DISCLAIMER: The characters mentioned in this story are the property of Showtime and Gekko Film Corp. The Stargate, SG-1, the goa'uld and all other characters who have appeared in the series STARGATE SG-1 together with the names, titles and backstory are the sole copyright property of the people who made them up. This fanfic is not intended as an infringement upon those rights and solely meant for entertainment. All other characters, the story idea and the story itself are the sole property of the author.

Authors note: This was the very first story I wrote. It was originally posted on Heliopolis in the dim and distant past but I've since made some major changes to the story - for the better I hope. Please let me know what you think.

A Snake In The Hand Is Worth Two In The Bush

Part one

'… and Daniel decided we should trust him,' Jack finished up his report to General Hammond.

Their mission had been to P3X-712, a planet which initially indicated a source of naquadah but on arrival all they had found was a badly wrecked glider with an injured goa'uld inside. He called himself Qu'ilar and had been in the service of both Hathor and Nirrti. Qu'ilar had requested asylum, promising to share his knowledge of the goa'uld.

'The mind of the host could have survived,' Daniel had insisted, 'The Tok'ra can help him and can question him further. He could help us.'

Jack, turning all the options over in his mind, reluctantly decided that they could use all the help they could get and so they had brought him back. Qu'ilar had been checked by Dr Fraiser in the infirmary and then escorted to secure quarters under heavy guard where the symbiote could continue the healing process.

'Very well, Colonel. I'd like you…' General Hammond was interrupted by the arrival of an airman who stood nervously waiting for permission to speak. 'Yes?' Hammond turned to him.

'I'm afraid the prisoner has escaped,' he stammered out, really not wanting to be the one who delivered this information.

'How the hell did he get out?' Hammond demanded.

'We don't know, sir, the guards outside the cell and on the way to the surface seem to be suffering from some form of amnesia - Dr Fraiser is still checking them out,' came the reply.

'For crying out loud - where do we get these people from that they can't keep a single goa'uld confined?' Jack snapped. 'Permission to take charge of the retrieval, General?' Hammond nodded curtly and SG1 filed out to begin the search.

**************

She had gone for a walk in the woods behind her house. She was so absorbed in her thoughts she nearly didn't see the man stumbling towards her. Her initial reaction was to run, the woods weren't frequented much and there was no one within calling distance, then she realised something was wrong. He fell once, got up again with difficulty and then continued towards her as though he couldn't see her. He went down again, but this time he didn't get up.

Hesitating for a moment, she ran towards him where he lay with one arm underneath him, the other flung wide as if appealing for help. She knelt down beside him, checking for a pulse but not finding one. She leant closer to see if she could feel him breathing. Nothing.

The next instant she felt an excruciating pain in the back of her neck which made her cry out before she slumped forward over the body of the man she had gone to help.

She came to not knowing how long she had been lying there, one part of her repulsed at the thought of where she had been lying, another, one which didn't really seem to belong to her, telling her to get away, to get back…

Her thoughts became less coherent, unable to think clearly….

She could hear movement, a lot of people, searching for something.

Her senses were heightened. They were nearly here, she had to get away.

Without further thought she started running, away from the people coming towards her, heading deeper into the woods. She had been spotted, voices shouting behind her, footsteps running after her, not just searching.

She had to get away, get back…

She seemed to be stronger and faster than ever before, she was going to get away, get to safety.

The next instant pain exploded in her head again, she stumbled and went down on both knees, clutching her head in agony. As the pain eased she knew something was wrong, her own thoughts were clearer now, wondering why she was running, what was going on. At the same time, the voice telling her to run was still there, but not so overpowering or compelling, she was able to suppress it, waiting apprehensively for the arrival of those she instinctively knew were searching for her.

**************

'Colonel, this is Wilkinson, we've found the woman who was seen with the body.'

'Hold your position, we'll be with you in two minutes,' Jack responded.

Sam had realised something was wrong as soon as they reached the body.

'Sir, he's not here. He must have taken a new host.' Sam glanced at Teal'c who raised one eyebrow and inclined his head in agreement.

