Chapter Twenty-one
Sam sat in her lab playing with a complex genetic computer model while she waited for Daniel to finish the translation. The seventh Crystal proved to not be broken after all, it simply had an amazing secure lock placed on it. Ba'al had looked like he was going to have a stroke while he unlocked it. And his bellowing of indignantly when they hadn't released him still echoed in Sam's mind.
"Not that I mind." Sam smiled.
As she muddled about pointlessly with the program Sam suddenly found herself just staring blankly at the screen. A pleasantly warm feeling fell over her, like sleeping in on a rainy day. A comforting sense of complete safety made Sam realize that something unusual was happening.
"Ki'ya?"
"I'm sorry, Samantha."
"For what? What are you doing?"
"I was looking through your memories...I didn't think it would affect you."
"What were you looking for?"
"Nothing."
"Ki'ya." Sam said sternly.
"I...I was just enjoying the...the protective males in your life." Ki'ya said meekly.
"What?"
"I've never felt safe around males, I've never actually been safe around them, and I've never been allowed female company. I was just experiencing the times in your life when your male friends have laid their lives on the line to protect you. It's a wonderful feeling."
"It's what human interaction is supposed to be like." Sam smiled.
"I wish Goa'uld interaction could be similar."
A small rush of fear told Sam that Ki'ya was thinking of what had happened with Gabriel. Dr. Brightman had been unable to isolate any unusual hormones in Sam or Ki'ya's systems yet that accounted for it. It was begining to look like it had been stress induced.
Although Ki'ya still seemed to make Daniel a little ill, Gabriel claimed to no longer be suffering any ill effects from being near her. Even still Daniel always seemed to make sure Jack was around when venturing anywhere near her now.
Sam almost wondered if what Daniel was feeling wasn't psychosomatic. He had to be just as horrified by the experience as anyone else, if not maybe even a little more so. Sam was still fully willing to believe that it had mainly been a result of Daniel and Gabriel's battle against Ba'al, mixed with Ki'ya's own feelings about the System Lord. There was only one thing about it that confused her.
"Ki'ya?"
"Yes?"
"Why didn't you suppress me and just run when Gabriel was having trouble?"
"Because General O'Neill said that if I ever took control of you that...that I couldn't stay." Ki'ya admitted. "I love being with you and I didn't want to risk making him angry."
"Well it was very brave of you, and I do appreciate it." Sam smiled. "But I'm sure General O'Neill would have understood."
"I don't know. He is far more protective of you than the others."
"That's not true."
"Yes it is and you know it."
"Ki'y..."
"Why else would you have chosen not to tell him what happened?"
"I was just a little afraid for Gabriel's safety."
"Then I rest my case." Ki'ya giggled.
Sam couldn't help by laugh as well.
"What I don't understand is what keeps you from admi..."
Much to Sam's relief a knock at the door interrupted Ki'ya's thoughts.
"It's not locked."
Daniel stepped into Sam's lab with an odd mix of hesitation and excitement on his face. His very first act was to glance over at the empty aquarium on the counter. When he saw that Ki'ya wasn't there he shifted his weight uncomfortably. He held a folder in his hand with a large quantity of paper in it.
"Is that the translation?" Sam asked holding out her hand.
"Yes, yes it is." Daniel lost his uneasiness instantly. "And you're simply not going to believe it."
"I'll take that as a good 'I'm-not-going-to-believe-it'."
"Well I'm not really into the technical stuff, but from what I can tell Ba'al knows how to subtract, he just can't add."
"You're kidding!" Sam replied in excitement.
Sam opened the folder that Daniel had handed her. Even just a quick glance told her that this was what they had been looking for. Ba'al had isolated the properties of Goa'uld genetics that allowed for their fascinating genetic memory. He had even developed some very solid theories on how to remove it. What had been driving the Tok'ra insane was his attempts at installing new Goa'uld based memories.
"This is going to change everythi..."
Sam was stopped short when she was suddenly overtaken by a powerful feeling of betrayal. Her skin felt suddenly heated and she was fairly certain that she was flushed. She put the folder down, backed away from her desk and took a deep breath to calm her scoreless anger.
"He lied to me."
"Ki'ya? Is that you? What's happe..."
"Samantha!"
The rage in Sam's boiling blood degraded into a bone chilling fear. Before she could adjust to the transition she was knocked to the floor. Still dizzy from the switch in her emotions Sam simply tried to get back to her feet.
A heavy weight suddenly pressed down on her, preventing her from getting up. Sam shook her head to clear it and looked up into Daniel/Gabriel's cobalt eyes that held that unusual predatory look. The express was so unlike either of them she couldn't be sure who was in control, but she had a good guess.
"Gabriel," Sam said firmly "get off me and let Daniel go."
Ki'ya's fear mixed with her own as Gabriel leaned in and bit down on her lower lip. Sam pushed against his chest even though she had no hope of moving him. The way he was laying on her prevented her from effectively kicking him.
When Gabriel released his kiss to breath she drew a deep breath herself to scream for help. Sam adrenaline spiked as Gabriel clamped Daniel's hand down over her mouth to keep her silent. With his free hand he went to tear her jacket open. She grabbed on to his wrist to stop him, however his strength was beyond anything she had ever encountered.
Ki'ya's fear became so intense that Sam was paralyzed by it. Memories of a violent encounter with a fellow Cadet back at the Academy flooded her senses. Determined not to let it happen again, Sam reached up and dug her nails into the back of Daniel's neck.
