In the End

by Sam I Am the gate fan

Another example of when routine missions go horribly wrong! While on a mineral survey Sam, Jack and SG-10 are attacked by hostiles, but what happens when you can’t say how you feel in the End?

In the End

By Sam I Am –

Rating: PG-13

Warnings: Sam/Jack (that's a warning for anyone who don't like that) Major Character death (though not really!) Mild language, Mild Violence (Character Death)

Category: Character death, Sam/Jack Romance, Angst, friendship and a little bit of SG-1 Humour thrown in for good measure. (If there's anything I missed out someone tell me!)

Spoilers: Seasons 1-4!

Time frame: Sometime during Season 4, after 'Entity'

Summary: Another example of when routine missions go horribly wrong! While on a mineral survey Sam, Jack and SG-10 are attacked by hostiles, but what happens when you can't say how you feel in the End?

Disclaimer: Stargate SG-1 and its characters are the property of Showtime / Viacom, MGM/UA, Double Secret Productions, and Gekko Productions. No copyright infringement is intended. No money is being made. The original characters, situations, and story are the property of the author. Not to be archived without permission. If you want to archive my story TELL ME, or, to borrow a phrase from our beloved Colonel, I am SO gonna kick your ass!

Author's notes: Another story to join my Finished folder! This one was inspired by the Linkin Park song 'In the End' (well, duh!) I sat there listening to it and had a story playing out in my head all the scenes fitting the song, so I thought 'How about I write it down?' And voila, a story was born!

Dedications: Again, this is for my Best pal/editor! I'm never gonna get tired of thanking you for your loyal support through and through! THANK YOU! Also, to anyone I know and annoy, Love you Guys! And to all you S/J shippers for all the hours of fun you've given me! Thanks a bunch!

Voila... In the End!

Å

Jack looked around at the rest of his team as they stepped onto the planet. Thanks to Daniel, SG-1 were postponed from missions off world. He was working with SG-16 on some 'rocks' he'd found and therefore SG-1 couldn't go off world as a team. Currently, Teal'c was teaching some of the rookies the ropes at the SGC and him and Carter were out on a Mineral Survey.

Jack couldn't contain his excitement...

He looked at his team, or more precisely Carter and SG-10.

First to step through the Gate behind him was Colonel Peter Harlow. He was quite tall and had mousy brown hair and green eyes. He was in his late forties and quite well built. He had the tough soldier look down to a 'T'. Jack hadn't previously worked with the guy, but Ferretti had told him he had a good sense of humour... and that he was very similar to Jack personality wise. 'So that's why I don't like him much...'

Behind him was Dr. Rosa Garcia. She had only turned 23 last week. By the name, Jack assumed her family had come from Spain somewhere along the line. She had thick black curls and dark brown eyes. She was grinning from ear to ear and looking around eagerly. Scientists! Her expertise was Astrophysics, so naturally her and Carter wouldn't stop talking about 'Time dimensional shifts' and other stuff he wouldn't understand.

After her came Carter and Captain Josh Reynolds. He had short brown hair and blue eyes. He was 27 and an alright kid. Unfortunately he, like Daniel, was prone to having clumsy spells around the SGC. Knocking over this, tripping over that... but on the battlefield was an entirely different matter. The kid was awesome and Jack knew he was up for promotion soon.

"Sir?"

"Yeah, Carter," he said turning to her. She was frowning at the piece of equipment in her hand. He liked that cute little frown she wore sometime...

"The Naquidah deposits are not far from here. About 4 Kilometres."

She interrupted Jack from his staring and he nodded. He turned to Harlow, "You Kids ready?"

"Sure. Lead the way."

Jack tried to glare at him, but found Carter already walking. He followed her and walked in front, as Garcia began talking to Carter.

"Major, I read your book on Time dimensional shifts and I was wondering about your theory on their occurrence..."

No surprise there! Jack found himself automatically blocking out Carter's Astrophysics lesson and focussing ahead. They continued twittering behind him with many a 'theoretically' and 'that's precisely what I thought but'! It was enough to drive anyone insane or crazy! Of course, in Jack's case he'd been driven crazy in...

Even after the four years they'd known each other, Jack still wouldn't admit it. The 'L' word... but it was precisely how he felt about her. He was crazy about her. Everyone knew that and not only because of his infamous 'I care about her a lot more than I'm supposed to' confession. There had been the whole Entity fiasco, plus the time they'd spent in Antarctica. There was Carter's peculiar behaviour during his time stuck Edora and the whole locker room scene, when Carter had contracted that 'Caveman virus'. There'd been the time when Dr Carter had come through the mirror with their Kowalski and almost broadcast 'In my reality we were married!' and of course the rumours that they'd been sleeping together since the beginning!

After a few minutes he heard Reynolds walking beside him. The Captain spoke up cheerfully, "Hey, Colonel!"

Jack smiled slightly as he turned to Reynolds, "Are your bootlaces done up properly?"

Reynolds blushed slightly, but grinned, "Yeah."

"Then you can talk to me," Jack said. They'd first met on Reynolds' first day. He'd tripped over his bootlaces and had bowled straight into an unsuspecting Colonel.

"How's the rest of SG-1?"

Jack gave a slightly annoyed sigh, "Oh, Daniel's having a wonderful time with SG-16 translating a pile of 'rocks'. Teal'c's the giving a grand tour of the SGC to a bunch of rookies, Carter is babbling on about Astrophysics with Garcia and I'm... bored out of my mind!"

Reynolds nodded, "Yeah until we get a replacement for Major Stevens we aren't going on any proper missions. Mineral surveys..." He gave a visible shudder and Jack smiled.

"You've gotta love 'em," he said sarcastically.

Å

Jack sat under a tree with Reynolds, as they watched Carter and Garcia collected soil samples. Harlow was 'helping' them, although Jack found satisfaction in watching him screw up and Carter having to explain it to him for the fifteenth time to check the lid was secured.

"What do you think of Harlow?" Jack asked Reynolds after the long silence sat under the broad leaves of the tree. It looked like a maple, but the leaves were a strange purple colour and were much larger. The trunk was covered in a furry bark that felt soft to the touch.

The whole landscape was strange. They were in a valley in between many mountains and hills, all covered in a strange black shale substance. This planet had a sun, but a moon was also visible. It had rings like Saturn and sat in the blue sky, pale pink and hazy.

Reynolds shrugged contemplating his answer, "He's OK, I guess. He doesn't talk a lot on missions. Unlike SG-1, we don't get together as a team outside of work. Well not Harlow, but..."

Jack noticed that Reynolds was blushing slightly, as he stopped speaking. Jack frowned at him and his cheeks reddened even more. The Captain glanced up and then lowered his eyes again. Jack followed his gaze to where Carter and Harlow were resealing half of the soil samples. Garcia was stood beside them. She was staring towards them. When she saw Colonel O'Neill she looked down, an embarrassed pink rising to her cheeks...

'Ah ha! What have we here!'

He grinned at Reynolds, who was blushing furiously, "You like her, don't you?"

He glanced up again and then said, "Yeah. A lot."

"So are you Guys going out?"

He grinned, "We have been for almost three years."

"Good on you, Reynolds. Are you Guys serious?" Jack knew he sounded like a teenager at the moment, but he didn't usually get to have these conversations. Mainly because Teal'c and Daniel didn't have many relationships... and if Sam was having one he didn't want to know about it!

Reynolds nodded shyly, "I proposed to her last week. General Hammond gave the go-ahead for her to leave the SGC in a month. She's going back to work at the Pentagon..."

Jack smiled and clapped him on the shoulder, "That's great, Kid. Hope you two are happy."

He smiled again bashfully, "I didn't tell many people because I didn't want rumours going around, even though she's a civilian, so it's OK, but..."

"Rumours ruin everything," Jack said seriously. He had first hand experience when it came to rumours. Especially the ones about him and his 2IC...

"Sir, we're done."

Jack looked up to see Carter smiling at him cheerfully. God, sometimes that smile made him reconsiders retiring from the Air Force... again!

Å

They stopped to have a rest an hour later. They had all the time in the world to get back to the Gate and after they had something to eat they sat there talking about nothing and everything.

"I wonder how Daniel's getting on..." Sam said turning to the Colonel, "You reckon he's almost finished translating those tablets?"

"Maybe," he shrugged, "I'm more worried that Teal'c may have threatened to kill some rookies!"

Sam laughed, "I think Teal'c would probably keep his temper a lot better than most people. I can't stand rookies!"

"Really?" The Colonel said surprised, giving her a teasing look, "Didn't have you down as the type, Carter."

"I can't stand rookies because they remind me too much of when I was a new recruit! God, I was all 'Yes, Sir', 'No, Sir', 'Three bags full, Sir'! I must have been so annoying!"

Jack snorted, "You think you were bad? Imagine me!"

"I pity anyone who had to deal with you as a rookie!"

"At least I followed orders a little better then!"

Sam smiled fondly and Jack found himself just staring at her. She turned away bashfully and began to listen to SG-10's conversation.

Jack sighed and turned the other way. He looked at the slope of the nearest hill. This place was covered in those strange trees. Then again wasn't everywhere covered in trees? 'I wonder why everywhere has so many trees? Must be the fashion or somethi...'

Jack thought he saw something move. Up on one of the mountainsides there was a huge cluster of the trees growing from the black shale. He blinked, but saw something move again, this time he saw some shale slide down the mountainside making a small dust cloud. All of a sudden a volley of arrows came hurtling towards them.

"GET DOWN!" Jack yelled. He shoved Sam to the ground beneath him as the arrows struck the tree trunk inches above their heads. They were crude weapons, with purple wooden shafts, strange black feathers and ebony flint-like arrowheads, sharp and deadly.

Harlow yelled, "We've gotta get to the Gate!" They all got up and began to run. Jack could just about see a group of men dressed in pale lilac camouflage moving among the foliage. It was an ambush! Why? Jack had no idea! But whatever they'd done to piss them off they were pretty pissed off! There were at least a hundred of them moving like shadows beneath the soft, purple boughs.

They sprinted towards the Gate. Jack saw it appear before them. He turned around and began to shoot the hostiles. They sent another volley of arrows into the air...

Jack watched in horror as they hurtled towards them, "GET TO COVER!"

As he gave the command he saw Carter's gun drop around her neck and her eyes widen. An arrow protruded from her front. She stared at it horrified and dropped to the floor.

As the arrow hit her, he knew that it was the end. Harlow, Reynolds and Garcia carried on filling the oncoming waves of hostiles with bullets as Jack stopped. His brain froze and he knew that this was the end. As his brain suddenly caught up he ran to her yelling, "CARTER!"

Harlow turned for a second, realising what was happening. He ordered Garcia and Reynolds to get to cover behind the huge trees that surrounded the Stargate.

Jack didn't care whether he was out in the open. He didn't care that he was an easy target. He just had to get to her. His blood pumped furiously, slamming in his ears and in his chest, as fear struck him. She couldn't be dead... please don't say...

He collapsed beside her as she let out a soft moan. The arrow had gone straight into her ribs and had probably punctured her lung. The green of her BDUs was already turning black around the wound where the blood was oozing.

"Dammit," he murmured. He had to get the arrow out.

"Leave me, Sir," Carter murmured as she stared at him.

"No chance on Netu, Carter."

"Sir..."

"Don't talk..."

He touched the arrow gently and she yelled in pain. She bit her lip. Blood began to coat it and Jack prayed it wasn't coming from her mouth and that it was coming from her bottom lip.

An arrow narrowly missed his right hand by about an inch. He had to get her out of here now.

He lifted her into his arms and turned to Harlow, "FALL BACK!"

Harlow nodded as they began to move backwards, still shooting at the hostiles. They were beginning to retreat. Hopefully, they could get out of here before the reinforcements arrived.

Jack began to run for the Stargate. Arrows flew past him, but he kept running, just praying he didn't get shot. He lay Sam down beside the DHD carefully and began to dial Earth.

A cry echoed around the valley, "NO!"

