, it was Selmac who spoke when she and Jacob were ready to know. " Who was she?"

" I am sorry, Selmac, Jacob." Sabir forced himself to stare into the other mans pained face. " Anise was not the real name of Freya's symbiote. Anat was blended with Freya before she joined the Tok'ra, and led us all to believe the symbiote we had given her was named Anise."

Jack muttered a few expletives under his breath as he turned away to glare at the body still covered in the corner of the room. Teal'c raised an eyebrow, the only sign of the surprise he was feeling. Jacob remained silent, and too still to be natural.

For several long moments, there was silence. Sabir hopped from one foot to another, anxious to leave as soon as possible but understanding their need to come to terms with it. Eventually, Jacob pushed himself up from the wall, his lips set in a grim line, his shoulders squared.

" If we are to escape, we must go now." Selmac was the one in charge, giving her host the time he needed to grieve and try to accept all that had happened. " Colonel, rest assured that this is not the end. We will return for Major Carter soon but we will need reinforcements before we do."

" Okay." Too tired to put up much of an argument, a strange emotional numbness spreading through his entire being, Jack followed on automatic pilot as he was led from the cell. He was aware of Teal'c walking behind him, of Jacob and Sabir walking ahead. He was even aware of waiting for the Stargate to engage and stepping through it.

He was even more aware, however, of who they were leaving behind. Of *what* they were leaving behind. It was that thought that filled with cold dread, the thought crossing his mind that maybe soon would be too late.

Maybe by then all that was left of Sam would be gone. Maybe there'd be nothing left to save.

=*=

She scowled at her reflection, her annoyance written clearly across her face. Anat glared at the woman staring back at her as her host continued to taunt her, gloating over the escape of her friends.

The voice in her head had refused to be silent ever since Baal had broken the news. Their prisoners had fled, helped by one of their own. The betrayer had been betrayed and Samantha Carter was taking great delight in being the one to remind her of it - constantly.

" They were lucky to escape." Anat growled as the voice continued goading her triumphantly. " You, however, will not be as fortunate. You will never be free, Samantha. I have waited too long for his." One of her hands came to rest against the jewel at her stomach, the smile on her face twisted as she stared into the eyes of her host. " Soon you will know the pleasures of being Mother to the Goa'uld. I will ensure that you also know the pain."

" My Queen." One of her aides bowed as she turned to stare at the newcomer. The woman rose only when Anat gave her permission. " Lord Baal wishes to see you. He said it was a matter of great importance."

Anat snorted and fought the urge to roll her eyes. Baal was a handy tool and useful as a servant but there were times when his feelings for her were an irritant. Times like this when she needed to concentrate and think and rest.. Times when he smothered her with his concern.. She still needed him, through, so he would have to be tolerated.

" Very well." Reaching for her robe, Anat wrapped it around her shoulders. " Where is my Lord Baal?"

The aide lowered her gaze, knowing it was a punishable offence to meet the eyes of a Goddess, particularly one so worshipped by Baal. " I believe he was preparing to feast, my Queen."

" Then I will join him." Without giving the other woman a second glance, Anat strode purposely from her chambers.

She didn't acknowledge any of the Jaffa she passed in any way, only partly aware of her aide half-running to keep up with her. The expression on her face echoed the one in her eyes: calm, cold and conniving.

" My love." Baal greeted her warmly as she knew he would. She suffered through his embrace and half-heartedly managed to return his kiss, gratefully taking her seat as soon as the opportunity to free herself arose. " You do not look pleased. Is there something wrong, Anat?"

Watching him reach for a plate heavily loaded with rich foods, Anat barely managed to keep the disdain from showing on her face. How could he think of food at a time like this? " I am well, Baal. My host is more resilient than I anticipated. She is making no secret of her pleasure that your Jaffa allowed our prisoners to flee unharmed."

" Rest assured the Jaffa in question have been punished for their carelessness." Baal spoke to her around a mouthful of food, attempting to grin at her simultaneously. " Is that all that troubles you?"

" My host was weak when I joined her. She is still weak now." Pouting at the lack of attention she was getting, Anat refused to touch the food her aide put out of her, pushing the plate away in disgust. " Baal, some changes must be made if we are to impress Anubis. All Jaffa must have their loyalty tested. We must seek out any potential weak links we may have in our midst to ensure no one comes between us and what we desire."

" As you wish." Baal wiped his mouth with the back of his hand, seeing her expression and turning all his attention to her. " We will begin immediately using the technology you acquired during your time with the Tok'ra." He reached out for her hand, entwining their fingers as he gazed at her with open affection. " Is there anything else you wish for?"

The intent in his voice held an obvious meaning.

