The Life and Death of a Stargate
Intentions

REUNION

"Okay...this is slightly disconcerting."

The giant wormhole that is the stargate disengaged behind SG-1 as they stepped onto what was probably the darkest planet they've ever been on. The only brief light source they had was the stargate, which had closed two seconds after they disembarked.

"Colonel? Where are you?"

Jack closed his eyes, figuring he wasn't any better off with them open. He sighed. "Right behind you, Major. I haven't moved since the gate closed." He sniffed. "Daniel? Teal'c? You still in front?"

There was the sound of dull patting, then Daniel's voice. "Tell me that's your arm, Teal'c."

"It is, Daniel Jackson."

"So," Jack blurted, bored and waving his arm in front of him to find something to hold on to while he attempted to find his flashlight. He managed to whap Carter on the back of the head before finding it. "This is the La'ae Family's planet, right?"

"Dayleen, yes," Carter grunted in response, rubbing the back of her head as Jack turned the flashlight on. "But Sir, how is it that you know of the La'aes?"

Jack shone the light in her face for a few seconds, and Daniel took advantage of that opportunity and powered his own flashlight on. "Sam," Daniel murmured distractedly, "you were ill. The Gorah and the Se'at came to Earth to negotiate a treaty. I'm surprised you don't remember that; sparks were flying so intensely General Hammond ordered the mountain to be put under an explosive threat situation."

Through the light of the two flashlights, Jack grinned. "We hit it off a bit."

Carter laughed. "The look on your face does jog my memory, Sir."

Teal'c appeared to be caught up in their surroundings. "It is night."

Jack looked up at him. "Nice one, Teal'c. Where's little Timmy trapped?"

The Jaffa raised a slender eyebrow. "I am not aware of a Timmy." He raised his head. "But we are not alone."

Just as he said that, the snap of a rather large twig and the rustling of bushes caused Daniel and Jack to swing the beam from their flashlights in one spot to Teal'c's left. Carter aimed her gun in the same direction.

"Don't shoot," came a startled—yet familiar—voice.

The colonel recognized it first. "Gabe," he said, breezing past the others to take the princess in a warm embrace.

"Jack," she breathed happily, returning the hug. "It's about time! I thought you'd never come back."

"Well, of course I came back," Jack scoffed, keeping his hands on her waist. "There usually isn't any other reason to come back to this shithole of a planet besides you."

Gabe looked playfully affronted. "This is my home you're insulting."

"I know exactly what I'm doing," Jack said, capturing her in an avid kiss.

Daniel cleared his throat, not wanting to interrupt their reunion like this but knowing he had to. "Uh...listen, I'm sure you're aware, Se'at Gaibra'een..."

"Mm, you're not here for social matters," Gabe answered for him, breaking away from Jack and rubbing his chest through the bulletproof vest. "I understand."

Carter nodded. "We need to speak with your father, if it's not too late. We can wait until morning if we need to."

"Although that would be my first request," Jack added.

Gabe smiled at him. "He hasn't gone to bed yet." Her smile slowly faded. "He hasn't gotten much sleep lately. That's part of why I came alone." She looked at Carter. "He's taken ill. He thinks he's allergic to the naquadah you gave him."

"And you think...?" Jack asked, shining the light on her left shoulder so it would illuminate her face without being in her eyes.

There was a brief pause. "I think he's lying to a degree."

Teal'c stepped up beside Carter. "Perhaps we should go and inquire the Gorah's intentions and conditions."

Once the team and Gabe started walking in the direction of the Main Arena and Royal Palace, the Se'at explained why she thought her father wasn't exactly telling the truth.

"According to Major Carter, naquadah isn't something people can usually become allergic to."

"Not easily, anyway," Carter added.

Daniel turned to Gabe, pushing his glasses up on the bridge of his nose. "How long has he been sick?"

"Since you left the first time."

Daniel nodded vaguely, and Jack immediately knew he was getting ideas. "That's uh...quite a long time."

Jack frowned at him slightly, deciding not to press the matter further for the time being.