Author's Notes:- Thanks to Stonedtoad for betaing.


The Dead Zone 4- Changes

Charlie watched, as Sha're drifted along behind Martouf. She seemed to be elsewhere and had been since they had left the village. As they made camp that night Sha're had just went to her own tent after eating and closed her eyes to sleep.

"Has she said anything to you?" Charlie asked, his worry evident in his voice.

Martouf shook his head regretfully, "Since meeting her son she has entered a deep melancholy."

"I hate seeing her so sad," Charlie sighed, "Okay, none of us are exactly dancing but at least we're trying to be hopeful."

"We are soldiers Charlie," Martouf reminded him, "We knew the risks when we started this fight. Sha're had no choice in this. She was stolen from her home and life."

"Sha're never believed she would ever see her son," Lantesh took over, "Now she has seen and spent time with the child before losing him again."

"We'll just have to be here for her," Charlie said, "And hope to hell we find an SG team soon."


Martouf dialled.

Sha're had no idea how many planets they had been to in the vain hope that they'd find someone who could help them return to their homes.

She missed Shifu.

Her baby who she'd never thought she'd ever see again. They'd only had a few hours together before he'd had to leave. Once more she had been left with an aching hole in her soul. She knew that Charlie, Lantesh and Martouf were worried about her but she was finding it hard to be in anybody's company just now. Truthfully all she wanted was to be home in her husband's arms with her son asleep in the next room but realistically she knew the odds of that happening were huge. She was nothing if not realistic these days. Occasionally she thought maybe it would be best to stay on a planet and wait until they were found but who knew how long that would take. A day, a week, a year, ten years. They had a better chance if they kept moving maybe then they'd find someone who could take them to Earth. Looking up as the Stargate opened she sighed, she was just so tired.

Sadly she followed on as they stepped through the Stargate.

x

"Damn," Martouf muttered as he saw the pyramids reaching to the sky.

"Come on," Charlie grabbed Sha're's arm and they all headed to the forest.

"That was close," she murmured seeing the Jaffa converge on where they had just been, "We should get away from here until things calm down."

The men nodded and they headed deeper into the forest trying to avoid everyone, whether they were Jaffa or slave.

"We must hide until we can leave through the Stargate," Sha're said thoughtfully, "We must be careful."

"If we set up camp we can't have a fire," Charlie said.

"Of course not," Martouf said with an amused smile.

Charlie laughed, "Okay, obvious."

Sha're frowned at them both before taking the lead, making her way through the thick forest. Charlie and Martouf exchanged a worried glance but followed on.

Sha're suddenly ducked and motioned her companions down.

"Look," she whispered.

There was about twenty Jaffa surrounding a group of people. They were choosing hosts and slaves.

Sha're's eyes hardened and she pulled out her zat readying it. Charlie grabbed it off of her.

"Are you crazy?"

"We cannot let this happen," she snapped, "I will not let it happen to those people."

Charlie turned her to look at him holding her by the shoulders, "You can't stop it. You'd be killed within seconds. Martouf, Lantesh and I are not going to let that happen. We've fought too hard to get us all here. So you can get back to Daniel."

His deliberate use of her husbands name made her flinch.

"I just do not want someone to be put through what I was," she whispered while tears slipped down her cheeks, "It should not be allowed."

"Sha're," Lantesh said softly, "We are only a small group with very few resources. The only thing we can truly do is to gather all the information we can that can help the Tok'ra and Tauri."

Sha're bowed her head sadly, "You are correct."

"Sha're, you are too precious to us to lose," Martouf hugged her, "But you must work with us."

She raised her head slightly determination within her eyes.

"I am sorry," she apologised to them, "Charlie you are correct. I would still be lost without you and I would never be able to return to my husband."

"We'll find a way," he promised her, "Come on. Let's get further away from this bunch."


They were hiding in a cave.

Sha're was sleeping next to the small fire they had, Martouf was keeping watch while Charlie was checking out the Gate.

There was something very familiar about this place but Martouf couldn't quite place it. Being brainwashed to kill had damaged both himself and Lantesh creating huge holes within their memory. To be perfectly honest it disturbed both of them.

"You are worried," Lantesh said.

"You feel the similarity of this place also," Martouf answered, "There is something about this place that we both know."

"I know," Lantesh sighed, "If only we hadn't been so careless and let Apophis take us."

"I see I am no longer being blamed for that," Martouf joked before realisation dawned, "It was here."

"What?"

"This was were Apophis captured us," Martouf's horror filled him, "We must leave this planet."

