TWO

Once they had got her bag, they proceeded to Jack's car. He had taken her suitcase from her, but she insisted that she then have the 'baby bag' back, so she didn't feel like he was doing everything for her. Smiling gently he agreed. Once they got to his car, Mac made a make-shift booster seat for Sarah. Taking out the drink bottles, and some biscuits, before putting the baby bag on the seat, trying to get it, so she would be sitting on some clothes. Once Sarah was taken care of, Mac gave the toddler some biscuits, before getting in her self.

Most of the trip was done in silence. Sighing however when she saw a familiar park that she and Sam had gone to once, she couldn't help but look at her hands and start the conversation, no matter how brief it was going to be.

"How is she? Janet never really said anything other then that she was badly injured and in a coma, and that I should be here," she said gently, staring out the windscreen. Glancing at her as he drove, Jack couldn't help but see the vulnerable side of her.

"She's not too bad, it looks worse then it is. Or that's what the doc is saying," he smiled gently as she looked up at him. Nodding she turned to look out the window.

"Can I ask how it happened? Or are you going to be like Sam and tell me that it's classified?"

"Sorry," was his simple reply. Nodding she sighed once again, before reading the sign that caught her gaze.

"Cheyenne Mountain," stopping she looked to her left to see him showing his ID. 'Man this is going to get some getting used to,' she thought.

"Yep this is our base. Now I have to tell you that there's a lot of things in here that are classified and so when we get inside you will be watched like a hawk."

"Thought as much," she smiled gently. "The way Sam goes on about all her gizmos and new 'toys' she gets every few weeks, I wouldn't be surprised if I was going to be watched. I mean after all I am an outsider going into the biggest military complex in the northern hemisphere, which is the biggest secret operation in the world operating out of it, why wouldn't I be?" She frowned showing some sarcasm, to try and lighten the sad atmosphere that had been created.

"Nice to see that you and Carter agree and are the same with some things," Jack smiled, which got a frown from Mac, as they entered the first lift.

"What's that supposed to mean Jack?"

"Oh nothing really, just working out where Carter's been getting all her sarcasm tips," he smiled. Chuckling she nodded, as Sarah shifted and awoke in her arms.

"So Pete where'd Mac go?" Danni questioned as they were all in the briefing room.

"Just to see a sick friend Danni, nothing to be worried about, she'll be back in no time." He stated, watching her, before turning to the white board, which was behind him.

"Pete," Ange stated standing and moving over to him. "She took Sarah," she whispered. "That means she'll be gone for a few weeks at least, please what's going on?" She whispered, keeping her voice as low as possible.

"Sorry Ange I promised her." Sighing she nodded with a slight smile.

"Okay," as she took her seat again, they waited for Pete to get focused on the task at hand.

"Alright, as you guys know Mac's been talking to this guy," he said pointing to the first picture on the whiteboard. "His name is Paul…"

"…Young?" Danni giggled.

"No!" Pete snapped, glaring at her.

"Sorry," she whispered sinking back into her chair.

"His name is Paul Schmitt; he has been her contact for the last few months. He has supplied her with Methamphetamines and Cocaine amongst other things. However he has recently disappeared. Mac and I have been working on tying to track him down, which has gone nowhere. Now in amongst all this Paul would constantly brag about his 'hot buyer' who he was going to have it off with," after he said that it got him a small giggle from both girls. Smiling him self he shrugged.

"I can tell you when we heard that she was rather pissed off! Anyway this other guy," he said pointing to the next picture. "Is his supplier. His name is Gary Hoofer. No one has ever seen or met the guy and it's up to us to bring him down and then use him to find Paul. Any questions on that?" As they shook their heads the door opened, showing a very apologetic Oscar.

"I am SO sorry Pete; you have no idea what…"

"Stoney mate it's alright, just calm down and take a seat," Pete smiled. Oscar was commonly known to his mates as Stoney, or Stone. He was taller then Pete, with light brown straight hair. He was from the country and was very athletic. He had been in the unit for the same period of time as Angie had. They started around the same period of time.

"Ok Stoney what I was just telling the girls was that we have to track down Mac's contact remember that Paul guy?" Nodding he let his stand in boss continue. "Well we have to find this Gary guy to track down Paul."

"Oh ok sweet; I haven't seen him leave the house in the last few weeks, but who knows right?" Smiling Pete nodded.

"Yeah, we have to be extra careful from now on."

"Ok, so do you want me to continue the stake out on his place to see what we can get?"

