Tangled Alliances
Chapter 4
Sam lay next to Daniel, listening to the silence that had finally wrapped itself around the tent. Everyone had fulfilled their duties, and were settling down to sleep, while only a few guards paced up and down the aisle between the row of beds. Daniel was quiet, but she was pretty sure he was still awake. His breathing pattern gave him away.
She was tired, but way too wound up to fall asleep, and she wondered if Daniel was thinking the same thing she was. Colonel O'Neill's words kept ringing in her mind. "Whatever it takes," he had demanded. Those words drove home to Sam that he still cared about her, although she didn't know if it was because she was a member of his team or as his ex-lover. It didn't matter, really. Not while he was still her commanding officer.
There were many times during the last couple years when it was hard for her to think of him as her boss. She remembered all too well the time on P5C-972 when she had lusted after him, her body heating up in a most embarrassing way when he had to dance around the fire in nothing but his pants and a ceremonial vest that barely covered his ribs. The way he kept his eyes on her as he made the required moves around the pit, with firelight illuminating his sensuous stare, had sent tendrils of desire racing through her veins, leaving her mesmerized and dripping wet. She had wanted him so badly at that moment, she would have gladly given up her life to be with him, but he had been the stronger person and moved away from her when she made the suggestion. He couldn't resist the kiss he had given her as they faced each other when the dance was over though, and Sam's heart sped up as she remembered it. "One of these days," he had promised her, before he left her standing there to wonder if that day would ever come.
It hadn't, and Sam now wondered if he would ever forgive her for sleeping with Daniel. She sighed inwardly when she realized that this all may be a moot point if the guards found out that she was unable to get pregnant. She brought her focus back to the room at large, listening hard to determine if they were alone. The guards were at the other end of the tent, and Sam dared to take this opportunity to talk to Daniel about her secret.
She moved as close to Daniel as possible, pressing her face into the crook of his neck, before moving up to nuzzle the lobe of his ear. She continued to listen for any sounds from the guards, as she whispered, "I can't get pregnant," into Daniel's ear. She knew for certain that Daniel was still awake when she felt him stiffen before turning his head toward her.
He didn't say anything right away, but he did turn on to his side so that he was facing her. He stared at her for a second, then kissed her softly, resting his lips lightly on hers before whispering, "How do you know this?"
She didn't respond, as a guard walked by at that moment, his boots causing a wood panel in the floor to creak. She relaxed slightly when she heard the guard's boots thudding on the steps of the platform, telling her he had left the tent. She took the opportunity to whisper back, "IUD," she explained, as she nestled her face back down next to his ear. She wrapped her leg over Daniel's while scooting closer, hoping to give the guards the impression that they were entwined, when in reality they were 'positioned' to discuss her problem by whispering softly into each other's ear.
"What?" Daniel asked her, his breath tickling the sensitive skin next to her ear. She instinctively pulled her shoulder up to stop the tickling sensation, but tried once more to relax. This was way too important.
"A contraceptive device that is embedded in the womb," she said as quietly as she could. These guys would kill her if they found out. "It's designed to emit controlled doses of hormones on a regular basis to prevent pregnancies. I've had it for several years now."
"No pills?" Daniel whispered, still trying to comprehend what she was telling him. Sam smiled against his neck. Most men had a hard time dealing with female problems.
"Pills can be lost or taken away from me," she whispered back. Daniel suddenly pulled her closer and Sam realized that one of the other guards was headed their way. They lay there quietly until the man had walked back to the other side of the tent, then added, "An IUD works much better for a field officer, well, at least for me."
Daniel didn't respond. He just lay there, staring at her through the darkness while he brought his thumb up to caress her cheek. He brought his mouth up to hers once more, kissing her lightly before moving on to her ear. "I promised Jack that you wouldn't be hurt," he said softly.
Sam could only nod at her friend's words. She heard the sadness in Daniel's voice and she wished with all her might that she could make things better, especially between her two friends. They resorted to silence as they lay there, dealing with their respective fears and grief, both knowing deep down that they were in for some major trouble.
Jack was dealing with his own problems. He was stretched out in his bed trying desperately to ignore the muted sounds coming from the next bed. The woman was apparently in an amorous mood, and didn't seem to care that those that were nearby could hear her moans. It didn't help that he had been thinking of a certain blue-eyed, blonde who could heat up his heart with a single smoldering look.