Gabriel cried out in his screeching voice. He shook his head violently and looked down at his captive. His brow furrowed in confusion as his eyes slowly came back into focus. Gabriel gasped in shock when he realized what was happened and scrambled away. Sam leapt to her feet and retrieved her sidearm from the counter drawer.
"Sam..." Gabriel started as he got to his feet.
"Stay away from us!"
"No, Sam, please...tha...that wasn't me...at least I...I don't think it was...I honestly don't know who had control..."
"Gabriel, Daniel would never hur..."
"Neither would I!"
"You just did."
"Gabriel! Let me go! Right
now!" "Daniel, something's wrong with
her." "Something's wrong with
Daniel fought bitterly to regain control, however Gabriel put all his focus into keeping him locked away. There had been no warning this time, the carnal instinct had simply seized his senses. He didn't even remember pinning her down.
"Ki'ya leave Sam...now." Gabriel demanded in a dangerous growl.
"Samantha, if he sees me, actually sees me he'll...he'll..." Ki'ya broke down into tears that split down Sam's cheeks.
"Stay where you are." Sam replied silently and then raised her voice to Gabriel. "Gabriel, let Daniel go, you have no right to hold him, and no right to tell Ki'ya to leave."
"Sam..."
Gabriel warped his arms around his stomach and dry heaved violently. He looked up at Sam desperatly, but she didn't step forward to help him. Seeing his defeat Gabriel hung his head. Daniel snapped his head up.
"How dare you suppress me like that!" Daniel roared suddenly.
"Daniel, you have to get Ki'ya out..."
Daniel forced Gabriel to the back of his thoughts so violently that the Goa'uld was temporarily silenced. He took a step away from Sam and towards the door. Sam watched his every move apprehensively. She tried to hide her trembling, but failed.
"Sam...are you okay?"
"I'm fine Daniel, please, just keep Gabriel away from us."
Daniel nodded and left. He ran down to his office, his heart racing in a combination of fear and fury. As he stepped into his office he could hear Gabriel moan in pain as he woke. A sickening feeling of confusion swept over Daniel as Gabriel regained his senses.
"Out!"
"Daniel...please, listen to me. I think...I think Ki'ya did this to us on purpose. You can't leave Sam alone, we have to help her."
"What?"
"I think Ki'ya has full control over that scent she puts out. Why does it only seem to happen when we're alone with her?"
"Get out!" Daniel hissed darkly.
"Dan..."
"I will not stand here and listen to you blame the victim!"
"But what if I'm the victim here?" Gabriel asked sadly.
"You aren't."
"You can't know tha..."
"I want you out!"
"Daniel, you are not thinking straight..."
"Could that be because you just tried to rape my best friend using my body?! All because you can't handle your own hormones?!"
"No...it...it wasn't like that." Gabriel stuttered. "It was like nothing I've ever experienced."
"That doesn't even begin to excuse your behaviour!"
"You mated with Hathor against your will!" Gabriel snarled angrily.
"But not against hers."
"What if this wasn't? What if this is what Ki'ya wanted?"
"If that was even remotely true she would have suppressed Sam to keep her from figh..."
"No, not for sex. What if she's trying to drive us apart?"
"Then she's succeeded."
"Da..."
"Don't make me call Dr. Brightman to have you removed by force." Daniel growled icily.
Gabriel went to say more in his defense, but he could feel that there was no point. Daniel was too angry, and too shaken to be reasoned with at the moment. Gabriel's own heart was in so much pain that he no longer had the will to fight at the moment anyway. He slipped tears down Daniel's face and made one last plea.
"Daniel, please, please, please just have Ki'ya leave Sam until we can figure this out."
Gabriel could feel Daniel conceding to his request so he released him. He reached up and grabbed a hold of Gabriel roughly enough to cause him to squeak in pain. Tears still ran down Daniel's face even though Gabriel had left and he brushed them away angrily as he stepped over to the aquarium.
Once in the water Gabriel did a few slow figure-eights against the front glass. When Daniel made no move to touch the glass Gabriel sank down to the bottom of the tank and laid there listlessly.
Still furious Daniel left his office, slamming the door hard enough to vibrate the surface of the water is Gabriel's aquarium. For the first time that he could remember he actually locked the door. Out in the hall he started to drag his hands through his hair, but stopped himself as he realized that the trait was something of Gabriel's that had rubbed off on him.
Daniel made his way back to Sam's lab slowly, allowing them both time to recover. He had no idea what he was going to say, but he had to try and make things right. At the very least he wanted to make sure that she was okay.
Getting to the door he found it locked. He knocked, but received no answer. The lock into Sam's lab was not a simple one. She and Jack were the only ones with access to it, something that had never bothered Daniel before. He never had reason to be there if she wasn't.
"Sam? It's Daniel...just Daniel."
Daniel waited at the closed door for a moment before giving up on it. When he turned around he found Teal'c standing a few feet away. It was not the first time the Jaffa had approached him silently and then simply waited to be noticed. It never failed to surprise Daniel how well the large man could sneak up on him.
"Teal'c, have you seen Sam?"
"She informed me that she was going home for the evening."
"Did she take Ki'ya with her?"
"She did not wish me to approach, so I could not sense one way or the other." Teal'c replied. "Colonel Carter seemed extremely distraught."
"She has every right to be." Daniel sighed.
"Daniel Jackson, what has happened?"
"You were right Teal'c...Gabriel can't control himself."
"And Ki'ya can?"