"Yeah we might as well, if anything looks suspicious call it in, and we'll get the guy. But the main thing is to make sure that Mac stays safe, if this guy has any idea about what's going on then Mac's life could be in danger. I mean Gary has contacts everywhere the last I heard. So if Paul followed her to her friends then we better start acting fast!"

"Understood Pete,"

"I'll see you guys around then,"

"Yeah see ya Stoney. Girls lets get to work." Pete smiled as everyone left the room.

As they walked into the infirmary, Jack guided her to the last cubical, where he stopped her from opening the curtain.

"Did you want me to take Sarah so you can see her? It's not that she's missing a limb or anything, but…" Trailing off she smiled.

"Do you mind?" She whispered gently, shaking his head he took Sarah from her. Struggling slightly as he held her she whipped her head around quickly to catch a glimpse of her mother. "It's alright; Jack is going to look after you while I talk to Auntie Sam ok? Then you can see her," she said gently.

"Pomise?"

"Yeah I promise," she smiled, nodding Sarah let her head rest on his shoulder before he walked out of the infirmary with her. Taking a deep breath she opened the curtain to see her lying there lifelessly. Biting her bottom lip she walked over to the bed, leaving the curtain slightly open.

"Sam... I hope you can hear me, because I have so much to tell you! Sarah is here, Jack's got her at the moment, and I just wish that you could see her. She's been asking for you for so long. I don't know what the big fuss is with everyone around here either," she whispered smiling. "I mean Jack told me I would be watched but seriously what can one woman do? Well apart form you that is. I mean I can't really say that I know about everything can I?" She whispered gently.

"That would not be a wise move," a deep voice stated which froze her in her spot. Turning her head to the owner of the voice she looked up at the man dressed in blue.

"Ah hi," she said gently.

"So your Captain Carter's Australian friend?"

"Um… Yeah you could say that," she smiled gently. "Ah how much of that did you hear?" She questioned slowly, frowning.

"Most of it, and I really would like to know how you know what you know." Looking away from him, she stared at Sam, before taking a deep breath.

"That I can not tell you," she said gently.

"And why not?"

"Because you won't like the answer that I will end up giving you, and therefore either way you won't get the…"

"Ellen, just tell him," looking up as the curtain opened to reveal another man standing beside him, she stood.

"Jacob?" She questioned in shock. Smiling he moved over to her hugging her tightly.

"How are you kiddo?"

"Good, but… what… I…" Smiling he shook his head.

"It's alright, when I was told that you were going to be here I made sure that I was too."

"Oh," she smiled sheepishly.

"Jacob, what's going on?"

"General Hammond I'd like you to meet Ellen Mackenzie-Carter," he stated, watching the generals face, before his gaze shifted to Jack who had just walked in.

"Mackenzie-Carter? As in?"

"Another daughter of mine," Jacob stated, "however technically…" He drifted off as she smiled.

"Sam is my little sister, my mother and Jacob were only fifteen when I was born, Jacob moved back to America when she lied to him and said she miscarried. She put me up for adoption, and nothing else was said. When I met up with Sam a few years ago, I couldn't help but notice a few similarities between us. So I asked her who her father was, and well when it came out everyone was rather shell shocked." She smiled, as she kept her arm around his waist.

"You mean that there's more the two Carter's out there?" Jack asked in shock, smiling she nodded.

"Yep, there's me, Mark and Sam, and now Sarah," she smiled at him.

"And no Jack, you're not getting your hands on either of them, it's bad enough that Sam's under your command!"

"HEY! What the hell is that supposed to mean?" He huffed, glaring at Jacob. Smiling Mac looked at him.

"Dad's just worried that you'll corrupt Sam. She's his angel and no one is ever good enough for her," she smiled at him. "Trust me when I found out about him, and he came to Australia to see Sarah he didn't like her father much, but they've grown pretty close," she said with a frown, as she looked at Jacob.

"Corrupt? Carter's more corrupt then I am!" He stated in defense. Shrugging she smiled, before turning back to Sam.

"Ellie you have to tell them," Jacob whispered to her, sighing she nodded before looking at the two men in front of her.

"I know about the stargate program, I also am aware that we are in what you call 'the SGC' or stargate command. I know that there are several teams made up of three or four people, and that Sam, Jack, and another are called SG-1, they are the first team to get any 'mission' they are the front liners, they go through before anyone else and they are the last to leave no matter what the situation is." Taking a breath she bowed her head. "I know what happened a few years ago, when Jack was drugged, and well almost died. Sam came to me for the answers she told me what had happened and that the Nanites were changing him, that now he was subjected to the Argosian lifespan of one hundred days.