He turned to see Harlow shooting at the hostiles like a mad man, as Reynolds stood mortified. Beside him lay Garcia, an arrow in her throat. Jack grimaced. He'd known that Captain Reynolds was... well, in love with Garcia and seeing her die like that...

"You Son-of-a-bitches!" Harlow yelled in absolute anger over the noise of his extremely active P-90. Even though he wasn't the friendliest CO, he was obviously seriously protective of his team. He was furious and was still shooting, wild from rage, but he was also a simple target. He was shot with about four arrows and fell to the ground. He was dead, no doubt about it.

Jack looked around and realised they were surrounded. He hurriedly pressed the centre of the DHD, but the Gate wouldn't lock.

"Of all the times to get a busy signal!" He yelled at the Gate as he dialled another address he vaguely remembered. At least they'd be out of this place.

The Gate locked and the wormhole exploded from the centre of the ring.

"Reynolds! Come on!" Jack yelled as he lifted up Carter and ran up the steps to the shimmering wormhole. He turned back to see Reynolds still stood there, his eyes wide with shock. He looked up to see Jack and ran towards the Gate.

He was about three steps away from the DHD when he was bombarded with arrows and fell to the floor beside it.

Jack realised he would be next and ran into the Gate. As he stepped into the event horizon, he felt something sharp pierce his side and realised that this was the end and not just for Carter.

Å

He stepped out onto a vaguely familiar planet. He didn't have time to search around and immediately lay Carter down on the floor by the DHD.

Blood was coming from her mouth and Jack could see that the arrow was in too deep. Her clothes around the arrow were already saturated with blood.

"Oh God," he whispered. He pulled a penknife out of his pocket and cut the arrow in half. He knew if he took the arrow out she'd die, if he didn't she'd die...

"Shoot me..." she whispered through the pain.

"Too late for that, Carter, you've already been shot."

Jack didn't know what to do. He tried to stop the blood, but it didn't work. He felt his side smarting awfully, but his mind blanked it. He didn't care about what happened to him. Carter had to get through this.

He tried to mop up her blood that was beginning to cover him. The blood wouldn't stop. It continued to ooze from the wound and from her mouth. He wiped her mouth and lifted her head into his lap. There was just... so much blood. Way too much blood.

Three airmen had died on that planet. Three airmen that had friends and families, who would probably never know how they actually died. And here were Airmen 4 and 5 clinging to life, but waiting to die. Jack knew that his arrow was sticking out of his side and that there was barely any chance that it hadn't struck something vital on the way in.

"Sir... It was a pleasure..."

Jack spoke fiercely, "Oh no you don't, Carter! That sounded awfully like the beginning of the 'Goodbye' speech!"

"It was," the dying woman replied simply. Her skin was almost translucent. She was losing way too much blood and it wouldn't be long now. So much blood... so much...

"You're not giving me that damn speech yet," Jack snapped back, although from the look in her eyes, she knew he wasn't really angry. Just frightened.

"I'm going to die..."

"No. I'm gonna get you home and Fraiser will fix you up. You're gonna be fine," he said shakily as he stared at the gory woman lying in his arms.

"No, Sir..."

"You are, Carter, and that's an order," he barked at her, feeling an insane urge to cry. She closed her eyes, and Jack felt himself yelling, "No! Major Carter you're not leaving me in the middle of goddamn nowhere!"

She opened her eyes slowly, as more blood trickled from her mouth. Jack wiped her mouth again and found himself caught by her blue eyes. Her sad, blue eyes gazed into his trying to give him a message... Jack felt his eyes filling with moisture as she stared at him, "I'm sorry, Sir..."

He continued speaking as if she'd never spoken, "I'm sure they were just dialling out and I'll be able to dial Earth in a minute and we can go home. You just have to hang on, OK?" He felt his own tears growing dangerous and tried to fight them, but knew he was failing.

"Don't have much choice..."

"Carter, just hang on!" he saw her eyelids drooping, "Sam..."

"I'm Sorry... I tried..."

"No. No. No," Jack whispered swiping the back of his hand across his eyes hurriedly.

She smiled gently, "See you around... Jack..."

The words died on her bloody lips. Her head rolled to the side as her chest stopped rising and falling. Blood continued to drip from her mouth as Jack stared at her horrified. There was so much blood. He wanted to throw up but he couldn't. There was just so much blood. Blood everywhere...

Jack desperately tried CPR, but it was useless. He found himself choking for breath of his own as his muscles in his side strained cruelly. He wiped her blood from his lips. She was gone.

Blood...

"Carter? Carter! Ah Crap! Wake up dammit! Jesus, Sam, don't do this to me," he pulled a blood-stained hand through his hair struggling hard to control his surging emotions, "I... I need you."

Blood everywhere...

Jack felt his eyelids dropping and his body failing. Not Carter! She still had her life to live. Why her? Why not him? Soon it would be him as well. He felt his side screaming in agony.

So much blood...

He lifted her head out of his lap and laid her beside him as he collapsed on his side. He closed his eyes and let darkness engulf him.

There was just too much blood...

He felt a cool breeze blow across his face gently and wished that God would let him die. Let him leave here, to whatever end. He'd done enough bad things to be sent to hell, but he wished that she wasn't sent there. She'd be sent to heaven. Someone who was beautiful on the inside and on the outside. She'd be in heaven watching over him, no doubt about that.

As he fell into unconsciousness he stared at her pale, unmoving face that was splattered with blood beside him and whispered, "I'm coming."

Å

The pain seared through her, as she stared into his face. She watched as he swiped a hand across his eyes, refusing to cry, as he whispered, "No. No. No."

She wished he knew. Wished he could read her mind. There wasn't enough time to tell him. No time to tell him she loved him.

This was it...

"See you around... Jack..."

She closed her eyes. The pain ceased and Sam felt herself numb over. She felt herself freeze and everything stop. She couldn't see the Colonel's frightened eyes, couldn't feel his body shaking as he held her, couldn't taste the blood in her mouth, couldn't hear him telling her to stay alive... pleading with her to stay alive...

Suddenly she felt herself floating away. She opened her eyes and found herself staring down at her dead body. The shock alone made her gasp for air. Air that she couldn't gasp...

Jack was sat there, frantically trying CPR, but Sam knew she wouldn't wake up. He pulled back and stared at her lifeless body. His eyes were full of horror and shock.

He spoke his voice barely louder than the wind, "Carter? Carter! Ah Crap! Wake up dammit! Jesus, Sam, don't do this to me. I... I need you."

She saw him pulled a blood drenched hand through his hair as he gritted his jaw together. He lifted up her head up and moved it to the floor gently.

There was so much blood. Did she have that much blood? No... He had been shot! She hadn't noticed before. She saw the arrow that protruded from his side as he collapsed to the floor out of a mixture of pain, shock and blood loss.

She swooped down in front of him and knelt beside him as he stared at her dead body. He spoke hoarsely as he began to lose consciousness, "I'm coming."

He closed his eyes and passed out. Sam tried to touch his face, but her fingertips just moved through it. A tingly feeling moved up her hand and along her spine giving her goose bumps. She gasped in shock. She was a... was... a...

She stared at him. He was still breathing. There was still hope. She had to get him home. She spun around knowing precisely what she had to do. She sped over to the DHD, her feet never touching the ground. She tried to touch the symbols, but her fingers slid through it as if it were a hologram.

"You're just gonna have to try harder then, aren't you?" She said to herself angrily as she tried to press the chevron again. Her fingers slipped through it again.

She frowned in determination as she tried again. She focussed all her energy on her hand, touching the glyphs...

It worked! She pressed another and another and another, until the wormhole engaged with a familiar whoosh. Sam sighed with relief. At least the Gate had only been engaged.

She knew she couldn't lift the Colonel, he was too badly injured, but she could go through the Gate and get help.

What about the Iris?

She found the GDO still strapped to her arm, well, her body's arm.

This was so weird! I mean she'd heard of out-of-body experiences, but they were usually a load of bullshit. She'd never believed in... ghosts... A ghost? Was that was she was? She had no idea.

"This is not the time to be debating whether you're something out of one of Colonel O'Neill's extremely bad ghost stories!"

She tried to type again, but it didn't work. She tried again and managed to press in the digits before her strength failed her.

She turned to Jack and swooped down beside him.

She stared at him anxiously and then murmured, "I'm gonna get you out of here if it's the last thing..." She stopped mid-sentence realising the last thing she'd done was die in his arms...

"I'll be back."

She glided to the Stargate and pulled her finger through it. It left a minuscule trail behind it. Maybe she wasn't entirely nothing... 'Jesus, Carter! Will you stop with the whole what happens after life thing!'

She sighed away her thought realising she'd been hanging around with Jack O'Neill too much. She took a deep breath not entirely sure what would happen to her once she stepped through the Gate, "OK then. Here goes..."

Å

"Receiving SG-1's IDC, Sir."

"Open the Iris," General Hammond commanded as he ran down the steps from the control room.

He ran into the Gate room where Teal'c, Dr. Jackson and Dr. Fraiser stood awaiting their arrival.

"It's about time they came back," Janet said as the metal Iris slid open.

After a few seconds, something came through. There was a tiny ripple and General Hammond felt a breeze blow past him.

He shivered slightly and turned to Janet, "What in God's name...?"

Dr. Fraiser was stood rigid. She looked behind her, "Sam?" Her lip trembled as the breeze blew her hair.

There was a short pause. Janet shivered and then Daniel's eyes widened.

"I... It's... It's Sam..."

Janet then began to speak very hurriedly, "Sir, something's very wrong. We have to send a medical team through that Gate, now!"

"Why? What's wrong, Doctor?"

"General, Sam was talking to me. I heard her. Jack's hurt. The others are dead. She couldn't tell me anymore," Daniel interrupted. He was looking around him and behind him as he spoke.

"That's what she told me," Dr. Fraiser said amazed.

General Hammond nodded, "All of you get geared up and get a medical team assembled immediately. You leave in ten."

Å

As Janet stepped through the Gate she gasped.

Colonel O'Neill lay on the ground half hidden by the DHD, bleeding dreadfully from his side, where an arrow could be seen. His clothes were saturated with blood. She could see a pale hand which was not the Colonel's lying just in view from behind the DHD.

Janet took a few hesitant steps sideways and flung a hand to her mouth. Sam lay beside him in a pool of blood. Dried blood coated her lips and chin. Half of an arrow stuck out from her chest.

"Oh my God!" She said shocked as Daniel stood beside her eyes wide. Teal'c stood there too, though his horror was less obvious than Daniel's.

"M-medical team," she called feeling her need to cry disappear as she ran to the bodies. She felt for the Colonel's pulse. It was slow, but it was there. She turned to Sam already knowing... there was no heartbeat. She kept her hand there for over 5 minutes, unwilling to believe what she knew to be true, but there was no pulse whatsoever.

"Dr. Fraiser?" Teal'c asked gently as Janet her lip trembled.

"She's dead..."

Daniel stood there not moving, just staring at her lifeless body, as Janet gave a few orders and the medical team got them both onto stretchers and began to treat Jack.

Teal'c watched his friend flinch, as one of the nurses covered Major Carter with a cloth. Teal'c moved towards him and spoke quietly, in what he hoped was a slightly comforting way, "Daniel Jackson?"

After a minute passed Daniel spoke softly, "I thought I'd cry if this ever happened, but now that it has I can't..." Daniel stared at the floor. He let out a shuddering breath, "For God's sake..."

"Daniel Jackson, I would advise that you accompany me. We are about to depart back for Earth."

"Just give me a minute..." Daniel stood there in complete silence as they lifted up her stretcher and someone began dialling.

Teal'c waited until the last medic went through and watched as his friend turned towards the Gate and began to walk towards it. He stared at it for a second and then said quietly, "Heaven now has one more angel."

"Angel," Teal'c nodded, "...it is a most accurate name for Major Carter."

"She never wanted much... all she really wanted was a family and now she won't have the chance..."

