Freedom From the Past

by denise1

When a mission goes awry, Sam and Teal'c are set on the journey of a lifetime

1. Chapter 1

"Someone want to explain to me what the hell happened

Freedom From the Past

By

Denise

"Someone want to explain to me what the hell happened?" Jack demanded, covering Daniel as he untied Teal'c.

"We were set upon by several of the villagers," Teal'c explained. "Captain Carter and I fought against them, however the edict not to use deadly force left us at a disadvantage."

Jack looked at his teammate, his eyes picking out bruises that Teal'c's symbiote had not had time to heal. Blood trickled from several cuts and scrapes and the man's clothing was torn and stained. It was clear that he'd put up a hell of a fight, but even a Jaffa's strength couldn't do much against a mob.

"Where's Sam?" Daniel asked.

"They took her with them," Teal'c said. "You must make haste, O'Neill. I do not believe that their plans bode well for Captain Carter's well being," he warned.

"Ya think?" Jack said, his concern and frustration allowing him little patience for the Jaffa's need to state the obvious.

"Where did they take her?" Daniel asked, helping Teal'c to his feet. They'd found the Jaffa hog tied and beaten at the base of a large tree, the thick ropes restraining him, unbreakable.

"In that direction," Teal'c said, pointing to his left. He took a few steps, stopping when O'Neill laid a hand on his arm.

"Are you up for this?"

"There are many men. You and Daniel Jackson shall require my assistance in subduing them."

Jack nodded and let the man that the lead, acknowledging that – even wounded – Teal'c was a better tracker than him.

"This doesn't make any sense," Daniel said softly as they walked. "Colonel Jenson said that this was a peaceful planet."

"Jenson was wrong," Jack said flatly.

"But SG-6 spent three weeks here and nothing happened to them. Maybe there's some cultural taboo that we're not aware of. Or maybe we strayed onto their sacred grounds or—"

"Or maybe these people are just assholes," Jack interrupted, cutting Daniel off. "Let's worry about the why after we get Carter back and get off this rock."

They continued tracking the kidnappers and Jack couldn't help but ignore his own edict. Why the hell had these people attacked Carter and Teal'c? There had been no signs of any sort of animosity during the last twelve hours they'd spent on the planet, which did mesh with Jenson's report. And that lack of animosity was why Jack hadn't minded them being split up. He and Daniel negotiating with the local leaders about setting up some trade while Carter and Teal'c had gone off to gather some samples and get a more accurate picture of just what minerals the planet had to offer.

Things had been going well and the next thing Jack knew, Carter had radioed for help, yelling for assistance. He and Daniel had immediately and, most likely rudely, abandoned the negotiations and hurried towards their last reported position.

What they found was the stuff of Jack's nightmares, part of his team injured and incapacitated and another part missing and in enemy hands.

Teal'c held up a fist and Jack stopped, closing up the gap. "Teal'c?"

"The group separated," Teal'c said, kneeling beside the trail. Jack could see that it

branched off, splitting into two distinct paths. The trees were growing thicker now and closer to the path and Jack's instincts were screaming 'ambush'.

"Can you tell which one Carter is with?"

Teal'c didn't respond but studied the tracks closely. Daniel stood at his shoulder. "Aren't those boot prints?" he asked, pointing at a bare spot in the dirt.

"They are indeed," Teal'c confirmed. "This way, O'Neill."

"Let's go," Jack said.

"At least there'll be less of them," Daniel said.

Jack didn't answer, knowing that there was another, far darker, reason for the kidnappers to split up. And it didn't look good for Carter.

XXXXXXXXXX

Sam's foot caught on something and she tripped. She fell to the ground, her bound hands preventing her from catching herself.

The man holding the rope gave it a vicious tug and she cried out as he attempted to drag her to her feet. Two pairs of hands pulled her upwards and she tried to find her balance despite being bound and blindfolded.

"Why are you doing this?" She tried to communicate with them but they wouldn't respond. Instead they continued to drag her forward.

There were only three of them now, the other three had left for some reason and she didn't know if the decrease in numbers was a good thing or not. It did give her better odds if she got the chance to fight back. But it also meant that the colonel would have to decide which group she was with and – hopefully – choose the right one.

Presuming that he'd heard her call.

Presuming that he'd found Teal'c.

Presuming that Teal'c had been alive to tell him what had happened and presuming that they'd found her tracks.

Presuming that she was still alive when he caught up with them.

Suddenly, the person leading her stopped. He gave the rope a harsh tug and Sam fell forward. This time she managed to catch herself and ended up on her hands and knees.

Rough hands tore the blindfold from her face and she blinked, struggling to clear her vision. "Rachon?" she gasped, recognizing her captor as the head priest of the village.

"What's going on?"

"Do not speak demon!" he said angrily. "Your lies hold no power here."

Sam shook her head. "What lies?"

"SILENCE!" He hit her, knocking her to the ground. He grabbed her by her hair and pulled her up. "A generation ago, your kind came here. They subjugated us. Enslaved us. They forced us to work these mines. They murdered and raped and treated us no better than animals. But we won. We cast them out and we earned our freedom. We bought it with our own blood. And we shall never allow this to happen again."

"We're not the goa'uld," Sam said. "We're fighting them. We're helping—"

"SILENCE! I have no desire to hear your lies." He pushed her head down, exposing the back of her neck. "This is all the proof I need."

In an instant, Sam realized just what he was talking about. Even though it had been weeks since she'd been possessed by Jolinar, some physical signs remained. Most noticeable of which was the small lump of scar tissue cause by the remains of the symbiote as her body worked to absorb it. "God! It's dead!" she yelled. "It's dead. It doesn't control me! I'm not a goa'uld!"

Rachon snorted. "Of course you are not. You and your pet Jaffa are merely guiding the Tau'ri."

"They're my teammates. I'm not a goa'uld. I don't control them."

"You will never enslave anyone again," he declared.

He pulled a knife from a sheath a his belt and Sam felt her stomach drop. "Rachon—"

He motioned at his friends and one of them pushed her face down onto the ground. She tried to get her arms under her so that she could have some leverage as she tried to fight. She tried to roll to her back, to get her legs free for some sort of defense. She yelled and screamed, hoping for a miracle. Someone leaned heavily upon her back, forcing the air from her lungs. "As my father did before me, I banish the demon!" A searing pain tore through the back of her neck and Sam screamed again.

The knife sliced through her flesh and she felt hot blood spilling down her neck.

Abruptly, the weight on her back was gone and she scrambled to her feet, not thinking past her need to get away. Her feet tangled in the rope still tied to her hands and she fell. Ignoring the pain, she got to her feet and tried to run. She stumbled down the trail, paying little attention to anything but the primal need to run.

Someone yelled at her, chasing her down the trail. Panicking and desperate, she struggled to breathe as she ran, her breath coming in choked gasps. Something grabbed her arm, pulling her off balance and she fell. She rolled to face her attacker, her arms held up protectively as she tried to kick.

"Carter! Carter!" Someone grabbed her arms and gave her a shake, one hand slapping her gently. "Come on, focus!"

The familiar voice penetrated her panic and she finally realized who was holding her arms. "Colonel?"

"Yeah. You with me now?"

"Uh, huh." She tried to nod, stopping when it hurt.

He stared at her for a few seconds, then he pulled his knife from his belt. Despite herself, she flinched, shrinking away from him. "I'm just gonna get those ropes off," he said. "You okay with me doing that?"

"Yeah." She forced herself to relax. She knew that he wouldn't hurt her, rationally. Her rational mind was just taking a bit of time off was all. Her hands started to shake and she looked down, trying to make them stop. "Sorry," she muttered, feeling him tighten his grip on her hands so that he wouldn't cut her.

"I'll let you know when you have something to be sorry for," he said, finally freeing her hands.

"Jack?" Sam heard Daniel's voice over the colonel's radio.

"I'm about thirty yards down the trail," the colonel said, still looking at her. "I've got Carter and she's gonna be okay." He released the radio and reached for her pack. "I need to put a band aid on that scratch of yours."

She tried to nod again, instinctively raising her hand towards her neck. "Aah." He stopped her. "Your hands are dirty. I'll take care of it." He moved behind her and she couldn't help but flinch when his fingers brushed her neck. "You're okay," he said gently. "You're gonna be okay."

XXXXXXXXXX

"You're gonna be okay," Jack repeated, more to reassure himself than anything else. She had to be okay. He really wasn't in the mood for any other outcome. The gash on the back of her neck was nasty, deep enough that he could see some of the muscles and tendons. If she wasn't hurting now, she would be soon, as the shock wore off.

She'd also lost a fair amount of blood, the whole side of her neck was stained and he was sure that her t-shirt and jacket were soaked.

He did his best to bandage the wound, but it was still bleeding, a dark, sluggish line trickled down her back. What it needed was a pressure bandage, but there was really no way to use one without strangling her. He heard the rustle of footsteps and felt her tense. "It's just Daniel and Teal'c," he reassured.

She relaxed just a bit and Jack looked up, watching Daniel and Teal'c jog towards them.

"Sam! Are you okay?" Daniel asked, kneeling beside her.

"She's gonna be fine," Jack said, looking Daniel in the eyes, silently telling his friend that she wasn't to hear anything but positive things.

"We should not tarry here," Teal'c said.

"We heard voices," Daniel explained. "I think the group that split off heard the commotion."

Jack muttered a curse. He'd been afraid of that. Best case scenario, they'd have been able to rescue Sam without a fight. But this hadn't been the best case. In fact, about the only thing that kept it from being the worst case was that Sam was alive – unlike her captors who were all dead.

Jack could feel Sam start to shake and realized that she was going into shock. Which was another reason that they couldn't stay here.

"They're going to expect us to run for the gate," he said. "Which means we'll probably run right into an ambush. Teal'c, we need someplace to lay low." Jack looked at his watch. "We're due to check in in three hours."

"It'll be dark by then," Daniel said.

Jack nodded. "We'll either use the cover of darkness or we'll make radio contact with Hammond when he dials the gate and call for some Marines."

"I shall return as soon as possible," Teal'c said, nodding at Jack before he vanished down the trail.

"Daniel, let's find a spot off the highway," Jack said, motioning for his friend to help him with Carter. Both of them got to their feet and helped Sam stand up and Jack let Daniel remain at her side and support her, which also allowed Jack to have his hands – and weapon – free.

They made their way off the trail and into the trees, trying to take care to leave as little signs as possible. The last thing he wanted was to have to fight his way off the planet. He didn't regret killing Rachon and the other two. It was them or Carter, and Jack would choose Carter – or any other member of his team – over aliens any day of the week. But he knew that they'd also just lost their negotiations. And their access to this planet's resources. And those resources were just what the SGC was supposed to be securing.

Which basically made their mission a failure. And Jack didn't take failure well.

It took Teal'c nearly an hour to find a shallow cave for them to shelter in. It was about two miles from the attack site and Jack hoped that it was far enough away to give them some protection. "Daniel, fire us up some sterno and scare up something warm to drink," he ordered as soon as they were settled. Sam sank down against a wall and Jack fought the temptation to hover. She hadn't said a word in the past hour and he was starting to think that it was more than shock that was keeping her quiet.

He motioned for Teal'c to join him and the two of them moved a few yards away. "What do you think the chances are of us making it to the gate without engaging these people?" Jack asked.

"I find it highly unlikely that we will be able to attain the Stargate unmolested," Teal'c said.

