Disclaimer: The following is a work of fan fiction based on the television series Stargate SG1. It is in no way intended to infringe on the copyrights of Showtime/Viacom, MGM/US, Double Secret Productions, Gekko Productions, SciFi Channel or anyone else who may have legal rights to the characters and settings. I claim no ownership of the characters. Only using them for a short time and will return them in relatively the same shape as when borrowed.
AN: I actually wrote this story almost ten years ago. Recently found it and thought I'd pull it out the mothballs as a thank you for all the kind words and follows for my other stories. Hope you enjoy this one also. For those of you familiar with the Stargate time line, guess this has to be Season 5 because Daniel has not ascended, O'Neill is a Colonel, Carter a Major, Hammond is still in charge of SGC, Janet is alive, and Teal'c still has Junior. Yep, Season 5 it is. Medical info may be totally inaccurate. Chalk it up to creative license. It will likely be posted in three or four parts. And there is some language in here. It's Jack, what can I say.
Coming out of the bush, Major Samantha Carter buckled the belt of her pants. Sometimes, life would be a lot easier if I were a man, she thought, silently chuckling at the idea. The sound of brush snapping froze her movements and drove the thought from her mind. In the dusky twilight, she could only make out dark forms and shadows in the trees around her. Slowly, she moved her hand so that it rested on her sidearm.
For the past two days, an 'expanded' SG1 had been exploring the planet. Two raw recruits and a Major had joined the team for the extended exploration. They had not yet seen any sign of inhabitants - living or otherwise. Still, they knew that at some point, someone had to have lived there for there to be a Stargate.
Straining to see into the darkness, Sam's shoulders suddenly dropped. "Walters," she said, recognizing the form coming at her. "You could have identified yourself," she snapped.
"Thought you'd figure it out," Major Benjamin Walters drawled as he came to a halt in front of Carter, standing in her path back to camp.
A feeling of uneasiness swept back over Sam at Walters' position. Since they had been on the planet, she had found herself under his probing scrutiny far too many times to believe this encounter had happened by chance. Moving to step around him, she nodded her head and said "Major" indicating she was going to go back to camp.
He shadowed her movements, again blocking her way. "Whoa there. Thought we could spend a little together, you know, get to know each other better," Walters said softly, reaching out to capture a lock of Sam's hair between his fingers.
Yanking her head back to free her hair, Carter had no doubt what he wanted and she had no intention of being a part of it. "Some other time," she said, again trying to step past the six foot two inch major.
"Hey, now, what's the rush? Nobody's gonna miss us for a little while," Walters oozed, moving with her.
The uneasiness that had crawled up Sam's back earlier changed to a full scale alarm sounding in her head. Straightening, she hardened her voice. "Step aside, Major," she snapped, stepping to the side once more.
"No," Walters replied, stepping in front of her again. This time, however, he reached out and dropped his hands onto her shoulders.
Feeling the vise like talons that had latched onto her, Sam quickly evaluated her situation. She was several hundred yards from the camp in unfamiliar territory. Walters had a good seventy-five to one hundred pounds of weight on her, not to mention several inches. And at this particular moment, he was blocking her path to freedom. Dense brush on either side made any chance of running impossible.
Looking up at him, she smiled tightly as she placed her hands on his arms. "I suppose you're right," she murmured taking a step closer. Seeing a slow smile come onto his face, Sam drove her knee into his groin as hard as she could.
Feeling the gush of air explode from his mouth, Carter clutched her hands together and drove them upward catching Walters under the chin. Staggering back a few steps, he instinctively released her and grabbed his groin as he fell to his knees, gagging and gasping for breath.
Bounding through the brush to skirt around the downed man, Sam paused as she made it back to the path. "When I tell you no, I mean no," Carter snapped, before heading back to the camp.
On his hands and knees in the darkness, Walters mentally cursed the blonde woman and vowed to get her back. He was so caught up in his misery that he failed to realize he was being watched until a figure silently appeared in the path ahead of him. Before Walters could reach for a gun to defend himself, he felt a staff weapon on his back.
"The next time you lay a hand on MajorCarter without her permission, I shall remove it," Teal'c vowed before walking away.
Watching as his second in command reentered the camp, Colonel Jack O'Neill frowned at the tenseness of her movements. Silently, he sipped his coffee and watched her as she paced the small area behind the tents. He knew that walk. It was how she released the surge of adrenaline that came from a physical confrontation.
Debating if he should go see what had happened to her, O'Neill decided against it for the time being. Whatever had happened was not a threat to the rest of them. Of that he was sure. If it had been, Sam would have told them when she came back. Instead, he made a mental note of who was missing from the shared camp.
Movement on the edge of the camp drew his attention. "Teal'c," he said, nodding to the Jaffa warrior as he appeared from the darkness.
"I saw no sign of inhabitants, O'Neill," the warrior reported. When he saw O'Neill's acknowledgement, he moved a slight ways away from the fire and sat down where he could watch his companions. Covertly, he watched Carter to make sure she was unharmed from the encounter he had just witnessed.
