More than a Game 3: Gambit By Jo R.

"More than a Game 3: Gambit" By Jo R.

TITLE: Gambit

AUTHOR: Jo R.

CATEGORY: Angst, SJR, Action/Adventure, Drama. *Season Six Spoiler / Speculation Warning* Possible Alternate Reality - see 'Stalemate' for an explanation.

RATING: PG-13 to PG-15.

SEASON / SEQUEL: S6, after 'Abyss'; final story of the 'More than a Game' series.

SPOILERS: Definite spoilers for all Tok'ra/Goa'uld mythology episodes especially 'Thor's Hammer/Thor's Chariot', 'Pretence' and 'Summit/Last Stand'. Possible small spoilers for all other episodes through seasons 1 - 5.

SUMMARY: When a stalemate situation suddenly changes and becomes something else, which player is willing to make the ultimate sacrifice?

ARCHIVE: Random Ramblings, Heliopolis, SJA and IB. Anywhere else, please ask me as usual.

STATUS: Started July 10th, finished 07th August 2002. Rewrite began: 09th August.

DISCLAIMER: Stargate SG-1 and its characters are the property of Showtime/Viacom, Sci-Fi Channel US, MGM/UA, Double Secret Productions and Gekko Productions. No copyright infringement is intended and no money will be exchanged. The original characters, situations, and story are the property of the author.

AUTHOR'S NOTES: The title may be weird - and affectionately known as 'Spambit' by a certain person - but it does have a meaning! >>Gambit - A speculative sacrifice of material for compensation such as an advantage. A gambit is difficult, but possible to refute.<< - Thanks to Ruthie for the definition!

AN 2: Still haven't seen further than season five so inconsistencies are likely, for which I apologise. And I know nothing about medical equipment or procedures so mistakes are possible/likely - blame it on creative license?

DEDICATION: Okay.. This is going to be long: Ruthie, firstly, for all the support, suggestions, threats, Roxton and Jack thoughts and NPCs, and for being ever so supportive in our mutual addictions. And who saved this story from being binned before it was even started. Maz for reassuring me I'm not the only mad shipper living in my area ;) and for the fun SG1 lunches. Ice cream's on me next time! Also for all the helpful hints and suggestions to keep the stories as close to the SG-1 canon as possible. Get well soon! Lynn for all the support - good luck with everything in the future and write some more soon, please? :) MK for giving me little 'hints' on what to write about and include without giving away too many spoilers - you're testing my willpower, Kat!

Also, thanks to everyone who wrote back after 'Stalemate' and didn't yell at me ;)

=*=

His face contorted in agony, horror and fear battling for dominance in his troubled eyes. A scream was torn from his throat as she sent another blast of painful energy his way through the ribbon device she wore.

" Samantha.. Please.. Stop.. Fight it.. Fight *her*..!"

His pleas did not go unheard. She tried to stop, she really did, but she couldn't. It was like she wasn't in control, like she was watching the scene play out from a distance - almost as if she were watching it happen on a television screen, shouting uselessly at the figures imprisoned by the pane of glass.

With one final scream, Aten slumped forward from his position of being on his knees before her. The glowing in the centre of his forehead stopped. She took a step towards him, warily crouching down and reaching out a trembling hand to check for a pulse..

Her hand didn't get the chance to complete its journey. Someone lashed out and grabbed her wrist, roughly jerking her away from the body and up onto her feet.

Frowning, her heart pounding in her chest, she turned her head to look at the intruder unable to stop the gasp that rose up on seeing who it was.

" Jack!" Relief filling her, instinct driving her forward, she expected him to open his arms to her, to tell her everything was okay, that she was, that he loved her, that.. that.. " Jack?"

Relief turned to fear.

His arms remained closed to her, his stance cold and tense. His usually warm eyes were cold, distant, unfeeling. His arms were folded across his chest, keeping her away, keeping her out. " How could you do it, Sam?" His tone was as harsh as his words, sharp enough to slice through the toughest mask she could create. " How could you.." He shook his head, the first signs of emotion appearing on his face. Disbelief, pain. " I thought you loved me. You said you'd try never to hurt me."

" I won't hurt you, not if I can help it." Again she took a step closer to him, needing to feel his warmth, seeking the comfort and security she always found in his embrace. " And I do love you. You know that."

" Then how could you do it?" He was fading, right before her eyes. The air around him seemed to be devouring him slowly, piece by piece by piece. " Why did you do it, Sam?"

" Do what? Jack?" Feeling scared and hating it, Sam reached a hand out to him, startled when her hand went straight through. " What's happening? What did I do?"

He disappeared completely, his voice the only thing remaining. It wrapped around her like a cool breeze, haunting her as he gave her the answer she both sought and dreaded in equal parts. " You killed me."

Her jaw dropped open. She stared at the place he'd been standing in, shock and denial written on her features. " I didn't.. I wouldn't.. I.." Spinning around, she forced herself to look down at the body at her feet.

Her heart pounded louder as she lowered her gaze, growing in volume to the point where it was deafening just as she saw who was crumpled on the floor. Who she'd apparently killed.

Expecting Aten, she was stunned and shaken to see the Goa'uld had been replaced by another. Replaced by Jack. Shaking her head, her whole body trembling as she pressed a hand to her mouth in an attempt at keeping the sob she felt building in her throat at bay. Sam sank slowly to the floor beside him, reaching out to pull him close. His head came to rest in her lap, her fingers running through his hair.

He was cool to touch. The expression frozen in place on his features: one of fear, pain and horror. His eyes were closed but he didn't look peaceful. He always looked peaceful when he slept..

He wasn't sleeping.

" Sam." The soft voice distracted her from her melancholic thoughts. She looked up into sympathetic blue eyes. " You have to come with me, Sam."

" I killed him." Blinking, she barely recognised her own voice. It sounded so weak, so broken, so sad.. so unlike the woman she strove to be every day of her life. " I murdered him."

Her companion shook his head, reaching a hand down for her to take. " No you didn't. You didn't kill him, not yet." He gazed encouragingly, his fingers wrapping around her unsteady hand. " Come with me, Sam."

" Where?" Gently lowering Jacks head to the floor, she let him pull her to her feet, her eyes pleading with him to give her the answers she desperately needed. " What do I have to do to stop it? What do I have to do to save him?"

He stayed silent but led her away, to a wall she hadn't noticed before. He stopped next to it, pushing aside a piece of material draped over something before moving to stand behind her, guiding her closer. " Look into it, Sam."

She did as she was asked without hesitation, frowning. All she saw was her own reflection, and that of her friend behind her. " I don't see anything, Daniel. I just see us."

" Look deeper. Look inside yourself."

Sighing impatiently, she turned her attention to her own reflection, gazing into her own eyes and waited to see what he could obviously see. As she watched, her eyes flashed tellingly. A golden glow flared and died in her eyes, a smug smile curving up her lips.

Blinking, the image vanished. Sam spun away from the mirror, staring imploringly at Daniel Jackson, angry at how nonplussed he seemed. " What's going on, Daniel? How can I..? I'm not.. She's gone."

" Not gone, Sam." Daniel shook his head sadly. His words were spoken softly but the warning in them was impossible to miss. " Just waiting."

" Waiting for what?"

The answer was one she was sure she wouldn't want.

" You."

=*=

" No!" Pulse racing, face gleaning with cold sweat, Samantha Carter sat up in bed, blinking her wide eyes to stop them from stinging. Her breath came out in heavy pants, her hand clasped to her chest, feeling the heavy thudding of her heart.

" What? What is it?" As she'd expected - and feared - her partner woke up immediately, reacting as he did when they were on a mission before he realised where they were, his eyes searching the night for any signs of danger as his hand reached for a gun that wasn't there. Relaxing slightly when he remembered they were in their bedroom, Jack O'Neill turned to her, wrapping an arm around her shoulders, his eyes shining with concern she could see despite the darkness. " Another nightmare?"

Nodding, unable to speak passed the lump in her throat, Sam leaned into him willingly as he drew into his arms and back down onto the bed. She cuddled into him, squeezing her eyes tightly shut, opening them again when an image of his lifeless body came back to her.

" You want to talk about it?" He pressed a kiss to the top of her head, shifting her until she was lying half over him, her head buried in the crook of his neck, both of his arms wound securely around her waist.

" Not really." Sighing, her breath warm against his skin, she raised her head just enough to gaze at his face. " But I guess you deserve to know why I haven't let you get a decent nights sleep since we got here."

Lifting one hand to cup her cheek tenderly, his brown eyes sought out her blue ones, reassuring her with a look. " There's no rush. Just tell me when you're ready."

" I'm sorry." Another, heavier sigh escaped her. " I know I'm keeping you awake." She felt guilty for that. She knew he had purposely taken to sleeping lightly after her nightmares had began, like he did on missions so he could be alert in an instant, ready to give her whatever she needed. He wasn't getting enough rest and neither was she, something that wasn't good considering they only had a few more days left of downtime.

" Don't, Sam." Shuffling around so he was face-to-face with her, Jack leaned in to kiss her softly. " You've got nothing to apologise for, you've been through hell.."

" I've 'been through hell' more than once and by now I should be used to it."

" You should *never* get used to it. You should never go through it again, you shouldn't have gone through it this time." He couldn't resist adding a reminder of his already well-known thoughts. In their first few days at the cabin, they'd spent several long hours talking about what had happened and who was to blame. He still couldn't forgive the Tok'ra, though he was careful not to come out and blame her father - something he knew she appreciated.

Her relationship with Dad was back on unsteady ground. After the initial relief at having her home safely had passed, Jacob Carter had taken her aside for a long father-daughter talk. He hadn't come outright and accused her of having an affair with her Commanding Officer, Selmac wouldn't let him do that, but he had dropped hints that he knew there was something going on and that he disapproved of it. Adding that with what Teal'c had let slip about the disagreements that had occurred between her father and the Colonel while she'd been gone, Sam wasn't very happy with what she saw as her father interfering in her life.

She hadn't said goodbye to him from what Jack understood. Only Teal'c knew where she had gone - and who she had gone away with, promising that he wouldn't say anything to anyone no matter who asked. If there was an emergency at the SGC, General Hammond knew to call Jack at his cabin on his satellite phone and ask Teal'c to contact Sam. If he suspected the two were together, he didn't say anything.

Jacob Carter would be another story.

" We can't change the past, Jack. It happened, it could easily happen again.." Allowing her voice to get gradually quieter, she lowered her gaze to where her hand lay against his chest, feeling his steady heartbeat. " Unless.."