"Yeah, figured that." Jack sighed and took off his hat, scratching his head. "I think we're going to have to wait for Hammond to send us some help."

"Waiting may not be our best option," Teal'c said. "I am concerned about Captain Carter."

"She's just a little shook up," Jack said. "Hopefully a warm drink will steady her a bit. We'll probably need to cover her on the way back to the gate though."

"That is not of which I speak," Teal'c said. "Rachon attempted to excise the remains of Jolinar of Malkshur."

Jack sighed. "She didn't say so, but I'm guessing. If they wanted to kill her…slicing up the back of her neck isn't the best way."

"That is my fear. O'Neill, Captain Carter's life may be in grave danger."

"What do you mean?"

"Did you notice if the remains of the symbiote had been disturbed by Rachon's attack?"

Jack shook his head. "I was more worried with whether he'd damaged her spine or hit an artery. Why?"

"The blood of a symbiote is not compatible with that of a host or a Jaffa," he said. "In fact, if a Jaffa displeases his goa'uld master, one method of execution is to crush the symbiote within the Jaffa's womb and prohibit the Jaffa from removing it. The blood from the crushed symbiote will poison the Jaffa from within."

"Carter's not a Jaffa," Jack reminded needlessly.

"Of this, I am aware. However, she does carry the remains of a symbiote within her body."

"And Frasier said that she was absorbing it and that it'd be no issue."

"And it may not be. However, I know of no more painful way for a Jaffa to die," Teal'c said.

"So, you're telling me if Rachon managed to cut into what's left of that symbiote that's in Carter, she could be dying right now?" Jack said.

"It is possible. However, it is also possible that the blood of a symbiote does not have the same effect upon a host."

Jack sighed again. "I can't do anything beyond getting her back as fast as we can."

"Of that I am aware," Teal'c repeated.

"Okay. We'll rest here for a bit, then we'll go scout, see how close we can get to the gate when Hammond calls." He shrugged. "I don't think there's anything else we can do for the time being."

XXXXXXXXXX

Daniel held out he mug of chocolate, concerned that his friend had been rather quiet since they'd found her. She was sitting against the wall, her legs drawn up and her gaze focused unseeingly on the far wall. "Hey." Daniel touched her arm gently. "Hey," he said again, trying to get her to acknowledge him. She finally looked at him and he picked up one hand and pressed the mug into it, keeping his grip until he saw her tighten her fingers and take hold of the mug. "Let me get you some drugs," he said, noticing her wince as she took a sip of the cocoa.

He retrieved a packet of ibuprofen out of his pack and tore it open, handing the pills to her. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah."

"We'll be home in no time," he said, trying to reassure her. He'd never seen her this shaken up. "Although I have a funny feeling that Janet will make you spend the night in the infirmary. But I can talk to Jack and Teal'c and we can smuggle you in some pizza, maybe even ice cream."

"They were going to kill me," she said softly. She looked at Daniel. "They thought I was a goa'uld and they were going to kill me."

"Well, they didn't," he said. "And they're not going to. General Hammond will open the gate and we'll go home and everything will be fine."

Sam closed her eyes and set down her nearly full mug. "I'm tired," she said.

Daniel picked up the mug and moved it out of the way. He took off his jacket and rolled it up as a pillow. "Why don't you take a nap," he suggested. "I'll wake you up when we're ready to start back to the gate."

With an uncharacteristic meekness, she laid down and curled up on her side, seemingly asleep within minutes.

XXXXXXXXXX

Sam moaned softly, muttering under her breath. Teal'c tensed and gently laid his hand over her mouth to muffle the sound. They were within sight of the Stargate, hiding in a small copse of trees. O'Neill and Daniel Jackson were a distance away, also seeking shelter amongst the flora of the planet.

They had waited in the cave for a couple of hours, O'Neill and Daniel Jackson keeping watch while Captain Carter slept and Teal'c himself meditated to allow his symbiote to heal him. Finally, close to planetary dawn, General Hammond had dialed the gate and they had made radio contact, setting up a time for reinforcements to come through.

Teal'c awoke from his meditation, refreshed and healed. However, the same could not be said of Captain Carter. The woman was in a near delirious state, restless but not cognizant of her surroundings. Teal'c feared that her illness was a result of the contamination of her blood by that of the symbiote.

Despite being recently injured, he was still the strongest of the group, thus when they made the decision to move closer to the chappai, he had been charged with carrying Captain Carter and safeguarding her until General Hammond sent reinforcements or until they could gain access to the chappai themselves.

Carter calmed and Teal'c removed his hand, instead checking her brow. Her skin was hot to the touch and he knew that they did not have the luxury of time. He did not know if Doctor Frasier possessed the knowledge to assist her, but whatever the doctor could do was far more than they could themselves.

"Kartena."

Teal'c looked at Captain Carter, caught off guard. "Captain Carter?"

"Kartena. Saleba. Juna. Kareva. Maresa."

Teal'c frowned, recognizing some of the names. "Captai—"

"Teal'c?"

"Yes, O'Neill."

"The gate is clear."

"I understand."

Teal'c abandoned his questioning and picked up the woman, cradling her as gently as he could. He slowly made his way towards the chappai, his senses tuned to eluding any pursuit. As near as he could determine, the other members of Rachon's party had yet to discover their trail. However, Teal'c could not be certain. And he could not allow Captain Carter to fall into their hands again. He had failed to keep her safe once, he could not fail again.

The chappai loomed through the trees and Teal'c permitted himself a small sigh of relief. His mission was nearly accomplished.

He caught sight of O'Neill and Daniel Jackson both waiting just at the edges of the clearing where the chappai was.

"I'm not seeing any movement," O'Neill said softly as soon as Teal'c joined them. "Daniel and I have circled the clearing."

"How is she?" Daniel Jackson asked.

"The same," Teal'c said, choosing not to mention the woman's delirious words. There was nothing that they could do to assist her beyond what they were doing now.

"Hammond should be dialing the gate any minute," O'Neill said. "SG-3 will come through, secure the gate and then dial home. Once they have contact, we'll follow and blow this popsicle stand". A few minutes later, the chappai opened and O'Neill tensed, shifting his grip on his weapon.

As Teal'c watched, four members of SG-3 stepped out of the Stargate. Three took defensive positions while the fourth made his way to the DHD. "SG-3 niner to SG-1 niner. Do you read?"

"Five by five," O'Neill answered. "We're at your five o'clock in the tree line."

"Affirmative. We're dialing Earth now." The Stargate disengaged and the Marine immediately dialed Earth. Teal'c watched the gate snap open then the Marine enter his iris code. "Door's open," Colonel Makepeace said.

"Ready or not, here we come," O'Neill gestured and the three of them left the cover of the trees. They made their way across the clearing, expecting with each step to be challenged or attacked.

Much to Teal'c's relief, they made it to the chappai unmolested. He carefully carried Sam through the Stargate, telling himself that Doctor Frasier would know how to help his teammate.

XXXXXXXXXX

Sam slowly opened her eyes, staring at the ceiling as her mind struggled to process the information. She recognized where she was. For better or worse, she was very familiar with the SGC's infirmary. What she could not figure out, however, was just how she'd gotten here.

She heard a noise and turned her head, gasping as pain shot down her spine. She closed her eyes, breathing deeply as she waited for the pain to fade. "Sam?" a cool hand picked up her wrist and felt for her pulse. "Are you in pain?" Another hand felt her forehead as if checking for a fever.

"It hurts," Sam finally said, forcing her eyes to open.

"Now that you're awake I can up your pain meds," Janet said, smiling down at her.

"Other than that, how do you feel?"

"Just tired," Sam answered. "And thirsty."

Janet poured some water into a plastic cup and manipulated the bed controls, helping Sam to sit up. She held the cup and Sam took a few sips of water. "Let's take it slow," she said, pulling the cup away. "It's been a little while."

Sam started to nod, then changed her mind. "How long is a little while?" she asked, taking stock of her fuzzy feeling head, her empty stomach and the gummy coating in her mouth.

"You've been pretty out of it for the past week," the doctor said. "You were awake a few times, but I don't know how lucid you were."

"A week?" Sam frowned. "For a little cut on the neck."

"Little is a relative term," Frasier said. "If that knife had gone a little deeper, there would have been some serious damage. As it is, I'll be surprised if there's no nerve damage."

"And?" Sam asked, knowing that there was something the doctor wasn't telling her.

"The reason you were so sick…Sam, do you remember the man who attacked you?"

"Rachon….he tried to cut it out," Sam said slowly, her hand straying towards her neck, lingering over the thick pad of bandages.

Janet nodded. "When he did that, he cut into the remains of the symbiote. According to Teal'c – and your illness confirms it – the blood of a symbiote is poisonous to the host."

"I've been poisoned?"

"Not quite." Janet reassured her. "Since you were a host and since Jolinar has been dead for quite a while, the symbiote's blood wasn't quite as toxic as it could have been. But it was still powerful enough to make you one very sick woman."

"What else?" Sam pressed.

"Nothing else," Janet promised. "Now that you're awake, I want to draw another blood sample. Then I'm going to order you some food, and then I'm going to tell three very worried guys the good news." Janet gave Sam's arm a reassuring squeeze, then left her

alone.

Her mind still trying to process that she'd lost a week, Sam closed her eyes and settled into a light doze, trusting in Janet to take care of her.

XXXXXXXXXX

"This is…something I kinda hoped I'd never see," Daniel said, instinctively breathing through his nose. Even that couldn't fully mask the stench. They were walking through the middle of a war zone. Or what he'd believed a war zone would look like.

They were surrounded by devastation. Burnt out husks of homes lined the narrow dirt street. Debris was strewn here and there, bits and pieces of peoples' lives abandoned and discarded. Amongst it all, was a few bodies, those that had obviously died where they'd fallen.

"It's something I've seen a few too many times," Jack said, his eyes hidden behind dark glasses.

Teal'c remained silent and Daniel looked to Jack, getting only a shrug in return. "Teal'c, any idea who these people were?" Jack asked.

"And why someone would attack them?" Daniel chimed in.

"People don't always need a reason," Jack muttered.

"This is a Jaffa encampment," Teal'c said, kneeling over one of the corpses. "Inhabited by women and children."

Daniel frowned. "Jaffa?"

"We're on a goa'uld planet?" Jack asked, raising his weapon.

"We are not," Teal'c looked up. "Not all Jaffa live on a goa'uld occupied world. Often, a goa'uld lacks the resources to feed and clothe any beyond his warriors. This often means that the families of warriors, those out of favor or those too weak to fight will live elsewhere. It is often a subsistence existence. And is often on worlds administered by a goa'uld even if they do not support it."

"If this is just a bunch of women and children and old people, why attack it?" Daniel asked.

"Terror," Jack said bluntly.

"It is indeed a demoralizing event," Teal'c said, getting to his feet.

Daniel saw the body of an armored Jaffa and moved towards it. Oddly enough it was lying neatly upon the ground, his hands lying at his side. There was no way he'd died like this. Someone had taken the time to arrange the body. "Teal'c, do you recognize his tattoo?"

Teal'c moved closer. "That is the brand of Cronos, Apophis' sworn enemy."

"He didn't die like that," Daniel said.

"Someone rearranged the body," Jack agreed.

"I thought Jaffa didn't care about the bodies of the dead?" Daniel asked.

"They do not," Teal'c said. "The body is but a shell for the spirit."