Anat smiled - the first genuine smile in a while - as she felt her host's disgust at what Baal was suggesting. " Perhaps later." Leaning closer to him, she grinned to herself at the thoughts and feelings directed at her as she covered Baal's lips with her own. " I will retire to my chambers and teach my host that she cannot win." Deliberately, she walked slowly towards the door, sensing Baal watching her every step. " Maybe later you will join us."

" I look forward to it, my love." Baal grinned widely as his ego was inflated at her words. He lounged in his chair as she left, helping himself to another portion of food.

His Queen was back and she had brought with her technology and knowledge that would help them impress Anubis. She'd also chosen the ideal host. His grin widened as he drank greedily, his eyes glowing. He would enjoy her choice as much as she did, imagining the anguish a certain Tau'ri would go through on learning all they shared.

=*=

'Aken', 'Aker', 'Amaunet', 'Amenhotep', 'Am-Heh', 'Ammut', 'Amun', 'Andjety', 'Anti', 'Anubis'.. The list was seemingly endless.

" Damn it!"

No entry for 'Anat'.

Growling at the blinking cursor in the 'search' box on the computer screen, Jack stared in frustration at the page as the words appeared for the countless time: 'No matches found'. He was so close to tearing his hair out, so close to grabbing the monitor and throwing it from the highest point on the mountain he could find.

He needed to do something, he needed to feel like he was doing something to help and he needed to keep his mind from straying into dangerous territory and thinking about what Carter was going through.. So he decided he'd do what Daniel would've done in his place and try the research thing - and not just because the new SG-1 member, Jonas Quinn, who would've thrived on doing the research with his photographic memory was still on assignment in Washington DC. Jack needed to do something. He needed to feel useful. He needed to keep his mind from wandering back into painful, dangerous territory his mind had marked 'off limits' since his first encounter with Baal.

Funny thing was, while it worked for Daniel and helped the younger man to stay calm as well as bringing to light some useful information, all it did for him was make him feel stupid and create strange violent tendencies towards inanimate objects. A coffee mug, pencil and the door to his locker had already joined the ranks of unfortunate victims.

" Worthless piece of plastic," he muttered, glaring at the offending object. " I'd really like to throw you off the top of the mountain and melt what remains till you're nothing but some nasty, smelly plastic goo.. Maybe then you'll tell me what I want to know.."

" Something wrong, Jack?"

Startled, Jack turned to find Jacob leaning against the wall, looking every bit as exhausted as the Colonel felt. " Jacob.. Hi.. How long have you been there?"

" Long enough to hear you threaten Sam's computer with certain death." The smallest flicker of a smile flared on Jacob's lips before it was replaced by a haunted expression as he stepped closer, staring at the screen in interest, no doubt wanting something to keep his mind occupied as well. " I didn't know you were into researching mythology. Maybe I could help?"

As Jacob took the seat beside him, Jack saw the gesture for what it was: a peace offering. Shrugging in reply, he made the wise choice of taking it. " I give up. Anat is mentioned in one of Daniel's books on Egyptian Goddesses but I can't find anything about her online. I've found dozens of references *to* her but none *about* her."

" Baal and Anat are originally Phoenician and Canaaite Deities, as well as deities in several other lesser known religions," Jacob supplied helpfully, motioning to the opened books on Egyptian Gods and Goddesses that lay on the desk, accompanying the remains of the coffee mug and pencil. " Since both religions, however, later merged with that of the Egyptians, Baal is sometimes referred to as an Egyptian God and Anat is sometimes referred to as an Egyptian Goddess. In all kinds of mythology, the Gods and Goddesses are often the same being, identified in many different cultures and given many different names."

Jack stared at him in annoyed disbelief. He'd spent well over two hours searching for the Egyptian Goddess Anat on the Internet and had found nothing. Now he was being told she wasn't actually Egyptian? " So.. you're telling me all these Goddesses associated with Anat are actually the same person? Like Hathor, she's got multiple personalities?"

Again, a small smile flittered over Jacob's lips before disappearing. He understood doing research wasn't something Jack was used to but at the same time, he more than understood the need to keep busy. It was something he shared with the Colonel, one of many things he suspected. " If you're looking for information on Anat, I'd search for Canaanite or Phoenician Goddesses rather than Egyptian ones."

" But this books says she's associated with Hathor.." Frowning, Jack reached for the book and waved it in front of Jacob to make sure he wasn't seeing things. " That Ra was her father.."

" In Canaanite mythology, El is her father." Shaking his head in sympathy at the look of utter confusion that crossed over Jack's face, Jacob continued explaining with the help of Selmac. " You need to remember, in Egyptian mythology, Anat is a minor deity. In Canaanite or Phoenician mythology, she's a major religious figure." Smiling a little again, Jacob reached out to take the book from his hand, setting it down on the desk. " Don't overdo the research, Jack. You'll only succeed in confusing yourself."

