Daniel looked at the panel. "Jack, she's going back down."
Jack frowned. "The hell she is." Jack stepped closer to the speaker. "Captain Carter?" Pause. "Captain Carter." He swore silently. "Sam, do you read me?"
Sam's voice came over the comm. "Colonel, I'm staying."
Jack's mouth turned dry. "Negative."
"Colonel, she's awake."
"Oh God," said Daniel.
"Captain Carter, I am ordering you to get back up here, right now." When there was no response, Jack repeated, fury and helplessness darkening his face, "Right now!" He looked at his watch. "All right, why don't you guys clear out." Teal'c and Daniel looked at each other, and then back at Jack. Neither man moved. Jack exhaled. "Right."
He looked at his watch. "All right, here we go." His watch beeped at zero and the three men looked at each other.
Finally, Daniel ventured, "I don't feel anything."
"We could've been wrong about the time." Jack shook his wrist slightly, checking his watch.
Daniel said, "We could have been wrong about what would happen."
Jack pressed the speaker. "Captain Carter, can you hear me?" He lowered his voice. "Sam, can you hear me?'
A moment of silence engulfed the three men. Then Sam's voice came through. "We're okay, nothing happened. Cassandra's fine, I'm fine, it didn't happen. I just...I couldn't leave her, sir."
Jack closed his eyes while leaning into the speaker. "How did you know, Captain?"
"It occurred to me that she first slipped into the coma when we brought her close to the Stargate. As soon as we got her far enough away from the Stargate, she woke up, and I knew."
"You knew?" Jack ignored the relieved byplay between Daniel and Teal'c. A slow rage was building up through his veins. The darkness that he usually kept tamped down inside a chamber of his heart rose to the surface with every level the elevator came up.
When the door finally opened, Daniel rushed to take Cassie from Sam, who stood there exultant and defiant.
Jack stared back, jaw clenched. "Daniel, you and Teal'c take Cassandra to Dr. Frasier."
"Jack, what are you—"
"Now, Daniel!"
Sam didn't acknowledge the look of sympathy Daniel was sending her way. Teal'c inclined his head in a movement she caught in her peripheral vision but she didn't dare move. She stood at attention, trying to ignore the upheaval in her chest that pounded out relief and apprehension in equal amounts.
"Captain?" Jack's voice was steel. "Step into the elevator."
She stepped back inside and remained silent as they rode down. She could barely see him in the dark and kept her face impassive. "Sir, if I may—"
"No you may not, Captain," said Jack. His voice held controlled fury and she shivered involuntarily. "You will remain silent unless asked a question." He waited a beat. "Do you understand?"
"Yes sir," she whispered.
The elevator slowed, then stopped, and the doors opened. They headed into the bunker she had just vacated.
"Now, Captain, I would like to know why you think you deserve to remain on SG-1. You disobeyed a direct order. And you could have died. Why?"
"No one deserves to die alone, sir," she said quietly.
Jack stared at her coldly. "We all die alone."
Sam flinched and Jack stepped in close, eye to eye. "That's a cold, hard fact, Captain. We—all—die—alone." He enunciated the words slowly, clearly, and with barely contained anger.
"Yes sir." Sam could barely speak. Jack was too close and his proximity left her confused and weak in the aftermath of her euphoria. She cared about being under his command. The thought of losing that made her stomach clench. But other thoughts began crossing her mind, those of being under him in a way that had nothing to do with duty or honor and everything to do with making her entire body quiver. She stared ahead, desperately needing more physical space between them and shifted slightly.
"Did I tell you to move, Captain?"
"N-no, sir."
"So why are you?"
"Sir, you're invading my personal space."
"Oh, I haven't even begun to invade your personal space, Carter."
She froze at his words but he didn't move. His stance remained strong. Unforgiving.
"Sam. You could have been killed and it was in direct defiance of my order. How can I keep you on the team?"
"For one mistake?" She lifted her chin and glared back.
"A big mistake," Jack said sharply. "We have to resolve this one way or the other before going back up. And things can't stay like this if you're going to stay on SG-1. I can't worry about whether you're going to follow my orders or not." He shook his head and moved back a pace. "You let personal feelings cloud your judgment."
"No, sir, I didn't! I realized the mistake we were making and took the necessary steps to correct it. There wasn't time to explain."
"You had no proof."
"I was right." Sam stepped up to him and saw an answering glitter in his eyes. "The only person I was placing in danger was myself. But I was right. Is that the problem?"
"What's that, Captain?"
The ice in his voice made her shiver but she would be damned before showing it. "Well, is that the problem, sir? That I got it right? Yes, it looked like a weak, emotional action but I'm a scientist. I reasoned it out and if I used a little intuition, that's what I do anyway! But then, you don't like scientists, do you?"
"But I do like women."
The low, raspy timbre of his voice made Sam clench again, this time relieved that he couldn't tell how she was reacting to him. Her blood was racing, there was dampness between her thighs, and her breath was hitching in involuntary excitement. In this cold, dark, forbidding place, her pulse spiked and she longed to drag her tongue along his lips and slip in to taste.
The visuals suddenly flashing across Sam's mind made her eyes widen in horror, grateful to the bottom of her soles that he couldn't mind read. What in hell was wrong with her?