" Unless what?" Instinctively, he had a feeling he knew where her thoughts were going. " Carter.. Sam? What are you thinking?" His hand moved over the small of her back in a soothing caress.

" I'm just thinking.." Her voice faltered a little. " I've been thinking about it for a while.. I might ask General Hammond for a reassignment, maybe to another Earth-based team, maybe to the lab full-time.."

His hand stilled. " Temporary or permanent?"

" I don't know.. Possibly permanent, depending on how it works out." She forced herself to lift her head, propping herself up on an elbow as she searched his features for some hint of what he was thinking. " I haven't decided anything yet. It might be nice to take a break from being in a field unit. I have a dozen different projects to finish in the lab.. It's just a thought, Jack."

" Yeah, well, we both know you think too much." He hated the idea of losing her to another team, even the thought of losing her to her lab. But if she wanted it, he'd support her. He wouldn't like it but he couldn't pretend similar thoughts hadn't crossed his mind on various occasions since they'd taken the next step in their relationship. Retirement wasn't too far away, his knees reminded him of that regularly. As much as he didn't want to picture his life without the SGC playing a prominent role in it, he knew it was inevitable. It was his dream job and a worthy cause but it couldn't - wouldn't - last forever. He wasn't a fool. He, and Sam, needed more in their lives than the SGC and saving the world on an almost daily basis; the SGC wouldn't be open to them forever indeterminately and they couldn't keep saving the world time after time, putting their lives on hold..

It wasn't fair and it wasn't healthy. That was one of the reasons they'd both made the decision to dedicate as much time as they could spare into getting their relationship passed the stumbling blocks that were unavoidable at the beginning of anything long-term. For some, it was distance or old habits that caused the hurdles in their way. For them, it was their guilt at going against the rules they'd vowed to obey and having to discover a healthy, happy balance between work life and home life.

He had a feeling that knowing their lives were as indefinite as their jobs was the motivation behind her new line of thinking. Maybe she'd started to think about the future and what it held for them just as he had. They weren't immortal, they weren't always going to be busy saving the planet.. They needed more to make the difference between life and living, they deserved more.

Dimly, he became aware that she was speaking again. Forcing the thoughts from his mind, Jack tuned back into the conversation.

" I could still go on the occasional mission with SG-1, I'm sure General Hammond would agree to that. But there'd be time for other things, too." She closed her eyes and brought her head to rest against his shoulder, allowing her mind to supply images of the life they could lead if they didn't have to hide what they shared. " Besides, it would mean my father couldn't keep holding this against us. I wouldn't be your Second, we wouldn't be breaking regulations.. He'd have to accept it."

" Don't make a decision about your future because of your father, Sam." He tightened his hold on her as she failed to stifle a yawn. " You're too tired to think straight. Get some sleep and we'll talk more about this later."

Exhausted, she could only nod against him. She felt her grip on the conscious world slipping away and was powerless to stop it, sensing he was following close behind. Her last thought before giving in was a wish that the nightmares would stay away till morning.

=*=

She woke up alone. Her features twisting into a frown, Anat stretched languidly in the empty bed before opening her eyes and searching the room for her companion. There was no sign of him but she could hear his whistling accompanied by other sounds coming from the room the Tau'ri called the kitchen.

Knowing if she waited long enough he'd come back to her, Anat closed her eyes again and sighed contentedly. When Baal had explained his plan to her, she hadn't thought she'd enjoy it so much. Not being able to gloat about her victory, unable to let anyone know she was there, she'd thought it would be boring and tedious and insufferable.. It wasn't; she was enjoying herself more than she imagined possible.

Even though Samantha was in control most of the time - anything else would prompt and encourage too much suspicion - Anat was truly enjoying the brief glimpses she got into Samantha's life, enjoying her time on the Tau'ri world. Samantha's friends were nice, they treated her well, cared about her without fearing her, and gave her support without wanting anything in return.

Colonel O'Neill was surprisingly pleasant to spend time with, too. It was a side of him she'd never seen before. She remembered searching Samantha's thoughts and memories when they'd first joined for any and all recollections of the man Baal despised. She'd know from her time as Anise that the Colonel had a tactically sound mind, that he was resourceful, distrusting, loyal to a certain degree.. Through Samantha's memories, she'd begun to see a new side of him. A side he kept hidden. He was smarter than he pretended to be for starters. Warmer, kinder to Samantha than he ever had been to Anise. Devoted, inexplicably loyal and trusting, loving, supportive, sweet and funny.. He regularly made an admittedly stupid or lame joke for the purpose of bringing a smile to her face..

Samantha loved him, and there was no doubt in her mind that he loved Samantha.

Anat found herself wanting to spend more time with him, but at the same time, she didn't want to intrude on what precious moments the couple could snatch to spend alone together - something that was unusual for a Goa'uld to admit. It was when Samantha spent time with Jack that Anat wished the need to stay hidden wasn't there. She would have liked to be a silent witness to their exchanges, to watch as the oblivious Tau'ri took advantage of being together. Unfortunately, that wasn't possible so she was left with no alternative but to search Samantha's memories when she was back in control and enjoy the few times she could get away with without Samantha or Jack noticing when she was able to take her hosts place.

" Sleeping Beauty awakes." His arrival stopped her musings and she was grateful for it.

She was becoming far too soft, she decided. Far too interested in the life her host had once led - the life she would be taking from her as soon as the opportunity presented itself. Still.. These moments with Colonel O'Neill, seeing the obvious affection he held for her host and feeling the affection her host had for him in return.. It made her realise there was something more missing from her relationship with Baal. It made her have to acknowledge something she didn't want to know about: the loneliness she'd felt for a long, long time.

He leaned in to kiss her and she responded eagerly in kind, just as her host would have done - had done, on numerous occasions. " Morning."

The smile she gave him was forced. She knew it, and she could see by the expression of concern on his face that he knew it, too. He set the tray he'd been carrying down on the bedside table, sitting beside her and reaching for her hand as he spoke to her in a soft, sympathetic tone of voice. " What's wrong? Still thinking about the nightmares?"

Nightmares? What nightmares..? Anat quickly scanned her host's memory, frowning when she couldn't get the information she needed. Damn Baal and his plans. There were some things that remained out of her reach because of his great idea. Fixing a small smile that she hoped appeared genuine on her face, Anat shook her head, leaning into him as his hand left hers and his arm went around her shoulders. " I'm just thinking about going home. Back to the real world."

It was partly true; it was something she knew dwelled on Samantha's mind at night. Going home meant going back to pretending their relationship didn't exist and it hurt her host. Anat, personally, couldn't understand why they bothered. If they wanted to be together, they should be. Everything and everyone else could go to hell.

" It gets harder every time." Nodding with understanding, Jack pressed a kiss to the top of her head, leaning back against the wall. He tightened his arm around her, feeling more than hearing the soft sigh she gave.

They stayed there for a few long moments. Anat was warring with herself inside. A part of her wanted to toughen up, to scoff at the feelings her host and this pathetic Tau'ri shared. They were weak, needy, pitiful.. So why did the other part of her long for what they had?

She'd had lovers, many of them, most of them Goa'uld. They had lusted after her, wanted her, had been willing to do anything for her just to make her happy. They hadn't made her feel cherished, or adored, or if she was honest with herself, loved. They had said they loved her - Baal probably even did - but they hadn't created the feelings this Tau'ri could create in her host.

She had never been wanted or needed or loved just because of the person she was. Fear, power, beauty and flattery were the four methods she had used to gain her lovers attention and infatuation. Scare someone enough and they'll do anything for you. Seduce them with power, either by offering it to them or by impressing them with the power you wielded, and they'd be yours. Use beauty to enchant them and weaken their defences. Flatter their delicate egos to make them crave and need you.

Samantha Carter hadn't needed to use such tricks and deceptions to get the attentions of this man. She could have done, Anat was sure of that, but she had chosen not to. She had won him over in other ways, almost innocently, without really knowing what she was doing. Just as he'd done the same to her.

It wasn't that Anat wanted Jack O'Neill for herself, not entirely. It wasn't that she was jealous of her host's relationship with him. She was jealous, but only because Samantha had something she herself had never been able to achieve, not without manipulating and deceiving and lying and seducing..

Jealousy turned to anger, and anger turned into an idea as she closed her eyes. She had to get a grip on herself; she was a Queen and a Goddess. She was so much more powerful than any Tau'ri could aim to be. So much more *everything* than this Tau'ri could amount to being without her help.

It was her aim to keep Samantha Carter as her host for as long as possible. To cause the human so much pain, so much agony that her defences would be broken down eternally and she would be easily defeated. Anat had to remember that. She had to keep in mind the goal she and Baal had, the plans she had for her host.

It would only be a matter of time before they had left this Goddamn planet and she was able to take complete control of her host. Then she could reassert herself, boost her confidence by maybe enslaving a few new planets and possibly finding herself another lover to take Baals place when she was through with him.

A cunning smile curved up her lips and she hid her face against Jacks shoulder as he continued to hold her and tell her everything was going to work out, they just had to be patient.

Colonel O'Neill would make an ideal contender to take Baals place. She had long since thought it was Baals host that had turned him into the lazy, foolish, easily deceived man he had become. Perhaps she didn't need to dispose of him entirely, perhaps he just needed a few reminders on how a man was supposed to treat the woman he loved - his Queen. Perhaps he needed a new host, one to teach him how to do things right, how to keep her happy so that she would not seek a new companion elsewhere.

And perhaps Jack O'Neill would be the perfect man for the job.

=*=

Sitting in the passenger seat of the car, Sam allowed herself a few brief moments to look back on their short vacation, trying and failing to keep her mind off all that they were leaving behind: freedom to do what they wanted for one thing.

Their time at the cabin always went by too quickly. It started with the very first day, one that passed hurriedly with the final section of their journey and spending the rest of the day unpacking and reacquainting themselves with their surroundings. The days in between the first day and the last passed far too fast, blending and merging so that it was impossible to tell when one ended and another began. The nights weren't so obvious here as they were at home. They didn't simply go to bed when darkness fell; they went walking, sometimes swimming, more often than not they would stay up talking until the small hours and fall asleep just as the skies were beginning to adopt that pre-dawn glow.

The last day was the worst. Knowing reality and 'the real world' were soon going to intrude on their lives made packing their belongings away and tidying the cabin painful chores. Reminders that they would be denied the simple but pleasing existence that enveloped them whenever they were at the cabin when they returned to the places they individually called 'home'.

If she was honest with herself, her small house hadn't been home in a while. She barely stayed there; only when they needed to put some space between them if they'd come too close to acting on their feelings at work or if her father was visiting or their friends were for some reason at either of their houses.

