Author's Notes:- Thanks to Stonedtoad for betaing.
Mirror Image 2 – Hard Truths
On a lush green hill, surrounded by stone icons the Stargate suddenly burst to life.
"Okay, people let's get going," Colonel Jack O'Neill called as he walked down the steps and took a quick look around, "There is a match I want to see so let's get home in time." Squinting in the bright sunlight he saw trees surrounding them.
Behind him Captain Samantha Carter walked down the stairs carrying a case for some soil samples. Dr. Katy Evans, their new linguist walked down in deep conversation with Sha're Jackson, their Egyptian and Gould expert as Teal'c hovered nearby.
It had been three months since Sha're had been recovered from the Tok'ra and had become a member of the SGC. Jack had accompanied her to Abydos to see her family. Her father had tried to insist that she remain but Jack had intervened explaining how much she was needed on Earth and how she would be closer to her husband by being with his friends. Kasuf had finally relented, though he was not happy about his daughter leaving again, and had granted her the status of the Abydonian representative on Earth.
Dr. Evans had joined SG1 not long after that. She had been transferred in specially to work with SG1 after Daniel's original replacement had requested to be taken off the team.
Jack had taken an instant dislike to Robert Rothman, even though Jack had been told Daniel had taught him, and basically made his life miserable.
Katy Evans did not have the same breadth of education as Daniel had but very few did, she also was not very well versed in Egyptian language or culture but Sha're had taken up that part of the workload. She was a small, slight woman with dull mousy brown hair and a rather peculiar sense of humour but she was a lot less trouble than Daniel had ever been. Her Father had been Air Force so, to Jack's enormous relief, she actually followed orders.
"Carter, Evans go check out over there," Jack ordered, "Teal'c, Sha're you're with me."
x
They split up to have a better look around. Sam and Katy looked at the huge trees and let out a collective groan; it was going to be one of those planets. Pushing their way through the heavy undergrowth Sam suddenly noticed a flash of metal. Ducking behind a tree she held her gun tightly as she waited. Katy hid next to her ready to either fight or run. Sam saw a Jaffa walk by and she bit her lip as she thought what to do. Finally the Jaffa moved out of range.
"Sir," she whispered over the radio.
"What's up Carter?" Jack asked.
"We've got company on this planet," she told him, "I've just seen a Jaffa and I'm betting there'll be more."
"Very well Captain. Meet us back at the Gate," Jack ordered.
x
Jack silently cursed. This place seemed to be a deserted planet but with leftover technology. Now, of course, the Gould were here. Sha're had vaguely remembered this planet and knew that the Gould had left it; obviously she had been wrong.
"We'd better get out of here," Jack murmured as they started to leave.
Turning around he came face to face with several Jaffa pointing staff weapons at his head.
"Oh, brilliant," Jack muttered as he surrendered his weapons.
Jack and Teal'c stood either side of Sha're as they were marched into the Gould stronghold. A mixture of Serpent and Horus guards surrounded them.
"This is unusual," Teal'c whispered to them, "We must be extremely cautious."
"Teal'c is correct," Sha're added, "We should be very careful."
"Yes, you should," a voice echoed through the room as a very familiar Gould appeared, her bright red hair framing her face.
"Hathor," Teal'c rumbled.
"On no," Jack complained, "Not you again."
Hathor walked down towards them with a triumphant smile on her face.
"We are honoured to have members of the Tau'ri here," she greeted them, "But there are members of your party missing. We do not see the defiant Captain Carter, nor do we see our beloved, Dr. Jackson."
Sha're let out an involuntary gasp at Hathor's reference to her husband. Jack kept a tight grip on her wrist as a dangerous glint suddenly appeared in her eyes.
Hathor, however had caught this and turned to study Sha're.
"We know you," she said as she studied her intently, "You were the host of Ammonet. Well isn't this unexpected."
Sha're stood her ground and refused to answer.
"Guards, remove these…gentlemen to a cell but leave the woman here," Hathor commanded with a vicious smile, "We need to have a little talk."
x
Sha're stood rigid as Hathor stalked round her like a cat.
