Well, my friends, here's another old story of mine which I'm updating to post onto this site. Hope you all like it!

The Devil Incarnate.

by Lingren.

Category: Angst, Drama, Friendship, Hurt/Comfort, Romance.

Pairings: Sam/Jack.

Season: 5.

Summary: Not all 'first contacts' go smoothly.

Disclaimer: Don't own Stargate SG-1. No copyright infringements intended. Just borrowing the Characters for a bit of fantasy and imagination.

THE DEVIL INCARNATE.

Chapter 1 – The Devil at Play

Down in the bowels of the military's Cheyenne Mountain complex, the noise level had risen in the confines of the small locker room. Most of the boisterous behaviour came from just one of the four members of the SGC's premier team, SG-1; now currently occupying the space. Believe it or not, that person was actually the leader of this little band of diversified characters, one USAF Colonel, Jack O'Neill.

He'd stripped off his regulation black T-shirt and threw it, supposedly, over at his friend Daniel. Dr. Jackson, as he was more formally known, was the team's linguist and archaeologist, but a good friend, too. The younger man ducked and the garment went sailing over his head far too high. However, it landed exactly where Jack had planned it to fall -- on top of the security camera. The result being that it completely blotted out the 'spy in the corner' and earned him a quick round of applause. Even Teal'c gave a slight dip of his head in acknowledgement of Jack's success.

"Yeeess," Jack hissed triumphantly, punching the air with his fist.

He then took a bow, before pulling on his clean T-shirt and green camouflage Jacket in readiness for his next mission. Once dressed, he then walked purposefully towards a laughing Sam Carter with a wicked gleam in his eye, and a waggle of his eyebrows.

Daniel watched him, his own smile growing as he realised what was about to happen between his two best friends. Laughter bubbled up in his throat and chuckled when Jack caught Sam round the waist to pull her into a hug. Such fraternisation was frowned upon in the military, but he wasn't about to tell anyone what was going on between Sam and Jack. This was a secret which stayed locked away, sworn to be kept as such among the four friends.

"You know Jack...I bet you were a real little devil when you were a kid," Daniel stated in earnest, folding his arms across his chest to study his friend, "Still are," he added with a laugh. "All that's missing are the horns, the red outfit, the long tail, along with the em..."

Jack cut him off quickly before he could finish.

"I don't know what you mean Daniel, but I think my Mother would be hurt to hear you say that!" Jack replied, his eyebrows rising in all innocence. Though this seemingly naive comment brought a few giggles from the woman in his arms.

"One of these days, General Hammond is going to cotton on to your antics and post a guard in here while we change," Daniel sing-songed, pulling on his own jacket now.

"No he won't! Not if I can help it, Danny-boy. Now, go... get out of here, we'll see you guys in the gate room in five minutes," Jack growled mockingly.

Teal'c and Daniel happily took themselves off to the gate room to await the others as ordered. Daniel could only hope that General Hammond wouldn't ask too many questions as to what was keeping him waiting. He really didn't want to tell him the real reason as to what was causing the delay.

OoOoOoOoO

Jack, now that they had the room to themselves, drew Sam closer and into a tight hug before kissing her gently. Sam responded by throwing her arms round his neck and bringing his head even closer, pressing their lips together more firmly. When they both came up for air, Jack rested his forehead against hers while they both calmed their breathing hearts once more. For them it was just a quick, stolen moment in their forbidden relationship. Both of them knew that all too brief contact, would have to last them until they got back from their mission in four days time.

Fraternisation was strictly forbidden under Air Force regulations, but that hadn't stopped them from falling head over heels in love with each other. It had taken the couple, a few years to finally admit to each other that there was something between them. It took even longer for them to actually do something about it. The resulting relationship, had been prompted by their team-mates, who insisted they, 'stop tap-dancing round the issue and just get on with it'. So, they had.

Jack straightened Sam's jacket and zipped up her Kevlar vest, before dropping his hands to fasten his own. She gave him a quick peck on the cheek and silently slid her palm down across his smooth, clean shaven face. Her blue, suddenly serious, eyes locking onto the deeply hooded, dark hazel ones of his for a brief moment before she was gone from the room.

The door closed softly behind her and Jack let out a deep sigh of helplessness and frustration. Staring at the now inanimate door, he wondered what the coming mission had in store for them all this time. Neither he nor Sam had spoken a word to each other, it just wasn't necessary. They both knew it could possibly be the last time they could indulge themselves in any dreams of normality. With their job, it was a distinct possibility that either of them could die out there today, tomorrow...or whenever. It was an unspoken fear they had for each other. Knowing that, perhaps speaking of it, would bring about its reality; so the words had always remained unuttered.

Jack picked up his bulging backpack and pulled the T-shirt from the security camera with a grin. Tossing it into the laundry bin across the room, he whooped in delight with another Yeesss! when it shot straight in. Making sure they had left nothing behind, he then made his way out of the door to join his team in the gate-room.

Jack knew the minute they stepped from the locker room, it would be as if their earlier intimate moments had never existed. Back there for just a few minutes it had been just Jack and Sam, but now it was their professionalism which came to the fore. Automatically switching back to being Colonel O'Neill and his 2IC, Major Samantha Carter. During working hours, there was no Jack and Sam, and personal feelings didn't enter into the grand scheme of things. Their emotions, however strong, would not intrude upon their consciousness until they were back on Earth and off duty again. It was a rule of their own making, and was only fair to the other members of the team that they should be treated as equals. The brief interlude in the locker room being the only time they had allowed themselves to break the rules while on base; simply because it could well be the only goodbye that would be acknowledged between them.

