Sam was sitting at her desk when Jack walked in.
"Whatcha doing?"
Sam sighed. "Do you really want me to answer that?"
"No, not really. It's more of a rhetorical question."
"That's what I thought."
"What happened?"
"What do you mean what happened?"
"When I walked in earlier."
"Oh." Everything came rushing back to her like a tidal wave. Sadness hit her. Tears formed behind her eyes. No, she wouldn't cry. "Daniel's not going to make it."
"Oh." Jack's posture reflected what he was feeling.
"I was just going to say good bye to him. Want to join me?" Sam asked hopefully. She didn't want to do this on her own.
"Sure."
The two departed for the infirmary.
They arrived a few minutes later. Hand in hand they walked up to Daniel's bed.
"Hey Daniel," Sam started. "It's Sam and Jack. We just came by to see how you were doing." She squeezed Jack's hand as tears began to make their way down her cheeks.
She looked into Jack's eyes. The mask that was usually there was replaced by a great look of sadness. She collapsed into his arms, sobbing. He held her tight. She could tell that he was crying too. They stayed like that for a while then left.
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Janet had been babbling to Daniel for the past ten minutes not making any sense what so ever.
"Sorry, I just..." Tears sprang to her eyes for the third time that day. She willed them to go away, but they wouldn't. They trailed down her face. She sat by his bed watching him. Daniel. Her Daniel. She had finally been given the chance she had always wanted. To have a family with someone she loved. Her first husband wasn't much of a husband. He had been her first love. She had been young and foolish. She just saw what she wanted to see in him, not who he really was. Her mind rushed with horrible memories.
She got lost in thought. out of the corner of her eye. When she turned her head to see what it was, she saw Vanessa.
She hurriedly started wiping her eyes and face to rid them of the tears.
"Do not worry. It is okay to cry when something like this happens," Vanessa said softly.
Janet stopped and smiled at her, then began to get up. "I'll leave so you can see him now."
"There is no need for you to leave. I have already spoken to him."
"Oh, well, I'm going to go." Janet walked past Vanessa to go clean up.
Vanessa walked over to the chair that Dr. Fraiser had previously occupied and sat down.
"Oh, Daniel. I hope when you come to you open your eyes to what is standing in front of you. A chance not many people have."
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SG - 1 minus Daniel, walked through the gate. What was on the other side was what the MALP had shown. A large field that was encircled by trees. About 300 yard from the gate, there was a large stone pillar. The group walked toward it.
"Anybody know what it is?" O'Neill asked.
"I have not seen anything like this before O'Neill," Teal'c commented.
Carter walked toward it. As her hand reached out to touch it, the ground beneath her opened up. They heard a distant thud as she hit the ground below.
Jack got down on his stomach and shimmied over to the hole. Teal'c did likewise. Jack looked down. Carter had fallen about 20 feet.
"You ok?" he yelled.
There was no response.
"Carter!" he yelled a little louder.
Still no answer.
He shimmied away from the hole a bit.
He thought of a way to get her out. Right as he was going to stand up, the ground underneath him sagged and he fell in the hole. He landed on the ground with a thud and a groan.
"Are you alright O'Neill?" Teal'c yelled from above.
"Yeah, just peachy."
"I will go find help."
"You do that."
Teal'c walked away.
Jack suddenly remember something.
"Carter?"
A slight moan could be heard to his left.
He took out his flashlight and turned it on. He shined it to his left. He saw Carter laying on her side.
"Hey. You all right?" He slide over to where she lay.
"I think I broke something." She rolled over on her back. Immediately regretting doing so, she clutched at her side.
"Well, just stay put. T went to get help."
Another moan escaped her lips before she passed out.
Jack took this time to inspect the 'hole' they were in. And it turned to be just that. A hole. A fairly deep hole, but a hole nonetheless.
He then decided he might as well become comfortable. He sat down and leaned against a wall. Now all they had to do was wait.
