Title:  Garden of Eden

Author:  Carhop

Email:  carhop6506@yahoo.com

Rating:  PG-13, adult situations, angst, minor bad language

Pairing:  Sam/Jack

Archive:  SJD, yes; Heliopolis, yes; others please ask.

Summary:   They've finally committed to each other, but even Eden has its serpents.

Disclaimer:  Stargate SG-1 and its characters are the property of Showtime/Viacom, MGM/UA, Double Secret Productions, and Gekko Productions.  I have written this story for entertainment purposes only and no money whatsoever has exchanged hands.  No copyright infringement is intended.  The original characters, situations, and story are the property of the authors.  Not to be archived without permission of the author.

Spoilers:  Requires general knowledge of the show.  Shades of Gray, episodes with Anise and Jacob.

Timeframe:  Approximately season five

Status:  Part four of the Eden series:  "It's a Small World", "Dream World" and "Eden Obsession"

Author's Notes:  Feedback is always much appreciated.  Profuse thanks to my excellent beta readers Fulinn, Honeybee519 and StarShadowHE.  Any remaining mistakes are my own.
 
 

********************************* Jack *********************************

Sam was bored, a state I've come to dread.  The first big snowfall of the very first winter humans had ever lived on Eden had blocked us into the cabin.  Snowball fights kept her busy for an hour or so, cleaning the already squeaky-clean cabin took another couple of hours.  The snow was too deep for a walk and her laptop batteries drained all too quickly.

She was sitting on the floor in front of the fire, lost in thought.  I knew as soon as she came up with an idea, I'd have to leave my drafting table and designs and we'd be tearing off to make whatever it was happen.  In the past three months, our relationship had morphed into something unrecognizable from the Colonel and Major relationship of SG-1.  We were partners now.  She ran Eden Base and the scientific research station.  I made plans for the colony-to-be.  Together we made up the planetary government, still answerable to Earth and the powers that be, but pretty autonomous all the same.  We made an *amazing* team.

********************************* Sam *********************************

Bored, bored, *bored*.  For once Jack was happily occupied revising the designs of some portion of the colony site, maybe the recycling/water treatment center, or perhaps the community center.  I had tons of work to do, but all my laptop batteries were dead.  I mentally reminded myself, 'Gotta get that solar charger ordered, first thing.'  The sun outside was calling me, but the last time I looked the snow was four feet deep, at least, and the trail up and over the ridge was too steep to slog through snow drifts and icy paths.

"Why don't we have a set of rings?  That would get us out of here in a flash.  But then, it's not like they're just lying around."  I jumped up and glanced out the window.  Encouraged by what I saw, I moved over to the sofa and settled on one end.  "I wonder."

I was thinking aloud to Jack, who was pretty much ignoring me.  He grunted periodically to make it seem like he was paying attention.  I decided to have a little fun with him.  "Dad just called on the BatPhone and he's staying with us for the six months until its spring on Earth.  You don't mind sleeping on the couch until the wedding, do you, Jack?  You and Dad can share."

"Whatever you say, sweetheart," he murmured, not looking up from his designs.

"Anise is coming too.  She especially wanted to spend some time with you.  I told her you'd show her a *really* good time."

"Hmmm?"  He scrunched up his face, still concentrating on the plans.  Her name must have caught his ear.

"She's going on the honeymoon with us.  Anise and I can take turns."  His head popped up like a meerkat, eyes reflecting sheer horror.  Snicker.

"Huh, what?  Take turns?  Tok'ra Spice . and you?"  His look of utter panic was priceless.  He saw my smirk and started to look guilty.  "Sorry.  I sorta got wrapped up in the designs.  What were you saying about rings?"

I patted the cushion next to me on the couch.  "Come over here, Jack, and I'll tell you the brilliant idea I just had.  You're gonna love it."

********************************* Jack *********************************

Groan.  I just knew this was going to involve things that made my knees and back *ache* already.

I sat on the couch next to her and slid my arm around her shoulders.  "Amaze me with your brilliance, Doctor."  Her smile took my breath away, as always.  I dipped my head to kiss her and lost myself in the feeling of her lips on mine.  Minutes later, she pulled back from the kiss and amazed me with her brilliance.  Again.

"Remember, P34-353J?  The base the Tok'ra were at when we first met them?"  I nodded.

"Much of the equipment is still there and the Goa'uld didn't stick around afterward."

"So?"

"Well, according to the reports I've read, most of it was damaged beyond repair, but the two sets of rings were still working when the last Tok'ra escaped, using them to get to the gate."
 
"And?"

"We need them," she said firmly.
 
"O-kaaaay.  And just what would we do with them?"  Her point really escaped me this time.  Just like most of the time.

"We install one set of them here in the cabin and use it to get wherever we want to go in inclement weather."

"So, how do we justify taking the first set for ourselves?"  I thought I had her there, but she was ready for me.  Sam grinned enthusiastically, really getting into her argument here.

"We use the first set here as a proof of concept.  Plus, *we*, as the colony and base leaders, need to get to either the colony or base or stargate at a moment's notice.  There are at least three other sets of abandoned rings I can think of that could be salvaged and used here."  Her look was triumphant, justifiably so.  Fast and efficient transportation to just about anywhere on Eden would revolutionize the colony from a primitive wilderness village to a modern community.
 
"You are brilliant, Sam."  I leaned closer to show my appreciation of her solution to one of my primary challenges in designing the colony, but she hopped to her feet and hauled me up by the arm.

"Let's get going, then."
 
"Wha .Where?  The snow is too deep to get anywhere.  Can't you just enjoy a day off, Sam?" I whined.

"Look outside.  It's mid-afternoon and almost half the snow is gone.  We could probably make it to base in an hour or so.  Let's try out those new snowshoes.  Where's your sense of adventure, Colonel?"
 
Groan.  My knees were hurting already.

********************************* Sam *********************************

So it took us two hours to get up and down the slippery hill and then wade through slush and mud to the base.  Who's counting?  The snow was already gone there, making the last stretch much easier.

"Jack, I'm going to check in with Eric, see what's up around here today."  Tech Sergeant Eric Browne was the admin we shared.  "Why don't you stop by our quarters and change out of those, uh, wet things."  I had to bite my lips to keep from grinning at the sight of him.  While we walked down the trail, a large clump of wet snow fell on me from a tree limb, upsetting my balance.  Ever the gentleman, Jack sat down in a patch of mud while trying to keep me from sliding down the hill.  He nodded silently, grimacing at the icky feeling of mud-soaked clothing, and walked gingerly toward our assigned cabin.  The legs and butt of his trousers slapped wetly with each step.  I bit my lip harder to keep in the peals of laughter that threatened to burst out.

'Oops.  Better have the cook make him something special for dessert.'  With that thought - and a chuckle or two or three - I changed course and headed for the mess hall.  Sgt. Bodine was sitting on the back porch taking a break.  "Sergeant, may I ask a favor of you for tonight?"
 
"Why certainly, ma'am.  Need a special dessert for the colonel again?"  Monroe Bodine had quickly become my firm ally after we met.  We were kindred spirits, fellow chocoholics and fellow fans of my colonel.
 
I chuckled.  "You know me too well.  Yes, the poor man fell in a mud patch keeping me from a rather nasty slide down the hillside."  I mimicked Jack waddling trying not to let his wet trousers touch his body.  Bodine laughed, his large stomach shaking.  The thought, 'Gonna have to get the sergeant out of his kitchen and into the gym,' flashed through my mind.

