TITLE: To Earn Freedom
AUTHOR: Sharim
EMAIL: MissSharim@yahoo.com.au
CATEGORY: Action, Angst, Drama, Adventure.
PAIRING: Sam/Jack, Other
SPOILERS: Minor for: Children of the Gods, In the Line of Duty, The Nox, Tok'ra I & II, Cold Lazarus, Pretense, Serpent Song, Forever in a Day,
SEASON / SEQUEL: Post Fair Game,
RATING: PG
CONTENT WARNINGS: Violence.
SUMMARY: Sometimes, the price of freedom is siding with the enemy.
STATUS: Working on it!
ARCHIVE: Sam and Jack, Heliopolis, My site (when I stop slacking off).
DISCLAIMER: Stargate SG-1 and its characters are the property of Showtime/Viacom, MGM/UA, Double Secret Productions, and Gekko Productions. We have written this story for entertainment purposes only and no money whatsoever has exchanged hands. No copyright infringement is intended. The original characters, situations, and story are the property of the authors. Not to be archived without permission of the authors.
A/N: Here's part 18. I am very sorry to say that this one hasn't been beta'd *yet* (not looking pointedly at anyone or anything ~raises eyebrow~ but I figured you've been waiting for it for ages, and unless part 19 someone magically appears beta'd in my inbox tomorrow, I'm sincerely doubting that 19 will be beta'd also. So, please bear in mind no one has read this yet so it could be boring, it could stale, it could be a very very VERY bad mistake.
You have been warned.
Ps if anyone has forgotten what's happened or wants to read it from scratch, then www.fanfiction.net under 'sharim' would be the place to find it, seeing as my website no longer exists ~withering glares at topcities~
Chapter Eighteen
"Hey Jack."
Jack opened his eyes slowly, yawning as he took in Daniel's messy appearance at the foot of his bed.
"Long time no see," he quipped, but his eyes were understanding as they gazed at Daniel.
"You had us worried for a while, Colonel," Dr. Fraiser's voice smiled next to him, and he flicked his eyes to gaze at her. "I did?"
"Yeah, we almost lost you. Twice."
Oh. Well that was news.
"What about Carter?"
Daniel's face pulled into a tight grimace, but Jack could see the guilt clearly in his eyes. "She's still."
"Oh."
"How do you feel?" Fraiser questioned him curiously.
Jack sighed. Not another round of 'how-do-you-feel-compared-to-
He frowned. "Actually, I feel better."
"You do?" The hope on Fraiser's voice was unmistakable.
"I'm tired, but I feel. I feel like I can get up and walk without needing to sit down."
Daniel's face broke into a broad smile. "So Sam's going to get better?"
Jack shrugged. He felt better, how would he know how Carter felt? He wasn't psychic.
"I think we should let the Colonel get some rest." Fraiser's tone brooked no arguing with.
Daniel agreed reluctantly, and Jack watched as he walked out of the infirmary, followed by Teal'c who dipped his head approvingly and almost smiled at Jack.
"Doc?"
"Yes Colonel?"
"How's Carter really doing?"
He heard her sighing next to him, the hesitant silence speaking volumes. "I'm worried about her, Sir. She hasn't shown any signs of responsiveness, and I'm worried about what damage the bullet did to her spine."
"Do you think she'll walk again?" Jack asked softly.
Again, Fraiser hesitated. "I don't think so, no."
~o0o~
"General Hammond, Sir!"
Hammond looked up in annoyance, a frown creasing his forehead as he gazed at the rudeness of the Airman. "What is it?"
"SG-8 just got back from Abydos, Sir."
Hammond raised an eyebrow. Of course SG-8 was going to get back from Abydos now, it was right on schedule. "Hold on a minute, Son." He motioned the Airman to sit, but the man was too tightly wound up, jiggling from one foot to another. Shaking his head wearily, Hammond turned back to the phone. "Yes, Senator, I'm sorry Sir. No, I'll have to call you again Bob, something's come up."
He put the phone down silently, turning his full attention to the Airman. "Well?"
"I think you'd better come and see, Sir."
Pushing his chair back from his desk, Hammond followed the man out of his office and down the familiar route to the gate room.