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Teal'c made his way quickly toward the gate. As he reached the DHD, he heard a buzzing sound. He looked up and saw a cargo ship fly overhead. He dialed that gate as fast as he could and punched in his IDC code. He quickly ran up to the gate and stepped through.
Teal'c stepped onto the ramp on the other side. General Hammond met him at the bottom.
"Teal'c, where are Major Carter and Colonel O'Neill?"
"They have fallen into a deep hole and need to be retrieved. Also, Apophis has arrived at the planet."
"Take SG 4 with you."
Teal'c nodded his head and went to find SG 4.
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Sam woke up not knowing where she was. She bolted into a sitting position. That movement sent searing pain into her side and everything came back to her.
Jack had obviously seen this and moved over to her. He scooted her to the wall and sat behind her so her back was against him. She was much more comfortable.
"How are you?" Jack asked.
"My side hurts as well as my arm. But other than that bored."
He chuckled at the last part. "You? Bored? I'd never thought I'd live to see the day when you said that."
She started to chuckle but it sent knives into her side. "Please don't make me laugh."
"Sorry." He kissed the top of her head. Her hair smelled like vanilla.
"Your hair smells good."
"Thank you." She nestled up against him more.
She soon fell asleep to the rhythm of his heartbeat.
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SG 4 and Teal'c stepped through the gate. They were greeted with gun fire. SG 4 took defensive positions and returned fire. They managed to knock down five jaffa before more came.
"Go! We'll lay down cover fire!"
Teal'c nodded and began to make his way to the hole where the Major and Colonel were.
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Jack heard it first. Gun fire. And not far off either. He then heard footsteps. He held his P90 in a ready position.
"O'Neill."
"We're still here T."
Rope came down the hole.
"Thanks."
Jack began to put together a make-shift seat that Carter could sit in. He helped her to it and helped her get in.
"Ok T. Pull her up."
Teal'c pulled Carter up with seemingly no effort and threw the rope down so Jack could climb up.
Jack reached the top and asked, "What was the gun fire for?"
"Apophis is here."
"What?!" Carter and Jack said at the same time.
"I thought we killed him?"
"That is because you did."
All heads turned to were the voice came from. The person standing there was a young woman.
"I am his host's sister, Becca. I saw with my own eyes him take his last breath. This is not Apophis's fleet but mine."
"Teal'c, did you know Apophis had a sister?" Jack asked.
"I did not."
"The reason you did not know is because Apophis did not know of me. That is the one thing my brother fought his hardest to keep secret."
"You said this was your fleet?" Carter asked.
"Yes."
"What are you doing here?"
"This is my home planet. I have come to visit my family."
"Then why were your jaffa attacking us?" Teal'c asked.
"I apologize. They will be punished for doing so without my permission. Come, let me introduce you to my family. They owe you much for your execution of Apophis."
She started walking, clearly expecting them to follow.
"Wait, we have to go find the other people that came with us," Jack said.
"They are already in the village. They were escorted by my jaffa."
She continued to walk and they followed, Teal'c carrying Major Carter.
They entered the village a few minutes later. It was a small village consisting of ten brick homes. They were lead to the largest house out of the ten. Becca opened the door, and laughter could be heard. She entered, followed closely by SG-1. When SG-1 was fully in the house, they realized that SG-4 was already there, seated comfortable around a table, surrounded by children.
"Becca!" An older woman got up from where she was sitting and bustled over to where Becca stood and engulfed her into a hug.
"Mama! It's so good to see you again," Becca said as she pulled away from the hug. "I want you to meet some people."
Becca's mom turned to SG-1.
"This is SG-1 of Earth. These are the people responsible for Apophis's death."
The room went completely silent. Becca's mom stared at them. Suddenly, she burst out cheering.
"Thank you so much! We must feast in your honor." She motioned for two young men sitting at the table to follow her as she walked into the kitchen.
Another older woman approached Teal'c and said, "Bring her over here and I will tend to her wounds."
Teal'c followed her to a corner of the room where the woman proceeded to look Sam over. When she was done she motioned for Teal'c to help Sam sit in a chair.