"So why would Cronos' Jaffa take time out of attacking this place to rearrange a body?" Jack asked.

"Cronos did not attack this planet. This Jaffa bears the brand of Cronos and the mark of K'Tala."

"K'Tala?"

"He is the village administrator. These people were loyal to Cronos. Apophis is among Cronos' enemies."

"So, Apophis attacked Cronos' Jaffa?" Daniel asked.

"This attack could have been perpetrated by any one of a dozen system lords," Teal'c said. "The attack of villages such as this are often used to train young warriors."

"Isn't that special?" Jack said, sighing.

"Young warriors that distinguish themselves would often be permitted to partake of the captives."

"Partake?" Daniel asked, his eyebrows creeping up his forehead.

"It is a common practice even amongst the people of your planet, Daniel Jackson. The American Indians would often capture women from rival tribes to take as their mates."

"Liven up the gene pool, even if they didn't understand the specifics," Jack said.

"Or a primal drive to avoid inbreeding," Daniel said. "Even if it is morally reprehensible."

"Morals are relative," Jack said with a shrug. Jack looked over towards Teal'c. The man was walking through the remains of a hut, studying it intently. "Teal'c, I don't see any reason to hang around, do you?"

Teal'c didn't answer. Instead he bent down, picking something up out of the dirt. He held it in his hand, looking at it closely. "Teal'c!" Jack said, raising his voice.

Teal'c looked up, staring at them as if he'd totally forgotten where he was at. "O'Neill?"

"Is there any reason we should stay?" Jack repeated.

Teal'c shook his head, his fist closing over the item. "This planet is telak. Word will spread and no one will journey here for any reason but to scavenge, for many years."

"Then let's bag this one. I want to get back," Jack said.

"I thought hockey season was over?" Daniel asked, falling into step beside Jack as the three of them started towards the Stargate.

"Carter's physical is this afternoon," Jack said, referring to the test that was Sam's last obstacle before she could return to full duty.

She'd been home for the past three weeks, recovering from both the attack and subsequent fever that had nearly claimed her life. "Do you think she'll be okay?" Daniel asked.

"It's just a physical."

"But you said if she doesn't pass then she can't come back."

Jack shook his head. "She's already cleared for light duty. This is to clear her for field work."

Daniel nodded, remembering the physical requirements that he'd had to pass before General Hammond had allowed him to be permanently placed on SG-1. "You didn't answer my question," he reminded.

"She'll pass," Jack declared, staring Daniel in the eyes. "She will pass," he insisted.

Daniel let the subject drop, Jack's tone telling him all that he needed to know. Jack didn't think that she would pass. And Daniel didn't know what scared him more: the fact that Sam might not return to the team, or how Jack would handle Sam not returning to the team.

XXXXXXXXXX

"How's the pain?" Janet asked, gently exploring the wound on Sam's neck.

It was healing, but slower than Janet would have liked. Even though the stitches had been removed, the gash was still an angry red, contrasting dramatically with the normal paleness of Sam's skin.

A small bit at the bottom of the gash had been left open to allow the fluids to drain so there was an irregular scab there, something that Janet knew would take a few more weeks to totally heal.

"It's okay," Sam replied, giving just the answer that Janet expected.

"Define okay," Janet insisted. This was one downside of her job. Dealing with that pesky military bravado.

Not everyone had it. In fact, there were quite a few hypochondriacs and 'crybabies' on the base. Ones that would bemoan a paper cut and turn eighteen stitches into six month's leave. But they were a minority. Most of the personnel on the base were like Sam – and the rest of her team – to be honest. Folks that downplayed everything and usually ignored their own pain, especially if it got between them and getting back out into the field.

And that was one thing that Janet had to guard against. Those that would let their desire to get back to normal lead them to making bad choices. They may want to get out into the field and back to their team as quickly as possible. But it was her job to make sure that they were both physically and emotionally ready for the rigors of Stargate travel.

"It's sore," Sam said. "And it's annoying. And I don't even need to take the prescription pain pills any more."

"But you are taking something," Janet pressed, reading between the lines.

"Sometimes," Sam confessed, saving Janet the need to run a tox screen to get the truth.

"How often is sometimes?"

"A few times a day. Janet, I'm fine," Sam said, pulling away from her.

"Sam, I'm not the enemy," she said softly. "It's my job to make sure that you're ready to get back out there."

"I am."

"And that you're healthy enough to not be a danger to your team," she continued, ignoring the interruption. "If your neck hurts enough that you don't have a full range of movement, then we have a problem."

Sam stared at her for a few minutes. "It hurts," she said softly. "No matter what I take, it hurts."

"Then start taking the script."

"They don't work. Janet, I take them and it still hurts. No matter what it do, it hurts."

Janet picked up a tone of desperation in Sam's voice and she moved around to look her in the eyes. Her expression was drawn and Janet could see shadows under her eyes. "When was the last time you slept?" she asked.

"This morning."

"I mean longer than half an hour at a time," Janet clarified. Sam didn't answer right away and Janet sighed. "You should have said something."

"And end up back down here?" Sam's voice was bitter, and more than a little resentful.

"No, you end up not in pain."

"If the prescription you gave me doesn't make the pain go away, what will?"

"There are stronger drugs, even some compound narcotics—"

"I can't be on duty when I'm high," Sam interrupted.

"And you can't perform your duty when you're too sleep deprived to think straight," Janet shot back. She calmed the tone of her voice, hoping to reason with the woman instead of ordering her. "You don't like the infirmary, I can deal with that. I'll give you a shot to help you with the pain and we'll find one of the VIP rooms. You can sleep it off in there. Then, once you're awake, we'll run some tests. See if we can find out why the drugs don't work. If we can find out why, we can figure out something that will work."

"Okay," Sam agreed.

"I'll be right back." Janet left her alone and retreated into the small pharmacy. She checked out and signed off on a dose of morphine, then made her way back to Sam, motioning for the woman to follow her.

Together, they walked to one of the VIP rooms and Janet waited while Sam took off her boots.

"This should take effect in just a few minutes," she said as Sam rolled up her sleeve.

"And it should knock you out for a good eight hours." She gave her the shot and then motioned for Sam to lie down. "I'll start doing some research while you sleep," she promised. "I'm going to have one of the nurses check in on you every once in a while. If we're lucky, by the time you wake up, I'll have figured this out and everything will be just fine."

Much to her relief, Sam simply closed her eyes and fell asleep. Janet waited for a few minutes, then pulled a small coverlet off the shelf, laying it over the sleeping woman. She left the door, quietly closing the door behind her.

XXXXXXXXXX

"It was a massacre, General."

"It looked like an aerial bombardment."

Teal'c let his attention wander, his mind sliding back to the planet. This was not the first such event that he had witnessed. As much as he knew it disturbed O'Neill and Daniel Jackson, attacks such as that were quite common amongst Jaffa. In fact, Teal'c himself had participated in many such raids during his time with Apophis.

"Teal'c?" He looked up, noticing the other occupants of the room staring at him.

"Hammond's willing to send a couple of teams to clean up the planet," O'Neill said, obviously repeating what Teal'c had missed.

"That will not be necessary," Teal'c said. "Word will no doubt spread and anyone that is found could be seen as the perpetrators of the attack. It would not be wise to be there now."

"But, Teal'c, all those bodies—"

"Jaffa do not view remains the same way as the Tau'ri. Once a person's soul has departed, the body is but an empty shell."

"Really?" Daniel Jackson asked, leaning forward.

"Indeed."

"That's an interesting concept. Warrior cultures usually have the most complex funerary rites."

"The offer is still open, Teal'c, if you change your mind," General Hammond said, ignoring Daniel Jackson's interruption.

"As you wish," Teal'c said. He had no desire to accept the man's offer, but did not want to offend by being more assertive in his denial.

General Hammond got to his feet. "Colonel, we will discuss that other topic later today. Dismissed." The man retreated into his office.

"Other topic?" Daniel Jackson asked, gathering his papers.

"Carter's replacement. Temporary replacement," he clarified as a dark expression crossed Daniel Jackson's face.

"Janet didn't clear her?" Daniel Jackson asked as the three of them left the briefing room.

"Guess not. Hammond didn't go into details."

Daniel Jackson looked at him. "So you're going to get them from Janet. I'm going with you."

O'Neill nodded. "Teal'c, you coming?"

"Forgive me, O'Neill. I wish to return to my quarters." Teal'c separated from his teammates, gratefully entering the seclusion of his quarters. Once there, he sat down upon the bed and drew a small item out of his pocket. The tiny pendant dangled from a finely wrought chain, glinting in the dim light.

The symbol of Cronos hung from the chain. It was crafted in gold and had once been delicately enameled. The gold was worn smooth and bits of the enamel were chipped.

The chain showed signs of being repaired at least twice. It looked like a piece of adornment that had been constantly worn for years.

It looked so different from the last time he'd seen it.

"Do not wake her," Mother admonished, looking at him from her place by the fire. She had a long handled spoon in her hand and was stirring a stew cooking in a pot hanging over the flames.

"I will not," Teal'c said, his eyes riveted upon the tiny figure lying in the basket. The baby was swaddled in blankets, one tiny hand visible by her face. He reached in and took her hand, smiling when she tightened her grip, her fingers wrapping around one of his.

She knew him. Even though she was just a few moons old, she knew him. She knew her brother. Knew that he would protect and defend her.

It was his duty after all. His honor – as first born – to act in his father's stead to protect and care for his mother and sister.

T'Resa frowned in her sleep and spit up, a small amount of whitish fluid dribbling out of the corner of her mouth. Teal'c picked up a corner of the blanket and wiped it off. She often did this after she ate. His mother even said that Teal'c had done the same, a fact that he found hard to believe.

"Leave T'Resa alone," Mother said as she served two bowls of stew. "It is time to eat."

Teal'c carefully extracted his finger and obediently followed his mother's instruction. He sat down and picked up his spoon, barely waiting for it to cool before shoveling stew into his mouth.

"When will father return?" he asked.

Mother smiled. "Your father will return when he has completed the tasks Cronos has given him," she replied, giving the answer that he expected. Around her neck, a pendant glittered in the fire light. He knew that Father had given it to her. A bonding gift and a pledge of his feelings. She never took it off.

"But when is that?" he pressed.

"If I could predict that, I would be a Seer and would give my gift to our Lord Cronos," she answered, smiling.

"Seers live in the palace. Could we live in the palace?"

"We shall live in the home that your father has earned for us," she said. "And you should eat the food that he has provided."

Teal'c ate more of his stew, thinking of what he would do when his father returned.

Perhaps they would fish. His father had promised that once; that they would go down to the river and catch fish for the evening meal.

He really wanted to go hunting, but he feared that his father would not permit this. The forests were much too wild and Father often said that he would not allow Teal'c to hunt until after he had received his primta.

Teal'c ate the last of his stew, carefully scraping the bowl clean. Just as he stood up, the door burst open and his mother screamed, jumping to her feet.

She grabbed the knife off the table and held it before her, only lowering it when she recognized the intruder. T'Resa, startled from sleep, started to cry and Teal'c moved closer, picking her up from her crib. He was the male, he should have the knife. But he knew that he was still too small. So he would care for T'Resa.

"R'ikon, how dare you burst—"

"Sancha, forgive me, but there is not much time," he interrupted. He reached out and took her hand. "Ronak is dead."

Teal'c's stomach dropped and he stared at his father's friend, wondering if this was some horrible jest.