Sighing heavily, Jack let his head fall to his hands with a dull thud. " Oh, I'm there already." He shook his head as his eyes closed. " How Daniel did this I don't know." He paused, as if waiting for a response but Jacob stayed silent. He knew from his few days spent with Sam that the archaeologist's apparent 'death' was still a sore spot for them all. Something they didn't understand entirely so couldn't accept fully either.

Lifting his head from his hands, Jack typed 'Canaanite Goddesses' into the search engine, waiting for the results in silence.

Over an hour later, they had scoured over 100 websites for information, minimizing the ones they thought would be useful, closing those that weren't. Jack's mind was buzzing by time Jacob suggested they call it a night. He was pretty certain if he didn't stop soon, his head would explode and he didn't think Sam would want to come back to find her precious lab covered by brain matter of one totally frazzled Colonel.

" The one thing all these sites and stories have in common is her reputation." He was talking mostly to himself, staring intently at some of the pages as he reached blindly for the book they'd closed earlier. " This site says she's a Mother and a Warrior, the book says she's a Warrior, 'Mistress of the Skies' and 'Mother of all the Gods'.." Minimizing that page, he maximised another. " This site says she's a terrible war Goddess but also a Goddess of beauty and fertility and wanton -" He saw Jacob open his mouth to interject something but cut the older man off with a pointed look before he could say anything. " I don't wanna go there, Jacob. All of them say she's Baals sister, which is too sick to go into.. And that she's a Mother figure but also a maiden or virgin.. How can that be?"

Jacob shook his head as Selmac started talking, having no choice but to repeat his symbiotes words because of the insistent voice in his mind. " Virgin in the sense she's unmarried. In every other sense.."

" Ah, ah, ah! I don't really want to know. *Really*." We'll just settle for Anat being a Mother and Queen, okay? That I can just about get my head round." Shuddering at the thought of what it meant for Sam, he let the book close with a resounding snap. " Just tell me one thing. How much of this matches the reputation Anat has among the Goa'uld?"

Opening his mouth to speak, Jacob found himself closing it again. His expression said it all.

" Right." Eyes closing, Jack fought back the images that assaulted his mind. He wouldn't think of what Sam was going through; he couldn't. Not without taking the risk of losing what little food Doctor Fraiser had forced him to eat.

" I'm going to try and get some sleep, Jack." Wearily, Jacob stood, thankful to Selmac not for the first time for the lack of aching in his back. " I think you should do the same."

Nodding, his eyes fell back to the screen as the retired General headed for the door out of the room. " I'll sleep.. later."

" Make sure you do, Jack." Jacob turned back to look at him, concern in his eyes, their early arguments forgotten. It was obvious, no matter what the true nature of this mans relationship with his daughter, that he cared for her a great deal. It was a comfort to Jacob to know that, to know that there had been someone there for Sam and that he'd hopefully be there for her when she came home. " You're no good to her if George and Doctor Fraiser confine you to quarters."

Turning momentarily, Jack met Jacob's eyes, only to have to look away for fear he'd give too much away. " I'm sorry about before.. I'm just worried.. She went through hell with Jolinar and she's been through hell over the last few years.. She doesn't deserve this."

" No, she doesn't. And neither do you." Jacob turned back towards the door, taking one step closer to it. " I know you care about her, Jack, and I know you'll take care of her for me and help her through this when we bring her home. Thank you."

By the time Jack looked up again, Jacob was gone. He sat in silence for a few moments, contemplating the man's parting words before pushing them from his mind. He could think about them later, when Sam was back.

Printing the information he'd gleaned from the pages he'd found on the Internet, Jack found himself at a loss of what to do. He was tired, yeah, but he was still so wound up.

Out of morbid curiosity, he decided to do a search for Freya while he was still online, wondering if there was any significance in why Anat had chosen her as the vessel she used to infiltrate the Tok'ra. He wasn't expecting anything but he found himself grimacing at the connection he discovered Freya had to Anat:

>>Far from the ancient Near East, home of the lustful warrior Anat, we find a goddess who is virtually her double: a Scandinavian mistress of all the gods who was also the ruler of death. >The goddess who gave her name to the sixth day of our week, Freya was one form of the "large-wombed earth," another version of which her people called Frigg the heavenly matron.



End Notes: A sequel will most likely be coming shortly, no matter how tempted I am to leave it. If you want to yell, feel free. And the usual thoughts, feelings, comments etc. are more than welcome to: Jo@Ram32.freeserve.co.uk

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