"You seemed upset at the mention of Daniel," Hathor purred, "We take it you are Sha're. The wife."
Sha're's dark eyes flashed angrily as she stared straight in front of her.
Hathor kept circling her; "It seems you do not know of the time we spent together. Of how we made love, how he cried out our name in ecstasy."
Sha're clenched her fists digging her nails into her palms to force herself not to do anything stupid.
"We can prove it if you do not believe us," she whispered in Sha're's ear, "The small scar at the top of his right leg. We kissed it as he caressed us, as he pleasured us and we pleasured him. We were hoping he would be here so we could be together again."
Sha're finally turned on Hathor, "He is not," she said coldly, "And he did tell me, he told me how sickened he was you even touched him."
Hathor narrowed her eyes annoyed, "Put her in the cell with her friends."
Jack paced worried about what was going on between Hathor and Sha're.
"Sha're is strong, O'Neill," Teal'c told him with certainty.
"I know but she didn't know about Hathor," Jack reminded him, "I didn't want her to know what had happened."
Just then the door opened and Sha're was pushed in. After the door shut she turned on Jack.
"Is it true?" she demanded angrily, "Did she and Dan'iel…." she trailed off sickened at the thought.
"Look…" Jack started.
"She knew about his scar," Sha're went on oblivious to what Jack was saying, "Only I knew of his mark."
"Mark?" Jack couldn't stop himself from asking.
Sha're looked sheepish, "We were," she paused as she searched for the correct word, she finally settled on, "Playing one night. My nail caught the skin near the top of his leg and scratched him. It was an 'S' shape. Dan'iel said I had marked him as mine," she stopped for a few moments, "Did he?" she asked again quietly, afraid of the answer.
Jack placed his hands on her shoulders and looked at her, "What does your Gould memory archive tell you about Hathor?"
Sha're's Goa'uld memories were easily accessible to her. Although certain things were fuzzy it was better than Sam's access to Jolinar's memories.
"Hathor can control men using an organism," she said quietly.
"She dosed Daniel with a whole load of that stuff and forced him. It took him weeks before he could look at himself in a mirror again because he thought he had betrayed you. Yet he never once blamed you for what he knew you would be doing with Apophis."
Sha're's head dropped and tears formed in her eyes, Jack was worried he'd went too far.
"Then it is a good thing I told her he was sickened she touched him," she smiled proudly.
"That's my girl," Jack laughed hugging her, "When we get out of here there's a few things I want you to see. Now all we have to do is get out of here."
x
Sam checked over the Gate before dropping down.
"There's no way we can even get a distress call to the SGC," Sam muttered to Katy, "They're guarding the Gate."
"What now?" Katy asked quietly.
"Well, let's take a look at the Stronghold," Sam mused, "See if we can work out how to get them out."
Katy nodded pulling her own gun out before following behind Sam.
x
Hathor had them gathered in one of the rooms and was strolling up and down in front of them.
"This is sooner than we expected but it shall suffice," she smiled at them, "Now, we want a little information out of you."
"You're not getting any," Jack replied lightly.
"Silence," she snapped, "Fortunately, we have another way that requires no co-operation and great pain for you."
A Jaffa appeared and Hathor removed an adult Goa'uld from him, "Now we need a host."
She stopped first in front of Teal'c, "You are no good."
She moved to Sha're who swallowed hard but stood her ground as the Goa'uld hissed at her, "No, my dear," Hathor purred stroking her face, "You shall be our gift for Apophis, the vessel of his Queen returned to him. We shall become allies and your husband shall be ours to do with as we please."
She then moved to Jack, "My dear Colonel you shall be the new host."
"I'd rather pass," Jack told her.
"The symbiote shall be ready for joining soon," Hathor purred at him, "We shall give you time to make your goodbyes to your friends."
She waved her hand and they were once more in the cell.
"One thing I'll say for Hathor," Sam murmured, "She really isn't as smart as she thinks she is."
