I know it's been a long time and I'm sorry but here's the next part. Hopefully the rest of the story will come quicker now.
Chapter 10
It had been a week since the wedding off world and people were still suggesting honeymoon places to both Charlie and Jason whenever they saw them, especially when they saw them together. For the most part the two of them ignored the suggestions and just humoured people when they spoke about the wedding. However, it was beginning to get to them - especially when Ben and Alan felt the need to mention it every time they went off-world on a mission.
"So, where's most popular?" Jason asked Charlie as he sat down opposite Charlie in the commissary.
"See for yourself," Charlie passed him a piece of paper.
On it were all the destinations suggested and the number of times people had suggested them.
"There's now a pool on where we'll go," Charlie grinned and sat back in her seat at Jason's shocked face.
"So, are we gonna go somewhere?" Jason sat back and avoided looking at his team mate; "I mean we are… 'married'… and it would be normal to get away… from everyone… sort of… together."
Silence descended over the two of them. Jason continued to avoid Charlie's eyes and a smile began to form on her face. Figuring where he wanted to go.
"You really want to come to England, don't you?" Charlie broke the silence.
"Well… I wouldn't mind…" Jason looked up at her for a moment.
"Then why don't you go? Or do you need me to hold your hand?"
"Why are you so mean to me?" Jason whined, finally looking straight at her, "I only asked if you wanted to escape the constant questions."
"Which would give way to more questions if we went away and then came back."
"Then we don't come back."
"And what about Alan and Ben? Who else will be able to put up with them, and not make plans to kill them in their sleep?"
"Erm… please?"
Charlie laughed and shook her head. Smiling, she stood up and walked away from him. Jason immediately got up and began to follow her.
"So what was wrong with me?" Sam asked Janet.
She was sitting on the bed, facing her friend. Janet looked at the results and then looked up at Sam.
"Remember when some of the guys regressed back into young children?" Janet inquired.
"Yes."
"It was a reaction to whatever caused that," Janet explained, "nothing else to it."
"That's it?" Sam asked, slightly shocked that it was something so simple.
"As far as I can tell yes," Janet smiled at her, "I'm going to ask Ma'at if she knows anymore when she's feeling up to it. But from what I can tell you're fine and free to go back to work. However, no gate travel until I've spoken to Ma'at."
"Spoken to me of what?" a third voice spoke up.
The two women turned to see Natalie standing in the doorway leaning against the doorframe, though it was clearly Ma'at who was speaking.
"What are you doing up?" Janet immediately rushed over and helped her over to one of the beds to sit down.
"I have healed Natalie's physical wounds, but there is nothing I can do for her emotional pain," Ma'at explained, speaking slowly, "what is it you wished to know about?"
"Whatever regressed some of the male staff into children has apparently had an affect on Major Carter," Janet explained, "from what I can tell she's fine now. How come it hasn't spread to others?"
"I do not know exactly. Sh… Shait knew more of plants and what they could do," Ma'at replied, bowing her head slightly. After a moment she raised her head again; "All I do know is that it has no lasting effects in women and it doesn't spread either."
"What about gate travel?" Janet asked.
"In a week, if nothing else happens she can travel again."
"How's Natalie?" Sam inquired.
"If she does not begin to return to what she was like before, I may have to find another host," Ma'at stated sadly, "there is nothing more I can do for her."
Khnum sat on the throne of the bridge of his ship. He closed his eyes for a moment; it was getting harder and harder to keep this charade up. Luckily no one else, especially Shait, had noticed or there would be hell to play. Shait would probably have him killed and take over everything. Then all the months of planning would have gone to waste.
After a few moments he stood up and left he bridge, heading down to the lowest deck on his ship. Making sure no one was following him he went into one of the rooms and picked up the person that was lying in there on the far side. Immediately after Selket had been killed he had taken her and put her in the sarcophagus before hiding her away again. She had yet to wake up and so he was left with no other choice than to send her to the Tok'ra. All he hoped was he would be able to before he was caught.
He managed to make it to the gate room and dialled the gate before the Jaffa began to pour into the room, led by his first prime. Khnum ran through the gate, still carrying Selket and the Jaffa began to fire at him.
On the other side, several of the staff blasts hit him and he fell to his knees, dropping Selket. The gate deactivated and he fell to one side, his eyes glowing for the last time. Selket rolled a short way down the ramp.
Everyone in the gate room had frozen. The iris had failed to activate allowing the two of them through. There were several new scorch marks and several injured soldiers. Medical teams ran in. One picked up Selket and rushed her out to the infirmary. The other went over to Khnum and checked for a pulse. They found nothing. He was placed onto a gurney and wheeled out, heading to the infirmary but in no rush.
"Natalie?" Janet walked over to the bed the Tok'ra was lying on.
Rather than taking her back to the isolated room Janet had decided to just let her rest where she was and had decided to move her back later. She really did hope that Natalie would get better; it would be a shame to loose her to grief.
"Yes?" Ma'at replied.
"I need to speak to Natalie," Janet told her.
"She may not respond."
"I know; I'd like to try anyway."
Ma'at closed her eyes for a moment, giving control back to Natalie.
"Natalie, I know you can hear me. I have something important to tell you," Janet told her, "Khnum came through the gate a while ago, carrying your sister. He was shot from the other side of the gate. Your sister is fine. She's woken up and is asking for you."
