Chapter Ten: Irrelevant

Author's Note// I think it was the threats of physical violence that really got me trying to get this done asap (I hope that this is enough to ensure that I don't get knocked senseless). Also, I really didn't want anyone to explode or implode, for that matter *g*. Thx to everyone for the kind words. Enjoy.

-S

***

Nephthys' First Prime came into the ziggurat shortly after Runihura had left to collect the prisoners. He knelt in front of his god, waiting patiently to be acknowledged.

He didn't have to wait long.

"Yes?" snapped Nephthys, "What is it?"

"The two intruders and the Tok'ra have escaped through the Gateway to Eternity," reported the Jaffa. His head was tilted towards the group in submission.

"How did they manage to activate the portal?"

"It is believed that the explosion damaged our control over the Gateway," answered the Jaffa.

Nephthys' judgement was swift. "Such incompetence is unacceptable," glowered the Goa'uld. The god raised his hand and a bright jewel sent a deadly beam of energy towards the vulnerable man. The ribbon device killed the First Prime instantly. One of the servants let out a small cry; however, the Jaffa guarding the parameter of the room watched the scene emotionlessly. Nephthys took pleasure from it all.

The Goa'uld turned his head towards the Jaffa guard on his right. "Get rid of that," the god ordered, in pointing towards the body of the murdered man. Surely, if Nephthys had such power, he must be a god.

***

Jack woke up from his light slumber. He wasn't sure how long he'd been comatose. Hours? Minutes? Seconds? Who could know for sure. The Colonel experimentally blinked a few times, but the dismal scenery wasn't getting any better. Jack turned slightly to check up on Sam (ouch, movement hurt!), only to find a set of blue eyes already watching him.

"Hey," said Jack. His throat felt like sandpaper.

"Hey," replied Sam.

Jack shuffled around in the awkward silence. It was at times like this that he wished he was good with words.

"So," he tried, "How are you feelin'?"

Sam gave a small smile. "I'm okay, though I'm smarting a bit," she replied. "You?" Sam asked, almost as an afterthought.

"Good… I'm good."

There were a few more seconds of uncomfortable silence. Jack tried the shuffling thing again.

What could you say to someone you thought was dead? You could say all the things you'd wished you had said. You could tell her all your regrets. You could explain to her that you want to retire, just so that you can see her smile ever morning. You could tell her…

"How are we planning on getting out of here?" Sam asked, oblivious to the Colonel's thoughts.

"Huh? Oh. This." He gestured to their surroundings. "What? Don't like the scenery, Carter?" he teased.

She frowned slightly, "No, sir."

"Well," he said, "To be honest, I haven't quite figured that out yet. I'm open to suggestions…"

"I don't have any."

"Damn, Carter. You know that I'm not good at the thinking end of things." He waited for her to smile. A slight grin, or maybe a smirk. It was one of the things that he loved about her.

"Actually I don't," Sam blurted. She wasn't smiling, instead frustration edged her voice.

"You don't what…?"

"Know that you are not good at thinking," answered the Major.,

Oops. Jack could bang his head against a wall. He'd forgotten that Sam essentially didn't know who he was, that she was suffering from some sort of amnesia.

Well, wasn't that just damn peachy.

"What can you remember?" Jack asked. Sam hugged her knees. She was just close enough that Jack could touch her, if he chose to.

"Fragments, just bits and pieces."

Well, that was vague. Jack prodded further, "You remember me, though."

Sam nodded, "Yeah. At first I thought you were a deranged product of my dreams." The Colonel got the smile he was looking for. His expression, one eyebrow raised and a slight frown, seemed to lift the Major's spirit.

"Obviously I was mistaken. Apparently Runihura had been poisoning my food with some sort of concoction to make me forget."

"Son of a bitch," muttered Jack.

Sam continued, "He kept telling me that my name was Kamilah, and that he was my husband. It was a sickness, he said, that was causing the memory loss. For some reason, I couldn't help but be suspicious. I knew that something had to be wrong." Sam was bitter and angry. She had a good reason to be!

"We thought you were dead," Jack admitted. "When you went missing, God…"

'It felt like a part of me died, Sam.'

But Jack never got to finish his sentence. The cell door had opened.

***

Sam Carter had heard the door open. She didn't have to look to know who the intruder was. She knew from the Colonel's expression. Sam stood up and turned towards her "husband", making her features deliberately blank. She refused to allow Runihura to see her pain or confusion. He'd cleaned himself up; there were no indications of her earlier attack. Rage began to twist Sam's features.

"You will come with me," Runihura ordered and three guards entered the cell, flanking them, their weapon ready to kill with a wrong movement.

"Nice to see you too," said Jack with his typical smart-ass grin.

Runihura didn't rise to the bait. He just turned around and started leading them down the hall. The High Minister didn't have anything to say to them. He wasn't even *gloating*, as Sam would have expected. The unusual behaviour just served to make the Major even more nervous.

It was then that Sam realized where their party was heading and she quickly felt her anger being replaced by a gut-wrenching fear. They were going to the ziggurat. They were being taken to see Nephthys.

***

Jack O'Neill didn't like it when he wasn't in control of a situation. Being held captive and then being lead down hallways with Goa'uld staff weapons at their backs… well, it sucked (then again, for most people, it wouldn't be the most ideal of situations).

What really bugged him was that he didn't know where they were going. Maybe they were going to be tortured, maybe they were going to be told that there was going to be a feast in their honour… Okay, the former was the most likely. He really hated unanswered questions. Then again, he could always ask.

"So," he eyed the staff weapon aimed at him warily, "Where exactly are we going?"

All he got as an answer was a rough push in the back from one of the guards. Wonderful. Colonel O'Neill was not a stupid man, contrary to the way he sometimes appeared. He knew a dire situation when he saw one. Sure, they could try to escape, but the odds were definitely against them: two to one. Not including the fact that the hostiles were the ones with the weapons and, most of them, were the size of Teal'c. Both himself and Sam weren't in great shape physically. Sam wasn't even sure who she was, for crying out loud! So after thinking it out, the Colonel decided that the "kick the enemies' rears and run" plan was a no go. It was time for Plan B. Unfortunately, Plan B was still a work in progress. In the end, Jack decided to do what he could to make the best of an awful situation. He started listing insults that he was going to call Runihura. That is, when he didn't have his bodyguards around to protect him.

He's a coward. Teal'c would like that one. Nah, it's too nice…

They turned a corner and headed down another boring hallway. Did all Goa'uld have the same internal decorators?

What about 'slimiest weakling ever to crawl the earth'? That's pretty good. I can do better than that though.

They turned a another corner as Jack fleetingly wished that he had asked Teal'c to teach him some profanities in Goa'uld.

A pig (no, that would be an insult to pigs). He's a warthog-faced buffoon! A miserable vomitous mass…

They came up to some fancy gold doors and stopped. Looks like we're here, wherever here is. The Colonel glanced over at Sam. She looked pretty pale and, if he didn't know her better, he'd say that she was frightened. Jack stepped in front of Sam and walked into the 'throne room', following the "miserable vomitous mass". Call it Alpha male behaviour if you like, but Jack was ready to do everything in his power to ensure that Sam wouldn't be hurt. He would die first.

Perhaps it was thoughts like these that the fraternization regulations strove to obliterate.

TBC

***

Hey, did anyone notice the obscure reference to The Princess Bride? *g* Don't worry, I'll save you from reading my bad rhymes for more reviews… this time.

-S