"Sam didn't know what to do, she was at a loss. She wanted to help him, but didn't know how. She asked me for help and in the end told me everything. She knew I wouldn't help unless I knew what I was doing and why. You see general, now that you know you will come down on her, but if she never told me, then Jack would be dead, she would have retired a long time ago, and the linguist would more then likely have been killed by the Unas, that Chaka was trying to save him from."

"Okay so Carter told you all this? But why?" Jack frowned.

"Because I needed to know where my father was being taken, to save him from dying of cancer, and she needed support, and I couldn't give her that unless she told me what was going on."

"So what now? Can you help her?"

"I think that I can, but I need to know what happened, you can't just tell me she was shot, what was she shot with? A staff weapon? A p-90? Where was she? What planet and how far from the shooter?"

"Why do you need to know all that?" Hammond questioned frowning.

"Because then she can try to work out how much toxin is in Sam's body and what can be done to counter act it," Janet stated from behind them.

"That's right…"

"But I've gone over all that before there is nothing that can explain it."

"Show me what you have, you might have missed something," she said gently, to which the doctor glared at her. "If you want to save Sam as much as I do then you won't just be standing here holding up and wasting the only time that she might have left. She needs treatment and she needs it now!" She stated looking between the three of them as her mobile started ringing. Sighing she looked at the caller id and frowned.

"How'd you work out the international code?" She questioned gently.

"Good ol' Ange did that," he chuckled.

"Ok, what's wrong Pete?" She asked brushing past them and moving outside the infirmary. "Blown the place up yet?" She smirked.

"No," he laughed. "This is about you actually. We have reason to believe that Paul is in America. He wasn't on your flight but that doesn't mean that he didn't follow you, also we have Gary and need you to get in contact with Paul, I don't know how but you have to,"

"Ok thanks Pete, oh and go easy on him, just because he's the supplier doesn't mean he's still not the go between!"

"Yes Mac," he smirked.

"Ellie!" A voice called which got her to turn around and stare straight into Jack and Hammond's faces, but her gaze quickly shifted, and moved to look at Jacob moving from behind them to stand in front of them.

"Was that who I think it is?" Pete questioned. Smiling she bowed her head.

"Yeah that's Jacob."

"Ah!"

"No!"

"Why not?"

"Because!"

"That's not an answer Mackenzie!"

"It is in my world, look I have to go…"

"MAC!" He huffed.

"No Pete," she laughed, looking at Jacob, who smiled, and reached for the phone.

"Peter are you harassing my little girl?"

"No sir just wanted to say hi. Glad you're alright, Ellen said you were on holidays and that's why we haven't seen you for a while."

"Yes and I'm still on my holidays, son. Except I came back for Sam."

"How is she Jacob?"

"She's getting there, but Ellen's right we have to go, a lot to talk about and a lot to try and get done, in a very short space of time."

"Understood Jacob, take care of her and Sarah for me."

"You have my word on that on son,"

"Thanks dad," Pete couldn't help but grin Jacob was the father that he wished he had, and when they found out that he was Mac's biological father he couldn't have been more proud then to call him dad and bug him senseless.

"So Pete how's Mac doing?" Looking up he smiled when he saw Ange standing at the door to the office.

"Don't know haven't called her, you know international codes and all,"

"Yeah I know, that's why you got me to work it out, remember? Anyway I just heard you talking to her dad," she smirked. Rolling his eyes he nodded.

"Okay you got me, she's doing ok, and I don't think Sarah was with her, because I didn't hear her, but something is defiantly wrong over there, they were all acting a bit strange. I did tell her about Paul though so that's a plus, I think." Frowning he shrugged and sighed.

"Maybe we should jump on a plane and go over there just in case?"

"Yeah and what would Gordon say?"

"Well if we say that, that's were our case has taken us it shouldn't be a problem, I mean remember five or six years ago, when Oscar and I were dragged out into the middle of nowhere? I mean we left Melbourne went via South Australia and up to the Northern Territory!" She stated reminding him of their weirdest case to date.