"I'll see what I can do for you, Colonel.  I just got a shipment of fresh fruit and some new spices yesterday.  Now I just have to get those sassy new troops movin'."  His Arkansas accent always got stronger when he was annoyed.

"Anything I can help you with, sergeant?"
 
"Naw, ma'am.  Just gotta kick some discipline into 'em.  Nothin' real new."
 
"I'm sure you have it under control.  I'd better get going or I'll never get anything done before it's time for dinner.  Thanks for your help."  I waved goodbye and headed toward the office again.
 
 

********************************* Jack *********************************

"Colonel O'Neill, good to see you.  Colonel Carter told me you're taking a little trip off world.  She's finishing up some paperwork now.  Major Collins sent several new plans for the colony infrastructure for your review, and there are a pile of requisitions to sign."

I let out a groan and Sgt. Browne grinned in sympathy.  "Just keep thinking about what you have to look forward to next summer with actual construction starting, sir.  Fresh air, heavy equipment to ride, construction workers to boss around," he said persuasively.

"*Please* keep reminding me, Eric."

He snorted softly and handed me my mail.  Sam was in her office working at her PC, typing rapidly.  I crept up behind her using my best Special Ops techniques and placed a small kiss on her neck.  She let out a tiny squeak and spun in her chair to face me.

"Jack!  You startled me."  Her smile always lit up my day, no matter how many times I saw it.

"Whatcha doin', Carter?"  This always got a laugh.

"Sending an email to the guys inviting them to join us on our little scavenger hunt."  I raised my eyebrows.  "You're telling me you'd give up a chance to not only see them again, but Teal'c's strong back?"
 
"Sam, I can tell you're going to be planning most of our vacations from now on.  It's those extra little details that make the experience."  Her sardonic smile got a shrug from me.  I rocked back and forth on the balls of my feet, hands in my pockets.  "So, when do we leave for this scavenger hunt?"

"I thought we'd go two days from now.  A week there, give or take a day, should do it.  We haven't taken any time off since I got here and we're more than due."

"Do you know how to find the rings and how to get them out?"
 
"Martouf explained how they work.  If I can find the master control, there's a maintenance mode I can place them in for removal.  Finding them shouldn't be hard.  The control crystals resonate at specific ultra-sonic frequencies detectable ." She must have seen my eyes glaze over because she snickered and said, laughter in her voice, "Yes, Colonel, I can find and remove them."
 
 

********************************* Sam *********************************

Cook's surprise dessert was apple pie alamode, one of Jack's favorites.  When it showed up his face lit up.  I saw Sergeant Bodine peeking out of the kitchen and, out of Jack's line of sight, I raised my fist, thumbs up.  He smiled and retreated into his domain.

Between bites, Jack asked, "Did you arrange this, Sam?"
 
"Who, me?  Bodine did it all himself," I said, innocence itself.  "Besides, I owe you one for saving me this afternoon."

"Anytime, Sam; I'll always be there for you."  The love and desire in his eyes sent a shiver through me.  I bit my lip and threaded my fingers with those on his free hand.

Suddenly, I felt eyes boring into the back of my head.  "I think we have an audience, Jack."  I supposed I really should have been used to it by then, ours seemingly being the most entertaining relationship on base.  I casually looked around and saw Dr. Morris staring at us, hostile as ever.  I nodded at him and received nothing in return but more of his reptilian gaze.
 
 

********************************* Jack *********************************

"Colonel, Colonel."  Morris nodded to each of us in turn.  "When will I have the new equipment I ordered?"

"As soon as it's delivered, you'll have it.  I can't be any more exact than that, Dr. Morris.  The vendor couldn't guarantee Sgt. Browne a delivery date because the hardware is so customized."  Sam was controlling her temper with the very annoying mineralogist.  I was *never* as glad as when she took over managing the scientists.  At least she could speak their language.

"How can I be expected to produce the research the government wants with such incompetent help?"

Before I could jump to her defense, Sam answered him coolly, "Well, Dr. Morris, if your demands weren't so outlandish you wouldn't have to wait for equipment to be specially built.  If you require an update on your order, speak to Sgt. Browne tomorrow.  Now, if you don't mind, I'd like to finish my dinner in peace."  With an angry sniff, the annoying man turned on his heel and stalked away.
 
"I'm impressed, Colonel.  You handled him quite well."  I picked up her hand and kissed it.

"I learned everything I know from watching you, Jack."  Sam snickered and continued, "You showed me exactly how not to behave in every circumstance."  I bit her hand.  She laughed again took another bite of the wonderful dessert.
 
 

********************************* Sam *********************************

"Yes sir, Morris is becoming more of a problem every day.  His constant complaining and backbiting have influenced several of the younger and more impressionable airmen and scientists on base.  Discipline is suffering and supervisors are starting to send me complaints about their behavior.  Is there anything you can do to get him recalled?"  I had had my fill of the good doctor and was determined to see the last of him.

"I understand your concerns, Colonel, but his funding comes from the NID, where I have no authority or influence.  However, I will see what I can do."
 
I knew General Hammond could work wonders, such as my position here, but understood his limitations when dealing with the NID.  "I appreciate anything you can do, sir."
 
"Keep me informed about the situation with Dr. Morris.  In the meantime, how are things going on Eden, Colonel?"

"Very well, sir.  The shells for the new cabins are finished now and the technicians and contractors are working on the insides.  We'll be ready for the construction crews next spring.  We had a significant snowfall and Jack and I had an interesting time getting to the base yesterday.  Fortunately, mud washes off."  We both chuckled.
 
"Sir, this brings up a project I'd like to pursue in our spare time, but I'd like your approval as well."

"You have me intrigued, Colonel.  Please continue."

"I'd like to retrieve a set of rings from one of the deserted Tok'ra planets and install them in our cabin - as a proof of concept, of course.  If I can get them working, there are several other sets we could salvage and install on Eden.  It would dramatically improve our situation over the long run."

"I can see where it would.  If the Stargate wasn't secret on Earth, we would use them ourselves.  It's an outstanding idea, Colonel Carter.  You have my approval.  Do you need anything?"  His voice betrayed his enthusiasm.

"Once the first set is working, I'll probably ask for some assistance.  For now, we're doing this on our downtime, with the help of Teal'c and Daniel."

"Very well, Colonel Carter.  Keep me informed.  I think you'll have a lot of people interested in this little experiment."

"Sir, one issue you might consider how best to handle is notifying the Tok'ra that we're taking technology from their old bases."

"Yes.  Good suggestion.  I'll contact them about it."

********************************* Jack *********************************

As much as I loved Eden and thought of it as my home, it *was* good to be going off world again, especially with the lovely Carter at my side.  Seeing Teal'c and Daniel again was an added bonus.

P34-353J was just as I remembered it, dry, sandy and hot.  "Ahhhh, this takes me back."  Carter's grin at my little attempts at humor was more open than in our SG-1 days.  Daniel and Teal'c, having arrived before us, were there to appreciate my wit, as well.

Sam embraced each of them enthusiastically.  "Daniel, Teal'c, it's great to see you guys again!  Thanks for coming to help us.  Why don't we get a shelter set up, and then we can work on finding the ring controls.  I don't imagine this place is any too comfortable after noon."

"Yes, ma'am."  I executed a snappy salute and she grinned wider.  Setting up camp and a working shelter took no time at all since we were so used to working together.  Finding the rings took a little longer.
 