Their relationship had began in Jack's house and it seemed every milestone, every bit of progress they made together as a couple naturally occurred there as well. It seemed a little ironic sometimes that they'd taken their feelings out of the four-walled room at the SGC only to confine it in one - sometimes two if the cabin was included - larger 'rooms' but with the same number of walls.

She wasn't complaining, though. She knew, thanks to recent events, just how fleeting life was and that you couldn't risk wasting a single moment for fear that you'd regret it forever afterwards. That was why she'd gone to him at the first opportunity, asking if they could put everything that had happened prior to her fateful visit to see her father behind them.

Surprisingly to Sam but to her utter relief, he'd taken her in his arms without question. The first night they'd been back together was the first night she'd managed to sleep. Nothing much had happened, he'd escorted her back to the infirmary knowing Doctor Fraiser would have his head if he didn't, but she had managed to sleep that night knowing he was sitting beside her, holding her hand.

That night had been the one her father had walked in on, stood watching for a while before turning on his heel and walking back out. The following day he had confronted her and the cracks in their previously healed relationship had begun to reappear.

That seemed to be the way it worked in her life. Allow one thing to be put behind and left in the past only for something else to appear and rear its ugly head.

Her father would be gone when she got back to the SGC. His confrontation and their subsequent argument would not be forgotten but it wouldn't be mentioned again. Not until he had some new evidence to complain about and confront her with.

So if that was to be put behind them, what was going to either appear or reappear?

" You okay?" Brushing his lips against hers as he got back into the truck, Jack stared at her in obvious concern. " You've been fading in and out all morning."

She couldn't deny it, either. Hell, she couldn't even remember the breakfast they'd shared together in bed yesterday morning and there were several other memory lapses unaccounted for. When she got home, she'd see Janet about it. In the meantime, she'd have to come up with a cover story for where she'd been. " I'm fine." She managed a little, genuine smile at the tender look in his eyes, reaching out to give his hand a reassuring squeeze. " Just thinking too much, as usual."

" Ah." A mischievous spark in his eyes accompanied his knowing grin as he leaned over to steal another slightly longer kiss. " You wouldn't be you if you didn't."

'You wouldn't be the person I fell in love with if you didn't' was what he was saying in his own way. Her smile widened, showing her ability to decipher his carefully chosen words. 'I love yous' weren't exchanged as much as they probably should have been. The three words weren't always necessary, not all the time. But sometimes.. it was nice to hear them and know they were meant.

Settling back into her seat as he started the engine, Sam decided it felt like the right time to reassure themselves - herself mostly - that although they were leaving their safe haven, they weren't leaving their feelings - and each other - behind as well.

" Jack?"

" Yeah?"

" You know I love you, right?" The words were supplemented by a soft smile meant only for him.

" I know." Grinning, he cast her a brief but meaningful look before turning his attention back to the road. " You know I love you too, don't you?"

Closing her eyes, she felt the smile refuse to go away. " I know."

=*=

The real world began intruding almost instantly. The moment they stepped over the threshold of Jacks house, he turned to take her in his arms only to stop when the phone rudely interrupted them. Smiling patiently, Sam took a step back, allowing him to move over to the ringing telephone in spite of the none-too-pleased expression on his face.

" O'Neill. Oh, hey Teal'c. Uh-huh. Right. He did, huh? Why would we want to..? The Tok'ra, thought so. Right. Uh-huh. Well it's not surprising.. Uh-huh. Okay. We'll be there soon, tell the old guy to keep his hair on. No, not really. Yes, I know he hasn't got any.. Teal'c! We're leaving now. Bye."

Leaning back against the wall opposite him, Sam raised an amused eyebrow at the sigh he let slip passed his lips. " Let me guess." Holding up her hand to stop him from speaking, her smile grew when he let his already open mouth close with an audible snap. " There's been a problem on base and SG-1 have been assigned to sort it out."

" Close." Grinning in spite of himself, he took a step towards her. " The Tok'ra are searching for Baal and Anat, they want to stop them before Anat has a chance to take a new host. They've passed on a couple of 'Gate addresses in the hopes we'll help narrow their search."

" Do we have to?" Unable to suppress a shudder at the thought of coming face-to-face with either of them, Sam leaned against him willingly. " Can't someone else..?"

Winding his arms around her waist and upper back, he kept her to him securely. " Jonas was looking at footage the MALP sent back from one of the planets and saw something of interest. Evidence of an advanced civilisation or something.. General Hammond agrees he should be the one who gets to explore it so.. we're on babysitting duty."

" Babysitting duty?" Vaguely amused at the term he used, she lifted her head from his shoulder and met his eyes, trying to look either stern or slightly disapproving, failing to do both. " Don't you think it's time you gave Jonas a break?"

Appearing as though he was contemplating her question, a few seconds passed before an only-half teasing grin broke out over his face. " Actually no. Not yet. When he stops following you around like a lost puppy and decides to stop calling you 'Sam' I'll reconsider."

Escaping his arms and avoiding his wandering hands, Sam stood by the door, her hand resting against the handle as she smiled in obvious amusement. " It bothers you that he calls me Sam?"

" It kinda bugs me sometimes. Partly because I know I can't, partly because it reminds me of Daniel." Shrugging, Jack ignored her warning glance and put his hands either side of her, palms up against the wooden door.

" You can call me Sam. You just choose not to." Squirming a little, turning her head as his face began descending towards her, she chuckled at the grumble he gave when his lips landed squarely against her cheek instead of over their intended target. " We have to go."

" They can wait."

" No they can't. We can't give them any reason to get suspicious.." Dodging his amorous attentions, Sam managed to step aside and open the door, slipping outside before he could reach for her again. " Let's go, Colonel."

Sighing, he grabbed his keys from where he'd haphazardly thrown them on the small table and followed her out of the door. Silently but not uncomfortably, he drove them to her place so she could make her own way to the SGC. They parted with a brief kiss, Sam shooing Jack away before he could pursue her further.

She slid behind the wheel of her car, pausing before starting the engine. She let her head rest against the cool leather, her eyes closing with a heavy sigh. She couldn't fight the feeling there was something wrong.

She was tired all the time, kept getting headaches and having memory lapses - almost like mental blackouts. Sometimes when she woke up or came around, it'd take a while for her to get her body to cooperate. It was like she was temporarily paralysed or had become a newborn child yet to learn how to make its own limbs move.

For once she was glad to have the SGC intrude on her personal time with Jack. She was relieved to have an excuse to go to the SGC, to see Doctor Fraiser and find out what was going on.

Straightening in her seat, she decided enough time had lapsed so that she and the Colonel would arrive at the base a sufficient length of time apart. Turning the key in the ignition, she let her mind fall into familiar, mechanical patterns and began her drive to the SGC.

=*=

There was no time for any visits to Doctor Fraiser. Jonas Quinn was excited about going on their mission and it seemed his enthusiasm was contagious - either that or General Hammond had had enough of the young mans pestering and was desperate to be rid of him.

After a quick debriefing - one Sam remembered nothing of but apparently contributed to by agreeing they should go immediately - SG-1 were on their way up the ramp towards the active Stargate, kitted out and ready to leave. A little confused by the speed of it all, Sam paused at the top of the ramp with her team, drowning out Jonas' incessant chatter about what he hoped to find.

She stared at the Event Horizon, fascinated by it. She hadn't taken the time to really study it since her first trip - or push - through all those years ago. She stared at the rippling water-like effect, hypnotized by its movement, awed by its beauty.

The Colonel stepped through without looking back, rolling his eyes at the newest SG-1 member. Jonas was behind him, his features made more youthful by his evident joy. He hadn't been through the Stargate in a while and he had missed it. Working in Washington DC had been interesting but there hadn't been a moment when he hadn't wished to be back in Colorado, with his team. It was where he belonged.

" Major Carter?" Teal'c stopped beside her, concern playing clearly on his face. He wasn't afraid of showing how he felt around her, not anymore. Maybe in time he'd be able to do the same around everyone else. " Are you well?"

" I'm fine, Teal'c." She answered slowly, her eyes never leaving the blue circle before her. A small smile lit up her face. " I'm perfectly fine."

He gave her a quizzical look but said no more, relaxing a little when she touched his arm briefly in a reassuring gesture. He moved forward, allowing the familiar albeit dizzying sensations wash over him.

The woman he'd been talking to followed him through but it wasn't Samantha Carter. The smile still turning up her lips, Anat felt the anticipation build up inside her as she joined 'her' team through the Stargate, knowing a possible way of contacting Baal would be waiting for her on the other side.

=*=

Escaping from them wasn't easy. The Colonel - Jack, she remembered with a fond smile - hovered by her as she collected Samantha's samples. She knew he was being protective of his Second - and his lover - and the thought made her smile with the irony of it all. Here he was, protecting her, oblivious and unaware that the very person he was protecting was the one he sought to keep away from Samantha.

The Jaffa and the other one - Jonas, the relative 'new guy' - were the same. They were always checking on her, constantly looking back over their shoulders and asking if she was all right. Anat had to fight the urge to laugh. Samantha had been uncomfortable at going to a planet the Tok'ra knew was associated with Baal but Samantha wasn't the one they were all lavishing their concern and sympathy on.

She was, and she found it highly amusing. She was thrilled to be here, knowing she could contact Baal even if he wasn't personally in residence on the planet. He would eventually end up here and would receive her message. The planet, Elestrone, was their safe haven. It was a quiet place they came to after battle to plan their next move and reflect on all they had achieved or lost. It had been Anats first victory, hundred and hundreds of years ago and she knew Baal often came to Elestrone when he wanted to feel close to her.

All Anat needed to do was find a way to get away from Samantha's smothering teammates. If Baal wasn't already there, he'd be arriving shortly. He was predictable like that, especially where she was concerned, so timing was important.

It never failed to amuse her how he changed in her presence. Alone, he was strong and resourceful. All powerful, all evil. A God to be feared and honoured. He changed whenever they were together. She took advantage of his feelings for her and transformed him into a harmless puppy, easily using his affection for her against him so he would readily do as she asked.

Anat had all the control in their relationship. She had always been pleased about it in the past but recently it had become predictable, boring.. Their relationship needed spicing up, needed a makeover.. And she knew just how to do it.

Getting to her feet, she smiled winningly at Jonas and Teal'c when their heads snapped in her direction. Seeing there was nothing to worry about - on the surface anyway - they went back to doing what they had been doing. Turning to look at Jack, she let the smile change into something a little more coy.