Jack's hand touched her wrist and Sam gasped, feeling his firm touch press down and take note of her racing pulse. "Adrenalin, Carter." His grip tightened, moving up to clasp her upper arm, thumb caressing through her sleeve.
"Sir?"
"It's what you feel after a near-death experience." His voice remained impassive as his hand stroked back down her arm and settled on her hip.
Her voice came out as a croak. "Sir—"
"Adrenalin, Sam," he breathed over her mouth before taking it, his other hand holding her head still. She gasped and he used that to gain entry, his tongue tasting and curling around hers, which seemed frozen in shock.
Sam moaned, the sound swallowed as Jack explored her mouth fast and hard, pressing her body to his. She felt his arousal through his pants and shuddered in an answering weakness. She wanted him. Her hands moved up to cup his head as his hands slid down to her ass and held her tight against his groin.
Sam trembled against him, eyes closed, desire etched across her face. Jack gripped her shoulders and pushed her away. Her eyes opened in hurt protest but before she could say anything, he spun her around to face the wall and placed her hands on the cold surface. Puzzled, her face suddenly cleared as she felt his hands reach around to unbutton her pants and yank them down. She shuddered as the cold air prickled her naked skin and she flushed as he bent her over, hands kneading her ass. She bent her head, panting lust and excitement with every breath. Jack gently touched her between her thighs and she keened, spreading her legs as far as she could, hampered by the pants around her ankles.
Jack stroked her with alternating pressure, featherlight touches, then firm, then soft again until she was trembling violently with need. Then he finger fucked her, marveling at the wetness he found, knowing that she was going to be his. His. His hand undid his belt, pulling down the zipper, and he pulled himself out of his pants and teased her opening with his cock, noting the way her body trembled and stretched towards him. Then he guided himself into her in a fast, fluid motion that had her bucking into him helplessly.
Sam gave a wordless cry, thoughts tumbling inside her head with no rhyme or reason. This wasn't what she had imagined but it was so much better. The heat, the friction, the need coursing through her veins as he slid in and out, gripping her hips hard enough to leave bruises. She moved restlessly, needing more, and his fingers pressed her slippery clit, too wet for him to give her the friction she needed. Jack tilted his hand, used the side of his thumb to wipe her a little drier, and allowed her to rub against his calloused palm until she came, her back arched, as it all flew away from her in one large explosion that rocked her body hard.
He continued pumping inside her, ready for his own release. It happened fast, jerking into her body with short, sharp moves, releasing his hot come into her and dripping out and down her leg.
They stayed that way a little longer, while he grew limp inside her. She tried to get her breathing back to normal while feeling Jack's ragged breaths vibrating through her body. She shifted slightly and he loosened his grip on her hips and withdrew from her. She tried to straighten up but his hand pressed her down as he ran his hand over her ass.
"That was relief, Sam."
She felt the pressure of his hand holding her in place. "S—Jack?"
"I'm glad you're not dead."
She smiled. "Well, I'm glad too—"
"But that doesn't mean you're not going to be punished." His voice, measured and cool was all the warning she got before his hand slapped her ass.
"What?" Sam yelped and tried to twist around.
"I've been inside you now." His voice, dark and controlled, nevertheless still excited her and he knew it. He touched her briefly between her legs and felt the answering wetness. "I'm going to punish you for your insubordination. And then I'm going to fuck you again. Do you understand? If you want to voice an objection, now's the time."
He was giving her an out. If she didn't want this, he'd stop. It would be hard, but he was a master at beating down those feelings and he'd do it for her. His lust and need snarled at the end of its leash but he held it tight, waiting.
For answer, she tilted her ass a little more. "I understand, sir."
And with that, he began, slapping her ass with carefully controlled hits, pinking her skin, then smoothing over it soothingly before smacking it again. And she gasped and moaned, tears stinging her eyes, before finally feeling his fingers touch her, testing her wetness. She bowed her head, embarrassed that she was enjoying this so much and almost cried in relief when she felt him slide into her once more.
This time it was quick. He fucked her fast and furious, thumb pressing at her asshole, his other hand giving her the friction she needed to get off.
And finally, finally they were both done, heaving with exertion, sweat coating their bodies and filling the air with the musky scent of sex as they separated and straightened their clothes in silence. Then they turned to face each other.
Jack met her eyes unflinchingly. "What are you thinking, Sam? Do you want to go on another team?"
"No, Jack." She gazed back, not blinking. "But this might happen again. I can't promise…."
He sighed and his face remained serious. "I know. And I can't promise my dark side won't rise up either."
"Is this how you discipline Daniel?" Her grin, a little saucy, dared him.
"No." Drawing her close, he gently unbuttoned her shirt. He thumbed her through her bra, then pulled it down and suckled lightly on one breast, while pinching the other nipple lightly.
"Jack…" Already she was arching, her eyes half closed.
"Just wanted a taste." He buttoned her back up and gave her a little pat. He smiled but the darkness still lurked behind his eyes. She reached up and kissed him gently.
In answer, he gathered her close, chin resting on the top of her head as she snuggled against his shoulder.
"What do we do now, Sam?" He was tamed again, calm and unruffled, although his stomach hitched at the idea that he just wrecked what he wanted most.
Sam tightened her grip on him. "We'll work it out, Jack." Inhaling the scent of his skin, she drew back and smiled into his eyes.