Impressed? Four chapters (yes four) in 4 days. I'm on a roll folks. Thank you to all my lovely reviewers - you guys are amazing and I do this for you. One teeny complaint however - I've been whipping out chapters and really feel I need more reviews as a result (yes, I'm shameless). So, if you want me all to continue this streak - please, pretty please - send a review!

And now ... on to the next cliche!

"What? You lost him? How the hell could you lose him, and what does that even mean?" She looked between Teal'c, Daniel, who had told her, and Dixon. None of them would quite meet her eye. "What the hell happened – Sir," she finally asked Dixon.

"We don't know Major. It's just like Dr. Jackson said. One moment he was there, the next he wasn't. Look, we didn't do anything. It was that city."

"Daniel?"

"Dave's right Sam. It was the city. We tried to stop him from going in but he – uh"

"He what?"

"He shot Teal'c with his Zat and tied him up."

"He – Jack shot Teal'c?"

"He did Major Carter," Teal'c told her. "But I can assure you, he was not in his right mind."

"He wasn't -" Samantha slowly sank into her chair. "You mean there was something wrong before he disappeared?"

"The city affected him," Daniel said gently. "It obviously recognized his Ancient gene. Look, I know you're upset, but the important thing is we have to get back and find him. I'm going to stay and translate the words from the obelisk and Dave and Teal'c are going back with another team."

"I'm going too," she said calmly.

"Uh – I don't think General Hammond is going to allow that Sam," Daniel said gently.

Sam stood up, her face and body transforming into soldier mode. "I'll deal with the General. Get everything ready. I'll be with you as soon as I can."

"Sir, I need to be there. I'm the one that has the best chance of figuring it out. You know that."

"I understand Major, but pregnant women -"

"Damn it General! This is Jack we're talking about. The father of this child. I need to be there. And Teal'c assures me that pregnant women have been using the Gate for millennia with no problem. Please General. I have to go."

Hammond sighed and looked down at his desk. It was true that Major Carter had the best chance of figuring things out – if there were alien technology involved, that was. But from what Colonel Dixon, Dr. Jackson and Teal'c had said – there was nothing there but the Ancient obelisk. And Jackson was in process of trying to translate that.

He sighed again. But if he didn't let her go, she'd wear herself out with worry. Damn but these were the times that he hated the stars on his shoulder. "All right Major, you can go. But -" he held up his hand as she was to speak. "I'm sending Dr. Lee with you and I want your promise that you won't go too hard. I'm going to ask Teal'c to watch out for you and if he feels you are pushing yourself too much, he is under my orders to send you back. Is that understood?"

"Yes Sir – thank you. And don't worry. I'm going to take care of this baby, but I also have to help its father."

"I understand Sam. And good luck. You know we're all anxious to get him back."

"I know Sir."

Sam hurried from the General's office to gather up all the things she needed. She couldn't allow herself to think too hard – not about the fact that Jack could be – no, she wasn't going to go there. He had to be okay. They were just starting their life together and he couldn't go and get himself –

"Sam!" Janet Frasier stepped into the hallway and walked beside her friend. "What's this I hear about you going to the planet?"

"Don't try and dissuade me Janet. The General has already given me permission."

"I'm not. I just want to make sure you look after yourself – and that baby. I'm going to put together a first aid kit and some vitamins and nutritious snacks and one of my nurses is going with you. She'll watch out for you – and for everyone. And in case Colonel O'Neill is hurt -"

"He's okay Janet," she said sharply.

"I know honey – but just in case."

"Okay fine. I'm sorry Janet – I have to go."

"Okay. You look after yourself – and find him!" Janet watched as Sam hurried down the hallway, sighing to herself. "Oh honey – I hope for your sake he's all right."

There were nine of them on the return trip – just three hours after the original team, sans Jack, had returned. Dixon and Teal'c were returning, along with Sam, Dr. Lee, Nurse Penny Johnson, and Sg3. Daniel had remained behind to continue to try and translate the encryptions on the obelisk. He had taken pictures of all of them before returning to Earth.