Frowning, O'Neill savagely tossed the remainder of his coffee to the ground. Damn. Teal's had just confirmed his earlier suspicion. Whatever had happened to Carter had been caused by someone from the SG team. Since everyone but Walters and Teal'c had been in camp at the time, that definitely narrowed the possibilities as to the cause. He couldn't see Teal'c causing that kind of anger in Sam, so that left Walters.
Anger flashed through O'Neill. He has seen how Major Walters had been ogling Carter since their time on the planet. He and the others had subtly, and not so subtly, told him to knock it off several times. Walters would throw out some, in Jack's opinion, a lame ass apology or laugh and say he hadn't meant anything by his comments and looks. O'Neill hadn't bought Walters "I'm innocent" routine and had little doubt that the errant, and still missing Major, had made his move on Sam.
"Jack?"
Startling, O'Neill looked up at the archeologist sitting a short ways away. Focusing his eyes, he saw the questioning look on Daniel Jackson's face. Shaking his head to tell Daniel that it wasn't important right now, he blew out a breath. There hadn't been any gunshots so Sam hadn't shot him at least. Still, he supposed that he should send someone to look for the sonofabitch. A small smile crept onto Jack's face as the word 'eventually' flashed in his mind.
Tensing, he realized that Sam was no longer in sight. Scanning the area and not seeing her, he glanced back at Daniel. "Where'd Carter go?"
"In the tent," Jackson replied. "Guess she's tired and going to turn in."
Glancing at this watch, Jack realized it was later than he thought. He couldn't get use to the fact that the planet had shorter hours of darkness than earth.
Movement in Jack's peripheral vision drew his attention. He covertly watched as a form tried to slip unnoticed into the other side of the camp. Mentally smiling, he watched as the man slowly crawled into his tent, being careful not to jostle too much. Jack knew Sam had nailed Walters good by the way he was moving.
A short time later, Jack sat down on his bedroll. The planet was warm enough to sleep without cover. They had set up the tents in case of rain more than anything else. Glancing toward the empty bedroll and occupied tent nearest to him, he saw that she had at least left the tent unzipped and the flap thrown back to that some air could circulate. in the dim light, he could see that Sam was curled into a ball. It was not a good sign. Sliding across the bedroll, he scooted to the end closest to her. Listening for a moment, he confirmed from her breathing that she was awake. "What to talk about it?" he finally asked, purposely keeping his voice low so that it would not carry far.
Silence met his question. It did however trigger Daniel's curiosity. Jackson paused in removing his shoes and looked questioningly at O'Neill. "Something wrong?"
Not answering Daniel, Jack tried again. "I don't know what all happened, but if it's any consolation, he'll be sore for days," he stated, dryly.
Jack's comment brought a small smile to Sam's lips, but she continued to refuse his offer. She appreciated his concern but she really didn't want to talk about what had happened. Maybe tomorrow she told herself.
"What happened to Sam? And who's 'he'?" Daniel asked again, concern lacing his words. He hadn't noticed anything out of the ordinary occurring this evening.
"MajorCarter was attacked by MajorWalters," Teal'c announced from his bedroll by the opening.
"Attacked?" Jack repeated, shock, and a definite tone of you'd better be exaggerating, evident in his voice.
"Sam?" Daniel said again, his voice blending with the Colonel's.
"Teal'c!" Carter cried out in a loud hiss, shooting upward, her voice drowning out the others. She couldn't believe that he had witnessed the incident, let alone revealed it.
"Did he not place his hands upon you and cause you pain?" Teal'c asked bluntly, unsure of why she was objecting to his description.
"Well...," Sam paused, her eyes darting between the men watching her. With all three waiting for her next words, she could hardly continue with her stance that she didn't want to discuss it. "Technically... yes...," she finally continued. At the outraged glares crossing O'Neill's and Jackson's faces, she quickly interjected, "He didn't hurt me."
"But you just told Teal'c...," Jack snapped back.
"Okay, fine, he didn't hurt me very much," Sam conceded. "I got away from him before he could do any real damage." When Jack moved to get up, Sam called, "Sir, leave it alone please."
Stopping and turning back to Sam, O'Neill waited for an explanation why he should not have Walters placed under arrest and hauled back to the SGC.
Filling up his coffee cup, Jack covertly watched the occupants of the camp begin their morning duties of breaking camp. He should be helping, but he really needed this cup of coffee and a few minutes to himself. He hadn't slept much during the night. He had been too pissed and Sam had been too restless.
Not that he blamed her any. They had all been a little jumpy about unusual sounds. Their quiet harmony and peace had been broken by Walters intrusion on Sam. At one point during the night when she had been especially restless, she had crawled outside to curl up on a bedroll. He had rolled onto his stomach and laid his hand on her arm to get her attention so he could ask if she was okay. She had nearly jumped out of her skin. Whispering a hasty apology, Jack had mentally kicked himself. He should have known better. Her quiet, shaky laugh and murmured "thought he'd come back" only made Jack feel worse. Still, it had helped some that she latched onto his arm and didn't let go, even when she eventually went to sleep. Whether it was giving or receiving comfort, he wasn't sure. Nor did he care.