"If Apophis is here then Sha're is in the most danger," Lantesh agreed, "But…"

"There may be Tok'ra here."

Martouf looked up as Charlie reappeared.

"We've got to get out of here," Charlie said the moment he stepped into the cave.

"We know," Martouf nodded.

"I mean right now," Charlie told him, "I just saw Apophis."

Martouf sighed in annoyance, "I hoped we were wrong."

"Wrong about what?" Charlie asked with a worried look.

"This was where Apophis captured us," Lantesh interrupted.

"Wonderful," Charlie drawled sarcastically, "Let's get out of here."

"Who tells her?" Martouf asked.

"We don't," Charlie decided, "We just say we're leaving and don't frighten the hell out of her."

Martouf nodded and moved across to where Sha're was sleeping restlessly. He gently shook her shoulder.

"What is wrong?" Sha're asked, sitting up looking confused.

"We're moving," Martouf explained, "The Stargate looks clear."

She shook herself slightly to waken before joining Charlie, "Did you get any sleep?"

"Yeah," he lied.

"Good," she nodded, "Now let us move."

She was packing when the ground started to shake. Sha're scrambled to the mouth of the cave where Charlie and Martouf were watching something.

"He's leaving," Charlie sighed in relief, "That's one thing less to worry about."

"Who is leaving?" Sha're asked suspiciously.

"Oops," Charlie murmured as Martouf glared at him.

"Who?"

"Apophis," Charlie said.

"Oh," she said softly, "Then we were lucky."

The other two exchanged a concerned look before Charlie started to pace.

"So do we leave now or what?"

Sha're nodded, "If we can get through the Gate then yes."

x

Martouf was in the lead as they headed quietly to the Stargate. Any villagers were avoiding the forest just now in case there were any Jaffa still around. They moved closer when a yell sounded nearby.

"Run," Martouf ordered as staff blasts exploded around them.

Pushing their way through the undergrowth they could hear the Jaffa getting closer and closer. Martouf cried out and fell as a staff blast struck his leg. Sha're grabbed his arm and pulled him up while Charlie took the lead. He skidded to a halt when a Jaffa stepped in front of them. Turning to run they were suddenly surrounded.


Charlie sighed. They had been shoved in a cage inside the pyramid nearest the Gate. Martouf's leg was bad and despite his assurances Lantesh could fix him Charlie wasn't too sure. Martouf had a very high fever and slipping in and out of consciousness.

Sha're was pacing thoughtfully on the other side of the cell.

"We need to leave here," she said half to herself, "But before we can go Martouf must heal."

"You're stating the obvious," Charlie muttered at her.

She glanced angrily at him, "If we had a healing device it would be better."

"And how do we get that?" he snapped at her.

Sha're suddenly gave him a slow mischievous smile and moved to the door, she pulled out the needle she used to sew her fatigues. It was bent in half and she slid it into the lock. After a few seconds Charlie heard the lock click and the door opened.

"Where did you learn that?" Charlie asked in complete amazement.

Sha're smiled at him, "My husband has learned a few interesting things in his time with O'Neill."

"How did you learn that though?" Charlie asked, "There was no way he learned that in our time on Abydos."

"I shall explain later," she told him, "Stay here with Martouf. I shall find the healing device."

"Sha're…"

"I can take care of myself," she told him sharply, "Martouf needs you here."

Without another word she left moving quietly through the door into the halls of the ship.

After she had left Charlie checked Martouf's leg again.

"I'm no doctor but it looks cauterised," he sighed, "There may be some sort of internal bleeding. Tell me Lantesh is fixing it."

"I am having trouble," Lantesh admitted.

"What kind?"

"I do not know," Lantesh said, "I believe it is due to what Apophis did to us."

"Just hang in there," Charlie told them, "Sha're is trying to get a healing thing."

Martouf nodded still looking very ill.

"Come on Hon," Charlie murmured, "Come on."

x

Sha're felt a shudder run through her as she entered the halls of the pyramid.

Stay calm; she repeated to herself over and over, Apophis was gone and she had an objective she had to reach.

The ominous sound of the Jaffa coming towards her filled the halls so she slipped behind a pillar waiting until they had passed her. Sha're realised she'd been holding her breath and released it slowly trying to stop herself shaking. Making sure that the hall was clear she started moving again.

Sha're frowned to herself, the Jaffa would be punished if Apophis knew they weren't guarding these. Cautiously she opened the case and pulled out the two hand devices. One was for healing and the other…she shuddered remembering her own hand pointing it at her husband as the thing inside her tried to kill him.