"Did you notice any kind of power surge or geomagnetic interference before he disappeared?" Sam asked Dixon.

"No. The only thing that happened was the buildings glowed so brightly we couldn't see anything. There was no – wait, just at the moment the lights were brightest, I remember hearing -", he paused.

"What Colonel?"

"You'll think I'm crazy, but – I heard a laugh. A crazy laugh you know – like something out of a -" he stopped again.

"Out of a -?"

Dixon sighed. "A horror movie. I'm sure it was just my imagination."

Sam certainly hoped so. She didn't want to even think of Jack in some kind of horrible scenario. God, she prayed he was okay, that he'd been transported somewhere and was making his way back to her – to them.

But what if he was transported to another planet? No – no that couldn't happen. He was nowhere near the Stargate and she was pretty sure an obelisk wouldn't send someone across the galaxy. At least she hoped not. One never knew about those Ancients, though.

By the time they reached the city she was slightly out of breath. She was healthy and used to physical activity, but the baby was bigger now and it made it harder to walk briskly. She noticed Nurse Johnson keeping her eyes on her – but so far she hadn't said anything.

They were a couple of hundred meters out, when Dixon stopped. "Does that look like what I think it looks like?" he asked.

Everyone peered ahead, but it was Teal'c who answered. "The city is beginning to glow. It is much fainter than with O'Neill, but it is definitely there."

"That's what I thought," Dixon sighed. "Any ideas as to why that would be? As far as I know, none of us have Ancient blood, unless you've been holding out on us Reynolds?"

"Not me," the other Colonel shook his head.

It was Lieutenant Bosco of Sg3 who figured it out. "The baby," he exclaimed.

Sam turned to him quickly. "What do you mean?"

"The baby – it's Colonel O'Neill's right?"

"Of course," she frowned, wondering what he was getting at.

"Well, the baby has obviously inherited the Ancient gene from him and the city recognizes that."

"Oh my God," Sam said, placing her hand protectively on her stomach.

"Samantha should return to the Stargate," Teal'c said quickly. "We do not know what will happen."

"No – I'm not going back! Maybe we'll be able to figure things out because of this."

"But Sam," Reynolds said. "What if you disappear too?"

"Then at least I'll know what happened to Jack," she said defiantly.

"What if we compromise," Dave Dixon said. "We'll make sure and stay close and if she starts acting strangely, we'll hot foot her back to the Stargate. I mean, the glow is way less so maybe nothing will happen."

They conferred for the next few minutes, but finally everyone agreed that Sam could go forward. She had the greatest likelihood of figuring things out – not just because of her familiarity with alien technology, but because she was just plain brilliant.

With that decided, Dixon and Sg3 split up to search the city while the scientists, Nurse Johnson and Teal'c set up Sam's equipment on the edge of the square by the obelisk. She immediately began a scan of the area. Soon she was immersed in her science and her worry about Jack, although always present, managed to move to the background for a while.

As soon as his teammates had returned to Earth, Jack had wandered around the edge of the city, looking at it from every side and angle. For some reason – which he didn't want to name – he was hesitant to enter into the city proper. There was something off about the place. What it was he couldn't tell – but he didn't like it.

And that took him back to thinking about himself. He too felt off. It wasn't that he felt invisible – not that he'd know how that felt exactly, but he certainly felt solid to his own touch. And he could interact with the city. He felt the walls and the floor and couldn't put his hand through any of the buildings. But still, he didn't feel like he was all quite present. His body felt weird, tingly and not like himself. He kicked a stone that was lying on the ground and – his foot when right through it.

He sighed. Now why the hell had that happened? Why could he interact with some things, and not with others? What sadistic Ancient had done this?

After having done a complete walk around the perimeter of the city he finally stopped and looked down one of the streets. He let out a small groan. If he was going to figure this out he had to investigate. Being a coward and skulking around the edge wasn't going to take him anywhere except to crazy.