" Carter?" He took a step closer, his voice adopting a casual tone but lowering all the same. " Something wrong?"

" Nothing." She motioned to the bushes behind them, allowing a faint blush to spread across her cheeks. " I just need to use the ladies room."

" Okay." He grinned at the way she put it and stood aside to let her pass. " Don't be too long."

" I won't be." Feeling his eyes on her back, Anat couldn't stop herself from swaying her hips slightly from side to side, indulging in a smug smile, knowing no one would see it.

Knowing no one would suspect.

Laughing quietly when she was out of earshot, Anat picked up the pace and headed immediately for her temple. She knew she had little time before Samantha's friends worried and came looking for her and if she was going to make her plan work, she had to find some way of letting Baal know..

A twig snapped somewhere behind her and leaves began to rustle. She reached instinctively for the Tau'ri weapon at her side, wishing faintly for a ribbon device as she waited, all of Samantha's military training kicking in.

Elestrone was unpopulated. Everyone who had lived there had either died trying to stop her from conquering the planet or had been enlisted as slaves and moved to the naquada mines on other planets she and Baal had claimed as their own. The only time there was anyone on Elestrone was when she or Baal were there, sometimes together and sometimes not, with a select group of Jaffa to guard them and see to their needs.

" Who's there?" Clutching her Tau'ri weapon, cursing inwardly, her narrowed eyes fixed on the moving bushes. " Show yourself!"

" As you wish, my love." Baal stepped out from the bushes, grinning slyly at her. He opened his arms, his grin growing when she ran into his embrace. " I have missed you, Anat."

" And I you, Baal." Hiding her face against his robes, Anat closed her eyes briefly, her imagination warping him into someone else. The image pleased her, her smile lighting her face as she stepped away. " I had not hoped to see you here. I was planning on leaving a message.."

" Then you must be pleased." He held her at a distance, surveying the fatigues she wore with obvious disgust. " Those garments are unbecoming, my Queen. We will have to ensure you don't have to wear them for much longer."

Anat took a step backwards. " Not so soon, Baal. I have a plan.. and it may require me to stay with the Tau'ri for a while." Smiling enticingly, her eyes flashed wickedly. " Your host has not recovered fully from your battle with Aten. It is possibly you have been with the same host for too long and the sarcophagus will no longer be of any help to you."

" My host has served me well, Anat. We are one. He chose long ago to serve me. He realised being chosen was an honour, a blessing.. Do we not please you anymore, my love?" He looked disappointed, his voice sounding almost angry.

Adopting her sweetest, syrupy voice, Anat gazed up at him lovingly. " I do not wish to be without you, Baal. You are my Lord - my love. Your host has indeed served us well but there will come a time when he can no longer be of use.." Moving closer, he stood on her tiptoes and pressed a swift kiss to his lips. " If we were to replace your host, the System Lords would not be able to recognise their target. If we were to chose wisely, they would envy you.. If my plan succeeds, you will triumph over a great personal foe.."

His eyes gleamed. " I am intrigued. Continue. Who would you suggest I take as my new host?"

" Colonel Jack O'Neill of the Tau'ri. Revenge would be yours, Baal. You know he has thwarted many of our alliances by killing those we wished to side with: Apophis, Cronus, Hathor.. You would be the envy of all System Lords, even Anubis could not fail to be impressed by it."

" Colonel O'Neill," Baal mused quietly, his expression distant, his smile cunning. " It would be enjoyable to feel his suffering as well as to cause it."

" It would be immensely satisfying, Baal. For us both."

The look on his face was all the answer she needed.

=*=

" Carter." Someone was calling her name, shaking her. " Damn it, Major!" The Colonel. Jack. There was alarm in his voice.. and in his face, she realised, when she opened her eyes. Why had they been closed? " Sam?"

" Yeah?" Sitting up with his help, Sam frowned as his face swarm before her eyes, mingling with the blurred features of Teal'c and Jonas. " What happened?" Blinking until her vision cleared, she glanced around and her frown deepened. " Where are we?"

Teal'c and Jack exchanged worried looks. Jonas furrowed his brow, staring at her quizzically. " We're on P6x423, Sam. One of the planets the Tok'ra thought might be useful? Don't you remember?"

" No." Alarm began to replace the confusion. " The last thing I remember is standing on the ramp at the SGC."

Jonas blinked, reminding her briefly of an owl. " Really?"

" She wouldn't make it up, Jonas." Muttering, mostly to himself, Jack stood and helped Sam to her feet. He couldn't hide his concern for her, knowing resignedly that if Jonas had had any suspicions about their relationship or at least his feelings for Carter, they would have been strengthened by his reaction to finding her unconscious.

They'd come looking for her when she failed to return after ten minutes and hadn't responded to their calls. All three of them had immediately been set on edge. Jack blamed himself for letting her out of his sight. Teal'c chided himself; he should have kept his guard up and listened out for everything. Jonas felt responsible for making the General assign them to a mission, particularly this one, so soon after her possession by the Goa'uld; he should have been patient, should have realised the rest of the team weren't ready..

Searching the sense bushes and woodland around them - why were there always so many damn trees? - they eventually found her in a heap on the ground, unmoving and alone. Teal'c had quickly scouted the area to see if they had company, Jack had immediately dropped to his knees at her side, relieved to announce there were no visible injuries.

Brought back to the present by her quiet moan, Jack barely managed to steady her as she swayed insecurely between him and Teal'c. Jonas looked on in concern while Sam willed her dizziness to abate, managing a weak smile to let them know she was okay.

" Do you remember anything? We've been here for over an hour.." Jack made no attempt at hiding his concern, wrapping an arm around her waist when she began to sway again. He glanced at Teal'c as the Jaffa took a discreet step away from the couple. " You talked to us, Sam. You collected your samples.. How can't you remember?"

" It isn't the first time it's happened." She admitted it slowly, refusing to meet his gaze. She, too, noticed Jonas and Teal'c kept their distance and once again began to wish for a way out of their situation, hating having to put the rest of her team in such a position. " I keep having blackouts, I had one during the briefing.. I don't remember what everyone else said let alone what I apparently said! I was planning on going to see Janet as soon as we got back to the SGC but General Hammond wanted to see us and we obviously came here as soon as we were ready.."

Anger fought with worry for control. " You should have said something," he hissed at her quietly, unwittingly tightening his hold on her. " It could be something serious.. A side effect of the removal.. Damn, I knew we couldn't trust Baal."

" Janet gave me a CAT scan and an MRI when we got back," Sam reminded him softly, trying to put a little space between them. " The results came back fine. She said there was nothing wrong.."

" She also said there was some interference of some kind with the readings she couldn't explain. Maybe that hid something." Allowing her to move only a short distance away, Jack nodded over her shoulder to Teal'c and Jonas, giving them the all clear to join them. " Okay, Campers. We're heading back to base. Teal'c, you take point. I'll over our backs. Jonas, walk with Carter and make sure she doesn't pass out again."

He moved away from her abruptly and Sam scolded herself for immediately feeling more than a little bereft. She clenched her jaw at his dismissal of her, and at his apparent memory loss regarding her ability to defend and protect herself. She saw Teal'c throw him a disapproving glance before doing as he was instructed.

Silently, she fell into step with Jonas. He gave her a small, reassuring smile that she managed to return half-heartedly. She could feel eyes on her back and it made her uncomfortable. She tried telling herself the only person watching her was the Colonel - Jack - no, he was most definitely in Colonel-mode right now - but there was something in the gaze she felt burning into her, something unfamiliar. Jack - whether he was being the Colonel, her friend or her lover - had never made her feel as uncomfortable as she felt walking towards the Stargate, and he had never made her feel threatened.

She stumbled, grateful for the arm Jonas offered as support and took advantage of the distraction to look back. All she could see were trees, bushes.. and one Colonel O'Neill. Their eyes met for a split second but he didn't smile or acknowledge her in any way.

Turning back to the direction they were heading in, Sam stifled a heavy sigh. His dismissal made her feel worse than she already had and only served to increase the sensation that something was amiss.

=*=

The alarm they'd felt spread and infected General Hammond and Doctor Janet Fraiser when they learnt of the strange occurrences. Almost immediately, Sam was whisked off to the infirmary and prepared for an MRI and CAT scan. The rest of her team and General Hammond assembled in the observation room, all determined to get to the bottom of what was wrong.

During the MRI, Janet was perplexed to find the machine was picking up the same strange readings it had done the first time she'd tried using it with Sam. She'd thought it had been a one-off incident - the machine had worked fine where every other patient she had was concerned.

" Doctor Fraiser?" General Hammond spoke through the microphone in the observation room, making her glance up to the window. " What seems to be the problem?"

" There seems to be some sort of interference, Sir." Janet called out, staring once more at the screen below her. " I can't get a clear picture."

" Same as last time?" The Colonel took over the microphone from the General, asking the question playing on all of their minds.

The pretty Doctor nodded, frowning. " Exactly the same. I'm going to see if I can compensate for it." Concentrating on the instrument before her, Janet fiddled with some of the knobs, pressing buttons and making adjustments. She was aware of Sam's dislike for the tests so wanted to have them over with as soon as possible. 'Maybe that's why we're here again,' she thought guiltily. 'Maybe I rushed through this the first time and missed something important.'

Eventually, it seemed to work. The machine hummed as it worked to send an image of Sam's brain to the screen in front of Janet. Fighting the urge to cross her fingers, she watched intently as the picture slowly cleared.

" Oh my God." The startled gasp came before she could stop it. She turned slowly to face those watching in the observation room, her eyes wide and haunted. " Ah, Sirs? I think you should come and look at this."

Without hesitating to ask questions, General Hammond and Jack left the observation room and made their way to join the Doctor. Teal'c and Jonas followed hurriedly, fighting their growing apprehension.

" What is it, Doc?" The Colonel did his best to sound casual but his eyes gave him away. " Find out what's wrong?"

" In a manner of speaking, Colonel." Stepping aside, she let them see what was responsible for the lack of colour in her face.

The four men looked. Two jaws dropped, one eyebrow raised and one mouth opened and closed much in the way a goldfish's did.

On the screen in front of them was an image of Sam's brain. It looked completely normal with the exceptions of two things. One was the tiny, square-shaped device, embedded in the brain tissue at the front of her mind. The second was a familiar and dreaded sight: a symbiote, wound around the top of her spinal cord, alive and moving.

" What is it?" Jonas stared at the screen, his brow creased.

" That's a symbiote. A Goa'uld symbiote." Jack spoke through gritted teeth, glaring hotly at the screen. If looks could kill, the snake would be dead.