"Jack, would you and Teal'c search in that direction?" she pointed at a small ridge behind us, "And Daniel and I will search over here."  She handed Teal'c a detector to check for the frequencies at which the ring's crystals should resonate.  Pointing to the small display in his hands, Sam explained, "Check the frequencies between here and there.  Anything outside those points will be some other type of crystal.  Valuable, but not what we're here for today."
 
I really enjoyed watching her taking charge.  Somehow, it was very arousing, but then, everything about her was.  Boy, did I have it bad.

********************************* Sam *********************************

"Sam, we've checked every side of this dune and the two on either side and there's still no sign of the controls.  Are you sure the Tok'ra haven't come back for the rings?"  Daniel was hot and sweaty, sitting under the shelter, fanning himself with his hat.
 
"Yes.  Dad told me they rarely come back for technology once they desert a world.  It's too easy to trace them to the new base that way."  I had to admit that it was looking discouraging.  "The ring room controls should be within a relatively small distance of the rings.  Maybe they're deeper than our scanners can search."  I sighed heavily.

"Hey  Sam, Teal'c found the crystals!"  The scratchy sound of Jack's voice galvanized Daniel and me into action.  Grinning at each other like idiots, we ran as fast as the oppressive heat would allow toward their location.

"Over here."  Jack's shout lead us to them.  Teal'c was digging a hole in the sand, which was filling in as rapidly as he emptied it.  "How far down will these doohickeys be, Sam?"
 
"From the hints Dad and Martouf gave me, it should be no more than 20-30 feet down."  At their groans, I held up my hands, palms out.  "Hold on, hold on, guys.  It's not that bad.  I brought a few *doohickeys* of my own that'll make it much easier."
 
Daniel turned his back to Jack and leaned toward me to whisper in my ear, "He's rubbing off on you *already*?"  I sniggered softly and made a play smack to his arm.  He grinned and ducked.  It was so good to be back with them, even for such a short time.

********************************* Jack *********************************

I watched Daniel and Sam playing like a couple of kids, siblings, if you will.  Now that I knew there never really was anything between them but friendship, watching them together made me feel warm, like family surrounded me.
 
Okay, enough mushiness!
 
"Are you two ready to work now?" I drawled, my hands on my hips, looking cool in my sunglasses.  The two looked at me, at each other, grinned and launched themselves at me.  We rolled in the sand for a few minutes while they tried to pin me down.  Sam's giggling, Daniel's laughing, and Teal'c is eyeing us with something like a smile.
 
"Teal'c!  Help us!"  Sam and Daniel were losing badly.  I cheat.

"Please tell me, ColonelCarter, what is the purpose of this ritual?"  He knew perfectly well we were playing, but he still likes to pretend he's an Earth newbie.

She stopped suddenly, breathing heavily, laughing and fell back to rest on her elbows.  With her hair wild, face flushed and an excited grin, Sam was enchanting.  "It's to have fun, Teal'c.  The two of us gang up on Jack and he fights back.  No one really gets hurt and we all have fun."  All she got in return was a raised eyebrow and an indulgent look from the big guy.
 
We went back to our camp for Sam's equipment, which turned out to be movable, interconnecting panels to put around the insides of the hole, keeping the sand from falling back in, and a large device that looked like a big, honkin' vacuum cleaner.
 
"Wow, and I just thought you brought way too many clothes," I said as she unpacked the equipment.  She sent me an "eat shit and die" look.  My brain told my mouth, 'Smooth move, O'Neill.'

******************************** Daniel ********************************

Sam jumped down into the pit Teal'c had dug and signaled Jack to crank up the vacuum.  She began using the vacuum to suck up the sand and pitch it about ten feet beyond the edge of the pit.  This sure beat shoveling our way down to the ring room.
 
As the 15-foot wide pit got deeper, she instructed, "Slide the panels into the hole to keep it from collapsing."  We jumped to fit the wall sections together.

She stopped after about an hour and climbed up the chain ladder.  "I think we'll have to go down at least 20 feet, so we'll be at this for a while.  It's fairly tiring, so we should take turns.  Jack, you want to go next?"  His answer was to hop down and pick up the vacuum.
 
She looked at the sky, at the sun slowly slipping toward the horizon.  "Daniel, would you get the lighting so we can continue after dark?"  I nodded agreement, so she continued.  "I'll go start dinner.  No MREs on this trip."

She and I trudged through the sand back to camp.  Sam unpacked the portable lights and I trudged back to where Jack and Teal'c were making an appalling racket and raising a dust storm all of their own.
 
An hour or so later my radio crackled.  "Daniel, grab the guys and come back.  Dinner's ready."
 
 

********************************* Jack *********************************

After dinner, we sat back from the large folding table.  I joked, "And I thought she could just work miracles.  Sam, how did you fit all this onto the FRED we brought?"
 
She just smirked and stood.  "I'm heading back to dig some more.  Daniel, want to join me?  Jack and Teal'c can clean up here."
 
Figuring we got the better end of the deal, Teal'c and I put the leftovers in the small cooler and cleaned up.  I shook my arms to get some feeling back in them.  "My arms are still tingling from holding the suction tube.  We're in for a long week, I can just tell."
 
Teal'c merely bowed his head in agreement and brought out a deck of cards.

********************************* Sam *********************************

It was a long two days to reach and clear the ring controls, which turned out to be almost 40 feet down.  I theorized that a dune must have shifted to cover them some time after installation.  We worked in two teams, alternately digging and resting, digging and cooking, shoring up and sleeping.

I called up to Daniel, "I'm going to put the rings in maintenance mode.  Dad said they aren't always close to the controls, so keep an eye out for them.  Warn Jack and Teal'c, would you?"

The control crystals followed the familiar pattern of Goa'uld technology and I was able to tell the rings to rise up out of the ground where we could dismantle the set for transport.

Voov, voov, voov, I could hear the rings pop up.

"Hey, Sam!  Tryin' to be a widow before we're married?" Jack's irritated voice came through the radio.  "You almost got us with the rings."  Daniel and I snickered at the thought of them hopping out of the way of the big metal hoops.

I sent back, "Sorry, guys.  They're up now, so we can dismantle everything.  We'll meet you there in a few minutes."

Jack and Teal'c stood off to the side waiting impatiently and patiently, respectively.  Jack looked my way behind his sunglasses.  God, he looked sexy in those shades.  "What now, Dr. Carter?"  I stuck my tongue out at him.

"Everyone grabs a side of a ring and we see how easily it moves."  I put my hand on the edge of the top ring and it slid out of the stack and slowly settled to the ground.

"Cool."

"Indeed, O'Neill.  Cool."

The rings were incredibly light for their size and we quickly had them back at camp.  All that remained was to remove the control console and pack everything up.  Then we could go home.

********************************* Jack *********************************

The four of us and the FRED made the trip to Eden two days later.  I was anxious to get home after five days on a desert planet, so we headed straight for the lake cabin.  I looked toward Sam and saw her agreement.

"Yeah, I can hardly wait for a shower.  You know how I *love* those sandy planets."

"Brrr, this is quite a change of temperature."  Daniel was digging for his heavier coat.  Despite the warm sunshine, it was still in the low 30s and some snow lingered in shady pockets.

Sam and I stepped forward, plumes of steam pouring from our mouths in the cold air, and she drove the cart southeast cross-country toward home.  Daniel and Teal'c followed close behind in our accustomed SG-1 configuration.  The trip home was as quick as we could make it.  By dinnertime, we were relaxing in the living room of our compact cabin.  As small as it was now, it'd grown substantially since Sam first saw it last summer.

Daniel stood mutely in front of the windows facing our lake, hands in his pockets, then commented, "This is really beautiful, Jack.  It reminds me of a miniature Lake Tahoe.  How'd you find it?"  He turned his back to the spectacular view to hear my reply.
 