"Come on Jack," he muttered to himself. "Get your ass in gear." With a deep breath he turned inward and within seconds was walking down a narrow, dark street. It was bordered, on either side, by one-story buildings. He figured they must have been people's homes – simple and small but neatly designed. He walked into a few of the ones that were more or less intact although most of them had crumbled until there was little left but the outline of the outer walls.

Inside the intact ones there was nothing – nothing but some broken stones from crumbling walls. Anything and everything else had been removed or had deteriorated over time. He wished he'd asked Daniel how old he thought the place was.

Forty-two thousand eight hundred and sixty-two Earth years and forty-seven days, popped into his brain. "What?" He glanced around. He was pretty sure no one had spoken, so why had that number appeared in his mind. He shook his head. He was imagining things.

He turned left at the end of the street, deciding to see if the library had fallen apart or whether it was still there. He'd walked almost a whole block before he realized what he'd been thinking. How did he know about the library? How did he even know there was a library or where it was? This whole thing was really starting to bother him. Thoughts and knowledge were popping into his mind and he had no idea how. It's not like he'd stuck his – oh crap! Had he stuck his head into a sucky thing and just didn't remember? Maybe they'd arrived at the city and he'd seen one of those things and had had an irresistible desire to put his head into it again.

"No way O'Neill!" he said out loud. If he'd seen one of those things he would have run away, screaming. It was not an occurrence he wanted to repeat. Although meeting the Asgard had been cool.

But no. He did not get another download because his brain felt just fine, thank you very much. He just knew a couple of things he shouldn't. That's all. And he could still think and talk in English. At least he thought he could. What if he was speaking Ancient and he didn't know. It's not like there was anyone there to tell him. Oh shit!

"Oh thank goodness," he exclaimed, a moment later, when the library came into view. On the outside it was a non-descript building, but he knew it contained the knowledge that all his people had accumulated over millennia.

Wait – not his people. The Ancients! So he had a little tiny gene. It didn't mean he was related to them – not really. It was just a fluke. One of his ancestors had had a fling and the result was he, Jack, could made things glow and it caused him to get his head, and now apparently his whole body, sucked into things he really didn't want to get sucked into.

He entered the building and could immediately feel something. He shook his head but that didn't stop it. Instead he was drawn over to the console – a flat surface that didn't look like anything at all until he put his hand down. Then the whole thing lit up like a Christmas tree. He grinned. Things were looking up. He suddenly felt hopeful, where a minute ago he'd been pretty – what? Depressed? Afraid? Pissed? Yeah, all three.

It should have felt strange – should have, but didn't. Unlike regular Earth libraries, this one had all its information stored in a kind of supercomputer. All he had to do was think what he wanted and the knowledge basically popped into his brain. Or downloaded into it – he frowned. He was pretty sure he was only accessing small bits of information this time, not like the time he'd downloaded the whole library. This he could handle …. he hoped.

"So, what do you need?" he asked himself. "Hmm, okay library, why am I invisible?"

The information began to flood into his brain. He saw his people – the Ancients – and their quest for knowledge. He watched as they explored, as they seeded the universe. He saw, and understood, how they build the Stargates – it was so simple. How could he not have known?

He continued to see them, as their civilization progressed. They were a great people, a brilliant people. But then he felt, rather than saw, the moment they began to be dissatisfied with what they had. Many felt they couldn't learn any more – there was nothing left, in this universe, for them to discover.

Contentment fled and in it's place – anger, resentment, dissatisfaction. Turmoil as people no longer wanted what they had. Instead they looked for something different, for something greater, for something beyond their reality.

They looked to leave the universe and move to a new plain of existence, a greater one.

And that's what this planet was all about.

Jack gasped and pulled his hand back. He was dizzy and sweating and more frightened than he ever had been.

"God damn it! I've ascended!"

"Damn it!" Sam wanted to scream. Nothing seemed to be working right and so far she hadn't found a thing that would explain what had happened to Jack. There were no readings whatsoever from the stupid obelisk. She wanted to go over and kick it. No, she wanted to take a mallet and smash the thing to smithereens. She wanted to break it into a thousand pieces and throw the pieces into space. She hated the damn thing.