"NO!" his mother said, shaking her head. "Ronak is completing a task for Lord Cronos."

"Ronak died by Cronos' own hand." Mother faltered and R'ikon reached out, supporting her as he guided her to sit down. "Cronos bid Ronak to take one of Nirti's planets. He failed this task so Cronos—"

"No!" mother shook her head, bringing her hands up to cover her ears as if not hearing the words would keep them from being true. "You are mistaken."

"You know that I am not," R'ikon said, gently pulling her hands down. "You must leave."

"No."

"Sancha, Cronos declared Ronak a traitor. A detail will soon be here to take you and your children to the palace."

"Why?"

"Sancha, he wants to make an example of you. To show other Jaffa the price of failure. He will kill you, and your children."

"No." Mother moaned, reaching out to pull Teal'c and T'Resa close to her.

"Yes," R'ikon said. "You must flee, now!"

"Mama?" Teal'c asked, seeking her guidance.

She stared at him for several seconds before taking T'Resa from him. "Go, gather your belongings," she ordered. "Just what you can fit in a satchel."

"But father—"

"Your father would want us to survive. And that is what we shall do." She got to her feet, her grief replaced by determination.

Teal'c hurried to do as he was bade, shoving his few possessions into a soft-sided basket that his mother thrust at him.

T'Resa cried as Mother laid her down, needing both hands to pack. "Where shall we go?" she asked, folding up her clothing and T'Resa's into another basket.

"I know of a planet—"

"But will Cronos not find us?" Teal'c asked. "He is a god. Surely he will know where we have gone."

R'ikon smiled and knelt down, laying his hand on Teal'c's shoulder. "He may know but he will be unable to harm you there." R'ikon looked up. "It is an outpost of Apophis."

"He will kill us!" Mother protested.

"Apophis will not know who you are. Nor will he care about one woman and her child."

"You mean children," Teal'c corrected, pointing at T'Resa.

"R'ikon?"

"Permit me to care for T'Resa for you," he said, standing up.

"No. My baby!"

"Is fragile. Ronak worried greatly about her. This outpost of Apophis' is very rustic. Life will be a challenge. However, it is the only way to keep you from Cronos' grasp."

"I will not abandon my daughter!" She reached down and took the baby from Teal'c, clutching her tightly to her breast.

"Sancha, please understand. Once Cronos realizes that you are gone, he will spread word amongst his worlds. People will search for a woman, a boy and an infant. But if you and Teal'c are on a plant of Apophis, Cronos cannot search there."

"Then we shall bring T'Resa with us."

"And likely lose her to fever. I know a woman in the next village whose daughter perished just days ago. She still has milk. She will take the child as hers and none shall know that this is a child of Ronak's blood."

Mother shook her head, clutching T'Resa even closer. "My daughter—"

"Sancha, this is the only way to insure that all three of you survive. You must give her to me." She hesitated. "I swear to you upon my own son's life, I shall guard her and I shall keep her safe. And if I ever have doubts, I shall bring her to you."

Sancha closed her eyes and for the first time in his life, Teal'c watched his mother cry. Her hold loosened and R'ikon took T'Resa from her, cradling the infant carefully in his warrior's arms.

"You must hurry," he urged gently.

Tears still streaming down her face, mother reached up and took the pendant from around her neck. She put it around T'Resa, carefully tucking in the ends of the too long chain. "So that she will always know who she is," Mother said, her voice choked with tears. She took a breath and dashed the fluid from her face. "Teal'c, come and say farewell to your sister while I finish."

Teal'c stepped forward as she moved back. He looked at R'ikon. "I shall protect her with my life, just as you will protect your mother."

Teal'c nodded, reaching out to take T'Resa's hand. Her fingers curled over his and her fussing quieted. Teal'c stared at her, committing her features to memory. Her short, dark hair, her deep brown eyes and tiny hands. The tiny birthmark underneath her left ear. The firelight glinted off the gold around her neck, the only legacy that she would take with her.

"I am ready," Mother said, standing proudly in the doorway.

R'ikon got to his feet and opened the door, ready to lead them to the chappai and safety.

"T'Resa," he whispered, caressing the battered gold pendant in his fingers.

She was alive. By some miracle of fate or circumstance, she was alive.

Or had been alive. The thought rushed in and pushed his incredulous joy aside with the undeniable force of fear.

They had not found any survivors. Yet, there had to have been some. Someone had arranged the body of the fallen Jaffa as a gesture of respect. But were they still on the planet? Or would they have fled through the chappai?

He had to know. Perhaps there were survivors still on the planet that had hidden from them. Or perhaps there was a sign telling him where the refugees had fled.

In either case, he had to know. He had to have answers. And he would not find them here.

XXXXXXXXXX

With his lunch carefully balanced on the tray in his hands, Daniel made the short walk across the commissary to join Jack. As he sat down, he smiled at the sight of Jack reading a sporting magazine camouflaged inside an empty personnel folder.

"You do know that General Hammond thinks you're going over personnel files," he said as he picked up his fork and took a bit of his food.

"Hammond's a big boy. He can think what he wants," Jack replied with a shrug.

"What he wants, I believe, is for you to choose someone to take Teal'c's place. And you still haven't found someone to fill in for Sam." Daniel knew that, in a way, he was sticking his nose in where it didn't belong. But he also knew that the General was getting frustrated with the delay.

Then again, so was Daniel. They hadn't been off world in over two weeks, since the mission where they'd discovered the massacre.

"Hammond has an issue with me, he can take it up with me," Jack said defensively.

"Jack, I don't mean it that way."

"I know you don't," Jack said. "I'll pick out a replacement when I'm ready," he said sincerely.

"When you're ready?" Daniel asked, picking up on Jack's choice of words.

"Shockingly enough, I have my reasons."

Daniel frowned, trying to figure out just what Jack meant. "If what Janet says is true, Sam may not be able to come back to work for weeks, maybe more."

"I know," Jack answered. "And her spot is going to be waiting for her when she's able."

"Okay, what about Teal'c?"

Jack sighed. "Teal'c made his choice," he said. He put down the magazine. "And Hammond's right, I need to replace him."

"I never thought he'd leave," Daniel said. "At least not until we'd actually made some progress in the whole 'free the Jaffa' thing."

"I didn't either," Jack replied.

"I mean, when he did that whole 'swearing my loyalty' bit, I thought it was permanent."

"So did I," Jack said, taking a sip of his coffee.

"Are those the candidates?" Daniel asked, nodding towards the pile of real personnel folders on the table. Jack nodded. "Who are they?"

Daniel picked one up and Jack pulled it out of his hand. "There's personal stuff in there," he said.

"Right," Daniel agreed. "Can I just know their names?"

Jack shrugged. "Here's Johnson." He laid one folder in a separate pile.

"SG-3?"

"Yep."

Daniel shrugged. "He wasn't too bad, once he got over that whole homicidal rage thing," he said, referring to events of just a year prior when, affected by the 'caveman virus' Johnson had attempted to strangle Teal'c across the briefing room table.

"He's a Jarhead," Jack dismissed.

"Jar…oh right, Marines. What's wrong with Marines?" Jack raised his eyebrow and shook his head.

"If you have to ask…Simmons is next. Not the lieutenant, thank goodness." Jack opened the folder. "But his bulkier but dumber separated at birth brother."

"Excuse me?" Daniel asked.

"Sergeant Michael Simmons. Whose record isn't too bad if you ignore the three reprimands for excessive force."

"Forceful is good."

"We don't need bullies on a first contact team." Simmons folder joined Johnson's in what Daniel presumed to be the reject file. "The next is Gonzalez."

"Kevin?" Jack looked at the folder and nodded. Daniel pulled the folder out of his hand and put it on the reject pile. "Every time I've overheard him in the gym, he's bragging about his latest conquest. We've done a lot of firsts, but I think we can pass on the world's first interplanetary paternity suit."

"Stokes?" Jack said, accepting Daniel's decision.

Daniel shrugged. "Nice guy from what I hear."

"Great."

"And I think he's one of the few guys on this base that can look Janet in the eyes."

Over the course of the next ten minutes, the pair of them managed to dismiss every one of the candidates. "You know, I was hoping to spend all afternoon doing this," Jack said.

Daniel grimaced. "The general's not going to be very happy."

"It's not my fault that there's not anyone suitable in here."

"What exactly are you looking for?"

"A two hundred pound Jaffa that can kick ass, take names and has a near encyclopedic knowledge of snakeheads."

"I don't think you're gonna have much luck." Jack shrugged and Daniel frowned. "Why don't you care?" he asked.

"Huh?"

"Normally when we're stuck on base, you develop cabin fever so bad General Hammond's threatened to have you sedated. Right now you're calm, eerily calm."

"I just don't mind the downtime," Jack said, gathering the folders.

Daniel frowned, staring at Jack for a few seconds. "Of course, you know, if we don't replace Teal'c, we stay stood down and we stay on the base…which is where Sam is," he said slowly, adding up two and two and wondering if he wasn't working his way up to five.

"In the grand scheme of things, I think Carter needs us more than the galaxy," Jack said softly.

"Yeah," Daniel agreed. "So, how long will it take to find someone?"

Jacks shrugged. "Few weeks maybe. Or, at least as long as Hammond will let me get away with NOT choosing someone."

"Well, before I go and find some vital translations that just HAVE to be done, what do you think about us grabbing Sam some lunch and checking up on her?"

"That is probably the best idea you've had all day," Jack said.

XXXXXXXXXX

Sam heard a rustle behind her and she choked back a grin, sighing silently to herself. "I'll be done in a few more minutes, sergeant," she said, refusing to look over her shoulder at Sergeant Harriman.

"That's okay, Captain," he said, standing awkwardly behind her. She knew she'd evicted him in a way, but his work-station was the one she needed to use at the moment. She'd spent a good chunk of the past two weeks working on fixes to the dialing program and she was ready to upload the new code. Unfortunately, Harriman's work-station was the only one that had access to the dialing computer, so, to get her job done, she had to basically take over his work space.

Something that she knew bugged the man.

"Sergeant, if you want, I can keep an eye on things here. You can go and get some coffee or something and I'll be finished in about ten minutes," she offered, just as much to get him something to do as to get herself some peace. She knew he meant well, but his kite eating tree imitation was quickly getting on her nerves.

"That's okay, ma'am. I'm fine." She heard him sit down and he claimed a chair at another work-station.

Sam continued typing, cursing under her breath when she mistyped some words and had to start over. "Dammit." Damn her hand, damn her numb fingers, damn her crappy reflexes, she added silently.

"Ma'am?"

"Nothing," Sam bit out. She didn't need to go into detail for him. The last thing she needed was more pity or platitudes. "Sergeant, how about—"

Her request remained unsaid as the gate began to spin. "Incoming wormhole," he said, his voice tinged with a mix of excitement and dread.

"Who—"

"No one is scheduled for another hour," he interrupted.

"Get the general down here, I'm closing the iris."

The metal blades spun shut a few seconds before the wormhole opened, painting the back of the room with a shimmering blue light. "Report," Hammond said as he finished descending the stairs.

"Unscheduled gate activation," Harriman said.

"Who's out?"

"SG-3, 5 and 8," Sam said, pulling up the information.

"Get the defense teams down here."

"Sir, I'm getting an IDC, it's SG-5," Sam said, reading the information that scrolled across her monitor.

"Open the iris."