"When I first arrived, I made more than a few recon trips around the area.  One day I was looking for some high ground from which to see more of the terrain and climbed up the ridge.  It was just sitting there, this little jewel of a lake.  I knew this was the perfect spot for us to live."  I was gazing at Sam as I said this.  She turned to me and kissed me lightly, then moved her hips so we were touching from shoulder to toes.  It was making it hard to concentrate on the conversation, pun intended.

She purred in my ear, "I'm glad you found it before someone else did or we wouldn't have this retreat from the real world."  She turned to our friends, grinning evilly.  "And, guys, there's a whole shed full of lumber and windows outside, just waiting for good weather, so we can start the next two rooms of the cabin.  I'm sure you'd just love to come help."
 
 

********************************* Sam *********************************

I didn't think Jack would last too much longer without our being alone together, so we made an early night of it.  A shower, even a lukewarm one, was heaven.  To conserve warm water, we shared the shower.  Anyway that's the excuse we used.  Clean clothes weren't too bad either.  Jack was already in bed waiting for me.

"Hey gorgeous, alone at last."  He waggled his eyebrows, which always made me laugh.  I turned out the oil lamp and slid into bed beside him.  Jack's arms captured me in the dark and impatiently pulled me across the space separating us.

I laughed softy, so as not to wake our friends.  "In a hurry, Jack?"

"Only to have you where I want you, love.  It's been a very, very long five days.  Funny, it was never like this before I knew for real how good being with you would be," he whispered between kisses along my jaw.

We took our time, enjoying each other, prolonging the pleasure until it was almost too intense to continue.  I can't believe the years we *wasted* staying apart.

********************************* Teal'c *********************************

Installing the rings was an untidy task.  ColonelCarter thought the space underneath the cabin floor the best place for the rings and their control console.

"So Sam, why is it, again, that we're digging under the floor?"  Daniel voiced the question on all of our minds.

She straightened up with a smile of great patience.  "*Because* Daniel, under the cabin floor has several advantages.  The temperature and humidity are more constant than out under the trees and there are fewer tree roots.  We can leave and arrive in the comfort of the cabin.  Martouf told me the controller powers itself by using the temperature differential between the ground a few feet down, where we'll install it, and the surface above to generate power.  Since we don't have a remote control unit, I'll have to jury-rig something.  Finally, with the controller under the cabin, I can run a line up into the cabin so we can operate the rings from there."

O'Neill had begun to fidget at the word "Because" and was digging with great enthusiasm.  His shout was quite audible outside the crawl space.  "Hey!  Either of you gonna help here?  Teal'c and I are doin' all the work."

ColonelCarter flashed her happiest smile and called, "Yes, sir!"  She hastened to help distribute the dirt O'Neill tossed out of the hole.

"ColonelCarter, what would you like me to do with the soil?" I asked, holding up a bucketful.

"We already have enough over here to fill up the hole after the controls are installed, so Daniel, fill these buckets with the extra dirt.  Teal'c, let's take them over here, where this big dip is and fill it in.  By spring, there'll be no sign that the dip was ever there.'

"Making changes to my landscaping already, Sam?"  O'Neill's head popped through the door to the crawl space.

"No, Jack.  Just filling in the mud puddle I step in *every* *time* it rains."

"Oh."

********************************* Jack *********************************

We dug down about 10 feet.  Sam said we needed it to be deep enough for the temperature to be fairly constant.  After she finished remodeling our yard, she went inside to get the control box.  She brought it out in a large Styrofoam crate left over from some of the construction at the base.

"Jack, switch places with me so I can set up the controller at the bottom of the hole."  I climbed out and stood back, ready to hand her the box.  She set it down and fiddled with some of the crystal thingies inside until some of them lit up.  I heard her mutter, "Sweet." and had to smile.  Danny was right.  I *was* rubbing off on her already.  Sweet.

********************************* Sam *********************************

Now, for the fun part; getting it to work.  I tested, reconfigured, re-tested and fiddled until my head was spinning.  It just *refused* to come out of maintenance mode.

"Come on, Sam.  You're exhausted and dinner's almost ready.  Take a shower, eat something and go to bed.  You can play with your new toys tomorrow."  Jack practically had to drag my shivering body from the muddy hole.  "Okaaay, let's make that a hot bath."  He picked me up and carried me toward the door.

I have to admit my teeth were chattering, but I still had my pride.  "I can walk, Jack.  I'm just cold.  Put me down."

"No way am I lettin' you track all that mud in the house.  Daniel, fill the tub.  Teal'c you'll find some rocks in the firebox of the stove.  When the tub is full, drop a few in to heat the water.  Yell when it's hot."  In the bedroom, he set me on my feet.  I have to admit I looked like a mud monster.  Throwing a towel on the bed, I sat and began to take off my soaked clothing while Jack took off my sodden boots.  It made me feel about six years old.

"I can tell I'm going to need to assign you a minder when I'm not around, Sam."  I could feel my face getting red, but his loving smile took much of the sting out of his words.

The bath warmed me and knocked me right out.  Jack must have put me to bed, because I woke up there the next morning.

********************************* Jack *********************************

The guys had to leave the next day, so we walked them to the gate mid-afternoon and returned to the base.  I muttered from the door to my office, "It's frightening what can happen to your in-box when you're away for a week.  Thus begins the workweek."  We toiled through as much as we could and broke for dinner.

It was the following weekend before Sam was able to get back to her pet project.  We lugged tarpaulins back to the cabin to line the hole around the control box.  She was totally absorbed by the challenge and I saw little of her from dawn till dusk those two days.

Just as I was about to go collect her for dinner Sunday, I heard, "That's it!  How could I have missed it?"

I poked my head through the crawlspace door.  "Sam?  You okay?"

"I'm fine, just a little dense.  It's so obvious.  Go back inside and tell me if the rings deploy," she ordered.

I scampered back inside and waited in the doorway, not knowing where they'd pop up.  All of a sudden, voov, voov, voov, the rings were floating in the living room.  "Sam, you did it.  Come up and see."

My muddy-faced beauty poked her head in the door, a smile practically breaking her face in half.  "Yes!"  She disappeared, and shortly so did the rings.

********************************* Sam *********************************

I could hardly wait for each weekend to go test the rings.  Because the destruction of the Tok'ra base buried the ring platform too deeply for us to retrieve, we had to learn how to target the rings.  The first test was to send a radio to the approximate location of the base.  We searched and triangulated for several hours before we found the radio by its signal.

"I found it, Sam.  You were about a mile off in your calculations."  Jack's voice spoke the message that sent a thrill through me.  Sweet success.

"Okay.  Put it back where you found it and I'll bring it back here, then try again."

"What then?"

"You find out where it lands and tell me the distance between the two spots.  Next, I make some adjustments and send it again.  You find it and tell me the distance again.  From this data, I can gauge how to make the proper tweaks to get us where we want to go.  Simple."

"Yeah, but it isn't your feet and knees trudging cross country, up and down hills.  Why do you think I retired from SG-1?" he whined.

"I kinda thought it was so you could marry me," I teased.

There was a smile in his voice when he answered.  "Okay, ya got me there.  Let me know when you're ready."

"Move back.  I'm sending the rings now."

It took me five more tries, fine-tuning the settings before I sent the radio to our office at the base.  Admittedly, it landed on the shelf in the coat closet, smashing the closet door and destroying two coats, but it was success nonetheless.