OoOoOoOoO

Jack sauntered calmly along the corridors towards the gate room; a slightly off-key whistle playing on his lips. Once he had reached the room which served as the starting point of their many adventures, he noticed that everyone was waiting on him. Sam was busy checking the equipment on the M.A.L.P. and Daniel was rummaging through his backpack for the umpteenth time, looking for goodness knew what. While Teal'c, on the other hand, stood by, patiently waiting, like a sentinel guarding his team-mates as they prepared for their mission. Jack looked down at his watch, noting that, despite being the last one to arrive, he was actually on time. He turned his eyes to the wide window overlooking the room and signalled to the General of his readiness. Their mission was about to begin.

General Hammond duly acknowledged Jack's nod, and ordered the dialling process to begin. He stood patiently behind the technician, Sergeant Davis, watching as his best team prepared to leave this world and bravely walk upon the surface of an, as yet, unknown planet. The usual bantering going on between the close knit team below was actually comforting in its own way. It gave him the feeling that maybe just this once the mission would go according to plan.

The itinerary of the mission itself, was a simple 'meet 'n' greet', and get to know the natives, in the hope that they were of a friendly nature. The team were also to glean as much Intel as possible from the race of indigenous people who were perhaps a lot less advanced than they were. As was often the case though, there were some societies who were more advanced in many other ways than was at first thought. This, they had discovered, was to their cost many times over in their pursuit of friendship. It was often speculated, by the other teams, as to which member of SG-1 would return with an injury of some description.

The gate locked itself into position on the seventh chevron allowing the bright plume of matter to burst forth into the gateroom, bathing the area in an eerie blue rippling glow. It never failed to bring an awed silence to any of the waiting teams as they watched the gate activate. The M.A.L.P slowly make its way up the ramp finally disappearing into the artificial wormhole. Tense minutes passed by as each team member looked at the other. Their eyes exchanging unspoken messages of reassurance and togetherness, in the hushed silence; just moments before the final go-ahead came from the General.

"SG-1!" Hammond barked through the microphone at the four, making them look up at him expectantly; waiting for his orders. "You have a go. See you in four days, people. Report back to me every 24 hours Colonel. God speed!"

"Yes Sir. Will do! Keep the lights on General; we'll be back before you know it!" Jack waved a ragged version of a salute to the senior officer then led his team up the ramp until, one by one, they disappeared into the event horizon; stepping out onto a new world beyond the stars.

OoOoOoOoO

PZ41 792 appeared to be everything that the M.A.L.P. had shown it to be for once. The temperature was a cool 12 degrees C but a weak sun still shone down on them from out of a clear blue sky. A breeze blew around them gently, rustling the shrivelled leaves that littered the ground around their feet. The air current causing an occasional dead leaf to swirl down from the almost bare trees nearby. Jack relaxed his grip slightly on his P90 and lowered it, supporting it at waist level, now that they appeared to be safe for the time being. The rest of the team followed his example, though each of them remained in readiness for the unexpected encounter that might prove potentially dangerous.

"Okaaay...Carter, which way to Oz?" Jack asked with a wide smile. He was the Colonel now, and as such he was in command, and he was waiting none too patiently for her to reply.

Sam studied the compass, and then finally deciding on the correct heading, she answered.

"It's to the North Sir. That way; through the gap between the trees. It's about 35 clicks away, Sir."

"Oiy! Just for once, couldn't we gate to some place that has it's civilisation nearer to the damn Stargate?" Jack whined, not at all liking the idea of all that walking ahead of him.

"We...um...actually tried that before, Jack. We barely made it back to the SGC in one piece," Daniel pointedly reminded him. "PX2C 843...remember? The gate was right in the middle of the village square and we were faced with hundreds of hostile natives. If I remember rightly, I think it was you that almost didn't make it back..."

"Okay, okay, just don't remind me. So, on that occasion it was a little too close for comfort, but just now and then, a few hundred metres would suffice. Hell, even a mile or two, but sheesh, it always seems to be between 20 and 40 clicks." He rubbed a hand over his face which he tilted upwards towards the sky. "Give a guy a break now and then huh?" he pleaded mockingly, and rolled his eyes, giving exaggerated shrugs with his shoulders. He thrust his hands out, just as Topol did in The Fiddler on the Roof. Jack mimicked him, half singing one of the songs from the movie, "Would it spoil some vast eternal plan?..."

"Are you well O'Neill?" asked Teal'c with a deadpan expression on his face.

Jack frowned across at his team-mate, feeling a little exasperated.

"Actually, I'm fine thank you, Teal'c," he replied rather deflated. It was no fun when you had to keep explaining everything.

Sam sniggered and Daniel smirked, whilst Teal'c on the other hand, went off into a long diatribe as to why the gates were often a long way from the nearest habitation.

"It's okay, Teal'c...thanks. It was just a little..."

"Over-rated?" Sam suggested.

"Hammy?" offered Daniel.

Jack cast them both a wounded look, then studiously ignored their comments and carried on with his conversation with Teal'c.

"...Sarcasm on my part, thank you. Don't take it too much to heart big guy." Jack patted Teal'c on the shoulder as reassurance, and then turned serious again. "Right then, kids! Carter, you're on point, Teal'c, you watch our sixes. Daniel, that leaves you with me. C'mon folks, let's get this show on the road."

He waited for Sam to move off before following her, walking alongside Daniel. He didn't need to check to see if Teal'c was bringing up the rear. He knew the Jaffa would take his duty seriously and keep them safe should there be any attack from behind.

TBC

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