TITLE: The Lost Ones

AUTHOR: Cyn(di)

EMAIL: custardpringle@yahoo.com

RATING: PG-13 for weird evil happenings and general suffering/pain on the parts of all concerned. Also language, as always. And "thematic issues," whatever the hell they are.

CATEGORY: supernatural, drama

SUMMARY: Daniel is having terrible nightmares. And they're not only in his head . . .

SPOILERS: I'm too lazy to keep track, so let's say anything up through "Death Knell."

AUTHOR'S NOTE: Sorry about the delay—technical difficulties. Made it a little longer than usual to compensate.

Koreanpearl, I know you're reading this, so I included a little Bible reference just for you to compensate for Jack saying "Christ" in the last chapter. That work?

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Sam was drifing in nothingness. Come to think of it, she rather suspected she was part of the nothingness at this point, and the fact that she continued to be self-aware was simply a lucky chance. She supposed she should be grateful. On the other hand, there wasn't a heck of a lot to be aware of.

Maybe, Sam thought, maybe if I pinched myself very hard I would wake up. Thing was, though, she had no self to pinch, any more than she had fingers with which to do so.

It was altogether a strange experience, rather womblike, except that from what Sam had heard of wombs they tended to be warm and cozy. This place, whatever and wherever it might be, was neither warm nor cozy; in fact, it was cold enough that Sam felt she ought to be shivering. (She wasn't, of course, for obvious reasons.)

Okay, this was definitely not a womb. A sort of anti-womb, perhaps, which did—what? Reversed the birthing process, possibly, so that instead of growing one shrank into nothing, eventually to wholly cease one's existence and be reabsorbed into the cosmos. Backwards evolution. The earth a formless void, and darkness covering the face of the earth once again.

Sam tried again to shiver at that thought, failed, and hoped she could get out of there before that happened.

Sam hoped she could get out of there, period.

Whatever was going on here, she definitely didn't like it. And she wanted out—now. Sadly, however, that didn't seem to be possible, unless Aurel changed her mind. And that didn't seem to be particularly likely, either, unless Daniel "made the right decision," as the mysterious woman had put it. A third impossible thing; from what she had seen of Aurel, Sam didn't think her idea of "right" would exactly jibe with Daniel's.

What was Daniel up to, anyway? He'd been really off the past couple of days—constantly exhausted despite sleeping more than usual—and now this enigmatic person showed up, claiming to be acquainted with him. If—make that when, optimism was always a good thing—she got out of this, they were definitely going to have to talk.

No sooner had this thought flitted through her mind than she distinctly heard Daniel say, *I want to talk to Sam.* His voice was somewhat distant and muffled, but distinctly audible.

Daniel? she thought, wondering if he could hear her.

*Be silent, Major Carter,* Aurel's voice snapped at her coldly. *It is none of your concern. I'm afraid not,* she added more pleasantly to Daniel, who apparently had not heard the exchange. *That was the bargain, was it not? Give me the information my lord Anubis requires, and your friend will be returned to you. I assure you, she has not been harmed, merely restrained.*

*I understand the bargain perfectly,* Daniel told her. *But I don't trust you any more than you probably trust me. I just want to make sure Sam is okay.*

*If you insist,* Aurel decided reluctantly. *But you will not be able to return her to her proper plane of existence until you have informed me of the location of the Harcesis.*

*Of course.*

Of course? Sam thought, aghast. Daniel, what are you doing?

Aurel's voice suddenly felt much closer. *Here she is. Keep you conversation brief, please. I do not have much time before I must report back.*

*Daniel?* Sam tried again. *Can you hear me?*

*I can hear you, Sam.* His voice flooded with relief. *Are you all right?*

*Just great,* she said bitterly, *except that I seem to have ceased to exist. Care to explain?*

Daniel ignored the question. *She's been keeping you in the dark the whole time?* Within moments, Sam found herself seated in her own living room, with Daniel and Aurel on the couch next to her. "Is this better?" he asked.

Sam glanced down, relieved to see that she now had at least the illusion of a body. "Much. Now please, please tell me that you didn't agree to turn over your own stepson in return for me."

Daniel looked away, refusing to meet her probing eyes. "What choice did I have?"

"What were you thinking?" she asked angrily. "Are you nuts?"

"Whatever your opinion of the agreement may be, Major," Aurel interrupted sharply, "it must be honored. Daniel . . ." Her voice trailed off expectantly.

He said nothing.

"Well?" she prompted impatiently. "Where is he?"

Daniel considered this question for a moment, then answered mildly, "I'm sorry, but I can't give you that information. It's highly classified."

Both women's heads jerked up to stare at him—Aurel's face showing more than a hint of frustration, Sam's the beginning of a smile. "You promised," Aurel hissed. "Does the life of your friend mean nothing to you, Daniel?"

"It means a great deal." Daniel's voice was still soft, but now with a dangerous edge to it. "Which is why you're going to cut your losses right about now, leave, and let me send her home."

Aurel snorted. "Are you really so simple-minded as to expect me to be eliminated easily?"

Both of them were beginning to glow. Sensing this was a bad sign, Sam edged a little further towards the end of the sofa.

"No, I'm not. So I have a backup plan in case you don't feel like listening to reason," Daniel observed, sending several sparks crackling out of his fingertips so that there could be no possible doubt as to the precise nature of that plan.

This was so unlike the Daniel she knew that Sam began again to wonder whether he had gone totally crazy.

Unfortunately, she wondered a bit too loudly, and he heard her. *I'm not crazy. But I may have no other way to get you out of here than to fight her.*

*You're no match for her,* Sam protested, hating the damsel-in-distress role she'd been forced into. *Don't suppose there's anything I could do to help?*

*Nope, sorry. Just stay out of the way the best you can,* Daniel told her. "Well?" he added aloud to Aurel. "Are you going to get out of the way, or am I going to have to force you out?"

"The issue is no longer in our hands," she answered with a small smirk. "Major Carter has been permitted to depart; she is no longer relevant. You, however, have proven too recalcitrant to be useful." The smirk grew to a wide, satisfied grin; she had obviously been holding a brief conversation of her own. "My lord Anubis is not pleased, Daniel . . . not pleased at all." Aurel disappeared, leaving Daniel and Sam to stare at each other in shocked silence.

A chill draft blew through the room, and Daniel cocked his head as if listening, although Sam could hear nothing. "What's happening?" she asked.

He evaded the question again. "You've got to get out of here."

"I can't leave you to deal with this alone."

"You don't have the powers of an Ancient. There's nothing you could possibly do to help." The room was steadily growing colder, the wind stronger.

"Daniel—" she said desperately, but he cut her off by seizing her wrist and literally throwing her down—

not onto the floor, but through it, and she fell down past an infinity of emptiness, just barely hearing his last words to her over the howling wind before hitting cold concrete.

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The infirmary door opened suddenly, and all four of the room's conscious occupants turned to see Sam stagger in, holding on to the wall for support.

Teal'c was the first to react, swiftly moving to catch her just as she collapsed entirely. "Major Carter, what has transpired?"

She tried to tell them, made the best effort she could, but all she could manage was to repeat the last thing Daniel had told her.

"He's coming," Sam whispered, and passed out.