Jack paced the small living area before spinning to a halt in the patch of sun. He was clothed. He had turned down the Avalonian tunic and leather pants for the return of his own BDUs. They had appeared freshly laundered, pressed and surprisingly intact given his tumble down the hill during the test. He stretched, pulling the black t-shirt taut across his chest.

He was bored.

Very bored.

The fairies, women, fairies – whatever they were – had gone out to recover the mysterious crystal at sunrise. He had only half-listened to their explanation of why; something about their joint powers being needed, hidden in a cave somewhere…he hadn't really been paying attention.

'Stay inside the cottage.' Ame had told him as though he was a five year old child who couldn't be trusted.

'The cottage is protected from Vizar's power. You will be safe so long as you stay inside.' Bee had taken a moment to explain. He figured she had read the thought about the five year old.

He paced back across the floor again and finally slumped into the comfortable sofa. Maybe he should just rest; take things easy; save his energy and prepare for this thing with Vizar, Jack considered. He pushed his hands through his hair sending it awry. He wasn't good at waiting. Never had been. Back in his black ops days it had been the hardest part of the job.

It was the hardest part of being married to Carter; waiting. He had thought before their marriage that it would be similar to when he had sent her out on missions the year he had been SGC commander. He had been so wrong. It was a whole different ball game. But he had never known how hard it was until she had returned to SG1, gone out on a mission and almost hadn't come back. He knew the drill – hell, he had been in the military most of his life. He was luckier than most of the spouses of SG team members, he knew that too. At least he knew where his wife was most of the time.

Jack sat back and propped his feet up on the small table. Had Sam found out he was missing? Was she worried? Was she on her way to help rescue him? Would he be alive when she got here?

The whole thing sounded flaky; crystals and powers and…he sighed heavily and placed his hands behind his head, interlocking the fingers. It was so much more Daniel's thing than his. He missed Daniel; he missed his team. Washington was too far away from the SGC and he spent too much time there. He had been looking forward to Christmas at the cabin with Sam, Cassie, Daniel and Teal'c. They'd invited Vala too; she had become a good friend to Sam and besides, Jack thought with some amusement, it was worth it just to see how quickly she could wind up Daniel. Mitchell was headed home to be with his parents.

A bang outside grabbed his attention. He slowly put his feet on the floor. He pushed off the sofa and walked over to the window. He stayed back, taking a position to the side and staring out.

There was nothing in the clearing outside of the cottage walls. He peered into the undergrowth. Nothing. Jack pressed his lips together. He had a bad feeling about it. A very bad feeling. Yet there was nothing.

He headed back to his small pack of belongings that the fairies had apparently retrieved from his camp site and picked up the Avalonian stunner. He moved back to the window. He remained still and watched.

The bushes across the clearing rustled suddenly and a man emerged. Jack's eyes widened in recognition. It was Bally. He was running, panicked. There was a bloody stain on his tunic and it was clear that he was struggling. Bally stumbled over a rock and collapsed on the ground. There was no sign of whoever was chasing him. Jack didn't hesitate; he figured he could grab Bally and get them both back into the cottage before whoever was chasing Bally showed up.

Jack swiftly made for the door. He yanked it open and stepped outside. A chill shot down his spine but he ignored it and ran over to Bally. He stooped, checking the trees around the clearing for any sign of Bally's pursuers. 'Bally?' He pressed a finger to the man's neck. There was a pulse.

He kept his eyes on the tree line where Bally had appeared. He moved the stunner to his other hand and went to slip an arm around the unconscious man. 'Come on.' He placed one of Bally's arms around his own neck; he kept hold of the hand and hoisted the man upwards with the arm he had placed around Bally's back.

Bally suddenly stirred.

Jack glanced at him. 'Bally.' He watched horrified as the man transformed in front of his eyes into the King.

Vizar smiled coldly back at him. 'General O'Neill or should I call you, Arthur?'

Jack dropped Vizar like a stone, punched him roundly in the face, and set back for the cottage at a run.

A second later he felt his body yanked away from the ground by an invisible force. He was kept floating six feet off the ground. He glared at the King who smirked back at him.

'You really are so predictable.' Vizar said mockingly. He lifted a hand to his nose; his fingers came away bloody. He waved his arm and casually tossed Jack across the clearing.

The landing was hard. Jack heard the bone in his right arm snap; his right hip screamed; his head crashed off a rock. The breath was driven from his body and he was left gasping for air.

Vizar walked over and straightened the cuffs of his purple tunic. 'It's an amazing feeling this much power.' He circled Jack like a cat with a mouse. 'I could kill you now. Squeeze the breath from your body; turn your bones to liquid.'

Jack tried to move; to strike at Vizar again. He was held fast.

The King crouched beside him. 'But you deserve a slow and painful death.' He gestured with his hand and a spider appeared on Jack's heaving chest. 'This is a Carchk bug. Deadly. The poison paralyses its victim; they die painfully over many hours; unable to move, every nerve ending on fire.'

Jack watched horrified as Vizar picked up the spider in a gloved hand and attached it to Jack's neck. The sharp sting had him wincing. Vizar threw the spider away.

'Goodbye, General O'Neill.' Vizar grinned madly. 'Give my regards to Arthur.'

Jack could hear the King walking away; the rustle of the undergrowth as he left. He tried to move again but his limbs were not cooperating.

The pain hit in a wave. He tried to cry out but couldn't. His brown eyes opened wide as he gasped for thin breath, after thin breath. His back was in agony; he could feel every rock and jut of dirt that pressed into him. His arm hurt so much he could have gladly ripped it away from his body. His skin burned; all over. He had never felt so much pain; not when he had been tortured in Iraq; not when Ba'al had killed him and put him together again. His vision blurred and darkened. He could hear his own breathing, slowing and fading.

This was it…he was going to die…

A babble of voices intruded; the sisters returning, Jack realised. Don't touch me, he thought desperately, as someone laid a hand on his chest and sent another wave of pain through him.

Words filtered through the noise of agony; healing, they were going to heal him.

He felt a tingle around him as the air changed and then a cool rush of wind raced over his skin and chilled the burn. He gave a sigh of relief as the pain faded away but his body remained paralysed. The sisters' ability to heal hadn't been able to take away the paralysing affect.

He felt a moment's panic. He was never going to be able to move again; he was going to stop breathing…he was going to die.

The ground beneath him vanished and was replaced by a smooth, flat surface. They had transported him somewhere he realised. His skin pebbled with goose bumps as he was suddenly suffused with cold.

A memory shot back through him.

Antarctica; Carter's face above him, with those fathomless eyes of hers pleading with him.

'Please. Jack.'

He had never been able to deny her anything. With a flash he knew what was happening. He was in a stasis pod and they were freezing him. He held onto the image of his wife just as he had back in Antarctica. He remembered her face and the love in her eyes.

And then, there was only the cold.