When her breathing had finally evened out, Jack slowly let out the breath he had been holding. He knew she had her reasons for not wanting him to confront Walters and knock his teeth in, but that didn't make the urge to do so any less overpowering. Shifting slightly, he spotted movement in his periphial vision. Glancing over his shoulder, he saw both Teal'c and Daniel were sitting up.
"She okay?" Daniel whispered, not wanting to wake Sam now that she had finally given in to sleep.
"SamanthaCarter will be fine DanielJackson," Teal'c assured the archeologist. "I will make sure of it," the warrior vowed.
Grimacing at the memory, Jack took another sip of his coffee. Not only was he going to have to keep an eye on Carter, he was also going to have watch Teal'c to make sure the Jaffa didn't use Walters for a battering ram. Then there was that pesky little itch in his own gut to beat the living shit out of the Major. This situation was intolerable all the way around. It wasn't something he was willing to let continue.
"Walters," Colonel O'Neill called out to the object of his rumination, his eyes never leaving the coffee swirling in his coffee cup as he gently moved it. When the summoned officer appeared before him, Jack slowly stood up from his position by the fire. Looking appraisingly at the officer, he noted the dark bruise along his jaw. "Hurt yourself?" the Colonel finally asked casually, motioning with his cup toward Walters' jaw.
To his credit, Walters didn't miss a breath. "Ran into something, sir."
"I see," Jack paused, looking up and down the soldier again. "Funny thing is, Major Carter has a bruise on her hand. Those two things wouldn't have anything to do with each other, would they?" the Colonel asked lightly. To someone who had no idea of what had happened the previous evening, the Colonel's questioning may have seemed benign. Those in the know, or who bothered to take a closer look, could tell that the innocuous tone was offset by the hard set of his eyes.
Reading the anger in the other man's face, Walters swallowed, averting his gaze. He hadn't counted on Carter running to the Colonel. He had heard the rumors of O'Neill's black op days and had no desire to 'test' them first hand. When he finally spoke, he stated, "I think, sir, you already know the answer to that."
Taking a step closer to the subordinate, O'Neill shoved his face into Walter's. "Oh, I know exactly what happened," he hissed, his voice low so as to not carry to the others around them. "I'm only going to say this once, so I suggest you listen and you listen good. If you ever lay a hand on her, or any other officer again like that, there won't be enough of you left to sweep into a box to send home to your family. Do we understand each other, Major?"
Snapping his eyes at the older man, anger flared in Walters. Without thinking, he spouted, "Don't worry. Your pit bull over there," jutting his chin toward Teal'c a short distance away, "already threatened to cut my hand off if I touch your precious Major again."
It was all Jack could do to not react to the snide derision in Walters' voice. Smiling evilly, Jack said, "You're lucky he gave you a warning. He usually doesn't." Seeing a small flicker of uncertainty cross Walter's face, Jack stepped back a little ways and raised his voice so the others could hear. "Take Nixon and Coats and head west, toward those mountains. Check in at four hour intervals. If you haven't found any sign of civilization in the next two days, head toward the Stargate. We'll meet you there in four days," O'Neill snapped.
The Colonel's orders were interrupted by a "Uh...Jack." A few seconds later, he heard Daniel say it again, only louder. "JACK!"
The urgency in Jackson's voice finally penetrated Jack's anger. Tearing his eyes from Walters, O'Neill spun to see what the archeologist wanted only to stop in shock when his eyes fell on a line of beings on the outskirts of the camp. Turning his head, he could tell that the humanoid forms draped in hooded gowns surrounded the entire area. "Everybody take it easy," O'Neill ordered, seeing the restless shifting of the SGC personnel. Taking one step away from the Major behind him, Jack said, "Well, this is rather unexpected. Daniel, do you want to do the honors?"
"Hello," Daniel said, taking a tentative step towards the newcomers. "My name is Daniel Jackson. We are explorers. We mean you no harm."
Flipping the safety on his gun off, Jack moved a half step the right to make sure he had a clear line of sight on the still silent and motionless aliens if he needed it. His instincts told him that something wasn't right here.
"We have come through the Stargate... the chapa'ai," Jackson continued, gesturing towards the portal on the far skyline. "We would like to learn more about you..." His words were cut off by the sound of a loud humming noise erupting from the newcomers. Daniel instinctively ducked to cover his ears from the loud clamor around him.
Staggering back, O'Neill watched as the SGC personnel began to crumble under the onslaught of noise. Falling to his own knees, he felt the darkness surround him. The last thing he remembered was the feel of the sound vibrating in his head and chest.
AN2: Hope you enjoyed it!