"Major Carter." She started and looked around, and then felt foolish when she realized it was her radio. She had left it on the field table with her scanner. She rushed over and picked it up. "Colonel! Have you found something?"

"I believe so Major Carter," Dixon replied. "There appears to be some kind of Ancient technology in one of the buildings. I'm sending Reynolds back to your position. He'll bring you here."

"Thanks Colonel, I'll be ready."

"I shall accompany you," Teal'c told her. He'd been her shadow all day – something which normally would have driven her crazy, but right now, right here, made her feel safe. She also knew that Teal'c was as determined to find Jack as she was.

"Dr. Lee," she called over to the scientist who was on his back, beside the obelisk, trying to find something, anything that might give them a clue. Sam knew it was hopeless. There was nothing there.

"Yes Major?"

"Sg3 have discovered some Ancient technology. I'm going to go with Teal'c and check it out. Can you stay here and continue to examine the obelisk."

"Of course," Lee answered, although he didn't look too happy. She didn't blame him. At least Nurse Johnson was there to help him and give him some company. And she had to smile a little bit. She was sure that Dr. Lee was smitten with the pretty nurse.

Little did Sam – or the others – know that they had just found the Ancient library – the very one that Jack had already discovered. In fact, he had left it moments before Sg3 appeared but had wandered to the far side of the city, unaware that anyone had returned.

"Oh my God!" Daniel sat staring at the page in front of him. He'd just managed to translate – albeit roughly – one whole panel of the obelisk. He grabbed the paper and headed for the door. He had to see the General.

"Come," Hammond called. He'd been sitting at his desk, trying to get through paperwork that needed to go to Washington. The Air Force ran on paperwork. Unfortunately, his mind was not on his task. He couldn't stop thinking about Jack and praying that they'd find him. It was as he was sitting, staring at the wall in front of him that a knock sounded on the door. A moment later Daniel Jackson entered.

"Dr. Jackson. Have you discovered something?"

"Yes, yes I have. And I'm afraid – it's not good news."

Hammond briefly closed his eyes, and then he opened them and spoke calmly to the archaeologist and linguist, who had become such an important part of the Stargate program. "What is it?"

"I think I know what happened to Jack."

"And?"

"Well, according to the obelisk – and I've only translated part of it so far – the planet was settled as a place of attainment for the Ancients."

Hammond frowned. "Attainment? What does that mean?"

"Well, it's a place for spiritual enlightenment and – uh – attainment."

"Dr. Jackson, please. Speak plainly."

"Well, we know that the Ancients are no longer with us because they – supposedly ascended to a higher plain of existence."

"Yes, that's what the theory is."

"Well, this planet is where they made that happen."

"What? Dr. -"

"They went there to ascend General. At least, that's what the writings say. I think - that's what's happened to Jack."

Hammond looked at him blankly for all of twenty seconds. At the end of that time he blinked and shook his head. "What?"

"The planet was developed as a place where Ancients could go who wanted to leave this universe. It was there to help them on their journey – to assist them. According to the writings, those "most worthy will cause great light to shine and will be transported to a place of beauty and glory. They will leave behind their mortal body, and their soul will be one with the universe."

"And you think this means – but Jack's body wasn't found."

"No, at least we haven't found it and maybe we never will. Hopefully we won't. But I think -"

"You think he's out there, somewhere, on another plain of existence? What the hell does that mean Dr. Jackson?"

"I think it means – he's experiencing something wonderful. I think he's experiencing things most of us never will. I'm almost envious of him."

"Damn, damn, damn!" Jack shouted. He hated this! He was alone except for the eerie noises he kept hearing. Sometimes he thought he even saw shadows flitting around corners and just out of his sight.

He was bored and scared and he didn't know what to do. He'd been ascended without his permission and now he was stuck – forever it seemed – in some kind of hellish limbo. And he couldn't even leave the confines of the city.

Which suddenly made him wonder where everyone else was. If this had been a place to ascend and if Ancients had flocked here, where were they now? Why weren't they wandering around like him?