********************************* Jack *********************************

Sam was like a kid with a new toy.  She had the closet rebuilt to accommodate the rings and we had a landing pad.  The crew thought she was bonkers.  I heard one muttering unpleasantly about 'the colonel's private sauna.'  It took her another weekend to rig a remote control that would reliably send a signal for the rings to pick us up and yet another to test it to her satisfaction before we could use them.

We were standing in her office, outside the "arrival" closet after her latest test.  The base was eerily quiet on this Sunday afternoon.  We'd seen only the guards making their rounds.  But then, we weren't looking for anyone either and it made our "secret" testing that much easier if no one was around.

"So, when do you plan to introduce this to everyone else, Sam?  So far, no one but the two of us, Danny, Teal'c, and General Hammond know about the rings."

"I have a briefing planned for the research and survey teams in two days.  I plan on a dramatic entrance using the rings."  At my look, she said with a self-mocking grin, "I know, it's immature, but I want some fun out of this.  They'll be over the moon with the opportunities for improved transportation, and just think what this will do for your construction next spring."

I took the opportunity to pull her into my arms for a celebratory kiss, which deepened quickly.  She pulled back to murmur softly in my ear, "Let's not waste any time getting home, Jack.  Let's use the rings."  And, so we did.

********************************* Sam ********************************

The winter dawn was still hours away when Jack and I stood, arms around each other, inside the circle I'd drawn on the living room floor.  Jack used the remote to summon the rings and they whisked us to the base commander's coat closet.  I'd timed it so we would arrive five minutes late for my meeting.

Jack opened the door for me to make my grand entrance.  Stepping into my office, I expected to see the surprised faces of my department heads.  Instead, the barrel of several P90s swung toward me and a voice I recognized with dread rang out.

"Stop right there, Colonel.  We have you covered and won't hesitate to shoot you, if necessary; although, I have no idea why you've suddenly decided to stop hiding in the closet."

I stood rooted to the spot for several seconds, and then moved forward into my office.  The voice was that of Dr. Morris, Jack's, now my, nemesis.  An airman recently put on report for lax attention to duty grabbed my arm and pulled me roughly away from the closet door.  As I passed round the edge of the door, my foot moved out to push it closed, hiding Jack from their view.  I prayed to whatever powers there were, 'Please let him get away.'

"What's going on here, Dr. Morris?  I assume you're the ringleader in all this.  Why are you holding guns on me and where are my people?  They should be here for a meeting."  At least my voice was firm, unlike my knees, which were almost literally knocking.

"*Your* people are awaiting my pleasure.  How they react to this little . change of administration will determine how I deal with them."  Dr. Morris was enjoying strutting and showing off for his followers, a group of young men, all of whom I knew by name.  Morris was holding forth with his grand plan to make this a paradise.

I quickly tired of his ranting and looked around at his *muscle*.  The good doctor had gathered quite an interesting cross-section of airmen and technicians: a cook's helper, two SFs, a sanitary engineer, an electrician and a lab assistant.  The latter two were looking more than a little nervous holding their guns and I noticed the safety was still set on George Weatherby's P90.  He was the electrician I'd worked with to retrofit two of the labs when some new projects brought new requirements.

I turned to him and spoke softly.  "George, why are you here?  What have Colonel O'Neill or I ever done to make you do this?"

Nervously, he whispered back.  "We had no choice ma'am.  It was this or he'd hurt our wives.  Besides, Morris says there's gold and diamonds like yours all over the hills and you two are keepin' 'em secret from us."

"That's *ridiculous*, George.  The mineralogical survey showed that a gem this size was a fluke.  There are *no* diamonds, at least not that we've found so far."  A hand swept out of nowhere to strike me to the floor, stopping our conversation.  My mouth filled with blood from a cut where lip collided violently with tooth.

"Lt. Colonel Carter, you will direct your comments to me or not at all.  I will *not* tolerate your subverting my people."

Déjà vu, all over again, as my love would say.

********************************* Jack *********************************

'That Morris is so dead when I get a hold of him, along with all of his co-conspirators,' I thought.  As soon as the rebels left her office, I used the remote to send me home.  Although, it was awfully hard not to rush to her defense when the sound of someone hitting her came through the door.  I repeated to myself through clenched teeth like a mantra, "She can take care of herself.  She can take care of herself."  I just hoped it was enough.

It was still dark outside as I gathered everything around the cabin that could possibly be of use in freeing Sam.  Fortunately, a lot of things had come home with me over the past year.  Trips around the area often began and ended here instead of on base.  It always pays to be ready for anything.

I surveyed the pile of weapons and gear piled on the living room floor.  Not much against a small army, but it was as good as I could do until we got back through the gate.  Everything went into a backpack and I sent myself back to the closet.

Holding my breath for any sign of someone having heard the rings, there was not a sound from her office.  'Sam's soundproofing must have worked.  That's the last time I complain about one of her ideas.  Well, at least for a while,' I thought to myself.

Swinging the closet door open slowly, I poked my head around the jam and gave the darkened room a once over.  Not a soul in sight, so I slipped out and through the empty offices to the front door.  The settlement buildings were mostly rectangular, one or two stories, and placed in concentric squares around a park-like common.  Guards ranged throughout the common area, alert for any resistance.

Happily, the back door of the headquarters was clear of sentries, so I sped across the open ground through the breezeway to building 7, a.k.a. the brand new infirmary.  A few lights shone from the windows.  Women and some men filled the office I spied through the window.  A few were crying, some slept on pallets, two women talked under the window, and one woman nursed a man swathed in bandages.  It looked like Sam's friend, Bodine.  Looking more carefully, I saw bandages on several of the women and most of the men.  No sign of Sam or any of her senior staff members.

The guard inside the room almost caught me, so I slid down below the windowsill and ran crouched over using my best special-ops skills toward the end of the building.  The steam poured from my lungs in fluffy clouds.  Luckily, the man on guard there was sleeping propped up against the side of the wooden building and the way south, out of the base, was clear.  He was soon out cold.  Unfortunately, Morris hadn't trusted the man with any ammunition.  I took the gun and his radio anyway, ever the optimist.

I headed toward the Stargate, keeping off the road as much as possible.  Grim thoughts passed through my head.  'Surely, they'll place sentries at the Stargate.  Morris couldn't be that foolish.'  He wasn't, so I settled down to scope out their patterns and check for weaknesses.  After a couple of hours, it became quite clear these were his best.  They diligently patrolled the area in the early morning gloom, keeping an eye out for anyone approaching from any direction.  The wide ring of open space around the 'gate was further than my pistol could accurately shoot.  'Me and my defensive measures.  Damn!'  The thought was a bitter pill.
 
 

********************************* Sam *********************************

"Colonel!  Colonel Carter!  Wake up," a voice hissed at me, but all I could think of was to find an aspirin or six.  My body ached from stem to stern from the beating Morris' bullies had given me.  My "refusal" to divulge the location of the gold and diamonds Morris had convinced them existed on Eden was just the excuse they needed to make an example of me.

Someone cruel was shaking me, causing my head to throb dully.  "Stop!"  The flimsy cot was wobbling and my stomach was protesting.  I guessed that at least one rib was broken.

"Shhh, Colonel.  Not so loud."

"Okay, just stop shaking me, Amanda.  My head's killing me."  Dr. Amanda Delacourte was the supervisor for the lab employees.  I glared at her and she blushed, as well she should.  Her fiancé had been one of the most enthusiastic during my interrogation.