Sam followed his order and the iris spun open, revealing the watery event horizon of the wormhole. Within a minute, the four members of SG-5 slurped through the gate, two of them supporting a fifth person.

"What the hell?" Harriman muttered.

"That's Teal'c," Sam said, recognizing the bulky form supported by the two men. The gate snapped shut as the two men laid Teal'c down on the ramp.

"Get medical down there," Hammond ordered. He left the control room and Sam followed, Harriman's call to the infirmary chasing her down into the gateroom.

"Major?" Hammond asked. "What's going on?"

"I'm not sure, sir," Major Coburn said, handing off his weapon to the weapons officer. "We were checking out P5X374 and we found him."

"Found him?" Sam asked. She'd hurried past Hammond and knelt at Teal'c's side, checking his pulse. He was unconscious and covered in blood. It looked like he'd been beaten, and quite severely.

"He was strung up in the middle of a clearing," Lieutenant Baker said. "I'm gonna say that he was left there to die."

"There were vultures and other carrion animals circling," Coburn said. "Our guess is that someone beat the crap out of him, and then staked him out to either get eaten alive or to die of exposure. As it is, it looks like he's been out there for a couple of days."

Janet and her med team rushed in and Sam stepped back, forcing her common sense to override her instincts to stay near to and care for her ex-teammate. "Doctor?" Hammond asked.

"My ten second diagnosis," she said, her tone short. "I've got exposure, blood loss and god only knows what else. I need to get him to the infirmary and run some tests to get an accurate picture."

"Do it," Hammond ordered. The orderlies set about picking Teal'c up and placing him on the gurney. "Major Coburn, I need your report sooner rather than later." He looked for the leader of the defense team. "Sergeant, I need two of your men to escort Teal'c and he's to be under guard at all times."

"General," Sam protested.

"Captain, Teal'c left this facility. As such, he's no longer a member of the SGC. He is simply an alien guest, as such he will be under surveillance at all times," he said, his tone resolute. "Doctor Frasier, I need to know as soon as he's conscious. I need to know who attacked him and why."

"Yes, sir," Janet said, giving Sam an apologetic nod. She ushered her team out of the gateroom and towards the elevators. Sam moved to follow.

"Captain."

"Sir?"

"I believe that you still have work to do on the dialing computer. You may go check on Teal'c after that is done."

Sam felt her face flush under the man's censure. He was right, of course. She needed to get her programming done, they couldn't safely dial out without it. "Yes, sir," she said, catching one last glance of Teal'c before she returned to the control room.

XXXXXXXXXX

Teal'c opened his eyes, for a few seconds wondering where he was. The familiar rough-cast ceiling of the infirmary swam into view and, for a moment, he wondered if he was dead.

Then sounds penetrated his fuzzy brain. The low hum of voices, the quiet beep of a heart monitor, the nearly silent swish of circulation fans. He was at the SGC. And he had no recollection of how he'd come to be here.

"Welcome back to the land of the living." He turned his head to see Doctor Frasier walking over to his bedside, a clipboard in her hands. "You've given me quite a workout the past few days."

"Doctor Frasier." His voice was rough and far too weak for his liking.

"You've had a rough time," she said. "Three broken ribs, some internal bleeding and a hairline skull fracture," she listed. "You were also suffering from exposure and blood loss and dehydration. Another day or so and I don't think Junior could have pulled you through."

Teal'c listened to her words, memories washing over him. He remembered now. Remembered the pain, remembered the fear. Remembered his own stupidity and ineptitude. "I've got some people that want to talk to you, if you feel up to it," Doctor Frasier said, handing him the controls so that he could raise the head of the bed.

"As you wish," Teal'c said. In reality, he did not quite feel like speaking, however he knew that it was something that needed to be done. Doctor Frasier nodded. "I'll call them." She poured him a cup of water and handed it to him. "You'll have a few minutes before they can get down here. Do you feel like something to eat?"

Teal'c nodded. He was indeed hungry. A well known side effect of his healing. In order to repair his injuries, he knew that his symbiote would take energy from Teal'c's own body and use that to replenish its own. Thus, the more a Jaffa and his Primta were stressed, the more food they required. "Food would be most appreciated."

"I'll get something sent down. Hopefully you'll have time to eat it before the general gets down here."

"Thank you," he said. "Doctor Frasier, I had upon me some items."

Doctor Frasier smiled and pulled open the drawer of the bedside table. She drew out a small bag. "This is the contents of your pockets." She handed the bag to him.

"Thank you." Teal'c held it in his hands, resisting the urge to tear it open in front of her.

Doctor Frasier smiled at him. "I'll go get that food ordered," she said. She vanished into her office, presumably ordering the promised nourishment. Teal'c tore into the bag and dumped the contents out on the bed, sighing with relief when his fingers closed over the one tiny item that he simply could not bear to lose.

As it turned out, it took General Hammond over an hour to make his way to the infirmary, and he did so with Captain Carter in tow. "General Hammond, Captain Carter," he acknowledged, his strength bolstered by a simple meal of soup and toast.

"Teal'c, it's good to see you awake," Captain Carter said.

"I've already heard from Doctor Frasier that you will make a full recovery," the general said. "Teal'c, I need to know where you've been for the past two months, and what brought you back here."

Teal'c nodded, he had been expecting this. "On my last mission with SG-1, we visited Kalana."

"Kalana?"

He looked at Captain Carter. "I believe you call it P3R293. O'Neill, Daniel Jackson and I came upon the remains of a massacre."

"I remember," Hammond said. "If I recall correctly, you told us to leave that planet and never return. I had it locked out of the dialing computer."

"I did so advise you. While we were there, I discovered this." Teal'c held up the golden necklace. He offered it to General Hammond who examined it then handed it off to Sam.

"It's beautiful. And it looks old," she observed.

"It is. It is the symbol of Cronos. My father Ronak gave it to my mother upon their Joining Day."

"The Jaffa equivalent of a wedding ring?" Hammond asked. Teal'c nodded.

"Teal'c, this could have belonged to anyone," Sam said, holding the necklace up.

"There are very few artisans that work with gold and even fewer Jaffa who own any," he said. "That is my mother's."

"But you were loyal to Apophis, how did this end up on Cronos' planet?"

"My father served as First Prime to Cronos. He was killed for failing a task given to him. My mother and I were to be executed as well, but we fled before Cronos could take us into custody. We sought refuge upon Apophis' planet and I later joined his army."

"So what? Was your mother visiting relatives?" Sam asked.

"My mother was murdered many years ago," Teal'c said.

"I'm confused, son," Hammond said.

"That necklace was my mother's. And it is an item I have not seen for many years. When my father was killed, I had not yet attained the Age of Prata. My mother and I were warned that Cronos wished to harm us, thus we fled with only a few possessions that we could carry. But we were not alone. A few moons prior to my father's death, my mother gave birth to a female child. My sister's name was T'Resa."

"You have a sister?"

"Why didn't you tell us this?" Hammond demanded.

"The last time I saw my sister, I was but a boy. My mother and I sought refuge in one of Apophis' most primitive outposts. T'Resa was very young and fragile. It was felt that she would not survive the rigors of the outpost. So she was fostered by a woman whose own infant has perished."

"They adopted her?"

"Indeed."

"And you never went back for her?"

"By the time I rose through the ranks and earned such a right, Apophis and Cronos were again at war. It lasted many decades," Teal'c said.

"How does this come into it?" Sam asked, holding up the necklace.

"I witnessed my mother place that necklace around T'Resa's neck with my own eyes."

"So, after you found that necklace, you went back to…"

"P3R293," Captain Carter supplied.

"Looking for her?" Hammond continued, acknowledging her input with a nod.

"I sought knowledge of her, yes."

"What did you find?" Hammond asked.

"I discovered the presence of several survivors who had sought shelter in the woods," Teal'c said. "Many of them had no knowledge of where the survivors would seek refuge." He sighed softly. "And, even if they had known, they would not share such knowledge with a sholva."

"Is that how you got hurt?" Sam asked, handing him back the necklace. He took it from her and looked at her, noticing that her left hand was constantly moving, her thumb stroking her last two fingers. He didn't think she even realized that she was doing it.

"Yes," Teal'c answered her question.

"How'd you end up on P5X374?" Hammond asked.

Teal'c closed his eyes for a second, fighting the humiliation that burned in his chest. "The survivors believed that I was among those that perpetrated the attack upon their planet. They were most incensed. I fought with them and fled. However, I did not know that the planet upon which I sought refuge was also under Cronos' control. Those guarding the chappai apprehended me and held me in their custody. They…physically expressed their grief and anger," he said, refusing to go into detail about all that had happened.

"They were going to execute you in revenge?" Captain Carter said.

"Indeed."

"Are you trying to tell me that you've been a prisoner for the past two months?" General Hammond asked.

"No," Teal'c said. "Merely the past several days."

Hammond nodded. "I need to know what else happened while you were gone. Surely you didn't spend all that time searching one planet," Hammond said.

"I did not spend all of it on Kalana," Teal'c admitted. "I did discern a few locations from the survivors and I sought T'Resa there."

"Without having much luck, I'm guessing," Sam said.

"You guess correctly," Teal'c said. "All I could discover is the name of some planets to which the refugees traveled."

"If you have a name…"

"It is not that simple, General Hammond. The names I discovered were not the common names of the planets."

"How do you mean?" Sam asked.

"You call this planet Earth. Yet, amongst the rest of the galaxy, your planet is known as Tau'ri. If you say that you are from Earth, then few will know of which you speak. Yet, if you refer to this planet as home of the Tau'ri, many will understand what you speak of."

"So, what you discovered were nicknames or code names," Captain Carter said. "Which only make sense if you know what they mean?"

"I believe so, yes."

"Any chance of finding out the meaning of these nicknames?" Hammond asked.

"They are known only to those loyal to Cronos," Teal'c answered. "And it is not knowledge that is freely shared."

Hammond sighed. "If I have this correct. You discovered that necklace. You believe that it belongs to your long lost sister. In order to search for her, you left the SGC and have spent the past two months searching several of Cronos' planets. While doing that, you ran afoul of some irate survivors who attacked you out of revenge."

"Yes," Teal'c confirmed.

"Why didn't you tell us about T'Resa?" Sam asked. "Why did you just leave?"

"You hold the fear that Ry'ac and Drey'auc can be used to compromise my loyalty. You will hold the same fear about T'Resa."

"It's not just that, Teal'c," Hammond said. "The fact that you left is a concern. In fact, the only thing in your favor at the moment is that you were BROUGHT back. For all I know, this whole thing could be a set up and you could be back here doing the bidding of some System Lord and be ready to betray us all."

"I understand," Teal'c said. "And I have nothing to offer but my word that I am not involved in any subterfuge or acts of aggression towards the Tau'ri."

Hammond nodded. "For the time being, you will be allowed to remain. I will, however, request that you be escorted at all times. I also need a day by day accounting of your activities and travels. Captain Carter, I would like you to assist Teal'c. I want to know every planet that you have visited. Captain Carter will assist you in matching up your colloquial names to our star charts."

"Yes, sir," Sam said.

"Tell Sergeant Harriman to reassign Teal'c quarters and to reinstate his account at the PX. Once Doctor Frasier releases you, your access will be much the same as before, with the exception of the armory and the control room. I want that report in forty-eight hours." The older man spun on his heel and left the room, leaving Captain Carter alone with Teal'c.