"How so?" Katy asked as they crouched next to the outside wall.
"She left them with their radios," Sam told her, "I can hear every word she's saying since Sha're left hers on."
Katy smiled, "So, what's going on?"
"Hathor's going to implant Colonel O'Neill with a symbiote," Sam grimaced, "We have to work out a way to get them out before that happens."
"I always find C4 is a good door opener," Katy smiled, "We could blast them out of the cell."
Sam nodded with approval.
"We have one chance at this," Sam said, "Let's go."
x
Jack was pacing and had been for the last half hour.
"O'Neill," Teal'c snapped, "Please desist in this activity."
"Why?"
"You are making us both dizzy," Sha're told him.
He snorted and stopped pacing, "We need to get out of here. I really don't feel like having a snake put in my head."
"Hathor has planned this for a great deal of time," Teal'c commented.
"Yeah well we made an enemy when she came to the SGC," Jack sighed, "At least that time we had…"
"What?" Sha're asked as Jack stopped mid-sentence.
"Carter and Evans are still free," he said, "If they weren't Hathor would have boasted about having them."
"True," Teal'c agreed, "But they have no idea where we are."
"Yes they do," Sha're said, "My radio is still on."
Jack smiled at her with an adoring look, "Give me it."
Sha're handed it to him.
"Carter?" Jack called.
"Sir," came the reply, "You better keep away from the outside wall," she told them, "Katy and I have a key."
Jack grinned, "Teal'c, Sha're into the corner."
They curled into the corner and waited.
An explosion rocked the room and they were showered in debris.
"Come on," Sam yelled through the hole in the wall.
They dived across the room towards freedom. The door opened and several Jaffa appeared.
Jack grabbed a nearby table and smacked it against the head of the nearest one. He dropped and Jack grabbed the zat.
"Run," Jack yelled, "Keep going."
They kept up running at full speed towards the Gate.
Hathor appeared behind them.
"Stop them," she commanded.
Sha're grabbed Jack's arm and pulled the zat from him.
"Sha're," he yelled after her as she headed towards the redheaded Goa'uld. He ran after her.
Sha're glared at the Goa'uld who had hurt her husband and fired the zat-nicketel at her. Hathor screamed as she was struck before she could defend herself. Sha're fired twice more before Jack grabbed her and pulled her towards the now open Stargate.
Jack knocked on the open door to Sha're's office.
"Hey there," he grinned.
"Hello," she replied looking blankly at the wall.
"I thought I would let you see this," Jack said, producing one of Daniel's journals.
Sha're reached for it, "I thought I had them all?"
"This is the one that deals with Hathor."
Her face clouded quickly as she gripped the journal tightly.
"If you need me you know where I'll be," Jack said before he disappeared.
Sha're watched him leave before opening the journal and reading through it.
Jack tells me it's not my fault and I know this but I still can't help feeling that I have betrayed Sha're. At first I didn't remember anything but soon things started coming back. I felt ill for the first time I remembered her kissing me.
Last night I remembered everything. Her on top of me moving against me, it made me physically sick. Jack sat with me and listened as I ranted against myself for betraying my wife.
What I remember most of all is crying out at the end of it. I called for Sha're. I cried out to my wife. Hathor was furious and dosed me with more and more of that stuff. Before leaving me sitting there.
I hope Sha're doesn't hate me after I tell her. I need her not to hate me.
Sha're closed her eyes after she had read his words.
"I do not hate you Dan'iel," she whispered to the room, "I hurt her back. She will not harm anyone again."
Pulling herself together she went and found Jack. He looked up as she walked into his office.
"Thank you," she said soberly to him, "I do not think I can read it again."
She handed him back the journal and left him watching her.
x
Jack frowned as he held onto the journal. He remembered sitting up with Daniel the night he remembered what had happened with Hathor and wished Daniel could hear Sha're forgiving him.
He sighed and hoped that Hathor was gone from their lives forever. Though he knew her legacy would haunt them for a while yet.