"Well-" The sentence died on his lips as he stopped mid-stride.
"We lost Captain Jenkins, Sir." Major Elliot ran a dirty, gloved hand through his sandy brown hair.
Hammond nodded, his eyes trained on the bloodied body of a woman lying next to the still form of Captain Jenkins.
"Who's this?"
"Amonet, General. Apophis' wife."
~o0o~
"You look thoughtful, Teal'c," Daniel commented lightly as he drank his coffee slowly.
Teal'c raised his dark eyes to meet Daniel's light ones, and frowned in thought. "I am growing restless, Daniel Jackson. Since Major Carter and O'Neill were captured I have done very little."
"I wouldn't say that, Teal'c. We found Sam and Jack." Daniel swallowed, shoving his guilt down into the darker corner of his mind before continuing. "We got rid of two more Goa'uld as well as being indirectly responsible for the demise of a third. I don't think you've done 'very little'."
Teal'c studied Daniel intently. "I have pledged my allegiance to the Tau'ri, Daniel Jackson, so that we may defeat the Goa'uld and bring freedom to my people. Is your goal not to free your wife?"
Daniel drew his breath in sharply, staring down at the dark liquid in his cup. "We will do those things, Teal'c. They just take time."
"Each day that we do not fight is another day for the Goa'uld to grow stronger."
Daniel sighed. "I'm going to find Sha're, Teal'c. And we'll set your people free, but we can't do those things by ourselves. We need Jack and Sam as well, and as soon as they're better we'll continue."
Teal'c dipped his head in acknowledgement.
"But," Daniel continued, "I'm sure that General Hammond would assign you to another team temporarily if you really want."
"DR. JACKSON TO GENERAL HAMMOND'S OFFICE."
Daniel sighed, throwing back the last mouthful of his now lukewarm drink before rising to his feet. "You coming?"
"I was not called for."
Nevertheless, the Jaffa also rose to his feet and briskly followed Daniel to the office.
"You wanted to see me, General?" Daniel asked, standing in the doorway.
The General looked up, his face strained with concern. "Daniel."
Daniel? General Hammond was calling him Daniel?
"General Sir?"
The General sighed. "Take a seat please."
Daniel did as he was asked silently, shooting a confused look at Teal'c who merely raised an eyebrow.
"Daniel, this is hard."
Daniel swallowed, staring at Hammond intently. "What happened? Are Sam and Jack-"
"This isn't about them, Dr. Jackson," General Hammond sighed again, his eyes full of sympathy as he gazed at Daniel. "Daniel, SG-8 just returned from Abydos."
"Is Kasuf-"
"He's fine. There was a Goa'uld there again, Dr. Jackson, and several Jaffa. The Abydonians had been imprisoned, and SG-8 attempted to free them. They were successful, but during the fire fight we lost Captain Jenkins and all the Jaffa as well as the Goa'uld were killed."
Daniel frowned. "I'm not sure I understand what's wrong. The Abydonians are okay and the Goa'uld is dead."
"It was Amonet. The Goa'uld who was killed was Amonet."
~o0o~
Jacob sighed, leaning back in his chair and stretching.
"When do you go back to Tok'ra Town?" Jack asked from his bed.
Jacob turned to face the greying man lying with a bored expression on his features. "Today. Tok'ra High Council have a mission for me and Selmak that we should have started a week ago already."
Jack was silent, so Jacob turned his attention back to Sam who was still unmoving on the bed.
"You never know how much they mean to you until you could lose them," Jacob said softly, reaching his hand out to touch Sam's. "I get worried sometimes that she won't be at the 'gate to meet me the next time I pop in for a visit."
He turned back to Jack. "Jack? You okay?"
"Yeah. Fine."
Jacob frowned, taking in his pale face and the guardedness of his eyes. "I'm not implying that you won't look after her on a mission," he pointed out.
"I know that."
"You'll take care of her, won't you?" Jacob demanded suddenly, his eyes boring into Jack's intently. O'Neill better look after his little girl or- "What aren't you telling me, Jack?"
"It's not my business, Jacob."
Jacob raised an eyebrow. "I thought you called me 'Dad'."
"Sorry. Dad."
"What isn't your business?"