"How about I go and get my laptop," Captain Carter offered. "You can talk, I can type and we'll have it done in no time."

"As you wish," Teal'c said, aware that he had little choice in the matter.

"It'll be okay," she said, smiling at him. "You can chill out for a bit and I'll be back in about half an hour."

XXXXXXXXXX

He looked tired, Sam decided, sitting beside Teal'c's bed, her computer balanced on her lap. More tired than she could ever recall seeing him. "You had a tough time, didn't you?"

"I now fully realize the boon O'Neill gave to me when he granted me sanctuary here," he said. "Outside the ranks of his master, a Jaffa will find little welcome." Sam glanced down, unable to really come up with anything to say. "Where are O'Neill and Daniel Jackson?"

"They're on a mission with the rest of SG-1," she said. Teal'c frowned at her. "I'm not on the team anymore," she said. "The colonel tried to drag it out but eventually General Hammond made him choose replacements. Captain Lorne took my place, or maybe it was yours. And Doctor Mantranko took the fourth spot. He's a biologist which could work out really well with all the odd stuff you run into out there."

"I did not believe that you would ever leave the team," Teal'c said.

"I didn't really have a choice," she said. She held up her left hand. "There's nerve damage. I'm not fit for duty," she said, struggling to keep the bitterness out of her voice.

"Does your hand pain you?"

"What? Oh, no, not really." She rubbed her thumb against her ring and pinkie fingers. "It's kinda weird, they're both numb. I can see myself touching them, but I can't feel it." She held her hand up and turned it back and forth in front of her. "I even cut myself a few weeks ago and didn't even realize it until I saw the blood. I guess I can be glad that it's my left hand. My biggest issue has been typing, since I can't feel the keys, sometimes I have to look."

"You are in pain," he said, his intuition shocking her.

"It…it feels like someone has shoved a wire in my neck and down my arm," she said, more at ease talking about her injury with Teal'c than she had been with anyone else, even Janet. "And it's a rough wire so it's always irritating my arm and…it always hurts. No matter how I move it or how I twist it…it never stops hurting. Janet thinks that Rachon pinched some nerves and cut or damaged others. And the scar tissue isn't helping. Neither did the symbiote blood."

Teal'c nodded. "The pain prevents you from sleeping?"

"Yeah. The only way I can sleep more than a couple of hours at a time is if I take a very strong sedative. We think that's another side effect of the symbiote. Drugs that used to work on me don't anymore. I don't take the sleeping pills more than a couple of times a week. And usually it's here on base. It knocks me out so hard, I'm practically unresponsive for a good twelve hours."

"And that is what is preventing you from rejoining SG-1?"

"That and some stiffness in my neck. I can't pass the physical."

Teal'c nodded slowly. "As a Jaffa trains to become a warrior, they are taught many things. Among them, they are taught how to ignore injuries and pain."

"Ignore?"

"We are taught – through meditation – to not feel pain."

"I don't understand. How can you not feel?"

"It is difficult to explain. Our body may be damaged and our mind may feel the pain of the injury. Yet it does not…remember the pain," he said. "It is…as if one were to look at a sight, perhaps a temple. Then if one were to view it again, but this time through O'Neill's binoculars. Except that the image would not be perceived larger, rather smaller and further."

Sam nodded. "So, the injury could be sending out a pain message at…level twenty, but the brain only 'sees' it as level ten?" she said, trying to translate his idiom into something she could understand.

"Correct. I would like to attempt to teach this meditative technique to you," he offered.

"But I'm not Jaffa."

"Of that I am aware. However, I am confident that it will assist you."

"Assist me how?"

"If meditation can lower the level of pain that you feel, then perhaps it can eliminate your need for the drugs and you can return to active duty," he said.

Sam sighed, considering his idea. It sounded almost like a scam to her, something that just had to be too good to be true. If the best doctors and specialists on Earth couldn't help her, could an alien meditation really work?

Then again, what did she have to lose?

She smiled. "How about we concentrate on writing your report first. Then we'll see about the meditation."

XXXXXXXXXX

Jack nodded to the SF and knocked on Teal'c's door, not waiting for an answer before he entered. The room was dark, lit only by the expected bank of candles. Teal'c was seated on the floor, his hands resting on his knees and his eyes closed.

Jack stood there for a few seconds, awkwardly shifting his weight from one foot to another before he impatiently cleared his throat, non-verbally demanding that Teal'c acknowledge him.

The man opened his eyes, calmly looking up. "O'Neill."

"Teal'c." Jack looked down at the man, instinctively searching for signs of his injuries even though he knew that they'd be well on their way to being healed by now. "You had a busy few weeks," Jack said, holding up the folder containing Teal'c's report. He and Hammond had spent the past couple of hours going over the report, the last thing Jack had wanted to do after a three day mission spent hiking, walking and watching Daniel go gaga over some rocks. "Searching the planet you told us to avoid, checking out a couple of dozen others, getting your ass kicked." Teal'c merely looked at him, refusing to take the bait. "Something that would not have happened had you, I dunno, maybe had someone with you to watch your back. You know, like a team maybe?"

"Had I come to you and told you what I wished to search for, you would have denied my request," Teal'c said.

"You don't know that."

"Even if you and General Hammond had granted permission for me to explore Kalana, you would not have permitted me the necessary amount of time. Nor would you have permitted me to investigate the other planets that I have discovered. I do not regret the choices that I have made."

"Even though they almost got you killed?"

Teal'c smiled slightly. "I have faced death many times."

Jack sighed, accepting that it was just a waste of time to try and chastise someone totally unrepentant. "You should have told us," he said. "Even if we hadn't been able to go with you, we'd have still known why. In any case, Hammond has approved Carter working with you on this." Jack held up the folder. "He wants her and Daniel to try and reconcile these names with our database."

"If you do not believe my story, then why assist me?" Teal'c asked.

"These are goa'uld occupied worlds," Jack said, and evidentially hostile. Why risk losing an SG team?" That certainly wasn't their only motivation, but it was an excuse that Washington would believe.

"Why indeed," Teal'c said dryly.

"So, you know, we'll have this list of addresses we won't visit." Jack looked at Teal'c. "You're gonna need to make a choice," he said. "Chase ghosts on your own and forfeit your welcome here or work with us, knowing that we're willing to help but that it's far from our primary mission." Jack laid out the man's alternatives, the ultimatum he and Hammond had hammered out during their marathon meeting.

"And if I do find my sister?"

"We'll cross that bridge when we get there," Jack said, offering the only encouragement that he could. "Teal'c, the one thing you can't do is keep coming and going. Even before you left, there were people that doubted your loyalty. Now those same people are holding Hammond accountable for trusting you. And calling him eighteen shades of fool for not tossing your ass right back through that gate."

"I did not 'come back'," Teal'c said. "Major Coburn and his team chose to bring me back," Teal'c said, emphasizing the clarification.

"I know, and that's probably the one thing keeping you out of the brig right now," Jack said. There were those already voicing the opinion that Teal'c had returned to betray the SGC to a system lord. A supposition that Hammond had been able to shut down based solely on Teal'c's physical condition upon his return. And the fact that the dialing computer had spit out P5X374 after he'd left.

"There is nothing I can do to allay their suspicions?"

Jack shook his head. "I don't even know if I can find a team for you."

"SG-1?"

"Lorne and Mantranko are just getting settled in. Although I don't think there's a rule saying that we can't have five."

Teal'c paused for a second. "What if I did not join a SG team?" he asked.

"How do you mean?"

"I shall share my knowledge of the goa'uld freely, yet I shall not travel off world."

"Why?" Jack asked. He was surprised at Teal'c's offer. To be honest, he'd expected the man to rebel at the restrictions and demand to leave as soon as possible. The popular consensus had been that – faced with such restrictions – Teal'c would most likely choose to leave. Which wasn't exactly the best outcome. At least as far as the Pentagon was concerned. They wanted Teal'c to stay, preferably as a prisoner – so that they could have

access to his knowledge without risking him off world.

Unfortunately, or perhaps fortunately, Hammond disagreed with their wishes and – given the choice of prisoner or outcast – hoped that Teal'c would choose to leave Earth, taking the dilemma of his status with him.

"Captain Carter is no longer permitted through the Stargate," Teal'c said.

"That's right," Jack confirmed. "Until she can get a handle on the pain, she's on light duties."

"I believe that I can assist her."

"Assist how?"

"I am well trained in Jaffa meditation techniques, one of which is the management of pain. I believe that I can instruct Captain Carter in this practice."

"Why?" Jack asked, not even touching the silliness of meditation curing Carter's chronic pain.

"It was through my ineptitude that Captain Carter was injured. I helped to create her situation. I would like to assist in remedying it."

Jack paused, considering Teal'c's words. He wanted to help Carter, to do something to get her back to active duty status. More than that, he wanted to do something to help a friend, to make her life easier. He knew that she was struggling to cope, that she was almost constantly in pain. And he wanted to help. But could he trust Teal'c? Was it right for him to even think about getting her hopes up only to have this idea end like so many others, in failure?

"I dunno," Jack finally said.

"You may speak to Doctor Frasier," Teal'c said. "She has voiced no medical reason why I cannot attempt to assist Captain Carter."

"I doubt she's given it a ringing endorsement."

"She shares your skepticism and your desire to protect Captain Carter from further harm." Teal'c got to his feet, looking Jack in the eyes. "O'Neill, I promise to you on the life of my son, that I shall not endanger Captain Carter. My only desire is to help."

Jack stared at Teal'c, searching for some sign of a lie. Some tell that he was being conned. He saw nothing. "That Rachon made a recovering situation worse," he said. "If you FUBAR it, I'll kick your ass through the gate myself," he threatened. "And that's AFTER I dial up 374 and invite them to finish what they started."

XXXXXXXXXX

Sam sat on the beach, her toes digging into the warm sand. The tiny granules of rock caressed her toes and massaged the soles of her bare feet. The sun hung high in the clear sky and it warmed her skin, the heat relaxing her muscles.

The breeze blowing across the lake tossed her hair and carried with it the slightly bitter aroma of algae and fish. She closed her eyes and let herself be at peace. The beach was a wonderful place. A safe place. A sanctuary from all that would threaten her.

She sighed and stretched out, exposing her legs to the warmth of the sun. She closed her eyes and lay back on the warm sand, breathing in the calming smell of fresh air.

Niggling worries and feelings poked at the back of her brain, but she ignored them, enjoying her surroundings too much to care.

She laid there for what felt like hours, her body resting while her brain relaxed. A sudden rush of cold washed over her and she gasped, sitting up with a start. The peaceful blue waves were gone, replaced by angry gray water. The warming golden sun cowered behind roiling gray clouds and a chill wind picked up, sending goose bumps across her skin.

"You lost focus."

She opened her eyes, looking at Teal'c sitting cross-legged a few feet from her. "What was your first clue," she quipped, giving voice to her frustration.

He smiled calmly. "It is rare for you to maintain your concentration more than a few moments at a time," he said.

"Yeah," she sighed, pushing her fingers through her hair. "It's just not easy."

"It is even more difficult when you are doing a task that you do not believe in."

"Teal'c—"

"Captain Carter, I do not mean to accuse, I merely state the fact that, since you do not believe that the meditation will work, it will not work."

"I can't change my beliefs, Teal'c," she said. "I want this to work, I really do. If I didn't, I wouldn't have spent four hours a day for three weeks trying to make it work but…"

"For the meditation to work, you must believe that it will work. And such beliefs run contrary to the science that you prefer," he said.