"Yeah I know but, I'm not sure Ange,"

"Its worth a try don't you think?" Sighing he ran his hands through his hair. "Look what if I call from in here, it'll just be you and me in here and we can talk to him about conditions and stuff? Pete if this is Mac's life we're talking about Gordon will approve! She's not only the best officer he's ever had in the force, but she is… Well you know, how close they are, she's like the daughter he never had!"

"Yeah I know," sighing he nodded, smiling. "Okay let's do it!" He grinned, as she walked in closing the door behind her. As Ange dialled the number, Pete sat there watching her, as she pulled another chair around the desk and sat next to him.

"Chief Commissioner Gordon's office,"

"Hi this is Constable Angela Piper, and Senior Constable Peter Church, we were wondering if we could talk with the commissioner please? It's very important."

"Just a moment,"

"Commissioner Gordon speaking."

"Commissioner its Angela and Peter, from Ellen Mackenzie's unit,"

"Yes how are you both? Keeping on top of things while your boss is away I hope?"

"Yes sir, however we are calling in regard of our boss…"

"Go on,"

"We have reason to believe that one of her targets have followed her to where she is now with her ill friend sir," Pete said looking at Ange with hopeful eyes.

"Commissioner… Ellen went to the United States, and we believe that her life might be in danger, and are requesting that the four of us are allowed to travel to America to help her, sir." Ange finished as they both shared worried glances, when the silence on the other end was edging over five minutes. "Commissioner, sir?"

"I'm here… What evidence do you have for this?"

"We know that Ellen's target boarded a flight to America soon after she left, we also have reason to believe that they landed at the same airport. There isn't much evidence after that sir, because we have no way of communicating with the local authorities about what we have been working on, sir."

"We also believe that for Ellen and Sarah's safety that it be only the four of us that went sir, we are the most capable to take this man down, while making sure we are not spotted by anyone that might be watching either Ellen or the target."

"I see," sighing he ummed and ahhed. "Constable's you have a go, but make sure you bring back the target in one piece, and bring back Ellen and her daughter alive and well!"

"Yes sir, we wont let you down!" Ange finished before hanging up the phone grinning.

"I can't believe that he just let us go to America!" Pete exclaimed.

"WHAT?"

"General, sir. I know this is asking a lot of you, but this virus or disease or what ever you want to call it, did originate from Argos. Colonel, remember when you were walking around the town center with your team and it was Sam who grabbed you when you fell?"

"Ah, not really, but if…"

"She did Jack,"

"Well isn't that nice to know," he smirked, which got a roll of the eyes from Mac.

"Look all I'm saying is that, when you fell and she grabbed you, something… Don't ask what I haven't worked that out yet!" She quickly added. "Somehow went from you to her. Now it's been laying dormant since." She said clicking the button to make the next slide appear. Turning to it she sighed.

"What in gods name is that?" Jack questioned sitting up right, and on the edge of his seat awaiting an explanation.

"This is something similar to the nanites that infected your body, and made you age as you did Jack. Now," she stated flicking to the next slide. "This is what is in Sam's body,"

"It looks the same," Daniel frowned.

"That's because it is, the same Daniel." She smiled at him gently. "This is also the nanite that infected the Colonel, however this particular nanite, has changed its self slightly. It has changed to adapt to Sam's body, to her physical nature. It is not changing anything in her like the ones in Jack did; they are not aging her, in anyway. They are merely adjusting and getting used to her body so…"

"So what you're saying is that, this won't kill her but if she wakes up she won't be the person she was before?" Daniel frowned

"That's correct. However there is a way to reverse it,"

"No there isn't!" Janet protested. "If there was I would have done it by now!"

"No offence Janet but Sam doesn't tell you everything, and I'm sure there are a lot of things she tells you and doesn't tell me, however there is one way to reverse it and it means to go back to Argos and talk to Kynthia."

"Of all the Argosians why the one that did that to me?" Jack groaned

"Because it was what she gave you, which had the sedative in it, which then in turn after spending a 'night' with her, gave you the system full of nanites. And therefore what ever was in that sedative is the key to what can save Sam," she stated, watching him, before looking at Hammond. "General I know you don't know me, or have any reason to believe me, but…"

"George, I want Ellen on the team that goes to Argos!" Jacob stated cutting her off.

"Jacob, I can't just let anyone…"

"If she doesn't go with your team, I'll take her back with me to the Tok'ra and then take her from there, it's your choice George." He stated standing watching the man in front of him sigh and nod.

"Alright, but Jack you are to watch her like a hawk and take Daniel and Roberts with you!"

"Yes sir!"

"Dismissed,"