This story has been sitting on my hard drive for ages. I know I posted it somewhere...I'm just not sure where!! All I know, is I haven't posted it here!!

Disclaimer: I don't own them…so don't sue me.

Jack stepped out onto the planet feeling the knot in his stomach tighten rather than loosen like it usually did after 'Gate travel. The device of the Ancients was the last thing he wanted to see, especially after the last fiasco, even if the fate of Earth did depend on it. "Reynolds, set up defense perimeters as you see fit. Hold the 'Gate till we get back"

"Yes, Sir"

Jack led the team to the building Daniel was sure held the repository of the Ancients, all the while being sure to keep his ears and eyes wide open. He had a bad feeling about this mission and an even worse feeling about the building they were slowly approaching.

Once there Daniel opened one of his notebooks and began inspecting the symbols and writings on the walls. After what seemed like forever, Jack finally had had enough. "You know we've searched this place up and down."

"I know."

"Daniel we are a little exposed here. For all we know we could have Goa'uld on our collective asses any minute now."

"I know and, according to the text on this column, it's inside."

"All I'm seeing is a whole lot of outside."

"I know."

While Jack and Daniel bantered about the ins and outs of the structure, Sam walked along the wall looking for energy readings of any kind. When the machine in her hand began to register something she called out the others, "I'm getting some strange readings coming from over here."

After pressing some symbols, the device suddenly appeared on the wall in front of
Sam. Jumping back from the device, Sam listened as Jack contacted Reynolds and told him to stand by.

"Now, we have to figure out how to get it out of the wall." Sam said as she slowly approached the device, once again jumping back when it started to glow. Colonel Reynolds' voice coming over the radio interrupted her train of thought.

"SG-1, we have incoming."

Suddenly, a death glider fired on the team, with the second shot coming extremely close to Jack and Daniel. After a brief argument about the value of the device, Jack decided to take matters into his own hands and reached into his pack and pulled out some explosives. Damned Ancients and Goa'uld, he thought as he readied to rig the device.

"We can't destroy it. If we do, we lose our only hope to finding the Lost City." Sam pleaded.

Hearing Sam's voice, Jack stopped his ministrations and looked towards her. Don't do this Carter, not now. He could see her eyes pleading with him to not blow it up what could be their last chance at defeating Anubis and the Goa'uld for good. Unfortunately he didn't have much time to think about it because the glider started to come around for a second try. "Alright then, what?" Just as he got the question out of his mouth Daniel tried to make a break for the device. "No, no, no" he repeated as he pinned the archaeologist against the wall behind him.

Daniel opened his mouth to argue when he suddenly saw a flash of blonde hair make a break for the device, seconds before seeing it spring to life.

"O'Neill!"

"Sam!"

"NO!!"

Sam watched as her commanding officer threw Daniel back from the device. She knew Jack would do anything for his team as well as Earth, even if it meant sticking his head in that damned machine. Not this time! She wasn't sure what brought that thought and she probably never would, because the next thing she knew she was tearing her cap off, striding towards the device, and sticking her head in it.

Feeling the machine reach out and grab hold of her head, she couldn't help but gasp as the machine knocked her back about two feet. Lifting her hands on instinct, she clung to the mechanical appendages now squeezing her skull. The pain was unimaginable. A bright light and a strong humming sound filled her senses, and she could longer hold back the scream that seemed to be sitting at the back of her throat. After what felt like an eternity, she felt her arms drop heavily to her side and her legs began to give out. At that point, she knew it was over. I'm sorry, was all she could think before her world faded into total blackness.

"NO!"

Jack felt the scream rip through his throat and his blood rush to his ears as he watched the woman, who he cared about more than he was supposed to, do the unthinkable. Cursing himself for not thinking that she would be dumb enough to go and do it all he could do was watch as her small hands clung to the machine and she withered in obvious pain. His stomach churned in anguish when she finally gave in and screamed from the pain being inflicted upon her. It was at that moment, when that cry passed his inner ear, that the realization of her actions hit him.

When she finally crumbled to the ground unceremoniously, he leapt to her side and immediately searched for a pulse. C'mon, where is it? Images of holding Charlie's lifeless body as he and Sara waited for the paramedics to arrive, his funeral, and finally his attempt at eating his own gun before the Air Force walked back into his life, flew through his mind as he waited to feel the flutter of her heart beneath his fingers. Oh thank God, he thought as he felt her pulse pumping frantically beneath his fingers.

"SG-1 where the hell are you guys? We can't hold out for long."

Tossing the explosive and detonator to Teal'c, Jack and Daniel picked up the unconscious Sam before contacting Reynolds. "Reynolds we're heading back to the gate." After gathering up the unconscious woman the group scurried out into the open and towards the gate. Hearing the explosion, Jack felt slightly relieved knowing the device was destroyed but the feeling was squashed when he felt Daniel shift some of Sam's weight towards him.

"Get down." Daniel yelled before shifting the rest of Sam's weight so the three of them fell to the ground, with him landing atop Sam in order to protect her from flying debris. Feeling the woman shift beneath him, Daniel pulled himself up. "Sam, Sam you ok?"

"What happened?" Sam asked accepting a helping hand from Daniel

"Now really isn't the time for an explanation." yelled Jack to them as he pushed the two scientists toward the gate.

Feeling the metal ramp of the gate room beneath her feet, Sam moved out of Daniel's helping grasp being sure to straighten her back as she moved towards General Hammond.

Ever the solider, Sam. Daniel thought to himself as he watched his friend move down the ramp.

"Colonel what happened?" Asked the perplexed General.

"Things got a little hairy out there, sir." Jack replied in his usual sarcastic manner. However, his demeanor was anything but sarcastic.

Hearing the contempt in his voice, Sam was no longer able to keep her solider facade in place and let the trauma of the last half hour wash over her. Seeing Sam become unsteady, Daniel immediately stepped up next to her. "We need to get her to the infirmary"

Seeing the general's concerned look, Jack chimed in, "Carter did it this time, sir"

TBC…Let me know what you think!