" I know that. I meant the other thing." Jonas studied the object in question and rapidly scanned through his memory files for any reference to the device he might have picked up by reading through the SGCs numerous files. He came up blank. " The box-thing. What's *that*?"

Janet's troubled gaze met his curious one for a few moments. He saw the fear and helplessness in her eyes and immediately felt bad for asking the question even though it needed to be asked.

No one answered him and he realised, swallowing hard, that it was because no one could.

Oblivious to the revelation, Sam lay as still as she could a few feet away, wondering what was taking so long. Eventually, after what seemed like hours, Janet reappeared and released her from the machine, the others standing behind her, all wearing identical expressions.

" What is it? What's wrong?" Sitting up, Sam's eyes widened in confusion when General Hammond motioned for two armed SFs to come closer. " General? Colonel? Janet?"

General Hammond kept his eyes on her but said nothing. Jack appeared stunned, staring at her, blinking every now and then to make sure what he saw was real. Janet took a small step closer and made a move as if to reach out for her hand, only to withdraw again and let her arm fall limply at her side.

Their refusal to answer her hurt; that much was clear from the expression in her blue eyes.

" Major Carter.. Samantha." It was Teal'c who was brave enough to move closer, placing a soft hand on her shoulder as he gazed down on her sadly. " It appears Baal and Anat have deceived us once more."

The way he said it hinted that she wouldn't want to know anymore but Sam couldn't leave it there. She had to know. " What do you mean? What did they do?"

" It's not what they did, Sam. It's what they didn't do." Encouraged either by Teal'c making the first move or the understanding hand Jonas placed briefly at her back, Janet continued when no one else could. " There's still a symbiote inside you, Sam. Anat. She's still inside you."

=*=

Shock. Fear. Horror. Dread. Disbelief. More Fear. More disbelief. Copious amounts of confusion. And there were a lot more emotions running through her too quickly to categorise.

Understandable, really. They – her friends – had just told her she was a Goa'uld. That the symbiote she thought she was free of was still there, hiding, biding its time. It explained the blackouts, the headaches, the deep-rooted feeling something was wrong.

The unknown device, she guessed, was responsible for her being unaware of its – Anats – presence. Whatever it was, Sam assumed it must be responsible for her lack of memory whenever Anat took control.

Why, though? Why was the Goa'uld hiding? Why would she pretend to be Sam when she was in control? Unless she was planning something, needing to earn their trust and take advantage of it..

A shudder worked its way down her spine. It was worse not knowing what Anat was up to than it had been knowing every nuance of her plan. It was worse because she knew she was a threat to her friends, a danger to her planet, and there was nothing she could do about it. She couldn't warn them because she didn't know anything.

Blinking back stinging tears of frustration and anger that needed to be repressed, Sam looked at the faces still crowded round her. She tried to speak, having to clear her throat twice before the words would pass through her lips.

" General, I think it would be best to keep me under armed guard at all times, and secluded either here or in a holding cell." She held her head up, meeting his conflicted gaze unflinchingly. " You may need more than just two SFs to be on the safe side.. And I'd suggest not letting anyone in to see me."

" No way." Colonel O'Neill was the first to object, just as she knew he would be. She forced herself to meet his eyes, telling herself determinedly it would be easier if she saw him as only her CO and nothing more. " You're in control now, right? And have been in control more than Anat so.. It'd be like imprisoning Carter, Sir."

" At my request, Colonel." Keeping her voice calm and unwavering, she stared at them resolutely. " I won't be able to give you any warning when Anat is about to take control. It would be dangerous to give me any kind of liberties and if anyone comes to visit me, they'd be risking their own lives. Anat isn't stupid. She'll realise something's wrong and that her cover has been blown. If anyone else is here when that happens, she'll no doubt try to take it out on them. I don't want to be responsible for that General. I don't want anyone's blood on my hands."

General Hammond gazed at her intently for a few moments, understanding her request. He wanted to be able to deny it, knowing how much she'd hate it, but he knew he couldn't. He had to make the right decision for all concerned. " Unfortunately, Colonel, I have to agree with Major Carter. I'll assign two more armed guards to stand outside and this room will be sealed off to everyone who doesn't have permission from myself or Doctor Fraiser." He turned to glance at the Doctor in question. " Will you be able to monitor Major Carter's condition from the observation room?"

" Yes, Sir." The woman cast an apologetic glance in the direction of her friend. " We should be able to communicate with Major Carter from there, too. It would be safer for all concerned."

" It's better than nothing. Doctor, do what you have to do. Then I'm ordering everyone out of the room." General Hammond made as if to leave, pausing to look at the young woman on the bed compassionately. " We will beat this thing, Major. The Goa'uld will not win."

" Thank you, Sir." She acknowledged him with a small smile. She watched with her heart pounding painfully in her chest as he slowly left the room, followed by the two-armed SFs. Jonas, she noticed, lingered by Janet as the Doctor hooked Sam up to several machines. Teal'c gazed at her with his hands clenched at his sides, letting her know he would always be there and would do all he could. Jack had taken over from the Colonel, almost in the same way the Goa'uld took over its host, and she could see he was fighting with himself on what to do. His fingers stretched and relaxed as his arms hung by his side and she knew he was keeping the impulse to take her hand at bay.

" You should go." She pulled her legs up onto the bed, withdrawing into herself as Janet finished what she was doing. " Seriously, I don't know when Anat will come back, I don't know what she's planning.. Please go."

" I'll be up there if you need to talk." Janet gave her a forced smile and started backing out of the room, wanting to do more but unable to. She walked away, her head bowed as she went.

Jonas shifted uncomfortable, watching the Doctor go before looking back at Sam. " I'd better.. There'll be a way out of this, Sam. We'll find it."

" I'm sure you will." Sam smiled a little at his uncertainty and what to do, vaguely amused at the way he waved over his shoulder as he left. Turning her attention back to Teal'c and Jack, she tried not to let the smile slip from her face. " Go on, I'll be fine. And Janet's right, you can talk to me from up there."

" You gonna be all right by yourself in here?" He didn't know what else to say. He wanted to get closer to her, tell her what was going through his mind but knew he couldn't. She wouldn't appreciate it, or approve.

" I'll be fine, Sir." She nodded shortly, her eyes never straying from the point in between the two men. " When Anat takes control.." Her voice stopped them from leaving. " Don't give into her. No matter what she says."

Jack nodded silently and left without another word. Teal'c hesitated, meeting her eyes again and seeing the quiet request there. Swallowing, his fists clenching eve more, he answered her with a grim look and left her alone.

The heavy doors slid behind him. Her troubled sigh echoed throughout the empty room. There was nothing to do but think and wait.

=*=

The inactive Stargate had never annoyed him so much. It bothered the others, too. He could see that in their expressions.

O'Neill paced restlessly, going up and down the stairs in between the briefing room and the control room. He jumped at the slightest of noises but it took calling his name several times to reach his conscious through his distracted state of mind.

Jonas kept appearing and disappearing. He'd be sitting quietly in the corner of the control room one minute and headed off to the infirmary the next, to keep Doctor Fraiser informed and to make sure once again that there'd been no change in Major Carter's condition.

General Hammond had lasted all of ten minutes before the other two men began to make him nervous, taking to his office to wait alone in relative peace. Teal'c suspected it was also so he could keep calling the infirmary to make sure nothing new had happened.

It was something he could understand. Even he was growing tired of keeping a silent vigil, waiting for Jacob Carter to either respond to their message or to arrive in person. They were hoping he would be able to explain more about the device the Goa'uld had used on Major Carter, and how to remove it.

Without a word to anyone, Teal'c headed out of the control room, down the stairs into the maze of corridors. He passed the infirmary after stepping out of the elevator on the right floor and went straight to the observation room, passing Doctor Fraiser on her way out.

" Teal'c." She didn't seem surprised to see him, greeting him with a weak but still warm smile. " Have you come to keep Sam company for a while?"

" I have." He nodded at her, gazing in concern at the telltale lines of defeat on her face. " Has Anat made her presence known yet?"

Doctor Fraiser shook her head, relief shining in her eyes. " Not yet, thankfully. Sam is still Sam.. She's still determined no one should enter the room, though. I suggested using restraints but she said it would be too dangerous. Anat's too strong."

" She is a wise woman." Although he didn't like the idea of her being in solitary confinement, he agreed with her that it was the right thing to do. " We will not let Anat defeat us, Doctor Fraiser. I will not let the Goa'uld triumph over Major Carter."

" I know you won't, Teal'c." The smile that accompanied her words was genuine. " Thank you." She reached out for his hand and gave it a small squeeze. " Try cheering her up. She hasn't said much since she was sealed in there."

She left him without another word, leaving the way into the observation room clear. Quickly but soundlessly, he entered the room and sat beside the microphone. It wasn't an ideal situation but he knew their conversation would still be private – only she would be able to hear what he said and vice-versa.

" Samantha Carter." It felt strange, and wrong, to use her rank so he settled for her name. He watched her glance up at the room in surprise, obviously not expecting anyone to come and talk to her.

" Teal'c, hi." She smiled a little, her expression one of relief and gratitude. He imagined it would be lonely to have no one for company but herself and wondered why she'd refused the suggestion of being restrained so she could at least have someone in the room with her, someone to hold her hand and offer her comfort.

Remembering his own experience with the tough binds that had kept him down when he'd needed to be subdued, he began to understand her decision. " How are you?"

" I'm okay, I guess." She shrugged her shoulders noncommittally, her arms wrapped around herself. " Better for being out of the infirmary gown." She tried to lighten the heavy atmosphere, referring to the fact she managed to convince the Doctor into letting her wear sweat pants and a tank top – a much more comfortable outfit than the thin and starchy infirmary gowns. " Have you heard anything from my father yet?"

" Not as yet." He hated seeing the disappointment she tried to hide flare briefly in her eyes. " But I am sure he will contact us or arrive shortly. As soon as he receives our message, he will come."

" I wish I could be so sure."

He was sure he wasn't supposed to hear the softly muttered comment but chose to acknowledge it anyway. " Your father will do all he can to get here.. Did something occur to make you believe otherwise?"

She shrugged again, appearing a little more uncomfortable that she had done before. " We.. we had a minor disagreement before he left. He's not too happy with me at the moment."

" I see." And he was pretty sure he did. He had witnessed the multiple conversations between the Colonel and the retired General and had sensed the tension between father and daughter after the initial panic was over. He had also been witness to the set shoulders and grim features Jacob Carter had sported when he left – two days after his daughter had taken off to an undisclosed location. " Your father will return. He will not turn his back on you when you need him. No father can do that to their child."

