DISCLAIMER: I don't own Stargate or any of the characters and I'm not getting paid for this, so please don't sue me.
AUTHOR'S NOTES: I've had bits of this chapter written since I first started the story. (The shippy bits, naturally). I hope you enjoy it, please read and review!
************
She'd finally come to a decision. To leave the palace, she would have to go via the throne room anyway as she knew of no other exit. Plus, this would give her the chance to look for Jack. There was no way in hell that she was leaving him behind. And somehow, she knew that he would do the same for her.
Pausing briefly to take a few deep breaths and psych herself up, Sam readied the Zat gun. She stood and after checking that the coast was clear, started to jog down the corridor that she had last seen Jack running down, all the while, keeping her senses alert for the approach of Jaffa.
There was a sharp bend to the right in the corridor up ahead, and Sam slowed down as she approached. That was when she heard it. Footsteps. Coming towards her. She cursed quietly under her breath. Swiftly she moved to the side of the corridor, her back against it as she sidled along the wall towards the corner. Listening carefully, she noted that the other footsteps had also slowed, meaning that they must be aware of her presence. Dammit. She was a metre away from the corner now. She raised her Zat, and swung around the corner, Zat up and ready to fire at whoever was there.
Jack stood there, in a similar stance, his own Zat aimed at her. When he realised who she was, he lowered it slowly.
"Carter." He breathed in relief.
Sam stared at him, wide eyed for a moment, a mixture of shock and relief running through her veins as it sunk in that he was safe.
The kiss surprised them both. Sam wasn't sure what it was that made her move towards him and kiss him, but she was holding onto him tightly, not wanting to let go, as if trying to ascertain that he really was there. As they realised, they both pulled away slowly, albeit a little reluctantly, staring into each other's eyes. Jack recovered first.
"Ya missed me then, huh?" He said, his eyes twinkling.
A small smile crossed Sam's face briefly and she lightly hit his upper arm.
Jack's voice turned serious. "Hey…" He tilted her chin up with his hand, and saw the tears glistening in her eyes. "What's wrong?"
"I thought you were dead." Sam told him honestly, her voice full of emotion.
"Come here." Jack pulled her into a hug, his strong arms encircling her and pulling her against his chest. "You don't get rid of me that easily, you know." They stood there for a few seconds before Jack looked down again. "We'd better get going."
Sam nodded and pulled away. "Let's go."
*****
They reached the entrance to the palace without a hitch. Sam had detonated one of the packs of C4 further in the building, sending the entire contingent of Jaffa rushing there to find the source of the problem. It wouldn't be long before they noticed the prisoners escape so they had to move fast.
Blinking at the sudden brightness of the sunlight, they stopped outside the entrance and scanned their surroundings. The palace was very large, lying in a small valley with a high ridge encircling the entire compound. At one point in front of, and slightly to the left of the entrance was a less steep path leading to the top of the ridge. Jack pointed, and grabbed Sam's hand, before running in the direction of the path. Shouts were heard from within the palace before they were barely halfway up. They dropped to the ground and Sam pulled out the detonators, setting off the remaining C4. They ducked from the explosion, debris and dust flying up into the air. Smoke rose from the palace, where fires had broken out at various points in the structure.
In an instant, they were on their feet again, and racing to the top of the ridge. As they reached it, Jack turned to see if they were being pursued. The Jaffa had only just reached the palace entrance in confusion, and hadn't yet spotted them. They were too busy trying to sort out the damage in the palace.
"Look!" Sam exclaimed, an obvious note of surprise in her voice. "We're still on the planet!" Jack turned, looking down the other side of the ridge onto the clearing with the Stargate in, and beyond that, the forest.
"But there wasn't a Goa'uld palace on the planet we were on, Carter."
"It must have been cloaked. That would explain why it wasn't picked up by the MALP or the UAV." She replied.
"Well, as fascinating as that is, we have to get the hell out of here!" Jack grabbed her hand again, practically dragging her down the other side of the ridge.
*****
They were almost at the Stargate, and Sam tried to break away to dial the DHD, only to find Jack continuing to run towards the forest, dragging her with him.
"What are you doing? We've got to get out of here!"
"After all we've been through, I'm not leaving until you have got your memories back!" He spoke with determination. "Besides, the Jaffa will expect us to use the Gate, they won't think that we'll stay here any longer than necessary. We've got plenty of time before they realise their mistake."
Sam nodded. "Right, let's go."
*****
They arrived at the clearing with the device without any problems. Sam headed straight for the device and knelt in front of it.
"Do you know how to undo what it did?" Jack asked her, seemingly carelessly, although there was a slight edge to his words that gave his nervousness away.
Sam confidently removed the small panel at the back, revealing the crystals as she spoke. "Daniel said something about reversing the crystals."
"What will that do?" He asked.
"I don't know, sir." She admitted, looking up at him. "Daniel didn't get the chance to finish." She looked down at the device. "But it's all we've got."
Jack nodded, stepping towards her, and resting one hand encouragingly on her shoulder. "Do what you have to do." He took up a defensive position at the edge of the clearing, listening out for Jaffa, and at the same time, keeping one watchful eye on Sam.
With ease that came of practice, she removed the crystals, and began replacing them in a different order, reversing the pattern of colour. When the final crystal clicked into place, she replaced the panel.
"The only thing now is to see how to operate…" She was cut off as a beam of light shot out from the device, focussing on the centre of her forehead.
"Sam!" Jack yelled in surprise and worry. The beam switched off and Sam slowly yet silently crumpled to the floor, unconscious. He ran to her side. "Don't you dare give up on me now!" He tried slapping her face lightly, but she didn't stir.