"I've wasted your time, haven't I?" she asked, finally vocalizing her fear.

He shook his head. "I do not believe that it is a waste," he said. "I do, however, believe that, if we continue on this path, we will not attain the results that you desire."

"What do you suggest?" she asked, not bothering to deny his conclusions. He was only voicing her own opinions anyway. She had doubts that it would work, which, she knew, only made it more likely that it wouldn't work.

"When we believed that Daniel Jackson was dead, yet were still plagued by memories contrary to that, you agreed to a procedure…"

"Hypnosis to make me remember the latent memories," Sam said, shivering slightly at the memory. That mission was one that she still had nightmares about. Seeing Daniel burning to death, then still, somehow, knowing that he was alive. The days of flashbacks, the horror of knowing that they'd left him behind.

"A similar procedure, but not quite the same," Teal'c said. "Some Jaffa have difficulty attaining the level of kelnoreem necessary to heal. For them, there is a type of mental training to permit them to attain kelnoreem."

"Mental training?"

"Similar to your hypnosis," he said with a small smile. "You meditate and allow me to…suggest to you that the meditation will work."

Sam chuckled. "You basically hypnotize me to believe what you're telling me so that the meditation will allow my mind to tell me that my arm doesn't hurt."

"Yes."

"Why not?" she shrugged. "I have nothing else to lose. What do I need to do?"

"Close your eyes and relax."

XXXXXXXXXX

Captain Carter sighed and Teal'c watched her sink into a trance. He was hopeful that this would work largely because, if it did not, he feared that he would fail in his task. His teammate's analytical mind and scientific training was simply too great of an obstacle to overcome.

"Kesh'mate."

Startled, Teal'c looked at her. The woman's eyes were open and they glittered coldly.

"Captain Carter?"

"What are you doing?"

"What we agreed upon," he said, studying her closely. "Jolinar?" he asked, listening to his intuition. Even though she was dead, the Tok'ra's possession of the captain was the only rational explanation for her speaking an alien language.

"You are perceptive."

"And you are dead," he said.

"Very true. You are not speaking to me as much as you are speaking to my latent memories. Bits of myself that survived, buried in Samantha's brain."

"She has never spoken of you," Teal'c said.

"She is not aware that I am here," Jolinar said. "As you know, our blending was not an enjoyable experience. When I knew that the Ashrak would come, I sought to minimize my presence as much as possible."

"So you buried these memories?"

"Yes. Much as a human will 'forget' a traumatic experience. I sought to help her to forget my intrusion," Jolinar confirmed.

"Why do you reveal you presence now?" he asked, wondering if the symbiote's presence was a matter of concern and if he needed to inform General Hammond.

"It is only because of the meditation that she is able to access her subconscious mind. However, my presence is why your meditation will fail."

"I do not understand."

"I am inhabiting a corner of Samantha's mind. And it is a corner that she can continue to ignore and function without. Yet it is also the part of her mind that your meditation is attempting to gain access to. As long as she continues to deny my presence, your meditation will not work," Jolinar said.

"And if she accepts your presence?" Teal'c asked.

"It may work. However, these memories will no longer be hidden from her. She will have to accept them and acknowledge them."

"I do not think that Captain Carter will find that unreasonable," Teal'c said.

Jolinar shook her head. "Do not agree so quickly. These memories span centuries, many of which she will experience without context. It will not be easy and, perhaps, could even threaten her mental wellbeing."

"And if she agrees and accepts the risk?" Teal'c asked, fairly certain that the captain would accept the challenge.

"I shall cease to hide and Samantha will be able to access these memories and then you may attempt your meditation and we can hope that it is successful," she said with a small shrug.

"I shall speak to her."

XXXXXXXXXX

Sam walked into the commissary and paused for a moment, getting her bearings before making her way through the line to collect her food. She carried her tray over to sit beside Teal'c. "Hey," she said as she sat down.

"Captain Carter," he acknowledged.

She smiled at his tray piled high with food. "You're gonna need to start running laps of the gateroom if you keep that up," she joked.

He stared at her for a moment, not seeming to get the joke. "General Hammond has given me clearance to run the perimeter of the fence, with supervision," he said.

Sam smiled, refraining from commenting on the man's literal interpretation of her words. She ate her lunch, taking a moment to spread some strawberry jelly on her piece of baked chicken. "That is a most unique taste combination," Teal'c said.

Sam smiled ruefully. "Off-world delicacy," she said quietly, referring to her recent changes in taste and preference. Her newfound preference for jelly on chicken was just one of many changes that had come about after the release of Jolinar's memories. The last month had been far from easy especially with the complication that Sam sought to keep hidden from everyone but Teal'c the fact that she now had access to a few centuries of Tok'ra memories.

"Any new…delicacies?" he asked.

Sam shook her head. "I think it's finally under control," she said. "Things actually weren't as bad as she thought they'd be. I've had a few nightmares and a couple of flashbacks, but nothing I don't think anyone has noticed." She shrugged and sighed. "Then again, I'm not exactly living in the guys' pockets anymore." She referred to the fact that, even after releasing Jolinar's memories, the meditation still hadn't worked. Her neck still hurt constantly and there was nothing the drugs could do to fix it. "If you sleep alone, no one notices that you don't sleep."

"Perhaps not immediately," Teal'c said.

Movement caught her eye and Sam looked past Teal'c to watch SG-1 as they walked into the commissary. She glanced at her watch and figured that they'd just returned from off-world. "Looks like their mission was uneventful," she said.

Teal'c followed her gaze. "I do not recall hearing a request for assistance."

"It's nice to come back from a mission in one piece and not running through the gate."

She set down her fork, her appetite gone as she fought her internal contradiction. She was glad that they were still going through the gate. And certainly glad that they were back in one piece. But, dammit, she missed it. She missed going off world. She missed being part of a team.

"I wish to ask your assistance," Teal'c said, pulling her from her self-pity.

"Jogging and I don't get along anymore," she said.

"Jolinar spent time in Cronos' ranks," he said.

"Yeah. A few decades I think."

"Jolinar would know the private names of many of Cronos' planets."

"You want me to help you find your sister," she said, making a large leap of logic. It was the only thing that made sense with him being interested in Cronos' holdings.

"I would be most grateful if you could assist me in reconciling the name that I have for these planets with the name that the Tau'ri have given them."

Sam shrugged. "I have nothing else to do," she said. Laughter echoed across the commissary and she looked towards it, her stomach clenching when she realized that it was SG-1, probably talking about their mission. They were smiling and joking and looked totally comfortable with each other, even Doctor Mantranko.

They used to do that. She used to do that. Used to be a part of something.

And now she wasn't. She was just like Teal'c, an outsider, tolerated only because she could give them something they needed. In his case, it was goa'uld intelligence, in hers, technical expertise.

"You know, all of a sudden I'm in the mood to get the heck out of here." She stood up. "Why don't you meet me in my lab when you're done eating."

"I have consumed sufficient nourishment," he said, also getting to his feet.

"Cool," she smiled. "Then let's go play match the planet."

The two of them picked up their trays and walked out of the commissary, not even looking back as more laughter echoed across the room.

XXXXXXXXXX

The conversation of his team faded away as Jack watched Carter and Teal'c pick up their trays and leave the room.

"You know, sometimes a mouse is just a mouse," Daniel said. Jack pulled his attention back to the people seated around the table. Daniel was on his left with Lorne across from him while Mantranko sat across from Jack. All of them had returned from off-world just a short time before and were grabbing a bit to eat before their briefing.

"And then there's the mice on 397," Lorne said. "The ones whose teeth are three inches long." He held his hand up, his fingers three inches apart to illustrate.

Jack shrugged. "That's probably why the cats were three feet long."

"It's actually amazing how many similarities there are between our planet and alien planets," Mantranko said. "Felines and rodents for example. I wonder if there's a planet out there where the rodents are bigger than the felines and if the felines are the prey?"

"A question that will haunt us all," Jack quipped, ignoring Daniel's frown of displeasure.

"Yes, umm, well…" Mantranko floundered a bit and Jack silently sighed.

"Why don't we go download those pictures you took in case the general wants to see them?" Lorne suggested.

"Umm, well, I—"

"That's a good idea," Daniel encouraged. "We can meet you in the briefing room in an hour."

"Ok."

"Colonel," Lorne acknowledged, shepherding Mantranko towards the door.

"You shouldn't pick on him like that," Daniel chastised, defending the scientist.

Doctor Mantranko was as lightly colored as Lorne was dark, possessing blond hair that was almost white and green eyes that most women would kill for. He was about five years older than Lorne and perpetually wore a ball cap to disguise his rapidly receding hairline.

All in all, he was a good man, but he reminded jack too much of Daniel on the first Abydos mission – more enthusiasm than skill and no shortage of awkwardness.

"He needs to stop being a mouse," Jack said, taking a drink of his iced tea. "For crying out loud, a girl scout could intimidate him."

"He's not going to change if you keep cutting him down," Daniel said.

"It wasn't a cut down, it was sarcasm."

"If Sam was here, she'd tell you that it was a cut down."

"If Carter was here, Mantranko would be on SG-9," Jack responded.

Daniel stared, seemingly unable to come up with a quick retort. "But Sam's not here," he finally said.

"I know," Jack said, giving into his somber mood. There was nothing wrong with his current team. It's not to say that things had been perfect. There had certainly been a learning curve and some rough spots. But after a few weeks, both men had settled in.

"What's Sam up to now?" Daniel asked. "I keep meaning to keep up with her, but our schedule's been so crazy lately that I never seem to be able to catch her."

"Hammond's got her doing a lot of research," Jack said. "I think she dissects the stuff the teams bring back."

"You think?"

"Daniel, I've been just as busy as you," Jack said. "Carter's not under my command anymore, it's really none of my business what she does."

"She's not your friend anymore either?" Daniel asked.

"Speaks the person that hasn't talked to her in weeks," he shot back.

Daniel shrugged. "I saw her and Teal'c leave together."

Jack nodded. "I think she's been helping him track down those planetary names he brought back. Especially since you've been too busy to help them."

"I thought Janet said he was trying to help her do some meditation thing."

Jack shook his head. "They were. It still hasn't helped. If it had, she'd be back on a team by now."

"What are they going to do with her?" Daniel asked.

"Do with her?" Jack asked.

"You know what I mean."

"She's not gonna get kicked out of the SGC if that's your worry," Jack said. "Hammond's willing to keep her on in whatever capacity he can justify. He's even talking about setting up some sort of think tank or something like that to dissect that tech that we bring back."

"And Teal'c?"

"Teal'c's status isn't going to change. He's a…consultant."

"You mean resource," Daniel said bitterly.

"We trusted him, he blew that trust when he lied to us. In a few more months, Hammond might be able to justify letting him go through the gate again, but not before then."

Daniel nodded. "I guess that makes sense. So, you don't mind that the two of them are spending so much time together?"

"Why the hell would I mind?" Jack asked. "Besides, it makes sense that they'd hang out together."

"We should do something," Daniel said.

"What do you mean?"

Daniel shrugged. "Sam's birthday is next month. Maybe we can have a party or something."

Jack looked at his watch. "Fine with me. But right now I think we better think more about the briefing in half an hour."