" He's done it before." She gave him a sad smile. " You still miss Rya'c, don't you?"

" I do. Very much." Just the thought of his son – and his late wife – was enough to increase his sombre mood. " Just as I know your father misses you, even if he does not show it."

A companionable, thoughtful silence settled over them. After a few moments, the silence grew strained. They were both trying to think of a way to bring up the topic they'd both previously been avoiding.

" Teal'c?" She lifted her face to the observation window, her eyes conflicted. " If it comes down to it, will you promise to end this?"

" End it?" He knew what she meant. He'd read the same question in her eyes earlier on. " You wish me to end your life to stop Anat?"

Feeling bad for asking, knowing she was putting him in a difficult not to mention horrible position and that it would be hard for him to carry out her request, Sam nodded slowly. " Yes, that's what I mean. I know it's a horrible thing to ask but you're the only one I trust to do this, Teal'c. I'd like you to promise you'll stop me from hurting anyone I care about. If Anat tries to do something and I can't stop her, I want you to stop her for me. You're the only one I trust to do this."

" It would not be easy," Teal'c agreed quietly, his gaze never leaving her face. " But if it is what you wish, I will. I do not wish for you to suffer anymore, Samantha."

" Thank you, Teal'c."

Despite the depressing nature of their conversation, Sam felt as though a heavy burden had been lifted from her shoulders. The one thing she worried about being a Goa'uld, a little more than attempting to destroy the planet, was hurting one of her friends. She didn't think she could live with herself if she hurt anyone she cared for.

Unfortunately, the burden Teal'c had relieved her of was now resting solely on his shoulders. He understood her request, knew how difficult it had been for her to ask and knew she understood how he would feel about it. But it did seem like their only choice. If Sam couldn't stop Anat, someone would have to. It made sense that that someone should be Teal'c, a man who had more reason to despise the Goa'uld than most. It made sense to ask him because the only other people she'd trust with the task would never do it.

After a long, pregnant pause, Teal'c bid her farewell and left quietly. The mood surrounding him was sombre, like a dark cloud constantly hovering above him. He chose not to return to the control room, heading instead for his private quarters where he would once again begin to prepare himself in case his worst nightmare and deepest fear became inevitable.

=*=

More than two hours after the original message had been sent to the Tok'ra, Jacob Carter arrived. He blamed his tardiness on the Tok'ra relocating to another new planet to establish a new base and instantly demanded to be taken to see his daughter. He wasn't pleased when he was told it wasn't possible, and that the next best thing was talking to her via a microphone and speaker.

He felt bad for the way he'd left things with her. Selmac was responsible for the most part; having an inner conscience with a sometimes loud and persistent voice that couldn't always be – and rarely was - silenced went a long way in increasing the guilt he already felt. He still didn't approve, and had no intention of changing his mind, but he did feel bad about confronting her so soon after her recovery.

Her so-called recovery.

When he'd heard the message from the SGC, his heart had literally stopped for a moment. His chest had tightened, he hadn't been able to breathe.. If it weren't for Selmac..

He'd been kicking himself mentally ever since – and Selmac had been scolding herself, too. They had both see the first MRI scan, heard Doctor Fraiser comment on the irregularity but they, like everyone else, had been so ready and eager to believe it was over that they'd rejected the possibility that maybe something more sinister was afoot.

They had known about the device that could stop a host from knowing they were one. The Tok'ra didn't know what effect it would have on the Tau'ri medical equipment but they should have known.. *He* should have suspected.

Her rescue had been too good to be true. Baals offer too generous, Anat too willing to be genuine.

" Sam?" Ignoring General Hammond and Doctor Fraiser's attempts at getting his opinion on the Goa'uld device, Jacob went straight for the microphone and addressed his daughter. His voice was thick, his eyes focused solely on her. " Sweetheart?"

" Dad." For a brief moment, her surprise was reflected on her face before she managed to school her features into a neutral expression. " Hi.. Thanks for coming."

He couldn't blame her for her reaction. Selmac obviously thought he was responsible for it. " I came as soon as I heard. How are you?"

" I'm fine, considering what's going on." She shifted uncomfortably on the bed, her eyes flittering from her father to the General to Jack and back to her father. " So do you know what's going on? Does Selmac recognise the device on the scan?"

" Yes. We both do." Swallowing his discomfort, Jacob bowed his head and let Selmac take over. It was too painful for him to be in control to witness how cool Sam was behaving towards him. " The Tok'ra have seen this device before. Both Jacob and I regret that we did not make the connection sooner, we did not know how the device would effect your technology."

" What does the device do exactly?" Janet distracted Selmac's attention from Sam, earning a grateful glance from her friend. " We know it somehow prevents Sam from accessing Anats memories and sensing her presence.. But obviously Anat can still access Sam's mind otherwise she wouldn't be able to fool us all into thinking she's Sam."

" We don't know for certain how the device affects the host and symbiote." Selmac gazed at the image on the screen. " We do know the device was designed by the Goa'uld, we are not sure which one, but we know the device is somehow based on a similar design the Tollan used. I believe you've had experience with it before. The Tollan created a technology that allowed the host and symbiote to become two separate entities and also displayed to the outside who was in control."

Teal'c and Jack exchanged a knowing look. They had seen what Selmac was talking about. It had been used a few years ago in a Tollan version of an Earth trial to separate Skaara from the Goa'uld who inhabited his body.

" We know the Goa'uld device works to mask the symbiotes presence by emitting a small amount of radiation that helps to cover the traces of naquada in a host. In Samantha's case, it worked to disguise the extra naquada in her body." Selmac appeared apologetic. " Jacob and I should have realised it was the device interfering with your technology. I cannot tell you how sorry we are that we missed it. As for how much access the Goa'uld has to her mind, I cannot be certain. From what the Tok'ra understand, the host is entirely unaware of the symbiotes presence and the symbiote in turn can only access recent memories of what the host has done."

" Well that's all very interesting but no one's mentioned the most important issue." Everyone turned to the Colonel expectantly. " How do we get that thing out of her and get rid of the snake once and for all?"

Selmac once again looked apologetic – and more than a little uncomfortable. " The Tok'ra have only ever come across this technology three times before. Only once has it been removed successfully without permanent damage to the host."

" So you know how to do it?" Jonas, hovering as usual, stood between Janet and Teal'c, gazing at the Tok'ra expectantly. He still found it hard to believe there were two minds, two personalities, existing within one body. It was perplexing as well as amazing that he could be standing talking to Selmac one moment and Jacob the next. " If it's been done before, it can be done again. You learnt from your mistakes the first two times.."

" Unfortunately, only one Tok'ra learned how to successfully perform the operation." Selmac gazed down at the woman sitting in the room below them. Jacob wasn't the only one grieving for a child possibly lost to the enemy for good. " That operative is.. no longer with us."

" Who was it?" Teal'c had a sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach.

General Hammond watched expectantly, waiting for Selmac or Jacob to answer. " If we know who it was, maybe the Tok'ra can find some notes or information that can help Doctor Fraiser and her team remove it safely.." He prompted quietly.

" I'm afraid that won't be possible, George." Jacob was the one who answered, his jaw clenched and his fists rolled into tight balls at his sides. " The.. Tok'ra.. in question was Anise. As you can imagine, she either took her notes on the procedure with her or destroyed them after the incident on Aleris. Before we learnt who she really was."

" Anat." Sam's voice was so small and quiet they could have easily missed it. " Anat's the only one who can remove it?"

" I'm so sorry, Sam. We'll find another way, I promise." Jacob met her eyes, pained to see them shimmering despite the distance between them. " We're not giving up. Never."

Sam didn't answer verbally. She nodded in acknowledgement, lowering her head. Quietly, General Hammond led Jacob from the room.

Jack intended to stay, maybe to talk to her or just keep her company. He managed to stay for all of five minutes, feeling Jonas and Teal'c watching him. It wasn't their stares that drove him to leave or the discomfort he felt because of the attention they were giving him. It was the sight of Sam, of the soldier who'd been fighting by his side for over five years, who had earned the respect and awe of more than just a dozen officers on base, who'd had her strength and intelligence tested time and time again and always came through victorious.. It was the sight of that woman he knew, that woman he loved, looking so lost and so alone. It was knowing there was nothing he could do to help.

" Colonel.." Jonas took a step towards the door, moving as if to follow the Colonel out of the room, only to be stopped by Teal'c blocking his way. " Teal'c?"

" It would be best to leave O'Neill alone," Teal'c advised quietly. " If he wishes to speak, he will do so in his own time." He left without giving the other man – alien – a chance to respond.

" Doctor Fraiser.. Janet.." Jonas turned to the Doctor with a thoughtful frown. " Is there something more between the Colonel and Sam..?"

Janet shushed him with a look, quickly checking the microphone was switched off and that the hallway outside was clear. " There are things called regulations, Jonas. If Sam and the Colonel were ever to do something.. or admit they have feelings for each other in front of the wrong people.. Well. Let's just say it would probably be the end of SG-1 so in the future, don't even think of that subject here on base."

" Understood." He smiled a little at her defensive and protective nature towards her friends. " So how are you?"

" What do you mean?" Almost immediately, she distracted herself with some files. " I'm fine."

" Janet." Jonas reached out and took the folder from her hand. " You've been distracted ever since we found out about Sam."

Shrugging one shoulder, Janet gazed out of the window at their oblivious friend. " I should have known something was wrong with her. I should have double and triple checked until I got a clear scan the first time I tried, without having to clear it up manually. I should have done more, done something, to stop this from happening."

" You did all you could." His voice was soft, comforting. " You're the best Doctor in the facility.. The best of anywhere if the reports I've read are anything to go by. No one blames you for not noticing.. No one but you." He smiled when she looked up at him uncertainly. " You didn't cause this, the Goa'uld did. Luckily you spotted it before Anat could make Sam do something she'd regret. I bet Sam's grateful for that."

Discreetly wiping her eyes, Janet turned away from the window and gave him a small watery smile. " Thank you, Jonas."

" You're welcome." He felt something warm cover his hand, looking down to see it was hers. He stayed with her, unmoving, for a few minutes before a nurse interrupted, giving him a reason to leave.

Concentrating on the readings being sent to her from the room below, Janet allowed a small amount of the tension that had been plaguing her ease from her shoulders. Like Jacob had promised his daughter, they would never give up. They – she – would never stop looking for a way to save Sam. Not until there was no one left to save.