Unless they knew what they were doing and had figured out how to leave this place. He'd have to go back to the library and find out more.

He headed back, although he really didn't want to go. He basically wanted to sit down and throw a tantrum. But if he was going to get out of this he had to have all the information he could find. It was only as he approached the library that he saw people dressed in BDU's. He breathed a huge sigh of relief. They hadn't forgotten him. He just hoped one of them would figure out how to un-ascend him - or was it de-ascend? He sighed. Whatever – he just wanted his life back.

The next thing he knew, he was standing right beside Dixon and Lieutenant Bosco and Major Peterson. "Whoa, that was weird." It seemed as though all he had to do was wish something and he was there. Teleportation! He snickered. He had two superpowers now – although they didn't do him much good. "Stargate", he said suddenly. Of course, nothing happened and he remained where he was.

Well, at least Dixon had brought Sg3 back with him. He was all of Sg3 except Reynolds. He wondered where he was.

Oh well - way to go General! Sg3 was great and along with Sg1 were sure to figure things out. He hoped.

"It's really strange Sir," Bosco was saying. "There's no evidence the Colonel was even here. What could have happened to him?"

"He got sucked by Ancient "Screw-with-O'Neill" technology," Jack informed them, although of course they couldn't hear.

"I don't know Lieutenant," Dixon said, "but we're not going to give up till we find him."

"I always did like you Dixon. I'm gonna take you out and buy you a steak and as many beer as you want when we get home."

"O'Neill is gonna owe me big time though," Dixon grinned. "I'm not gonna let him forget I had to rescue his butt – again."

"Again? Since when did you - okay, maybe once or twice, but I seem to remember returning the favor a few times. Still, I will owe you for this Dave. Ascension ain't what it's cracked up to be!"

"Here comes Major Carter," Peterson said softly. "This must be hard on her."

"Sam is here?" O'Neill whipped around, to see Sam walking with Reynolds, followed by Teal'c. Oh God – it was so good to see her. He wanted to rush up to her and throw his arms around her, but knew it would do no good. Shit, double shit! He hated the damned Ancients.

"What did you find?" she asked as she got to the front of the library.

"We don't know Major – just that it looks like there's some kind of – well technology, maybe. It's the only place we've found with anything in it."

"Okay, let me see." As she stepped closer the slight glow of the buildings increased. Teal'c reached out and took her arm.

"Major Carter!"

"I know Teal'c. I see it too. I'll be careful, I promise."

"What?" What was happening? Jack looked around and only then noticed the glow. What the hell? What was causing - ?

"I shall remain with you Samantha," Teal'c told her. "I will protect you and your child."

"You're sure you're okay with this Major?" Dixon asked. "We don't know what will happen with you carrying the Ancient gene."

"Ancient gene? Sam doesn't – oh crap! The baby. Go back Sam! Don't go in there. No!" There was no way in hell his woman and child were going to get sucked into whatever hell he was in. He ran up to her and tried to grab her, to prevent her from entering the library, but of course he couldn't. His hands went right through her.

"Damn it!" he shouted to the wind. "Why are you doing this? What the hell was wrong with you people! You will nottake my child!" He watched in despair as Sam walked into the building. Fortunately, the glow didn't change and it was much less than it had been with him. Hopefully she'd – they'd be okay.

He followed her in – actually walking right into and through Teal'c, which was weird – and watched as she looked around the room. She had one of her doohickeys out and was scanning everything.

He wanted to point her in the direction of the console, but had no way of doing so. It wouldn't be obvious to anyone although he trusted that eventually she'd find it. He wondered if she – or any of them – could turn it on.

"Sam, over here," he motioned to her when she turned the wrong way. Crap! He hated this. "SAM," he shouted. That did nothing although he thought he heard that damned laugh again.

He sighed and went over to the wall and slid down it until he was sitting. It's not that he was getting tired – he'd discovered he didn't get tired. But it was a change from standing.

He sat back and watched as the woman he loved tried to save him. He only prayed she could do it.