"Here, take these.  I had them in my purse, which they seem to have overlooked."  She handed me two pills which sat in my palm until she snapped, "They're just aspirin, Colonel.  I swear I didn't know this was brewing.  If I'd known anything about it, you'd have heard about it right away.  When I get my hands on that fiancé of mine, he's a *dead* man."  Amanda wasn't a violent person, being a physician by training, but I really believed her.

"I promise you can kill him after we get control of the base back," I muttered.  Taking pills dry is awful, though I managed to gag them down.  After a few minutes, my wits were a little clearer.  "Tell me what the situation is, Dr. Delacourte."

She scooted closer so we could talk without being overheard.  "Morris had the breakfast coffee drugged yesterday morning so they could take us more easily.  I woke up here in the break room with the other senior staff members."  Well, that explained how quiet the base was yesterday.  She continued her narrative, "John came by to gush about the wonderful future we had once they found all the riches you and Colonel O'Neill have hidden.  I've seen most of the mineral survey results from the area and I *knew* there was nothing like that, at least not around here.  He just wouldn't listen, the stupid jerk!  Boy, can I pick 'em."  She looked really unhappy.  He eyes were red as though from crying.

I snorted softly at that.  "I'll have to tell you about my first fiancé someday.  He makes Dr. Morris look like Mr. Congeniality and the mental health poster boy all rolled into one."

She stared at me for a second.  "Really?"  Her voice was incredulous.

"Oh, yeah."  I rubbed my forehead again.  That pain was slowly abating, though my ribs sent sharp stabs each time I moved.  "Now, what more can you tell me?  Can we trust everyone here?"  I moved my hand slightly to take in the other inhabitants of the room, my senior staff.  Not one of them would look at me.

"I think so.  We've talked a little and everyone seems to be as shocked as I was.  No one's suggested joining Morris or believes his tales, if that's what you're asking."

"Good.  How many people does Morris have and where is everyone else, besides those in here, being held?"

"John told me that Dr. Morris has almost half of the SFs and the younger men, plus a few of the women.  Mostly those with, well, I don't want to sound snobbish, but those with less education and the more naive."  She looked down for a second.  "I don't think he can really hold it together much longer if something valuable doesn't show up soon.  Things will get really ugly then."

"I'm afraid you're right.  I just hope Jack got away."

"He's free?  Didn't he come into work with you this morning?"  Amanda's voice was suddenly demanding.

"Yes, but I was the first one out of the closet."  I realized a second too late what I'd said, 'Damn this headache.'

"What's up with the closet?  Why were you two in there?" Dr. Delacourte commanded harshly.

I did my best to blush.  Do you have any idea how hard that is?  "Um, we were, uh."  I giggled.  It made me want to retch, but I did it.  I apparently wasn't a good enough actor to fool her.

"Thanks for the information, *Sam*."  She smiled condescendingly.  It took everything I had not to knock in her teeth.  Amanda stood and walked to the door.  She knocked and the door immediately opened.  A few words to the guard and she swaggered through the door as though she owned it.

********************************* Jack *********************************

This so wasn't turning out to be the best of days.  By the time I got to the cabin, Morris' goons were already there waiting.  From the snippets of conversation I overheard, they'd figured out about the rings.  I was now out of safe havens on this planet and the only way off world was blocked.  I *had* to get Sam free, *then* I'd worry about the base and everyone else.

The weather was cold, but with the sun out, at least it was dry.  My trip back to base was fast over the hard-packed trail.  I made my way between the wooden buildings, past the corpse of the man I'd left unconscious.  I guess Morris wasn't too pleased about his falling asleep on duty.

A smug Amanda Delacourte was walking diagonally across the common with her fiancé, John Harris.  I intended to find out why.  From the direction she was walking, I guessed she was going from the base headquarters toward the laboratory complex which formed two sides of the common square.  I checked out the path between my position and the back door to the nearest wing of the lab building.  It was clear, so I scuttled to the back door of one of the few two-story buildings on base.  Even though it was broad daylight, no one seemed to notice me.

I pondered this new fact, 'Morris must not have convinced the best of the SFs to join him.  Or, he's starting to stretch his forces too thinly.  Tooooo bad for him.'

The back door was easy to open with my master key, which Sam said I should keep.  Bless her brains and foresight.

There was only one guard in sight.  He stood in front of the door to the small staff lunchroom, a perfect place to sequester several people easily: no windows, one door.  I bet myself that he hadn't thought about the crawl space in the ceiling.

In order to hide the pipes and wires that make up a modern building, we'd hidden everything behind a false ceiling, but not a cheesy dropdown ceiling like most buildings had.  We built two solid floors above the first story rooms, with a three-foot crawl space between.  I found the access panel and climbed up the drop-down ladder.

Following the labels on each opening, it took no time at all to find the lounge.  I lay down on the upper side of their ceiling and peered through the mesh opening at the people inside.  No guards were in the room.  It took a minute to find Sam.  I was shocked and infuriated at how bad she looked.  Bruises covered her face and neck.  My thoughts reflected my shock, 'Oh God, look at her.  What have those animals done?'  She wasn't alone in her condition.  Most of the room's occupants looked less than their best.

"Psst, psst.  Dave, Gita, up here."  I tried to get the attention of the pair closest to my position.  Dr. Gita Chandra looked around and then up at me.  She gasped and covered her mouth.  Pointing frantically up at me, the elderly biochemist grabbed her assistant, Dave Castell's, wrist to get his attention.  A smile flashed across the biochemistry post-grad's tanned face.  He picked up a chair, carried it over and stood on it so his face was just below the opening.

"Colonel O'Neill, have you come to rescue us?  Please say you have," he whispered urgently.

"If you can give me some information, I might just be able to do that."  He nodded enthusiastically.  "How many guards have you seen?"

"So far, I've seen Johnson, Davidson and Magabe guarding our door.  Amanda Delacourte and John Harris are with Morris too.  That's all I'm sure about."  It wasn't much more than I already knew.

"Okay, there seems to be only one guard outside your door.  Do you think you could lure him inside?"  Dave nodded again.  "Good.  Give me 10 minutes to get out of the ceiling.  When you distract the guard, I'll jump him from behind.  Be prepared to get everyone moving.  We won't have much time."  I stopped for a few seconds and asked, "How's Sam, Colonel Carter?  Is she badly hurt?"

"I think she's okay, except for a bad headache and maybe some cracked ribs from the beating she took.  They seem to think you two have a fortune in gems and gold hidden.  You don't. do you?"  He seemed ashamed even to ask, so I answered him as politely as I could manage.

"Dave, everything we've found is on her finger and the gold setting came from Earth.  I found the diamond in a stream and thought it was quartz until Johansen told me the stone I was fidgeting with was valuable.  Hammond let me keep it in the hope that Carter would agree to move here and marry me.  Call it a signing bonus for both of us.  Despite lots of looking, nothing else has shown up."

He pursed his lips and said, "I thought so.  We'll be ready.  Ten minutes, right?"

"You got it."  I slid as silently as possible back to the access panel and eased myself down the ladder.  Checking my watch again, I waited until the guard, Davidson, pulled the door open roughly and strode into the lounge, shouting for silence.  I made virtually no sound running down the hallway and leapt after Davidson.  With one quick twist to his neck, the traitor was dead.  I had no time for subtlety.

Their faces showed shock and fear - of me.  I rushed to Sam, who was standing up painfully, her face a grimace.  All I could think of was holding her.

********************************* Sam *********************************

Oh, my aching ribs.  It felt so wonderful to have his arms around me, but he held me so tightly I yelped.