Jack shifted awkwardly on the bed, and Jacob could see the reluctance in his eyes. "Have you spoken to Doc Fraiser?"
"Not really, no. I haven't had much time."
Jack closed his eyes, leaning back on his pillows with a pained look stretching across his face. "You'd probably go and talk to her because-"
"Sam?!"
Had he imagined the pressure on his hands? Had he imagined feeling her fingertips move gently beneath his own.
"What's happening?" Jack demanded.
"I think she's waking up!"
There was a muffled thump behind him, and Jacob didn't have to have eyes at the back of his head to realise that Jack O'Neill was no longer in bed. Janet was going to have a fit.
"Carter?"
"Come on Sam, open your eyes."
The lashes fluttered briefly against her pale skin, and again the slightest movement beneath Jacob's hand brought a broad smile to his face.
"What's happening?" A familiar voice cut through the infirmary.
"Sam's waking up!" Jacob announced excitedly as Janet came and stood next to them.
A smile broke onto the doctor's face. Quickly and confidently she picked up Sam's free hand and patted it lightly. "Sam? Come on Sam, wake up."
The eyelids lifted slowly, and Jacob felt tears pricking burning against his eyes as Sam's blue ones stared sleepily into his own.
"Morning Princess."
~o0o~
Morning Princess? Dad?
"Dad?" Her voice scratched in her throat, sounding husky and far away.
"Hey Sam, welcome back."
Janet?
"That was some nap, Carter."
That was definitely the Colonel.
"Wha."
"Shh, don't try to speak," Janet admonished.
Sam gazed up wearily.
Tired.
She was so tired.
And her stomach hurt.
What happened?
Nut.
The Colonel.
The shadowed forms standing over her bed blurred into a hazy whiteness and she closed her eyes again, slipping back to sleep.
~o0o~
"Janet? A word?"
Janet hesitated, turning slowly to face General Carter. "Yes, Sir?"
"Jack said I needed to talk to you."
Oh, he did, did he? Janet sighed, letting the arm holding her clipboard slowly drop until it rested awkwardly at her side. No, she didn't want to talk to Jacob Carter now. She didn't want to admit to him right now that it looked as though Sam would never walk again.
She didn't want to think about that now. All she wanted to think about was the fact that Sam woke up.
"About what?"
"I don't know. He wouldn't say anything. Said it was none of his business." General Carter narrowed his eyes, studying her. "But you already know what you have to talk to me about, don't you?"
Janet sighed. Damn, the man was just as sharp as his daughter. She licked her lips. How to start? How to tell someone what she had to tell Jacob Carter?
"It's about Sam, isn't it?"
She nodded mutely. "We should probably talk about this in my office."
He followed her silently, until she was sitting behind her desk with her fingers neatly laced together in front of her.
"Sam's injuries were. They were bad. Frankly, I'm amazed that she survived. I'm sure that if it hadn't been for this link between Colonel O'Neill and Sam then she probably wouldn't be alive right now."
She watched him absorb the news; but he'd already had an idea of that anyway.
"Cut to the chase, Janet."
"The bullet touched her spine, General. I don't she'll walk again."
There. It was out. In the open. Floating around in the air between them, pummelling both of their hearts until Janet thought she would start crying. Again.
"But you don't know for certain, right?"
What was it with men and denial? It was almost as though they thought they could simply change the inevitable by completely denying it, by never allowing it to take root in their reality.
"No, I don't. But she hasn't shown any signs of responding at all in her legs."
Jacob Carter drew in a breath, and then dipped his head. She waited for Selmak to appear.
Perhaps the Tok'ra could do something.
"A healing device?" Janet was doubtful. The damage was old and set by now.
No, it would be too late. Perhaps if Samantha became a Tok'ra.
Janet hesitated. "That's not my choice to make, but knowing how Sam feels about it. I don't think that's an option."
You also believe she would rather remain an invalid than become a host?
Janet nodded silently, forcing her tears to stay away.
So does Jacob. The Tau'ri have strange ideals, Dr. Fraiser.
Janet smiled shakily, sniffing and wiping discreetly at her tears. "Yeah, I guess we do."
~o0o~
That's it. Sorry it's unbeta'd and mistakes are abounding, but I feel back not posting any of it.
