"Sir—" Sam began.

"I need you to drop the formality," he told her as they reached the spot Teegan had described.

"Yes, sir—, I mean okay," she started pacing in circles around him. A million thoughts were fluttering through her head. The most pressing was trying to figure out if the cuffs Bettany had given her would be able to do what they claimed. Of course, the apparently bastardized cuff on her wrist was already doing something similar, so the 'if' it was possible wasn't as important as the why.

"Give me a flashlight," she held out her hand and waited for Jack to comply. She absently realized she'd just barked out an order to her CO, but didn't really care. Her CO was going to become her mentally bonded husband in the near future, so maybe barking out orders was the least of her problems.

Once Jack dug his penlight out of his pack, she held it in her mouth as she searched the cuff Bettany had given her for some sort of controls. Her fingernail scraped over a tiny groove, so she flicked at it. A tiny door flipped open revealing circuits.

"Son of a—" she bit off the curse and looked at Jack. "It's Ancient technology. Look at this."

"Are you telling me that a bunch of Ancients created these bracelets and did what? Decided the humans on this planet needed to psychically bond instead of—oh I don't know—a traditional marriage?" He was definitely as irritated as she was.

"Look at all the other Ancient technology we've found that was halfway developed and abandoned," she shrugged. "Why should this be a surprise?"

"I guess your right," He begrudgingly admitted. "Does knowing this help with our situation?"

"Not really," she sighed. "This technology is beyond what I can do. We may even be dealing with advanced nanotechnology."

When Jack didn't say anything she explained, "we've seen nano-bots change humans on the cellular level before. It's not a stretch to assume they can create some sort of bond between two humans. In other words, everything Teegan and Bettany told us is probably true."

Jack didn't know what to say. Of course he'd do absolutely anything to save Sam; he'd die to save her. But what Teegan and Bettany had described went beyond anything he could have imagined asking her to do. In less than one day, he'd gone from trying to ignore the acute need to be with Sam, to being told that the enthusiasm she displayed last night may have been due to some crazy psychic Ancient bonding thing. Then, no sooner had he barraged himself with the guilt of unwittingly affecting her emotions, he was faced with the reality that allowing himself to be with her may be the only way to save her. 'By any means necessary' had just taken on a completely different twist.

He inwardly cursed himself at how much the caveman part of him longed to claim her as his. His mind also screamed that she was being coerced into doing something else against her will. There had to be another way.

As Jack was fighting the war within himself Sam carefully watched him, trying to get any sense of what he was thinking. They couldn't just plan to get married in name only anymore. What they had to do required so much more. Sam knew that Jack would do anything, anything, to get her home, but she also knew his sense of duty and honor would tear at him. And while he'd willingly enter into the bonding, who knew what the cuffs would do to him if he tried to shield her by mentally fighting against it.

Sam wanted to weep as the reality of their situation began to sink in. This godforsaken planet had taken everything from her, and now it was going to sour what was between them before they even had a chance to explore it. That was what hurt the most; after everything they had sacrificed, she was going to have to sacrifice the idea of Jack ever choosing to be with her just because he wanted to be.

"Sir," she said, then stopped herself. "Jack," she began again, drawing his attention.

"Sam," he looked at her, and she cursed at the pain she saw in his eyes. "I wish we didn't have to do this," he said.

His words crushed her. With the slave cuff stripping her of the ability to keep her thoughts and emotions inside, she couldn't help but lash out.

"Of course you don't! We've been doing the same dance for six years, Jack; if you had wanted to make something out of this," she gestured between them, her hand snapping back and forth, "you would have by now. So it's painfully obvious that, while you care about me more than you should, I'm also being forced on you—permanently. And what's worse is that with this psychic link they describe, I'll know how much you don't want this every single day." Tears streamed down her cheeks and she was helpless to stop them.

"Christ, Sam," Jack closed the small distance between them and pulled her against him, his mouth seizing hers. His kiss wasn't gentle. Pulling back, his hands gripped the tops of her arms.

"Is that what you think; that I don't want you? You're a genius; how could you possibly believe that? I love you so much that it hurts every time I'm near you because I can't be with you! I'd willingly bind myself to you anytime and any place; you don't even have to ask," he pressed his forehead against hers. "The question is, do you feel the same way? If it wasn't for this crazy slaver cuff tech, would you be saying any of this?"

In response, Sam pulled his lips to hers. She put everything she felt into the kiss. She gave him her anger, her fear, but she also gave him her love. Knowing there was no way she could keep the depth of her feelings from him during what was to come, she made the choice to give him everything now. She may not control much, but she controlled this.

His mouth slipped from hers to kiss her neck, hitting a particularly delicate spot just beneath her ear. At her soft moan, she felt him do it again, before raining kisses along her jaw, over her cheeks, then recapturing her mouth.

Sam let herself enjoy the feel of him in her arms, his tight embrace; the strength of him clasping her body against his. She allowed herself to believe him; to believe in them.

"Sam," he whispered against her lips, before sinking back into her for another hot kiss. Her arms, having wound themselves around his neck, pulled him impossibly closer to her.

"Oh god, Jack I'm scared," she whispered, finally pulling back. "I'm not scared about being with you," she clarified at his look. "I'm scared that one day you'll wake up and regret what we're about to do."

"Sam," he cupped her face in his hands, forcing her to meet his eyes. "That will never happen." Reaching for the bonding cuffs she still held in her grasp, he took the smaller one and opened it. She gave him a quick nod and he fastened it around her free wrist. Holding out his arm, he waited while she fastened the larger cuff around his free wrist, the snap of the clasp echoing through the quiet woods.

"For better or for worse," she whispered.