"What?"  He looked so stricken I had to laugh.  Oh my, what a bad idea.

"My ribs; I think a couple are broken.  Don't hold me too hard, please."  He let up on the pressure and I sighed with relief.  "That's better, thanks."  Now it was my turn to hold him, my head against his chest and arms around his waist.  I closed my eyes and briefly forgot everything but Jack holding me.

"Uh, Sam, we should go."

"Can we get everyone else out, too?  I'm not leaving without them."  They were my responsibility.  I looked from him to them and back again.  Their faces showed fear that we'd leave them behind.

"Yes, of course."  He faced them, an arm around my shoulders, offering support that I badly needed.  "You'll have to move fast and quietly, at times over rough ground.  Can you do it?"

Dr. Chandra stood taller and spoke as the oldest there.  "I'm older than dirt, young man, but not yet infirm.  Lead on."  Jack gave her a crooked smile and a quick nod of approval.  Whether the men were willing to leave with us or shamed into it by Gita, we'll never know, but they all lined up at the door.

********************************* Jack *********************************

No one had detected our little escape yet, so we slipped through the hallways to the door where I'd entered.  Our luck was turning . for the worse.  Two sentries walked the long open space between this structure and the next.

Silently, I gestured to Sam that we should move toward the other door.  She nodded her understanding and cocked the pistol I'd given her.  The others shuffled down the hall behind us.  She slipped up to the door, peered around the jam and swiftly pulled back.  Sam shook her head.  That way was blocked.

Sam's voice was just a whisper.  "Jack, there are windows at each end of the main large enough to climb through.  They may not see us if we can time our escape right."

"Okay, you check that end, I'll check this one."  We went our separate directions and watched the area around each end of the building for guards.  She indicated that her end was blocked.  I motioned to her that I would open the window and reconnoiter on this end, so she started back this way.

After checking both sides, I returned.  "We're in luck.  The sentries are concentrating their efforts on the other end for some reason and mostly stand with their backs to us.  If we're very quiet and fast, they might not see us leave."

Getting those scientists out through the window was a real test of my patience, although Gita was the most cooperative.  It was as though she meant to set the "younger" men an example.

********************************* Sam *********************************

Oh, what a circus it was getting out of the base.  I'd rather fight off a whole host of Jaffa than go through something that stressful again.  After what seemed hours, we dodged across the last strip of open ground to a clump of bushes.  Half of them were huffing from the short sprint or shivering in the weak winter sunlight.  I crouched, holding my ribs.

"You people are going to start using the gym when we get the base back.  No argument."  There was none, but I got a few guilty looks.

"What now, Colonels?"  Gita looked from one of us to the other.  "Do we go back through the Stargate?"

"It was well guarded the last time I was there."  Jack hefted the loaded P90 he'd liberated from Davidson.  "But, now I have something a little more effective to greet the sentries with.  Let's go."

Our trip toward the gate was painfully slow with half a dozen exhausted scientists and one very sprightly biochemist.  I hoped I'd be half as energetic at her age.  Gita gently spurred the others along and seriously shamed most of the men to greater efforts.

"Okay, lady and gentlemen, you're going to stay here."  Jack announced once we'd reached a small copse of trees where they could stay hidden.  "Gita, Dave, can you shoot a pistol?"

"I've done some target shooting, but not for years.  I at least know which end of the gun the bullets come out of."  Dave was looking doubtful.

Jack and I turned to Gita and her answer came as no surprise.  "I grew up in a small hill

village in India.  We often hunted for our food and shot rats in the grain store.  I'm better with a rifle, but a pistol will do."

"Good.  Take these pistols and as much ammo as we have for them."  Jack quickly showed them the fine points of these models.  "Be as quiet as you can and stay out of sight.  We'll be back pretty quickly."  I now carried the other P-90, loaded with Davidson's spare ammo.

Jack turned to me with a grin I remembered from our SG-1 days.  "Ready Carter?"

"Of course, sir."  I could feel my grin growing in response.  Even with the pain of my "punishment" I was actually enjoying the action.  "Lead on, Colonel."

********************************* Jack *********************************

I could see Sam was in pain from our jogging pace, not that she'd ever say anything or accept any help.  I slowed our progress to a walk and the pinched look left her face.

"Sergeants George and Fazeal were on guard this morning.  I can't believe I approved those gamokes for this assignment.  Makes me wonder if they weren't planted by the NID."  I gave Sam an update on what I'd seen earlier as we knelt around a bend from the Stargate.  He placed his hand on my cheek and asked, "Are you sure you can do this, Sam?  Morris' boys did a number on you.  If it gets to close combat."

"I can do this, Jack.  It'll feel wonderful to take down two of the 'boys' who did this."  She grimly indicated the bruises on her face and my lips tightened in anger.  "You know I can do this, Colonel."

"Yeah, I do, Colonel.  Let's go."  We worked our way diagonally through the brush between us and the parade ground-sized area around the 'gate.  I signaled to Sam to wait while I scoped out the scene, then crawled to the edge of the meadow.

"Shit!"  I stood and walked toward her.  "The gate's not guarded.  It might be a trap."

"What do we do now, sir?"

"Uh, I was hoping you'd have an idea, Madam Genius."  She didn't look happy.

"Well, why don't we each go in the opposite direction from the other around the meadow and meet on the other side.  If we see any sign of an ambush, we use these."  She held up her radio, so recently liberated from Davidson.  We picked a new frequency and separated.  I could still feel her lips from the all too brief kiss before we parted.  Beats the hell out of a salute.

We met up at the other side, having seen no sign of anyone.  Curiouser and curiouser.

"We should try the 'gate, Jack."  She looked to me for agreement/permission.  She said "Jack," but I heard "sir."  So, I nodded.

The trip across the open ground was uneventful.  Sam stood in front of the DHD and entered the address for earth and slapped the center key.  Nothing.  The gate didn't spin, the chevrons didn't engage.

"Damn!"  She popped off the red dome and leaned over the DHD.  Her hands came up and she cried out in anger and frustration.  "AAAAArrgghhhhhh!"

"What's wrong, Sam?"  It looked normal to me.

"They took the control crystal."  She sat back on her heels and sighed in defeat.  "We're stuck here until we get it back."

D'oh!

********************************* Sam *********************************

I could hear him speaking to me, but the words didn't register.  My body ached, my head throbbed, I was so, so tired.  "What's next?  Simms comes back to take me away from it all?" I muttered.

"Sam, are you okay?  Sweetheart?"  He squatted down on his poor knees and hugged me.  I looked up into his concerned, shocked, face and shook myself awake.

"I'm sorry, Jack.  Just tired.  We need to find some shelter for tonight.  You know this place better than I do.  Where can we go?"

"Well, the cabin's out."  Jack must have seen my confusion and elaborated, "I went there this morning and found them already making themselves at home."

"The base is out, too; the gate's not functional.  What does that leave?  Are there any other cabins or shelters?"

He shook his head.  Jack looked down at his feet and I could tell there was something he didn't want to say.

"Okay, spill it, Jack.  Where can we go?"  He mumbled something like a five-year-old telling his mom he ate the cake she made for dad's birthday.  "What was that?"

His voice was still a bare whisper.  "We could use the caves."

My stomach hit rock bottom and I felt like vomiting.  A deep breath helped and I asked, "How can we get *them* down the cliff?"  We stood and started back toward the others.

"There's still a winch there with a sling to lower them down.  It won't be fun, but I'll bet Gita could kick butt at rappelling."  Jack's infectious grin made me smile.  I loved him so much it hurt sometimes.