"I believe she had a family all along, Daniel Jackson, and we are standing here grieving her departure at this time." Daniel looked at Teal'c surprised. Teal'c was not the sentimental type and yet here he was... being sentimental!

"I believe I've never cared for any woman, as I cared for Major Carter. She was my comrade in battle, my friend and, in many ways, like a female sibling to me."

Daniel nodded to him silently and murmured, "She was..." Daniel paused trying to think of an adequate word, "I don't think any word, in any language I have ever encountered, on any planet, even comes close to her." He sighed gently, "She was... she was Sam, Teal'c. And that's all she ever needed to be." He stared at the shimmering circle before him and stepped into it.

Teal'c was about to do the same when he felt a hand brush past his shoulder and a breeze blow past his face. He turned quickly and looked around, "Major Carter?"

"Teal'c..."

A voice, as quiet as the breeze, whispered his name as the breeze blew up a flurry of leaves. He stood still for a moment and then murmured, "It appears you are most insistent to stay, Major Carter."

Silence, but deep down Teal'c could feel her watching him. He stared just in front of him and inclined his head politely. The water-like screen rippled.

"Indeed," Teal'c said raising an eyebrow and stepping into the wormhole.

Å

Hammond stood by the glass as the morbid procession of Medical staff and two stretchers walked onto the ramp. When he saw the covered form of what could only be a woman, his worst fear was confirmed.

"No... It's not possible..." Sgt. Davis burbled and Hammond swore there was a shimmering in the man's eyes.

SG-1 were renowned for their amazing way of surviving. They were the only team in the SGC, who had never lost a member. That was until today...

General Hammond couldn't move, couldn't speak. Everyone in the control room was holding their breath and crossing their fingers in the hope that this wasn't happening.

He saw Dr. Fraiser catch his eye and nod her head gently. General Hammond gave a shudder and then said remotely into the mike, "Take them straight to the Infirmary..."

She nodded and led the medical staff out of the room. The embarkation room had at least 20 SFs dotted around the room, who were all murmuring fearfully.

This couldn't be happening...

But it was. And judging by the state Jack was in, SG-1 were still liable to lose another member.

Å

Jack woke to the steady beeping sound of a heart beat monitor. He was in the Infirmary. He could smell the sterilized smell...

Jack heard his pulse accelerate as he opened his eyes in shock. It had to be a nightmare... it just had to be!

His eyes met a dishevelled Daniel, an anxious General Hammond, a half crying/half shocked looking Fraiser and... Teal'c.

No... It couldn't be...

He stared around him. The beeping sped up a couple of notches as it sunk in.

"No..." he whispered praying to every God, excluding the Snakeheads, under the sun that he wouldn't repeat his crying scene, "Oh God no..."

His voice was shaky and unsteady and he could see Fraiser break into another wave of silent tears. Daniel wasn't far off and General Hammond stood there, his eyes closed and his face showing a mixture of grief, pity and worry.

Jack spoke again, "She... She..."

'She' was obviously not going to be a good subject. He felt his mind numbing from the shock. She couldn't be. Carter couldn't be... dead. Not Carter. There must be a mistake...

He gave a shuddering sigh that he hoped didn't sound like a sob, "How... how did you find us?"

If Fraiser and Daniel could've looked more depressed, they did. Fraiser had to excuse herself and Daniel just sat there trying to speak, but it seemed someone had pressed the mute button and he was just gaping.

Teal'c, who had never been a man of tact, spoke, "Dr. Fraiser and Daniel Jackson both experienced a conversation with, it seems, an invisible Major Carter."

Jack didn't know what to say and sat there doing a very good impression of Daniel, "W-What?"

Daniel's voice came out in stutters and stammers and he spent about two minutes speaking, "She told us everyone else was dead. That you were badly hurt and that we had to rescue you."

"And you are lucky Dr. Jackson and Dr. Fraiser did come and rescue you. You have had to have surgery on your stomach because of the arrow and you've had a blood transfusion, but you're still very ill, Colonel. If Major Carter... hadn't told us, you'd be dead," Hammond spoke gently.

Jack's mind couldn't take it in. Carter had saved him. 'No she's dead!' Jack told himself firmly, 'It's impossible!'

He sat there in silence staring at the ceiling willing himself not to break down in front of his friends. General Hammond spoke first, "We'll give you some time alone, Colonel. Dr. Jackson, Teal'c. Come with me."

He left the room and they followed slowly, Teal'c inclining his head and Daniel trying to give him a comforting smile. Jack was left alone in the Infirmary, but he had a feeling he wasn't alone.

He could feel someone watching him and it didn't help that there was a security camera pointed directly at the bed!

He stared around the room and felt a gulp catch in his throat making him choke. A partition stood between his bed, another empty but visible bed and a last, hidden bed. He didn't have to ask who lay behind the partition. They obviously hadn't moved her down to the Mort yet.

"I'm sorry..." he whispered, "God, Carter. I'm so sorry..."

He felt the room become close. The air seemed to become stuffy all of a sudden. Jack sat there in silence. A gentle breeze ruffled his hair. He looked around uncertainly.

"Carter?"

Å

Sam sat there watching him sleep. He'd only woken up several hours ago to be greeted by everyone, as he finally realised this wasn't a nightmare.

Sam wished it was and that she'd wake up any minute on a mission somewhere, on a planet millions of miles from Earth. Colonel O'Neill would be waking her up for her watch with a cup of coffee and a small smile...

He stirred slightly in his sleep. After they'd returned from the planet, he'd been unconscious for about 72 hours. Once he'd woken up, he couldn't sleep again and Janet had had to give him sleeping pills. He'd told her he didn't want to sleep and Janet had agreed to give him the pills. God, if it was her... she wouldn't want to go to sleep because in her nightmares she would see his face as he died.

Janet came into the room and stopped dead staring directly where she was. She shivered slightly and then looked around the room.

"Sam?" she continued looking around the room, "You here?"

"I'm here, Janet..."

Janet gave a small gasp and dropped the clipboard in her hand. She bent down hurriedly and picked it up. She stared around frightened and Sam sighed miserably, her voice prolonged in a spooky ethereal way. Janet was frightened of her.

"Please, don't be scared... I'm not gonna hurt you..."

"W-why are you still here?" Janet asked fearfully still staring around.

"I don't know... I just don't know..."

"Sam, I w-want you to leave... p-please... The Colonel's not the only one having nightmares... please..."

Sam understood. She gave a small sniff as she felt a tear threaten to roll down her cheek, "I can't leave, Janet... I don't know how... but I won't speak to you anymore if that's what you want... Bye, Janet... Tell Cassie..."

"I will..." Janet whispered as Sam floated past her.

Janet felt a gentle wind blowing through her hair and turned behind her to see the door move slightly...

"Why can't she leave?"

Å

"At last!"

Dr. Fraiser pushed his shoulder back to the bed as he tried to get up, "I'm not letting you walk around for too long, Colonel. Four hours at the most then you come back here."

"But..."

"No, Colonel," Janet said firmly, "If I'm gonna let you walk around base you have to come back here for painkillers and for me to check your stitches are holding."

Jack sighed a long and exasperated sigh, "Fine. Fine. Can I go now?"

Janet gave a small smile, "Go ahead, Colonel."

Jack swung his legs off the bed. He stood up. He was slightly wobbly to start with. He'd been in the Infirmary for about a week and had only just started walking yesterday.

He walked out of the Infirmary and almost bumped straight into Daniel. Daniel gave him a grin, "Jack! I was just coming to see when you'd be up and about..."

"Well, you can see," he said slightly miserably, "How are you and Teal'c doing?"

Daniel's face fell slightly as he murmured, "She hasn't spoken to me again and Teal'c's not talking about it... in fact, I don't think he's even talking."

Jack nodded seriously; "The Doc's still pumping me full of sleeping pills every night... insomnia..." he spoke quietly.

Daniel smiled sadly, "I think we all have that, Jack..."

Jack changed the subject, "They got hold of Jacob yet?"

"The Tok'ra won't tell him. Something about his mission..." Jack looked very pissed off. That was not a good sign! Daniel continued, "General Hammond was talking to Per'sus in the control room a minute ago, maybe they're still argu..."

Jack sped off down the corridor, as fast as he could, as Daniel followed knowing this wasn't going to be pretty!

They reached the control room. Daniel had been right. General Hammond was still talking with Per'sus. The Tok'ra spoke, "I apologise, General, but Selmac is on an extremely important mission at this present time."

"How long until he returns?" General Hammond said agitatedly.

"At least a month..."

Jack stepped in then. He ran over to the screen. Per'sus looked at him with a mixture of confusion and anxiety for his health as Jack stared at the man angrily.

"That's not good enough!"

"Ah, Colonel O'Neill. I was wondering when you'd turn up," Per'sus said sounding irritated, "I'm afraid that's the best we can..."

"You heart-less Son-of-a-bitch! His daughter is dead! For crying out loud, sometimes I wonder if you Snakes have feelings!"

Jack thought Hammond would object to his treatment of Per'sus, but instead he said gently, "Thank you, Colonel."

Jack blinked slowly in confusion and then turned back to Per'sus, "Now you listen to me! You are going to contact Jacob immediately. If you don't, so help me, I'm gonna tell every goddamn Snakehead precisely where your base is!"

Per'sus looked outraged, "Colonel O'Neill! You cannot threaten the high councillor of the Tok'ra!"

"Oh really..." Jack said angrily, "I thought I just did!"

"We cannot recall him yet. We need him to..."

"We need him to come home to his family. His family need him," Jack spoke sadly, "You don't need him. You have hundreds of Tok'ra operatives, who could do whatever job you think is more important than this. We only have the one."

Jack pulled away from the screen and walked out of the room, as all the people inside watched him leave, a mixture of admiration and pity on their faces. Daniel gawped after the man for a second before following, close on his heels.

"Wow, Jack. Sometimes you're better at talking than I am!"

"Not better, just more irritating..." Jack muttered as he paused in the hall, "I have 4 hours until I've gotta be back at the Infirmary. Where do ya wanna go?"

"Oh... I dunno," Daniel said showing he clearly did have an idea in his mind. He fixed Jack with a pleading look, "We could go to my office. I'm still translating the tablets me and SG-16 found..."

"Ah crap," Jack said giving in. There wasn't really anywhere else to go, "Fine." He said reluctantly as Daniel's smile widened, "But next time we do something I wanna do!"

"Great," he began to walk towards his room as Jack followed.

Daniel led him inside and indicated the chair to his left. It was filled with old manuscripts and huge books. Daniel lifted the books and manuscripts and piled them on his desk.

Jack sat down as Daniel began sifting through the manuscripts. Jack became bored in a record four seconds. His eyes wandered to the pile of books on the desk.

One lay wide open at one page. Jack lifted the huge book onto his knee.

'Greek Mythology by Joseph Mallozzi'

There was a picture that showed a man playing some kind of banjo as a huge three-headed dog began to fall asleep...

Reminded Jack of Harry Potter...

"Orpheus," Daniel said, as Jack looked up at him.

"What?"

"Orpheus, the guy in the picture," Daniel nodded towards the book.

"The one who's playing the banjo...?"

"Banjo..." Daniel said curiously, "It's a lute."

Jack looked back down at the picture. Didn't look like a flute to him...

"Why's he putting Fluffy to sleep then?"

Daniel gave a small smile and turned to his bookshelf still searching for something, "Orpheus was a world famous musician. He was trying to get into the Underworld and, to do so he had to make Cerberus fall asleep."

"Why was he trying to go to the Underworld anyway?"

"Well..." Daniel hesitated slightly then said, "He was in love with Eurydice, a beautiful nymph. On their wedding day, she was dancing and a snake bit her ankle. She died..." Daniel gave an awkward cough then continued, "Orpheus was so miserable he tried to kill himself, but the messenger God, Hermes, took pity on him and stopped him. Hermes was the God who led the dead souls to the Underworld, so he led Orpheus to the Underworld so he could bring back his wife."

"And then what?"