Confusion crossed Natalie's face. She had seen her sister die; there was no way she could be here. Could she?
"She says she remembers waking up in a sarcophagus," Janet explained, "she was brought back by someone. I think it was Khnum."
Natalie's eyes closed and Ma'at took control again.
"She will only believe if she can see it for herself," Ma'at stated.
"I thought of that," Janet turned a motioned to someone behind her.
Selket was pushed over in a wheelchair by one of the nurses. Ma'at and Selket both let their hosts take over.
"El…" Natalie faltered.
"It's me," Ellie whispered, taking her sisters hand.
"But you…"
"I know," Ellie slowly stood up and embraced her sister, "but I'm back."
Tears ran down both of their faces as Natalie hugged her sister back. Janet and the nurse who pushed Selket over stepped back and Janet drew the curtain around the bed, giving the sisters some privacy.
"How are you feeling?" Daniel asked when he saw Sam walk into his office.
He was sitting in there with Teal'C, Jonas and Tabitha. Tabitha and Jonas had been telling them what they knew about Ma'at, Selket, Shait and Khnum.
"Better," Sam smiled as she sat down, "it'll be a week before we can travel again unless anything happens."
"That is good news," Teal'C stated.
"Other good news is that Selket is alive. Khnum brought her back through the gate, however he died in the process," Sam informed them.
"Does Natalie know?" Tabitha demanded.
Sam nodded. "Janet had Selket taken to Natalie and left them alone for a while before sending them both back to bed."
"Khnum brought her through?" Jonas looked slightly confused, "I thought that he was the Goa'uld the Tok'ra had locked up."
"Yes. He was shot at when he brought her through," Sam explained, "he died on the ramp."
"But that would mean that Khnum was the Tok'ra and Shait is the Goa'uld," Daniel said slowly.
"Was not Khnum locked up and Shait a Tok'ra?" Teal'C asked.
"They locked the wrong one up," Tabitha whispered to herself.
"Tabitha?" Jonas turned to her.
"They should have locked Shait up, not Khnum," Tabitha continued to mutter to herself, "how did they get it so wrong?"
Tabitha got up and walked out. After a moment Jonas got up and followed her leaving the other three in confusion.
He followed her to the infirmary and they both quietly walked over towards the two sleeping Tok'ra. They were lying on beds next to each other. Natalie kept waking up every so often to check that her sister was still there and it wasn't just a dream. Tabitha smiled slightly.
"They'll be alright," Jonas told her.
Tabitha turned to look at him. "And now we'll be able to get Shait. And bring her to justice for what she's done."
"What about her host?"
"I don't know."
"Tab…" Natalie muttered.
"Just rest," Tabitha walked over and pulled the covers over the Tok'ra's shoulder, "your sister is safe and you will both be fine. Rest now. We can talk later."
A few moments passed and Natalie settled down to sleep again and Tabitha stepped back. She nodded slightly to Jonas and the two of them left the infirmary.
"We should talk to General Hammond," Jonas stated.
"About what?" Tabitha asked.
"Staying here," Jonas explained, adding on quickly, "unless you really don't want to."
"We need to worry about Shait and her army first," Tabitha told him, "then we can worry about where we're going to stay. Though, I kinda like it here."
"They have escaped my lady," Khnum's first prime was knelt down in front of Shait who was currently sat on her throne, "however Khnum was hit."
"And the other?" Shait demanded, not looking down at him.
"We do not know."
"Be gone," she ordered.
The Jaffa got up and bowed before walking out of the room. Shait sat for a few moments longer before leaving the room herself. She had several things to deal with, including the fact that the sisters were now reunited. Together they would be able to stop her. She had to do something about them and quickly. Attacking Earth or the Tok'ra directly was out of the question. All she had to do was find somewhere else… yes, she knew exactly where she could attack.
"Well… this is fun," Ben broke the silence.
SG-1, SG-10, Jonas and Tabitha had been sitting watching 'Star Wars' when the lights and the television suddenly cut out leaving them in the dark and locked in the room until such time that they were rescued.
"So, are the two of actually going on a honeymoon together or what?" Jack asked.
"For the hundredth time, we're not going anywhere," Charlie sighed.
"Why not?" Jason turned to Charlie, who was sat next to him.
"I've told you why not."
"But I wanna go to England," Jason whined.
"Then go," Charlie exclaimed, "do you need me to hold your hand?"
"Yes."
"So, you're not going on a honeymoon then?" Alan asked.
Charlie groaned. "I give up."
"So you'll let me come?" Jason asked hopefully.
"Someone, kill me now, they'll never know who did it, please!"
"Is it really that bad?" Daniel spoke up, "I mean you could be married to one of the other two."
"Not helping Daniel," Sam told him.
"I do believe that the marriage rites of P4H-368 are void off of the planet," Teal'C stated, "therefore Captains Mendelo and Barker are not married and therefore have no reason to go on a honeymoon."
"You weren't supposed to tell them that," Ben complained, "now they won't go anywhere and the pool is void."
"Pool?" Tabitha questioned.
"There were bets placed on where the two of them would go for a honeymoon," Jonas explained.
"Can't they just pick a place and say that's where they would go and leave it at that?" Tabitha suggested.
"Sure, why not," Jack shrugged even though no one could see him, "so, where would it be?"
"England!" Jason declared.
TBC
As always thoughts, comments and suggestions are welcome.