AUTHOR: Sharim
EMAIL: MissSharim@yahoo.com.au
CATEGORY: Action, Angst, Drama, Adventure.
PAIRING: Sam/Jack, Other
SPOILERS: Minor for: Children of the Gods, In the Line of Duty, The Nox, Tok'ra I & II, Cold Lazarus, Pretense, Serpent Song, Forever in a Day,
SEASON / SEQUEL: Post Fair Game,
RATING: PG
CONTENT WARNINGS: Violence.
SUMMARY: Sometimes, the price of freedom is siding with the enemy.
STATUS: Working on it!
ARCHIVE: Sam and Jack, Heliopolis, My site (when I stop slacking off).
DISCLAIMER: Stargate SG-1 and its characters are the property of Showtime/Viacom, MGM/UA, Double Secret Productions, and Gekko Productions. We have written this story for entertainment purposes only and no money whatsoever has exchanged hands. No copyright infringement is intended. The original characters, situations, and story are the property of the authors. Not to be archived without permission of the authors.
A/N: Here's part 18. I am very sorry to say that this one hasn't been beta'd *yet* (not looking pointedly at anyone or anything ~raises eyebrow~ but I figured you've been waiting for it for ages, and unless part 19 someone magically appears beta'd in my inbox tomorrow, I'm sincerely doubting that 19 will be beta'd also. So, please bear in mind no one has read this yet so it could be boring, it could stale, it could be a very very VERY bad mistake.
You have been warned.
Ps if anyone has forgotten what's happened or wants to read it from scratch, then www.fanfiction.net under 'sharim' would be the place to find it, seeing as my website no longer exists ~withering glares at topcities~
Chapter Eighteen
"Hey Jack."
Jack opened his eyes slowly, yawning as he took in Daniel's messy appearance at the foot of his bed.
"Long time no see," he quipped, but his eyes were understanding as they gazed at Daniel.
"You had us worried for a while, Colonel," Dr. Fraiser's voice smiled next to him, and he flicked his eyes to gaze at her. "I did?"
"Yeah, we almost lost you. Twice."
Oh. Well that was news.
"What about Carter?"
Daniel's face pulled into a tight grimace, but Jack could see the guilt clearly in his eyes. "She's still."
"Oh."
"How do you feel?" Fraiser questioned him curiously.
Jack sighed. Not another round of 'how-do-you-feel-compared-to-
He frowned. "Actually, I feel better."
"You do?" The hope on Fraiser's voice was unmistakable.
"I'm tired, but I feel. I feel like I can get up and walk without needing to sit down."
Daniel's face broke into a broad smile. "So Sam's going to get better?"
Jack shrugged. He felt better, how would he know how Carter felt? He wasn't psychic.
"I think we should let the Colonel get some rest." Fraiser's tone brooked no arguing with.
Daniel agreed reluctantly, and Jack watched as he walked out of the infirmary, followed by Teal'c who dipped his head approvingly and almost smiled at Jack.
"Doc?"
"Yes Colonel?"
"How's Carter really doing?"
He heard her sighing next to him, the hesitant silence speaking volumes. "I'm worried about her, Sir. She hasn't shown any signs of responsiveness, and I'm worried about what damage the bullet did to her spine."
"Do you think she'll walk again?" Jack asked softly.
Again, Fraiser hesitated. "I don't think so, no."
~o0o~
"General Hammond, Sir!"
Hammond looked up in annoyance, a frown creasing his forehead as he gazed at the rudeness of the Airman. "What is it?"
"SG-8 just got back from Abydos, Sir."
Hammond raised an eyebrow. Of course SG-8 was going to get back from Abydos now, it was right on schedule. "Hold on a minute, Son." He motioned the Airman to sit, but the man was too tightly wound up, jiggling from one foot to another. Shaking his head wearily, Hammond turned back to the phone. "Yes, Senator, I'm sorry Sir. No, I'll have to call you again Bob, something's come up."
He put the phone down silently, turning his full attention to the Airman. "Well?"
"I think you'd better come and see, Sir."
Pushing his chair back from his desk, Hammond followed the man out of his office and down the familiar route to the gate room.
"Well-" The sentence died on his lips as he stopped mid-stride.
