Chapter two

TWO MONTHS LATER

Sam woke with a start. She smelt the smell of burning cheese. Putting on her slippers, she raced into the kitchen. Jack stood up against the fridge, "I was going to cook breakfast."

Sam sighed, "Why don't you grab some cereal while I pick up."

Jack nodded and grabbed a bowl out of the cabinet. He then dumped cereal into the bowl and poured milk over it. "Sure you don't want help?"

Sam nodded as he sat down. She scraped the burnt egg off the pan as she talked, "The guys are coming to visit today."

"That sounds fun. When are we kicking my parents out?"

"When you start having conversations with people other than me." Jack shrugged and Sam continued, "The guys are coming for dinner. What do you want me to cook?"

"Let's just order pizza." Jack stood to move his bowl to the sink and grunted as he limped the whole way.

"Is your leg hurting more than normal?" Sam put her hand on Jack's shoulder.

"Remember what the doc. said?" Sam nodded her silent yes. "I'm just lucky to be able to move it."

Sam went to speak, but stopped as she heard John and Lucy's voices. She looked down, realizing that she was wearing only Jack's oversized tee-shirt. "I'm going to go change."

Jack smirked, "Okay."

An hour later, Sam and Jack sat in the car at the gate of Cheyenne Mountain Complex. The airman on duty, Peterson, would not let them through until he knew how Jack was. "I'm fine airman." Jack spoke but looked as if he was in another world.

Peterson stood at attention, "Sorry sir."

Sam drove the car through the entrance and parked in Jack's parking spot. She and Jack walked over to the elevator, got in, and pushed the button for sub-level 16. The elevator lowered, at sub-level 16 they exited. They showed their ids and signed in. Jack grabbed Sam's arm and dragged her to the locker room.

After changing into their BDUs, Sam and Jack reported to SG-1's briefing. "Morning," Jack spoke as he sat in his seat.

"Indeed O'Neill." Teal'c inclined his head.

"So Jack," Daniel pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose. "How's everything going?"

Jack shrugged, "Fine."

General Hammond cleared his voice, causing everyone to jump to attention. "At ease and Jack" he looked at the leg Jack was massaging. "For God's sake, take it easy."

"Yes sir," Jack winced.

"This mission is very special." General Hammond spoke. "For that reason, Jack will be going with you."

"But…"

"I won't make you go but hear me out first. A Lieutenant Orson was recently reported missing. They wouldn't tell me why but she was sent undercover in North Korea. The President mentioned you would want in on this one."

Jack grimaced, "I'll only slow them down."

"Jack, they're going to need someone who knows the lay of the land."

"Has her family been informed?"

Daniel raised his eyebrows, "Does that matter?"

Jack nodded, "She's my step daughter."

He held his head in his hands, irritated by the sound of the engines. The pilot shouted back from the cockpit. "We're almost there, prepare to drop."

Sam put her hand on Jack's shoulder. Giving it a tight squeeze, she spoke. "You said you wanted back into the field, this is your chance."

Jack nodded, and then swallowed hard as the back of the plane flew open. He watched as Daniel and Teal'c jumped out of the plane. Jack stood and Sam motioned for him to jump. He jumped out of the plane with Sam close behind. One, two, three, Jack counted then pulled his shoot. He screamed as the adrenaline rush came. God I've missed this.

Jack's legs buckled beneath him as he landed. With his hand he reached to the radio and spoke into it, "Hello."

Jack stood and detached his parachute. "O'Neill, where have you landed?" Teal'c's voice crackled over the radio.

Jack was about to answer, then something fell on top of him. Holy shit. Jack put his hand to his head, "Sam why did you land on me?"

"Sorry," she moaned.

"O'Neill," the radio crackled again. "I have retrieved Daniel Jackson. What is your position?"

"I don't know."

"It's fine Jack, just turn on the tracker." Daniel said.

Sam crawled off Jack and pulled him to his feet. "Gah!" Jack continued complaining. Soon, Teal'c and Daniel joined them.

"Alright, so where do we go?"

"Tell me why you came!"

The whip came down hard on her back. You're getting out of this. Focus on the person behind the pain. Find a weakness. She bit down hard on her cheek, trying not to crack any teeth. The whip came again, harder this time.

"Not going to talk? Tell me, what is your name?"

"IO," she replied.

"That is not a proper title, now is it? What is your full name and rank?"

He stopped grinning and instructed the other man in Korean. "What now, the whip wasn't satisfying you? Sent your bitch to get a bigger toy?" He reached out with his hand and smacked it across her face.

"Your talk is interesting. I will not bother asking your country of origin. You are quite obviously American."

IO laughed, and then spoke curses at him in Russian. After his hand connected with her jaw once more she gave up the Russian angle. "You make an ugly woman." She spoke in Latin.

The man before her looked puzzled. "That it. We will meet again."

She smiled as he left. Looks like somebody can't handle someone smarter, or undermining. IO shut her eyes and wriggled her hands in the cuffs. This escape might be difficult.