********************************* Jack *********************************

When she smiled back at my pathetic little joke, my heart turned over.  I've known some pretty brave people, but she beats 'em all, just as she has since I met her.

Gita, as I suspected, was up for anything and Dave was catching her enthusiasm.  The others were still in a state of shock at the constant changes and disappointments.

"Colonel O'Neill, can you seriously expect us to spend the night in a damp, chilly cave?"  Only Dr. Jones was vocal in his complaints about the cold and hunger.

"I don't think you'd like spending it out here."  I indicated the countryside around us.  "Or, do you prefer going back to the tender mercies of Morris?"

He winced, "No, I see that there is no other choice, but I assume you have some plan to obtain help from Earth sometime soon?"

Sam, bless her, saved me from making a mistake with the prickly researcher.  "Dr. Jones, our first priority is to see you safe.  Then, we'll concentrate on getting the base back from Morris however we can.  We appreciate your cooperation so far."

Mollified for now, Jones moved away to stand with our head geologist, Dr. Yashita, a man of enormous dignity.

It was an exhausting hour to lower all of us to the cliff base.  Gita was the cheerleader and Dave helped quite a lot.  Even Dr. Yashita unbent enough to help.  Being somewhat younger and fitter than his colleagues were, the good doctor could help with the winch above while Sam stood below.

"Dave, let's you and I walk to the cave entrance.  It's about a half mile this way."  I pointed to our right, along the cliff face.  As we walked, I told him about the cave.  "Since rescuing Sam from the cave several months ago, it's become a storage depot for supplies.  Now, when crews work projects on the valley floor for weeks at a time, they don't have to come back up to the base quite so often."

Ever practical, Castell asked, "What supplies do you keep there?"

"Food, clothes, sleeping bags, batteries - basic survival stuff.  We should be pretty well set for a few days."

He grinned, satisfied that we were taking care of them.  "I'll bet you never thought you'd have to use it this way, Colonel."

"You're more right than you know, Dave," I mumbled grimly.

********************************* Sam *********************************

Thank goodness for the retractable ladder Jack had installed to make using this cave easier.  Otherwise, only a few of us would have made it up to the cave mouth.  As it was, some of them were so tired we had to help them.  I was never so glad to see a fire as the one they had going by the time I lead the last of my charges into the cave.

"Well folks, I'm afraid it's MREs for dinner tonight, but we'll have something better tomorrow, I promise," Jack announced.

"You're annoyingly chipper, Jack," I whispered to him.  "But then, you haven't had five cranky researchers on your hands for the last several hours."

"You're beautiful when you're pissed, you know that?"  He smirked and circled my waist with his arms.  "I love you."  His kiss was just a light peck, but it sent my heart racing.

"I love you, too.  I wish we could be alone."  My hand slipped into his and we walked to sit with the others by the fire.  He lifted my hand to kiss the palm and looked from it to me.

"Where's your ring, Sam?"  His voice was soft to keep the conversation private.

I winced.  "Um, Morris took it.  It's his only 'proof'."  He turned my hand over to see the cuts and bruises where Morris had forcibly wrenched the ring from my finger.  The firelight alternately hid and revealed the intense anger on Jack's face.  I took his chin in my hand and turned it toward me.

"Hey, if anyone has a reason to be angry it's me, Jack.  He subverted *my* men, he took *my* base, he took *my* engagement ring.  I may cede leading the battle to you with your greater experience, but the cleanup and peace is *mine* to lead."

"Okay, point taken, Sam.  But, I'm still going to break his neck when I catch him."

"Colonel, you may be the senior officer on-planet, but until the construction of the colony begins next year, you are a contractor assigned to my base.  *Not* the base commander anymore."  He looked stubborn for a few seconds.  I could feel the others taking notice of our exchange.  "Colonel O'Neill, you will allow *me* to take care of my own disciplinary problems once we have the base secured.  Is that understood, *sir*?"

Jack opened his mouth to reply when Gita interrupted, patting his knee, "Colonel O'Neill, take a little advice from someone who was married for almost fifty years.  Learn when to withdraw with dignity from certain defeat - while you still have the opportunity."

He looked from her to me, to Dave.  The other man put up his hands, palms out, indicating he thought it wiser to stay out of the discussion.  "Guess I wouldn't be much of a strategist if I couldn't recognize an overwhelming opposition.  Just let me know what I can do to help, Sam."

"Be sure that I will, Jack.  Thank you."  I looked around the fire circle at our companions in adversity.  "Now, where will everyone be sleeping?  I don't know about you, but I'm tired."

********************************* Jack *********************************

"The supply delivery from Earth is due two days from now.  I'd sure like to know what Morris and company have planned.  They can't allow others to know what's going on or General Hammond would be on them like a ton of bricks.  They need the time to consolidate their position," Sam informed the group.  We sat by the fire the next day, except Dr. Yashita, who was sleeping after his watch.

Dave shifted uncomfortably for a second and asked, "What are our chances of intercepting the supply train before Morris' men get to them?"

Sam indicated I should take that one.  "Well, we've always sent someone to meet the supply parties.  Assuming Morris does the same, he could re-capture us if we attempt to contact the incoming travelers.  The first thing I would do in the rebel's place would be to surround the gate with men and booby traps."

"Why not just use the radios to speak with them as soon as they exit the gate?" Gita suggested.

Sam spoke up, "Then Morris would probably kill or capture them."  She paused.  "If Morris wants to keep up the pretense of a working base until after the party leaves, he'll have to enable the DHD.  I think our best chance is to take the gate back and then you six can leave to warn Earth."

"You wouldn't go, too, Colonel Carter?" Dave asked, taken aback.

"No, I won't leave this world and all our work for Morris to exploit.  It means too much to Earth and all of us.  I also won't leave the rest of my people for him to hurt.  With you out of harm's way and Earth hopefully sending reinforcements, we can concentrate on rescuing the rest of the base personnel and getting the base back."  Dave thought on this and turned to me, eyebrows raised.

There was only one answer.  "Wherever she goes, I go."  Dave cast a sidelong smirk at Gita and she returned the look.  I put on my best "innocent" look and joked, "What?  It took me six years to chase *her* down and convince her to marry me.  Ya think I could catch another one this young with my bad knees?"

********************************* Sam *********************************

We hadn't wasted the past two days, but had spent them consolidating our position in the cave and spying on the rebels.  Twice each day the gate had opened and small parties of haggard-looking men and women traipsed through the 'gate to join Morris' waiting men.  We'd guessed they were NID operatives, stranded off world until Morris' "intervention" here provided them a path back to an Earth-based civilization.

I was astonished at the numbers of them and the equipment they brought.  One group carried one of the Goa'uld long-range communication devices, explaining how they'd been contacted.  What I wouldn't have given to have that in our hands,

The morning the provisions were expected, Jack, Dave, Dr. Yashita and I sat well back from the edge of the meadow around the stargate.  The good doctor decided he wasn't going to take this affront to his dignity and, worse yet, interruption of his work, lightly and asked to be included.  His credentials as a wildlife photographer on Earth were good enough to recommend him for sneaking through the underbrush and sitting quietly in wait.

"I see ten mutineers by the DHD, sir," I reported after scanning the area with my binoculars.  Right on schedule, the Stargate began to turn.

The colonel used a stage whisper to repeat, "Remember, everyone, we're here to watch, then wait for Morris' people to fix the DHD.  That's when we act, not before."  We all nodded our understanding.

Two armed men stepped out of the event horizon and scoped out the area around the gate.

"The advance guard is here," I announced.