"We lost Captain Jenkins, Sir." Major Elliot ran a dirty, gloved hand through his sandy brown hair.
Hammond nodded, his eyes trained on the bloodied body of a woman lying next to the still form of Captain Jenkins.
"Who's this?"
"Amonet, General. Apophis' wife."
~o0o~
"You look thoughtful, Teal'c," Daniel commented lightly as he drank his coffee slowly.
Teal'c raised his dark eyes to meet Daniel's light ones, and frowned in thought. "I am growing restless, Daniel Jackson. Since Major Carter and O'Neill were captured I have done very little."
"I wouldn't say that, Teal'c. We found Sam and Jack." Daniel swallowed, shoving his guilt down into the darker corner of his mind before continuing. "We got rid of two more Goa'uld as well as being indirectly responsible for the demise of a third. I don't think you've done 'very little'."
Teal'c studied Daniel intently. "I have pledged my allegiance to the Tau'ri, Daniel Jackson, so that we may defeat the Goa'uld and bring freedom to my people. Is your goal not to free your wife?"
Daniel drew his breath in sharply, staring down at the dark liquid in his cup. "We will do those things, Teal'c. They just take time."
"Each day that we do not fight is another day for the Goa'uld to grow stronger."
Daniel sighed. "I'm going to find Sha're, Teal'c. And we'll set your people free, but we can't do those things by ourselves. We need Jack and Sam as well, and as soon as they're better we'll continue."
Teal'c dipped his head in acknowledgement.
"But," Daniel continued, "I'm sure that General Hammond would assign you to another team temporarily if you really want."
"DR. JACKSON TO GENERAL HAMMOND'S OFFICE."
Daniel sighed, throwing back the last mouthful of his now lukewarm drink before rising to his feet. "You coming?"
"I was not called for."
Nevertheless, the Jaffa also rose to his feet and briskly followed Daniel to the office.
"You wanted to see me, General?" Daniel asked, standing in the doorway.
The General looked up, his face strained with concern. "Daniel."
Daniel? General Hammond was calling him Daniel?
"General Sir?"
The General sighed. "Take a seat please."
Daniel did as he was asked silently, shooting a confused look at Teal'c who merely raised an eyebrow.
"Daniel, this is hard."
Daniel swallowed, staring at Hammond intently. "What happened? Are Sam and Jack-"
"This isn't about them, Dr. Jackson," General Hammond sighed again, his eyes full of sympathy as he gazed at Daniel. "Daniel, SG-8 just returned from Abydos."
"Is Kasuf-"
"He's fine. There was a Goa'uld there again, Dr. Jackson, and several Jaffa. The Abydonians had been imprisoned, and SG-8 attempted to free them. They were successful, but during the fire fight we lost Captain Jenkins and all the Jaffa as well as the Goa'uld were killed."
Daniel frowned. "I'm not sure I understand what's wrong. The Abydonians are okay and the Goa'uld is dead."
"It was Amonet. The Goa'uld who was killed was Amonet."
~o0o~
Jacob sighed, leaning back in his chair and stretching.
"When do you go back to Tok'ra Town?" Jack asked from his bed.
Jacob turned to face the greying man lying with a bored expression on his features. "Today. Tok'ra High Council have a mission for me and Selmak that we should have started a week ago already."
Jack was silent, so Jacob turned his attention back to Sam who was still unmoving on the bed.
"You never know how much they mean to you until you could lose them," Jacob said softly, reaching his hand out to touch Sam's. "I get worried sometimes that she won't be at the 'gate to meet me the next time I pop in for a visit."
He turned back to Jack. "Jack? You okay?"
"Yeah. Fine."
Jacob frowned, taking in his pale face and the guardedness of his eyes. "I'm not implying that you won't look after her on a mission," he pointed out.
"I know that."
"You'll take care of her, won't you?" Jacob demanded suddenly, his eyes boring into Jack's intently. O'Neill better look after his little girl or- "What aren't you telling me, Jack?"
"It's not my business, Jacob."
Jacob raised an eyebrow. "I thought you called me 'Dad'."
"Sorry. Dad."
"What isn't your business?"
