Inescapable: Chapter 10

AN: Disclaimer and all in Chapter 1. Sorry this took so long, I had a busy two weeks. Ever heard of rag week in college? If not, it's probably best! Anyway, I hope you haven't forgotten what the story was about! I'm borrowing the name of a character that appears in Threads for this snippet, but nothing more really. So tiny spoilers.

Sam felt emotions raging inside her as she stood in her bedroom, collecting herself. Several things were tearing at her insides, in a tug of war that was making her nauseous and she felt something at the back of her throat as she dared to glance at the reason she had come into her bedroom in the first place. It lay there, still, immobile and taunting her. Rays of sunlight bounced off it and suddenly its beauty was making her eyes hurt. She swallowed and a shaky hand, tentatively reached out for it. Her hand stopped as it hovered above it, her fingers twitching in the air. Her stomach convulsed and she bit back at the rising bile.

She was not afraid, she vowed. This was what she wanted. This was her future and she would be damned if she'd be afraid of it when she wasn't afraid of the Goa'uld and the likes. Her fingers gripped the shiny object and she curled her fist around it, straightening her back and marching out of the room.

"I was beginning to think you'd jumped out the window or something," Pete teased as she entered her living room. She smiled at him and sat down beside him, tossing the precious gold metal in her palm.

Jack glanced down to his stomach again. It had been making discontented noises for a while now but he had ignored the hunger because he didn't want to leave the sanctuary of his office. It growled again and he swallowed at it, offering his phone a glance. He could always ring for someone to bring him food. His insides twisted in more than one way at that thought and with a sigh he resigned himself to going to the commissary. It was well after lunch, there shouldn't be anyone he wouldn't want to run into there at this late stage. He pushed himself out of his seat and headed out; casting his eyes up to the ceiling and praying that he could get through this without shouting at someone.

The commissary was fairly quiet when he got there, unfortunately the best of the food was also gone and it only made his mood worse. He was attacking what was supposed to be chicken with his knife and he wondered idly if there weren't more than artefacts brought back from missions. As he was about to test whether or not it tasted like chicken he caught sight of movement in the corner of his eye and withrestrained exasperation, the bite of food fell to the plate again. Jack bowed his head and wished for self control, or a least a little shred of remaining sanity to surface.

"Missed you at lunch," Daniel said from the end of his table.

Jack refused to look at him, paying attention to his plate and wiping at his nose distractedly. "Busy."

"Yeah," Daniel replied with just a hint of sarcasm.

"I thought I approved you for a mission, Daniel," Jack said matter-of-factly, noticing Daniel was taking a seat across from him.

"You haven't briefed the team," Daniel threw back as if he was taking to a child. Jack's eyes flew to him as he pushed a forkful of food into his mouth.

"Consider yourself briefed," he mumbled between chewing. Daniel closed his eyes and shook his head at Jack.

"Did you call her?" Jack stopped chewing, swallowed, glanced briefly at Daniel and dropped his eyes awkwardly.

"Yeah." Daniel's mouth, although Jack didn't see, made and 'oh' shape. He actually hadn't thought Jack would actually take his advice.

"What happened?"

Jack shrugged as he tore at the alleged chicken. "She was sorting out wedding stuff with Pete. Important stuff, apparently."

"And?" Daniel prompted, wanting more detail. Jack looked at him with a blank expression.

"And nothing." He shrugged again and repeated his behaviour from before. "I think that says it all."

"It says nothing, Jack!" Daniel countered, getting heated at his friend's nonchalance.

"Daniel, for Pete's sake-" Jack bit back the rest of his sentence as he realised what he'd inadvertently said. He slammed a fist down on the table causing the plate to jump a little as well as a few airmen who were peppered about the room. Daniel stared at him as he rubbed a hand roughly over his face and what reappeared from beneath Jack's fingers showed a man at the end of his tether and Daniel admitted, just at the end. Jack had given up, he was stretched as thin as he would for this matter and Daniel knew no amount of meddling was going to help right now.

He had let Sam go.

"Is something wrong?"

The two of them almost jumped out of their skin when a voice drifted from behind Jack. Jack glanced over his shoulder as a step was taken and Carter's worried eyes landed on him. Jack looked away quickly, fiddling with his fork and glancing at Daniel, who he refused to believe was staring back with a look of pity.

"No, I was just briefing Daniel on a mission," Jack explained, glaring at Daniel now and challenging him to quarrel. A few seconds passed and Daniel's face didn't even flinch, even when Sam sat down beside Jack. Feeling her eyes on him Jack thought it best he spoke before she did. "Now that you're back, Colonel, I think you should lead the team. Grab Teal'c and take Daniel digging." With that, he flung his fork down and pushed himself from the seat.

"Sir, I was hoping I could-" Carter began, not getting the chance to finish.

"Not now, Colonel." Jack snapped and ran away from her for the second time, knowing Daniel's and most likely Carter's eyes were glued keenly to him until he was out of their sight.

When Jack was gone, Daniel found Sam staring at him with a look of confusion and a multitude of questions in her eyes. He was so tired of this game. So tired. Her mouth opened and he stood immediately. "I'll see you for the mission, Sam. Thirty minutes." And he was gone too.

Hopefully the next installment won't take as long as this one. Feedback?