'Are you sure Carter?' Jack asked hopefully, sighing when Sam nodded in confirmation. 'Ok, Lieutenant, take care of this,' Jack waved his hand in the direction of the body, then called his team to follow. 'Let's go campers, it's gonna be one of those days.'

They reached Wilkinson's position and saw a woman in her late twenties kneeling with her back against a tree looking apprehensively at them.

'Carter?' Jack asked.

'Yes sir, it's definitely here.'

'Ok. Now what? Something doesn't seem to add up.' Jack quickly assessed the situation. 'She doesn't act like she's got a snake in her.'

'Sir, I think we should take her back to base asap. I can feel it's presence, but only intermittently, as if it's fading in and out. I recommend restraints.'

'Ya think?' Came Jack's terse response.

Jack moved towards the woman who tensed slightly as he approached, not knowing what was coming or what trouble she might be in.

'I'm Colonel Jack O'Neill of the United States Air Force. I'm sorry about all this, but we think you've been exposed to a hallucinogenic substance and we need to take you to our base medical facility to have you checked over.' Jack spoke in a calm reassuring manner, and held out his hand to help her up. 'What's your name?'

'Clare Dawson,' she replied. 'I...uh...can you really help me, it...it feels like I've got another voice in my head, trying to control me, but I can't remember…'

As Jack helped her up she cried out in pain, her free hand going to her head and her body went limp.

'Do you always have this effect on strange women?' Daniel grinned at him.

Jack gave him a withering look while he checked for Clare's pulse. It was there, but racing with an irregular beat.

Clare's eyes suddenly opened, glowing with the light that confirmed she had been taken over by a goa'uld. 'Release us immediately,' the hollow voice ordered.

'I don't think so. Not after we've gone to all this trouble of catching up with you, how about you come back with us instead.' Jack pulled a sour face as he spoke.

'Never.'

Clare leapt up, elbowed Jack in the ribs with enough force to make him double over in pain and headed through the woods again. Pursuit was not far behind but the goa'uld gave her extra strength and she was getting away. Suddenly, a tall dark figure stepped out in front of her.

'You must come with us,' Teal'c stated flatly.

Clare ignored him and started to angle away from him, the next instant lightning flared hitting her in the stomach. She dropped to her knees fighting desperately against the surge coursing through her body, but it was too much and she fell forward, unconscious.

'Way to go Teal'c,' Jack spoke angrily. 'What the hell are you doing bringing a zat gun out here?'

'My tactics worked, O'Neill.'

'Maybe,' Jack forced himself to calm down before continuing. 'Anyone know what just happened?'

'I think the symbiote has only partial control, before she passed out she appeared to be, well, normal. She seemed to be in pain as she stood up, then after she came around the symbiote had gotten control again.' Carter said. 'Sir, this could be the most important discovery we've made so far, if she can reject the symbiote, we have to find out …'

'Ok Carter, I know this is all very exciting, but this is not the time or the place. Let's get back to the base before the snake wakes up again.'

****************

In the infirmary Clare was lying restrained on one of the beds. It was a necessary precaution - on the way back to the base Clare had wakened several times, alternating between Qu'ilar and Clare in control. When it was Qu'ilar who emerged, she struggled violently against the restraints, trying to get away.

Dr Fraiser had carried out numerous tests, identifying unusually high levels of serotonin and norepinephrine while the brain scans showed two distinct brain patterns. The pattern of waking and falling back into unconsciousness continued but it was clear that the episodes where Clare was in control were getting longer and stronger whereas Qu'ilar was getting weaker. Janet glanced up at the observation window where SG1 were watching the proceedings with General Hammond.

'What's going on Doctor?' Jack asked, his eyes focussed on what was going on.

'The goa'uld is losing the battle,' Janet called to him as her attention was drawn back to the figure on the bed. 'I don't know if the host can be saved either.'

Clare was having seizures, her body arching against the restraints, her pulse racing erratically. After several agonising seizures, worse than any she had experienced before, she shuddered violently and her body relaxed, her breathing and pulse stopping.

Dr Fraiser jumped into action, shouting orders to resuscitate when she realised Clare had resumed breathing on her own, barely perceptible to begin with but growing stronger all the time, her pulse steadying and returning to normal.

After a few moments, Clare's eyes flickered open.