=*=

After two hours of preparing himself, Jack left his office and went straight to the observation room. He didn't give himself time to pause, knowing a moment of hesitation could lead to him changing his mind.

He was relieved to find the room empty with the exception of one of Janet's nurses, who left with a smile the moment she saw him. Settling himself in the chair by the microphone after closing the door, Jack stared down on her, gazing at her in contemplation.

She was curled up on the bed, under the thin sheets. The lights had been dimmed so he couldn't see her face clearly enough to tell whether she was awake or sleeping. She always slept curled up; he knew that from experience. Occasionally, she curled up around him but more often than not, she was the one sleeping curled up in his arms.

Clearing his throat, fighting the impulse to go and join her, Jack reached for the microphone. " Cart.. Sam?"

He knew immediately she hadn't been sleeping. She uncurled herself, sitting up on the bed and wrapping her arms around her knees. " Colonel.. Jack." She smiled a little as she corrected herself, obviously seeing something in his posture that said he wasn't there as her CO. " Shouldn't you be sleeping?"

" I could ask you the same thing." He looked at her and saw his lover, his friend. He saw an incredible scientist and a courageous soldier. He didn't see an enemy, a Goa'uld. He just saw her. " How are you doing? Seriously?"

" Okay." She shrugged a little, sighing softly. " Well, not okay.. Tired for the most part. I don't want to go to sleep just in case she takes advantage.."

Jack nodded, seeing her point. He studied her through the glass, leaning forward to see her better. The shadows caused by the dim lighting did nothing to help the ghostly pallor of her face or the circles under her eyes. She looked exhausted, tense and on edge. " You should get some rest, you're not going to be able to fight her if you stop yourself from getting any sleep."

" Easier said than done." She rolled her eyes at him, stifling a yawn with her hand, feeling something recriminating in his heavy gaze. " What's the real reason you came to see me, Jack? What do you want to talk about?"

" I just wanted to make sure you really were okay and that there wasn't anything you wanted to talk about." His casual tone was as false as the grin plastered across his face.

" Liar." One word wiped the grin from his mouth. " I know when something's bothering you. Just come out and say what's on your mind and then maybe we can both get some sleep."

She watched as he lifted first one shoulder and then the other, shrugging off her question as he stared at something just to the left of her. He was delaying giving her an answer but she knew he would eventually. " I just want to know why you didn't tell me sooner," he blurted out suddenly after a long pause of trying to get his thoughts together. " At the cabin, it was just the two of us – I thought it was just the two of us. Why didn't you tell me then.. unless it was Anat in control?"

" Anat wasn't in control of me there. Not the whole time. Maybe once or twice." She shifted on the bed, trying to get comfortable. It wasn't easy when her mind started playing cruel tricks on her, bringing to mind all the possibilities of things Anat could have done while she was in control. " I didn't tell you because I didn't want to worry you. I wanted to get Janet's opinion on the matter before saying anything to make sure it was something worth causing you and everyone else to worry.. I didn't know she was still here, Jack. I had no idea or I would've spoke up sooner.."

" Whether you knew or not isn't the issue. Your choosing not to tell me is. We were there for two weeks, Sam. You had plenty of opportunities to tell me.."

" And then what? You'd bring me straight back here, cutting our time together short and we wouldn't have talked about what we did.. We probably wouldn't have had time to talk out and get passed all of our differences and would still be apart if I'd told you the moment I thought something was wrong --"

Her tirade was cut short by an agonized cry. He stared in horror through the glass as she fell back against the bed, struggling to catch her breath, a hand going instantly to her head.

" Sam? Carter!" He slammed his hand down on the alarm button so hard his palm stung and turned red instantly.

His eyes never left her as the klaxons blared and red lights flashed in both of the rooms they were in. As he watched, he became horrified at the sight of her eyes flashing golden yellow, her face contorting into a grimace as she sat up on the bed, looking around in confusion.

Sam was gone; Anat had returned.

=*=

Something was wrong. For starters, she was alone in a room that looked suspiciously like a lab. Glancing around, Anat was surprised to recognise the room. It was the same place she'd done the zatarc testing for the Tau'ri fools, where she'd watched two in particular make painful confessions and witnessed the realisation and dread flare in their eyes as they learnt Martouf was a victim of zatarc technology.

She wondered briefly what they'd say now if they knew she and Baal were responsible for it.

The flashing lights and loud noises brought her back to the present. It had been harder to take over her host this time, almost as if Samantha knew she was there and was fighting her. When she'd managed, the first thing she'd seen was the dull, grey wall.

Pushing herself up and off the bed, Anat paced the edge of the room, peering at the various pieces of technology. Her eyes widened at the image on one of the monitors surrounding her. She knew what she was looking at: herself and the device Baals Jaffa had implanted in her hosts mind.

Her eyes flashing, Anat stared up at the window she knew was there. She watched as Doctor Fraiser and Jonas Quinn, followed quickly by the Jaffa Teal'c, General Hammond and the Tok'ra Selmac, symbiote of Jacob Carter, joined Colonel O'Neill in staring down on her.

" We know it's you, Anat." Selmac spoke with a barely controlled voice, glaring at her with such hatred that she smiled. Selmac had been like a mentor to her, Jacob like a father. How easy it had been to deceive them. " We know about the technology you've used. You might as well give up. Whatever you're planning, you won't succeed."

" That's a matter of opinion, Selmac." Anat managed to give them a twisted smile, controlling the feelings of panic and fear within. She was a Goddess, a Queen. She may be trapped temporarily by the Tau'ri but she would triumph in the end. She was far more superior that them. " Some would say I have already succeeded. I managed to fool you all and Samantha into thinking I was gone. I got my revenge on Aten, making sure I was the last thing he saw before he died. I'd say I've done quite well for myself. Wouldn't you agree?"

" Maybe up until now.. But you won't get away with doing anything else. And next time, we'll not only make sure you're removed from Carter but we'll make sure you're destroyed as well." Jack stared down at her, his whole posture tense. He refused to see her as Sam. She was not the woman he saw her as.

Anat only laughed at the threat, leaning casually against the bed. She kept her gaze locked on the Colonel, wondering if he knew how much trouble she could get him in. With her memories as Anise and Sam's memories and her own experiences while pretending to be Sam.. She could make the Colonel blush an attractive blood-like shade of red and then enjoy watching the colour drain from his face as the two Generals by his side reacted to her news. " Now, now, *Jack*. That isn't very nice of you considering.." She smiled at the slight tightening of his jaw and turned her attention to other things – namely her freedom. Her voice changed to that of the Goa'uld rather than the host. " I will ask you only once. Release me from this room and grant me access to your Stargate or I will kill my host."

" You should know from Major Carters memories and from your own time spent with us that that is not an option." Keeping his expression stern, General Hammond found he had the same problem everyone else had: trying to remind himself that she was not who she appeared to be. " We will not let you leave with Major Carter as a hostage."

" You would rather see her die?" She smiled again, already knowing the answer to her question." Believe me, General Hammond, I always keep my promises and I swear Major Carter will be the one who suffers if you deny my request."

" That's a risk I have to take."

Her eyes narrowed. " Very well. You leave me no other choice." Letting her eyes close, Anats features adopted an expression of deep concentration. She lifted a hand to her chest, feeling her heartbeat, focusing on slowing it down.

As a gasp escaped her, the machines in the room she was in and the machines in the observation room went haywire. Loud and shrill beeps echoed around the two small spaces, coinciding with a small crash as Anat – Sam – fell from the bed to the floor, knocking a metal tray that had held the remnants of her lunch to the ground as she collapsed.

" Sam!" Janet moved closer to the window, banging on the glass as her friends pulse slowed, seeing Sam on her knees, struggling to catch her breath. " Sir, permission to do something?"

" Denied, Doctor." General Hammond ground his teeth together, his short fingernails digging into his palms. " It could be a trap. We can't risk Anat taking you or any of your team as a hostage."

" Sir, she's killing her!" Aghast, Janet spun away from the window, unable to watch what was happening. " If I can just get close enough to inject a sedative.."

Gravely, the General shook his head and stood firm. " I cannot risk it, Doctor. Major Carter herself requested to be left alone under these circumstances."

" Ah, Sir.." Jonas stared with wide eyes and an open mouth, glancing between his superior and the woman writhing around in agony on the floor below. " I don't think the Goa'uld is in any position to hurt Doctor Fraiser.. And Sam doesn't look so good.."

The Goa'uld had relinquished control in order to induce such anguish and misery in its host. Sam couldn't find a comfortable position; if she curled up tightly to try and fight the terrible stomach cramps, a wave of pain would assault her back and legs, leaving her no choice but to stretch out. Her lungs refused to fill with air, beads of cold sweat ran down her forehead and cheeks and her eyesight was failing. Objects became blurred, the edges of her vision tinged with black as dizziness set in.

" Sam!" In some distant part of her mind, she heard and recognised her fathers alarmed voice cutting through the approaching darkness. " George, we have to do something!"

Her chest tightened, a sharp stabbing pain striking her heart. She couldn't stop the cry that came unbidden to her lips.

" Carter!" A chair was slid noisily out of the way. She could hear Jack calling to her but couldn't respond. " Damn it, Sam! Fight it! Fight *her*! You're stronger than this. Don't let her win!"

" Can't.." It took too much strength to say just one word.

General Hammond could sympathise with her difficulty in speaking and breathing. He felt a single bead of sweat run down his face as he stood watching, an unwilling witness to her death. " Doctor." His voice was gruff when he spoke. " Is there anything you can do from here?"

" No Sir." Distress showing in her hazel eyes, Janet chewed on her lip as the machines continued beeping, growing louder with every passing minute. " Sir, Major Carters heart rate is dropping rapidly. If we don't do something soon.."

" Jacob, have you or Selmac any suggestions?" He was running out of options. If they didn't want to watch her die, someone would have to offer him another solution – and quickly. His old friend shook his head, grief heavily lining his face. " Teal'c? Colonel? Jonas? Anyone have any ideas?"

Jonas looked blank, Jack looked anywhere but at him or the woman in question. Teal'c stared sightlessly at the glass.

" We could let Anat go," Jonas said meekly.

" We'd lose track of her and probably wouldn't find her again until it was too late." His voice sounded as though it was coming from a distance. Jack could almost believe someone else had spoken. " Who knows what Anat would make Carter do then."

" It might be the only way to keep her alive, Jack." Jacob swallowed hard at the thought of allowing his daughter to remain one of the enemy just so she would live.