"Orpheus had to try and convince Charon to let him across the River Styx into the Underworld. Charon was the boatman. When the Ancient Greeks buried their dead they used to bury them with a coin so the could pay the boatman..."

"That's all very nice, Daniel, but what happened next?"

Daniel looked slightly confused and went back to searching through the pile of manuscripts, "He refused because Orpheus was alive. Orpheus began to play his lute and sing sadly about Eurydice and finally the boatman agreed. He let him cross the river. On the other side Orpheus met Cerberus. The dog refused him entry, so Orpheus began to play his lute and put him to sleep. He then made his way to Hades. Hades was sat on his throne beside Persephone, his queen..."

"Isn't she the one with the pineapple seeds?"

"Pomegranate, Jack. And yes she was..." Daniel said pleased. Maybe Jack did listen to what he said some of the time!

"I was close..."

"Anyway, Hades refused to let him take Eurydice with him, so Orpheus began to play and sing..."

"Likes to do that doesn't he," Jack said. He gained a withering glance from Daniel who continued.

"Hades wouldn't budge although Persephone was touched. She pitied Orpheus and Eurydice. She begged Hades to set Eurydice's soul free. Hades accepted, but on one condition..."

Jack listened with rapt attention. Daniel had never seen him so absorbed in anything he'd ever said and he was quite enjoying the experience. Jack was actually listening!

"Oh here we go..."

"Orpheus had to walk out of the Underworld. Eurydice would be behind him..."

"What's the catch?" Jack asked confused.

"If you stop interrupting you might find out!" Daniel said irritated. He sighed, "He was told not to turn around until they reached the surface and were out of the Underworld..."

"Oh..."

"Orpheus agreed. He walked along. Past Cerberus and towards the river, never looking back. The only thing he could hear was his own footsteps. He couldn't hear Eurydice following him. They stepped into the boat and were ferried across. Orpheus never turning to face her, knowing if he did he would lose her forever."

Jack was actually leaning forward wanting to know how the story ended. Daniel knew he was probably relating it to what had just happened. Daniel prayed he wasn't. The ending was...

"Well?" Jack asked prompting Daniel to continue.

"They reached the other side and he stepped out of the boat. Before him he could see the entrance. He could see the sky and the sun. He began walking towards it, but he still couldn't hear Eurydice behind him. He was wondering if she was behind him at all. He began to panic and he was a few metres away from the entrance... when he turned."

Jack turned the page and was now staring at a new picture, a visible lump gulped down his throat. Orpheus stood there with his lute, a look of shock on his face as Eurydice was pulled back into the Underworld.

"Eurydice looked at him and whispered, 'You turned around and now you have lost me forever.' She was pulled back and had disappeared within a second. Orpheus stepped back into the daylight and later on he killed himself."

The despair and disappointment were visible in Jack's eyes for a split second and then they vanished. His face was blank and emotionless.

"Geez, nothing like a happy ending!" Jack murmured sarcastically.

"Not a lot of Greek Mythology has a happy ending," Daniel said turning away and finally spotting the manuscript he'd been searching for, "Ah ha!"

They spent the next few hours sat in Daniel's office as Daniel recounted the story of 'The Odyssey' to Jack. He wasn't really listening, Daniel could tell, but he kept talking anyway just in case he was wrong.

Jack checked his watch. He had to be back at the Infirmary in ten minutes. He stood up, "I'm going back to the Infirmary."

"OK, Jack," Daniel smiled, "Remember I'm always in here if you have an urge to hear some Greek Mythology!"

"I'll keep that in mind," Jack muttered, "See ya later, Daniel."

Daniel sighed as he watched Jack leave the room. He hadn't even made a sarcastic comment or a joke out of what he'd said. The only other time he'd seen Jack like this had been when they'd first met, After Charlie's death, and that was extremely perturbing.

Daniel looked back down at the desk. He had to finish this translation...

The book caught his eye where it lay on the chair. There was a scrap of paper lying on the picture of Eurydice being pulled back. As he picked up the note, he jumped with shock.

He read the note. The note written in the handwriting of someone who at this present moment was lying in the mortuary:

I can't leave, Daniel, and I can't stay here like this. You are the only one who believes I am me! Help me, Daniel!

Your own Eurydice

Daniel gasped and stared around the room as a breeze ruffled his hair.

He slammed the book shut hurriedly and ran out of the room. He needed to find Teal'c!

Å

The Librarian at the Colorado Springs Library had never seen two such peculiar people.

As they both rushed into the library one of them spoke, "Daniel, I do not comprehend your reason for bringing me here."

The other one, Daniel she assumed, looked around hurriedly. He spotted her at her desk and hurried over.

The other man followed. He was a giant of a man. By the colour of his skin, she assumed African-American. He wore a black baseball cap that covered his forehead. He was big and had a frightening, stern glare; he was now aiming this glare at his friend. He looked like someone who should have been off 'America's most wanted'!

He said firmly, "I wish you to explain immediately!"

Daniel sighed and turned to the man, "I'm trying to help Sam!"

The other man's lips locked into a line. He inclined his head apologetically and the man stepped forward.

He had a pair of glasses and blue eyes. He pulled a hand through his hair and then said, "Do you have anything on Ghosts here? Spirits? Stuff like that."

The librarian raised and eyebrow in suspicion, "What do you want the books for? Ghostbusting?" She asked with a slight grin.

The look on the other man's face made it turn to a frightened whimper, as he said, "You will tell us where such books are immediately."

"Aisle 304. Section G," she said eyes wide.

Daniel looked at the other man slightly annoyed, but just murmured, "Thank you, Teal'c." He turned back to the petrified librarian, "Thank you, Ma'am."

He gave a small smile and then sped off towards the described aisle, Teal'c striding beside him.

Daniel read the overhead signs, "Aisle 302... Aisle 303... Bingo!"

They walked into the aisle as Teal'c raised an eyebrow, "What is Bingo?"

Daniel ignored him and began running down the empty aisle to Section G. He scanned the section until he discovered what he was looking for.

"Ghosts!" Daniel said happily as he began pulling books off the shelf and piling them into a baffled Teal'c's arms.

"Are not Ghosts the monsters in many of Colonel O'Neill's accounts?"

"They are Teal'c, but they were fiction. This ghost is absolute fact."

"I still do not understand your reasoning on this matter, Daniel Jackson. Major Carter is most definitely deceased. I do not understand how you can assist her by reading volumes on the subject."

Daniel paused for a second. He sighed and turned to Teal'c, "Today I was telling Jack a Myth. Orpheus and Eurydice..."

"I am familiar with the tale," Teal'c acknowledged.

"Well, he was looking at this picture. When Eurydice was dragged back to Hades because Orpheus turned around. He must have been relating the story to what happened to Sam. Anyway, he was sat in my office in silence for about three hours. He left. When I looked at the book there was a note on it." Daniel rummaged in his pocket and removed a scrap of paper.

Teal'c, whose arms were laden with books, said, "Display it to me."

Daniel turned and stood by Teal'c's left shoulder showing him the note. Daniel watched the Jaffa's face as his eyebrow rose.

"Eurydice was speaking to you?"

"No," Daniel said slightly frustrated, "It was Sam. She was trying to prove that it wasn't just a note she'd written ages ago. That she'd heard me talking to Jack."

"I confirm that that is Major Carter's handwriting."

Daniel nodded, "It is definitely her writing. She's asking me to help her, so that's what I'm gonna do." Daniel spoke determined, picking up at least six books in his arms. He walked towards an empty table. It would just be big enough to put all the books on it.

A man sat down with one book. He smirked at them and then continued to read.

Teal'c's anger was clearly visible when he placed the books in a pile on the table and the man said, "Sorry this table is taken."

"What is you motive for procuring this entire desk?"

The man shrugged, "What's yours?"

"We are attempting to liberate our departed colleague's soul." Teal'c said matter-of-factly as the man frowned confused. Daniel sighed in embarrassment. Way to go, Teal'c!

He shook his head, shaking away the doubt in his mind, "Sorry, Big guy. Why don't you practice your witch craft somewhere else?"

"I, at this time, do not understand the term of witch craft," Teal'c strode over to the man glaring at him furious, "But if you do not remove yourself from here immediately and return to the table you were present at before this incident, I will not hesitate from removing you myself."

The man looked shocked, but didn't move until Teal'c took a menacing step forwards and the guy ran back to the table he'd been at before.

"Teal'c, I know that method works, but could you at least ask nicely first."

"I believe that is not as effective. He would still be here sneering most unpleasantly, if I had not intervened."

With that Teal'c sat down and picked up a book and began to read. Daniel shook his head and then joined him at the table.

Å

When Jack had reached the Infirmary he'd felt her. She was watching him. He pretended he couldn't and walked to Dr. Fraiser. Her hand was shaking slightly, as he approached.

She stared at him, "You promised... You're making me nervous..."

"What? What did I promise? I'm here on time, right?"

He felt the breeze blow past him and turned to see the Infirmary doors shudder slightly.

"Holy..." Jack whispered and then turned back to Janet.

She'd stopped shaking. She looked at him apologetically, "You were a few minutes late. I was getting nervous." She tried to cover up the fact she hadn't been talking to him with a lame excuse as Jack looked at the wall clock seeing he was in fact a few minutes early just as his wristwatch said.

"Doc, I know you weren't talking to me," he said gently as Janet face turned back to the computer screen.

She tried to hide her discomfort with typing again on her computer, "Don't be silly, Colonel. Who else could I have been talking to?"

Jack caught her eye and stared at her, "You were talking to Sam." Her eyes fell and she stared at the keyboard guiltily, "What did she promise?"

"Never to speak to me again," Janet said quietly, "I was getting so frightened... I couldn't sleep... and when I did I had nightmares..."

"Why? Carter would never do anything to harm you or anyone."

"It's just..." Janet whispered, "I know she's lying in the mort. Not breathing. She scares me..." Janet gave a small shiver, "When you were unconscious, I couldn't go anywhere near you... She was sat there watching you... I could feel it... I had to make one of the other nurses treat you... while I checked behind the partition or in the mort. She was still there lying completely still, but I could still feel her."

Jack was shocked by this piece of information. He frowned slightly in confusion, "Why don't you go to Hammond?"

Janet gave a small, nervous laugh, "What would I say? I'm sorry, General Hammond, but I can't treat my patient's because my dead best friend is giving me the heebie-jeebies!" She paused, "She told me, she can't leave. She doesn't know how."

Jack listened. Sam couldn't leave. She was a... ghost?

"Maybe you should have some down-time. I know that you'll wanna spend most of Christmas with Cassie anyway. Take some down time..."

She looked at him, "Colonel, she'll be here when I come back. She might even come to my house..." her eyes were wide, "I still haven't told Cassie. I can't bring myself to..."

"Doc, Sam was like Cassie's Aunt. You have to tell her..."

"I think she knows..."

"What?" Jack asked confused.

"Another reason why she's frightening me. The other night Cassie was in bed and I was in my office working. It was late and Cassie had been asleep. She just started screaming..." Jack saw tears growing in the Doctor's eyes, "I ran upstairs as fast as I could. She was sat bolt upright in bed and shaking awfully. She said she'd had a nightmare. She'd seen Sam die... precisely the way she had on the planet... She spent the next day in silence and the teacher gave her a detention for scaring the other kids..."

"You said she wasn't speaking. How could she have scared the other kids?"

"The Principle said that the teachers had complained that she'd just been sat in lesson staring forward hugging her arms around her. They were saying she was being childish. They thought she was sulking about something. They yelled at her and she didn't even blink..." Janet took a deep breath, "How many fourteen year olds do you know, who are like that?"

Jack stared at the floor for a moment, "We knew she had certain abilities we didn't have, quite a while ago. You said yourself that we shouldn't rule out telepathy..." Jack sighed, "Carter didn't put that in her head..."

"She didn't?" Janet looked at him, "How can you be so sure?" Janet was trembling as finally a tear rolled down her cheek, "She was my best friend, Colonel and even I'm not so sure she didn't do it..." Janet pulled a hand through her hair and let more tears fall, "She's haunting me... and I'm so scared..."

