Disclaimer: See chapter one

A/N: I'm not at all happy with the way this chapter originally turned out. It was not the best idea that I ever had so here's where the real rewriting begins. I hope that you enjoy.

Chapter Eleven: Helpless


Leigh had just begun to eat when another plate joined hers on the table. She would recognize that had anywhere, and she heaved an inward sigh that he still chose to sit with her. She'd thought that she'd made her preference on matters very clear. That she'd memorized every visible aspect of Dr. Jackson didn't bare thinking about. When or why she'd done so was not anything that bore thinking on. Particularly when he left her so prickly that she wanted to scream. She shoved her sandwich into her mouth and cocked her eye brows at him.

"You'll have to hit me harder than that to get rid of me," Was his only response as he settled himself in a chair across from her. "A lot harder. If you were trying to convince me that I should fear your ability to hurt me, you've failed miserably. You could have gotten away with a little more force than that." He sipped at a cup, eyes squarely on hers. He was challenging her.

"Maybe I just want to keep you off balance," She suggested. "After all, who knows how long I'll be able to stand this place? If you somehow managed to get me all figured out, it would be bad for escape attempts." She shrugged. "Or I really could just hate you that much. You have been persistently dogging me about things that are much better left in the dark."

"Is that what you call wanting to get to know you?" He asked, face turning entirely serious. "I get that you have stuff you'd rather forget, but I really don't think that you hate me. I have a theory, feel free to correct it if it's-" A loud alarm sounded, as red signal light started to flash. Leigh couldn't remember that last time that she'd been so grateful for some kind of catastrophe. There was a feeling deep in her gut that told her that she wouldn't like his theory in the least.

"Unscheduled off world activation," A voice called over the loud speaker as Daniel was rising to his feet. She couldn't help but admire the way that he moved, ready for action.

"If I told you to stay here would you?" He asked, voice raised to talk over the sirens. Something in her face must have told him the answer to that question, because he just shook his head. "Come on if you're coming," He called over his shoulder as he headed towards the elevator. Leigh didn't have to be asked twice, and caught up by the time he was at the commissary doors. There was no telling if she'd ever get a chance like this one again. She wasn't passing it up.

The sirens had stopped by the time the elevator reached it's destination, and Colonel O'Neill met them at the elevator. He didn't look happy, but he didn't tell her to leave either so Leigh stayed right where she eyes passed over her as he took a place beside Dr. Jackson.

"I was just about to come find you," The Colonel said. "There's been an incident on P9X732. They need us. The briefs in five," O'Neill's eyes turned to her, he was really unhappy about something. "Hammond wants you there too." Well, that would explain it. "Against my better judgment, he seems to think that your expertise will make you an asset to us. You get to show us what you've got. Don't screw up."

My expertise? They knew who she was, and with enough digging with the British, they would have been able to find out a few things at least. Fear at what this all meant, and anger at the man that had been so rude battled for control. If they needed her expertise, then someone was in a very bad position.


Daniel felt Leigh tense up beside him, and gave her hand a quick, hard squeeze in warning. He didn't like Jack's tone either, but Jack wouldn't be in a mood like this unless the situation was bad. The last thing anyone needed was for there to be a fight right now. Much to his surprise, Daniel got a squeeze back, and Leigh didn't let go. He glanced at her out of the corner of his eye. She looked like she wasn't sure if she should be angry, or terrified. There were few things he wouldn't have given up at that moment to know what was going on in her head. Then she let go, and it was all tucked back away again. Nothing but the cool, tightly controlled facade.

They entered the briefing room, and took seats, Leigh surprising him yet again by sitting by his side. Her eyes stayed focused on her hands as they clenched and unclenched. It was the only sign that she wasn't as impassive as she wanted them all to believe. Jack hadn't accompanied them, heading off to find the others no doubt. "He didn't mean to insult you. Jack's just very blunt, and if it something extremely terrible hasn't happened, then we wouldn't be meeting on such short notice."

"Don't think that I don't know that. At least the part with the catastrophic event. No one ever thinks that they need my expertise without one," She laid her hands out flat on the table, and closed her eyes. "Usually they're right." She folded her arms in front of her on the table, and she laid her head down on them. "I'll do what I can to help, but I'm not sure what I'll be able to do that a group of trained military personnel can't."

"I assume you mean besides become invisible," Came a caustic voice near the door as Jack entered the room. "Because we still haven't figured out how to do that."