Carter had definitely been on his mind when he had finally convinced that kid to stay put, then made his way to his own bunk. It was driving him crazy to have to sit back and let Daniel enjoy the passion he knew Carter was capable of. And although he knew what the consequences would be, he still had a burning desire to kill his best friends. They were over there in that tent right now, making mad passionate love and Jack couldn't say a thing, other than to give his blessings.
"Damn it!" he muttered, trying to push away the images he had of what Daniel and Carter were doing, while at the same time glaring at the shape in the next bed. The fates were against him, he determined. This was a test to see how far he could be pushed before he blew up and destroyed everything he loved and cared for. And the worst part of this whole predicament was that he really couldn't say a thing. If Carter wanted to fall in love with someone else, including Daniel, Jack had no say so, whatsoever, one way or the other. He'd have to just sit back and let her, while pretending it didn't matter. He had made that decision all those years ago, and now he was forced to deal with the resulting consequences.
Jack closed his eyes in an attempt to block out the sounds and his thoughts, but his mind had become fixated with Carter and he knew from experience that he was going to have a hard time trying to stop thinking about her. She'd had many suitors over the years, Martouf and Narim, coming to mind immediately. Both men had wanted her, and Jack, being the brave soul, had stepped back from his feelings to let her go, if that was what she wanted. It had been hard, but her happiness was important to Jack, and the fact that he couldn't give her that happiness had made it easier for him to give her up.
He sighed heavily when it became obvious that another woman had decided to 'visit' with his neighbor and he gave up at that point. He got up and went over to the door, hoping that some fresh air would clear the air, so to speak, and he was glad that there were no guards to stop him. He stayed close to the building, walking alongside it, then came to a complete stop when he came face to face with a guard.
"A little noisy in there," Jack explained, hoping he wouldn't have to go back in. The guard nodded, then walked away, leaving a thoroughly confused Jack O'Neill just standing there. Okay, he thought. What the hell was that all about? He didn't hang around too long, realizing that this was a perfect opportunity to find an escape route. He hadn't taken more than a few steps away from the building when the guard came back and snarled at him.
"Do not stray far from the building," the guard growled.
Jack nodded agreeably, forcing a smile to show up. "Close to the building," he replied. "Right." The guard slapped his stick into his palm for emphasis, and Jack took the hint. He moved back to the building and began walking alongside it again, coming to a stop when he rounded the corner. Teal'c was sitting next to the wall, apparently working on his Kel'No'Reem. Jack looked around once more, then went over to sit down next to his friend. Several guards walked by, but really didn't pay attention to the two of them, which really had Jack wondering what was going on here. The slaves were given a lot of freedom, which defied anything Jack had ever heard of, or even thought of for that matter, about the practice of slavery.
They weren't given total freedom, he realized, as he thought about the painful bruises he had acquired when he'd overstepped his bounds, but there were some things the guards overlooked. He could use this against them, he thought, as he watched the guards and their actions. He had no intention of staying here, especially when it meant that Carter and Daniel would have plenty of time to get closer… He stopped his thoughts at that point, grimacing at the mental pain that particular one brought on.
He leaned back up against the wall, wondering how long he would have to stay out here, then turned to look at Teal'c when his friend spoke up, "Should you be out in the cold, O'Neill?"
"Better the cold, than listening to my neighbor take care of her itch," Jack grumbled nastily. Teal'c nodded in agreement, then turned to face the yard. Jack turned to see what he was looking at, then asked, "What is going on here, Teal'c? I mean these guards don't seem to care that we are out here talking amongst ourselves. We could be planning an escape, for all they know."
"I do not know, O'Neill," Teal'c admitted quietly. "There seems to be no reason for what we do, yet we are expected to do it." Jack thought over the words, wondering over the vagueness of them, then relaxed when Teal'c went on to say, "I spent the entire day moving rocks from one side of the road to the other for no apparent reason other than to keep busy."
Jack had to agree that this was strange. "They had me watching over a bunch of kids to pull up weeds, but they didn't seem to care if grass was pulled up along with the weeds. As long as the kids were working on something, the guards were happy." Something strange was going on, but Jack was at a total loss as to what it was.