Jack shifted awkwardly on the bed, and Jacob could see the reluctance in his eyes. "Have you spoken to Doc Fraiser?"
"Not really, no. I haven't had much time."
Jack closed his eyes, leaning back on his pillows with a pained look stretching across his face. "You'd probably go and talk to her because-"
"Sam?!"
Had he imagined the pressure on his hands? Had he imagined feeling her fingertips move gently beneath his own.
"What's happening?" Jack demanded.
"I think she's waking up!"
There was a muffled thump behind him, and Jacob didn't have to have eyes at the back of his head to realise that Jack O'Neill was no longer in bed. Janet was going to have a fit.
"Carter?"
"Come on Sam, open your eyes."
The lashes fluttered briefly against her pale skin, and again the slightest movement beneath Jacob's hand brought a broad smile to his face.
"What's happening?" A familiar voice cut through the infirmary.
"Sam's waking up!" Jacob announced excitedly as Janet came and stood next to them.
A smile broke onto the doctor's face. Quickly and confidently she picked up Sam's free hand and patted it lightly. "Sam? Come on Sam, wake up."
The eyelids lifted slowly, and Jacob felt tears pricking burning against his eyes as Sam's blue ones stared sleepily into his own.
"Morning Princess."
~o0o~
Morning Princess? Dad?
"Dad?" Her voice scratched in her throat, sounding husky and far away.
"Hey Sam, welcome back."
Janet?
"That was some nap, Carter."
That was definitely the Colonel.
"Wha."
"Shh, don't try to speak," Janet admonished.
Sam gazed up wearily.
Tired.
She was so tired.
And her stomach hurt.
What happened?
Nut.
The Colonel.
The shadowed forms standing over her bed blurred into a hazy whiteness and she closed her eyes again, slipping back to sleep.
~o0o~
"Janet? A word?"
Janet hesitated, turning slowly to face General Carter. "Yes, Sir?"
"Jack said I needed to talk to you."
Oh, he did, did he? Janet sighed, letting the arm holding her clipboard slowly drop until it rested awkwardly at her side. No, she didn't want to talk to Jacob Carter now. She didn't want to admit to him right now that it looked as though Sam would never walk again.
She didn't want to think about that now. All she wanted to think about was the fact that Sam woke up.
"About what?"
"I don't know. He wouldn't say anything. Said it was none of his business." General Carter narrowed his eyes, studying her. "But you already know what you have to talk to me about, don't you?"
Janet sighed. Damn, the man was just as sharp as his daughter. She licked her lips. How to start? How to tell someone what she had to tell Jacob Carter?
"It's about Sam, isn't it?"
She nodded mutely. "We should probably talk about this in my office."
He followed her silently, until she was sitting behind her desk with her fingers neatly laced together in front of her.
"Sam's injuries were. They were bad. Frankly, I'm amazed that she survived. I'm sure that if it hadn't been for this link between Colonel O'Neill and Sam then she probably wouldn't be alive right now."
She watched him absorb the news; but he'd already had an idea of that anyway.
"Cut to the chase, Janet."
"The bullet touched her spine, General. I don't she'll walk again."
There. It was out. In the open. Floating around in the air between them, pummelling both of their hearts until Janet thought she would start crying. Again.
"But you don't know for certain, right?"
What was it with men and denial? It was almost as though they thought they could simply change the inevitable by completely denying it, by never allowing it to take root in their reality.
"No, I don't. But she hasn't shown any signs of responding at all in her legs."
Jacob Carter drew in a breath, and then dipped his head. She waited for Selmak to appear.
Perhaps the Tok'ra could do something.
"A healing device?" Janet was doubtful. The damage was old and set by now.
No, it would be too late. Perhaps if Samantha became a Tok'ra.
Janet hesitated. "That's not my choice to make, but knowing how Sam feels about it. I don't think that's an option."
You also believe she would rather remain an invalid than become a host?
Janet nodded silently, forcing her tears to stay away.
So does Jacob. The Tau'ri have strange ideals, Dr. Fraiser.
Janet smiled shakily, sniffing and wiping discreetly at her tears. "Yeah, I guess we do."
~o0o~
That's it. Sorry it's unbeta'd and mistakes are abounding, but I feel back not posting any of it.