Jack didn't understand. Carter wouldn't. He pulled the sobbing doctor into a hug. Sam would never do that to Fraiser or Cassie. Janet was her best friend and she loved Cassie with all her heart.

'Sam, say you didn't do it.' He thought, 'Say you didn't do it.'

'I didn't do it, Jack... I swear...'

The voice spoke in his head. He looked down at Janet. She hadn't heard or else she would be staring around frightened.

It had been Carter's voice.

'You're losing it, O'Neill. You're losing whatever part of your mind you haven't lost yet...'

Janet gave a small sniff and pulled away. She wiped her eyes and blew her nose on a tissue and then said, "Right Colonel... Your stitches."

"You gonna be alright, Doc," Jack asked worriedly.

"I'll be fine," she waved him away dismissively. Jack walked over to a gurney and hopped onto it. Janet began to examine his stitches.

After she'd finished she said, "You'd better have a sleep, Colonel. You look really tired," she bustled out of the room and came back with a sleeping pill, "Take this."

Jack nodded and took a swig off water, swallowing the tablet. Janet nodded, "Sleep well, Colonel."

Å

"Excuse me, sorry to disturb you, but the library is closing now."

Daniel looked up from his third book to see the Librarian stood there speaking nervously.

"Can we take these?" he motioned to the books.

"Yes. Are you a member of the library?"

Daniel wasn't, but Jack had always given him permission to get books out under his name. He said he only ever got children's books out for Charlie and that had been a few years ago...

"Yeah. Do you have a box we can carry these in?"

She pointed over to cardboard box stood beside a stepladder, "Will that do?"

"Yeah. Teal'c, can you start packing the books?"

"I can indeed," Teal'c inclined his head and began as Daniel walked over to the desk.

He gave the librarian the card, as she saw the record her eyebrow lifted slightly, "Last book you rented out was over six years ago..."

"I don't read much..." Daniel said, knowing the librarian knew he was lying.

"It was a children's book..."

"Yeah, for my son..." Another lie. The librarian's eyebrow rose again although she stayed silent.

"There you go, Sir. Give my regards to the Colonel."

"What?"

"Colonel O'Neill. How is his son anyway?"

Daniel was flushing furiously, "I'm sorry to tell you, Ma'am, but Charlie's been dead for a long time now. About 6 years."

"You do know Jack then. I was gonna kick you out if you didn't. At least you didn't just steal his card," she nodded, "You can take the books. Do say 'hi' to the Colonel from me, won't you?"

"Sure."

He wandered back to Teal'c, who was carrying the cardboard box full to the brim with books.

"Let us depart," Teal'c said.

"That sounds like a good plan."

Å

When General Hammond entered the Infirmary, he saw Colonel O'Neill dozing on a gurney and Dr. Fraiser sat drinking a cup of coffee.

"Have you seen Dr. Jackson anywhere?"

She looked up jumpily and spilled some coffee on her. General Hammond strode over and grabbed the box of Kleenex of the desk, "Sorry, if I made you jump, Doctor."

"It's alright... it's just coffee..." He put a hand on her shoulder and she flinched slightly.

"Doctor, are you all right?" She stared at him as if debating what to say.

"No, Sir, she's not."

General Hammond spun around to see Colonel O'Neill sat up on his bed, "Colonel O'Neill, I thought you were asleep."

"I was, until you came in."

"I'm sorry if I woke you, Colonel."

"Oh no. Anyone coming in here makes me wake up," he murmured, but immediately changed the subject, "I would like to make a suggestion, Sir."

"What would that be, Colonel?"

"That you give the Doc here a good long holiday, Sir."

"Colonel!" The Doctor snapped quite angrily, although her face was pleading with him.

"Colonel, Doctor, what's going on?"

Jack sighed, "It's Cassie. She's not very well and is having a bad time at school. I just thought Cassie would prefer to have her Mom around more."

General Hammond's face creased with concern, "Well, of course, Doctor. You can have down time till after Christmas, if you think you need to be home more..."

"Yes, Sir," Janet said quietly, "But that's not all..." Jack smiled at her comfortingly, as she continued, "I haven't told Cassie about Sam, but she knows. She had a nightmare. She saw her die... how she died..." Janet gulped, "Truth is, Sir, she's scaring me..."

"Who? Cassandra?"

"Major Carter, Sir," Janet closed her eyes; "While the Colonel was unconscious I could feel her watching him. I had to get the other nurses to treat him. I was too scared to go near him. She's spoken to me. I asked her never to speak to me again, but I've been having nightmares and most nights I can't sleep..."

"What are you saying, Doctor?"

"She's making me really uneasy. I think I need some time to calm down. I can't treat my patients if I can feel her in here."

General Hammond's frown increased, "Maybe you should talk to a psychiatrist..."

"No, Sir," Jack said annoyed, "She's not going crazy. I've felt Carter, too. She's here. Daniel heard her. Him and Janet heard precisely the same thing at the same time. Unless we've all got 'Carter Issue Syndrome', then I don't think this is nothing, Sir."

A slight breeze blew through the room as a wispy voice murmured, "I'm here, General... they're not going crazy..."

Janet's eyes widened, Jack flinched and General Hammond stared around. They couldn't all hear her at the same time... unless she really was here.

General Hammond looked around, "Major Carter, I'm ordering you to leave."

"I can't, Sir... I don't know how to leave..."

He sighed and turned to Janet, "This might be an alien threat. I may have to have the base sealed off."

Jack felt the breeze again. He pretended not to. If this really was an alien threat he wasn't going to give it the satisfaction of him pouring out his heart to a dead woman. The woman he'd fallen in love with.

"What about Cassie, Sir? If I can't leave the base, whose going to look after her?"

"Captain Byers hasn't been at the base since before that mission to PYR 462. I'll ask her to stay with Cassie until the threat has passed."

"Cassie knows Michaela. She'll be OK. She was staying with a friend tonight anyway."

General Hammond nodded and then spoke to the Infirmary, "Major Carter, if that is who you really are, this facility is going to be sealed off. You will have no way of getting out..."

"Begging your pardon, Sir... Going through walls is the easy part... it's bumping into them that's the problem..."

"You do go through those walls and I'll destroy you if it's the last thing I do."

Jack heard the sadness in the voice as it murmured, "Yes, Sir..."

The Infirmary doors moved slightly again and Jack let out a long sigh. When had his life become so unliveable? When that gunshot had echoed around his house and around his heart. When his wife had left that house. When Kowolsky had dropped to the ramp. When that arrow had hit Carter. When she'd dropped to the floor. When she'd died. That was when his life had become so unliveable.

And now all he wanted was not to live it.

Å

Teal'c followed Daniel into his lab. He placed the heavy box on the desk and Daniel immediately pulled out the book he'd been reading, opened it to the correct page and continued.

"Teal'c, would you get me a cup of coffee? I'm not going to rest until Sam can."

Teal'c did as he was bidden knowing Daniel Jackson would be completely true to his vow and would, indeed, not rest until his much loved companion was no longer a ghost.

"Dr. Jackson?" General Hammond stood outside the door. He was frowning slightly. He looked at the box full of books all with library stickers on and murmured, "What in God's name?"

"General, I can explain..."

He rummaged in his pocket and pulled out the note going over the story for the second time.

General Hammond looked flabbergasted. He reread the note his frown deepening. He then turned to Daniel and then Teal'c, "Are you sure that it's Major Carter?"

"Positive."

"Dr. Jackson, have you spoken to Dr. Fraiser?"

"No, why?"

"I'm blocking off the base. Alien threat."

"You're kidding... what Alien threat?" Daniel paused as he realised, "Sam? Sam's the alien threat! It's Sam, for God's sakes, not a Goa'uld!" Daniel said outraged, "She's lost, General. She has no way to 'die' and no way to get back into her body. She wants me to help her. That's what I'm trying to do..."

General Hammond sighed, "Let me remind you, Dr. Jackson, there is absolutely no way of knowing whether the Spirit or whatever you want to call it, is Major Carter," Daniel went to speak, but General Hammond held up his hand, "Let me finish. Would the Major Carter we know haunt Dr. Fraiser or Cassandra?"

"What?" Daniel asked confused.

"Ask Dr. Fraiser or Colonel O'Neill," he sighed, "In the meantime, I give you permission to try and do whatever you're trying to do. We'll need all the help we can get."

"Thank you, Sir," Daniel said quietly and thoughtfully.

"Good Luck, Dr. Jackson. I have a feeling we're going to need it."

The General left the room in a pondering silence. Teal'c looked at his friend who was stood there still staring into space.

Suddenly, he sprung to life and began to jog down the hall, "I've gotta talk to Janet!"

Å

Sam sat in her lab. She looked around. Her life packed in boxes. Her computer was there, but just covered with a cloth. She sighed miserably. Soon this wouldn't be her lab. Some new astrophysicist would be shipped in to take her place and she would be forgotten.

She stared at the first thing that had caught her eye. In the dull and dreary room it was the only colour. She picked it up gently and placed it on the desk in front of her. She'd realised quite quickly that holding things, pushing things, touching things and saying things made her very tired. So she tried to limit what she 'did' to a bare minimum.

She stared at the plastic, egg-like box. She opened it and the plastic ring dropped onto the desk. She stared at the silver painted ring with a blue plastic gem on the top.

She smiled remembering where she'd got it. It had been when they'd taken Teal'c to a carnival. Colonel O'Neill had won it and given it to her. The moment had been so wonderful that Sam had wished it hadn't been a carnival and it hadn't been plastic...

She heard something behind her and a shadow passed over her. She swivelled around and stared at the figure in the doorway.

Colonel O'Neill...

He took a small step forward. He'd been ignoring her. She could tell and it broke her heart. She'd been trying to talk to him almost all day, every day, but he ignored her. In the end she'd been getting so tired that she'd had to stop.

He took a few steps forward and then spotted something. He walked straight through her and Sam felt the tingly feeling explode through her making her shiver.

His shoulders tensed and she knew he'd felt it as well. He ignored it and stared at the plastic ring on the desk. He picked it up and looked at it on his palm. He closed his fingers over it and then carefully put it back in the container.

He sighed and when he turned to face her, Sam could see the pure self-hatred and despair in his eyes.

He stood there staring towards her and then looked around the dreary room. His voice was small as he whispered, "I'm coming, Sam. This time I'm really coming..."

She saw him feel a pocket in his coat and she saw the distinct shape of a gun beneath his fingers.

As it dawned on her what this image meant, she shook her head and whispered, "No..."

He heard she could tell, but again he ignored her and went to walk out the door. He paused and turned back to the empty room, "I'm warning you. If you are an alien, I'm going to kill you for this."

"I'm real... Jack! Please..."

Jack glared furiously, "Sam was an amazing woman. Her memory should be just as wonderful as she was, not frightening and horrible. Let her rest in peace."

He turned on his heels and walked calmly down the corridor same as he would on any other day. Only people who knew him by heart would see the deliberation in each step, the small frown on his face that showed he was beyond depressed and the way he was trying to swagger casually.

Sam let tears fall. No one except Daniel thought she was Sam Carter. That she was some kind of evil alien spirit who wanted to haunt the SGC. All she wanted was to go somewhere. Somewhere where she wasn't trapped in her old life.

She then realised what the Colonel was going to do. She had to tell someone. Someone who'd listen...

Daniel!

Å

Daniel rubbed his eyes tiredly. He looked at his watch. 11:30pm. After an unsuccessful search for Janet, Daniel had gone back to reading. Janet was probably getting some well-earned sleep. Anyone who'd spent a week looking after Jack needed their sleep!

He was really tired, but he was going to keep his promise and not rest until Sam could. He was on his fifth book and so far the only guess he could make was that she had unfinished business. What her unfinished business was he had no idea, but he was going to ask her.

So far that was it and even that wasn't very good to go on. Most of these books were awfully farfetched.