XXXXXXXXXX

Doctor Aaron Mantranko listened to the man across the table talk, still trying to remind himself that he was speaking to a real live alien. This just wasn't the kind of stuff that happened to the son of a third generation pig farmer from Lincoln, Nebraska. "So, there are trees like this on Chulak?" he asked, holding up a small twig from a tree in Colonel O'Neill's yard.

Teal'c nodded. "It is virtually identical. Daniel Jackson holds a theory to explain the similarities."

"What, oh right," Daniel said, looking up from peeling the label off his beer bottle. "We think that Earth and a lot of other planets were 'seeded' by an ancient race. And not just us, but also the plants and animals too. It's the terraforming theory."

"And then, when the ancient Egyptians buried the gate, they were cut off," Lorne said.

"Like how Australia was cut off from the rest of Asia."

"Right," Daniel agreed. "Parallel evolution. Some species evolved untouched, others

mutated into something, well, alien."

"It's going to be absolutely fascinating to see what develops like it did on Earth, and what develops differently," Aaron said.

"There is also the fact that many alien races use their resources differently than they are used on Earth," Teal'c said as Captain Carter joined them at the picnic table, a bottle of beer clutched in her hand. Colonel O'Neill remained at the barbecue, tongs in hand, overseeing their soon to be dinner.

"How do you mean?" Daniel asked. Aaron knew that his teammate's familiarity with the Jaffa stemmed from spending a year working with the man, but he still couldn't quite relax with him.

"The Tau'ri have access to much technology. This is something that many alien races to not have. So they use other methods."

"What other methods?" Lorne asked.

"My people, for example, do not possess the medical technology of the Tau'ri."

"But Junior pretty much eliminates the need for medical stuff," Daniel said.

"Not every Jaffa carries a primta," Teal'c said. "And Jaffa children do not receive their first primta until they reach a certain level of maturity, so there is much need for medicinal knowledge."

"What do you do?" Carter asked.

"We use various plants and other items to create remedies."

"Homeopathic," Aaron said. "Natural remedies instead of pharmacological based ones."

"Indeed. Upon many planets, the people possess knowledge that often exceeds that of the Tau'ri." He looked at the three people sitting at the table with him. "There are many planets upon which 'primitive' medical knowledge surpasses that of the most advanced societies."

"Eat up, people," O'Neill said, joining them as he set a plate of hamburgers on the table.

"What kind of advanced knowledge?" Aaron asked, taking a burger and passing the plate onto Captain Lorne.

"There was that ointment we found on Simarka," Carter said, taking the platter from Lorne. "The one that was antibiotic and anti-scarring."

Teal'c nodded. "Apophis would often send me to a planet called Sama. The people there possessed an herbal tincture which would enhance a male's virility."

O'Neill's eyebrows rose. "So Pops had…" He made motions with his hands.

"Trouble getting up in the morning?" Daniel interjected.

"Equipment failure?" Carter said, not bothering to hide a smirk.

"He was an impotent god?" Lorne said.

"Apophis sought to impress his army with the quantity and duration of his…virility. His goals often surpassed even the abilities of a symbiote. Thus he required assistance."

"Too bad we didn't bring that back," O'Neill said. "The profits could probably fund the SGC for years."

"What other kind of drugs do you know about?" Daniel asked, taking his hamburger and setting the nearly empty plate back down in the middle of the table. Everyone else had already served themselves and their plates were heaped with chips, burgers and baked beans.

"Many," Teal'c said. "From ointments to prevent infection to teas that will numb the pain of a wound."

"How come you've never talked about this before?" O'Neill asked, taking a large bite of his burger.

"The SGC has expressed little interest in knowledge of medicines, rather technology and weapons," Teal'c answered. "Thus that was the information that I have provided."

Daniel looked to O'Neill, who shrugged. "Orders are orders. And when you have the potential of mother ships dropping out of orbit, weapons are what you want."

"Still, Colonel, you've talked before about all the pressures General Hammond gets from the Joint Chiefs. Wouldn't getting some medicine that can be backwards engineered and sold for a profit do something to chill them out?" Lorne asked.

O'Neill shrugged. "They'd have to get a pharmaceutical company in their pockets first. After all, we can't exactly tell them the truth about where the stuff comes from."

"With the potential for making billions, I'm willing to bet that they won't care too much," Aaron said, not bothering to hide his cynicism and dislike of big industry. It was something he ran into too many times in his field, the push for profit driving decisions instead of a quest for the common good.

"So, where is your next mission to?" Carter asked, blatantly changing the subject.

O'Neill frowned. "Lorne? Where are we going?"

"P3X297," the man replied. "A mineral survey I think."

"Ah, yes, how could I forget," O'Neill replied sarcastically. "Gotta love those mineral surveys."

"I could find some ruins to explore if you want me to," Daniel offered, ignoring the glare O'Neill shot his way.

"You guys could spend the next week in my lab, tearing apart some little keyboard like thing that SG-4 brought back last week," Carter offered.

"Sam…"

"It's okay, Daniel," she said. "After a year of getting kidnapped and frozen and shot at, it's kinda nice to have regular hours and go home to your own bed every night." She smiled at him. "Not to mention not having to eat and endless parade of chicken tasting MRE's."

"Staying home can have an advantage," O'Neill said. "Such as the fact that cake doesn't travel well."

"Cake?" Carter asked.

"Can't have a birthday without cake."

"I guess you can't," she said. "And cake sounds really good."

XXXXXXXXXX

"Jack, read this," Daniel said, holding out a sheaf of paper.

Jack looked up, glaring at the report. "What is it?" he asked, making no move to take the paper.

"It's the report that Sam has been working on with Teal'c." Daniel walked around the desk and laid out the paper, pointing out one passage. "Did you read this?"

"You know I do my best to avoid reading reports if at all possible," Jack said.

"You should read this one, Daniel insisted.

"Why don't you just fill me in and save me the time?"

"Rynlok."

"Geseundheit."

"Rynlok is a healer. He lives on a planet called Fah'la. According to Teal'c, Apophis used this guy fifty years ago or so. His host had been injured and the sarcophagus was too far away. This guy healed Apophis and saved his life."

"Well, that sucks," Jack said.

Daniel sighed, in no mood for his friend's normal attitude. "Jack, Apophis had some kind of crippling injury and this guy healed him. And he did it without the benefit of a sarcophagus." Jack stared at him. "He's still alive."

"Daniel—"

"Jack, what if he can heal Sam?"

Jack's expression changed, morphing from exaggerated indifference into something that vaguely resembled hope. "Heal her how?"

"I don't know exactly, but Jack, this guy brought Apophis' host back from the brink of death."

"The host. Which means he had the snake to help him," Jack said.

"And this guy was dying and Sam isn't," Daniel said, unable to hide his exasperation. "Why are you fighting this? I would think you'd jump at the chance to help her," he challenged.

"Jump at the chance to get her hopes up, just to have it be wrong?" Jack asked. "Daniel, I want nothing more than to find a way to help Carter and fix what Rachon did. But I don't want to do it at the cost of her state of mind."

"Sam's state of mind—"

"Is fragile at best," Jack interrupted. "That damn snake screwed with her head, then, just as she was getting over that, Rachon tries to kill her and he screws her up so bad that she can barely function as a person much less as an Air Force officer. Doc tried to fix the damage. Teal'c tried and each time they failed it was harder and harder for her to deal with it."

"So, you'd rather not tell her about this?" Daniel asked.

"No." Jack picked up the sheaf of paper and got to his feet. "I just want to make damn sure this isn't a wild goose chase before I stick my neck out and go to Hammond for permission." He walked towards the door, looking back when Daniel made no move to follow him. "Come on, let's find out what Teal'c knows about this guy that didn't make it into the report."

XXXXXXXXXX

Captain Evan Lorne stepped through the Stargate and instinctively took a deep breath, his eyes surveying the trees lining the clearing.

"For once, not a sandy planet," O'Neill said, moving to Lorne's side as he slid his sunglasses onto his face.

"Few humans seek to establish settlements in hostile climates," Teal'c said.

"The Abydonians are only where they are because that's where Ra put them," Daniel said. "If they weren't so afraid, they'd move."

"If they moved, then they wouldn't have as much to fear," Mantranko said.

"Other than being found," Carter said. "System Lords get a little pissy when they think you've crossed them."

"Is pissy a technical term?" O'Neill asked.

"It's accurate."

"It's also what I'm going to be if we spend all day wandering around with our thumbs up our—"

"Rynlok's village is that way," Teal'c said, interrupting as he pointed his staff weapon to the left. "It is approximately a two hours walk." Lorne knew that General Hammond had only given them twelve hours to look for and talk to the healer mentioned in Teal'c's report. And if they were going to spend four hours walking, it wasn't going to give them that much time with the healer. Presuming he was still here. Presuming he was still alive and presuming that he could do something to help Carter. And others. That was the justification Colonel O'Neill had used to get General Hammond to approve this mission. The potential for life saving and life altering medical knowledge.

"Glad I had a hearty breakfast," O'Neill said. "Teal'c, take point, Lorne, you're bringing up the rear. Everybody else, fall in and keep your eyes open just in case the welcoming committee likes to shoot first and ask questions later."

The six of them distributed themselves, Daniel walking next to O'Neill while Carter stayed close to Mantranko. Teal'c found a faint trail and led them through the clearing and into the trees. The temperature dropped as they left the warming rays of the sun and Lorne tensed, aware that the trees could be hiding any sort of threat.

O'Neill and Daniel talked amongst themselves, bickering slightly about the distance between the gate and the village and how long it should take to make the walk. They were perhaps half a mile down the trail when Teal'c stopped, holding up his hand. O'Neill abandoned the conversation and hurried forward while Carter and Daniel raised their weapons. Lorne himself turned, directing his attention towards the rear. Lorne walked backwards, slowly closing the gap between them. "What is it?" he heard O'Neill ask quietly.

"Something is in the trees." Evan studied the trees closely, seeking some movement that could reveal the threat.

"Define something," O'Neill requested. His request was answered by the unmistakable zinging sound of a zat. Evan spun towards the sound, only to have his vision blinded by a brilliant blue light and he knew no more.

XXXXXXXXXX

"Unscheduled gate activation." Hammond looked up from the paperwork he was reading and sighed as he pushed his chair back. He heard Sergeant Davis call for the defense teams as he crossed the briefing room and hurried down the stairs.

"Report!"

"Receiving IDC, sir. It's SG-1." Davis looked up at him. "They're not due back for another three hours."

"Open the iris and get medical down there," Hammond ordered. The metal blades of the iris spun open as he forced himself to remain in the control room. He wanted to help his people, but knew that the best way to help them was to stay out of their way.

He watched as the team came home, melting from the shimmering blue surface. Four came forth, all moving under their own power, if a bit slow for Hammond's liking.

Seeing no immediate danger, Hammond left the control room and made his way down into the gateroom. "Colonel? Where's the rest of your team?" he asked as the wormhole snapped off.

"Wish I knew, sir," O'Neill said, handing off his weapon. "We were attacked shortly after we came through the gate."

"They had zats, sir," Lorne said. "By the time we woke up, Captain Carter and Teal'c were gone."

"The healer you went to go see?" Hammond asked.

"We tried to find the village and couldn't. After a few hours searching, we came back here," O'Neill said. "Sir, I want to request a UAV. Have it fly over and try to find this place. Failing that, maybe it can find some sign of whoever kidnapped two of my people."

"I'll take that under advisement, colonel," Hammond said. "Right now, I want you to get down to medical and get checked out. We'll debrief in an hour."