"I am Stasia, Becca's aunt."
"Let me introduce to you my family." Becca lead Jack around the room and introduced him to everyone. He soon knew everyone and was having a lovely time.
Jack soon found himself surrounded by children.
"Please tell us a story!" they were all saying.
Becca smiled. "It is customary that guests tell a story."
"Ok." Jack thought a moment. "There once was a girl that had three evil stepsisters."
'Cinderella' Carter thought. 'I'd never guess.'
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Jack had just about finished the story when Becca's mom and her two brothers emerged from the kitchen each holding two platers of delicious looking food. They set them down on the table, went back to the kitchen, and came back with a round of drinks. Juice for the young ones and some sort of wine for the adults. Everyone gathered round the table.
Becca's mom held up her glass and everyone followed suit.
"I would like to propose a toast to SG-1 of Earth for having warded off our long lived fear of Apophis. I hope that continue to do good things for the universe we live in. Long live SG-1!"
"Long live SG-1!" everyone echoed. Glasses were clinked together and after a long swig, people stared to dish out food. It tasted even better then it looked.
"Daniel would have enjoyed this," Jack said quietly to Carter.
"Yeah, he would have." A small smile made its way to her lips.
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They continued to visit with Becca's family until it was dark. By then most of the children had fallen asleep on the floor.
"Well, kids, it's time for us to head home," Jack said as he was standing up.
"Do you really have to go?" Becca asked.
"Yeah, our leader is expecting us to be home for dinner," Jack responded.
SG - 4 stood up and Teal'c stood and gathered Major Carter in his arms.
"Thank you very much for everything. We had a lovely time," Carter said.
"You are most welcome," Becca's mother said. "Please, visit anytime."
"Thanks and goodbye," Jack said and with that he left the house as everyone said their goodbyes and followed him.
They walked to the gate in silence. A member of SG-4 dialed up the gate and Jack sent through his IDC code. They walked through the gate.
"Welcome back SG-1 and SG-4," greeted General Hammond. "What happened to Major Carter?"
"When I fell into the hole, I landed weird and broke something, but I'll know what soon," Carter answered.
"Debriefing in an hour."
"Yes sir," came the simultaneous reply.
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"Well, your left arm is broken and so are a few ribs. You will be here for two more days and you'll be off active duty for two weeks," Janet explained to Sam.
"Ok."
A few moments passed as Janet copied down some numbers off the machines Sam was hooked up to.
"How are you Janet?"
"Fine."
"Janet, I know that's not true and you should know by now that I know when you're lying."
Janet stopped what she was doing and looked Sam in the eye.
"You're right. I'm not fine. I'm far from fine. Daniel's dying and I can't do ANYTHING to help him. I hate myself because of my inability to help him. My life is falling apart because of it. Obviously I'm not fine!" Janet huffed, turned on her heel, and stormed away.
"Whoa, what was that about?" Jack asked as he walked up to Sam's side.
"I guess she needed to vent some anger," Sam said, still looking at the spot where her friend had stormed away from.
"Anyway, how are you?"
"I'm great, thanks."
Jack leaned down and gave her a gentle kiss.
"Now I'm even better," Sam sighed.
"Good," Jack said. "I just came by to check on you. How long do you have to be here?"
"Two more days and I'm off active duty for two whole weeks. I broke my arm as you can see," she said as she held up her cast. "And I broke some ribs."
"Ouch," Jack made a face.
Sam started to giggle.
"What's so funny?"
"You look so cute when you do that."
"Do this?" Jack made the face again, which earned more giggles from Sam.
Just then, Janet walked up.
"Hey, doc," Jack greeted.
"Hello Colonel. I have to ask you to leave so Major Carter can rest."
"Ok. See ya around Carter." Jack turned and left the infirmary.
"Now get some rest. I'll be back in an hour to give you more pain meds."
"Ok."
Janet closed the curtain around Sam's bed and walked toward her office to do some paper work.