He continued reading the chapter on 'Poltergeists', when he felt the breeze blow past him. It was more powerful than usual and half of Daniel's papers flew to the floor.

Daniel was so surprised that he tumbled backwards off his chair. He gulped and felt the breeze calm slightly.

He felt something swoop beside him, "Daniel...? Daniel...! Are you alright...?"

"Sam?" A small smile came onto Daniel's lips.

"Daniel..." She spoke desperately and Daniel could feel the air in the room become stuffy, "The Colonel... he's going to kill himself..."

"What?" Daniel leapt off the floor. He put a hand to his head, "Oh my God! He'll be going to the locker room!"

Immediately Daniel felt the stuffiness leave as he felt Sam swoop past him. He stood in a flurry of papers for a moment and then began running to the lift. Praying that they wouldn't be too late.

"Please, Jack. Listen to her. Listen to her."

Å

Sam's mind blanked as she raced through walls, floors and ceilings. She swooped through the control room sending papers flying, she whipped through the commissary sending trays clashing to the floor and she zoomed through the corridors sending a few airmen sprawling.

She swept into the locker room and stopped. He sat there staring at the gun lying in his hands. He looked up to where she was in shock. She swooped towards him and stood there a few feet away from him.

He continued to stare at the gun as she murmured, "Don't do it..." He ignored the voice and lifted the gun up to his head. "Jack... NO!"

She grabbed the gun forcefully and flung it across the room as she screamed.

He turned to her and his eyes widened, "C-Carter?"

Suddenly she looked across the room to a mirror. She could see herself! It was then she realised he could see her! She took a few steps backwards still staring at him nervously.

His mouth was open and he just gazed at her. He stood up and took a hesitant step forward. His hand reached for her cheek. She felt his fingers brush through her. She tensed as the shivery feeling came back. His hand trembled as he pulled his hand away slowly still staring at her.

"Jack..."

He took a deep breath and clenched his jaw, "Carter..." His voice was a hoarse whisper, "Why are you still here?"

"I don't know..." she whispered, "I can't go... and I can't stay here like this..."

He took another step closer, so there were bare centimetres between them, "I'll get you back... if it's the last thing I do," he paused and stared at her, "If you come back, I'll stay, but if you go... I'll go with you..."

She shook her head, "No..." She stared at him as tears began to form in her eyes, "Jack, I don't want you to die..."

He stared at the floor, "I can't live without you, Carter. I've tried to pretend I can, but I can't. I've known it everyday since the whole force shield thing... I can't live without you."

A tear dropped from her eye to the tiled floor and the drip seemed to echo around the locker room. He tried to comfort her, but he couldn't hold her or wipe away her tears, "Don't cry, Sam. Please..."

"What you said... after I died... did you mean it?"

"Every word. I need you, Sam." His voice was as quiet as the gentle breeze that blew in the room, "If you die, I'm coming with you."

"No, Jack... I don't want you to die..." Sam stared back and knew what she had to say. She felt another tear roll down her cheek as she whispered, "I love you..."

"JACK!"

Daniel burst in through the door. He saw Jack stood centimetres in front of Sam. Suddenly, she disappeared, a look of pure horror on her ghostly countenance, and if he'd blinked he would've missed it.

Jack looked around blankly and then looked over at Daniel and then at the gun lying on the tiles between them.

He looked back in front of him to where she had been stood and murmured, "She was..."

"I could see her..." Daniel said shocked.

Jack grabbed onto the lockers as the shock of what had just happened hit him and his knees went weak. It was her. No doubt in his mind now.

Daniel ran to him, "Maybe you should lie down..."

"No, I have to help, Carter," he pushed Daniel away determinedly.

"I've got books on Ghosts and Spirits from the library already... she asked me to help. At the time I was the only one who thought it was her."

Jack nodded, "I'll help you do that then."

Daniel nodded and watched him cautiously as he left the locker room. Daniel picked up the gun and placed it in his pocket.

Å

As Sam said the words, she felt herself falling and getting heavier. The last thing she saw was the shock in his eyes as she plunged into darkness. A scream of fear left her throat as she fell for a long time. She could feel freezing wind whipping past her as she dropped like a stone. Her eyes stung and watered as she tried to keep them open frantic to know what was happening...

And then suddenly, she floated again.

She wiped her blurry eyes and stared around her. She turned to see a Stargate. It looked eerily beautiful in the pale light. She looked around. She stood on rough black pebbles. She looked up, but she couldn't see a ceiling. She shivered and turned as she heard the sound of water lapping. She saw what looked like a vast underwater lake. The water looked as black as the pebbles of the shore.

She turned to the DHD and tried with all her might to press the buttons. Why wouldn't it work...?

"That won't work."

She spun around quickly to see a man dressed in a robe. It was a dark, shimmering silver and covered him completely.

"Who are you...?" Sam asked.

"I am the boatman and you are Major Carter, are you not?"

"Yes..." She murmured confused by this strange man.

"Welcome to Nichata," he said and then moved aside revealing a small boat.

"Nichata...?" Sam asked confused.

"This planet is called Nichata."

"I don't understand... Why am I here...?"

"You had unfinished business and now you do not..."

"Yes, but why am I here, on Nichata...?" Sam asked still not knowing what to make of this cold, dark place.

"Hades has called you here. If a soul has unfinished business it stays on Earth until their business is finished and then they come here where all dead souls come..."

Sam looked around again. There was no way out, except for the Stargate and she couldn't work it.

"Please, Major Carter. Will you come with me? My lord is waiting for you."

Sam knew it may be her only way out of here and stepped into the boat. She sat in silence as the boatman began to punt the boat across the water. She noticed there was a current. It was a river, not a lake as she'd first thought. It was a very wide river!

"So, what was your unfinished business?"

"I don't know..." she said quietly, trying to think.

"You do. You just aren't seeing the obvious," he said and then asked gently, "What was the last thing you did before you came here?"

"I... I told Jack I love him...," she whispered realising that had been her unfinished business.

"Awww..." The boatman said, "We get that one a lot. Tragic love stories. I love them! Tell me

yours."

"No thank you..." Sam said indignantly, "I don't want to..."

"I'd like to add that it's a long journey from here to the other side..." he sighed, "I'll tell you mine if you tell me yours..."

Sam looked at him curiously as he began without waiting for agreement, "Hundreds of years ago, I was living on planet not to dissimilar from Earth and I was in love with a beautiful, young woman..." he gave a small sigh, "Her name was Anna. She was a farmer's daughter and I was a worker on her father's farm. One day, she became sick, very sick. She had caught a disease similar to small pox... and she died."

Sam listened as the boatman stopped punting for a second. He murmured, "Hades made me a deal. If I sold him my soul he would give back hers. I did. She came back to life... I was amazed. Two days later I discovered she was engaged to a rich man. I spent the rest of my life alone, until after ten years I died in a fire in the hay barn. And here I am now..."

Sam spoke shocked, "So, you can't die..."

"No and I can't live either. I just... am. I can't remember my name, but I will never forget hers. So I am the boatman..." He began to punt again as he cleared his throat, "Now it's your turn."

"Well," she murmured, "I was in love with Jack... We both worked in the Air Force... He was my Commanding Officer..."

The boatman nodded showing he understood. She continued, "At first we just flirted and had a laugh, but then one day it all changed. We were experimenting with some devices that gave you super human powers. We were on a Goa'uld ship that was being built and when finished it would be very powerful. We needed to destroy it. The devices allowed us to run so fast that we could run straight through force shields. We planted explosives and began to run for the exit. But the devices only worked for a limited time. We were running to a force shield and Jack got through, but I didn't. I fell to the floor and fell unconscious. He ran back for me, but his device stopped working and he couldn't get back to me." She let out a sigh and cleared her throat slight as she continued, "When I woke up I called his name and he woke up as well. He wouldn't leave. He knew there was no way he could save me, but he wouldn't leave. Through pure luck alone, we managed to escape..."

"Is that it?" The boatman asked as she paused.

"No," Sam said, "After that, we were hooked up to a lie detector and Jack had to confess. He was asked why he wouldn't leave me and he said, 'I would rather die myself than lose Carter.' And I realised I felt the exact same way, but we could never really tell each other or be together."

"So, how did you die?"

"We were on a mission. It was going fine until we were ambushed by a group of hostiles. I was shot with an arrow here," she pointed to where the bolt had struck her and continued, "I was in so much pain. I heard Jack yell, 'Carter!' and run towards me. I told him to leave me, but he refused. He carried me to the Gate. I watched as the other three members of our team were shot. Jack tried to dial home, but it wouldn't work. So he dialled another planet. He lifted me up and stepped into the Gate. He laid me down and I died in his arms... and just, sort of, floated away..."

The boatman was listening intently to what she said. She spoke again, "I opened my eyes and I watched as he tried to resuscitate me, but I wouldn't wake up. He'd been shot as well. I went back to Earth and told my friends where he was. They came and rescued him and found me dead."

"And then you finished your unfinished business and now you're here?"

"Yep." She sighed, "I know more stories..."

"Well, we've got at least another half hour left, so please."

She talked about Daniel and Sha're, but the Boatman was more interested about her, so she told him about missions she'd been on.

She felt a slight jolt as the boat hit the shore of stones. The boatman turned to her, "Password is Hades."

"What?" She gasped, when she heard her voice was suddenly normal again.

"That always happens when you reach this side," the boatman said kindly, "And Password is Hades. You'll understand," he waved as he got ready to punt back to the other side, "Goodbye. I hope someday we'll meet again. Either in there..." he pointed behind her to a dark shaft leading into the solid wall of black rock and then pointed to his boat, "Or back here."

She smiled and murmured, "Bye. Hope you hear many more good stories."

And with that she turned and began to walk into the gloom.

Å

"OFF WORLD ACTIVATION! REPEAT, OFF WORLD ACTIVATION!"

Jack woke up and blinked back sleep frantically, "What?"

"You fell asleep," Daniel said as he got up, "Didn't wanna wake you."

"Let's get to the Control room. Might be the Tok'ra."

Daniel nodded and they rushed out of his office towards the control room. They ran into the room as General Hammond gave the command, "Open the Iris!"

The metal plates slid apart and General Hammond signalled for them to follow him to the embarkation room.

As they walked in a familiar man walked down the ramp. He stared around wildly and took hesitant steps forward.

As he reached them he murmured, "George, tell me that the Tok'ra are lying."

After a short silence, General Hammond shook his head, "I'm sorry, Jacob."

Jack saw the man's eyes widen slightly and he blinked back tears as he whispered, "How long ago?"

"Eight days. She's in the mort if you want to see her."

Jacob nodded slowly, as an SF led him towards the mortuary. Daniel turned to the General and Jack, "Should we tell him about Sam?"

"We just did, Dr. Jackson."

"No. The spirit! It's her. Not an alien threat. We've seen her."

General Hammond frowned, "How? Dr. Jackson?"

"Earlier, Jack's been ignoring her. She began talking to him and she appeared. I saw her..." Daniel said quietly.

General Hammond nodded, "Where is she now?"

"We don't know. She disappeared. I didn't ask why we could see her," Daniel murmured.

The General closed his eyes confused, "You two continue with your research. I'll get Teal'c and Dr. Fraiser to assist you, if they can."

"Thank you, Sir," Jack spoke for the first time, as they began to stroll briskly down the corridors towards Daniel's office.

As they walked along Daniel suddenly stopped. Jack turned to face him as the man slapped a hand to his forehead.

"Daniel?"

"Of course! Why didn't I see it before?"

"See wha...?" Before Jack could finish, Daniel was sprinting down the corridor towards his office. Jack was about to follow, when a low rumbling voice called to him.

"Colonel O'Neill." Jack turned to see Teal'c and Dr. Fraiser walking towards him. Teal'c walked up to him and said, "Where is Daniel Jackson?"

"I think he's got something! He just ran off!"

"I believe that we should join him."

"Good idea!" Jack said as they began to run down the corridor after the anthropologist.

