Title: Control

Author: PapayaK

Category: Hurt/Comfort, Team, a touch of S/J

Spoilers: None that I can think of

Summary: Jack is definitely not himself and it's bad news for the team.

This is a rewrite of an earlier post. It was never quite what I wanted. Now it's much better. AND it has a new ending!!

Disclaimer: Don't own 'em. Just having fun.

oO0Oo

Control – Chapter 10

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Previously…

"The nanites - approximately 80 million of them explode. Now, if there was just one – even a thousand of them, Colonel O'Neill would simply get a bad headache – maybe an extended bloody nose. Eighty Million nanites explode in your head and you die. Painfully. Gruesomely. Would you like me to continue?"

"I think we get the picture."

Sam returned, bright eyed. She looked to her friends for a long moment and then spoke.

"We will allow him to wake and talk with him."

No one mentions it may be their last chance.

"If we cannot determine the success or failure of our efforts, you will initiate failsafe procedures."

Kell simply responded, "I will."

oO0Oo

Jack O'Neill woke up; More or less on schedule, as was his wont. And with consciousness came relief. He woke up to pain, but it was fairly typical annoying post-operative pain; not the tear-your-friends-limb-from-limb pain he had been living with, for which he was grateful.

"Carter?" He rasped and then realized no one outside of two inches could have heard that. Because it had to be her who had figured this out, he tried again. "Carter?"

"Sir?" She was there. But she was worried – something bad was about to happen. He was, as always, highly attuned to her vocal cues. "How do you feel?"

"How'd ya do it?"

"What?"

"Carter. I'm free from the… things. How'd ya do it?"

"Sir?"

"Seriously, Carter?" He realized rather suddenly she had no reason to believe him.

"What were you planning to do if it didn't work?" He asked tentatively.

When she didn't immediately respond, it sank in to both of them that he truly had no way to convince them. This was what Carter had felt with Jolinar… He asked again, "What will you do?"

Not only did she not answer him, she wouldn't even meet his eyes. She turned away and nodded at Kell. But at the same time she took his hand and held it tightly.

Kell hit the button labeled 'send.'

After a moment, he nodded at Sam to confirm the signal had been sent successfully.

Jack looked around at the members of his team. Teal'c was frozen, his jaw working. Daniel, hugging himself, wouldn't meet his eyes. He looked into Sam's and he had to smile at her. She looked so sad.

"It's what you had to do."

She looked down.

He wouldn't let her, "Wasn't it." It wasn't a question.

She met his eyes firmly now and nodded.

"Then it's alright." He spoke lightly, almost cheerfully, "Daniel? Teal'c? It's cool. Whatever happens."

"Nothing happened." Kell spoke from the computer, his voice tremulous.

Carter's head whipped around to look at him questioningly.

"It should have happened by now. If something were going to happen. It would have happened." He was disbelieving, but excited. "It's over."

oO0Oo

At that moment, time froze. All five people slowly exhaled. Four pairs of eyes gradually turned to Jack. The good news seeped in gently, like syrup into a pancake. Sam felt it – it tingled, and brought tears to her eyes.

Jack smiled a more genuine smile now, "Told ya."

"YES!" Daniel cried and punched Teal'c in the shoulder.

Teal'c raised an eyebrow, but moved to the side of the bed opposite Sam, "I am most pleased that I will continue to fight at your side, my brother."

Jack held his forearm, "Sure beats fighting against you… Brother."

Sam merely smiled at him while tears streamed unashamedly down her cheeks.

He turned to her. "Hey." He protested softly and gently brushed away the tears. He thought about saying more, but it seemed to be enough.

After a long pause he cleared his throat, "Kell?"

Kell moved into his line of vision.

Jack tilted his head to better face him, "Welcome to Earth. Consider yourself at home. And thank-you."

End.

oO0Oo

Wow! That one just refused to end. Still seems rather abrupt. Just imagine the camera angle pulling slowly up and away from the tableau – and… Roll Credits!

There. That's how it ends.

My deepest thanks to those of you who stuck with me through this whole thing. It took For-Ev-Er!! I'm never posting again without having the whole thing written ahead of time!! Anyway. I kinda thought I was done writing, but I told Krista an idea today and she liked it, so… who knows?

And Isabel and smithcrafter, I am totally into 'breaking' Jack – but I always fix him!!

I just think SG-1 is at its best when they have someone to care about, worry about, protect, and/or save. It's all the better if it's one of their own. And my personal favorite – oh – did you guess?

Thanks again for reading, and if you have the time, please review. Every writer I know positively loves it! I'm drooling at the thought…