'How are you feeling?' asked Dr Fraiser.

'Tired. My head hurts. Where am I?' Clare responded, dazed and confused.

'You've been brought to a military hospital - I'm Dr Fraiser. You were affected by a hallucinogenic substance and needed to be checked out.' Janet had been briefed on the cover story by Jack.

'Oh. That seems familiar…haven't I seen you before?' Clare's eyes fell on Jack who had just arrived with Hammond.

'Yeah - Colonel Jack O'Neill - I was the one who brought you in from the woods. This is General Hammond. You're looking a lot better than you did,' Jack cleared his throat awkwardly then took his leave. 'Well, I guess we should leave you in the doctor's capable hands.'

***************

The following morning Hammond, SG1 and Dr Fraiser were in the briefing room. Dr Fraiser had informed them of the test results, suggesting that the symbiotes' failure to take control of his new host could be due to the chemical imbalance in Clare's brain.

'Clare's brain scans and recent blood tests show an increased level of serotonin and norepinephrine. She tells me she has been seeing a doctor for depression but wasn't taking anti-depressants. I'd like to carry out some more tests, but I believe the natural increase in these chemicals may have led to Clare being able to reject the symbiote. She's also made a remarkably fast recovery considering how close to dying she came.'

'What about Qu'ilar's memories?' Jack asked. 'I mean, could the Tok'ra access them in the same way they helped Carter remember Jolinar's?'

'It's hard to say.' Sam considered this for a moment. 'Jolinar had fully blended with me, if Clare has somehow managed to kill the symbiote before the joining was completed there may not be anything left to remember.'

At that moment the door opened and Clare entered, ushered in by a guard. She was invited to sit down next to Dr Fraiser, as a familiar and reassuring face.

'Miss Dawson,' Hammond greeted her, 'I'd like to introduce you to the rest of the team who were responsible for helping you out yesterday…Major Samantha Carter, Dr Daniel Jackson and Teal'c. Colonel O'Neill and Dr Fraiser you are already acquainted with.'

'I know this must seem strange to you, and I'm afraid that for reasons of national security I can't explain fully why we need to ask you these questions but I hope we can count on your co-operation.' Hammond looked at Clare who considered this for a moment before reluctantly nodding her acceptance, her eyes darting around the room uncomfortably. Hammond smiled reassuringly before he asked his next question. 'Could you tell us what happened yesterday before Colonel O'Neill found you?'

Clare told them how she had come across Qu'ilar dying in the woods. 'It felt like there was someone else in my head, telling me to do stuff I didn't want to do. When I first woke up, it told me I had to run, to get back to the Chappa'ai, so I ran. Then I felt a pain in my head, and the other voice was in the background and I could stop. Then when you found me it seemed to take over again, oh! I remember, I..uh..I hit you didn't I Colonel O'Neill?' Clare looked embarrassed.

'No worries, I'm fine,' Jack dismissed the incident with a wave of his hand, looking sheepishly at the other members of his team. They'd heard him swear loudly after the incident, he hadn't been too pleased to be beaten up by a female of much smaller stature than himself, even if she'd been controlled by a snake at the time.

'Anyway, I was getting away when the Jaffa shot me. After that I can't remember anything until I woke up in your hospital.' Clare finished.

'You said something about a Chappa'ai, can you tell me more about it?' Hammond asked, the interest of the others being captured at her referral to the Chappa'ai and Teal'c as a Jaffa.

'The…the what? Did I say that, wait a moment…you're right, I did say that didn't I? I don't think I've ever heard of it before. What is it?' Clare asked curiously.

'General, if you don't mind, I think I might be able to…' offered Daniel, receiving a nod from Hammond.

'Clare, can you tell us again what happened when you woke up after finding Qu'ilar?' Daniel asked.

Clare sighed before repeating her story. 'I woke up and could hear people looking for me. The other voice in my head told me I had to get away and find the Chappa'ai and get back through it - is that the bit you meant?' Clare looked at Daniel, relaxing a little at his friendly smile.

'Yeah...the Chappa'ai…' Daniel's voice tailed off, inviting more information. Jack raised his eyebrows at Daniel, wanting to know what on earth he was trying to do, then the next moment he looked back at Clare as she continued talking.

