Setting: Between Threads and Avalon, before SG-1 gets split up. Slightly AU because Janet. I refuse to write a fic in which the doctor is not Janet. Otherwise canon. Can follow Red Sky at Night but is not a sequel.

Pairings: Sam/Jack recently established. Possible hints of Daniel/Janet later.

Summary: A routine mission turns sinister for SG-1 while, back at the SGC, Jack awaits an important decision.

Disclaimer: If I owned anything would I be writing fanfic? Yeah, didn't think so.

A/N: Sorry it's been so long! I had coursework and mock exams and all kinds of crazy stuff going on and I did even manage to do this chapter at one point a week or so ago in a mad fit of inspiration but then my battery died and I (inevitably) hadn't saved. So here it is, anyway. I promise I'll post the next chapter as soon as I can – I even have some written right now! Enjoy!

Chapter 4

"Sam?" Daniel hissed. The 'ampelou' was them down a long corridor that looked as if it might open out at the end. She turned slightly to acknowledge him, keeping an eye on the creature behind them as she did so. Its expression, if it had one, didn't change.

"Yeah?"

"I've been thinking." He kept his voice to a low murmur but she was able to pick it up easily, though the creatures might not be. "Maybe these..." he glanced around, but the creatures didn't seem to be taking any notice of their hushed conversation. "aliens aren't all that alien after all."

Sam raised an eyebrow. They seemed pretty alien to her. "Care to explain?"

"Well, they said 'ampelou', right? The Greek word for 'vine' is αμπέλου."

"You think they're Greek?" her voice came out a little louder than she'd intended, and she leant in to continue. "Daniel, do you think it might be a coincidence this time...?" It was his turn to raise an eyebrow, and she half smiled. "Okay, so, they're Greek. How?"

This time he had no answer. "I don't know. But this 'senate' might tell us."

"That does sound pretty Greek, I'll admit."

He nodded, distracted now by the fact that they were approaching the end of the... corridor? Tunnel? Branch? Regardless, he could see it opened up into a large chamber, filled with what appeared to be natural light which, as they moved further in, he could see was coming from large knotholes higher up, near the ceiling. A ring of about 11 wooden seats stood against the bark walls of the circular chamber, the one directly ahead blocked by the body of the ampelou in front of him. Glancing at Sam, he saw her attention had been entirely caught by a large gemstone embedded in the wall. It could have been a form of amber, were it not for the fact that they were glowing. Similar stones were scattered throughout the walls all over the chamber and Daniel now noticed that they were contributing to the natural light filtering down from above so that the room was lit entirely. They looked as if they were, in fact, a solidified form of the strange liquid from the well. As he turned to examine one closer to him, Daniel saw that the ampelou that had previously been ahead of them had now moved, guiding them towards the centre of the room - towards a figure in the middle seat of the ring who had been blocked before. His eyes widened. The figure was that of a human woman. A human woman who was now smiling broadly at them.

The woman was tall with a full but muscular figure that Daniel could just make out beneath the layers of her green gossamer gown, and her strawberry-blonde hair was piled elegantly and loosely at the back of her neck – bar a few tendrils that curled down at the side of her pale, oval face. She clapped her long-fingered hands very visibly in front of her, and immediately five of the creatures began making their way into the chamber through cracks in the walls, peeling holes for themselves with golden-green tendrils. As Daniel and Sam stood frozen, the creatures made their way into the remaining seats. The human woman beamed and stood up, arms open. Sam's hand went to her knife, now back at her belt, though they had stopped about 20 feet away from her.

"I am Opis, leader of this senate."

Jack stepped through the gate as soon as the wormhole was established, not wanting to hear the familiar sound of combat boots walking up the ramp behind him when he knew they weren't his team's. Teal'c had apparently had the same idea and emerged on P5S398 a few seconds after him, on his right-hand side. They immediately moved to the edges, ensuring they were alone in the clearing and turning back to watch SG-11 follow them through.

Anders looked to Jack, who nodded tersely and began issuing orders.

"Right, Anders, Lorne, you're with me up front. Teal'c, I want you to stay at least 20 feet behind us until I signal otherwise. Maycomb, Steel, you're with Teal'c." He wasn't being sexist - how could he after working alongside Carter for 8 years? He knew that Steel and Maycomb could more easily move undetected than he, Lorne and Anders, so with any luck if he was captured they could follow without being seen. He'd supervised some of Major Steel's training, in fact. She could move almost as quietly as Teal'c.

He looked around, making sure they all understood, then strode off to the path, leaving Anders and Lorne to follow – Lorne giving Steel a quick eye-roll and Maycomb a reassuring smile before he took his place at the back of the group, behind Anders, and they were engulfed by the dark tree-line.

Major Eva Steel chuckled quietly to herself in response to Lorne's eye roll. When Teal'c raised an eyebrow in her direction, she spoke quietly – in case Jack wasn't quite out of earshot - but friendlily to clarify.

"I wouldn't want to be one of these tree things when General O'Neill gets his hands on 'em, would you?"

Teal'c nodded, a slight smile twitching the corners of his mouth. "Indeed not, Major Steel."

Maycomb smiled at their brief conversation, tucking a strand of long, blonde hair behind her ear, as she moved to check the path. "I think they've gotten far enough now..." The beam of light from the torch mounted on her gun looked weak in the pitch-blackness, and disappeared completely after a few feet. It was as if the trees themselves were absorbing all the light they could, Eva thought, as she took a few tentative steps in. But that was ridiculous.

The silence swallowed them.

After a second of mildy-confused staring on Daniel's part, and calculated risk assessment on Sam's, she nodded to him, and he stepped forward.

"I am Daniel Jackson and this is Colonel Carter. We are peaceful explorers from a planet called Earth. We, uh, we meant no harm-"

"No matter. No harm was done to the lacrima heliandum." She waved a hand in a - very human - dismissive gesture. Sam mouthed 'lacrima heliandum?' to Daniel, who shrugged.

Opis waved to something over their shoulder and they both spun in alarm to see yet another creature come in – this time through the door – carrying a simple wooden tray with several bowls on it. She smiled her kindly smile again and nodded graciously to the ampelou as she took the tray, who nodded clumsily back at her before leaving. She turned back and began advancing towards them, holding the tray out to them.

"You must be thirsty after your time asleep. Have some wine, and food. I prepared the honey cakes myself this very morning." She looked fondly around her. "The ampelou haven't much skill with food preparation, between you and I. But then, they have no need of it!" A lilting giggle escaped her as she raised the tray for Daniel to take some. With a nod from Sam, he took a cake and a small bowl of wine, and Opis smiled widely.

"And you Colonel Carter?" She stepped closer, less than a metre away from Sam, whose hand darted to her belt at once.

Opis' eyes widened as she looked at the knife digging into her stomach, dropping the tray as her hands fell, trembling, at her sides. The ampelou around the edges had stood, ready to move at a signal from their leader, who spoke instead in a weak voice.

"Colonel Carter? Have I offended in some way? Please, I meant no harm."

Daniel moved turned, hands out in calming, non-aggressive manner, and spoke to Sam in a low voice. "Uh, Sam? What's with the knife."

When Sam spoke her blue eyes never left Opis' golden-brown ones, and her voice was cold and steely. "She's a Goa'uld, Daniel."

A/N: αμπέλου is pronounced 'ampélou'.

Sorry this is a little short. I wrote some more, but that involved a lengthy explanation. I'll post again soon, though, I promise!