"Aw, crap." Tucking the Zat into his pants, he gently scooped her up into his arms and turned, heading for the gate.
AUTHOR'S NOTES: I've had bits of this chapter written since I first started the story. (The shippy bits, naturally). I hope you enjoy it, please read and review!
************
She'd finally come to a decision. To leave the palace, she would have to go via the throne room anyway as she knew of no other exit. Plus, this would give her the chance to look for Jack. There was no way in hell that she was leaving him behind. And somehow, she knew that he would do the same for her.
Pausing briefly to take a few deep breaths and psych herself up, Sam readied the Zat gun. She stood and after checking that the coast was clear, started to jog down the corridor that she had last seen Jack running down, all the while, keeping her senses alert for the approach of Jaffa.
There was a sharp bend to the right in the corridor up ahead, and Sam slowed down as she approached. That was when she heard it. Footsteps. Coming towards her. She cursed quietly under her breath. Swiftly she moved to the side of the corridor, her back against it as she sidled along the wall towards the corner. Listening carefully, she noted that the other footsteps had also slowed, meaning that they must be aware of her presence. Dammit. She was a metre away from the corner now. She raised her Zat, and swung around the corner, Zat up and ready to fire at whoever was there.
Jack stood there, in a similar stance, his own Zat aimed at her. When he realised who she was, he lowered it slowly.
"Carter." He breathed in relief.
Sam stared at him, wide eyed for a moment, a mixture of shock and relief running through her veins as it sunk in that he was safe.
The kiss surprised them both. Sam wasn't sure what it was that made her move towards him and kiss him, but she was holding onto him tightly, not wanting to let go, as if trying to ascertain that he really was there. As they realised, they both pulled away slowly, albeit a little reluctantly, staring into each other's eyes. Jack recovered first.
"Ya missed me then, huh?" He said, his eyes twinkling.
A small smile crossed Sam's face briefly and she lightly hit his upper arm.
Jack's voice turned serious. "Hey…" He tilted her chin up with his hand, and saw the tears glistening in her eyes. "What's wrong?"
"I thought you were dead." Sam told him honestly, her voice full of emotion.
"Come here." Jack pulled her into a hug, his strong arms encircling her and pulling her against his chest. "You don't get rid of me that easily, you know." They stood there for a few seconds before Jack looked down again. "We'd better get going."
Sam nodded and pulled away. "Let's go."
*****
They reached the entrance to the palace without a hitch. Sam had detonated one of the packs of C4 further in the building, sending the entire contingent of Jaffa rushing there to find the source of the problem. It wouldn't be long before they noticed the prisoners escape so they had to move fast.
Blinking at the sudden brightness of the sunlight, they stopped outside the entrance and scanned their surroundings. The palace was very large, lying in a small valley with a high ridge encircling the entire compound. At one point in front of, and slightly to the left of the entrance was a less steep path leading to the top of the ridge. Jack pointed, and grabbed Sam's hand, before running in the direction of the path. Shouts were heard from within the palace before they were barely halfway up. They dropped to the ground and Sam pulled out the detonators, setting off the remaining C4. They ducked from the explosion, debris and dust flying up into the air. Smoke rose from the palace, where fires had broken out at various points in the structure.
In an instant, they were on their feet again, and racing to the top of the ridge. As they reached it, Jack turned to see if they were being pursued. The Jaffa had only just reached the palace entrance in confusion, and hadn't yet spotted them. They were too busy trying to sort out the damage in the palace.
"Look!" Sam exclaimed, an obvious note of surprise in her voice. "We're still on the planet!" Jack turned, looking down the other side of the ridge onto the clearing with the Stargate in, and beyond that, the forest.
"But there wasn't a Goa'uld palace on the planet we were on, Carter."
"It must have been cloaked. That would explain why it wasn't picked up by the MALP or the UAV." She replied.
"Well, as fascinating as that is, we have to get the hell out of here!" Jack grabbed her hand again, practically dragging her down the other side of the ridge.
*****
They were almost at the Stargate, and Sam tried to break away to dial the DHD, only to find Jack continuing to run towards the forest, dragging her with him.
"What are you doing? We've got to get out of here!"
"After all we've been through, I'm not leaving until you have got your memories back!" He spoke with determination. "Besides, the Jaffa will expect us to use the Gate, they won't think that we'll stay here any longer than necessary. We've got plenty of time before they realise their mistake."
Sam nodded. "Right, let's go."
*****
They arrived at the clearing with the device without any problems. Sam headed straight for the device and knelt in front of it.
"Do you know how to undo what it did?" Jack asked her, seemingly carelessly, although there was a slight edge to his words that gave his nervousness away.
Sam confidently removed the small panel at the back, revealing the crystals as she spoke. "Daniel said something about reversing the crystals."
"What will that do?" He asked.
"I don't know, sir." She admitted, looking up at him. "Daniel didn't get the chance to finish." She looked down at the device. "But it's all we've got."
Jack nodded, stepping towards her, and resting one hand encouragingly on her shoulder. "Do what you have to do." He took up a defensive position at the edge of the clearing, listening out for Jaffa, and at the same time, keeping one watchful eye on Sam.
With ease that came of practice, she removed the crystals, and began replacing them in a different order, reversing the pattern of colour. When the final crystal clicked into place, she replaced the panel.
"The only thing now is to see how to operate…" She was cut off as a beam of light shot out from the device, focussing on the centre of her forehead.
"Sam!" Jack yelled in surprise and worry. The beam switched off and Sam slowly yet silently crumpled to the floor, unconscious. He ran to her side. "Don't you dare give up on me now!" He tried slapping her face lightly, but she didn't stir.
"Aw, crap." Tucking the Zat into his pants, he gently scooped her up into his arms and turned, heading for the gate.