When they reached the room, it was even more of a mess than when Jack had left, if that was possible! Papers covered the floor, his desk was piled high with books and by the corner Daniel was moving books searching for something.

"The book! The book! Where's the book?"

"Daniel, you're gonna have to describe it a little better than that..."

"The Greek Mythology. Orpheus and Eurydice in it."

Jack spotted the book immediately and handed it to the excited archaeologist who quickly flicked through the pages to the story of Orpheus and Eurydice. Then he pulled out his notebook and the stone tablets he and SG-16 had found.

"The translation! It's just as I thought! The story links with the translation..."

"Whoa, Whoa, Whoa Danny-boy! Slow down! What are you talking about?"

"The translation from the stone tablets me and SG-16 found talks about the Greek God of the Underworld, Hades. He called the dead souls to the Underworld."

"You've totally lost me, Daniel."

"You do not seem to be producing much sense, Daniel Jackson."

Daniel sighed irritated, "The translation was a dialect of Ancient Greek. There was one name I didn't recognise and then a line of numbers. The word was Nichata. I know how to work it out now!"

He scribbled the numbers on the piece of paper and then the word above it. He crossed off 7 numbers and then smiled happily.

Jack, Teal'c and Janet stood around the table looking at him confused. He explained, "Using the Ancient Greek alphabet and number system I crossed off the numbers corresponding with the letters. It's a Stargate address without the point of origin..."

"But then it would have..."

"Eight chevrons. It's a very long way away!" Daniel said excitedly. He spoke again, "And we don't even have to work out the point of origin!"

"Why not?"

"Look at the tablet!" he lifted up the tablet up. Jack, Teal'c and Janet looked at it. Jack noticed something tiny in the corner. He grabbed Daniel's magnifying glass and held it over the tiny indent... It was a Stargate chevron...

"Monoceros..." Jack murmured as Daniel gawped at him astounded, "What?"

"You know its name?"

"Daniel, I've been working here for over four years! Give me a little credit!"

Daniel ignored Jack and began babbling again, "We have to tell the General immediately! If what the tablet says is true, then the underworld is a real place. Somewhere dead souls are taken to when they die. Sam might be there. We could save her."

"Uh... Daniel..." Janet said quietly, "Forgive me if I'm wrong, but... it's got eight chevrons. Won't we need one of those reactors to make the Stargate work?"

Daniel's face fell, "You're right. Trust Sam to be the one who needs rescuing just when we need an astrophysicist!"

"We could ask the Asguard? Maybe they'd give us one."

"I will summon General Hammond," Teal'c said as Daniel nodded. The Jaffa left the room.

"Now all we can do is wait and pray," Daniel said quietly.

Å

The tunnel had been very long. It had taken Sam at least two hours to walk all the way through. When Sam reached the end of the tunnel she walked into a chamber. Not as huge as the cavern, but pretty big, but that wasn't what took her breath away. Before her stood a giant statue. A three headed dog! One of its heads lay on the floor staring directly at her, with unseeing, stone eyes.

She then realised that it was a dead end. The only exit from the chamber was back the way she'd come. She sighed and then realised what the boatman had meant.

"Hades," she said clearly and the floor shook as the huge stone jaws opened.

She stepped into the mouth and down the corridor. She felt the ground shake as the jaws closed again behind her. She continued to walk down the corridor until she reached a huge door. It opened and before her sat Hades.

He was sat on a throne. He had sickly white skin and large green eyes. His hair was long and as white as his skin. He wore a dark black robe and cape. He sat there and smiled as she walked into the room. The door shut behind her with an echoing thud. She then realised that Hades was not sat alone.

Beside him sat a beautiful woman with long brown hair and green eyes. She also wore black robes. Her skin was more tanned and when she saw Sam her eyes widened.

"Samantha Carter," he spoke, his voice low and definitely Goa'uld, "You are one of my most resilient souls. You seem to escape death all the time. It is most irritating, but..." a smirk appeared on his thin lips, "no longer are you dancing with death, I see. You are finally here, where you should've come a long time ago."

"No one deserves to come here, Hades," she said through clenched teeth.

He laughed, "Samantha, why do you not except the fact that you're not going to be miraculously saved by your friends again? They can't help you..."

Two spirit guards appeared from the wall behind Hades, they came towards her. She tried to get through the door, but she couldn't. She dodged the guards as they tried to grab her. Suddenly, the woman jumped off her throne and ran towards the guards, "NO!"

She stood between them and Sam as Hades stood his face contorted with anger, "Why do you disobey me, Persephone?"

"I will not let you harm this woman," she spoke fiercely although Sam could see she was trembling. Her voice was Goa'uld. Sam couldn't understand why Persephone was helping her.

"Please, My Love, let her go to the City like all the rest. Do not send her to be tortured," she begged.

Sam watched as Hades deflated, "Very well. Guards..."

"I will take her," Persephone said and before Hades could stop her, she began to lead Sam through a door and down a long winding path.

"Wh-why did you help me?" Sam asked confused.

Persephone stopped and her head bowed. She looked up and spoke, "I am Anira." Sam gasped. Her voice was human, "I share my body with Persephone."

"You're Tok'ra..."

The woman frowned slightly as the Goa'uld began to speak again, "Just because I share my body with my host does not mean I'm Tok'ra."

"I don't understand. If you're not a Tok'ra, why do you share your body?"

Persephone spoke, "I am trapped here forever. There seemed no reason not to share my body. It gives me company. The only person in this place I can talk to is my lord and conversation with him is rarely interesting."

Sam nodded slightly before frowning in confusion, "I still don't know why you helped me."

Anira spoke again, her voice soft as she smiled at Sam gratefully, "You saved my daughter. I owe you more than I can ever give you."

"Your daughter?"

"I am Cassandra's mother," She said gently as Sam gawped, "I'm sorry you were blamed for Cassandra's nightmare, but I had to tell her."

"I understand... I was actually considering telling her myself..."

"Samantha, I'm taking you to the City. It is where all the souls, except those Hades feels he wants to punish, go."

Sam nodded as they reached the end of the path and Anira opened the door. She bowed her head as Persephone began to speak again, "Goodbye, Samantha."

She shut the door and Sam turned to look over the City...

Å

The next day, SG-1 was called to the debriefing room. As they settled around the table General Hammond began to speak, "The Asguard have agreed to send a reactor to help save Major Carter. Thor said it was the least he could do."

Jack spoke, "When's it...?"

There was a knock on the door.

"Come in!" General Hammond said as Sgt. Davis stepped in.

"The Asguard have 'beamed' the reactor down and it's being linked up right now."

"Great!" Jack said, as General Hammond nodded.

"I want SG-1 geared up and ready to go."

Before he'd even finished speaking, they'd run out of the room to go get geared up.

As Jack stepped into the embarkation room with Daniel and Teal'c, he nodded to Hammond in the control room. Sgt. Davis spoke into the intercom, "Initiating dialling programme."

The Stargate began to whirl and Jack stood ready to go.

"Nervous?" Daniel asked.

Jack frowned, "Why would I be nervous?"

"We're going to the Underworld, Jack!"

"So?"

"Doesn't that make you even a little edgy?

"Been there, done that!" Jack said, "We've already been to Hell, well... Netu actually, but close enough!"

"Yeah, but think about it. We're gonna see loads of people we know. People who've died. Who knows how frighteni...?"

"Daniel, you're prattling!"

"Yes, but think about..."

"Daniel!"

"Right. I'm prattling. Gotcha." Daniel said huffily as Jack turned to Teal'c, who was watching the squabble with obvious disapproval.

"Chevron Seven engaged... Chevron Eight locked!"

As Davis' voice came through the intercom, the flare of energy exploded out of the metal ring with a whoosh. Jack felt himself tensing.

Suddenly there was a shout from the control room, "The Gate is running out of power! It's about to disengage!"

Jack immediately sprinted up the ramp and dived into the flickering event horizon, before even thinking about what he was doing.

He rolled out the other side onto pebbles. The Gate disengaged and Jack blinked trying to get used to the dim light. He got up from his awkward position on the floor and spotted a DHD. That was good. At least this way he had some way of getting home.

He heard water lapping and turned around to see a man stood by a boat. The man threw his arms in the air as Jack went to shoot.

"Who are you?" Jack asked menacingly.

"The Boatman," the man said, "Who are you?"

"Colonel Jack O'Neill..."

The man nodded, "I'm sorry, but I can't let you across."

"Oh yeah..."

Jack lifted the man up by his cloak collar. He weighed nothing and Jack almost overbalanced!

Jack immediately dropped the man in shock and stepped back aiming his gun at him again.

"I cannot let you pass."

"Why not?"

"You're alive," the Boatman said simply.

"You have to let me in there."

"I'm sorry. I can't."

"Please. I have to get in there!"

"Why?"

"Because... because the woman I love is in there and I said if she went, I'd go with her... so here I am."

The Boatman stared at him suddenly, "Did you say your name was...?"

"Jack."

"Ah yes," the man said with a knowing smile, "Samantha."

Jack held his breath, "You know Sam?"

"Quite a nice young lady. Friendly too. Not to mention beautiful. She came through yesterday," the Boatman sighed sadly, "It's a shame when a lovely creature like that dies."

Jack let his breath go, "You have to let me get to her. Please!"

After a moment, he nodded, "Get in." Jack got into the boat as the Boatman said, "So... know any good stories?"

"Nope."

"I'll tell you one I know for one you know," the boatman cleared his throat, "It's a tragic love story."

"Oh great!" Jack said sarcastically.

"Wait. Let me start..." The Boatman cleared his throat as he began to punt, "There was this beautiful woman named Samantha and she was in love with a man named Jack..."

Å

The City was in a vast cavern that spread before her. It was swarming with people. Normal looking people, except they could float! There were literally thousands and thousands of buildings, all completely different, no two the same. The houses were made of solid rock and looked so small from up here. The whole city was illuminated with millions of ghostly white lights, each house having light emanating from the windows. It looked so... normal.

"Who are you? I haven't seen you before. Are you new?"

Sam jumped at the voice. She looked up to see a little girl was floating to her left. She wore a school uniform and had her short brown hair clipped back. She didn't look older than eight.

"I'm Sam. I'm new around here."

"My name's Annaleigh," The little girl had an English accent. She spoke again curiously, "How did you die?"

Sam was shocked by the question, but murmured, "I was shot by an arrow."

"I was hit by a car," the little girl said. She was still smiling. She giggled, "Come on!"

She grabbed Sam's hand and pulled her down toward the City. The feeling of flying was unbelievable. Sam had joined the air force so she could fly. Every since she'd been a little girl she had wanted to. The little girl led her towards the City as they flew. Really flew. They past hundreds of houses, an ghostly people and then stopped.

"I live here," she pointed to quite a large house. It was bigger than most of the rest, "This is one of the buildings where all the children stay until their parents come."

Before Sam could object she was led into the building. Everywhere around her were children. The little girl led her up some stairs. Sam was pulled along and suddenly glimpsed someone she recognised.

She pulled her hand free of Annaleigh's and walked back past the room. She stared at the boy that stood a few feet away from her. He blinked and nodded, "Sam."

She stared at the boy knowing immediately who he was and whispered, "Charlie?"

He nodded and stepped a few feet closer, "You're Dad's friend. When I watch you're always there with Dad, Daniel and Teal'c."

"Watch?"

Annaleigh spoke up from beside her, "You can see what people are doing if you put your mind to it. My little brother has just started college. He's going to be a Doctor when he's older."

Sam looked at them confused. She turned back to Charlie as the child murmured, "Mom is getting married to Steve." Charlie said quietly, "Her and Dad had a huge argument after I died. He doesn't love her anymore..."

"He does, just not in the way he..."

"...loves you," Charlie said grinning mischievously. His grin was so similar to Jack's as he spoke again, "Dad's coming to..."

Charlie was interrupted by a small cough that came from behind her. She turned to see Major Kowolsky stood there, "Pardon me, Ma'am, but I was just checking on... Captain Carter!"