"Jack," Daniel spoke up this time. There was really no reason at all for him to be riling Leigh's feathers so much. He was upset that she was going with them, that made sense, but enough was enough. "Now's really not the time for this little vendetta of yours."

"No," Leigh broke in, rising to her feet. "Let him say what he has to say. After all, you've saved the world more times than I care to think about it needing to be saved. What am I but an insignificant little nothing that somehow managed to assist in the creation of a device none of you can even begin to imagine. After all, you had to work for every little thing, how could someone with something inside her that helps her do her job compare? What would I be without my cloak, or my nanites? I know how to take orders," She assured, eyes on Jack's. "You don't have to fear that I'll be insubordinate Colonel. I know first hand how annoying that can be on the battlefield."

"That's enough people. We've got men to save," Hammond's voice proceeded him and the rest of SG-1 into the briefing room. "Whatever personal issues the two of you may have, I strongly suggest that you leave them at the door. We have two teams that have gone AWOL on an uninhabited planet, and we're very damn well going to find out why." So it was that the briefing began.


I can't do this. Leigh thought with desperation as she stood in front of the stargate. She couldn't walk through this ring of water and go to another planet. Couldn't find the lost people and bring them home. Not without Deirdra, not without a computer. She started to turn back, but a strong chest blocked her way, and a shiver went down her spine.

"I know that it's frightening the first time through," Dr. Jackson whispered into her ear. Another shiver went up her spine. "You wanted to be useful, let's go."

"Oh, just shove her through," Jack groused from behind them. That prompted Leigh forward as nothing else would have. If she was going to step into another planet, she was most definitely going to do it on her own power. The sensation was like nothing that she'd ever felt before, and then she was stumbling to her knees on the other side. She was cold, and nauseous and it was all that she could do to roll out of the way so that no one would step on her.

"Are you okay?" Daniel sounded much to well as he came out on to the platform and knelt beside her. "It's always hardest the first time," He assured her as he helped her to her feet. "I'm not sure if it's the being taken apart of the being put together, but it takes some getting used to." Thankfully, she was on her feet and feeling a little better before the Colonel and the rest came through the gate. She really didn't think that she could take another verbal beating. Not now. Then she caught a glimpse of the view, and all other thoughts left her mind.

They were on the edge of cliff, perhaps a hundred feet or so from a sheer drop off, and the sky was amazing. She couldn't remember having seen the one back home so blue. There was the sound of falling water in the near distance, and Leigh closed her eyes for a moment, breathing in the fresh pollution free air. This place was heaven.

"Maybe they just decided that they liked it here too much to leave," Leigh called over her shoulder. They were gathering, and she knew she should too, there was already so much tension in the air. She really didn't want to. She had been at the mission brief, she knew what she was supposed to be doing. Right now, it seemed like her time would be better spent enjoying this wonderful view before she was forced underground yet again. That's where they were going to go, underground. Thankfully nothing had been mentioned of her past exploits in the briefing, but she had little doubt that her being her had to do with her countless hours spent in recon and retrieval. There was something that they hadn't been told, she was sure. There usually was when she was involved.

She walked to the edge of the cliff, and sat down taking in the sea of trees that she could see in the distance. The sprawling prairies. There was a gorgeous waterfall just below her and to her right. She could imagine living here. Staying here for the rest of eternity, it would be nice. With no one else around there would be nothing but peace, and quiet. It would be very lonely. Where that thought came from Leigh wasn't sure. Loneliness was something that she'd always felt most keenly when surrounded by people. She didn't see how somewhere to beautiful where simple survival would be her only goal would be lonely.

"Can we stay here for a few more minutes?" She asked as she heard footsteps coming up behind her. She glanced over to see Dr. Jackson, not that she was surprised. He seemed to be the only one in the group the even remotely trusted her. "It's pretty, I like it here."

"We really need to get going," His voice was apologetic. "There's not telling what might be happening to the missing teams."

"I know," She murmured. "I just..." She stopped herself with a shake of her head, and got to her feet carefully. There was no need to let Dr. Jackson in on her innermost desires. "What's that?" She asked frowning as a deep rumbling came to her ears. Then the ground began to buck and shake around them. Leigh grabbed for Daniel as she threw herself away from the edge of the cliff. She caught him, and then together they fell, and kept falling. Then they hit water, hard, and it was all that she could to keep treading. All around her was dark, cold. Frantically she reached out for Daniel, and caught another hand flailing just like hers had been. Together they made it to an outcropping and dragged themselves onto it coughing and spluttering, and completely helpless.