"The slaves are fearful of the guards, yet they aren't terrified," Teal'c added.
"Yeah," Jack agreed. "I still can't get over how well-behaved those kids are." He stared out at the group of guards that were standing around talking, then added, "They are afraid of the guards, but they still act up occasionally." He shrugged, then said, "I just figured that it was because kids will be kids."
Teal'c smiled into the darkness at that statement. "We both know that you are well suited for that job, O'Neill," he said. Jack wasn't sure how to take those words, but Teal'c set his mind at ease when he added, "You work well with them."
Jack frowned, then said, "Thank you for not saying it's because I am an old man." Teal'c turned to smile at him, which had Jack grumbling, "I'm glad you find it amusing." Teal'c nodded, still smiling at him, and Jack had to give in to his own grin. "They do seem to have more slaves than they know what to do with," he said thoughtfully, as his mind went back to mapping out possible solutions to their problem.
"Perhaps Major Carter and Daniel Jackson will be able to find out why this is," Teal'c said, as he stared out toward the group of guards.
"Yeah," Jack grunted angrily. He tried to calm the anger that had raged back up into his heart, but ended up staring out at the darkness, wishing it was him that was keeping Sam warm. Silence took over, as Jack dwelled on his failed love affair with Samantha Carter, and the fact that it was his best friend sleeping with her now.
Teal'c didn't say anything else, resorting to silence himself. Jack never knew what was going on in Teal'c's mind, and right this minute he didn't really care. He was too lost in his own misery to even try to decipher the mystery of his friend's mind, not that he would have anyway. Teal'c made it his business to stay out of other people's business, but Jack knew that he would eventually have something to say about this whole thing, when the time was right of course. Jack hoped that his friend would never find the right time. This was his heart he was dealing with, and having to tell Teal'c to stay out of it was not something he was looking forward to.
He watched as the guards split up, moving around the yard and Jack was glad for the distraction. Figuring out the patterns and schedules the guards kept was going to help him find his freedom from this place, and he put his heartache aside in an effort to learn what he could to gain the upper hand.
"They will patrol the area," Teal'c told him, "Then meet back here to talk amongst themselves." Jack nodded, as he listened to his friend, knowing that Teal'c had been working on an assessment of a preliminary escape plan. "I have not been able to determine where they go when they walk around, but so far I have determined that they do this on a timely basis." Jack stared at the guards, following one of them with his eyes as the man walked toward the main building. "The leader of the guards never stops walking around," Teal'c continued, as the guard Jack had been watching turned to walk around the area where that damned crossbeam was standing so ominously. "He does walk around in a pattern though," Teal'c added. "I do not know where he goes when he is out of my sight, but he does the exact same thing every time he walks past here."
"Is it the same guy who captured us at the Gate?" Jack asked, his attention was now on a different guard who was walking toward them.
"No," Teal'c answered. "There appears to be at least three men that the guards answer to." Jack didn't respond, as he warily watched the guard walk past them without so much as a hello. "We are safe here," Teal'c said, "As long as we do not venture away from the building." Jack wondered about that, but he didn't ask again. He continued to watch the guards until they settled down into their group again.
Jack sighed heavily, as he leaned back against the wall of the building again. He was tired, but he had no intention of going back into that building until he knew it was safe to do so. He sat there, closing his eyes, before deciding that maybe he could just sleep out in the yard. "I'm going to hang out here with you for awhile," Jack told his friend. Teal'c grinned at him and nodded his head, which Jack took as an affirmative. He stretched out next to Teal'c, settling on his side to avoid laying on the cuts and bruises that still marred his back and using his arm as a pillow, tried to get comfortable. The darkness, the sounds of the night and fatigue had him on the edge of sleep when he felt a small body crawl up next to him and curl up next to his stomach.
Jack cracked his eyes open to see what he knew he would see. His little friend had snuck out and was now firmly attached to his chest, causing him to grin at the sight. He wasn't sure he'd get away with leaving the side of the building to take the kid back, and thinking that as long as the kid was next to a building he'd be okay, Jack pulled him tighter and closed his eyes. He'd give the kid a good talking to in the morning.