Sam just gawped and said, "It's Major now."

"What are you doing here?" he asked seriously. After a short pause, he snorted, "Stupidest question of the year!"

She said quietly, "I got shot with an arrow."

"Well, at least you haven't had some snake messing with your brain..."

"Well, actually I've had that too."

"Oh Yeah. Jolinar."

"How do you know...?"

"The guy who had her in him before."

"Oh..."

Sam was silent for a little while and then said, "So what do we do here?"

"We just do normal stuff," Kowolsky said and then frowned, "Sort of just... float around a lot."

Sam smiled and laughed gently, "Floating around a lot? Sounds fun."

Kowolsky grinned, "So what was your unfinished business? You're bound to have had some if you died unexpectedly."

Sam frowned not really wanting to talk about it, "You tell me yours first."

Kowolsky sighed and said, "I said goodbye to my family. They were all asleep, but I know they heard," his smile widened, "Now tell me yours. I have a few guesses..."

"I said goodbye to my Dad..."

"Nope," Charlie said grinning as well. They were ganging up on her!

"I said goodbye to SG-1. Daniel, Janet, Teal'c, Colonel O'Neill..."

Charlie shook his head and let out a giggle, biting his lip. Kowolsky grinned, "Not that either, huh?"

Sam sighed and smiled, "You're not letting me out of this, are you?"

"Nope. This is just getting interesting!"

Sam glared at Kowolsky and Charlie as she said, "I told Jack... that I love him."

"I knew it! I knew it! Daniel owes me one hundred dollars!"

"What?" Sam asked confused.

"Me and Daniel had a bet. I said that you and the Colonel had a thing. He said no way. He owes me a hundred dollars!"

"Uh... I hate to break it to you, Major, but you're here and Daniel is..." she pointed upwards even though she knew that Earth could be in any direction.

"Well..." Kowolsky stopped for a second in thought, "When he gets here, he owes me a hundred bucks!"

Sam smiled gently as Annaleigh grabbed her hand again, "You need somewhere to stay..."

"The military members have our own little corner of this place. If you want to come along..."

"That would be great," Sam said, but not enthusiastically. It was then it finally sunk in. She was going to be here forever...

"They'll be people you know there. Various SGC members, people from the pentagon, Sha're is here is well..."

"What about the Goa'ulds we've killed?"

"They're all being tortured. There are a few people there who you may know as well, including Jonas Hanson..."

"Why are they torturing him?"

"Blasphemy. Pretending to be a God. Murder. Slavery... you name it, he's done it!"

"Good point," Sam murmured, as Kowolsky knelt down next to Charlie.

"See ya tomorrow, Kid. And remember, look after all of those ones who are littler than you..."

"And help them to live in this dump... yeah, yeah, I know!" He sounded so much like Jack that Sam felt herself smiling fondly.

Kowolsky turned to Sam, "Follow me."

She nodded and then waved to the children as Kowolsky grabbed her hand and whisked her out of the building.

Kowolsky led her through the streets, a few people she knew greeting her as she went. They finally came to the military part of the City. It was filled with soldiers. Ancient Greeks, Romans, WW1 and WW2 soldiers, French musketeers, Vietnam soldiers... every kind of soldier you could imagine!

"Daniel would love this. He'd be studying every person here before you could say 'Fascinating'!"

Kowolsky gave a small laugh and led her into one building. It was filled with SGC members. Sam stood in the doorway as everyone gasped and spoke shocked.

Then she spotted Colonel Harlow, Captain Reynolds and Dr. Garcia. They all stared at her shocked as Harlow said, "We thought Colonel O'Neill got you through..."

"He did, but not to Earth. I died on another planet about five minutes after I was shot. He'd been shot as well although he's still alive..."

"Looks like SG-1 finally lost a member," Reynolds said and then murmured, "Sorry, if that sounded rude."

"No. I can understand why everyone's shocked. We've been together for almost five years. We've had some deaths and near deaths, but none permanent."

Garcia gave a small laugh at the comment, "Well, you have now and you're staying with us!"

Sam chuckled softly, "Yeah..." She looked around, "Permanently."

Å

Jack jumped out of the boat. The boatman stood there and said quietly, "I'll wait for you here."

Jack nodded, "Thanks. I owe you."

He turned to the tunnel and went to walk through it when The Boatman called to him, "Password is Hades!"

As Jack wandered through the passageway he murmured, "Password to what?"

It took his over two hours of walking down the tunnel before he reached the end.

"Holy... Fluffy!"

And he'd thought the one in Harry Potter had been cool! At least this one wasn't real!

There were no other tunnels. Just the giant three-headed dog.

'Oh well time to use the magic password, O'Neill!'

"Hades," he said. The ground began to shake, he grabbed onto the wall to steady himself. He watched as Fluffy open it's mou... one of it's mouths!

When it opened, he ran into the tunnel that appeared. He grabbed onto one of the fangs as the jaw closed.

Before him was a giant, iron cast door. As he approached, the door swung open...

Å

Sam slept restlessly. She felt herself being shook awake and looked up to see Charlie sat at the end of her bed.

"Charlie? What are you doing here?" she whispered.

He grabbed her hand and pulled her along. He pulled her out of the military block and pulled her up towards the entrance.

"I tried to tell you yesterday. Dad's coming for you. He's coming to get you."

"What?"

"Daniel figured out how to get here. Some thing to do with Ancient Greek. He's got the address... but they needed a reactor thing because the address has eight things... oh I don't know what they are! I don't understand half what you and Daniel say half the time!"

"He's coming here..."

"He's here. He's talking to Hades right now..."

Sam just stared around, "Oh my God!"

Charlie said, "Wait here. I have to go back to bed before they realise I'm missing. Bye Sam. Look after Dad for me, please."

"I will," she said quietly as the boy smiled and then zoomed away back to the City.

Sam stood by the door and waited...

Å

"What are you doing here?"

"I'm here to get Sam... What are you doing here? Isn't this Sokar's job?"

Hades' eyes flamed, "Sokar banished me here. He gets alive people to torture, I get the dead souls."

"Well, I want one back!"

Hades laughed cruelly, "And you really think I'm going to just give her back to you, Colonel. You're a fool!"

Jack watched as the woman beside him spoke, "My Love, why not let them go? You don't need her here..."

"No, but I want her here," Hades said, "I'm not going to let her go."

"Please, reconsider it. My Love, this woman destroyed Sokar! She's more useful alive. She can kill all our enemies! We can rule the universe together! You will be God over all!"

Jack watched as Hades considered her words. He sighed and Jack saw him give in, "Fine, but in one condition..."

Jack watched the man as his lips twisted into a smile, "You can't turn around!"

Jack closed is eyes as realisation hit him. He opened his eyes to be greeted by the two Goa'uld staring at him. He nodded and said, "OK."

"Guards, Retrieve Samantha Carter's soul from the City."

Jack turned to face the door as the guards returned. Hades spoke, "You may leave."

Jack walked through the doors as they opened. He walked into the jaws of Fluffy and watched as they opened.

"Sam, can you speak?"

There was no answer and Jack now knew what stress Orpheus had been under. He wanted to turn around. Check she was all right, that the guards had really brought her and that she was following.

He walked into the tunnel and began the long walk to the River.

Å

"Don't turn around. Please, Jack. Keep walking. Don't turn around."

Sam repeated the same mantra over and over again, praying he'd not turn around. Even though he couldn't hear her, she still kept speaking.

They been walking for over two hours and Jack had filled the silence by telling her the goings on at the SGC since she'd been gone.

Her Dad was there. The Tok'ra had finally told him. Apparently, he hadn't left her bedside for almost the whole time he'd been there. He explained how Daniel had figured the whole thing out and how the Asguard had given them a generator.

Sam saw the entrance to the huge cave. As they stepped onto the black pebbles, Sam saw the Boatman was there.

He saw her and nodded towards her. She wondered why he wasn't talking...

"Can't you talk, either?" Jack asked. The Boatman shook his head. Jack sighed, "Should've guessed," and sat at the front of the boat as the Boatman began to punt.

They spent the whole hour in silence. Jack began to want to turn around. He kept flinching and then resisting from the temptation.

'You turn around and she'll be gone forever, O'Neill!' he told himself, 'You turn around and you'll never see her again.'

Finally they reached the other side. Jack could see the Stargate looming in front of him.

He walked to the DHD and pressed in the chevrons. The Stargate engaged. Jack bit his bottom lip as he pressed the digits on the GDO.

He walked towards the Gate. He stood inches from the way home. Suddenly, he felt himself turning...

'Dad! Don't do it! Just walk through the Gate! You can do it!'

Charlie's voice jolted him to his senses and Jack twisted back to face the Gate. Then with all the mental strength he could muster, he stepped into the wormhole.

Å

He walked out onto the ramp. Daniel, Teal'c, Fraiser, Hammond and Jacob, plus a group of medical staff greeted him. He saw the gurney stood at the base of the ramp in front of them and felt his heart clench painfully.

Sam was lying there, her face visible from beneath the medical cloth. Her face was so still and pale. She could have been a doll, but Jack knew she wasn't. She looked like she had when Jolinar had taken her host, or when he'd shot her twice. He closed his eyes praying.

'Say she was behind me. Please. Say she's here..."

Jack eyes shot open, as he felt a breeze blow past him. He watched as the breeze turned into a mini-cyclone over Sam's body. The wind was pulled down towards her like water down a plughole. A pale white light glowed from the wind and sparkled. Everyone gasped and moved away as the wind blew fiercely. He watched biting his lip.

He ran to the body and knelt beside the head. He spoke barely above a whisper, "Come on, Carter. You can do this. You can do this."

The room suddenly fell still and silent, as the wind disappeared. The silence in the room was unbearable as everyone stared at Sam's body. He felt their eyes burning into him, but he pushed the away. He couldn't care less...

He watched Sam's face and held his breath. "Come on, Carter," he whispered, "Come on. Come back to us..."

Jack watched willing her to breath. She seemed to have just been lying there after the wind for hours, "Please, Sam. Breathe. Come back..." his voice was the only sound in the room, as he watched her.

Suddenly, she took in a huge gulp of air. Everyone gasped and Jack could hear people jumping and moving as far away as they could. Her chest rose and fell rapidly as she took long deep breaths. Her eyes shot open. Blue, bewildered and fearful. She stared around for a second, as her eyes focused. Through the blur she could make out someone watching her...

"J..." she couldn't speak properly yet, but her eyes came into focus and his relieved face swam into view. Sam stared at Jack as a grin broke out on his face. She sat up slowly, the world tumbling and somersaulting before her eyes. Everyone stared at her; eyes wide mouths gawping like goldfish. Her Dad was about to cry, Janet was, Daniel was opening and closing his mouth, Teal'c stood there eyebrow raised and General Hammond was smiling, albeit in a bemused way.

She looked at Jack again and saw his eyes glistening. She spoke softly as her voice was finally heard by everyone, "You didn't... you didn't turn around..."

With that he pulled her into a tight embrace and hugged her to him, never wanting to let go. She hugged him equally tightly feeling tears rolling down her cheeks. She could hold him. Her hands didn't just fall through him. She squeezed him tighter and whispered into his ear, "And now you will never lose me again."

Jack held her tightly and murmured in her ear, "And I won't, Sam. I promise. I won't"

Everyone stared at them shocked and Jack could definitely here someone murmuring about regulations.

But Jack couldn't care less.

Because in the End, it didn't even matter...

FINIS

Yet more Author's Notes: Hope no one's too disappointed with the ending of this. Because in the end (hee hee) I thought it was necessary to keep it actually in the series instead of having them hop into bed together with some crazy romantic ending, but there you go! As usual if you have any queries, comments or, if really necessary, constructive criticisms, send me some Feedback! I NEED to know what all you guys are thinking. Thanks a bunch for reaching the end and I'll try and get another story into my Finished folder soon. Luv, Hugz and Jelly Babies!

Copyright (c) 2004 Sam I Am