'Yes, big round circle made of naquadah with symbols around the outside, used for getting to other planets.' As she got to the end of the sentence, Clare's voice slowed as she realised she did not know what she was talking about and intimidated by the looks directed at her.

'What do you know about the Jaffa?' Daniel asked a direct question this time.

'I said that too didn't I?' Clare looked confused. 'I really don't know anything, I don't even know where I got the word from.'

'This is Teal'c, he's a Jaffa,' continued Daniel.

'Jaffa. Servants to the system lords, they carry the goa'uld young until they are old enough to take a host. Shol'va!' Clare spat the last word out, looking disdainfully at Teal'c.

'Teal'c is our friend and colleague,' Daniel explained. 'He works with us to defeat the goa'uld.' Clare didn't look convinced but fell silent again.

'General? Jack?' Daniel queried.

'Whoa there Danny boy, just stop and think…' Jack responded to the unasked question.

'Jack, we have to. I think the information and knowledge is already there, under the control of a human not a goa'uld. We need that information, and we can't just let her go with the knowledge she has.' Daniel insisted. 'Just a word or a picture could trigger a memory - if that were to happen in the wrong place at the wrong time…'

Throughout Daniel's speech Clare had been looking nervously around the room, now she leapt out of her chair and was tugging at the door leading out of the briefing room. Unfortunately she hadn't realised the door opened outwards and Jack was on her before she had chance to correct the mistake, spinning her around and holding her arms at her side.

'Hey, what's the problem?' Jack spoke in a soothing voice. 'Why don't you come and sit down and listen to the rest of it?' Jack watched her face as he saw her eyes searching the room looking for another means of escape.

Daniel approached the two of them. 'Clare, it's going to be ok, really. I know it can all seem a little overwhelming, we just have a lot of things we need to consider.' Clare looked at him, something about him getting through to her and she allowed Daniel to show her back to her seat.

'Ok. So, do we go ahead with Daniel's suggestion?' Jack asked.

Hammond looked at the faces of the others present, receiving nods of assent from all. He turned to Clare. 'I'm sorry that this has been difficult for you. I'm going to hand you over to Colonel O'Neill's team to explain what is going on and how you can help.'

'Clare - are you alright?' Dr Fraiser, ignoring Hammond's departure had turned to Clare.

'I'm fine,' Clare insisted, whose pale face said otherwise.

'Of course you are,' Janet said firmly before turning to Jack. 'Whatever you need will have to wait until tomorrow. Clare needs to rest now.' Janet stood up, helping a too-tired-to-protest Clare from the room.

***********

Jack turned to the rest of SG1 and raised his eyebrows, 'Daniel?' He looked in Daniel's direction.

Daniel sat absorbed in his own thoughts, tapping a pencil on the notepad in front of him.

'DANIEL!' Jack spoke louder, but was still not heard by the archaeologist.

Jack stood up, walked around the table to where Daniel was sitting, plucked the pencil from his hand and waved his hand in front of Daniel's face.

'Yo! Danny! Anyone at home? Bring your thoughts back to earth instead of thinking about some rock you've just found.'

'Uh, what? Oh, sorry Jack.' Daniel's eyes refocused and became aware that the others were watching him with amused expressions. 'I was just thinking...'

'Really, and here I was thinking you'd just decided to take a nap,' Jack retorted.

'We can't let her go,' Daniel continued, ignoring Jack. 'Or at least not until we are able to determine how much she actually knows.'

'It's obvious the memories are there and can be drawn out but Daniel's experiment shows we'll have to be careful who talks to her, otherwise the wrong information could get into the wrong hands,' Sam confirmed.

'So, what do you suggest then?'

'Well, sir, in view of how the memories are recalled, it's going to need some pretty careful handling, direct questions obviously don't work. The memories are there, but hidden away in the subconscious.'

'Well, I can do careful,' Jack shrugged.

'Uh, Sir, I don't think you…'

'Jack, I really don't think. . .'

'Ok, ok, I get the picture. What does a guy have to do to get some respect around here!' Jack tried to look offended, then gave it up when it didn't work. 'Well, we can't do anything for the time being, so let's go grab some lunch. I'm starving.'