Teal'c blinked once, focusing on the figure below, straining to hear what she was saying, her voice no louder than the faintest of whispers. His shoulders tensing, he rejoined the conversation. " Samantha Carter does not wish to live as a host. She would rather die than live as a prisoner in her own body, forced to witness the atrocities caused by the parasite she carries."

" She won't be forced to witness anything if we let her die. Instead, the last thing she'll remember is that we left her to die when we could have stopped it." Jacob shut out Selmac's voice; he didn't want to hear what she had to say. He didn't care about whether it meant Anat would go free.. As long as it kept his daughter alive a little bit longer so he could still hope for her rescue. " George, please. Let Anat go where she wants to. The Tok'ra will be able to track her down and then we can save Sam. Please."

" She knows too much about this facility, Jacob. If I let that information fall into the hands of the Goa'uld.." General Hammond hesitated, his alarm growing as he watched the Majors skin adopt an unhealthy blue hue.

" The Goa'uld can't get those memories until that device is gone! And they probably already have all Sam will let them get – Anat probably told Baal everything she knew. You've already changed the codes, you can change them again when she's gone." He was getting desperate and no one could blame him. It was his only daughter dying just a few feet away.

She stopped moving. Her pulse beat at less regular intervals, there were longer pauses between the blips on the screen.

" General.."

" George!"

Before the General could speak, Jack reached for the microphone and spoke into it as calmly as his own pounding heart would allow. " Okay, Anat. You've proved your point. We'll talk about it." There was no response or movement from the prone woman. " General?"

Swallowing hard, the General took the offered microphone from the Colonel and took a deep breath. " You can go where you want to go, Anat. Just let Major Carter live and we can talk."

After what seemed like an eternity of nothing but persistent beeping, Sam gasped, her body shuddering with the effort. Her arms shaking, she pushed herself up and stared at them. In the few moments before Anat took over, General Hammond thought he saw something akin to betrayal or disappointment written across her features.

" You have chosen wisely." Anat stood shakily, leaning heavily on the bed at her side as she struggled to regulate her hosts breathing and heart, fighting Samantha who didn't seem to want her to. " Release me now and no harm will come to her."

He nodded in agreement but he couldn't fight the feeling he'd already caused something bad to happen to the host. As General Hammond arranged for Anat to be escorted to the Gateroom by several armed SFs, he felt like he'd made a terrible mistake by letting his companions – and his own feelings – get the better of him.

He noticed the grateful glances sent his way by all but Teal'c, seeing understanding in the Jaffas eyes but also seeing regret and disapproval.

The Stargate activated, locking on the coordinates of Anats desired location. Smiling smugly, Anat walked up the ramp, pausing when she reached the top. She turned around, her smile widening for some unknown reason. With a nod of her head, she turned back to the shimmering circle and stepped through without hesitation.

The gate shut down behind her. Silence fell over the occupants of the room.

General Hammond stood alone at the briefing room window, one thought reverberating through his mind: 'What have I done?'

=*=

Three days. Anat sighed deeply and sat down on her bed in the palace. Three *whole* days. That's how long she'd been with Baal; that was how long she had been pining for the attention and affection the Tau'ri had shown her when they believed her to be Samantha.

It wasn't that Baal wasn't attentive. He was; he barely left her side unless she lost her temper with his smothering and demanded to be alone. He listened to her, did as she asked without question, agreed to all of her plans without argument.

She found it boring. She found it lonely. On the second day, she'd asked for the device to be removed so she could 'torment her host'. In reality, she wanted to hear Samantha's voice berating her and wanted to freely access her host's memories. Anat hadn't expected her newfound freedom to make it worse.

Almost without knowing it, Anat began comparing their memories. The more she did, the worse she felt. Her memories of Baal fell short when she compared them with Samantha's memories of Jack. Her relationship with Baal was one-sided, dull, boring.. He always agreed with her and never argued. Samantha and her Colonel, however, argued heatedly. Their relationship was based on mutual respect and they listened to each other, talked and argued with each other. They worked together at making their relationship a success and at meeting their targets, professionally and personally. They made a good team.

Anat had never been part of a team. She had never trusted anyone enough, she had never had a true friend. The only person she could truly rely on was herself and realising that made her acknowledge how lonely she would actually be if she suddenly ran out of things to do.

Growling in the pit of her throat, Anat angrily pushed herself up from the bed, stomping out of the room, the floating material of her gown swaying about her ankles as she walked.

She could go anywhere. The passing Jaffa acknowledged her by bowing but said nothing. No one would stop her; she knew that. She could easily leave if she wanted but where would she go? Where would offer her the feelings of comfort and love that she craved? The Jaffa around her worshipped her and would obey her every command but she was still strangely unsatisfied.

She wanted more. More than Baal would give if he remained a slave to his current host. The host influenced the symbiote almost as much as it was influenced by the symbiote. If only she could change that..

" My Queen." A Jaffa hurried towards her, kneeling on the floor in front of her when he got close enough. " Lord Baal requests your presence. He is ill, my Queen. The sarcophagus does not work to heal him.."

" Take me to him." Unable to repress a small smile, Anat followed the Jaffa down the hallway towards Baal's wing of the palace. If Baals host were considerably weakened, it would be the perfect time to implement her plan and claim a new host for her love. She rolled her eyes at the voice at the back of her mind, ignoring the protests her host had regarding her plans.

Once inside the room, she knelt at Baals side, only a little alarmed to see a light trickle of blood run down a recently reopened cut on his forehead. Wiping it gently with a cloth Bur'nok handed her, Anat cupped Baals cheek and tilted his ashen face up so she could look into his eyes.

" Anat.. My love." Baal gasped painfully, his eyes dull with misery. " You were right.. The sarcophagus is of no use to me anymore.."

" You have been involved in thousands of battles, Baal. Your host can only handle so much." Tenderly stroking his face, Anat was surprised when a new wound – or old wound – appeared and reopened under her fingertips, making him flinch away. " It is time, my love, to put our plan in action. We do not have long; you grow weaker with every passing second. We must act now."

Baal gazed up at her adoringly, his breathing becoming laboured as the invisible weight he felt on his chest increased. " You have a plan.. my Queen?"

Her eyes glowed ominously and her smile grew. " I have a plan," she confirmed. " An offer the Tau'ri cannot refuse."

=*=

Nothing. No reaction. Not the smallest hint of a smile. Not even the smallest hint of a hint of a smile. Absolutely nothing at all. He hadn't even moved or looked up from the cup of coffee in his hands, the one he'd been clutching for well over an hour.

Teal'c and Jonas exchanged concerned glances. No matter what they said or did, the Colonel just continued to sit there. Doing absolutely nothing, apparently so lost in thought nothing in the outside world could break through and shatter the vice-like grasp unreality had over him.

On the first day of her absence, the Colonel had been impossible to still. He fidgeted, paced, broke things, took turns at facing both of them in the gym in mini boxing sessions, paced a little more, lost his temper for no apparent reason, stormed out of the commissary because there was no red jell-O left and then returned to the gym until Doctor Fraiser had coaxed him to his quarters under the threat of duress – not to mention a big, pointy needle attached to a syringe of a very strong sedative.

On the second, they were given permission to go through the Stargate to the address Anat had chosen. They had searched for hours, wandering around in circles, unable to find any sign of Anat or of any civilisation, old or new. Eventually they'd been forced to admit defeat and Jonas had surmised that Anat has used the DHD to dial to another planet straight away in a successful attempt to elude them. The comment hadn't helped the Colonels rapidly diminishing grasp on his temper.

Day three had seen a change in him. The Tok'ra had sent word that they had checked out all of the known planets Baal and Anat were known to visit and had found no sign of either of them. General Hammond was doing his best to reassure himself he'd made the right decision; Jacob Carter and Selmac were doing their best to convince each other they'd find her. That left Jonas and Teal'c to cheer up the Colonel and try to boost his almost entirely drained optimism.

" Anat is not the type of Goa'uld to go quietly, O'Neill." Teal'c tried again, studying his friend intently. He had never seen the Colonel so easily swayed, so ready to give up. Then again, he guessed his friend hadn't fully recovered from the strain of going through all of the traumatic events that had taken place recently: the loss of Daniel Jackson, his own blending with the Tok'ra, his torture at Baals hands and everything else that had happened after Major Carter had first fallen prey to the Goa'uld. " Sooner or later, she will draw attention to her whereabouts."

" By slaughtering thousands and leading us to the resulting bloodbath," Jack muttered without looking up. " Carter'll never forgive us for letting her go. She's never gonna forgive us if we let Anat do something like that."

" So we'll find her before." Chiming in, Jonas took his cue from the nod Teal'c gave in his direction. " The Tok'ra are looking for her, General Hammond said we can start searching tomorrow.. All of the other SG-units have been debriefed and told to report back immediately if they see or hear anything. Sam's strong, Colonel. She'll fight Anat and be waiting for us to find her."

Again, there was no movement even though Jack responded verbally. " You underestimate the strength of the Goa'uld, Jonas. Carter couldn't stop Anat from killing Shar'ac or from trying to kill her twice.. She couldn't stop Jolinar from trying to blow us all to hell, I know you've read the reports.. I couldn't stop Kanan from taking over me."

" We will find her, O'Neill. Major Carter is a strong, resourceful woman. She will not let Anat defeat her so easily." Getting to his feet, Teal'c looked down on his friend pitifully. " You are letting her down by giving up on her. She may not forgive us for letting Anat leave immediately but she will never forgive your betrayal if you lose your faith in her."

He left quietly and after a split-second, Jonas took the hint and followed, casting one last glance over his shoulder at his Commanding Officer.

When they were gone, Teal'c's words managed to sink through the numbness that had plagued his mind. Straightening in his chair, Jack looked up from the cold cup of coffee, gazing thoughtfully into space.

She had never given up him; not when he was on Argos, Edora.. Not when he'd gone walkabouts with his oh-so-helpful Tok'ra buddy.. Not when he'd been trapped in Teal'c's body or pinned to the Gateroom wall or any of the other times the hazards of their day jobs had caught up with him. She'd always kept going, believed in him, known he'd come back eventually.

He owed it to her to believe the same thing. She'd survive this; she'd get through it just like she got through everything else. All he had to do was play his part and hope fate was still on their side. If he gave up on her, how could he expect her not to give up on herself?

=*=

" Anat knows. She almost came out and said it. In front of George! I told you it was a bad idea, that it'd get them into trouble – get Sam into trouble! I told you she'd end up regretting it!"

" You do not know Samantha regrets anything. You have no way of knowing what goes on in her head or what she feels in her heart." Selmac sighed impat