"Stop," she scolded herself.

Picking up the healing device she placed it inside her pocket before taking the ribbon device. Sha're gritted her teeth as she slowly slid it onto her hand, placing each finger in the tip trying very hard to get rid of the sick feeling in her stomach at placing this thing on her hand. Looking at the orange crystal sitting on her palm a flash of memory entered her mind of Daniel on his knees begging her to fight Ammonet, to fight for him.

"Hold," a Jaffa yelled from behind her.

Sha're turned and without a thought threw him against the wall using the ribbon device where he slumped unconscious. Purposefully she started to walk back to the cell where she'd left her companions, once she fixed Martouf's leg they would head to the Stargate and to somewhere safer.

"Good you're back," Charlie said as she appeared, "He's not healing."

Sha're pulled off the ribbon device and handed it to Charlie, "Hold this."

She slipped on the healing device and pointed it at Martouf's injured leg. Concentrating hard she managed to activate it, the beam focussed on his injury healing it.

"Can you walk?" Sha're asked placing the healer back in her pocket and taking the ribbon device back off Charlie.

"I can," Martouf said testing his leg, "Let's go."

"Charlie, you and Martouf stay behind me," Sha're ordered.


They were hiding near the Stargate.

"We have got to get those damn MALP's fixed," Jack muttered angrily, "How could we not notice the Jaffa army camped at the Stargate."

"Pure luck," Daniel answered fingering his broken glasses.

"Probably also the way you got me to agree to do this stupid mission," Jack grimaced.

Daniel sighed, "I don't understand how SG9 didn't send a message or try to get back the through the Stargate."

"They were probably caught by surprise," Jack told him, "I'm going to set up a diversion so we can get home. Keep an eye on the Stargate."

"That'll be real easy," Daniel muttered as Jack disappeared, this was turning into a bad day.

Daniel watched as the guards stood, every so often changing position. Unexpectedly guards were blasted to the side by a ribbon device. Daniel squinted trying to see what was going on. Suddenly the Stargate burst open. A man stumbled forward and through it before another man grabbed the woman standing with the ribbon device. She stopped suddenly and turned. Daniel gasped as he saw her properly.

"Sha're?" he gasped in amazement, as their eyes locked for the second before she was pulled through.

Daniel was about to jump forward when Jack grabbed him pulling him back.

"What is wrong with you?" he snapped.

"Sha're," Daniel whispered, "I saw her."

The Gate closed down.

"No," he sighed drooping, "I saw her."

Jack placed a hand on his friends shoulder, "Daniel, you weren't wearing your glasses how could you make out anybody that far away?"

"I…I," he trailed off, "I guess I just wanted it to be her."

Jack clapped his friend on the shoulder, "Come on let's get out of here."

Daniel sighed, he'd been so sure he'd seen her. He'd felt her but Jack was right, Sha're was gone there was no way it could have been her.


The moment the Stargate shut down Sha're headed to the DHD.

"We have to go back," she cried.

"Whoa there," Charlie grabbed her hand stopping her, "We barely made it out."

"We have to return."

"Why Sha're?" Martouf asked

"Dan'iel was there," she told them, "I saw him, I felt him."

"Sha're," Martouf said softly, "We can't go back. If he was there he'd probably have left just after us."

"I suppose you are right," she moved away from the DHD, "But it was the first time we have had any contact with any way home."

"Redial," Charlie ordered.

"What?" Martouf asked.

"Just redial and we'll see if they're there," Charlie watched as Sha're shook her head.

"No," she decided, "They are most likely to be gone from the planet and if not by reopening the Gate we may block their way home."

Looking at their surroundings properly Sha're sighed.

"A nice deserted planet," she frowned, "At least we shall be safe for resting tonight."

"Before we do anything I want a little explanation," Charlie said, "You said something about what Dr Jackson learned in his time with Jack. How do you know that?"

Sha're turned her eyes on him and shrugged, "When I sent him the message about Shifu our minds touched. I was almost drained of all energy unable to give him the message when he came into my mind. I appear to have been given some his memories. They are coming to me in pieces. It started not long after Shifu touched my mind."

"That could be helpful," Martouf mused, "You might get an address that they have allies who could contact Earth for us."

Sha're nodded, "Come. We should get some rest before we head out again."

Charlie and Martouf smiled at her heading to set up camp while Sha're turned and looked at the Gate. Her hope had been restored in that second she had seen him. They would find a way home but until they did they had each other and for just now that was all she needed.